WARK: Home-grown TV

WARK: Home-grown TV

Feb 4, 2023 | Tin Horn

WARK: Home-grown TV

Back in the Dark Ages, before you could whip out your cell phone, shoot some video and in an instant post it on the internet for all the world to see, there was ‘local access’ cable television. In the Margaretville-Arkville area, it was known as WARK, Channel 3 on the Margaretville Tel-Vis cable network.

This was back in 1984, when Mike Finberg, Larry Smith and Geoff Samuels teamed up with Tel-Vis owner Roy George to produce and share with cable subscribers all manner of locally-generated news and entertainment. For six months the trio, and Larry’s wife Christine Cordone, dashed about the area, videotaping interviews, community events, performances, kids’ workshops, how-to shows and more. Geoff, musician and soundman, was behind the camera. Larry, a seasoned performer, and Mike, a born talker later known as party MC Buck Steel, were the interviewers. Christine, a singer and elementary school teacher, hosted special events and activities.

Larry and Christine composed and sang the WARK jingle, recorded at Geoff’s home studio. The partners sold ads and recorded commercials. And they solicited suggestions for on-air demonstrations from the public (examples offered in a sign-up form included car repair, fly fishing and belly dancing.) “Anybody who had any idea for a show, we pretty much did it,” explained Mike. (Nobody offered to belly dance, though.)

Roy George was more than willing to help, literally handing them the key to his cable kingdom. “We would take the tapes to the little building at the head of Dry Brook where the signal emanated from, unplug WSKG (public TV from Binghamton), put in our tape, and when our show was over, reconnect WSKG.”

He described it as a “handshake arrangement. No money was exchanged.” Which was a good thing, since very little money was made. “The advertising revenue didn’t offset the needs of the three partners, but it was fun, so we continued to do it for six months.”

In those six months they created an archive of now priceless videos: The Arkville Parade and Fair (WARK borrowed the fair’s specially built ark-on-wheels as its logo). Music shows hosted by Larry at the Binnekill Square Restaurant’s piano with guests like Galen Blum, Tom Pacheco, Rob Rosenblatt, Kim Wrobel and Izzy Goldstein.  Cooking shows with Eric Rosen, Howard Raab and Vinnie Ammirato. (Vinnie’s paying gig was on a tugboat in New York Harbor and he also arranged for a WARK tour of the vessel.)

Christine interviewed performers in a traveling circus that came to Arkville and showed children how to make all sorts of crafts. Larry interviewed Eric Wedemeyer at the grand opening of the renovated Granary building and Mike once asked questions of Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan. Bands and dancers at the Pine Hill Tavern, Ricci’s and the Meadowbrook brought these now fabled night spots into area living rooms.

And, presaging ‘Jeopardy,’ there was the Dictionary Game, with teams of local brainiacs trying to out-wit each other on definitions of obscure terms.

Larry estimates that 10 to 20 hours of ‘background labor” went into every hour of finished video. “It was quite an operation,” he said. “Everything was hands on, home grown.”

Subscribers to MTC Cable can watch vintage WARK video on the newest community-centered public cable channel, CatskillsAir, MTC Cable Channel 1. Advises Mike Finberg, “Prepare to see local residents without gray hair.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Building update, new trustees highlight annual meeting

Nov 5, 2022 | 2022 News, news archive

Two new trustees – Alana Siegel of New Kingston and Michael Fairbairn of Millbrook – were elected to the Board of the Historical Society of the Town of Middletown at its 18th Annual Meeting October 22. Long-time HSM President Diane Galusha was also re-elected to a three-year term.

In the annual report to members, Galusha provided an update on plans to build an addition on the HSM program hall on Cemetery Road near Margaretville.

“We have good news!,” Galusha announced. “Construction on the 1100-square-foot addition to our hall will begin in the spring!” Cole and Griffin (Rob Cole and Gina Griffin) have been engaged to build the addition using plans developed by engineer Paul Gossen.

This will accommodate the archives with room to work on historic materials as well as a reading/research space. There will be an office, an accessible rest room and a lobby with some display space. The addition will be utilized year-round, while the hall itself will continue to accommodate programs in the warmer months.

Added Galusha, “On top of the good news comes great news: The Pasternak Family Foundation has confirmed a pledge of $50,000 towards the project, and the O’Connor Foundation has approved our $75,000 funding request!”

Expressing appreciation to these benefactors, Galusha also hailed the Nicholas J. Juried Foundation for its $100,000 gift which lifted the capital campaign in its early days. In addition, more than $100,000 has been raised from 146 individual and business donors, and a grant of $50,000 has also been pledged by the State of New York.

Noted Galusha, “While we have the funds to get started on the project, we cannot be sure of the ultimate cost of construction materials, furnishings, fixtures and landscaping. So we will renew the Capital Campaign to be sure we are not caught short.” To donate or become a member, visit mtownhistory.org

Two new trustees have joined the HSM Board to work on this project and others.

Alana Siegel completed an undergraduate degree in Language and Literature at Bard College, worked at Station Hill press in Barrytown, and then moved to San Francisco where she devoted much of her time to experimental education projects and events. From 2016 to 2019, she completed a classical three-year Buddhist retreat. Alana helped organize the reincarnated New Kingston Whoop-de-Doo in August.

Michael Fairbairn was born in the old Margaretville Hospital, grew up in the Hudson Valley and graduated from Kingston High School. He hails from a long line of Fairbairns and portrayed one of them – Niles Fairbairn – in HSM’s very first Living History Cemetery Tour in 2012. He has also been a re-enactor of French and Indian, Revolutionary and Civil War soldiers.

While welcoming the new trustees and thanking members of the HSM Board for their work in guiding the organization, Galusha especially noted the contributions of outgoing trustee Amy Taylor who is departing the Board after eight years of service. Others on the Board are Doris Warner, Pat Moore, Josef Schoell, Agnes Laub, Barbara Moses, Linda Armour and Gary Smith.

“Because of the actions of this group of remarkable people and a cadre of enthusiastic volunteers, HSM can list several activities and accomplishments over the past year,” Galusha said. Six programs drew a wide spectrum of participants, from metal detecting enthusiasts who attended the 6th Annual Relic Hunt, to nearly 100 people who braved inclement weather for the 9th Living History Cemetery Tour. Farm boarding houses and the life and work of photographer Irene Fay were spotlighted. HSM also coordinated a day of family fun at the Old Stone School and hosted a railroad hike on the famous Horseshoe Curve in Highmount.

Treasurer Pat Moore presented a summary of HSM finances, noting that several repairs and improvements were made to the hall this year, including installing a new concrete floor.

HSM continues to accept items for its growing collection of historic materials. Those with Middletown-related items to donate are invited to contact Collections Chair Barbara Moses.

Those gathered for the annual meeting then heard Rebecca Rego Barry’s entertaining program, “Rare Books Uncovered: Stories of Fantastic Finds in Unlikely Places.”

To conclude the afternoon, which featured a luncheon catered by Mary’s Cookin’ Again, the winning ticket for the raffled “Catskills in a Basket” was drawn. Tina Greene of Arkville was the lucky winner!

Home from The War

Home from The War

Nov 1, 2022 | Tin Horn, Uncategorized

Orville Baker led an ordinary life.

One of six kids in an ordinary family who grew up in an ordinary town, his death was ordinary, too, for the times. Orville succumbed in 1918 to pneumonia in the murderous worldwide influenza pandemic while serving with thousands of US soldiers in France.

The inscription on his headstone in the Taylor Farm Cemetery in New Kingston might have been all we remembered about Orville Charles Baker – that he was born August 3, 1894, died Oct. 2, 1918 and served in Co. E of the 104th Ammunition Train – were it not for an email received by the Historical Society of Middletown from a teacher in France.

Anthony Le Brazidec wrote to say he is compiling information on 300 American soldiers who were buried in a temporary cemetery in his town, Morbihan, in Brittany on the northwest coast of France. He had already found the online 1918 Catskill Mountain News article reporting Orville’s death, but he wanted to know the exact date of his burial in New Kingston in 1920.

Anthony shared documents showing when and where Orville was buried in Morbihan, and the details of the repatriation of his remains to his parents, George and Hattie Baker, two years after his death. This came as news to us: We knew about the memorial service for Orville held at the New Kingston Presbyterian Church on Sunday, Nov. 10, 1918, one day before the Armistice was signed ending WWI. And we knew the pastor who had officiated at the service, Rev. Jesse Jamieson, had, like pastors everywhere in Middletown and across the country, rung the church bells with joy that momentous Monday, before the good reverend himself died of a stroke two days later.

But because the Catskill Mountain News is missing for 1920, we did not know that the body of Orville C. Baker was not present for that service, or for the observance of the end of the war that claimed him.

A letter sent to the Baker family by Capt. James B. Puller, commander of Baker’s company, explained that Orville (he was inducted at Delhi May 13 and arrived in France June 29, 1918) had become ill in September and died after a month in the hospital. “He was visited frequently by both the officers and men of his company as all seemed to think a great deal of him,” wrote Capt. Puller in the letter reprinted in the News January 31, 1919. “He was buried in his military uniform with military honors and his company marched to his funeral.”

Records provided by Anthony LeBrazidec more than a century later show that long after his burial and the cessation of hostilities, Orville’s body was one of thousands collected from cemeteries across France to be returned to the US. It was removed from Morbihan July 20, 1920 and was shipped to Brest, France where it was held for a month and prepared for the two-week Atlantic crossing aboard the Princess Matoika, a luxury liner-turned-troop transport that carried 1,284 repatriated remains on this its last voyage for the US Army.

Orville Baker’s casket was then put on a train in Hoboken and taken to Arkville, where his 72-year-old mother claimed her son’s remains October 9, no doubt breaking her heart all over again.

Despite historian Shirley Davis’ search through church records, we were unable to find the exact date of his reinterment at the hillside cemetery not far from the Baker home, as Monsieur LeBrazidec asked. But we are happy to know that this French researcher plans to erect a plaque to the American soldiers who once rested in Morbihan, and we are grateful for this additional information on one Middletown soldier and his long road home.

 

 

 

 

Rare books program October 22

Sep 30, 2022 | 2022 News, news archive

A family Bible worth $350,000. A first-edition classic found at a flea market. A 500-year-old German book of woodprints stored under a bed for 40 years. Mark Twain’s personal book collection, many with penciled comments, questions and witticisms, stashed in barrels in a California garage.

These and other remarkable biblio-tales will be the featured program at the Historical Society of the Town of Middletown’s Annual Meeting and Luncheon Saturday, Oct. 22.

Rebecca Rego Barry author of “Rare Books Uncovered: True Stories of Fantastic Finds in Unlikely Places” will speak at the Margaretville Fire Hall on Church Street in the village. The meeting begins with lunch at Noon, catered by Mary’s Cookin’ Again, followed by a business meeting and Rebecca’s presentation.

Reservations ($20) are required by October 15 and can be made by calling 845-586-3630.

Rebecca Rego Barry is the editor of Fine Books & Collections, a quarterly magazine for booklovers. Her writing on books, history, and culture has appeared in Smithsonian, Financial Times, Literary Hub, CrimeReads, Atlas Obscura, Lapham’s Quarterly, The Guardian, Slate, Art & Object and other publications.

Her chapter on the literary Warner Sisters appeared in From Page to Place: American Literary Tourism and the Afterlives of American Authors (University of Massachusetts Press, 2017).

Rebecca graduated from Syracuse University with a dual bachelor’s degree in English and magazine journalism. She earned a master’s degree in book history from Drew University where she then served as the preservation and archives associate in charge of the university archives. She also took additional courses at the American Antiquarian Society and at the University of Virginia’s Rare Book School.

Rebecca lives in Chichester where she and husband Brett Barry run the audio production company “Silver Hollow Audio.”

 

 

 

New Kingston photographs of Irene Fay Oct. 1

Sep 26, 2022 | 2022 News, news archive

The Historical Society of the Town of Middletown will revisit a unique time in New Kingston Valley history, one documented by photographer Irene Fay, in an illustrated talk Saturday, Oct. 1 at 3 p.m. at the New Kingston Presbyterian Church.

“World of my own: The New Kingston photographs of Irene Fay” focuses on the residents and landscapes of this Middletown hamlet where the artist lived from the 1960s through the 1980s. It was a period in which long-time locals were welcoming urban newcomers who were purchasing homes and farms as summer and weekend retreats. A number of those newcomers were, like Irene Fay and her husband Stefan, European Jews who had fled the Holocaust and World War II and who found a measure of peace in the bucolic Catskills.

Irene Fay was born in Russia, raised in Germany and escaped from Poland. She trained with eminent photographers in Switzerland and emigrated to New York City in 1948. After becoming a US citizen in 1954, Irene worked as a freelance photographer. From 1937 to 1984, she created an estimated 3,000 privately commissioned studio portraits.

In 1962, Irene and Stefan purchased a Thompson Hollow farmhouse in New Kingston where she found inspiration and many willing subjects for her camera. Irene once said, “Perhaps it is my dream to possess a perfectly arranged miniature world of my own, always at my command.”

A large collection of her New Kingston images is preserved at Fenimore Art Museum in Cooperstown, which has provided HSM with 50 photographs to be shown at the October 1 presentation. Irene’s history and the stories of some of those she photographed, will inform the slide show.

The public is most welcome to this event. Admission is by donation.