!

Spring!2017! !!!!!!Editor!Nancy!DiPace!Pfau! ! !!!!!!!!Number!33!

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Spring!is!making!its!annual!tardy!appearance!here!in!Upstate!New!York,!just!
one!week!before!the!official!date!marking!spring!in!the!northern!
hemisphere,!Sharon!Springs!and!all!of!New!York!State!were!hit!with!a!blizzard!
of!epic!proportions![one!named!Stella!by!the!Weather!Channel]!which!
dumped!over!3!feet!of!snow.!!In!fact!all!52!counties!were!declared!a!State!of!
Emergency!!Several!of!us!escaped!to!more!exotic!and!much!warmer!climates!!
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Josh!KilmerTPurcell!and!Dr.!Brent!Ridge!at!the!Taj!Mahal,!see!page!2!
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A!SPECIAL!THANK!YOU!TO!BRUCE!BUTTON!AND!LEE!PUBLICATIONS!FOR!
THEIR!CONTINUED!SUPPORT!IN!PRINTING!THE!CHATTER!!!
BRENT AND JOSH TRIP OF A LIFETIME TO INDIA
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In!early!March!we!spent!12!days!touring!with!26!Beekman!Neighbors!from!all!around!
America!on!the!Beekman'1802'Trip'of'a'Lifetime:'India.!!Traveling!from!Delhi,!to!Agra,!
to!Jaipur,!the!group!visited!all!of!the!amazing!landmarks!!and!also!had!some!very!exclusive!
experiences.!!We!were!granted!access!to!the!Taj!Mahal!at!night!to!see!the!full!moon!shine!
off!the!marbleand!had!a!yoga!class!and!champagne!breakfast!in!front!of!the!famous!
landmark!the!following!morning.!We!also!timed!the!trip!to!celebrate!the!spring!celebration!
of!Holi.!!Our!group!gathered!at!the!hotel!featured!in!the!movie!The!Most!Exotic!Marigold!
Hotel!and!joined!the!owners!family!for!the!holiday.!!We!spent!the!morning!celebrating!by!
chasing!each!other!and!tossing!fistfuls!of!brightly!colored!powdered!dye!on!each!other,!and!
the!afternoon!feasting!with!the!family.!!All!Beekman!trips!also!feature!charitable!giveback!
efforts.!!We!were!fortunate!enough!to!volunteer!at!an!inner!city!home!for!runaway!street!
children!in!Delhi.!!And!we!helped!cook,!serve!and!eat!at!a!Sikh!temple!that!serves!over!
20,000!free!lunches!each%day!!!We!spent!some!time!working!on!a!remote!rural!farm,!helped!
wash!elephants!at!a!rescue,!and!hauled!sacks!of!potatoes!at!a!Jaipur!Farmers!Market.!!It!
truly!was!the!Trip!of!a!Lifetime,!and!we!had!to!chuckle!each!time!we!got!the!occasional!text!
informing!us!that!the!Log'House!on!Route!20!was!serving!curry!for!lunch.![We!brought!
back!some!freshly!ground!spices!for!them,!so!you!may!taste!them!in!an!upcoming!special!]!

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FREE SHAKESPEARE IN CHALYBEATE PARK, AUG 9 15
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Mark!the!date!and!bring!your!blanket!and!lawn!chairs!to!Chalybeate!Park!this!August!for!a!
free!production!of!Shakespeares!As#You#Like#It!!
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Presented!by!Klinkhart'Hall'Arts'Center,'Inc!and!produced!by!the!newly!formed!
Brimestone'Creek'Productions'LLC,!the!hope!and!goal!is!that!As%You%Like%It!will!be!the!
beginning!of!a!long!life!of!professional!quality!theater!in!Sharon!Springs,!eventually!calling!
the!renovated!Klinkhart!Hall!its!home.!!
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As%You%Like%It,!arguably!Shakespeares!best!comedy,!is!the!story!of!a!group!of!nobles!exiled!
from!court!to!the!Forest!of!Arden.!In!their!banishment,!they!find!liberty,!freedom,!and!
themselves,!finding!much!to!be!learned!from!their!new!rural!neighbors.!Its!wit,!wisdom,!
and!surprisingly!accessible!text!has!gone!to!make!As%You%Like%It!and!its!centuries!old!theme!
of!love!at!first!sight!truly!timeless.!!
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This!production!will!be!set!in!present!day!rural!central!New!York,!as!if!Sharon!Springs!itself!
was!the!Forest!of!Arden.!For,!like!Arden,!Sharon!Springs!has!that!magical!draw!for!
countless!people.!And,!like!As%You%Like%It,!is!filled!with!the!ups!and!downs!of!new!courtly!
residents,!moving!to,!struggling!to!adjust,!but!always!falling!in!love!with!their!new!rural!life!
and!community.!!
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At!Brimstone!Creek!Productions,!it!is!our!hope!to!develop!a!full!season!of!robust,!eclectic!
programming!with!a!main!focus!of!examining,!learning!from,!and!honoring!the!Rural!
American!Experience.!!
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We!are!still!actively!fundraising!with!over!$5500!raised!in!online!and!offline!donations!to!
date.!On!May!20th!well!be!having!a!benefit!dinner!with!authentic!Italian!chef,!Rose!Marie!
Trapani,!with!recipes!from!the!upcoming!cookbook!A%Seat%at%our%Table%with%Josh%Kilmer%
Purcell%and%Brent%Ridge%Beekman%1802%due!out!this!coming!September.!We!will!be!able!to!
host!a!maximum!of!12!dinner!guests.!!
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All!taxTdeductible!donations!are!made!to!Klinkhart!Hall!Arts!Center!Inc,!a!501c3!nonTprofit.!
If!you!are!an!individual!who!would!like!to!donate,!would!like!to!attend!our!benefit!dinner,!a!
business!who!would!like!to!discuss!sponsorship,!or!have!any!questions!at!all,!feel!free!to!eT
mail!John!CormierTBurke,!Artistic!Director!of!Brimstone!Creek!Production,!at!
john@brimstonecreek.net!!!
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Visit!www.brimstonecreek.net!for!more!information!and!make!sure!to!like!us!on!Facebook!!
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AMUSE BOUCHE!by!Leila!Durkin
I!started!thinking!about!writing!a!blog!during!the!most!recent!election.!The!divide!between!
voters!became!even!wider;!each!side!was!unwavering!in!their!opinions.!It!occurred!to!me,!
that!we!all!remain!in!social!circles!of!likeTminded!folk.!Seldom!do!we!reach!beyond!that!
comfort!zone.!!!!

During!this!time,!I!was!also!sorting!through!years!of!my!photo!archives,!in!particular!the!
portraits!done!some!years!ago!for!three!photo!installations.!Each!photo!brought!back!warm!
memories!of!how!strangers!generously!opened!their!homes!and!selves!to!me.!It's!no!small!
thing!to!be!share!one's!self,!to!be!photographed!and!ultimately!on!public!view.!

There!are!also!photographs!of!friends,!many!of!whom!have!passed,!but!I'd!like!you!to!know!
them,!too.!Later!on,!I!will!add!newer!photographs!with!brief!interviews.!!

The!openness!and!willingness!of!each!person!moved!me!then!and!moves!me!now.!Beyond!
politics,!economics,!social!strata,!education!and!employment,!in!the!end!!to!quote!Ram!
Dass,!After!all,!we!are!just!walking!each!other!home.!We!all!want!the!same!things,!we!all!
know!the!power!of!heartbreak,!we!all!have!been!touch!by!hope,!and!we!all!long!for!a!good!
life!for!us!and!our!families.!So,!if!you!have!a!little!extra!time!and!would!like!to!make!some!
new!friends!and!enjoy!everyday!conversations!with!everyday!people!Amuse!Bouche!is!for!
you.!

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Lillian,!who!worked!for!Tallulah!Bankhead!and!had!a!summer!camp!in!the!hills!near!Sharon!Springs!
!one!of!Leilas!delightful!subjects.!
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RESPECT FOR OUR ELDER TREES by!Dr!JB!Goss
(JB Goss is a Sharon Springs resident and neuroscientist whose daily essays can be found at
www.gossisms.com.) Gossisms.com is a blog about nature, woodworking, philosophy, meaning of
live, simple living, joy and how not to be a victim of bad people, corrupt government, and a world gone mad.
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!Mature!trees,!like!mature!people,!enrich!our!world.!The!older!the!tree,!the!more!it!
contributes!to!both!human!and!forest!health.!Everyone!enjoys!the!foliage,!shade,!fruit!and!
lumber!but!did!you!know!a!wellTestablished!older!tree!removes!7T10!times!more!air!
pollution!than!trees!20T30!years!old?!All!trees!have!a!role!in!drinking!water!quality!and!if!
that!were!not!enough,!an!individual!mature!tree!can!produce!260!pounds!of!oxygen!per!
year!while!removing!a!host!of!pollutants.!Similarly,!houseplants,!like!Sansevieria!trifasciata!
(snake!plant)!do!the!same!with!household!pollution!such!as!formaldehyde.!
!!In!cities,!the!average!tree!can!expect!to!live!only!eight!years.!In!the!country,!trees!can!live!
much!older!but!we!are!now!seeing!entire!forests!under!stress.!Evergreens!are!losing!
needles!and!the!death!rate!of!all!trees!is!growing.!
!!!It!takes!four!good!size!mature!trees!to!produce!enough!paper!products!for!each!person!in!
the!United!States!every!year.!A!tree!of!that!maturity!and!size!can!take!50T100!years!to!
grow!!
!Trees,!like!whales!and!dolphins,!love!human!contact!and!we!should!love!them!as!well.!
Studies!confirm!that!walking!in!the!forest!decrease!our!cortisol,!while!also!lowering!pulse!
rate,!and!blood!pressure!The!Japanese!have!recognized!this!and!they!call!it!ShinrinTyoku!or!
forest!therapy.!A!walk!in!the!forest,!like!an!apple!a!day!keeps!the!doctor!away.!Walking!in!
the!woods!is!healthy!on!our!physical,!aesthetic!and!emotional!levels!no!matter!where!you!
live!but!in!Sharon!Springs,!if!you!look!hard!enough,!you!will!find!tiny!magical!doorways!to!
another!worlds.!These!portals!are!placed!in!hard!to!find!places.!How!many!can!you!find?!
They!look!like!this!photo!below.!

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We!should!do!everything!possible!to!preserve!and!plant!as!many!trees!as!possible.!We!
know!now,!more!often!than!not,!that!forests!do!not!need!to!be!thinned!out,!as!many!falsely!
believed;!we!need!to!protect!old!forests.!In!my!view,!it's!essential!that!we!have!as!much!
respect!for!a!100!yearTold!tree!as!we!do!for!a!100!yearTold!person.!!
Copyright 2017 by JB Goss. All rights reserved.
 CAUSE(S) FOR CELEBRATION

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1. In May, Sharon Springs and Cooperstown resident Mitchell Owens is receiving an
Honorary Doctorate in Fine Arts from the New York School of Interior Design (NYSID)
and will deliver the school's commencement address.

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2. Eleanor J. Miller, or Lee as she is known by most people in Sharon Springs, has
written a new book that has just made the International Best Seller's list. Her book is
entitled, If I Am So Strong, Why Do I Feel So Weak?: Helping Rescue Workers
Rescue Themselves.
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3.''Maria'Lange'Maria Lange will be opening her new floral design store in downtown
Sharon Springs in April with a grand opening scheduled for May. Her store is
called Sharon Sprigs and will be located in the building at 197 Main Street, in the
building where McGillycuddy's Natural Soap and Graham's Goods have been.
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Maria's website is www.sharonsprings.com and her Facebook page
is: https://www.facebook.com/sharonsprigs/!
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RECIPE FROM ROSE MARIE TRAPANI, KITCHEN GODDESS
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Cannoli!Pound!Cake!
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Butter!or!cooking!spray!to!coat!pan!!
1!cup!(200!grams)!granulated!sugar!Finely!grated!zest!from!
Zest!from!1!orange!
Zest!from!1!lemon!!
1/2!cup!(120!ml)!olive!oil!!
1!tablespoon!(15!ml)!sweet!marsala!wine!or!2!tablespoons!white!wine!(optional)!!
1!cup!(250!grams)!wholeTmilk!ricotta!cheese!!
2!large!eggs!
2!teaspoons!baking!powder!
1/4!teaspoon!fine!sea!or!table!salt!
1/2!teaspoon!ground!cinnamon!!
1!or!2!pinches!allspice!
1!1/2!cups!(190!grams)!allTpurpose!flour!
1!cup!(170!grams)!miniTchocolate!chips!or!6!ounces!semisweet!chocolate!bar,!chopped!into!tiny!
bits!1/2!cup!(60!grams)!pistachios,!chopped!small!
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Heat!oven!to!350F!(175C).!Coat!a!standard!(8!1/2TxT4!1/4)!loaf!pan!with!butter!or!a!
nonstick!spray.!
Place!sugar!in!a!large!bowl,!and!add!zest.!Use!your!fingertips!to!rub!the!zest!into!the!sugar,!
scenting!it!througout.!Whisk!in!olive!oil,!wine!(if!using),!ricotta!and!eggs.!Sprinkle!baking!
powder,!salt,!cinnamon!and!allspice!over!wet!ingredients,!then!whisk!to!combine.!Gently!
stir!in!flour,!then!chocolate!and!pistachios!until!just!combined.!
Scrape!into!prepared!loaf.!Bake!oven!for!55!to!65!minutes,!until!a!skewer!inserted!into!the!
center!of!the!cake!comes!outTbatter!free.!Let!cool!on!wire!rack!in!pan!for!15!minutes,!then!
invert!out!onto!rack!to!finish!cooling.!Cake!is!great!the!first!day,!and!even!more!amazingly!
moist!on!the!second!and!third,!so!feel!free!to!plan!ahead.!Store!at!room!temperature,!
covered!with!foil!or!plastic.!
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ESCAPING THE IDES OF MARCH
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Fellow!escapees!from!the!harsh!wintry!month!of!March!2017!!above,!Bruce!
and!Kelly!Button!near!the!village!of!Monda,!overlooking!groves!of!almond!and!
olive!trees!in!Morocco,!and!below,!Nancy!Pfau,!editor,!enjoying!a!sunny!day!in!
St.!George,!Bermuda.!
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NEW TEA ROOM TO OPEN IN ROSEBORO HOTEL
by!Ron!Ketelsen!
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Once!known!for!its!high!teas!and!tea!dances,!The!Roseboro!in!Sharon!Springs!is!excited!to!
be!bringing!back!some!of!that!tradition!to!the!hotel.!!With!it's!grand!opening!during!the!
Garden!Party!weekend!on!May!27th!and!28th,!Miss!Lodema's!Tea!Room,!located!in!the!
hotel!Dining!Room,!will!feature!a!quaint!experience!for!you!to!relax!and!enjoy!the!finest!
quality!teas!from!locally!sourced!to!around!the!world.!!Here!you!are!offered!the!exquisite!
pleasure!of!experiencing!formal!afternoon!tea!in!an!elegant!yet!relaxed!setting.!!While!we!
won't!be!bringing!back!the!tea!dances!just!yet,!(although!you!will!be!serenaded!by!our!
grand!piano),!we!do!promise!a!high!tea!experience!that!includes!soup,!assorted!
tea!sandwiches,!freshly!baked!scones,!decadent!desserts!and!as!much!tea!as!you!can!
drink.!!Other!beverages!will!also!be!available.!!We!have!a!large!selection!of!antique!tea!cups!
at!Miss!Lodema's!Tea!Room.!Choosing!your!own!tea!cup!allows!you!to!individualize!your!
tea!experience!while!savoring!your!favorite!flavor.!
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Seating!for!the!Garden!Party!Weekend!will!be!between!(Reservation!Only):!11:00!AM!to!
4:00!PM.!Following!Garden!Party!weekend,!Miss!Lodema's!Tea!Room!will!be!open!by!
reservation!only!for!special!events,!group!gatherings,!birthday!party,!bridal!or!baby!
shower.!!Weather!permitting,!you!may!select!to!dine!on!our!spacious!outdoor!porch!
overlooking!the!stunning!Roseboro!gardens.!
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Soon,!Miss!Lodema's!Tea!Room!will!have!an!online!site!for!ordering!loose!tea,!tea!gifts!such!
as!tea!cups,!tea!pots,!tea!related!jewelry!and!hand!made!jewelry.!Keep!an!eye!out!for!it!!

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COUNTY CHAMBER EVENT DRAWS A CROWD by!Ron!Ketelsen!
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A!crowd!of!almost!150!people!filled!the!newly!renovated!dining!room!at!The!Roseboro!
hotel!on!March!24th!for!the!Sharon!Springs!Chamber!and!Schoharie!County!Tourism!
Mixer.!!The!mixer!brought!together!business!people!from!all!over!Schiharie!and!
Moontgomery!County!to!socialize!and!learn!more!about!tourism!and!new!events!planned!
for!Sharon!Springs.!!Chamber!President!Ron!Ketelsen!talked!briefly!about!many!new!events!
this!year!planned!for!Sharon!Springs.!!In!addition!to!the!Garden!Party,!Harvest!Festival!and!
Victorian!Holiday!Celebration,!Ketelsen!mentioned!the!Run!4!the!Hill!Race!on!May!6th,!
Permaculture!Day!on!May!7th,!the!Fourth!of!July!Parade!event,!a!Shakespeare!In!the!Park!
event!and!an!Antique!Fair,!both!planned!for!the!weekend!of!August!12th!and!13.!!A!Road!
Rally!leaving!from!Sharon!Springs!to!NYC!and!a!Poetry!Festival!are!also!in!the!works.!!The!
Chamber!gets!a!lot!of!calls,!both!from!people!looking!for!real!estate!and!looking!to!open!
businesses!here,!Ketelsen!said.!Its!an!exciting!time!for!Sharon!Springs.!The!festivals!
draw!thousands!of!visitors!and!were!adding!more!events!to!our!calendar!every!year.!

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!Joe!and!Rose!Marie!Trapani!with!Denise!Kelly!at!the!Chamber!Event!
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MORE NEWSY TIDBITS
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1. Definite!signs!of!spring!!The'American'Hotel!and!204'Main'Bistro!are!open!after!
their!winter!vacations!!Thursdays!through!Sundays!until!summer.!
2. The!Black'Cat!continues!to!offer!lunch!daily!and!breakfasts!over!the!weekend.!!Stay!
tuned!for!some!BIG!NEWS!from!Tony'Daou.!
3. Dairy'Land'opened!April!1st,!in!the!midst!of!a!snow!squall!!
4. Many!new!shops!are!opening!and!the!mainstays!have!new!stuff!!Cobbler'&'Co!
now!has!a!clothing!boutique!on!the!main!floor,!and!the!Emporium'has!added!shops!
and!undergone!a!complete!makeover.!Do!check!out!the!new!village!shopping!!!
5. John'Hall,!aka!Farmer!John!at!Beekman!Farm,!announced!on!April!2nd!that!this!
years!crop!of!baby!goats!equaled!183!with!9!more!births!to!come.!
6. Jay'Lavery!of!the!Permaculture!Inn![see!Chatter!#27]!became!an!instant!celebrity!
this!spring!with!his!YouTube!sensation,!The!Dancing!Farmer,!leading!to!a!spot!on!
the!Ellen!DeGeneres!Show!!!Who!ever!said!its!dull!around!here!in!the!winter?!
7. There!will!be!many!fundraisers!for!Klinkhart!Hall!Art!Center!including!a!series!of!
lectures!at!204!Main,!the!Bank.!!First!one!!Jean'Hanff'Korelitz!and!Paul'Muldoon!
on!Saturday,!April!15th,!at!7:30!PM.!Paul!Muldoon!is!an!Irish!poet!and!professor!of!
poetry.!!Jean!Hanff!Korelitz!is!the!author!of!the!novels,!You#Should#Have#Known!
(2014)!and!Admission!(2010),!which!was!adapted!as!a!film!!among!many!others!!
8. You!wont!want!to!miss!the!4th'ANNUAL'RUN'4'THE'HILLS'for!First!Responders!!
Saturday,!May!6,!2017.!!Run,!walk,!cheer!others!on,!enjoy!the!day!at!the!American!
Hotel.!
9. At!the!Fenimore'Art'Museum'this!spring!!Maurice%Sendak,%The%Memorial%
Exhibition%until!May!14th!and!The%Art%of%Figure%Skating%Through%the%Ages,%The%Dick%
Button%Collection,%until!December!31.!
10. April!15th,!from!11:00!am!!1:00!pm!!Barbeque!Delights!Catering!Fundraiser!for!
Run!4!The!Hills!at!Noble!Ace!Hardware,!783!East!Main!Street,!Cobleskill!(preTsale!
tickets!recommended).!
11. Calling!all!artists!!in!honor!of!Hyde'Halls'200th'Anniversary,!they!are!inviting!
artists!to!participate!in!an!open!exhibition.!Hyde!Hall,!the!Cooperstown!Art!
Association,!and!The!Smithy!welcome!artists!to!submit!art!that!represents,!
interprets,!or!reveals!their!favorite!view!or!concept!of!Hyde!Hall.!!Deadline!for!RSVP:!
July!1,!2017.!For!more!information!visit:!www.HydeHall.org!
12. And,!of!course,!GARDEN'PARTY'WEEKEND,'May'27[28,!will!be!here!before!you!
know!it!!
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UNIDENTIFIED!RESIDENT!DIGS!OUT!ON!MARCH!15TH,!2017!
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One!amazing!feature!of!the!storms!timing!!the!Redwing!Blackbirds!had!returned!and!
swarmed!the!feeders!around!the!village!!we!had!a!flock!of!50!descend!on!us,!so!we!put!
out!extra!feeders!to!handle!the!crowds.!
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The!road!crews!and!emergency!responders!deserve!a!huge!THANK!YOU!for!the!
excellent!job!they!did!clearing!the!roads!and!keeping!people!safe!during!this!and!other!
storms.!!!
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The!good!news!T!we!do!not!have!to!worry!about!a!drought!for!a!good!bit.!!However,!the!
rivers!and!creeks!are!now!swollen!to!flood!stage!in!many!areas!and!the!waterfalls!are!
gushing!as!the!snow!melts.!!The!snow!produced!a!bumper!Maple!Syrup!output!!still!a!
few!weekends!left!to!enjoy!pancakes!in!the!Sap!House!at!Stone'House'Farm'on!
Lynkholm!Road.!
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Reward!for!identifying!mysterious!person!above!!a!lifetime!subscription!to!the!Chatter.!