J.M.W. Turner's "Chichester Canal" at the Tate Gallery, London

Tuesday, December 17, 2013

Phoenicia Festival of the Voice organizers thankful for NY grant but ...

Article on the Voice Festival.

The organizers of the annual Phoenicia Festival of the Voice are pleased to be getting a $90,000 grant from the state but say more money is needed. “Of course we are thrilled,” said Festival of the Voice co-founder Maria Todaro. “The grant does indeed help, but only partially. We are producing 22 events at seven venues within five days” at the August 2014 event.

“This will cover about 20 percent of our costs,” said festival Trustee Justin Kolb.

Now entering its fifth year, the festival, largely an opera event, relies on free labor and talent to accomplish its goal of bringing world-class performers to the stage.

The state grant will go toward a production of “The Barber of Seville” and two world premieres.


Daily Freeman article: Kingston-to-Phoenicia scenic train plan abandoned

With the New York City Department of Environmental Protection embracing a proposal for a recreational trail along the Ashokan Reservoir, the Catskill Mountain Railroad has abandoned its dream of a tourist railroad stretching from the city of Kingston to Phoenicia.

The turnabout came hours after an announcement by Ulster County Executive Michael Hein that New York City was putting up $2.5 million for the creation of a trail along 11.5 miles of rail line on the north shore of the city’s Ashokan Reservoir.

The Catskill Mountain Railroad, which offers scenic train rides in the Kingston area and between Mount Tremper and Phoenicia, has been embroiled in a fight with the county over the use of the tracks since 2012, when Hein first announced plans to convert the railroad bed into a walking and biking trail from Kingston to Mount Tremper. Hein now says he’s willing to allow railroad operations from Boiceville, at the western end of the planned reservoir trail, to Phoenicia — about twice the length of the Mount Tremper-to-Phoenicia route.

Woodstock Times article: Ulster County and New York City announced last week that the city will pitch in $2.5 million to build an 11.5-mile rail-trail along the north bank of the city-owned Ashokan Reservoir. The move appears to fundamentally change the rules of access to local New York City-owned reservoir land. The city also plans to connect the trail with other recreation facilities at the reservoir. “This will include establishing a dedicated lane for recreational use across the dividing-weir bridge when it is reconstructed — a project that is tentatively scheduled for the year 2019,” the DEP stated. A lane along the dividing weir would allow walkers, joggers and cyclists to safely access the proposed rail-trail, and also the “frying-pan” trail along Ashokan’s east basin and the promenade off Route 28A.


Saturday, December 14, 2013

early December 2013 snow