“2,000 tulips. Pick a bouquet,” reads the sign on Route 32A. Another sign, painted with bright butterflies and flowers, says: “Welcome! Saugerties Organic Gardens, a nonprofit community agricultural organization.” Mali Peterbridge and Frank Clark had been driving past the signs twice a day since moving from Saugerties to Palenville. Intrigued, like many of the garden’s […]
Chana Widawski
Posted inCommunity
Olive
Olive Library Swap Draws Bargain Hunters and Full Tote Bags
Why pay full price when you can swap for free or buy secondhand from neighbors? That was the sentiment at the Olive Free Library on Saturday, May 2, as dozens of bargain hunters scoured tables of household items on the sunny front lawn and lined up, empty tote bags in hand, waiting for the free […]
Posted inCommunity
Saugerties
Saugerties Bowlers Club Keeps Community Rolling
Tucked behind Simmons Plaza in the Barclay Heights section of Saugerties, the Saugerties Bowlers Club is easy to miss. Inside, the alley feels like a 1960s time capsule: worn maple lanes, molded fiberglass chairs, checkered lockers, old machinery, an open-air snack bar, and a storied bar where live honky-tonk bands sometimes play. Since 1968, when […]
Posted inEnvironment
Hunter
Mountain Top Library to Host Eighth Annual Earth Day Celebration in Tannersville
Visitors to Mountain Top Library’s Earth Day Celebration on April 25 will be able to plant a tree, learn about protecting the local watershed, watch short films, and meet a falconer — all in one afternoon. The library’s eighth annual Earth Day event will run from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Main Street in […]
Posted inArt
Woodstock
Azart Gallery Turns to Hudson Valley Artists in ‘Standpoint 5’
“Standpoint 5,” on view at Azart Gallery in Woodstock through April 26, brings together six Hudson Valley artists in a group exhibition built around a shared exercise: responding to the same two prompts. The show, now in its fifth season, asked each artist to create work based on a still life and a woman posed […]
Posted inNews
Saugerties
Second Annual Saugerties Earth Day Week Set for April 20-26
Plans are underway for the second annual Saugerties Earth Day Week, set for April 20-26, featuring a lineup of nature tours, expert talks, award-winning films, and hands-on activities aimed at informing and inspiring individual and collective action on sustainability. The spirit of this year’s theme is reflected in the Jane Street Gallery event, “The Joy […]
Posted inGardening
Saugerties
Saugerties Seed Library Flourishes as Community Participation Sets a Record
The Saugerties Seed Library is drawing record participation in its third year, with patrons at the Saugerties Public Library taking home 400 seed packets in March for everything from flowers to okra. The initiative, aimed at fostering community through gardening, education, and the sharing of seeds and knowledge, is led by library assistant Justyna Staccio. […]
Posted inCommunity
Saugerties
Swing Dancing Finds a Home at Saugerties Public Library
The bouncy rhythms of 1940s jazz filled the Saugerties Public Library on Monday evening, drawing an intergenerational group of dancers onto the floor to spin, twist, kick, and turn. Eighteen people—many of them new to swing dancing—came for March’s Miss Lindys Dance Hall, a free community event that offered a basic lesson, DJed music, and […]
Posted inCommunity
Hurley
Hurley Death Cafe Opens Space for Candid Talk About Dying
Fourteen people gathered at the Hurley Public Library on Sunday, March 15, to share coffee, tea, cookies, and talk about a subject many people avoid: death. “Simply come as you are and take part at your own comfort level,” the program announcement read for the Death Cafe hosted by Circle of Friends for the Dying, […]
Posted inNews
Saugerties
Community Fridge Opens in Saugerties
A community refrigerator outside a Main Street shop in Saugerties softly launched this week, offering a simple premise: take food if you need it, leave food if you can. The 24/7 fridge sits outside Enoki at 190 Main St., where owners Shirley Lim, 29, and Tommy Lam, 30, hope it will become a community-run resource […]
Posted inCommunity
Olive
Close Encounters with Birds of Prey at the Olive Library
More than 80 people came to the Olive Free Library on Saturday morning, and it wasn’t to check out books. The intergenerational crowd packed into the community room to see birds of prey up close and learn about their habitats and behaviors. The standing-room-only audience oohed and ahhed throughout the annual show as Saugerties-based wildlife […]
Posted inCommunity
Saugerties
Death Doulas Bring Comfort and Care To Life’s Final Chapter
Robert Cornett spoke about helping people write the end of their story during a presentation at the Saugerties Library last week, and it wasn’t for a writers workshop. Cornett, 73, a certified death doula, described his work helping people find a sense of agency and meaning as they navigate what he referred to as a […]
Posted inCommunity
Saugerties
A Not-So-New Game in Town: Saugerties Backgammon Meet-Up Launches at The Pig
The sounds of ‘60s music, friendly conversation, and clattering dice blended together in the dimly lit room at the Pig Bar and Grill on Saugerties’ Partition Street on Tuesday night. Martinis, french fries, and backgammon boards covered a large communal table, where neighbors gathered around one of the world’s oldest board games. With roots stretching […]
Posted inCommunity
Woodstock
Tinker Time in Woodstock: A Repair Cafe Brings Neighbors Together
Snow blowers, kitchen knives, bicycles, lamps and vintage jewelry may not seem to have much in common. But on Saturday at the Repair Cafe at the Woodstock Community Center, they shared a second chance. Nearly 100 objects, brought in by residents from across the area, were repaired for free by a team of neighborhood volunteers […]
Posted inCommunity
Saugerties
Saugerties Sings Community Chorus Opens Fifth Season on a High Note
Saugerties Sings Community Chorus opened its fifth season with a high-energy rehearsal, bringing together a mix of new and returning singers and underscoring the group’s mission of accessibility, flexibility, and joy. The chorus, which meets weekly and is open to all regardless of experience, gathered at the United Methodist Church on Washington Street. Twenty-five singers […]
Posted inCommunity
Woodstock
Free Holistic Wellness Clinics Gain Popularity as Health Care Chasms Widen
Half an hour before Health Care is a Human Right offered its first free holistic healing appointment on Tuesday at Woodstock’s St. Gregory Church, some 20 people had already lined up, underscoring the rising appeal of the nonprofit’s mission to fill health care gaps and make wellness care free and available to all. “This feels […]
Posted inEssays & Profiles
Olive
Henry Sapoznik On Keeping Yiddish Culture Alive
Ask Olivebridge musician and Yiddish scholar Henry Sapoznik where to find a good pastrami on rye nearby, and he’s at a loss. “I’d probably have to bring it back,” he said, referring to New York City, where he grew up as the child of Holocaust survivors and where delicatessens like Katz’s and Pastrami Queen still […]
Posted inCulture
Saugerties
New Year’s Day Spoken-Word Marathon Draws Hundreds to Saugerties Church
More than 100 poets, writers, and musicians gathered on New Year’s Day at the Reformed Church of Saugerties for “Aurora,” a six-hour, spoken-word extravaganza and free event that opened with a nearly five-minute communal howl. Now in its 32nd year, the annual gathering was founded in 1995 by Saugerties-based art historian, poet, and curator Bruce […]
Posted inCommunity
Saugerties
Gym Stars of Saugerties on a Roll as Local Kids Prepare for More Competitions
Saugerties-area youth are flipping, twisting and tumbling their way into top competitive rankings as teams trained by Gym Stars of Saugerties prepare for more state and regional championships sanctioned by USA Gymnastics, the group that selects and trains teams for the Olympic Games. At the first competition of the season, in Orangeburg, N.Y., on Nov. […]
Posted inNews
Saugerties
Saugerties Performance Venue The Local Gains Nonprofit Status
After two and a half years filling a historic chapel on John Street with live music from across the globe and around the corner, The Local in Saugerties has officially become a nonprofit. Isabel Soffer and Danny Melnick, who run the venue, said recognition as a charitable organization by the IRS will make it easier […]
Posted inCommunity
Saugerties
Bluestone Cafe in Saugerties Offers Pre-Paid Menu Items as SNAP Worries Mount
A Saugerties cafe has installed a “pay it forward” bulletin board that customers can use to post pre-paid receipts to be redeemed for menu items, seeking to help those in need amid financial strains tied to SNAP uncertainty, accelerating inflation and surging housing costs. Bluestone Roasting Co., a cafe at 138 Partition Street that serves […]
Posted inNews
Saugerties
Advocates Brace for Rise in Domestic Violence Amid Threat to Federal Aid
Local advocates, already grappling with a recent spike in domestic violence incidents, are bracing for even higher demand on their services as the federal government shutdown threatens to worsen conditions for at-risk families through the loss of vital assistance programs. According to Karen Storch, program director for domestic violence services at Family of Woodstock, the […]
Posted inTheater
Saugerties
Arm-of-the-Sea Theater Sets Sail for Waterfront Wednesdays in Saugerties
Arm-of-the-Sea puppeteers are gearing up for Waterfront Wednesday performances at Tidewater Center, the 19th-century paper mill that it’s turning into an ecological and cultural hub. “From Rags to Riches: Stories of a Saugerties Paper Mill” kicks off at 6 p.m. on July 2 with pre-show activities that include arts and crafts, and visits to the […]
Posted inPolitics
Woodstock
Anula Courtis Runs for Woodstock Town Supervisor
“Transparency and collaboration are the essential ingredients,” said Anula Courtis, a Woodstock Town Board member running for supervisor. After more than a decade of civic engagement—including helping to establish the town’s first Human Rights Commission and organizing multiple women’s marches—Courtis said she’s ready to take on Woodstock’s biggest challenges from the top seat. A longtime […]
Posted inPolitics
Woodstock
Erin Moran Runs for Woodstock Town Supervisor
Erin Moran, a Woodstock native, is seeking election as town supervisor, vowing to bring financial discipline, environmental stewardship and improved transparency to town government. “Whether you grew up here or moved here, we all are in Woodstock for a reason,” Moran said. “As supervisor, I look forward to coming together and making positive changes.” A […]
Posted inEnvironment, News
Saugerties Preps for First Earth Day Week
Plans for Saugerties’ first-ever Earth Day Week are underway, thanks to a committee of volunteers who have been meeting since February to plan a series of immersive experiences, speakers, performances, and more. The week-long event, scheduled for April 22-27, is designed for all ages and aims to educate and inspire individual and collective actions toward […]
Posted inNews, Politics
Shandaken Supervisor DiSclafani Seeks Another Term
“I’m very proud of what’s happening here in Shandaken, and I am eager to continue on as supervisor,” DiSclafani said, praising the leadership of the current town board. Born in Saugerties, DiSclafani has lived in Shandaken for more than 30 years. He and his wife ran the Catskill Rose restaurant on Route 212 in Mt. […]
Posted inCulture
Weaving Ulster Together
The first annual Fiber and Cider Tour brought hundreds to farms and wool shops across Ulster County, spotlighting shepherds, artisans, and the connective threads of community.
Posted inNews
Hurley
Hurley Town Supervisor Michael Boms campaigns for another term
Hurley Town Supervisor Michael Boms says he is ready for another term, emphasizing the town’s finances, infrastructure upgrades, and leachate as his top priorities. Boms, who lived in Olive for 30 years before moving to Hurley in 2015, said he was dismayed to learn there was no reliable cable service—something his wife, a nutritionist, required […]
Posted inUncategorized
The Grandmother of Film
Saugerties Library celebrates Women’s History Month with “Be Natural” screening
Posted inNews, Politics
Saugerties Mayor William Murphy Runs Unopposed in March 18 Election
“When I took over for Mayor Yerick in 2010, I would have laughed if someone told me I’d still be mayor in 2025,” Mayor William Murphy said with a chuckle. “But I honestly love the Village of Saugerties more than anything—except, of course, my wife and kids.” Born and raised in the village, Murphy began […]
Posted inUncategorized
French Club Flea Market Marks 30 Years of Treasures and Teamwork
Nearly 100 vendors and 1,000 shoppers gathered at Saugerties High School (SHS) on Saturday for the 30th annual French Club Flea Market, a beloved winter tradition. From 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., visitors paid a nominal entry fee to browse antiques, crafts, farm goods, and other curiosities in the gym, cafeteria, and hallways. Beyond bargains […]
Posted inArts & Music, Culture
Budding Artists Shine at Jane St. Art Center’s Sketchbook Gallery
From collage and photography to pencil sketches and paintings, the Sketchbook Gallery at Jane St. Art Center is showcasing the work of 40 young artists from Ulster County. In a first-of-its-kind collaboration, the gallery has partnered with the Ulster County Boys and Girls Club to nurture the creativity, confidence, and artistic expression among local youth. […]
Posted inNews
Hurley Town Board Reviews Excessive Fees, Declares Long-Neglected Property Unsafe
Over a dozen residents—and one dog—attended the Hurley Town Board meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 25., where concerns over excessive fees and lack of timely notification by the Planning Board dominated discussion. Three public hearings, covering separate properties, featured nearly identical complaints about thousands of dollars in unexpected charges incurred under the previous administration. Arizona Investissements […]
Posted inCulture
Saugerties
From Vacant Space to Vibrant Hub: How The Local is Revitalizing Saugerties
Sangjaru, a funk-rock band from South Korea, played to a sold out crowd at The Local in Saugerties on Sunday evening. Just 24 hours earlier, locals and visitors moved to an unlikely mix of klezmer, hip-hop, and square dance beats. The driving force behind these electric nights, drawing global talent and diverse crowds to the […]
Posted inCommunity
Olive Town Supervisor Outlines Progress, Challenges at State of the Town Address
At the annual State of the Town meeting on Feb. 19, Supervisor Jim Sofranko addressed approximately 45 residents at the Olive Free Library, sharing updates on key town initiatives, including zoning, housing, infrastructure, and conservation efforts. Sofranko emphasized the importance of collaboration in a time of national division, urging residents to stay engaged with local […]
Posted inCommunity
Breaking Bread and Building Community
A community potluck in Woodstock invites neighbors to break bread and engage in meaningful conversations, fostering connection across differences.
Posted inCommunity
Fix It Instead: Saugerties Repair Cafe Restores More Than Just Items
More than 90 items were fixed at the third Saugerties Repair Cafe, a free local event where neighbors bring broken items to be repaired by volunteer fixers and tinkerers. Part of an international movement, the event was held Feb. 1 at the Saugerties Senior Center and organized by a team of local volunteers through the […]
