What is the fundraiser for?
It is for launching a podcast series as an extension of Catskill Waters. We have been collecting stories and interviewing people in the NYC watersheds located in the Catskill Mountains. As we head into the production phase of the project, we have come to believe that an additional podcast series would be a perfect vehicle to keep the stories going, bring our community to the world, and to take proactive steps by addressing real issues and searching for real solutions.
Is Catskill Waters a not-for-profit project?
Yes, Catskill Waters is sponsored by Fractured Atlas, a 501(c)(3) public charity. Contributions for the purposes of Catskill Waters are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law. It is made possible in part with funds from Rondout Neversink Stream Program, a project of Sullivan County Soil & Water Conservation District funded by New York City Department of Environmental Protection, and Ashokan Watershed Stream Management Program, a project of Cornell Cooperative Extension of Ulster County and the Ulster County Soil & Water Conservation District, funded by the New York City Department of Environmental Protection.
What is the main attraction?
A 4-course dinner prepared by David Waltuck, owner of the legendary Chanterelle (1979–2009). Chanterelle was a restaurant like no other. Although it was one of the most expensive restaurants at the time, if you only ate there once, they still made you feel like you were a long-time customer. Dining there was an experience described by New Yorker journalist Adam Gopnik as “a three-hour engineered transcendence of the mundane.”
The venue is Old Glenford Church, a project of our hosts Mor Pipman and Eric Hurliman. In this historic building which was moved from the site of Ashokan reservoir, they have been cultivating a robust supportive community by hosting Hudson Valley Music Nights for years. The intimate paradise they have created—solar panels, grape vines, a fig tree, an orchard garden, a pond—is a beautiful example of the spirit of our community.
Who is the Honoree?
Rebecca Martin, a founder of KingstonCitizens.org who raised community awareness about the Niagara Bottling Company’s proposed plan to purchase a large share of Kingston water supply, resulting in the withdrawal of their proposal.
