CT – 233 CORNERSTONE TRAVELER APRIL 15 ‘14

Hi to all my readers of this exciting and thought provoking issue of this bi-weekly newsletter, The CORNERSTONE TRAVELER. Also available on the web at cornerstonetraveler.com.

mid-Hudson Valley news: I had this idea of writing a treatise of the settlement of the mid-Hudson Valley and of the time line of this settlement. This will require me to bury myself in whatever archives I can find in the many towns and cities of this area. No archives? Then into whatever can be found in local libraries or town/city records. I am really interested in how the valley was settled and the time line of this settlement.
I wish I could read old newspapers. But I have no idea when newspapers were being printed. So that may be a no go. If anyone has an idea of where I can go for my research, please let me know.
I am thinking of starting my research in Kingston, considering that was the first capital of New York State. My thought being that Kingston was settled first in the valley and people spread out from there. I know there were some towns or villages that were settled independently of Kingston. New Paltz comes to mind because it is well known that the Huguenots came from Europe to the so called New World on the ship The GILDED OTTER, to establish their own community that was free to practice their religion without any interference. I can only imagine or speculate that Gardiner, Clintondale, Platekill and Modena were settled by residents of the community of New Paltz.
I know that Port Ewen was settled to accommodate the new D&H Canal. Was it the same for High Falls and Rosendale? I don’t know, but I would like to find out.

observations: I have been noticing that the extreme right of the Republican Party and the Tea Party are worried about the 2016 Presidential election and maybe even this years mid term election this November.
People like Rush Limbaugh on the radio are finding fault with the President and Democratic Party, not through facts, but through innuendo. I am seeing the same on Facebook. People I know are in the Tea Party can’t resist to find fault with the Affordable Care Act. Not through fact, but innuendo. Innuendo that is bare of facts.
The Affordable Care Act is gaining in popularity with the people of America. This is something that bedevils people like Limbaugh and the Tea Party. Limbaugh has resorted to the thought that health care should be as easy to obtain as accommodations at a five star hotel. If you can’t afford a five star hotel ( good health care) you should accept health care at a no star dive.
People like Nan Hayworth, a Tea party candidate for Congress, who was defeated in her re-election bid is having a difficult time of defending her remarks about aid to the super storm Sandy residents, saying aid for them is like taking a vacation. That thought did her in, in her re-election try.
Many people are still upset that the Tea Party was all hot about the latest government shutdown. A shutdown that cost the American economy 26 billion dollars, lost forever. The Tea Party cannot escape what their efforts did to Joe MainStreet. I really wonder if they really care?
The Tea Party would have rearranged the deck chairs on the Titanic.

sports: The Yankees are tied for first with the Blue Jays in the AL East with a record of7-6. They took three of four games from the Red Sox.
The Mets are in 4th place in the NL East with a record of 5-7.

other: As with all previous issues of this newsletter, everything written here is either copyright protected or copyright pending.
The history of P&G’s follows this newsletter from about the mid 1930’s to almost the present.
Following this history I did not include a short story. Instead I decided to include the poems I wrote and read at the funeral services for my parents, brother and sister. I hope you like them.

Thank-you – Rik McGuire

History of P&G’s continued to the present

From 1925 – 1945 a number of diverse businesses occupied the building. These included Carols Clothing Store, Atkins Drug Store, Schaffert Real Estate Office, Marie Shop and Dicks Bar and Grill among others.
In 1947 Dicks Bar and Grill was purchased by two Lake Mohonk employees, Pat Cafferty and George Jayne. Legend has it that neither told their wives of their intention to purchase the business. They immediately changed the Grills name to Pat and Georges. Among it’s loyal customers it was simply P&G’s.
One of the best things to happen to P&G’s occurred in 1961. An ex Dodger player named Stormer Nickerson became a bartender. Stormy as he was affectionately known became something of a legend. His heart, quiet good humor and generous spirit made P&G’s the one place that welcomed all from the harsher outside world into a refuge for college students, business people, local characters and even for a while, in the 1960’s, bikers. According to one source. “They weren’t as rowdy a crew as you might expect because although he was quiet, Stormy commanded and got respect.” His professional baseball background made him a natural to pitch batting practice for the New Paltz College teams and he did so for a number of seasons. One college fraternity considered P&G’s their private domain. The scene of everything important, news, views, camaraderie and especially humor was always evident at P&G’s.
After the St. Helens volcano erupted and news reports discussed the possibility of ash fall out across the U.S., Stormy came to work to find the staff dressed in garbage bags and metal kitchen colanders on their heads. Since no ash was reported on anyone, Stormy reasoned the
attire had been affective by making everyone laugh their ash off.
In June 1991, after 30 years, Stormy retired from P&G’s. He died in June of 1994. From his casual humor that lingers, to his Chile recipe that is still served and the kind memories often repeated by his many friends, Stormy is still here.
In 1969 Edwin Beck bought P&G’s. His first weekend as owner was completely successful. The following weekend, however, the place was deserted. A disheartened Beck couldn’t understand what he had done to alienate everyone so quickly. He was relieved to learn it was simply a matter of poor timing. Everyone was away and wallowing in a farm in Bethel NY. A music festival or something.
Ed Beck never spent time worrying. He looked across Main Street and up Platekill Avenue, seeing thousands of thirsty college students who, for the most part remained on campus. Taking a good supply of liquid refreshment, Beck went to the campus and gave the students (all legal in those days) a new place to call home. He transformed P&G’s from a neighborhood bar into a local institution.
The face of Beck’s personality had much to do with the continued success of P&G’s, the place was fun. One oft quoted story about Beck concerns a young P&G’s enthusiast who wanted to be just like Beck when he grew up. It is reported that Beck in all humility replied. “Well you can’t do both.”
The name Pat and Georges was officially changed to P&G’s in the 1980’s by Ed Beck and his son Mike. In 1985, Mike bought out his fathers interest. In 1994, he undertook extensive renovations, making the building exterior appear as it did in 1900, when it was the Casino.

A Tribute to Patti
(1953 – 1974)

There are some people who march to the beat of a different drummer
Patti, you were in a different band, a different parade, on the other side of the city
You couldn’t and wouldn’t follow the normal path in life
You couldn’t accept, as your peers did, bowing before the money hungry deity.

I remember your sadness and anger when others shunned you because you were different
Patti, you rebelled against everything in life, including music, poetry and even art.
But who among your peers saw as you did. The beauty in religion, nature and myth.
You saw beauty in almost everything. From your birth and from your heart.

I was and still am very saddened that you were not here to witness the birth of my children
No. That is not right. You were always there in my heart and in my mind.
I write this after learning George Harrison had died. I knew he was your favorite of the four.
You liked George Harrison because you saw he was different from others, one of your kind.

Patti, remember how we would run through the orchards and woods and enter new built homes?
On weekends we would visit Nonnie and Poppa and explore the city streets and the sand banks
You are with me everyday and even visit me in my dreams.
For being such a wonderful and caring sister, I give you my thanks .
Thank you Patti, for being a most wonderful sister
December 1, 2001

I didn’t write a poem for Patti when she had died tragically in July of 1974 at the tender age of twenty, almost twenty-one. Though I did fool around with poetry at the time of her death, I didn’t take it seriously enough that I thought I could write a poem and read it at her funeral services.
I did write and read poems for my parents and grandparents after their deaths and one night I thought I needed to write a poem for Patti. And this poem just came about without too much effort on my part.
I tried to capture what I saw of my little sister as she grew up.

Ode to Mom

We remember those Sunday dinners, so long ago,
But it was only yesterday or so it seems
Nonni, Poppa, Mom, Uncle Paul and Uncle Butch
We remember the family, even in our dreams

From Sardenga to Port Washington,
Port Washington Road to Carlton Ave.
To Bar Beach Road
Spreading to Commack, New Paltz and Bedford
The family spread away from the mother lode.

I remember the dinners on the grape shrouded porch
How we would eat and eat to our heart’s content.
The passing of Nonnie, Poppa, Uncle Paul and now Mom
Forces me to sit back, think and even lament.

I remember us as children and in the sandbanks
Where Poppa once worked and toiled
There we frolicked and played, a daily routine
We returned happy, our clothes more than a bit soiled.

Remember the dreams of yesteryear,
They are happy and fun memories of days past.
Remember mom, a wife and Aunt Jo,
Remember those dreams of Mom and make them last.

Note on “Ode to Mom”

This poem was written after my mother had died unexpectedly and actually did not take too long to write, though it was hard to write because of the feelings involved.
I tired to capture our family as we were many years ago at the weekly Sunday dinners at our grandparents’. I really thought that everyone had weekly dinners like ours. I now realize how much I enjoyed the dinners with my family. It was typical Italian fare each week with pasta, sausages, meatballs and mushrooms and lots of it.
For those unaware, Sardenga in the poem is the Sardinole way of spelling and pronouncing Sardina, a commonwealth of Italy and an island off the west coast of Italy and north of Sicily and just south of Corsica. My great grandfather was the ambassador from Sardenga to Italy and my grandfather grew up with one of the presidents or prime ministers of Italy. I tried to capture how my grandparents came from Sardenga and started a family in Port Washington N.Y. and how the family spread to New Paltz, my hometown and to Commack and to Bedford Massachusetts. Yet as much as we spread away from each other, we grew closer in bonds to
each other as a family. This is how I saw our family and my mother as an integral part of the family.

The above poem and note of the poem is how it appeared in my book of poetry called Angel Whispers. That book I dedicated to my mother, Josephine McGuire. She died while I was in the middle of getting the book published.

DAD’S SONG

Dad there was an impish grace about you

Even on ancient ski’s too short or too long

It is for you in your everlasting rest

I recite this simple verse and song

Dad you were a founding father

Of this grand old neighborhood

On old Modena Road, where it was

Where in majesty, it once stood

We remember looking through the trees

Seeing deer grazing on our lawn

Watching through red and golden leaves

I remember watching with amazement and awe

Their majesty, beauty and grace

In golden autumns beauty and fall

You watched us on the hill where we flew

On our toboggans and sleds

You would repair our childhood toys

And after we tired we nestled in our beds

I hope and pray for you on the other side

That your impishness will bring happiness and glee

To mom, Patti and others there with you

I know you did the same for others and for me.

Note on the Dad’s Song

I wrote this poem in my head as I drove from my home in Salisbury Mass. to New Paltz when my little brother phoned that our father had died in his sleep. I naturally drove immediately down to help Bob with the funeral arrangements. Amazingly enough I had the entire poem written in my head by the time I got to our house where we grew up.
Was dad an imp? I think so because I remember when he worked as an engineer at IBM he had on his office door a drawing of our galaxy and he drew an arrow at a specific spot with the note. “You are here!”
My cousin drove his car up to our house hoping my father could help him fix a problem with the training in his car. He was amazed that my father crawled under his car and fixed the problem, then went into the house and repair a watch, before watches were digital.
There was strength in my father that is not seen in many fathers. I am at a loss to explain this strength. But take my word for it, he had it.

A TRIBUTE to my BROTHERS LIFE
Bob, I was only five when you were born
It was a great time for our family in our brand new home
Now forty six years later , from your family and friends you were torn
There is an emptiness with your leaving, we feel so alone.

Bob, remember how at the college fair you were a clown?
On that outdoor tramp where you jumped up and down
With your antics on the tramp, cheers of delight were the only sound
I wish I could see once again your smiling face as a clown.

In high school wrestling you were the champ
We were so proud when you were victorious on the mat.
You worked so hard to keep the weight down and have no fat.
Even if you lost to us all you were still the champ.

Then you traveled to Colorado, New Orleans, Alaska and beyond
You searched for that one job, niche that would make everyone so proud
Of your abilities and achievements that knew no bounds
You were so generous with your time, it was great having you around

You always brought love and happiness to everyone within reach
You learned so much that to others this knowledge you would teach
I can’t speak for others with this verse and this speech
Though you are gone your memory is always within our reach.

Note on Bob’s Verse

You can’t believe how shocked and saddened I was when I got the call that Bob had died. I knew he was very sick and in a drug induced coma by the doctors, but I really thought he would come out of it. His pancreas was infected and inflamed. The doctors were concerned that he was not producing enough platelete’s and his blood would leak into his brain causing an anuryesum in his brain. Considering he saw what I went through after my accident and coma, I wondered if he had a brain trauma where he wouldn’t be able to do what he had done before he had gotten sick and I talked with his girlfriend and we thought it best if we issued a DNR if his condition should become worse. You can’t believe how difficult it was for me to make that decision. And it wasn’t more than a couple of days before Bob died. I keep asking myself if I had made the right decision.
I tired to capture my little brother as he went through life. He was a wrestling champ in high school then he went to Colorado to become a hot dog skier. He worked the oil fields in Oklahoma and off the coast of New Orleans. He then went to Alaska to hopefully get work on the Alaskan pipe line. When he couldn’t get a job on the pipeline, he became a taxi driver. He then got a good paying job on a fish processing boat as a chief engineer. He came back East and started his own business as a welding contractor and got the steel contract at the Palisades Mall to erect the steel for the three story building.