Open Mic/Jam Event to be Hosted Monthly in Stamford

STAMFORD, NY – After having two well-attended community forums to discuss uses for the building, Western Catskills Community Revitalization Council, Inc. (WCCRC) is pleased to announce that a long-standing community event has been booked at the Western Catskills Community Arts Center located at the carriage house at 76 Main Street in the Village of Stamford. 

 

The event, formerly known as Open Mic Jam! and held in the storefront of 76 Main Street , is moving up the hill to the carriage house theater at the same location.  The event will still be generously hosted by local musicians Kevin Prior and Mike Herman, but will have a new name - Live From the Carriage House – Open Mic / Jam.   

 

This popular event will continue to be held the first Friday of the month at 7:30 p.m.  Musicians are encouraged to sign up quickly, by contacting Mr. Prior at kpjamnights@yahoo.com.  The public is welcome to attend and enjoy some of the region’s best musicians as they show off their talent in the open mic format.  There is plenty of parking available on Main Street and in the Village parking lot across the street.

WCCRC will be holding an open house at the Western Catskills Community Arts Center on Saturday, August 9, from 4:00 – 5:30 p.m.  Tours of the building will be available, as well as more information about renting the venue. 

Attend the open house and you will have a chance to win a pair of dinner tickets for the TP’s Cafe Block Party which will start at 5 p.m. on the same day.  The block party will spotlight:  MC/DJ Patrick Michael del Rosario, Logan's Express, featuring Jim Kopp, and the 20-piece Leather Stocking Jazz Band at 7:00 p.m.

WCCRC’s mission is to cooperate with local, state and federal governmental and civic bodies in aiding, assisting and fostering the planning, development, renewal, and improvement of housing and other buildings in the counties of Delaware, Schoharie and Greene, State of New York, for the primary purpose of revitalizing communities and in securing improved housing, commercial buildings and community facilities.

To learn more about WCCRC’s programs, call 607.652.2823 or visit www.westerncatskills.org.

Stamford Awarded Housing Rehab Grant

STAMFORD, NY – The Town of Stamford is pleased to announce that the Office of Community Renewal has awarded the Town CDBG funds for an owner-occupied housing rehabilitation program. The program pays to rehabilitate homes owned by residents at or below 80% of the Delaware County median income which is: for a household of 1, $32,200; 2 people $36,800, 3 people, $41,400, 4 people, $46,000. The Town has elected to give the elderly and disabled at or below 50% county median income preference. The program will be administered by Western Catskills Community Revitalization Council, Inc. (WCCRC), which is a 501(c) 3 not for profit Rural Preservation Company headquartered in Stamford, NY. 

 

Meetings will be held for homeowners interested in applying on Monday, July 21^st at 10:30 AM and again at 6:30 PM at the Town Hall, on 101 Maple Avenue, Hobart, NY. Fact sheets and applications will be available at those meetings.  The Town of Stamford is an Equal Employment Opportunity to all persons regardless of race, color, national origin, sex or handicap and they encourage the participation of minority and women-owned businesses. 

 

Velga Kundzins, WCCRC Executive Director says “We’ve run very successful CDBG programs in Fulton, Summit, Gilboa, and Jefferson and look forward to working with the Stamford community on this one.  We hope that all eligible residents will attend one of these meetings.”

 

WCCRC and the Town of Stamford do not discriminate based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, familial status (including children under the age of 18 living with parents or legal custodians, pregnant women, and people securing custody of children under the age of 18), and handicap (disability).

 

For more information on this program, please call Program Manager Sheleigah Grube at 607.652.2823 or visit www.westerncatskills.org.

Stamford Residents Invited to Attend Forums on Performing Arts Center

STAMFORD - In 2009 Western Catskills Community Revitalization Council, Inc. (WCCRC) acquired the property formerly known as the Stamford Performing Arts Center, located at 76 Main Street in the Village of Stamford.  At the time, WCCRC believed strongly that having an arts venue in the center of the Village was important to the Village’s continuing revitalization and economic growth.  Five years later, WCCRC believes that this is still true,

 

The arts center will once again be available for community use as of July 1, 2014.  The complex includes two venues:  a two-story Carriage House, which includes a 99-seat performance theater on the first floor and a workshop / studio space on the second floor, and what is locally referred to as, “the coffee house.” The coffee house is a small performance venue in the Main Street storefront and can accommodate up to 50 people. 

 

WCCRC is inviting residents of the region to attend a series of community forums to discuss ideas about how these special performance venues can be used to benefit the area in the future.  Community members have many fond memories of performances that have been held at the site over its long history as an arts center, including plays, concerts, workshops and art shows. 

 

There are two forums scheduled and everyone is invited to attend to share their thoughts.  Both will be held in the Community Room at the Stamford Village Apartments at 125 Main Street in the Village of Stamford.  Join the staff of WCCRC on Wednesday, May 28 at 7 p.m. or on Saturday, May 31 at 2 p.m. to contribute your ideas.  An open house at the venues will be scheduled for the month of July, where community input will be shared.

 

WCCRC is a 501(c) 3 not-for-profit Rural Preservation Company with a mission to cooperate with local, state and federal governmental and civic bodies in aiding, assisting and fostering the planning, development, renewal, and improvement of housing and other buildings for the primary purpose of revitalizing communities in their service area.  WCCRC’s service area covers the towns of Harpersfield, Kortright, Middletown, Roxbury and Stamford in Delaware County; Blenheim, Broome, Conesville, Fulton, Gilboa, Jefferson, and Summit in Schoharie County, and Ashland, Halcott, Hunter, Jewett, Lexington, and Prattsville in Greene County.

 

For more information on other WCCRC projects visit www.westerncatskills.org.

Stamford's Historic Rexmere Claimed by Flames

After standing for over one hundred and fifteen years, hosting thousands upon thousands of guests at its height, the historic Rexmere Hotel stands no more in Stamford after being engulfed by flames yesterday morning. It took only a couple of hours for the seven story structure to succumb to the fire, despite the gallant efforts of hundreds of firefighters. 

The Watershed Post was on the scene, capturing haunting photographs of the once prized mansion and offering extensive background information about the structure, which was recently put on the market after being utilized for years as administrative offices by BOCES. 

Photo credit: Lissa Harris, Watershed Post

Among the estimated three hundred area firefighters on scene, several companies responded from Schoharie County, but little could be done to save the wooden tinderbox from the destructive flames that brought upon the official end to what was once a thriving network of wooden, majestic 19th century hotels that will never be seen again.

Stamford Chamber of Commerce Sponsors Holiday Farmers Market November 23

The Greater Stamford Area Chamber of Commerce will be sponsoring a holiday pop-up farmers' market on Saturday, November 23 from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m. at the Frank W. Cyr Center, where the former Rexmere Hotel was located, on 159 West Main Street in the historic Village of Stamford.

With over 35 vendors expected, and countless items available for shoppers on the eve of Thanksgiving, it is encouraged by the local chamber of commerce for consumers to "think local FIRST" when considering their preparations for the upcoming holiday. 

Not only will a variety of local flavors and creations be available, ranging from New York State maple syrup products to farm-fresh meats and a touch of marmalade, but you will get to the know the farmers and other vendors that represent the financial backbone of the greater Stamford community and to support their efforts. 

For more information, including a complete list of vendors, please visit www.CatskillMtns.org