There are literally more than 50 towns, villages and hamlets that we at The River Reporter write about as we traverse the Upper Delaware River region in search of stories that continue our 40-plus-year tradition of award-winning coverage, delivering all the news that’s fit to print in your neck of the woods. More often than not, Dharma the Wonder Dog and I can be spotted doing exactly that just around the next bend, but as summer gets underway and my calendar of events swells, I know that I’ll be running around like a headless chicken crossing county lines over the next few months. That was a deciding factor this past week as I chose to not stick my neck out, lie low and stay close to home.

That doesn’t mean I wasn’t a busy bee, for my zip code is in White Lake, and the town of Bethel in Sullivan County is buzzing with activity, just like the many charming towns you all call home. We’ve had a couple of “firsts” over the last few days here in Bethel, which began last week with the inaugural session of the Lakeside Music Series, which will take place every Thursday from 6:30 to 8 p.m. (through Labor Day) at Gazebo Park on Kauneonga Lake. It will present live music with a stunning view, door prizes and “special events” throughout the season featuring a wide roster of local talent. In tribute to the place that gave birth to the “Woodstock Generation,” the first band to play was ‘Yasgur’—a group of guys who (IMHO) can blow the roof off any venue, even when there’s no roof at all. Rich Johansen, Steve Suresh, Mike Moss and Dan Berger did just that as friends, many of whom had plans to dine in one of the many unique eateries that make up “Restaurant Row” before or after the show, gathered on the lawn with chairs and blankets in tow. The series is free. For a complete listing of upcoming bands, visit “Bethel Lakeside Music” on Facebook, and bring your friends!

Afraid that I might melt in the rain on Saturday, I stayed in and unfortunately missed the “surprise” unveiling of the new commemorative plaque on the grounds of Bethel Woods, declaring that “The Woodstock Music Festival Site has been placed on the National Register of Historic Places” by the United States Department of the Interior. From what I hear, festival producer Michael Lang was in attendance, along with other luminaries, and I missed a photo-op that I’ll regret for a while. Darn. (But see news brief on page 2.) Thankful that the forecast was sunnier on Sunday, I made note of another first being presented by the Bethel Council of the Arts (BCA), whose mission statement says that the BCA “Will foster artistic expression, civic participation, and the economic growth of our diverse community by supporting, promoting, and advocating for arts and culture.”

Not unlike the Lakeside Music Series, the BCA (www.bethelart.org) is working with the Town of Bethel “to create a cultural arts district,” and to that end, presented the first “rotational art exhibit.” It included simultaneous receptions and art installations at the gorgeous Bradstan Country Hotel on 17B, along with temporary exhibits at the Barrio Kitchen, Local Table & Tap and The Fat Lady Café, featuring the work of Leonard Kamsler, Lori Horowitz, Herb Janow, Adrienne Walker, Ellany Gable, Franco LoPinto, Linda Bastian, William Landau and Brock Lady. And yes, I went to all of them, living up to my “headless chicken” reputation. Coming up for the BCA: the opening of “Deep Divide: Tracking Trumpism from the Campaign to the D.C.,” a photographic essay by Jonathan C. Hyman slated for Labor Day Weekend, which will launch the newly renovated Bethel Arts Gallery at the Java Love Roasting Company in (you guessed it) Bethel, NY.

On my way home, I couldn’t help but notice the throngs perusing the scores of vendors booths at the Bethel Flea Market (at the corner of Pine Grove and 17B), so I pulled into the lot myself. There I ran into John Gwiozdowski (aka “The Tie Dye Guy”)—who claimed that he sees me at “every single festival and street fair” that he attends—selling a fantastic array of colorful hippie-esque wearable art. I responded by handing him my new business cards with these simple words inscribed: “Headless & Chicken, Attorneys at Law.” Before heading home, I stopped to chat with weekenders Roberta and Bob Kern, who marveled at the hustle and bustle of Bethel. “We’ve been splitting our time between New York City and Smallwood for decades,” Bob told me, while Roberta strolled the market. “It’s so wonderful to see Bethel thriving.” I couldn’t agree more.