A modest printer who loved the land and its people

By LAURIE STUART

When I moved to Narrowsburg in 1978, both Ed Kraus and his father were members of the town board. Ed Sr. was the statesman, and Ed Jr. was the renegade. In the forefront of his agenda was the dumping of thousands of gallons of toxic chemicals in the former Cortese Landfill, located in close proximity to one of the town’s municipal wells. He had reams of documentation and he met with the then editor of the River Reporter, Glenn Pontier, to brief him on how trucks rumbled through the streets at night, to empty barrels of waste into that landfill. He spoke about another town board member being concerned and taking a Geiger counter to the site, to try to figure out what was going on.

The problem was not radioactive. It was waste from New Jersey that was accepted and dumped alongside the Upper Delaware River. 

Ed cared about Narrowsburg, and he was willing to buck the “old boy’s network” and call out the landfill owner. The rest of the town board wasn’t into that so much, and they purchased the landfill, transforming the toxic area into the town’s headache. 

It was a mystery at the time. But for Ed, I think it was a victory. The landfill became a Superfund site, was capped and is monitored to make sure that the toxins do not enter either the river or the municipal well.

This is the legacy of Ed Kraus. A modest printer, infused with the landscape of the town he loved.

In his earlier years, he worked as a printer’s associate, and whenever he came into the River Reporter office, which is located in the historical newspaper building, he would talk about how he and John Hector used to hand-feed pieces of newsprint into the letterpress printer. He would tell stories of how editor Claude Hector “locked up the chase,” and that one time when moving it to the press, the lead type, hand set headlines and etched block photos all fell to the ground as Claude moved it. 

“Thank goodness, it wasn’t me or John,” he said.

Ed printed our envelopes, he cut and glued our newsstand collection pads. He watched over us, always supportive, always generous with his appreciation as we reported on important local stories throughout the decades.

He joins the ranks of longtime residents of the Town of Tusten, who have moved on to higher planes, and always remain in our hearts for the legacy and service that they offered to our riverfront community.

Together at the school

By JEFF DEXTER

Ed was a lifetime member of our community. Having known three generations of his family, they are just the best folks one could ever know. Always greeting you with a smile and making time for you in their day. 

Ed loved to take walks about town, greeting everyone he knew. While his daughter Cindy worked at the Upper Delaware Council office, he would stop in to show her a “treasure” he found on his walk. Cindy would introduce me as a graduate of Narrowsburg High School. We were never from big classes, and are widely dispersed today. He took pleasure in knowing that there were three generations of graduates standing in that office.

As a business owner, Ed could be depended on to get every order, even those arriving with little notice, prepared and completed in short order.

Our community will miss him greatly and our sincerest sympathies to his family.

A beloved friend

By BRANDI MEROLLA

Ed was a remarkable man. He was a master printmaker and served his community his whole life. He loved his family and will be remembered as a warm, smart, principled man. If you knew Ed, you’ll never forget him.

Click here for Ed's obituary.