Here we are, right smack in the middle of April and things are already heating up throughout the hills and dales of the Upper Delaware River region. As usual, I’m sharpening my hatchet in preparation for hacking my own head off by mid-June, in order to be able to successfully meet the challenges in my role as the official “Headless Chicken of the Catskills.” My self-imposed moniker has a nice ring to it, no? Sadly, I’ve been called worse.

With that said, and with my just-finished Passover dinner still on the table, I’m thinking that I had better clear my proverbial plate before things get even more hectic than they already are. “It’s not like you work in a salt mine,” my dearly departed mother would remind me, wagging a perfectly manicured finger in my direction. “There are those who would kill for your job.” 

“Are there?” I asked That Dog Named Gidget, who didn’t even raise an eyebrow, a physical trait for which the Havanese breed is known. Instead, she ignored me altogether, a habit she has honed neatly in the past couple of years. That’s right. I said years. Her second birthday is just around the corner. 

Where was I? Oh, right. Busy/Passover/Headless.

Before the “nice weather” hits and my working world of arts and leisure explodes in a shower of entertaining sparks throughout the land, I think I had better catch up on some of the things I’ve already seen and done, but have yet to mention in the pages of the award-winning River Reporter. You know, kind of a hodgepodge—a mishmash or potpourri, if you will. Like this, that and the other thing.

This: It all began with a call to action from the office of Dan Hust, Sullivan County’s director of communications, and by “began” I mean so long ago that I can’t find the email. It said something about a photo contest showcasing the county’s beautiful parks and a call for submissions from photographers. Months passed, and another email was sent around, one that I saved for this occasion.

“The Sullivan County Parks & Recreation Department is proud to unveil an exhibition showcasing photographs taken of the landscapes and wildlife at our parks and museums,” Hust’s announcement, um, announced.

“In late 2024, we accepted submissions from the public. We had a team of judges go through them and choose 24 photos to be on display,” said Fiona Feltman, assistant recreation director, who conceived and implemented the exhibition. Featuring the work of local photographers, the new exhibition is on display at the Sullivan County Museum in Hurleyville, NY.

Additionally, a selection of photos from the exhibition is also on display in the lobby of the government center in Monticello. I went, and recommend that you check it out—both exhibits will be on view through the summer and both are free to the public—a price that fits my wallet nicely.

That: While it was originally scheduled to be performed last February in conjunction with National Heart Month, inclement weather intervened and I just recently attended the rescheduled, retooled “From the Heart” house concert at the Bridge and Tunnel Brewery in Liberty, NY. Presented “in loving memory of Arthur Gass Jr.,” the event was created and presented by his widow and songstress extraordinaire Joanna M. Gass. Benefiting the 98.3 WSUL Heart-A-Thon and (the upcoming) Thunder 102 Country Cares for St. Jude Kids Radiothon, the concert featured Gass and special guests Cris Spinner, Brad Rutledge, Beth and Scott Bierko, Gary Siegel and the Search and Rescue Orchestra—all of whom were incredibly (IMHO) entertaining while raising much-needed funds for two worthy causes. And my dog didn’t whine (much)—so there’s that.

The other thing: I’m on social media a lot. Most likely too much, but with that comes a plethora of information and recently, I’ve seen lots (I mean lots) of posts about a new venture dubbed CATS, which I discovered stands for “Catskill Arts & Theatre Space.”

“Oh dear lord,” I audibly groaned in the direction of my dog, while reading one of their many (many) social media posts. “Just what we need, right, girl? Another freakin’ theatre company.” You guessed it. I sent off an email to co-founder Ellouise Kidman, whom I suspected was behind the onslaught of, um, announcements. “Yes, it’s me posting those things,” she responded promptly, accepting my invite to meet for coffee and an explanation.

“So. What exactly are we doing at the Liberty Theatre?” Kidman asked in answer to my query.

“Yes, You’ve been seeing a lot from Catskill Arts & Theatre Space (CATS)—but let’s clear something up:

“We are the nonprofit team bringing the inside of Liberty Theatre back to life. The building? Still Liberty Theatre. 

“The dream? A bold, inclusive, creative space right in the heart of Liberty. The people behind it? We’re restoring a beloved local landmark, creating community programming, theatre productions, youth workshops and more—all under the banner of Liberty Theatre.”

We discussed the immediate plans, the sooner-than-later plans and the 10-years-down-the-road plans and trust me—there’s a lot to unpack. 

“So when you see CATS,” Kidman enthused, “think: Creative. Local. Passionate. And bringing Liberty Theatre back.” I assured her that there would be more coffee-talks in our future, since their plan to create a “portal to the arts” is multifaceted, multi-layered and in its infancy, so stay tuned. I can guarantee that I’ll have a humble opinion about this, that and the other thing soon enough.

For more about what’s going on at the Sullivan County Government center, visit www.sullivanny.gov.

Want info about Country Cares for St. Jude Kids? Follow Thunder 102 on social media.

As for all things CATS (or C.A.T.S.—I’ve seen it both ways) the website is under construction, so I’ll keep you posted as they unpack. And yes, I’ve also seen “theater” and “theatre” both ways, too. It’s a thing. An annoying thing.

For more photos of From the Heart, follow the River Reporter on Facebook.

Ask the Google: Are “hodgepodge, mishmash and potpourri” interchangeable?

Answer: Kinda, sorta, maybe. Because they all refer to “a confused jumble, or mixture of assorted things that are not organized or related in a clear way.” Like this column. 

Dedicated to Dharma the Wonder Dog (11/25/09–4/17/23).