President’s Letter– 2012 in Review

 

Mibs Zelley

Editor’s Note:  In her review of 2012, Board President Milbrey “Mibs” Zelley reports to you on our progress during the past year and our plans for this coming year.  We are grateful for her guidance and enthusiasm which have helped us achieve so much, especially this past year.


February 2013

Dear Friends, Neighbors and Loyal Supporters,

This past year was eventful and event-filled for Friends of Taconic State Park.

First Day Hike 2012

We hosted garden lectures by Page Dickey and Ken Druse, and offered numerous hikes in and around the park including our first First Day Hike with Founding Board President Jane Peck, a Hidden Valley Ramble in connection with the Hudson River Valley Ramble, tree lover hikes with board member and #1 tree guy Jim Mackin and an invigorating hike with Claudia Farb from Sunset Rock to Catamount.

Hidden Valley Ramble - Sept. 2012

Tree Hikes with Jim Mackin

  

First Day Hike 2013

Soup for Everyone!

In June we hosted our first Pomeroy Party, celebrating our re-connection with the descendants of Lemuel Pomeroy, the founder of the Copake Iron Works.  Our participation was an important part of the Fifth Copake Falls Day, with informative tours of the historic Copake Iron Works led by History Advisory Board member Victor Rolando and Jim Mackin. We were also a popular participant in the first ever Copake Falls Winter Walk, offering homemade butternut squash soup and home baked popovers at the Iron Works.

Furnace Cover- Finished!

Our major accomplishment, however, was the completion of the protective cover for the historic Copake Iron Works blast furnace. Ground was broken in the fall of 2011 when the four concrete footings were poured. During the ensuing winter months, the massive legs and cross beams were constructed off site by an able and devoted construction crew. Edgar Masters masterminded the project and contributed the expert labor of his employees Jim Conklin, and Tom Flaherty. Indispensable volunteer Bob Callahan worked tirelessly alongside Jim, Tom and Edgar.

Edgar Masters & Don Oestrander

Bob Callahan &Tom Flaherty

Tom &Bob

             



 In early spring and summer of 2012, the huge components were trucked to the site by equipment and drivers provided by Ed Herrington, Inc.

Herrington's Moves Mountains...

...and 50', 3 ton furnace cover pieces too.

   

Lawrence D. Coon & Sons - many cranes make light work Aug. and Oct. 2012

Once the pieces were at the site, Lawrence D. Coon & Sons – the barn building firm of record in Columbia County - assembled the pieces, and with their four giant cranes carefully lifted and dropped them into place on the footings.

Furnace Fest November 2012

Day by day, we saw our vision become a reality, and in November, at Furnace Fest, the big red ribbon was cut…project completed!
Now, the massive cover, which is the same height and shape as the original building, draws attention to all passing by on both Route 344, as well as Valley View Road!

Tim Schroder

Grateful thanks to so many people for making this possible: to Ann and Doug Clark and Tim Schroder of Clark Engineering & Surveying, P.C. for their extraordinary pro bono contribution of time and talent.  To Don Oestrander, Mike Wheeler, Pete Stalker, and Richard and Ed Herrington of Ed Herrington, Inc. for numerous trips up and down High Valley Road in flatbed trucks; to the Hudson River Bank & Trust Company Foundation, the Rheinstrom Hill Community Foundation, the Society for Industrial Archaeology, and to the New York State Environmental Protection Fund for leadership grants awarded to this project; and to our many generous individual donors, both nearby and far away, whose willingness to give of their treasure helped make the project a reality.

Margaret Roach

Ray Doherty

Rose Harvey and Lucy Waletzky

We  extend deepest thanks to Lucy D. Waletzky, Chair of the New York State Council on Parks and Rose Harvey, Commissioner of New York State Parks, whose enthusiasm for our work helped draw attention to our project from throughout the state; to Ray Doherty, former Taconic State Park manager and now general manager of the Taconic Region, whose early support made our work possible, to our neighbor Margaret Roach for her abiding support of and commitment to our efforts; and to the entire Board of Directors who worked tirelessly to bring the project to completion.

Board of Directors 2011/2012

Edgar M. Masters

Last, but certainly not least, it was the can-do man with the vision, Edgar M. Masters, who imagined that such a project was possible and whose drive and energy throughout the long construction process brought the dream to reality!

Now to the future! First of all, we must stabilize the furnace itself. Long years of exposure to the wind, rain and snow, as well as the ravages of weeds and scavengers, have severely weakened the four arches of the furnace, as well as its interior. Unless we want our beautiful cover to be covering nothing but a pile of rubble, the work of stabilization must begin immediately. We have already begun to raise funds for this work, and will be actively seeking additional support to realize this goal by the end of the year.

Remedial work is also desperately needed at two other important historic buildings at the site: both the machine/pattern shop, and the worker's cottage called the Link House must be stabilized. We cannot allow these buildings, which tell such an important part of the story of the Copake Iron Works, to deteriorate further.

 We also plan to complete a trail connecting the Copake Iron Works to the Bash Bish Falls along the south side of the Bash Bish Stream in early spring. The Fish Pond Trail will pass by a reconstruction of a charcoal hearth and the holding ponds which once supplied the water for the early water wheel, the first power source for the bellows which kept the furnace in blast. We hope that the completion of this trail will bring the many annual visitors to the Bash Bish Falls back to the Copake Iron Works and will provide an interesting additional piece to the story of the iron industry at Copake Falls.

We will also be continuing our programs of lectures, and trail and nature hikes throughout 2013 beginning with our annual President’s Day “Snow or No” snowshoeing event on Monday, February 18th.



Our third annual Welcome Spring event on March 23rd will feature a presentation by Ken Greene of the renowned Hudson Valley Seed Library; on April 20th, Brian Boom of the New York Botanical Garden (and an FTSP board member) will present ,"Earth Day Reflections on the Environment in Cuba," on May 11th, celebrated plantsman Lee Reich will present “Backyard Fruit Simplified,” and on June 8^th, noted botanist Robert Naczi of the New York Botanical Garden will lead a wildflower walk in the park. Our contribution to Copake Falls Day, this year on August 17^th, will include (and feature!) The Fabulous Beekman Boys – more to come on that event.

Our complete calendar is on our website with timely updates on our Facebook page.  The latter has become an essential resource for us.  We urge you to follow us there.


And finally, we are delighted to be collaborating with our neighbors in Mount Washington (MA) who are creating a museum exhibit on the history of charcoal making in the 19^th century. Their work will be exhibited at the Ironworks museum this summer.  More details on our website and via Facebook as they become available.

To keep abreast of our activities, please follow us on Facebook and check our website. Please also mark your calendar now for the Fifth Potluck Supper and Annual Meeting of Friends of Taconic State Park on July 25^th.

But most important of all, please join or renew your membership in Friends of Taconic State Park. Your support is so essential in making our beautiful park an exciting place to visit.

Thank you!

Sincerely,
Milbrey Zelley, President
Friends of Taconic State Park