Documentary captures last days… Election: Dan Ratner loses ...sc9bc713df9591e3a.jimcontent.com/download/version/1449860979/… · Dan Ratner loses all party backing BY ELI RUIZ

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Begin Again ready to start on home for veterans in LibertyBY DAN HUST

LIBERTY — Plans to create ahome for veterans transition-ing from service back intosociety got a major boost onJanuary 23.

That’s when Begin AgainTransitional Services (BATS)closed on the house and prop-erty at 15 Dixon Avenue in Lib-erty – and only paid legal, deedand title fees.

The 2,800-square-foot houseand surrounding parcel weredonated by the children,Ronald Greenberg and NancyGreenberg Pithis, of the for-mer owners, the late Jack and

Arline Greenberg.“The family really felt good

about it,” said Rev. NormanGraves, pastor of New Begin-nings Community WorshipCenter, of which BATS is an

outreach ministry. “They sawhow dedicated we were.”

“Now we just have to clean itout,” added Anthony Covington,vice chairman of BATS’ Board ofAdvisors (which includes IreneDavis, Brian Rourke and Chris-tine Schiff).

The century-old residence is ingood shape but needs new paint,room renovations and minorrepairs to become the six-bedtransitional veterans homeGraves and Covington envision.

That’s why, thanks to theefforts of Congressman ChrisGibson, they’re getting ready towelcome an engineer and repre-

HOME: Youth EconomicGroup opens ‘Spark’. 1B

VALENTINE: Special ideas asspecial day draws near. 4-5A

TRACK & FIELD: Tri-Valley boys,Sullivan West girls cop titles. 8Bwww.scdemocratonline.com WEEKENDER EDITION Published twice-weekly

VOL. CXXIV NO. 67 2 SECTIONS | 16 PAGES FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2015 ONE DOLLAR

BY DAN HUST

MONTICELLO — Holdingon longer than Grossinger’s,longer than the Pines, longereven than the grand dame ofthe Concord, Kutsher’s Coun-try Club outlasted everyother major Borscht Belthotel.

Still, this storied Monticelloresort couldn’t outlive chang-ing times – a 20th centurydestination out of fashion(and out of steam) at thedawn of the 21st.

That’s when CarolineLaskow and Ian Rosenbergmade their way to Kutsher’s.Now married, in 2002 theywere dating and looking foran interesting getaway.

They had never been to theresort, but upon arrival, theydiscovered a place where ice-skating lessons, classic night-club acts and endless borschtwere served in a settingstraight out of the 1960s.

“We had a blast!” Carolinerecalled.

“It felt a little like being inColonial Williamsburg,” saidIan – a place where timestood still, where people wereunfailingly friendly, wherebeing Jewish and beingAmerican were celebratedsimultaneously.

And where a good storywas just waiting to be told.

Both directors and pro-ducers in the film and tel-evision business, the duocontacted Mark Kutsher,who invited them to come’round during Kutsher’s100th anniversary in 2007.

“He just gave us openaccess,” marvelled Caroline.“We felt so lucky to be wel-comed into the resort withour cameras.”

What those cameras cap-

… and enduring legacy

Documentary captures last days…

DAN HUST | DEMOCRATDemolition work quietly proceeds at the former Kutsher’s Country Club near Monticello this week.

Meanwhile, a new documentary about the famous, long-lasting resort is debuting thismonth and next.

tured – unwittingly at first –were the final days of the lastgreat Borscht Belt hotel,along with the people whomade it great: entertainer

CONTRIBUTED PHOTOSLEFT: A poster of the movie when it premiered in 2012. ABOVE:Documentary directors Ian Rosenberg and Caroline Laskow flanklongtime Kutsher’s ice skating instructor Celia Duffy at the LincolnCenter Premiere in 2012. They’ve since added more footage.PLEASE SEE KUTSHER’S, 3A

Village of Liberty Mayoral Election:

Dan Ratner losesall party backing

BY ELI RUIZ

LIBERTY — In a surpris-ing development, Village ofLiberty Mayor Dan RatnerSr. has lost all party backingas he prepares for nextmonth’s election.

The lifelong registeredRepublican did not winsupport from Democrats,Republicans, and the Inde-pendence and ConservativeParties, who are all nowbacking Village CouncilmanRon Stabak for mayor.

“What they’ve [the par-ties] done is disenfranchisethe voters of Liberty,”fumed Ratner in a Wednes-day interview with theDemocrat. “If you don’thave a candidate then youhave a rigged election.”

Asked why he believed theparties have shifted theirsupport to Stabak, Ratneroffered simply, “Politics… Idon’t play politics and a lotof people don’t like that…It’s my style of governingthey’re taking issue with.”

Liberty Democratic Com-mittee Chair Bill Liblickexplained, “It’s not that[Ratner] lost the backing ofthe parties, it’s that therewere two caucuses [and] Ididn’t see him [Ratner] at[either].

“They were open caucus-es,” continued Liblick. “Thepeople of the parties nomi-nated their candidates, andthe people on election daywill vote for whomever theywant to vote for… if he [Rat-ner] wants to run under an[independent] line then he’stotally free to run.”

Liblick continued, “Thefact of the matter is that thepeople feel that Ratner’sbeen a dedicated person tothe Village of Liberty… still,there’s been this feeling thatRon Stabak can take this vil-lage in a different direction.He is now backed by all themajor parties.”

Ratner was elected to

office two years ago, when,without a viable Democrat-ic candidate, Ratner madean appearance at that year’sDemocratic caucus andasked to be their candidate.Ratner, running on theDemocratic and Commit-ment to Progress lines,defeated incumbent MayorRich Winters, whose nameappeared on the Republi-can, Conservative and Inde-pendence/Common Senselines.

This year, according toLiblick, though Ratner didsend a few representativesto support him at last Tues-day’s Democratic caucus,the mayor himself did notshow up.

“The vast majority of vot-ing Democrats endorsedStabak,” said Liblick.

“He [Ratner] can make allthe allegations he wants butthe fact is the people votedfor who they wanted to betheir party nominee…again, it’s not the parties, it’sthe voters,” affirmed Lib-lick.

“What folks need tounderstand is that two yearsago I backed Mayor Ratnerand we ran together,”offered Stabak. “We werealigned at that time, so I’d

DEMOCRAT FILE PHOTODan Ratner Sr.

Despite vandalism, Spring Glen resort goes forwardBY CHARLES GUY HARRITON

SPRING GLEN — Thetransformation of the formerHomowack Lodge into ahighly-touted Spring GlenResort received a setbackwhen vandalism to the tuneof $50,000 halted the project.

New York State Police inEllenville and Wurtsboroarrested 42-year-old RichardC. Hage Jr. of Pine Bush andcharged him with thirddegree burglary, a felony, andmisdemeanor fourth degreecriminal mischief.

Police say that Hage van-dalized the project with graf-fiti and destroyed some of thework that was underway.Hage was remanded to theSullivan County Jail on$10,000 bail by Town of

Mamakating Justice CynthiaDolan.

Beautiful Earth Group isrenovating the old resort andowner Lex Heslin said he is indebt to the police work, asHage had vandalized theproject more than once. Hes-lin, of the Brooklyn-basedcompany, said additionalsecurity measures are beingtaken to insure there are nocopycat crimes against theresort.

“[Hage] has a ‘signature’scrawl, he’s left [graffiti] allover the area,” Heslin said.

Lauren Francis, BeautifulEarth Group associate andmanager of sustainability,said the perpetrator had“broken in more than once,leaving his trademarkscrawl.”

Mamakating SupervisorBill Herrmann also applaud-ed the work of the statetroopers, saying, “the peopleneed to know that they’re safeand that their property willbe protected to the fullestextent of the law.”

The Homowack was amainstay of the Borscht Beltera, and included indoor andoutdoors skating rinks, poolsand tennis courts and someof the first automatedBrunswick bowling lanes.

According to Francis, “Ves-tiges from these glory daysare said to attract ‘urbanexplorers’ and graffiti artistslooking to promote their‘tags’ and photos on socialmedia like Instagram andTwitter.”

CONTRIBUTED PHOTOA worker covers the graffiti ona building of the Spring GlenResort.

DAN HUST | DEMOCRATLex Heslin oversees work on his property while John Zeh is work-ing the excavator, clearing a former bungalow colony just up thehill from the old Homowack. Lex says the acreage being clearedwill host solar panels, vertical wind turbines and a shallow geot-hermal system, all of which will be used to power the resort (withextra left over to return to the grid).

DAN HUST | DEMOCRATRev. Norman Graves, left, andAnthony Covington are gratefulto the family who just donatedthis Liberty home to their non-profit Begin Again TransitionalServices, which seeks to create atransitional home for returningveterans. Now they’re seekingdonations and support to reno-vate and open the Dixon Avenueresidence.

PLEASE SEE RESORT, 3A

PLEASE SEE VETERANS, 3A

PLEASE SEE MAYOR, 3A

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2015 SULLIVAN COUNTY DEMOCRAT FROM PAGE 1 3Awww.scdemocratonline.com

MONTICELLO — On Saturday, January31, deputies from the Sullivan CountySheriff's Office arrested MichaelChase (43) of Liberty. He was pickedup as he left the Catskill RegionalMedical Center. Chase was wantedon two bench warrants, one chargingfelony violation of probation, theother charging misdemeanor posses-sion of a controlled substance andevidence tampering.

Chase is also the subject of an investi-gation by the Sheriff's Office involv-ing the theft of tools and otherequipment from unlocked vehiclesparked at Home Depot and WalMart

in Monticello. Chase gained notoriety in April of2010 when he and a codefendant,Nickie Circelli, were dubbed "TheMonticello Tool Bandits" afterdeputies arrested them for stealingfrom contractors' vehicles parked atthe Thompson Square Mall.

Last year Circelli committed suicide byjumping off the George WashingtonBridge after being implicated in amurder in Suffern.

Chase was committed to the SullivanCounty Jail without bail.

The investigation is continuing.

Weapons cache seized in Lumberland drug raid

Monticello men burgled from empty residencesWURTSBORO — The New York StatePolice at Wurtsboro arrested DarrenMance (39) and Amiel Maerling (22),both of Monticello for burglary in thethird degree, larceny in the fourth de-gree and criminal mischief in the sec-ond degree, all felonies, as well aspetit larceny, criminal possession ofstolen property in the fifth degreeand criminal trespass in the third de-gree, all misdemeanors.

The arrests were the result of a re-ported burglary to a seasonal resi-dence in the Town of Thompsonwhere Mance and Maerling entered

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FROM FRONT PAGE

Freddie Roman, ice skatinginstructor Celia Duffy, activi-ties director Larry Strickler,and of course, the Kutsherfamily, led by “First Lady ofthe Catskills” Helen Kutsher.

“All these people were suchwonderful characters,” ac-knowledged Ian. “Theyweren’t blinded to the reali-ties of the day, but they werestill holding on.”

Ian and Caroline stitchedtogether the pieces of theirKutsher’s documentary intime for a 2012 premiere atLincoln Center, but by thenthey were aware the resortwas shutting down and onthe verge of being sold.

“We felt the film was ready

to be seen, but we really didn’thave a final ending,” said Ian.

So after Kutsher’s was pur-chased by an internationalmedia mogul in 2013, thecouple returned for a 2014auction and, later, the start ofdemolitions – a sad but fittingend to their hourlong tributeto a defining Catskills desti-nation.

Capping eight years of ef-fort, “Welcome to Kutsher’s:The Last Catskills Resort” willhave its first true theatrical re-lease this month and next inFlorida and California.

It is dedicated to Helen Kut-sher, who died in 2013.

“We were really honored tobe able to talk to Helen,” af-firmed Ian. “She’s someonewe fell in love with.”

FROM FRONT PAGE

aligned at that time, so I’d liketo say, in fairness, that the Re-publicans… they didn’t evenendorse him [Ratner] lasttime, so it’s not like the Re-publican party abandonedhim… they never endorsedhim.”

Involved in local politics forjust two years now, Stabak, aretired Department of Envi-ronmental Conservation(DEC) officer, explained,“What happened was that Iwent to the Democratic cau-cus… I was nominated but itwasn’t the party that decidedon the nomination, it was thepeople.”

Stabak continued, “I madea whole lot of phone calls overthe weekend and went outand knocked on doors [with]Sal Cracolici. I went out andengaged with and talked tothe people… I don’t knowwhat Dan [Ratner] has doneout there, and this is no criti-cism at all toward him, but it’s

the locals… it was the localpeople who decided, not ei-ther of the parties. The partiesare now just backing thechoice the voters made.”

Stabak is hopeful of hischances come March: “I wasfortunate enough to haveenough people there [Demo-cratic caucus] that we actu-ally won 2.5 to 1 against him[Ratner]. No insult to Dan,but it was not the parties, it’sthe populace; the voters.”

Asked if he thinks Ratnermight feel betrayed, Stabakremains cordial, “I’ve beenvery very open with Dan, andas a matter of fact we spokelast night (Tuesday night)…I’ve asked him to go and getthose 75 signatures and geton a line… his own even. I re-ally want to see Dan on theballot and in this race.

“In the end,” added Stabak.“I just want a nice, cleanrace… I want Dan on the bal-lot… I’ve told him so. Thisway the people can decide.”

MAYOR: No party backing

FROM FRONT PAGE

The 330-room, 46-acreproperty is currently being re-purposed by its new ownerinto a park, with recreationalfacilities and an organic farmpurveyor as well as an “EcoLodge.”

Development will come inphases. Plans call for a high-tech green facility with anelectricity microgrid, pow-ered entirely by renewableenergy. Natural foods andsupplies will be grown locally.

The owner has invested up-wards of $1 million, includingcleaning, securing and stabi-lizing the 350,000-square-footproperty.

Heslin said he grew up inAtlanta, “with nature” as heput it, and later moved north.

Thirteen years ago helearned about the availabilityof a 35-acre bungalow colonynext to the Homowack andbought it. Back then, he re-lated, the Homowack “was abeautiful resort, with a well-tended hotel and golf course.”

The resort was eventuallybought by an Orthodox Jew-ish group. In 2009 the lodgewas being used as a girlscamp under the name

FROM FRONT PAGE

sentative from Soldier On (anonprofit which works to endveteran homelessness) to fig-ure out how to refit the housewithin the regulations of theVeterans Administration.

They’re also looking for twomore advisory board mem-bers, one a veteran, to guidethem on what Graves says is amission given to him by God.

“Most people didn’t think itwas possible,” the reverendacknowledged. “I said, ‘Godgave me a vision, and He willmake it happen.’”

“People can’t believe howfar we’ve gotten,” added Cov-ington. “... You’ve just got tokeep moving in the directionthe Lord takes you in.”

The two are especiallygrateful to the Greenberg andPithis families for their gen-erosity in giving away a homethey could have likely sold forsix figures.

Now BATS is turning to the

community to fund not onlythe renovations work but theequipment and staffingneeded to start up and oper-ate the veterans home.

A penny social is already inthe works (utilizing variousitems of interest still left inthe house), but the bigfundraiser is a benefit dinnerscheduled for April 17 at theEagle’s Nest in Bloomingburg.

The $65/guest dinner willinclude a silent auction ofvaluable products and serv-ices donated by local busi-nesses. Tickets are nowavailable.

Covington welcomes moredonations of both auctionitems and cash, and in the fu-ture, he’ll also be looking forfurniture and appliances. Hecan be reached at 914-850-6189 or atbats.nbcwc@gmail.com.

“We really want it to be anice place for veterans,” Pas-tor Graves affirmed.

VETERANS: Place to call home

RESORT: Moving forward

KUTSHER’S: Its last days

Machne Bnos Square. Ma-makating cited the facility forviolations and tried to havethe camp shut down. TheNew York State Departmentof Health eventually closedthe camp for numeroushealth hazards.

The 46 acres eventuallywound up in foreclosure andlast year Heslin put in a suc-cessful bid at the SullivanCounty property auction andnow owns 81 contiguousacres.

“Welcome to Kutsher’s: The LastCatskills Resort” captures morethan the rise and decline of a Mon-ticello fixture. Filmmakers CarolineLaskow and Ian Rosenberg caughtthe final vestiges of a singularlyAmerican way of life, of vacation-ing, of escaping not just urbanchaos but centuries of oppression.

And within that grand tapestryare interwoven strands of very per-sonal, very familiar, very poignantstories, often about the family be-hind the hotel.

“We had a good marriage,”Helen Kutsher says at one point,speaking of her husband, Milton.“We had a good life together.”

“Our best times were the 1970sand 1980s. We were busy build-ing,” muses her son, Mark, shortlybefore the camera shows a 100thanniversary sign in 2007 optimisti-cally predicting, “The Future IsBright.”

Entertainers also loom large inthe documentary, from Ray Charlesand Joan Rivers to Sid Caesar,Howie Mandel, Louie Armstrongand a memorable piece of vintagefootage showing comic Andy Kauf-man wrestling a woman in 1979.

Kutsher’s legendary sports pro-grams are also profiled, especiallybasketball great Wilt Chamberlain,who began his career as a Kut-sher’s bellhop (so did Jerry Sein-feld, according to another clip).

Those unfamiliar with the dishfor which the Borscht Belt wasnamed will find understandinghere – along with a tribute to thosewho made and served it in endless

amounts.“Probably the most employees

we have are in the kitchen and din-ing room,” says Mark Kutsher. “It’snot fine dining, but it is good din-ing.”

The last of Kutsher’s tummlers(entertainers) is shown, as well,with Krazy Tyrone engaging guestsin a classic “Simon Says” game.

Even one of the final events atKutsher’s, a music festival called AllTomorrow’s Parties, is glimpsed,with a new generation of resortgo-ers relishing what one of them callsKutsher’s “cross between [thefilms] ‘Cocoon’ and ‘The Shining.’”

Indeed, most facets of the resortare featured in some fashion, savefor the one that never arrived: casi-nos.

“That is not in our future any-more,” a wistful Mark is seen ad-mitting in 2007.

But what’s in Kutsher’s past can-not be forgotten, thanks to a fam-ily, a staff, and a host of guests whoshare generously of their experi-ences (would you expect anythingless?) in “Welcome to Kutsher’s.”

“We gave a lot of people goodvacations and very good memo-ries,” acknowledges Mark. “I thinkthat’s really our legacy.”

* * *To find out more, visit kutshers-

doc.com. Screening dates and loca-tions are available there, as is thechance to share your own Kutsher’sstory with other website visitors.Local screening venues are beingsought, while a DVD release is an-ticipated around Memorial Day.

Kutsher’s Movie: What you’ll see

POLICE NOTES |‘Tool Bandit’ arrested on several charges

POLICE NOTES |

LIBERTY — On Friday, January 30, theState Police Community Narcotics En-forcement Team, Troop F Liberty, andthe State Police Special OperationsTeam working in conjunction withthe Sullivan County District Attor-ney’s Office executed a search war-rant at 251 Haring Road in the Townof Lumberland, Sullivan County.

The search warrant was the result of anarcotics investigation. During thesearch of the residence State Policeseized heroin, marijuana, prescriptiondrugs as well as 134 long guns, fourassault rifles, one electronic stungun, and two handguns. The twohandguns and several of the longguns were reported stolen fromPennsylvania.

William T. Cropley (53) and Gina Cer-ciello (26) both from the address,were charged with criminal posses-sion of a weapon in the second de-gree, criminal possession of aweapon in the third degree, criminalpossession of a controlled substancein the third degree, criminal posses-sion of a controlled substance in the

CONTRIBUTED PHOTOThe display of weapons seized on January 30 after a raid on a housein Lumberland. Two individuals face charges.

CONTRIBUTED PHOTOSGina Cerciello, left, and WilliamT. Cropley have been chargedwith multiple felonies as a re-sult of a narcotics investigation.

fourth degree, criminal possession ofstolen property in the fourth degree,criminal possession of a controlledsubstance in the seventh degree, andunlawful possession of marijuana.

Cerciello was arraigned before theTown of Callicoon Justice HonorableEdward McKenna and remanded toSullivan County Jail on $15,000 bail.Cropley was arraigned before theTown of Highland Justice HonorableAnthony LaRuffa and committed toSullivan County on $75,000 bail.

Woman strikes disabledvehicle, injures two

FALLSBURG — The Town of FallsburgPolice Department arrested JessicaWalts (37) of Wurtsboro and chargedher with vehicular assault in the firstdegree, a felony, and driving whileability impaired by drugs, a misde-meanor.

It is alleged that Walts rear-ended adisabled vehicle on the side of theroad being worked on by two men,brothers, who sustained serious in-juries. Both had to be airlifted toWestchester Medical Center.

Walts was arraigned in front of Honor-able Ivan Kalter and sent to SullivanCounty Jail in lieu of $7,500 bail.

IN THE COURTS |

MONTICELLO — District Attorney JimFarrell announced that the SupremeCourt Appellate Division Third De-partment, in Albany, on January 22

affirmed the mur-der, robbery andweapon convic-tions of David“DJ” Perkins, ofMonticello. Perkins was con-victed by guiltyplea of murder inthe second de-gree, robbery inthe first degreeand criminal pos-

session of a weapon in the seconddegree in October of 2010 in SullivanCounty Court and was sentenced to18 years to life in state prison. In hisappeal Perkins challenged the volun-tariness of his confession, taken bymembers of the Monticello Policeand New York State Police, who in-vestigated the homicide. His appealalso claimed his sentence was exces-sive. The appellate court rejected allof his arguments and affirmed all ofhis convictions.

In a decision authored by JusticeWilliam E. McCarthy, the court foundthat the Sullivan County Court’s de-nial of Perkin’s motion to suppresshis confession was proper and thathis confession was knowing, intelli-

Court affirms murder conviction in homicidegent and voluntary in all respects.

Perkins admitted to participating inthe robbery and homicide of 25-year-old Carl Williams in June of 2009near the Shore Garden Apartments.Perkins and Ja’Quis Lowery, also ofMonticello, who is serving a 15-to-life sentence for his role in the rob-bery and murder, admitted to settingout to rob Williams while both werearmed with loaded illegal handguns,one of which discharged killingWilliams.

Farrell said the evidence in the caseestablished that Perkins was theshooter.

A third man, Lawrence Watson, wasalso convicted and admitted to di-recting Perkins and Lowery to robWilliams with the loaded guns andhe is currently serving 22 years to lifein state prison.

Farrell said, “We are very pleased withthe Appellate Court’s decision andhope it brings some measure of sol-ace to Carl’s family and his mother,Janette Williams, who since Carl’sdeath has engaged our community inan continuing effort to prevent fur-ther street violence and these actionshave made a substantial positive im-pact on the residents of Monticello.”

Executive Assistant DA Meagan Galli-gan wrote the appellate brief and thecase was argued in Supreme Courtby DA Farrell.

David Perkins

CONTRIBUTED PHOTOSDarren Mance, left, and AmielMaerling face burglary charges.

an unoccupied residence, stripped itof the copper pipe and removed sev-eral power tools including chainsaws, a lawn mower and a powerwasher, along with other items.

Both men additionally illegally enteredan unoccupied bungalow in the Townof Thompson and removed a quantityof copper pipe from that location.During the course of the investiga-tion, Mance was additionally foundto possess several street signs stolenfrom the Town of Mamakating.

Maerling was released on bail to ap-pear in the Town of Thompson Courtat a later date. Mance was remandedto the Sullivan County Jail on$30,000 bail to appear in the Townof Mamakating Court at a later date.

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