SamPratt.com

Germantown plane down in Hudson River took off from Copake

The Register-Star reports that authorities “have tentatively identified the plane that crashed into the Hudson River near Germantown yesterday as a Grumman G-44A, an old amphibious military reconnaissance craft, that left a private air field in Copake at about 4 p.m. Thursday.” (Earlier reports had suggested that the plane took off from Richmor Aviation in Ghent.)

Police are not releasing the assumed pilot’s name, but it is not difficult to ascertain what private airfields exist at that location. This website and others list a “Copake Lake Seaplane Base” and “B Flat Farm Airport” close by each other in the town, each operated by Michael B. Braunstein.

The reference to a seaplane would appear likely to correspond to the “amphibious” craft specified in the article above. Braunstein has two Craryville mailing addresses, one on Golf Course Road, the other on Country Club Road.

High art in the hill country

Art openings in Columbia County in the past few weekends have included (click images to enlarge) ...

 

The “Vote for Me” group show at Art Omi in Ghent, including works by Warhol, Johns, et al.;

Brian Dewan’s performance at CR10 in Livingston;

Bill Stone’s installation at CR10 in Livingston;

Laetitia Hussain’s elevator shaft installation at John Davis Gallery in Hudson;

Georgia Elrod’s paintings at John Davis Gallery in Hudson; and

 

Kenny Polinskie paper works at Carrie Haddad Gallery in Hudson.

 

Main Street, U.S.A.

Germantown Variety opened this week at 212 Main Street; and for those who have been intensely curious to see it unveiled, the wait was well worth it.

Offering a utilitarian combination of hardware, cosmetics, gardening supplies, papergoods and other routine needs, the store occupies the place once held by stores like Newberry’s or Woolworth’s—before Wal-Mart pushed five-and-dimes off American main streets.

The design of the place is a good fit as well: at once unpretentious and upscale, tasteful but not fussy, old-timey but not cornball, plain without being bland... The location and timing also make a lot of sense. While Germantown is within a 25-minute drive of big box stores in Hudson and Kingston, the convenience of being able to get decent toothpaste, or wood screws, or squirt guns, or plant fertilizer, or potato mashers closer to home will appeal to those who live closer-by. Germantown Variety allows household errands (like picking up deli foods across the street at Otto’s) to be consolidated into a single trip.

Plus, Germantown Variety will likely attract a broader audience of people who want to keep their dollars circulating locally, rather than sending profits off to Bentonville, Arkansas. The only comparable place in the area is A.J. Stickle’s in Rhinebeck, and one can imagine many other semi-isolated main streets which could benefit from having such a store.

Germinating

Some tidbits gleaned during a recent visit to Germantown:

• Otto’s Market is hiring for two positions beginning in April;


• Stewart’s also has a position open;


• Coming soon across the street from Otto’s: Germantown Variety, which sounds like it’ll be a Columbia County version of A.L. Stickle’s in Rhinebeck. The store is aiming to “be a revival of the variety store of mid-century America” where “you'll be able to get just about everything you need without stepping a foot into a big box store”—from housewares and hardware to cards and candy.

Dales Bridge Road

Pala-tines

Mid-Hudson News reports that a Germantown man (allegedly) stabbed his brother in the arm with a fork. Oh, and put a gun to his kin's head.