Ulster County Update - Rondout Valley Fundraiser "Empty Bowls" Planned for Friday April 20th, 2012

Dylan Taft

Tuesday, April 17th, 2012 at 11:53am. 189 Views, 0 Comments.

Ulster County living is simple yet rewarding; forever focused on benefiting the community. The annual "Empty Bowls" program by the Rondout Valley High School puts a creative spin on the usual charity event. It's one of those positive, homegrown movements unique to Ulster County NY. It is a simple yet brilliant premise that benefits the community, promotes the arts, and teaches students the valuable lesson of helping those in need. How does it work, and how can you participate? It's easy! Taft Street Realty gives you the 2012 Guide to Rondout Valley's "Empty Bowls".

Created by a Teacher - Organized by Students - Aided by Local Ulster County Businesses

It is a simple, yet powerful image: an empty bowl. This most basic of tools served as inspiration to…

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It's Official - Rosendale Elementary School Set to Close - What Now?

Dylan Taft

Thursday, January 19th, 2012 at 2:11pm. 551 Views, 1 Comments.

Sadly, it’s official. The Rosendale Elementary School is set to close, but what now? As of now the schools doors will close at the end of the 2012 school year. We here at Taft Street have been following this story through past blogs about the debate on closing local area schools. In what has proven to be an emotional issue among residents here in the Rondout Valley Central School District, the closing of Rosendale Elementary raises new questions and concerns. A recent article in the Daily Freeman (January 15th) illustrated the ongoing debate over the future of this beloved local school.

Rondout Valley School Board Not Interested In Selling School

The Rondout Valley School Board states in the article that they’re not interested in selling the…

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Historic Ulster County Flooding Poses Biggest Challenge In Wake of Hurricane Irene

Dylan Taft

Tuesday, August 30th, 2011 at 4:02pm. 36932 Views, 2 Comments.

Though it may look pretty bad, Ulster County will recover. As expected, Hurricane Irene caused extensive flooding, power outages and knocked down many trees. Ulster County officials are still assessing the extent of the damage, but all it takes is a short drive around the neighborhood for the impact of Irene on some Ulster County homes to become painfully apparent. However in spite of the destruction, the general feeling is that we were prepared and have fared well. Innovations like social media rose to the occasion and assumed an important role in providing a means for communication amidst a blackout. Our area has proven to be resourceful enough to withstand what County Executive Michael Hein called, “The worst natural disaster in Ulster County’s…

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Tough Choices: Which Rondout Valley Elementary School Should Close?

Dylan Taft

Monday, February 14th, 2011 at 7:50am. 799 Views, 1 Comments.

The Answer Depends On Who You Ask

The Rondout Valley Central School District is facing some tough decisions in the face of a dismal school budget. The district hopes to cut costs by consolidating and reorganizing its schools and has made public its decision to close one of its three elementary schools. Superintendant Rosario Agostaro said that he and his team considered different options for reconfiguring the district and found that closing one elementary school was, “The model we found to be the least disruptive academically.” With the decision final and a school closing imminent, there remains the question of which of the three elementary schools (Rosendale, Marbletown, or Kerhonkson) will close its doors.

I’ve noticed how locally this issue has…

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