* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting. [00:00:05] GOOD AFTERNOON EVERYONE. WELCOME TO THE 2026 ANNUAL MEETING OF THE FRIENDS OF THE OLD CRO IN ACUTA. UM, MY NAME IS JOANNA RIESMAN. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR COMING, UM, ON THIS BEAUTIFUL DAY. I IMAGINE SOME OF YOU WOULD RATHER BE ON THE TRAIL WALKING. UM, AND THANK YOU TO THE HASTINGS LIBRARY FOR MAKING THIS SPACE AVAILABLE TO US. WE'VE USUALLY BEEN UP IN TARRYTOWN AND THEY ARE NO LONGER HOSTING EVENTS ON SUNDAY, BUT, UH, THE HASTINGS LIBRARY CAME THROUGH FOR US, SO WE'RE DELIGHTED. UM, AND, UM, I'M GONNA SPEAK, I'M GONNA SUMMARIZE THE YEAR AT FOCA IN ABOUT TWO MINUTES, WHICH IS THE TIME THAT I HAVE BEEN ALLOTTED. UM, AND THEN THE NOMINATING COMMITTEE WILL, UH, TELL YOU WHO THE BOARD MEMBERS ARE FOR NEXT YEAR, UH, THE, THE SLATE OF NOMINEES, AND, UM, AND WE'RE GONNA HEAR FROM THE PRESIDENT, UH, LESLIE WALTERS. AND THEN, UM, THE MAIN EVENT, WE'RE GONNA TRY TO DO ALL THAT VERY, VERY QUICKLY BECAUSE THE MAIN EVENT IS OUR SPEAKER PROFESSOR, APRIL BISO FROM VASSAR, AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE ALL HERE FOR. OH, AND THEN FOR SNACKS AND CAKE AND MORE COFFEE, UM, WHICH YOU MIGHT BE HERE FOR . SO, UM, SO THE BIG, UH, EVENT OF THIS YEAR, UH, WAS, UH, GRAFFITI CLEANING. WE GOT A GRANT FROM PTNY, UH, THAT HELPED US, UM, CLEAN, UM, A NUMBER OF VENTILATORS AND A WEIR. AND WE ARE ENGAGED IN A CAMPAIGN TO GET PEOPLE TO DONATE MONEY SPECIFICALLY FOR THAT CAMPAIGN. IT'S GONE VERY, VERY WELL. THAT IS A BEAUTIFUL, CLEAN, UH, VENTILATOR. AND, UM, WE SORT OF DEBATED ABOUT HOW TO ADVERTISE 'CAUSE WE DIDN'T WANNA PUT SIGNS SAYING THIS VENTILATOR IS NOW CLEAN . UM, BECAUSE IT, UH, THE RESULTS MIGHT NOT HAVE BEEN SO GOOD. SO, UM, WE'RE SORT OF STEALTHILY TELLING PEOPLE THAT WE'RE ENGAGED IN THIS PROJECT. UM, WALKS AND TOURS CONTINUE TO SELL OUT. UH, EVEN THOUGH THEY ARE ALL FREE, UH, THE MOMENT THEY GET POSTED, THE EMAILS AND PHONE CALLS I GET ARE COMPLAINTS FROM PEOPLE WHO SAY, I WANTED TO GO ON A WALK. AND IT SAYS IT'S FULL. SO THANK YOU TO OUR, UM, VERY ENERGETIC AND, UM, ENTHUSIASTIC WALK LEADERS. WE'VE INTRODUCED THIS NEW PROGRAM, I THINK IT'S THE SECOND YEAR OF DOING THE ENTIRE TRAIL OVER, UM, A NUMBER OF WALKS. UM, AND OUR BOARD MEMBER, MICHELLE P*****K HAS, UM, DONE THAT. AND IT, IT'S JUST FANTASTIC AND, AND VERY POPULAR. UH, WE HAVE DONE AQUAFEST AGAIN FOR THE LAST TWO YEARS, WHICH IS A GREAT CELEBRATION IN THE FALL. UM, GETS NEW FAMILIES THAT HAVE MOVED, UM, TO THE AREA TO COME OUT. UH, WE HAD PUPPET SHOWS, WE HAD MUSIC. UM, IT WAS A REALLY WONDERFUL EVENT AND WE'RE PLANNING IT AGAIN FOR 2026. YOU CAN MARK YOUR CALENDARS FOR, UH, SEPTEMBER 19TH. UM, WE CONTINUE TO MOUNT NEW EXHIBITS IN THE KEEPER'S HOUSE. WE HAD A TERRIFIC EXHIBIT, UH, LAST YEAR. KEITH DOHERTY DID ONE ABOUT, UM, TAKINGS THE, THE PROCESS OF TAKING LAND TO BUILD THE AQUEDUCT, UM, UH, IN THE 1840S. AND IT WASN'T ALWAYS A SMOOTH, UM, PATH. AND I BELIEVE PROFESSOR BEAL'S TALK WILL BE ABOUT SIMILAR, YOU KNOW, A A DIFFERENT STORY. WE USUALLY TELL THIS ONE STORY. THE AQUEDUCT WAS BUILT, WASN'T IT? FANTASTIC. AND, UM, AND, UH, KEITH'S EXHIBIT. AND, UM, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE SOME OTHER VOICES, OTHER STORIES TO TELL ABOUT THE, UM, ABOUT WATER INFRASTRUCTURE. AND WE ARE PLANNING A EXHIBIT ABOUT JOHN JERVIS. HE WAS THE CHIEF ENGINEER OF THE AQUEDUCT. UM, AND IN ADDITION TO DESIGNING AQUEDUCTS AND GETTING THEM BUILT, HE DID A, A LOT OF OTHER THINGS. AND SO WE'RE GONNA MOUNT AN EXHIBIT ABOUT HIS OTHER CONTRIBUTIONS, UM, INCLUDING, UM, BUILDING, UM, UH, RAILWAY NEW KINDS OF RAILWAY, UH, CARS. UM, WE CONTINUE TO DO, UM, A LOT OF WORK, UH, REMOVING INVASIVE PLANTS AND, UM, PLANTING NATIVE SPECIES ALONG THE TRAIL. UM, ONE OF OUR BOARD MEMBERS, DIANE ALDEN, HAS BEEN A CHAMPION OF THIS PROCESS. AND, UM, WE CONTINUE TO, UM, EXPEND A LOT OF RESOURCES AND TIME AND ENERGY ON DOING THAT. UM, I, I LOVE MY PARK DAY IS COMING UP. THAT'S A PROGRAM FOR PARKS TRAILS, NEW YORK, UM, THROUGHOUT THE STATE. UM, AND WE HOST A NUMBER OF EVENTS IN YONKERS AND UP IN, UH, CROTON. AND IT'S A FANTASTIC OPPORTUNITY FOR PEOPLE TO COME OUT AND, UH, HELP FOR A DAY AND MAYBE BECOME A, UM, UH, A LIFELONG VOLUNTEER FOR, UM, THE UCT. AND THAT'S ON MAY 1ST. THERE IS A TABLE IN THE ROOM WITH THE FOOD. MAY 2ND. MAY 2ND. MAY 2ND. OH, I'M SORRY. IT'S MAY 2ND. [00:05:01] OH, UM, MAY I, I APOLOGIZE, MAY 2ND. AND, UH, THERE IS A LOT OF INFORMATION ABOUT, I LOVE MY PARK DAY, UM, IN THE ROOM WITH THE FOOD. AND THAT IS ALL I'M GONNA SAY. I'M NOW, UM, GOING TO BRING UP THE NOMINATING COMMITTEE, WHICH IS DIANE ALDEN AND MICHELLE P*****K AND TOM TURN AND TOMSKI, SORRY, WHILE THEY'RE WALKING UP HERE. UM, WE HAVE A NEW TREASURER, WHICH HAS BEEN, UH, FANTASTIC. UM, HE UNFORTUNATELY COULD NOT BE HERE TODAY. AND, UM, I AM REPORTING ON HIS BEHALF, UM, DON MCCUE THAT, UH, FRIENDS CONTINUE TO, UM, BE IN THE BLACK. UH, WE RELY PREDOMINANTLY ON THE DONATIONS OF FRIENDS. WE HAVE ABOUT 400 MEMBERS. I THINK WE ALL THINK WE COULD HAVE A LOT MORE. UM, BUT UH, THINGS ARE OKAY. ALRIGHT. CAN YOU IT UP MORE? JOANNA MOORE? IT'S TOO HIGH FOR ME. OKAY. ALRIGHT. THANK YOU. BEFORE WE GO ON TO THE NOMINATING COMMITTEE, THERE'S ONE MORE, UM, VERY, VERY IMPACTFUL PROJECT THAT THE FRIENDS FUND EVERY YEAR IN THE, UM, LATE WINTER AND EARLY SPRING. AND THAT IS THAT WE DO VINE CUTTING IN SELECTED SECTIONS OF THE TRAIL. AND I THOUGHT IT MIGHT BE FUN TO INTRODUCE OUR PROFESSIONAL ARBORIST. RAISE YOUR HAND. WE HAVE MADE A SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE IN A SECTION, IN A TWO SECTIONS IN ING IT'S SECTION, A BIG IMPACT IN THE SECTION IN YONKERS. AND WE'RE ALSO WORKING IN THE TOWN OF CORTLAND. SO WE'LL PUT A NICE BLOG UP ON THE WEBSITE ABOUT THE WORK THAT WE'VE DONE. AND SO I JUST WANTED TO MENTION THAT. OKAY, SO AS ONE OF THE THREE MEMBERS OF THE NOMINATING COMMITTEE, I'M VERY PLEASED TO PRESENT TO YOU THE SLATE OF THE MEMBERS OF THE BOARD WHOSE TWO YEAR, YEAR TERMS HAVE EXPIRED, BUT WHO HAVE AGREED TO REMAIN ON THE BOARD. SO WHEN I MENTION YOUR NAME, IF YOU'RE HERE, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND SO PEOPLE CAN SEE YOU. FIRST OF ALL, YOURS TRULY. DIANE ALDEN AAM. IS HE HERE? OKAY. UH, ED BRODY? NO, UH, JOANNE YAGER. THERE SHE IS. YAY. MICHELLE P*****K. THERE SHE IS. TOM KOWSKI STANDING IN THE BACK AND LESLIE WALTER. OKAY. SO JEAN ZIMMERMAN, WHO SERVED HER TWO YEAR TERM ON THE BOARD WITH DISTINCTION, HAS OFFERED TO MOVE TO THE ADVISORY BOARD AND SHE'LL CONTINUE TO CONTRIBUTE HER CONSIDERABLE SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE TO OUR WORK. SO NOW WE'RE GOING TO ANNOUNCE THAT THE NOMINATING COMMITTEE HAS BEEN SUCCESSFUL AT FINDING FOUR NEW BOARD MEMBERS, WELL, THREE NEW BOARD MEMBERS, AND ONE RETURNING BOARD MEMBER TO PRESENT TO YOU. SO, UM, TOM IS GONNA PRESENT THE FIRST ONE. HI. UM, THE FIRST NOMINEE IS PETER PEC, WHO IS PLY ON THE BOARD OF THE HUDSON RIVERS SLOOP. CLEARWATER. IS THIS THING ON? YEP. OLD JOKE. UM, HE HAS BREACHED HIS TERM LIMITS AS A BOARD MEMBER ON THE CLEARWATER. AND, UH, HE THOUGHT THAT WE WOULD BE A, A GOOD ORGANIZATION TO JOIN AND WE'RE GLAD TO HAVE HIM. UM, HE AND I HAVE SOME SPECIFIC INTERESTS THAT WE SHARE IN THE HISTORY OF THE WATER SYSTEM, AND WE'VE BEEN SNEAKING BEHIND DIANE'S BACK TO TALK ABOUT THEM . BUT HE'S REACHING HIS, HIS, UH, TERM LIMIT AS A BOARD MEMBER ON CLEARWATER AFTER NINE YEARS. AND HE WAS ALSO A TRUSTEE OF THE ASSING PUBLIC LIBRARY FOR ABOUT 14 YEARS. UH, AND HE'S RETIRED FROM IBM RESEARCH IN YORKTOWN. UM, WE HAD A HECK OF A TIME JUST NOW PUTTING A TRIPOD TOGETHER UNTIL HE CAME ALONG. AND AS A SCIENTIST, HE COULD DO IT. HE HAS A LONGSTANDING INTEREST IN THE AQUEDUCTS OF NEW YORK'S ENTIRE WATER SUPPLY SYSTEM. AND THROUGH HIS RESEARCH HAS BECOME VERY KNOWLEDGEABLE ABOUT THESE TOPICS. IN DESCRIBING HIS INITIAL THOUGHTS ABOUT CONTRIBUTING TO THE BOARD, HE OFFERED TO DEVOTE SOME TIME FINDING AND APPLYING FOR GRANTS FOR FOCA, WHICH WE HAVE BEEN, UH, DOING SOME OF RECENTLY. WE PROBABLY SHOULD DO MORE, AND HE CAN BE A BIG HELP WITH THAT. [00:10:01] AND PERHAPS SERVING AS A DOCENT AT THE KEEPER'S HOUSE TO AND HELPING FIND SPEAKERS FOR PROGRAMS, UM, AND FOR THE ANNUAL MEETING. AND HE'S ALSO EXPRESSED AN INTEREST IN CONTRIBUTING TO OUR WEBSITE. SO, PETER KABECK, WHERE ARE YOU? THERE YOU GO. OKAY. I SHOULDN'T WALK AWAY WITH THAT. THERE YOU GO. THANK YOU. OKAY. CAN YOU MAKE IT GO DOWN? OTHERWISE I HAVE TO STAND ON MY HEELS. STAND ON MY . THAT'S OKAY. THERE YOU, THAT'S PERFECT. OKAY. SO I'M GOING TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT NORMA. NORMA SILVA HAS DEVOTED MANY YEARS TO VOLUNTEER SERVICE WITH SEVERAL NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS, INCLUDING WESTCHESTER PARKS FOUNDATION, GROUNDWORK LOWER HUDSON, THE FRIENDS OF IN CORTLAND PARK AND THE VINE CUTTERS MEETUP GROUP. SHE HAS BEEN RESPONSIBLE FOR THE MAINTENANCE OF TWO POLLINATOR GARDENS AT SUTHERLAND PARK IN YONKERS. SHE SERVES AS THE ORGANIZER OF THE I LOVE MY PARK DAY EVENT. ON THE SECTION OF THE OLD CROTON AQUEDUCT THAT RUNS PARALLEL TO TIBBITS BROOK PARK IN YONKERS. THESE LONGSTANDING INVOLVEMENTS REFLECT A STRONG COMMITMENT TO TRAIL STEWARDSHIP AND TO HORTICULTURAL WORK SHE HAS SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED. JOANNA MADE REFERENCE TO THIS WALKING THE FULL LENGTH OF THE AQUEDUCT TRAIL THAT INCLUDES THE NEW YORK CITY SECTION EARNING THE TWO COMMEMORATIVE PATCHES ASSOCIATED WITH THIS ACHIEVEMENT. AND SHE'S GOT THE PATCHES ON HER HAT OVER THERE. , UH, NORMA HAS NOTED THAT THE AREA SURROUNDING THE YONKERS SECTION OF THE TRAIL WOULD BENEFIT FROM ADDITIONAL CARE AND ATTENTION, AND BELIEVES THAT SERVICE ON THE BOARD WILL ENHANCE HER ABILITY TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN HER ONGOING ADVOCACY. FOR THE MUCH NEEDED IMPROVEMENTS THERE IS COMMITTED TO INCREASING PUBLIC AWARENESS OF THE HISTORY OF THE AQUEDUCT AND OF THE WORK OF THE FRIENDS. SHE'S EAGER TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE BOARD THROUGH PARTICIPATION IN OUR ORGANIZED EVENTS AND COMMITTEE WORK. AND FINALLY, HER CONTINUING ABILITY TO CONNECT WITH NUMEROUS OTHER ORGANIZATIONS WILL BE OF GREAT BENEFIT TO OUR WORK WHEREVER I GO. AND I MEET OTHER ORGANIZATIONS AND I MENTIONED THOUGHT, OH, NORMA, OH, SHE'S BEEN WITH US. SHE'S, YOU KNOW, SO SHE'S UBIQUITOUS ALL OVER THE COUNTY, SO SHE'S GONNA BE A GREAT ASSET TO THE BOARD. SO THE NEXT PERSON TO, SO NORMA, RAISE YOUR HAND SO WE CAN SEE YOU. HI EVERYONE. SO I'M GONNA READ A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HILLEL GRICH 'CAUSE THERE'S A LOT TO KNOW ABOUT HALAL. SO HILLEL IS A LOCAL GUY. HE'S LIVED IN THE RIVER VILLAGES FOR MOST OF HIS LIFE AND IS CURRENTLY A LONG TIME RESIDENT OF DOBBS FERRY. HE'S WORKED AS A LAWYER BEGINNING IN ENTERTAINMENT AND MEDIA, AND MOVED INTO TELECOMMUNICATIONS IN GENERAL CORPORATE LAW. AND FOR SEVERAL YEARS, HILLEL AND HIS VERY GOOD DOG, JOCKO. AND BY THE WAY, I'M GONNA SAY THE ONLY REASON WE REALLY WANT HILLEL ON THE BOARD IS FOR THE DOG JUST SAYING IT'S A GREAT DOG. UH, THEY'VE SERVED HIS DOCENTS AT THE KEEPER'S HOUSE IN THAT TIME, HE'S TRAINED AND MENTORED NEW DOCENTS, VOLUNTEERED HIS TIME TO INSTALL A DEHUMIDIFIER IN THE KEEPER'S HOUSE, AND HE RECENTLY ADDED A RANGE EXTENDER TO OUR WIFI. SO HILLEL HAS ALSO SERVED AS VOLUNTEER TREASURER AND PRESIDENT OF A SMALL COOPERATIVE COMMUNITY WATER SYSTEM ON CAPE COD, WHERE HE WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR OVERSEEING, SPENDING AND MAINTENANCE OF THE SYSTEM AND WORKED WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION. SO HE'S GOT EXPERIENCE IN WATER SYSTEMS AND ADDITIONALLY, HE'S DRIVEN, UH, VOLUNTEERED AS A DRIVER FOR A LOCAL ORGANIZATION THAT PROVIDES, UH, RIDES TO THE ELDERLY AND DISABLED TO THEIR APPOINTMENTS BEYOND HIS EXPERIENCE, HILLEL BRINGS ENTHUSIASM AND A COMMITMENT TO HISTORIC PRESERVATION AND OFFERS INSIGHT INTO THE IMPORTANCE OF THE AQUEDUCT IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF NEW YORK CITY AND THE STATE. WHAT WOULD HE LIKE TO DO AS A BOARD MEMBER? HE'D LIKE TO FOCUS ON THE PHYSICAL PRESERVATION AND IMPROVEMENT OF THE KEEPER'S HOUSE AND THE TRAIL HE WOULD SEEK TO INVOLVE MORE MEMBERS IN THE ORGANIZATION'S ACTIVITIES AND WOULD STRIVE TO INCREASE COORDINATION BETWEEN THE FRIENDS AND LOCAL TOWN HISTORICAL SOCIETIES AND ARTS ORGANIZATIONS. SO WE ARE THRILLED TO NOMINATE HALEL. GRICH IS A MEMBER OF THE FOCA BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND HILLEL, WHERE ARE YOU? WOO. [00:15:01] ALRIGHT. IT IS MY VERY GREAT PLEASURE TO NOMINATE THE NEXT PERSON FOR BOARD MEMBERSHIP. UH, I SEE YOU BACK THERE BECAUSE A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO SHE CONVINCED ME THAT IT WOULD BE A GOOD IDEA FOR ME TO JOIN THE BOARD. SO NOW IT'S MY TURN TO BRING HER BACK IN. SO SARAH KELSEY IS A NAME THAT'S KNOWN TO MOST OF YOU. SO SARAH, UH, WAS A MEMBER OF OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS. SHE'S BEEN INVOLVED IN THE FRIENDS SINCE 2006 AND WAS A BOARD MEMBER FOR SEVERAL YEARS. UH, THE AQUEDUCT APPEALS TO SARAH BECAUSE IT APPEALS TO HER MANY INTERESTS AND HISTORY, WATER WALKING IN THE WOODS, TEACHING ENGINEERING AND ARCHITECTURE. AND EVER SINCE MAVIS KANE, WHO BROUGHT SO MANY OF US IN, UH, EVER SINCE MAVIS KANE INVITED HER TO CO-LEAD WALKS AND TOURS WITH TOM TARKOWSKI IN 2008, YOU CAN OFFER OFTEN FIND HER ON THE AQUEDUCT TRAIL LEADING WALKS ALONG ITS ENTIRE LENGTH. IN ADDITION TO THE WALK, SARAH PERSONALLY LEADS, SHE ALSO COORDINATES A RE OF WALK LEADERS TO BE SURE THERE ARE ALWAYS GREAT WALKS ALONG THE TRAIL FROM THE WEIR, FROM THE DAM, ALL THE WAY TO THE 42ND STREET LIBRARY. AND I DO REFER TO SARAH AS MY BOSS BECAUSE AS THE WALKS COORDINATOR, SHE COORDINATES THE 26 MILE WALKS, THE 41 MILE WALKS, THE WEIR TOURS, THE TOURS OF CENTRAL PARK. SO SHE DOES A PHENOMENAL JOB. AND I, I REALLY DO THINK WALKS AND TOURS IS ONE OF OUR MOST SUCCESSFUL PUBLIC FACING, UM, EFFORTS. UH, SO SARAH SERVES AS A BOARD MEMBER OF BOTH THE IRVINGTON HISTORICAL SOCIETY AND THE IRVINGTON PUBLIC LIBRARY. SHE'S BEEN AN ATTORNEY FOR MANY YEARS SPECIALIZING IN BANKING LAW AND HAS NOT QUITE MANAGED TO RETIRE. UH, AND SHE WELCOMES THE OPPORTUNITY TO REJOIN THE BOARD IN ITS EFFORTS TO PRESERVE AND PROTECT THE OLD CROTON AQUEDUCT. SO, SARAH, TAKE ANOTHER. SO I WOULD LIKE TO TAKE, UH, A VOTE OF THE, UM, THOSE PRESENT HERE TO RENEW THE FOLKS THAT, UH, DIANE MENTIONED WHO ARE UP FOR RENEWAL, AS WELL AS OUR FOUR NEW BOARD MEMBERS, HILLEL GERICH, PETER CAPEX, SARAH KELSEY, AND NORMA SILVA. SO, CAN I HAVE A SHOW OF HANDS IN FAVOR? ANYBODY? UH, OPPOSED? ALRIGHT. I THINK THE MOTION HAS PASSED. HI EVERYBODY, I'M LESLIE. I'M THE TWO YEAR NOW RUNNING PRESIDENT OF FRIENDS OF THE OLD CROTON AQUEDUCT. I AM SO PROUD OF THESE VOLUNTEERS. WE HAVE BROUGHT IN EVERYBODY WHO HAS SPOKEN TO YOU, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF JOANNA. I'M GONNA TALK ABOUT HER IN A MINUTE. IS A VOLUNTEER. THIS IS A TERRIFIC ORGANIZATION AND YOU SHOULD CONSIDER IT TOO. OKAY, SO I'M GONNA STOP A MINUTE. I AM GOING TO INTRODUCE APRIL BESAW, PROFESSOR APRIL BESAW. BUT FIRST, JOANNA, AS I SAID, OUR ADMIN DIRECTOR IS STEPPING DOWN AFTER TWO VERY FULL YEARS. I NEED TO STOP AND DELIVER A PERSONAL THANK YOU FOR THE PRIVILEGE OF WORKING WITH YOU. JOANNA JOANNA'S AN ACE GRANT WRITER. SHE'S AN ACE GRANT WRITER. UH, THAT MEANS SHE DELIVERS, THEY ACTUALLY COME THROUGH. SHE ALSO CHEERFULLY DOES THINGS LIKE PICK UP OUR MAIL. UH, I CAN TELL YOU SHE TOOK AWAY MOST OF MY JOB AS PRESIDENT AND I AM IN AWE FROM ALL THE BOARD IN ME. THANK YOU, JOANNA. IT WAS GREAT. AND ALSO, I HAVE TO MENTION THAT MANY OF OUR POSTERS AND PUBLIC FACING WEBSITE PICTURES ARE DUE TO ONE GUY WHO'S HERE. HE'S ON OUR BOARD TOO. HIS NAME IS EDDIE. AND EDDIE HAS A, HAD A HUGE JOB AS AN INFOGRAPHIC DESIGNER. HE'S NOW RETIRED SEMI, AND HE IS A GREAT BENEFIT TO US TOO. SO, THANK YOU. EDDIE. WHERE ARE YOU, EDDIE? THERE YOU ARE. OKAY. I'M GONNA INTRODUCE OUR SPEAKER, DR. BEAUS OF VASSAR COLLEGE ANTHROPOLOGY PROFESSOR AND A 2 0 2 5 FULBRIGHT SCHOLAR AT THE NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM IN VIENNA, AUSTRIA. IN 2 0 2 2, SHE PUBLISHED TAKING OUR WATER FOR THE CITY, WHICH WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TODAY, THAT IS ABOUT THE ARCHEOLOGY OF NEW YORK CITY'S WATERSHED COMMUNITIES. AND LAST YEAR SHE PUBLISHED ANOTHER BOOK CALLED THE ARCHEOLOGY OF AMERICAN PROTESTS, PROTESTS. IT WAS AT LUNCH [00:20:01] LAST YEAR IN POUGHKEEPSIE. WHEN DR. B SAW WITH DR. B SAW THAT WE DISCOVERED HOW WIDE RANGING HER RESEARCH IS. SHE'S A VERY INTERESTING WOMAN. AND WE REALIZED THAT HER FRAME OF REFERENCE, UH, ABOUT TREMENDOUS CHANGE OVER TIME IN PLACES WE KNOW COINCIDES WITH STATE PARK VIEWS ABOUT HISTORICAL STORYTELLING, HISTORY'S MORE INTERESTING WHEN IT'S LAYERED ON, TOLD FROM DIFFERENT POINTS OF VIEW, LEAVING LISTENERS WITH MORE TO PONDER. AND AT LAST YEAR'S ANNUAL MEETING, WE HEARD FROM NEW YORK DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION COMMISSIONER AGARWALA AT THAT TIME SINCE CHANGED, UM, ABOUT HOW THAT AGENCY HAS BEEN PROTECTING WATER FOR NEW YORK SINCE 1970. SO I HOPE DR. BEA'S RESEARCH AND HER STORIES INVITE YOU TO PONDER MORE OVER THAT TAP WATER WE DRINK WITH MORE PERSPECTIVE. WELCOME DR. BEA. ALL RIGHT, TAKE THIS OFF HERE. I LIKE TO WANDER AROUND. I'M, I'M HALF A PROFESSOR, HALF A STANDUP COMEDIAN. UH, THAT WAS MY BEST JOKE TOO. , UH, I'M VERY HAPPY TO BE HERE WITH YOU GUYS 'CAUSE YOU ARE MY KIND OF PEOPLE, PEOPLE WHO LOVE COMMUNITY, PEOPLE WHO LOVE THE OUTDOORS, AND PEOPLE WHO LOVE HISTORY. LIKE THESE ARE THE PEOPLE THAT I WOULD LOVE TO SPEND ALL OF MY TIME WITH. SO THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. THIS IS A PHOTOGRAPH THAT WE DISCOVERED, WE, THE, THE STUDENTS AND SOME LOCAL COMMUNITY MEMBERS. AND I DISCOVERED IN A LOCKED ROOM IN THE BASEMENT OF THE OLIVE FREE LIBRARY. THE OLIVE LIBRARY HAS BEEN MY PRIMARY PARTNER, UH, IN THIS PROJECT. THIS IS A BOOK TALK. UM, THIS IS MY BOOK. LOOK HOW SMALL IT IS. YOU COULD READ THAT IN A DAY. UM, BUT UNFORTUNATELY IT'S AN ACADEMIC HARDCOVER, SO IT'S $120, THAT'S WHY I DON'T HAVE THEM FOR SALE. UH, THE PUBLISHER DID GIVE ME TWO COUPON CODES, IF YOU GUYS WANT COUPON CODES FOR THIS, BUT IT WILL BE COMING OUT IN PAPERBACK LATER THIS YEAR. UH, SO IT'LL BE MUCH, UH, HOPEFULLY MUCH, UM, MORE AFFORDABLE, UM, AT THAT TIME. SO I HOPE THIS, THIS IMAGE KIND OF SHOWCASES, UM, THE, THE MOUNTAINS, THE WATER AND KIND OF THAT RUSTIC NATURE, UM, OF THE COMMUNITIES, UH, THAT WATER WAS TAKEN FROM TO SERVE, UH, NEW YORK CITY. I'M AN ARCHEOLOGIST. THERE'S LOTS OF BOOKS ABOUT THE ECONOMY, THE POLITICAL HISTORY OF THE NEW YORK CITY WATER SYSTEM, THE ENGINEERING OF IT. AND I WANT YOU TO NOT THINK THAT MY STUFF HAS TO CONTRADICT THAT STUFF. BUT AS AN ARCHEOLOGIST, I LOOK AT THE LANDSCAPE AND THE HISTORY THAT IS IN THE LANDSCAPE. SO THERE AREN'T LOTS OF PEOPLE'S NAMES THAT YOU HAVE TO REMEMBER. THERE'S NO DATES, THERE'S NO LIKE, DIMENSIONS OF HOW WIDE SOMETHING WAS OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT. BASICALLY, I TAKE YOUNG STUDENTS FROM VASSAR OUT IN THE WOODS AND AFTER COVID, THEY, THEY'RE VERY NOT USED TO BEING OUTSIDE, RIGHT? SO IF YOU HAVE YOUNG PEOPLE IN YOUR LIFE, PLEASE TAKE THEM OUTSIDE. UM, AND WE GO HIKING ON NEW YORK CITY OWNED LAND UP TO 125 MILES AWAY FROM NEW YORK CITY. SO JUST THE FACT THAT NEW YORK CITY OWNS LAND 125 MILES AWAY FROM NEW YORK CITY, THAT IS PART OF UNDERSTANDING FROM THE ARCHEOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE, RIGHT? EVERY PARCEL OF LAND HAS ITS OWN HISTORY. BUT IF YOU LUMP ALL OF THESE TOGETHER, YOU START TO SEE THESE DIFFERENT PATTERNS. SO ARCHEOLOGY FOCUSES ON THE LANDSCAPE, ESPECIALLY THE EVIDENCE HELD IN CERTAIN PLACES. SO THESE ARE SITES WE'D NEVER ONCE DUG, RIGHT? SO ARCHEOLOGY IS NOT DIGGING NECESSARILY, YOU CAN DIG. BUT THESE PLACES HAVE ALREADY HAD THINGS EXTRACTED FROM THEM, TAKEN AWAY FROM THEM. EVERY SINGLE THING WE SAW, WE RECORDED WITH GPS WAYPOINTS AND GEOTAGGED PHOTOS AND LEFT THEM RIGHT WHERE THEY WERE. SO THOSE COMMUNITIES STILL HAVE THEIR HISTORIES. THERE'S NOT A BIG BOX AT VASSAR LOCKED SOMEWHERE, RIGHT? WE DIDN'T TAKE ANYTHING AWAY. UH, SO WE WANNA ASSESS CHANGE OVER LARGE SPANS OF TIME, AND WE WANNA THINK ABOUT GROUPS OF PEOPLE, UM, INSTEAD OF INDIVIDUALS AS MAIN ACTORS. THERE ARE SOME INDIVIDUALS IN MY PRESENTATION AS EXAMPLES OF GROUPS. HOW MANY OF YOU HAVE A NEW YORK CITY DEP UH, ACCESS PERMIT? OH YEAH. HOW MANY OF YOU ARE JUST TRESPASSING ? SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I TEACH MY STUDENTS IS WE NEVER TRESPASS. I CAN'T PUBLISH A BOOK ON INFORMATION THAT I GOT ILLEGALLY, RIGHT? SO YOU AS A PRIVATE CITIZEN DO WHATEVER YOU WANNA DO. BUT, UH, IF YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW WHY YOU WOULD WANT ONE, UM, OR [00:25:01] IF YOU HAVE ONE, THERE IS THIS WONDERFUL MAPPING SYSTEM THAT IS AVAILABLE ONLINE. IF YOU JUST SEARCH FOR NEW YORK CITY, DEP, DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION WATERSHED, RECREATION AREAS, YOU'LL GET THE PERMIT SYSTEM AND THIS MAP WHERE YOU COULD ZOOM IN AND ZOOM OUT. SO WE'RE DOWN HERE IN HASTINGS IN THIS LITTLE PINK BOX. I'M GONNA USE PINK BOXES A LOT, JUST WHEREVER. THERE'S A MAP THAT HAS A PINK BOX. LOOK TOWARDS THE PINK BOX. THIS IS THE CLOSEST NEW YORK CITY OWNED LAND THAT'S OPEN FOR THE RECREATION ACCORDING TO NEW YORK CITY, DEP. SO THIS IS RYE LAKE AS PART OF THE SGO, UM, RESERVOIR SYSTEM. SO THESE GREENS, THESE ARE THE LANDS THAT I TAKE STUDENTS ON. AND WHEN WE GO THERE, WE SAY WHAT USED TO BE HERE, WHAT WAS HERE BEFORE NEW YORK CITY CAME AND CHANGED IT. SO I ZOOMED IN ON THAT AREA. SO BEFORE YOU JUST SAW RYE LAKE DOWN HERE. SO KENKO RYE LAKE, IF YOU CLICK ON BIG PENINSULA, IT SAYS, THIS IS A NEW YORK CITY RECREATION UNIT OF 303 ACRES. YOU CANNOT FISH, YOU CANNOT HIKE, YOU CANNOT TRAP. YOU COULD ONLY HUNT. SO WHEN IT SAYS THINGS LIKE THIS, YOU COULD ONLY BOW HUNT SPECIFICALLY. IF YOU ARE ON THE LAND WITHOUT A BOW HUNTING PERMIT AND WITHOUT A BOW AND OUTSIDE OF BOW HUNTING SEASON, YOU ARE TRESPASSING. AND THEY WILL GET YOU OUT OF THERE. AND IF YOU HAVE A PERMIT, THEY WILL REVOKE IT IF YOU BREAK THE RULES. SO WE ALWAYS HAVE TO FOLLOW THESE RULES. SO THIS IS WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE. NOW, THIS IS WHAT IT LOOKED LIKE IN 1892. EVERY TIME I TRY TO SHOW SOMETHING, IT'S AT THE EDGE OF A-U-S-G-S TOPO MAP. SO I HAD TO PUT TWO OF THEM TOGETHER HERE. IT'S AMAZING. THE INTERESTING THINGS ARE ALWAYS AT THE EDGE. SO IN 1892, RYE POND WAS OVER HERE AND KENSICO WAS OVER HERE. SO IT'S ALL BEEN PUT TOGETHER NOW AND A BIG LINE PUT AROUND IT, AND NOW IT'S A RESERVOIR, RIGHT? AS IF IT HAS ALWAYS BEEN THAT WAY. SO IF YOU SEE WHERE BIG PENINSULA IS, THERE USED TO BE A COMMUNITY. THERE USED TO BE ROADS, THERE USED TO BE HOUSES. SO IF YOU CLICK ON THIS, MORE INFO FOR THE MAP, YOU GET NEW YORK CITY'S OWN MAP. THIS IS THEIR MAP ZOOMED IN. SO I ZOOMED INTO THE 1892 KENSICO. I ZOOMED IN. YOU MIGHT BE ABLE TO SEE, IT'S HARD TO KNOW DEPENDING ON HOW FAR YOU ARE, YOU COULD START TO SEE THERE ARE THINGS HERE. SO I ZOOMED IN, DON'T WORRY, I HAVE BAD EYES, I ZOOMED IN. SO THE BASE MAP THAT THEY USE, SO THESE ARE, THIS IS THE NEW YORK CITY SYSTEM. THE BASE MAP THAT THEY PUT ALL THESE LINES AROUND, USES WHAT WE CALL LIDAR, LIGHT DETECTING AND RANGING IT SEES THROUGH THE TREES TO SEE WHAT'S ON THE GROUND. SO YOU COULD BASICALLY DO THIS PART WITHOUT ME. YOU JUST GO TO THAT DEP MAPPING SYSTEM. YOU FIND A PLACE THAT YOU'RE INTERESTED IN, YOU ZOOM INTO IT, YOU CLICK ON IT TO GET THE MAP. I PUT ORANGE RIGHT ADJACENT TO, DO YOU SEE THIS LITTLE DITCH HERE? THAT'S THE OLD ROAD RIGHT HERE. I PUT PINK ADJACENT TO THESE ARE FARM FIELDS AND I PUT IN RED BOXES. THESE ARE HOUSE FOUNDATIONS. SO LITERALLY THESE LANDS THAT ARE NOW CORNERED OFF AND CALLED NATURAL, THE ARCHEOLOGY IS RIGHT THERE, RIGHT? OH, NOW YOU'RE LIKE, WELL, SHE'S NOT VERY SMART. I COULD DO THAT MYSELF. SO WHAT I DO IS I LOOK AT THESE MAPS AND THEN I SAY TO THE STUDENTS, WE'RE GOING THERE TO SEE WHAT THESE THINGS WERE. WHOSE HOUSE WAS THIS? WAS THIS A BARN? WAS THIS A FACTORY? RIGHT? WHAT KIND OF ANIMALS DID THEY RAISE HERE? AND THAT'S HOW WE START TO SEE WHAT WAS LOST TO CREATE THIS RESERVOIR SYSTEM. SO I PUT TOGETHER MY PINK BOXES TO DRAW YOUR ATTENTION. THIS IS, YOU GUYS MIGHT BE MORE FAMILIAR WITH AQUEDUCT STUFF THAN, THAN EVEN I AM. BUT HERE'S HASTINGS. HERE IS THE KENSICO LAKE, AND HERE'S YOUR VARIOUS AQUEDUCTS WITH THE OLD AND THE NEW AQUEDUCT THERE JUST TO HELP YOU ORIENT. SO THIS ONE KIND OF TURNS SIDEWAYS. SO YOU GOTTA GET YOUR HEAD ORIENTED THERE. SO IF YOU LAYER ALL OF THESE MAPS TOGETHER, WHAT CAN YOU LEARN, RIGHT? SO I LAYER MAPS TOGETHER IN A SYSTEM CALLED GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEMS, GIS. SO I'VE MADE ALL THESE REALLY FANCY MAPS THAT I COULD WALK OUTSIDE AND BASICALLY BE WALKING ON THE HISTORIC LANDSCAPE. I CAN KNOW, OKAY, I'M STANDING WHERE THERE USED TO BE MRS. PARKER'S HOUSE, WHICH WE'LL GET TO, UH, IN A MINUTE. SO THESE SORTS OF MAPS ARE VERY, VERY IMPORTANT FOR CREATING MY STRATOGRAPHIC LEVELS. SO INSTEAD OF DIGGING IN THE DIRT, I DIG THROUGH THE ARCHIVES, I LAYER ALL OF THESE DIFFERENT PICTURES AND MAPS TOGETHER, AND THEN WE GO GROUND TRUTH IT IN THE WOODS. SO HERE'S THE BIG SYSTEM [00:30:01] WITH THE CATSKILL DELAWARE WATERSHEDS WEST OF THE HUDSON CROTON ON THE EAST OF THE HUDSON. SO WHY I STARTED THIS RESEARCH IN THE SUMMER OF 2012, WHEN I GOT TO VASSAR AND UH, I SAID, OKAY, I NEED PLACES I COULD TAKE THE STUDENTS. SO POUGHKEEPSIE VASSAR JUST HAPPENS TO BE IN THE CENTER, DID THAT ON PURPOSE. SO WE WOULD EITHER GO HERE OR WE WOULD GO HERE FOR OUR FIELD WORK. SO THIS IS THE TOWN OF OLIVE, THE MUNICIPAL TOWN. THIS IS THE TOWN OF KENT, RIGHT? SO WHEN TALKING ABOUT THE OCN RESERVOIR, LOTS OF PEOPLE SAY, OH, THEY DESTROYED EIGHT TOWNS. THEY DESTROYED 12 TOWNS. THOSE WERE LIKE HAMLETS. THOSE WEREN'T TOWN AND MUNICIPAL TOWNS. SO I USED THAT, UH, DEFINITION OF MUNICIPAL TOWNS. SO ASSUMING THAT SOME OF YOU MIGHT HAVE SHORTER ATTENTION SPANS THAN OTHERS, UH, AND JUMPED RIGHT TO THE END. HERE'S MY CONCLUSION, AND THEN WE'LL GO TO THE EVIDENCE. AND THEN YOU COULD LIKE LOOK AT THE EVIDENCE AND SAY, HOW DID SHE GET THERE FROM HERE? SO MY BIG QUESTION IS, WHAT ARE THE LONG TERM IMPACTS OF RESERVOIR CREATION AND MAINTENANCE? RIGHT? LONG TERM, HUNDREDS OF YEARS LONG TERM. SO IN BOTH THE TOWN OF OLIVE AND THE TOWN OF KENT, THE CITY BECAME THE MAJORITY LANDOWNER IN BOTH TOWNS, RIGHT? SO THAT IS, IT'S NOT, OH, WE'RE JUST GONNA TAKE A LITTLE BIT OF WATER. THEY TAKE OVER THE TOWNS. THIS IS INDEPENDENT OF THE SIZE OF THE RESERVOIR. UH, BOYD'S CORNER IS 1.7 BILLION GALLONS. THE ASN IS 123, MUCH, MUCH BIGGER INDEPENDENT OF THE YEAR OF SERVICE. 1973 VERSUS 1915, INDEPENDENT OF THE DISTANCE FROM NEW YORK CITY, 40 VERSUS 75 MILES. PLUS THE ECONOMY OF BOTH TOWNS COMPLETELY CHANGED. NEW YORK CITY AND NEW YORK STATE TOGETHER CREATED RULES FOR WATER PROTECTION THAT, ESPECIALLY IN THE TOWN OF KENT, THE ENTIRE WAY OF LIFE HAD TO GO AWAY. WHETHER YOU LOST LAND OR NOT, DID NOT MATTER. YOU HAD TO LEAVE. YOU COULD NOT KEEP DOING WHAT YOU WERE DOING BEFORE THE REDIRECTION OF THE WATER. THE ROADS, AND THE RAILROADS ALSO CHANGED EVERYTHING FOR THE ECONOMY. AND THAT CHANGED THE, UH, LAND VALUES. AND THAT CHANGED WHO ACTUALLY OWNED THE LAND. SO THERE'S THE CONCLUSION. LET'S LOOK FOR THE EVIDENCE. UH, BOYD'S CORNER RESERVOIR. WHAT THIS MAP IS, THIS IS, I RECREATED THE 1867 TOWN OF KENT BEERS ATLAS MAP ON THE GIS REDREW IT, SO YOU COULD ACTUALLY READ IT AND EVERYTHING IS IN THE SAME FONT AND SO FORTH. SO THESE ARE THE 1867 ROADS, THE 1867 WATERWAYS, THE 1867 BUILDINGS. AND WHERE NEW YORK CITY WAS JUST STARTING TO PUT BOYD'S CORNER RESERVOIR. SO THE PROBLEM WITH BOYD'S CORNER RESERVOIR IS WHAT THEY REALLY WANTED WAS WHITE POND, BECAUSE WHITE POND IS SPRING FED WATER. SO IT FLOWS. FOLLOW THE LINE, DO, DO DO THROUGH FARMER'S MILLS THAT HAD A WHISKEY DISTILLERY, VARIOUS BLACKSMITH SHOPS, A SCHOOL, CHURCHES, AND THEN COMES DOWN INTO BOYD'S CORNER RESERVOIR. AS SOON AS THEY TOOK BOYD'S CORNER RESERVOIR, THE LAND FOR THAT, UM, THERE WAS A DROUGHT. AND THEY SAID, CRAP, WHAT ARE WE GONNA DO? SO THEY COMMANDEERED ALMOST EVERY SINGLE POND IN KENT. IT WAS NOW ALL NEW YORK CITY WATER. AND THEN THEY CHASED EVERYBODY OUT OF HERE. 'CAUSE THEY SAID, YOU CANNOT USE OUR WATER FOR YOUR BLACKSMITHING. YOU CANNOT USE IT FOR YOUR, YOUR, UH, WHISKEY DISTILLERY. SO THEY CONDEMNED ALL SORTS OF PLACES IF YOU HAD LIKE A PRIVY. SO REMEMBER THIS IS IN THE 1860S, IF YOU HAD A PRIVY ANYWHERE NEAR WATER, YOU WERE CONTAMINATING THE WATER AND THEY CONDEMNED YOUR PROPERTY. SO IT STARTED WITH THIS WEST BRANCH RIVER, UH, 420 ACRES PURCHASED HERE AND THEN CONDEMNED ALL OF THIS SO THAT ALL OF THIS WOULD WORK. SO THIS IS HOW IT STARTED THE BEGINNING OF TAKING OVER THE TOWN OF KENT IN 1893. SO IT STARTS IN 18 67, 18 93, LET'S SAY 15 YEARS LATER, NEW YORK CITY WAS GIVEN PERMISSION BY THE STATE TO ABATE ALL NUISANCES, INCLUDING THE USE OF WATER FOR ANY PROPERTY THAT WAS IMPACTING THE FLOW OF WATER INTO THAT RED RESERVOIR. SO IN 1899, THE STATE BOARD OF HEALTH SAID NEW YORK CITY COULD ELIMINATE ALL FARMS THAT WERE WITHIN 800 FEET OF WATER. THAT FLOWED INTO, SO WHAT I DID IS I TOOK THE 1867 HOUSES AND I DREW AN 800 FOOT BUFFER. FIRST OF ALL, CAN YOU HAVE A FARM WITHOUT BEING NEXT TO WATER? SECOND OF ALL, IS THERE ANY WATER THAT'S NOT FLOWING INTO NEW YORK CITY? IF YOU ARE FAMILIAR WITH [00:35:01] KENT, RIGHT HERE IS THE WEST BRANCH RESERVOIR THAT CAME RIGHT AFTER HERE. SO BASICALLY, EVERY FARM WAS CONDEMNED, RIGHT? SO YOUR FOUR 20 ACRES IS BALLOONING FIRST FOUR 20 ACRES, THEN FARMER'S MILLS, THEN PRETTY MUCH EVERYBODY IN THE TOWN OF KENT. SO THIS IS BACK TO THE NEW YORK CITY MAP SYSTEM. KENT HILLS PROPERTY, BOYD'S CORNER NORTH PROPERTY AND BOYD'S CORNER SOUTH PROPERTY ARE THREE PROPERTIES THAT I'M JUST GONNA TELL YOU ARE LANDSCAPE STORIES THAT WE HAVE GOTTEN FROM GOING TO THESE PLACES. THIS IS THE MAP FROM WHEN I STARTED IN 2012. THAT'S GONNA BE IMPORTANT IN A SECOND. THE WHITE IS NEW YORK CITY OWNED LAND SEVEN HILLS LAKE. THERE IS A COMMUNITY HERE CALLED SEVEN HILLS LAKE ON THEIR WEBSITE, IF YOU CLICK HISTORY, IT'S THE LAKE WAS IMPORTANT TO NATIVE AMERICANS. THAT LAKE WAS NOT THERE IN 1867. IT WAS NOT IMPORTANT TO THE NATIVE AMERICANS. BUT YOU SEE THERE'S A CEMETERY SMACK DAB IN THE CENTER. SO THIS WAS THE FIRST PLACE WE WENT. I DO LOVE A CEMETERY. UH, AND THERE IS NO DESIGNATED PARKING AREAS AND THERE IS NO TRAIL. AND THIS IS ACTUALLY, IF YOU HAVE A CEMETERY ON LAND THAT'S PRIVATELY OWNED, YOU'RE ALWAYS SUPPOSED TO MAINTAIN A RIGHT OF WAY. THERE USED TO BE A LITTLE BRIDGE HERE THAT NEW YORK CITY DEMOLISHED. SO THERE'S NO RIGHT OF WAY TO THIS CEMETERY. SO THIS IS THE GPS TRACK THAT I TOOK. THE STUDENTS WE HIKED AROUND THIS HILL, IT'S ALL COBBLES ON THE SIDE. UH, THERE WERE THREE YOUNG WOMEN WHO WENT HIKING WITH ME THAT DAY. UH, WE GOT DOWN TO THE CEMETERY AND WE WENT RIGHT BACK. UH, THEY NEVER TOOK A CLASS WITH ME AGAIN, . IT WAS VERY, VERY, VERY HARD. BUT WE GOT THERE. AND INTERESTINGLY, THIS WAS IN 2012 WHEN WE GOT THERE, THE PUTNAM COUNTY CEMETERY COMMITTEE HAD JUST PUT UP A SIGN THAT WAS NICE. IT WAS LIKE THEY WERE WELCOMING US THERE. SO WE FOUND THE CEMETERY. I'LL GIVE YOU A LITTLE MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE CEMETERY IN A MINUTE. BUT THE OTHER THINGS THAT ARE ON THIS UNIT THAT SHOW WHAT USED TO BE THERE, A WATER PUMP RIGHT FROM A FARM, WHICH IS NEXT TO THIS, WHAT PEOPLE IN PUTNAM COUNTY LIKE TO CALL A STONE CHAMBER BECAUSE THEY LIKE TO SAY THAT, UH, ALIENS BUILT THESE, UH, IT IS A FARM BUILDING AND THE FACT THAT THE PUMP IS RIGHT NEXT TO IT HELPS THAT. AND THEN THERE ARE BRICKS, UM, FROM THE DENNINGS POINT. BRICK WORKS, RIGHT? SO BRICKS ARE GREAT ARTIFACTS. YOU COULD DATE THEM, YOU KNOW WHERE THEY CAME FROM. YOU COULD TIE THEM TO THE LOCAL ECONOMY. SO HERE IS WHERE, THIS IS WHERE SEVEN HILLS LAKE IS NOW, NOTHING THERE BEFORE THE CEMETERY IS RIGHT HERE. MRS. E PARKER'S HOUSE IS ON THE 1867 MAP. HERE IN THAT CEMETERY IS THE GRAVE OF MRS. E PARKER. SHE DIED IN 1879. SHE HAS, MANY OF HER FAMILY MEMBERS ARE THERE. SO LITERALLY THEY WERE SEEING THESE CHANGES IN KENT AND THEY WERE STILL BURYING THEIR FAMILY MEMBERS THERE. I THINK THE LAST PERSON TO BE BURIED THERE WAS BURIED THERE IN 1945, RIGHT? AND NOW IT'S COMPLETELY COVERED AND SURROUNDED BY CITY LAND. AND PEOPLE THINK THAT IT'S ALWAYS BEEN NATURE, RIGHT? THE CITY'S JUST PROTECTING NATURE. THAT'S ALL THEY'RE PROTECTING. SO THIS IS, UH, ONE OF THE, UH, LEADERS OF THE KENT HISTORICAL SOCIETY, JACKIE AND I STANDING INSIDE THE FOUNDATION OF MRS. PARKER'S HOUSE. AND THIS IS JUST ONE EXAMPLE OF THERE'S MANY ARTIFACTS. THIS IS A CERAMIC JUG, UM, THAT ARE ALL SCATTERED ABOUT THE, THE GROUND THERE TO HELP US SEE, UM, YOU KNOW, WHAT MRS. PARKER AND THE OTHER PEOPLE WHO LIVED THERE WAS DOING. SO PART OF THIS STORY IS THAT IT NEVER STOPS. SO I STARTED IN 2012. THIS IS THE CURRENT MAP OF BOYD'S CORNER NORTH. WHAT HAS HAPPENED, IT HAS ALMOST DOUBLED INSIDE, RIGHT? NEW YORK CITY IS STILL TAKING, STILL TAKING, STILL TAKING THE NEED FOR WATER. JUST DOESN'T END, RIGHT? SO IT'S NOT, WE DID IT AND NOW IT'S OVER AND DONE WITH. SO THIS IS THE KENT HILLS UNIT, WHICH IS RIGHT BEHIND THE KENT ELEMENTARY SCHOOL AND PRIMARY SCHOOL. THERE IS SO MUCH KID STUFF HERE. UM, ONE OF THE RULES THAT WHEN YOU HAVE A PERMIT IS YOU CAN'T MAKE TRAILS. THERE'S TRAILS EVERYWHERE. YOU CAN'T HARM ANY OF THE TREES. YOU CAN'T NAIL ANYTHING INTO THE TREES. THERE'S FORTS THERE. UH, THERE'S LIKE A PAINTBALL COURSE THERE. UH, THERE'S BIG OPEN PITS FOR FIRES WITH LIKE, PEOPLE HAVE LIKE CREATED BENCHES. SO PEOPLE ARE USING THIS AS THEIR PERSONAL PARK, WHICH IS ALL IN VIOLATION OF THE, YOU KNOW, THE CITY'S, UM, RELATIONSHIP TO THE LAND. AND THAT'S PART OF THIS ONGOING CONFLICT, RIGHT? WHOSE LAND IS THIS? BUT THIS IS A COLLAGE FROM THE BOOK OF A VERY ELABORATE STONE WALL SYSTEM. SOME GATES, SOME SPRINGS, AND SOME, UM, BARBED WIRE. BARBED WIRE. YOU COULD ACTUALLY DATE BARBED WIRE BY THE TWIST. UM, IT'S VERY, [00:40:01] YOU KNOW, PAINFUL, UM, BUT A VERY INTERESTING KIND OF ARTIFACT. SO ALL OF THAT STUFF IS FROM DAVID KENT. THIS IS THE TOWN OF KENT. DAVID KENT, RIGHT? UH, THE TOWN OF KENT WAS NAMED FROM FOR JAMES KENT, WHO WENT ON TO BECOME A NEW YORK STATE SUPREME COURT JUDGE. SO THIS IS HIS FAMILY. SO ELSA PARKER AND HER FARM BOYD'S CORNER NORTH, UH, DAVID KENT AND HIS FARM KENT HILLS. IT DOESN'T MATTER HOW RICH YOU WERE, YOU STILL LOST YOUR LAND, RIGHT? SO IN THE 1860 CENSUS, ELSA AND DAVID ARE ALMOST THE SAME AGE. UH, DAVID HAS 25,000 IN REAL ESTATE. ELSA HAS 2000. HE HAS 80 MILK COWS. THAT'S ALL OF HIS ARCHITECTURE THAT WE'RE FINDING EVERYWHERE THROUGH THERE. SO A LITTLE SIDE NOTE ABOUT GROUND TRUTHING. IT SAYS HIKING AND FISHING AREA. THERE'S NO FISH. THERE'S THIS WATER IS LIKE, IT'S LIKE, YOU KNOW, SOMEBODY JUST DRIBBLED THEIR WATER BOTTLE, RIGHT? SO NEW YORK CITY HAS LABELED A LOT OF THESE PROPERTIES WITHOUT EVER GROUND TRUTHING WHAT'S AVAILABLE THERE. UH, SO YOU COULD GO FISHING THERE. UM, BUT THERE, YEAH, THERE'S NOTHING, NOTHING THERE FOR FISHING. SO THE LAST ONE I WANNA TALK ABOUT AT BOYD'S CORNER IS THE, UH, BOYD'S CORNER SOUTH UNIT HERE. SO THE RESERVOIR IS RIGHT HERE. WHAT WAS THERE? WELL, THE RESERVOIR STARTS IN 1867. IT'S IN SERVICE. 1873. IN 1906. THIS MANSION WAS BUILT RIGHT HERE, RIGHT? THIS IS THE KID RIDGE MANSION. HERE ARE SOME OF THE BRICKS THAT WERE USED TO MAKE THE CHIMNEY FOR THE KID RIDGE MANSION. THERE IS SO MUCH ON THIS PROPERTY FROM THIS MANSION, THE STAIRS THAT GO NOWHERE. ONE OF THE THINGS WE FIND ON THESE CITY PROPERTIES IS FORMAL GARDENS IN THE WOODS. DAFFODILS. THIS IS A ROSE GARDEN THAT HAS LIKE THE PAVERS ALL AROUND IT, JUST GROWING IN THE VIRGIN FOREST, RIGHT? THAT'S THE, THE TERM THAT KEEPS GETTING USED FOR THIS LAND. SO THERE WAS A 1928 ARTICLE, I'LL SHOW YOU THE, WHAT IT LOOKED LIKE IN A SECOND THAT CALLS THIS SAME UNIT VIRGIN FOREST, CAREFULLY AND SCIENTIFICALLY PRESERVED. DO THOSE TWO THINGS GO TOGETHER? SO WHAT WAS THIS BEFORE? IT WAS THE KID RIDGE MANSION. IN THAT SAME 1860 CENSUS, IT'S THE FARMER WILLIAM HOPKINS, 41-YEAR-OLD FARMER. HE'S YOUNGER, 5,000 IN REAL ESTATE. HE'S HALFWAY BETWEEN THE, THE TWO OTHER PEOPLE IN 1906. IT'S PURCHASED BY WINE MAKERS AND THEY BUILD A 50 ROOM MANSION. THEY HAD SERVANTS. BUT IN THE 1920S, WHAT HAPPENS IN THE 1920S PROHIBITION, THEY LEAVE, RIGHT? SO I ACTUALLY HAVE, UH, A DIGITIZED VERSION FROM A HISTORICAL SOCIETY IN NORTH CAROLINA OF THE WIFE, UH, WHO LIVED THERE OF HER DIARY. SO WE'RE SLOWLY GOING THROUGH THAT. SO IN THE 1920S IT BECOMES THE CARMEL COUNTRY CLUB. SO HERE IS THE 1928 NEW YORK TIMES ARTICLE. HERE IS THE KID RIDGE MANSION THAT BASICALLY SAYS PUTNAM COUNTY, BECAUSE OF THE NEW YORK CITY WATER SYSTEM IS NOW ALL GENTLEMAN FARMER, KIND OF RICH PEOPLE. NOBODY IS DOING ACTUAL FARMING BECAUSE YOU'RE NOT ALLOWED TO. BUT THESE PEOPLE ALL BOUGHT THESE HOUSES, FIXED THEM UP, AND IT HAS BECOME A PLACE OF THE ELITE. SO STARTS IN 1867. BY 1928, EVERYTHING HAS CHANGED. SO LET'S JUMP TO THE ASN. SO HERE IS THAT SAME MAPPING SYSTEM. LOTS OF FISHING AREAS. YOU CAN'T GO HERE. THEY'RE DOING SOME MANAGEMENT THERE. GREAT, UH, BALD EAGLE VIEWING OVER HERE, IF YOU LIKE BALD EAGLES. UH, AND IF YOU GO TO THE ASHOKA RESERVOIR AND YOU DO THE RAIL TRAIL, IT'S UP HERE. IT IS NOT THE ORIGINAL RAILROAD, IT'S THE REPLACEMENT RAILROAD. BUT YOU COULD SEE THAT THERE'S ALL OF THESE OTHER PROPERTIES THAT ARE NEW YORK CITY OWNED PROPERTIES. AND I'M DRAWING YOUR ATTENTION TO VILLE HERE. SO VILLE IS GOING TO BE SOMEPLACE THAT, IF YOU REMEMBER WHERE THAT IS, YOU COULD IN YOUR MIND LAY THESE MAPS ON TOP OF EACH OTHER. SO SHOKEN WAS FUNCTIONAL IN NINETEEN FIFTEEN, A HUNDRED TWENTY 3 BILLION GALLON CAPACITY. IT PROVIDES 40% OF THE NEW YORK CITY WATER SUPPLY TODAY. THIS IS THE SAME AREA BEFORE THE ASN. THIS WAS THE LARGEST BODY OF WATER. THIS IS THE RAILROAD. SO GO BACK A SECOND. UH, WE'RE, THERE'S TEMPLE POND RIGHT THERE. ALL OF THAT IS UNNATURAL, WHICH IS WHY IT'S SO BEAUTIFUL BECAUSE NATURE CAN'T EVEN MAKE THIS RIGHT. SO [00:45:01] IT A HUNDRED ACRE TEMPLE POND REPLACED WITH 8,000 ACRE RESERVOIR. AND UH, THE RAILWAY IS, UM, COMPLETELY TAKEN OUT. THIS IS ONE OF THE OLD, UM, TRAVEL GUIDES SHOWING THE RAILROAD HERE IS VILLE THERE. AND THEN ALL OF THESE STOPS THAT ARE NAMED, USUALLY WHEN PEOPLE TALK ABOUT THE SHOAN RESERVOIR AND THEY SAY ALL THESE TOWNS HAVE BEEN DEMOLISHED. THESE WERE THE HAMLETS THAT ARE THESE RAILROAD STOPS. THEY'RE NOT MUNICIPAL TOWNS, UH, LIKE OLIVE. SO IN THESE RAILROAD GUIDES, I'VE GOTTEN LOTS OF INFORMATION THAT ALLOWS ME TO SEE WHAT THESE PLACES LOOK LIKE 'CAUSE I CAN'T SEE THEM 'CAUSE THEY'RE UNDERWATER AND DEMOLISHED, RIGHT? SO IN THE 1866 ULSTER AND DELAWARE RAILROAD, THAT IS THIS, THE GUIDES START CALLING IT THE GATEWAY TO THE CATSKILLS. SO IF YOU GO THROUGH HERE, YOU COULD GO INTO THE HIGH MOUNTAINS, BUT A LOT OF PEOPLE STOPPED HERE AND THEY STAYED THERE BECAUSE IT WAS THIS FARM TO TABLE KIND OF EXPERIENCE, WHICH IS REALLY POPULAR TODAY. SO IN AN 1882 GUIDEBOOK, THEY SAY 70,000 VISITORS ARE USING THIS RAILROAD. SO JUST LIKE I DIGITIZED FOR KENT, THIS IS THE DIGITIZED 1875 ATLAS OF OLIVE. OKAY? EVERYBODY BE AN ENGINEER. WHERE ARE YOU GONNA PUT A RESERVOIR? VILLE, REMEMBER YOU'RE GONNA LOOKING AT THAT. THEY TOOK OUT EVERYTHING. THIS IS A 1906 POSTCARD. IT JUST SO HAPPENS AT THE POSTCARD CRAZE. IT'S THE SAME EXACT TIME AS YOU SHOWED IN RESERVOIR. THIS IS FROM THE SOUTH SIDE OF THE RESERVOIR. NOW LOOKING NORTH TO THE MOUNTAINS AND TOWARDS, UH, SHOWAN. THIS IS A 1897 TRAVEL GUIDE. SAYS NOWHERE ELSE IN THE CATSKILLS DOES THE PEACEFUL LEVEL OF WIDE MEADOW LANDS COMBINE. SO DELIGHTFULLY WITH THE UPLIFTED SLOPES OF HIGH MOUNTAINS, IT IS NO WONDER THAT HUNDREDS OF CITY FOLK COME HERE YEAR AFTER YEAR FOR THE SEASON OF REST. SO YOU HAVE COWS, YOU HAVE A STONEWALL, YOU HAVE THE ASOPUS CREEK OR RIVER, YOU HAVE THE COMMUNITY OF SOOK. CAN YOU HAVE THIS RIDGE? AND THEN YOU HAVE THE PEAK. SO TECTONIC AND OTHER MOUNTAINS THERE, THIS RIDGE IS ROUTE 28. EVERYTHING HERE THAT YOU SEE HERE IS GONE, RIGHT? SO THIS IS WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE THROUGH GOOGLE EARTH. THE BEST I COULD DO UNLESS I GO INTO THE MIDDLE OF THE RESERVOIR AND TAKE A PICTURE. YOU'RE NOT ALLOWED ON THE BOAT UNLESS YOU ARE FISHING. AND YOU HAVE TO HAVE THE, A BOAT THAT IS REGISTERED WITH THE CITY THAT HAS BEEN STEAM CLEANED. TOO MUCH WORK. SO I USE GOOGLE EARTH. THE COMMUNITY OF SHOOK CAN WAS DEMOLISHED, BUT NOT SUBMERGED. THAT'S THE BIGGEST MYTH FOR THIS WORK, IS THAT PEOPLE THINK ONLY THINGS WERE SUBMERGED AND THEY THINK THEY WEREN'T DEMOLISHED AND THEY'RE JUST UNDER THE WATER. EVERYTHING WAS DEMOLISHED. LOTS OF THINGS WERE NEVER SUBMERGED, BUT THEY WERE STILL DEMOLISHED. SO THIS IS ROUTE 28 TODAY. THE COMMUNITY OF SH CAN IS THERE, YOU COULD WALK THE OLD ROAD IF YOU HAVE A PERMIT, UM, AND YOU ARE FISHING. SO THIS IS MY SUMMARY OF THESE TRAVEL GUIDES TO SEE WHAT WAS THE IMPACT, RIGHT? THAT'S THE MAIN QUESTION. SO I SUMMARIZED FOR THE YEARS 18 83, 19 0 3, 19 0 6, 19 10, AND 1914, IN THE TOWNS OF S SHANDAKEN, OLIVE, WOODSTOCK, AND HURLEY. HOW MANY ROOMS FOR BORDERS THEY HAD EACH YEAR. YOU COULD SEE OLIVE, THE GATEWAY TO THE CATSKILLS ALWAYS HAD THE MOST. SO IN 1903, THEY HAD UNDER 2000. IN 1906, WHEN THE RESERVOIR PLAN IS RELEASED, THEY COULD HAVE 2,366 BORDERS IN OLIVE. THEN THE RESERVOIR IS RELEASED DOWN TO 959. AND THEN THIS IS WHERE EVERYBODY HAD TO LEAVE BY 19, UH, 1914. SO THIS IMPACT IS ECONOMIC, IT IS WIDESPREAD. IT'S NOT JUST THE PEOPLE WHO LOST THEIR HOUSES. BUT I USE THIS GIS SYSTEM TO MAKE THE FIRST INTERACTIVE MAP OF ALL OF THE TAKINGS FOR THE ASN RESERVOIR. I CUT OFF HURLEY JUST TO FOCUS ON THE OLIVE HERE. SO EACH OF THESE IS A DIFFERENT PARCEL WITH A DIFFERENT PERSON'S NAME. AND THIS MAP IS JUST COLORED. SO THAT ADJACENT PARCELS WITH DIFFERENT NAMES OR DIFFERENT COLORS. HERE'S VILLE AGAIN, YOU'RE KEEPING TRACK OF VILLE. SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I DISCOVERED FROM DOING THIS RESEARCH IS THAT BOTH BOYD'S CORNER AND OCN RESERVOIR, APPROXIMATELY 25% OF THE LAND TAKEN WAS WOMEN OWNED. COULD THOSE WOMEN TAKE THE LITTLE BIT OF MONEY THE CITY GAVE THEM, WHICH WAS STANDARD WAS HALF THE LAND'S ASSESSED VALUE. SO YOU LOST HALF THE VALUE AND THE VALUE IS WHAT THE CITY SAID, NOT WHAT YOU SAID. AND IF IT [00:50:01] WAS A BUSINESS, YOU DIDN'T GET ANYTHING EXTRA FOR LOSING YOUR BUSINESS. IT WAS JUST YOUR LANDS ASSESSED VALUE. COULD THOSE WOMEN MOVE TO ANOTHER COMMUNITY THAT WAS THAT SUPPORTIVE OF WOMEN OWNED BUSINESS OWNERS AND, AND LANDOWNERS? ANOTHER MYTH THAT PEOPLE HAVE IS THAT THESE PEOPLE WERE BETTER OFF BECAUSE THEY WERE LIVING IN RAMSHACKLE HOUSES. THIS IS SARAH EVERETT'S HOUSE FROM WEST HURLEY WHEN SHE LEFT IT, I THINK THAT WOULD GO FOR A LOT OF MONEY TODAY, RIGHT? PRETTY NICE, PRETTY NICE. UH, SO IN OLIVE WITHOUT HURLEY, JUST UNDER 500 PARCELS FOR 8,500 ACRES. AND MARY COLE LOST ONE PARCEL OF 120 ACRES. SO I TOOK MY GIS SYSTEM AND I SAID, JUST SHOW ME THE WOMEN OWNED PARCELS. SO YOU COULD SEE I GAVE THEM JUST THEIR FIRST NAMES. THEY'RE ALL OVER THE PLACE, RIGHT? LOTS OF PEOPLE ARE LIKE, OH, WELL IT WAS JUST SOMEBODY WHO INHERITED LAND. I'VE GONE THROUGH THE DEEDS. THESE WOMEN WERE BUYING AND SELLING LAND FOR THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS IN 1888, RIGHT? IT'S NOT THAT THIS IS ALL MALE, MALE OWNED AND THEN ACCIDENTALLY WOMEN OWNED. THIS IS SHOWING YOU THE RAIL TRAIL THAT'S THERE NOW VERSUS WHAT THE ORIGINAL RAILROAD, UM, WAS. SO PEOPLE SAY, WELL, WHAT ABOUT COMPENSATION? UH, THIS YELLOW IS TINA LASHER'S PROPERTY. SHE WAS CHARGING $6 A WEEK PER PERSON PLUS MEALS FOR HER BOARDING HOUSE. SHE WAS MAKING $2,500 A WEEK IN 2020 $1. UH, SHE ASKED NEW YORK CITY FOR $10,000 FOR LOST INCOME. SHE DIED BEFORE THE CITY GAVE HER FAMILY ANYTHING. AND THEY GAVE HER FAMILY $1,445. SO THERE WAS ALSO COMMUNITY ELEMENTS THAT WERE LOST. WE'VE ALREADY COVERED THE RAILROAD. UH, THESE ARE ALL THE, WELL, ALL SOME OF THE CEMETERIES THAT WERE DEMOLISHED. THERE WERE 33 CEMETERIES DEMOLISHED. ABOUT 3000 PEOPLE HAD TO BE DUG OUT OF THE GROUND. SOME OF THOSE PEOPLE HAD JUST BEEN BURIED, RIGHT? SO THIS ISN'T JUST HISTORIC ONES. UH, SIX SCHOOLS WERE DEMOLISHED, INCLUDING THE VILLE SCHOOL, WHICH WILL BE IMPORTANT IN A MINUTE. AND, UH, SIX CHURCHES WERE DEMOLISHED. AND THE CITY FORCED SOME CHURCHES TO COMBINE INSTEAD OF GIVING EACH CHURCH MONEY TO REBUILD. SO THEY, THEY HAD CONTROL OVER EVERYTHING. SO THIS IS THE BUSHKILL CEMETERY MASS GRAVE. THERE WERE ABOUT 300 OF THOSE 3000 PEOPLE THAT THERE WAS NOBODY TO CLAIM THEIR BODIES. SO THEY WOUND UP HERE. THESE STONES ARE ONLY LIKE THE SIZE OF LIKE THE LID OF A SHOEBOX, MAYBE A BOOT BOX. THEY HAVE AN ALPHA NUMERIC CODE, WL 10, WL 11. THE COMMUNITY HAS BEEN ASKING ME TO HELP THEM FIGURE OUT WHO IS WHO. AND WE MIGHT DO SOME FIELD WORK OUT THERE IN SEPTEMBER BECAUSE I HAVE A LEAD ON HOW TO FIGURE THIS OUT. UM, SO THAT'S NOT IN THE BOOK AT ALL. SO HERE IS THE VILLE SCHOOL, HERE IS THE WEST CHOPAN SCHOOL. BOTH OF THESE DEMOLISHED. SO THESE KIDS ARE SEEING THEIR FAMILY MEMBERS DUG UP OUTTA THEIR GRAVES, THEIR HOUSES BEING BURNED DOWN, THEIR SCHOOL GOING AWAY, THEIR CHURCH GOING AWAY, THEIR PARENTS ARE UNEMPLOYED, ALL OF THIS STUFF. SO THIS IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE THIS IS THE SCHOOL THAT REPLACED THE BOYS SCHOOL. THIS IS THE 1913 BOYS FIELD SCHOOL. WHAT HAPPENED IN 2021, NEW YORK CITY DEMOLISHED IT. AND THEY TOLD THE NEW YORK STATE HISTORIC PRESERVATION OFFICE, THEY DIDN'T KNOW WHAT THAT BUILDING WAS. THEY HAD NO INFORMATION ON IT. AND IT WAS THE LAST ONE ROOM SCHOOL IN THE REGION. SO I TOLD THE STATE HISTORIC PRESERVATION OFFICE, IF THEY HAD GIVEN ME ONE DAY, I COULD HAVE JUSTIFIED SAVING THAT. AND THE SHIPPO SAID, WELL, NEXT TIME WE FIND ONE, WE'LL LET YOU KNOW. SO THIS IS ALL THE DEP UH, LAND, THE RECREATION UNITS. THIS IS THE 2021 FLOOD BUYOUT PROGRAM IN VILLE. SO NEW YORK CITY HAS BEEN BUYING ALL THAT LAND NOW AND DEMOLISHING WHAT'S THERE. AND THAT WAS PART OF, UM, THE SCHOOLHOUSE BEING DEMOLISHED. SO I DID SOME WORK AT THE LOCAL SCHOOL AND THE KIDS SAID, WELL, THEY WOULDN'T TAKE OUR SCHOOL, WOULD THEY? AND I'M LIKE, WELL, THEY'VE TAKEN YOUR SCHOOLS BEFORE, WHAT'S GONNA STOP THEM? SO THEY'RE NOT ACTIVELY TRYING TO DEMOLISH A SCHOOL, ALTHOUGH THEY DEMOLISHED THAT SCHOOL RIGHT NEXT TO THE CURRENT ON TIARA SCHOOL. THAT IS A COMBINATION OF VARIOUS ELEMENTARY AND HIGH SCHOOLS. UM, BUT THE RA BOARD IS CLOSING THEIR OWN SCHOOLS RIGHT NOW. UH, THIS IS, UH, OCTOBER 23RD, 2025, UH, NEWS ARTICLE. AND HERE IS A PULLOUT HERE. THE DECISION TO CLOSE THE TWO SCHOOLS IS THE RURAL DISTRICT'S LATEST MOVE TO ADDRESS DECLINING ENROLLMENT. SINCE THE [00:55:01] EARLY TWO THOUSANDS, THE STUDENT POPULATION HAS DECREASED FROM A PEAK OF 2,470 STUDENTS IN 1998 TO 1,101 STUDENTS. CURRENTLY, WHAT HAPPENED IN 1998, NEW YORK CITY WENT CRAZY BUYING LAND. THEY'RE, THAT'S THEIR LAND ACQUISITION PROGRAM WHERE THEY WERE TRYING TO BUY 350,000 ACRES OF LAND AROUND THE RESERVOIRS. SO THEY HAVE DEPOPULATED THE REGION, AND NOW THE SCHOOLS ARE CLOSING THEMSELVES WITHOUT THE CITY HAVING TO DEMOLISH THEM. AND AT THE ASOKAN RESERVOIR, THE TAKINGS ARE CONTINUING THERE TOO. HERE IS THE 2012 SOUTH HOLLOW UNIT, AND HERE IS THE CURRENT SOUTH HOLLOW UNIT, WHICH WENT FROM 79 ACRES TO 99 ACRES. I LOVE THIS ONE BECAUSE IT SAYS PUBLIC ACCESS, WHICH MEANS THAT YOU DON'T NEED A PERMIT TO GO THERE. UM, THIS WIDTH HERE IS THE WIDTH OF MY JEEP. UH, THERE'S NO PARKING AREA. YOU HAVE TO JUST KINDA RAM YOUR CAR INTO THE WEEDS. AND THEN YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO LIKE HIKE IN A STRAIGHT LINE AND THERE'S NO TRAIL OR ANYTHING AND HIKE BACK. THAT PICTURE AT THE START WITH MY STUDENTS WEARING WAITERS STANDING IN THE WATER WAS US TRYING TO GET HERE. SO THEY, THERE, THIS IS A CULVERT AND A RIVER , AND WE HAD TO WEAR WAITERS TO GET ACROSS. AND WHEN WE GOT ACROSS, IT'S JUST AN EMBANKMENT. AND WE HAD TO LIKE CRAWL ON THE EMBANKMENT TO GET TO THE TOP. WHAT IS THE PUBLIC SUPPOSED TO BE DOING HERE? RIGHT? SO YOU COULD SEE THAT THIS PUBLIC ACCESS RECREATION LAND IS KIND OF, IT'S A STORY. IT, IT'S, IT'S A WAY OF COMMANDEERING THESE PROPERTIES AND SAYING, YOU'RE DOING GOOD. SO IN CONCLUSION, URBAN WATER SYSTEMS COME WITH SIGNIFICANT COSTS, OUTLYING COMMUNITIES, UH, GROWING CITY AND WATER NEEDS NECESSITATE MORE TAKINGS. AND THIS IS NOT IN THE PAST, IT IS NOT OVER AND DONE WITH. THANK YOU. I THINK WE HAVE TIME FOR A FEW QUESTIONS. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR THAT TALK. I, I, I REALLY, UH, LEARNED A LOT, ESPECIALLY ABOUT THE WOMEN LANDOWNERS MM-HMM . THAT WAS FASCINATING. UH, BUT WHAT, I'M JUST A LITTLE CONFUSED BECAUSE I KNOW THE PRO AQUEDUCT WAS BUILT IN THE THIRTIES AT 1830S MM-HMM . AND SO WHAT HAPPENED, UH, WITH GETTING THE WATER TO THE CITY BETWEEN THE 1830S AND, AND WHEN ASHOKA AND THE OTHER RESERVOIRS CAME ONLINE? YEAH. SO TECHNICALLY, UH, THE BOYD'S CORNER RESERVOIRS ON THE CATSKILL AQUEDUCT, IT'S NOT ON THE CRO AND AQUEDUCT. YEAH. SO IF YOU GO, UH, ALL THE WAY BACK TO THE FRONT, IF I COULD FIND HOW TO GET HERE, VIEW, UH, NAVIGATOR ALL THE WAY TO THE TOP. SO WHEN WAS THE CATSKILL AADA BUILT? I DO NOT HAVE THAT KNOWLEDGE IN THE TOP OF MY HEAD. NO PROBLEM. SO I, EXCUSE ME. YEP. MAY I WOULD LIKE TO ADD SOMETHING ABOUT THAT. YEAH. THAT BROAD'S CORNERS WAS BUILT, UM, ALONG THE CROTON RIVER TO, TO TO STORE WATER AND THEN HAVE IT FLOW BACK INTO THE CROTON RIVER. MM-HMM . WHICH, WHICH WAS USED, UM, YOU KNOW, BY THE NEW CROTON AQUEDUCT MM-HMM . WHICH WENT INTO SERVICE IN 1890 MM-HMM . AND, AND, AND THE SYSTEM ALWAYS TRIED TO BE VERY REDUNDANT WITH EVERYTHING. MM-HMM . SO WHEN THEY BUILT THE, THE, THE CATSKILL IN DELAWARE AQUEDUCT MM-HMM . THEY INTERSECTED WITH DIFFERENT POINTS. YEP. AND THAT'S WHY YEP. THAT, THAT'S, THAT'S WHY THERE'S A CONNECTION WITH BOY CORNERS AND THEN THE NEWER AQUEDUCT. YEP. AND THIS DOESN'T HAVE THE NEW AUC. SO YOU CAN KIND OF SEE THAT BOYD'S CORNER IS A DARKER COLOR HERE. IT'S ON THE CATSKILL SYSTEM. 'CAUSE THAT'S A DARKER COLOR, BUT IT'S ACTUALLY THE DELAWARE AQUEDUCT THAT THE BOYD'S CORNER IS IN. SO YEAH. SO NOW YOU HAVE LIKE THREE DIFFERENT NAMES OF THINGS. AND ALL OF THIS IS VERY COMPLICATED. AND I THINK THAT JUST, IT, IT HELPS PEOPLE NOT TRY TO FIGURE IT OUT. RIGHT. BECAUSE IT'S JUST SO COMPLICATED. SO YEAH, I DON'T, I'M, I DON'T HAVE ALL THE AQUEDUCTS FIGURED OUT. IT WASN'T PART OF MY RESEARCH TO DO IT. AND I'M VERY HAPPY THAT THE FRIENDS OF THE AQUEDUCT KNOW MORE ABOUT THE AQUEDUCT THAN I DO. I, YOU KNOW, I'M ONLY ONE PERSON. UM, SO THIS IS A HUGE PROJECT FOR ONE PERSON. UM, YOU KNOW, I HAD THE STUDENTS HELPING ME, BUT THEY PRETTY MUCH FOLLOW ME AROUND AND DO WHAT I, WHAT I SAY. BUT THERE, THERE'S SO MUCH MORE THAT CAN BE DONE. YEAH. AND BEEN DOWNSTAIRS. YEAH. AND I ALWAYS BEEN REALLY GRATEFUL TO DRINK THE WONDERFUL WATER. YEAH. YEAH. WHICH HAS VERY, YEAH. YEAH. OKAY. BUT WHAT TOXINS VERY CRITICAL. I WASN'T TRYING TO BE CRA I'M, I'M TRYING TO BE A TRUTH TELLER. [01:00:01] YEAH, YEAH, YEAH, YEAH. WHAT WOULD YOU HAVE DONE DIFFERENTLY? YEAH. SO AS I WAS TALKING TO PEOPLE BEFORE, UM, THIS BOOK IS BEING USED IN SOME URBAN PLANNING COURSES, RIGHT? SO I'M, I'M NOT SAYING THAT THIS SHOULDN'T HAVE HAPPENED. I'M SAYING THAT WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND WHAT HAPPENS SO THAT WE COULD PLAN BETTER. RIGHT? SO RIGHT NOW, THE CLIMATE CHANGE IS A WATER CRISIS, RIGHT? WATER IS EITHER IN THE WRONG PLACE, IN THE WRONG FORM OR WHATEVER. SO WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO IF THE CITY NEEDS ANOTHER RESERVOIR? ARE WE GOING TO DEMOLISH MORE COMMUNITIES? HOW ARE WE GONNA PICK, UH, PLACES LIKE SINGAPORE USE RECYCLED WATER VERY SUCCESSFULLY AND THE ABILITY TO DO WATER FILTRATION WAS THERE WHEN A LOT OF THESE RESERVOIRS WERE BEING BUILT. NOT THE EARLIEST ONES, BUT FOR EXAMPLE, THE QUAIN RESERVOIR IN BOSTON, THEY DID THINGS SOMEWHAT DIFFERENTLY, RIGHT? AND BETWEEN KENT AND OLIVE, THEY DID THINGS SOMEWHAT DIFFERENTLY. AND OLIVE, THEY TOOK EVERYTHING AT ONCE INSTEAD OF LIKE, THEY DID AT KENT MORE AND MORE, MORE, MORE AND MORE, RIGHT? AND THEN THEY ADDED THE LAND ACQUISITION. BUT AT THE QUAIN RESERVOIR, UM, THE CHURCHES THAT WERE DEMOLISHED, ALL OF THEIR CEMETERIES GOT MOVED BY NEW YORK, BY BOSTON TO ONE AREA AND RECREATED IN THAT ONE AREA. AND THE CHURCH STONES WERE USED TO MAKE THE GATE INTO THAT CEMETERY. AND IF YOU ARE A DESCENDANT OF THOSE PEOPLE, YOU COULD BE BURIED THERE FOR FREE. NEW YORK CITY SAID TO EACH INDIVIDUAL PERSON, IT'S YOUR PROBLEM TO DEAL WITH YOUR DEAD. RIGHT? SO EVEN IN THAT SHORT PERIOD OF TIME, THERE ARE BETTER THINGS TO DO. SO IF PEOPLE GET NOTHING ELSE THAN IF WE'RE GONNA BUILD A RESERVOIR, WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO WITH THE DEAD AND TREAT THOSE PEOPLE WITH RESPECT, THEN THAT'S A THING TO LEARN, RIGHT? SO I'M, I'M CRITICAL OF THE CITY'S NOT TELLING THE TRUTH AND SAYING, YOU SHOULD NOT PAY ATTENTION. IT DOESN'T MATTER. RIGHT? NO. SOMETHING. YEAH. BUT IT, TO ME MM-HMM . HIGHLIGHT A VERY IMPORTANT PROBLEM. YEP. WHICH IS THAT THERE DIFFICULT MM-HMM. HMM. . YEP. SO HOW, WHAT WOULD YOU RECOMMEND SO THAT WE DO, SO NEW YORK CITY? YEAH. NEW YORK CITY HAS SAID BECAUSE THE ASN IS THEIR MOST IMPORTANT RESERVOIR, THEY HAVE SAID THAT THEY ARE GOING TO RAISE THE DAM. THE DAM IS WHERE THAT RED IS AT THE BOTTOM. THEY'RE GOING TO RAISE THE DAM SO THAT THE ASN RESERVOIR COULD HOLD MORE WATER. AND THEN THEY HAVE SAID, BUT WE'RE NOT MAKING THE RESERVOIR BIGGER. SO I, THAT, THAT IS MY JOB, IS TO JUST POINT THAT OUT. RIGHT. THAT IS A BASIC GEOMETRY PROBLEM. AND UNLESS YOU'RE GOING TO DIG DOWN AND THEY DUG DOWN WHEN THEY CREATED THIS, SO THEORETICALLY THERE'S NO MORE DIGGING DOWN, IT IS GOING TO RAISE THE SIDES. AND WHEN YOU RAISE THE SIDES, UM, YOU HAVE CHOICE OF TAKING OUT ROUTE 28 OR ROUTE 28 A ON THE SOUTH SIDE. THEY'RE GONNA HAVE TO TAKE OUT ROUTE 28 A, WHICH IS WHERE THE OLIVE FREE PUBLIC LIBRARY IS RIGHT. 'CAUSE THEY NEED A BUFFER. REMEMBER THAT 800 FOOT BUFFER? RIGHT? SO IF THEY RAISE THE DAM, IT'S NOT JUST, IT'S GONNA HOLD MORE. WHO IS GOING TO LOSE LAND? IF YOU GO, IF ANY OF YOU GO OUT TO VILLE AND YOU GO A LITTLE BIT PAST VILLE, NEW YORK CITY FOR THE LAST 10 YEARS HAS BEEN REBUILDING THE, UH, HIGHWAY OVER THE WATER. AND THEY'RE MAKING THESE BIG, HUGE RAMPS. I BELIEVE THEY ARE SHOWING US THAT THEY'RE INTENDING MUCH MORE WATER TO FLOW THROUGH THE ASOPUS THERE. THAT THE CARS HAVE TO BE THAT HIGH UP. SO 10 YEARS FROM NOW, SOMEBODY'S GONNA BE STANDING HERE POINTING OUT ALL THE BUSINESSES AND HOUSES THAT WERE LOST TO THE NEW VERSION OF THE OCN RESERVOIR BECAUSE THE DAM IS GONNA BE HIGHER, IT'LL HOLD MORE WATER, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO LOSE MORE PROPERTIES. YEP. JUST TO CHANGE TRACKS FOR A SECOND. SURE. DID YOU FOLLOW ANY OF THE WOMEN THAT YOU LIKE PROFILED TO SEE WHAT HAPPENED TO THEM AFTER THAT? YEAH. SO THI THIS STUFF IS NOT IN THE BOOK. UM, THIS IS STUFF THAT, YOU KNOW, I PICK UP, I HAVE LIKE SIX DIFFERENT PROJECTS GOING AT ONCE AND I PICK 'EM UP AND I PUT THEM DOWN AS, AS TIME, UM, ALLOWS, UH, IN OFFICIAL HISTORIES OF THE NEW YORK CITY WATER SYSTEM. THEY SAY THAT THE PEOPLE TOOK THE MONEY AND THEY MOVED WEST TO OHIO AND INDIANA WHERE THE FARMING WAS BETTER. WHAT I'VE BEEN DOING IS, UH, GOING INTO THE CEMETERIES, FINDING ALL OF THE GRAVES OF PEOPLE WHO WERE ALIVE WHEN THIS HAPPENED, AND THEN FINDING WHERE THEY'RE BURIED. AND FOR THE MOST PART, EVERYBODY IS BURIED RIGHT [01:05:01] THERE. PEOPLE DID NOT LEAVE FOR ONE REASON. IT WASN'T ENOUGH MONEY TO LEAVE. BUT THIS WAS ALSO THEIR COMMUNITY. WERE THEY ABLE TO BUY MORE, LIKE YOU SAID, LIKE BUSINESSES WERE ABLE TO BUY MORE PROPERTY. SO WHAT HAPPENED? SO WHAT HAPPENED IS, OVER HERE IN THIS AREA, WHICH WAS VERY GOOD AGRICULTURAL LAND, TWO LOCAL FARMERS DIVIDED UP THEIR FARMS AND BUILT HOUSES FOR PEOPLE. SO THE COMMUNITY CAME TOGETHER. THERE'S LOTS OF STORIES OF PEOPLE LIVING IN BARNS UNTIL A HOUSE COULD BE BUILT FOR THEM. BUT ALMOST ALL OF THESE PEOPLE WERE RELATED TO EACH OTHER, RIGHT? ALL THROUGH MARRIAGE, ALL THROUGH. SO WHO'S GONNA GET FORCED OUT? IT WAS YOUR AUNT, YOUR UNCLE, YOUR NIECE, YOUR NEPHEW, NEEDED A PLACE, BUT THAT CAUSED MORE LOSS OF AGRICULTURAL LAND. THERE WAS NO PLACE TO BE A FARMER ANYMORE BECAUSE THE FERTILE VALLEY WAS GONE. RIGHT. SO THAT'S WHY LIKE, IF YOU DRIVE THROUGH KENT, I'M JUST POINTING THAT OUT 'CAUSE IT'S THE CLOSEST ONE HERE. EVERYTHING IS A HOUSE ON A CLIFF, BECAUSE EVERYTHING THAT WAS FLAT LAND IS UNDERWATER NOW. BUT BEFORE THAT WAS ALL THE FARMLAND AND THEN THE HOUSES WERE FURTHER UP BECAUSE YOU DIDN'T WANNA LOSE YOUR FARMLAND. RIGHT. SO I'VE STARTED THAT AND, UH, DIANE GALLIA, SOME PEOPLE HAVE MENTIONED HER WITH HER LIQUID ASSET BOOK. UM, SHE CAME, SO I DO CEMETERY TOURS AT THE ASHOKA RESERVOIR WHERE WE GO INTO A CEMETERY AND I HAVE 10 GRAVES THAT WE'LL GO TO. AND I'LL TELL THE STORY OF THOSE PEOPLE AS IT RELATES TO THE RESERVOIR. AND I'LL ASK PEOPLE TO GIVE ME STORIES THAT, YOU KNOW, MAYBE THEY KNOW. AND THERE IS ONE WOMAN IN THE TOGO CEMETERY THAT IS LIKE, PROBABLY HAS A SUPER COOL HISTORY. WHEREAS THOSE OLD MAPS, EVERYBODY'S LIKE MRS. TINA LASHER, IT JUST SAYS SALLY ECKERT. AND THEN ON HER GRAVESTONE, SALLY ECKERT, EVERYBODY ELSE IS A MOTHER, A DAUGHTER, A SISTER SOMETHING. THIS WOMAN, SALLY ECKERT WAS, SHE WAS MARRIED, SHE HAD FOUR CHILDREN. SHE NEVER IDENTIFIED AS IT, AND SHE'S NOT BURIED WITH HER HUSBAND OR WITH HER CHILDREN. SO I DID THIS AND DIANE WAS ON THE TOUR, AND THEN DIANE WENT HOME AND WAS LIKE, EMAILING ME. LIKE, I FOUND THIS ABOUT SALLY ECKARD. I FOUND THIS ABOUT. SO A LOT OF THIS WORK DOESN'T HAVE TO BE DONE BY ME. RIGHT. SO ANYBODY COULD DO THIS AND ADD TO IT. AND AS A PROFESSOR, WHEN YOU HAVE STUDENTS WHO ARE INTERESTED IN SOMETHING, THEN YOU GET TO DO THAT, UH, PROJECT MORE. AND WHEN NOBODY'S INTERESTED IN IT AT THAT YEAR, YOU DON'T DO THAT PROJECT MORE. SO, LIKE I SAID, I HAVE THE, UH, DIGITIZED DIARY OF THE THE KID, UM, WOMAN WHO THE MANSION WAS BUILT FOR HER, BUT I HAVEN'T HAD THE CHANCE TO GO THROUGH IT. UM, BECAUSE SO MANY DIFFERENT OPTIONS, BUT YEAH. YEAH. THERE'S PLENTY OF OPPORTUNITY TO STUDY THESE WOMEN AND SEE WHAT HAPPENED. WE HAVE ONE BACK THERE AND THEN WE'LL HAVE GO IN THE FRONT HERE. QUESTION ON, IN THE DAY OF 1800, IS THERE ANY PUSHBACK BY THE LOCAL? YEP. AND THEN NOW TODAY, IN TERMS OF NEW BUYING PROPERTY, WHAT KIND OF COMPENSATION AND WHAT KIND OF NOW CAN YOU TALK ABOUT? YEP. SO THE 1990S LAND ACQUISITION PROGRAM THAT SOUGHT TO PURCHASE 354,000 ACRES IS NOW OVER. IT WAS IN RESPONSE TO THE CLEAN WATER ACT AND THE SURFACE WATER TREATMENT ACT. THAT NEW YORK CITY HAD TO BUILD A FILTRATION AND TREATMENT PLANT. AND, AND NEW YORK CITY SAID, WE HAVE A BETTER IDEA. WE'LL MAKE SURE ALL THE WATER THAT GOES INTO OUR RESERVOIRS IS CLEAN AND THAT IT COMES OUT CLEAN. AND WE'LL DO THIS WITH TARGETED PURCHASES. SO THAT LAND ACQUISITION PROGRAMS SAYS GREAT THINGS LIKE, WE WILL NOT BUY VIABLE HOUSING. RIGHT? BUT WHAT A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE DOING IS BUYING THEIR NEIGHBOR'S PROPERTY, LETTING THE HOUSE FALL DOWN, SELL THE PROPERTY TO THE CITY, AND THEN THEY PUT A GATE UP AROUND THE WHOLE THING AND THEY HAVE A TAX FREE BACKYARD. SO TH THIS LAND ACQUISITION PROGRAM, ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT IS 475 PAGES LONG. I USED TO BE AN ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENTIST THAT DID THIS SORT OF WORK. SO I'M VERY GOOD AT READING THESE THINGS. THE PART ON HOW YOU'RE GOING TO PROTECT THE CULTURE AND HISTORY IS TWO PARAGRAPHS. AND IT SAYS IF WE ARE GONNA CAUSE THE DEMOLITION OF ANY BUILDING, WE WILL RECORD IT WITH THE STATE HISTORIC PRESERVATION OFFICE. FIRST. THE STATE HISTORIC PRESERVATION OFFICE HAS ZERO RECORDS FROM THE CITY'S LAND ACQUISITION PROGRAM. RIGHT. SO SOME OF THIS IS DID THEY INTEND THAT? LIKE DID THEY PRE-PLAN THAT? BUT THERE ARE PROPERTIES THAT IN THIS SYSTEM SAYS IT'S A PUBLIC ACCESS PROPERTY AND THERE IS NO WAY FOR ME TO GET ON IT WITHOUT TRESPASSING. AND ONE OF THESE PROPERTIES I USED TO BE ABLE TO GET ON, AND THE PERSON WHO BOUGHT THE NEIGHBOR'S HOUSE AND THEN LET IT FALL [01:10:01] DOWN AND SOLD IT, HE PUT A GATE. AND NOW IT SAYS PRIVATE PROPERTY. RIGHT? SO THERE IS A LOT OF UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES. SO THERE ARE SOME RULES, BUT I ASKED, AND, AND THIS PART IS IN THE BOOK, I ASKED NEW YORK CITY, WHAT HISTORIES DO YOU HAVE OF THESE PROPERTIES? AND THEIR SPOKESPERSON SAID, APRIL, THESE PROPERTIES HAVE NO HISTORIES. WOW. OKAY. THAT WAS THE GREATEST THING TO SAY. 'CAUSE I PROBABLY WOULD'VE GIVEN UP ON THIS PROJECT IF YOU DIDN'T SAY THAT TO ME. UM, SO THE ASN RESERVOIR, UH, HAD ABOUT A THOUSAND BUILDINGS DEMOLISHED BUILDING BUILDINGS, BUT IN 1906 AND 1907, THEY PAID PHOTOGRAPHERS TO TAKE PICTURES OF EVERY SINGLE BUILDING, INCLUDING EVERY COW PEN, EVERY ICE HOUSE. AND THEY'RE ALL IN THE ARCHIVES OF THE NEW YORK CITY DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION. FOR ME TO SEE THEM, THEY REQUIRE ME TO GO TO THE CITY, GO IN THERE, TAKES, YOU KNOW, FROM POUGHKEEPSIE CITY, LIKE THE EARLIEST I COULD GET THERE IS NINE 30 IN THE MORNING. YOU'RE LIKE, OH, WE WANT YOU THERE AT NINE. UM, COST ME ABOUT $75 ROUND TRIP. AND THEN THEY PUT ME ON A COMPUTER TO LOOK AT A PDF. RIGHT? UH, AND SO I DID THAT LIKE FOUR DAYS, AND I LOOKED AT THOUSANDS OF THESE FILES AND I SAID, WELL, WHERE'S THE REST? AND THEY SAID, WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT? THE FIRST FOLDER WAS THE LAST NAME WAS A, I GOT FROM THE, A'S TO THE S THEY DON'T KNOW WHERE THE REST ARE. RIGHT. THERE'S THIS AMAZING ARCHIVE OF THE ARCHITECTURE OF THIS HUGE TOWN, RIGHT. THIS COMMUNITY, EVERY SINGLE THING YOU'D EVER, YOU AND LOTS OF THESE PICTURES ARE PEOPLE'S HOUSES WITH LITTLE KIDS STANDING OUT FRONT WEARING THEIR BEST CLOTHES AND DOGS AND CATS AND CHICKENS AND ALL THESE THINGS. AND SO THEY SAID, OH, WE'LL, WHEN I WENT TO VIENNA, THEY SAID, WE'LL, WE'LL FIND THEM. IT'S BEEN A YEAR. YEAH. AND A LOT OF THEM, THEY'RE WATER DAMAGED, BUT SO IF YOU'RE INTO ARCHITECTURAL HISTORY, YOU KNOW, YOU COULD POKE AROUND. UH, THE WEST HURLEY LIBRARY HAS SOME ONLINE THAT THEY WERE ABLE TO GET SOME OF THEIRS. UM, BUT THE TOWN OF OLIVE IN GENERAL DOESN'T HAVE THEIRS AND THEY REALLY WOULD LIKE TO HAVE THEIRS. BUT IS THIS PUBLIC INFORMATION, IS IT PRIVATE INFORMATION IN GENERAL? THE DEP HAS SAID, DON'T CAUSE ANY TROUBLE FOR US. RIGHT. SO THAT'S, THEY DON'T MIND THAT I DO WHAT I DO, AS LONG AS YOU GUYS DON'T START FIGHTING ABOUT ANYTHING. BE QUIET. YEP. UM, A BIT FURTHER SOUTH IN NORTHERN WESTCHESTER. YEP. OLD MOUNT KISCO UHHUH WAS MOVED, AT LEAST A BUNCH OF HOUSES WERE MOVED. NEWCO MM-HMM . THAT PATTERN IN, AT, IN THE TOWN OF KENT AND THE TOWN OF OLIVE, NEW YORK CITY DIDN'T DO ANYTHING. IT WAS THE COMMUNITY MOVE THEMSELVES. SO I DON'T KNOW ABOUT YOURS, WHETHER IT THE CITY DID ANYTHING, THESE RELOCATIONS WERE JUST THE COMMUNITY DOING IT THEMSELVES. SO I WOULD HAVE TO LOOK INTO YOUR AREA, BUT BECAUSE IT'S TOO FAR AWAY FOR ME TO DRIVE STUDENTS TO, I HAVEN'T DONE DONE THE WORK DOWN THAT FAR. WELL, THANK YOU SO MUCH. SURE. THAT WAS JUST TERRIFIC. VICE PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD OF THE, SO I, I GUESS IT'S SORT OF COMMENTS SORT OF QUESTION. YEAH. I'D LIKE TO START OFF BY SAYING THAT YOUR RESEARCH IS AMAZING. THANK YOU. AND IT'S AN ENORMOUS CONTRIBUTION TO UNDERSTANDING THE HISTORY. BUT YOU KNOW, THERE, THERE ARE A LOT OF DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES. WE WOULD LIKE TO WORK WITH YOU AND STAY IN TOUCH MM-HMM . AND, AND THIS, YOUR PERSPECTIVE ADDS A LOT TO THE HISTORY. IF YOU READ THE SORT OF, UH, YOU KNOW, LIKE MID TO LATE 20TH CENTURY HISTORIES OF THE OLD PRO ECUADOR MM-HMM . UM, VERY OFTEN THE PEOPLE WHO OPPOSE THAT WHOSE LAND WAS TAKEN, ARE PRESENTED IN A WAY WHERE THEY'RE STANDING IN THE WAY OF THIS GREAT THING MM-HMM . AND, YOU KNOW, THEY, THERE WERE FARMERS WHO WOULD LIKE, THROW DEAD ANIMALS IN THE STREAMS TO SORT OF POLLUTE THE WATER AND TRY TO JUST, YOU KNOW, DISTURB THE WHOLE PROCESS. THEY WOULD TEAR DOWN FENCES THAT THE CITY BUILT. BUT IF YOU GO BACK THROUGH THE HISTORY OF DEVELOPMENT, YOU KNOW, WHERE THE COMMERCE WAS ORIGINALLY ON THE RIVER, THEN THERE WAS LIKE, YOU KNOW, THE ROADS AND THE RAILROAD AND THEN THE WATER SUPPLY AND THE HIGHWAY SYSTEM, YOU KNOW, EACH, EACH STAGE OF DEVELOPMENT HAD BENEFITS MM-HMM . AND, AND IT HURT CERTAIN PEOPLE. MM-HMM . AND IT'S VERY HARD TO, TO HAVE ONE PLACE WHERE YOU LAND. THAT'S THE PERFECT SOLUTION. AND I THINK EVEN IF YOU LOOK AT LIKE, THE DEVELOPMENT OF CENTRAL PARK MM-HMM . CENTRAL PARK IS AN INCREDIBLE ASSET FOR, FOR THE CITY AND THE WORLD. BUT IT ALSO HURT A LOT OF PEOPLE. YEAH. IT TOOK OUT SENECA VILLAGE, IT TOOK OUT YORKTOWN, RIGHT? YEAH. YEAH. SO I'M, I'M JUST SAYING I'M NOT SURE WHERE THE A [01:15:01] HUNDRED PERCENT RIGHT. THERE IS, THERE IS NEVER A HUNDRED PERCENT RIGHT IN ANYTHING. BUT THERE IS, LET'S THINK AND LET'S SLOW DOWN. AND THAT PROGRESS DOESN'T HAVE TO BE HURTFUL. SO MY SLOGAN WITH THE STUDENTS IS IF SOMEBODY SAYS IT'S FOR THE GREATER OR GOOD, THAT MEANS THERE'S A HELL OF A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO ARE GONNA SUFFER ON THAT NOTE. YEAH. YEAH. * This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.