SCRUBBING WILBUR: SPRING CLEANING

Wilbur has been scrubbed and swept!

My helper and I spent a little time last week and today, preparing the hamlet of Wilbur for the city's street sweeper. I was worried that the frosty weather was going to force the rig back to the warm garage since it requires water usage. But victory was ours!

We raked enough of the sidewalk debris into the street to give the vacuum a bit of a struggle, but the result is terrific!

Having the sweeper cruise through a neighborhood is nice enough, but if you know the schedule, you can really take advantage of the machinery we've invested in.

I'm thinking the wooded corner of W Pierpont and McEntee this weekend. Any volunteers?

It's marshy, so waterproof boots are required and I'll be separating the recyclables from the trash.

Happy Spring!

THE NIGHTLIFE IN WILBUR

The nightlife in Wilbur is hoppin.

I went on one of my evening drives through town to check on some Ward issues and decided to check on the Feeney boat yard to see if there was any Friday night action. There was nothing, not a peep.

However, the Juke Box at Stan’s Brook Room was cranked and I discovered about 20 people crammed in the place singing along to Billy Joel’s Piano Man. What a sight!

Here it is 8:30 on a Friday, with all the fancy bars and restaurants uptown and down, and I stumble on the party in Wilbur. About half of the crowd was from the immediate area while the rest were from the Rondout and Eddyville.

As I walked in, a few people recognized me and asked questions about the council workings, but mostly focused on the New York State economy. Which lead to the expansion of the Feeney boat yard and the new structure across the street.

Stan jumped right in and praised the Feeney Brothers for finally getting the crew out of the winter weather, while others pointed out that not all industry is slowing down, with Feeney’s serving as an example.

Most of the locals got a letter from Planning asking if they had reservations regarding the new structure. They offered none.

The crew was working on the roof structure when I saw them this Saturday morning and the other yard employees were all over the big tug boat.

Operating through 114 years of good and bad times, the Feeney’s have adapted to the needs of the times, and although their work load has picked up a bit lately, they still provide a good indication that not all of our local industry is heading to China.

Stan’s Brook Room is the only Bar in Ward Nine and its located right next to Riverside Pizza[pictured right] the only pizzeria in the ward as well a next to Fire House Studio, the only Gallery in the ward.

If you can find parking, have a visit.