Gilboa/Conesville News by Dorothy Pickett - Early June 2026

Welcome to the month of June! Finally, it sounds like the weather will be warming up all this week. Some days in May were pleasant, but most were cold and damp. In fact, Sunday morning I woke up to a touch of frost on the ground as I looked out the window toward the flagpole. Let’s hope we have a great summer. 

If anyone is missing a smokey gray cat with a flea and tick collar on it is living in my barn. This cat is very friendly, rubs up against you., meows and purrs ever so sweetly. Not sure if it is a male or female at this point.  I believe it is someone’s house cat as it wants to come inside or perhaps someone just dropped it off.  I would gladly take it in but with my Maggie Jean, I have decided that is not a good idea until I can get it checked at my vet, and then it will no longer live in the barn if an owner does not come forward.  It comes running from the barn as I have been feeding it. The only thing that scares me is it crosses the road and while eating, if it hears a car coming it runs ever so fast back to the barn across the road. I am so afraid it will get hit. I made up my mind to just feed it by the barn and keep it company. If this cat may be yours, call 518-827-6390.  

Thursday, I got the Zero turn out and drove up to my friend’s campsite and mowed their big field around the campers. Arriving back home I loaded my gator up and drove to the church where I got the weed whacking done. Back down to the house I got the John Deere started and yes, I mowed the church lawn. Later in the day I got everything weed whacked around my property. On Friday morning Diane arrived, and we drove to Laraway’s in Middleburgh for gas for the lawn mowers. Then arriving home, filling both John Deere’s, within a couple of hours the whole lawn was done. Someone told me they could never follow me around. My answer was I just love to mow. It is my time to relax, look around and just enjoy the beauty of our Gilboa while the mower does the work.

Saturday around 9:30am the power went out and the generator started within three seconds.  A quick call to NYSEG to report it. They said they had no outages. Waiting about ten minutes after the initial call I called again. I was told there were five residents without power in my area. Apparently, it takes a few minutes for the smart meters to signal an outage. About an hour later up the road came two NYSEG trucks. By 12:40 the power was restored. I am sure the high wind we were experiencing was what caused a branch or tree to come down on a line close by. I quickly got to the Gilboa Museum where Kevin Berner gave a talk on Bluebirds and how we can help them survive. Kevin kept everyone’s attention not only with his talk but his humor as well. Refreshments were enjoyed by all following the talk. On Sunday I, along with about twenty others, had a lot of laughs while enjoying a Charlie Chaplin movie in the community room at the museum. It was nice to have a brief visit with our Editor of the Mtn Eagle Matt Avitable.  Refreshments were for that event as well.  The museum has a full summer schedule of events. This coming Saturday, June 6, Artist, researcher, inventor, author and thinker, Tony Robbin will be speaking on patterns beginning at 1:00pm. Not only that, but A Garage Sale will also be held in the Red Barn on the museum grounds from 12noon to 4:00pm. If you would like to be a vendor for the Annual Gilboa Fest for more information, contact Linda at cholepj4@aol.com

A reminder: if you are planning to be a part of our Annual fourth of July Parade here in Flat Creek, please call Linda on 607-588-6400 to sign up. The parade lines up at Flat Creek Church at 11:30am and kicks off at 12:00noon. The church will have free hot dogs, chips and water.  If you have never attended our parade, you need only to stop along Flat Creek Road up from the church to view a fun filled parade in memory of our dear sweet boy the late William Terry. Back at the church following the parade a display of past parade pictures can be viewed inside the church. You can also join in some singing with Kathy at the piano inside as well. Spread the word, come join us. 

Back in Time: A history of Gilboa written by Dr. Benjamin Fanning between 1839-1861. “Besides Tom Mackey, Gilboa could at that time boast of many men of strength: The Hoaglands, Alexander, Hubbard & Jacob the McGears, McIntyres, Ed Wilson, Burt Chichester and many others. Later there were the Jonsons, a peaceful good set, but who never took any back talk. In Shew Hollow were the Deckers and Shews and at Broome Center, Henry Tibbitts, the Mores, James Chichester and the Lees, and it always was made interesting for any stranger who wanted to paint the town red. For some cause the reason for which I have forgotten, the Irish made three attempts to clean up Gilboa, and each time were badly defeated. The first time was when Henry Lawyer kept the upper hotel. A Piper being in town on a Saturday and the Irish wanting a dance, they went to Lawyer for his Ball Room. He let them have it with the distinct understanding that 12 o’clock midnight, they would quit dancing.  But when 12 o’clock came, they would not quit, and Lawyer locked his bar and refused to deal out any intoxicants to them. This so irritated them that Lawyer, fearing bodily harm, called Jack Hoagland behind the Bar to help him protect his property, and then the fight began. Jack would knock them down and kick them to the door, and Joel Case, a Giant in strength, would throw them out of the door, and most of them did not land until they struck the middle of the highway. Gilboa at that time had three mails a week via Catskill and only weekly papers for gleaning the news.”  

Prayer Concerns: Those who may be hurting at this writing. 

Birthdays: June 8 Karen Potter and Janice Merwin, June 9 Jim Manon

Anniversary: June 8 Luke and Stephanie Knap, June 10 Dave and Jan Bowdish, and Don and Kristine Mowers, June 13 Debbie and Glenn Lauria (Fl.)  All of you enjoy your birthday and anniversary Blessed in the Lord. 

Upcoming Events: 

June 5, 3-7pm Sunken City Cidery opens

June 6, 1:00pm Gilboa Museum hosts Tony Robbin with his art talk on patterns.  

June 6, 10:00am Conesville Historical Society will hold a Walk and Talk, located at 665 Bull Hill Road (John Riedl’s property) with Al Martel retired from DEC. He will be speaking on Conesville local forests.

June 6, 2-4pm Jefferson Historical Society will hold a JCS Alumni Reception 

June 6, 10:30-11:30am Yoga at Sunken City Cidery, 3-6pm live music with The Red Haired Strangers. Food truck available.

June 7, 3-6pm Sunken City Cidery with live music from Ron Gutierrez. The Stryker Food truck is available.  

June 7, 10am-4pm NYPA Visitor’s Center will hold their Annual Teddy Bear Picnic. Rain or shine more information call 800-724-030

Sunday Worship Services: 

Gilboa Methodist Church: 9:00am located on 990V, Gilboa with Pastor Dawn Richards. 

Flat Creek Baptist Church: Flat Creek Road, Gilboa with Pastor Paul Overbaugh, Sunday School 9:30am, Worship Service 10:30am. Coffee and fellowship follows in the church hall. Women’s Bible Study takes place on Thursdays 10:00am at Robinson Terrace Assisted Living Buntline Drive, Stamford. 

News is always welcome e-mail pickee@midtel.net