Newsletter Summer 2024
Successful May 4th Work Party
MANY MANY HANDS WORKED HARD! It’s amazing what a group of people can accomplish in one morning! 25+ people converged on the OWLKILL Commons and Cambridge Food Coop properties for a spring cleanup. Folks had fun—reclaiming grassy areas, planting flowers, mulching, removing dead trees and tangled brush, and opening up greenspace on RR Avenue behind the Co-op….. Next time you’re in the neighborhood, check it out. Thank you to all, it really does take a village!
OWL KILL STREAM REVITALIZATION
One NY Forward project focuses on stabilizing and naturalizing the Owl Kill channel around the Green Victorian Footbridge.
The committee is working on a plan to collect all the necessary data to submit a permit application to DEC and Army Corps of Engineers. But rest assured, people are working to get this done.
Co-op/Owlkill Commons Clean Up Day
May 4, 2024 9:00am start.
Gather at 1 West Main Street (the Co-op parking lot) or in the Commons parking lot behind the old firehouse on Pearl Street.
Let’s join together to clean up the Co-op and Owlkill Commons properties. There are several areas of brush and overgrown sections to clean up, along with small trees that will need to cut. Our goal is to spruce up the properties for spring and summer, the upcoming Owlkill Festival May 19, and the return of the outdoor Cambridge Valley Farmers Market.
Please bring pruners, rakes, hand saws, weed-whackers, gloves and any other gardening or clean-up equipment you may want. There will be many types of jobs; from cutting and hauling brush and weeding /mulching gardens, to raking leaves and gravel. Many hands will make light work, and improved properties!
Please contact goodfood@cambridgefoodcoop.com or owlkillfest@cambridgecommunitypartnership.org for information or to sign up.
New Community Celebration in Cambridge
The Owlkill Festival, May 19 2024
Mark your calendars for the Owlkill Festival on Sunday, May 19th! Sponsored by the Cambridge Valley Farmers Market and the Cambridge Valley Community Development and Preservation Partnership ( aka Community Partnership), the festival will take place from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm in the park at Owlkill Commons by the green pedestrian bridge at 17 West Main Street.
The day will begin with the Cambridge Valley Farmers Market selling produce, plants, and pastries, along with many other locally sourced and produced items, including seafood, meats, eggs and bread. Hubbard Hall Ballet Dancers will perform, followed by a musical performance from the Hubbard Hall Cabaret. The Irish Step Dancers from Hubbard Hall will demonstrate their skills a little later in the day.
Live music on the lawn begins at 10:30 with the Creekside Sinners, a local duet with lots of heart and soul. The Drum with Joy Ensemble will add rhythm to the day, beginning at noon. The last performance of the day (approximately 1:30-3:30) will be The Hill Hollow Quintet, a bluegrass/folk/Americana band with Barry Hyman and friends. Bring chairs and blankets, and plan on staying all day!
We are thrilled to have three food trucks on site for the afternoon. Casa Reyes, Cut the Pie, and Lorraine’s Nachos will be serving delicious fare. Finish up your lunch with ice cream from Farmers Cone Creamery and a cookie or scone from Moon Scones.
We are hosting a Duck Derby along the Owl Kill. Adopt a rubber duck for the afternoon and watch it race down the Owl Kill. It will be more of a sprint than a marathon, but it should be exciting. For $5 a duck, you can cheer on your bright yellow friend. Winners will receive prizes generously donated by Argyle Brewing, Battenkill Books, Black Dog Wines & Spirits, Country Gals Cafe, and Over the Moon. There will be 2 races; starting time is approximately 2:30. The first race is for ages under 21, and the second for ages 21 and over. The whole family can get involved! All proceeds from the race will be used to help restore the Owl Kill stream bed and park, along with the Commons area.
Community groups from the area will have information booths, demonstrations, and plants. The local FFA chapter will bring animals! Find out more about our local Cambridge Historical Society, Rescue Squad, Hubbard Hall and more.
Get involved, make donations, and enjoy all the community has to offer.
The goal of the Owlkill Festival is to build community, support the Farmers Market, and raise awareness and support for the Owlkill Commons initiative. Keep an eye on our Cambridge Valley Farmers Market and Cambridge Community Partnership Facebook pages for updates, or visit the cambridgecommunitypartnership.org website latest news page.
December 2023
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August 2023
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July 29, 2023
Retaining Wall Options along the Owlkill by the Green Footbridge
The Community Partnership hosted a discussion on Weds. July 26th from 6-7 pm about next steps with regard to the collapsing and crumbing retaining walls along the Owlkill near the Green Bridge. A committee has been hard at work exploring various options—one potential option could include naturalizing portions of the stream channel near the Green Bridge. These are the 3 options proposed. If you have a preference to one over the others, please email Sarah at sashton5@verizon.net.
July20 2023
Status of Retaining Walls Along the Owlkill by the Green Footbridge: Weds. July 26th 6pm
July 2023
Owlkill Commons Continues to Make Progress
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- 9 West Exterior west wall
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- interior renovation
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- 9 West interior construction
People all over town are noticing the contractor activity at Owlkill Commons. Cory Record and Chad Burr and their team continue the work of framing and building out the first-floor space at 9 West Main. They’re doing a great job, so if you happen to walk by while they’re at work, give them a “thank you!”.
June 2023
Cambridge Kicks Off Our NY Forward Funding Initiative
How will Cambridge spend the $2.25 Million from NY Forward?
We have begun a process to answer that question. Cambridge has been paired with a consultant team and a project manager who will help guide our community through a targeted, community-based planning process. Click here to learn more about the process, who’s involved, the project scope, timing, status and more.
May 2023
Farmers Market has a New Location
– Welcome to Owlkill Commons!
Market sign and footbridge
Click here (or see their Facebook page) to learn more about the Cambridge Valley Farmers Market, which is now at Owlkill Commons every Sunday through October from 10:00 to 1:00.
farmers market opening day
May 2023
Thank You, Volunteers – What a Difference You’ve Made!
Volunteer clean up day May 2023
Many volunteers rolled up their sleeves and tackled various tasks on a warm, sunny Sunday morning in May. It was hard work, but it was also lots of fun. Brush was removed. Tree limbs and branches were cleared. A fence was erected and flowers were planted near the Owlkill. The Cambridge Valley Farmers Market placed picnic tables on the lawn near the footbridge for the whole community to enjoy. So many people, so may improvements. What a difference!
Volunteers in May 2023
Our sincere thanks to all those who volunteered, donated, or otherwise contributed. Because of you and Cambridge’s community spirit, Owlkill Commons is beginning to take shape. There is much more to be done, but we are on the way!
Community Partnership Van Hook Painting Raffle a Success
3/14/23
Hello, friends and neighbors!
Update on the Owlkill Commons Project!!! The raffle has ended… We are pleased to report that the winning raffle ticket was won by Duffy White who is a Cambridge native. Duffy attended Cambridge Central School but lives in Connecticut now. He noted “My heart belongs to Cambridge. Whenever I go back, I walk up ‘Reynold’s Hill’ to take a look at the mountains. My first job was working for Ted Reynolds.” He also noted that he’d never won a raffle before and so glad when he did it was art.” We are happy that this raffle of the fabulous George Van Hook painting of the Reynolds farm, “Autumn Lane,” has boosted interest in the Commons and helped raise nearly $10,000 to advance lumberyard components of the Owlkill Commons Revitalization Initiative.
You may have heard that the Village of Cambridge has been granted a $2.25 million grant under the state’s New York Forward (NYF) Initiative. This grant is the result of collaboration between the village and the Community Partnership. The scope includes Cambridge’s Owlkill Commons initiative, plus much more.
The Village will now begin the process of developing a Strategic Investment Plan to revitalize our downtown center. A Local Planning Committee, led by our mayor and made up of municipal representatives, community leaders and other stakeholders, will lead the effort and will be supported by a team of private sector experts and state planners. The Strategic Investment Plan will examine local assets and opportunities to identify projects that align with our community’s vision and that are poised for implementation. Final funding will be awarded to selected projects that have the greatest potential to jumpstart revitalization and generate new opportunities for long-term growth in the village.
We are delighted that the Village was selected and excited about helping to turn Cambridge vision into Cambridge reality. Stay tuned for further updates from the Village as the process moves forward! Thanks for being a part of this exciting initiative and consider sharing your thoughts and visions for our village. For more information about the NY Forward program, please visit: https://www.ny.gov/programs/ny-forward.
Again, a great shout out to all the various supporters of this exciting initiative that will brighten the center of the village and enhance opportunities for everyone!
$2.25 Million Grant for Cambridge!
The Community Partnership is delighted that the Village of Cambridge has been granted a $2.25 million under the state’s New York Forward (NYF) Initiative. The scope includes Cambridge’s Owlkill Commons initiative, plus more.
The Village will now begin the process of developing Strategic Investment Plan to revitalize our downtown. A Local Planning Committee, led by our mayor and made up of municipal representatives, community leaders and other stakeholders will lead the effort, and will be supported by a team of private sector experts and state planners. The Strategic Investment Plan will examine local assets and opportunities to identify projects that align with our community’s vision and that are poised for implementation. Final funding will be awarded for selected projects from the Strategic Investment Plan that have the greatest potential to jumpstart revitalization and generate new opportunities for long-term growth.
We are delighted the Village was selected and excited about helping to turn Cambridge vision into Cambridge reality. Stay tuned for further updates fro the Village as the process moves forward! For more information about the NY Forward program please visit: https://www.ny.gov/programs/ny-forward.
Lean-To Shed Removed:
- Another Milestone Achieved
- Stewardship of Heritage, History and Resources
- Volunteer Spirit on Display
February 2023: Thanks to the work of many volunteers, and especially to Jeremy Alexander of Alexander Barnwood LLC, the Owlkill Commons project hit another key milestone. The old Lean-to building that was packed with “old stuff” has now been cleared. Read about the effort here (link to Eagle article). It was a great example of how we work hard to do things the right way: by preserving our precious donations and keeping cash costs to a minimum; with deep respect for heritage, history and the environment; as a collaborative community effort.
October 2022: Click here for our latest newsletter
Grant Request Submitted for $4.5 Million
In August, NYS launched the NY Forward program which aims “to invigorate and enliven downtowns in New York’s smaller and rural communities.” The Community Partnership joined the Village, the public library and other neighbors and broader community to advance a vision under the umbrella name of Owlkill Commons—submitting a $4.5 million grant request.
Village of Cambridge Receives New York Main Street Grant Award.
In December 2019, the HomeFront Development Corporation was awarded a $252,000 New York Main Street (NYMS) grant from the Housing Trust Fund Corporation to help facilitate the rehabilitation of four buildings in the Village of Cambridge: the Cambridge Food Co-op at 1 West Main Street; 9 West Main Street (home of Henry’s Barbershop and an apartment); the former Rice Seed Company Victorian Building at 15 West Main Street and 4 East Main Street (former Agway building). Funds were also used to rehabilitate the Victorian Footbridge.