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Wallkill Valley Times , Wednesday , September 28 , 2016

PUBLIC AGENDA

WEDNESDAY , SEPTEMBER 28 Crawford Planning Board , 7 p . m . Town Hall , 121 Route 302 , Pine Bush . Village of Montgomery Planning Board , 7:30 p . m ., Village Hall , 133 Clinton Street .

MONDAY , OCTOBER 3

Village of Walden Planning Board work session , 7:30 p . m . Village Hall , 1 Municipal Square .

TUESDAY , OCTOBER 4

Walden Village Board of Trustees , 6:30 p . m . Village Hall , 1 Municipal Square . Town of Shawangunk Planning Board , 7 p . m . Town Hall , 14 Central Ave ., Wallkill . Montgomery Village Board , 7:30 p . m ., Village Hall , 133 Clinton Street .

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The Wallkill Valley Times , ( USPS 699-490 ) is a weekly newspaper published every Wednesday at Newburgh , N . Y . 12550 , with offices at 300 Stony Brook Court , Newburgh , N . Y . . Single copy : $ 1 at newsstand . By mail in Orange , Ulster or Sullivan Counties : $ 40 annually , $ 44 out of county . Periodicals permit at Newburgh , N . Y . POSTMASTER : Send address changes to Wallkill Valley Times , 300 Stony Brook Court , Newburgh , N . Y . 12550

By JESSICA COHEN jcohen @ tcnewspapers . com

Twelve businesses with products ranging from high protein banana bread to cuckoo clocks were honored by the Town of Montgomery Chamber of Commerce last Wednesday for their contribution to the town ’ s well-being . They varied in age from not yet two to over a hundred years old .

At the age of one and a half , Montgomery Book Exchange feeds and is fed by local literary appetites . Owner Walter Pahuki gets all his books from donations , for which he give credits toward purchases . “ I don ’ t buy any books ,” he says . He attracts book lovers with events , including open mic poetry readings every second Tuesday of the month . A featured poet reads for 30 minutes , and perhaps a dozen others read for five minutes each , some presenting others ’ work .

“ It ’ s one of 10 monthly poetry readings around the county ,” he said . “ At our last reading , we had 19 people and a dog .”

Local authors are numerous , he says , and they do readings and book signings once a month — whether romance , history , thriller , adventure , or children ’ s book . He has many children ’ s books and holds a children ’ s story time weekly . Teens come in to buy classics for their classes , and some sit in the store playing chess for hours , Pahuki says .

He credits the success of his wife Claire ’ s Ms . Claire ’ s Montessori School and Ms . Claire ’ s Music Cupboard with allowing him to run his bookstore without also doing the IT work that had been his profession .

Pahuki also notes the mutual support of other local businesses , including another chamber honoree , Eat This Bakery , which provides snacks for his events . Bakery owner Randi Greene , of Montgomery , says she started the bakery when her daughter ventured beyond baby food , and

Richard Hansen sells cuckoo clocks of many shapes and sizes at his store , the Cuckoo ’ s Nest .

Joan Buck Smith , right , was a home economics teacher for 30 years . She applied those domestic skills to turning her 201-year-old farm house into Buck ’ s Homestead B & B . Brenda Presnal , left , is her assistant innkeeper .

she began experimenting with adding fruits , vegetables and proteins to cookies .

“ I like to find out what people like to eat and make it healthy ,” she says .

She makes banana bread a high protein food by using egg whites , and she uses nutritious flax seeds in bran muffins instead of less healthy fats , like butter , soy oil , or hydrogenated oil . Gluten-free cupcakes and sugar-free truffles are also among her creations .

Another honoree , Joan Buck Smith , wanted to make use of the big house on her family ’ s farm . Now 201 years old , it has a secure place on Montgomery ’ s historic register .

“ The house had lots of bedrooms , and I added bathrooms ,” she said .

She had been a home economics teacher for 30 years , and all those domestic skills had a new outlet when she turned the house into Buck ’ s Homestead B & B .

“ I figured I could handle it ,” she said . “ My busiest month is October , when people come to enjoy the change of seasons . About half come from the city .”

She serves a four-course breakfast that includes a pineapple boat , strawberries and granola with yogurt , and eggs benedict .

Meanwhile , keeping track of time in a whimsical way , Richard Hansen has sold cuckoo clocks at the Cuckoo ’ s Nest for 19 years . The clocks proliferated in his family . His father , who died two years ago , had 800 , and his brother had 500 , Hansen said . He had been an engineer in middle management in Silicon Valley until 1994 , when his company went out of business , he said .

“ I had training in mechanics , so clocks were easy ,” he said .

He goes to wholesale clock shows several times a month .

“ They ’ re mostly old clocks . For sellers , it ’ s beneath them to look at new clocks ,” he said .

Eight other businesses were honored , including Cascarino ’ s Ristorante , 2 Tone Tatttoo , American Petroleum , Scott ’ s Corner Hardware , Montgomery Overall Service , Lucky Inn and Chinese Restaurant , Walden Animal Deli , and Sohn ’ s Appliance Center , which began in 1907 as a sheet music and instrument store .

Randi Greene , of Montgomery , owns Eat This Bakery , where she concocts nutritious baked goods .