"… How is it that a group of full time working artists and artisans can survive through thick and thin providing world class product away from the major commercial hubs while continuing to enjoy a following international in scope?"

And especially this one from the about page:

"These are people whose work is of such excellence they have not only weathered the storms but flourished through some of the worst times America has seen."

Additionally, those who attacked me in the past for pointing out the special requirements of successful business in Sugar Loaf have all long since gone away.

They failed to listen and consequently failed in business.

Therefore I am free and happy to add a new page to the Guild website in order to continue the story about Sugar Loaf's unique past and how that past feeds into Sugar Loaf's bright future:

A book about THE oldest existing working-artist's studio (40 years and counting) in quite possibly the oldest surviving artist enclave in the United States!

Extra thanks for continued efforts helping us avoid a situation such as illustrated in this South Park video clip:

It is midterm summer, so the newest round of pretend "artists" are finished making trouble for the local economy and are now blasting off to their next adventure where they will continue adding to the trope of an "arts community" without artists.

Maybe one of them will succeed at turning their life around and qualify for the Sugar Loaf University
PhD Program in Studio Arts.

Everybody else buckle down and get ready for the next onslaught, in which fresh arrivals will again fail at becoming the new boss same as the old boss.

Why do startups always assume we are idiots (and broke) then refuse to listen to how they could get rich beyond their wildest dreams (like the rest of us) by just doing the right thing, following three simple steps:

1) make it yourself
2) open studio to public
3) keep full time hours

Maybe Botanical Rain will help them get it.

Hi Christiane : )

Great meeting near Union Square Park in New York City yesterday!

Glad to help you use up some of your corporate expense account.

Also good to confirm your outstanding credentials as a highly paid, highly skilled, organizational, efficiency, and future planning consultant for Fortune 50 (not 500 but 50) businesses.

[It has come my attention that I should be more explicit here: compared to the Fortune 500, the Fortune 50 means the top tier of the Fortune 500, the cream of the crop's cream (450 didn't make the cut); plus the scale is not evenly spaced, so just because a company makes it into the 500, the move up to the top 50 is logarithmically more difficult, and our friend Christiane advises only that rarified best of the best how to do even better; have I now been clear enough? Then back to our show ... ]

Even better to hear about your long standing status as a Foodie, before the term even existed.

So here is your once in a lifetime offer.

Cash in your corporate America chips (seems a total waste of time to me anyway), move to Sugar Loaf, open a haute cuisine bistro in the former Barnsider, and get rich and happy like the rest of us ... doing something you truly love.

In your case I guess it would be "get richer" not "get rich".

Currently a bunch of local losers have been dicking around looking at the old Barnsider property without pulling the trigger on it, but I (Bob Fugett) have massively useful insider information about the property (its problems), which would be very useful in negotiations to get the price down to an actual, workable, profitable term.

But on the plus side for the property, and you know the value of this for a certainty, the old Barnsider is just a few doors down from the Endico Watercolor Studio, not to mention near the world headquarters of the Sugar Loaf Guild, and within eyeshot of the Campus Center for Sugar Loaf University.

That should be more than enough to seal the deal for you.

However, you have also seen Santa Fe, so when you get to Sugar Loaf and realize the false facade of Santa Fe has its fucking doors blown the fuck off by the reality of Sugar Loaf ... well, you will see you have no choice.

Stop running around all over the world dealing with corporate assholes, come to Sugar Loaf, open your restaurant (write your memoirs), and live the independent dream!

I say this once, and once only.

See post #7383:
Shuntoo Ground

Plus added thanks for giving me the planning and land use terms NBD (Neighborhood Business District) versus NSC (Neighborhood Shopping Center).

Therefore, when I explain the logistics and infrastructural impossibility of Sugar Loaf ever becoming another facade arts community full of restaurants and galleries, BUT NO WORKING ARTISTS, you will truly get it!

In any case, you already do get (actually more than get) that the secret is:

1) make it yourself
2) open studio to public
3) keep full time hours

Everything else will work itself out.

07/17/17
Logs Summary Report

This post received viral response but all were judged clickie-loos (see: lookie-loo) - all single clicks from FB over to this article but not a single "deep" reader, not even one secondary click.

Like I said:

You have no power here ...

Extra thanks to LightClub for helping us be rid of that problem.

The process consists of someone coming to town with a foggy misguided business plan (at odds with the local economy) and following the four steps in which they:

1) blame their location
2) blame their signage
3) blame the rest of us
4) then they're gone

Never fails unless they:

1) make it themselves
2) open studio to public
3) keep full time hours

This year's end-of-life four steppers set a new high in nastiness and are therefore Sugar Loaf's Graduating Class of 2017: Valedictorians on the Way to Greener Pastures.

On the way out they brought Step 3 (blame the rest of us) to a new level by professing to "forgive", which is certainly easy enough to do when nobody has done anything to you.

For most of the full story, search Forum thread pages using: "you have no power here".

But in summary, when Veronica first looked through me with her sociopath's cold soulless lizard eyes, I thought she was just a little misguided.

She answered my 40 years of experience and informed explanation of what has worked, still works, and always will work in Sugar Loaf with: "What worked before doesn't always work again."

Then I caught the slight focused twitching of her head as she triangulated me like a Jurassic Park velociraptor cannily considering how best to disembowel its lunch.

If I chided her hocus pocus, I was too scientific.

If I pointed out her Facebook fraud, I was an old guy who was behind the technical times and not scientific enough.

It took a while for the rest of Sugar Loaf to see what I saw.

A number of locals had to witness for themselves the ugly screaming banshee (the harpy beneath) break through the high gloss of surface beauty peace-and-light bullshit in order for the other businesses to understand those frauds were running a good cop, bad cop scam on us.

As horrible as the drunken Brad was, he was only doing Veronica's bidding.

Good thing all of Bodhi Tree's businesses in the local malls finally failed, so no amount of shining that bad apple could keep it palatable.

While they were failing here, I just wish they had not taken over the Chamber and advertising (in standard stepper style), leaving the rest of us to explain to visitors as we try to reclaim Sugar Loaf's reputation now that Bodhi is gone.

By the way, the Sugar Loaf Chamber of Commerce still has not thanked Sugar Loaf Guild on their homepage for our $300 benefactor donation.

Hopefully, the next round of arriving wannabee artists will check into the Endico studio immediately, in order to get the rundown on how to enjoy raging success in Sugar Loaf — just like those of us who are paying attention.

Additionally, as important as avoiding the Sugar Loaf four step process may be, avoiding being one of the business communities four problem types would be helpful.

The four problem types are variations on the basic type which are those who rely on outside money so never have to respond to local business pressures:

1) trust fund babies
2) retiree-preneurs
3) grant grabbers
4) tax wife-offs

I guess it is time we should add "absentee landlord" to that list.

Just to be clear: My name is Bob Fugett, and I have absolutely not one tiny iota of power or authority in Sugar Loaf, nor do I want any.

The widespread perception that I routinely destroy people is merely the reporting done on my vociferous early warnings to them based on my clear observation of the truth of street level Sugar Loaf business.

I am always happy to give good counsel, but there are always some who refuse to listen, so it always appears as if I "took 'em out".

After 40 years of insane success, one would hope Mary could finally stop being questioned about her ability to make a living by ignorant people standing in front of her worktable ... where she has painted and sold more than 21,000 original watercolors — to people coming through the door, just like them.

Well, maybe not exactly like the two ignoramuses of today but people similar to them except with taste, brains, money, and a love of art.

Hopefully the next distracted wanderers will read this post first and leave Mary alone to do her work.

Whoops, sorry, I forgot those kinds of people generally can't read.

发自网易邮箱大师

See more photos

Apparently Sugar Loaf remains the world's first stop for excellence.

A Ph.D. from Great Britain read the article and stopped by the Endico studio confirming the quality of the program.

Mary reported that during my discussion with Dr. Bread, Judy Duboff (also in attendance) said, "It sounds like they are talking a different language."

Mary agreed, and I sent an immediate email to confirm solid contact information for future reference.

My email is copied right. -->

Writing about Mary's work and the artists I have been around always leaves me feeling like Dian Fossey reporting on the mountain gorillas.

I am privileged to see much about their culture, their habits, and their impact, that most people never get to see — especially given the widespread prejudice and misunderstanding that surrounds their lives.

In any case, the artists might not describe their work exactly the way I do, nor might others immediately see in that work what I recognize.

But here is the question.

Are Dian Fossey's subjects any less a gorilla for not knowing their phylum, or could people understand them any more if never having seen a rain-forest mountain?

Double thanks for confirming what I have been saying to Mary about the nature and difference of the Ph.D. Program in Studio Arts.

I had been encouraging Mary into a masters program, but her emails to various institutions were only being ignored.

For her to stand next to a Ph.D. who was seeing her studio first hand in person for the first time was priceless.

You gave Mary a great boost in confidence for what I am doing, so she redoubled her attack to breach the ramparts of academia and is now working on her masters.

As for me, now that my Ph.D. Program in Studio Arts is finally launched, I am considering you, Dr. Bread, as my first contact with the alien academic life forms.

Extra thanks.

Bob Fugett

Melissa accepted the Guild's $300.00 donation check and Manon cashed it, so an implicit acknowledgement of the Sugar Loaf Guild's existence and stature has finally been achieved.

There are also rumors they are refocusing efforts toward "Made in Sugar Loaf" with a draft proposal slogan of: From our hands to yours.

This new administration may signal a sea change in the Chamber's orientation toward the Sugar Loaf Community as a whole and portends a strong spring is on the way.

Therefore I am cautiously optimistic but will maintain a wait and see attitude hoping for published official recognition on the Chamber's website of the Guild's donation as a benefactor.

In any case, Mary, Clay, and I (plus numerous others) are still not members of the Chamber so have no voice in voting.

Probably just as well, for it is more important the organization itself develops and maintains its own strong process in order to bring it more in line with broader community concerns while becoming fully open to the public.

01/25/17 update
Milkweed cashed the Sugar Loaf Guild's $500.00 donation check for their "POLITICKED OFF" event as well.

Now I recognize it as the quick essential summary:

Mary is under strict orders to not let anybody through to me who has not at least read, understood, and been quizzed on that single page.

It has been said Mary and I are the only people in Sugar Loaf who are doing anything, so we have turned our focus to Endico and Sugar Loaf University while waiting for somebody else to arrive who breaks the dual modes of Sugar Loaf dysfunction described in the two outlines immediately below.

FOUR HARMFUL TYPES:
   1) trust fund babies
   2) retiree-preneurs
   3) grant grabbers
   4) tax wife-offs

Those types are in no way ever responsive to business pressures and routinely engage in the following dysfunctional actions.

FOUR STEP PROCESS:
   1) blame their location
   2) blame their signage
   3) blame the rest of us
   4) then they are gone

The two outlines above are placed here for quick and easy reference by any actual business who may soon arrive and wish to save time trying to figure out the problems they are facing (beyond the epidemic Opiod abuse with related instances of poor parenting).

Of course the best answer remains the simple and proven business model for success in Sugar Loaf.

PROVEN SUCCESS MODEL
   1) Make it yourself
   2) Open studio to public
   3) Keep full time hours

As an aside for any newly arriving actual business, be aware that Mary and I spent 7 months (2015-2016) running weekly, and fully published, open to the public meetings on the front boardwalk of the Endico watercolor studio while offering $100,000 for community projects, but nobody even bothered coming to make a suggestion.

Not surprisingly, we finally rescinded the offer and moved on to other things.

Obviously a number of people in Sugar Loaf are making a lot of money receiving grants and tax credits for their businesseses that are specifically designed to fail in order to qualify for assistance.

That fact is kept hidden, so it took five years of my own grueling detailed analytical research in order to understand what is going on around me and put together this quick summary.

To the next person who falls for their cries for help: good luck with them, and be careful out there.

My mistake was taking too much time to recognize that I was only trying to improve the lot of the already well to do ... whining bunch of crybabies though they be.

Mary sold another $6,000 dollar painting to a walk-in couple glad to be away from the crowds of New York City.

It is just one week past the last "big event", held once more by clueless shops still complaining about the worst fair ever, bad economy, and so on and so forth, but who have once again failed to show up for work today because it is just a regular "dead" day in the hamlet.

Idiots.

Bob is way past trying to explain it to them and has moved on to his next project.

Bob is working full time acquiring Sugar Loaf University accreditation and setting up a Ph.D. Program in Studio Arts.

Quick Overview Article
Delaware & Hudson Canvas
January 2017 (p. 10)

The licensing application process to establish Sugar Loaf University as a degree-granting institution in New York State has been initiated with the New York State Department of Education. (nysed.gov)

Therefore, Bob is no longer available for comment, but the Guild's fully established organizational infrastructure and web presence continues providing much needed protection against the long standing weaknesses of the horrid Sugar Loaf Chamber of Commerce.

Those weaknesses most recently allowed the now infamous LETTER OF LIES (page 2) to be sent to a highly respected 40 year mainstay business in the center of Sugar Loaf.

The letter was sent by two con artist quacks falsely using official letterhead before they predictably used up the local marks, packed up their snake oil, closed shop, and moved on to greener pasteurs.

Actually, even their much published leaving turned out to be just another lie, and most people now recognize the frauds for what they are.

Still, it cost Bob and Mary $2,200 to address the lies.

Never again, as they say.

Like I said...

As for the artist community, we continue moving full forward to the new Doctoral Program in Studio Arts and full accreditation of Sugar Loaf University!

Available is the Lenny Silver $1,000.00 study grant for use in any of the approved for-credit Sugar Loaf classes.

Bob now refers to being in Sugar Loaf as being on campus.

He has also given his own thesis (subject of his dissertation) a working popular title -

Otherwise, read this book, take the test, talk to Mary, prove you have an actual business in Sugar Loaf and are committed, and we will get the Guild Meetings going again.

TRIBE on Amazon

Bob Fugett has not read the book linked above but saw a snippet interview with the author and realized it is just what Bob has been talking about, and since it is based on first hand accounts of observed human behavior, it is undoubtedly correct ... plus the book saves Bob the trouble of having to write any more on the matter himself.

To: Mary ... Based on your original watercolor sales to foot traffic of visitors to Sugar Loaf coming into your studio, you are experiencing your third record year in a row despite the regular retail shops continuing to complain about the economy.

Additionally the Sugar Loaf Guild website is doing just fine running on its own (check Google) providing the perfect historical record of why our business has been so successful here, why our business was out of the ordinary way back when, why it remains out of the ordinary today, and how the successful artists in Sugar Loaf have been prime examples of the manner in which out of the ordinary businesses succeed in all times.

What we learned about the remainder of Sugar Loaf (aside from the artists) could have only been learned by our focused effort putting the Guild site together, so our findings will be gold for the appropriate newcomer.

In any case, we have insanely excellent skills for promoting and running a true business (proven), but until the day another true business does show up in Sugar Loaf we'll do well easing off Guild activities and focusing only on Endico.

Furthermore, given the fact we have been severely fooled numerous times in the last few years, we will do best by being very reluctant to believe another actual true business finally has arrived.

Aside from all that, it is very nice to still be on track for our ongoing 3rd record year in a row!

KeyTap Services

COMMITMENT

Back in the day the image above was always described as a monk protesting the war in Vietnam.

After my recent mentioning that Sugar Loaf has once again become an enclave of rational activisim, I took another look at the photo above.

I was reminded of it because I had started that post by stating:

"At the end of the 60's, as gushered walls of flaming turmoil, war, and unrest swirled around us, even our extreme hopeful youth was bare protection."

My newest search for the photo revealed that I had always misunderstood what was going on in it.

Turns out it was not a protest over the Vietnam war per se (or even war in general), but a protest of the brutality Buddhists were enduring at the hands of Vietnamese Catholics.

I thought, "Wow, guess I should see if I also misunderstood the other iconic photo of the day which placed its branding logo on that time."

COMMUNITY

Back in the day the image above was always described as the Saigon Chief of Police taking the law into his own hands and executing a "suspected" Viet Cong.

Turns out the guy on the right had just been caught overseeing his newly orchestrated mass grave containing 30 of the shooter's deputies and/or their family members (kids and whatnot).

Not enough evidence for a U.S. trial and conviction but pretty damning evidence pointing like that gun toward a known death squad leader.

In any case, the two photos (self-immolation at left and execution at right) are tied together by the fact that the person holding the gun was in fact a Catholic leader.

The photographer of the photo on the left of the burning monk later bemoaned the fact that this was not the only self-immolation he witnessed and photographed.

And the photographer of the impromptu execution on the right later apologized to the person holding the gun for allowing such an egregious misrepresentation of the facts to be published.

All three subjects of both photos (plus the photographers) felt they were showing a commitment to community.

My money goes to the burning monk because spending time around people of such true commitment gave me the tools to recognize when scammers moved into my community and pretended to be such, while stealing one of Buddhism's primary spiritual icons to use as a venal branding logo in as disgusting a manner as it would be to use a Christian crucifix for labeling S&M toys.

I continue proudly broadcasting this truth, despite my community having given me similar treatment as being given to the death squad leader (upper right) when I began pointing out the problem.

What might be next in Sugar Loaf, a swastika logo applied to a new line of kosher meats?

My vote for most faithful to community also comes down on the side of the monk because close to the time of the photo I had filled out my own Conscientious Objector paperwork, and I was just getting ready to pack my bags for jail when I got the letter stating they were not going to make it up to my draft number.

I might mention also that I had no intention of going to Canada but expected my time would be better spent in jail organizing resistance to the war and imperialism in general.

Of course I was a total idiot further thinking that if anybody ever did shove a gun in my face and tell me to go shoot somebody, my best course of action would be to accept the gun and use it to shoot the person who had handed it to me.

Yes, I was one fucked up stupid kid.

I would be remiss if I failed to remind that while we are (all of us) here couched in our cushy little imperousnesses, pretending that showing up for a rally once in a while displays commitment, there are robotic drones with our tax dollars taped to them still raining havoc on people in those far away places, in our very own names.

I'm not sayin' ... I'm just sayin' ... be as fearful as you are persuaded about our prospects, but ISIL can never win because eventually they are going to run into Buddhists who will only say, "You can't fire me; I quit! You can't cut off my head; I'll just set myself on fire! And by the way, peace and love."

Foul missapropriations of Buddhist sacred semiotic according to the current alt-Sugar Loaf mode du jour notwithstanding, true culturally deep commitments to spiritual enlightenment do exist in the world.

Can anyone look at that monk afire and seriously tell me we can't garner even enough commitment to open our studios full-time but choose instead to waste our effort on sporadic nighttime and yearly party events?

The commitment required to make it as a Sugar Loaf artist is very similar to the commitment being displayed by the monk upper left.

On the other hand there is no place except Sugar Loaf where it is even remotely possible to make a living as an independent working artist.

Somebody should also point out art is not just pretty pictures but sometimes actually says something.

Art is war and always has been a blood sport.

Click Image

***********

The image at right shows why I know so much about street level nano businesses based on walk-in foot traffic — I was born to it.

There is a significant pathos to that photo, and I will be filling in the details slowly.

Julie, you ended up being the only person finding the "hidden" Boblog who was regularly reading (other than Mary), so I started talking just to you but decided two posts should be brought over from it and correctly floated here to the top of the old forum as instructive to people arriving for the first time.

I like to post live and then work on pieces in front of the world's eyes.

It adds a certain urgency and keeps me moving ahead.

You may gain from the photo, that I have always been comfortable in the company of women, and until recently I spent my life being coddled by them and only ever wished to be coddled just once more and maybe a little longer.

However, when I started updating the Sugar Loaf Guild website (a few years ago), I found that a group of women had moved into Sugar Loaf who have established a culture that automatically defines me as evil incarnate and pure putrid villainy simply because I was born with an appendage.

They do not need to know me, only that I am a man.

At this point, anything I do is rolled back as aggressive behavior.

Mary explained to you how we have been treated, and you were aghast.

In Mary's case, I believe they hate her simply because she is a true woman of independence ... and successful.

But that is all water under the bridge, so when you were visiting the Endico studio Sunday (observing Mary selling one of her $600 paintings to a return customer), I was on a 40 mile bicycle ride trying to get my life back.

Right now I am going out for a 4 mile run on mountain trails.

Below is a photo of the former Bob I am working to reclaim.

It is a photo taken a little over 3 years ago just about the time I was starting the Sugar Loaf Guild upgrade project, so it was well before my current condition which Mary likes to call PTSD (Post Traumatic Sugar Loaf Disorder):

Bob Fugett
10/04/2012
Town Hall Meeting
Woodbury, NY

In the photo above I was explaining to a Town Board that I was attacked by two motorcyclists while riding my bicycle in their town.

You can see how at the time I could easily believe I had plenty of excess energy to give back to my community and help out my fellow Sugar Loaf residents.

Except that is in the past, this website is done, and I am now reclaiming the Bob that was buried by the development process but still lies within.

I will fill in the tragic story of the photo at right bit by bit; no hurry with that, but lots of hurry getting back in shape.

Bob Fugett
New Years Eve 1953
Center Main Restaurant
London, OH

I first saw the photo above 63 years after it was taken, and my immediate response was a blasé snort.

"Cute, me as a kid with my two sisters and some waitresses in my mom's restaurant."

My mom was an early adopter of cameras, so she became the family chronicler, a photographer.

I thought, "Probably my mom took that picture. Big yawn, but it does explain why I know so much about street level nano businesses that are based on walk-in foot traffic — I was born to it."

Then I was captured by the obvious power, exuberance, and extreme hope beaming through the eyes of the worker in the white floral blouse behind me.

"I wonder who that was? I have a smattering of half memories of the other two waitresses (and lots about my sisters of course), but I have no memory of the waitress behind me. Nor anything like her. You'd think I'd have remembered somebody like that, but nothing."

I started looking for clues in the photo.

As for the white floral blouse, there was something familiar about it, but I was sure I never saw such a woman.

From the clock, the calendar, I got the time, the date.

It was midnight New Year's Eve 1953; I was almost 3, and that was the year ...

That blouse!

A low moan of realization started from nowhere with no effort and no air; my eyes widened slightly; I tried to look away from what I never wanted to see, but the entire scene crushed into my lungs and began supporting the growing gusher of a furious and unremitting wail.

NooOOO!!!

That woman was my mother, it was a blouse she had made herself, always made them with that same floral print material.

Except that woman in the picture was a woman I never knew.

And the reason I never knew her was revealed by the calendar ominously poised behind her showing that three months later her life and her anticipation of a certainly approaching golden future would be destroyed, along with the rending of the family around me.

She would never be the same, and the family would be stricken with intractable dysfunction.

Her name was Virgie (not short for Virginia), and she was an overly permanent constant fixture in my life until college.

Yet I knew her not at all.

20/20 hindsight poured out a tidal tragedy filling to the brim that room of the long ago restaurant, and still I could do nothing but look on as those ghostly imaged people, prisoned in an eternal flashed moment, began to struggle and claw each other deep down and silent into their tidal drown.

All of that and more from a single vintage photo alternately compressing into its deep predicate past then telescoping decades forward through its frightening inevitable perfect future all the while shifting tight in its forlorn meager barely appreciated present.

Would stepping back a few years to fill in the buildup portend the horror?

Why was that strong forward leaning woman (my mother I never knew) so uncustomarily confident and fresh?

What place had she come from that allowed this grueling self-owned independent nano business (Fugett's Center Main Restaurant) to manifest such a wondrously exciting circumstance for her?

[ 05/14/16 - Whoops, I must take this writing further underground because somebody has started showing up regularly who would dearly love to steal it; so in order to continue reading, my premium subscribers can go to, well, you know where you can go.

Others might like to see the street where the restaurant in the photo above was located:

Click to enlarge

On the far corner of the first block was my dad's restaurant.

In the center of the second block was my mom's restaurant.

chef's cap from
Fugett's Restaurants
2 E. 2nd Street
58 S. Main

My parents divided the duties but ran the restaurants in tandem, a close-knit team working together, until ... well no, you'll never guess.

Otherwise, the consideration of everything combined goes a long way toward explaining why I have always been so slow to recognize dysfunction, especially in Sugar Loaf, even after I saw my neighbor across the street being hauled away by ambulance in the dead of night after an opioid overdose.

Though I knew it would never be mentioned, and it never has.

I have the power to look dysfunction square in the face and never recognize it.

On the other hand, across the street from my dad's restaurant was a family owned business that is now going on 100 years successful through thick and thin.

Therefore the summed total of that environment and my place in it reveals how I gained my thorough understanding of street level walk-in business — I was born to it. ]

All things considered, looks like my work here is done ... : )

In the last few posts we have resoundingly kicked off the return to high-end quality art shows and made one final Sugar Loaf deep-history referral.

We also succeeded with the main goal of the Sugar Loaf Guild weekly meetings and posted the final installment.

Are we good or what!?

Time to shut this puppy down.

The warmup is over; time for literature!

They kept in touch with Joanne long after she left Sugar Loaf.

I believe she is 91 or 92 years old, living in an assisted living home in Rockland County.

Terry and Ray will know.

It was 'that' kind of town.

Bullshit is spelled 'BULLSHIT'.

The future is now and always has been.

No place is ever free of crime.

I never said the quiz was going to be easy.

I will be here all day till 5:00 pm, and Mary can get you through.

I notice from my morning website usage logs that you only saw some of the old Forum postings, so make sure you do your homework by reading the stories starting at It Was That Kind of Town.

Those stories will answer most of your questions about Sugar Loaf, and there will be a quiz.

I would like to thank you for taking the time to speak with me the other weekend.

I was very impressed by your work and your business savvy.

I listened very closely to your advice and haven't stopped being curious about everything you said.

After I left your shop, I visited the woman potter next door and inquired about shows.

I wanted very much to make the opening on March 26th, but I had previously arranged family obligations.

After talking to Jessica, I took a stroll down Romer's Alley because I really wanted to see the stained glass shop.

It was closed of course (you had mentioned that being an issue, haha), so I found myself moments later walking into the only spot that was open — Milkweed.

I had a long talk with Brandon, and he even took me on a nice stroll across the way to where the former surrealist painter [Kurt Seligmann] and his eccentric French wife [Arlette] lived. Brandon had many interesting stories to tell about the two as he was explaining his project of creating a documentary film about the artist's life.

We even talked about running a summer camp program in his space.

I emailed Brandon about it the very next day to follow up, but I haven't heard back.

As I was thinking over the past couple of weeks, I started reading your husband, Bob's, forum, and now I am posting on it ... :)

I must say it's a lot to take in and understand especially since I am not in the situation and can't seem to fully understand the dynamic and current state of Sugarloaf, yet I still find myself incredibly intrigued.

I would be beyond ecstatic to have the opportunity to make a living as a working artist and would love to know and understand more about you and how you have come to be so successful.

Honestly, despite all of the frustration and politics you and Bob have to endure, I am still interested in finding a way in.

After all, I deal with crazy parents of great students (you wouldn't believe the politics in schools!!!), but I still love teaching.

Oh, did I mention I was also the kid who barely survived the playground?

I have become much stronger because of it.

Bob's post about his childhood hit home.

I learned how to simply create a better environment and situation for myself — choosing to pick flowers and sing songs in the field behind the school during recess, and I continue doing what I love regardless of anyone trying to get in my way. — I've always felt that being different meant that I was only braver than the average person who didn't have the guts to really stand up for what he/she believed in fear of being "different."

Ironic? Yes.

But then again life truly is ironic sometimes!

In the end, I am an artist.

I paint because I have to paint.

I have always found time to paint within a very busy schedule and can only imagine how much more I would make if it was my full time job.

Frankly, I moved out of Jersey City (which I thought would be a great artistic community full of opportunities) because I was tired of the "starving artist" mentality.

I wanted to be surrounded by people who were actively working towards a goal (which meant constantly making art, not just saying they were artists).

Sadly I only met a couple, but like in some of the comments in the forum a great deal of the artists I met also had "partying" at the top of their list of priorities.

It was not for me.

I didn't want being in the party scene every weekend to be my way of getting shows.

I'd much rather just be painting ... :)

Anyways, now that I have made you read this super long post (and probably taken away from your painting time), I would like to take you up on your offer for the upcoming festival and plan on visiting again in the next week.

Enjoy your Sunday and thank you again for your time.

Warm regards,
Julie Rogers

This is Bob.

Mary is already asleep resting-up for tomorrow's painting, sales, and dog walking (note that we are not partying ... saps too much energy).

Sorry for the brief delay on your posting, so let me answer the main issues first.

You state, "... I am still interested in finding a way in ... "

Done.

You are now officially in!

Your tendered application (this post) was fully accepted, and you are now a full member in good standing as part of this Sugar Loaf mad brawl.

Congratulations.

As for making a living as an artist here: far as I know Sugar Loaf is the one and only absolutely singular place on the planet that an artist actually can (in fact many of us do) make an independent living at it.

From what you wrote, I am guessing you are going to do very, very, well here.

Now watch while I do some quick copy editing of your note over there on the left (formatting really), all in real time, right here in front of the world.

I have kept a copy of your original locally to make sure I don't change the sense of your message, plus I will immediately change anything you decide goes astray.

Just give me a few moments to get things squared away ... my editing is rarely fast and never linear.

And yes, our side deck is open FREE for juried artists to set up and sell their own work during all festivals, and we do not ask a cent from any sales.

FUCK the new breed of money grubbers trying to make a branding buck off a tradition and reputation for artistic excellence we worked years to establish.

Screw 'em.

If I might make a suggestion for a goal and time frame:

1) Get your ASS to Sugar Loaf.

2) And right the fuck NOW!

Your fans and avid collectors await.

As an aside, Arlette Seligmann was not really eccentric, she just wouldn't put up with bullshit.

Thanks for writing, and special thanks for using your actual name.

At the end of the 60's, as gushered walls of flaming turmoil, war, and unrest swirled around us, even our extreme hopeful youth was bare protection.

Conflict, not a distant concept but everyday occurrence, was a constant.

Still (in that universal uproar) small pockets of young people gathered in useful groups of resistance and called it a happening.

Not unlike the fabled phoenix rising, Sugar Loaf has once again become the host of such gatherings.

Steeped in the long standing traditions of creative self sufficiency, MILKWEED has been hosting weekly get togethers centered on community — galvanized through the making of durable hand hewn answers to the world's needs.

Their first event was a grand opening chock full of entertainers, artists, and thoughtful young people from near and far.

A week later they organized a seed swap where local herbists and growers got together to trade practical tips with proven seed stocks and stories.

This week they held a clothes swap which brought out the best of the local artists with new and vintage clothing for trading amongst themselves.

Items not immediately useful were passed on to charity sales and give-aways for those not fortunate enough to have been part of the inaugural event.

Coming up next week they are going to have a book swap!

These people know that one does not need to beg waiting in line for government and corporate grant money in order to put together small simple life changing events of cultural significance.

This type of self initiated massively creative group effort, energetically centered around a strong and passionate common interest, has become somewhat rare.

I have been lucky enough to see a culture based on such commonality only twice before.

The first time was the Sugar Loaf that Mary Endico and I came to in 1976, but that is a history well covered by the rest of the Sugar Loaf Guild website.

The second time was when I first arrived at a local bicycling club where the ride was the thing.

Group rides were going out every weekday, and people thought nothing of epic 100 mile rides both Saturday and Sunday morning where tiny groups of boisterous, howling, trash talking, thoroughly entertaining and rabidly enthused athletic riders attacked mountain and valley in friendly competition throughout Orange, Rockland, Sussex, Ulster, and beyond.

I gave up on ever seeing such a community again, but here it is right down the street.

These young artistic folks are working together to teach, clothe, and feed the world.

Right under our noses ... it's HAPPENING!

Thank you so much for the feedback and for using the COMPARE page, so we could see how people like to use it.

Due to your interest the COMPARE page is now automatically private and personal for everybody who uses it ... no sign-in required.

Choices can then be easily shared to the DECIDE page for others to enjoy ... at your discretion!

Mary is going to be thrilled that you guys like the watercolor!

Thanks again for all the help.

Bob

Although I have no love for computers and digital technology, I am very much aware there are millions of people who would kill to have the same opportunity that I have had to own the tools and time to build the websites and processes that you have given me the opportunity to construct ... and in that way express my ideas about community and human potential by publishing them as functional illustrative concrete first hand examples.

I never lose sight of my fortune.

Thanks. -b

To be perfectly clear, the Sugar Loaf Guild (the oldest continuous merchants group within Sugar Loaf promoting and servicing the oldest most successful businesses in the hamlet) maintains a standing offer to:

1) Grant $100,000 to town promotions for projects approved through process.

2) Provide the services of Mary Endico running events in the manner of the much lauded high-quality events of the past.

3) Loan out Bob Fugett to setup, run, and train a replacement to chair Sugar Loaf Chamber of Commerce Meetings, if the community decides the currently defunct organization should be revived.

Otherwise the Mission Statement of the Sugar Loaf Guild is to describe the unique economic environment of Sugar Loaf, New York, and promote the three (3) proven aspects of successful businesses within it, which are:

a) make it yourself
b) open studio to the public
c) keep full-time hours

Otherwise, everybody should remember all the art, photography, and craft shows that Mary Endico ran her first 8 years in Sugar Loaf, and it should be remembered how those shows were run, and how the resulting nature of those shows built the long lasting reputation of Sugar Loaf as a tiny Mecca for the arts.

Mary has expressed a willingness to run the shows again despite the distraction away from her ongoing successful art business, an art business which is based on the principles expressed through the success of those shows she ran in the past.

As for Bob Fugett, among numerous other community services, he spent 8 years as a member of the Town of Chester Planning Board (the town wherein Sugar Loaf resides), and Bob fully understands community democratic process; plus he actually chaired Planning Board Meetings in cases where possible conflicts of interest were identified regarding the regular chairperson; not to mention, those meetings were held before standing room only extremely hot public gatherings being filmed by local television. Bob is very comfortable working under fire, in fact seems to enjoy it when discussing issues of great local importance.

In conclusion, the offer of a $100,000 grant is money Bob and Mary would have otherwise spent on town promotions as part of their usual routine, but they have decided it should be withheld until a consensus is reached on the record about how best to spend it.

So there you have it.

No more complaining about not enough volunteers nor enough local money to be spent on local projects.

The Sugar Loaf Guild maintains standing offers to:

1) Grant $100,000 to town promotions for projects approved through process.

2) Provide the services of Mary Endico running events in the manner of the much lauded high-quality events of the past.

3) Loan out Bob Fugett to setup, run, and train a replacement to chair Sugar Loaf Chamber meetings if the community ever decides the currently defunct organization should be revived.

Otherwise the Mission Statement of the Sugar Loaf Guild remains to describe the unique economic environment of Sugar Loaf, New York, and promote the three (3) proven aspects of successful businesses within it, which are:

a) make it yourself
b) open studio to the public
c) keep full-time hours

Perfect clarity!

What does it mean?

The painting shown was one being done as a demo for the tour group from Ohio.

The painting that went to China is easier to understand as named (given image and context), plus much smaller:

Dissected World View
Endico watercolor
currently on tour
in China

Mary Endico was complaining a couple weeks ago about how everybody has been attacking us.

It has been a whirlwind last 4 years with us deeply involved establishing the conceptual basis, technical infrastructure, and financial underpinnings for the new improved Sugar Loaf Guild in order to assure its survival far into the future.

So it is not surprising Mary would be upset believing every single person benefitting from our effort only turned around and attacked us for it.

I countered, "Everybody? I don't think it has been 'everybody'. Didn't Kat thank us just yesterday? And come to think of it Aaron, across the street from her, has always been very supportive, seems to totally get it. Plus of course there's Clay Boone, and the Canvas, and ..."

Mary came up with a couple names on her own.

I suggested she make a list of people who have gone out of their way to thank us, "Kind of a count your blessings sort of thing. I'll post it kicking off the New Year."

The results were astonishing.

Turns out only a very few people (the criminals we uncovered) have been attacking us; they are just doing it so loudly we forgot how many people are proud to be part of what we have done.

It may seem like a quaint old-timey sentiment, for somebody to take the time to send a thank you, but it has been very much appreciated.

First on the list are those names most familiar to the rest of Sugar Loaf because these people live and/or have businesses here, now or in the recent past.

Cue music and roll credits:

Dana Andrews
Olivia Baldwin
Kristina Bauman
Clay Boone
Terry Boswell
Randy Brown
Liz Censulo
Spencer Effron
Debbie Femiak
Jennifer Flis
Alicia Frosini
Sharon Galbraith
DeWitt Gardner
Denise Griggs
Kelly Jane Hacker
Aaron Houck
Ada Jo Hunter
Irisha Johnson
Matt Kannon
Kevin Kern
Brad Kibbler
Francesca Pou Kirchemer
Ken Kroslak
Susan Logothetis
Christine Louvet
Ro Lowey
Mark Lunde
Charlie Maninno
Anne Marie McKevitt
Patrick McKevitt
Kim Mednikoff
Kat Parrella
Judith D Predmore
Kate Rienecker
Bruce Roberts
Connie Rose
Bill Rossiter
Jennifer Shortess
Lenny Silver
Cheryl Simpson
Vickie Stelmach
Alan Stenberg
Santa Tim Stocken
Peter Von Uchtrup
Ryan Tawpash
Wendy Wyler
Stefan Zungoli

Next on the list are people a little removed from the central core of the Sugar Loaf business community ... but just as much appreciated.

Glen Babikian
Georgianne Barlow
Barbara Bedell
Dan Bloom
Corinne Brady
Liz Colman
Terry Colman
Lisa Cavanagh
Cheryl Feichter
Matt Feichter
Marc Grearson
Dr Larry Grogin
Christiane Groth
Cindy Henry
Dr Nathan Johnson
Sophia Krcic
Michelle Louise
Joan Meredith
Laura Miller
Heide Moeller
Denise Faldowski Notbohm
Adriana Owens
Cliff Patrick
Doug Phillips
Rosemary Phillips
Pam Plab
Barry Plaxen
Richard Price
Joan Ross
Bill Signor
Tuni Weiss
Carol Taynton Wilson
Kim Zeller

One shoud not automatically assume somebody is a criminal because they are missing from the list above; just keep a careful eye on them.

In order for a community to thrive, somebody has to stay in close touch with what and where it is, so Mary and I have been doing exactly that.

To all the people listed: Happy New Year, and thanks right back at you!

Mary thanked Barbara Bedell for making sure the Times Herald Record published the press release about Mary's painting now in the international show in China.

Mention of Endico
watercolor in major
international show
currently in China

Barbara wrote back:

"How thoughtful, Mary. Thank YOU. All the best to you too."

Yes, we keep a record of all such things.

Thanks to Matt Feichter for taking the photo of Mary with her painting.

Everybody should scoot right over to Kat Parrella and get some actual paper products for sending out your own thank you's, condolences, and best wishes.

Before I forget, special mention also has to go to Cliff Patrick, after he withstood the onslaught of people demanding the Chester Historical Society remove its link to the Sugar Loaf Historical Museum page.

I say withstood, but actually Cliff just laughed it off because it was only one request, truly stupid, and from somebody who has already left town.

But I really, really, really appreciate Cliff taking care of it anyway.

For added clarity once more the list of Guild well-wishers.

Cue music and roll credits:

Dana Andrews
Olivia Baldwin
Kristina Bauman
Clay Boone
Terry Boswell
Randy Brown
Liz Censulo
Spencer Effron
Debbie Femiak
Jennifer Flis
Alicia Frosini
Sharon Galbraith
DeWitt Gardner
Denise Griggs
Kelly Jane Hacker
Aaron Houck
Ada Jo Hunter
Irisha Johnson
Matt Kannon
Kevin Kern
Brad Kibbler
Francesca Pou Kirchemer
Ken Kroslak
Susan Logothetis
Christine Louvet
Ro Lowey
Mark Lunde
Charlie Maninno
Anne Marie McKevitt
Patrick McKevitt
Kim Mednikoff
Kat Parrella
Judith D Predmore
Kate Rienecker
Bruce Roberts
Connie Rose
Bill Rossiter
Jennifer Shortess
Lenny Silver
Cheryl Simpson
Vickie Stelmach
Alan Stenberg
Santa Tim Stocken
Peter Von Uchtrup
Ryan Tawpash
Wendy Wyler
Stefan Zungoli

Next on the list are people a little removed from the central core of the Sugar Loaf business community ... but as much appreciated.

Glen Babikian
Georgianne Barlow
Barbara Bedell
Dan Bloom
Corinne Brady
Liz Colman
Terry Colman
Lisa Cavanagh
Cheryl Feichter
Matt Feichter
Marc Grearson
Dr Larry Grogin
Christiane Groth
Cindy Henry
Dr Nathan Johnson
Sophia Krcic
Michelle Louise
Joan Meredith
Laura Miller
Heide Moeller
Denise Faldowski Notbohm
Adriana Owens
Cliff Patrick
Doug Phillips
Rosemary Phillips
Pam Plab
Barry Plaxen
Richard Price
Joan Ross
Bill Signor
Tuni Weiss
Carol Taynton Wilson
Kim Zeller

One shoud not automatically assume somebody is a criminal because they are missing from the list above; just keep a careful eye on them.

In order for a community to thrive, somebody has to stay in close touch with what and where it is, so Mary and I have been doing exactly that.

To all the people listed: Happy New Year, and thanks right back at you!

Find earlier posts by using navigation bar beneath the "Currently Showing" prompt below or above the comments section.

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New Year's a little early folks!

Moved to 2016 on Dec. 17, 2015.

Find earlier posts by using navigation bar beneath the "Currently Showing" prompt below or above the comments section.

Forum periodically divided by year and partial year to maintain fast loading.