It Absolutely takes a village!

This is dedicated to one we loved!

To Chief Henry Campbell of the Rhinebeck Fire Department. The last time we saw you, you stuck up for us! And then you were taken away. We miss you!

County

County Executive Mark Molinaro, Dutchess County Sheriff Butch Anderson and Conisgli Construction for extraordinary support!

Village & Town

The Village Board, Mayor Gary Bassett for all you do! Howie Traudt and Scott Cruikshank for true advice and extraordinary help. Sgt. Pete Dunn for his conscientious, caring and good work! And the Rhinebeck Fire Department for inviting us into your home! Kyle and Crissy Eghmy! The Town Board, Elizabeth Spinizia, Supervisor, and the Rhinebeck Chamber of Commerce

Partners

The Rhinebeck Rotary and Interact Club for Puppeteers and Parade Marshals. Thank you, Rotarians! We can’t do it without you!

Caped Wonders

Keepers of the Flame George and Phebe Banta! Holders of the Flame 2017 The Hoolihan/Kruger Family—Tim, Lorrie, Tori, Ken, Kylie, Garrett, and Owen. And their lineage: The Hewitt Family 2016! The Cruikshanks 2015! The Stickles, 2014!

It’s in the Details!

Elena Erber who designed ALL our graphics, including this website!

Committed:

After 10 years: The Madwomen of the Sinterklaas Committee: Endless energy, the extraordinary TEAM: Lila Pague, Pat Sexton, Elena Erber, Lindy Wright, Sarah Bissonnette-Adler, Martha Tobias, Joanna Hess, Tricia Reed, Jill Lundquist, Joanne Gelb, Suzy Morris, Dorna Schroeter, Joanna Hess, Colleen Bloxham and Nancy Donskoj who kept the fires burning all year long.

the magic’s still there!

Our own Andy Weintraub since the
beginning 30 years ago!

Over the top hat!!

The Amazing, multi-talented Great Leader of the Crowns and Branches Workshop and wearer of many hats and so much more: the thoughtful and committed, Joanna Hess.

Habitation and a Stage!

Richard Prouse, Barry Cohen and Roberto Rossi!

Super powers!

She can do anything, the fine Sarah Bissonnette-Adler.

King & Queen makers!

Becky Holt holds the power!

The epic trinket lady

Laura D’Atrorie Her dedicated, always costumed assistant, Jeniece Schroeter and the Branch Manager, Sharon Rushton.

Benevolent overseer

The indefatigable Martha Tobias!!

CUT UP!

Barbara Petrini

Sewn up!

Heather Hetherington for the Decade Anniversay Quilt

Those boys!

Peter Criswell, Matthew Fass, Kevin Muth and Riley.

The Swap Team!

Lindy Wright, Jill Lundquist, Linda Helbing, Nancy Karimi, Debby Franke Ogg, Diana Devlin, Dorna Schroeter, Suzy Morris and Joanne Gelb.

The Herder…..

Bea Lambert for the fantastic and truly magical Elephants! And Lauree Ostrofsky, our Gorgeous Crescent Moon!

Queen for a Lifetime…

Our Queen Bee! Lila Pague

All the helpers at the Crowns and Branches Workshop!

Joanna Hess, Coordinator, The Incredibly Creative Crowns & Branches assistants: Jean DiMarco, Karen Hinderstein, Becky Holt, Anna Kaselis, Kate Kennedy, Melisca Klisanin, Shuchee Madhu, Joanne Mrstik, Sarah Olson, Dorna Schroeter, Loretta Spence, Steve & Sarah Miller, and Tina Stanton.

Bear Up!

Welcome Jason!!!! The Fox and the Bear—Roseanne Fox, that is! And Major Ursa! Julia Haines, his accompanist.
top of the heap

To those who swoop in at the end and make it work:

The Rhinebeck Rotary and Daytop.

Elephant=family

Sally Mazzarella, Howie Traudt, Scott Cruikshank, Jordan Matthews, Lila Pague, and Father Richard McKeon.

Cookin’ up a storm!

Colleen Bloxham, yes!!!

The Pachyderm Palace Theater

Special thanks for Paul O’Connor for the creation of our centerpiece—The Giant Elephant Theatre.

Elephant Dreaming
Liz Howls for the wonderful shadow puppet shows!

Dancing elephants

Teri Hall, The African Elephant and Julie Leon, the Indian Elephant and their musicians, Amadou Diallo on Drums and Steve Gorn on Bamboo Flute.

MOM! (mother of all Mastodons) and and her companion Mouse

Cait Johnson and Terry O’Keefe. You show us we can all get together and love one another right now.

Location, Location, Location!! Celebration Spaces:

We thank the Rhinebeck Fire Department for their generosity for the Crowns and Branches space! We thank Primrose Hill School and the United Methodist Church for the SWAP! And the Bantas for our Star Party at the Beekman Arms. Betsy Jacaruso Gallery for the Grumpus Hideout! Connie Bathrick and the Courtyard for the Clock! Liberty Public House for our fabulous After Party! And Ruby Star for the bird’s eye views. Foster’s Coach House for opening the heart of our Village (the White Corner!) and forging an ephemeral Town Green for all our performers and folks to gather. Our Vaudeville House and Cirkus Tent: DeDe Leiber and Upstate Films.

Our address

We thank Connie Bathrick and the Courtyard for a home for the Pachyderm Palace.

A clean, well lighted space

Our greatest gratitude to the United Methodist Church and Pastor Nikki Hutt Edleman for our Celebration Space, Workshop, Toy Theater and beautiful environs Family Bands!

Now we can rest

Great SPECIAL thanks to Patricia Panarella and Liberty for our wonderful Green Room. Thanks to your hospitality, we settled in!

Everybody: Smile!

Doug Baz for his 31 years of wonderful photographs that make it possible for us to tell the story.

Sinterklaas Craft Fair

presented by the spirited and joyful Gelbs, David and Joanne, and all the artists and crafts people participating in the Fair! Special thanks to Dorna Schroeter and her helpers and Bobby Fitzpatrick.

The Wish Ladies

Women of Wisdom and Delight.

The Pocket Lady and her Pal

Liza Jane Norman who created the magnificent costume, Carla Carbone who gave it life and Dani Reuben her pal!

All those wild Grumpuses!

Mike Bloxham, Wally Carbone, Matthew Gelfer, Kurt Fisher, Clifford Hart, Richard Kopyscianski, Jamyang Lodoe, Robby Long, Harlan Matthews, Woody Peoples, Mark Perez, Stephen Robin, John Schmitz, Bob Wills, and Steven Young. And Grumpus Emeritus: Ricky Aldrich, Dodd Crane, David Gelb, Chris Gilbert, Arun Lahiri, Bruce Lubman, Terrance McCorry, Steven Pague, Richard Prouse, Heinz Sauer, and Andy Weintraub. And their illustrious choreographer, Martha Tobias, who tamed and trained the wild beasts!

Rumblers!

The 500 kids in the Chancellor Livingston School who made Elephant pictures !

The Wild Women!

Abby Saxon, the Wildest! Thanks to June and Charlie Schrek for their beautiful work decorating the Wild Women sound cart!

The Ask Me Ladies

Dorna Schroeter, Queen! Diana Devlin, Laureen Swanwick, Jill Lundquist, Joanna Hess, Gwen Bardon, Karen Graham, Ana Sanjuan, Kiki Steele, Mary Burns, Sarah Olson, Marianne Neifeld, Karil Davidson, Kari Feuer, Jen LaBelle, Cecily Frazier, Marie Dynes, Karil Davidson, Barbara Kahles, Gillian Eames, and Susan Bissonnette.

Bear Beauty for the Bear Beauty Contest.

We could not BEAR to lose you! Samuel’s John Traver, keeping up the tradition begun by Sarah Chaneles and Kathy Varadi. In memory of our dear Ira Gutner.

The Book

The stellar team who made the Illuminated Book: Nadine Robbins, Molly Ahearn, Grace Gunning, Richard Prouse, Andy Neal and James Gurney!

The Art Teachers…

at Rhinebeck High School, Cynthia Baer and Kathy Giles and the Art Students for their gorgeous and original paintings.

Our royalty!

the Snow King, Queen, and Star Child Emily Houpt, Victor Zelek and Louisa Zelek.
Rhinebeck Rumblings.

costume mania!

The utterly talented and relentless Suzy Morris creator of the Snow King, Snow Queen, Star Child, the Owlettes, the Owl Queen of the Night and her Mouse, the NEW gorgeous Sinterklaas Robe, those crazy Kukeri, African and Indian Elephants, MOMand all the rest!

foster parents…

you know who you are!

Holy Holly! Mother Holly!

Rebecca Singer and William Eadie and Cait Johnson, Ania Aldrich, Terry O’Keefe.

Staging!

The immensely talented Richard Prouse whose staging gives to our airy nothing a local habitation and a name. And Barry Cohen who makes sense of it all. Hal Hahn who lends a hand. And the Village of Red Hook for the loaner!

He’ll always be the Drone of Distinction

David Gelb. We will let him live! And his Noble Queen Joanne Gelb!

Just call him Al

Al Boutin…Lindy’s wingman.

Chief Schlepper

(self-described) Harlan Matthews.

including benefits!

Martha Tobias, Tuba Skinny, Tricia and Foster Reed, Doug Baz and Jill Lundquist, Elena Erber, Dave Leonard, Sarah, Kenna, Patrick, Ben, Melisca Klisanin, Tom, Woody and Hal. Fabulous Food: Sloop Brewing, Maya Kaimal Fine Indian Foods, Colleen Bloxham.

odyssey (to MFTA)

Lindy Wright, Suzy Morris, Joanne and David Gelb

Kingston Crew!

Susie Linn, Nancy Donskoj, B.C. Gee, Kevin Godbey, Linda Harrington, Deborah Mills Thackerey, Rob Sweeney, Gloria Waslyn, Ann Loeding, A.S.K., Color Page, Robert Iannucci & Sonia Ewers, Historic Kingston Waterfront for the TUG BOAT, Hudson River Maritime Museum, Kingston Library, Old Dutch Church, Savonna’s Trattoria, Ulster County Tourism, WDST and the City of Kingston.

The Churches

The United Methodist Church, The Church of the Messiah, the Reformed Church of Rhinebeck and the Third Evangelical Lutheran Church — folks filled with love and generosity in their hearts: Pastor Nikki Hutt Edleman, Rev. Richard McKeon Jr., Fr. Luis Perez and Pastor James Miller and Anna Pavord, Liz Irwin and the ever gracious and generous Bonnie Reyero.

Yasha Koah

The Jewish Alliance of Northern Dutchess, Rabbi Yael Romer, Kimba Baker and Temple Emanuel for a beautiful and moving Havdalah. And the Dapson/Chestney Funeral Home for hosting this meaningful ceremony.

The Living Nativity!

The Reformed Church gives it life!

Beekman Arms and it’s legs

Brenda Catalano and the Bantas for keeping the Hearth burning. Plus Erin Winters, Kristopher Hallinan, Crystal Christiansen, Preston Faust

Green giant!

Johanna Bard!

YUM!

All those who donated food for the hundreds of performers and volunteers. Thank you to Colleen Bloxham and Johanna Bard for keeping this army running with good food! The Amsterdam, Aroi Thai Restaurant, Rhinebeck Bagel, Bread Alone, Bubby’s Burritos, Buns, Bangers, Cinnamon, CJ’s Italian Ristorante, Foster’s Coach House Tavern, Gaby’s Café,Grand Cru, Le Petit Bistro, Liberty Public House, Matchbox Café, Maya Kaimal Fine Indian Foods, Osaka Japanese Restaurant, Pete’s Famous Restaurant, Pizzeria Posto, Village Pizza of Rhinebeck, Smoky Rock BBQ, Samuel’s Sweet Shop, Aba’s Falafel, Migliorelli’s, Tops, Sunflower Natural Foods Market, Terrapin Restaurant,The Rhinecliff, Warren Kitchen & Cutlery.

The Starr Library

for its warm welcome to creatures great and small, human and puppet! Stephen Cook and the Board of Trustees, Brooke Stevens, Dave Wanzer, Ed & Veronica Schroeder and Bobby Fitzpatrick.

Maskers!

And to Nan Jackson at the Starr Library for the Coloring Workshops and Joanne Gelb for putting it all together. Thanks to all who colored the 700 beautiful elephant masks for the children!

Keeping it all together

Cara Silvernail, Cindy Kubick, Stephen Kurowski, Jeff Newman, Tom Dressel, Peter Muste, Mark Schyler, Susan Bissonette, Grace Schultz, Grace Schultz, Becky Holt, Carlos Abreu, Barry Cohen, and Kirsten Horn.

Re-Sounding Praise!

Omega Institute’s Ken Kuter and Skip Backus for letting us hear! And JTD Productions for the same in the venues!
And Joe Tobin for the headliners. The Real Deal Jonkheer Leopold Quarles von Ufford for giving us authenticity and connecting us to our heritage. And to Mr. Briggs. Love you always.

Our own special Sinterklaas!

In Kingston: Henk Dijk who returns from Holland each year to join us! And in Rhinebeck: Scott Cruikshank, local hero!

The Puppet masters

Alex Kahn and Sophia Michahelles whose vision and dedication to the work is unmatched anywhere, who hosted the workshop and taught so many in the skills of pageant puppetry and who made that magnificent Horse and the Fox, Crow, Bear, Goose, Turtle, Hummingbird, the Bees, the Owls …and now the ELEPHANTS!

Parade Volunteers

All those who animated puppets! Now you are 300 strong!!

And all the artists and performers!

As always to

Ania Aldrich and Gigi Alvare for the original work and setting us on the path.

To my son

Jordan who is alive and well and very funny and has become a man.

And especially to our patient, long-standing, and supportive husbands:

Al Boutin, Steven Michael Pague, Bernard Greenwald, Peter Muste, David Gelb, Doug Baz, Donald Corrin, Albert Shahinian, Foster Reed and Harlan Matthews who play greater roles than anyone could ever imagine. Some of them are now demanding titles and we are not so sure about THAT!

10 years!!!

Who could have imagined it! Well, we ALL did! We imagined it minute by minute and idea by idea. Sinterklaas continues to be an ever astonishing achievement and shows what a community can do working and dreaming together. Thank you again to the greater Rhinebeck community for the privilege of being allowed to do the work.

At a time when it is harder and harder to folks to see each other’s point of view—like the Blind Men in the poem—each saying it’s a wall, it’s a snake, it’s leaf—it’s truly a wonderful opportunity to work together to make Sinterklaas. Sinterklaas can come in and simply point out the obvious—
it’s an elephant—and we can all enjoy it and each other! We are so lucky to be alive and be able to celebrate our community together!!!
May our Sinterklaas festival serve to bring peace and joy to the world!

—Jeanne Fleming, 
Designer and Coordinator, SPEAKING FOR All of US at Sinterklaas!