Poems, Writings and Other Thoughts

Marc Imperato

Brewster is the town where my childhood took place,

Right from the start I disliked it without a doubt.

Everything seemed dull until one day in class,

When my teacher taught me about Brewster's past

Since then I was happy and proud of my town

To this day I express the new love I found.

Even though many will disagree with me,

Recalling my past is satisfying to see.

   … thanks Brewster, for all the memories.

Courtney Montague

These are the rocks where we all used to meet

Once we gathered we would take to our feet

And walk to the tree house to have some fun

The first one there was the person who won

We played on the rope swing that I had made

Until the summer sunlight began to fade

Climbing giant trees was also much fun

When the tree trunk swayed, we knew we were done

On really hot days we had water fights

It was enough to fill all my delights

Some days we had no energy to stand

We would just lie on the grass of the land

Sometimes we would just sit around and talk

Or into the woods is where we would walk

Or we found a hoop to play basketball

Hoping that on the pavement we would not fall

Or we would play baseball on someone's lawn

Where we had fun all day, from dusk till dawn

When called to dinner its time to depart

We would meet again for more games to start

We would play manhunt until it got late

To meet again the next day was our fate

Today's journey would be to get a slice

Going down was fun, back up, not so nice

Back at the rocks is where we would rest

To be with your real friends is what was best

Memories are all I have of those days

We have all grown up in all kinds of ways

Days are boring now, wish I could return

To deal with moving on is hard to learn.

Michael Rau

I was born a little way upstate in Columbia County, but I have lived over half my life here in Putnam County. Our house in Columbia County was on a dirt road, surrounded by corn fields, with a dairy farm a short distance down the road. Another neighbor kept her horses in an old barn not far from our house. She also had pigs and chickens. In our yard was an apple tree for climbing, and a grove of lilac bushes about two stories tall to play in. It was flat there, and the Catskill Mountains, though on the other side of the Hudson River, looked close by. When we left there I was sure I would never live anywhere as special again.

Our house in Putnam County is in Brewster heights. We live on the lowest road, and we have A panoramic view of the Middle Branch Reservoir. What I like about living here is looking across the reservoir and seeing the change of seasons.

This winter there has been very little snow, but when it snows it is so beautiful. The snow on the trees looks like frosting. In the spring I like seeing the first trees to come back to life, I think they are the willows, turn the color of spring green that is found in a crayon box. In the summer, the sunlight sparkles across the water so it looks like strings of diamonds bouncing on the surface. In the fall, every autumn color from bright yellow through deepest red can be seen. The hills around the reservoir look like they are covered with a patchwork quilt. I've seen rain come across the reservoir and climb the hill towards me. We can see quite far and in every season as the sun sets over the hills the sky is spectacular.

Two years ago I visited with cousins in Arizona in the springtime. It seemed very brown, and pretty flat there with some mountains in the distance. That summer my cousin came here to visit us for a few weeks. The first thing she said to her mother when she called was that "it was so green and hilly" here, and that "it was so beautiful" because she had never seen anything like it. Seeing my everyday view through her eyes, and knowing what her view was like, helped me to finally appreciate what a beautiful and special area we live in.

Brewster Poem

By Brian Werner

As the sun opens its eyes

Brewster awakens and people start going

About their business some going to work

and some just going to school.

Then as the roads begin to

fill and people file into

Brewster station they travel outside

of town and the open

road lays a wait for them to travel.

In the area itself, trees are

endless with captivating waterfalls

for anyone to view who wishes to look.

Skies are always changing with a

new color or pattern floating

in the skies.

The seasons have much variety.

Spring the flowers bloom,

the birds come out to sing, and

the wind whistles in your hair.

Summer the temperature rises

to a bearable amount.

Children go out to play in

cool clean air

Just a time to rest and relax.

Autumn the weather turns to rain.

The leaves begin to fall

back to the earth.

Then the trees are left bare bone

For snow to cover.

Winter the temperature drops down low,

Freezes up like a Popsicle.

As the snow falls to the ground it

Covers the land like a cotton blanket.

Brewster offers many things to

discover close to home a

mall 15 minutes away, a variety of

restaurants, a train station so you

can travel anywhere you wish

a ski resort minutes away and

much more!

One good thing I enjoy is that it doesn't

get to loud and there isn't much crime.

People are pretty friendly for the most part.

There is always change, something new

being built or being closed down.

Brewster is a small town

Where nothing too bad really happens.

The air and land is clean the people are

Friendly.

The only thing is that you have to open

your eyes wide to completely

experience the things you have

Neglected to see.

Everything has a special meaning and

Brewster's meaning are hidden in the

shadows and you just have to look for the

answer.

Brewster

By Dave Mooney

These days, Brewster isn't much

Nothing new is being built

Because of Watersheds and such

But at one time

Our town was great

We had ourselves a circus

And some nice new trains; how sweet!

Unfortunately, it's all gone

Tilly Foster has filled with water

There's no more milk to can

No cattle to be slaughtered

So now we sit around, all bored

Just like when we were young

All there is now are the schools;

At Garden Street I sung

So, here's to Brewster

Our dying community

We never really stick together

It could use some unity.

A Little Bit About Brewster

Unknown

Borden's Condensed Milk Factory

Railroad forever changed the Town of

 Southeast and the Village of Brewster

Education was originally provided at the

Doanesburg Schoolhouse but as the district

grew so did the number of schools

constructed

Watershed within Brewster has helped New

York City by providing them with fresh water.

Seth B. Howes was one of many local

Entrepreneurs who resided in Brewster.

The Tilly Foster Mine was one of the first major businesses in

Brewster and provided many jobs for immigrant workers.

Every resident of Brewster has

Experienced the town's history in some

Way, whether it has been viewing a

movie at the Cameo theater or strolling

through the Brewster Train Station.

Reliving the past can be experienced by touring the historic

Village of Brewster.

What Brewster "Is About"

By Phil Ocasio

Walter Brewster is about buying property near the railroad, in secret,

so he can become a millionaire

John Borden is about milk and its splendors

 liquid nourishment children and the decaying of fungus into cheese

Tilly Foster is about slavery

forcing one to work for minimum wage and contract black lungs

leaving people to die in an unsafe mine,

Money minerals and money.

Croton is about water harvesting and the electrical money

water = power, power = money, money = power, got it? Great!

But harvesting water doesn't just = power, it can also = vegetables and fruit

Hence more money and power.

Southeast is about funny men running around in big shoes and elephants dancing around in bikinis

bearded ladies and short men with two heads, runaway children and infected prostitutes.

Brewster is about railroads big business small business no business

transportation elongation and the prospect of millions:

people products and money,

silence and marijuana school and streets.

What is Brewster about? Brewster is about change

modernization blending of cultures and most of all fake bourgeois,

Clueless parents teachers and students.

Do you believe you live in Brewster? Or do you just live in a quite town

that has nothing to do in it?

Bill Slachta

Brewster is a town that is not appreciated for what it really is. One of the reasons I like Brewster is foliage, with rolling hills and forests. I never really appreciated the environment or mother nature's creations, until I went for a walk in the woods behind my house one day. It was deep into spring. Everything lost its winters death and came alive with spring. It looked so majestic and serene. Around every corner and over each hill there was some sort of wildlife frolic through the fresh green grass, or playing with its siblings. I took a perch under a giant oak and decided to do something that I hadn't done in a long time, which was to sit down and think about a few things and just let life pass me by without a care in sight. It felt so relaxing not having a care in the world. That one experience helped give me the respect for wildlife and the outdoors altogether. It also showed me that Brewster can be an unspoiled paradise for those who choose to find it.

Ryan Ferris and Matt Murphy

Some of the things that most people didn't lie about Brewster is that it is small and dirty. They also didn't like Main Street and the immigration to our town. The things that people liked most about Brewster were the people, their friends, the sports they play, and family. When we asked what businesses they would like to see come to Brewster, some of the responses were, a mall, movie theater, dance clubs, shopping centers, and places to hang out. The most popular response was the movies and the mall. It was about 50/50 when we asked if they were afraid to walk down Main Street. Most people's opinions of the village was that it is small, dirty, boring and a few said it's historic. The things that most people would change about Brewster is to make something to do and industrialize the town. There were a few people that were involved in the community and most of the kids were not. The way that people would see the town in about 20 years, is that it would be more filled with immigrants. There were a few that hoped that the town would be better than what it seems to be now and also that the town would be definitely better than it is now.

My Memories at Peach Lake

By  Emily Delizza

Small and innocent, I fidget in the backseat

"Are we there yet?" I would yell

I couldn't wait for that special Grandma smell, old and sweet.

Stepping out of the car, oops! Forgot to close the door.

I run for the embrace of my Grandparents and quickly

Pull the chain to my favorite music box in the kitchen.

Throwing on my bathing suit,

I skip down to the shore,

Hand-in Hand with Grandpa.

I feel so secure.

The breeze of the softly blowing trees,

Is so cooling to my face.

I love rubbing the sand in between my tiny inexperienced toes.

Aunts and Uncles gather with excitement.

Cousins race to climb the huge rocks together.

As I grow up, I still look forward to my trips to peach Lake.

The lake looks much smaller and the overwhelmingly

Large rocks can now fit in the palm of my hand.

Nostalgically, I pull the chain to the music box in the kitchen.

I run for the embrace of my Grandparents,

And delicately hug my frail Grandma in her wheelchair.

As I grab Grandpa's hand for our usual walks down to the shore,

I realize that he is now holding mine for security,

As he takes careful baby steps to the edge of the water.

Sometimes, upset and confused, I drive to Peach Lake.

My eyes are swelling with warm tears.

As I run (what seems like miles) to the end of the dock,

My unhappiness disappears as I watch the pink sun setting

Into my never ending lake of memories, while the sparkling trees

Start to envelope behind it.

History of Southeast

By Robert Carl

Southeast started out

As an agricultural town

But then went industrial

And our impact was profound

We had Tilly foster

The largest mine around

But done to many accidents

It had to be closed down

John Gail Borden

Had a milk factory built nearby

He invented condensed milk

After he saw a girl die

During the Civil War

We supplied milk to our forces

It kept the soldiers in good health

And prevent losses.

The Harlem Line Railroad

Connected Southeast and New York

When we transported goods

It helped ease up the work

We had a circus

That entertained kings

We had sawmills, hat factories,

And many other things

In 1894

Brewster was created

Once an industrial village

Today it's power has faded

New York City

Needed clean water

They built the Croton Watershed

Our industry was slaughtered

The town of Southeast

Once had an economic boom

But the Croton Watershed

Brought it to it's doom

Valuable farmland was flooded

Industry was shut down

Southeast has never been the same

Since the project came around

Today there is still a struggle

To revive our industrial core

But we will probably never

Reach our height of 150 years before.