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Celebration of Skinners Falls Bridge Moves to the Narrowsburg Union
The community wide celebration of the historic and endangered SKINNERS FALLS BRIDGE scheduled for Sunday, January 12, 2024 from 2 PM to 5 PM is moving to a new larger location, Delaware Hall in THE NARROWSBURG UNION (7 Erie Street, Narrowsburg, NY 12764)
The move is to accommodate the number of people who have responded to attending the event which will now be live streamed on the Facebook page for WJFF 90.5 FM.
The celebration will kick off with performance and other art inspired by the iconic one lane steel structure which has spanned the Delaware River between New York State and Pennsylvania since 1902. The program will also include testimonies by descendants of the original builders and investors and other longtime advocates for the bridge’s preservation.
There will be a brief proposal for the redevelopment of the bridge modelled on the adaptive preservation shown to be so successful with New York City’s HIGHLINE and WALKWAY OVER THE HUDSON STATE PARK. Both of those projects repurposed abandoned structures into cultural and experiential destinations with demonstrable economic benefits.
On December 16, 2024, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro signed an emergency order for the demolition of the bridge hardly one month after PennDOT had recommended it be dismantled for preservation and eventual reinstallation based on engineering reports by AECOM.
Since the closure of the bridge nearly a decade ago, $4 million of taxpayer money has been spent with none going to the stabilization and maintenance of this structure which is on the National Register of Historic Places in two categories.
There has been extensive news coverage of the controversy in the award-winning weekly THE RIVER REPORTER, on WJFF and other regional media, including THE SULLIVAN COUNTY DEMOCRAT. A recent article in THE TRI COUNTY INDEPENDENT was republished in USA TODAY, bringing the saga of the bridge to national attention. It is a local story with national implications about usage of taxpayer money and the complexities of maintaining infrastructure with significant interstate agreements.
The event will begin with a special program hosted by WJFF’s Kathy Geary. There will be music and performances that will include Poison Love Band, Tannis Kowalchuk & Farm Arts Collective, singer songwriter Lucas Maharea Rotman, a number of local poets Including Milanville resident Laura Moran and selections from THE CROSSING, a play inspired by the bridge originally staged at DELAWARE VALLEY ARTS ALLIANCE and produced for radio by WJFF. There will be a closing sing-a-long of “America The Beautiful” by the featured performers and the audience.
A communitywide potluck which will be shared after the performance. All members of the audience are encouraged to bring something home made for what will be an early Sunday supper.
This event is free, but if possible RSVP to: saveskinners@gmail.com