Exploding urban populations during the nineteenth century demanded new solutions towards burying the dead. Traditional congregational graveyards were either full or overcrowded. A combination of practical thinking and the wish to commune with nature (inspired by Romantic poetry) led to the development of serene burial grounds outside the city boundaries.
Founded as a “rural” or “garden” cemetery in 1838, Brooklyn’s Green-Wood Cemetery is famous for its picturesque landscape features with evocative names such as Camellia Path, Halcyon Lake, Oaken Bluff, or Vista Hill. Elaborate monuments and mausoleums, designed in an array of architectural styles, honor the Lispenard dynasty (Norman), William Niblo (Gothic), the Steinway family (Classical), and others.
And then there is the Feltman mausoleum, the columns of which feature Corinthian capitals. On each side of the doorway stands a trio of mourning figures. Those on the left hold symbols of faith (cross and doves); those on the right show grief and sorrow. The pediment features two cherubs holding a wreath with the initial F in the center. On top of the temple is a cupola with the Archangel Michael standing guard, sword at the ready. The building serves to celebrate the memory of just one man. Who was this person? A Founding Father maybe? A respected politician (if that is not a contradiction in terms)? A celebrated artist? [Read more…] about A Dog’s Tale: Dachshunds, Hot Dogs, Coney Island & Greenwood Cemetery
The relationship between politics and science has always been complicated, and at times, disastrous.
On October 17th at 4:15 p.m., Greene County 911 contacted NYS Department of Conservation Forest Ranger Fox about a dog that fell into a cistern at the ruined Kaaterskill Hotel site in the town of Hunter, in the Catskills.
A dog trapped in a rocky crevice near Gertrude’s Nose Trail in Minnewaska State Park Preserve in Ulster County, NY was rescued unharmed Tuesday evening after five days without food or water. 
“Saturday was a sad day for all of us and I know that all of Fala’s friends will also be sad to know that he slept away, and the little dog’s story had come to an end.”
Every summer DEC forest rangers receive calls for dogs in distress, especially on hot days. Pet owners often overestimate how physically fit their dog is, how much water their dog will need, or how walking on scalding hot rock can negatively affect canines.