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BriefsUlsterCorps' Annual U-Team gathering honors volunteers and seeks recruits

Each year, UlsterCorps honors the dedicated volunteers who are part of this regional non-profit's first responders - the U-Team.

This year's event, held on March 21st at Marbletown Multi-Arts (MaMA) in Stone Ridge brought together UlsterCorps and U-Team founding members, cur-rent members, and potential members as UlsterCorps celebrated the U-Team’s accomplishments over its first three years. During this time, the U-Team has grown to 50 members and participated in over 100 events assisting local non-profits to address short-term volunteer needs.

The UlsterCorps U-Team is a group of trained, qualified volunteers prepared to respond quickly to a variety of community needs in Ulster County. They are a true team and they're looking to grow. The U-Team is everywhere: they have helped out at community events and festivals, worked at local farms gleaning crops, then assisted with food processing to help feed the county's hungry. They've been on the county's trails, working to ensure access and maintain safe conditions and they've helped with storm relief and picked up donations for county residents in need. U-Team members receive notifications of diverse short-term volunteer projects and events tailored to a member's skills and experience.

For more about UlsterCorps and the U-Team or to get involved, contact Susan at u-team@ulstercorps.org. Or visit http://www.ulstercorps.org/about/the-upteam/.

Jillian NadiakBSP Reporter

At a senior citizen meeting in the Marbletown Community Center on Satur-day, March 20, Cocker Spaniels and collies could be found being cuddled in the arms and walking around the feet of those who were in attendance.

Special guests Nicholas Brown Jr., owner of Harmony Tokalon Kennels of Stone Ridge and Debby Covi of Wood-stock spoke at the meeting about the won-derful benefits of therapy dogs and the joy that a Cocker Spaniel or collie can bring to people as tiny cocker spaniel pups were carefully handed to anyone who wanted to hold them. Wrapped in small towels, the pups stayed warm as gentle hands caressed their tiny heads.

From temporary decreases in blood pressure to encouraging movement in people who otherwise wouldn’t, thera-py dogs have a wide variety of useful traits. “The instant gratification of being able to see a cute therapy dog and having the ben-efit of petting one if they want to or getting licked on the hand is very comforting,” said Covi who works with her Collie Blaze as a therapy dog at Cerebral Palsy of Ulster County. "A lot of seniors are reminded of dogs they have had in the past. It helps them reminisce and even talk about their past experiences. This is something that they don’t get every day. It’s out of the ordinary for them and you can see their eyes light up."

Covi spoke about how people in comas have even benefited from having a dog by their side. The feeling of warmth and the tactual sensation leads to the fluttering of eyes or even hand movement that they haven’t had before.

Covi purchased her first collie from Brown in 1988. Through this relation-ship and the knowledge that his Collie became a therapy dog, Brown decided to

ask Covi to speak with him at the senior citizens meeting. Blaze is also one of Brown’s Collies. Blaze’s son was also in at-tendance at the senior citizen meeting.

Covi encourages anyone who is inter-ested and has a dog with a good tempera-ment to seek certification as a therapy dog. “It’s a win-win-win situation. My dog loves it, I love it and the people love it."

Having just turned 80 in December, this year marks the sixty-fifth anniversary for Brown in the world of breeding Cocker Spaniels and Collies. At the age of 12, Brown began working for renowned Mrs. Elizabeth Browning of Takalon Kennels in West Hurley where he groomed and trained her puppies into show dogs.

Brown has maintained the Tokalon name just as Mrs. Browning had wanted. “If the Tokalons are going to be remem-bered,” she had said to him, “You are going to have to do it.”

Brown had his first litter of puppies in 1950 and has been breeding ever since.

Brown’s Collies are so renowned that he recently had a call from Germany asking for a tokalon Collie puppy. If Brown had any puppies available the persons would have picked up the puppy while visiting family in New Jersey, however Brown didn’t have any at the time.

When his talk was finished, Brown was greeted by many who complimented and thanked him for his time. “It’s fun to do this,” he said. "I benefit a great deal be-cause it gives me a little outlet to gives the doggies an opportunity to socialize."

Dogs offer love asking nothing

Nicholas Brown Jr. holds his personal pet full-grown cocker spaniel during the Marbletown Seniors meeting on April 20. Photo by Jillian Nadiak.

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