Forty-five years ago, I wrote a column entitled “Diversity blooms in New Paltz.” It was springtime and I used different flowers to label the various groups of citizens living here. At the time, there were three main groups all trying to live in harmony: the SUNY New Paltz students, the French Huguenots from France with the Walloons from Belgium, who were also French speakers, both communities fleeing religious persecution and the ballooning invasion of hippies.
It could not have been easy for the original settlers to accept massive changes in the character of the town when the denizens of counter-culture freewheeling newcomers arrived. I was motivated to write the inclusion column by the civility and generosity of Jay Lefevre who owned the LeFevre Lumber Yard.
Now I empathize. Where has the New Paltz of the 1960’s gone? There are times when I am annoyed by the traffic, the tourists, the burgeoning New York City prices. I want to be as magnanimous as Mr. LeFevre. But when I walk about town, I do not recognize a single soul from the past. Only at the historic Bakery on North Front Street, right across from the apartment I lived in 1966, do I rejoice at encountering an aging comrade from the past.
Recently, The Bakery had to temporarily close. I am glad it has happened during the cold, wet, grey season. It is now under renovation and will reopen in the spring just in time for me sit outside discussing politics or art with other old timers like myself.
According to proprietor Dawn Borrello, here is what happened:
“Two months ago, a main sprinkler pipe in The Bakery’s wall froze and burst. 37,000 gallons of water flooded the basement. Downstairs in the basement, every ingredient used to make the delicious food, turned into ‘garbage’. The refrigerators, the ice makers, all were floating around in the basement. Upstairs on the main floor, there was three inches of water. All the display cabinets were ruined. The waterfall coming down the walls on the main floor destroyed the electrical panel. Central Hudson had to pull the meter off the wall. Therefore, there was no power. Without power, everything in the freezers, the refrigerators and the walk-in closet was completely unsalvageable, also garbage. There were no products left to save at all. My first reaction when I saw the damage, was numbness. After all the effort and love I have poured into the place! At first it was too much to absorb. But then I went to work! Sometimes good comes out of bad. This is my attitude. We will get a brand new floor, new counters, new display cases. What I want more than anything is to enhance the community’s experience. We will have a new paint job. The same colors. It took me way too long to pick the colors in the first place. I intend to create the new while being true to the old, keeping the character and culture of The Bakery for the individuals and groups that congregate, some daily like the meditation group. Others weekly, like the Women In Black.”
Although many long-term citizens congregate at The Bakery, the students and newcomers have also found the iconic establishment with its wide variety of offerings, both edible and social. Last summer, I was in the bathroom at The Bakery when someone aggressively knocked on the door twice. When I opened it, a handsome well-dressed man possibly in his thirties apologized. “I didn’t think anyone was in there,” he said. He told me he just arrived from several years abroad. He was looking for a “spiritual community” where he could meet like-minded singles to facilitate his search for a partner. Someone in Madrid suggested New Paltz or Woodstock, NY. It turned out we had a lot in common. Both of us were followers of the same philosophy of self-development. We talked for about an hour, sitting outside in the picturesque area outside The Bakery. He wound up in California. We are still in touch.
One Friday afternoon, I met a couple about my age picking up a challah. How did you find The Bakery I asked. “My son went to college here and now my granddaughter is applying.” It was good to meet new people at The Bakery from out-of-town too.
It is uncertain exactly when The Bakery will re-open. Dawn intends to host a community celebration, a grand opening for an already established much loved eatery. There will be some new surprises without changing the old New Paltz ambiance. See you there. We can all look forward to when the snow melts and the flowers bloom, while we are partaking of a cup of coffee and a freshly baked bagel. See you there … at The Bakery.
Writer’s note: While insurance is covering most of the damage, it is not enough to fully restore The Bakery to its former glory. Ophelia Lovizio of New Paltz has organized a GoFundMe. As of press time, $4,222 raised has been raised of the $10,000 goal. To help rebuild The Bakery, visit https://www.gofundme.com.
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