The New York Times visited the the flood-ruined remains of the Prattsville Tavern this week, and reported yesterday that owner Ken Cox is keeping the bar going:
Happy hour at the Prattsville Tavern is still going strong. The catch? There is no bartender these days, and no bar. Still, the tavern has become a sort of port in the storm, providing not only shelter on its top floor for several regulars who lost their homes, but also a place for residents to drink and return to something that resembles a routine.
As the banks of the Schoharie Creek gave way last month, water flooded into the tavern, rising above the bar and even the cash register. The owner, Ken Cox, managed to move some liquor upstairs, but the building, like most in town, was left in ruins. So now the regulars jockey for spots on the cement stoop outside and help themselves to the beer in nearby coolers, all provided free by area businesses. On a recent afternoon a bag of stale M & M’s and some pretzels, also donated, replaced free popcorn as the tavern’s snack of choice.
It's a great little story, and it has some great news: Cox will be receiving a grant from the Catskills Watershed Corporation and plans to re-open in mid-November.
