Treasures of Cambridge #6

Be a part of "Treasures of Cambridge". If you are a resident of the Cambridge, NY area, please contact me to have your portrait taken. I will be at Bean Heads Coffee House on Thursdays April 13th & 20th or schedule a time by email. Bring a prop that you identify yourself with. Check out the posting "About Cambridge Treasures" on this blog for more about the project. Or email me at jdcarlson2001@yahoo.com. It is a lot of fun and takes on average about 15 minutes of your time.


Robert Kaye sitting in front of the vault at former Bean Heads Coffee House has lived in the Cambridge area for about 20 years.
Being a teacher, "and you know teachers are not paid much," the Kaye's for many years would travel to Vermont when the kids were young in their old Dodge and with a canvas tent to camp out in. They fell in love with the area and decided to try and buy a house, but properties were prohibitively expensive in the Green Mountain State, so a friend suggested Washington County. They bought the first home they looked at here in Shushan.

Now retired after teaching and being a dean in the high schools of New York City for 40 years and having a full life in local politics and social activism, he and his wife now enjoy a simpler, yet rich, life in Southern Washington County. Robert is pictured here with a bag of groceries he purchased from the Village Coop on Main Street here in Cambridge, NY, where his wife is a working member. Robert says, "The bag includes some basil, tomatoes (“all organic”) and coffee, I wish you could smell the great aromas!" This prop was the result of a mission his wife sent him out on this afternoon and he wants to be known as a “helpful husband.”

Robert wishes to be remembered as he remembers his brother, who just passed away a few days ago, as someone who was a giver, not a taker, as someone who did community work and many acts of kindness and love for family, community and people in need. Robert hopes to be able to emulate these things in his live as well. Our condolences go out to you, Robert, for your loss.