Jim Powell, Mechanical/Electrical
Tusten Repair Café (Narrowsburg, NY)
One of the perks of having such an extensive network of repair cafes is getting to learn about so many different parts of the state. The Tusten Repair Café in Sullivan County is our most westernmost café. It’s located in Narrowsburg, NY, which is bordered by both the Delaware River and the Pennsylvania state line. Like many other towns in the RCHV network, Narrowsburg is a beloved vacation area and many people move there full time after they fall in love with it after years of vacation visits.
Jim Powell, an electrical/mechanical repair coach at the Tusten Repair Café, is just such an example of the area’s lure. He began spending weekends there from his home in New Jersey as early as 1980. Back then, he was working as an industrial engineer, selling custom automation machinery for assembly and packaging. Jim says, “my travels took me into facilities of nearly every industry imaginable including wiring devices, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, automotive, medical devices, and fasteners of all types. The variety of challenges made every week an adventure. Not unlike a Repair Cafe.”
When Jim retired seven years ago, he and his wife Sue (a sewing repair coach with the Tusten Repair Café) decided to move to the area. They both enjoyed hands-on projects and were more than happy to volunteer with the cafe a few years ago when Jill Padua, the hardworking organizer of the Tusten Repair Café, asked them to join the fun. Like many other electrical/mechanical repair coaches, Jim sees a lot of lamps, but that doesn’t mean it gets boring; he notes, “Some are quite old, and their history, and that of their owners, is often very interesting and always fun to hear about." And after several years of volunteering, he’s learned not to judge a fix at first glance; sometimes a task may look simple but ends up being challenging, while other times all that is required is quick fix. But he adds, “In either case it’s like a mini adventure, usually shared with a newly met neighbor.”
When he’s not volunteering at his local repair café, Jim likes to spend take full advantage of the beautiful area he now calls home, regularly participating in outdoor activities like boating, river canoeing, fishing and hiking. He also enjoys traveling. And if you get a chance to travel to Narrowsburg, don’t forget to check our calendar for the Tusten Repair Café, one of only four in Sullivan County--for now!
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