News That Matters » Things To Do

News That Matters – Friday, May 20, 2011 – Things To Do Edition

Jeff Green — Fri, 20 May 2011 12:05:31 +0000

Good Friday Morning,

There was a good editorial here but you’ll have to wait until later for it. Sorry.

Special Note:

If The Rapture(tm) should occur tomorrow (Saturday, May 21) at 6PM as predicted, I’m pretty sure that the editor of this newsletter and 99% of its readers will still be around for Monday’s edition.

Coming to Terms

The League of Women Voters and Chase Media hosted a forum on Term Limits last evening at the county courthouse that will be available on cable and online in a few days. It was a long evening but well worth watching.

During my initial three-minute foray into why I stand against term limit laws, I brought up the issues of Instant Runoff Voting, (here, here and here) campaign finance reform and the abandonment of voting for candidates for no other reason than that they are from your political party, believing these to be permanent solutions to the problem, where term limit laws do nothing to fix a broken system. During the rest of the evening the discussion moved solidly into campaign finance reform and stayed there telling me that people reached out for term limits because they feel powerless to change the system.

See, *we* created the system and so we have to take responsibility to fix it, not maintain it, as term limits would do.

During one non-germane discussion regarding consolidation of state/county and town services, Assemblyman Steve Katz mentioned that New York was only one of three states that still had county government and that 47 states did not. When the audience and panel thought that odd, he replied by restating his position.

Well, I’ve been doing a little research on that and the answer is what we thought last night: he’s wrong. Really wrong. So far I’ve been able to ID three states that do not have county government as we know it: Connecticut, Vermont and Louisiana, with the latter being an odd mix of municipal government at the parish (or county) level with some having extensive governments and services while the others maintain nothing more than a central courthouse to administer southern justice.

Vermont maintains “Shires” (counties) that, like Louisiana, are mainly in place for judicial (crime and courts) reasons but Vermont’s shires also have small executive powers such as appointing highway commissioners with other powers mostly concentrated at the state level and are used to delineate state representative districts as well.

The question now arises, if the legislator is so vastly wrong on something this basic and simple, what else is he wrong about?

So the firebrand tea bagger from the 99th Assembly district is running around Albany trying to pass legislation on important issues with his core belief systems deeply flawed. I give the guy one term and so for that district, at least, term limits are not going to be necessary.

Bearing wIth The DEC

The NYSDEC is proposing to open almost all of Putnam County for bear hunting claiming that it will keep bears under control and minimize human-bear interaction, as if that’s a real problem here where the country begins. Personally, I’d call the DEC and tell them that we don’t have a bear problem, that we like our occasional visiting Yogi’s and Booboo’s and that they might, perhaps, keep Putnam free of even more guys with guns. On the other hand, if the DEC were to institute a hunting season for politicians that could be a viable alternative for term limits laws.

Burning Up With Burnwell

After a little phone call to Burnwell yesterday afternoon they brought the price of their delivered 46.2 gallons of propane down from $8.599 a gallon ($408.10)to $4.999 a gallon ($241.37), saying that was fair. Based on the evidence collected from you, dear readers, to what you are paying with other companies, it is. But there’s still a note to the Attorney General’s office regarding price gouging on Burnwell/Inergey’s part (thanks, Bill), that should set some fires alight. I have to wonder how many customers simply pay the bill…

The Take Away wants to know how rising gas prices have changed your behavior.

Are you walking and cycling more? Have you changed your summer vacation plans? If so you can share how record gas prices have affected your life with this Google Map.

By completing a short form you can add how gas prices have affected your habits to the map. You can also add the price of gas in your area. Browsing the submitted reports on the map will also give you some handy hints on how you can cut down on your gas usage.

Visit this website to participate.

Reductions

The Real Estate website Trulia has an interesting google-based map up that records the chance of a price-reduction in the cost of homes for sale.

For example, in the Mahopac area (by post office) the average listing is between $450k – $500k. If the property hasn’t sold in 66 days, on average, the seller will reduce the price by about 5%. If it still doesn’t move there’s a 37% chance the price will be reduced again.

Check it out for yourself!

The Electric Dollar

By Zacharius Charles Gerstein

Amid the squalor and dust:
In order to settle the debts and fill the obligations
We budding agoraphobes trade virtual currency
On the metropolitan exchange of exurban transplantation.
This is the new parameter against which we measure our lives;
The boggy infrastructure through which we swim.
Percentages and exponents work their algebraic magic
And we are assured by those with the Knowledge
That we have achieved the American Dream.
We have gone from the lunar year to the solar year to the fiscal year
And our billfolds have emptied in favor of red-blue-green figures,
But the wise and courageous know that happiness
Cannot be measured by statistics.

You can read more of Zach’s works here.

NY/NJTC Hike of the Week:

Fishkill Ridge Conservation Area from Pocket Road

Overview: A pleasant, yet sometimes steep trail along a pretty creek to multi-tiered waterfalls, leads to Fishkill Ridge as it offers multiple dramatic views of the Hudson Valley and beyond.

Details Time: 4 hours
Difficulty: Moderate to Strenuous
Length: 6.8 miles

There is room for about 6 cars, 3 per gravel pullout on either side, at the dead end of Pocket Road. Three white discs mark the beginning of the white-blazed Fishkill Ridge Trail just before the barrier with the conflicting NO TRESPASSING sign. According to the City of Beacon website, hikers are allowed to enter so go ahead and proceed beyond the barrier to start the hike. The water tower will be on your left. Continue on the paved road as it turns to gravel, crosses a power cut then skirts by a small reservoir on the left. Entering the woods, the trail becomes rockier and follows to the right of Dry Creek. This area is called Hemlock Gorge but there is an obvious absence of hemlocks. Some remnants litter the forest floor and there are a few very sickly upright specimens at the higher end of Dry Creek, probably in the last stages of succumbing to woolly adelgid infestation, a tragic killer of the once majestic hemlocks. As the trail ascends more steeply, you just might find yourself focusing your attention on the beautiful creek and waterfalls rather than the uphill climb.

Ongoing

Mohonk Preserve and Birds & Beans Bird Friendly Coffee Announce Partnership. The Preserve now sells organic, shade grown, Smithsonian Bird Friendly Certified coffee at our Visitor Center. Make a difference every morning, choose Birds & Beans Coffee to save bird habitat locally and globally. Learn more at www.mohonkpreserve.org or www.birdsandbeans.com

This Weekend

Saturday, May 21

Putnam County Hazardous Waste Collection

9 AM – 1PM – Time to get rid of all that stuff under your kitchen sink and the bottles in the garage you can no longer identify. The county says they’ll take drain cleaners and solvents and thinners and herbicides and phot chemicals and your old chemistry kit. What they won’t take is latex paint, car batteries, used motor oil (bring that to any service garage where the smart ones strain it and use it in their oil burners) nor old computers and the like.

As usual, you have to register with the county at 845 808-1390 x43150

Canopus Beach Parking Lot
Route 301 in Kent

Finding Opportunity in the Climate Crisis

9:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. FINDING OPPORTUNITY IN CLIMATE CRISIS: AN INTERMUNICIPAL WORKSHOP ON CLIMATE JUSTICE. At Beacon Institute Center for Environmental Innovation and Education, Denning’s Point, Beacon. Speakers include: Cecil Mark-Corbin, Deputy Director and Director of Policy Initiative for WEACT, Andy Revkin, journalist and author of Dot Earth Blog for NY Times; Sacha Spector, Director of Conservation Science at Scenic Hudson, Mayor Mary Foster, Peekskill Climate Smart Community and NWEAC, and Kristin Marcell, NYS DEC. Free. Pre-registration required; seating limited. If you are from Kingston, Beacon, Poughkeepsie and Peekskill (grant funded project for these 4 cities) please register here: www.surveymonkey.com/s/ClimateJustice. Others welcome, if space allows; please contact Karla@clearwater.org to get on waiting list. 845-265-8080 x 7159.

Kids Exploration and Nature Walk with Orange County Land Trust

10 AM – Led by noted naturalist Gary Keeton, this walk winds along The Tadpole Trail, the Land Trust’s outdoor education trail for children, and throughout this 60-acre nature preserve. The preserve has an abundance of wildlife and two ponds that are home to beaver, blue and green herons, wood ducks, turtles, frogs and dragonflies. Numerous species of birds are found here, as well over 28 documented species of butterfly- one of the largest concentrations of butterfly in the eastern United States! Registration is not required but is appreciated by calling (845) 343-0840, x12 or e-mailing info@oclt.org.

A suggested donation of $5 per person or $10 per family is greatly appreciated with all proceeds going towards the future stewardship of OCLT nature preserves. Directions to Hunter Farm Preserve can be found at http://www.oclt.org/mhunter.htm or by calling the Land Trust at (845) 343-0840, x12. Cancellation information will be recorded the morning of the hike at (845) 343-0840, x12. Location: Hunter Farm Preserve in Slate Hill

Arts on the Lake Spring Art Exhibit

1 PM – Opening Reception – Over two hundred new works by forty artists will be on display in the 5th Annual Spring Art Exhibit, which opens this weekend. The Opening Reception on Saturday, 1-5 pm, will include an Art Book Sale by the Friends of the Kent Library, music by Pallas Athene, Lindsay Hogan and Catherine Sischberg and refreshments organized by Rita Longabucco. (If you wish to add something, email longabucco.rita@gmail.com.)

This biggest, best and most exciting exhibit continues Sunday, and next weekend, Saturday through Monday, 1-5 each day.The featured artists include: Larry Alfano, Wendy Alvarez, Turizzo Anaya, Pallas Athene, Patricia Bolgosano, Taras Borovyk, Lesia Prokopiv Borovik, Keith Brooks, Margaret Brooks, Chris Casaburi, Michelina Compton, George Davison, Eric Ficinus, Toni Flynn, Pal Gyomai, Eleanor Haggerty, Kathleen Hoekstra, Michael Keropian, Deborah Lecce, Don Longabucco, Joan Maliniak, James McGuire, James Muleva, Jerry Michalak, Sharon Nakazato, Amanda O’Shaughnessy, Katherine Pacchiana, Ekaterina Piskareva, Lisa Pitt, Joseph Pizzuti, Michael Rossi, Rena Scelia, Mary Schreiber, Greg Solanto, Gerald Spette, Kimberley Standerwick, Matt Tannenbaum, Carina Tautu, Bill Ullman, Jamie Vogel, and Roy Volpe. at Lake Carmel Cultural Center | 640 Route 52 | Kent Lakes, NY

Bert Rechtschaffer Jazz Trio

9PM – Bert Rechtschaffer on Keyboard, Jeff Whalen on Sax, Lew Scott on Bass. Music from the Great American Songbook and Jazz Standards at the Chill Wine Bar 173 Main Street Beacon, New York

Sunday, May 22

FrOGS Great Swamp Canoe Trips

Each year Friends of the Great Swamp leads canoe trips on the East Branch Croton River into one of the largest wetlands in New York State. Join us on one of these enjoyable adventures into the Great swamp and experience this beautiful and valuable resource for yourself. As we enter this magical wilderness we will explore the biodiversity and learn more about the values of this nationally significant wetland. The Swamp provides critical habitat for aquatic species as well as for migrating and breeding birds. We have seen Great Blue Heron, Green Heron, Prothonotary Warblers and Common yellowthroats as well as Wood Duck, Mallards and many, many more. There are Turtles, Dragonflies, some fantastic plants and possibly catch a glimpse of a mink or a muskrat.Explore the Swamp with FrOGS. Meet us at the Green Chimney’s Beach on Doansburg Road (formerly Putnam Lake Road) of Rte 22. FrOGS members will guide each trip and point out the birds and plants as we canoe.

All levels of paddlers are welcome. We will provide canoes, paddles, Life jackets (bring your won if you wish) and a licensed Lifeguard. We suggest you bring bottled water, sunglasses and layered clothing to accommodate temperature changes. We will canoe rain or shine. In extreme conditions, we ask that you call for cancellation and rescheduling information.

Reservations are a must and space is limited so get your reservations early! For information and reservations contact:

Laurie Wallace at (845-279-8858) or Laurwally@aol.com subject: Canoe Trip

$25.00 Adult Member, $12.00 Child (6 to 14 years)
$29.00 Adult Non-member, $16.00 Child (6 to 14 years)

Michelle LeBlanc Jazz

2PM – Here’s another chance to catch Michelle’s exciting award winning show, “1950′s JAZZ: Bop, Cool, R&B.” Michelle will be playing with her top shelf trio: the talented arranger Tom Kohl on piano, Bill Conway on bass and the world touring sax player, Ed Xiques. Sponsors for this show include these Putnam County jazz lovers: Feehan Insurance Agency, Trebb Records and Desmond Fish Library. Suggested donation for this concert is $10. At the Desmond Fish Library, Route 403 & 9D in Garrison, NY Contact: 845-424-3020 or http://dfl.highlands.com

Can You Identify a Tree?

2PM – 4PM – Calling all youngsters in Grades 2 to 5 and their parents. Join us on Sunday, May 22, from 2 to 4 p.m. for a program entitled Can You ID a Tree? Enjoy a walk around Stony Kill and learn about all the different kind of trees at Stony Kill and how to ID them. Come see our tree cookie and learn how to tell how old a tree is. Dress appropriately, wear sunscreen and bring a water bottle. Reservations are required by calling us (845) 831-1617 or emailing us at foundation@stonykill.org

Into The Future

Wednesday, May 25

Hudson Valley Science Cafe – Cancer Prevention

7PM – Topic: Cancer preventive effects of Celebrex and the possible risk of cardiovascular side effects. Presenter: Bhagavathi Naryananan, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Environmental Medicine, NYU Langone School of Medicine

A Science Cafe is a monthly gathering in a Cafe, Pub or Restaurant, open to the public, with a short presentation of a topic followed by discussion. The essence of a Science Cafe is informality, with groups seated around tables with food and drink to encourage conversation. Hudson Valley Science Café usually meets on the 4th Wednesday of the month, except where noted. Website: http://www.cafescientifique.org/hudsonvalley.htm

Meeting site: Diana’s, 1015 Little Britain Road (Route 207), New Windsor (just east of Stewart Newburgh Airport, on the opposite side of the road from the airport entrance). See http://www.DIANASNY.com for menus and map. $3.00 admission fee includes coffee or tea. If you arrive at 6 PM, you can order from the Early Bird menu. No orders are taken during the Presentation (7:00-7:30).

Thursday, May 26

How Six Putnam County School Districts Can Become One

6:30PM – Featured speakers, including NY Assembly representatives Sandy Galef and Steve Katz, will provide a legislative perspective on the consolidation of the six existing School Districts of Putnam County into one countywide School District…a feat never before attempted in the state of New York.

Ms. Deborah Cunningham of the NY State Education Department (NYSED) will participate by lending her expertise on consolidation or centralizing and prior to May 26 we will confirm additional panelists.

At the Mahopac Public Library. Write to Jim Kirk for more information: jdkjjk@gmail.com

Friday, May 27

Uncommon Ground with guest Tim & Sylvia

8:30PM at the Towne Crier, Route 22 in Pawling. Uncommon Ground is a hot, pan-genre, acoustic music group from New York’s Hudson Valley that is on a mission: to flex the boundaries of traditional music. Since making an impressive debut to a full house at the Towne Crier in 2007, they have continued their evolution into “the complete package” … great vocals, fiery instrumental abilities and a continually evolving repertoire of well-crafted tunes. Their music bears an unmistakable stamp of originality without losing the authenticity of the original sources. Audiences delight in the thrill of musical discovery as the band performs a repertoire that includes music from such diverse sources as Bill Monroe, Gabriel Faure, Venezuelan Choros and Gypsy Jazz. Uncommon Ground draws on the talents of Mike Kobetitsch, and Wayne Fugate, both long-time veterans of the Bluegrass scene who have performed with Grammy award winner, Lisa Gutkin and a host of other noteworthies; the ever amazing Rachel Han! dman and Phil Helm, two principles in the Hudson Valley Philharmonic whose technical precision, fertile inventiveness, surprising touches and mastery of the Bluegrass genre give the band a distinctive, signature voice; and Craig Bitterman, whose percussion lays down a groove-infused rhythmic foundation that adds colors and textures that make their tunes really snap. : artist’s home. $17.50 advance/ $22.50 door

Saturday, May 28

Giant Book Sale at the Kent Public Library

Take-A-Hike! Season Begins With The Birds of Foundry Preserve

8:30 to 10:30am – Join Constitution Marsh Audubon Center and Sanctuary Director Eric Lind for this birding hike in Foundry Preserve in Cold Spring. An accomplished wildlife photographer, Eric is just the person you want along to share his knowledge as you walk from the village to view a wide variety of species. Don’t forget your binoculars!

“We’re excited to kick off this season with Eric’s hike. Learning to identify birds by sight and sound is a great way to get back into the outdoors,” says Outreach Director MJ Martin. “And we’re grateful to all our volunteers who help lead the excursions for us; without them, this popular program would not be possible.”

A total of eight hikes have been scheduled for the season, with selections ranging from a tot-friendly musical jaunt to a more challenging trek up Breakneck Ridge. Check your mailboxes for the complete schedule.

All Take-A-Hike! programs are free, but registration is required. Contact the HHLT office at 845/424-3358 or info@hhlt.org to make sure you’re on the Take-A-Hike! mailing list.

Pow Wow on the Hudson

11 AM – 6 PM. POWWOW ON THE HUDSON: Native American Indian drumming, dancing, food vendors, craft vendors, lectures and songs by Evan Pritchard (plus book signing), Salinas Family “Azteca Dancers”, Joseph Fire Crow and Birds Of Prey. Learn sustainability from a 10,000 year old perspective. Bowdoin Park, 85 Sheafe Rd., Wappinger Falls. Tony Moonhawk (917) 415-5139. moonhawktitw@msn.com – Runs through Monday.

June

Friday, June 3

Hike Huckleberry Ridge State Forest

On Friday, June 3, 2011, representatives of the New York-New Jersey Trail Conference and the Dept. of Environmental Conservation (DEC) will meet at the trailhead for the Minisink Trail on Route 6 in Greenville to mark expansion of recreational trail opportunities in the region and the transfer to the state of 389 acres on the Shawangunk Ridge. The land is to be added to Huckleberry Ridge State Forest in Orange County. Following the 10am press event, take a hike on the Minisink and Lenape Ridge Trails in the company of experienced Trail Conference volunteers. (Directions to trailhead are here.) Click here to let us know you plan to come.

Background: Just a decade ago, no state forest land existed on the Shawangunk Ridge in Orange County. With this transfer, Huckleberry Ridge State Forest now comprises nearly 1500 acres.

The Trail Conference was instrumental in creating this state forest, working closely with the Trust for Public Land and DEC on the first 527-acre acquisition nearly a decade ago. The Trail Conference subsequently purchased an additional 980 acres in this region using funds from its Land Acquisition and Stewardship Fund (LASF). With this transfer, 958 of those acres will have been transferred to New York State, nearly tripling the size of the Huckleberry Ridge State Forest.

Sheilah Rechtschaffer Green in Vietnam

6PM – 8PM Paintings and Pastels. Opening reception: BRC Gallery at the Bean Runner Cafe 201 South Division Street Peekskill, NY 10566 www.beanrunnercafe.com Exhibition dates: May 30 to July 24, 2011

Michelle LeBlanc Jazz Duo

7PM: Michelle LeBlanc with Tom Kohl on piano at the The Division Street Grill, 26 North Division Street, Peekskill NY 10566. Call for dinner reservations: 914 739 6380 www.DivisionStreetGrill.com Join us for an evening in my favorite small city at the jazz club that sparked the Peekskill jazz renaissance.

Saturday, June 4 – National Trails Day

NY/NJ Trails Conference Annual Meeting

Bear Mountain State Park: On June 4, the Trail Conference will open a wheelchair accessible section of the Appalachian Trail on the summit of Bear Mountain. For the past year, Trail Conference volunteers have been hard at work building this ADA-compliant segment of this historic and nationally celebrated long-distance trail. The trail will allow wheelchair users to enter the woods and view the Hudson River and Valley from one of the region’s most scenic spots.At 10:30 AM, we will open and dedicate the trail. Later in the day, the Trail Conference will have its Summer Meeting on the lawn below Bear Mountain. There will be food and music by the acclaimed urban bluegrass group, Two Dollar Goat.

The event is co-sponsored by Disney/ABC and the Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Places. Members of the Disney team will be on hand to help.

What’s Happening When

8:00: Departure of early hike to summit of Bear Mountain from Fort Montgomery Historic Site (co-sponsored by Mid-Hudson ADK)

10:00: Morning refreshments at Trailhead of the ADA-compliant segment of the Appalachian Trail at summit of Bear Mountain

10:30: Opening ceremony and Dedication

10:45: Hike or drive down to Lawn (Options from easy to strenuous available)

12:00-varied: Lunch on the Lawn with Music by Two Dollar Goat.
Hikers arrive from a variety of trails, eat, enjoy music.

Rain or shine under tent!

1:30 (estimated): Meeting

All programs are free! Lunch: $15 donation. RSVP for lunch by sending a check or going to our donation page. Please indicate your RSVP in the comment box.

Questions, comments, or phone reservations, contact Joanne Reinhardt at jreinhardt@nynjtc.org or x26 at the office

FrOGS Great Swamp Canoe Trips

Each year Friends of the Great Swamp leads canoe trips on the East Branch Croton River into one of the largest wetlands in New York State. Join us on one of these enjoyable adventures into the Great swamp and experience this beautiful and valuable resource for yourself. As we enter this magical wilderness we will explore the biodiversity and learn more about the values of this nationally significant wetland. The Swamp provides critical habitat for aquatic species as well as for migrating and breeding birds. We have seen Great Blue Heron, Green Heron, Prothonotary Warblers and Common yellowthroats as well as Wood Duck, Mallards and many, many more. There are Turtles, Dragonflies, some fantastic plants and possibly catch a glimpse of a mink or a muskrat.Explore the Swamp with FrOGS. Meet us at the Green Chimney’s Beach on Doansburg Road (formerly Putnam Lake Road) of Rte 22. FrOGS members will guide each trip and point out the birds and plants as we canoe.

All levels of paddlers are welcome. We will provide canoes, paddles, Life jackets (bring your won if you wish) and a licensed Lifeguard. We suggest you bring bottled water, sunglasses and layered clothing to accommodate temperature changes. We will canoe rain or shine. In extreme conditions, we ask that you call for cancellation and rescheduling information.

Reservations are a must and space is limited so get your reservations early! For information and reservations contact:

Laurie Wallace at (845-279-8858) or Laurwally@aol.com subject: Canoe Trip

$25.00 Adult Member, $12.00 Child (6 to 14 years)
$29.00 Adult Non-member, $16.00 Child (6 to 14 years)

Rain Barrel Building Workshop

10AM – Fishkill Town Hall. Sponsored by the Dutchess Watershed and Cornell Cooperative Extension Services.

Although we don’t often think about it, storm water can play an enormous part in the condition of our rivers, creeks, ponds, lakes, and wetlands. When it rains, this water is usually channeled into storm drains to be taken to the closest body of water. As storm water travels across the grounds’ surface as runoff, it can pick up different types of pollutants, washing them into our water bodies. You can help! Rain barrels are a great option to better manage excess storm water from your roof. The water is captured before it picks up pollutants, and it is safe to use for watering plants. A rain barrel can save gardeners up to 1,300 gallons of water during the peak summer months!

This workshop will help you learn to better manage storm water AND will help you build your own 55 gallon rain barrel to take home. Cost: $45 per person, includes cost of rain barrel. To Register: contact Angela Sullivan, 677-8223 x 114

Orange County Earth and Water Festival

11AM – 5PM- The OCWA is pleased to announce that the 4th Annual Earth and Water Festival will be held on Saturday, June 4, 2011 at Thomas Bull Memorial Park in Montgomery, NY. This unique festival is family-friendly, intimate, educational and of course, lots of fun! Stay an hour or stay all day. Bring a blanket, the kids and even your dog and enjoy the fresh air, listen to live music and entertaining performances by highly talented local musicians and peformers. Visit the Green Expo area at the festival and learn from many local vendors how they are making a difference by being “green” or what sustainable goods and services they provide. Buy fresh homemade bread, baked goods, produce and plants in the Farmers Market. Let the kids run wild in the Children’s Activity tent (big festival favorite).

Live performances this year are diverse, colorful, creative, fun and always entertaining. Returning this year by popular demand are:

Arm-of-the-Sea Theater: Performing “To Fuel the Fire”, a free-wheeling allegory about the ecological costs of energy. This tragic comedy features primordial masks and kinetic puppet figures, vivid paintings, whimsical props and live music. Their performances are award-winning and are a must see! You know it’s good when a festival full of people stop to watch and listen. Click here to visit their website http://www.armofthesea.org/

Maxwell Kofi Donkor and the Sankofa Drum and Dance Ensamble: Their african drumming and dancing is interactive, makes your feet tap and people dance, and puts a smile on everyone’s face. Click here to visit their website http://www.bak2roots.com/

“iS”coustic: This unusual, three piece jam band delivers live performances to electrify audiences. The bands name, which loosely means “the present tense” emphasizes their improvisational nature. They offer a unique experience that includes original diverse, memorable songs and exceptional musicianship. Click here to visit their website http://whatitis.biz/

Snakeman’s Snake Show: Their performance will teach the audience about the environment and how snakes provide their part for the balance of nature. Their show is both interactive and hands-on with real live snakes, which will educate as well as entertain you. They will be at the festival all day and will do a special performance on the stage for everyone to enjoy! Click here to visit their website http://www.jerrythesnakeman.com/

New to the stage this year are Half Jester and Little Sparrow. These bands will delight and keep audiences moving. More details and the full performance schedule for follow soon.

More information is here.

Sunday, June 5

Michelle LeBlanc Trio: The American Songbook

2:30PM – 4PM Featuring Tom Kohl on piano and Bill Crow on bass. This free concert is open to the public. Ann Marie Parish, Event Coordinator for the Plaza has attended our concerts at Arts on the Lake in Kent NY and loves our sound We were glad to get her call, inviting us to perform for Plaza residents and the public. We will set up on their lovely patio overlooking the grounds. If rain is forecasted, we’ll move inside. Join us for a lovely afternoon. The Plaza at Clover Lake, 838 Fair Street, Carmel NY 10512 Call 845-878-4111 for more information.

Tuesday, June 7

Distinguished Environmental Achievement Award Ceremony

5:30PM – 8 PM – Mohonk Consultations, Inc Presents Laura Heady with its Distinguished Environmental Achievement Award As the 2011 winner of Mohonk Consultations’ Environmental Award, Laura is a true campaigner for biodiversity in our neck of the woods. She served last year as the keynote speaker at our Forum on Biodiversity. Since 2006, Laura has been Biodiversity Outreach Coordinator for the NYSDEC Hudson River Estuary Program in partnership with Cornell University. She helps municipal and regional partners to integrate biodiversity and habitat protection into conservation plans, smart growth strategies, environmental planning and preservation.

Reservations are required for each of our events. Call 845-256-2726 to reserve and/ or to ask for an invitation to the Award Ceremony. If you would like to be placed on our mailing list, please call 845-256-2726 or email mohonkconsultations@hvi.net Location: Mohonk Mountain House

Friday, June 10

The Environmental Footprint of Marcellus Shale Gas

7PM – New natural gas extraction technology has led to an increase in the exploration of organic-rich shale in the United States. In New York State, the Marcellus Shale formation has captured the public’s attention. Will gas extraction in the Marcellus Shale be a boon, providing cleaner domestic energy, or a bust, contaminating our air and water resources? Find out answers from Duke University’s Rob Jackson. His research captures the latest science on the impacts of shale-gas extraction and fracking.
Location: Cary Institute’s auditorium, located at 2801 Sharon Turnpike (Route 44) in Millbrook, New York.

Six New One-Act Plays

8PM – Six new one-act plays from Tony Howarth’s Playwright’s Workshop. Plays by Pat O’Connor, Gabby Fox and Carol Mark, directed by Tony Howarth. At the Cultural Center on Lake Carmel, Route 52 just south of the Route 311 Causeway.

Tannahill Weavers

8:30PM – The legendary Tannahill Weavers, one of Scotland’s premier traditional bands, play a diverse repertoire that spans the centuries with fire-driven instrumentals, topical songs, original ballads and lullabies. Their music demonstrates to old and young alike the rich and varied musical heritage of the Celtic people. These versatile musicians consistently garner worldwide accolades for their exuberant performances and outstanding recording efforts that seemingly can’t get better …yet continue to do just that. “An especially eloquent mixture of the old and the new.” -New York Times; “Scotland’s Tannahill Weavers play acoustic instruments, but the atmosphere at their shows is electric! The quintet is as tight and as versatile as any band in the Celtic music revival. They can summon rock ‘n’ roll intensity or haunting introspection.” -The Boston Globe; “…as close to perfect as it gets in an imperfect world.” -Sing Out! At the Towne Crier Cafe – $30 advance/ $35 door

Saturday, June 11

7th Annual Family Festival and Sleep Over Under the Stars

With over 400 attendees and all campsites filled, last year’s event was our most successful ever. Reserve early to make sure you and your family can join the fun this year!

Where:
The Claudio Marzollo Community Center of Philipstown (aka Philipstown Recreation Center)
107 Glenclyffe Drive, Garrison, NY

Good Food:
Burgers, hot dogs, veggie burgers, potato salad, cole slaw, fresh organic green salad (with lettuce from Second Wind CSA), hummus and pita, watermelon, lemonade, iced tea, water.

Campout breakfast will include juice, coffee, tea, bagels and spreads, cereals, fruit and yogurt.

Good Music:
Rollicking bluegrass band NoBrakes . . . and a mish mash of Philipstown’s finest campout musicians leading the sing-along at the Sleep Over Under the Stars!

Good Fun:
Lots of fun outdoor activities including soccer, hula hooping with Judy, a wildlife presentation, and giant bubbles, as well as a raffle with great prizes.

Individual Barbecue: $10 ($15 at door)
Family Barbecue: $25 ($30 at door)

Campout: $50 (Includes festival/BBQ admission and breakfast. Pre-registration is required. Just fill out and send in the form.)

To purchase tickets, visit the HHLT office, email info@hhlt.org, or call 845/424-3358. Proceeds from the Family Festival benefit the Garrison and Haldane environmental education programs.

Be Part of the Team
Meet your neighbors and make new friends when you volunteer. We are looking for people to help with parking, food prep, or the raffle booth. Call us at 845/424-3358 or email info@hhlt.org to let us know your availablity and interests.

Six New One-Act Plays

8PM – Six new one-act plays from Tony Howarth’s Playwright’s Workshop. Plays by Pat O’Connor, Gabby Fox and Carol Mark, directed by Tony Howarth. At the Cultural Center on Lake Carmel, Route 52 just south of the Route 311 Causeway.

Saturday, June 18

Clearwater Revival

Croton Point Park – Pete Seeger star Drive-By Truckers star Martin Sexton star Indigo Girls, Arlo Guthrie star Josh Ritter star Jorma Kaukonen star Peter Yarrow, John Sebastian star Janis Ian star The Low Anthem, Red Horse (Lucy Kaplansky, John Gorka & Eliza Gilkyson) star The Klezmatics, Toubab Krewe star Justin Townes Earle star Chris, Smither star Joanne Shenandoah, Tom Chapin star Bernice Johnson Reagon star Dan Zanes & Elizabeth Mitchell, James McMurtry | Jay Ungar & Molly Mason | Jeffrey Broussard & The Creole Cowboys, Tao Seeger Band | Toshi Reagon & Big Lovely | Mike & Ruthy | Sarah Lee & Johnny, Bethany & Rufus’ Roots Quartet | Clayfoot Strutters | Zlatne Uste | Joe Purdy, The Nields | The Kennedys | Jen Chapin | K.J. Denhert | Zon del Barrio, Vanaver Caravan| Buskin & Batteau | Dave Douglas & Brass Ecstasy, Brooklyn Qawwali Party | Joe D’urso | Joel Plaskett, Arm-of-the-Sea Theater star The Power of Song star The Rivertown Kids, Mustard’s Retreat star Magpie star Roger the Jester star Dog on Fleas, Walkabout Clearwater Chorus star Paul Richmond star The Storycrafters, Rick Nestler star Donna Nestler star Travis Jeffrey star Margo Thunderbird, Marva Clark star Linda Richards star Eshu Bumpus star Dan Einbender, Dirty Stay Out Skifflers star Geoff Kaufman star Sarah Underhill star Peninnah Schram, Kay Olan/Ionataiewas star Mel & Vinnie star Karen Pillsworth star Gregorio Pedroza , Allan Aunapu star Jan Christensen star The New York Packet star Matt Turk star Hope Machine

“July Moon” A documentary by Karen Person

7:30PM – A screening & discussion with the Director/Producer/Filmmaker – Karen Person presented by The Schoolhouse and the Putnam Arts Council. Join us as we return to 1969 with Buzz Aldrin as he unfolds the story of Apollo 11 landing on the Moon and provides insight and context to this historic event. The film reflects the space program of that era, its triumphs and tragedies, and documents the culmination of an young, optimistic President’s promise. Film to be screened in the Schoolhouse Theater – 3 Owens Rd., Croton Falls, NY Tickets $10 which includes light refreshments. Reservations recommended – 914.277.8477(Schoolhouse) or 845.803.8622 (PAC).

Saturday, June 25

Beacon Riverfest

Following the rousing success of its illustrious debut last year, where attendance was estimated at 2,500 people, Local 845 will present the second annual BEACON RIVERFEST, a free day-long outdoor music festival held in the city’s Riverfront Park, on Saturday, June 25.

Five bands will headline on one center stage: 11-piece steampunk mambo band, GATO LOCO; one-name moniker and roots collective, MILTON; JACK GRACE BAND, featuring the Broken Mariachi Horns; Hip Hop-Spoken Word project, READNEX POETRY SQUAD; and THE TAO SEEGER BAND.

BEACON RIVERFEST is free and open to the public. Rain location is University Settlement.

BEACON RIVERFEST is growing in its second year with new stuff:

ART GUITARS
In May, lookout for “Beacon Riverfest Art Guitars,” a citywide public display of more than 40 wood guitars each painted by a different local artist. On June 18, beginning at 6PM, a week before Beacon Riverfest (June 25), the guitars will be on auction at the Marion Royael Gallery, 460 Main Street in Beacon. Proceeds from the auction will be split evenly between the artists and Beacon Riverfest.

ROCK BAND BOOT CAMP
In partnership with Beacon’s Department of Recreation, Local 845 offers “Rock Band Boot Camp,” a fun and inspiring workshop where students learn how to work together and play as a rock band. Sessions are offered to teens and adults year round. Playing in Local 845′s Boot Camp energizes and inspires students of all ages. The Spring 2011 session for teens (April 27-June 15) will culminate in a live performance at Beacon Riverfest, where students will share center stage with headlining acts.

Local 845 presents a rich variety of original rock, folk, jazz and contemporary musical artists year-round at a variety of hospitable venues, including Beacon’s historical Howland Cultural Center and more non-traditional locales such as Open Space Gallery, University Settlement Camp and Spire Studios. In addition to launching Beacon Riverfest in 2010, Local 845 also produced “Pete Seeger If I Had A Hammer: Concert For a House,” a benefit for Habitat for Humanity presented at Washington’s Headquarters in Newburgh, New York. In August 2011, Local 845 will present “Scenic Hudson’s Long Dock Park Summer Concert Series,” four weekly free concerts in Beacon’s newly renovated Long Dock Park, and its “In The Pines” concerts will expand this year to become a spring and summer series at Beacon’s University Settlement Camp.

Sloan Wainwright Band

8:30PM – Folk-pop artist Sloan Wainwright belongs to a musical dynasty of impossibly gifted singer-songwriters. Her family tree (brother and folk-music luminary Loudon Wainwright, sister-in-law Kate McGarrigle, nephew Rufus Wainwright, nieces Martha Wainwright and Lucy Wainwright Roche) reads like a who’s who of contemporary folk music. Sloan’s incredible gift is not only her unique songwriting ability but her dramatically voiced rendition of her original songs. “She’s folk-influenced, obviously (you can’t grow up in the First Family of Folk and not be, one imagines), but the real star here is her voice. Warm and smoky and smooth, it makes her earthy, ominous lyrics seem all the more intense.” Defying standard categorization, singer/songwriter Sloan Wainwright consistently demonstrates her easy command of a variety of American musical styles –pop, folk, jazz and blues– held together by the melodious tone of her rich contralto. The end result, a un! ique and soulful hybrid. “A lot of singer-songwriters are whitebread. Sloan is whole grain.” -WFMT Radio, Rich Warren; “…Sloan Wainwright, whose regal voice could fell a redwood.” -The Boston Globe; “…earth mother voice that she pours into unexpectedly sensitive blends of folk, jazz, blues and funk.” -The New York Times $25 advance/ $30 door At the Towne Crier Cafe

July

Thursday, July 7

Wappinger Creek Walk

5PM – In celebration of Creek Week and Dutchess County Watershed Awareness Month the Cary Institute and Cornell Cooperative Extension will host an interpretive hike along the Wappinger Creek Trail. This family friendly event will engage children and adults in hands-on activities. Participants will sample macro-invertebrates and learn about water quality issues. Wear sturdy waterproof shoes and bring your camera and drinking water. To RSVP please visit http://carywappingercreekwalk.eventbrite.com/?ref=ebtn. Location: Cary East (Gifford House) parking area, located at 2917 Sharon Turnpike (Rte. 44) in Millbrook, N.Y.

Saturday, July 9

Long Dock Park Celebration

1PM – 6PM – Help us celebrate the opening of this new and improved Hudson Riverfront park in high style. Take to the water on a free kayak paddle, try out a new bike on the Klara Sauer Trail, join a guided tour of exciting park features, including Scenic Hudson’s River Center, our new venue for arts and environmental activities. If that’s not enough, you can test your mettle at hula-hooping and enjoy a great lineup of live performers—all while admiring magnificent Hudson River vistas.

LIVE PERFORMANCES by:
Arm-of-the-Sea Theater
Uncle Rock
We Must Be
The Big Takeover

Event Location: Long Dock Rd. Beacon, NY 12508 – On the river side of the Beacon Train Station.

Friday, July 15

Dire Predictions: Understanding Global Warming

7PM – Climatologist Dr. Michael Mann will review the evidence for human influence on the climate, including measurements available for the past two centuries and paleoclimate observations spanning more than a millennium. He will also address how climate change will influence the world we live in, from sea level rise and severe weather to changes in the water supply. His lecture will conclude with a frank discussion about possible solutions to the climate change. A key contributor to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report, Dr. Mann is author of more than 130 peer-reviewed and edited publications, and recently co-authored the book “Dire Predictions: Understanding Global Warming” with colleague Lee Kump. He is also a co-founder and avid contributor to the award-winning science website www.realclimate.org. Location: Cary Institute’s auditorium, located at 2801 Sharon Turnpike (Route 44) in Millbrook, New York.

July 21 – 24

Gathering of the Vibes

Seaside Park, Bridgeport, CT – Gathering of the Vibes, the Northeast’s acclaimed music festival destination, will “bring the magic” once again with a 4-day extravaganza of eclectic music, arts and community, July 21-24, 2011 at Connecticut’s magnificent Seaside Park. The rumor mill is swirling with artist announcements around the corner. Gathering of the Vibes promises its most spectacular and diverse lineup to date, delivering over 40 hours of music on multiple stages. Powerhouse Vibes alumni include: The Allman Brothers, Crosby Stills & Nash, Furthur with Phil Lesh & Bob Weir, James Brown, The Black Crowes, and Damian Marley and Nas, alongside breakout acts like Umphrey’s McGee, Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings, Jackie Greene, and tri-state favorites The McLovins. The Vibes also warmly embraces new, virtually unknown artists, who may submit music for consideration through sonic bids.

News That Matters – Friday, May 13, 2011 – Things To Do Edition

Jeff Green — Fri, 13 May 2011 14:48:08 +0000

“Former government lawyer John Yoo taking credit on behalf of the Bush administration for Sunday’s strike against Osama bin Laden is like Edward John Smith, the captain of the Titanic, taking credit for the results of the 1998 Academy Awards.” – Andrew Cohen

Good Friday Morning,

Correction: The rally for independent redistricting is tomorrow, Saturday, not last Wednesday. [See calendar item below] If any of you actually went down to Peekskill the other day I apologize and hope that you took the time instead to walk around and do some business down there. It’s actually a cool little city.

Gas!

According to Questerre Energy, unnamed acids, anti-bacterial agents and corrosion inhibitors are all commonly found in consumer products. I’m not sure they mean on the shelves of your local Rite-Aid but in the warehouses of hydrofracking supply companies type consumer products. The key word here is “consumer” and while we’re used to thinking of “consumer products” based on our personal purchasing habits the drillers of wells are also “consumers”, they just buy different stuff.

Everyone has had their panties wadded up over the Marcellus shale for the past couple of years and that’s not even nearby. But as it turns out there’s another layer of shale that is under our very feet, the Utica Shale formation, and that one is next in line for deeper drilling and hydrofracking. I’m willing to bet Putnam County government is already preparing plans to allow that where it underlies Putnam Valley and Philipstown.

Trail Volunteers Invited to Help Build Trails at Slabsides, John Burroughs’ Sanctuary in Ulster County

With a grant from NYS Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, the John Burroughs Association is building and restoring trails at the 200-acre John Burroughs Nature Sanctuary, Slabsides, in West Park, NY (Ulster County). Slabsides is the 1895 rustic cabin retreat of naturalist John Burroughs/ It is a National Historic Landmark and the surrounding Nature Sanctuary is designated a Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area.

Trail professional (and Trail Conference member) Eddie Walsh designed the trails that will take hikers deep into the southern portion of the Sanctuary and link up with the 600 acres that Scenic Hudson owns to the south (former West Park Winery). “It’s beautiful woods with a lot of interesting features, primarily north/south ridges and sheer cliffs that Eddie has worked into the trail plan that includes a ladder at one of the cliffs.” says Joan Burroughs of the association. Eddie will lead crews of volunteers every weekend through the end of June

Helping with the trails is an opportunity to be among the first to get to know these “new” woods along Black Creek.

Write here for more information.

The Manhattan Bridge from Fulton State Park:

What’s Going On?

Today

Isolated
Showers
Hi 68 °F

Tonight

Patchy
Fog
Lo 48 °F

Saturday

Slight Chc
Rain
Hi 63 °F

Saturday
Night

Chance
Rain
Lo 48 °F

Sunday

Rain
Likely
Hi 65 °F

Sunday
Night

Chance
Rain
Lo 53 °F

Monday

Chance
Rain
Hi 64 °F

Monday
Night

Chance
Rain
Lo 50 °F

Tuesday

Chance
Rain
Hi 63 °F

Ongoing:
- Arts on the Lake Spring Art Exhibit
- Help Secure Marriage Equality in New York State
This Weekend:
Into The Future:
June
July
- Saturday, July 9
  - Long Dock Park Celebration
- July 21 – 24
  - Gathering of the Vibes

Ongoing:

Arts on the Lake Spring Art Exhibit

1 PM – 5PM May 21, 22, 28, 29 and Monday May 30.

The featured artists include: Larry Alfano, Wendy Alvarez, Turizzo Anaya, Pallas Athene, Patricia Bolgosano, Taras Borovyk, Lesia Prokopiv Borovik, Keith Brooks, Margaret Brooks, Chris Casaburi, Michelina Compton, George Davison, Eric Ficinus, Toni Flynn, Pal Gyomai, Eleanor Haggerty, Kathleen Hoekstra, Michael Keropian, Deborah Lecce, Don Longabucco, Joan Maliniak, James McGuire, James Muleva, Jerry Michalak, Sharon Nakazato, Amanda O’Shaughnessy, Katherine Pacchiana, Ekaterina Piskareva, Lisa Pitt, Joseph Pizzuti, Michael Rossi, Rena Scelia, Mary Schreiber, Greg Solanto, Gerald Spette, Kimberley Standerwick, Matt Tannenbaum, Carina Tautu, Bill Ullman, Jamie Vogel, and Roy Volpe. at Lake Carmel Cultural Center | 640 Route 52 | Kent Lakes, NY

Help Secure Marriage Equality in New York State

Human Rights Campaign is asking us to make phone calls to our State Senator’s office to encourage his support for Marriage Equality.

If you’d like to call, the number is 845-279-3773 and please do so during the work week. It takes like 5 minutes, not even. Tell the staffer your name and town and that you expect The Senator to vote for Marriage Equality when the bill comes up later this month.

I’m a fan of letters as they give the Senator’s Staff something tangible to work with.

It doesn’t have to be long or involved, you don’t have to pour out your heart unless you feel so inclined. Just state your case, the case for equal rights and the case for New York.

Here’s the address:

Senator Greg Ball
1441 Route 22
Suite 205
Brewster, NY 10509

This Weekend:

Friday, May 13

The Last Mountain

7PM – Join us for an advanced screening of this documentary film exploring how mountaintop coal mining impacts the environment and human health. An Official Selection at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival. Location: Cary Institute’s auditorium, located at 2801 Sharon Turnpike (Route 44) in Millbrook, New York.

In the valleys of Appalachia, a battle is being fought over a mountain. It is a battle with severe consequences that affect every American, regardless of their social status, economic background or where they live. It is a battle that has taken many lives and continues to do so the longer it is waged. It is a battle over protecting our health and environment from the destructive power of Big Coal.

The mining and burning of coal is at the epicenter of America’s struggle to balance its energy needs with environmental concerns. Nowhere is that concern greater than in Coal River Valley, West Virginia, where a small but passionate group of ordinary citizens are trying to stop Big Coal corporations, like Massey Energy, from continuing the devastating practice of Mountain Top Removal.

David, himself, never faced a Goliath like Big Coal.

Saturday, May 14

Philipstown Town-Wide Cleanup

8AM – 2PM – To help the town continue the Philipstown Cleanup Day during these economically challenging times, the Hudson Highlands Land Trust directors raised the funds internally to underwrite the cost of Cleanup Day for a second year.

“The Board of Directors believes that a mechanism that allows residents to responsibly dispose of their larger refuse items is a necessary component of protecting the natural resources and scenic beauty of the Hudson Highlands,” explained HHLT Executive Director Andy Chmar.

The Cleanup Day drop-off is at the Garrison Volunteer Firehouse and is for Philipstown residents only. A driver’s license, tax bill or other proof of residency must be presented upon arrival at the site. Participants will be limited to two vehicle-loads per household, and no vehicle larger than a pick-up truck will be accepted.

Other guidelines include: no regular bags of household garbage, railroad ties, computer monitors, or items containing freon. No 55-gallon drums, propane tanks, paint cans, batteries, or any other toxic materials will be accepted. Brush and wood will be accepted, tied in length no longer than 5 feet. Metal will also be accepted, and tires (not to exceed 16 inches). White goods like washing machines, stoves or dishwashers will not be accepted at the Garrison Firehouse, but can be brought to the Town Recycling Center on that day.

Philisptown residents with questions should call Town Hall, 845/265-3329, for more information.

7th Annual Still River Cleanup

8AM – 3PM Volunteers will meet at Larsen’s Farmstand in Brookfield on Junction Road.

Volunteers will work along a six- mile long area of the Still River in Brookfield starting at Stew Leonard’s and ending at Aldrich Road collecting and removing trash and other debris along the way.

Volunteers should be prepared to get dirty and/or wet!! Recommended dress includes: high-topped work boots with nonskid soles, work gloves, hat or scarf for sun protection, long pants, and a long-sleeved shirt. Absolutely no open-toe shoes!! Rain gear is recommended in case of poor weather.

Lunch will be provided.

Volunteers are asked to pre-register by May 1st with Sig Hepp, Still River Clean-up Coordinator email: stillrivercleanup@hotmail.com or call 203-426-3830.

Volunteers under 16 years of age must have a parent or guardian with them throughout the day. Volunteers under 18 years old will need a parent or guardian to sign a release form in order to participate. Medical forms and release waivers can be downloaded here.

Putnam County Master Gardener’s Plant Sale

8:30AM – 11:30AM – More than a thousand tomato plants, many vegetables, annuals, huge herb selection, Putnam Proven Perennials from the Master Gardeners’ own gardens and gifts for all who garden. Free soil tests, great advice! At the CCE office at 1 Geneva Road in Brewster (Where the Motor Vehicles Office is).

There will be hundreds (yes hundreds!) of tomatoes, peppers, zucchini, eggplant, and other veggies, Herbs both culinary and aromatic, Annuals, perennials from the Master Gardeners own gardens, A tent stocked with tools, soaps, gloves and other items gardeners need. You’ll find hand-crafted hypertufa containers and much, much more. Bring a soil sample for a free soil pH test!

Guided Park Walk – Popolopen Gorge

10:00 AM – 3:00 PM Details: Join Docent John Jurasek on this 6-mile, strenuous (3-sneaker) walk to view Revolutionary War Forts and a Geological Gorge. Bring 2 liters of water and pack a lunch. The walk is mostly flat with some rocky, steep areas.

Directions: From the Palisades Interstate Parkway North, travel to the end of the parkway. There will be a traffic circle. Do not go around the circle but bear right onto Rt. 9W south. There will be a welcome to Bear Mountain State Park sign and also Hessian Lake will be on the right. Travel Rt. 9W for 1/4 mile to a traffic light. At the light, bear up the hill on the right. At the top of the hill will be the Bear Mountain Inn. Go around the circle of the Inn and pull into the parking lot.

Please note there is an $8 parking fee. Walkers will meet in front of the Bear Mountain Inn. Pre-registration for all walks is suggested, but not required. Call: 845-708-7307 or e-mail rcamericorps@co.rockland.ny.us.

West Point Foundry Preserve Tours for Heritage Weekend

10:30AM – We’re proud to be part of New York Heritage Weekend (May 14 and 15)—a celebration with special events at heritage destinations across the Empire State to help kick off the summer tourism season.

Join us for a guided tour exploring the remains of a 19th-century industrial powerhouse, the West Point Foundry, that made locomotives, steam engines and Parrott guns that helped win the Civil War.

TOUR TIMES: 10:30 a.m. – noon; 12:30 – 2 p.m.

The walks will occur rain or shine, except in the event of torrential rain, when they will be canceled. Please wear sturdy shoes and weather-appropriate clothing. Tick precautions, such as tucking pants legs into socks and applying bug repellent to shoes and pants, are highly recommended.

MEETING PLACE: West Point Foundry Preserve

QUESTIONS? Contact Scenic Hudson Parks Event Coordinator Anthony Coneski: aconeski@scenichudson.org, 845-473-4440 x273

Event Location
63 Chestnut Street
Cold Spring, NY 10516

Rally For Independent Redistricting in New York State

Noon – From MY-H: State Senator Greg Ball (R) campaigned for office as a supporter of independent redistricting. This means that the mandatory redistricting, required by the census, would be done on a non-partisan basis with neither the Republican nor the Democratic Party controlling. (Note to those who aren’t familiar with this – the normal process is for it to be very partisan with the politicians deciding which districts will be Republican and which will be Democratic.)

Ball even went a step further and signed a pledge that he would stand firm in his support of independent redistricting.

[See: "Sorry, I Must Have Forgotten" News That Matters - Wednesday, May 11, 2011]

But now that he’s been elected, Senator Ball has decided to go back on his word. Instead of keeping his promise to support independent redistricting to draw fair district boundaries for the 2012 elections, Senator Ball – now in office—wants to keep in place the same broken system that allows politicians to draw their own district lines.

This Saturday a number of groups have decided to come together to hold a rally and press conference to call upon Senator Ball to keep his word and support fair and independent redistricting.

Location: Riverfront Green Park (Next to the Train Station)

Robert Whitman, MoonRain (2010)

2PM – Dia Art Foundation is pleased to present the recent theater piece, MoonRain, by Robert Whitman, a pioneer of multimedia installation and performance. Referencing a famous collection of 18th century Japanese ghost stories by Ueda Akinari, the innovative work is set inside a fog environment designed by Fujiko Nakaya and will be staged in Dia:Beacon’s lower level gallery.

Free with museum admission. For reservations, click here.

Robert Whitman first met Fujiko Nakaya during the E.A.T. project to build the Pepsi Pavilion at Expo ’70 in Osaka, Japan, where Nakaya developed the cloud sculpture that surrounded the building. Nakaya continued to participate in E.A.T. projects and also to create an extended series of fog sculptures around the world that have been incorporated in the designs of public spaces, buidlings and parks, often in collaboration with other artists and scientists.

In 2004 Whitman and Nakaya were both at an exhibition on E.A.T. at the museum in Norrkoping, Sweden, and worked together on a piece Whitman called Dialogue.

As Whitman describes it:

“Because I had been interested in projecting on fog and anything else I could project on, it just seemed very natural to introduce that idea as part of a dialogue which we performed at the opening of the exhibition in Norrkoping. I projected video images from an earlier piece, Not a Novel, onto the fog sculpture Fujiko had created in the garden of the museum. I’ve projected on leaves in the woods and stuff; and one of the things that happens with fog, it blows around, so a piece of fog comes up here and reveals part of the image and another piece of fog comes up over there and another part of the image is revealed: the image is fragmented. You can set up a circumstance where the likelihood is good of something happening that you never saw before. That’s the thing with the fog.”

For the piece, MoonRain, which was to be performed in the summer of 2010 in the woods in Berkeley Heights, New Jersey, Whitman told Fujiko that he wanted to work with her to make the fog an active part of the imagery of the performance. As he has said: “I was relating to this idea of Ugetsu which comes from the 18th century writer Uedia Akinari, Tales of Moon Light and Rain (Ugetsu mongatari). They come from a tradition where the story is made with gaps, kind of like a Chinese painting where you have the landscape and the whole empty canvas, and wherever those gaps are, they are filled in by the person telling the story or reading the story and leaving room for your mind to wander and be engaged. So fog is a lot like that. There are a lot of gaps, things come and they go, disappear and appear. I thought that was an interesting parallel.”

Hiking the Road to Ruins

5PM – 7PM – Join us for a presentation with David Steinberg, author of Hiking the Road to Ruins. Steinberg will discuss twenty-two day hikes (and sometimes campouts) to old iron mines, deserted buildings, historic military leftovers and other things abandoned and available for visit by intrepid hikers. Many of the ruins are located right here in our backyard.

David Steinberg is is a life-long resident of the New York City area and has been a paid leader of hikes for fifteen years. From 1985 to 1996, he was a staff photographer and photo-feature writer for The Queens Courier, a weekly newspaper.

This event is free and open to the public. To RSVP, call the museum, 845-265-4010 or email, office@pchs-fsm.org.

Putnam County Historical Society & Foundry School Museum

63 Chestut Street

Cold Spring, NY 10516

Carmina Burana

8PM at Brewster High School. The Putnam Chorale performs CARMINA BURANA – One Performance Only – with full orchestra and accompanied by the Brewster High School Chamber Singers and the Seven Star Dancers, on MAY 14, 2011 8 pm at the Brewster High School Performing Arts Center, 50 Foggintown Road, Brewster, NY. Get more information at our web site (www.putnamchorale.org) or by calling 845-279-7265.

A collection of historic medieval songs and poems was discovered in the year 1803 at an abandoned monastery in Bavaria. This collection was found to be satirical works that had been performed by traveling goliards, disaffected clergy and clerical students, who used the works to lighten the burden of everyday life and to poke fun at the authorities of the day. In a way, the Saturday Night Live of its time!

The works make fun of church excesses and follies and mock the changing morals of the times. There are love songs and songs for drinking and gambling that celebrate Epicurus, the ancient Greek Philosopher and advocate of the blissful life. The stories are provocative and often disrespectful, but offer a common man perspective and a chance at some frivolity.

Sunday, May 15

Eagle Scout Fundraiser

9 AM – Noon – Jimmy Duncan is hosting a breakfast fundraiser. This fundraiser is for the Cleaning and waxing of the GAR Monument at Veteran’s Park (Electrazone Field)-hoping to be completed for Memorial Day. The 2nd Phase will be the placement of a historic marker.

The menu includes an omelet station, waffles, pancakes, scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, potatoes, baked goods, oatmeal, juice, milk, coffee and tea. Reservations are not required, and all are welcome. The Brewster VFW hall is located at 262 Peaceable Hill Road and the phone number is 845/279-6969. Open to All $10 Adults. $5 Children.

Community Garden Plots at Stony Kill Farm

10 AM – The Stony Kill Foundation, Inc. announces the opening of the 2011 Community Garden Plots at Stony Kill Farm Environmental Education Center on Route 9D in Wappinger Falls. Plots are 20′ by 20′ and are available immediately, for a fee of $30 for the season. Please call 845-831-1617 for an application or email us at foundation@stonykill.org.

Join us on Sunday, May 15, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. for a Family Wilderness Survival Class with instructor Shane Hobel. This class is made up of many skills and introduces you to the scope of this subject of study and particularly the “Basic 4”: Shelter, Water, Fire & Food. You will also experience the beginnings of Tracking, Awareness & Movement. Topics are learned through discussion and practice. Children participating must be in grades 3 and older. All particpants should bring a bag lunch, snack and drink. Meet at the barn classroom. All should dress in layers and bring bug spray. For further information, visit mt.scoutsurvival@gmail.com. Reservations are required to attend this program and can be made by emailing foundation@stonykill.org or by calling 845-831-1617.

Guided Hike: Raymond G. Esposito Rail Trail

When: 10:00 AM – 12:30 PM Details: Join Docent Nice McLean on this moderate (2 sneaker) mostly flat walk that will be 3.5 miles in length along the Raymond G. Esposito Rail Trail to the newly restored Piermont Train Station used by the Erie Railroad in the 1870′s. See the wonderful views of the Hudson River and the Tappan Zee Bridge.

Directions: Route 59 to Broadway in Nyack. Make a right and go south. Look for a gazebo before the South Nyack Police Station. Participants will meet at 282 South Broadway in South Nyack.

Pre-registration for all walks is suggested, but not required. Call: 845-708-7307 or e-mail rcamericorps@co.rockland.ny.us

Sheep Shearing at Glynwood Farm

Noon – Glynwood Farm opens up to the community with the annual family Sheep Shearing Day, celebrating springtime. Each spring, Glynwood celebrates the new planting season with a day of family activities. Tour the farm and gardens, visit with the animals, including newborns, and participate in games and activities conducted at the farm. Watch the sheep get shorn, see wool get transformed into yarn and felt. Learn about beekeeping and heirloom vegetable varieties suited to the Hudson Valley. Tour the Glynwood greenhouse and learn about energy saving features that have been installed.

The farm will be open from noon until 4 p.m. and the cost is $10 for adults 18 and over, and free for children under 18. This includes a light lunch. An onsite market will sell Hudson Valley regional products. Glynwood is located on Route 301. Advance registration is required due to parking limitations, and can be done by phoning 845-265-3338. For more information visit www.glynwood.org/ Photo courtesy of Glynwood.

Gallery Talk: Art in the Digital Age

1PM – With artist and educator, Dr. Sherry Mayo, who will discuss arts technology and the combination of both traditional and digital materials into studio practice explaining how she moves between the two, integrating drawing, painting, photography, installation, and digital to create her work. She will feature her recent installation at Westchester Community College Fine Arts Gallery in Faculty/Selects and discuss her relationship to contemporaries working in similar ways. Dr. Mayo is currently Director of the Center for the Digital Arts, Peekskill Extension of SUNY Westchester Community College.

This free program is part of the PAC Sunday’s in the Center and is partially funded through a community grant from Entergy; reservations are advised.

Riverkeeper’s Annual Shad Fest

For over 20 years, Riverkeeper’s Shad Fest has been a celebration of the vast numbers of American shad that returned each year to the Hudson River to spawn. The shad run has been a welcome sign of spring, rebirth and renewal for thousands of years, since the Lenape Indians populated the Hudson’s shores. Sadly, the shad population has declined in recent years to dangerously low levels and the focus of this year’s event is on saving the American Shad and other Hudson River signature fish which are similarly at risk. Shad Fest started off as a backyard barbeque held at Bobby Kennedy Jr.’s house, and has grown every year. To be held at Boscobel House and Gardens, Route 9D in Cold Spring. Click here for more information and tickets.

Garnet Rodgers with Shawn Taylor at the Towne Crier

7:30PM – Garnet Rogers has established himself as “One of the major talents of our time.” Hailed by the Boston Globe as a “charismatic performer and singer,” Garnet is a man with a powerful physical presence –close to six and a half feet tall– with a voice to match. With his “smooth, dark baritone” (Washington Post) his incredible range, and thoughtful, dramatic phrasing, Garnet is widely considered by fans and critics alike to be one of the finest singers anywhere. His music –like the man himself– is literate, passionate, highly sensitive, and deeply purposeful. Cinematic in detail, his songs “give expression to the unspoken vocabulary of the heart” (Kitchener Waterloo Record). An optimist at heart, Garnet sings extraordinary songs about people who are not obvious heroes and of the small victories of the everyday. As memorable as his songs, his over-the-top humour and lightning-quick wit moves his audience from tears to laughter and back again. $17.50 advance/ $22.50 door. Click here for more information.

Into The Future:

Monday, May 16

The Buddha’s 2600th Birthday Celebration

Globally – In the year 624 BC, in Kapilawaththu (Nepal) Siddhartha Gautama was born as a prince. His father was King Suddhodana and his mother was Queen Mahamaya. When he was sixteen he finished his education and he married Princess Yasodara. King Suddhodana handed over his kingdom to his son Siddhartha. They had a baby name Rahula. When king Siddhartha was 29 years old he decided to renounce lay life. Siddhartha left from his kingdom and went to several well-known teachers to study the ultimate nature of reality. But their teachings didn’t satisfy him and he set out to find his own path. Six years later he went to Bodgaya near the Neranjana River and sat under a tree.

Siddhartha’s mind was calm and relaxed. As he sat his concentration deepened and his wisdom grew brighter. In this clear and peaceful state of mind he began to examine the true nature of life. “What is the cause of suffering,” he asked himself, “and what is the path to everlasting joy?” In his mind’s eye he looked far beyond his own country, far beyond his own world. Soon the sun, planets, the stars out in space and distant galaxies of the universe all appeared to him in his meditation. He saw how everything, from the smallest speck of dust to the largest star was linked together in a constantly changing pattern: growing, decaying and growing again. Everything was related. Nothing happened without a cause and every cause had an effect on everything else.

With much equanimous joy, we would like to announce the program to commemorate the 2600th anniversary of the Buddha’s Enlightenment at the United Nations in New York.

Visit e2600.org for more information.

Tuesday, May 17

Passsive House Design

6PM – 8PM – Imagine a home that is warm during our cold, snowy winters and cool in our humid, hot summers; that also requires minimal ongoing costs for fuel and electricity to keep it comfortable. Well-executed passive house design is a proven method for achieving such a building. Join us for a discussion on how the passive house concept can be applied with equal success in urban centers, where projects are likely to be renovations, and in rural settings, where new construction is more common. The presentation will show the implementation of passive house principles in a newly-built certified passive house in the Hudson Valley (the Hudson Passive Project) designed by Dennis Wedlick Architect LLC and a passive retrofit of a brownstone in the historic district of Park Slope, Brooklyn designed by Prospect Architecture. What is a passive house? The passive house standard embodies today’s highest benchmark for energy efficiency and conservation. A cutting-edge approach to design and construction, the passive house standard drastically reduces the amount of energy required to operate a building (for instance, it results in a 90% reduction in energy required for heating). Originally developed in Germany, the passive house energy standard is being implemented with ever-greater frequency in the United States.

About The Presenters:

Dennis Wedlick, Architect:
Dennis Wedlick is the founder of Dennis Wedlick Architect LLC, a full-service architecture, master planning, landscape and interior design firm in Manhattan and Hudson, NY. The firm is known for sustainable, expressive projects that combine great design, technology and craft. Last year, the firm designed its first passive house, The Hudson Passive Project, which was completed in the fall of 2010.

Brian Marsh, Architect:
Brian Marsh is the Associate Partner of Dennis Wedlick Architect LLC, a full-service architecture, master planning, landscape and interior design firm in Manhattan and Hudson, NY. Last year, the firm designed its first passive house, The Hudson Passive Project, completed in the fall of 2010. Mr. Marsh is the lead architect on the Hudson Passive Project.

Jeremy R. M. Shannon, Architect:
Jeremy R. M. Shannon is the Principal Architect of Prospect Architecture, PC, a sustainable design-build firm located in Brooklyn, NY. He holds a Bachelor of Architecture degree from Virginia Polytechnic and State University and is, as well a LEED Accredited Professional, BPI Envelope, Heating, and Multifamily Specialist, and is a Certified Passive House Consultant. He has served as Vice President of the national Passive House Alliance, a trade organization created to promote the growth of Passive House in the United States. He is also a part time instructor at Parsons The New School. Jeremy specializes in residential townhouse and multifamily building construction using sustainable materials and focusing on energy efficiency without sacrificing the aesthetics or character of existing buildings. He designed and was the construction manager of the renovation and retrofit of multiple Passive House townhouses in Brooklyn New York.

Register for the Putnam/Dutchess County event with the links below. Reservations are $10 for advance sales to USGBC NY Upstate Chapter Members and Students, and $20 for non-members. Members & students pay $15 at the door.

Chapel of Our Lady Restoration, 45 Market Street, Cold Spring, NY

Thursday, May 19

Community Forum on Term Limits Laws

The League of Women Voters of Eastern Putnam County will be hosting a forum on Term Limits at the Historic County Courthouse in Carmel. Speakers will represent both sides of the issue as well as those who will touch on the factual and historical aspects of Term Limits. County Executive, Paul Eldridge; NYS Assemblyman, Steve Katz ; myself, Tony Fusco, a former Putnam County Legislator; Joyce Mitchell, a member of The Putnam County Charter Review Commission; Putnam County Legislators, Dan Birmingham and Sam Oliverio; Dave Gagliardi, an American History teacher and Jeff Green, a businessman and columnist .

The event will be moderated by Bruce Apar of the North County News, also a major sponsor of the event. This is a matter of public policy which will affect the way our elected officials govern in the future, and will likely have an effect on the uneven distribution of legislative power, locally, in the state and in the national arenas. Please make every effort to attend this worthwhile and informative event.

Saturday, May 21

Putnam County Hazardous Waste Collection

9 AM – 1PM – Time to get rid of all that stuff under your kitchen sink and the bottles in the garage you can no longer identify. The county says they’ll take drain cleaners and solvents and thinners and herbicides and phot chemicals and your old chemistry kit. What they won’t take is latex paint, car batteries, used motor oil (bring that to any service garage where the smart ones strain it and use it in their oil burners) nor old computers and the like.

As usual, you have to register with the county at 845 808-1390 x43150

Canopus Beach Parking Lot
Route 301 in Kent

Arts on the Lake Spring Art Exhibit

1 PM – Opening Reception – The featured artists include: Larry Alfano, Wendy Alvarez, Turizzo Anaya, Pallas Athene, Patricia Bolgosano, Taras Borovyk, Lesia Prokopiv Borovik, Keith Brooks, Margaret Brooks, Chris Casaburi, Michelina Compton, George Davison, Eric Ficinus, Toni Flynn, Pal Gyomai, Eleanor Haggerty, Kathleen Hoekstra, Michael Keropian, Deborah Lecce, Don Longabucco, Joan Maliniak, James McGuire, James Muleva, Jerry Michalak, Sharon Nakazato, Amanda O’Shaughnessy, Katherine Pacchiana, Ekaterina Piskareva, Lisa Pitt, Joseph Pizzuti, Michael Rossi, Rena Scelia, Mary Schreiber, Greg Solanto, Gerald Spette, Kimberley Standerwick, Matt Tannenbaum, Carina Tautu, Bill Ullman, Jamie Vogel, and Roy Volpe. at Lake Carmel Cultural Center | 640 Route 52 | Kent Lakes, NY

Sunday, May 22

FrOGS Great Swamp Canoe Trips

Each year Friends of the Great Swamp leads canoe trips on the East Branch Croton River into one of the largest wetlands in New York State. Join us on one of these enjoyable adventures into the Great swamp and experience this beautiful and valuable resource for yourself. As we enter this magical wilderness we will explore the biodiversity and learn more about the values of this nationally significant wetland. The Swamp provides critical habitat for aquatic species as well as for migrating and breeding birds. We have seen Great Blue Heron, Green Heron, Prothonotary Warblers and Common yellowthroats as well as Wood Duck, Mallards and many, many more. There are Turtles, Dragonflies, some fantastic plants and possibly catch a glimpse of a mink or a muskrat.Explore the Swamp with FrOGS. Meet us at the Green Chimney’s Beach on Doansburg Road (formerly Putnam Lake Road) of Rte 22. FrOGS members will guide each trip and point out the birds and plants as we canoe.

All levels of paddlers are welcome. We will provide canoes, paddles, Life jackets (bring your won if you wish) and a licensed Lifeguard. We suggest you bring bottled water, sunglasses and layered clothing to accommodate temperature changes. We will canoe rain or shine. In extreme conditions, we ask that you call for cancellation and rescheduling information.

Reservations are a must and space is limited so get your reservations early! For information and reservations contact:

Laurie Wallace at (845-279-8858) or Laurwally@aol.com subject: Canoe Trip

$25.00 Adult Member, $12.00 Child (6 to 14 years)
$29.00 Adult Non-member, $16.00 Child (6 to 14 years)

Michelle LeBlanc Jazz

2PM – Here’s another chance to catch Michelle’s exciting award winning show, “1950′s JAZZ: Bop, Cool, R&B.” Michelle will be playing with her top shelf trio: the talented arranger Tom Kohl on piano, Bill Conway on bass and the world touring sax player, Ed Xiques. Sponsors for this show include these Putnam County jazz lovers: Feehan Insurance Agency, Trebb Records and Desmond Fish Library. Suggested donation for this concert is $10. At the Desmond Fish Library, Route 403 & 9D in Garrison, NY Contact: 845-424-3020 or http://dfl.highlands.com

Thursday, May 26

How Six Putnam County School Districts Can Become One

6:30PM – Featured speakers, including NY Assembly representatives Sandy Galef and Steve Katz, will provide a legislative perspective on the consolidation of the six existing School Districts of Putnam County into one countywide School District…a feat never before attempted in the state of New York.

Ms. Deborah Cunningham of the NY State Education Department (NYSED) will participate by lending her expertise on consolidation or centralizing and prior to May 26 we will confirm additional panelists.

At the Mahopac Public Library. Write to Jim Kirk for more information: jdkjjk@gmail.com

Friday, May 27

Uncommon Ground with guest Tim & Sylvia

8:30PM at the Towne Crier, Route 22 in Pawling. Uncommon Ground is a hot, pan-genre, acoustic music group from New York’s Hudson Valley that is on a mission: to flex the boundaries of traditional music. Since making an impressive debut to a full house at the Towne Crier in 2007, they have continued their evolution into “the complete package” … great vocals, fiery instrumental abilities and a continually evolving repertoire of well-crafted tunes. Their music bears an unmistakable stamp of originality without losing the authenticity of the original sources. Audiences delight in the thrill of musical discovery as the band performs a repertoire that includes music from such diverse sources as Bill Monroe, Gabriel Faure, Venezuelan Choros and Gypsy Jazz. Uncommon Ground draws on the talents of Mike Kobetitsch, and Wayne Fugate, both long-time veterans of the Bluegrass scene who have performed with Grammy award winner, Lisa Gutkin and a host of other noteworthies; the ever amazing Rachel Han! dman and Phil Helm, two principles in the Hudson Valley Philharmonic whose technical precision, fertile inventiveness, surprising touches and mastery of the Bluegrass genre give the band a distinctive, signature voice; and Craig Bitterman, whose percussion lays down a groove-infused rhythmic foundation that adds colors and textures that make their tunes really snap. : artist’s home. $17.50 advance/ $22.50 door

Saturday, May 28

Giant Book Sale at the Kent Public Library

Take-A-Hike! Season Begins With The Birds of Foundry Preserve

8:30 to 10:30am – Join Constitution Marsh Audubon Center and Sanctuary Director Eric Lind for this birding hike in Foundry Preserve in Cold Spring. An accomplished wildlife photographer, Eric is just the person you want along to share his knowledge as you walk from the village to view a wide variety of species. Don’t forget your binoculars!

“We’re excited to kick off this season with Eric’s hike. Learning to identify birds by sight and sound is a great way to get back into the outdoors,” says Outreach Director MJ Martin. “And we’re grateful to all our volunteers who help lead the excursions for us; without them, this popular program would not be possible.”

A total of eight hikes have been scheduled for the season, with selections ranging from a tot-friendly musical jaunt to a more challenging trek up Breakneck Ridge. Check your mailboxes for the complete schedule.

All Take-A-Hike! programs are free, but registration is required. Contact the HHLT office at 845/424-3358 or info@hhlt.org to make sure you’re on the Take-A-Hike! mailing list.

June

Saturday, June 4 – National Trails Day

NY/NJ Trails Conference Annual Meeting

Bear Mountain State Park: On June 4, the Trail Conference will open a wheelchair accessible section of the Appalachian Trail on the summit of Bear Mountain. For the past year, Trail Conference volunteers have been hard at work building this ADA-compliant segment of this historic and nationally celebrated long-distance trail. The trail will allow wheelchair users to enter the woods and view the Hudson River and Valley from one of the region’s most scenic spots.At 10:30 AM, we will open and dedicate the trail. Later in the day, the Trail Conference will have its Summer Meeting on the lawn below Bear Mountain. There will be food and music by the acclaimed urban bluegrass group, Two Dollar Goat.

The event is co-sponsored by Disney/ABC and the Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Places. Members of the Disney team will be on hand to help.

What’s Happening When

8:00: Departure of early hike to summit of Bear Mountain from Fort Montgomery Historic Site (co-sponsored by Mid-Hudson ADK)

10:00: Morning refreshments at Trailhead of the ADA-compliant segment of the Appalachian Trail at summit of Bear Mountain

10:30: Opening ceremony and Dedication

10:45: Hike or drive down to Lawn (Options from easy to strenuous available)

12:00-varied: Lunch on the Lawn with Music by Two Dollar Goat.
Hikers arrive from a variety of trails, eat, enjoy music.

Rain or shine under tent!

1:30 (estimated): Meeting

All programs are free! Lunch: $15 donation. RSVP for lunch by sending a check or going to our donation page. Please indicate your RSVP in the comment box.

Questions, comments, or phone reservations, contact Joanne Reinhardt at jreinhardt@nynjtc.org or x26 at the office

FrOGS Great Swamp Canoe Trips

Each year Friends of the Great Swamp leads canoe trips on the East Branch Croton River into one of the largest wetlands in New York State. Join us on one of these enjoyable adventures into the Great swamp and experience this beautiful and valuable resource for yourself. As we enter this magical wilderness we will explore the biodiversity and learn more about the values of this nationally significant wetland. The Swamp provides critical habitat for aquatic species as well as for migrating and breeding birds. We have seen Great Blue Heron, Green Heron, Prothonotary Warblers and Common yellowthroats as well as Wood Duck, Mallards and many, many more. There are Turtles, Dragonflies, some fantastic plants and possibly catch a glimpse of a mink or a muskrat.Explore the Swamp with FrOGS. Meet us at the Green Chimney’s Beach on Doansburg Road (formerly Putnam Lake Road) of Rte 22. FrOGS members will guide each trip and point out the birds and plants as we canoe.

All levels of paddlers are welcome. We will provide canoes, paddles, Life jackets (bring your won if you wish) and a licensed Lifeguard. We suggest you bring bottled water, sunglasses and layered clothing to accommodate temperature changes. We will canoe rain or shine. In extreme conditions, we ask that you call for cancellation and rescheduling information.

Reservations are a must and space is limited so get your reservations early! For information and reservations contact:

Laurie Wallace at (845-279-8858) or Laurwally@aol.com subject: Canoe Trip

$25.00 Adult Member, $12.00 Child (6 to 14 years)
$29.00 Adult Non-member, $16.00 Child (6 to 14 years)

Rain Barrel Building Workshop

10AM – Fishkill Town Hall. Sponsored by the Dutchess Watershed and Cornell Cooperative Extension Services.

Although we don’t often think about it, storm water can play an enormous part in the condition of our rivers, creeks, ponds, lakes, and wetlands. When it rains, this water is usually channeled into storm drains to be taken to the closest body of water. As storm water travels across the grounds’ surface as runoff, it can pick up different types of pollutants, washing them into our water bodies. You can help! Rain barrels are a great option to better manage excess storm water from your roof. The water is captured before it picks up pollutants, and it is safe to use for watering plants. A rain barrel can save gardeners up to 1,300 gallons of water during the peak summer months!

This workshop will help you learn to better manage storm water AND will help you build your own 55 gallon rain barrel to take home. Cost: $45 per person, includes cost of rain barrel. To Register: contact Angela Sullivan, 677-8223 x 114

Orange County Earth and Water Festival

11AM – 5PM- The OCWA is pleased to announce that the 4th Annual Earth and Water Festival will be held on Saturday, June 4, 2011 at Thomas Bull Memorial Park in Montgomery, NY. This unique festival is family-friendly, intimate, educational and of course, lots of fun! Stay an hour or stay all day. Bring a blanket, the kids and even your dog and enjoy the fresh air, listen to live music and entertaining performances by highly talented local musicians and peformers. Visit the Green Expo area at the festival and learn from many local vendors how they are making a difference by being “green” or what sustainable goods and services they provide. Buy fresh homemade bread, baked goods, produce and plants in the Farmers Market. Let the kids run wild in the Children’s Activity tent (big festival favorite).

Live performances this year are diverse, colorful, creative, fun and always entertaining. Returning this year by popular demand are:

Arm-of-the-Sea Theater: Performing “To Fuel the Fire”, a free-wheeling allegory about the ecological costs of energy. This tragic comedy features primordial masks and kinetic puppet figures, vivid paintings, whimsical props and live music. Their performances are award-winning and are a must see! You know it’s good when a festival full of people stop to watch and listen. Click here to visit their website http://www.armofthesea.org/

Maxwell Kofi Donkor and the Sankofa Drum and Dance Ensamble: Their african drumming and dancing is interactive, makes your feet tap and people dance, and puts a smile on everyone’s face. Click here to visit their website http://www.bak2roots.com/

“iS”coustic: This unusual, three piece jam band delivers live performances to electrify audiences. The bands name, which loosely means “the present tense” emphasizes their improvisational nature. They offer a unique experience that includes original diverse, memorable songs and exceptional musicianship. Click here to visit their website http://whatitis.biz/

Snakeman’s Snake Show: Their performance will teach the audience about the environment and how snakes provide their part for the balance of nature. Their show is both interactive and hands-on with real live snakes, which will educate as well as entertain you. They will be at the festival all day and will do a special performance on the stage for everyone to enjoy! Click here to visit their website http://www.jerrythesnakeman.com/

New to the stage this year are Half Jester and Little Sparrow. These bands will delight and keep audiences moving. More details and the full performance schedule for follow soon.

More information is here.

Friday, June 10

The Environmental Footprint of Marcellus Shale Gas

7PM – New natural gas extraction technology has led to an increase in the exploration of organic-rich shale in the United States. In New York State, the Marcellus Shale formation has captured the public’s attention. Will gas extraction in the Marcellus Shale be a boon, providing cleaner domestic energy, or a bust, contaminating our air and water resources? Find out answers from Duke University’s Rob Jackson. His research captures the latest science on the impacts of shale-gas extraction and fracking.
Location: Cary Institute’s auditorium, located at 2801 Sharon Turnpike (Route 44) in Millbrook, New York.

Six New One-Act Plays

8PM – Six new one-act plays from Tony Howarth’s Playwright’s Workshop. Plays by Pat O’Connor, Gabby Fox and Carol Mark, directed by Tony Howarth. At the Cultural Center on Lake Carmel, Route 52 just south of the Route 311 Causeway.

Saturday, June 11

Six New One-Act Plays

8PM – Six new one-act plays from Tony Howarth’s Playwright’s Workshop. Plays by Pat O’Connor, Gabby Fox and Carol Mark, directed by Tony Howarth. At the Cultural Center on Lake Carmel, Route 52 just south of the Route 311 Causeway.

Saturday, June 18

Clearwater Revival

Croton Point Park – Pete Seeger star Drive-By Truckers star Martin Sexton star Indigo Girls, Arlo Guthrie star Josh Ritter star Jorma Kaukonen star Peter Yarrow, John Sebastian star Janis Ian star The Low Anthem, Red Horse (Lucy Kaplansky, John Gorka & Eliza Gilkyson) star The Klezmatics, Toubab Krewe star Justin Townes Earle star Chris, Smither star Joanne Shenandoah, Tom Chapin star Bernice Johnson Reagon star Dan Zanes & Elizabeth Mitchell, James McMurtry | Jay Ungar & Molly Mason | Jeffrey Broussard & The Creole Cowboys, Tao Seeger Band | Toshi Reagon & Big Lovely | Mike & Ruthy | Sarah Lee & Johnny, Bethany & Rufus’ Roots Quartet | Clayfoot Strutters | Zlatne Uste | Joe Purdy, The Nields | The Kennedys | Jen Chapin | K.J. Denhert | Zon del Barrio, Vanaver Caravan| Buskin & Batteau | Dave Douglas & Brass Ecstasy, Brooklyn Qawwali Party | Joe D’urso | Joel Plaskett, Arm-of-the-Sea Theater star The Power of Song star The Rivertown Kids, Mustard’s Retreat star Magpie star Roger the Jester star Dog on Fleas, Walkabout Clearwater Chorus star Paul Richmond star The Storycrafters, Rick Nestler star Donna Nestler star Travis Jeffrey star Margo Thunderbird, Marva Clark star Linda Richards star Eshu Bumpus star Dan Einbender, Dirty Stay Out Skifflers star Geoff Kaufman star Sarah Underhill star Peninnah Schram, Kay Olan/Ionataiewas star Mel & Vinnie star Karen Pillsworth star Gregorio Pedroza , Allan Aunapu star Jan Christensen star The New York Packet star Matt Turk star Hope Machine

July

Saturday, July 9

Long Dock Park Celebration

1PM – 6PM – Help us celebrate the opening of this new and improved Hudson Riverfront park in high style. Take to the water on a free kayak paddle, try out a new bike on the Klara Sauer Trail, join a guided tour of exciting park features, including Scenic Hudson’s River Center, our new venue for arts and environmental activities. If that’s not enough, you can test your mettle at hula-hooping and enjoy a great lineup of live performers—all while admiring magnificent Hudson River vistas.

LIVE PERFORMANCES by:
Arm-of-the-Sea Theater
Uncle Rock
We Must Be
The Big Takeover

Event Location: Long Dock Rd. Beacon, NY 12508 – On the river side of the Beacon Train Station.

July 21 – 24

Gathering of the Vibes

Seaside Park, Bridgeport, CT – Gathering of the Vibes, the Northeast’s acclaimed music festival destination, will “bring the magic” once again with a 4-day extravaganza of eclectic music, arts and community, July 21-24, 2011 at Connecticut’s magnificent Seaside Park. The rumor mill is swirling with artist announcements around the corner. Gathering of the Vibes promises its most spectacular and diverse lineup to date, delivering over 40 hours of music on multiple stages. Powerhouse Vibes alumni include: The Allman Brothers, Crosby Stills & Nash, Furthur with Phil Lesh & Bob Weir, James Brown, The Black Crowes, and Damian Marley and Nas, alongside breakout acts like Umphrey’s McGee, Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings, Jackie Greene, and tri-state favorites The McLovins. The Vibes also warmly embraces new, virtually unknown artists, who may submit music for consideration through sonic bids.

News That Matters – Friday, April 29, 2011 – Things To Do Edition

Jeff Green — Fri, 29 Apr 2011 11:43:46 +0000

Good Friday Morning,

For those of you who have been to the Annual Garden Parties you know my living environment here at the Asylum. I’m looking to replace it for another at a different location in or around the county. If you know of a cottage or small house like this one on open lands for rent or squatting, let me know.

Sunday is May Day, International Worker’s Day.

Our hearts go out to the families of loved ones lost to the tornadoes and storms that hit the southeast United States over the past few days.

Our ire goes out to our local news channels who breathlessly swore we were all going to die yesterday, that 4″ of rain were going to fall causing floods of biblical proportions, that severe thunderstorms would strike tearing the very hearts out of our lives… and then when nothing happened embarrassingly switched coverage to Prince William and Kate Middleton’s wedding in England.

Our homegrown article, “Oh my god! The gas prices! Someone should do something!“ which first appeared at PlanPutnam/News That Matters on April 26, sits above the fold on the Front Page of OpEdNews this morning and is now out there beyond our little domain and circulating around the ‘net world.

Exxon reported an $11 billion profit in the first quarter of 2011. When politicians tell you that gasoline prices are high because of imposed taxes or global turmoil, tell that politician he’s full of crude. In a civilized society the government (which is alleged to be *us*) would have slapped Exxon all kinds of ways silly and said that enough is enough. But since corporations are the de facto government there’s absolutely nothing you can do about it.

To my dear tin foil hat friends: Now that the President has lowered himself to your level, here’s another question for you to ponder… if the President is circumcised, does it prove he’s really a Muslim?

What is it with the Cold Spring planning board these days? In the one town we thought was almost half sane, a couple of planning board members have decided that the most important thing for a proposed public park at the Cold Spring Foundry site is an impractical-to-build and impossible-to-maintain sidewalk at the foot of Kemble Avenue and grading and erosion control on an old access road that’s to be used for nothing more than a hiking trail. It’s the typical Putnam County mindset:

“If it’s good and it works, we’re not interested. And if we ever do become interested we’re going to screw around until you give up and quit or we break you financially. Welcome to Where the Country Begins!”

You can follow the rest of this story over at Philipstown.info.

Back in the day when we were kids and you had your lunch money stolen you’d run home and tell your mom who would call the other kid’s mom who would say, “My son would never do such a thing!” Then she’d smack the crap out of him, not necessarily for the alleged crime but for dragging her in to it. If the offenders parent had a conscience they’d show up at your front door, kid in tow, to offer an apology. Usually that was the end of it.

But today we call the police and the local District Attorney’s office is only too happy to charge the child with a crime. In this case, a ten-year old.

If you need a sign to prove we are a society in serious decline, just re-read the previous paragraph. And if I were the offending DA or the cop who arrested a child, I don’t know how I could face myself in the mirror.

The Greatest Museum in the World

It’s a statement of fact regarding the Met, otherwise known as the Metropolitan Museum of Art at 82nd street and 5th Avenue alongside Central Park.

I’m pretty certain that each and every one of my readers has been there at some point in the past but I highly recommend you take the time this weekend to do it again. The admission fee is a whopping $20 per adult but seasoned New Yorkers like myself know that price is “suggested” as the original charter for the museum stipulated that there be no set admission price. Let the tourists shell out the Big Bucks but what you pay is up to your conscience.

If you’d shell out $11.50 a ticket to see a movie, come on… you should be able to come up with $20 bucks for the greatest collection of human artistic expression on the planet – and your visit will last a good deal longer than 2 hours and 5 minutes. But if you’re genuinely broke just walk up to the ticket counter, push two $10 bills across and say, “For two”. I promise you, the guy/gal working there won’t even flinch and pass you two admissions buttons.

Here’s what you get for your money: Salvador Dali’s 1954, “The Crucifixion“, one the most stunning pieces of modern religious art. There’s Gilbert Stuart’s 1795 portrait of George Washington and Emanuel Gottleib Leutze’s 1851 “Washington Crossing the Delaware“, a monumental (12.4′ x 21.25′) masterpiece that you cannot miss. And, if you see nothing else, if you pass the ancient Egyptians and the Frank Lloyd Wright’s and the Rembrandt’s and the armor collection (though your young sons will never speak to you again,) and the medieval triptych’s, make it a point to stop to see Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux’ 1865 marble, “Ugolino and his Sons” – it will take your breath away and break your heart – and both at the same time.

If you drive down, there’s almost always street parking on the west side in Hell’s Kitchen from where you can take a stroll uptown cutting through Central Park form Columbus Circle. But if you want a guarantee check out ICON Parking’s website where you’ll find garage parking in the area for as little as $10 at York, or $14 between 2nd and 3rd at 89th street with a print-yourself coupon.

Don’t forget to pass this issue of News That Matters on to someone you know who does not read currently read it. You’ll make their day and help spread the good word.

What’s Going On?

This Weekend
May
June
July
- Saturday, July 9
  - Long Dock Park Celebration
- July 21 – 24
  - Gathering of the Vibes

This Weekend

Friday, April 29

Trees for Tribs: Arbor Day Celebration

9AM – 4PM Looking for a way to celebrate Arbor Day this year? Come and join the Hudson River Estuary Program as we pot-up thousands of bareroot seedlings for our “Trees for Tribs” initiative. There will be free pizza at noon. If you have any questions or you’d like to R.S.V.P., contact Laura Heil at ljheil@gw.dec.state.ny.us or 845-256-2253. Location: Hudson River Estuary Program NYSDEC Region III office in New Paltz

Vance Gilbert With Heather Maloney at the Towne Crier

8:30PM – It’s all in one seemingly impossible package: Vance Gilbert’s spellbinding live show; his deliriously virtuosic singing; his accomplished guitar style; his outrageous, edgy humor; AND the songwriting. Shawn Colvin invited Vance to be a special guest on her Fat City tour, and Vance took audiences by storm across the country: “With the voice of an angel, the wit of a devil, and the guitar playing of a god, it was enough to earn him that rarity: an encore for an opener” wrote the Fort Worth Star-Telegram in its review of a show from that tour. With one of the sharpest wits in folk music, Vance is one of the most entertaining singer-songwriters you’ll ever see. But, he can deftly change the mood of a show in an instant with a sincere delivery of one of his deep-flowing songs. So, don’t be surprised if your tears of laughter mix with tears of sorrow in a satisfying blend of yin and yang. $20 advance/ $25 door Click here for more information.

Saturday, April 30

Trees for Tribs: Arbor Day Celebration Continues

9AM – 4PM Looking for a way to celebrate Arbor Day this year? Come and join the Hudson River Estuary Program as we pot-up thousands of bareroot seedlings for our “Trees for Tribs” initiative. There will be free pizza at noon. If you have any questions or you’d like to R.S.V.P., contact Laura Heil at ljheil@gw.dec.state.ny.us or 845-256-2253. Location: Hudson River Estuary Program NYSDEC Region III office in New Paltz

Trail Maintenance with the Putnam County Land Trust

10AM – 2PM – Looking to volunteer and enjoy the great outdoors? Then join PCLT for a trail maintenance work party at our 33 acre Twin Hill Preserve. This work party will consist of trail maintenance tasks including erosion control, cutting back overgrowth encroaching on the trail system, removing debris and downed trees, weed-whacking grassy areas of the trails, invasive species removal and replacing trail markers. No experience in necessary, just bring an eagerness to work outdoors, a pair of gloves, proper footwear and water.

PCLT’s Twin Hill Preserve is located 1.1 miles north of the intersection of Route 312 and Farm-to-Market Road on the Brewster/Patterson border. Look for the newly-erected preserve sign at the entrance to a small dirt road on the west side of Farm-to-Market. Drive a short distance down the dirt road and the parking area for the preserve is on the left where the dirt road curves to the right. If you would like to join us, pleasevisit www.pclt.net or email info@pclt.net.

Meet at the Twin Hill Preserve on Farm-to-Market Road in Patterson about 1 mile north of Route 312

Putnam County Bicentennial Quilt

1PM – Special viewing of the Putnam County Bicentennial Quilt. Gladys Boalt, who designed the quilt, will speak about the history and creation of this work of art. The quilt will soon be exhibited at the Smithsonian Museum in Washington, DC. At the Kent Public Library on Route 52 in Kent Lakes, NY

Watershed Wildlife Watercolors by Paul Thiesing

1:00pm to 5:00pm – Opening Reception. Tilly Foster Farm Museum, 100 Rte 312 Brewster, NY. 10509 Show runs April 30th through June 26th. For directions and viewing hours (http://tillyfosterfarm.org) or call (845)363-4913 .

Over the past 19 years, Mr Thiesing’s career with NYC DEP has been to help protect NYC’S most important resource, it’s watersheds.It was here he developed his passion for educating the public on the importance of protecting our delicate environment. Mr Thiesing’s work has been shown worldwide and hangs in many private collections , most notably the collection of HRH Prince Willem of the Netherlands.So come and meet Paul at the farm and get your free autographed poster at the opening reception ,while supplies available.

Gallery Talk: Anthony Huberman on Franz Erhard Walther

2PM – Dia:Beacon, Riggio Galleries, 3 Beekman Street, Beacon, NY 12508 845 440 0100 www.diaart.org

Free with museum admission. For reservations, click here.

Anthony Huberman is a curator and writer based in New York. As Chief Curator of the Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis, he organized exhibitions with Gedi Sibony, Lutz Bacher, Bruce Nauman, John Armleder, and Olivier Mosset, and initiated The Front Room, an ongoing series with young artists. He has worked as a curator at the Palais de Tokyo in Paris and at Sculpture Center in New York, and is currently a Visiting Professor at Hunter College.

Sunday, May 1

International Worker’s Day

Arise ye workers from your slumbers
Arise ye prisoners of want
For reason in revolt now thunders
And at last ends the age of cant.
Away with all your superstitions
Servile masses arise, arise
We’ll change henceforth the old tradition
And spurn the dust to win the prize.

So comrades, come rally
And the last fight let us face
The Internationale unites the human race.

Hike to Hawk Rock

11AM – On Sunday, May 1, 2011 at 11:00 AM we’ll meet at the DEP parking area at the end of Whangtown Road. If you’re not sure where it is, you can use this map to get driving directions to the parking area and preview the hike.

If you haven’t been to Hawk Rock, you’re in for a treat. When the glaciers retreated northward at the end of the last ice age, they were carrying some really big rocks that sometimes ended up in odd positions when the ice melted. One of these so called “erratics” is Hawk Rock. Local lore has it that long ago the Native Americans named it and used the site as a meeting place. It is certainly a believable story; the setting is beautiful and it’s one impressive rock.

The Mead Farm, like the rest of this hike, is on land that was originally part of the hunting grounds for the Nochpeem tribe of native Americans, a part of the Wappinger Confederacy. After passing through various people’s hands, sometime in the 1860s Moses F. Mead purchased the eastern part of the farm where the ruins are today. The site includes a number of interesting features, including the foundations of the house, the stone portions of a cow barn and a beautiful corbelled stone chamber.

This is a moderate hike that takes about three hours including stops for lunch and to look around the farm site. If weather forces us to cancel the hike, we’ll let everyone who subscribes to our hikes list know by e-mail and post the news on kentcac.info at least an hour ahead of time. For further information feel free to contact David.

To the Orangerie – Holocaust Remembrance Day

4:30PM – The BeanRunner Cafe & Peekskill Playhouse. A special presentation of an original short play, To The Orangerie, on Holocaust Remembrance Day. In 1938, the Nazis annexed Austria for the Third Reich. 79,000 Jews were arrested in Vienna, alone, in the first week of The Anschluss.

We now know the history that was written in the months and years of World War II that followed. Don Monaco has written a touching drama of one woman’s escape from the claws of National Socialism in Austria and Hitler’s Final Solution.

With Jessica Danahy and Adam Glatzl. Pianist, Nina Rathbun plays piano and sings following the play reading. Playwright, Don Monaco, the playwright, will discuss the work and the period. $12. At the Beanrunner Cafe 201 South Division Street, Peekskill

May

Tuesday, May 3

Marylin Elie (IPSEC) on Indian Point

7PM – A meeting with Marilyn Elie of the Indian Point Safe Energy Commission (IPSEC), to discuss what residents can do about stopping the relicensing of Indian Point. We will talk about what the disaster in Fukushima teaches us and how those lessons apply to Indian Point. Location: Meeting Room, Desmond-Fish Library, 472 Route 403 (200 ft East of Rt 9D), Garrison. This event is sponsored by Philipstown for Democracy. No charge, but contributions to cover expenses are appreciated. Questions – call 917 273-0808

Wednesday, May 4

Anniversary of the Kent State Shootings

From Wikipedia: The Kent State shootings—also known as the May 4 massacre or Kent State massacre^[2]^[3]^[4]—occurred at Kent State University in the city of Kent, Ohio, and involved the shooting of unarmed college students by members of the Ohio National Guard on Monday, May 4, 1970. The guardsmen fired 67 rounds over a period of 13 seconds, killing four students and wounding nine others, one of whom suffered permanent paralysis.^[5]

Some of the students who were shot had been protesting against the American invasion of Cambodia, which President Richard Nixon announced in a television address on April 30. Other students who were shot had been walking nearby or observing the protest from a distance.^[6]^[7]

There was a significant national response to the shootings: hundreds of universities, colleges, and high schools closed throughout the United States due to a student strike of four million^[8] students, and the event further affected the public opinion—at an already socially contentious time—over the role of the United States in the Vietnam War.^[9]

Thursday, May 5

Come Get Your Free Iodine Pills!

9AM – 4PM at the Putnam County Emergency Services Building
2PM – 7PM at the Carmel Town Hall

Just in case former County Executive Bob Bondi was wrong and you cannot escape from a perfectly safe Indian Point accident, at the very least you can protect your thyroid with these nifty free iodine pills, courtesy of Putnam County.

Friday, May 6

The Singing Life of Birds

7PM – Bird song expert Donald Kroodsma will describe how birds communicate and why. Listen to the sounds of birds as you’ve never listened before, using their songs as a window into their minds. Location: Cary Institute’s auditorium, located at 2801 Sharon Turnpike (Route 44) in Millbrook, New York.

Saturday, May 7

Catskill Leanto Workshop

Doug Senterman, Leanto Supervisor for the NYNJTC will be partnering with the Catskill 3500 Club to provide two leanto workshops regarding the duties of a leanto maintainer. The workshops will be on Saturday May 7th in conjunction with a hike to Hunter and SW Hunter and a visit to the new John Robb leanto.

On Sunday May 8th (Happy Mother’s Day) we will visit the Bouton leanto on Table Mt. Again, the trip will include climbing to the summit of both Table and Peekamoose mountains. Please consider joining us for one of these trips to see what a leanto maintainer’s duties are and consider adopting one of your favorites in the Catskills. There is no obligation to do so based on your attendance at these events, but once you see how easy it is to be a maintainer, we are hoping……………..One of the joys of being a Leanto Caretaker is the “obligation” to get out in the woods just three times a year to visit your favorite leanto and you can always bag a peak or two while you are out there. As always, thanks very much for your interest in giving back to our Catskill Mountain region. Please contact Laurie Rankin to sign up for one of these dates: laurierankin@hvc.rr.com (preferred) or by phone at 845-926-2182.

Birding 101

9AM – Join the Oblong Land Conservancy and Larry Feldmen from the NY Audubon for a guided walk through prime bird habitat, including an upland cedar grove and the Great Swamp floodplain. Meet at the Slocum Mostachetti Preserve, 7/10′s miles to the west of the traffic light at the intersection of Route 22 and Pleasant Ridge Road in Wingdale. Click here for more information.

Open Auditions for New One-Act Plays

11AM – 2PM – Drawing from the talent at Tony Howarth’s Playwright’s Workshop, the director is seeking 15 actors to help realize several new one-act plays. The roles are as follows:

Mending Fences:
Samantha – 30-45
Will – 50-65

Never Too Many:
Alice – 30-40
Saul – 65+

A Cable Situation:
(Brad) (an unseen voice)
Sheila – 20-50

Blackout:
Julie – college age
Wallace – college age
Sarah – college age

Dirty Laundry: Jim – 20-30
Karen – 20-30

Late for Her Own Funeral
Joanne – 30
Dad – 60
Jeff – 30
Lou – 50

Bring a Resume to the Cultural Center on Lake Carmel, Route 52 in Kent. (It’s the old firehouse just south of the Route 311 causeway.)

Stony Kill Farm Earth Day Celebration

11AM – Join us for our annual Earth Day Celebration and Plant Sale at Stony Kill Farm on Route 9D in Wappinger Falls. There will be activities and crafts for children; food and baked goods for sale; vegetables and house plants for sale; Open Barn Tours – come see our new baby calf, piglets and lambs; sheep shearing at 1:00 p.m. by Steve Fink; guest appearances by Smokey Bear; live music by the Howland Wolves; gift shop and informational tables by the following organizations: Common Ground Farm, Cornell Cooperative Extension Dutchess County Master Gardeners; Dutchess County Environmental Management Council, Hudson Highlands Nature Museum, Hudson Valley Wood Carvers, Mid-Hudson Trout Unlimited, Mountain Scout Survival Camp, Sharpe Reservation – Fresh Air Fund, Stony Kill Foundation, Inc.; and the Verplanck Garden club. For further information, call 845-831-1617 or email us at foundation@stonykill.org.

Sunday, May 9

Celebrate the Buddah’s Birthday

10:30AM – 4:00PM – Chuang Yen Monastery will hold a Garden Party on Sunday, May 8th, 2011 from 10:30 AM to 4:00 PM to celebrate the Buddha’s Birthday & Mother’s Day. Vegetarian Food Street Fair, Mind Power Counseling Station, Doctors of traditional Chinese medicine for Free Medical Clinic, Buddhist Heritage Exhibition, Kid’s Playground area available. Watch the various performances, magic show, and more. No registration required.

To celebrate Buddha’s Birthday and congratulate to all the mothers of the world, Chuang Yen Monastery, located in Carmel, NY (an hour drive away from NYC, houses the largest in-door sitting Buddha status on the western hemisphere with oriental architectures & landscapes) will host a Buddha Bathing Ceremony & Garden Party on May 8th, 2011.

The event will start from 10am in the morning and last until 4pm in the afternoon. A group of five noble people will start the prelude of the Buddha Bathing Ceremony. Abbot of Chuang Yen Monastery -Ven. Dhammadipa Fa yao, and the renowned American Buddhism scholar ¡V Venerable Bhikkhu Bodhi are cordially invited to direct the ceremony. Wish all the participants have their minds purified and pray for blessing to both the loving mothers and family members.

In this Mother’s Day Garden Party will include Vegetarian Food Fair for flavorful snacks from different ethnic groups, Orchards Show, Chan (Zen) Buddhism Tea ceremony, Arts Exhibition, and Floral Arrangement presented by famous Japanese master, Mrs. Moriwaki, an instructor from School of Sogetsu and other famous floral designers from France and Hong Kong. Various performances will be arranged in the afternoon. Some Chinese doctor volunteers will offer medical consultation including free pulse taking for health diagnosis. Wish tree and wish fountain will be set up for visitors. Participants can tie a card with your wishes written on to the wish tree. Blessing lamps will also be available for paying tribute to the Buddha or sending blessing to mothers or deceased relatives.

You are welcome to participate, and bring the whole families. Best regards to all the mothers from all over the world. Chuang Yen Monastery 2020 Route 301, Carmel, NY 10512. Telephone number: 845-228-4288 Extension 103

Tuesday, May 10

Rain Barrel Building Workshop

7PM – Lakeside Park in Pawling. Sponsored by the Dutchess Watershed and Cornell Cooperative Extension Services.

Although we don’t often think about it, storm water can play an enormous part in the condition of our rivers, creeks, ponds, lakes, and wetlands. When it rains, this water is usually channeled into storm drains to be taken to the closest body of water. As storm water travels across the grounds’ surface as runoff, it can pick up different types of pollutants, washing them into our water bodies. You can help! Rain barrels are a great option to better manage excess storm water from your roof. The water is captured before it picks up pollutants, and it is safe to use for watering plants. A rain barrel can save gardeners up to 1,300 gallons of water during the peak summer months!

This workshop will help you learn to better manage storm water AND will help you build your own 55 gallon rain barrel to take home. Cost: $45 per person, includes cost of rain barrel. To Register: contact Angela Sullivan, 677-8223 x 114

Friday, May 13

The Last Mountain

7PM – Join us for an advanced screening of this documentary film exploring how mountaintop coal mining impacts the environment and human health. An Official Selection at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival. Location: Cary Institute’s auditorium, located at 2801 Sharon Turnpike (Route 44) in Millbrook, New York.

In the valleys of Appalachia, a battle is being fought over a mountain. It is a battle with severe consequences that affect every American, regardless of their social status, economic background or where they live. It is a battle that has taken many lives and continues to do so the longer it is waged. It is a battle over protecting our health and environment from the destructive power of Big Coal.

The mining and burning of coal is at the epicenter of America’s struggle to balance its energy needs with environmental concerns. Nowhere is that concern greater than in Coal River Valley, West Virginia, where a small but passionate group of ordinary citizens are trying to stop Big Coal corporations, like Massey Energy, from continuing the devastating practice of Mountain Top Removal.

David, himself, never faced a Goliath like Big Coal.

Saturday, May 14

Putnam County Master Gardener’s Plant Sale

8:30AM – 11:30AM – More than a thousand tomato plants, many vegetables, annuals, huge herb selection, Putnam Proven Perennials from the Master Gardeners’ own gardens and gifts for all who garden. Free soil tests, great advice! At the CCE office at 1 Geneva Road in Brewster (Where the Motor Vehicles Office is).

West Point Foundry Preserve Tours for Heritage Weekend

10:30AM – We’re proud to be part of New York Heritage Weekend (May 14 and 15)—a celebration with special events at heritage destinations across the Empire State to help kick off the summer tourism season.

Join us for a guided tour exploring the remains of a 19th-century industrial powerhouse, the West Point Foundry, that made locomotives, steam engines and Parrott guns that helped win the Civil War.

TOUR TIMES: 10:30 a.m. – noon; 12:30 – 2 p.m.

The walks will occur rain or shine, except in the event of torrential rain, when they will be canceled. Please wear sturdy shoes and weather-appropriate clothing. Tick precautions, such as tucking pants legs into socks and applying bug repellent to shoes and pants, are highly recommended.

MEETING PLACE: West Point Foundry Preserve

QUESTIONS? Contact Scenic Hudson Parks Event Coordinator Anthony Coneski: aconeski@scenichudson.org, 845-473-4440 x273

Event Location
63 Chestnut Street
Cold Spring, NY 10516

Hiking the Road to Ruins

5PM – 7PM – Join us for a presentation with David Steinberg, author of Hiking the Road to Ruins. Steinberg will discuss twenty-two day hikes (and sometimes campouts) to old iron mines, deserted buildings, historic military leftovers and other things abandoned and available for visit by intrepid hikers. Many of the ruins are located right here in our backyard.

David Steinberg is is a life-long resident of the New York City area and has been a paid leader of hikes for fifteen years. From 1985 to 1996, he was a staff photographer and photo-feature writer for The Queens Courier, a weekly newspaper.

This event is free and open to the public. To RSVP, call the museum, 845-265-4010 or email, office@pchs-fsm.org.

Putnam County Historical Society & Foundry School Museum

63 Chestut Street

Cold Spring, NY 10516

Carmina Burana

8PM at Brewster High School. The Putnam Chorale performs CARMINA BURANA – One Performance Only – with full orchestra and accompanied by the Brewster High School Chamber Singers and the Seven Star Dancers, on MAY 14, 2011 8 pm at the Brewster High School Performing Arts Center, 50 Foggintown Road, Brewster, NY. Get more information at our web site (www.putnamchorale.org) or by calling 845-279-7265.

A collection of historic medieval songs and poems was discovered in the year 1803 at an abandoned monastery in Bavaria. This collection was found to be satirical works that had been performed by traveling goliards, disaffected clergy and clerical students, who used the works to lighten the burden of everyday life and to poke fun at the authorities of the day. In a way, the Saturday Night Live of its time!

The works make fun of church excesses and follies and mock the changing morals of the times. There are love songs and songs for drinking and gambling that celebrate Epicurus, the ancient Greek Philosopher and advocate of the blissful life. The stories are provocative and often disrespectful, but offer a common man perspective and a chance at some frivolity.

Sunday, May 15

Riverkeeper’s Annual Shad Fest

For over 20 years, Riverkeeper’s Shad Fest has been a celebration of the vast numbers of American shad that returned each year to the Hudson River to spawn. The shad run has been a welcome sign of spring, rebirth and renewal for thousands of years, since the Lenape Indians populated the Hudson’s shores. Sadly, the shad population has declined in recent years to dangerously low levels and the focus of this year’s event is on saving the American Shad and other Hudson River signature fish which are similarly at risk. Shad Fest started off as a backyard barbeque held at Bobby Kennedy Jr.’s house, and has grown every year. To be held at Boscobel House and Gardens, Route 9D in Cold Spring. Click here for more information and tickets.

Garnet Rodgers with Shawn Taylor at the Towne Crier

7:30PM – Garnet Rogers has established himself as “One of the major talents of our time.” Hailed by the Boston Globe as a “charismatic performer and singer,” Garnet is a man with a powerful physical presence –close to six and a half feet tall– with a voice to match. With his “smooth, dark baritone” (Washington Post) his incredible range, and thoughtful, dramatic phrasing, Garnet is widely considered by fans and critics alike to be one of the finest singers anywhere. His music –like the man himself– is literate, passionate, highly sensitive, and deeply purposeful. Cinematic in detail, his songs “give expression to the unspoken vocabulary of the heart” (Kitchener Waterloo Record). An optimist at heart, Garnet sings extraordinary songs about people who are not obvious heroes and of the small victories of the everyday. As memorable as his songs, his over-the-top humour and lightning-quick wit moves his audience from tears to laughter and back again. $17.50 advance/ $22.50 door. Click here for more information.

Monday, May 16

The Buddha’s 2600th Birthday Celebration

Globally – In the year 624 BC, in Kapilawaththu (Nepal) Siddhartha Gautama was born as a prince. His father was King Suddhodana and his mother was Queen Mahamaya. When he was sixteen he finished his education and he married Princess Yasodara. King Suddhodana handed over his kingdom to his son Siddhartha. They had a baby name Rahula. When king Siddhartha was 29 years old he decided to renounce lay life. Siddhartha left from his kingdom and went to several well-known teachers to study the ultimate nature of reality. But their teachings didn’t satisfy him and he set out to find his own path. Six years later he went to Bodgaya near the Neranjana River and sat under a tree.

Siddhartha’s mind was calm and relaxed. As he sat his concentration deepened and his wisdom grew brighter. In this clear and peaceful state of mind he began to examine the true nature of life. “What is the cause of suffering,” he asked himself, “and what is the path to everlasting joy?” In his mind’s eye he looked far beyond his own country, far beyond his own world. Soon the sun, planets, the stars out in space and distant galaxies of the universe all appeared to him in his meditation. He saw how everything, from the smallest speck of dust to the largest star was linked together in a constantly changing pattern: growing, decaying and growing again. Everything was related. Nothing happened without a cause and every cause had an effect on everything else.

With much equanimous joy, we would like to announce the program to commemorate the 2600th anniversary of the Buddha’s Enlightenment at the United Nations in New York.

Visit e2600.org for more information.

Tuesday, May 17

Passsive House Design

6PM – 8PM – Imagine a home that is warm during our cold, snowy winters and cool in our humid, hot summers; that also requires minimal ongoing costs for fuel and electricity to keep it comfortable. Well-executed passive house design is a proven method for achieving such a building. Join us for a discussion on how the passive house concept can be applied with equal success in urban centers, where projects are likely to be renovations, and in rural settings, where new construction is more common. The presentation will show the implementation of passive house principles in a newly-built certified passive house in the Hudson Valley (the Hudson Passive Project) designed by Dennis Wedlick Architect LLC and a passive retrofit of a brownstone in the historic district of Park Slope, Brooklyn designed by Prospect Architecture. What is a passive house? The passive house standard embodies today’s highest benchmark for energy efficiency and conservation. A cutting-edge approach to design and construction, the passive house standard drastically reduces the amount of energy required to operate a building (for instance, it results in a 90% reduction in energy required for heating). Originally developed in Germany, the passive house energy standard is being implemented with ever-greater frequency in the United States.

About The Presenters:

Dennis Wedlick, Architect:
Dennis Wedlick is the founder of Dennis Wedlick Architect LLC, a full-service architecture, master planning, landscape and interior design firm in Manhattan and Hudson, NY. The firm is known for sustainable, expressive projects that combine great design, technology and craft. Last year, the firm designed its first passive house, The Hudson Passive Project, which was completed in the fall of 2010.

Brian Marsh, Architect:
Brian Marsh is the Associate Partner of Dennis Wedlick Architect LLC, a full-service architecture, master planning, landscape and interior design firm in Manhattan and Hudson, NY. Last year, the firm designed its first passive house, The Hudson Passive Project, completed in the fall of 2010. Mr. Marsh is the lead architect on the Hudson Passive Project.

Jeremy R. M. Shannon, Architect:
Jeremy R. M. Shannon is the Principal Architect of Prospect Architecture, PC, a sustainable design-build firm located in Brooklyn, NY. He holds a Bachelor of Architecture degree from Virginia Polytechnic and State University and is, as well a LEED Accredited Professional, BPI Envelope, Heating, and Multifamily Specialist, and is a Certified Passive House Consultant. He has served as Vice President of the national Passive House Alliance, a trade organization created to promote the growth of Passive House in the United States. He is also a part time instructor at Parsons The New School. Jeremy specializes in residential townhouse and multifamily building construction using sustainable materials and focusing on energy efficiency without sacrificing the aesthetics or character of existing buildings. He designed and was the construction manager of the renovation and retrofit of multiple Passive House townhouses in Brooklyn New York.

Register for the Putnam/Dutchess County event with the links below. Reservations are $10 for advance sales to USGBC NY Upstate Chapter Members and Students, and $20 for non-members. Members & students pay $15 at the door.

Chapel of Our Lady Restoration, 45 Market Street, Cold Spring, NY

Thursday, May 19

Community Forum on Term Limits Laws

The League of Women Voters of Eastern Putnam County will be hosting a forum on Term Limits at the Historic County Courthouse in Carmel. Speakers will represent both sides of the issue as well as those who will touch on the factual and historical aspects of Term Limits. County Executive, Paul Eldridge; NYS Assemblyman, Steve Katz ; myself, Tony Fusco, a former Putnam County Legislator; Joyce Mitchell, a member of The Putnam County Charter Review Commission; Putnam County Legislators, Dan Birmingham and Sam Oliverio; Dave Gagliardi, an American History teacher and Jeff Green, a businessman and columnist .

The event will be moderated by Bruce Apar of the North County News, also a major sponsor of the event. This is a matter of public policy which will affect the way our elected officials govern in the future, and will likely have an effect on the uneven distribution of legislative power, locally, in the state and in the national arenas. Please make every effort to attend this worthwhile and informative event.

Friday, May 27

Uncommon Ground with guest Tim & Sylvia

8:30PM at the Towne Crier, Route 22 in Pawling. Uncommon Ground is a hot, pan-genre, acoustic music group from New York’s Hudson Valley that is on a mission: to flex the boundaries of traditional music. Since making an impressive debut to a full house at the Towne Crier in 2007, they have continued their evolution into “the complete package” … great vocals, fiery instrumental abilities and a continually evolving repertoire of well-crafted tunes. Their music bears an unmistakable stamp of originality without losing the authenticity of the original sources. Audiences delight in the thrill of musical discovery as the band performs a repertoire that includes music from such diverse sources as Bill Monroe, Gabriel Faure, Venezuelan Choros and Gypsy Jazz. Uncommon Ground draws on the talents of Mike Kobetitsch, and Wayne Fugate, both long-time veterans of the Bluegrass scene who have performed with Grammy award winner, Lisa Gutkin and a host of other noteworthies; the ever amazing Rachel Han! dman and Phil Helm, two principles in the Hudson Valley Philharmonic whose technical precision, fertile inventiveness, surprising touches and mastery of the Bluegrass genre give the band a distinctive, signature voice; and Craig Bitterman, whose percussion lays down a groove-infused rhythmic foundation that adds colors and textures that make their tunes really snap. : artist’s home. $17.50 advance/ $22.50 doors

Saturday, May 28

Giant Book Sale at the Kent Public Library

June

Saturday, June 4

NY/NJ Trails Conference Annual Meeting

Bear Mountain State Park: On June 4, the Trail Conference will open a wheelchair accessible section of the Appalachian Trail on the summit of Bear Mountain. For the past year, Trail Conference volunteers have been hard at work building this ADA-compliant segment of this historic and nationally celebrated long-distance trail. The trail will allow wheelchair users to enter the woods and view the Hudson River and Valley from one of the region’s most scenic spots.At 10:30 AM, we will open and dedicate the trail. Later in the day, the Trail Conference will have its Summer Meeting on the lawn below Bear Mountain. There will be food and music by the acclaimed urban bluegrass group, Two Dollar Goat.

The event is co-sponsored by Disney/ABC and the Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Places. Members of the Disney team will be on hand to help.

What’s Happening When

8:00: Departure of early hike to summit of Bear Mountain from Fort Montgomery Historic Site (co-sponsored by Mid-Hudson ADK)

10:00: Morning refreshments at Trailhead of the ADA-compliant segment of the Appalachian Trail at summit of Bear Mountain

10:30: Opening ceremony and Dedication

10:45: Hike or drive down to Lawn (Options from easy to strenuous available)

12:00-varied: Lunch on the Lawn with Music by Two Dollar Goat.
Hikers arrive from a variety of trails, eat, enjoy music.

Rain or shine under tent!

1:30 (estimated): Meeting

All programs are free! Lunch: $15 donation. RSVP for lunch by sending a check or going to our donation page. Please indicate your RSVP in the comment box.

Questions, comments, or phone reservations, contact Joanne Reinhardt at jreinhardt@nynjtc.org or x26 at the office

Rain Barrel Building Workshop

10AM – Fishkill Town Hall. Sponsored by the Dutchess Watershed and Cornell Cooperative Extension Services.

Although we don’t often think about it, storm water can play an enormous part in the condition of our rivers, creeks, ponds, lakes, and wetlands. When it rains, this water is usually channeled into storm drains to be taken to the closest body of water. As storm water travels across the grounds’ surface as runoff, it can pick up different types of pollutants, washing them into our water bodies. You can help! Rain barrels are a great option to better manage excess storm water from your roof. The water is captured before it picks up pollutants, and it is safe to use for watering plants. A rain barrel can save gardeners up to 1,300 gallons of water during the peak summer months!

This workshop will help you learn to better manage storm water AND will help you build your own 55 gallon rain barrel to take home. Cost: $45 per person, includes cost of rain barrel. To Register: contact Angela Sullivan, 677-8223 x 114

Orange County Earth and Water Festival

11AM – 5PM- The OCWA is pleased to announce that the 4th Annual Earth and Water Festival will be held on Saturday, June 4, 2011 at Thomas Bull Memorial Park in Montgomery, NY. This unique festival is family-friendly, intimate, educational and of course, lots of fun! Stay an hour or stay all day. Bring a blanket, the kids and even your dog and enjoy the fresh air, listen to live music and entertaining performances by highly talented local musicians and peformers. Visit the Green Expo area at the festival and learn from many local vendors how they are making a difference by being “green” or what sustainable goods and services they provide. Buy fresh homemade bread, baked goods, produce and plants in the Farmers Market. Let the kids run wild in the Children’s Activity tent (big festival favorite).

Live performances this year are diverse, colorful, creative, fun and always entertaining. Returning this year by popular demand are:

Arm-of-the-Sea Theater: Performing “To Fuel the Fire”, a free-wheeling allegory about the ecological costs of energy. This tragic comedy features primordial masks and kinetic puppet figures, vivid paintings, whimsical props and live music. Their performances are award-winning and are a must see! You know it’s good when a festival full of people stop to watch and listen. Click here to visit their website http://www.armofthesea.org/

Maxwell Kofi Donkor and the Sankofa Drum and Dance Ensamble: Their african drumming and dancing is interactive, makes your feet tap and people dance, and puts a smile on everyone’s face. Click here to visit their website http://www.bak2roots.com/

“iS”coustic: This unusual, three piece jam band delivers live performances to electrify audiences. The bands name, which loosely means “the present tense” emphasizes their improvisational nature. They offer a unique experience that includes original diverse, memorable songs and exceptional musicianship. Click here to visit their website http://whatitis.biz/

Snakeman’s Snake Show: Their performance will teach the audience about the environment and how snakes provide their part for the balance of nature. Their show is both interactive and hands-on with real live snakes, which will educate as well as entertain you. They will be at the festival all day and will do a special performance on the stage for everyone to enjoy! Click here to visit their website http://www.jerrythesnakeman.com/

New to the stage this year are Half Jester and Little Sparrow. These bands will delight and keep audiences moving. More details and the full performance schedule for follow soon.

More information is here.

Friday, June 10

Six New One-Act Plays

8PM – Six new one-act plays from Tony Howarth’s Playwright’s Workshop. Plays by Pat O’Connor, Gabby Fox and Carol Mark, directed by Tony Howarth. At the Cultural Center on Lake Carmel, Route 52 just south of the Route 311 Causeway.

Saturday, June 11

Six New One-Act Plays

8PM – Six new one-act plays from Tony Howarth’s Playwright’s Workshop. Plays by Pat O’Connor, Gabby Fox and Carol Mark, directed by Tony Howarth. At the Cultural Center on Lake Carmel, Route 52 just south of the Route 311 Causeway.

Saturday, June 18

Clearwater Revival

Croton Point Park – Pete Seeger star Drive-By Truckers star Martin Sexton star Indigo Girls, Arlo Guthrie star Josh Ritter star Jorma Kaukonen star Peter Yarrow, John Sebastian star Janis Ian star The Low Anthem, Red Horse (Lucy Kaplansky, John Gorka & Eliza Gilkyson) star The Klezmatics, Toubab Krewe star Justin Townes Earle star Chris, Smither star Joanne Shenandoah, Tom Chapin star Bernice Johnson Reagon star Dan Zanes & Elizabeth Mitchell, James McMurtry | Jay Ungar & Molly Mason | Jeffrey Broussard & The Creole Cowboys, Tao Seeger Band | Toshi Reagon & Big Lovely | Mike & Ruthy | Sarah Lee & Johnny, Bethany & Rufus’ Roots Quartet | Clayfoot Strutters | Zlatne Uste | Joe Purdy, The Nields | The Kennedys | Jen Chapin | K.J. Denhert | Zon del Barrio, Vanaver Caravan| Buskin & Batteau | Dave Douglas & Brass Ecstasy, Brooklyn Qawwali Party | Joe D’urso | Joel Plaskett, Arm-of-the-Sea Theater star The Power of Song star The Rivertown Kids, Mustard’s Retreat star Magpie star Roger the Jester star Dog on Fleas, Walkabout Clearwater Chorus star Paul Richmond star The Storycrafters, Rick Nestler star Donna Nestler star Travis Jeffrey star Margo Thunderbird, Marva Clark star Linda Richards star Eshu Bumpus star Dan Einbender, Dirty Stay Out Skifflers star Geoff Kaufman star Sarah Underhill star Peninnah Schram, Kay Olan/Ionataiewas star Mel & Vinnie star Karen Pillsworth star Gregorio Pedroza , Allan Aunapu star Jan Christensen star The New York Packet star Matt Turk star Hope Machine

July

Saturday, July 9

Long Dock Park Celebration

1PM – 6PM – Help us celebrate the opening of this new and improved Hudson Riverfront park in high style. Take to the water on a free kayak paddle, try out a new bike on the Klara Sauer Trail, join a guided tour of exciting park features, including Scenic Hudson’s River Center, our new venue for arts and environmental activities. If that’s not enough, you can test your mettle at hula-hooping and enjoy a great lineup of live performers—all while admiring magnificent Hudson River vistas.

LIVE PERFORMANCES by:
Arm-of-the-Sea Theater
Uncle Rock
We Must Be
The Big Takeover

Event Location: Long Dock Rd. Beacon, NY 12508 – On the river side of the Beacon Train Station.

July 21 – 24

Gathering of the Vibes

Seaside Park, Bridgeport, CT – Gathering of the Vibes, the Northeast’s acclaimed music festival destination, will “bring the magic” once again with a 4-day extravaganza of eclectic music, arts and community, July 21-24, 2011 at Connecticut’s magnificent Seaside Park. The rumor mill is swirling with artist announcements around the corner. Gathering of the Vibes promises its most spectacular and diverse lineup to date, delivering over 40 hours of music on multiple stages. Powerhouse Vibes alumni include: The Allman Brothers, Crosby Stills & Nash, Furthur with Phil Lesh & Bob Weir, James Brown, The Black Crowes, and Damian Marley and Nas, alongside breakout acts like Umphrey’s McGee, Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings, Jackie Greene, and tri-state favorites The McLovins. The Vibes also warmly embraces new, virtually unknown artists, who may submit music for consideration through sonic bids.

News That Matters – Friday, April 22, 2011 – Things To Do Edition

Jeff Green — Fri, 22 Apr 2011 12:36:23 +0000

“What they say and what they say are not the same thing.”

Good Friday Morning,

It was 26.4F this morning. Whose idea was that?

The United States is the 12th Happiest Country on earth. Sadly, we’re bested by 11 nations, 10 of which have national health care systems and who, due to the aforementioned, get to be happier longer as their life expectancie surpasses ours. Those 10 bastions of repressive socialist, anti-capitalist, jackbooted thug governments are, Denmark, Sweden, Canada, Australia, Finland, Venezuela, Israel, New Zealand, Netherlands, Ireland and Panama. Be lucky you don’t live in Chad as it’s the least happiest place.

Now some news:

I Will Not Pander!

Groups are stepping up to the battle of getting New York State to pass a marriage equality bill this year. One failed the New York State Senate two years ago 38-24 with Senator Leibell voting with the majority against the bill. One result was that a faux news article I wrote about the Senator has become one of the most read pages at our website (See: Leibell to Outlaw Divorce in New York State.) so I have to thank him for that.

This year the Log Cabin Republicans (whose motto is: “You don’t have to bash us, we bash ourselves!”) have signed on to help and one of three targeted Senators this year is The Senator Who Shall Not Be Named.

On December 23, 2005 he had this to say about the matter of marriage equality:

“I will not pander to an extreme Liberal agenda by supporting “Extra” rights for gays in order to be politically correct, while avoiding larger criminal issues for the protection of all of our citizens… Furthermore, I do not believe that the homosexual lifestyle should be promoted as an acceptable alternative of living in our schools and classrooms.”

But now that he’s all grown up with his eyes on higher prizes, perhaps he’ll alter his view just a little bit. And if he does vote in favor of civil rights I will give him his name back, and that’s something.

Now, the ridiculous:

Senator John Kyle recently made a firebrand floor speech in which he said that 90% of Planned Parenthood’s business was to provide abortion services. The truth is that about 3% of PP’s business is. This was a lie intentionally made on the floor of the Congress of the United States, broadcast and believed by simpletons the world over and duly recorded in the Congressional Record.

Congress protects their own even when they make incorrect statements (read: lies) and so the Congressional Record, the minutes of meetings of the House and Senate was “altered” to reflect the truth, not his lie.

See, our representatives are allowed to “edit” their entries in the official record so that there is no thread of honesty at all in government. What they say and what they say are not the same thing.

The solution is obvious: record all Congressional meetings and transcribe them word for word into the record and that’s it. What they say is what gets posted to history. And if they made a mistake, they can retract it – on the record.

And, onto the sublime…

You Want Guns With That?

With all the noise coming from The Senator Who Shall Not Be Named and the NRA about threats to gun ownership you’d think that so few Americans own guns that any laws passed regarding them would make them suddenly disappear leaving the nation at the mercy of Fijian terrorists hell-bent on raping our dogs and kicking our women. (Or is that the other way around? Nevermind.)

In any case, as of 2007 there were 88 guns per 100 residents in the United States making us the most gun totin’, nation on earth by far. We own more than 1/3 of all guns manufactured in the world and we own more small arms than any military organization in the world: including our own. And considering that in Wyoming for example, in which nearly 58% of households have guns, there must be arsenals worth stashed away clear across the nation.

So I don’t get it. If those NRA guys were as upset about laws that interfere with personal rights in general such as the War On (some) Drugs or marriage laws and the like I’d get it. If they were concerned about Constitutional protections laid out in the 4th Amendment like search and seizure laws which have gotten so out of hand it’s like living in a totalitarian regime, I’d get it. If they cared with equal verve about personal privacy in general I’d still get it. But when there are 9 guns for every 10 residents of this country I can only think it’s really about their penises.

Coming Up!

The Putnam County Arts Council has announced several new classes taught by my friend, and Lake Carmel’s own, Michael Bereznak. Here are the details:

Beginner Guitar for Adults

In this 6 week long class you will learn how to play the guitar. All beginning principles will be covered in this program including tuning, basic chords, chord progressions, and strumming. You will learn simplified versions of songs and proper technique in an encouraging environment geared for quick results and success. Bring your guitar, a folder, a positive attitude, and a sense of adventure.
6 Tuesdays ~
May 10 – June 14
10:30 am – noon
$150/$145 PAC members

Beginning Songwriting for Adults

Are you a poet who’s handy with words? Do you have a desire to communicate your thoughts, feelings, ideas, and philosophies as lyrics in a song? In this class you will learn beginning songwriting techniques including consolidating and collecting your thoughts, expressing them on paper in an effective manner, song analysis, and songwriting trends. All you need is a notebook, a pen, and your creativity!!!
6 Fridays ~
May 13 – June 17
10:30 am – noon
$150/$145 PAC members

Beginning Music Theory

Have you ever wondered why your favorite song sounds so good? Have you always wanted to learn music theory but were intimidated by the lines, spaces, dots, and numbers? Have no fear! Beginning Music Theory is here! Here you will learn the principles of general music theory that apply to all instruments in a fun yet informative environment. By studying “how music works” you will enhance your enjoyment and skills in playing, composing and listening. All you need is a folder for papers, a pen, basic playing knowledge of an instrument, and an open mind. All ages and levels of experience are welcome.
6 Sundays ~
May 8 – June 19
11:00 am – 12:30 pm
$150/$145 PAC members

Hey! Yeah you! No one in the Valley has an events listing like PlanPutnam/News That Matters, so pass this on to people you know who are not regular readers. You’ll sleep better at night, it’ll clear up your acne, your dog will have fewer fleas and the fates will smile upon your every step.

What’s Going On?

Ed note: Several events listed below are from the Hudson River Watershed Alliance’s newsletter.

This Weekend:
Into The Future
May
June
July
- July 21 – 24
  - Gathering of the Vibes

This Weekend:

Friday April 22 – Earth Day

Orange County Land Trust Launches Buck for Conservation Campaign to Raise Funds for Open Space and Farmland Protection

On Earth Day, the Orange County Land Trust will launch a new fundraising campaign Buck for Conservation, to provide much needed funds for open space and farmland protection projects throughout Orange County. Beginning Friday, April 22 patrons at nine participating restaurants in Orange County will have the option of adding an extra dollar to their bill to support land conservation efforts and the protection of Orange County farmland. Participating restaurants are Loughran’s Restaurant and Irish Pub in Salisbury Mills, Catherine’s in Goshen, three Cosimo’s Restaurants in Middletown, Newburgh and Woodbury, John’s Harvest Inn in Middletown, Landmark Inn in Warwick, Nina’s in Middletown, and Taco Hombre in Warwick. For more information, and for volunteer opportunities and ways of giving to the Orange County Land Trust, visit www.oclt.org or call (845) 343-0840. Become a fan of the Orange County Land Trust on Facebook and receive current news and events. Visit www.oclt.org for a list of participating Buck for Conservation restaurants with links to their menus and special offerings.

An Earth Day Celebration to Benefit Clearwater

We’re excited to announce Clearwater Generations: An Earth Day Celebration to Benefit Clearwater, which will be held at the Tarrytown Music Hall in Tarrytown, NY, on April 22 at 8pm.

The show will feature Pete Seeger & Tao Seeger, Peter Yarrow & Bethany Yarrow, Bernice Johnson Reagon & Toshi Reagon, and David Amram and Family. Performances by Clearwater friends and special guests including Janis Ian, Tom Paxton, Tom Chapin, Livingston Taylor, Jay Ungar & Molly Mason, Guy Davis, Rufus Cappadocia and the Power of Song, will round out this special celebration.

Clearwater’s environmental mission is about inspiring and educating the next generation, and we have applied this theme to music. Honoring tradition while looking toward the future has always been a major part of the Clearwater Festival. The Generations concert is all about classic Clearwater artists performing with and inspiring their children and grandchildren in order to carry on their legacy through song.

Tickets for the Clearwater Generations: An Earth Day Celebration concert range from $48 to $98. A limited amount of $250 tickets include premium seating, a post concert reception with the artists, as well as special Clearwater gifts. Proceeds from the concert will benefit Hudson River Sloop Clearwater

Saturday, April 23

Brewster Roadside Cleanup

7:30AM – 1PM The Village of Brewster and Town of Southeast are sponsoring a Roadside Cleanup and Litter Removal Day. More information here (PDF)

Maggie Seligman and Martin Aronchick

3:30-5:30pm (approximate times) – At Borders Books, 162 East Main Street, Mount Kisco, NY 10549 Call 914-241-8387 for more information.

An Evening with Jazz Great John Abercrombie

7:30PM – Over a career spanning more than 40 years and nearly 50 albums, John Abercrombie has established himself as one the masters of jazz guitar. Favoring unusual sounds (he played electronic mandolin on McCoy Tyner’s 1993 album 4×4) and nontraditional ensembles (recent quartet recordings have included violinist Mark Feldman). Abercrombie is a restless experimenter, working firmly in the jazz tradition while pushing the boundaries of meter and harmony.” At the BeanRunner Cafe, 201 S Division St, Peekskill, NY. Admission $10.

Bard on the Lake

8PM – The Bard comes to the shores of Lake Carmel in a Shakespeare Slam that has fortuitously become an annual event. Curated by NYC acting coach Roger Hendricks Simon and produced by Blue Horse Repertory, the cast of 30 actors, professional and students alike, work effortlessly through more than a dozen of the Bard’s plays. Scenes from Hamlet, As You Like It, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Othello, The Merchant of Venice, Julius Caesar, Romeo and Juliet and more, are woven into a neat, seamless fabric highlighting the best of the Bard and the best talents of the cast. Incredible performances by Ralph Cashen, Daniel Simon and Lora Lee Ecobelli are just a few of the standouts coming for this evening. With a brief ten-minute intermission the 90 minute performance will fly by.
This is not your textbook Shakespeare, this is something you need to see to believe that the guy had guts. People will fall in love, people will be murdered, some will be enchanted while others will break your heart. I’m telling you: if you don’t like Shakespeare this show is for you. Admission: $15.

Click here for more information and tickets.

Sunday, April 24

Easter Sunday

Into The Future

Wednesday, April 27

Putnam Business Expo

10AM – 5PM When the people who should be going to the Expo are working, so they can’t. At the Villa Barrone, where else? The Greater Mahopac-Carmel Chamber of Commerce, 953 South Lake Blvd. Mahopac, New York 10541 or call (845) 628-5553 for more information.

Thursday, April 28

Bill McKibben: The Building Movement to Tackle Climate Change

2:30PM – Join us for a special lecture by author, educator, environmentalist, and 350.org founder Bill McKibben. McKibben has been instrumental in raising awareness about global climate change. His essays have been featured in Harper’s, Orion, Rolling Stone, and the New York Times. Through 350.org McKibben helped organize a global climate change rally of unprecedented proportions, with over 5,000 demo…nstrations in 181 countries. He will discuss how people around the world – many in the poorest parts of the planet – are working to address global warming. He will also talk about how people close to home can play part in the political and practical work necessary to make a real difference. Location: Cary Institute Auditorium, located at 2801 Sharon Turnpike (Route 44) in Millbrook, New York.

Friday, April 29

Trees for Tribs: Arbor Day Celebration

9AM – 4PM Looking for a way to celebrate Arbor Day this year? Come and join the Hudson River Estuary Program as we pot-up thousands of bareroot seedlings for our “Trees for Tribs” initiative. There will be free pizza at noon. If you have any questions or you’d like to R.S.V.P., contact Laura Heil at ljheil@gw.dec.state.ny.us or 845-256-2253. Location: Hudson River Estuary Program NYSDEC Region III office in New Paltz

Vance Gilbert With Heather Maloney at the Towne Crier

8:30PM – It’s all in one seemingly impossible package: Vance Gilbert’s spellbinding live show; his deliriously virtuosic singing; his accomplished guitar style; his outrageous, edgy humor; AND the songwriting. Shawn Colvin invited Vance to be a special guest on her Fat City tour, and Vance took audiences by storm across the country: “With the voice of an angel, the wit of a devil, and the guitar playing of a god, it was enough to earn him that rarity: an encore for an opener” wrote the Fort Worth Star-Telegram in its review of a show from that tour. With one of the sharpest wits in folk music, Vance is one of the most entertaining singer-songwriters you’ll ever see. But, he can deftly change the mood of a show in an instant with a sincere delivery of one of his deep-flowing songs. So, don’t be surprised if your tears of laughter mix with tears of sorrow in a satisfying blend of yin and yang. $20 advance/ $25 door Click here for more information.

Saturday, April 30

Trees for Tribs: Arbor Day Celebration Continues

9AM – 4PM Looking for a way to celebrate Arbor Day this year? Come and join the Hudson River Estuary Program as we pot-up thousands of bareroot seedlings for our “Trees for Tribs” initiative. There will be free pizza at noon. If you have any questions or you’d like to R.S.V.P., contact Laura Heil at ljheil@gw.dec.state.ny.us or 845-256-2253. Location: Hudson River Estuary Program NYSDEC Region III office in New Paltz

Trail Maintenance with the Putnam County Land Trust

10AM – 2PM – Looking to volunteer and enjoy the great outdoors? Then join PCLT for a trail maintenance work party at our 33 acre Twin Hill Preserve. This work party will consist of trail maintenance tasks including erosion control, cutting back overgrowth encroaching on the trail system, removing debris and downed trees, weed-whacking grassy areas of the trails, invasive species removal and replacing trail markers. No experience in necessary, just bring an eagerness to work outdoors, a pair of gloves, proper footwear and water.

PCLT’s Twin Hill Preserve is located 1.1 miles north of the intersection of Route 312 and Farm-to-Market Road on the Brewster/Patterson border. Look for the newly-erected preserve sign at the entrance to a small dirt road on the west side of Farm-to-Market. Drive a short distance down the dirt road and the parking area for the preserve is on the left where the dirt road curves to the right. If you would like to join us, pleasevisit www.pclt.net or email info@pclt.net.

Meet at the Twin Hill Preserve on Farm-to-Market Road in Patterson about 1 mile north of Route 312

Gallery Talk: Anthony Huberman on Franz Erhard Walther

2PM – Dia:Beacon, Riggio Galleries, 3 Beekman Street, Beacon, NY 12508 845 440 0100 www.diaart.org

Free with museum admission. For reservations, click here.

Anthony Huberman is a curator and writer based in New York. As Chief Curator of the Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis, he organized exhibitions with Gedi Sibony, Lutz Bacher, Bruce Nauman, John Armleder, and Olivier Mosset, and initiated The Front Room, an ongoing series with young artists. He has worked as a curator at the Palais de Tokyo in Paris and at Sculpture Center in New York, and is currently a Visiting Professor at Hunter College.

May

Sunday, May 1

Hike to Hawk Rock

11AM – On Sunday, May 1, 2011 at 11:00 AM we’ll meet at the DEP parking area at the end of Whangtown Road. If you’re not sure where it is, you can use this map to get driving directions to the parking area and preview the hike.

If you haven’t been to Hawk Rock, you’re in for a treat. When the glaciers retreated northward at the end of the last ice age, they were carrying some really big rocks that sometimes ended up in odd positions when the ice melted. One of these so called “erratics” is Hawk Rock. Local lore has it that long ago the Native Americans named it and used the site as a meeting place. It is certainly a believable story; the setting is beautiful and it’s one impressive rock.

The Mead Farm, like the rest of this hike, is on land that was originally part of the hunting grounds for the Nochpeem tribe of native Americans, a part of the Wappinger Confederacy. After passing through various people’s hands, sometime in the 1860s Moses F. Mead purchased the eastern part of the farm where the ruins are today. The site includes a number of interesting features, including the foundations of the house, the stone portions of a cow barn and a beautiful corbelled stone chamber.

This is a moderate hike that takes about three hours including stops for lunch and to look around the farm site. If weather forces us to cancel the hike, we’ll let everyone who subscribes to our hikes list know by e-mail and post the news on kentcac.info at least an hour ahead of time. For further information feel free to contact David.

Tuesday, May 3

Marylin Elie (IPSEC) on Indian Point

7PM – A meeting with Marilyn Elie of the Indian Point Safe Energy Commission (IPSEC), to discuss what residents can do about stopping the relicensing of Indian Point. We will talk about what the disaster in Fukushima teaches us and how those lessons apply to Indian Point. Location: Meeting Room, Desmond-Fish Library, 472 Route 403 (200 ft East of Rt 9D), Garrison. This event is sponsored by Philipstown for Democracy. No charge, but contributions to cover expenses are appreciated. Questions – call 917 273-0808

Friday, May 6

The Singing Life of Birds

7PM – Bird song expert Donald Kroodsma will describe how birds communicate and why. Listen to the sounds of birds as you’ve never listened before, using their songs as a window into their minds. Location: Cary Institute’s auditorium, located at 2801 Sharon Turnpike (Route 44) in Millbrook, New York.

Saturday, May 7

Birding 101

9AM – Join the Oblong Land Conservancy and Larry Feldmen from the NY Audubon for a guided walk through prime bird habitat, including an upland cedar grove and the Great Swamp floodplain. Meet at the Slocum Mostachetti Preserve, 7/10′s miles to the west of the traffic light at the intersection of Route 22 and Pleasant Ridge Road in Wingdale. Click here for more information.

Open Auditions for New One-Act Plays

11AM – 2PM – Drawing from the talent at Tony Howarth’s Playwright’s Workshop, the director is seeking 15 actors to help realize several new one-act plays. The roles are as follows:

Mending Fences:
Samantha – 30-45
Will – 50-65

Never Too Many:
Alice – 30-40
Saul – 65+

A Cable Situation:
(Brad) (an unseen voice)
Sheila – 20-50

Blackout:
Julie – college age
Wallace – college age
Sarah – college age

Dirty Laundry: Jim – 20-30
Karen – 20-30

Late for Her Own Funeral
Joanne – 30
Dad – 60
Jeff – 30
Lou – 50

Bring a Resume to the Cultural Center on Lake Carmel, Route 52 in Kent. (It’s the old firehouse just south of the Route 311 causeway.)

Tuesday, May 10

Rain Barrel Building Workshop

7PM – Lakeside Park in Pawling. Sponsored by the Dutchess Watershed and Cornell Cooperative Extension Services.

Although we don’t often think about it, storm water can play an enormous part in the condition of our rivers, creeks, ponds, lakes, and wetlands. When it rains, this water is usually channeled into storm drains to be taken to the closest body of water. As storm water travels across the grounds’ surface as runoff, it can pick up different types of pollutants, washing them into our water bodies. You can help! Rain barrels are a great option to better manage excess storm water from your roof. The water is captured before it picks up pollutants, and it is safe to use for watering plants. A rain barrel can save gardeners up to 1,300 gallons of water during the peak summer months!

This workshop will help you learn to better manage storm water AND will help you build your own 55 gallon rain barrel to take home. Cost: $45 per person, includes cost of rain barrel. To Register: contact Angela Sullivan, 677-8223 x 114

Friday, May 13

The Last Mountain

7PM – Join us for an advanced screening of this documentary film exploring how mountaintop coal mining impacts the environment and human health. An Official Selection at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival. Location: Cary Institute’s auditorium, located at 2801 Sharon Turnpike (Route 44) in Millbrook, New York.

In the valleys of Appalachia, a battle is being fought over a mountain. It is a battle with severe consequences that affect every American, regardless of their social status, economic background or where they live. It is a battle that has taken many lives and continues to do so the longer it is waged. It is a battle over protecting our health and environment from the destructive power of Big Coal.

The mining and burning of coal is at the epicenter of America’s struggle to balance its energy needs with environmental concerns. Nowhere is that concern greater than in Coal River Valley, West Virginia, where a small but passionate group of ordinary citizens are trying to stop Big Coal corporations, like Massey Energy, from continuing the devastating practice of Mountain Top Removal.

David, himself, never faced a Goliath like Big Coal.

Saturday, May 14

Hiking the Road to Ruins

5PM – 7PM – Join us for a presentation with David Steinberg, author of Hiking the Road to Ruins. Steinberg will discuss twenty-two day hikes (and sometimes campouts) to old iron mines, deserted buildings, historic military leftovers and other things abandoned and available for visit by intrepid hikers. Many of the ruins are located right here in our backyard.

David Steinberg is is a life-long resident of the New York City area and has been a paid leader of hikes for fifteen years. From 1985 to 1996, he was a staff photographer and photo-feature writer for The Queens Courier, a weekly newspaper.

This event is free and open to the public. To RSVP, call the museum, 845-265-4010 or email, office@pchs-fsm.org.

Putnam County Historical Society & Foundry School Museum

63 Chestut Street

Cold Spring, NY 10516

Carmina Burana

8PM at Brewster High School. The Putnam Chorale performs CARMINA BURANA – One Performance Only – with full orchestra and accompanied by the Brewster High School Chamber Singers and the Seven Star Dancers, on MAY 14, 2011 8 pm at the Brewster High School Performing Arts Center, 50 Foggintown Road, Brewster, NY. Get more information at our web site (www.putnamchorale.org) or by calling 845-279-7265.

A collection of historic medieval songs and poems was discovered in the year 1803 at an abandoned monastery in Bavaria. This collection was found to be satirical works that had been performed by traveling goliards, disaffected clergy and clerical students, who used the works to lighten the burden of everyday life and to poke fun at the authorities of the day. In a way, the Saturday Night Live of its time!

The works make fun of church excesses and follies and mock the changing morals of the times. There are love songs and songs for drinking and gambling that celebrate Epicurus, the ancient Greek Philosopher and advocate of the blissful life. The stories are provocative and often disrespectful, but offer a common man perspective and a chance at some frivolity.

Sunday, May 15

Riverkeeper’s Annual Shad Fest

For over 20 years, Riverkeeper’s Shad Fest has been a celebration of the vast numbers of American shad that returned each year to the Hudson River to spawn. The shad run has been a welcome sign of spring, rebirth and renewal for thousands of years, since the Lenape Indians populated the Hudson’s shores. Sadly, the shad population has declined in recent years to dangerously low levels and the focus of this year’s event is on saving the American Shad and other Hudson River signature fish which are similarly at risk. Shad Fest started off as a backyard barbeque held at Bobby Kennedy Jr.’s house, and has grown every year. To be held at Boscobel House and Gardens, Route 9D in Cold Spring. Click here for more information and tickets.

Garnet Rodgers with Shawn Taylor at the Towne Crier

7:30PM – Garnet Rogers has established himself as “One of the major talents of our time.” Hailed by the Boston Globe as a “charismatic performer and singer,” Garnet is a man with a powerful physical presence –close to six and a half feet tall– with a voice to match. With his “smooth, dark baritone” (Washington Post) his incredible range, and thoughtful, dramatic phrasing, Garnet is widely considered by fans and critics alike to be one of the finest singers anywhere. His music –like the man himself– is literate, passionate, highly sensitive, and deeply purposeful. Cinematic in detail, his songs “give expression to the unspoken vocabulary of the heart” (Kitchener Waterloo Record). An optimist at heart, Garnet sings extraordinary songs about people who are not obvious heroes and of the small victories of the everyday. As memorable as his songs, his over-the-top humour and lightning-quick wit moves his audience from tears to laughter and back again. $17.50 advance/ $22.50 door. Click here for more information.

Monday, May 16

The Buddha’s 2600th Birthday Celebration

Globally – In the year 624 BC, in Kapilawaththu (Nepal) Siddhartha Gautama was born as a prince. His father was King Suddhodana and his mother was Queen Mahamaya. When he was sixteen he finished his education and he married Princess Yasodara. King Suddhodana handed over his kingdom to his son Siddhartha. They had a baby name Rahula. When king Siddhartha was 29 years old he decided to renounce lay life. Siddhartha left from his kingdom and went to several well-known teachers to study the ultimate nature of reality. But their teachings didn’t satisfy him and he set out to find his own path. Six years later he went to Bodgaya near the Neranjana River and sat under a tree.

Siddhartha’s mind was calm and relaxed. As he sat his concentration deepened and his wisdom grew brighter. In this clear and peaceful state of mind he began to examine the true nature of life. “What is the cause of suffering,” he asked himself, “and what is the path to everlasting joy?” In his mind’s eye he looked far beyond his own country, far beyond his own world. Soon the sun, planets, the stars out in space and distant galaxies of the universe all appeared to him in his meditation. He saw how everything, from the smallest speck of dust to the largest star was linked together in a constantly changing pattern: growing, decaying and growing again. Everything was related. Nothing happened without a cause and every cause had an effect on everything else.

With much equanimous joy, we would like to announce the program to commemorate the 2600th anniversary of the Buddha’s Enlightenment at the United Nations in New York.

Visit e2600.org for more information.

June

Saturday, June 4

NY/NJ Trails Conference Annual Meeting

Bear Mountain State Park: On June 4, the Trail Conference will open a wheelchair accessible section of the Appalachian Trail on the summit of Bear Mountain. For the past year, Trail Conference volunteers have been hard at work building this ADA-compliant segment of this historic and nationally celebrated long-distance trail. The trail will allow wheelchair users to enter the woods and view the Hudson River and Valley from one of the region’s most scenic spots.At 10:30 AM, we will open and dedicate the trail. Later in the day, the Trail Conference will have its Summer Meeting on the lawn below Bear Mountain. There will be food and music by the acclaimed urban bluegrass group, Two Dollar Goat.

The event is co-sponsored by Disney/ABC and the Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Places. Members of the Disney team will be on hand to help.

What’s Happening When

8:00: Departure of early hike to summit of Bear Mountain from Fort Montgomery Historic Site (co-sponsored by Mid-Hudson ADK)

10:00: Morning refreshments at Trailhead of the ADA-compliant segment of the Appalachian Trail at summit of Bear Mountain

10:30: Opening ceremony and Dedication

10:45: Hike or drive down to Lawn (Options from easy to strenuous available)

12:00-varied: Lunch on the Lawn with Music by Two Dollar Goat.
Hikers arrive from a variety of trails, eat, enjoy music.

Rain or shine under tent!

1:30 (estimated): Meeting

All programs are free! Lunch: $15 donation. RSVP for lunch by sending a check or going to our donation page. Please indicate your RSVP in the comment box.

Questions, comments, or phone reservations, contact Joanne Reinhardt at jreinhardt@nynjtc.org or x26 at the office

Rain Barrel Building Workshop

10AM – Fishkill Town Hall. Sponsored by the Dutchess Watershed and Cornell Cooperative Extension Services.

Although we don’t often think about it, storm water can play an enormous part in the condition of our rivers, creeks, ponds, lakes, and wetlands. When it rains, this water is usually channeled into storm drains to be taken to the closest body of water. As storm water travels across the grounds’ surface as runoff, it can pick up different types of pollutants, washing them into our water bodies. You can help! Rain barrels are a great option to better manage excess storm water from your roof. The water is captured before it picks up pollutants, and it is safe to use for watering plants. A rain barrel can save gardeners up to 1,300 gallons of water during the peak summer months!

This workshop will help you learn to better manage storm water AND will help you build your own 55 gallon rain barrel to take home. Cost: $45 per person, includes cost of rain barrel. To Register: contact Angela Sullivan, 677-8223 x 114

Friday, June 10

Six New One-Act Plays

8PM – Six new one-act plays from Tony Howarth’s Playwright’s Workshop. Plays by Pat O’Connor, Gabby Fox and Carol Mark, directed by Tony Howarth. At the Cultural Center on Lake Carmel, Route 52 just south of the Route 311 Causeway.

Saturday, June 11

Six New One-Act Plays

8PM – Six new one-act plays from Tony Howarth’s Playwright’s Workshop. Plays by Pat O’Connor, Gabby Fox and Carol Mark, directed by Tony Howarth. At the Cultural Center on Lake Carmel, Route 52 just south of the Route 311 Causeway.

Saturday, June 18

Clearwater Revival

Croton Point Park – Pete Seeger star Drive-By Truckers star Martin Sexton star Indigo Girls, Arlo Guthrie star Josh Ritter star Jorma Kaukonen star Peter Yarrow, John Sebastian star Janis Ian star The Low Anthem, Red Horse (Lucy Kaplansky, John Gorka & Eliza Gilkyson) star The Klezmatics, Toubab Krewe star Justin Townes Earle star Chris, Smither star Joanne Shenandoah, Tom Chapin star Bernice Johnson Reagon star Dan Zanes & Elizabeth Mitchell, James McMurtry | Jay Ungar & Molly Mason | Jeffrey Broussard & The Creole Cowboys, Tao Seeger Band | Toshi Reagon & Big Lovely | Mike & Ruthy | Sarah Lee & Johnny, Bethany & Rufus’ Roots Quartet | Clayfoot Strutters | Zlatne Uste | Joe Purdy, The Nields | The Kennedys | Jen Chapin | K.J. Denhert | Zon del Barrio, Vanaver Caravan| Buskin & Batteau | Dave Douglas & Brass Ecstasy, Brooklyn Qawwali Party | Joe D’urso | Joel Plaskett, Arm-of-the-Sea Theater star The Power of Song star The Rivertown Kids, Mustard’s Retreat star Magpie star Roger the Jester star Dog on Fleas, Walkabout Clearwater Chorus star Paul Richmond star The Storycrafters, Rick Nestler star Donna Nestler star Travis Jeffrey star Margo Thunderbird, Marva Clark star Linda Richards star Eshu Bumpus star Dan Einbender, Dirty Stay Out Skifflers star Geoff Kaufman star Sarah Underhill star Peninnah Schram, Kay Olan/Ionataiewas star Mel & Vinnie star Karen Pillsworth star Gregorio Pedroza , Allan Aunapu star Jan Christensen star The New York Packet star Matt Turk star Hope Machine

July

July 21 – 24

Gathering of the Vibes

Seaside Park, Bridgeport, CT – Gathering of the Vibes, the Northeast’s acclaimed music festival destination, will “bring the magic” once again with a 4-day extravaganza of eclectic music, arts and community, July 21-24, 2011 at Connecticut’s magnificent Seaside Park. The rumor mill is swirling with artist announcements around the corner. Gathering of the Vibes promises its most spectacular and diverse lineup to date, delivering over 40 hours of music on multiple stages. Powerhouse Vibes alumni include: The Allman Brothers, Crosby Stills & Nash, Furthur with Phil Lesh & Bob Weir, James Brown, The Black Crowes, and Damian Marley and Nas, alongside breakout acts like Umphrey’s McGee, Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings, Jackie Greene, and tri-state favorites The McLovins. The Vibes also warmly embraces new, virtually unknown artists, who may submit music for consideration through sonic bids.

News That Matters – Friday, April 15, 2011 – Things To Do Edition

Jeff Green — Fri, 15 Apr 2011 13:22:28 +0000

“I’m not standing here in front of you because the system works. I’m standing here despite the system.”

- Jeffrey Deskovic

Good Friday Morning,

There are more than 200,000,000 individual websites on the World Wide Web and PlanPutnam/News That Matters is in the top 1% according to an Alexa rating. Help spread the word. Pass this edition of the newsletter on to someone you know who does not currently read. If not for anything else, then for our extensive listing of local and regional events.

Criminal Justice American Style

Jeffrey Deskovic is in the news again, winning his lawsuit against Westchester county for putting him in prison for a crime the authorities responsible knew he did not commit. His lawsuits against Putnam County and the City of Peekskill for their complicity in this crime against him are still pending.

A 1990 study conducted by Ohio State University claims that as many as 10,000 Americans are wrongfully convicted of serious crimes each year and admits the number is rather conservative.

The Innocence Project has freed more than 200 people wrongfully convicted of such crimes when they were able to force DNA evidence into appeals where local judges, police and District Attorney’s offices put up significant, illegal or immoral roadblocks to new evidence or to admit old evidence that was intentionally suppressed.

This Weekend

Friday, April 15

New Show at the Garrison Art Center: Opening Reception

6PM – Opening reception for new show by artists Enrico Giordano, Peter Clark and Setsuya Kotani. Runs through May 8, 2011. 23 Garrison’s Landing, (on the river side of the train station), Garrison, New York. Visit the Garrison Art Center for more information.

Saturday, April 16

Science and Management Forum: Regional Freshwater Issues

8:30AM – Join the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies and Cornell Cooperative Extension of Dutchess County for a Science and Management Forum on Regional Freshwater Issues. Free and open to the public, the event will provide an overview of the quantity and quality of regional freshwater resources, pressures that existing supplies face (pollution, development, invasive species), and management options. Special attention will be given to green infrastructure and stormwater. A detailed agenda will be posted when available. Reservations are required. Early registration is recommended. E-mail Claudia Rosen rosenc@caryinstitute.org with attendee names and municipal/organization affiliation (if any). Location: Cary Institute’s auditorium, located at 2801 Sharon Turnpike (Route 44) in Millbrook, New York.

Lake Carmel’s Annual Cleanup

9AM – 11 AM – Have you noticed all the trash around this year? The big snows have left allot of trash! So, celebrate the coming of SPRING by taking just a few minutes of your week and help clean up your neighborhood blocks and along our beautiful lake front. COFFEE AND DONUTS, Trash bags and Rubber Gloves are available at Beach 3.

Participate with your kids, dogs, parents and neighbors! Simply walk around your block or come to a section of the lake front and pick up everything you can. You can bring the bags to Beach 3 or leave them on the lake side of Lake Shore Drive and they will be collected. Be sure to come to BEACH 3 for Donuts and Coffee and join your neighbors who also have volunteered to help keep our beautiful lake community clean!

If you have any questions please call Ed Durkee at 845 803-1592. Also remember, any participation counts towards community service hours for the kids! Hope to see you there! Sponsored by The Lake Carmel Park District Advisory Board.

Guided Walk At Reeve’s Meadow, Harriman State Park

10AM – Join Docents Harry and Marianne Bloomfeld, on this moderate 2-mile walk on a mostly cleared, level trail with a few steps and rocks. This trail follows the meandering Stony Brook. Let’s explore what lives along the stream, possibly finding some blooming plant life or croaking frogs. Walkers Should meet in the Reeves Meadow Parking Lot near the Stone Building off of Seven Lakes Drive.

Directions: NY State Thruway to Exit 15 A (Sloatsburg/Suffern). Turn LEFT at end of exit ramp onto Route 17N. Go 2.5 miles to Seven Lakes Drive. Turn RIGHT at traffic light. Go 1.5 miles to Reeves Meadow lot. If lot is full, park alongside of the road. Meet at the Stone Building. For more information call (845) 708-7307

Vaneese Thomas at the Towne Crier

8:30PM – Vaneese Thomas’ many talents have made her a sought-after solo performer as well as a desired vocalist, contributing to the projects and performances of Luciano Pavarotti, Sting, Stevie Wonder, Natalie Cole, BB King, Eric Clapton, Michael Jackson, Joe Cocker, Celine Dion, Annie Lennox, Patti LaBelle …and Aretha Franklin rarely performs without her! Vaneese’s mission is to continue the legacy set by her influential father, legendary R&B musician Rufus Thomas, but she has also cultivated her own style by blending all the influences of her background: R&B, gospel, blues and jazz. In addition to singing (she had a Top Ten R&B hit herself in 1987 ? Let’s Talk it Over), Vaneese has produced recordings, created vocal arrangements and written songs for Dianna Ross, Patti Austin, Freddie Jackson and Larry Coryell, also working with renowned producer Phil Ramone along the way. Thomas’ credits for movies & TV include Disney’s Hercule! s, Anastasia, The First Wives Club, Everyone Says I Love You, PBS’s Shining Time Station and appearances on Letterman, Conan O’Brien and NBC’s Today. $25 advance/ $30 door Buy TICKETS now!

Celebrate Earth Day at the Zoo

10:30am – 3:00pm – Celebrate Earth Day and springtime with family-friendly and Earth-friendly fun at Bear Mountain State Park’s Trailside Museum and Zoo. Nature-related displays, activities and games give you tips to help you look after Mother Earth. Arrive at 10:30 and you can help us make treats for the Bears. They will come out of their dens at 11:00 to gobble up the goodies.

Enjoy live music by the State Workers, live animal presentations and story time in our Amphitheater. Please call (845) 786-2701 x293 for more info. State Park parking fee is $8. There is no separate admission fee for the zoo, but donations are welcome.

“Framing the Viewshed: The Transformative Power of Art and Landscape in the Hudson Valley”

1-5 pm (Registration: 12:30). Viewshed Benefit Party: 6-8 pm At Columbia-Greene Community College
Hudson, NY – The Olana Partnership will celebrate the Hudson Valley’s extraordinary natural and designed landscapes in a symposium on Saturday, April 16, 2011. “Framing the Viewshed: The Transformative Power of Art and Landscape in the Hudson Valley” will take place at Columbia-Greene Community College, just outside of Hudson, New York. The panel discussion will feature three leading experts in the fields of art history, conservation, and landscape design who will discuss the Hudson Valley’s unparalleled viewsheds and their cultural context.

The panel discussion will be moderated by David Schuyler, the biographer of Calvert Vaux, who assisted Church with the design of the house. Art historian Linda S. Ferber will speak on the four Hudsons of Wallace Bruce, the author of a 1901 travel guide: the Hudsons of Beauty, History, Literature and Commerce. Vassar Professor emeritus Harvey K. Flad will discuss the “Art of Protecting Scenic Views: Nineteenth-century Artists and the Preservation of Modern-day Landscapes.” Landscape architect Laurie Olin, whose designs for public and private landscapes have won him international acclaim, will speak on the use of contemporary design in historic settings.

The symposium will be held from 1:00 to 5:00 pm on Saturday, April 16, at Columbia-Greene Community College, 4400 Route 23, Hudson, NY. Registration starts at 12:30 pm: tickets are $40 each for members of The Olana Partnership, $50 for non-members.

Continuing Education Credits, LACES 3.5 Non-HSW (NYS) will be available for registered landscape architects.

Gasland – The Film

2PM – The prize-winning documentary film “Gasland” will be shown Saturday, April 16 at 2 pm in Lake Carmel Cultural Center, 640 Route 52, Kent Lakes, NY.

When filmmaker Josh Fox was offered a drilling lease for natural gas on his family home in Pennsylvania, he embarked on a multi-state odyssey to discover and document the impacts of high-volume horizontal hydraulic fracturing, or hydrofracking, on air quality, water quality, and public health. The film won a special jury prize at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival and was nominated for an Academy Award.

Described by Fox as “part verite travelogue, part expose, part mystery, part bluegrass banjo meltdown, part showdown,” the film has been shown commercially and at several libraries in the area and includes appearances by Pete Seeger and Dick Cheney. A key scene is residents in Pennsylvania lighting their drinking water on fire. The widespread showings of “Gasland” have sparked growing public awareness of the safety issues surrounding hydrofracking.

There is a moratorium on new fracking permits in New York State until this July 1st, pending the submission of a revised General Environmental Impact Statement. The NYS Assembly is considering a bill that would extend the moratorium until the US Environmental Protection Agency completes a study. A separate bill before the NYS Senate would mandate open disclosure of proprietary chemicals that are injected into the ground during hydrofracking.

The one hour and forty-seven minute film will be followed by a discussion of the issues raised. Refreshments will be available. To defray costs of the showing, Arts on the Lake is asking for a $5 donation at the door or in advance at www.artsonthelake.org. The Croton Watershed Clean Water Coalition Hydrofracking Educational Kit will be available at the showing.

Sunday, April 17

Chris Hedges Speaks in Beacon

1:30PM – Chris Hedges has written for numerous publications including The Nation, Foreign Affairs, Harper’s Magazine, The New York Review of Books, Granta, Mother Jones, New Humanist and Robert Scheer’s web magazine Truthdig where he publishes a column.

In 1983, Hedges began his career reporting on the conflict in El Salvador. Following six years in Latin America, he took time off to study Arabic and then went to Jerusalem and later Cairo. He spent seven years in the Middle East, most of them as the Middle East Bureau Chief for The New York Times. During the first Gulf War he was taken prisoner by the Iraqi Republican Guard while covering the Shiite uprising in the southern Iraqi city of Basra. He was released after a week to the International Committee of the Red Cross. He left the Middle East in 1995 for Sarajevo to cover the war in Bosnia followed by the war in Kosovo. Later, he joined the investigative team of The New York Times, based in Paris, and covered terrorism.

The Howland Cultural Center
477 Main Street
Beacon, NY 12508
howlandculturalcenter.org
Call 845-228-8894 for more information

Into The Future

Monday, April 18

Passover Begins

Passover begins at sundown this evening.

Passover (Hebrew, Yiddish: פֶּסַח Pesach, Tiberian: [pesaħ] ( listen), Modern Hebrew: Pesah, Pesakh, Yiddish: Peysekh, Paysakh, Paysokh) is a Jewish holy day and festival. It commemorates the story of the Exodus, in which the ancient Israelites were freed from slavery in Egypt. Passover begins on the 15th day of the month of Nisan, which is spring in the Northern Hemisphere, and is celebrated for seven or eight days. It is one of the most widely observed Jewish holidays.

In the narrative of the Exodus, the Bible tells that God helped the Children of Israel escape slavery in Egypt by inflicting ten plagues upon the Egyptians before Pharaoh would release his Israelite slaves; the tenth and worst of the plagues was the slaughter of the first-born. The Israelites were instructed to mark the doorposts of their homes with the blood of a spring lamb and, upon seeing this, the spirit of the Lord passed over these homes, hence the term “passover”. When Pharaoh freed the Israelites, it is said that they left in such a hurry that they could not wait for bread to rise. In commemoration, for the duration of Passover no leavened bread is eaten, for which reason it is called “The Festival of the Unleavened Bread”. Matzo (flat unleavened bread) is the primary symbol of the holiday.

Together with Shavuot (“Pentecost”) and Sukkot (“Tabernacles”), Passover is one of the three pilgrimage festivals (Shalosh Regalim) during which the entire Jewish populace historically made a pilgrimage to the Temple in Jerusalem. Samaritans still make this pilgrimage to Mount Gerizim, but only men participate in public worship.

Tuesday, April 19

Sustainable Roofing: Living/Green Roofs, Cool Roofs

6PM – 8PM – Much of conventional roofing represents a wasted opportunity to reduce energy costs, improve building performance and durability, create useable habitat for flora and fauna, improve biodiversity, increase the performance of installed photovoltaic systems, mitigate combined sewer overflow (CSO) events, reduce waste stream pollution, lessen urban heat island effects (UHIE) and make the “view from the top” a much prettier place. Our experts on sustainable roofing will talk about proven roofing alternatives that can do all these things, turning underutilized dark roof surfaces into acres of better space for the environment, for occupants, and for owners. Participants will gain a strong understanding of innovative roofing technologies such as cool roofs, photovoltaic roofing, vegetative roof systems, recyclable roofing, and roofing materials manufactured with post-consumer recycled content and low VOC roofing options.

About The Presenter: Rich Kuhn, Territory Manager: Rich Kuhn is a Territory Manager for the Garland Company which is a full-service manufacturer of High Performance Building Envelope Moisture Protection Products. Rich believes that the best way to be “green” is by providing the longest lasting, lowest Life Cycle Cost roofing solutions for his clients. Rich obtained a B.S. in Biology from Seton Hall University in 1999. He is a member of the AIA, NYASBO, NYSB&G, and the USGBC.

At: Cathryn’s Tuscan Grill 91 Main Street, Cold Spring, NY

Register for the Putnam/Dutchess County event here. Reservations are $10 for advance sales to USGBC NY Upstate Chapter Members and Students, and $20 for non-members. Members & students pay $15 at the door. This presentation qualifies for AIA LU

Friday April 22 – Earth Day

An Earth Day Celebration to Benefit Clearwater

We’re excited to announce Clearwater Generations: An Earth Day Celebration to Benefit Clearwater, which will be held at the Tarrytown Music Hall in Tarrytown, NY, on April 22 at 8pm.

The show will feature Pete Seeger & Tao Seeger, Peter Yarrow & Bethany Yarrow, Bernice Johnson Reagon & Toshi Reagon, and David Amram and Family. Performances by Clearwater friends and special guests including Janis Ian, Tom Paxton, Tom Chapin, Livingston Taylor, Jay Ungar & Molly Mason, Guy Davis, Rufus Cappadocia and the Power of Song, will round out this special celebration.

Clearwater’s environmental mission is about inspiring and educating the next generation, and we have applied this theme to music. Honoring tradition while looking toward the future has always been a major part of the Clearwater Festival. The Generations concert is all about classic Clearwater artists performing with and inspiring their children and grandchildren in order to carry on their legacy through song.

Tickets for the Clearwater Generations: An Earth Day Celebration concert range from $48 to $98. A limited amount of $250 tickets include premium seating, a post concert reception with the artists, as well as special Clearwater gifts. Proceeds from the concert will benefit Hudson River Sloop Clearwater

Saturday, April 23

Brewster Roadside Cleanup

7:30AM – 1PM The Village of Brewster and Town of Southeast are sponsoring a Roadside Cleanup and Litter Removal Day. More information here (PDF)

Maggie Seligman and Martin Aronchick

3:30-5:30pm (approximate times) – At Borders Books, 162 East Main Street, Mount Kisco, NY 10549 Call 914-241-8387 for more information.

Bard on the Lake

8PM – The Bard comes to the shores of Lake Carmel in a Shakespeare Slam that has fortuitously become an annual event. Curated by NYC acting coach Roger Hendricks Simon and produced by Blue Horse Repertory, the cast of 30 actors, professional and students alike, work effortlessly through more than a dozen of the Bard’s plays. Scenes from Hamlet, As You Like It, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Othello, The Merchant of Venice, Julius Caesar, Romeo and Juliet and more, are woven into a neat, seamless fabric highlighting the best of the Bard and the best talents of the cast. Incredible performances by Ralph Cashen, Daniel Simon and Lora Lee Ecobelli are just a few of the standouts coming for this evening. With a brief ten-minute intermission the 90 minute performance will fly by.
This is not your textbook Shakespeare, this is something you need to see to believe that the guy had guts. People will fall in love, people will be murdered, some will be enchanted while others will break your heart. I’m telling you: if you don’t like Shakespeare this show is for you.

Click here for more information and tickets.

Sunday, April 24

Easter Sunday

Wednesday, April 27

Putnam Business Expo

10AM – 5PM When the people who should be going to the Expo are working, so they can’t. At the Villa Barrone, where else? The Greater Mahopac-Carmel Chamber of Commerce, 953 South Lake Blvd. Mahopac, New York 10541 or call (845) 628-5553 for more information.

Friday, April 29

Vance Gilbert With Heather Maloney at the Towne Crier

8:30PM – It’s all in one seemingly impossible package: Vance Gilbert’s spellbinding live show; his deliriously virtuosic singing; his accomplished guitar style; his outrageous, edgy humor; AND the songwriting. Shawn Colvin invited Vance to be a special guest on her Fat City tour, and Vance took audiences by storm across the country: “With the voice of an angel, the wit of a devil, and the guitar playing of a god, it was enough to earn him that rarity: an encore for an opener” wrote the Fort Worth Star-Telegram in its review of a show from that tour. With one of the sharpest wits in folk music, Vance is one of the most entertaining singer-songwriters you’ll ever see. But, he can deftly change the mood of a show in an instant with a sincere delivery of one of his deep-flowing songs. So, don’t be surprised if your tears of laughter mix with tears of sorrow in a satisfying blend of yin and yang. $20 advance/ $25 door Click here for more information.

Saturday, April 30

Gallery Talk: Anthony Huberman on Franz Erhard Walther

2PM – Dia:Beacon, Riggio Galleries, 3 Beekman Street, Beacon, NY 12508 845 440 0100 www.diaart.org

Free with museum admission. For reservations, click here.

Anthony Huberman is a curator and writer based in New York. As Chief Curator of the Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis, he organized exhibitions with Gedi Sibony, Lutz Bacher, Bruce Nauman, John Armleder, and Olivier Mosset, and initiated The Front Room, an ongoing series with young artists. He has worked as a curator at the Palais de Tokyo in Paris and at Sculpture Center in New York, and is currently a Visiting Professor at Hunter College.

May

Friday, May 6

The Singing Life of Birds

7PM – Bird song expert Donald Kroodsma will describe how birds communicate and why. Listen to the sounds of birds as you’ve never listened before, using their songs as a window into their minds. Location: Cary Institute’s auditorium, located at 2801 Sharon Turnpike (Route 44) in Millbrook, New York.

Saturday, May 7

Birding 101

9AM – Join the Oblong Land Conservancy and Larry Feldmen from the NY Audubon for a guided walk through prime bird habitat, including an upland cedar grove and the Great Swamp floodplain. Meet at the Slocum Mostachetti Preserve, 7/10′s miles to the west of the traffic light at the intersection of Route 22 and Pleasant Ridge Road in Wingdale. Click here for more information.

Saturday, May 14

Carmina Burana

8PM at Brewster High School. The Putnam Chorale performs CARMINA BURANA – One Performance Only – with full orchestra and accompanied by the Brewster High School Chamber Singers and the Seven Star Dancers, on MAY 14, 2011 8 pm at the Brewster High School Performing Arts Center, 50 Foggintown Road, Brewster, NY. Get more information at our web site (www.putnamchorale.org) or by calling 845-279-7265.

A collection of historic medieval songs and poems was discovered in the year 1803 at an abandoned monastery in Bavaria. This collection was found to be satirical works that had been performed by traveling goliards, disaffected clergy and clerical students, who used the works to lighten the burden of everyday life and to poke fun at the authorities of the day. In a way, the Saturday Night Live of its time!

The works make fun of church excesses and follies and mock the changing morals of the times. There are love songs and songs for drinking and gambling that celebrate Epicurus, the ancient Greek Philosopher and advocate of the blissful life. The stories are provocative and often disrespectful, but offer a common man perspective and a chance at some frivolity.

Sunday, May 15

Riverkeeper’s Annual Shad Fest

For over 20 years, Riverkeeper’s Shad Fest has been a celebration of the vast numbers of American shad that returned each year to the Hudson River to spawn. The shad run has been a welcome sign of spring, rebirth and renewal for thousands of years, since the Lenape Indians populated the Hudson’s shores. Sadly, the shad population has declined in recent years to dangerously low levels and the focus of this year’s event is on saving the American Shad and other Hudson River signature fish which are similarly at risk. Shad Fest started off as a backyard barbeque held at Bobby Kennedy Jr.’s house, and has grown every year. To be held at Boscobel House and Gardens, Route 9D in Cold Spring. Click here for more information and tickets.

Garnet Rodgers with Shawn Taylor at the Towne Crier

7:30PM – Garnet Rogers has established himself as “One of the major talents of our time.” Hailed by the Boston Globe as a “charismatic performer and singer,” Garnet is a man with a powerful physical presence –close to six and a half feet tall– with a voice to match. With his “smooth, dark baritone” (Washington Post) his incredible range, and thoughtful, dramatic phrasing, Garnet is widely considered by fans and critics alike to be one of the finest singers anywhere. His music –like the man himself– is literate, passionate, highly sensitive, and deeply purposeful. Cinematic in detail, his songs “give expression to the unspoken vocabulary of the heart” (Kitchener Waterloo Record). An optimist at heart, Garnet sings extraordinary songs about people who are not obvious heroes and of the small victories of the everyday. As memorable as his songs, his over-the-top humour and lightning-quick wit moves his audience from tears to laughter and back again. $17.50 advance/ $22.50 door. Click here for more information.

June

Saturday, June 18

Clearwater Revival

Croton Point Park – Pete Seeger star Drive-By Truckers star Martin Sexton star Indigo Girls, Arlo Guthrie star Josh Ritter star Jorma Kaukonen star Peter Yarrow, John Sebastian star Janis Ian star The Low Anthem, Red Horse (Lucy Kaplansky, John Gorka & Eliza Gilkyson) star The Klezmatics, Toubab Krewe star Justin Townes Earle star Chris, Smither star Joanne Shenandoah, Tom Chapin star Bernice Johnson Reagon star Dan Zanes & Elizabeth Mitchell, James McMurtry | Jay Ungar & Molly Mason | Jeffrey Broussard & The Creole Cowboys, Tao Seeger Band | Toshi Reagon & Big Lovely | Mike & Ruthy | Sarah Lee & Johnny, Bethany & Rufus’ Roots Quartet | Clayfoot Strutters | Zlatne Uste | Joe Purdy, The Nields | The Kennedys | Jen Chapin | K.J. Denhert | Zon del Barrio, Vanaver Caravan| Buskin & Batteau | Dave Douglas & Brass Ecstasy, Brooklyn Qawwali Party | Joe D’urso | Joel Plaskett, Arm-of-the-Sea Theater star The Power of Song star The Rivertown Kids, Mustard’s Retreat star Magpie star Roger the Jester star Dog on Fleas, Walkabout Clearwater Chorus star Paul Richmond star The Storycrafters, Rick Nestler star Donna Nestler star Travis Jeffrey star Margo Thunderbird, Marva Clark star Linda Richards star Eshu Bumpus star Dan Einbender, Dirty Stay Out Skifflers star Geoff Kaufman star Sarah Underhill star Peninnah Schram, Kay Olan/Ionataiewas star Mel & Vinnie star Karen Pillsworth star Gregorio Pedroza , Allan Aunapu star Jan Christensen star The New York Packet star Matt Turk star Hope Machine

July

July 21 – 24

Gathering of the Vibes

Seaside Park, Bridgeport, CT – Gathering of the Vibes, the Northeast’s acclaimed music festival destination, will “bring the magic” once again with a 4-day extravaganza of eclectic music, arts and community, July 21-24, 2011 at Connecticut’s magnificent Seaside Park. The rumor mill is swirling with artist announcements around the corner. Gathering of the Vibes promises its most spectacular and diverse lineup to date, delivering over 40 hours of music on multiple stages. Powerhouse Vibes alumni include: The Allman Brothers, Crosby Stills & Nash, Furthur with Phil Lesh & Bob Weir, James Brown, The Black Crowes, and Damian Marley and Nas, alongside breakout acts like Umphrey’s McGee, Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings, Jackie Greene, and tri-state favorites The McLovins. The Vibes also warmly embraces new, virtually unknown artists, who may submit music for consideration through sonic bids.

Friday May 20	Saturday May 21	Sunday May 22	Monday May 23	Tuesday May 24	Wednesday May 25

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