Make it a stupendous spring break
No one does spring break like the Hudson Valley. Here are some terrific day camps for active fun during vacation:
Ashokan Center, 477 Beaverkill Road in Olivebridge, (845) 657-8333, https://ashokancenter.org.
FDR/Vanderbilt/Mills Mansion/Val-Kill Historic Sites, 4097 Albany Post Road in Hyde Park, (845) 229-9115, extension 2010, www.nps.gov/vama.
Frost Valley YMCA, 2000 Frost Valley Road in Claryville, (845) 985-2291, https://frostvalley.org.
Hudson Highlands Nature Museum Outdoor Discovery Center, on Muser Drive across from 174 Angola Road, (845) 534-5506, www.hhnaturemuseum.org.
Hudson Valley Community Center (spring break swim lessons), 110 South Grand Avenue in Poughkeepsie, (845) 471-0430, www.hvcommunitycenter.com.
The Little Gym, 1200 Ulster Avenue in Kingston, (845) 382-1020, www.thelittlegym.com/kingstonny.
Mid-Hudson Children’s Museum, 75 North Water Street in Poughkeepsie, (845) 471-0859, www.mhcm.org.
Scenic Hudson, (845) 473-4440, https://scenichudson.org.
Wild Earth, (845) 256-9830, https://wildearth.org.
National Library Week events in Highland & Poughkeepsie
National Library Week takes place from April 13 through 19 with the theme “Lives Change @ Your Library.” This week is a chance to say an extra Thank You to the folks at your local library, and to check out any special programming happening in celebration of National Library Week. For more information about National Library Week, visit www.ala.org. Here are a few highlights that I want to pass along to you:
The Highland Public Library hosts different authors this week, including: storytime with Jodi Lobdell Bulson, author of The Toddler Room, on Wednesday, April 16 at 11 a.m.; Laurence Carr, editor of A Slant of Light: Contemporary Women Writers of the Hudson Valley, and Gary Allen, a prolific food writer, on Wednesday, April 16 at 7 p.m.; and on Thursday, April 17 at 7 p.m., Tammy Rosenfeld reads from her book Sarcasmic: Confessions of an Overthinker; and Jennifer L. Place provides an overview of the writing path, including how she got into writing, the process of trying to get published and more.
The Highland Public Library is located at 30 Church Street in Highland. For more information about these books for reading or discussion, visit www.highlandlibrary.org.
The Adriance Memorial Library invites families to enjoy a fun read-aloud of Froggy character books by Jonathan London and to meet Froggy himself! The Froggy event takes place on Wednesday, April 16 at 6:30 p.m. and is free and open to the public.
The Adriance Memorial Library is located at 93 Market Street in Poughkeepsie. For more information, call (845) 485-3445, extension 3381, or visit https://poklib.org. To learn more about the Froggy books, visit www.jonathan-london.net.
Junior Leave-a-Legacy Gala King & Queen
Youth Mission Outreach invites your nominations of local youth between 8 and 18 years who change lives, to be considered for King and Queen at this month’s Junior Leave-a-Legacy Gala. Nominations are due by Friday, April 11, and applications should include: a two-page essay on “How I Will Leave a Legacy”; two letters of recommendation; a list of community service/experience; and proof of an 80 or higher grade point average. The ten finalists will be announced on April 14.
RSVPs to attend the Gala are due by April 18. The Gala takes place on Friday, April 25 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., and the cost is $40 per person. The Gala is hosted by Coppola’s Restaurant, located at 4167 Albany Post Road in Hyde Park.
Youth Mission Outreach is a not-for-profit, nondenominational ministry based in Poughkeepsie providing services to youth, families and individuals with developmental disabilities. For more information or to reserve, call (845) 473-5449 or visit https://youthmissionoutreach.org.
Day of Silence-ending party at LGBTQ Center in Kingston
Calling all LGBTQ and ally youth from 14 to 18 years: It’s time to dance! On Friday, April 11 from 7 to 10 p.m., celebrate the end of the Day of Silence: a day in which students in schools across the US take a vow of silence to raise awareness about the silencing effect of LGBTQ-targeted bullying and harassment in schools. Attendees require student ID to participate and will enjoy a live deejay, swing dance lessons, icebreakers and refreshments. The dance takes place at the LGBTQ Center, located at 300 Wall Street in Kingston.
To learn more about the Day of Silence, call (845) 331-5300 or e-mail Ruth at safeschools@lgbtqcenter.org.
Erica Chase-Salerno is thinking about Jane Bolin and invites you to learn about this fascinating Poughkeepsie glass ceiling-shatterer, on the occasion of her birthday. Erica lives in New Paltz with her husband Mike and their two kids: the inspirations behind www.hudsonvalleyparents.com. She can be reached at kidsalmanac@ulsterpublishing.com.
Join the family! 
