“The world’s favorite season is the spring. All things seem possible in May.”
~ Edwin Way Teale
Kids’ Almanac Writes
Kids’ Almanac thanks Alice Hawkins for supplying writing prompts for the month of May! Here are her prompts for this week. Remember to post your piece on the Almanac Weekly Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Almanac-Weekly/287633831270607
Prompts:
– There is still one wrinkle…
– If you had one minute left on Earth to write, what would you write?
– If you won this hat box, what would you do with it ?
Bio: Alice Hawkins lives in Gardiner with her husband, son, beagle, two cats, fish and a lizard. She has liked to write since winning a hatbox for her essay in the third grade.
Submit your film now for Reel Expressions film festival
Calling all teen filmmakers, it’s time to submit your work for the Children’s Media Project’s second annual Reel Expressions film festival. The deadline for submissions is May 30 for the September 27 festival which will take place at the Bardavon in Poughkeepsie. Submissions should not exceed ten minutes in length and should fall under one of the following categories: narrative; animation experimental; music video; PSA; and documentary. Entries may be sent through the mail or online. The Reel Expressions film festival will be judged by a panel of celebrity and youth judges, and the winner will receive a $500 cash prize. For more information, call (845) 485-4480 or email info@childrensmediaproject.org. To learn more about the organization, visit https://childrensmediaproject.org.
May 1
Healthy Relationship Workshop for Teens and Tweens in Tivoli
My deep appreciation goes out to the Tivoli Library for offering the Healthy Relationship Workshop for Teens and Tweens, and I hope all of our area libraries will follow suit. What a valuable offering for our young people! I desperately wish this information weren’t necessary to share, but with one out of three teens in abusive relationships, we’ve got to take action and help this next generation learn the differences between healthy conflict and abuse.
Topics include: noticing warning signs in your relationships as well as those of your friends; different types of abuse other than hitting, such as jealousy, controlling who you talk to, what you wear, where you go, making you feel bad about yourself; and more. Plus, free pizza will be provided for all participants! The Healthy Relationship Workshop takes place on Thursday, May 1 at 5:30 p.m. at the Tivoli Library. This program is free and open to all teens in sixth grade and up. Tivoli Library is located at 86 Broadway in Tivoli. For more information, call (845) 757-3771 or visit https://www.tivolilibrary.org.
May 2
Planet hunter Jennifer Yee visits Oakwood
Have you gotten caught up in the Cosmos craze? Or perhaps attending an astronomy night at SUNY-New Paltz has piqued your interest in celestial objects? On Friday, May 2 at 10:30 a.m., head over to Oakwood Friends School’s Main Building’s Meeting Room for a lecture presented by former New Paltz resident and Oakwood alumna ’03 Dr. Jennifer Yee. Yee is 29 years old and she has helped discover 15 planets. Her illustrated presentation is called “Extra-ordinary Extra-solar Planets” and she hinted that it will also include fruits and dry goods to visually demonstrate the scale of the universe. This lecture is free and open to the public. Oakwood Friends School is located at 22 Spackenkill Road in Poughkeepsie. For more information, call (845) 462-4200 extension 224 or visit https://www.oakwoodfriends.org.
New nighttime light show at Van Cortlandt Manor
I’m looking forward to checking out Van Cortlandt Manor’s new outdoor display, Lightscapes. This nighttime exhibit of sculpture, sound, light and special effects is shown for eleven evenings through the month of May and is suitable for all ages. I will report back! Let me know what you think about it, too!
Tickets purchased online are $16 for adults, $12 for children 3 to 17 years; and prices are $2 more at the door (if available) and phone orders have a $2 surcharge per ticket. Free for children under 3 and for members. Van Cortlandt Manor is located at 525 South Riverside in Croton-on-Hudson. For tickets or more information, call (914) 366-6900 or visit https://www.hudsonvalley.org.
May 3
“Give a man a fish and feed him for a day. Don’t teach a man to fish…and feed yourself. He’s a grown man. And fishing’s not that hard.” ~Ron Swanson, Parks and Recreation television show
Help out at a park near you this Saturday
Saturday, May 3rd is the statewide celebration of I Love My Park Day and the Hudson Valley has 19 state parks, as well as parks in Kingston and Cairo, for you to volunteer (on your own or with a group) to help clean up, improve and beautify. Register for the day or just a few hours. Each park has its own projects and some have age-based considerations. For example, Staatsburgh State Historic Site (also known as Mills Mansion) is working on garden path restoration, deer fence disassembly and cobblestone gutter cleanout, which classifies as a Leave No Trace volunteer project for Scout troops. Registered volunteers at Staatsburgh and many of the other state parks will receive free t-shirts and snacks. For more information or to register, visit https://www.ptny.org.
Walk your dog this Saturday for the Elting Library
Some of you have seen those adorable dog signs around publicizing this Saturday’s second annual Walkin’ the Dog fundraiser for Elting Memorial Library. The 1.3-mile route is a lovely stroll, taking participants down Huguenot Street and the Wallkill Valley Rail Trail in downtown New Paltz. Registration is $15 per canine, but fees are waived for all registrants who raise at least $35 in sponsorships and contributions. Walkin’ the Dog takes place on Saturday, May 3. Registration begins at 8:30 a.m. and closes at 9:30 a.m. and is located in the parking lot of the Gilded Otter restaurant. All dogs will receive a Walkin’ the Dog bandana and a doggy goodie bag. For more information, call (845) 255-5030, email eltingdogwalk@gmail.com, or visit https://www.eltinglibrary.org.
Local residents get in free at Opus 40 this Saturday
Here’s your big chance to check out Opus 40 if you haven’t done so already, or if it has been a while since you last visited. Opus 40 Community Day will be held on Saturday, May 3 from 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., and admission is free for local residents. In addition to viewing artist Harvey Fite’s world-acclaimed 6 ½ acre bluestone sculpture, a 37-year labor of love, the day’s activities include face-painting, a marshmallow roast, fish-feeding, henna, a mime, juggling, guest speakers and a food truck.
Opus 40 is located at 50 Fite Road in Saugerties. For more information, or to volunteer at Community Day, call (845) 246-3400 or visit https://opus40.org.
Join the family! 
