Hudson River Maritime Museum’s Solaris and Apollonia partner on educational voyage
After a successful “RiverWise: North River Voyage” completed in June, 2020, the Hudson River Maritime Museum, in partnership with the schooner Apollonia, has announced the continuation of its educational initiative to bring the Hudson River to the general public through virtual programs. “RiverWise: South Hudson Voyage,” brings carbon-neutral vessels Solaris and Apollonia together for a fleet sail from Kingston to New York City in mid-August, 2020. The vessels leave the museum docks on Thursday, August 13 and will be gone for approximately 12 days.
The South Hudson Voyage is part of a broader effort the museum calls “RiverWise.” During the voyage museum staff and crew will collect film footage, conduct interviews and produce short films, photos and social media content to teach the general public about the Hudson River and allow them to experience it in real-time, as the crew does, from the comfort of their own homes.
After the voyage, museum staff will process the hundreds of hours of film footage collected on both voyages and begin to create short documentary films about the Hudson River and its history, with emphasis on the four themes highlighted this year — lighthouses, shipbuilding, towing and sail freight.
Members of the public can follow along via www.hudsonriverwise.org – tracking the boats themselves, reading the daily captains’ log and learning more about the history and maritime heritage of the Hudson River through interactive maps, educational videos, documentary films and more. Livestreamed footage from each boat will also be available on the museum’s Facebook page www.facebook.com/hudsonrivermaritimemuseum.
All public programs will be done virtually. If you would like to support the South Hudson Voyage and the museum’s documentary films, visit www.hudsonriverwise.org/support for more information on sponsorship and donation opportunities.
Highland High School welcomes new assistant principal
Highland High School (HHS) has welcomed a new assistant principal: Kevin Murphy. He is replacing Ryan Judge, who accepted a position as the principal of Highland Middle School.
Murphy, a Poughkeepsie resident, brings more than 20 years of experience to his new role. He previously served as an assistant principal of both Poughkeepsie Middle School and Dover High School. He began his career in education as an elementary school teacher, before becoming a music teacher, as well as a band and choral director, in several New York City and Highland Falls schools. He has taught every grade level, K-12.
Murphy, who assumed his new position on July 8, said he was drawn to Highland’s reputation for being a community-based school. “There is clearly a strong partnership that exists between the school and its families, as well as between the district and the community as a whole, which was very appealing to me,” he said.
With that level of support, Murphy is confident that Highland can move forward to successfully meet the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The current health crisis has changed our approach when it comes to educating our children,” he said. “Our job is going to be to restore a sense of normalcy and re-acclimate students and their families to school this September, whether it be via in-person or remote learning.”
Murphy said that assisting students, faculty and staff with their needs this fall will be a top priority. “We as an administrative team will be looking at ways we can effectively guide our students, staff and parents through this challenging time,” he said.
Murphy said his diverse background in music, the arts and athletics provides him with a clear perspective when it comes to helping students prepare for life after high school. He is a Hunter College graduate and also served in the United States Marine Corps.
“I would say I am a firm disciplinarian, yet fair,” he said. “I take discipline very seriously and believe in creating a safe environment for students and staff. At the same time, as a parent, I have empathy and understanding as to what students’ and families’ needs are and how they may differ.”
Murphy said he has already had the chance to meet some Highland families.
“From the beginning, everyone I met or spoke to has greeted me with open arms and has told me what a wonderful school and community Highland is,” he said. “I already feel like part of a family. I feel like I’m home.”
An evening with Grace Potter
Radio Woodstock (100.1 WDST) will present an evening with Grace Potter on Thursday, August 13 at the Hi-Way Drive-in Theatre in Coxsackie. The live concert performance will also be broadcast on the drive-in’s big screen with sound experience via the drive-in’s FM signal.
Ticket prices per vehicle: general admission vehicle, $180 (up to four people per vehicle) and reserved VIP front/second row/third row vehicle, $280 (up to four people per vehicle). Gates will open at 6:30 p.m. for socially distanced tailgating, music will begin at 9 p.m. The Hi-Way Drive-In Theater is located at 10699 State Route 9W in Coxsackie.
90 Miles disco cabaret
90 Miles Theatre Company will present a 70s disco cabaret featuring the music of Cher, Donna Summers, Olivia Newton John, ABBA and more on Saturday, August 15 at 2, 5 and 8 p.m. at Boughton Place at 150 Kisor Road in Highland.
Audiences are required to wear a masks. Seating is limited to 25 seats per performance, and seats will be spaced six feet apart. All tickets are $20 and must be purchased prior to the performance online at our.show/discodiva.
Abandoned Hard Cider will open a tasting room in Woodstock on August 7
Abandoned Hard Cider will open an outpost in Woodstock on August 7 at 1801 Route 28 next door to Santa Fe Restaurant. Abandoned Hard Cider is known for dry ciders made with apples from wild, abandoned and family orchards in the Catskills and Hudson Valley. Since selling their first bottle in 2018, this two-man micro-cidery has gained a fan base across New York State, as well as California, Nevada, Washington DC, Virginia and Maryland. “It’s been so rewarding to see people across the country enjoy our ciders! But we’ve always wanted a tasting room where we can connect directly with our local fans,” says Martin Bernstein, co-founder.
The new tasting room will feature an indoor retail shop where customers can taste all the ciders on offer, fill growlers and pick from a large variety of canned and bottled ciders and other beverages to take home.
Features will include:
• A wide range of ciders on tap, as well as local beers and kombucha
• Large selection of canned and bottled alcoholic beverages made by other NYS craft breweries, cideries, distilleries and meaderies
• Snacks
• Limited outdoor seating (starting in the fall)
• Backyard apple drop-off station
“Once Covid is fully under control and indoor serving is safe and permissible by law, we’ll offer fun stuff like game nights, trivia nights and TV season-finale gatherings,” says Eric Childs, co-founder and Woodstock resident. “Until then, the Outpost will serve as a space for people to chat with us, the makers and learn about our ciders and the processes we employ to craft them.”
For more cider information, news and more, visit www.abandonedcider.com.
Teen trip to Nepal
The Maya Gold Foundation has announced its fourth trip to Nepal for Hudson Valley teens, Heart of Gold Adventures. In March and April of 2021, local teens will have the opportunity to join Foundation team leaders and co-founders Elise Gold and Mathew Swerdloff for a two-week trip to Nepal.
The trip will take place from March 27 to April 10; the cost is $3750 per person, including airfare, lodging, food, ground transportation, excursions, guide fees, and visa fees. Financial assistance is available pending eligibility; teens are encouraged to apply to join the trip regardless of ability to pay. All teens selected will have support for fundraising for the trip.
Teen participants will also have the option to enroll in a three-credit undergraduate course offered through the University of California at San Diego Extension.
Visit the Maya Gold Foundation website to learn more.
ShopRite vets’ fundraising
ShopRite has announced its 12th annual Veterans Fundraising Campaign, held at 35 stores throughout New York and New Jersey, will run through Saturday, August 15. Donations will be collected at checkout at ShopRite stores throughout the Hudson Valley, with all proceeds benefitting local veterans organizations.
“We’re proud to hold our veterans fundraising campaign for a 12th year to benefit our local heroes,” said Tom Urtz, vice president of operations, ShopRite Supermarkets, Inc. “With the ongoing support of our generous ShopRite associates and customers, we can continue to help countless veterans and their families within the communities we serve, and for that we’re extremely grateful.”
In 2019, ShopRite raised $910,000 to benefit local veterans organizations. More than $5.9 million has been raised since the campaign’s 2009 inception.
Poughkeepsie Galleria reopens
The Poughkeepsie Galleria returned to normal hours of operation on August 3. New operating hours will be Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Some stores and venues, including restaurants, may have different operating hours. The Poughkeepsie Galleria continues to enforce sanitizing policies and procedures, along with healthy shopper guidelines with CDC recommendations that everyone must follow prior to entering the property.
Visit www.poughkeepsiegalleriamall.com for information.
Community mural project gets underway this month at the Reher Center in Kingston
During a four-day residency at the Reher Center in July 2019, participants in the Rondout Neigborhood Center’s read-and-write program crafted a proposal to create a collaborative community mural. This August, program participants will meet safely outdoors with the Reher Center and visiting artist Julia Vogl to design and spray paint a colorful 16-foot-by-16-foot mural entitled “Our Neighborhood Rolls” on the Reher Center’s Spring Street wall. The mural will present a data visualization that communicates the history and culture of the Rondout neighborhood using data collected from neighborhood residents.
Students participating in the workshops will learn the history of the Rondout while exploring Vogl’s method of data visualization. Through interviewing each other and playful art activities, students will articulate questions to help each other communicate shared cultures and values.
Though we are disappointed to have to postpone opening of our new exhibit, we are proud of the creative ways we have been able to engage our community in this time of social distancing,” says Reher Center director Dr. Sarah Litvin. “In addition to Our Neighborhood Rolls, we also welcome the public to share their culture with us by participating in the Cultural Quilt of the Hudson Valley and exploring the Kingston Multicultural Festival website, KingstonMulticulturalFestival.org. This fall, we will build on the success of our spring virtual field trip programs by offering new, asynchronous lessons for area educators.”
Berry bonanza at Sam’s Point
In summer, wild blueberries and huckleberries can be found growing along almost every trail at Sam’s Point, providing a tasty snack for both wildlife and hikers alike. Can you identify these two berries? Stop by the picnic area at Sam’s Point on Saturday, August 8 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. to learn the differences between these two berries and also to make your own berry holder to take on your hike. Join a guide for a short walk to see the remnants of berry picker shacks and learn about the culture that once thrived there. The 27-minute long documentary, The Huckleberry Pickers: A Vanished Shawangunk Culture, will be shown in the Visitor Center throughout the day. All children must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian over the age of 18. Pre-registration is NOT required.
For more information, call the park preserve office at (845) 255-0752.
Woodstock fireworks cancelled
Woodstock’s volunteer fire department has cancelled its 26th annual fireworks display and its Woodstock Appreciates its Volunteers Day scheduled for Saturday, August 15. f you would like to donate to the firefighters, visit www.woodstockfiredept.org or call Judy Peters 679-9955.
Next year’s celebration is planned for Saturday, August 21, 2021.
Gardiner Library virtual menu
The Gardiner Library will host a virtual teddy bear tea party via Zoom on Friday, August 7 at 11 a.m. Children up to seven years old are invited to gather their teddy bears, favorite drinks, treats and dress up for this virtual event. Miss Amy will lead the fun with teddy bear stories, songs and a simple craft with stuffed animal friends. E-mail Amy at alaber@rcls.org to register and receive the Zoom link.
Teens continue to meet virtually via Zoom on Sunday, August 9 at 1:30 p.m. Middle and high school students who enjoy writing poetry, short stories and graphic novels are invited to join. Submit work through email and fellow authors will share critiques, suggestions and compliments. Once there is enough material and a solid team has formed, the magazine will be formatted and published on the library website. For those interested in joining or for more information including the Zoom link to access the meeting, contact Carolyn Thorenz at cthorenz@rcls.org.
The Gardiner Library has announced a virtual summer children’s program from Page Turner Adventures premiering on August 10 entitled “Imagine Your Underwater Story.”
For details on summer programming at Gardiner Library, visit the Kids/Teens page at GardinerLibrary.org or the Gardiner Library Facebook page.
New director of pupil personnel and special education services in New Paltz
Dr. Janety Encarnación has been named as the New Paltz school district’s new director of pupil personnel and special education. She is replacing Connie Hayes, who retired after eight years in the position.
As director, Encarnación will oversee services for both occupational therapy and special education, including students c lassified under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), students receiving accommodations under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, students that are entitled to home instruction, homeless students, as well as central registration responsibilities.
Encarnación has been in the field of education for 28 years, supporting urban and suburban school district initiatives in special education, bilingual special education, English as a New Language (ENL)/Bilingual Education, literacy, trauma informed practices, restorative practices and promoting culturally responsive schools.
Dr. Encarnación said that two of the many things which attracted her to the New Paltz district were its commitment to the community and its ongoing social justice and equity work. “My belief is that schools serve as change agents for the community and that communication and collaboration are key to developing strong communities aligned with the work the district continues to engage in,” she said.
Saugerties Library budget
The board of trustees of the Saugerties Public Library will hold a public hearing on the proposed 2021 budget at the regularly scheduled board meeting on Thursday, August 13 at 6 p.m. The meeting will be held at the library on Washington Avenue.
Copies of the proposed budget are available at the library and may be picked up any time the library is open, or you can find it on their website under “about us.”
Elections and the budget vote will be held at the library on Tuesday, September 15 from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Absentee ballots will be available after August 31.
For information, call the library at 246-4317.
Woodstock Library reopens
Beginning August 3, the Woodstock Library will be opening its doors to a limited occupancy to browse the collections, checkout materials or use the public computers. This service will be available on Mondays from 1 to 5:30 p.m., Tuesdays from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Wednesdays from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Thursdays from 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Fridays from 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Masks are mandatory for adults and children ages two and above for entry into the library.
Pick-up requests are still available by calling 679-2213 or email circ@woodstockorg.
This year, The Friends of the Woodstock Library made the decision to cancel all of its remaining 2020 book-barn public sales due to Covid 19. If you are interested in shopping the barn privately, call the Woodstock Library to leave your name and phone number (or email), and you will be contacted when your turn arrives.
The Friends want to invite individuals and families from Woodstock to shop the book barn’s existing merchandise privately. Only one individual or family will be permitted to ‘shop the barn’ per day, with a Friends volunteer on hand to answer questions and calculate and collect payment. Masks must be worn at all times by all shoppers and volunteers in the barn.
The library will not be accepting donations of books, CDs, DVDs or LPs at this time.
Celebrate National Farmers’ Market Week
Since 1999, the first full week of August has been designated as National Farmers’ Market Week — a time to celebrate farmers’ markets and their contributions to society. It’s the height of the season for fresh produce such as corn, tomatoes and peaches.
On Saturday, August 8 local farmers will offer an abundance of fresh fruits and vegetables, cheeses, eggs and pasture-raised meat at the Saugerties Farmers Market, located at 115 Main Street. In addition to fresh produce, the market offers prepared foods made by local artisanal vendors — baked goods, vegan lunches, roasted coffee beans, maple syrup, pesto and more.
Social distancing and masking rules are in effect, but the café tables have reopened.
Information about how to pre-order from vendors can be found at the market’s website, www.saugertiesfarmersmarket.com.
The market is open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays through October 31.
Lenape Lane bridge replacement project underway in New Paltz
The Mohonk Preserve is replacing the deteriorating, century-old Lenape Lane bridge across Butterville Road, a connection joining the historic Testimonial Gateway with farmland properties and providing recreational access to the surrounding Shawangunk Ridge. On July 27, a mowed-grass trail was created to provide alternate access across Butterville Road during construction.
The bridge was closed the next day and the decking removed. The next steps will involve replacement of the bridge abutments and fabrication of the bridge truss, followed by installation of the completed truss. As specified by the town government, wooden posts with reflectors will be placed to maintain the current width and height restrictions on Butterville Road.
This project was supported by a state grant from the Environmental Protection Fund and donations from Preserve supporters. The Preserve anticipates that the bridge project will be completed in late November or early December.
The Maya Gold Foundation is selected as a tMHFA site
The Maya Gold Foundation has announced its selection as a tMHFA site. Teen Mental Health First Aid, or tMHFA, is an evidence-based training program for students in grades 10-12 that teaches the skills to recognize and aid their peers experiencing mental health and substance abuse challenges and crises, including how to quickly get the help of an adult. The tMHFA program is designed to help teens help each other navigate the difficult waters of adolescence.
The Foundation is the only site in Hudson Valley and Catskill to offer this program.
According to Mental Health First Aid USA, the program sponsor, “After the course, teens will be able to recognize early warning signs that a friend is developing a mental health or substance use challenge, describe how to talk to a friend about mental health and seeking help, explain when and how to get a responsible adult involved and apply the tMHFA Action Plan to help a friend with a mental health or substance use challenge or crisis.”
Elise Gold, Mathew Swerdloff and Jesse Sarubbi of The Maya Gold Foundation will lead the tMHFA training program for Hudson Valley teens. Elise and Mathew are co-founders of the Maya Gold Foundation and parents of Maya Gold, who took her life in 2015 while in grade ten at New Paltz High School. Sarubbi is a masters level social worker and a board member of the Maya Gold Foundation. “I am so pleased to be a part of bringing the many benefits of the teen Mental Health First Aid program to area schools,” said Sarubbi. “In our current mental health system, it often falls upon those experiencing mental health crises to seek out and ask for their own help. This is a heavy burden. This training empowers teens, and adults in unique positions to help, to recognize and act when other youth are in a mental health or substance use crisis. In addition, this program provides valuable information and resources to help teens bolster their own wellbeing, while also supporting their peers.”
The Maya Gold Foundation plans to offer tMHFA training for teens beginning in the fall of 2020. The training sessions will be held in the Hudson Valley and Catskills with dates and modality of instruction to be determined.
The Foundation is grateful to the support of an anonymous donor, who has underwritten the training fees for this program.
For more information, go to www.mayagoldfoundation.org.
Mural dedication in Saugerties on August 7
A dedication and celebration of “Tranquility Trail,” the new mural created by Angela Gaffney-Smith Smith and other local artists at Esopus Beach Park in Saugerties, will take place on Friday August 7 from 5 to 7 p.m.
The event will feature live music, mask painting, games and more. Bring a picnic and join in, a Shout Out Saugerties announcement states.
The mural is an initiative of Shout Out Saugerties, in cooperation with Smith’s Hardware. For more information about this and other summer events sponsored by Shout Out Saugerties, visit https://www.shoutoutsaugerties.org/
Hike the Jenny Lane loop and the Mossy Glen Footpath at Minnewaska
Join Sarah LaLumiere, SCA/AmeriCorps Member for a hike along the Jenny Lane section of the Shawangunk Ridge Trail and the Blueberry Run Footpaths on Saturday, August 8 from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. This route brings hikers to the verdant Mossy Glen Footpath, which follows along the edge of the Peter’s Kill stream. This loop hike will finish up with a one-mile hike on the Wawarsing Turnpike Footpath, a section of the toll road built in the 1850s that crossed the Shawangunk Ridge.
Due to COVID protocols, the total number of participants for this program is limited to nine individuals. All participants must wear face coverings or keep a minimum six-foot distance away from others who are not part of your immediate household. This outing meets at the Awosting parking area information kiosk. Pre-registration is required by calling Minnewaska at (845) 255-0752.
On Sunday, August 9 from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. hike through the Cool Forest on the Mossy Glen Footpath at Minnewaska with Laura Conner, environmental educator, for this approximately four-mile hike along the Peter’s Kill stream, through mixed forests and across exposed, quartz conglomerate rock. The first part of this hike will take participants on the easy-to-walk Lower Awosting Carriage Road. The return trip will follow along the full length of the Mossy Glen Footpath, which is just under two miles. The footpath may include challenging conditions for some, including slippery rocks and tree roots.
Due to COVID protocols, the total number of participants for this program is limited to ten individuals. All participants must wear face coverings or keep a minimum six foot distance away from others who are not part of your immediate household. Meet in the Awosting parking area information kiosk.
Join the family! 
