Twenty-first annual 5 by 7 Show now online
Woodstock Byrdcliffe Guild’s 21st annual 5 by 7 Show fundraiser will debut online this year. For the first time all artwork will be available for purchase through the website woodstockguild.org/5by7.
The show is open to everyone and all submissions are accepted and displayed. Works are exhibited anonymously, giving equal voice to all. This year 5 by 7 Show artworks are sold for $150 each.
The gallery will be open on December 4 from noon to 7 p.m. for visitors to get a sneak peak at this year’s artwork. The website will also be available to preview work starting at noon on December 4. On December 5 starting at 11 a.m., 5 by 7 Show artwork will be available online and in person in the gallery, with only ten visitors allowed at a time in the gallery due to Covid-19 social distancing regulations.
For information, contact exhibitions director Karlyn Benson. The Woodstock Byrdcliffe Guild/Kleinert/James Center for the Arts is at 36 Tinker Street in Woodstock.
Saugerties School District plans virtual capital project informational meeting
The Saugerties Central School District will hold a public vote on its proposed $22 million tax-neutral capital project on Tuesday, December 15 from noon to 9 p.m. at each of the district’s elementary schools. For those residents with questions or who would like to learn more about the project, the district is hosting a Zoom meeting on Tuesday, December 1 at 6 p.m.
The proposed project is designed to upgrade antiquated infrastructure, including many systems that are original to the buildings. Among the items that would be addressed are end-of-life electrical transformers and auditorium seating at the junior/senior high school from 1958; sewer pumps; roofing at Cahill Elementary School that is more than 30 years old; and original folding gymnasium partitions in many of the buildings that no longer operate properly, to name a few. A comprehensive list of the proposed work can be found on the District’s website at www.saugerties.k12.ny.us.
Aye, there’s the rub
Three Amazon sellers will refund costumers who were charged exorbitant prices for hand sanitizer earlier this year public. Three sellers will pay the State of New York more than $52,000 in penalties and reimburse consumers almost $23,000 for overcharging for hand sanitizer during the pandemic.
Consumers do not need to do anything to receive restitution. Under the terms of the agreement, the companies are required to automatically issue partial refunds to the credit card, debit card, or bank account that consumers used to make their original purchases. Consumers should see the credit to their account within one or two billing cycles or may have already received a credit. In addition to paying a combined $52,500 in penalties, fees, and costs and $22,943.90 in consumer restitution, the companies have agreed to comply with New York state’s price gouging statute going forward
“Price gouging on necessary consumer supplies during an unprecedented public health emergency is absolutely unconscionable and will not be tolerated,” said Attorney General Letitia James. “Instead of ensuring individuals could protect themselves from the coronavirus, these businesses operated with dirty hands by charging exorbitant prices on hand sanitizer and other cleansing products. My office will continue to clean up this unlawful practice by using all of the tools at our disposal to prevent price gouging during this pandemic.”
Hudson holiday market
Basilica Hudson co-presents with creative studio LikeMindedObjects the first-ever Basilica Farm & Flea Virtual Market, featuring a diverse selection of over 70 Hudson Valley based businesses, in place of its annual in-person Basilica Farm & Flea Holiday Market. Basilica Hudson will host the virtual market on its website to access more than 70 clickable vendors and products for purchase directly from each webshop. Additionally, Basilica Hudson will run a promotional campaign on social media to highlight participating vendors and will also conduct Instagram Live interviews with a diverse range of business owners.
“Missing out on a celebratory in-person ten-year anniversary season has been heartbreaking for Basilica, but it has also been a call to action and transformation,” said Melissa Auf der Maur, Basilica Hudson co-founder and director. “Being a platform for independent voices while fostering sustainable community and economy is central to our mission.”
To help businesses transition to online shopping, and with the support of the City of Hudson, Basilica Farm & Flea Virtual Market hosted an educational webinar and product photography session offered for free to participants. More information on all upcoming programs can be found at basilicahudson.org.
Laundromat sold pot
On November 16, the Kingston Police and state Investigators executed a search warrant at the O’Reilly Street Laundromat regarding the sale of marijuana and untaxed cigarettes. According to police, the search yielded a large amount of marijuana, untaxed cigarettes, processed THC edibles, business records, and over $16,000 in cash.
Joseph Rapp, owner of the laundromat, was taken into custody at the scene and charged with the felony of criminal possession of marijuana in the second degree. The Kingston Building Department posted premises for numerous code violations. The investigation is ongoing.
Kingston sexual charges
Devin Harkins, 29 of 35 Amsterdam Avenue in Kingston, was indicted by an Ulster County grand jury on November 13 on felonies against children. The defendant was arrested on November 4, following an investigation by the Kingston Police with assistance from the Ulster County Family and Child Advocacy Center. The defendant was arraigned in Kingston City Court following his arrest and was released after posting bail.
District Attorney David described the alleged conduct in this case as especially heinous, warranting the grand jury’s consideration of the more serious crimes. The investigation is ongoing,and anyone with information about this case or similar conduct by this defendant is asked to contact the Kingston Police at 331-1671.
Wreaths need volunteers
The Saugerties VFW Post 5034 is sponsoring a fundraiser for the annual Wreaths Across America campaign. The purpose of this fundraiser is to remember the fallen, honor those who serve, and teach children the value of freedom by placing wreaths on the gravesites of those who served in the armed services of this country. “Covid-19 has made some changes necessary for this year, but we are continuing our participation,” said Bob Howe of the Saugerties VFW 5034. “We will not have a bus this year, instead we ask that you drive yourself, family and friends.” Call Howe at 246-8510.
Participants will meet at the Saugerties Senior Center on Saturday, December 19 at 9:45 am. for the noon. placement of wreaths at the Saratoga National Cemetery. There are 13,000 graves in Saratoga National Cemetery.
After placing the wreaths, volunteers will go to the American Legion Hall for a free luncheon.
If you cannot make the trip this year, please consider a donation to this cause. Wreaths are $15 each. Make checks payable to Saugerties VFW Post 5034 and mail to VFW Post 5034, P.O. Box 152, Saugerties, NY 12477-0152.
Scouting for Food Drive
Cub Scout Pack 272 and Scout Troop 172 participated in the annual Scouting for Food Drive this year throughout the town and village of New Paltz on November 14. They collected and distributed more than 10,500 food items. Donations were collected and received from the New Paltz community in addition to a very large donation of food from RYCOR. The food donations were sorted and delivered to the St. Joseph’s Church food pantry, Family of New Paltz food pantry, SUNY New Paltz food pantry and two additional food pantries in Highland by Troop 70.
“The food drive will benefit many of those in need throughout our local community,” said Christopher A. Nadareski, assistant scoutmaster for Pack 172. “Members of Scout Troop 172 and Pack 272 of New Paltz and the food pantry recipients sincerely thank the New Paltz community and the RYCOR company for their overwhelming generosity.”
Ready for New Paltz snow?
Snow may be on the way. The New Paltz Town Highway Department is requesting that residents remove all objects and/or obstacles from road edges and turnarounds. This includes, but is not limited to, basketball hoops/sports equipment, garbage pails, small furniture, storage containers, vehicles and bicycles. Not only could they be damaged from snowplows, they could also cause injury to other residents and/or damage to the snow plows if hit.
If you have questions, call Dawn at the highway department at 255-5050.
Made In Kingston Market
Now in its eighth year, Made In Kingston for 2020 has been reimagined as an online Makers Market, highlighting the array of all things handcrafted, fabricated or manufactured in Kingston. Makers’ photos and contact info are displayed on the Made in Kingston website. Individual artists and businesses will handle sales, shipping and customer service, while Made in Kingston will promote shopping locally to support our creative economy during the holidays and year-round.
The Kingston Farmers’ Market will host a Made in Kingston Pop-Up Artists and Makers Market on two Saturdays — December 5 and 19 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Ulster County Courthouse parking lot.
Kingston artists and makers are encouraged to apply for either the online and/or pop-up markets. All information and applications, as well as sponsorship opportunities, are available now at MadeInKingstonNY.com. For information, contact Karen Berelowitz at 443-3358 or MadeInKingstonNY@gmail.com.
Bank names Paul Slutzky chair
Donald E. Gibson, president and CEO of Greene County Bancorp, Inc., has announced the appointment of Paul Slutzky to serve as chairman of the board. Slutzky joined the bank’s board of directors in 1992. A former co-owner of Hunter Mountain Ski Area and affiliated companies, he is also retired from I. & O. A. Slutzky, Inc., a general construction company. Slutzky has over 40 years of business and leadership skills.
“I am thrilled to have this opportunity, particularly during this challenging time,” said Slutzky. “As one of the last locally owned and operated community banks, we embrace the common goal of reinvigorating the economies of our local communities in the face of the coronavirus pandemic and its economic impact. I am honored by the confidence the board of directors has shown in me.”
Greene County Bancorp, Inc. is the parent company of Bank of Greene County, a locally owned and operated community bank headquartered in Catskill.
Gardiner tree-lighting
Forced to cancel the Gardiner Day festivities that normally take place in early September due to the danger of spreading Covid-19, the Gardiner Day Committee has announced that it will also not be able to host the annual program of holiday activities that typically surround the lighting of the Christmas tree at the town hall. The tree-lighting will still take place, scheduled for 7 p.m. on Friday, December 4, but there will be no holiday parade, group caroling or photo ops with Santa and Mrs. Claus. Collection boxes for local food pantries will be set up at the town hall and elsewhere around downtown Gardiner in December as usual.
Photography Now! Online youth photo exhibition
MyKingstonKids (MKK) “Photography Now” youth exhibit and registration is open for the fourth series. This free program for the youth ages 14 to 18 is hosted by the Ulster County Restorative Justice and Community Empowerment Center and led by photographer and MKK program director, Star Nigro.
The public is invited to support the students that attended Nigro’s third eight-week sessions with an online photography exhibit and purchase of prints on mykingstonkids.com through January 3. The young photographers will receive all purchase proceeds.
Students enrolled in the third series of the beginner and advanced photo session were taught via Zoom working with cell phones and cameras, learning the history of photography, focusing on artistic and technical application of the medium and various creative techniques including special professional guest speakers. A certificate of completion was given to each participant that finished the program.
If you’d like to join MKK’s free Photography Now program led by Nigro, contact Winston Queen, MKK executive director, at 802-3748 /email at wqueen0360@gmail.com or contact Kim Mapes at 802-7966.
Community window painting
The New Paltz Office for Community Wellness has announced that it will be holding a second community window painting project within the Village of New Paltz on Saturday, December 5 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The event will feature windows painted by students, families and individual community members.
How to file a Covid-19 ‘New York on PAUSE’ violation complaint
If you are aware of any non-essential gatherings or any non-essential businesses or entities operating in violation of “New York on PAUSE,” please choose the appropriate complaint below.
Governor Cuomo has announced that the state is increasing the maximum fine for violations of the state’s social distancing protocol from $500 to $1,000 to help address the lack of adherence to social distancing protocols. The governor reminded localities that they have the authority to enforce the protocols.
To file a complaint against your employer or place of work related to Covid-19 regulations: New York State Department of Labor https://labor.ny.gov/…/labo…/coronavirus-complaints.shtm.
To file a complaint about a business, location or incident in your community: https://mylicense.custhelp.com/app/ask. You may also call 1-833-789-0470.
Denizen Theatre announces new Sunday Salon Series hosted by Margi Conklin
The Denizen Theatre will kick off its new Denizen Salon Series on December 6 at noon, 2 and 4 p.m. with New York Times best-selling author Michael Riedel discussing his new book Singular Sensation: The Triumph of Broadway.
Hosted by New Paltz resident and New York Post Sunday Editor Margi Conklin, the Denizen Salon Series aims to bring stimulating conversation to the community with some of publishing’s most esteemed names.
Connecting their work with Denizen’s contemporary moment, the salon series aims to inform and entertain with lively conversations with leading literary names about compelling topics that impact our lives.
Kicking off the series in December, best-selling author Michael Riedel will light up the Denizen with some bespoke Broadway tales. His newest release chronicles Broadway’s ‘90s heyday until 9/11 brought it to a standstill — just as the global pandemic has done today.
Riedel, the longtime theater columnist for the New York Post and co-host of 710 WOR’s Len Berman and Michael Riedel in the Morning, dishes on some of his funniest Broadway tales and answers your most burning questions about Broadway and beyond.
Ada Calhoun is February’s salon guest. Calhoun’s book Why We Can’t Sleep: Women’s New Midlife Crisis, about women grappling with unprecedented demands in midlife, was a cultural phenomenon when it was released in 2019 and is even more prescient in today’s time of crisis.
Complimentary masks and gloves are available to all patrons. Hand sanitizing stations are set up at the entrance. All chairs are socially-distanced and face-coverings are required.
The cost of admission is $20 (admission includes a signed hardcover of Singular Sensation).
Reserve at www.denizentheatre.com as space is limited, with just 15 people allowed per salon. The theatre is located at Water Street Market, 10 Main Street, Suite 501 in New Paltz.
The Maya Gold Foundation offers tMHFA training for youth in grades 10-12 in Woodstock
The Maya Gold Foundation will offer teen Mental Health First Aid (tMHFA) training for teens in grades 10, 11 and 12 in a series of sessions throughout the Hudson Valley. The next training program will be held in Woodstock in December.
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 feedback from the two previous cohorts was very positive. One teen said, “this program has helped me so much in such a short amount of time. Teaching me new ways to cope and new habits and techniques. My friend and I were talking about mental health and addiction and I told her some things I learned at the studies! Like how to properly help a person who is overdosing. I will definitely be registering for the next training!”
Another teen added that the highlight of the program for them was “the intriguing discussions and realization [and] clarity I gained from the program, for myself and others. Trauma, mental health challenges [and] crises and getting help are misunderstood, but I found that it made so much more sense and I realized a lot of new things about my mental health and that of my friends after the program.” The Maya Gold Foundation believes this training is an invaluable resource for teens, especially during these difficult times.
The training is offered at no cost. Teens may register online and must attend all three sessions to be certified. Registration is limited to 14 teens due to Covid-19 protocols in place during the training.
The training will take place on December 2, 9, 16 and 17 (make-up day). Each session will run from 6:30-8:30 p.m. at the Town of Woodstock Community Center located at 55 Rock City Road in Woodstock.
Teens may register online at www.mayagoldfoundation.org/apply. For more information go to www.mayagoldfoundation.org.
Little Sir Echo, how do you do?
Two SUNY New Paltz faculty members in the Department of Music are inviting students, faculty, staff and community members to contribute field recordings for Resonant Echoes, a new work focusing on the integration of sounds from the world around us. Assistant professors Phyllis Chen and Christiana Fortune-Reader say they are developing Resonant Echoes as a way of documenting our life, culture and soundscape during these unusually isolating times.
“People have been recording sounds from their environments for over 100 years, documenting the evolution of our land, wildlife and culture,” says Chen. “Anyone at any age can participate. Just a curiosity and desire to stop in listen to one’s surroundings will do, along with a smartphone with a recording app on it.” Participants are asked to share their recordings by December 21, the arrival of the winter solstice.
This collection of field recordings will then be pieced together as a collage. Chen compares it to the sound version of a quilt, which will serve as a backbone to a larger electro-acoustic work.
“As more of our world around us continues to shift between virtual connections and changing political landscapes, we hope to stay rooted and connected to one another,” said Fortune-Reader. “By resisting the loneliness of staying six feet apart or remaining within our own four walls, we aim to celebrate the beauty of our shared landscape and the people around us.”
Get in touch at newpaltzresonantechoes@gmail.com.
Virtual vendor fair
New Paltz Play School will be hosting a virtual vendor fair on Facebook from Monday, November 30 through Sunday, December 7. All fundraiser proceeds will go towards cleaning supplies and art supplies. For details, please visit the school’s Facebook page or at newpaltzplayschool@gmail.com.
Virtual Medicare talk
The Gardiner Library will host a virtual Medicare 101 talk with Jim Farnham on Wednesday, December 2 from 6 to 8 p.m. Advanced registration is required at https://bit.ly/2YM4xeO. At the registration page, please fill in your first name only. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.
For information, visit www.gardinerlibrary.org or the library’s Facebook page.
Woodstock Library changes
With Covid rates on the rise again in the Hudson Valley, the Woodstock Library has needed to revise its current policy to having just seven patrons at a time inside the building (previously it was ten). Curbside pick-up will continue. The library website www.woodstock.org will have announcements if there are service changes and an email blast from the library will inform patrons directly.
Make music, pursue passions
Onteora High School’s Community Mentor Program offers students in grades 9-12 the opportunity to pursue their interests and passions — and perhaps their “dream” careers — with the guidance of community-based professionals. A passion for music inspired Onteora senior Analie Ingalsbe to participate in a songwriting and performance mentorship last year. She was paired with Donna Lewis, a Bearsville-based recording artist and songwriter.
Although the mentorship officially concluded last May, it is continuing to pay artistic dividends. Ingalsbe’s song “Modern Love,” which she wrote during her mentorship, was a winner in the New York State School Music Association (NYSSMA) All-State 2020 songwriting category. A second song, “Touch,” which Ingalsbe co-wrote with fellow Onteora musician Archie Lewis-Harris, was selected for the finals of the Electronic Music Composition Showcase for NYSMMA’s Cyber Summit, to be held from December 3-5. “Touch” also earned an honorable mention in the first-ever National Association for Music Education (NAfME) Student Songwriters Competition.
For her part, Lewis is thrilled with Ingalsbe’s accomplishments. “I absolutely love it when one of my mentees is chosen for the NYSSMA All-State Composer/Songwriter Honor Concert,” she said. “Last year my mentee Sophia Grinberg was chosen, and now Analie Ingalsbe has been selected. I love our school for having such an amazing mentorship program!”
“Modern Love,” primarily written in her bathroom at home (because of that room’s superior acoustics), not only benefited from Lewis’s creative input, but also from Onteora school board member Kevin Salem’s musical skills. “We went over to his studio, and he recorded a beautiful guitar track for the song!” Ingalsbe said.
Join the family! 
