ARKAI to perform live virtual concert
A live virtual concert by the award-winning string duo ARKAI will be held on Thursday, February 11 at 7 p.m. This unique program will include a selection of ARKAI’s genre-bending original compositions and arrangements that draw on musical influences worldwide. Following the performance, audiences will have the opportunity to engage in a Q&A with the artists.
Ulster County libraries hosting this event include: Olive Free Library, West Hurley Public Library, Woodstock Public Library District, Phoenicia Library, Stone Ridge Library, Kingston Library, Saugerties Public Library, Rosendale Public Library, Elting Memorial Library, Gardiner Library, Wallkill Public Library, Plattekill Public Library, Town of Esopus Library, Town of Ulster Library.
Graduates of The Julliard School, ARKAI’s past engagements have included performances at the MET Breuer, Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, 92nd Street Y, and TED. ARKAI channels the diversity of the world through genre-bending music and sonic exploration. Inspired by a myriad of artistic palettes, ARKAI envisions its music as a vehicle for cultural ambassadorship and understanding through the creative blending of different traditions.
Advance registration is required. Contact your local library for details.
Elting Memorial Library annual meeting and board meeting
The annual association meeting of Elting Memorial Library will take place on Thursday, January 28 at 7 p.m. Presentation of the new library budget, changes to the library’s by-laws and the election of new board members will occur. Any person legally eligible to vote in the Town of New Paltz (including the village), is eligible to take part in the elections.
The regular monthly board meeting will follow the annual meeting.
You can observe the meeting by registering ahead of time for the link, no less than an hour before the meeting. Please send a request to: paule1942@gmail.com.
Candidates sought for Gardiner offices
The Gardiner Democratic Committee (GDC) is looking for Gardiner residents interested in running for town offices this coming November and being endorsed by the GDC. The positions on the ballot include county legislator (UC District 16), town supervisor, town board member (two positions), town clerk, highways and roads superintendent and town court justice.
Residents interested should send an email to chair@gardinerdemocrats.com expressing interest and, briefly, their reasons for possibly seeking office. A resume is also requested if available. Questions can be sent to the same address, but be sure to include a phone number for a return call. Those interested will need to complete a questionnaire that will be sent to them shortly after their initial email.
Onteora accepting applications for Pre-K program
If you live in the Onteora Central School District and have a child turning four by December 1, 2021, you’re invited to apply online for the district’s Universal Pre-Kindergarten (UPK) program for the 2021-2022 school year.
To register online, parents or guardians should go to www.onteora.k12.ny.us and click on “Registration & Displaced Families.” The link for online registration is in the middle of the page. Please be sure to choose the 2021-2022 school year. UPK online registration forms must be completed by May 21, 2021. (Enrollment will not be verified until after May 21.)
Once a child is registered, their name will be added to a list from which the UPK students will be chosen. Onteora’s full-day Universal Pre-K enrollment is based on need. Students who receive special education support, those eligible for free/reduced lunch and/or those who are English Language Learners will be enrolled first. All other children will be chosen randomly by lottery for the district’s full-day or half-day programs.
Anna Conlan is the new director of the Samuel Dorsky Museum of Art
SUNY New Paltz has appointed Anna Conlan as Neil C. Trager Director of the Samuel Dorsky Museum of Art, effective February 1. Conlan succeeds Wayne Lempka, who has served as interim director since 2019, and Sara Pasti, who had served as director from 2009-2019.
As director of The Dorsky Museum, Conlan will oversee all collection, exhibition, education and related artistic programs and activities, in collaboration with the museum’s staff, advisory board and many campus and regional partners and stakeholders. She will also serve as administrative head of finances, fundraising, audience development, communications and staff development.
“As the museum enters its 20th anniversary year, it’s truly an honor to lead the team who will shape the next phase of The Dorsky,” Conlan said. “I’m excited to work with our campus and community partners to continue to grow The Dorsky as a relevant regional art museum that effectively connects with the diverse audiences we serve.”
Conlan assumes this new role after serving as The Dorsky’s curator and exhibitions manager since 2019. She holds a master’s in museum anthropology from Columbia University and a master’s in feminism and the visual arts from the University of Leeds, and brings nearly two decades of art museum experience to the position.
“Anna Conlan has had an immediate and meaningful impact on museum programming, exhibitions, advocacy and community engagement since joining our campus community in 2019,” said president Donald Christian. “Her experience, creativity and enthusiasm equip her well to lead The Dorsky Museum as it continues to grow and thrive as one of the premier art museums in the SUNY system. I congratulate Anna and thank members of the museum advisory board and colleagues at The Dorsky and in the School of Fine & Performing Arts for sharing their time, insight and connection to the broader arts community throughout the search and appointment process.”
For more information about The Dorsky Museum and its programs, visit http://www.newpaltz.edu/museum or call (845) 257-3844.
Virtual writing workshop
The Gardiner Library will host a three-part writing workshop series entitled “(Re)Writing Your Life: Bite Sized Memoir Workshop with Betty Marton. The workshop consists of three 90-minute sessions on Thursdays February 4 through February 18 from 7 to 8:30 p.m, each session costs $20. Pre-registration is required by contacting Nicole at nlane@rcls.org.
For further information visit www.gardinerlibrary.org or the library’s Facebook page
“Collective Consciousness” opens February 6 at The Dorsky Museum
The Samuel Dorsky Museum of Art at SUNY New Paltz announces “Collective Consciousness: New Work by SUNY New Paltz Art Faculty,” a group exhibition of Department of Art faculty members showing their collective strength through a range of approaches to contemporary art.
The exhibition will be on view from February 6 through April 11 in the Alice and Horace Chandler Gallery and North Gallery.
It is guest curated by Karlyn Benson and includes metalwork, ceramics, photography, printmaking, fiber art, film, painting, drawing and several sculptural installations by 21 artists and educators: Robin Arnold, Michael Asbill, Lynn Batchelder, Bryan Czibesz, Aurora De Armendi, James Fossett, Andrea Frank, Matthew Friday, Anne Galperin, Kathy Goodell, Andrea Kantrowitz, Rena Leinberger, Myra Mimlitsch-Gray, Aaron Nelson, Itty S. Neuhaus, Jill Parisi-Phillips, Emily Puthoff, Nadia Sablin, Anat Shiftan, Suzanne Stokes and Cheryl Wheat.
“Collective Consciousness” refers to the sense of community at the college and the Department of Art faculty’s ability to come together for each other and their students during the Covid-19 pandemic. The exhibition includes a wide range of mediums and subject matter, yet underscores the artists’ shared common interests in nature, the environment, social issues and experimentation with materials. The exhibition itself is a communal experience, a way for faculty to share what they have been working on during a time marked by isolation and distance.
For more information about The Dorsky Museum and its programs, visit http://www.newpaltz.edu/museum or call (845) 257-3844.
New Documentary about Rock ‘n’ Roll Fantasy Camp
Rosendale Theatre is showing virtually the new music documentary, Rock Camp The Movie.
For the past 25 years, Rock ‘n’ Roll Fantasy Camp has been making dreams come true, bringing people together from all walks of life for an unforgettable experience with legendary rock stars such as Roger Daltrey, Alice Cooper, Paul Stanley and Slash. These musicians teach, inspire and jam with the campers over four days, concluding with a live performance at a famed venue. The experience takes music lovers from the spectator to the stage, sharing the limelight with their musical heroes. The movie follows four campers through their journey to shred with their heroes and see how they overcome their fears and transform their lives. The documentary features more than 30 famous rockers, jamming with everyday people and sharing often surprising behind the scene stories.
Go to www.rosendaetheatre.org to stream. The cost is $12.
Zoom Valentine’s piano concerts
Celebrate Valentine’s Day by tuning into a piano performance by Katya Grineva, world renown for her romantic repertoire, on Sunday, February 14 at 6 p.m. and Saturday, February 13 at 2 p.m. from her home in Woodstock. Pieces will include Chopin, Debussy, Rachmaninoff, Schuman, Liszt, Beethoven and a special rendition of Gershwin’s “Embraceable You,” finishing with Chopin’s “Ballade #1.”
Grineva, the only female solo pianist who has played Carnegie Hall for 19 seasons, is well known throughout the world.
She performs from her home in Woodstock twice weekly for people all over the United States and an additional international concert on Saturdays for a 2 p.m. Zoom for people from as far away as El Salvador, Paris, Capetown, Berlin and Russia.
For her Valentine’s performance, she will be opening it up to all interested. People can go to katyagrineva.com to sign up and make a donation of $20.
Saugerties restaurant, closed for Covid, to reopen Wednesday, 1/27
Annarella Ristorante in Saugerties, which closed Saturday, January 16 following a positive Covid-19 test by an employee, announced that it will reopen Wednesday, January 27.
The announcement said all tests of staff have come back negative and the restaurant has been cleaned and sanitized by a local environmental cleaning company. “As an additional precaution, all employees will have their temperatures taken,” said the restaurant. “It is up to the customer’s discretion whether they have their temperatures taken.”
The announcement also noted that the decision to close temporarily was not required by law but was done for safety concerns, and that last summer the restaurant installed UV-C lights and HEPA filters to kill viruses and bacteria.
Virtual college admissions and financial aid presentation
The Gardiner Library will host “College Planning and Financial Aid” with Elizabeth Levine virtually via Zoom on Thursday, January 28 from 5 to 6 p.m. Pre-registration for this free presentation is required by emailing Nicole at nlane@rcls.org.
The presentation is geared towards any student in high school and their parents. It aims to demystify the daunting college admissions and financial aid process and gain insight to this complex and stressful experience. Levine will also be presenting “Calculating your Expected Family Contribution and Navigating the SAT and ACT Landscape” on Thursday, February 11.
For further information, visit www.gardinerlibrary.org or the library’s Facebook page.
Kingston police make arrest in July St. James Street murder
The City of Kingston Police Department reports the arrest of 37-year-old Raymond A. Snyder of Murray Street in Kingston for Murder in the 2nd Degree and Burglary in the 1st Degree.
On July 11, 2020 the Kingston Police Department received a call for shots fired at a residence on St. James Street. Uniformed patrol officers responded and located a male ultimately determined to be 47-year-old Romero K. Underwood at the residence with an apparent gunshot wound.
Underwood was transported to Hudson Valley Health Alliance Hospital (Broadway Campus) where he ultimately succumbed to his wounds. Detectives and investigators from the Kingston Police Department, New York State Police and Ulster County Sheriff’s Office immediately began an investigation into the case.
Members of the Kingston Police Department’s Detective Division and Special Investigations Unit furthered the investigation into the death last week with the arrest of Raymond Snyder. Snyder was processed at the Kingston Police department and is currently awaiting arraignment.
Detectives and investigators are continuing their investigation into the matter.
Two arrested following Shandaken drug investigation
Members of the Ulster Regional Gang Enforcement Narcotics Team (URGENT) and Town of Shandaken Police report the arrest of two Chichester men after an investigation into narcotics sales in the town of Shandaken.
On January 16, URGENT, along with members of the Ulster County Sheriff’s Office and Town of Shandaken Police Department, executed a search warrant at an address on Route 214 in Chichester. URGENT seized approximately 212 grams of loose, uncut fentanyl, 11 grams of cocaine, alprazolam and methadone tablets, a quantity of cash, and drug packaging materials. As a result, Christopher Carter, 47, and Bobby Blue Jr., 42, were charged with the offenses below:
Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the Second Degree — A2 felony (narcotic 4 ounces or more)
Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the Third Degree — B felony (narcotic intent to sell)
Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the Fourth Degree — C felony (narcotic drug 1/8 ounce or more)
Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the Fifth Degree — D felony (controlled substance intent to sell)
Criminally Using Drug Paraphernalia in the Second Degree — A misdemeanor
Both defendants were arraigned in the Town of Shandaken Justice Court and remanded to the Ulster County Jail without bail. The investigation is ongoing and additional arrests are expected.
WAAM presents House & Universe
The Woodstock Artists Association & Museum (WAAM) presents an intimate group exhibition curated by Yael Eban and Jackie Hoving, co-directors of Tiger Strikes Asteroid NY, titled House & Universe. The exhibition, presented in the WAAM’s main exhibition space, opens Friday, February 12 and continues through March 28, with the WAAM’s new limited hours of Friday through Sunday from 12-3 p.m.
The exhibition House & Universe brings together work by artists Tania Alvarez, Sean Corcoran, Todd Kelly, Jiatong Lu, Claire Sherwood, Mimi Young and Gabriel Zimmer working across various media. The exhibition takes its title from a chapter in the book The Poetics of Space by French philosopher Gaston Bachelard, in which the author contemplates an experiential understanding of home as both a domestic environment and a place where imagination finds sanctuary. Bachelard considers “the house as a tool for analysis of the human soul,” drawing a parallel between the arrangement of objects in a house and the ability of a person to think, visualize and imagine
Through various means, the artists in this show each affirm that the spaces we seek, create or privately inhabit can unfold into expansive worlds unto themselves. In a time of unprecedented and necessary interiority prompted by the pandemic, this exhibition offers a sympathetic vision: a call to cultivate a universe of connotations and expansive associations within the seemingly finite environment of the home.
The Woodstock Artists Association & Museum is located at 28 Tinker Street in Woodstock. For general information, call (845) 679-2940 or visit our website at woodstockart.org.
Virtual wine tasting class with Melanie Young
Gardiner Library presents a four class virtual wine tasting series via Zoom with Melanie Young beginning Wednesday, February 10 from 7 to 8 p.m. The series costs $100 for all four or $30 per individual class. Proceeds are split 50/50 between the instructor and the Gardiner Library. To register, e-mail Library Director, Nicole Lane at nlane@rcls.org for Zoom link and payment instruction. Pre-registration is required by January 27 for series and one week before for individual classes.
Prior to each class, registrants will be sent a syllabus with notes and glossary of terms for class, suggested reading list and list of wines to buy with information and prices from local retailers or online.
Each class will cover a different variety of wine. The first class is on champagnes and sparkling wines.
This introductory virtual series will cover common terms to know and explore key grapes and styles. Sourced from local retailers, attendees can learn and taste in the comfort of their own home. The class will continue to meet on February 17: whites, February 24: reds and March 3: rosé and other styles.
For further information, visit www.gardinerlibrary.org or the library’s Facebook page.
State of Culture event on February 9
A virtual public presentation and workshop, State of Culture, will be held for the Arts & Culture Master Planning Project on Tuesday, February 9 at 1 p.m.
The Arts & Culture Master Plan is the first comprehensive city-wide study of arts and culture resources and assets in Kingston. As a part of the planning process, the City of Kingston has hosted five virtual community workshops, conducted a series of stakeholder interviews and site tours, circulated an online cultural participation survey and established a cultural asset inventory. The State of Culture virtual event will offer the community an opportunity to learn about the initial findings from this first phase of research, an overview of the planning process and an outline for next steps.
Global cultural consulting firm Lord Cultural Resources has led the development of the master plan along with Director of Art and Culture Affairs Adrielle Farr, Grants Manager Ruth Ann Devitt-Frank and guidance from the Project Advisory Committee Community and the Kingston Arts Commission. Work on the Arts & Culture Master Plan began in June 2020 and is scheduled to conclude in May 2021.
The State of Culture is free and open to the public. All community members are encouraged to participate and must register in advance. More information is available a: https://engagekingston.com/arts-culture-master-plan.
Mohonk Consultations to present Finding Common Ground
Mohonk Consultations will present Finding Common Ground with Dennis Kucinich, Lester Strong and Dior Williams via Zoom on Thursday, February 11 from 7-8 p.m. Register at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/136524174481.
Join Mohonk Consultations for an online panel presentation on how to overcome polarization and find common ground. The speakers will highlight practical approaches, building on the 125-year living tradition of peacebuilding at Mohonk Mountain House.
Panel members and the titles of their presentations are as follows:
• Dennis Kucinich, “Stepping Out of Polarization”
• Lester Strong, “The Four Gateways of Communication”
• Dior Williams, “The Importance of Humility”
Kucinich was a member of the US House of Representatives from Ohio from 1997 to 2013. From 1999 to 2003, he served as a chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus. He was a candidate for the US presidential elections of 2004 and 2008.
Strong is the executive director of the Peaceful Guardians Project, which serves as a communication and conflict-resolution bridge between law enforcement and communities of color. Currently, he is the lead coordinator for the City of Kingston’s Reenvision Public Safety Task Force as mandated by New York Governor Cuomo in the wake of the George Floyd killing. Strong also co-facilitates a four-week anti-racism workshop series in New York’s Hudson Valley, entitled, How to Help Heal Racism in America.
Williams is a junior at Rondout Valley High School (RVHS) in Stone Ridge where he is an active member of the RVHS Human Rights Club. He speaks on such issues as police reform, climate change, diversity synthesis and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. He presented at the 2019 SUNY New Paltz Multicultural Conference to educators and administrators on incorporating social justice topics into the school curriculum. He also shared his reflections on the importance of peace work at the 2019 Mohonk Consultations Conference, Creating and Sustaining Peace. Along with the other students in the RVHS Human Rights Club and their faculty mentor, Diana Zuckerman
Abandoned: The Untold Story of the Orphan Trains virtual show
Michael Keene, local history author premieres his virtual show entitled, Abandoned: The Untold Story of the Orphan Trains on Monday, February 1 from 11 a.m. to noon followed by a Q&A. Those interested must register in advance through the library. Contact nlane@rcls.org for the confirmation email containing the YouTube link to the show.
The show will explore the end of the Civil War, when an estimated 30,000 homeless and orphaned children roamed the streets of New York City. In response to this crisis, the age of orphan asylums began, culminating in one of the most improbable and audacious episodes in American history. Called the Orphan Train Movement, it endeavored to save these children lost to the streets by heroes who fought for their liberation.
For further information, visit www.gardinerlibrary.org or the library’s Facebook page.
Openings in Gardiner
The Town of Gardiner is looking for an assessor; interested, qualified individuals should send a letter with resume to Supervisor Majestic at the address listed below by February 1.
Gardiner will also have terms expiring on both the Planning Board and the Open Space Commission. Seated members will have the opportunity to reapply along with any other interested parties. Send your letter of interest, with resume to Supervisor Majestic at supervisor.tog@gmail.com, by February 28.
If you have any questions regarding these openings, you can call Supervisor Majestic at (845) 255-9675, extension 101.
Town of New Paltz seeks volunteers
The Town of New Paltz is looking for volunteers to serve on the Bike-Ped Committee, Clean Water Open Space Preservation Commission, Environmental Conservation Board, Ethics Board, Historic Preservation Commission, Planning Board (one member and two alternates), Public Access Committee and Recreation Committee.
Interested parties may submit a letter of interest and resume to the supervisor’s office at P.O. Box 550, New Paltz, NY 12561 or email assistant@townofnewpaltz.org.
Join the family! 
