Sarah Hennies will join the SUNY New Paltz Department of Music this semester
Groundbreaking composer, performer and audiovisual artist Sarah Hennies will join the SUNY New Paltz Department of Music this semester as part of the Kenneth Davenport Residency for New American Music. Hennies, who presents her work across the world as a composer and percussionist, is known for enhancing her compositions with live visual performance elements like dance and film.
Her pioneering, highly physical style, as well as her ongoing exploration of societal themes like queer and trans identity, love and intimacy, have garnered her several accolades, fellowships, commissions and grants. Hennies’ highly regarded 2017 work, Contralto, has made her an in-demand act across North America, Europe and Australia.
As this semester’s Davenport Resident, Hennies will lead music students in composing a music score, meeting weekly to workshop their pieces. The finished works will premiere on the Listen Forward YouTube channel at 7 p.m. on April 20.
Department of Music assistant professor Phyllis Chen, herself a former Davenport Resident, said that Hennies’ “unusual and unique personal voice” makes her a great fit for the Davenport residency. “I feel like the points of view Sarah has are, oftentimes, things many of us think about inside, but don’t have a way of conveying,” said Chen. “She has a real ability to make sound work with those types of private thoughts, those private realizations.”
Chen will give a solo piano performance of Hennies’ SOVT (Semi-Occluded Vocal Tract) on March 16 on the Listen Forward channel as part of the Department of Music’s spring 2021 Concert Series. The title refers to a technique in which one “strengthens” their vocal tracts through a straw: a technique that Hennies honed in a trans voice class. “It’s not like a traditional musical score, where a person who can read traditional notes can look at it and know what it’s going to sound like,” said Chen. “That’s what’s so fun about it. As a participant, you’re really in more of a composer role, even though she developed the piece and its vision.”
Visit the Department of Music online to learn more about their programs and performances.
Ashokan Rail Trail Native American interpretive sign replacement
If you’ve hiked or biked the Ashokan Rail Trail (ART), you’ve likely noticed a number of informative signs about the geography and history of the trail and surrounding lands. Unfortunately, there’s a sign that’s missing: one devoted to the Native American tribes who once lived and throve in the area.
The Overlook Mountain Center (OMC) is raising funds to have an additional interpretive sign installed on the ART, recognizing and honoring the Native American presence in the Esopus Valley. Of the ten interpretive signs currently installed along the 11.5-mile rail trail between West Hurley and Boiceville, none is dedicated to recognizing the 10,000-year Native American indigenous cultural presence and influence in the Esopus Valley, much of which lies forever lost beneath the waters of the Ashokan Reservoir.
OMC has consulted with local tribal cultural resource managers and experts and has partnered with the Ulster County Planning Department and archaeologist Molly McDonald of AKRF, Inc. to research and execute the design, manufacture, procurement, siting and installation of this additional interpretive sign along the ART.
OMC has provided the seed funds to retain the archaeology firm, but Ulster County has no budget for an additional sign. To make a donation for a new sign, e-mail overlookmountaincenter@gmail.com or call (845) 417-8384.
New children’s book helps children cope with things they don’t understand
The Institute for Disaster Mental Health (IDMH) and the School of Fine & Performing Arts at SUNY New Paltz have collaborated on a new children’s book, available now in both English and Spanish as a free digital download, designed to help kids and families deal with unfamiliar and upsetting circumstances. An Unusual Situation follows Milo, a young bird experiencing an unnamed event that leaves him feeling helpless, confused and angry.
While the plot resonates with children’s experiences during the Covid-19 pandemic, it is left open-ended, with lessons that apply to nearly any scenario in which a child and their parents are in distress. “The book is designed intentionally so that children can project a range of situations they may be experiencing onto Milo and learn vicariously through how he reacts and copes,” said IDMH director Amy Nitza.
Milo’s story emphasizes some key themes to help kids get through hard times: understanding that they are not at fault; communicating with trusted adults about their feelings; and remembering that they do not have to go it alone. “Children often blame themselves for bad things that happen around them, particularly when there is a lack of clear information or when they are aware that their parents are struggling as well,” Nitza said. “By relating to Milo and his struggles, we hope children can gain a sense of universality and hope for the future.”
The IDMH has been working through the pandemic to support children and families with strategies for enduring. The idea for a book grew out of its collaboration with UNICEF USA on a YouTube video series starring LeVar Burton, and came to life with help from illustrators and designers from New Paltz’s School of Fine & Performing Arts. “When IDMH approached us about this project, we were immediately excited to collaborate,” said School of Fine & Performing Arts dean Jeni Mokren. “It is a wonderful opportunity to showcase the talent of our students, and we wanted to be a part of the potential good that a project of this type would do in the world.”
An Unusual Situation was written by former IDMH Special Programs manager Cassandre Surinon, who now works as a clinical psychologist and psychotherapist, with illustration by David Folk and design by Max Zurlini, a high school student who took courses at SUNY New Paltz during its development.
The book is available as a free PDF download online at www.newpaltz.edu/idmh/media/an-unusual-situation-childrens-book and will also be distributed through several agencies that work directly with children, including UNICEF USA, the Puerto Rico Department of Education, the Boys and Girls Clubs of Puerto Rico and Girl Scouts of America, as well as disaster response and recovery agencies like the American Red Cross.
Visit the Institute for Disaster Mental Health at SUNY New Paltz and the School of Fine & Performing Arts online to learn more about their work and their programs for students and community members.
Clearwater mourns the loss of first sloop captain, Allan Aunapu
The Hudson River Sloop Clearwater organization mourns the passing of the sloop’s first captain, Allan J. Aunapu. Killed in a tragic accident in Fort Lauderdale last Thursday, Aunapu was 79. Aunapu was an iconic figure in the Clearwater community. An accomplished musician in addition to being an expert sailor, he took the helm as Clearwater’s skipper on its maiden voyage in 1969. The first crew was composed mostly of musicians, including Pete Seeger, Don McLean and first mate Gordon Bok. They sailed from Maine down the coast to New York Harbor, stopping along the way to give fundraising concerts.
“Allan sailed the sloop Clearwater with great artistry,” said former shipmate and musician Don McLean. “He could actually have this craft [the Clearwater] out in the open sea and sail it right to the dock. I saw him do it many times. He was a sensitive, strong, free spirit whom I will never forget.”
Clearwater’s musical crew was billed as the Hudson River Sloop Singers and gave over 20 fundraising concerts during the maiden voyage, including a stop at the Newport Folk Festival that July.
The grandson of an Estonian sea captain who sailed square-riggers, Aunapu was also the first captain of the schooner Mystic Whaler, which he sailed to the Newport Folk Festival, where he met Seeger in the summer of 1968.
Although he resided in Florida, Aunapu often volunteered at the Clearwater Festival in Croton-on-Hudson as a member of the site crew. He was in attendance, most recently, in 2019 to help celebrate the 50th anniversary of the sloop’s launching.
“Allan was a Clearwater legend,” said former Clearwater captain and past board president Betsy Garthwaite. “He was an incredible sailor, a committed environmentalist and a great friend to the Clearwater community. He will be sorely missed by many people.”
Surveys open for 2021 outdoor dining/retail expansion program
Kingston mayor Steven Noble has announced that two surveys are now available to determine public interest in an outdoor dining/retail expansion program for spring 2021.
In June 2020, the City of Kingston released a survey for residents and a separate survey for businesses to gauge interest in a few options for outdoor dining/retail expansion: an open streets concept, utilizing parking spaces for outdoor dining and retail and/or using other public spaces for expansion. The public response was overwhelmingly positive and the restaurants and shops who participated created truly special, unique spaces in parking stalls adjacent to their storefronts.
New surveys for residents and businesses are now open for potential renewal of the outdoor dining/retail program on April 1, weather depending.
“Kingston businesses have been hit hard by the pandemic; they’ve had to keep up with evolving health and safety protocols, protect their employees and customers and in some cases pivot to new service concepts. We support our local businesses and want to help in their recovery efforts,” said Mayor Noble. “We are asking businesses and the public to weigh in and tell us if they would like to see the outdoor expansion concept revived for spring 2021 and what new ideas might improve the initiative.”
“Outdoor dining was such a huge success in the fall; it would be great if it were to continue throughout the warm weather season,” said alderman Don Tallerman. “This will help all retail businesses in our city.”
“The ability to spend time with friends and family in a social setting has benefits for us all. Dining al fresco in Kingston has provided a great solution for many businesses and customers,” said Robert Gaston, president of the Kingston Uptown Business Association. “I hope you’ll agree that the outdoor expansion concept has potential to outlast our pandemic.”
To take the surveys, visit www.engagekingston.com/spring-outdoor-dining-retail-survey.
Sewer work on Broadway to begin
Much-needed sewer repair work on Broadway in Kingston was expected to begin on Monday, February 22. The project will install new sanitary sewer pipes to replace old, failing sewer lines along Broadway from Cedar Street to East St. James Street.
During construction, there will be significant lane changes, with all traffic shifted to the south side of Broadway. Drivers should be alert for changing traffic patterns, which will be directed with striping and signage. Traffic signals in the project limits will be bagged, with temporary stop control on the side streets.
There will be no detours or closures required on Broadway, but there will be no vehicular access to Van Deusen, Downs and O’Neil Streets from Broadway. Detour signage will be in place for access to those side streets. Pedestrian access will be maintained, with signed pedestrian detours around the work zone.
On-street parking in this area of Broadway will be prohibited for the duration of the project. Public parking lots located next to Sea Deli and at Cornell Street, as well as adjacent street parking, should be used instead.
Construction is expected to be completed by approximately May 15, 2021. Once the sewer work is complete, as a part of the Broadway Streetscape Project, Broadway will be repaved from Pine Grove Avenue to the I-587 roundabout.
Takeout chili sale in Saugerties
The Reformed Church of Saugerties will hold a takeout chili sale on March 20. The cost is $8 a quart for vegetarian or meat.
Preordering is recommended by calling (845) 0246-5035. Pick up from 3 to 5 p.m. at 173 Main Street in Saugerties. There will be a limited quantity of chili available for walk-ins. Masks and social distancing are required.
For additional information, call (845) 246-2687.
Save the Mountain album 40th anniversary celebrated on Radio Woodstock
Over 40 years ago, the longest environmental struggle in American history inspired a repertoire of protest that echoed through the mountains. With the prize, Lake Minnewaska was preserved for all time as a New York State Park Preserve. Friends of the Shawangunks and many others are still at work growing the greater Shawangunk Preserve for citizens of the world to enjoy whenever they wish.
In addition to the park and one of New York’s greatest environmental victories, there was also inspiring music captured on a recording simply titled Save the Mountain. To celebrate the 40th anniversary, and with the generosity and support of Gary Chetkof and the entire team at Radio Woodstock WDST, two special programs will be presented. The first will be Woodstock Roundtable, hosted by Doug Grunther on February 28 from 7 to 9 a.m., featuring co-producer Kurt Henry, slated to join Grunther at 8:10 a.m. to talk about the history and making of the vinyl LP. Then, on April 5, there will be a gala one-hour celebration on Album of the Week at 9 p.m., featuring the team of three co-producers: Hali Hammer, Kurt Henry and Michael Klein. Henry will be the featured guest on Grunther’s long-running program of “Conversation Improv.”
“Kurt has been a prominent eclectic musician in the Hudson Valley for almost 50 years,” said Klein. “With co-producers Hali Hammer and myself, he helped capture the movement and make it into an inspirational soundtrack of all the beautiful voices that turned out because they were inspired by the mountain.”
The February 28 Woodstock Roundtable promises to be an informative warm-up to the April 5 Album of the Week show, which will occur on the very date and hour of the original Save the Mountain release concert at Woodstock’s famed Joyous Lake.
The playlist for the Save the Mountain album can be found at www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL5Q7__kJJCLUr2C4aEnmD6OMVh87hPCeM.
Maritime Museum open for timed admission
The Hudson River Maritime Museum is open for timed admission on Fridays and Saturdays. Staff is ensuring that exhibits and programs continue to be available to the public and can be enjoyed safely.
The museum is open Fridays and Saturdays from 12 to 4 p.m. Admission should be purchased in advance online at www.hrmm.org and by 3 p.m. the day prior to the visit. Each half-hour time slot is limited to four people, with a special $12 per person admission rate, which helps the museum cover costs while maintaining small group size. Groups of more than four people are encouraged to e-mail education@hrmm.org or call (845) 338-0071, extension 10, to make special arrangements.
The museum features many exhibits that tell the story of the Hudson River, with focus on environmental aspects of the river, iceboats, steamboats, tugboats, sloops, canals, river industries, boat models, lighthouses and more. Currently featured is the exhibit “Mary Powell: Queen of the Hudson.”
Built in 1861, decommissioned in 1917 and scrapped between 1919 and 1921, the steamboat Mary Powell remained a Hudson Valley constant during a period of incredible social and technological change in the US. She saw the duration of the Civil War, the Industrial Revolution, the Gilded Age and Progressive Era and the start of the First World War. Called “Queen of the Hudson” before construction was even completed, the Mary Powell became an iconic symbol of “America’s Rhine.” Operated for most of her career by one enterprising family, the Andersons, the Mary Powell also represented the best of Hudson River travel: the speed, elegance, safety and attention to detail that made travel by water preferable for many throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries.
This exhibit reunites many of the surviving Mary Powell artifacts, including her pilot wheel, on loan from the Senate House State Historic Site.
Learn more about the museum’s exhibits at www.hrmm.org/exhibits. The Hudson River Maritime Museum is located along the Rondout Creek in downtown Kingston.
David Gandin announces candidacy for NYS Supreme Court Third Judicial District
Gardiner resident and attorney David Gandin has announced that he is running for Supreme Court Justice in the Third Judicial District. A seasoned trial attorney and public defender, Gandin brings decades of experience in both criminal and civil law. Since 2013, he has served as principal court attorney for Supreme Court justice Maria G. Rosa, where he prepares legal opinions, presides over attorney conferences, manages cases, writes legal decisions and advises on the disposition of motions.
The Third Judicial District Court has two openings this year, and includes the counties of Albany, Columbia, Greene, Rensselaer, Schoharie, Sullivan and Ulster.
“My experience, determination to provide equal justice for all, dedication to public service and legal experience make me a uniquely qualified candidate for Supreme Court judge,” said Gandin, who received the endorsement of the Greene and Ulster County Democratic Committees on Thursday. “As principal court attorney for Justice Rosa, I have developed the experience, knowledge and expertise for the just and effective adjudication of all types of matters that come before the Supreme Court.”
Women in Experiment: Carolee Schneemann and Barbara Hammer
The Rosendale Theatre has announced a March programming extravaganza: A Celebration of Women’s Experimental Films and new Science on Screen offerings. Both programs will be available through the Theatre’s virtual cinema portal. In addition, it has some suggestions for film-watching around Saint Patrick’s Day in mid-March. These programs were developed by the Rosendale Theatre and include an afternoon gallery walk-through of feminist films, videos and artwork.
For the weekend of March 12-14, the Rosendale Theatre will host a mini-festival titled Women in Experiment: Carolee Schneemann and Barbara Hammer.
Schneemann and Hammer are major American filmmakers who have influenced visual and filmic arts. Schneemann is known for her multimedia works (film, performance, installation, painting) focused on the body, narrative, sexuality and gender. Hammer, feminist filmmaker and pioneer of queer cinema, made over 90 moving-image works, as well as performances, installations, photographs, collages and drawings. These filmmakers were friends and mutual admirers, born in the same year, and died within ten days of one another.
Two stellar lineups of filmmakers, curators, biographers and critical theorists will meet to discuss the works of these artists on Saturday, March 13. The Schneemann panel will begin at 4 p.m. and the Hammer panel at 7 p.m.
The Rosendale Theatre will be open for the first time in one year to present an in-theatre screening of short films by both filmmakers on Sunday, March 14 from 3 to 6 p.m. The Theatre will become a gallery in which standing, physically distanced audience members can move through displays of images, videos, artwork and ephemera.
The entire schedule of films and events, as well as pricing and payment packages, will be available at www.rosendaletheatre.org.
The Rosendale Theatre will also present a program called 5 Ways of Looking at 2 Films: The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind and William and the Windmill. While the films will be viewed using Netflix and Kanopy, the Theatre has produced a series of original programs featuring insights and activities born from engagement with the films: one a feature production and one a documentary. The content-rich short programs will be available from March 15 to March 31 on the Theatre’s website (www.rosendaletheatre.org). On March 24, all of the experts featured in the shorts will meet for a live “Ask the Expert” session, beginning at 7 p.m.
5 Ways of Looking at 2 Films focuses on the experience of William Kankwamba, a teenager from an agricultural village in Malawi who figures out from a library book how to build a windmill that irrigates failing crops and saves a poor village from starvation. Supplementary material includes background information on Malawi, focusing on issues of social justice; a piece on book donation programs and how that particular book that William used reached his village library; a lively report from a STEM school where students have responded to the “William Challenge” and created innovative solutions to local problems; a tour of a green energy lab from SUNY New Paltz; and a discussion on the differences and similarities between feature and documentary filmmaking.
The Rosendale Theatre is presenting an online Irish Cinema Classics program starting on March 15 to celebrate Saint Patrick’s Day on March 17. Films will be recommended to view on other platforms (Amazon Prime primarily), and Ted Folke and Howard Menikoff, our local film professors, will provide a prerecorded Zoom chat discussing Irish cinema.
For additional information, visit www.rosendaletheatre.org.
Jenni’s Joint to be aired on Lighthouse TV23
Lighthouse TV23, which serves Saugerties residents, will feature a new dance and music show titled Jenni’s Joint every Sunday at 11 a.m. and 5 p.m., starting in March.
Book discussion of Refugee, facilitated by Rabbi William Strongin
The Jewish Congregation of New Paltz (JCNP) invites the community to participate in a book discussion of Refugee by Alan Gratz, facilitated by Rabbi William Strongin, on Saturday, March 6 at 11 a.m. via Zoom. To receive a Zoom link for the discussion, visit https://forms.gle/mmYRpQwZdpZUVM9o8 (current members of JCNP need not preregister).
Refugee, a novel that traces the lives of three young refugees in three different decades, is available to borrow through the Mid-Hudson Library System. It is available for purchase from Inquiring Minds Bookstore and from Amazon.
Saugerties Food Pantry
Saugerties area residents can receive food every Tuesday evening from 7 to 8 p.m. at the Saugerties Food Pantry located at 44 Livingston Street in Saugerties. Masks and social distancing are required.
Women’s Studio Workshop’s Chili Bowl Fest returns as a fully online bowl sale
The Women’s Studio Workshop (WSW)’s Chili Bowl Fest fundraiser returns on February 27 as a fully online bowl sale. For over two decades, this event has been a celebration of ceramics and community and has become a staple of Rosendale’s public festival schedule. To continue in this tradition while adhering to New York State’s health guidelines around the Covid-19 pandemic, the festival has been transformed into a one-day virtual sale of handmade ceramics.
Starting at 10 a.m. on February 27, over 200 bowls, handcrafted by local artists, WSW staff and interns, resident artists, students and volunteers, will be available for immediate purchase. Because so many hands contribute to this process, each vessel is one-of-a-kind and widely varied in shape, size, color, decoration and, of course, price point.
Each bowl will be double-boxed, carefully packaged with recyclable materials and mailed directly to your door for safety and ease. All proceeds from the Chili Bowl Fest support artistic programming at WSW. For additional information, visit info@wsworkshop.org.
Man in hang glider rescued after getting stuck in tree
Members of the Ulster County Sheriff’s Office report investigating a hang-glider accident in Wawarsing.
On Saturday, February 20 at about 4 p.m., deputies responded to 4019 Route 52 in the Town of Wawarsing to assist the fire department with a man reportedly to be stuck in a tree following a hang-glider accident.
Upon arrival, deputies observed a man, later identified as Carl Jonasch, 51, of Campbell Hall, in the tree still attached to the hang-glider. Pine Bush Fire Department was dispatched and removed Jonasch from the tree. He appeared to be uninjured and declined medical assistance.
The resulting investigation indicates Mr. Jonasch lost control of his glider due to high winds.
Members were assisted at the scene by the New York State Police at Ellenville and Ellenville Rescue Squad, as well as Cragsmoor and Pine Bush Fire Departments.
Correction
A report of the Town of Saugerties Historic Preservation Commission in last week’s edition of Hudson Valley One was incorrectly headlined “Saugerties Historical Society questions funding cut.” This should read “Saugerties Historic Preservation Commission questions funding.” Our apologies.
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