Briefly noted in Kingston (9/1/21)

Rally for voting rights takes place in Kingston

On August 28, the 58th anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.’s historic March on Washington, participants marched in cities across America to demand that the vision of MLK’s “I Have a Dream” speech be deferred no longer. At a march in Kingston — in solidarity with marches all across the country, more than 100 people gathered in Academy Green Park and marched to an area near the Kingston Farmers’ Market before breaking up. The march, with the theme “March On for Voting Rights,” was a mass mobilization to demand that elected officials stop hijacking democracy, denounce voter suppression and ensure fair, easy access to the vote for all. Speakers in Kingston included musician and activist Amy Fradon, Democratic Board of Elections Commissioner Ashley Dittus, Gemma Calinda, as well as half a dozen who read portions of Martin Luther King’s speech. Kingston School Board Vice-President Steve Spicer led the gathering in chants at Academy Green and along the line of march and acted as Master of Ceremonies.
— David Gordon

Store showcasing NY craft beverages opens at Kenco

With two taprooms on either side of the Hudson River, the duo behind Abandoned Hard Cider is opening a new concept store at Kenco Outfitters on Route 28 in Kingston. Known for their dry ciders made with apples foraged from wild and abandoned orchards, co-founders Martin Bernstein and Eric Childs are at home in the great outdoors. So, it comes as no surprise that their newest venture, the Trail Bar, is a sort of “bottleshop for adventurers,” as Bernstein calls it.

The Trail Bar is not a traditional taproom. Built as an appendix to the outdoor gear shop Kenco Outfitters, the 500-square-foot shop will serve as a craft beverage boutique featuring a curated selection of several dozen local beers, spirits, wines and ciders.

“When I plan a trip in the Catskills, not only do I choose my gear carefully; I also choose my beverages wisely. We’ve created the shop I’ve always wanted to stop at on my way into the creeks for fishing, or mountains for hiking.”

The shelves will be stocked with beers from the likes of Hudson Valley Brewery, West Kill and Drowned Lands, spirits from Catskill Distillery and Neversink Spirits and natural wines from Hudson Chatham Winery, as well as premium ciders. “There are no bottle shops that exclusively highlight New York craft,” said Childs. “And this state produces some of the finest beverages in the country! We’ve gone even farther and stocked the best of the best. Each brand we carry has a unique story, and pays attention to quality ingredients sourced in New York.”

Abandoned was founded in 2017 by Eric Childs, an experienced kombucha-maker, and Martin Bernstein, a forager, orchardist and cider-maker.

For additional information, visit www.abandonedcider.com.

Fine arts at Old Dutch

The Uptown Fine Arts Music Series begins with the Great American Songbook on Saturday, September 4 at noon at the Old Dutch Church at 272 Wall Street in Kingston. The performers include Ulster County residents Moeisha McGill and Lori Wilner, vocalists, and Daryl Kojak, a Broadway pianist, as well as two additional singers, Fred Redd and Morgan Mastrangelo. The performance will include works by Rodgers and Hammerstein, Jerome Kern, George Gershwin and Natalie Cole.

This program is free, but donations are always appreciated. Since several of the performers are from the New York City area, donations are suggested to help offset their travel expenses et cetera. Paid to the church, donations are tax-deductible; please designate them for the concert. Organizers are trying to raise $2,000 for this concert. To donate, go to olddutchchurch.org PayPal, Harwood Management Group, Inc. PayPal or Jim Harwood Venmo.

The Uptown Fine Arts Music Series continues as follows: September 11, Pauline Mancuso, flute and bass flute, Peter Mancuso, piano; September 18, Gilbert Plantinga, guitar; September 25, opera favorites presented by Harwood Management; October 2, Bethany & Friends, piano, vocals; October 9, O-Positive weekend, no recital; October 16, Bethany Pietroniro, organ; October 23, Adelaide Roberts’ students, piano; October 30, Jay Shulman, cello, Carol Anderson, piano. A midday break of musical performances will feature area artists in a variety of musical programs.

The Old Dutch Church is located on Main Street, between Fair and Wall Streets in Uptown Kingston. The church is handicapped-accessible.

SPCA hosts Doggie Adoption Speed Dating event

The Ulster County SPCA in Kingston hosted a Doggie Adoption Speed Dating event on Saturday, August 28, featuring ten of its adoptable shelter dogs. On-site, same-day adoption was available for that day only. By the end of the two-hour event, Zoey and Lilly found their “furever” homes and five people said they were coming back the next day to make their decisions.  With almost 300 animals in its care, the shelter is at capacity and is looking for volunteers and donations.

This shelter is its own private organization, not a part of the county or the ASPCA. For additional information, visit info@ucspca.org.
— Phyllis McCabe

$50K grant aids Kingston’s African Burial Ground bid to join National Register

Kingston mayor Steven Noble has announced that the City of Kingston has been awarded a $50,000 grant from the National Park Service’s Underrepresented Community Grant Program (URC) to complete the nomination of the Pine Street African Burial Ground to the National Register of Historic Places and to further document African American history in Kingston. The Underrepresented Community Grant Program focuses on working to diversify the nominations submitted to the National Register of Historic Places.

“We are so pleased to have been awarded this grant, and thank the National Park Service for acknowledging the inequities in how we have preserved our history in the past, and working toward correcting the historical record,” said Mayor Noble. “This grant will help Harambee and the Kingston Land Trust continue to educate about Kingston’s history and honor the memory of those interred at the Pine Street African Burial Ground.”

“Harambee would like to thank the National Park Service for acknowledging our ancestors’ final resting place. This award dignifies the importance of acknowledging the free labor that was put into this community and all of upstate New York,” said Tyrone Wilson, co-founder of Harambee. “We also would like to thank our Kingston Land Trust family for taking this journey with us and really understanding the true fight that is in front of us in bringing proper respect to our ancestors here in Kingston.”

“Now that Harambee and the Kingston Land Trust have protected the site, which is held by Harambee on behalf of the community, the work ahead is to continue bringing the history of the Pine Street African Burial Ground to light,” said Julia Farr, executive director of the Kingston Land Trust.

More about the Underrepresented Community Grant Program can be found at www.nps.gov/stlpg.

Arm-of-the-Sea Theater present the Rejuvenary River Circus
On Saturday, August 28,  Seed Song Farm in Kingston hosted the Rejuvenary River Circus by the Arm-of-the-Sea Theater. It brings the history and ecology of the Hudson River to life for children and parents through three dozen masks, puppets, live music and beautiful set designs.

Final Broadway paving next week will change traffic patterns

Kingston mayor Steven Noble has announced that preparation for final paving for the Broadway Streetscape Project will begin this week. Milling will occur on Broadway from the roundabout to Pine Grove Avenue, followed by paving and striping.

There will be no parking on Broadway between East St. James Street to Pine Grove this week to allow for paving work and striping. Drivers are encouraged to use side streets for parking.

Drivers will see significant changes to the Broadway traffic pattern. There will be a protected bike lane, with street parking between the bike path and traffic. Traffic will be reduced to two lanes, with one turning lane in the center. The new signals will be activated and will be coordinated to improve traffic flow.

“The Broadway Streetscape Project has been years in the making, and we are so excited to see the finished roadway begin to take shape next week,” said Mayor Noble. “We thank everyone – especially the businesses along the Broadway corridor – for their patience, and we ask the public to stay alert and use caution when navigating the new traffic configuration.”