Phillies Bridge Farm to host Friends Festival
Phillies Bridge Farm will be hosting its first annual Friends Fest of music and art on Saturday and Sunday, September 25 and 26. The two-day festival with camping (one-day tickets are also available) will feature some of the area’s most popular performers, including local favorites the Big Takeover and the acclaimed reggae band Royal Khaoz, in addition to a full schedule of other live acts. The festival will also feature workshops, yoga, food and beverage vendors and art. Saturday night concludes with a “silent disco” by Quiet Hours: a deejay dance party that provides headphones for revelers to dance into the night.
The local drag troupe Haus of Peculiar will tantalize your senses and open your minds. They will create the late-night vibes with fire-spinning, deejaying and spectacular performances.
Friends Fest is the first major event sponsored by Let’s Be Friends, a not-for-profit organization founded by Ariana Basco and Melissa Pelino that is designed to bring people together from all walks of life to celebrate community and the Earth. “Many of us felt isolated and alone over the course of the last couple of years,” said Pelino. “Divisive politics coupled with the pandemic sent many of us into isolation. Friends Fest is designed to bring us back together.”
“Our goal is to party with a purpose,” Basco added. As someone who has been community organizing for over a decade and volunteering with not-for-profit organizations, Basco sees an opportunity to partner with more not-for-profits who can share their spaces for events that help raise funds to support their missions.
Phillies Bridge Farm provides ample safe space to gather. Performances will be held in the large back field, and vendor booths will be spaced throughout the grounds.
Tickets can be purchased at www.friendsfestny.com, with volunteer tickets and justice tickets available. Those who can afford more to support others are encouraged to do so. According to Basco, “No one will be turned away for lack of funds. This is an event for the whole community.”
Conversations with New Paltz Police continue September 15
The September Conversations with the New Paltz Police will take place on Wednesday, September 15 from 10 to 11:30 a.m. at the Water Street Market in New Paltz. The program is intended to bring the public and Police Department together to discuss issues concerning the community.
For 2021, the get-togethers will be held on the third Wednesday of the month, with times and locations varying to accommodate as many people as possible. For additional information, check the department’s Facebook page or website calendar at www.townofnewpaltz.org/police.
Rosendale Library election results
In a special election held at the Rosendale Library on September 2, Rosendale Library District voters approved the Library’s 2022 budget of $387,500 by a vote of 83-7. The budget includes a tax levy increase of 2.81 percent. This increase does not exceed the state’s tax cap.
Rose Unes, William Stamm and Rachel Helm received 80, 82 and 80 votes respectively to gain seats on the Board of Trustees, each for full four-year terms.
Donations, volunteers, vendors sought for Elting Library Fair
With the annual Library Fair back on this year, the Elting Library in New Paltz is seeking donations and volunteers for the Fair. This year’s Fair, the 64th, will be held on Saturday, October 2.
Donations of books are being accepted on Thursdays and Sundays between 9 and 11 a.m. through September 19. Books can be dropped off at the Book Shed in the Library parking lot. The lot is located behind the Library and Handmade and More. The entrance is off Church Street. Donations of most books, including children’s books, are welcome. Textbooks and encyclopedias can generally not be accepted.
Donations of clean used and new toys for sale at the Toy Booth are also welcome. Donations of toys, including board games, puzzles, cars, trucks, dolls, dollhouses, clean stuffed animals and more, can be dropped off at the Library during regular Library hours, now through September 20.
As in past years, there is space for vendors at the Fair. Local individuals selling crafts or products can reserve a vendor spot for $50.
Vendors and individuals interested in volunteering for the Fair can sign up at www.eltinglibrary.org/library-fair.
Outdoor Story Times at Gardiner Library
The Gardiner Library presents Outdoor Story Times with Miss Amy. Ages 2 to 5 meet Tuesdays from 10 to 10:30 a.m. starting September 14. Bouncing Babies, from birth to 24 months, meet on Thursdays from 10 to 10:30 a.m. from September 16 to October 21. Come hear stories, sing songs and rhymes, take home craft kits and more.
No registration is required. Blankets are welcome. The Library is located at 133 Farmers’ Turnpike. For more information, call (845) 255-1255 or visit www.gardinerlibrary.org.
Recovery Fest September 19 in New Paltz
The fourth annual Recovery Fest will be held on Sunday, September 19 from noon to 4 p.m. at the Field of Dreams, located at 241 Libertyville Road in New Paltz. The Office for Community Wellness is working in collaboration with its co-sponsors, Step One and the Ulster Prevention Council, as well as numerous treatment providers, practitioners, individuals in recovery and volunteers.
Recovery Fest is a day of fun, support and honoring the journey of recovery from substance use and opioid use disorders. The event will feature information tables, speakers who are in recovery, wellness practitioners and Narcan training, as well as a free barbecue, music, drumming, face-painting and a bounce house for children. All are welcome and no one is asked their recovery status.
For additional information, contact Phoenix at pkawamoto@townofnewpaltz.org or (845) 256-5014.
Song Club at Gardiner Library
The Gardiner Library hosts a Song Club on Sunday, September 12 from 3:30 to 5 p.m. Join musician, singer, songwriter and choral director Debbie Lan for a drop-in singing experience. Come sing, as a community, original arrangements of familiar songs where the audience is the choir.
Participants will meet outdoors, weather permitting. Singers may be unmasked but socially distant. In case of inclement weather, meet indoors, but masks will be required. The cost at the door is $10 cash.
The Library is located at 133 Farmers’ Turnpike. For more information, call (845) 255-1255 or visit www.gardinerlibrary.org.
Retired men to meet September 13
Retired Men of the New Paltz community invite retired men everywhere to the monthly breakfast meeting on Monday, September 13 at 8 a.m. at the New Paltz Plaza Diner. Michael Hartner will discuss his experience as a nursing home ombudsman.
For additional information, contact Ed Rogers at rogersezed@gmail.com or (845) 255-7420.
Young Adult Book Club at Gardiner Library
The Gardiner Library hosts a Young Adult Book Club on Saturday, September 18 from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. for ages 13+. Celebrate Banned Books Month by reading and discussing Lord of the Flies by William Golding. Join other teens for a lively discussion, maskmaking and snacks. Play Danger the Game: The Storytelling Party Card Game of Bizarre Dangers and Rescues.
For additional information and registration, contact Carolyn at cthorenz@rcls.org. The Library is located at 133 Farmers’ Turnpike. Call (845) 255-1255 or visit www.gardinerlibraryorg.
Honeybee Jubilee
A Honeybee Jubilee will take place on Saturday, September 18 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Ross Park, located at 208 Bowne Street in Port Ewen.
The Esopus Environmental Board has partnered with master gardener Marjorie Pullman to celebrate the hardworking honeybee, highlighting a few of Pullman’s favorite planet-friendly tips. There will be vendors, food and environmental educators to make this a fun event for kids and adults.
Pollinators in the form of bees, birds, butterflies, bats and beetles provide vital but often invisible services, from supporting terrestrial wildlife and plant communities to supporting healthy watersheds.
For additional information, contact Pullman at mastergardener2000@gmail.com. Interested vendors are asked to contact Laura Petit at (845) 340-1293.
Esopus 5K September 25
The Town of Esopus Parks and Recreation Commission is bringing back the Esopus 5K race on Saturday, September 25 at 10 a.m. at 1 Town Hall Way. Race day check-in and registration take place from 9 to 9:45 a.m. This is the same day as the Apple Festival, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year.
A new course has been created to make this year’s race a scenic tour of the Port Ewen hamlet. Walk/run as an individual or family. The $15 entry fee includes a tee-shirt and other refreshments for the first 100 registrants; $30 for family (household members includes two tee-shirts and two refreshment vouchers) Tickets are non-refundable. The event goes on rain or shine.
Make checks payable to the Town of Esopus. Drop off at the Town Hall dropbox or mail to Laura Petit, PO Box 800, Port Ewen NY 12466. For more information, call Laura at (845) 340-1293 or Roger Brandt at (845) 331-8970 or visit www.eventbrite.com/e/esopus-5k-runwalk-tickets-167254798605. Race packets will be e-mailed upon registration and available on the day of the race.
Wreaths across America 2021 theme: “Live up to their legacy”
Each year, millions of Americans come together to remember the fallen, honor those who serve and their families and teach the next generation about the value of freedom. This gathering of volunteers and patriots takes place in local, state and national cemeteries in all 50 states – most recently at the New Paltz Rural Cemetery and the Ulster County Veterans’ Cemetery at 81 Plains Road in New Paltz, as part of National Wreaths across America Day. Each year, a new theme is chosen to help volunteers and supporters focus their messaging and outreach in their own communities.
The national not-for-profit has announced that the theme for 2021 is “Live up to Their Legacy.” The inspiration for this year’s theme came from a statement made by US Army chief of staff general James C. McConville in an interview with Chris Wallace on Fox News Sunday in early November 2020. General McConville was there to speak on behalf of the US Army and the upcoming opening of the National Museum of the United States Army, which was being honored as the “Power Player of the Week.” In the discussion, he said, “We stand on the shoulders of heroes that have gone before us, and really what we strive to do is live up to their legacy.”
His message was heard by executive director Karen Worcester and many others, and resonated deeply. “Listening to this man, who is a hero in his own right, speak about what and who motivates him is inspiring,” said Worcester. “It is the men and women who serve, everyday people, giving of themselves for their country and communities. I urge everyone to look to the people and the families that have made these sacrifices to keep this country free and live up to their legacy.”
This year, National Wreaths Across America Day is Saturday, December 18. It is always a free event and open to all people (conditions permitting). For more information on how to volunteer locally or sponsor a wreath for a hero, visit www.wreathsacrossamerica.org/NY0270. To follow stories throughout the year from across the country focused on this theme, please use the hashtag #LiveTheirLegacy2021. For additional information, contact location coordinators Ron Mironchik, Kathy Mironchik and Cindy Dates (845) 419-2331 npwaa2020@gmail.com.
Connecticut man dies in climbing accident at Mohonk Preserve
Police are investigating the climbing death of a Connecticut man at the Mohonk Preserve in the Town of Gardiner on Labor Day.
The Ulster County Sheriff’s said Tuesday that police and EMS personnel were called to the Trapps Bridge area at 5:30 p.m. Monday for a fallen rock climber and they found that Stephen M. Buda III, 56, of New Haven, Connecticut had scaled about 150-175 feet of a popular 200 ft climb when he fell.
Authorities said Buda was not wearing any climbing or safety equipment at the time of the incident.
Police said they suspect no foul play in the incident but it remains under investigation.
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