Applestock back in New Paltz
Applestock will be held on Saturday, September 25 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Reformed Church at 92 Huguenot Street in New Paltz. This socially distanced fundraiser will feature music by OFFBeat, Me and My Ex, Two for the Road and That Duo, vendors, pies, apple fritters, food, face-painting, New Paltz’s Got Talent (a talent show featuring the children and teens of the community) and more! Food will be available to purchase for lunch and afternoon snacking.
Apple, Dutch apple and pumpkin pies will be for sale for $15 each. They can be preordered at https://bit.ly/ApplestockPies2021. If you prefer to order your pies by phone, please call Cheryl at (845) 430-0025. The deadline for ordering pies is Tuesday, September 21. Pies will be available for purchase on the day of the event, but there will be limited stock, so be sure to order your pies in advance. Apple fritters will also be available for purchase on the day of the event (no preorders).
Precautions for COVID-19 will be taken at all times during preparation/sales, for volunteers and customers. For updated policies, please be sure to visit https://bit.ly/Applestock2021.
Pie orders will be confirmed via e-mail or phone. Preordered pies will be picked up at the Education Building (brick building across the street from the church). Give your name and order to the volunteer and they will deliver the pies to your car.
Fall Resnick Lecture Series begins October 6
The SUNY New Paltz Foundation and the Louis and Mildred Resnick Institute for the Study of Modern Jewish Life will present the fall 2021 lecture series: “The New (?) American Anti-Semitism” on Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m. via WebEx. Links will be sent three days before presentations. The director is Gerald Sorin.
The schedule is as follows: October 6 – Alexandra Stern, Anti-Semitism and the Far Right in America; October 13 – Hank Greenspan, The Guts of Anti-Semitism: A Psychologist’s Perspective; October 20 – Eli Gottlieb, Armies of the Night: Anti-Semitism on Campus and Beyond; October 27 – Jonathan Rosen, Here’s the Good News: Fighting Anti-Semitism Will Save America’s Soul; November 3 – Rena Blumenthal, Thoughts on Anti-Semitism after a Year of Pandemic TV-Watching.
Register for Turkey Trot in New Paltz
The Family of New Paltz Turkey Trot is an annual 5K run and walk event to support Family of New Paltz’s food pantry and crisis services. Participants will be running a full in-person race this year on Thanksgiving morning.
Family provides a variety of services, including a 24-hour hotline and textline, food pantry, free clothing store, counseling, support groups and multiple shelters for adults, adolescents and victims of domestic violence, as well as restorative justice services.
Register online at www.newpaltzturkeytrot.com or in person at 51 North Chestnut Street in New Paltz, Monday through Thursday between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. and Fridays between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.
For anyone participating locally, shirts will be available from Family of New Paltz at $25 for persons 13 to 64 years, $15 for anyone below the age of 13 and over the age of 64.
Due to CDC guidelines, there is the possibility for this event to become a virtual run, similar to last year, using the RaceJoy app. For general questions and/or to make arrangements to pick up tee-shirts, please contact Ivan at (845) 255-7957 or Jen at (845) 392-3624.
Books & Art Series at Gardiner Library
The Gardiner Library presents a Book and Art Series on Saturday, October 2 at 11 a.m. for ages 4 to 6. Step inside the picture book Go Away Big Green Monster by Ed Emberley and try some of the art techniques used by this favorite author. Other series dates will be November 6 and December 4.
Preregistration is necessary and limited. For more information and registration, contact Carolyn at cthorenz@rcls.org. The Library is located at 133 Farmers’ Turnpike. Call (845) 255-1255 or visit www.gardinerlibrary.org.
Rabies clinic in New Paltz October 13
The Town of New Paltz Dog Control Officer and the Town Clerk’s Office will hold a rabies clinic for dogs and cats on Wednesday, October 13 from 4 to 6 p.m. at the Town Highway Garage, located at 52 Clearwater Road in New Paltz. Customers must stand six feet apart and masks must be worn.
Vaccinations for rabies, distemper and heartworm will start at $10 each and will be administered by Dr. Laurie Stein, the traveling veterinarian. Heartworm medication is also available. Rabies certificates will be presented at the completion of the vaccination. These certificates are essential for licensing dogs where they reside, as required by New York State law.
Dogs must be leashed and cats must be in carriers. Payment is by cash or check only. For additional information, call (845) 255-0100, extension 1.
Fundraiser honoring David Dukler in Gardiner
The Gardiner Democratic Committee will hold a fundraiser to honor retiring Gardiner Town Board member David Dukler on Sunday, September 26 from 1 to 4 p.m. at the pavilion in Gardiner’s Majestic Park. The event will be a fun-filled afternoon with food, lawn games and a live auction with interesting and valuable items, including a weeklong stay for up to eight people at the Orlando Marriott resort.
Admission costs $25 for adults (18 and older), $5 for kids (13 to 17) and free for kids 12 and under. Reservations are a must, which can be made by going to http://gardinerdemocrats.com/fundraiser.
The event will feature local and countywide candidates for election in November, as well as county executive Pat Ryan and the Ulster County Democratic Committee’s Democracy Tent with information on a variety of progressive causes, plus fun activities like “kid voting.” You don’t need to attend the fundraiser to take advantage of the Democracy Tent.
Music with Miss Amy at Gardiner Library
The Gardiner Library presents Music with Miss Amy for ages 0 to 4, with a caregiver. The three-week series meets Wednesdays, October 6, 13 and 20 at 10 a.m. Classes include movement, song time, bouncing rhymes, instruments, puppets and lots of fun. The group meets outdoors. In case of inclement weather, makeup dates will be offered. Blankets are welcome.
The cost is $45 per child. Registration is required. For more information and registration, contact Amy at alaber@rcls.org. The Library is located at 133 Farmers’ Turnpike. For additional information, visit www.gardinerlibrary.org.
Qi gong/Tai Chi-inspired meditations at Gardiner Library
The Gardiner Library hosts the virtual class Qi Gong and Tai Chi-Inspired Meditations and Breathing Exercises with Dr. Santander on Monday, September 27 from 7 to 8 p.m. Join Dr. David Santander, L. Ac., and explore the questions: What is Qi? And how can we cultivate our Qi to live long, healthy, vibrant lives? Dr. Santander is an acupuncturist and martial artist, specializing in medical qi gong, TCM orthopedics, herbology and bonesetting. He operates a small acupuncture and herbs clinic in Peekskill and does teaching and consulting remotely.
Contact Nicole at nlane@rcls. to register and receive the Zoom link. The Library is located at 133 Farmers’ Turnpike. For more information, call (845) 255-1255 or visit www.gardinerlibrary.org.
A Changing World: Interactive Climate Theatre at Rail Trail Café
For the fourth time since 2015, Hudson River Playback Theatre (HRPT) joins the global initiative Climate Change Theatre Action (CCTA) in support of this year’s UN climate conference in Glasgow. As well as enacting stories told by audience members, A Changing World features two short plays on the climate crisis commissioned for CCTA: Apology, My by Keith Barker and Caity-Shea Violette’s Bedtime Story for My (Future) Daughter.
A Changing World takes place on Saturday October 2 from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Rail Trail Café at 310 River Road Extension in Tillson. The Rail Trail Café, right next to the Wallkill Valley Rail Trail at Stone Mountain Farm off Springtown Road, serves food and drinks.
The New Paltz Climate Action Coalition and Rail Trail Café are HRPT’s community partners for this event. Admission is free and all are welcome. For COVID safety, unvaccinated audience members are asked to wear a mask.
This outdoor show will be postponed to October 9 in case of rain. If in doubt, please check on Facebook (Hudson River Playback Theatre or Rail Trail Café).
Town of New Paltz seeks volunteers
The Town of New Paltz is looking for volunteers to serve on the Board of Assessment Review, Bike/Ped Committee, Environmental Conservation Board, Ethics Board, Historic Preservation Commission, Police Commission and Public Access Committee. Interested parties may submit a letter of interest and résumé to the supervisor’s office at PO Box 550, New Paltz, NY 12561 or e-mail assistant@townofnewpaltz.org.
Conversational Italian class at Gardiner Library
Gardiner Library hosts conversational Italian classes starting on Wednesday, September 22 from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. This weekly class is designed for people who have some knowledge of the Italian language and would like to improve their conversational skills.
Dr. Ornella Lepri Mazzuca is a native speaker of Italian and has been facilitating the conversational class at the Gardiner Library since 2016. She graduated from the University of Urbino, Italy, with a Doctorate in English, French and Italian. She later earned an MA in Spanish and Linguistics and a PhD in Spanish Literature from the University at Albany.
The class meets outdoors or inside with masks. The Library is located at 133 Farmers’ Turnpike. For more information, call (845) 255-1255 or visit www.gardinerlibrary.org.
Highland Middle School welcomes new assistant principal
This summer, the Highland Central School District (HCSD) welcomed a new assistant principal to its school community. Andrew Carnright, who officially began at Highland Middle School (HMS) on August 2, replaces Meghan Coburn, who is now serving as principal.
Carnright, a resident of Cornwall-on-Hudson, brings 12 years of experience to his new role. He first began his teaching career as a substitute in Cornwall, where he also coached modified football. Then, he landed a job at Orange-Ulster BOCES, where he spent 11 years in various roles, including as a teacher of Social Studies and English Language Arts (ELA) for incarcerated youth at the Orange County Jail; a technology and curriculum specialist; and most recently, director/coordinator of adult and continuing education.
When reflecting on his time at BOCES, Carnright said that what he enjoyed most was the diversity of the student population. “I have had the privilege of working with thousands of students from so many backgrounds, including incarcerated youths at the Orange County Jail, English language learners, students with disabilities, adult learners and many other learners from all walks of life,” he said.
The new AP said that he was drawn to Highland because of its reputation as being an outstanding school district that has a great culture. “Highland puts the focus on students first,” he said. “I grew up in a small, close-knit community like Highland, and I knew as I walked into the Middle School when I was interviewing for the position that this is a district that I wanted to be a part of.”
In addition, middle school students are his favorite population to work with. “They are old enough and not too immature to handle higher-level conversations and discussions, but at the same time not too cool to be silly and have fun in the school environment. I loved my middle school experience when I was a kid many years ago, and I hope to be able to be a part of helping kids thrive during these critical school years,” Carnright said.
Getting to know students, staff and community members is Carnright’s top priority: “I hope to use the first few weeks of school to build trust and relationships, so that moving forward, we can all work together to continue helping students learn and achieve at a high level in the midst of Year Two of the COVID-19 pandemic,” he said. “Beyond that, I hope to get involved in as many initiatives and programs that are taking place in the Highland Central School District. I want to continue to learn more about the greater school community as a way to make HMS the best place possible.”
Carnright holds a Bachelor’s degree in Adolescent Social Studies Education from SUNY Cortland; a Master’s degree in Instructional Technology from New York Institute of Technology; and a CAS in Educational Leadership from Long Island University. He enjoys traveling, live music, sports and spending time with friends and family. “I come from a large family and I have over 40 first cousins!” he said.
Even though he has only been with the HCSD a short time, Carnright said that he has already had the chance to meet several Highland community members and that “everyone has been incredibly kind and receptive.”
“I look forward to meeting and interacting with more of the community as we begin the new school year,” he summed.
Join the family! 
