“I should say winter had given
the bone and sinew to literature,
summer the tissues and the blood.”
– John Burroughs
SATURDAY, JANUARY 6
Awosting Falls hike/snowshoe
Please put Awosting Falls on your radar, if you are not already a regular visitor. Right now, it’s a spectacular ice tower, and this weekend, you are invited to join a guided snowshoe hike to see it. On Saturday, January 6 from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., be a part of the Frozen Awosting Falls outing at the Minnewaska State Park Preserve. Arrive early at the Education Office to get snowshoes if there’s enough white stuff on the ground; otherwise, you just need your hiking boots.
This 2 ½ mile-walk takes you through the forest to Awosting Falls and back again. Meet up at the Peterskill Area. Preregistration is required. The Minnewaska State Park Preserve is located at 5281 Route 44/55 in Kerhonkson. For more information or to register, call (845) 255-0752 or visit http://on.ny.gov/2lIrr2g.
Winter Wildlife Walk in Hudson
Who is walking around leaving tracks and scat in the snow as clues? Register for the Columbia Land Conservancy’s Winter Wildlife Walk happening this Saturday, January 6 from 9 to 11 a.m. at the Greenport Conservation Area. Gain insights about our winter wilderness companions while breathing in all of that fresh air: a perfect start to the New Year! This hike is free and open to the public of all ages.
The Greenport Conservation Area is located at 319 Joslen Boulevard in Hudson. For more information or to register, call (518) 392-5252 or visit https://clctrust.org/event/5413.
Women’s basketball at Marist
Looking for inexpensive, indoor, local family fun? Head to our local colleges for winter sports matches! You can start right now at Marist College for the women’s basketball game against Manhattan College this Saturday, January 6 at 7 p.m. Great seats, hometown pride and athletes giving it their all: What could be better? Ticket prices range from $6 to $10, with group discounts available. Bring your Scout troop or office colleagues for a fun and exciting evening! The game takes place at the James J. McCann Center at Marist College, located at 3399 North Road (Route 9) in Poughkeepsie. For tickets or more information, call (845) 575-3000 or visit http://bit.ly/2qfTdZn.
SUNDAY, JANUARY 7
Birding for Children at Mohonk Preserve
Feel like winter is for the birds? Try seeing things from famed naturalist David Attenborough’s point of view: “Everyone likes birds. What wild creature is more accessible to our eyes and ears, as close to us and everyone in the world, as universal as a bird?” You can jump right in this Sunday, January 7 with “Winter Wings: Birding for Children” at the Mohonk Preserve Visitor Center from 10 to 11:30 a.m. This free program is geared for children ages 5 and up, where participants will learn about how birds adapt to survive the winter, how to use binoculars and how to identify birds. Preregistration is required.
The Mohonk Preserve Visitor Center is located at 3197 Route 44/55 in Gardiner. For more information or to register, call (845) 255-0919 or visit http://bit.ly/2qg8mK7.
Project FeederWatch at Sam’s Point
Who are among our feathered friends who visit the feeders at the Sam’s Point Visitors’ Center? Beginner and experienced birdwatchers of all ages are invited to participate in Project FeederWatch at Sam’s Point this Sunday, January 7 from 10 to 11 a.m. or from 1 to 2 p.m. Learn some bird identification using binoculars, and make your own pinecone birdfeeder to take home afterwards to continue your observations. Pay $10 per vehicle for parking, and program registration is required.
Sam’s Point is located at 400 Sam’s Point Road in Cragsmoor. For more information or to register, call (845) 647-7989 or visit http://on.ny.gov/2lKG70V.
MONDAY, JANUARY 8
Suicide prevention at New Paltz High School
Would you please grab your phone and add the phone numbers below to your contacts? This could be one of the easiest lifesaving actions you will ever do. Show your support and help spread awareness about suicide prevention this Monday, January 8 from 7 to 8 p.m. at New Paltz High School. Resources include Ulster County Mobile Mental Health, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., (844) 277-4820; Family of Woodstock, Inc. 24-hour Crisis Hotline, (845) 338-2370; the Trevor Lifeline for LGBTQ youth, (866) 488-7386.
New Paltz High School is located at 130 South Putt Corners Road in New Paltz. For more information, call (845) 256-4100 or visit www.facebook.com/groups/npzsbw/about. For additional resources, visit http://bit.ly/2DUiWso.
TUESDAY, JANUARY 9
LGBTQ+Ability discussion group in Poughkeepsie
Good news for local LGBTQ folks living with a disability! Announcing the LGBTQ+Ability discussion group, taking place on the second Tuesday of each month from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Taconic Resources for Independence, beginning on Tuesday, January 9. Taconic Resources for Independence is located at 82 Washington Street, Suite 214 in Poughkeepsie. For more information or to RSVP, contact Charla at charlarubym@gmail.com, or call or text (845) 443-5924.
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 10
Preschool Dance Party at Gardiner Library
Calling all 2-to-5-year-olds who want to shake it like a Polaroid picture! Head over to the Preschool Dance Party taking place at the Gardiner Library this Wednesday, January 10 from 3 to 4 p.m. Bring a refreshment to share and your best moves: Cabbage Patch, anyone?
The Gardiner Library is located at 133 Farmers’ Turnpike in Gardiner. For more information, call (845) 255-1255 or visit http://bit.ly/2lGn6fY.
Audition call for Newsies, Jr. in Rhinebeck
The Center for Performing Arts at Rhinebeck will hold auditions for children ages 8 to 18 on Wednesday and Thursday, January 10 and 11 from 4:30 to 6 p.m. The Center has partnered with Music Theatre International and Disney Theatrical Group on a pilot production of Newsies, Jr. Director Kevin Archambault will lead a cast of school-aged actors in a workshop experience that will incorporate specialized instruction and culminate in a fully realized production.
When licensing and production companies decide to adapt a musical for young performers, it goes through a pilot process. Working directly with the writers, composers and lyricists, the script and music are edited to make it more appropriate for younger actors and feasible for schools and community theaters to produce. The show is edited and refined over the course of two to three years before it’s published and licensed for production. Young Hudson Valley actors will be among the first to perform Newsies, Jr. before it’s released to the public.
Based on the 1992 motion picture and the Broadway musical, the show features a score by eight-time Academy Award-winner Alan Menken (Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin) and Jack Feldman and a book by four-time Tony Award-winner Harvey Fierstein. Set in New York City at the turn of the century, Newsies, Jr. is the story of Jack Kelly, a charismatic newsboy and leader of a ragged band of “newsies,” who dream of a better life far from the hardship of the streets.
Participation in this workshop/production includes an instructional fee and is by audition only. Rehearsals and workshop classes will begin on March 5 and continue through April 25 on Monday and Wednesday afternoons from 4 to 6 p.m. Performances will take place on May 5 and 6 at 11 a.m. and are open to the public.
To audition, hopefuls need to prepare 32 bars from the show or in the style of the show and bring sheet music in the appropriate key. A pianist will be provided. Be dressed to dance and have your schedule with you to list any potential conflicts.
Questions may be addressed to Babette Fasolino at (845) 876-3088, extension 13 or babette@centerforperformingarts.org or to director Kevin Archambault at kevin@centerforperformingarts.org.
THURSDAY, JANUARY 11
Phoenicia Library hosts NARCAN workshop
If you knew that a drug could prevent or reverse the effects of opioids on your loved one, wouldn’t you jump at the chance to learn how to apply it? Here’s your chance: On Thursday, January 11 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the Phoenicia Library, you are invited to a free class to get real facts about opioids and the use of NARCAN. Participants receive a free nasal spray at the end of the session.
The Phoenicia Library is located at 48 Main Street in Phoenicia. For more information or to register, call (845) 688-7811 or visit http://phoenicialibrary.org/calendar.
Erica Chase-Salerno eats Lagusta’s Luscious Peppermint Bark to ensure positivity and good fortune in the New Year! Erica can be reached at kidsalmanac@ulsterpublishing.com.
Join the family! 
