“Infra-Loop, Selections 1994–2020” opens Feb. 6 at The Dorsky Museum
The Samuel Dorsky Museum of Art at SUNY New Paltz announces “Kathy Goodell: Infra-Loop, Selections 1994–2020,” a survey exhibition of the artist Kathy Goodell. “Infra-Loop” explores Goodell’s work over the last 30 years, examining an artist who is constantly challenging and reinventing her practice.
The exhibition will be on view from February 6 through July 11 in The Dorsky’s Morgan Anderson Gallery and Howard Greenberg Family Gallery. It is guest curated by Andrew Woolbright.
“Infra-Loop” examines through lines in Goodell’s practice across painting, drawing and sculpture, examining a mystic language that loops between disciplines, coasts and generations.
Featuring more than 40 artworks including paintings, sculptures and multimedia installations, this exhibition is the first time Goodell’s work has been presented on a large scale. In addition to exhibiting major pieces from her career, “Infra-Loop” focuses on introducing her newest work, including some that have never been exhibited before, allowing us to draw connections and see the rhythmic poetry between the past and present.
Guest curator Woolbright is an artist, curator and critic based in Brooklyn and is an MFA graduate from the Rhode Island School of Design in painting. Woolbright founded and directs the gallery Super Dutchess, located on the Lower East Side in New York. In addition to curating, he writes for Momus, Two Coats of Paint, and Whitehot Magazine. In 2020, Woolbright will be curating a show based on his concept of Phantom Bodies with Yossi Milo Gallery and Vacancy Gallery in Shanghai. He has previously taught at the Rhode Island School of Design and currently teaches at SUNY New Paltz.
Museum hours are Wednesday–Sunday, 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. Closed Mondays, Tuesdays, holidays and intersessions. For more information about The Dorsky Museum and its programs, visit http://www.newpaltz.edu/museum or call (845) 257-3844.
Visitors are required to wear masks and maintain a distance of six feet between households or groups at all times. Galleries have a maximum visitor capacity to allow for safe social distancing. Hand-sanitizing stations are available for visitors upon entering the museum.
Maverick Concerts’ executive director steps down
The Maverick Concerts’ board of directors has announced the departure of Kitt Potter as executive director of Maverick Concerts. Potter joined Maverick Concerts in 2016 and over the past four years has solidified and expanded the organization’s mission and vision.
Speaking on behalf of the board of directors, chair Steve McGrath said, “The board is appreciative of the dedication and enthusiasm Kitt has demonstrated over the years and wishes her the best of luck in her future endeavors.”
Like many performing arts venues, the pandemic resulted in the cancellation of its 2020 season and now continued uncertainty concerning the viability and scope of a 2021 summer festival. “Consequently, we made the difficult decision to eliminate the position of executive director due to financial reasons brought on by the pandemic,” said McGrath. “The board fully expects that future seasons will uphold the tradition of quality and thought-provoking programming that have long been part of Maverick Concerts’ identity.”
Potter leaves Maverick Concerts in a strong position for continued growth and outreach to the greater Woodstock community. Speaking about her service to Maverick Concerts, she said, “This organization and the Woodstock community have been so good to me over the past four years and I am incredibly proud of the accomplishments that the board, supporters, team, volunteers and I have together achieved for the organization. To have been granted the opportunity to work alongside the incredible music director, the amazing Team Maverick and such an awesome core of volunteers has been my joy. It has been an honor to lead this beautiful historic venue, a true gem in the greater Woodstock area and I will continue to support and champion Maverick Concerts in the years to come.”
Gardiner short-term rental law due for final hearing in February
The short-term rental (STR) law that has been long in the making for the Town of Gardiner has reached its final form. It will be up for discussion at a virtual public hearing on Tuesday, February 9 at 7 p.m. Residents who wish to comment can find a link to the meeting on the town website at www.townofgardiner.org/town-board-agenda.
The town board made a last tweak to the draft law at its January 12 meeting, adding the SP1 zone at the base of the Shawangunk cliffs to the list of zoning districts in which STRs will be allowed. The use table will permit STRs in the Rural Agricultural (RA), Shawangunk Ridge Protection – 1 (SP1), Hamlet Mixed Use (HM), Hamlet Residential (HR) and Highway Commercial (HC) districts only. They will continue to be prohibited in the environmentally fragile SP2 and SP3 zones. This change was intended to “level the playing field with bed-and-breakfasts,” which are permissible in SP1, according to town supervisor Marybeth Majestic.
Under the new law – the first legislation to make STRs technically legal in Gardiner – an owner of a whole-house rental will be limited to renting it out for a maximum of 100 days per calendar year. Only one party may rent it at a time, with a maximum of five bedrooms and ten adult guests. Absentee owners may not rent out more than one STR, and must designate a local “host” who is responsible to respond promptly to emergencies at the residence. Partial-house rentals where the owner is in residence in the building will not be subject to the 100-day time limitation.
All STRs in Gardiner will require an annual permit, to be issued at the discretion of the building inspector/code enforcement officer, who will also monitor compliance with rules and standards stipulated in the new local law. The permit fee will be set by the town board at its annual organization meeting each January.
The town board also voted to declare itself lead agency in the environmental assessment process for passage of the proposed STR law.
— Frances Marion Platt
Saugerties film chat: The Hustler
The Saugerties Public Library and Saugerties Film Society will present a virtual film chat about The Hustler on Thursday, January 28 at 7 p.m. Register for the program by emailing libraryhelp@saugertiespubliclibrary.org to received a free link to the program.
Join Doug Wilson, legendary director and producer for ABC’s Wide World of Sports, to discuss his all-time favorite sports movie. This film revolves around a high-stakes game of pool and stars Paul Newman, who won a Golden Globe for this role. Watch the movie in advance! Free copies are available through the library catalog.
Information session on how to run for public office
The League of Women Voters (LWV) of the Mid-Hudson Region is providing an information session on Saturday, January 23 from 10 a.m. to noon via Zoom for anyone interested in running for public office. This two-hour event is open to any person who is interested in becoming a candidate themselves, or supporting a local campaign.
Participants of all genders and from all parties, or unaffiliated with a political party, are welcomed and encouraged. The LWV is grateful to the panelists for this event, including both Democratic and Republican commissioners from the Ulster County Board of Elections, as well as current lawmakers and recent candidates.
The meeting is free and open to the public. To obtain a link to join the meeting, send a request to LWVMIDHUDSON@gmail.com or check the calendar on the League’s website LWVMIDHUDSON.org.
Tammy Kim named the 2021 Ottaway Visiting Professor of Journalism
The Department of Digital Media & Journalism at SUNY New Paltz is pleased to welcome Tammy Kim to the campus community as the 2021 James H. Ottaway Sr. Visiting Professor of Journalism.
Kim is a freelance magazine reporter, contributing opinion writer at The New York Times, and a co-host of the Time to Say Goodbye podcast, which focuses on Asia and Asian America.
As Ottaway Visiting Professor, Kim will teach an upper-level journalism seminar titled “Writing Globalized Labor,” a subject about which Kim has written extensively for outlets including Al Jazeera America, The New Yorker, The New York Review of Books, Columbia Journalism Review and The Nation.
Kim will also share insights and experiences with the broader community at two public events, both of which are planned to take place virtually.
The first, an introductory Q&A with president Donald P. Christian, is scheduled for Tuesday, February 2 at 6 p.m., and the second, a public lecture, is scheduled for Tuesday, April 6, at 7 p.m.
More information about the Ottaway Visiting Professorship, can be found at https://www.newpaltz.edu/ottaway/.
Police make arrest in Ulster County hit-and-run
State Police in Ellenville arrested Brysen R. Tota, 24, of Kingston, in connection with a hit-and-run accident that injured a 62-year-old pedestrian in Accord on January 2.
During the course of the investigation, troopers determined that Tota was the driver of a 2010 Gray Audi A4 that struck Accord resident George Barley and then fled the scene.
Tota was charged with:
Leaving the Scene of an Accident involving serious injury (felony), Tampering with Physical Evidence (felony), Assault 2nd degree (felony) and Aggravated Unlicensed Operator 2nd degree (misdemeanor).
He was arraigned in front of Town Justice Shaheen and remanded to Ulster County Jail in lieu of $7,500 cash/and $15,000 unsecured bond.
Phoenicia Library board of trustees to meet on January 21
The Phoenicia Library board of trustees will hold its next meeting on Thursday, January 21 at 6:30 p.m. For the Zoom link, visit www.phoenicialibrary.org.
Additional board meetings will be held on February 18, March 18, April 15, May 20, June 17, July 15, August 19, September 16, October 21, November 18 and December 16.
The library is located at 48 Main Street in Phoenicia. For additional information, call (845) 688-7811.
Stone Ridge Library resumes regular hours, maintains curbside service
On Monday, January 19, the Stone Ridge Library returned to regular hours while continuing curbside delivery to patrons, announced library director Jody Ford. “When statistics for Covid- 19 in the area improve, we will be able to reopen to patrons for in-library browsing,” she added. Patrons can request materials on the library’s website and then call the circulation desk at 687-7023 from the parking lot. Circulation staff will bring their materials to a bench at the library entrance.
Library hours are: Monday, 1:30 – 7 p.m.; Tuesday-Friday, 10 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. and Saturday, 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. Updates and additional details are posted on www.stoneridgelibrary.org.
Senator Martucci sworn into office for first term
Senator Mike Martucci was sworn into his first term in the State Senate last week during a combined in-person and virtual ceremony that occurred in the auditorium of the Orange County Emergency Services Center.
Senator Martucci was elected in November as one of only two candidates to defeat an incumbent member of the state’s upper house. Martucci’s term officially began on January 1 and his offices have been open since January 4. This ceremonial swearing-in was a chance for family, friends, local elected officials and supporters to honor the Senator’s victory as well as the start of his term in the State Senate representing the 42nd District, which includes thirty-seven towns and two cities across four counties in the Hudson Valley and Catskills. Martucci serves as Ranking Member of the Senate Committees on Developmental Disabilities and Small Business, Commerce and Economic Development.
“When I look back over this past year, I truly could not be more grateful to stand here as your State Senator,” Martucci said. “I am incredibly honored by the confidence placed in me by the residents of the 42nd senate district. These are challenging times and it is our duty as elected representatives to rise above the politics of the moment and make our obligations about public service, not self service. Our state, and our Nation, need us to step up now more than ever. Democrats and Republicans alike who feel called to serve know that this job is not easy, but there is a reason we do it — because we can make a difference. What I am looking to do in Albany is not to be someone, but rather to do something. I enter this role with a servant’s heart and a deep sense of responsibility. I understand that when you are blessed to be a leader, how important it is to be there to help and support the people who chose you to lead. I look forward to bringing my experience to Albany for the betterment of the people who live here, and they can count on me to work with anyone who has true courage and is there to serve. I hold a tremendous amount of optimism for the future, because above all, what I am confident in is the goodness of our people and our ability to come together.”
Kindergarten registration for Duzine Elementary School
Kindergarten registration will be held Tuesday, January 19 through Friday, February 12 and will be completed via email for children who will enter kindergarten in September. The registration forms and email information is available on the district website www.newpaltz.k12.ny.us under central registration. Contact Jennifer or Jocelyn at (845) 256-4350 with any questions.
New Paltz Police Reform Committee to host town hall listening session
The New Paltz Police Reform and Reinvention Committee (NPPRRC) will conduct its second public town hall Zoom meeting on January 27 from 7-9:00 p.m. This listening session is an opportunity for community members to share experiences and ideas with committee members before it begins crafting recommendations for improvements to enhance and improve the services of our police department. The town hall is open to the general public, and the link for the meeting will be made available closer to the date via the NPPRRC’s website.
The committee encourages members of the community who may not identify with any of the stakeholder groups it has met with, to come forward and express their concerns, ideas and suggestions on policing as it relates to the Governor’s Executive Order No. 203: New York State Police Reform and Reinvention Collaborative.
The town board established the NPPRRC whose mission is to help identify and hopefully eradicate racism within the department using a collaborative problem-solving platform that will include elected officials, the police department and interested community members. Afterwards, the committee will draft policy and recommendations that will be released prior to another public comment session after which it will be presented to the town board.
Openings on the Saugerties Democratic Committee
Saugerties Democratic Committee has vacancies and welcome enrolled Democrats residing in Saugerties to notify the committee at saugertiesdemocraticcommittee@gmail.com if they are interested in becoming a member of the Saugerties committee and Ulster County Democratic Committee or an associate member of the Saugerties Democratic Committee.
Interested persons will be sent a copy of the procedures for becoming a member. The next meeting of the committee is January 26 at 7 p.m. Upon request you will be sent the link to the virtual meeting, whether you apply to be a member or not.
Highland’s Ethan Thompson signs with Marist College to play baseball
Highland High School senior Ethan Thompson recently signed with Marist College to play baseball in 2021. Thompson credits his teachers for having made a significant impact on his social and learning development. “Throughout my years in elementary, middle and high school, I have learned so much thanks to the awesome educators in the Highland Central School District,” said Thompson who also thanks his parents for being very supportive. “From farm league all the way up to little league, to long baseball trips down the east coast, they have always been there to make sure I had what I needed to thrive,” he said. “I would most definitely not be where I am today if it weren’t for them.”
Some of Thompson’s accomplishments include throwing a no-hitter in eighth grade for the varsity baseball team and receiving the Most Athletic and the Citizenship awards at his eighth-grade graduation ceremony. He also received the Scholar Athlete Award each year. “I would like to thank all of my coaches, especially Highland coaches Manganiello, Forman and Rizzo, along with my current travel coaches Matt Novak and Sean DeLawder,” said Thompson. “I have greatly appreciated the support from the local community as well.”
Looking for volunteers in Kingston
The following City of Kingston boards and commissions are looking for volunteers:
Climate Smart Kingston, Conservation Advisory Council, Heritage Area Commission, Human Rights, Live Well Kingston, Water Board and the Tree Commission is looking for an certified arborist.
To apply, visit: www.surveymonkey.com/r/KingstonBoards.
Saugerties Police Reform and Reinvention Committee schedules second town hall
The Saugerties Police Reform and Reinvention Committee (SPRRC) will hold its second town hall via Zoom on Wednesday, January 27, at 6:30 p.m. Building on the community feedback from the January 6 town hall, the committee will present its preliminary recommendations and solicit further public input. This is an opportunity to help fine-tune the final report, which will be presented at the last town hall before being submitted to the Saugerties Town Board. This process will fulfill Governor Andrew Cuomo’s directive to “promote community engagement to foster trust, fairness and legitimacy, and to address any racial bias and disproportionate policing of communities of color.”
For information about the town hall and to obtain the Zoom link, email SaugertiesPoliceReformReinvent@yahoo.com or call (845) 328-1426. In addition to town hall meetings, the public is asked to fill out SPRRC’s confidential and anonymous survey. The English survey link is bit.ly/SaugertiesSurvey and the Spanish survey link is bit.ly/EncuestaDeSaugerties. All are welcome.
Virtual writing workshop: Witness to History with Carol Bergman
The Gardiner Library will host a virtual writing workshop “Witness to History” with Carol Bergman on Monday, February 1 from 5 to 7 p.m. Beginners and seasoned writers are welcome. The workshop costs $60. To register contact Nicole Lane at nlane@rcls.org. Students will choose a reported event they have witnessed either first-hand or through the media. Oral story-telling of personal recollections and discussions about the importance of primary sources-such as interviews and archival material at the library will proceed drafting a few paragraphs of a personal essay. The only required tools are memory, a notebook and a free-flowing pen.
For further information, visit www.gardinerlibrary.org or the library’s Facebook page.
Elting Memorial Library annual meeting and board meeting
The annual association meeting of Elting Memorial Library will take place on Thursday, January 28 at 7 p.m. Presentation of the new library budget, changes to the library’s by-laws and the election of new board members will occur. Any person legally eligible to vote in the Town of New Paltz (including the village), is eligible to take part in the elections.
The regular monthly board meeting will follow the annual meeting.
You can observe the meeting by registering ahead of time for the link, no less than an hour before the meeting. Please send a request to: paule1942@gmail.com.
Town of New Paltz seeks volunteers
The Town of New Paltz is looking for volunteers to serve on the Bike-Ped Committee, Clean Water Open Space Preservation Commission, Environmental Conservation Board, Ethics Board, Historic Preservation Commission, Planning Board (one member and two alternates), Public Access Committee and Recreation Committee.
Interested parties may submit a letter of interest and resume to the supervisor’s office at P.O. Box 550, New Paltz, NY 12561 or email assistant@townofnewpaltz.org.
Candidates sought for Gardiner offices
The Gardiner Democratic Committee (GDC) is looking for Gardiner residents interested in running for town offices this coming November and being endorsed by the GDC. The positions on the ballot include county legislator (UC District 16), town supervisor, town board member (two positions), town clerk, highways and roads superintendent and town court justice.
Residents interested should send an email to chair@gardinerdemocrats.com expressing interest and, briefly, their reasons for possibly seeking office. A resume is also requested if available. Questions can be sent to the same address, but be sure to include a phone number for a return call. Those interested will need to complete a questionnaire that will be sent to them shortly after their initial email.
Community dialogues in Woodstock
The Woodstock Library board voted on December 17 to have a dialogue with the community during the next few months. The intention of these dialogues is to hear from new voices and to understand why people voted either yes or no on the bond. Based on these conversations, the board may determine its path forward.
A few trustees and the library director will attend each session, and there will be an outside facilitator. Community members are asked to sign up for only one session. To sign up, email info@woodstock.org with your date preferences, name and phone number.
The schedule for the community Zoom dialogues is: Saturday, January 23 from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.; Monday, January 25 from 2 to 3:30 p.m.; and Saturday, January 30 from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
If the first set is well attended, a second set of dialogues will be scheduled.
The new Saugerties Animal Shelter
The Town of Saugerties Animal Shelter offers a place for lost pets to reunite with their families, as well as finding forever homes for lost, abandoned and orphaned pets.
The Saugerties Animal Shelter is on the road to constructing a larger building to house more homeless cats and dogs. If you would like to make a donation and be a part of this important project, visit www.saugertiesanimalshelter.com.
Other ways to help include purchasing a brick or naming a room. The front entrance to the shelter will be a brick patio built using 4×8” and 8×8” bricks. You can purchase a brick and have your name or message engraved on it. And each room in the shelter can be named to show your support for animal welfare in Saugerties. You can also add your name to outdoor benches and dog walking trails.
For further information, visit www.saugertiesanimalshelter.com.
Join the family! 
