Friday, March 27, 2009

NtM - March 27, 2009 - Things To Do Edition


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Good Friday Morning,

Here's the weather for this weekend:

Today
Mar 27
Partly Cloudy 62°/37° 20 %
Sat
Mar 28
Mostly Cloudy 56°/43° 20 %
Sun
Mar 29
Rain / Thunder 56°/35° 80 %

As you can see, Today and tomorrow may be glorious days and if I hear that you spent it in the house I'm going to bring down a ton of Jewish guilt on you... and that's a promise. I'm dialing my mother right now...

So, what to do? Garden! Turn the soil this weekend and lay in some of that compost you've been making since last winter and if you're adventurous, you can get some peas and radishes in and start eating from that plot in as little as 28 days. Once you're done in the garden, take a hike right here in one of Putnam's newest and still rather undiscovered state parks:

Wonder Lake State Park

Hike distance about 5 miles as marked on the map.

Note: This park is a work in progress and the description below was accurate of of May 14, 2007. If you notice changes at the park or have additional information that fits into this report please let me know. JmG

I remember the first time I visited Wonder Lake State Park. The land hadn't been transferred to the state yet and as I hiked on the main road through the park, always afraid of being caught, I ran into two women. Almost at the same moment we each said to each other, "Am I/we in trouble?" I believed they were members of the Montgomery and Cushman clan and they considered I was the caretaker for the property.

Access to the park in those early days was a problem. Originally you went up a right-of-way from Luddingtonville Road just above the Park and Ride that of relatively recent vintage has been turned into a driveway with a house on it making it uncertain to the casual eye if this was a legal access. But after years of questions and agitation from those who wanted easier access to the park the State has created a parking area just south of the Senior Home on Luddingtonville road in Kent. This is where our hike starts. Click here for more.
There's more going on and I hope you enjoy it.

Tonight:

Play On! A Comedy by Rick Abbot

8 p.m. at the Melrose School, Federal Road, Brewster, NY. Also, March 27 and April 3-4. This is the hilarious story of a theater group trying desperately to put on a play in spite of maddening interference from a haughty authoress who keeps revising the script. Act I is a rehearsal of the dreadful show, Act II is the near disastrous dress rehearsal, and the final act is the actual performance in which anything that can go wrong does. When the authoress decides to give a speech on the state of the modern theatre during the curtain calls, the audience is treated to a madcap climax to a thoroughly hilarious romp.

Saturday:

Voices of the Uninsured

10 am-1 pm.  A community forum to advocate for health care for all.  Sponsored by a coalition of health care providers and the Social Justice Committee of the UU Fellowship of Poughkeepsie.  At the UU Fellowship, 67 South Randolph Ave., Poughkeepsie.  845-229-5147 or 845-373-7510; rhinebeckuu1@yahoo.com ; www.uupok.org.

Alternative Energy & Financing Forum in Cornwall

1pm at Hudson Highland's Nature Museum's Outdoor Discovery Center (100 Muser Dr., across from 174 Angola Rd., Cornwall, NY) Co-presented by the Hudson Highlands Nature Museum and Black Rock Forest Consortium Learn more about geothermal, solar PV, and solar thermal energy, and how financing incentives, offered by NYSERDA and other agencies, can make installing an alternative energy system in your home or business more affordable. Sponsored by the Hudson Highlands Land Trust. Featured presenters will include:
    * Pat Courtney, Mid-Hudson Energy Smart Communities (NYSERDA)
    * Craig Roffman, Altren Consulting
    * Carl Floor, Solar Energy Management, Inc.
    * Chris DiBernardo, 2K Solar Contracting
For more information, contact us: 845-424-3358 or info@hhlt.org.  Hope you can join us!

Philipstown Film Fest

At the Depot Theater in Garrison. $10.00
Schedule:
1:30 - 3:30
Emily Breer, Superhero -- 10 min. The Tutor -- 32 min.
Jannika Peerna, Drawing Revealed -- 30 min. Art out of Longing and Song -- 15 min

4:00 — 6:00
Adam Matalon, Seasons in the Valley -- 80 minutes

7:00-8:30
David Rothenberg, Why Birds Sing -- 80 minutes

9:00
Opening night party

Earth Hour 2009

Global: Take part in the World Wildlife Federation's "Earth Hour 2009 by turning out your lights for one hour, 8:30-9:30 pm. This global lights-out effort is intended to bring together millions of people from around the world to show support for action on climate change. This symbolic event will demonstrate to governments around the world that we want action on climate change now. Click here for more information

Clearwater Spring Splash

8PM - Concert with Jeff Tweedy of Wilco at Beacon High School, 101 Matteawan Road, Beacon.  Doors Open at 6:30 p.m., Special guests are also slated to perform at the event. www.clearwater.org   Nearly sold out.

Dave Bonan's 8th Annual Car-Free Bicycle Anniversary

10 PM - Cousin Larry's Cafe 1 Elm Street, Danbury $7 cover (includes raffle ticket) or $1 off with canned good.  21+ only, Drink Specials. Bands: Fighting Cocks, feat. Philo Cramer, formerly of FEAR, Kimono Draggin (New Haven), 76% Uncertain (CT's veteran hardcore since 1983) Info: 203-730-0035 or 203-770-8304. The raffle will include all the goodies like last year, supported by local businesses and will again include 2 10-trip local bus passes and 1 free roundtrip on MetroNorth and the atmosphere will have bike posters, bike hanging bike angels and many cutouts of Andy Singer CARtoons.

Sunday:

Introduction to Survival Skills

9AM - 5PM - One-day indoor/outdoor seminar with John D. McCann of Survival Resources. Learn how to build fires and shelter, purify water, signal, navigate, and other skills. Ages 16+. Call 845-255-0919 to register (required) and for meeting location. $60 Mohonk Preserve members, $75 non-members

Philipstown Film Fest (Part two)

At the Depot Theater in Garrison. $10.00
Schedule:
1:30-3:30
Stephen Ives, Cornerstone -- 90 min

4:00- 5:30
Michelle Clifton, Jail Talk Hudson River Film and Video -- 60 minutes

6:00 -8:00
Andrea Sadler, The Sacred Run -- 2 hours with post show circle ceremony

Kevin Callaghan Jazz Quartet

3 PM -  Tom Kohl on Piano, Ed Xiques on Saxophone, Kevin Callaghan on Bass and Juhn Arrucci on percussion. At the Long Ridge United Methodist Church, 210 Long Ridge Road, Danbury, CT 06810. The Western Connecticut State University Faculty Brass Quintet will also perform. This event is free!

Directions: I 84 to exit 3 in CT.  Follow route 7 south toward Norwalk.  At the first light make a left onto Starrs Plain Road W.  Follow past entrance to Lake Waubeeka and just after sharp bend in the road to the right make a left onto West Redding Road.  Continue until the four way stop and make a left onto Long Ridge Road.  The church is on the left.

Into the Future:

Saturday, April 4

The Michelle LeBlanc Quintet

3 PM at the White Plains Library Featuring pianist Tom Kohl, drummer Ron Vincent, Bill Crow on bass and Ed Xiques on sax. White Plains Library, 100 Martine Ave White Plains NY 10601 914 422 1400  www.whiteplainslibrary.org

Magnetizing Downtowns and Historic Villages

9AM - 5:30 PM This promises to be a very exciting event with participants from all over the Hudson Valley and speakers including the cutting edge David Milder of Danth Inc., Phil and Meg from Project for Public Spaces, Erin Tobin from the Preservation League and Joe Rabito from the Office of Community Renewal as well as representatives from State Agencies, a video connection to a speaker in the Netherlands and local activists from Kingston. Registration is $40 and includes coffee breaks and lunch. Call (845) 677-3002. Sustainable Hudson Valley

Sunday April, 5

"Wild Man" Steve Brill

10:00 am, "Wild Man" Steve Brill, Americas's best known foraging expert, will be paying us a visit here at Native Landscapes and Garden Center( 991 Rt. 22 Pawling, NY). During his hands on program we will learn about the environment and how to get back in touch with nature. To quote Steve, " by studying nature and foraging, we enjoy our renewable resources, and reaffirm our commitment to preserving and protecting our renewable ecological riches."  "Wild Man" will give a brief talk here at the garden center and then we will all venture onto the Appalachian Trail to start dining. "Wild Man" Steve Brill is well known in his field and has been featured on many radio and television shows, and in numerous publications. You can also visit the "Wild Man' on his web site at www.wildmanstevebrill.com. While you're here at the garden center please browse through all our native plants. Don't to forget to ask about our "American Beauties"  native plant program. We look forward to seeing all of you.

October 2nd, 2009

Opening Ceremonies for Walkway Over the Hudson

NY's newest state park. Take an historic walk across the newly renovated Poughkeepsie-Highland Railroad Bridge. At around 7:00 p.m. Invited guests and volunteers will gather at the East and West sides of the bridge to take part in the Grand Illumination of the Walkway, bringing it out of the shadows and into the night light of the Hudson River at its mid-point! We need 1,000 folks to play an active role in the Illumination of the Bridge and the Hot-Air Lantern release that will follow it. Folks can bring their friends and families to help them with their Lantern - so it will be a joyous and wondrous occasion for all involved. And, after the Lantern Release you and your group will have the privilege of viewing the Grand Fireworks show from eye level with the display! And, you will be one of the first to step on the bridge! And THE first to go on the bridge at night!
 
Saturday, October 3, 2009 at 10:00 a.m. we need ANOTHER 1,000 folks to take part in the Official Opening Ceremony. Officiated by Governor David A Patterson and his wife Michelle, the Honorary Chair of the Hudson Fulton Champlain Quadricentennial Celebration and other local State and National dignitaries, YOU will also have a role! The plan is to TIE A KNOT with two nautical ropes coming from the East and West sides of the bridge. We need folks to hold and extend this MILE LONG rope across the bridge. There will be gala bands, lots of ceremony, kites, wind socks, and a Grand Parade that will flow in BOTH directions across the bridge - and YOU will be right in the middle of it! From your high perch you will see rowing races, the Parade, a jet-ski ballet, a fly-over by the Olde Rhinebeck Aerodrome and more! Kids can be a part of this too - so you can bring the whole family.



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