News That Matters - June 19, 2009 - Things To Do Edition

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Good Friday Morning, Today is Junteenth, the commemoration of the announcement of the end of slavery in the state of Texas in 1865. The holiday is celebrated in 31 of our 50 states including ours, which lists it as an official holiday. It can't stay cloudy forever unless the earth has shifted her rotation so that we are now further north in latitude, where the Atlantic beats against the shore of a slowly rising land depressed a mile by the weight of ancient glaciers, kissed by men of pallid skin and great beards and high-prowed sailing ships. If the earth has not shifted her billion year old cycle. The booming you hear in the distance is the artillery practice at West Point I told you about in the June 10th edition of News That Matters. County Legislator Anthony (Tony) Fusco is in the news. This time it's about his fight to gather information  after being stopped for running a stop sign in Putnam Valley in 2008. So far, according to an article in the Journal News, his quest has cost the county $3700 in time required to produce documentation about the case. While at first glance this seems quite extraordinary, Mr. Fusco has a point when he says that the information he's seeking should have been readily available to him. There's nothing he's asked for (police records, video-tapes, etc.,) that is private or even controversial and regardless of what you think about this particular event, Mr. Fusco's actions will make county government better, more transparent and accessible in the end. But if not, maybe they really are hiding stuff from us. The NY State Senate is a mess. What it all comes down to has nothing to do with good governance but who controls millions upon millions of your dollars and the ability to grace you with them. And, who gets to lord over eight-room suites and who must work out of tiny, one room studios. Yes, we've allowed our government to become that fatuous and it's our fault. We're blinded by the money showered upon us and fool ourselves into believing that more-equals-something when more just means less for food on our tables for, in the end, that "more" comes directly from our pockets. The Ayatollah Khamenei claimed in a speech earlier today that if there is any violence or bloodshed in that nation's protests over the recently stolen election, it would be the full responsibility of the opposition and that the Iranian government would never steal an election. How, he asked, can 11 million votes be stolen? How, everyone else asks, can millions of paper ballots be counted in four hours? He blamed then blamed "western influence" for the troubles and told the Iranian people to sit down, shut up and behave. There's another national demonstration schedule for tomorrow which has been expressly banned by the government. The troops are out and the army has been mobilized. You can most certainly expect a good deal of violence and bloodshed - on the part of the government. If you're interested in following events from Iran point your web browsers to Facebook, You-tube, Twitter and Flickr. So far these venues are still open. If you can read Persian, here's the "official" news. Tonight: 5th Annual Juneteenth Celebration 6 - 9PM at Family Partnership Center Lateef Islam Auditorium, 29N Hamilton St., Poughkeepsie.  From Freedom Schools to After School, dedicated to Civil Rights workers of the early 60s, including Jane Van de Bogart. This program will include musical and spoken work performances by Real Skills Network, African Drumming by The Keblulan Drumming Circle, ReadNex Poetry Squad,  and others, with awards ceremony and a tour of the Sadie Peterson Delaney African Roots Library collection and displays. 845 452-1110 x 3343. Saturday: Butterflies at Bylane With Charlie Roberto 11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. Bylane Garden, 35 Todd Road, Katonah. Expert naturalist Charlie Roberto will present a slideshow of local butterflies and then lead a walk through the meadows of Bylane, where more than 60 species of butterflies have been recorded. This is unique chance to learn to recognize local butterflies. Bring binoculars, insect repellent, and plenty of cool drinks. Degree of Difficulty: Easy. Register with Joan E. Becker by e-mail or by telephone at (914) 232-4806. Eleanor Fitchen Memorial 3:30PM - Old Southeast Church, Route 22. Family members from around the world and the country and friends of Eleanor will be acknowledging her life: a life that had a lasting impact on Putnam County, the Town of Southeast and the Village of Brewster; a life that left its mark in the founding and seminal life of several of its conservation, preservation and historical organizations. Eleanor Fitchen has been called the single most significant preservationist in Putnam County's history.  Her work in her hometown of Southeast and across the county began after retirement. Paul and Eleanor Fitchen moved permanently to a longtime family property in Southeast when they both retired in the late 1960's-- a time when Putnam County was undergoing dramatic change. When Putnam County was virtually overhauled by the dramatic population growth and land development of the 70's and 80's --Eleanor and Paul Fitchen became leaders in helping their communities combat environmental degradation and loss of history. Thanks to Denis Castelli for posting this event in another forum. Montgomery Delaney & Marc Von Em 8PM - Tilly Foster Farm, Southeast. PAC is pleased to host another evening of great live music at the Lodge at Tilly Foster, 100 Rte 312, Brewster, NY on Saturday June 20th, at 8pm. Join us to hear the artistry of musician/songwriters Montgomery Delaney & Marc Von Em who will deliver their wonderful bluesy folk/rock tunes in our intimate 60 seat venue. Monty Delaney, “a thoughtful and provocative poet” is known for his gift of touching the hearts and minds of his listeners with the wonderful pictures he present through his lyrics. His friend, Marc Von Em is also a well known and respected Hudson Valley songwriter who has frequently appeared at venues ranging The Bottom Line and The Living Room in NYC to spots throughout the region selling 10,000 copies of his debut CD. Since his connecting with Matchbox 20, he has toured the world for the last 4 tears, performed on numerous TV shows, including Jay Leno,David Letterman, Ellen DeGeneres and more, while still attending to his solo career. PAC asks that you make reservations as our space is limited; suggested donation only $20.00 ($15.00 for members & full time students). For more info, or to RSVP, please visit our website: putnamartscouncil.com or call 845.278.0230 Sunday: Pan Fish Derby 8AM - Noon - Beach 4 at Lake Carmel. Registration starts at 8:00AM. All fish must be weighed in by 11:30AM. Weigh-in Volunteers will be available during the contest. Ages from 2 - adult. Prizes and Trophies awarded! Only Park District Residents and guests are eligible - Proof required. All NYS & Park District fishing rules must be obeyed. Anyone 16 yrs or older must have a valid NYS Fishing License. Bicycle Tour of Olde Fishkill Noon - Van Wyck Homestead, Route 9 (at I84), Fishkill. Join the Fishkill Historical Society, and the community of Fishkill for a Historic Bicycle Tour of Olde Fishkill, and spend a moment with some of America's greatest people!  View PDF Map here. Contact Ann. Family Tour: Registration at Van Wyck (Village) Hall, 1095 Main St, Fishkill, NY begins at 12pm. Kickoff at 12:30. There are a total of 8 sites to visit, all within 4 level blocks (0.6miles). Walkers are welcome if you don't have a bike!  Medium Tour: Registration at Van Wyck (Village) Hall, 1095 Main St, Fishkill, NY begins at 12pm. Kickoff at 12:30. There are a total of 15 sites to visit, some level with a hill along route 52 that will challenge you! 4 miles.  Extended Tour: Registration at Van Wyck Homestead, 504 Route 9, Fishkill, NY begins at 12pm. Kickoff at 12:30. There are a total of 26 sites to visit on this tour. 24 miles, with some hills - and a tough one towards the end. Start training! Community Picnic: There will be a community picnic on the grounds of Van Wyck Homestead to close out the event from 4pm to 6:30pm. More info coming soon. Into the Future: Tuesday, June 23 Hike along Tamarack Creek 10am - Housatonic Valley Association Office, 19 Furnace Bank Road, Wassaic, NY—- MAP Watershed: Ten Mile. Kick off the Watershed month by a hike with the Mid-Hudson ADK along one of the tributaries of the Ten Mile River. We will tour the Housatonic Valley Association office, followed by a visit to old stone furnaces and a hike along the Tamarack creek in a pristine forest with waterfalls. The trip leader will be Lalita Malik. Call Lalita, 845-592-0204, or email lalitamalik@aol.com, to confirm. Meet at the HVA office, 19 Furnace Bank Road, Wassaic, NY Wednesday, June 24 Intro to Mobile GIS 5:30 - 9:30 pm, Marist College - Poughkeepsie. Intro to Mobile GIS (Adobe .PDF) Layers and Free Web-Based Geospatial Map Applications (Geobrowsers) Did you know that Adobe Acrobat files now enable “Layers” that can utilize and integrate spatial information as a virtual “mobile GIS”? Have you heard about the whole wave of new “Geobrowser” tools (Google Maps, Google Earth, NASA World Wind) now available online? Do you want to know more about how to use these remarkable mobile and online spatial resources to understand your neighborhood, our planet and the natural systems of the Hudson River watershed?  The Hudson River Watershed Alliance (www.hudsonwatershed.org) in partnership with Marist College (www.marist.edu) is sponsoring a half-day introductory training to support a fuller understanding of watershed management, water resource protection, sustainability, and conservation planning issues in the Hudson River watershed. Please see attached announcement for more details.  To register contact Katy Dunlap, HRWA Coordinator, at katy@hudsonwatershed.org or 845-486-1556.  Registration is limited to 15 seats and is expected to fill. Cost is $30. Friday, June 26 Leo Burmester Retrospective 7PM – 10 p.m. – Cultural Center on Lake Carmel. Opening Reception – “We are such stuff as dreams are made” Retrospective continues with 8 p.m. Performance June 27 by Daniel Burmester (GUTworks Theatre) of Rattlesnake in a Cooler by Frank South. Additional exhibit days: Sunday, June 28, 1-5 p.m., Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, June 29-July 1, 7-9 p.m. Rattlesnake in a Cooler A one man show by Frank South. GUTWorks, a NYC/Vermont-based theater & film company, will be performing Rattle Snake in a Cooler at Arts on the Lake in Carmel, NY. The performance will be on Saturday night at 8pm. GUTWorks has amazed audiences again and again over the past three years with their dynamic theatrical events. The renowned theatre and film company will be presenting another, Ingeniously creative solo theatre experience. Daniel Burmester will be performing Rattlesnake in a Cooler, the gut-wrenching story of a man trying to find himself in all the wrong places. Saturday, July 11 Annual Garden Party at the Asylum 3PM - Onwards. Come celebrate the beauty of the highlands in western Kent. Rain or Shine! Bring some food for the pot luck and drink for the coolers, a blanket and/or some chairs, or just wear light, comfortable clothes and hang out on the grass in the field. We'll have plates and forks and knives and spoons and cups so you can leave those at home. Don't forget your sunscreen. There's afternoon shade near the edge of the forest so you can set up over there if you like. Last year the kids had a massive water fight to stay cool. No adults were harmed in the battle. When the sun goes down the fire-pit becomes the place for gathering and we'll be sure to have it blazing once it's dark enough for the after-party which ran until 6AM last year. The weather report projects 80º and partly sunny so we'll have lots of ice and cool, non-alcoholic, non-caffeinated beverages on hand. What you could do: Bring along some friends, the extended family, the neighbors, your kids, the dogs... pretty much anything and anyone that walks or rolls. Bring your musical instruments, your talents and yes, even your accordions and kazoos. But be prepared to play them. If you're traveling from away or taste testing the barleycorn, bring your tent. There's plenty of room to camp. Handicap parking is available! More info is here. Thursday, July 23 Hudson River Watershed Alliance 10AM - 3PM At this meeting, we will learn about the current activities of each watershed group and what new issues you are facing in your efforts.  In addition, we will collectively chart a course for organizing quarterly or semi annual watershed roundtable width='100%' meetings.  The goal of this meeting is to find new ways in which you can learn from one another and move your local watershed efforts forward! In preparation, please consider these questions and be prepared to discuss your related activities: 1.  Since our last meeting (July 2008), what aspect of watershed planning protection has your group focused on? 2.  What challenges have you faced and how has your group addressed these issues? 3.   Is their mutual consent to commit to more frequent roundtable meetings?  If so, how should we structure these events?   Please RSVP by Thursday, July 16, to katy@hudsonwatershed.org or 845-486-1556.	Sign up to have News That Matters Delivered to your email inbox! Email:
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