Keep Your Pets Safe

This is just a reminder to everyone in the valley who has cats and small dogs to keep them safely inside. The coyote population in the valley seems to have increased dramatically in the last couple of years especially at the end of the valley. I saw significantly more coyote tracks this winter on my property than in past winters. And heard them yipping and yelping in the darkness many an evening. So keep your pets indoors or take them out only under supervision. Be careful with your fur children, the food chain is ugly business around here!!

The New Paltz College Youth Symphony

Miriam Rose will be one of the talented young musicians playing their violins in the New Paltz College Youth Symphony this coming Sunday. The concert is scheduled for 7PM. You may remember the lovely and talented Ms Altman from our yearly Woodland Community Association meetings. For the last several years Miriam has closed our meeting with a violin performance. She is 10 years old now and her talent has grown immeasurably. She even has a solo in the upcoming concert! So, if you have the chance, get yourselves to New Paltz for an evening of wonderful music with some talented local young folks (including our own Miriam Rose).

COLLEGE YOUTH SYMPHONY

Spring Concert

Sunday May 5, 2013, 7PM

Studley Theatre at the State University at New Paltz

performing

Selections from

 The Swan Lake 

by  Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky

At Peace 

for string orchestra

by Justin Cox, graduating senior, 2013

Concerto for Clarinet and Orchestra 

by Ignaz Pleyel

Justin Cox, clarinet - Winner of College Youth Symphony Competition 2012

Selections from 

Girl Crazy

by George Gershwin

Danzon No. 2

by Arturo Márquez

Capriccio Espagnol, Op. 34

by Nikolai Andreyevich Rimsky-Korsakov

Carole Cowan, conductor College/Youth Symphony

Victor Izzo, CYS Wind Ensemble

presented by

The Department of Music School of Fine And Performing Arts

State University at New Paltz

Tickets available ($ 8, 6, 3) at the door

Bake Off To Benefit Library

Come to the Mama's Boy Bake-Off

Saturday, May 11th at 1pm
to Benefit the Phoenicia Library

at Mama's Boy Market

7 Church Street, Phoenicia

Your cakes, pies, cupcakes and cookies

Will go to paying for books, kids programming, and more ...

for the community

Can't bake worth a darn?  That's OK, come to the Bake-Off Auction after the judging.  Get something for Mom for Mother's Day (the next day)!

Bake-Off Rules:

1.  Sign up at the library or Mama's Boy.  $10 entry fee

2.  Bring your treat at 9 AM to Mama's Boy
3.  Please put on disposable plate, include a list of ingredients.
4.  Come back at 1 PM and watch our 3 community judges pick the best !

Thanks,

Liz

-- 

Elizabeth Potter

Director, Phoenicia Library

director@phoenicialibrary.org  

http://phoenicialibrary.org  

Malcolm Holcombe At ESRM

Flying Cat Music Presents

Malcolm Holcombe in Concert

Saturday, May 4, 2013

7:30 p.m. (sharp), Door at 7:00

Empire State Railway Museum

70 Lower High Street, Phoenicia, NY 12464

Admission is $18 or $15 w/RSVP

to flyingcatmusic@gmail.com

For information email as above

or call 845-688-9453

Link to artist’s website:

http://www.malcolmholcombe.com/

Flying Cat Music is honored to present Malcolm Holcombe in concert. He will be performing at the Empire State Railway Museum on Saturday, May 4, 2013, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $15 advance or $18 at the door. For information and reservations email flyingcatmusic@gmail.com or call 845-688-9453. The museum is located at 70 Lower High Street in Phoenicia, New York.

Great Year For Daffodils

This has been an extraordinarily good year for daffodils. I have never seen them bloom so well. The winter was long, wet and on the cold side. Lately, the days have been nice but on the cooler side, and the nights have been cold at times. The daffodils seem to love this weather. They came much later this year but they are all flowering at pretty much the same time and the blooms are staying open longer than usual. What a show!!!

Velsani Antiques Celebrates Manuel Pardo

Velsani Antiques and Vintage Jewelry (owned and operated by two WCA members) is having a Manuel Pardo event from May 4  - September 3, 2013. Velsani is located in the Emerson Inn and Spa. For information you can email them at info @emersonresort.com.

Special Guest Joins Rick Altman Trio

The Rick Altman Trio will have a special guest for their performance this Sunday at the Harmony Cafe. Check out the details below and go see them for some mad hot jazz.

The Rick Altman Trio 

with Mike Ralff & Jody Sumber

and special guest, guitarist Steve Raleigh

 An evening of jazz classics and original compositions

with vibes, guitar, bass, and drums

Sunday, April 28, 2013

8 to 11 p.m.

*donation*

 HARMONY

52 Mill Hill Rd. Woodstock, NY  (845) 679-3484

more info: www.rickaltman.com

Phoenicia Library Upgrades Computers

PHOENICIA LIBRARY IS PART OF AN UPGRADE IN CIRCULATION COMPUTERS

Tue., April 23^rd and Wed., April 24^th

YOUR PATIENCE IS APPRECIATED AS SOME SERVICES WILL BE UNAVAILABLE

PHOENICIA LIBRARY WILL REMAIN OPEN BOTH DAYS

Tuesday April 23^rd: 

·        Library will be open regular hours 10 to 4

·        We will have limited ability to check in and out books

·        To take out a book, you need your patron card or barcode number

·        Patron computers will be available for use as usual

·        Patron catalog (to put books on hold) will be closed all day

·        We cannot make new requests for books for you

Wednesday April 24^th

·        Library will be open regular hours 1-6

·        You can take out books etc. w/o a library card

·        Patron catalog to put books on hold will re-open

·        New book requests can be made, although there may be some delay in receipt

·        Our staff will be learning a new circulation program, so be prepared for some confusion and delay over the course of the week

NOTE:  All  Mid-hudson System Libraries will be on a similar schedule on these days.

The Oberbecks and Friends Visit Holland

Woodland Valley residents Pete and Sally Oberbeck, along with longtime valley regular Jeanne O'Neil and some other friends, visited Holland in the past few weeks. Pete sent some awesome photos from their trip. Here are just a few for all of you to enjoy!

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Peepers

For the last couple of nights I have been hearing the peepers out in full force. Thursday evening was the first time this year that I have heard them. It is a sure sign of the warmer weather to come. Last night in rain there were tons of frogs and/or toads (hard to tell which when you are driving) all over Woodland Valley Road. I was driving slowly and trying to avoid squishing them (I try to do no harm if possible). They were of varying sizes and, to my surprise, there were several really large ones. I am accustom to seeing the little ones but I rarely see the big ones in the road. Anyway, it just made it feel more like the valley is coming alive after a long winter.

For those of you who want to see exactly what a peeper looks like here is a link to the Wikipedia page where they can be found.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spring_Peeper

Susan Gillespie Helps Lead The Charge

There are so many WCA members involved in so many interesting and important things that it is hard to keep up with everyone. Right now Susan Gillespie (you may remember that Susan's brother, Gardner, and his law firm won our appeal against the Poncic water harvesting plan) is helping to lead the charge in Rosendale and the surrounding towns to prevent Central Hudson (their local utility company) from being taken over by Fortis (a Canadian Company). They have gotten the public comment period extended. Both Rosendale and Woodstock have passed resolutions opposing the takeover. Here are some articles in the Freeman about the matter and details on the public hearings and different methods to comment. Any of you who have another residence in the Central Hudson coverage area or are concerned about this in general might want to have some input.

Fortis - CH Energy Deal Shorts Public, Critics Contend

Fortis Takeover Of Central Hudson Gets Extended Comment Period

-The public comment period has been extended to May 1st.
-The Ulster County Legislature as well as a number of local towns passed Resolutions opposing the takeover of Central Hudson by Fortis.    

Woodstock Town Board Takes A Stand Against Fortis Buyout of CH Energy Group

Rosendale Commits $1500 to Fight Fortis Buyout of CH Energy

-Two additional Public Hearing dates have been added:

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 17, 7 p.m.
City of Poughkeepsie
Common Council Chambers          
62 Civic Center Plaza 3rd Floor
Poughkeepsie,  NY 12601                                                                                               

THURSDAY, APRIL 18, 7 p.m.
City of Kingston
Council Chambers
420 Broadway
Kingston, NY 12401
                                                                                       
-There will be a PUBLIC DISCUSSION FORUM
with representatives of town, county, labor, & the public
Wednesday, April 10th
7-9 p.m.
Elmendorph Inn
7562 Rt. 9, Red Hook, NY 12571

-Email your comments to The Public Service Commission Secretary at  secretary@dps.ny.gov.
 Post comments at  http://documents.dps.ny.gov/public/MatterManagement/CaseMaster.aspx?MatterCaseNo=12-M-0192&submit=Search+by+Case+Number.

Phoenicia Featured Again

Phoenicia was featured in an article on the website Brownstoner.com this week. It was a great story about all the interesting and fun things the hamlet has to offer. This is just the latest in a long line of good press for Phoenicia. Let's hope this coming summer will be a fantastic tourist season for all our great, locally owned town businesses!! Go Phoenicia!!

Here is a link to the website so you can check out the article yourselves.

http://www.brownstoner.com/blog/2013/04/the-upstater-lets-go-to-phoenicia/

Blasting Under The East Side

After WCA member Tom Healy sent me his diving posts he also sent me another really cool video. Tom works for the MTA in New York City as a dispatcher so he keeps up with all their different projects around the city. As you all probably know the MTA has been building another subway line under the east side of Manhattan. They have been working on it for a long time and occasionally have to blast some rock. The video Tom sent shows that happening. According to the blurb on the YouTube page with this video this was a blast under Grand Central Station and is one of the last they have to do. I thought it was very interesting to be able to watch this amazing project near it's completion. Maybe you will enjoy it too.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ms0nDGDrNc8&feature=youtu.be

Going Batty At The Blue Heron Bridge

WCA member Tom Healy sent me a link to a couple of cool diving videos from his adventures at The Blue Heron Bridge. The first is of a bat fish. I think this is one of the strangest most prehistoric looking fish around. The second video is of a puffer fish which is also cool. I wrote to Tom and asked where the bridge is located. Here is his answer. 

"The bridge is in West Palm beach Florida  This bridge goes over the Lake Worth Lagoon. The bridge sees fresh ocean water from the inlet a mile away. With that comes fish normally seen in the tropics.  This batfish is one example. At this bridge dive time is 1 1/2 to 2 hours to a max depth of 20 feet."

Thanks for sending us these cool videos Tom!!

First Daffodil

Well, spring is finally in the air here in the Catskills. Sometime during the middle of last week there was a change in the weather. It happens every year. I never can put my finger on exactly what changes, and the difference is very subtle, but suddenly you wake up one day and it feels less like a warm winter morning and more like a cool spring one. The difference is slight, almost imperceptible, but something IS different and FINALLY the nice weather seems just around the corner. I think of it as the first real morning of spring and breathe a huge sigh of relief. It has been a long winter.

And with the change in the weather comes the blooming. Today, I saw both the first Colt's Foot, and my first daffodil. The daffodil wasn't very large (about the size of a quarter) but it is a sign that the rest are coming soon. Those of you who know me know that I live to see my daffodils bloom. It will probably be another 2 weeks until the majority of them are in full flower, but they are coming!!!!

The birds are returning too. This week I have heard them chirping and calling to one another in the early morning. Woodpeckers, mourning doves, tufted titmice, red winged blackbirds, robins and assorted others, what a lovely sound. And soon our human snow birds will be coming home. So the birds and the nice weather are returning and the valley is coming alive. God I love the spring!

Chuck Brodsky At The ESRM

Flying Cat Music Presents

Chuck Brodsky in Concert

Wednesday, April 10, 2013

7:30 p.m. (sharp), Door at 7:00

Empire State Railway Museum

70 Lower High Street, Phoenicia, NY 12464

Admission is $15 or $13 w/RSVP

to flyingcatmusic@gmail.com

For information email as above

or call 845-688-9453

Link to artist’s website:

http://www.chuckbrodsky.com/ 

Flying Cat Music is pleased to present folk balladeer Chuck Brodsky in concert. He will be performing at the Empire State Railway Museum on Wednesday, April 10, 2013, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $13 advance or $15 at the door. For information and reservations email flyingcatmusic@gmail.com or call 845-688-9453. The museum is located at 70 Lower High Street in Phoenicia, New York.

Chuck Brodsky was named, "One of the finest singer-songwriters in America,” by Larry Groce of NPR’s “Mountain Stage.” Penguin Eggs, Canada’s leading Folk and World Music magazine, says, “Brodsky's unquestionably the best folk ballad songwriter currently in America - bar none.”  And it’s not just North Americans who feel that way about him. The Limerick Leader – that’s Limerick as in Limerick Ireland – calls Chuck Brodsky, “one of the finest singers and songwriters to emerge from the US in recent years.”

  

The Black Rabbit

One of our newest WCA members, Kevin Lanier, wrote to me and asked me to mention "The Black Rabbit",  his brother's fabulous bar in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. Kevin is an investor in the bar. The establishment is almost 6 years old and is a critic's pick in New York magazine! 

http://nymag.com/listings/bar/black-rabbit/

http://www.blackrabbitbarnyc.com/blackrabbitbarnyc/hme.html

Looks like an awesome place to stop for a drink or some pub food. They even have a beer garden for when the weather gets warmer (have faith, someday it will). I plan to check it out the next time I am in Brooklyn! 

Summering In Phoenicia

There is a great article in the Woodstock Times this week about the upcoming summer in Phoenicia. The hamlet is gearing up for a great tourist season with new hotel and restaurant openings. There will also be lots of fun in store for art and music lovers. Various local organizations have exciting activities and events planned and things are still unfolding. Here is a link to the piece so you can read all about it.

http://www.woodstockx.com/2013/04/01/a-phoenicia-summer/