Town of Hillsdale Newsletter

We all know that the Roe Jan community is one terrific place to live but who knew that the Roe Jan Park was on the cutting edge of an outdoor fitness craze? A New York Times article on June 29 reported the growing popularity of "Adult Playgrounds and Outdoor Fitness Areas." Next week, the installation of Roeliff Jansen Park's fitness area will begin. Funded by the "Flower to Power the Parks" luncheons, it will be available for anyone who wants to get off the couch, get a bit of exercise, and enjoy great views of the Roeliff Jansen Kill and the occasional Bald Eagle.

While we're bragging, a couple of new businesses in town made the latest issue of this fancy magazine. The most recent business to open, the Village Scoop, got some rightful praise here.

With so much going on in town, we thought it would be a good idea to bring everyone together. Stop by Hillsdale's 1st community block party on Saturday, August 11, from 2 to 5.

In the meantime, we wish you all a fun, safe, sun-filled summer (with a healthy dose of rain, too)!

The Hillsdale Town Board: Art Baer, Peter Cipkowski, Augie Sena, Jill Sims-Elster and Steve Tiger

PS: Please note that some e-mail servers cut off the end of the calendar and the newsletter. So if yours does not end with a little note from us, go to the very end and click on "view entire message.

News

Trout Fishing in Hillsdale

Here's an excerpt from Guy Winig's article posted on the Conservation Advisory Council's webpage. "Trout are our canaries in a coalmine. They are an excellent indicator of stream health, requiring clean, cold, well-oxygenated water to thrive. Without very high quality surface waters, trout just cannot survive. Hillsdale is fortunate to have several miles of trout streams including the Roeliff Jansen Kill, Taconic Creek, Agawamuck Creek and Green River with numerous smaller and unnamed tributaries contributing to them." Read it here.

Report from the Housing Committee

The Hillsdale Housing Committee Received a grant this past June from the Fund for Columbia County, a subdivision of the Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation. The grant of $465 was to fund the publication of a brochure on Accessory Housing in Hillsdale. In addition to the committee's work on the brochure, it facilitated changes in the Town's law on Accessory Housing, Section 4.7-2 of the Town's Zoning Law. The purpose of the changes was to encourage the creation of Accessory Housing in the Town and, it is hoped, to thereby facilitate the creation of additional legal housing units, at moderate rent, for local families, seniors and employees of the Town and school district. More here.

Speaking of Housing

Glenn Smith, Hillsdale's building inspector and zoning officer, retires on July 31. We're all grateful for Glenn's service, especially his efforts to bring the department into the 21st century. As we search for a permanent replacement, the Board has appointed Peter Wurster, Code Enforcement Officer from Hudson. Peter has worked with Hillsdale before and is familiar with our zoning and comprehensive plan. Peter's hours will be posted on the Building and Zoning Enforcement page here once he gets started.

Celebrating Roe Jan School and Community

An exhibit of items from the Roeliff Jansen School are on display through September 30 at the Society's museum in Copake Falls. You'll find yearbooks, uniforms, photographs and many other historic items. The exhibit also showcases some of recent donations many of which tell the story of the Roe Jan community's heritage.

The summer exhibit is open on Saturday and Sunday afternoons from 2:00 to 4:00 pm. Visit the Society's website.

Events

Fun for the Whole Family

Saturday, July 28 AND Sunday, July 29

10:00 am and 2:00 pm
Roeliff Jansen Park

Looking for some fun weekend activities for the family? Pick up a RJP Family Activity Pack and explore the park! Inside every family pack you'll find games, treasure hunts, nature-related activities, and tons more for the whole family. Packs will be distributed to individual families on Saturday and Sunday at 10:00 am and 2:00 pm. Take as much time as you like and return the packs when your adventure is finished. Come and have some family fun!

Nonfiction Book Sale

Friday-Sunday, August 3-5

Roe Jan Community Library

Visit the nonfiction book sale at the Roe Jan Community Library, sponsored by the Friends of the library. Topics include history, biography, gardening, cooking, nature, pets, science, art, home, personal relationships, etc. Hours are Friday noon-5, Saturday 10-4 and Sunday 10-3. There will be no early bird or special admission arrangements, but on Sunday patrons can fill a bag with books for $3.

August Farm Markets

Saturday, August 4 and 18

9:00 am - noon
Hamlet Park

The next Hillsdale Farmers Markets are scheduled for Saturday, August 4 and August 18 from 9 am till noon at the town park. More here.

Garden Tour

Saturday, August 4

Linda Horn's Garden, Spencertown

10:00 am

Hillsdale Gardeners is sponsoring a visit to Linda Horn's one-of-a-kind garden in Spencertown on Saturday, August 4, at 10 am. Linda's unique landscape includes a fully developed meadow, a waterfall, restored woodlands and a domestic garden. Linda will be available to answer questions and will serve a light brunch. $10 contributions will go to Hillsdale Parks. RSVP hillsdalegardeners@gmail.com.

Hillsdale Block Party

Saturday, August 11

2:00 pm - 5:00 pm

Join neighbors, friends and family at Hillsdale's 1st Block Party on Saturday, August 11 between 2:00 and 5:00. Meet at the village square and enjoy live music and wonderful food.

Nickel Social at Firehouse

Saturday, August 18

11:00 am - late afternoon

Hillsdale Fire House

The Hillsdale Fire Company's Ladies Auxiliary is hosting a NICKEL SOCIAL, Saturday, August, 18, 2012. All proceeds to benefit our Hillsdale Volunteer Fire Company and yearly community events. Tables will include: NEW items, USED items & Baked Items. Also: Raffles, Door Prizes, and a Kids' Game Area. Delicious subs & sandwiches will also be available. More information here.

RJ Library Gold Tournament

Sunday, August 19

Registration 7:30 am and Noon

The library's annual golf tournament has gotten a reputation as a fun day with great prizes and delicious food. Two-person teams play in a dual shotgun, 18-hole scramble, with prizes for men's, women's and mixed teams. Any player making a hole-in-one on ANY hole will win a one-week stay at a condo in Hilton Head, donated by MetzWood Harder Insurance of Chatham. There will also be closest-to-the-pin prizes and other awards. The $75 per person entry fee includes 18 holes of golf, home-baked breakfast goodies and snacks, grilled burgers and hot dogs for lunch and a BBQ chicken dinner prepared by the Ancram Fire Department. More information here.

August Town Board Meeting

Tuesday, August 21

7:00 pm

Town Hall

All welcome. Agendas for past meetings here; corresponding minutes and videos are here.

NY's Premiere Women's a capella Group

Sunday, August 26

5:00 pm

Roe Jan Library

Treble, New York's premiere women's a capella group, will perform in concert at the Roelff Jansen Community Library, 5 pm, Sunday, August 26. The concert is free of charge and open to all. The group, with a 14-year legacy of vocal excellence and quality performance, is composed of 9 talented young women. With bravado, energy and a diverse, ever-changing repertoire, Treble dazzles audiences across the New York City area. The group cultivates a rich blend of mesmerizing arrangements, performing dynamic covers from diverse genres that please crooners, swooners and hipsters alike; there is something for every audience member. More information here.

Save the Date

John Cowper Powys Lecture and Exhibit

Saturday, September 22

6:00 pm

Roe Jan Community Library

There will be an exhibit at the Roe Jan Community Library beginning September 22 commemorating the life and work of John Cowper Powys, a novelist and lecturer who lived in Hillsdale from 1930-34. Powys wrote extensively about his life in Hillsdale and the beauty of the area, which he considered his "Arcadia." A lecture on Powys will be given in the library at 6:00 pm on September 22 by Professor Nicholas Birns. Powys' writings have inspired many people, and there are Powys Societies in the United States, France, England and Sweden. More here.

Historic Hillsdale Hootenanny

Saturday, October 20

Location and Time tbd

Join us at a great singing and dancing Hootenanny featuring the Berkshire Ramblers and Hillsdale performers. Proceeds will be used to restore the historic Town Hall's exterior with a new roof, windows, entry and more. More information posted here.

Dear Subscriber: The goal of this newsletter, issued by Hillsdale's Town Board, is to provide a summary of all the cool things that are happening in our community. If you have an event taking place in Hillsdale or in adjacent Roe Jan communities, contact us as soon as you know about it. Provide as much detail as possible. Your event will be posted on the town Town Website Calendar and in the monthly newsletter. Contact us at hillsdalecalendar@gmail.com.

Sincerely,
Peter Cipkowski, Communications Chair, Town Board

The Town of Hillsdale, New York