Thursday, 4/11, 7-8:30pm:  Backpacking Basics.  REI will take the mystery out of backpacking with an overview of planning, preparation and gear.  Learn how to choose a pack, select proper clothing and footwear.  Plus, they'll give you important notes on trail etiquette and Leave No Trace principles.  Let REI help you understand what you need to reach your destination.  FREE.  More info and to register.  At REI in Ridge Hill, off I-87 or Tuckahoe Rd at Ridge Hill Blvd.

Sunday, 4/14, to Saturday, 4/20:  Celebrate National Library Week at the Yonkers Riverfront Library.  Monday, 4/15, from 4-5pm: Make Your Own Book.  Tuesday, 4/16, from 4-5pm: Make your Own Bookmark.  Thursday, 4/18, 4-5pm: Books Bingo.  These FREE activities are open to children ages 7+.  No registration required.  More info: 914.337.1500 x428.  The Riverfront Library is across the street from the Yonkers train station.

Sunday, 4/14, 10am-3pm:  Park Hill Racquet Club Jazz Breakfast and Open House.  At 10am: Enjoy a home cooked pancake breakfast, catch up with friends, listen to great live music by The Cliff Hackford Trio.  Pay at the door: Adults $15, Kids ages 4-12 $8, Kids under age 3 FREE.  At 12pm:  Racquet Club Open House.  The Membership Committee will be on hand to give tours of club (clay tennis courts, pool, vintage bowling lanes, kids' play area), answer question and accept applications.  The Club offers year-round activities for the whole family: holiday picnics, karaoke, pig roast, tennis brunches, pot-luck dinners, Halloween parties, breakfast with Santa, pasta parties, outdoor movie nights, rock-and-roll bowling, vinyl record nights, board game Sundays, trivia nights and the Governor's Ball...all for a very reasonable annual membership fee.  Stop in, have a great breakfast and see what the Club has to offer.  If you can't come to the breakfast, the Open House is FREE from 12-3pm.  Both events are open to the public.  The Club is at Van Cortlandt Park Ave and Lakeside Dr.  More info.

Saturday, 4/13, and Sunday, 4/14, 12-4pm:  Potting, Power, and Worms. Support science literacy at Barnes & Noble and a percentage of the day's total sale will go to Groundwork Hudson Valley's Science Barge, a floating sustainable farm on the Yonkers waterfront.  Volunteers from the Science Barge will be on hand Sunday from 12-4pm to help you pot your own hydroponic basil, ride an energy bike to create electricity, and visit red wiggler composting worms.  All ages.  Be sure to tell the cashier that you're shopping for Beczak. At Barnes & Noble at 214 Central Park Ave. Can't make it to the store?  You can shop online at Barnes & Noble between 4/14 and 4/29.  Use Bookfair ID 11058609 and The Science Barge will still get credit for your purchase.

Sunday, 4/14, 4-5pm:  Untermyer Gardens Lecture.  The last time the Untermyer Gardens Conservancy held a lecture on this historical gem in January as part of the Wave Hill Lecture Series, the event was standing room only.  The Gardens were called the most spectacular garden in America in the 1920's and its fascinating history will be brought to life.  Tickets are on sale on a first come, first served basis. If you want a guaranteed seat,  order via the website. If you can't plan that far in advance, you can buy tickets at the door ($15). At the Cola Community Center at Untermyer Park and Gardens, 945 North Broadway in Yonkers.   

Sunday, 4/14, 3-5pm:  Writing Workshop and Reading at the Hudson River Museum.  This workshop is designed to help you explore your thoughts as you explore the Museum's spring exhibition, The Panoramic River.  Writing Workshop at 3pm, read your work at 4pm.  Coffee and light refreshment provided.  FREE with Museum admission ($3-$5, members FREE).   More info or 914.963.4550.  The Museum is at 511 Warburton Ave.  

Tuesday, 4/16, 3:30-4:30pm:  Groundwork Hudson Valley's  

Environmental Food Team.  FREE weekly lectures, tours, interesting movies, food tastings, friendship, fun and FREE veggies!  This week's program: Arugula to Watercress, A Tour and Tasting of Salad Greens (with a few surprises!).  At Philipse Manor Hall at 29 Warburton Ave, just one block east of the Yonkers train station.  FREE parking available.

Thursday, 4/18, 7:30pm:  "Adriaen van der Donck," a dramatic performance by Tom Milton that explores the conflict over the governance of New Netherland.  Tom Milton is the author of seven acclaimed novels of suspense and is Professor of International Business at Mercy College.  Join the Friends of Philpse Manor Hall for an evening's ertainment, wine and hors d'oevres.  FREE.  At historic Philipse Manor Hall at 29 Warburton Ave, just one block east of the Yonkers train station.  More info: 914.965.4027.  

Our Own Bob Walters Featured in "The Journal News."  Many of you may know Bob Walters or not even realize that you already know who he is.  Bob was the first Executive Director of the Beczak Environmental Education Center and he helped build the Hudson River sloop The Sojourner Truth.  He wrote "River Notes," a local newspaper column, for ten years and was a tour guide on the Yonkers Water Taxi.  Bob is now the Director of the Science Barge, a floating sustainable urban farm operated by Groundwork Hudson Valley that is docked on the Yonkers waterfront.  He was also a vital part of transforming the Larkin Plaza parking lot into the beautiful Van Der Donck Park with the daylit Saw Mill River and is featured in the new documentary "Lost Rivers."  Bob loves Yonkers and the Hudson River, his backyard.  We thank him for his commitment to making Yonkers a better place for all of us.  Read entire article HERE. 

WHERE ARE THE "BEST PLACES TO LIVE" IN WESTCHESTER?  Well....Westchester Magazine thinks one of the "Best Places" is Yonkers...and they're right!  Read about all the featured places HERE and the segment about Yonkers HERE.