Hillsdale Newsletter
May 2013
  Hillsdale Town Seal
Hillsdale's website has a comprehensive list of departments, office hours, and a full listing of local events.
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Third Tuesday of the month @ 7:00

  

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Roe Jan Community Library

Roe Jan Park

Taconic Hills School Aquatic & Fitness Center
Hours for community use

 

Monday-Friday 
6:00-7:20 am
5:30-8:30 pm 
Saturday 9:00 am - 2:00pm
Sunday 2:00 pm - 5:00pm

 
Call 325-0432 for holiday hours and schedule updates
Local Nature
Roe Jan Park

Harlem Valley Rail Trail
 
 Columbia Land Conservancy Conservation Areas
 
 Bash Bish Falls State Park
 
Taconic State Park, Copake Falls
 
Lake Taghkanic State Park
 
Rheinstrom Hill Audubon Center and Sanctuary, Craryville
 
Mount Washington State Forest, Mt. Washington, MA
 
Mt. Everett State Reservation, Mt. Washington, MA
Local Arts
Ghent Playhouse
Hudson Opera House
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Art Omi
PS 21, Chatham
Time & Space Limited
Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center
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Cornell Cooperative Extension
(gardening, pest questions)
828-3346


Hawthorne Valley Farm 
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Greetings! 

 

As spring the winter doth succeed, there's a lot to do around town.  For starters, Saturday is the time-honored tradition of Clean-up Day. This means that the town's highway crew will be available to discard your unwanted items. One load per resident, please.

 

With doors open wide, it's no surprise there have been reports of dogs-on-the-loose. Though Hillsdale is a pet-friendly town, safety always comes first. Any questions about guidelines, please visit Animal Control

 

Wishing you all a happy and healthy month of May. We're back to our monthly e-newsletter schedule now through August.

 

See you soon.

 

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 

TAX BENEFITS IN HISTORIC DISTRICT

 

The Historic Hillsdale Committee has published a brochure to promote the benefits available to owners who rehabilitate their residential and/or income-producing buildings inside the historic district. A handful of property owners have already taken advantage of this valuable tax credit. Download the informational brochure here

RAIL TRAIL UPDATE

 

Several sections of the unpaved, stone-surface extension will open this summer for walkers, runners and mountain-bikers. The Harlem Valley Rail Trail Association has begun efforts to raise funds to pay for paving the trail as well as installing a tunnel so it can cross Route 22 south of the old Roe Jan School. The HVRTA is seeking both private and government monies for this effort. Join the effort to open the trail on I Love My Park Day. More here

APPLY NOW FOR SUMMER PROGRAM  

 

Applications are being accepted until May 15 for Hillsdale's groundbreaking summer recreation program in the Roeliff Jansen Park. The program is limited to 60 day campers and is filling up fast. More information and application forms are available here. 

EVENTS 

Hillsdale Clean-up Day

 

Saturday, May 4

8:30 am

Town Garage

 

It's officially spring and that means it's time for clean-up. The town garage on Old Town Road will be open on Saturday, May 4, for Hillsdale Clean-Up Day. Review regulations and details here 

I Love My Park Day

 

Saturday, May 4

9:00 am

Taconic State Park

 

Friends of Taconic State Park invites park lovers of all ages to celebrate the second annual I Love My Park Day on Saturday, May 4. Volunteers will clear the remaining brush and trees along the former rail bed. The goal is to open several sections of the unpaved, stone-surface extension for walkers, runners and mountain-bikers this summer. Other activities are also available. More here.

Master Gardeners' Plant Swap

 

Saturday, May 4

10:00 am

Cooperative Extension Education Center, Hudson

 

Attend the Master Gardener's Spring Plant Swap on Saturday at the Cooperative Extension Education Center, 479 Route 66, from 10 am to 12 noon, rain or shine. It's FREE, but cash donations are invited. Bring plant materials to donate or swap and plan to take home something new and different. Bring your own container and PLEASE label your plants as to name and color. Master Gardeners will perform pH tests on garden soil for $1.00 for the first sample and $0.50 for each additional sample. 

Spring Bird Walk

 

Sunday, May 5

8:00 am

Meet at Rodgers Book Barn

 

Susan Scheck will lead this walk which starts at the Book Barn on Rodman Road at 8:00 am. The walk will head up Rodman Road to a wetland just south of Wolf Hill Road and will observe nesting herons and other migrating birds. All are welcome and please bring binoculars. This event is sponsored by the Alan Devoe Bird Club.

Backyard Biodynamics: Designing and Planting Your Home Garden

 

Sunday, May 5

9:00 am - 4:00 pm

Hawthorne Valley Farm

 

This workshop will introduce biodynamic practices that can be applied in the setting of your own backyard. Peggy O'Brien of "Edible Views" will present in the morning. With a palate and appreciation for freshness and texture, Peggy designs gardens that are "living produce markets. The afternoon will focus on building a compost pile and apply a biodynamic preparation. More here.

Herbalicious!

 

Sunday, May 5

11:30 am - 2:30 pm
Hillsdale Fire House  

 

It's time for the Fourth Annual Luncheon to Benefit Hillsdale's Town Parks. Enjoy a presentation from Margo Mullein from Hawthorne Valley Farm who will talk about herbs -- how to grow them for their beauty, their medicinal value, their culinary uses and more! The proceeds from this year's event will be used to expand the playground in Hillsdale's parks. More here.

Doreen Rappaport on Holocaust at RJL

 

Sunday, May 5

4:00 pm

Roe Jan Library 

 

For six years Doreen Rappaport worked with prominent Holocaust historians and survivors and archivists, here and in Europe, to correct the persistent belief that Jews "went like sheep to the slaughter". The result is her widely acclaimed new book "Beyond Courage: The Untold Story of Jewish Resistance During the Holocaust." More here.

Copake Falls Open Garden Day

 

Saturday, May 11

10:00 am

Copake Falls

 

May 11 is Garden Day in Copake Falls. Friends of Taconic State Park and Margaret Roach invite visitors to a full day of gardening events in Copake Falls. Margaret's sensational gardens are open from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm. More activities are outlined here.

Mother's Day Concert

 

Sunday, May 12

5:00 pm

Roe Jan Community Library

 

Stephen Buck, pianist, and Ken Law, cellist, return to the  Library for an encore performance that will feature Beethoven, Faur�, and Greig sonatas for cello and piano. More here.

Conservation Planning for Woodland Pool Wildlife

 

Saturday, May 18

9:00 am-11:00 pm Workshop
11:00 am-1:00 pm Field Visit
Roe Jan Community  Library

 

A workshop for municipal board members and interested residents, focused on the value of woodland pools and the tools you can use to protect them in your community. Through a variety of pro-active approaches, local municipalities can play an essential role to ensure the protection of these habitats and their benefits. More here.

A Mostly True History of Copake Falls

 

Sunday, May 19

2:00 pm

Roeliff Jansen Historical Society Museum

 

Peter Cipkowski will present a brief history of Copake Falls including its origins as the Copake Iron Works, the impact of the Harlem Railroad on the community, and the role of the Taconic Inn on community life. Though this is a reprise of a popular presentation given in 2011, Peter will include many new stories, some of which are actually true. More here.

May Town Board Meeting

 

Tuesday, May 21

7:00 pm

Town Hall

 

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

Matthew White on Living History

 

Saturday, May 25

4:00 pm

Roe Jan Community Library

 

Matthew White, proprietor of the Hillsdale General Store and partner at the interior design firm White Webb LLC, will give an illustrated talk on Historic Preservation featuring projects he has worked on in Venice, Italy, across the United States, and in Hillsdale, NY. More here.

Tax Grievance Day

 

Thursday, May 30

4:00 - 8:00 pm

Town Hall

 

Need we say more?

COMING IN JUNE 

Hillsdale Farmers Market Opens June 1

 

Saturday, June 1
9:00 am

Roeliff Jansen Park

 

Let the summer begin. Fresh, local food EVERY Saturday from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm under the cover of a barn in the accessible, beautiful, wonderful Roe Jan Park. The fun runs from June 1 through October 12. Look for more details in the next newsletter. There's more here.

Roe Jan Library Gala

 

Saturday, June 8
5:00 pm

Camp Pontiac in West Copake

 

The Roeliff Jansen Community Library's 2013 annual fundraising gala will be a celebration of the 100th anniversary of the library's founding in 1913. More information here.

Backyard Biodynamics: Designing Your Herb Garden

 

Sunday, June 9

9:00 am - 4:00 pm

Hawthorne Valley Farm

 

There's always room for herbs! Learn to design and plant culinary and medicinal herb gardens with Katherine Whiteside, author of "The Way We Garden Now." Explore various techniques, and join in planting a Spiral Garden. More here.

Historical Society Garden Tour

 

Saturday, June 15

1:00 - 4:00 pm

 

Several gardens will be open for tea and tours, all in support of the preservation fund of the Roe Jan Historical Society. Check the Historical Society website for details soon.

Say Cheese: Take Home Mozzarella

 

Sunday, June 22

12:00 pm - 3:00 pm

Hawthorne Valley Farm

 

Join Hawthorne Valley Farm's cheesemaker, Peter Kindel, for a few hours of hands-on cheesemaking. Learn the science and art of turning fresh milk into fabulous curds, and take home your own handmade fresh mozarella. Class size is very limited for this special workshop, so please book in advance. More here.

Summer Herbs Workshop: Healing Balms for Bites, Stings and Rashes

 

Sunday, June 29

10:00 am - 3:00 pm

Hawthorne Valley Farm

 

The summer heat brings the things that "bug" us most! This workshop will discuss natural ways in which we can work with plants to calm the calamities of common stings, bites, burns, and rashes. Designed for the sprouting as well as the established herbalist, this will be led by certified herbalist Margo Mullein. More here.

Post Your Upcoming Event Here

 

With more than 550 subscribers, the Hillsdale Newsletter is a great place to promote your upcoming event. Email us the details.

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 these parts. Email suggestions or questions: [email protected]. 

Best Regards,
Peter Cipkowski, Communications Chair, Town Board
Vivian deGeorges, Editor
The Town of Hillsdale, New York
www.hillsdaleny.com