June 2024

From the Supervisor's Desk

Solar Update

Copake Gets the Bronze

Copake Dems Nomination

Help Wanted

Copake Rapid Care

Picklers

Copake's Baking Contest

Bicentennial Events

Last Call

Come Home to Copake Picnic

Bicentennial Parade and Party

Rail Trail Art Project

Music in the Park

Grange Events

Copake History

What's Happening at the Library

Spongy Moth

Summer Park Program

Poll Workers Needed

K.I.S.S.

American Red Cross

Farmer's Market

Memorial Bricks

Columbia County Health Center

From the Supervisor's Desk            

Things to Celebrate in Copake

Beginning on Memorial Day, three important events kept many of us quite busy. One honored the past; two looked forward. Together, they demonstrated just how special a place Copake is and why we are so fortunate to live here.

First, this year’s Memorial Day Parade took place in Copake. Just days before the 80^th anniversary of D-Day (June 6, 1944), we remembered and honored those men and women who have served our country -- especially those who died or were injured doing so -- as well as those who serve today. We assembled at the firehouse at 10:30 and stepped off at 11am. Led by a VFW Honor Guard and a float with local veterans, the parade made its way down Church Street to the Memorial Clock and plaques, across Main Street to Mountain View Road, and into Copake Memorial Park. There, participants and spectators gathered to salute the flag, listen to music from the Taconic Hills Band, hear a trumpeter play “Taps”, witness a gun salute, and hear moving remarks from two veterans, Ancram Supervisor Jim MacArthur and Frank Zaccarolli. Both men spoke from the beautiful new bandshell.

I want to publicly thank Jim MacArthur for coordinating the parade. Special thanks to Deputy Supervisor Stosh Gansowski, who really went out of his way this year. Stosh brought his tractor to the parade, on which he drove Town Board Member Jeffrey Judd and me. We led the Copake contingent, which included marching members of the Bicentennial Committee and Grange members, who were driven in one of Edgar Masters’ antique cars. To make sure that the many spectators knew who we were, Stosh had outfitted the tractor with a big banner proclaiming “Town of Copake – Founded 1824.” He also provided a bunch of small American flags, which we distributed to children along the parade route. Thanks again, Stosh.

June 3 marked the reopening of Copake Rapid Care, now called Albany Medical Center’s CMH Rapid Care. CMH President Dr. Dorothy Urshel, CMH Board Chair Kirk Kneller, and Board Member Hila Richardson were there, as were former Copake Supervisor Jeanne Mettler, Roberta Roll, and Tom Goldsworthy, all of whom were instrumental in the efforts to bring Rapid Care back to Copake. Ancram Supervisor Jim MacArthur and Hillsdale Supervisor Mike Dvorchak also attended. The restoration of important medical services means that Roe Jan area residents no longer will have to drive 30 minutes or more to seek medical care.

Rapid Care has announced regular hours: from 9am to 7pm on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays.

Finally, a word about “Picklemania” – Copake’s first foray into the world of competitive pickleball – which had its incredibly successful debut on June 1. On a glorious day, 32 two-person teams competed on the four new pickleball courts in the park. Everyone had a great time. A note of interest: CEDAC’s Todd Proper was a member of one of the winning teams and dedicated the victory to his late father, Larry Proper.

Thanks to Bill Gregory and the Highway Department, who built the court dividers and erected the new gazebo, which provided shade for staff and some participants. Thanks to Bob Callahan who arranged for tables, seating, water, and an electrical hookup so that announcements could be heard and awards presented to the winners. Thanks to CEDAC, especially Bill Boris-Schacter, for organizing the event, Town Board Member Will Morningstar, CEDAC Chair Tom Goldsworthy, and volunteers Signe Adam, Vicki Sander, Rob Lazarus and Art Bonifati. Their combined efforts yielded an event that is sure to become an annual Copake tradition.

Richard Wolf

Town Supervisor

Solar Report

Last month I reported that I expected Hecate Energy to file a new application – this time for a 42-megawatt solar factory – in early June. Hecate has not yet filed; however, this is not to suggest that they’ve been doing nothing.

On March 28, Hecate submitted to the NYS Office of Renewable Energy Siting (ORES) a Notice of Intent to file again on or about June 3. The notice is one of 41 documents Hecate has already filed with ORES.

Hecate’s most recent filing, dated April 26, 2024, is a letter letting ORES know that it is continuing to rely on the same studies it commissioned for its failed 60- megawatt proposal application. These studies assessed the presence of bird and wildlife habitats in and around the proposed project area. Some are four years old and based on five year-old research, so it is not unreasonable to think they may not accurately reflect current conditions at and near the proposed site. If there is to be a serious analysis of the potential environmental impacts of what will be approximately 150 football fields worth of solar panels, decision makers must work with conditions as they are today – not what they were like in 2019 or 2020. Things change.

One thing isn’t changing: the new, smaller “Shepherd’s Run” proposal would occupy the same footprint in Craryville, minus almost 60 acres, which were sold, at the southernmost end of the original proposal footprint. It remains this town board’s longstanding position that the proposed site is particularly inappropriate for our small rural town. It would straddle County Route 7, a popular road for bicyclists and joggers and the gateway road from the Taconic Parkway and from Massachusetts into the Hamlet of Copake and Copake Lake.

Another thing isn’t changing: Hecate continues to spew disinformation. In an article posted on a website called Realclearenergy.org, Shepherd’s Run Project Manager Matt Levine wrote that “groups with innocuous sounding names…claim the mantle of grassroots support while actually doing the bidding of the natural gas industry…I see these impacts on the ground. Take the town of Copake in Upstate New York, where Hecate plans to build the 42 GW [sic] Shepherd’s Run Solar Farm…[O]pponents have implemented tactics that have delayed the project for years, running the now standard playbook…” Levine goes on – “See if this sounds familiar: a group with an innocuous sounding name – in this case Sensible Solar for Rural New York – bills itself as a grassroots organization and claims to support clean energy. Media reports and state disclosure forms show them hiring the same lobbying firms and marketing teams employed by the fossil fuel industry and its allies to oppose clean energy projects.”

Just like that, Hecate smears Sensible Solar with the blatantly false suggestion that it is in bed with big oil and natural gas companies. Levine accuses it of launching “damaging disinformation campaigns” and urges “our elected officials” to take a stance against them. 

Well, your elected officials – all five members of the Copake Town Board – have taken a stance – against Hecate’s ongoing disinformation campaign!

When Hecate files its new application, our attorney and engineers will review it carefully.

Richard T. Wolf

Town Supervisor

Copake Gets the Bronze 

We got it done! On April 25, as part of this year’s Earth Week celebrations, Governor Hochul announced that Copake is certified as a bronze-level Climate Smart community, joining many other communities in Columbia County and around the state in leading the way towards climate action.

Since 2009, the Climate Smart program has provided encouragement and support to local governments and volunteers seeking to meet the challenge of climate change. The Copake Climate Smart Task Force looked at a list of over a hundred possible actions, and chose those most appropriate to the needs of the town. Actions taken included:

- evaluation of Town Hall and Park Building solar panels to insure their effectiveness

- a Greenhouse Gas Inventory for town facilities, which will serve as a benchmark for efforts to rein in carbon emissions

- replacing streetlights with energy efficient LEDs

- participating in the creation of a county-wide climate adaptation plan

- installing EV charging stations in the Copake hamlet

- organizing several public events, including a renewable energy open house

- funding an energy audit for Town Hall, which will serve as the basis for future upgrades.

Partners for Climate Action, a local support group, was instrumental in providing training and inspiration for the Task Force. The Task Force chair, Dan Haas, thanks his team: Mary Ann Carrick, Marcia Becker, Brian Boom, Edgar Masters, Ned Schneier, Cara Boyle, Christine Lema Foley, and board liaison Jeffrey Judd for their hard work and patience in seeing through a multi-year task. Thanks are also due to Haley Balcanoff from Capital District Regional Planning, who provided invaluable and timely support.

The work continues. The Task Force plans to follow up on the suggestions in the energy audit, explore the possibility of a natural resources inventory, and use the information gathered to launch a climate action plan. If anyone is interested in joining these efforts, please check out the Climate Smart page on the Town of Copake website townofcopake.org

Copake Dems Nominate Will Morningstar



William Morningstar was elected unanimously by the Copake Town Board to fill a vacancy created when Richard Wolf was elected as Copake Town Supervisor beginning in 2024.

On June 9, Will was unanimously elected at the Copake Democratic Caucus, to run as the Democratic candidate and to serve a full term on the Copake Town Board.

Information regarding early voting and absentee ballots, for both the June primary and the November election, can be found at: https://sites.google.com/a/columbiacountyny.com/elections/.

Help Wanted

The Town Board of the Town of Copake will be accepting letters of interest and resumes for the following positions:

Park Commission Members

ZBA Members



Letters/resumes may be sent to: the Town Clerk, 230 Mountain View Road, Copake, NY 12516, or emailed to: copaketownclerk@townofcopake.org.

Copake Rapid Care Reopens

On Wednesday, June 3, almost eight years to the day of the original opening, Copake Rapid Care again opened its doors after being closed since December 2022 due to COVID-related staffing and financial issues.

Columbia Memorial Health (CMH) President and CEO Dorothy Urschel and Albany Med Healthcare System President and CEO Dennis McKenna delivered remarks, as did CMH Board of Trustees Chair Kirk Kneller and Copake Town Supervisor Richard Wolf. Proclamations and citations were presented by representatives of our district’s state and federal politicians.

In the fall of 2023, when it became known that Copake Rapid Care would close, then-

Supervisor Jeanne Mettler put together a coalition of town officials and committee members, including those from Ancram and Hillsdale, to meet with and persuade CMH officials that closing the health center (which also provides primary care) was not a viable option for the area. After many discussions and a successful fundraising effort by CMH targeted to Roe Jan area residents, as well as the strong support of Kirk Kneller and CMH board member Hila Richardson, CMH was able to recruit staff and commit to reopening the rapid care facility.

Now known as Albany Medical Center’s CMH Rapid Care, the facility will be open Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays from 9am to 7pm. Primary care is available by appointment.

Picklemania a Huge Success

The town’s inaugural pickleball tournament was held on Saturday, June 1 at Copake Memorial Park. The weather was beautiful and a good time was had by all.

There were approximately 100 people at the event, including the 64 players and 18 volunteers. All day long, the 32 two-person teams played on the four new pickleball courts built by the Highway Department last fall. For the tournament, they also built court separators and erected a shelter to provide shade to the volunteers and participants. Players came from the immediate local area (25%), Pittsfield (25%), other areas of Columbia County (25%), and outside Columbia County and Pittsfield (25%). Aloha Tacos food truck provided delicious food, and Supervisor Richard Wolf presented the medals.

Bill Boris-Schacter of the Copake Economic Development Advisory Committee helped organize the event, ably assisted by Signe Adam, Art Bonifati, Rob Lazarus, and Vicki Sander.

The Great Copake Baking Contest

On July 13, at the “Come Home to Copake” picnic in Copake Memorial Park, there will be a baking contest, sponsored by Ginsberg’s Foods and judged by Copake’s own Nancy Fuller. All ages are welcome!

Baking Contest Rules

1. Entry items will be accepted on Saturday, July 13 from 12 noon to 1pm at the park building. 

2. An entry form MUST accompany each item. Forms are available on the town website - click here, or at the park building on July 13. The entry forms must be printed legibly and must include full name, contact information including email address and phone number, name of recipe and ingredients. Please identify recipes from anyone under 18 years old. Local ingredients are a plus - please identify local source.

3. A copy of the recipe must accompany the entry form.

4. No entries will be accepted after 1pm.

5. Entries must be fully baked and/or ready to be served. There is no cooking or refrigeration or set-up area available.

6. Presentations must be on or in ONE disposable tray/container - 15”x15” maximum size.

7. Criteria for judging: Taste, Presentation, Decoration.

8. Judge announcements will begin at approximately 2:30pm.

9. Winners will be awarded at 3:00pm in the baking contest tent.

10. Nancy reserves the right to award winners and prizes at her discretion.

11. First Prize: $500   Second Prize: $250   Third Prize: $100

Bicentennial Events Continue This Summer

We’ve been celebrating Copake’s Bicentennial all spring, and the fun continues through the summer! Art, picnics, history, parades - it’s all happening right here, so bring your family and friends to celebrate.

Rail Trail Art Project – Saturday, July 6, 10am - 12 noon

This event for children will include art activities based on nature and the area’s history. The event will be held at the Pavilion in Taconic State Park in Copake Falls at 10:00am. Pre-registration is required. Please register by sending an email to Copakebicentennial@gmail.com.

Historic Panels: A series of group discussions featuring local residents

Town Historian Howard Blue is presenting four panel discussions to be held at the Copake Grange. The schedule is as follows:

Friday, June 14, 7:00 - 8:30pm

Looking Back: Life on a Copake Farm                                                              

Moderator: Howard Blue Panel Members: Stosh Gansowski, Dean Pells, Wayne Miller, Judy Ackley Whitbeck

Saturday, June 29, 1:00 - 2:30pm



The Copake Pharmacy, Growing up in Copake

Special shared talk by Steve Kaufman, Nancy Fuller

Sunday, June 30, 1:00 - 2:30pm

Copake Falls and Copake Lake: A Retrospective Look

Moderator: Steve Kaufman

Panel Members: Edgar Masters, Fran Miller, Jane Peck, Jed Luchow

Saturday, July 20, 1:00 - 2:30pm

Copake Businesses

Moderator: Howard Blue      

Panel Members: Heather Thomson, Vana Stang Hotaling, Dick Barton, Steve Kaufman, Mike Fallon



“Come Home to Copake” Picnic - Saturday, July 13 11am - 8pm at Copake Memorial Park. Rain Date: July 14

Current residents and anyone who has ever lived in Copake are invited to attend this town picnic. The event will feature live music, an art exhibit, car show, and attractions to amuse children, including sack races. A dessert baking contest will be judged by Nancy Fuller of Copake and the Food Network Show Farm House Rules. Families are invited to bring a picnic lunch and/or dinner, but food will also be available for sale. Free hot dogs will be available courtesy of Ginsberg’s Foods. Copake Fire Company will be doing a Chicken BBQ with pre-sale tickets only. They can be purchased at Copake Town Hall. Staber and Chasnoff Duo, the Ghent Band, and Night Train will play music throughout the day and evening. The picnic will be an opportunity to share memories, renew old friendships and make new friends.

Bicentennial Parade and Party - Saturday, August 17   Rain Date: August 18

The finale of the bicentennial celebration will be a parade in the Hamlet of Copake, followed by a celebration at Catamount. The parade will line up at 2:30pm by the Copake Fire Department on Center Hill Road and will step off at 3:00pm. All local organizations and businesses are invited to participate in the parade. Grand marshalls are former supervisor Angelo Valentino, former town clerk Vana Hotaling, Flora Bergquist and Edgar Masters. To register for the parade write to CopakeParade@gmail.com 

The grounds at Catamount will open at 5:00pm. Attendees are welcome to bring picnic dinners or may purchase food and drink at Catamount. There will be live music and chairlift rides. The evening and the celebration will conclude with fireworks.

Last Call for the Bicentennial Parade

The finale of the Copake bicentennial celebration will be a parade through the Hamlet of Copake on Saturday, August 17, 2024 at 3:00pm, followed by a party at Catamount at 5:00pm.

The parade will feature bagpipes, numerous local fire departments, the Ghent Band, Copake officials and county, state and federal elected officials, and close to 30 Copake businesses and local businesses.

If there are any Copake businesses or organizations who wish to be in the parade but have not yet registered to participate, they are invited to complete the Registration Form and return it to the Copake Town Clerk or email it to CopakeParade@gmail.com no later than July 1, 2024.

Any questions, please email the Parade Committee at CopakeParade@gmail.com.

“Come Home to Copake” Picnic

Whether you live in Copake now, whether you moved from Copake a few years ago or whether you lived here years ago, you are invited to “Come Home to Copake” on Saturday, July 13, 2024 when, as part of Copake’s bicentennial celebration, the town will host a day-long picnic event at the Copake Memorial Park. 

Starting at 11:00am and lasting all day until 8:00pm, the picnic will include live music, sack races, storytelling, a baking contest to be judged by Nancy Fuller, Columbia Cruiser car show, and a local artists showcase. When you arrive you will be given a sign on which you can write your family name and the years that you lived in Copake. You will receive a stake so that you can plant your sign next to your lawn chair so that neighbors you have not seen in years will be able to find you.

There will be live music all day, with bands performing from the newly constructed band shell. Dick Stabler will perform from 12 noon until 2:00pm. The Ghent Band will take the stage at 2:00pm, and then Dick Stabler will perform again from 4:00pm until 6:00pm. “Night Train” will perform at 6:00pm.



You may bring your own picnic, but food prepared by local churches will also be available to purchase. Chicken barbecue dinners prepared by the Copake Fire Department will be available at 5:00pm in the Park Building. The dinners must be ordered in advance. Tickets may be purchased from Bicentennial Committee members or by calling Liana Jensen at 518-755-8833.

The town has received generous support from the Rheinstrom Hill Community Foundation, as well as Columbia County Tourism, to fund the bicentennial celebration. The picnic is being organized by the Bicentennial Committee, chaired by Kellie Nardin and the Picnic Committee, chaired by Liana Jensen.

For more information you may email Copakebicentennial@gmail.com

Bicentennial Parade and Party Planned for August

The Copake Bicentennial Parade, planned for Saturday, August 17, 2024, will include bagpipes, the Ghent Band, fire trucks and tractors, Copake officials and State representatives, as well as floats and marchers representing Copake churches, businesses and organizations. The grand marshals will be Flora Bergquist, Dana Hotaling, Edgar Masters and Angelo Valentino.

The parade will line up on Center Hill Road near the Copake Fire Department at 2:30pm and step off at 3:00pm. The two-mile parade route will pass by the Copake Memorial Clock and proceed down Main Street to Farm Road. The parade will turn left onto Mountainview Road, pass by the Copake Memorial Park and Town Hall and return to Mountain View Road.



After the parade, the public is invited to attend the finale of the bicentennial celebration, a grand party to be held at Catamount. The party will include food, live music and fireworks.

The town has received generous support from the Rheinstrom Hill Community Foundation, as well as Columbia County Tourism, to fund the bicentennial celebration. The parade is being organized by the Bicentennial Committee, chaired by Kellie Nardin and the Parade Committee, chaired by Jeanne Mettler. The members of the Parade Committee are Bob Callahan, Lenny Barham, Richard Barton, Liana Jensen and Carol Gansowski. For more information email CopakeParade@gmail.com

Rail Trail Art Project for Kids

On Saturday, July 6 from 10am to 12pm, as part of the bicentennial celebration for Copake, kids can create their own individual art projects, to be displayed this summer on the Rail Trail.

All participants will spend some time getting to know some history of the area, including stories and symbols of the Mohican inhabitants, as well as the indigenous

flora and fauna of the Roe Jan area. Local artists Liz Shelley and Karen Culbreth will

assist the children in creating their art works. The finished pieces will be mounted in

frames built by volunteer Collin Culbreth. Materials have been donated by Sheldon Glass and Herrington’s, Inc.

Space is limited to 20 and pre-registration is required. Go to copakebicentennial@gmail.com

Grange Events

Sunday, June 23, 11am - 1pm. Annual Cupcake Celebration. A sweet event to benefit the Grange. One thousand cupcakes will be baked, tasted, judged and sold! Prizes for all. Fun for all ages.

Bicentennial Panel Discussions

Saturday, June 29, 1:00 - 2:30 pm. The Copake Pharmacy, Growing up in Copake Special shared talk by Steve Kaufman, Nancy Fuller

Sunday, June 30, 1:00 - 2:30 pm. Copake Falls and Copake Lake: A Retrospective Look. Moderator: Steve Kaufman.

Panel Members: Edgar Masters, Fran Miller, Jane Peck, Jed Luchow



Saturday, July 20, 1:00 - 2:30 pm. Copake Businesses 

Moderator: Howard Blue.

Panel Members: Heather Thomson, Vana Stang Hotaling, Dick Barton, Steve Kaufman, Mike Fallon

Friday, July 5, 7 - 9pm. Open Mic Night.  All are welcome to perform - music, stories, skits, readings, poetry, dance, songs, and more. Bring your instruments; we have a piano. Or you can just come to relax and be entertained. This is a great venue for both beginning and veteran performers. Free.

For more information about the Grange and events or to join, go to copakegrange.org. The Copake Grange is located at 628 Empire Rd., Copake, NY 12516. Parking for Grange events is limited - please park at the Municipal Lot on Church St. if the Grange parking area is full.

Copake History

1949: When the Polio Epidemic Shook Copake

Poliomyelitis (polio), is an infectious disease caused by the poliovirus. About 75% of cases are asymptomatic; mild symptoms which can occur include sore throat and fever. In some cases more severe symptoms develop, such as headache, neck stiffness, and paresthesia, but they usually pass in a week or two. A less common symptom is permanent paralysis, and possible death in extreme cases.

Although major polio epidemics were unknown before the 20th century, the disease has caused paralysis and death for much of human history. At its peak in the 1940s and 1950s, polio paralyzed or killed over half a million people worldwide every year.

The following account is based on a letter that a former Camp Ferosdel attendee, Marion Coen Katzive, sent me several years ago.

In 1949, Marion, then eight, and her brother Alan who was ten, spent the summer at the West Copake camp. In early August, it suddenly became clear that there were problems. Staff members suddenly began distributing large dark-colored vitamins at meals, hung warning signs about hand washing in bathrooms, and responded to sore throats and lassitude with grim seriousness.

Marion didn’t know what happened over the next week or so – there were stories about ambulances, campers were craning their necks to check for stiffness, they were all talking about leg pains, and then suddenly they learned that the camp would be closed and they would be departing the next day by train.

Marion’s parents didn’t wait for the next day. An uncle appeared, their trunks were packed, and he whisked them away with their cousin, also a camper. Marion remembered little of the car ride home – only that although she wasn’t prone to car sickness, she vomited. Scary! What she does remember, with pain, was her arrival at home. Her father was on the street waiting for them. His eyes were what she remembered but could not describe. His car was ready. 

He drove them directly to the home of an aunt whose children were grown, which would not ordinarily have been considered a refuge. Marion and her brother were told that they could not go home – they’d been “exposed” – there were younger children at home. Their trunks were opened at their aunt’s house and they were taken next to a pediatrician who was waiting for them. Incredibly, Alan had “mumps” – or so they were told. He was sick, but not terribly, and now brother and sister would have to be separated. They settled in at their aunt’s house; Marion remembered a routine of carrot juice, daily baths and loneliness. Later Marion learned that polio struck two friends of her brother and a friend of hers.

In about 1953, Marion heard the word “polio” again. The threat was apparently not severe enough to close the camp or limit its unusually liberal visiting policies. However, ropes were installed to separate campers and counsellors from visitors; a no-man’s land was set up and Marion supposed there was no sharing of food packages across the line. There was certainly no touching or close conversation.

Marion’s father took the attached snapshot. The younger children visiting across the lines don’t seem fazed – they were too young to fathom the situation. And the counsellors also seemed to be taking it in stride.

“How did full time Copake residents react to or experience the polio epidemic?” you might wonder. Efforts to obtain memories of this were not very successful. But Judy Ackley Whitbeck remembers her mother telling her in the 1950s, “Going to the “Ore Bed” to swim with your friends is NOT an option. There are too many people there and too much exposure to polio.”



Photo: by Mr. Coen, first name unknown. As mentioned, the ropes were to separate campers and counselors from visitors.

What’s Happening at the Library?

Thursday, June 13, 6:00 p.m.

Film Screening & Discussion: Left Bank: The Women Who Rescued James Joyces’ Ulysses. Publishing Ulysses was a long, complicated process. The writing and publication were shaped by individuals and organizations trying to censor it, outraged by its explicit references to the human body and sex. Left Bank: The Women Who Rescued James Joyce's Ulysses, by local filmmaker Lisa Reznik, takes viewers on the journey of author James Joyce's struggles and success, revealing the story of the female publishers and editors who played prominent roles in making the achievement of Ulysses possible.

Lisa Reznik has directed four award-winning films which have been selected by 30+ film festivals and private screenings. Left Bank marks Reznik's fifth film and first hybrid-documentary. The passion project is the culmination of more than a decade's worth of detailed research. With the year 2022 being the 100th anniversary of the publication of Ulysses, arguably the most important book ever written, Reznik was inspired to direct a feature film surrounding the challenges to publishing James Joyce’s groundbreaking novel, shining a much needed light on the unrecognized risk-taking female pioneers who brought his work to the public. Following the screening, there will be an opportunity to discuss the film with the film's creator.

Saturday, June 15, 2:00 p.m.

Artist Reception: Jeanne Kiefer. Jeanne Kiefer is a 13th-generation New Yorker. Fun fact -- her ancestor was Roeliff Jansen’s boss at Rensselaerwyck in 1631. She studied art at Skidmore College and taught art in Boston and Istanbul before moving on to a life in publishing at Encyclopaedia Britannica, Seventeen Magazine, and Consumer Reports. Jeanne discovered the pastel medium 15 years ago and now at age 80, has mounted her first one-woman show. She splits her year between Hillsdale, NY, and Albuquerque, NM.

Please note that the art in this exhibit is not for sale. If you wish to consult Jeanne about a possible commission, an information card is available at the library desk.

Saturday, June 15, 2:00 p.m.

Cookbook Club. Join our Cookbook Club led by Outreach Library Associate Fran Colombo. Meets the 3rd Saturday of the month. Members choose a recipe and bring the cooked/baked dish to the next meeting, where the group discusses the book and shares in a community meal. Bring copies of recipes to share with other foodies!

For our June meeting, we are having a BERRY BONANZA! Cook, stew, or bake anything with berries! Come with a recipe or cookbook to share.

All are welcome to join! The more, the merrier! For more information, contact Fran at outreach@roejanlibrary.org.

Sunday, June 16, 3:00 p.m.

Concert: Eagles Stage Band. Join us for an afternoon with the Eagles Stage Band, a big band jazz group from Berkshire County. The Eagles Stage Band was founded in 2000, playing swing, ballads, and other big band-era favorites. The 20-piece Eagles Stage Band regularly performs locally at various events with a repertoire that includes a wide variety of dance and jazz tunes, maintaining its primary focus on music from the big band era. Since 2018, the band has been led by Dr. James Stakenas, who played in the Don Bastarache Big Band for 10 years before moving to the Berkshires.

This concert will be at the Hilltop Barn, Roe Jan Park, across the street from the Library. Lawn chairs are appreciated.

Thursday, June 20, 1:00 pm.

Book Marks! Book Club. Join our nonfiction book club, Book Marks!, led by Circulation Librarian Robin Gottlieb. Meets the 3rd Thursday of every month. This month we are reading Democracy Awakening by Heather Cox Richardson. Copies are available through the Mid-Hudson Library System, Hoopla, and Libby.

Thursday, June 27, 2:30 p.m.

Tea Time at the Library. Plan to visit the library on the fourth Thursday of each month at 2:30 p.m. to discuss fun and informative topics. Each month’s gathering will have a different theme; listen, discuss, and enjoy a cup of tea (or coffee if that’s your preference!), and sometimes a fun activity.

For our June 27 meeting, in commemoration of D-Day and of all the men and women who served overseas and on the home front during WWII, join actress and dancer Nanette Hudson as she weaves short stories of the period into dances in her theater production Kiss Me Once Then Say Goodbye: WWII and the Home Front.

Come join the discussion and enjoy a cup of Harney’s Tea (or coffee) and some fresh baked goods on the house.

Thursday, June 27, 6:00 – 7:30 p.m.

Impressions of the New World: Jacob Leisler, Nicasius de Sille, and the Promised Eden of 1660s New Amsterdam. The Jacob Leisler Institute for the Study of Early New York History, in collaboration with the Hudson Area Library and the Columbia County Libraries Association, hosts a virtual presentation by Toya Dubin about New Amsterdam at the time of Jacob Leisler’s presence in the settlement. Her presentation includes an introduction to the 3D map of New Amsterdam in 1660 and the stories behind the work to maintain historical accuracy in this model. The event will be held virtually via Zoom. To register visit https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_mvFEIxo-SW-hTyXBM3ePsQ.

In 1660, Jacob Leisler arrived in New Amsterdam filled with hopes for a new life in the New World. He arrived at the moment that Nicasius de Sille was famously making a list of every citizen living in New Amsterdam, and Jacques Cortelyou was creating the Castello Plan, a map that fascinated scholars for 400 years. Join this special Zoom presentation of the world that these men encountered, wrote poetry about, and mapped. Richly illustrated with 3D models, AI-generated characters, maps, and an encyclopedia, the Mapping Early New York project will take you on a walk through the streets of New Amsterdam through Jacob Leisler’s eyes.

This lecture is made partially possible through the generous support of the Van Dyke Family Foundation, HRBT Foundation, and Bank of Greene County Charitable Foundation.

Monday, July 8, 11:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Healthcare Navigator Appointments. A Navigator from the Healthcare Consortium will be available the second Monday of each month from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Navigators can assist individuals and families in Columbia and Greene Counties with shopping for, comparing, and enrolling in quality, affordable health insurance, including Medicaid, Child Health Plus and the Essential Plan, through the New York State of Health Official Health Plan Marketplace.

Navigators can also assist with applying for financial assistance to help pay for coverage. Navigator services are free of charge. You can make an appointment by calling (518) 822-9600.

Thursday, July 11, 6:00 p.m.

Reading Willa Cather: American Voice. Join us for a sesquicentennial celebration of Willa Cather, one of the most singular and treasured American writers of the 20th century. This presentation of Cather's life and times by Peter Cipkowski will explore her turbulent biography and uniquely American voice. Her novels were shaped by a lifetime of determination, struggle, and gradual emergence. Cather’s groundbreaking fiction (including O Pioneers!, My Ántonia, One of Ours, The Professor’s House, and Death Comes for the Archbishop) set a new standard in American literature.

Peter Cipkowski is a literary historian with interdisciplinary research interests in early 20th-century American literature, civic engagement, and global education. He also serves as vice president of the National Willa Cather Center Board of Governors. Peter received his doctorate from the University of Southern California and teaches at UCLA. Peter divides his time between Hillsdale and Los Angeles.

Sunday, July 14, 8:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.

Roe Jan Community Library Benefit Golf Tournament. Support the library by playing golf at the Undermountain Golf Course! Registration begins at 8:00 a.m., with the first tee off at 8:30. The tournament includes a 12-person scramble; men, women, mixed; all-day putting contest; and breakfast goodies, lunch, and snacks. BBQ lunch at 2:30 pm.

Entry fee, $100

Club Members, $80

BBQ Lunch only, $35

Carts, $10 per person

To register, email service@undermountaingolf.com or call 518-329-4444. Register by July 10.

Wednesdays, 10:30 a.m.

Story Art with Tia. A free drop-in program specially designed for young children and their parents or caregivers that combines the magic of storytelling with creative art activities inspired by children’s storybook readings. Ages 2+.