July 2011

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Barnabas McHenry, Chair Greenway Council, Co-Chair National Heritage Area

Sara Griffen, Acting Chair Greenway Conservancy, Acting Co-Chair National Heritage Area

Mark Castiglione, Acting Executive Director Greenway, Acting Director National Heritage Area  

 

What's New?WhatsNew

 

Greenway Board Meeting

On June 9, 2011, the Greenway held a joint meeting of the Boards of the Hudson River Valley Greenway Communities Council and Conservancy, and the Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area, at the Hudson River Maritime Museum in Kingston, NY.   

 

Greenway Board Meeting
Ulster County Executive Mike Hein welcomes Board members and meeting attendees

The Greenway Boards and meeting attendees were welcomed by Ulster County Executive Mike Hein, Kingston Mayor James Sottile, and Hudson River Maritime Museum Executive Director Kate Mitchell.  The Board Meeting was also punctuated by a cannon shot from the historic Half Moon replica ship, which was docked at the Maritime Museum for tours.  

 

At the meeting, the Kingston Land Trust staff and board members gave updates on some of the important initiatives they are working on, including the KLT's role in land protection, the proposed Kingston Point Rail Trail, and Kingston Connections. Read More...

 

 

Great Hudson River Paddle 2011

The Hudson River Valley Greenway is encouraging residents of the Hudson Valley and beyond to get ready for the 11th Annual Great Hudson River Paddle, scheduled for July 1-31, 2011.
The Paddle features paddling events throughout July. More information on paddling events like fireworks tours, "Pirates of Esopus" kayak scavenger hunt, kayaking instruction, and a variety of tours being held throughout the Hudson River Valley can be found on www.greatHRpaddle.org. The Great Hudson River Paddle offers the opportunity for explorations that highlight the significant historical, cultural and natural resources found throughout the Hudson River Valley. Experiencing these resources from the water gives participants a unique and up-close perspective that is not to be missed.
Veteran Great Hudson River Paddler Don Yackel has blogged about his experiences on the Paddle since 2006. His catalog of GHRP blogs may be found here. Here is a sampling of his adventures:

 

"I woke up slowly after a good night's sleep to another spectacular day on the river.  Because it was Sunday, we saw lots of powerboats, but they stayed mainly in the channel, far away from us.  This was a banner day for spotting Bald Eagles.  We saw at least six and one Osprey.  It's interesting that there are so many more Bald Eagles than Ospreys on the Hudson." Read More... 

 

Pittstown check presentation
Rensselaer County Executive Kathy Jimino, second from left, joins representatives from the Town of Pittstown and the Pittstown Historical Society. Constance Kheel, Pittstown Historical Society and Mark Castiglione are holding the check.

 

Greenway Approves $8,000 Grant to Town of Pittstown For National Register Nominations 
Mark Castiglione, Acting Executive Director of the Hudson River Valley Greenway, announced the approval of an $8,000 Greenway matching grant to the Town of Pittstown, a Greenway Community, for the development of nominations for eight historic farmsteads to the National Register of Historic Places. A check was presented to the Town on June 24th at the Herb Backus Farmstead. The grant was approved at the June 9th Board Meeting. Read More...

 

For more on this story see this Troy Record article.
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Town and Village of Saugerties Joint Comprehensive Plan Effort Awarded $15,000

At the June 9th Board Meeting, the Greenway Board awarded a $15,000 matching grant to the Town and Village of Saugerties for their Joint Comprehensive Plan. Greenway Acting Executive Director Mark Castiglione presented the communities with the award at an event on June 16th.

Read More...

Saugerties check presentation
L-R Supervisor Greg Helsmoortel, Town Board member Leeanne Thornton, Comprehensive Plan Committee Chair Patrick Fitzsimmons and Mark Castiglione

 

Greenway Conservancy Small Grant Program Announced

The Hudson River Valley Greenway is pleased to announce that applications are now available for the 2011 Greenway Conservancy Small Grant Program.  A total of $50,000 is available for matching grants in this year's program. The program offers funding for trail planning and design, construction and rehabilitation, and education and interpretation. Read More... 

 

Teaching the Hudson Valley Institute: Place and the Digital Native

 

This year's Summer Institute will examine the ways teachers and site staff can use emerging digital and social media tools (iPods, wikis, virtual tours, etc) to build community and teach about special places. The Institute will be held July 26th through 28th at the FDR Home and Presidential Library in Hyde Park, NY. Read More...

 

 

GrantsUpcoming Grant Opportunities

Greenway Community Grants applications for the next round of Greenway Community Grants will be due September 9th for our October Board Meeting. The following due date for applications will be December 9th for our January Board Meeting. Read More...  

 

Greenway Conservancy Small Grants

Applications are now available for the Greenway Conservancy Small Grants program, funding trail planning and design, construction and rehabilitation, and education and interpretation. Read More...  (August 19)

  

   

Rivers, Trails, & Conservation Assistance from the National Park Service

RTCA staff provide guidance to communities so they can conserve waterways, preserve open space, and develop trails and greenways. (August 1) Read More... 
 

New York State Homes & Community Renewal

NYS Homes & Community Renewal is accepting grant applications for its Homes for Working Families Program. Funding will provide gap financing through low interest loans for capital costs, related acquisition, and soft costs associated with the new construction or rehabilitation of affordable housing. Read More...


New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation Grant Opportunities

Applications for grants from the Environmental Protection Fund (EPF) for local park, trail, historic preservation, and heritage area projects are now available.  For more information, visit the State Parks website. (September 1)  

 

  

National Endowment for the Humanities
The National Endowment for the Humanities is providing grants for fellowship programs to support advanced study and research in the humanities. Fellowship programs may be administered by independent centers for advanced study, libraries, and museums in the United States, American overseas research centers and American organizations that have expertise in promoting research on foreign cultures. (August 17) Read More...

 

 

Department of Environmental Conservation State Assistance Programs for waste reduction, recycling and household hazardous waste programs. Read More... (Ongoing)

 

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Technical Assistance Grants for community groups to increase public awareness and understanding of remedial activities taking place in their community Read More... (Ongoing)

 

Enterprise Green Communities to help cover costs of planning and implementing green components of affordable housing developments, as well as tracking their costs and benefits. Read More... (Ongoing)

 

BJ's Charitable Foundation to enhance and enrich community programs that primarily benefit children and families. Read More... (Ongoing)

 


EventsRegional Events

July1 - October 30

 

Anton Otto Fischer: Enjoy this exhibit of works by noted marine artist and "Saturday Evening Post" illustrator at the Friends of Historic Kingston Gallery. 

 

July 1 - 31

 

Great Hudson River Paddle  

 

July 1

 

Albany First Friday: Albany First Friday: Visit Center Square and downtown arts venues for exhibition openings, receptions, and events. 

 

July 2

 

Soldiers Across Time: Children are invited to learn about the Purple Heart and the Civil War at the National Purple Heart Hall of Honor.

 

Stockade National Historic District Walking Tour: Enjoy a guided walking tour of the largest intact early Dutch settlement in New York State and the neighborhood where New York State was born in 1777.

 

 

July 3

 

Trade Partners: Learn about the Native American culture with art and demonstrations at Crailo State Historic Site. 

 

First Sunday Free Gallery Tour: Tour the galleries of The Dorsky museum with our guest educator.

 

July 4

 

Independence Day at Schuyler Mansion: Try your hand at colonial crafts and games while listening to a balladeer or watch performances while enjoying ice cream.

 

The Grand Celebration: Washington's Headquarters hosts a fireworks celebration

 

Independence Day at New Windsor Cantonment: Enjoy a military firing demonstration followed by a reading of the Declaration of Independence

 

Jamboree at John Jay Homestead: Listen to a fife and drum concert and learn about Colonial life through demonstrations and activities 

 

July 6

 

History Kids: Children at John Jay Homestead are invited to learn about chores done in the Jay household 

 

July 7

 

Yankee Doodle Band Concert: Enjoy patriotic tunes along the banks of Crailo's riverside park.

 

July 9

 

Annual Tour of Homes: Green County Historical Society presents its annual tour of homes and farmsteads in historic New Baltimore.

 

Native American Basket Workshop: Learn how to make a blueberry basket at Crailo 

 

July 9 - 10

 

Shaker Summer Craft Fair: Enjoy guided tours, craft activities, and farm animals at Albany Shaker Historic Site 

 

July 10

 

Trade Partners: Learn about the Native American culture with art and demonstrations at Crailo State Historic Site.  

 

Bronck Family - Keeping House: Learn how window treatments and floor coverings were chosen for a rural home from 1790-1850

 

July 11 - 15

 

Archaeology Field School: Participate in an archaeological dig at the Ten Broeck Mansion and nearby sites while learning the basics of archaeological investigation.

 

July 16

 

Soldiers Across Time: Children are invited to learn about the Purple Heart and the Civil War at the Hall of Honor

 

July 17

 

Trade Partners: Learn about the Native American culture with art and demonstrations at Crailo State Historic Site 

 

July 24

 

Henry Knox's Birthday: Watch the soldiers of the Continental Regiments at Knox's Headquarters complete preparations for the move to Yorktown in 1781.

 

July 29

 

Troy Savings Bank Music Hall Free Tours: Enjoy an all-access backstage tour of this historic facility

 

Troy Night Out: Visit the City of Troy for an Evening of arts and culture with music, food, shopping, and exhibits 

CommunityCommunity Spotlight

City of Newburgh

 

The City of Newburgh is located along the western banks of the Hudson River in Orange County. The area was explored by Henry Hudson in 1609 and was populated with settlers from Germany, England, and Scotland by the early 18th century. In 1750s, the area was named "Newburgh" in homage to one of the Newburghs located in Scotland.
 
The Village of Newburgh quickly rose to prominence during 1782 and 1783 when it served as headquarters of the Continental Army. It was here that George Washington refused to become king of the nation and that the "Newburgh conspiracy" to overthrow the government was resisted. In 1783, the Continental Army was formally disbanded here. 

 

Newburgh eventually became the county seat for Ulster County. However, the boundaries of Rockland and Orange Counties were redrawn in 1798 and Newburgh was made part of Orange County with the county seat being located in Goshen. 

 

By 1865, the Village of Newburgh was formally incorporated as the City of Newburgh - distinctly separate from the Town of Newburgh. The city's strategic location along the Hudson River between Albany and New York City soon gained it recognition as an economic and cultural center. 

 

Newburgh's economy was fueled by a diversity of industries ranging from cotton and furniture to steam boilers and automobiles. In addition, Newburgh was home to the first Edison power plant and soon became the first American city to be electrified. In addition, Newburgh was the first city to employ a city manager and one of the first cities to fluoridate its water. In 1939, RCA used Newburgh as a test market for television sets to determine if the new technology would be popular with the public. 

 

NewburghNewburgh's popularity was recognized by many prominent figures of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Andrew Jackson Downing contributed a great deal to the architectural landscape of Newburgh and had invited both Calvert Vaux and Frederick Law Olmsted to come to the city. In 1941, Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz debuted in Newburgh at the Ritz Theatre on Broadway, a street with the distinction of being the widest in the nation. By 1952, Look Magazine awarded Newburgh the title of "All American City." 

 

Despite its steep rise to popularity, Newburgh suffered significant setbacks in the 1960s and 1970s as many factories closed and an urban renewal plan left large tracts of vacant land and inadequate housing. In addition, the shipping traffic of the Hudson River was largely replaced by trucking while the downtown businesses were replaced by shopping malls on the outskirts of the city. The development of the Newburgh-Beacon Bridge also contributed to the city's decline as traffic was completely rerouted around Newburgh. 

 

Today, Newburgh is experiencing a rebirth. Despite the national economy, economic development is slowly increasing in the area surrounding Washington's Headquarters, new housing is being constructed nearby, and city infrastructure is being improved to encourage pedestrian and vehicular traffic. 

 

Newburgh is also capitalizing on its commitment to historic resources. Newburgh holds the distinction of having the first designated state historic site in the nation in 1850 - Washington's Headquarters. This led to the founding of the Newburgh Historical Society in 1884. In the late 1960s, the Dutch Reformed Church, designed by Alexander Jackson Davis, was slated for demolition as part of urban renewal. A movement grew and successfully saved the building which was granted National Historic Landmark status in 2001. The movement eventually led to the establishment of a historic district in Newburgh which is now the second largest in New York State. Furthermore, despite the urban renewal efforts in the past, many historic homes and sites remain untouched. In 2005, Newburgh was designated a Preserve America community.

HeritageHeritage Spotlight

Washington's Headquarters State Historic Site

 

Washington's HeadquartersGeneral George Washington established his headquarters at Jonathan and Tryntje Hasbrouck's fieldstone farmhouse from April 1, 1782, to August 19, 1783. This marks Washington's longest stay at any building during the Revolution. Here he welcomed a steady stream of guests, negotiated with Congress, oversaw troops, and rejected the suggestion of an American monarchy. On April 19, 1783, Washington's order for a "cessation of hostilities" was announced from the house. The Hasbrouck property, acquired and opened by the State of New York in 1850, is the first publicly acquired and operated historic site in the United States.

 

In the 1880s, an imposing limestone monument was constructed to commemorate the peaceful disbandment of the Continental Army from Newburgh. Above the gates of this "Tower of Victory" stand bronze statues of soldiers and officers of the Continental Army, while a statue of Washington dominates its center.

 

In 1910, an adjacent museum was built to display the growing number of collected artifacts.

 

Washington's Headquarters is located at 84 Liberty Street in Newburgh. (845) 562-1195 

GreenTipGreen Tip Of The Month

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Plug your electronics into a power strip and turn it off when not in use. Each month would reduce your carbon footprint by about 20lbs of CO2. Over a year that comes to a savings of about 240lbs!

 

(All information courtesy of National Geographic's Green Guide)

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Questions or comments?

Email us or call (518) 473-3835

 

 Be sure to visit the websites for the

Hudson River Valley Greenway

and the

Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area

 

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