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“Spring is made of solid, fourteen-karat gratitude, the reward for the long wait. Every religious tradition from the northern hemisphere honors some form of April hallelujah, for this is the season of exquisite redemption, a slam-bang return to joy after a season of cold second thoughts.”
― Barbara Kingsolver, Animal, Vegetable, Miracle
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Thanks to your support, 2024 was a fantastic year at the Library! We welcomed an estimated 53,200 visitors, hosted 852 live programs with 5,476 attendees, and added 4,389 new books and materials to our collection.
Your love for learning, reading, and community makes the Library a vibrant place for all. Stay tuned for a more detailed look at our year, and as always, thank you for being part of the Stone Ridge Library family!
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Death Cafe
April 26, 1-2:30pm
Activity Room
The Stone Ridge Library is thrilled to be working with Circle of Friends for the Dying to offer our first Death Cafe, Saturday, April 26th from 1-2:30pm in our Activity Room.
What is a Death Cafe?
A Death Café is a group-directed conversation of death with no agenda, objectives, or themes. It is a discussion group rather than a grief support or counseling session.
Group-led discussions have included information about green burial and other funeral options, religious traditions and spiritual beliefs about dying, do-not-resuscitate and advance care directives—any aspect of one’s final scene in the play of life might be brought to the table. No one gets to proselytize or sell their own point of view. Everyone gets a chance to speak out. Life and death are celebrated—and something tasty is always served.
CFD Death Cafés have been held in restaurants, libraries, community centers, and houses of worship throughout Ulster and Dutchess Counties. Having the greatest concern for the health and safety of our community and friends, we held CFD Death Café gatherings on Zoom after COVID. Our virtual events offered the advantage that folks from all over the country logged in to connect with each other and share their concerns about dying and death. At this time, we no longer hold regular virtual gatherings. But we are happy to announce that in-person gatherings have resumed, some to be held in Circle Home and others to be hosted by friends and organizations in the region!
Registration is limited and required for this event. Register here
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Tech Help Thursdays
Coming soon
We are working on a new Tech Help program which we hope to launch on April 24. More information and registration will be in our April newsletter
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Taking in the Good: The Hidden Power of Seemingly Ordinary Experiences
Monday, March 10
2-3:30 in our Activity Room.
In these troubling times, we may find ourselves suffering from a troubled mind. Each day we are bombarded with messages and images that often heighten our anxiety. “Taking in the Good” will be an opportunity to explore and cultivate a simple practice using everyday experiences to build new neural pathways that can strengthen our resiliency and improve our mental and physical health.
Register here
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After Work Yoga with Laura | |
After Work Yoga with Laura
Wednesdays March 5, 12, 19 & 26
5:30-6:45
Rondout Valley Municipal Center Gymnasium
The library and the Town of Marbletown are happy to offer free, hour plus, after-work yoga classes Wednesdays from 5:30-6:45.
Classes are held at the Rondout Valley Municipal Center Gymnasium. This means we have more spaces available in each class!
Bring your yoga mat and any props you use or borrow from our supplies. These classes are for everybody from beginner to advanced and a great way to end the work day.
Starting Wednesday, March 19, we are trying something new: Zooming in to yoga! If you can't make it to class on Wednesday and would like to join in via Zoom, email Sarah by noon the day of class and you will be emailed the Zoom link. Please be patient with us as this is a new feature and we may have some bumps as we figure it out.
March 5: Register here
March 12: Register here
March 19: Register here
March 26: Register here
*Please be sure to bring your yoga mat, any blocks or straps you have and a blanket or sweatshirt for shavasana. Those floors are chilly. If you don't have yoga equipment we have mats, blocks and straps you can borrow.
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Zumba Gold with Donna
Saturdays March 8, 15, 22 & 29
April 5 &12
9:00-9:50am
Rondout Municipal Center Gymnasium
We are thrilled to once again collaborate with The Town of Marbletown Parks, Rec and Trails Department to offer a six week session of free Zumba Gold Classes. Classes will be held at the Rondout Municipal Center Gym.
Join Zumba Gold instructor Donna Ebanks for a dance fitness program suited for those needing lower impact classes. This class is slower paced and will focus on balance, coordination and flexibility. Its a great way for seniors, anyone with mobility issues or those just starting out on their fitness journey to get started.
*You should check with your doctor before starting this or any exercise program.*
Registration is required for each class.
March 8: Register here
March 15: Register here
March 22: Register here
March 29: Register here
April 5: Register here
April 12: Register here
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New Exhibit: The Yeaple Family
Prints and Paintings by Beverly Bennett
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A lifelong Stone Ridge resident with more than twenty five years teaching high school art,
Beverly Bennett holds degrees in Graphic Arts/Advertising, Printmaking and Education.
Her focus since her retirement in 2019 has predominantly been on further developing her
artistic style while exhibiting in member and juried shows. In addition to her solo show, In
the Shadow of Mohonk, Beverly has had her work exhibited at the Woodstock School of
Art, Woodstock Artist Association, ASK Gallery, Woodstock Byrdcliffe Guild, Olive Free
Library and CoWork. Currently, Beverly is researching her ancestry while actively creating images using printmaking and painting methods that express her connection with the Yeaple family and their long history in Marbletown.
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The Yeaple Family
Prints and Paintings by Beverly Bennett
March 3-April 28
Artist Statement
The work displayed in this show are selections from my solo exhibit at the Ulster County Historical Society in 2024 titled, In the Shadow of Mohonk. My inspiration for these woodcuts and paintings came from the many objects, letters and photographs that have been passed down to me from previous generations. I value these things for the stories they tell. These mementos have kept me connected to the people I’ve known and loved yet curious about others who are new to me. Over the past few years, I’ve looked through
a lot of boxes, which, in turn motivated me to produce quite a bit of art. Through it all, there have been a few tears, a good deal of laughter, and a great number of questions. Not only did this undertaking cause me to look more closely into my ancestry but also more deeply into myself. I came away with a greater connection to my past and to my kindred; the tenderhearted, hard-working people known as Yeaple who have occupied these beautiful
Shawangunk Mountains since 1771.
Along the way, I fell in love once again with the art of printmaking, particularly woodcut for its bold, straightforward textural qualities. I discovered the fluidity and brilliance of encaustic painting, an ancient technique in which pigments are mixed with melted wax and resin. Both methods have been very fitting ways to express my family’s story. Through my work, I hope you are inspired to look into your own heritage, to explore and reveal your story, and to think more about your role in preserving the past. In doing so, you may be amazed at what you learn.
Many thanks to the Stone Ridge Library for exhibiting my recent work!
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Let's Move with the Library | |
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Let's Move with the Library
Thursdays each month
from 12-1pm
Various Rail Trails
All are welcome as we talk and walk, getting in our steps and getting to know our neighbors. There is no registration necessary. Just show up with your walking shoes on.
All walks are weather permitting. Any cancellations will be posted on social media by 8am and also be on our website.
Thursday, March 6, 12-1 O&W Rail Trail parking lot Rest Plaus Trailhead
Thursday, March 13, 12-1 Wallkill Valley Rail Trail parking lot at the Women's Studio Workshop.
Thursday, March 20, 12-1 O&W Rail Trail parking lot at the Leggett Road Trailhead.
Thursday, March 27, 12-1 O&W Rail Trail parking lot at the Cottekill Firehouse Trailhead.
***Parking is limited at this trailhead so we recommend parking across the road at the silos lot if the firehouse lot is full, or carpooling if you can.
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Frances Perkins:
Champion of the Working Man and Woman
with Jeffrey Urbin of the FDR Presidential Library
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Frances Perkins: Champion of the working man and woman
Tuesday, March 18, 2pm
Zoom Program
This month we celebrate Women’s History with a program on Frances Perkins, first female Secretary of Labor and the driving force behind the New Deal. Join Jeffrey Urbin, Education Specialist of the FDR Presidential Library and Director of the Pare Lorentz Film Center, as we learn about this fascinating woman and all she accomplished.
Frances Perkins had envisioned for herself a quiet life as a teacher, but a chance encounter on a New York City sidewalk set her life on a course that would change the lives of millions of American Workers. This session highlights her journey from school marm to the first female member of a President’s cabinet as the Secretary of Labor and the creation of some of the most important pieces of labor and social legislation in American history.
Register here *Be sure to include your email address in your registration so we can send you the Zoom link.
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Understanding Medicare
with Dan Calabrese
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Understanding Medicare with Dan Calabrese
Thursday, March 27, 2pm
Zoom Program
Are you new to Medicare, or in Medicare but confused about the coming Medicare Enrollment Period? This informational webinar will help you to better understand your options. A complete discussion of all the parts of Medicare will be reviewed to better help you determine the best choices for you based on your particular set of health circumstances. This webinar will make a confusing topic much easier to understand.
Dan Calabrese began Sunrise Advisors Group specializing in Medicare, Life and Long-Term Care over ten years ago. In addition to meeting with people at their homes or businesses, Dan offers Medicare seminars for people new to Medicare at employer groups, railroad retiree events, Kiwanis Clubs and libraries. Realizing how difficult Medicare is to understand for people new to or currently in Medicare along with the choices available, Dan developed a presentation that makes it easier to understand how all the parts of Medicare “fit together.”
Dan is certified in Long Term Care Planning and holds the CLTC designation for such planning. He has written and published several articles on Medicare, Long Term Care and life insurance which are available to read on www.sunriseadvgrp.com. He has clients in over fifteen counties in New York and Connecticut.
Register here
*Be sure to include your email address when you register so we can send you the Zoom link.
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Teen Game Night
Friday, March 7
6-8:30pm
Teens 15+
Join us for after hours game night for teens. If you enjoy group games, come and join in the fun. This month we will be debuting a new game Really LOUD Librarians. For those who prefer quieter games we will have Liverpool Rummy, Catan and many others.
Snacks will be provided. Regames istration is required. The library doors will open at 6pm and close at 6:15pm so be here on time for an evening of fun.
Register here
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The Bittersweet History of Chocolate
Friday, March 21 (rescheduled from February 21)
6:30-8pm
Teens 15+
Throughout its history, chocolate has been a food of the gods, then kings. Chocolate, the bestower of both pleasurable delight and cultural myth-making, a coveted luxury export of New World colonialism, a conspirator in illicit seduction and decadent moral decline, a sweet method of murder by poison, and the embodiment of globalization. The contemporary culture and consumption of chocolate remains rich with neo-colonialism, modern slavery, and environmental degradation.
Participants in this teen history program will learn the science, social impact, and socio-environmental future of this bittersweet commodity. Participants will also gain hands-on experience in how to make dipped chocolate truffles, chocolate ganache, chocolate sauce, and concoct their very own death by chocolate.
If you registered for this program last month your registration has been saved for the rescheduled program.
New Registrations here.
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A note from Jodi
Hello from the coolest spot in the library! We’ve had a good time in the Children’s Room this February; trying to make the best of not-so-awesome weather. Our first Lego Club meeting was lively and full of otherworldly surprises! I can’t wait for the next one in March. Thanks to the parents who gave me the tip about the Lego mat with built-in storage… We will definitely be getting a couple of those. We also had our first Tween Hour this Winter and it was so great to see our 9-12 year old patrons again. Since it was right before Valentine’s Day, of course we HAD to decorate cookies. Have you ever tried putting pretzels in the icing of a cookie? This was a brilliant idea from one of our tweens and I highly recommend it! Delicious!
So many of you have been enjoying the "Take & Make" kits in the children's room, and I'm glad to see that! I hope they provide our youngest patrons with engaging activities that give them a sense of accomplishment upon finishing. Moving forward, the Take & Make kits will be kept at the front desk and renewed weekly on Tuesdays. Feel free to come into the library on Tuesday afternoons and ask one of our friendly clerks for a kit.
Stay tuned for new afterschool programs starting in early April! Meanwhile,
I hope to see you at Lego Club and Tween Hour!
If you have any questions or suggestions about our Young Adult, Tween, or Juvenile programming at the library, please send me an email at jpalinkas@stoneridgelibrary.org.
See you at the library,
Jodi
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Monthly After School Lego Club
Tuesday, March 11
3:30-4:30
Children's Room
The library has a monthly Free Play Family Lego Club from 3:30-4:30
for ages 4+
Registration is required.
Tuesday, March 11: Register here
Tuesday, April 1: Register here
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Preschool Story Hour
Thursdays, February 13 & 27
10am Children's Room
Join Jess and Lindsey for stories, songs and crafts.
Thursday, March 13: Register here
Thursday, March 27: Register here
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Tween Wednesdays!
March 5
3:30-4:30 Activity Room
Kids ages 9-12 join in on crafty fun Wednesday from 3:30-4:30 in our Activity Room.
March 5: Register here
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Clio's Muse History Book Group
Wednesday, March 5, 7pm
Zoom Program
The Book for March is The Woman Behind the New Deal: the life of Frances Perkins.
One of Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s closest friends and the first female secretary of labor, Perkins capitalized on the president’s political savvy and popularity to enact most of the Depression-era programs that are today considered essential parts of the country’s social safety network.
Frances Perkins is no longer a household name, yet she was one of the most influential women of the twentieth century. Based on eight years of research, extensive archival materials, new documents, and exclusive access to Perkins’s family members and friends, this biography is the first complete portrait of a devoted public servant with a passionate personal life, a mother who changed the landscape of American business and society.
Frances Perkins was named secretary of labor by Franklin Roosevelt in 1933. As the first female cabinet secretary, she spearheaded the fight to improve the lives of America’s working people while juggling her own complex family responsibilities. Perkins’s ideas became the cornerstones of the most important social welfare and legislation in the nation’s history, including unemployment compensation, child labor laws, and the forty-hour work week.
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Tea Time
Book Group
Wednesday, March 12
1pm in the Activity Room
The book for March is The Women by Kristin Hannah
Women can be heroes, too." When twenty-year-old nursing student Frances "Frankie" McGrath hears these unexpected words, it is a revelation. Raised on idyllic Coronado Island and sheltered by her conservative parents, she has always prided herself on doing the right thing, being a good girl. But in 1965 the world is changing, and she suddenly imagines a different choice for her life. When her brother ships out to serve in Vietnam, she impulsively joins the Army Nurse Corps and follows his path. As green and inexperienced as the men sent to Vietnam to fight, Frankie is overwhelmed by the chaos and destruction of war, as well as the unexpected trauma of coming home to a changed and politically divided America. The Women is the story of one woman gone to war, but it shines a light on the story of all women who put themselves in harm's way to help others. Women whose sacrifice and commitment to their country has all too often been forgotten. A novel of searing insight and lyric beauty, The Women is a profoundly emotional, richly drawn story with a memorable heroine whose extraordinary idealism and courage under fire define a generation.
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Mystery
Book Group
Wednesday, March 15
11am Activity Room
The book for March is The Spook Lights Affair by Marcia Muller and Bill Pronzini
In 1895 San Francisco young debutantes don't commit suicide at festive parties, particularly not under the eye of Sabina Carpenter. But Virginia St. Ives evidently did, leaping from a foggy parapet in a shimmer of ghostly light. The seemingly impossible disappearance of her body creates an even more serious problem for the firm of Carpenter and Quincannon, Professional Detective Services.Sabina hadn't wanted to take the assignment, but her partner John Quincannon insisted it would serve as entrě to the city's ultra rich and powerful. That means money, and Quincannon loves the almighty dollar. Which is why he is hunting the bandit who robbed the Wells, Fargo office of $35,000.Working their separate cases (while Sabina holds John off with one light hand), the detectives give readers a tour of The City the way it was. From the infamous Barbary Coast to the expensive Tenderloin gaming houses and brothels frequented by wealthy men, Quincannon follows a danger-laden trail to unmask the murderous perpetrators of the Wells, Fargo robbery. Meanwhile, Sabina works her wiles on friends and relatives of the vanished debutante until the pieces of her puzzle start falling into place. But it's an oddly disguised gent appearing out of nowhere who provides the final clue to both cases--the shrewd "crackbrain" who believes himself to be Sherlock Holmes.
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The Escape Club
Book Group
Tuesday, March 18
7pm in the Activity room
(an after hours library program)
The book for March is Killers of a Certain Age by Deanna Raybourn
They’ve spent their lives as the deadliest assassins in a clandestine international organization, but now that they're sixty years old, four women friends can’t just retire – it’s kill or be killed in this action-packed thriller by New York Times bestselling and Edgar Award-nominated author Deanna Raybourn.
Billie, Mary Alice, Helen, and Natalie have worked for the Museum, an elite network of assassins, for forty years. Now their talents are considered old-school and no one appreciates what they have to offer in an age that relies more on technology than people skills.
When the foursome is sent on an all-expenses paid vacation to mark their retirement, they are targeted by one of their own. Only the Board, the top-level members of the Museum, can order the termination of field agents, and the women realize they’ve been marked for death.
Now to get out alive they have to turn against their own organization, relying on experience and each other to get the job done, knowing that working together is the secret to their survival. They’re about to teach the Board what it really means to be a woman—and a killer—of a certain age.
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The Morbid History Book Group
Monday, March 10
7pm in the Activity room
(an after hours library program)
The book for March is The Angel Makers: Arsenic, A Midwife, and Modern History's Most Astonishing Murder Ring by Patti McCracken
The Angel Makers is a true-crime story like no other-a 1920s midwife who may have been the century's most prolific killer leading a murder ring of women responsible for the deaths of at least 160 men. The horror occurred in a rustic farming enclave in modern-day Hungary. To look at the unlikely lineup of murderesses-village wives, mothers, and daughters-was to come to the shocking realization that this could have happened anywhere, and to anyone. At the center of it all was a sharp-minded village midwife, a "smiling Buddha" known as Auntie Suzy, who distilled arsenic from flypaper and distributed it to the women of Nagyrév. "Why are you bothering with him?" Auntie Suzy would ask, as she produced an arsenic-filled vial from her apron pocket. In the beginning, a great many used the deadly solution to finally be free of cruel and abusive spouses. But as the number of dead bodies grew without consequence, the killers grew bolder. With each vial of poison emptied, a new reason surfaced to drain yet another. Some women disposed of sickly relatives. Some used arsenic as "inheritance powder" to secure land and houses. For more than fifteen years, the unlikely murderers aided death unfettered and tended to it as if it were simply another chore-spooning doses of arsenic into soup and wine, stirring it into coffee and brandy. By the time their crimes were discovered, hundreds were feared dead. The Angel Makers captures in expertly researched detail the entirety of this harrowing story, from the early murders to the final hanging-the story of one of the most sensational and astonishing murder rings in all of modern history.
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German Conversation Group with Suse Volk
Friday, March 21, 4-5pm
Activity Room
The Stone Ridge Library has expanded our language conversation groups to include a German conversation group which will meet on the third Friday of each month.
Participants should have some background in German language as this is a conversation group meant to improve and brush up skills.
Suse Volk is a native German speaker ready to discuss a variety of topics including culture, travel and food. If you are interested in joining this group please contact Sarah Robertson at: programs@stoneridgelibrary.org
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Tuesday, March 18
1-2 pm - in the Activity Room
Want to brush up or improve your French with a conversation hour? Claudine is a native French speaker, born in Paris and raised in Europe; following a 30 year Government career abroad, she chose Stone Ridge to retire in. Culture, medicine, travels, and anything / everything culinary are favorite subjects-which she would love to share and exchange in French. The program is offered on the third Tuesday of each month. This group is meeting in-person in the Activity Room. Registration is not required. For more information contact Sarah Robertson at: programs@stoneridgelibrary.org.
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Monday, March 24
1-2 pm on Zoom
¿Hablas español? If you would like to brush up on your Spanish conversation skills and meet other language lovers in a friendly and stress free environment on Zoom, every fourth Monday of the month from 1:00 pm to 2:00 pm. All levels are welcomed. ¡Hasta entonces!
Francisco Rivera was born and raised in Spanish Harlem in NYC and is a long term resident of Marbletown.
Contact Sarah Robertson at programs@stoneridgelibrary.org to join the group.
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POETRY
with Rosemary Deen
Thursday, March 6 &20
on Zoom 1:30 - 3:00
Join us for an afternoon of poetry with Rosemary Deen. Poetry meets the first and third Thursday of the month via Zoom.
Please contact Rosemary at rmdeen@gmail.com if you’d like to join the group.
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WRITERS' GROUP
with Cathy Arra
GROUP I:
Monday, March 3 & 17
GROUP II:
Monday, March 10 &24
4:00-6:30pm in the Activity Room
Two separate writers' groups meet on alternate Mondays at the library, with a maximum of 10 participants in each group. This program is designed for those who are actively writing and publishing work and who want to participate in a structured critical feedback process. Cathy Arra, a poet, writer, and former teacher of English and Writing in the Rondout Valley School District, facilitates the groups. This is not a drop in group. If you are interested in participating, please contact Cathy Arra.
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Every Saturday
10am-noon, in the Activity Room
The Stone Ridge Library Knitters meet every Saturday morning from 10am – 12noon. All ages and experience levels can join us and drop-in knitters are also welcome.
We each bring our own supplies and do our own work, but one of the best things about us is that whatever obstacle or confusion you might encounter, you’re likely to receive as much comment and advice as you need to get where you’re going with a project.
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MAHJONG
Every Tuesday
10am-noon, in the Activity Room
Tuesdays from 10-12 in the library Activity Room. No registration is required. Players must have basic knowledge to play. Everyone is welcome to watch. Beginner lessons will be offered occasionally by a group member at a mutually convenient time. The group is playing with the 2024 card until the 2025 card becomes available.
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CANASTA
Every Friday
10am-noon, in the Activity Room
Canasta is a form of rummy that uses two full card decks. Players or partnerships try to meld groups of two or three cards of the same rank and score bonuses for 7-card melds. The first player to hit 5000 points or partnership to hit 8500 points wins!
Our volunteer, Jane, asks than new players plan to observe their first day to learn about the game. More advance players will be playing as well.
If you would like to learn how to play, contact: programs@stoneridgelibrary.org
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New DVDs
Wicked
The Substance
Dynamic Planet
Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project
New to us
Silicon Valley Season 5
The Long Voyage Home
Our Town
The Killing
Another Country
You’re the top: The Cole Porter Story
Kids
Ratatouille
The Iron Giant
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HOW TO ORDER USING THE
ONLINE CATALOG
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Go to stoneridgelibrary.org.
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Click on Search the Catalog.
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Log in is in the top right corner of the page.
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You will need your Library Barcode (on back of your Library Card) and your PIN. (If you don't have a PIN you can set it up yourself.)
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Search for your item.
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Click the Request It button.
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Submit your request.
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Address: 3700 Main Street, PO Box 188
Stone Ridge, NY 12484
Phone: 845-687-7023
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