Shadowlands in Ellenville offers great entertainment at great price

It's Fundraising Season; YWCA Women & Wine, Feb. 25th

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The YWCA of Ulster County

Presents

Women & Wine

with co-sponsor

The Art Society of Kingston

You are cordially invited to celebrate an evening of sisterhood and spirits!

Show your support for the YWCA and enjoy fine wine, fabulous food and incredible art!

$25.00 per person

*Bring a friend*

Thursday, February 25^th

6:00 – 9:00PM

ASK Arts Center

97 Broadway  Kingston, NY

Contact Nadine Ferraro @ the YWCA for more information or to reserve

338-6844  ext. 102

Support the Hunger Banquet 2010

UlsterCorps: Volunteerism and Community Service in Ulster County, New York:

What is a Hunger Banquet?

The Hunger Banquet allows participants to experience firsthand how our decisions affect others in the world.

Guests draw tickets at random that assign them each to either a high-, middle-, or low-income tier-based on the latest statistics about the number of people living in poverty. Each income level receives a corresponding meal.

The first 15 percent represent those living in the high-income tier and are served a sumptuous meal catered by celebrated chef Samir Hrichi of Ship to Shore; the next 35 percent represent the largest demographic addressing hunger and food insecurity in our own community; our children. These guests will dine on an offering from the Kingston Consolidated school lunch menu; and the remaining guests, representing the 50% of the world population facing hunger and poverty daily, help themselves to small portions of rice and water. Although all guests pay the same price for admission, as in life we never know how fate is decided."

Sunday, March 28, 2010
5:00 PM to 7:00 PM

The Hudson Valley Hunger Banquet 2010 will benefit the following organizations:

Queens Galley, Family of Woodstock, Caring Hands Soup Kitchen, Daily Bread Soup Kitchen, Ulster Corps, Angel Food East, Saint James Food Pantry, Rosendale Food Pantry, People’s Place, Chiz’s Heart Street, God Given Bread Food Pantry and Libertyview Farm hunger relief project.

- 12 organizations

- 1 Mission

– Thousands served.

For more information, to volunteer, or to purchase tickets, visit the UlsterCorps site.

Community Discussion of Mammography Screening, Wed., Feb 3

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What’s the Buzz?

A Discussion about Mammography Screenings

FREE and open to the public

Wed. Feb. 3, 7pm
(snow date Thu. Feb. 4)

 Please join us for an informative panel presentation
cosponsored by the Oncology Support Program and Breast Cancer Options.

Presenters include local breast surgeons
Dr. Zoe Weinstein and Dr. Samira Khera,
breast cancer survivors and advocates
Hope Nemiroff and Barbara Sarah and
Chairman of Radiology Dr. Bruce Moor.

Light refreshments

Benedictine Hospital

Administrative Services Building – Auditorium
105 Mary’s Avenue, Kingston , NY

For more information or to register, please contact the Oncology Support Program at 339-2071 ext. 100 or email dblaha@benedictine.org

 

Fundraiser for Rosendale Theater Collective Sunday, Jan. 31

A Music and Cartoon Bash
with
Dog on Fleas
and
Looney Tunes

to benefit the
Rosendale Theater Collective

 

Sunday, January 31
2-3:30pm
Kids free; Adults $10
Children must be accompanied by an adult.

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly of the 2010 Census

Yesterday, our board meeting ended when a fellow came into the Library's community room to set up for the Census exam that he was running last evening. Twenty-seven people he told us, were going to take the test.

We chatted for a minute -- would the Census Bureau hire retirees? Yes. He is a retiree himself. Part-time jobs? Yes. And they try to keep you close to home.

The Census Bureau will be hiring -- did he say three million ? -- census workers to complete the count. Hours are flexible, get paid while you train. Positions include: census takers, crew leaders and assistants, recruiters, and clerks.

Want to know more? call 1-866-861-2010 or visit www.2010censusjobs.gov

Then this morning I found this notice about the census from someone on the local human services listserv:

With the U.S.. Census process beginning, the Better Business Bureau (BBB) advises people to be cooperative, but cautious, so as not to become a victim of fraud or identity theft. The first phase of the 2010 U.S. Census is under way as workers have begun verifying the addresses of households across the country.

Eventually, more than 140,000 U.S. Census workers will count every person in the United States and will gather information about every person living at each address including name, age, gender, race, and other relevant data.

The big question is - how do you tell the difference between a U.S. Census worker and a con artist? BBB offers the following advice:

1)     If a U.S. Census worker knocks on your door, they will have a badge, a handheld device,  a Census  Bureau canvas bag, and a confidentiality notice.  Ask to see their identification and their badge before answering their questions. However, you should never invite anyone you don't know into your home.

2)     Census workers are currently only knocking on doors to verify address information.  Do not give your Social Security number, credit card or banking information to anyone, even if they claim they need it for the U.S. Census.

 REMEMBER, NO MATTER WHAT THEY ASK, YOU REALLY ONLY NEED TO TELL THEM HOW MANY PEOPLE LIVE AT YOUR ADDRESS. 

While the Census Bureau might ask for basic financial information, such as a salary range, YOU DON'T  HAVE TO ANSWER ANYTHING AT ALL ABOUT YOUR FINANCIAL SITUATION. The Census Bureau will not ask for Social Security, bank account, or credit card numbers, nor will employees solicit donations.

 Any one asking for that information is NOT with the Census Bureau.
 AND REMEMBER, THE CENSUS BUREAU HAS DECIDED NOT TO WORK WITH ACORN  ON GATHERING THIS INFORMATION. No Acorn worker should approach you saying he/she is with the Census Bureau. 

Eventually, Census workers may contact you by telephone, mail, or in person at home. However, the Census Bureau will not contact you by E-mail, so be on the lookout for E-mail scams impersonating the Census. Never click on a link or open any attachments in an E-mail that are supposedly from the U.S. Census Bureau.

 PLEASE SHARE THIS INFORMATION WITH FAMILY AND FRIENDS.

I guess that people who want to steal your identity will resort to most anything.

Our census is important. It not only tells us who we are and what we are about, it serves as the basis for much government funding. There's a lot of interesting stuff on the Census 2010 website. Take a look.

Raising Girls

Here's a new PBS special. Guess I won't watch it tonight, but I'll catch it on the web sometime soon.

in reference to: A Girl's Life . Raising Girls . PBS Parents | PBS (view on Google Sidewiki)

12/10/09: CEMAC meeting

Benefit Concert Sunday, December 13th

From Ellen Osgood: 

To Benefit

The Good Neighbor Food Pantry 

and the Woodstock Area Meals on Wheels

Admission to this event is non-perishable food items or a cash donation

Special Guests for this performance are:

Jonathan Donahue & Grasshopper
from the alternative rock band Mercury Rev






Singer/songwriter Kelleigh McKenzie





and a special appearance from
Classical violinist Miriam Rose

Giving to others is what this time of year is about and your donations can help make a real difference for those having a hard time putting a hot nutritious meal on the table. So,take a break from the holiday chaos and  enjoy a wonderful show while helping your neighbors in need at the same time!

The Good Neighbor Food Pantry, located on the ground floor of the Reformed Church of Woodstock, serves an average of 100 people a week. The pantry is open each Thursday morning from 9 to 11 am and by appointment (call 843.399.3967).

Contributions for the pantry may be sent to:"Good Neighbor Food Pantry" c/o Woodstock Reformed Church, Tinker Street, Woodstock, NY 12498. 

Meals on Wheels has served the Woodstock area since 1975. Located in the Dutch Reformed Church on Tinker Street in Woodstock, they prepare and deliver nutritious hot meals seven days a week to people of all ages unable to cook or shop for themselves. If you would like to volunteer, or refer someone for this service, please call the kitchen weekdays from 8:30 - 11:00 am at 845.679.4656

Contributions for the Meals on Wheels:to make a tax deductible donation please send checks to:"Woodstock Area Meals on Wheels Inc." Attention: Treasurer, 16 Tinker St., Woodstock, NY 12498

For more information call 518.943.0085

Help Keep the Rosendale Theatre Alive

Dear friends, This is about the most important project I've had the pleasure to support. Please give it your attention, as it is so important to our little, but great community. Thank you very much. 

Sincerely, Betsy Tuel

Rosendale Theatre Collective
Give yourself the holiday gift of keeping the Rosendale Theatre alive.We're more than halfway to our goal of $20,000! The Cacchio family has generously given us another week -- until December 15th -- to raise the $20,000 needed for the binder. No gift is too small or too large!

The Rosendale Theatre is one of the few family-owned, single-screen movie theatres still operating in the United States. In addition to providing high-quality art films, the theatre has been a community space for many local organizations to fundraise, meet, inform, inspire and educate. It has a rich history of supporting independent filmmakers, artists, and civil and human rights organizations worldwide.
 

The Cacchio family made this gift to our community for 60 years. They have now decided it's time to sell.

A recently formed community group, currently called the Rosendale Theatre Collective, is negotiating with the Cacchio family to purchase the theatre. We're fundraising under the fiscal umbrella of the Children's Media Project. This relationship with the Children’s Media Project means that all donations are tax-deductable to the full extent of the law.

To make a donation, you can click on the PayPal button on the Chlidren's Media Project site and indicate Rosendale Theatre Collective in your donation instructions. Or make out a check to Children’s Media Project. Please write Rosendale Theatre Collective in the memo space on your check.

Please mail checks to: Rosendale Theatre Collective PO Box 250 Rosendale, NY 12472

Thank you for joining us in this exciting and important project!

Please share this with anyone you know who loves the Rosendale Theatre!

Current members of the Rosendale Theatre Collective include (in no particular order): F-stop Fitzgerald, Ron Parenti, Nicole Quinn, Gale McGovern, Fre Atlast, Ellen Sribnick, Beverly Keith, Amy Trompetter, Jan Melchior, Yuval Sterer, Lisa Sterer, Abba Johnnes, Dan Guenther, Brian Mathews, Betty Greenwald, Dana Rudikoff, Livia Vanaver, Bill Vanaver, Linda Park, Jane Hollinger, Marty Molitoris, Anissa Kapsales, Bill Brooks, Sophia Raab Downs, Laura Shaine, Bob Godwin, Nicole Fenichel-Hewitt, Ali Gruber, Louis Torchio, Annette and Max Finestone, Carol Garfinkel, Jane Hollinger, Eve Waltermaurer.

Reserve Now for Our Annual Trip to the Metropolitan Museum, Dec. 17

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Annual Holiday Trip:
Thursday, December 17th
to
New York City
and The Metropolitan Museum of Art
for the special exhibits:
Cinnabar: The Carved Art of Chinese Lacquer;

Imperial Privilege: 18th Century Viennese Porcelain;

Robert Frank's The Americans;

Silk and Bamboo: Music and Art of China;

Pablo Bronstein at the Met;

Surface Tension in Contemporary Photographs;

Eccentric Visions of Luo Ping (1733–1799);

Paintings of Everyday American Life, 1765–1915;

The Young Archer (attributed to Michelangelo);

plus, the annual Christmas Tree & Crèche

Leaving at 8 AM and returning around 6:30 PM
 

Cost (includes bus, driver tip and entrance into the museum): Seniors $63; Adults $67. Bus to New York City alone, including driver tip: $40. All trips leave from the rear of the former Ames in the Kingston Plaza; pickups and dropoffs can be arranged for the New Paltz Park-n-Ride.

For reservations, call Pat Whelan between noon and 9 PM at 845-657-6807 or write PWHL8@aol.com, then send your check, made out to AAUW–Kingston Branch, to Pat Whelan, 1321 County Rt. 2, Olivebridge NY 12461.
 
(Ask about our member discounts and cancellation policies.)

Open to all, our trips are part of our mission to offer community enrichment and to raise funds for scholarships and grants to local, national and international programs, especially in support of women. Membership in Kingston Branch of American Association of University Women is open to all people.

The Library's Thanksgiving Challenge

Here's something worthwhile that arrived in my mailbox this morning. Are you that supporter who'll take the time to send this thank you?

Thanksgiving Challenge

Take the 2009 "Thanksgiving Challenge"!

Can you find at least one supporter in your community - a trustee, friend or avid patron - to write a letter to the editor of your local paper explaining why they are thankful for your library, the online catalog or delivery system in the next two weeks? 

We bet you can! 

- It doesn't have to be a long letter - it can be short and sweet: "I'm thankful to my public library for (fill in the blank)." 

Here's what I'll say--
I'm thankful to the Kingston Area Library  staff for their graciousness in hosting our AAUW branch meetings. They never lose their cool when we've forgotten to reserve the room, run overtime, or have some unusual request. It's a great place where the staff makes us feel welcome.


So, what are you thankful for?

Psychic benefits? Women's work? Any excuse.

Someone said to me this morning, men won't take jobs in human services because they can't support their families. The women have spouses or partners, so it's ok to pay so little.

Wrong. Wrong. Wrong.

To many woman working in nonprofits are single family households and are one or two paychecks away from homelessness themselves. They frequently work two, sometimes three jobs.

They are dedicated people who have spent as many dollars and years on their degrees.

They deserve better.

in reference to:

"In 2003 BusinessWeek surveyed the compensation packages of MBAs 10 years out of b-school. The median compensation package with bonus was $400,000. By contrast, the average 2004 salary of the CEO of a $5 million-plus health charity was $232,000 and of a hunger charity, $84,000. There's no way you're going to get people with a $400,000 annual pay package to take a $316,000 annual pay cut on the basis of the psychic benefits that await them. Instead, consider the enormous psychic benefits that people in the for-profit world enjoy as philanthropists. Think about this: It's cheaper for the MBA to donate $100,000 a year to the hunger charity than to go work for it. She gets $50,000 in federal and state tax savings, which leaves her $266,000 ahead of the game. On top of that, she gets a seat on the board of the hunger charity; indeed, probably chairs the board. She now gets to supervise the poor bastard who's running the hunger charity. She gets to dictate his strategy and how he goes about executing it. And if that weren't enough, the MBA is now elevated to the status of respected philanthropist in the community (while the hunger charity CEO gets demonized at the annual board meeting for wanting a $10,000 salary increase — "shame on you, that money could be going to the needy," they tell him). And, with a $100,000 annual contribution to the hunger charity, at some point the "philanthropist" gets her name on the top of the charity's headquarters. And maybe she loves her for-profit job on top it. Sounds like an awful lot of psychic benefit to me. Don't fall for this Puritan self-sacrificial psychobabble. It's not the poor who are asking you to work for less. It's the donating public, including many a wealthy donor. They're asking you to end poverty and every other great social problem and to do it for them at a discount. And they're exploiting the images of the poor to get you to agree. The fact that someone makes a one-time sacrificial gift doesn't mean you're obligated to make a lifetime sacrificial career choice. If you do the math and the psychic benefit comes up lacking for you, then ask the people who want you to make the world a better place for another kind of benefit that begins with a "p." Pay."
- The "Psychic Benefits" of Nonprofit Work Are Overrated - Dan Pallotta - HarvardBusiness.org (view on Google Sidewiki)

All Souls' Day Concert, Nov. 1 at 7 pm

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From Marjorie Regan:

On  Sunday, Nov. 1, our Schola will give a concert for All Soul's Day at 7pm at St. Joseph's Church, Main & Wall Streets, Kingston. The purpose is to console those who have had a loss.

The music is beautiful. It includes Ashokan Farewell and The Canticle of the Turning. I think you will be touched by it. It will last one hour.

I hope you can come.

Health Care Forum, Friday, 10/30

From Rokki Carr:

The Hidden Truths about Health Care Reform Forum

Friday, Oct 30 
7:30 pm

Lecture Center 102, SUNY New Paltz Campus 
Free and open to the public

Dr. Andy Coates, national spokesperson for Physicians for a National Health Plan (PNHP), will address the current health care crises. He will present: How we have reached the current crises in health care; assess current legislative health reform proposals; the media blackout on single payer/medicare-for-all, and how health care reform is integrating with elections reform. His presentation will be followed by an interactive Q&A session.

"There is much confusion and misunderstanding about bills offered in the House and Senate, as well as the differences between single payer and the public option," says Dr. Coates, a practicing physician and professor of medicine and psychiatry at Albany Medical College. "PNHP will be conducting educational forums much like the one at SUNY throughout New York state in the months ahead."

Dr. Andy Coates will be leading a discussion on how the US can meet the global crisis, and resist the worldwide move to privatize, market, and commodify Healthcare.

Andrew D. Coates, MD is a member of the national board of directors of Physicians for a National Health Program and the secretary of the Capital District (NY) chapter of PNHP.  He practices medicine in Albany, NY, where he is assistant professor of medicine and psychiatry at Albany Medical College.

Sponsored by: Democracy Matters, Coalition of Concerned Citizens of New Paltz, Hudson Valley Progressive Coalition, Citizens for Universal Healthcare

Contact: Ruth Molloy rmcfood61@live.com
Ph: (845) 256-0733

Recycle Your Old Computers/CRTs/Copiers* Nov 5 & 6

Recycle Your Old Computers/CRTs/Copiers*
and Help Benefit the Work of Sustainable Hudson Valley

An electronics take-back event for businesses and individuals hosted by The Mac Works, in partnership with Advanced Recovery,

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Inc., Ryan & Ryan Insurance Agency, American Cancer Society, and Deegan Development Group, is hosting .

WHEN

Businesses: Fri. November 6th, 2009, 12PM–4 PM

Individuals: Sat. November 7th, 2009, 9AM–1PM

WHERE 400 Stockade Drive, Kingston Off Schwenk Drive, across from Kingston Plaza

******************

COST TO TURN IN ELECTRONICS
Individuals: $10 per carload. No pre-registration required.

Businesses, school districts and government agencies: will be invoiced
based on inventory of equipment recycled. Registration Required.
Please contact Bob Travers at Advanced Recovery, Inc.
845-858-8813 or btravers@advancedrecovery.com

******************

* Items Accepted

Monitors, Printers, Keyboards, VCRs, Batteries, Cell Phones, Terminals, Cables,
Fax Machines, Radios, Modems, CRTs, Telephones, TVs, CPUs, Copiers,
Scanners, DVD Players, Typewriters & Stereo Equipment

As an expression of appreciation, every business, and every driver of a carload of individual recycling, will receive incentives from area businesses including a 10% discount on the services of The Mac Works. Special workshops will be offered at Sustainable Hudson Valley’s office, 400 Stockade, the location of the collection site: “Green Living for Busy People” with Melissa Everett, at 3 pm Friday and “Ask the Mac Doctor” with Cheryl Schneider, 1 pm each day.

Political genes?

Other deadlines interfered with my good intention to post on climate change on Blog Action Day yesterday. But, deadline behind me, I've spent some time reading what others posted. It led me to this post on Planetizen.

The post sheds some light on what I've often thought of as people being born with a Republican or Democrat gene. "Egalitarian" and "individualist" may be a better description, though, and linking such disputes to "clusters of values that form competing world views" is more useful than waiting for science to discover the politics gene.

in reference to:

"Some of my acquaintances believe that climate change may end human life (or at least civilization) and that the only way to save humanity is to massively reduce economic growth and consumption. Other acquaintances believe that climate change is, if not an outright hoax, a minor problem—and that even the slightest attempt to regulate emission-creating industries will itself destroy American civilization.
Whole lotta head-shakin’ going on.Most of these people are not scientists (let alone scientists specializing in climate-related science), so I strongly suspect that their opinions come from Al Gore’s movie and Rush Limbaugh’s talk show, rather than from a comprehensive review of the footnote-filled scientific papers addressing climate change. Nevertheless, they are as certain in their opinions as real scientists are. How come?"
- The genesis of the climate change stalemate | Grist (view on Google Sidewiki)

10/6/09: Card/Game Lunch in Hurley

The Auxiliary of The Kingston Hospital
is sponsoring a

Luncheon and Card/Game Party

Tuesday, October 6, 2009
11:15 AM to 3 PM
Hurley Reformed Church
17 Main Street, Hurley, NY

Lunch and beverages will be provided.

Bring your own cards, games, score pads
(bridge, mah jong, Monopoly, Scrabble...)

Cost: $15 per person
(make checks out to: The Auxiliary of
The Kingston Hospital, pay at the door)

Reserve your table now! — call:

Lorraine Trast (845-331-3513) or
Helen Robinson (845-338-7451)

Proceeds benefit The Family Birth Place of Kingston

9/17/09: Hon. Judge Judith Kaye to Speak at SUNY Ulster on Constitution Day

New York State’s Former Chief Judge, the Honorable Judith S. Kaye, will deliver the Constitution Day lecture at SUNY Ulster on Thursday, September 17, speaking on “The New York State Constitution: An Honored Guest at the Birthday Celebration,” at 7 PM in the Student Lounge in Vanderlyn Hall on the Stone Ridge campus.

Kaye’s speech about the links between the state and U.S. Constitutions is the featured presentation of the college’s new Institute for Constitutional Studies Lecture Series, an annual series with distinguished legal scholars, constitutional experts, political scientists and historians. Kaye, who was born in the Hudson Valley, was the first woman to hold the State Judiciary’s highest office. She will be introduced by the Institute’s Director Dr. Ray Raymond, SUNY Ulster associate professor of government and history. Explaining the significance of Constitution Day, Raymond said: “The great Nineteenth Century British Prime Minister William Gladstone once described the U.S. Constitution as the ‘greatest product of the mind of man.’ Lavish praise, but justified. The U.S. Constitution was and is the work of genius. On Constitution Day, we celebrate the signing of the Constitution by the framers who had spent four months negotiating and drafting it. Essential to the success of that Constitution was a delicate balance between the new federal government and the states.” “We are truly honored to have Judge Judith Kaye, a distinguished legal scholar and the greatest chief judge in New York’s history, deliver this lecture,” he said. “This will be a unique opportunity for students, faculty, teachers, the legal community and local residents, thereby furthering the mission of the Institute.”

SUNY Ulster founded the Institute to help college faculty, students, teachers, business people, the legal community and the general public in the Mid-Hudson Valley deepen their understanding of the fundamental principles of the United States and the New York state constitutions, their history and their continuing relevance to current public policy debates.

The College launched the Institute with an inaugural lecture in February 2009 by the Honorable Albert Rosenblatt, former Associate Judge of the New York State Court of Appeals, who described Kaye as “the ultimate chief judge: erudite, fair, patient, hard working, and, above all, decent.” “Judge Kaye always spoke to people with respect and in a way that would uplift rather than demean,” Rosenblatt said in a recent tribute. “There could not have been, nor was there, a chief judge who cared more about the justice system, and all of those in it -- the judges, lawyers, employees , and, of course, the public -- more than Judith Kaye. She gained the affection and the respect of all of them.”

Kaye was born in Monticello in Sullivan County. Appointed by Gov. Mario M. Cuomo in 1993, she was the first Chief Judge ever to complete a full 14-year term and was appointed to a second term by Gov. Eliot Spitzer in 2007. Kaye is the first woman to occupy the State Judiciary’s highest office and also became the first woman to serve on New York State’s highest court when Gov. Cuomo appointed her Associate Judge of the Court of Appeals in 1983. Kaye holds a bachelor’s degree from Barnard College and law degree from New York University School of Law. She engaged in private practice in New York City until her appointment to the Court of Appeals. Kaye retired at the end of 2008, after reaching the state’s mandatory retirement age of 70. Kaye is now of counsel at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom in New York City.

The lecture is free and open to the public. For information, contact 845-687-5262. News Source: http://www.sunyulster.edu/events_news/news_details.jsp?newsItemID=697

New on-line guide to multi-use trails in NYS

Visit TrailFinder at www.ptny.org/trailfinder

Parks & Trails New York has launched a new on-line guide to multi-use trails in New York State, just in time for the best outdoor season of the year--fall. Called TrailFinder, the site focuses on trails and greenways that allow multiple uses—such as walking, bicycling, in-line skating, cross-country skiing and, in some cases, horseback riding and snowmobiling.

TrailFinder includes 11 trails, totaling more than 1200 miles.
Visitors will be able to plan their trail adventures in just a few minutes at the computer – with key information at their fingertips.

Visitors to TrailFinder can search for trails in several ways. They can select a trail from a drop-down menu, query by trail attributes such as length, surface, allowable uses, and distance from a particular location, or browse the interactive map. Trailhead parking areas are included, as are directions and nearby bike shops and other amenities such as bicycle-friendly bed & breakfasts.

Parks & Trails New York developed TrailFinder to make people more aware of the vast resource of multi-use trails and greenways in New York and to make it easier for people to enjoy them.

Parks & Trails New York Executive Director Robin Dropkin hopes that TrailFinder will build support for the vital and growing trail movement in New York. She also hopes the new website will spur more communities to develop trails and encourage bicycle tourism, which will foster the protection and re-use of abandoned transportation corridors throughout the state.

“I think people will be amazed at the extent of the multi-use trail system in New York. The potential for creating one of the best statewide multi-use trail networks is fantastic,” says Dropkin. “With NewYork’s abundance of abandoned railroads, historic canals, and scenic rivers, it’s possible to create a dynamic system of multi-use trails serving communities in every corner of the state, with major statewide trail systems—such as the Erie Canalway Trail, Genesee Valley Greenway, and Hudson River Valley Greenway—as the backbone of the network.”

Trails a boon to local economies
Trails and greenways provide a wide range of benefits to communities. They make it easier for people to keep fit and have fun by providing close-to-home recreational opportunities. They provide safe places to walk or bike to work, school, or local shops. They also protect open space, attract tourists and add to the quality of life.

“Trail use is part of the new economy of New York tourism, especially upstate,” says Dropkin. “A major National Park Service study of three multi-use trails around the country found that trail use pumped between $1.2 and $1.9 million annually into the economies of nearby communities.”

Bicycle-friendly B&B’s and accessibility information featured
Featured in the TrailFinder site are convenient bed & breakfasts and inns that cater to the needs of cyclists. All are members of the Empire State Bed and Breakfast Association (ESBBA) that have pledged to offer bicycle-friendly amenities, including covered and locked bicycle storage, tools for minor bike repairs, no-smoking rooms, and healthy and filling breakfasts.

Accessibility information is available for some trails so that before ever reaching the trailhead, visitors will have the data to decide whether a trail is right for them. While especially useful for persons with disabilities, older adults and parents with young children may find this information helpful, too.

Parks & Trails New York is a statewide not-for-profit organization working to create a network of parks, trails and open space across the state for all to use and enjoy.

AAUW Adds to Voices of Support for Historic College Affordability Legislation

Bill described as single largest investment in higher education

WASHINGTON – AAUW urges the House of Representatives to pass the Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2009 (H.R. 3221), which is scheduled for a vote this week. The bill will be discussed today at two media events hosted by U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan, U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-CA), chair of the House Education and Labor Committee, and other lawmakers.

This critical legislation would move all federal student loans to the Direct Lending Program, which would save the federal government and taxpayers almost $100 billion over the next 10 years. These savings will be used to make college more affordable for millions of students at no new cost to taxpayers. The bill also states that improving postsecondary access for women and underrepresented students in STEM should be a priority.

“AAUW has been a leader in promoting women and girls in the science, technology, engineering, and math fields. Our work in this area dovetails with our efforts to improve women’s economic security and to close the gender wage gap because STEM jobs are usually high paying,” said AAUW Executive Director Linda D. Hallman, CAE.

AAUW is pleased that the legislation provides funding to improve community colleges, increases funding for early childhood education, and strengthens the Pell grant program.

While many students struggle with the cost of higher education and loan repayment, the burden is particularly significant for women. AAUW’s report, Behind the Pay Gap, found that college-educated women earn 5 percent less than men one year out of college and 12 percent less than men 10 years out of college, even when they have the same major and occupation as their male counterparts and when controlling for factors known to affect earnings such as education and training, parenthood, and hours worked.[i] This immediate and pernicious wage disparity makes it that much harder for women to repay their student loans.

“Only about 29 percent of Americans have college degrees

—and that’s not nearly enough to make us competitive in the global economy or to prepare people for 21st-century, technologically oriented jobs. This isn’t just a feel-good, fairness issue—it’s about keeping jobs at home and ensuring innovation and growth in the United States economy,” said Lisa Maatz, AAUW director of public policy and government relations.

###

AAUW advances equity for women and girls through advocacy, education, and research. Since 1881, AAUW has been one of the nation's leading voices promoting education and equity for women and girls. AAUW has a nationwide network of nearly 100,000 members, 1,000 branches, and 500 college/university institutional partners. Since AAUW’s founding more than 128 years ago, members have examined and taken positions on the fundamental issues of the day — educational, social, economic, and political. AAUW's commitment to educational equity is reflected in its public policy advocacy, community programs, leadership development, conventions and conferences, national partnerships, and international connections.

Visit the AAUW website at www.aauw.org

.

Enjoy Some Fall Trips with the AAUW of Kingston

AAUW 2009 Fall Bus Trips

Friday, September 25th
New York City
and the New York Philharmonic performance of
Brahms’ Violin Concerto with Frank Peter Zimmerman as Violinist
Arnold Schoenberg’s Pelléas and Mélisande
Alan Gilbert, Conducting

Leaving at 8 AM for an 11 AM performance; lunch on your own;

returning by 4:30 PM

Cost (for bus, driver tip & orchestra seats):

NOTE: $78 (before 9/12); $88 (after 9/13)
Bus to New York City alone, including driver tip: $49

* * * * * * * * * *

Saturday, Sunday, Monday, October 3rd - 5th

Two nights; three-day trip to
Toronto to visit the new Frank Gehry Art Museum;
Niagra-on-the-Lake at a luxurious Victorian Inn; six gourmet meals;
tickets to Noel Coward’s, Ways of the Heart;
and a visit to the Peller Estates, a beautiful winery.
Leaving Saturday from Kingston at 9 AM; returning Monday around 8 PM

Cost: $685 (per person based on double occupancy); $210 single supplement
For this trip only, call Linda Gold at 845-255-5256 or email artladyLG@aol.com then make your check payable to AAUW include your phone number, and mail to Linda Gold, 1 Jacobs Lane, New Paltz, NY 12561. A deposit of $200 is due with your reservation. Bus and theatre seats are assigned in the order in which reservations are received.

* * * * * * * * * *

Tuesday, October 27th
NY Botanical Gardens
and dinner in the "Little Italy of the Bronx"

After a quick picnic lunch (brought or bought), join a guided tour of Kiku in the Enid A Haupt Conservatory Courtyards. Kiku pays homage to the time- honored tradition of fall flower viewing in Japan. Afterwards, go by bus to Arthur Avenue, renowned "Little Italy" of the Bronx. There participants can chose a restaurant for a leisurely dinner or spend a bit of time shopping in the well-stocked Italian groceries. Every place is wheelchair accessible.

Bus leaves at 9 AM and returns to Kingston by 7:00 PM
Cost of $65 includes bus, driver tip and admission to the Gardens.

* * * * * * * * * *
Annual Holiday Trip: Thursday, December 17th
to New York City
and The Metropolitan Museum of Art
for the special exhibits:
Cinnabar: The Carved Art of Chinese Lacquer;

Imperial Privilege: 18th Century Viennese Porcelain;

Robert Frank's The Americans;

Silk and Bamboo: Music and Art of China;

Pablo Bronstein at the Met;

Surface Tension in Contemporary Photographs;

Eccentric Visions of Luo Ping (1733–1799);

Paintings of Everyday American Life, 1765–1915;

The Young Archer (attributed to Michelangelo);

plus, the annual Christmas Tree & Crèche

Leaving at 8 AM and returning around 6:30 PM
Cost (includes bus, driver tip and entrance into the museum): Seniors $63; Adults $67
Bus to New York City alone, including driver tip: $40

All trips leave from the rear of the former Ames in the Kingston Plaza
(On city-bound trips, pickups and dropoffs can be arranged for the New Paltz Park-n-Ride)

For reservations, call Pat Whelan between noon and 9 PM at 845-657-6807 or write PWHL8@aol.com, then send your check, made out to AAUW–Kingston Branch, to Pat Whelan, 1321 County Rt. 2, Olivebridge NY 12461.
(Ask about our member discounts and cancellation policies.)

Open to all, our trips are part of our mission to offer community enrichment and to raise funds for scholarships and grants to local, national and international programs, especially in support of women.
Membership in Kingston Branch of American Association of University Women is open to all people.

Volunteer Opportunity, Kingston, Sept. 19th

Drum Boogie is a FREE one day music festival on the lawn of Cornell Park, Rondout Historic District of Kingston, New York on Saturday, September 19th, 2009 (rain date Sunday, September 20th) from 12 Noon to 7 PM. One hundred drummers will participate in an opening ceremony followed by an afternoon of concerts of top name performers of various styles of drumming from around the world

Family of Woodstock is assisting the Drum Boogie Festival by providing crowd control and selling water. If you would like to volunteer to assist Family, please contact Vikki Read at (845) 331-7080 ext. 140 or by e-mail at vread@fowinc.org.

Drum Boogie is produced by:
Garry Kvistad and The Woodstock Chimes Fund (www.chimes.com

)
with major support through Assemblymember Kevin Cahill

Join us for brunch -- an opportunity to learn about AAUW

Photo by Matthew Mendoza

Have you ever wondered what AAUW is all about?


Explore an organization that advances equity for women and girls through advocacy, education, and research.

Meet the AAUW Kingston Branch at Brunch

Saturday, August 29th
at 11 o'clock.

Would you enjoy expanding your circle to include women and men who

• Love learning and exploring; discussion and debate; literature, politics, and art
• Share their talents and expertise to benefit our community;
• Enjoy and support each other, and
• Engage in a nation-wide community that breaks through educational and economic barriers so that all women -- our daughters, nieces, neighbors, and women on the other side of the world -- all have a fair chance?
  

Then, please join us for brunch.

All are welcome. Bring a friend.

Call Suki Kerr at 338-2637 or Jean Semilof at 331-4559 to RSVP. They will provide you the directions to the brunch.

For more information about AAUW, visit KingstonAAUW.blogspot.com

or

AAUW.org

Congratulations, Justice Sotomayor!

I just couldn't resist this image from Emily's List!