Greetings from Copake
Copake Connection is an online newsletter brought to you by the Town of Copake. This newsletter will publicize community events throughout the Town of Copake and will be published once a month, on the 15th of the month. The editor is Roberta Roll. All submissions should be sent to roberta.roll@gmail.com no later than the 10th of the month. The newsletter will be distributed to anyone who wishes to subscribe. Simply click the mailing list icon below.
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Table of Contents
From The Supervisor's Desk
Improvements in Town Infrastructure
Town Board to Consider Law
Copake Rapid Care
Short Term Rentals
Farmer's Market
2022 Copake Summer Park
Music in the Park
Memorial Bricks
15th Annual Copake Falls Day
Copake History
Roeliff Jansen Historical Society
Grange Events
Roeliff Jansen Community Library Gala Event
Roe Jan Community Library Online Auction
What's Happening at the Library
Copake Outdoors
Eco Tips for Healthy Living
Dementia Conversations
NYS Department of Public Service
K.I.S.S.
Covid Tests and Masks
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From The Supervisor's Desk
Juneteenth became a federal holiday in 2021 and this year became both a county and Town of Copake holiday.
The historic day became a county holiday pursuant to a Proclamation signed by Chair of the Columbia County Board of Supervisors, Matt Murell on June 1, 2022. At their June meeting, the Copake Town Board likewise declared Juneteenth a holiday in Copake. The board did so by a Resolution which was passed unanimously.
The origin of Juneteenth goes back to the end of the Civil War. In 1863 while the Civil War was still being fought, President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation. The proclamation, however, could not be implemented in places still under Confederate control. As a result, in the westernmost Confederate state of Texas, enslaved people would not be free until June 19, 1865, when some 2,000 Union troops arrived in Galveston Bay, Texas. The army announced that the more than 250,000 enslaved black people in the state were free by executive decree. This day came to be known as "Juneteenth" by the newly freed people in Texas.
The Copake Resolution states that “as this Nation continues to work towards a more perfect Union…… Juneteenth shall be a holiday in the Town of Copake in year 2022, to be observed on June 20, 2022 and that……the Town Policy Manual shall be amended to include Juneteenth as a holiday.”
I am very proud that Columbia County, and Matt Murell in particular, was proactive in declaring this holiday. Likewise, I am proud that the Copake Town Board was unanimous in passing the resolution to follow the county’s lead.
At the June meeting of the Board of Supervisors, Supervisor Linda Mussman and I were asked to read aloud another Proclamation by the Chairman, this one recognizing June 2022 as LGBTQ+ Pride Month. The last line of the proclamation states “Love is what holds hope in the hearts of everyone who breathes the same air and dreams the dreams of justice and fairness.”
Happy Juneteenth. Happy Pride.
Jeanne E. Mettler
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Improvements in Town Infrastructure: Generators, Website, Security Cameras
At the Town Board meeting in June, the board passed resolutions authorizing the use of ARPA funds to finance the purchase of new generators for Town Hall and the Park Building, as well as the design of a new website.
For the past two decades, the town has relied on generators at the Town Hall and Park Building which had to be turned on and off manually in the case of a power outage. The new generators will start up automatically and then turn off when the power is restored. The resolutions passed by the board authorize the expenditure of ARPA funds in the amount of $47,862.00 for the new generators.
Councilperson Stosh Gansowski spearheaded the purchase of the generators and spent many hours over many months overseeing the project. The Town Board is grateful to Stosh for his commitment to this project and his dedication to its completion.
The Town Board also authorized the use of ARPA funds to design a new website for the town. The current website was created about ten years ago. The town has contracted with Town Web Design, LLC to redesign the website. Town Clerk Lynn Connolly, along with an ad hoc website committee: Cale Connolly, Alan Friedman, Rich Lee and Austin Urban, oversaw the selection of the company and will supervise the redesign process.
The Town Board has also undertaken the installation of new security cameras at the Town Park. The cameras are up and running and cover a much larger area of the park building and property than previously surveilled. The videos can be observed by town personnel on their cellphones. These cameras were installed at a cost of $5,883.84.
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Town Board to Consider Law Allowing Members to Attend Remotely
At the June meeting of the Town Board, Supervisor Jeanne E. Mettler introduced a local law which, if adopted, would allow Town Board members to attend Town Board meetings via videoconference “due to extraordinary circumstances.”
According to the proposed Copake law, members would be allowed to attend remotely when they cannot attend in person due to circumstances which according to the law “shall mean and include disability, illness, caregiving responsibilities, or any other significant or unexpected factor or event which precludes the member’s physical attendance at such meeting.”
This proposed Copake law is authorized by a New York State law enacted earlier this year. The NYS law amended the Open Meetings Law and made permanent (until July 1, 2024) the expanded use of videoconferencing by public bodies to conduct open meetings under extraordinary circumstances, regardless of a declaration of emergency. For a full discussion of the state law go to Guidance on Chapter 56.
The public may continue to access Town Board proceedings via the “OWL”, technology which was purchased by the town last year to expand access during the pandemic.
The Town Board has scheduled a hearing on the new local law for 6:45pm on Thursday, July 14, 2022.
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Copake Rapid Care – Days and Hours to Increase
For many months, Copake Rapid Care has been open only on the weekends, but the town has learned that starting June 1, the facility will be open four days a week - Friday through Monday, 9am to 4pm.
At the Copake Town Board meeting, Supervisor Jeanne Mettler reported that she had spoken with Jay Cahalan, President and CEO of Columbia Memorial Health, and expressed residents’ wish that the facility would resume more extended hours.
Copake Rapid Care opened in 2016, the culmination of a three-year process that began when the Copake Hamlet Revitalization Task Force approached Columbia Memorial to advocate for the location of the facility in the hamlet of Copake. Since then, it has served thousands of area residents with walk-in rapid care, as well as primary care.
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Town Seeks Members for Short Term Rental Committee
Over the past months, the Copake Town Board has received correspondence both in support of and in opposition to short term rentals.
Councilperson Stosh Gansowski, Supervisor Jeanne Mettler and Code Enforcement Officer Erin Reis met earlier this year to discuss the issues raised by short term rentals. They had a virtual meeting with Granicus, a company which monitors short term rentals and learned that Copake has well over 100 houses being advertised for rent.
In view of the complexity of the issue, the town board has decided that an ad hoc committee should be appointed to study the issue and make recommendations to the town. It would be expected that the group would look at the town’s current laws and practices and also survey the laws of other towns. For a fee, Granicus offers programs which can report all the active rentals.
Anyone interested in serving on the committee should mail or deliver a letter of interest to Town Clerk Lynn Connolly at Copake Town Hall, 230 Mountainview Road, Copake NY 12516. Letters may also be emailed to copaketownclerk@townofcopake.org. All letters of interest must be received by noon on Thursday, June 16, 2022.
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Shop Local and Fresh at the Farmers Market
The Copake Hillsdale Farmers Market is excited to see everyone again on Saturdays from 9am-1pm at the Roe Jan Park!
Drawing from vendors in Copake -- Yonderview Farmhouse, Hamlet Hound, Bash Bish Honey, and Taconic Trading -- Hillsdale, Claverack, Philmont, Ancram, Chatham and beyond, your local fresh market remains a terrific source for healthy and handmade foods.
You can shop for produce, plants, meat/poultry/cured meats, eggs, cheese, baked goods, beer/wine/spirits, coffee, honey, maple syrup, jams/jellies, prepared food, pesto, pickles, and a variety of specialty items such as spiced pumpkin seeds, natural body care, bitters, lemonade, breakfast sandwiches, and gluten-free products.
Notably, CHFM not only accepts but doubles your SNAP (food stamps). This is an important part of the market’s mission, as they believe healthy food should be available to all. They also accept other assistance programs like Fresh Connect, Double Up, and Farmers Nutrition Program.
With a spacious layout inside Roe Jan Park, ample parking (including handicapped), umbrella tables, live music, hand washing station, weekly artisan crafters, and kids' programming partnered with the Roe Jan Community Library, you and your leashed dog can make the Copake Hillsdale Farmers Market a very special weekly visit.
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Copake History
The Jensen Family and the Mountain View Inn
In 2007, the late Marilyn Brewster wrote a charming memoir from which this excerpt was taken. This is the first installment of a series of postings from that memoir which will be published in the Copake Connection in coming months.
In the fall of 2004, I visited my friend Jean Peck (nee Bathrick), a former elementary school classmate, in Copake. Since then we have tried to visit each other every year. We referred to our get together as the Annual Fourth Grade Class Reunion. While there, Jean and I were invited to dinner with my cousin, Peter Jensen and his wife, Mary Lou. Another cousin, James Carlson, who lived nearby in Hillsdale, joined us.
After dinner, Pete shared much of the information he had assembled in the study of our Jensen ancestry (my maternal grandparents’ side of the family). I offered to write all that I could recall about living in Copake as a youngster, as I am the oldest of our generation and probably the only one who actually lived with Grandma and Grandpa and had any memories of them. Most of my time spent with them, which I can remember, was during the summers at the Mountain View House, the inn Grandpa dreamed of owning and eventually acquired in 1922. Peter was very receptive to the idea, and as it grew in my mind, I envisioned my memories being passed on to not only my family, but also the families of my numerous cousins. So, here we go- -
Grandpa (Aksel) Jensen was a tall man, big but not fat. He had a full head of light brown hair. His smiles were hidden by a large handlebar mustache. His large blue eyes had a soft look to them. His manner seemed quiet and thoughtful. He always liked to have lots of people around him, both family and friends.
Grandma (nee Mary Miskell) could be described as a sturdy handsome woman of average build. Her long hair was worn with a pompadour and pulled back into a bun. She had a gentle smile, was soft spoken and had a GREAT LAP! I loved to climb and sit on her lap in the afternoons while she was rocking in one of the chairs on the porch.
I’d love to know how Grandma and Grandpa met. He came from Denmark with his younger brother, Otto, in the late 1800s. She was from County Cork, Ireland. Otto’s daughter, Gerda, thinks that her dad introduced them. Perhaps it was a shipboard romance? We may never know.
After they married, they lived in Fishkill, N.Y., Thompsonville, Conn., Brooklyn, N.Y., and then Stamford, Conn. They were city folks once more, living in Brooklyn, when they purchased the Mountain View House and became its summer proprietors. The inn was a warm weather retreat, as heating the place year-round would have been a challenge. They had seven children: Flora, Andres, Alvera, Lydia, Eileen, Walter and little Lilian, who died of influenza at the age of two and a half.
As their childrens’ families and circle of friends grew, they all were also welcome to visit the inn. There had to be paying guests to keep the inn solvent, but I never saw any money changing hands. To me they were just more friends and they were treated as such. That’s probably why there was always a full house.
Grandpa was an accomplished chef. He previously taught cooking at a girls’ school and was also a chef/cook at Matawan Correctional Facility, as well as chef for the executives of Chase National Bank. His career must have been financially rewarding to allow him to raise such a large family and still be able to fulfill his dream. He did all the cooking and baking at the inn. He must have been good, as folks kept coming back. His kitchen was large (in my child’s view, it was huge!). There was a long table/counter where he did his food preparation and a monstrous black stove used for his cooking and baking.
- as written by Marilyn Brewster and shared by Howard Blue.
Photo: Aksel Jensen
Marilyn’s cousin, Erik Jensen, sent her memoir to Howard. Perhaps you have Copake memoirs, packets of letters and diaries in your family that you’d like to share. Contact Howard at copaketownhistorian@gmail.com
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Grange Events
Saturday, June 18, 1-4pm - Fly Fishing with Bill. Join local fly fishing expert Bill Newcomb. If you are new to fly fishing or are already a pro, you’re sure to learn something new as he gives us a demonstration of fly tying; a history of fly fishing, area history and fishing area streams; and some dos and don'ts. Then, enjoy a fly casting demonstration with audience participation. As Bill says “I’ve been at this for over 50 years. New discoveries are happening every day.” This event is FREE and recommended for ages 10 through adult. Reservations (email copakegrange@gmail.com) are not required but recommended. Rods aren’t necessary, but you may bring your own.
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Friday, July 1, 7-9pm - Open Mic Night. LIVE and IN-PERSON! Live open mic is on and it’s great! Come on down to the Grange and join us with your instruments, songs, poems, stories, skits, etc. We have a piano. Masks are suggested except when performing. For more information, contact copakegrange@gmail.com.
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Saturday, July 24, 5:30-7:30pm - Potluck Picnic. Celebrate summer’s bounty with a potluck picnic. Bring your favorite dish to share. Indoor seating and outdoors, weather permitting. We will provide beverages and paper plates, cups, napkins, and utensils, but feel free to bring your own reusable plates, utensils and cups. Bring the whole family!
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Friday, Aug. 5, 7-9pm - Open Mic Night. LIVE and IN-PERSON! Live open mic is on and it’s great! Come on down to the Grange and join us with your instruments, songs, poems, stories, skits, etc. We have a piano. Masks are suggested except when performing.
The Grange is located at 628 Empire Rd.
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Roe Jan Library Gala Returns on June 25, at New Location
After being on hiatus for two years due to the pandemic, the Roeliff Jansen Community Library’s Gala returns this year from 5pm to 7pm on Saturday, June 25, in a new location, the Catamount Lodge at Catamount Mountain Resort, 78 Catamount Road in Hillsdale.
“To welcome back our loyal supporters and the many new fans of the library, we’ve planned a Gala that combines new elements with favorites from previous galas,” said Pat Placona, President of the Library’s Board of Trustees. “We are all excited to be able to party in person again.”
Food trucks will serve a selection of wood-fired pizzas, Korean-style tacos, savory rice balls, gelato and espresso. Attendees will enjoy wine and local craft beer, and those so inclined can dance to live music from local favorites - the Bash Bish Bluegrass Band, all to help ensure that the library can continue providing materials and services to the Roe Jan community. The gala raises a substantial portion of the library’s annual operating budget each year.
Gala committee members are soliciting unique and interesting items and services for the popular live and silent auctions that are part of the gala. Among the items to be auctioned this year are a $1,000 gift certificate from Express, the popular clothing store for women and men, along with a virtual wardrobe consultation with their Senior VP of Merchandising; a haircut by celebrity stylist Tommy Bucket; a half day of fly fishing on the Housatonic with fly-fishing expert Brian Green; NY Mets baseball tickets; a Catamount season pass; and gift certificates from local restaurants.
Added to the gala celebration this year is an online auction, which will go live on June 1 and close on June 30 and is open to everyone, not just those attending the gala. The online auction can be accessed through the library’s web site, roejanlibrary.org.
Gala tickets may be purchased for $125 online at roejanlibrary.org, or by check or cash at the library. Host tickets are available for $275. Hosts will be listed in the gala program.
Roeliff Jansen Community Library Business Partners Herrington Fuels and Bank of Greene County are sponsors of the 2022 gala.
Photo: Committee members planning “Gala 2022” for the Roeliff Jansen Community Library - Chris Atkins, Marilyn Gross, Steve Futrell and Pat Placona.
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Online Auction Benefiting Roe Jan Library is Live
An online auction of over 75 items is live and accessible from the Roeliff Jansen Community Library website at roejanlibrary.org.
A new addition to the library’s annual gala celebration, the online auction allows anyone to bid on the items, whether or not they attend the gala. The items, services, and experiences available in the auction have values from $25 to $5,000.
Among the items offered only in the online auction are signed first editions; a case of wine; locally made pottery; gift certificates to local stores and restaurants; tutoring for an elementary student; tickets to Barrington Stage, Jacobs Pillow and Music Mountain; a hand-turned salad bowl of local cherry; a hand-made, mid-century quilt; a custom cake made by the winner of the “Ultimate Copake Cupcake”award; and more.
Most of the online auction items are “online only” meaning that you have until the auction closes at 11pm on June 24 to make the winning bid. Once you make a bid, if someone else makes a higher bid, you will be notified so that you can log back in and increase your bid.
For other items, bidding will start in the online auction and then continue at the live or silent auctions at the library’s gala at Catamount on Saturday, June 25. Highlights include a haircut by celebrity stylist Tommy Buckett; golf for four at Wyantenuck Country Club in Great Barrington; a day on a pontoon boat on Copake Lake with a picnic from Copake General Store; NY Mets tickets; a $1,000 Express Clothing gift certificate with a virtual wardrobe consultation with the Senior Vice President of Creative Design; and more.
Gala tickets may be purchased for $125 online at roejanlibrary.org, or by check or cash at the library. Gala Host tickets are available for $275. Gala Hosts will be listed in the gala program.
Photo Caption: Auction committee members Marilyn Gross (left) and Sara Traberman reviewed items donated for the Online Auction benefiting the Roeliff Jansen Community Library.
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What’s Happening at the Library?
Thursdays, 9:00-10:00am
Senior Balance and Strength Class. Dr. Paul Spector is leading his popular Balance and Strength Class on Zoom. These classes introduce exercises that improve postural stability, core strength, spatial body awareness,
sensory integration, agility and coordination. For more details, including login
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Mondays & Thursdays, 9:00-10:30am
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Saturdays, 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Farm Market Kids. Join Tia at the Copake-Hillsdale Farmers Market all summer long, from Memorial Day weekend until Labor Day weekend, for stories and activities. Children will also have an opportunity to learn about the food we grow and eat and earn the opportunity to go shopping on their own at the Farmers Market!
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Wednesdays, 12:30 - 1:30pm
Homeschool Wednesdays. Homeschooled children and their families are welcome to join us in our Children's Room for Homeschool Wednesday. We will read a book and work on a different activity every week.
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Thursday Afternoons, 12 - 8pm
Lego Club. Join us every Thursday for an afternoon filled with Legos and fun in our Children’s Room. Check with us on social media for our weekly themes!
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First Thursdays, 5:00 - 7:00 p.m.
Memoir Writing Group. Do you have stories to write? Are you writing a memoir, or have you been thinking about writing one? Would you like to pass your stories to a wider audience or to your friends and family? Come join the Roe Jan Memoir Group every month and share your story in a supportive, creative atmosphere and get inspired to keep writing. Whether you have reams of pages already written or have just an inkling of an idea, this is the place to stretch your storytelling muscles, together. This group will meet the first Thursday of each month beginning June 2.
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By Appointment.
Digital Navigators. Digital navigators are trained guides who work in libraries to assist anyone in need with using a device, securing free or low-cost internet service, and much more. It's free to utilize the services of The Roeliff Jansen Community Library’s digital navigators. To make an appointment with a navigator call 518-325-4101 or email outreach@roejanlibrary.org.
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Every Saturday from May 28th through September 3rd, 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Friends of the Library Bookstore OPEN. Lower Level of the Library. Masks required.
For updates, follow our Instagram @roejanfriendsbookshop or @roejanlibrary.
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Wednesday, June 15, 1:00 - 2:00 p.m.
Traveling Early Learning and Literacy STEM Program. This month, children will enjoy the book The Wonders of Summer, by Kealy Lonning, and will also engage in color mixing with ice cubes and food coloring! This program is presented by Talk Read Sing Columbia.
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Bi-Weekly on Thursdays, beginning June 16, 6:00 - 7:30 p.m.
Reading and Discussion: Growing and Aging. How does our perception of ourselves transform as we grow older? In what ways does aging change how we view others? How has the concept of "age" changed over time? In this reading and discussion series, we will explore these and other questions about entering middle age, growing older, caring for aged loved ones, and finding satisfaction in later stages of life. Books will be provided.
The books we will be reading are:
Paula Harding, Tinkers
Pat Thane, ed., A History of Old Age
Martin Kohn, Carol C. Donley, and Delese Wear, eds., Literature and Aging: An Anthology
Patricia Cohen, In Our Prime: The Invention of Middle Age
This discussion series will be facilitated by library director Tammy Gaskell and will meet for six weeks, every other week starting Thursday, June 16 and ending August 25, from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. Registration is required and limited to 14 participants. Register by emailing director@roejanlibrary.org.
This series is supported by a grant from Humanities New York.
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Thursday, June 23, 7:00 – 8:00 p.m.
Reducing the Waste Stream: The Role of Composting. Zero Waste Columbia (ZWC) is a citizen volunteer group committed to education and action that can move us toward zero waste in Columbia County. We seek to create a more sustainable and resilient world today and for future generations. Zero waste means we aim to send nothing to the landfill. We reduce what we need, reuse as much as possible, minimize what we recycle and compost whenever possible.
This program is presented by Columbia County Libraries Association.
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Saturday, June 25, 1:00 – 1:45 p.m.
Summer Reading Kick-Off: Mad Science and Up Up and Away. Begin your summer reading with a visit from Mad Science.
Get ready to be mystified by molecules and amazed by atmospheric pressure in this event on the power of pressure. Witness how an ordinary object becomes a hot-air balloon. Zoom across the floor on the Mad Science hovercraft and discover how energy transforms liquid into an exciting chemical reaction. This spellbinding special event introduces children to the principles of air and pressure. Children understand how pressure affects the world around us. The Mad Scientist will make a hot air balloon out of a dry cleaning bag and have a volunteer show the audience how a parachute works. A vortex generator will create giant smoke rings and a special powder will be used to surprise everyone. The children will get to see an incredible exothermic reaction take place! Get ready to be mystified by molecules and amazed by atmospheric pressure in this event on the power of pressure.
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Saturday, June 25, 5:00 – 6:00 p.m.
Roeliff Jansen Community Library Gala 2022. Catamount Lodge, Hillsdale, NY
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Sunday, June 26, 3:00 – 4:00 p.m.
Concert: River Trio. Cellist Jay Shulman is a 36-year member of the Long Island Philharmonic, Shulman is active as a chamber music player, recitalist, and teacher and has produced CD reissues of the music of his father, cellist and composer, Alan Shulman. He plays with English violinist Kathryn Aldous. Aldous has been a member of English String Orchestra and RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra in Ireland. Kathryn moved to the Hudson Valley in 2010 and plays with the Vermont Symphony, Albany Symphony, and teaches and plays at Bard College. The trio is completed with award-winning violinist Michelle Stewart. Stewart has toured and recorded extensively and played with the Hudson Valley Philharmonic, Albany Symphony, Glens Falls Symphony, and Newburgh Symphony. Her experience includes Broadway and Irish fiddling.
This concert will be at the Hilltop Barn, Roe Jan Park, across the street from the Library. Lawn
chairs appreciated.
This project is made possible with funds from the Statewide Community Regrants Program, a
program of the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Kathy Hochul
and the New York State Legislature and administered in Columbia County by the Greene County Council on the Arts dba CREATE Council for the Arts.
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Tuesdays, July 5 - 27, 3:30 - 5:00 p.m.
Write That Story Writing Workshop. This four-session workshop taught by Emily Rubin will introduce participants to writing a short story or memoir. Stories, whether memoir or fiction, often begin with a life or real-world event that fascinates and inspires the storyteller in us all to write. The participants will engage their creative writing muscles in four sessions through close readings of fiction and memoir, in-class, and weekly assignments from writing prompts that use prose, visual imagery, poetry, and science to inspire stories.
Limited to 10 participants. Registration required. Register by emailing
This project is made possible with funds from the Statewide Community Regrants Program, a
program of the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Kathy Hochul
and the New York State Legislature and administered in Columbia County by the Greene County Council on the Arts dba CREATE Council for the Arts.
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Sunday, July 10, 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 ten 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 appreciated.
This project is made possible with funds from the Statewide Community Regrants Program, a program of the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Kathy Hochul and the New York State Legislature and administered in Columbia County by the Greene County Council on the Arts dba CREATE Council for the Arts.
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Monday, July 11, 11:00am – 4:00 p.m.
Monthly on the second Monday.
Health Care 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.
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Sunday, July 17, beginning at 8:00 a.m.
Roeliff Jansen Community Library Benefit Golf Tournament. Support the Roe Jan Library while enjoying a day of golf at the Undermountain Golf Course. Included 2-person scramble; men, women, and mixed; putting contest and more. Don't golf? You can still enjoy a BBQ dinner. For information call 518-329-4444 or email service@undermountaingolf.com.
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Copake Outdoors
Copake Outdoors, the local group dedicated to having fun hiking, biking, kayaking and swimming in and around Copake, will have its next outing on Saturday, July 2 at 9am.
The group had a wonderful hike to Kaaterskill Falls last month. This month we will go to one of the Columbia Land Conservancy conservation areas: Hand Hollow Conservation Area. There are three miles of flat trails through both forests and open meadows. You might see beavers or a great blue heron! It’s easy walking and the outing will be about two hours.
There are two entrances to Hand Hollow; we will use the Beaver Byway entrance, which is located at 4079 County Rd. 9, East Chatham, NY 12060. For more information and to get directions, go to:
and
Meet at 9am at Hand Hollow. Please RSVP if you can. If you would like to be on the mailing list for Copake Outdoors, please contact Peggy Lewis at plewispok@gmail.com or Roberta Roll at roberta.roll@gmail.com.
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Eco Tips for Healthy Living
Let Your Lawn Go Natural
Lawns come in many shapes and sizes, but lawn care routines often focus on eliminating so-called “weeds” and creating a “perfect” look. In fact, when we create
monoculture lawns - one or two types of grass - we waste time, money and energy and contribute to environmental degradation. Every year, about 3 million tons of synthetic
lawn fertilizers and 70 million pounds of pesticides and herbicides are used on lawns.
Approximately 40-60% of this ends up in lakes, rivers and groundwater, poisoning
fish and other aquatic creatures, not to mention the water we drink. These chemicals
are also released into the air we breathe and are one of the top sources of climate change.
Maybe it’s time to go natural! A natural lawn is one that is maintained without synthetic
fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides. It is one that contains a variety of native grasses, herbs and wildflowers. Native grasses and plants can withstand extreme temperatures, which are more frequent now, due to climate change. Eliminating the use of synthetic fertilizers, herbicides and pesticides allows beneficial microbes and earthworms to live and do their job of creating more organic matter, which feeds and aerates your lawn and retains moisture. If you let your grass grow a bit taller (around 3 inches) the roots can grow deeper, giving the grass more access to water.
Here are some beneficial plants that will thrive in your lawn if you let them.
*Violets and red clover attract butterflies and bees
*Bugleweed attracts ladybugs
*Pennyroyal attracts hoverflies
*Thyme draws parasitic wasps
Pollinators are essential for producing our food and for the reproduction process of many plants. Predators and parasitic wasps help get rid of damaging insects.
Many insects become food for toads, spiders and birds.
So, try letting your lawn go natural this summer and enjoy the wildlife and the dandelions (the greens are tasty and have lots of minerals)!
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COVID Tests and Masks
Available at the Town Clerk's Office
COVID tests and masks are available at the Town Clerk’s Office or walk-up window, as follows: Monday through Thursday 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and Saturday's 9:00 a.m. to noon.
To learn details about the availability of masks and tests, check the town website and also the Copake Facebook page. Or you may call the Town Clerk's office at 518-329-1234 Ext 2.
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If you wish to submit an article or notice regarding a community event taking place in the Town of Copake to the Copake Connection, please e-mail: thecopakeconnection@gmail.com. All submissions should be received by us by noon on the 10th of the month.
For more and current information on Meetings in Copake and events throughout the Roe Jan area, go to the Copake Website.
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Contact
Copake Town Hall
230 Mountain View Road
Copake, NY 518-329-1234
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