Call Us At: 845-687-7023
May 2021 Newsletter
“The ability to read awoke inside of me some long dormant craving to be mentally alive.” -
Welcome Back!
Now Open
We are currently allowing up to 6 people in the Library at a time as well as one family in the Children's Room at a time.

  • Visits are limited to 30 minutes.
  • Patrons must wear a mask over their nose and mouth at all times.
  • Please check with the Circulation Desk when entering to check the number of patrons currently in the building.
Curbside Service

If you prefer, we are continuing our curbside service.

Call 687-7023 from the parking lot and someone will bring your materials to the return benches by entrance for you to pick up.
New Circulation Desk!
The final piece to our library upgrade is now in place! While the library has been providing curbside service we have taken the opportunity to move collections, paint shelves, sand floors and clean, clean, clean. A new circulation desk was the centerpiece of our project and it is finally a reality. This work was made possible through a New York State Construction Grant, a grant from the Stone Ridge Library Foundation, memorial gifts to the Library and individual donations from patrons. 

Thank you to Ethan Plank, Library Trustee and project manager. Thanks to all our staff members for their work and patience. Thank you to Barbara Goodwin for her excellent layout and to Amy Moses for architectural services. Thanks also to local business people John Saldi of MCJ Residential, Joseph Picuri of Nova Systems, and Gina DeLong of Chipmunk Landscaping for all they did to help us. Thank you to Dawn and Alicia Traver for dealing with mountains of dust from floor sanding!










Special thanks to A & G Custom Made Furniture of Accord, NY for the beautiful job they did on our new circulation desk. This company was wonderful to work with. We particularly admire the professionalism and flexibility they demonstrated from start to finish. We appreciate all the time and care they put into the project!
George Kambouris, Alex Kambouris, President,
Nerville Manaco (Kenny) of A & G Custom Made Furniture
News from the Foundation
The SRLF is gearing up for two exciting events in May and June!
Mark your calendars for Hudson Valley Gives Day on May 19th! This 24-hour, community-wide online fundraiser was a huge success for us last year. We’re counting on your support again! Help the Library continue giving back to our community by donating on May 19th! Join our live Zoom call tomorrow night to learn how you can get involved!
In June, the Foundation will host a Virtual Celebration to recognize the efforts and achievements of some of the Library’s most dedicated supporters: Rosemary Deen and James, Ellyn & Jenny Polshek. Please join us in honoring them on Sunday, June 13th at 2:00pm. Check back here next month for updates on this virtual event!
For further information contact the SRL Foundation at foundation@stoneridgelibrary.org or
845-687-7023 ext. 7.
GOOD NEWS AND BAD NEWS
Plant Sale

June 12
10am - 2pm
in the Library yard

The bad news is that we have to cancel the Library Fair for one more year. But we have our fingers crossed for re-imagining the Fair in 2022.

The good news is that we are having a plant sale on June 12th, from 10 to 2 out in the library yard.

We are getting ready to welcome everyone now. If you can help us with the sale by dividing some of your plants from your home garden, please stop by the yard where we will have empty pots waiting for you by the garden gate.
The star of our sale will be Rosemary Deen’s sensational daylilies at great bargain prices.

The Saturday Knitters will also be on hand to show off some of their latest work. And we will have Ethan Plank’s famous bread for sale in take away packages.

We are hoping for sun but will be waiting for you rain or shine on June 12th. Please remember to socially distance and have a mask over your mouth and nose when you come by to see us!
Boy Scout Local Resident To Rebuild Library Arbor


The highest achievement for a Boy Scout in America is to become an Eagle Scout. Since the Boy Scouts of America began in 1911, only 4 percent of Scouts have earned this rank. But local resident Wyatt McCloskey Sell is hoping to soon join the elite club.

Wyatt needs to complete an extensive service project that the 17-year-old Rondout Valley High School senior plans, organizes, leads, and manages. And that project, now underway, will help the community – and the Stone Ridge Library.

Wyatt will be rebuilding the wooden arch at the main entrance to the library’s 1798 stone building. The arch covers a bluestone walkway and is surrounded by a lovely flower garden. The last arch had to be taken down last fall when the wood posts deteriorated.

“Ever since I was young, I visited the library,” said Wyatt, who started as a Cub Scout when he was in the second grade. “It is a wonderful place and it does lots for the community. I called them up and asked them what they needed and they needed a new arbor, so I did that.”

The Library has been rejuvenated in the past ten years, renovating its decaying buildings and turning itself into one of the jewels of Main Street in downtown Stone Ridge. Much of the renovation has been supported by community donations and volunteers. In a normal year more than 50,000 people visit the Library.
“Wyatt’s work, to build this red-cedar archway, will enhance our entrance and our welcome,” said Library Board of Trustees president Susanne Warren. “It is community members like Wyatt who make us more and more able to serve our patrons.”

Wyatt has been a Scout his whole life, but “the Eagle project is a chance for a scout to demonstrate the leadership skills he has learned and give back to the community.” However, Wyatt will need help. While he and others will plan and build the arbor, part of his responsibility is to raise some of the funding for the construction. Wyatt will need to raise about $1,500, with the remainder of about $2,000 coming from the Library.

“Community service is amazing,” Wyatt observes. “It really helps to connect with new people and see what you can do for the places you love so much.” Wyatt acknowledges that projects like this also help with college applications and jobs, “because anyone can just look at grades and assume that they are a good fit but community service means that you have the heart and positive influence to make a difference.”

He added, “I have worked through project selection, getting approval from the library board, and on the design. Now the challenging part is fundraising and organizing people to help.”

If you can help Wyatt and the Library, please make a contribution by check to Stone Ridge Library, P.O. Box 188, Stone Ridge, NY 12484. Wyatt expects to start the project in late April and be completed before the end of June.
New Art on Display
Jacqueline Johnson
Jackie Johnson was born and grew up in Westchester, New York. After completion of high school, she majored in Art at Endicott College in Massachusetts and completed her undergratuate degree at SUNY New Paltz in Art Education. She then taught art in Boulder Valley School in Colorado, before returning to live in the Hudson Valley. Jackie then taught art in Rondout Valley Schools, principally Marbletown and Rosendale Elementary from 1969 thru 2010. She had a passion for teaching young children and exhibiting their work throughout the schools and the community.

She continued to expand her professional education all through her teaching career, majoring in Printmaking, Drawing, Art History, and Painting. She also explored many crafts, Batik, Quilting, Clay, Soft Sculpture, to learn processed which she then introduced to her young students. Since retiring, she has continued to paint in several mediums, oil and pastels being her favorite.
Upcoming Programs
Book Groups
Tea Time
Book Group


Wednesday, May 12
an 11am Zoom meeting
The book for May is The Art Forger by Barbara A. Shapiro. Almost twenty-five years after the infamous art heist at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum--still the largest unsolved art theft in history--one of the stolen Degas paintings is delivered to the Boston studio of a young artist.
Holmes & Co.
Mystery
Book Group

Wednesday, May 19
11am on the Library Lawn

The Mystery book for May is Flesh and Blood by John Harvey. After his wife's betrayal and his own retirement from the force, Detective Inspector Elder has fled as far as possible to go in England without running out of land. But he is haunted by the past and in particular by the unsolved disappearance of sixteen-year-old Susan Blacklock back in 1988.
Clio's Muse
A History
Reading Club

Saturday, May 22, 2021
at 12:30pm 
in the Library Yard

We will be reading Say Nothing: A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland by Patrick R Keefe for May.
A mesmerizing book on the bitter conflict in Northern Ireland and its aftermath in a society wracked by a violent guerrilla war, a war whose consequences have never been reckoned with.
Bug ROCKS!
May 15th
11am to 12:30pm
on the library lawn

Bug ROCKS! Come and join Sarah, the library’s new program manager, to paint the cutest bugs you’ll actually want in your garden. Lady bugs, caterpillars, stink bugs or jewel beetles will add charm to your garden, without chewing up your plants. This event is open to adults and children over age 9 accompanied by a parent or caregiver. Registration is required. Social distancing and masks, worn over mouth and nose, are also required. All materials provided
French Conversation with Claudine Brenner
Tuesday, May 18
1-2 pm on Zoom

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
Spanish Conversation with Francisco and Varcia
Tuesday, May 25
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, come join our class on Zoom, every 4th Tuesday 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.

Every Thursday
1:30 – 3pm on Zoom

Join us for an afternoon of poetry with Rosemary Deen. Please contact Rosemary at rmdeen@gmail.com if you’d like to join the group.

GROUP I:
Monday, May 17
GROUP II:
Monday, May 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. If you are interested in participating, please contact Cathy Arra. 
Every Saturday
10am-noon, in the Library yard

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.
CHILDREN'S EVENTS
Virtual Live Storytime

Thursday,May 13 at 4:30pm

Join Princess Leia this month while she reads, tells engaging stories, and plays games -- Plus, she will respond to your children's live comments by name! Join this Virtual Live Storytime on Thursday, April 8th at 4:30pm for a half-hour interactive experience!
May Flowers

The May crafts will be a celebration of May Flowers, and Mother's Day.
Make a floral crown and lavender sachet for yourself, your mother, your grandmother, or one of the people who cares for you in your life.
We will spend some time too discussing the finer points about flowers in the virtual video link.
Craft projects will be available to pick up on May 1st.
HOW TO ORDER USING THE ONLINE CATALOG
  • Go to stoneridgelibrary.org.
  • Click on either Home or Books & More.
  • Click on Mid-Hudson Catalog.
  • Log in using red button on right.
  • 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.)
  • Search for your item.
  • Click the Request It button.
  • Submit your request.
Address: 3700 Main Street, PO Box 188
Stone Ridge, NY 12484
Phone: 845-687-7023