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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
Solar Update
Emergency Response Plan
Valley View Bridge
Copake Summer Park
Mohican Heritage
CEDAC
Copake Bids Farewell
Roe Jan Historical Society Presents...
Recycle Food Waste
Columbia County Household Hazardous Waste Collection Day
Copake Annual Cleanup Day
Grange 120th Anniversary
Grange Events
Copake History
Lasagna Feast
What's Happening at the Library
Copake Outdoors
Memorial Bricks
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From the Supervisor's Desk
Copake must wait longer for long awaited road reconstruction in the hamlet.
A few days ago, I heard the unfortunate news that the county is not coming to Copake to rebuild our roads as soon as we thought. I knew that the plans for moving the Copake Memorial Clock a short distance had to be approved by the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) and that the process had been taking some time. In a telephone call from County Commissioner of Public Works Ray Jurkowski earlier this week, I found out that it is not the relocation of the clock which is slowing things down - it is the changes to the clock circle.
Both the clock and the circle itself are on the State and National Historic Register. The current plans envision creating a park surrounding the clock. The green space will extend to the front of the Clock Tower Pub and Grill, eliminating that portion of County Route 7A. When I pointed out that the circle was not going to be lost, it was going to be expanded, the commissioner said that was the county’s position as well. But SHPO’s view is that “the small circular island on which the clock is located is a historic feature of the resource.” SHPO considers that the change in the circle amounts to what they deem a “loss”- which has to be mitigated.
In order to mitigate the “loss,” the county is proposing that they transfer ownership of property to the town. The town has always understood that the park around the clock would be maintained by the town. However, part of the new park will be on what is currently county-owned property, including the stretch of road which runs in front of the Clock Tower Pub and Grill. Commissioner Jurkowski is proposing that the Board of Supervisors pass a resolution at their May meeting to convey the property to the Town of Copake. We in turn, would accept ownership by a resolution to be passed at our town meeting in May. We would then own the park. Maybe we can call it something like Copake Memorial Clock Park to make it clear that we understand the significance of the site.
The bottom line is that because of the change to the island, the project is required to proceed through a time-consuming process, which includes reviews by the NYSDOT, SHPO, and the federal highway administration. Final approval will not be given until December of 2023.
So here is the bad news: we will not see reconstruction of County Route 7A until the spring of 2025.
And here is the good news: we can have our bicentennial parade in 2024, as it should be.
Our town was founded on April 4, 1824. Our Bicentennial Committee, under the able leadership of Kellie Nardin, is already planning events for April 2024. It was anticipated that the finale of the bicentennial celebration, including a parade, would be postponed for a whole fifteen months, so that it could occur after the roads were complete, in 2025. With this news from the county, we no longer have this problem.
At the April Town Board meeting, the board directed the Bicentennial Committee to restore the Bicentennial Celebration to its rightful place in history - 2024 - which is indeed the 200th anniversary of the founding of the Town of Copake.
So that’s the good news.
Jeanne E. Mettler
Supervisor
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Solar Update
On March 27, our appeal in Town of Copake et al v. NYS Office of Renewable Energy et al was argued before a panel of justices of the Third Judicial Department in Albany.
Attorney Ben Wisniewski’s colleague Gary Abraham presented the appellants’ arguments in this case, which Copake brought with five other upstate rural towns and seven non-profit organizations. We are challenging and seeking to overturn the regulations under which the Office of Renewable Energy Siting (ORES) operates - regulations that were written by an energy industry consultant which has Hecate as one of its clients - because the ORES regulations tilt clearly in favor of developers and against “host communities," which is how the regulations refer to towns like Copake, whose environment and character are threatened by often multi-national, deep-pocketed energy corporations. The justices will review the oral arguments and excellent briefs submitted by our attorneys, and we await a decision.
On March 28, ORES issued to Hecate a Third “Notice of Incomplete Application” (NOIA) containing a 20-page list of deficiencies. More than three years after Hecate representatives announced their intention to construct a 60-megawatt, utility-scale solar energy factory with 200,000 solar panels, inverters, transmission lines, other components, and access roads, the company has been told, for the third time, that its application for a permit to site “Shepherd’s Run” on approximately 265 acres in Craryville is “incomplete.”
For more than three years, this town board has been united in its position that Shepherd’s Run is too big for our small town and is very poorly sited. We have urged Hecate to make good on its claim that it wants to be a “community partner." We have publicly urged Hecate to adopt the recommendations of the ad hoc Working Group, including creation of a 300-acre green space and provide nature trails and bike paths. We have called for financial compensation for the homeowners whose properties are across the road from the proposed site and who stand to suffer substantial loss of home property values. We’ve urged Hecate not to cut down acres of carbon-capturing trees.
In this third NOIA, Hecate has been told that it must complete an extensive “To-Do” list before ORES will determine whether the project siting application is “complete.” Among other things, Hecate must provide additional screening; address, not ignore, the Taghkanic Headwaters Conservation Plan; present scientific studies supporting its claim that the design of the proposed project improves the functioning of the wetlands, even as Hecate claims it cannot abide by the 100-foot buffer requirement to keep the factory away from wetlands and waterbodies; fully explain, in detail, how the project has been designed and sited to minimize encroachment on prime farmland; and respond to the NYS Office of Historic Preservation’s letter concluding that the project, as designed and sited, would have an Adverse Impact on some Craryville historical properties.
Additionally, the Hecate proposal, called “Shepherd’s Run,” has stated from the beginning that the project would employ “agricvoltaics," namely that farming - sheep grazing - would take place under solar panels. However, in its third updated application, Hecate wrote, “no active agricultural practices will occur within the fenced area containing the solar arrays during the operation of the Project.” Given that sheep grazing is unquestionably a “farming practice,” this inconsistency also caught the attention of ORES. Hecate must update its Agricultural Plan to explain this. The ORES regulations require Hecate to resubmit within 90 days. Once it receives Hecate’s fourth submission, ORES has 60 days to make a “completeness” determination. So, on this goes…
Two days ago the town received some very welcome news from the administrative law judge (ALJ) assigned to the Shepherd’s Run matter. Hecate is supposed to provide Copake with copies of all the materials it submits to ORES as part of its siting permit application, but it has withheld from us important digital data information, contained in what are called “shapefiles.” These would enable our environmental engineering firm to identify, among other things, precisely where wetlands, streams and underground waterbodies are located in relation to where Hecate wants to put its factory components and where it wants to drill down and place underground transmission lines. Our attorney made a motion to compel production of the shapefiles. The ALJ granted our motion, and strongly criticized both Hecate and ORES’ staff. She wrote that Hecate’s refusal to provide us with the shapefiles was “unacceptable,” as was ORES staff’s agreement with Hecate’s intention to delay turning over the shapefiles. The ALJ wrote that “the position advanced by both Hecate and ORES staff that the town must now wait until Hecate responds to the Third NOIA in order to get the digital GIS shapefiles, which ORES staff has had since the filing of the initial Application…” would prevent Copake from conducting a thorough review of Hecate’s siting permit application for many months. The ALJ further admonished Hecate:
“Hecate should have asked the Town - and all parties - whether the digital GIS shapefiles should be provided. Instead, Hecate unilaterally decided not to serve this information even when the Town expressly requested it. (emphasis added)
…Hecate is cautioned to be more responsive to the Town’s legitimate requests for information to which it is clearly entitled as the host municipality. The Town’s interest in this proceeding and its participation to date cannot be disputed. Hecate’s failure to comply with the ORES regulations…is of concern at this juncture in the proceeding, as is Hecate CC's position in failing to comply with the Town’s request for the shapefiles.“
At this point, it is reasonable to ask: what is Hecate hiding? Why has it withheld information needed to accurately determine the potential impacts of Shepherd’s Run on the environment — the wetlands, Taghkanic Creek, underground waterbodies? And why did ORES staff support Hecate’s position that we should not be able to see this data until it might be too late to use it to support Copake’s argument that Shepherd’s Run should not be sited where Hecate wants to put it? A review of the shapefiles may provide answers.
Richard Wolf
Deputy Supervisor
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Town Adopts Emergency Response Plan
At the April Town Board meeting, the board adopted a new Emergency Response Plan. The plan was created with the assistance of Copake Fire Chief John DeRocha and Deputy Fire Chief Randi Shadic, as well as the director of the Columbia County Emergency Management Department, David Harrison.
The new plan defines the roles of the town officials and town departments, as well as county departments, the three fire departments which serve Copake, and public and private resources throughout the town. This plan ensures that in the case of either man-made or natural disasters, the town will respond quickly and effectively to safeguard residents.
At the meeting, Supervisor Jeanne Mettler expressed gratitude to Fire Chief DeRocha and Deputy Fire Chief Shadic, who provided a draft which assisted in developing the plan. Both men met with the Supervisor, Town Clerk Lynn Connolly and Deputy Supervisor Wolf to work on the plan for Copake.
“This plan will be updated on a regular basis,” said Supervisor Mettler at the meeting, “but I am confident that this plan is flexible and comprehensive enough to serve the town for years to come.”
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Valley View Bridge Project Slowed Down by Supply Chain
At their April meeting, the Board of Supervisors authorized a contract with A. Colarusso and Son to reconstruct the Valley View Bridge over the Bash Bish Brook. The county committed over two million dollars to the rebuilding of the Copake Falls bridge.
Construction will not, unfortunately, begin immediately. Because of a delay in the availability of structural steel, the work will be delayed until later this year.
At the April meeting of the Copake Town Board, Supervisor Mettler promised to keep the board aware of progress in the weeks to come.
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Copake Park Summer Program Opens Under New Leadership
The Copake Park Summer Program will open on July 5 under the leadership of Director Kaya Sindler and Assistant Director Dakota Curtsinger.
The camp had most recently been directed by Bryan Van Tassel and Hollie Van Tassel. The couple stepped down last year after a very successful run, but the town is now fortunate to have Kaya and Dakota in charge. Both women were counselors under the VanTassels.
The 2023 program will run from Wednesday, July 5 to Friday August 11. Registration for Copake residents will be from May 13 to June 24. Registration forms will be available from the Copake Town Clerk’s office or on the Copake website. Out of town campers may register from June 3 to June 24. The rates are unchanged from last year: Copake residents - $100 per child, $250 per family; out of town rates - $175 per child, $350 per family.
Individuals interested in applying to be camp counselors should check the Copake website for details at townofcopake.org. Letters of interest can hand delivered, mailed to Copake Town Clerk, 230 Mountain View Road Copake, NY 12516 or emailed to the clerk at copaketownclerk@townofcopake.org. All letters of interest must be received no later than 12 noon on May 8.
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Copake Explores its Mohican Heritage
A newly formed committee to explore Copake’s Mohican roots was designated at the February town board meeting. The Committee on Mohican Allyship is a subcommittee of the Conservation Advisory Committee. Bradley Pitt was appointed as chairperson.
Copake lies within the unceded homelands of the Mohicans, the Indigenous people of the area currently known as Columbia County and beyond. Today, despite multiple forced-removals, tremendous hardship, and misinformation, Mohican descendants are a thriving, sovereign nation known as the Stockbridge-Munsee Community in Wisconsin.
Warren F. Broderick, whose article, ‘Strange Partners in Land Equity: Mohicans and Tenant Farmers “Invade” Upstate New York in 1859’ was published in The Hudson River Valley Review (Vol. 35, No.2, Spring 2019) wrote about Levi Konkapot, Jesse Wybro, John N. and Joseph L. Chicks, Aaron Konkapot, Timothy Jourdan and other Mohicans, who traveled in 1859 from their reservation in Wisconsin to reclaim pieces of their homelands by taking up residence in three farms in Columbia County. One of these was the old Niver farm whose barn still stands next to the cemetery north of CR 23 in Craryville.
Acknowledging the history of this land and its peoples, the committee is dedicated to exploring how Copake and its residents can best serve as allies to tribal nations in general and the Stockbridge-Munsee Community in particular. The committee’s mission is to pay honor and respect to past, present, and future Mohicans, in their homelands and throughout the Mohican diaspora as we seek local ways to serve Stockbridge-Munsee Community initiatives and priorities, acknowledging they are a sovereign, governing body whose core responsibility is to serve their tribal citizens first.
To this end, the first project of the committee will be to explore what true "allyship" with tribal nations entails and doing some necessary self-reflection. What are the intentions in doing this work and what are the goals?
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CEDAC Needs Member
If you would like to get more involved with town government and town matters, Copake has an opening for you.
The Town Board of the Town of Copake will be accepting letters of interest and resumes for the following position:
Member needed for the Copake Economic Development Advisory Committee
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Copake Bids Farewell to Pigasso
Pigasso Farm, which has been providing high quality meats, eggs and soup bones to area residents, restaurants and retail establishments since 2005, closed April 8. They will be sorely missed.
Rob and Heather Kitchen bought the property in 2004, moving from their property on Carson Rd., which they transferred to the Columbia Land Conservancy and is now part of the Overmountain Conservancy area. They raised pigs, sheep and chickens at their 20-acre farm, Pigasso, on Rt. 22, and leased another 170 acres of land for their beef cows and for growing hay for their animals.
Farming is hard work, a labor of love, and Rob and Heather have worked 24/7 for years with no days off to make the farm a successful enterprise. They will stay on the property but said it’s time to do some other things; they are looking forward to working on their house, taking some day trips and traveling to see family.
Asked what they enjoyed most about the farm, Rob said that being your own boss is worth all the work, and that he enjoyed meeting new people. There was always time for a little conversation at the store window. Heather’s favorite time of year was lambing time in early spring, and she always loved seeing the new poults lay their first eggs.
We will miss them, and we wish them much luck and plenty of time for relaxation in their new phase of life!
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A Story from a Basket Maker’s Daughter: The Hill
The Roeliff Jansen Historical Society presents a program by author Maryann Barton on Sunday, April 23 at 2pm.
Maryann Barto grew up in the West Taghkanic Proper family with her basket-making mother, which gave her the inspiration to write A Story from a Basket Maker’s Daughter: The Hill. Her family’s stories have been living history and enhanced her love for researching forgotten history to include in her writing. Maryann will read from and discuss her new novel, set in a rustic village known as The Hill, whose members have depended upon one another for survival, fearing the consequences of their secrets and the changes around them.
Maryann graduated from Columbia Greene Community College with an associate’s degree Human Services. She went on to achieve a bachelor’s degree at Empire State College in Community and Human Services, which allowed her the opportunity to work with diverse communities for over 30 years. She now resides in the Adirondack Region of New York with her husband and their pets.
This free event will be held at the Roeliff Jansen Historical Society, 8 Miles Road, Copake Falls, NY. For details, please visit our website: roeliffjansenhs.org or call 518-329-3251.
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Copake Grange Celebrates 120th Anniversary
Celebrate good times, come on!
The Copake Grange #935 commemorates 120 years in 2023 and is seeking Grange related photos, objects and memorabilia to be used in the celebration. Scour your homes, basements, attics, storage units and of course barns for any items related to Copake Grange #935 or Granger history. If you have any items you’d consider donating or returning; please contact copakegrange@gmail.com, PO Box 33, Copake, NY 12516.
Watch for more news on how you can participate and enjoy this year’s festivities
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Grange Events
Saturday, April 15, 7pm - Chatham Chamber Ensemble. The talented Chatham Chamber Ensemble - Roe Goodman (bassoon), Stephen Poppel (clarinet), Joseph Rutkowski (clarinet) - presents an eclectic program of classical, jazz and contemporary pieces, including works by Mozart, Brahms, Puccini, Astor Piazzolla, Scott Joplin, Gershwin and Paul McCartney. The ensemble has also premiered numerous warmly-received arrangements of opera arias, chamber music for strings and for piano, and the songs and dances of Europe and the Americas. There will be a reception with the artists following the performance. Tickets $10 at the door.
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Saturday, April 22, 9am to 12 noon - Pick-up Litter Day. Celebrate Earth Day and help us keep Copake beautiful! We’re organizing to pick up litter along roads in Copake hamlet, Copake Falls, Craryville and Copake Lake. Meet us at the Grange Hall at 9am, and we will provide trash bags. Bring your own gloves and sturdy shoes. You may drop off your collection by noon at the dumpster at Town Hall, 230 Mountain View Rd. or, if the dumpster is full, bring it to the Copake Park dumpster or the transfer station. Take
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Saturday, April 22, 3:30-4:30pm - Nature’s Best Hope: Restoring Nature through Biodiversity at Home. Video lecture by Doug Tallamy, entomologist, conservationist and author of Nature’s Best Hope: A New Approach to Conservation that Starts in Your Yard. How to foster nature in our own backyards by preserving the native trees, plants, insects and animals that our ecosystems need to survive. Questions and discussion afterward with Columbia Land Conservancy president, Troy Weldy, and staff members, as well as Copake Conservation Advisory Committee members. Free.
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Saturday, April 29, 7-9pm - Open Poetry Reading. Copake Grange 935 and the
Roeliff Jansen Community Library celebrate National Poetry Month with this event at Grange Hall. Bring poems of your own to read, or a poem by one of your favorite poets. Or, just tune in to listen and be inspired and delighted by the magic and power of poetry.
Readers do not need to sign up in advance. For more info, email
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Friday, May 5, 7-9pm - Open Mic Night. Live open mic is on and it’s great! The first Friday of every month. Come on down to the Grange and join us with your instruments, songs, poems, stories, skits, etc. Or just come to relax, have fun and be inspired. We have a piano. For more information, contact copakegrange@gmail.com . |
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Saturday, May 6, 9am to 12 noon - Flea Market & Bake Sale. Come to the Grange for our Flea Market extravaganza and delicious Bake Sale!
We are seeking items for our flea market. If you have household goods, linens (no used sheets or towels), small furniture, or gift items you would like to donate, please go to copakegrange.org/events and scroll down to the event listing for more information.
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Saturday, May 20, 9am - 12 noon - Outdoor Gear Freecycle. Do you have used outdoor clothing and equipment you’d rather not put into the landfill? Bring it to the Grange for a new adventure. And if you are looking for something, you might find it here. Jackets, vests, rain gear, hiking boots and poles, skis and boots, skates, skateboards, fishing gear, paddles, rackets, hats, hiking trail books, etc. Drop off items on Friday, May 19, 4-5pm or Saturday, May 20, 8-9am.
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Saturday, May 27, 9am - 1pm - Sixth Annual Plant Sale. This popular event will inspire you and your garden! A wide variety of perennials, annuals and shrubs will be available. Get there early for your favorite picks!
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Thursday, June 1, 7pm - Mamaliga Klezmer Band. Don’t miss this critically acclaimed and award winning band, which melds the klezmer melodies of old country Yiddishland with new era sensibilities, crafting intricate arrangements of original and traditional tunes to make you laugh, cry and dance. Tickets: $15 at the door. Go to copakegrange.org/events for more info. Reception afterward.
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Sunday, June 25, 11am - 2pm - Third Annual Cupcake Celebration. A sweet event! The cupcakes are creative, confectionary masterpieces, and what’s more…they are delicious. All cupcakes are for sale, and prizes will be awarded, including one for the ultimate Copake Cupcake.
For more information about the Grange and events or to join, go to copakegrange.org. The Copake Grange is located at 628 Empire Rd., Copake, NY 12516.
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Copake History
A Book Review: The Copake Pharmacy 1937 - 1973 by Ken Fass
By Jane Kaufman Wasniewski
[The following review describes a book about a business, but what a business! For decades Copake citizens patronized the Copake Pharmacy not only to get medicine, but to buy newspapers, have an ice cream soda at the marble counter while sitting with friends, catch up on gossip and buy some of the myriad goods that old fashioned pharmacies offered. The book’s reviewer, Jane Kaufman Wasniewski explains her and Ken’s mutual interest in the pharmacy. -Howard Blue, Copake Town Historian]
Kenneth Fass’s book, The Copake Pharmacy 1937-1973 (Amazon, 2020) is a gift that brings back the Copake Pharmacy to its readers. First, I’d like to tell the way it all began… My father, Lou Kaufman, and Ken’s father, Max, knew each other from the Bronx. After attending Fordham University, they both graduated as pharmacists. In the early 1930s, my dad was a partner in a pharmacy in Brooklyn, and in the mid-1930s he owned a pharmacy in Manhattan. Without a partner at this point, he only had one day-off every two weeks. On that day, my parents would take his Model A Ford north on Route 22 on outings in the country. After many trips and much research, my father decided that establishing a pharmacy in Copake made good business sense, because it was surrounded by many small towns, like the hub in a wheel.
At some point in this process, Ken’s dad, Max, approached my father about entering into a partnership. The number of hours the store would be open, plus getting called out in the middle of the night, including during snow storms, was too much for one pharmacist to handle. Thus, the partnership was born. My father must have had confidence that the two of them could build a lasting business together. He must have trusted Max deeply because my father’s partner in his first pharmacy had ended his depression and life in a tragic suicide on a lonely park bench that left his family with a gaping hole and my father out of business. My parents, Lou and Rose, and Max lived together in the first years while they were establishing the store. Three pioneers.
I have a letter from the Second World War that gives insight into the relationship they must have had. Max wrote to my parents that he was able to get a leather bomber jacket for my father, a most cherished and scarce find. Max’s excitement at managing to get this gift electrifies the page.
Ken’s book is beautifully laid out with photos of wonderful and interesting memorabilia from the store. The interior photos are amazing - a stunning marble fountain, shelves overflowing with Christmas gifts, and advertisement items from that era. The photos and interesting stories bring back to life a pharmacy that offered so much to the community: just imagine a town miles away from any other pharmacy, and you, your child or other family member need a life saving prescription.
The Copake Pharmacy also became a social center where a customer could stop by for lunch at the soda fountain or enjoy a sundae made with Breyers ice cream. A customer could find the latest magazines or comic books, choose from a complete line of gifts, and in later years, buy appliances and televisions. Max and Lou saw the future and made it available to all in the area. Copake was never behind. And people came to Copake from afar, as Route 22 ran through the town in the first decade the pharmacy was open and funneled some famous people through its door. Ken has included photos of several of those visitors and customers, including Babe Ruth, who was very often in the Copake area. Ken’s book lets me and all who called Copake home step back in time to remember this wonderful town and this special pharmacy.
Thank you, Ken, for this wonderful contribution to Copake history.
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Question: This feature, about Copake’s History, appears monthly in the Copake Connection. About how many times have you read it? RSVP Copaketownhistorian@gmail.com
Howard Blue
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What’s Happening at the Library?
First Saturday of the Month
RJCL Monthly Prose Writers Group: Writers Wanted! Writing can be an isolating experience. This peer-led prose writers group meets on the first Saturday of the month on Zoom. The group is a safe environment that offers support and feedback to writers of all levels working on fiction, non-fiction, memoir, essay and the occasional Haiku.
If you would like to be part of a supportive and helpful writers group, contact Regina Colangelo at 914-954-3494.
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Tuesdays, April 11, 18, & 25, 3:00 – 4:30 p.m.
Drawing with Lenny Titzer. Artist Lenny Titzer will present a series of three introductory drawing workshops, each focusing on a specific skill. Participants can attend any single workshop or sign up for all three. Registration is required. All materials are provided. In this first workshop, students will observe a simple still life and then work on creating volume through shading. They will also learn tips on measuring and proportion.
Leonard Titzer has worked over 40 years as an artist and teacher with both children and adult students. He received his BA in Sculpture at Evansville College and his MFA at Washington University. Living, working, and exhibiting mostly in New York City, he has been a full-time resident in Hillsdale since 2019. His work in New York has included being the clay instructor at PS#3, drawing instructor at The Craft Students league YWCA, an independent drawing instructor in the East Village, and NYU adjunct professor in Art Education. Currently he is working on a series of drawing portraits using transparent paper.
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Saturday, April 15, 2:00–3:30 p.m.
Cookbook Club. Become a member of the Roe Jan Cookbook Club. This monthly gathering, held on the 3rd Saturday of each month, is organized by Library Associate Fran Colombo. Members will bring their prepared dish to the meeting and the group will discuss the book and share in a community meal. Bring copies of recipes to share with other foodies! For this meeting, we are cooking recipes created by food writer Madhur Jaffrey. Recipes can be used from any of her books.
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Monday, April 17, 6:15 p.m. on Zoom
Tech Lab: Library Apps - Libby, E-Books, Audiobooks. In need of some tech pointers? The Columbia County Libraries Association presents a series of six online Tech Labs designed for those seeking help managing basic to moderate functions like email, file sharing, navigation, storage, and more. All Tech Labs will be presented on Zoom.
In this session, explore the many digital services offered by the library, including ebooks, audiobooks, music, and more.
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Thursday, April 20, 1:00–2:00 p.m.
Book Marks! Book Club. Join our nonfiction book club, Book Marks!, led by Circulation Librarian Robin Gottlieb. Meets the 3rd Thursday of every month. For April we are reading The New Possible: Visions of Our World Beyond Crisis edited by Philip Clayton, Kelli M. Archie, Jonah Sachs, and Evan Steiner (Sept. 2020). Copies available through the Mid-Hudson Library System and on Libby. Email circulation@roejanlibrary.org for more information.
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Saturday, April 22, 1:00 - 2:30 p.m.
Illustrator Visit: Meg Sodano. In celebration of Earth Day, the Roeliff Jansen Community Library presents a discussion with illustrator Meg Sodano, who will read from her latest children’s book, Beaver and Otter Get Along…Sort of: A Story of Grit and Patience between Neighbors. She will discuss her illustrations as well as the concept of “commensal relationships” as it relates to children’s social emotional learning.
Meg Sodano grew up in Connecticut, in the forest and on the coastline, drawing her favorite animals. She studied Animal Science and Biology at the University of Vermont and later received certificates in Natural Science Illustration and Children’s Book Illustration from Rhode Island School of Design. Meg is the illustrator of several picture books, including Beaver and Otter Get Along… Sort Of and the award-winning Salamander Sky. You can also see her artwork as part of interpretive exhibits at Franklin Park Zoo (MA), Queens Botanical Garden (NY), and Mystic Aquarium (CT). Sodano is fascinated with changes in the natural world – life cycles, migrations, seasons, tides, weather – and with interactions among species and their environments. She uses her first-hand experiences, knowledge of biology, and training in science illustration to make picture books and interpretive exhibits about ecology and conservation.
All ages welcome. Children, parents, families, caretakers, etc. encouraged! Books will be available for purchase and signing.
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Sunday, April 23, 1:00 - 2:30 p.m.
Back to Nature: Ticks. This program, the third in a series of four Back to Nature programs, is sponsored in partnership with the Cornell Cooperative Extension of Columbia and Greene Counties.
In 2001, according to the CDC, Columbia County had the highest incidence of Lyme disease in the entire United States. Today, it still remains a problem in this area. There are many different types of ticks. However, only a few transmit diseases to people. Different ticks will transmit not only Lyme disease but a number of different diseases. During this presentation by Nancy Winch, Master Gardener Volunteer, you will learn how to identify the different ticks, remove them, and dispose of them. You will learn how to safeguard yourself from them and, if bitten, how to manage potential disease.
Nancy grew up in Ghent on a dairy farm. From a very early age, she helped her family with gardening. Her father, in fact, was a member of Cornell Cooperative Extension. Nancy graduated from the Columbia Memorial School of Nursing with a diploma in Nursing, a BSN from Russell Sage College, and a Masters degree from SUNY Utica/Rome. Gardening remained in her blood. After retiring from Columbia County Dept. of Health, she became a Master Gardener Volunteer in 2001. In 2022, Nancy volunteered to “collect” ticks for Cornell to help identify which ticks were here in the county.
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Thursday, April 27, 2:30–3:30 p.m.
Tea Time at the Library. Who couldn't use a little tea and conversation? Join us for discussion, crafts, guest speakers, and local brews from Harney and Sons Tea. This month join Joel Roberts, CPA, for a program entitled “Finances and Your Taxes.”
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Saturday, April 29, 3:00 p.m.
Homegrown National Park Film & Q&A. Come learn about the Homegrown National Park project. See what you can do to conserve biodiversity in your own backyard. Join us for a film screening of a lecture by Doug Tallamy, entomologist, conservationist and author of Nature’s Best Hope: A New Approach to Conservation that Starts in Your Yard, followed by a discussion with a panel of experts on the topic.
Panelists include Gretchen Stevens, Director of the Biodiversity Resources Center at Hudsonia, Bridghe McCracken of Helia Native Landscaping, and Jamie Purinton, Landscape Architect with expertise in native plants.
Co-sponsored by: The Conservation Advisory Councils of Ancram, Copake & Hillsdale; Friends of Taconic State Park; the Ancram Resilient Farm and Garden group; and the Roe Jan Community Library.
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Saturday, April 29, 7:00 - 9:00 p.m.
Poetry Open Mic Night. Celebrate the end of Poetry Month by sharing some poetry--yours or someone else's--at this special Open Mic Night at the Copake Grange. This program is cosponsored by the Roe Jan Library and the Copake Grange. Email roberta.roll@gmail.com for more information.
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Monday, May 1, 6:15 p.m on Zoom
Tech Lab: Traveling Apps - Navigation, Translation, Transportation, Maps. In need of some tech pointers? The Columbia County Libraries Association presents a series of six online Tech Labs designed for those seeking help managing basic to moderate functions like email, file sharing, navigation, storage, and more. All Tech Labs will be presented on Zoom.
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Thursdays, May 4, 11, & 18, 3:30 - 5:30 p.m.
Photo Composition: Three Sessions to Better Photos. The single most important route to great photography is composition. It’s not the camera, it’s your eye. Come with whatever you have. From smartphone to film to digital, from amateur to pro model, composition remains the same — and knowing how it all works will change the way you look at the world through a lens, and the results. In three sessions over three weeks participants will learn the rule of thirds, foreground, mid-ground, background, leading lines, frames, centering, light, depth of field, portraits, storytelling and more.
These workshops are taught by Gerald Seligman, who has been a photographer for over 50 years, with photos published in newspapers and magazines and featured in galleries and on album covers. He spent most of his career working in the international music industry and has lived in Rio de Janeiro, London, and Berlin. He travels the world much of the year, every year, facilitating his photography. He lives in Spencertown, NY. He has taught photo courses at the McSilver Institute for Poverty, Policy and Research, New York University; for the Josephine Herrick Project; and locally at the Art School of Columbia, among others.
Students should commit to the full three sessions. Registration is limited to 20 participants. Register by emailing director@roejanlibrary.org.
This project is made possible with funds from the Statewide Community Regrants Program, a program of the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA) with the support of Governor Kathy Hochul and the New York State Legislature and administered in Columbia County by the Columbia County Council on the Arts dba CREATE Council for the Arts.
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Thursday, May 4, 4:00 - 7:00 p.m.
Cinco de Mayo at the bibliotheca. Join us for a special Cinco de Mayo celebration with Aloha Tacos and family fun! The food truck will be parked in our driveway from 4-7 p.m. and we will provide stories to read and family games to play!
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Saturday, May 6, 1:00 - 2:30 p.m.
Back to Nature: Gardening with Containers. This program, the last in a series of four Back to Nature programs, is sponsored in partnership with the Cornell Cooperative Extension of Columbia and Greene Counties.
Growing plants in containers offers all the enjoyment of “in-ground” gardening plus so much more! Indoors and out, containers give you the freedom to move plants around, creating a constantly changing display of foliage and flowers. It is important to understand plants and how they grow in order to provide the best possible conditions. This presentation, by Master Gardener Volunteer Linda Levitt, will give you the insight as to the right container, adequate spacing, proper drainage, and selecting a suitable plant mix, and, of course, plant selection ideas.
Linda is not a stranger to this area. Many family members owned property in Copake and Craryville as far back as the 1930s. She spent many hours here visiting her grandparents and extended family. She moved to Copake full-time in December 2014, after retiring from the insurance industry. She owned her own insurance agency for 30 years with a specialty in employee benefits. She always loved gardening and in 2014 she became a Master Gardener Volunteer. She has also earned an advanced certification in horticulture and landscape design from Berkshire Community College and Berkshire Botanical Garden. She sits on the Board of Directors of the Cornell Cooperative Extension of Columbia and Greene counties. She volunteers as a docent at the Berkshire Botanical Garden in Stockbridge, MA. She is also a member of the Germantown Garden Club. She has designed containers and gardens for clients here in the Hudson Valley.
This program will take place outdoors and will be rescheduled in the event of inclement weather.
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Wednesday, May 10, 5:30 - 7:00 p.m.
Roe Jan Writers Series: Ned Schneier. Local author Ned Schneier discusses his updated book, New York Politics: A Tale of Two States (3rd ed., 2023, coauthors Antoinette Pole and Anthony Maniscalco).
New York Politics examines aspects of state government that are often hidden in the secret sessions of the parties' legislative conferences: the closed-door budget; a complicated array of opaque agencies, authorities, and local governments; and a campaign finance system that lacks transparency. New York is unique among the American states in its sharp regional and demographic divisions, making it difficult to govern. Ned (as we know the senior author) can help understand how it manages and fails.
Dr. Schneier, in addition to his career teaching political science at Colgate, Princeton and the City College of New York, has served as Professor-in-Residence to the Assembly Internship Committee and as an Albany lobbyist for the Citizens for Equity in Educational Funding and the New York State Council of Community College Trustees. This is the third edition of the book originally co-authored with the late Assemblyman Brian Murtaugh and now with Tony Manascalco of the New York City and State Legislative internship committees, and Toni Pole who teaches state politics at Montclair State University.
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Wednesdays, 10:30 a.m.
Playtime with Tia. We are remixing our Circle Time with Tia into Playtime with Tia!
Preschoolers and their families are invited to join Tia in the Children's Room to socialize and play! Each week, a special craft will be provided.
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Wednesdays, 1:00–2:00 p.m.
Homeschool Wednesdays. Tia, the Library’s Children’s & Youth Services Associate, will be sharing stories and activities for homeschooled kids in the Children’s Room every Wednesday.
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Thursdays, 3:30–5:00 p.m.
Chess Club. Chess Club is here at Roe Jan Library! We have boards but feel free to bring your own. For beginners and pros. All ages welcome. Learn how to play or challenge a neighbor!
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Thursdays, 6:00–7:30 p.m.
English-Language Tutoring by Appointment. Free English-language tutoring will be available between 6:00 and 7:30 p.m. by appointment on Thursday evenings. This tutoring program is intended primarily for adults. Instruction will be one-on-one or in small groups with Yvonne Acevedo and will be geared toward everyday conversational needs. Free childcare will be provided for children ages 3 and up. Please e-mail director@roejanlibrary.org or call 518-325-4101 to schedule an appointment.
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Saturdays, 10:30 a.m.
Playtime with Tia. We are remixing our Storytime with Tia into Playtime with Tia!
Preschoolers and their families are invited to join Tia in the Children's Room to socialize and play! Each week, a special craft will be provided.
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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 Sunday, May 7 at 9:30am and hike to Flag Rock, near Monument Mountain in Great Barrington.
This is a four-mile round-trip hike, moderately challenging, and takes about 2 hours.
For hikers who want to do more, there is a connecting trail to Monument Mountain.
For more information and a map, see the link below. Participants will meet at the parking area on Rt. 183. Take RT-7 N to RT-183 N. The trailhead is 0.2 miles past Taft Farms on the right.
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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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