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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
County Joins Copake in Urging ORES
Copake Challenges State’s Right to Determine Assessments
Workshops Scheduled to Tackle Housing and Short-Term Rentals
Town Boards Have Openings
Roe Jan Historical Society
New Pizza in Craryville
Copake Hillsdale Farmer's Market
Roe Jan Food Pantry
Copake Fire Company Chicken BBQ
Household Hazardous Waste Collection Day
Grange 120th Anniversary
Grange Events
Copake History
What's Happening at the Library
Eco Tips
Memorial Bricks
K.I.S.S.
Free Rabies Clinic
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From the Supervisor's Desk
Copake Grant Application Falls Short
In 2022, Copake applied for a NY Forward Grant. If the town had won, we stood to receive either $4.5 million or $2.5 million to assist us in the hamlet of Copake. Because we were able to leverage the large, fully funded and shovel ready roadway reconstruction of the Hamlet of Copake, scheduled for 2024, we thought we were well positioned in an otherwise very competitive field. We also thought that the very impressive proposals from Copake businesses, as well as the proposal of the Copake Grange, gave us a real edge. The application, prepared by Margaret Irwin of River Street Planning with the tireless assistance of CEDAC member Roberta Roll, was professional and impressive. And so, we felt we had a good chance for success.
Because this was a town-wide effort, there was town-wide disappointment. Roberta Roll and I expect to participate in an exit interview to understand how our application compared to others and what we can do to strengthen future applications, but I want to take this chance to thank the many residents and businesses who contributed to this grant application. In addition to thanking Margaret and Roberta, I want to acknowledge and thank Christy Frank of Copake Wine Works, Catherine Mikic of Sweet Homestead, Stephanie Sharp and Walt Kiernan, as well as Ronnie McTiernan and Steve Sanborn of the Copake Grange. Thanks to CEDAC Chair Tom Goldsworthy for his support, Meredith Kane for her input regarding housing, and Columbia County Commissioner of DPW Ray Jurkowski and Copake Park Superintendent Bill Gregory for their help in putting together numbers for improvements to the Hamlet and Park.
There will be other grant opportunities and we will continue to assess where we stand the best chance for success.
Jeanne E. Mettler
Supervisor
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Solar Update
The County Board of Supervisors’ unanimous vote last night to join Copake, Hillsdale, Taghkanic, Claverack, and Hudson in urging the NYS Office of Renewable Energy Siting (ORES) to continue to deem Hecate’s Shepherd’s Run siting application incomplete unless and until Hecate can provide evidence that the construction and operation of the utility-scale solar facility will not negatively impact water quality or the Taghkanic Creek Watershed comes not a moment too soon.
ORES is expected to determine the “completeness” of Hecate’s application before the end of this month. Supervisor Mettler deserves great credit for “shepherding” through this bi-partisan expression of Columbia County’s support for our position, as well as garnering the support of our neighboring towns. This shows in a welcome editorial which appeared in the Register-Star, stating, “The Copake Town Board and now the Hudson Common Council say the state should not grant approval of the company’s application or grade it complete until Hecate can give iron-clad assurances that the solar installation will not do harm to the water from the Taghkanic Creek…The people of Copake still have many questions. We think it’s time Hecate provides the answers.”
Copake continues to reach out to elected officials. On March 6, Supervisor Mettler and Deputy Supervisor Wolf met with Representative Molinaro’s District Director and discussed the town’s concerns about the proposed project, noting two area of potential federal government interest: the water issues and the significance of the former Niver Farm (now the Rasweiler property) to local Native American history. That evening, Lindsay LeBrecht and several other Copakeans presented information directly to Representative Molinaro at his Town Hall meeting in Claverack. Copake is continuing efforts to arrange for State Senator Hinchey to tour the proposed site and meet town officials and concerned community members. Townspeople recently discussed concerns about the proposed Craryville solar project with Senator Hinchey’s constituent services staff at the Hudson library.
The town thanks Assemblymember Didi Barrett for her February 28 letter to the ORES Executive Director, passing along complaints from Sensible Solar, and asking for responses regarding ORES’ “questionable practices” (several of which I’ve noted in earlier updates), including selective and untimely posting of critical documents; ex parte, undisclosed communications with Hecate, including providing advice and guidance to Hecate, an apparent conflict of interest “with a private corporation which has a permit matter pending before the State;” unilaterally allowing Hecate to extend a missed deadline for its most recent application submission; and the Administrative Law Judge ruling last month, which appears to show a lack of impartiality and potential conflict of interest.
Two days ago, the ad hoc Copake Solar Working Group sent to ORES a list of “site-specific permit conditions” it wants ORES to include in a permit for Shepherd’s Run, if a permit is granted. This is the Working Group's wish-list - NOT what Hecate has already agreed to. It includes an agricultural co-utilization plan (sheep grazing, with sheep dogs and “other guard animals” — remember that Hecate says that in agreeing to use wildlife-friendly fencing, it eliminated all agricultural practices, worrying that coyotes could get in and kill the sheep); more and expanded landscaping requirements; community green zones; assistance with Rail Trail expansion; no cutting of 25 acres of trees on the hill on the east side of County Route 7; and partial compensation to adjacent homeowners. The only way these items, and others, become permit conditions, are if ORES forces Hecate to accept them.
Finally, on the day that ORES may render a “completeness” decision, our attorneys will be in court in Albany. At 1pm on March 27, a Third Department panel of justices will hear our appeal in the case Copake has brought, together with five other upstate, rural towns and seven non-profits, challenging and seeking to overturn the regulations under which ORES operates — regulations that were written by an energy industry consultant which has Hecate as one of its clients, regulations that tilt the playing field in favor of developers and against “host communities.”
Richard Wolf
Deputy Supervisor
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County Joins Copake in Urging ORES to Protect Local Water
At their meeting on March 9, the Columbia County Board of Supervisors gave Copake a strong vote of support when they unanimously adopted Resolution 135-2023 in support of Copake’s position on Hecate’s application to build a utility- scale solar installation in the Taghkanic Creek Watershed.
In October 2022, the Copake Town Board passed Resolution 30, demanding that the Office of Renewable Energy Siting (ORES) continue to deem the Hecate application incomplete unless the developer proved that Shepherd’s Run would not negatively impact the Taghkanic Creek Watershed or the water of Hudson or any other Columbia County town. The town board Resolution relied on the Taghkanic Headwaters Conservation Plan, a plan based on a study done by the Columbia Land Conservancy, which the town had approved in August 2022.
At Copake’s request, the towns of Hillsdale,Taghkanic and Claverack passed similar Resolutions. On February 21, after Supervisor Jeanne Mettler addressed the Common Council of the City of Hudson, they too passed a Resolution. This was followed by an editorial in the Hudson Register Star, supporting Copake’s position.
On March 8, 2023, the entire Board of Supervisors was in attendance and there was no opposition to the Resolution offered by Copake. At the end of the meeting, Supervisor Mettler addressed the board to express Copake’s gratitude for this show of support.
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Copake Challenges State’s Right to Determine
Assessments
At the March Town Board meeting, the board adopted Resolution No. 8 opposing a section of the 2024 NYS Budget, which would deprive
Copake of the right to assess Shepherd’s Run at full value.
In October 2020, the board passed a law by which Copake opted out of Real Property Law section 487 Exemption. Pursuant to that law, the town reserved the right to assess Shepherd’s Run at its full value. In 2021, NYS countered with a law that required local assessors to use a NYS formula to assess the solar installation at less than full value. In 2022, this state
formula was challenged in court, so in the 2024 budget, the Governor is seeking to reinstate a state formula. In essence, local taxpayers would be forced to subsidize corporate development within their communities.
The town’s Resolution has been sent to Governor Kathy Hochul, Senator
Michelle Hinchey and Assemblymember Didi Barrett.
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Workshops Scheduled to Tackle Housing and Short-Term Rentals
The Copake Town Board has scheduled a “double-header” on Tuesday, April 11 to meet with two ad hoc working groups, which were appointed to help solve some complex issues for the town.
Starting at 4:30pm, the town board will meet with the Housing and Zoning Review Working Group to discuss the group’s recommendations for zoning code amendments that would benefit and encourage moderately priced housing in the town. On February 28, the board voted to enact a six-month moratorium on major subdivisions, while the town looks at code amendments to address the housing crisis.
The Housing and Zoning Review Working Group was appointed in January and is comprised of Robert Haight, Chair of the Planning Board; Dale Peterson, Deputy Chair of the ZBA, and Meredith Kane. Ms. Kane represents Copake on the three-town committee working on housing (including representatives from Hillsdale, Ancram and Copake) and has been appointed by Board of Supervisors Chairman Matt Murell to serve on the County Housing Committee. At the March 9 town board meeting, Bob Haight gave a preliminary report of the Working Group’s recommendations.
Then, at 5:30pm, the town board will be joined by representatives of the Short-Term Rental Working Group, which was appointed in July of 2022. Members of the committee are Signe Adams, Karen Agnifilo, Lindsay LeBrecht, Janice Nelson and Jay Schiff. At the March town board meeting, board liaisons Stosh Gansowski and Richard Wolf reported on the recommendations by the short-term rental group. These recommendations will be discussed at the April 11 workshop. The group’s report will be posted on the town website prior to the workshop.
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Town Boards Have Openings
If you would like to get more involved with town government and town matters, Copake has many openings for you.
There are currently openings on the Copake Economic Development Advisory Committee, Ethics Board, Park Commission, and one Alternative Member of the Zoning Board.
Information and job descriptions can be obtained from the Supervisor at (518)329-1234 ext. 1.
Letters of interest and resumes should be mailed by April 3, 2023 to 230 Mountain View Road, Copake, NY 12516 Attention: Lynn Connolly, Town Clerk or email copaketownclerk@townofcopake.org.
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Roe Jan Historical Society Talks about the Copake Iron Works
On Sunday, March, 26 at 2pm, Edgar Masters will give a talk at the RJHS, titled “The Preservation of the Copake Iron Works, or How a Small Band of Determined Volunteers Covered a Furnace, Opened a Museum and Built a Narrow Gauge Railroad.”
This talk is the first of three spring events in anticipation of their 2023 summer exhibit, “The First 40: A Celebration of Local History Preserved.” It will focus on the history and preservation of the Copake Iron Works National Heritage Area Site, located within Taconic State Park in Copake Falls. The program will include a brief video on the history of the Copake Iron Works and a discussion of its relationship to the establishment of the hamlet of Copake Falls. Masters will also talk about the work of the Friends of Taconic State Park to preserve the site and develop it as an important historical destination with a visitor center, museum and - coming this spring - an operating narrow gauge railroad.
Edgar Masters is a long-time resident of Copake Falls and a founding member of the Friends of Taconic State Park.
The program will be held at the Roeliff Jansen Historical Society, 8 Miles Rd., Copake Falls, NY. Admission is free.
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New Restaurant Opens in Copake
This month marks the six-month anniversary of the opening of “Tommy B’s Slice Shop,” the newest addition to Craryville’s business community.
The first question we asked when speaking with the owners Aaron Butkus and Erin
Dougherty was: “Who is Tommy B?” It turns out that Tommy B is Aaron’s father, who
died of cancer in 2015. Tommy was “full of laughs, an artist and a fly fisherman,” says
Aaron, who wanted to do something to honor and commemorate his Dad. And so, he
and his partner Erin, who are Copake Lake residents, decided to open this pizza shop
and name it after Mr. Butkus, Sr.
Tommy would be proud to see what his son and Erin have created.
This challenge was new for Erin; her background is in costume design. (In fact, she
worked for two and half years for the Jon Stewart Daily Show).
Of the two, it is Aaron who is the pizzaiola; he had been cooking in kitchens for many
years when he started making pizza in Brooklyn in 2010. During the pandemic he
started cooking pizza again. The couple credits Seung Suh of the Copake General
Store for encouraging Aaron to make pizza professionally. Seung connected Erin and
Aaron with Martha Lane, the Business Development Specialist of the Columbia
Economic Development Corporation. Martha enrolled the couple in CEDC’s
Microbusiness Seminar, and by 2022 they were producing pizza for the Philmont Coop
and the Hudson Farmer’s Market.
Then, in 2023, they came upon the available space in Craryville at 1817 State Route 23,
and they decided to open their shop.
Tommy B’s Slice Shop offers 18-inch round pizzas and also Sicilian style and gluten
free. Their menu includes such specials as the “Vodka Taconic” (fresh mozzarella,
vodka sauce and pepperoni) and the “Hot Hawaiian” (sauce, mozzarella, ham,
pineapple, ricotta and jalapeno). Appetizers include Roni Rolls - a pepperoni-filled pizza
dough roll.
Tommy’s is open Tuesday through Saturday 11:30am to 8:00pm.
Pre-orders are encouraged. The shop’s telephone number is 518-325-0321.
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Copake Hillsdale Farmers Market in the News
It’s still winter, but the Copake Hillsdale Farmers Market is busy planning for the coming season - May 20 through November 18 - and Mainstreet Magazine is spreading the word (see link below) about our wonderful local market.
As many of you know, the market has been operating successfully for a number of years and might just be considered one of the main attractions in this area and perhaps the best farmers market in Columbia County.
The market was formed through the merger of the Hillsdale Farmers Market and the Copake Farmers Market. The Hillsdale market was started around 2005 by Timi Bates
and Caroline Stewart and operated out of the Hillsdale Hamlet Park. The Copake market was launched in 2010 by Roberta Roll on the green in the center of the Copake Hamlet. The two markets merged 2014, making a new home at the Roe Jan Park with its lovely setting and walking trails.
To read more about the market go to
Vendor applications are now available at
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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, March 18, 3:30pm - Movie & Soup Night - The Secret of Roan Inish. This 1994 independent fantasy-adventure film, written and directed by John Sayles and filmed on location, is based on a 1957 novel by Rosalie K. Fry. It centers on the Irish and Arcadian folklores of selkies - seals that can shed their skins to become human. Movie tickets are by donation. Dinner - $10 - includes soup, bread, salad and dessert.
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Saturday, April 1, 7pm - Cabaret Night: All That ‘20s with Gatz Cantare. Gatz
Contare invites you to a cabaret performance with vocalist Ilana Meredith, piano and
accordion accompanist Joe Rutkowski, and local historian Jim Mackin, who will present music from the '20s — of various centuries — from the 1700s to the 2000s. Learn more about composers such as Irving Berlin, George Gershwin, Cole Porter, Kurt Weill, and more, while enjoying some of the tunes that captured the hearts of those from the '20s and beyond! There will be a reception following the show. Tickets $10 at the door.
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Friday, April 7, 7-9pm - Open Mic Night. LIVE and IN-PERSON! 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
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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 Copake Conservation Advisory Committee members and Columbia Land Conservancy staff. 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 plus 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 contact roberta.roll@gmail.com. No books or CDs. Only items which are clean and in
good condition will be accepted. Also, a few vendor tables will be available - more
details to follow.
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
When Young Joe Michaluk Went Fishing
[I love well written stories about childhood. Think Huckleberry Finn. Maksim Gorky's memoir too makes wonderful reading. Like many of us when we get older, Joe Michaluk felt compelled to write about his life experiences, and aren't we lucky he was willing to share his writings with us? I'll continue to publish more of his stories in the coming months. Please do let me know what you think. --- Howard]
Joe:
My first fishing efforts were in our brook, the Bash Bish. Never caught any of the trout that I saw, so I concentrated on the Muddler minnows. Not a game fish, but great amusement for a pre-teen farm boy. I sincerely think my interest in fishing was inspired by stories my father told of fishing for bass. These were stories about his early life in America [after immigrating from Ukraine]. The time frame was pre-World War I and set in the Hopewell Junction area.
Anyway, I discovered that the ore pit had schools of sunfish and some rock bass. They were small but always hungry. The worms were dug from the remains of last year's straw stack along the edge of the swampy area by the barn. The bait can was a treasured Campbell soup can that I found in my travels to and from Copake Falls. My creel was a cloth bag that once contained salt. My rod was no more than a thin stick/twig, a couple of inches taller than I was at the time. I would carefully select one from the brush that grew roadside. A shallow groove was cut around the circumference of the thin end, and a 5-ft piece of Cutty Sark fishing line tied to that end. Reel? Simple: rotate the rod clockwise to reel in line counterclockwise to let line out.
On an average morning I would bring home 30 to 40 3" diameter sunnies for my mother to clean. I distinctly recall one banner day. I caught 80 sunnies in the morning. I went back in the afternoon and brought home 40 more. That's where my mother drew the line: no more sunnies!! It was shortly after that; at about 8:13pm, that I discovered brook trout at Wyckoff's/Master's Brook. A whole new world opened up for me.
In my estimation I was a great fisherman. I could catch trout! That stream runs along a road, but is down in a ravine, not visible from the road. It not only provided fish; there is great solitude there as well, still a treasured memory - very cool and pleasant during the heat of summer, but icy cold opening day, April 1. In later years, I often wondered if opening day of trout season and April Fool's Day had any connection.
The time that I was fishing for Muddler minnows was in the mid-30s. I remember walking across lots to a favorite fishing hole through a cut hayfield. I had to wear sneakers because the dry hay stubble was painful on bare feet. There were literally thousands of grasshoppers in that stubble. They would fly up in a cloud ahead of me. I would catch a few, but they didn't turn out to be good pets.
Photo: the ore pit, one of Joe’s favorite fishing spots. c. 1930
Howard Blue
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What’s Happening at the Library?
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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Thursday Afternoons.
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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Thursdays, 3:30 – 5:00pm
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! Registration is encouraged but not required. Email Tia at youth@roejanlibrary.org to register.
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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 7:30pm 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 - 11:30 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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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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Monday, March 13, 6:15–7:15 p.m. on Zoom
Tech Lab: Taking Control of Your Gmail - Managing & Organizing. 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.
Overwhelmed by your inbox? In this March 13th session, learn to make your Gmail more suited to your needs. Tech Labs are free to all ages. E-mail columbiacountylibraries@gmail.com to register. To learn about upcoming Tech Labs, visit columbiacountylibraries.org.
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Thursday, March 16, 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 March we are reading The Three Mothers: How the Mothers of Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, and James Baldwin Shaped a Nation by Anna Malaika Tubbs (Feb. 2021). Copies available through the Mid-Hudson Library System and on Libby.
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Saturday, March 18, 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. For this meeting, we are cooking from The Silver Palate Cookbook. 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!
Contact Fran Colombo at outreach@roejanlibrary.org or 518-325-4101 to sign up!
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Thursday, March 23, 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 Tia Maggio, artist and youth services librarian, to express yourself with color.
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Saturday, March 25, 2:00 p.m.
Tell Me Another Story Film Screening. Tell Me Another Story is a compelling 30-minute documentary that tells the story of diversity in children’s literature, from the 1920s to the present. In addition to illustrating the effects of negative stereotypes and lack of representation, the film focuses on some of the giants who initiated positive change, from W.E.B. Du Bois, Augusta Baker, Pura Belpré, and Ezra Jack Keats, to Pat Cummings, Christopher Myers, Grace Lin, and Andrea Davis Pinkney. Also identified are the contributions to progress made by the Ezra Jack Keats Award, one of many children’s book awards that focus on diversity.
We will be joined by the film’s director, Damani Baker, who will discuss the project and his work with the Ezra Jack Keats Foundation. All ages welcome.
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Saturday, April 1, 1:00 p.m.
Back to Nature Series: Native Trees and Shrubs. Native trees and shrubs are the backbone of the landscape, not only adding structure and beauty to your garden, but also providing essential food sources for insects, birds, and other animals. This in-person presentation will cover ecological benefits of planting natives, profiles of top choices, as well as the sourcing of, and landscaping with, native trees and shrubs.
The program is presented by Tim Kennelty, a Master Gardener and Master Naturalist volunteer through the Cornell Cooperative Extension of Columbia and Greene Counties. Tim serves on the Board of Trustees of the Columbia Land Conservancy. He is also the co-host of Cornell’s weekly Master Gardener podcast Nature Calls: Conversations from the Hudson Valley. Tim has been gardening in Columbia County for more than 30 years and has developed a passion for preserving native species and combatting exotic invasive plants.
This program, the second in a series of four Back to Nature programs, is sponsored in partnership with the Cornell Cooperative Extension of Columbia and Greene Counties. No registration required.
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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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Wednesday, April 12, 5:30–6:30 p.m.
Roe Jan Writers Series: Judy Staber. Local author Judy Staber discusses and reads from her new memoir, Rise Above It, Darling, a story of the theater and of mother-daughter relationships.
Judy Staber came to America in 1959 and has worked in the visual and performing arts for all her American life. After a career in the theater as an actor and stage manager, she later worked briefly as a reporter and then began a career in public relations and arts promotion. In the 1990s, she moved to Columbia County from the Berkshires and from 1996 through 2004 she was executive director for the Spencertown Academy. In 2010, she published her memoir Silverlands: Growing Up at the Actors Orphanage. Her new book, Rise Above It, Darling, is a biographical memoir about her mother, Joan White, who worked for 65 years in the theater both in England and North America.
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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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Eco Tips for Healthy Living
Heating Our Homes - Now and Planning for the Future
Although it has been mild winter for the most part (except for that arctic freeze we had a couple of weeks ago), we all have to heat our homes to stay comfortably warm and safe.
There’s been a lot of talk, and action, lately, around the ways we heat our homes. Some of us use oil, some use propane, some use wood. Traditional oil and propane systems are common, but as an individual system ages and needs constant repair, you might want to consider a more environmentally-friendly replacement option. Heat pumps and geothermal systems are efficient, clean and cost effective, and the technology has improved greatly over the past few years. No fossil fuels are burned in the systems and no fumes are produced. Furthermore, there are plenty of tax and financial incentives for both options. For more information, go to:
To attend an online presentation on Feb. 28 at 6:30pm, register at:
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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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