HUDSON RIVER MARITIME MUSEUM LAUNCHES NEW EDUCATION PROGRAM

January 31st, 2012

The Hudson River Maritime Museum has hired an education director to develop an innovative education program for the 2012 season focusing on the Rondout Lighthouse. Sarah Wassberg, originally from the Midwest, has worked in museum education and program development in the Hudson Valley since 2009, specifically at Historic Huguenot Street and Museum Village. She will receive her Master’s degree in Public History at the University at Albany in May.

The Museum’s partnership with the Clearwater, an extended season and expanded open hours have spurred the museum to evaluate programs, creating innovative methods to teach regional history, better serving schools and the general public.

“The lighthouses are key to understanding our history,” explained Wassberg. “Not only do they provide insight into the everyday lives of working families in the last century, but they tie together the history of commerce, industry, navigation, and ecology.”

The museum is actively recruiting volunteers for this program and others.

“Traditionally, the Maritime Museum counts on volunteers for everything from exhibit design and development to dock management and gift shop sales,” says executive director Kate Mitchell. “A huge part of local history education is working with the community. Volunteers are the frontline learners, the information carriers. Growing our volunteer program is the best way to reach out into the community.”

The Hudson River Maritime Museum is seeking volunteers to help with many aspects of the museum’s work, including tours and educational programs, gift shop and admissions, events, historical research, office work, and construction of the new Clearwater boat barn.

Volunteer interest and orientation meetings will be held on Wednesday, February 15th from 10 AM to 12 PM and Saturday, February 18th from 1 PM to 3 PM at the Hudson River Maritime Museum located at 50 Rondout Landing, Kingston, NY.

Those interested may respond via e-mail to Education Director Sarah Wassberg at swassberg@hrmm.org or call 845-338-0071 ext. 16.
The Hudson River Maritime Museum, a 501©(3) non-profit organization, was established in 1980 to collect, preserve, research, exhibit and interpret a collection of historical artifacts related to the preservation of the maritime heritage of the Hudson River and its tributaries. For more information please visit  http://www.hrmm.org/.

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The Reher Center for Immigrant Culture and History

January 24th, 2012

The Reher Center for Immigrant Culture and History is a relatively new institution inKingston,New York, highlighting the social and mercantile history of nineteenth and early twentieth century Rondout,Kingston’s waterfront district.  As most of Rondout’s early residents were immigrants, theReherCenteris also in the process of expanding its programming to explore immigration in its contemporary as well as its historical contexts, to provide for residents, visitors and school groups opportunities for diversity training and to work together cross culturally toward common goals.

 

TheReherCentergets its name from the bakery that once occupied the buildings on the corner of Spring Street and Broadway.  First opened by Frank Reher in 1908, the Reher Bakery served two generations of this Jewish immigrant’s family that lived and worked in the bakery buildings at 99-101 Broadway from 1908 until 2004.  The Reher Bakery building is listed in the National Register of Historic Places as a contributing structure within the boundaries of the nationally designated Rondout-West Strand Historic District and the Kingston Urban Cultural Park Heritage Area.

 

The interior of the bakery building is little changed since it was first constructed in 1883, providing an exceptionally vivid window on the past.  Little needs to be recreated to bring to life the story of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries’ immigrant and mercantile life ofKingston.  Shortly before his passing in October 2004, Hyman Reher, the last of the Reher family bakers, deeded the bakery to the Jewish Federation of Ulster County for the purpose of establishing a cultural center to relate the immigrant experience of the Rondout district.

 

TheReherCenterfor Immigrant Culture and History is a project of the Jewish Federation Of Ulster County (UCJF).  The UCJF recognizes that the story of the Reher family is the story of many of the immigrant groups that established roots in the burgeoning Rondout area in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, working on the canal and in the brick yards and boat yards, and operating the many taverns, furniture and hardware stores, groceries, inns, stables, rooming houses and clothing stores that served the population.

 

The mission of theReherCenteris to provide an institution that works to document, embrace, and promote regional cultural history and diversity by:

 

  • providing exhibition space and a depository for educational, historic and archival materials for research and special exhibits and programs with a focus on the nineteenth and early twentieth century immigrant and mercantile history Rondout, Kingston and the Ulster County region;

 

  • operating a cultural center where ongoing community input by representatives of all immigrant groups that have settled in the region can assure honest and balanced programming and provide opportunities for cooperation;

 

  • extending the historical perspective of the mission of theReherCenterto include programming that studies and interprets immigration in its contemporary context; and

 

  • encouraging an increased appreciation of cultural diversity and community by means of its programming.

 

Currently, the Reher Bakery is undergoing restoration and is open by appointment only.  People interested in finding out more about our project can check out our exhibit at theDowntownHeritageAreaVisitorCenteror call the Jewish Federation office at 845-338-8131.

Geoffrey Miller

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Shiver Me Timbers! Pirate Invasion for the Queens Galley Snow Day Program comes to Kingston!

January 10th, 2012

The  Shiver Me Timbers! Pirate Invasion treasure Hunt (auction) is now open!  Run by the auction site Bidding For Good this auction is a project of The Queens Galley in order to support their kids Snow Day Program.

This  local treasure hunt is a city wide silent auction with a twist. When treasure hunters go into one of the over two dozen participating locations to bid they will find a QR code on the bid sheet. Use of a smart phone to scan the code for treasure reveals food and drink special offers and free items offered by local artists. Each bid sheet has a unique QR code and codes will change out during the treasure hunt to entice bidders to return to the stores.

The auction is supplemented Online.  The auction has both local treasure (gift cards to restaurants, boutique items from full circle, Bop to Tottom,) and some not so local like a guitar autographed by Cher and a first class premium package that offers Two tickets to the world series including air travel, hotel and an autographed ball from the game.

The Pirate invasion activities culminate on Sunday 1/15 in the round-out area of Kingston’s waterfront district.

4pm at ASK, 97 Broadway, is professional story teller Maura O’Meara, presenting Grace O’Malley Pirate Queen of Western Ireland – Ruler Over Land & Sea telling tales of sea adventures and 5PM Parrots of Peace demonstration by Gloria Waslyn. 6pm the finale at Dermot Mahoney’s 40 Broadway for auction winner announcements and 7pm performance by 3 Pints Shy (loud songs about rum and beer from a popular NYC native band).

Additional highlight includes a “kids food booty challenge” by 7th grader Mickey Hein (son of county executive Mike Hein and wife Christine). Mickey has sent a challenge to students at other schools to see which class can collect the most food for the kids snow day program. The food drive drop off is also at Dermot’s on that Sunday from noon through 6pm.

Queens Galley chose the day to coincide with MLK day of service, hopeful to remind people that as a nation we do the most good when we remember to do SOMETHING. 16 million kids rely on school lunch and sometimes it’s all they get. When it snows and school closes too many kids go hungry…but not here in Kingston!

The Queens Galley works with the YMCA and Boys and Girls club to bring lunch to about 100 kids EVERY scheduled snow day. The program now in its fourth year enables kids in those drop in programs to be guaranteed a meal when school is closed for inclement weather.

 

Diane Reeder’s husband, Jay is a participating business owner in the treasure hunt. Like many others, his store Knightly Endeavors, 319 Wall street will see a decline in foot traffic in January and welcomes the opportunity to meet new potential customers even if they are stopping into his shop just to place the free bid and to claim the secret treasure from the QR code.

Linda Scevola owner of Full Circle, another business participant says “it’s another way to get feet on the street and that’s what we as small retailers need. It’s also a really good cause and a win-win for Kingston businesses and residents”.

The list of participating businesses:

Parent Teacher Store, Blue 57, Stella’s, Full Circle, Rage Hair Salon, Deisings, Paw Prints and Whiskers, Mario’s Trattoria, Bop to Tottem, Market Basket, Knightly Endeavors, Boitsons, Tonner Dolls, Savona’s Trattoria, On the Hill Antiques, Albrechts Hair Salon, Style Fabrics, Flower Nest, Trend Salon, Mint, Rosita’s, Burgevin Florist, JK Wine and liquor, B3 Burger Bar.

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ZUMBA INTO 2012!

January 3rd, 2012

It’s a New Year’s tradition that most of us could do without…putting on those extra pounds.  This usually triggers an outpouring of resolutions to get back in shape in time for spring.  Here in Kingston there is a mind-boggling selection of fitness programs, but one of the most popular and effective fitness classes is the Latin inspired dance fitness program called Zumba. Any form of lively dancing is aerobic-intensive, but for fun and fitness, absolutely nothing beats Zumba.  A lot of people go to Zumba programs who don’t even need to lose weight, just because they are fun social occasions.

Zumba was discovered accidentally–literally.  In 1986 Columbian dance instructor and choreographer  Alberto Perez was scheduled to lead an aerobics class and he forgot his aerobic music tapes, so he  used the music tapes that he had in his car, which were primarily salsa and meringue.  The results were so positive that he incorporated Latin dance into the rest of his fitness routines.   He came to America in 2001, and brought his  infectious dance mix with him.   As it has presently evolved, Zumba combines elements of almost every Latin dance form from the chachacha and the tango through flamenco and mambo, while mixing in some hip-hop, some belly dancing, and some resistance training.   An average 150 pound person can expect to burn about 535 calories an hour dancing Zumba–and have a lot of fun doing it!   And entire fashion industry has sprung up creating clothing and accessories as lively as the music!   Kingston is a hotbed of Zumbulation, with a class in every neighborhood and for every fitness level.  Best of all, we need no dance training or talent to  step up to Zumba–once  our bodies are in motion they will tend to remain in motion!

 

Over at the Cornell Street Studios at 168 Cornell Street,  Cat Schoch and Alicia Bailey lead classes every Wednesday and Thursday afternoon from  5:30 to 6:30 in the afternoon.  There’s no membership to buy, but a 10-class card offers a savings.  During the month of January, Cat is offering a special!  Get to the studio early, at about 5:15 and enjoy a free 15 minute workshop with Cat offering helpful tips for everyone from newcomers through experts.  Cat has been teaching Zumba since 2007, and Alicia has been a certified instructor for over a year, and also offers Zumba for kids.

A few blocks down the railroad tracks at 15 Railroad Avenue , the Center for Creative Educations is one of the locations offering Zumba classes with Bryant  ”Drew” Andrews, Kingston’s own Zumba superstar.  Drew was the driving force behind getting hundreds of people into Kingston’s Deitz Memorial Stadium last summer to “Let’s Move Kingston” an initiative involving the Ulster County Health Department, the Kingston school district and youth organizations that is part of the national push to get the next generation of children away from their TVs and computers.   He is particularly fond of Zumba because the dance music from around the world makes it community oriented.  The focus of Zumba, he notes, is not about dance but to keep us moving, to exhibit positive energy, and to let go of our inhibitions. Drew has classes at the Center for Creative Education Tuesday  nights from 7 to 9 pm and Saturday morning from 9:30 to 10:30.

Drew will also be leading a class in “Intense Zumba” called Kick It Up A Notch, at the Kingston YMCA at the corner of Pine Grove Avenue and Broadway.  The first class is January 7, from 1 to 2:30 in the afternoon.  He holds regular Zumba classes at the Kingston YMCA every other Sunday at 10:30am. These are only a few of the many Zumba classes offered at the Kingston YMCA.  There are six classes taking place every weekday, and special  Zumba Gold for Seniors.  Memberships in the YMCA are not required, and the $10 drop-in class fee also entitles participants to use the other amenities offered by the YMCA such as the whirlpool and track.

In Historic Uptown Kingston. Signature Fitness operates a bright, friendly intimate small gym which offers, in addition to a full range of exercise equipment, two convenient Zumba Classes a week with instructor Toni Hedges, who has been a Zumba instructor for  5 years, and an exercise instructor for 20 years.   The classes are  Wednesday at 6 pm and Saturday at 9:45 a.m..  Membership is not a requirement for the classes, which are suitable for all fitness levels, and the drop-in rate is only $7.

Not only does Zumba burn those calories that were so easy to add during December, but it tones the entire body, and  encourages aerobic fitness–and its fun!    There are seven different levels of participation and one of them is right for “every body” and every age group.  In addition, the next time we have an opportunity to get out on a dance floor, we can bust some impressive moves!

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