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 Report
New Face in Town Hall
Town Hall Exhibit
Copake Highway Department Vacancies
Roe Jan Ramble
Friends of Taconic State Park
Farmer's Market
Taconic Stage
Grange Events
Ice Cream Social
Copake Falls Day
Winds in the Wilderness
Community Harvest Festival
Copake History
Roeliff Jansen Historical Society
What's Happening at the Library
Copake Outdoors
Eco Tips for Healthy Living
Taconic Hills Central School Offers Life Learning
COVID Tests
Music in the Park
Memorial Bricks
K.I.S.S.
Dementia Conversations
NYS Department of Public Service
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From The Supervisor's Desk
I recently had a conversation with a long time resident who recently moved away. As she told me why she missed our town, she concluded “It’s a gentle place to live.”
Indeed it is.
As I think about why Copake is a good place to live, I want to mention another aspect.
In this little town, if you want to make a difference, you can. That truth was brought
home last month at the Annual Meeting of the Friends of Taconic State Park. We had
finished the barbecue, we were listening to remarks by Edgar Masters, and suddenly we
heard the clanging of a bell (no one has heard a train bell in Copake Falls since 1976,
when the “Upper Harlem Line” was shut down). And there it came, its bell clanging, an
actual little “steam engine” riding on the railroad built by local “Ironmen.” A group
of dreamers dreamt that they could build a railroad. The words “Once I built a railroad, I
made it run, made it race against time...” come to mind.
Thanks must be given to all for this wonderful contribution to our town and community.
Both children and adults will delight in this attraction. (The details of this project are
found below, in a news story). But this achievement would not have happened without
the imagination and leadership of one man who first had the dream - Edgar Masters.
He had a dream that he could build a railroad, and he did. Congratulations, Edgar.
Jeanne E. Mettler
Supervisor
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Solar Update
On July 29, the Copake Town Board received several boxes filled with materials prepared by Hecate Energy to augment its application to the New York State Office of Renewable Energy Siting (ORES) for a permit to construct a 60-megawatt solar energy facility on 228 acres in Craryville, much of it on prime farmland. ORES had earlier determined that Hecate’s original filing was “incomplete.”
ORES has 60 days to determine whether Hecate’s application is now “complete.” If ORES fails to make a completeness determination within 60 days of receiving this latest set of fillings, the application must automatically be deemed “complete” and a draft siting permit will be issued by ORES.
It has long been obvious that the energy industry consultant who wrote the regulations crafted them to benefit developers and to disadvantage so-called “host communities” that are trying to ensure that renewable energy facilities are developed in harmony with local environments and rural character. This is why Copake is lead petitioner, together with the towns of Malone, Somerset and Yates, and seven citizen groups and bird conservation organizations, in a lawsuit seeking to require ORES to create new regulations that respect Home Rule while helping New York State to achieve its laudable carbon-emission reduction goals to address climate change.
On August 2, the town’s attorneys filed an appeal to the Appellate Division, Third Department in Albany, because we disagree with a lower court ruling against us. We believe that the appellate court panel, upon a fresh review of the 17,000 page record and our legal arguments, will agree that ORES failed to take a “hard look” at how its regulations could adversely affect the environment. We argue that the industry-friendly regulations allow ORES to waive a town’s local laws if ORES determines them to be “unduly burdensome” to the state’s climate goals, but the regulations contain no relevant standards explaining how, when and why a local law is to be deemed “unduly burdensome.” The Copake Town Board gets it - we are not climate change deniers. We will do our fair share. We’re just looking for the state, and in Copake’s case, Hecate, to treat us fairly. Hecate has reduced the size of the proposed Shepherds Run, eliminated a plan for large battery storage facilities, and agreed to use wildlife-friendly fencing instead of chain link. But this is nowhere near enough!
Excellent recommendations were proposed by the ad hoc Copake Solar Working Group, but Hecate failed to incorporate most of them into its application. A truly visionary recommendation calls for the creation of a 300-acre community-accessible green space to protect view sheds and effectively screen many of the solar arrays from nearby homes. Implementation of this idea could turn Shepherd’s Run from an eyesore into a tourist attraction. Another critical recommendation from the Working Group is that Hecate should provide financial compensation for homeowners with properties that would be most directly, adversely impacted by Shepherd’s Run.
Other items include fire safety concerns, which have been expressed throughout our ongoing review of Hecate’s plans for Shepherds Run. On July 17, there was a fire at the 14-acre ELP Community Solar facility in Ghent. The Columbia Paper reported that the fire company had to wait until an ELP representative arrived and confirmed that “power to the unit was shut off” before firefighters could extinguish the fire. Shepherds Run is more than 16 times the size of the Ghent facility, and its proposed location close to the Taconic Hills Central School and numerous homes is very worrisome. Second, we continue to be amazed at the seeming inconsistencies in the state’s approach to farmland. On the one hand, it was recently reported that $3.5 million has been awarded for farmland preservation in Ghent and Kinderhook. On the other hand, the state has promised approximately $42 million in Renewable Energy Credits to Hecate as an incentive to build Shepherds Run and take acres of prime farmland out of production. Third, and finally, the New York State Siting Board has rejected a 180-megawatt solar facility that had been proposed in the towns of Massena and Norfolk in St. Lawrence County. This was an Article 10 case, meaning that the towns were parties to the proceedings and were able to present their environmental concerns at adjudicatory hearings. They demonstrated that the proposed facility could adversely affect hundreds of acres of wetlands.
Article 10 procedures are fundamentally different from ORES procedures. Under the ORES regulations we are challenging, ORES can deny us party status. ORES could waive Copake’s local laws without allowing us to explain what harms could result from doing so. It could prevent us from presenting on the record specific environmental concerns, such as Shepherds Run’s potential negative impact on Tagkhanic Creek, an important source of Hudson’s drinking water. Even though the Article 10 decision is likely very fact-specific, it does offer some hope. The administrative law judge expressly ruled that denial of the application was not inconsistent with New York’s Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (emphasis added).
It remains to be seen how this reasoning might apply to renewable energy project proposals before ORES.
Richard Wolf
Deputy Supervisor
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New Face in Town Hall
Supervisor Jeanne Mettler has announced that Craryville resident Gwen Menshenfriend has been appointed as Administrative Assistant to the Supervisor.
This newly created position, which exists in a couple of other Columbia County towns, was approved by the Copake Town Board earlier this year. The part-time position is essentially an expanded bookkeeper role. The Administrative Assistant will do payroll and pay bills, but she will also attend to many other administrative tasks in Town Hall.
Ms. Menshenfriend has deep financial experience, in that she has been the bursar at Bard College since 2011 and Assistant Bursar from 2005 to 2011. Supervisor Mettler welcomed Ms. Menshenfriend to the town saying, “Gwen comes to Copake highly recommended and we are lucky to have her as part of our team. I am confident that her presence will enhance the quality of service that we render, and I think that this position will be a benefit to the efficiency and effectiveness of town government.”
Ms. Menshenfriend will be at Town Hall on Mondays and Thursdays 9:00am to 3:00pm and Tuesdays and Wednesdays 9:00am until noon.
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Town Hall Exhibit is Open
About 50 people gathered in front of Copake Town Hall on Saturday, August 13 to celebrate the opening of a new historic exhibit now displayed in the Town Hall.
Those gathered to witness the ribbon cutting included Senator Daphne Jordan of the 43rd
District, who presented the town with a proclamation praising the exhibit. A
representative of Assembly member Didi Barrett’s office also provided a citation praising
the exhibit.
The ad hoc committee which created the exhibit is comprised of Copake Historian
Howard Blue, Copake artist Nick Fritsch and former Copake Town Clerk Vana Hotaling.
The Town Board appointed the committee early in 2020. On behalf of the board,
Supervisor Jeanne Mettler thanked the committee for creating the extraordinary exhibit.
The exhibit includes 24 panels which tell the history of Copake in pictures and stories.
Also included are paintings by Donna Vreeland and William Vreeland, which have been
in the Town Hall for some 20 years but have been rehung in the Rheinstrom Conference
Room. Now hanging in the courtroom are two paintings, “First Town Meeting 1824” and
“Depot,” which were painted by and are on loan to the town from Mr. Fritsch. The
courtroom walls also display enlargements of postcards depicting scenes of Copake.
These were created and donated to the town by Robert Callahan.
The town received a generous contribution from Rheinstrom Hill Community Foundation
to finance the exhibit, and Supervisor Mettler thanked Ed Herrington, Vice President of
Rheinstom Hill, who was in attendance. The town also received a contribution from the
Bank of Greene County to help finance the permanent exhibit.
The exhibit may be viewed anytime the Town Hall is open, which is 8:00am to 4:00pm
Monday through Thursday and Saturday mornings 9:00am until noon.
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Town of Copake Highway Department Vacancies
The Town of Copake will be receiving applications for a full time truck driver/heavy equipment operator/mechanic and a full time mechanic at the Office of the Superintendent of Highways, 47 School Road, Copake, New York 12516.
Heavy equipment operator applicants must have a class B Commercial Drivers License and submit to pre-employment and random drug and alcohol tests. Experience in road maintenance, snow plowing, and mechanics is a significant advantage.
Mechanic applicants must have a class B CDL, previous employment as a mechanic, and submit to pre-employment and random drug and alcohol tests.
The applications may be picked up at the Copake Town Hall, located at 230 Mountain View Rd., or the Copake Highway Department, located at 47 School Rd. Applications also available for download on the town website at townofcopake.org.
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Roe Jan Ramble Bike Tour Set for September 17
After a two year hiatus due to COVID, the Roe Jan Ramble Bike Tour is energized and ready to ride this year on Saturday, September 17.
It will be the 10th anniversary of the popular ride through Copake, Hillsdale, and Ancram. Go at your own pace on 6 different routes from the easy family friendly 10-miler, to the expert enthusiast’s 62 -miler (100 km). Registration is free; donations are encouraged to benefit the Harlem Valley Rail Trail. Go to www.roejanramble.org for more information and to register.
Photo: Suzy Allman
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Friends of Taconic State Park Celebrates New Railroad
At the Friends of Taconic State Park annual meeting on Saturday, July 30, attendees had a special treat - a preview of the Pomeroy Family Railroad project, which is nearing completion.
After a barbecue supper, remarks were made by Jim Mackin, president of the Friends, Edgar Masters, who with Deb Cohen, spearheaded the railroad project, and members of the Pomeroy Foundation, whose support has been unflagging the in effort to preserve and protect the 19th century Copake Iron Works historic site in Copake Falls.
When Friends of Taconic State Park began working in 2008 to preserve the Iron Works, much conversation centered around how to showcase the original, but long gone, railroad. At the time of its manufacturing zenith in the 1870s and 1880s, the Copake Iron Works operated two narrow gauge railroad lines. The first line originated at the tracks of the New York Central Railroad/Harlem Division, west of where the current Taconic State Park office now stands, on Route 344. That line carried ore from the mine (today’s Ore Pit swimming area) across the Bash Bish stream over a private bridge to the top of the blast furnace, where it was deposited for smelting. A second rail line carried away manufactured goods and waste slag (the iridescent blue stone familiar to many) from the bottom of the furnace. After crossing the Bash Bish stream on a second bridge, this line merged with the first near the NYCRR/Harlem Division tracks.
After much discussion with New York State Office of Parks in Albany and the Taconic Region Office in Staatsburg, the Friends decided to build a 900-foot-long loop that would run from Valley View Road eastward into the woods to the back side of the blast furnace. The Friends located and purchased a replica of a steam engine (this one gas powered – not coal fired!) along with some dilapidated passenger cars. Months of discussion and negotiation followed, with multiple parties within the New York State Park system setting conditions and requesting changes to the plans. Finally, in September 2021, the Friends received a State Parks building permit and work began in October.
The project is nearly complete. The rail line is operational and the engine and two passenger cars replicating the appearance of ore cars have successfully circumnavigated the loop. The station house stands tall in its “Park brown” livery, with the passenger access platform (now called the people platform) nearing completion. Although the railroad project will be finished very soon (likely by the end of September), it will not be open to the public until approval to operate is received from the New York State Department of Labor. The Friends hope to receive that approval by next spring and look forward to welcoming all to a grand opening.
To read the full and fascinating description of how the project was created, click here.
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Shop Local and Fresh at the Farmers Market
The Copake Hillsdale Farmers Market is going strong every Saturday from 9am-1pm at the Roe Jan Park!
Drawing from vendors in Copake -- Yonderview Farmhouse, Hamlet Hound, Bash Bish Honey, and Taconic Trading -- Hillsdale, Claverack, Philmont, Ancram, Chatham and beyond, your local fresh market remains a terrific source for healthy and handmade foods.
You can shop for produce, plants, meat/poultry/cured meats, eggs, cheese, baked goods, beer/wine/spirits, coffee, honey, maple syrup, jams/jellies, prepared food, pesto, pickles, and a variety of specialty items such as spiced pumpkin seeds, natural body care, bitters, lemonade, breakfast sandwiches, and gluten-free products. There is also a wonderful array of local artisans each week.
Notably, CHFM not only accepts but doubles your SNAP (food stamps). This is an important part of the market’s mission, as they believe healthy food should be available to all. They also accept other assistance programs like Fresh Connect, Double Up, and Farmers Nutrition Program.
With a spacious layout inside Roe Jan Park, ample parking (including handicapped), umbrella tables, live music, hand washing station, weekly artisan crafters, and kids' programming partnered with the Roe Jan Community Library, you and your leashed dog can make the Copake Hillsdale Farmers Market a very special weekly visit.
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Taconic Stage Presents Summer Musical
Taconic Stage Co. (TSC) presents "I Know I Came in Here for Something...", a musical revue about middle-age with words by Carl Ritchie, artistic director, music by Wayne Moore, and Sariva Goetz as music director and pianist, for three weekends in August.
The show is a funny celebration of middle age with a light-hearted medley of original songs, and stars Diedre Bollinger, Meg Dooley, Brian Litscher and Carl Ritchie, who also produced and directed. Performances will be held in an open air tent at Copake Lake Boat & Ski, 281 Lakeview Road, Craryville. NY, 12521 on Friday and Saturday, Aug. 19 & 20 at 8pm, and Sunday, Aug. 21 at 5pm. All tickets are $25 and can be purchased online at brownpapertickets.com or - if you really can't buy tickets online, a few exceptions will be made by calling the theatre at 518-325-1234.
Food and drinks - including beer, wine, etc. - are available for purchase before the show, and drinks are available at intermission. (Check the TSC website soon for a special pre-theatre dinner menu at www.TaconicStage.com).
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Grange Events
Friday, Sept. 2, 7-9pm - Open Mic Night. LIVE and IN-PERSON! Live open mic is on and it’s great! Come on down to the Grange and join us with your instruments, songs, poems, stories, skits, etc. We have a piano. Masks are suggested except when performing. For more information, contact copakegrange@gmail.com.
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Saturday, Sept. 10 - Ice Cream Social and Square Dance.
What is old is new again! Come for ice cream, stay for the fun with our professional square dance caller, who will get you on the dance floor to do-si-do and allemande left. Music! Dancing! Fun! Food!… and ICE CREAM! Don’t wait - get your tickets now: $30 for adults, children are free. Tickets at friendsofcopakegrange.org. There will also be a 50/50 Raffle Drawing - for more info go to Click Here!
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Friday, Oct. 7, 7-9pm - Open Mic Night. LIVE and IN-PERSON!
Live open mic is on and it’s great! Come on down to the Grange and join us with your instruments, songs, poems, stories, skits, etc. We have a piano. Masks are suggested, except when performing. For more information, contact copakegrange@gmail.com.
The Grange is located at 628 Empire Rd.
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Winds in the Wilderness Presents Summer Concert
The local chamber music group Winds in the Wilderness will present a concert on Sunday, August 28 at 3pm at the Church of St. John in the Wilderness in Copake Falls.
The musicians, led by Sharon Powers, flute, will play both jazz and classical works by
Guiseppe Torelli, John Myers, William Grant Still, Claude Bolling, Duke Ellington and
others. The performers include long-time members Judith Danker, oboe; Ronald
Gorevic, violin, viola; Pete Toigo, bass; John Myers, guitar; and guest musician Allan
Dean, trumpet.
The concert will be held outdoors, weather permitting, indoors if raining. Current COVID
regulations will be observed. The recommended donation is $15 for adults; children
and students are free. There will be a reception following to concert to meet the artists
and friends.
St. John in the Wilderness is located at 261 Route 344, Copake Falls, NY 12516
For more information go to windsinthewildernessconcerts.org or email
windsinthewildernessconcerts@gmail.com
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Community Harvest Festival in September:
Food and Drink, Live Music, and a Silent Auction
The historic Church of St. John In The Wilderness will hold its 2022 Community Harvest Festival on Saturday, September 17, 5:00-7:30pm at its beautiful property in Copake Falls, NY.
The event is open to the public and will feature food and drink, live music with Broadway composer Jim Wann and Friends, and a silent auction. Tickets are $75 general admission and $25 for those 12 and under and can be purchased online at https://stjohnw.org/event/community-harvest-festival/.
Jim Wann, best known for “Pump Boys and Dinettes,” a Tony Nominee for Best Musical, will host a program of American Songbook Standards and Irish Traditional Music led by Robbie Haldane, a craftsman who is also creating a new accessible church entrance from local granite. “We look forward to playing and singing outdoors in mid-September” said Mr. Wann. “Robbie plays melodeon and pennywhistle, and the standards will be played on guitar and clarinet (John Myers) and upright bass (Pete Toigo). We might throw in a rockabilly tune just for Pete.” The music is appropriate for all ages.
Dinner will be served buffet-style, and attendees can sit at tables under the big tent. Everything needed for a beautiful fall meal will be provided. Wendy Langlois and her team will be preparing the menu.
Guests will have an opportunity to bid on many silent auction items. Gift certificates to local restaurants and shops, vacations, artwork and food and wine baskets are just some of the items that are expected. Interested in contributing to the auction? Contact Patricia Wann at
All proceeds from this fundraising event will help preserve the historic grounds, graveyard, rectory and church, designed by Richard Upjohn, founding President of the American Institute of Architects in 1857.
The Church of St. John in the Wilderness is located at 261 NY-344, Copake Falls, NY.
Rain date - Saturday, September 24. For more information, contact Jim or Patricia Wann by emailing pjwann23@gmail.com.
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Copake History
The Jensen Family and their Mountain View Inn - Part II
as told by Marilyn Brewster
[The June 2022 installment introduced us to the late Marilyn Brewster’s grandparents, Axel and Mary (Miskell) Jensen, who immigrated from Denmark. This is part 2 of an ongoing series about the Jensens and the Mountain View Inn (in its heyday) on Mountain View Rd.]
Grandpa was an accomplished chef. He previously taught cooking at a girls' school and was also a chef/cook at Matawan Correctional Facility, as well as chef for the executives of Chase National Bank. His career must have been financially rewarding to allow him to raise such a large family and still be able to fulfill his dream. He did all the cooking and baking at the inn. He must have been good, as folks kept coming back.
His kitchen was large (in my child's view, it was huge!). There was a long table/counter where he did his food preparation and a monstrous black stove used for his cooking and baking. I've been told that he didn't like people coming into his kitchen when he was working. There was one exception - ME. I was the first and only grandchild for a few years and as such, received special privileges. I don't recall ever being turned away. One of my fondest memories is of a visit to his kitchen where I found him decorating a beautiful big cake. He lifted me up, sat me on the counter top, raised my left arm and began making birds and flowers out of his icing tube on my arm, covering the area from my shoulder to my fingertips. When he finished, he put me back on my feet, patted my shoulder and said, "Go and play now.” The scene is so vivid in my mind that it seems as if it happened only yesterday. When I think of it, I still feel the warmth and love of that episode.
At the far end of the kitchen there was access to the icehouse, where large blocks of ice were kept in readiness during the hot summer months, for what I don't know, since there were other sources of refrigeration. However, it was a great place for me to pretend that I was going to the North Pole looking for that fella who wears the red suit with the white furry trim around Christmas time.
On the other side of the kitchen was the doorway to the breakfast and refrigerator storage area. There were at least three oversized compartments to the refrigerators lined against the inside wall. On top of them, Grandma kept two or three canary cages, (probably not allowable by the Department of Health these days). There was a small table near the window on the opposite side of the room where we ate breakfast each morning. It was a bright room, had a great view of the grounds to tempt me outdoors, and as soon as Grandma took the covers off the cages, we had canaries chirping in the background. What a way to start a day!
Passing through the breakfast room, one would come to the family dining/sitting area where we ate our big meal of the day. In addition to a large table and several chairs, there were also a couple of comfortable ones where Grandma and I would sit and listen to the radio in the evenings. You have probably seen the type, wood with a tall gothic shape. We didn't have TV or computers to entertain us in those days, but we always could find something to do: play cards, board games, read, tell stories or just chat. On Sunday nights, Grandma especially liked to listen to the Charlie McCarthy and Edgar Bergen program, followed by the soprano Vivian Dellachiasa (sic). While listening, Grandma and I would devour a big dish of ice cream. I'm sure that began my love affair with ice cream. No wonder I've had to diet all these years. An interesting coincidence happened many years later. Around 1966, I was transferred to the New York Telephone Co. Business Office in Huntington on Long Island, NY. A new representative, Sigrid McNair, was assigned to my unit. In getting acquainted, I found out that she had been Ms. Dellachiasa's personal secretary. Small world!
I was a very active child and as a result, would often be a restless sleeper. I still am. If it were today's world, I would probably be diagnosed as having had attention deficit disorder, but there was no name for it way back then. One night Grandma came to find me sitting at the dining room table reading the Sunday funnies IN THE DARK! They said I was sleepwalking! They watched me very carefully after that night.
Another attraction for me was the telephone. It was a large oak wall phone with an ear piece mounted on a long cord to one side of the instrument and a mouthpiece in the front that could be raised or lowered (to accommodate "little people" (like me). On the other side was a handle to turn to signal the operator to place a call. There were eight parties on each line. You were signaled to answer by the number of rings, e.g. one short, one long; two short, one long and so on, until there were the necessary eight combos. Not being sure if it was your ring or not gave you a good excuse to eavesdrop. Local news, naturally, traveled fast in those days. The operator's switchboard was in her home, which was located near the pharmacy in town. She (or someone else) was on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Must have been a light sleeper!
There were two doorways leading from the sitting room. One led to the pantry, where all the dishes (white), glassware (amber) and other utensils for the main dining room were stashed in cabinets on the inner wall. Large double sinks for washing the dining service were on the other side. Large windows were above the sinks providing lots of light and a nice view while doing a boring chore. Sometimes I was allowed to "do" the flatware but never anything breakable. All the food for the guest dining room was served from here. One thing that impressed me was how Aunt Eileen (Smith) was able to carry so many dishes at one time. She'd have one balanced on her left arm and one in each hand. I can't carry one cup of coffee across a room without spilling it!
The other doorway from the family dining/sitting area led to a stairway. Going to the right at the head of the stairs brought you to several small bedrooms used by family when the inn was filled. Otherwise, we could occupy any vacant guest bedroom. Straight ahead was a cluster of baths used by all. I remember my favorite was the largest one. It held a claw foot tub and had white bead boarding around the walls. A large window was covered with filmy white curtains.
That about covers the family part of the Mountain View House. Coming soon: the more public part of the inn.
Howard Blue
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Books for Sale at the "Friends"
The Friends of the RoeJan Community Library bookshop will be open every Saturday through Labor Day from 10am until 2pm. A wonderful selection of books is available.
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What’s Happening at the Library?
On Display, September 1 - October 2022
Nature Drawings and Bird Prints by Lynn Croton and Liz Rudey. Lynn Croton is an artist and educator who lives and works in Florida and upstate New York. Her sculptures, drawings, and ceramics have been exhibited in the US, Japan, and Korea. Her most recent drawings are influenced by abstract plant forms, calligraphy, and the color green. Liz Rudey is a printmaker and ceramic artist. She is Professor Emerita of Art and Art Education at the Brooklyn Campus of Long Island University. She began studying printmaking at the Art Students League in 2015 while on sabbatical. There, her subject became endangered birds. The aim of this and previous exhibits is to underline the fragile beauty of nature and the struggle to preserve and honor that beauty.
Croton and Rudey have been friends and colleagues since 1971. They met at Teachers College. In 2017, they exhibited together at the Mulberry Street Library in Manhattan. They are very happy to exhibit at the lovely Roe Jan Library.
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Thursdays, 9:00-10:00am
Senior Balance and Strength Class. Dr. Paul Spector is leading his popular Balance and Strength Class on Zoom. These classes introduce exercises that improve postural stability, core strength, spatial body awareness, sensory integration, agility and coordination. For more details, including login information, please visit our website at www.roejanlibrary.org/adult-programs/.
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Saturday, August 27 and September 3, 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Farm Market Kids. Join Tia at the Copake Hillsdale Farmers Market for the remaining Saturdays of Farm Market Kids! There will be stories and activities - plus, children will have an opportunity to learn about the food we grow and eat and earn the opportunity to go shopping on their own at the Farmers Market. Please note we will not be at the market on August 13 or August 20.
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Thursday Afternoons, 12 - 8pm
Lego Club. Join us every Thursday for an afternoon filled with Legos and fun in our Children’s Room. Check with us on social media for our weekly themes!
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First Thursdays, 5:00 - 7:00 p.m.
Memoir Writing Group. Do you have stories to write? Are you writing a memoir, or have you been thinking about writing one? Would you like to pass your stories to a wider audience or to your friends and family? Come join the Roe Jan Memoir Group every month and share your story in a supportive, creative atmosphere and get inspired to keep writing. Whether you have reams of pages already written or have just an inkling of an idea, this is the place to stretch your storytelling muscles, together. This group will meet the first Thursday of each month beginning June 2.
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Every Saturday through September 3rd, 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Friends of the Library Bookstore OPEN. Lower Level of the Library. Masks required.
For updates, follow our Instagram @roejanfriendsbookshop or @roejanlibrary.
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Thursday, August 18, 6:00 - 7:00 p.m.
Climate Change Is Not for the Birds. Join Vaun Bartow, educator and outreach coordinator for Rheinstrom Hill Audubon Center and Sanctuary, to learn about how climate change is impacting birds around the globe and what you can do to help! Vaun has a degree in Wildlife Science and has worked as a Park Guide intern in New Mexico and as a Biological Monitor intern in Florida. This presentation will be about an hour long with time for comments and questions.
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Tuesday, August 23, 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Columbia-Greene Workforce NY. Columbia-Greene Workforce and One Stop Career Center has resources to help connect people looking for work with employers looking to hire. These resources include workshops for resume writing, how to use social media, interview preparation, transferable skills, goal setting, and completing job applications. They also have financial assistance for training programs in in-demand occupations such as healthcare, hospitality, truck driving, and trade jobs (carpentry, automotive repair). Stop by the library and speak with representatives of Columbia-Greene Workforce to learn more.
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Friday, August 26, 1:00 - 3:00 p.m.
Medicare 101. If you are approaching age 65 and are starting to think about applying for Medicare, this two-hour seminar is specifically designed to help you get started. Experienced Columbia County Office for the Aging staff with expertise in the often complex world of health insurance will discuss what you need to know in order to make sound decisions.
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Sunday, August 28, 3:00 - 4:00 p.m.
Concert: Linda Worster. Singer/ songwriter Linda Worster, accompanying herself on guitar, will bring her mix of original songs and well-known cover tunes to the Hilltop Barn at Roe Jan Park. Linda is a dedicated songmaker, vocalist, and musician. She has performed in various venues throughout New England, New York, and New Jersey and has opened for many well-known artists over the years, including Livingston Taylor, Harry Chapin, Joan Baez, Richie Havens, and Taj Mahal. Lawn chairs appreciated.
This project is made possible with funds from the Statewide Community Regrants Program, a program of the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Kathy Hochul and the New York State Legislature and administered in Columbia County by the Greene County Council on the Arts dba CREATE Council for the Arts.
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Monday, August 29, 6:30 - 7:30 p.m.
Seed Saving 101: Virtual Workshop. Growing your own food from seed is rewarding. Learning how to save seeds for planting another season takes gardening to a new realm. Learn which fruits and veggies are best for seed saving and how to reserve a portion of your crop to let it grow to the seed-setting stage. In this virtual presentation, Sue Sie, creator of Dirty Gaia, will demonstrate how to harvest the seeds and take you through the basics of wet (tomatoes, cucumbers, melons) and dry (beans, peas, kale, lettuce) threshing. These essential building blocks will support you through all your gardening days.
This program is presented by Dirty Gaia and sponsored by the Columbia County Libraries Association. Register by emailing director@roejanlibrary.org to receive the Zoom login information.
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Tuesday, August 30, 6:00 p.m.
Preparing for Future Homeownership: Virtual Event. This FREE webinar session is geared for the person wishing to purchase a home in two or more years as part of the latest installment of the Habitat Helping Hands Homeowner Education Series. We will discuss renting versus owning, insurance, credit history, budgeting, duplexes, and more. This webinar is hosted by Tobi Farley, Director of the Philmont Public Library and presented by Stephanie Martin, Financial Wellness Coach and Shanatia Bygrave, Greenport/Hudson Branch Manager at Greylock Federal Credit Union; and Al Bellenchia, CEO of Columbia County Habitat for Humanity.
Homeownership Webinars are brought to you by a partnership between the Columbia County Library Association, Greylock Federal Credit Union and Columbia County Habitat for Humanity.
Please register with the link below or through our website by finding the event under Adult Programs. You will receive a Zoom link with further instructions.
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Every Wednesday, starting September 7, 1:00 - 2:00 p.m.
Homeschool Wednesdays. Homeschool Wednesdays are back! 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 beginning September 7. We hope to see you there!
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Wednesday, September 7, 3:30 - 4:30 p.m.
Hot Topics in Health--Clearing Up Common Questions: How do We Assess Risks to Our Health? Join us for the first in a series of interactive lectures by Dr. Paul Spector, designed for seniors but of interest to all. This is the first lecture of a six part series. In this program we will address our innately flawed perception of risk and how we make systematic errors in our decisions because of the wiring of cognition, not because the wiring is corrupted by emotion. This program will be presented in person and online. For login information, email director@roejanlibrary.org.
Paul Spector earned his medical degree at Columbia University College of Physicians & Surgeons. After years of clinical experience Dr. Spector formed Pantheon and Meaningful Fitness (personalized health organizations designed to assist individuals in attaining their highest level of function). Over the past 15 years his focus has been on preventive health, behavioral change, motivation, aging, meaningful goal-setting and how to apply scientific advances to maximize both physical and psychological peak fitness.
This project has been supported by a grant from the Fund for Columbia County of the Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation.
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Saturdays, starting September 10, 10:30 - 11:30 a.m.
Storytime with Tia. Storytime is back! Tia, the library’s Children’s & Youth Services Associate, will share stories and related activities for kids in the Children's Room every Saturday starting at 10:30 a.m. Check our Facebook page for weekly themes. We hope to see you there!
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Monday, September 12, 11:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Health Care Navigators Appointments. A Navigator from the Healthcare Consortium will be available the second Monday of each month from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Navigators can assist individuals and families in Columbia and Greene Counties with shopping for, comparing, and enrolling in quality, affordable health insurance, including Medicaid, Child Health Plus and the Essential Plan, through the New York State of Health Official Health Plan Marketplace. Navigators can also assist with applying for financial assistance to help pay for coverage. Navigator services are free of charge. You can make an appointment by calling (518) 822-9600.
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Wednesday, September 14, 5:30 - 7:00 p.m.
Roe Jan Writers Series: Joe Gosler. Local author Joe Gosler will discuss his recent memoir, Searching for Home: The Impact of WWII on a Hidden Child, about his experiences as an infant placed in hiding during WWII in the Netherlands. The book discusses the impact on the infant toddler, the return to his biological parents, and how for him a new war begins.
Joseph Gosler was born in Groningen, the Netherlands, during WWII. After the war, he migrated to Israel with his family and subsequently to the United States, where he has lived since. His life’s journey has been a circuitous one and as a result he has often meandered off the main road. Mr. Gosler retired from Friends Seminary in 2004. Today he is actively involved in several Quaker projects, as well as writing, gardening, traveling and walking his dog. He lives in New York and Ancramdale.
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Thursday, September 15, 6:00 - 7:00 p.m.
Local Invasive Species and How to Deal With Them. Join Vaun Bartow, educator and outreach coordinator for Rheinstrom Hill Audubon Center and Sanctuary to learn about invasive species local to New York and what you can do to help nature. We'll discuss how to ID them and how to remove them safely. Vaun has a degree in Wildlife Science and has worked as a Park Guide intern in New Mexico and as a Biological Monitor intern in Florida. This presentation will be about an hour long with time for comments and questions.
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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, Sept. 11 at 9am.
The group will hike up Mt. Everett; at 2,608 ft, it is the highest peak in the south Taconic Mountains of Massachusetts, Connecticut and New York. We’ll start up on Mt. Washington near Guilder Pond and take the trail from there. Afterward, people can feel free to take a dip in the pond and sun themselves on the beautiful flat rocks. The hike is moderately challenging and will take about 2 hours. Bring water, a snack and good
hiking shoes.
We will meet at 9am at the top of the road to Guilder Pond, just off East Street. There is
a sign marking the entrance that says Mt. Everett State Reservation.
For more information and maps, go to:
Please RSVP if you can. If you would like to be on the mailing list for Copake Outdoors,
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Eco Tips for Healthy Living
Let Your Lawn Go Natural
Lawns come in many shapes and sizes, but lawn care routines often focus on eliminating so-called “weeds” and creating a “perfect” look. In fact, when we create
monoculture lawns - one or two types of grass - we waste time, money and energy and contribute to environmental degradation. Every year, about 3 million tons of synthetic
lawn fertilizers and 70 million pounds of pesticides and herbicides are used on lawns.
Approximately 40-60% of this ends up in lakes, rivers and groundwater, poisoning
fish and other aquatic creatures, not to mention the water we drink. These chemicals
are also released into the air we breathe and are one of the top sources of climate change.
Maybe it’s time to go natural! A natural lawn is one that is maintained without synthetic
fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides. It is one that contains a variety of native grasses, herbs and wildflowers. Native grasses and plants can withstand extreme temperatures, which are more frequent now, due to climate change. Eliminating the use of synthetic fertilizers, herbicides and pesticides allows beneficial microbes and earthworms to live and do their job of creating more organic matter, which feeds and aerates your lawn and retains moisture. If you let your grass grow a bit taller (around 3 inches) the roots can grow deeper, giving the grass more access to water.
Here are some beneficial plants that will thrive in your lawn if you let them.
*Violets and red clover attract butterflies and bees
*Bugleweed attracts ladybugs
*Pennyroyal attracts hoverflies
*Thyme draws parasitic wasps
Pollinators are essential for producing our food and for the reproduction process of many plants. Predators and parasitic wasps help get rid of damaging insects.
Many insects become food for toads, spiders and birds.
So, try letting your lawn go natural this summer and enjoy the wildlife and the dandelions (the greens are tasty and have lots of minerals)!
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Taconic Hills Central School Offers Life Learning
The mission of the Taconic Hills Central School District’s Continuing Education Program is to provide community members with a range of academic, athletic, artistic, business, hobby and recreational workshops at the K-Life Learning Center campus.
Open to current certificate holders per NYS Department of Health requirements for annual recertification. Instructor Robin Semp is a Certified Lifeguard and Instructor by the American Red Cross. Must be 15 years old, complete blended learning portion online, continuously swim 300 yards (crawl stroke and breaststroke), retrieve a 10-pound brick from 12 feet, tread water for 2 minutes.
Personal Finance Class
What is up with your finances? Learn or expand your knowledge of personal finance. Get a handle on financial terms, budgeting, investing, insurance, social security, credit and more. You will have opportunities to ask questions and to play financial games. Laptop internet access required. You will not be sold anything. Advisor: Rob Lazarus
Pre-registration and payment are required. Classes begin October 20, 2022.
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Expiration Dates on some COVID Test Kits are Extended
The Copake Town Clerk’s office has been distributing “At-Home” COVID test kits throughout the spring.
At this point, the town still has a limited number of tests available to citizens, but the expiration dates on some of the boxes have passed.
We have been advised by Director of Emergency Management David Harrison that the
expiration dates have been extended by the FDA and that up-to-date information is
available from the FDA website. To check to see if the expiration of a test kit has been
The list of test kits and relevant information is at the bottom of the page.
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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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