CANALFEST PLANNED ROTTERDAM — The Mabee Farm Historic Site will host a free two-day music festival as part of the regional celebration of Canalfest 2008 Lock 7-12 on July 12-13. The festivities on July 12 kick off with the folk/bluegrass group Landfill Mountain Boys at 11 a.m. followed by the traditional mountain dulcimer music of Susan Trump at 12:30 p.m., the Grammy award-winning music of Jay Ungar and Molly Mason at 2 p.m. and the bluegrass tunes of the Riverview Ramblers at 3:30 p.m. Saturday will also feature a dulcimer workshop with Trump at 2 p.m. Entertainment on July 13 will begin with the historical folk music of Gary Van Slyke at 12 p.m., the country-tinged bluegrass folk of Blake Christiana’s group Yarn at 1 p.m., followed by the Adirondack folk tunes of Roy Hurd and the blues of Little Toby Walker at 3:30 p.m. There will be food from Mosall’s Grove.
BOOK GROUP ROTTERDAM — The Wingate Readers book discussion group will meet today to discuss “The Great Gatsby” by F. Scott Fitzgerald, at the Rotterdam Library at 1100 N. Westcott Road.
From a humble beginning in 1924 at the YMCA in Santa Ana, California, Toastmasters International has grown to become a world leader in helping people become more competent and comfortable in front of an audience. The nonprofit organization now has nearly 226,000 members in 11,500 clubs in 92 countries, offering a proven – and enjoyable! – way to practice and hone communication and leadership skills.
Most Toastmasters meetings are comprised of approximately 20 people who meet weekly for an hour or two. Participants practice and learn skills by filling a meeting role, ranging from giving a prepared speech or an impromptu one to serving as timer, evaluator or grammarian.
There is no instructor; instead, each speech and meeting is critiqued by a member in a positive manner, focusing on what was done right and what could be improved.
Good communicators tend to be good leaders. Some well-known Toastmasters alumni include:
Peter Coors of Coors Brewing Company Debbi Fields, founder of Mrs. Fields Cookies Tom Peters, management expert and author Linda Lingle, Governor of Hawaii
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
A knitting club is non-profit--It's when we start asking the government to manage regulate or 'give $$' to non-profits that we fail to realize the freshness of plain-ole folks getting together for 'big ideas'.........not to mention we loose the power of US and the ownership goes over to 'them'.......
...you are a product of your environment, your environment is a product of your priorities, your priorities are a product of you......
The replacement of morality and conscience with law produces a deadly paradox.
STOP BEING GOOD DEMOCRATS---STOP BEING GOOD REPUBLICANS--START BEING GOOD AMERICANS
ROTTERDAM — The Mohawk Valley Library System, through a $2,500 grant from the GE Volunteers Foundation, is sponsoring its annual Science in the Summer program for youngsters. In the program, GE volunteers work with participants in handson activities and expose them to real world science and scientists, fostering their interest throughout the summer months and providing supplemental support to school-year programs. Participating libraries are the Northville Public Library, Frothingham Free Library in Fonda, Fort Hunter Free Library, Schoharie Free Library, Sharon Springs Free Library, and the Glenville branch of the Schenectady County Public Library. For more information, contact Sue Rokos at 355-2010.
CANALFEST ROTTERDAM JUNCTION — The Mabee Farm Historic Site will host a free, two-day music festival as part of Canalfest 2008 at Locks 7 through 12 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and noon to 5 Sunday. At Mabee Farm, the music starts Saturday with folk/bluegrass entertainers Landfill Mountain Boys, followed by mountain dulcimer of Susan Trump, Jay Ungar and Molly Mason and ending with the Riverview Ramblers at 3:30 p.m. Sunday, Gary Van Slyke starts things off at noon. Blues performer Little Toby Walker ends the day’s entertainment. The weekend at the farm also features hayrides, exhibits, artisans, food and family fun. Admission is free. Boat rides on the Wofford will be available for $10 a person. Canalfest also features the Barge Bash Friday evening at River Stone Manor, Glenville, and the annual boat parade starting at 6 p.m. in front of Jumpin’ Jacks in Scotia. For a complete schedule, see http://www. lock7-12canalfest.com.
SUMMER SCIENCE ROTTERDAM — The Mohawk Valley Library System, through a $2,500 grant from the GE Volunteers Foundation, is sponsoring its annual Science in the Summer program for youngsters. In the program, GE volunteers work with participants in handson activities and expose them to real world science and scientists, fostering their interest throughout the summer months and providing supplemental support to schoolyear programs. Participating libraries are the Northville Public Library, Frothingham Free Library in Fonda, Fort Hunter Free Library, Schoharie Free Library, Sharon Springs Free Library, and the Glenville branch of the Schenectady County Public Library. For more information, contact Sue Rokos at 355-2010.
ROTTERDAM Fundraiser to help fire victim Severely injured Mercer Street resident returns to area BY JUSTIN MASON Gazette Reporter Reach Gazette reporter Justin Mason at 395-3113 or jmason@dailygazette.net
Corin Reilly only recently regained her voice. The 26-year-old fire victim spent the past month whispering after sustaining serious damage to her lungs during a house fire on Mercer Street that almost killed her. Firefighters from the Carman Fire Department rescued Corin after she blacked out while trying to flee her smoke-filled residence. “When you look inside that house it’s a miracle she survived,” said Joe Reilly, her husband of three years, who was away in Maine on the morning of the fire. Now, friends and family are trying to raise money for Corin and the volunteer firefighters who pulled her from the fire. The group is sponsoring a car wash at the Carman station off Hamburg Street from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday. “We just want to get as much was can to help Joe and Corin and to give to the fire department,” said Dave Lang, a friend of the Reillys who is helping to organize the event. On the morning of the blaze, firefighters found Reilly collapsed in the home’s rear kitchen with fl ames engulfing a front bedroom. She was found near her two cats, which both perished. Corin spent nearly a week in an intensive care unit at the Jacobi Medical Center in the Bronx and much of the last month under supervision of a nurse on Long Island. Reilly said his wife continues to struggle with injuries. She’s unable to walk up a flight of steps without becoming winded and still has trouble projecting her voice. But he said her healing has been nothing short of remarkable. “She’s made a hell of a recovery,” he said. “We thought it was going to be a long time before she could talk again.” Corin finally returned to the area last week, in time to celebrate the Fourth of July weekend with her husband and family. Reilly said the couple is now staying with friends in Niskayuna. Now the Reillys are searching for a new home. They had rented the home on Mercer Street from Reilly’s grandmother and were hoping to buy it. But even though the home is repairable, Reilly said his wife isn’t emotionally prepared to live in it. He said the couple is instead trying to find an affordable home. “We’re looking onward and upward,” Reilly said.
Woestina Seniors will meet Friday ROTTERDAM — The Woestina Young at Heart Seniors will meet at 10:30 a.m. Friday, at the Rotterdam Senior Citizens Center, 2639 Hamburg St. Guest Speaker Bill Massoth will speak on the origins of the names of local areas. Pizza will be served. Members should bring monetary donations for Schenectady Inner City Ministry, which helps local families in need.
ROTTERDAM JUNCTION Weekend powwow first on acquired site BY MICHAEL LAMENDOLA Gazette Reporter
With quick strokes of his brush, Art Ellis, an Algonquin, put finishing touches Wednesday on a large wooden gate that the Keepers of the Circle group hopes will welcome hundreds of people this weekend to its first official powwow. The gate represents the eastern entry into the spiritual heart of the 2.6-acre property on Route 5S in Rotterdam Junction, now owned by American Indians for the fi rst time in centuries. To members of the Keepers, the circle is sacred ground, representing the continuous flow of life. Come Saturday, they will light a fire within the circle and will keep it burning until the powwow ends sometime Sunday, said Tim Christian, president of the Keepers board of directors. “The sacred fire pit signifies the light of life. We will have people there all day and all night, keeping it burning during the event,” Christian said. “When the fire goes out, the powwow is over.” The powwow’s hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. It will include American Indian dancing, storytelling, drumming and food. At least 21 vendors from throughout the country are scheduled to attend, selling a variety of American Indian items. The museum will be open as well. The powwow is the Keepers’ main fundraiser this year, and members hope to raise enough money to cover the nonprofit organization’s expenses for some time, said Director Jessica LaPan. The Keepers signed the deed for the land in March, assuming full ownership from Schenectady County. With the land, came bills for utilities and other needs. Prior to the sale, the county covered most of the bills and periodically maintained the property. The county purchased the 29-acre parcel for $171,000 in 2000 but gave the Keepers control over it. The Keepers of the Circle was supposed to develop and offer programs to promote American Indian culture and the historical aspects of the Mohawk River. None of this occurred because of infighting. Last year, the county agreed to give Keepers 2.6 acres and the 17th century Bradt farmhouse and to sell the remaining 27 acres to the Schenectady County Historical Society for $180,000. The society needs the land to build a year-round educational center on the Mabee Farm, which it owns and which is adjacent to the Keepers’ property. Since taking over the property, Keepers volunteers have repaired the house’s foundation and parts of its crumbling structure, painted the formerly white house red and meticulously maintained the grounds, even planting a garden. In addition, Keepers has stepped up efforts to integrate the multicultural education center into the community. To date, it has held 24 outreach programs and provides periodic education events, Christian said. It also operates a food pantry that assists approximately 45 people each week. Their efforts have paid off in many ways, LaPan said. The Rotterdam Junction Volunteer Fire Department and the local U.S. Post Office sponsored food collection events for the pantry and the county provided the Keepers with a $1,000 tourism grant toward the Powwow. The work isn’t over, Christian said. In the future, Keepers wants to build a replica longhouse on the grounds and bring in different American Indian speakers three times a month to teach drumming, singing and dancing. “I am proud of the membership here. They are doing their jobs, doing outreach to the community and now the community is reaching back,” Christian said. “The old Keepers are now the new Keepers.”
CHURCH BARBECUE ROTTERDAM — The Rotterdam United Methodist Church will hold a Brooks’ Chicken barbecue on July 25. The event will take place from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the church at the corner of Curry Road and Helderberg Avenue. An adult dinner will cost $9, a child’s dinner $5 and a half-chicken dinner $5.
CRAFTERS SOUGHT ROTTERDAM — The Mabee Farm is looking for artists and crafts people to exhibit at the Mabee Arts and Crafts Festival on Aug. 23. The event will take place from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the 36-acre historic site and will feature artists, wood crafters, potters, spinners, weavers, candle makers, glass blowers and basket weavers. Call 887-5073 or e-mail mabee@nycap.rr.com for an application.
BOOK GROUP MEETS ROTTERDAM — The Wingate Readers book discussion group of the Rotterdam Branch Library, 1100 N. Westcott Road, will meet at 10 a.m. Tuesday, Aug. 5 at the library. The topic of discussion will be “A Thousand Splendid Suns,” by Khaled Hosseini.
EARLY TECHNOLOGY ROTTERDAM JUNCTION — Mabee Farm Historic Site and the Native American Institute of the Hudson River Valley will sponsor “Early Technologies Day,” an educational and fun event from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 9, at the Mabee Farm, 1080 Main St., (Route 5S). Participants will learn about fi re starting, cordage and deer sinew, brain-tanned leather working, tinsmithing, blacksmithing, beer brewing and more. Highlights of the day will include a hands-on flint knapping workshop and atlatl throwing with Barry Keegan. Visitors may bring Native American artifacts for identification by the New York State Archaeology Association. This event is free and open to the public. For more information go to http://www.mabeefarm.org.
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