Bring your picnic, and enjoy the big band sounds as the sun sets over the ridge. 5-7pm.

Join us for the 5th Annual New Paltz Juneteenth Jubilee!

Hosted by The Dr. Margaret Wade-Lewis Center for Black History and Culture.

The day will include live music, food, speakers, local historic tours, and more!

See flyer here.

Thursday, June 19 (see schedule for times and locations)

Thank you, Tank and Kelly, for such a fun class series! We learned the Basic 8 step, alternating rock step, the scoopa, knee slaps, toss across, as well as many other dance moves. Stay tuned for more this fall!

"Lindy Hop is a black American dance that values connection and conversational partnership on the dance floor. This jazz dance was born and bred in Harlem, New York. It is lively, energetic, and rebellious. The class will be featuring 8 and 6 count basic rhythms along with fun variations rooted in vernacular jazz steps." – Tank

Tank and Kelly are well-known teachers in the Hudson Valley Lindy Hop dance scene.

First class's steps are here.

Second class's steps are here.

Third class's steps are here.

Fourth class's steps are here.

Fifth class's steps are here.

Sixth class's steps are here.

Seventh class's steps are here. 

Choice film recordings of Lindy Hop greats and helpful notes from the classes are here.

Find Tank on her Instagram and Facebook page, and find Kelly and her Instagram and Facebook page. 

Lindy and Chester's Field of Dream's Lindy Hop event will be back at some point. In the meantime, they are teaching the "shim sham" up in Kingston. It might go something like this...

Our High School Piglets are holding a fundraiser at the Village Hall this Sunday!

See flyer here.

This Sunday (June 1st) from 11:00 to 3:00pm. (Village Hall)

We enjoyed a lovely picnic lunch at the Field of Dreams Park, catered by Main Course. It was a warm day, but there was a cool breeze under the pavilion and beautiful views.

Friday, July 25th, at noon. (Field of Dreams Pavilion)

We had a wonderful time at Hortus Arboretum and Beatrix Farrand gardens!

Stay tuned for our upcoming Senior Picnic at the Field of Dreams Park, Friday, July 25th.

• Hortus Arboretum (See pictures from the trip here, here, and here.)
  Friday, May 2nd
  Departs at 10AM
  
  
• Orange County Arboretum and Plant Sale (Canceled due to rain.)
  Friday May 9th
  Departs at 10AM
  
  
• Beatrix Farrand Garden, Hyde Park (See pictures from the trip here, here, and here.)
  Friday, May 30nd
  Departs at 10AM

On September 6th, a senior group traveled to the Hortus Arboretum and Botanical Gardens in Stone Ridge. In the photo, co-founder Scott Serrano describes the fruit on his Dwarf Tamarillo plant. "Like an apricot," he said. He then gave Joanna a seedling which she is growing in her office at the Community Center. The leaves smell rather horrible, but we can see if it will fruit when planted outside the Center next summer! 

This tree is Heptacodium micronoides, also known as the Seven Sons Flower Tree. It's a late summer blooming tree and no trees are found in the "wild" anymore in its native origin of China, says co-founder Allyson Levy.

Joanna will plan another trip to Hortus next spring.

As recounted by Sharon Roth:

We took a bus with 14 senior citizens from New Paltz. Our Director drove the small bus. Not a school bus… we had lunch in the Apple Pie Bakery Café. The food was all made by students and it was excellent. I wanted the Spanakopita, but they were out. I asked for the apple ginger tart. All gone. I settled for the last cheesecake. With a small bottle of San Pellegrino. Yum. 

I asked a junior named Chelsea from New Jersey if she wants to become a sous chef after graduation. She said that that is not the first step. The first step is prep chef then executive chef. Then sous chef. Then main chef. She actually wants to become a chocolatier. 

It was a great day!

UCRRA Recycling Outreach Team Angelina Brandt (pictured left) and Eva Barnett (pictured right) held a fascinating and inspiring workshop on how to compost in your own home. They brought vermiculture and bokashi buckets to show and explained how easy the process can be if you know the basics. Even seasoned composters learned some tips.

Here Angelina is showing a bucket of active Red Wiggler worms.

Here is a video of Eva is demonstrating one way to finish a "bokashi cake."

Click here for UCRRA's booklet on bokashi composting.

Click here for UCRRA's booklet on vermicomposting.

Stay tuned for another indoor composting workshop this fall!

Join Ernest Masaaba, educator and child advocate, who is visiting from Uganda. He will discuss the organization AOET Uganda. https://aoet.org/uganda-locations.php. Through this organization you can sponsor a child from kindergarten through university and provide nutrition and medical support to the child as well as to their caretakers.

See flyer here.