Needlecrafts at the WSPL

JEFFERSONVILLE, NY — The Western Sullivan Public Library (WSPL) Jeffersonville branch is offering a new needlecraft group for those who enjoy embroidery, cross stitch, needlepoint and other crafts. Bring projects you’re currently working on, or begin something new on Thursday, January 12 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.

Basic supplies and general instruction will be provided.

The Jeffersonville branch of the library is located at 19 Center St. For more information, call 845/482-4350.

Snowshoeing, hikes and more at PEEC

DINGMANS FERRY, PA — The Pocono Environmental Education Center (PEEC) will hold a few winter events in January.

On Saturday, January 14, from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., participants can learn the basics of snowshoeing and take a walk in the woods. No experience is necessary, and registering early is recommended, so you can reserve a pair of snowshoes.

Nature photography will be offered as an alternative program if there is no snow.

Lead support is provided by the William Penn Foundation.

On Sunday, January 15, from 10 a.m. to 12 noon, participants can go on a winter ecology hike to learn about how different plants and animals survive the winter, and to experience PEEC in the wintertime. The hike costs $5 per person. All ages are welcomed but you must call to register; see contact information below.

For the kids, on Sunday, January 15 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., families can pay a visit to the ecozone discovery room. Visitors can climb into a bald eagle’s nest, crawl into a bat cave, explore a beaver lodge and more. Kids can explore hands-on exhibits on natural history, sustainability and the local environment.

The fee is $2 per person, and no registration is needed.

On Monday, January 16, beginning at 9 a.m., PEEC offers a Martin Luther King Jr. volunteer service day. Take part and participate in various volunteer projects on PEEC’s campus, and earn hours for volunteer service requirements for school or other organizations. A complimentary lunch will be provided to volunteers. The event is free but registration is required.

The center is located 538 Emery Rd.

To register for events or for more information, call PEEC at 570/828-2319.

Afterschool drama program for teens

HURLEYVILLE, NY — River Rep Theatre and Homestead School are partnering in an afterschool drama program for kids aged 13 to17. The classes are offered on Hurleyville’s Main Stage on Wednesdays, starting January 18. The kids don’t have to attend Homestead—the program is open to the public.

The classes begin at 4:15 p.m. and last for an hour.

The classes will give teens a chance to explore acting while meeting people their age, according to a press release.

Starting with games, students will learn the core principles of acting, including how to focus and concentrate, work as a group, and use their imaginations to create a character. Students will then choose a song, monologue or scene from a popular play or musical, which they rehearse, taking direction from instructor Christopher Peditto, who is the drama teacher at the Homestead School.

Songs, monologues and scenes are worked on over the six-week course, and are then strung together into a short program performed by students for family and friends on the last day of the course.

The program will run through Wednesday, March 8.

The Main Stage is located at 269 Main St.

The tuition costs $120 for the eight-week course.

To learn more about the class or Peditto, visit www.riverrep.org/classes.

To register, email christopher@homesteadeducation.org, or use the form at www.riverrep.org/classes.

One of Dr. Frederick Cook’s polar journeys introduced penguins to the sounds humans can make with a set of bagpipes.

Concert and a presentation at the Sullivan County Museum

HURLEYVILLE, NY — The Frederick A. Cook Society will hold a concert series featuring music by Little Sparrow and a pre-music presentation focusing on Hortonville native Dr. Frederick Cook, a polar explorer. 

The doors open on Saturday, January 14 at 2 p.m., the event starts at 3 p.m., and it takes place at the museum at 265 Main St. There is no charge for admission, but donations are accepted to support the music and the work of the Frederick A. Cook Society. 

Hot beverages and refreshments will be served.

For more information, call 845/434-8044 or visit www.facebook.com/littlesparrowny.

Help the WCAA launch its Sketchbook Parti

HONESDALE, PA — The Wayne County Arts Alliance (WCAA) will hold its sixth annual Sketchbook Parti on Sunday, January 15 from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. at the Bodhi Tree Gallery.

The gallery is located at 214 6th St., Ste. B.

Visitors can see the original 2023 sketchboards on display, meet and greet the artists, and look at the newly printed Sketchbook Parti book. The book is a collection of original sketches created by 50 local artists this past year.

Refreshments will be served.

For more information, call 570/729-5740, email waynecountyartsalliance@gmail.com or visit waynecountyartsalliance.org.

The Time and the Valleys Museum badly needs volunteers who could help with school groups and keep the museums programs going.

Volunteer museum educators needed at Time and the Valleys Museum

GRAHAMSVILLE, NY — The Time and the Valleys Museum wants to expand its educational programs for K-12 students.

It’s looking for volunteers to become museum educators and help with school groups during visits at the museum.

Time and the Valley’s two programs teach students about the history of the construction of New York City’s water system and its effect on local residents, and about the importance of water and its impact on local history. The groups range in size from 25 to 100 students.

Museum educators help in a variety of ways, from teaching students, to helping with hands on activities, to assisting others who teach students, to answering questions and moving groups through the program. No prior teaching experience or knowledge of history is necessary.  All that is needed is an interest in working with students and a willingness to learn, museum staff said, and the educators are fully trained and comfortable with the job before they start. Museum educators can help just one or two weekday mornings per month or more—whatever suits their lifestyles.

The benefits to being a museum educator include a 10 percent discount in the museum’s shop, free admission to museum programs, an invitation to a recognition luncheon, gaining new skills, meeting new people and making new friends, the museum staff said.

If one is a member of Sullivan County’s RSVP program, there are additional perks, including mileage reimbursement.

“It is an energizing and rewarding experience, helping students learn about local history,” said Mary Inghrim, volunteer chairperson.

For more information about the museum educator position, benefits and training, email info@timeandthevalleysmuseum.org or call the museum at 845/985-7700.

Freezing for the cure. Team Strikeout Alz will hold a pre-jump plunge into a wintry White Lake at 12 noon on Saturday, January 21. They're pictured …

Team Strike Out Alz hits the cold water again

WHITE LAKE, NY — Team Strike Out Alz is a group of Sullivan County residents who raise funds and awareness each year to combat Alzheimer’s disease.

One way the team does this is through its participation in the Subzero Heroes event on Ulster County’s Berean Lake.

That event is sponsored by the Hudson Valley chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association.

And this year, Team Strike Out Alz will jump into Berean Lake again. However, in collaboration with the White Lake Fire Company, the team will hold a pre-jump event, the Sullivan Freeze for a Cure, on White Lake at the fire house, beginning at 12 noon on Saturday, January 21.

The blizzard date is Saturday, January 28.

“Understanding that it is difficult for friends, family and members of our local community to make it up to Berean Lake in February, we wanted to hold an event in our own backyard to increase participation in raising awareness of this terrible disease,” said Terry Grafmuller, Team Strike Out Alz captain and the president of the Liberty Rotary Club.

Anyone from the public can jump into White Lake with Team Strike Out Alz. You will need to sign a waiver.

Donations will be accepted, but are not required. All proceeds will benefit the Alzheimer’s Association for research, programs and finding a cure.

For more information on the White Lake event, call 845/866-6275.

The Subzero Heroes event for 2023 will take place on Saturday, February 25 at 11 a.m. at Berean Lake in Highland, NY, Ulster County.  The 13th annual jump raises funds for the Alzheimer's Association. Learn more on the Subzero Heroes Facebook page.