Property rights issues are always the most intense and contentious issues, and Paul Crossman of the Chatham Courier tells one story:

Overnight RV parking and the construction of a new go-cart track at Lebanon Valley Speedway have been issues of contention in New Lebanon for quite some time now. But while one issue has been resolved — the go-cart track — the other has not. And racing season is fast approaching. At their regular meeting Tuesday night, April 6, the Zoning Board of Appeals, with the exception of board President John Dax, who recused himself due to a conflict of interest, voted unanimously to allow a special site use permit for the go-cart track, with certain conditions and restrictions. “It’s been a very long, tedious process,” said Lebanon Valley Speedway owner Howard Commander. “The board, in the end, acted fairly, but nothing changed [regarding the track] from day one.” Commander added that nearly all the conditions the board stipulated had already been met in his original plan for the track. Stipulations the ZBA instituted for the track and its use include taking steps to minimize sound and light pollution, including a landscaped buffer area at least 50-feet wide, 10 feet of which must be coniferous trees; no structures located within 100 feet of adjoining property lines; adequate off-street parking for up to 200 additional cars; and limiting track use to Wednesday and Sunday from May 1 to Oct. 31, when other races are already occurring to minimize sound discomfort to neighbors. The go carts would also have to meet standards for the quietest exhaust systems available. The ZBA also considered the fact that the closest neighbors live more than a mile from the track and reports indicate that the sound level at that distance would be around 48 decibels — less than the volume of a normal conversation.

UPDATE: Crossman apparently missed the news that track owner Howard Commander plans to hold a multi-day music festival there this summer, and there is now a kerfuffle between the town and Commander over the definitions of camping and "overnight parking," according to Gail Heinsohn's story in The Columbia Paper.

Rob Hervey, a Catskill-based musician who has performed at several WGXC fundraisers, has created "Chillavision," a public access television show of his music set to video footage with effects that debuts Wednesday, April 14 at 10 p.m. on Mid-Hudson Cable's Channel 11. "The first episode features songs from my 2006 release "Subterralembic" with locally shot video footage manipulated in such a way to entrance and mesmerize the viewer," Hervey says.

Click on WGXC or WGXC Newsroom for more information. Send news, tips, etc. to news@wgxc.org.

The Hudson-Catskill Newspaper Corp. -- the company that runs the only daily newspapers in each county (The Daily Mail and Register-Star) as well as weekly papers in Chatham, Windham, and on the mountaintop -- bought Greene County's only remaining weekly, the Greene County Local Courier, and The Ravena News-Herald, from George McHugh, today's issue of the Courier reports. The story names frequent contributor Melanie Lekocevic as new editor, and says H-CN plans to continue publishing both weeklies. The story does not say whether the purchased papers will now get web sites. Earlier this year The Greenville Press ceased publication.

WTEN reports:

The Friar Tuck Inn didn't find a Robin Hood to save it. The massive resort and conference center in Catskill that had fallen into disrepair and bankruptcy has been closed. Ulster Savings Bank of Kingston had recently taken over the property and had been seeking a buyer. But at a hearing at bankruptcy court in Albany Wednesday morning, the bank's attorney said the resort is closed. The facility is still operating its timeshare and efficiency apartment businesses.

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The Solid Sound Festival is a new festival curated by the Chicago band Wilco. It debuts August 13 – 15 at MASS MoCA (Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art) in North Adams, MA. The Solid Sound Festival is an independently promoted and ticketed three-day event of music, art, comedy, interactivity and more. Wilco headlines the weekend, in the bandʼs only East Coast performance of the summer. This new festival also presents individual performances by all the Wilco membersʼ side projects including Glenn Kotcheʼs On Fillmore, The Nels Cline Singers, The Autumn Defense featuring John Stirratt and Pat Sansone and Mikael Jorgensenʼs Pronto. Solid Sound Festival at MASS MoCA also plays host to additional musical performances, a fully programmed comedy stage, interactive installations and exhibits (including the Solid Sound Stompbox Station, an interactive guitar pedal exhibit created and demonstrated by Wilco guitarist Nels Cline, a concert-poster screening demonstration, planned workshops by luthiers and more), plus film, video installations and djʼs. Festival attendees will have full access to the entire MASS MoCA campus, which incorporates 150,000 square feet of galleries. MASS MoCA, a renovated 19th century textile mill, is the largest center for contemporary visual and performing arts in the U.S. Art on display in the galleries during the festival includes the Sol LeWitt Retrospective (chosen #1 exhibition of the year by Time magazine), Inigo Manglano Ovalleʼs Gravity is a Force to be Reckoned with, Petah Coyneʼs Material World: Sculpture to Environment, Leonard Nimoyʼs Secret Selves and a new installation by Michael Oatman. Tickets for Solid Sound FestivalL are on sale this Friday, April 9 through the bandʼs official website wilcoworld.net and through solidsoundfestival.com. From April 9 to May 31 tickets for the three-day event will be available for $86.50 (including all fees and parking) and after June 1 for $99.50 (including all fees and parking).

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The Jamie Larson story in The Register-Star today is incredibly detailed, but I still do not understand the big picture of the proposed switcheroo of a fire hydrant for a road closure. And which meeting did things get decided at, who says, or is that just implied? Can someone in Taghkanic explain?

The occasionally contentious inter-municipal deal to trade the installation of a hydrant for the Taghkanic Fire Department along the city of Hudson water supply line for the closure of the road along the city owned Churchtown reservoir has shifted course, according to town and city officials. At the Monday meeting of the Taghkanic Town Board, members and Highway Superintendent Tom Youhas said the two issues are now separate. Taghkanic Supervisor Elizabeth Young said the hydrant is a public safety issue that is up to the fire department and Youhas will have the ultimate say on whether the road along the reservoir and dam will be closed. Youhas has expressed disapproval of the proposal to trade Reservoir Road for a fire hydrant to be located on Post Hill Road. Hudson Superintendent of Public Works Robert Perry said he’s not sure whether they are separate issues or not. He said the city would like to alleviate a certain level of risk on the city’s end, meaning potential dangers posed to the dam by allowing vehicle traffic on its bank, if the city is going to assume the risk associated with installing and monitoring a hydrant that taps into the city’s pipe running from the smaller dam at a waterfall on the Taghkanic creak to the reservoir 10 miles away. “The ball’s in their court,” Perry said. “The negotiations have just begun. All we’re asking is some consideration to minimize risk elsewhere.” The forge, of New Forge Road, has also become a focus of concern for some in Taghkanic who take issue with the fact that during a drought the waterline can drop below the forge dam spillway and cut off the stream entirely. There is a valve in the dam that can release water past it but Perry said it may never have been opened in the nearly 100 years since it was installed and they aren’t going to touch it for fear that it may rust out and not close. “The DPW people are not sure if the dam is holding the valve in place or if the valve is holding the dam in place,” said Town Board Member Lawrence Kadish at the meeting Monday. “Even if we could open the valve it’s unlikely in a drought situation it would create flow. The obvious conclusion is you need to build a new dam there.” Perry said there is no need to build a new dam and such construction in a creek bed would never be approved by the Department of Environmental Conservation in the modern era. Destruction of the old dam, he said, would most likely have to involve blowing it up with dynamite. “You can clearly see it is lack of rain and not any appurtenance on the part of Hudson that reduces the amount of water in the creek during time of drought.” Taghkanic Creek runs right behind the town’s firehouse and the Taghkanic Volunteer Fire Company #1 uses the creek for water to put out fires. When the creek is dry, the fire company has to travel to one of five privately owned ponds and pump out of a dry hydrant into the four water-carrying vehicles. The dry creek is another reason a hydrant would be so useful. Perry said he does not have a problem with taking the road out of the deal but will hold his opinion until he hears the official request he expects soon from the fire department and not the highway department. All of these issues were discussed on April 24, at a meeting between representatives from both municipalities that included Young, Hudson Mayor Richard Scalera, Perry, Youhas and Kadish. Perry said at the end of the meeting he had the understanding that at the Monday Taghkanic Town Board meeting the idea of closing Reservoir Road to vehicle traffic but leaving it open as a pedestrian trail would be brought up to the public. On Monday however the topic was not brought up at the meeting.

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The Bindlestiff Cirkus is back in their hometown including at Hudson's Club Helskinki, which appears will be open at least by May 30 judging from this press release from the clowns of Bindlestiff:

*Saturday April 24- with Walking the dog Theater's Improv Theater Ensemble at Space 360, Hudson 8 p.m., $20 (more details below)

Sunday, May 30 and Friday, June 25: Bindlestiff Cirkus Cabaret- featuring a different cast of special guests each show, from NYC's circus, burlesque and variety community- accompanied by live original music! At the brand, spanking new Club Helsinki, located at 405 Columbia Street, Hudson showtime 9 p.m., tickets $15 (more details below)

the more details below:
SATURDAY APRIL 24 - a benefit performance for Bindlestiff Family Variety Arts, Inc. and GhostWALK Hudson,
with Walking the dog Theater's Improv ensemble
Bindlestiff Family Cirkus co-founders and variety artists Keith Nelson and Stephanie Monseu team up with Walking the dog Theater’s OFF LEASH! Improv Theater Ensemble for an evening of circus and improvisation at Hudson's Space 360 on April 24th at 8 p.m. Bindlestiff will bring to the mix a few of it's signature acts, featuring a twisted take on physical comedy and prop manipulation, in addition to some new, original collaborative fun with Walking the dog Theater's Improv cast. Bindlestiff Family Variety Arts, Inc., based in Brooklyn and Hudson, NY, is a non-profit performing arts organization dedicated to increasing the knowledge, understanding, and appreciation of the history of circus, sideshow, vaudeville, and related arts through activities including performances, lectures, print media, and workshops for the general public as well as creating opportunities for cultural exchange and fostering a sense of community. Walking the dog Theater, a keystone of Columbia County's artistic community, has been at the forefront of collaboration and support for other local arts groups, offering benefit performances of it's monthly OFF LEASH! Improv Theater Ensemble to raise funds and awareness for local artists and organizations. March's performance benefitted the Awgawamuck Project for the Fine and Practical Arts, a new educational-therapeutic initiative based in Philmont. Aprils' show will benefit Bindlestiff- Hudson's own Cirkus and Walking the dog Theater's partner in GhostWALK Hudson. To find out more about Bindlestiff Family Variety Arts, please visit http://www.bindlestiff.org
Suggested donation: $20.
Location Space 360, 360 Warren Street in Hudson . For more information, please contact: David Anderson david@wtdtheater.org (518) 610-0909.

SUNDAY MAY 25 AND FRIDAY JUNE 30
BINDLESTIFF FAMILY CIRKUS CABARET
Where: Club Helsinki 405 Columbia Street, Hudson, NY
When: May 30 (Sunday) and June 25 (Friday), 2010
Showtime: 9 pm Doors: 8 pm
Admission: $20 ($5 discount for clowns in make-up)
Info: 1-877-BINDLES bindlestiff.org clubhelsinkiweb.com

On May 30 and June 25, The Bindlestiff Family Cirkus Cabaret comes to Club Helsinki's brand new home in Hudson, NY. The Bindlestiff Family Cirkus Cabaret features new, phenomenal acts each show from the world's best artists in the disciplines of Circus, Variety, Burlesque, Sideshow, and Physical Comedy. Live, original Cirkus tunes by our Maestro of Musical Mystery. Expect jugglers, clowns, acrobats, and trapeze artists to share the stage with musicians, magicians, dancers, daredevils, and more. Each show features a unique combination of acts, but all promise a legendary lineup of circus feats, sideshow marvels, and world-class entertainers. The New York Times said of the BFC Cabaret: “It’s old-fashioned variety entertainment of the sort Ed Sullivan so astutely scooped up, but with twists.” Every show features Ringmistress Philomena and Kinko the Clown, a/k/a Bindlestiff co-founders Keith Nelson and Stephanie Monseu, along with an amazing lineup of guest stars.
With the Bindlestiff Family Cirkus' first Winter Cabaret in New York City 1995, and subsequent national tours, the stage was set for today's far-reaching vaudeville and burlesque revival. Since then Bindlestiff has become a legend in the New York and national performance scene. The Bindlestiff Family Cirkus has featured over 400 guest variety artists; supported and presented original theatrical shows by other artists working in the variety arts field; launched Bindlestiff's Cavalcade of Youth, a mentoring program and showcase for young performers; brought vaudeville back to Times Square; fostered new variety artists and new acts by established performers at its monthly Open Stage; and toured nationally for 14 years. Since Bindlestiff co-founders Monseu and Nelson moved to Hudson in 2005, they have been teaching circus arts classes and workshops in the area, producing Bindlestiff Cirkus shows for youth and adults, and collaborating with local arts groups and organizations like The Basilica Industria, Time and Space Limited, Columbia County Council on the Arts, Perform Columbia, the Hudson Opera House, Operation Unity, Walking the dog Theater, The Hudson Department of Youth and the Morris Memorial.
For more information:
1-877-BINDLES HTTP://WWW.BINDLESTIFF.ORG

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N4XeTSVaQT0&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&fs=1]
(The Watershed Post interviews George and Duane LaFever, Catskill maple syrup producers.)

The Watershed Post reports on the lack of maple syrup production this spring:

It's the peak of New York's annual maple festival, and local tappers are saying the maple syrup yield in the Catskills is worse than it's ever been. Sugar producers in the Catskills are collecting under a quarter of the sap that they usually do at this time of year, says Helen Thomas, the executive director of the New York State Maple Producers Association. Production is down across the board in the warmer parts of New York, she adds, including at her own Syracuse farm. But the Catskills are seeing the most dramatic sap shortage. "It's pretty universal in the Catskill region that you're just doing lousy," she says. Jessica Ziehm, a spokesperson for the New York State Department of Agriculture & Markets, confirms that because the Catskills are the southernmost syrup-producing region in the state, they "might be a little worse-off than others." But it's been a bad season for syrup all over, she adds. At Catskill Mountain Maple, a sugar house in Delancey, 74-year-old George LaFever, a second-generation syrup-maker, says that this is the worst maple season in memory. "It's been a horrible season," says his son, Duane LaFever, who owns Catskill Mountain Maple with business partner Tom Kaufman. "We're probably at maybe 25 percent of normal." "Pretty much everybody I know in about a 50-mile circle from here is having the same type of terrible season," says Kaufman. "Nobody can figure out exactly what's going on." This winter's intense blizzards, which have been chased by freakishly early warm weather, are probably playing a role, says Thomas, who spoke with the Watershed Post by phone as she was cleaning her sap lines in an attempt to boost her own forest's yield. "The nights have gotten way too warm way too fast," she says. "It's supposed to warm up slow. That way the trees wake up slow." "We haven't had the freezing nights," Kaufman says. "And it seems like when we have had the freezing nights, it's still going wrong." But there might be another factor at play: the forest tent caterpillar, or as George LaFever calls them, "maple worms." Forest tent caterpillars eat leaves and can kill trees. Cornell's Sugar Maple Research & Extension program advises maple producers to spray for them if the defoliation is bad enough to hurt sap production. Kaufman says he has sprayed for tent caterpillars three times in recent years. However, according to Ziehm, there have been no studies showing a link between tent caterpillars and sap reduction in the maple industry.

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From Nippertown!:

Fans will get an up-close-and-personal concert, when Neil Young kicks off his “Twisted Road” solo tour with a stop at the Palace Theatre in Albany on Tuesday, May 18. It will be Young’s first solo acoustic tour in more than a decade, and Young is promising to mix in new, unreleased songs along with his classics on the tour. Opening the show will be veteran British guitarist Bert Jansch, one of Young’s major musical influences. “Bert Jansch is on the same level as Jimi Hendrix,” Young said in 1992. “That first record of his is epic. It came from England, and I was especially taken by ‘The Needle of Death,’ such a beautiful and angry song. That guy was so good.” Additional details – including ticket prices and on-sale dates – to come soon.

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From William J. Kemble in The Daily Freeman:

The Village Board Monday appointed Trustee William Murphy mayor for the next year as a full-time replacement for the retired Robert Yerick. The appointment was made in a unanimous vote, with the first order of business for Murphy, a seven-year trustee, to leave the Village Board table to acknowledge the cheers of his daughters Jillian, 6, and Jaclyn, 9, with kisses. Yerick, who served as mayor for 12 years, stepped down on March 2 due to health problems. The second order of business for Murphy was to let residents know that agendas for future meetings will be posted on the village Web site. “I want a more public-friendly environment, more input from the public, and that’s why I want to make myself available evenings,” Murphy said. Murphy said office hours are expected to be set for Mondays and Wednesdays, with Thursday evenings and Saturdays set aside to meet with residents by appointments.

From The Daily Freeman:

Updated regulations for the New York City reservoir system watershed took effect on Sunday. City Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Cas Holloway said the new regulations amend existing regulations to align them with changes made in federal and state law over the past 10 years, and address issues that have been raised during the city’s administration and enforcement of the regulations since their adoption. The previous regulations were adopted in 1997 as part of the Filtration Avoidance Determination issued by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, which allowed the city to continue operating its unfiltered drinking system from the Catskill and Delaware watersheds.... Fourteen sections of the Watershed Regulations have been updated to prevent contamination to and degradation of the city’s surface water supply. Highlights of the provisions, according to the news release, include:

• Enhanced standards for the control of stormwater runoff from certain construction sites. For example, in commercial areas with a large amount of impervious surfaces, the revised regulations will require additional stormwater treatment, such as construction of larger or secondary detention basins. The Department of Environmental Protection has also adopted the requirements of the State Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit for construction activities to ensure complementary enforcement of the latest regulatory standards for stormwater runoff.
• New provisions to allow for sewage treatment plants in certain areas of the Croton watershed. This will authorize city agency to grant variances for new or expanded surface discharging wastewater treatment plants in closer proximity to the Croton reservoir.
• Updated criteria defining the quality of drinking water reservoirs consistent with state and federal standards, specifically concerning stricter phosphorus limits for select basins.

The changes that took effect Sunday apply to all counties located within the Croton, Delaware and Catskill watersheds, according to the news release. The city agency said it started the process of revising the watershed regulations more than five years ago and that the revised regulations were published for public review and comment in the City Record in 2008. Public hearings on the proposed changes were held that same year. After reviewing comments, the agency made revisions and the updated regulations were submitted to the state Department of Health in 2009. The agency received approval in February for final publication in the City Record, which occurred on March 3, and the regulations became effective 30 days after final publication, according to the release.

Sunday April 11, 2 p.m. @ Thomas Cole House, 218 Spring St., Catskill.

Internationally known artist Stephen Hannock will speak at the Thomas Cole National Historic Site this Sunday, and sign copies of a new book about his artwork. Cole has been "a reference point" for Hannock, whose virtuosic use of light - as well as a power sander - has landed his paintings in museum collections including The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Art Historian Jason Rosenfeld describes Hannock's work as "both distinctively modern as well as reflective of landscape traditions....Hannock, in his radical technique is a true American luminist. His paintings, multi-layered in both surface and meaning, radiate in a manner that connects past and present." Robin Young will be covering this Sunday's talk for the popular NPR radio program "Here & Now." She is a Peabody Award-winning documentary filmmaker who has also reported for NBC, CBS, and ABC television, and for several years was substitute host and correspondent for the Today Show. "Here & Now" is Public Radio's daily news magazine, bringing the news that breaks after "Morning Edition," and before "All Things Considered." Tickets are $8 per person, or $6 for members, and admission is first-come-first-served.

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Cus D’Amato’s Catskill Boxing Gym in Catskill has been in the news lately, floating the idea of a boxing museum. The Times-Union's boxing columnist Michael Rivest is all rah-rah about the idea here, while The Daily Freeman's Ariel Zangla focuses on the color here and includes an embedded video.

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From William J. Kemble in The Daily Freeman:

With Verizon putting expansion of its FiOS high-speed Internet service on hold, it will not be offered in the near future in Ulster, Greene or Columbia counties and will not be expanded in Dutchess County beyond Poughkeepsie, Wappingers Falls and Fishkill, the telecommunications company says. Rather “we’re building deeper into those communities where we already have franchises,” said Verizon spokesman John Bonomo. “All franchises have what is called a buildout requirement,” Bonomo said. “We may have 50 percent of the town already built out with fiber. Well, the buildout requirement says that within five years, we need to build out the other 50 percent because the town isn’t going to say you can give FiOS to half of the town but the other half you can neglect.” The company is delaying FiOS expansion efforts as to tries to grow its current market share of 2.9 million television customers and 3.4 million DSL Internet customers, Bonomo said. Bonomo said information about when FiOS might be offered in communities that don’t currently have it cannot be announced at this point. “That would be providing guidance that we have not provided to Wall Street as of yet, so that is not something I would be able to comment on,” he said. “This project that we started six or seven years ago has been a $23 billion initiative for us,” Bonomo said. “That’s why I bring in the Wall Street reference — because when you spend that kind of money, and if we were going to do more, we would need to provide that kind of guidance to Wall Street. It’s almost the law that you need to do that.” Bonomo said residents in areas where FiOS is not available should equate seeing Verizon advertisements to those for auto dealerships. “We run those commercials in those areas or on those mediums that hit the most people,” he said. “Now granted, you are going to hit people who don’t have availability for it. It’s the same thing with a car commercial. ... They can say buy a Chevy, but I don’t have a Chevy dealership within 50 miles of me.”

One could guess that if the rural broadband bills winding their way through Congress these days ever get passed Verizon will have no problem accepting public funds to finish this job and supply our area with their service.

The Big Up music festival at the 1500-acre Sunnyview Farm in Ghent has switched its dates to Aug. 5-7 from June 18-20. Bands performing include: RAQ, Telepath, Sub Swara, The Breakfast, Kung Fu Higher Organix, Archnemesis, Roots of Creation, The Indobox, BuzzUniverse, The Macpodz, NY Funk Exchange, Twiddle, Dirty Paris, Timbre Coup, Lucid, Nadis Warriors, Moses & The Electric Company, Fever Train, Mos Opus, Seed, LeSpecial, PMT Sugarproof, The Peoples Blues of Richmond, Deafened by Love, and Asleep in a Box.

Patrick Ziegler, the more conservative Republican Congressional nominee who won Warren and Washington counties during the nominating contest, will take on the role of Policy Advisor and Outreach Coordinator for the [Chris] Gibson for Congress campaign, the Gibson campaign announced.

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Christopher Matthews from Rural Intelligence reports:

"In a clear boost to local tourism and our region’s artisanal food and beverage scene, six partners—four wineries, a brewery and a distillery—have joined forces to establish the Hudson-Berkshire Beverage Trail (HBBT). It will formally launch on April 10 with a Pasta and Sauce event, featuring beverage flights paired with pasta dishes at each stop along the trail. Spanning three counties and two states, the HBBT has two main axes: one running south from Rensselaer County, southeast of Albany, down through Columbia County to Germantown, near Hudson; the other heading east from Chatham into Berkshire County, ending in New Marlborough, MA. Discussions with the Department of Transportation and the New York State Agriculture and Markets Department on road signage for the trail are underway. The founding partners include: Brookview Station Winery, Castleton-on-Hudson, NY, a bemedaled producer of fruit wines, cider and baked goods; Harvest Spirits, Valatie, NY, a micro-distillery that produces “Core,” an award-winning vodka made from local apples; Chatham Brewing, Chatham, NY, an all-natural “nano-brewer” of craft beers; Hudson-Chatham Winery, Ghent, NY, a producer of small batch wines from local and regional grapes, as well as cheeses and desserts; Tousey Winery, whose Germantown-based owner, beekeeper-farmer Ray Tousey is a mainstay at local farmers’ markets with his displays of bees, honey, small fruits and wines; Furnace Brook Winery, located at Hilltop Orchards, a scenic 100-year old farm in Richmond, MA; and Les Trois Emme Vineyard and Winery, nestled in New Marlborough, MA, east of Great Barrington."

Anyone who has walked around Warren St. in Hudson in the past 48 hours knows there is a palpable tension in the air. When, exactly, would Lick open? The ice cream store near the corner of S. 3rd St. on Warren St. that closes for the winter has already missed two of spring's most fabulous days. Luckily Carole Osterink reports, "William and I walked by Lick this morning and noticed inside a ladder, cleaning products, and other evidence to suggest a major spring cleaning going on. Could it be that Lick is getting ready to open for the season?" And a reader, named Melinda, responded, reporting an opening tomorrow (Saturday). Lo and behold Lick did open on Friday, with temporary weekend hours for this weekend alone. After that, they may or may not be open on weekends.

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Last year WGXC made recordings of local authors and fair attendees, and this year we hope to have a table at this great event.

Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation announced today that April 30 is the deadline for The Kinderhook Central School District Education Foundation Arts and Humanities Fund. The purpose of the Arts and Humanities fund is to enhance and enrich the educational experience of students and teachers in the Kinderhook (Ichabod Crane), NY Central School District through access to programs in the arts and humanities that emphasize excellence, innovation and creativity. Students, teachers, administrators, staff, parents and community members of the Ichabod Crane School District are invited to apply for grants for the 2010-2011 school year. A committee of school personnel and community members will review applications based on: excellence of the project, impact on the school community and ability of the applicant to carry out the project. Applications are available at the Superintendent’s office and online at www.berkshiretaconic.org/grantseekers. Grant awards will range from $100 to $2,500. Possible projects include, but are not limited to: independent study, new programs, extracurricular activities, individual creative projects (in or outside the classroom), visiting speakers, artists-in-residence, professional development for teachers, library resources and class field trips. Preference will be given to activities that take place within the school community. Kinderhook Central School District Education Foundation Arts and Humanities Fund was established in 2008 with a gift to the endowment from an anonymous donor in the Germantown area. Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation builds stronger communities and improves the quality of life for all residents of Berkshire County, MA; Columbia County and northeast Dutchess County, NY; and northwest Litchfield County, CT. Thanks to its generous donors, in 2009 Berkshire Taconic distributed nearly $7 million in scholarships and grants for programs in the arts and education, health and human services, and environmental protection. Berkshire Taconic is a 501 (c)(3) charitable organization.

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