Friday April 26, 2024 
Sand Lake Center for the Arts 2022 Community Arts Project
After last year’s successful birdhouse project, SLCA is inviting local artists to participate in this year’s windchime/suncatcher auction.
Pick up your windchime at SLCA by February 28 and create your masterpiece to be exhibited at SLCA throughout the month of April. Patrons will then bid on your creations and all proceeds will go to benefit SLCA. Submissions will be accepted until March 25. For more information, visit www.slca-ctp.org or call 518-674-2007. Sand Lake Center for Arts is located at 2880 NY 43, Averill Park, NY.
Sand Lake Center for the Arts 2022 Juried Art Show Call for Submissions
Artists of all media are invited to submit up to two works for a juried show at Sand Lake Center for the Arts July 1 through July 31, 2022. Twenty pieces will be selected. Awards will be presented for first ($300), second ($200), third ($100), and people’s choice ($100). There is no submission fee for this show.
Art should reflect the concepts presented in the song “When I’m Gone” by Phil Ochs. Song lyrics are included on our website, www.slca-ctp.org. Submissions should be sent to assvsubmit@nullgmail.com in jpeg form by June 1, 2022. Selections will be announced by June 20, 22. Selected pieces must be delivered to SLCA by June 30,2022.
For more information, visit www.slca-ctp.org or call 518-674-2007. Sand Lake Center for Arts is located at 2880 NY 43, Averill Park, NY.
Middle & High School Mountain Bike Team
Sky High Adventure Center is hosting the Rensselaer County Redtails Mountain Bike Team and we’re looking for high energy, fun-loving youth athletes to join us for our first season as a National Interscholastic Cycling Association (NICA) team.
All students in grades 6-12 are welcome; no experience is required. We will train 2-3 times weekly (6pm Tue & Thur & 10am Sat) and participate in up to five sanctioned races. Official practices will start on March 1st. The 2022 Spring Race Weekend Dates are: April 10 & 24, May 15 & 22 and June 5th.
The NICA Mission is to build strong minds, bodies, character, and communities through cycling. Our vision is for every youth to be empowered to be part of a thriving and engaged cycling community. We value having fun and adventure while inspiring friendships in an inclusive, equitable team environment that emphasizes respect and community building. Experience is not necessary! Our coaches are NICA certified and have years of combined experience teaching cycling.
Many thanks to Steiner’s Sports, Tomhannock Bicycles, and Velo Domestique for their sponsorship. If you are interested in volunteering or sponsoring the Rensselaer County Redtails, please contact Coach John at SKYHIGHadventures@<span class=”oe_displaynone”>null</span>gmail.com
Registration is NOW OPEN and will close on March 15th. To Register, complete the Rensselaer County Redtails Mountain Bike Team Registration form. Registration is $170 and includes a NICA Athlete License and first race entry fee. Subsequent races are $30. Financial aid is confidential and available if needed. Register prior to March15 at www.SHACcenter.org/services
HVCC offers noontime concert series, in person or live stream
TROY – A series of Thursday noontime concerts begins Feb. 17 at Hudson Valley Community College. The performances are live in the Bulmer Auditorium on the Troy campus and live streamed at www.hvcc.edu/culture. Each hour-long event is free and open to all. (Masks are required indoors on campus.)
The concerts — all at noon in the Bulmer Auditorium — are:
Feb. 17 — Sara Milonovich & Daisycutter — Singer/songwriter and fiddle virtuoso Sara Milonovich is joined by Greg Anderson, guitars, and Boo Reiners, banjo, guitar and lap steel. Daisycutter fuses bluegrass, indie roots-rock and alt-country to the delight of fans throughout the Hudson River Valley.
Feb. 24 — Quintocracy – A classical wind quintet based in the Capital Region, Quintocracy’s interactive concerts feature superb artistry and illuminating commentary about its repertoire. Members are Melanie Chirignan on flute, Sue Daves on bassoon, Michael Dee on clarinet, Kelly Lockwood on oboe and Kathryn Svatek on horn.
March 10 — Reese Fulmer & the Carriage House Band — Up-and-coming, Saratoga Springs-based, singer/songwriter Reese Fulmer and band mates on guitar, upright bass and drums are eager to share the music on “It’s All A Dream,” a debut EP released in 2021.
March 24 — Jim Gaudet & the Railroad Boys — Singer/guitarist Jim Gaudet is joined by stellar musicians on fiddle, mandolin, piano and upright bass to deliver a blend of bluegrass and rockabilly reminiscent of Hank Williams, Earl Scruggs and Bill Monroe.
April 21 — Double B & the New Orleans Drive-by Band — Area mainstay trumpeter Bob Button and six band mates — playing sax, guitar, harmonica, accordion, Hammond organ, bass, trombone, tuba, drums and spoons – stir up a gumbo of dance music and soulful ballads that is a hearty mix of jazz, New Orleans funk, R&B and Gospel-infused soul. The concert series is presented by HVCC’s Cultural Affairs Program. Visit www.hvcc.edu/culture for live stream access. Call (518) 629-8071 for more information.
Sand Lake Center for the Arts presents a Wine and Sweets Tasting
Join us for this fundraiser featuring wines from Sabba Vineyard and sweets from Parchment Bakery. Thursday, March 10 from 6 to 8pm. We will also have raffles plus wines and sweets for sale. Tickets are $20 and are available at slca-ctp.org. Ages 21 and older. *Proof of vaccination will be required. Masks must be worn when not eating or drinking.
Audubon Society of the Capital Region Annual Meeting & Speaker
The Audubon Society of the Capital District (ASCR) will hold its annual meeting on February 19, 2022, at 11:00 AM at Peebles Island State Park meeting room, 1 Delaware Avenue North, Cohoes, NY 12047.
Tom Lake, local conservationist and curator of NYSDEC’s Hudson River Almanac, will be the speaker. Election of officers/board members will also be held as well as a brief business meeting. Board chair openings are: Director, Program Chair, Education Chair, Marketing/Communications Chair, and Finance Chair. If you are interested in taking part in a community group dedicated to the welfare of birds, please attend the meeting. You may also email capitalregionaudubon@nullgmail.com for information.
Refreshments will be provided. The meeting is open to the public and there is no cost for admission. Reservations to attend should be made by contacting capitalregionaudubon@nullgmail.com and typing Annual Meeting in the subject line by February 15.
Castleton Boat Club
Spring 2022 History Lecture Series
92 South Main Street, Castleton, NY 12033
Join local historians and USCG Licensed Captains at the Castleton Boat Club for an informative and enjoyable series on Castleton and Hudson River history. Admission fee of $5 per person. Light refreshments provided prior to the lecture. NYS COVID guidelines will be respected.
Friday, February 25, 6:30-8:00 PM – A Trip Down Memory Lane: Historical photographs of Castleton and Schodack. A large, private collection of antique photographs from the Peter Family. In this well-researched presentation, Chris Peter gives anecdotes and context to the images of a younger Castleton on the shore of the Hudson.
Friday, March 25, 6:30-8:00 PM – Ice Harvesting Industry on the Hudson and in the Northeast: Tom Ragosta is the City of Watervliet Historian, and curator of the Watervliet Historical Society Museum. He has studied the Ice Harvesting industry of the Northeast. This presentation focuses on the methods and techniques used on the Upper Hudson.
Friday, April 22, 6:30-8:00 PM – The Industrial age of the Upper Hudson: Join Rensselaer County Historian, Kathy Sheehan, for an in-depth look at the industries and businesses on the shores of the Upper Hudson. These are the industries that built the Capital District.
Friday, May 27, 6:30-8:00 PM – Steamboats of the Hudson River: Captain Stanley Wilcox is the author of the full-color book “HUDSON: FROM TROY TO THE BATTERY”. He is a USCG licensed captain and has worked the river for many years. In this presentation he looks at the boats that brought Albany and Manhattan together during the age of Steam Power.
For more information, or to preregister, call 518-708-7995 or email laurawhiterivers@nullgmail.com
Dining with Diabetes Presented by Cornell Cooperative Extension Albany County
CAPITAL DISTRICT – February 28th at 6:30pm – Virtual Program via Zoom
Adults with type 2 diabetes (or those who are at risk of type 2 diabetes) and their family members, caregivers, and support persons are invited to participate in Dining with Diabetes. This free virtual program will help you learn the skills needed to promote good health while living with diabetes. Dining with Diabetes is an Extension program taught locally by Karen Roberts Mort, MS of Cornell Cooperative Extension Albany County.
Participants will learn how to read the new food labels, count carbohydrates and plan meals using the Plate Method. There will also be time to discuss ways to stay motivated to eat healthy and stay active during the current health crisis. This class offers opportunities to connect with others who are dealing with diabetes. Healthy recipes, cooking techniques and even ideas for making healthier choices at restaurants and grocery stores will be shared with the group. A Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialist has been invited to attend one of the sessions.
Please register here :
https://cornell.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJErf-ygqD4jH9f5xxKk0V3Il8E0bFtmCbCc
in order to get the Zoom link for the series. For help with registering or any questions, contact Karen from CCE Albany at kem18@nullcornell.edu or leave a message at 518-765-3552.
Extension Holds “Spring Garden Day”
RENSSELAER COUNTY – Cornell Cooperative Extension of Rensselaer County will hold its 24th annual “Spring Garden Day” virtually, on Saturday, March 12. Using Zoom, the cloud-based video communications format, we’ll have a webinar-type program from 9:45 AM to Noon. Garden designer, consultant and writer Robert Clyde Anderson will discuss how to revolutionize your garden in his talk, “Perennial Planting The New Wave Way.” For friends of trees and shrubs, Fred Breglia, Executive Director of the Landis Arboretum, will talk about “Promoting Plant Health Through Proper Pruning.” A great selection of garden-related door prizes will be given away. You’ll need to download the free Zoom app to participate. For registration information, visit http://ccerensselaer.org/ or contact Cornell Cooperative Extension at (518)272-4210 or mmp74@nullcornell.edu