The Eastwick Press Newspaper

Eastern Rensselaer County's Community Newspaper

Grafton

Win Yankees Vs. Red Sox Tickets At The Grafton Library

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Tickets are on sale now for the “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” raffle at the Grafton Community Library. Purchase tickets for one dollar each or six tickets for five dollars. The drawing will be at the Library on Wednesday, August 13.

The winner will take home a basket of prizes including two grandstand tickets to the New York Yankees game on Wednesday September 3 at Yankee Stadium versus the Boston Red Sox, a $40 value. Game time is 7 pm. Also in the basket are two Yankee caps, two holographic large tumblers, a Yankee Pez dispenser, a Yankee travel soup mug, soft toy, The Yogi Book and 42 The Official Movie Novel. Stop in at the Library located at 2455 NY Route 2 during regular hours to purchase your raffle tickets. The Library is open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 3-7 pm, Wednesday and Saturday from 10 am-1 pm. The Library is open until 8 pm on Thursday and Friday. Phone 518 279-0580 or visit www.graftoncommunitylibrary.org for news of library programs and events.

Music Under The Trees With The Hill Hollow Band

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The Dyken Pond Environmental Education Center is holding a Music Under the Trees event featuring the Hill Hollow Band on Wednesday, July 9, at 7 pm. One of the emerging bright lights in the Capital Region’s grass roots music scene, The Hill Hollow Band performs with a rambling energy that must be seen to be appreciated. Armed with a multitude of instruments, eclectic arrangements and musical influences that span a century, this band has a well earned reputation as local live performance favorites. Get ready to enjoy richly textured arrangements including accordion, mandolin, fiddle, guitars, pedal steel, bass and full harmony vocals. This free concert will be held outdoors. Bring a lawn chair. Light snacks will be available for purchase.

This event is co-sponsored by the Friends of the Dyken Pond Center and made possible with funding by EP&M, Portable and Custom Exhibits. The rain date is July 10. Come early to explore the Center. The Dyken Pond Environmental Education Center is located at 475 Dyken Pond Road, Cropseyville. Contact us at 518-658-2055 or dykenpond@fairpoint.net for more information.

Wetland Ecology, Jr. Naturalist Program At Dyken Pond

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The Dyken Pond Environmental Education Center is offering a Junior Naturalist Program on July 9 from 1 to 3 pm. This program will teach Jr. Naturalists all about the different wetland ecosystems located at Dyken Pond Center and include a short hike through the trails. Students will learn about the different plants and animals that inhabit these wetlands as well. A $1 per child donation covers material costs. A complete list of programs can be found at: www.dykenpond.org. Pre-registration is encouraged to help with planning but not required and can be done by contacting the Center at dykenpond@fairpoint.net or 658-2055.

July Twilight Paddles At The Dyken Pond Environmental Education Center

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The Dyken Pond Environmental Education Center is offering Twilight Paddles in July on the 12th and 15th from 7 to 9 pm. The July 15 twilight paddle will be held during a full moon. Paddles are limited to 15 people and pre-registration is required. Boats can be rented for $10. Please call 518-658-2055 or email us at dykenpond@fairpoint.net to register or find out more information. A complete list of programs can be found at www.dykenpond.org.

The Dyken Pond Environmental Education Center, located at 475 Dyken Pond Road, Cropseyville, is a Rensselaer County Park open daily during daylight hours for hiking, fishing and non-motor boating. Canoes and kayaks are available for rent each day from 9 am until 3 pm.

Grafton Library Summer Programs

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The Grafton Community Library is kicking off its six week 2014 summer reading program with a slate of exciting weekly programs for kids and their families. These programs are free and open to all children. Come to the Library, call 279-0580 or visit online at graftoncommunitylibrary.org to see all the great programs this summer for young and old alike.

• Mystery Artifacts with the  Bennington Museum – Tuesday, July 1, at 4 pm. Experts from the Bennington Museum will show us how to uncover the past with a hands-on investigation of real artifacts from the Museum’s collection which they will bring to the Library. Children will be challenged to become historical detectives, using their own background knowledge, observations and, most importantly, context clues to determine the possible uses of these unknown, mysterious objects.

• Preschool Storytime and Craft Session – Wednesday, July 2, at 10:30 am. All through the summer the Grafton Library will offer special weekly storytimes with science based themes and crafts. Children will have a chance to hear stories and do craft projects about dinosaurs, the five senses, construction and building, the human body, wind power and more.

• Community-Wide Geocache Treasure Hunt – Wednesday, July 9, at 10:30 am. Geocaching is a real world, outdoor treasure hunting game using GPS enabled devices. Participants navigate to a specific set of GPS coordinates and then attempt to find the geocache container with a special prize hidden at that location.  Local organizations have created geocache locations all over Grafton. In this program, children and their families will learn the ins and outs of geocaching and have the option to borrow free GPS units from the Library to go out in the field and start hunting!

Additional Evening Hours At The Grafton Library

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Starting July 1 the Grafton Community Library will be open until 8 pm on Thursdays and Fridays.

You spoke and we listened! Last fall, the Library conducted a survey to find out how to better serve the community. Patrons needed more time to get to the Library in the evening, and this is the first step towards better meeting those needs. In addition to the increased weekly hours, Library patrons can access all of the Library’s databases and collections of ebooks, downloadable audiobooks and streaming video anytime online at graftoncommunitylibrary.org.

Local State Parks To Take Part In Free Fishing Weekend

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Grafton Lakes State Park and Cherry Plain State Park will offer free fishing without a license on June 28 and 29 as part of the NYS DEC’s Free Fishing Weekend. Grafton Lakes State Park is also offering a free fishing program for park patrons.

On June 28, DEC Fisheries Educators will offer “Go Fish! An Intro to Fishing for Families” from 9 am to 1 pm. Meet by the boathouse on Long Pond in Grafton Lakes State Park. Children and parents will learn the basics of fishing and identification, with fishing poles provided by DEC for this free class. First time fishermen are likely to encounter bluegill, pumpkinseeds and rock bass, as well as large and small mouth bass.

Grafton Lakes State Park is open for swimming daily from 10 am to 6 pm. Cherry Plain State Park is currently open on weekends only but will expand to offer swimming and camping daily starting July 4 through Labor Day. To make reservations, visit www.reserveamerica.com. Both parks open at 8 am for picnicking and all other day use activities and close at 8:30 pm. Parking fees are $8 per car at Grafton Lakes State Park and $7 per car at Cherry Plain State Park.

For more information about these and our other summer program offerings, please contact the Park Naturalist at 279-1155 or visit our website at www.nysparks.com/parks.

Upcoming Events At GLSP, Cherry Plain State Park And The Bennington Battlefield Historic Site

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Saturday, June 28 – Go Fish! an introduction to fishing clinic from 9 am to 1 pm just past the docks by Long Pond Beach at GLSP. Instruction and fishing poles will be provided.

July 

The Beach Nature Center will be open six days a week starting July 1. Meet local critters, discover some wild wonders and talk with our environmental education volunteers.

• July 4, Friday – 4th of July Sculpture Contest – registration at 12 pm, judging at 3 pm. This contest is free with prizes for all participants, but extra points will be awarded for originality. Join us on Long Pond beach at the Grafton Lakes State Park.

• July 5, Saturday – Treasure Hunt at GLSP – an introduction to geocaching at 3 pm. Learn about the fun and hugely popular outdoor activity of geocaching. Saratoga-Capital Region Parks have a region-wide Geocache Passport adventure awaiting you! Free to sign up, and you can explore parks and historic sites throughout the region and find hidden “geocaches” using a hand held GPS or an App on your Smart phone. Call for information and to pre-register at 279-1155.

• July 5, Saturday – Cherry Plain State Park Summer Program Series kicks off with “Time Travel Hike.” Ancient rocks, old homesteads and waterfalls will be explored along this two mile hike.

• July 7, Monday – Yoga in the Park Series Begins on Mondays through August 18 at GLSP. Deep stretch and relaxing yoga from 12 to 1 pm at the Deerfield pavilion or 6:30 to 7:30 pm at Long Pond Beach. The cost is $12 per class. All levels are welcome. For more information, please contact Kat Abrams at katyoga@hotmail.com.

• July 8, Tuesday – Pull Invasive Garlic Mustard and Make Pesto at 10 am at GLSP. Learn about this invasive plant and help us eradicate its small population from the Park. Celebrate our efforts afterwards with some freshly made pesto. Bring some bread and work gloves. Meet at the far end of main parking lot. Please sign-in at gate as volunteer. For more information, call the Park Naturalist at 279-1155.

• July 9, Wednesday – Yoga in the Park Series begins on Wednesdays through August 20. A strengthening yoga class will be held from 6:30 to 7:30 pm on Long Pond Beach at GLSP. The cost is $12 per class at the Beach every Wednesday.

• July 10, Thursday – Summer Outdoor Fun for Toddlers at 10:30 am at GLSP. Explore the Park in this program series for toddlers and pre-k-aged children. This event is free. Please pre-register at 279-1155.

• July 12, Saturday – Old Fashioned Field Day at the Bennington Battlefield from 1 to 2:30 pm. Have you ever taken the Pig to Market or played other colonial games? This is a free afternoon of fun for the kids. The Bennington Battlefield is located off of Route 67 in Hoosick.