Eastern Rensselaer County's Community Newspaper
by Thaddeus Flint
At last month’s New Lebanon Town Board meeting, Town Supervisor Mike Benson wondered aloud whether his fellow Board members weren’t “living under a rock” because they had been surprised by the sudden appearance of a museum in their Town. It turns out that there is actually quite a bit more happening in New Lebanon as well. [Read more…] about New Lebanon’s Future Looks Bright
by David Flint
Although Governor Andrew Cuomo survived Tuesday’s Democratic Primary with a 61-35 percent margin statewide, voters in the six Eastwick towns gave the Governor a resounding message of no confidence. [Read more…] about Eastwick Voters Favor Teachout And Wu
The New Lebanon Library announces the following September events. All of these events are free and will take place at the Library which is located at 550 State Route 20.
• September 17, 24 (event is on Wednesdays) – Small Wonders Storytime – 10 am. These are songs, movement activities and age appropriate stories for our younger patrons and their caregivers, for toddlers up to 35 months.
• September 17, 24 (event is on Wednesdays) Preschool Story Hour – 11 am. Story hour includes crafts, songs and movement activities for children 35 months to 5 years.
• September 12 – The Limb Shakers in concert – 6:30 pm. Join us for an evening of jazz and swing standards with the Berkshire trio. Donations for the performers are appreciated.
• September 13 – Rock Angel Book Launch – 6 pm. Author Jeanne Bogino will discuss her book Rock Angel and sign copies. Light refreshments will be provided.
• September 17 – For the Love of Yoga – 6:30 pm. This is a free yoga class appropriate for all levels. Donations for the instructor will be appreciated.
• September 18 – Family Crafts Night – 6:30 pm. Join us and make cool duct tape pencil cases, for ages 5 and up. All materials will be provided.
• September 19 – Bruce Mandel in concert – 6:30 pm. The Berkshire musician performs acoustic folk and rock. Donations for the performer will be appreciated.
• September 20 – Paws-to-Read – 9 am. Therapy dogs come to the library, and children read to their furry friends. And, of course, the dogs listen! Please call to register at 518-794-8844.
• September 21 – David Grover, Linda Worster and Puggy Demary in concert – 2 pm. Enjoy an afternoon of acoustic folk, rock and originals with these acclaimed Berkshire musicians. Donations for the performers are appreciated.
• September 22 – Study the Constitution – 7 pm. A biweekly discussion group focusses on the study of the Constitution. Interested participants should bring their questions and be ready to share their opinions.
• September 25 – Teen movie night – 6:30 pm. Join us for a free screening of a current film suitable for teens. Call for the film title at 518-794-8844.
• September 26 – Family Movie Night – 6:30 pm. There will be a showing of a current film suitable for the whole family. Call for the film title at 518-794-8844. Popcorn and juice will be provided.
• September 30 – Block Party: Legos in the Library! – 4 pm. This is a Legos club for kids. We’ll display their creations in the Library until the next club meeting.
For further information on any of these events, please contact Jeannie Bogino at 518-794-8844.
Berkshire musician Bruce Mandel will perform an evening of acoustic folk and rock at the New Lebanon Library on Friday, September 19, from 6:30 to 8:30 pm. The public is welcome, and the event is free, although donations for the performer are welcome.
Bruce Mandel’s guitar, keen lyrical ear and intimate and honest voice have traveled with him across the country and through musical territory both new and familiar. According to Singer & Musician Magazine, he is “reminiscent of the singer/songwriters who penned the soundtrack of the 60s and 70s…Bruce Mandel brews up a coffeehouse sound that’s espresso rich in inspiration and experience.”
The New Lebanon Library is located at 550 State Route 20, New Lebanon, just north of the yellow blinking light. For further information, contact the Library at 518-794-8844.
The Stoneware Collectors Group will meet at 4 pm on Friday, September 19, in the Bennington Museum’s Ada Paresky Education Center to hear a presentation by Jon Meredith entitled “An Overview of Columbia County, New York Stoneware.” Open to the public, the lecture is included with the $10 admission to the Bennington Museum. Those who would like to browse through the museum galleries prior to the lecture may do so.
New Lebanon – Terry Bingham, 68, died peacefully Tuesday morning, September 9, 2014, at his home with his family at his side. Born in Albany, NY, on March 9, 1946, he was the son of the late Robert and Fannie Coons Bingham. Terry was a 1964 graduate of New Lebanon High School and celebrated his 50th Class Reunion on July 12. He married his beloved wife, Judith A. Brown Bingham, on January 16, 1965, in New Lebanon, NY.
by David Flint
“It’s been all fun.” That’s Lebanon Valley Speedway owner Howard Commander talking to a Times Union reporter on the occasion of his receiving a DIRTcar Hall of Fame award last month for his 50 years of dedication to the sport of racing.
But just before the “all fun” wrap-up, Commander made a comment that has gotten some folks pretty riled up. He said he had two things remaining on his bucket list, fixing the flooding on his land, “And on Sunday afternoon I want to see the drag track, motocross track and go-kart track running and being packed full of people.” [Read more…] about Motocross Track Redux?
On Saturday, September 13, the Shaker Museum|Mount Lebanon will hold its annual benefit in support of the Museum and its work. This year, our benefit gala will be held in honor of our upcoming exhibition of Dan Graham’s 1984 art video, Rock My Religion.
[Read more…] about Dan Graham’s Rock My Religion At Mount Lebanon
Berkshire band The Limb Shakers will be performing at the New Lebanon Library on Friday, September 12, at 6:30 pm. They will perform a program of old time jazz and swing music at this event, which is free and open to the public although donations for the performers are appreciated.
The Limb Shakers have played swing dances at Club Helsinki and given concerts throughout Western Massachusetts and New York. The band features Allen Livermore on saxophone, bassist Dan Broad and Pete Adams on pedal steel guitar.
Allen Livermore is a certified music teacher who has taught pre-school through college. As a saxophonist and drummer, he has performed at clubs, restaurants, resorts, colleges and arts spaces throughout New England and New York.
Dan Broad, one of the most sought after bassists in Western New England, has performed in nearly every state in the union as well as in Europe.
Pete Adams, renowned for his skill on steel guitar, has performed with Dooley Austen, Rushmore, Bobby Sweet and the Adams Brothers, among others.
For further information on this event, please call the Library at 518-794-8844. The public is welcome, and the event is free. The Library is located at 550 State Route 20, ¼ mile north of the yellow blinking light at the intersection of Routes 20/22.
New Lebanon Library Director Jeannie Bogino will launch her debut novel – Rock Angel – at an event sponsored by Prashanti Press and hosted at the New Lebanon Library on September 13 at 6 pm. Bogino will introduce and read from her book as well as autograph copies. Light refreshments will be served.
Betsy Gitter, President of the New Lebanon Library’s Board of Trustees said, “All of us connected to the Library – patrons, trustees and volunteers – are so proud of Jeannie, who is not only a dynamic and imaginative Library Director but also a well respected book critic and an accomplished fiction writer. We look forward to celebrating the publication of her exciting new novel with her many admirers and friends in the Lebanon Valley community.”
Jeannie has already had a varied and successful writing career. She is a published author of short horror, fantasy, romance, memoir and gay fiction and is a regular contributor at Library Journal, where she was named 2011’s fiction reviewer of the year. She is widely regarded as an expert on zombie lit and horror films.
Jeannie has been director of the New Lebanon Library since 2007. Prior to that, she served as Reference Librarian at Southern Vermont College and Senior Assistant Librarian at the Berkshire Athenaeum. She lives in Hancock with partner Frank Kennedy, two lab mixes, a flock of chickens and several hives of honeybees.
Rock Angel, published by Prashanti Press and available as a paperback ($18) or ebook ($9.99) is set in the intoxicating world of the 1990s rock scene. The novel follows the meteoric rise of young, beautiful, heroin addicted Shan to guitar goddess stardom.
Early reviews of Rock Angel have been very positive. The Library Journal described the novel as “true music fiction, a soulful ballad that will interest readers of rock nonfiction titles . . .or drug-fueled fiction . . . ”
For more information, call 518-794-8844. The Library, at 550 State Route 20, is located ¼ mile north of the yellow blinking light at the intersection of Routes 20/22.
