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FOUNDERS Jason Stern & Amara Projansky
PUBLISHER
Jason Stern
EDITORIAL EDITORIAL DIRECTOR
Brian K. Mahoney ART DIRECTOR
David Perry NEWS & POLITICS EDITOR
Lorna Tychostup ASSOCIATE EDITOR
Susan Piperato CONTRIBUTING EDITOR
Jim Andrews MUSIC EDITOR
Sharon Nichols BOOKS EDITOR
Nina Shengold WHOLE LIVING EDITOR
Lorrie Klosterman POETRY EDITOR
Phillip Levine COPY EDITOR
Andrea Birnbaum EDITORIAL INTERNS
Marleina Booth-Levy, Brianne Johnson, Max Shmookler PROOFREADERS
Laura McLaughlin, Joyce Reed, Barbara Ross
PRODUCTION PRODUCTION DIRECTOR
Yulia Zarubina-Brill PRODUCTION COORDINATOR
Kiersten Miench PRODUCTION DESIGNERS
Jim Maximowicz, Julie Novak DESIGN ASSISTANT
Lorie Kellogg
PUBLISHING ADVERTISING SALES
Jamaine Bell, Ralph Jenkins, Jordan Parker
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OFFICE MANAGER
Lisa Mitchel-Shapiro TECHNOLOGY DIRECTOR
Justin Zipperle
COMMUNITY NOTEBOOK
18 THE ULTIMATE RECYCLER Jonathan D. King takes stock of the distribution network of the Food Bank of the Hudson Valley in Cornwall. 20 ART OF BUSINESS Ann Braybrooks manages to stay dry at Total Immersion Swim Studio in New Paltz.
NEWS AND POLITICS
22 VOTING 2.0 Cheryl Gerber reports on the security concerns raised by scientists about touch screen computer voting machines. ARTS & CULTURE
WHOLE LIVING GUIDE
28 PORTFOLIO The figural sculptures of Emil Alzamora.
72 SURVIVING GUILT SEASON Ilyse Simon offers a fresh perspec-
30 LUCID DREAMING Beth E. Wilson looks into her lucid crystal
tive on wise and healthy eating after the holidays—with no dieting.
ball for some artworld predictions for 2006.
76 INNER VISION Lorrie Klosterman on Unitarian Universalism.
33 GALLERY DIRECTORY What's hanging around the region.
BUSINESS SERVICES
36 MUSIC Sharon Nichols profiles composer Chris Lastovicka.
57 TASTINGS A directory of what’s cooking and where to get it.
Plus Nightlife Highlights and CD reviews. 40 BOOKS Nina Shengold talks with writer/ilustrators Dave Horowitz and Barbara Bash about their craft. 42 BOOK REVIEWS The Grace That Keeps This World by Tom Bailey; Permission Slips by Jerry Sanders; Beyond the House of the False Lama by George Crane. 46 POETRY Poems by local poets, plus a Larry Berk tribute. 62 FOOD Jen May dines at Swoon Kitchenbar in Hudson.
WEDDINGS & CELEBRATIONS 49 ARTICLES, PRODUCTS, AND SERVICES.
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78 WHOLE LIVING DIRECTORY For the positive lifestyle. 94 BUSINESS DIRECTORY A compendium of advertiser services.
THE FORECAST 101 DAILY CALENDAR Listings of local events. Plus features on Jeffrey Gaines, The Hunger Mountain Boys, and more.
PLANET WAVES HOROSCOPES 110 PARALLEL WORLDS Eric Francis Coppolino examines the astrological changes 2006 will bring. Plus horoscopes.
PARTING SHOT 116 INSIDE THE MONAD A charcoal drawing by Charlotte Schulz.
DASH SHAW
MARKETING & DISTRIBUTION
Tamara Zipperle OFFICE ASSISTANT
Matthew Watzka CONTRIBUTORS Emil Alzamora, Cheryl Berger, Jay Blotcher, Anne Braybrooks, Eric Francis Coppolino, DJ Wavy Davy, Philip Ehrensaft, Michael Gold, Betty Greenwald, Hillary Harvey, Annie Internicola, Jonathan D. King, Susan Krawitz, Jana Leon, Rebecca Leopold, Jennifer May, Dion Ogust, Anne Pyburn, Fionn Reilly, Charlotte Schulz, Dash Shaw, Ilyse Simon, Andy Singer, Sparrow, Beth E. Wilson, ALL CONTENTS COPYRIGHT 2006
LU M I N A R Y
PUBLISHING ADDRESS
314 Wall St. Kingston, NY 12401 845.334.8600 fax 334.8610 www.chronogram.com info@chronogram.com SUBMISSIONS
chronogram.com/submissions CALENDAR LISTINGS
Calendar listings are a free service to our community. FEBRUARY 2006 DEADLINE January 13 SUBSCRIPTIONS $36 / 12 issues ADVERTISING RATES Available upon request.
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On the Cover
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Jana Leon | Large Format Digital Capture| 2004
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n the 1990s, Olive-based commercial photographer Jana Leon shot predominantly in black-and-white. Her clients, including Saatchi & Saatchi, Knopf, and Atlantic Records, were interested in edgy images, and by edgy, they meant stark black-and-white photographs— something between Weegee, Diane Arbus, and Eugene Atget. Color images began to dominate in her clients’ portfolios at the turn of the century, however, a shift Leon pegs to the bursting of the dot-com bubble. “Now the market is really more into color. That transition started happening around 2000, when the economy started tanking,” Leon said. “Advertisers don’t take as many chances in an economic downturn." Another contributing factor was 9/11. "Following September 11, people wanted more happy, shiny, positive-feeling images, and color is associated with that. I think advertisers get scared and become conservative. The market took a big turn away from anything moody, dark, or black-and-white, and commercially there isn’t much of a call for it, though I think black-and-white will eventually rebound.” The title of the cover image dsc00-189, refers to the file name of the digital photograph. “I’m not big into giving images names,” says Leon, who believes that the image exists independent of verbal explanation, and aims for a visceral, rather than an intellectual reaction. The cover image grew out of some leftover fake blood, and although Leon used a digital camera, the image has not been manipulated. “The model was my husband,” says Leon. “We had some fake blood lying around from Halloween that I didn’t use and I thought it would be fun to play with.” Leon, who first became involved with photography as a model in her late teens, is thrilled to have spent her life thus far behind the lens. “I feel very fortunate that I set out to make a career doing something that I really love and I’m still doing it today," says Leon. www.janaleon.com.
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Editor’s Note
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here’s a lot of bad news out there, and it comes from every direction: TV, radio, newspapers, the Internet. A few examples from recent days: We’re still at war in Iraq with an amorphous enemy and US policymakers can't formulate any solutions better than complete withdrawal or some entropic vagary called “staying the course.” A small-plane crash near Miami kills all 20 aboard, including three children. (That makes it worse, doesn’t it?) People are still homeless from the Asian tsunami, the earthquake in Pakistan, and Hurricane Katrina—and the weather catastrophes are most likely directly related to our overheating planet, a new sign of which appears in the media each week: melting ice caps, drowning polar bears, Santa in a Speedo, etc. To top it all, the government has been eavesdropping on our phone calls without warrants, and Vice President Cheney unapologetically frames this felonious wiretapping as a way to reassert the powers of the presidency, which had eroded post-Vietnam and Watergate. And the New York Times held the story for over a year at the request of the Bush administration. On certain days, watching CNN can make you feel like you’ve fallen in a hole. Chronogram is not immune from the bad-news bug. This past year we’ve published pieces on war profiteering, conservative Christians who wish to destroy the environment in order to quicken the Rapture, the regressive tax system, the inability of the international community to stop the ongoing genocide in Darfur, my own frequent tirades against lousy journalism. And this month we feature a frightening report on the perils of electronic voting (p. 20). Bad news is the blood that runs through the veins of the media (“if it bleeds it leads”), and we need it. To be truly informed about our world and to be able to better strategize positive responses to the news of the day we need to know all the terrible stuff. In most cases, this is not feasible—short of raising a private army and ferrying it to the Sudan, there is little beyond anguished hand-wringing that most of us can do about the genocide in Darfur. There are times, however, when a determined group of people can mobilize themselves on a local level and achieve an astonishing success. In 2002, one of Ulster County’s largest private landowners, John Bradley, unveiled a plan to develop 350 luxury homes and a golf course on 2,500 acres nestled up against the Shawangunk Ridge, abutting Minnewaska State Park and Sam’s Point Preserve, an area the Nature Conservancy has dubbed “one of earth’s last great places.” Land conservation groups had approached Bradley at various times over the years with offers to buy the land, only to be rebuffed by him. To facilitate the “conservation-based development,” a limited liability corporation was formed, Awosting Reserve LLC, with Bradley, a group of investors, and the developer Chaffin/Light as shareholders. The path seemed cleared for large-scale development on the ridge with minimal resistance from the municipal authorities. And then the signs went up. Everywhere you drove in southeast Ulster there were tiny lawn billboards declaring “Save the Ridge.” This was the work of a grassroots group formed by concerned citizens—those who lived near the proposed development and those who didn’t but believed it was inappropriate to site it on pristine land sandwiched between two nature preserves. Public forums were staged where hundreds of people came out in force to debate and challenge the developers. Fundraisers were held. Strategies discussed. Alliances were formed with other land-conservation groups. Candidates opposed to the proposed development were elected to the town board. Save the Ridge didn’t have Bradley’s millions, nor the litigation and PR savvy of veteran developer Chaffin/Light, but they wielded their most powerful weapon—persistent vocal opposition—ferociously. In 2004, lacking significant progress on the development as the regulatory and zoning process ground on and on, Bradley attempted to fire Chaffin/Light, dissolve the LLC, reclaim his land, and build a smaller development. The delicious irony of it was, due to the intricacies of how the LLC was created, Bradley no longer owned the land, and couldn’t fire anybody. Chaffin/Light sued Bradley, and it landed in court, where a judge ruled that the land should be auctioned off, and the investors—Bradley and Chaffin/Light among them—should receive their money back. Among the potential buyers were Bradley, who offered $15 million to buy back his former property; another developer, who offered $20 million but wanted reassurances from the town that he would in fact be able to build 300 homes on the site, and a bid of $17 million from the Trust for Public Lands in conjunction with the Open Space Institute, two large, deep-pocketed land-conservation groups who pledged to give the land to New York State to expand Minnewaska State Park. The court-appointed trustee chose to sell the land to Trust for Public Lands and the Open Space Institute, as they had no contingencies attached to their bid. They signed a contract for the land on November 5 and expect to close in late March. Bad news can often be disheartening and downright enervating, it can sap the spirit like a succubus and make you beg to be released from the responsibility of all this knowing. It’s instructive, and refreshing then, especially as a new year begins, to be reminded that grassroots collective action, like that of Save the Ridge, can move mountains—or save them from being moved. —Brian K. Mahoney
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Letters
Advertise in the
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To The Editor: It was with mixed emotions that I read “Afterword” [12/05]—your story about Susan and Dean Avery and the closing of their Ariel Booksellers in New Paltz. As a six-year resident of the area, my every visit to the village has been made brighter by a stop at the bookstore. I’m also the owner and operator of Blockheads restaurant, Ariel’s likely replacement. While I’ve always admired Ariel, it’s only recently that I’ve come to know the Averys personally. They are wonderful, sensitive, and intelligent people whom I’m proud to call friends. For 34 years they have poured their hearts into their business and their community, beating the daunting odds that face all small business owners. While I join my neighbors in lamenting Ariel’s closing, I believe the Averys have earned the right to move on with their lives and that they deserve nothing less than our support and admiration. They have also earned the right to choose tenants for their building that can provide them a measure of financial security. I am thrilled that they have chosen Blockheads. Contrary to your article, Blockheads in New Paltz will not be a franchise. It is a family business owned by my brother Don, a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, and myself. We have together run our restaurants since 1993.To characterize our fivelocation business as a “mini-chain” says nothing about the nature or character of our restaurants. While they share common elements, each Blockheads is unique in look and feel.They are warm and inviting, casual and fun. Food is purchased fresh and prepared on premises with plenty of healthy options including vegetarian and nondairy dishes. Our prices are family, kid, and student friendly. Blockheads will not replace Ariel. But given a chance, Blockheads will make a positive contribution to the great village of New Paltz. —Ken Sofer, West Park
Esteemed Reader People like us, who believe in physics, know that the distinction between past, present, and future is only a stubbornly persistent illusion. —Einstein Esteemed Reader of Our Magazine: Having recently passed the milestone of my 35th year, I’ve been identifying with Dante Alighieri, who, at 35, began his opus with the words “Midway upon the journey of our life / I found myself within a forest dark, / For the straightforward pathway had been lost.” Not wanting to depart too far from the straight path, I have been pondering some of life’s difficult problems more seriously. Chief among these is Time, along with his prime minister, Death. Here is some of what I have come up with thus far: Time passes, and it never stops. In Gurdjieff’s All & Everything time is called the “Merciless Heropass,” the unstoppable eroder of even the most powerful men, their legions and fortifications. Youth, strength, and wealth are worn away by time’s flow, which carries on its gently flapping, flying wings the harsh effectors of doom. Take a look at the relics of past epochs. However they are built to endure they show the signs of inevitable degradation! Though we wish for immortality, we consider it a pipe-dream of the chillum-smoking yogis and religious dogmatists. The degeneration and death of the body—the part of our instrument with which most of us are most identified—is inevitable. If anything eludes the heropass it surely is finer than flesh. We have contrived rhythmic devices such as clocks to overlay a predictable measure on time. Meanwhile, the actual experience is manifestly subjective. Says Beelzebub, “[Time] alone can be called and extolled as the Ideally-Unique-Subjective-Phenomenon.” We experience it only as a measure of the flow of experiences through our instrument. For instance, we can all agree that “time flies when you’re having fun.” Why? Because fun represents a concentration of impressions and experiences. Conversely time drags when there is a shortage of stimulation and experiences, and we become bored. Time not only passes. It flows. It is a river that flows through all matter. We experience it as an artery with tributaries that flow through our tripartite perceptive instrument as thought, feeling, and sensation. The flow is sometimes furious and turbulent, and sometimes placid. Sometimes it even begins to stagnate and our inner life becomes a stinky psychic swamp, but it is not over speed of the flow that I am concerned. Given, there are practitioners of meditation that advocate for slowing down the subjective flow of time by sitting very still, quelling thought, and conserving experience. Rather, my point is that we can dangle our tackle in the stream of this experience and fish out something for ourselves; a something that accumulates, and remains fresh even as the body wears out. Without fishing for insight in the river of experience, that experience will wear out our inner lives the same way it wears out the body. We will become dull, senile, premature victims of Alzheimer’s. [Insert humble qualifier here], there are two aspects to this fishing: The first requires that we be conscious of ourselves as an experience flows in us. This is selfremembering—the two-pronged awareness in which the attention goes “out” and “in” simultaneously (I use quotation marks because there really is only our inner experience, though we differentiate between material harvested by the senses and that which arises associatively from the repository of memory). The second requirement for extracting insight and energy from experience is to always be in a disposition of learning. And to exercise the capacity to learn every day, and in three ways. That is to learn something in each of the three realms of intellectual, emotional, and physical experience. For example, read a book to gain knowledge, play a musical instrument to exercise the feeling capacity, and train bodily in sports, dance, physical work. The most important part of both of these efforts is their intentionality. For in general, as time passes and experience flows through us, we are carried on its current, reacting to requirements and bob-bob-bobbing down the stream of time. Rarely do we need to do something totally, intentionally for ourselves—for the sake of extracting something enduring. Time is the unique subjective phenomenon. And yet swimming in it is the material to build something of objective value. Go fishing! Take your time, so your time doesn’t take you. And the next time someone asks if you have the time, you will honestly be able to answer, yes. —Jason Stern
Gifts with a Twist 299 WALL STREET KINGSTON, NEW YORK 12401 845-338-8100
In The Heart of The Stockade District LIGHTING • JEWELRY • ART • GIFTS • FUNKYETHNIC 1/06 CHRONOGRAM 17
COMMUNITY NOTEBOOK
The Ultimate Recycler by jonathan d. king
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ccording to a 2001 America’s Second Harvest National Hunger Study, it is estimated that more than three million people live below the poverty level in New York State; one-third of these people are children. Nowadays, poverty is no longer synonymous with being unemployed and down on luck— nearly half of the users of soup kitchens and pantries are members of the working poor, who toil at minimum wage jobs while supporting families. However, one small local nonprofit organization has been quietly working to make a difference in fighting poverty and hunger throughout the Hudson Valley—and has been succeeding on a grand scale. Food Bank of the Hudson Valley runs what staff members refer to as “a recycling program” that joins corporate donors with food-distribution outlets throughout the area. Janet Whitman is the director of the Food Bank of the Hudson Valley, located in Cornwall-on-Hudson. Whitman came to the Food Bank as a volunteer over 16 years ago, having left her job as a DJ at radio station WDST after deciding she wanted to make a difference and “do something good.” Whitman explained the “recycling” aspect of the Food Bank’s work as follows: “The basic premise of our mission is that we take food that would be wasted, and prior to 20 years ago was wasted and, in a sense, recycle it [by distributing] it to agencies who then distribute it to those in need here in the Hudson Valley. I think of it as a real practical charitable effort in a twofold way.” The concept of food banking began in the late 1960s in Phoenix, Arizona, with John Van Hengel, a retired businessman working at a local soup kitchen, who solicited donations of food products and found that he rapidly generated more food than the soup kitchen could handle–so much so that he soon needed to find a warehouse in which to store the donated products, from which he could also distribute food to the various charities that worked to feed the hungry people of Phoenix. Gradually, this system was copied in other major American cities, and in 1976, coinciding with 18 COMMUNITY NOTEBOOK CHRONOGRAM 1/06
photos by hillary harvey
tax reform enticing corporate donations, Van Hengel received a federal grant to develop a network of food banks across the country. In 1979, member charities of the nationwide network of food banks established by Van Hengel combined their efforts, and America’s Second Harvest—subtitled The Nation’s Foodbank Network—was founded and incorporated. Today, America’s Second Harvest distributes 1.8 billion pounds of donated food and grocery products annually, making it the largest charitable hunger-relief organization in the nation. The Food Bank of the Hudson Valley is a satellite program of the Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York, based in Latham, near Albany. Like its overseeing organization, The Food Bank is a member of America’s Second Harvest. The Food Bank was originally an ad hoc organization created by a group of food pantry coordinators in response to a sudden influx in the number of people requesting emergency food assistance in the Hudson Valley, thanks to the recession that began in the early 1980s. Initially, food was transported south from the Regional Food Bank and distributed from the backs of trucks to a small group of member agencies throughout the Hudson Valley. However, as the number of people without work and in need of food increased, so too did the number of Regional Food Bank’s member agencies. In 1990 the Food Bank of the Hudson Valley was founded and a warehouse in Newburgh was acquired, which not only allowed the Food Bank to collect more donations from food companies, but ensured better food safety and greater efficiency of operation. Today, the Food Bank and Regional Food Bank work together to cover 23 counties, servicing more than 1,000 food assistance programs stretching from Rockland County to the Canadian border. As a member of America’s Second Harvest, the Food Bank of the Hudson Valley is also a distributor of USDA commodities to federally funded programs, so, according to Whitman, there is “no problem getting access to food.” She explains: “As well as America’s Second Harvest, we have our own local food distributors—including
OPPOSITE: THE WAREHOUSE AT THE FOOD BANK OF THE HUDSON VALLEY IN CORNWALL-ON-HUDSON; ABOVE (CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT): WAREHOUSE ASSISTANT PETE MALLONE AND VOLUNTEER RODNEY RIVERA FILL ORDERS; STACKED FOOD; ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT RAMONA TORRES AND DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR TONI GUTTER.
Nabisco, Keebler, Wakefern, [and] CNS Wholesaler Grocers—who donate pallet loads at a time. We have orchards and farmers who also donate loads of fruits and vegetables. So the food in quantities that a warehouse would support isn’t the problem. But finding the money for the cost of fuel [to distribute food], which has doubled for us over the past year, is.” The Food Bank of the Hudson Valley essentially functions as the hub in a distribution system supplying food to social programs that feed people spread across six counties: Orange, Ulster, Putnam, Rockland, Sullivan, and Dutchess. Operating on a shoestring budget and buoyed by volunteers, the Food Bank’s fulltime staff of eight moves an impressive eight million pounds of product a year, providing staples for over 360 member organizations, including soup kitchens; food pantries; rehabilitation, disability, senior citizen, and after-school programs; daycare centers; homeless and women’s shelters; and summer camps for underprivileged youth. Other recipients of food from the Food Bank are Family of Ellenville, New Paltz, and Woodstock, as well as Ulster-Greene ARC and Crystal Run Village, two organizations that support independent living for people with disabilities. The Food Bank’s 55,000-square-foot warehouse in Cornwall-on-Hudson, which is filled with rows of pallets stacked with boxes of food, drinks, snacks, personal hygiene products, and recently, even alarm clock radios and hair dryers, was graciously gifted to the organization by a food importer who moved his operation in the late 1990s. Explains Toni Gutter, director of development, “Food is donated for a variety of reasons such as if a pallet falls over, or the expiration date is nearing or a certain promotion has ended. It’s all still perfectly good, it’s usually [not sellable] for packaging reasons… We accept anything and everything, because we will find a home for it.” The warehouse is includes a cooler with an insulated garage door, as well as a two-story 5,000-squarefoot freezer that dominates one end of the building.
The Food Bank’s associate director, Jill Dunn, ensures that organizations applying for membership meet the requirements, including being a 501(c)3 organization and having a sanitary food preparation site. Yet Dunn confirmed recent media reports that many local food pantries are experiencing “donor fatigue” due to increased need for food and state funding cuts. “I was just on the phone with a distressed gentleman from one of our member organizations,” Dunn reports. “As of the last distribution, he had used up his yearly grant from the state which was supposed to last through June 2006. He doesn’t want to close, and he doesn’t want to just give out little lunch bags of food to people who have been waiting in cold weather. I have no idea where that money is going to come from, but I’m going to try to get him that funding.” Sean Sullivan is in charge of the Herculean task of organizing and distributing millions of pounds of food for the Food Bank. As warehouse manager, he prepares orders that are distributed on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays when member agencies stop by all day every 15 minutes. It’s a chaotic, stressful, but ultimately satisfying job, says Sullivan. “The most satisfying thing is when things work the way they are supposed to. When we get a phone call from a farmer in Tivoli and pick up three pallets of mixed produce and get it here and are able to get it out to our agencies by the end of the day, that’s a great feeling because that’s stuff that was getting thrown out.” Like Sullivan, Dunn says she receives an enormous amount of personal satisfaction from working at the Food Bank because each day she witnesses the organization’s direct impact on the community. “We are the ultimate recycler,” she explains. “We prevent so much in the way of product waste and get it to the people who can really use it.” A $1 donation to the Food Bank provides $12 to $15 worth of food, translating to 15 meals on the table. To learn how you can help support the Food Bank of the Hudson Valley, call (845) 534-5344 or visit www.foodbankofhudsonvalley.org. 1/06 CHRONOGRAM COMMUNITY NOTEBOOK 19
THE ART OF BUSINESS
GO WITH THE FLOW TOTAL IMMERSION SWIM STUDIO
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was foolish not to bring a swimsuit. On a bleak, bone-chilling day, I could have immersed myself in a small, 90-degree pool, in an intimate “swim studio” setting, and learned how to swim like a fish instead of a clumsy, splashing human. I have always wanted to be a mermaid, and I lost my chance. Not forever, though. I can return to the Total Immersion Swim Studio, the business that Terry Laughlin opened last August in New Paltz. The swim studio is a bit hard to find—it’s around the back of a building in a strip mall not far from the Thruway—but worth the journey.
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Inside the studio, which is open year-round, there are two pools, one measuring 7 by 14 feet, the other a tad larger at 8 by 15. Each Endless Pool features a current that can be adjusted, from a gentle flow to a more powerful blast, to help simulate swimming. An underwater mirror in each pool gives swimmers instant feedback. Swimmers can also be videotaped by an instructor, then watch their tapes on a monitor facing the pool. Student and teacher can replay the tapes as often as necessary without stepping out of the water. Learning to swim in a warm and cozy studio is much nicer than being in a cavernous gym with an
photos by michael
gold
Go Fish
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nyone can take swimming lessons at the TI Swim Studio. While Laughlin and his colleagues work with competitive swimmers, they also welcome people who have always wanted to swim but are hesitant for one reason or another. In the comfortable studio environment, instructors can help beginners and nonswimmers relax and overcome any fears they might have. Babies as young as five-and-a-half months can be signed up for swim lessons. Babies and toddlers learn water acclimation and basic skills, as well as safety skills. Older children enjoy the teaching “toys,” especially the current. For a few minutes of fun, the instructor can crank up the current to max and let the kids pretend they are surfing. There is a junior team/pre-competitive program and stroke-efficiency/ competitive program. More experienced swimmers can take classes in freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke, and butterfly. The top swimmers—workshop grads, triathletes, masters, and competitive swimmers—can attend speed school to learn what Laughlin calls
the “smartest, most efficient way to swim faster.” Swimmers in this group can be recorded, by both surface and underwater cameras, and order a DVD with frameby-frame analysis and comparison to expert TI technique. In addition to taking classes offered by TI instructors, advanced swimmers can design their own programs to focus on particular skills. The swim studio is also open to people who want to swim on their own. The pools are open from 9am to 4pm Monday through Friday whenever they are not being used for classes. More information about the TI method can be found in Terry Laughlin’s books. Laughlin and John Delves’s Total Immersion: A Revolutionary Way to Swim Better and Faster is among the top five bestselling books on swim instruction on Amazon. And if you just can’t make it out the door, the information-packed totalimmersion.net may inspire you with free book excerpts, an online magazine, event listings, and a discussion board. —AB
OPPOSITE: TOTAL IMMERSION FOUNDER AND OWNER TERRY LAUGHLIN SWIMS IN AN ENDLESS POOL AT THE TOTAL IMMERSION SWIM STUDIO IN NEW PALTZ. ABOVE: LIA BERRY AND HER DAUGHTER ALEXIA RECEIVE INSTRUCTION AT THE TOTAL IMMERSION STUDIO.
instructor shouting from the other end of a long, daunting pool. Laughlin calls his method of teaching Total Immersion, or TI. Unlike traditional swim instruction, which teaches “human swimming,” TI promotes “fishlike swimming,” which encourages students to rediscover their aquatic instincts and be relaxed and “slippery” in the water. TI swimmers don’t pull or kick. They don’t muscle their way through an alien element. Instead, they flow through the water, minimizing drag and dramatically reducing splashing. Laughlin likens TI to yoga and dance. He refers to “mindful swimming” and “becoming one with the water.” He often reminds his students: Never practice struggle. Except for an unrewarding, 18-month stint in the corporate world, Laughlin has been a coach and instructor for more than 30 years. “I started swimming in high school and college,” he says. “I worked very hard to be very mediocre. I was intrigued by the fact that others did better but didn’t work as hard. After I graduated from college in the early seventies, I had the choice of getting paid $6,400 per year doing night maintenance at an elementary school or $1,200 per year as head swim coach at the US Merchant Marine Academy. I took the coaching job. Right from the beginning, whatever eluded me from my viewpoint in the pool didn’t elude me while I was coaching.” In 1988, Laughlin quit age-group coaching when he became overcome with swim-parent fatigue. That same year, he met a coach named Bill Boomer. “He had a great understanding of kinesiology. He always said, ‘It’s not the engine, but the shape of the vessel.’ When I met him, I realized that this was the organizing principle that I had felt intuitively.” Laughlin started teaching adult workshops. The rate of improvement was “staggering,” he says. As he continued to hone his method at swim camps
and clinics, he found that he could teach anyone—from novices to gifted athletes—to swim more gracefully and efficiently. Every student begins by learning a series of simple, easily mastered moves in a logical progression. The goal is to cultivate body awareness, balance, and flow and to establish a "profound connection" with the water. In 2001, Laughlin began teaching TI in Endless Pools instead of conventional pools. By teaching in EPs, Laughlin could easily convey important skills to a student who remained in place, inches away from him. Assistance or correction could be easily communicated. Laughlin found that students learned two to three times as fast as they would in a regular pool. In the past five months, since the studio opened, Laughlin has continued to refine his method of teaching. “The studio is our R&D center,” he says. “Just by using the pools here, our learning curve has gotten really steep again. We can examine all aspects of swimming. Right now, we’re focusing on breathing. Once people know that they can breathe underwater, they’ll let you teach them all of the other stuff.” In addition to training his staff at the New Paltz headquarters, Laughlin has instructed over 150 TI associates around the world. His dream is to franchise and have swim studios in every major city. It could happen. When I watched one of Laughlin’s students practice swimming in the current, I was amazed to see how gracefully the man moved his arms and legs. He hardly splashed at all. He didn’t quite look like a merman, but he did resemble a dolphin. The Total Immersion Swim Studio is located in the Cherry Hill Plaza on Main Street in New Paltz. Terry Laughlin can be contacted at (800) 609-7946 or (800) 256-9776; www.totalimmersion.net.
1/06 CHRONOGRAM COMMUNITY NOTEBOOK 21
VOTING 2.0
WILL YOUR E-VOTE COUNT? Imagine this: A Trojan Horse unleashes thousands of illegitimate votes and disappears without a trace, election commissioners bypass laws, uninvestigated computer glitches and easily picked locks in voting systems, no federal oversight holding e-voting vendors accountable—yes folks, elections can be stolen.
S
ince the 2000 Presidential election, problems stemming from the use of electronic voting machines have called into question the foundation of American democracy—the US voting system. At the forefront of concerns are security issues surrounding the use of Direct Recording Electronics [DREs], better known as touch screen computer voting machines, and their lack of a paper trail in the form of an auditable paper ballot. Widely reported irregularities from voting districts around the US have alarmed many and opened claims of stolen elections. Some even doubt the legitimacy of the outcome of recent US elections. A team of top computer scientists has been working diligently to resolve the many underlying design problems in the e-voting system that leave it open to cheating. Stalled by the federal government, and with doubts about e-voting continuing to spread, these scientists have instead turned to state governments and the National Science Foundation for help. “Maryland, where I live, uses Diebold DREs, which are an ideal opportunity for cheating,” said Dr. Avi Rubin, Technical Director, Information Security Institute, Johns Hopkins University. “In fact, you couldn’t come up with a better opportunity for cheating. There’s no ability to audit or recount, and the entire process takes place inside the computer, which is not transparent.” In May 2004, Rubin co-authored an analysis of electronic voting systems, raising concerns about lack of security, for the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), the world’s largest professional organization for technical standards. He also served in 2004 as a poll worker and election judge in Baltimore County, Maryland, where he lives. These and other experiences have only served to raise his concerns about the possibility for cheating via the use of electronic voting machines.
EFFORTS TO SECURE E-VOTING STALLED Apprehension about the lack of security in Diebold’s DREs and other touch screen computer voting machines spurred David Dill, a Stanford University computer science professor, to establish the Verified Voting Foundation in November 2004. According to Dill, when federal legislators tried to create a law that would address e-voting security problems, it was “blocked by a committee chairman, so we focused on state legislation.” Since then, the group has been advising states on e-voting security problems and the need, at a bare minimum, for a verified voting paper audit trail. Earlier this year, Congressman Rush Holt (D-NJ) submitted a bill, The Voter Confidence and Increased Accessibility Act of 2005 (HR 550), to the House Administration Committee. The bill requires a paper audit trail at the federal level. But Holt has not been able to get the chairman of the committee, Congressman Robert Ney (R-OH), to schedule a hearing on it all year long. “Congressman Ney will not schedule a hearing on the bill, so it remains in limbo,” confirmed Pat Eddington, Holt’s press secretary. Even the bi-partisan federal Carter-Baker Commission Report could not nudge Ney. Set up to review the entire electoral process and co-chaired by former president Jimmy Carter and former Secretary of State James Baker, the report strongly endorses the need for a paper audit trail. (Congressman Ney’s office did not return repeated calls.) In lieu of the refusal of some at the federal level of government to address the issues surrounding the legitimacy of electronic voting procedures and work toward safeguarding American elections, Verified Voting turned to state governments. Since
BY CHERYL GERBER ILLUSTRATIONS BY DASH SHAW 22 NEWS & POLITICS CHRONOGRAM 1/06
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its founding, Verified Voting has helped 26 states establish state legislation that requires a paper audit trail in e-voting machines, and 14 states have requirements pending, according to verifiedvoting.org. However, paper receipts only begin to address the complexity of electronic voting problems. The most serious concern among computer scientists studying the problems is the “Trojan Horse,” a computer code that can be programmed to hide inside voting software, emerge in less than one second to change an election, then destroy itself immediately afterwards, going undetected. “Anyone who has access to the software—an insider—could easily insert a Trojan Horse into the software,” said Barbara Simons, a past president of the Association for Computing Machinery and a retired IBM researcher who is co-authoring a book on the risks of computerized voting. The problem is that the Trojan Horse cannot be detected unless the software is inspected continuously—as in every second—for its presence.
NO OVERSIGHT OF E-VOTING LEGITIMACY Three-voting vendors—Diebold, Election Systems and Software (ESS), and Sequoia—dominate the market. Since e-voting is unprecedented in the history of elections and law tends to lag behind technology development, there is no federal oversight body holding these companies accountable for the security and reliability of their electronic voting systems. Their machines are supposedly tested by independent testing authorities. “But it turns out that the vendors pay the independent testing authorities and the vendors keep the results confidential,” said Simons. “So you have a huge conflict of interest right there.” In addition, said Simons, “There is no requirement to make any problems public or even to reveal them to election officials because this information is proprietary for the vendors. Also, the testers are only required to test for things on a list and aren’t required to test for things that aren’t on the list. If you are going to subvert software, you are not going to do something that will be found by a checklist. So it’s easy to insert a Trojan Horse into the software because the testing won’t find it. And even if they did find it, there are no requirements to report it.” Vendors are the ones who decide what goes on the list and what doesn’t. The privatization of the US voting process means the public lacks access to, or the ability to inspect, election software, as well as information about or even the names of the computer programmers who created it. Private companies and e-voting vendors flatly state that their election systems must be kept confidential as exclusive property right products, and therefore refuse to release their software source code for inspection by independent third parties. They claim that to do so would violate their right to copyright secrecy and would open the door to rivals who could steal their products. But some wonder 24 NEWS & POLITICS CHRONOGRAM 1/06
what else vendors might be trying to hide. For instance, according to information reported on www.blackboxvoting.org, a non-partisan, nonprofit consumer protection group that is conducting fraud audits on the 2004 elections, Diebold, one of the e-voting vendors, hired ex-felons, who were convicted in Canada of computer fraud, to program election systems software. “I don’t want to malign ex-felons,” said Simons, “but you want to know the names of the people who are programming the machines that will be recording and counting our votes.” On the other hand, it is not uncommon for major companies to hire, as programmers, former hackers who have proven themselves to be advanced enough to hack into even the most sophisticated and safeguarded systems. In some cases, to successfully gain entry into an ultrasecured system can guarantee a hacker a job. E-voting machine companies like Diebold are, in essence, funded to the tune of $3.9 billion by a 2002 federal law, entitled the Help America Vote Act (HAVA) which appropriates these funds as only an initial amount to the states to purchase e-voting for all national elections. States are required to phase out punch-card ballots and other systems that seemingly were problematic in the 2002 presidential election in Florida and to standardize on electronic voting systems for national elections by January 1, 2006. The problem is that this does not give the states enough time to deal with the complexity of electronic voting systems. And HAVA does not require e-voting companies to provide the kind of good security in those systems that would prevent chances of cheating. Concerns about the many anomalies in the November 2004 election and about the gross lack of security in touch screen computer voting machines, spurred Dr. Rubin to apply for funding from the National Science Foundation to research solutions to the problems. In August 2005, the NSF’s Cyber Trust program responded by awarding Rubin and his team of computer science researchers $7.5 million to investigate ways to build trustworthy e-voting systems. Rubin is now the director of the NSF project ACCURATE (A Center for Correct, Usable, Reliable, Auditable and Transparent Elections). ACCURATE involves six institutions that will collaborate to investigate how public policy and technology can safeguard e-voting nationwide. “The NSF recognized that this is a problem of tremendous significance to the country,” said Rubin. “It’s a deep-rooted, scientific problem.” The funded researchers are Prof. Avi Rubin, Drs. Drew Dean and Peter Neumann of SRI International; Prof. Doug Jones of the University of Iowa; Profs. Dan Wallach and Michael Byrne of Rice University; Profs. Deirdre Mulligan and David Wagner of the University of California at Berkeley; and Profs. Dan Boneh and David Dill at Stanford University, along with numerous affiliates. However, scientists and academics can only partly address the complexity of e-voting prob-
lems, leaving many of the battles to be fought at the state legislative level.
BYPASSING THE LAW One especially salient example (as recorded on www.verifiedvoting.org), shows that in response to numerous and varied voting system malfunctions that occurred in the November 2004 elections, North Carolina passed tougher requirements for election systems in its Public Confidence in Elections Act in early 2005. Under the new law, manufacturers must place in escrow the source code, the blueprint that runs the software, and “all software that is relevant to functionality, setup, configuration, and operation of the voting system” as well as a list of all computer programmers responsible for creating the software. However, implementation of this law has been stymied by an interesting turn of events fueling the belief of some e-voting critics that Board of Election officials are too partisan for a job that requires objectivity, or who feel that election commissioners have relationships with e-voting vendors that seem far too cozy. The events in North Carolina involve Diebold—the e-voting vendor whose bid was selected by North Carolina’s Board of Elections—and the very same Board of Elections. Diebold responded to the new requirements by asking to be exempt from them, but a North Carolina Superior Court judge refused to grant the exemption. After losing in court, Diebold withdrew from their bid to provide elections systems in November 2005. However, in a surprising turnaround in December 2005, the North Carolina Board of Elections certified Diebold Elections Systems to sell electronic voting equipment in the state, despite Diebold’s admissions that it could not comply with the state’s election law. The Board was able to do so because its election commissioners—not judges or computer science experts—are the ones who have the ultimate authority to certify election systems in the state. Instead of rejecting the vendor’s applications and issuing a new call for bids that complied with the law, the Board of Elections certified all of the vendors’ systems. The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EEF), a nonprofit consumer advocacy group of technologists and lawyers formed in 1990 to protect digital rights in our increasingly networked world, took issue with the North Carolina Board of Elections, which certified the three elections systems companies: Diebold, Election Systems and Software, and Sequoia Voting Systems. Citing the Board’s action as an example of election commissioners having too much authority, Keith Long, EFF advisor to the Board, who was formerly employed by both Diebold and Sequoia, stated that none of the vendors meet the statutory requirement to place their system code in escrow. “The Board of Elections has simply flouted the law,” said EFF staff attorney Matt Zimmerman in a release he issued on December 2, 2005. “In August, the state passed new rules that were designed to ensure transparency in the election process and the Board simply decided to take it upon itself to overrule the legislature. The Board’s job is to protect voters, not corporations who want to obtain
multi-million dollar contracts with the state.” An ESS spokeswoman stated that ESS computer systems are secure, owing to a back-up system. However, as Simons pointed out, that does not address the problem. “If the machine doesn’t record the votes correctly to begin with, it does not matter how many copies of that original incorrect recording you have.” ESS’ spokeswoman countered by assuring that the company’s systems are accurate.
HOW NEW YORK MEASURES UP New York State amended its Election Reform and Modernization Act of 2005 to include a provision for escrow requirements, which all election systems vendors must comply with in order to have an evoting system certified in the state. The provision requires programming, source code, and voting machine software to be placed in escrow with the state Board of Elections, and requires the election systems vendors to waive all rights to assert intellectual property or trade secret rights. The amendment also requires that elections systems be tested by independent experts under court supervision. Putting software source code in escrow provides an opportunity to inspect the code when there are anomalies in the election. It is already difficult to track down malicious code like a Trojan Horse; however, as researcher Simons pointed out, “there’s no chance you will find it if you can’t look at it.” New York also passed a series of bills, including a voter verified paper trail requirement that is an addition to HAVA, since the federal law does not require it. But New York’s election law omits the requirement to turn over the names of all computer programmers who are responsible for creating the software code. Since programmers are the ones who would be able to create and insert a Trojan Horse code, they are the ones who could ultimately rig a national election. If you don’t know who the programmers are, you can’t find out who created the problem, or who asked them to do it. Not to mention that a Trojan Horse program is set up to erase evidence of itself once it has done its job. “Having the software source code doesn’t guarantee that you will detect critical software bugs or malicious code,” said Simons. “Anyone with access to the election software of a major voting machine vendor can change the outcome of a national election and determine which party will control Congress. Election fraud can now be committed on a national, not just a local, basis.”
YES FOLKS, THE ELECTION CAN BE STOLEN With the old lever machine method of voting, election fraud could only be committed on a local, or possibly a regional basis without high risk of getting caught. But now it would take only one well-placed programmer creating malicious code to rig a national election. “How do you know what software is running on Election Day?” asked Simons. “You could easily add a last-minute software patch to do something on Election Day, [and that would] then immediately erase itself.” Software bugs can also be programmed unde1/06 CHRONOGRAM NEWS & POLITICS 25
tected. “Buggy software is an important problem in computer security,” said Stanford University’s Dill. “A huge number of problems we have are due to computer software buffer overflows, which overwrite computer functions to get control of the machine.” Computer buffer overflows are a standard way for Trojan Horses to take control of a computer and make changes to it, while leaving no evidence behind. Reiterating the reality that there is no such thing as software without bugs, Dill explains, “Eliminating bugs from programs has been an unsolved problem since computers were invented. The problem grows harder every year, as the systems get more complicated. Anyone who says they can generate large software without bugs is not telling the truth. We don’t know yet how to make computer programs perfectly secure. That is why you always have to have independent reliable ways to check the results. The election can be stolen, nobody can tell, and it’s easy to do.” Another opportunity for election fraud is in software patches, which are the routine fixes to software bugs that work the same way a repair patch is put on a flat tire. A programmer can deliver a patch to a bug that is an election rig instead of a fix and, again, it would not be detected unless it was inspected. “There’s a tendency for people to regard computers as the epitome of accuracy,” said Dill, highlighting the fact that the lack of security in the source code is fundamentally a human problem. “This is why computer scientists have gotten involved—because they understand the limitations of technology.” Dill and other computer science professionals have been trying to educate people about the current, serious limitations of using computers for voting. “People just don’t believe it when we say computer voting machines are insecure since they don’t understand how deeply complicated software can be. Because these are computers, you need much more security with them than you do with old-fashioned paper-based systems,” he explained. “The hardest people to convince are those who have signed multi-million dollar contracts to buy e-voting machines before they were made secure,” added Dill, alluding to election officials who thought they were buying the latest, greatest technology in the DRE or touch screen machines and therefore later become defensive when computer scientists inform them that their purchase is unreliable and insecure. “They are understandably reluctant to admit that they made a mistake.” And some complain that the January 1, 2006 HAVA standardization requirement, and the vagaries within the law that omit major areas of concern, has set unrealistic goals for election officials and backed them into a corner. Given the complexity of these machines, it can be argued that officials need more time for discovery and resolution to the problems. “If we find out after the purchase of these machines that they are not secure and Congress is given evidence that they are not secure, will they make a new set of regulations, which will cost X millions of dollars?” asked Lee Daghlian, public information officer of the NYS Board of Elections.
go work for a vendor.” In October 2005, the General Accounting Office (GAO), the nonpartisan independent investigative arm of the federal government, issued an illuminating report that raised a multitude of concerns about electronic voting security and reliability. The report found that cast ballots, ballot definition files in the voting software, memory cards, and computer audit files all could be modified. Election systems had easily picked locks and power switches that were exposed and unprotected. The GAO report showed that voting-machine vendors have weak security practices, including the failure to conduct background checks on programmers and system developers and a failure to establish clear chain-of-custody procedures for handling voting software. It also found that voting system failures have already occurred during elections, identifying a number of cases in California, for instance, where a county presented voters with an incorrect electronic ballot, which meant they could not vote in certain races. And in Pennsylvania, where a county made a ballot error on an electronic voting system that resulted in the county’s undervote percentage—that is when a candidate is given fewer votes that he or she actually won—reaching 80 percent in some precincts. And in North Carolina, where electronic voting machines continued to accept votes after their memories were full, causing more than 4,000 votes to be lost. And these are only a few examples out of thousands that were reported but not investigated. In addition, the GAO discovered that standards for electronic voting adopted in 2002 by the Federal Election Commission contain vague and incomplete security provisions for commercial products and inadequate documentation requirements; and that tests currently performed by independent testing authorities and state and local election officials do not adequately assess electronic voting system security and reliability. The GAO report concluded that national initiatives to improve voting systems lack plans for implementation or are not expected to be completed until after the 2006 election, stating: “Until these efforts are completed, there is a risk that many state and local jurisdictions will rely on voting systems that were not developed, operated, or managed in accordance with rigorous security and reliability standards—potentially affecting the reliability of future elections and voter confidence in the accuracy of the vote count.” In response to the release of the GAO report, members of the House Committee on Government Reform issued a statement that highlighted a long list of voting system vulnerabilities, also reported by Dill’s Verified Voting Foundation. But the reality behind the GAO laundry list is that electronic election systems are grossly inadequate and that vendors are not being held accountable by election commissioners to provide security in their election systems or, as in the case of the North Carolina Board of Elections, even to comply with the law. Not to mention, “They have none of the security levels that computer scientists have been asking for,” added Simons. If election systems vendors are not required both by law and by state election commissioners to place their software source code in escrow, then voters will have no way of knowing whether the software contains malicious, election-rigging code or not. But as the technical director of Johns Hopkins’ Information Security Institute, Dr. Avi Rubin believes it is only a matter of time before the vendors are forced by legislators to give it up. “I think they will be forced by law to share their source code. But they will do it kicking and screaming.” Despite the steadfast work of the leading computer science experts and grassroots activists, it seems the problem of election rigging is still not taken seriously enough. That means it is still easy to rig an election via e-voting in the United States, and it will continue to be easy until election fraud is considered a priority.
The GAO report concluded that national initiatives to improve voting systems lack plans for implementation or are not expected to be completed until after the 2006 election, stating: "Until these efforts are completed, there is a risk that many state and local jurisdictions will rely on voting systems that were not developed, operated, or managed in accordance with rigorous security and reliability standards."
COZY RELATIONSHIPS AND HUGE PROFITS However, zooming in on the election commission business also reveals a close-knit community. As in the example mentioned earlier in which North Carolina’s Board of Elections went ahead and certified Diebold systems despite the Superior Court judge’s ruling, many see the close relationships between election commissioners and election systems vendors as overstepping certain ethical boundary lines. Huge profits are to be made by election-system vendors and they court election officials accordingly. “They wine them and dine them,” said Dill. “Election officials have known the election systems vendors longer than they’ve known the computer scientists. And there’s a revolving door. A good career path for an election official is to
26 NEWS & POLITICS CHRONOGRAM 1/06
“Modern, progressive American cooking has become about borrowing from around the world. It’s normal to use Asian, Middle Eastern, and Eastern European spices.” —Jeffrey Gimmel Food, Page 62
JANUARY 2006
ARTS & CULTURE
CHRONOGRAM
ABOVE: JEFFREY GIMMEL OF SWOON KITCHENBAR ROLLS PAPPARDELLE NOODLES; BELOW: GIMMEL INSPECTS A BOX OF SHITAKE MUSHROOMS
1/06 CHRONOGRAM ARTS & CULTURE 27
Portfolio THIS PAGE: THE DEATH OF YOUNG AMERICA, GYPSUM, 2005 (PHOTO BY FIONN REILLY); OPPOSITE (CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT): AFTERLIFE AFTERTHOUGHT, GYPSUM, 2005 (PHOTO BY RUDOLF VANDOMMELE); MASOCHIST, GYPSUM, 2004 (PHOTO BY EMIL ALZAMORA); CORE, GYPSUM WITH IRON POWDER, 2005, (PHOTO BY FIONN REILLY).
Emil Alzamora
EMIL ALZAMORA TALKS ABOUT HIS WORK All In the Family
Changing Humanity
Agitating the Space We Live In
My mother is a sculptor and painter; my grandmother sculpted in wood, concrete, bronze, clay. I grew up around a ceramics studio where they made all the things we ate out of. I was always surrounded by an artistic environment. My family instilled a sense of doing it and knowing you can do it and not questioning whether or not it’s a viable way to make a living. But in terms of what really made me say “Oh my God, I really have stuff to do here,” was seeing Michaelangelo’s sculptures, and Rodin and Bernini, because they really captured something beyond the materials, something beyond the artificiality. They created a portrait of life, a portrait of something that had the capacity to move you in some ways the way another human being can move you. It was a haunting illusion of life that drove me to no end to want to capture it, to find out what can be said in that context.
I don’t aim for any particular type of audience with my work. Anything I make—if you have two arms, two legs, and a head in the shape of human, then you’re going to relate to it on some level. Obviously, there are fundamentalists both in America and in say, Iraq and Iran that would be shocked by the nudity of my work. Everywhere you have the same stuff going on—it’s always the same relationship between people who don’t look at things the same way. The figure for me is a way to attempt to bridge it, to attempt to communicate on a different level what the possibilities are, what the potential is for human exchange and understanding. I don’t know if art truly has the capacity to change politics, but it does change humanity. And if you change humanity, then politics will follow. I also think it’s the challenge of the youth to want to correct as much as they can before they wear out.
I’ve always had an interest in making something that you could see and understand all at once. Maybe not all the nuances—10 people will have 10 different explanations for a very simple sculpture; they’ll all have their own idea of what it means to them. But the idea of communication is very important to me. Not necessarily communicating my thoughts but communicating thought. Agitating the space we live in to stir it up. I love watching people look at my work and seeing the reaction they get. I love making things that people connect with. It’s art based on the world we live in as opposed to art based on the artworld.
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Consistency vs. Experimentation A lot of my drawings have a sarcastic, almost silly quality to them, and recently I’ve begun to translate some of those into sculptures. And many of my sculptures have a more serious tone.
Emil Alzamora believes the reason why most artists stay away from sculpture and gravitate toward the twodimensional forms is the daunting physical reality of its construction. Unlike a painter, for instance, a sculptor must manifest his or her idea as an object, not just a surface, which requires a additional level of practicality driven imagination. Alzamora, who lives and works on the bank of the Fishkill Creek in Beacon, across from a block-long abandoned factory, counts himself lucky to have worked “a modern-day apprenticeship” at Polich Art Works in Rock Tavern, part of a team fabricating enlargements of sculptural maquettes for clients like Louise Bourgeois and Frank Stella. Alzamora’s former boss, Dick Polich, is also the owner of the spacious, museum-quality Yellow Bird Gallery on Newburgh’s waterfront where Alzamora will exhibit 50 of his sculptures, from miniatures to larger than life-sized this month. “Covalence,” a two-person show with assembledobject sculptor Stephen Spaccarelli, will be exhibited from January 14 through February 11 at Yellow Bird Gallery, 19 Front St., Newburgh. There will be an opening reception Saturday, January 14, 4-7 pm. (845) 561-7204; www.yellowbirdgallery.com. —Brian K. Mahoney
Sometimes people don’t know what to do with that. They say, “You jump all over the place.” But I’ve got all that stuff in me, and there’s no reason to be too focused on style or consistency when you’ve got multiple things you want to experiment on and give it a shot. I’ve got too many things that I want to make, and there’s not enough time or energy to do so. Life-Sized Ideally, everything I make would be life-sized because it relates the most directly to our own experience. When you make something smaller, it’s an idea of something else because it’s once removed in scale and you have to use your mind to fill in the blanks. Whereas when it’s life-sized, there’s no filling in the blanks, it’s there and on your scale. It’s the most direct way to relate to an idea in terms of sculpture if you’re doing work with the human form.
Winging It
The End of Art History
I don’t use models. I usually weld the steel for a skeleton and build up the chicken wire and the foam and apply the first layer of Structolite [a lightweight plaster] and just start sculpting and imagining a lot—for the most part I wing it. I guess I’ve been very obsessive about studying the body, figuring out how it works and what muscles connect to what bones, just the mechanics of it and how that translates into emotional implications—if a body moves a certain way, if it’s feeling a certain thing; and knowing that while I’m sculpting. The most subtle of changes can completely alter the feeling of a piece. And being aware of all that and not having any interruptions or any distractions when I’m doing that. Sometimes I’ll do a piece when I’m not quite as focused and I can tell it’s a little more reckless, and I struggle with it more.
I think all of art history has been variations on experiments in formalities: What is the form of something? Now we’ve reached a point where art history has kind of crumbled in on itself and there’s not much room for new isms or big new art historical terms, it’s more about art. It’s an amazing time to be working because all those formal elements that artists have drawn upon or have committed their whole lives to—now you can grab little bits and pieces of them and use them where you see fit to support an idea. A lot of artwork is leaning more towards ideas than what something looks like. It’s pretty good to see. The artworld is somewhere between here and Mars, but it’s slowly coming back, reintegrating itself with the everyday.
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Lucid Dreaming BY BETH E. WILSON
Lucid’s Crystal Ball for 2006 Plunged into the dark recesses of winter, once again it seems that much of the local art scene has gone into hibernation. There are still a few things to go see, if you don’t mind braving the cold and the occasional blizzard— there’s a great-looking photography show in the Berkshires, for example (more on that later)—but in the meantime, it seems like an appropriate moment to trot out my exceedingly lucid crystal ball, with some art world predictions for 2006.
1. Eeo Stubblefield of Mount Tremper will choreograph a staggeringly beautiful and deeply
6. Ed Butler will close the Wright Gallery in Kingston, in order to reopen as a 24/7 drop-in
resonant performance piece that finally unlocks the buried cosmic energy center located just
music studio. The bar will remain unchanged, and the store next door will still sell guns.
outside of Woodstock. This event will lead to the immediate outbreak of total world peace.
The vibes generated during jam sessions will be felt as far as Hudson.
2. A great deal of landscape painting will be made in the Hudson Valley. Some of it will
7. Donald Rumsfeld will enlist Matthew Barney and Jeff Koons in his ongoing efforts to
be very good, a great deal of it will be terrible. You will need to look at it and decide for
thoroughly confuse the American people, while conning them into continuing the war in
yourself which category it belongs to.
Iraq. This initiative will fail when their collaborative sculpture, a life-size bust of George W.
3. Dia:Beacon will remain blissfully ignorant of all artists who live and work in the Hudson
Bush cast in Vaseline, melts under the television lights at its debut press conference.
Valley, unless their work was previously exhibited at the Venice Biennale, or has appeared
8. Carl van Brunt will apply his Buddhist charm to the promotion of The New Hudson movement
in the pages of Artforum.
at his gallery in Beacon, and elsewhere. Good artists and good people throughout the valley
4. Sam Sebren of Athens will create a disturbing installation piece that includes an audio
will rejoice, and total instant karma will break out spontaneously around the world.
track that subliminally deprograms Scientologists and Masons. An ingenious hacker will
9. Creative workers of all types—artists, writers, musicians, etc.—will be paid in a manner
secretly duplicate Sam’s audiotape, uploading it as a podcast to the Internet, thereby freeing
more properly reflecting their contributions to society. Painters will receive salaries equivalent
the universe of occultist hegemony. Total world peace will break out immediately.
to CEOs, and the Wall Street financial industry will be supplanted by the creation of real
5. The international art world will suddenly turn its back on conceptualism in art, largely
things, rather than the shuffling of balance sheets.
because pure thought is difficult to sell at Art Basel Miami Beach. The earth will continue
10. If you spend just one hour a month going out to look at art in the Hudson Valley, by
to turn on its axis.
the end of 2006, you will find at least six particular works that you will want to take home and enjoy forever. (That’s a .500 batting average!)
30 LUCID DREAMING CHRONOGRAM 1/06
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OPPOSITE: WAITRESS, MICHAEL ANSELL, COLOR PHOTOGRAPH, 2005 ABOVE: SHEPHERD, JUAN GARCIA-NUNEZ, PALLADIUM PRINT, 2004
Seriously, though, there’s an awful lot going on in this neck of the woods, as we witness the devolution of the high end of the art market, and what I hope will be the emergence of a more decentralized, less elitist vision of what creativity means in our society. A reflection of this state of affairs can be seen in the photography show now on view at the Haddad Lascano Gallery in Great Barrington, Massachusetts. Curator Ramon Lascano has brought together a number of very disparate photographers, most of them operating in or near the Berkshires or the Hudson Valley. From the straightforward, yet hauntingly beautiful gelatin-silver prints of Yvette Lucas, to Krysha Andrews’s starkly graphic, digitally generated color work, it’s apparent that photography has evolved to include a multitude of possible approaches and processes. The most unusual artist in the show is Juan Garcia-Nuñez. He creates his own negatives, by painting the image on a sheet of plexiglass, in what you might call a precise, photo-realist style. His subjects are usually offbeat (such as his wife in a hazmat suit), but the most fascinating aspect of the work is, perhaps, his ability to reverse the tones so precisely—as with any other photographic negative, the printing process inverts the values, so that a dark area on the negative becomes light on the print, and vice versa. He then contact-prints these invented negatives using the luxurious platinum/palladium process, applying the emulsion to beautifully textured French watercolor paper. The resulting print is displayed alongside its plexiglass negative, which becomes its uncanny twin. Other interesting selections include Harold Washburn’s photographs of the Brooklyn Bridge from the 1960s (which have never been shown before), H. David Stein’s meticulous color close-ups of amazing details from nature, and Joseph Squillante’s black-and-white images documenting the Hudson River. If you can make it out through the snow drifts before the 15th, a visit to this show should reward the effort. PHOTOGRAPHY, GROUP EXHIBITION ON VIEW THROUGH JANUARY 15 AT HADDAD LASCANO GALLERY, 297 MAIN STREET, GREAT BARRINGTON, MA. (413) 528-0471; WWW.HADDADLASCANO.COM.
1/06 CHRONOGRAM LUCID DREAMING 31
gallery directory 32
GALLERY DIRECTORY CHRONOGRAM 1/06
galleries ALBANY INSTITUTE OF HISTORY AND ART
COLUMBIA GREENE COMMUNITY COLLEGE
125 WASHINGTON AVENUE, ALBANY. (518) 463-4478.
4400 ROUTE 23, HUDSON. (518) 828-4181 EXT. 3344.
“Food of the Gods.” The purchase, preparation, and consumption of chocolate. Through April 28.
“Competition.” Community high school students juried competition. January 25-February 24.
“Excavating Egypt: Great Discoveries from the Petrie Museum.” Through June 4.
DIA 3 BEEKMAN STREET, BEACON. 400-0100.
ALBERT SHAHINIAN FINE ART 198 MAIN STREET, POUGHKEEPSIE. 454-0522.
“New Landscapes.” Paintings by Eline Barclay. Through January 21. “Field Paintings.” By Thomas Sarrantonio. Through January 21.
“Dia’s Andy: Through the Lens of Patronage.” Works by Andy Warhol. “In and Out of Place: Louise Lawler and Andy Warhol.” Includes images of work by Andy Warhol. “Vera Lutter: Nabisco Factory, Beacon.” 4 large scale pinhole photographs of the factory. Through April 10. “Agnes Martin: To The Islands.” Through June 27.
ALDRICH CONTEMPORARY ART MUSEUM 258 MAIN STREET, RIDGEFIELD, CT. (203) 438-4519.
“Fred Wilson: Black Like Me.” “Lisa Sigal: A House of Many Mansions.” Through January 8.
EXPOSED GALLERY OF ART PHOTOGRAPHY 318 DELAWARE AVENUE, DELMAR. (518) 475-1853.
“Lens Gumbo Redux.” Through January 3. “Twelve Days In Paris.” Images of Glenn Cormier. January 7-February 7.
ART SOCIETY OF KINGSTON 97 BROADWAY, KINGSTON. 338-0331.
“The Effigy Show.” February 4-February 18. Opening Saturday, February 4, 5-8pm.
FRANCES LEHMAN LOEB ART CENTER VASSAR COLLEGE, POUGHKEEPSIE. 437-5632.
“Presses, Pop, and Pomade: American Prints Since the Sixties.” Printmaking Revolution of the Past Forty Years. January 13-March 19.
BARRETT ART CENTER 55 NOXON STREET, POUGHKEEPSIE. 471-2550.
GALERIE BMG
gallery directory
“Fred Tlumak Retrospective.” Paintings, drawings, pastels, watercolors. Through February 4.
12 TANNERY BROOK ROAD, WOODSTOCK. 679-0027.
“Photographs by Amy Auerbach.” Through January 9. “In Memoriam.” Photographs by Leilani Claire. January 13-February 12.
BAU 161 MAIN STREET, BEACON. 440-7584.
“Noise.” Vivian Altman, Gary Jacketti, Harald Plochberger, Egon Zippel. January 14-February 5.
Reception Saturday, January 14, 5-7pm.
GALLERY AT R & F 506 BROADWAY, KINGSTON. 331-3112.
BEACON FIREHOUSE GALLERY 162 MAIN STREET, BEACON. 679-8825.
“Transparency.” Group show. Through January 14.
“People, Places, Things.” Contemporary items into art. Through January 28.
GARRISON ART CENTER 23 GARRISON’S LANDING, GARRISON. 424-3960.
CARRIE HADDAD GALLERY
“December Member Theme Show.” Through January 8.
622 WARREN STREET, HUDSON. (518) 828-1915.
“Painted Cities.” Drawings by James Rossant. Through January 29.
GCCA CATSKILL GALLERY 398 MAIN STREET, CATSKILL. (518) 943 -3400.
“Salon 2005: Small Works Exhibition.” Through January 14.
CENTER FOR PHOTOGRAPHY 59 TINKER STREET, WOODSTOCK. 679-9957.
GCCA MOUNTAINTOP GALLERY
“Made in Woodstock III.” January 28-March 26
MAIN STREET, WINDHAM. (518) 943-3400.
“Fawn Potash: Visceral Landscape.” January 28-March 26
“Holiday in the Mountains.” Crafts exhibition and sale. Through January 8.
Opening Saturday, January 28, 5-7pm.
“Landscape 2006.” Inspired by the Catskill Mountains and Hudson Valley. January 13-February 26.
CLARK ART INSTITUTE
Opening Friday, January 13, 3-5pm.
225 SOUTH STREET, WILLIAMSTOWN, MA. (413) 458-2303.
“Landscape 2006.” Annual non-juried all-media show. January 14-February 26.
“50 Favorites.” 50 works of art follow the Institute’s 50 years history. Through May 17.
Opening Saturday, January 14, 5-7pm.
“The Clark: Celebrating 50 Years of Art in Nature.” Through September 4.
“Art and Soul.” All-media art & crafts inspired by African American heritage. January 25-February 25.
“Winslow Homer: Making Art, Making History.” Through January 16.
Reception Saturday, January 28, 5-7pm.
CLERMONT STATE HISTORIC SITE GERMANTOWN. (518) 537-4240.
“Small Works: The Hudson River Valley Work.” Through January 1.
HUDSON VALLEY CENTER FOR CONTEMPORARY ART 1701 MAIN STREET, PEEKSKILL. (914) 788-7166.
“Figure it Out.” Sculpture and video. “Nostalgia.” Through March 31.
COFFEY GALLERY
INQUIRING MIND GALLERY
330 WALL STREET, KINGSTON. 339-6105.
63 PARTITION STREET, SAUGERTIES. 679-3009.
“The Gift Show”: Fine arts and crafts. Through January 29.
“Holiday Small Works Exhibit.” Through January 10.
1/06 CHRONOGRAM GALLERY DIRECTORY
33
galleries JOHN DAVIS GALLERY
WALLKILL RIVER ART GALLERY
362 1⁄2 WARREN STREET, HUDSON. (518) 828-5907.
910 OLD FORGE, NEW WINDSOR. 689-0613.
“Gallery Artists.” January 5-January 29.
“Inaugural Show.” Many artists in multiple genres. February 5-May 26.
Reception Saturday, January 7, 6-8pm.
Opening Sunday, February 5, 3-6pm.
KARPELES MANUSCRIPT LIBRARY MUSEUM 94 BROADWAY, NEWBURGH. 569-4997.
WASHINGTONVILLE ART SOCIETY
“Layered Collages.” Painted collages by Lisa Collado. January 1-February 28.
43 EAST MAIN STREET, WASHINGTONVILLE. 926 3490.
KIESENDAHL+CALHOUN ART GALLERY
“4th Annual Hudson Valley Bodyscapes.” Figurative and anatomical works of art in any medium. February 5-March 5.
192 MAIN STREET, BEACON. 838-1177.
“Relations.” Paintings, drawings and ceramics. Through January 15. “Dreams of Cuba.” Paintings by Corso de Palenzuela. January 16-February 26. Reception Saturday, January 21, call for times.
M GALLERY 350 MAIN STREET, CATSKILL. (518) 943-0380.
“Social Distinctions: The Have or Have-Nots.” Saturday Evening Post and Puck magazine drawings. Through January 15.
MARK GRUBER GALLERY
WINDHAM FINE ARTS 5380 MAIN STREET, WINDHAM. (518) 734-6850.
“Texture and Color.” Ekaterina Khromin, Librado Romero, Fay Wood. December 17-January 8.
WOODSTOCK ARTISTS ASSOCIATION TOWBEN WONG 28 TINKER STREET, WOODSTOCK. 679-2940.
“The Art Spirit.” Artists’ writings on art with their paintings, prints, and sculpture. Through January 8.
NEW PALTZ PLAZA, NEW PALTZ. 255-1241.
“Eat Me.” Pictures of food. Through June 1.
WOODSTOCK ARTISTS’ ASSOCIATION 28 TINKER STREET, WOODSTOCK. 679-2198.
gallery directory
NORMAN ROCKWELL MUSEUM 9 GLENDALE ROAD, STOCKBRIDGE, MA. (413) 298-4121.
“The Shining Kingdom.” Works by Hatti Iles portray fantasy and fairytale figures. Through August 28.
“National Geographic: The Art of Exploration.” Through May 31.
NORTH POINTE CULTURAL CENTER ROUTE 9, KINDERHOOK. (518) 758-9234.
“Art Exhibit by TALC.” January 14-January 31.
YELLOW BIRD GALLERY 19 FRONT STREET. 561-7204.
“The Tree Series.” Paintings by Myron Polenberg. “See Through City.” Photographs by Jill Corson. Through January 8.
VAN BRUNT GALLERY “Group Show 2.” New work by gallery artists. January 14-February 27.
“Covalence.” Sculpture and paintings by Emil Alzamora & Stephen Spaccarelli. January 14-February 11.
Opening Saturday, January 14, 6-9pm.
Opening Saturday, January 14, 4-7pm.
460 MAIN STREET, BEACON. 838-2995.
Photographer Leilani Claire ran the Woodstock gallery Art & Soul from 1997 until the fall of 2004 when she passed the torch to Bernard Gerson, who renamed the space Galerie BMG. On January 4, 2005 Claire died of cancer. This month, Gerson is mounting a show of Claire’s work, In Memoriam, featuring her one-of-a-kind hand-painted sepia and black-and-white images, like Les Deux Magots, above. The exhibition will run from January 13 through February 12. An opening reception will be held on Saturday, January 14, 5-7pm. Galerie BMG, 12 Tannery Brook Rd., Woodstock. (845) 679-0027.
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GALLERY DIRECTORY CHRONOGRAM 1/06
Chronogram ARTS.CULTURE.SPIRIT.
gallery directory 1/06 CHRONOGRAM GALLERY DIRECTORY
35
DION OGUST
Music
BY SHARON NICHOLS
PIERCING THE VOID
CHRIS LASTOVICKA’S MUSICAL COMMUNIQUÉ
I have ceased to question stars and books; I have begun to listen to the teachings my blood whispers to me. —from Hermann Hesse’s Demian
A
young composer sits at an old Baldwin grand, hedged in by the shabby walls of a dilapidated music room. The decay of the surroundings appeals to her for the work she must do. She crashes down upon the black and white keys—the piano sounding metallic and raw—notes rising and falling with increased intensity, bringing life back to dying space. The old walls whisper to her, their voices channeled into musical actuality. In a withered body, the soul can shine brightly. “I was so inspired in that building,” says Chris Lastovicka. “I can’t even put my finger on exactly what it was. But there was such an openness. It was very authentic. When I auditioned at various music schools, the Cincinnati Conservatory had the most decrepit practice room. I didn’t want to be in a pristine environment. It was so old and falling apart, but I felt so much alive there.” That building has long since been torn down. The chamber pieces that the summa cum laude graduate composed there waited more than a decade before finding their home on Fortune Has Turned, released last September on Ahari Press. The composer felt that she didn’t have the maturity until now to deal with any of it. She knew intuitively that she needed to hold back. It was difficult for her to talk about the pieces. It still is. Like many artists, Lastovicka’s work is inspired by that of other artists. In her case,
36 MUSIC CHRONOGRAM 1/06
the driving force is literature. “It’s so difficult for me to find words,” she explains. “Opposites attract, and writers who can put these things into words are a solace for me. Communication for me is this vast, black void, except through music. My music is more SARA AYERS about the concepts and the ideas behind it rather than the techniques I’m using.” Technically, her compositions are based on architecture. Using simple, repetitive phrases, the pieces slowly unfold and build psychologically with increasing ferocity, reaching a climax, then resolving. She’s interested in that tension and the balancing of polarities. From the beginning notes, listeners can feel that the particular literature that has inspired Lastovicka isn’t light and pretty. This is formidable stuff, dark and tempestuous. Her desperate keys are magnified by violin, viola, cello, French horn, and occasional vocal chants on this recording. “Abraxas” is based on Hermann Hesse’s Demian, which was written while Hesse underwent psychoanalysis with Carl Jung. The ancient Gnostic god Abraxas is one of both good and evil nature; as a bird (soul) fights to break free of its shell and fly to its god, it must destroy a world in order to be born. In the piece, a lone repeated note is joined by another, and still another, the increasing tempo ushering in a lone repeated note on French horn. Sparse, melancholy strings follow, severity increases. It is both
terrifying and beautiful. “I had just started college and was really lonely,” says Lastovicka. “The big thing in my life was reading Demian. The book was really my best friend and it touched me so deeply, as I think it does for many people coming of age. I had the image of the bird coming out of the egg, being born into a new life, and of me leaving home and feeling such a vast sense of freedom that I’d never felt before. The idea that nobody knew where I was at any particular time was a rebirth for me, and it was also very difficult.” “The Tender Ones,” which won a Hatz Award, draws its title from Rainer Maria Rilke’s Sonnets to Orpheus, another work that Lastovicka was engrossed in. The distraught piece, written for French hornist Robert Garcia, features the solitary horn and piano. It takes us back inside the shell. “There was again that combination of beauty and pain, another duality that interested me at the time. I felt so vulnerable, and at the same time so confident moving on in my life. I kept having an image of the womb, and I was thinking of what it might have been like to be in that womb. The absolute comfort juxtaposed with birth is pretty harrowing, but it’s fascinating and exciting at the same time.” “The 7th Chapter of Job” is music taken directly from “Crossing the Horizon,” an epic poem by E.M. Lauricella and an opera by the same name. The extended literary work is based on someone’s authentic experience with UFO abduction. Lastovicka met the writer in Cincinnati at a poetry reading. “We shook hands and it was like lightning,” she says. “We had such a strong connection. She gave me the original version, which was one verse per page, right on the center of the page. Each one seemed so powerful and intense. I went through the whole thing late at night, and it was so out of my control that I was propelled to do something with it. It hit such a chord with me.” As the title suggests, the composer likens the suffering of the Biblical Job to the suffering of Lauricella’s protagonist and the acceptance of one’s fate. The author writes: “Like a swinging door, a bell ringing all afternoon, the blood revolves in my veins. I am still on the table against my will. This roar. This ultraviolet speed. This skin of light. This knot of steel.” In the musical piece, furious strings repeat and loop their strain over the composer’s distressed playing, followed by the eerie chanting of three vocalists. Shanti—Sanskrit for peace—was the name of Lastovicka’s childhood dog, who passed away during the composition. The piece was also written during and after Lastovicka’s first major love relationship with a woman, a dark union that began in a rapturous place and ended with the lowest of lows. Devastated by it all, she found hope and comfort in the hypnotic repetitions of open chords. The final piece, “The End of Tyranny,” is also based on a cryptic Lauricella poem that Lastovicka felt must be expressed musically through strings, piano, horn, and chant.
The title of the CD, Fortune Has Turned, seems to spring from the tenth trump of the tarot oracle known as Fortune, the wheel of eternal change, the symbol of the revolving heavens proclaiming the fates of human beings. To Lastovicka, she believes it emerged from the dramatist Euripides’s play “Heracles.” “I was interested in Greek tragedy and the words popped out at me. It was so poetic. ‘Fortune’ and ‘turned’ share so many letters, and the picture of the ambiguity of not knowing which way fortune is turning.” The composer, who has lived in Philmont, in Columbia County, for the past six years, was born in Houston, Texas, and grew up in Hartsville, South GUTHRIE Carolina. Her parents—an atheisticARLO scientist and a religious artist—were prone to strong opinions and were able to communicate well, exposing the child to polarity from birth. Her mother was her primary musical influence, as she played many instruments well. Lastovicka began playing piano at age three, and soon knew composition would be her life’s calling and duality her focus. “I felt [my parents] were both right. They were speaking their own truths, which taught me there is no one way. I don’t have a set of beliefs myself, but duality has interested me for a long time.” She is also drawn to the mysterious in life. “I feel really safe in mystery, things that are unknown. If the mystery is gone, then my interest is gone and that’s what disturbs me the most. If there isn’t any interest, there’s not going to be a piece.” Part of the mystery that draws her in is the enigma of death, a topic many fearfully avoid. Lastovicka entertained the idea of becoming a funeral home director long before watching an episode of HBO’s “Six Feet Under.” “I want to have control over my own death,” she reveals. “I would even like to be able to plan it. I want to die happy. I would love to be able to pick a date that I think might be in the prime of my life, and just end it then. Honestly, if it weren’t for the people who care about me, I’d probably do it right now,” she laughs. Though she expresses her darkness through her art, Lastovicka doesn’t consider herself dark at all. Death permeates her newest electronic work, Under and Above, which is not slated for release until 2007. It consists of two lengthy hypnotic pieces—“Spring” is based on a painting by Andrew Wyeth in which melting snowdrifts reveal the body of a man. Through “Dwelling Place,” she expresses the view of a cemetery looking up from the grave. “I have a particular [grave] I’m thinking of, the one I thought I would be buried in, but I probably won’t be because I’m going to be cremated.” At the present time, all proceeds from Fortune Has Turned will go toward Oxfam America and Columbia Land Conservancy. “Everyone who played on the CD did it for free,” she says. “They were so generous. I felt I needed to give back as much as I could.” To purchase Lastovicka’s mesmerizing work, visit www.aharipress.com. 1/06 CHRONOGRAM MUSIC 37
NIGHTLIFE HIGHLIGHTS Handpicked by local scenemaker DJ WAVY DAVY for your listening pleasure.
HELEN AVAKIAN January 6, 21. The lovely and talented Avakian has spent a good part of this year duet-ing with her husband, classical guitarist Terry Champlin, in support of their exquisite CD Musikos Peripatos: A Musical Stroll. She lets down her hair at the hip new Maia Lounge on Route 55, promising “spontaneous sets with requests from the music menu in the couch-filled lounge.” 8pm. Poughkeepsie. (845) 486-5004. WWW.HELENAVAKIAN.COM
THE MARK RAISCH COMBO January 7. Raisch, the area’s best velvet-voiced crooner, brings an evening of jazz, swing, & romance to the panoramic Skytop Steakhouse with its glittering view. The combo, featuring pianist Frank Spies and bassist Lew Scott, captures the classic Sinatra-Darin-Bennett songbook, full of American standards not even Rod Stewart dare attempt. 7:30pm. No cover with drinks/dinner. Kingston. (845) 340-4277. WWW.MARKSINGS.COM
SUNDAD January 8. Sundad is father-and-son (get it?) guitarists John Eurell Sr. and Jr. and multipercussionist Chet Soares. Their mostly-original repertoire consists of acoustic guitar instrumentals blending New Age, world and jam-band music. XM satellite radio featured their CD, Journey to Eternity, on “The Best Music this Week,” and the opening track, “Open Sesame” appears on NPR’s All Songs Considered: Open Mic. Hear this and new songs from their upcoming release at the cozy Peekskill Coffee House. 1pm. No cover. Peekskill. (914) 739-1287. WWW.SUNDADRECORDS.COM
ROCKSLYDE January 13. Throw caution to the wind on Friday the 13th (what do you have to lose?) and let it rock with these Dutchess dukes of hazardous behavior. Rockslyde knows more songs than your iPod and ventures unafraid into hard rock, metal, even funk territory at the ever-friendly Hyde Park Brewing Company. If you’re lucky, there might be some holiday brew left in Barrel 9. 10pm. $5. Hyde Park. (845) 229-8277.
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WWW.ROCKSLYDE.FREESERVERS.COM
LEVON HELM’S MIDNIGHT RAMBLE SESSION January 14. How lucky we are in the Hudson Valley to have retained incredible musicians, of all genres and generations, as our friends and neighbors. Levon, always visible around town, opens his studio for another in a successful series of semiprivate concerts. This to-be-recorded session features Levon’s band joined by Jim Weider and the Honky Tonk Gurus and the Alexis P. Suter band. Surprise guests are not unusual. 8pm. $100 donation. Woodstock. (845) 679-2744. WWW.LEVONHELM.COM
BANSHANACHIE & FRIENDS January 22. This traditional Irish music collective traveled from Rhinecliff to High Falls before finding a
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monthly home at the Rosendale Café. “Banshanachie,” or “the woman storyteller,” is Sarah Underhill, a Hudson Valley singer and traditional Irish song collector. Her friends include fiddler Erik Murray, Graham Smyth on banjo and mandolin, guitarist Steven O’Shea, and Vinnie Connelly on bodhran. This soulful session continues to endure like the songs and people it celebrates. (Jeremy Lyons and the Deltabilly Boys arrive from NOLA 1/13.) 4pm. No cover. Rosendale. (845) 658-9048. WWW.ROSENDALECAFE.COM
CLEOMA’S GHOST January 28. The sublime Aroma Thyme Bistro expands its culinary reputation with the recent addition of live music. Cleoma’s Ghost, a traditional Cajun folk duo (Roger Weiss on fiddle/vocals and Buffy Lewis on guitar/vocals) has been playing Cajun music in one form or another for nine-plus years. Aroma Thyme, voted one of the Hudson Valley’s best new restaurants, features a “Supper Nightclub” menu of organic meats and vegetables, premium vodkas, single malts, and beer/wine in a warm, intimate atmosphere.
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10pm. No cover with drinks/dinner. Ellenville. (845) 647-3000. WWW.CLEOMASGHOST.COM
CD REVIEWS JESSE MOORE: MORE THAN LIFE ITSELF HEARTFELT MUSIC, 2005
Enduring talent cannot be faked, especially for singersongwriters baring their wailing souls. Jesse Moore is no faker. The former Ulster resident relocated to New Orleans in 2004 under the guise of The Hoo Doo Man, a musical character loosely based on the iconic Dr. John. Almost immediately, Moore settled into a regular gig at Margaritaville in the French Quarter and began work on More Than Life Itself with a band of Crescent City veterans. The album, released under his own name, moves beyond hoodoo into truly poignant songs of love and hope. Just as the CDs were pressed, Moore was forced into Arkansas by Hurricane Katrina, and spent weeks wondering if the copies survived. Thankfully, the music, along with Moore’s home and belongings, remained above the levee break, and he returned to his beloved town with new inspiration. Each track rises with gentle grace, caressing the listener like afterglow. Producerguitarist Anders Osborne avoids the edges and maintains soft beauty throughout, especially on the title track and the ballad “Underneath It All.” Moore’s only cover, ironically, is Lyle Lovett’s “If I Had a Boat,” and the barebones “It’s Gonna Be OK” has been proposed as a post-flood anthem for a city still wringing dry its tears. Information is available at www.jessemoore.com. —DJ Wavy Davy
TYLER BYRNES: SOLD MY SOUL TO THE SUN TYLER BYRNES, 2005
If you need a frame of reference, then stand-up local singer-
songwriter Tyler Byrnes alongside nerd-romantics Marshall Crenshaw, Chris Stamey, Nick Lowe, or Matthew Sweet, because Byrnes delivers shimmery, dependable pop songs about love. Sold My Soul comes 18 months after his intriguing debut album, Byrnes. This time out, Byrnes has dropped the engagingly surreal but overly arch lyrics and a romantic-cynic pose. Instead, we have something far more enduring: heart-on-the-sleeve lyrics melded to sure-of-hand, multigenre instrumentation that raps insistently at the door to your mind. Once inside, the sounds promise to bounce around for a goodly amount of time. Recorded at New Paltz Sound Studios, this 10-track CD features nine fellow musicians filling out Byrnes’s compositions with solid, steady back-up, not excess aural filigree. Byrnes’s voice keens and pokes at the boundaries of his emotional microcosms. And if he momentarily overreaches to channel Pink Floyd’s Meddle era, forgive him; the allure of pop acclaim is one seductive wench. Still, the aching loneliness of Byrnes’s trumpet on the epic “To Be Free” or the wistful piano on “Voices” will undoubtedly convince you to sign up as a Tyler Byrnes groupie until school resumes. Rehumanize yourself at www.tyler-byrnes.com. —Jay Blotcher
JOAN TOWER: INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC NAXOS, 2005
Carnegie Hall’s crème-de-la-crème Making Music series honored Joan Tower with a January 2004 concert devoted to her highly charged compositions, preserved in this recording. A talented pianist turned composer, Tower trained at Columbia, a reigning center of serialism and electronics. She began teaching at Bard College in 1972. Inspired by Messiaen’s brilliant individualism, Tower subsequently shaped music that belongs to no school but her own. Her engaging music shifts from languid tonal sensuality to loud dissonance to shades of atonality in function of immediate emotional goals and musical context. The top international prize in composition, the Grawenmeyer Award, went Tower’s way in 1990 for an orchestral piece, “Silver Ladders.” Performers at Carnegie’s Tower concert comprised a who’s who of musicians tackling works of living composers. Tower begins with an intensely grieving string quartet initially intended for a departed friend and then extended to all victims of 9/11. It concludes with a sensuous “Island Prelude” for string quartet and oboe. In between, “Wild Purple” expands the viola’s voice; “Big Sky” paints the Great Plains’ landscape; and contrasting moods in John Ashbery poems inspire virtuosic piano flights. www.naxos.com. —Philip Ehrensaft
1/06 CHRONOGRAM MUSIC 39
Books
BEYOND WORDS N
o part of a bookstore can touch the Children’s Books aisle for diversity. Picture books come in every conceivable size and shape, from Nutshell Library to Biggest Word Book Ever, from chewable cardboard cubes to intricate die-cuts. These colorful works are destined to be fetish objects or hasty discards, as any parent who’s ever tried reading a bedtime book to a bored child will vouch. If a toddler’s attention span isn’t enough of a challenge, try working with both words and pictures. Aside from a handful of crossover showoffs, most adult artists confine their professional lives to one discipline. The children’s book field is a haven for the ambidextrous. There are children’s authors who just write, and illustrators who just draw, but there’s also a large corps of hyphenates, many of whom live in the Hudson Valley. Prominent locals include New York Times bestseller Jon Muth (Zen Shorts), James Gurney (Dinotopia), Hudson Talbott (Tales of King Arthur), Giselle Potter (The Year I Didn’t Go to School), Mercer Mayer (Just Go to Bed), Iza Trapani (Jingle Bells), and NPR legend Daniel Pinkwater, among others. These creative multitaskers’ approaches are as varied as their output. “When I’m working on a project, I get completely consumed. Hours go by. I don’t eat, I don’t food-shop,” says Dave Horowitz, creator of three irresistible books for young children: A Monkey Among Us; Soon, Baboon, Soon; and The Ugly Pumpkin. “I can spend four hours
by Nina Shengold photos by Hillary Harvey 40 BOOKS CHRONOGRAM 1/06
on one figure and the placement of its shadow on the wall. I get sunken eyes, grow a beard.” Horowitz grins. His eyes aren’t sunken, but he has a beard. Children’s books are his third career, after drumming for Oregon jam band The Workingman’s Trio and spending nine years as a rock-climbing guide. But Horowitz thinks this obsession is different. “Illustration is what I was made to do,” he says. “As a kid, I remember people telling me my drawings were very good, so I believed it. It all comes down to encouragement.” He filled college journals with sketches, cartoons, and collage illustrations. Many years later, he started his first book, A Monkey Among Us. This time the words came first. Horowitz writes with a drummer’s ear, spinning verbal riffs, rhymes, and rhythms. “Picture books are scripts for performance,” he says, “Their primary function is to be read aloud.” He finds inspiration in children’s classics—Caps for Sale, Frog & Toad, Eric Carle, Maurice Sendak—and his four nieces and nephews. When Horowitz sold A Monkey Among Us to HarperCollins, he thought he was made. “There are so many misconceptions about a first book. You make a book, you threw a pebble in the ocean. Maybe there are some ripples, but it’s an ocean. People who write books do it because they have to.” After Monkey, he moved to Putnam, working with a “terrific” production team: editor, creative director, art director, and book designer. “As much work goes into a children’s book as a 300-page novel,” he says. “We trade e-mails four pages long about changing one word.” Horowitz lives on Rosendale’s Main Street, in a cozy
brick house that sports a six-foot green alien on one wall. “That monster was worth a month’s rent,” he reports. The compact apartment is filled with unusual objects: mobiles of dangling rock hammers and crampons, wild turkey feathers, an anti-Bush bumper sticker on the dishwasher. A 10year-old lab mix named Blackfoot reclines on the couch. Though Horowitz types at a crowded computer desk, he creates his unique illustrations on a small table under the window. (It doubles as Horowitz’s dining table, which may explain his aversion to cooking while working.) “This table sat in my parents’ Long Island dining room when I was growing up. I was sitting in that chair when I heard Elvis had died.” Now the ancestral table is covered with layers of construction paper carved into negative shapes that recall the cut-outs of Henri Matisse, and a self-healing cutting mat. Self-healing it may be, but the black mat looks faded and scarred from years of abuse. Horowitz picks up his principal drawing tool, a slender X-Acto knife. Though he sometimes roughs in shapes with charcoal, working in reverse so the lines won’t show on the flip side, his freehand drawings with the knife are startlingly fluid; he’d be a hell of a sushi chef. Horowitz’s next book for Putnam, Beware of Tigers, is already in production; he’s working on its successor, Five Little Gefiltes. Creating a character’s face, he picks up a stick of soft charcoal. “This is my secret weapon. Other people cut paper, but I don’t think anyone else in the business does this.” He lays in a shadow, smudging it for an illusion of depth. Two startled eyes and an open mouth later, it’s an instantly recognizable Horowitz character, so alive that it’s anthropomorphically shocking when he spears the face
OPPOSITE: DAVE HOROWITZ IN HIS ROSENDALE STUDIO; ABOVE: BARBARA BASH IN HER STUDIO IN ACCORD
with the tip of his knife, moving it off the mat. Horowitz layers his illustrations from dozens of individually cut pieces, attached from behind with small strips of masking tape. Sometimes he leaves in X-Acto scars to accent the handmade—”No computers were used in making this art,” he intones in an orotund narrator voice, then looks around frantically. “Oh, god, I lost a gefilte.” He works standing up, moving constantly, singing along with CDs he plays at top volume, sometimes taking a break to play drums. Each book evolves its own soundtrack. (While working on Beware of Tigers, his album of choice was Public Enemy’s Revolverlution, a choice that might startle some parents.) “A lot of my rhyme comes from hip hop. What Jimi Hendrix did for guitar, there are rap stars doing with words—phrasing, wordplay, internal rhythms, and sound.” Does he have a soundtrack for Five Little Gefiltes, perhaps the Klezmatics? Horowitz thinks for a moment. “So far, it’s a whole lot of Nina Simone.”
A
very different music fills Barbara Bash’s airy, lightfilled studio, high on a windswept knoll in Accord, with Tibetan prayer flags fluttering amid sere winter grass. Bash is married to Indian flute virtuoso Steve Gorn, whose workroom adjoins hers. “People say, you’re so lucky, you get to listen to Steve Gorn play while you work. Well, yes. I also get to listen to Steve Gorn curse at the computer.” Bash smiles with the fondness of long, happy marriage. She’s seated before a rack of enormous calligraphy brushes, their outsized handles and unruly hanks of black horsehair suggesting
punk featherdusters. The giant brushes’ output is displayed around the studio, in great, Asian-influenced swirls of calligraphy. There’s a Tibetan ceremonial umbrella furled in one corner, and many of Bash’s illustrations, including a spread from her newest book, True Nature (Shambhala, 2005). Like Horowitz, Bash came to art young. “In elementary school I loved to draw and write the name of the thing next to it. Words were always a part of it.” She grew up in suburban Chicago, where her father worked as an advertising executive and later as publisher of the town newspaper. Her mother worked for a local arts council. After college, Bash worked as a professional calligrapher. When family friends Dan and Beth Walker saw her botanical drawings, they hired her to illustrate a children’s book called Tiger Lilies and Other Beastly Plants. This led to Tree Tales, Bash’s Sierra Club series of natural history books for children. “I was always on the lookout for something in the natural world that piqued my interest. Then I heard about giant saguaro cacti being pollinated in the middle of the night by longnose bats.” From the southwestern desert, Bash traveled to India, Africa, and the Pacific Northwest to research books about banyan, baobab, and Douglas fir trees. Though Bash’s books are meticulously planned, she says neither the words nor the pictures come first. “I’m always working in both forms, verbal and visual. It’s like two trains on parallel tracks that will pull into the station at the same time. First one pulls ahead, then the other.” She starts out with field observation and sketching. As the book’s concept evolves, Bash creates “thumbnails,”
with a few lines of text and quick pencil sketches arranged in small grids like a filmmaker’s storyboard. Then she makes a palm-size “minibook” to get the sequence of pages correct. These minis take months to perfect. Next, Bash makes a larger dummy, adding touches of colored pencil or watercolor “to get the feel of a palette coming in,” and types the text for the first time. Bash’s editors may find this long process frustrating, urging her to finish writing and then do the pictures, but Bash maintains, “The text changes what I want to illustrate, and the final art changes what I’m going to say.” At last she creates full-color artwork, working slightly larger than the book’s eventual format to render details more sharply. She also returns to hand lettering; each of her books is painstakingly calligraphed. Travel with sketchbooks primes Bash’s pump. She’s heading to India for two months with her husband and teenage son, Wiley, “to see what we find. I’m wide open. It’s all part of the fishing I’m doing right now to see what the next book will be.” A long-term practitioner of Tibetan Buddhism, Bash is accustomed to sitting meditation and contemplative rhythms; her books require readers to slow down to the gentler pace of their handwritten text. “All the books have a deeper message: You can go outside to sit and draw, too.” “A picture is worth a thousand words, especially in a picture book,” says Dave Horowitz, noting that A Monkey Among Us contains a mere 120 words, “But it has forty pictures. You figure forty times a thousand.” He shrugs, letting his words trail off. The pictures can say the rest. 1/06 CHRONOGRAM BOOKS 41
SHORT TAKES The dark days surrounding Winter Solstice are the perfect time to curl up in front of a fire with a good book of poems. These recent releases by Hudson Valley poets will nourish your spirits like eggnog.
Permission Slips Jerry Sanders The Way It Works Press, 2005, $14.95
WATER RIGHTS: NIEUW PFALZ BOOK II DAVID APPELBAUM CODHILL PRESS, 2005, $14
This second volume of Appelbaum’s epic poem is as dense and multilayered as Shawangunk conglomerate, incorporating historical documents of Ashokan Reservoir construction alongside brilliant flights of language, both bawdy and erudite, “reported / as never before / no nugget but of truth.”
THE FAR MOSQUE KAZIM ALI ALICE JAMES BOOKS, 2005, $14.95
Poughkeepsie poet and Nightboat Books publisher Ali limns inner and outer journeys in spare, elegant lines that linger like wine on the palate. His imagery startles and thrills: “Music a scar unraveling in four strings / An army of hungry notes shiver down.”
BECOMING: POEMS 2002-2005 CHRISTOPHER PORPORA ANNE’S HOUSE BOOKS, 2005, $20
A frequent contributor to Chronogram’s Poetica, Porpora has gathered 76 heartfelt, impassioned poems with titles like “I confess I am seduced by beauty” and “Absinthe Tryst” into an attractive volume whose letterpress cover features artwork by the author.
BECAUSE YOU CAN’T I WILL LINDA LERNER PUDDING HOUSE PUBLICATIONS, 2005, $8.95
New Yorker Lerner is a Pushcart Prize nominee and Colony Café spoken word regular who knows how to find the poetry in nasal congestion, the jazz in an overdue heating bill, and the trickster coyote in an urban outlaw.
ENCOUNTERS MATTHEW J. SPIRENG FINISHING LINE PRESS, 2005, $14
Lomontville native Spireng’s carefully observed nature poems are filled with the flora and fauna of the Shawangunk Ridge. “Gathering what’s simple and there / all around is child’s play” he writes in “Queen Anne’s Lace”; doing it well is anything but.
CONFESSIONS OF AN ARTIST ROSALYN J. CLARK
WELCOME TO FREAKSVILLE SHIV MIRABITO, FOREWORD BY ED SANDERS SHIVASTAN, 2005, $15
Greatgrandma Rosalyn strives to be “an Interesting Crone” and Mirabito lets his freak flag fly high in Shivastan’s latest limited editions, craft-printed in Kathmandu on vibrant lokta papers; the pressed leaves in Freaksville’s endpapers look smokable.
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P
oised at the end of the diving board of puberty and looking down at the water, Alison is a thoughtful and caring girl trying to get the world around her to make some kind of sense—but not even a good girl can find much to buy amongst the shoddy wares the adult culture seems to be selling. Especially when she’s surrounded by mean girls like Claire and Tina and stoner boys like Fat Mike and Ninja Dave. Even a “good” high school can feel like purgatory, with hormones and insecurities flying all over the place, and Jerry Sanders has ripped the sugarcoating from the myth of jovial good will and academic striving. Who are the adult guides who will shepherd these young souls past the rocky shoals? Some are just marking time, some are liars, some are outright scoundrels, and even the better ones struggle ceaselessly with bureaucracy and disillusionment. The well-intended efforts—the counseling, the field trips to historic sites—too often fall pathetically short of touching these kids anywhere near where they live. It’s hard to imagine how it could be otherwise, when where they live is jam-packed with sex (or unfulfilled yearnings for sex), drugs, and violence. Meanwhile, the adults who fight a losing battle to keep their kids in a squeaky-clean cocoon are busy lusting, tippling, and conniving, at least as lost in self-pity as their charges. Behind it all is a splashily painted backdrop of Modern America: radio talk-show hosts, Cosmopolitan cover stories, religious fanaticism, and rock’n’roll. Sanders juggles interlocking plot lines as the girls and the boys (and their elders) strive for supremacy and dance on the fine edge of felony, taking us from the halls to the mall, the nighttime streets, and suburban split-levels and group homes to illustrate how everyone’s privacy struggles and hidden agendas impact everyone else. He has an empathy for teenagers that makes even the most misguided among them seem comprehensible, as well as a feel for the ways in which a moment’s impulse can resonate outwards like ripples on a dark pond. It sounds bleak, perhaps, but it’s hilarious and full of love. Alison’s budding, innocent, and misunderstood romance with the adorable new guy proves stronger than the machinations of Claire and her crew—and the more we understand what drives Claire’s behavior, the more we feel for her. The kids, after all, are but heirs to the racism, commercialism, denial, and anger that run rampant through modern life. They didn’t ask for all this, but they’re stuck with it. And all too often, trying to be the Biggest, Baddest, and Best lands them in ever deeper soup. There’s a pedophile priest, a super-slick lawyer, a psychologist who believes that everyone’s problems can be solved by the right nutrition; a crooked, sex-starved administrator, and a drunken bigot sitting just outside, getting lost in progressively darker dreams. There’s also a slick young thug from the city who entices an adventurous but decent lad into a walk on the wild side, and a boy with a hopeless crush on the foxy art teacher (though a hopeless crush in the third millennium translates into condoms in the backpack). It’s a huge slice of life, and there are inevitably a few loose ends, but not enough to be annoying. First-time novelist Sanders certainly knows his terrain. A high school guidance counselor from the Mid-Hudson Valley, where Permission Slips is set, he does an admirable job of wrapping his insights into a package of revelation. —Anne Pyburn CHRONOGRAM IS NOW PUBLISHING SHORT FICTION. SUBMIT YOUR STORY TODAY! GUIDELINES: WWW.CHRONOGRAM.COM/SUBMISSIONS. FICTION@CHRONOGRAM.COM / 314 WALL ST., KINGSTON, NY 12401
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Beyond the House of the False Lama: Travels With Monks, Nomads, and Outlaws George Crane Harper San Francisco, 2005, $24.95
I
n his highly acclaimed 2000 book, Bones of the Master: A Journey to Secret Mongolia, George Crane recounted a 1996 trip with his Ulster County neighbor and friend Tsung Tsai, possibly the world’s last Ch’an (Chinese Zen Buddhism) monk to the Gobi Desert. There they hoped to find and cremate the remains of Tsung Tsai’s master, who was murdered in 1959 during China’s Great Leap Forward. The only monk in his monastery to survive the Red Army’s brutality, Tsung Tsai walked across China to Hong Kong, where he arrived nearly dead from starvation, in hopes of preserving his Buddhist master’s teachings for future generations. Nearly 40 years later, Tsung Tsai returned to Inner Mongolia with Crane, a sometime spiritual seeker and thenunpublished writer. In the Gobi, the two men managed to find Tsung Tsai’s master’s destroyed monastery and grave, but not to recover his bones. Instead, they discovered an unlikely friendship, born of compassion and a shared sense of humor, as the thoroughly Western Crane struggled to comprehend the thoroughly Eastern Tsung Tsai’s “monk mind,” making Bones, among many other things, a “buddy book.” Like all buddies from time to time, Crane and Tsung Tsai grow tired of each other after the opening chapters of Bones’s sequel, Beyond the House of the False Lama. The story begins in late September 2001—the events of 9/11 never mentioned but somehow eerily present in a sudden snow flurry Tsung Tsai pronounces “false winter”—with Crane once again receiving life lessons delivered in Tsung Tsai’s charmingly broken Yoda-like syntax. Pressured by his impending divorce and bankruptcy, as well as his publisher’s demanding a second book, Crane is anxious to return to Mongolia, but Tsung Tsai, caught up with poetry, a mysterious math project, and the problems of old age, no longer wants to go. So by spring of 2002, Crane, a self-styled free spirit who’s “happy only in flux—always dissatisfied, always going or coming back from somewhere,” says good-bye to Tsung Tsai and begins his own journey. Without Tsung Tsai, and with a heavily broken heart, Crane decides to travel as if he were “some Zen monk”—the Chinese epigram for which, he notes, translates as “wandering boy”—“albeit a broken one.” Crane’s searches—for adventure, love, faith, emotional healing, and proof that he really is a writer—take him first to Key Largo, where he joins an eccentric crew delivering a 58-foot sailboat to Grenada through hurricane season. After a strange interlude back home, Crane moves to Paris and tries to write as he waits out the Mongolian winter and watches as the war on Iraq begins and the world stands by in ultimately pointless protest. Finally, Crane reaches Mongolia, where he discovers not the remains of Tsung Tsai’s master, but what the nomads call “the beginning of the wind,” as well as another lost temple; Australian Buddhist nun Ani Jinpa and her orphanage; the cliffs of Delgaz Khaan; the friendship of his guide Jumaand; an affair with a young Mongol girl, Uka; and at last, a chance to grieve his father’s death and to accept his own “peasant…born anarchist” self—“a Russian Jew with a bit of Mongol mixed in, one of the homeless ones.” No less riveting and moving than his first book, Crane’s second offering is a rich pastiche. Written by the most eloquent, most lyrical of wanderers, Beyond the House of the False Lama is filled with stories, characters, mythology, history, soul-searching, poetry, memoir, travelogue, and all things experienced within the most recent span of Crane’s life, what he calls “this wild rush through obscurity.” —Susan Piperato 44 BOOKS CHRONOGRAM 1/06
The Grace That Keeps This World Tom Bailey Shaye Areheart Books, 2005, $24
T
he North Country, as residents call the Adirondacks, is a spare, rugged place where winter comes early and leaves late. Though less than a day’s drive from some of the largest cities in the east, it’s a wedge of deeply wild geography that houses the largest park in the continental US. This is the world inhabited by the Hazens, descendants of the first settlers to carve homes in the edge-of-the-wilderness town known as Lost Lake. These pioneering ancestors would recognize much about the way the contemporary Hazen family lives. They grow their own food, cut the wood that heats their home, and shoot nearly all the meat they eat. Most would call this a hardscrabble existence, but to Gary Hazen, it’s simply the way North Country life should be lived. His drive and narrow focus are what makes this lifestyle work, but it’s also the wedge that’s cleaving a widening gap between him and his two sons. Though they’re young adults, the family’s closely teamed survival strategy has kept them living at home. But there is no room in the Hazen household for independent ways of thinking, and the story begins at the inevitable point of untenable strain. The younger son Kevin has already begun to step out of his father’s firmly scribed circle by enrolling in a local college and taking up with a city girl. He has bigger plans for his life than Gary can imagine, but lacks the guts to tell his father. Even the “good son,” Gary David, has begun to push away; he’s fallen for Gary’s nemesis, Josephine Roy, the new, overachieving environmental conservation officer who suspects (rightly) that Gary’s in the habit of taking more deer than legally allowed. The opening day of rifle season is the focal point of the dramatic bull’s-eye. To Gary, this day means a cherished woodland union with his sons. To his wife, Susan, it’s a day spent finding ways to distract herself from fears for her family’s safety. To Officer Roy, it’s a day of hard work, and to poacher Lamey Pierson, it’s the day he’ll exact long-awaited revenge on Gary. Bailey’s depiction of the Adirondack soul is masterful. His prose resonates like the voice of the land itself, echoing with the crack of breaking ice and the forlorn cries of Canada geese. His style embodies the harsh justice of a northern climate, and his insight into this family’s dynamic is just as effective. The lives of the characters swirl toward the tragic climax like water caught in the pull of a drain. There is ample evidence from the start of the tale that something terrible is coming, but when it finally arrives, it’s no less heartbreaking for the expectation. The story is told from a large variety of viewpoints, a technique that lends it a sort of “Our Town” dimensionality. And though The Grace That Keeps This World is an episodic, well-paced tale, dramatic action isn’t its real purpose. This is a tale of a family come undone, drawn by author Tom Bailey from a newspaper account of a real-life tragedy. The local eatery in Lost Lake runs a betting pool about the day the first deep snow will come. Gary Hazen puts a five-spot on the opening day of hunting season, and to his enormous ultimate misfortune, he is right. This is a story of small victories and large losses, the creative and destructive powers of love, and the ways in which we all struggle to do what we think is the next right thing. —Susan Krawitz
BOOK SENSE BEST-SELLER LIST AVAILABLE AT WWW.CHRONOGRAM.COM The Book Sense best-seller list is updated weekly and compiled from sales data from 450 independent bookstores throughout the US. Book Sense is a marketing initiative of the nonprofit American Booksellers Association, an organization through which independently owned bookstores support free speech, literacy, and programs that encourage reading.
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POETRY
EDITED BY PHILLIP LEVINE. You can submit up to three poems to Chronogram at a time. Send ‘em if you got ‘em, either via snail-
mail or e-mail. Deadline: January 10. 314 Wall St., Kingston, NY 12401. E-mail: poetry@chronogram.com. Subject: Poetry. Each month I read through 100-150 of your poems and pick 8 or 10. Poems received after the 10th will be considered the following month. Send 3 poems or 3 pages, whichever comes first. Limit your submissions to 1 every 3 months for a total of 4 submissions a year. Finally, this month, something special this way came. It was my pleasure to have the opportunity to read and my difficult obligation to choose a small selection of Larry Berk’s striking “Charley” poems. Enjoy and happy new year. —Phillip
Four Poets Setting Up a Tent at A Street Fair for Tracey, Sheila and Will and the other construction artists in the Upper Delaware Writers Collective You might have found it amusing if you were watching— the way we went about it, that is— although none of us was amused at the time. It was deadly serious business, shoehorning our naturally drifting minds into the stratagems of inserting tab a into slot b. Or you might have found it odd we didn’t seek counsel or read aloud the directions which someone, speaking in their defense of course, had either forgotten or never had in the first place or never even thought of looking for. But that is neither here nor there because the main thing is how we went about it. Because what can be expected from a work crew of poets that think the proper way of setting up a tent is trial and error and endless revision? That demonic pile of metal poles like fallen jackstraws. And oh those connecting braces. Us seeing them as an end to themselves, capable of doing all sorts of things they were never intended to do. Parsing similes and metaphors, turning those shiny, chromed, three-pronged angled thingies into antlers or anchors or grappling hooks or broken jacks some giant’s child had left in the street. And the placing of the top on the frame, it not wanting to come tight— those damnable Velcro things. Roustabouts we were not. But we did prove the old adage that given enough monkeys and typewriters and time the works of Shakespeare will reappear because the infernal contraption was finally on its feet and we were ensconced underneath, hawking our poetry to passersby using a karaoke machine that looked like R2D2;
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The River’s Program For Survival and they for the most part ignoring us or at best giving us a quick sideways glance as if we were three-toed aliens from planet X. And whenever someone did stop in it would be a quick riffling of pages as if it should take only a nanosecond to digest a book of poems, their faces gone bored and critical, like they were perusing rubber chickens, or soap powders or, god forbid, pornography; and then the ritual checking of the price before replacing it on the table and strolling away wondering perhaps why anyone would ever charge so much for such an insignificant thing as a book of poetry; and me wanting to run after them and put my book in their hand and say here take it, it’s free. Just read it. Find a quiet place and read it and then sit down and write me a poem and what’s the harm in that? But I didn’t. We just tidied up and waited, our smiles now beckoning Venus Fly Traps, inviting another insect to stop by, linger for a while and maybe this time stay.
These desiccated trees yearn away From a river that blew itself into Obscurity. We don’t go there; we can’t. Even the dandelion field has been Reclaimed: the hard cicada deathrattle Is all that remains of yellow. We Must pack our suitcase (must burn this joint). Must stop referring to myself as we. —Andrew McCarron
Grandmother’s Hands For tying desperation to a chair and holding it under water till it calms down, I use your hands. hands of absinthe, tissue, junior bible, and crumpled For tying the knots of twine so they may not slip even when the body swells and refuses. Even when it does not realize refusal is temporary Temporary; refusal is temporary. Say it again. Because there must come a moment of accepting the gift, unleavened maybe, of sugar, of wheat, of grape
—Thomas Lisenbee
Why I still haven’t called my brother The time differences are the easiest ones for me to calculate —Daphna El-Roy
without hesitation even as it is offered from palms such as yours, and grasping and swallowing without remembering there ever was a time of struggle. —Chavisa Woods
To have great poets, there must be great audiences, too,
wrote Walt Whitman. Implicit in his equation, especially when we consider the 20th-century phenomenon of the poetry reading, is that great facilitators—knowledgeable, passionate, and persuasive people—are needed to make these ideal marriages happen. In the region served by this magazine, few have accomplished more than Larry Berk in linking great poets to great audiences. As the Director of Library and Information Services at Ulster County Community College from 1992 until his retirement, due to illness, last September, Berk initiated a series of programs that introduced an exceptional roster of poets to this community. Starting with Sharon Olds, who appeared at the inaugural UCCC Poetry Forum in the spring of 1994, the stream of luminaries that Berk wooed and made welcome included Robert Bly, Carolyn Forché, Donald Hall, Maxine Kumin, Michael McClure, the late Kenneth Koch, and many others of equally splendid caliber. Additionally, he supplied a significant amount of connective tissue to the brain trust that put together the Woodstock Poetry Festival for several years. Through all of his agency on behalf of the Muse, however, few had any inkling that Berk was, himself, an accomplished poet. The poems on this page—his “Charley” poems—have been culled from a series that is itself a subset of a larger series, begun in 2003. They were written at a time when Berk, like his alter ego Charley, was suddenly finding himself “a new man / in another country / [where] he doesn’t speak the language.” What both Charley and his creator do possess is an intuitive orientation to “the patient ground of art that saves,” the resolute art that continues to articulate itself as all else falls away. We are honored to present these poems for the first time in print, to the great audience that constitutes Chronogram’s readership. —Mikhail Horowitz
Charley Poems 09.07.04 Keith Jarrett’s Concert at Koln fills the hotel room in which Charley sits alone, one story above the Paris sidewalk— he’s meditating— for days he’s done nothing but walk the streets watching his mind dance the standard steps— letting them all do their thing and go— stopping frequently to watch what comes when light falls on the things of this world—
09.18.04 Looking through an old window at the rain— Charley sees himself as a boy at his desk drawing endless variations of a man’s head— then blindly sending his left hand into the crowded top left drawer— and an object—a special stone or marble— slowly excites a reverie— and now he stands in a room in Paris looking at the rain, mind out on the street— sees the truck when it’s already too late— Hours later he’s still standing— the rain has stopped—the air has lightened and now carries the clean bite of fall— it’s a new year—he’s a new man in another country and he doesn’t speak the language— he’s been flattened—blown away— onto the patient ground of art that saves— and there he goes down the steps— a small stone warming in his hand—
11.09.04 Dipping into Rilke’s letters Charley stopped at his praise of Proust— wealth of discovery crammed through the pages— Charley took down the first volume— but he couldn’t stay away from the Paris sidewalks— especially on this bright fall afternoon— as he walked he scanned the dark windows
lining the street with possibility— he saw a woman at a high window and he saw her breasts were bare— as they made eye contact she touched them— Charley crossed the street— rang all the third floor bells until the buzzer sounded— opened the door and up the steps three at a time— he entered the hallway and a door opened— she was naked and she took his hand— when he left it was dusk—world dissolved in gratitude—not a word—
02.12.05 This morning she’s in her studio— anger’s jacket shrugged to the floor— Charley’s waking up in Paris— no sheets on the bed— following his drive, he opens to a new pattern in time— he’s fallen in love with a painter on the other side of Montmartre— walks in a trance to her studio picturing a Donatello— as soon as he sees her he asks permission to do his morning devotions to the two Marys— she smiles, pulls up her sweater, and he kisses her breasts very slowly— he then sits on her bed summoning images, as she clears a workspace upstairs—
03.07.05 Charley came to a new place in Paris— that is—Charley came to in a new place in Paris— he let go as he stepped out of the empty gallery into a day before spring— and as he let go a minimalist image filled his mind with new perspective— Charley’s feet left the ground— his eyes met hers on the way up— beyond themselves—
09.22.05 Charley on a bench in the famous train station— he watches and listens— roar of entrance and exit— sees her face on the platform at the end of every line— question repeats itself— how do I get there from here? always a train to take— Charley sits on a bench—
10.13.05 Charley doing prostrations on the early morning sidewalk as the rain pours down— tears of a blind virgin— at first he imagines her present in his arms— soon there are no arms— Charley stands up— doesn’t say he’s changed— but a smile shows in his eyes— he goes into a café— a woman is drinking coffee— Charley orders coffee— 11.20.05 Charley orders grits at a café on the edge of Montmartre— after breakfast he’ll return to the same gallery again— sidewalks and old buildings— trees and sky— soon he is walking with a woman— they don’t speak— they hold hands— they turn together into a fully shaded street— for lunch they share a wrap— then she is off to her studio to work on a bust of Camille Claudel and he takes the cobblestone to his room where he’ll open a cold can of root beer and the second volume of Proust— —Larry Berk 1/06 CHRONOGRAM POETRY 47
POETRY CHRONOGRAM 1/06 1/06 48 CHRONOGRAM
CHRONOGRAM
TARA ENGBERG
Weddings & Celebrations
Registries, Charities, & Money Choosing the Perfect Wedding Gift By Anne Pyburn Photos by Hillary Harvey
N
ow that they’ve found each other, it could be argued, a soon-to-be-married couple has everything. But aside from that wondrous blessing, there remains the desire—and the cultural expectation—that those who wish the happy couple well will commemorate the occasion of their commitment with some tangible token. Some couples simplify this process by signing up with a registry, allowing some fortunate vendor to do the organizing. But suppose your friends aren’t like that, or you find that the very idea makes you feel as though your self-expression is being cramped? Not to worry. Revered etiquette guru Emily Post advises that registries are to be viewed as suggestion, not prescriptions. “A registry is for your convenience and you are not limited to what is on the list,” she advises. There is a semi-unwritten rule about price that mandates a gift equal in value to the cost of the guest’s reception meal, which some find comforting and others crass. Post is not a fan of this dictum, recommending instead that each guest “let your affection for the bride and groom and your budget be your guide” in selecting a gift. Post also recommends sending gifts either before or immediately following the wedding rather than bringing them, although the custom of a “gift table” has taken hold in some areas. There, then, is the “how” of wedding gifting, basically a matter of following one’s tastes and one’s heart, as well as the dictates of one’s budget. More of a brain-teaser is the “what.” A wedding gift, even more than a Christmas or birthday present, is imbued with a sense of ceremonial importance. It ought to be something the couple can enjoy, but the gift should also evoke a fond spirit of remembrance of The Big Day for years to come—a tall order for any material object. You can, of course, sidestep the whole issue and simply write a check. Just about everyone getting married could use some money, and in some cultures cash is the gift of choice. (Remember all those envelopes in the opening scene of The Godfather?) In the case of money, 50 WEDDINGS & CELEBRATIONS CHRONOGRAM 1/06
the rule of thumb about the cost of the reception plate makes a certain amount of sense. For couples who have plenty of everything, a charitable donation to a cause they support might make more sense. It means one less detail for the happy couple to have to descend from their newlywed cloud and concern themselves with, and you, the thoughtful friend, get to save them a whale or a redwood or perhaps feed some hungry folks on their behalf. Or how about a donation to a literacy organization for bookish folks, or to the local high school athletic organization for your favorite former varsity athletes? Knowing the couple’s tastes and/or needs presents interesting possibilities. Have they been dreaming of remodeling their home? Maybe a group of friends or family could collectively present them with a gift certificate for their favorite home-improvement store. If you know they’ve been hankering for a hot tub or some other major goodie, organizing a group effort could be a way to provide a present in the dream-come-true realm, which seems fitting for an occasion of this magnitude. Is the couple artistic? A gift certificate for supplies might be welcome. Music lovers might appreciate season passes to the Philharmonic or the opera, or perhaps a boxed set of the collected works of Ozzy Osborne is more the thing—you know your friends. If they have a sport or hobby in common, the possibilities are many and obvious. Are they blending a family? If so, they’ll have a need for fun. Check out family venues. Campgrounds, parks, and resorts sometimes offer family season passes that can provide many hours of good times, which will make the newlyweds think of you fondly and often. Or, perhaps a handsome book of certificates entitling them to one night a month of free babysitting for a year would be most welcome. In most cases, the happy couple will take off immediately or soon after the wedding for a honeymoon to recover from all of that getting-hitched agita. But how about the agita of everyday life that will rear its ugly head once again soon enough? Some couples might appreciate gift certificates for massage or other spa services. (Come to think of it, such a gift might make the mediator less of an essential.) A
dinner for two at some divine local eatery is another thought that packs some stress relief potential. If you’re into giving keepsakes, the Hudson Valley is, of course, full of merchants and artisans who will be happy to help. Artwork would be a lovely idea, assuming you know your friends’ tastes well enough to realize that one person’s masterpiece can be another’s monstrosity. Or you might try shopping online. A search for wedding gifts turns up a wide variety of sites that are eager to help in your quest, offering traditional goodies like engraved picture frames and commemorative sterling silver plates by the boatloads. Just about everything can, of course, be monogrammed—one particular outfit called the Personalization Mall (www.personalizationmall.com) has ideas for engraving just about anything. Outfits such as Things Remembered and Warm Sentiments offer wide selections of frames in the shape of linked wedding rings, little sculptures of kissing couples, and plaques full of tender verse for the type of twosome who would prefer a very matrimonial sort of wedding gift. The wedding invitation can be engraved onto Sterling, or their names onto an elegant clock with a heart shaped pendulum. How about a picnic backpack for two? The Obsession Box Company offers “all the picnic essentials for a relaxing outdoor meal” in a compact backpack for just $46. It could, of course, make the ideal companion piece to a wine, cheese, or fruit-of-the-month subscription. Some people thrive on oddity, but naming a star after someone is so last year. Consider giving an acre of Pacific Ocean floor. “You get a fully descriptive deed suitable for framing and information on the struggle to claim the ocean floor for the benefit of all humankind,” says the product description for this original idea, billed as a “stimulating conversation piece and exciting family project.” Hey, an acre of land for $19.98 isn’t something you’ll find everywhere. Find that parcel of Pacific—and much more—at the intriguingly named Things You Never Knew Existed (www.thingsyouneverknew.com). TYNKE is also the home of the scrolling license plate frame (five different messages in LED display), the backward clock (now there’s a gift!), and the Sea Monkey Ocean of Light. Or, keep it really straightforward. Who knows, perhaps your friends would be moved to happy tears by a gift certificate for an adult toy boutique or a year’s worth of video rentals and a case of microwaveable popcorn. Although cultures differ on questions like whether gifts should be sent in advance or brought to the reception, etiquette experts agree that if you’re unable to attend, a gift is not mandatory. However, with so many fun ideas out there, why miss the chance to present people you like with something special to commemorate their special day? As dear old Emily Post assures us, your budget and their tastes are really the only rules you need to follow. The only other limit is your imagination. 1/06 CHRONOGRAM WEDDINGS & CELEBRATIONS 51
The Perfect Spot
By Marly Booth-Levy
Weddings are an expensive endeavor, and as matrimonial tradition calls for a plethora of accoutrements, its easy to become lost within the traditional “white-wedding” vision. But why cater to a time-honored fantasy when there are wedding venues that will cater to your personal vision? “With the steady increase in wedding expenses comes an increase in the amount of time that couples put into finding an unusual venue in an effort to make their wedding stand apart from others,” says Judy Lewis of HudsonValleyWeddings.com. The Hudson Valley’s river and mountain vistas have inspired numerous locations to harness the surrounding natural beauty, offering up a brilliant seasonal array of ceremonial settings as alternatives to the chapel and reception hall. Whether a barefooted romp down the aisle or an intimate exchange of vows beside a 19th-century fireplace is part of your vision, the below-listed venues will dedicate their staff and space to ensuring an unforgettably unique wedding memory.
TOP PHOTO BY TARA ENGBERG
Finding a Personalized Wedding Location
The Mohonk Mountain House was renovated by the Smiley brothers in 1869
West Park Wine Cellars is located on a rustic 700-acre homestead high above
from a 10-room tavern into its current castlelike structure, and has been entertaining wedding parties ever since. A late-19th-century parlor overlooking the sequestered “lake in the sky” is offered as a possible venue, as are the awardwinning Victorian gardens in the warmer months. Five reception packages are offered, including one for parties under 75. Floral and transportation arrangements are also available. New Paltz. www.mohonk.com.
the Hudson River. The winery itself can hold a party of up to165, while parties of up to 300 are held beneath an oversized canopy-tent. The ultimate alternative to a “wedding factory” affair, West Park offers its services and location up to the bride and groom, completely surrendering to whatever wedding-whim they might have in mind. A testament to its quality, 80 percent of the winery’s weddings are by referral. www.westparkwinery.com.
The 161 acres of Jacob’s Pillow were bought in 1930 by modern dance pioneer Ted Shawn, and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Inside/Out outdoor stage, with its airy view of the Berkshires as its backdrop, serves as the space for the Festival’s summer dance performances, and is offered, along with its top-of-the-line stage lights and sound systems, for weddings in early fall and late spring. A festive bonfire can even be arranged. Becket, MA. www.jacobspillow.org.
Troutbeck Inn rests at the foot of the Berkshires in Amenia, the former home of
The Buttermilk Falls Inn was built in 1764 on a 70-acre estate on the banks of
Opus 40 offers its traversable bluestone sculpture and surrounding land as a most memo-
the Hudson, and is a member of American Historic Inns. In conjunction with Main Course Restaurant & Catering of New Paltz, the Inn offers a full complement of wedding services under a white tent on their lawn. Thirteen rooms are available to destination-weekend wedding guests, and its spa offers an array of relaxing services and treatments, perfect for prewedding stress relief and renewal. Milton. www.buttermilkfallsinn.com.
rable setting for warm-weather wedding receptions and ceremonies. Although the park is open to the public, the site is closed on the day of the wedding, and designated areas of the House on the Quarry are reserved for the bride and her attendants. Opus 40 is suitable for up to 300 people, and although a surcharge exists for using nonproposed serviceproviders, the couple may chose their own. Nature-friendly guidelines apply. Saugerties. www.opus40.org.
The Full Moon Mountain Resort is located at the heart of the Catskill For-
Locust Grove is the former home of Samuel F.B. Morse, inventor of the telegraph,
est Preserve in Oliverea. From buffet to barbeque, intimate to elaborate, Full Moon caters to the bride’s and groom’s personal visions. The site accommodates parties as small as 20 and as large as 200, its 100 acres offering up a variety of indoor and outdoor locations, including a converted barn. Weekend-long or single-day events can be arranged, eight on-site guest houses providing accommodations for the destination-weekend parties. www.fullmooncentral.com.
who bought this Italianate manor and the surrounding 100 acres of romantic landscaped gardens in Poughkeepsie in 1847. A National Historic Landmark, Locust Grove offers an elegant reception room, with a herringbone-patterned oak floor, which can comfortably accommodate 150 guests for dinner and dancing. The adjacent North Gallery and West Lawn may also be rented for dancing, cocktails, or hors d’ oeuvres. www.morsehistoricsite.org.
Belvedere Mansion
was built in 1760 by Major John Pawling, undergoing a neoclassical uplift in the 19th century, and historically served as a retreat for the stars. Belvedere provides an array of intimate spaces within the house where couples can exchange their vows or hold their reception, as well as a gazebo, an English garden, and a terrace. The staff will cater to parties both large and small, affording a carefree and privately elegant experience for newlyweds and their guests. Staatsburg. www.belvederemansion.com.
52 WEDDINGS & CELEBRATIONS CHRONOGRAM 1/06
Byron B. Benton, poet-naturalist and friend of John Burroughs, Emerson, and Thoreau. The 43-acre sanctuarylike spread offers an array of locations for receptions and ceremonies, each uniquely European in its charm, perfect for the “poet-naturalist” bride and groom. (Picture towering sycamores by a babbling brook. Zagat-rated cuisine and award-winning hospitality complement the setting. www.troutbeck.com.
The onteora
is the 1930s summer estate of mayonaise mogul Richard Hellman. The Mountain House features five guest rooms and two fireplaces, a cozy atmosphere for an intimate destination-weekend wedding. Two-hundred acres of pine-studded forest offer various sites for the ceremony, while the timber-heavy open-air pavillion, located atop a promontory, offers a panoramic view of the Catskills and a radiant-heated hardwood dance floor that will accomodate up to 200 dancers. www.onteora.com.
mountain house
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Brides Experience the Artistry of Hair & Make-up At Collage
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Food
The Chef and the Pastry Maker Swoon Kitchenbar in Hudson
A
text & photos by jennifer may
s co-owners of the Swoon Kitchenbar in Hudson, husband-and-wife team Jeffrey Gimmel and Nina Bachinsky spend their days cooking, eating, shopping, sleeping, and watching subtitled French movies of Michelin three-star chefs together. They even finish each other’s sentences. “We spend a lot of time together,” Bachinsky says. “Every day,” adds Gimmel. Gimmel’s love of cooking came from his family, whose daily routine revolved around the questions, ”What’s for lunch?” and ”What’s for dinner?” As a boy, Gimmel and his family vacationed in the tiny Rhode Island beach town of Matunuck, and he spent his summer days digging clams, catching fish, and prying oysters from the rocks to cart home to his grandmother. “She made everything delicious,” he says. After attending culinary school in Providence, Rhode Island Gimmel studied in the South of France with Roger Verge at Le Moulin De Mougin, where he was influenced by the “food of the sun” style of cooking. This approach to food, he explains, celebrates vegetables and olive oil as main ingredients, as opposed to serving them on the side. After Gimmel returned from Europe, he cooked at several restaurants in Manhattan, most notably the acclaimed Michael’s. It was there, eight years ago, that he met Bachinsky, the blonde-haired, blue-eyed, ballet dancer, photographer, and pastry maker who was destined to become his wife and cooking partner. True to their current form as a couple, Gimmel was head chef and Bachinsky was rolling pastries. After tiring of city living in 2000, the couple traveled to New Zealand to study artisanal winemaking and to upstate New York to learn cheese-making, before following Gimmel’s roots to Nantucket, where they opened a catering company. After a few years text jennifer may they relocated to the Hudson of cooking&forphotos the transientby world of seaside holiday-goers, Valley, where Bachinsky spent her childhood. When the space occupied by Brandow’s in Hudson became available, Bachinsky and Gimmel grabbed it and opened Swoon Kitchenbar. With its embossed tin ceiling, taupe tapestries, ochre walls, a wooden bar, abundant plants, and towering dried flower arrangements, Swoon is both comfortable 62 FOOD CHRONOGRAM 1/06
and elegant without feeling stuffy. The restaurant is named a “kitchenbar” for its 22foot bar, created from steel and an antique wooden beam, situated in the front of the restaurant enabling the lunch chefs to cook and serve from the front while leaving the actual kitchen free for dinner preparations. Swoon’s mission is to pair fresh regional ingredients with ethnic tastes from all over the world. During the growing season, the owners’ favorite weekly chore is driving around to local farms and filling their truck with the best produce and fruit the farmers have to offer. Seafood is shipped to Swoon by overnight delivery from purveyors with whom the couple worked in Nantucket, which means that scallops and cod arrive less than 12 hours after being plucked from the ocean. Gimmel and Bachinsky travel to Manhattan to select spices from a shop specializing in herbs of the Middle East, as well as to stay abreast of trends and exciting ideas by visiting restaurants that are currently the rage—most recently, Balthazar, The Modern, and Café Sabarsky. The couple is so passionate about their work that even their vacations become research opportunities. Last September, while honeymooning in Italy, for instance, Bachinsky discovered Sardinian dumplings. “Modern, progressive American cooking has become about borrowing from around the world. It’s normal to use Asian, Middle Eastern, and Eastern European spices,” says Gimmel. At Swoon, the flavors of Spain, Turkey, Italy, France, and America meet and, when appropriate, become entwined. Seasonal produce is imperative. “I always have a steak on the menu, but the sides will change. In winter you might find caramelized Brussels sprouts and sautéed turnip greens, while in summer I love to serve a big bowl of chanterelle mushrooms from the Pacific Northwest,” says Gimmel. Bachinsky laughs while describing the uproar last spring that followed their removing Brussels sprouts from the menu after they were no longer in season. “People went crazy, they were freaking out,” she says. “Who knew Brussels sprouts had such a following?” Lunch is casual at Swoon. Daily soups unsurprisingly have a seasonal theme, and there
OPPOSITE: JEFFREY GIMMEL ROLLS PASTA AT SWOON KITCHENBAR; ABOVE: JEFFREY GIMMEL AND NINA BACHINSKY—CHEFS, CO-OWNERS, HUSBAND-AND-WIFE.
are plenty of salads, including such seared spiced skirt steak served with green beans, roasted beets, goat cheese, arugula, and pesto vinaigrette; and Asian-inspired barbeque duck with Napa cabbage, greens, and cilantro. The most popular lunch item is the Cuban panini featuring roasted pork, ham, Swiss cheese, pickles, mustard, and chipotle mayo. Other paninis include a tempeh Reuben with sauerkraut, Swiss cheese, and Russian dressing; and a spiced rubbed chicken with roasted peppers, fontina, avocado, and bacon. There are also plates of finger food—including a plate of country pate, mixed olives and pickles, and grilled vegetables; and cottage chips that are ripple-cut, par-boiled, deep-fried, tossed with hand-ground Middle Eastern spices, and served with a yogurt-cilantro dip. Brunch items, served on Saturday and Sunday, include duck confit with hash browns and poached eggs, omelets, and crab cakes, rather than standard pancake-and-waffle fare. Gimmel is responsible for Swoon’s extensive wine list, and when talk bends in this direction, his eyes light up. “Wines are his passion,” Bachinsky explains. “Food is meant to go with wine,” Gimmel says. “Each tastes better when paired properly.” In Swoon Kitchenbar’s cellar, where wines are kept in a temperature-controlled room, Bachinsky points out another of the couple’s passions—making artisanal foods. Wrapped meats hang on the wall, including pancettas, salamis, and lomo—pork loin, made Spanish style by rubbing it in hot paprika and cayenne, curing it in salt and sugar, and aging it two months. The meats are then sliced paper thin and served on a plate with large green and tiny black olives, pickles, coarse ground mustard, toast, and frisee dressed with a splash of oil and vinegar. Only in Italy can be found cured meats as soft and delicious as Swoon’s freshly made lomo. One of the best things about profiling a restaurant is being allowed into the kitchen to watch the chefs at work. The number of precise steps required to pull off a smooth, successful evening is awe-inspiring. Gimmel threads bands of fresh dough through a handcranked pasta machine, and slices the strips into wide noodles, as he does every night. On
the kitchen walls, shelves are laden with curious red and black powders and pods bearing foreign labels; from one large glass jar, sous-chef, James Parry, pulls lemons he has been marinating in Moroccan spices and expertly dices them. As Bachinsky rolls out pastry, then peels and slices quinces for her quince tarte tatin (served with hazelnut ice cream and apple caramel), she describes how each of her desserts includes at least three separate components. Cheesecake, for example, is served in an oval shape, on a layer of chocolate mousse, beside a ball of pineapple-rum sorbet, and topped with a spiral-shaped gingerbread cookie. “Multilayered flavors make the experience more interesting and dynamic,” Bachinsky explains. It’s impossible to say who is influencing whom, but, like Bachinsky’s desserts, Gimmel’s dishes also feature interesting juxtapositions of flavors. On a recent wintry Sunday I tasted examples of the couple’s layered creations—each sample paired with a complimentary wine. I began with chanterelle toasts topped with slices of duck liver (not foie gras, though Gimmel does serve it on occasion) and a sprinkling of fresh leaves of lemon thyme, which transported me for a moment from the cold, snowy streets that lay outside Swoon’s windows to my garden at its peak last July. A crisp and clean 2003 Henri Clark Bourgogne Blanc ($12, available by the glass only) washed away each bite so that the intense flavor could explode anew in my mouth until, regrettably, I was finished. Next, I reacquainted myself with the sous-chef’s preserved Moroccan lemons, this time as a garnish atop a fillet of Maine cod cooked to a light crunch on one edge, and to perfect tenderness inside. The fish rested on a bed of white beans, in turn placed on a circle of mouthwatering eggplant that was drenched in a spicy tomato sauce and dotted with chunks of merguez sausage. The pappardelle pasta I had watched Gimmel make arrived in a deep, white bowl—the wide strips embracing organic shitake and oyster mushrooms and delicate Old Chatham sheep’s cheese, and topped with an exquisite mushroom sauce. My final entrée was a mound of golden squash risotto covered with dark green Swiss chard, and topped with braised lamb shank which crumbled at the slightest pressure into a pool of red juice. 1/06 CHRONOGRAM FOOD 63
PASTRY CHEF NINA BACHINSKY CHOPPING QUINCES FOR QUINCE TARTE TATIN AT SWOON.
To fully understand Bachinsky’s power with a mixing bowl, sugar, and cream, my dining partner and I allowed ourselves a sampling of desserts, starting with the famous cheesecake with the unforgettable accompanying pineapple rum sorbet, and the autumn pear Napoleon, which came layered in the delicate and delightful fashion Bachinsky had described. However, it was the Sardinian dumplings I couldn’t stop eating, despite having already eaten too much. Traditionally, says Bachinsky, these dumplings are filled with young pecorino cheese, fried, and drizzled in chestnut honey. Bachinsky’s versions are smaller than the Italians make them, and are served with a scoop of frozen lemon mousse, beside wedges of roasted quince, and ringed in a circle of a balsamic reduction sauce. As I ate the dumplings while seated across from Bachinsky and Gimmel, and sipping one of Gimmel’s favorite dessert wines, a 2002 Chateau Soucherie, Chaume, 1er Cru, Layon ($52/bottle), the half-circle shaped morsels seemed a perfect memento from their honeymoon. At the end of my meal, after a full day chopping, baking, and sautéing a few feet apart, separated only by a stainless steel counter, the couple parted momentarily after Bachinsky announced she had to go home to retrieve a loaf of kalamata olive sourdough bread baked that morning from a 23-day old starter. She promised to return to the restaurant, and planted a quick kiss on Gimmel’s lips. “See you soon,” he said, with a twinkle in his eye. Swoon Kitchenbar is located at 340 Warren Street, Hudson, NY; (518) 822-8938; www.swoonkitchenbar.com. Dinner entrées $17 to $20, appetizers $8 to $10, wines $23 to $225 per bottle (many in $35 range); lunch $7 average. Open for lunch and dinner Thursday through Tuesday; closed Wednesdays. 64 FOOD CHRONOGRAM 1/06
tastings directory BAKERIES
HOME MEAL DELIVERY
The Alternative Baker
Healthy Gourmet to Go
“The Village Baker of the Rondout.” 100% Scratch Bakery. Stickybuns, Scones, Muffins, Breads, Focaccia, Tartes, Tortes, Seasonal Desserts featuring local produce, plus Sugar-free, Wheat-free, Dairy-free, Vegan, Gluten-free, and Organic Treats! Cakes and Wedding Cakes by Special Order. We ship our Lemon Cakes nationwide, $30 2-pound bundts. Open ThursdayMonday 8am-6pm; Sunday 8am-4pm. Closed Tuesday and Wednesday. Well Worth The Trip! 35 Broadway, at the historic waterfront district, Kingston. (845) 331-5517 or (800) 399-3589. www.lemoncakes.com.
(845) 339-7171. www.carrottalk.com. See Vegan Lifestyle in the Whole Living Directory.
CATERING Blue Mountain Bistro Catering Co. On and off-premise catering. Sophisticated Zagat-rated food and atmosphere in a rustic country setting - wide plank floors, rough hewn beams and a stunning zinc bar. Chef-owner Erickson’s Mediterranean cuisine has garnered praise from Gourmet and New York Magazines to Hudson Valley Magazine (Best Tapas in the Hudson Valley 2004). 1633 Glasco Turnpike, Woodstock, NY 12498. www.bluemountainbistro.com. (845) 679-8519.
Claudia’s Kitchen
Pad Thai Catering Delicious, affordable, and authentic Thai cuisine served with authentic Thai hospitality to your group of six or more. Lunch or dinner served in your home by Chef & Owner Nuch Chaweewan. Please call (845) 687-2334 for prices and information.
COFFEE HOUSES
Beacon Natural Market Lighting the Way for a Healthier World... Located in the heart of historic Beacon at 348 Main Street. Featuring organic prepared foods deli & juice bar as well as organic and regional produce, meats and cheeses. Newly opened in Aug. ‘05, proprietors L.T. & Kitty Sherpa are dedicated to serving the Hudson Valley with a complete selection of products that are good for you and good for the planet, including an extensive alternative health dept. Nutritionist on staff. (845) 838-1288.
PASTA La Bella Pasta Fresh pasta made locally. Large variety of ravioli, tortellini, pastas, and sauces at the factory outlet. We manufacture and deliver our excellent selection of pastas to fine restaurants, gourmet shops, and caterers throughout the Hudson Valley. Call for our full product list and samples. Open to the public Monday through Friday 10am to 6pm, Saturday 11am to 3pm. Located on Route 28W between Kingston and Woodstock. (845) 331-9130. www.labellapasta.com.
tastings
Personalized celebrations and weddings, using fresh local ingredients to create delicious and elegant menus. Homemade artisanal breads, Hudson Valley cheese, fabulous appetizers, meat and vegetarian entrées, out-of-this-world desserts. Claudia works one on one to custom design your menu, your party, your wedding or special event. (845) 868-7338 or (914) 4759695. www.claudiascatering.com.
NATURAL FOOD MARKETS
PUBS Snapper Magee’s Heralded as having “the best jukebox in the Hudson Valley” by the Poughkeepsie Journal, The Kingston Times, and Scenery Magazine. Snapper Magee’s is the Switzerland of pubs, a rock & roll oasis where everyone is welcome. Daily happy hour specials from 4-7 weekdays and noon-2 on weekends. Always open late. 59 N. Front Street, Kingston, NY (845)339-3888.
RESTAURANTS 23 Broadway
The Baby Grand Cafe Home to one of the most extensive collections of fine out-of-print books in the Hudson Valley. Enjoy cafe offerings and experience live music and events in a warm, wooden room at 7 West Street, Warwick, NY. Groups welcome for meetings and workshops. www.babygrandcafe.com
A wine-friendly bistro with creative Mediterranean cuisine. Chef Rich Reeve has developed a menu featuring Spanish tapas, fine steaks, fresh seafood and pastas. In a restored historic building with exposed brick walls, brass-top bar, and a glass-enclosed, temperature-controlled wine room. This is a casual, cool spot with big, bright, bold flavors, Zagat rated, and a CIA
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destination restaurant (SoHo and Kingston). Dinner Wednesday through Sunday; Brunch Sunday. www.23broadway.com, 23 Broadway, Kingston. (845) 339-2322.
proprietors Peter and Rose draw on years of creative experience to prepare the familiar and comforting to the classical and innovative. Soups and desserts made in-house from scratch. Route 212, Mt. Tremper. (845) 688-7100. www.catskillrose.com.
Agra Tandoor Restaurant Now open: “The Area’s Finest Indian Cuisine.” Open seven days a week with $7.95 lunch specials and $6.95 take-out boxes. BYOB. Open for Lunch: 12-2: 30pm and Dinner: 4:30-10pm. Saturday and Sunday Brunch: 12-3pm. Buffet Dinner on Wednesdays: 5-9: 30pm. 5856 Route 9 South, Rhinebeck, NY. (845) 876-7510.
Cosimo’s on Union Ristorante & Bar
114 Old Post Road, Wappingers Falls, NY 12590. (845) 298-6790.
The most unique modern Italian Restaurant in Orange County, featuring wood-fired pizza, gourmet Italian pasta dishes, and other specialties from our open-air kitchen. Homemade Desserts, Espresso, Cappuccino, Full Bar, Party Rooms on request. Private Wine Cellar Dining; New Expansion; On- & OffPremise Catering; Highly Rated, Zagat’s; Award of Excellence, Wine Spectator; Winner, Best of Hudson Valley 1994-1998; “5-Star Service”–Poughkeepsie Journal. Union Avenue, Newburgh. (845) 567-1556.
Beso
The Emerson at Woodstock
Located on Main St. in the heart of New Paltz is Beso, formerly The Loft. Spanish for “kiss”, Beso offers casual fine dining by owners Chef Chadwick Greer and Tammy Ogletree. Fresh, modern American cuisine, seasonally inspired by local Hudson Valley farmers. Get cozy in the intimate dining room under skylights and glowing candlelit tables, or sit at the bar for a more casual experience. Housemade pastas like Acorn Squash Raviolis, Hazelnut Crusted Halibut, or Braised Beef Short Ribs. And for dessert, Maple Mascarpone Cheesecake. Private parties, families, children welcome. New Hours 5 nights a week, closed Mondays and Tuesdays, dinner from 5pm - 10pm. We no longer serve brunch on weekends Call or visit our website (845) 255-1426 www.beso-restaurant.com.
Now open! The Emerson at Woodstock brings two inspired dining experiences to historic Woodstock. Ricks’ Bistro celebrates Woodstock’s agricultural past with hearty, wholesome dishes in a casual, laid back setting with a jovial bar serving the area’s best local beers, regional wines and created cocktails. The Riseley Room continues the culinary traditions established by the Emerson Inn. Guests enjoy an intimate, elegant setting as they savor meals created by Executive Chef Michel Nischan, a James Beard Award winning author and guest chef on “Oprah.” Open Tues.-Sat. Call for reservations. (845) 6797500 or www.emersonplace.com.
Aroma Osteria
Catamount Waterside Dining & Bar at Emerson Place
Chef Jacques Qualin, former NY Times critically acclaimed chef of Le Perigord in NYC, impresses with his innovative style of cuisine which cleverly combines ingredients typical of his native Franche-Comtè, France with the sumptuous ingredients available from the Hudson Valley. All of The French Corner recipes are made on premise by Chef Jacques including the breads, pastries, and desserts. Route 213 West, just off Route 209, Stone Ridge. Dinner-Wednesday thru Sunday from 5 pm, Prix Fixe $25 available every evening. Brunch Sundays from 11am. Tel: (845) 687-0810. Web: www.frcorner.com
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Located near Phoenicia and Woodstock, Catamount Waterside Dining & Bar is a great place to experience the beauty of the Catskills while you enjoy mouth-watering food. Dine Waterside and take in the vistas provided by the Esopus Creek and Mt.Tremper as you choose from a menu that includes right-off-the-grill steaks, chops, chicken and fish, homemade pastas with delectable sauces, several dinner-sized salads, and irresistible desserts. The “Cat”, as locals call it, has a full bar including local micro-brews and international wines that can be taken out onto our streamside patio. Join us for dinner & cocktails for a fun and relaxed atmosphere that is children friendly. 5368 Route 28, Mt. Tremper, NY 12457. We are currently open for dinner 5:00 pm Wednesday through Sunday. Panoramic views are also the signature of weddings and banquets, featuring a beautiful outdoor pavilion. For reservations call: (845) 688-2444. www.emersonplace.com.
The French Corner
Fresh Company At our kitchen in the Hudson Highlands, we gather great local and imported ingredients for events of all sizes and pocketbooks, from grand affairs to drop-off parties. True to our name, we emphasize the freshest, finest ingredients, because great food is the spark that ignites a convivial gathering. Our style is reflected in meals that encourage hospitality And leisure at the table, the elemental enjoyment of eating and drinking well. Garrison NY. Tel: (845)4248204. www.FreshComapny.net
Catskill Rose Restaurant Four-star dining and catering in a comfortable and elegant dining room with antique art deco bar plus gorgeous gardens and outdoor dining. Chefs and
Gilded Otter A warm and inviting dining room and pub overlooking beautiful sunsets over the Wallkill River and
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Shawangunk Cliffs. Mouthwatering dinners prepared by Executive Chef Larry Chu, and handcrafted beers brewed by GABF Gold Medal Winning Brewmaster Darren Currier. Chef driven & brewed locally! 3 Main St., New Paltz. (845) 256-1700.
Hana Sushi Best authentic sushi in the Hudson Valley! Superb Japanese sushi chefs serve the best authentic sushi with extended Dining Area. Sit at the counter or tables and enjoy all your favorites from Chicken Teriyaki and Udon to Yellowtail and Special rolls. Eat-in, take-out, and private room is available. Hours: TuesdayFriday Lunch 11:30am-2:30pm. Monday-Thursday Dinner 5-9pm. Friday Dinner 5-10pm. Saturday Dinner 4:30-10pm. 7270 South Broadway, Red Hook, NY. (845) 758-4333. www.hana-sushi.com.
Hickory BBQ Smokehouse
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Located on historic Route 28 between Kingston and Woodstock, Hickory offers diners Hudson Valley’s finest barbecue and smokehouse cuisine such as ribs, pulled pork, smoked beef, fish and free-range chicken. Whether enjoying your meal by the fireplace in Hickory’s threestar dining room or sipping a cocktail at the wood bar, Hickory’s staff is trained to make you feel as comfortable as you would at home. Hickory also features several vegetarian options, steaks, homemade desserts, happy hour specials, a complete take-out menu, and catering and special events in our private dining room. You can enjoy live music featuring the area’s hottest bands on Friday and Saturday nights. Open daily for lunch and dinner. 743 Route 28 (3.5 miles from NYS Thruway Exit 19). (845) 338-2424. www.hickoryrestaurant.com.
Joyous Café Is it any wonder that Joyous Café is the most exciting new eating experience in Kingston? Whether it’s Breakfast, Lunch, or Sunday Brunch, the wonderfully prepared food and attentive service are outstanding. Open Monday through Friday 8 am - 4 pm. Sunday Brunch 9 am- 2 pm. Serving Dinner evenings of UPAC events. 608 Broadway, in The Heart of Broadway Theater Square, Kingston. (845) 334-9441. www.joyouscafe.com.
Kyoto Sushi 337 Washington Ave, Kingston, NY 12401. (845) 339-1128.
Luna 61 “Best Vegetarian Restaurant.” –Hudson Valley Magazine. “Food is simply delicious, four stars.” –Poughkeepsie Journal. “Imagine spicy Thai noodles, delicate spring rolls, and the best banana cream pie you’ve ever eaten. Join the Culinary Revolution.” –Dutchess Magazine. Luna 61
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is relaxed and funky, candlelit tables, cozy, and romantic. Organic wine and beer. Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Sunday: 5-9pm. Friday and Saturday: 5-10pm. Now Accepting Credit Cards. 61 East Market Street, Red Hook, New York 12571. Tel: (845) 758-0061.
Machu Picchu Peruvian Restaurant
Chronogram
Represent.
OII
The only authentic Peruvian restaurant in Orange County, NY. Family owned and operated since 1990. Serving the community traditional dishes from the mountains and coast of Peru. Trained in Peru, our chefs make authentic dishes come alive. Wine list available. Serving Lunch and Dinner Sunday through Thursday 10am-10pm and Friday & Satday 10am-11pm. Closed Tuesday. 301 Broadway, Newburgh. (845) 255-2600. Web: www.machupicchuperuvianrest.com
Food. Tapas. Wine. Gallery. Catering. The newly opened OII in historic Beacon has wide appeal. Dine on contemporary American fusion cuisine in the elegant yet casual dining room while admiring the work of local artists. Sample a medley of tapas and wine at the bar. Call for your off-premise catering needs. 240 Main Street Beacon, NY 12508. Serving Dinner Sunday-Thursday 5-9pm; Friday and Saturday 5-10pm. Closed Mondays. Reservations recommended. Tel: (845) 231-1084. Web: www.oiiny.com.
Main Course
Osaka Japanese Restaurant
Marcel’s Restaurant Casual and comfortable dining, warm country inn atmosphere. Price range $13.95 - $32.95. Now offering daily 4-Course Prix Fixe specials starting at $15.95. House specialties: Pate Du Jour, Duck Laprousse Grand Marnier, Coquilles St Jaques, and Filet Tornodos. Marcel’s is proud to announce it is celebrating 33 years of fine food and service. Check out our web site for our seasonal menu@marcelrestaur ant.net or to check the date on our next jazz night. We have a complete take-out menu, and catering is available. We have also recently added a vegetarian menu and a young guest menu. Our hours of operation are Thursday-Monday 5-10pm. Sundays 3-9pm. Located at 1746 Route 9W, West Park, New York. Call (845) 384-6700 to place an order or to make a reservation.
Mexican Radio 537 Warren St, Hudson, NY 12534. (518) 828-7770. cpmljs@ecoipm.com.
Neko Sushi & Restaurant Voted “Best Sushi” Restaurant by Chronogram readers and rated four stars by Poughkeepsie Journal. Serving lunch & dinner daily. Eat-in or Take-Out. We offer many selections of Sushi & Sashimi, an
Want to taste the best Sushi in the Hudson Valley? Osaka Restaurant is the place. Vegetarian dishes available. Given four stars by the Daily Freeman. 8 Garden St., Rhinebeck. (845) 876-7338 or (845) 876-7278. Visit our second location at 74 Broadway, Tivoli. (845) 757-5055.
Pastorale Bistro & Bar Eat up, Dress down, in this hip country bistro. High quality, sophisticated cooking that could fit in anywhere says the New York Times. Serving updated bistro classics in a 1760’s colonial. Bar with signature cocktails, lively ambience. Tuesday-Saturday dinner. Brunch & Dinner on Sundays 12-8pm. Summer Patio. Private dining for up to 50. 223 Main Street (Rt. 44), Lakeville, CT 06093. (860) 435-1011.
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Four-star, award-winning, contemporary American cuisine serving organic, natural, and free-range Hudson Valley products. Open Lunch and Dinner Tuesday - Sunday & Sunday Brunch. Wednesday and Thursday nights, food & wine pairing menu available. Voted “Best Caterer in the Hudson Valley.” 232 Main Street, New Paltz. (845) 255-2600. Visit our Web site at www.main courserestaurant.com.
www.chronogram.com/tshirts
extensive variety of special rolls & kitchen dishes. Live lobster prepared daily. Parking in rear available. Sun.-Thur. 12-10pm; Fri. & Sat. 12-11pm. Major credit cards accepted. 49 Main Street in the Village of New Paltz. Tel: (845) 255-0162.
Plaza Diner Established 1969. One of the finest family restaurants in the area. Extensive selection of entrees and daily specials, plus children’s menu. Everything prepared fresh daily. Private room for parties & conferences up to 50 people. Open 24/7. 27 New Paltz Plaza, New Paltz. Exit 18 off NYS Thruway. (845) 255-1030.
Soul Dog Featuring a variety of hot dogs, including preservative-free and vegetarian hot dogs, chili, soup, sides, desserts & many gluten-free items prepared inhouse. Open for lunch Mon.-Fri. 11am-4pm. Redefining the hot dog experience! 107 Main Street., Poughkeepsie, New York. (845) 454-3254.
Wasabi Japanese Restaurant 807 Warren Street, Hudson New York, 12534. Open 7 days a week. Tel:(518) 822-1888.
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whole living
SURVIVING THE GUILT SEASON Wise and Delicious Eating After the Holidays CONGRATULATIONS. NOT ONLY HAVE YOU SURVIVED DEER-HUNTING SEASON AND SHOPPING SEASON, YOU HAVE SURVIVED EATING SEASON. NOW, WELCOME TO GUILT SEASON.
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f you didn’t already know, Eating Season began on October 31 and continued until December 31. Guilt Season started at 12:01am on January 1 and takes up most of the year, with a break for Valentine’s and Independence Days, and sundry other lapses into indulgence. A great many people celebrate Guilt Season by resolving to sprout healthy habits overnight, joining a gym, and going on a diet or an all-out fast from 9 to 5. But then, in the late hours of the day, they succumb to the temptation of leftover Halloween candy, holiday cookies, cupcakes meant for the kids, and freezer-burned Pralines and Cream ice cream—all before going to bed. As one may hang a star on a fir tree or spin a dreidel in celebration of a winter holiday, to honor Guilt Season we diet. The season-long holiday buffet has come and gone, leaving its mark. So Monday morning, the diet begins. And yet, eventually, that moment of resolve is lost to an encounter with a candy bowl, a gnawing hunger after a skipped lunch, a deprivation of nutrients that shrieks, “Feed me!” All culminate in a binge. In go the cookies, chips, potpies. Here comes Guilt, striding in, hip to conjoined hip with Diet. As they say at the National Coalition Building Institute: Guilt is the glue that holds oppression together. I say, guilt is also the glue that holds the cycle of food restriction and overindulgence together. But there are protestors to Guilt Season; I am one. Even though I am a nutritionist, I say “diet” is a four-letter word. “Going on a diet” is the act of setting oneself up for failure through unsustainable deprivation and restriction. If you have dieted once, you likely have dieted many times, because going on a diet is not a sustainable lifestyle change. I believe in lifestyle changes to support good health. I believe in chocolate
fondue on New Year’s Eve, and feeling great—not guilty—about every bite. Diets fail partly because of the reduction in food consumption and bizarre eating habits many impose, and partly because of our feelings linked to the food and to the imposed restrictions. Diets do not attend to the underlying problems. Problem? Is there a problem here? Holiday after holiday, and leftover after leftover, we feel guilty about all the food we have consumed in the last two months. We are bad. We are out of control. We have no willpower. We are getting fat. So we vow to exercise every day, eat tons of salad, and eliminate all sugar. No chocolate, no candy, no cookies, no soda. Hooray for salad, diet drinks, and grapefruits until summer. This resolution is not realistic. It only takes a hard day at work, a frustrating struggle with the children, an emotional quarrel with a loved one, and there will be something to upset the salad-and-grapefruit diet. Emotions like frustration, aggravation, boredom, and stress can have a strong connection to what we eat.
FEELING VERSUS FEEDING Norma is in bed at 9pm knitting a poncho for her granddaughter. Her husband, Arthur, is reading the paper in the other room, as always. Norma thinks about Arthur at the other end of the house, about missing his company at night. He comes to bed so late. She would really like them to unwind together, to talk about her day and hear about his. She feels a bit lonely and sad and then….ice cream! Oh! She can hear it calling loud and clear. “It’s time for a sweet treat. A little Chubby Hubby would be nice right about now!” This is food distracting Norma from more upsetting thoughts.
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Food has a covert way of upstaging emotional issues. It’s easier to think about the ice cream—and succeed at meeting the desire for it—than it is to figure out where your relationship went wrong, or how to fix it. And ice cream is more satisfying than loneliness. Eating is something we have to do to survive, yes, but it’s easily entangled with emotional strings. And to get over the guilt and the dieting, one must get to the bottom of it. Let’s say you are thinking, “I really want that ice cream! And I want it with breakfast, lunch, and dinner!” So, first things first. Ask yourself, “Self, are you hungry?”—as in, has it been over five hours since your last meal or decent-sized snack? If the answer is no, there is something else at work. Begin a short dialogue. It could sound something like this: “Okay, Self. You are not hungry. Yet you are standing with a spoon in front of the freezer door, and you really think ice cream is calling your name. What’s going on? Are you mad about something? Are you stressed?” The purpose of this conversation is to be a detective, to discern whether the hunger is really about
those things, we would not over- or under eat, and could nurture a positive self-image. If we were tuned in to the physical impact foods have, that would help us decide what to eat. Which foods leave you energetic and which leave you sleepy? What portions satisfy you and how much causes an overload? Asking these questions and being able to answer them may take a new kind of attentiveness and patience with yourself. It will help bring eating into line with its primary task: nourishing your body for optimum health. It also allows for the fact that “optimum” is a different size and shape for each person. We may have other very pragmatic needs, too. Perhaps that 4pm slump, after seven hours at the computer, is not your body’s signal for a mocha with whipped cream. Instead, would some fresh air, sunlight, and a bit of motion in the outdoors perk you up just as well? Is the cheese biscuit on the drive to work filling your body’s needs, or would a few more hours of restful sleep give you more sustaining energy? It can be difficult to distinguish between what we need and what will make us feel better right
food. If you’re like many people, it may really be emotional distress looking for a quick fix. Often, the circumstances prior to the craving hold valuable insights into what may be hidden beneath. Maybe your child just came home with a bad report card and you are at your wits’ end. Maybe you’re feeling lonely and forgot that you do have lots of friends who care about you and would want to meet for tea. Put on your Magnum P.I. thinking cap and figure what was going on moments before you heard the ice cream jingle.
away. Our bodies may be lacking in sleep, sunlight, fresh air, exercise, or entertainment—all of which are sometimes pacified for the moment with food, but not for long. Sometimes what our bodies really need is a small adjustment in our daily habits. Or perhaps it’s a grander need, like a new job or a lifestyle change.
ATTENDING TO OUR NEEDS What to do if the empty feeling in your gut really isn’t about food? It takes practice to uncover any emotional needs that may be the desire to eat. Sometimes professional support from a counselor or nutrition therapist is needed to separate the emotions from food, and then find ways to get the psychological needs met in more appropriate, direct ways. My theory is that if we take our emotional desires out of the equation, we could hone in on what nutrients our bodies really wanted, and if we ate just 74 WHOLE LIVING GUIDE CHRONOGRAM 1/06
NORMAL EATING IS A LIFESTYLE CHANGE Our bodies do need food. And it can be difficult to choose nutritious foods when irresistible junk foods or tasty treats are so pervasive. How does one balance the task of eating to satisfy hunger when the potluck on Friday offers nine different desserts? I advocate “normal eating.” As Registered Dietitian Ellyn Satter writes, “Normal eating is being able to eat when you are hungry and continue eating until you are satisfied. It is being able to choose food you like and eat it, and truly get enough if it…not just stop eating because you think you should. Normal eating is being able to use some moderate constraint in your food selection to get the right food, but not being so restrictive that you miss out
on pleasurable foods.” How does normal eating work? If you are at the open freezer door, have done your detective work to ascertain that the answer to “Am I really hungry for body-fueling food” is “Yes, Yes, Yes!” then you need Real Food. Make yourself a snack of something that doesn’t come in a package or tied up in a pastry box. Sit down to a combination of protein, carbohydrates, and fat. Some examples of real food include: organic turkey on whole wheat with mayo, lettuce, onions, and tomato; a bowl of black bean soup and a cheese and avocado quesadilla; leftover marinated tofu with an orange. Possibly you just need something small like an apple with organic peanut butter, some organic yogurt with fruit and sunflower seeds, or some tamari-roasted almonds. Once you have attended to your real food hunger, you may no longer want something just to treat your taste buds. But what if you do? Fortunately, normal eating also includes satisfying your desires—within reason. If you have a craving for Green & Black Organic Caramel Chocolate, and you know you are not hungry and yet still really want it…breathe…and have a piece of that wonderful dark chocolaty confection. If you don’t have it, you may end up trying to substitute something like four low-fat gingersnaps, two carrots, three pieces of carob, and six bites of cottage cheese with pineapple—only to find you still cannot stop thinking about the chocolate. Substituting other foods for what you really want may sometimes work, but for the other times, let normal eating prevail. Normal eating is varied. It is an abundance of colors and a variety of flavors. It is eating a balanced diet: lots of whole grains, plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables, organic protein, calcium-rich foods, and quality fats and sugars. Chocolate cake and apple pie can have a spot in a varied and balanced diet. Normal eating is also about moderation. Moderation is not blackand-white. It is the middle of the road, the gray area. A few squares of chocolate with your meal is reasonable. A 3.5-ounce bar as a snack might be a bit over the top. Moderation is to taste and savor every bite, and to feel good about indulging once in a while. It is realizing that every meal is not necessarily a celebration, that birthday cakes are for birthdays. Problems arise when birthday cake takes center stage too often or is banned forever. It is not necessarily easy, learning to eat normally. It takes practice to live in the gray. It takes self-reflection to figure out what your body needs, and to realize that food cravings are sometimes expressions of nonfood needs. Grant yourself permission to enjoy life, to eat delicious foods, to trust yourself, and to screw up once in a while. I advocate throwing your scale out the window this Guilt Season. Be a protester. Dieting marries us to guilt, to a long-term relationship with denial and struggle. It marries us to failure and the inevitable self-hate that follows. Instead of dieting, put your effort into creating a sustainable relationship to food. You might start by replacing those impossible New Year’s resolutions with the answers to some questions that may be hard, but not impossible. Do you feel good about what you eat? Can you be comfortable with your body size if you are happy with how you eat? Can you embrace Mother Nature’s cadence as she keeps time on your changing body? Answers to these questions often come very slowly. Be patient. Remember how what you ate made you feel. Listen to your body’s needs and wants. Think about whether food is distracting you from other issues. Eat sensibly. Eat because you are hungry. Taste and allow yourself to enjoy what you eat. Ilyse Simon RD is a nutrition therapist in Kingston. She provides corporate nutrition and wellness lectures and private nutritional counseling, using nutrition as a form of natural medicine. She works specifically with eating disorders, insulin resistance, and food allergies. E-mail: ilysefood@yahoo.com. 1/06 CHRONOGRAM WHOLE LIVING GUIDE 75
UNITARIAN UNIVERSALISM A LIVING TRADITION OF ETHICS, ACTION, & COMMUNITY BY LORRIE KLOSTERMAN We, the members of the Unitarian Universalist Association affirm and promote: The inherent worth and dignity of every person; Justice, equity, and compassion in human relations; Acceptance of one another and encouragement to spiritual growth in our congregations; A free and responsible search for truth and meaning; The right of conscience and the use of the democratic process within our congregations and in society at large; The goal of world community with peace, liberty, and justice for all; and Respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part. These are the seven guiding principles of Unitarian Universalism, a faith-based tradition that demands no adherence to doctrine as do most of the world’s major religions. Instead, with these principles as a foundation, it holds that the authority in questions of spirituality and behavior is oneself, based on conscience, reasoning, and experience. “We define ourselves as an ethical religion versus a creed-based religion,” explains Linda Anderson, minister at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Catskills in Kingston. “I don’t tell anybody what to believe, or have ‘the truth’ that they should follow—that’s not my role as the minister. My role as the worship leader is to build a service that touches people and encourages access to their beliefs and themselves, and to be moved on many levels—intellectual, emotional, spiritual.” Unitarian Universalism welcomes people who are sure there is a god or a goddess, or are sure there is neither. It is a haven for people who disagree with certain parts of their learned religion but still want to celebrate the rest. Couples from mixed religious backgrounds can worship together in the same room. Linda Curtis, President of the board of Poughkeepsie’s Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, cherishes the diversity of people in her congregation. “At any given service you’ll find a Buddhist, a Catholic, a Protestant, an atheist, a Humanist, a pagan. I was raised Catholic but had no interest in it as a teenager. I still had a sense of spirituality—a mix of Buddhism and earth-based spirituality—but there was no place for me to go to express that, or to find other people like me.” She turned to Unitarian Universalism when seeking a spiritual 76 WHOLE LIVING GUIDE CHRONOGRAM 1/06
community for her children to grow up in. “I’ve been there for years. I love it.” Unitarian Universalism is sometimes mistaken for a New Age phenomenon, but it has its roots in Christianity of the 1500s. “It started at the same time as other Protestant denominations, when people were questioning some of the doctrines and traditions,” Linda Anderson explains. “One group questioned the Trinity: ‘What do you mean that the nature of god is a Trinity?’ They believed the nature of God was one, not three.” The Unitarian tradition evolved from that group. A separate lineage evolved from Christianity in the 1700s. “Many people were doing their own readings of the Bible at that time, finding their own meaning of God. Some were rethinking the assertion that only certain people would be saved after death and others wouldn’t. They said, ‘We understand that God is a god of love. So how could such a being do that?’ They believed that there was a universal God who would save everyone.” That group became the Universalist tradition. “In 1961 representatives of the two sects merged and formed the Unitarian Universalist Association,” she continues. “Today we are an association of independent congregations of people who believe many different things. The statement of seven principles was voted upon by representatives of all congregations at a general assembly, and each congregation and each individual can accept them or not. Freedom and choice run throughout everything we do. Our symbol is a flaming chalice inside two circles. The circles represent Unitarian and Universalist. The chalice is a wide cup that’s big enough for all humanity to drink from. The flame inside is the flame of freedom, truth, courage.” Not surprisingly, the flow and content of a Unitarian Universalist service—generally held on a Sunday—varies both within a single congregation and among them. Some common aspects are a ritual lighting of the flame in the chalice, a silent meditation, music or singing, words from the minister or a layperson, and a time for speaking personal concerns or needs. That last portion, “Joys and Sorrows,” gives people the chance to speak feelings from the heart or to express them silently by simply lighting a candle. “It’s quite amazing what people will share,” Anderson says. “Many people think of it as the heart of the community.” Children are encouraged to be seen and heard. Mike Ignatowski, who attends the Kingston congregation with his wife and daughter, describes a regular part of service
Opposite: Jennifer May; Top: Jennifer May; Bottom: Betty Greenwald
OPPOSITE: THE CHAPEL AT THE POUGHKEEPSIE FELLOWSHIP; ABOVE (FROM TOP, L-R): KAY GREENLEAF, MINISTER OF THE POUGHKEEPSIE FELLOWSHIP WITH LINDA CURTIS, BOARD PRESIDENT; CHILDREN OF THE KINGSTON FELLOWSHIP; LINDA ANDERSON, MINISTER OF THE KINGSTON FELLOWSHIP.
called Not for Children Only as “a miniservice for the children, but adults enjoy it too. The minister or a member of the congregation tells a story that illustrates situations in which people behave ethically. We want the children to have some upbringing in morals and ethics.” Sometimes the children or teens will give a presentation for the adults in place of the usual service, or plan and lead an entire service. There are religious education classes for children too. “They’re a wonderful mixture of exposures to different religions,” says Linda Curtis. “Children learn the common core beliefs among all religions, which describe the human condition. Teens have a year-long coming-of-age program to explore all types of spirituality, visit different churches, synagogues, mosques, and go on retreats. It’s a time for them to come up with their own spiritual understanding.” Teens are also offered a sexuality program with a unique approach. “It puts the birds and the bees in the context of relationships among people,” says Dave Belden, Kingston congregation. “It combines fact with a values-based approach, handling both the information and talking about doing no harm to others. I hope it turns out to be one of the best gifts we’ve given our son.” Belden emphasizes that the congregation provides much-needed community. “People join [other] churches for community, but then have to swallow the intellectual part of the religion. But a lot of the benefits of religion don’t require the doctrine. We have a Caring Committee that visits the sick, calls and supports you if you or your kids are in trouble.” His congregation has other community activities: dinners, parties, holiday celebrations (Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa—whatever the congregation wants); sup-
port groups for men, women, couples, singles, and people of any sexual orientation (Unitarian Universalists and ministers like Linda Anderson are leading the way in acceptance of all sexual orientations and same-sex marriages). Special interest classes explore religious paths like Buddhism or bring deeper daily relevance to the seven principles of Unitarian Universalism; others have an educational, creative, or intellectual bent, like the Kingston congregation’s amateur science group. “We have no clash with science and evolution,” Belden says, “because it’s part of the inspiration, the mystery, and miracle of life.” The Social Action Committee—a Unitarian Universalist mainstay—brings education to members and action based on the seven principles to the greater community. Mike Ignatowski is head of the committee in Kingston. “We bring in guest speakers, such as Steven Cahill, who spoke about the death penalty, and Betsy Sellers, who discussed the World Trade Organization. In November we had a Buy Nothing Day—a free rummage/gift swap—to provide an opportunity for people to go shopping for the holidays without spending a penny.” At the Poughkeepsie Fellowship, teens recently made and auctioned gingerbread houses to raise money for Habitat for Humanity (an organization that builds homes for people in need); the congregation donates money to two orphanages; its choir visits senior citizens; it pitches in for the annual Hudson River clean-up; and much more. These and other Unitarian Universalist congregations graciously welcome visitors. To learn more about these or to find one near you, visit the Unitarian Universalist Association website at www.uua.org. 1/06 CHRONOGRAM WHOLE LIVING GUIDE 77
whole living guide ACUPUNCTURE
ALEXANDER TECHNIQUE
Dylana Accolla, LAc
Judith Youett The Alexander Technique
Treat yourself to a renewed sense of health and well-being with acupuncture, herbal medicine, Chinese bodywork, and nutritional counseling. My emphasis is on empowering patients by teaching them how to practice preventative medicine. Great for gynecological problems, chronic pain, and managing chronic illness. Two locations: Haven Spa, 6464 Montgomery Street, Rhinebeck, and Woodstock Women’s Health, 1426 Route 28, West Hurley. (914) 388-7789.
The Alexander Technique is a simple, practical skill that, when applied to ourselves, enhances coordination, promoting mental, emotional, and physical well-being. Improve the quality of your life by learning how to do less to achieve more. Judith Youett, AmSAT. (845) 677-5871.
AROMATHERAPY Joan Apter
Acupuncture Health Care, PC
whole living directory
Peter Dubitsky, L.Ac., Callie Brown, L.Ac., and Leslie Wiltshire, L.Ac. Mr. Dubitsky is a faculty member and the Director of Clinical Training at the Tri-State College of Acupuncture, and a member of the NY State Board for Acupuncture. Ms. Brown and Ms. Wiltshire each have years of acupuncture experience in private practice and in medical offices. We are all highly experienced, national board certified, NYS Licensed acupuncturists. We combine traditional Asian acupuncture techniques with a modern understanding of acupuncture and oriental medicine to provide effective treatments of acute and chronic pain conditions, and other medical disorders. In addition to our general practice we also offer a Low Cost Acupuncture Clinic which is available for all people who meet our low income guidelines. 108 Main Street, New Paltz, NY 12561, Phone 255-7178.
ART THERAPY Deep Clay with Michelle Rhodes, ATR-BC, LMSW See Psychotherapy.
ASTROLOGICAL CONSULTING Stephanie Ellis, LAc, Chinese Herbalist Ms. Ellis is a magna cum laude graduate of Columbia University in pre-medical studies and has been practicing acupuncture in Rosendale since 2001. In 2003 she completed post-graduate work in the study of classical Chinese herbal medicine. Ms. Ellis trained at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center for the treatment of cancer patients with acupuncture. Ms. Ellis also has special training in infertility treatment, facial acupuncture and chronic pain. Her new, expanded location is at the medical offices of Rosendale Family Practice. Evening and weekend hours and sliding scale rates. Phone consultations available. 110 Creek Locks Road, Rosendale. www.HudsonValleyAcupuncture.com. (845) 546-5358.
Hoon J. Park, MD, PC For the past 16 years, Dr. Hoon J. Park has been practicing a natural and gentle approach to pain management for conditions such as arthritis, chronic and acute pain in neck, back, and legs, fibromyalgia, motor vehicle and work-related injuries, musculoskeletal disorders, and more by integrating physical therapy modalities along with acupuncture. Dr. Hoon Park is a board certified physician in physical medicine and rehabilitation, pain medicine, and electrodiagnostic studies. His experienced, friendly staff offer the most comprehensive and individualized rehabilitative care available. Please call the office to arrange a consultation. New patients and most insurances are accepted. 1772 Route 9, Wappingers Falls, NY 12590. Half mile south of the Galleria Mall. (845) 298-6060.
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Offering luxurious massage therapy, including Raindrop Technique, with therapeutic essential oils to relieve stress, boost the immune system, and address system imbalances. Natural animal care, individual consultations for a healthy home and personal concerns, spa consultant, classes, and keynotes. Essential Oils, nutritional supplements, personal care, pet care, children’s and home cleaning products from Young Living Essential Oils. For more information contact Joan Apter, CMT. (845) 679-0512. japter@ulster.net. www.joanapter. younglivingworld.com.
WHOLE LIVING DIRECTORY CHRONOGRAM 1/06
Eric Francis: Astrological Consultations by Phone. Special discount on follow-ups for previous clients from the Hudson Valley. (206) 854-3931. eric@ericfrancis.com. Lots to explore on the Web at www.PlanetWaves.net.
BODY & SKIN CARE Absolute Laser, LLC The leaders in innovative skin care are now offering the Biomedic Facial. A gentle, clinical, deep cleansing facial, for all skin types. Absolute Laser offers commitment to beautiful skin through outstanding care and service. Offering Laser Hair Removal, Microdermabrasion, Vitalize Peel, and Fotofacial RF. The Fotofacial RF is the next generation in high-tech skin enhancement. These gentle, no downtime treatments are used to improve cosmetic appearance of the face, neck, hands, and body. The results are brighter, smoother, more radiant and luminescent skin. This process delivers results that skin care products alone cannot do! Recover and rediscover the youth and vitality of your skin. Call for a complimentary consultation: Janice DiGiovanni, (845) 876-7100. Springbrook Medical Park, Rhinebeck.
Blissful Beauty by Brenda Relax and revive with a professional beauty treatment from Brenda Montgomery, Licensed Aesthetician. Specializing in Burnham Systems Facial Rejuvenation, Belavi Facelift Massage, Anti-Aging facials, Acne treatments, and Body treatments.
Also offering airbrushed makeup for a flawless, natural look for your next big event. Your skin is not replaceable; let Brenda help you put your best face forward! Call (845) 616-9818.
Made With Love Handcrafted lotions, crèmes, and potions to nurture the skin and soul! Therapeutic oils, salves, and bath salts made with the curative properties of herbal-infused oils and pure essential oils. No petroleum, mineral oils, or chemicals are used. Host a home party! Products available at Hudson Valley Therapeutic Massage, 243 Main Street, Suite 220, New Paltz. For a full product catalogue e-mail madewithlove@hvc.rr.com or call us at (845) 255-5207.
BODY-CENTERED THERAPY Irene Humbach, LCSW, PC Body of Wisdom Counseling & Healing Services By integrating traditional and alternative therapy/ healing approaches, including Body-Centered Psychotherapy, IMAGO Couples’ Counseling, and Kabbalistic Healing, I offer tools for self healing, to assist individuals and couples to open blocks to their softer heart energy. Ten-session psycho-spiritual group for women in recovery. Offices in Poughkeepsie and New Paltz. (845) 485-5933.
Rosen Method Bodywork
BODYWORK bodhi studio Through bodywork one can connect with the body’s own inherent wisdom and self healing abilities. With skill, intuition, and care, we offer therapeutic massage, bodhiwork, Reiki, warm stone massage, aromatherapy, earconing, and a full range of ayurvedic treatments including Shirodara, Abyanga, and Swedna. Melinda Pizzano, LMT and Helen Andersson, D.Ay. Call for an appointment. (518) 828-2233.
BOTANICA Gypsy Janet Reverend Gypsy Janet has 30 years training and experience in SANTERIA and life long lessons in “Native American Ways” from her father, who is Mohawk. This is NOT your ordinary Botanica/Religious Supply Shop. Gypsy Janet makes unique Hand Crafted one-of-a-kind Spiritual Gifts, Ritual Supplies, Carved and Dressed 7 day candles. The shop is full of many surprises and there are also Native American, Reggae, and Belly Dancer sections. Gypsy Janet also reads TAROT and TEA LEAVES, she can “Legally Marry” couples in NY State, and loves to personalize and setup your own SACRED ALTAR. The shop is located at 100 Mill Hill Road, Woodstock, New York. (845) 679-2999.
CAREER AND LIFE COACHING Allie Roth/ Center for Creativity and Work Career and Life Coaching for those seeking more
CHI GONG/TAI CHI CHUAN Second Generation Yang Spiritual alchemy practices of ancient Taoist sorcerers yielded these two treasures of internal arts. Chi Gong prepared the body to withstand rigorous training and overcome the battle with time. Tai Chi Chuan became the expression of the energy in movement and selfdefense. These practices have brought health, vitality, and youthfulness to myself and my students. The only requirement is determined practice of the principles and the will to persevere. Call Hawks, (845) 750-6488.
CHI KUNG Ada Citron Explore the basics of Mantak Chia’s Healing Tao System with Ada Citron, Taoist counselor and Healing Tao Instructor for over 10 years. Meet the Six Healing Sounds which transform stress into vitality. Learn the Inner Smile and the Microcosmic Orbit meditations. Also learn standing and gently moving practices that relax and rejuvenate. www.adacitron.com. (845) 339-0589.
CHILDBIRTH Catskill Mountain Midwifery See Midwifery.
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Rosen Method is distinguished by its gentle, direct touch. Using hands that listen rather than manipulate, the practitioner focuses on chronic muscle tension. As relaxation occurs and the breath deepens, unconscious feelings, attitudes, and memories may emerge. The practitioner responds with touch and words that allow the client to begin to recognize what has been held down by unconscious muscle tension. As this process unfolds, habitual tension and old patterns may be released, freeing the client to experience more aliveness, new choices in life, and a greater sense of well-being. Julie Zweig, M.A., Certified Rosen Method Bodywork Practitioner. (845) 255-3566. www.RosenMethod.org.
creativity, fulfillment, balance and meaning in life and work. Offers a holistic approach to career and life transitions. Also specializes in executive coaching, and coaching small business owners, consultants and private practitioners. 25 years experience. Kingston and New York City offices. Tel: (845) 336-8318. Toll Free: (800) 577-8318. Web: www.allieroth.com. Email: allie@allieroth.com.
Kary Broffman, RN, CH See Hypnosis.
Judy Joffee, CMN, MSN See Midwifery.
CHINESE HEALING ARTS Chinese Healing Arts Center The Wu Tang Chuan Kung Association was founded by Doctor Tzu Kuo Shih and his family for the purpose of providing the American public with instruction in the ancient Chinese arts of Tai Chi Chuan, Chi Kung, and traditional Chinese Medicine. 264 Smith Avenue, Kingston. (845) 338-6045 or (203) 748-8107.
CHIROPRACTIC Nori Connell, RN, DC Nori combines 28 years as a registered nurse with 18 years of chiropractic experience to offer patients a knowledgeable approach to removing the interferences in the body that lead to disease. She combines accredited techniques such as Neuro-Emotional technique, kinesiology, and Network Chiropractic to work with the body’s innate intelligence and its ability for healing. Dr. Connell also offers workshops on natural health care for the family and is also one of the directors of Alternatives Health Center of Tivoli. (845) 757-5555. Also at Rhinebeck Cooperative Health Center. (845) 876-5556.
Gabriels Family Chiropractic Dr. Christopher Gabriels is pleased to announce the opening of his office at 67 Mill Hill Road in Woodstock. I am experienced in a myriad of techniques (diversified, applied kinesiology, SOT, Activator, nutrition) and provide gentle adjustments in a comfortable atmosphere. You only have one body, let me help you make the most of it by restoring your body’s natural motion and balance. Call (845) 679-5325 to make an appointment.
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www.chronogram.com/tshirts
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Dr. David Ness Dr. David Ness is a Certified Active Release Techniques® (ART) Provider and Certified Chiropractic Sports Practitioner® specializing in helping athletes and active people quickly relieve their pain and heal their injuries. In addition to providing traditional ® chiropractic care, Dr. Ness utilizes ART to remove scar tissue and adhesions in order to restore mobility, flexibility, and strength faster than standard treatments will allow. If you have an injury that has not responded to treatment, call Dr. Ness for an appointment today. (845) 255-1200.
Dr. Bruce Schneider New Paltz, New York 12561. (845) 255-4424.
COLON HYDROTHERAPY
Endermologie and the CelluM6 Key Module machine. Endermologie has been proven and recognized by the FDA to diminish the appearance of cellulite. Contact Elizabeth Troy at (914) 475-8838 or email elizabethtroy 11@hotmail.com for additional information.
EQUINE FACILITATED HEALING Equisessions with Ada Citron Taoist counselor of 10 years. Therapeutically oriented equine facilitated encounters are based on the model introduced in The Tao of Equus by Linda Kohanov, recent presenter at Omega Institute. Riding can be involved in later sessions. Ada, an equestrian herself, presented her program “Chi Kung for Horse People” at the 2005 Region 1 Conference for NARHA. www.adacitron.com (845) 339-0589.
Connie Schneider, Advanced Level I-ACT Certified Colon Hydrotherapist
FENG SHUI
Colon Hydrotherapy is a safe, gentle, cleansing process. Clean and private office. A healthy functioning colon can decrease internal toxicity and improve digestion; basics for a healthy body. New Paltz, NY. (845) 256-1516. See display ad.
Barbara DeStafano has been the owner of DeStefano and Associates, an interior design business, for 18 years. She received certification in Feng Shui from the Metropolitan Institute of Interior Design and has completed advanced work with several Feng Shui Masters. Feng Shui is the perfect marriage to interior design. It brings a spiritual dimension to your space. Barbara can create a kind of beauty that touches your spirit, and brings balance and harmony to a level that transcends the superficial. Barbara is available for consultations, guest speaker engagements, and workshops. (845) 339-4601.
COUNSELING SERVICES Elizabeth Cunningham, MSC
CRANIOSACRAL THERAPY Craniosacral Therapy A gentle, hands-on method for enhancing the body’s own healing capabilities through the craniosacral rhythm. Craniosacral aids in the release of stressrelated conditions such as anxiety, nervousness, insomnia, depression, digestive, menstrual, and other problems with organ function, breathing difficulties, and headaches. Increase energy, reduce pain, and improve immune system function. Effective for whiplash, TMJ, sciatica, fibromyalgia, scoliosis, arthritis, low back tension, and chronic pain. Also helpful for children with birth trauma, learning difficulties, chronic ear problems, and hyperactivity. Hudson Valley Therapeutic Massage, Michele Tomasicchio, LMT. (845) 255-4832.
DENTISTRY The Center For Advanced Dentistry Bruce D. Kurek, DDS, FAGD; Jaime O. Stauss, DMD
Setting the standards for excellence in dentistry for more than 25 years, the Center for Advanced Dentistry attracts clients from throughout the northeast and abroad. Their client-centered approach to providing comprehensive dental services for adults and children includes “old school” care and concern combined with the latest technologies. The office is conveniently located 1.5 miles east of the NYS Thruway, exit 18. 494 Route 299, Highland. www.thecenterforadvanceddentistry.com. (845) 6915600. Fax (845) 691-8633.
ENDERMOLOGIE Endermologie is the mechanical manipulation of the skin and subcutaneous tissues for therapeutic purposes. Elizabeth Troy has been trained and certified as an Endermologist by LPG, the creators of
Feng Shui Wei Designing Your Life with Feng Shui. The intuitive practice of Feng Shui balances your individual energy with your home or workplace and harmonizes the effect your surroundings have on all aspects of life: health, wealth, relationship, emotional well-being, mental clarity, peace, self-fulfillment. Sensitive, revitalizing personal and space clearings. Intuitive Feng Shui® certification. Free 15-minute phone consultation. Contact Sharon Rothman: (201) 385-5598; www.fengshuiwei.com.
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Counselor, interfaith minister, and novelist, Elizabeth brings humor, compassion, and a deep understanding of story to a spirited counseling practice for individuals and couples. If you are facing loss, crisis in faith, creative block, conflict in relationship, Elizabeth invites you to become a detective and investigate your own unfolding mystery. 44 Schultzville Road, Staatsburg. (845) 266-4477. E-mail: medb44@aol.com.
DeStefano and Associates
Healing By Design Feng Shui consultations, classes. Explore how Feng Shui can increase the flow of abundance, joy, and well-being in your life. Create your home or office to support your goals and dreams. Contact Betsy Stang at bebird@aol.com. or (845) 679-6347.
HEALTH & HEALING Guidance of Spirit, Wisdom of Heart Heart-based Intuitive Healing, Karma Release with Crystals, Space Clearings & Blessings, Long Distance Healings, End-of-Life Transitions, Guided Meditation/ visualization. Thursday evenings at 7:30 pm. Self healing is a process of self-discovery. Within the space of the heart discover what you need to heal. Kate DeChard M.Ed. The Soul Sanctuary, 6052 B Route 9, Rhinebeck, NY 12572.
Healing, Pathwork and Channeling by Flowing Spirit Guidance It is our birthright to experience the abundance of the universe, the deep love of God, and our own divinity! It is also our birthright to share our own unique gifts with the world. We long to do it. So why don’t we? Our imperfections get in the way. As we purify, we experience more and more fully, the love and the abundance of God’s universe. We can have it in any moment. We can learn to purify our imperfections AND experience heaven on earth. Jaffe Institute Spiritual Healing; Pathwork; and Channeling available. Contact Joel Walzer for sessions. (845) 679-8989. www.flowingspirit.com.
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One Light Healing Touch: Healer Training School
Priscilla A. Bright, MA, Energy Healer/Counselor
Join us for an empowering, life-changing, six-month, transformational training. This comprehensive program includes: Meditation, Visualization, Sound work, Breath work, Movement, Sacred Ceremony, Essential Grounding and Releasing Practices, and 33 Professional Healing Techniques. School starts September 23, 2005. Free special intro evening: Self-Healing with OLHT August 26 + September 9, 7:00-9:00pm; Special Introductory Weekend: Access Your Healing Potential August 27-28 and September 10 -11. (NYSNA CEU’s available). Ron Lavin, MA, founder and director of the international OLHT schools, is a respected spiritual healer with 26 years of experience. He heads seven OLHT schools in Germany and one in Rhinebeck, NY. He has worked with the NIH in Distance Healing for eight years. Appointments and Distance Healing sessions are available in Rhinebeck, NY. Call (845) 876-0259 or e-mail ronlavin@aol.com. www.OneLightHealingTouch.com.
Specializing in women’s stress, emotional issues, and physical illness, including stress-related anxiety, depression, and physical burnout. Women in transition, businesswomen, mothers, all welcome. Experienced counselor. Faculty, Barbara Brennan School of Healing. Convenient offices in Kingston & New Paltz. Initial phone consultation no charge. (845) 688-7175.
John M. Carroll, Healer John Carroll is an intuitive healer, teacher, and spiritual counselor, who integrates mental imagery with the God-given gift of his hands. John has helped individuals suffering from acute and chronic disorders, including back problems and cancer. Remote healings and telephone sessions. Call for consultation. Kingston. (845) 338-8420.
Spirittus Holistic Resource Center See Workshops.
The Sanctuary: A Place for Healing A quaint healing center in a quiet part of downtown New Paltz. Specializing in Craniosacral Therapy, Stress Point Release through Chiropractic, Swedish & Sports Massage, Shiatsu, and Energetic Reiki. New offerings include meditation and nutritional counseling. 5 Academy Street, New Paltz. Call for an appointment. (845) 255-3337. (845) 853-3325.
130 Dolson Avenue, Middletown, NY. pleasantstonefarm@usa.net. (845) 343-4040.
Holistic Tarot/Expressive Healing Arts Discover more about your inner being and psychic energy powers, changing your life in a compassionate, creative, progressive way. Tarot, Meditation, Expressive Healing Arts/Mandala Dance, Spiritual Art Therapy, Energy/Aura Healing, Spiritual Studies. Classes/workshops for groups/individuals with Cenira - Artist, Expressive Arts Facilitator and Intuitive Counselor. Tel: (845) 594-8612. Email: cenira@ceniraarts.com.
HEALTH PUBLICATIONS
HYPNOSIS
Hudson Valley Healthy Living
Achieve Your Goals with Therapeutic Hypnosis Sharon Slotnick, MS, CHt.
HEALTH FOOD
whole living directory
Pleasant Stone Farm
A comprehensive directory of Mid-Hudson health services, products, and practitioners, along with articles on health issues of interest. Published biannually (April/October) by Luminary Publishing, Inc., the creators of Chronogram, 50,000 copies are distributed in the region throughout the year. Contents are also available on the Web at www.hvhealthyliving.com. See www.hvhealthyliving.com for advertising rates or call the HVHL sales team at (845) 334-8600.
HEALTHY EATING
Increase self-esteem; break bad habits; manage stress; alleviate pain (e.g. childbirth, headaches, back pain); overcome fears and depression; relieve insomnia; improve study habits, public speaking, sports performance; heal through past-life journeys, other issues. Sliding scale. Certified Hypnotherapist and Counselor, two years training Therapeutic Hypnosis & Traditional Psychotherapeutic Techniques. (845) 389-2302. New Paltz, Kingston. See also Psychotherapy.
Cool Cover ™
Kary Broffman, RN, CH
See Business Directory: Food Serving Products.
A registered nurse with a BA in psychology since 1980, Kary is certified in Ericksonian Hypnosis, Hypnobirthing, and Complementary Medical Hypnotism, hypnocoaching with the National Guild. She has also studied interactive imagery for nurses. By weaving her own healing journey and education into her work, she helps to assist others in accessing their inner resources and healing potential. Hyde Park. (845) 876-6753.
HERBS Monarda Herbal Apothecary In honoring the diversity, uniqueness, and strength of nature for nourishment and healing, we offer organic and ecologically wildcrafted herbs using tradition as our guide. Certified Organic Alcohol Tinctures, Teas, Salves, Essential Oils, and more. Product Catalog $1. Workshops and Internships. www.monarda.net. (845) 688-2122.
HOLISTIC HEALTH Julie Barone Certified Holistic Health Counselor Live with vibrant energy! Whole foods nutrition and lifestyle consulting can help you kick the junk food habit, achieve better health, tune in to your body, and eat well for life. Individual programs are customized to your health goals. Special People Pet Wellness program for you and your pet. Whole foods cooking parties – fun, educational, and delicious! Free consultation. (845) 338-4115 julieabarone@yahoo.com. www.peoplepetwellness.com.
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HOLISTIC TAROT & EXPRESSIVE HEALING ARTS
One-Session Hypnosis with Frayda Kafka CHT Practicing for over 29 years, Frayda has helped people with smoke cessation, weight loss, pain, childbirth, worry, habits, fears, sleep, confidence, and easing medical procedures. Almost any behavior you can think of can be mediated with hypnosis. Known for her easy, light manner and quick results, she has a knack for saying just the right thing at the right time so that a major shift can be initiated. After your session, you will have an audiotape to use at home. Employee workshops and gift certificates are available. Fees are altered for groups. Please call or email Frayda with your questions or for an appointment. Tel: (845) 3364646. Email: info@CallTheHypnotist.com. Web: www.CallTheHypnotist.com.
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INTEGRATED ENERGY THERAPY Integrated Energy Therapy IET heals with the pure energy of SPIRIT and the gifts of the angels. Suppressed emotions, limiting beliefs, and past-life memories are cleared from the Energy Anatomy on a cellular level. Remember and live the true expression of your soul’s purpose. Also combining Spiritual Guidance, IET, and Massage. 15 years experience. Dona Ho Lightsey, LMT, IET Master. New Paltz. Web: www.learniet.com/dona_ ho_lightsey.asp. Tel: (845) 256-0443.
INTERFAITH MINISTRIES Elizabeth Cunningham, MSC See Counseling Services.
Ione, Director, Ministry of Maat, Inc. Spiritual and Educational organization with goals of fostering world community. (845) 339-5776.
and rigorous effects of Tuina massage, you owe it to yourself and your senses to enjoy a session. A myriad of hand and arm techniques provides a detailed massage that’s incomparable for sore muscles, aches and pains. When blended with Swedish massage strokes, the treatment is tempered with soothing comfort and relaxation. Whether you want a leisure hour and a half or a 15 minute “quick relief,” or any other length of time you prefer. Also: Shiatsu, Sports & Medical massage. Call me at 845-876-1777.
Hudson Valley Therapeutic Massage Michele Tomasicchio, LMT, specializes in Integrative Massage—incorporation of various healing modalities: Swedish, Myofascial Deep Tissue, Craniosacral, and stretching to facilitate the body’s healing process. A session may include all or just one modality. No fault accepted. Gift certificates available. By appointment only. 243 Main Street, Suite 220 New Paltz. (845) 255-4832.
whole living directory
The Living Seed Yoga & Holistic Center Reverend Kevin Kraft, Interfaith Minister
See Yoga.
Sacred, Intimate, Joyful. “Honor Tradition and Have the Ceremony You Want.” Together we develop a meaningful ceremony that expresses who you are while considering sensitive concerns. Personal attention to details ensures your needs are thoughtfully addressed and creates a joyful ceremony expressing your vision completely. Weddings, Unions, Renewals, Rites of Passage, and Spiritual Counseling. Hudson Valley Interfaith Fellowship. 89 N. Front Street, Kingston. (845) 338-8313. Email: Kevin@spirittus.org.
Shiatsu Massage Therapy
JEWISH MYSTICISM/KABBALAH Chabad of Woodstock Providing Jewish people from all backgrounds the opportunity to experience the depth and soul of the Jewish teachings and vibrant way of life. Offering Jewish resources, workshops, gatherings, and classes. Rabbi Yisroel Arye and Ilana Gootblatt, co-directors. (845) 679-6407. www.chabadof woodstock.com.
Irene Humbach, LCSW, PC Kabbalistic Healing in person and long distance. (845)485-5933. See Body-Centered Therapy.
Leigh Scott is a licensed Shiatsu Massage Therapist with 20 years experience and a former teacher at the Ohashi Institute in New York City. Leigh uses her skills and knowledge of Shiatsu, as well as Reflexology and Polarity, to give a very satisfying hour-long massage. (845) 679-3012.
MEDITATION Zen Mountain Monastery Offering year-round retreats geared to all levels of experience: introductions to Zen meditation and practice; programs exploring Zen arts, Buddhist studies, and social action; and intensive meditation retreats. South Plank Road, Mt. Tremper. (845) 688-2228.
MIDWIFERY Catskill Mountain Midwifery, Home Birth Services Give birth as you wish, in an environment in which you feel nurtured and secure; where your emotional well-being, privacy, and personal preferences are respected. Be supported by a tradition that trusts the natural process. Excellent MD consult, hospital backup. (845) 687-BABY.
JIN SHIN-JYUTSU Suzanne Berger Kenneth Davis, CPLT See Psychotherapy.
MASSAGE THERAPY
Certified nurse midwife at the Women's Care Center offering a full range of holistic, alternative and traditional services. Serving Kingston, Benedictine and Northern Dutchess Hospitals. Rhinebeck (845) 876-2496. Kingston (845) 338-5575.
Joan Apter See Aromatherapy. For more information, contact Joan Apter, CMT. (845) 679-0512. Eamil: japter@ ulster.net. Web: joanapter.younglivingworld.com.
bodhi studio See Bodywork.
Ada Citron, LMT Practicing since 1988, Ada Citron, LMT, has offered Swedish, Sports Massage, Reiki, Pranic Healing, Chair Massage, Shiatsu, Barefoot Shiatsu and Chi Nei Tsang (CNT) Chinese abdominal massage. Shiatsu and CNT are currently her preferred modalities. Classes offered in CNT. House calls fee commensurate with travel time. www.adacitron.com (845)339-0589.
Donna Generale Licensed Massage Therapist If you have not experienced the deep, penetrating,
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Homebirth and Gynecology Practice of Judy Joffee, CNM This practice offers a unique and exquisite opportunity for woman care in a powerfully compassionate and sacred manner. I offer complete prenatal care focused toward homebirth. For the nonpregnant woman, individualized gynecological care, counseling, and self-determination await you. Also offering school, work, and general physicals for all ages. Call for consultation. (845) 255-2096.
NATURAL FOODS Beacon Natural Market Lighting the Way for a Healthier World... Located in the heart of historic Beacon at 348 Main Street. Featuring organic prepared foods deli & juice bar as well as organic and regional produce, meats and cheeses. Newly opened in Aug. ‘05, proprietors L.T. & Kitty Sherpa are dedicated to serving the Hudson
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Valley with a complete selection of products that are good for you and good for the planet, including an extensive alternative health dept. Nutritionist on staff. (845) 838-1288.
Sunflower Natural Foods Market At Sunflower we know the food we eat is our greatest source of health. Sunflower carries certified organic produce, milk, cheeses, and eggs; non-irradiated herbs and spices; clean, pure organic products to support a healthy lifestyle; large selection of homeopathic remedies. Sunflower Natural Foods is a complete natural foods market. Open 9am-9pm daily. 10am-7pm Sundays. Bradley Meadows Shopping Center, Woodstock. (845) 679-5361.
PHYSICIANS Aruna Bakhru, MD, FACP Dr. Bakhru is board certified in internal medicine and is a fellow of the American College of Physicians. She also offers energy medicine by measuring the energy flow at the meridians. Herbal, homeopathic, nutritional, or flower remedies can be found, and tailor-made for your individual needs. It takes the guesswork out of spending hundreds of dollars at the health food store without knowing if the product is helpful to you. Toxic emotions, thought patterns, chakra imbalances, dental issues can be identified and dealt with. Hidden toxins, energetic imprints of past infections, vaccinations, etc. can be uncovered. Poughkeepsie (845) 463-1044.
NATUROPATHIC MEDICINE Women Care Center Naturopathic Medicine Dr. Thomas J. Francescott, ND. Free Your Mind – Release Your Body – Energize Your Spirit! Solve health issues, enhance wellness, and gain awareness. Scientifically proven naturopathic solutions for challenging and/or chronic health concerns. I offer naturopathic expertise in a sacred space to help you feel better. Graduate of the prestigious Bastyr University. Call Rhinebeck Cooperative Health Center: (845) 876-5556. www.drfrancescott.com.
NUTRITION
Empowerment through information. Located in Rhinebeck and Kingston. Massage and acupuncture available. Gynecology—treating our patients through the most up-to-date medical and surgical technologies available, combined with alternative therapies. Obstetrics—working with you to create the birth experience you desire. Many insurances accepted. Evening hours available. Rhinebeck (845) 876-2496. Kingston (845) 338-5575.
PILATES Pilates of New Paltz
Jill Malden, RD, CSW
We are a fully equipped studio of certified, experienced, caring instructors with the knowledge to challenge students while respecting their limitations (injury/illness, age, etc.). We are offering a special package price for four introductory lessons and offer small group reformer classes and mat classes. We are open 6 days a week with a very flexible appointment schedule. (845) 255-0559.
Vitamin Navigator
PSYCHOLOGISTS
Confused about what to eat and what not? Find your own bioindividuality, your diet is as unique as you are, your optimum health can be achieved without serious deprivation. Andrew Wright Randel HHC AADP has 15 years experience with alternative and complementary health care. Call for appointment (914) 466-2928. www.vitaminnavigator.com
NUTRITIONAL COUNSELING Julie Barone Certified Holistic Health Counselor Live with vibrant energy! Whole foods nutrition and lifestyle consulting can help you kick the junk food habit, achieve better health, tune in to your body, and eat well for life. Individual programs are customized to your health goals. Special People Pet Wellness program for you and your pet. Whole foods cooking parties – fun, educational, and delicious! Free consultation. (845) 338-4115. julieabarone@yahoo.com. www.peoplepetwellness.com.
whole living directory
Prominent Nutritionist specializing in eating behavior and eating disorders for 15 years. Warm, nonjudgmental treatment. Understand the effects of nutrition on your mood, anxiety level, cravings, concentration, energy level, and sleep, in addition to body weight. Recover from your eating issues and enjoy a full life! 199 Main Street, New Paltz. (845) 489-4732.
James Cancienne, PhD Licensed Clinical Psychologist offering adult psychotherapy and couples counseling. Jungian-based psychotherapy for people in crisis, those with ongoing mental health difficulties, and those wishing to expand their personality and gain greater satisfaction from their relationships and work. Some insurance accepted and sliding scale. Hudson. (518) 828-2528.
Carla J. Mazzeo, PhD Licensed Clinical Psychologist offering psychodynamic psychotherapy for adolescents and adults. I have experience working with trauma, mood disturbances, sexual assault, depression, anxiety, grief/bereavement, eating/body image difficulties, alcohol/substance concerns, teenage problems, relationship difficulties, sexuality issues, or general self-exploration. Dream work also available. New Paltz location. Reduced fee for initial consultation. (845) 255-2259.
Mark L. Parisi, PhD
OSTEOPATHY Applied Osteopathy Joseph Tieri, DO, & Ari Rosen, DO. Drs. Tieri and Rosen are New York State Licensed Osteopathic physicians specializing in Cranial Osteopathy. As specialists in Osteopathic manipulation, we are dedicated to the traditional philosophy and hands-on treatment of our predecessors. We have studied with Robert Fulford, DO, Viola Freyman, DO, James Jealous, DO, and Bonnie Gintis, DO, and completed a two-year residency in Osteopathic Manipulation. We treat newborns, children, and adults. 3457 Main Street, Stone Ridge, (845) 687-7589. 138 Market Street, Rhinebeck, (845) 876-1700. By Appointment. For more info call or visit www.appliedosteopathy.com.
Licensed psychologist. Offering individual psychotherapy for adults. Specializing in gay men’s issues, anxiety, depression, relationship concerns, adjustment, issues related to aging, disordered eating, body image, sexual identity, and personal growth. Medicare and some insurance accepted. 52 South Manheim Boulevard, New Paltz. (845) 255-2259.
Jonathan D. Raskin, PhD Licensed psychologist. Insight-oriented, meaningbased, problem-focused, person-centered psychotherapy for adults and adolescents facing problems including, but not limited to, self-esteem, interpersonal relationships, life transitions, family issues, career concerns, depression, anxiety, loneliness, and bereavement. 199 Main Street, New Paltz. Free initial consultation. Sliding scale. (845) 257-3471.
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PSYCHOTHERAPY
Ione
Kent Babcock, LMSW Counseling & Psychotherapy
Author and psychotherapist: Qigong, Meditation, Hypnotherapy, and Dreams. Specializing in the creative process. Healing retreats, Local and Worldwide. 845) 339-5776.
Development of solutions through simple self-observation, reflection, and conversation. Short- or long-term work around difficult relationships; life or career transitions; ethical, spiritual, or psychic dilemmas; and creative blocks. Roots in yoga, dreamwork, spiritual psychology, and existential psychotherapy. Sliding scale. Offices in Woodstock and Uptown Kingston. (845) 679-5511 x4.
Debra Budnik, CSW-R Traditional insight-oriented psychotherapy for long- or short-term work. Aimed at identifying and changing self-defeating attitudes and behaviors, underlying anxiety, depression, and relationship problems. Sliding scale, most insurances accepted, including Medicare/Medicaid. NYS-licensed. Experience working with trauma victims, including physical and sexual abuse. Educator on mental health topics. Located in New Paltz, one mile from SUNY. (845) 255-4218.
Martin Knowles, LCSW Taking a systemic approach to well-being and relationships for over 20 years, Martin Knowles works with individuals, couples and families in Uptown Kingston. His effective, down-to-earth style amplifies and encourages natural talents and resources, bringing out the best in each of us. (845) 338-5450, ext. 301.
Elise Lark, LCSW, LMT Body & Creativity-Centered Psychotherapy SYNtegration Therapy utilizes acupuncture and muscular releases, sensation awareness, active imagination, and body-centered dialogue to explore physical symptoms, behavioral patterns, and inner conflicts. Fast-acting, highly effective, it will give you the practical tools, insight, and direction needed to move forward in your life. Sliding Scale. Free Consult. Tel: (845) 657-2516.
Deep Clay Art and Therapy
whole living directory
Deep Clay with Michelle Rhodes ATR-BC, LMSW. Individual, couple, parent and child, and group arts-based psychotherapy. “Dreamfigures” Clay Psychotherapy group for women. Expressive clay group and individual sessions for children and teens. A unique, creative, and grounding approach for crisis management, transitions, and deep healing. Sessions in Gardiner and NYC. (845) 417-1369. deepclay@mac.com.
Dr. Nancy Rowe, PhD, CET Heart Centered Counseling & Expressive Arts Therapy Emotional healing for children and adults using talk, imagery, sandplay, expressive arts, and/or movement. Background in transpersonal psychology, play therapy, family therapy, spiritual guidance, authentic movement, and expressive arts therapy. Offices in Woodstock and Kingston. Call Nancy, (845) 679-4827. www.wisdomheart.com.
Peter M. del Rosario, PhD Licensed psychologist. Insight-oriented, culturally sensitive psychotherapy for adults and adolescents concerned with: relationship difficulties, codependency, depression, anxiety, sexual/physical trauma, grief and bereavement, eating disorders, dealing with divorce, gay/lesbian issues. 199 Main Street, New Paltz. Free initial consult. Sliding scale. Tel: (914) 262-8595.
Change Your Outlook, Heal, and Grow Sharon Slotnick, MS, CHt. With combination of “talk” therapy for self-knowledge and hypnosis to transform negative, self-defeating thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. Faster symptom relief. Feel better and make healthier choices. Sliding scale, Certified Hypnotherapist and Counselor. (845) 389-2302. New Paltz, Kingston. See also Hypnosis.
Rachael Diamond, CSW,CHt Holistically-oriented therapist offering counseling, psychotherapy, and hypnosis. Specializing in issues pertaining to relationships, personal growth, life transitions, alternative lifestyles, childhood abuse, codependency, addiction, recovery illness, and grief. Some insurance accepted. Office convenient to New Paltz and surrounding areas. (845) 883-9642.
Eidetic Image Therapy A fast moving, positive psychotherapy that gets to problem areas quickly and creates change by using eidetic (eye-DET-ic) images to promote insight and growth. The eidetic is a bright, lively picture seen in the mind like a movie or filmstrip. It is unique in its ability to reproduce important life events in exact detail, revealing both the cause and solution of problem areas. Dr. Toni Nixon, EdD, director. Port Ewen. (845) 339-1684.
Richard Smith, CSW-R, CASAC Potential-Centered Therapy (PCT) alters thoughts, feelings, and behaviors that block growth. A psychodynamic approach incorporating NLP, EMDR, and hypnosis, PCT resolves addictions, trauma, limiting beliefs, and destructive behaviors. Twenty years experience and a gentle spirit guide you through an accelerated process of profound healing. Gardiner. Tel: (845) 256-6456. Email: richardsmithcsw @earthlink.net.
Judy Swallow, MA, TEP Integrative body/mind therapist using Rubenfeld synergy and psychodrama in her work with individuals, couples, groups, and families. Inquire for workshops and training, as well as therapy. New Paltz. (845) 255-5613.
Wellspring Amy R. Frisch, CSWR Psychotherapist. Individual, family, and group sessions for adolescents and adults. Currently accepting registration for It’s a Girl Thing: an expressive arts therapy group for adolescent girls, and The Healing Circle: an adult bereavement group offering a safe place to begin the healing process after the death of a loved one. Most insurances accepted. Located in New Paltz. (914) 706-0229.
Irene Humbach, LCSW, PC See Body-Centered Therapy.
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Evolutionary coaching using movement and breath to access and clear lifelong patterns and transform relationships. Rodney and Sandra Wells, certified by Gay and Kathlyn Hendricks. (845) 534-7668.
Julie Zweig, MA Verbal Body-Centered Psychotherapy utilizing doctoral level training in psychology and 15+ years of experience as a therapist, as well as the principles of Rosen Method Bodywork, but without touch. See also Body-Centered Therapy. New Paltz, New York. (845) 255-3566.
REBIRTHING Susan DeStefano Heart-centered therapy for healing the body, mind, and emotions. Improve relationships, release the past, heal the inner child through personal empowerment. (845) 255-6482.
SCHOOLS & TRAINING Institute of Transpersonal Psychology ITP is an accredited graduate psychology school offering clinical and nonclinical certificates, MA and PhD degrees. The curriculum combines mind, body, and spiritual inquiry with scholarly research and self-discovery. Graduates have strong clinical skills and can communicate in a variety of complex relational circumstances. Tel: (650) 493-4430. Email: itpinfo@itp.edu.Web: www.itp.edu.
SHIATSU Leigh Scott See Massage Therapy.
SPAS & RESORTS The Spa at Emerson Place
whole living directory
The Emerson Spa is open! This Asian-inspired design invites guests into an oasis of relaxation that is surrounded by the Catskills’ pastoral beauty. Individually-tailored treatments are created by the European-trained staff who are skilled at delivering virtually all the Emerson Spa’s 40+ treatments. Men and women alike will enjoy the personalized attention they receive while enjoying experiences such as Ayruvedic Rituals, Aromatherapy Massage, Deep-Tissue and FourHand Massage, Hot Stone Therapy and Detoxifying Algae Wraps. Call (845) 688-1000 or visit our website at: www.emersonplace.com.
SPIRITUAL Healing, Pathwork and Channeling by Flowing Spirit Guidance It is our birthright to experience the abundance of the universe, the deep love of God, and our own divinity! It is also our birthright to share our own unique gifts with the world. We long to do it. So why don’t we? Our imperfections get in the way. As we purify, we experience more and more fully, the love and the abundance of God’s universe. We can have it in any moment. We can learn to purify our imperfections AND experience heaven on earth. Jaffe Institute Spiritual Healing; Pathwork; and Channeling available. Contact Joel Walzer for sessions. Call (845) 679-8989 or visit our website at: www.flowingspirit.com.
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Ione Egyptian Mysteries, Scarab Teachings™, Journeys to Sacred Sites. (845) 339-5776.
Rachel Pollack. All levels welcome. Tarot Readings in person or by phone. Appointment/Info: rachel@rachel pollack.com. (845) 876-5797. Rhinebeck. Also see ad.
New York Region Pathwork
THERAPY
The Pathwork is a way of life, a community of seekers, a school, and a philosophy. It is based in a profound set of teachings channeled over a 30-year period by Eva Pierrakos that show a way to live in this world with complete inner freedom and happiness. Learn more at Pathworkny.org, or (845) 688-2211.
Spirittus Holistic Resource Center See Workshops.
STRUCTURAL INTEGRATION Hudson Valley Structural Integration Structural integration is a form of soft tissue manipulation based on the lifelong work of Dr. Ida P. Rolf. It is a process-oriented whole systems approach that seeks to improve one’s health and vitality by balancing the body and re-establishing appropriate relationships. Benefits include feeling lighter, more energy, greater freedom of movement, relief from chronic pain, and positive psychological effects. We offer a safe place for exploration and work with sensitivity and compassion. Krisha Showalter and Ryan Flowers are certified practitioners of the KMI method. Rhinebeck, (845) 876-4654.
SUCCESS COACHING Sarah Stamm
whole living directory
Have you thought about working out, changing careers or improving your interpersonal relationships but are unsure where or how to begin? Life coaching can help in all aspects of your life. If you want to change your life, give us a call, our team has over 10 years of experience helping people make important changes to reach their potential, move through life with ease and find happiness. Your Life 360°. By Appointment. For more info call (845) 750-3459.
TAROT CARD READING
Toni D. Nixon, EdD Therapist and Buddhist Practitioner Offering a unique combination of techniques that integrate therapeutic goals & spiritual practice. The basic principles of Buddhism and psychotherapy are concerned with the goal of ending human suffering. Both paths to liberation are through greater self-awareness, a broader view of one’s world, the realization of the possibility of freedom, and finding the means to achieve it. In essence, effective psychotherapy moves toward liberation, and Buddhist practice is therapeutic in nature. Eidetic Image therapy is a unique and powerful method that encourages the liberation of the mind and spirit from obstacles that block the way to inner peace. Specializing in life improvement skills, habit cessation, career issues, women’s issues, & blocked creativity. By phone, online, and in person. (845) 339-1684. www.eidetictherapy.com.
VEGAN LIFESTYLES Andrew Glick Vegan Lifestyle Coach Certified Holistic Health Counselor. The single most important step an individual can take to help save the planet’s precious resources, improve and protect one’s health, and to stop the senseless slaughter of over 50 billion animals a year...is to Go Vegan. What could make you feel better about yourself than knowing you are helping the planet, your own health, and the lives of countless animals all at the same time? If the idea is daunting and seems undoable to you, then let your personal Vegan Lifestyle Coach take you through steps A to Z. Whether you’re a cattle rancher eating meat three times a day or a lacto-vegetarian wanting to give up dairy, it’s a process that can be fun, easy and meaningful. You can do it easily with the proper support, guidance and encouragement from your Vegan Lifestyle Coach. (845) 679-7979. andy@meatfreezone.org or www.meatfreezone.org. See display ad.
Tarot Card Reading Need some direction in your life? Have a question that needs to be answered? Call Melissa for a confidential tarot card reading. Melissa is available for solo readings as well as private and corporate parties. Call Melissa today at (845) 728-8474. Reasonable rates.
Tarot-on-the-Hudson Rachel Pollack Exploratory, experiential play with the Tarot as oracle and sacred tool, in a monthly class, with Certified Tarot Grand Master and international Tarot author
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Healthy Gourmet To Go Try our colossal coconut macaroons dipped in dark chocolate or our delectable pan-seared cornmeal crusted homemade seitan cutlets over rosemary smashed potatoes with mushroom gravy. From old-fashioned home cooking with a new healthful twist to live/raw foods and macrobiotics, HGTG has dishes to please every palate. Weekly Meal Delivery right to your door. Organic, vegan, kosher. Baby Registry. Gift Certificates. Catering. Visit www.carrottalk.com. (845) 339-7171.
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WEDDINGS & COUNSELING Reverend Kevin Kraft, Interfaith Minister See Interfaith Ministries.
WOMEN’S GROUPS Honoring the Soul with Adele Marcus, LCSW-R, ACHT See Psychotherapy.
WOMEN’S HEALTH Women’s Health & Fitness Expo womensexpo@hotmail.com. (845) 338-7140.
WORKSHOPS Back to Basics at “The Barn”
whole living directory
Life Transformational Metaphysical Workshop Series begins August 5 in Gardiner. Set in idyllic location - 130-year old renovated barn abutting Shawangunk Mountains, Author, Hand Analyst/Life Coach shares joyous process of Evolving Consciously. Discover your Life Purpose/Life Lesson through your unchangeable Soul Goal hidden in your unique fingerprint patterns! To register for this workshop, call (845) 256-1294 or visit www.terrasoleil.com/ workshops.
Spirittus Holistic Resource Center The Spirittus Holistic Resource Center is a healing environment where people gather to explore Spirituality, Health, and Holistic Living. Each month we host 25 + workshops. Weekly meditation, monthly Nutrition, Astrology, and Reiki Study groups. We have a private healing room offering Reiki, Counseling, Hypnosis, and CranioSacral Therapy. We provide access to a holistic library, holistic referral network, and the holistic gift shop. 89 North Front Street, Kingston, New York. Visit our website at: www.spirittus.org or call (845) 338-8313. Kevin@spirittus.org.
StoneWater Sanctuary See Holistic Wellness Centers.
YOGA The Children’s School Of Yoga Offering yoga classes to children from infant to teen. We offer classes to Daycares / Preschool, Camps & After School programs. We offer Parent/Child & Family yoga classes, school aged yoga classes and teen yoga classes. We are currently in over 25+
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locations throughout Orange, Dutchess, & Sullivan Counties. Call for your free trial class today at: (845) 791-1553 or contact us directly at: www.thechildrenssch oolofyoga.com. Email: thechildre nsschoolofyoga@juno.com.
Jai Ma Yoga Center Offering a wide array of Yoga classes, seven days a week, from Gentle/Restorative Yoga to Advanced. Meditation classes free to all enrolled. Chanting Friday evenings. New expanded studio space. Private consultations and Phoenix Rising Yoga Therapy sessions available. Gina Bassinette, RYT & Ami Hirschstein, RYT, Owners. New Paltz. (845) 256-0465.
The Living Seed Yoga & Holistic Center
whole living directory
Open to the community for over 5 years. Inspiring movements of inner freedom and awareness. We offer Yoga classes for all levels of students, gentle/ beginner to advanced. Including Pre & Post Natal Yoga, Family & Kids Yoga, as well as a variety of Dance classes, Massage, Acupuncture, Sauna & Organic Yoga Clothing. New Paltz. (845) 2558212. www.thelivingseed.com. The Living Seed Yoga & Holistic Health Center 521 Main St. New Paltz, NY 12561. Phone: (845) 255-8212. Web: www.thelivingseed.com. Email: contact@thelivingseed.com
Satya Hudson Valley Yoga Center Satya Hudson Valley Yoga Center is located in the heart of Rhinebeck village, on the third floor of the Rhinebeck Department Store building. We offer classes for all levels, 7 days a week. There is no need to pre-register: we invite you to just show up. For more information, visit www.hudsonvalleyyoga.com or call (845) 876-2528.
Yoga on Duck Pond Grounded in the alignment of the inner and outer body, yoga can reduce your stress, reshape your body, recharge your mind. “Working with Donna is a spiritual and physical adventure for me. I experience a renewed sense of well-being, increased mobility, clarity of mind, and a natural diet adjustment. She is helping me change my life.” –Carlo Travaglia, sculptor. Donna Nisha Cohen, director and certified instructor, over 20 years experience. Stone Ridge. Classes Sunday through Friday. Call for times, and information on prenatal and private sessions. (845) 687-4836.
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business directory ACTING
ART THERAPY
Sande Shurin Acting Classes
Deep Clay Art and Therapy with Michelle Rhodes ATR-BC, LMSW
Revolutionary new acting technique for Film/Stage/TV. The book: Transformational Acting...A Step Beyond, Limelight Editions. The technique: Transform into character using current emotions. No recall. No forward imagining. Shurin privately coaches many celebrities. The classes: Thursday eves. at 7pm, Woodstock. Master classes at the Times Square Sande Shurin Theatre. (917) 545-5713 or (212) 262-6848.
ANTIQUE RESTORATION Antique Clock Repair and Restoration Specializing in Grandfather clocks, Tubular chime clocks, European, Atmos and Carriage Clocks, Antique Music boxes. Pickup and delivery. House calls available. Free estimates. One year warranty. References available. For appointment call Ian D.Pomfret at (845) 687-9885 or email idp1@verizon.net.
ARCHITECTURE DiGuiseppe Architecture
business directory
Inspired, Sensitive, and Luxurious…these are the words that describe the quintessential design work that is DiGuiseppe. The firm, with Design Studios in Accord, New York City, and Boca Raton, provides personalized Architecture and Interiors for each and every client. Whether the project is a Sensitive Historic Renovation, a Hudson Valley Inspired Home or Luxurious Interiors, each project receives the attention of the firm’s principal, Anthony J. DiGuiseppe, AIA RIBA, an internationally published architect and award-winning furniture designer. Accord (845) 687-8989, New York City (212) 439-9611. diarcht@msn.com, www.diguiseppe.com.
See Psychotherapy in Whole Living Guide.
ATTORNEYS Law Offices of Andrea Lowenthal, PLLC Offices in Hudson and Manhattan, serving individuals and businesses throughout the Hudson Valley and New York City. Estate Planning (wills and trusts) and Elder Law (planning for you or your aging relatives), Domestic Partnerships (for GLBT families), Family Matters, Business Formations and Transactions, and Real Estate. Intelligent and sensitive approach to your personal and business legal matters. Please call (518) 671-6200 or (917) 301-6524, or email Andrea@LowenthalLaw.com
Schneider, Pfahl & Rahmé, LLP Manhattan law firm with offices in Woodstock, provides legal services to individuals, institutions, professional firms, companies, and family businesses. Specific areas include: Real Estate, Estate Planning, Corporate, New Media and Arts, and Entertainment Law. Each matter is attended to by a senior attorney who develops a comprehensive legal plan with the client. (845) 6799868 or (212) 629-7744. See website www.nycrealestat eattorneys.com or www.schneiderpfahl.com.
AUTOMOTIVE Roberti Motor Cars
ART GALLERIES
Specializing in previously owned SAABs. Over 150 preowned SAABs in stock at all times. Authorized SAAB service center. Large selection of new and used SAAB parts available. Prices range from $1,500 to $25,000. All cars warranteed bumper to bumper. (845) 339-SAAB. 385 Foxhall Avenue, Kingston, NY. www.roberti.com.
Van Brunt Gallery
BEVERAGES
Exhibiting the work of contemporary artists. Featuring abstract painting, sculpture, digital art, photography, and video, the gallery has new shows each month. The innovative gallery Web site, www.vanbruntgallery.com, has online artist portfolios and videos of the artists discussing their work. 460 Main Street, Beacon, NY 12508. (845) 838-2995.
Esotec Ltd.
ART SUPPLIES
Now Located in Tech-City Kingston, NY. Choose Esotec to be your wholesale beverage provider. For 20 years we’ve carried a complete line of natural, organic, and unusual juices, spritzers, waters, sodas, iced teas, and iced coffees. If you are a store owner, call for details or a catalog of our full line. sales@esotecltd.com. or www.esotecltd.com. (845) 336-3369.
Catskill Art & Office Supply
Leisure Time Spring Water
Traditional fine art materials, studio furnishings, office products, journals, cards, maps, and gifts. Creative services, too, at all three locations: photo processing, custom printing, rubber stamps, color copies, custom picture framing, and full-color digital output. Pushing the envelope and creative spirit for over 20 years. Woodstock store: (845) 679-2251; Kingston (845) 331-7780; Poughkeepsie (845) 452-1250.
Pure spring water from a natural artesian spring located in the Catskill Mountains. The spring delivers water at 42oF year-round. The water is filtered under high pressure through fine white sand. Hot and cold dispensers available. Weekly delivery. (845) 331-0504.
BOOKSTORES Barner Books
Manny’s Since 1962, big city selection and small town service have made Manny’s special. We offer a full range of art materials, custom picture framing, bookmaking supplies, and the best selection of handmade and decorative papers north of Manhattan. Manny’s, it’s more than just an art store. 83 Main Street, New Paltz. (845) 255-9902.
R & F Handmade Paints Internationally known manufacturer of Pigment Sticks and Encaustic paint right here in the Hudson Valley. Stop in for a tour of our factory, get paints at discounted prices, sign up for an Encaustic or Pigment Stick workshop, or check out bi-monthly exhibits in the Gallery. Open Monday-Saturday 10am-5pm. 506 Broadway, Kingston. (845) 331-3112. www.rfpaints.com.
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Used books. From kitsch to culture, Thoreau to thrillers, serious and silly. We have the books you read. Mon.Sat. 10-7pm, Sun. 12-6pm. Located at 69 Main St, New Paltz, NY. (845) 255-2635. Email: barnerbk@ulster.net.
The Golden Notebook A feast for book lovers located in the heart of Woodstock, we are proud to be a part of Book Sense: Independent Bookstores for Independent Minds. In addition to our huge database, we can special order any book in or out of print. Our Children’s Store located right next door has an extensive selection of books and products exclusively for the under-14 set. We also carry the complete line of Woodstock Chimes. 25-29 Tinker Street, Woodstock. Tel: (845) 679-8000, fax (845) 679-3054. Email: thegoldennotebook@hvc.rr.com. Web: www.goldennotebook.com.
Mirabai of Woodstock The Hudson Valley’s oldest spiritual/holistic bookstore, providing a vast array of books, music, and gifts that transform, renew, and elevate the spirit. Exquisite statuary and other art works from Nepal, Tibet, Bali. Expert Tarot reading, astrological charts/interpretation available. 23 Mill Hill Road, Woodstock. (845) 679-2100. www.mirabai.com.
CARPETS / RUGS Anatolia Tribal Rugs & Weavings Direct importers since 1981– Natural-dyed Afghan carpets; Balouchi tribal kilims; Russian sumaks; antique Caucasian carpets; silk Persian sumaks; Turkish kilims. Hundreds to choose from 2’x3’ to 9’x12’. Kilim pillows, $20-$55. We encourage customers to try our rugs in their homes without obligation. Open 6 days a week 12-6pm. Closed Tues. MC/Visa/AmEx. 54G Tinker Street, Woodstock. (845) 679-5311.
CHILDREN’S ART CLASSES The School for Young Artists An Extraordinary Art Experience! The School for Young Artists provides you with the tools, materials, instruction and support to achieve your goals. Our studio is about the joy of learning and the power of making art. Classes and individual sessions for children and adults. Call Kathy Anderson (845) 679-9541.
CINEMA Upstate Films Great International Cinema. Contemporary & Classic. 26 Montgomery Street, Rhinebeck. (845) 876-2515. www.upstatefilms.com.
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CLOTHING Haldora
business directory
Haldora, a family name from Iceland meaning Goddess of the Mountains. Haldora designs a lifestyle in women’s clothing and scarves—styles which are timeless, understated, and have a forgiving elegance. She designs and cuts her own line, then sends it to her seamstress where it is sewn locally in New York State. Her fabrics are mostly natural, including many kinds of silk, linens, and cotton in many colors, with wool added in winter. Also at Haldora, you will find other complimentary lines. In season, she has wool, cotton, and cashmere sweaters, which include Margaret O’Leary and Kincross Cashmere. Haldora carries a full line of Hanro of Switzerland undergarments and sleepwear. Shoes are also important to finish your look. Some of the lines carried are Arche, Lisa Nading, and Gentle Souls. Haldora also carries jewelry in a wide range of prices. Open Daily. 28 East Market Street, Rhinebeck, NY. Tel: (845) 876-6250. www.haldora.com.
COLLEGES Dutchess Community College Dutchess Community College, part of the State University of New York (SUNY) system, was founded in 1957. The College offers an educational policy of access, quality, opportunity, diversity, and social responsibility. DCC’s main campus in Poughkeepsie is situated on 130 scenic acres with facilities that are aesthetically pleasing and technologically advanced. The College has a satellite campus, Dutchess South, in Wappinger Falls, and learning centers in Carmel, Staatsburg, and Pawling. (845) 431-8020. www.sunydutchess.edu.
Mount Saint Mary College An independent liberal arts college offering more than 30 undergraduate programs; graduate programs in business (MBA), education, and nursing; and noncredit courses. 2,500 women and men. Its beautiful campus overlooks the Hudson River and is conveniently located off I-84 in Newburgh. (845) 569-3222. www.msmc.edu.
CONSIGNMENT SHOPS Past ‘n’ Perfect A quaint consignment boutique that offers distinctive clothing, jewelry, shoes, and accessories, and a unique variety of high quality furs and leathers. Always a generous supply of merchandise from casual to chic, contemporary to vintage, with sizes from infant to adult. Featuring a diverse and illuminating jewelry collection. Open Tuesday to Friday 10am-5pm, and Saturday 10am-4pm. Conveniently located at 1629 Main Street (Route 44), Pleasant Valley, NY–only 9 miles east of the Mid-Hudson Bridge. (845) 635-3115. www.pastnperfect.com.
The Present Perfect Designer consignments of the utmost quality for men, women, and children. Current styles, jewelry accessories, and knickknacks. Featuring beautiful furs and leathers. Open Mon.-Sat. 10am-5pm, & Sun. 12-5pm. Located at 23G Village Plaza, Rhinebeck, NY 12572. (845) 876-2939.
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COSMETIC & PLASTIC SURGERY M. T. Abraham, MD Facial Plastic, Reconstructive & Laser Surgery, PLLC. Dr. Abraham is one of few surgeons double board certified and fellowship trained exclusively in Facial Plastic Surgery. He is an expert in the latest minimally invasive and non-surgical techniques (Botox™, Restylane™, Thermage™, Photofacial™), and also specializes in functional nasal surgery. Offices in Poughkeepsie, Fishkill, & Rhinebeck with affiliated MediSpas. (845) 454-8025. www.NYfaceMD.com.
CRAFTS Crafts People Representing over 500 artisans, Crafts People boasts four buildings brimming with fine crafts, the largest selection in the Hudson Valley. All media represented, including sterling silver & 14K gold jewelry, blown glass, pottery, turned wood, kaleidoscopes, wind chimes, leather, clothing, stained glass, etc. Open Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday 10:30am-6pm. 262 Spillway Road, West Hurley. (845) 331-3859. www.craftspeople.us
business directory
Math Tutor Customized, creative tutoring for all ages. Get help with arithmetic, algebra, geometry, trigonometry, and precalculus. Prepare for Regents, SATs, GREs, and GEDs. I emphasize fundamental concepts, number sense, real life application and problem solving skills. Individual and group sessions. Contact Halle Kananack Tel:917.232.5532Eamil: learn@mathwithhalle.com Web:www.mathwithhalle.com
EVOLUTION Discovery Institute
DANCEWEAR First Street Dancewear
FAUX FINISHES
DESIGN Actionpact Solutions Actionpact Solutions is your premiere, award-winning, full-service graphic, Web, and multi-media design firm located in Kingston, New York. We offer fresh, fun, and functional advertising and design solutions for businesses of all sizes. Make a pact for action and contact us today for your free consultation! Call (845) 532-5398 or email support@actionpactsolutions.com.
Bluebird Artworks Studio Get your ugly mug on one of our beautiful ceramic mugs. Let Bluebird design for you. We can create elegant and efficient websites, clean business cards, effective print ads or just create a great logo. Visit the studio of multimedia artist Jonathan James. Use his web & graphic services. Buy a gift mug, a freeform crochet hat or a fine oil painting by artist Dahlia Nichols. A small studio with big ideas. 8 Tinker Street, Woodstock, behind Walkabout. (845) 679-4659. BluebirdArtworks.com or email mrwander@gmail.com.
DISTRIBUTION Chronogram Is Everywhere! Have you ever noticed that wherever you go, Chronogram is there? That’s because our distribution is so damn good. We can distribute your flyer, brochure, business card, or publication to over 800 establishments in Ulster, Dutchess, Columbia, Greene, Putnam, and Orange counties, and now with new stops in Peekskill, Westchester County. Call us at (845) 334-8600 x107 or e-mail distribution@chronogram.com.
DIVORCE SERVICES
Faux Intentions Cat Quinn, professional decorative artist, setting the standard for excellence in Custom Faux Finishes for your home and business. With infinite possibilities, your walls, floors, ceilings, fireplaces and furniture can be transformed using my faux finishing techniques. A full spectrum of decorative finishes using plasters, glazes, and many other mediums, help to fill your home full of your unique personality and spirit. Don’t miss the beauty and exhiliration of transforming the rooms you live and work in every day into spaces that reflect your sense of style. Portfolio showing a phone call away. (845) 532-3067.
FINANCIAL SERVICES Center for Financial Wellness, Inc. I don’t sell anything! I help you become financially independent – retire early, reduce your taxes, build an investment portfolio, do work that you love, get out of debt! Robin Vaccai-Yess, Certified Financial Planner™, Registered Investment Advisor, Fee-Only. Visit www.financiallywell.com to receive my free E-newsletter and to register for workshops. (845) 255-6052. www.financiallywell.com.
FOOD SERVING PRODUCTS Cool Cover™ CoolCover™ keeps food cool, fresh and visible for hours using patent-pending air flow design. Perfect for entertaining at home, indoors and outdoors. CoolCover™ can be tipped back into stable, upright position for easy self serving. Clear, durable, food safe polycarbonate protects food from insects and pets. Great for everyday use as practical tool for healthy eating. No ice. 15 7/8” L x 11 7/8” W x 5 5/8” H. Price - $34.99. Web www.coolcover.us. Toll Free: (800) 601-5757.
FRAMING Catskill Art & Office See Art Supplies.
Lois M. Brenner
Manny’s
See Attorneys.
See Art Supplies.
EDITING
GARDENING & GARDEN SUPPLIES
Manuscript Consultant
Blue Mountain Gardens
See Literary.
Ulster County’s newest garden center specializing in unusual annuals, proven perennials, shrubs and vines and located next to Beyond The Pail, a fine gift store offering accessories for the gardening lifestyle. 3524 Rt. 32 North, Saugerties. Open daily 9am-6pm. (845) 246-6978.
Bethany Saltman I am a professor of writing & literature as well as a professional writer & editor who most recently edited local
BUSINESS DIRECTORY CHRONOGRAM 1/06
EDUCATION RESOURCES
To Know. To Understand. To Be. Offering intensive training in a living school of psycho-transformism in the tradition of G.I. Gurdjieff. (845) 255-5548. discover@bestweb.net.
First Street Dancewear in Saugerties, NY offers quality dancewear for Adults and Children. We have dancewear, knit warm-ups, ballet, jazz, tap shoes, gymnastics wear, skatewear, accessories, and gift items. We also feature a line of women’s active wear clothing suitable for Yoga and Pilates. Tel: (845) 247-4517. Web: www.firststreetdancewear.com.
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writer Erin Quinn’s Pride and Politics. I have over a decade of experience working with teens, grad students, professionals and editors and I am available to help you with your writing projects. References available. Call or email for a free consultation. (845) 688-7015, bethanysaltman@gmail.com.
Mac’s Agway in Red Hook/New Paltz Agway Specializing in all your lawn and garden needs. We carry topsoil, peat moss, fertilizers, organics, grass seed, shavings, straw, fencing, pet food, bird seed, bird houses, and more. Mac’s Agway, 68 Firehouse Lane, Red Hook, NY (845) 876-1559; New Paltz Agway, 145 Route 32N, New Paltz, NY (845) 255-0050. Hours for both locations: Mon.Fri. 8am-5:30pm; Sat. 8am-5pm; Sun. 9am-3pm.
The Phantom Gardener At Phantom we provide everything you need to create and enjoy an organic, beautiful landscape. Our dedicated and knowledgeable staff will help you choose from an unbeatable selection of herbaceous or woody plants, garden products and books. We offer professional design, installation, and maintenance services. Visit us! Rhinebeck, NY. 9am – 5pm daily. (845) 876-8606. www.thephantomgardener.com. See display ad.
GIFTS Earth Lore Walk into a World of Wonder: Amethyst and citrine geodes; Quartz crystal clusters, spheres, and obelisks; Moldavite and meteorite pendants; Designer jewelry from Amy Kahn Russell; Peyote Bird and WatchCraft; a dazzling array of Baltic Amber; a Thai rain drum from Woodstock Percussion; a sterling silver Buddha from Bali; fossilized salt lamps from the Royal Polish salt mines; tabletop fountains of Italian marble. These and other exotic Gifts from around the globe at Earth Lore. 2 Fairway Drive in Pawling, NY. Open Tuesday - Friday 10 am-6 pm; Saturday 10-5.
Sapphire The newly opened Sapphire is a unique gift shop like none other. Featuring handmade quality gifts of pottery, stained glass, jewelry, wooden bowls, bags, prints, cards, and home accents made by American and Hudson Valley artisans. Located in downtown Rosendale, Sapphire is open Monday, Thursday & Friday: 2-7:30pm, Saturday: 12-7:30pm, and Sunday: 12-5pm. Closed Tues. & Wed. 415 Main Street, Rosendale. (845) 658-3315. sapphireskyllc@hvc.rr.com.
GLASSBLOWING
business directory
Glassblowing.com The glassblowing.com studio offers Beginner Workshops in both Glassblowing and Beadmaking. Lee Kind has been teaching glassblowing since 1990 and has the ability to make this hot medium safe for anyone to try. In addition to teaching, Lee creates a line of “one of a kind” lamps and lighting installations for both homes and businesses. For more information call (845) 297-7334 or www.glassblowing.com.
HAIR SALONS Trends Hair Design Trends is a cutting-edge hair design center offering New York City styles at Hudson Valley prices, specializing in modern color, cut, and chemical techniques for men and women. Waxing and nail services available. Open Tues. through Fri, 9am to 7pm; Sat. 10am to 3pm. Gift certificates available. 29-31 West Strand, Kingston. (845) 340-9100.
HOME DESIGNS Eco-Arch Design Works - Janus Welton, AIA, BBEI An award-winning design architect, offering over 15 years of Traditional Chinese Feng Shui expertise to her Ecological and Healthy Building Design Practice: combining Building Biology, Solar Architecture, and Feng Shui to promote “Inspiring and Sustainable” environments for the 21st Century. Unlock the potentials of your site, home, or office to foster greater harmony, prosperity, spirit, health, and ecological integrity. Services include: Architecture, Planning, Commercial Interiors, Professional Seminars and Consultations. E-mail: ecoarchitect@hvc.rr.com or see www.JanusWelton DesignWorks.com. (845) 247-4620.
HOME FURNISHINGS & GIFTS White Rice 531 Warren St, Hudson, NY 12534. (518) 697-3500. shaunwr03@aol.com.
HORSEBACK RIDING LESSONS Frog Hollow Farm English riding lessons for adults and children. Solar-heated indoor, large outdoor, cross-country course, extensive trails. Summer camp, boarding, training, and sales. Emphasis on Dressage as a way of enhancing all horse disciplines. Holistic teaching and horse care. 572 Old Post Road, Esopus. Tel: (845) 384-6424. Web: www.dressage atfroghollowfarm.com.
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HOUSE ORGANIZING House Organizing Do you own your stuff or does it own you? Take back your home! Joyous hands-on support in de-cluttering given by an experienced teacher. Contact April Lynn Sponaugle, MS. at (845) 795-5189 for a Free Consultation.
INTERIOR DESIGN DeStefano and Associates Barbara DeStafano has been the owner of DeStefano and Associates, an interior design business, for 18 years. She received certification in Feng Shui from the Metropolitan Institute of Interior Design and has completed advanced work with several Feng Shui Masters. Feng Shui is the perfect marriage to interior design. It brings a spiritual dimension to your space. Barbara can create a kind of beauty that touches your spirit, and brings balance and harmony to a level that transcends the superficial. Barbara is available for consultations, guest speaker engagements, and workshops. Tel: (845) 339-4601.
INTERNET SERVICE PROVIDERS Hudson Valley Internet Local Internet access and commercial Web site hosting. Fast, reliable, easy to use, flexible pricing…Want more? How about: free software, extra e-mail, K56Flex support, personal web space, helpful customer service, and no setup charges. Call (845) 255-2799. Visit us on the web at www.hvi.net.
Webjogger
business directory
Blazing fast broadband Internet access. Featuring symmetrical bandwidth, superior personal attention and technical support, rock-solid security and reliability, and flexible rates. Complementary services include e-mail, Web hosting, accelerated dialup, server collocation and management, and customized networking solutions. Webjogger is a locally grown company with offices in Tivoli and Kingston. Call (845) 757-4000 or visit us online at www.webjogger.net.
LITERARY Bethany Saltman The long winter is the perfect time to get to work on your writing. I am a professor of writing & literature/ professional writer & editor who is available to help with your writing projects. I have over a decade of experience working with teens, grad students, professionals and editors. Call for a free consultation: (845) 688 -7015.
Submit to Chronogram Seeking submissions of poems, short stories, essays, and article proposals. Accepting pieces of all sorts. With SASE, send submissions to Chronogram, 314 Wall Street, 2nd floor, Kingston, NY 12401. info@chronogram.com or check out our web site: www.chronogram.com.
vative, combined services of two professionals. Josh Koplovitz has 30 years as a Matrimonial & Family Law Attorney, and Myra Schwartz has 30 years as a Guidance Counselor. This male/female team can effectively address all your legal and family issues. Use our one-hour free consultation to find out about us. (845) 331-0100.
Rodney Wells, CFP, Member AFM & NYSCDM If you’re separating, divorcing, or have issues with child support, custody, or visitation, choose mediation. On average, mediated agreements are fulfilled twice as often as litigated court decisions and cost half as much. I draw on my experience as a financial planner, psychotherapist, and pro se litigant to guide couples in a responsible process of unraveling their entanglements, preserving their assets, and creating a satisfying future. Cornwall, New Paltz, and NYC. (845) 534-7668. www.mediated-divorce.com.
MUSIC Burt’s Electronics Good music deserves quality sound! Avoid the malls and shop where quality and personal service are valued above all else. Bring Burt and his staff your favorite album and let them teach you how to choose the right audio equipment for your listening needs. 549 Albany Avenue, Kingston. Monday through Friday 9am-7pm; Saturday 9am-5pm; and Sunday 12pm4pm. (845) 331-5011.
Drums of Woodstock The ultimate source for all your jammin’ needs. Check out our diverse collection of Djembe, Dun Dun, Conga, Bougarabou Drums, Didgeridoos, Rain Sticks, Chimes, and Hand-Held Musical Instruments. 77 Tinker Street, Woodstock, New York 12498. Tel: (845) 810-0442. Web: www.drumsofwoodstock.com.
WVKR 91.3 FM Vassar College, Poughkeepsie. A listener-supported, non-commercial, student-run, alternative music station. Programming is provided by students and community members, and includes jazz, new music, folk, hip hop, polka, new age, international, blues, metal, news, and public affairs programming. WVKR Web casts at www.wvkr.org. Tel:(845) 437-7010.
MONTESSORI SCHOOL Maria’s Garden Montessori School Cultivating creativity, compassion- and a lifelong love of learning. Serving children 3 years through second grade in a country schoolhouse surrounded by gardens, woodlands and streams. Combining the outstanding materials and attention to detail of Montessori education with an emphasis on creativity and child-generated curriculum inspired by the Reggio Emilia approach. 8:30 am-3:30 pm, with part-time options for preschoolers. Half or full day kindergarten. 62 Plains Road, New Paltz, NY 12561. (845) 256-1875. info@mariasgardenmontessori.com.
MUSIC LESSONS
Ione Writing workshops and private instruction for writers. (845) 339-5776.
MAGAZINES Chronogram The only complete arts and cultural events resource for the Hudson Valley. Subscribe and get the lowdown first. Whether you live in the Hudson Valley or just visit, you’ll know what’s going on. Send $36 for yearly subscription to: Chronogram, 314 Wall Street, 2nd floor, Kingston, NY 12401. info@chronogram.com. www.chronogram.com.
MEDIATION & CONFLICT RESOLUTION Pathways Mediation Center A unique mediation practice for couples going through divorce, or families in conflict, with the inno-
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Guitar and Bass Lessons Guitar lessons: all levels and ages welcome. Electric or acoustic. Pop /rock / folk. Learn to play your favorite songs. Develop strength and coordination. Learn music theory. Songwriters: move beyond generic chords. Lessons in your home or mine. Minnewaska / New Paltz area. Bibi Farber (845) 626-7944. Visit our website at www.bibifarber.com.
NURSERIES See Landscape Products & Services.
PAINTING Professional Painting Co. Hire the best for residential and commercial painting. Our skilled staff uses quality materials and combines the necessary resources to complete each job to your satisfaction. Painting improves the appearance of your
residence, protects your investment, and increases its value. Call Trevor at (845) 430-1290 or (845) 6794232.
Quadrattura Painting Interior/Exterior & Interior Decorator Finishes. Serving the area since 1997 with pristine jobs for the economy-minded homeowner, as well as decorator and faux finishes, completed with old-world craftsmanship and pride. Wallpaper removal, light carpentry, plaster. Environmental paints available. Free estimates. Call: 845-679-9036.
PERFORMING ARTS Powerhouse Summer Theater/ Lehman-Loeb Gallery Vassar College Box 225, Poughkeepsie, NY 12604. (845) 437-5902. befargislanc@pop.vassar.edu.
PERSONAL ASSISTANTS Personal Assistant Office and personal assistant more than able to provide full-spectrum support. Intelligent, dependable, industrious, discreet long-term resident can handle it all. Plan a travel itinerary or a dinner party? Organize a wardrobe or a year’s worth of accumulated clutter? Bring order to chaos? No problem. Treat yourself. Free yourself. Your style is my objective. Contact lucabra@earthlink.net or phone (518) 945-3311.
PET SERVICES & SUPPLIES Pussyfoot Lodge B&B
PET SITTING Why have your dog spend its day in a kennel, when it can stay comfortably at home and I’ll take care of it for you. Pine Bush, Walden, Newburgh, Middletown. (845) 406-8932.
PHOTOGRAPHY
Adam’s Piano Featuring Kawai and other fine brands. 75 pianos on display in our Germantown (just north of Rhinebeck) showroom. Open by appointment only. Inventory, prices, pictures, at adamspiano.com. A second showroom will be opening in New Paltz in November. Superb service, moving, storage, rentals; we buy pianos! (518) 537-2326 or (845) 343-2326. adamspiano.com
PLUMBING & BATH N & S Supply 205 Old Route 9, Fishkill, NY 12524. (845) 896-6291. cloijas@nssupply.com.
PRINTING SERVICES New York Press Direct At NY Press Direct we exist for one reason - to delight our customers! What does that mean to you? Worryfree shopping for all your printing and fulfillment needs. Our solutions are leading edge in the industry. Our pricing is among the most competitive in the northeast region. Call John DeSanto or Larry Read for more information. (845) 457-2442.
PUBLISHERS Monkfish Book Publishing Company Monkfish publishes books that combine spiritual and literary merit. Monkfish books range from memoirs to sutras, from fiction to scholarly works of thought. Monkfish also publishes Provenance Editions, an imprint devoted to elegant editions of spiritual classics. Monkfish books are available at your favorite local or online bookstores, or directly from us. Rhinebeck, NY. Tel: (845) 876-4861. Web:www.monkfishpublishing.com.
business directory
The Pioneer in Professional Pet Care! Full house-petplant-sitting service, proudly serving three counties for 32 years. Experienced, dependable, thorough, and reasonable house-sitting for your pets’ health and happiness. Also offering a cats-only resort with individual rooms. Extensive horticulture and landscaping knowledge in addition to domestic and zoo animal experience. Better Business Bureau Metro NY/ Mid-Hudson Region Member. (845) 687-0330.
PIANO
REAL ESTATE Willow Realty Willow Realty is a small, personalized Real Estate Agency in Ulster County, New York. We have access to all the properties in the Multiple Listing Service, but high-pressure tactics are not part of our sales kit. We have extensive experience in buyer agency and new construction. We listen to you! New Paltz. (845) 255-7666.
RESTAURANT SUPPLIES Cool Cover ™ See Food Serving Products in the Business Directory.
France Menk Photography & Photodesign A fine art approach to your photographic and advertising requirements. Internationally exhibited. Major communications/advertising clients. My work is 100% focused on your needs. www.photocon.com. (845) 256-0603.
Michael Gold Artistic headshots of actors, singers, models, musicians, performing artists, writers, and unusual, outlandish, off-the-wall personalities. Complete studio facilities and lighting. Creative, warm, original, professional. Unconditionally guaranteed. www.mich aelgoldsphotos.com and click on to the “Headshots” page. The Corporate Image Studios, 1 Jacobs Lane, New Paltz. (845) 255-5255.
Andy Wainwright Creative photography of artwork, architecture, people, and products. Grant proposals require outstanding 35mm slides to be successful, and your web site can be improved with fresh and imaginative images. The impact of a stunning postcard/announcement should never be underestimated. Andy possesses cutting edge digital skills and 28 years of experience exceeding the client’s expectations. Spectacular lighting, all the tools, and an impassioned interest in your goals. Take a look: andywainwright.com. Tel: (845) 757-5431.
SAILBOAT SALES & INSTRUCTION Great Hudson Sailing Company Purchase a new Beneteau sailboat from us and receive 20 hours of free instruction. We have sales offices in Mamaroneck and W. Haverstraw, NY. Our sailing school also offers sailing lessons in private or group sessions in three locations: W. Haverstraw, Kingston, Jersey City. Tel: (800) 237-1557. Web:www.greathudsonsailing.com.
SCHOOLS Anderson School Anderson School is an educational residential community, serving children and adults (ages 5-21) with autism and related developmental disabilities, in Staatsburg, New York. Education and residential programs are designed to foster continuous growth, independence and social interaction. Students are accepted yearround. Funded by NYS Dept. of Education, OCFS and OMRDD. Contact Kate Haas (845) 889-4034 x534 or visit www.andersonschool.org.
Hudson Valley Sudbury School A radically different form of education based on the belief that children are driven by a basic desire to learn and explore. We trust that children, given the freedom, will choose the most appropriate path for their education. Our democratic School Meeting
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expects children to take responsibility for their lives and their community. Year-round admissions. Slidingscale tuition. Web: www.hudsonvalleyschool.org. Tel: (845) 679-1002.
High Meadow School Pre-kindergarten through 8th grade, committed to a child-centered education that engages the whole child. Intimate, nurturing, with small class size and hands-on learning. A program rich in academic, artistic, physical, and social skills. Fully accredited. Route 209, Stone Ridge, NY. Call Suzanne Borris, director. (845) 687-4855.
Maria’s Garden Montessori School Cultivating independence, confidence, compassion, peace, and a lifelong love of learning. Serving children 3 years through first grade in a one-room country schoolhouse surrounded by gardens, woodlands, and streams. 8:30 am-3: 30 pm, with part time options for preschoolers. Half or full day kindergarten. Affiliated with the American Montessori Society. 62 Plains Rd., New Paltz, NY 12561. (845) 2561875. Email: info@mariasgardenmontessori.com.
Beyond The Box Web Design Beyond the Box is a face-to-face studio developing commercial and creative website designs for Mid Hudson Valley businesses. We specialize in co-developing unique designs with clients for fullfeatured, accessible sites. We can also work from pre-designed templates for fast, low-cost sites. Visit us online, and request a quote for your new or upgraded site! Web: www.beyondboxweb.com. Tel: (518) 537-7667
Curious Minds Media Inc. Want a website that works for you? We’ve got solutions to fit any budget, and we understand the needs of small businesses. Flash, E-commerce, database applications. CMM has what it takes to get you results. Mention this ad and receive 3 months FREE hosting! Web: www.curiousm.com. Call now toll-free, at (888) 227-1645.
HDS Internet See Internet Service Providers.
Mountain Laurel Waldorf School
Karen Williams Design
At the Mountain Laurel Waldorf School, not only can all students do their best in academic basics, they can find and achieve a balance in rich programs of drama, speech, Spanish, Russian, painting, music, creative writing, woodwork, and more. Waldorf Education: for the head, heart, and hands. Nursery-8th Grade. 16 South Chestnut Street, New Paltz. Call Judy Jaeckel. (845) 255-0033.
Your creative solution... concept to completion. Web design, maintenance, domain registration and hosting for $80 per year for sites under 50MG. All sites are custom made for your individual needs. Free estimates. Tel: (845) 883-9007. Visit my website at www.karenwilliamsdesign.com. .
WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY
Woodstock Day School
business directory
Woodstock Day School, a state-chartered, independent school and member of NYSAIS, providing quality education for pre-school through high school students since 1972. Small classes and a 6:1 student-to-teacher ratio allow us to give each child the individualized consideration necessary for a positive learning experience. PO Box 1, Woodstock. (845) 246-3744. Web: www.woodstockdayschool.org.
STONEWORK See Landscape Products & Services.
TATTOOS
Why choose an ordinary photographer for your extraordinary event? fete accompli offers photojournalistic-style photography for all your gala occasions. We excel in artistic, journalistic imagery that records the most poignant and surprising moments of your event, capturing the details without interrupting the flow of the occasion. Visit our website at www.feteaccompliphoto.com or call (845) 838-3990.
WINE In Good Taste
Pats Tats Since 1976, Pat Sinatra and her team create custom, oneof-a-kind tattoos in a friendly and relaxed atmosphere. Excellent portraits, tribal, gothic, Oriental, Americana, and realism. Gray, black, and color. Appointments are advised. Walk-ins available Tuesdays and Fridays. More than just a mark, it’s an experience! 948 Route 28, Kingston, NY 12401. Tel: (845) 338-8282. Email: pat_sinatra@yahoo.com.
WEB DESIGN/DEVELOPMENT Actionpact Solutions See Design.
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45 Main Street, New Paltz, NY. (845) 255-0110. Email: ingoodtaste@verizon.net.
WRITING WORKSHOPS Wallkill Valley Writers Creative writing workshops in New Paltz led by Kate Hymes, poet and educator. Aspiring and experienced writers are welcome. Wallkill Valley Writers provides structured time, a supportive community and a safe place for you to fulfill the dream of writing your stories, real or imagined. Many writers find the community of a workshop benefits their work and keeps them motivated. (845) 255-7090. Email:khamherstwriters@aol.com.
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EVENT LISTINGS FOR JANUARY 2006
FORECAST
the forecast
KIP BEACCO AND TEDDY WEBER, AKA THE HUNGER MOUNTAIN BOYS, WILL PERFORM AT THE ROSENDALE CAFE ON JANUARY
21.
NASHVILLE WON’T TOUCH THIS For the bluegrass lover, finding a satisfying finger pickin’ experience usually requires one to scour used record shops and estate sales in search of classic recordings and antiquated ideas. Arguably, the most recent generation of country music has been watered down and commercialized by the corporate Nashville music-machine, leaving little room for sincere and original voices. Singing against this formula, however, are two good ‘ole East Coast boys hailing from Great Barrington, Mass. Kip Beacco and Teddy Weber make up The Hunger Mountain Boys, part of the burgeoning “newgrass” movement. Placing first in the 2003 Mountain Stage NewSong singing and songwriting contest in West Virginia, this duo is out to redefine American acoustic music. Not only providing skilled and energetic renditions of old-time classics but also offering new and original tunes, these boys are a much needed addition to a style of music that has all but faded away. Despite three short years of collaboration, they have already produced two full-length albums and are currently working on a third. Although influenced heavily by classic duos like the Monroe Brothers, Blue Sky Boys, and the Louvin Brothers, these performers make certain that “[we] are just writing and playing the music that fits our spirit…we’re not trying to copy anyone or anything.” Since the release of their second album last year, Blue Ribbon Waltz, the duo has been touring all over the US and Canada, and before lacing up their traveling shoes to head out west again, the Hunger Mountain Boys will play one last East Coast show at the Rosendale Café on Saturday, January 21. Rosendale Café, 434 Main Street, Rosendale. 8pm. $10. (845) 658-9048; www.hungermountainboys.com. —Rebecca Leopold
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calendar SUN 1 DANCE Swing Dance Jam 6:30-9pm. Arlington Reformed Church, Poughkeepsie. 339-3032.
EVENTS 7th Annual New Years Day Indoor Labyrinth Walk 11am-2pm. Woodstock Town Hall, Woodstock. 338-8313.
Friday Night Folk Series 7:45-10pm. Mezzanine Bookstore & Café, Kingston. 339-6925.
Peter Muir 8pm. Jazz and ragtime pianist. Center for Performing Arts, Rhinebeck. 876-3080. $16/$14 students and seniors.
Unicorn 11am-3pm. Jazz brunch. Hickory Smokehouse, Kingston. 338-2424.
Mike O’Leary
MUSIC Unicorn 11am-3pm. Jazz brunch. Hickory Smokehouse, Kingston. 338-2424.
Punkfest 7pm. Featuring Jukebox Zero. Forum Lounge, Kingston. 331-1116. $8.
MON 2 MUSIC Open Mike Featuring Seth Ray 8pm. All genres. Rhinebeck Grille, Rhinebeck. 876-6816.
Call for time. Solo acoustic rock/pop. Hickory Smokehouse, Kingston. 338-2424.
Scott Seltzer and Hands Down
THE OUTDOORS Indoor Rock Climbing. Beginner 6:30pm. YMCA, Poughkeepsie. (518) 851-9089.
WORKSHOPS Starting College at Any Age 6-8pm. UCCC Business Resource Center, Kingston. (800) 724-0833.
Empowered Birth 7-9pm. Trinity Church, Saugerties. 246-9926.
WED 4 BODY / MIND / SPIRIT HypnoYoga Wed 7:30-9. 6-week session. Living Seed Yoga center, New Paltz. 246-3804.
8-11pm. Maia Restaurant and Lounge, Poughkeepsie. 486-5004.
Shawn Colvin 9pm. Folk pop. Club Helsinki, Great Barrington, MA. (413) 528-3394. $45.
THEATER Who Killed the Queen? 7-10pm. 12th Night Murder Mystery. Steelhouse, Kingston. 338-7847.
SAT 7 ART First Saturday Artist Reception 5-7pm. Antique jewelry by January Bijoux. Mezzanine Bookstore & Café, Kingston. 339-6925.
DANCE Contra Dance 8pm. Live music with Fennig’s All-Stars. Old Songs Community Arts Center, Voorheesville. (518) 765-2815. $10.
English Country Dance 8-11pm. Hurley Reformed Church, Hurley. 679-8587. $10.
FILM The Untold Story of Emmett Louis Till 7:30pm. Time & Space Limited, Hudson. (518) 822-8448. $6.
MUSIC Acoustical Music Series 3-5pm. Baby Grand Café, Warwick. 986-1989.
Live Music 7:30-9:30pm. Mezzanine Bookstore & Café, Kingston. 339-6925.
9am-5pm. Gnosis Magick Supply, Woodstock. 679-2626.
7:30-10:30pm. Jazz, swing. Skytop Steakhouse, Kingston. 331-2900.
Mark Raisch
In the Round
MUSIC Studio Stu’s Lobster Lounge 6-9pm. Gadaleto’s Seafood & Bandstand, New Paltz. 255-1717.
FRI 6 FILM The Untold Story of Emmett Louis Till
8pm. Center for Performing Arts, Rhinebeck. 876-3080. $15/$14 students and seniors.
WORKSHOPS Mitakuye Oyasin 10am-4pm. Nature and watercolor. Columbia County location. (518) 943-1929. $325.
SUN 8
Helen Avakian
CLASSES Reiki I & II Certification & Attunement Intensive
THUR 5
THEATER Cavalcade of Magic
BODY / MIND / SPIRIT The Path of the Cathars 11am. Contemplative meeting in the Temple. Lectorium Rosicrucianum Center, Chatham. (518) 392-2799.
FILM The Untold Story of Emmett Louis Till 5pm. Time & Space Limited, Hudson. (518) 822-8448. $6.
MUSIC 1-3pm. Acoustic, New Age, World Fusion. Peekskill Coffeehouse, Peekskill. (914) 739-1287.
Grand Montgomery Chamber Music Series 3pm. Featuring Avron Coleman and Gildo Dinunzio. Wesley Hall, Montgomery. 457-9867.
Traditional Irish Music 4pm. American Legion Hall, Rhinebeck. 876-4429. $8.
Bar Scott 5:30-7pm. Acoustic, original, solo, vocals. Northville United Presbyterian Church, Northville. 679-1087.
einLab 6-7:30pm. Electronica. bau, Beacon. 440-7584.
THE OUTDOORS Mohonk Preserve – Rock Rift Snowshoe or Hike 9:30am-2pm. Strenuous 7 miles. Mohonk Preserve, New Paltz. 255-0919 ext. 243.
THEATER Cavalcade of Magic 3pm. Center for Performing Arts, Rhinebeck. 876-3080. $15/$14 students and seniors.
8pm. Blues, folk. Peekskill Coffeehouse, Peekskill. (914) 739-1287.
John Schrader Band 9:30pm. Pop, rock. Backstage Studio Productions, Kingston. 338-8700.
52
MON 9 CLASSES Life Drawing
Call for time. Country. Hickory Smokehouse, Kingston. 338-2424.
7-9pm. Baby Grand Café, Warwick. 986-1989.
Studio Stu
MUSIC Open Mike Featuring Seth Ray
10pm. Aroma Thyme Bistro, Ellenville. 647-3000.
Graymoor
8pm. All genres. Rhinebeck Grille, Rhinebeck. 876-6816.
7:30pm. Time & Space Limited, Hudson. (518) 822-8448. $6.
10pm. Rock. Johnny Rocks, Pleasant Valley. 635-9853.
MUSIC Duo Loco: Mark Dziuba & Studio Stu
THE OUTDOORS Hike or Snowshoe in Fahnestock State Park
CLASSES Love and Healing for You
Call for times. Moderate difficulty. Fahnestock State Park. 462-0142.
10am-1pm. 4 Tuesday sessions. Mount Tremper. 679-7215.
6:30-9:30pm. Neko Sushi and Hibachi, Wappingers Falls. 298-9869.
FORECAST
Tues/Thurs 12:30-2. 6-week session. Living Seed Yoga center, New Paltz. 246-3804.
10am-3pm. Mohonk Preserve, New Paltz. 255-0919 ext. 243.
8pm. Acoustic, blues, folk. Peekskill Coffeehouse, Peekskill. (914) 739-1287.
TUES 3 BODY / MIND / SPIRIT HypnoYoga
Mohonk Preserve Singles Snowshoe or Hike - Napanoch
TUES 10
1/06 CHRONOGRAM FORECAST
103
WORKSHOPS Empowered Birth 6:45-9:30pm. Marbletown Community Center, Stone Ridge. 247-2888.
Woodstock Surreal Salon 7-9pm. Surrealists to awaken your writing, & more. Colony Café, Woodstock. 679-9441.
WED 11 BODY/MIND/SPIRIT A Course in Miracles 7:30-9:30pm. Study group with Alice Broner. Call to verify. Unitarian Fellowship, Poughkeepsie. 229-8391.
Landscape 2006 Opening
Harvey Citron Band
5-7pm. Annual non-juried all-media show. GCCA Mountaintop Gallery, Windham. (518) 734-3104.
9pm. Forum Lounge, Kingston. 331-1116. $5.
Group Show 2 Opening
9pm. Acoustic, rock. AIR Studio Gallery, Kingston. 331-2662.
6-9pm. New work by gallery artists. Van Brunt Gallery, Beacon. 838-2995.
Noise 6-9pm. Vivian Altman, Gary Jacketti, Harald Plochberger, Egon Zippel. bau, Beacon. 440-7584.
BODY / MIND / SPIRIT Group Hypnosis Smokeout
8-9:30pm. 8-week teleclass. 679-7215.
Group Hypnosis You‘re Getting Very Skinny
6-9pm. Gadaleto‘s Seafood & Bandstand, New Paltz. 255-1717.
FRI 13 ART Landscape 2006 3-5pm. Inspired by the Catskill Mountains and Hudson Valley. GCCA Mountaintop Gallery, Windham. (518) 734-3104.
FILM The Untold Story of Emmett Louis Till 7:30pm. Time & Space Limited, Hudson. (518) 822-8448. $6.
MUSIC Duo Loco: Mark Dziuba & Studio Stu
FORECAST
9pm. Rock, blues. Bodles Opera House, Chester. 469-4595.
12-1:30pm. Howard Johnson Inn, Saugerties. 336-4646. $30 in advance/$40.
THUR 12
3-4:30pm. Howard Johnson Inn, Saugerties. 336-4646. $30 in advance/$40.
CLASSES Magick for Beginners
8pm. Calling by Peter Blue. Woodstock Community Center, Woodstock. 246-2121. $8/$7 members/ $4 kids under 12.
EVENTS George Cole Auction Call for time. Three estates to be auctioned off. George Cole Auctioneers, Red Hook. 758-9114.
Mah Jong Game Day 2-5pm. Mezzanine Bookstore & Café, Kingston. 339-6925.
FILM Walmart: The High Cost of Low Price
8pm. Rosendale Café, Rosendale. 658-9048. $10.
3:30pm. Time and Space Limited, Hudson. (518) 822-8448. $7/$5 students and members.
My Brothers Banned
Ballet Russes
8:30pm. Bodles Opera House, Chester. 469-4595.
Set to Go
7:30pm. Ode to the revolutionary twentieth-century dance troupe. Time and Space Limited, Hudson. (518) 822-8448. $7/$5 students and members.
MUSIC Acoustical Music Series
9pm.. ‚30s to present. Hickory Smokehouse, Kingston. 338-2424.
3-5pm. Baby Grand Café, Warwick. 986-1989.
Wet Paint
CD Release Party
Call for time. Doug Elliot‘s all-star project. New World Home Cooking, Saugerties. 246-0900.
7pm. James Krueger‘s Bluebirds in the Snow. Art Upstairs, Phoenicia. 688-2142. $3.
Helen Avakian
Rockslyde 10pm. Alternative, heavy metal, rock. Hyde Park Brewing Company, Hyde Park. 229-8277.
SPOKEN WORD Mary Gray Kovach 7pm. East Fishkill Community Library, Hopewell Junction. 221-9943.
THEATER Into the Woods 8pm. The Center for Performing Arts, Rhinebeck. 876-3080. $22/$20 children and seniors.
Moon Over Buffalo 8pm. Elmwood Playhouse, Nyack. 353-1313.
SAT 14
Mohonk Preserve Singles Ski or Hike – Guyot Hill 10am-2pm. 6 miles. Mohonk Preserve, New Paltz. 255-0919.
Mohonk Preserve – Wild Ones Under the Ice 10am-11:30pm. Ages 7 and up. Mohonk Preserve, New Paltz. 255-0919.
SPOKEN WORD Woodstock Poetry Society Meeting 2pm. Featuring Nancy Graham and Roberta Allen. Woodstock Town Hall, Woodstock. 246-8565.
2pm. Play excerpt followed by discussion. HV Humanists at Unitarian Universalist Congregation, Kingston. 247-0098. $5/$3 members.
6-8pm. AIR Studio Gallery, Kingston. 331-2662.
The Chills / Mango
10am. Easy. Meet at trailhead. 454-4428.
DANCE Contradance
Friday Night Folk Series.
8pm. Rock. Peekskill Coffeehouse, Peekskill. (914) 739-1287.
THE OUTDOORS Hike Appalachian Trail
THEATER Let‘s Talk About... Sartre
Our Hudson Valley Network Passport Enrollment Party
Jeremy Lyons and the Delta Billy Boys
John Schrader Band
6-8:30pm. Gnosis Magick Supply, Woodstock. 679-2626.
6:30-9:30pm. Neko Sushi and Hibachi, Wappingers Falls. 298-9869. 7:45-10pm. Mezzanine Bookstore & Café, Kingston. 339-6925.
FORECAST CHRONOGRAM 1/06
Bill Perry Blues Band
5-7pm. Photographs by Leilani Claire. Galerie BMG, Woodstock. 679-0027.
CLASSES For the Love of God: How We Heal Animals and How They Heal Us
MUSIC Studio Stu‘s Lobster Lounge
104
In Memoriam Opening
7:30pm. Dutch Arms Chapel, Saugerties. 943-6720.
Greater Newburgh Symphony Orchestra and Chorale 8pm. Children‘s music, classical, solo, symphonic. Newburgh Free Academy Auditorium, Newburgh. 562-1800.
Hazbins 8pm. Bluegrass, country. Peekskill Coffeehouse, Peekskill. (914) 739-1287.
The Saturday Night Bluegrass Band 8pm. Rosendale Café, Rosendale. 658-9048. $10.
Levon Helm Midnight Ramble Session 8pm. Acoustic, bluegrass, blues, country, jazz, r&b. Levon Helm Studios, Woodstock. 679-2744.
John Schrader Band
ART Covalence Opening
8-11pm. AIR Studio Gallery, Kingston. 331-2662.
4-7pm. Sculpture and paintings by Emil Alzamora & Stephen Spaccarelli. Yellow Bird Gallery, Newburgh. 561-7204.
Blind Mice 9pm. Rock, folk, harmony. Hickory Smokehouse, Kingston. 338-2424.
Fully Committed 8pm. Presented by the Star Mountainville Group. Mezzanine Bookstore & Café, Kingston. 339-6925. $10.
Into the Woods 8pm. The Center for Performing Arts, Rhinebeck. 876-3080. $22/$20 children and seniors.
Moon Over Buffalo 8pm. Comedy about an acting couple. Elmwood Playhouse, Nyack. 353-1313.
SUN 15 DANCE Swing Dance Jam 6:30-9pm. White Eagle Hall, Kingston. 339-3032. $5.
FILM Ballet Russes 7:30pm. Ode to the revolutionary twentieth-century dance troupe. Time and Space Limited, Hudson. (518) 822-8448. $7/$5 students and members.
MUSIC Doug Smith 1pm. Jazz. Peekskill Coffeehouse, Peekskill. (914) 739-1287.
CD Release Party 3pm. James Krueger‘s Bluebirds in the Snow.“ Arts Society of Kingston Gallery, Kingston. 338-8473. $3.
Neil Alexander 6-7:30pm. Sound design. Bau, Beacon. 440-7584.
THE OUTDOORS Mohonk Preserve Singles Snowshoe or Hike – Giants Workshop. 10am-3pm. 6 miles. Mohonk Preserve, New Paltz. 255-0919.
THEATER Moon Over Buffalo 2pm. Comedy about an acting couple. Elmwood Playhouse, Nyack. 353-1313.
Into the Woods 3pm. The Center for Performing Arts, Rhinebeck. 876-3080. $22/$20 children and seniors.
MON 16 MUSIC Open Mike Featuring Seth Ray 8pm. All genres. Rhinebeck Grille, Rhinebeck. 876-6816.
image courtesy of M Gallery
DINING ALFRESCO, A PEN-AND-INK DRAWING BY JOSEPH KEPPLER
BONBONS, PICKPOCKETS, & GROVER CLEVELAND FORECAST
A haughty lady in an awfully high armchair prepares to chew a bonbon as her maid waits expectantly behind a screen. This is one drawing from “Social Distinctions: The Have or Have-Nots” at the M Gallery in Catskill. The show includes 25 original pen-and-ink drawings, many published in Puck Magazine (from 1878 to 1900), plus an image from Harper’s Weekly in 1911, and a Henry Patrick Raleigh illustration from the Saturday Evening Post in 1922. Gallery owner Patrick Milbourn often finds the magazine a drawing appeared in, in order to show its provenance. Puck Magazine—named after the mischievous fairy in Shakespeare’s “Midsummer Night’s Dream”—was founded in St. Louis in 1871 by Joseph Keppler, in German- and English-language editions. The magazine failed after 11 months, and Keppler relaunched Puck in New York City in 1876. This time, the journal became a major success. Puck offered three full-color lithographs each week: the front cover, the back cover, and a two-page inner spread. The remaining 12 pages were stuffed with light fiction, verse, jokes, puns, and pen-and-ink drawings: “a good value for a dime.” Puck was radical, Democratic, and anti-corruption. Grover Cleveland credited the magazine with electing him president in 1884. Puck artists portrayed the idle rich in their men’s clubs, as well as the poor and itinerant. In a drawing by F.N. Hitchings, a man and woman stand by a “Look Out For Pickpockets” sign at a railroad station. From the glint in their eye, you know they’re pickpockets. Milbourn himself also had an unusual evolution. Born in Omaha, Neb., he moved constantly through his childhood—to Denver, Kansas City, Southern California, Cleveland; eight states in all. While at the University of Houston, he traveled with two friends to the Woodstock Festival in 1969. (He may be seen, standing, in the middle of the Woodstock movie poster.) Immediately afterward, Milbourn dropped out of college, moved to New York, and never left. In 1978, while working at a studio retouching photographic negatives, a coworker noticed his drawings. “You’ve got to get out of here. You’re an artist!” she decreed, and Patrick culled together a portfolio and went searching for jobs. Business Week hired him, and he began a freelance career. Since then, Milbourn’s oil paintings and pastels have appeared in the New Yorker, Time, Sports Illustrated, and numerous other magazines (including this one—his portrait The Black Shirt appeared on last month’s cover). Though he never formally studied art, Patrick began collecting illustrations from vintage weeklies when he began his freelance work. These artists—most of them long forgotten—became his mentors. “Social Distinctions: The Have or Have-Nots” will appear at the M Gallery at 350 Main Street, Catskill, December 10 to January 15. For more information, call (518) 943-0380. —Sparrow
1/06 CHRONOGRAM FORECAST
105
TUES 17 WORKSHOPS Introductory Lecture on Beekeeping 6-8:30pm. W/Chris Harp. Sustainable Living Resource Center, Rosendale. 255-6113.
8pm. Pawling Theatre Co.‘s staging of Agatha Christie whodunit. Pawling High School. 855-1965. $13/$11/$9.
Moon Over Buffalo 8pm. Comedy about an acting couple. Elmwood Playhouse, Nyack. 353-1313.
Shakespeare On Love 8pm. Church of the Ascension, West Park. 384-6723. $15.
WED 18 SPOKEN WORD Protecting Biodiversity in a Changing Landscape 7pm. Sam’s Point Preserve Visitor Center, Cragsmoor. 255-2011.
photo provided
And Then There Were None
SAT 21 ART Jerome Harry Roth & Lynn Ainsworth Opening 3-5pm. Garrison Art Center, Garrison. 424-3960.
Poughkeepsie ArtHop
THUR 19 MUSIC Studio Stu‘s Lobster Lounge 6-9pm. Gadaleto‘s Seafood & Bandstand, New Paltz. 255-1717.
Stolen Crown 8pm. Rock. The Loft, New Paltz. 255-1426.
SPOKEN WORD The River and the Beauty of Creation 7:30pm. Garrison Institute, Garrison. 424-4800.
THEATER Into the Woods
12-6pm. Monthly open house of art and culture. Poughkeepsie. 454-2263. www.arthoptours.com.
Dreams of Cuba Call for times. Paintings by Corso de Palenzuela. Kiesendahl + Calhoun Art Gallery, Beacon. 838-1177.
FILM Ballet Russes 5:30pm. Ode to the revolutionary twentieth-century dance troupe. Time and Space Limited, Hudson. (518) 822-8448. $7/$5 students and members.
Sir! No Sir!
3pm. The Center for Performing Arts, Rhinebeck. 876-3080. $22/$20 children and seniors.
7:30pm. Account of the GI Movement against Vietnam. Time and Space Limited, Hudson. (518) 822-8448. $7/$5 students and members.
WORKSHOPS Empowered Birth
MUSIC Acoustical Music Series
6:15-8:15pm. Woodstock Wool Co., Woodstock. 247-2888.
3-5pm. Baby Grand Café, Warwick. 986-1989.
FORECAST
Ronny Cox & Friends
FRI 20 FILM Sir! No Sir! 7:30pm. Account of the GI Movement against Vietnam. Time and Space Limited, Hudson. (518) 822-8448. $7/$5 students and members.
MUSIC Duo Loco: Mark Dziuba & Studio Stu 6:30-9:30pm. Neko Sushi and Hibachi, Wappingers Falls. 298-9869.
Friday Night Folk Series. 7:45-10pm. Mezzanine Bookstore & Café, Kingston. 339-6925.
Allison Scola 8pm. Blues, folk. Peekskill Coffeehouse, Peekskill. (914) 739-1287.
Blue Oyster Cult with Chris Mahoney Project 8pm. Heavy metal, new age, oldies. The Chance, Poughkeepsie. 454-3388.
Lúnasa 8pm. Celtic. Bodles Opera House, Chester. 469-4595.
Todd Giudice 8pm. Folk, roots, Americana. Maia Restaurant and Lounge, Poughkeepsie. 486-5004.
GuitarSax 8pm. Jazz. Hickory Smokehouse, Kingston. 338-2424.
Lulu‘s Ascent 9pm. Forum Lounge, Kingston. 331-1116. $5.
Michael Benedict Big Band 7:30pm. North Pointe Cultural Center, Kinderhook. (518) 758-9234.
Chicago to visit family in Jim Crow’s Mississippi and unwittingly became part of a pivotal moment in contemporary American race relations. Accused of disrespecting a white woman, vilified and murdered by a violent community, the 14-year-old became a martyr for the civil rights movement and a symbolic character in a long history of societal injustice. Time & Space Limited in Hudson will screen the powerful film that caused renewed interest in the story and was responsible for reopening the case almost 50 years later. The Untold Story of Emmett Louis Till is an in-depth documentary following the events of the murder and subsequent inequality in society and corruption in government that allowed two very guilty men, Roy Bryant and J. W. Milam, to walk away scot-free. mother) elucidate previously unknown details with the compassion and humanity often missing from
The Hunger Mountain Boys
dry, historical texts. With intimate interviews and poignant archival footage, one family’s tragedy naturally
8pm. Rosendale Café, Rosendale. 658-9048. $10.
Keith Beauchamp’s fervent investigation and close collaboration with Mamie Till Mobley (Till’s
transforms into a national atrocity. There exists a great sense of familiarity with Emmett’s family and
Uncle Wade
especially Mrs. Mobley: young and grieving painted in black-and-white but also older, wiser, and
8pm. Bluegrass, country. Peekskill Coffeehouse, Peekskill. (914) 739-1287.
nostalgically presented in digital color and sound. From its inception almost 10 years ago, the film has
Vickie Russell 8-10pm. Acoustic, folk, original, pop, vocals. Burnt Hills United Methodist Church, Burnt Hills. (518) 882-6427.
Helen Avakian 8-11pm. Maia Restaurant and Lounge, Poughkeepsie. 486-5004.
Murali Coryell 9pm. Blues, rock, soul. Hickory Smokehouse, Kingston. 338-2424.
been a profoundly political gesture that has witnessed tangible progress. “Filmmaking is a new wave of activism,” Beauchamp explains. “In going to see [The Untold Story of Emmett Till] one is not just supporting the film, they are supporting the case in general.” The director plans to continue working on this project as the investigation continues. The Untold Story of Emmett Louis Till will be screened January 6-8 &13-15. Call for screening times. Tickets: $6 general admission, $4 members & students. Time & Space Limited (TSL) is located at 434 Columbia Street in Hudson. (518) 822-8448; www.timeandspace.org. —Rebecca Leopold
Xoch 9-11pm. Pop, rock. The Cubbyhole Coffee House, Poughkeepsie. 483-7584.
Los Tienos Wet Paint Call for time. Latin dance. New World Home Cooking, Saugerties. 246-0900.
Thunder Ridge 9:30pm. Country rock. Creekside Restaurant, Catskill. (518) 943-6522.
Duo Loco Mark Dziuba & Studio Stu
SPOKEN WORD Evenings of Psychodrama
THE OUTDOORS Vernooy Kill Falls
7:30pm. With Jonathon Fox. Boughton Place, Highland. 255-7502.
9am. Easy. Meet Parking Lot McDonalds, Hyde Park. 876-4534.
THEATRE Into the Woods
THEATER Into the Woods
FORECAST CHRONOGRAM 1/06
In the summer of 1955, an African-American youth by the name of Emmett Louis Till left his home in
8pm. Featuring Surfettes and The Beach Balls. Bodles Opera House, Chester. 469-4595.
Call for time. New World Home Cooking, Saugerties. 246-0900.
3pm. The Center for Performing Arts, Rhinebeck. 876-3080. $22/$20 children and seniors.
A LIVING, FLICKERING HISTORY
Ain’t It A Beach?
10pm. Blues, ethnic, experimental, jazz, exotic lounge. Aroma Thyme Bistro, Ellenville. 647-3000.
Tumbao Blue
106
7pm. Bodles Opera House, Chester. 469-4595.
A STILL FROM THE UNTOLD STORY OF EMMETT LOUIS TILL: EMMETT WITH MOTHER MAMIE TILL MOBLEY
3pm. The Center for Performing Arts, Rhinebeck. 876-3080. $22/$20 children and seniors.
And Then There Were None 8pm. Pawling Theatre Co.‘s staging of Agatha Christie whodunit. Pawling High School. 855-1965. $13/$11/$9.
Moon Over Buffalo 8pm. Comedy about an acting couple. Elmwood Playhouse, Nyack. 353-1313.
Shakespeare On Love 8pm. Church of the Ascension, West Park. 384-6723. $15.
SUN 22 CLASSES The New Chattaqua 2pm. Folk and classic acoustical music, narrative and poetry. Baby Grand Café, Warwick. 986-1989.
DANCE Swing Fling--A Mini Dance Camp 1-4:30pm. Reformed Church of the Comforter, Kingston. 236-3939. $45.
EVENTS Baroque Tea 2-5pm. Mezzanine Bookstore & Café, Kingston. 339-6925.
FILM Ballet Russes 2:30pm. Ode to the revolutionary twentieth-century dance troupe. Time and Space Limited, Hudson. (518) 822-8448. $7/$5 students and members.
Sir! No Sir! 5pm. Account of the GI Movement against Vietnam. Time and Space Limited, Hudson. (518) 822-8448. $7/$5 students and members.
MUSIC Tom Goslim and Arnold Gotlieb 1pm. Blues, folk. Peekskill Coffeehouse, Peekskill. (914) 739-1287.
American String Quartet 4pm. The Church of the Messiah, Rhinebeck. 876-2870. $20/$5 students and seniors.
Banshanachie & Friends 4-7pm. Traditional Irish music. Rosendale Café, Rosendale. 658-9048.
Meryl Joan Lammers 8-10pm. Guitar and vocals. Mezzanine Bookstore & Café, Kingston. 339-6925.
THE OUTDOORS Mohonk Preserve Singles Ski or Hike – Peters Kill 10am-3pm. 8 miles. Mohonk Preserve, New Paltz. 255-0919.
Mohonk Preserve – Ski or Hike to the Van Leuven Cabin 1-3pm. Easy 2 miles. Mohonk Preserve, New Paltz. 255-0919.
Duo Loco: Mark Dziuba & Studio Stu 6:30-9:30pm. Neko Sushi and Hibachi, Wappingers Falls. 298-9869.
Friday Night Folk Series.
THEATER Moon Over Buffalo
7:45-10pm. Mezzanine Bookstore & Café, Kingston. 339-6925.
2pm. Comedy about an acting couple. Elmwood Playhouse, Nyack. 353-1313.
Baird Hersey and Prana
Into the Woods
8pm. Overtone singing choir. Shakti Yoga, Woodstock. 679-0706.
3pm. The Center for Performing Arts, Rhinebeck. 876-3080. $22/$20 children and seniors.
Pat Wictor
WORKSHOPS Becoming Dr. Doolittle: Learning to Talk to the Animals
Stephen Aron
2-4pm. Mirabai, Woodstock. 679-2100. $15/$20.
MON 23 CLASSES Swing Dance Classes 3 classes-call for times. 4 weeks. Reformed Church of the Comforter, Kingston. 236-3939. $60.
EVENTS Taste of the Town 6:30pm. Benefit dinner from 12 restaurants. Belleayre Lodge, Highmount. 254-5600. $35.
TUES 24 MUSIC Open Rehearsals 9pm. Hudson Valley Community Gamelan. Bard College, Annandale-onHudson. 758-7512.
CLASSES Swing Dance Classes
8pm. Classical guitarist. Unison Arts and Learning Center, New Paltz. 255-1559.
Wild Flowers Acoustic Duo 8pm. Folk, blues, country. Hickory BBQ Smokehouse, Kingston. 338-2424.
Uncle Funk 10pm. New World Home Cooking, Saugerties. 246-0900.
SPOKEN WORD Debate Tournament Fri 7:30pm, Sat and Sun 8am-10pm. Bard College, Annandale-on-Hudson. 758-6822 ext. 6144.
Living with Bears 7:30-9pm. Mohonk Preserve, New Paltz. 255-0919.
THEATER And Then There Were None 8pm. Pawling Theatre Co.‘s staging of Agatha Christie whodunit. Pawling High School. 855-1965. $13/$11/$9.
Call for times. Garden of One, Rensselaerville. (518) 797-3373.
SPOKEN WORD Protecting Biodiversity in a Changing Landscape 7pm. Sam’s Point Preserve Visitor Center, Cragsmoor. 255-2011.
THUR 26
8pm. The Center for Performing Arts, Rhinebeck. 876-3080. $22/$20 children and seniors.
Moon Over Buffalo 8pm. Comedy about an acting couple. Elmwood Playhouse, Nyack. 353-1313.
Shakespeare On Love 8pm. Church of the Ascension, West Park. 384-6723. $15.
SAT 28 ART Art and Soul 5-7pm. All-media art & crafts inspired by African American heritage. GCCA Mountaintop Gallery, Windham. (518) 734-3104.
Made in Woodstock 3 & Fawn Potash Opening 5-7pm. Center for Photography, Woodstock. 679-9957.
MUSIC Kristen Williams
MUSIC Studio Stu‘s Lobster Lounge
8pm. Folk. Peekskill Coffeehouse, Peekskill. (914) 739-1287.
6-9pm. Gadaleto‘s Seafood & Bandstand, New Paltz. 255-1717.
Old Songs Sampler Concert
THEATER Into the Woods 8pm. The Center for Performing Arts, Rhinebeck. 876-3080. $22/$20 children and seniors.
And Then There Were None 8pm. Pawling Theatre Co.‘s staging of Agatha Christie whodunit. Pawling High School. 855-1965. $13/$11/$9.
WORKSHOPS Empowered Birth 6:30-9pm. New Paltz Healing Arts, New Paltz. 247-2888.
Cultivating Loving Kindness with Buddhist Tonglen Meditation 7-9pm. Mirabai, Woodstock. 679-2100. $15/$20.
8pm. Featuring Annie & the Hedonists, Mark Tolstrup, Richie & the Renovators. Old Songs Community Arts Center, Vorheesville. (518) 765-2815. $15.
The Wiyos 8pm. Rosendale Café, Rosendale. 658-9048. $10.
Project Mercury
FRI 27 3-5pm. Baby Grand Café, Warwick. 986-1989.
8pm. The Center for Performing Arts, Rhinebeck. 876-3080. $22/$20 children and seniors.
And Then There Were None 8pm. Pawling Theatre Co.‘s staging of Agatha Christie whodunit. Pawling High School. 855-1965. $13/$11/$9.
Moon Over Buffalo 8pm. Comedy about an acting couple. Elmwood Playhouse, Nyack. 353-1313.
Shakespeare On Love 8pm. Church of the Ascension, West Park. 384-6723. $15.
WORKSHOPS Rune Stone Divination 2-4pm. Mirabai, Woodstock. 679-2100. $15/$20.
Introduction to Organic Beekeeping 1/28-1/29 10am-2pm. W/Chris Harp. Sustainable Living Resource Center, Rosendale. 255-6113. $80.
Understanding & Caring for Your Bees 1/28-1/29 3-6:30pm. W/Chris Harp. Sustainable Living Resource Center, Rosendale. 255-6113. $80.
SUN 29 MUSIC Kathleen Pemble 1pm. Folk. Peekskill Coffeehouse, Peekskill. (914) 739-1287.
THE OUTDOORS Singles Ski or Hike – Rhododendron Bridge 10am-3pm. Mohonk Preserve, New Paltz. 255-0919.
THEATRE Moon Over Buffalo 2pm. Comedy about an acting couple. Elmwood Playhouse, Nyack. 353-1313.
Into the Woods 3pm. The Center for Performing Arts, Rhinebeck. 876-3080. $22/$20 children and seniors.
TUES 31 CLASSES Tai Chi Chuan 6-7pm. 8 sessions. Poughkeepsie. 452-7067.
WED 1 FEB Call for times. Silent twilight opening. Varga Gallery, Woodstock. 679-4005.
SPOKEN WORD Classics in Religion 10:30am. Selections from the Writings of St. Teresa of Avila. Kingston Library, Kingston. 334-8404.
Gandalf Murphy and the Slambovian Circus of Dreams.
Protecting Biodiversity in a Changing Landscape
9pm. Bodles Opera House, Chester. 469-4595.
7pm. SUNY New Paltz Lecture Center, New Paltz. 255-2011.
The Hudson Rhythm Boys 9pm. Acoustic, blues, folk, gospel, swing, traditional. Sixty Main, New Paltz. www.mudboneboys.com. 10pm. Cajun, traditional, zydeco. Aroma Thyme Bistro, Ellenville. 647-3000.
SPOKEN WORD Neil Printz on Andy Warhol 1pm. Dia, Beacon. 440-0100.
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EVENTS Sundown
8:30-10:30pm. Acoustic rock & modern folk. Hickory BBQ Smokehouse, Kingston. 338-2424.
Cleoma‘s Ghost
MUSIC Acoustical Music Series
Into the Woods
Into the Woods
3 classes-call for times. 4 weeks. Boughton Place, Highland. 236-3939. $60.
FILM Dinner & A Movie Spiritual Cinema Circle
8pm. Mohonk Mountain Stage Readers Theater Group. Unison Arts and Learning Center, New Paltz. 255-1559. $11/$15 non-members.
FORECAST
WED 25
8pm. Blues, folk. Peekskill Coffeehouse, Peekskill. (914) 739-1287.
THEATER An Almost Holy Picture
THUR 2 FEB BODY / MIND / SPIRIT Candlemas
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6pm. Varga Gallery, Woodstock. 679-4005.
MUSIC Albert Cummings and Debbie Davies 9pm. Blues. Bodles Opera House, Chester. 469-4595.
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107
THEATER Into the Woods 8pm. The Center for Performing Arts, Rhinebeck. 876-3080. $22/$20 children and seniors.
Mark Raisch 8-11pm. Jazz, swing, vocals, American Standards. The Sky Top Steak House, Kingston. 340-4277.
Kurt Henry Band 9pm. Rock. Hickory Smokehouse, Kingston. 338-2424.
FRI 3 FEB EVENTS Winter Weekend Call for times. Activities and workshops. Ashokan Field Campus, Olivebridge. 657-8333.
MUSIC Ethan Campbell 8pm. Solo acoustic. Hickory Smokehouse, Kingston. 338-2424.
Rick Derringer and Flying Jalapenos 9pm. Bodles Opera House, Chester. 469-4595.
Rockslyde 10pm. Alternative, heavy metal, rock. Hyde Park Brewing Company, Hyde Park. 229-8277.
THEATER Into the Woods 8pm. The Center for Performing Arts, Rhinebeck. 876-3080. $22/$20 children and seniors.
Moon Over Buffalo 8pm. Comedy about an acting couple. Elmwood Playhouse, Nyack. 353-1313.
SAT 4 FEB ART The Effigy Show
FORECAST
5-8pm. Art Society of Kingston, Kingston. 338-0331.
EVENTS Poughkeepsie Area Chamber of Commerce’s Annual Gala Call for time. In honor of County Legislator James Hammond. Poughkeepsie Grand Hotel, Poughkeepsie. 454-1700 ext. 1011.
Environmental Expo 8am-6pm. Woodstock Community Center, Woodstock. 679-0381.
FILM Youth Film Festival 1:30pm. Phillipstown Depot Theater, Garrison. 424-3960.
KIDS Captain Jack’s Magic and Juggling Show 11am. Center for Performing Arts, Rhinebeck. 876-3080.
MUSIC Elly Wininger 9am-6pm. Alternative, blues, contemporary, folk, oldies, neo-folk. Woodstock Community Center, Woodstock. 679-2015.
Acid Jazz Dance Party 9pm. Featuring The Foundation and Wavy Davy. Forum Lounge, Kingston. 331-1116. $5.
THE OUTDOORS YMG Intro to Snowshoeing Call for times. Hunter Mountain. (516) 883-3203.
Cross-country Ski at Minnewaska State Park 9:15am. Minnewaska State Park, New Paltz. 462-0142.
Singles Ski or Hike – Spring Farm 10am-3pm. Mohonk Preserve, New Paltz. 255-0919.
THEATER Into the Woods 8pm. The Center for Performing Arts, Rhinebeck. 876-3080. $22/$20 children and seniors.
LISA LYNDS
& RICH HACK DIRECTED BY LAURIE SEPE MARDER IN A REHEARSAL OF “INTO THE WOODS.”
Moon Over Buffalo 8pm. Comedy about an acting couple. Elmwood Playhouse, Nyack. 353-1313.
SUN 5 FEB
AFTER HAPPILY EVER AFTER Every fairy-tale begins with a wish and ends in a happily ever after, and CenterStage’s production of the
ART Inaugural Show
Tony Award-winning James Lapine/Stephen Sondheim play, “Into the Woods,” adheres to this magical
3-6pm. Many artists in multiple genres. Wallkill River Art Gallery, New Windsor. 689-0613.
the familiar stories it brilliantly intertwines.
DANCE Swing Dance Jam 6:30-9pm. Arlington Reformed Church, Poughkeepsie. 339-3032.
EVENTS Winter Festival 10am-2pm. Winter fun in a 19th century setting. Ashokan Field Campus, Olivebridge. 657-8333. $8/$4 children.
MUSIC Santa Fe Guitar Quartet 3pm. Holy Cross Church, Kingston. 340-9434.
Mid-Winter Mosh
fairy-tale formula—almost. It also unearths every deep, dark psychological possibility beneath each of Act I introduces the Baker and his wife. A barren-spell has been cast upon their family tree, and the remedy exists within a potion. Jack trades his cow for the Baker's magic beans, which grow into the sky-piercing beanstalk that leads to his treasure in the clouds. Cinderella becomes the object of royal affection, Rapunzel gets a boyfriend, Red Riding Hood is saved from the belly of the wolf, and the Baker and his wife get pregnant. But there has been some corrupt behavior on behalf of these fairy tale characters: The Baker’s wife has become enamored of Cinderella’s prince, Red Riding Hood has started to wear fur, Jack has murdered the Giant, and Rapunzel turns out to be the Baker’s long-lost sister, abandoned by their father, who is revealed as the Mysterious Man who has been lurking in the woods. The fairy-tale formula is subverted in Act II, showing that wish-fulfillment has its price: Another giant beanstalk has grown into the sky, and the Giant’s wife is descending, looking for revenge. The Baker’s
5pm. Forum Lounge, Kingston. 331-1116. $5.
wife and Cinderella’s prince have an affair, and, testament to the phrase “like father, like son,” the
THE OUTDOORS Skijoring, Anyone?
the dead only to present their not-so-happily-ever-after lamentations.
11am-1pm. Cross country skiing with your dog. Mohonk Preserve, New Paltz. 255-0919.
director of “Into the Woods.” Marder directed last winter’s CenterStage production of “Sunday in the
THEATRE Into the Woods 3pm. The Center for Performing Arts, Rhinebeck. 876-3080. $22/$20 children and seniors.
Baker abandons his baby. By the end, most of the characters have been knocked off, but return from “The play’s message is ‘be careful what you ask for—you just might get it,’” says Laurie Sepe Marder, Park With George,” another Lapine/Sondheim musical, based on the life of artist George Seurat. Performances will run at The Center for Performing Arts in Rhinebeck from January 13 to February 5, on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday evenings at 8pm and Sundays at 3pm. Tickets are $22 for adults and $20 for children and seniors. (845) 876-3080; www.centerforperformingarts.org. —Marly Booth-Levy
Now available. Tees, Long Sleeve Tees, Baby Tees, Long Sleeve Baby Tees, Hoodies.
Represent. www.chronogram.com/tshirts 108
FORECAST CHRONOGRAM 1/06
Pictured above: 1 of 6 new shirt designs. Printed by Circulation. Garments by American Apparel.
JEFFREY GAINES WILL PERFORM AT THE TOWNE CRIER CAFE ON JANUARY
13.
OH, BEHAVE FORECAST
Jeffrey Gaines is a self-proclaimed show-off. Though he’s released five successful studio albums, he’s best known by diehard fans for his energetic “rocker vibe” performances. As a youth, the only live albums he owned contained lunatic performances—like KISS Alive II. Gaines was mesmerized by the passion of Jimi Hendrix and Freddie Mercury, who were either lighting guitars on fire or were figuratively on fire themselves. Though he leaves his lighter fluid at home, Gaines still smolders with pyrotechnic intensity. He wasn’t prominent to the masses until a New York City DJ sneaked one of Gaines’s dramatic live cover songs from Napster into airplay—Peter Gabriel’s “In Your Eyes.” The bootleg version spread like wildfire, and listener reaction was so massively positive that Gaines kept performing it. He recorded a studio version of it for his fourth album, also releasing it on his 2004 Jeffrey Gaines Live CD (which includes the “In Your Eyes” video on DVD). He gets a little pissy, however, when he can’t get through a show without people screaming for the hit from the second song onward. “It’s like, what, are you double-parked or something?” he said on Richmond.com. Apparently, Gaines likes to save the best for last and usually performs the song at the end of his set. If he’s playing for good little boys and girls, that is. “If we can get through to the end, and you’ve been nice and it’s been great, then we can share that.” Performing more than 150 shows annually, Gaines always uses his listeners as a gauge for what’s going to happen, seeing no separation between stage and audience. He makes eye contact and likens the waves of output and feedback to making love, intuitively tailoring each performance to fit the needs of the crowd. And most fans understand the magic of this kind of spontaneity, which he mixes with a goodly dose of between-song banter. Raised in Harrisburg, Penn., Gaines began playing drums at age eight and drowned himself in his cousin’s rock album collection. He jumped on the guitar-band bandwagon as a teen, mainly playing cover songs. He landed a record deal with Chrysalis and in 1992 released his self-titled debut, followed by Somewhat Slightly Dazed in 1994, Galore in 1998, Always Be in 2001, and Toward The Sun in 2003. He’s repeatedly described as a soul-searcher whose music is heartfelt and whose lyrics are unpretentious and cliché-free. Early in his career, he opened for Tori Amos, Stevie Nicks, Tom Petty, Sting, and Tracy Chapman, though he has no need for that now. Despite his musical accomplishments, it’s the annually bestowed Jeffrey Gaines Award for the Performing Arts scholarship at Harrisburg Area Community College that he’s most proud of. The kid who kept getting kicked out of class now pays for some other kid to stay in school. Gaines will put his intensity to the test when he brings his soulful voice and introspective tunes to the Hudson Valley this month. Just remember to be good to Gaines and Gaines will be good to you. Jeffrey Gaines will play Towne Crier, 130 Route 22, Pawling, on Friday, January 13. Tickets are $20 general, $17.50 members. (845) 855-1300; www.townecrier.com. —Sharon Nichols
1/06 CHRONOGRAM FORECAST
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Emil Alzamora
Planet Waves BY ERIC FRANCIS COPPOLINO
Parallel Worlds We have just lived through the year that was a decade. It was a 14-month year, from November 2, 2004 through December 31, 2005, but with enough changes and developments to fill the average decade.
A
mong the better-known events, those 14 months encompassed a second stolen presidential election, the Asian tsunami disaster, a series of hurricanes that were devastating to the Southeastern US as well as Mexico, Central America, and parts of South America, and an earthquake centered in the Kashmir area between India and Pakistan. It was another deadly year in Iraq and a time of mounting political chaos in both Congress and the Executive Branch. There was good news, in a backhanded kind of way. In the midst of it all, the chief of staff to Vice President Dick Cheney was indicted for crimes relating to the outing of CIA agent Valerie Plame. And, when nobody was really looking, 2005 turned out to be the year that climate change went from an imagined, allegedly controversial possibility, to something that we—everyone—has to deal with. Astrologically, 2005 was a transitional year between two significantly different energetic landscapes. The main developments included:
110 PLANET WAVES CHRONOGRAM 1/06
1. The ingress of Saturn to Leo in mid-July. In my articles about this change (which can be easily found on PlanetWaves.net), I documented that Saturn in Leo (which lasts for about three years out of every 29) is associated with the phenomenon of dams and levees bursting. Within weeks of Saturn changing signs, we were faced with one of the most famous, if not the most famous, levee breaks in US history. 2. Chiron changing signs from Capricorn to Aquarius. Chiron in Capricorn was the essence of the “post 9/11 world,” beginning within days of the Enron bankruptcy in late 2001. On the collective level, Capricorn is the sign of corporations, governments, laws, and structures of all kinds. And we have certainly had our fill of news from these entities. Chiron in Aquarius shifts the awareness from institution to community. Here is a pretty good example from the last cycle. Half a century ago, within weeks of the prior
transit from Cap to Aquarius, Allen Ginsberg organized the first garage poetry readings that spawned the Beat Generation. Then through the late 1950s, we saw the uprising of a national Civil Rights Movement in the United States, and many examples of the dawning of collective consciousness—though at the time, it looked mainly like change and turmoil that was frightening to many. 3. Two other Centaur planets changed signs. For those who follow astrology, the Centaurs are today what Neptune, Uranus, and Pluto were in previous decades: something new, interesting, provocative, and also something we don’t collectively understand so well in the astrology community. Those Centaurs are Pholus (small cause, big effect) moving into Sagittarius and Nessus (the buck stops here) moving into Aquarius, along with Chiron. They all dipped into their new signs early in the year and took up residence in the autumn.
Pluto Crossing the Galactic Core. Though this is not exact until the last week of 2006, there is an exceptionally close alignment between Pluto and the Galactic Core (in late Sagittarius) during the first week of spring. This comes simultaneously with a solar eclipse, as well as the progressions in the Presidential Inauguration chart going off (part two—part one was the last week of October). This group of events, clustered together, will be the stunning sequel of what brought us the Scooter Libby indictment, only I think it’s reasonable to expect something a little more satisfying. Pluto on the Galactic Core will be humanity’s biggest push in a long, long while in the direction of, well, being humanitarian. The GC, as an astrological point, teaches giving up our judgments, seeing the big picture, and learning lesson one taught by the Core: as within, so without. Or, as the Course in Miracles would put it, God/Goddess is not outside yourself. Pluto crossing this point is one of the last vital thresholds of the Pluto in Sagittarius era, which takes us back to the early 1990s when the world started to move in the undeniable direction of Jihad, be it Christian or Muslim.
4. Mars retrograde in Taurus. The exact retrograde spanned three months, from mid-October through mid-December. Mars was in Taurus for several months on either side. Like Saturn in Leo, this is a once-per-three-decade kind of event, and not surprisingly it’s associated with all the kinds of things we’ve seen in the second half of 2005—natu- Saturn opposite Neptune. This is the aspect ral disasters, fluctuations in the price of oil, and beginning in August, but which has been vibrating around since last summer (and which continues politics of a stormy, fiery nature. well into 2007) that you’re most likely to read So what’s next? about when cruising the Internet or a commercial Well, remembering that 2005 was largely a setup astrological publication. It is the meeting of Saturn for what is coming in 2006, here is the rundown. in Leo opposite Neptune in Aquarius. Saturn in Leo Chiron conjunct Nessus in Aquarius. In 2006 (of “when the levee breaks” fame) opposite Neptune we will experience the second of two exact passes in Aquarius (“let’s get fooled again and again and of this aspect, and a third, which is a near miss. The again and slowly, gradually wake up”) means: somefirst exact one was May 13, 2005. The second will thing comes to a head. It is a face-to-face meeting be January 10, 2005. The third (the near miss) is between two very different energies: the solid naOctober 10, 2006. This is an aspect that will be ture of Saturn in Leo and the watery, ideologically igniting the Aquarius energy of what you might call foggy nature of Neptune in Aquarius. There is political as well as individual informa“awareness to the people,” setting a pattern that will tion in this aspect. Mass consciousness becomes last for many years. Aquarius is about communities, culture, the Internet, group responsibilities, and aware of something particular. That something group agreements. It is about the politics of the tribe begins to respond to the pressure. It is compelling and where the individual fits in. We all bear wounds that the first pass of this three-part aspect occurs involving fitting in, and now is the time to address on the anniversary of Hurricane Katrina making landfall. There, we had one of many examples them by name, and to go beyond them. of land meets sea; of idea meets reality; of some The Parallel Worlds Alignment. In the first overwhelming presence inundating something that week of February, around the time of the Pagan would not move; and mainly of a turning point in holiday Imbolc, there is an unusual alignment history. between the Sun, Venus, Jupiter, Neptune, and Oppositions are the full expression of a conPluto. It involves aspects by longitude (what junction; the opposition of 2006 was preceded by sign the planets are in, exact by degree) and by a conjunction at the time the Berlin Wall came declination (their distance north or south of the down and with it the Iron Curtain, the Cold War, celestial equator). Hence, there are both aspects and the nuclear arms race. One logical expression and parallels among this group of planets; what of this aspect would be some turn of history that some would call a superaspect, which is one form compelled many people to give up on the idea of of a cosmic trigger. As with Chiron conjunct Nesstate aggression as a way of life. sus, there is strongly implied the choice of where This is an edited version of the 2006 annual horoto put out consciousness, the choice of what we scope. A full edition is available on Eric’s website at want to be aware of. www.PlanetWaves.net. 1/06 CHRONOGRAM PLANET WAVES 111
Horoscopes Eric Francis Coppolino
ARIES
(March 20-April 19)
Professional ambitions need to play second fiddle to community concerns, but the two don’t contradict one another. You need to be thinking about the specific role you need to play, rather than all that is possible. The idea of need is based, in part, on what your environment is calling for, but to a greater extent, on what you’re specifically prepared for and ready to offer. This is likely to be something that you have thought of many times but perhaps deemed yourself unworthy of or unqualified for. You still may not feel ready for what you know you really must do, but this is not the time to hedge or hesitate. In truth, few people are ready for their greatest achievements when the time comes. But I can assure you that you are in fact ready, if you will do the other part, which is make sure you are truly willing.
TAURUS (April 19-May 20) Venus retrograde is taking you through your layers of repression and can, if you let it, deliver you to a more free and liberated place. I recognize that not everyone wants to go there; many consider freedom scary. There are many more influences teaching us to hold back than we like to admit, and tops on the list are the psychological and emotional hang-ups of our parents, and the flogging that we receive from organized religion and government. They are directly related, and fall in the larger category of “authority figures who don’t want us to have too much fun.” I can assure you that 99 percent of humans don’t get anywhere near the core of this inner psychological subject matter. You’re now being given an exceedingly rare opportunity not only to understand yourself in this regard, but also to make the choices you need to make to express yourself honestly.
GEMINI (May 20-June 21) During the past six months, I would propose that you’ve made more progress dealing with your fears than you have at any other time in your life. Perhaps it was through making them conscious, and giving them a name; perhaps it was through doing something other than thinking, or thinking a different way, which demonstrated that fear is just part of the spectrum of consciousness and not the source of all light. The result has been a change in your relationship to those you consider powerful. Most power is, indeed, sponsored internally by our own misgivings. But fear no longer impresses you as much as it used to. Having centered on your power of decision helps considerably; having decided that you have very little to lose has been a big help as well. Stay awake.
CANCER (June 21-July 22) Climate change is now a high priority on the global agenda. As one born under the sign of the Crab, you are among the most sensitive people to your environment, including the psychic environment. Is that inner, or outer? Well, it is really both. But please keep your focus on what is really inside you. Maintain the awareness that serves you so well, particularly with the increasing intensity of your relationships and commitments, both personal and professional. In every area of your life, the pace is quickening. This is less a time to be a hero and more a time to be the calm, steady captain of your ship. As such, you need to make conscious, basic decisions regarding your happiness and wellbeing. Particularly where a health concern is involved, the more gentle, less invasive and energy-oriented approaches will get the results you want. www.planetwaves.net 112 PLANET WAVES CHRONOGRAM 1/06
Horoscopes Eric Francis Coppolino
LEO (July 22-Aug. 23) These days, it often seems the work is relentless—but you can be thankful for this in a world of boredom, sagging creativity and the mind going evermore automatic. If you’re not already loving how much you’re getting done, just a slight change in attitude will get you there. In fact, you have enough energy and activity coming your way to support several people, if you will cultivate their skills and learn a few extra things about delegating. While many feel that there’s an overall net loss in having others involved in one’s work, for you there would be a net gain. Many hands make light work, and what you can learn these days is the power of a group dynamic. Groups are good places for people who already have some sense of individuality, and can be risky places for people who seek to find their identity there. Make sure you learn to spot the difference.
VIRGO
(Aug. 23-Sep. 22)
You have just as many reasons to feel good about yourself as not. You have just as many reasons to trust life as you have to be scared. What will make the difference for you? There are a number of factors, the first being where you choose to find your pleasure. Humans are strange critters. We need pleasure so desperately that we will even begin to discover it in aspects of life that don’t feel good, or in withholding pleasure and comfort from ourselves. I suggest you continue your long migration away from this quality of human nature, and cultivate something new. I suggest you move away from seeking gratification from any extreme, and rather find comfort in what is earthy, sensory, nourishing, natural and understandable to you. In doing so, you will cultivate these same qualities in yourself.
LIBRA (Sep. 22-Oct. 23) Beneath your even-handed and tolerant personality is a deep sense of how the world should be. The beliefs that support your identity and way of life are hidden like the foundation and beams of a finished building. You cannot usually see them, but they are there. Most have origins deep in your past. As you may suspect, there is a reason you have such a firmly rooted sense of justice and such a commitment to being fair, even to your own detriment. There are reasons that you could call “positive” and others “negative”—that is, reactions against things you’ve witnessed, or creative ideas for a better world. Venus retrograde in Capricorn is taking you on a trip back through time. Though the past is quite familiar territory to you, you’re in a space where you’re understanding it in an entirely different way, one that helps you improve your life today.
SCORPIO
(Oct. 23-Nov. 22)
One of the most courageous things a person can do in life is face their projections. Though some individuals have begun to do this, and as it works out, quite a few of them may have Scorpio somewhere prominent in their charts, the world has yet to get busy on the issue. Projection leads to wars and chaos. It utterly consumes love in its deceptive abyss. In the whole process, we quite literally forget who we are and thus have no way of knowing the other. You’ve either recently been through some kind of crash course in undoing this madness, or you’ve grown unusually close to someone as a result of having addressed the issue successfully in earlier times of your life. This really has been a process of getting to know another through getting to know yourself, and behold, it’s pretty amazing. And it’s not over. www.planetwaves.net 1/06 CHRONOGRAM PLANET WAVES 113
Horoscopes Eric Francis Coppolino
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 22) It’s not that there are no limits. Everyone knows there are. It is, however, true that you’re here to find out what those limits are, and what you can do with them. And that is something you’re content to call freedom. Okay, that plus a little pushing the edge for fun and profit. You have a very effective guardrail, known as your values system. You see, not everyone has the benefit of this. No, I cannot generalize for every Sagittarius on the planet, but I feel confident enough to say this to you now. There is nothing more reliable to you than what you really know is right. Contrary to some perceptions, on that deep level of cognition and assessment, you’re careful, clear with yourself and you like to keep the issues separate. I suggest that you offer more of this side of yourself to the world. It won’t tarnish your image as one who is alive to enjoy life.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 20) It may take some time for you to figure out the extent of the change that has come into your life, or rather, the extent that you’re no longer under a certain high-intensity pressure to change. Many of the same themes remain in place: for example, what right do you really have to exist? This is a question that many grapple with but few actually bring to the surface of their awareness. In this new stage of your growth, the questions are a little more arm’s length. How does what you believe mesh with what our society believes, particularly in its very strange current state of affairs? How do you feel about yourself? What do you need, and do you feel worthy of receiving it? And—perhaps most vital—do you really feel that you deserve a place within the “tribe” or community (however you define that)? If you want the answers, don’t mumble—ask out loud.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) Personally, I prefer to treat people like autonomous adults, otherwise I wind up being a dog trainer. I don’t do parental mode, and I wish people would see that it really gets us all nowhere. I say this recognizing that being mommy or daddy to other adults is an absolute obsession in most Western and Eastern cultures alike. Our governments, religions, and places of employment are, for the most part, based on this notion. I am aware that there are many tons of people willing to play the child’s role and keep the whole scenario going in virtual perpetuity. You are now receiving a high-intensity call to do what used to be called self-actualize: to be real unto yourself; to be actually you at every moment; to stand apart not merely for the sake of doing so, but because you absolutely must.
PISCES
(Feb. 19-March 20)
To be successful, we need to let go of our image of ourselves as a failure. This seems too high a price for most people to pay. Of course, it’s always easy to blame someone else for our own fears, and to deny having an actual attraction to being less than we are. Uranus, the planet of awakening, is making a long-term transit through your birth sign. This is pushing you to be brave, to be innovative, to be inventive and most of all, to do what you really came to the world to do. Those who embark on this path always—and I mean always—encounter all the inner resistance, censoring voices, guilt trips, responsibility trips, fears, and all their cousins, all of which are the toxic byproducts of living in a world that too often aspires to mediocrity. Uranus is here to help, but won’t be around forever. Learn while the learning is good. www.planetwaves.net 114 PLANET WAVES CHRONOGRAM 1/06
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Parting Shot
Charlotte Schulz / Inside the Monad: inclined without being necessitated. 26” x 20”, charcoal on paper, 2004
Charlotte Schulz’s drawings begin with words. A dedicated reader, Schulz fills notebooks with passages from her reading, along with primitive sketches and lengthy analyses, memories, and insights. Schulz transforms these jottings into fractured vignettes, as if they were illustrations ripped from a book long since lost. Using a blend of charcoal and careful erasure, Schulz creates an alternate plane knitted together from, by her own admission, “photographic and art historical reference.” These strands of recognizable reality seem stranded however, waiting to be sewn back together to form a mythic meta-portrait. Schulz’s “Object Lesson,” an exhibition of drawings, books, sketchbook pages, photographic references, and notebooks curated by Karlos Carcamo, will be on display through January 28 at ParaSite at the Iron Fish Trading Company, 167 Main Street, Beacon. (845) 590-4849; www.charlotteschulz.com.
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Sub-Zero is the corporate companion and kitchen soul mate of