The 2023 Blauvelt Spring Yard Sale 2023 (aka: The Western Highway Roundup) is on for the weekend of Friday-Saturday-Sunday, April 21-22-23. Blauvelt residents can register at bkoch@rcls.org or call Barry at 845 359-2811. Tell us which days and hours you wish to display, along with highlights of your merchandise (we'll email you a merch form to fill out if you like).

Customers: The Yard Sale Treasure Map showing sale locations and merchandise will be released on Thursday, April 20, in print form and online (it will be on the website). You can pick up a copy 24/7 during the weekend from a real estate bin in front of the library. Come on out and get some bargains!

Get ready for a week of ocean adventures! Today is the first episode of the 20,000 Books Under the Sea show, where Shelldon the Tale Snail is accidentally released. Can the intrepid storyologists stop him before he devours all the stories in the lighthouse? Click the link below and enter blauvelt for user name and Summer2022 for the password. Tune in at 11am or anytime after to find out!

https://pageturneradventures.com/lighthouse-full-show/

Local authors Gwen & Harry Mirijanian will be here to discuss and read from their new children's book Ori the Whale on Maui. The Mirijanians have been visiting Maui for many years and will speak about their travels and answer questions as well.

Please email mdarnobid@rcls.org to register; attendance is limited.

Neonatal Intensive care nurse Christina Lugue will explain everything you need to know about car seat safety. She will provide hands-on instruction and will also answer any questions you may have. Her talk will be upstairs in the Storycraft Room. Registration is limited.

Please email mdarnobid@rcls.org to register. | Limit 9 adults| Please wear a mask

The popular storyteller of "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" at the Old Dutch Church returns once a month with an evening of legends and tales. This vernal season, it's "Fairy Tails for Grownups. See him on our Facebook page, live at 7:30 pm on the 5th of April, or watch the recorded performance there, anytime afterward.

Popular local Meteorologist, Joe Rao is also an accomplished Astronomer and Guest Lecturer at the Hayden Planetarium. Join him for a LIVE Zoom chat about an article he authored in May's Sky and Telescope magazine which suggests a possible exciting celestial event that may (or may not) take place over the Memorial Day weekend. That's the way it is with astronomy... you make educated guesses, and wait to see what happens!

For the Zoom link to the Power point, email Barry at bkoch@rcls.org

NY State Senator, Likjah Reichlin-Melnick invites folks from our are to visit with a representative from his office during a the afternoon (2 - 5 in our lobby. Senator for the 38th District of NY, he represents the towns of Ramapo, Clarkstown and Orangetown, and also the town of Ossining.

His responsibilities include memberships to the following State Senate committees:

Procurement & Contracts (Chairperson)
Education
Veterans, Homeland Security and Military Affairs
Consumer Protection
Investigations and Government Operations
Local Government
Transportation

If you have concerns or questions relating to an interest in any of the above --- or any other subject, you can discuss and make known your interest to the Senator through the representative.

The Hudson Valley's Master StoryTeller, Jonathan Kruk has truly carved out a niche for himself in the local cultural scene. With a vast knowledge of stories and myths from around the world and decades of experience telling tales in public venues, not to mention a Dickensian appearance and presentation, Jonathan has no equal. His storytimes for grownups and families can be accessed anytime from their presentation and after on the library's Facebook page, but are best watched live. And be sure to catch him at the Old Dutch Church in Tarrytown with "The Legend of Sleeeeeepy Hooooollllllow!

The Hudson Valley's Master StoryTeller returns with his legendary one-person show of Charles Dickens' Classic Yuletide tale, "A Christmas Carol". Watch as Jonathan assumes the characters of Scrooge, Marley, the Ghosts of Christmas, Bob Cratchit, and even Tiny Tim in an hour-long master performance.

Seats are FREE, but limited. We require the audience to be masked, and will separate the seats, although members of a party may pull theirs together.

Registration is a must at 845 359-2811, or email Barry at bkoch@rcls.org.

Tales of Giving and Light
Join Master Storyteller, Jonathan Kruk with stories of Hanukkah, Christmas and the winter solstice, including the tale of the Hanukkah Bear-- and Santa on the Hudson!

LIVE at 6:30 pm on Facebook at:

https://www.facebook.com/BlauveltFreeLibrary/

Tales of Thanks
Master Storyteller Jonathan Kruk presents "Tales of Thanks", from the first Thanksgiving when Squanto aided the Pilgrims, and more, down through the ages.

LIVE on Facebook at:
https://www.facebook.com/BlauveltFreeLibrary/

Jonathan Kruk's Haunted Hudson Valley Lore!
Join Master Storyteller Jonathan Kruk in a LIVE Facebook program during the season he is famous for decorating with tales of ghosts, ghouls and supernatural spirits from Sleepy Hollow to Spook Rock!

See the live webcast at 6:30 pm, here:
https://www.facebook.com/BlauveltFreeLibrary/

Mythic Monsters from Ancient Greece!
Join Master Storyteller, Jonathan Kruk for live virtual tales of creatures strange and supernatural -- from the bullish Minotaur to seductive Sirens -- and the most Monstrous and powerful Typhon!

LIVE at 6:30 pm on:
https://www.facebook.com/BlauveltFreeLibrary/

Hayden Planetarium Scientist and Former News 12 weather person, Joe Rao has become a popular science presenter online. The Affable Astronomer projects the enthusiasm he holds for all things celestial, including possible science behind the Christmas Star. Various timelines are brought together, mixing astronomical fact with stories from myth and history to arrive at plausible events that might hang a bright orb in the sky at the time of the 3 Wise Men's journey. Joe follows the science, but he also allows for the possibility of the miraculous in this enjoyable holiday excursion.

This is planned to be a virtual event, as Joe won't begin in-person visits until the health atmosphere has stabilized. No matter, though, because his experience in front of the camera presents so well on Zoom, and he smoothly integrates Power Point images over his narration... "just like on TV"!

Email Barry at bkoch@rcls.org or call him at 845 359-2811 to register for the link.

Affable former News 12 Weatherguy and Hayden Planetarium astronomer, Joe Rao returns for his fourth evening talk on the heavens. Joe will liken the 7 wonders of the ancient world with a septet of celestial cousins that have amazed humankind for centuries.

Email blvadultprograms@gmail.com for the link.

NOTE: Moved from 6:30 pm to 7:30 pm. Master Storyteller, Jonathan Kruk-- famous for his telling of "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" in the Old Dutch Church north of Tarrytown, NY, returns again with a winter's story: The Tale of the Snow Queen.

Jonathan is adept at engaging adults, teens and children alike with his storytelling skills.

Join the Friends of the Blauvelt Free Library in a virtual discussion of a traditional night at the movies. Each meeting revolves around a cartoon, a short subject and a feature, all of which can be viewed online for free. Watch them before the meeting so you can chime in with comments. Program Director, Barry Koch prepares a PowerPoint talk each month with background info and trivia on the show.

December offerings are:
Cartoon:
The Bear's Christmas (1974) 8 minutes, from the famous National Film Board of Canada.
"A down-on-his-luck bear hits bottom when he is fired from his job as starter at the local 'rat races', but still finds a spark of the Christmas Spirit in his lonely rented room."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jlh0S4SbMpY

Short Subject:
Days Before Christmas (1958) 29 minutes, also from the National Film Board of Canada
A reality video filmed in Montreal records the hubbub surrounding the Holidays in mid-century North America.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kcXCGi_SqyE&t=1295s

Documentary Feature:
Dreaming of a Jewish Christmas (2017) 53 minutes.
A tribute to the many Jewish composers of great Christmas music includes performances set in one of their traditional Yuletide destinations: a Chinese restaurant.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q5KgSLVv3-w&t=328s

Popular Hudson Valley TV meteorologist, Joe Rao presents a virtual Power Point talk via Zoom on the Geminid Meteor Shower, which peaks on December 13. Find out why this annual event is one of the "skylights" of the year!  And, have no fear if the forecast is hazy... Joe keeps audiences interested with anecdotes from decades of weather forecasting and stargazing

Joe has been an astronomer for over 30 years, and has appeared as guest lecturer at the Hayden Planetarium, is a writer for Space.com and pens a regular astronomy column for Natural History Magazine, as well as having written for The Farmer's Almanac for many years.

Email Barry at bkoch@rcls.org for the Zoom link.

All library programs have been cancelled until Sunday, March 31, 2020.  We hope to continue programming in April, but this may change due to COVID-19 virus and how this plays out in the next couple weeks.  Please check back for further information. 

Thank you for your patience!  

Once again, the Blauvelt Free Library Players present the mixed bag we call our "Olde Time Holiday Radio Show," presented in the form a vintage radio broadcast. Follow the 7th year of the soap opera, "One Judge's Family", a mythical soap opera about our building's most famous resident, Judge Cornelius Blauvelt, who lived here in the 1840s, and play along in our 19th-century game show, "Vot Ist Mein Vocation?" (What's My Line). Hear Holiday songs and exercise your pipes in our holiday singalong. During intermission, belly up to our traditional table of sweets!

We will be joined by former staff member, Alex Carver, whose acting chops and voicd have been a big part of the show's success in the past. Registration is not necessary, but seating is limited.

NOTE: THIS EVENT IS FULL. WAITING LIST ONLY. Master Storyteller, Jonathan Kruk has regaled metro area audiences with American and British folktales for over thirty years. His venerable Legend of Sleepy Hollow at the Old Dutch Church in Tarrytown remains an annual must-see.

Now, the Friends of the Blauvelt Free Library bring this popular raconteur to our side of the river for an evening of humbug with his delightful rendition of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol. Jim Keyes sets the musical mood on keyboard, and the 19th century ambiance of Judge Cornelius Blauvelt's homestead (aka the Blauvelt Free Library), serves as the perfect backdrop for this tale of greed, ghosts and the Yuletide redemption of a lost soul.

FREE but space is very limited and registration required

Refreshments after the show

Investigate animals, insects and plants that love the night. Games + goodies.

Registration required | Limit 15 | Storycraft Cottage

Meet a live frog and toad -- discover how they are alike and how they differ

Registration required | Limit 15 | Community room

(Registration closed) The greatest names in Big Band Music performed at Camp Shanks during WWII when the Manse Barn was a USO Club. The Orangetown Museum, in collaboration with the Orangeburg, Tappan and Blauvelt Libraries, invites you to celebrate their new exhibit, Shanks Legacy (opening April 13) with a concert by the Reflections Jazz & Swing Orchestra, reprising the big band tradition with hits made famous by Count Basie, Banny Goodman and Woody Herman.

At the Manse Barn | 32 Old Tappan Road, Tappan, NY | Donations suggested | Concdert length 90 minutes

Join the Blauvelt, Palisades and Orangeburg (host) Libraries, for an introduction to the spiritual, artistic and culinary traditions of Korea. Encounter the legend of King Sejong the Great, sample delicious Korean desserts and make a lovely Lotus Lamp craft. The event is presented by the Korean Spirit and Culture Promotion Project, a non-profit group founded to spread an understanding of Korean culture and repay a debt of gratitude to the West for a long tradition of support. In the Orangeburg Library auditorium.

Register with the Blauvelt, Palisades or Orangeburg Libraries.

Maximum 40 adults.

Join The Turtles of Western Highway and the Hudson Valley Humane Society with experts and special turtle guests when they launch the annual snapping turtle egg-laying season in Blauvelt.

Have fun and support The Turtles at a Meet-n-Greet Fundraiser at Bailey's Smokehouse on Saturday, April 8^th from 6pm -- includes a buffet dinner, cash bar and entertainment by Tony Mrocka, a popular Medium. For more info or to volunteer, visit The Turtles of Western Highway Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/whturtles/.

Anna Veleva, the talented, internationally-known soprano, sings favorite operatic arias and Broadway love songs in an hour-long concert. Coffee and sweets. FREE

NOTE: THE AUGUST 16 OPEN MIC HAS BEEN CANCELED. WATCH FOR A FALL/WINTER DATE. A casual, coffee house style event with cafe seating for singers, poets, magicians, comedians, etc. to showcase your talents or try out new material. Cookies and coffee provided. No need to sign up ahead of time. Performers will appear in the order they register. Baby grand piano on site for use by pianists. Limited musical accompaniment available. Have fun and a cup of joe or wine (adults only) while you watch friends on stage. Teens welcome.

The Blauvelt Free library presents the first ever Open Mic Nite! Sign up for a spot to perform or just come to cheer for your family and friends!!

Registration required | Community Room

Meet a tortoise, a lovebird, tree frog, hedgehog and more!

Community Room | Registration required | Limit 25

Certified Wine Specialist, Janet Wheeler, returns for our 9th Annual Winetasting. This year we will sample tasty, lesser-known wines from the southern Italian regions, which may include Molise, Sicily, Basilicata, Apulia, Campania and/or Sardinia.

Limited to 30 | Age 21 + up

Please call Barry to register -- and don't delay -- this popular program fills up fast!
We've added a second seating to accommodate everyone.
Please specify first or second seating when registering.

Please join us for our annual holiday show, staged in the style of a vintage radio broadcast, with staff members -- Laura, Barry, Fran, Friends' President Alice Ryan -- and the return of crooner extraordinaire, Alex Carver (as long as the weather holds up). As always, we present our long-running soap opera fictionalizing the life of Cornelius Blauvelt, his wife and nephew in One Judge's Family. And once again, our audience will get to play along as they try to guess which colonial occupations are the real ones in the new olde game show we're calling Vot Ist Mein Vocation?! Save room for our fabulous table of sweets and mulled cider and tune up your vocal chords for our traditional holiday sing-a-long. It's a not-to-be-missed neighborhood tradition!

Fun, games, relay races and a picnic. Bring a picnic dinner. Drinks will be provided.

6 - 8pm. | Please register at your home library | Will be held at Orangeburg Library Field |

Local favorites, Tommy Dunn and Jan Lynch, celebrate the season with a fun family singalong

Behringer Room | Please register | limit 20

Find a furry companion for yourself or a loved one from a host of visiting cats and kittens from the Hi-Tor Animal Care Center. Discount coupons are available for reduced adoption fees that include all shots plus spaying/neutering.

Find common ground and unity in this divisive political climate. Share your thoughts and find a new understanding of what is happening in the world around us. Talk led by David and Gretchen Kane features the philosophy of G. I. Gurdjieff, who spoke about the importance of balancing the heart, mind and body.

Meets in the Community Room

Our fourth annual show and singalong in the style of a vintage radio broadcast features staff members, Laura, Barry, Fran, and Friends President, Alice Ryan. Special appearance by former staff member and crooner extraordinaire, Alex Carver. A fabulous table of seasonal sweets rounds out this neighborhood tradition. Not to be misssed!

Thursday  |  August 18  |  6:30pm

• Dazzle us with your talent
• Prizes for the top 3 contestants

Limit 12 Acts | Registration required

Tuesday | August 16 | 3:30 - 4:30 pm

PARKING LOT behind Community Room 

Hula hoops, hopscotch, basketball, frisbee, nerf sports

Limit 16 | Registration required

For all Blauvelt Summer Reading Club members
  
Thursday | August 11 | 4 - 5 pm

COMMUNITY ROOM 
       
Receive your prize for finishing the 
program, play bingo and enjoy snacks!

Meet a tarantula, a rat, hedgehog and other odd animals

Limit 25 | Registration required

St. Catharine Parish and The Friends of the Blauvelt Free Library invite 
you to Westchester Broadway Theatre for a dinner performance
of Million Dollar Quartet, when four giants of rock ‘n’ roll − Elvis
Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis and Carl Perkins − jammed 
in an impromptu Memphis recording session at Sun Records, run
by the legendary Sam Phillips on December 4, 1956. Enjoy hits like
Blue Suede Shoes, Who Do You Love, Folsom Prison Blues, I Walk the Line, 
That’s All Right, 16 Tons, Houndog, Great Balls of Fire and more!

$105 includes coach transport, dinner and gratuities

• Bus boards at 5:15 pm in St. Catharine’s lot for a 5:30 pm departure
• Dinner theatre event starts at 6:15 pm.

For info call Joe Onativia at 646 648-0823

Cash or check payable to Friends of Blauvelt Free Library must be brought 
or sent to library or to Joe at 139 Moison Road North, Blauvelt