^{Serving Rhinebeck and Neighboring Towns}

Issue 175 | June 28, 2024

The HV Pilot will be taking a week off from July 1st through July 5th. We will be back at it on Tuesday, July 9th.

We hope everyone has a safe and enjoyable Independence Day.

Microbursts, Tornado Warnings and Just Plain Stormy Weather //

This past weekend most of the Hudson Valley saw fast moving thunderstorms and torrential downpours as a cap to a week of living in the “heat dome.” There were several reports of downed trees and branches, intermittent power outages, and even a few instances of more extreme weather events. As one does when the weather gets tough, many took to social media to post photographs and report on everything from microbursts to even one or two eyewitness reports of tornadoes touching down in eastern Dutchess. This is not out of the question as the National Weather Service (NWS) had issued a tornado watch on Sunday evening for parts of New York and Massachusetts (the reports of tornadoes actually touching down have yet to be verified). 

While the heat dome has subsided, the heat will certainly be back sometime in the near future, as will the threat of tornadoes. According to the NWS, New York State sees, on average, 10 tornadoes per year, so it is not as much of a freak occurrence as you might think. While, thankfully, this region hasn’t seen the destructive power unleashed by tornadoes that the Midwest and southern United States have, it is worth knowing the terminology as well as what to do if you do find yourself in a weather emergency of the highly windy variety. 

A tornado watch is when conditions are favorable for severe thunderstorms and tornadoes, whereas a tornado warning is when a tornado has been spotted or detected by a weather radar. And then there is the tornado emergency, which is deadly serious and is only issued by the NWS when an extremely large and destructive tornado has been confirmed and is making its way across the area. Luckily, such emergencies have yet to happen in this general area. The basic advice is take shelter inside, in a basement if possible or in a central part of a building, away from windows, and do what you can to protect your head and body from potential flying debris (a bicycle helmet is not a bad idea). As we said, it probably won’t happen, but it’s best to be prepared and come out of such an emergency with a story, rather than an injury, or worse.

Augmented Reality Comes to the Village //

Last week, In honor of Juneteenth, the Bulkeley Middle School’s 7th grade Social Studies classes, taught by Henry Frischknecht, created a series of virtual historical markers that commemorate the lives of Black women, men and children in Rhinebeck's past. This was a public art project that was an attempt to respond to gaps in another piece of public art, the historic New Deal era murals at the Rhinebeck Post Office, which partially reflect the presence of the historic Black community but fail to tell so much of their stories. 

Based on research from the Dutchess County Historical Society, the students learned about the lives of Black individuals and families who appear in the murals or who lived in Rhinebeck in the 1700-1800s. The virtual markers call attention to the experiences of these former residents and to the history of the area. They are installed outside Rhinebeck Village Hall in augmented reality (AR) and can be accessed using the QR code below using the camera function on your smartphone.

Tactical Public AR(t) (TPA) is a collaboration between education, technology and social innovation specialist Jennifer Breslin and public art specialist Norm Magnusson. “The project was amazing; it really highlighted how technology [in this case augmented reality] can be used as a fun and engaging educational tool,” Magnusson told the Pilot. The project worked with local students and enabled them to reach the community via a virtual tool that overlays digital content onto the real world. TPA is currently working with youth from around the world to create AR markers for the UN Summit of the Future. 

The Rhinebeck TPA markers project is an extension of the On This Site Stood series created by Magnusson. These are a series of sculptures that subvert the format of the blue and yellow historical markers that are all around NY State by commenting on contemporary political and social issues and placing different weight on who and what gets recognized as historically important. Breslin was hugely enthusiastic about the On This Site Stood project, and wrote in an email, “Our hope is that one of these markers will get made and placed in the village and exist alongside the AR markers. This follow-up would typically be part of our process working with youth but, in this case, summer beckoned.” Breslin added that she hopes this is the first of possibly many other collaborative projects with Rhinebeck students using AR technology, so stay tuned. 

The historical markers will remain visible, at least virtually, for the foreseeable future and can be viewed by scanning the following QR code below: 

Coverage of Rhinebeck schools and educational issues is supported by the Fraleigh and Rakow Insurance Agency in Rhinebeck.

This Week

Cool Off at the Pool

Friday, June 28th, 3:00 - 6:00PM

Community Photo Shoot, with photographer Mike Lawrie. FREE. Get a portrait taken with your family, your partner, your dog, or even by yourself. Plus Mighty Donuts, music and games. Registration requested. At Starr Library, 68 West Market St., Rhinebeck.

Friday, June 28th, through Sunday, June 30th

Urban Bush Women: SCAT!, a new dance-driven jazz club spectacular. Tickets $29.50-$94.50. At the Fisher Center, Bard.

Saturday, June 29th

The Rhinebeck Town Pool is Open! See Rec Dept. for details. The pool is just a few laps downstream from Starr Library.

Saturday, June 29th, 9:00AM - 1:00PM

Free Tech Help with your Kindle, tablet, smartphone, or computer. At the Clinton Community Library, 1215 Centre St., Town of Clinton.

Saturday, June 29th, 10:00AM - 11:00AM

Guided Landscape Walk at Staatsburgh State Historic Site: “What you see & what you don’t see.” FREE. Reservations required. At the site, 75 Mills Mansion Dr., Staatsburg.

Saturday, June 29th, 4:00 - 7:00PM

A Summer Afternoon at The Point/Hoyt House, featuring Wint Aldrich and Tracie Rozhon, a peek inside the brick barns, live music, cocktails, and a live and silent auction, including two tickets and a private backstage tour of “Hamilton,” a private Hudson River sunset champagne cruise, and more. Presented by the Calvert Vaux Preservation Alliance; all proceeds will benefit this historic site. Tickets $125. Rain or shine, at the site at Mills Norrie State Park, Staatsburg.

Tuesday, July 2nd, through Friday, August 30th

Paintings of Madeleine Segall-Marx. Opening reception July 13, 5-7PM, and artist talk August 17, 3-5PM. At the Montgomery Row Art Space, upstairs at 6423 Montgomery St. (Rte. 9), Rhinebeck.

Friday, July 5th, 8:30-11:30PM (kickoff party); and Saturday, July 6th, and Sunday, July 7th (both days 11AM-5PM; panel discussions 11AM-Noon)

Second Annual CPW Photobook & Zine Fair, featuring exhibits, books to buy, and panel discussions with leading artists and publishers. FREE. Details at cpw.org. Party is at Unicorn Bar, Kingston; Fair is at 2nd floor, 25 Dederick St., Kingston.

Saturday, July 6th, 5:00PM - 8:00PM

Wilderstein “Red White and Blues” Summer Party, a benefit cocktail party and silent auction (online now and in person), with house tours, food and music. Tickets $160 and up at wilderstein.org or 845-876-4818. At Wilderstein Historic Site, 330 Morton Rd., Rhinebeck.

Saturday, July 13th, 3:00 - 4:00PM (pick) and 4:00 - 5:30PM (sip)

Wineberry Pick and Sip. Pull some overgrown wineberry thickets and sip cocktails/mocktails with Dirty Gaia. Registration required. Sponsored by Winnakee Land Trust. At Vlei Marsh, 186 Vlei Rd., Rhinebeck.

Sunday, July 14th, 3:00PM - 4:30PM

Mexican Folk Music at the Beatrix Farrand Garden, featuring traditional stringed instruments. FREE. Bring a picnic. At the garden at Bellefield at the FDR National Historic Site, 4097 Albany Post Rd., Hyde Park.

Monday, July 15th, 11:00AM

Advanced Care Planning Seminar with Hudson Valley Hospice. FREE. At Clinton Community Library, 1215 Centre Rd., Town of Clinton.

Tickets are now on sale for the Saturday, November 16, 8PM, concert of Patti Smith & Friends, presenting her original spoken-word stories and songs. Tickets $59 and up. At UPAC, 601 Broadway, Kingston.

Book donations are welcome on Sundays 10-Noon and Wednesdays 12-2. At Starr Library, 68 West Market St., Rhinebeck.

Rhinebeck Rotary is looking for host families, three to four months each starting December, for 16-year-old Turkish exchange student who will attend Rhinebeck High School. One family has already committed to host the student from the start of the school year to early December. If interested, contact michaelfrazier@earthlink.net.

Now through June 28th

Opening reception for “Two Perspectives,” selected “photographs and memories” by Lynn Alaimo and Cheryl Frey. At the upstairs gallery at Montgomery Row, 6422 Montgomery St. (Rte. 9), Rhinebeck.

Now through July 28th

“Just Drawing,” new works on paper by Catherine Haggarty. At Geary Contemporary Gallery, 34 Main St., Millerton.

Now through August 31st

"An Artist’s Alphabet,” an exhibit of the late artist Tom Blackwell, a painter in the photorealist genre. At Starr Library, 68 West Market St., Rhinebeck.

Now through September 8th

“Ubuhle Women: Beadwork and the Art of Independence,” showcasing a new form of bead art developed by a community of women in South Africa. Complemented by a small display of four beaded costumes. At The Loeb gallery, Vassar College, 124 Raymond Ave., Poughkeepsie.