^{Serving Rhinebeck and Neighboring Towns}

Issue 170 | June 18, 2024

And It Is Hot! //

The first heatwave of the season is upon us and will be covering most of the northeast at least until Saturday; Rhinebeck and the rest of Northern Dutchess County are anticipating temperatures well into the 90s for most of the week. No, it is not officially summer yet (that comes later in the week) but this relatively early blast of heat will hit many like a ton of (hot) bricks. Forecasts put the highs today and tomorrow above 95 degrees, with the possibility of greater heat in places like Newburgh, with 101 degrees forecast for Thursday. 

New York State provides a searchable online list of cooling centers that are accessible to the public. Many of these locations are public libraries, spray pads, and city, town and village halls, as well as senior centers. Many local municipal pools have opened for the season, including Red Hook and Rhinebeck. Rhinebeck and Red Hook schools will be dismissing students early (at 12:00PM) today (Tuesday) through Thursday this week to protect students and teachers from heat-related illness, but the state Regents exams are still on as scheduled. Stay cool and safe.

Red Hook is About to Get Lit //

The state’s rollout of legal recreational cannabis has been a bit of a nightmare, with more stops than starts, and more illegal storefronts, especially in NYC, than legal options. However, for those interested, our neighbor to the north, Red Hook, seems to be on its way toward one of the first recreational dispensaries in the county. Upstate Pines, a proposed recreational cannabis dispensary on South Broadway, got a green light from the Village of Red Hook Planning Board last week, according to the Daily Catch. The proposed dispensary, co-owned by Elizaville resident Brian Seiler and Red Hook resident Ben Abrahams, will sell pre-packaged cannabis products at the former Garage Dance Co-Operative storefront in a strip center owned by Todd Abrahams, a well-known local plumber and Ben’s father. Upstate Pines is still waiting for its license from the New York State Office of Cannabis Management, but is expected to be operational by the end of the year, if not sooner.

A Little Cake Bear Follow Up //

We admittedly have had a bit of fun covering the multiple back and forth between HBO’s Last Week Tonight host John Oliver and the owner of Deising’s Bakery in Kingston, but we have not been the only one’s enjoying the cake-based absurdity of the saga, which started with a bankrupt Red Lobster and continued with an oversized “cake bear” being devoured on national television (you can read our previous coverage in On the Radar from last week). In what could only be described as an escalation of pastry proportions, Deising’s delivered a giant cake bear with Oliver’s face – the cake is one of their popular bakery items, although it is usually bite-sized and without Oliver’s likeness – to the television host for this past Sunday night’s episode and Oliver proclaimed it “a masterpiece” before devouring it (rear end first) in front of a live audience. “I am humbled, shocked and, as this cake bear suggests, slightly terrified,” Oliver said. “I’m also impressed because, Deising’s, you clearly heard my challenge and sent us something that looks somehow both like me and the version of Arthur the Aardvark that’s been through 14 divorces.” Smaller versions of the John Oliver cake bear will continue to be available at Deising’s in Kingston for a limited time.

As a sort of icing on the cake, between sales of the Oliver cake bear creations via Deising's, and the generosity of Last Week Tonight, more than $25,000 has been raised as a direct donation to People's Place in Kingston, a food pantry and thrift store serving the community.

Do you love walking at Blithewood Garden at Bard College? You can support the restoration of this historic garden by buying tickets to a July 7 concert at Bard’s Spiegeltent: Choro Das 3, a sister-trio from Sao Paulo, creates innovative interpretations of choro, bossa nova, and other styles of Brazilian music. The concert begins at 3PM. Tickets are $29.50-$69.50. Proceeds benefit the Blithewood Garden Rehabilitation Project. At the Spiegeltent, Bard.

Wednesday, June 19th

Juneteenth National Independence Day, commemorating the ending of slavery in the US.

Thursday, June 20th, 9:00AM

Birding Expedition and Walking Tour with Alan Peterson of the Ralph T. Waterman Bird Club. Wear hiking boots and bring binoculars. Tickets $12. At Wilderstein Historic Site, 330 Morton Rd., Rhinebeck.

Thursday, June 20th, 6:30PM

“Until the End of the World,” a journalistic investigation into the fish farming industry. Film screening followed by conversation. At Morton Library, 82 Kelly St., Rhinecliff.

Friday, June 21st, 5:30PM - 8:00PM

Tennis Gay Night, featuring tennis round-robin, BYOB social hour, live entertainment, and special guests. Dutchess County’s first such night, to coincide with Pride celebrations. Different events continuing through the summer. $75 per person. For tickets, schedule and future Friday themes, visit rhinebecktennis.com. At the club, 2 Salisbury Ct., Rhinebeck.

Saturday, June 22nd, 4:30PM

Hudson Organ Trio plays jazz. FREE. The second of four concerts in the Roger Phillips Concert Series. Sponsored by Arts Mid-Hudson. Bring a chair or blanket, but the concert will be indoors if the weather doesn’t cooperate. At Starr Library, 68 West Market St., Rhinebeck.

June 22nd, 7:00PM

Hudson Valley Chamber Music Circle Concert Series, with music by Mozart, Beethoven, and Karim Al-Zand. Tickets $5 for students; others $40. At Olin Hall, Bard College.

Tuesday, June 25th, 6:30PM

Local Book Launch: Francine Prose talks about “1974: A Personal History,” with Jo Ann Beard. FREE. Registration required. Co-sponsored by Oblong Books and Morton Library. At the Library, 82 Kelly St., Rhinecliff.

Sunday, June 23rd, 1:00 - 2:00PM

Little Free Pride Library Opening and Tie-Dye Party, sponsored by Beckhook Pride. All welcome. At Starr Library, 68 West Market St., Rhinebeck.

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.

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.

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.

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.

June 22nd, 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.

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.