LaFayette Outreach, Inc., was established in 1981 through the cooperation of five LaFayette-area churches. Soon after that, the members of the Columbian Presbyterian Church decided that they would make supporting LaFayette Outreach a priority. A Community Outreach committee was established, and fund-raising ideas were suggested. Where could they raise funds and awareness where the community would be sure to notice? Why not get the public’s attention while they were gathered for a local parade? That is how the Memorial Day Benefit for LaFayette Outreach was established.

From it’s humble beginnings as a garage sale, the Benefit has evolved into an event that includes a silent auction, bake sale, plant sale, “Red, White & Blue Ice Cream Sundaes,” and a free kid’s craft area. Church members spend a lot of time and effort putting together this wonderful community event, so please join them on Memorial Day and show your support for this worthy cause.

Bits and shards of the history of Ithaca Pottery will be reviewed at a talk at The History Center on June 7, 2012, 5.30pm.

Ezra Cornell’s father, Elijah, owned a pottery works on the South side of E. Lincoln St. at the corner of Lake St. at the bottom of Gun Shop Hill. Pieces of this fascinating history have been recovered and examined by Carol Griggs and Ted Sobel.

Dr. Griggs grew up in New Hampshire, was an undergrad in archaeology at Cornell and after graduating excavated the pottery site for Historic Ithaca. Her undergrad studies included tree-ring dating which became her passion and focus for graduate work; she is now a research associate at the Cornell Tree Ring Lab. Her talk will
review the excavation of the site and what she learned at her dig. Importantly, it will provide an introduction to archeological methods.

Ted’s presentation will feature a slideshow on the Ithaca Pottery and its history through Elijah Cornell and subsequent owners. In particular, his slides will review potter’s marks and designs. Ted is originally from New Jersey, did graduate work at Cornell University, and returned to Cornell to a position as a Research Associate in Agricultural Engineering. He is a long term member of the Finger Lakes Bottle Collectors Association (FLBCA).

This event is co-sponsored by the Finger Lakes Chapter of the New York State Archeological Association.

July 2-6   Goshen Historic Track Goshen NY Leadership Program (Overnight Camp) Ages 14-18
July 10-14  Tioga Downs  Nichols, New York (Day Camp) Ages 12-14 July 17-21 Pocono Downs  Wilkes-Barre, PA (Overnight camp) Ages 12-14 July 24-28 Gaitway Farms Englishtown, NJ (Day Camp) Ages 12-14 July 30  New Jersey Girl Scouts

Complete application information, is available at http://www.hhyf.org/programs.asp. HHYF is finalizing its spring and early summer schedule and details will be released shortly.

The Harness Horse Youth Foundation is a charitable 501(c)3 organization dedicated to providing young people and their families educational opportunities with  harness horses, in order to foster the next generation of participants and fans. The Foundation has been making a difference in young people’s lives since 1976, and its programs include interactive learning experiences with these versatile animals, scholarship programs, and creation and distribution of educational materials. For more information on opportunities through HHYF, or to support its mission, go to www.hhyf.org, or call 317-867-5877.

Computers for Beginners
Wednesday, May 2, 7-9 pm

Microsoft Word
Wednesday, May 9 or May 30, 7-9 pm

Navigating the Internet
Wednesday, May 23, 7-9 pm

On Wednesday, May 16, the library will host two drop-in sessions for Using Your eReader to Download Library Books. Stop by the library between 10 and 11 am or 2 and 3 pm and learn how you can download eBooks from the library’s website.

The Ulysses Philomathic Library is located on Main Street in downtown Trumansburg. The library is open Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, from 10 am until 5 pm; Tuesday and Thursday, from 10 am until 8 pm; and Saturday, from 10 am until 2 pm. For more information visit the library’s website at www.trumansburglibrary.org.

Exhibition Opening Night
May 4, 2012
5-8pm

The History Center will unveil the last and third scheduled batch of historic quilts on May 4, 2012. This time, The History Center will highlight “Crazy quilts” and silk quilts from the late 19th century. Quilts made of delicate fabrics, arranged in wild patterns and showing vibrant colors will be on display throughout the month of May.

Tompkins Quilters Guild members will keep doing live conservation work on historic quilts every Tuesday and Thursday afternoon in The History Center’s main gallery to help better preserve these treasured textiles. They take quilts from their current storage space, photograph them, and document their history. The quilts are then re-housed in archival storage boxes to help conserve them.

The Tompkins County Quilters Guild was founded in 1974 to “promote, encourage, stimulate, and support quilters and quilting in Tompkins County and to provide education and fellowship for the members.” In August 1976 they put on an extraordinary Bicentennial Finger Lakes Quilt Exhibit, the largest quilt show to that date in the nation, displaying 600 quilts from fourteen Finger Lakes counties. It was attended by over 8,000 visitors from all over the country. Other programs of the Guild include quilt raffles, annual participation in the Ithaca Festival, and exhibits. The most recent was a display in October 2011 at Tompkins Cortland Community College, including some from The History Center’s collection.

The History Center is delighted to partner with the Tompkins County Quilters Guild to highlight some of the oldest quilts from the collection.

For more information, please contact The History Center on 607 273 8284 x0 or visit us at www.TheHistoryCenter.net

The History Center is located east of the Ithaca Commons, at 401 East State Street, Ithaca, New York.

In addition to the concert, this event also features a major raffle contest.  Raffle tickets are $5 each, and are on sale at the State Theatre box office and at www.stateofithaca.com

Many local businesses have donated amazing prizes such as:

• “Rock Star Getaway Package” including deluxe overnight accommodations at La Tourelle Resort, massages for two at August Moon Spa, dinner at John Thomas Steakhouse, breakfast at Simply Red Bistro and two VIP tickets to Hot Tuna Electric on June 21^st (Courtesy of La Tourelle Resort & Spa, Dan Smalls Presents and John Thomas Steakhouse)
• Summer Cruise for You and 39 Friends (Courtesy of Cayuga Lake Cruises)
• 42-inch Vizio LCD HDTV (Courtesy of Munson Trucking)
• “Greek Peak Weekend Getaway and Adventure Package” including a two-night stay at Hope Lake Lodge for 4 in a Northwoods Suite with 4 two-day waterpark passes (Courtesy of Hope Lake Lodge)
• 16 GB Black Apple iPad 2 (Courtesy of Sherpa Technologies)
• $500 Travel Voucher (Courtesy of Ithaca/Tompkins Regional Airport)
• And many more prizes and packages!

Winning tickets will be drawn on stage at the end of the concert.

“This is a special concert to benefit the State Theatre, and the raffle is an important fund-raising element,” said Executive Director Doug Levine. “We are so grateful for the support from the local businesses that have made these donations. And,  we’re looking forward to having many happy winners on May 6^th.”

General admission tickets for the benefit concert are $29.50 per person, with a limited number of VIP tickets available at $75.00. Raffle tickets and tickets to the concert are currently for sale at The State Theatre Box Office at 105 West State/MLK Jr. Street.  All proceeds will directly benefit the State Theatre of Ithaca, Inc.

Located at 107 West State/MLK Jr. Street, in the heart of downtown Ithaca, The State Theatre is the crown jewel of Tompkins County’s arts community, hosting over 70 events and attracting over 45,000 patrons per year. More information is available online at www.stateofithaca.com.

On Thursday, May 10, at 7:15 p.m., local author and SUNY Cortland professor Dr. Charles Yaple will visit the Southworth Library to discuss his book: Foxey Brown: A Story Of An Adirondack Outlaw, Hermit and Guide As He Might Have Told It. Join us for an intriguing presentation of the tale of the strange and fascinating life of an Adirondack outlaw, character and recluse.

Join us for our preschool storytimes every Friday at 10 a.m. for stories, crafts, snacks and fun with Ms. Diane and guests

• May 4: Rain Showers
• May 11: Fluttery Butterflies
• May 18: Stories with Mrs. B
• May 25: Monekyshines!

Read! Baby! Read! Infant and toddler storytime is every Thursday at 10 a.m. for small ones and their caregivers.  Enjoy fingerplays, songs and stories with your child.

Our Adult Book Club will meet on May 8 at 11 a.m. for a discussion of The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein.  Join us for invigorating discussion and refreshments at the library!

The American Girls Book Club meets every other Wednesday afternoon at 3:45 in the teen room.  On May 2 we will discuss Kit, a girl from the Depression in 1934 and May 16^th and May 30^th, we will Meet Molly- an American girl from 1945.

The library just added over 65 new children’s books through a generous grant from the LIBRI Foundation and support from local donors including Debbie and Corwin Holtz, Sarah Marcham and donations made in honor of Kathleen Perkins and the Dryden Reading Teachers. The foundation is a nationwide non-profit organization that donates new quality hardcover books to rural public libraries through its BOOKS FOR CHILDREN program on a 2-to-1 matching basis.  Over $1000 of new books were provided for the Southworth Library children’s collection. Come in and take a look!

The Southworth Library is located on the corner of Main St and Library St in Dryden.  WE are open Monday – Wednesday from 1:30 to 7:30, Thursdays from 11 to 5:30, Fridays from 11 to 7:30 and Saturday from 10 to 2. We are on-line all the time at www.southworthlibray.org. For more information about our programs, resources or collection call 844-4782 or email southworth@twcny.rr.com.

Did you get recently purchase a Kindle or Nook? Did you know that there are hundreds of titles available for free downloading through the library website?  Be sure to check the library’s website for guides and information to access and check out these titles or come into the library for help.

We continue to add all the newest titles to our collection for all ages, including movies and audio books and the latest releases. Come and browse!

The show’s Director (also R2P Co-Artistic Director) Joey Steinhagen explains: “The audience sees the characters in the play ‘Noises Off’ rehearsing and performing a play called ‘Nothing On’ – sometimes even from the backstage view. It’s a rare opportunity for audiences to see the theatre sausage getting made, and it’s not always a pretty sight. We watch them live a series of escalating actor’s nightmares – forgotten lines, late cues, missing props, falling pants. Not to mention the hidden world of inter-cast member romances and conflicts which sometimes accompany putting on a show.”

The talented ensemble cast of nine R2P veterans (Matt Avery, Sarah Beckwith, Grace Bobertz, Austin Brecht, Bryce Damiani, Kai Haskins, Kevin Hilgartner, Jenna Ledet, and Emma Plotkin) hail from Dryden, Ithaca, Lansing, and Trumansburg. “It’s one of the sharpest and most professional casts I’ve ever worked with,” beams Steinhagen. They need to be for this play. The actors must not only prepare complex wordplay and perfect the timing of their door-slamming antics, but also they must juggle characters on multiple levels. Everyone plays someone in ‘Noises Off’ who also plays at least one character in ‘Nothing On.’ This sometimes presented hilarious challenges during rehearsals. According to Steinhagen, “I would have to be clear whether I was giving the direction to the actor, or to the character he or she was playing, or in regards to the character that that character was playing. It makes you dizzy to think about.”

Fortunately, there is an equally talented stage management team keeping track of all the details. Stage Manager Lexi Brennan is a college-bound homeschooler who has been with the company from the beginning. She is assisted by Noah Elman and Allison Mollenkamp who diligently track the countless props and entrances and exits for the cast. “We’d all be lost in every rehearsal without this team,” says Steinhagen.

The production also benefits from the artistry of Scenic Designer Tyler M. Perry, whose work audiences have seen this year in Hairspray and Oliver. The set for Noises Off is a full-stage, two-story affair that features the requisite-for-a-farce slamming doors, as well as big surprises. “The acts alternately take place in front of and behind the set,” says Steinhagen. “Tyler has done it again, and given us a beautiful, clever, and versatile set to play on. It’s like the tenth character in the play.” Other members of the team include Lighting Designer Jennette Kollmann, Costume Designer Diane Beckwith, Technical Director Pierre Clavel, and Producer/R2P Co-Artistic Director Gail Belokur.

Noises Off is a rip-roaring, side-splitting good time for audiences of all ages. The show is co-sponsored by Kelly A. Damm Attorney at Law and the Savage Club of Ithaca, with grant support from the Community Arts Partnership and season-long support by the Ithaca Youth Bureau, CSP Management, and Cayuga Radio Group. Tickets are $15 at the door, but may be purchased for only $12 through May 3 at 4pm at the State Theatre Box Office at 105 West State/MLK Jr. Street in Ithaca, by calling 607-277-8283, or visiting www.stateofithaca.com. Additional information can be found at www.runningtoplaces.org.

Performance Dates:

• Fri, May 4 at 7:00pm
• Sat, May 5 at 7:00pm
• Sun, May 6 at 2:00pm

SUNY Cortland Student Government Jamie Piperato will extend the welcome on behalf of the college.  This year’s concert embraces the theme of Ubuntu: “I am what I am because of who we are.” Dr. Seth Asumah, Chair of Africana Studies will elaborate on the theme and it’s implication for unity in today’s times.

Recently returned from their spring 2012 tour to Washington, D. C. and Maryland, the Gospel Choir will honor outstanding African American recording artists Whitney Houston, Sam Cooke, and Kirk Franklin, and also the famous African American Composer of Spirituals Moses Hogan. Cortland A Cappella, directed by Noelle Paley, Director of Multicultural Life, will be featured, along with the Gospel Choir Ensemble, saxophonist Jamie Yaman and pianist Dorothy Thomas.

Among the selections by the Gospel Choir will My Soul Doth Magnify The Lord, by O’Landa Draper, Battlefield, by Norman Hutchings, with Jason Carriero as soloist,Glorious, by  Martha Munizzi, Total Praise, Richard Smallwood, led by Deston Hudson and I Just Want To Praise You by Maurette Brown Clark. Cortland A Cappella will present one spiritual in honor of composer Moses Hogan, along with several other contemporary selections.  The Gospel Choir will also present the spiritual Keep Your Lamp in recognition of Hogan.

Saxophonist Jamie Yaman will honor Kirk Franklin with a performance of Silver and Gold.  He will be backed by the Gospel Choir Ensemble. Pianist Dorothy Thomas will perform Whitney Houston’s One Moment In Time, by Albert Hammond & John Bettis and I’ll Always Love You, by Dolly Parton.  Khalia Brown will sing Whitney’s Houston’s rendition of I Look To You.  Jason Carriero pays tribute to Sam Cooke’s with the classic, I Know A Change Is Gonna Come.

Directing Cortland’s Gospel Choir will be Robert Brown, a SUNY Cortland adjunct instructor in Africana Studies.  Brown teaches music at Blodgett Elementary School in Syracuse. He is also music director of the New Life Community Church. Choir musicians are Andy Rudy, Reginald Siegler, and Benjamin Terry, all from Syracuse.  Jamie Yaman is from Cortland.

The program is sponsored by the SUNY Cortland Africana Studies Department.  It is also supported by the Center for Multicultural and Gender Studies, Alumni Affairs,Cortland College Foundation, the Division of Student Affairs, Office of the President, Office of the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, and the Mandatory Student Activity Fee.  For more information, contact Professor Samuel L. Kelley at 607 753-4104 or sam.kelley@cortland.edu  or Dr. Seth Asumah atseth.asumah@cortland.edu, or 607 753-2064.