February 13th, 2023 ‐ Trustee Melkorka Kjarval’s Agenda Reports
Red Hook Together
The Red Hook Together monthly meeting was held on Feb 2nd, 2023 at Historic Red Hook’s Elmendorph Inn. Various community leaders and organization representatives announced upcoming annual events. Historic Red Hook has a soup night March 4th, and on June 3rd they are launching a new Then+Now festival. The Community Center has a Chili event on March 24th, Rotary has apple blossom on May 13th, Four Corners has a Spring Farm Festival & seedling fundraiser on May 6th. The VFW has a to-be-named youth community day scheduled for June 10th.
Red Hook Town Economic Development Committee
Due to scheduling conflicts I was only able to attend this week's meeting which was on Feb 9th. There was not an official quorum - and there has not been an official quorum since the November meeting. Discussion ranged around the proposed purchase of Cookingham Farm parcels by the Town, and a future visit from the Dutchess County Tourism board. Also we got to see a presentation from Reclaimed Motel Owner Kendra Sinclair on a new project she is launching called the Hudson Valley Non Profit Collab, she is in the process of planning an initial conference for Red Hook Nonprofits to connect them with resources and guidance from non-profit experts.
Village of Red Hook Communications Committee
The Communications committee meets every first Wednesday of the month at 1:30 pm in the Village Hall conference room. Our meeting this month focused on creating the list of renters postal addresses, as well as covering last month’s meeting goals. We also are continuing to coordinate with our website platform service to implement the language and accessibility app Recite-me. We hope to have that launched on the site soon.
Village of Red Hook Hardscrabble / Events Committee
The events committee would like to announce that Hardscrabble day will be September 23, 2023 Also taking place this year will be 3 “Neighbors Nights” tentatively scheduled for May 19th, July 14th and September 22nd. More information will be forthcoming.
Village of Red Hook Human Relations Committee
The committee meets every first Thursday of the month at 7:00 pm in the Village Hall conference room. The Inside Out: We are Neighbors public art project continues to be coordinated - teams of committee members will be volunteering to take portraits at various partner sites around the village. A schedule of sites and times will be announced via various partners. Also the development of a brochure for community members that may experience or witness bias or harassment incidents is still underway.
Red Hook Public Library Report
The Library continues its search for the director of the Red Hook Public Library as it has entered into its interview process. A Thank you reception was held earlier this evening to thank Dawn Jardine for her many years of service at the Library. I will update the board as soon as they announce their decision.
Public Spaces Initiative Meeting, January 2023
Elmendorph Historic Site, 10 AM Saturday, 01.28.2023
Elizabeth Tatum of Historic Elmendorph asked for assistance creating a pollinator garden around the Elmendorph’s news board on its rear green space. This may be a spring and summer PSI project.
Ash Bradley-Rickard, PSI chair, is in discussion with the Red Hook Art Boxes project to plant small pollinator patches around some of the existing and future art boxes in the town and village.
The PSI is planning for a second annual spring pollinator event at the Red Hook Community Center, tentatively on May 21[st] . The event is planned to feature an informational table with Cornell Cooperative Extension Master Gardeners, pollinator plant seed sharing, egg carton planting for children, a seed ball activity with the Red Hook High School Sunrise Movement chapter, and live music.
The PSI has been invited to participate in Historic Elmendorph’s “Red Hook - Then and Now” event on June 3[rd] to showcase the role of pollinator plants in the local landscape historically and contemporarily.
For support with personal pollinator projects or to volunteer with the Public Spaces - Initiative one can contact me, Declan Dwyer-McNulty at ddwyer mcnulty@redhooknyvillage.org, or, better yet, please contact the village clerk, as contact information for PSI will shift in the next couple of months.
February meeting time, date, and location are to be determined.