Click on the link below to access the video, and then click on the screen to view and listen.

http://vimeo.com/66004076#

So many good things are happening here, just as the tulips are blooming and the radishes in our Community Garden are sprouting.

We’re hoping lots of kids turn out for the very special offerings for Kid Stuff in May – Saturday the 4th, former forest ranger Patti Rudge will lead a walk in the area . Patti  knows everything there is to know about the flora and fauna around us.   This will be a great way to welcome spring .  Adults are encouraged to join in.    In the weeks ahead we’ll welcome Betty Boomer, who will bring along a selection of pond creatures to get to know,  Elly Wininger will take kids on a musical journey around the world, and poet Sharon Ruetnik will get everyone writing odes to spring.

Friday, May 10  6-9 pm.  Catskill Mountains Acoustic Slow Jam.

A group of friendly acoustic musicians meets once a month to play Bluegrass, Old Time, Irish, and Catskills Contra in a low-key, non-competitive atmosphere. You can pick up standard tunes across genres, become more proficient on a 2nd or 3rd instrument, or improve your improvisational skills, all at a slower pace. For advanced beginners to intermediate and professional players. Come play music and have fun with other musicians without the pressure of performing for an audience!

Saturday, May 11, there’s a special Big Indian Native American Cultural Center Gathering: Noon:  Pot Luck Lunch followed by  Pam Brown -  Wolf Teacher Program at 1:30,this program starts out with a short movie then a talk with Pam on the wolves. In the Native Tradition the wolf is a teacher,showing us how to live in balance. There is a” Free Will” donation for this program.  Proceeds go to  the wolf programs.This is one of many programs we hope to bring to our gatherings. Drumming lease bring your hand drums this month and share your songs with us Sharing time:We will be introducing ourselves and sharing news of upcoming events.

Radishes, kale, peas, carrots, onions, cabbages, scallions, and other early crops are thriving in  the spring sunshine in our Community Garden.   Seventeen people who enrolled in our Seeds to Supper workshop series turned out to get the garden started.   In addition to planting in one bed, they prepared another bed for future tomato crops.   This involved some heavy lifting as several flowering bushes were removed (and given new homes).     Everyone took home valuable information (and seeds) from instructors Andrew Messinger and Madalyn Warren.    By the time the group meets again on June 2 to put in a new crop, we should be enjoying radishes and other good things from this planting. 

We start on May 4 with an outdoor activity led by former Park Ranger Patti Rudge.   Depending on the weather, Patti and participants will go for a hike or explore signs of spring closer to the Center.   Parents are especially welcome to join in.

On May 11, naturalist Betty Boomer will bring  bring and take back a selection of wonderful wild pond bugs and perhaps one or two other beasties as well as we learn about pond life.  Betty travels all around the area bringing nature programs to kids of all ages.  We are very lucky to have her with us today.

On May 18, singer songwriter Elly Wininger returns with Elly Wininger  Ticket to Ride!   Hop on the music and explore the world! Through listening games, movement, music, and hands-on crafts we’ll find out how much we are the same, and the very cool ways in which we are different.   We’ll make our own instruments from every day materials, and use them to play a song or two as well.

May 25th brings us Andes poet Sharon Ruetnik  with whom we’ll take a poetic look at spring and come up with some cool poems to celebrate.

June comes along with more fun programming and  in July and August we’re all looking forward to a very special series of Circus Arts Magic workshops with  with Hana Roth Seavey five weeks of magicianship, juggling, stilt-walking, unicycling, and circus skits fun. Sessions begin with magic tricks, continue with skills’ practice, and end with a team of circus clown gags. Materials, equipment, and helpers will be provided. Session five invites families ‘n’ friends to admire and laugh during a demonstration by CAM’s youthful participants: magicians, jugglers, stilt-walkers, unicyclists, and clown performers. Teaching Artist: Hana Roth Seavey (Hanabelle the Classic Clown), Graduate, Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Clown College, Fulbright Scholar (Mime, Paris), originator, four clown and magic family shows performed in many East Coast venues.  Programs will take place on July 20, 27, August 3, 10, 23.

Kid Stuff is made possible with grants from Kids in the Kaatskills and the  A.Lindsay and Olive B. O’Connor Foundation, with support from WIOX Community Radio, 91.3 FM and streaming on wioxradio.org.

The Catskill Mountains Acoustic Slow Jam, which meets on the second Friday of each month from 6-9pm is going strong.   It’s open to  players of all acoustic instruments with skill levels from advanced beginner to professional.

The Pine Hill Community Story Tellers Circle has gotten off to a great start – we meet every third Thursday of the month at 4pm.  It’s open to all with a tale to tell or an appetite for listening.

We’ve been participating in an EnerPath project sponsored by NYSEG that is allowing us to replace our energy sucking lighting fixtures with environmentally friendly ones that use a lot less energy, allowing us to keep the lights on longer.

Save the date:  Catskills Cabaradio returns on June 8 with an all star lineup of guests.  Great entertainment and a community potluck dinner.  Dinner at 6, the live radio broadcast begins at 7 pm.  on WIOX CommunityRadio 91.3 FM and wioxradio.org.  We thank WIOX for their ongoing support of The Pine Hill Community Center.

And thanks to Julie Greenwood for updating our website.  Keep checking this page for news and information about us. Story Circle, April 18- Jim Red Fox spinning a tale.

Our vision is an open and engaged community in the Central Catskills.

Our Mission:

The Pine Hill Community Center is dedicated to enriching the lives of the people in the Central Catskills Region by providing community-building activities that nurture creativity and life-long growth.

We provide a vibrant, welcoming and comfortable space for all. It is our goal to help strengthen the economic vitality of our region, cultivate appreciation for our unique history and natural assets, and to provide excellence in programming in order to best meet the needs of our diverse communities.

Our Core Values are:

Community, Integrity, Fun, Excellence and Respect.