Compiled by Janice Llanes Fabry

 

This Weekend

A Good Day for Summer Science
Today, children entering kindergarten through second grade are invited to the Rye Free Reading Room at 3:30 for a “Simple Machines” workshop. Third through fifth graders will have their turn at 4:30, and learn about “Solar Powered Cars.” 

These fun and educational summer events are part of a Science Club Fridays series conducted by the Westchester Children’s Museum’s “Museum Without Walls” program.

 

Dancing in the Moonlight
Swing and sway to the romantic music of the Big Band era played against the backdrop of moonlight streaming across Long Island Sound. The Milt Gerver Orchestra performs tonight, as well as July 25 and August 1, on the Playland Boardwalk from 7:30-10:30.

At each concert, Milt and his orchestra will evoke the music of the immortal bandleaders of the 1930s and ’40s, like Glenn Miller and Tommy Dorsey, accompanied by his professional vocalists.

As an added bonus, enjoy the weekly fireworks display at 9:15. Admission is free; seating is limited, so bring folding chairs. Parking is $5, $1 for senior citizens with a Westchester County Park Pass. Please use the poolside parking entrance.

 

Mid-Summer College Prep
Still time and room to take a practice ACT test on Saturday from 10:30-1:45 at the Rye library. Find out your personal strengths and weaknesses a week later via a detailed report available at www.applerouth.com. Both the exam and report are free. Bring water, a snack, pencils and a calculator. Register today by calling 371-8000 or log on to www.apple routh.com/signup.  

 

Power of Wholeness
Wainwright House is featuring an inspiring program, “Answering a Call to Wholeness,” on Sunday from 10-5. Visionaries from New York City’s major spiritual, holistic organizations will take participants from isolation to co-creation.

Exploring the power of wholeness, personally and globally, highly esteemed futurists include: entomologist Kurt Johnson; “New Realities” TV producer Alan Steinfeld; We, the World founder Rick Ulfik; The Meta Center NYC founder Jodi Serota; and Vistar Foundation co-founder Ron Friedman. The interactive event, hosted by Wainwright Programs Committee Chair Victoria Friedman, will include sound meditations, live music, and audience participation.

Presenters are volunteering and keeping the cost low. Register online at www.wainwright.org. Fee is $25 for members, students, and seniors; $35 for non-members. Free shuttle service from the Metro-North Rye station at 9:30 for out-of-town participants.

 

Talks & Workshops

Shoring Up New York
Rye residents will have a rare opportunity to hear Dr. Eric W. Sanderson, Senior Conservation Ecologist at the Wildlife Conservation Society, at The Meeting House on Milton Road July 26 at 4. The author of the acclaimed book, “Mannahatta: A Natural History of New York City,” will discuss “Hurricanes, Nature, and the Future of New York City.”

The program is part of the Bird Homestead nonprofit’s lecture series, “After the Storm: Toward a More Resilient Shoreline,” funded partially by a grant from the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Admission is free; donations gratefully accepted. For further information contact birdhomestead.meetinghouse@gmail.com.

 

Poetry Group
On July 31 at 6:30, read and share your thoughts about contemporary poems at the Rye Free Reading Room. Sigmund Freud said, “When we can share, that is poetry in the prose of life.” Poetry lovers are sure to enjoy the lively monthly discussions led by Michael Alcee.

 

Remodeling How-To
Learn to manage a home improvement project and hear how to hire a contractor at a seminar at the Rye Free Reading Room on August 2 at 10. A “Homeowner’s Guide to Remodeling” will address the New York State Lien Law, licensing, escrow accounts, and how to avoid the pitfalls of home improvements.

 

Captivating Stories
The next meeting of the Rye Storytellers’ Guild at the Rye Free Reading Room will be held August 5 at 6. The evening’s topic is “Sunny Days and Starry Nights.” Join other adult storytellers in sharing traditional and personal tales, as well as storytelling tips. Listeners, as well as tellers, are always welcome.

 

Arts & Entertainment

 

Historic Home
The next guided tour of the 1838 Greek Revival Jay Mansion is scheduled for July 27 from 2-5. The Jay Heritage Center will take visitors on a tour of the boyhood home of our country’s first Chief Justice. Get a glimpse of the National Historic Landmark that was John Jay’s grandfather’s original home at 210 Boston Post Road.

 

Music in the Air 
Rye Town Park’s series of concerts continues at the Park’s South Pavilion on July 22 with Billy and the Showmen. Founded by Billy Frenz, this Greenwich-based band has earned its reputation as one of the most enduring rhythm & blues groups. Their revue features soulful vocals, along with a strong horn section and a tight rhythm section.

Next up is Rye’s own The Derivatives on July 29. The Angelo Rubino Band, playing music from the 1940s to the 1990s, will perform on August 12.

Some seating is available, but everyone is encouraged to bring lawn chairs or blankets. Concerts begin at 7:30 and are held rain or shine, except in the case of thunderstorms, for which a couple of rain dates have been scheduled.

The series is partially supported by Active Energy Drinks, Rye Ford-Subaru, Ruby’s, Morgan’s, and Rye Grill and Bar. Parking is $5 ($4 for permit holders) after 4.

 

All in the Family
A reception to celebrate a mother/daughter collaboration, “Treasures in My Own Backyard,” will be held at the Rye Free Reading Room on July 26 from 1-3. The paintings of Henny Johanna and the photography of Cheryl Selinka will be on display through August 29. The pair is exhibiting images of local landmarks, such as Rye Beach, Playland, Purchase Street, and Henny’s own flower garden.  

 

Teen Times

Summer Projects
Summer camps are not just for kids anymore. Adults and teens have the chance to create and converse at the Rye Free Reading Room on Thursday mornings from 10 to 11:30 in July and August. Upcoming sessions will feature a Fairy Garden Workshop with Peggy Peters on July 24; Crochet an Easy, Breezy Summer Scarf with Carol Costa on July 31; and Basket Weaving in two sessions with Judy Flanders on August 7 and 14. 

Supplies are provided, except for the crochet workshop. Call 231-3161 for details. Space is limited; sign-up required.

 

Family Ties

Family Fun Nights
Children ages 5 and up can bring their parents and grandparents to the Rye library at 6 on Thursdays throughout the summer for entertainment with a focus on science. The next three, on July 24 and 31 and August 7, will feature a Mad Science program about “Fire and Ice,” the Science Tellers using hands-on scientific activities to tell the story of “Dragons and Dreams,” and a “Fun with Energy” workshop investigating light, sound, solar, electric, and kinetic energies. All are part of the Summer Reading Program,  “Fizz, Boom, Read!”

 

Children’s Corner

Thousand Books Pre-K
The concept is simple; the rewards are priceless. The Rye Free Reading Room is introducing “1,000 Books Before Kindergarten,” an early literacy program for children up to age 5. Studies have shown that families who start reading aloud to their children at birth strengthen their language skills and build their vocabulary — two important tools when they begin learning to read in kindergarten. 

Families are invited to participate in this self-paced program by visiting the Children’s Room and picking up a packet of information. Begin the wonderful journey now.

 

Calling All Calligraphers
Tweens and Teens ages 10 and up may enroll in a Calligraphy Workshop at the library the next three Mondays, July 21 and 28, and August 4, at 4. Learn stylized handwriting from calligraphy artist and teacher Mary Jackson. Snacks and supplies will be provided. Space is limited, so call 231-3172 to register. The workshops are sponsored by the Rye Free Reading Room’s Auxiliary Board.

 

Summer Science Fun Club
The Westchester Children’s Museum’s “Museum Without Walls” programs continue at the Rye Free Reading Room on Friday afternoons all summer. 

On July 25, children entering kindergarten through second grade can take part in an interactive workshop about “Alli’s Healthy Heart” at 3:30. Those entering third through fifth grades will learn about energy and where it comes from at 4:30. The topics for the club meetings on August 1 and 8 will cover archaeology, an egg drop, paleontology, and everything you can do with a marshmallow.

Pre-registration is required for each session. Visit the Children’s Room or call 231-3162.

Great Outdoors
Gently Working the Land
On August 2 at 10, volunteers are welcome for a Grounds Work Project at the Rye Meeting House and Bird Homestead on Milton Road, across from Dock Deli. Under the direction of naturalist Alison Beall, volunteers can expect to pull out mugwort plants by hand. All grounds work will be done with reel mowers and hand tools in an effort to leave as small a carbon footprint as possible. No gasoline-powered machinery will be used.
Wear long pants, socks, and shoes, and bring work gloves. This project has “community service hours for students” written all over it. All ages are welcome.  For further information, call 967-0099 or email birdhomestead.meetinghouse@gmail.com.

 

Save the Date

E-Books 101
Take a break from dog days of summer and learn to download library e-books to your mobile device at the Rye Free Reading Room on August 21 at 10. Library staff will provide instruction and technical assistance with the Overdrive catalog and with Kindle or Adobe downloading. Easy access will free you to enjoy the rest of the summer reading al fresco.