Compiled by  Janice Llanes Fabry

 

This Weekend

Green Thumbs Unite
Join the Jay Heritage Center on Saturday for “I Love My Park Day.” Wear your gardening gloves and bring your rakes and spades to participate in this statewide initiative to clean up and beautify the park. Various project sessions are available from 9-12.

Families are welcome to either clear debris, plant deer-resistant flowers or create pathways. This is a great intergenerational opportunity. Free T-shirts and refreshments. In the event of rain, there’s plenty of work to be done in the 1907 Carriage House. Visit jaycenter.org to volunteer.

 

Daddy, Critters, and Me
Fathers can drop in with their kids for a fun-filled animal adventure at the Rye Nature Center on Saturday at 9:15. The cost is $10 for members, $15 non-members.

 

Sea Setbacks
Dr. Judith Weis will discuss her new book “Marine Pollution” at the Rye Meeting House Saturday at 4. A Professor of Biological Sciences at Rutgers University, Weis will present an engaging overview of the many facets of marine pollution, chemical, industrial, and agricultural. She will offer solutions to the pollution-related issues surrounding marine ecosystems. 

“Marine Pollution” is part of Oxford’s “What Everyone Needs to Know” series and will be available for sale and signing by the author. The program is co-sponsored by the Bird Homestead and LI SoundFest. The program is free but donations will be gratefully accepted.

 

Serendipity
A lecture by Dr. Gibbs Williams will explore the seemingly inexplicable phenomena of meaningful coincidences at Wainwright House on Saturday from 9:30-4. Participants can enhance their lives by decoding the deeper meaning of their coincidences.

Dr. Williams is a psychoanalyst who has been investigating the nature of synchronicities for the last 40 years. His morning lecture will be followed by a lunch break and an afternoon of application. Bring paper, pens, a list of coincidences, and a bag lunch.

The fee is $115 for members, $125 non-members.

 

Feathering the Nest
The birds are nesting and volunteers are picking up tools to help beautify the Edith Read Wildlife Sanctuary on Saturday from 10-3. After this long winter, the more the merrier.
Work gloves, tools, and lunch are provided by the Read Sanctuary Volunteers Corps. Mark your calendars for upcoming workdays June 6, July 11, and August 1.

 

Summer Al Fresco
Want to become a volunteer at the Rye Nature Center for the summer? Drop by their Open House on Saturday at 2. Must be at least 15 years old to work at the Friends of Rye Nature Center camp. Volunteer application and reference forms can be found at ryenaturecenter.org and should be submitted that day.

Arts & Entertainment

Conversations  with Nature  
Join landscape artist Vivian Bergenthal at a reception at the Rye Free Reading Room May 9 from 1-3. The artist hopes to engage visitors in the spiritual and visceral connections that bind us to the environment through her vibrant paintings, which will be on display May 5-29.

In Bergenthal’s words, “The landscape is a window into the very soul of our humanity.”

 

Road Trip to the Arts
Join SPRYE for a docent-led tour of selected highlights at Yale Art Gallery on May 12 at 12:30. Members will depart Rye for New Haven at 11. Entrance to the museum is free. Must RSVP; call 481-5705.

 

Tales from Both Sides of the Brain
Explore the mathematical applications used by painters, sculptors, and architects through the ages at the Rye Arts Center on May 13 from 10-11. Gail Roman, Ph.D. in art history from Columbia University who has worked as a curator and lecturer at RAC for 25 years, will lead the discussion. Admission is $10 at the door.

 

Art Excursion to the City
Check out the hottest art in town while gaining an understanding of the Chelsea gallery scene on May 14 and again on June 18. As part of the Rye Arts Center’s Eye on Art series, Rye’s own Margot Clark-Junkins and Katharine Dufault will guide participants through the inspiring New York City art landscape.

This tour will include Pace, Mathew Marks, Gagosian, and Cheim and Read galleries, as well as other current shows. For meeting location in Chelsea, call 967-0700. The cost is $35 per tour, transportation not included.

 

Midcentury Beauty
At the Rye Arts Center, the works of Eva Zeisel are on display through May 22. The internationally recognized mid-century designer’s playful search for beauty in abstract forms is evident in her vases, tableware, and home furnishings. Experience Zeisel’s extraordinary story and 80-year career.

Talks, Workshops, and Just for Fun

It’s High Time to Get  High Tech
Join SPRYE for a tech workshop May 5 from 3-4 at Rye High School’s TV Studios. Participants will learn the ins and outs of the latest electronic devices from Rye Youth Council students. These young coaches will share their knowledge about apps and games, too. Free. RSVP by calling 481-5705.

 

The $64,000 Question
Learn about the strategies to maximize Social Security at the Rye Free Reading Room’s “Million Dollar Asset You May Be Ignoring” workshops on May 7, from 12-1:30 or 6-7:30. Presented by Lob Planning Group’s Gayle S. Lob and Adam B. Rude, the session will cover when to begin receiving payments, taking on a spouse’s record, when and how to apply, and whether your SS is enough for retirement.
Bring a brown bag lunch to the midday session. RSVP to Susan Romano at 428-6440 or susan.romano @lobplaning.com.

 

Tales of Mothers and Grandmothers
Join adult story lovers at monthly meetings at the Rye Free Reading Room to share traditional and personal tales and trade tips. The May 5 Rye Storytellers’ Guild meeting at 6 will focus on mothers and grandmothers, real or imagined.

 

Rekindle Your Kindle
Learn how to download library e-books on your Kindle at the Rye Free Reading Room on the first Thursday of the month: May 7, June 4, from 10-11. Become familiar with the Overdrive catalog’s popular titles. Library staff will provide attendees with all the technical assistance they need.

 

Healthcare, Naturally
Can the thyroid cause weight gain or prevent loss? Find out May 7 at 10 at a talk at the Rye library. At 11, discover natural solutions for headaches, and learn about what triggers migraines for 37 million Americans. Dr. Thomas Giudice of Larchmont Wellness will lead both of these informative talks.

 

SOS for E-Books
Come by the Rye Free Reading Room on the first Thursday of the month – May 7 and/or June 4 from 4:30-5:25 — to get help downloading e-books to tablets and phones. Assistance is available on a first-come basis.

 

The Second Act      
Discover how to profit from your passions in semi-retirement at the Rye library on May 7 at 6:30. Author and Career Coach Nancy Collamer will share realistic methods to turn expertise and interests into part-time income and offer advice to make the transition happen.

 

Unleash the Imagination
Adults of all skill levels who love to write will enjoy a creative writing workshop at the Rye Free Reading Room May 9 from 11-1. Published author Carol Costa will lead the session with techniques to get the creative juices flowing in a supportive environment. Bring a laptop, tablet, or paper.

 

Mother Earth Spirituality
Two workshops at Wainwright House on May 9 will delve into the living spirit of Mother Earth: “Who is Mother Earth?” from 3:30-5:30 and “Ways of Communicating to Earth Mother” from 6-8.  Both will revolve around Medicine Wheel Teachings: An Education in Native American Ways and will be facilitated by Susan Wright and Evan Pritchard.

One can take either or both workshops. Cost for one is $35 for members, $40 non-members. Both workshops: $60, $70 non-members.

 

 Live and Let Live
Learn how people can collaborate with all living beings to restore ecological health and foster dynamic balance at Wainwright House May 12 from 7-8:30. Authors and Nature Communicators Dr. Jim Conroy and Basia Alexander will explore how multidimensional collaboration heals ecosystems.

After the lecture, stay for a book signing. The cost is $25 for members, $28 non-members.

 

Book Buzz
Curious about hot new titles before they’re published? Head to the Rye Free Reading Room May 14 at 11 to hear about the inside scoop on spring 2015 titles. Advanced readers’ copies, book catalogs, and “Keep Calm and Read On” totes will be available for attendees during this Penguin/ Random House event.

Sign up online at ryelibrary. org or call 231-3161.

 

Measles Lowdown
Hear the perspective of a homeopath on measles, vaccinations, and alternatives at the Rye library on May 14 at 7:30. Presented by the Holistic Moms Network, the discussion will be led by Manna Semby, who has a practice in West Harrison.

Hard to Swallow?
The selection for the Rye Free Reading Room’s Current Events Book Group is “America’s Bitter Pill” by Steven Brill. The meeting will be held May 26 from 6:30-8. Moderated by John Dolan, the evening’s discussion will focus on money, politics, and the Affordable Care Act.

The Great Outdoors

A Walk on the Wild Side
The Rye Nature Center invites all to a wildflower walk May 9 at 9:30. There are over 250,000 species of flowering plants in the world and although it certainly doesn’t have them all, the center’s woods boast native gardens and beautiful specimens, such as Dutchman’s Breeches, Trillium, and Trout Lily. Join a naturalist on a tour of the fascinating lives of these forest jewels.

 

Paddle Adventure Camp
Rye Nature Center is offering an exciting kayak opportunity the weeks of July 6-10, July 13-17, and July 20-24, Monday through Friday from 9:30-5:30. Those entering grades 8-10, whether experienced kayakers or beginners, will master the skills needed to kayak through lakes, rivers, and the Long Island Sound. Participants will also portage through forests, hike rocky faces, and learn to read the water, wind, and weather. Kayaks, lifejackets, and paddles provided.

Sign up for one week or all three. Optional overnight trip will be available to all during the third week for an additional fee. Space is limited. Cost is $600 per week. For more information, email the Education Director at AllisonBedosky@ryenaturecenter.org.

Family Ties

Mother-Daughter Yoga
Wainwright House is offering a three-hour workshop filled with playful and creative ways for mothers and daughters to connect and communicate May 9 from 1-4. Kundalini yoga, arts, relaxation, and meditation will be woven though the session, led by psychotherapist Sherri Snyder-Roche. 

Art materials will be provided. The fee is $90 for members, $100 non-members. Register at wainwright.org.

 

Teen Time

Sunday Study Days
The Rye Free Reading Room will be open from 12-4 on Sundays, May 3, 10, 17, and 31 and June 7. The extra hours will be of particular benefit to students as they prep for Regents, AP tests, and final exams. Of course, all others are welcome to use the library on these afternoons.  

 

Babysitters’ Club
Rye Recreation is offering tweens and teens, ages 11-15, a two-day babysitters workshop on May 9 and May 16 from 9-1:15 at the Damiano Center. The program will provide aspiring caregivers with the knowledge and skills necessary to safely and responsibly care for children.

It will help participants develop leadership skills and set up a babysitting business. Basic first aid is included as well. The $100 fee covers both classes, a manual, and certification card.

Children’s Corner

 

A Little Piece of Rye   
The Rye Free Reading Room and the Rye Historical Society invite children in first grade and up, along with their grown-ups, to tell their family’s story on a community quilt. Quilt artist Kate Perri will introduce the workshop at the Rye Free Reading Room May 16 from 2-5 with a bit of history on quilt making and then assist families in creating their squares.

In celebration of the Historical Society’s “Immigration” exhibit, the project will make a memorable Rye keepsake; the assembled community quilt will hang in the library and the Square House for all to see.

Space is limited. Register at ryelibrary.org beginning May 9.

 

Pop Sensation
Iggy Azalea fans will flock to the Rye Free Reading Room on May 8 from 3:30-4:40 for a documentary about the hip-hop superstar. It will chronicle her rise from a child in Australia to coming to America and living her dream.

 

My Heart Will Go On and On
The Rye Free Reading Room’s “I Read A Latte” book club for tweens in grades 4-6 has chosen their May selection: “Titanic: Voices from the Disaster” by Deborah Hopkinson. The meeting will be held May 16 at 3 and will focus on the historic account of the 1912 tragic sinking of the cruise liner.

 

Middle School Amigos
The Rye YMCA invites sixth, seventh, and eighth graders to celebrate Cinco de Mayo on May 9 from 7-10. Fun activities include a Velcro wall, basketball, games, pizza, and make-your-own-tacos.

Middle School second Saturdays of the month participants are supervised by the Y’s teen staff, led by the teen coordinator.

 

Inspector Gadget
The monthly science club for grades 3-5 will meet at the Rye Free Reading Room May 15 from 3:30-4:30. Each session focuses on a different S.T.E.M. hands-on activity or experiment that will engage kids interested in science, technology, engineering, and math.  

 

Kids Night In/Parents Night Out
Parents, enjoy a night off while the Rye YMCA provides supervision and entertainment for the kids at the Y May 15 from 6-9. Ages 5-11 will enjoy swimming, arts, a healthy dinner, gym time, and other fun activities. The per-child fee is $18 for Family members: $26 for Youth members; and $35 for non-members. Registration required at ryeymca.org.

Save the Date

Anchors Aweigh

The Rye Historical Society will host its annual gala benefit June 6 from 7-10 at a beautiful waterfront home in Rye. The gala committee has planned a memorable evening of live music, a light supper menu, and specialty cocktails to tie in with Rye’s nautical heritage. Live auction offerings include a week’s stay in the heart of Nantucket in a beautiful historic home. Silent auction selections include an array of unique and distinctive offerings.

Guests will also have an opportunity to support the Society’s mission by making donations to the 2015 Giving Tree, which includes underwriting some of the most popular programs presented by the Society, such as perennial favorites Pumpkin Carving in the fall and Hands-on-History summer camp.

Tickets are $150 per person for members. Various levels: Skippers $165; Captains $275; and Commodores $500. Tickets at the door, if available, will be $175. For reservations call 967-7588 or visit ryehistory.org.

 

Spring Awakening
Wainwright House invites all to their third annual luncheon on May 19 from 12-2:30. The 2015 Fonrose Wainwright Condit Heart and Soul Award honorees are: Helping Hands for the Homeless and Hungry, Robert GiaQuinto of Rye Beach Pharmacy, and Rye Sustainability Committee.

For reservations to this memorable occasion, visit wainwright .org. Cost is $75 per person; $525 for a table of 8; $600 for a table of 10.

 

Classical Evening
Italian mandolin virtuoso Carlo Aonzo and Cuban guitarist Rene Izquierdo will perform at Wainwright House on May 28. Enjoy a wine and beer reception at 7:30 and an evening filled with music starting at 8.