Harmony in the Woods presents ‘American Music Weekend’

Live music and performance begins in the woods of Hawley, hosted by Harmony in the Woods. On Friday and Saturday, July 2 and 3, the “American Music Weekend” will feature two groups that capture celebratory sounds across American roots and funk music.

Friday, July 2 showcases Brooklyn-based The Gold Magnolias. Though the band hails from New York, their sound has been rightly described as “Brooklyn Southern Soul.” Saturday, July 3 marks the return of the Bumper Jacksons, combining roots jazz, country swing and street blues.

Tickets for these Friday and Saturday evening performances cost $25 and $35, depending on seats chosen; guests are encouraged to BYOB, chair/blanket and snacks for the 2021 summer season. Both shows begin at 6 p.m. with doors opening at 5:30 p.m. Parking is available on site and attendees will be directed on where to park.

For more information and to purchase tickets, visit www.harmonyinthewoods.org.

’One Teacher, Eight Grades, One Room’

GRAHAMSVILLE, NY — “One, Teacher, Eight Grades, One Room,” an exhibition on one-room schools in the Tri-Valleys Area is the Time and the Valleys Museum’s newest exhibition, open Saturday and Sunday from 12 noon to 4 p.m. or by appointment. 

From colonial times through the 1950s, one-room schools were commonplace in rural areas. A single teacher would typically have students in the first through eighth grades and would teach them all. The number of students varied from six to 40 or more. The youngest children sat in the front, while the oldest students sat in the back. The teacher usually taught reading, writing, arithmetic, history and geography. Students memorized and recited their lessons.

This exhibition is a celebration and look back at the dozens of local one-room schools. Visitors can learn about the teachers, the students, a typical school day, lessons, recess, manners, discipline and more. It includes activities like recess games (you can play hopscotch), guessing games and a complete recreated one room school to explore. Visitors can even try their hand at an eighth-grade test that is “very difficult to pass.”

Admission for adults is a suggested donation of $5, $2 for children under 16, and free for children under 6. 

For more information, call 845/985-7700, email info@timeandthevalleysmuseum.org or visit www.timeandthevalleysmuseum.org.

Johnson College enrolling students from rural areas in Wayne, Pike and Susquehanna counties into distance learning and telemedicine program

ONLINE — Johnson College is now enrolling for its new USDA Distance Learning and Telemedicine Program. This remote education program for high school and adult students in the rural areas of Wayne, Pike, and Susquehanna counties launches on August 30, 2021. It creates a direct route for students to complete any of Johnson College’s 15 academic programs and, ultimately, a fulfilling career with family-sustaining wages while staying in their communities.

Students will have interactive, two-way access to Johnson College faculty and participate in remote education, discussions, testing and skill demonstrations via high-tech telecommunications equipment in classrooms at Forest City Regional High School, Honesdale High School, Wallenpaupack Area High School and Western Wayne High School. In addition, Lakeville Library, Newfoundland Library and Pleasant Mount Library will be equipped with laptops to give community residents access to career exploration services and information about courses at Johnson College.

For more information about this program or to register for courses, visit www.johnson.edu/usda-registration or email enroll@johnson.edu.

New exhibits meld nature and humanity

NARROWSBURG, NY — The Delaware Valley Arts Alliance (DVAA) invites the public to two new exhibitions in its galleries, beginning with an opening reception on Saturday, June 26 from 2 to 4 p.m. Creatively unique applications of natural processes take form via two separate exhibits. “Ten Mile River” by Richard B. Aakre and “Of Breath and Dust” by Kaitlyn Danielson will be on view through Sunday, August 1 and are free and open to the public.

The local freshwater creek known as Ten Mile River has long fascinated Minnesota native Richard Aakre. “That region of the Upper Delaware, where two rivers meet, where I have found small shells, gone fishing and spent hours observing the wildlife, is an inspiration to me,” he says. Thus “Ten Mile River” consists of six-inch square collages incorporating objects found in nature such as shells, seeds and lichens, along with items not found naturally: postage stamps.

 Narrowsburg resident Kaitlyn Danielson views photography as a lasting portrait of the ephemeral. “In ‘Of Breath and Dust,’ I seize the moment of my fading breath and directly address the legacy of the photograph as memento mori,” she explains. “Multiple breaths balance precariously on each other in sculptural forms; the notion of the photograph as a permanent object, balanced precariously on the temporal nature of the body.”

Walk-ins are welcome (no advance registration is required for these shows). Gallery hours are Thursday through Sunday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and by appointment.

For more information, visit www.delawarevalleyartsalliance.org or call 845/252-7576.

‘Bag Lady’

HONESDALE, PA — At some point, Sue Stephan Foster noticed that a number of her paintings included a bag of some kind. She decided to pursue the theme further and see how many bag paintings she could come up with. The result will be on display in the gallery at Missing Pieces for the month of July. Appropriately named “Bag Lady,” the show contains works of art in watercolor, pastel, collage and mixed media.

Sue is a member of the Wayne County Arts Alliance, the Delaware Valley Arts Alliance and a signature member of the Pennsylvania Watercolor Society. She is an award-winning artist whose works can be found in many private and public collections. After moving to Hawley from Pittsburgh in 2013, she became the owner of Missing Pieces at 959 Main St. in Honesdale. Her goal is to promote art and artists in the community.

The show runs from Thursday, July 1 through Saturday, July 31 with a reception open to the public on Friday, July 2 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Gallery hours are Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Delaware Division of the Erie Railroad: A History

SHOHOLA, PA — On Wednesday, July 7, the meeting of the Shohola Railroad and Historical Society at 7 p.m. will give a presentation on the history and renovations being made to the historic Callicoon Erie Railroad Depot. Renovations include an 1890s round radiator, vintage freight scale and heavy-duty Underwood typewriter.                                   

Bill Dudco, former diesel engineer with the Delaware Division of the Erie Lackawanna Railroad, will be the speaker, also bringing artifacts from days gone by of the rails from Port Jervis to Hancock, NY.

The meeting takes place at the Shohola Township Building, located at 159 Twin Lakes Rd. Refreshments are served after the presentation, with a business meeting to follow.