Town Shop Youth Center

“When summertime comes it’s a celebration, people gettin’ out all across the nation and it seems like everybody’s gettin’ together. There’s music playin’ everywhere you go, got Dandy Dan talkin’ on the radio and it seems like everybody’s diggin’ that hot summer weather. Well, California sun shines all the time, but East Coast summers are a different kind, doesn’t last as long so it means a little bit more…it’s a Syracuse summer, everybody’s under the sun, oh yeah.” (Gary Frenay & the Neverly Bros.)
When temps are warm in July and August, the Town Shop reduces building hours to just two days per week (Mondays and Tuesdays from 5-10pm) so that we can get outdoors and do MANY other things.

Here are some program highlights:

• Kayak (Nine Mile Creek) Mondays 5pm
• Kayak (Seneca River) July 8 & August 26, 1pm
• Kayak (South Sandy Creek) July 10, July 29, Aug. 28, 10am
• Kayak (Owasco Creek) July 15, 1pm
• Kayak (Tioughnioga River) Sept. 2, 11am
• Volleyball (Gillie Lake) Tuesdays 6:15pm
• Seva (Samaritan Center) Wed. July 7 & 21, Aug. 4,11, 25, Sept. 1 & 8…3pm
• Seva (Sunshine Horse Rescue) Sat. July 3, 17, 31 & Aug. 14….9am
• Hiking/Swimming (Green Lakes State Park) July 6 & 28, Aug. 10….noon
• Hiking/Swimming (Ithaca Gorges) Aug. 5, 10am
• Hiking/Swimming (Fillmore Glen) Aug. 12, noon
• Hiking/Swimming (Chimney Bluffs) Aug. 19, 1pm
• Hiking/Swimming (Taughannock Falls) Aug. 21, noon
• Vegetarian Cooking Class w/ guest chef Ethan Camwell, culinary student at Johnson Wales, (July 14, 3pm at CV & DVs’ house on Seneca River, swim too)
• Zoo (Rosamond Gifford Zoo)Tuesday July 20 1pm The Town Shop has a group pass.
• Falcon Ridge Folk Festival …plus Berkshires camping, July 22-25, one of the best music fests ever!
• Eating Our Way Around The World The Taj (India buffet) Tuesday Aug. 3 at noon Delicious!
• Perseids Meteor Shower Hike up into Camillus Unique Forest to view, Wed. Aug. 11 at 8pm
• A Midsummer Eve’s Poetry & Music Open Mic: outdoors at Gillie Lake, Wed. Aug. 18 at 7pm
• Chenango Colorscape Arts Fest Great art and live music in Norwich, NY….Sept. 10 & 11

*ALL OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES ARE WEATHER PERMITTING
If we get rained out we will try to reschedule. Also, if temps are in the 90s the Town Shop building will probably be CLOSED and we’ll look for some place to cool off instead….if in doubt, phone. Activities that involve travel require sign up. MORE EXPERIENCES MAY BE ANNOUNCED AS SUMMER UNFOLDS. (ps Melissa Ahern from CMS will be working with us some days this summer…come welcome her

The last hard copy distributed Town Shop calendar was April/May, and the next one will be July/August. June is a difficult month to make lots of plans for due to final exams, regents, graduation, plus CV & DVs’ wedding anniversary (June 13…40 years). But some activities and building hours are regular and weekly: kayak on Nine Mile Creek (Mondays 5pm), volleyball (Tuesdays 6pm), seva (wednesdays 3pm). The Town Shop building is open all 3 days from 4-10pm (but if temps are 90 or above CLOSED and diversion to something outdoors). Thursdays are devoted to picnics and special events, as are weekend dates. Some special dates ahead include:

Thursday June 17… last picnic at Onondaga Lake Park 3pm
Sunday June 20… kayak on Owasco Creek 1pm
Thursday June 24… Chimney Bluffs , 12 noon (our first visit back since the state reopened it. Let’s celebrate).

In addition there will be Sunshine Horse Rescue seva on 2 saturdays, June 19 & 26. THE ENTIRE SUMMER SCHEDULE WILL BE AVAILABLE AT THE END OF JUNE, and will include Falcon Ridge Folk Festival/Berkshires Camping, South Sandy Creek to Lake Ontario Beach, Ithaca Gorges, concerts on the lawn at Taughannock Falls, Chenango Colorscape, a mid-summer eve’s Poetry Swap, lots of seva, volleyball, kayak trips, hiking, and PLENTY MORE.

April begins with unseasonably warm temps, and while this may be an “April Fools” of sorts, it portends the Town Shop’s schedule shift towards fewer building hours and much more activity outdoors. After a long winter, everyone wants to be outside as much as possible, immersed in nature and recreation. And the Town Shop strives to be “low impact” on the neighborhood where it is located.

Here are some program highlights:

• Seva (Samaritan Center) Wednesdays 3pm
• Seva (Sunshine Horse Rescue) 4/3, 4/10, 4/24, 5/1, 5/15, 5/29 9am
• Seva (Earth Day) 4/17 9am
• Kayak (Nine Mile Creek) Mondays starting 5/3, 5pm
• Kayak (Owasco Creek) 5/2 12pm (Experienced paddlers!)
• Kayak (Onondaga Creek) 5/16 12pm (An urban adventure!)
• Hiking (Beaver Lake) 4/19 12pm
• Hiking (Chimney Bluffs) 4/22 11am
• Hiking (Camillus Unique Forest) 4/29 3:30pm
• Hiking (Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge) 5/6 3pm (Possibly see bald eagles)
• Hiking (Highland Forest) 5/23 12pm
• Picnics (Onondaga Lake Park) 5/13, 5/20 3:30pm (Bring you own food to grill) and Clark Reservation 5/27
• Volleyball (Gillie Lake) Tuesdays at 6pm starting 4/27
• Song Swap 4/15 7pm Featuring Justin Jarmacz, Chrissy Gerace, Ryan Ta, and Mike Waters
• Eating Our Way Around The World 4/17 El Canelo (Mexico) right after Earth Day and Friday 4/23 Secret Garden (Japan/Korea) 12pm Delicious!
• Uno Tournament 4/28 7pm Organized by Heather Wheeler
• Cooking Class 5/5 6pm Bento Boxes (Fill your own and take with you) with guest chef Heather Boss
• Plantings 5/12 Right after seva, help Cheryl with mini-plant repotting and take one with you.
• The Big Apple (NYC) Friday to Sunday 6/4-6/6, talk with Dave

* All outdoor activities are weather permitting. If we get rained out we will try to reschedule (check TownShop on Facebook for posts of changes).

Coming this Summer

More kayaking, seva, hiking, volleyball, Falcon Ridge Folk Festival, Berkshires camping, Chenango Colorscape, Ithaca Gorges, Lake Ontario, etc. Stay Tuned!

P.S. Check out Travis Sky Ingersol’s new skateboarding website (www.streetskatespots.org) and contribute to it. Sometime we will plan a trip to Philadelphia to stay with him and explore.

The Town Shop Staff, youth participants, and volunteers wish to express sincere thanks to Solvay Bank for once again providing pizza for the Town Shop birthday celebration on March 4th. Their generosity has spanned over three decades! Thank You.

Not too many human endeavors last 39 years, which is why it is remarkable that on March 7, the Town Shop will be starting its 40th year of operation. Predictions back in 1971 were “it might last 2 years, 3 years tops”. It is a tribute to the community group that created the program and had the wisdom and good instincts to invite teens into the creation process and give them real power (to design, choose directors, pick the building, decide how to decorate and what goes on there, set the standards, etc.). And it is a tribute to the various funders and individuals who have donated money, time, and energy to sustain it.

The birthday will be celebrated with two live music events: Thursday, March 4, at 7pm, White Picket Fence, with special guests Run Forever (from Pittsburgh, PA), and Thursday, March 11, at 7pm, The Handsome Bastards with special guests. Come celebrate the start of our 40th year with us.

Other scheduled activities this program period include:

• Seva (Samaritan Center) Wednesdays 3pm
• Seva (Sunshine Horse Rescue) 2/20, 2/27/, 3/13, 3/27 9am
• Cross Country Ski/Snowshoe 2/1, 2/9, 2/15, 2/18/, 2/21, 2/28 (Moonlight) 3/2, 3/21 (Spring skiing up on Tug Hill Plateau) If there’s snow, we go.
• Town Shop All-Nighter 2/12-2/13 7pm-10am Come for some or all the time.
• Zoo (Rosamond Gifford Zoo) 2/16 1pm The town shop has a group pass.
• CNY Scholastic Art Exhibition 2/23 3pm at OCC
• Dodgeball 2/25, 3/25 6:30pm
• Peter Mulvey Concert He’s performed twice at the Town Shop, outstanding singer/songwriter on 2/26 at Funk & Waffles (Talk with Dave)
• Febfest 2/27 10am We’ve offered to help the Camillus Methodist Church with childrens’ face painting. Talk with Cheryl if you are willing to volunteer for an hour or two.
• Eating Our Way Around The World 3/6 12pm This time, Italy!
• Cooking Class 3/9 6:30pm Waffles and Pancakes
• Classic Movie Night Hosted by Dan Nolan. 3/16 7pm, “Back To The Future”

Town Shop alums Jeff and Julie Schlecht have graciously offered to host the next Town Shop Big Apple (NYC) trip (Sometime in April or May). Stay tuned.

PS The Town Shop has WiFi. We are also now on Facebook! (Thanks to Dakota)

It’s been a slow transition from autumn to winter, but worry not… winter is coming. In anticipation, the Town Shop has planned some cool outdoor experiences and some warm indoor activities.

Here are some highlights:

• Seva (Samaritan Center) Wednesdays 3pm
• Seva (Sunshine Horse Rescue) 12/5, 12/19, 1/2, 1/16, 1/30 9am
• Holiday Music Concert 12/10 7pm At Camillus Methodist Church, featuring students from The String Corner.
• Live Music Showcase 12/13 6pm (Town Shop opens at 4pm) With two great bands: Brothers We Grow (A reunion of sorts, and a chance to wish Dan Lyons well before deployment 12/15) and This Horseless Carriage.
• DodgeBall 12/17, 1/21 6:30pm East Hill Elementary
• Everson Museum 12/20 1pm “Impressionism: Turner to Cezanne” Normally $12 per student for this world famous touring exhibition, but down to $4 thanks to a generous gift from Travis Sky Ingersoll.
• Cross Country Skiing 12/28, 1/10, 1/18, 1/25 & 1/28 (In the moonlight) Plus winter camping February 16-18. Snowshoes also available as an alternative.
• Eating Our Way Around The World 12/29 1pm This time Thailand (Little Thai House)
• Classic Movie Night Hosted By Dan Nolan. 12/30 7pm “The Sting” (Robert Redford and Paul Newman, Butch & Sundance, united again.)
• English Shuffleboard Tournament (Henry VIII used to play this game as did Robinhood) Over 2 days 1/4 and 1/5 starting at 7pm.
• Vegetarian Cooking Class 1/7, 1/26 6:30pm.
• Rough Times Live (Teen Produced Television Show) 1/12 6pm, They’ll be coming to tape a feature on the town shop with open mic performances for poetry and music, plus a short theatrical piece.
• Facials 1/14 7pm Cleansing toners masks and lotions, free and fun.
• Zoo (Rosamond Gifford Zoo) 1/17 1pm The Town Shop has a group pass.
• Town Shop Overnight 1/29-1/30 Food games music movies and a little bit of sleep, info available on 1/18.

More activities (like ice skating at Clinton Square or moonlight snowshoeing) may be announced as the winter goes on. Check out Dakota Bateman’s Town Shop Facebook page for quicker program updates. Stay warm and stay cool.

Also a sincere thanks to Camillus Methodist Church for keeping us supplied with peanut butter and hot chocolate all year. Much appreciated!