Town Shop Youth Center

2012 ARRIVES… a glance back & a glimpse forward:

admin — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 22:08:51 +0000

Much of 2011 was summarized in the previous homepage narrative. The Town Shop reopened on October 3 after a 4 week staff vacation, and quality and quantity of participation has built steadily into a new school year cycle. A significant enhancement has resulted from the offer to host (and the group’s acceptance) the Into The Mind’s Eye creative writing club who were looking for a home in the wake of austerity budget and activity cancellations in the school district. Every Monday brings an influx of creative young people into the Town Shop to share poems, prose, and illustrations while working together towards publication of a 2X per year creative writing literary magazine. A December OPEN MIC for POETRY attracted 16 readers and 40 listeners. Similarly, 3 live music events (1 Acoustic and 2 Electric showcases) provided more than 30 unique musical performers an aggregate audience of well over 500.

Weekly SEVA (selfless service) continues into the new school year and calendar year with upheld commitments to the Samaritan Center soup kitchen and Sunshine Horse Rescue. Field trip destinations in the final 3 months of 2011 included Stone Quarry Hill Art Park, Chittenango Falls, Clark Reservation, and Chimney Bluffs, while 3 Eating Our Way Around The World (youth initiated) expeditions led to dining and cultural experience in countries as varied as Jamaica, Vietnam, and Mexico. Central New York is RICH in cultural diversity.

We enter a New Year with energy and optimism. And…. we are waiting for SNOW. Our unlikely winter (so far) has left X country skis and snowshoes tuned up but unused to date but ready for action as soon as the snow shows up. Perhaps we will need to get kayaks out of storage instead.

Probably the biggest stressor currently is the uncertainty caused by a continuing difficult public funding climate in New York State. It is ironic that at a time when many young people and their families are struggling with diminished personal resources many community-based resources are also forced into austerity mode simply to insure survival. The Town Shop has endured economic storms many times before in its 41 year existence and will surely weather this current one thanks in large measure to a supportive Camillus community. Town government, local churches and civic groups, and numerous individuals (families and past participants) continue to provide necessary operating supplies and ingredients…. this week ie. Camillus Methodist Church delivered their consistent donation of kitchen pantry supplies.

We will try to keep the website “calendar link” up to date plus continue to make program announcements on the Town Shop facebook page. “Fan up” to receive regular notifications. Soon we hope to also post many new photo galleries depicting 2011 and 2012 activities. HAPPY NEW YEAR!

TOWN SHOP SUMMER REVIEW 2011

admin — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 15:56:02 +0000

In retrospect it has been an outstanding summer (one of the best in our history) for the Town Shop, measured not just in terms of numbers of participants but more importantly in the quality of participation throughout the experiences offered. It is ironic that such an excellent summer should follow an extremely difficult winter and spring. An early February biopsy result came back a “stunner” and instantly immersed Cheryl in surgery with many many weeks of followup radiation therapy while I soldiered on as care provider at home and working solo (but with the aid of many volunteers and friends) to keep the Town Shop program afloat. WE MADE IT. Cheryl’s prognosis is excellent. The Town Shop endured and remarkably….even flourished. We look back with deep gratitude that we work for sponsors and funders who expressed consistently to “take care of yourselves, that’s all that matters…don’t worry about the program”. Somehow, we managed to do both. Muchas gracias to the Camillus Methodist Church for their continuing “peanut butter ministry” of keeping our kitchen well supplied….. another one of many ways we have been able to keep costs down through austere times. Further kudos to the Town of Camillus who not only provided the Town Shop with a brand new 12 passenger van, but also with a spiffy facelift overhaul of the building’s front deck (accolades from local citizenry has been constant). You make it all possible.

There were many activities this summer that seemed to be self-propelled with burgeoning interest all summer long. 133 total attendance (51 different youth) experienced kayaking over 13 sessions on Nine Mile Creek, South Sandy Creek, and Onondaga Creek. Tuesday night volleyball at Gillie Lake drew a total of 592 players (151 different youth) over a 17 session season that none of us wanted to see come to an end. There were 18 opportunities for seva (selfless service) divided between the Samaritan Center soup kitchen and Sunshine Horse Rescue….total participation was 165. Scattered throughout the summer were 22 adventure opportunities (in nature and in culture) that included Chimney Bluffs, Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge, Ithaca gorges, Green Lakes, Clark Reservation, Taughannock Falls, the zoo, Stone Quarry Hill Art Park, Syracuse Jazz Fest, Baltimore Woods, Chittenango Falls, Falcon Ridge Folk Festival (4 days of Berkshires camping), and Colorscape Chenango ArtsFest (9/10)….total attendance was 276. And despite a dramatic reduction in building drop-in hours, the Town Shop was open 23 evenings with a total attendance of 615 plus what seemed like a perpetual procession of former Town Shop participants who were back in town for reunions, weddings, family events, or dinner at the hugely successful new restaurant (Krabby Kirk’s) just 2 doors down the street.. It FEELS an impressive tally, and it is well documented within photo galleries on the Town Shop facebook page and website (both youth created).

With Labor Day weekend and the start of a new school year upon us we embark on a much needed vacation that includes warm essential gatherings with our sisters. The last scheduled Town Shop activity will be September 10 (Colorscape Chenango Arts Festival in Norwich). As usual Cheryl accompanies Eric Bacon to 9/22 budget presentation and I will attend 9/12 ADAPEP staff development day. The Town Shop will reopen on October 3 after some weeks of rest, recreation, and recharge. In the wake of a remarkable summer we look forward with optimism to the beginnings of another program year.

Respectfully submitted,
David Vermilya

“SUMMERTIME and the livin’ is easy” (Porgy & Bess)

admin — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 02:19:20 +0000

Syracuse summer starts this week and after a long winter season….IT’S ABOUT TIME ! The Town Shop adjusts its building schedule (reduced hours) so that we can spend more time doing things outdoors. Hey, summer in Syracuse doesn’t last so long so it means a little bit more. Here is a taste of what the Town Shop schedule will look like:

The building will be open 2 days a week (Mondays and Tuesdays) from 4-10pm. If temps are in the 90′s the building will not be open and we’ll look for someplace “cool” to spend the day.

Kayaking every Monday, 5pm, Nine Mile Creek….boats may be reserved and it is great practice for longer trips on other occasions (Onondaga Creek, South Sandy Creek, Owasco Creek, Seneca River, Clyde River etc.)

Volleyball every Tuesday, 6:30pm, Gillie Lake (leave TS at 6:15…play ’til dark).

Seva at the Samaritan Center on Wednesdays…summertime isn’t easy for everyone in a persistantly difficult economy, and we’ll continue to volunteer as needed to help feed people in need. After-seva activities might include hiking at Baltimore Woods, Camillus Unique Forest, full moon evening hikes, meteor showers, Armory Square, Jamaican dinners at the Jerk Hut etc.

Thursdays through Sundays will be dedicated to special activities and experiences…. HIKING at interesting natural destinations like : Chimney Bluffs 6/23 , Stone Quarry Hill Art Park 6/30 , Fillmore Glen, Chittenango Falls, Ithaca Gorges etc.

MUSICAL TRIPS to Syracuse Jazz Fest 6/25, Falcon Ridge Folk Festival 7/21-7/24, Taughannock Falls Concert on the Great Lawn 8/13 (Burns Sisters Band), and Chenango Colorscape Arts Fest 9/10 .

We’ll continue to offer Sunshine Horse Rescue seva on Saturdays as needed followed by Vietnamese banh mi sandwiches (they’re addictive). If it is a HOT Summer there will be plenty of trips to swimming spots like Green Lakes, Lake Ontario, Cayuga Lake and Ithaca Gorges. ALL outdoor activities are WEATHER PERMITTING (if in doubt….phone)

As summer unfolds we will continue to “build” the JULY/AUGUST/SEPTEMBER website calendar pages….continue to check them out for updates, or “friend up” on the Town Shop facebook page to have program reminders come directly to you. STAY COOL and STAY TUNED.

A Period Of Transition

admin — Sun, 17 Apr 2011 16:16:30 +0000

Yesterday’s record-setting temps (85 degrees on April 11…WOW!) remind that warmer weather is soon coming our way. With its advent the Town Shop begins to focus on many more outdoor activities. Monday kayaking, Tuesday volleyball, Thursday picnics, and weekend getaways to destinations as varied as Chimney Bluffs, Tinker’s Falls, Fillmore Glen, & Owasco Creek (and many more) will soon be the norm. We are attempting to keep the website “calendar link” up to date plus Town Shop facebook page offers regular reminders (fan up). In the meantime, over the upcoming Spring break…..zoo trip on April 20 and Beaver Lake hiking on April 21. Plus LOTS of seva opportunities including Earth Day project (& Eating Our Way Around the World after….El Canello’s) on April 30. And one more night of “killer dodgeball” at Shove Park on Wednesday, May 4 (pick-up volleyball begins at Gillie Lake the night before). LET THE GAMES BEGIN – Sunshine Horse Rescue Article

Express Yourself (It’s Important)

admin — Wed, 16 Feb 2011 00:59:50 +0000

Please consider taking a few minutes to thoughtfully respond to this online survey. Information gathered will have significant impact on future design and priorities for the Camillus community, in the area of recreation and leisure activities. Please share this link with your family and friends. It’s extremely important to accumulate a thorough cross-section of community opinion. The window of opportunity is brief (the survey ends April 4th). This is democracy at a basic level. Thank you!

A New Year: A Time To Look Forward & Back

admin — Wed, 12 Jan 2011 05:19:00 +0000

In less than 2 months, the Town Shop will be celebrating its 40th birthday! A rather remarkable milestone (particularly under the same leadership). Back in early 1971, the prediction was “this will last two, maybe three years, tops”. Not that it’s been easy. Economic tides, funding ebbs and flows, changes in leadership in public and elected office, all of these factors and more leave a backdrop of subtle insecurity. Last year offers a current example as the nation’s economic struggles, funding streams and every level of government are propelled towards austerity, and many young people find personal and family resources dwindling. It’s a tribute to the Camillus community that somehow, some way, a path forward has always been blazed. The merit and value of this endeavor is easily observed by anyone willing to spend thirty minutes perusing photos in the dozens of galleries on here and on our Facebook page.

Here are some highlights:

Seva (Samaritan Center) Wednesdays 3pm
Seva (Sunshine Horse Rescue) Saturdays 9am
Open Mic 1/16 7pm
Showcase Concert A Weekend Romance 1/30 7pm
Cross Country Ski/Snowshoe (Beaver Lake) 1/17 4pm
Cross Country Ski/Snowshoe (Highland Forest) 1/31 10am
Eating Our Way Around The World Eva’s European Sweets (Poland) 1/8 12pm
Cooking Class Build your own roasted veggie pizza with guest chef Theresa Frank. 1/25 6:30pm
Scavenger Hunt 1/26 7pm
Dodgeball (East Hill) 1/27

All activities are weather permitting (if school is closed due to a storm, so is the Town Shop). More activities may be posted on Facebook as the month unfolds.

Walking in a Winter Wonderland

admin — Tue, 07 Dec 2010 23:51:03 +0000

Winter seems to have arrived early this year with light fluffy lake effect snow falling at this very moment. That’s good, as the Town Shop looks forward to scheduling lots of outdoor snow experiences as well as warm snuggly indoor ones.

Here are some highlights:

Seva (Samaritan Center) Wednesdays 3pm
Seva (Sunshine Horse Rescue) Saturdays 9am
Cross Country Ski/Snowshoe 12/12, 12/14, 12/19, 12/30
“Revisiting Tonto” (ArtRage Gallery) Plus Arts and Crafts sale at the Onondaga Nation. 12/11 12pm
Cooking Class Mac & Cheese with herb bisquits. 12/15
Poetry Open Mic It went so well in November we decided to dedicate a night just to poetry.
Dodgeball (East Hill) Get those aggressions out! 12/23
3 Band Showcase Great live music featuring One Last Shot, November 15, and Trevor Grant (and friends). 12/28 7pm
Zoo (Rosamund Gifford Zoo) 12/29 1pm

Remember, if school is closed due to bad weather, the Town Shop is closed too. The Town Shop has cross country skis and snowshoes to loan for free, just ask.

Back in Business

admin — Mon, 18 Oct 2010 19:49:21 +0000

Summer ’10 was a busy and successful season for the Town Shop. Between Memorial Day weekend and Labor Day weekend, more than 90 different people participated in Tuesday night volleyball at Gillie Lake, more than 150 different people kayaked (Nine Mile Creek, Owasco Creek, Seneca River, Onondaga Creek, South Sandy Creek) or hiked (Taughannock Falls, Green Lakes, Enfield Gorge, Chimney Bluffs, Fillmore Glen), more than 50 people offered Seva or “selfless service” (Sunshine Horse Rescue, Samaritan Center), while many more attended cultural events like Falcon Ridge Folk Festival or Colorscape Chenango Arts Fest.

Much of the month of September is devoted to Town Shop staff vacation, this year with a “sister’s theme” as David visited his sister in New Mexico and Cheryl’s sister visited from Colorado. Well, vacations are over and the Town Shop is back in business and we are making plans for a robust autumn and winter. We recently reopened October 4th and are on the school year schedule, Monday – Thursday 4-10pm, with special experiences on weekends.

Here are some highlights:

Seva (Samaritan Center) Wednesdays 3pm
Seva (Sunshine Horse Rescue) Saturdays 9am
Seva Recognition Dinner (Methodist Church, Camillus) October 20th
Hiking (Chimney Bluffs) 10/12
Hiking (Clark Reservation) 10/17
Hiking (Beaver Lake) 10/24
Apple Picking October 7th
Zoo (Rosamund Gifford) October 11th
A Mid-Autumn’s Eve Song Swap Featuring Mike Waters, Chrissy Gerace, Justin Jarmacz and A Weekend Romance. November 10th 7pm
Vegetarian Cooking November 16th
Dodgeball The battle begins! November 18th
Eating Our Way Around The World (Las Delicias) Caribbean food. November 27th
Open Mic For music and poetry. November 23rd

A printed calendar will be available for November and December. Check here or on Facebook for updates. Stay tuned for more Seva, cross country skiing, live music, dodgeball, winter camping, Town Shop overnights, cultural adventure, including a future trip to NYC!

Summertime

admin — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 20:22:36 +0000

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 temperatures become warmer in July and August, the Town Shop reduces building hours to just two days a week (Mondays and Tuesdays, from 5-10pm) so that we can get outdoors and do many other things.

Here are some highlights:

Kayak (Nine Mile Creek) Mondays 5pm
Kayak (Seneca River 7/8, 8/26, 1pm
Kayak (South Sandy Creek) 7/10, 7/29, 8/28 10am
Kayak (Owasco Creek) 7/15 1pm
Kayak (Tioughnioga River) 9/2, 11am
Volleyball (Gillie Lake) Tuesdays 6:15pm
Seva (Samaritan Center) 7/7, 7/21, 8/4, 8/11, 8/25, 9/1, 9/8 3pm
Seva (Sunshine Horse Rescue) 7/3, 7/17, 7/31, 8/14 9am
Hiking/Swimming (Green Lakes State Park) 7/6, 7/28, 8/10 12pm
Hiking/Swimming (Ithaca Gorges) 8/5 10am
Hiking/Swimming (Fillmore Glen) 8/12 12pm
Hiking/Swimming (Chimney Bluffs) 8/19 1pm
Hiking/Swimming (Taughannock Falls) 8/21 12pm
Vegetarian Cooking Class With guest chef Ethan Camwell, culinary student at Johnson Wales. Held at the Vermilya’s house, on Seneca River. Swimming too! 8/14 3pm
Zoo (Rosamond Gifford Zoo) 8/20 1pm
Falcon Ridge Folk Festival One of the best music festivals ever! July 22-25
Eating Our Way Around The World The Taj (India Buffet) 8/3 12pm
Perseids Meteor Shower Hike up into Camillus Unique Forest to view. 8/11 8pm
A Midsummer Eve’s Poetry & Music Open Mic (Gillie Lake) 8/18 7pm
Chenango Colorscape Arts Fest (Norwich, NY) Great art and live music. September 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, call us. Activities that involve travel require sign up. More experiences may be announced as the summer unfolds.

Melissa Ahern from CMS will be working with us some days this summer, so come welcome her.

Summer Schedule ’10

admin — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 22:50:18 +0000

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 Cheryl and Dave’s 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 three days from 4-10pm (but if temps are 90° or above, we’re closed, and diversion to something outdoors). Thursdays are devoted to picnics and special events, as are weekend dates.

Here are some highlights:

Picnic (Onondaga Lake Park) 6/17 3pm
Kayak (Owasco Creek) 6/20 1pm
Hiking (Chimney Bluffs) 6/24 12pm

In addition, there will be Sunshine Horse Rescue on two Saturdays, June 19 and 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!