Town Shop Youth Center

Mild autumn weather allowed for a variety of outdoor experiences in October and November that included apple picking, hikes at Highland Forest and Chimney Bluffs, kayaking down Onondaga Creek, a day at the zoo, and a three day trip to New York City and Woodstock. Now that winter weather approaches, Town Shop program focus shifts (though not exclusively) to more indoor activities.

Program Hours

The building is open Monday to Thursday from 4–10pm, unless otherwise posted. Weekends are reserved for special events and experiences. (Check the calendar for a complete listing.)

A Few Highlights

• Seva (Samaritan Center) 12/3, 12/17, 1/7, 1/14, 1/21, 1/28 3pm
• Seva (Sunshine Horse Rescue) 12/13, 12/27, 1/10, 1/24 9am
• Volunteer Training 1/12 4–8pm
• Merry Trancemas 12/13 5–11pm A Christmas rave hosted by Chris Sauve.
• Rough Times Live 12/30 8pm A teen produced television show will be featuring us!
• Dodgeball (East Hill Elementary) 12/18, 1/22 6:30pm
• Music Showcase 12/21 4pm Detached & From The Ashes
• Music Showcase 12/28 7pm White Picket Fence
• X Country Ski 12/28, 12/30, 1/4, 1/11 The Town Shop provides all the necessary equipment. In addition, David and Daryl Olin plan to spontaneously organize ski trips over at Camillus Unique Forest to establish a local trail if there is adequate snow cover.
• Classic Movie Night 12/22, 1/13 7pm Hosted by Dan Nolan, cinema aficionado.
• Scavenger Hunt 1/15 7–8pm Find items in the building. Win prizes!
• Eating Our Way Around The World 1/17 12pm We’ll be eating at Munjed’s Middle Eastern Café
• Overnight Sleepover 1/18 No school the day after.
• Highland Forest Camping 2/16–2/19

The Town Shop reopened on September 30th and is back to its regular school year schedule (M-Th 4-10pm), with many special activities scheduled for weekends.

A Few Highlights

• Wednesdays: Seva (Samaritan Center) 3pm
• 10/18, 11/1, 11/8, 11/29: Seva (Sunshine Horse Rescue) 9am
• 10/9: Apple Picking at Beak & Skiff 3pm
• 10/11: Kayaking (Onondaga Creek) An urban adventure!
• 10/13: Hiking (Highland Forest) 11am
• 10/19: Hiking (Chimney Bluffs) 12pm
• 10/23, 11/20: Dodgeball (East Hill Elementary) 6:30pm
• 10/24: Tai Chi introduction and free instruction. Be sure to wear comfortable clothing. 12pm
• 10/25: Rave-O-Ween Come get your spooky groove on! Food, costume contest, DJs, Guitar Hero, Ghosts… and more! 6pm – 12am
• 11/3: Andy Dellicolli presents us with his amazing experience at Burning Man.
• 11/11: Rosamond Gifford Zoo 1pm (We have a free group pass)
• 11/11: The Media Unit (Teen run TV production) will be taping a segment for “Rough Times Live” at the Town Shop. 6pm
• Nov 14-16: A chance to visit the Big Apple!
• 11/22: Eating Our Way Around The World (Mai Lan – Vietnam Cuisine)
• 11/25: Showcase Concert, featuring Brothers We Grow and Oak & Bone. 7pm

Summer fades and a new school year approaches.  It was an outstanding summer for the Town Shop, beginning with completion of a much needed new roof in June, followed by a myriad of activities that included weekly kayak trips down Nine Mile Creek, volleyball, Onondaga Lake park picnics, lots of seva at the Samaritan Center and Sunshine Horse Rescue, adventures galore at South Sandy Creek/Lake Ontario, Seneca River, Green Lakes, Fillmore Glen, Ithaca Gorges, moonlight hiking, wakeboarding, plus big multi-day adventures at Falcon Ridge Folk Festival and Whale Watch/Cape Cod camping. Check out the 2008 photo galleries for a “visual review” of the summer.

The Town Shop will be closed for much of September to allow for staff vacation and recharge (Cheryl and David are traveling by train to New Mexico for 2 weeks from Sept. 10 to Sept. 24) but there are still activities planned. Here are some of them:

• 8/30: Kayaking (Onondaga Creek) An urban adventure!
• 9/6, 9/7: Colorscape Chenango Arts Fest, with great free concerts including The Kennedys, Vance Gilbert, and Gandalf Murphy and the Slambovian Circus of Dreams
• 9/3, 9/10: Seva (Samaritan Center)
• 9/30: The Town Shop will reopen at 4pm.
• 10/1: David Vermilya’s Birthday

Coming this fall:

Many opportunities for seva, outdoor adventures, and a trip to the Big Apple (New York City). Stay Tuned!

The Town Shop roof replacement is in process and well underway. A two week delay in the construction startup means we couldn’t reopen on the date we had hoped for. We intend now to reopen the building on Monday, July 7th at 2pm for cleanup. We could sure use some volunteers.

Meanwhile, the summer 2008 schedule has been prepared, loaded with lots of Seva and adventure opportunities.

A Few Highlights

• Building open every Monday and Tuesday, 5-10pm. (If temperature goes 90° or higher, we will be closed, looking for water based activities instead.)
• Mondays: Kayaking (Nine Mile Creek), 5:30pm
• Tuesdays: Volleyball at Gillie Lake, 6:30pm
• Wednesdays: Seva (Selfless Service) at Samaritan Center, 3pm
• 7/5, 7/12, 8/2: Sunshine Horse Rescue, 9am
• 7/6, 7/17, 8/3, 8/14: Kayaking (South Sandy Creek to Lake Ontario beach), 10am – 10pm A summer favorite!
• 7/10: An afternoon of instruction and experience on Oneida Lake, compliments of CNY Wakeboarding.
• 7/19: Eating Our Way Around The World (Eva’s – Polish Restaurant), 12pm
• 7/20: An urban adventure as we kayak down Onondaga Creek.
• 7/23 – 7/27: Falcon Ridge Folk Festival – We stay with good friend and amazing artist Laurel Tewes in Great Barrington, Massachusetts. Falcon Ridge is one of the best music festivals ever, with emphasis on singer songwriters, dancing, song swaps, food, plus crafts, all in the beautiful Berkshire Mountains setting.
• 8/7: Ithaca Gorges – Waterfalls, swimming holes, and cascades galore!
• 8/10: Chimney Bluffs State Park – A few of us scoped out the NY state park last October and we were blown away!
• 8/12: Moonlight Hiking/Perseids Meteor Shower (Camillus Unique Forest), 9pm
• 8/17 – 8/22: Whale Watch 2008 – The big event of the summer! Cape Cod camping, national seashore beaches, Provincetown, and of course… whales!

Remember, all activities are weather permitting and numbers limited. For more information, please contact Cheryl and David Vermilya at 635-6495.