Monday, November 17, 2008

Funding - Columbia County QUAD Committee Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Ruth Piwonka: 518 758-7605

Anticipated Quadricentennial Funding

(Hudson: 11/7/08) In 2002, the Hudson-Fulton-Champlain Quadricentennial Act created a commission to plan and develop the 400th anniversary celebrations of the voyages of discovery made by Henry Hudson and Samuel de Champlain, as well as the 200th anniversary of Robert Fulton's steamship voyage along the Hudson River. These voyages were some of the most significant events In European exploration, and initiated some of the earliest contacts between Native Americans and Europeans.

In recognition of the upcoming historical year, the Columbia County Board of Supervisors Tourism & Historian Committee established the Columbia County 400 Committee to coordinate local efforts. Therefore, in 2009, Columbia County will join with other Hudson River Valley counties and communities in celebrating the Hudson-Fulton-Champlain Quadricentennial.

In anticipation of state funding, the Columbia County 400 Committee is seeking preliminary applications - from municipalities and Columbia County not-for-profits organization – for proposed Quadricentennial projects and events to be held in communities across the county, especially communities with activities along the river.

The preliminary application should include a brief project/event description, how the project/event relates to the Quadricentennial and budget (including the amount of money the local sponsor will be requesting), the date on which it will occur, and who are the events and/or projects intended participants or audience. The preliminary application must include contact information.

At present, not all details of how the funding will be distributed to the counties is known; however, the Columbia County 400 Committee is eager to review project applications in order to move efficiently and quickly once funds become available. Therefore the preliminary applications are due Friday December 5th, 2008.

Please send the event/project preliminary application to:

Chair
Columbia County 400 Committee
P O Box 472
Kinderhook, NY 12106-0472.

Prospective applicants should direct questions to: Committee Chair: Ruth Piwonka 518 758-7605 rpiwonka@nycapp.rr.com Or Committee Secretary: Steele Andrews 518 325-3000 steele@silvanuslodge.com

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

QUAD Committee Minutes - November 12th 2008

1) Welcome by Ms. Piwonka. Welcome to visitors. Motion to approve minutes.

2) “Funding update and Press Release”

Release was discussed. The purpose of the release was to communicate anticipated funding to the community. The object was to reach out to interested parties so that they know how to contact the group should there be any plans.

If groups make a submission, it will be a brief outline. Once funding is established, we would contact interested parties for a final proposal.

As funding has not yet been confirmed, there was nothing more to discuss.

Ms. Cooper was to submit a revised (or new) resolution for funding to the State via the Board of Supervisors. This was to be completed the next night on November 13th.

3) River Regatta / Steele Andrews

Steele said he had not obtained any final information as to when the boats / ships would be sailing past Hudson. Mr. Kennelly of the Hudson Light has said there was no confirmed date as of yet and would let us know.

Ms. Thurston said the date had been confirmed and that it would be June 11th.

More information to come

TO DO:
SA – Contact Mr. Kennelly for update

4) Heritage Weekend – Ann Cooper

No word on a date as of yet, but this was moving forward. The feeling is the even will tie into the Hudson Ramble in September. This would be the 2nd, 3rd or 4th weekend.

The Hudson River Ramble does not have its own website, but the publication notes the following site for reference:

http://www.hudsonrivervalley.com/ramble/

Ms. Cooper expressed that this event is moving forward.

5) Update of Official Events

Nothing further has been updated to the site. Ms. Thurston mentioned that several items have not shown up with the State website.

Ms. Cooper stressed the importance of letting her know as soon as an event needs to be listed officially. She would submit information to the State and to the Albany quad sites. The events would also be listed on the County blog site.

Ms. Knott said that she would have several events to list for Stuyvesant and would do so shortly.

TO DO:
ET/AC – Check State website for proper listing.

6) Review Blog and State Website.

There was some discussion about the State website (mentioned earlier) by Ms. Thurston as to the functionality of the calendar.

There was no concerns with the blog.

There TO DO:

7) Old & New Business

Steele needs to check the email addresses as several said they were not being notified. Steele also past around the “official coil” for the Quad as recognized by the state HFC committee (coin produced by Hudson Athens Lighthouse to be sold for $25 each). Steele also past around an email obtained from Cooper regarding the S.S. Columbia Project – a vintage boat currently in restoration.

TO DO:
AC: Obtain weblink of S.S. Columbia Project for the Blog site.

Ms. Lewis of the Historical Society said that she would be meeting about the program guide / magazine and would let us know shortly as to what is determined.

Ms. Thurston again brought to our attention the Bruno Pasquier-desVignes project to have a floating exhibit. She also mentioned the ongoing discussion about “floating docks”. Several others mentioned the value, however safe public access to the river is a bigger part of the problem.

Ms. Knott reviewed various parts of the community celebration for Stuyvesant. There would be a celebration by the falls and one toward the river.

Ranger McKay from the Martin Van Buren home made a few general announcements. One is that the “Landmark Visitors Cooperative” has had a traveling exhibit constructed to tour various county events. It is a nice presentation of the various attractions found throughout Columbia County. If there is a need for this, contact Jim or go through the Tourism Office with Ms. Cooper.

Also mentioned was the $1 coin to be issued this week with Martin Van Buren on the coin. The coint can be obtained from any bank and could do much to promote the Martin Van Buren house in Kinderhook.

At 9:30 on December 5th, MVB’s birthday, there would be a special note regarding the coin.

Ms. Boeringer of the Hudson Library mentioned the ongoing development of the reading list for the kids’ summer reading program.

Ms. O’Neal and Ms. Goetz said there are on-going developments for Clermont to close Route 6 to automobiles for a day and that an entire celebration will be developed as a result. More information to come.

The meeting was adjourned by 12 noon.

The next meeting will be in the Hudson Library on December 10th at 10:30 a.m.