Mayor’s Message: Volunteerism, FNL (tonight!), First Repair Café, Earth and Arbor Day
Posted on: April 5, 2019 - 10:04am
Dear Everyone,
First of all, heartfelt thanks for your good wishes, I was touched to receive so many kind words after my first message to the community. Something that was quite striking in reading people’s missives was how many times someone asked: “what can I do to help?” Well, it turns out that April is National Volunteer Month in the US, where we recognize and celebrate what volunteers do year-round. This month there are some fantastic opportunities to do just that, from volunteering at our first Repair Café, to coming up with planet-friendly actions to celebrate Earth Day.
National Volunteer Month: All of April
============================
In 1961, during his inaugural address, President John F. Kennedy issued a call to action for the public to do what is right for the greater good with the words, "Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country." Then in 1974, President Nixon, through executive order, proclaimed one week in April as National Volunteer Week (this year it is April 7 to 13). April became National Volunteer Month in 1991 under President George H. W. Bush as part of his points of light campaign. Volunteerism truly powers our Village through all of our Boards and Commissions, our volunteer fire fighters, our veterans’ organizations, the boy and girl scouts (and brownies and cubs!), the coaches and parent leaders of the Little League, AYSO, basketball, football and other sports, the Historical Society, the food pantry, family-to-family, Afya, Project Share and the Midnight Run, R.I.S.E., the vine squad and the various “friends of parks” groups to name just a few. So take a moment to thank the people you know who volunteer in our community – they are our local heroes and have put in countless hours of service to benefit all of us. Heartfelt thanks to each of you!
Friday Night Live: April 5
==================
Tonight, Friday, April 5th from 6 to 9 pm, is "Words-on-Hudson," our first Destination Hastings Friday Night Live of 2019. It will feature over 26 local poets, authors, and musicians with events at Hastings Velo, the In2Green Pop Up Shop and Maud's Tavern. There will be family-friendly activities at Galapagos Books and Penny Lick Ice Cream Co, and a film screening of Ben Is Back at 7 pm at the James Harmon Community Center featuring the kickoff to the Hastings WAY Coalition's Parent-Teen Book Group (you can join that night!). There will also be an FNL "After Party" with local Bob Dylan cover band: Elston Gunn performing at 9 pm at Hastings Velo bike shop. Complete information can be found at www.destinationhastings.org. Come out and support our Village literati and merchants, savor some local delicacies, and catch up with friends and neighbors.
The first Repair Café in Hastings: April 13
===============================
===============================
Our first Repair Café will take place on Saturday April 13th from 11 to 3 pm at the Community Center. A Repair Café is a pop-up repair shop where you can bring broken items and work with volunteers to fix them for free. The range of items includes: Textiles: minor garment alterations by hand or machine-like seam rips, buttons, hemming, darning, etc. plus stain removal. Mechanical things: items held together by nuts, bolts, screws like toys, chairs, small furniture, etc. Bicycles: replacing tubes, fixing tires, gear alignment, brakes adjusting. Sharp stuff: kitchen knives, gardening tools. Electrical items: lamps, wiring, testing, small appliances. Refreshments will be provided. To learn more contact: HastingsRepairCafe@gmail.com. Despite what Marie Kondo might be telling you about decluttering your life, instead of throwing things away stop by and learn how to fix them!
Earth Day: April 22
==============
Earth Day marks the anniversary of the birth of the modern environmental movement, and is now coordinated globally by the Earth Day Network and celebrated in more than 193 countries. Back on April 22, 1970, 20 million Americans took to the streets, parks, and auditoriums to demonstrate for a healthy, sustainable environment in coast-to-coast rallies. Thousands of colleges and universities organized protests against the deterioration of the environment. These actions created real change, and by the end of 1970, the first Earth Day had led to the creation of the United States Environmental Protection Agency and the passage of the Clean Air, Clean Water, and Endangered Species Acts. Earth Day serves as a reminder that we must each do our part so that the planet is inhabitable for future generations. To that end, starting in 2015 the Village began an annual practice of proclaiming April 22 as Earth Day. In March of 2017, our Village was designated as a New York Clean Energy Community. Then in June 2017, we committed to support the Paris Climate Agreement goals of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and taking whatever measures we can here at a local level to reduce our contribution to human-caused climate change. Since climate change will affect them most, I’d like to hear ideas from the kids of the Village (or the young at heart!) on what we can each do to celebrate Earth Day in our homes, gardens, neighborhoods and the community at large. Please send your ideas by email to: mayor@hastingsgov.org. We will collate the ideas and issue a special Earth Day newsletter showcasing what we receive.
We can all make a difference and your contribution really does matter!
That’s it for now - see you at FNL tonight!
Sincerely,
Nicola Armacost
Mayor