Children’s Drawing with Nature is for youth ages 8-12. Participants will learn basic techniques to draw nature. Weather permitting, participants will be able to work outside and draw wildlife that they may see. The class will be on Tuesday, August 17 from 9:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Pre-registration is required by August 12.

Draw, Paint and Dance is a class for youth ages 8-12. Participants will learn drawing and painting techniques in the morning and participate in a dance moves for fitness class in the afternoon. The class will be on Tuesday, August 10 from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Participants should bring a lunch. Pre-registration is required by August 5.

Pre-registration can be completed by calling (315) 866-0300 ext. 8251, Monday through Thursday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. For more information and/or a complete list of courses, visit our website at www.herkimer.edu/ce/.

Herkimer, NY—Online applications are available for the 34th Herkimer County Arts & Crafts Fair, to be held November 13 & 14, 2010 at Herkimer County Community College. You can go online to www.herkimer.edu/ac.

To receive an application by mail, contact the Herkimer County College Foundation at 315-866-0300, ext. 8459.

The Fair, sponsored by the Herkimer County College Foundation for the benefit of student scholarships at HCCC, is one of the largest in Central New York. The juried show features top artisans showcasing their works including jewelry, woodworking, stained glass, weaving, tole painting, dolls, textiles and more.

By Margo Frink

(North Brookfield, NY) Award-winning children’s author Barbara Linsley recently released her second book, an “I Can Read Book,” entitled “I Can Help on the Farm,” featuring photos and children from local farms.

The hard cover book, published in large print is suitable for children aged 4 to 7. It’s vibrant, color photos show children “helping” on actual farms in Madison and Herkimer counties. It’s written as if a child is telling the story of how he or she can clean the barn, milk the cows; feed the calves and many other chores done by children around a modern-day farm.

The end of the book offers the reader 10 questions to ask on “how much do you remember” about the book, with the answers on an adjacent page, and a few “fun” facts about dairy.

Linsley said all the farms that participated received a copy.

“They were very excited,” Linsley said. “The farms that opened their doors to me and allowed me to photograph their kids helping in the barn, playing in the loft and showing cows at the dairy shows were just terrific. I heard a lot of financial hardships and frustrations that the small, family farms are going through, but the kids were so proud of their cows and so willing to share with me their lifestyle.”

Madison County’s own Dairy Princess Nicole Head is pictured in “I Can Help on the Farm,” as Headline Farm of North Brookfield was just one of the farms that opened up its barn doors to Linsley.

Linsley said the original manuscript for the farm book was written 22 years ago when she worked at BOCES in the migrant tutorial program that serves as Parents as Reading Partners (PARP) in schools. She showed the manuscript to Audrey Donahoe, director of the National Dairy Board who said, “You’ve got to do this.”  So, she updated the information, took photos of local farms and it took off from there.

Linsley, who is a fifth grade teacher at Mount Markham Middle School, has had several stories published in the Horse Tails for the Soul and Dog Tails for the Soul series of books. But her biggest achievement came last year when she was awarded the WILLA Literary Award for her book “Dreams on the Oregon Trail.” The book tells the story of two pre-adolescent girls, Jenna and Becky. Modern day Jenna and her ancestor Becky (1848) tell parallel stores while traveling the Oregon Trail.

Linsley flew to Los Angeles last September to receive the WILLA award, named after Willa Cather, author, editor and journalist (1873-1947) who became known as America’s premier female writer.

Born in Hamilton, Linsley traveled extensively as a child, here and abroad. That’s when she fell in love with history. She attended college at the University of Arizona in Tucson and while there she explored the region. Dreams on the Oregon Trail features many photos Linsley took of the places she writes about in the book.

“It took five years [to write the book] because when I started writing, I’d get to a point where I wasn’t sure how to describe a place, so I’d have to wait for summer vacation to go there,” Linsley said. “So over three summers I was driving out to see and explore various areas along the [Oregon] trail.”

Linsley was living in Michigan when her brother offered to let her live in an old farmhouse in North Brookfield. That was more than 25 years ago. Her love of history and travel continues in Central New York.

Her new book is distributed state-wide by North Country Books Inc. of Utica. The public can meet Linsley on June 29 at 10:30 a.m. at the Hamilton Public Library and on June 30 at 6:30 p.m. at the Dunham Public Library in Whitesboro.

It is an open, juried show in color and black and white photography with no required theme. The show is open to all photographers, professional and amateur, over 18 years of age, living within a 50-mile radius of the Herkimer/Utica area. All photographs will be eligible for sale at the artist’s discretion. For more information or for registration forms, visit www.herkimer.edu/cogar.

The Cogar Gallery is located in the Hummel Corporate and Professional Education Center at the main entrance to the Robert McLaughlin College Center. It is open to the public free of charge Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. when the College is open.

(Utica, NY) On Friday, June 4th, 2010 at 7:00 PM Mad Angel Films will double premiere it’s fifth and sixth films at the New Uptown Theater on Genesee St. in Utica.  The films, both suspense-filled horror, are entitled Three Days in the Woods and De Profundis.  These films feature local actors, local backdrops, and original musical soundtracks composed by Little Falls native Rich Fortuna.  Prior to the premiere of Mad Angel Films’ features, Hey Gary, a short comedy about office life by Peter Franchell, will premiere.

Three Days in the Woods is the first joint production with Wicked Six Productions out of Gloversville, NY.  It stars Mark Joseph Peek from Gloversville, Erin Henry, also from Gloversville, Melissa A. Seelman from Vernon, David J. Plescia from New York Mills, and Catherine Presite from Yorkville.  It follows the story of a group of kids on a camping trip and the senseless pursuits of a ruthless killer trio.

De Profundis stars Rochelle Angelina and Kehela Neo Reeves from Clinton, Erika Biel from Utica, James S. Cacciatore from Frankfort, Rachel Powers of Rome, David J. Plescia of New York Mills, Jay E. Salsberg from Yorkville, and Jay Storey from Watertown.  The story follows a struggling family going on a vacation where they hope to rebuild broken bonds.  They rent a room at a northern lodge, but as they will soon find out, there is more to this lodge and it’s owner than meets the eye.

Previously Mad Angel Films has released four other feature films including Seize the Day, Star-Cross’d, The Abandoned, and Brackish.  All films utilize local talent and locations.  For more information visit http://www.madangelfilms.com/ where you can find trailers and more.

Tickets are $8.00 in advance and $10.00 at the door.  They are available at the New Uptown Theater box office, or by calling (315) 235-3205.  On June 18, a showing in Gloversville at The Glove Theater is scheduled, and a screening in Little Falls at The Black Box Theater in the Stone Mill is being planned for around Halloween.

Several Buddhist monks who escaped from Burma also joined the walk to bring attention to human rights abuses. Walkers carried signs for Amnesty International and signed petitions on behalf of human rights victims.

The one-mile walk was organized by HCCC’s student Amnesty International Club. The club offers the HCCC community the opportunity to learn about and act upon important human rights issues of the day.

The Fair, sponsored by the Herkimer County College Foundation for the benefit of student scholarships at HCCC, is the premier arts and crafts fair in Central New York. The juried show features top artisans showcasing their works including pottery, woodworking, stained glass, weaving, tole painting, dolls, textiles and more.

The final program of the series will be presented by Dr. Matthew Hawes, Dean of Students on “Differently Abled vs. Able Bodied: A Cultural Immersion Experience.” Reflections of this immersion experience will be shared through the lens of an able bodied person who spent the day in a wheel chair as a differently abled person.

The audience will learn about the societal challenges of the differently abled as they go through life, facing things most take for granted. This promises to be an informing and interesting program for all.

Harvey is the story of Elwood P. Dowd who makes friends with Harvey, a spirit that takes the form of a human sized rabbit that only he sees. After his sister tries to commit him to a mental institution, a comedy of errors ensues. Elwood and Harvey become the catalysts for a family mending its wounds and for romance blossoming in unexpected places.

The Generals Theatrical Group was formed to bring quality theatrical productions to the HCCC campus and the surrounding community.

To receive an application by mail, contact the Herkimer County College Foundation at 315-866-0300, ext. 8459.

The Fair, sponsored by the Herkimer County College Foundation for the benefit of student scholarships at HCCC, is one of the largest in Central New York. The juried show features top artisans showcasing their works including pottery, woodworking, stained glass, weaving, tole painting, dolls, textiles and more.