Hi Everyone --

Lots of news at the Cafe this month!  

Many of us have already met Cindy Cantu', our new general manager, replacing Alexandria Hinds who is returning to school in Maryland for spring semester.  Those of us who interviewed Cindy are thrilled.  Cindy is talented, experienced, a pleasure to spend time with, and dedicated to the vision that we all share of a not-for-profit community center cafe.  Don't take my word for it -- come in and meet Cindy if you haven't already, join us in welcoming her, and spend a while with a scone, some soup, or just to take in the photography on the Gallery Wall.  If you don't find Cindy, then you're likely to meet one of our three assistant managers instead -- Gary, Hannah, or John -- or one of your neighbors, volunteering.  Please say hello.   

NEW WINTER HOURS.  Starting next Tuesday, December 23rd, the Cafe will begin winter hours:

    Tues-Wed-Thurs:  8:00 am - 7:00 pm

    Fri:  8:00 am - 9:00 pm  (often with evening music)

    Sat:  8:00 am - 3:00 pm  (also may be open some Saturday nights for special musical events)

The Community Center is still available after 7:00 pm for scheduled meetings, of course, though if you want coffee and a scone to get you through the reading of the minutes you should plan on arriving slightly before 7:00.  

HOLIDAY CLOSING.  The Cafe will be CLOSED all day on Christmas (Thursday, December 25th) and New Years' Day (Thursday, January 1st), and will close at 3:00 on Christmas Eve (Wednesday, December 24th) and New Years' Eve (Wednesday, December 31st).  

SECOND ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING.  Save the date!  January 12, 2009 is the date of the General Membership Meeting.  All members, please come to cast your vote for next year's Board of Directors and speak your mind on how the Community Center Cafe can do what it does better.  Any member can also run for the Board themselves -- members will receive a flyer in the mail containing a nominations form and anybody can pick one up at the Cafe.  Feel free to nominate yourself or a willing neighbor, and drop off your nomination forms at the Cafe.  Members must be present at the meeting to vote.  The meeting is also a good time to renew your membership for next year -- still only $10.00 per person.  Please come, vote, speak your mind, and join us for another year.  

MUSIC!  Finally, the last two scheduled musical events (so far) for 2008 are both playing this weekend at the Cafe.  Hope to see you there!

Friday 19 December, 7-9 pm - Steve Robinson at the Cafe 

Steve Robinson is a Binghamton, New York native with a musical background that ranges from playing in several bands from the triple cities to California, to performing a solo acoustic show (guitar and vocals). Steve's acoustic set list reflects his diverse musical background, from new and old Rock, to Country and Folk Rock.  

Saturday 20 December, 7-9 pm - Polarus at the Cafe 

Celtic Americana music for all you mandolin lovers!

And in the spirit of the holidays and festivals of midwinter, whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, Eid al-Adha, Kwanzaa, Yule, or otherwise, we at the Cafe wish you all good fortune through the winter and in the coming year.  

 

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Dryden Community Center Cafe

drydencommunitycafe@yahoo.com

http://www.drydencafe.org

September Events at Dryden Community Cafe

Hi Folks!

 

Here's a briefing of some of the goings-on at the Dryden Community Center Cafe this month. Events are FREE unless otherwise indicated.

 

Tuesdays 6:00 pm: 9/2, 9/9, 9/16 and 9/22

September is National Preparedness Month and so the Dryden Fire Department is presenting a community-wide program to promote emergency preparedness and increase hazard awareness. Stop by between 6-8:30 pm for an overview of the program, handouts and to ask questions. For more information, visit http://fire.dryden.org/.

 

9/13 7:00-9:00 pm: Cindy Daly

Cindy Daly returns with acoustic covers and traditional folk.

 

9/15 7:00 pm: Cafe General Meeting (open to the public)

Thanks to the scores of volunteers that have helped build and sustain the cafe, it's been six months and we are still here! Come celebrate this milestone with our new general manager, refreshments and updates on what we have accomplished and what is on the horizon!

 

9/17 5:00 pm: Dryden Youth Opportunity Fund 5th Anniversary Celebration

The Dryden Youth Opportunity Fund (DYOF) will be celebrating its fifth year of service to Dryden's youth at the Café from 6:30-8:30 p.m. The event is open to the community and free coffee, lemonade and cake will be on hand. Come celebrate and learn about the work they do!

 

9/22 5:00 pm: Songwriters' Workshop - Layah Jane and Oliver Johnson

Here is a unique opportunity for all you songwriters out there to ask questions, get answers and share your work!Canadian musicians Layah Jane and Oliver Johnson will be at the cafe to play tunes, share stories and advice. Layah is a recording artist whose soulful vocals and poetic, articulate tongue have lured listeners at festivals and clubs across North America. She is the winner of numerous music awards, and is currently touring with bandmate Oliver, who plays lead guitar and is a composer for television and radio, in support of their full-length recording Brightness & Bravery (Grace Note Records, 2008). $5.00 donation requested.

 

9/24 7:00 pm: Cornell Cooperative Extension workshop - Save Energy, Save Dollars

Learn about low-cost and no-cost ways to save energy and reduce your energy bills. Also learn about programs that can help you afford energy-efficiency improvements with subsidies, low-interest loans, or free services to qualifying households. Participants will receive a free energy kit, including weatherstripping, shrink window insulation, faucet aerator, outlet and light switch gaskets, and more.

 

9/19 7:00-9:00 pm: Blue Skies

Blue Skies returns to perform their unique interpretations of classic jazz, blues and standards along with original compositions on guitar, violin, mandolin and combinations of solo and harmony vocals.

 

9/26 7:00-9:00 pm: Jonathan Ames

Jonathan brings with him an aresenal of over 30 original tunes, as well as beloved cover songs from the 50's and 60's.

 

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Dryden Community Center Cafe

drydencommunitycafe@yahoo.com

http://www.drydencafe.org

Public Meeting at the Dryden Community Cafe

Greetings all,

Six months!  The Dryden Community Center Cafe is now six months old.  You may remember that we opened on the 29th of February, so our first real birthday will come in 2012, but that won't stop us from celebrating now.  We have had challenges and learned to overcome them along the way, thanks to the incredible and continuing contributions from all of our volunteers -- from bakers to builders to cleaners to cafe workers to organizational coordinators to sponsoring businesses who donate materials and skills.  Thank you, again and again, to all who have lent their hand, from the four original visionaries who conceived of the Cafe approximately one year ago (Sue Carver, Mary Kirkwyland, Wendy Martin, and Kim Schenck) to the volunteers who dish out ice cream cones on hot summer days and hot mugs of soup in the days to come.  We have done it.  

The Cafe hosts community groups, book clubs, art shows, and musical events; we provide meeting places for business people, students, and parents with young children; we support local businesses in our purchases and, we hope, by providing another reason to make downtown Dryden a destination.  Now that the tumult of opening the Cafe has settled somewhat, we would like to again ask the question:  "How can the Community Center Cafe best serve the Dryden community?"  

We also have some good news to report!  After an extended search, we have hired Alexandria Hinds to be the new general manager of the Community Center Cafe.  Alexandria has substantial experience in food service management as well as a devotion to the community and to the founding principles of the Community Center.  We are thrilled that she will be joining the family, and ask you to join us in welcoming her to the Cafe.  

So, in order to celebrate our first six months, to introduce Alexandria, to bring the community up to date on the goings-on at the Cafe, and to discuss how the Cafe can better serve the Dryden community, we will be holding a public meeting at the Cafe on this coming Monday, September 15th, from 7:00 to 9:00 pm.  Please join us next Monday to meet Alexandria, hear the stories, and contribute your thoughts on where to go from here.  

See you all at the Cafe!

Thom 

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Thomas Cleland

DCCC Scribe

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Dryden Community Center Cafe

One West Main Street, Dryden NY

drydencommunitycafe@yahoo.com

http://www.drydencafe.org

Music this Weekend 7/11

All,

Monica Knight, our Events Coordinator, wanted me to send you information regarding this coming Friday July 11th. We have a busy night ahead of us!

 

"Dryden Community Center Cafe has a double header this Friday July 11 for the young and the young at heart. From 5-7 pm the The Brand New Nate & Kate Kids Show will entertain the youngsters and their parents with a spirited show of music, juggling and rambunctious carryings-on!

Then from 8-10 pm, The Fun Bus Band, a 60's classic rock and pop band featuring Arthur Barry, guitar and vocals, Bob Carlucci, bass and vocals, David Plaine, sax, keyboards and vocals, Mark Sammo on drums and vocals will rock the socks off the baby boomers! Both events are FREE and open to all!"

And while you are there check out some new additions to our menu. Yum!

Wendy

 

6/27 DC3 Updates

All,

Sometimes as we volunteers and staff are buzzing around up to our elbows in dishwater, slicing tomatoes, wiping down the tables, moping the floor, or making our twentieth Panini, we tend to forget why we are doing this!

Yesterday as I dragged out a smelly bag of trash, was worrying about how empty our bakery case was thanks to a brisk lunch rush and fussing about how much I had to do, a lovely couple out for a stroll stopped me in the back parking area and reminded me why we started this project by thanking us for all that we are doing and remarking how much they enjoyed having the cafe in our village.

Then this morning Jean German was telling us about a couple she met while volunteering who have retired here from Cape Cod and frequent our cafe. The wife is a gardening enthusiast and she and Jean are now getting together for lunch to get to know one another and talk plants.

As we stood talking about how funny it seemed to us that someone would retire from a place most of us would love to live, we were placing into the bake case servings of Texas Sheet Cake made by our newest baker Stevie Lasenby. Stevie is new to Dryden and home schools her children. She is a wonderful baker and we came to us as a way to connect with her new community. Welome Stevie!

At the same time another woman buying her morning coffee asked who the teacher responsible for all the wonderful art done by the home schooled art class that we currently have hanging on our gallery wall. She too teaches art to home schoolers and wanted to connect and share ideas!

These are just some of many moments we volunteers experience that makes the hours we spend to make this project a reality so worthwhile. To see the smile on people's faces as they look around or meet up with an old friend is a great feeling.

On a similar note we can report to you that in the months of April and May our cafe made enough money to cover our expenses, offer free ice cream to our second and third graders as they did their walking tour, and sent some much needed funding to two other local organizations. For a new business this is a remarkable feat and we thank all of you for your continued support and encouragement! To be able to offer our community a place to meet friends, relax and enjoy so much about what makes Dryden such a great place to live is what we are all about.

Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Wendy

5/21 - DC3 News & Updates

All,

Hard to believe it's the end of May...if not for the blooming trees we might think it was March Madness!

This is a busy week for us here at the Cafe and seemingly for everyone in town. People are scurrying around trying to get to all the places they need to be and finish so many spring projects. Hopefully you will take a moment to come by the cafe, sit with a cup of coffee or a dish of ice cream, listen to some music and just RELAX. By the way...I've seen some of the baked goods for this week and you'll wish you had!

Thursday Night - It's the grand premier of "Andy's Big Dig" filmed right down the street in Elsie Gutchess's front yard! This is a film by graduating Ithaca College Students featuring many of our friends and neighbors as main characters and extras. The short film starts at 8pm with an introduction by the makers. Come on and see how it all turned out!

Friday and Saturday - The Dryden Historical Society is having its "Famous Opportunity Sale"! This will be a great chance to find fun bargains and unique items with proceeds going to the History House. The sale will be located on 287 George Road and I am sure there will be great things to be found. I have personally seen Gina Prentiss packing some wonderful treasures into her car the past few weeks. If you have anything you would like to donate or questions, please contact Shirley Price at 844-8700 or Mary Hornbuckle at 898-3461.

Saturday Afternoon - 2 to 3pm  Wendy Skinner from Sew Green will be stopping by the cafe to show you how to turn some of those colorful old t-shirts you are cleaning out of your closets into a unique and useful tote bag! She will also be showing us other useful things one can do with cotton t-shirts, and while the sewing supplies will be provided, you need to bring your own shirts! Like more information? Go to her website at www.sew-green.org.

Saturday Night - We are very lucky to have Mad Daddy grace our stage once again! This is my husband's favorite group, so I expect him to be in the front row. Come and hear the wonderful voices of Ted Walsh and his daughter Maddie; you will go home with a smile on your face!

Monday Morning - Memorial Day the cafe will be open with limited hours and services for the parade. Some of our volunteers are going to come in to serve complementary coffee and hopefully some baked goods. We are looking for members to bring in a baked good or two to share with our community as we salute our veterans. Hours will be from 9 to 12pm so come on in and help pour the coffee if you can!

Speaking of Hours....

At last night's board meeting we voted to change our hours for the summer. This was done so that our building committee can have a chance to get into the cafe and continue on some much needed projects.

New Summer Hours! TUESDAY THROUGH SATURDAY 8am until 9pm  CLOSED ON SUNDAYS

We will keep everyone posted when we can once again be open on Sunday, so bear with us.

Have a good weekend and keep your fingers crossed for better weather!

Wendy5/21

5/13 Upcoming Events

May is here and the flowers are blooming! Wonderful work done by our town's Beautification Brigade. How great to see those beautiful pansies now resting in our village planters, and the winter weeds removed from Times Square. Thanks to Mary Kirkwyland and all the ladies for all of your hard work!

Last weekend the cafe was hopping. We had sixty children come by and decorate a pot of flowers for Mother's Day complete with a hand made card. Thanks go to Beth Peck, Monica Knight and Lori Levine for all their hard work putting this together. Our ice cream was flying out the door on Saturday as well. Sertoma hosted their Bike Rodeo and many of the contestants stopped by the cafe to cool off with some much deserved ice cream!

Wednesday the 14th the Dryden Historical Society is hosting a program by the Smith Family on "Bluebirds in Your Backyard: A Family Affair". David Smith is president of the National Bluebird Society and will enlighten everyone on what was once a rare sight in New York State. Doors open in the Village Hall at 6:30 for refreshments. Come and learn something new about these beautiful birds.

Friday the 16th the cafe will be having it's first ever Guitar Hero Night! I have only seen this video game once, but it looks like a lot of fun. We will have refreshments and prizes. The games begin at 6pm.

Sunday the 18th Lois Session and many of our teachers will be hosting a wonderful benefit for the Little family. The Littles recently lost all of their possessions in a fire and the teachers are hoping to help them by having a Dessert Auction. Sounds like a win win for all of us! Come on by the cafe between 2 and 4pm, listen to some great music by the Celtic Ladies, sample some wonderful baked goods donated by our community members, and then take some home. No calories in cakes baked for benefits!

Tuesday the 20th is of course the before mentioned Dryden Senior High Art Show in the middle school gym. Opening reception is 5pm until 8pm with lots of music, desserts, and fresh fruit all donated by local businesses. We have been lucky to have some of these student's artwork at the cafe, and look forward to seeing more!

Enjoy this beautiful day by taking a stroll to admire all the lovely gardens our village offers!

Wendy

Game Night on Thursdays!

Just a reminder that beginning this evening, Thursday night is Game Nite at the cafe! Bring your own game or borrow one of ours! Games begin at 6:30, so come down and play!  

 

ALSO:  If you would like to host a specialty game night and share the basics and strategies of your favorite game, please let me know!

 

Monica Knight

Events Chair

mjknight@twcny.rr.com

5/1 - Volunteering & Other News

Kim Schenck is having our first VOLUNTEER MEETING this coming Monday the 5th at 6:30pm. To all of you who are already volunteering, this will give you a chance to meet each other, and to anyone who is interested in finding out what volunteers do....this is a  good time to get informed!  Kim asked me to include her email address in case you would like to contact her:   schenckk@gjrmail.com

There is no obligation if you just want to stop in and check things out...but I will tell you that we are in the process of ordering some great tee shirts with our logo on front for all of our current volunteers. Hey...how cool would it be to have the first run of our soon to be "hot item" cafe wear!

In other good news....while it is not "official" yet....I did hear that there will be at least two empty storefronts filling up very soon...and yes, one will be right next door to us! Revitilization in progress!

On a personal note...I found a great recipe for orange cupcakes with chocolate orange ganache icing yesterday and made a dozen or more for the cafe. Sue Cardwell baked some wonderful donut muffins earlier this week, and Sandy Barry is treating us to jam tarts. YUM. Oh, and today's scones were made by Beth Peck! Thank you ladies.

Don't forget Saturday Curt Osgood and John Wobus will delight us with the sounds of their dulcimer, banjo, and fiddle. Pamela Goddard will be here again on Sunday afternoon, so stop in for coffee, friends and music.

On Monday, no matter what your summer activities are, join local physical therapist, David McCune at the Cafe for a discussion on strategies for getting fit and preventing related injuries. Free and open to the public.

Enjoy this lovely morning.

Wendy

4/24/08 - Bits of Cafe News

Many of you will notice a new face behind the counter in our cafe. We are thrilled to have our friend, member, and neighbor Tish McGrath take the reins of manager. Megan Begert, who was so a main force behind us getting us up and running is now going to be focusing on other aspects of her very busy life, but will always be a valuable friend and asset. We look forward to seeing Megan and her family come in, relax and enjoy just being members. Thank you Megan and welcome Tish!

For those of you who have been enjoying our weekend music this Friday we will once again be listening to Tom and Marie. Wonderful acoustic sounds that will float through our open door. Stop in and feel your toes tapping.

Saturday evening we encourage everyone to head over to the high school after they stop in for an evening snack. The student's are having their annual Jazz and Dessert Night at 7pm. Wonderful music to accompany baked goods offered by more of our local bakers. Sounds like a win win for everyone.

Speaking of bakers, our list of volunteer bakers is growing and you will all benefit from the variety of goods we are now offering. Sandy Barry from the high school just made some beautiful lemon tarts, Diane Harkness is once again baking her mint brownies, Nancy Hart is responsible for the raspberry crumb bars, Kathy Tyler will be working on a wonderful chocolate cake later this week, Barbara Bartsch is doing the lemon pound cake...and I am going to be training Beth Peck on the art of scone making. Anyone else interesting in learning my recipe is welcome to it!

Our events committee is excited about our Thursday Game Night. I know Chris Baurle is looking for people to teach bridge to, and Lori Levine's family has become our Pitch champions. So if you are looking for some fun on a Thursday evening...come on down!

In case you haven't been in for the past few weeks...you will now see a wonderful show of talent by our local art students hanging on our walls. Thank you to all the students and teachers for your time, efforts and talents. Hard to believe some of this great artwork comes from students...it is really wonderful!

On Wednesday mornings you will find a growing number of young mothers gathering in the back of the cafe at 10:30. Having someplace for our mothers to sit and chat in a child friendly environment has always been high on our list of things to offer...so thank you Jenn Dovi for putting this group together.

Our volunteers are finding new friends and we now have regular groups. The Wednesday lunch group consists of Bev Maynard on the register with Sue Carver and Joan Torello manning the kitchen. Stop in and see how good their Paninis are! We even have our men's group of Charlie Hart and Ted Hodgson who like to take on an later shift with Gary our evening manager. Have to admit they are great at dishes as well as sandwiches! Friday nights you will often find a great couple, Amy and Jeramy, both grad students at Cornell. Jeramy also plays a mean keyboard as we found out a few weeks ago! We still need more volunteers as summer approaches....so if you have a free slot in your week please contact Kim Schenk and let her know, or just stop on in and sign up.

Salads are in! We have noted that with the approach of warmer weather and swimsuit time just around the corner our salad requests are increasing. Of course our ice cream sales are also up....we have new flavors coming in today and I have just requested a new freezer from Hershey's for all of those novelty ice creams we all like to consume during the summer months.

Two of our members have asked me to see if anyone is looking for people to play coed softball. I gather there is a local league out there but you have to find a team in need of members. So if you have any information...just let me know!

Well of course I could go on...but I will just part with a big thanks to all of you for your continued support of this great project. See you at the cafe!