Arts and leisure digest

Genealogical talk is Saturday GOSHEN — The Orange County Genealogical Society will present a free talk, “The Quakers and the Loyalists of Dutchess County,” on Saturday, March 5 at 10:30 a.m. at the 1841 Historic Court House in Goshen. Jim Mandracchia, historical research librarian at the Akin Library on Quaker Hill in Pawling, will be the speaker. He is a retired mathematics teacher, short-term missionary-teacher and library-agent. He and his wife Sharon over see the Akin Library and Gunnison Museum of Natural History housed in the library. For more information, www.OCGSNY.org or e-mail to dorothymorris0@gmail.com Beat the Winter Blues this weekend WARWICK - The Warwick Valley Chamber of Commerce and its Merchant Guild are hosting the second annual “Winter Blues Weekend,” on Saturday and Sunday, March 5 and 6. The event, which is sponsored this year by Warwick ShopRite, will feature “Blues” music by Larrama and Uncle Shoehorn and The OC Blues Express. And, in a departure from last year to accommodate more visitors, these bands will perform under a tent in the Railroad Green Village Park. Other merchants and restaurants will also offer special events, entertainment and more “Blues” music. And there are sales and promotional events. Visitors, as an example, are invited to celebrate National Nutrition Month with sponsor Warwick ShopRite’s Retail Dietician Melanie Dwornik. And there’s a blue pottery sale at The Eclectic Eye. Next door, everyone is encouraged to sample blueberry and chicken Cordon Bleu crepes at La Petite Cuisine or a special blue martini at Grappa Ristorante. Forever Jewelers will feature a blue topaz sale and you may beat the winter bulge and win a pair of Spanx at Style Counsel or visit “Blue,” next door and win a pair of NYDJ Jeans. Peck’s Wines and Spirits is also offering “Winter Blues,” wine tasting. This year Pennings Farm Market will host “Uncle Shoehorn,” blues band on Saturday evening from 8 p.m. to midnight. That same night you can also drop in at Yesterdays from 9 p.m. on to enjoy the “blues” music of Bobby Messano. Country Chevrolet, Corwin Florist, Newhards, Frazzleberries, Etched in Time, Toy Chest, Mima’s, The Red Shutters, Eddie’s Roadhouse, Jean Claude’s Patisserie, Fabulocity, Track 7, Vastu and others are also gearing up. For more information, call Tim Mullally at 986-9588. Coquito hosts Mardi Gras benefit for food pantry Warwick - Christ Church of Warwick will sponsoring a Mardi Gras celebration, “Jazz and Jambalaya,” at Warwick’s Coquito restaurant on Sunday, March 6, from 4 until 7 p.m. All proceeds will benefit of the Warwick Valley Ecumenical Food Pantry. Tickets are $35 per person. The price includes hors d’oeuvres, a Coquito’s signature sangria, live musical entertainment and access to silent auction items. A wide range of auction items are available, including vacation homes, household and décor items and some great services. If you are unable to attend, you can bid online at www.mardigrascelebration.com. Reservations can be made by calling 469-8100 or by accessing the Web site. 'Chicken Soup for Your Jewish Soul’ begins Saturday in Florida Florida — A new program, Chicken Soup for Your Jewish Soul, begins at 4:30 p.m. Saturday, March 5, at Temple Beth Shalom in the Village of Florida. The first session offers a cooking demonstration on how to prepare a traditional Shabbat dinner. Afterward everyone will sit down together to share the meal. The public is welcome to attend. There is no fee but RSVP’s are requested so the congregation’s cooks and planners can prepare to have enough on hand. Call Temple Beth Shalom at 845-651-7817 to reserve a place. The Chicken Soup series sets out to achieve several goals: to help younger families, many of whom are interfaith, understand and participate in Jewish traditions; to allow all Jews, regardless of their level of knowledge or involvement, to feel connected to their Jewish heritage, and to have fun. For more information, call the temple at 651-7817 or visit the Web site: www.tbsny.org. Circus arrives Saturday at the Lycian Centre Sugar Loaf — The New Shanghai Circus will appear at the Lycian Centre for the Performing Arts in Sugar Loaf on Saturday, March 5 at 8 p.m. Athletes defy gravity and execute feats as they stretch the limits of human ability in this show, bringing 2,000 years of Chinese circus traditions to the stage. Direct from China, this troupe has been wowing audiences for 16 years. The New York Times described the show as “feats of circus art that reach literally breathtaking heights of skill.” Call the Lycian Centre Box Office at 469-2287 for tickets. Lecture on nuclear power at college Middletown — Patrick Falciano will speak about nuclear power on Wednesday, March 9, at 7:30 p.m., in the second of four lectures of the Alternative Power Lecture series at SUNY Orange County Community College, Falciano, of Wappingers Falls, will explain why nuclear power is a good option for producing power in his lecture presentation, “Nuclear Power — Safe and Clean Energy.” Falciano is CEO of Nuclear Renaissance Services and has Training Instructor Certification from the Nuclear Energy Institute. He has been working in the nuclear industry for 41 years. The lecture will take in the Harriman Hall 111 Lecture Hall located at the corner of Wawayanda and East Conkling avenues in Middletown. This event is free. For more information call 341-4891 or e-mail cultural@sunyorange.edu. Florida Presbyterian Church hosts it’s classic corned beef dinner on March 12 Florida — Bob “Zovie” Zovistoski will be cooking his classic again on Saturday, March 12, for the annual Corned Beef Dinner at the Florida Presbyterian Church. Upon arriving home from serving his country in Vietnam in 1968, Zovie started his corned beef dinner tradition, cooking the dinners with the Ladies Auxiliary of the American Legion. Circa 1984, Bob moved his corned beef tradition to the Florida Presbyterian Church. Dinners will be served from 4:30 to 7 p.m. Tickets may be purchased by calling Dawn McKelvey at 651-9024. $12 for adults, $10 for seniors, and $5 for children ages 4-10 years. Ticket include dinner, beverage, and dessert. Take out orders are available. Gaelic Cultural Society’ to honor Sean and Lisa Mulcahy as 'Celts of the Year’ Greenwood Lake — At its St. Patrick’s Dinner-Dance, the Greenwood Lake Gaelic Cultural Society will present Celts of the Year Lisa and Sean Mulcahy on Saturday, March 12. Born and raised in Greenwood Lake, from an early age Sean learned about his Irish roots, especially through Project Children, created to break boundaries, build bridges and promote peace in Northern Ireland by reaching out to the children, founded by his father and uncle when he was young. Making Project Children work was a way of life for him and his family growing up. Since 2005 Lisa has worked on various functions of the Greater Greenwood Lake Revitalization Committee and assisted annually in organizing the Taste of Greenwood Lake. Lisa now serves as president of the Committee. The Dinner-Dance will take place from 7:30 to 11:30 p.m. and feature Frankie Curran and the Evergreens Band, corned beef and cabbage dinner, beer, wine, and soda; $35 per person. Call Lexi O’Rourke at 595-1145. St. Patrick’s Day dinner at firehouse Warwick — The Excelsior Hose Co. #1 will host its 13th annual St. Patrick’s Day Dinner on Thursday, March 17, Excelsior Hose Co. #1 is located at Station #1 on Church St. Extension off of Forester Ave. in Warwick, The dinner will be from 5 to 7 p.m. and the price includes corned beef, cabbage, potato, vegetable, Irish soda bread, dessert and a beverage. Take-outs are available during the dinner. Adults are $12, seniors, $10, children 5-12, $8 and children under 5 are free. There is free delivery in the Village of Warwick for orders placed between 1 and 4:30 p.m. at 986-4688. Writers’ Center presents poetry readings Sleepy Hollow — The Hudson Valley Writers’ Center will help warm the hearts of poetry lovers with upcoming poetry readings: On Friday, March 11, at 7:30 p.m., poets Peggy Ellsberg and Pamela Hart will read from their works. Ellsberg, the assistant editor of The Atlantic Monthly, has published poems in many anthologies. Hart, a partner at Toadlily Press, directs the Art of Writing Institute at Long Island University. On Sunday, March 20, at 4:30 p.m., Katie Phillips will read from her prize-winning collection, “Driving Montana, Alone.” Sharing the bill will be Phillips’ mentor, Joyce Sutphen. Sutphen has won many poetry awards; her latest collection is “First Words.” The readings will take place at the Writers’ Center, at the restored historic Philipse Manor railroad station, 300 Riverside Dr., Sleepy Hollow, with a brief Q&A and reception to follow. Admission is $5. For more information about the Hudson Valley Writers’ Center, go to www.writerscenter.org, or call 914-332-5953. Feline Fanciers host cat show March 19-20 Middletown - Warwick Valley Feline Fanciers will present its annual cat show on March 19 and 20 at the Orange County Fair Grounds in Middletown. Three hundred cats will be on exhibition, with six judging rings. The show also will have vendors and face painting. The show runs from 9 a.m. t0 4 p.m. both days. Admission: adult $5; children and seniors $4; children under 4 free. For information, call 845-343-4826.