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Opportunity for Collectors and Antiquers

Finger Lakes flea markets, sales and auctions offer bargains for antique hunters like this group from Summer Collector’s Roundtable, a non-credit class at Finger Lakes Community College. Collectors learn from experts to become savvier about identifying, collecting and valuing their antiques and collectables.

The 2005 Summer Collector’s Roundtable is offered Thursdays, July 7 to August 4 from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Canandaigua campus. There are two visits to antique shops and an optional shopping spree to the Avon Flea Market on Sunday, August 7.

Call the Office of Professional Studies & Community Education, 585-394-3500, extension 7600, for more information.

Ithaca Journal Features Student Historians

The Ithaca Journal is featuring Student Historian articles in the Saturday edition of the paper. Each week, the paper runs an article written by a Tompkins County high school student about the research of an item in The History Center in Tompkins County’s collection.

The Student Historian program provides students with the opportunity to explore history on a local and national level and allows them to experience community service from a leadership role. The program was awarded a Distinguished Youth Award by the Tompkins County Legislature last fall for its contribution to the community.

Finger Lakes Winery Is Set for New Horror Film

Watkins Glen and Glenora Wine Cellars will be the real-life set for an independent mystery, action and comedy film written and directed by Finger Lakes resident George Boyce. The film, titled “Vineyards of Death,” begins with the murder of a winery owner. His widow, played by Sarah Desage, tries to prove her innocence with the help of a retired NYPD detective, played by Boyce.

“Vineyards of Death” will be filmed between June and August and should be ready for the spring 2006 film festival season. Boyce does not plan to release his shooting schedule to the public, though he does plan to release photos of the crew’s progress at www.
glenara.net.

Rare Seneca White Deer Threatened

The Seneca Army Depot Conservation Area near Romulus is home to the world’s largest and possibly only herd of white deer. The herd of unique animals, fenced off from the brown deer population, is threatened by plans to reuse the former military facility. If the old Army Depot fence is removed during the changeover, the white deer will be assimilated into existing herds of brown deer and eventually die out.

Seneca White Deer, a not-for-profit conservationist group, is working to educate the public about the importance of protecting the conservation area of the Army Depot, the white deer and the rich history of the depot. Their plan for the conservation area is to turn it into a hot spot for eco-tourism, preserving the white deer and irreplaceable national resources for future generations. Visit www.senecawhitedeer.org for more information.

Can You Name the Four Western Finger Lakes?

They are Conesus, Hemlock, Canadice and Honeoye Lakes. Get to know them better at the First Little Lakes Food Festival on Saturday, July 30 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Eagle Crest Vineyards of Hemlock Lake. The goal of the festival is to spotlight the food, wine, music and arts of the area surrounding the four western Finger Lakes.

Food products will include local garlic and garlic products, mustards, hot sauces, vinegars, fruit syrups and preserves and maple products, among others.

An exclusive dinner will cap this unique event by six of the area’s most superb chefs serving a signature dish prepared only from the finest and freshest Little Lakes meats, vegetables and fruits. Dinner tickets will be sold in advance. For details see www.aTasteoftheLittleFingerLakes.com or call 585-346-5257.

Other activities include 4-H and adult cooking contests, an interpretive walk on Nature Conservancy property and a car show featuring exceptional pre-1930 automobiles.

International Jazz Festival Returns to Rochester

The fourth annual Rochester International Jazz Festival will take place from June 10-18, offering more than nine days of diverse music and fun. The festival features more than 100 concerts at venues all over Rochester, including two new free outdoor venues at East Avenue and Gibbs Street.

This year’s festival will feature more than 500 musicians representing more than 15 countries, including Sonny Rollins, Chaka Khan, Dave Brubeck, Chick Corea, Ravi Coltrane and more.

For more information, visit www.rochesterjazz.com.

Hike The Trails of Tioga

The Tioga County Active Living Partnership, a partnership of 10 Tioga County groups, has unveiled its new “Trails of Tioga” map, a free resource showing over 80 miles of trails at 18 locations within the county.

The easy-to-read topographic-style map includes enlarged views of the trails, detailed descriptions and driving directions, as well as several biking and cross-country skiing trails. Additionally, the map includes a listing of the county’s public parks and boat and canoe access sites.

To obtain a map, contact Tioga County Tourism at 607-687-7440.

Seneca Museum Presents Erie Canal Art

The Seneca Museum has received a grant from Finger Lakes Arts and Grants Services (FLAGS), enabling the museum to present four artists’ presentations on the Erie Canal.

The fourth and final of these presentations will take place on June 19 at 2 p.m. The Dady Brothers will perform a 45-minute act, depicting the construction of the canal and canal life accompanied by the fiddle, mandolin and several other instruments.

Previous Erie Canal artists included musicians The Hill Brothers, actress Gretchen Murray Sepik and author Mary Ellen Lee.

Wanted: CommuniTree Stewards

The Cornell University Coop­erative Extension of Onondaga County is looking for Finger Lakes residents who are interested in becoming CommuniTree Stewards, caretakers of community forests.

CommuniTree Stewards volunteer on a variety of projects including tree care and tree planting. The Co­op­­erative Extension trains stewards free in exchange for 15 hours of volunteer time.

To receive more information about CommuniTree Stewards, contact Community Forestry Educator Stephen Harris at 315-424-9485.

Enjoy Some Pickin’ in the Pasture

Every summer, the Alexander family of Lodi opens up their commercial sheep farm, hosting a four-day bluegrass festival they call “Pickin’ in the Pasture.” Thousands of people pack the family farm each year for world-class bluegrass at the largest festival of its kind in the state of New York.

This year’s event, which will be held August 25-28, will feature some of the top bluegrass entertainers including The Lewis Family, Blueridge, The Gibson Brothers and The Atkinson Family. The event will also include instructional workshops, jam sessions and sheep shearing demonstrations.

Coming Soon: The Finger Lakes Wine Festival

The 2005 Finger Lakes Wine Festival, supported by the Corning Museum of Glass, will be held July 15-17 on the grounds of Watkins Glen International racetrack. Tickets for the annual event went on sale in early March and ticket sales have already surpassed those in 2004.

The festival will feature tastings from over 70 local wineries, including more than 500 wines. Arts and crafts, food demonstrations, music and the Hot Glass Roadshow will also be featured at the festival. New this year will be the toga-themed kickoff party, sponsored by Yancey’s Fancy artisan cheeses.

37th Annual Corn Hill Arts Festival

The Corn Hill Arts Festival will be held July 9 and 10 this year, featuring the work of over 425 artists from the U.S. and Canada. With vendors lining the urban streets of Corn Hill, visitors will have the opportunity to enjoy art, music and historic architecture.

Consistently ranked among the top 20 art shows in the country, The Corn Hill Arts Festival uses all proceeds from the festival to better the Corn Hill community. For more information about the festival or other Corn Hill community events, visit www.Cornhill.org.

Cayuga Museum Goes on Big Tree Search

The Cayuga Museum in Auburn has instigated a countywide search for the largest trees of each species. The search began on Arbor Day and will conclude on November 15, when each nominated tree will be formally measured. Each of the largest trees will then be nominated to the New York State Big Tree Search.

The search is part of an exhibition that opens in June called Cayuga Wild. The display will explore the natural history of the county and its relation to the county’s economic and cultural development.

For more information, visit www.cayuganet.org/cayugamuseum.

Cornell Birdmen Find “Extinct” Woodpecker

The Ivory-billed Woodpecker, long believed to be extinct, was recently rediscovered by a research team led by Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology at Cornell University and The Nature Conservancy. More than 60 years after the last confirmed sighting of the species in the United States, the bird was spotted in the Big Woods of eastern Arkansas.

Evidence included multiple sightings and video footage that was gathered during an intensive year-long search in the Cache River and White River national wildlife refuges. Over 50 experts and field biologists took part. The Ivory-billed Woodpecker is the largest woodpecker in North America, and is known through lore as a bird of beauty and indomitable spirit.

Check Out Canandaigua’s Chamber Music

The Canandaigua Lake Chamber Music Festival will commence its first season in August, featuring both community musicians and visiting artists from around the nation in six performances.

The festival begins August 18 with the Corigliano String Quartet and continues with soprano Nadine Earl Carey and sisters Elisa and Amy Sue Barston. The festival also includes a masterclass for local student chamber ensembles, an open festival rehearsal, an interactive chamber music barbecue and a concert for children.

For more information about the festival or to discuss volunteer opportunities, contact Joanna Bassett at 585-383-0650.

Finger Lakes Institute Educates Public

The Finger Lakes Institute, located in Geneva, is an educational and information center where tourists and residents can learn about the region and activities at many levels.

The organization is dedicated to developing curricular materials and opportunities for K-12 teachers and hosting school and community groups, like the Girl Scouts. Additionally, the institute will host the Environmental Studies Summer Youth Institute for talented high school juniors and seniors.

The institute also acts as a clearinghouse for information about the Finger Lakes region, fostering communication and connections among stakeholders within the region. Part of the initiative is the institute’s lecture series and workshops, providing information and supporting awareness of environmental issues. Previous workshops have included a seminar on the employment, economic and health trends in the region by Paul Eberts and a presentation about the ecology of Honeoye Lake by Bruce Gilman.

An extensive list of upcoming events is available at http://fli.hws.edu/
workshops.asp.

Corning Artist Featured in American Artist magazine

Corning-based artist Thomas Buechner was featured in the May issue of American Artist magazine. The article featured several of Buechner’s sketches, which he draws during board meetings.

Well-known in the art world, Buechner has been the president of the Corning Museum of Glass, the director of the Brooklyn Museum and president of the Rockwell Museum. He literally wrote the book on glass, authoring Encyclopaedia Britannica’s section on glass. Buechner is also the author of a book on Norman Rockwell and a book about his creative process.

For more information about Buechner or his work, visit www.tombuechner.com.