Economics, weather, comedy, music on tap at virtual Crandell
CHATHAM—Friday through Thursday, May 8 to 14, the Crandell Theatre offers for streaming Capital In the Twenty-First Century /The Hottest August /On a Magical Night /Crescendo. For trailers and tickets, click on the links here. A full 50% of the box office benefits continued
operations of the Crandell.

For safety, Art Omi limits parking spaces
GHENT—With the warming weather, outdoor destinations like Art Omi are seeing an increase in the number of their visitors. But despite the fair weather, coronavirus infection rates in and around Columbia County continue to climb, and it is as crucial as ever to curtail unnecessary travel and maintain social distance.
In order to reduce park density and assure a healthy environment for visitors, beginning this weekend, May 8-10, Art Omi is reducing the number of parking spots available to 20. Once 20 vehicles are parked, no additional visitors will be admitted until enough have departed.
Idling and / or parking on County Route 22 is strictly prohibited, and violators will be ticketed and / or towed at their own expense. Read more…

KINDERHOOK – The Ichabod Crane Central School District has been honored with the Best Communities for Music Education designation from The NAMM Foundation for its outstanding commitment to music education.

Now in its 21st year, the Best Communities for Music Education designation is awarded to districts that demonstrate outstanding achievement in efforts to provide music access and education to all students. To qualify for the Best Communities designation, the district answered detailed questions about funding, graduation requirements, music class participation, instruction time, facilities and support for the music program. All responses were verified by school officials and reviewed by The Music Research Institute at the University of Kansas.

The award recognizes that the district is leading the way with learning opportunities as outlined in Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), the legislation that replaces No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB). NCLB faced criticism for an emphasis on a testing model that sidelined subjects such as music, where ESSA recommends music and the arts as important elements of a well-rounded education. Read more…

CHATHAM—Like performance venues across the country, PS21 has
had to cancel its spring season through June 20. The venue’s earlier
hopes of reopening this summer appear increasingly unlikely.

As flux and uncertainty are hallmarks of the present moment, the PS21
staff and board work to find ways to offer performances by artists of the
highest caliber and continue fulfilling the venue’s commitment to the
community of Columbia County. They are exploring innovative
performance formats and ways to continue programs for the area’s most
vulnerable residents, such as the theater program for elders in residential
care who are now isolated from friends and family. Read more…