Discussions/Speakers

Albany Institute of History & Art, 125 Washington Ave., Albany. 5/16, 12:30 PM: Katherine Alcauskas discusses her original research and conservation of a significant 18th-century painting and frame. 463-4478.

Altamont Free Library, 105 Park St., Altamont. 5/19, 7 PM: “Wildflowers: Faces, Facts and Folklore.” Gardener Pam Taft gives an illustrated presentation on local wildflowers. 861-7239.

Bard College, Bertelsmann Campus Center, 30 Campus Road, Annandale-on-Hudson. 5/20, 1 PM: Follow-up session to “The Golden Rule” conference with presentations by students, Bruce Chilton, and Jacob Neusner. You may bring a bagged lunch. (845) 758-7279.

Bennington Museum, 75 Main St. Route 9, Bennington, Vt. 5/15, 7 PM: “Preserving Our Past.” A project intended to combine lectures, old photographs and oral histories into a series of video documentaries about life in Bennington. Free. (802) 447-1571.

Borders, 395 Broadway, Saratoga Springs. 5/21, 3:30 PM: New York State Retired Teachers Association and Borders team up to bring you employment information that reflects today’s competitive environment. Tips on writing your resume, interviewing, and getting the job you want. 583-1200.

Catskill Bookee, 347 Main St., Catskill. 5/18, 2 PM: All Arts Matter presents the Sunday Lecture Series. Lecture by Robert Stevens on “Photography: Art for Art’s Sake or Art with a Purpose.” May and June lectures $18, $12 members; single lecture $10, $8 members. 996-4038.

Clark Art Institute, 225 South St., Williamstown, Mass. 5/18, 3 PM: Peter Lawson-Johnston will discuss his memoir Growing Up Guggenheim. Free. (413) 458-2303.

Clifton Park-Halfmoon Public Library, 475 Moe Road, Clifton Park. 5/21, 2-3:30 PM: Nancy Pearl will address Adult Service Librarians with the topic “Opening Books, Opening Doors: Providing Effective Reader’s Advisory Service.” At 7-8:30, she will address the same topic, this time addressed to young adults. 371-8622.

Columbia County Soil and Water Conservation District, 1024 Rte. 66, Ghent. 5/19, 7-8:30 PM: Kinderhook Watershed protection group meeting. Learning about the importance of streamside buffer zones. Please register with Fran Martino at 828-1330.

Copake Iron Works Museum, Taconic State Park, Straatsburg. 5/17, 2-3:30 PM: Taconic State Park walking tour of the Copcake Iron Works. Registration required. Please dress appropriately for trails. 329-3993.

Dyken Pond Center, 475 Dyken Pond Road, Cropseyville. 5/17 & 18: Wild Edible Plant Series. Participants learn the basics of backyard foraging and wild edible food preparation. Pre-registration is required by e-mail, dykenpond@fairpoint.net or calling 658-2055.

Edinburg Community Center, 47 Military Rd., Edinburg. 5/20, 7 PM: Edinburg Historical Society meeting. Guest speaker is Saratoga County Historian Kristina Saddlemire, who will share her research on “The Underground Railroad and Abolitionism in Saratoga County.” 863-8762.

Holiday Inn Express, 946 New Loudon Road, Latham. 5/16, 7-8:30 AM: The BNI business referral chapter Capital Connections weekly meeting. Open to all business professionals. John Hodgens of News Channel 13 will be speaking. 452-0550 ext. 16.

Hudson Area Association Library, 400 State St., Hudson. 5/18, 1-3 PM: Robert L. Cohen will present “They All Sang on the Corner: The Roots of Doo-Wop Rock ‘n’ Roll.” Light refreshments to be served, free. 828-1792.

New York State Museum, Huxley Theatre, Empire State Plaza, Albany. 5/21, 7 PM: “Worm Invasions: Predatory Planarians, Earthworms, and Novel Ecologies.” Dr. Peter K. Ducey presents this lecture in the “Invaders” series. 474-5877.

Saratoga Springs Public Library, Community Room, 49 Henry St., Saratoga Springs. 5/20, 7-8 PM: Women’s National Book Association Award Winner Nancy Pearl presents “The Pleasures and Perils of a Life of Reading.” Seating is limited, tickets required. 584-7860.

Ten Broeck Mansion, 9 Ten Broeck Place, Albany. 5/15, 6 PM: Lecture and book signing, The Hudson: America’s River, by Albany author Frances F. Dunwell. Reception following. 436-9826.

Troy Public Library, 100 2nd St., Troy. 5/15, 6:30 PM: “Japan: Its Culture and Its People.” Slide show and presentation. Free. 5/20, 6-7:30 PM: “Meditation to Your Health—Creative Session to Enhance Mediation.” Month-long meditation session, every Tuesday. Free, no experience necessary. 274-7071.

William K. Sanford Town Library, 629 Albany Shaker Road, Loudonville. 5/18, 2 PM: “Discovering Peking Man: International Cooperative Science.” Archeology lecture by Peter L. Huston, Cornell University. 458-9274.

Workshops

Adirondack Public Observatory, The Wild Center, Natural History Museum of the Adirondacks, 45 Museum Dr., Tupper Lake. 5/15, 7 PM: Lecture series in the Flammar Theater, “The Lion, the Bear, and other Creatures of the Spring Sky.” Take an up close look at seasonal constellations, as lecture is followed by star gazing outside. Free. 359-7800.

Albany Public Library, Delaware Branch, 485 Delaware Ave., Albany. 5/16, 10:30-11:30 AM: “Introduction to the Internet” Call to register. 463-0254.

Albany Public Library, Main Branch, 161 Washington Ave., Albany. 5/15, 10:30-11:30 AM: “Introduction to Excel—Part I” 5/17, 2-4 PM: “Intermediate Digital Photography.” 5/20, 7 PM: Annual Meeting of the Friends of APL. Rex Smith, editor and columnist of the Albany Times Union is the guest speaker. 5/21, 10:30-11:30 AM: Introduction to the Internet. Free. 427-4303.

Berkshire Botanical Garden, Routes 102 and 183, Stockbridge, Mass. 5/17, 10 AM-noon: “Composting for Gardeners.” Understand strategies for making richer compost in a shorter period of time for less work. Build a tipi compost pile on site, and see what materials can be used in what ratio. $21, $16 members. 1-3 PM: “Backyard Beekeeping” Covering the basics of bees and beekeeping for the homeowner. Learn how to start a hive, and other fundamentals and details. $21, $16 members. (413) 298-3926.

Borders, 395 Broadway, Saratoga Springs. 5/21, 3:30 PM: New York State Retired Teachers Association and Borders team up to bring you employment information that reflects today’s competitive environment. Tips on writing your resume, interviewing, and getting the job you want. 583-1200.

Brookside Museum, 6 Charlton St., Ballston Spa. 5/21, 6:30-10:30 PM: Iris Basket intermediate workshop. $28, $18 members; materials fee $25. 885-4000.

Cornell University Cooperative Extension, 24 Martin Road, Voorheesville. 5/20, 6-7:30 PM: Mediterranean cooking class. Participants will prepare and sample several delicious Mediterranean style foods and take home recipes and information. $5; pre-registration required by 5/16. 765-3500.

Dyken Pond Center, 475 Dyken Pond Road, Cropseyville. 5/17, 8 PM: Full moon hike. Experienced guides will show you how to hike without a flashlight, using night vision to guide your way. Free, no registration required. 658-2055.

Fenimore Art Museum, Route 80, Cooperstown. 5/17, 9 AM-1 PM: The Farmers’ Museum presents beekeeping. A workshop covering the ancient art and science of beekeeping, and how to get started with the fundamentals. $40. (888) 547-1450.

Hudson Area Association Library, 400 State St., Hudson. 5/17, 10:30 AM-12:30 PM: Beginner’s art class with instructor Valerie White of Mountain Cat Studio. Will move outdoors, weather permitted. Free; please call to register. 828-1792.

Marriott-Albany, 189 Wolf Rd., Albany. 5/20, 5-7 PM: “eWomenNetwork ‘Accelerated Networking’ Dinner.” Networking event, to help participants make the most out of building reputation, attracting quality referrals and networking fundamentals. $45, $35 members. (407) 551-0578.

New York State Library, Empire State Plaza, Albany. 5/21, 12:15-1:15 PM: “Trademarks.” Covering unregistered trademarks as common law rights and registered trademarks at the state and federal level. Bring lunch. 474-2274.

New York State Museum, Adirondack Hall, Empire State Plaza, Albany. 5/21, 6:30-8:30PM: “Life Drawing for Adults.” Weekly session featuring a live model in a different Museum setting. For all eight sessions, $65, $55 members; drop-in rate, $12, $10 members. 473-7154.

Saratoga Springs Public Library, 49 Henry St., Saratoga Springs. 5/20, 12:30-1:30 PM: “Mindfulness Meditation.” Professionals from One Roof Holistic Center instruct. Free. 584-7860.

Schenectady County Historical Society, 32 Washington Ave., Schenectady. 5/17, 2-3:30 PM: “Repair, Restore, Conserve.” Kris Driessen helps participants learn what to do with a damaged quilt and tips on how to do it. Bring your quilts for suggestions. 374-0263.

Troy Public Library, Lansingburgh Branch, 114th Street and 4th Ave., Troy. 5/17, 11 AM-1 PM: “Writing the Personal Essay.” Local author Amy Halloran leads the five-week workshop. Free, prior registration required; 5/17, 2-4 PM: Two-session class of “Basic Drawing for Adults” Artist Elias Hajj Nasr instructs on the basics of pencil and charcoal drawing. Registration required. 5/20, 6-7:30 PM: “Creative Session to Enhance Meditation” Month-long meditation session, every Tuesday. Free, no experience necessary. 274-7071.

Wadsworth Center, David Axelrod Institute, 120 New Scotland Ave., Albany. 5/21, 7 PM: Virologists Dr. Laura Kramer and Dr. Kristen Bernard, “Out of the Blue: Mosquitoes and Emerging Viruses,” part of the lecture series “Zoonoses: Animal Diseases Affecting Humans” Free; limited seating. 474-6196.