 |
The Jay Heritage Center at The Jay Estate Celebrating 25 Years of Stewardship!
May 2017 Newsletter |
|
|
Flower Power, Global Connections and Community Service
|
Jay Estate, April 2017 Dear Friends, April showers coaxed flowers out of the ground and gardeners out of their armchairs following a prolonged winter. The result? A galaxy of fresh daffodils showcased at the Little Garden Club of Rye's Daffodil Show on April 20th at the Jay Mansion. Visitors and judges from the American Daffodil Society were wowed by the transformation of our prize venue into a botanist's dream classroom. Every species of jonquil imaginable was on display. That same evening, with tazzettas as a backdrop, we invited guests to taste some of New York State's best varietals. Read more here
All proceeds raised benefited our ongoing fundraising efforts to replant the Jay Meadow. With over $30,000 raised to date we are a third of the way to our goal!
Top Center: Visitors admire winning entries in the Drawing Room during a free public reception with cupcakes and iced tea refreshments. Second row: A NY varietal tasting provided by Wine at Five drew a crowd of 100 oenophiles. L - R Joan Steere, Susan Skelsey, Elizabeth Woods and Lucy Anda; Chris Duncan, Michelle Minks, Karen DeToro, Suzanne Clary and Betsy White stand in front of a classic 1970 911 Porsche graciously loaned by Meg and Mike Bruno for added panache; a portrait of Alice Jay presides over the winners of the Classic Daffodils Class.
The following morning, a class of one hundred 8th graders from Stamford, Connecticut also enjoyed the daffodil display as they spent the day with us. Schools that visit us learn about John Jay's role as anti-slavery advocate, jurist, diplomat and NY Governor as they view primary documents that highlight Jay's contributions to the founding of our nation in concert with Washington, Adams, Franklin and Hamilton. But students also learn about Jay's love of horticulture and the landscape as they tour our expanding campus.
May promises no less of a spectacular show with historic apple trees showing off rosy pink buds, our prize cucumber magnolia unfurling creamy white petals and the tulip tree behind the veranda carpeting the grass with yellow, star shaped blossoms. In the next few weeks, we will be offering two more free public programs. Seven more schools, from elementary to high school age, are scheduled to visit us.
Thank you to all of you for helping make all of this possible whether through your donation of community service or contribution of funding. Come stop by and see how our park is growing this spring! President, Jay Heritage Center
|
|
 Don't Miss this Newly Scheduled Event!!
Wednesday,
May 3 at 7pm
FREE Talk and Q & A
with Historian Dr. Joseph W. Ho
~~~~
Missionary Lenses, Windows to the Past:
Global Connections between Rye and
Pre-1949 China
|
Dr. Joseph W. Ho, Assistant Professor of East Asian History at Albion College will discuss visual records created by American Protestant and Catholic missionaries in modern China between 1900 and 1950. His talk will highlight photos and films made by medical missionaries Dr. Harold E. Henke and
Jessie Mae Henke in China before 1949, focusing specifically on rare 16mm films made possible by the support of Rye Presbyterian Church and their gift of an advanced Kodak movie camera sent to China in 1931.
The Henkes visited Rye between the mid-1930s and early 1950s to give updates about their medical activities and life at the Grace Talcott and Hugh O'Neill Memorial Hospitals in the city of Shunde (now called Xingtai) Read more here.
 Thank you to Rev. Dan Love and Caroline Wallach for their assistance in making additional research from the Rye Presbyterian Church archives available for this talk.
The talk is FREE but RSVPs are requested. Please email Barbara Specht at [email protected] or call (914) 698-9275. Wine and cheese will be served after the program.
|
|
Volunteers Welcome
to Beautify Our Park!
~~~~
Saturday, May 6 from 9am - 1pm
|
Help us improve and enhance one of New York State's premier parks and historic sites as part of I Love My Park Day. Participate in path and trail clean up activities as well as invasive species removal; help with archaeology shovel testing and artifact screening. Assist with debris and vine removal; fill decorative planters with deer resistant annuals and more. FREE T shirts, snacks, geocaching games and more!
The ending time depends on the project, meeting location will be the front lawn of the 1838 Jay Mansion. Please bring gardening gloves if possible. Water and snacks will be provided. We strongly recommend long pants, long-sleeved shirts, socks, and closed-toe shoes. This helps minimize skin exposure to poison ivy and ticks, which are found in most parks.
Thank you to the Carver Center, Rye Brook Cub Scouts
Pack 3, the Mount Vernon Youth Bureau, New Era students from Peekskill, and Con Edison for their early commitment to volunteer.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
PLUS Back by popular demand Forager 
