Poughkeepsie Journal from Poughkeepsie, New York • Page 1D

I 4 1 'Com Jk30urc6 ft, t. tA: l4IlAle IneMT IllVlUVi tt flWWAfr Poughkeepsie 3ournal LIFE r.J Advice TV listings Comics RAY FASHONA, LIFE EDITOR 845 437 4883 ffashonapoughkee.gannett.com SATURDAY, APRIL 17, 2004 ANTHONY FARMER i bbbV mCCNv bbi bbbbI OUR TURN First taste of Easter hits hard The mighty hunter rose early on Easter morning, not quite sure what the day had in store for him. As we led Nathaniel, our 20 month old son, out to our living room, he didn't notice the large, hollow, plastic eggs hidden in plain sight around the room. We showed him the basket on the table, filled with a small chocolate bunny, a little elephant hand puppet and a toothbrush. He responded with an inquisitive, "Hmmmm?" Then he picked up one of the plastic eggs left in his basket He immediately realized by shaking it, that there was something hidden inside.

He briefly struggled, but opened the egg, and two small jelly beans dropped out on the table. He put them back in, then dumped them out a couple more times. Then Jennifer picked one up, brought it to her mouth and took a bite. The thought hadn't occurred to him. So far, we've been very careful about what our son eats and have avoided giving him sweets at all costs.

An occasional cookie has been his only source of sugar and that has been a rare occurrence. He slowly mimicked my wife's actions, grasping the green jelly bean between two little fingers and slowly raising it to his mouth. As his teeth came down in the middle of it, he made a face you're more likely to see if liver and onions were on the menu. But as the small piece of jelly bean hit his taste buds, I swear steam shot out of his ears, his eyes bugged out and his hair stood on end. "Mmmm, mmmm!" Hunt part of fun The Easter Bunny had him.

With that first bite of the jelly bean, he had acquired the taste. The hunt was on. We quickly jumped up, directing him to his quarry. "Look. Over here.

What's this on top of your train?" He darted over, grabbed the egg and quickly went back to the table to open it up. lwo more jelly beans were gone before they hit the table. "Hey, Nate, look, another one!" He ran across the room snatching another one and quickly gobbling the two chocolate covered raisins inside. This scene was repeated until the dozen, or so, eggs were found. And he was out of whack for the rest of the day as we made the holiday rounds.

He napped briefly in the car, then ran around like a maniac at my mother in law's with the older kids before winding down again and throwing a fit at dinner time. A quick walk around the block soothed him and he topped his day off with a couple of large cookies, as dessert was laid out on the table. He slept in the car on the way home. When we went to bed a few hours later, he was still sound asleep. A piercing screech jarred us awake a few hours later, Nate was apparently feeling the aftereffects of his first Easter a tummy ache.

Somewhere, the Easter Bunny was laughing. Our Turn appears Saturdays in Life, It's meant to capture the lifestyles oftwenty and thirty somethings, This edition ofOurTum is by Journal county government reporter Anthony Farmer, He can be reached at apfarm erpoughkee.gannett.com. FOCUS ON YOUTH ii ii ii i y. JIWPWBHI ffW Volunteers rally in community BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBHBBSnLr' JbbbbbbbbbbbbbI The Center for Photography at Woodstock is hosting "Fresh: Youth Culture in Contemporary Photographs," which opens today with a reception from 5 to 7 pjn. at the gallery, 59 Tinker St, Woodstock.

Seven artists were selected to exhibit their works, which define the social practices and lifestyles ofy. young people today. Also on display will be photography and video by area Both shows run through June 13. for information, call the center at 845 679 9957. Read Tuesday's Life section for a story on the exhibits.

wBtbab. I XX ii bbbbHI Center for Photography at Woodstock Top, Cheryl Dunn's "Graffiti Boy Climbs Building." Above, Dawoud Bey's "Articia." Area citizens reach out to make a difference By Jessica Rothenberg For the Poughkeepsie Journal If you're still under the impression that one person can't change the world, think again. Oct. 25 marked the nation's largest day of community service, as more than 3 million people nationwide participated in the 13th annual Make A Difference Day. Created by USA WEEKEND Magazine in partnership with the nonpartisan Points of Light Foundation, an organization that works to find creative solutions to community problems.

Make a Difference Day is the nation's largest day of community service and takes place the fourth Saturday of every October. Founded in hopes of encouraging people to give back to their communities, Make A Difference Day has become the most successful national day dedicated toward helping others. Each year, hundreds of participants are honored for their good deeds. Poughkeepsie's Youth Resource Development Corporation has been recognized for its outstanding contributions to the community during last year's Make A Difference Day. Local cleanup YRDC staff, numbering 120, as well as students, CVS Pharmacy volunteers and community partners worked to revive three public spaces that had become run down after years of neglect Waryas Park, in the city's waterfront district at the end of Main Street; College Hill Park, a once popular recreation venue near the center of the city; and Fallkill Creek at the Family Partnership Center, a site near the center of the city that had suffered from years of illegal dumping.

fKt r7L4t X. BbbV Courtesy photos Top; Membersof the 'Youth Resource Development Corporation remove trash from the Family Partnership Center in Poughk'eepsie. Above, Naquan Fleming pitches in to help remove debris. 4 You can make a difference in your community, too? by participating in the annual Make a Difference Day, which is held the This year, the YRDC celebrates its 20th anniversary serving the Hudson Valley. A community based not for profit organization that brings together youth from diverse backgrounds, the fourth Saturday in Octo ber.

Jf you need ideas on 3 how to get involved, visit wwwjnakeadifference day.com. YRDC teaches people of all ages to appreciate the value of community service and the importance of giving back. "It was huge for the Please see Volunteers, 2D After 125 years, ukulele still makes people smile Tiny instrument making strides Gannett Nmvs'Servtce In an iPod toting, MP3 burning world, the ukulele seems like the last musical trend worthy of a comeback. But just in time for its 125th anniversary, the tiny, four stringed instrument is beginning to make a big sound. No fewer than eight ukulele festivals are set for North America this year as venues from Texas to California to the Poconos are expecting hundreds of fans to line up for classes, shows and talks.

The allure? "The ukulele is an incredibly easy instrument to play," says Andy Andrews, 55, an organizer of the three day Uke Fest West starting Thursday in Santa Cruz, Calif. Pick one up, and "the next thing you know, you're playing music with people." Let's face it: Half the fun is that the thing is just plain silly. "Many people think of the ukulele as a joke," says Andrews, who's serious enough about the instrument to have collected 150 of them. "People's expectations are very low, and when they hear it, they are flabbergasted at how beautiful it sounds. 'It really is a creature of an era of music that really was fun funny and novelty JlmBetofT author, The Ukulele A Visual History" But when you take a ukulele out of your case, people almost immediately start smiling." The birth of the ukulele can be traced to 1879, when Portuguese sailors brought a forerunner of the instrument to the Hawaiian islands, says Jim Belof author of The Ukulele: A Visual History" (Backbeat Books; Popularity boomed after the 1915 Panama Pacific International Exposition in San Francisco ignited interest in all things Hawaiian.

In the late 1940s, uke playing TV radio star Arthur Godfrey fueled another wave. But soon after Tiny Tim warbled his 1968 hit "Tip Toe Thru'the Tulips With Me," accompanied by ukulele, interest faded. Fast forward to the early 1990s. Beloffbecame smitten after he bought an old Mar tin ukulele at a flea market He began to create song books, and a decade later, his Web site, www.Ieamarket musiccom, serves as a nexus for all things ukulele. It sells CDs, books and, so far, more than 12,000 custom built Fluke ukuleles.

Famous players These days, ukuleles are easy to spot. Paul McCartney plays one on the "Concert for George" DVD in honor of fellow Bea tie George Harrison. Pearl Jam singer Eddie Vedder occasionally whips one out in concert And millions of children know the uke from another To find out more about', the ukulele, visit the following Web sites: Virtual, Web only Ukulele Hall of Fame Museum: www.uJcufele. org. All things ukulele: www.Ieamarfcermustc com icon: undersea hero Sponge Bob Squarepants, who strums one in his home in Bikini Bottom.

"There is something kind of lighter both physically and 1 spiritually ahout the instru merit," Beloff says. "It really is a creature of an era of music I that really was fun funny I and 1 GOODUFE IN THE MID HUDSON VALLEY Explore world of culture Here's an opportunity to get a taste of another culture without leaving the city. The 10th annual IndiaSasa Fest 2004 will from I to 5 p.m. Sunday on the quad at Vassar College, Raymond Avenue, Pough keepsie, The event, which is sponsored by members of the Indian community and the South Asian Students Alliance of Vassar College, offers a sampling of the culture, sounds and tastes of South Asia. Experience a program of music and dance by the musical group Sargam and other performers from 230 to 330 p.m.

There also will be Indian cuisine, mehndi, which is henna painting, exhibits and crafts. Admission is free. In case of rain, the event will be held in the Aula. For information, call Divya Vasudevan, 845 451 2013 or Vivek Mahapatra, 845 451 3131. Window seat suits this cat Surely you could find a place in your heart and home for Shirley, a petite, pastel calico.

The subdued colors of Shirley's coat are brought to life with the sun, so a window perch would be the best place to let her nap. If you would enjoy the company of this sweet pet, give the folks a call at the shelter in Hyde Park at 845 452 SPCA, For a look at the many other cats "BBBVBaVf1 JbSbT Hn Nancy Bast Shirley Is a pretty calico cat who is looking for a permanent window perch in a good home, and dogs that call the shelter home, turn to page 2D, Students' math skills help raise funds for research Fishkill Plains Elementary School students recently honed their math skills to help other chil dren in need. The third fourth and fifth grade students raised a total of $6,854 during the school's Math athon for St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital, the largest center in the United States for the treatment and research of pediatric cancer and other childhood catastrophic diseases. Each child who participated was required to get a sponsor to pledge a certain amount of money for each math problem the student could answer correctly.

Students demonstrated their commitment and generosity of spirit, and reinforced the monthly virtues they practiced during the school year friendship, respect, pride, loyalty, honesty, fairness, kindness and patience by participating in the fund raiser. Good Life Is a collection of observations about life in the mid Hudson.Hudson. Your comments are welcome. Call84S37 4979.ThisGoodLifeby Journal staff. BBB EbCU drV.

TSIsIbbbH biftt MBftPfliSBBHI BBBBASBBBBBBBBBBm 1 1 Lm NrrlsPougrikeepsie Journal Runway dreams How does a design make it from the sketchbook to the runway? Find out In Sunday's Ufe section, where you will get a glimpse of the preparation behind Marlst College's annual fashion show,.