CLS Classes at Locust Grove General Information and Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

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1 Locust Grove Visitors Center 2683 South Road Poughkeepsie, NY (845) Location and Parking Classes are held at the Locust Grove Visitors Center located on the west side of Route 9 (South Road) at the Beechwood Avenue traffic light, about 1 mile south of the Poughkeepsie Rural Cemetery and approximately 1 mile north of the IBM Main Plant. Ample parking is provided adjacent to the Visitors Center building. A limited number of handicapped spaces are available, however, the Visitors Center building and all parking spaces are on level terrain and easily accessible. Please be aware that you must display a valid New York State handicapped tag to park in a designated handicapped parking space. Also, please note that there is no turn on red when exiting the main gate. Additional information about Locust Grove can be found at Do not call the Locust Grove phone number to inquire about anything relating to CLS classes at Locust Grove. Classrooms and Accessibility CLS uses a total of four rooms in the Visitors Center for holding classes. The building entrance and the two largest classrooms are on the Gallery Level or Main Floor (Fig. 1). This floor is at ground level and accessed directly from parking areas. The restrooms, museum, administrative offices, and gift shop are also located on this floor. Two additional classrooms are located on the Classroom Level or Lower Floor (Fig. 2) which is accessible via stairs or elevator. The storage room where CLS materials and equipment are stored is also located on this level. The rooms are designated as follows for CLS classes: Room A West Gallery (Main Floor) 150 seat capacity Room B Reese Gallery (Main Floor) 75 seat capacity Room C East Education Room (Lower Floor) 40 seat capacity Room D Board Room (Lower Floor) 30 seat capacity 1

2 Figure 1 Gallery Level (Main Floor) Figure 2 Classroom Level (Lower Floor) 2

3 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) When are CLS classes held at Locust Grove? Classes are held on Tuesdays and Wednesdays during eight week semesters in Spring and Fall (generally April, May, September, and October). There are four class periods: 9:15 AM 10:30 AM, 11:00 AM 12:15 PM, 1:15 PM 2:30 PM, and 2:45 PM 4:00 PM with up to four parallel sessions held during each class period. How will I know in which room my class is being held? Class time and location information is posted on a bulletin board on the Main Floor near the classrooms. Where are snacks and coffee served and where can we eat lunch? A refreshment area with snack and coffee tables is located at the north end of Room A (West Gallery) as shown in Figure 3. Since Room A is also an active classroom, access to these snack tables is not permitted while a class is in session. Tables are provided at the south end of Room A for sitting and eating during breaks and lunch periods. Please return chairs that are moved back to their original location prior to the start of the next class. The outdoor patio and picnic areas are also available for use by CLS members. These areas must be shared with other visitors to Locust Grove. It should be noted that there are also several restaurants a short distance away that serve lunch. Figure 3 Room A (West Gallery) Arrangement 3

4 Who is responsible for cleaning up? CLS is responsible for cleaning up and removing all debris from areas that it uses and leaving them as clean as they were found at the start of the class day. As such, it is important that each CLS member assume responsibility for cleaning up any accidental food or liquid spills that may occur. All trash and debris must be placed in dumpsters located outside the Service Entrance after the final cleanup at the end of the day. Can we bring food or drinks into the classrooms? Eating and drinking are permitted in Room A (West Gallery) and outdoor locations such as the covered patio and picnic areas. Food is not permitted in Room B (Reese Gallery) and Rooms C and D on the Lower Floor. Can CLS use the kitchen? CLS food volunteers can use the kitchen for preparing cold food and snacks and for brewing coffee using the equipment provided. CLS cannot use the ovens or cooking stoves. Only CLS Member Services and other volunteers responsible for preparing and distributing food are permitted in the kitchen. What other areas of the Locust Grove site are available for use by CLS members on class days? CLS members may make use of any area open to the general public as described on the website at including free use of picnic areas, hiking trails, and walks through the gardens and grounds that make up the 180 acre estate. In addition, the covered patio areas can be used for small discussion groups or classes and the West Lawn may be used for exercise classes such as Tai Chi, weather permitting. Art classes may be held, occasionally, on the mansion lawn with views of the Hudson. Art classes are the only classes permitted in the mansion area. Please be aware that CLS only has exclusive use of the four classrooms and that all other areas must be shared with visitors to the Locust Grove site. I have difficulty hearing and wear a hearing aid. Will I be able to hear in class without too much difficulty? Are audio devices for the hearing impaired available? CLS has all new up-to-date audio-visual (A/V) equipment (Fall 2010 semester) and all four classrooms are furnished with microphones and modern public address (PA) systems. Since many CLS members have hearing difficulties of various types and degrees, it is difficult to provide a one size fits all solution that applies to everyone. If you wear a hearing aid, it is recommended that you first try turning it off to see if you can hear adequately in class without it. Sometimes the sound quality is better without a hearing aid when a modern PA system is being used. Also, hearing aids in the presence of a PA system can generate a high-pitched noise (feedback) that often goes unnoticed by the hearing aid wearer but can be heard by others causing a distraction during class. If you must use a hearing aid during class, please sit towards the rear of the classroom away from the PA speakers to reduce the risk of feedback. A limited number of headsets for the hearing impaired are available for use in Gallery Level rooms (Rooms A & B). The headsets are stored on the A/V cart specific to the room where used and must be returned and stored, as found (turned off), to the same A/V cart at the end of the class. Do not remove the headset from the room where obtained. The headset receivers are tuned to specific frequencies so headsets designated for use in Room A will not work in Room B, and headsets used in Room B will not work in Room A. Also, these devices are designed to work with CLS A/V systems only and cannot be used as personal hearing amplifiers or at other locations. The size and acoustic conditions of Rooms C and D on the Lower Level are such that hearing impaired headsets are not required. CLS is continuously accessing A/V conditions and will make improvements as deemed necessary. 4

5 Is anything being done to reduce computer and A/V setup problems that often cause delays and class disruptions? The primary causes of past A/V problems have been the use of non-standardized equipment that was outdated and not suited for our purposes. The new equipment available starting with the Fall 2010 Semester is expected to greatly reduce or eliminate these problems. Is wireless Internet access available at Locust Grove? Currently, the Locust Grove site does not provide public Internet access. However, the site is a wireless hotspot for cable subscribers of three major cable companies: Time Warner, Comcast, and Cablevision. Members who use cable services at home can access the Internet at Locust Grove by using their cable user name and password. What are the procedures in case of an emergency? In case of any emergency (fire, accident, medical, etc.), call 911 and provide the location information as: Locust Grove Visitors Center 2683 South Road Poughkeepsie, NY (845) The Locust Grove Visitors Center is a new facility built to the latest fire and safety standards including an automatic sprinkler and alarm system which simultaneously notifies the fire station. Be sure to familiarize yourself with all fire exits and approaches for exiting the building. There are a number of exits on The Gallery Level (Fig. 1) that lead directly outdoors. In addition to the stairway and elevator located near Room D on the Classroom Level (Fig. 2), an additional stairway is located near Room C to be used for emergencies only. 5