The Civilian Conservation Corps, one of the best-known "alphabet soup" initiatives created by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt during the Great Depression, was such a popular work relief program that it operated in every state at its prime, and was active here in Westchester during the 1930s.

While the CCC may be a thing of the past, today there are numerous youth conservation corps programs throughout the country. Like the Depression-era Civilian Conservation Corps from which they take their name, they primarily engage in conservation-oriented work in local, state, and national parks.

The one unifying principle that seems to define all existing youth conservation corps programs is that they use conservation and service work as a medium for youth development. The programs' goals include instilling the values of hard work, responsibility, service, respect for the environment, and education. To achieve these goals, the programs are not confined merely to physically challenging work, but also typically involve environmental education, team-building activities, career and leadership training, and recreational activity involving outdoor pursuits and visits to museums and historical sites.

Now, a new youth education and empowerment program dedicated to those principles and modeled on FDR's famed Civilian Conservation Corps is taking place right here in Sleepy Hollow and Tarrytown.

Known as the Historic Hudson Valley Youth Conversation Corps, the Corps -- launched on June 30 -- is a job readiness program that seeks to instill the twin values of a strong work ethic and conservation in area youth.

The students taking part, ages 15-18 from the Boys and Girls Club of Northern Westchester and from a wide range of social, economic, and educational backgrounds, are working on various projects at Washington Irving's Sunnyside and Philipsburg Manor such as grounds and trail work, riverbed cleanup, erosion control, and more.

All of the work has an environmental component, but there's an interesting artistic element to it as well, as you can see from the images here. Besides clearing trails and helping control erosion, the group is creating life-size animals out of fallen twigs and logs, under the direction of Michael Natiello, creative guru behind HHV's Great Jack O'Lantern Blaze. Nice job guys!

More on the YCC later this week...

Today marks the 100^th anniversary of the birth of Nelson A. Rockefeller, the third child of John D. Rockefeller, Jr. and Abby Aldrich Rockefeller and the man responsible for throwing open the doors of Kykuit, the family's grand Pocantico Hills estate, to the public.

The governor of New York from 1959 to 1973 and vice president of the United States under President Gerald Ford, Nelson's bipartisan record of public service included serving in the administrations of FDR and Dwight D. Eisenhower.

Marking the centennial of his birth, the historian Richard Norton Smith penned a fascinating op-ed piece in yesterday's New York Times that is well worth a read. Mr. Smith cites his significant achievements as governor and argues that Nelson was ahead of his time politically:

Three decades later, "Rockefeller Republican" is widely seen as a contradiction in terms. Largely forgotten is the original meaning of the phrase, a counterintuitive coupling of late '50s fiscal responsibility and early '60s social justice - the same formula espoused by a majority of today's electorate, for whom solving problems and forging consensus takes precedence over ideological purity.

Incidentally, Mr. Smith is working on a biography of Nelson, due to publish next year, and will be speaking at a special Historic Hudson Valley symposium on Nelson taking place in September. But, more on that later. For now, enjoy the op-ed.

The weather held and folks came out for a little sunshine and history at Friday's Independence Day celebrations at Van Cortlandt Manor and Sunnyside.

In the top photo are gentlemen from Doughty Artillery Company, military re-enactors who wowed the crowds at Van Cortlandt Manor, and in the bottom photo, some spirited country dancers at Sunnyside.

Hundreds of visitors came out for both events, and the press came, too. Here's a piece from the Journal News.

Were you there? Leave a comment and tell us what you thought!

Yes, HVBlogger acknowledges the 50% chance of  a shower, but c'mon, you can't just sit inside on the start of a long holiday weekend! HHV has two offbeat events today -- Independence Day 1808 (Van Cortlandt Manor) and Independence Day 1858 (Sunnyside). How often do you get to choose your own time period?

The Journal News saw fit to publish a cover story on today's events, featuring the most clever lede (the opening sentences, for you non-journo types) HVBlogger has seen in quite some time:

Cannnon-wielding soldiers and hotheaded debaters might seem like a dangerous combination. Luckily, they're miles apart.

Oh, and Crotonblog had a few things to say about us, too.

Click here to buy tickets online. (Psst...used discount code USA and your 5-17 year olds get in free.)

Historic Hudson Valley feted Joseph Cotter and his National RE/sources on Wednesday, June 18, at Washington Irving's Sunnyside. More than 300 guests attended the Hudson Valley Hero Gala, which was co-chaired by John T. Cooney, Jr., HHV Board of Trustees Chairman Michael Hegarty, John R. Peckham, HHV board member Mark F. Rockefeller, and Lawrence D. Stewart.

Among those who braved the threat of thunder and the raining of both cats and dogs were, top photo from left, HHV President Waddell Stillman, County Executive Andy Spano, and the guest of honor, Joseph Cotter. Bottom left photo shows Janet Langsam, president of the Westchester Arts Council, along with Brenda Spano. And at right are, from left, Natalie Derby and Claire Hallock.