by David Flint
Alan Schmelkin has many happy memories of spending summers and vacations in Stephentown while growing up with his brothers Neil, Martin and Steven. In fact Stephentown has been “a sacred place” to his family ever since his grandfather Joseph Schmelkin purchased the Cranston mansion on Cranston Hill Road back in 1919. Alan’s father and brothers grew up in that house and attended the one-room schoolhouse that is now the Stephentown Memorial Library. Alan recalled that his father, Benjamin, in 1989 organized a reunion there of the Class of 1919-20.
Thus it was very disconcerting for Schmelkin to get a call a week ago at his other residence on Long Island that his Stephentown home, down the road a piece and on the opposite side from the site of the old Cranston mansion, had been broken into.
But what was doubly disconcerting was not the electronic equipment that was stolen or the pilfering of food from the fridge but the shock to learn that the investigating police had discovered a crude swastika
scrawled on the wall of their bedroom closet.
Schmelkin, who is Jewish, said the State Police, who have found finger prints and are still investigating the crime, are a bit puzzled by the circumstances. Normally in a hate crime they find more damage and defacement. The curious thing here was that aside from the theft of TVs, DVD player/recorders, Wii equipment and other items, there was no real damage done to the home.
But the swastika on the wall was a shocker to both Alan and his wife Liora. “Stephentown is a special place to us,” he said, “and to have this happen…It has kind of destroyed our sense of well being. It is so unlike our experience in this town. Our friends and neighbors here are as shocked as we are.” Schmelkin was optimistic that he could put this behind him. “We will rebuild, but it’s very distressing,” he said.