A Quiet Night In Stephentown
By Thaddeus Flint
If the saying “no news is good news” is true, than it wasn’t a bad month for the Town of Stephentown based on last Monday’s Board meeting.
According to Town Supervisor Larry Eckhardt at the September 17 meeting, the news on the Article 78 proceedings in regard to the Hanson Mobile Home Park, is that there is still no news. Eckhardt said he reached out to the attorney on that case, Christopher Langlois of Girvin & Ferlazzo, and was told “Larry, you know as much as I do on where [Rensselaer Country Supreme Court] Judge Elliott is in this process.” The Supervisor added that Langlois was “somewhat surprised that it had gone on as long as it has without a decision” but the attorney would let him know “within 15 minutes of a decision.”
Either Langlois has done nothing more on that case except to await a verdict, or Girvin & Ferlazzo’s bookkeeper was on vacation, because the news on Stephentown’s legal bills is just as muted. The total of legal bills—just one from Girvin & Ferlazzo—was for only $880, and that was for both the “Misty Valley Farm Mine” and a “Hanson Notice of Claim.” For those keeping score at home, this brings the legal account budget line to a new total overage of $56,838.11, according to the Town’s figures published in that night’s Audit of Claims.
That might seem like a lot of money to some, because for most people that’s a lot of money. But some people have plenty more money than that and one couple felt the best thing to do with all that money was to go camping in Stephentown. Apparently what some residents mistook for yet another music festival at Gardner’s a few weeks back was in fact not a festival at all. It was a wedding and it cost around $240,000, according to resident Janet Atwater. To put that in perspective, this wedding– which involved a long weekend camping next to some cows and a Cumberland Farms at the crossroads of State Routes 22 and 43–cost more than the asking price of 36 of the 52 Stephentown properties currently listed on the real estate site Zillow. It wasn’t just camping though, it was “glamping,” pointed out Eckhardt. Glamping is ostensibly glamorous camping for people that don’t really want to deal with the sweat, work, dirt, and second degree burns that make real camping so much fun to begin with. In this case, according to Atwater, the couple had previously attended one of the music festivals at Gardner’s and “thought Stephentown was so beautiful they wanted to have a wedding there.”
Even the Supervisor had no idea what was happening though. “I had to ask,” he said. So it was no surprise that some residents were of the belief that here was another festival that nobody told them about beforehand. Resident Donna Cyrus was one such person and she came to the Board meeting to see why these things were suddenly popping up like mushrooms. Glam wedding or not, it was still loud enough to keep her awake, she said, and she lives out behind the Post Office. Cyrus said she had moved here from Chicago to escape such noise. It would appear she traded The Windy City’s nightly small arms fire for a few weekends of window shaking beats in The Only Stephentown On Earth. And that she can handle, she said, just let people know when the shaking is going to happen and she will plan a few days out of town. Councilman Jerry Robinson concurred with Cyrus, saying that organizers of any gathering likely to disturb those abutting it should be proactive in letting their neighbors know when it will be happening. “It would be a reasonable investment in good faith,” said the Councilman.
Several resolutions all passed at the Board meeting, with all in favor. These included supporting a grant submission to JCAP by the Justice Court for $30,000 in assistance to expand the court’s current space for a meeting room and more storage. Yvonne Meekins was appointed to the Board of Assessment Review to replace herself as her current term is to expire on September 30. Meekins was the sole applicant for the position.
The Town’s annual bid for snow removal at the Transfer Station and the Town Hall was won by WP Moore Refrigeration who narrowly beat out Terry Sykes. A third bid by an outfit out of Loudonville appeared to be more of a “glam” snow removal offer since they bid $7,450 for the entire season, no snow or daily blizzard. “We don’t spend that kind of money,” noted Town Clerk Stephanie Wagar. “Not in our history,” added the Supervisor.
Only one bid was received to provide the Highway Department with a new dual/4-wheel drive cab and chassis. This was from Marchese Ford of New Lebanon for $53,990. That bid was accepted contingent on Highway Superintendent Aldie Goodermote finding nothing out of order once he’s made his way through all the details of that bid. And finally, the Town’s Comprehensive Plan is coming ever closer to reality. A Public Hearing on the draft plan was scheduled for Monday, October 22. However, residents who can’t make that date–or have something better to do–and who would still like their thoughts on the Plan known, are urged to submit their considerations in writing to the Town beforehand. Copies of the draft Plan are available at the Town Hall and by download at the Town’s website at a link found about halfway down the homepage of www.townofstephentown.org .