The Eastwick Press Newspaper

Eastern Rensselaer County's Community Newspaper

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Panthers Run Over Red Storm, 24 – 6

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by Steve Bradley

Last Saturday the Hoosick Falls Panthers made a run up the Northway to play the Saranac Lake Red Storm. It was cold with a bit of a breeze, but the fans made the almost three hour trip. Everyone must have been dressed for the thirty degree temperature, as everyone stayed in their seats until the end.

The Storm came into the game with a 9 – 0 record and the stats to back it up. On paper they were a good passing team and an average running team. Saranac Lake and Hoosick Falls are familiar foes who only meet as sectional champions, so it’s always a good game.

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WBH Elementary School Read-A-Thon Creates Exited Young Readers

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submitted by Erin Clary, Communications Specialist, New Lebanon CSD

They say that duct tape fixes everything. Turns out it can also motivate children to read.

On Friday, November 21, all students at the Walter B. Howard Elementary School will tally their log sheets to see if they’ve reached their two week reading goal of 60,000 total minutes. The prize? Duct taping Principal Andrew Kourt right to the wall.

Students are participating in the “Stuck to Reading,” a read-a-thon in honor of American Education Week. Since November 7 students and parents have been logging their at home reading minutes. Students and teachers will tally the minutes during a “reading celebration assembly” and then break out the tape.

This project correlates with the healthy habit of “beginning with the end in mind,” – something the students have been working on all month. Each month students learn about a new healthy habit. Students observed demonstrating these habits are recognized in the school community.

According to Principal Andrew Kourt, motivating children to read independently at home can often be a challenge. By providing them with a goal to work towards, students are more enthusiastic and excited to read. By reading books that are “just right” for them, they become better readers.

“It is our goal to have our students reading at or above grade level. Helping children to get excited about reading will help us meet that goal,” said Kourt. “The read-a-thon with the idea that I will be taped to the wall has motivated our children to read. As a Principal I will do anything to make reading a little more exciting.”

Stained Glass Workshop In Grafton

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The Grafton Community Library will present an introductory Stained Glass Workshop on Saturday, December 6, from 9 am to 1 pm.  Create a simple, beautiful hanging ornament in an afternoon. Instruction includes basic stained glass techniques, and you will come away with a new appreciation for the art form. Plus, you’ll take home a fabulous gift for the holidays – if you can bear to give it away!

The workshop is suitable for ages 12 and up. Class size is limited, and advance registration, along with a $10 materials fee, is required.  Register at the Grafton Community Library, located at 2455 NY Route 2, during open hours on  Mondays and Tuesdays – 3 to 7 pm, Thursdays and Fridays –  3 to 8 pm and Wednesdays and Saturdays – 10 am to 1 pm.  Connect with the Grafton Community Library by phone at 279-0580 or visit www.graftoncommunitylibrary.org.

Instructor Theresa Faul has been teaching stained glass classes at The Arts Center in Troy since 2000, as well as conducting introductory and intermediate classes at HVCC and Helderberg Workshop.  She developed one day panel workshops, a stained glass jewelry workshop, a box making workshop and an ornament making workshop as well as advanced techniques and independent study programs.  She creates works on commission and sells in local shops.

This project is made possible in part through a Community Art$ Grant,  a program funded by The Arts Center of the Capital Region through the New York State Council on the Arts, a State agency.

NYSDOT Completes Rumble Strips On Route 7

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submitted by Bryan Viggiani, NYSDOT 

New York State Department of Transportation Commissioner Joan McDonald announced the completion of a project to install rumble strips on a curving three-mile stretch of Route 7 in the Town of Hoosick.

“Safety is our top priority and these new rumble strips will help keep drivers in their lanes along this rural stretch of Route 7,” Commissioner McDonald said. “Rumble strips in the center of the highway and on its shoulders are providing motorists with an additional measure of safety, audibly warning them if they begin to stray off the side of the road or into the oncoming lane of traffic.”

NYSDOT this summer completed a $2.9 million project to mill and repave segments of Route 7 to smooth the driving surface.

To further increase safety on this major route for local residents and truckers traveling between New York State and Vermont, NYSDOT also installed rumble strips on three miles of Route 7 between Babcock Lake Road and Route 22. The rumble strips – also called audible roadway delineators – were installed down the center yellow line of the highway and along the road’s shoulder.

This stretch of Route 7 curves through mountainous terrain along the Shingle Hollow Creek through Tibbets State Forrest. NYSDOT conducted a traffic safety review there in 2013 and installed additional warning signs to alert motorists of the curving and hilly nature of the road. The new rumble strips complement that by providing another level of safety for travelers.

When a vehicle’s tires roll over rumble strips, an audible warning – a rumbling sound – is emitted to alert the motorist that he or she is leaving the driving lane. Rumble strips also cause the vehicle to vibrate. Centerline rumble strips, which are placed along or near the yellow pavement markings that divide opposite-direction travel lanes, are designed to reduce head-on and sideswipe crashes.

Shoulder rumble strips are designed to warn drivers that they are straying off the road and should correct their course.

Rumble strips also help combat distracted driving and can alert drivers to lane limits when weather conditions reduce driver visibility.

The rumble strips along Route 7 cost approximately $48,000.

Beekeeping In Poestenkill

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Tom Slavin will be presenting a program at the Poestenkill Historical Society on beekeeping which involves the maintenance of honey bee colonies, commonly in hives by humans. A beekeeper (or apiarist) keeps bees in order to collect their honey and other products that the hive produces, to pollinate crops or to produce bees for sale to other beekeepers. A location where bees are kept is called an apiary or “bee yard.” There are more than 20,000 species of wild bees.

Depictions of humans collecting honey from wild bees date to 15,000 years ago. Simple hives and smoke were used and honey was stored in jars, some of which were found in the tombs of pharaohs such as Tutankhamun.

In the United States, movable frame hives are commonly used. While knowledge of the bees is the first line of defense, most beekeepers also wear protective clothing. The face and neck are the most important areas to protect. Defensive bees are attracted to the breath, and a sting on the face can lead to much more pain and swelling than a sting elsewhere. Protective clothing is generally light colored and of a smooth material. This provides the maximum differentiation from the colony’s natural predators. Stings retained in clothing fabric continue to pump out an alarm pheromone that attracts aggressive action and further stinging attacks. Washing suits regularly, and rinsing gloved hands in vinegar minimizes attraction.

Please attend our meeting and learn more about what Tom has to say regarding today’s beekeeping.  The event is free and will be held at the Town Hall, Route 351, in Poestenkill on Tuesday, November 25, at 7 pm.  Refreshments will be served.  For more information call 283-4890.

Stephentown Food Pantry Donations Are Needed More Than Ever

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As the winter approaches, the Stephentown Food Pantry experiences an increase in clientele due to colder weather and the holiday seasons. The Pantry’s team of hard working volunteers and community donations of money and food items keep the operation going. But this year’s increase in “business” and higher food prices mean that your donations are needed more than ever. If you, your business, church, club or organization can pitch in with a contribution, it would help a lot.

The Stephentown Food Pantry has been serving the community since 1983. If you would like to donate money to the Pantry, you may send checks to the Stephentown Food Pantry Treasurer at P.O. Box 387, Stephentown, NY, 12168. The pantry is also a member of the Food Bank of NENY in Latham. You may request any contribution you make to the Food Bank be applied to the Stephentown Food Pantry account as part of their Adopt-A-Pantry program. The Food Bank enables us to obtain many items more cheaply or for free.

The Stephentown Food Pantry offers short term assistance to residents of Stephentown and Hancock, MA. The Pantry is open every Saturday morning, weather permitting, from 9 to 11 am at the Stephentown Federated Church, Garfield Road (County Route 26). Appointments are not needed, but new clients should bring identification showing their street address, such as a current utility bill. As always, requests for help are confidential. For information, call 518-487-8606.

Berlin Rescue Squad To Host An Indoor Flea Market

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Do you have craft items or tag sale/flea market items or maybe just want your name out and about because you have your own small business? Join the Berlin Rescue Squad at the Berlin Firehouse on November 30 and December 14 for an indoor shopping day. Doors will open for vendors at 8 am. Spaces for vendors are available for a $10 donation and will include one table. The public is being invited to do a little last minute shopping from 9 am to 3 pm.

Vendors are asked to contact Tammy Osterhout at 658-2924 as space is limited and available on a first come/first serve basis. The Rescue Squad will be selling Danishes for breakfast and hamburgers and hot dogs for lunch as well as coffee, tea, soda and water.

Holiday Farmer’s Market In New Lebanon At Windswept Farm

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submitted by Tistrya Hamilton

The New Lebanon Country Market at Windswept Farm will be hosting a holiday farmer’s market. The market will be held on Sunday, December 7 from 11 am to 3 pm. Join us inside at Windswept Farm for our second holiday farmer’s market; it is a great time to stock up for Christmas while supporting your local farmers, bakers and artisans.

This market will feature pasture raised meats by Artemis Farm and Climbing Tree Farm, handmade body care products by Old Log Inn Naturals, free range eggs, fudge, soap and pickled products by Mountain Girl Farm, New Lebanon baloney, pies and jams by Terra Firma, Caroline’s shortbread, maple syrup from the Hand Hollow Sugar House, fresh produce by the Abode Farm and Ellen Poggi and fresh made garlic fudge and candy by Willowtree Organic Farm.

The market will also feature a surprise visit from Kobe the Alligator, an appearance by Santa Claus and a singing performance by the Mountain Road School Ensemble. We hope you can join us.

Boots And Bridles Elects Officers

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submitted by Allison Acton, Boots & Bridles News Reporter

The Boots and Bridles 4H club held its October meeting on October 18 in Berlin.  Officers for the 2014-2015 club year were elected as follows: President – Emma Woolley, Vice President – Shelly Davis, Secretary – Christina Shupe, Treasurer – Aidan Czub, Club Historian – Molly Czub, News Reporter – Alli Acton.

The Club’s activity for the day was learning about bees, beekeeping and honey extraction.  Club members saw a demonstration of honey extraction, dipped beeswax candles, made beeswax lip balm and bottled raw natural honey.  Many thanks to our presenters!

Many members of Boots and Bridles also attended the Rensselaer County 4H Horse Program end of year banquet held in Poestenkill on October 25.  Several members earned multiple honors and achievements.

The next club meeting will be held on November 22 in Johnsonville, when members will complete a craft project which can be entered in the upcoming 4H Winter Fair.