Eastern Rensselaer County's Community Newspaper
by David Flint
About 20 veterans and their guests from Berlin, Petersburgh, Grafton and Stephentown attended the annual Veterans Recognition Day on November 6 at the Berlin High School and Middle School. Following breakfast in the cafeteria, the veterans entered the auditorium to the thunderous applause of the entire student body. “I was overwhelmed,” said one.
by Bea Peterson
One can’t help being “Proud to be an American” when the song is sung with the fervor of hundreds of HFCS elementary students during their annual assembly to honor veterans. [Read more…] about HFCS Elementary School Classes Honor Veterans
Let The Ladies Auxiliary Of Poestenkill bake your Thanksgiving pies for you. You may call Nancy at 283-6197 or forms are available at the Sullivan-Jones VFW Post bar. Pies are 9 inches. Choose apple, cherry, blueberry or pumpkin for $13.95. The deadline for orders is November 19.
Have you ever wanted your favorite cookie recipe published in a book? Well here is your chance! The Village of East Nassau is holding a Cookie Contest and Celebration at the Hoags Corners Firehouse on Sunday, November 16, at 2 pm. A highlight of the afternoon will be sharing the cookies that are submitted as well as your chance to win items in the Chinese Auction that will be held during the “judging” of the cookies.
Details of the Cookie Contest and the official entry form may be obtained from the website villageofeastnassau.org/cookie. The $10 per recipe entry fee includes a ticket to the celebration. Applications are also available at the Country Store on Route 20 in Brainard. All recipes submitted to the contest will be published in a cookie cookbook, which will be available before the holidays.
Event tickets cost $5 and proceeds will support the construction of the Bell Park in Brainard, including the installation of the bell from the former United Methodist Church. Refreshments (cookies!) and good humor will be served during the celebration which will culminate with the naming of the Official 2015 Cookie of the Village of East Nassau.
Llewellyn Palmer of Berlin and the rest of the Paul Smith’s College Striders beat out five other teams to win the Yankee Small College Conference Cross Country title under snowy conditions in Lake Placid, NY. Palmer is a senior majoring in forestry at Paul Smith’s.
November 15 – Get Out and Hike in November – 1:30 to 3:30 pm. When the days get shorter and the weather gets cooler it becomes harder and harder to get outside. Meet some fellow outdoor enthusiasts and enjoy the crisp, fall air at Dyken Pond on this group hike. Remember to dress appropriately for a higher elevation as we are located on the Rensselaer Plateau. We will meet in the parking lot. Call ahead for weather conditions: (518) 658-2055.
December 13 – Get Out and Hike in December – 1:30 to 3:30 pm. Bundle yourself against the cold and make the trek out to Dyken Pond for a group hike. We will be exploring what beautiful and amazing things nature has to offer in the cold of winter. Remember to dress appropriately for a higher elevation as we are located on the Rensselaer Plateau. If there is very little to no snow we will hike as planned; however, if there is a sufficient snow we will snowshoe. Call ahead for weather conditions.
December 14 – Annual Yule Log Tradition – 1 to 4 pm. Beginning at 1 pm, the story of the yule log and the winter solstice will be shared, followed by a search for the hidden yule log. The yule log will be burned in an outdoor campfire, where Gil Payette, Native American Storyteller, will share stories of the season. Greens and ornaments will be available to make holiday crafts. People of all ages are encouraged to come out to this free program, and don’t forget to bring your sleds! Hot chocolate and light snacks will be provided; feel free to bring your own snacks to share.
The Dyken Pond Environmental Education Center is a park owned and operated by Rensselaer County. Open during daylight hours, the park features over 6 miles of trails for hiking, bird watching and nature photography, with a launch for non-motorized boats, and areas on the shoreline for great fishing. Learn more at dykenpond.org.
by Alex Brooks
Hubbard Hall has opened a new production of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee which will be running through November 30, Fridays at 8 pm, Saturdays at 2 and 8 and Sundays at 2 pm. This is a fun show, depicting the efforts of six smart, ambitious, young misfits to figure out how to deal with themselves and each other. There are moments when it is touching and moments when it is hilarious.
This is the first production directed by Hubbard Hall’s new Executive Director David Snider, who has acted and directed in many of the most prestigious regional theatres in this country, most recently as Director of Artistic Programming at the Arena Stage in Washington, DC. Snider has assembled a young cast here, including high school students and recent college graduates, who are still close to the high school struggles that are the subject of this play. But he has sprinkled in enough experienced actors to make the production work. New York Equity Actor Sylvia Bloom brings a strong voice and a strong presence that anchors the somewhat eclectic storylines of the play, and Chris Barlow’s effective delivery of Vice Principal Douglas Panch’s comic lines is another anchor for the show. But the actor who really puts the show over the top is Jeffrey Vizcaino’s portrayal of William Barfee. A portly fellow with charmingly awkward clothing, he is used to having people make fun of him, but he is at the same time very confident of his abilities. The way that he tries to armor himself against ridicule and manage his vulnerabilities, and believe in himself at the same time, is fascinating. The character is affecting and memorable, and there are plenty of opportunities for Vizcaino to show off his considerable abilities as a singer and dancer.
The music in this show is great, and this crew does it full justice, with many talented singers led by Hubbard Hall’s accomplished Musical Director Richard Cherry.
Hats off to David Snider for this auspicious debut at Hubbard Hall, developing such a fine show with such a young cast!
Tickets are available at www.hubbardhall.org or by calling 518-677-2495. Hubbard Hall is located at 25 East Main Street in Cambridge, NY.
Did you know that the Rensselaer Plateau is the fifth largest forest in New York State and that it is 90% forested and that those forests are 90% privately owned?
Whether its 2,200 or 200 acres, do you love your land and value your woods? Then attend a Woods Forum conducted by the Rensselaer Plateau Alliance (RPA) on Tuesday, November 18, at 7 pm at the Stephentown Historical Society, 5 Staples Road, on the corner of Staples Road and Garfield Nassau Road in Stephentown. Join fellow woodland owners and forestry professionals for a discussion on how to maintain the value of your woods for timber harvesting, recreation, wildlife and for future generations. Discuss how to care for your woods today and plan for its future. Talk with and hear about the experiences of other landowners. Attendees will receive a copy of the new Guide for Landowners intended to help landowners find information in the recently published Rensselaer Plateau Regional Conservation Plan that is useful to them. Both of these resources and much more are now on the RPA website at http://rensselaerplateau.org/RensselaerPlateau/ConservationPlan.aspx. Refreshments will be served. Please call Sarah Parks at 302-584-7748 for additional information.
Mechanicville/Stephentown – Bruce Arthur Stevens, 77, formerly of Stephentown, NY, died Wednesday, November 5, 2014, at Albany Medical Center in Albany, NY. Born at his grandparents home in Stephentown on February 14, 1937, he was the son of the late Arthur J. and Florence Hoffman Stevens. He attended Stephentown Grade School and was a 1956 graduate of Berlin High School. He attended his 50th class reunion in 2006.
Hoosick Falls – Stanley W. Eames Jr., 81, passed away peacefully on Monday, November 10, 2014, surrounded by his family, listening to polka music, at St. Peter’s Hospice in Albany, NY. He had resided on Dale Street in Hoosick Falls, NY.
Born on January 19, 1933, in Worcester, MA, Stanley was the son of the late Stanley W. and Marian (Bethune) Eames Sr. He graduated from the University of Hartford with a Bachelor’s Degree. Stanley was a veteran of the United States Navy serving during the Korean Conflict. He was employed at Southwestern Vermont Medical Center in Bennington, VT, as an electrician, until retiring. In his younger years Stanley enjoyed camping, hunting and fishing. He was a member of the Pownal Legion Post # 90 in Pownal, VT, and a volunteer fireman with the Stamford (VT) Fire Department. Stanley enjoyed spending time with family and playing poker. He was very good at fixing things and tinkering in his garage.
Survivors include his daughters, Jane and husband Tim Johnson of Tucson, AZ, Susan Eames-Rossi and husband Ed of Agawam, MA, his sons, John and wife Lori Eames of East Windsor, CT, Jeffrey Eames of Bennington and Dr. Andrew Eames and wife Noreen of Bolton, VT, his former wife, Lisa Eames-Buchanan, to whom he remained close, his sister, Glenna Smith of Framingham, MA, his six grandchildren and his four great-grandchildren.
Funeral services are Friday, November 14, at 12 noon from the North Pownal Congregational Church. Burial will follow the service at Oak Hill Cemetery in Pownal. Relatives and friends may call at the Church on Friday from 11 am until the start of the service. In lieu of flowers memorial contributions may be made to the North Pownal Congregational Church through the Mahar Funeral Home, 43 Main Street, Hoosick Falls, NY, 12090.
