Eastern Rensselaer County's Community Newspaper
by Alex Brooks
Petersburgh Town Supervisor Siegfried Krahforst began the May Petersburgh Town Board meeting with a comprehensive reply to criticism from resident Tom Berry. He said he has been working towards a transfer station solution since September 2013 and will be ready to present his findings to the public and seek input on what direction the public would like him to take.
[Read more…] about Petersburgh Supervisor Responds To Criticism
by Bea Peterson
On Saturday evening, May 17, the Grafton Fire Department held its 70th Annual Installation Banquet at the Hilton Garden Inn in Troy. There was a huge turnout for the event, which included dinner, presentations and dancing. Fire Chief Jim Goyer welcomed everyone with thanks and an Invocation. Pastor Jason White of the Grafton Baptist Church gave the Benediction. Music was by the Cool Cat DJ Services.
[Read more…] about Grafton Fire Department Celebrates 70 Years
submitted by Gail Smith on behalf of the American Legion
Bernie Guerard, American Legion Commander and this year’s Chairman of the Memorial Day Parade calls all officers and members of all organizations together with the general public to participate in our local parade to honor our military men and women, past and present.
by David Flint
Fees at the Stephentown Transfer Station will be going up soon, but the good news is the price of those pink trash bags will stay the same – for now. In an effort to reduce the cost of operating the facility, the Town Board voted on Monday to raise annual permit fees as well as the fees for dumping construction and demolition (C&D) materials.
[Read more…] about Stephentown Town Board Action – Transfer Station Fees Rising
by Bea Peterson
At the Hoosick Falls Village Board meeting on Tuesday, May 13, the Board approved three Shared Services Agreements with the Town of Hoosick. Mayor David Borge said two of the agreements have been in place for years. However, they have been verbal “gentlemen’s agreements.” Keeping in mind Governor Cuomo’s desire for communities to share services, with the possibility of tax rebates, said Borge, it is important these agreements be more formal. The third agreement involves Green Heights and all those outside the Village who use Village water. The three agreements have been reviewed and approved by Village Attorney John Patterson.
[Read more…] about Village Of Hoosick Falls Board Action – Shared Services Agreements Approved
The Hoosick Falls Panthers are one of 20 teams from across New York State invited to play in the annual Kick-Off Classic at the Syracuse Carrier Dome the weekend of September 5-7. The Panthers will open their season against the Owego Indians, a Class B school, in a game at 1 pm on Sunday, September 7.
[Read more…] about Panther Football To Open 2014 Season At The Dome
by Alex Brooks
Petersburgh Supervisor Siegfried Krahforst announced at the May 19 meeting of the Petersburgh Town Board that Callie Crisp had resigned as Petersburgh Town Clerk. He said he had received her resignation that very day.
submitted by Mary Lou Walters
The Petersburgh Sunshine Seniors are still reeling from the success of The Tribute to Johnny Cash Concert on Friday, May 9. An appreciative crowd of over 200 packed the hall as Harold Ford and Laurie Lucy belted out hit after hit. The music spanned both of their careers and their lives together.
by Alex Elvin
The Planning Board meeting on Monday, May 19, included two orders of business and a casual discussion of the ongoing Time Warner cable work around town. At 16 minutes, it was the Board’s longest meeting so far this year.
Lot Line Adjustments
Rodney Michael, a former Planning Board member and owner of RDM Surveying Consultants in Troy, submitted an application to redefine a parcel of land on Route 2 owned by Mark Gavin but long occupied by the home of James and Deborah Bettie.
Now that the Betties are planning to sell their home, Michael said, they have chosen to work with Gavin to redefine the property boundary. The new boundary will make it so the Betties’ house is not on Gavin’s property.
“Basically this goes back to a story of bad lawyering – of writing descriptions and not knowing what they were writing,” Michael said. The new application will redefine and further describe the Gavin property “so that there is never ever a question about where the westerly line of Gavin was.”
The two parties “couldn’t be happier” about the agreement, Michael said. “I just wish more people could come to that way of thinking instead of having fights and debates and all the rest of that stuff.”
The Board unanimously accepted the application for review, and Planning Board Chairman Thomas Withcuskey set a public hearing for June 16 at 6:50 pm.
Cable Work Moving Along
Diverging from the meeting’s agenda, Michael asked about the progress of TV cable work around Blue Factory Road, where he lives. Although the Planning Board is not directly involved in the work, Withcuskey explained that Time Warner has finished surveying poles and wires in town to determine if any adjustments are needed. Verizon and National Grid will make those adjustments, he said.
Withcuskey was unaware of a timeframe for the rest of the project but noted that “Time Warner got their stuff done pretty quickly” this winter. He added that the Town’s main lines “are pretty much up to code,” but that more work might be needed on the smaller roads.
Further updates on the progress of the work will likely be given by Town Supervisor Frank Higgins during the monthly Town Board meetings, Withcuskey said.
Horses On Kautz Hollow Road
Richard Lundy presented new documents related to his application for a horseback riding business on his property on Kautz Hollow Road. Most of his property, including his house, is in Pittstown, but the barn, from which the horseback riding business will be run and where the horses are stabled, is in Grafton. The Board had approved his application last April, but Lundy had decided not to pursue it right away.
The new documents Lundy presented included registrations for each of his many dogs, a contract with Averill Park Septic Service in Averill Park to have portable toilets on the property and approval from the Town of Pittstown to put up a sign directing traffic to the property. Withcuskey said he had spoken with Pittstown Supervisor Edwin King, who had no issues with the proposal.
Lundy must still present certificates of CPR and first aid training for himself and the two others who will lead the rides, and he expected to do so by Friday. He plans to set up a Facebook page in the near future with information about the rides.
The next Planning Board meeting will be June 16 at 7 pm, preceded by a public hearing at 6:50 on the Beattie lot line adjustment.
Retirements
The School Board meeting began with an appreciation of the three staff members who are retiring. Of Special Education teacher Nancy Laurin, School Superintendent Ken Facin said her care for the kids is “profound” and her impact on the school has been enormous.
Of fourth grade teacher Nadine Scott, Facin said, “I know the energy, the effort and the preparation you put in, and I’ve seen the way the kids respond. It’s been a great thing for our school.” Of School Nurse Chris Merrell, he said, “You have shown yourself to be such a caring and compassionate person over these twenty years of service to our District. You’ve also been a great teammate on the projects I’ve worked on with you, and you’ve been a great leader among the support staff. We’ve been very lucky to have you.”
The meeting then took a break to have a strawberry shortcake reception in honor of the retiring staff.
When the Board went back into session, they approved tenure for kindergarten teacher Lori Burdo.
Code Of Conduct
A new Code of Conduct for Extra-Curricular Activities was approved for the 2014-2015 school year. The Code will take effect on July 1, 2014. High School Principal Stacy Vadney said the committee which put together the new Code of Conduct was a good cross-section of the school community, including parents, teachers, Mr. Torres, the Dean of Discipline, two students, Board Member Rick Ferrannini, retired administrator Mr. Severson and Athletic Coordinator Tom Husser.
Facin said it is important that everyone in the school community know what is in the Code, and Mrs. Vadney will be in charge of communicating that to the students, parents, coaches and community members so everyone knows what’s expected and there is no ambiguity. The Board approved the Code of Conduct unanimously.
The next meeting of the Hoosick Falls School Board will be Thursday, June 19, at 7 pm in the High School Cafeteria.
