The Eastwick Press Newspaper

Eastern Rensselaer County's Community Newspaper

Berlin

Events At Grafton Lakes And Cherry Plain State Parks

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Friday, May 15 –  Star Watch, 8:45 pm.  Enjoy a free tour of the night sky led by Albany Area Amateur Astronomers. Telescopes provided. Please enter park via Winter Entrance on Long Pond Road and follow signs to program. Cloudy skies may cancel so contact Bernard Cognon to confirm: 658-9144.

Saturday, May 16 – Spring Fungi Walk 10 am to 12 pm. Please join Mycologist, Sue Van Hook for the first morsels of spring fungi.  We will walk the loop around one of the lakes in appreciation of all fungi, and will hope for a morel or two, oyster mushrooms and perhaps a fresh Dryad’s saddle. Bring a hand lens if you own one. Sue will provide them for the group otherwise. Children make excellent mushroom hunters, so please bring them.  $10/person or family donation requested.  Pre-register: 279-1155. Event meets at Shaver Pond Center, 194 Shaver Pond Road in Grafton.

Saturday, May 16 – No One Left Behind 5k and Children’s Obstacle Course, 10 am to benefit Heroes at Home Rensselaer County.  Obstacle course is free! To register, visit www.heroesathomerensco.com.  Questions: call 518.279.7861

Sunday, May 17 – Trail Work Gathering at Cherry Plain State Park. 9 am to12 pm. Cherry Plain State Park has beautiful trails and is surrounded by over 4000 acres of the Capital District Wildlife Management Area. Join a group of trail enthusiasts to spruce up state land and learn more about this vast trail system. Bring clippers, water and work gloves. Meets at Cherry Plain State Park Entrance: 26 State Park Rd, Cherry Plain. For information, please call Fran Egbert: 674-3214.

Sunday, May 17 –  Great Strides for Cystic Fibrosis. 3K walk to Benefit the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.  Check-in 11 am and Walk at 12 pm. Call (518) 453-3583 for registration information.

Saturday, May 23 – Grafton Lakes State Park Beach Opens for the Season.  Open daily 10 am to 6 pm through Labor Day. Gate fees are now $8 per vehicle.

Call Grafton Lakes State Park for more information: 279-1155.

Fire Department Community-Wide Recruiting Day Was A Success

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submitted by Bob Adler

For the first time, Stephentown, Berlin and Grafton fire departments combined efforts in their annual April recruitment drive.

Since the recruitment target is the generation now coming of age, the firemen focused their publicity efforts on Berlin High School, in addition to publicity in The Eastwick Press.  [Read more…] about Fire Department Community-Wide Recruiting Day Was A Success

BCS Alumni Association 75th Reunion

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Please help us celebrate the 75th Alumni Reunion on Saturday, June 6, 2015 at the Hilton Garden Inn, Troy, NY.

All alumni, staff, faculty and retirees of Berlin Central School are cordially invited.  We will be honoring the classes of 1935, 1940, 1945, 1950, 1955, 1960, 1965, 1970, 1975, 1980, 1985, 1990, 1995, 2000, 2005, 2010, and 2015.

Join us for an evening of good food, friends and entertainment.  There will be several retired teachers in attendance this year including Joanne Pederson, former choir teacher.

For more information visit www.berlincentral.org and click on  District and Alumni. To update your mailing address, please like us on Facebook or email BerlinCentralalumni@yahoo.com.

Erika Pelletier Of Berlin Honored By Phi Theta Kappa

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Erika Pelletier of Berlin was one of two members of the Hudson Valley Community College student body named to the Phi Theta Kappa All-New York Academic Team in March.

Pelletier serves as president of the Early Childhood Club, Student Senate Senior Senator, Student Life Committee Representative, Phi Theta Kappa and Cheerleading squad member. She hopes to transfer to Russell Sage College to pursue a bachelor’s degree in special education and aspires to be an early childhood intervention specialist. She also was one of just seven Phi Theta Kappa students in the SUNY and CUNY systems statewide to be a recipient of the Coca Cola Bronze Scholarship. The Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation sponsors the Coca-Cola Community College Academic Team program by providing nearly $200,000 in scholarships annually. Each Bronze Scholar receives a scholarship and a special medallion.

Nominees for the honor must demonstrate academic excellence and notable service to the college and community. Those who are named to the All New York State Academic Team are eligible for scholarships at transfer colleges and universities.

Phi Theta Kappa is the largest honor society in higher education, serving nearly 1,300 colleges in all 50 states and nine countries. Members of the All-New York Academic Team are recognized for the academic achievements, leadership accomplishments and engagement in community service.

The Phi Theta Kappa Award Ceremony recognizes outstanding community college students throughout the state. In addition to academic achievement, recipients of the award also are evaluated on their leadership and community service involvement.

The ceremony is sponsored annually by New York Community College Trustees, the New York Community College Association of Presidents, and the Faculty Council of Community Colleges.

Founded in 1953, Hudson Valley Community College offers more than 75 degree and certificate programs in four schools: Business; Engineering and Industrial Technologies; Health Science; and Liberal Arts and Sciences; and an Educational Opportunity Center for academic and career training. It has an enrollment of more than 13,000 students, and is known as a leader in distance learning initiatives and workforce training. Hudson Valley has more than 75,000 alumni.

The Margaret J. Kinn Scholarship

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This scholarship will be given to a deserving Berlin High School graduate pursuing a business, finance, or accounting degree program. The student must be enrolled in a two or four-year college, and must maintain a 3.0 GPA. She or he will receive $1,000 for each year completed for the length of the program. The scholarship will be awarded to the student to whom it will make the most difference, not based on GPA.

To apply, students must write an essay explaining why they are interested in their chosen field, their outside work and the extra-curricular activities in which they participated while at the Berlin Central School District, as well as what they hope to do after graduating from college. Selection will be made by the Berlin Alumni Association.

Applications are available in the Guidance Office and should be returned to the guidance counselor by May 15. To receive the award, the recipient must attend the Alumni Banquet on June 6 at 6:30 pm at the Hilton Garden Inn, Hoosick Street in Troy.

Berlin Alumni Scholarship

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The Alumni Association is accepting applications for the Berlin Alumni Scholarship. Any Berlin High School Senior or graduate who has been accepted into a two or four-year college may apply.

Application forms are in the Berlin High School Guidance Office. Applications must be postmarked by May 15 in order to be considered. To receive the award, the recipient must attend the Alumni Banquet on June 6 at 6:30 pm at the Hilton Garden Inn, Hoosick Street in Troy.

Woodside Cemetery Of East Poestenkill Annual Meeting

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Woodside Cemetery Association announces the annual cemetery meeting on May 5 at 7 pm at the Union Gospel Church Hall, 1039 Plank Road, Route 40, in East Poestenkill, NY.

Spring plans will be discussed and the annual election of officers will be held. All people with an interest in the cemetery are welcome to join.

Tax-deductible donations for the cemetery are always needed to perpetually care for the grounds. Make checks payable to Woodside 56 Road Cemetery. Mail to P.O. Box 76, Poestenkill, NY 12140.

We always need volunteers to help. Please call 518-283-5303 for more information or if you have questions.

Sullivan Jones VFW Post Breakfast Buffet And Bake Sale

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Join us at the  Sullivan Jones VFW Post 7466 in Poestenkill  on May 10, 8 to 11 am. Enjoy our regular buffet including scrambled eggs, sausage, bacon, home fries, pancakes, homemade French toast, Country Style Sausage Gravy-n-Biscuits,  fruit, juice, tea and coffee.  “Build your own Omelets with ham, bacon, sausage, cheeses, mushrooms,  peppers and onions.

Adults – regular buffet $8; with Omelet $10; Children 6 to 12 $4 and under 5 free.  The Ladies Auxiliary will be hosting a “Mother’s Day Bake Sale”.  Treat Mom to breakfast and homemade baked goodies to bring home.

Stephentown, Berlin, Grafton Fire Department Open House And Recruiting Day April 25, 2015

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Three valley Volunteer Fire Departments will hold a coordinated open house and recruitment drive at their fire stations Saturday, April 24.  The event will allow the fire departments a chance to highlight the duties and rewards that come with being a volunteer.  We’ve increased our recruiting footprint by adding recruiting information at Berlin High School.   Junior members can join at age 16-17.   With no upper age limit, retirees can be a huge asset for our emergency services, especially as drivers.

Volunteer departments respond to all types of emergencies including fires, vehicle accidents, hazardous materials, rescue and emergency medical.   Our members are able to choose specialties, and can be trained as interior firefighters, scene support personnel, Emergency Medical Technicians, drivers, or fire police who assist at traffic control at many of our incidents.  Free training is provided in all these specialties.

Every member of these departments is a volunteer. Filling the ranks with volunteers keeps taxes low for the entire community.  We’re all neighbors helping neighbors.

As volunteer firefighters we learn to do dangerous things safely.  We weigh risks and benefits.  We proudly serve our community.  We’re the solution to all manner of emergencies.  Sometimes a crew of two suffices, other times the emergency grows so we need every member in the valley.  Fielding a larger crew resolves the emergency quickly and safely.  Some benefits of volunteering are scholarships for higher education and income tax credits.  We need new recruits to continue to serve our community.

This drive is part of RecruitNY, sponsored by the Firemen’s association of the State of New York, which is coordinating statewide recruiting.  Numerous other departments are also holding open houses.   Check recruitny.org  or  www.svfd1.org  for more information, or phone Bob Adler at 733-5749, or just stop by your local station for some refreshments and see what we do and how you can contribute to our community.

The hours when the local stations will be open are: Stephentown 10 am to 2 pm; Berlin 9 am to 3 pm; Grafton  10 am to 2 pm. Come say hello! For more information contact Bob Adler, Stephentown Volunteer Fire Department, at 733-5749.