The Eastwick Press Newspaper

Eastern Rensselaer County's Community Newspaper

Berlin

Caroling For Cans Drop-Off Locations

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Girl Scouts are sponsoring Caroling for Cans and special collections to help feed families this winter. Local Girl Scout Service Unit 154 is organizing a special holiday food drive to help food pantries and Berlin Elementary School meet a growing need for food supplies.

More families than ever are turning to local food pantries in Berlin, Grafton and Stephentown for help.  The need for supplemental food has become so great that Berlin Elementary School (BES) is supplying food directly to families for weekends and during holiday periods. These organizations are having trouble keeping their shelves stocked.

The community is invited to Caroling for Cans, a Christmas carol sing along on Wednesday, December 10, from 5:30 to 6 pm at the Seventh Day Baptist Church in Berlin. You can help by attending this important holiday event and bringing a non-perishable donation for the food pantries/school.

Many local organizations are asking their members bring a food donation to their next meeting and we have learned that several groups have already taken up collections of food or money to donate; thank you to every person and organization that is extending a helping hand.

The following locations will host food drop-off boxes throughout the month of December: Berlin Elementary School, Gardner’s Coffee Shoppe, Grafton Library,   Grafton Town Hall, Petersburgh Post Office, Petersburgh Town Hall, Stephentown Library, Stephentown Town Hall, Stephentown Trading Post with more locations to come.

Please consider making a food donation at one of these many collection sites. If you have any questions or would like to help, please contact Girl Scouts at 279-3772 or 733-6488.

Caroling For Cans

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Girl Scouts are sponsoring Caroling for Cans and special collections to help feed families this winter. More families than ever are turning to local food pantries in Berlin, Grafton and Stephentown for help.  The need for supplemental food has become so great that Berlin Elementary School (BES) is supplying food directly to families for weekends and during holiday periods. These organizations are having trouble keeping their shelves stocked.  Local Girl Scout Service Unit 154 is organizing a special holiday food drive to help food pantries and BES meet the need.

The community is invited to Caroling for Cans, a Christmas carol sing along on Wednesday, December 10, from 5:30 to 6 pm at the Seventh Day Baptist Church in Berlin. You can help by attending this important holiday event and bringing a non-perishable donation for the food pantries/school.

The Girl Scouts will also ask community organizations to set out collections boxes for food and request their members to bring food donations to meetings held in December. Food collection locations will be announced very soon. In the meantime, if you have any questions or would like to help, please contact the Girl Scouts at 279-3772 or 733-6488.

Berlin Library Open House

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The Berlin Free Town Library cordially invites the public to an Open House on Saturday, December 6, from 4 to 6 pm. Please come, and enjoy visiting with friends and enjoy a tasty treat. Library trustees and friends will supply treats and live music. Visit with current friends and meet new friends.

Sullivan-Jones VFW Post 7466 And The Ladies Auxiliary Of Poestenkill Breakfast Buffet And Bake Sale

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Join the Sullivan-Jones VFW Post 7466 on December 14 from 8 to 11 am for its next monthly VFW Breakfast Buffet and Ladies Auxiliary Bake Sale.   Enjoy our regular buffet including scrambled eggs, sausage, bacon, home fries, pancakes, fruit, juice, tea and coffee. Build your own omelets ham, bacon, sausage, cheeses, mushrooms, peppers and onions. Look what’s new this month  – home made French toast.

The cost of the buffet is $8 for adults, $10 with the omelet, $4 for children 6 to 12 years old and no  charge for children under 5.

Our Ladies will be holding a bake sale during the breakfast. Enjoy homemade goodies great for holiday gifting, or treat yourself.  May you all have a happy and safe holiday season.

Berlin FD Breakfast

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On Sunday, December 7, from 7 to 11 am, the Berlin Fire Department will be holding its monthly breakfast. Breakfast includes all you can eat pancakes, French toast, biscuits with homemade sausage gravy, bacon and sausage, home fries, toast and eggs (sunny side, over easy or over hard or scrambled). Beverage choice is coffee or tea (both available as decaf), hot chocolate, milk and orange juice.

Prices are $8 for adults, $5 for children ages 5-12 and no charge for children under 5. Take-outs available at 658-2890.

Santa will be making a special appearance during the breakfast from 7 to 11 am.

The Ladies Auxiliary will be tempting you with their homemade pie sale.

Please join us for breakfast, a visit with Santa and then take home some desert.

Berlin Town Board Action – Tax Levy Increase Set At 14.93%

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by Kieron Kramer

The Berlin Town Board held a public hearing on the Town’s 2015 Budget at 6:30 pm on Thursday, November 13, an hour before the regular monthly meeting. The budget contains a 14.93% tax levy increase over 2014 and, combined with the modest 1.6% tax increase for the Fire District, will result in an increase of the tax rate per thousand of assessed value of $1.99, from $15.943 per thousand in 2014 to $17.933 in 2015. This means that a property owner will pay about $100 more on taxes in 2015 for property with an assessed value of $50,000.

[Read more…] about Berlin Town Board Action – Tax Levy Increase Set At 14.93%

Berlin Library Thanksgiving Fundraiser

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The Berlin Free Town Library announces a Thanksgiving fundraiser that can’t be beat. On Wednesday, November 26, please come to the Library and buy a home-baked pie for your holiday dinner. We do not guarantee that the pies will be low in calories but we do think they will be delicious! Please support our library from 2 to 5 pm on November 26.

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.