The Eastwick Press Newspaper

Eastern Rensselaer County's Community Newspaper

Grafton

The Annual Great Strides Walk Is May 19

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On Sunday, May 19, the Kempf family and many friends will be at Grafton Lakes State Park for the annual Great Strides walk to benefit Cystic Fibrosis. Their team, Miles for Mathew, honors their son with the disease and has become one of the largest teams in the Capital District.
Please consider walking with the Miles for Mathew team or making a donation. The walk begins at 12 pm. For more information, call 573-9790.

Sullivan Jones VFW Post 7466 Breakfast

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The Sullivan Jones VFW Post 7466 located in Poestenkill  invites the public to its Monthly Buffet Breakfast on May 12 from 8 to 11 am. Breakfast includes eggs, home fries, sausage, pancakes, French toast sticks, toast, fruit, coffee, tea and juice. The cost is $7 for adults, $3 for 6 to 12 years old and free for children 5 years and under.

Wild Edible Plant Program

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A Wild Edible Plant Program will be held on Sunday, May 12, from 10 am until 4 pm at the Dyken Pond Environmental Education Center, 475 Dyken Pond Road, Cropseyville. Learn plant identification, foraging techniques and how to prepare many delicious native wild edible plants. This spring program will focus on seasonal availability of shoots and greens. Whether you’re a complete novice with wild plants or an experienced forager, you will gain something from this class.
The fee is $15 per person, $12 for members. Pre-registration is required and can be done by contacting the Center at 518-658-2055 or dykenpond@fairpoint.net. This program is limited to 15 people, so please register early. Contact the Center or visit www.dykenpond.org  for directions and a complete schedule of our spring and  summer events.

The Future Of New York’s Forests

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On Sunday, May 19, the New York Forest Owners Association, as part of their  “Restore New York’s Woodlands” initiative, will host a free woods walk to celebrate the many benefits forests provide and discuss solutions for the threats they face. Walter Kersch will lead the woods walk on the trails of the Pine Ridge XC Ski Area, 1463 Plank Road, Petersburgh, at 9 am. A band sawmill demonstration is included.
Wear sturdy shoes for hiking, dress for the weather and apply your preferred insect repellent.
Please register with Phil at 518-895-5346 so we can plan for parking and handout materials. Directions can be found at www.pineridgexc.com.

Volunteers Needed For National Trails Day

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National Trails Day is the perfect opportunity to help clean up local parks. On Saturday, June 1, the Friends of Grafton Lakes State Park and Dyken Pond Environmental Education Center will be hosting the 20th Annual National Trails Day – the nation’s annual celebration of trails. Both parks invite volunteers of all ages to help clean up and improve trails on Saturday morning and indulge in the trail activities they enjoy most in the afternoon.
Registration will begin at 9 am. at both parks; refreshments and snacks will be available. Cleanup and improvement of both trail systems will take place between 9:30 am and 12  pm and will be followed by a complimentary barbecue picnic for all volunteers.  After the barbecue, participants are encouraged to enjoy the trails and parks. Reservations must be made in advance for the barbecue by calling the Grafton Lakes State Park Office or Dyken Pond Office no later than May 30.
Please join park staff on June 1 to enjoy and celebrate public trails.  For more information about this event, please contact Grafton Lakes State Park at 518-279-1155 or Dyken Pond Center at 518-658-2055.  For more information about state parks and historic sites in New York, visit www.nysparks.com and for more information about Dyken Pond Center, visit www.dykenpond.org.

Cub Scout Mother’s Day Breakfast

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Cub Scout Pack 911 will be hosting a Mother’s Day Breakfast on Sunday, May 12, at the Stephentown Fire Hall, serving all you can eat pancakes, sausage and scrambled eggs from 7 am until noon. The cost for adults is $7, $5 for Seniors, for children 3-10, $4, and free for those under 3. All proceeds will benefit the Scouts’ monthly outings.

Richard H. Cerutti, Sr.

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Grafton – Richard H. “Rich” Cerutti, Sr., 71, of Route 2, Grafton, NY, died peacefully in his sleep on Friday, April 26, 2013, at his home.
Born January 5, 1942. in the Bronx, NY, he was the son of the late Benedict H. and Eva T. Marchukitis Cerutti. He had been a resident of Grafton since moving from the Bronx in 1975 and was a communicant of Our Lady of the Snow (St. John Francis Regis) Church in Grafton.
Educated in Bronx and Manhattan schools, Rich enlisted in the United States Navy in November of 1959. He was honorably discharged in December of 1962. He worked briefly in a Ford dealership in New Rochelle, NY, before starting his career in telecommunications. He started with Bell-South in New York and his career extended some 40 years when he retired from Verizon in 2005. He was a member of the Petersburgh Rod & Gun Club, the Hoosick Falls B.P.O.E and the NRA. He enjoyed hunting, shooting, bird watching and motorcycle riding. He truly loved horse racing, spending time at the track and OTB.
Survivors include his children, Gina M. and husband Christopher Ciccone of East Greenbush, NY, Paula C. Cerutti of Watervliet, NY, Angela L. Cerutti of Grafton, Richard H. and wife Theresa Cerutti, Jr. of Grafton and Adam L. Cerutti of Tallapossa, GA, his grandchildren, Carina Ciccone, John and Alyssa Angus, Nicholas and Shawn Tripepi and Hannah Rose Cerutti, his brother, William J. and wife Carol Cerutti of the Bronx, and his aunt, Pat Marchukitis of East Hampton, MA, his nieces, his nephews and his loving, tireless canine companion Anna.
A Liturgy of Christian Death and Burial was celebrated by Rev. Kenneth Gregory on Wednesday, May 1, at 10 am in the Our Lady of the Snow (St. John Francis Regis) Church, 31 Owen Road, Grafton. Interment with full military honors took place at 12:30 pm in the Gerald B. H. Solomon Saratoga National Cemetery.
Relatives and friends were invited for visitation on Tuesday, April 30, from 4 to 8 pm at the church.
Because of floral restrictions at the cemetery, memorial contributions, in care of the Thomas M. Barber Funeral Home, P.O. Box 361, Petersburgh, NY, 12138, to either the Wounded Warriors project or the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in loving memory of Richard H. “Rich” Cerutti, Sr would be appreciated.

Bird Walk At Dyken Pond Center

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This is a great time of year to look for spring migrant birds at the Dyken Pond Environmental Education Center. Join us on an early morning bird walk on Saturday, May 4, at 8 am. We will be looking for a variety of warblers, vireos, thrushes and such favorites as black-throated blue warbler, scarlet tanager, eastern bluebird and Baltimore oriole. We’ll also spend time learning a few different bird songs. The walk will be led by Mary Batcheller, a life-long birder from Petersburgh. There is a suggested $2 donation for this program, and it is not necessary to pre-register. Meet at the parking lot of the Center, 475 Dyken Pond Road, Cropseyville. Contact the Center for more information at 658-2055 or dykenpond@fairpoint.net or visit www.dykenpond.org for directions and a complete schedule of our spring and summer events.