submitted by Liz Wagner
The 28th Annual Winter Festival and Ice Fishing contest at Grafton Lakes State Park was a big success with an estimated 2,500 people in attendance over the course of the day’s activities.
[Read more…] about Many Attend The Grafton Lakes State Park Winter Festival
Grafton
Grafton To Buy New Sander
by Alex Brooks
The Grafton Town Board held a special meeting on Wednesday, January 23, at 6 pm. They approved the purchase of a new sander for one of the Town’s big tandem-axle plow trucks at a cost not to exceed $9,250. The motion passed unanimously.
The Town will now have brand new sanders on both of its big plow trucks. The other one was replaced with insurance money after a mishap wrecked the sander.
The sanders on the smaller trucks are quite old, but Supervisor Ray Darling said that as far as he knows, they are all operational. Highway Superintendent Herb Hasbrouck was not able to attend the meeting.
The Board then made a motion to pay all bills as audited, and adjourned the meeting, as there was nothing else on the agenda.
Kids Start The Year By Giving
submitted by Amy Reger
Nine year old Chloe Meyers, a fourth grade student at the Berlin Elementary School, donated 10 inches of hair to Locks of Love for the third time on January 11. Joining her was her sister Lilly Meyers – 5 Years old – donating her first 10″ of hair to the organization. [Read more…] about Kids Start The Year By Giving
Local Students Named To The Fall 2012 Deans’ List At Hudson Valley Community College
A number of Eastwick students were recently named to the Deans’ List at Hudson Valley Community College in Troy. Each fall and spring term, the College’s Deans’ List honors those students who have a term grade point average between 3.0 and 3.5.
The Dean’s List
Zachary Hanson of Berlin – Hanson is in the Automotive: Chrysler academic program.
Shaylah Morris of Berlin – Morris is in the Paramedic academic program.
Jordan Baldwin of Grafton – Baldwin is in the Paramedic academic program.
Jade Morse of Hoosick – Morse is in the Early Childhood academic program.
Corbin Tracy of Hoosick – Tracy is in the Liberal Arts and Science: Humanities and Social Science academic program.
Kelly Brogue of Petersburgh – Brogue is in the Respiratory Care academic program.
Connor Brown of Petersburgh – Brown is in the Liberal Arts and Science: Humanities and Social Science academic program.
Emma Brown of Petersburgh – Brown is in the Biological Sciences academic program.
Jacob Church of Petersburgh – Church is in the Marketing academic program.
Jillian Daby of Petersburgh – Daby is in the Criminal Investigation academic program.
Matthew Gundrum of Petersburgh – Gundrum is in the Electrical Construction and Maintenance academic program.
Sharon Merrills of Petersburgh – Merrills is in the Health Information Technology academic program.
Isaac Share of Petersburgh – Share is in the Liberal Arts and Science: Humanities and Social Science academic program.
Kimberly Vanorman of Petersburgh – Vanorman is in the Individual Studies academic program.
Scott Bamba of Stephentown – Bamba is in the Physical Education Studies academic program.
Kelsey Demick of Stephentown – Demick is in the Criminal Justice academic program.
John Francis of Stephentown – Francis is in the Electrical Construction and Maintenance academic program.
Katherine Goodermote of Stephentown – Goodermote is in the Individual Studies academic program.
Matthew Tanner of Stephentown – Tanner is in the Manufacturing Technical Systems academic program.
Cynthia Wendell of Stephentown – Wendell is in the Nursing academic program.
Founded in 1953, Hudson Valley Community College offers more than 70 degree and certificate programs in four schools: Business; Engineering and Industrial Technologies; Health Sciences; and Liberal Arts and Sciences; and workforce and academic preparation programs offered through the Educational Opportunity Center. One of 30 community colleges in the State University of New York system, it has an enrollment of more than 13,500 students, and it is known as a leader in distance learning initiatives and worker retraining. Hudson Valley has more than 70,000 alumni.
Grafton Town Board Action – Weird Confrontations And A Sander Accident
by Alex Brooks
At the Grafton Town Board meeting on Monday, after the Board’s normal correspondence had been read, Board Member Barbara Messenger said she wanted to read a letter she received in her Town Board box. It said, “If I have annoyed you last year, suck it up buttercup, because it ain’t gonna be any different this year.” The letter was unsigned.
At public comment time, David Buckley rose to speak, as he usually does, but this time before he could get out two words, Pete Gundrum stood up and interrupted him, saying that Buckley does not live in Grafton and he should quit bothering everybody at Town meetings. He concluded with an insulting comment about Buckley’s family life.
[Read more…] about Grafton Town Board Action – Weird Confrontations And A Sander Accident
Full Moon Trek At Dyken Pond Center
Enjoy the stillness of the full moon at a free, guided cross-country ski and snowshoe trek at the Dyken Pond Environmental Education Center on Saturday, January 26, beginning at 7 pm. The trek will cover about two miles and is designed for the intermediate skier and snowshoer. No beginners, please. We will be traveling under the natural light of the full moon. Snowshoe rentals are available with advance notice. Please contact the Center for updated snow conditions at 658-2055 or dykenpond@fairpoint.net.
Dyken Pond Center is a Rensselaer County Park open daily during daylight hours for back country snowshoeing, cross-country skiing and ice-fishing. Call 658-2055 or visit www.dykenpond.org for information.
Book Discussion At The Grafton Library
The book discussion group of the Grafton Community Library will be discussing The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho this month at their meeting on Wednesday, January 30, at 12:30 pm at the Library. Copies of the book are available for anyone interested in joining the discussion. The group meets monthly on the last Wednesday of each month to discuss the chosen book. New participants are always welcome.
This timeless and entertaining story, exotic yet simple, is about the faith, power and courage we all have within us to pursue the intricate path of a Personal Legend, a path charted by the mysterious magnet of destiny but obscured by distractions. The reader learns how along the way we learn to trust our hearts, read the seemingly inconspicuous signs and understand that, as we look to fulfill a dream, it looks to find us just the same, if we let it.
Author Paulo Coelho is a Brazilian lyricist and novelist. He has become one of the most widely read authors in the world today and is the recipient of numerous prestigious international awards, amongst them the Crystal Award by the World Economic Forum and France’s Légion d’honneur.
Wildlife Tracking Field Intensive With Alcott Smith
Experience a full or half day field intensive with Alcott Smith, tracker, naturalist and veterinarian. Three wildlife tracking sessions are offered at the Dyken Pond Environmental Education Center on Saturday, January 26, from 9 am to 4 pm and Sunday, January 27, from 9 am to 12 noon or 1 pm to 4 pm. Sign up for one or all sessions.
From sets of tracks will emerge entire stories in the lives of the animals who traveled, foraged, hunted and interacted with one another. In past programs we have followed tracks to a porcupine in its den, found kill sites with tracks emanating in all directions and have found mouse tracks that end at a set of wing marks. The possibilities are truly endless.
Pre-registration is required and space is limited. Each session will explore a different area of the Center. Please register by contacting Jim at jim@bonesteel.com or 518-658-2055. There is a fee of $30 for the full day program and $20 for a half day program with a $5 discount for members of the Friends of Dyken Pond. Participants must dress appropriately for being outdoors and must be physically fit.
The Dyken Pond Center is a Rensselaer County Park open daily during daylight hours for hiking, fishing, cross-country skiing and snowshoeing. Call 658-2055 or visit the website www.dykenpond.org for more information, directions and a complete schedule of our winter events.
Grafton Organizational Meeting
A New Secretary To The Supervisor
by Alex Brooks
On Wednesday, January 2, the Grafton Town Board held its annual organizational meeting at 6:30 pm in the Town Hall. Most of the appointments passed with little or no comment, but Resolution #6 on the printed agenda nominated Doug La Rocque to the Planning Board to fill the remainder of Scott Newell’s term. Newell resigned in December. This resolution failed by a 3-2 vote. Supervisor Ray Darling and Barbara Messenger voted in favor of the appointment, but Marie Claus, Mike Crandall and Rick Ungaro voted against it.
[Read more…] about Grafton Organizational Meeting



