Eastern Rensselaer County's Community Newspaper
An indoor Garage Sale/Bake Sale at the Sullivan Jones VFW Post located on Veterans Street in Poestenkill will be held on August 2 from 9 am to 4 pm, rain or shine. There will be something for everyone.
Items are being donated by the Sullivan-Jones Ladies Auxiliary members and proceeds will benefit veterans and their families. Come and show your support on August 2.
Thank you for your continued support for our veterans and their families.
• August 1, Friday – Star Watch at Cherry Plain State Park at 8:30 pm. Meet at the main parking lot.
• August 2, Saturday – Kids in the Creek at 3 pm at Cherry Plain State Park. Hike up the stream and see what critters we can find! Meet at the Park Office.
• August 2, Saturday – Storytelling by the Fire at 7 pm at Cherry Plain State Park. We’ll share ancient tales and new ones. Come hear stories of wild creatures and other wonders.
• August 7, Thursday – Outdoor Tykes at 10:30 am. Explore Grafton Lakes State Park in this free program series for toddlers and pre-k aged children. Please pre-register by calling 279-1155.
• August 7, Thursday – Friends of Grafton Lakes State Park Summer Potluck and Meeting at 6:30 pm. Meet at the Park office for a barbecue and good time with great people. Trails, new events and volunteer opportunities are on the agenda.
• August 10, Sunday – Run for the Roses 5k Race at GLSP at 9 am benefitting the Grafton Community Library. Entrance fee is $10 per runner. The Nature Hike is at 8 am, and the Kids Fun Run is at 10 am. Call 279-0580 for more information.
• August 16 and 17, Saturday and Sunday – the 237th Anniversary of the Battle of Bennington at the Bennington Battlefield Historic Site in North Hoosick. Living history enthusiasts, encampments and tactical reenactments will be offered at this free event. Experience the sights, sounds and smells of 1777. For a detailed schedule, find Bennington through www.nysparks.com/events.
by Kieron Kramer
Five public hearings were held before the regular Grafton Planning Board meeting on Monday, July 21. The hearings began at 6:20 pm and were allocated either five or ten minutes, lengths determined by Planning Board Chairman Tom Withcuskey based on his best guess as to the interest in the applications being heard.
[Read more…] about Grafton Planning Board – Hearing Five by Four
Did you know…? The Department of Veterans Affairs estimates that there are 52,000 Veterans living in Rensselaer County and the surrounding five counties. Members of the military, from World War II to the War on Terror, experience a myriad of challenges, including Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Traumatic Brain Injury, substance abuse and mental health problems and problems associated with reintegration, such as finding employment and stable housing.
Heroes at Home, a Rensselaer County peer support program, has scheduled a Ruck March (army style march with backpack) on September 20 to help raise awareness of the challenges that military personnel experience.
No One Marches Alone! is the slogan for this inaugural Patriot Ruck March, a 26.4 mile march that will go from Poestenkill to Grafton and back again. Prizes will be given for top marchers in male and female carrier categories, with 35 pound ruck or no ruck.
If you or anyone you know would be interested in marching, or if you would like to sponsor someone who is marching, make a donation or assist on September 20, contact John Holmes at 518-545-6781 or stop in at the Hoosick Falls American Legion on Tuesdays from 2 to 8 pm or on Fridays from 12 to 5 pm, and he can sign you up, get you a sponsor packet, plug you in to help and answer any questions you might have. Donations will go directly to projects that help prevent veteran suicide and conduct veterans’ outreach in Rensselaer County.
Heroes at Home is one of eleven NYS funded PFC Joseph Dwyer Peer to Peer Programs. They provide peer support to anyone who has served in the military, as well as their families, regardless of discharge status, era in which they served or combat experience. Since 2012, we have partnered with the VA, the VFW and American Legion and community providers to ensure that Veterans have access to services, and to provide support as they navigate the reintegration process.
Details of the march are being finalized so watch the newspapers for more information, and if you can’t march, then come on out and cheer on those who are!
The Grafton Community Library will host an educational program featuring live animals on Saturday, July 26, at 10:30 am. In this free program, the public will get to meet Max, a real live Canadian Lynx, as well as other animal ambassadors, including a parrot and a hedgehog.
Wildlife Educator Bernadette Hoffman will introduce the animals and use fascinating specimens like pelts and skulls to teach about the animals of North America, including the incredible wildlife diversity right here in our region. This program for children and their families will be held in the Library back yard, or inside in the event of rain. Call 279-0580 or visit graftoncommunitylibrary.org for more information.
The Dyken Pond Environmental Education Center is offering three Kayak Paddles in August on the 5th, 10th and 19th. On August 5 the twilight paddle will be from 7 to 9 pm and on August 10 there will be a full moon twilight paddle from 7 to 9 pm. On August 19 there will a day paddle from 1 to 3 pm. Paddles are limited to 15 people and pre-registration is required. Boats can be rented for $10. Please call 518-658-2055 or email dykenpond@fairpoint.net to register or find out more information. A complete list of programs can be found at www.dykenpond.org.
The Dyken Pond Environmental Education Center is located at 475 Dyken Pond Road, Cropseyville.
Did you know that the Rensselaer Plateau is the fifth largest forest in New York State and that it is 90% forested and that those forests are 90% privately owned?
Do you love your land and value your woods? Then attend a Woods Forum conducted by the Rensselaer Plateau Alliance (RPA) on Thursday, August 7, at 7 pm at the Grafton Fire Hall/VFW on County Route 85 in Grafton. Join fellow woodland owners and forestry professionals for a discussion on how to maintain the value of your woods for timber harvesting, recreation, wildlife and for future generations. Discuss how to care for your woods today and plan for its future. Talk with and hear about the experiences of other landowners.
There is also a chance to win a visit from professional forester, Mary Spring, an opportunity to sign up for a walk of your property with a Master Forest Owner and to win RPA gear. Attendees will also receive a copy of the new “Guide for Landowners” intended to help landowners find information in the recently published Rensselaer Plateau Regional Conservation Plan that is useful to them. Both of these resources and much more are now on the RPA website at http://rensselaerplateau.org/RensselaerPlateau/ConservationPlan.aspx. Refreshments will be served. Please call Sarah Parks at 302-584-7748 for additional information. This program is co-sponsored by New York Forest Owners Association, the Rensselaer Land Trust and the Agricultural Stewardship Association.
The Dyken Pond Environmental Education Center is offering a Mid-Week Hike Series on August 7, 12 and 21 from 2 to 4 pm. These hikes are fun, easy and guided. You can attend one or more of these hikes, so come join this summer for some outdoor adventures! The mid-week hike series will run all summer long and a complete list of programs can be found at www.dykenpond.org.
The Dyken Pond Environmental Education Center is located at 475 Dyken Pond Road, Cropseyville, 518-658-2055.
by Alex Brooks
The Grafton Town Board was once again deadlocked and unable to accomplish anything at its meeting this month. [Read more…] about Grafton Town Board – Wrangling Continues
