The Eastwick Press Newspaper

Eastern Rensselaer County's Community Newspaper

Hoosick Falls

St. Mary’s Academy Comedy And Carols Holiday Cabaret

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submitted by Kathy Hunt

On Saturday, December 6, St. Mary’s Academy of Hoosick Falls will hold its annual Cabaret. This year it will feature two very different acts to get you into that holiday spirit. The Comedy and Carols Cabaret will feature performances by comedians Greg Aidala and Ben Geurin and musicians Mike and Cindy Brewster and Friends. Doors open at 6:30 pm so you can start bidding early on the silent auction items featuring the very popular and sentimental classroom projects plus many more items to choose from before the show starts at 7:30 pm.

This is a 21 and over event with a cash bar and light fair buffet available throughout the night. Tickets cost $25 per person and are on sale now. Get your tickets before they are gone by calling Mary Beth Smith at St. Mary’s Academy at 518-686-4314 or email your request to StMarysEvents@yahoo.com. The performance will be held at St. Mary’s Academy, 4 Parsons Avenue, Hoosick Falls.

Ezekiel Gaylon Parks

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Hoosick Falls – Ezekiel Gaylon Parks passed away while asleep in his mother’s arms on the evening of November 10, 2014, at the age of two months and seven days. He was born on September 3, 2014.

Zeke joins his grandmother, Sharon Parks, in heaven. He is survived by his brother and sister, Anderson M. and Scarlett A. Parks, his mother and father, David M. and Tamara J. Parks (nee Pine), his grandfather, Donald L. Parks and fiance Cerrita Rowell, all of Pflugerville, TX, his grandparents, Burton L. and Margaret V. Pine of Hoosick Falls, NY, his aunt and uncle, Nathan L. Parks and Azadeh Poursepanj, his great-aunt and uncle, Tom and Barbara Gunder of Austin, TX, his great-aunt, Myrna C. Smith of Memphis, TN, and his aunt and uncle, Brian H. and Angela D. Pine of Indianapolis, IN.

The Parks family wishes to recognize our brothers and sisters in Christ from the New Life Baptist Church in Pflugerville, whose love and support during this time of loss has provided immeasurable comfort and healing.

We also wish to thank the men and women of the Austin-Travis County EMS and the Travis County Sheriff’s Office for their valiant efforts and compassion and the Forensic Anthropology Center at Texas State for receiving Zeke’s remains toward a noble cause.

During his short but happy life, Zeke was loved by many, and his absence is felt profoundly by all who knew him. His brother, Anderson, would often thank God for his little brother, and Zeke’s big sister, Scarlett, affectionately dubbed him “Zeekie.” Anderson and Scarlett both enjoyed helping to take care of their baby brother.

Among friends and family, there was no shortage of eager arms waiting to hold and feed Zeke. He was never alone. He is missed greatly.

Memorial services were held at 7 pm, Tuesday, November 18, at the New Life Baptist Church.

Please share your memories and words of comfort with the family by visiting Zeke’s memorial at www.cookwaldencapitalparks.com.

Oak-Mitsui Closing Hoosick Falls Facility

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29 To Lose Jobs

by Bea Peterson

On November 7 Oak-Mitsui Technologies, LLC, announced it is closing its FaradFlex Technologies facility at 80 First Street in Hoosick Falls. Production is scheduled to continue into January and cease in February 2015. All machinery and Research and Development equipment for the making of their circuit board product will be transferred to the Malaysia FaradFlex operation during March and April.

[Read more…] about Oak-Mitsui Closing Hoosick Falls Facility

Village Of Hoosick Falls Board Action

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by Deb Alter

At the Hoosick Falls Village Board meeting on Monday, November 10, the Board discussed the closing of the Oak Mitsui plant, the resignation of Trustee Jeremy Driscoll, who has moved out of the village, the possible closing of the Center Street railroad crossing, a Monolith Solar project, a pilot project by MicrOrganic waste water treatment and the purchase of a piece of property by HooRWA for the Village, among other things.

[Read more…] about Village Of Hoosick Falls Board Action

Open House Meeting On Rensselaer County’s New Flood Map

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Rensselaer County residents and community officials are invited to attend an informational meeting on Tuesday, November 18, on the new flood maps being developed for portions of the County. New maps have been developed for communities along the Hoosic River, including the Towns of Hoosick, Pittstown and Schaghticoke and the Villages of Hoosick Falls, Valley Falls and Schaghticoke.

The meeting will be hosted by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC), which are developing the new maps.  State and federal representatives will be on hand at this public meeting from 4 to 8 pm at the HAYC3 Armory, Perry Room, 80 Church Street, Hoosick Falls.

Although there will not be any formal presentations at the  meeting, State and federal representatives will be available to help residents identify flood risks and discuss risk reduction and flood insurance options with property owners.  Residents may stop in at any time during the open house to meet individually with FEMA or State officials.

“We encourage people to attend the open house to learn more about the process of developing new flood maps and how this may affect them,” FEMA’s Regional Mitigation Director Michael Moriarty said.

The new maps are the result of Map Modernization, a five year, $1 billion Congressionally directed program to provide updated, digitized flood maps for 92 percent of the nation’s population.  The mapping project is part of a long term FEMA floodplain mapping process.

Residents of the remapped communities can check their flood plain status on the new, preliminary flood map at their municipal offices or online.  The FEMA website for the new maps and mapping information is http://www.msc.fema.gov.

If a property is located in the high risk flood zone, there is a Congressionally mandated flood insurance requirement for all structures that have a mortgage with a federally regulated lender or have a federally backed mortgage.  In addition, all County and local public buildings located in that flood zone must carry flood insurance to fully qualify for Federal Disaster Assistance.

If you are outside of the high-risk flood zone on your community’s current flood map but are inside the zone on the preliminary map, you may purchase initial flood insurance coverage through a low-cost Preferred Risk Policy (PRP).  Any resident or business within a municipality that participates in the National Flood Insurance Program may purchase a flood insurance policy even if the property is outside of the highest risk flood zone.

Peer Retires

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The Cheney Library will host a retirement reception for Dan Peer who has worked at the Library for 28 years. The reception will take place in the Library on November 18 at 6:30 pm. Come say so-long to Dan.

Hubbard Hall’s Production of Spelling Bee Is Charming

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by Alex Brooks

Hubbard Hall has opened a new production of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee which will be running through November 30, Fridays at 8 pm, Saturdays at 2 and 8 and Sundays at 2 pm. This is a fun show, depicting the efforts of six smart, ambitious, young misfits to figure out how to deal with themselves and each other. There are moments when it is touching and moments when it is hilarious.

This is the first production directed by Hubbard Hall’s new Executive Director David Snider, who has acted and directed in many of the most prestigious regional theatres in this country, most recently as Director of Artistic Programming at the Arena Stage in Washington, DC. Snider has assembled a young cast here, including high school students and recent college graduates, who are still close to the high school struggles that are the subject of this play. But he has sprinkled in enough experienced actors to make the production work. New York Equity Actor Sylvia Bloom brings a strong voice and a strong presence that anchors the somewhat eclectic storylines of the play, and Chris Barlow’s effective delivery of Vice Principal Douglas Panch’s comic lines is another anchor for the show. But the actor who really puts the show over the top is Jeffrey Vizcaino’s portrayal of William Barfee. A portly fellow with charmingly awkward clothing, he is used to having people make fun of him, but he is at the same time very confident of his abilities. The way that he tries to armor himself against ridicule and manage his vulnerabilities, and believe in himself at the same time, is fascinating. The character is affecting and memorable, and there are plenty of opportunities for Vizcaino to show off his considerable abilities as a singer and dancer.

The music in this show is great, and this crew does it full justice, with many talented singers led by Hubbard Hall’s accomplished Musical Director Richard Cherry.

Hats off to David Snider for this auspicious debut at Hubbard Hall, developing such a fine show with such a young cast!

Tickets are available at www.hubbardhall.org or by calling 518-677-2495. Hubbard Hall is located at 25 East Main Street in Cambridge, NY.

Stanley W. Eames Jr.

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Hoosick Falls – Stanley W. Eames Jr., 81, passed away peacefully on Monday, November 10, 2014, surrounded by his family, listening to polka music, at St. Peter’s Hospice in Albany, NY. He had resided on Dale Street in Hoosick Falls, NY.

Born on January 19, 1933, in Worcester, MA, Stanley was the son of the late Stanley W. and Marian (Bethune) Eames Sr. He graduated from the University of Hartford with a Bachelor’s Degree. Stanley was a veteran of the United States Navy serving during the Korean Conflict. He was employed at Southwestern Vermont Medical Center in Bennington, VT, as an electrician, until retiring. In his younger years Stanley enjoyed camping, hunting and fishing. He was a member of the Pownal Legion Post # 90 in Pownal, VT, and a volunteer fireman with the Stamford (VT) Fire Department. Stanley enjoyed spending time with family and playing poker. He was very good at fixing things and tinkering in his garage.

Survivors include his daughters, Jane and husband Tim Johnson of Tucson, AZ, Susan Eames-Rossi and husband Ed of Agawam, MA, his sons, John and wife Lori Eames of East Windsor, CT, Jeffrey Eames of Bennington and Dr. Andrew Eames and wife Noreen of Bolton, VT, his former wife, Lisa Eames-Buchanan, to whom he remained close, his sister, Glenna Smith of Framingham, MA, his six grandchildren and his four great-grandchildren.

Funeral services are Friday, November 14, at 12 noon from the North Pownal Congregational Church. Burial will follow the service at Oak Hill Cemetery in Pownal. Relatives and friends may call at the Church on Friday from 11 am until the start of the service. In lieu of flowers memorial contributions may be made to the North Pownal Congregational Church through the Mahar Funeral Home, 43 Main Street, Hoosick Falls, NY, 12090.