The Eastwick Press Newspaper

Eastern Rensselaer County's Community Newspaper

Hoosick Falls

Stamp out Hunger!

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On Saturday, May 10, the National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC) Food Drive will once again spread out across America to help provide assistance to Americans who are struggling with hunger. Now in its 22nd year, the Food Drive effort is the nation’s largest single day drive.

Last year, carriers collected 74.4 million pounds of food, bringing the total of donations to just under 1.3 billion pounds of food collected over the history of the drive.

Food banks and shelters usually benefit from an upswing in charitable donations during the winter holiday season. By springtime, however, their stocks tend to dwindle to critically low levels. “Helping local support organizations deal with this post-holiday lull in donations is the main reason we hold our national drive on the second Saturday in May,” said NALC President Fredric Rolando, adding that since many school meal programs are suspended during summer months, millions of children are left scrambling to find alternate sources of nutrition.

For additional information about the annual Letter Carriers Food Drive effort in your community, ask your letter carrier, follow the drive at www.twitter.com/StampOutHunger or visit www.nalc.org/food.

This is another opportunity to support the local HACA Food Pantry.

Hoosick Falls Students Debut With The Battenkill Chorale 

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Students from St. Mary’s Academy and Hoosick Falls Central School will make their debut appearance with the Battenkill Chorale on Saturday, May 17, at 8 pm and Sunday, May 18, at 4 pm at the Immaculate Conception Church in Hoosick Falls. The Battenkill Chorale will conclude its nineteenth season with these performances entitled “Freedom!” a choral tribute to Nelson Mandela, plus music of Argentina. Tickets cost $15 and can be reserved by calling 518-692-7458 or emailing jen.braucher@gmail.com.

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Hoosick Meets On Heroin

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HAYC3 Sponsored Meeting Well Attended

by Bea Peterson

Heroin use is an epidemic in this country, this state, this area, this community, this very minute. A panel of experts in various fields, including law enforcement, mental health, social media and addiction recovery, addressed the crowd of more than 100 people who attended the HAYC3 sponsored Town Meeting on Wednesday, April 23. [Read more…] about Hoosick Meets On Heroin

Bottle Bombs Set Off On River Street

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by Bea Peterson

Hoosick Falls Police Chief Robert Ashe said that on Saturday, April 26, Officers from the Department responded to a report of shots fired in the area of River Street. When they arrived they noticed “unknown subjects” fleeing from the area. The Officers located bottles on the ground that appeared to have exploded. Officers located two juvenile males who admitted they had been setting off “Bottle Bombs.”

[Read more…] about Bottle Bombs Set Off On River Street

HFCS PTA Book Fair

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Hoosick Falls Central School will host a Scholastic Book Fair and Family Night Ice Cream Social on Thursday, May 8, from 6 to 8 pm with ice cream, activities, including caricatures by Jenny O’Connor, and summer reading club sign up in the elementary school cafeteria. The purpose of the annual event, hosted by the PTA, is to increase literacy among students and raise funds to purchase books for the elementary school library. Families, teachers and the community are invited to attend the Book Fair, for a night of fun for everyone.

The Book Fair continues Monday through Friday 9 to 11 am and 1:30 to 3 pm, from May 8 through May 16, offering specially priced books and educational products including new releases, award winning titles, children’s classics, adult books and current best-sellers from more than 100 publishers. Book Fair customers may help the school build classroom libraries and improve children’s reading skills by purchasing books through the Classroom Wish List and donating loose change to the “All for Books” programs.

Gardening Lecture At The Cheney Library

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Come and visit Cheney Library on Saturday, May 3, at 10 am and be part of this gardening lecture. Some children, once introduced to gardening, will become life-long gardeners. Others lose interest fast and head back to their computer games. Whether their interests are in art, music, writing or building, teaching children to keep a journal will get them outdoors and hone their academic skills through the school year or over vacations, all while tending their garden plants. Leader Marilou Town-Pudiak is a Master Gardener with the Cornell Cooperative Extension and a retired teacher. With spring on its way, summer will be here before you know it. There will be lots to learn for kids and adults.

Agnes Lassor

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Hoosick Falls – Agnes Lassor, 94, passed away on April 22, 2014, in Bennington, VT, where she had resided this past year in Emeritus at Fillmore Pond. “Nessie” was comforted during her final weeks by her loving family and the compassionate staff at Fillmore Pond.

Agnes “Nessie” Stirling was born April 1, 1920, in Dundee, Scotland. At the age of five she came to Hoosick Falls, NY. She lived with her parents and siblings at 4 Saratoga Street where she raised her six children and cared for her mother and brother.

Nessie was a loving grandmother to fifteen grandchildren and known as “Grandma the Great” to twenty-two great-grandchildren. She was also a caring aunt to many nieces and nephews, the Myers, the Marxs and the Stirlings.

Soon after the death of Larry Lassor in 2003 Nessie chose to live with her daughter Lorraine in Hoosick Falls where she resided until June 2013 when she moved into Fillmore Pond.

Nessie is pre-deceased by her loving husband of 60 years, Lawrence J. Lassor, and a daughter, Janice Marie Polacek. She is survived by her daughters, Lorraine Dooley and husband Ron, Laura Ricci and husband Bill and Ginny Hotze and husband Jim, her sons, Richard Lassor and wife Melissa and David Lassor and wife Phoebe, and her daughters-in-law, Andrea Lassor and Teresa Lassor.

Nessie’s life will be celebrated with a funeral Mass at the Immaculate Conception Church in Hoosick Falls at 11 am on Saturday, June 7, 2014. Burial will follow at Parklawn Cemetery in Bennington, VT, with a reception following at the Hoosick Falls Country Club. Memorial contributions may be made to the Town of Hoosick Rescue Squad through the Mahar Funeral Home, 43 Main Street, Hoosick Falls, NY. 12090, which is handling the arrangements.

The family would like to thank our doctor and friend, Marcus Martinez, and the staff at Fillmore Pond for outstanding and compassionate care. The love we felt during mom’s final days was very comforting. We thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

Daniel Brandi

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Hoosick Falls – Daniel Brandi, 99, passed away on Wednesday, April 23, 2014, at the Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation in Hoosick Falls, NY. He had formerly resided on Church Street in Hoosick Falls. He and his brother Anthony owned and operated Brandi’s Shoe Store on Church Street in Hoosick Falls.

Born on October 12, 1914, in Belvedere, Italy, Daniel was the son of the late Louis and Rose (Renda) Brandi. He attended school in Hoosick Falls. His father wanted him to learn a trade at an early age so at the age of twelve he apprenticed under John Handakas who had a shoe store on Elm Street in Hoosick Falls. After working in the Handakas shop, Dan began his own business from his home, and in the 1930s he opened his own shop on Elm Street. In the 1940s Dan left his craft to serve his country during WW II. He returned to Hoosick Falls after the war to have his brother, Tony, join him in the shoe repair shop. Dan enjoyed bowling, bocce ball, golf, dancing and horse racing.

Survivors include his brother, Anthony Paul Brandi of Hoosick Falls, and nieces and nephews, Edward, Nancy, Jay, Terry, Kathleen, Louis, Michael and Cecelia. He is pre-deceased by a sister, Mary Brandi, and his brothers, Frank husband of Grace, Guy husband of Carmela and Joseph husband of Lillian.

A Mass of Christian Burial was offered on Saturday, April 26, at 10 am from the Immaculate Conception Church on Main Street in Hoosick Falls. Burial followed the Mass at St. Mary’s Cemetery in Hoosick Falls. Relatives and friends called at the Mahar Funeral Home, 43 Main Street in Hoosick Falls, on Friday, April 25, from 4 to 7 pm. Memorial contributions may be made to the Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation.

The family would like to thank the staff at the Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation for their kind care given to Daniel.