Hoosick

submitted by Gail Smith

Saturday, August 9, was a banner day for blood donations at the Hoosick Falls Community Alliance Church. With 40+ appointments, including nine double-reds, and over 20 walk-ins, we ended up with 66 presenting donors.

We want to thank Mollie Henry for helping sponsor the drive for H.F.C.S., for helping make phone calls and for manning the canteen. For the school to receive scholarship money, we had to collect 40 units, and because we were over that mark, H.F.C.S. will receive additional funds. At this point, we don’t know how much.

We so appreciate everyone who came out to donate. It was a beautiful summer day, and you could have been elsewhere, but you chose to stop in and make a difference. Your sacrifice of time and one pint of blood could save up to three lives. Many walk-ins chose to stay even though they knew there could be a considerable wait. Many of you donated in memory of, or in honor of, a loved one. One of our die hard double-red donors took the day off from work so he could give, and someone else celebrated her birthday with us. We had quite a few student donors. It was great to see teens donating right alongside our Senior Citizens. We were pleased to have several first time donors, including my father who is almost 78 years old (and I didn’t even have to twist his arm)! There is a minimum age, but there is no maximum age, as long as you meet standard eligibility requirements. All of these things were so encouraging. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts (no pun intended)!

Thanks also to Weeb’s for donating the doughnut holes for the canteen. The Red Cross saved a lot on snacks that day because everyone loved the doughnuts; but they did give all donors T-shirts and ice cream coupons, so I guess it evens out… Thank you Red Cross workers, for what you do. You were all great!

With 319 units collected so far in 2014 (that’s up to 1,000 lives saved, folks), we’re closing the gap on the 500 unit goal Hoosick has Heart has set for the year. With two community, one school and one business drive left, we’re going to close that gap and keep the momentum going with the next drive at Hoosick Falls Baptist Church, Main Street, on Friday, October 10, from 1 to 6 pm. Mark your calendar, then call and make your appointment at 1-800-RED-CROSS.

by Bea Peterson

Assemblyman Steve McLaughlin (R,C,I-Schaghticoke) is proud to announce that important legislation he introduced to assist residents and municipalities along the Hoosic River was recently signed into law. McLaughlin introduced Assembly Bill 9149-B to include the Hoosic River under the existing legal definition of an inland waterway in New York State. This designation allows residents and municipalities along the river to apply for flood mitigation and waterfront revitalization funding. McLaughlin’s bill was passed by both houses of the legislature earlier this year and signed into law on August 11. The law takes effect immediately, and municipalities can access grant information at http://www.dos.ny.gov/opd/grantOpportunities/epf_lwrpGrants.html.

Hoosick Falls Mayor David Borge is very hopeful that under this new law some work can be done for improvements to Woods Brook, which is a tributary of the Hoosic River. Borge said he will be in touch with Assemblyman McLaughlin in that regard.

“The Hoosic River is a major waterway in New York State and this legislation marks a substantial victory for residents and towns along the river,” McLaughlin said. “Waterfront projects will no longer be strapped for funding, and I look forward to making the Hoosic River area a top destination for outdoor enthusiasts and families on vacation.”

The new statute brings relief to residents who have experienced serious flooding in the past caused by the river. Under this legislation, the Department of State will be able to distribute matching grant funds for waterfront revitalization projects, primarily through the Local Waterfront Revitalization Program.

Assemblyman McLaughlin represents the 107th district, which consists of parts of Rensselaer, Columbia and Washington counties.

The Hoosick Barn Quilt project is on the verge of becoming the Hoosick Barn Quilt trail and HAYC3 is getting ready to celebrate big-time! Twenty-one 8’x8’ barn quilts and six 4’x4’ barn quilts have been delivered to their permanent homes and are about to be installed.

Join HAYC3 on Saturday, August 30, from 10 am to 12 pm at the HAYC3 Armory for the Hoosick Barn Quilt Trail unveiling and celebration of our community. The event will be jam packed with exciting quilt-related happenings and activities. Get your free trail map and be among the first explorers to follow the Hoosick Barn Quilt Trail. This event is free and open to the public. Everyone is invited to this big community event.

The celebration starts with a “Meet the Barn Quilt Artists” reception. Before or after you head out on the Trail, you can view an exhibit of exquisite hand made quilts (some for sale) by local and regional quilters in 120gallery90. Beginning at 10 am, experienced quilters will be demonstrating different kinds of quilting techniques, like English, and other methods of paper piecing, accu-quilting, hand quilting, applique and more. You’ll see a step by step how-to on how a quilt is made, from choosing the right colors to cutting the pieces, to putting it all together and finishing techniques.

Martha von Schilgen will provide lively entertainment. Her fiddling repertoire includes jigs, reels, hornpipes and waltzes, all with an old time feel.

At 11 am, HAYC3 will present a lecture called “Underground Railroad Quilt Signals.” Russell and Noreen Hinton of Newport, VT, will share their interest in this fascinating topic. They will bring a sampler quilt they have made together which depicts 16 of the patterns commonly in use during the period when there was slavery in the south.

What did quilt patterns and runaway slaves have in common? They shared a secret, a secret so guarded that only recently has it been shared with the world. Unable to read and write, or communicate openly about escape plans, the slaves turned to everyday objects so common they could be displayed anywhere anytime without arousing suspicion. The quilts were used to communicate hidden messages to runaway slaves traveling north towards freedom.

The Hintons will share the secret meanings of the Underground Railroad quilt code that was used to convey those messages. Using reproduction fabrics from the Civil War era adds authenticity as the tale of the Underground Railroad Quilt Code is told.

There will also be a Poker Run that day. A poker run is an event in which participants, riding any kind of vehicle, must visit five checkpoints, drawing a playing card at random from a paper bag at each one. On the day of the unveiling, the checkpoints will, of course, be at Hoosick Barn Quilt locations. The objective is to have the best poker hand at the end of the run. Winning is purely a matter of chance. The fee to enter the Hoosick Barn Quilt Poker Run is $20 for the driver and $10 for each passenger. The prizes are the same as our Texas Hold’Em tournaments, based on entries. You don’t have to be a poker aficionado to participate; you just need a vehicle, a sense of fun and adventure and a desire to help a worthy cause. Participants should meet at the HAYC3 Armory to pick up details of the route and the stops they need to make. Prizes will be awarded for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place.

The Hoosick Barn Quilt Project’s importance to the community is obvious. It will help beautify both the Town and the Village for locals as well as encourage tourists to follow the trail and discover Hoosick’s beautiful landscapes and farming traditions. New visitors will come to the Village and support local businesses. Even more important is that it is a community project that has successfully brought our already supportive community together. HAYC3 has partnered with Northeastern New York Cystic Fibrosis Foundation in this endeavor.

Come experience the Hoosick Barn Quilt Trail and celebrate community and art in our town on Saturday, August 30. For more information, visit the HAYC3 website at http://hayc3.org, call 518-686-9050 or email contacthayc3@gmail.com.

a review by Alex Brooks

The Hubbard Hall Opera has opened a new production of The Marriage of Figaro (and also Gianni Schicchi, not reviewed here), which is the most enjoyable opera production I’ve ever seen. The company has been able to recruit a dozen or so rising young opera stars from all over the country and bring them to Cambridge for a few weeks to put on these two productions. Local people put them up in their houses while they are here.

The result is a show bursting with youthful vitality that is also carried off with astonishing skill and professionalism. There are perhaps a dozen gorgeous young voices assembled here, and just about all of them have the rare combination of vocal ability and dramatic ability. The star of the show is the incredibly expressive Marielle Murphy as Susanna, the Countess’ maid who is Figaro’s fiancee and also the object of the Count’s (unwanted) amorous attention. She is ably supported with wonderful performances by Geoffrey Penar as the Count and Luke Scott as Figaro. But some of the less central parts also sparkle, most notably Blake Friedman as Don Basilio the music master, who delivers some beautiful vocal passages, and Shane Tapley as Don Curzio the lawyer. Tapley does a hilarious turn as a nervous lawyer (borrowed from Austin Pendleton’s classic performance in the movie “My Cousin Vinny”).

The Marriage of Figaro is one of the finest comic operas ever written. It is based on the second of Beaumarchais’ trilogy of plays about Figaro, with music by Mozart and a libretto by Lorenzo Da Ponte, who collaborated with Mozart on several operas. It is the sequel to The Barber of Seville, which Hubbard Hall Opera did last year.

The plot revolves around a series of schemes and intrigues. The Count, while fiercely jealous of his countess Rosina, is also chasing her maid Susanna, and since she is about to marry Figaro, the Count engages in a (losing) battle of wits with the clever Figaro to try to win her. He tries to force Figaro to marry a woman old enough to be his mother, and then it turns out she is his mother, to the consternation of the Count and the lawyer Don Curzio.

But while the hilarious hi-jinks of the Beaumarchais play are retained, and the show is often laugh-out-loud funny, Mozart’s magnificent music manages to deepen our experience of the characters. Rosina’s pain trying to win back her wayward husband, and the genuine love between Figaro and Susanna make the opera emotionally engaging and very moving.

Remaining performances of Figaro are at 2 pm on Saturday and Sunday, August. 23 and 24. The remaining performance of Gianni Schicchi is Friday evening, August 22, at 8 pm. Details can be found at www.hubbardhall.org.