The Eastwick Press Newspaper

Eastern Rensselaer County's Community Newspaper

Hoosick

Texas Hold’Em Is Back At The Armory

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Shuffle up and deal at the Texas Hold’Em Tournament at the Armory in Hoosick Falls on Friday, March 7.

Doors open at 6 pm, play starts at 6:30. The buy-in is $35 with an option for a $10 add on, plus a $5 high hand pot. Newcomers and experienced players are welcome. The Armory is at 80 Church Street in Hoosick Falls.

Plan to be at the Texas Hold ‘Em Tournament at The Armory in Hoosick Falls on the first Friday of every month.

Call 518-686-9050, email contacthayc3@gmail.com or visit the HAYC3 website at www.hayc3.org for more information.

Hubbard Hall Presents King Lear

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a review by Alex Brooks

Hubbard Hall has opened a new production of King Lear, Shakespeare’s epic drama of greed, power, madness and family succession. It’s an ambitious undertaking, and Hubbard Hall proves itself once again the Little Company That Could with this creditable production. John Hadden, Artistic Director of Hubbard Hall, has managed to bring in an impressive collection of talent from outside the area to build this show.

Ava Roy co-directs with Hadden and stars as Cordelia and the Fool. Her loving Cordelia and wise and rueful Fool are the emotional anchors of this show. In the topsy turvy world of King Lear, in which the Fool is the wise man, the former King descends into madness and the King-to-be feigns madness to save himself from the designs of evil men, the darkness of the play is happily mitigated when the good characters, Cordelia, the Fool and Edgar, have a strong presence.

Young James Udom is a dynamic Edgar, making an admirable hero of a character that is often lost in the spectacle of his turn as Poor Tom.

Hadden’s Lear is understated. I missed the titanic rage, against himself and against the hard hearted world, that I think of as central to the character. In the first half, the arrogance, the imperious moods, the curses and sarcasm that Lear spews at those who thwart his will, seem watered down. Yet in the second half of the play, Hadden’s approach works better, when Lear’s madness leaves him befuddled and bewildered. It reaches its finest moment when Lear exhorts Cordelia to come away with him to prison where “We two alone will sing like birds i’ th’ cage” to tell tales and laugh and hear “poor rogues” talk of court news.

Carmen-Maria Mandley and Myka Plunkett bring a sinister energy to the evil sisters Goneril and Regan, and Scott Renzoni does a fine job with the good but weak Albany, who tries ineffectually to turn his wife Goneril from her evil ways.

The action of the play takes place in the center of the space, with audience on all four sides, so there is no backdrop, and the sets are pretty minimal. In general this works well, but it was perhaps carried too far in the storm scene, which was signaled only by a little water thrown into the actors’ hair. A sound of rainfall or a lighting effect suggesting rain or some such thing would have been a welcome addition. Someone who did not know the play might not have realized that the King was making his way through a violent storm bareheaded.

But let’s put such quibbles aside and celebrate our local company, which has the chutzpah to take on difficult classics like this one and the ability to bring to life one of the high points of Shakespearean drama.

Cabin Fever Hoosick Style

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by Bea Peterson

National Geographic Television Channel’s weekly show “Building Wild” starring Hoosick’s Pat Bakaitis and television celebrity Paulie DiMeo as the Cabin Kings continues to highlight the local area. In the February 11 show, which was the building of a cabin for Patrick and Ryan Sweeney in Berlin, Paulie noted that he wanted some Brown’s Beer, which is brewed in Hoosick.

[Read more…] about Cabin Fever Hoosick Style

Ayla Senecal Wins Bronze At The Empire State Games

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by Kieron Kramer

Ayla Senecal is a freshman at HFCS and skates and trains year round at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial rink in nearby North Adams, MA. Her mother, Sara Senecal, wrote in an email, “Ayla misses out on hanging out with friends and doing normal teenage things because of all of her traveling and training required, but all of that hard work paid off this past weekend.” [Read more…] about Ayla Senecal Wins Bronze At The Empire State Games

Hoosick Planning Board Action – February 2014

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by Bea Peterson

Orebed Road

On Monday, February 24, William Sparks appeared before the Hoosick Planning Board regarding a subdivision on Orebed Road in East Hoosick. Sparks is dividing a 60 acre parcel into two parcels. He has decided to put the house and five acres up for sale and retain the rest of the property as one piece. The Board declared the property a Simple Subdivision.

Automotive Repair

David Buckner appeared before the Board for its approval of an Automotive Repair Shop in the 22 x 24 foot, two car garage behind his home on Route 22. He explained there will be a lighted sign on the property near the road, but it will not be placed where it would block traffic view. He has met the requirements of the ZBA, and they have approved his use of the property. A public hearing was held, he said, and a representative of HFCS was there to discuss Buckner keeping the vegetated area between the garage and the school fence in place. It is his intention to do so, he said. Attorney Denis King and Board Chairman Jim Dunigan then read aloud the requirements in the Site Plan Review. A Public Hearing and many of the items in the Review were waived because they had been covered by the ZBA. Buckner will return to next month’s March 17 meeting with a new plat that defines the parking area and a designated handicapped spot, where the lighting will be and details regarding a storage container.

Joint Meeting

Hoosick Town Supervisor Mark Surdam attended the meeting and addressed the Board suggesting that the Town Board, Zoning Board of Appeals, Planning Board and Town Building Inspector Ed King hold a joint meeting to better open communication between them. “Things are going better,” he noted. “In 2001 a Site Plan Law was created. A new plan has been written and reviewed and needs to be discussed,” he said. Surdam said he had attended the last ZBA meeting, and he would like to see a couple members of the two Boards work with the Town Board to update the Law. “I’m here to open the door to a coordinated meeting,” he said. “I don’t want politics to get involved,” he added, noting, “this is a lengthy process, and it should be done.

Hoosick Federal Credit Union Annual Meeting

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submitted by Jim Martinez

The Board of Directors and Jim Martinez, President, of the Hoosick Federal Credit Union at 28 Church Street in Hoosick Falls invite all to join them for the annual meeting and election of Board members to be held at the Hoosick Falls Central School High School Cafeteria on Wednesday evening, March 5, from 6 to 7:30 pm.  Come enjoy a nice dinner catered by the top-notch HFCS dining staff while you hear the “State of the Credit Union,” detailing what happened in 2013 and what we have in store for 2014. The meeting will conclude with an abundance of door prizes.  Positive things are happening.  Don’t miss this opportunity!

We hope to see you all there.  Please RSVP at 518-686-4504 by Monday March 3. Seating is limited to the first 125 who respond.

If you are reading this ad, you are likely able to join the Hoosick FCU. If you live, work, worship, attend school, belong to an organization or volunteer in Hoosick, Eagle Bridge, Buskirk, Petersburgh, Berlin, Grafton, Stephentown or Pittstown, you may become a member of Hoosick Federal Credit Union.  Businesses and not-for-profits are also welcome and encouraged to join.

Hoosick Grange News

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The weather was good but cold on February 1-2, and Hoosick Grange had its first meeting of the year. Master David Cornell conducted the business part of the meeting. The Lecturer presented her program. She had several Grangers read about famous African-Americans like Frederick Douglass, Shirley Chisholm, Thurgood Marshall, Wilma Rudolph and Garrett A. Morgan, who invented the three-way automatic traffic light. Do you know if the green is on the top or the bottom of the light? The Lecturer read about Martin L. King Jr., born January 15, 1929, in Atlanta, Georgia. He had simple beliefs – that all people should be kind to one another and no one should be denied the right to fair treatment. After Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat to a white person, she was arrested. Dr. King organized a bus boycott, that no black people would ride the buses. After many problems the rule about black and whites sitting together on buses was changed. Dr. King taught the principle of peaceful resistance instead of arguing. The Lecturer read about “The Buffalo Soldiers.” These soldiers were African-Americans who distinguished themselves in battles. They marched with George Washington and fought with Andrew Jackson at the Battle of New Orleans and also the Civil War. Over 33,000 gave their lives during the Civil War.

The Lecturer talked about Abraham Lincoln. Born on February 12, 1809. He loved to read. He had about one year of formal schooling and didn’t go to law school. He didn’t have military experience but did serve as a volunteer in “The Black Hawk War.” He passed the Illinois Bar. It required only evidence of moral character, though Lincoln was well read in the law. He became the sixteenth President. He freed the slaves in the Confederate Territory, not under Union control, with the Emancipation Proclamation. Full emancipation came in 1865 with the passage of the 13th Amendment. Abraham Lincoln’s simple rule, his wish: “Die when I may, I want it to be said of me, by those who knew me best, that I always plucked a thistle and planted a flower where I thought a flower would grow.”

The Lecturer read about St. Valentine and “Is It Love or Infatuation?” She told about George Washington, the Father of Our Country. He was a redhead and covered his head with a powdered wig. Some say he had false teeth. He was a farmer ahead of his time in rotating crops. He was shy and had a bad temper. People tried to make him king. His reply was “Banish the thought from your minds.” He submitted to the Constitution, and, with Congress, launched a republic Under God, with Liberty and Justice for all.

The Grange had delicious refreshments by Berta Burr. Our next meeting is March 12 with David Filkins in charge of the program, and Helen Filkins in charge of refreshments. It is also Photo Contest Night and Apple Pie Contest. Let’s have lots of entries.

Cheney Library Book Sale

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The Cheney Library will be having its monthly book sale on March 1 from 8 am to 1 pm in the Library. There is a large selection of books, and we have donations of new materials that are in great condition. Cheney Library is located in Hoosick Falls on NY 22. Our phone number is 518-686-9401.