Eastern Rensselaer County's Community Newspaper
submitted by Bernie Wiesen
Olivia Logue, Rensselaer County 4-H member and daughter of Christopher Logue and Bernie Wiesen of Johnsonville is the recipient of the 4-H Lohnes Award. The Lohnes Award is a citizenship/sportsmanship award sponsored by Bob Lohnes of Schaghticoke. The award recognizes an outstanding senior Rensselaer County 4-H Horse project member.
[Read more…] about Olivia Logue Named The Lohnes 4-H Award Recipient
Hoosick Falls – Paul D. Corbett, 48, passed away into the arms of his Lord and Savior after a three year courageous battle against chronic illnesses on Monday, December 9, 2013, at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, MA, surrounded by his loved ones. He had resided on Wilson Hill Road in Hoosick Falls, NY, with his wife Angela (Worthington) Corbett and their son Noah.
Born on February 10, 1965, in Bennington, VT, Paul was the son of Roger and Diana (Moll) Corbett of Hoosick Falls. He graduated from Hoosick Falls Central School and continued his education at Adirondack Community College and Empire State College earning a Bachelor’s Degree in Health Service Administration. He was a member of the Association of Nursing Service Administrators and the New York State Association of Homes and Services for the Aging, currently known as Leading Age New York.
Paul was employed at the Center for Nursing & Rehabilitation at Hoosick Falls, previously known as the Hoosick Falls Health Center, in Hoosick Falls for the past twenty-three years. Paul started at the Center as a Certified Nurse’s Aid, was a Registered Nurse filling the roles of Assistant Director of Nursing Services and Director of Nursing Services and for the last ten years served as the Administrator/CEO. Paul’s greatest passion was to serve the residents and staff, which expressed his heart for people.
Paul was a devoted husband, father, mentor and friend. His love for the youth impacted many, which will carry on through the lives he touched. He was a licensed Pastor, who recently served alongside Pastor Michael Benoit at the Cornerstone Fellowship Church in North Hoosick, NY. He loved to express his love for the Lord through his worship on drums. Paul coached basketball at Grace Christian School in Bennington and served as President of the School Board at Grace Christian School. Paul was an avid basketball player for Hoosick Falls Central School and Adirondack Community College. His love for the game continued by supporting youth basketball in the community.
Survivors other than his wife, son and parents include his brother, R. Wayne Corbett of Tulsa, OK, his sisters, Melissa Lockrow and husband Greg and Rebecca Fogarty, all of Hoosick Falls, his best friend’s brother and sister-in-law, Michael and Doreen Meaney, his brothers and sisters-in-law, Jeff and Sandra Worthington, Chris and Renee Worthington and Doug Worthington, and his mother and father-in-law, Arthur and Dorothy Worthington of West Hebron, NY. He is also survived by several nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles and cousins.
Relatives and friends may call at the Mahar Funeral Home, 43 Main Street in Hoosick Falls on Friday, December 13, from 4 to 7 pm. A Celebration of Life service will be on Saturday, December 14, at 11 am at the Community Alliance Church in Hoosick, NY. Memorial contributions may be given for Noah’s college fund or to the Cornerstone Fellowship Church through the funeral home. A special thanks goes to Dr. James Carroll of Hoosick Falls, Dr. Roland Dickson and staff of the Dartmouth Hitchcock Hospital, Lebanon, NH, and the staff at Massachusetts General Hospital. The family encourages organ donations in memory of Paul as only twenty percent of New York Residents are organ donors. For more information go to donatelife.net.
Potter Hill – William H. Rifenburgh, Sr., 67, a long time resident of Potter Hill, NY, died peacefully, in the arms of his loving wife Gayle on Wednesday, December 4, 2013, at the Samuel Stratton, VA Medical Center in Albany, NY, following a long illness.
Born on the family farm in Tomhannock, December 30, 1945, Bill was the son of the late Gordon and Elizabeth (Peters) Rifenburgh and the husband for over 47 years of Gayle M. (Church) Rifenburgh of Potter Hill, who survives. Bill and Gayle were married on April 10, 1966. Bill attended Hoosic Valley High School. On January 23, 1963, he enlisted in the United States Army and served in Vietnam earning awards as a marksman and expert with several types of rifles. He was honorably discharged on January 21, 1966. Upon returning home Bill was employed for over ten years as a production worker at the Norton Company in Watervliet, NY, and later for over 20 years as a truck driver by the Grand Union Warehouse in Waterford, NY. Most recently he had been employed as a driver by Penske Transportation Services in Albany.
Bill was a member of the American Legion Post in Albany. In his quiet time he enjoyed the outdoors, hunting and fishing and spending quiet time with his wife piecing together jigsaw puzzles.
In addition to his wife, Bill is survived by his children, Wanda and James Greeley of Grafton, NY, and William and Tracey Rifenburgh Jr. of Potter Hill, two grandchildren, Charles Griffis and Cassidy Rifenburgh, both of Potter Hill, four brothers, two sisters and many nieces, nephews and cousins. In addition to his parents he is pre-deceased by three brothers.
At Bill’s request, a private interment service with military honors was held at the Gerald B. H. Solomon National Veteran’s Cemetery in Schuylerville, NY. A memorial service will be held on Monday, December 16, at 8 pm. at the Pittstown Volunteer Emergency Corps, 60 Parker School Road in Pittstown, NY, with long time friend Gaylord Campbell officiating. Relatives and friends may call at the Rescue Squad house from 6 to 8 pm prior to the service.
At the request of the family, memorial contributions, rather than flowers, may be made to either the Hoosick Volunteer Fire Company, P.O. Box 167, Hoosick, NY, 12089, or to the American Heart Association, Albany Chapter, 440 New Karner Road, Albany, NY, 12205, in memory of William H. Rifenburgh Sr.
Funeral service details are under the direction of the Howard B. Tate & Son Funeral Home Inc., 2237 NY Route 7, Raymertown, NY.
by Kieron Kramer
In late October County Legislators Stan Brownell and Lester Goodermote, who represent the towns of Stephentown, Berlin, Petersburgh, Grafton, Hoosick and the Village of Hoosick Falls, received letters from the New York State Department of Transportation in response to their concerns forwarded to the DOT in the form of resolutions by the County Legislature. The two concerns the Legislators put forward were the number of truck accidents that have occurred on the portion of NY Route 7 between the Bennington Battlefield Motel and the intersection of Route 7 and Route 22 in the Town of Hoosick and the hazardous condition of the road surface of Route 22 in south Berlin running through Stephentown to the Columbia County border.
[Read more…] about The DOT’s Response To Route 7 And Route 22 Problems
by Bea Peterson
Ryan Corbin, a 2009 graduate of HFCS, is a U.S. Marine. He has served in Afghanistan. Many of his buddies are there now. He is not. He is recovering from shoulder surgery. However, his buddies are not forgotten and many of them will receive a taste of home for Christmas.
The holiday season is upon us, and the perfect opportunity to do your holiday shopping is at the HAYC3 Pop-Up Holiday Shop at The Armory in Hoosick Falls on December 7 from 9 am to 3 pm. Not only will you be able to check things off your list, you can participate in other activities like the Christmas Cookie Contest and help make ornaments for the community tree in the gazebo in Wood Park. Santa will be there, too!
What Is A Pop-Up Shop?
[Read more…] about HAYC3 Presents The First Ever Pop-Up Holiday Shop At The Armory
Santa Claus will be in Hoosick Falls on Saturday, December 7. You can visit with him at The Armory from 1 to 3 pm. He only comes once a year, so get there early to be sure you don’t miss out!
Due to a sickness and a conflict with a community event this Saturday evening, the HFCS Drama Club’s fall production of the two comedies Noises Off and “Action News” has been moved to next weekend. The performances will occur on Saturday, December 14, at 7 pm and Sunday, December 15, at 2 pm.
Both shows, Noises Off by Michael Frayn and the one act play “Action News” by Jonathan Rand, are outrageously funny comedies. “Action News,” which will open the performance, is a fast paced parody of our standard news programs.
Noises Off is a farce and fits into the show within a show genre. The show centers around a company of actors who are working on a play. Act 1 is the company’s final dress rehearsal. For Act 2, the entire set will be spun around, and the company will perform the show, with the audience watching from the perspective of back stage. However, the stress of the actors’ dysfunctional personalities and various love affairs (real and alleged) come to a head as the show is literally starting. When you mix in 8 doors, two love triangles, a jealous rage, an actor threatening to quit and an axe (why not?), you have a very “interesting” performance. For Act 3, the set is spun around again back to normal, and we watch the company put on their final performance. At this point, the frustration and hatred have boiled over, resulting in a very unique performance as actors try (and fail) to save the show.
Thank You
We in the Drama Club would like to apologize for the inconvenience of switching the performance dates, and we would like to thank the school, the community, and especially the parents of our drama students for their flexibility and willingness to help. We are extremely excited to put on this performance, and we hope to see you there!
The Hoosick Falls Baseball and Softball Program, in partnership with HAYC3, is sponsoring a spaghetti dinner at The Armory on December 13, from 5 to 7:30 pm in honor of Mr. George Villarini, beloved coach, teacher, trainer and referee for the Hoosick baseball and softball leagues.
Ask anyone who has ever played sports in Hoosick Falls and they will tell you that George Villarini was an important part of his or her sports career. He has always been there for the community, and now the community is there for him. Sadly, Mr. Villarini is suffering from liver cancer and is currently undergoing treatments in Dartmouth, NH. He is also on the National Transplant List at Mass General.
Mr. Villarini is a long time resident of Hoosick Falls and an incredible advocate for children’s sports in not only Hoosick Falls but in the surrounding communities as well. He has umpired and refereed many sports throughout the years, including basketball at The Youth Center, Little League and more. He never missed an opportunity to teach kids good sportsmanship and how to play better. Even a strike out or a foul on the court were teaching moments for him.
The spaghetti dinner menu includes all-you can-eat spaghetti and sauce, meatballs, bread and butter, dessert and drinks. Additionally, there will be baked goods for sale.
Mr. Villarini’s friends are “looking to do a great deed for a dear friend,” said one of the organizers, Maggie Thayne. All proceeds from this event will be used to help Mr. Villarini in his struggle to beat liver cancer. Tickets cost $10 for adults and $5 for kids 4-12. Children under 4 enter free. You can get tickets in advance through HAYC3 at The Youth Center, 115 Church Street, Hoosick Falls, weekdays between 10:30 am and 6 pm, at Thorpe’s Pharmacy or from Maggie or Tony Thayne. For more information contact HAYC3 at 686-9050.
Dear Editor,
I wanted to share with the Hoosick Falls community, as well as our surrounding towns, the wonderful experiences I have had with two groups from Hoosick Falls Central School in the past few weeks.
On November 16 I accompanied 33 students to NYC to perform at Carnegie Hall. Wow! How many people want to be able to do that in their lifetime? These 33 kids ranged in age from 12-17, grades 7-12. Under the direction of Ambigay Yudkoff, they had spent tireless hours learning songs in different languages to perform. The concert was a fundraiser for the Kate Winslow Golden Hat Foundation, a foundation celebrating love and self-expression for those with autism. They sang on stage with Tim Janis, Forte, Nathan Pacheco, Nick Pitera and Amy Petty.
The trip started at 5 am, after cheering on the football team the night before. We arrived at the rehearsal hall ready to sing and were the only group not carrying their music – they had it all memorized! There was no time for sightseeing except for the quick 20 block walk from the rehearsal hall to Carnegie Hall. The day was a bit hectic due to many last minute changes, but the kids adapted instantly. Everyone was well prepared, courteous and very professional. Our group on stage was visibly the expert; all students standing still, not fixing their hair or clothing and always having a smile on their face. Our students fully embraced the cause benefitting from their performance and were honored to be included. Even though they did not have many supporters other than close family members, they still were overjoyed to represent Hoosick Falls.
I have been the parent helper since the inception of the Pep Band in the fall of 2009. Every year our membership has grown. On November 23 I was able to take 22 of the members to Kingston to cheer on the football team at Dietz Stadium. These students tirelessly give everything they have week in and out to support the football program at HFCS. This year we had fans request that we sit near them! The community of Hoosick Falls enjoys the band; I hear nothing but great compliments on how the band makes the games more than just an average football game. I was honored to stand with the kids while they waited at the school and applauded the football team when they returned – the thought of abandoning them after a tough loss never crossed their minds!
I am also extremely proud of all the students involved in the performing arts programs. The drama department will be performing Noises Off on December 14 and 15. The jazz band played at the concourse in Albany on December 3, and all the groups will be performing for the winter concerts on December 16 and 19. On January 31 the chorus will be performing on the stage at the Troy Savings Bank Music Hall with the Albany ProMusica for the fourth year in a row. Shortly after, they will be hosting international humanitarian and renowned musician Sharon Katz & The Peace Train on February 13. Sharon Katz & The Peace Train use proceeds from their concert appearances to support their humanitarian work in South Africa and other countries around the world. Their work includes music therapy with orphans and communities affected by HIV/AIDS, feeding programs in poverty stricken communities, conflict resolution work in violence torn regions and building schools and community arts centers in under developed areas.
I encourage the community to come see what talent we have in Hoosick Falls that is not on the field or the court but rather on the stage. Many of the concerts, plays and performances are rarely attended by the public at large. Just ask the jazz band how they feel at the end of a concert, only seeing family members left in the audience – their response will be less than joyful. Show your support for the performing arts today – you will not be disappointed!
Sincerely,
Joyce Brewer
TC Lane, Hoosick Falls
