by Bea Peterson
Lohnes Gets 3½ Year Minimum
On Thursday, February 4, Michael Lohnes, 26, of Hoosick, appeared in Rensselaer County Court before Judge Andrew Ceresia and pleaded guilty to charges of burglary, criminal mischief and aggravated cruelty to an animal. He was sentenced to three and a half to seven years in prison. He has been in jail since January 2009. That time will be credited toward his sentence. The charges stem from a December 2008 incident when Lohnes broke into a barn owned by his family, burglarizing the property and brutally killed a horse named Skye, that was boarded on the farm and owned by Dawn Feathers of Petersburgh.
Beck Sentenced
On Thursday evening, February 4, Matthew Beck, 46, of Hoosick and former Dog Officer for the Town of Hoosick, appeared in Town Court and pleaded guilty to misdemeanor charges of official misconduct, petit larceny, animal cruelty and operating a waste disposal facility without proper authorization. Beck was sentenced to two weekends in jail, and he will wear a monitoring device for 10 days and serve three years probation.
Beck had appeared before Judge Tom Restino in December under a plea agreement that would have had Beck serving 30 days on a work detail under the Rensselaer County Sheriff’s Department, along with three years of probation. Judge Restino rejected that plea deal as there was no jail time.
Beck was charged in February 2009 when April Stevens reported that she was missing two dogs and had heard they were given to the Dog Officer. During a search of Beck’s property, State Police uncovered dog bones, including two dog skulls, in a manure pile. State Pathologist Ward Stone determined that the dogs were not those of Stevens but that the skulls did contain bullet holes. One of the dogs was believed to have belonged to Asa Clark and it is on that evidence that the animal cruelty charge was made.
The petit larceny and official misconduct are connected to Stevens’ animals, while the waste disposal charge stems from the animal remains in the manure pile and comes under a Department of Agriculture and Markets law.
Rensselaer County District Attorney Richard McNally said he believes Beck “was treated very fairly.” He said the sentence was firm but fair.
Local News
Berlin Young Farmers Finish In The Top Ten Nationally
by Kieron Kramer
When Carl and Cynthia Greene of Berlin appeared in the well of the Rensselaer County Legislature Tuesday evening to receive a copy of the resolution passed last month recognizing their NYS 2009 Young Farmer Achievement Award, it was revealed that they had also finished in the top ten of young farmers competing on the national level at the American Farm Bureau Federation Convention in Seattle in January. The competition rewards young farmers, ages 18-35, for their agricultural pursuits and leadership within the community. [Read more…] about Berlin Young Farmers Finish In The Top Ten Nationally
Nickname T-Shirt Project Raises $1,100
New Lebanon Town Board Action – Complaints About The Zoning Officer
by Phillip Zema
At its February 8 meeting, the New Lebanon Town Board heard a number of audience members voice their concerns about Zoning Enforcement Officer Stan Koloski. The residents claimed that he is difficult to work with, unfriendly, and irascible. One member said he “insults,” “degrades” and “demeans” others, and another claimed he “is a tyrant,” “rude” and “makes the laws.” [Read more…] about New Lebanon Town Board Action – Complaints About The Zoning Officer
Hoosick Town Board Action – February 2010
by Gary Danforth
The regular monthly Town of Hoosick Board meeting took place Monday evening, February 8, in the Hoosick Falls Armory with Supervisor Keith Cipperly calling the meeting to order at 7 pm. After the Pledge of Allegiance, the minutes of the last Board meeting, January 11, and the December 14, 2009, meeting were approved without corrections. Councilpersons Jeff Wysocki, Louis Schmigel, Mark Surdam and Bob Ryan were present along with Town Clerk Sue Stradinger and the Town Attorney.
[Read more…] about Hoosick Town Board Action – February 2010
Village of Hoosick Falls Board Meeting – February 2010
by Bea Peterson
One of the first items on the agenda of the Village of Hoosick Falls Board Meeting on Tuesday, February 9, was the Treasurer’s Report. Deputy Mayor Paul Haynes said the Water and Sewer portions of the budget are fine. Income for the General Fund is down. Haynes said even though the budget predicted sales tax funds to be flat, they are $6,000 to $7,000 below that. Income looks good, he said. Court fines are 125 percent over budget. To keep the budget in check, all overtime must be approved by the Mayor, he added.
[Read more…] about Village of Hoosick Falls Board Meeting – February 2010
Hoosick Fire Dist. Installs Officers
The Hoosick Fire District held its Organizational meeting January 21 at 6:30 pm at the Hoosick Fire Station. Fire Commissioners are Robert Breese – Chairman, Jim Dunigan, Roy Hand, Charlie Williams, Wallace Hall and District Treasurer Shari Hand. The Official Bank is KeyBank. The Official Newspaper is The Eastwick Press. The Recording Secretary is Charity King.
Monthly meetings are held the third Thursday at the Hoosick Fire Station located on South Street, Hoosick.
Letter To The Editor – Concerns With The Finances Of The Berlin Central School District
To the Editor:
As a banker with over 20 years of experience, I’ve spent my career analyzing financial statements and business plans of companies and non-profit organizations. My professional experience tells me savvy, financially stable organizations tend to plan for their long term financial futures, while less sophisticated and less disciplined organizations tend to focus their efforts on annual budgets and current problems. As a local taxpayer, I became interested in analyzing the financial condition of the Berlin School District during the capital project referendum late last year. [Read more…] about Letter To The Editor – Concerns With The Finances Of The Berlin Central School District
Character Assembly At Grafton Elementary
The Grafton Elementary School held its monthly Character Assembly on Monday February 1. The character trait for February is Honesty/Trustworthiness. [Read more…] about Character Assembly At Grafton Elementary
Correction In DARE Graduation Story
In the story on the DARE graduation ceremonies at Berlin Elementary School (February 5) we reported that Joann Popov provided a solo trumpet accompaniment to the singing of “We are the Future.” In fact it was Ioann Popov and Michael Zlotnick who provided a trumpet duet. We apologize to both Michael and Ioann.