The Empire Orienteering Club will hold its National Orienteering Day event at Grafton Lakes State Park with registration at the Amphitheater at the Park (by Main parking lot) starting at 11 am on Sunday, September 21. Courses range from 1.6 km to 7.5 km. Come test your orienteering skills with map and compass. For more information on fees, see Empire Orienteering Club’s website http://empo.us.orienteering.org/schedule/.
Local News
Michael A. Killeen
Stephentown – Michael A. Killeen, 66, of Luella Road, Latham, NY, died on Tuesday, September 16, 2008, at his residence in the loving arms of his wife. He was born in the Bronx, NY, on August 9, 1942, and was the son of the late John and Hazel Doherty Killeen. He was educated in the Bronx and was a graduate of Chatham High School. He was an Army veteran of the Vietnam War having been honorably discharged on December 31, 1966. Michael retired from the Verizon Corp., as a splicer in Albany, having worked for the phone company for over 35 years. He had been a CWA representative for a number of years. He was a member of American Legion Mohawk Post #1450 in Halfmoon, NY. He enjoyed traveling and attending his children’s and grandchildren’s sporting events. Michael was an avid Yankee and Giants fan. Following retirement, he had worked part time for the Jackson Hewitt Co. in Albany, NY.
He is the beloved husband of Claire Conover Killeen whom he married on March 19, 1988, devoted father of Michael A. and wife Lori Killeen of Stephentown, NY, and Mark A. and wife Kim Killeen of Poestenkill, NY, step-father of Korin and husband Charles Homestead of Anchorage, AK, Kleanthe Caryofilles of Stephentown, Demetra and husband James Greenlaw of Woodford, VT, and Damon and wife Audrey Caryofilles of Granville, NY. He is also survived by five grandchildren, nine step-grandchildren and several nieces and nephews.
The funeral is Friday morning, September 19, at 11 am from St. Ambrose Church in Latham where the Mass of Christian burial will be celebrated. Calling hours are from 5 to 8 pm Thursday in the Gordon C. Emerick Funeral Home, 1550 Rt. 9 in Clifton Park, NY.
Interment with full military honors will be in the Gerald BH Solomon Saratoga National Cemetery in Schuylerville, NY.
Memorial contributions may be made to the American Cancer Society, 260 Osborne Rd., Loudonville, NY, 12211, or to Community Hospice of Albany, 445 New Karner Rd., Albany, NY, 12205.
Pastor Matson Installed At Landmark Baptist Church
Scott Matson officially became the pastor of Landmark Baptist Church this Sunday when his father, Pastor Harold Matson, installed him as the Pastor of Landmark Baptist Church. He has been interim pastor since May. His trial period was until October but his leadership has so impressed the Church that the members decided to move his installment up a month.
Pastor Scott was born a pastor’s kid and was raised in East Poestenskill. He and his wife, Ginger Denue Matson, are graduates of the Berlin Central School District. They have four children – Jonathan, Matthew, Angelina and Jeremiah. Jonathan, the fourth generation Matson to enter the ministry, recently entered Bethany Bible College and was sorely missed at this ceremony.
Pastor Scott is a graduate of Christian Fellowship Ministries and was ordained in May. He has been pastor for Cornerstone Ministries in Troy for eight years. Prior to that he completed culinary training at SUNY, Albany. He and his wife run a catering business and work for the transportation department of Berlin Central School. Pastor Scott said, “My secular job pays the bills but my pastoring jobs pays with thrills.”
Pastor Scott’s “FROG” theme of Fully Relying on God has brought a deeper desire for the Church to live for the Lord. He and his wife have proven to be selfless workers for the Lord at Landmark. Many new programs have brought more folks into the Church. Physical improvements have also occurred in the Church and property due to the hard work of Pastor and his family.
Landmark is looking forward to either of two things – Pastor Scott leading them until he gets really old and retires or the Lord returns.
Prayer Vigil For Luke Hoag And Peyton Stratton
The Hoosick Falls Community Alliance Church, located at 484 Hill Road, Hoosick Falls, will host a Prayer Vigil from noon on Friday, September 19, through noon on Saturday, September 20, for two local children.
Luke Hoag, 16 month old son of Mike and Jackie (VanDerKar) Hoag, from Hoosick Falls, has been diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor and will begin weekly chemo treatments in Boston on September 22.
Peyton Stratton, 3 year old daughter of Jennifer and Frank Stratton of Shaftsbury, VT, was recently diagnosed with a softball sized cancerous tumor on her kidney, which also spread to her lungs. Recent reports show that the tumor is decreasing in size.
Please feel free to drop in and join us any time throughout this 24 hour period as we pray, in faith, for God’s healing grace in Luke and Peyton’s lives and for strength, encouragement and provision for these families. Feel free to sit and pray in the quiet of your heart, to pray with others and/or to write words of encouragement in the Guest Books that will be given to each of the families.
We believe God is able to do all things and are expecting Him to move mightily on Luke and Peyton’s behalf as we continue to pray. If you’re unable to stop in, please pray wherever you’re at for God’s favor on these young ones. For more information on the Prayer Vigil, contact Gail Smith at 518-686-9888.
“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” Hebrews 11:1
Bars In Petersburgh And Stephentown!
by David Flint
It’s been over a month since an antenna sprouted atop the new cell tower on Losty Hill in Stephentown but cell phone service here is still almost nonexistent. That may change soon. According to Verizon spokesman John O’Malley, his company’s antenna is indeed “up and ready to go.” All that is needed is for the local phone company, Fairpoint, to establish the land line connection. O’Malley is hoping that will happen very soon and that service from the cell tower will start before the end of this month.
Chris Ciolfi of Evolution Site Services said that a couple of other cell service providers have expressed interest in locating their antennae on the Stephentown tower and that as soon as the land line connection is accomplished they may quickly come on board. Ciolfi’s company also constructed the new cell tower on nearby Jiminy Peak erected at the end of July. Verizon will also be the first tenant on that tower and they are currently in the process of completing the installation of their equipment. Another tower is planned for Route 22 in the vicinity of Berkshire Farm in Canaan. Ciolfi expects to get approval from the Planning Board there this month. With these three towers in operation, Ciolfi sees a great improvement in communications for area residents.
Panther Football Team Beats Cambridge 34-19 To Win First Ken Baker Jug Game
by Gary Danforth
Last Friday evening, September 5, two neighboring rival high schools, Hoosick Falls Central School and Cambridge Central School, came together for the greater good to honor the memory of longtime Section Two football Coach Ken Baker in the first annual Ken Baker Jug game. Though HFCS won the game by a 34-19 score and will keep The Jug in its trophy case until next year’s clash, in true Ken Baker fashion, there were no losers in this game. Nor will there be if future participants display the kind of good competitive fire and sportsmanship which Baker preached for so many years and which both teams displayed. A large crowd under the lights at HFCS saw both teams display the kind of sportsmanship and hard nosed play which was surpassed only by the number of cars parked up and down Route 22 in both directions from HFCS as fans surrounded the field by the hundreds.
Baker’s widow, Mrs. Ann Baker, flanked by Cambridge Central School Superintendent Frank Greenhall and longtime Baker coaching and teaching friend, Richard Reeve, presented The Jug to HFCS Coach Ron Jones, the last starting quarterback on a Baker coached Hoosick Falls squad. Baker was varsity gridiron boss at HFCS from 1972-1985. Doug Luke, head coach at CCS for the past eleven years and a Cambridge graduate who had served under Baker at Cambridge as an assistant coach, stood by as both teams spread across the football field, perpendicular to one another, as the presentation took place. Baker coached at CCS from 1986-1995. It was a whale of a game.
Cambridge, the defending Section Two Class C champions, and who had won 89 games the past ten years under Luke’s direction, took a 7-0 lead in quarter one when junior quarterback Kyle Parmenter hit sophomore Jesse Lybert with a twenty-one yard scoring play. Sophomore starting running back Matt Best kicked the point after touchdown as CCS took a 7-0 lead with 8:21 left in period one.
But HFCS came roaring back. Senior Panther signal caller Kevin Woods hit 6’5” junior wide-out Kevin McMahon with a 22 yard touchdown pass and junior Hutton Rasmus booted the PAT as the score was deadlocked at 7-7. Hoosick Falls, dominant in recent years under Jones’ tutelage, winning four consecutive divisional championships in the past five years, including two sectional titles, one regional crown and a trip to the State championship game in 2003, took a 13-7 lead. Senior running back Dan Okerman took a screen pass from Woods and bolted down the right sideline for a 60 yard TD play. Rasmus’s PAT boot gave HFCS a 14-7 spread with 5:26 left in the opening half. HFCS wasn’t done yet in first half action. In two plays, the last one being a 61 yard touchdown strike to senior wide out Jordan Brogue, Hoosick Falls extended its lead to 20-7. Rasmus’s PAT boot gave HFCS a hard earned 21-7 lead at the break.
Cambridge came back in period three, narrowing their deficit to 21-13 as Parmenter hit junior running back Joel Ferguson with a fifteen yard TD strike. The Indians’ PAT boot failed.
It was a busy fourth period as both teams continued to play solid football. HFCS took a 27-13 bulge
when Woods found junior wide-out Greg Stifter with a five yard scoring pass. CCS blocked the ensuing Panther extra point attempt.
Cambridge came right back. Parmenter scored on a five yard run with 8:51 to play to narrow the Indians’ deficit to 27-19. But Hoosick Falls put the game away when Woods connected from two yards out with McMahon to give the Panthers a 33-19 spread. Rasmus’ PAT boot made the final score 34-19 in favor of HFCS. In the Panthers’ final drive, junior Alex Hansen broke a tackle and turned a short pass into a 28 yard reception.
Under the Goalposts: Both teams played pretty well in their opening game effort. Woods looked very impressive in the Panthers’ spread offense, throwing for almost 350 yards as he rifled the ball all over the field to a cast of HFCS receivers. A young Cambridge team is only going to get better, and I wouldn’t want to draw CCS in sectional play. On Friday night, September 12, HFCS travels to Schuylerville in a big Class C match up with the Black Horses. The winner of that game most likely will have a leg up on the Class C North Division crown. Watch out for the Horses’ junior quarterback Austin Bateman and running back Shane Larkin. They have hurt HFCS in recent years. It should be a dandy.
Petersburgh Residents Face To Face With Charter Cable
by Alex Brooks
Representatives from Charter Communications came to a Special Meeting of the Petersburgh Town Board to talk with the Town Board and its cable TV customers in Petersburgh about service problems being experienced here and also about renewing Charter’s cable franchise.
Residents in Petersburgh and Berlin have experienced persistent problems with the cable signal. The signal will sometimes come and go or become weak and full of static or have another channel appear on top of the one being watched.
These problems have been happening in some cases on a daily basis, and customers have found that Charter’s response has been frustrating and ineffective. Usually they say a technician has to visit the customer’s house and want to make an appointment for the service call, which might be a week or two off.
About a dozen Charter customers attended the Special Board meeting, and told the two Charter representatives about all of the problems they are having. Some said they can’t stay home from work to meet with the service technician; some said having the technician come to their house was pointless because the problem is obviously somewhere earlier in the distribution system since everyone here is having the same problems; all said dealing with Charter’s phone system and trouble reporting protocols has been extremely frustrating.
Tom Cohan, the Director of Governmental Relations for Charter Communications, said his company had engaged call centers in Mexico and the Philippines to answer calls for them because before they did so, when there was an outage, everyone would be calling at once and very few were able to get through. Now at least someone will answer the phone, and they will have all the information about your account on their screen, even if it is not a local person.
Dan McCumber said he spoke to “a very nice lady in Nova Scotia, Canada,” so apparently the call centers are not only in Mexico and the Philippines.
Cohan said the company does not normally treat a call as a systemic problem unless they get three calls from people on the same street, but because of the persistent problems in Petersburgh, he said he will classify all calls from Petersburgh as a problem with the distribution system until the service is fixed on a town-wide basis.
Bill Rooney, Charter’s technician for fixing problems up on the poles, spoke next. He said there has been a very persistent problem through most of the summer, and he has been out here climbing poles three times a day trying to fix it. He said, “It is a long run – there’s a lot of wire and a lot of connections to check. He said he appreciates that this has been frustrating to the customers, and he said it has been frustrating to him as well. He said he thinks he found the main source of the problem about two weeks ago, when he found a “node” with water in it and fixed that problem, and he has not had any calls from Petersburgh since that time. Customers in the room did not seem to be convinced that the problem was fixed.
Rooney also said that Charter is planning to go over the whole system in this area over the next four weeks to “rebalance the whole system: and “sweep it.” He said residents will probably see a lot of cable trucks in the area soon, and he is hopeful that the problem will be over when they’re finished. He also gave his cell phone number to all of the customers present so they can call him directly when there’s a problem and bypass the company’s trouble reporting system.
New Cable Franchise
Mr. Cohan then asked the Town Board to consider signing a new cable franchise. Supervisor Mason Hubbard said they would consider it but they need to show it to the Town Attorney and hold a public hearing on it before the Board can act. There are 94 Charter Communications subscribers in Petersburgh.
Jerry McAuliffe Appointed To Hoosick Falls Village Board
by Bea Peterson
After some discussion among Board members at Tuesday’s Village Board meeting, Mayor Laura Reynolds appointed Jerry McAuliffe as Trustee to fill the term of Robert Becker who resigned as Village Deputy Mayor in July. That term will end in March 2009.
McAuliffe oversees a Village Court program for youths that are assigned to do Community Service by the Village Justice. He also has a contract with NY State to mow the grass on the flood wall in the Village. That job ends with summer and will go out for bid again next year. In response to questions raised by Trustee Ann Bornt, the Mayor said she had spoken with John Galligan, a lawyer for the NYS Conference of Mayors and he said there were no legal issues with McAuliffe assuming the post because of these other jobs. There might be some ethics issues, but there is no municipal law that indicates he cannot serve, she added.
Trustee Ric DiDonato said he would be pleased to have Jerry back on the Board as McAuliffe has a much better understanding of the water and wastewater treatment plants than he does and he interacts well with the Highway Department and can respond more quickly to issues since he is here in the Village all day. McAuliffe has previously served on the Board as Trustee and Deputy Mayor.
Another Delay For Riverwalk Purchase
Mayor Reynolds reported that after months of delays on the purchase of the railroad property for a Riverwalk, she was informed last week by railroad personnel that before the land could be sold to the Village, the Department of Transportation had to be notified. Since municipalities are given preferential rites to purchase the property, this seems a moot point. However, the Mayor must wait for notification from NYS DOT before the deal can be completed. That can take up to 120 days she was told. Village officials were ready for the September 17 signing with the Village purchasing the property and HooRWA (Hoosick River Watershed Association) transferring funds for the purchase to the Village. Work on this purchase has been underway for about two years, including lengthy survey time. Mayor Reynolds said HooRWA has paid $4,000 in penalties to the railroad for purchase date delays. She will now notify the railroad to put that $4,000 toward the purchase price since this latest delay has been caused by them.
Grants And Use
Mayor Reynolds mentioned that she has been in touch with Senator Bruno’s office in reference to a $50,000 member item grant that was to be used for the Riverwalk. She would like to have half of that changed and be used for the purchase of a new police cruiser. That brought up the issue of the Restore NY grant of $200,000 the Village has been awarded. The Mayor said she has learned that the State is so far behind in administering those grants that the fact the Village hasn’t used the money yet is not a problem. The goal is still to use some of the funds to work with owners to restore the properties on John and Main Streets. DiDonato reminded the Board that the Village cannot apply for any more grants until they have done something with the grant monies they have already received. He suggested some of the Restore NY money be used to restore the stone wall on the Wood Brook.
Storm Drains And Catch Basins
Residents in the Abbott St. area have been asking DiDonato why work on Abbott St. is taking so long and why they were not notified in some way that this work was being undertaken; signs posted or something. He said the job of installing new storm drains and catch basins is taking longer than expected because of the rainy weather, staff illness and vacation time. Work has been finished on Parsons Ave. and is underway on Abbott to Classic. DiDonato said once Abbott St. is finished work will begin on Snow St. These new storm drains and catch basins should go a long way to eliminating the flooding that has occurred in the past on these streets. Funds for this project have been received by the Village from NYS Consolidated Local Street and Highway Improvement Program (CHIPS).
Helvi’s Renovation
The Board approved granting a five year $5,000 Economic Development loan to Helvi’s Restaurant for renovation of the upstairs. The space would then be used for catering parties.
Benches In Park
Hoosick Lions Club President Everett Quackenbush told the Board that the Club would like to put more benches in Wood Park. Board members were pleased by the request and will work with him on it in conjunction with the Veteran’s Memorial planned for the Park.
Grant For Wastewater Plant
Village Treasurer Denise McMahon acquired a grant of $49,000 for an improved records management system for security and emergency records keeping at the Wastewater Treatment Plant. The Board approved advertising for an RFP for this SACDA system for engineering services and equipment. “This is a phenomenal opportunity for the Village,” said the Mayor.
Trustee Reports
Trustee Robert Downing said recycling is up and the amount of solid waste being collected is down. That’s good.
He said work at the water treatment plant is falling behind and crews will be working on Saturdays to catch up.
Trustee Ann Bornt requested approval for the purchase of new radios for the Police Dept. for $915. The request was under the amount budgeted for the equipment and was approved.
Trustee Matthew Monahan will be look into licensing someone from the Police Department to operate a $26,000 repeater the Dept. hopes to receive through a grant.
Nuisance Property Law
Bornt has been working with the Building Inspector and the Board to develop an enforceable point system law regarding nuisance properties. They have been reviewing the law in place in Troy. Village Attorney John Patterson told the Board that he doesn’t believe the Troy law would be enforceable as many of the points are arbitrary. He suggested they take the best from the Troy law and the Ft. Edward Village law and combine them to make a much more enforceable law for Hoosick Falls. An Informational Public Hearing on the law will be held before the October 14 Village Board meeting at 6 pm.
Bornt complained that trying to get property issues resolved in Court has not been successful, particularly when the property owner never appears, such as the case with the owner of the Elm St. CafÄ building.
Concern was also expressed by Bornt over the O’Dell property on lower Church St. Mayor Reynolds said the site is stable. There is not enough grant money to cover the cost of repair, and the Village will try for another Grant in April.
Transfer Station Open Saturdays Only
After this week the Transfer Station will only be open on Saturdays from 8 am to 2 pm until Spring. Through the rest of September contractors needing to dispose of materials may call the Village Clerk to arrange to drop off items during the week.
Trustee Michael Hickey said he has set up a meeting with Kelly Paslow from Rensselaer County Public Safety and County Legislator Stan Brownell to look at the Hall Street flooding situation.
HFPD To Be First Responder At HFCS
Hoosick Falls Central School has received a Title IV Grant to contract with the Village for the Hoosick Falls Police Department to be first responder to any situation occurring at the school. “Our Department will be able to respond and be reimbursed by the school,” said the Mayor. The school attorney is drawing up the contract. The Mayor said this would allow the Department to apply for other grants. “This opens many doors,” she said. “We’ve been waiting a long time.”
In other business the Board approved:
• Liquor license renewal for T-Bone’s
• Liquor license application by Third Base’s new owners Angelo Bernardo and Kathleen Fraher.
• Sending new Village Court Clerk Holli Snyder for training at Adirondack Community College on October 4.
• Payments on the Water Project.
• Changes to the water lines at the Jessie Stevens home.
• A bid of $16,400 from William Clark Municipal Equipment to purchase a leaf vacuum machine. ODB Company submitted a bid of $16,541.
Hoosick Falls Wetdown
New Engine “Christened”
by Bea Peterson
With horns blaring and sirens screaming nine fire trucks from Bennington Village, Berlin, Eagle Mills, Hoosick, North Hoosick, Pittstown, West Sand Lake, White Creek and Hoosick Falls showered water on the Hoosick Falls Fire Department’s newest truck, number 17-2 on Saturday, September 6. The ceremony, called a “Wetdown,” is the Fire Department’s version of breaking a bottle of champagne over the bow of a ship, said Chief Ted Senecal. “It’s our first new truck in 17 years and replaced a 1981 model.” It has been leased to own from Wilde Fire in Mayfield, NY, for 10 years. “We have been putting away funds for it all along,” said Senecal. The truck cost about $297,000.
The engine has an eight man enclosed cab with five air pack seats. It holds 1,000 gallons of water and 30 gallons of class A foam, and has a 1,250 gallons per minute side mounted pump.╩It carries the Fire Department’s thermal imaging camera, four gas multi-meters,╩four additional air packs, 1,000 feet of 4 inch hose, 350 feet of 1 inch hose, 150 feet of 2 inch╩hose and a wide variety of other fire fighting equipment.╩
The Wetdown was followed by a cookout.
Historic Coleman Store In West Stephentown Demolished And Burned
by David Flint
People traveling through West Stephentown on Route 43 Saturday were required to slow down as a huge fire was in progress just east of Griffin Road. The Stephentown Volunteer Fire Department had everything under control, and in fact it was not a house fire or field fire but a controlled burn of debris from the demolition of an old house. The house had been empty for many years and was in terrible shape, but going up in smoke was another piece of Stephentown’s history.
Isaiah Bangs Coleman opened a store in that house in 1836 and ran it for over 40 years. Later his son and grandson kept the store going. Isaiah was also the Postmaster for West Stephentown for many years. According to an 1880 History of Stephentown by Nathaniel Sylvester, he was born in Stephentown in 1809, a grandson of John Coleman, one of the earliest settlers in West Stephentown. He became a teacher and at the age of 19 was put in charge of a district school in Sand Lake and later taught in other schools in Sand Lake, Greenbush, Nassau and Stephentown. Along with his father, Calvin Coleman, and others he founded the Free Will Baptist Church in West Stephentown and became its pastor in 1844. Sylvester notes that, “Elder Coleman is highly respected in the community in which he has passed his life, and bears a reputation for integrity and uprightness which all may envy.” Isaiah Coleman died in 1883 and is buried in the Hillside Cemetery on Firetower Road.
One of Isaiah’s sons, Isaac DeWitt Coleman, was a Lieutenant in the 125th New York State Volunteers in the Civil War. He was killed near Petersburg, Virginia, in June 1864 while serving under General Ambrose Burnside. Johanna Bryant lives next door to the Coleman store property in a house built by Harvey Griffin in 1846. Bryant grew up in that house and is sad about the demise of the old store. Bryant also feels a double connection to the Coleman family because her great-great-grandfather was a first cousin to General Burnside.
Members of the Stephentown Historical Society, learning that the old store was to be demolished, explored the structure in July and photographically recorded everything of interest, including one panel stamped “I.B. Coleman Back Store ą Pork, Flour, Fish & Salt.”