The Eastwick Press Newspaper

Eastern Rensselaer County's Community Newspaper

Local News

Mozart’s Cosi Fan Tutte At Hubbard Hall Is A Rich Experience

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review by Alex Brooks

The first production of the Hubbard Hall Opera Theatre opened this past weekend to a packed house at Hubbard Hall. The show was Mozart’s Cosi fan tutte, in which two pairs of young lovers test their fidelity under the skeptical eye of the wealthy philosopher Don Alonso, who bets the young swains their lady loves will not remain constant in their absence. After staging their disappearance under the guise of army orders to depart, the two young lovers return tricked out as “Albanian nobles” trying to woo each other’s fiancees.  Don Alonso recruits the ladies’ maid Despina to aid his schemes, and the game is on.

The fact that the two lovers in their disguise are reminiscent of Matt Groening’s characters Akbar and Jeff only adds to the hilarity. Despina has some fun ribbing them about their goofy costumes. Ivan Amaro, playing Don Alonso, Alix Jones, playing Despina, and Kara Cornell, playing Dorabella, are all accomplished comedians and get a lot of mileage out of wry expressions and  subtle glances.

It’s unusual for opera to be so intimate. Most big-time opera is in large houses where audience is quite a distance from performer, and the acting is necessarily broad. To have it so close is a delight.

One might have supposed an opera in Cambridge NY would be populated with young, inexperienced, or shaky singers. One would be supposing wrong. The quality of the music and the singing voices is astonishing. Some are professionals from New York City, some are very talented local or sort of local artists. The small orchestra assembled by Conductor Richard Giarusso is very solid. The company was apparently assembled largely by Alix Jones, who in addition to singing the role of Despina, is the founder of this opera company and the Production Manager.

The opera is sung in Italian, which gives the audience a lot to do – appreciating the music, taking in the dramatic action, and keeping track of the English translations projected on a small screen keeps the spectator busy. In addition, the show can be taken on several levels. It can be understood seriously, as a meditation on human fickleness, or it can be seen as primarily a romp, with comedy foremost. There is much more to say about it than I have space for here, but suffice it to say that this is an auspicious debut for this opera company, and it is a rich experience well worth the trip to Hubbard Hall.

Remaining performances are August 21 and 23 at 8 pm, and August 24 at 2 pm. Tickets are $30, $25 for members, $20 for students. For information or reservations, call (518) 677-2495

Hoosick Receives Farmland Protection Grant

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by Bea Peterson

Hoosick was one of 14 towns that recently received grants from the NYS Department of Agriculture & Markets to develop a Farmland Protection Plan. Town Supervisor Marilyn Douglas said the $25,000 grant will be used to process and identify all the farms in Hoosick with prime soils as well as open space. “The objective is the preservation of farm lands and the purchasing of development rights to those lands.” The Town will be talking to David Haight, Director of the NYS American Farmland Trust, about overseeing the project. “Establishing a town-wide plan will put our farmers in a better position to receive funding to sustain their land and to help them identify other farm related sources of revenue,” she said. Supervisor Douglas said the County has a Farmland Protection Plan, but she believes Hoosick is one of the first Towns in the County to develop its own plan. “I believe farming is an important business in the Town, and it’s important we preserve its economic vitality. This grant will help to further the preservation of our farmland.”

According to a release from the NYS Department of Agriculture & Markets, since the program’s inception in 1996, NY has awarded more than $151.4 million out of the Environmental Protection Fund for farmland protection projects, assisting local governments and their project partners in 26 counties to help protect 63,800 acres on 276 farms. To date nearly half of those project contracts have closed, protecting in perpetuity 28,138 acres of farmland. NYS has 7.5 million acres of farmland with more than 34,000 farms.

Fox Hollow Foxes Win Division III State Bowling Championship

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NYS Championship bowling team of (l to r) Michelle Hayner, Necia Crucetti, Joan Cipperly and Ginny Blinstrub. (Bea Peterson photo)
NYS Championship bowling team of (l to r) Michelle Hayner, Necia Crucetti, Joan Cipperly and Ginny Blinstrub. (Bea Peterson photo)

by Bea Peterson

The team of Ginny Blinstrub, Joan Cipperly, Necia Crucetti and Michelle Hayner won first place in the 2008 NYS Women’s Bowling Championship held in Albany on May 3, winning by one pin. They were first among 397 Division III teams. The team, sponsored by Dean Dubois, owner of Fox Hollow Construction and Daniel Boone Log Homes, bowls at Barbecue Recreation in Hoosick Falls in the Tuesday Women’s League. A second Fox Hollow Construction team of four placed 57th out of the 397 teams.

Crucetti First In Singles

Necia Crucetti also took first place for Division III in the singles event, beating 1,400 other bowlers. She was second out of 1,337 bowlers  entered in the All Events category.

In the Division III doubles event Michelle Hayner and Necia came in sixth among the 737 doubles entered.

This was the first time a women’s team from Barbecue Recreation has won the State title.

During the regular season Michelle and Necia bowl for the Schmigel team and Joan and Ginny bowl for Fox Hollow.  The women compete every year in the State Championships. They all laughed and agreed it’s their “weekend away!” The event is held all over the State. This year they bowled at Sunset Lanes on Central Ave. in Albany and Guilderland Town and Country Lanes.

Ginny has been bowling for at least 20 years; Joan has been a bowler since she was 18, about 36 years, she said. She has been bowling at Barbecue Recreation since the 80s. Necia is the newest bowler. She has been at it for only three years. Her teammates said Necia was their top bowler and pulled them through. Their lowest game in the Championship was 142. The team average was 186.

Bench Donated For Hoosick Falls Health Center Courtyard

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Pictured Left to Right around the bench are John Capano, Margaret LeStage, Paul Corbett, Health Center Administrator, and Jean Capano.
Pictured Left to Right around the bench are John Capano, Margaret LeStage, Paul Corbett, Health Center Administrator, and Jean Capano.

The Hoosick Falls Health Center Auxiliary donated a garden bench in memory of Alan Capano.  Alan’s mother Jean Capano served as President of the Auxiliary for many years and was instrumental in its growth.  Jean and her husband John continue as members of the Health Center Auxiliary.

The Hoosick Falls Health Center is an 82 bed not-for-profit skilled nursing and rehabilitation facility serving the area for over 90 years.

SOS – Seniors Of Stephentown

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by David Flint

A recently established alternative seniors club in the Town of Stephentown is doing well according to its founder, Mary DeFreest of West Road. DeFreest says membership in the new club, the Seniors of Stephentown (SOS), is up to 40 now and with 18 to 25 seniors showing up at meetings they have outgrown their initial temporary gathering place which is the DeFreest home at 334 West Road. She said she was “overjoyed and surprised” at the response. 

DeFreest and some others recently broke off from the Stephentown Seniors, a club that will next month be celebrating its 40th anniversary. The reason for the split was irreconcilable differences with the leadership. DeFreest said she recognizes that there are many wonderful people in the Stephentown Seniors and she wishes them well as they celebrate their anniversary. 

DeFreest said the new club is in the process of finding another meeting place. They have two prospects and they expect to be meeting in one of them by next month. Meetings are at noon on the second and fourth Thursday of each month.

According to DeFreest the new club will aspire to be community minded, providing friendship, transportation to the doctor or store or just a friendly visit to whoever is in need. They will put a major emphasis on support of the Stephentown Food Pantry, with each member who attends a meeting bringing some food item for the Pantry. 

Sometime next year the club expects to talk about sponsoring trips. There is no thought yet about requesting any subsidy from the Town. DeFreest said that may also be discussed next year but for the moment they are more interested in doing something for the Town rather than taking from the Town. 

Town Supervisor Tom Sherman last month proposed that the Town Board expend up to $5,000 a year from a contingency fund to partially reimburse members of the Stephentown Seniors who volunteer to drive people in need to the doctor or store or food pantry. The resolution was tabled until the details could be worked out, but Sherman says the plan is still under consideration. He would not comment on whether such reimbursement would apply to members of another club such as the SOS. He also declined to comment on whether the Town Board would subsidize trips for more than one senior club.

Fourth Hoosic River Ride Is August 23

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The Fourth Hoosic River Ride, a benefit bike tour for the Hoosic River Watershed Association, will happen on Saturday, August 23, no matter the weather. “We have provisions in place for shortening the course if we have a significant heavy-rain delay and will advise people on where it’s best to seek shelter in case dangerous weather moves in,” explained organizer Lisa Carey Moore. 

The one day event offers three routes of 13, 33 or 67 miles and cyclists can register online at bikereg.com or active.com or in person on the day of the ride. The longest ride, “The Watershed Challenge,” will depart the ride headquarters at Bennington College at 8 am and registration opens at 7 am. The 33-miler, “Two State Tour,” leaves at 9 am with the last group of riders for the “Monument and Bridges” 13 miler leaving at 10. Participants registering on the day should bring cash or checks, with the $40 (13-miler) or $50 (33 and 67 mile routes) fees covering a post ride lunch of burritos, assorted salads, baked goods, one free beer for participants 21 and over with many other beverages free of charge, too. The first 120 riders will receive an eco-tote and water bottle with the ride logo. Currently, just over 65 riders have signed up.

Town Of Hoosick Planning Board Action

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by Gary Danforth

The Town of Hoosick Planning Board meeting took place this past Monday evening, August 18, in the Hoosick Falls Armory with Interim Chairman Jim Dunigan calling the meeting to order at 7:30 pm. Following the Pledge of Allegiance the minutes of the previous month’s meeting were approved, with three corrections noted.

First, Peter Schaaphok appeared before the Board and explained that he wanted to relocate his business from South Troy to Hoosick. The 10,000 square foot assembly plant would be a steel frame building with a metal roof. The applicant had previously submitted an application. The party said the proposed project is not going to take place in an agricultural district. Two neighbors to the project were present to listen to the proposed plan. The total acreage of the parcel is 13.84 with building to take place on 2.5 acres. No trees will be disturbed. Utilities will need to be installed with the site plan showing traffic flow, lighting, signage and handicapped parking and access areas. Test borings were also shown. The water table depth will not be known until a well is dug. The applicant and the Board are still trying to determine whether this site plan is within the parameters of the Town’s comprehensive plan. It is hoped that the answer will be resolved by next month’s meeting once the comprehensive plan is gone over by the Board and applicant. The Board declared the project to have a negative impact on the surrounding environment. The Board passed a motion that the application packet was complete with the application packet being sent to the Rensselaer County Department of Health for approval. The Board set a public hearing for this project for 7 pm on September 15 before the next regular monthly Planning Board meeting. Schaaphok will come back before the Board next month.

Next, a land owner appeared before the Board wanting to subdivide his land located at 29 East Hoosick Road. There are eleven total acres to this parcel. They were present before the Board last month. The Board passed a motion that this would be a simple subdivision.

Then, Robert Breese, representing the Hoosick Fire District, appeared before the Board to discuss the Fire District acquiring the former Haynes Ford auto dealership lands, which would result in the land being used for a different purpose. Two disclosures had been made in the previous meeting concerning this proposed project. First, Stan King, the Town planning Board attorney, disclosed that he had agreed to represent the Hoosick Fire District in this matter prior to the Planning Board meeting and this could be a potential conflict of interest, but he believed this would be up to the Board to decide. Second, Jim Dunigan, the Interim Planning Board Chairman, disclosed that he was a Hoosick Fire District commissioner. Both of these disclosures could be potential conflicts of interest, with the latter not being able to vote on any Planning Board matter concerning this change of use. The residents of Hoosick will vote on whether the District will acquire the Haynes property in an election on August 26. The Board agreed that the Town Building Inspector will need to decide whether the potential new land owners of the former Haynes Ford parcel, potentially the Hoosick Fire District, would even need to come before the Planning Board for a site plan application process, based on the change of land use. A preliminary site plan was gone over with existing lighting, utility and septic systems, along with any impact on local schools discussed. The Board would waive having a site plan on linen along with lighting, floor elevations, a topographic map, grade contours, landscaping planning, parking plans, a survey, an engineer’s stamp on the project, interior design, a seating plan, service and storage areas and a scale of building heights. Handicapped parking and access to the existing building and traffic flow patterns would need to be shown. A short form environmental assessment form would need to be filled out. Breese said two additional overhead doors would need to be installed on site and two existing overhead doors would need to be enlarged. Breese and other fire department officials will be back before the Board next month if the Hoosick voters approve the department’s move to the Haynes Ford property.

Finally, Tim Holt, appeared before the Board wanting a boundary line adjustment to his 25 acre parcel in the vicinity of Bardee Road. He wanted to deed over a thirty foot parcel so a neighbor could have road access to a now land locked parcel. The Board approved this as a boundary line adjustment with language in the deed stating that this thirty foot strip of land could never be a stand alone parcel.

The warm, stuffy meeting adjourned at 8:55 pm.

HFCS Tax Unchanged From Budget Vote

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by Alex Brooks

The Hoosick Falls Central School set its tax levy and tax rates at its meeting this week. The tax levy is $8,526,995, which is an increase of 3.5% over last year’s levy. It has not been changed from the figures presented to the voters at the time of the budget vote. The tax rate for Grafton is $202.77 per thousand dollars of assessed valuation, an increase of 3.6%, for Hoosick $61.52 per thousand, an increase of 2.9%, for Petersburgh $29.40 per thousand, an increase of 4%, for Pittstown $27.68 per thousand, an increase of 1.1%, and for White Creek $29.10 per thousand, an increase of 1.8%.

The new principals, Patrick Dailey for the Elementary School and Steven Leunig for the High School, made

Elementary School Principal Patrick Dailey. (Alex Brooks photo)
Elementary School Principal Patrick Dailey. (Alex Brooks photo)

presentations on trends in student academic achievement over the last few years. Superintendent Ken Facin said he had asked them to do so to “give them a snapshot of what they’re inheriting,” and to start thinking about setting academic goals and the means to achieve them.

Patrick Dailey presented the numbers from tests given in the elementary school over the last few years, which showed steady improvement in a number of areas. Superintendent Ken Facin thanked him for the presentation, and remarked, “We have seen positive gains in every assessment in the elementary, but we have a long way to go.”

Next, High School Principal Steven Leunig gave a powerpoint presentation on academic achievement in the high school over the past three years. The data showed improvements in most areas but some were up and down.  Leunig remarked that seventh and eighth grade English test results are improving but

High School Principal Steven Leunig. (Alex Brooks photo)
High School Principal Steven Leunig. (Alex Brooks photo)

are not yet up to the state average. He called science and foreign language test results “very nice numbers.”  The number of students passing Regents tests went up from 06-07 to 07-08 from 79% to 87%, and the number of students taking the tests increased as well.

 

The graduation rate has improved over the last three years, from 68% in 06 (2002 cohort) to 82% in 07 (2003 cohort) to 91% in 08 (2004 cohort).

The rest of the topics covered in this week’s School Board meeting will be published next week.

No Give-Backs In BCS School Tax

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by David Flint

The Berlin School Board in four of the five past years has voted in August to reduce the tax levy approved by the voters in May, finding some money from the fund balance to reduce the proposed tax increase. This year there are no give-backs. On Tuesday the Board  formally approved the tax levy of $8,317,221 that the voters OK’d in May, an increase of 4.85% over last year. Based on assessed valuation and equalization rates, the levy results in the following tax rates per thousand and percentage changes in the individual towns. Only one town, Poestenkill, will see a decrease this year.

Berlin $57.60 5.4%

Grafton             $175.62 3.1%

Petersburgh        $25.49 3.5%

Poestenkill         $61.29 -1.7%

Stephentown      $48.00 3.1%

Interim Business Manager Scott Hunter noted that the true value tax rate for the District as a whole is now $14.40 per thousand of assessed value. There has been a steady decline in that figure since 2002-03 when it was $19.92 per thousand, the decline was accounted for by a combination of smaller tax levy increases and a substantial increase in assessed valuation. The rate is still about $3 more than the State average. 

Superintendent’s Report

Interim Schools Superintendent Charlotte Gregory said she had attended a Stephentown Town Board meeting at which the production company for the movie “Taking Woodstock” presented its plans for filming in the Stephentown area. Gregory was concerned that school buses might be delayed on September 15 and 16. She said the Town Supervisor subsequently contacted her, and she will go with staff this week to see what the situation is. The production company has offered compensation for any individuals or organizations that are inconvenienced. Gregory suggested that instead of monetary aid the company might provide someone with professional expertise to come and speak with students about film making. They will discuss this at a later date. 

Gregory said the staff has done an excellent job with summer school. Instruction and transportation schedules for the opening of school are progressing well. Training sessions have been held during the summer focusing on school safety, and there will be more in September. With the resignation of the High School Guidance Counselor, the school has received 200 applications for his replacement. Gregory said ten of these have been selected for further screening. 

Healthy Schools

Board Member Elizabeth Miller reported on her attendance, at a Healthy Schools Leadership workshop held in August in Syracuse. Three other members of the District Health Council also attended, participating in discussions of diets, health education, physical education, AIDS and more. Miller said she was impressed with the work of the Healthy Schools Leadership Institute. She also noted that Berlin looks pretty good with respect to other schools. She learned that most schools, including Berlin, are out of compliance with State requirements on elementary physical education. However, it was pointed out at the workshop that schools can use certified outside activities such as participation in dance lessons or community soccer to make up some of the requirements. 

Miller said the District Health Council is in the process of planning for the future and refining their goals. They plan to increase their membership and they will be seeking grant opportunities and looking into alternatives for food service. 

The Board will have a goals workshop on August 25. They also set a Capital Project workshop meeting for Wednesday, September 3, at 6:30 pm at Berlin Elementary School and their next regular meeting for Tuesday, September 16, at 7 pm at the High School.

Stephentown Historical Society To Visit Berkshire Attractions

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The Stephentown Historical Society will visit two Berkshire County attractions for its annual field trip on Wednesday, September 3.  They will tour the workshop of the Berkshire Carousel Project in Pittsfield, MA, in the morning to learn the history of carousels and see a demonstration of carving a carousel horse.  Berkshire Carousel will provide a coffee break to the group.  After a picnic lunch, the group will tour the Mission House in Stockbridge.  This property of the Trustees of Reservations was built by Reverend John Sergeant, missionary to the Mohicans, in 1739.  The house contains an outstanding collection of eighteenth-century American furniture and decorative arts.  The grounds feature gardens designed by noted landscape architect Fletcher Steele, a replica of an old cobbler shop and a small Native American museum that tells the story of the Mohicans.  The afternoon will conclude with a stop at Friendly’s for ice cream.

The group will meet at the Stephentown Heritage Center on Garfield Road for car-pooling at 9:30 am.  The $7 cost includes admissions and a gas donation for the drivers.  Each person should bring his or her own brown bag lunch and beverage.  Participants should phone Pat Bowman to reserve space at 413-738-5420, leaving your name, number of people and phone number.