Eastern Rensselaer County's Community Newspaper
submitted by Margaret Merwin, St. Mary’s Principal
The eighth grade class at St. Mary’s Academy in Hoosick Falls is sponsoring a dress down day each month of the school year with several charities in and around the Town of Hoosick receiving the proceeds. [Read more…] about St. Mary’s Academy 8th Grade Community Service Project
by Silvia Plasse
Dan Peer was Cheney Library’s maintenance man for 38 years. He kept the inside of the Library in good order, and you could often see him outside on his lawn mower. Dan had a knack for coming up with ideas and solutions for things that needed fixing.
submitted by Gail Smith
Well, Hoosick has Heart didn’t meet its rather ambitious goal of 500 units of blood this year, but we did collect 461 through 6 community, 2 school, and 2 business drives, which is 102 units more than last year’s 369.
Our last two drives of the year last week honored Dr. Marcus Martinez. On Wednesday at Hoosick Falls Central, 56 units of blood were collected. On Saturday at HF Community Alliance, the weather didn’t help and there were quite a few deferrals, which means people came to donate but couldn’t for one reason or another; but at the end of the day, there were 45 more units of blood than there were at 7 am when the Red Cross arrived.
A couple of Dr. Martinez’s patients came down from Arlington to donate in his honor.
Hoosick Falls has many die hard blood donors and we are seeing more and more first-timers. Every unit you donate makes a difference in someone’s life.
Our first blood drive of 2015 is on Friday, February 6, at Hoosick Falls First Baptist Church from 1 to 6 pm.
submitted by Patrice Nash
The HOBY leadership conference is designed to empower high school sophomores to recognize their leadership talents and apply them to be become effective, ethical leaders in their home, school, workplace and community.
The HAYC3 Winter Solstice Labyrinth Walk will be returning to the HAYC3 Armory on Sunday, December 21, from 6 to 7 pm.
An ancient symbol that relates to wholeness, the labyrinth has long been used as a walking meditation and prayer tool by many cultures and faiths. Featuring a single path to the center and back out, the labyrinth represents a journey to our center and back out into the world. For many, the labyrinth walk leads to healing, self-knowledge, peace and finding a purpose in life.
The event is free and open to the public.
The HAYC3 Armory is located at 80 Church Street in Hoosick Falls. For more information, call HAYC3 at 518-686-9050.
HAYC3 (Hoosick Armory, Youth Center, and Community Coalition) is a rural revival and community arts organization based in Hoosick Falls. HAYC3’s goal is to restore rural sustainability and drive economic development through art, culture, education and health. It works toward these goals through being a community incubator, an art center and a place of opportunity.
The snow is a perfect setting for this Saturday’s open house for Grafton’s Festival of Trees. It will be held at the Everett Wagar Senior Center from 10 am to 2 pm. Santa will visit around noon time, and there will be music around 1 pm. Light refreshments of the season will be served.
Please join your neighbors and friends to check out these trees and support our community.
submitted by Bill Gaillard
The “big band” known as the Stardusters was formed in 1976 by Cortland Cottrell and continues today managed by his son Bill Cottrell and conducted by Bill Gaillard. The Stardusters will present its third annual Christmas concert on December 14 at 3 pm at the Community Alliance Church in Hoosick Falls.
Big bands were popular in the latter part of the last century and were known by their musicians such as Glen Miller and Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey, among others. Instrumentation included five saxophones, three trumpets, three trombones, a piano, traps and a bass. In many cases the leader was a soloist, and, in the case of the Stardusters, Bill Cottrell is the lead trumpet or soprano sax soloist.
The Stardusters are available for parties, receptions and concerts. Recently, the last week in June, the band performed in Wood Park before the summer band concert season and three years ago began the tradition of a Christmas concert.
Being a swing group in the big band era, the Stardusters’ Christmas selections are arranged with the swing or jazz idiom in mind. This adds a new type of programming to the holiday season.
Some of the selections on this year’s program include “Winter Wonderland,” “The Nutcracker Swing” (based on “The Nutcracker Suite”), “Deck the Halls with Bones and Saxes,” “O Holy Night,” “Silent Night” and the Christmas waltz.
The program will also include audience participation with well known carols in a sing-a-long.
The audience is asked to bring a non-perishable food item to be given to the local food closet.
All are invited to attend this swingin’ concert. The Stardusters join a list of musical groups in Hoosick Falls continuing a tradition started by Henderson VanSurdam and the Eberles among others.
The New Lebanon Library will host a fun filled community holiday celebration on Friday, December 19, from 6 to 8 pm at the Library. The celebration will include music, pot luck, caroling, crafts for kids, tree lighting and a visit from Santa. Participants are encouraged to bring treats or a covered dish to share.
Music will be provided by jazz duo DBX2, which features bassist Dan Broad and pianist David Bartley. Broad, one of the most sought after bassists in Western New England, has performed in nearly every state in the Union and as well as in Europe. Bartley’s musical career included scoring original music for film, video and radio productions, performing in various popular music groups and composing and performing several performance art pieces in association with the Washington Performing Arts Society.
This program is free, and all are welcome. For more information, please call the Library at 518-794-8844. The Library is located at 550 State Route 20, ¼ mile north of the yellow blinking light at the intersection of Routes 20/22.
submitted by Bill Gaillard
The Hoosick Falls Community Band under the direction of Bill Gaillard will present its 32nd annual Christmas Concert on December 17, at 7:30 pm at the First United Presbyterian Church in Hoosick Falls.
The Community Band is a continuation of the VanSurdam Military Band established in 1873 by Henderson S. VanSurdam. The original name of the band was removed at the request of the VanSurdam family in 1970, and the band was renamed with many of the original members. Bill Gaillard became conductor under the managerial time of Fred Quackenbush.
The Christmas Concerts were started by Rev. Robert Sprunger who was the pastor of the First United Presbyterian Church at the time and also a clarinet player with the band.
The Community Band is known for its summer concerts in Wood Park, its support of the Flag Day ceremony, its marching in the Memorial Day Parade and recently doing a concert at the Waubeeka Golf Course. The brass section also performs at the tree lighting and provides music in the Village prior to the Christmas Holiday.
Selections on this season’s program include “Blue Christmas, “White Christmas,” “Do You Hear What I Hear,” “O Holy Night,” selections from Handel’s Messiah, “I Heard The Bells on Christmas Day” and “The Christmas Song.”
Our own “God Bless America” soloist Judy Hoag will lead us in what has become almost a second National Anthem.
The program will include an audience participation sing-a-long of popular carols.
A reception will follow the concert, and all are invited to a concert provided by our home town band.
The New Lebanon Library will hold the following December events. All of these events are free and will take place at the Library which is located at 550 State Route 20.
December 17 (event is on Wednesday) – Small Wonders Storytime – 10 am. This is songs, movement activities and age appropriate stories for our younger patrons and their caregivers – for toddlers up to 35 months.
December 17 (event is on Wednesday) – Preschool Story Hour – 11 am. Story hour includes crafts, songs and movement activities. For kids 35 months to 5 years.
December 12 – Coffeehouse Night with Linda Worster – 6 pm, an evening of acoustic music with this Berkshire favorite. Donations for the performer are appreciated. December 15 and 29 (event is every other Monday) – Study the Constitution – 7 pm. This biweekly discussion group focuses on the study of the Constitution. Interested participants should bring their questions and be ready to share their opinions.
December 16 – Block Party: Legos in the Library – 4 to 5:30 pm. This is a Lego club for kids. We provide the Legos and will display all creations in the Library until the next club.
December 18 – Holiday Film Night – 6:30 pm. Join us for a screening of the classic holiday musical Scrooge.
December 19 – Community Holiday Celebration with DBX2 – 6 pm. Enjoy pot luck, caroling, crafts for kids, tree lighting and a visit from Santa. Participants are encouraged to bring treats or a covered dish to share. Music will be provided by jazz duo DBX2. All are welcome.
December 28 – David Grover and Linda Worster in Concert Together – 2 pm. Celebrate New Year’s a few days early with these two local favorites.
December 29 – Bingo for Kids – 1 pm. There will be bingo, prizes and fun for kids aged 5-12.
December 30 – Crafts for Kids – 1 pm. Join us and make an adorable snowy owl. All materials provided. For ages 5 and up.
Call the Library at 518-794-8844 for more information on any of these events.
