The Eastwick Press Newspaper

Eastern Rensselaer County's Community Newspaper

Local News

Big Chill Making Ice For The Ice Fishing Contest At GLSP

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Current ice conditions are safe on all six bodies of water at Grafton Lakes State Park, and fishermen are braving the cold temperatures for their chance to make a chilly catch. The rapid ice formation also bodes well for the 29th Annual Ice Fishing Contest, scheduled for Saturday, January 25, from 5:30 am to 3 pm.

Offered on the same day as the Winter Festival, the annual ice fishing contest draws several hundred fishermen to try their luck on any of the ponds in the Park. Participants can register starting at 5:30 am until 11 am on January 25 at the Park’s pole barn, accessible via the Winter Entrance. A $10 entry fee for individuals 16 and older is required to participate in the fishing tournament. First place fish will receive a $300 cash prize this year, awarded for the longest length catch in all three categories of trout, walleye/chain pickerel and yellow perch. Children may enter at no charge, and their winning entries will receive gift certificates and other prizes. Please remember that all participants 16 and older must have a New York State fishing license to fish in the Park at any time.

Due to preparations for the Winter Festival, ice fishing is not permitted adjacent to the beach on Long Pond.

Certified bait will be available on site from Graftonondack Outfitters in the registration area. Bait is also available from Conroy’s Bait Supply in Watervliet.

The Berlin Girl Scout Troop 1170 will sell fresh breakfast sandwiches for fishermen at registration from 5:30 to 9 am. Proceeds will benefit an international service project trip that the middle school-aged troop plans to take in 2016.

For those hungry after a long day of fishing, Brunswick Barbecue and Brew invites participants to bring their catch down the mountain after the contest. They will smoke it for you while you warm up by the fire.

The ice fishing contest is sponsored by twenty-four community businesses and the Natural Heritage Trust. Please let these businesses know you appreciate their sponsorship: Averill Park Septic, Beecroft’s Shooters Supply, Conroy’s Bait Supply, Eastern Mountain Sports, Graftonondack Outfitters, Hoosick True Value, John Ray & Sons, Lakeview Inn, L.L. Bean, Marpe’s Country Store, Marra’s Pharmacy, Poestenkill Auto Supply, Rifenburg Construction, Stewart’s Shops, Stone Industries, Taconic Plastics, The Towne Tavern, Tremont Ace Hardware, Uniferst Uniforms, Yankee Trails, Warren Fane, Wiley Brothers and Young’s Pharmacy.

The Ice Fishing Contest is part of a full day of Winter Festival activities, with offerings that include a Polar Plunge, snow bowling, live animal exhibits and hot food. Please call the Park office at 279-1155 for details and for updates on ice fishing conditions.

January Events At The Dyken Pond Environmental Education Center

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Please check our website at http://www.dykenpond.org throughout the season as additional programs may be added based on snow conditions.

January 15 – Wildlife of the Renssealer Plateau: Slide Presentation of Tracks and Signs with Dan Yacobellis from 7 to 9 pm. Learn what evidence to look for on your next hike and learn about wildlife monitoring efforts on the Rensselaer Plateau. The cost is $10. This program will be held at the Pineridge Ski Center, Poestenkill and is co-sponsored by the Rensselaer Land Trust, the Rensselaer Plateau Alliance and Friends of Dyken Pond. Pre-registration is encouraged.

January 17 – Full Moon Trek from 7 to 9 pm. Cross country ski or snowshoe in the natural light of the moon. This is a free program. Snowshoe rentals available for $10. Call for updated snow conditions.

January 18 – Wildlife Tracking Full Day Field Intensive with Alcott Smith from 9 am to 4 pm. Spend an entire day outdoors. Pre-registration is required. The cost is $30, $25 for members. This program is limited to 15 people. Space fills quickly.

January 19 – Wildlife Tracking Half Day Field Intensives with Alcott Smith. Choose from either session or attend both. We will travel a different path for each session. The cost is $20, $15 for members. Pre-registration is required. This program is limited to 15 people. Space fills quickly.

January 19 – Paying Attention Among the Trees: A Winter Walk and Nature Writing Experience with Diane Kavanaugh-Black from 1 to 3 pm. Conscious attention outdoors feeds us on many levels. Writing about the experience helps us to absorb, remember and relate it to our lives. This workshop will inspire the creative process whether you are a novice or already working on your own writing project. Sign up for one or all three sessions; the additional sessions are on February 16 and March 16. Pre-registration is required. The cost is $15, $12 for members.

To pre-register, please contact Lisa Hoyt at dykenpond@fairpoint.net or call 518-658-2055.

Please visit our website for a complete list of Winter 2014 Events at http://www.dykenpond.org. The Dyken Pond Environmental Education Center is located at 475 Dyken Pond Road, Cropseyville.

Roger Hall Sr.

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Hoosick – Roger Hall Sr., 89, passed away on Monday, January 6, 2013, at the Center for Nursing & Rehabilitation at Hoosick Falls. He had resided in Hoosick, NY, and was the husband of the late Viola Hall, who passed away on November 20, 2013. Roger met Viola in 1946 at the Woolworth’s store candy counter in Bennington, VT, where she was working.

Born on August 2, 1924, in Bennington, Roger was the son of the late Ralph and Florence (Fields) Hall. He graduated from Walter A. Wood High School in Hoosick Falls, NY. Roger was a veteran of the United States Army Air Corps serving from 1943 to 1946. He was employed at Haynes Ford as a mechanic for over forty years. Roger was a member of the Teton RV Club and the American Legion in Hoosick Falls. He was a lifetime member of the Hoosick Fire Department and an original member of the Town of Hoosick Rescue Squad. He enjoyed gardening and restoring old cars.

Survivors include his sons, Roger Hall Jr. of Hoosick Falls and Rodney Hall and wife Donna of Shaftsbury, VT, five grandchildren, Linda Barnes, Reann Hall, Russell Hall, Ross Hall and Jenifer Weber, and two great-grandchildren, John Barnes and Alexandria Hall.

Funeral services were Thursday, January 9, at 10 am, from the Mahar Funeral Home. Burial followed the service at the Mapletown Cemetery in Hoosick. Relatives and friends called at the funeral home on Wednesday from 4 to 7 pm. Memorial contributions may be made to the Center for Nursing & Rehabilitation at Hoosick Falls through the funeral home, 43 Main Street, Hoosick Falls, New York, 12090.

Heckling Marks The Last Hoosick Town Board Meeting In The Cipperly Era

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by Bea Peterson

Hoosick Town Supervisor Keith Cipperly’s final meeting as Supervisor on Monday, December 30, was contentious and punctuated with heckling.

Reserve Funds Take A Hit

It heated up when he requested approval for Laberge to start getting estimates and permits for pool repairs. [Read more…] about Heckling Marks The Last Hoosick Town Board Meeting In The Cipperly Era

A Day At The Races

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by Bea Peterson

HAYC3 is in the midst of its annual fund raising. Check the HAYC3 website for a letter from Board President Michael Baker listing all the accomplishments of HAYC3 in 2013. The goal is to make 2014 an even better year. That requires funds, hence the fund raising.

To sweeten the donating pie, HAYC3 Board member and owner of Contessa Racing, Gary Contessa, has made a generous offer. [Read more…] about A Day At The Races

Me And Arthur – A Stephentown Reminiscence

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a reminiscence by  Dan Lorber

My old neighbor, Arthur Roberts, died Thanksgiving morning, alone in his house. He was my portal into a time gone by, a time where frugality was the reigning ethic and the country life was the only life a man ever knew. Arthur was a 19th century man living into the 21st century. He was 86, could barely walk at the end, and he was tough as nails.

[Read more…] about Me And Arthur – A Stephentown Reminiscence