by Alex Brooks
After a public hearing in which no one made any comments, the Planning Board granted approval for a used car lot at 572 Rabbit College Road to Josh Smith. The approval was for a sales area not to exceed 7 vehicles on a lot described as “less than a tenth of an acre.” The Board waived all fees except the $25 public notice fee.
[Read more…] about Petersburgh Planning Board Action – Used Car Lot Approved
Local News
Grafton Trail Riders Variance Fails
by Alex Brooks
The Grafton Town Board held a Special Meeting on Tuesday, May 28, to consider a variance for the Grafton Trail Riders Club concerning overnight camping in travel trailers. Grafton Town Supervisor Frank Higgins read a resolution which appeared to be the same one offered two weeks ago at the regular meeting, and it failed by the same vote as it did two weeks before. Marie Claus, Rick Ungaro and Mike Crandall voted against it, and Higgins and Barbara Messenger voted in favor.
Tom Withcuskey asked if he could speak. He expressed impatience at the continuing impasse. “Enough’s enough,” he said. He said he and others have been working on this resolution since January. Withcuskey said he was the coordinator of the effort, with input from the Grafton Trail Riders, the Town Attorney and the Supervisor.
Councilman Rick Ungaro then offered his own version which was substantially similar but confined the overnight camping to just the one weekend in September known as the Over the Mountain weekend. Higgins asked him if the Town Attorney had seen this version of the resolution, and Ungaro said no.
Ungaro made a motion to pass his resolution, and Mike Crandall seconded it, but Supervisor Higgins said they could not vote on it until the Town Attorney had seen it, and he made a motion instead to adjourn the meeting, which was approved.
Marie Claus complained that she was not consulted or notified about the Special Meeting. She only knew about it because she read a notice in The Eastwick Press. She asked that the Supervisor and the Town Clerk contact all Board members when a Special meeting is scheduled.
With nothing accomplished, everyone filed out of the meeting room. There were knots of people in corners of the building and out in the parking lot expressing frustration.
J.A. Bradley And Sons Celebrates 100 Years 1913-2013
Fifth Generation In Local Business
submitted by Jackie Stroffoleno
As local electrical contracting firm J.A. Bradley and Sons begins its centennial year, the fifth generation family firm looks forward to a bright future while honoring its long history and pride in its community, family, friends and associates. To put into context just how rare it is for a business to celebrate its 100th year, the US Small Business Administration states that historically, 33 percent of small businesses will survive 10 years and only 25 percent will make it to 15 years. To get to 100 years is a testament to the dedication, workmanship and loyalty J.A. Bradley has had to its craft and community. [Read more…] about J.A. Bradley And Sons Celebrates 100 Years 1913-2013
Time Capsule Openings
The Berlin Central School District will open the time capsules at the Grafton Elementary School and the Stephentown Elementary School. The items in the time capsules will be turned over to the Historical Societies of the two towns.
Everyone is welcome to attend these events and share your memories of the schools.
The Stephentown Elementary School time capsule opening will be on Saturday, June 8, at 10 am. The Grafton Elementary School time capsule opening will be on Saturday, June 22, at 10 am.
Surdams Celebrate Their 60th
Feathers Of Hope At The Stephentown Historical Society
Author Barbara Chepaitis will give a talk, “Feathers of Hope: Berkshire Bird Paradise and the Human Connection With Birds,” at the Stephentown Historical Society meeting on Monday, June 3, at 7:30 pm. The meeting will be at the Stephentown Heritage Center on Garfield Road, Stephentown. It is free and open to the public. The building is handicapped accessible. For directions or information, phone 518-733-0010.
The Berkshire Bird Paradise Sanctuary in Grafton is a bird sanctuary for disabled and injured birds which strives to give them a safe haven to live, thrive and rehabilitate as best they can. Peter Dubacher started the Berkshire Bird Paradise, a certified not for profit company, back in 1972 as a “labor of love.” It has grown into one of the largest bird sanctuaries in the country with over 1,000 birds and almost 100 different species.
About 40% of the birds are permanently disabled and will be there for the rest of their lives. The disabled birds live in habitats custom designed to be as natural as possible and to challenge them to work and climb and be productive. The goal is to “allow the birds to live out their natural lives with dignity.”
The sanctuary has evolved into an outdoor educational institution, where visitors and students on field trips or on college internship programs can learn about birds. The sanctuary is also a small botanical garden with hundreds of plants and exotic flowers. It is open every day, weather depending, from Memorial Day weekend until the end of October.
Chepaitis is the author of eight published books and is on the faculty at the Western College of Colorado low-residency creative writing program. Feathers of Hope was her first non-fiction book. She has followed it with Rescue of Eagle Mitch, also involving the Berkshire Bird Paradise. Mitch, a wounded Steppe Eagle, was rescued in Afghanistan by a Navy SEAL and an Army Ranger. Barbara facilitated the journey of the now-flightless bird to its home at the Grafton sanctuary.
Berlin Fire Department Breakfast
On Sunday, June 2, from 7 to 11 am, the Berlin Fire Department will be holding its fresh, hot off the griddle monthly breakfast. For your eating pleasure we include all-you-can-eat pancakes, French toast and biscuits for our homemade sausage gravy, sausage and bacon, toast, home fries and eggs (scrambled, sunny side, over easy or over hard). Beverage choices include coffee, tea, (both decaf available), hot chocolate, milk and orange juice.
Prices are $7 for adults, $4 for kids 5-10 and free for kids under 5. Please join us before church, grocery run or what you are doing for the day and have a great start to the morning.
This will be the last breakfast until October so please come out and support us!
Upcoming Events At The Stephentown Memorial Library
June is National Safety Month and the Stephentown Memorial Library is offering three programs to help the community increase its safety awareness. SML is partnering with The Sexual Assault and Crime Victims Assistance Program (SACVAP) for Rensselaer County for these programs. SACVAP is committed to reducing the trauma of sexual assault, crime and violence as well as providing community education for its prevention. More information can be found at the website: http://www.nehealth.com/Medical_Care/SAM/Sexual_Assault_Center/.
• Bullying/Cyber Bullying/Bystander Intervention for Children – Tuesday, June 4, at 6:30 pm. School age children are invited to join us for this informative program about bullying. This session defines what bullying/cyber bullying behavior is and the idea of bystander intervention. Additionally, this program will offer information to help your child deal with bullying behavior, how your child may help somebody being bullied and what a bully can do to change his or her behavior.
• Parental Information on Bullying/Cyber Bullying – Monday, June 10, at 6:30 pm. This presentation discusses bullying/cyber bullying behavior from a parent’s viewpoint and outlines what to do if your child is being bullied or is a bully, as well as suggestions to provide to your child if they see someone being bullied. All parent, caregivers, and other adults who work with children are welcome to this program.
• Safety for Seniors – Protect Yourself – Tuesday, June 11, at 2 pm. This program provides personal safety information for adults over the age of 60 who may be targeted because of age and/or vulnerability and includes crimes at home, on the street and on the internet as well as frauds and scams targeting seniors. The program also shows how to avoid becoming a victim of financial exploitation. Coffee and light refreshments will be served.
Registration is not required but is appreciated for these programs.
• Social Security Online Services – Informational Program. On Wednesday, June 5, at 1 pm the Library welcomes Michael Dinneen from the Social Security Administration. He will be explaining the new online My Social Security program which allows access to social security benefit information online. He will help individuals set up an online account. Please join us for this informative program.
For more information on any of these programs or to register for programs, call the Stephentown Memorial Library at 733-5750 or stop by during our Library hours. Also check our website, www.stephentownlibrary.org for regular updates.
Wildlife Conservation Program At The New Lebanon Library
Conservationist Peter Zahler will present “The Last of the Wild: Wildlife Conservation Across Temperate Asia” on Wednesday, June 5, at 6:30 pm at the New Lebanon Library. The program, which is free and open to the public, is appropriate for patrons of all ages. “Temperate Asia” extends from the frigid Siberian Arctic through the great expanses of Central Asia and China and down into the conflict-afflicted high mountains of Afghanistan and northern Pakistan. Huge open spaces, such as Mongolia’s Eastern Steppe, the Russian Far East, the Tibetan Plateau and the Afghan Pamirs still hold some of the last great wild spectacles in Asia, from over a million migrating Mongolian gazelle to wild yak, Siberian tiger, Marco Polo sheep and snow leopard. Zahler will give a multimedia presentation on conservation programs that are working to save wildlife and wild places in this mysterious and little known expanse of earth’s landscape justifiably called “the last of the wild.”
Peter Zahler is the Wildlife Conservation Society’s Deputy Director for Asia and manages conservation programs and projects across temperate Asia. He has worked on wildlife conservation for over 30 years, from the Alaskan tundra to the Peruvian Amazon to the Pakistan Himalayas, but he is now happy to call East Chatham home.
The New Lebanon Library is located at 550 State Route 20, ¼ mile north of the yellow blinking light at the intersection of Routes 20/22.
Grafton VFD And Ladies Auxiliary Breakfast
The Grafton Volunteer Fire Department along with the Grafton Ladies Auxiliary will be holding an All You Can Eat Buffet Breakfast on Saturday, June 29, from 8 to 11 am at the Grafton VFW – Fire Hall on South Road (County Route 85).
Belgian waffles, pancakes, French toast, eggs (made to order), sausage gravy & biscuits, bacon, sausage, home fries, toast, orange juice, coffee and milk are on the menu. The cost is $9 per adult, $4 for kids 12 and under and free for kids five and under.
We look forward to serving you.