Troy – Charleene L. Hafensteiner, 71, of Williams Road, Troy, NY, died peacefully at her home on Wednesday, September 11, 2013, under the care of Community Hospice of Rensselaer County.
Born in Petersburgh, NY, on March 28, 1942, she was the daughter of the late Lionel and Frances Brimmer Bentley. She was the loving wife of Michael J. Hafensteiner, whom she married on December 31, 1992, in Petersburgh.
Charleene graduated from the Walter A. Wood High School in Hoosick Falls, NY, in 1959. She was a member of the Petersburgh Baptist Church while living in Petersburgh. She worked for the Berlin Central School District as a bus driver and trainer then for Folmsbee Transportation as a bus monitor, retiring in 2008. She had worked with her mom in the B & B Ceramic Studio in Petersburgh. Besides ceramics, Charleene enjoyed knitting, cooking and handcrafts. Her true love was that of her family and grandchildren. She is pre-deceased by her former husbands, Robert Winn and Victor D. Weeden.
Besides her husband, she is survived by her children, James A. and wife Marie Winn and John P. and wife Stacy Winn of Berlin, NY, Sharla E. and husband Shane Clute of North Greenbush, NY, and Scott M. and wife Tami Weeden of Greenwood, AR, her step-children, Victor D. Weeden Jr, Lisa N. Weeden and Jamie L. Valero, and 14 grandchildren.
Funeral services were held on Sunday, September 15, at 6 pm in the Petersburgh Baptist Church where Rev. Trygve Tomlinson of the West Stephentown Baptist Church officiated. Relatives and friends were invited to the Church for visitation starting at 5 pm.
Committal services took place on Monday, September 16, at 10:30 am in the Gerald B. H. Solomon Saratoga National Cemetery.
Memorial contributions would be appreciated and can be given to either the West Stephentown Baptist Church or the Fred Shapiro’s Stem Cell Research Program at Albany Medical Center in care of the Thomas M. Barber Funeral Home, P.O. Box 361, Petersburgh, NY, 12138.
Petersburgh
Results Of The Petersburgh Democratic Caucus
submitted by Denise Church, Democratic Committee Chair
The Petersburgh Democratic Committee held its caucus on September 9. Twenty-three registered Democrats who live in the Town of Petersburgh came to the caucus and all voted. It was a great turn out, and the Committee was very happy to see so many come to the caucus.
For the position of Town Council Seat One, two people were nominated. They were Denise Jacon Church, who lives on Taconic Trail and is a registered Democrat, and Jack Barnhill, who lives on Rolland Road and is a registered Republican. A ballot vote was completed with Church getting the nomination.
The position of Town Council Seat Two had two people nominated. Neil Geary, who has lived on Dayfoot Road for 25 years and is a registered Democrat was the first nomination. Jack Barnhill was nominated a second time. A ballot vote was completed with Neil Geary getting the nomination.
For the position of Highway Superintendent, two nominations were given. One for Ray Harrison and one for Gene Kluck, both registered Republicans. A ballot vote was completed with the nomination going to Ray Harrison, the Incumbent.
The Committee nominated the Town’s Republican incumbents for the positions for which there was not a Democrat running. The following were nominated without a ballot vote since there was only the one candidate:
• Ziggy Krahforst for Town Supervisor;
• Callie Crisp for Town Clerk and
• Emily Harrison for Tax Collector.
Congratulations and good luck to all the candidates!
I Shot An Arrowhead In The Air… Where It Landed I Know Not Where
Petersburgh Library News
Digital Photography Workshop
The Petersburgh Public Library will be holding a Digital Photography Workshop. The workshop will be focused on the technical terms and functions of your camera – shooting modes, shooting in manual and topics such as depth of field. There will be a shooting assignment to be brought in for class two, which focuses on a review of techniques, terms and improving techniques. The class will be taught by instructors from The PhotoCenter of the Capital District. Participants can bring their own cameras or borrow one from the Library for the duration of the workshop. The workshop will be held on Thursdays from 6:30 to 8:30 pm on September 26 and October 3 and 10. Sign-up is required since there is only room for eight students so that they will receive the maximum benefit from the workshop.
Knitting And Crocheting
The Library conducted a survey and interest was shown in knitting and crocheting. To schedule a time for these activities we would like to know when people would prefer to meet, day, evening, Saturday. If you are interested in either of these activities please let one of the librarians know when you visit the Library or call 658-2927 by September 28 so that we can proceed with scheduling a day.
Pre-School Story Hour
Pre-school story hour is held every Tuesday morning at 11 am. The topic on Tuesday, September 17, will be on bears and Tuesday, September 24 will feature chickens. Pre-schoolers and their care-givers are invited to join in stories, songs, crafts and snacks.
Taconic Valley Historical Society Discusses The Taconic Trail
The topic of the September 16 meeting of the Taconic Valley Historical Society will be the Taconic Trail. Sharon Klein, Berlin Town Historian, will give a presentation on the construction and history of the trail. The meeting will be held at the Methodist Church, South Main Street, Berlin, at 7:30 pm. The program is free and open to the public. Refreshments will be served.
Petersburgh Turkey Shoot
The annual Petersburgh Rod and Gun Club Turkey Shoot will be held on September 29, at 12 pm at the Club on Scriven Road. Fun, food and raffles will fill the afternoon – shotguns, rifles and pistols only (no 10 gauge). This year we will have a final shoot – open class (bring your own ammo for the open class)……and we have a supervised youth shoot. Our summer long 50/50 raffle is building up, so come and buy your chance to win!
Flying In Petersburgh
Letter To The Editor – Unwarranted Political Agenda Or Bona Fide Concerns?
To the Editor:
In reading a letter to the editor of The Eastwick Press by the Petersburgh Town Supervisor on August 30, there was some concern as to whether “statements about the Highway Department and other offices were made public just for the sake of elections.”
Statements about townspeople made publicly by Town officials and reported in news media in a Town Board Meeting can always be tricky, particularly when it involves a local business owner who finds out there are concerns that have not been directly addressed.
It is wise to discuss issues with your elected officials as suggested in the Petersburgh Town Supervisor’s letter to the editor. In fact, I met with Siegfried Krahforst earlier in August to discuss my thoughts, concerns and desire to run for the Town Highway Superintendent. I shared with him many of the concerns addressed to me by Petersburgh residents while campaigning for the position.
One such concern I addressed was why the Petersburgh Highway Department is purchasing material from other places when we have a local supplier. As a long time heavy highway superintendent, I have had the pleasure of working with many municipalities across the state. The process is simple – requests for bids are publicly advertised, competing companies submit bids for specific projects and/or materials and the lowest bidder is given the contract. Most municipalities also request pricing for specific equipment and hourly labor rates pertaining to emergency or unforeseen circumstances.
It is my understanding that our local supplier was the lowest bidder and was awarded the contract to supply the sand, gravel and stone for Petersburgh. Ethically speaking, this low bidder protocol should be followed eliminating any bias or personal preferences.
As a community, we all need to work together to ensure that we are spending our limited tax dollars responsibly. Asking questions and being informed while attending the Petersburgh Town Board Meetings the third Monday of each month is a great way to reinforce this process!
Gene Kluck
Johnnycake Hill Road, Petersburgh
Adam Lowe Inducted into The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi
The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi is pleased to announce that Adam Lowe of Petersburgh, was recently initiated into Phi Kappa Phi, the nation’s oldest and most selective collegiate honor society for all academic disciplines. Lowe is pursuing a degree in Exercise Sciences at the State University of New York at Cortland.
Lowe is among approximately 32,000 students, faculty, professional staff and alumni to be initiated into Phi Kappa Phi each year. Membership is by invitation and requires nomination and approval by a chapter. Only the top 10 percent of seniors and 7.5 percent of juniors, having at least 72 semester hours, are eligible for membership. Graduate students in the top 10 percent of the number of candidates for graduate degrees may also qualify, as do faculty, professional staff and alumni who have achieved scholarly distinction.
Founded in 1897 at the University of Maine and headquartered in Baton Rouge, LA, Phi Kappa Phi is the nation’s oldest and most selective all-discipline honor society. The Society has chapters on more than 300 college and university campuses in North America and the Philippines. Its mission is “To recognize and promote academic excellence in all fields of higher education and to engage the community of scholars in service to others.”
Since its founding, more than 1 million members have been initiated. Some of the organization’s more notable members include former President Jimmy Carter, NASA astronaut Wendy Lawrence, novelist David Baldacci and YouTube cofounder Chad Hurley. The Society has awarded approximately $15 million since the inception of its awards program in 1932. Today, $1 million is awarded each biennium.
Margaret L. Stickney Graduates From St. Lawrence
Margaret L. Stickney of Petersburgh, was among the 548 students awarded a degree at St. Lawrence University’s Commencement ceremony held May 19 on campus in Canton, NY. Stickney was awarded a degree in biology and is a graduate of Hoosick Falls Middle/Senior High School.