The Eastwick Press Newspaper

Eastern Rensselaer County's Community Newspaper

Stephentown

Edmund C. Geraldi

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New Lebanon – Edmund C. Geraldi, 97, of County Route 5A, New Lebanon, NY, died on Monday morning, September 1, 2008, at his home under the care of Community Hospice of Columbia-Greene surrounded by his loving family.

Born in Old Chatham, NY, on March 21, 1911, he was the son of the late Charles and Olive James Geraldi. He was the loving husband of the former Anna C. Sweener whom he married in Reno, Nevada, on May 10, 1960.

A 1929 graduate of New Lebanon High School, Edmund finally received his diploma from the school in 2005. He worked for the Columbia-Rensselaer Telephone Co. before joining the United States Navy Seabees during World War II. After his marriage in 1960, he and his wife moved to California where Mr. Geraldi worked for General Telephone of California (now Verizon) as a repairman/installer. He retired in 1976 as a PBX (private branch exchange) technician and moved back to New Lebanon in 1980. Edmund was a 62 year member of the Unity Lodge #9 of the F & AM in New Lebanon where he served as Master in 1952. He was a Past President (1958-60) of the LVPA, a former Commissioner of Cub Scouts in the San Gabriel Council of California for three years, a member of the Floyd Carlton Post #1236 of the American Legion in New Lebanon and a member of the Brainard United Methodist Church. He enjoyed crossword puzzles, reading and his garden.

Survivors include his wife of 48 years, Anna, his children and their spouses, Fred and Jonnie Larkin of Ontario, CA, Sarah and Rob Allgood of W. Lebanon, NY, Charles and Denise Geraldi of N. Lebanon, NY, Stuart and Laurie Geraldi of W. Lebanon, Florence and Bill Hyatt of East Greenbush, NY, along with ten grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. He was pre-deceased by a brother, Aurelio “Nick” Geraldi.

Funeral services were held on Thursday at 11 am in the Hall & Higgins Funeral Home, 457 NY 43, Stephentown, NY. Interment followed in the Cemetery of the Maples in East Chatham, NY. Relatives, friends, fellow masons and legionnaires were invited to the funeral home for visitation on Wednesday from 6 to 8 pm.

Memorial contributions may be made to Community Hospice of Columbia/Greene or the Brainard United Methodist Church in care of the funeral home, PO Box 9, Stephentown, NY, 12168.

Sand Lake Historic Church Tour

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An Historic Church Tour of Sand Lake churches will take place on September 7 from 1 to 5 pm, presented by the Sand Lake Center for the Arts, the Sand Lake Historical Society and the Zion United Church of Christ. Visit the many historic churches in the Sand Lake area. Start at the Sand Lake Center for the Arts – a renovated church building originally constructed in 1835 – where you will pick up tickets and a map and then visit some or all of the many churches in our community.  The cost is $10 per person. The Sand Lake Center for the Arts is located at 2880 NY 43, one half mile east of the blinking light in Averill Park.  Call 518-674-2007 or visit www.slca-ctp.org for more information.

The New Lebanon Sports Booster Club Has A Successful Poker Run

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The New Lebanon Sports Booster Club would like to thank all of the participants at our August 16 Poker Run! 

The 40 riders enjoyed the 115 mile ride through New York, Vermont and Massachusetts ending with a pig roast at the Bridgeway CafÄ in Cherry Plain. 

Thank you to Rich and Kelly O’Dell and Lisa Ferrannini for organizing the successful event.  Special recognition goes to Kristal Clevenger, the winner of the poker run, for donating her winnings to the booster club.

Stephentown Book Discussion Group Meeting

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The Book Discussion Group of the Stephentown Memorial Library will read Outlander,  a first novel by Diana Gabaldon, for its meeting on Thursday, September 11.   Please note the change of date from the usual first Thursday.

This historical romance begins with a bit of time travel back to 17th century Scotland.  Former Royal Army nurse Claire Randall is spirited back to a time of superstition, Jacobite plotting, witchcraft and adventure. Jamie Fraser, a handsome Scottish soldier, becomes part of her new life.  

Copies of the book are available at the Library desk.   The Book Group meetings are held in the Community Room at the Stephentown Memorial Library, Main Street, Stephentown, from 1 to 2 pm.  Bring a lunch.  New readers are always welcome.  For more information, call 518-733-5750.

Nathan Hoffman Graduates Magna Cum Laude

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Nathan Hoffman of Stephentown graduated magna cum laude from Northeastern University in Boston, MA,  with a bachelor’s degree of Science in Business Administration with a dual concentration in Finance and Marketing.

While in Boston, Nathan worked in Corporate Finance for MFS Investment Management and also as an Allocation Analyst for TJX Companies Inc. In early 2008, Nathan accepted a Financial Analyst position with International Sematech, a global consortium of leading computer chip manufacturers that has recently relocated to Albany, NY, from Austin, Texas.

International Children’s Author Hosts Tea Party For Stephentown Children

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by Susan Brissette

Mary Pope Osborne, author of the Magic Tree House series, hosted a tea party for several lucky Stephentown children last week. The special tea party was one of hundreds of items offered at the Stephentown Memorial Library’s very successful auction last month. Winning bidder, Mary Jo Daly, and several other Stephentown supporters accompanied the children to the event, held in Pittsfield, MA. Mrs. Reba Evanchik graciously offered her home and garden for the affair. Mrs. Pam Kueppers, the Library Trustee who arranged for  Osborne’s participation, photographed the event.

Osborne talked with the children about how she comes up with story ideas, shared never before seen covers for her soon to be released new books in her forty-two book series and sought their opinions on possible new book topics.  The children were delighted to discuss their own reading and writing habits and asked questions such as “Where do you write?” “How do you do research?” and “How did you decide on names for the main characters?” Each child received an autographed gift book from Ms. Osborne.

The Stephentown Memorial Library is dedicated to providing resources and opportunities for lifelong learning to the Stephentown community. To learn more, call 733-5750 or visit the website, www.stephentownlibrary.org.

Stephentown Planning Board Action – August 2008

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by David Flint

The only item on the agenda for the Stephentown Planning Board at their meeting on August 21 was an application from Thomas Pecoraro for a 5-lot subdivision in Stephentown Center. Pecoraro received a variance from the Zoning Board in January to subdivide a one-acre parcel on the south side of Newton Road at the intersection with Route 43 into two half-acre lots. Since February he has been coming before the Planning Board seeking approval to subdivide a parcel on the north side of Newton Road into three more lots. Two of these lots, a 2.1 acre lot and a 4.5 acre lot located behind the Stephentown Center Community Church, will have houses built on them and will have a shared driveway from Newton Road. The third lot of 13.2 acres will be retained as undeveloped woodland for the recreational use of the homeowners on the other four parcels. A pedestrian right of way will provide access to and through this shared area. 

The Planning Board earlier advised Pecoraro to return with a completed Part 1 of the Environmental Assessment Form, which he did. Last month when it became apparent that a small portion of the land to be subdivided was deeded under the name of Pecoraro’s brother Stephen, the Board’s attorney, Craig Crist, advised that Stephen’s name would also have to appear on the application for subdivision approval. 

At last week’s meeting, with both Craig Crist and Chairman Tom Morelli absent, acting Chairman Lew Sharp questioned why there was any need after all for Planning Board approval. Sharp noted that the two half-acre lots on the south side of Newton Road were not actually part of the subdivision now in question. He pointed out that the Land Subdivision Regulations (Local Law #3 of 1991) specify that a subdivision, for purposes of the Regulations, is defined as “the division of any parcel of land into five or more lots, parcels or sites╔,” Therefore he saw no reason for the Planning Board to be involved. Pecoraro’s 3-lot subdivision will require boundary changes, but Sharp advised that boundary changes could be accomplished through the County Clerk’s Office. Sharp said he would consult with Code Enforcement Officer Dean Herrick and Chairman Morelli and that they would further consult with Craig Crist on this matter. In the meantime, with Board Members Freling Smith, Bob Lobdell and Derrick Gardner in agreement, he advised Pecoraro to go ahead and get the boundary line changes he needs at the County Clerk’s Office.

The Founder Of Free Libraries

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The Lebanon Valley Historical Society and the New Lebanon Library will be presenting a talk, “Searching for Jesse Torrey,” on Monday, September 15, at 7 pm. 

Dr. Jesse Torrey was the founder of the free public library movement in the United States. In 1804, at the age of 16, he established the Library of the “New Lebanon Juvenile Society for the Acquisition of Knowledge.” This organization was the first free lending library in the nation and became the present New Lebanon Library. Dr. Torrey’s passion for education drove him to petition Congress for a network of free public libraries and schools across the country, enlisting President James Madison to his cause. 

While in Washington DC, Jesse became struck by the abusive treatment of slaves. He wrote a book about slavery which is now an important archival work in African-American studies. He worked ardently for the humane treatment of slaves and for a government-purchased redemption program. He also collaborated with attorney Francis Scott Key to try to secure the restitution of liberty to illegally captured freed slaves.

A physician by trade, Jesse Torrey wrote a dissertation about contagious diseases, advocating treatment by innovative remedies. He also petitioned congress for the establishment of a national botanical garden for medicinal purposes. As an educator, he developed original and practical systems of teaching English, reading and spelling. 

Frances Bonner and Anne Nardacci, descendants of Jesse Torrey, will be the presenters. They will talk about their extensive and meticulous research into original texts in the National Archives, congressional records, the NYS Museum Archives and Library and many other institutions. They will share their discoveries about the life and work of this accomplished and intellectually independent man. 

The presentation will take place at the Forge, at the Mount Lebanon Shaker Site, on Shaker Road in New Lebanon. Please call 518-794-9177 for directions.

Letter to the Editor: Stop The Grousing

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To the editor:

On August 18, I attended the Stephentown Town Board meeting. It was a fairly normal and relatively routine meeting, except for the item on the agenda having to do with the film, Taking Woodstock. The issues were discussed briefly at the Town meeting with regard to the shoot locations on Route 43 between Calvin Cole and Tinley Road, the Stephentown Hotel and the Stephentown Evangelical Church. A number of residents who lived in and around Tinley Road made their concerns known again – and again, and again. The individuals from the film company, including the location manager continued to give as much information as possible as to how the process would work and how the company would do as much as possible to create as little inconvenience as possible. Tom Sherman, the Town Supervisor, suggested that those who still wished more information and had other questions could stay afterwards for a post-meeting get-together with the representatives from the film company.

Unfortunately, from the comments, attitudes and overall demeanor of the same residents, one would have thought that the film company was doing a three month invasion of Cambodia…. We are talking about two days of shooting on Route 43, one of which is on a Sunday with setup. All one could hear from 5 or 6 people was antagonism, negativism, grave personal “inconvenience” and seeming infringements on their personal liberties: Where would all the “extras” go? The road is too small; people were parked on part of a lawn; they would refuse “to use a placard to get to my house.” The film company was not trying to locate a lead smelting plant 100 yards from their homes. 

As I said in the meeting – after I frankly could take no more – there are communities and villages all around America (and of course in upstate New York) which would kill to have filmmaking done in their towns and locations. The Governor has a whole agency devoted to making things smooth and attractive so filming companies will come to the state, towns or cities. How can the people who are opposed to this be so myopic as to not see the benefits to the community as a whole. Have so many people in our society become so parochial and so selfish in refusing to be “inconvenienced” a very modest bit on two days, while there is a significant benefit for the community in shooting parts of a national film there? What happened to the concept of working for the betterment of the whole, even if it means a very modest personal “sacrifice” – if at all. I must commend the four young individuals from the set location unit of the film company for their patience. They really showed Job-like behavior. Honestly, I can imagine some other organizations simply snapping shut their folder and saying “Adios, who needs this hassle?” Thankfully they did not. 

The people fighting this and clamoring for “answers” to repetitive questions must not have heard that the location unit was renting a house on Garfield Road for the duration of the filmmaking. Maybe they also did not hear that many people have been paid significant sums for the use of their personal property for parts of the film or that local restaurants are already benefiting. Maybe they do not understand if an entity is cordially welcomed into a town’s midst, they will return for other films or spread the word to other companies what a nice place Stephentown is and how open and welcoming the people are. Maybe they have not heard there is a national recession and local businesses actually appreciate companies coming in and spending money. 

Rather than grousing and griping about the filmmakers coming and setting up a tent on a vacant field, maybe those people who are complaining should simply wander over and introduce themselves and tell them how glad they are that these guests can come to Stephentown and appreciate its beauty. Instead of demanding that everyone who comes on the set have “criminal background” checks, maybe they can just go and engage in polite, friendly, welcoming conversation. Just maybe, as a result of a positive interaction with other people from outside the area, the people who are clamoring and angry might not feel so insular and might even receive a significant intellectual, moral, and personal benefit.  

Brian Baker 

Main Street, Stephentown

Recycling A Road

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Under contract to the New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT), Gorman Brothers began road work last Friday on Route 43  in Stephentown between Route 22 and the Massachusetts line. Alternating, one-way traffic was controlled by flaggers from 7 am to 4 pm. The first step in the resurfacing project, as shown here, is described by a NYSDOT spokesman as a “cold in-place recycling” whereby the top layer of the old surface is ground up, mixed with tar and laid back down as a base. The recycled base will be overlaid with new blacktop. (David Flint photo)