Eastern Rensselaer County's Community Newspaper
by Bea Peterson
HFCS Field Hockey won their final home game of the season, the “senior game,” on October 13 by defeating Shaker High School 2-0. On October 17 they were victorious over Columbia 2-1. On October 22 it was on to the Sectional Quarterfinals where they defeated Schuylerville 3-0. On October 24 they won the Sectional Semi-Finals beating Greenwich 1-0.
The Class CC final will be played at 5 pm on Thursday at Knox Field in Johnstown against Granville.
by Gary Danforth
Last Friday night’s October 24 Section Two, Class C, opening round football game between the home standing Hoosick Falls Central School Panthers and the visiting Watervliet High School Cannoneers promised to be a tight match-up between the then 6-1 Panthers and 5-2 Cannoneers. And, it was. [Read more…] about Panther Football Team Loses In Sectional Opening Round
by Alex Brooks
John Bryans, from the CPA firm of Bryans & Gramuglia, gave a presentation of the audit he did of the District’s finances for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2008. The audit found no problems with the District’s financial practices and no weaknesses in its internal control of its finances. [Read more…] about Audit Report Gives HFCS District Thumbs Up
by Gary Danforth
This Friday night, October 24, the Hoosick Falls Central School football team (6-1) will be riding a five game winning streak into their Class C, Section Two quarterfinal match up with visiting Watervliet High School (5-2) at the Route 22 field. Hoosick Falls disposed of Class B size Cobleskill-Richmondville last Friday evening in Cobleskill to the tune of 34-20.
In other Class C action, Schuylerville secured the Class C North division championship for themselves when they thrashed Cambridge 49-23. Cambridge was trying to gain a share of the divisional crown with a win over the Black Horses and with an Indian win a slice of the title would also have been gained by HFCS as all three schools would have ended up with 5-1 divisional marks. After Schuylerville got done trampling the Indians, the Horses ended up 6-0, HFCS ended up 5-1 and Cambridge ended up 4-2 in divisional play. Corinth got the other North division playoff spot. In sectional football play only the top eight teams make the playoff bracket with other schools playing crossover games.
Schuylerville, the top seeded North division team, will face off against fourth seed South division foe Brittonkill-Tamarac Central School. The Bengals ended up 4-3 while Schuylerville is 7-0. The top South seed is Chatham Central School (7-0) who will take on fourth seeded Corinth Central School (4-3) of the North division. Third seeded Cambridge (4-3) in the North division will travel to Fonda-Fultonville (6-1) to take on the Braves, the second seed in the South division.
HFCS will have its hands full with an experienced, senior laden Watervliet team. Watervliet’s only losses to date were to Chatham and Fonda-Fultonville, seeded ahead of the Cannoneers. The Cannoneers knocked Hoosick Falls out of the sectional semi-final in 2002. Watervliet, like HFCS, has a balanced running and passing attack. Hoosick Falls has found ways to win six of their seven games to date with their only loss in week two to Schuylerville. It’s going to take a very good effort on both sides of the ball for Hoosick Falls to beat Watervliet. But playing at home, in front of the home fans, at night, with Watervliet usually playing their home games on Saturday afternoons, may favor HFCS. I like the Panthers to win by a 21-20 margin. But cold, rainy weather on Friday night could hamper the Panthers’ passing game. In other Class C match-ups in sectional quarterfinal action I’ll take Schuylerville over a tough Brittonkill-Tamarac team, Fonda winning over a young, but improving Cambridge squad and Chatham advancing over an upset minded Corinth team, which can score a lot of points but has trouble holding other teams down. The two highest remaining seeds get home games for the sectional semi-finals. Let the games begin as the road to Syracuse’s Carrier Dome starts with first round sectional playoff action.
by Gary Danforth
Last Friday night, October 10, on Homecoming evening, Ron Jones’ Hoosick Falls Central School varsity football team won their fourth consecutive Class C, North division game with a convincing 27-15 victory over the Mechanicville Red Raiders. [Read more…] about Panther Football Team Beats Mechanicville 27-15 For Fourth Straight Win
Taxpayers Curious
by Bea Peterson
On Monday evening, October 6, several people took an opportunity to tour Hoosick Falls
Central School to see the improvements made inside and outside the building this past summer. Some of the older folks wanted to see where their tax dollars had been spent. This was the final scheduled open house. Parents had an opportunity to visit the school during the open houses held for the elementary classes and the high school.
Honor Society members were guides Monday. Superintendent Ken Facin, Principals Dailey and Leunig and other administrative staff were on hand to meet people and to answer questions. PTA members provided a large array of refreshments. Students, staff and PTA members were visibly proud of the progress made on the structure.
The guides showed off the auditorium which has a new sound system, new lighting, new curtains and refurbished chairs. “While the chairs were out the school maintenance staff cleaned up the floor and refinished it with a granular paint,” said Facin. “They did a great job.” Guide Megan McEachron said that last year the Drama Club didn’t use one set of curtains because they were afraid they would fall down. Events in the auditorium should be much more pleasant in the warm weather as it is now air conditioned.
The floors in both the elementary and high school gymnasiums have been sanded and refinished. They look beautiful. The Homecoming dance will be held in the high school gym this Saturday evening.
The high school cafeteria has been repainted and students are delighted with the addition of booths and round tables as well as new long tables.
All the mismatched lockers have been replaced. Now the halls are lined with only blue lockers. Half of the building has new windows and blinds. The guides said they are pleased with them because the lower portion has screens and open. The windows are tinted to cut down on sun coming in. The students have already found their classrooms to be much more pleasant. “They are definitely cooler in the warm weather,” said guide Erin Shea. The rooms have already proved to be warmer in the cool weather as a result of the new windows.
The school has a new fitness room equipped with strength, conditioning and cardiac equipment such as treadmills and stationary bikes. There is an impressive weight room as well. The guides said the rooms are open during the day and for two hours after school. “Students, staff and teachers are lined up to use them at the end of the day,” said Megan. The fitness room is especially helpful for special education students who have difficulty participating in regular gym classes.
A new technology classroom has replaced the former weight room.
Superintendent Facin said that the drainage projects and the new parking lot and sidewalks were the major improvements outside. Other improvements include a new security system and a phone and computer system that is the same throughout the building.
The new snack shack next to the athletic fields has already proved to be a big hit. On the other side of the school, work is underway on the new elementary playground. Once all the equipment is in place a level, soft surface will be poured. The playground will be handicapped accessible.
Voters approved the $8.3 million three-phase capital improvement project in 2006. Phase one, completed last year, included replacing the school’s roof and other outside projects. This year it was the many projects described above, and next year the rest of the windows will be replaced. Facin said the projects have been completed within budget. “We have to do a fiscal review of where we are now and look at what we are saving,” he said. “This is important in these economic times.”
by Gary Danforth
The Hoosick Falls Central School varsity football team will be riding a three game winning streak this Friday evening, October 10, when they host the Mechanicville Red Raiders in a Class C, North division game. The Panthers disposed of Granville Central School by a 24-14 margin last Friday evening to raise their overall mark to 4-1 on the year. Only a loss in week two against a powerful Schuylerville eleven has prevented HFCS from going unbeaten. Schuylerville beat up on an undermanned Mechanicville team last Friday night to the tune of 44-6. The Black Horses led 37-0 at the half. At press time it was uncertain whether any or all of the injured Red Raider players would be healthy enough to see action against Hoosick Falls. Some of those players go both ways for Mechanicville so it is a double loss at some positions if the injured players can’t go.
Under the Goalposts: Elsewhere in Class C football action, Cambridge scored 28 points against Class B size Hudson Falls, but it wasn’t enough as they went down to a 42-28 defeat at the hands of the Tigers. Watervliet pounded Coxsackie-Athens 42-12 while Corinth whipped Stillwater 41-0. Also, Chatham beat Fonda-Fultonville by a point, Voorheesville beat Catholic Central and Tamarac beat Hoosic Valley. This week HFCS should take the measure of Mechanicville as the Red Raiders struggle to put the ball in the air and should not be able to contain a potent Panther passing game.
If Hoosick Falls wins Friday night versus the Red Raiders, Panther fans may find themselves rooting for Cambridge on the last night of the regular season. If Cambridge also wins in week six along with Schuylerville, HFCS, Cambridge and Schuylerville would all wind up with 5-1 North division records if the Indians can upset Schuylerville in the teams’ last regular season game played Friday night, October 17, in Schuylerville. Either way, that is going to be some ball game. This Friday night will be Homecoming at HFCS. Game time is at 7 pm.
Will Luke (#8), a sophomore, dribbles the ball up field while Zach Delurey (#10), a junior and one of the captains spies something else of interest.
Schuylerville defeated Hoosick Falls 4-1 on Wednesday, October 8. Schuylerville scored early, but HF hung in there for the whole game and managed one goal. (Bea Peterson photo)
Buy Your Raffle Tickets Early And Mark your Calendars For The Annual HFCS PTA Fall Fest!
HFCS PTA Fall Festival 2008 is just around the corner! Come spend time with your family playing games and doing craft activities, while shopping for all kinds of great gifts – from pies to puppets, from jams to jewelry, from soaps to sweets, from T-shirts to toys! You’ll also be entertained by the famous cake walk, a “funhouse hall,” build-your-own Animaland© buddy and much more!
And don’t miss out on the fabulous door prizes and raffle items – a custom framed Will Moses, a handmade quilt, four framed Warren Kimble prints and a Bennington Pottery bowl filled with gift certificates to local restaurants. Food and beverages, plus home baked goodies, will be for sale, too.
Raffle tickets will be on sale at Fall Festival or prior to the Festival at the community-wide open house on October 6 and at Grand Union on October 4, 5, 11 and 12, from 9 am to 3 pm. Tickets are $1 for one or $5 for six. Take a chance to win any or all of the prizes, and enter as many times as you’d like! Raffle items will be on display at the Hoosick Federal Credit Union from October 8 through October 17.
Don’t miss out on this fun filled day that benefits special programs and events sponsored by the PTA throughout the year. Mark your calendars for HFCS PTA Fall Festival on Saturday, October 18, from 9 am to 3 pm at Hoosick Falls Central School. For information, contact Shannon Wickenden, 518-686-7133 or email swickend@nycap.rr.com.
Vendor Spots Still Available
The PTA still has some vendor spots remaining for the Fall Festival. This fun filled day features vendors, crafts for kids, a bake sale, a cake walk and fabulous raffle prizes.
If you’re interested in being a vendor, contact Margaret Stevens at 518-686-1648 or email bhw6@aol.com. Don’t miss out on this great selling opportunity!
Next HFCS PTA Meeting
The next business meeting of the HFCS PTA will take place on Wednesday, October 15, in the Elementary School Library beginning at 6:30 pm.
As always, members and non-members are encouraged to join meetings to find out what the PTA is doing for our children and to share ideas for special programs and events to benefit the children and families of our school district.
If you’d like to become a member or to learn more about PTA and its programs, please attend this meeting or contact Membership Chair Shannon Wickenden at 518-686-7133.
