The Eastwick Press Newspaper

Eastern Rensselaer County's Community Newspaper

Sports Outdoors

Hoosick Falls Soccer Club to Host Adult Soccer Games

By

The Hoosick Falls Soccer Club will be hosting Adult Soccer Games through the Fall. Games will be played every Sunday at 5 pm at the George Helft Soccer Complex on South Street in Hoosick. Directions can be found online at http://www.hoosickfallssoccer.org/directions.html.  

Teams will be selected each week based on experience. Club Trainer Gareth Isaac will be overseeing the program and help organize the weekly teams.

No experience is necessary. The intent of this program is to provide the community and surrounding areas an outlet to enjoy a physically enriching activity. Adults are encouraged to learn the beautiful game while enjoying the benefits of exercising and meeting new people in a great atmosphere.

To learn more about the Hoosick Falls Soccer Club or our Adult Soccer Games call Gareth Isaac at 518-686-9505.

Fighting Irish Dominate Again In 31-0 Win Over Schuylerville

By

Running back Mark Hackett escorts quarterback Willy Bradley through the Schuylerville defense for a gain. Photo by Steve Bradley.

Running back Mark Hackett escorts quarterback Willy Bradley through the Schuylerville defense for a gain. Photo by Steve Bradley.

 

The coaches of the Hoosick Falls Fighting Irish have really got their team clicking on all cylinders at this point of the young season. After a first week 56 – 6 victory over visiting Hoosic Valley, the Irish traveled to Schuylerville Sunday to take on a team coming off a 68 – 0 win the previous week. Hoosick Falls wasted little time in letting their opponents know they came to play. With an overpowering offense and a smothering defense, the Irish got out to a big first quarter lead and never looked back.

Sunday, Sept. 21, the Irish will host Vermont at 1 pm at HFCS. If you want to see some exciting live football, come on over and watch this team in action. Admission is free and there is food and drink sales.

Grafton Lakes State Park Invites Artists To The Park This Fall

By

Grafton Lakes State Park invites artists to portray the Park’s fall scenery on Sundays from September 21 through October 12 (Columbus Day weekend).  Registered participants in the Art in the Park program will receive free Sunday admission to the Park to paint, draw or photograph in exchange for submitting a piece in the Silent Art Auction at the Winter Festival on January 24, 2009.

The Park’s forests, wildlife and lakes make for spectacular autumn scenery and an ample supply of inspiration.  The pieces will be displayed and auctioned at the Winter Festival, which was attended by nearly 2,000 people last year.  Artists will split the proceeds of the auction with the Fr

iends of Grafton Lakes State Park, a group that supports the Park’s environmental education programs. 

Participants can register at the ticket booth on weekends or at the Park Office Monday-Friday to receive an Art in the Park pass. You can also call the Park naturalists to register for Art in the Park at 279-1155 and have a pass mailed to you. Space is limited – call soon to get your pass.  

For more information about other events at Grafton Lakes State Park this fall, you may also visit www.nysparks.com.

Sign Up For Crop Insurance

By

New York State Agriculture Commissioner Patrick Hooker has alerted farmers to a recent change in the new federal Farm Bill that links insuring all crops on farms to future disaster payments.  Because of this change, it is imperative that New York farmers sign up all fall-planted crops for crop insurance by September 30, 2008.

September 30 is the deadline in New York for winter wheat, barley and forage production, including hay containing more than 25 percent alfalfa.  If producers fail to enroll any of their 2008 fall seeded crops and perennial crops, they will be ineligible for disaster payments on 2009 corn and soybeans planted in the spring of 2009, even if they buy insurance for those crops.

The Commissioner said, “This is a new requirement that all farmers must complete to be eligible for federal assistance next year.  With the uncertainty of the weather, this change is key as more farmers need to contemplate whether crop insurance and disaster payments are necessary for the viability of their business.”

The 2008 Farm Bill created an Agricultural Disaster Trust Fund, of which a major part will finance Supplemental Revenue Assistance (SURE) payments.  In order to be eligible for SURE payments, the new Farm Bill requires crop insurance on all insurable crops or Noninsured Assistance Program (NAP) coverage on all uninsurable crops.  NAP is available from the USDA Farm Service Agency, while crop insurance is available through private crop insurance agents.  The more crop insurance coverage you have, the more your SURE payment will be. The SURE disaster payments can provide a significant amount in addition to crop insurance loss payments.

SURE is effective for the 2008 crop year and runs through the 2011 crop year. SURE will be based on whole farm revenue. It will be triggered by a USDA Secretarial disaster declaration for a county.  Contiguous counties are automatically eligible. Protection is also provided if a producer suffers greater than a 50% production loss.

If you have any questions, contact a crop insurance agent immediately.  To find a crop insurance agent, go to http://www3.rma.usda.gov/apps/agents.

September Events At GLSP

By

20, Saturday –  National Shoreline cleanup from 10 am to noon. Co-sponsored by the American Littoral Society.  Meet at the Beach/First Aid station located off main parking lot.  Wonderful volunteer opportunity. Shoreline cleanup will include our popular Long Pond and our fishing areas Second and First  Pond.  Gloves and bags will be provided. Raindate is September 21. Please call to pre-register groups of volunteers. (Grafton Lakes State Park)

20, Saturday – Cherry Plain Friends Meeting at 6:30 pm. Meet at Park Office to discuss improving programs and trails at this beautiful park. One of Reserve America’s Top 100 Family Campgrounds in 2007.

27, Saturday ą Star Party with Albany Area Astronomers at 6:30 pm.  Explore the night skies at Deerfield Pavilion in Grafton Lakes State Park.

28. Sunday –  22nd Annual Barge Chaser Canoe & Kayak Race. Registration  at 10 am at Beach Nature Center. Race at 11 am. Sponsored  by Northern New York Paddlers.  Paddlers of all skill levels are welcome to participate in two races, including a 2.5 mile sprint paddle and a 7 mile paddle with a portage.  For more information, call Sue Knapik 843-8133

Hikes And Mountain Bike Festival At GLSP Featured In Ninth Annual Hudson River Valley Ramble

By

Grafton Lakes State Park is offering two nature hikes and a Mountain Bike Festival as part of the Ninth Annual Hudson River Valley Ramble in September.  The Ramble is sponsored annually by the Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area, Hudson River Valley Greenway and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation’s Estuary Program.  A total of 202 events will take place from Saratoga County and the Capital Region to New York City on the weekends of September 13-14, September 20-21 and September 27-28.

Grafton Lakes State Park will host three events as part of the 2008 Hudson River Valley Ramble. On Saturday September 13  the Park will hold its annual Mountain Bike Festival and a nature hike on Long Pond Trail. A second nature hike on the Long Pond trail will take place on Saturday September 27.

The Mohawk-Hudson Cycling Club’s 10th Annual Mountain Bike Festival begins at 8 am on September 13, and will include a skills clinic and rides for all levels and abilities.  Rides begin at 9 am and run throughout the day to selected historic and natural sites on the Rensselaer Plateau, including the Dickinson Hill Fire Tower, the remains of the Troy Astronomy Club site and the home of writer Granville Hicks. Please bring your own food or buy from local vendors. There will be bike shop support on-site if needed.  Call Dick Gibbs to preregister for rides at (518) 283-0155. 

The Long Pond Trail hikes will be held from 1:30 to 3 on September 13 and 27. The hikes are moderate 2.5 mile hikes around beautiful Long Pond, with picturesque views of the lake. The terrain is rocky and steep in some places, so please wear appropriate footwear.  Please pre-register by the Friday before each hike by calling (518) 279-1155.

The Ramble offers the opportunity for participants  to enjoy guided walking, hiking, kayaking and biking experiences, estuary explorations and historic site tours that highlight the significant historical, cultural and natural resources of the Hudson River Valley. Events are offered on every ability level and many are free.

Several event series offer an in-depth exploration of themes that earned the region its designation as a National Heritage Area.  They include the role of the Hudson Valley in the Revolutionary War, the Hudson River School of Art, the Great Estates and the Hudson River Estuary.  Nearly 200 environmental, land conservancy, trail and historic preservation organizations, New York State historic sites and parks, as well as the National Park Service participate by offering events. More than 100,000 people participated in the 2007 Ramble.

 “The Hudson River Valley Ramble provides a great opportunity for people of all ages and ability levels to explore the landscape, trails, historic sites and communities throughout the Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area,” said Mark Castiglione, Acting Director of the Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area (HRVNHA) and the Hudson River Valley Greenway. “With over 200 events being offered this year, there is truly something for everyone so I encourage all to participate!”

For a complete listing of events, visit  HYPERLINK “http://www.hudsonrivervalley.com/ramble.” www.hudsonrivervalley.com/ramble.  Copies of the program guide may be downloaded and printed directly from the web site.  To receive a free program guide, call (800) 453-6665, or e-mail ramble@hvc.rr.com.

Hunter Safety Course

By

The Pioneer Fish & Game Club on Route 7 and Potter Hill will be holding a Hunter Safety Course beginning September 18. All sessions must be attended. Sessions will be Thursday and Friday, September 18 and 19, from 6 to 9 pm and Saturday, September 20, from 8 am to 2 pm. You must pre-register by calling Gary at 686-4072 (after 6 pm) or Dan at 686-4767 as limited spaces are available.

DEC’s Little Helpers

By

by Bea Peterson

 

In April young conservationists Colin King, Noah Abbott, and Michael Matatt helped stock fish in the Walloomsac River. The New York trout fishing season is winding down now and hopefully most fishermen had a good season due to the kids’ hard work. 

For the past 50 years members of the Pioneer Fish and Game Club, along with their families and friends, have assisted DEC personnel in stocking local streams. That spring day over 5,000 brown trout were released into the River. 

The Pioneer Fish and Game Club would like to thank all the landowners along the Walloomsac who generously allow fishermen to pursue their sport. The endeavors this year were overseen by the area’s new DEC officer Lt. James H. Hayes Jr.

The Largest Corn Maze On The East Coast

By

 

The maze shortly after it was cut. Photo by Tim Allen.
The maze shortly after it was cut. Photo by Tim Allen.

The public is invited to take part in making history in Hoosick and attend the ribbon cutting ceremony of the largest corn maze on the east coast on Saturday, September 6, at 11 am at The Corn Maze at Kettle Farms on the Troy-Bennington Road in Hoosick, NY.

 

 

Capturing Hoosick’s bond with farming and history, the 20-acre corn maze was designed to replicate the train on the old Corkscrew Railroad which ran through this very parcel in the early 1900s.  There are four sections to the maze with varying degrees of difficulty.  The engine consists of 2.3 miles of trails;  the cab, 3.2 miles of trails.  The coal car consists of .5 miles of trails and the caboose, 1.8 miles of trails.  There is a total of 7.8 miles of trails for those daring enough to venture through the entire maze.

Other venues at The Corn Maze at Kettle Farms include pick your own pumpkins, hay bale maze, corn cannon, pumpkin slingshots and trike track.

On hand for the ribbon cutting event will be Assemblyman Roy McDonald, County Legislators Stan Brownell and Lester Goodermote, Town Supervisor Marilyn Douglas and Board Members Bob Ryan, Mark Cottrell, Kevin O’Malley and Mark Surdam.  Other officials are also expected.

Town of Hoosick Supervisor Marilyn Douglas said, “The Corn Maze captures the spirit of the agri-tourism industry and provides a wholesome family experience on this 82-acre farm in the beautiful rolling hills of Hoosick.”

For further information and scheduling, call Tammy’s Candy Kettle and Kettle Farms at 518-686-0992 or the Town of Hoosick Town Clerk Susan Stradinger at 518-686-4571.

Hoosac School Hosts Girl Scout Day Camp

By

In early August the Hoosac School athletic fields became a campground for the Hoosick Falls Girl Scout day camp. Fifty area girls attended the camp. The theme this year was TV game shows. Girls made games, played TV game show games, hiked, made crafts, enjoyed the outdoors between storms, had a cookout, did a clean up project for part of Tibbits Forrest and concluded their experience by having an American Idol show with scouts being the performers and scout leaders being the judges. Everyone had a great time. Special thanks to the Hoosac School who hosted this event. This camp is usually held at HF Central School but because of construction at HFCS it had to be relocated. Thanks to all the volunteer leaders, helpers and first-aiders volunteering their time and talents so the program was affordable for the girls. This camp operates yearly under Rensselaer County guidelines and permits for all HF girls grades 1 through 6 to attend.