Eastern Rensselaer County's Community Newspaper
The Grafton Volunteer Fire Department along with the Grafton Ladies Auxiliary will be serving an All You Can Eat Buffet Breakfast on Saturday, April 26, 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.
The Beryl H. Moul Memorial Grange Scholarship was established in 1958 by West Sand Lake Grange #949 in memory of prominent Grange Member Beryl H. Moul. Applicants must be Rensselaer County residents (for at least 4 years) and must be accepted in an accredited 2 or 4 year college program in New York State and pursuing a career in agriculture, home economics, nursing, natural resource management, environmental engineering or pharmacology.
The application includes an official high school transcript, and the deadline is May 1. The application and instructions can be found at any Rensselaer County High School Guidance Office or at the Cornell Cooperative Extension of Rensselaer County website at www.ccerensselaer.org under teen opportunities. For questions please contact the CCE office of Rensselaer County at 272-4210.
• Thursday, April 17 – Trout Discovery Day at 1 pm. We’ve been raising brown trout since October, and they’re ready to head into the waters of Second Pond. [Read more…] about GLSP April Events
Join the Rensselaer Land Trust’s 7th Annual Clean-up of the shores of the Tomhannock Reservoir on Saturday, April 26, from 9 am to 12 pm. The reservoir provides drinking water to residents of many local communities.
[Read more…] about 7th Annual Tomhannock Reservoir Clean-Up Volunteer Day
Petersburgh – Rose Mary Gerstel Hewitt died April 2, 2014, in the home that she cherished on Hewitt Road in Petersburgh, NY, with her devoted daughter Margaret by her side. She was born March 6, 1912, and had recently celebrated her 102nd birthday. In addition to her parents she was pre-deceased by her husband, Lloyd Hewitt, her sister, Katie Gerstel Doyle, and her brother, Adolph Gerstel.
Hoosick Falls – Richard Forrest Danforth, 72, of Hoosick Falls, NY, passed away at his home on Thursday, March 27, 2014. Born on February 20, 1942 to Ruth (Myers) Danforth and Forrest E. Danforth, he was the eldest of six children. Dick attended Hoosick Falls Schools, graduating in the class of 1960. He later went on to join the National Guard unit located in Hoosick Falls. He held many jobs during his lifetime including being a carpenter’s helper to his father and making furniture at Cushman’s in North Bennington, VT. He finally retired from a longtime position at Oak Mitsui in Hoosick Falls.
Berlin – Joan Beatrice (Nelson) deLeon, 80, of Green Hollow Road, Berlin, NY, died on April 4, 2014, at home surrounded by her loving family, after a courageous battle against cancer.
Born on July 28, 1933, in Brooklyn, NY, she was the daughter of the late Ruth (Hinsch) and Eric J.W. Nelson. Joan was a 1951 graduate of Huntington High School on Long Island.
Joan had the deepest love for Ralph deLeon, her adoring husband of 62 years. They married in 1952 and lived their early years in Greenlawn, NY, where Ralph ran a business and Joan raised their family. In 1969 Joan and Ralph moved their family to Berlin. In 1970 Joan returned to nursing school, receiving her Licensed Practical Nursing certification. She worked for the next 17 years for Dr. Henry Richmond in Bennington, VT. Joan left nursing to assist Ralph in running the family businesses.
She was active in the Berlin Methodist Church and the Berlin Republican party. She previously served on the Board of Trustees for the Berlin Town Library. She also enjoyed being a long term member of two book clubs.
Survivors, besides her husband, include their five children, Renee Williams and husband Richard of Pownal, VT, Ralph deLeon of Schenectady, NY, Robin Cipperly of Berlin, Richard deLeon and wife Colleen of Berlin and Roger deLeon and fiancée Victoria Calaban of Latham, NY. Joan is also survived by seven grandchildren and ten great-grandchildren. She was pre-deceased by her sister, Carol Kirchner, and one grandchild, Rachael Williams.
A celebration of life gathering will be held Saturday, April 12, at 12 noon at the Berlin United Methodist Church, 13 South Main Street, Berlin. There will be a reception at the Berlin Fire Hall at 1 pm following the Church celebration. In lieu of flowers the family is requesting donations be made to the Rensselaer County Hospice or the Berlin Free Town Library. For on-line condolences please visit www.TheRiverviewFuneralHome.com.
Hoosick Falls – Elwin W. Stevens (Steve), of Troy, NY, died in Tulsa, OK, on April 3, 2014. Elwin was born in Hoosick Falls, NY, on February 21, 1923, and was a graduate of the Walter A. Wood High School in Hoosick Falls and Rennselaer Polytechnic Institute, Class of 1945. He served as Lieutenant in the U.S. Navy on the U.S.S. Sampson during WW II and was in charge of damage control. Elwin taught at R.P.I. until 1952 when he became the University Architect for the State University of New York System until his retirement in 1990.
Saturday, March 19, 1831: Some stormy. On this evening I took the cutter and carried my wife to Stephen Sheldon’s to see the Gardner girl that has agreed to work for us this season. I do agree to pay her 75 cts per if we are suited on both parties. She agrees to do any work we set her about.
Sunday: I took the single wagon and carried my wife to the school house up Goodrich Hollow to the funeral of old Stephen Wheeler. Elder Jones preached. The old man died in the west part of town
Monday: Today I walked up to Lebanon. I talked with Lias Dike about coming to look at my calves to see if we could make a bargain. He did not give me encouragement over two dol 50 cts – and this same day I sold them at three dol 17 cts per head and part of them at two weeks old. Said Dike told me if he had them I must keep them four weeks old. The two men that bought them live in Schodack. I did not learn their names. This evening I sent Sylvester Swan to let said Dike know that we sold the calves and got more than he talked of paying. I called to Mr. Dean’s to see him about living in my house. I called to Dr. Right’s to get a strengthening plaster to put on my breast, for I hurt it with a binder the other day. I called to Elem Tilden’s store and paid six cts for camphor gum and three cts for pitch begunda to make a plaster to put on my breast.
Thursday: This forenoon I had a bee prying up my cheese house (to work on the foundation) or the building we drew for that use. Mr. Zach Chapman helped, and Frederick Russel and Platt Wylie. This forenoon Francis Buten worked for me at the said building.
Monday: I laid up the wall on my line joining E. Pierce where I drew my building through, and picked up stone heaps that we scattered in said Pierce’s meadow drawing my building, and worked some at the gates fixing them up again near the building I drew. Today Mr. Dean chopped wood to my door and agreed to take his pay in potatoes. This evening I borrowed F. Buten’s two inch auger to repair my gates, we tore down to draw said building.
Tuesday: I worked fixing up said gates and dug and laid a corner underpinning to my cheese house.
by Thaddeus Flint
The fate of Brendan Hoffman, the 22 year old Stephentown man accused of manslaughter and homicide charges, as well as leaving the scene of a 2012 accident, now lies in the hands of the jury.
The trial, which began on March 25, wrapped up with closing arguments at the Rensselaer County Court House in Troy on Wednesday.
