Eastern Rensselaer County's Community Newspaper
Money Raised To Benefit Kids With Cancer
submitted by Suzanne Bixby
After tallying all the figures, Campground Owners of New York (CONY) recently announced that Broken Wheel Campground in Petersburgh, operated by Ruth Seel, raised $1,000 in donations for Camp Good Days and Special Times as part of CONY’s second annual statewide fundraising event for charity held throughout 2013.
[Read more…] about Broken Wheel Campground Raises $1,000 For Camp Good Days
by Bea Peterson
Ann McGrath was a homemaker. Her girls had just started college when she took the job as part time postal clerk in the Grafton Post Office as a favor to her friend Pat Ryan. That was 30 years ago. “I loved the job,” she said. “I loved the people. That’s the part I miss.” [Read more…] about Ann McGrath Retires From The Grafton Post Office After 30 Years
submitted by Town Clerk Anne Maxon, compiled by Kieron Kramer
The Berlin Town Board met on January 2, 2014, at 7 pm for the Organizational Meeting. Members present were Town Supervisor Rob Jaeger, Councilwoman Tara Fisher, Councilman Stephen Riccardi and Councilman Dean Maxon. Councilman John Winn was absent.
Town Officers And Salaries
Supervisor – Robert Jaeger – $8,240
Bookkeeper – Maureen Seel – $8,281
Town Clerk – Anne Maxon – $9,894
Council Members – $2,000 each (4)
Highway Superintendent – James Winn – $40,600
Deputy Highway Superintendent – Donald Sweet – $15.97 per hour until changed by contract negotiations
Highway Employees – $15.45 per hour until changed by contract negotiations
Justices – Joe Rechen and Donald Sweet – $6,503 each
Justice Clerk – Elizabeth Miller – $5,349
Code Enforcement Officer – Walter A. (Allan) Yerton (appointed at the January 9 regular meeting) – $9,500
Board of Assessors Chair – Patty Baretsky – $7,103
Assessors – Stanley Pettibone II and vacancy – $5,883 each
Chair of the Planning Board – Pamula Gerstel – $150
Planning Board Members (4) – $50 each
Chairman of the Zoning Board of Appeals – J. Nicholas Adams – $150
Zoning Board of Appeals Members (4) – $50 each
Board of Review Members (3) – $100 each
Tax Collector – Pamela DeShane – $3,226
Registrar – Anne M. Maxon – $200
Deputy Registrar – Arietta K. Jaeger
Town Attorney – Donald Tate – $5,550
Dog Control Officer – Doug Goodermote – $5,610
Water District #1 Superintendent – Leonard Clapp Jr. – $5,000
Water District $2 Superintendent – James Winn – $10,000
Head Transfer Station Attendant – Ivan Wager – $14.90 per hour
Transfer Station Attendants – Maurice (Kipper) Maxon and Allison J. Hall Sr. – $12.41 per hour with substitute Rose Orenstein on call.
Water Rent Collector for Water District #2 – Anne Maxon – $1,100
Custodian of 65 S. Main St, 17563 NY 22 and the Watipi Bldg. – Rose Orenstein – $8 per hour
Town Historian – Sharon Klein – $800
Official Newspaper – The Eastwick Press (Troy Record as alternate)
Official Depository – Key Bank
Other Appointments And Motions
Tara Fisher was appointed on January 1 as Deputy Supervisor by Supervisor Jaeger to perform duties as outlined by Town Law in the event the Supervisor is not available.
Committees
Youth Commission – Dean Maxon
Buildings – Rob Jaeger and Stephen Riccardi
Highway – John Winn and Dean Maxon
Disaster Plan – Ivan Wager
Comprehensive Plan – Tara Fisher
Chain of Command list for the people to be contacted for authority to act in an emergency – Supervisor Robert Jaeger, Deputy Supervisor Tara Fisher, Councilman Dean Maxon, Councilman John Winn, Councilman Stephen Riccardi, Highway Superintendent James Winn and Deputy Highway Superintendent Donald Sweet.
Monthly Town Board meetings set for the second Thursday of each month at the Town of Berlin Municipal Center at 7:30 pm and to provide for Town Board and public review of vouchers/bills starting at 7 pm the same night.
Monthly Town Board workshop meetings set for the fourth Thursday of each month at the Town of Berlin Municipal Center at 7 pm (if required).
Polling Places – Districts #1 and #2 – Town of Berlin Municipal Center pending County approval
Hourly rates for equipment and labor – Backhoe – $50, Dump truck – $80, Labor $15.45 – for work performed by the Highway Department for Water District #2.
Spending limit for the Highway Superintendent set at $2,000 without prior approval of the Town Board.
Petty cash fund for the Town Clerk set at $200.
Mileage rate set at $.56 per mile for use of a personal vehicle for Town business when authorized by the Town Board.
Supervisor Jaeger was authorized to pay the utility bills and health insurance bills when received.
The Fourth of July Parade Committee was authorized to plan and hold the Fourth of July Parade.
Allison J. Hall Sr. was appointed to remove snow at 65 S. Main St., 17563 NY 22 and the Watipi Bldg. sidewalks – $8 per hour
The Town of Berlin Procurement Policy was approved.
The use of Town Highway equipment, manpower and materials on private property was authorized in extreme emergency in the event that first responders or other emergency personnel are not able to access the property.
Payroll deduction for Highway employees’ health insurance maintained at 15% of total cost of policy
Supervisor instructed to file the annual report and to submit the report within 60 days after the close of the fiscal year to the State Comptroller and the Town Clerk and require the Town Clerk make a summary available for inspection within 10 days of filing
by Bea Peterson
In a ceremony at the Immaculate Conception Church Hall on Saturday, January 18, Kyle McCune, son of Brian and Margaret McCune, became an Eagle Scout.
submitted by Melissa Putterman Hoffmann
The Annual Berlin Community Clothing Swap will take place on Thursday, January 23, from 2:30 to 5:30 pm and Saturday, January 25, from 11:30 am to 1:30 pm in the cafeteria at Berlin Middle School/High School. According to Dianne Mosher, coordinator of the Winter Forum on Families in Need and a Family and Consumer Science teacher at Berlin Middle/High School, the Clothing Swap began six years ago when a group of concerned citizens from the community and staff from the Berlin schools were identifying the needs of families in a time that was becoming increasing economically stressful.
The Clothing Swap, now in its sixth year, serves families in the Berlin Central School District and surrounding community. Community members are invited to donate gently worn clothing for all age groups, as well as take any clothing they can use.
No donation of clothing is necessary in order to take clothing – the point of the event is to provide clothing to anyone in need. Dorothy Stall, school nurse and Winter Forum member, explained, “The clothing swap is for everyone. We all know how fast kids grow – often outgrowing clothes before they wear them out. Additionally, how many times have you bought something for your child that makes them say ‘you don’t expect me to wear that, do you?’ That’s the reason you might even find clothes with tags still on them at the swap. Many of our teens these days enjoy the outfits they can put together from second-hand shops. This makes shopping local. So come see what you can find, and if you have things you can donate, bring them along.” For more information, contact Melissa Putterman Hoffmann at 658-2515 x227.
The Petersburgh Public Library is joining in a nationwide “Take Your Child to the Library Day” on Saturday, February 1, from 10 am to 12 pm. You are invited to bring your child of any age to the Library. There will be a variety of building activities, stories and snacks.
Younger children are encouraged to visit the newly arranged picture book city. Picture books have been rearranged according to topic so that books are grouped according to what the story is about. Children age 5 or in kindergarten and older are invited to sign up for a library card if they do not already have one. At 11 am there will be a “Build” story hour. Older children will have the opportunity to build whatever they want using Legos, magnetic blocks and Lincoln logs. There will also be a wooden railroad track to construct into different shapes in order to drive the train around the track. For older kids we will have a marble race track which can be built to race marbles from start to finish.
Every child will be able to select a book they may take home and keep as well as signing out library books.
Adults who have not visited the Library are invited also to come in and see the materials that are available. Free downloadable ebook and audiobook instructions are available for those who received new devices for the holidays. There are many electronic books available through the library system.
Story Hour
Pre-school story hour continues Tuesday mornings at 11. The letter “Q” for quiet will be featured on January 28. All pre-schoolers and their caregivers are invited to attend.
Book Discussion Group
The Petersburgh Public Library book discussion group is reading the book The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón. The book will be discussed at the next meeting on February 12 at 7 pm. Copies of the book are available at the Library. New members are welcome.
The tremendous generosity the residents of Berlin have shown in support of the Berlin Community Food Closet is appreciated. However, the much colder temperatures we have experienced so far this winter has resulted in a surge of requests for assistance with kerosene, fuel oil and electrical bills, which have greatly depleted our funds.
If you are able to do so, please consider making a donation to the Berlin Community Food Closet so that we can continue to provide for the needy in our community. You may send donations to the Berlin Community Food Closet, P.O. Box 284, Berlin, NY, 12022.
The Grafton Community Library invites you to bring your children and grandchildren to the Library from 10 am to 1 pm on Saturday, February 1, to celebrate national Take Your Child to the Library Day.
Children can sign up for a library card, participate in story time and craft activities, enjoy snacks and discover all of the amazing resources that are available to everyone at the Library, all the time, free of charge. Come celebrate with us and discover how your local library empowers the individual, builds community and supports literacy and lifelong learning. It all begins with a child’s first library card!
Book Club
On January 29 at 12:30 pm the Grafton Community Book Club will discuss The Richest Woman in America by Janet Wallach. It is the fascinating story of Hetty Green, America’s first female Wall Street tycoon. The Grafton Community Book Club meets on the last Wednesday of every month.
submitted by Yvonne Keefe
On January 16, at approximately 2:34 am, the Rensselaer County Bureau of Emergency Services received a 911 call from the Town of Brunswick. The homeowner reported that subjects were on his property and attempting to gain entry to his residence. Rensselaer County Deputy Sheriffs arrived on the scene within minutes and two suspects were taken into custody hiding in nearby bushes on the property.
An additional two suspects fled the scene on foot. Later in time one of the subjects reported his vehicle stolen but later admitted to officers he was a participant at the scene and was taken into custody.
The homeowner later found a “self defense” pistol in the bushes behind his residence where two of the suspects had been standing. The pistol fires less lethal pellets but has the appearance of a semi-automatic Glock pistol.
Arrested for Attempted Burglary 2nd, a felony, and Criminal Mischief 4th Degree, a misdemeanor was Keith A. Hughes Jr., 18, of Hoosick Falls, and the two other teenagers.
Investigators are still trying to locate a fourth suspect – Luis Rosa, 17 years old, of Troy. If anyone has any information regarding Rosa’s whereabouts, they are urged to contact investigators at 518-266-1983 or the Tip line at 518-270-0128.
The Petersburgh Veterans Memorial Community Center will have an adult game night on Friday, February 7, from 5 to 8 pm. Bring a covered dish or snack at 5 pm if you wish to share a meal. Otherwise drop in anytime.
After the meal there will be corn holing (beanbag toss) games and card games of your choice. There are quite a few people who are planning to play pitch. Last month the domino game Mexican Train was popular. Bring other games if you wish. There is no charge to attend. Call Mary Lou Walters with any questions at 518-658-0136.
