The Eastwick Press Newspaper

Eastern Rensselaer County's Community Newspaper

Grafton Town Board Action – Why Can’t We All Just Get Along?

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by Kieron Kramer
To the neutral observer, the public comment period of the Grafton Town Board meeting on Monday, October 21, resembled mud wrestling more than a responsible expression of residents’ concerns. There was so much mud flying that it was hard to tell who was who, everyone was covered – Democrats and Republicans, Town Clerk supporters and detractors, Supervisor supporters and detractors. [Read more…] about Grafton Town Board Action – Why Can’t We All Just Get Along?

HAYC3 Receives National Recognition

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news release
HAYC3’s Community Coalition has received recognition from the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) with the award of a major U.S. grant. HAYC3 was named as one of only nineteen community coalitions in the entire nation to receive a Drug Free Communities (DFC) Mentoring Coalition Grant. One of the notable and exciting aspects about the grant is that HAYC3 is the only rural coalition awarded this grant. All of the others were urban communities. [Read more…] about HAYC3 Receives National Recognition

Panthers Disarm Tomahawks, 49 – 0, To Win Northern Division Title

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by Steve Bradley
The Panther football team took to the road and trekked up to Corinth last Friday. With a win, the Panthers would be Northern Division champions. With a Panther loss, the Corinth Tomahawks and Hoosick Falls would tie with identical 5 – 1 league records.
[Read more…] about Panthers Disarm Tomahawks, 49 – 0, To Win Northern Division Title

Hunger Is Scary!

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This Halloween the Key Club of HFCS will be waging a battle against local hunger. After dusk on October 31 members of our high school Key Club will be going door to door in the HFCS School District to collect spare change for donation to the Hoosick Area Food Pantry. One hundred percent of the money collected will be given directly to the Food Pantry.
[Read more…] about Hunger Is Scary!

Letter To The Editor – A Complaint

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To the Editor:
The Town Board meeting of Thursday [Monday], Oct. 21, goes well beyond disappointing. What Supervisor Higgins did to myself as well as other tax paying residents was reprehensible as well as unprofessional.
During public comment I would expect Town residents to have the ability to ask questions or make comments pertaining to the operation of our Town. During public comment as I began to speak I was interrupted not once but twice by Supervisor Higgins. He sarcastically informed me that there would be no answer to my question, I would only be allowed to comment. Astonished, I made my comment regarding the meeting minutes not being uploaded to the new Town website and why the Board is not following Resolution #54 that was put forward in 2012 authorizing the agenda to be posted seven days prior to the meeting – voted 4-0 in favor. Currently a blank agenda is posted to the website the afternoon of the Board meeting. Needless to say I was never given an answer. Others went on to ask actual questions. Supervisor Higgins choose to answer the questions from certain people while others were not even recognized at all. Connie Alderman raised her hand on several occasions to comment, and Supervisor Higgins never recognized her and subsequently adjourned the meeting while hands were still raised during public comment.
Following the meeting Supervisor Higgins informed me that residents must come to his office if they have any questions concerning the Town, he will not answer in a public forum. Furthermore, Supervisor Higgins said he is contemplating ending public comment entirely. He said that there are individuals in the audience he does not wish to answer questions for, therefore all residents will be treated the same and he does not feel obligated to answer questions from Town residents at Town Board Meetings.
What type of Town Leader is at the helm of our forefront?
Linda Laveway
Trail Riders Way, Grafton

Editor’s Note: It may interest this letter writer, and others, that State law does not require public comment at Town Board meetings and that the comment period is at the discretion of the Supervisor.