Wednesday April 24, 2024 
Healthy Living for Your Brain and Body
Healthy Living for Your Brain and Body- An educational program by the Alzheimer’s Association.
Thursday, January 17, 2019, 3:00-4:00 PM
Troy Public Library, 102 2nd St., Troy, NY 12180
To register, contact: Victor at 518-867-4999 x200
Supported by Rennsselaer County NY Connects
January 2019 Renss. Co. Legislature monthly report
The Rensselaer County Legislature held their first meeting of 2019 on January 8th. Before the meeting, the Legislature honored living veteran Harold Dean Riley of Brunswick. Harold served in Vietnam and was awarded several medals for his distinguished service. Harold was presented with his Bronze Star, Purple Heart, and several other medals during the ceremony.
The Legislature also welcomed the family, friends, and colleagues of the late Daniel Dwyer, Mayor of Rensselaer. His children, Colleen and Daniel, accepted the resolution honoring their father and shared stories from his impressive military career.
The January agenda included the renewals of several annual contracts and acceptance of grant funding. Some notable grants included an additional $75,000 in Opioid Crisis Funding from New York State. The funding will be used to train ten certified recovery peer advocates and to train emergency medical staff in the use of Naloxone and other methods of treating opioid overdoses. The Legislature also approved the purchase of software that would allow the County Department of Health to track and analyze data used in fighting the opioid epidemic.
The Legislature also passed an important piece of legislation that will have a benefit for our County’s veterans. A Local Law to increase the maximum tax exemption for alternative veterans was passed unanimously. This legislation allows the exemption levels to be increased on property tax bills of qualifying veterans in 2020.
Last year, members of the Legislature urged New York State to convene a meeting of the Drinking Water Quality Council and to set maximum contaminant levels for drinking water supplies. The group met in late December and issued its recommendations to the State. The council recommended the nation’s most protective maximum contaminant levels. The Legislature voted unanimously to support these recommendations in hopes that our water supplies will be better protected in the future.
Finally, Chairman Michael Stammel announced that the Legislature will once again be collecting items for the Hudson Mohawk Humane Society. The “Golden” Tradition, started by retired staffer Linda Golden, will collect pet supplies in the Legislature Majority Office.
As always, we can be reached at 518-270-2880.
~Harry J. Tutunjian, Legislative Liaison
Rensselaer County Legislature
Two Events Celebrating Martin Luther King, Jr.
Sunday, January 20th, 2019 at 4pm. The Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Interfaith Worship Service at Bethel Baptist Church, 2165 Fifth Ave., Troy, NY. Rev. George William Whitfield of Fifth Avenue AME Zion Church will be preaching. There will be an offering to benefit the annual Ronald J. Dukes Memorial MLK Scholarship Fund.
Monday, January 21st, 2019 at 8am. The Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Scholarship Breakfast Program at the Franklin Terrace, 126 Campbell Ave., Troy, NY. Students of the CEO Youth Build Program will be speaking and singing songs of the Civil Rights Movement with singer/songwriter Natalie Merchant. Tickets are $22 in advance (available at taum.org) or $25 at the door. Proceeds go to support the Ronald J. Dukes Memorial MLK Scholarship Fund.
New Director of Admissions Named at Hudson Valley Community College
Julie A. Panzanaro of Averill Park, a student services professional with 30 years of experience in the field of community college recruitment, has been named director of admissions at Hudson Valley Community College.
Panzanaro, who assumed the director’s role on a permanent basis earlier this month, has been the college’s associate director of admissions for 22 years.
As director of admissions, Panzanaro will oversee the college’s recruitment and outreach efforts, which include visits at more than 80 upstate high schools as well as dozens of regional college fairs and community agencies.
Panzanaro, who began her career at the college as an admissions/financial aid counselor in 1988, has been very active in statewide and regional groups related to college recruitment during her career. She served as president of the SUNY College Admissions Professionals (SUNYCAP). She was the recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award in 2001 and the SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Professional Service in 2015.
A graduate of the University at Albany with a M.S. in educational administration, Panzanaro also earned a bachelor’s degree in communication arts from The College of Saint Rose and an A.A.S. in early childhood education from Maria College.