Thursday April 25, 2024 
Poestenkill Town Board – Meeting Minutes
Thursday, February 21, 2019
Proposed local law #1-2019 would enact a sign-posting law for land use applications. The proposed law would enact guidelines providing notice to the general public of all land use applications before the Planning and Zoning Boards and the Town Board. The proposed law will be updated and held over until the March Town Board Meeting.
Proposed local law #2-2019 would prohibit on-street parking during snow emergencies. This proposed law would prohibit on-street parking during snow events and would enact a penalty. The proposed law will be updated and held over until the March Town Board Meeting.
Natural Resource Inventory – Jeff Briggs, member of CAC reported on the Natural Resource Inventory document which will be reference material for use by Town agencies, land owners and others seeking information about the Nature of Poestenkill’s resources and landscapes.
Supervisor Jacangelo stated that the construction project for the Library porch decking will cost approximately $17,000 and the project will begin once the weather improves. The Supervisor hopes that the exterior of the Library will be painted next year.
Motion made by Councilwoman Butler, seconded by Councilman Van Slyke and passed unanimously to authorize the Supervisor to sign the 2019 Library Lease Agreement.
Motion made by Councilman Hass, seconded by Councilman Wohlleber and passed unanimously to authorize the Supervisor to sign the Library Service Agreement for the year 2019.
Motion by Councilwoman Butler, seconded by Councilman Van Slyke and passed unanimously to authorize the Supervisor to sign the 2019 Sullivan-Jones Service Agreement.
Motion by Councilman Wohlleber, seconded by Councilman Hass and passed unanimously to authorize the Supervisor to sign the 2019 Poestenkill Senior Service Agreement.
These minutes to be approved at the next town board meeting scheduled for Thursday, March 21st, at 7pm.
For more information, go to www.PoestenkillNY.com
~Submitted by Councilman Eric Wohlleber
Book Nook News
The Book Nook at Transfiguration Parish on Hillview Drive, Speigletown, will be open Saturday morning, March 16, from 9:00 am until noon.
The March half-priced specials are on the following authors: William Johnstone, Nora Roberts, and Susan Wiggs. History and biographies/ autobiographies are 10/$1.00 this month. Religious, self-help, cookbooks and romance are 6/$1.00. We have a great selection of DVDs and they are on special at 3/$2.00. Please stop by and see the many new donations that have come in. Thank you for your continued support and see you at the Book Nook.
4-H District Dairy Bowl 2019
The 2019 Rensselaer County Dairy Bowl team and Coaches
On Saturday, March 2nd, 9 youth, ages 8-15, represented Rensselaer County 4-H at the 2019 4-H District Dairy Bowl Contest. The day consisted of a “quiz bowl” competition where teams from within our region competed on their knowledge of dairy cattle and the dairy industry. Everyone had a wonderful and fun-filled day where they were able to show off their skills and knowledge that they have spent months practicing.
The members of the Rensselaer County Teams are as follows:
Senior Team: Captain Travis Michel and members Amber MacNeil, and Lainey Koval (Saratoga County) ranked 5th.
Junior Team: Captain Terrie Ann Cottrell and members Allison Michel, Luke Hoag, and Josie Schmidt ranked 6th. Luke placed 8th individually, Terrie Ann placed 9th individually, and Allison placed 10th individually.
Beginner Team: Captain William Cottrell and members Brennan Michel, and Aaron Cipperly ranked 4th, and William placed 7th individually.
Congratulations to all the participants! Also, a huge thank you to the coaches: Tara Cottrell (Senior Team), Rachel MacNeil (Junior Team), and Scott & Kelly Michel (Beginner Team), as well as all the parents and volunteers- none of this would be possible without all of you!
For more information about this program, or other programs offered by Cornell Cooperative Extension, please contact us at 518-272-4210.
March Birthday Celebration
Join the Rensselaer County seniors at the Everett Wagar Senior Center, 2 Roxborough Road, Grafton, on Friday, March 22nd, at 12:30 as we celebrate March birthdays with cupcakes donated by Caroline Church and a fun trivia game to follow. Please plan to join us for lunch (Potato Crunch Pollock) for a suggested donation of $3.00. Contact the center at 518-279-3413 to reserve lunch.
Hannaford Helps Fight Hunger campaign generates 1,619 cases of food worth $31,100 for Regional Food Bank
Hannaford Supermarkets Community Relations Specialist Brian Fabre (right) speaks with Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York Executive Director Mark Quandt (left) in front of cases of food delivered to the food bank’s headquarters in Latham.
LATHAM, NY – Hannaford Supermarkets and its customers donated 1,619 cases of food valued at $31,100 to the Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York as part of a hunger relief campaign that produced $1.1 million dollars in nutritious food and cash to food banks and pantries throughout the Northeast.
Hannaford Helps Fight Hunger took place during the 2018 holiday season and included a you-buy-one, we-give-one component, whereby Hannaford pledged to donate identical products when customers purchased specific shelf-stable items, including applesauce, spaghetti, oats, green beans and corn.
“Once again, customers showed their generosity through the Hannaford Helps Fight Hunger program, helping people who otherwise might not have enough nutritious food to eat,” said Eric Blom, Hannaford spokesman. “These donations demonstrate what a difference we can make in individual lives when we work together.”
The Hannaford Helps Fight Hunger Campaign had three parts:
- Hannaford Helps Fight Hunger Boxes: Customers purchased boxes of food staples for $10, which were donated to a local food pantry; or the customer had the option to donate the box directly to another organization. Valued at $1 million, 100,000 Fight Hunger boxes were donated to hunger relief agencies throughout Hannaford’s five state presence. Each Hannaford store determined which local food pantries to support.
- Register Donation: Customers donated money to a local food pantry at the register. The register donations totaled $66,866 throughout the Northeast, including $12,343 for the Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York.
- Buy One, Give One: Hannaford donated specific products identical to those items purchased by customers during a four-week period.
Hannaford Helps Fight Hunger has generated funds and products valued at $10.1 million since the program began in 2008. The annual campaign builds off the work that local Hannaford stores and distribution centers participate in daily. Hannaford donated nearly 26 million pounds of rescued food to Northeast hunger relief in 2018.
Democratic Candidates Announced in North Greenbush
The town Democratic Committee has chosen a slate of candidates in this fall’s election who are committed to restoring trust in town government and ending the negative headlines and State investigations which have dominated our town board for the past two years.
Leading our ticket is our Supervisor candidate Ron Sinico. Ron is a retired school administrator with 35 years-experience creating budgets and supervising as many as 100 employees in a district. Ron was the only candidate who as a retiree had the time to devote to the office and is not constrained by full-time outside employment. “You can’t run town hall from a full-time State job in Albany. You need to be here in North Greenbush”, stated Ashley.
Mr. Sinico will lead a ticket including former Troy Police Officer and PBA President Jack Rogers and Brian Law for Town Council. Together with Judge George Burke, Highway Superintendent Mark Premo, Receiver of Taxes Thomas McGrath and Town Clerk Candidate Janice Kirwin,
As Chairman, I was happy to be part of the majority that endorsed these great neighbors and citizens.
Dan Ashley
Chairman NGDC
Rensselaer County Recovery Helpline
1-833-467-3123
Do you need help with substance use issues? Are you interested in volunteering for the helpline? The Rensselaer County Recovery Helpline offers information, local resources, and referrals for individuals and their families regarding substance use issues. The toll-free line is available 7 days a week from 9am-9pm. Each volunteer chooses shifts of 4 hours at a time to be on-call. When someone calls the number, a volunteer answers on their own smartphone, and can enter information to a database on their own computer, allowing for easy and quick access to resources. The information is sent to one of the 9 leaders, who will then assist the caller. If you or someone you know needs information, resources, or a referral for a substance use problem, call 1-833-467-3123. For more information, or if you are interested in volunteering, contact Rensco.helpline@nullgmail.com
Hoosick Falls volunteer with New York Guard state defense force recognized for service
LATHAM, NY — Major General Raymond F. Shields, the Adjutant General for the State of New York, announces recent awards and individual recognitions for members of the New York Guard state defense force for their continuing commitment to serve community, state and nation as part of New York State’s Military Forces.
Chief Warrant Officer 2 Mark Folgert from Hoosick Falls, N.Y., serving with the New York Guard Headquarters, received the Medal for Humane Service.
The New York Guard is a force of 500 uniformed volunteers, organized as a military unit, who augment the New York National Guard during state emergencies.
Unlike members of the New York National Guard, New York Guard members do not have a federal military role and do not deploy outside the state. New York Guard members usually train in a volunteer status and are only paid when they are placed on state duty during emergencies.
Poestenkill Youth Summer Camp
Poestenkill Summer Camp will be held July 8th-August 2nd at Poestenkill Elementary School from 9am-4pm. Each week will be filled with field trips to a variety of locations around the Capital Region including Grafton, Billy Beez, Fun Plex, Liberty Ridge Farm, Valley Cats, Zoom Flume, etc, art projects, STEM challenges, physical activities, water activities and visitors to camp. Swim lessons will be offered at Grafton. Registration information can be found at www.bit.ly/PoestenkillYouth
Contact Town Office at 518-283-5100 with any questions. Submitted by: Tiffany Buker, Camp Director, Town of Poestenkill
Legislature to Vote on 3 Resolutions Pertaining to NYS Budget
Restoration of AIM Funding and Medicaid Reimbursements, Election Costs
Chairman Michael Stammel announced that three resolutions calling on Governor Cuomo and the NYS Senate and Assembly to make changes to the State budget cleared committees unanimously and will be voted on at the March meeting of the Legislature.
The first resolution calls on the Governor and the Legislature to restore Aid and Incentives to Municipalities (AIM) funding in the State budget. The Governor proposed cutting nearly $60 million from the funding that supports budgets in towns and villages. After facing opposition to the cuts, the Governor proposed creating a new “Internet Sales Tax” to offset his cuts.
“This new tax would shift the states burden onto local taxpayers who are already overtaxed”, said Legislator Robert Bayly.
Next, the Legislature is urging the State to reimburse counties for newly adopted changes to the election process.
“We are now being required to open and operate an early voting center for 10 days before Election Day and mandated to buy up to $300,000 worth of new electronic polling books that we have not budgeted for”, said Chair of Finance Robert Loveridge.
The third resolution urges Governor Cuomo to not cut Medicaid reimbursements to counties. The $550 million in Medicaid cuts would reduce the Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program by $75 million and result in a 0.8% cut to reimbursements to Medicaid providers.
“These cuts to Medicaid payments will hurt our volunteer ambulance crews that work on very limited funding and provide critical services in our rural areas”, said Legislator Scott Bendett.
The cuts are expected to cost ambulance providers $14M statewide.
“These Medicaid cuts would reverse the State’s investment in critical services to the elderly and those with developmental disabilities”, said Legislator Todd Tesman.
“The Legislature majority will do what we can to urge lawmakers in Albany to not hurt taxpayers in Rensselaer County. Requiring counties to buy hundreds of thousands of dollars of new electronic election equipment, long after our budget was passed, is unfair”, said Chairman Michael Stammel.
~Submitted by Rensselaer Cunty Legislature Majority
Harry J. Tutunjian
Legislative Liaison
Rensselaer County Legislature
The Capital District Genealogical Society Monthly Meeting
The Capital District Genealogical Society
Invites You to Our Monthly Meeting at the William K. Sanford Town Library (Colonie), 629 Albany-Shaker Road, Loudonville, Saturday, March 23, 2019.
Erik Schlimmer, Resident Author
The City of Albany has 800 streets, and thus as many street names. In this program, Erik takes audiences on a virtual tour of street names, weaving among war heroes, criminals, founding fathers, and Dutch settlers. This presentation is based on his recently-released book, Cradle of the Union: A Street by Street History of New York’s Capital City.
Erik is the author of six books and has written for The Trek, Mountain Biking Magazine, National Geographic Explorer, and a dozen other publications. His passion for education has been honored with the State University of New York’s Merit Award for Teaching, awarded three times, and their Outstanding Instructor of the Year Award.
1:00 Starting with Speaker
Computer Resources Group 2:30 PM
The meeting is free and open to the public. Capitaldistrictgenealogicalsociety.org
Legis. Chairman Stammel meets with residents of Van Rensselaer Heights
“Chairman of the Legislature Michael Stammel recently met with residents of Van Rensselaer Heights in Rensselaer to get their long-awaited rehabilitation project back on track.
Michael was joined by several contractors who had not been paid for their work, and by Richard Crist, who represented County Executive Steve McLaughlin”.
Cornell Cooperative Extension of Rensselaer County Thanks our Farmers
National Agriculture week is a time to recognize and celebrate the contributions of Agriculture in our everyday lives. This year, National Agriculture Week is March 10th-16th, with National Ag Day being March 14th. Cornell Cooperative Extension of Rensselaer County (CCERC) provides year-round programming to help strengthen the agriculture industry. We provide programs from farm to plate. This includes workshops, conferences and one-on-one education for farmers to improve their on-farm practices as well as consumer education through nutrition and agriculture literacy. If everyone ate following the USDA recommended “My Plate”, there would be a strong demand and market for the nutritious and safe food products that are produced by farmers. Additionally, our residents would experience increased health benefits of eating a balanced diet and increased quality of life.
Youth agriculture education is a primary focus through 4-H via community clubs, after school, school enrichment and special interest programs.
4-H is the only entity in Rensselaer County that provides comprehensive agriculture education and opportunities for youth – the future of our agriculture industry. Career exploration and providing youth the opportunity to see the vast opportunities that exist in Agriculture as a career direction are a high priority to help assure our agriculture industry remains strong in Rensselaer County and elsewhere.
We thank our farmers March 10th through the 16th as well as year-round for all their hard work in making our county a great place to live. Our farmers provide open space, strengthen wild life habitats and environment while providing us with food and fiber every day of the year. For more information about our agriculture education offerings, please go to our website at www.ccerensselaer.org or contact us at 518-272-4210.
Thank You,
Bernadine Wiesen
Executive Director
Cornell Cooperative Extension
Rensselaer County
Tracey Rex Reports to The People of Schodack
I believe staying in touch with constituents is an important part of serving in elective office. This monthly report is an example of my commitment to keeping residents informed of the activities of the Schodack Town Board. All meetings of the Town Board can be viewed live or at a later date for your convenience at https://townhallstreams.com/towns/schodack.
During February, the Town Board adopted a resolution honoring the memory of Planning Board Member Paul Puccio, a life-long Schodack resident who contributed in so many ways to our community and will be missed.
The town board authorized the appropriation of the Federal Forfeiture Reserve Fund in the amount of $16,651 to purchase 18 body cameras for the Schodack Police Department. Body-worn cameras are recording devices police officers wear as part of their uniforms to document what they see as they perform their duties.
The town board also appointed the following members to the Town of Schodack/Village of Castleton-on-Hudson Waterfront Advisory Committee: Lucas Ashby, John Hourigan, Susan Kishlicky, Robert Mello and Scott Seeberger.
Seating this committee was an important first step to reactivating the Local Waterfront Revitalization Program (LWRP) that was adopted by the Town of Schodack and Village of Castleton in 1995 to revitalize and protect the Schodack/ Castleton eight-mile long waterfront area along the easterly side of the Hudson River. I look forward to this committee identifying ways to increase public access and activities along the waterfront. I believe our waterfront area has endless potential.
I believe the work of a Town Board member goes beyond attending meetings and casting votes on resolutions. To me, it is also important to be actively engaged in our community, attending events, and supporting local organizations and good causes.
It was another busy month attending pizza and wing nights at the Schodack Valley and East Schodack Fire Companies, and the First Sunday Breakfast at the Castleton Fire Company. These wonderful community events provide residents with the opportunity to come together and enjoy great food at an affordable price. Thank you to the volunteers who make these events possible.
~Tracey Rex, Member of the Schodack Town Board
Schodack Supervisor’s Report, February ‘19
In a continuing effort to keep residents informed of my activities as well as issues pertaining to the Town, I submit to them this report for February of 2019. As always, further information can be found on the Town’s website or its social media pages by searching for Town of Schodack on Facebook or Twitter.
On January 28th, the Town received Court decision that dismissed a lawsuit brought against the Town regarding the Planning Board’s approval of the Amazon project. I have the utmost respect for the work our Planning Board and Town Engineer did in review of this and all projects brought before them and was happy to see that Judge McGrath’s decision validated those efforts. I look forward to continuing to work to support economic growth that will grow our tax base, expand infrastructure, and provide employment opportunities. It is my belief that we can accomplish this while also respecting our Town’s character and charm.
Over the past several weeks, I’ve had the honor to attend many installation banquets held by the various Fire Companies that provide coverage to our Town. Our volunteer firefighters are an integral part of our communities, who selflessly give of their time to provide help to their neighbors in hours of need. One especially moving moment was at the East Schodack Fire Company banquet where they celebrated the 50th anniversary of the inclusion of female firefighters into the company. These women were trailblazers, being the first such in Rensselaer County and only the third in the entire state. My thanks and congratulations to these amazing women.
At the February 14th Town Board meeting, a resolution was approved for the purchasing of body cameras for our police department. Having a background in Law Enforcement, I have a great deal of respect for the hard work and professionalism of our Police Force. I’ve made it a priority to work to help provide additional tools and resources to them that helps them better serve our Town. These cameras help to provide an accountability not only for officers, but of those who they interact with as well.
Hopefully, by next month, I can report that Spring is here.
~Supervisor David Harris
Calendar for Everett Wagar Senior Center
March 18 – Transportation Available
10:00 Chair Yoga
12:00 Special Lunch (Salisbury Steak)
1:00 Card and Games
March 19 – Reiki by Appt
9:30 Aerobic Swimming
12:00 Congregate Lunch (Hawaiian Turkey Burger)
1:00 Cards and Games
March 20 – Transportation Available
10:00 Chair Yoga
11:00 Eat Smart Nutrition Demonstration
12:00 Congregate lunch (Liver with Bacon/onions)
1:00 Card and Games
March 21 – Reiki by Appt
9:30 Aerobic Swimming
12:00 Congregate lunch (Meatloaf)
12:30 Stitching chicks & Crochet group
1:00 Cards and Games
March 22 Transportation Available
10:00 Chair Yoga
11:00 ‘Senior Transportation Needs’ – Carrie Ward
12:00 Congregate Lunch (Potato Crunch Pollock)
12:30 March Birthday Celebration with Trivia/Bingo
1:00 Cards and Games
Everett Wagar Senior Center (Grafton) • (518) 279-3413
Defreestville Fire Dept. Report
Though the weather is changing and gotten colder recently, one thing remaining unchanged is the Defreestville Fire Department’s service to the North Greenbush Fire District.
In February, we responded to 49 calls for service, including one structure fire. As always, regardless of the weather, we remind you to drive safely, don’t text and drive, and don’t drink and drive.
Next, at our regular March monthly meeting, DFD honored several members for various achievements over the past year.
The first award went to Captain Jason Strosberg, Lieutenants Dan Sheehan and Austin Glasser, and Firefighters Mike Lashmet and Tony Lipari as “Firefighters of the Year 2018” for their courageous actions during a fire that took place last year in Rensselear city. They represent the best of the fire service.
Firefighter Bart Galligan earned the Highest Attendance Award for responding to the most calls of any member in 2018.
Firefighter Nicholas Russo achieved the rank of Interior Firefighter, making him the newest full member in our department.
We thank all of these firefighters for their outstanding dedication to the Defreestville Fire Department and the community we serve.
In other news, on the first weekend of March, the DFD joined with our brothers and sisters in the Wynantskill Fire Department for our first combined Annual Installation Dinner since merging into one district. It was an overwhelming success with well over 200 members plus guests attending. We look forward to continuing this positive relationship in the future.
Town of Pittstown Seniors
Pittstown Seniors met on March 6th, 2019.
We had 21 members attend. After our covered dish/buffet lunch, the meeting was called to order by President Sylvia Ward.
Our next scheduled meeting is April 3rd. All meetings begin at 11:45 am with a covered dish lunch.
Topics discussed:
Offering members with hearing impairments to move closer to the front.
Having a few minutes between topics for discussion among members.
Possibility of use of a van service provided by Renss. Co. Dept. of the Aging to transport members to the Grafton senior center.
Discussion about upcoming trips.
Discussion about monthly luncheons.
Upcoming events:
Attending the annual St Patrick’s day luncheon at the Grafton Senior
We also got to meet our new director, Cindy Mattison. Welcome Cindy.
* For information about out group, please call “President” Silvia Ward, 518-478-3338.
New York State Soil and Water Conservation Committee to Meet March 18, 2019
In compliance with the Open Meetings Law, the New York State Soil and Water Conservation Committee gives notice that it will conduct a meeting on Monday, March 18, 2019 at 10 a.m.
The meeting will take place at the Department of Agriculture and Markets, Produce Room, 10B Airline Drive, Albany, N.Y.
Videoconferencing will be made available at the following location:
NYS Department of Agriculture and Markets State Fairgrounds
Agriculture Office
581 State Fair Blvd.
Syracuse, NY 13209
A recorded audiocast of the meeting will be made available on the Internet at http://www.agriculture.ny.gov/webcasting.html.
Castleton-Schodack Kiwanis Club sponsors MHHS student at leadership seminar
President Deb Charlebois with Makaila Maier
The Castleton-Schodack Kiwanis Club was proud to sponsor Maple Hill High School student Makaila Maier who attended the HOBY NY East Leadership Seminar last June. The Hugh O’Brian leadership seminar is for sophomores and includes students from all over the state. Only one sophomore per school is chosen to attend this prestigious event each year and Makaila was chosen to attend last year. She was accepted to go back this year as a Junior Staff member. For over 5 decades HOBY has inspired young people all over the world to develop their leadership and critical thinking skills to achieve their highest potential. Makaila states this conference has changed her life and helped inspire her toward a life of service. Congratulations Makaila!
Interested in joining the Kiwanis and making a difference in our community? Community members are always welcome to attend our meetings to see what we are all about. Meetings are held every Wednesday from 6:30-8pm at the Schodack Diner. Please visit our website www.castletonkiwanis.com for more information.
Beryl Moul Scholarship- Available to apply- Graduating Seniors
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 graduating high school in 2019, Rensselaer County residents (for at least 4 years), 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 deadline which includes an official High School transcript is May 1st, 2019. 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 4-H forms tab. For questions, please contact the CCE office of Rensselaer County at 518-272-4210.
Maple Hill Students of the Quarter
In an effort to recognize outstanding achievements of our students, Maple Hill Jr./Sr. High School presents each quarter a Student of the Quarter Award. Students may be nominated for this award by any staff member, a representative of a community organization, a parent or another student. Students may be nominated for a single outstanding achievement, for service to the school or community or for significant improvement in school. Each Quarter one student in each grade, 7-12, is selected for this award by a faculty committee after a review of all nominations. For the second quarter of 2018/19, the students selected to receive this recognition are: 7th – Jasleen Kaur; 8th – Jillian Randall; Freshman – Sydney Smith; Sophomore – Kyra Price; Junior – Elizabeth Merhige; Senior – Austin Barden.
Jasleen, daughter of Mr. Bhupinder Singh and Ms. Rashpal Kaur, was nominated for making an excellent transition to a new school, a new community and a new country! Here at Maple Hill Jasleen is a member of the newspaper club. In India, she would collect money for people in need. Jasleen likes having her own locker, enjoys the clubs and really likes her teachers. After high school, Jasleen would like to go to college to become a surgeon. Jillian, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Seth Randall, was nominated for being a conscientious student who always shows her Wildcat Pride! Jillian enjoys playing sports, especially soccer and softball; but has played hockey for the past 9 years. Here at Maple Hill she enjoys science, because she likes to do experiments; and math because she likes to solve problems. After high school, Jillian would like to attend Liberty University in Virginia and play for their women’s D1 Hockey team. Jillian would like to become a Physical Education teacher.
Sydney, daughter of Mr. Sidney Smith and Mrs. Rebecca Knott, was nominated for being a very organized and diligent student. Sydney has been dancing for 11 years and enjoys hip-hop, tap and jazz. Here at Maple Hill she enjoys math class because it is a challenge and she likes to figure things out. After high school, she would like to go into the field of nursing and will probably start at HVCC. Kyra, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Jerry Price, was nominated for being a wonderful student and person. She cares about her studies and does an excellent job academically. Here at Maple Hill, Kyra is a member of the Varsity bowling and tennis teams. Outside of school, she enjoys traveling and photography. After high school, she would like to be a traveling photographer and would like to attend a trade school for art.
Elizabeth, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Peter Merhige, was nominated for being a sweet and dedicated student. She works really hard and she will do anything a teacher asks of her without hesitation. Here at Maple Hill, Lizzy enjoys her Cosmetology class as she enjoys styling hair. Outside of school, she is a member of her church’s youth group. After high school, Lizzy would like to go right to work and work in a salon.
Austin, son of Mr. and Mrs. Timothy Barden, was nominated for being a dedicated student, who is quick to participate and always lends a helping hand when classmates may be struggling or have questions. Here at Maple Hill, Austin is a member of the Varsity golf, bowling and baseball teams. Outside of school, he is a member of two different bowling leagues and plays baseball. After high school, Austin is going to HVCC to study surgical technician and plans to bowl on the HVCC bowling team.
The faculty and staff wish to congratulate these students on being selected second quarter students for their respective grades.
David Keisler Attends 2019 Empire 8 Conference Summit
ELMIRA, NY — David Keisler, of Troy, NY, was one of five student-athletes from Elmira College who recently participated in the annual Empire 8 Conference Summit, held at the Woodcliff Hotel and Spa in Fairport, New York, to learn more about leadership, teamwork, and community service.
Nick Cottone ’19 (baseball), Janie Kempf ’21 (field hockey), Macy Huntley ’19 (women’s lacrosse), David Keisler ’20 (men’s lacrosse) and Taylor Hanson ’21 (women’s soccer) were among the 39 student-athletes from around the conference at this year’s E8 Summit.
This year’s keynote speaker was Johns Hopkins University’s Senior Associate Director of Athletics, Jen Baker. A United State Naval Academy graduate who spent seven years in the Navy, Baker joined Johns Hopkins following stints as Senior Manager of Corporate Real Estate, Facilities, and Operations at Under Armour and as Associate Director of Athletics for Facilities at Cornell University. She spoke on the subjects of leadership, followership, and the importance of being good at both.
Attendees at the Empire 8 Summit also heard from Houghton College’s Director of Athletics, Dr. Matthew Webb, who presented on the subject of understanding your followers as a key element of being a good leader. Following presentations, the student-athletes visited Ronald McDonald House Charities to volunteer with the organization’s upcoming spring sale.
“The best experience was volunteering for the Ronald McDonald House and seeing how appreciative they were when we finished our mission to help organize for their annual sale,” Keisler said.
In addition to volunteering together at the Ronald McDonald House, Elmira’s student-athletes worked alongside fellow athletes from each of the conference’s member schools in a variety of ice-breaker and team-building activities.
Troy local studies abroad in Argentina
LEWISTON, ME — Elizabeth Kiley-Bergen of Troy, N.Y., participated in the fall 2018 Bates College Junior Semester Abroad program.
Kiley-Bergen, who is majoring in politics and French and Francophone studies at Bates, studied in Argentina through the Institute for Study Abroad, Mendoza.
She is the daughter of Mr. J. Michael Bergen and Ms. C. Abbie Kiley of Troy, N.Y., and a 2016 graduate of Emma Willard School.
60% percent of Bates students elect to study abroad through the college’s Center for Global Education. Bates’ nationally recognized international education program offers access to academically rigorous and culturally enriching programs in more than 60 countries.
News from Averill Park CSD
Congratulations to Tom Russell, who was honored with CASDA’s 2019 Friends of Education Award! Tom was instrumental in starting the Regional Food Bank Backpack Program at Averill Park CSD. The program now encompasses all three elementary schools, as well as the middle school and high school.
The girls’ varsity basketball team won its sixth straight Section II, Class A championship. This is an amazing feat that we are all very proud of.
Many of our students participated in the Odyssey of the Mind Regional competition at Coxsackie-Athens High School, showcasing their ingenuity and spontaneous thinking. Great job by everyone involved in representing Averill Park!
As always, for the latest news from the District, please visit our website – averillpark.k12.ny.us. You can also follow AP on Facebook and Twitter.
~Submitted by Dr. James Franchini, Averill Park CSD Superintendent
Wynantskill UFSD- Register Kindergartners Now for 2018-19 School Year
Parents of children who will attend kindergarten at Gardner-Dickinson School in the fall are encouraged to register their children now. Your child must be 5 years old by Dec. 1, 2019 to attend kindergarten in September.
To register, parents are asked to call Ms. Fazioli at 518-283-4600 ext. 10, between 8:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.
Forms and registration information are also available at www.wynantskillufsd.org.
Registering your child for kindergarten now will make sure your child is ready to start the school year by ensuring all the necessary paperwork is on file. It also helps Wynantskill UFSD plan for the upcoming school year by providing school officials a better estimate of how many kindergarteners will attend school.
EGCSD Announces School Budget Meeting Schedule
All members of the community are invited to learn more about East Greenbush Central School District’s proposed budget for the 2019-20 school year by attending one of the many budget meetings offered this spring.
Superintendent Jeff Simons and Assistant Superintendent for School Business Finance Lawrence Edson Jr. will host 10 budget information sessions as well as a public hearing before the Budget Vote and Board Election on Tuesday, May 21. Please visit www.egcsd.org/budget to view the meeting schedule.
Spring forward…and join the Nassau Sunshine Fund
Want to help your Nassau neighbors?
Looking for a way to do something important that requires a minimal time commitment?
Spring forward and join us as a board member of the Nassau Sunshine Fund.
For ten years, we’ve been helping our neighbors during times of financial strain by providing no-interest loans (maximum $500). Because we are a local organization, we only accept loan requests from residents of the town and the villages of Nassau. We’ve been doing it for ten years. Interested? Want more information? Please, contact us at
nassausunshinefund@nullgmail.com.
GET INVOLVED, BE A PART OF IT!!
Thrift Shop
The volunteers at the Church of the Redeemer Thrift Shop work hard to provide a clean, well-organized shopping experience. The shop has a very large selection of clothing for all sizes and ages, baby equipment, toys, games, puzzles, jewelry, knick-knacks, household goods, Avon collectibles, PROM DRESSES. There is sure to be something for everyone from the amazing assortment of one-of-a-kind items. Ask to see our handicapped equipment.
The thrift shop has earned an excellent reputation by offering quality merchandise at very low prices. The shop will be open Thursday,
March 14th, from 3 to 6; and Saturday, March 16th, from 9 to 2, weather permitting.
Located at 1249 Third Street, Rensselaer, the building is on CDTA busline #214. Enter through the parking lot on the Catherine Street side and be pleasantly surprised.