Friday April 19, 2024 
Run Once
It takes a village…
On behalf of Community, Work & Independence, Inc. and Tri-County United Way, we would like to thank everyone who volunteered, collected food donations, donated to and sponsored the Sixth Annual Stuff the Bus Food Drive that took place on November 1-2 at Price Chopper/Market 32 in Queensbury. Thanks to everyone’s efforts, the food drive raised 8.34 tons of food to benefit 20 food pantries in Warren, Washington and Northern Saratoga Counties! This was double the amount collected last year.
They say it takes a village and we agree. In June, the Stuff the Bus Planning Committee comprised of volunteers from our two agencies as well as the Family Association of Glens Falls, LEAP, Moreau Community Center, NBT Bank, Open Door Mission, Salvation Army and Washington County DSS began to plan the food drive.
In early October, 75 CWI day program participants and staff prepared food collection bins to deliver to 65 area business sites to collect food three weeks prior to the food drive and pick them up once filled. In addition, some of these individuals spent multiple days at Price Chopper/Market 32 prepackaging $5 and $10 bags of food for customers to buy and donate. Kudos to CWI’s Transit Connection team for providing the buses used to collect food donations.
Hats off to the many businesses who collected food donations prior to the food drive (visit www.cwinc.org for a complete list). Special thanks to the Golub Corporation for being our site sponsor for the food drive held at their Price Chopper/Market 32 store for the sixth consecutive year. The managers and staff provided outstanding support, supplied boxes to use as food collection bins, and items for the prepackaged bags.
Special thanks to our sponsors: NBT Bank, Stored Tech, Jaeger & Flynn Associates, Glens Falls National Bank & Trust Co., G&S Printing, Hank’s Quality Flooring, Just-a-Buck Queensbury, M&M Digital Printing, Six Flags Great Escape Theme Park, and media sponsor Adirondack Broadcasting. We are grateful to the Kingsbury Volunteer Hose Company for allowing us to use their space for the pantries to pick up food donations as well as the SUNY Adirondack baseball team for help unloading food from buses. Last but not least, our sincere thanks to the 105 volunteers from the tri-county region who took time out from their busy schedules to help.
As you can see, it does take a village. By uniting to curb hunger, we are strengthening our community and making the holidays brighter for those struggling to put food on the table.
Our sincerest thanks,
Mark Donahue, CEO/President CWI, Inc.
Duane Vaughn, Executive Director Tri-County United Way”
Run Once
Holiday Message to Averill Park Fire Dept.
At this special time of year, the Board of Fire Commissioners of Averill Park- Sand Lake Fire District #2 would like to thank the men and women of the Averill Park- Sand Lake Volunteer Fire Department for their dedication and service to the community, and wish them a safe and happy holiday season. Fire Chief Paul Glasser, Jr. and Assistant Fire Chief Jason Robelotto lead this dedicated group of firefighters and firematic support personnel. Through continual training and hard work, our all-volunteer fire department responds to any fire related emergency, serious medical emergency, motor vehicle crashes, and various other calls for assistance as needed. These volunteers are the backbone of the service we provide. They always answer the call when requested. If you are an Averill Park –Sand Lake resident, please join with us to thank and support our local volunteer fire department. The Board of Fire Commissioners wishes everyone a safe and happy holiday.
Marty Andrews
Chairman Board of Fire Commissioners
Averill Park – Sand Lake Fire District # 2
12/13/2019 – 01/10/2020
Private Tour – Athens and the Aegean Sea
Have you ever wanted to explore Greece and some of its islands? Several spots are still open on our private tour of Greece July 21-July 30, 2022. Explore Athens and Delphi with a private tour director. Cruise to Samos, Rhodes, Crete and Cape Sounion with three shore excursions included. This trip includes Round-trip airfaire, hotels, guided tours, full-time tour director, breakfast and dinner daily, 4-day Aegean Cruise with cabin (lunch and non-alcoholic drink package also included on ship) and more.
For a complete itinerary with pricing please contact Mike Mensching at senor65@nullaol.com
Anytime
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 Renscohelpline@nullgmail.com
Feel Good
Run Once
Memoirs of an Amnesiac: City Sidewalks
My earliest memories of Christmas shopping predate Amazon.com, of course–and even malls like Colonie Center. When I was a little kid, my whole family would pile into the car and head to downtown Albany or Troy. Christmas shopping meant crowded sidewalks. And for every step my parents took, I took two.
I knew we were entering Albany when we passed under the huge RCA dog on top of a tall building. But more often we drove to Troy, which also had a bustling downtown. I recall three or four busy department stores. At least one had an escalator; but even the elevators were classy, each with a full-time attendant. When we got foot-sore, it was fun to take a break at the lunch counter in Woolworth’s.
The ultimate in department stores was Montgomery (“Monkey”) Ward in Menands, at least seven stories tall. Customers came from as far away as Connecticut. I remember squeezing through a dense crowd, holding my Dad’s hand on the way in–but somebody else’s on the other side. Still not sure how that happened.
Department stores were great for grown-ups, but how were little kids supposed to shop for their parents? I couldn’t very well head to Troy by myself, even though there was a bus from Averill Park in those days. Luckily, we had Ray Eastman’s Variety Store and Ben Silberg’s Park Pharmacy, each a treasure-trove of gifts in my price range. One year I bought Mom a Cross ballpoint pen which she used for decades. Ben Silberg even sold Hardy Boys books, my preferred literary genre back then. Finally, some of my Elementary School teachers set aside class-time for making our own cards and gifts. My crowning achievement was a model of our house made out of sugar cubes and icing mortar. Truly a gift that kept on giving!
Gifts were a big deal when I was a kid, but now I look forward to cards. I love staying in touch with old friends.
Ron McKee, Averill Park