Saturday April 20, 2024 
No “Party Barn” for Barnes Road!
To: The Planning Board:
My wife and I have resided for over 30 years on Barnes Road. We moved here to find a quiet, rural street to raise our two children. Several of our neighbors own horses and a farmer has cows on the street. On summer evenings we enjoy sitting outside enjoying the quiet, the trees, the breezes and the quiet. Unfortunately, our neighbor Mr. Ken Bailey at 204 Barnes Rd.is now seeking a zoning variance to build a “event barn”. He seeks to have events from May to October with parking for 175 cars. So he hopes to have as many as 400 to 500 people come each weekend to our street bringing traffic, noise, and music late into the night, thereby destroying our quiet evenings. How is this a benefit to his and our community? We understand he wants something to do in his retirement; however, a commercial venue on this scale is not in keeping with the street and surrounding area. At the other end of the road, we already suffer additional traffic when June Farms is operating. If the party barn were operating today, we would not purchase a house on this road on which to raise our children.
My wife and I strongly oppose this variance.
Sincerely,
Winston Hagborg
Deborah Dewey
West Sand Lake
Spring Tonic
A long, hard winter
Kinda wears a man down;
Puts him in need of a tonic
To perk up his body and nourish his soul.
Best choice by far is a meal of fried trout;
Brookies, fresh caught from a mountain stream,
Sided by a slightly wilted salad
Of fresh picked dandelion greens.
First, fry up a batch of good bacon
And save the grease;
Use a tablespoon or two for your salad
And the rest to fry your fish.
Dry coat the trout for frying
With flour and cornmeal.
Add some crumbled bacon and sweet onion to your greens;
Toss with a dressing of vinegar and warm bacon grease.
Fry your trout to a crispy brown;
Serve with that salad and hot, black coffee.
Trust me……
You will feel much better after a meal like this!!
Lloyd Barnhart, West Sand Lake
A Note of Thanks
I wanted to write a brief note of thanks to the many public service employees in our area who are working from home. Helping to stop the spread of COVID 19. In March, Governor Cuomo issued the order that all non essential State and Local employees should work from home for safety reasons. To make sure that New York residents services and public benefits continue uninterrupted.
Employees like my wife ,who is employed at the Office of Temporary Disability Services or OTDA. Now uses our living room as her office. Along with our phones,internet service, printer and laptops. New York State is supplementing payments to those persons eligible. To amend some for loss of work hours and benefits. This is is in conjunction with the Federal government’s stimulus bill passed recently. Her hours are well past the usual schedule. Recently, this included time spent on Easter. Working on-call with other state employees via teleconference. These efforts behind the scene keeps our computer and communication systems running as best as possible during this pandemic.
Thanks to all, for this effort to minimize the disruption to our lives this health crisis is causing.
Jon Leach, Wynantskill
Councilwoman Sabo Responds to False Allegations
I am responding to the allegations in the April 16, 2020 Advertiser from North Greenbush Democratic Chair Dan Ashley. Chairman Ashley accuses me of disloyalty. However, the chair of the Democratic party in town should support Democratic elected officials and recognize their accomplishments, not actively undermine them at every opportunity. Instead of continuing his attacks on me, he should focus on my achievements, many of which I achieved as a one person minority. In the over two years I have sat on the town board, Chairman Ashley has never praised me publicly for the following accomplishments
• Fostering transparency in town government through writing monthly articles in the Advertiser, updating constituents on town happenings on my Facebook page (the town still does not have its own official page) and working with Councilman Jack Rogers to implement live streaming of town meetings
• Promoting trail development in the RPI tech park
• Spearheading the town’s certification as a Climate Smart Community and leading a committee composed of town staff and community leaders to complete a Climate Sustainability Assessment with the assistance of the Cornell Cooperative Extension.
That’s why the North Greenbush Democratic party needs new leadership.
Submitted by Mary Frances Sabo
It’s All Good In My Neighborhood
I racewalk around my neighborhood every day
As I continue to pray
The view is spectacular and the sun warms my face
I’m realizing now how much I treasure this place
A kind woman greets me as her dog prances
By looking proud
I utter some funny words and I feel happy
Because I made her laugh out loud
There’s a man helping his son draw a rainbow
On the ground
If you look with your heart you can
See that there’s love all around
The boys are out playing basketball
I miss a free throw and use the excuse
That I’m not that tall
I stop briefly to check on my neighbor
Sitting on the porch, she brags about being eighty one
And she’s still having fun
I pray for each of them as I pass by their home
Because with the Lord I know we are never alone
I’m nearing the end of my journey, so
I begin to sprint down my street
I have God by my side and my life is totally complete
Donna Masters, Troy
Recipe For Happiness
2 parts of Love
3 parts Joy
4 parts Faith
3 pinches of Smiles
1 smidgen of Hope
Mix all ingredients together and sprinkle with
Prayer before serving
Serving size: unlimited, but please be kind
And share it with your family and friends
Calories: 0
Serve immediately, pairs well with laughter
It will store good and last indefinitely
Use whenever you feel a case of the blues
Coming on it will uplift your mind
And renew your soul
Donna Masters, Troy
Whack a Mole
Its seems from reading some of the political editorials posted here that political truth only matters if it serves to further cement an already held personal belief. Proving your right, which seems to be the end game here, does little to make any situation better. Respectful political discourse in itself is harmless. What’s the point, if you choose to do nothing productive with the result?
For example, using your political truth to better your community in some way serves purpose. Otherwise, all that is happening is a game of ideological whack a mole.
History shows that no one set of ideas have cornered the market on what’s right. For example, take an objective view of this current crop of Republicans and so-called conservatives. There’s plenty to write about. Instead of just cherry picking examples from Liberals or Democrats.
When someone chooses to promote the virtues of some ideology over another. Making claims that liberal thinking is somehow detrimental or even dangerous to young Americans is laughable and insulting. Have you seen the flourishing web sites of the extreme right lately? Can’t find one? Look no further than to Steven Miller, Trumps aide in the White House for some pointers. Or perhaps try the Evangelical Right that has sold out its principals to support the most amoral person to ever sit in the Oval office. Even as we all try to survive the stress of a global pandemic. Take a moment to consider the anemic and self- serving response from this Republican president. Whose self-absorbed lack of leadership and empathy is costing American lives every day. If your goal is to convince someone of a certain truth, try leaving the bias out and let truth stand on its own.
Jon Leach Wynantskill