Friday April 19, 2024 
Just another tax!
Dear Poestenkill Resident:
It is time to pay attention to what Town Hall is doing. My school tax bill just showed up and it shows a greater than 6% increase. Now some members of the Town Board are hell bent on adding insult to injury by imposing an ambulance district on town residents adding another tax on to the town tax bill. Granted, this in and of itself is not a lot of money only $100-$200 to your Town Tax. However, added to all the other taxes that are certain to go up in 2021 and 2022 it will hurt. It will hurt those least able to pay the most. This is the wrong move at the wrong time.
And for what? Mohawk Ambulance currently serves the town and does so without a subsidy from the Town. The Fire Company has a corps of First Responders that are usually on the scene and providing aid within minutes? The Town has not done a single study that establishes that paying will improve service.
Those in support say, this will be put up to the voters. When? At a general election or snuck into a special district election that few will know about and even less will participate in?
Speak up at the public hearing scheduled for September 17, 2020 (https://townpoestenkill.digitaltowpath.org:10299/content/ ) @7PM at the VFW.
Dominic Jacangelo, Averill Park
Yearn To Learn
Education is something we take for granted
It’s how the seeds of wisdom are planted
Everyone has the opportunity to make the world better
You need not be rich or a trend setter
Just put your mind to the test
And let your ambition and goals do the rest
Don’t worry about which school or the cost of tuition
What’s important is that your dreams come to fruition
The world should instill complete dedication
To the significance of education
It’s said that the more you learn the more you earn
Great minds took special attention
To develop each and every invention
For without a filament we would be without light
Left to wander around aimlessly into the night
If it wasn’t for the wheel their wouldn’t be a car
And mankind wouldn’t get very far
There would be no planes in the sky
If man didn’t have the courage to fly
Nothing is as impossible as it seems
Great ideas sometimes require elaborate schemes
A wise man uses his brain, for it is better
To discern, than it is to complain
Knowledge frees us from the chains of adversity
And protects us from calamity
Remember to ask for wisdom from the Lord above
And teach everyone the attributes of kindness and love
Donna Masters, Troy
To all voters:
Here is a way to become involved this presidential election season:
WHO: a registered Democrat at least 18 years old
WHAT: become a poll inspector
WHERE: at one of the four polling sites in the Town of Nassau
WHEN: Tues., Nov. 3rd plus training session (approx. 2 hours)
WHY: paid $200 for Nov.3rd and pro rata for training time
HOW: contact Pat Piniazek, chair of the Town of Nassau’s Democrats, at 518 577-0491 or patpen1018@nullgmail.com for answers to your questions , and schedule re training sessions.
See you at the Polls,
Judi Markessinis, Town of Nassau
Voting in the Time of Covid-19
Many will agree voting this year is more important than ever, but quite possibly more confusing than ever. Basically, in New York State, there are three ways to exercise your civic duty – in person, early voting and voting by absentee ballot.
Voting in person on Election Day remains an option. Here in Nassau, I understand all four usual town voting sites will be staffed and operational on Tuesday, November 3rd from 6 am – 9 pm.
Early voting will also be available Saturday, October 24 through Sunday, November 1. The closest location for Nassau voters will be the Schodack Town Hall on Columbia Turnpike (US Rt.20,) opposite Tractor Supply. Early voting results will be included in Election Day totals.
Finally, absentee voting will be available. You must request an Absentee Ballot from the Rensselaer County Board of Elections. This can be done by calling the Board at 518-270-2990. Note – Tuesday, October 27th is the last day you may submit your request to receive a ballot. The Board of Elections notes they have been notified by the Post Office delivery cannot be guaranteed unless your ballot request is mailed 15 days in advance of October 27th.
One final note – in New York State you must be registered in advance to vote – Applications must be postmarked no later than October 9, 2020 and received by a board of elections no later than October 14, 2020 to be eligible to vote in the General Election. These votes will be tallied after Election Day.
I urge everyone to vote.
Kurt Vincent, Nassau
Sometimes I Still Wonder
Sometimes I still wonder
about the man I’d be
If you had never spent
so much time with me
You helped give me life
showed me how to love
Always to depend on
the man up above
You taught me to keep my word
and how to stand tall
Know when to walk away
and how to get up after I fall
All alone with four kids
but with God by your side
You lived your entire life
with dignity and pride
Not a boys traditional role model
but I would never find another
because the best man for the job
just happened to be my Mother
Sometimes I still wonder
about the man I’d be
If you had never spent
so much time with me
Walter De BELL, Troy
We Did It Again
We did a lot of fishing this summer,
My young grandson and I.
Some weeks, we fished 5-6
Days out of seven !
We caught wild brook trout
In cold mountain streams;
We caught panfish for fun and to eat
From local lakes and ponds.
We caught really big smallmouth bass
in a nearby river.
And….the cellar steps
Went unpainted..!!
We did a lot of exploring: Creeks…
For frogs crabs, hellgramites and other critters;
Forest and field, scouting for
Deer, rabbits and turkeys…
And the garage floor, with all its flaws
Went unpatched and got worse.
We ate hot dog lunches
At local convenience stores.
We enjoyed snacks and drinks
in my truck, streamside or out in the woods.
And, all the while, necessary home maintenance
Projects were ignored and piled up.
And, now, as summer ends, I think….
We made all the right choices..!!
Lloyd Barnhart, West Sand Lake
It’ll be like talking to the wall!
First of all, as a veteran who shed blood in defense of what are supposed to be our liberties as a free people in this country, let me commend Councilman Hass and Councilwoman Butler for having the guts to stand up as our representatives in town government in the Town of Poestenkill in defense of our rights as citizens of the Town of Poestenkill with respect to this huge expenditure of our tax dollars for a proposed ambulance district, which the town does not need and cannot afford, especially when the existing system is not broken or deficient in any way that has been articulated by “Jacangelo Gang” members Harold Van Slyke and Eric Wohlleber, who incidentally now holds a new town record for the highest score achieved on a field sobriety test, or Supervisor Hammond, as opposed to being cowardly “kneelers” who not standing for anything, will instead fall for anything, such as this ambulance district.
And I would then like to commend Poestenkill resident Lou Basle for his recent Advertiser letter calling on all Poestenkill residents to turn out in force at the September 17th town board meeting to demand that Hammond, Van Slyke and Wohlleber defend their thesis and justify with facts why this change is needed, not only now, but at all.
Having experience with all three prior to this, it is my feeling that speaking out to these three, two of whom epitomize towering arrogance on the part of supposed “public officials” coupled with a callous disregard for the rights of the residents of this town while the third epitomizes gross ignorance, at this September 17th town board meeting will be no different than addressing your concerns about the proposed ambulance district to some shrubs in your yard or a wall of your garage, which is why everyone in the town should be in attendance, to “watch the show” and witness the contempt these three hold you in.
And then ask yourself this: how on earth did we get stuck with these three?
Where did we go so wrong.
Paul Plante, Averill Park
Memoirs of an Amnesiac: What’s in a Name?
Have you ever met someone who might be a long-lost relative? It happened to me when I was at college in Montreal, starting a new French course.
It was the first day of the semester, and the professor was checking attendance, attaching faces to names. She called out, “Ann McKee?” From the front row where I was sitting, I looked around but didn’t see a hand in the air. So I raised mine. I knew that French people tend to mispronounce non-French names (just as English speakers sometimes mangle foreign names). Or maybe there was a typo on her list. The professor leaned towards me with a wry smile and asked, “Is your name Ann?” I answered, “More or less.”
Unbeknownst to me, the real Ann McKee was sitting right behind me. That’s why I never saw her hand go up. After class she and I chatted, and I learned that she was from Toronto, where my Dad was born. According to legend, Dad’s father had had two families; Dad was the product of his father’s second marriage. We knew very little about the first one. Could it be that I was related to Ann?
The question remained up in the air for years, until my brother researched our family tree in detail, including that mystery branch. Ann wasn’t on that branch or any other which we could see.
What happened to her? She soon dropped that French course, and I lost track of her. Maybe the classroom wasn’t big enough for two McKees.
Ron McKee, Averill Park
To the Citizens of West Sand Lake,
My name is Kaylie, I am fifteen years old and I am one of the residents of Barnes Road. I have lived on Barnes Road for my entire life, surrounded by open fields, forest, and several ponds. For those of you who have not heard, there is a plan to put a commercial party barn in an agriculturally zoned area. Does it make sense that a business could be put right in the middle of an agricultural road? My answer to that question is no and I have several reasons to support my answer. My first reason that the party barn should not be constructed is specifically because Barnes Road is agricultural. There are over five farms on our road ranging between livestock, equestrian and crop production. A party barn on our road would not fit in with the agricultural environment. We would not appreciate the music, talking and alcohol that would be the byproduct of the events. It is very easy to hear sounds from even a half a mile away. I can hear our neighbors talking on their porch or giving riding lessons up the road. Because of the noise our animals would not be able to get the proper quality of rest. The equines work hard during the day doing lessons, driving, jumping and ground work. Another reason many of us within the community do not support the party barn is because of the possibility of our animals being physically hurt. The animals can wander into the road if they get out and it would be easy for someone attending the events, who doesn’t know the road, to hit one on accident. The majority of the traffic on our road are people who use it to get to work every day. We also have large farm equipment crossing and driving on the road, which makes it dangerous for cars due to blind spots and curves located in several places. I hope that my reasons for not supporting the party barn have inspired you to join our fight. We all love our animals and we would hate for them to be negatively impacted by a commercial building put on an agricultural road.
Submitted by Shari Mantini, West Sand Lake
Lets Play “Football”
The leaves are turning stunning hews of orange
The air is crisp thus begins fall
It’s time for the men of steel to put on their
Helmets And pads to play football
The fans wear peculiar makeup and funky clothes
What they were thinking, only God knows
They gather in groups like the dog pound
Where human canines and fake bones can be found
The hearty players run up to the line
The first hike is made after the whistle is blown
The fans anxiously wait for the ball to be thrown
The quarterback scrambles for his life
Trying to avoid a sack which leads to strife
Many successful players give the Lord the glory
Showing how faith and prayer tell a happy story
The sport requires dedication and determination
This captures everyone’s imagination
Every play is planned with extreme precision
Yet circumstances require they make a quick decision
They play no matter what the weather
Rain cold and even snow
Players slip and slide and put on a good show
The crowd is loyal and stays till the end of the game
Because life without football wouldn’t be the same
You take out your team jersey to wear
Because you hope its lucky, if not, it shows you care
The game is so close its coming down to a field goal
You pray it goes in and doesn’t hit the pole
The kick is up and it is …….. good !
The game ended just the way you hoped it would
Some fans are glad, yet others are sad
Either way there is another game next week
Football is always an adventure that I shall seek
Donna Masters, Troy
I Gleam
As a young boy
I’d scream
As a teenager
I’d scheme
As a young man
I’d dream
As an older man
I gleam
Walter De BELL, Troy