by Kieron Kramer
“Quite a family” were the words that District 5 County Legislator Stan Brownell used to describe the family of Wilma Anderson of Berlin when they appeared Tuesday evening in the Legislative Chamber to receive copies of the resolution passed last month that honored her memory. Wilma M. Anderson died on Wednesday, March 25.
Brownell read the resolution to the family while the other District 5 Legislator, Lester Goodermote, looked on. The Legislators represent the towns of Berlin, Petersburgh, Grafton, Stephentown, Hoosick and the Village of Hoosick Falls. The resolution honored Anderson because she was “a woman who gave unselfishly of her time and effort to worthy causes throughout our beloved County.”
According to the resolution, “Wilma was born in Poestenkill to her late parents Raymond H. and Pearl E. Horton Miller, and many years ago she and her late husband John moved to Berlin. For more than thirty years, Wilma enjoyed her career and was currently employed in the Sales Department of W. J. Cowee…as an active member of her community she was a member for many years of the Berlin Fire Department and Berlin Rescue Squad and was currently serving as squad captain. She was a state-certified EMT and served in many capacities in the Department. Wilma was also the Secretary-Treasurer of the Board of Fire Commissioners, a member of the Board of Directors and was active in all aspects of the emergency services…for her service to her community Wilma was awarded many accolades, including EMS Person of the Year 2004, Employee of the Year 2000 of W.J. Cowee and special recognition from then-Gov. George Pataki in 2002 as a Woman Sustaining the American Spirit, as well as many more too numerous to mention.” The resolution ended by saying that the Legislature is “fully confident that her contributions to her community will live on to serve as a legacy for all.”
Brownell said that when he talked to the Berlin Fire Department members about Wilma Chief Billy Osterhout said, “I don’t know what we will do without Wilma.” He also mentioned that the window in the side of the Rescue Squad ambulance that she wanted is transcribed with “Wilma’s Window.”
The Rensselaer County Legislature concluded its deliberations at the April Legislative Session in memory of Wilma M. Anderson and extended its deepest sympathy to her family – her children, Rusty and wife Denise, Sheila and husband Tom McHugh, Billy, Susan and husband Glenn, Nancy and husband Joe, Karen and husband Ron, Patty and husband Joel and Michael and his daughter Tiarma, 20 grandchildren, 14 great grandchildren, her siblings Arlene and husband Al, David and Deborah and husband Paul. Yes, quite a family.
One of Wilma’s daughters addressed the Legislature. “Our mother was a very humble woman who would be so surprised by this honor,” she said. “We didn’t know until her death how many awards and honors she has because she never told us. As much as we are missing her there are so many up and down the valley who are missing her as well.”
William Lobdell
A resolution In Memoriam of William Lobdell was also passed at April’s Session and his family came into the Chamber to receive copies of the resolution honoring him. William F. Lobdell died on Monday, March 23. According to the resolution he was born in Troy and was a graduate of Averill Park High School, Class of 1952. He was a self-employed contractor most of his life at William F. Lobdell & Sons and was blessed with a natural instinct for engineering and the ability to fix or create nearly anything. He was a former councilman on the Nassau Town Board and an active member of the Grafton Baptist Church where he served as a Deacon and a Sunday school teacher.
Robichaud And Burns
A resolution commending Taylor Robichaud and Jeremy Burns upon a championship wrestling season was also passed in April, and Taylor and his parents appeared in the Chamber for the presentation.
Burns was not in attendance. Brownell made the presentation with Goodermote looking on. “I am in tune through Coach McCabe with what you have accomplished this year and all the hard work you have put in,” said Brownell of Robichaud and Burns.
The two wrestlers from Hoosick Falls represented the HFCS team for the first time in a decade at the New York State Championships. According to the resolution, Taylor Robichaud and Jeremy Burns took part in a two day tournament that saw 480 wrestlers vie for 30 State Championships. Taylor won the 160 pound weight class at the Section 2 State Qualifier, entering the tournament seeded third. In the quarterfinals he defeated Ryan Darch of Batavia. Losing in the semifinals, Taylor wound up his season with an impressive record of 35-6. Jeremy Burns was given a wild card entry after finishing third in the 189 pound weight class at States last year and second in the Section 2 State Qualifier; he entered the tournament seeded seventh. Jeremy defeated Jon Glennon advancing him to the semifinals where he won a very difficult match of overtimes, sending him to the State Championship match. With a second place finish he ended his senior year with an impressive record of 34-5.
Leona Goodermote
A resolution adjourning the Rensselaer County Legislative meeting in fond memory of Leona E. Goodermote was passed in February. It said, “…It is with particularly deep sadness that we conclude this evening’s deliberations in honor of a truly respected member of the community…On Tuesday, the sixteenth day of December in the year Two thousand eight, Leona E. Goodermote left this world to enter another…It is the collective sense of this Legislature that the life of Leona E. Goodermote be memorialized and eulogized, for she was respected and admired by all who had the privilege to make her acquaintance and even more so by the many who could call her their friend.”
The resolution concluded, “The Rensselaer County Legislature concludes its deliberations in memory of Leona E. Goodermote and extends its deepest sympathy to her family, fully confident that her contributions to her community will live on to serve as a legacy for all.”
On Tuesday the family of Leona Goodermote entered the Chamber to be presented with the resolution honoring her. Leona’s son Legislator Lester Goodermote, his sister, Marla Nowak, his son, Lester, and his nephew, Christopher Whittet, listened to Stan Brownell read the resolution and add some personal comments about his colleague’s mother. “Getting to know Leona as I did, she was quite a lady; we’re very sorry,”
Brownell said. An emotional Lester Goodermote accepted the copy of the resolution honoring his mother. “Thank you for recognizing my mother,” he said. “She has been more than a mother, she has been a friend.”
Honoring Senior Airman Daniel Baker
In April a resolution commending Senior Airman Daniel Baker upon receiving the Air Force Achievement Medal was passed. Senior Airman Daniel Baker of Cropseyville received the Air Force Achievement Medal for doing an outstanding job during his deployment to Joint Base Balad, Iraq. He has also been awarded Airmen of the Year for the 423rd Group and is at the RAF Alconbury/ UK base.
Odds And Ends From April
The Environmental Conservation Law of the State of New York, known as the Fish and Wildlife Management Act, established regional boards of volunteer representatives appointed by county governments, including delegates representing sportsmen, a landowner and a legislator, to “obtain on privately owned or leased lands and waters of the State practices of fish and wildlife management which will preserve and develop the fish and wildlife resources and improve access to them for recreational purposes. Paul Hyde of Tate Road in Hoosick Falls was appointed Sportsman Delegate and Edward Sukuskas of River Road, Hoosick Falls, was appointed Alternate Sportsman at the April meeting to the Region 4 Fish and Wildlife Management Board for a two-year term commencing January 1, 2009, and ending December 31, 2010.
Hoosick Falls Bus Route
The Legislature authorized the County Executive to apply for funding from the NYS DOT pursuant to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 for the purchase of one bus for the route between Hoosick Falls and Albany. The bus will cost approximately $140,000 and the expenditure will be reimbursed 100%.
At Tuesday’s Legislative Session five resolutions were passed that bear directly on eastern Rensselaer County.
Garfield Road Bridge
One resolution authorized a project for the rehabilitation or replacement of the bridge on Garfield Road (CR 26) over Black Brook in Stephentown. The apportionment of the costs of the project will be borne at the ratio of 80% in Federal funds and 20% in non-Federal funds. The Rensselaer County Highway Department budget was amended by this resolution in order to accept available funding from the State and Federal governments. The County committed funds to begin the preliminary engineering and right-of-way incidentals in the amount of $284,000.
Grafton Tower Generator
A resolution authorizing the execution of a contract for the purchase and installation of a new Grafton radio tower site generator passed Tuesday. A legislative grant for $28,000 from the New York State Senate will pay for most of the generator which will provide back-up in case of a power failure. The bid for $28,920 from Tech Electric, 570 Hudson River Road, Waterford, NY, was accepted for the cost of the purchase and installation of a new generator and a three year extension of the manufacturer’s warranty will cost $575 for a total cost not to exceed $29,495.
Farmland Protection Program In Petersburgh Extended
In 2007 the County of Rensselaer applied to the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets for funding to purchase agricultural conservation easements in Rensselaer County under said Department’s Farmland Protection Program and was awarded $621,793 for the purpose of purchasing conservation easements on the Evergreen and Maple Lane Farms in the Town of Petersburgh, including related costs. The initial contract period was October 20, 2006, to March 31, 2009. The end date of that contract has subsequently been extended to March 31, 2010. The contract with the Agricultural Stewardship Association, Inc. (ASA) has also been extended to March 31, 2010.
Scholar Recognition
As usual at this time of year a resolution commending recipients of the 2009 Annual Scholars Recognition Awards from Rensselaer County Schools recognized the accomplishments of some exceptional high school seniors along with those who have a role in educating, motivating and cultivating them. The Business and Education Partnership, established in 1987, asks public, private, parochial and BOCES high schools within an eleven county radius to identify their outstanding graduating seniors and honors these select high school seniors and their teachers each year. The selection is based upon achievements in scholarship, leadership, citizenship and service. Each student then identifies the teacher who has had the most significant influence on him or her. Teachers chosen several times over the years of the program are especially honored. The Scholars Recognition Program celebrates academic excellence by honoring chosen scholars and parents, as well as the selected teachers, at an annual dinner. Selected teachers are later invited to participate in the Select Seminar on Excellence in Education.
The students and teachers selected from the Eastwick area are Marlee Blasenheim and teacher Randy Frey and Lydia Rebehn and teacher James McPartland from Averill Park HS, Ency Burhans and teacher Dianne Mosher from Berlin HS, Samantha Merwin and teacher David Hammond from Hoosick Falls HS and Corinne Wilson and teacher Ron Geuther from Tamarac HS.
Mortgage Tax Distribution
A resolution providing for the distribution of mortgage tax was passed at this session. The Rensselaer County Clerk has paid the Chief Fiscal Officer $1,544,487.68 which represents the local share of mortgage tax collection for the period October 1, 2008, to March 31, 2009. This is a decrease of more than $400,000 from last year. The sum is due and owing to the cities, towns and villages of Rensselaer County. Municipalities in eastern Rensselaer County will receive the following amounts:
current last year
Berlin $10,981 $13,527.84
Brunswick $156,055.86 $195,132.69
Grafton $25,031.20 $39,289.29
Hoosick $41,258.31 $56,874.09
Village of Hoosick Falls $8,486.46 $11,690.21
Nassau $34,732.58 $42,177.60
Village of Nassau $3,800.99 $5,066.37
Village of East Nassau $2,381.24 $2,900.05
Petersburgh $13,989.91 $14,498.10
Pittstown $52,298.20 $63,354.67
Poestenkill $58,999.72 $61,412.12
Sand Lake $124,970.56 $144,585.51
Stephentown $20,629.96 $36,355.34.