by Kieron Kramer
When Carl and Cynthia Greene of Berlin appeared in the well of the Rensselaer County Legislature Tuesday evening to receive a copy of the resolution passed last month recognizing their NYS 2009 Young Farmer Achievement Award, it was revealed that they had also finished in the top ten of young farmers competing on the national level at the American Farm Bureau Federation Convention in Seattle in January. The competition rewards young farmers, ages 18-35, for their agricultural pursuits and leadership within the community. Vice Chairman of the Legislature Stan Brownell, representing District 5, District 5 Legislator Lester Goodermote and Legislator Ken Herrington from Troy made the presentation. It was Herrington, a farmer, who announced the Greenes’ top ten finish. He said, “This is quite an accomplishment; there are a lot of farmers in the US.”
Carl Greene is a partner with his father and brother in the Mapledale Farm, a 400-cow dairy farm in Berlin where he is responsible for labor management, cow health and reproduction and CAFO regulatory compliance. Cynthia Greene is responsible for farm tours, community relations and office assistance. But as Brownell said, “They wear many hats, and they have four children as well.” Carl Greene is also the Deputy Town Supervisor in Berlin. In an interview after the Legislative session Goodermote said how important it is to have young people in farming and in public service. Herrington had commented during the presentation that the average age of farmers in this country is 56.
Small farming is a lot of work with little monetary reward. Goodermote had asked Greene before the session about the recent rise in the price of milk which might allow the dairy farmers to break even financially. But in his comments to the Legislature Carl Greene said. “It’s a pleasure to do the work.” He briefly described the operation. Mapledale has 20 employees and produces enough milk to provide 55,000 people with it. The Greenes lease fields from Hoosick down through Stephentown in order to grow corn and hay to feed their herd. He thanked the Legislature for their support of agriculture in Rensselaer County, particularly the farmland protection program, overseen in the Legislature by Herrington, which has recently provided funds for protecting farmlands in District Five. Carl Greene’s comments were clear and concise.
Barbecue Recreation 40th Anniversary
A resolution commending the Barbecue Recreation in Hoosick upon celebrating its fortieth anniversary was passed by the Legislature. The resolution contained a history of the bowling center and the family that runs it.
The resolution says, “On Friday, February 13, 1970, Linda Fitzsimmons and her late husband, Walter, took over the bowling center along Rte. 22; …Linda and Walter had seven-month old Lori, who grew up to be an All-American bowler and back-to-back National Champion in Indiana State, and Linda was pregnant with Jack, who started oiling the lanes at age 12, and Patricia came along five years later…Walter worked for American Machine and Foundry (AMF) and co-owned several area centers before buying a side of the road six lane place in Hoosick Falls…Walter was tapped to put the lanes and machines in the White House that are still there today and also came up with the “Lane in the Plane,” officially dubbed, “Operation AstroBowl” when he equipped an American Airlines Jet Freighter 707 with 79-foot lanes, AMF Automatic pin setting machines, side channels and ball returns…In 1939, owned by Millie and Mary Unabitch, the roadside restaurant actually served barbeque food, but the reason it is spelled with a “c” is because of the pool tables (cue)…Walter and Linda purchased Barbecue as a six-lane center adding four more lanes in 1984 making it the 10-lane bowling center it is today with the above-ground ball return…Barbecue wouldn’t be the same without Ed Walizer, although most people know him as “Smokey,” a man who smokes 14 cigars a day; Smokey bowled with Walter and was a pin chaser when he was 16 and once in 1945 set up 100 games in one night and continues to bowl three games a week at the age of 81…Walter died in 1987, at the age of 63, and Jack, a junior in high school, immediately took over; and…Last September Linda officially turned the reins of Barbecue Recreation over to Jack…It is consistent with the duty of this Legislative Body to recognize the contributions and achievements of organizations of service to Rensselaer County, we praise with respect and admiration the Barbecue Recreation as it reaches an important milestone and…does hereby recognize Barbecue Recreation for celebrating 40 years of service and [wish] the Fitzsimmons family well on their future endeavors.” The Clerk of the Legislature will transmit a copy of the resolution, suitably engrossed, to Barbecue Recreation.
Barbecue Recreation has sponsored or been the site of various fund raisers in the Hoosick Community, most recently the Bowl For Hoosick Kids that raised $9,000. According to Brownell, Barbecue has “a great junior program” which he credits with having developed the fine young bowlers who have propelled the HFCS bowling team to many successes over the years including a second in the Sectionals this last week.
Appointments
Vice Chairman Brownell was appointed as the County’s representative to the Albany County Airport Authority Regional Advisory Board, a position formerly held by Neil Kelleher when he was Chairman of the Legislature. This Board advises the Airport Authority on noise and traffic control. Brownell said he was looking forward to serving on the Board and is hoping that the Board might have input into the carriers that use the airport.
Brownell was also reappointed to represent the County, along with five other County residents, on the Capital District Regional Planning Commission.
Three locals were reappointed to the Rensselaer County Agricultural and Farmland Protection Board. Omer Brenenstuhl of Hoosick who is Chairman of the Soil And Water Board of Directors, Carl Cipperly of Hoosick, representing the Rensselaer Taconic Land Conservancy and Paul Greene, from the Mapledale Farm in Berlin, were the appointees.
Four locals were appointed to the County Emergency Radio Communications Committee with terms to expire on December 31, 2013. They are Carlton Coon of Hoosick Falls, Battalion Five, Rowland McClave, III of Stephentown, Battalion Five, Ivan Wager of Berlin, County Fire Coordinator, and Steve Davis of Hoosick Falls, EMS.
Five locals were appointed to the County Fire Advisory Board with terms to expire on December 31, 2012. They are John Kanopka and Joseph Sweener of Berlin, Edward Fredricks, representing Grafton, Jonathan Coon, representing Hoosick, and Rowland McClave, III, of Stephentown. Stan Brownell is one of the Legislative Liaisons to the Fire Advisory Board.
Return On Dog Licenses
A resolution apportioning 75% of the surplus from receipts for dog licensing collected in 2009 returned a total of $7,370.88 to the various towns in the County. Towns in our area received the following amounts:
Berlin $165.18
Brunswick 630.01
Grafton 195.22
Hoosick 419.75
Petersburgh 121.00
Stephentown 204.24
All the towns except Petersburgh and Stephentown received more money this year than last.
Local Snowmobile Clubs Get Money To Maintain Trails
The Legislature passed a resolution Tuesday authorizing the Rensselaer County Executive to execute snowmobile trail grant agreements with the Rensselaer County Snoriders, Inc., Grafton Trail Blazers, Inc., Hoosick Trail Masters, Inc., Black River Raiders Snowmobile Club, Inc. and Stephentown Trail Riders. The clubs will receive contracts in the following amounts:
• Rensselaer County Snoriders, Inc., Schaghticoke – $14,060
• Grafton Trail Blazers, Inc. – $18,360
• Hoosick Trail Masters, Inc. – $10,000
• Black River Raiders Snowmobile Club, Inc., Sand Lake – $4,030
• Stephentown Trail Riders – $2,790.
The resolution says that the State of New York provides Snowmobile Trail Grant funding annually to municipalities and their snowmobile trail clubs to maintain snowmobile trails open to all snowmobilers. The County of Rensselaer, together with its snowmobile trail clubs, has applied for and received funding for the maintenance of snowmobile trails in the towns of Berlin, Grafton, Hoosick, Pittstown and Schaghticoke. The total amount of State funding for this purpose is $49,240, $12,685 less than last year. This grant is totally state funded and will produce no fiscal impact to the County. The purpose is to provide recreational opportunities for County residents.
Community Program Grants
The County contracts with various organizations and agencies to provide “unique and specific community programs which benefit the citizens of Rensselaer County as a whole.” At Tuesday’s session the Legislature authorized the County Executive to execute contracts with eight organizations or agencies. The Cooperative Extension will receive the largest contract at $459,116 and the Cheney Library in Hoosick Falls will receive the smallest at $5,200. The contracts total $770,428. The contracts will be prepared by the County Attorney, administered by the County Budget Director and approved by the County Auditor.
Stipulation Of Discontinuance
At this session the Legislature withdrew from the “matter of William F. Dailey against the Town of Hoosick, et al.” According to the resolution executing a stipulation of discontinuance, the County was named a party to a proceeding involving the Dailey mine project in Hoosick in the early 1990s. Along with Hoosick and the County, the Whipstock Hill Preservation Society, Stein Soelberg, Carol Hearer, Herb Anderson, Paul Plante and Kim Hayden were also parties Dailey was suing. The proceeding was settled in the Rensselaer County Supreme Court, Judge George B. Ceresia presiding, in October 1995 after Dailey accommodated the Town and the neighbors. Neither Lester Goodermote nor Stan Brownell knew much about this case since it was before their time in the Legislature. Brownell thought that Zwack was Chairman of the Legislature at the time and that Sean Casey was Hoosick Town Supervisor. Goodermote thought the issue was reemerging because the Dailey mine is applying for a permit renewal. “It’s time for home rule,” he said. According to the resolution, none of the parties objects to the County’s withdrawal. The Dailey mine is located next to the Vermont border and can be seen on the right heading east on the Bennington Bypass, Rt. 279. Brownell said that the Dailey mine was established there in order to provide road materials for the construction of the Bennington Bypass.
Speaking of legalities, the three Legislators, Mike Cristo and Philip Danaher from East Greenbush, and Louis Desso, from North Greenbush, who were not seated for the January meeting have been sworn in even though Judge Lynch of the NYS Supreme Court ruled that they could not serve in the dual capacity of Town Board Member and County Legislator. Since the case was appealed to the Appellate Court an order of stay allowed the Legislators to serve until the appeal is resolved. Brownell thinks that the case will be ruled upon on February 18. Even if Judge Lynch’s ruling is upheld these three men will resign their Town positions, according to Brownell, and the Towns will fill their vacant seats using whatever procedure they deem proper.