by Bea Peterson
The Mayor and the Hoosick Falls Board of Trustees are currently investigating the possibility of eliminating the Village’s Dispatch System for cost reasons and replacing the service with the Rensselaer County Public Answering Point or “911.” “First we have to be one hundred percent positive the County can do it,” said Mayor Matt Monahan. Right now he feels fairly confident about that system, but some issues still have to be resolved, he said. On Tuesday they tested a dozen businesses and residences with excellent results, he added. If a change happens, it will be a few months yet before it materializes.
[Read more…] about A Visit To County Dispatch
Archives for March 2010
HFCS To Drop Teachers For Next Fall
by Alex Brooks
The Hoosick Falls School Board meeting March 18 was mostly focused on the budget for 2010-11, which needs to be completed and adopted in a month.
The latest budget offered by the Administration has no increase in the local tax levy, despite an anticipated drop in State aid of $485,000 and the usual cost increases.
To accomplish this, the plan is to lay off a Reading teacher and a Home and Careers teacher, and to lay off ten Teaching Assistants. This is in addition to the reduction in staff from not replacing 3 teachers who retired, and two who resigned.
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Can The Union Free School Building In New Lebanon Be Saved?
by Phillip Zema
The Lebanon Valley Historical Society (LVHS) and Union Free School Preservation Committee (UFSPC) have until June 2 to develop a plan to preserve the Union Free School building. In January, the New Lebanon Board of Education voted to postpone until June any decision on the building’s fate. Unless a feasible plan is developed, the building, which is owned by the school district, may be demolished. [Read more…] about Can The Union Free School Building In New Lebanon Be Saved?
Maple Weekend In Berlin
by David Flint
Joining 150 other sugar houses across the state, Kent’s Sugar House on the Plank Road in Berlin celebrated the 15th Annual New York Maple Weekend on March 20-21 and the celebration continues this weekend, March 27-28. Maple Weekend is a project of the New York State Maple Producers Association. It’s an open house weekend, hours from 10 am to 4 pm, and an opportunity to see how maple syrup and other maple products are made from the tapping of the trees to the boiling of the sap into syrup and the making of maple cream, butter, sugar and candy.
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Hoosick Lions Club Installs First Women Members
by Bea Peterson
While installing new members into the Hoosick Lions Club in December, Lions Club International District Governor Ed Stano, Jr. encouraged the group to invite women to become members. On Thursday, March 18, at the Falls Diner, three women, sponsored by their husbands, were installed. The new members, Bridget Pierce, Beverly White and Marie Lucey were installed by Lions Club Zone Chairman Loretta Saheim of Greenfield, NY. She is a Past District Governor and the first woman Lions District Governor in the state.
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Grafton Town Board Action – A Moment of Silence
by Erin Hogan
At the commencement of the March Grafton Board meeting a moment of silence was held in memory of Gerald Dayhaw, Hilda Goyer, Rita Goodermote, Trevah Burdick, Paul Walz, Denny Frank and Robert Sheffer.
Nash’s Case For Grafton
At the March edition of the Grafton Town Board Meeting, John Nash was present in order to express his concerns about the Berlin Board of Education’s recent decision to bump up the time of the closing for the Grafton Elementary school. [Read more…] about Grafton Town Board Action – A Moment of Silence
Letter To The Editor – From The Superintendent
Letter to Editor:
I read the letter to the Editor in the February 12 issue from Heinz Noeding of Petersburgh regarding his concerns with the finances of the Berlin Central School District. I want to thank Mr. Noeding for spending some time reviewing the last 10 year audits of the school district in an effort to understand the funding and expenditures of school districts. His concern with the expense of the school district and the economic climate has also been an issue of many hours of board of education discussion about reducing expenditures to contain costs for the last several years. However, some important information was left out of his statistics. [Read more…] about Letter To The Editor – From The Superintendent
Letter To The Editor – The Misguided Board Of The Berlin School District
To the Editor:
Reality television has come to the Berlin Central School District. After witnessing the last “Budget Workshop” meeting of the BCSD, I’m trying to determine whether the Board members were auditioning for “Survivor” or “The Gong Show.” Here’s a sampling of some of the comments made by Board members to their fellow Board members: “Shut up, I’m talking!” and, “You don’t tell me what to do!” and, my favorite inter-board communication “Go to hell!” So much for civil discourse.
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Letter To The Editor – Take Your Advice And…
To the Editor:
After reading about the joint Berlin/Petersburgh Town Board meeting that was reported in the February 26, 2010 Eastwick, I wish to congratulate the town boards on their resolve to improve and add to their programs for our towns’ youth. Kudos to the town boards!
Actually, the main reason for my letter is regarding Heinz Noeding. Isn’t it amazing that a man would tout himself as a banker; considering what our country is going through right now, I certainly wouldn’t tell any one if I were one. Banker leaves a bad taste in your mouth, doesn’t it? [Read more…] about Letter To The Editor – Take Your Advice And…
Letter To The Editor – Between A Rock And A Hard Place
To the editor,
Yes, this district is between a rock and a hard place. The opening sentence in the Eastwick’s March 5 edition regarding the situation of the Berlin Central School District is true! Due to the district administration and most board of education members’ determination to consolidate it would appear there are no other options to deal with the current economic crisis. Unfortunately they have decided to close their minds and take the easy way out by making the children, taxpayers and communities suffer.
[Read more…] about Letter To The Editor – Between A Rock And A Hard Place