by Kieron Kramer
While their parents, relatives and friends filled the gallery of the Legislative Chamber during the presentation period of the Rensselaer County Legislature’s regular meeting on Tuesday, February 14, the Hoosick Falls State Class C Co-Championship Girls Soccer Team entered the well of the Legislature with their coach to receive copies of the resolution passed in December honoring their season’s achievements. Legislators Brownell and Goodermote made the presentation to the 17 members of the team present on Tuesday.
[private]Brownell began the festivities when he said, “We need to change the title of this resolution to our Rensselaer County, Hoosick Falls, New York State Champions.” He told the team that they were now in the history books in Hoosick Falls, in the County and in the State. “We really thought that we were going to have two State champions this year between girls soccer and football. Well one of you proved us right – the soccer girls,” Brownell added. Brownell and Goodermote were invited to the girls soccer banquet. “It was a short banquet, only three hours long, and it told the whole story of this team,” Brownell said. Most of the team is coming back and, referring to their youth, there is a eighth-grader on the varsity, he said, “I guess we are breeding soccer players.”
Brownell mentioned the great success of many of the Hoosick Falls Central School sports teams. “Girls field hockey,” he said, “is doing great things. In wrestling we are sending two wrestlers to the State Championships. The Hoosick Falls bowlers are representing all of Section II including Class A and Class B at the State Championships on March 3 and 4. Hoosick Falls has always been known as a sports oriented town, and our girls are a testament to that. We are so proud of the girls,” Brownell concluded.
Legislator Lester Goodermote said, “I was standing at the end of the line down there watching these modest, little girls raise there little hands up [while being introduced]. They are so bashful. But if you could have seen them on the film they had on the soccer field, you’d back the hell up when you saw them coming. These girls play soccer. They play it with a vengeance. They did great, and we’re proud of them.”
NYS Coach of the Year Tom Husser said a few words about the team. “They are not just good players, but 18 out of the last 20 years they have been a scholar/athlete team. So they are not just pretty, not just good players but good academically too. They scored 109 goals and gave up only 15 goals. They work hard – I know everyone says that when they win – but they do work hard. And they all get along; they like each other, and we had fun every day,” Husser said. “I’m going to miss our seniors; they’re a hard act to follow,” added Husser.
Nicole St. Onge Commended
A resolution passed at the February 14 Legislative session which commended Nicole St. Onge for her work with Project Ignition. Her essay and her leadership resulted in St. Onge representing the Hoosick Falls Project Ignition group on a trip to Washington, DC, in January where she met and was commended by Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood.
According to the resolution, Project Ignition is a nationwide program with a goal to end distracted driving through the leadership of teenagers. Project Ignition urges teenagers to drive safely through student led campaigns. At the end of each school year ten teams that can prove the most effort put forth as well as prove the most change in their community are chosen to travel to Minneapolis, Minnesota, during spring break to an international conference. Hoosick Falls Central School’s team was given this prestigious honor and will be with the other top ten schools nationwide.
Before the conference in April a smaller one was held in January of 2012 in Washington, DC, where one youth leader and one advisor were chosen from each of the top ten teams to attend; that’s ten students out of the seven hundred students involved in this conference. A few days before the conference each student/advisor pair received an email describing two essay prompts to which students could respond. The day before departure, Nicole received a phone call from the man who organized this event, and she was asked to turn her essay into a presentation for the conference. During her visit to Washington Nicole toured many historical sites. After visiting DOT they went to the Capital Building and took a tour. They met Secretary LaHood as well as 50 other DC officials including White House staff. Staff from Congressman Chris Gibson’s office found Nicole and offered their assistance and a chance to tour their offices in the future.
According to the resolution, Nicole did her presentation, which “turned out nice,” and before she knew it, the conference was over. Upon completion of this wonderful experience Nicole wrote an article called E Pluribus Unum, which is a Latin phrase on the United States Seal meaning Out of Many, One.
The resolution says, “It is consistent with the duty of this Legislative Body to recognize the contributions and achievements of fine youth of Rensselaer County, particularly for scholastic or athletic ability…This Legislative Body is pleased to learn the outstanding achievements of Nicole St. Onge and wishes to convey its compliments and felicitations to her for her continued efforts with Project Ignition…this Legislative Body pauses in its deliberations and most joyously commends Nicole St. Onge upon her continued efforts with Project Ignition and congratulates her upon her outstanding essay and speech given in Washington, DC.”
The Clerk of the Legislature will transmit a suitably engrossed copy of this resolution to Nicole St. Onge.[/private]