Rensselaer County Legislature – Calhoun Remembered, WHFD Buys Parcel

by Kieron Kramer
The Rensselaer County Legislature passed a resolution adjourning the August 14, 2012, legislative meeting in memory of Raymond E. Calhoun of Hoosick. He died on July 9, 2012.
[private]According to the resolution Raymond Calhoun was born on December 24, 1922, in Eagle Mills and was the son of the late John and Elizabeth (Nelson) Calhoun. He attended Troy High School and was a farmer who worked on the Rosendahl Guernsey Farm. He served as the Town of Hoosick Supervisor and was also the Hoosick Town Clerk for many years. He was a member of the First Baptist Church in Hoosick Falls for over 50 years and a member of the Van Rensselaer Star Lodge of Masons. He served on the Board of Directors of the Maple Grove Cemetery.
County Legislator Lester Goodermote, who represents District 5, which includes the towns of Stephentown, Berlin, Petersburgh, Grafton, Hoosick and the Village of Hoosick Falls, was Calhoun’s friend, and in an interview after the meeting described the kind of public servant Raymond Calhoun was. You could call Ray anytime you needed a permit, day or night, even on Thanksgiving and he’d tell you to come over to his house for it, Goodermote remembered.
The resolution says, “It is customary for this Legislative Body to pay honor and respect to persons who have had a great impact and influence on the citizens of this County during their time on this earth; it is with particularly deep sadness that we conclude this evening’s deliberations in honor of a truly respected member of the community…it is the intent of this Legislative Body to convey its sincerest sympathy upon the death of Raymond E. Calhoun…Raymond Calhoun will be missed by his family: his wife, Eva; his daughter, Kathie; son, Mark; his grandchildren, Raymond, Marjorie, Sarah, and Gregory; his great-grandson, Henry. He was predeceased by two brothers, Harold and John Calhoun…The members of the Rensselaer County Legislature conclude its deliberations in memory of Raymond E. Calhoun and extend its deepest sympathy to his family, fully confident that his contributions to his community will live on to serve as a legacy for all.”
The Clerk of the Legislature will transmit a copy of this resolution, suitably engrossed, to the family of Raymond E. Calhoun.
The West Hoosick Fire Department Buys Abutting Parcel From County
At this meeting the Legislature passed a resolution authorizing the County of Rensselaer to sell certain real property to the West Hoosick Fire Department for public benefit. On June 25 the County Court transferred a deed to the County of Rensselaer in a property tax foreclosure case. By doing so the County acquired title to a parcel of land in the Town of Hoosick formerly owned by Donna Pettibone. The West Hoosick Fire Department informed the County of its interest in acquiring the parcel, which borders its property, for improvements to its premises and to allow for better training of its members. After negotiating with the County Attorney, the Board of Directors of the West Hoosick Fire Department authorized payment to the County of $500 for the parcel.
According to the resolution the purchase price represents a portion of the amount of past town and school taxes that have been disbursed by the County since the taxes on the parcel have been delinquent and are also in lieu of fees compensating the County for the costs it has incurred in its assumption of ownership and for the research necessary for transfer of the parcel. The West Hoosick Fire Department has also agreed, as stated in the deed, that if the parcel ceases to be used by the Town for public benefit the property will revert back to Rensselaer County. The County has previously approved real property transfers to its municipalities and municipal organizations under similar terms and conditions. The County Executive will execute such deeds and other documents as may be necessary to complete the transaction, subject to the approval of the Rensselaer County Attorney.
In an interview after the meeting, both Goodermote and the other District 5 Legislator and Vice Chairman of the Legislature, Stan Brownell, said they thought the property should have been transferred to the West Hoosick Fire Department for free.
Up To Date
Showing that it is up to date on the changing cultural norms, the County Legislature passed two resolutions.
One resolution supported the introduction of Next-Gen 911 in Rensselaer County. This will allow people to text 911 from their smart phones. “In recent years, there have been numerous developments and advancement in communications technology, including text messaging, and social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook and other platforms,” the resolution says. “In the interest of keeping the County’s emergency technology current and able to best serve County residents, this Legislative Body is seeking to have various County departments explore an update to the County E-911 system, known as Next-Gen 911…Next-Gen 911 would allow for residents to transmit text, images, video and data to the County 911 center, along with other types of emergency communications and data transfer; and…would broaden the means available to residents to communicate in times of emergency, and in particular, help those residents with special needs or speech difficulties,” the resolution says.
The resolution supports a review of the potential implementation of Next-Gen 911, of possible sources of grant funding and of other sources of support for the implementation of this new technology. Chairman of the Legislature Martin Reid said that this upgrade is important because young people prefer to text and, in a moment of dark imagination, said that if someone is held hostage, they can text for help rather than giving themselves away by calling for it.
The other resolution requests that New York State and the federal government ban the manufacture, distribution, sale and possession of dangerous unregulated synthetic drugs, specifically what is known as “bath salts” and synthetic marijuana. According to the resolution, the use of these drugs continues to increase among individuals in local communities and has given rise to several violent incidents and deaths, both locally and nationwide. These designer drugs are specifically synthesized with a similar but slightly modified structure of a controlled substance in order to avoid existing drug laws and can be continually chemically modified to avoid legal repercussions while maintaining their intended effects. Hospitals, health agencies and poison control centers are experiencing increased emergency room cases, illnesses, deaths and reports linked to the use and abuse of these substances which are often directly marketed through the internet and by colorful packaging designs that include no warnings or adequate descriptions of the ingredients and are deceptively sold as plant food and other ordinary household goods. The internet sale of these substances raises questions and concerns about the distribution of unregulated harmful drugs across State and national boundaries, requiring action at the Federal level, the resolution asserts.
“The New York State Legislature has legislation before it that would amend the State Public Health Law to add classes of substituted cathinones (‘bath salts’) and classes of cannabinoids (‘synthetic marijuana’) to the State list of controlled substances and would amend the State Penal Law to provide for criminal sanctions. Federal legislation recently was enacted outlawing two substances commonly used in ‘bath salts,’ twenty other substances commonly used in synthetic marijuana and nine synthetic hallucinogens, but it is necessary to go beyond the Federal legislation and the State Health Department ban in order to arm local law enforcement with the legislation necessary to combat the rapidly growing abuse of these synthetic drugs,” says the resolution.
A local law regulating the sale of bath salts in Rensselaer County was introduced at this session and will be voted on after a public hearing on the matter at the next regular meeting on September 11.
Public Hearing Requested On The Fire At TCI
A resolution requesting a public hearing to be held in Rensselaer County by the State Department of Environmental Conservation regarding the TCI Inc. fire and for testing to continue through 2012 was passed at this session. The fire on August 1 in the Columbia County Town of Ghent at the TCI  Inc.  Recycling Plant prompted an alert  to homes  in southern Rensselaer County including Stephentown because of concerns over air quality and toxins being released into the air. The Shelter In Place Advisory for the southern portion of the County due to the fire asked residents to close all windows and doors, shut of all air conditioners and fans that draw in outside air and stay indoors as much as possible.
Since then, testing by the  State  has  not  detected any significant concerns for human, plant, crop, water, animal and livestock in the area, but testing is continuing to determine the full effects of the TCI fire. The resolution says, “In  the  interest  of  keeping  the  public  fully  informed regarding this incident, this Legislative Body requests an informational hearing to be held by the State Department of Environmental Conservation in Rensselaer County to brief residents in a convenient setting on the incident and any new information regarding test results…This Legislative Body further believes the State DEC should continue infrequent testing on this incident in Southern Rensselaer County and Northern Rensselaer County until the end of 2012, to ensure any and all effects to residents, plants, crops, water, animal and livestock in the area are documented and addressed.”
Odds And Ends
Both Lester Goodermote and Stan Brownell will attend the 100th Anniversary celebrations at the Polish Hall on August 17 – 19 to make presentations commemorating the event. Both Legislators will also attend the Schaghticoke Fair but at different times. Brownell will be there on Sunday, September 2, to defend the title he has won for two years in a row in the smoothie competition.
If I Were A Rich Man
Keeping his ear to the ground, Lester Goodermote has learned that a $3 million scratch off lottery ticket was sold at the Stewart’s in North Hoosick. The lucky winner is still unknown at this time, but the people at Stewart’s think it is a local, Goodermote said.[/private]