by Kieron Kramer
The family of Raymond E. Calhoun of Hoosick, who died on July 9, 2012, entered the well of the Rensselaer County Legislature on Tuesday, September 11, to be presented with a copy of the resolution passed last month that honored their patriarch. The presentation was made to the Calhoun family by District 5 Legislators Stan Brownell and Lester Goodermote, who represent the towns of Stephentown, Berlin, Petersburgh, Grafton, Hoosick and the Village of Hoosick Falls. It was clear from their comments that there is even more to the Ray Calhoun story than what was included in August’s resolution.
[private]According to the resolution, read Tuesday by Brownell, 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 also
served as the Town of Hoosick Supervisor and was the Town Clerk for many years. He was a member of the First Baptist Church in Hoosick Falls for over 50 years, a member of the Van Rensselaer Star Lodge of Masons, and he served on the Board of Directors for the Maple Grove Cemetery. The resolution says that it “honors a truly respected member of the community…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.” Calhoun’s wife, Eva, his children, Mark and Kathie, and one of his grandchildren, Marjorie, attended Tuesday’s ceremony.
Brownell’s comments, however, gave some real insight into Calhoun’s character. He remembers Calhoun, who was Town Clerk when Brownell got involved in Town politics in 1994-95. But 23 years before that, in 1971, Calhoun got caught in a corn picker in a farm accident and lost one of his legs. “But that didn’t stop Ray Calhoun; he went without a prosthesis; he just got around on one leg and crutches,” Brownell said. According to Brownell, Calhoun bowled in the Wednesday Night International League at the Barbecue Recreation lanes. With one leg and crutches, he bowled a regular game, Brownell said. “Nothing stopped Ray Calhoun; we will definitely miss him,” Brownell concluded.
Lester Goodermote said, “When I walked into the Town offices to see Ray he would growl and grumble, but he was a great guy.” To describe Calhoun’s dedication to public service, Goodermote added that once he came to Calhoun’s dining room table on Thanksgiving to get a permit. “Thank you all for honoring Ray,” Goodermote concluded. Chairman of the Legislature Martin Reid thanked everyone for “honoring Ray’s life and contribution to his community,” as the Calhoun family trailed out of the Legislature’s well.
Constitution Week
Last month the Legislature passed a resolution declaring September 17 to 23 as United States Constitution week in Rensselaer County. At this session a copy of the resolution, suitably engrossed, was presented to the Chairman of Constitution Week, Alice G. Goebel of the Van Rensselaer Chapter of the National Society, Daughters of the American Revolution. Lester Goodermote made the presentation and said, “It is apropos that we are presenting this resolution today on 9/11. Then Goodermote read from the resolution.
According to the resolution, September 17, 2012, marks the two hundred and twenty-fifth anniversary of the drafting of the Constitution of the United States of America by the Constitutional Convention. The Constitution was intended to achieve six purposes: to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity. The Founders secured the principles expressed in the Declaration of Independence by establishing a government that derives its power from the consent of the American people. Goodermote read, “On this week we should remember those who have made sacrifices to defend the Constitution of the United States for over two centuries. It is fitting and proper to officially recognize our Constitution, with the Bill of Rights and amendments, which has withstood the test of time, steering our Country through times of prosperity and peace and guiding us through the depths of internal conflict and war…It is also fitting and proper to officially recognize the patriotic celebration which will commemorate the formation and signing of the U.S. Constitution by thirty-nine brave men on September 17, 1787, recognizing all who are born in the U.S. or, by naturalization, have become citizens…Public Law 915 guarantees the issuing of a proclamation each year by the President of the United States of America designating September 17th through 23rd as Constitution Week…the Rensselaer County Legislature, …asks our citizens to reaffirm the ideals the Framers of the Constitution recognized in 1787…the Two Hundred and Twenty-fifth Anniversary will be marked in history with Bells Across America. Bells will ring across the entire Country at 4 pm Eastern Standard Time on September 17 to mark this joyous occasion.”
Breese Hollow Dairy Honored
A resolution honoring Breese Hollow Dairy upon being named the 2011 Conservation Farm of the Year was passed at this session. Breese Hollow Dairy was the recipient of the 2011 Conservation Farm of the Year Award presented by the Rensselaer County Soil and Water Conservation District.
According to the resolution, David and Diane Phippen began their dairy farm in southern Herkimer County in 1993 in a small tie stall with 37 Jersey cows, until it developed into a grass based intensive grazing farm. They established laneways, perimeter fencing and two small ponds to bring water to cattle tubs. The only downside of this farm was that the cows had to cross a busy road each milking. “In 2003, the Phippens moved lock, stock, barrel and cows to Hoosick, to increase herd size and stay on one side of the road,” the resolution says. “The Phippens established a grazing system for their 60 organic Jersey cows. NRCS, FSA and the County Conservation District has partnered with the Phippens to build laneways, high tensile fencing and a stream crossing. The Phippens have fenced out the stream and the wet areas to protect natural resources. They have added systems to keep clean water separate from entering the animal areas and are now working on a gravity water system to supply cows with fresh water while they are in the paddocks…The Phippens have used a variety of conservation programs including the NRCS-EQIP-Environmental Quality Incentive Program and the FSA-CREP Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program to install Conservation in new land…the Phippens are protecting their land resources through the assistance of the Agriculture Stewardship Association of Rensselaer County and the NYS Farmland Protection Program and the NRCS Farm and Ranch Land Protection Program.”
The Legislature recognized and commended David and Diane Phippen for their outstanding contributions to agriculture and conservation as true stewards of the land. The Clerk of the Legislature will transmit a copy of this resolution to David and Diane Phippen of Breese Hollow Dairy.
Sharing Snow And Ice
A resolution authorizing the County Executive to execute contracts with various municipalities for snow and ice removal passed unanimously. The County of Rensselaer has historically contracted with a number of towns and with the City of Troy for snow plowing, salting and sand application on various segments of County roads. The Rensselaer County Engineer recommended agreements with the towns of Brunswick, East Greenbush, Petersburgh, Poestenkill, Schaghticoke and Schodack and with the City of Troy, all for the period of October 1, 2012, through April 30, 2013. Payments made to the towns and all considerations to the City of Troy shall be paid to a maximum total expenditure of $83,000.
Property Tax Resolutions
Two resolutions regarding delinquent property taxes and one resolution adjusting a property tax in Eastwick-land were passed at this session. Earlier this year the County took possession of a parcel of land in Stephentown owned by Thomas W. Gardner for failure to pay property taxes. This resolution authorizes the County to sell the property back to Gardner since he has remitted payment in full of the tax arrearage owed for the parcel plus a $1,000 re-conveyance fee to the County of Rensselaer before the scheduled auction of the parcel.
Similarly, in June the County acquired title to two parcels of land in Grafton owned by Barbara A. Wells at the commencement of the underlying in rem tax foreclosure proceeding. Since the parcels had not yet been scheduled for sale at public auction and since Wells, the former owner of the parcels, remitted payment in full of the tax arrearage owed for the parcels plus a $1,000 re-conveyance fee to the County, they were re-conveyed back to her.
The final property tax related resolution on Tuesday was unusual. It adjusted the tax on a parcel in the Village of Hoosick Falls owned by Alfred Eberle because the property tax contained an erroneous special re-levy. In the tax year 2008, the Village of Hoosick Falls re-levyed upon Eberle’s tax bill the sum of $6,840.39 for medical insurance premiums owed to the Village. According to Stan Brownell, Eberle had served as a Village Trustee, and when he left office the Village continued, mistakenly, to pay Eberle’s health insurance. The County has determined that the special re-levy is unlawful and uncollectible and has cancelled it. The County Treasurer was authorized to remove that special re-levy portion of the 2008 tax bill and is authorized to charge back the taxing jurisdiction. The Village will have to recover the money through other means.
Margaret Pine Commended
In a resolution Tuesday the Legislature conveyed its compliments to Margaret Pine upon her retirement from the Cheney Library. According to the resolution, the Cheney Library has over seventeen thousand books, fifty videos, approximately fifty different magazine subscriptions and two thousand seven hundred patrons.
Margaret Pine began working at the Cheney Library in June of 1986 and has retired after twenty-six years of service to her community and the Cheney Library. The resolution says, “The Rensselaer County Legislature pause[s] in its deliberations to acknowledge the outstanding efforts and notable contributions of Margaret Pine to the Cheney Library of Hoosick Falls.” The Clerk of the Legislature will transmit a copy of this resolution, suitably engrossed, to Margaret Pine.
Eleven Years Since 9/11
On the day of this Legislative session the horrific events of September 11, 2001, were remembered throughout the nation. In New York State the primary vote, usually on the second Tuesday of September, was moved to Thursday, September 13. The County Legislature’s meeting usually moves to Wednesday on any State or federal election day.
To commemorate 9/11 Chairman Reid called for a moment of silence and, sitting in front of the County’s “Never Forget Flag” that graphically represents these incidents, he recounted the events of the day eleven years ago, “At 8:36 am American Airlines Flight 11 struck the North Tower of the World Trade Center in New York City, at 9:03 am United Airlines Flight 175 struck the South Tower of the World Trade Center, at 9:37 am American Airlines Flight 77 struck the Pentagon, at 9:59 am the South Tower fell, at 10:03 am United Airlines Flight 93 crashed near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, at 10:28 am the North Tower fell. Three thousand people lost their lives, and a nation was changed forever.”[/private]