by Kieron Kramer
“Title Town” is the way Legislator Stan Brownell referred to Hoosick Falls during the presentation period of the Rensselaer County Legislature on Tuesday evening, January 8. He was talking about the extraordinary success of the Hoosick Falls Central School’s fall sports teams. The football team won the State Championship, the Girls Soccer Team won the State Championship for the second year in a row and the Boys Soccer team went to the final four, the farthest any Panther Boys Soccer team has ever progressed. Last month the Legislature passed resolutions commending the teams on their achievements. “Hoosick Falls is on the map for sports in New York State,” Brownell said Tuesday.
[private]“This is Title Town night,” Brownell said. Well, not quite since, with the exception of the Boys Soccer team with four players and their coach appearing, the teams did not show up. As Brownell opined last month, many of the athletes on these teams play winter sports as well, wrestling and
basketball in particular, and their seasons are underway – Tuesday being game night. However, the teams were very ably represented. Head Football Coach Ron Jones and one of his assistant coaches, Mark Folgert, represented the Football Champions and received copies of last month’s resolution, suitably engrossed, to distribute to the players and other coaches. HFCS Athletic Director Brett Lamy accepted the resolutions on behalf of Coach Tom Husser and the Girls Champion Soccer team.
Brownell had to make the presentations to the three teams by himself since District 5 Legislator Lester Goodermote is still recovering from heart surgery. “He is here in spirit,” Chairman of the Legislature Martin Reid said. It turns out that Coach Jones and Goodermote are related; Goodermote and Jones’ father are first cousins. Brownell told coaches Jones and Folgert in the first presentation how enthusiastic Goodermote is about the football team. He sells 50/50 raffle tickets at every game, Brownell said, “You couldn’t get by him without giving him $5 for tickets.”
“It’s a class act,” Brownell told Jones. “It’s been well conducted by you, your team and your staff of what you’ve done for our community, the amount of effort you spent molding these guys to support the community like you do and the community getting behind you 110%.” He mentioned that Coach Jones was named Class C Football Coach of the Year in NYS and that Billy Pine and Brad Burns were named Co-Players of the Year in NYS. Brownell also said that he was impressed by the poise of the athletes from all the HFCS teams when they were being interviewed by the press. “It is my distinct honor to present this to you,” he concluded.
Coach Jones thanked the Legislature for the honor and then said, “Hoosick Falls is an amazing place; we get all the support we need from the School Board and the School Superintendent, and we get tremendous support from the community. I am fortunate to work with an amazing group of guys. I wouldn’t trade them for anybody.” Coach Jones also teaches physical education in the elementary school so he has known his players for a long time. “I hope we get to come back some time,” he told the Legislature.
Coach of the Boys Soccer team, Mike Young, and players Cody, Tyler and Justin Gaines and Alex Cross appeared in the well of the Legislature to accept the resolutions on behalf of their final four team. Brownell made the presentation. “They pulled together, beating some teams in close matches,” he said, referring to the fact that the Panthers won a series of important games on their run to the final four by a single goal, sometimes in overtime. Brownell read the names of all the team members from last month’s resolution. “We honor you and your achievement and what you have done for the community,” Brownell concluded.
Coach Young thanked the Legislature on behalf of the entire team “for having us down here.” “In Hoosick Falls there is a tradition of strong athletic programs, and the philosophy the school has really embodies what athletics is all about.” And he added, “With such good football and girls soccer teams we have to raise our standards as well.” He thanked the community, the other coaches and HFCS Athletic Director Lamy for their support.
HFCS Athletic Director Brett Lamy said it was an honor on behalf of the Girls Soccer team to accept the copies of last month’s resolutions commending the team’s achievements. Brownell said, “It has been fun for you as AD at Hoosick Falls I bet.” Now the girls have the title by themselves, he added – last year they were Co-Champions. He pointed out that Coach Tom Husser was named NYS Coach of the Year and that Grace Delurey was named NYS Player of the year and that Alice Hayden, Hanna Fricke and Jordyn Haynes were named to the State All Star Team. Haynes is a freshman, “So you are going to hear more again next year,” Brownell said. The team shut out its opponents in the last three games on the road to the title. It also won the sportsmanship award.
Lamy emphasized that all these teams were scholar-athlete teams. “We are known for our strong athletic programs, but most of our emphasis is on winning correctly and always and forever placing the value of academics above everything else,” he said. He added that all five fall teams were scholar-athlete teams and the goal is to have all the teams be scholar-athlete teams by the spring. “Our coaches are good, hard-working people, and we have the unwavering support of our community, the School Board and the Central Administration, Mr. Facin and Ms. Hatfield.”
“We are very proud of you here in the Legislature,” Brownell said. “We’re on the map – we’re calling it Title Town.”
Brownell also mentioned that there has been no response yet from the NYS Department of Transportation regarding the erection of signs on the highways leading into Hoosick indicating that the Town is the home of the football and soccer State Champions, as requested by the resolution passed last month. He thinks that the holiday period after the request may account for the delay.
In Memory Of John J. Bonesteel, Sr.
On Tuesday a resolution adjourned the January meeting in memory of John J. Bonesteel, Sr. 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; and … it is the intent of this Legislative Body to express sincerest sorrow upon the death of John J. Bonesteel, Sr., which occurred on the third day of December of the year two thousand twelve.”
According to the resolution Bonesteel was born in Troy and was the son of the late Elroy Bonesteel and Mary Flanigan Bonesteel. He was a veteran of World War II, serving with the United States Navy. Bonesteel was also a union plumber with Local 61, Troy, which merged into Local 7, Albany. He was a member of the Babcock Lake Property Owners Association. He enjoyed watching horse racing at the Saratoga Race Course, was an avid fan of Notre Dame football and enjoyed local high school football and basketball.
The resolution says, “John J. Bonesteel, Sr. will be missed by his family: his daughter, Kathleen; two sons, John “Jack” and Thomas; his granddaughter, Christine; his sister, Mary Alice; and his former wife, Eleanor. John was predeceased by his brother, Elroy “Bud” Bonesteel…the Rensselaer County Legislature concludes its deliberations in memory of John J. Bonesteel, Sr. and extends 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 the resolution, suitably engrossed, to the family of John Bonesteel, Sr.
Gouging For Modems
The Legislature passed a resolution urging the New York State Public Service Commission to look into Time Warner Cable’s latest fee. According to the resolution Time Warner Cable has decided to add a fee to its customers’ monthly bill for modems already installed in homes for internet service. “This fee is expensive, unfair, unnecessary and should be stopped,” the resolution says. The $3.95 per month fee has been added to the customer’s monthly bill for modems that have been installed and have been working in their homes and offices for several years. The State Public Service Commission should investigate the monthly modem charge and the manner in which Time Warner is levying the fee. “This is outrageous and amounts to gouging of customers by Time Warner,” the resolution says, “The State Public Service Commission should take action to stop this unnecessary and expensive charge.” Some observers say the new modem charge could net Time Warner $40 million per month, and Time Warner is hitting many customers when they can least afford it. Many are relying on home entertainment during the ongoing recession, and this charge will be particularly expensive over time for working families, seniors and others struggling to make ends meet. The Clerk was directed to forward a certified copy of the resolution to the New York State Public Service Commission.
Broad Band In Southern Rensselaer County
The Legislature passed a resolution urging the establishment of high speed internet service in southern Rensselaer County. According to the resolution many residents of southern Rensselaer County receive internet through dial-up or satellite networks. Actually, many have DSL internet service from Fairpoint, which is adequate for home use but not as fast as broad band service offered by cable companies such as Time Warner. The resolution says that the residents of southern Rensselaer County need high-speed connections to the internet for homes, schools and workplaces to grow jobs for the economy, to enable innovations in telemedicine, education, public safety and government services. As broadband internet availability and adoption have reached an all time high in the United States, many Americans, particularly in rural areas, do not have broadband internet service available. Because America’s broadband internet future is being shaped by evolutionary changes in technology and devices, as well as consumer demand for more connections, content, capacity and dynamic usage patterns, the role of the underlying broadband internet infrastructure is increasingly critical. So the County Legislature is urging the establishment of high-speed internet service in southern Rensselaer County and the promotion of affordable high-speed broadband internet access for all. The Clerk will transmit a certified copy of this resolution to representatives of Verizon, Time Warner Cable, AT&T, U.S. Senator Charles Schumer, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, U.S. Representative Paul Tonko, U.S. Representative Chris Gibson, Governor Andrew Cuomo, State Senator Kathy Marchione, State Senator Neil Breslin, NYS Assemblyman John McDonald and NYS Assemblyman Steve McLaughlin.
Changes
In the fall of 2011, during this Legislature’s term of four years, Democrats Lou Rosamillia and Peter Ryan left the body to serve as Mayor and Deputy Mayor of Troy, respectively. The Republican majority appointed two Republicans to fill their seats even though it was expected by the Democrats that Democrats might be chosen. This last November Democrats were chosen – by the electorate. Gary Pavlik and Cynthia Doran were elected to represent Troy. They were sworn in at Tuesday’s meeting by County Clerk Frank Merola. Now the Democrats are back to holding six seats out of 19. Meanwhile, in December, Republican Legislator Lou Desso took the job of Deputy Commissioner for the County Mental Health Department and must resign from the Legislature. It is unclear whether an appointment to fill this seat will be made before the November election. All the Legislators will be up for election this November.[/private]