Member Exclusive
Interim Superintendent Named
Submitted by BCS Communications
At the November 28th special meeting, the Berlin Central School District (CSD) Board of Education appointed Dr. Maureen Long as interim Superintendent, effective immediately.
Dr. Long comes to Berlin CSD from the Menands School District, where she retired at the end of last school year after serving the past ten years as Superintendent. Dr. Long has many accomplishments from her time at Menands, including the development of a strategic plan that was a collaborative effort, involving faculty, staff, community, and feedback from students. Below is more about Dr. Long, in her own words.
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2024 Rensselaer County Budget
Passes Unanimously
Submitted by Rensselaer County
The 2024 budget was approved by a unanimous vote of the County Legislature, 18-0, with one absent, at the special meeting on Monday, December 4th. The budget includes a 10 percent property tax decrease, the sixth consecutive year with a property tax decrease under County Executive Steve McLaughlin.
“We are proud to be providing residents of Rensselaer County with another property tax rate reduction, and helping protect taxpayers and encourage investment, opportunity, and job creation in our county,” said McLaughlin.
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Community Choir Christmas Concert
On Sunday, December 17th, at 6 pm, the Taconic Valley Community Choir will present their Christmas Concert at Petersburg Baptist Church, located at the junction of Routes 2 and 22.
The annual Christmas Concert is a lively local tradition, sure to fill you with the spirit of the season.
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Good Citizen Award Winners
At the December 1st meeting of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR), local high school students were awarded the DAR Good Citizen Award. High school seniors who are selected by faculty and the senior class as a DAR Good Citizen must have the qualities of dependability, service, leadership, and patriotism. Recipients of this award pictured are Anna Bailey of Cambridge Central School, Gwyn Vincent of Hoosick Falls Central School, and Nathan Fiske of Hartford Central School. Also shown are Carman Bogle, Regent, and JoAnn Trinkle who presented the awards. Following the ceremony, members and guests enjoyed delicious refreshments provided by Faith Kuebler and Mary Smith.
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Holiday Gift Donation Program
Submitted by the NL Town Clerk
Thanks to the kindness and generosity of the New Lebanon community, the Holiday Gift Donation Program was a huge success the last seven years. This wonderful program provides holiday gifts to children in our community at zero cost to the taxpayers. It is run 100% by volunteers and the kindness and generosity of our community members.
If you are a family in need of assistance this holiday season, and you live in New Lebanon, please contact Tistrya at the Supervisor’s office at 518-794-8889, email supervisor@townofnewlebanon.com, or stop by the office Tuesdays from 9 am to 2 pm or Thursdays from noon to 5 pm. You can also fill out the form at the Town Clerk’s office Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday, from 9 am to 5 pm. You will need to fill out a form for each child with their clothing size, their wish list, favorite colors, etc. so when our volunteers go shopping, they can purchase items your children will love. Your family’s identity is kept 100% confidential.
If you would like to volunteer (shopping, gift wrapping, etc.) or adopt a child or family to shop for, please contact Tistrya at the contact information above. All types of toys, books, and children’s items, brand new and unwrapped, are also accepted at the following drop off locations: Town Hall, New Lebanon Post Office, and Maverick’s. If you would prefer to make a monetary donation and have us do the shopping for you (for a specific child based on their wish list), please see instructions below for a new partnership this year with a non-profit organization, making all donations now tax-deductible.
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December 1st, 2023 Edition
76th Turkey Trot Raises $20,000
First Marriage Proposal
Submitted by Ed Parham
On a day set aside for Capital Region families to gather and give thanks, 6,641 participants from 33 states and six nations descended upon the Collar City for the 76th running of the Troy Turkey Trot, America’s 12th oldest road race.
The event, presented by Pioneer, began at 8 am, with the Capital Region’s only Thanksgiving Day 10K. Tackling the traditional out and back course were more than 1,200 participants, many of whom run competitively for local track and field clubs. James Withers of Utica, NY outpaced his rivals to win the title in 30:31 and earned a $300 first place prize in the process. The first female across the line was Karen Bertasso Hughes of Selkirk, NY, who also earned a $300 payday with a winning time of 36:15.
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Unity House Launches Children’s Holiday Program
Submitted by Unity House
On Monday, November 27th, Unity House launched its annual Children’s Holiday Program, and highlighted the ways families can benefit from the generosity of community members who support the program through donations of cash and gifts. At the Unity House Holiday Store, parents can select gifts, at no cost, to suit their own children’s interests and needs.
The event featured Constant Louis, a stepfather whose children received gifts through the program in 2022, and Cassie Prugh, a longtime individual donor who this year will adopt 35 children by purchasing gifts for them. Both individuals talked about the importance of the program in helping children have a joyful holiday.
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Stephentown Town Board Highlights
by Denise Wright
The November 20th town board meeting was active with the impending Thanksgiving holiday.
After a moment of silence in honor of Councilman Everett Madden, the auditing of claims, the minutes from the town board meetings, and the October 23rd budget workshop meeting were approved. The town board special meeting adopting the 2024 town budget was also approved. The board approved two public hearing minutes from October 30th about Proposed Local Law #3, the Real Property Tax Law for Volunteer Firefighters and Ambulance Workers, and the 2024 Preliminary Budget.
The library reported that their teen and children's program numbers have been up. The Halloween party and story time numbers were strong, and the library has several great programs set up for December that are listed on their website.
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