The Eastwick Press Newspaper

Eastern Rensselaer County's Community Newspaper

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This Bet Aims to Beat Hunger

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Submitted by Nina Keller
Josh Young says he doesn’t know how he would live without his beard, but he is happy to shave it off now that he lost a bet. He asked his loyal shoppers at his New Lebanon Farmers Market & Grocery to step up to the plate to aid those whose food benefits ran out, promising that if they raised $10,000 he would shave off his beard.

The market runs a companion food aid program that extends the benefits provided by the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). That program, called Market Match, started the year with a grant of $17,500 from Berkshire Ag Ventures, whose Market Match Fund awarded more than $100,000 to a number of other Berkshire-area farmers markets that offered similar programs in 2022.

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Using Medical Cannabis to Reduce Opioid Dosages

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Submitted by the NYS DOH
The New York State Department of Health today announced that its latest multi-agency study detailing the association of receiving medical cannabis for 30 days or longer with a reduction in prescription opioid dosages has been published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) Network Open.

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38th Annual Winter Festival and Polar Plunge

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By Amy Modesti 

Snow showers didn’t stop one hundred courageous plungers from taking part in the 38th Annual Winter Festival’s polar plunge on Saturday morning, January 21, at Grafton Lakes State Park (GLSP). Spectators observed plungers rush into the icy water to benefit the Our Lady of the Snow Parish Food Pantry. 

The polar plunge wasn’t the only attraction keeping visitors entertained at GLSP. Plenty of winter fun was had both outdoors and inside the Welcome Center. Outdoor activities included snow bowling, kick sledding, carriage rides, chainsaw demos from Rayzor’s Edge, warming up at a giant bonfire, hanging out in a snow fort, and meeting sled dogs, northland newfoundlands, and bloodhounds.

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Time for a Change

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By Amy Modesti

Over the past five years with The Eastwick Press, I have served as photographer, reporter, office assistant, sales advertisement representative, newspaper distributor, social media manager, and arts and music reporter. I’ve covered everything from arts and entertainment to swearing in ceremonies for the Rensselaer County Sheriff’s Department, ribbon cutting ceremonies for new businesses, high school commencements, holiday parades, and running races. You name it, I’ve covered it.

The achievements I am most proud of during my time here include having my solo exhibition at Eden Café mentioned in the paper, holding a peace torch from organizers of the Sri-Chinmoy Oneness-Home Peace Run, taking part in two art exhibitions at the Brunswick Community Library, assisting my coworkers in finding bands and gathering 50/50 raffle items for the Berkshire Bird Paradise fundraiser at our headquarters, volunteering my time at the mass food distribution at Grafton Lakes State Park,

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Stephentown Town Board Highlights 

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By Denise Wright 

The January 16th monthly meeting approved $35,709.01 in the general fund and over $24,390.16 from the highway fund to pay the monthly bills. The annual fee for a new program was mentioned during the bill report for residents to be able to pay for their dog licensing online. The Town Clerk said the system still needs to be implemented because they are waiting on a credit card machine. Once the system works, residents will still have to bring updated rabies certificates into the office to be validated. 

The transfer station reported an annual income of $92,415 which is down from the $99,283 from the year before. It was concluded that residents purchased fewer permits and bags. Also, the difference could be attributed to seniors having a discounted price. The transfer station is proud to announce that they have started the paint can program again now that they have a lockable storage facility. This program is available during regular hours at no cost to residents. They only stressed making sure it is discarded paint and nothing else. Supervisor Roder commented that the program is a good service, free of charge for all residents. 

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Honoring Niel Stowell

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By Doug La Rocque

Niel Stowell has served the Village for 35 years, the last 23 as Superintendent of the Department of Public Works (DPW). Thursday, January 26 was Niel’s last day on the job as he heads into retirement. A special luncheon was held that afternoon with family, friends, and area dignitaries to celebrate Niel’s long career in the Village.

At a special meeting of the Village Board on Tuesday, January 24, the Trustees approved a resolution honoring Niel for his service and presented him with a proclamation from the Village and the New York State Conference of Mayors. Mayor Rob Allen spoke briefly about all the sacrifices Niel has made, be it with water main or sewer breaks, floods, and snowstorms, the countless nights, weekends, and holidays spent on the job and away from his family, all without complaint. Niel’s DPW crews were also responsible for the annual outstanding Christmas decorations erected each year throughout the Village.

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Steve McLaughlin Found Not Guilty

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With jury selection taking place Monday, January 23, the criminal trial of Rensselaer County Executive Steve McLaughlin began on Tuesday, January 24. McLaughlin was indicted in December 2021 on charges of third degree grand larceny and first degree offering a false instrument for filing, relating to a $5,000 withdrawal from his campaign funds in 2017 that he allegedly used to pay an aide. The defense stated the funds in question were used legitimately to pay a consulting firm.

On Wednesday, January 25, after deliberating for about an hour, the jury found McLaughlin not guilty on all charges. 

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Emergency Services Training Complex Officially Opens

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Submitted by Rensselaer County
The new Rensselaer County Emergency Services Training Complex on Macha Lane in North Greenbush is open and ready for use as of Thursday, January 19. 

Construction of a new training complex has been a priority for County Executive Steve McLaughlin and members of the County Legislature, and has received strong support from members of the emergency services community. The new complex replaces the former training center, at the same location, that was closed several years ago due to use and age.

The new complex features responsive training devices and systems, live fire displays, digital fire displays, various combustible displays and exercises, a state of the art control system, and a smoke maze to ensure emergency responders have the training and skills they need to protect and serve the residents of Rensselaer County.

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