The Eastwick Press Newspaper

Eastern Rensselaer County's Community Newspaper

Grafton

Isabelle E. Boomhower — Obituary

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GRAFTON – Isabelle Elizabeth (Miller) Boomhower, 84, died peacefully in her home on Friday, March 7, 2025 with her family at her side. She was born in Pittsfield, MA on July 10, 1940, the daughter of the late George and Janette (O’Brien) Miller.

Isabelle was raised in Hancock, MA where she worked on a farm growing up. Following her marriage, she moved to Grafton, NY where she lived most of her life. She was a homemaker raising her three children. [Read more…] about Isabelle E. Boomhower — Obituary

Grafton Town Board Highlights

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by Denise Wright
The March 10th Grafton Town Board meeting was full of business, ranging from energy audits to Supervisor Committee assignments.

After the approval of the February 10th Town Board Organizational Meeting minutes, the town supervisor reported that several members of the board attended the EMS meeting in Poestenskill on February 20th. The meeting was well attended, with 150 people learning how to work on creating a solution for the lack of emergency services crisis in eastern Rensselaer County. The supervisor assured attendees that Grafton would “step up” to do their part in the solution and thanked the Grafton Rescue Squad for their services in keeping their community safe.

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Grafton Town Board Highlights

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by Denise Wright
The Grafton Town Board’s February 10th meeting was busy with town business, ranging from repairs to Efficiency Grant updates.

After the minutes were approved, the supervisor reported that her report would be posted on the website for public review under the Supervisor’s page. She also stated that the town’s annual financial review had been completed and would be sent to the NYS Comptroller’s Office.

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Grafton Town Board Highlights

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by Denise Wright
The Grafton Town Board's January 13th meeting began with an organizational meeting and then moved into its regular monthly meeting.

Supervisor Noeding from Petersburgh discussed a Local Efficiency Grant application that Petersburgh and Grafton would work together to submit. This would enable both municipalities to have money available to consolidate and increase community activities. This would help both communities explore projects that engage residents. One suggestion was to utilize the town green more by adding a pavilion with a reservation system. The board passed the resolution to submit the grant application.

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Grafton Lakes State Park’s 40th Winter Festival! 

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Grafton Lakes State Park and the Friends of Grafton Lakes State Park will host the 40th Annual Winter Festival on Saturday, January 18th. The Winter Fest will feature outdoor events along with indoor exhibits, food vendors, and family-friendly recreational activities. The event is free of charge and will take place from 11:30 am to 3 pm.

This event is perfect for the whole family. You can join snowshoe and kicksled adventures, savor the delights of local food trucks, and take a horse-drawn wagon ride! Other outdoor offerings this year include our popular snow bowling hill, snowball toss, and free snowmobile rides courtesy of the Grafton Trail Blazers. You can also warm up inside and meet the live animals from Uncharted Wild and birds of prey from NYS Rehabilitation Council President Kelly Martin. All of this, and much more!

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Alan C. Kennedy – Obituary

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August 31, 1947 – December 7, 2024
It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of Alan C. Kennedy, a beloved husband, father, grandfather, brother, uncle, and friend, who departed this life on December 7, 2024. Alan was a devoted husband to Patti Kennedy, cherishing a life filled with love, laughter, and shared memories. Together they raised a wonderful family, including Heather Hart, preceded in death by her husband Steve; Dawn Kennedy and her husband Levin Schwartz; and James Kennedy and his wife Cassie. Holding a special place in his heart are his grandchildren Drew, Matthew, Kevin, Colleen, Chelah, Kai, Forrest, and Ivy. Alan is also survived by his beloved sister Carole Lengyel and her husband Ed; his niece Katy Terry and her husband Jason; and his nephew Craig Lengyel and his wife Megan. 

[Read more…] about Alan C. Kennedy – Obituary

Yule Log Tradition

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A Holiday Scavenger Hunt

Sunday, December 15th, from 1 to 3 pm
Celebrate the ancient tradition of the Yule Log at the Dyken Pond Environmental Education Center. Hear the story of the Yule Log and why the days are getting shorter and the nights longer at this time of year. Search for a hidden Yule Log, which will be carried back and burned in a campfire by the lake. Enjoy hot chocolate and cookies by the fire. Greens will be available to make crafts. This program is free but preregistration is required at 518-658-2055 or dykenpond@gmail.com.

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Saving the Ash Trees

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Grafton Lakes State Park Press Release

My First Summer at Grafton:

Hi, my name is Wren Martinson! I’m very excited to be a part of the Grafton Lakes State Park team. This summer I participated in an initiative to prevent the invasive emerald ash borer from killing ash trees in our park.

Armed with a box of wasps and a day of training from a regional biologist, I marched out into our woods and released the wasps onto ash trees. Why, you may ask, was I bringing wasps into the park? A study of over 10 years has shown that these tiny 1/4-inch wasps seek out and kill emerald ash borers with minimal risk to disrupting the environment. And no, they do not sting! They use their ovipositor, their egg-laying apparatus, to lay their eggs in the emerald ash borer larvae. When the wasp eggs hatch, they kill the emerald ash borer larvae before it has a chance to mature and reproduce. Once the local infestation of ash borers has subsided, the wasps will die out too since they solely rely on the emerald ash borer to lay their eggs in. The ecosystem can then resume its natural course.

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Dawn M. Meyers – Obituary

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Dawn M. Meyers, 83, beloved wife, mother, and grandmother, passed away surrounded by her family on Monday, October 21, 2024, at Southwestern Vermont Medical Center (SVMC). She resided with her husband of 63 years, Gustave (Gus) E. Meyers III, on Kelyer Avenue at Babcock Lake (Grafton, NY).

Dawn was born on January 23,1941, in Bridgeport, CT, the daughter of James W. and Catherine (Youd) Livingstone. She was the oldest of five children. Dawn married the love of her life, Gustave (known to her as Buddy), on September 2,1961. Gus and Dawn had three children and resided in Stratford, CT, for 34 years prior to making Grafton their permanent home. While in Stratford, Dawn was a nurse, working at both Bridgeport Hospital and 3030 Park Nursing Home in Bridgeport, CT. Dawn loved caring for her family and home. She was an avid reader, cook, gardener, and news aficionado, and spent her life helping others, particularly her family. [Read more…] about Dawn M. Meyers – Obituary