Eastern Rensselaer County's Community Newspaper
Rensselaer County’s Everett Wagar Senior Center, 2 Roxborough Road, Grafton will be holding an AARP Safe Driving Course on Tuesday, September 30, from 8:30 am to 3:30 pm, with a break at noon for lunch, available at the Center.
Save up to 10% on your car insurance. The cost of the course will be $20 for AARP members and $25 for non-members. Please call Penny at 279-3413 or stop at the Center for reservations. Spaces are limited.
Grafton Lakes State Park’s Beach Nature Center is open 12 to 2 pm daily through Labor Day. Come visit some local critters, explore animal tracks and look at our nature artifacts.
August 30, Saturday – Gentle Fresh Air Yoga with Kat Abrams from 9:30 to 10:30 am. This is the last class of the summer. The cost is $12. For more information, call Kat at 233-1717.
August 30, Saturday – Dance in the Park for Summer’s Last Swing, 5 to 10 pm at GLSP. Enjoy live swing music with the Nisky Dixie Cats and dance lessons under the Park’s big sky. Call Laura Sears at 279-1155 for details.
September 1, Monday – Last Day of Swimming for the Summer and the Labor Day Sand Sculpture Contest at GLSP. Registration is at 12 pm, judging at 3 pm. Sign up is free. There will be prizes for all participants, but extra points will be awarded for originality. Join us on Long Pond beach.
September 6, Saturday – Tom Conklin Dedication Ceremony at Grafton Lakes State Park – Grand Opening of Conklin Pass, our new trail and the Conklin Program Tent. The ceremony will be followed by a barbecue and live music from 12 to 4 pm.
September 6, Saturday – International “Observe the Moon” Night. Join people all over the world in looking up at our nearest neighbor, the moon. Bring your binoculars if you have them and come enjoy the glow.
September 13, Saturday – If These Rocks Could Talk Geology Tour with David DeSimone at 10 am at GLSP. Grafton’s original name was Roxborough. Come find out why in a tale that goes back over 500 million years. Pre-register by calling 279-1155.
September 14, Sunday – Love the Lakes Shoreline Cleanup Day from 1 to 3 pm at GLSP. Along with thousands of volunteers worldwide, join in a shoreline cleanup effort sponsored through the Ocean Conservancy and American Littoral Society. Collect data as you go that aids in litter prevention campaigns. Scout troops are welcome. Pre-register at 279-1155.
September 19, Friday – Star Watch at 7:30 pm ay GLSP. Enjoy a free tour of the night sky with the Albany Area Astronomers. call Bernard at 658-9144 to confirm as cloudy skies may cancel. The rain date is Saturday September 20 at 7:30 pm. Please use the Winter Entrance and follow signs to the program.
September 20, Saturday – Pets in the Park from 11 am to 2 pm at Deerfield pavilion at GLSP.
Bring your four-legged friends for a day of pet friendly fun an adoption clinic, vendors, agility course, a costume contest and more. Call for a detailed schedule of events. There will be a Nature Hike at 10 am.
September 27, Saturday – Fall Foliage Hike to the Fire Tower at 10:30 am at GLSP. Pack a lunch and join us for a three mile round trip hike to the Dickinson Hill Fire Tower. We’ll break for lunch and a view before returning around 1 pm. Please call to pre-register at 279-1155. This hike is part of the region-wide Hudson River Ramble.
For more information check www.nysparks.com.
by Kieron Kramer
The Grafton Planning Board convened an hour earlier than usual, at 6 pm, on Monday, August 18. Besides the four Planning Board members (there is still a vacancy on the Board) no one was in attendance except surveyor Bill Darling, who represented the applicants in a lot line adjustment on a parcel on Route 2. [Read more…] about Grafton Planning Board Action – DEC Issues Draft EIS On Valente Mine Expansion
Grafton Lakes State Park, the Dance Flurry Organization, Capitol USA Dance and the Friends of Grafton Lakes State Park will host Dance in the Park on Saturday, August 30. Dance in the Park is open to dancers at all levels of experience with or without a partner. The event will take place at the Deerfield Pavilion from 5 to 10 pm, starting with a lesson and a swing dance following. All proceeds from the night will benefit the Friends of Grafton Lakes State Park.
The lesson will be taught by Jason Fenton and will cover the basics of East Coast Swing. The main swing dance will feature a live band, the Dylan Perrillo Orchestra, and Fenton will DJ during the break between sets. There will also be food from Brunswick Barbeque and Brew and a raffle with prizes including a gift certificate from Saratoga Savoy, a gift basket from Capitol USA Dance and CDs from Ms. Patti Melita, a local musician.
Registration costs $15 per person for the dance only and $25 per person for dinner and the dance. Both fees cover the dance lesson and a night of live music. Pre-registration for those who want dinner is required by Wednesday, August 27, but drop-ins for the swing dance are also more than welcome.
For more information about Dance in the Park, please call the Park Office at 518-279-1155.
• Full Moon Paddle – September 9, 7 to 9 pm. Join us for the full “Harvest” moon paddle on Dyken Pond. This event is limited to 15 people. Kayaks or canoes can be rented for $10 per boat. Pre-registration is required; call 518-658-2055 or email dykenpond@fairpoint.net to register or find out more information.
• Hike Across the Rensselaer Plateau – Sept. 13 and 14. This two day, 32 mile hike will take serious hikers from end to end across the Rensselaer Plateau. The event is co-sponsored by the Rensselaer Plateau Alliance. Pre-registration is required. Please call us at 518-658-2055 for more details.
Jr. Naturalist Program
• Lake Ecology – August 27, 1 to 3 pm. Our final Jr. Naturalist program of the summer will give students some experience in one of their favorite places – the water. We will be exploring the animals and plants that inhabit Dyken Pond by hiking the shoreline. We will discuss water quality and give students a chance to test the water conditions in the lake. A $1 donation is suggested.
Behind The Scenes
This summer the Forest Conservation Corps took place the last two weeks of July. Twenty-one teenagers from Rensselaer County volunteered time out of their summer to do trail work and maintenance at the Center. The teens worked on over six miles of hiking trails and paved the way for a brand new trail at the Center. The Forest Corps teens also helped prevent shoreline erosion on Dyken Pond by piling up rocks along the shoreline. The staff at Dyken Pond is very proud of these teens and would like to say thanks again for all of their hard work.
by Alex Brooks
Grafton Town Clerk Sue Putnam was not present at this month’s Town Board Meeting. Her place at the Board’s table was taken by Deputy Clerk Cathy Goyer, who took notes and polled the Board members during votes.
[Read more…] about Grafton Town Board Action – After Rocky Start Meeting Smooths Out
submitted by Liz Wagner, Park Naturalist
Sunshine and beautiful weather greeted this year’s participants for the 29th Annual Run for the Roses. The Grafton Community Library and Grafton Lakes State Park were happy to host 154 runners for this year’s event on the 5k course that is renowned for being “up hill the whole way.”
On Friday, August 22, at 6:30 pm, the Grafton Community Library will celebrate the Grand Finale of it’s 2014 Summer Reading Program with an exciting evening of entertainment featuring Jeff Boyer’s “Bubble Trouble.”
A bubble volcano? A Bubble roller coaster? A kid in a bubble? Jeff Boyer takes bubbles to the max in this one man bubble extravaganza. It’s the craziest, most creative bubble show around. Jeff juggles bubbles, sculpts and builds with bubbles, makes fog-filled bubbles and more. Mixing comedy, music and interactive bubble magic, he will engage and delight audiences of all ages.
This free program will be held at the Everett Wagar Senior Center in Grafton. For more information contact the Library at 279-0580 or visit graftoncommunitylibrary.org.
