The Eastwick Press Newspaper

Eastern Rensselaer County's Community Newspaper

Grafton

Dam Update

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Statement Courtesy of the NYS Department of Parks and Recreation

In the January 7 edition of The Eastwick Press, our front page story was a report on four area dams and their recent designation by the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) as unsound. As we initially reported, this designation doesn’t mean there is a threat of imminent failure, and a recent statement from the New York State Department of Parks and Recreation reads as follows:

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Grafton’s Cabin Fever at GLSP 

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by Amy Modesti
Extreme cold? Check. Swimmers in crazy costumes jumping into Long Pond? Check. Petting huskies, Newfoundlands, bloodhounds, exotic animals and horses? Check. What do all these things symbolize? Cabin Fever! 

Single digit temperatures didn’t stop visitors from attending and taking part in this year’s Cabin Fever at Grafton Lakes State Park (GLSP). Gutsy swimmers dressed in costumes, active wear and bathing suits braved the elements to dive into

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Berlin Central School District Board Meeting

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Contradictory Information

by Chris Tergliafera

At the January 18 regular meeting of the Berlin Central School District Board, Superintendent Joseph Dhara discussed some contradictory information the District has received from the State of New York regarding contact tracing for COVID-19. The State is telling schools they no longer need to contact trace, however they also told districts they need to do their due diligence and notify parents when their child has come in close contact with someone who is infected, which would require contact tracing. The District will look to get some clarification on the matter.

In other COVID-19 news, the number of days required to quarantine after being in close contact with someone who’s tested positive has been reduced from ten to five.

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Grafton Town Council and RPA Go Face to Face

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by Doug La Rocque

After several members of the Town Council expressed surprise about the Rensselaer Plateau Alliance’s (RPA) plans to open a Community Forest on land situated between Stuffle Street and Foster Road, the Council invited RPA Executive Director Jim Bonesteel to their Workshop meeting on Monday, January 24 to explain what the Community Forest is and answer their questions. And many questions there were.

School Loses Out

As to whether the Town would lose tax revenue on this land purchase (the RPA is a not-for-profit entity) the answer is yes and no. While the 394-acre parcel would apparently go off the tax roles, the RPA’s governing body has voted to make annual payments to the Town in lieu of taxes. According to Mr. Bonesteel, these would be paid to the Town’s general and highway funds as well as the fire department. Not included in this so-called PILOT program are the Berlin and Brunswick School Districts or Rensselaer County. They would apparently lose their tax revenue on this parcel.

Traffic and Parking

One of the concerns brought forth at the regular Town Council meeting two weeks ago was

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Grafton Town Council Meeting

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Community Forest Announcement a Bit of a Surprise

by Chris Tergliafera and Doug La Rocque

During the public comments section of the January 10 regular meeting of the Grafton Town Council, a resident mentioned concerns over an upcoming project by the Rensselaer Plateau Alliance (RPA) on Foster Road that they believe could lead to increased traffic and other potential issues. The RPA’s project, involving approximately 300 acres on land situated between

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Four Area Dams Listed by DEC as Unsound

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Rating Does Not Mean Failure Is Imminent

by Doug La Rocque

A recent survey of dams around New York State by the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) obtained by The Eastwick Press places three dams in the Town of Grafton and one in the Town of Berlin on their unsound list. The DEC however explains a Condition Rating of Unsound refers to “dams with deficiencies of such a nature that the safety of the dam cannot be assured.” The unsound ratings do not mean that

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Andre Jones – Obituary

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Grafton – Andre Jones, age 66, followed Jesus to Heaven, full of peace and faith, surrounded by his loving wife and children, on December 20, 2021. He was born September 13, 1955, in La Chapelle-Saint-Mesmin, France, while his father was stationed there in the U.S. Army. He was preceded in death by his father, Harold Jones, brother, Howard (Bub) Jones and sister, Paula Dixon.

Andre was a reliable husband, father, friend and a lifelong general contractor known for his expertise and integrity. Most recently, he partnered with his youngest son, Russell, to form A and R Jones Contracting Inc. Andre’s love of life was inspiring. He was always digging deep into his interests. He had many hobbies and a long list of mastered skills. Once he decided to learn about something, he put all he had into it. His most recent endeavor was sustainable farming and traditional food preparation as a way of providing his family with healthy, chemical-free food. He spent years converting woods on his property to pasture and began gardening, [Read more…] about Andre Jones – Obituary

Wesley Vars – Obituary

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Grafton – Wesley Vars passed from this life in the comfort of his home surrounded by his loving family on Tuesday, December 21, 2021. He was 65 years old.

Born in Troy, he was son of the late Wesley Vars, Sr. and Marion (Burdick) Vars. Wesley lived in Cropseyville for most of his life and attended Berlin Central Schools. He was initially employed by W.J. Cowee of Berlin and later by Saint Gobain in Hoosick Falls from where he retired.

Wesley enjoyed hunting, fishing and ice fishing, cutting wood and the times spent at home with his family.

He was the beloved husband of Pamela (Laperle) Vars; father of Mark (Amy) Vars, Joseph (Erin) Vars, Stephanie (Jason) White and the late Dawn Cummins; grandfather of Dawn, Brent, Blake, Candace, Zachary, Zoey, Trinity, Brianna, Logan, Joey, Jakob, Madison and Stephen; great-grandfather of Cade, Benjamin and Bellamy; brother of Edward (Louise) Vars, Brian (Barbara) Vars, Alan (Gloria) Bentley, the late Brenda Vars and Clayton Bentley; as well and many nieces and nephews.

Wesley’s family wishes to extend a heartfelt thank you to the nurses and staff of the Community Hospice for the wonderful care given to Wesley and for the support offered to his family during a difficult time.

There will be no formal services held and for those wishing to remember him in a special way, donations in Wesley’s memory may be made to the Community Hospice Foundation, 310 South Manning Blvd., Albany, NY 12208.

Arrangements were entrusted to the Thomas M. Barber Funeral Home of Petersburgh, NY.

Visit www.parkerbrosmemroial.com to leave a pleasant memory or to express your sympathy to Wesley’s family.

Another Successful Mass Food Giveaway in Grafton

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by Doug La Rocque

Catholic Charities, The Regional Food Bank of Northeastern NY, the Capital District Area Labor Federation, The Rensselaer County District Attorney’s Office, The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation and The Eastwick Press teamed up on Wednesday, November 3 to once again bring Eastern and Central Rensselaer County a mass food giveaway, held at the Grafton Lakes State Park (GLSP). This was the third such event that has been held at GLSP and the second this year. Just like the previous two several hundred families received

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