The Eastwick Press Newspaper

Eastern Rensselaer County's Community Newspaper

Grafton

Na Mu Myo Ho Ren Ge Kyo

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The Grafton Peace Pagoda Flower Festival will celebrate the birth of the Buddha on Sunday, June 8, starting at 11 am. Please join us in celebrating Buddha’s birth in this world and in reawakening our belief in humanity’s noble, spiritual purpose on this earth.

There will be a traditional Buddhist ceremony with ecumenical prayers. The speaker will be Deb Krol who will educate the community about the dangers of fracking. Music will be provided by the Peace Poets and the Peace Band. A pot luck lunch will follow the ceremony.

The Grafton Peace Pagoda is located at 87 Crandall Road, Petersburgh. For information call Nipponzan Myohoji at 518-658-9301 between 8 am and 5 pm.

Fish Ecology At Dyken Pond

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The Dyken Pond Environmental Education Center is offering a Fish Ecology Program on June 1 from 1 to 3 pm. This program for all ages will teach you about the various fish species that inhabit Dyken Pond and about the habitat in which they live. Pre-registration is encouraged to help with planning, but not required and can be done by contacting the Center at dykenpond@fairpoint.net or 658-2055. A complete list of our summer programs can be found at www.dykenpond.org.

The Dyken Pond Environmental Education Center, located at 475 Dyken Pond Road, Cropseyville, is a Rensselaer County Park open daily during daylight hours for hiking, fishing and non-motor boating. Canoes and kayaks are for rent each day from 9 am until 3 pm.

GLSP And Bennington Battlefield Historic Site Events

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• June 7, Saturday – National Trails Day from 9 am to 12 pm at Grafton Lakes State Park. This fun morning of trail work will be followed by a complimentary raffle and barbecue for all our volunteers. Please pre-register by June 3 for the complimentary barbecue at 279-1155.

• June 7, Saturday – Ribbon Cutting for the Baum Trail at the Bennington Battlefield at 2 pm. This is the end of the trail for Baum, whose defeat at the Battle for Bennington helped set the stage for success at Saratoga. Re-enactors will be present in period costume to help tell the tale along with renowned historian and author Michael Gabriel.

Picturing Nature: A Practical Approach To Nature Photography

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The Dyken Pond Environmental Education Center is offering a nature photography workshop for all levels of photographers on June 14 from 10 am to 12 pm. This class will be instructed by two well known professional photographers – Denise Hackert-Stoner and Scott Stoner. They will cover the basic concept of nature photography including light, composition and aspects of simple editing. So bring your questions and your camera – be it cell phone, point and shoot or digital SLR. This program will cost $10 per person or $5 per member. Pre-registration is required, and space is limited. If you have any questions please email us at dykenpond@fairpoint.net or call 658-2055. A complete list of programs can also be found on our website at www.dykenpond.org.

Dyken Pond Bird Walk

On June 7 there will be a Bird Walk sponsored by Hudson-Mohawk Bird Club from 8 am to 12 pm. Come bird watch throughout Dyken Pond Center’s trail systems and wetlands.  This event is free and for all bird enthusiasts!

The Dyken Pond Environmental Education Center, 475 Dyken Pond Road, Cropseyville, is a Rensselaer County park open daily during daylight hours for hiking, fishing and non-motor boating. Canoes and kayaks are available for rent each day from 9 am until 3 pm.

A Day Of Healthy Outdoor Family Activities At Dyken Pond

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On June 21 “Let’s Move: A Day of Healthy Outdoor Family Activities” will be held at Dyken Pond from  10:30 am to 2:30 pm. All activities are free, family friendly and for the beginner. Activities will be held in two sessions. Come for one or both. Session 1 is from 10:30 am to 12 noon. Session 2 is from 12:30 to 2 pm. Each session will feature kayak lessons (ages 10 and older), fishing, geo-caching, a nature walk, a fox walk and other nature games.

Bring a picnic lunch. Healthy snacks will be available throughout the day.

Grafton Fire Department Celebrates 70 Years

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by Bea Peterson

On Saturday evening, May 17, the Grafton Fire Department held its 70th Annual Installation Banquet at the Hilton Garden Inn in Troy. There was a huge turnout for the event, which included dinner, presentations and dancing. Fire Chief Jim Goyer welcomed everyone with thanks and an Invocation. Pastor Jason White of the Grafton Baptist Church gave the Benediction. Music was by the Cool Cat DJ Services.

[Read more…] about Grafton Fire Department Celebrates 70 Years

Grafton Planning Board Action – May 2014

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by Alex Elvin

The Planning Board meeting on Monday, May 19, included two orders of business and a casual discussion of the ongoing Time Warner cable work around town. At 16 minutes, it was the Board’s longest meeting so far this year.

Lot Line Adjustments

Rodney Michael, a former Planning Board member and owner of RDM Surveying Consultants in Troy, submitted an application to redefine a parcel of land on Route 2 owned by Mark Gavin but long occupied by the home of James and Deborah Bettie.

Now that the Betties are planning to sell their home, Michael said, they have chosen to work with Gavin to redefine the property boundary. The new boundary will make it so the Betties’ house is not on Gavin’s property.

“Basically this goes back to a story of bad lawyering – of writing descriptions and not knowing what they were writing,” Michael said. The new application will redefine and further describe the Gavin property “so that there is never ever a question about where the westerly line of Gavin was.”

The two parties “couldn’t be happier” about the agreement, Michael said. “I just wish more people could come to that way of thinking instead of having fights and debates and all the rest of that stuff.”

The Board unanimously accepted the application for review, and Planning Board Chairman Thomas Withcuskey set a public hearing for June 16 at 6:50 pm.

Cable Work Moving Along

Diverging from the meeting’s agenda, Michael asked about the progress of TV cable work around Blue Factory Road, where he lives. Although the Planning Board is not directly involved in the work, Withcuskey explained that Time Warner has finished surveying poles and wires in town to determine if any adjustments are needed. Verizon and National Grid will make those adjustments, he said.

Withcuskey was unaware of a timeframe for the rest of the project but noted that “Time Warner got their stuff done pretty quickly” this winter. He added that the Town’s main lines “are pretty much up to code,” but that more work might be needed on the smaller roads.

Further updates on the progress of the work will likely be given by Town Supervisor Frank Higgins during the monthly Town Board meetings, Withcuskey said.

Horses On Kautz Hollow Road

Richard Lundy presented new documents related to his application for a horseback riding business on his property on Kautz Hollow Road. Most of his property, including his house, is in Pittstown, but the barn, from which the horseback riding business will be run and where the horses are stabled, is in Grafton. The Board had approved his application last April, but Lundy had decided not to pursue it right away.

The new documents Lundy presented included registrations for each of his many dogs, a contract with Averill Park Septic Service in Averill Park to have portable toilets on the property and approval from the Town of Pittstown to put up a sign directing traffic to the property. Withcuskey said he had spoken with Pittstown Supervisor Edwin King, who had no issues with the proposal.

Lundy must still present certificates of CPR and first aid training for himself and the two others who will lead the rides, and he expected to do so by Friday. He plans to set up a Facebook page in the near future with information about the rides.

The next Planning Board meeting will be June 16 at 7 pm, preceded by a public hearing at 6:50 on the Beattie lot line adjustment.

Timber Cutting Workshop

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Making the decision to harvest timber on your property can be challenging. It’s a decision that will impact your woods and how your family will use it for many years. It’s often difficult to know where to start or who to talk to. If you’ve been thinking about a timber cut but would like more information before moving forward, then sign up for a workshop presented by a Master Forest Owner (MFO) on Saturday, May 31, at 9:30 am at the Pineridge Cross Country Ski Area on Plank Road (Co Rt. 40) in East Poestenkill.

MFO Walter Kersch will introduce landowners to proven management practices for their forests, will help landowners understand the role of a forester and what to do when approached by a logger or timber salesman.

During this hands-on event you will visit a forest plot marked for a timber stand improvement (TSI) cut, learn how to measure trees to estimate the board feet or cords of wood and consider tree conditions for pulp or saw timber. Participants will discuss advantages and expected results of a TSI and gain a better understanding of how to figure out potential returns and when a tree is of most value. The group will also share experiences of management efforts in their own woods.

The program is presented by the Rensselaer Plateau Alliance and co-sponsored by the Capital District New York Forest Owner Association with a $10 per person fee to cover costs. Refreshments will be served. Please wear clothing and boots suitable for walking in the woods and don’t forget your insect repellent!

To register for the workshop please visit http://tinyurl.com/jwc8ayg. To learn more about the Rensselaer Plateau Alliance visit http://rensselaerplateau.org.

Grafton Town Board Action – May 2014

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by Alex Brooks

The Grafton Town Board meeting on May 12 began with the highway report. Highway Superintendent Herb Hasbrouck said Babcock Lake Road suffered a lot of damage this past winter. It’s a County Road, and the County has tried to patch it, but apparently they do not have the resources to fully repair it. The County Engineer said he would need an allocation of 600 to 800 tons of asphalt mix to repair it properly. Code Enforcement Officer Tom Withcuskey said, “It was very bad this winter. They came out and worked on it and patched some holes, but it still has some bad holes in it.”

[Read more…] about Grafton Town Board Action – May 2014

Great Strides Walk At GLSP

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The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation will be holding its annual Great Strides Walk at Grafton Lakes State Park on Sunday, May 18, at 12 noon, registration begins at 11 am.  The Kempf Family will be walking in honor of their son Mathew on the team “Miles 4 Mathew.” Call 518-573-9790 for more information. Please come out and support the walk or consider making a donation. Checks made out to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation can be mailed to 26 Snow Street, Hoosick Falls, NY, 12090.