The Eastwick Press Newspaper

Eastern Rensselaer County's Community Newspaper

Grafton

May Events At The Grafton Library

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All programs are free and open to the public. For more information contact the Library at 518-279-0580 or email director@graftoncommunitylibrary.org. Stay up to date with everything that is happening at the Library by visiting our online events calendar at www.graftoncommunitylibrary.org/whats-happening-at-your-library, and signing up for our email newsletter on our website www.graftoncommunitylibrary.org.

Games Tournament Extravaganza With The Everett Wagar Senior Center

The next game is Wednesday, May 7, at 10 am. It is a Scrabble Tournament at the Library.

Growing Beautiful, Natural Vegetables In Our Mountain Soil

Tips and techniques for growing beautiful, natural vegetables in our mountain soil is on Saturday, May 17, at 10:30 am. Some people say that you can’t grow good vegetables in our rocky soil. Farmers Jonah Vitale-Wolff, Leah Penniman and Capers Rumph would beg to differ. They are the energy behind Grafton’s Soul Fire Farm, a Certified Naturally Grown family farm, community resource and vessel for education that provides vegetables to over 40 families each season from their 2 acres through their CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) program. In this free, interactive presentation they will tell us about their farm and let us in on the secrets of growing abundant, natural vegetables comparable to top quality local produce without any chemical input. Bring your questions!

The Bison

Storyteller Gil Payette presents The Bison in Native American Culture on Friday, May 23, at 6:30 pm. Payette will be back for his ongoing series on Native American culture and folkways. This month we will learn about the American bison and learn some of the traditional uses of the buffalo by Native Americans. Know the difference between the bison and the buffalo, but no matter what the name, this was Tatanka to the Sioux Nation of the Great Plains. Tatanka represents sacredness, life, great strength, abundance and gratitude. Every aspect of Indian life on the Great Plains was touched by the buffalo for which they were most grateful and respectful.

Book Discussion Group

The book discussion group will meet Wednesday, May 28, at 12:30 pm. New participants are always welcome. May’s book selection is Meg Wolitzer’s The Interestings. “Wide in scope, ambitious and populated by complex characters who come together and apart in a changing New York City, The Interestings explores the ways class, power, art, money, success and friendship can shift and tilt precipitously over the course of a life.” Check the Book Discussion Group page on our website for more details.

Weekly Storytimes For Preschool-Aged Children

• Thursday, May 8, at 4 pm. (Special singalong storytime.)

• Wednesday, May 1, at10:30 am.

• Thursday, May 22, at 4 pm.

• Wednesday, May 28, at10:30 am.

• Thursday, May 29, at 4 pm -Nature Tales Storytime with special guests from Grafton Lakes State Park.

Game Day

Come to the Library on Tuesdays at 3:30 pm to play your favorite board games with friends: Scrabble, Bananagrams, Scattergories, and more. Use the Library’s games or bring your own.

Sit And Knit Needle Arts Group

Come share your love of all the needle arts on Saturdays at 10 am. There will be knitting, stitching, crocheting and more. All skill levels and abilities are welcome.

Dyken Pond Spring Home-School Series

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The Dyken Pond Environmental Education Center is offering a home-school series this spring for students of all ages every Wednesday for six weeks beginning May 7 running until June 11. Each Wednesday program will offer a different theme and will run from 1 to 3 pm. These science based programs will teach students about tree identification, gardening, wildlife studies and general ecology. There is a $5 per student fee or $15 per family. A complete list of programs can be found at www.dykenpond.org. Pre-registration is required and can be done by contacting the Center at dykenpond@fairpoint.net or 518-658-2055.

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 available for rent each day after May 15 from 9 am until 3 pm. Call for more information and a complete schedule of our events.

Grafton Planning Board Action – DEC Names Itself Lead Agency In The Valente Mine Environmental Review

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by Kieron Kramer

The five Grafton Planning Board members did their duty showing up for the Board meeting on Monday night even though there was nothing on the agenda. The meeting started three minutes late because, as one Board  member, who will remain unnamed, put it, the secretary is “tardy.” Before the meeting, the Board members chit-chatted about various issues – like whether it would snow this week. Tardy or not, the secretary, the indomitable Jessica Crandall, arrived and the meeting began. It was adjourned one minute after the Pledge of Allegiance. It only took the Board 20 seconds to read the minutes of the last meeting and approve them since nothing happened last month either. One would expect some action at the April meeting of the Planning Board – a site plan review, an informal discussion about a subdivision – since planning ahead for spring and summer projects usually begins now. Perhaps the public hasn’t recovered from the long, harsh winter, and thoughts have not yet turned to spring.

The site plan review for the upgrade of the antenna on the AT&T tower at 38 Radio Tower Way was tentatively on the agenda. Radio Tower Way runs off of Snyder Road. AT&T wants to place three new antennas on the tower to upgrade the signal to 4G LTE. For the third month in a row the attorney for AT&T informed Planning Board Chairman Tom Withcuskey that the application is still not ready. The site plan review is again being postponed, until the next Planning Board meeting on May 19.

One bit of news that Withcuskey did announce is that the NYS DEC has responded to Grafton’s request to be the lead agency in the environmental review process for the change of use at the R.J. Valente mine on Route 2 near the Brunswick Town line. The DEC has named itself as lead agency. This is not a surprise to those who follow the mining of greywacke on the Rensselaer Plateau. The State agency is interested in promoting operations that mine greywacke because greywacke is used as an important underlayment in road construction across the State. Greywacke, a resistant sandstone, comprises much of the bedrock of the 105,000 acres of the forested Rensselaer plateau. (See http://rensselaerplateau.org/RensselaerPlateau/History.aspx for a discussion of greywacke on the plateau.) It is one of the main products of the R.J. Valente mine in Grafton.

Withcuskey read the decision from the DEC before this meeting and said that the decision gives Grafton a large say in the scoping of the project. He is pleased by this. Once the DEC finishes its environmental review – which Withcuskey described as a stack of documents a foot high – the Planning Board will begin the site plan review, if R.J. Valente applies for one, which will include a scoping meeting in which the public can respond to the environmental impact statement prepared by the DEC. This will be followed by a public hearing.

The original mining permit issued by the Grafton Planning Board in April of 1996 had a number of stipulations – some of which have been belatedly met and others not, according to Withcuskey. Stipulations included base line water testing, that blasting would be conducted under State regulations, that mining activities would be coordinated with school bus schedules and only operate during certain agreed upon hours, that quarry inspections would be allowed and that 500 tons of processed material and $2,500 each year for ten years would be provided to the Town. When the current Planning Board considers the new site plan review after the hearings it may decide to approve the site plan contingent on all of the previous stipulations being met, which Withcuskey said were court ordered, and it may require more stipulations – the most important to the Board being keeping Route 2 clear of dust and stone that could cause an accident.

Grafton Game Tournament

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The Rensselaer County Everett Wagar Senior Center and the Grafton Community Library are excited to present a Games Tournament Extravaganza coming to Grafton this May. Participants can compete in five different games at two locations over four weeks, culminating in a party at the Senior Center on May 21 where finalists from all the games will compete, prizes and trophies will be given, pizza and sundaes will be enjoyed by all participants and guests.

• Friday, May 2 – Quinella (31) at the Senior Center at 1 pm

• Tuesday, May 13 – Dominoes at the Senior Center at 1 pm

• Wednesday, May 7 – Scrabble at the Library at 10 am

• Wednesday, May 14 – Checkers at the Library at 10 am

• Friday, May 16 – Bingo at the Senior Center at 1 pm

• Wednesday, May 21 – Finalists of all games will play at the Senior Center. All participants and guests are invited for a pizza and make your own sundae party where prizes and trophies will be given for the winners.  Pizza and ice cream is sponsored by MVP Health Care and Stewart’s.

Participants can sign up at the Everett Wagar Senior Center during open hours, Monday through Friday from 9 am to 3 pm. For more information contact the Senior Center at 279-3413 or the Grafton Community Library at 279-0580.

GLSP April And May Events

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• Saturday, April 26 – Silent Hike with Your Camera at 10:30 am. You know the expression “a picture says a thousand words.” We’ll see if we can write a book while out on this silent hike. Pre-register at 279-1155. This event is sponsored by the Friends of Grafton Lakes State Park.

• Tuesday, April 29 – Orienteering Basics at 10 am. Read an orienteering map and explore the Park with the aid of a compass. You’ll get some basic skills so that you’ll never truly be “lost in the woods.” Meet by main beach parking lot. Pre-registration required, call 279-1155. The cost is $2 per person. The suggested age for this program is 10 or older.

• Saturday, May 3 – I Love My Park Day! Begins at 9 am at Deerfield Pavilion. Volunteer on the trails at your favorite State Park from 9:30 am to 12 pm.  We’ll have service activities for volunteers of all ages, with morning refreshments and T-shirts available to those who pre-register by April  20.  Call 279-1155 to sign up.  Scout troops are encouraged to join us!

• Saturday, May 10 – Marvelous Mamas at 1 pm. Calling all kids! Does mom need a day off? Kids and accompanying adult can create a craft as a surprise for mama’s big day on Sunday.  Come learn about animal mothers in nature and why moms are so cool – including our own of course!  The cost is $2 per person or $5 per family.  To pre-register, call 279-1155.

• Saturday, May 7 – Women of the Revolutionary War at 1 pm.  Held at Bennington Battlefield Historic Site in Walloomsac, NY. In honor of Armed Forces Day and the month of Mother’s Day,  the stories of women who fought during the Revolutionary War will be explored. Have you        heard about Molly Pitcher? How about Daring Dicey? Come and hear about all these women and more whose efforts helped the Revolutionary cause. To pre-register, call 279-1155. This event is appropriate for ages 10+.  The cost is $2 per person.

• Saturday, May 18 – Great Strides for Cystic Fibrosis. 1k walk to benefit the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. For more information, contact CFF at 783-7361.

• Friday, May 23 – Star Watch at 9 pm.  Enjoy a free tour of the night sky with the Albany Area Astronomers. Call Bernard to confirm as cloudy skies may cancel at 658-9144. The rain date is Saturday May 24 at 9 pm.  Please use the Winter Entrance and follow the signs to the program.

Grafton Town Board Action – Truck Rollover

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by Alex Brooks

At the Grafton Town Board meeting on Monday Highway Superintendent Herb Hasbrouck said there was an incident with one of the Town trucks about a month ago. A Town 2000 International single axle dump truck was forced off the road by a reckless driver in a car, and the truck rolled over onto its side.  The insurance company declared the truck unrepairable, so it must be replaced. The Town Board voted unanimously to seek bids for a replacement truck immediately.

[Read more…] about Grafton Town Board Action – Truck Rollover

April Events At The Grafton Library

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The Grafton Community Library announces its programs for the month of April. All programs are free and open to the public. For more information contact the Library at 518-279-0580 or email director@graftoncommunitylibrary.org. Stay up to date with everything that is happening at the library by visiting our online events calendar at www.graftoncommunitylibrary.org/whats-happening-at-your-library, and signing up for our email newsletter on our website www.graftoncommunitylibrary.org.

Native American Animal Spirits

Storyteller Gil Payette will present Native American Animal Spirits (all ages program) on Friday, April 18, at 6:30 pm. In this fun and informative program Payette will weave together his teaching and storytelling skills to give us a glimpse of how Native Americans understand spiritual and sacred animal power. Some Native American languages had no word for “animal.” These life forms were considered extended family – brothers, sisters, cousins – each one unique unto itself, a symbol of power, of the soul, a creative element with a spiritual purpose. Special prizes will be given!

Facts About Lyme Disease

The Facts about Lyme Disease will be presented by Jennifer Mahoney, Rensselaer County Health Department, on Tuesday, April 22, at 6:30 pm. Get ready to enjoy the great outdoors in a safe way this spring by finding out everything you need to know about Lyme disease in our area.This program will cover:

• information about the tick’s life cycle;

• awareness of Lyme disease and other tick borne diseases;

• recognizing basic signs and symptoms;

• knowing to seek early diagnosis and treatment;

• knowing if you live, work or play in an area that has infected ticks;

• practicing preventive actions, and

• knowing who to contact for more information.

Book Discussion Group

The Book Discussion Group will discuss The Secret History by Donna Tartt on Wednesday, April 30, at 12:30 pm. The Grafton Community Library’s book discussion group meets monthly. New participants are always welcome. Donna Tartt’s The Secret History is the darkly engrossing debut by the author of last year’s acclaimed novel The Goldfinch. This tale of murder and intrigue at a small Vermont college was inspired by Tartt’s years in Bennington. Copies are available now at the Library.

Storytime

Weekly Storytime for Preschool Aged Children will take place on  Wednesday, April 23, at 10:30 am and Wednesday, April 30, at 10:30 am.

Coupon Clippers

The Grafton Clippers Coupon Group will meet on Monday, April 21, at 6 pm. Be part of a new social group where people gather to share knowledge of clipping coupons and finding ways to cut shopping trips by 90%. The Grafton Clippers will meet at the Library every other Monday at 6 pm. New members are always welcome. For more information email Donna atmoreoutoflife@gmail.com or Erin at Erin_469@yahoo.com.

Game Day At The Library

Game day is every Tuesday starting at 3:30 pm. Come to the Library to play your favorite board games with friends – Scrabble, Bananagrams, Scattergories and more. Use the Library’s games or bring your own.

Sit And Knit Needle Arts Group

Sit and Knit Needle Arts Group will meet Saturdays at 10 am. Come share your love of all the Needle Arts! Knitting, stitching, crocheting and more. All skill levels and abilities welcome.

Earth Day At Dyken Pond

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The Dyken Pond Environmental Education Center is celebrating Earth Day on April 27 from 1 to 4 pm. Help us give back to the earth by doing trail maintenance and other outdoor work. Snacks and drinks will be provided to all volunteers. Pre-registration is encouraged to help with planning and can be done by contacting the Center at dykenpond@fairpoint.net or 518-658-2055. A complete list of programs can be found at www.dykenpond.org.

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 available for rent each day from 9 am until 3 pm after May 15. Call for more information and a complete schedule of our events.

TRACs Meeting

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The TRACs (Together Reducing drugs and Alcohol in our CommunitieS) regular monthly meeting will be held on April 22 at 6:30 pm at Stephentown Memorial Library. Come join us as we collaborate in order to make a difference in the lives of the youth in the Berlin and New Lebanon School Districts in our effort to reduce youth use of alcohol and drugs.

Our mission statement, “to encourage a drug-free lifestyle for youth, support families and provide community-based pro-social alternatives,” requires the support of many community members, organizations and businesses. We look forward to your participation.