The Eastwick Press Newspaper

Eastern Rensselaer County's Community Newspaper

Grafton

Dyken Pond Environmental Center Events

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February 9, Sunday –  tracking with a focus on fishers will be offered from 9:30 am to 3:30 pm. The cost is $20. Both programs offer a $5 discount for members, students and seniors. Winter is more enjoyable when you can discover movements of the animals around you. Common tracks found include red and grey fox, fisher, otter, porcupine and weasels. Pre-registration is required and space is limited.

Tuesday, February 18 – School Break Kids Snowshoe Fun, 1 to 3 pm. Put on a pair of snowshoes, play Eskimo games and have winter fun! There will be hot chocolate for all at the end of the day. The cost is $1 per person. Snowshoe rentals available for $5.

February 14, Friday – Valentine’s Day Full Moon Trek. Enjoy Valentine’s Day at a free guided cross-country ski and snowshoe trek at the Center from 7 to 9 pm. The trek will cover two miles and is designed for the intermediate skier or snowshoer. No beginners, please. Snowshoe rentals are available for $5. Hot cocoa and chocolates will be shared around a campfire following the trek. Please contact the Center for updated snow conditions.

February 16, and March 16,  Sundays – Nature Writing Workshops.Paying Attention Among the Trees: A Winter Walk and Nature Writing Experience will be held from 1 to 3 pm. Diane Kavanaugh-Black will lead participants on a meditative woodland walk followed by writing with intention in a cozy wood stove heated cabin. This workshop will inspire the creative process whether you are a novice or already working on your own writing project. Sign up for one or both sessions. The cost is $15, $12 for members. Pre-registration is required for both workshops and space is limited, so register early.

February 18, Tuesday  – School Break Kids Snowshoe Fun, 1 to 3 pm. Put on a pair of snowshoes, play Eskimo games and have winter fun! There will be hot chocolate for all at the end of the day. The cost is $1 per person. Snowshoe rentals available for $5.

February 20, Thursday  – School Break Winter Survival, 1 to 3 pm. Could you survive in the cold if you had to, start a campfire, build a survival shelter and learn how to survive? The cost is $1 per person.

The Dyken Pond Center, located at 475 Dyken Pond Road, Cropseyville, is a Rensselaer County Park open daily during daylight hours for ice fishing, cross-country skiing and snowshoeing. Visit www.dykenpond.org for directions and a complete schedule of our winter events. Call 658-2055 or visit the website www.dykenpond.org.

Sign Up For Pre-Teen Fun Day Today

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submitted by Kandis Freer, Resource Educator with Cornell Cooperative Extension of Rensselaer County

Cornell Cooperative Extension’s 4-H Youth Development prides itself on providing youth with exciting real world opportunities. On February 15 Rensselaer County’s 4-H Teen Council will hold Pre-Teen Fun Day at Brittonkill (Tamarac) Middle School which will focus on LEGO WeDo Robotics. Pre-Teen Fun Day is a day of STEM taught by the 4-H Teen Council.

We invite all youth, ages 8-12, to attend Pre-Teen Fun Day, but call soon since space is limited. This program is free to 4-H members and costs $10 for non 4-H youth. Lunch will be provided.

The day will begin at 9:30 am with age appropriate icebreaker activities led by teens to get to know each other and to set goals for the day. From there, youth will dive into a day of LEGO WeDo Robotics which engages youth in technology, engineering and literacy. We will conclude at 1:45 pm with a round up activity. Pick-up will be at 2 pm.

Sign Up Now

Please call Kandis Freer at 272-4210 ext. 106 to sign up by February 7. No one shall be denied the opportunity to participate or receive information based on his or her ability to pay. If you have special needs that we can accommodate, please let us know at the time of your call.

Grafton Planning Board Responds To R.J. Valente’s Change Of Use Plan

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by Kieron Kramer

In response to R.J. Valente’s application to New York State for a modification of the Mined Land Use Plan for its mine in Grafton, the Grafton Planning Board voted unanimously, in a roll call vote, to pass a resolution declaring itself the lead agency in the NYS environmental review process (SEQR) and demanding that a site plan review application be submitted to the Board immediately. [Read more…] about Grafton Planning Board Responds To R.J. Valente’s Change Of Use Plan

Helen Ellett 100th Birthday Celebration

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Join the seniors at the Everett Wagar Senior Center on Friday February 14, at 12:30 as they celebrate February birthdays with special recognition for Helen Ellett who will be 100 on February 16. If you have any questions, , please contact the Center at 279-3413.

Berlin School Board Invites Community To Participate In Meeting On Use Of School Facilities

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The Berlin Board of Education is interested in pursuing use of its various school facilities by community residents.  The Middle School/High School has state of the art rooms, including a fitness center, a distance learning laboratory, a computer lab, an information center  (library), a gymnasium and an auditorium as well as numerous classrooms for meetings and general instruction.

As the BOE plans for the 2014-2015 school budget, it wants to hear from residents and invites them to participate in a roundtable discussion on Thursday, February 6, beginning at 7:15 pm.  The Berlin Central School District will be holding this informational meeting in the MS/HS Library. Ideas generated by community members will be used to determine interests and possible future continuing education program offerings.

Any person interesting in providing suggestions for community use of schools should attend and join this open discussion or contact the Schools Superintendent Dr. Stephen Young at syoung@berlincentral.org.

The Berlin Central School District 2014-2015 Kindergarten Registration

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The Berlin Central School District has begun the process of registering kindergarten students for the 2014-2015 school year.  If you have a child who will be five years of age on or before December 1, 2014, please call 658-2127 from February 3 through February 14 or from February 24 through February 28 between the hours of 9 am and 3 pm to make sure your child is listed on our kindergarten register.

This will ensure that you will receive the kindergarten registration packet by mail.  All registration paperwork, including a copy of your child’s Birth or Baptismal Certificate and proof of residency, must be hand-delivered to Berlin Elementary School by March 28.  Drop-off times are between 8:30 am and 3:45 pm, Monday through Friday.

The office will be closed from February 17 through February 21 for Winter Recess.

Ann McGrath Retires From The Grafton Post Office After 30 Years

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by Bea Peterson

Ann McGrath was a homemaker. Her girls had just started college when she took the job as part time postal clerk in the Grafton Post Office as a favor to her friend Pat Ryan. That was 30 years ago. “I loved the job,” she said. “I loved the people. That’s the part I miss.” [Read more…] about Ann McGrath Retires From The Grafton Post Office After 30 Years

Celebrate National Take Your Child To The Library Day At The Grafton Community Library

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The Grafton Community Library invites you to bring your children and grandchildren to the Library from 10 am to 1 pm on Saturday, February 1, to celebrate national Take Your Child to the Library Day.

Children can sign up for a library card, participate in story time and craft activities, enjoy snacks and discover all of the amazing resources that are available to everyone at the Library, all the time, free of charge. Come celebrate with us and discover how your local library empowers the individual, builds community and supports literacy and lifelong learning. It all begins with a child’s first library card!

Book Club

On January 29 at 12:30 pm the Grafton Community Book Club will discuss The Richest Woman in America by Janet Wallach. It is the fascinating story of Hetty Green, America’s first female Wall Street tycoon. The Grafton Community Book Club meets on the last Wednesday of every month.

Change Of Venue For EBooks At The Grafton Community Library

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Did you receive a Kindle®, Nook® or other ereader over the holidays? Already own an iPad®, iPod®, MP3 or other portable device? Join us at the Grafton Library on Thursday, February 6, at 6 pm as we learn how to borrow digital content from the library system. Jo-Ann Benedetti of the Upper Hudson Library System will lead us through the process of downloading books, audiobooks and video to various devices. Bring your device to the program to follow along.

Pre-registration is requested by calling the Library at 279-0580 or by stopping by in person at 2455 NY Route 2. Visit the Library’s website at www.graftoncommunitylibrary.org to keep up with what’s new at the Grafton Library and “like” us on Facebook® too.

Please note that the venue has been changed from the Everett Wagar Senior Center to the Library.