The Eastwick Press Newspaper

Eastern Rensselaer County's Community Newspaper

Rensselaer County

Power Lunch Needs Reading Mentors 

By Leave a Comment

Do you enjoy reading to children? Do you have an hour a week to spare? Literacy Volunteers of Rensselaer County has a pressing need for at last 10 volunteer reading mentors for the Everybody WINS! Power Lunch program at Van Rensselaer Elementary in Rensselaer as well as School 2 and School 14 in Troy.

Everybody Wins! is an innovative reading and mentoring program that increases children’s prospects for success in school and in life. Power Lunch pairs elementary school children one-to-one with volunteers from nearby businesses, colleges and the community. Once a week, reading partners enjoy conversation together at the school, and the adult reads a book aloud to the child while he/she eats lunch.

 Readers will be required to attend a training session on Wednesday, September 28, 1:00 pm – 2:30 pm at Hart Hall on the campus of Russell Sage College, 71 First Street, Troy. To register or for more information, contact 518-244-4650 or litvoldirector@aol.com.

GOP Election Commissioner Charged With Ballot Fraud

By Leave a Comment

by Doug La Rocque
Rensselaer County’s Republican Election Commissioner Jason Schofield was arrested by FBI Agents Tuesday morning, September 13, and later arraigned in Federal Court in Albany on charges of ballot fraud. According to the indictment, Schofield is alleged to have taken possession of absentee ballots, brought them to voters to sign, but not actually vote—which allowed him or other individuals to cast ballots in their name. Schofield pled not guilty to the charges and was released pending future court appearances.

The FBI’s investigation into the ballot fraud case involving last November’s general election saw former Troy City Councilwoman Kim Ashe-McPherson arrested on similar charges in June, which resulted in a guilty plea and her resignation from the Council.

If convicted, Schofield could face a prison term of up to five years, a potential $250,000 fine, and probation. 

Primary and Special Elections

By Leave a Comment

Early voting for the Tuesday, August 23 Primaries and Special Elections has begun, and will run through Sunday, August 21. The primaries are the result of contested redistricting boundaries which weren’t settled in time for the original June 28 primaries. Early voting in Rensselaer County will take place at the Town of Brunswick office building, 336 Town Office Road, Troy; Schodack Town Hall, 265 Schuurman Road, Castleton; and 500 Federal St. office building, 500 Federal St., Troy.

The Special Election is to fill the remaining four months of the term for the U.S. House District 19 seat, which was vacated when Antonio Delgado resigned to become Lt. Governor. That race is being contested between Pat Ryan for the Democratic/Working Families Party and Marc Molinaro for the Republican/Conservative Party. 

Also in Rensselaer County are the primaries for the new 20th and 21st U.S. House Districts. The 20th District will be contested between Democratic candidates Rostislav Rar and incumbent Paul Tonko to see who will oppose Republican/Conservative candidate Elizabeth Joy in the November 8 General Election. The 21st District will be contested between Democratic candidates Matt Castelli and Matthew Putorti to find out who will oppose Republican candidate Elise Stefanik in the November 8 General Elections. 

To find a polling location and information, visit https://voterlookup.elections.ny.gov.

You must be logged in to view this article.

County Recognized for Innovative Programs

By Leave a Comment

Rensselaer County was recently honored by the National Association of Counties (NACo) for four innovative programs that have been implemented or expanded to serve residents. The annual NACo Achievement Awards program recognize innovative County government programs from across the nation that are the cutting edge of public service or government efficiency and effectiveness. The following four services and initiatives were recognized:

Naloxone Now
This effort provides residents with an opportunity to obtain Narcan through curbside delivery to help fight often fatal drug overdoses, and is done on a no-questions asked basis. This was instituted during the pandemic to combat the opioid crisis.

You must be logged in to view this article.

Upcoming Elections

By Leave a Comment

Early Voting Starts Saturday

Submitted by the LWV of Rensselaer County
Early voting begins Saturday, August 13 through Sunday, August 21. Voters can cast their ballot at whichever of the three following locations is most convenient:

Town of Brunswick office building
336 Town Office Road, Troy

Schodack Town Hall
265 Schuurman Road, Castleton

500 Federal St. office building
500 Federal St., Troy  [Read more…] about Upcoming Elections

Congressional Gold Medal

By Leave a Comment

Submitted by the Office of Senator Kirsten Gillibrand
Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Senator Ben Cardin recently introduced a bill to award the Congressional Gold Medal to Benjamin Ferencz, the last living Nuremberg prosecutor, in recognition of his work prosecuting Nazi war criminals, most notably the Einsatzgruppen, and his service in World War II. The bill passed the House in May and was introduced by Representatives Lois Frankel, Joe Wilson, Ted Deutch, Gus Bilirakis, Jim McGovern, and Chris Smith.

Ben Ferencz immigrated to the United States from Hungary when he was ten months old and his family settled in New York City, where he grew up, and attended The City College of New York and Harvard Law School. [Read more…] about Congressional Gold Medal