Eastern Rensselaer County's Community Newspaper
submitted by Deborah Gardner, HVCC
New York State Governor Andrew M. Cuomo appointed Catherine I. Conroy of Troy and Dr. William C. Jennings of Stephentown to the Hudson Valley Community College Board of Trustees. The new members succeed Dr. Robert H. Hill II and Kenneth B. Colloton whose terms of service to the college were fulfilled.
[Read more…] about William C. Jennings Of Stephentown Appointed To HVCC Board Of Trustees
The Junior Girl Scout Troop #1101 of the Berlin Central School District is collecting donations of linens, heating pads and dog food, as well as collecting five cent refundable bottles, to benefit the Rensselaer County Humane Society.
The bottles that are collected will be used to buy the few remaining pieces of necessary medical equipment, including a Pulse Ox machine, and also help fund a new roof, which was damaged over the winter, for the Mobile Spay and Neuter clinic. RCHS is hoping to have the Mobile clinic available to residents by the end of the summer.
Drop boxes are located at the Berlin Free Town Library, the Stephentown Memorial Library and the Berlin Elementary School. Please place donations in the appropriate marked containers. If you would prefer to make a monetary donation, you may send check or money orders to:
Rensselaer County Humane Society
c/o Pondview Kennels
48 Pondview Way,
East Nassau, NY. 12062.
• Sample the Waters at Kinderhook Creek Preserve with Fran Martio on Saturday, June 7, from 10 am to 12 pm. This is the first of two stream walks the Rensselaer Land Trust will host to sample the waters of native brook trout spawning streams. Participants will conduct simple visual assessments of habitat to gain a greater appreciation of local stream ecology. We’ll poke around looking for aquatic insects that come in many sizes and shapes as well as a wide range of pollution tolerance levels. This is a hands-on, feet-wet outing so come prepared to wade in the stream, learn about stream ecosystems and have some fun. The field study will be beneficial to citizen volunteers who desire to establish a stream monitoring program. To register contact Francille Egbert at 518-674-3214 or fran.egbert@gmail.com. Information on the meeting place will be given at the time of registration. There is no charge for this event.
• Top Ten Easy Non-Gilled Edible Mushrooms on Thursday, June 12, from 6:30 to 7:30 pm in the Cowee Conference Room, 4th floor, Russell Sage College, Troy. Mycologist Sue Van Hook will teach you how to identify ten species of delicious wild fungi that commonly occur in our area. Learn or get a refresher on chicken and hen of the woods, morels, puffballs, boletes, chanterelles, trumpets and hedgehogs. If you already know these mushrooms, sign-up for the workshop below. The cost is $10. Register with Marcy Steinberg at 518-674-2171 or marcygs@aol.com.
• Ready to Learn the Gilled Fungi on Thursday, June 12, from 7:45 to 8:45 pm in the Cowee Conference Room 4th floor, Russell Sage College, Troy. For those who feel comfortable enjoying the top ten edibles, it is time to tackle the gilled fungi. This talk will focus on learning stature types, gill attachment, stipe types and spore colors. A copy of How to Know the Mushrooms I by David Largent is a must. Bring your copy or Sue will have copies for sale for $20. The cost is $10. To register contact Marcy Steinberg at 518-674-2171 or marcygs@aol.com.
Grab your daubers and come on down to the Schaghticoke Fairgrounds for the Basket Bingo Bash! On Saturday, June 7, doors will open to the public at 5 pm in the New York State Product’s Building; games will begin at 6 pm. The Bash is limited to the first 200 people. The $10 cost of admission includes 18 games plus a chance to win a door prize. This is fun for all ages, so bring the kids. Prizes will consist of various theme baskets donated by local businesses from the surrounding areas and friends of the Schaghticoke Fairgrounds. Each theme basket is valued between $25 and $100. In addition to the regular 18 games, there will also be raffles, special games, 50/50, food, ice cream and more. For more information, call Mary at 518-753-4411 x13 or visit www.schaghticokefair.org. The Schaghticoke Fairgrounds is located at 69 Stillwater Bridge Road, Schaghticoke.
The Sand Lake Center for the Arts Circle Theatre Players presents Great Expectations. This classic Dickens novel is about a young man’s coming of age and how life is shaped by a series of mysterious events and people. This fast paced drama serves up mystery, romance, betrayal and more. [Read more…] about Great Expectations At SLCA
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.
In Memoriam
by Kieron Kramer
Among the seven resolutions passed at the Rensselaer County Legislature’s meeting on Tuesday, May 13, was one memorializing Berlin’s Joan deLeon, who died on April 4 of this year. [Read more…] about Rensselaer County Legislature Action – May 2014
submitted by Tyler Sawyer
The Patriot Flight, Inc. is a local organization that flies local WW II and Korean War Veterans free of charge to visit the respective war memorials in Washington, D.C. The cost for the Guardians who accompany the Veterans is covered by the Guardians themselves. The cost is $350 per Guardian. The flight departs the Albany Airport this coming Saturday, May 10. There will be over 50 Veterans on the flight.
On Saturday, May 10, the National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC) Food Drive will once again spread out across America to help provide assistance to Americans who are struggling with hunger. Now in its 22nd year, the Food Drive effort is the nation’s largest single day drive.
Last year, carriers collected 74.4 million pounds of food, bringing the total of donations to just under 1.3 billion pounds of food collected over the history of the drive.
Food banks and shelters usually benefit from an upswing in charitable donations during the winter holiday season. By springtime, however, their stocks tend to dwindle to critically low levels. “Helping local support organizations deal with this post-holiday lull in donations is the main reason we hold our national drive on the second Saturday in May,” said NALC President Fredric Rolando, adding that since many school meal programs are suspended during summer months, millions of children are left scrambling to find alternate sources of nutrition.
For additional information about the annual Letter Carriers Food Drive effort in your community, ask your letter carrier, follow the drive at www.twitter.com/StampOutHunger or visit www.nalc.org/food.
This is another opportunity to support the local HACA Food Pantry.
• Stream Spotter Training – Volunteer Citizen Science Program on Saturday, May 3, from 10 am to 1 pm at the Kinderhook Preserve, East Nassau. This is the Rensselaer Land Trust’s first volunteer stream monitoring opportunity this year. Stream Spotters are the “eyes of the watershed.” They keep watch on what’s going on and share their findings with others. [Read more…] about Rensselaer Land Trust May Events
