The Eastwick Press Newspaper

Eastern Rensselaer County's Community Newspaper

Zachary R. Clyde – Obituary

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Petersburgh – Zachary Ryan Clyde passed away August 18, 2022 at the age of 28. He was born in Stephentown, NY to Claude and Terri Clyde.

Zach was a very compassionate, kind, peaceful, generous, and humble young man. Everyone who met him loved him. He could light up a room while making you feel welcome and loved. Zach loved the outdoors and could always be found partaking in his favorite pastimes, hunting and fishing. Zach was always excited to get in the woods on opening day or to get a pole in the water on a beautiful day. More than anything, Zach loved being a Dad and his son Mason was his entire world. [Read more…] about Zachary R. Clyde – Obituary

Primary and Special Elections

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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.

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The Little Back Road Farm

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by Amy Modesti
Rensselaer County has a plethora of farms along its busy routes and little back roads. Among those is Hilldale Farm in Poestenkill. With farms serving as a learning laboratory for growing food, milking cows, or selling food in neighboring towns, one raises the question, “Why farm?” 

That is answered in The Little Back Road Farm: The Reichard Family History and Memories, a book inspired by the late Fred Reichard, along with his family and friends, which focuses on the history of Hilldale Farm. 

I met with Joycelyn, Linda, and Kimberlee King, for a sit-down interview to discuss the book, the Hilldale Farm Foundation Inc., and what farming means to them. They relived precious memories and expressed their hopes to help fund future Rensselaer County students. 

Hilldale Farms’ Past Life and Inspiration for the Book
“What made me decide to write the book was

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Stephentown Town Board Highlights

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by Denise Wright
The Stephentown Town Board met on August 15 and passed some essential amendments and resolutions, but also discussed an impending pilot program that should have more information available in September. 

The transfer station report wanted to remind residents that permits will be on sale at the end of the month, and at this point, there will be no changes in pricing, and that clean-up day is officially finished and was successful. It was discussed that the Town is finalizing a pilot program to dispose of paint according to new State guidelines. New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) announced this program in May 2022 to make it easier for households and businesses to safely dispose of leftover paint. DEC will oversee the program, which PaintCare will operate to manage unwanted architectural coating products and provide for recycling or proper disposal. To participate, residents will have to

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Brunswick’s KFC Opening Delayed

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by Doug La Rocque
KFC, which is part of the Aldi complex still under construction, had sent out a press release that they planned to open for business on Tuesday, August 16. However, a condition imposed by the NYS Department of Transportation (DOT) stated the newly installed traffic light at the corner of Lord Avenue and Hoosick Road must first be functional. It is not. Speaking with Brunswick officials, they tell The Eastwick Press the DOT has indicated it might put the light on flash by the end of the week.

Code Changes Not Yet Ready for a Vote
The Brunswick Town Board is once again looking to extend the ban on

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Audio Comes to the Bennington Battlefield

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In its latest initiative to enhance the visitor experience, the Friends of the Bennington Battlefield have added an audio dimension to the ten signage panels placed on the Battlefield two years ago.  

Each signage panel now bears one or more audio-connected QR codes. Point your smartphone camera at the code, tap the link that appears on your screen, and an audio file will play. You will hear a short musical prelude under a concise spoken introduction, then an actor’s voice speaking words from history, including accounts from inside the Battle, keyed to panels located at the scene of the action described. The narrations are between 30 seconds and two minutes long. 

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County Recognized for Innovative Programs

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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.

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McKenzie J. Siau – Obituary

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McKenzie Joy Siau, 18 months old, passed away on July 17, 2022. McKenzie was born on December 30, 2020 at Crouse Hospital, Syracuse NY. In her short little life, McKenzie could brighten up any room with her big smile, giggle, and dimples. Usually not too far from her momma, McKenzie was quickly becoming her own little person. She loved the family cat, GreyGrey, blueberries, and swinging in big kid swings.

She will be sorely missed by her entire family, but we are comforted that she walked into her Heavenly Father’s presence holding her earthly Daddy, David Siau’s hand. [Read more…] about McKenzie J. Siau – Obituary

David P. Siau – Obituary

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David P. Siau, 39, died July 17, 2022 protecting his family while on vacation. David was born June 25, 1983 in Stamford, Connecticut to John and Melanie Siau, moving to Pompey when David was little. Over the next 21 years, he became the oldest brother to 6 sisters and 3 brothers who he loved. There are many stories of fort constructions, Lego builds, and creek adventures. David began working at Benchmark Media Systems, Inc. when he was just 16. He obtained his Associate Degrees in Electronic Media Communications from Onondaga Community College and Air Traffic Control from Beaver Falls Community College. He received his pilot’s license during his studies at Beaver Falls as well. He continued part time at Benchmark while attending college, and later returned to full-time employment. David has been Benchmark’s Production Manager since 2008. Recently David completed 24 years of service at the age of just 39.

David was quick to listen, slow to anger, and loved deeply. He made marriage easy, and Christy and David just celebrated 10 wonderful years. He had a sincere and helpful soul as he would do anything for anyone. He loved his family, being handy and was often found making his kids’ toys even better. His presence is sorely missed, but we know we’ll see him again. [Read more…] about David P. Siau – Obituary