The Eastwick Press Newspaper

Eastern Rensselaer County's Community Newspaper

At Home Test Kits Are Distributed to Area School Districts

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by Doug La Rocque

After some small delays, the school districts in The Eastwick Press coverage area have all reported they have received a supply of the at home COVID-19 tests kits promised over the past weekend by Governor Kathy Hochul. These kits are part of the Governor’s plan to help keep children in the classroom even if a classmate tests positive for the virus. Until this week, such classmates would have been subject to a 5- to 10-day quarantine. Governor Hochul is suggesting these at home test kits be used by parents if they wish to check their child for COVID-19 and if negative, they would be allowed to return to in-classroom learning under the districts’ COVID-19 protocols.

Each test kit contains two tests per student. As Hoosick Falls School Superintendent Pat Dailey stated in a letter to District parents, this is not a

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Schodack Planning Board 

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by Denise Wright

The January 3 meeting of the Schodack Planning Board opened with public comment from one resident voicing concern over the sequence of burials and rate of funerals in the Muslim Community of Troy’s proposed cemetery on Phillips Road. According to Muslim Community members, the estimated rate of calculated graves incorporated the high pandemic death rates of approximately 35 to 50 per year. The resident hoped that a vinyl fence could be installed behind the residences that would be affected. Planning Board members approved the special permit and site plan with the stipulation that

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As Long as the Need Exists They Will Come

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by Doug La Rocque

The Hoosick Falls Central School once again played host to a mass food giveaway in their parking lot on Wednesday, December 29, and once again the vehicles filled the lot and were lined up on NYS Route 22 waiting to get in. In all, 435 households representing 1,421 people were fed. The event is co-sponsored by Catholic Charities, the Capital District Area Labor Federation and the Rensselaer County District Attorney’s Office. In all, 39 volunteers helped hand out 14,729 pounds of food provided by the Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York.

In 2021, Catholic Charities CCMove program held 114 of these food drops, serving nearly 71,000 households.

Plans are underway for several more of these giveaways in 2022, the first in Rensselaer County being on Tuesday, January 25 at the Italian Community Center at 1450 Fifth Avenue in Troy, starting at 9:30 am.

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Hallelujah the Roof Is Finished – Immaculate Conception in Hoosick Falls

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by Bea Peterson

“Well, except for the punch list, it’s finished,” said Immaculate Conception Volunteer Project Manager Greg Laurin. Plagued with one problem after another, it seemed that this first phase of the church repairs would never be completed. The work was supposed to start the fall of 2020. That plan fell apart when the original contractor backed out. Another contractor, able to take on all phases of the roof repair, including repairing and painting the steeple, making and installing all the soffits, gutters and shingling the steep and flat roofs, had to be found. Fortunately CentiMark, a national company, agreed to do the job. By then it was winter, followed by COVID-19, followed by a shortage of materials. Donated shingles for the roof were delayed

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Rensselaer County Sees GDP Growth in 2020

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Submitted by the Office of County Executive Steve McLaughlin

Rensselaer County was one of only three counties in New York State to see an increase in gross domestic product (GDP) during 2020 and the pandemic, according to a report by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, County Executive Steve McLaughlin announced.

McLaughlin said the report is further evidence of Rensselaer County’s economic strength, even during the pandemic, and the positive impact of property tax reductions and service improvements in the County.

During the past four years, the County has reduced property taxes by nearly 19 percent, and the 2022 budget includes a 10 percent property tax reduction. By 2020, the period the report is based on, the County had adopted two consecutive property tax reductions.

“The report shows Rensselaer County made it through the worst of the pandemic and still grew. That is very good news for our County and shows the decisions we are making have been paying off,” said McLaughlin.

Andre Jones – Obituary

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Grafton – Andre Jones, age 66, followed Jesus to Heaven, full of peace and faith, surrounded by his loving wife and children, on December 20, 2021. He was born September 13, 1955, in La Chapelle-Saint-Mesmin, France, while his father was stationed there in the U.S. Army. He was preceded in death by his father, Harold Jones, brother, Howard (Bub) Jones and sister, Paula Dixon.

Andre was a reliable husband, father, friend and a lifelong general contractor known for his expertise and integrity. Most recently, he partnered with his youngest son, Russell, to form A and R Jones Contracting Inc. Andre’s love of life was inspiring. He was always digging deep into his interests. He had many hobbies and a long list of mastered skills. Once he decided to learn about something, he put all he had into it. His most recent endeavor was sustainable farming and traditional food preparation as a way of providing his family with healthy, chemical-free food. He spent years converting woods on his property to pasture and began gardening, [Read more…] about Andre Jones – Obituary

Wesley Vars – Obituary

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Grafton – Wesley Vars passed from this life in the comfort of his home surrounded by his loving family on Tuesday, December 21, 2021. He was 65 years old.

Born in Troy, he was son of the late Wesley Vars, Sr. and Marion (Burdick) Vars. Wesley lived in Cropseyville for most of his life and attended Berlin Central Schools. He was initially employed by W.J. Cowee of Berlin and later by Saint Gobain in Hoosick Falls from where he retired.

Wesley enjoyed hunting, fishing and ice fishing, cutting wood and the times spent at home with his family.

He was the beloved husband of Pamela (Laperle) Vars; father of Mark (Amy) Vars, Joseph (Erin) Vars, Stephanie (Jason) White and the late Dawn Cummins; grandfather of Dawn, Brent, Blake, Candace, Zachary, Zoey, Trinity, Brianna, Logan, Joey, Jakob, Madison and Stephen; great-grandfather of Cade, Benjamin and Bellamy; brother of Edward (Louise) Vars, Brian (Barbara) Vars, Alan (Gloria) Bentley, the late Brenda Vars and Clayton Bentley; as well and many nieces and nephews.

Wesley’s family wishes to extend a heartfelt thank you to the nurses and staff of the Community Hospice for the wonderful care given to Wesley and for the support offered to his family during a difficult time.

There will be no formal services held and for those wishing to remember him in a special way, donations in Wesley’s memory may be made to the Community Hospice Foundation, 310 South Manning Blvd., Albany, NY 12208.

Arrangements were entrusted to the Thomas M. Barber Funeral Home of Petersburgh, NY.

Visit www.parkerbrosmemroial.com to leave a pleasant memory or to express your sympathy to Wesley’s family.

John T. Bossoni – Obituary

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Petersburgh – John Thomas Bossoni, 87, a resident of Rabbit College Road, passed away December 30, 2021 at his home. John was born in Brooklyn, on February 10, 1934. He was the son of the late Frank and Lillian (Webb) Bossoni and attended local schools. John worked as a Sergeant for the NYPD for 20 years, retiring in 1977. Upon retirement he moved to Petersburgh, where he owned and operated a real estate business for over 40 years. He served his country as a member of the United States Navy during the Korean Conflict. He was a member of the American Legion and the Knights of Columbus and enjoyed playing chess, playing his guitar and loved salt water fishing. He enjoyed watching cowboy movies, especially John Wayne, listening to country and classical music and spending time with his family. John is survived by his wife Anne Philibosian Bossoni of Petersburgh, NY, his children, Jonathan Bossoni of Petersburgh, NY, Susan Barry (Paul) of Saratoga, NY and Holly Rosenberg (Paul) of Florida, as well as six grandchildren. He was predeceased by his sister Ruth “Penny” Quiles in November 2016. A Mass of Christian Death and Burial will be celebrated Friday, January 7, 2022 at 11 am at Sacred Heart St. Francis deSales Catholic Church in Bennington. Interment will follow in St. Mary’s Cemetery in Hoosick Falls. If friends desire, memorial gifts in John’s memory may be made to Missions of the Month, Oblate Missions, c/o Hanson Walbridge & Shea Funeral Home, P.O. Box 957 Bennington, VT 05201. To send the family personal condolences please visit www.sheafuneralhomes.com. [Read more…] about John T. Bossoni – Obituary

Area Schools Prepare for Home COVID-19 Testing

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Governor Kathy Hochul announced over the weekend she would like to see a process where if a child in a school district tests positive for COVID-19, not all the classmates need to be quarantined. Her proposal is for schools to send “at home test kits” to the families of school children, and if they test negative, they could continue in classroom learning. Area school superintendents we spoke with indicated they have not officially received such a notice from the NYS Department of Health, but all now have the test kits in hand, and will be sending them home with students or holding for parental pick up this week. Most plan for distribution on Tuesday, January 4. The Brunswick, Berlin, Hoosick Falls and New Lebanon school districts have already posted the information on their websites or Facebook pages, or will be doing so shortly. If you cannot access the sites, you are asked to simply call your particular district for more information.

[Read more…] about Area Schools Prepare for Home COVID-19 Testing