The Eastwick Press Newspaper

Eastern Rensselaer County's Community Newspaper

Local Man Facing Drug Charges

By

Courtesy of the RCSO
A Troy man is facing drug charges following a year-long investigation by the Rensselaer County Sheriff’s Office. Michael Peabody, 55, is being charged with one count of Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance 1st degree, three counts of Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance 2nd degree, one count of Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance 3rd degree, and one count of Criminal Possession of a Weapon 4th degree.

You must be logged in to view this article.

Lions’ Annual Penny Hunt

By

Submitted by Joyce Brewer
The annual Penny Hunt, which the Lions have been hosting since 1960, is scheduled for Saturday, March 23rd, at 1 pm, in Wood Memorial Park. The rain date is the following Saturday, March 30th. This fun family event is great for all kids. Kids up to age 9 can participate in the penny hunt portion of the day and the older ones can take their chances with the egg toss.

You must be logged in to view this article.

Raymond D. Snyder Jr. – Obituary

By

Petersburgh – Raymond D. Snyder Jr., 95, passed away on Thursday, March 7th, 2024, at the Center for Nursing & Rehabilitation in Hoosick Falls, NY. He resided in Petersburgh and was the husband of the late Joyce (Mason) Snyder.

Ray was born on January 19th, 1929, in Troy, NY, son of Raymond D. and Mary (Pickett) Snyder. He graduated from Berlin Central School in 1947 and was employed as a Custodian and then maintenance of Buildings and Grounds at the Berlin Central School. He was an active member of the Petersburg Baptist Church where he was [Read more…] about Raymond D. Snyder Jr. – Obituary

St. Patrick’s Parade and Irish Festival

By

Saturday, March 16th

Submitted by Kevin O’Malley
The Hoosick Falls St. Patrick’s Parade and Irish Festival is here! Jack Fitzsimmons will be the Grand Marshal of the 2024 Hoosick Falls St. Patrick's Parade. Jack is the proprietor of Barbecue Recreation on Route 22. The Barbecue and the Fitzsimmons family are community supporters giving back to the school and many other youth organizations, and grand supporters of the Hoosick Falls St. Patrick's Parade.

You must be logged in to view this article.

Concerns Over Burdett Birth Center Closure

By

Meeting Draws Large Crowd

Courtesy of Rensselaer County
Residents packed a meeting on Wednesday evening, February 27th, to voice their concerns about the proposed closure of the Burdett Birth Center at Samaritan Hospital in Troy. Burdett is the only birth center in the county, and serves residents in multiple counties.

County Executive Steve McLaughlin and the County Legislature have stated opposition to the planned closure. County officials and local leaders have said the closure will create health, safety, and quality of life issues in the county and surrounding communities.

County officials have stated they believe the proposed closure should be shelved based on the state’s refusal to provide records on births in Rensselaer County, which were first requested six months ago by Mary Fran Wachunas, in her capacity as Public Health Director.

You must be logged in to view this article.

Parade Grand Marshal Announced

By

Submitted by Kevin O’Malley
Irish eyes are smiling on Jack Fitzsimmons, as he was announced as the Grand Marshal of the 2024 Hoosick Falls St. Patrick's Parade. Jack is the proprietor of Barbecue Recreation on Route 22. Jack's parents, Walt and Linda Fitzsimmons, moved here in 1970 after purchasing Barbecue Recreation. Walt and Linda each worked for AMF Bowling Products before moving to Hoosick Falls. They raised 3 children: Lori, Jack, and Patricia in Hoosick Falls and all three attended Hoosick Falls Central School. Jack, now the owner, has worked at the Barbecue since he was very young, and continues to do so 7 days a week. Ancestors on his father's and mother's side are traced back to the old sod of Ireland. The Barbecue and the Fitzsimmons family are

You must be logged in to view this article.

Community Solar Update

By

Submitted by Bill Jennings
Progress continues with the Stephentown Community Solar Campaign. As of Monday, March 4th, we have at least 56 Stephentown residents who are now fully enrolled in the program. This means we are only 4 subscribers short of reaching our tier 2 goal of 60. We hope you will help us reach this goal very soon.

The first 10 subscribers qualified the Town of Stephentown for a NYSERDA tier 1 energy efficiency grant of $5,000. This will be used for a professional Energy Audit of the Town Hall to identify the next steps needed. The next 50 subscribers, for a total of 60, will qualify the town for an additional $10,000 in grant funds to begin to address these steps.

You must be logged in to view this article.

March Madness Tournament of Books

By

Submitted by BCS Communications
During the month of March at Berlin Elementary School (BES), students in grades K through 2 will participate in the second annual March Madness Tournament of Books to celebrate National Reading Month. The book tournament is modeled after March Madness in college basketball. Each week students will listen to two read alouds in their classroom and vote on which they liked more. The winning books advance until there is a champion.

You must be logged in to view this article.

Irma M. Hammersmith – Obituary

By

Petersburgh – Irma M. Hammersmith, 93, of Berlin passed peacefully on Thursday morning, February 29th, 2024. Born on Berlin Mountain on September 9th, 1930, Irma was the daughter of the late Albert and Elsie (Maxon) Yerden, and wife for 66 years to the late Joseph P. Hammersmith.

In the mid-1940s, Irma was employed at the shirt factory in Berlin and later worked at W. J. Cowee winding floral picks. In 1949 Irma and Joe built their house on the top of Berlin Mountain on a parcel of land that was given to them by Irma’s parents. They were married in December 1950. [Read more…] about Irma M. Hammersmith – Obituary