The Eastwick Press Newspaper

Eastern Rensselaer County's Community Newspaper

Early Morning Dam Break Causes Road Closure

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Courtesy of the Stephentown Volunteer Fire Department
At 5:48 am on the morning of July 24th, the Stephentown Volunteer Fire Department (SVFED) was paged out for a service call for a flooded roadway in the area of 1315 Garfield Rd. Car 1 was on scene to find that a large barrage of water was coming down off the adjacent hill and running directly into the residence owned by Fire Police Lt. Ian Lanier. A beaver dam had become unstable at the edge of an approximately 44 acre pond above the residence and ultimately gave way from the pressure. Garfield Rd was closed between Joe Ward Rd and Gentile Rd. Car 1 and a Rensselaer County Highway Superintendent gained access to the pond area and found the source and the breach in the dam. Garfield Rd sustained damage from the hundreds of thousands of gallons of water that made its way down the hill and ultimately into the Kinderhook Creek. The SVFD would like to thank the members of the Rensselaer County Highway Department for working to get the roadway reopened as soon as they can. Additional thanks goes out to NYS DEC and members of the Rensselaer County Bureau of Public Safety for their assistance throughout the afternoon. 

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Local Teacher Selected to Attend Solve for Tomorrow Teacher Academy

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Submitted by BCS Communications
Congratulations to Berlin Middle/High School Technology teacher Ms. Dawn Wetmore who has been selected to attend the 2023 Samsung Solve for Tomorrow Teacher Academy in Denver, Colorado. The week-long program is designed to empower educators to inspire their students and tackle real world problems, while exploring new ways of using science, technology, engineering, math (STEM), and problem-based learning. Teachers from across the country will gather in person for an immersive professional development experience building on Solve for Tomorrow’s focus on STEM, problem-based learning, and various environmental issues.

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Petersburgh Town Board Highlights 

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by Denise Wright
The July 17th meeting of the Petersburgh town board had various topics to discuss, from purchasing a new highway truck to bridge capstones. After approval of the June 19th minutes, the building department reported a new high of six permits in the town for the month. Councilman Heinz Noeding described this as increased activity in town. 

The Highway Department reported that they have been cleaning out shoulders and culverts after the numerous storms in the area. A quote for a channel on Canfield Road was reviewed. While the price of $46,000 for the culvert seemed expensive, it is the most efficient way to fix the problem. The town will be investigating how to begin this process. Purchasing an excavator was discussed, but the hope is to get this through a state contract, however, with price changes, the board is looking at other ways to move forward with this purchase. 

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Drinking Water Safe After Incident Near Reservoir 

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Submitted by the Office of the Mayor
The City of Troy Department of Public Utilities (DPU) announced that Troy drinking water is safe and that all precautions were taken to protect public health after an incident in which a motor vehicle ended up in a tributary creek next to the Tomhannock Reservoir. 

At approximately 9:45 pm, on the night of July 24th, a single vehicular accident occurred where a car and its occupants ended up in a creek next to the Tomhannock Reservoir. Emergency personnel were able to quickly remove the vehicle from the creek water and the vehicle's occupants were accounted for.

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Hoosick Falls CSD Class of 1970 Picnic

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Hoosick Falls Central School Class of 1970 will be holding a class picnic on Saturday, August 5th from noon to 7 pm at Grafton Lakes State Park. The Amphitheater Pavilion has been reserved for our gathering. Hamburgers and hot dogs will be provided. Bring your own beverage, a dish to share, and a lawn chair. Please RSVP to Bonnie Wilson Devine at welchb2@verizon.net or Jean Davendonis Hagner at jeanhagn@msn.com by Friday, July 28th if you plan to attend so that we will have a head count.

East Nassau Board of Trustees Highlights 

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by Denise Wright
While the July 19th meeting of the East Nassau Board of Trustees was lengthy, Mayor Jeff Root hoped to address several items to shorten agendas for future meetings. 

Before the meeting, there was a public hearing on a minor 2-Lot Subdivision on Woodard Road. The 27.36 acres will be divided into a 23.65 parcel and a 3.71 acre. The SEQRA process and subdivision were approved. 

Long-time village resident and zoning board member Gerald Tremblay was appointed as a new board member. Tremblay filled the board vacancy when Jeff Root became Mayor but had to resign from the zoning board. 

Attorney Catalano reviewed a resolution for expanding residency requirements for appointed officials. The resolution was revised to allow designated employees to live within the county, but the board and committee members must be village residents. Since there has been an increase in speeding incidents, a resolution will be drawn up to lower village roads’ speed limit to 25 mph. He is also attempting to attain a litigator to assist with some enforcement actions within the village and should have it finalized for the next meeting. 

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Roberta A. Breese – Obituary

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Roberta Ann Breese (Shaw), 86, passed away at home with her daughters by her side on July 20th, 2023. She was born on March 10th, 1937, in Hoosick Falls, NY. Roberta worked at several local businesses throughout her lifetime, but her most enjoyable love was being a teachers’ aid at Hoosick Falls Central School. She found great fulfillment in caring for and guiding young minds. Roberta was a member of Saint Luke’s in Cambridge, NY, and she and Bob spent many hours volunteering at Christ the King in Greenwich, NY. She found solace and strength in her faith. She was a member of the Town of Hoosick Rescue Squad, American Legion Auxiliary, Hoosick Falls Kiwanis, and in her earlier years a Girl Scout Cookie mom. [Read more…] about Roberta A. Breese – Obituary

Richard T. Smith – Obituary

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Richard Tilden Smith passed away June 23rd, 2023 after an extended illness. He was born February 9th, 1937 in New York City. He was predeceased by his parents Glady and Harold Smith, and brothers Thomas and Peter. Richard is survived by his wife Milli Smith, daughter Denise (Thomas), son Jeffrey (Tricia), and 3 grandchildren Daniel, Emma, and Jack. 

He was active in the Naval Reserve, graduating from Adelphi University and was activated by the Navy serving on the U.S.S. Harris during the Cuban Crisis. Afterwards, he worked for Philips Medical North America supervising the installation of medical x-ray equipment in hospitals across Upstate NY. The family moved to Stephentown in 1989. He volunteered at Red Cross and Tanglewood for over 25 years.  [Read more…] about Richard T. Smith – Obituary

How This Mental Health Organization Found a Home in Hoosick

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Submitted by the Brain Fitness Foundation
Dr. Suzanne Falla of NYC Health and Hospitals was first struck by the mental health crisis when she noticed an alarming lack of mental health resources for the communities she served across Northern Manhattan and South Bronx. This realization prompted a response from the HHCNYC team committee at Lincoln Hospital South Bronx to unveil the nation’s first pediatric psychiatric emergency room. Shortly after, Dr. Falla extended her efforts to initiate school performance improvement support for school-aged children in Hunts Point South Bronx, where the high school graduation rate was a mere 5%.  

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