The Eastwick Press Newspaper

Eastern Rensselaer County's Community Newspaper

Sheriff’s Office Welcomes New K-9 Member

By

Courtesy of the RCSO
The Rensselaer County Sheriff’s Office (RCSO) is proud to introduce our newest K-9 member, Delta. Delta is a 2.5-year-old German Shepherd who has been trained in narcotics detection. Delta and her handler, Deputy Durrant, spent six weeks training together as a team to become certified in detecting illegal drugs. Delta will continue training to become a dual-purpose K-9 in the coming months. This means Delta will not only be able to detect narcotics, but will also be certified to track and apprehend suspects. Delta will work with Deputy Durrant, a certified drug recognition expert, in searching for narcotics in our local schools, will be utilized on search warrants, and assist the Sheriff’s Office Patrol Division when needed.

You must be logged in to view this article.

Annual Trout Release

By

Submitted by Berlin Central School Communications
On Wednesday, April 26th, Berlin High School students released brown trout they raised this school year into the Little Hoosic River.

This annual event is the culmination of BHS Science teacher Mr. Toole’s Trout in the Classroom project where students raise the brown trout from embryo, to alevin, and finally to fingerling before releasing the trout to fully develop into adults.

You must be logged in to view this article.

Public Meeting Announced for Study

By

A public meeting will be held on Monday, May 15th, from 7 to 8:30 pm at the Valley Falls Community Hall, 11 Charles Street. Doors open at 6:30 pm, and snacks will be provided. Children are welcome to attend and a coloring station will be available.

The Village of Valley Falls has received funding through the New York State Department of State Brownfield Opportunity Area (BOA) program to undertake a community-based planning effort. This effort will identify a unified vision for the village’s future and identify key opportunities for public improvement projects, environmental remediation, and the redevelopment of vacant and/or underutilized sites in a manner that celebrates the village’s rich history and natural resources. To learn more visit www.HistoricValleyFalls.com.

Charity Auction

By

On Saturday, May 6th, Meissner’s Auction Service, 438 Rt. 20, will host Bags, Bling, and Beautiful Things, a charity auction with proceeds directly supporting Habitat for Humanity’s efforts to create more affordable homeownership opportunities in Columbia County. Items to be auctioned include jewelry, fine scarves, handbags, and even a vintage Barbie doll. Doors open at 4 pm for an hour of viewing auction items. The auction will begin at 5 pm. Admission to the event is $10 and includes wine, soft beverages, and light fare. Attendees will receive a $5 coupon towards an auction purchase. Tickets are available at the door or at www.columbiacountyhabitat.org.

Three Rensselaer County Officials Arrested and Charged

By

On Thursday, April 27th, three Rensselaer County officials were arrested and charged with conspiring to violate voting rights during the 2021 election. County Director of Operations Richard Crist, County Central Services Director James Gordon, and Leslie Wallace allegedly conspired to obtain absentee ballots, using fraud and intimidation, to cast illegal votes in the primary and general elections. In addition, James Gordon was also charged with witness tampering, and Leslie Wallace was charged with making false statements. 

If convicted, each faces up to 10 years in prison, with Gordon facing up to 20 years for alleged witness tampering, and Wallace facing up to 5 years for allegedly making false statements. All three were arraigned the same day, and ordered released with conditions, pending trial.

DWI Victims Memorial Ceremony

By

On Tuesday afternoon, April 25th, the annual tradition of remembering those tragically lost to drunk and impaired driving crimes was held in Troy, as part of National Crime Victims Rights week. The ceremony is held each year at the county DWI Victims Memorial.

The DWI Victims Memorial was established in 2001 and stands at the intersection of 13th and Congress Streets in Troy. Honored were 37 residents of Rensselaer County that have lost their lives to an impaired driver accident. While no additional names were added to the memorial this year, there are cases pending which involve impaired driving fatalities in the county, and the need for vigilance and caution remains. 

You must be logged in to view this article.

National Honor Society Induction

By

Submitted by Berlin Central School Communications
This year’s National Honor Society (NHS) induction ceremony opened with Berlin High School (BHS) junior Jacob Collen leading the flag salute.

Ms. Karen Day, advisor of the Berlin CSD’s Taconic Valley Chapter of the National Honor Society, started by stating the objective of the NHS chapter. “This chapter shall be to create an enthusiasm for scholarship, to promote working leadership, to stimulate a desire to offer service, and to encourage the development of character in students of the Berlin Central School District,” said Ms. Day.

You must be logged in to view this article.

Petersburgh Town Board Highlights

By

By Denise Wright
The town board meeting in Petersburgh on April 17th provided a great deal of information to residents about summer activities in the town that could impact traffic, and information for local groups to take advantage of. 

The Department of Transportation's first presentation discussed replacing the stone arch bridge at the Route 22/2 intersection. This bridge overpass opened in 1932, and due to the age and material of the bridge, it will not come out in sections; it must be removed all at once. This approach allows for a quicker process of constructing the new bridge.

You must be logged in to view this article.

Troy Hazardous Waste Disposal

By

Submitted by the Office of Mayor Patrick Madden
The 2023 Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) disposal program consists of four events providing residents of participating municipalities the opportunity to safely dispose of hazardous materials not accepted through normal garbage collection service.

The first event will be Saturday, May 13th, at the Troy Resource Management Facility (Alamo) at the corner of East Industrial Parkway and Main Street. 

You must be logged in to view this article.