February 28, 2014

EPA TOXIN RELEASE "Q & A" OPEN HOUSE

Bring your Questions and Join Us  at the EPA's First Columbia County Community Q& A Session  Concerning the Dewey-Loeffel Treated Water and Leachate  currently being dumped into the Valatie Kill  

Announcement: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will hold two 'Q & A' open house Information Sessions on March 3 (Kinderhook) and March 4 (Nassau) to discuss the cleanup of the Dewey-Loeffel Landfill Superfund Site in the Rensselaer County town of Nassau, and why they have chosen to bring the contamination across county linesto Columbia Countyand dump into our Valatie Kill. 


February 27, 2014

For Immediate Release

STRIDE, Inc.    476 N. Greenbush Rd., Suite 9, RENSSELAER, NEW YORK, 12144 
PHONE: (518) 598-1279   FAX :( 518) 391-2563   WEB: www.stride.org
Contact:   Mary Ellen Whitney Mobile: 518-466-4251  EMAIL: mwhitney@stride.org  
For Immediate Release
Blind & Visually Impaired Youth Group to Snowshoe Columbia County Today!
(Chatham, NY) One of the coldest day’s this winter won’t stop a group of visually impaired/blind youth from enjoying the outdoors!  STRIDE Adaptive Sports is no stranger to outdoor recreation and wilderness exploration for youth with special needs. But for the first time this winter, they will provide a very special youth activity at STRIDE Center for Outdoor Recreation & Education (SCORE) on Thursday, February 27,from a multi-district school field trip. Eighteen students, ages 5 through 18 who are visually impaired or blind and  from around the upstate New York and Berkshires, MA  region will gather  for a special day of snowshoeing on the 3.5 miles of trails at the SCORE camp for memory-making journey in outdoor recreation  lessons specially taught for those who do not have sight. Trained STRIDE adaptive counselors provide one-to–one guiding and assistance as needed to adapt the activity.   After the hike, the social activity of roasting hotdogs, drinking hot chocolate and making s’mores on the fire will add to the fun in the lodge at the SCORE facility.   

February 25, 2014

March 1

ALL-YOU-CAN-EAT BREAKFAST, The Castleton Fire House, located at 11 Green Avenue in Castleton will be hosting an All-You-Can-Eat Breakfast on the first Sunday of every month from 8AM till Noon Cost is $7/Adults, $6/Seniors and $5/Children ages 5 to 11. Phone 732-4342

February 24, 2014

Don't forget the Indoor Garage Sale at MHHS

Maple Hill Music Parents Association is looking for donations for their Indoor Garage Sale to be held Saturday, March 15, 2013 from 9AM to 3PM.  We need gently used items, but cannot accept personal care items, clothing, magazines, televisions, computers, or stuffed animals.  Drop off items at Maple Hill High School on the following dates:Saturday      

Saturday       Mar 1           9 – 11 AM
Tuesday        Mar 4             6 – 8 PM
Thursday      Mar 6             6 – 8 PM

If you have any questions please contact Rachael Coleda at 732-0241 or raye@coleda.com

Harold Ramis, 69, Dies; Alchemist of the Hilarious


Harold Ramis, a writer, director and actor whose boisterous but sly silliness helped catapult comedies like “Groundhog Day,” “Ghostbusters,”“Animal House” and “Caddyshack” to commercial and critical success, died on Monday in his Chicago-area home. He was 69.
The cause was complications of autoimmune inflammatory vasculitis, a disease that involves swelling of blood vessels, said Chris Day, a spokesman for United Talent Agency, which represented Mr. Ramis.

“We represent the underdog as comedy usually speaks for the lower classes,” Mr. Ramis once said. “We attack the winners.”
Read more...




February 23, 2014

Public Ice Skating @ HVCC

Public Ice Skating
Public Ice Skating
Recreational skating is available from 4 to 6:15 p.m. on

Saturday and Sunday and from noon to 2 p.m.

Monday through Friday. The skating season runs through 

Sunday, March 9, 2014.

February 22, 2014

Maria (Mitzie) Von Trapp dies at 99


Maria (Mitzie)Von Trapp (the second eldest) was the last surviving member of the Austrian family of seven brothers and sisters and died in her sleep at her Vermont home. "It was a surprise that she was the one in the family to live the longest because ever since she was a child she suffered from a weak heart," family friend Marianne Dorfer told the Austrian Times.
"It was the fact that she suffered from this that her father decided to hire Maria von Trapp to teach her and her brothers and sisters," she continued. "That of course then led to one of the most remarkable musical partnerships of the last century."

Read more...

Rensselaer KMart closing

Updated: Friday, February 21 2014, 06:34 PM EST 
RENSSELAER -- Kmart's corporate offices confirm that the Rensselaer store will be closing to the public in early June. The store will begin its liquidation sale on April 3. Kmart says the store is being closed because the lease was not renewed, and store closures are part of a series of actions the company is taking to reduce expenses and transform their business model. According to the company's statement on the closing, this location has 70 employees, most of whom are part time or hourly employees. They say the employees who are eligible will receive severance and have the opportunity to apply for other positions at area Sears or Kmart stores.
Read more...


Another business closing  in Rensselaer County.

February 21, 2014

What's happening at the Castleton Public Library?

Family Movie Night  on Friday, February 28


Teen Book and Pizza Club
*Registration is required.  
Come to the Library for on Wednesday, March 5 at 5:30 pm for pizza and a great discussion about John Green's The Fault in Our Stars.


Parent/Child Book Club!
*Registration is required.

Join us for... PANCAKES!!  Followed by a discussion of Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbit on Saturday, March 1 at 10:30 am.  Read the book together and then come to the library for some flapjacks and a fun discussion.Register now!

Check out the full Calendar of Events here.

February 20, 2014

Bank Robbery

Photo of suspect provided by police
EAST GREENBUSH, N.Y. -- Police are investigating a bank robbery a TD Bank in East Greenbush and are asking for public assistance.
According to East Greenbush Police, the robbery occurred at around 10 a.m. Wednesday at the bank located at 71 Troy Road. The suspect showed the teller a note that demanded money and warned the teller to cooperate so that "…no one gets hurt," according to police.

February 17, 2014

The Venue - Open for Business


The Venue Hosts the Moon Glow Gala 

Coach of the Year!

East Greenbush Central School's Columbia High School's Head Coach
Anthony Servidone earns Section 2 Division 1 Class A Coach of the Year Award

Congratulations Anthony

Here we snow again

CBS6 Albany News
Here we snow again: NYC issues weather alert February 17, 2014 12:39 EST NEW YORK (AP) -- New York City has issued a snow alert starting at 3 a.m. Tuesday. The preparation includes the sanitation and transportation departments, along with the Office of Emergency Management.

Congratulation! You made an olympian cry!

The Olympics Rage-o-Meter

NBC makes Bode Miller cry, then presses on (and on and on) to make him cry some more.

So does the insensitive reporter get scolded or praised?  After all, this morning she was the most reviled 'journalist' in the world.  How dare she push this obviously distraught young man to the brink! 

February 16, 2014

Get Out!

Community Calendar
To have an event listed on The Schodack SCENE, send the information (including date, time, street address and cost if any) to catherine.sager@yahoo.com.


February 12, 2014

Sid Caesar, a King of Comedy, Dies at 91

By STEPHEN M. SILVERMAN

02/12/2014 at 03:15 PM EST
Sid Caesar, the deft side-splitter who helped establish the new medium of television as he also established himself as a comedy legend, has died. He was 91.

February 11, 2014

Here we go again

Meteorologist Steve LaPointe  Last Updated:2/11/2014 4:19:57 PM Weather Advisories: 

SNOW STORM TO IMPACT THE REGION THURSDAY AND THURSDAY NIGHT - TRACK AND INTENSITY REMAINS UNCERTAIN ENOUGH AT THIS TIME TO PRECLUDE A DETAILED ACCUMULATION FORECAST Low pressure is expected to develop in the Gulf of Mexico tonight and tomorrow then transfer to a new center off the mid Atlantic coast Wednesday night into Thursday morning. This will become a large and moisture rich Nor'easter capable of producing heavy snow accumulations. It, however, is not clear at this time as to the specific configuration, intensity, and track of the system which will be critical in determining how much snow will fall locally.

Read more... 

Good Night Curly Top

Shirley Temple Black, who was one of the most iconic child stars of the 20th century, has died. She was 85.
The dimpled actress found fame at the height of the Great Depression in movies including "Heidi," "Curly Top" and "Bright Eyes" and later served as U.S. ambassador to Ghana and Czechoslovakia.
Temple Black died of natural causes Monday at her home in Woodside, Calif., her publicist confirmed to NBC News early Tuesday.
Shirley Temple: Hollywood's original child star dies age 85 Read more...

February 8, 2014

Long arm of the law

Woman from Capital Region executed in Texas

Updated: 02/06/2014 11:00 AM
Created: 02/06/2014 10:27 AM WNYT.com 
By: WNYT Staff

A woman who used to live in the Capital Region has been executed for a murder in Texas.

Suzanne Basso, 59, was convicted of torturing and killing a mentally impaired man she promised to marry in 1998.

February 3, 2014

February 2, 2014

Philip Seymour Hoffman Dead at 46


philip seymour hoffman dead

PARK CITY, UT - JANUARY 19: Actor Philip Seymour Hoffman attends The Variety Studio: Sundance Edition Presented By Dawn Levy on January 19, 2014 in Park City, Utah. (Photo by Jonathan Leibson/Getty Images for Variety) | Jonathan Leibson via Getty Images


Philip Seymour Hoffman was found dead in his Manhattan apartment, the Wall Street Journal reported Sunday (Feb. 2).
The 46-year-old actor's cause of death has yet to be determined but the New York Police Department is investigating and a law enforcement official confirmed to WSJ that the academy award winning actor was found dead in his West Village home.

Soon-to-be spring or a much longer winter? The groundhog says...

Punxsutawney Phil is very close with his handlers, who are referred to as the "Inner Circle."
Punxsutawney Phil is very close with his handlers, who are referred to as the "Inner Circle."
Baby, it's cold outside. And it's going to stay that way.

February 1, 2014

Impaired driving crackdown planned for Super Bowl weekend

Created: 01/30/2014 3:58 PM WNYT.com
By: Ben Gorenstein
State Police say they plan to crack down on impaired driving this Super Bowl weekend. That includes people who text along with those who drink.
It's part of a statewide Stop DWI initiative, which is set to take place from Friday to Monday.