“Responding to Climate Change in the Hudson Valley”

On April 5, there was a spectacularly successful presentation of a clarion call entitled “Responding to Climate Change in Hudson Valley” at the First United Methodist Church in East Greenbush. The event was sponsored by Rensselaer Plateau Alliance (RPA) whose executive director, Jim Bonesteel, made the opening remarks and explained what his organization does for the Rensselaer County community.

 

Then, Mark Lowery of DEC’s Office of Climate Change nearly overwhelmed a spellbound crowd with a Power Point talk full of facts, figures, charts, and illustrations about the dangers of climate change and ways to mitigate it. 

 

There were approximately 200 people in the audience (standing room only), including nearly 30 elected and appointed officials from approximately 25 nearby villages, towns, cities, four counties, and from all political persuasions, including NYS and federal representatives.

Summer IS coming

Summer Camp

East Greenbush Summer Camp Registrations are being accepted now- call 518-477-4194 for more information.

• Camp Registration 1
• Camp Registration 2

Summer Camp is located at the EG Town Park

Camp Schodack 
View the  video

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summer

Town of Schodack

These meetings are open to the public.

Planning Board Meeting
March 20, 2017 - 7:00 pm

Town Board Meeting
March 23, 2017 - 7:00 pm

Village residents

Trash & Recycling Pick Up

This week, due to today's (3/14) storm, trash and recycling pick up in the Village of Castleton-on-Hudson will be on Thursday, March 16 instead of Wednesday, March 15.

Village of Castleton Election Day Tuesday March 21.

PIZZA NIGHT Schodack Valley

Eat in or Take out (518) 477-4215. 
Pizza, wings with home-made wing sauce (mild, hot, BBQ and Garlic Parmesan), mozzarella sticks, jalapeno poppers, fully loaded, freshly made, antipasto and side salads all available!

Schodack's new Super!

The Board of Education on March 8 named Jason Chevrier the next school superintendent.

"Working so closely with Bob for 11 years, he was a friend but also an inspiration and I learned a lot from his leadership. His personality, his energy, his innovation, his passion for education, and his love for family, those are pieces of Bob that I will hold on to, to cherish, and take with me as I move forward into this role," said Mr. Chevrier.

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Major League Dreams

"Major Leagues is the end goal, that's been my dream for as long as I can remember."

When asked about his preference, Schultz answered, "Obviously the quickest way to the Major Leagues is the end goal, that's been my dream for as long as I can remember. I really don't have a preference."

Schultz allowed that he has started and relieved in college and in the professional ranks.

"I think both have their benefits and both have their ups and downs," Schultz said. "Just to be able to help out the team and get up there and show what I've got is -- regardless of what position I'm in, I would love it.

MLB.com Rays reporter Bill Chastain discusses Jaime Schultz and Ryne Stanek, two of the Rays' top prospects
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Here comes the sun

Troy working with Monolith on solar array

Monolith Solar panels expected to save city $100K on electric bill

Monolith Solar is installing solar panels on the Knickerbacker Ice Arena roof as the city aims to turn on its 2.1 megawatt citywide solar system in May.

Workers carried the roughly 4-by-6-foot panels across the roof before gingerly lowering them into the frames that will support them.

"It's great. We're getting into reduced electricity costs and reducing the carbon footprint," Mayor Patrick Madden said.

Troy represents one of the largest customers for Monolith. Its 2.1 megawatts is the largest in the 30 megawatt portfolio.

Madden climbed up on the arena's roof with Monolith's co-presidents, CEO Mark Fobare and COO Steven A. Erby, to inspect the installation.

"I see lots of glass going up," Erby said about the panels.

Monolith Solar is spending more than $4 million to install the system. The city anticipates saving $100,000 annually in electricity costs or about 40 percent of its electricity bill.

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Careers

Elvis is in the (fire)house!

On February 11, 2017 Donny Elvis will be performing at the Castleton Fire Company 11 Green Ave Castleton-on-Hudson, 12033. Doors will open at 6pm and the show starts at 7pm. Tickets are $12.50 and please RSVP by February 9, 2017 to Jo Ann Lowe at 518-732-2690. Refreshments will be included.


Donny Elvis

Examining lost history.

February 12, 2017, 2:00 p.m.
Examining lost history.

Greenbush Historical Society presents... Edmonia Lewis
Lewis in her lifetime was an enigmatic, singular figure, a maker of art in pristine marble. Though highly educated, she allowed the contemporary press to portray her as a naïf savant; though black and female, she succeeded in exhibiting her sculpture alongside the upper crust on both sides of the Atlantic.

Who Can Turn the World on with a Smile?

TV Icon Mary Tyler Moore Dead At 80
"We’ll never forget the woman who “turned the world on with her smile.”
Moore, who was born in Brooklyn, New York, in 1936 and grew up in Los Angeles, rose to international fame starring on the 1960s sitcom “The Dick Van Dyke Show.” She later starred on the beloved 1970s sitcom “The Mary Tyler Moore Show,” which is one of the first shows to feature a never-married, working woman as its central character. Moore played single, 30-year-old TV news producer Mary Richards.

 The real-life Mary commanded just as much respect. Her namesake show came to fruition in 1970, when she and her former husband Grant Tinker co-founded production company MTM Enterprises and successfully pitched the show to CBS. In its seven-season run, “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” held the record for most Emmys won ― 29 ― until “Frasier” broke it in 2002. Huffington Post

PILGRIM PIPELINES ORGANIZATIONAL MEETING

Come to an organizational meeting on Tuesday, January 24, 2017 at 6:30 pm at First United Methodist Church, 1 Gilligan Road, East Greenbush to learn about the proposed Pilgrim Pipeline transporting fracked oil and gas through our area.

Stephen Shafer of Citizens Against Pilgrim Pipelines (CAPP) will lead of team of knowledgeable activists in explaining the proposal and how we can organize to stop it.
The meeting is sponsored by Stop NY Fracked Gas Pipeline. Contact Ruth Foster, Board member of Stop NY Fracked Gas Pipeline, at: rmfoster@nycap.rr.com or call 518-588-0187.

Robert Connors, co-founder
Stop NY Fracked Gas Pipeline
https://www.stopnypipeline.org
https://www.facebook.com/stopnyfrackedgaspipeline

Schodack Chief says goodbye

Peter "piped out" after 45 years

Bernhard (Bernie) Peter led the agency for 15 years

Members from several town agencies were on hand to honor Chief Bernhard Peter with a traditional piping out ceremony Friday afternoon. Peter is retiring after 45 combined years on the force.

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Debbie Reynolds, America's Sweetheart.

1950s film star, Dies at 84

 Fisher watching  her mom on stage

By ANITA GATESNYTimes

Her death was confirmed by her son, Todd Fisher, according to her agent, Tom Markley of the Metropolitan Talent Agency. Ms. Reynolds was taken to a Los Angeles hospital on Wednesday afternoon. Mr. Fisher told the television station ABC 7 Los Angeles that she had suffered a stroke.

According to TMZ, she had been discussing funeral plans for Ms. Fisher, who died on Tuesday after having a heart attack during a flight to Los Angeles last Friday.

Carrie Fisher, Princess Leia in 'Star Wars,' Dead at 60
Rolling Stone
"Thank you to everyone who has embraced the gifts and talents of my beloved and amazing daughter," Fisher's mother, actress Debbie Reynolds, wrote on Facebook. "I am grateful for your  thoughts and prayers that are now guiding her to her next stop."

Mark Hamill, who played Luke Skywalker in the trilogy, tweeted a brief, but poignant, message. "no words #Devastated"

SISP is for the birds.

A Beginner’s Christmas Bird Count
Saturday, December 17, 2016 09:00 AM - 10:30 AM
Schodack Island State Park

(518) 732-0187

Join bird experts from the Audubon Society of the Capital Region for a family-friendly introduction to the National Audubon Society's annual Christmas Bird Count. On this outdoor foray, beginning birders will learn all about the Count's history, methodology and contribution to conservation science. Schodack Island State Park is well positioned for open-water winter bird specialties such as Bald Eagle and Great Black Backed Gull, large and common residents which even novices can easily identify. Oh, you'll learn plenty of cool dickey-birds, too! Afterwards, field parties will re-group at the pavilion to compare notes and enjoy complimentary hot chocolate and coffee. 

Julie Madsen

Please call the Park Office at 518-732-0187 by c.o.b. December 14 to register or for more information. In case of inclement weather, this program may be cancelled. If in doubt, please call the Park office or consult www.capitalregionaudubon.org. The Schodack park property falls within Audubon's Albany County Count circle, which Count teams will more formally census on Sunday, December 18.

Read more...

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Columbia Grad Enters STEM Field

Austin Fuller ’14 is one of the first students to go through Columbia High School’s STEM program. As a senior, he took Applied Engineering and Modern Materials with Career and Technical Education teacher Steve Ford.

“It was cool,” Mr. Fuller said. “We’d make different materials and test them. It was definitely different from any other class I had taken there.”

John Glenn, Dies at 95

To the America of the 1960s, Mr. Glenn was a clean-cut, good-natured, well-grounded Midwesterner, raised in Presbyterian rectitude, nurtured in patriotism and tested in war, who stepped forward to risk the unknown and succeeded spectacularly, lifting his country’s morale and restoring its self-confidence.

Mr. Glenn was reluctant to talk about himself as a hero. “I figure I’m the same person who grew up in New Concord, Ohio, and went off through the years to participate in a lot of events of importance,” he said in an interview years later. “What got a lot of attention, I think, was the tenuous times we thought we were living in back in the Cold War. I don’t think it was about me. All this would have happened to anyone who happened to be selected for that flight.”

Mr. Glenn did not return to space for a long time. [President]Kennedy thought him too valuable as a hero to risk losing in an accident. So Mr. Glenn resigned from the astronaut corps in 1964, became an executive in private industry and entered politics, serving four full terms as a Democratic senator from Ohio and in 1984 running unsuccessfully for the Democratic presidential nomination.

Mr. Glenn began his journey to fame in World War II. In 1939, he enrolled at Muskingum College in his hometown to study chemistry, but he took flying lessons on the side. Shortly after the attack on Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941, he signed up for the Naval Aviation cadet program and after pilot training opted to join the Marines. As a fighter pilot, he flew 59 combat missions in the Pacific, earning two Distinguished Flying Crosses and other decorations.

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President Obama, this cannot be your legacy

The clash on Sunday took place after demonstrators gathered on the Backwater Bridge, north of a protest camp in Morton County, according to authorities. About 400 people attempted to breach a law enforcement blockade on the bridge to go north on Highway 1806. The Morton County Sheriff's Department described it as a "riot."

Just for fun

Newspaper ads from the past two centuries

Public Forum

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Reports of Shots Fired at Crossgates Mall

November 12, 2016 04:23 PM
A police source close to the investigation tells NewsChannel 13 that multiple shots were fired Saturday afternoon at Crossgates mall near the Apple Store.

Robert Vaughn, Man from UNCLE actor, dies aged 83

Robert Vaughn, who died of leukemia today at 83, is being remembered on social media by fans and colleagues in and out of Hollywood, particularly from the U.K.

Our Veterans' Role in History!

Veterans Day 

And there you have it

Election 2016
http://www.fox5atlanta.com/home/213883323-story

Vote!

Find your polling place HERE!

 Find your polling place here!

Fall Back: Daylight Saving Time Ends Sunday

Be prepared to "fall back" early Sunday morning, as people across the United States gain an hour of sleep with the end of daylight saving time.

The switch happens Nov. 6 at 2 a.m. local daylight time. Most devices connected wirelessly to the internet will automatically "fall back" to 1 a.m. local standard time, but don't forget to change any clocks that need a manual change, such as a wall or microwave clock.
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SAVE MONEY, SAVE ENERGY, SAVE the PLANET

At the Fair, there will now be about 40 exhibitors providing a one-stop shopping opportunity for answering all one's energy-related questions, and thereby outlining how one can reduce one's carbon footprint. There will also be children's activities and food. In addition to exhibitors, there will be a series of 15-minute presentations on different topics. Admission and parking are free.For more details, go to: https://www.facebook.com/events/173314276434454/ or: http://www.stopnypipeline.org/   

Screwing our Soliers

Thousands of California soldiers forced to repay enlistment bonuses a decade after going to war

Nearly 10,000 soldiers, many of whom served multiple combat tours, have been ordered to repay large enlistment bonuses — and slapped with interest charges, wage garnishments and tax liens if they refuse — after audits revealed widespread overpayments by the California Guard at the height of the wars last decade.

I feel totally betrayed,” said Susan Haley, former Army master sergeant 47, who served 26 years in the Army along with her husband and oldest son, a medic who lost a leg in combat in Afghanistan.

Investigations have determined that lack of oversight allowed for widespread fraud and mismanagement by California Guard officials under pressure to meet enlistment targets.

“People like me just got screwed.”

In Iraq, Van Meter was thrown from an armored vehicle turret — and later awarded a Purple Heart for his combat injuries — after the vehicle detonated a buried roadside bomb.

Read more... 

Household Hazardous Waste Day

ONLY TOWN OF SCHODACK RESIDENTS ARE ELIGIBLE FOR THIS FREE EVENT 

YOU MUST CALL TO REGISTER! 477-7918

See the flyer HERE

Kids’ Cemetery Tour

Saturday, Oct. 22, 10:00 a.m. Mountain View Cemetery, Scott Avenue, Castleton, NY 12033 Join us at the Mountain View Cemetery in Castleton for a family-friendly Halloween tour! We can’t say that we'll see any ghosts, but you will get to go in the vault, find a grave marker that's not made of stone, see the older sections of the cemetery where the founders of Castleton are buried, do a grave stone rubbing, and more! The tour lasts approximately one hour. We will meet at the flag pole.

Just for fun

THE LEGEND OF “STINGY JACK”
People have been making jack-o’-lanterns at Halloween for centuries. The practice originated from an Irish myth about a man nicknamed “Stingy Jack.”

According to the story, Stingy Jack invited the Devil to have a drink with him. True to his name, Stingy Jack didn’t want to pay for his drink, so he convinced the Devil to turn himself into a coin that Jack could use to buy their drinks. 

Once the Devil did so, Jack decided to keep the money and put it into his pocket next to a silver cross, which prevented the Devil from changing back into his original form. 

Jack eventually freed the Devil, under the condition that he would not bother Jack for one year and that, should Jack die, he would not claim his soul.

The National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day is scheduled for Saturday, October 22, 2016 from 10 am – 2pm. This initiative aims to provide a safe, convenient, and responsible means of disposing of prescription drugs, while also educating the general public about the potential for abuse of medications.

Please visit this link to find a location near you-  

Renewable Energy Fair

At the Renewable Energy Fair at Maple Hill High School in Castleton, NY on  October 29, there will be: twelve electric vehicles, a wind turbine, a solar boat, cell phone chargers powered by the sun, solar heat pumps, ways to pay electric bills via renewable energy, a workshop about investing in green energy funds, information on conservation and sustainability. 

Renewable Energy Fair at Castleton Maple Hill High School

Name: Renewable Energy Fair at Castleton Maple Hill High School
Date: October 29, 2016
Time: 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM EDT
Website: http://solarsal.solar

Event Description:

FIND OUT ABOUT:

Solar, Wind, & Geothermal Energy 

Alternatives Community Solar Opportunities
Meet Residential & Commercial Solar Company Representatives •
• Test Drive Electric Vehicle
•Get All Your Questions Answered
• Information Booths • Demonstrations • Children’s Activities • and More!
Free Admission & Parking

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October 14

*Schodack Island Haunted Hayrides* 

Drunk driver crashes car into Nassau church

NASSAU, N.Y. (NEWS10) – For the second time, a car was crashed into St. Mary’s Church in Nassau.

A car crashed into St. Mary’s on Church Street early Friday evening. According to police, it’s the second time it’s happened.

Pass the ziti

Cuomo insiders charged in federal corruption case
By Chris Bragg and Matthew Hamilton Thursday, September 22, 2016

Federal prosecutors brought corruption charges against top state government insiders and business development executives Thursday, scorching Gov. Andrew Cuomo's hallmark upstate economic initiatives.

The investigation is the most serious corruption crisis to face Cuomo's administration, which since its inception in 2011 has pointed to the words printed on a custom-made pin given to all staffers: performance, integrity and pride. Not only is Percoco, who left the administration in 2015 to take a job as senior vice president for the Madison Square Garden Co., a longtime friend of Cuomo — once described by the governor as "my father's third son" — the case touches on two of his hallmark upstate initiatives: the Buffalo Billion and nanotechnology-driven development.

The complaint alleges that Howe arranged for more than $315,000 in bribe payments to go to Percoco and his wife, Lisa Toscano-Percoco, who is not named in the complaint. Howe and Percoco repeatedly referred to the alleged bribe money as "ziti," the complaint says — a code word for money apparently lifted from an episode of HBO's mafia drama "The Sopranos," Bharara said. 

Read more...

Charlotte Protest Turns Violent

Four police officers sustained non-life threatening injuries, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department tweeted early Thursday morning.Watch footage from GMA

182 Organizations from 35 States Call for Congressional Review of FERC

Hundreds of Nonprofit Organizations Join to Demand Reform of Rogue Agency

SNYFGP is an organization in Columbia and Rensselaer Counties that successfully opposed the Northeast Direct Pipeline, which was suspended in April 2016. The organization is now focusing on converting to a sustainable energy economy, sponsoring a Renewable Energy Fair on October 29th, at Maple Hill High School. More information on the event that is free and open to the public is available at stopnypipeline.org, or by contacting Becky Meier at 518-781-4686.

Back to School

PSAT

Sophomores and Juniors interested in taking the PSAT need to register in the Counseling Center. The PSAT will be given on Saturday, October 15, 2016 at 8:00 a.m. The cost to take the exam is $15.00. Students should bring a check to the Counseling Center payable to “Schodack Central Schools” by Thursday, September 22, 2016. The College Board makes fee waivers available to schools for students in eleventh grade from low-income families who can't afford the test fee. See your counselor for more information about fee waivers.

September 11 on this day

Henry Hudson September 11, 1609: The expedition anchored off Manhattan in New York Bay and then anchored near Albany.

1792 The Hope Diamond is stolen with other crown jewels when six men break into house used to store the jewels.

1814 Begun on the 6th Sept, Americans defeat British at Battle of Plattsburgh during War of 1812

Win-Win

Share Discover
Now when you refer a friend who becomes a new Disco
Now when you refer a friend who becomes a new Discover Cardmember, you could both get $50 Cashback Bonus.*

Yes I can

Paralympic Games start today in Rio

Superhumans
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'Wanna change the world there's nothing to it.'

Celebrity Tweets

September at the Caslteton Public Library

Ongoing Programs at the Castleton Public Library

Computer Help - Learn the basics of computer use in a one-on-one setting. Offered by appointment to fit your schedule! Call 732-0879 to register.

Story Hour with Miss Linda - Join Miss Linda for a story and a craft! For ages birth through 6. Thursdays at 10:30 a.m. on 9/1, 9/8, 9/15, 9/22, 9/29. 

Block Party - Bring in your baby, toddler, or preschooler in for group play with wooden blocks. Fridays from 10:00-11:00 am on 9/2, 9/9, 9/16, 9/23, 9/30. 

Other Upcoming Programs:

AUG21

Rebuilding Warriors at My Place & Co.
Sun 3 PM · Castleton-on-Hudson

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East Greenbush remembers Mr. Romanowski

Theodore "Ted" Romanowski~Obituary

Romanowski, Theodore "Ted" EAST GREENBUSH Theodore "Ted" Romanowski, 77, of East Greenbush passed away Monday, August 8, 2016, at Evergreen Commons.

Schodack Island State Park will be holding our Fall Festival on October 1st, 2016. Vendors are wanted for our event. They are part of what makes our day special.

Kathy Meyer
Schodack Island State Park
1 Schodack Island Way
P.O. Box 7
Schodack Landing, NY 12156
Phone: 518-732-0187
Fax: 518-732-0263

www.facebook.com/schodackislandstatepark

Socialize on Main Street

Join us in the yard next to the Valatie Theater for a FREE ice cream cone AND in front of Beaver Mill Antiques & Great Finds for FREE face painting!

This Friday August 5th from 5-7

Many stores will be open late for your browsing pleasure.

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Spike in homeless prompts county’s concern

July 28, 2016 by JEANETTE WOLFBERG

HUDSON—Homelessness and veterans’ issues dominated the Columbia County Board of Supervisors Human Services Committee meeting Wednesday, July 20.

The number of homeless people receiving or waiting for county aid increased from 34 in June to 55 in July, the highest since March, even though the homeless count usually decreases in summer, according to the county Department of Social Services (DSS).

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