Monthly Archives: May 2013

Posted on by

City Police Taking Strong Stance on Problems at Plaza – By Harold Wessell

MECHANICVILLE, May 1 – City Police will increase patrol of the Park Avenue Plaza, and seek more collaboration with businesses, in the wake of troublesome large group loitering there that can lead to fights, and has.

Chief Joseph Waldron addressing the City Council at its May agenda meeting reported that there has been a rise in such incidents, and the department will be "taking a strong stance against loitering." He said two persons were seriously injured from one fight that developed inside the Plaza.

Another time, officers pulled over “a car with six people, vodka and a 30 pack of Budweiser, and not one person over 20."  One became resistant and injured an officer, he added.

To Read More Login To The Weekly Paper

Posted on by

Town of Stillwater to Initiate Water Consolidation – By Harold Wessell

May 2, Town of Stillwater:

— IMPORTANT NOTE TO RESIDENTS: As further explained below, the Town Board meeting that would normally be held May  16h has been moved up to the 14th, 7PM, to facilitate actions on the proposed consolidation of water districts. Details are below. –

The current Stillwater Town offices will close May 15-19  for final moving and concluding work by contractors particularly in communication, and the new location will be  open for business May 20.

Town Supervisor Edward Kinowki at the May 2 agenda session of the Town Board  commended highway employees who, using their personal skills sets, and donating use of their personal tools, have worked to ready the new Town Hall.  "We have saved literally thousands of dollars by having our own folks work on the Town Hall."

To Read More Login To The Weekly Paper

Posted on by

Economic Development Decision Tied to Concerns Regarding Inadequate Transparency and Accountability

(Ballston Spa, NY)  Responding to a press release issued today by the Saratoga Economic Development Corporation (SEDC), the Board of Supervisors’ Standing Committee on Economic Development elaborated on the reasons behind its recommendation to end the County’s 35-year affiliation with SEDC.  The Committee’s goal is to create a more productive and robust economic development effort in Saratoga County.  SEDC has transformed into an organization with multiple missions, and the Board believes that advancing the economic development interests of the entire county is no longer SEDC’s sole focus.

The Economic Development Committee also cited its concerns that SEDC has not provided a level of transparency that is expected of an entity funded in part by taxpayers.  The Committee cited SEDC’s unwillingness to accommodate the Board of Supervisors’ request for an elected Supervisor to be seated on the SEDC Board.  This request was intended to directly provide the Board with more adequate information regarding SEDC’s activities, which are funded at a substantial level through public dollars.

“The Board of Supervisors has acted responsibly in making reasonable requests from SEDC for better access to information regarding its publicly funded activities,” said Supervisor John E. Lawler, Chairman of the Economic Development Committee.  “We are no longer confident that we have adequate information to assess whether SEDC’s activities constitute an effective use of taxpayer dollars.  As elected representatives, it is our responsibility to demand transparency and accountability from SEDC and, for that matter, from any other vendor with whom the County conducts business.  SEDC unfortunately refused a reasonable compromise and forced us to sever our relationship.  Their desire to operate under a cloak of secrecy while spending public money is unacceptable.”

In preventing elected officials from serving on its Board of Directors, SEDC has cited a legal opinion claiming that doing so “could trigger sunshine laws” and jeopardize the confidentiality of sensitive negotiations.  Not only is this conclusion at odds with the experience of successful economic development entities whose activities are transparent to the public and subject to disclosure laws, but SEDC has also repeatedly failed, when asked, to produce a copy of the legal opinion.  Based on these actions by SEDC, the Board was left with little choice but to terminate the relationship.

Since beginning its relationship with SEDC in 1978, the Board of Supervisors has appropriated more than $7 million of taxpayer funds to pay for marketing services contracted with SEDC.  While that partnership has produced some notable successes, according to their own statistics SEDC’s activities have created fewer than 650 jobs since 2008, exclusive of Global Foundries.

“The public deserves to have confidence that the County’s economic development program is suited to the new challenges and opportunities we face,” Chairman Lawler said.  “The Economic Development Committee’s goal is to create a marketing initiative which is solely dedicated to economic development in Saratoga County, aligns with the Board of Supervisors’ strategic vision, and is transparent and accountable to County residents.”

Posted on by

Malta’s One Room School Houses – By Harold Wessell

MALTA, April 24 – A member of the audience drew laughter – one of many such moments – during Malta Historian Paul Perreault's presentation on one room schoolhouses in Malta.

  "Is it true that boys used to dip the girls' pigtails in the inkwells?"  "Yes, they did!" confirmed alumna Olga Voehringer.

  Perreault, who titled his presentation "Education in Malta --3R's to TEC SMART" began by recalling some words of a 1907 song not sung much now: "School days, school days, good old Golden Rule days..." of learning the "Three R's." (For those who may be too young, that's for "readin' and 'ritin' and 'rithmetic.") The event was held at Malta Ridge United Methodist Church, and featured many photos of school groups and school documents.

 To Read More Login To The Weekly Paper

Posted on by

Recruit NY Volunteer Firemen – by Melissa LeMay

West Crescent Fire Department Participates in Recruit NYî Over The Weekend With Some Help From Mamaís Express Pizzeria
HALFMOON : Over the weekend the Recruit New York program took place at volunteer fire departments throughout the state in an effort to get new recruits. Volunteer fire departments held open houses to educate the public about becoming a volunteer fire responder. Firefighters say recruiting is hard because of lengthy training programs that are needed to become a firefighter, it is on a volunteer basis and it does take time away from your personal and family life. But fire departments always need new recruits.

To Read More Login To The Weekly Paper

042

070

Posted on by

Where There is Love – By Sandy McBride

With this heartfelt theme, the All Saints on the Hudson Youth Council has once again put on a successful benefit basketball night to raise funds to assist two families in the Mechanicville and Stillwater communities who have been in the fight of their lives.

The love was apparent on Saturday night, April 20 as a near-capacity crowd gathered in the Mechanicville High School gym to cheer on teams from Mechanicville and Stillwater, to purchase tickets on a fantastic array of raffle baskets donated by local businesses, school groups, organizations and families, to enjoy good food and good company, and to show their shoulder to shoulder support for these two families.

Michelle Sorell DePasquale is battling cancer. The wife of John DePasquale and mother of Michalena and Angelia, Michelle is well-known throughout the community, involved for years in not just community events but also in children’s activities with her two young daughters. Michelle is a symbol of courage and commitment.

To Read More Login To The Local Paper

Posted on by

Hoosic Valley Clarifies Alleged Football Merger – By Christine Barton

“The intention was just to look into options with good intentions,” says Jeff Keller, Athletic Director at Hoosic Valley Central High School.  Talks of a possible merger between Hoosic Valley and Stillwater football programs took the community by surprise when an article in the Troy Record was published on April 10th, 2013. Reading this article was the first time that many in the district had heard of any type of football merger. One community member was “astonished at the article in the Troy record.”  These discussions should have involved the community, he said. “These were just discussions that were not had with any malintent,” said Keller. There were plans to discuss this at the Superintendents forum that was scheduled for early April, however this was cancelled.

To Read More Login To The Weekly Paper

Posted on by

Joseph R. Lupo – 69

GANSEVOORT – Joseph R. Lupo, 69, of Pettis Road, died Saturday, April 27th, at Glens Falls Hospital, after being stricken at home.

Born in Troy, April 3, 1944, son of the late Joseph and Mary Lupo McLaren, Joe grew up and was educated in Stillwater.  A veteran of the US Navy Seabees, serving with USN MCB-4, Joe saw duty at Guantanamo and was a part of the Cuban Missile Crisis blockade in the early 1960’s.  After military service, Joe was a truck driver for 33 years, for ABF Freight Systems and earlier for Friehoffer Baking Co.

To Read More Login To The Weekly Paper