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Risky
Business!
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Alplaus
Church Events Saturday,
Feb. 10 Family Movie
Night - "Cars" Saturday,
Feb. 24 Hawaiian Party/
Luau All
Invited - Call 399-6000 for info
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What's
inside On
the Hill………………………………………..2 January
is Risky Busy-ness for AFD……........2 Alplaus
Fire Department News………….…….3 Beatrice
Sylvester………………………………3 Ladies
Auxiliary………………………………….4 Gongs
on Around Our Town……………..……5 Alplaus
Bird Line………………………………..6 Samuel's
Music Lineup….……………………..6 Dede
Bell Moves to Saratoga………………….6 A
Visit with Margaret Moss Ellis……….………7 |
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On the
Hill As
often happens, the lowest temperatures of winter 2006-07 are
occurring just as the days are now getting noticeably longer.
Another of nature's curious twists. With cold days and nights, the
ski areas can make snow for the skiers and everyone else is happy
with the thin cover we have on our lawns.
With so many long time residents of Alplaus moving on to the
next stages of life - smaller homes, apartments, etc. - it is nice
to see the folks moving in pick up the Alplaus spirit of good
neighborliness. They are keeping things rolling along smoothly at
the fire department, the ARA, and all the things that make Alplaus a
hamlet of friendly and caring neighbors…….AWH Editor's note: January calls for the AFD were not available at press time. |
January
is Risky Busy-ness for Alplaus Fire Department
by Mike Sheppeck
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Alplaus
Firefighters saw their busiest January since the great Floods of 1996,
with 39 responses during the past month. This is well ahead of the
pace in 2006, which saw a record total call volume of 234 calls for
the year. With mutual aid between departments becoming ever more a
fact of life in the volunteers, we can only expect to see these
numbers escalate even higher in the future.
Don’t let my wordplay in the headline fool you, although
firefighting is of course a dangerous business, Alplaus firefighter's
dedication to the training necessary to get the job done safely is
well recognized. Life Safety is the first priority in firefighting,
followed by Incident Stabilization and Property Conservation. These
goals, in that order, are part of every incident, from medical calls,
to motor vehicle accidents, to fires.
In early January, Alplaus responded with Rexford to a basement
fire on Ashdown Road. A
fire is said to double in size every minute, a quick notification to
the fire department can make all the difference in the eventual
outcome. Because the residents were home when it started, they were
able to exit safely, and damage was limited primarily to the basement,
with some damage to the living room & kitchen above. Once the fire
had been knocked down, Alplaus firefighters conducted a search and
were able to rescue the owner’s cat.
The thermal imaging camera that we received through a grant
last year was helpful in searching for any possible fire extension; it
is an indispensable tool, so much so that I’m not sure how we got by
without it in the past. |
East
Glenville’s district. Alplaus responded together with other mutual
aid departments. Unfortunately
in this case, the fire went un-noticed until the flames had breeched
the roof. By the time the first units arrived, the roof had already
partially collapsed.
Knowing that there was no one trapped inside, there was no need
to risk putting firefighters inside the building, either for a search
or for an offensive attack of the fire.
This type of defensive attack, commonly called ‘surround
& drown’, involves putting water on the fire solely from
the exterior of the building. Sadly, due to the advanced
progression of the fire when firefighters arrived, damage
was extensive throughout much of the house.
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Alplaus
Fire Department News
by Bob Culver
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Help Wanted. There
is a need for an "Apprentice Treasurer" for the Glenville
Fire District 2 Board of Fire Commissioners. (This is the governing
body for the Alplaus Fire Department.)
The duties of the Treasurer include not only paying of the
bills of the Fire District at the direction of the Board of Fire
Commissioners, but also assisting in the preparation of the annual
budget and monitoring of the various accounts and reporting this at
each Board meeting (one a month, normally).
All of this must be done in compliance with Board adopted
policy and various laws of the State of New York.
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election
when the current three-year term expires. While at this time there is
no stipend allocated for an "Apprentice", the post of
Treasurer does carry a small remuneration. The candidate must be a
resident of Glenville Fire District 2.
Persons with an interest in this position should contact
District Treasurer Mike Cuoco, 9 Woodcrest Drive, and phone 399-0647. Annual Banquet. The
Annual Banquet and Installation of Officers for the Alplaus Fire
Company was held at the Woodlin Club on Saturday, February 3, 2007.
This is where the Firefighters of the Year 2006 will also be honored.
The banquet was too late to make the press deadline for the Hometown
News; further details will be reported in the March edition.
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Beatrice Martha (Cooper) Sylvester |
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Scotia
– Beatrice Martha (Cooper) Sylvester, 104, formerly of Schenectady
and Alplaus, passed away Thursday, January 18, 2007, at the Baptist
Health Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Scotia.
Born in Schenectady on August 17, 1902, she was the daughter of
the late Joseph R. and Lillian (Ackerman) Cooper.
She was a lifelong area resident and attended local schools.
She later went to further her education at Mildred Elley
Business School. Survivors include her sons, Peter (Jo Anne)
Sylvester of Rotterdam and Don Sylvester of Alexandria, VA; her
daughter, Martha (the late Vilmos) Hadarics of Clifton Park; eight
grandchildren; nine great-grandchildren and several nieces, nephews
and cousins.
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The Sylvester family lived at the corner of
Second Street and Butterfield Avenue.
Frank worked as a letter carrier, working out of the
Schenectady Post Office.
He was a member of the Alplaus Fire Company, serving as
President for the years 1957 through 1959.
He was one of our early
Funeral services will be private and held at the convenience of
the family.
Memorial contributions may be made in her memory to American
Heart Association Northeast NY area, 440 New Karner Road. Albany, NY
12205.
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A look at the fire department list of December calls below shows how
important the emergency medical services provided to us all are. Please take a
moment to thank your friends and neighbors who spend hours each year in
training and respond at any time day or night when their help is needed.
An article of special interest in this month's HTN is Barb Casey's
report on page 6 concerning the PCB incineration process of soil
detoxification under way on the river side of Maple Avenue and Freeman's
Bridge Road. Hopefully the information presented will put at rest any concerns
about what is happening just up-river from Alplaus.
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