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On the Hill

Welcome to an old fashinoned Alplaus winter, the kind my sons tell me they remember from the "old" days. With the family here in Alplaus for the holidays, we enjoyed it to the hilt; trudging through the snow for the tree, skiing, sledding, and skating and all the trappings of a traditional christmas celebration. I hope all of you enjoyed the holidays as well.

The fire department call list for the last month shows mostly medical emergency calls, a reminder of how tough the cold snowy weather can be on us. Stay warm, be careful, and be prepared for the next winter storm. Also, please make sure the nearest fire hydrant is cleared after each storm.

Happy New Year!……..AWH

Alplaus Fire Department Calls for December 2007

Incident #	Date	Alarm Time	Call Type	Location	# Fire-Fighters	Fire-Fighter hours
000285	31 DEC 2007	16:47	Medical Emergency	Glenridge Road	6	4.3
000284	30 DEC 2007	13:29	Medical Emergency	Bruce Drive	8	4.9
000283	30 DEC 2007	09:26	Medical Emergency	Woodcrest Drive	8	3.5
000282	27 DEC 2007	14:56	Mutual Aid Scene	Saratoga Road	10	7.2
000281	25 DEC 2007	11:12	Medical Emergency	Alplaus Avenue	12	5.8
000280	23 DEC 2007	13.02	Medical Emergency	St. Anthony Cemetery	7	4.6
000279	18 DEC 2007	21:31	Medical Emergency	Maplewood Drive	8	3.1
000278	16 DEC 2007	13:45	Medical Emergency	Glenridge Road	10	5.8
000277	15 DEC 2007	02:22	Medical Emergency	Hetcheltown Road	6	3.1
000276	13 DEC 2007	17:28	Medical Emergency	Maple Avenue	9	8.9
000275	12 DEC 2007	08:04	Medical Emergency	Glenridge Road	6	3.9
000274	10 DEC 2007	13:18	Other Emergency	Mountainwood	8	.9
000273	10 DEC 2007	08:20	Vehicle Accident	Maple Avenue	7	5.0
000272	09 DEC 2007	13:51	Water Rescue	Mohawk River	10	14.0
000271	09 DEC 2007	08:44	Other Fire	Glenridge Road	12	9.2
000270	09 DEC 2007	07:54	Medical Emergency	Glenridge Road	8	4.1
000269	09 DEC 2007	07:13	Medical Emergency	Glenridge Road	8	9.6
000268	08 DEC 2007	17:38	Medical Emergency	Glenridge Road	10	1.2
000267	06 DEC 2007	20:22	Vehicle Accident	Worden Lane	7	5.5
000266	06 DEC 2007	17:30	Medical Emergency	Hetcheltown Road	7	2.3
000265	03 DEC 2007	11:28	False Alarm Fire	Glenridge Road	6	2.3
000264	03 DEC 2007	06:55	Vehicle Accident	Glenridge and Bruce	7	7.9

Alplaus Post Office News

WHEW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Things are finally settling down to normal at the Post Office. We had quite the workout since Thanksgiving. Thanks to everybody who came & purchased stamps and mailed packages.

A special thank you to Ted and Joan Bury previous owners of Mail Center USA who had supported the Post Office with their stamp sales in past years and who also supported Alplaus by doing such a great job printing (in color even) the Home Town News.

Best wishes to them on their retirement. They have now passed on the torch to Mike and Amy Wallace who are now operating the store. I wish Mike and Amy and their family much success and thank them for their continued support of the Alplaus Post Office.

Best wishes to all for a healthy, safe, happy New Year,

Kathy

2007 AFD Year in Review

by Mike Sheppeck, AFD Historian

Last year’s record call volume [234] was surpassed on October 14^th, 2007. Total calls for this year amounted to 285, an almost 22% increase over the previous high. This is a trend everywhere in Glenville, and indeed nationally, nor is it expected to diminish anytime in the foreseeable future. In looking over the AFD data, there was no dramatic spike in any of the response areas, all were up somewhat.

Medical calls continue to make up a bit over half of all calls, at 151, or almost 53%, with fire related calls, at 134, making up the remaining 47%. The response to these calls, together with drills, training, meetings, parade & wake details, and all other Fire Department activities resulted in just over 4,650 firefighter hours in service to the District. The top 5 responders are listed below; an additional 5 firefighters logged over 100 responses for the year.

Andy Coppola 274 responses 96%

Mike Sheppeck 254 89%

Kathleen Sheppeck 214 75%

Alex Lushpinsky 166 58%

Kailyn Sheppeck 136 48%

Be sure to thank your neighborhood firefighters for all they do to help keep you safe, better yet – join them! There is a level of participation that can work for anyone’s schedule, and jobs to be done at every level of training and physical ability. A number of new programs at the State and County level seek to reward volunteer participation with tax breaks. Do not be discouraged by the incredible commitment depicted above, eligibility for the District retirement program only requires a response of at least 10% of total calls.

Will this be the year that YOU become a member?

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Ladies Auxiliary

by Vicki Watkins

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Our Holiday Cookie Sale, held on Saturday, December 8^th at the Post Office, was a huge success. Thanks to all of you who supported this event and we hope you enjoyed our home-made treats. We delivered an assortment of these goodies to several of our neighbors in need of a bit of cheer.

Mark your calendars for the Auxiliary’s 3^rd ANNUAL CHILI CHALLENGE on Friday, January 25^th at the Firehouse from 5:30 to 7:30 pm. We are looking for cooks to enter their favorite chili recipes (details and an entry form are elsewhere in this issue and available at the Post Office) AND for hungry neighbors and friends who are looking to take the edge off the January chill, to enjoy good food, and to vote for their favorite chili. Donations of $5 for adults and $3 for children under 12 are greatly appreciated.

Our lovely hamlet is especially festive looking thanks to Kim Sheely’s beautiful wreaths at the Firehouse and on all the street signs in Alplaus. Thank you Kim!

We’ll begin 2008 with our annual post-holiday party on Thursday, January 17^th at 6 pm at the Edison Club. If you need a ride or would like to carpool please call Vicki at 399-0184.

Our next meeting will be Monday, February 25^th at 7 pm at the Firehouse. Please join us if you can or if you would like some information about the Auxiliary call Vicki at 399-0184.

ARA News

by Keith Abatto, Pres. ARA

Tree Lighting. We had a great event this year at the firehouse! Last year it was warm, this year it was cold with some snow already on the ground. What a jam packed hour! Santa’s arrival by fire truck, the magical lighting of the tree, cookies from the Ladies Auxiliary, gingerbread cookie decorating and entertainment by Gray Watkins, Karen and Andy Gilpin, and Mark Quinn – who could ask for more!

Thanks to all who donated their time and their money for such a fantastic night for the children of Alplaus. I know my family enjoyed it. We had a great turnout – more than I can remember in my 11 years in Alplaus. If you missed this year – plan on coming next year.

Development in Alplaus? Many of you might be wondering about the new "For Sale for Development" sign posted at the entrance to Stan Kivort's property on Maritime Drive. Although nothing official has been submitted to the Town of Glenville, Rick LeClair has seen the plans and reports that they include 100 units.

Rick didn't say, but that's probably mixed use--condos and single family homes, and it's designed for the industrial park area, which would be removed. I'll let you know if I hear of anything else about this issue, but it appears there's nothing officially in the works yet. Thanks to Barb Casey for checking into this one!

ARA Board Volunteers. With the start of the New Year, it is time to start thinking of the ARA Board for next year. We hold our annual meeting in March, with the new Board members starting in April. Serving on this Board is a great way to get to know your neighbors better while making an impact in the community. It is generally fun, with a controversial issue or two sprinkled in every now and then. Some positions are elected, while others are appointed by the President of the Board. Volunteers are rarely, if ever turned away because the Board is too large.

The time commitment is minimal with about 4 -5 meetings per year and some minor volunteer work at some of our annual events. Each year we help coordinate the 4^th of July festivities, the Alplaus Runaround, and the Christmas Tree Lighting. There are always veteran Board members to give advice and to advise on tradition – so don’t worry about being a rookie.&nbs

HOME TOWN NEWS

September 2007 Vol. 131 No. 7

Alplaus web address: http://www.alplaus.org

Web input address: Alplaus12008@yahoo.com

HTN Editor/Publisher: Art Harris

PO Box 57

Alplaus, NY 12008

2007 AFD Year in Review

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Ladies Auxiliary