_________________________________________________________________________________
Happy Valentines Day!!
On the Hill
Here we all are in what I call the dread of winter - not really enjoying it, more enduring it, and at times on icy roads and pushing the snow around even dreading it. This foul mood was lightened on Friday night, January 25th, for those attending the 3rd Annual Alplaus Chili Challange. A piping hot bowl of spicy Chili improves ones Winter outlook tremendously. If you didn't make it this year be sure to write it in your planner for a pick-me-up in the dread of winter next year.
Check out the Sidewalk Update on page 4. Chris Breslin brings up the subject of a sidewalk along Alplaus Avenue with new ideas and a new source of funds. A sidewalk would sure make my late morning walk to the post office more pleasant. Let Chris know what you think.
Cheer up, spring is just around the corner!...AWH
Editor's note: January calls for the AFD were not available at press time.
The end product of the feasibility study will be a conceptual design for an improved fire station coupled with a financing plan to put before the fire district residents for approval.
Alplaus Fire Department Newsby Mike Sheppeck, AFD Historian
The Alplaus Volunteer Fire Company will be holding the Annual Installation and Awards Banquet on Saturday, February 2nd, at the Woodlin Club, beginning at 5:30pm. As reflected by the name, this is the event at which elected officers for this year will be formally installed [although already on duty], and awards given for last year’s efforts. Among the awards will be the coveted Firefighter of the Year, for which there are actually two – one each for the Firematic and Social side of things. As the identity of the winners is kept in strictest confidence, this only enhances the anticipation already heightened by the prospect of a good meal and a collective pat on the back for a job well done.
|
Social Officers for 2008 are: President Gary Hastings Vice President Donald Cartwright Treasurer Joseph Beaver Financial Secretary Carl Nappi Recording Secretary James Palmer Corresponding Secretary Kathleen Sheppeck Statistical Secretary Robert Mazur Trustee (through 2010) Carl Nappi Historian Michael Sheppeck
Firematic Officers for 2008 are: Chief Andrew Coppola Captain Steven Gabris Captain Michael Sheppeck Captain-Fire Police Michael Cuoco Lieutenant Kathleen Sheppeck Lieutenant Robert Mazur Lieutenant Christopher Breslin
|
|
Our 3rd Annual Chili Challenge was just awesome! People came from far and wide bringing chili and hearty appetites to sample the delicious offerings. The meeting room was over flowing with people and it smelled oh-so-good! A special thanks to everyone that made this event so enjoyable. We look forward to hosting the event again next year. The Chili Challenge Champions were: 1st Prize: Kristi Casey (her 2nd year in a row) with Red’s Smokey Beefy Chili” 1st Runner Up: Tamesa Casella with “Sinfully Sweet, Tastefully Spicy” 2nd Runner Up: Art Harris with “Chili Grande” 3rd Runner Up: Christine Taylor
Chili Cooks Dish It Out!
|
We will be delivering welcome baskets to our new neighbors in the spring to welcome them to our wonderful hamlet. If you have a new neighbor, please let us know so that we can add them to our list. Our next meeting will be Monday, February 25th at 7 pm at the Firehouse. We will begin planning our spring and summer activities such as a Red Cross Blood Drive, a summer flower bulb sale, the annual Flea Market & Garage Sale and our Fourth of July float. Please join us if you can and bring your ideas for new programs and activities for the year. If you have any questions please call Vicki Watkins at 399-0184 or Margaret Rockwell 399-7682
Chili Lovers Eat It Up!
|
ARA News
by Keith Abatto, ARA President
|
Please make sure to read the Sewer update from Barb Casey and Sidewalk update from Chris Breslin. Annual Meeting Thursday March 27th. The Alplaus Residents Association annual meeting will be held on Thursday, March 27th at 7:30 pm at the firehouse. Please plan on joining us. Representatives from the Town of Glenville will be present to field your questions. There are plenty of things going on in our little Hamlet that are worth talking about. Sewers, sidewalks, land development, taxes, Fire Department news, etc…. Dues to help us support Skye Farm scholarships and other activities throughout the year are $3 per person or $5 per family. Don’t worry if you forget your wallet – we’ll let you in anyway. Hope you can join us. ARA Board Volunteers. With the annual meeting approaching, it is time to work on filling 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. 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 4th of July festivities, the Alplaus Runaround, and the Christmas Tree Lighting. There are always veteran Board members to give advice and remind us of tradition – so don’t worry about being a rookie. We have a nominating committee that combs the neighborhood looking for people who want to be more active in the community. The current nominating committee is Barb Casey (399-5714), Kathleen Schnitzer (399-1626) and myself (399-6624). We always welcome new people and new ideas. Please call one of us if you are interested in serving and don’t be surprised if one of us calls you. kabatto@eone.com 399-6624
|
______________________________________________________________ ____________
Sidewalk Update
by Chris Breslin
|
There may be a possibility for sidewalks in Alplaus. For all of us who have walked the dog, taken a jog, ridden a bike, or pushed a stroller along Alplaus Avenue, we know it can be a dangerous trek since the shoulders are so narrow and the cars travel so fast. In recent years there has been some conversation about possibly constructing a sidewalk on Alplaus Avenue and our opportunity might just be here. The New York State Department of Transportation has announced funding for the construction of sidewalks through its Safe Routes to School initiative. The initiative is funding projects that would encourage school-aged children to walk or ride their bikes to school. The Alplaus Residents Association, in conjunction with Schenectady |
County, plans to submit an application for this funding. If successful, Schenectady County would construct a sidewalk on the north side of Alplaus Avenue running from the bridge over the creek to Glencliff Elementary School. There will be no expense to the residents of Alplaus if funded through this program. While the sidewalk would be constructed in the county’s right-of-way, we are hoping the residents along the route will be supportive of this project. If you live along the route, you will be hearing from an ARA member soon. Whether you live along the route or are just another interested member of our charming community with questions or concerns, please feel free to contact Mary or Christopher Breslin at 399-0354.
|
Sewer Update
by Barb Casey
|
I checked in with Glenville town administrator Tony Germano to see if anything is new with the Alplaus sewer project. The answer is that, as expected since it is winter, nothing much has changed, but there is some news to report. Below is a summary of my questions and Tony's answers: 1. What is the current projected start date? The contractor expects to begin work (weather permitting) around March 1st. Necessary materials are on order. 2. Will the contractor start with pump stations, as was his original plan? Unless contractor plans have changed, we still anticipate them starting with the pump stations. What is the status of easements? We now have the signed easement with the Church; we have processed all that is required for an easement with the Pan American RR and expect a signed document from them shortly. After numerous "legalese" edits, we also finalized all that was required for the Kivort easements and were informed yesterday that all should be signed by |
them in the next few days. That should take care of all required easements. 3. Has Clifton Park signed the contract? We have provided Clifton Park with a draft agreement for their extension to the Alplaus Sewer District and expect to meet with them shortly to review and hopefully finalize that document. 4. When will we hear if the Alplaus project received the Shared Services grant from New York State? Awards will be announced in late February or early March [a month later than Tony had thought last month]. 5. What do you hear from the City of Schenectady about adding additional users? We last met with the City in the spring to review a number of items, which included the Alplaus extension and the potential of adding users from Clifton Park. Back then we wanted them to know that we were planning to increase capacity to the system-which they indicated was not a problem. Our contract with the City ends in 2010. Until then there are no contract prohibitions or rate changes when adding users (as long as we coordinate with them). bcasey@skidmore.edu or 399-5714
|
Samuel's Coffee Talk
by Jason Watt
"Caffeine is my shepherd; I shall not doze.
It maketh me to wake in green pastures:
It leadeth me beyond the sleeping masses.
It restoreth my buzz:
It leadeth me in the paths of consciousness for its name's sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of addiction,
I will fear no Equal™:
For thou art with me; thy cream and thy sugar they comfort me.
Thou preparest a carafe before me in the presence of The Samuels:
Thou anointest my day with pep; my mug runneth over.
Surely richness and taste shall follow me all the days of my life:
And I will dwell in the House of Mochas forever."
~Author Unknown
With that being said, Valentines Day is coming very soon so think about demonstrating that Strong and Tireless Love you have for each other with a Symbolic one pound blend of a bold and a mild coffee! We have other Valentines Day gifts as well, like flowers and heartsy things that are sure to make your sweetie melt right into your arms all over again!
Last month I mentioned a larger sugar-free menu. Well here are those flavors: Raspberry, Orange, White Chocolate and Almond Roca as well as the traditional Chocolate, Caramel, Hazelnut and Vanilla! I haven't done much experimenting with these so come on in and get creative, make a drink that works and name it too!!
I leave you with this: "Man does not live by coffee alone. Have a Muffin" Author Unknown
January Music Calendar:
Friday 2/11 Lauren Kerr (acoustic)
Saturday 2/12 Nate and Rich (rock)
Friday 2/18 Kevin Wayne (country)
Saturday 2/19 TBA
Friday 2/25 Cliff Down (Bluegrass)
Saturday 2/26 Open Mic acoustic)
______________________________________________________________ _____________
Alplaus Bird Line
by Shawna Thompson
As this is being written, sleet and freezing rain are covering everything in a glaze of ice. It’s weather like this that makes me worry about the Robins and Bluebirds that stayed here over the winter. Ellen Story sees groups of these birds in her backyard regularly. Robins have wintered over up north for several years now, but last year was the first time I heard of Bluebirds following their lead.
In general, birds that eat insects tend to fly south (except woodpeckers) and birds that eat seeds and other vegetation rough it out in the north. I’ve recently watched these Bluebirds climbing all through the shrubs growing near the creek, eating the dried berries still hanging from the stems. . Hopefully, they will be able to find enough to sustain them until next spring when their bright spring plumage can dazzle us all as the fly above the fields. Once you see that, call and report it to the Alplaus Bird Line at 399-0490 or e-mail me at swanalaka@aol.com.
I’m sad to report that my pet bird Gordon died in January at the ripe old age of 24. Many of you met him when he “vacationed” at the post office several times. His cheery presence will be missed.
Margaret Moss Ellis (1908-2007)
I only became friends with Margaret in the final year of her ninety-nine. I first became aware she was an Alplaus homebred residing in the Baptist Health and Rehabilitation Center last year. Being raised in Alplaus at a time when WWI was fought, the roaring 20’s and the Great Depression, I became interested how life was lived in those times especially in Alplaus. So I decided to visit her at the home and much to my surprise, a one-hour visit was not enough to satisfy my interest. I continued on a weekly basis for those one-hour visits for the first few months of 2007 with her approval.
Margaret was quite a lady as she married after high school, graduated from the Ellis hospital nursing program, raised 3 children, worked as a practical nurse and traveled extensively throughout her years. As a child with her mother, she had already sailed to and from England on the S. S. Cedric.
Yes, she had many stories of Alplaus in her childhood and teenage days. Whether it was Oliver Bedard chasing her on Mohawk Avenue with a homemade fishing pole-net and a freshly caught squirming eel from the creek attached, having Stanley Speidel (he was a big kid) test to see if the ice on the creek was safe to cross, or with the Campfire girls adding pepper to the stew on a coal stove at a home of my family member during a fund raising event. Maybe it was “Spooney” trying to show his affection by sneaking a kiss and explaining to him, “I have allergies” hoping for rejection.
Even trapping muskrats with Stanley along the creek and taking them to the watchman at the railroad track crossing who in turn would sell the skins to city folk. Telling about the cold winter days riding the trolley over the Mohawk on her way to high school, sometimes even walking home from Scotia. Even revealing Mrs. Strom establishing a “jitney service” when the Railway was on strike in 1923 to transport the high school kids to school. Describing Arnold Wakker’s mother rolling her pushcart to Alplaus Avenue with fresh baked goods to sell. Arnold was a lifelong friend who later would operate the Hometown Bakery in Scotia.
Going to Boyce’s store to purchase some cookies that were stored individually in jars. Picking strawberries for Mrs. Berning in the patch near the mouth of the creek on Mohawk Avenue. Having Dr. Hoag arrive on horseback to treat her bronchitis. Or after the nursing program, being called upon to care for an elderly lady in Burnt Hills and the only mode of transportation was the trolley.
These were some of simple stories she told on how kids enjoyed themselves during those times. On visits to the end of her life she always was cheerful even though medical problems interrupted her mobility. It appeared she always wanted to talk about Alplaus and wanted to know current events, so I brought her a copy of the Home Town News each month of her final year.
I’ll miss her telling these stories and others, that sometimes we reiterated with a laugh. To a fine lady with enormous wit and wisdom, rest in peace.
Note: Also see February 2007 Home Town News article relating to Margaret
