The luncheon for April is scheduled for Tuesday the 8th at Fellowship Hall in the Alplaus Church. It is held from 11:30 am until 2:30 pm, weather permitting. This could be a time you could get out for fine food and fellowship.
Alplaus Home Town News April 2003
Editor/Publisher: Art Harris Reporter: Betty Vedder
American Red Cross Blood Drive
The Alplaus Fire Department Ladies Auxiliary is sponsoring a blood drive at the Firehouse on Friday, April 11, 2003, from 2-7 pm. The blood drive at this time is especially crucial because blood from the NY-Penn. Region will be sent to the military for its needs with casualties.
It only takes less than 30 minutes of your time to donate and if you are over 17 years of age, over 110 pounds and in good health you are likely able to donate.
Please make an appointment today by calling Robin at 399-4911 or the post office at 399-8048. Walk-ins are also accepted but we can guarantee you no wait if you make an appointment.
Delicious cookies will be provided to each donor, if you
need any more incentive! Please call today. They're doing their part, so
let's do ours.
Ted Schwarz's scholarships are still available for young people to attend summer camps. Anyone interested can call Cherie Vedder at 399-7093 or Betty Vedder at 399-0427.
This is a crowded edition of the Home Town News with lots of local news and items of special interest. But two very noteworthy items are at the back of the newsletter. One is a vacation story from the Kiernans and the other a great piece from a village resident who wants us to think about our neighbors and friends at the Stratton Air National Guard base at the County Air Field.
What ever your opinion about the Iraqi situation and the current operations there, our contributor offers us a way to show our concern for those among us who are serving there. Please read it and act on his suggestions.
The weather never lets us down it always gives us a good story. This will go down as the year when winter refused to quit. Spring and summer will seem all the sweeter for our current icy days. Meanwhile, please be careful and don't wind up in the paper for the wrong reason.
..AWH
Notices to Glenville Residents
Bulk Item Pick-Up
Bulk items pick up will begin Monday May 15, 2003 at 7 am. Only one pass through town will be made [no exceptions]. The following items will be permitted for pick up:
White goods Washer, Dryer, Freezer, Refrigerator, Hot water tank, Stove, Dishwasher, Air conditioner.
Only one item of each per household.
Place your items on the edge of your lawn no later than
May 5, 2003. Be advised it is unlawful to place any material on the roadway.
There will be an Easter Egg Hunt, Saturday April 19th from 11am - 12:30 pm at the Alplaus Methodist Church. Please join us for a variety of activities for children of all ages. Everyone is welcome. Please call Kelly at 884-9185 or Ginny Smith at 399-0500 for more information.
Free 6 week Tae-Bo classes for students in grades 6 - 12 will be held April 7th - May 21st from 4:30 - 5:30 pm at the Alplaus Church. Classes will meet once a week: Guys meet on Mondays, Girls on Wednesdays. Space is limited. Please call 884-9185 to register.
Do you have a child under the age of 5 and live in the
Niskayuna school district? If so, please help the district plan for the
future by calling Joan Vertigan at 382-2511 (x4333) to make sure your child
is in the school census database. Thank you!
About 15 years ago, I ran a little race in Alplaus and thought, "What a wonderful community! This would be a great place to live." My husband Charlie and I have been residents of Alplaus since 1991, and have raised our children Sarah (now 9) and Andy (almost 7) here. I'm proud to say that I became the president of the Alplaus Residents Association at our annual meeting on March 20th.
My first impressions of Alplaus were accurate. It IS a great place to live, with a wonderful mix of retirees, families with children, and single folks, all of whom are devoted to this little hamlet of ours and respectful of each other and our different points of view.
In addition to the annual meeting of residents, the residents association (along with the Fire Department and the Ladies' Auxiliary) sponsors Fourth of July festivities; organizes that great little race, the Alplaus Run-Around; and hosts a Christmas party at the firehouse. We also sponsor Skye Farm camp scholarships and help to maintain the Ted Schwarz Memorial Park across from the firehouse. Advocacy on issues of concern to residents is also part of our charge. A major issue we've been focusing on over the past few years and hope to resolve is sewers for all Alplaus homes.
Dues are $1 per adult resident per year, payable to our treasurer during the residents meeting or any time afterward, and donations are gratefully accepted to support any of our activities.
Other officers elected at our annual meeting were:
I welcome any thoughts and suggestions you have about Alplaus. I'm in the book, so call if there's anything on your mind. Many thanks to Rick Fleming for his years of service as president, as well as his commitment to continue to serve. It's a volunteer position with many rewards, but also with long hours and much aggravation. When you see Rick, shake his hand and thank him for all that he's done for the residents of Alplaus.
Barb Casey
Kathy Boyle is the Alplaus Residents Association Citizen of the Year, in recognition of all the work she's done to make the Alplaus Post Office such a warm and welcoming center of our community.
Fred, from Bruce Drive, took a bad fall on the ice last month and broke a leg. He is at Sunnyview this week. I'm sure he would appreciate a card or a visit.
He is recovering nicely but the inactivity is really a drag
At the conclusion of the Alplaus Residents Association annual meeting on March 20th, Environment One and Kestner Engineers gave a presentation about options for sewers in Alplaus. Many residents know that there have been years of discussion about sewers for those Alplaus homes that don't have them and about needed upgrades for homes already on the sewer system.
Mark Alexander and Bob Moll from Environment One presented information on a grinder pump (pressure-based) option to the gravity sewer proposal presented last year by Mark Kestner of Kestner Engineers, a consulting firm for the town of Glenville.
Questions about the benefits of each system were answered, and the town will be working with the ARA this month on a fact sheet to be distributed to all homes. Then ARA members will go house to house with a petition that proposes that we install new sewers and upgrade the existing sewer system. A majority of the hamlet's property owners will need to sign the petition for us to proceed, so study the fact sheet carefully when you receive it.
Alplaus Fire Department March Calls
Date Alarm Time Situation Found Street Respondents Fire-Fighter-Hrs
03/02/03 16:44 Medical Emergency Woodcrest Drive 10 4.7
03/06/03 16:12 Medical emergency Acorn Drive 7 4.7
03/07/03 15:37 Medical Emergency Maple Avenue 9 3.4
03/08/03 08:05 Medical Emergency Glenridge Road 7 3.3
03/08/03 08:59 Medical Emergency Maple Avenue 8 5.2
03/13/03 09:21 Medical Emergency Maplewood Drive 3 1.5
03/13/03 15:24 Vehicle Accident Glenridge and Bruce 6 3.3
03/13/03 16:19 Medical Emergency Maple Avenue 7 0.6
03/14/03 19:36 Medical Emergency Glenridge Road 7 2.5
03/15/03 14:35 Medical Emergency Maplewood Drive 14 6.6
03/15/03 14:51 Vehicle Accident Glenridge and Maple 14 9.1
03/17/03 10:59 Structure Horstman Drive 7 6.0
03/17/03 12:51 Vehicle Accident Glenridge Road 8 6.2
03/19/03 21:21 Medical emergency Maple Avenue 7 2.8
03/21/03 01:08 Medical Emergency Bruce Drive 7 4.6
03/21/03 19:02 Medical Emergency Pinewood Drive 5 1.6
03/23/03 17:09 Vehicle Accident Maple Avenue 15 6.8
03/24/03 17:11 Medical Emergency Bruce Drive 7 3.2
03/28/03 19:50 Medical Emergency Maplewood Drive 10 3.7
Harry still holds his clinic on the second Thursday of every month. This will be on the 11th with (almost) a promise of no snow.
Mark your calendars and take a walk out to see Harry to
check on your health status.
Alplaus Fire Station
In January, Leland and Ivy Scott celebrated their 50th anniversary. A party was given by their children Ken Scott from Mechanicville and Iris Scott of Ballston Lake.
The Scotts have been long time residents at 16 Mohawk Avenue here in Alplaus. Although Ivy is a native of Dundee, Scotland she has spent most of her life right here in Alplaus. Leland is retired after 36 years of service at the Air National Guard in Glenville.
We would like to express our sincere congratulations from
your neighbors in Alplaus. May you enjoy many more happy years together
right here at home.
Maundy Thursday:
Sacrament of Holy Communion, at Rexford United Methodist Church at 7 pm April 17th.
Easter Sunday:
Sunrise Service - Rexford U.M.C. 7 am
Breakfast - Rexford U.M.C . 8 am
Church Service - Alplaus U.M.C 10 am
On Sunday, April 27th, the Seniors will be holding their 27th annual Anniversary
Celebration. This is always a special occasion in recognition of the progress
of our first organized group in Town Hall. We now have hundreds of members
in our own active center at 32 Worden Road.
The Celebration will be held at the Center at 2 pm. Ray and Doris Scott from Scott's Oquaga Lake House will be here for entertainment. They have a family of musically gifted people who act professionally, they are great!
We are planning a fun party with delicious refreshments.
Everyone is invited, membership is not required. Come join us if you can.
Last summer I had the privilege to be part of a Project Serve missions trip
to Honduras. It rocked my world! I thought I was prepared for what I would
see, after all I've seen the pictures of the poverty and the plight, but...
as I passed the tiny shacks made out mud, cardboard and rags that housed
families of ten or more, I was convicted of every droning, ungrateful thought
that I ever had or made regarding my living conditions here in Alplaus.
I was so overcome with shame and yet, at the same time gratitude. I was grateful to be allowed a glimpse into the world outside of my realty, my comfort zone and grateful for the lesson.
As I worked alongside a group of Honduran people, I found myself in awe of the peace, tranquility and happiness that they possessed. I had always known that the material "stuff" of my life distracted me from what's truly important.
For two weeks I was given dear and constant reminders of this truth as I watched people who lived with so little have such peace. I was inspired and humbled by their freedom to worship God in spite of their circumstances ...and more likely because of their circumstances.
Cherie Vedder
We held another busy meeting this month. First, we finalized plans for our blood drive which is described in another article in these pages. We really need the help of Alplaus residents to make it a success.
Our major project for this year will be to electrify our new sign and landscape it. To do so, we have planned a number of fundraisers. First, we are selling summer bulbs. Orders will be taken until the 8th of April and they will arrive in time for planting. Orders are being taken at the post office. Also we still have some sweatshirts available for purchase at the post office. We will be holding a bottle drive from April 26th to May 2nd. You can place bottles and cans which have a deposit in the bins on the post office porch or members of the auxiliary will come by to pick them up. If no one comes by your house to collect them, you can call Robin at 399-4911 to have them picked up.
We have also begun planning our annual Village Wide Flea Market and Garage Sale for June 7th. We will be selling spaces and tables at the firehouse beginning next month and we will also be taking reservations for home garage sales to be put on our map. As always we will have the cook shack open selling yummy homemade food.
Our next meeting will be at Monday, April 28 at 7:30 pm
in the post office. If you are interested in joining us call Robin at 399-4911
or stop in at the post office for an application form.
The luncheon for April is scheduled for Tuesday the 8th at
Fellowship Hall in the Alplaus Church. It is held from 11:30 am until 2:30
pm, weather permitting. This could be a time you could get out for fine
food and fellowship.
Bring a dish to share if you can. Come anyways and look
forward to spending a pleasant afternoon with friends.
The latest projects that have been completed are new windows installed in the front of the building and a new furnace purchased and installed. This was most important with current weather conditions. It's best to keep the willing workers warm and happy.
They have just finished the installation of the sheet rock. Vinyl siding has been purchased and is ready to put up. As most of you know this is all done with volunteer assistance. At the present time help is needed from sheet rock tapers and vinyl siding installers.
All help is most sincerely appreciated. If you can give a hand or would like more information, please call 399-7093.
They call it the "Forgotten Coast". It is that part of Florida, just before the panhandle bends south to the main peninsula. It is an area of small towns (the largest, Apalachicola, has 2500 residents), fish and shellfish filled waters ("the oyster capital of the world"), barrier islands and white pristine beaches. The temperatures average in the fifties and sixties in the winter, some days in the seventies (warm enough for a couple of frozen Yankees who enjoy the isolated beaches. The summer is the "high season" for tourism. Because of its relative isolation from south Florida, it has remained more a part of the old south, evidenced in the architecture of Apalachicola and the soft southern drawls of the native Floridians. We had read about the area several years ago, took a trip, fell in love with it, and have returned for the past four years...each time for a little longer...this time for a month.
We left Alplaus before dawn on January 30th. It was zero degrees; the ground was covered with snow...plenty of incentive to head south. The following day, in late afternoon we were driving through the Apalachicola National Forest, south of Tallahassee. It was sixty degrees. The forest is a beautiful mixture of pines and palms (no snow). Small towns with charming names like Wakulla Springs and Sopchoppy are hidden there and the Ochlockonee River cuts through it. The forest extends fifty miles, south from Tallahassee. About 4:00PM we emerged from it and directly ahead, in the lowering sun, lay the sparkling waters of the Gulf of Mexico. We were thirty miles from our destination, St. George Island.
St. George Island is one of the larger barrier islands, over fifteen miles long and no more than a mile wide, at its widest point. One end of the island is occupied by a beautifully landscaped gated community. The other end (about six miles worth) is the St. George Island State Park, with a white sandy, shell filled beach on the Gulf side and hiking trails and a campsite on the bay side. Protected dunes abound and eagles and osprey fly. The middle of the island is dotted with houses, ranging from large, beachfront mansions to more modest homes. Most of them are for rent, mostly by the week, but some by the month. Ours was a three bedroom ranch located across from, about 100 yards from and in view of...the beach. We also had a deck, at roof level, from which we could watch the surf, by day, and the brilliant star filled sky by night.
The Island has a grocery store, some gift shops, bait shops, bike/surf rental stores, several realtors and a couple of restaurant/bars. Our favorite was Harry A's, where the tourists and locals met each afternoon to compare notes on the day's activities, talk about the weather "up north", have some food and a few beverages and, when darkness approached, step outside to watch stunning sunsets on the bay.
Our days were laid back. We walked the beaches, collected shells, sampled the local restaurants (fresh oysters and grouper) and just hung out. Our "island friends" became simply "our friends". They were from varied backgrounds (Don, a sculptor from Ohio; Bud, a retired contractor from South Dakota who now does volunteer work at the Crazy Horse monument; Art, a hunter/fisherman from Hudson Falls NY, who shared his knowledge of the tides and shelling places and with whom we spent many evenings laughing, with him at his perspective on life, and Sandy, an international dog breeder who tired of the travel, discovered the island and decided to stay. We are indebted to her for introducing us to St. George Island.
Finally, the frosting on the cake was visits from our family. My sister and husband and our son Tim and family flew down for several days...plenty of beach time and a campfire on the beach one night. A few days later, our daughter Jessie visited and was joined by two of her friends from Alabama. We were treated, one morning, to cheese grits prepared by Dawn, Jessie's friend. Jessie managed to soak up some sun. She may have seen a more relaxed side of her parents than she had ever seen before... "Who are you and what have you done with my mother?" she said to me on the way back to the airport.
If you haven't gotten the picture, we had a great vacation
and were sorry to leave. There was still snow up north...but so were family
and friends. We climbed into the yellow bug (now famous on St. George, as
it was the only one on the island and highly visible) and headed home. We
think about the vacation on a daily basis and, though that section of Florida
is still called the "Forgotten Coast", it will always be remembered
by Tom and Linda.
Neighbors
Supporting Neighbors
Who are
Away from Home,
Serving their Country,
In Time of War.
At the Village of Alplaus Post Office there is a cardboard box open to those who desire to send a card, letter, or gift of support to some of the local Air National Guard men and woman that are serving in the sands of the Middle East.
The C-130's fly over their roof tops daily, the off green Guard Base Fire trucks respond right beside their local Alplaus Emergency vehicles when the siren sounds, and folks that live just down the street put on the military Battle Dress Uniform to drive off to work. In so many ways, the Village of Alplaus is intimately associated with those who serve at Stratton Air National Guard Base.
With some of their Stratton neighbors deployed to perform duties during this time of war, with "Live" news coverage played out before their eyes 24/7, many people have found a deep desire to show that they personally support those who are serving in uniform. But many that live here in the Village have not known who to write to, what to send, or even an address to post.
Kathy, the Village Postmaster, has provided the avenue for delivery - an open box near the coffeepot in the lobby. She then assures the appropriate papers are filled out and with donated postage, those packages are sent.
Jack, a village resident who is a member of the 139th Air Evacuation Squadron, has served recently in Afghanistan and knows some names to write to and items to send. Some thoughts from Jack:
Write a personal note to Jennifer or Glenn or a funny card to Karolyn or Larry. Carl, Fred and Al would love to hear your patriotic thoughts when they pause for a rest. All have their own family and friends that keep in touch about personal things. But Dan, Lisa, Pat and even Mark would be encouraged by a person they do not even know, taking the time to tell them that their service and sacrifice is appreciated and that maybe a prayer was sent up on their behalf.
There are many more men and women from Stratton serving overseas and throughout the US, but these are folks that I know by name that you can write to that I can assure will be delivered to them.
As for what items can be sent as part of a combined "Care Package" - think of things that are useful or fun to have when you are faraway from home and there is no Stewart's close by. You packed light to begin with and now weeks have gone by. Be practical or be imaginative - but small and light is a must.
I spent five months over seas immediately following 9-11, living in what I affectionately termed "The Sand Box". When I opened boxes from home it was like a breath of fresh air, Christmas and a stroll down memory lane all rolled up into one cardboard box. The new razor always came just in time, the cartoon clippings were always funny, baby powder, eye drops and T.P. was always needed by someone I knew. The small pack of Skip-Bo cards and football was a great distraction when time permitted
I am sorry to say that I didn't have the time or energy to write back to everyone, but every one that did write or send gifts touched my heart and lifted my spirit.