Alplaus Home Town News December 2002
Editor/Publisher: Art Harris Reporter: Betty Vedder
We are sending a message wrapped
in colors so gay,
To neighbors to show that you're
thought of today.
And in it you'll find a note
of good cheer,
That says that you're thought of
all through the year.
Holidays are approaching,
our wishes sincere,
Have a wonderful Christmas
and a Happy New Year!
Happy Holidays!
From your HTN Staff
It's the day before Thanksgiving 2002 as I write this and outside is a winter wonderland. As I walked up to the post office for the mail at noon the sun was peeking out from between the snow clouds and snowflakes where drifting down one by one in the bright light. An almost magical scene. We'll be having a White Thanksgiving to make up for all those "White Christmases" that weren't so white in recent years.
As the psalmist said so many years ago, our cup does truly run over with things to be thankful for this season: Family, friends, a resilient economy, relative peace and safety here in America, and a neighborhood that really cares in Alplaus. Kathy Boyle, in charge at the Alplaus Post Office, calls it the "Alplaus Attitude" that she sees every day in those that visit the post office. That sums it up for me.
On behalf of Betty Vedder and myself I want to thank those who contribute regularly to the Home Town News. There would not be much news if you didn't take the time to jot down what your group has done or is about to do.
Happy Holidays and a New Year filled with every Blessing.AWH
Art's new e-mail address: arthur.harris@earthlink.net
This was a caption on a recent Gazette issue. It was an article about our own Ed Casey from Alplaus. Ed made our last Home Town News as a newly wed and this issue as a Glenville Policeman.
He was one of 14 officers in New York State to receive the Top Cop Award on November 19th from the State Division of Criminal Justice Services and Mothers Against Drunk Driving.
Casey made 27 arrests for DWI last year and more than 20 the year before. He is an aggressive officer and a trainer who participates in many various campaigns.
The Glenville Police Chief says: "He's doing a
good job for us." Your HTN says: "Hey, he's a great guy,
he's from Alplaus and we're proud of him!"
Where has the year gone? By the time the December edition of the Home town News comes out, it will be one year since my contract to run the post office began. I could not possibly let this year end without, again, thanking everyone for all their help in the restoration and financial support of our beautiful little post office. I certainly could not have achieved all that has been done alone.
Everyday at the post office brings in a flurry of local residents as well as many newcomers, all of whom enjoy the camaraderie that is Alplaus. There is always a story to share, a hand to shake, a past memory to relive, and a genuine concern for the community. Hopefully in the upcoming year some of that good old "Alplaus Attitude" will rub off on the rest of the world.
Peace, health and happy holidays to all.
Kathy Boyle, APO Postmistress
Two upgrades were completed this month by your fire department.
The front pedestrian doors were replaced by Michael Beaver, Contractor, with new doors as well as a new frame and threshold. The old doors were installed about thirty years ago by John Zachar and weather and usage had taken its toll. Mike did a fine job of matching the original design.
The Alplaus Airboat received new plastic on the sides of the hull. Over 13 years of service it had been scraped and broken to a point it looked bad and was unable to protect the hull from damage. One of the unique features of this boat is its ability to operate on and through the ice. The hull plastic liner makes this possible. As part of the job the hull was repainted and re-lettered.
This work was done by Fire Apparatus Unlimited, located in Mohawk Park and well coordinated by Lt. Norm Mullins, who performed a great deal of research on the project.
The annual Fire District election will be held on Tuesday, December 10, 2002 from 6:00 to 9:00 PM at the Alplaus Fire Station. This election is open to all registered voters who reside in Glenville Fire District 2.
Offices to be filled are a five year term as Fire Commissioner and a three year term as District Treasurer. Nominating petitions were received from Michael J. Cuoco of Woodcrest Drive for Treasurer and Carl A. Nappi, Jr. of St. Jude Lane for Fire Commissioner. (This would be for Bob Culver's expired term as Fire commissioner.)
Bob has decided to retire from the position. The Company would like to express their appreciation for Bob's dedication to his job as commissioner through the years.
Write in votes for these elections can be accepted.
Several of our newer folks have asked "Who was Ted Schwarz?"
While this may seem surprising to those who are long time residents of the area, it also deserves an answer.
With the cooperation of Ted's son Carl, a photo of Ted
and a brief description of his activities in Alplaus have been placed in
the Firehouse meeting room to attempt to respond to the question and further
honor his memory.
The monthly community luncheon will be held on Tuesday, December 10th in the Alplaus Methodist Church Fellowship Hall. Everyone is invited to come, bring a dish to share if you can.
This will be a great time for holiday fellowship with friends
and neighbors.
A Family Christmas Celebration will be held in Alplaus on Wednesday, December 18th. At 6:00 PM there will be a covered dish supper. At 7:00 PM there will be a Celebration of Joy through drama and song. This is a program for people of all ages to participate in.
A Christmas Eve program will be held in Rexford Church at 5:00 PM. There will be lessons with lights and carols.
This same service will be held at Alplaus at 7:00 PM on
Christmas Eve.
The young people at Samuel's will be selling luminaries this year. Once again we will honor our tradition of placing lighted candles along the streets of Alplaus on Christmas Eve.
The luminaries will be available at Samuel's on Saturdays and the Alplaus Church on Sundays. We looked back in our records and found that this is our eighteenth year of Alplaus streets in candlelight on Christmas Eve. The sight remains awesome!
Alplaus Fire Station
Harry has scheduled his Holiday Clinic on Thursday, December 12th from 3 until 5 PM. Be sure to take time out from your busy Christmas preparations to have your pressure taken. Stop a while to enjoy a little chat with Harry.
This special event is scheduled for Saturday, December 14th at 7:00 PM. We begin the Christmas season at the Firehouse. We see the Christmas tree light up and enjoy the fellowship of being and singing together.
We also enjoy the yummies along with the hot chocolate, coffee and soda. Santa usually stops by to visit with the children and hand out candy canes. One of our local artists is sure to be there to draw holiday pictures for the little folks.
Young and old, come join us for a happy time together.
This is a reminder of the annual Craft Fair and Sale at the Center on Worden Road. It will be held Saturday, December 7th from 9:00 AM until 3:30 PM.
Come have lunch, this is put on by the Meal Center. Then
you might even do a bit of Christmas shopping.
The Senior Holiday Celebration will be held on Saturday, December 14th at 2:00 PM. This event is a most popular and happy tradition.
A glass harmonica player will entertain for the program which should be an unusual treat for all. Seasonal refreshments will be served along with coffee, tea and red punch.
Once again, the cost is a donation of canned or boxed food or cash for the food pantries, SICM or the Baptist Church Food Pantry.
Local Student Studies in Central Europe on
Union College Term Abroad
Schenectady, N.Y. (October 18, 2002) - Michael Hastings, a member of the Union College Class of 2004, is participating this fall in the College's term abroad program in Central Europe. Hastings, a resident of 109 Maple Ave., Scotia, N.Y., is a graduate of Niskayuna High School.
During their time in Central Europe, students will travel to sites in Germany, Hungary and Romania to examine issues related to ethnicity, multiculturalism, and the process of socioeconomic and political transition under way in those regions. The faculty member in residence with the group this year is Professor Robert Hislope.
Union offers a wide range of formal resident-study programs in 23 foreign countries. All courses may be used toward meeting graduation requirements. In the foreign country, the student, in most instances, lives independently with a family or in an international dormitory and participates in the normal cultural life of the community.
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The above was an article from the Office of Communications for Union News. This is the kind of news that your Home Town News likes to print. Michael is one of our own who was born and brought up among us.
We want to congratulate him and wish him the very best
in his travels. Gary and Donna can be real proud of their son and we who
know him are also proud.
Joe and Lois Bena, from Alplaus Avenue, recently returned from a ten day Colorado vacation where they visited their son Mike who lives in Boulder. While in Colorado, Lois, Joe and Mike drove across the Rockies to the South West corner of the state where they visited Mesa Verde National Park and toured the ruins of Anasazi cliff dwellers.
They also visited the four corners monument, the only place in the country that four states come together at one point. Joe enjoyed doing one single pushup on all four states, with one hand in New Mexico, one hand in Arizona, one toe in Utah, and the other toe in Colorado.
Another of their stops along the way was the Great Sand Dunes National Park. On their return trip to Boulder, they took time out for an afternoon ride up a very rough gravel road that climbed to an elevation of 12,200 feet at the continental divide. While on the summit, Mike gave his parents a little thrill by climbing and snow boarding a still higher peak that perhaps no one had ever skied on before.
Later in the week, after visiting the ruins of an old mining town called Caribou, Mike took his parents for a 2 hour Jeep four wheeler adventure over a very rocky and very scary mountain road.
The Benas had a wonderful visit to Colorado, but are very
happy to be back in Alplaus.
The United Methodist Churches of Alplaus and Rexford are in the process of redecorating the upstairs classroom and the computer lab of the Alplaus church in order to give it a youth friendly appeal. It's a very exciting and creative process that has been undertaken by the new Youth and Family Coordinator, Kelly Kissane.
She is trying to make a place where area kids will want to come in their free time - where they will bring friends and enjoy making new ones. A place where they can get help with their homework, work on a computer project, and be with people who care about them.
This after school project should be ready to get underway in January. In the meantime, the youth group has been re-established and is open to any area student in 7th grade or higher. They meet at the Alplaus building on Sunday evenings from 6:30 - 8:00 PM. The group is going strong and, in addition to games, music, and food, they are exploring the book The Case for Faith by Lee Strobel.
Starting on Sunday, December 8th a new junior youth group will begin for 4th 6th graders. This group will meet from 5:00 - 6:00 PM at the Alplaus church.
There will also be a Creative Writing Course on Tuesday, December 12th from 3:30 - 5:30 PM. This free course is offered to 3rd 6th graders and will be held in the computer lab at the Alplaus Church. Students may bring a friend and learn the art of creative writing. They will work on character development, learn to use descriptive words to make a story more interesting, and explore the wonders of Microsoft Publisher. Each student will publish their own story and bring it home to share it with their family.
Anyone interested in more information on the youth groups
or to register for the Creative Writing Course can call Kelly Kissane at
884-9185.
Idiot Sightings (by anonymous)
In the neighborhood: I live in a semi-rural area. We recently had a new neighbor call the local township administrative office to request the removal of the Deer Crossing sign on our road. The reason: Too many deer were being hit by cars and he didn't want them to cross there anymore.
At work: I work with an individual who plugged her power strip back into itself and for the life of her couldn't understand why her system would not turn on.
At the car dealer: When my husband and I arrived at an automobile dealership to pick up our car, we were told the keys had been locked in it. We went to the Service Department and found a mechanic working feverishly to unlock the driver's door. As I watched from the passenger side, I instinctively tried the door handle and discovered it was unlocked. "Hey", I announced to the mechanic, "it's open!" to which he replied, "I know, I already got that side."
I'm old as dirt, how about you?
Count how many of these you remember
Now, be honest This is fun!
If you remembered 1-5 You're still young.
If you remembered 6-10 Don't tell your age.
If you remembered 11-15 You, too, are older than
dirt.
The Auxiliary voted in a new slate of officers for next year, which looked surprisingly like those of this year. They are: Robin Driskel, President, Vicki Watkins, Vice-president, Alice Culver, Treasurer, and Pat Coppola, Secretary. Kim Sheely is also our new trustee, replacing Pat Coppola whom we thank for her three years of service.
We are considering offering other items for sale with the star design and Alplaus, New York printed on them but we are trying to decide what to order. We will place a survey in the Post Office in the next few weeks looking for your input on items you would actually purchase if they were made available, so please take a few minutes to give us your thoughts.
Our annual Election Day bake sale was a great success. We thank all of our faithful customers for purchasing our pies and other baked goods.
On April 11, 2003, we will be holding a Red Cross Blood Drive. As the date draws nearer we will be asking for those willing to donate to commit to a time. Be on the lookout for more information in this publication.
We extend a hearty thanks to Gary Withey and his crew for taking down the flags in last week's nasty weather. Most of the flags are in sad shape and will be replaced before Memorial Day next year.
Fran Marsh and Vicki Watkins delivered welcome baskets to some of our new neighbors, both to welcome them to our little hamlet and also to introduce them to our organization. We have many more new neighbors it seems so we will be delivering more in the spring. If you have a new neighbor, please let us know so that we can put them on our list.
Although we don't have any more meetings until February, this is a busy season for us. We prepared fruit baskets for the elderly, shut-ins and those in need of some cheer and we delivered them Thanksgiving week. We also adopted a family through Schenectady County Social Services and will attempt to make their holidays brighter by buying gifts for the Mom and three children. If you were not at the meeting and would like to contribute, the family information is at the Post Office, as is a basket for holiday (nonperishable, please) goodies. December 11th at 6:30 PM is the Glenville Auxiliary Holiday party at which we raise money and make gift bags for our 5 adopted firefighters at the Firefighter Retirement Home. If you are interested in attending, please call Robin at 399-4911 by December 7th. We will be carpooling if you would like a ride. Finally, our holiday party will be Wednesday, January 15th at the 5:30 PM buffet seating at Malozzi's on Curry Road. Further details will be provided in a December letter but reservations must be in at least 3 weeks in advance and prepayment is required.
If you are interested in checking out our organization,
why not join us for dinner on the 15th? We'd love to have you. Otherwise
our next meeting is February 24, 2003 at 7:30 PM at the Post Office. Any
questions, call Robin at 399-4911.