On the Hill

Alplaus Post Office News

Just a brief note to thank all of the people who supported the Alplaus Post Office in 2006. We had a wonderful year. A special thank you to First National Bank @ GE RD, Ted and Joan of Mail Center USA in Clifton Park.

And, of course, to the many people who come in regularly to the Post Office and continue to purchase stamps and mail packages just because they love our little town and its unique contract postal station.

Best wishes to all of you for 2007,

Kathy Boyle

Let it Snow - We're Ready!

For Equal Rights

What's inside

On the Hill.................................................…...2

Alplaus Fire Department December Calls.......2

Alplaus Fire Department News……………….3

Fire District Election…………………….…..3

Alplaus Fire Company Elections…….….…3

Grant Received………..…………………… 3

Ladies Auxiliary………………………………….4

Do You Use Creamora?..................................4

Goings on Around Our Town……….……….…5

PCB Incineration……………………………… 6

Alpaus Bird Line..…………………….….………6

Chili Challenge Entry Form……………….........7

On the Hill

Where oh where has winter gone? I read today that some maple syrup producers have already tapped their trees, some 6-8 weeks early this year. While I don't think the case has been proven for the global warming alarms of some political figures, I can't dispute that we have seen Alplaus warming these past two months.

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.

Meanwhile, enjoy spring in January today and expect snow and ice to follow all too soon……….AWH

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Alplaus Fire Department Calls for December 2006

000233 30 DEC 2006 07:10 Medical Emergency Hetcheltown Road 11 6.6

000232 28 DEC 2006 07:14 Medical Emergency Hetcheltown Road 10 5.3

000231 25 DEC 2006 21:35 Medical Emergency Glenridge Road 7 3.9

000230 25 DEC 2006 21:10 Medical Emergency Alplaus Avenue 7 2.9

000229 26 DEC 2006 19:09 Medical Emergency Hetcheltown Road 7 3.0

000228 23 DEC 2006 11:19 Medical Emergency St Jude Lane 12 7.2

000227 19 DEC 2006 23:16 Medical Emergency Glenridge Road 9 3.0

000226 19 DEC 2006 16:49 Medical Emergency Maple Avenue 8 0.5

000225 14 DEC 2006 03:37 Medical Emergency Woodcrest Drive 7 3.2

000224 14 DEC 2006 00:20 Medical Emergency Knollwood Drive 7 2.8

000223 13 DEC 2006 10:16 Medical Emergency Hetcheltown Road 6 2.5

000222 08 DEC 2006 17:45 Medical Emergency Glenridge Road 10 4.5

000221 07 DEC 2006 09:33 Mutual Aid Scene Lock 9 9 27.5

000220 06 DEC 2006 23:11 Medical Emergency St Jude Lane 7 2.8

000219 06 DEC 2006 16:54 False Alarm Fire Hetcheltown Road 7 2.5

000218 06 DEC 2006 15:27 Medical Emergency Alplaus Avenue 8 2.7

000217 04 DEC 2006 21:00 Mutual Aid Scene Saratoga Road 10 5.3

000216 01 DEC 2006 17:47 Medical Emergency Glenridge Road 10 4.5

000215 01 DEC 2006 17:04 Vehicle Accident Maple Avenue 10 4.2

000233 30 DEC 2006 07:10 Medical Emergency Hetcheltown Road 11 6.6

000232 28 DEC 2006 07:14 Medical Emergency Hetcheltown Road 10 5.3

000231 25 DEC 2006 21:35 Medical Emergency Glenridge Road 7 3.9

E. GRAY WATKINS

ATTORNEY AT LAW

GENERAL PRACTICE

REAL ESTATE

WILLS, TRUSTS & ESTATES      371-6125

CORPORATE LAW                      1745 RT. 9

PERSONAL INJURY               Clifton Park, N.Y.

by Bob Culver

Fire District Election. We have a new Fire Commissioner!

In the Fire District 2 election held in December, Kurt Haushalter, of Helen Court, was elected to a five-year term as Fire Commissioner. Kurt recently stepped down as First Assistant Chief of the Alplaus Fire Department after serving in various firemanic offices including that of Chief. He replaces Don Cartwright of Glenridge Road who declined to seek a second five-year term.

The Board of Fire Commissioners for 2007 will consist of:

Commissioners: Joan Mullins

Mike Sheppeck

Art Harris

Chris Williams

Kurt Haushalter

Treasurer: Mike Cuoco

Secretary: Kathleen Casey

Kathleen was appointed as Secretary by the Board to replace Elizabeth Burke who declined to seek re-appointment after serving several years in that capacity.

The fire department and the Community would like to express our thanks to Don and Elizabeth for tasks well done, and we wish them well in their "retirement".

President Gary Hastings

Vice President Don Cartwright

Recording Secretary Bob Mazur

Corresponding Secretary Kathleen Sheppeck

Financial Secretary Carl Nappi, Jr.

Statistical Secretary Jim Palmer

Treasurer Joe Beaver

Trustee Tom Kiernan

Historian Mike Sheppeck

Chief Andrew Coppola

Assistant Chief James Majewski

Captain Steven Gabris

Captain Mike Sheppeck

Captain of Fire Police Mike Cuoco

Lieutenant Jim Palmer

Lieutenant Kathleen Sheppeck

Lieutenant Robert Mazur

Ladies Auxiliary

by Vicki Watkins

Our second annual Holiday Cookie Sale, held on Saturday, December 9^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 also delivered a sampling of our cookies to several of our neighbors in need of a bit of cheer.

Mark your calendars for the Auxiliary’s 2^nd ANNUAL CHILI CHALLENGE on Friday, January 26^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 and to enjoy good food and to vote for the best chili (i.e. flame thrower, chunky special, mellow yellow, …). Adults: $5.00, Children: $3.00

Our lovely hamlet is especially festive looking thanks to Kim Sheely’s beautiful wreaths at the Firehouse and the pine swags decorating all the street signs in Alplaus.

We’ll begin 2007 with our annual post-holiday party on Thursday, January 18^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 26^th at 7 pm at the Firehouse. Please join us if you can. If you would like some information about the Auxiliary call Vicki at 399-0184.

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Do you use Creamora?

The Ladies Auxiliary is looking for your empty Creamora containers. Large size only please. We have a use for them so we would like to have you "recycle" yours so that we can reuse them!

If you have any please drop them off at my home (247 Alplaus Avenue). If this is inconvenient, call me, 399-0442, and I will pick up any donation that you can make.

Thanks a lot! Alice Culver

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Explorer Post 885

by Kathleen Sheppeck

Looking back on 2006 and forward to 2007 Explorer Post 885 is in a time of transition. The founding members are coming of age, with 3 members having made the transition to Firefighter in 2006 and more to follow this year.

The advisors and Explorers alike look forward to the spring and summer when we expect to welcome a group of new members upon their completion of the 8th grade.

For any others ages 14 and up, this is a great time to think about starting something new. This Explorer Post offers a unique opportunity for the young people of our community. Join us any Tuesday night at 7 pm at the Firehouse and:

▪ meet new people and make some new friends.

▪ gain new skills and experience the sense of accomplishment this brings.

▪ boost self esteem.

▪ feel a sense of belonging.

▪ learn the importance of service and volunteerism

Hope we'll see YOU there!

Goings On Around Our Town

by Barb Casey

What a lovely gathering we had this year! The tree lighting on Saturday, December 9^th was once again held at the firehouse. Warm weather for the little ones awaiting Santa’s arrival, delicious cookies from the Auxiliary, and entertainment by the talented trio of Gray Watkins and Karen and Andy Gilpin were all appreciated by attendees. Gray also donated the tree and the cookies from the Auxiliary holiday cookie sale—thanks, Gray!

The hit of the evening was a surprise donation of decorate-it-yourself gingerbread people from Janice Coppola. Just when I think the Alplaus community is done touching me with their kindnesses, I am surprised all over again by your generosity. Thanks to all who attended—it was a great time.

Sewers. You may be just opening your tax bill and realizing that it’s larger this year than you anticipated. I hope that’s not how you’re first getting the news that the Town of Glenville has started to charge us for the expenses incurred so far in trying to extend Alplaus sewers, but it’s entirely possible that you are hearing this for the first time.

Approximately 60 residents turned out for a Glenville town board work session to hear board members discuss the tax charge and to ask the town board to consider delaying the payment until we’ve determined whether or not we’re moving ahead with the extension.

The good news is that instead of charging the entire $758.45 amount this January, all Alplaus residents will pay half that amount this year and half next January. If residents decide to move forward with the project, these costs are just the first payment on an improvement the majority of those affected have said for a long time that they wanted. If citizens don’t decide to move forward, it’s a down payment on long-needed repairs for the existing district and we should demand clarification about any additional costs we might be responsible for.

We are having a meeting Tuesday, January 9^th at 7 pm at the Alplaus firehouse with town officials. We’ll be submitting as many questions as possible in advance to ensure that we have answers to those questions, but you will of course have an opportunity to ask questions or make comments that evening. Residents told me they wanted to have the meeting in Alplaus, so please make sure all our neighbors are encouraged to attend, even though it will likely be a tight fit!

I know many of us are disappointed, angry, and disgusted about the process and the way it’s been handled—or mishandled. I encourage you to continue to contact your elected representatives to let them know how you feel. However, now is also the time to think about what we as a community think is best for Alplaus. Deciding to move forward, if that is what those of you on the proposed extension decide to do, does NOT mean that we’re done with trying to reduce the costs of the project through any means possible. We also plan to look at the charges being assigned to us to determine whether we think they are accurate and legal.

Those of us on the existing system will continue to ask the hard questions about how repairs are being done and charged to residents. The ARA plans to continue to push the Town to make good decisions for the long-term, not just the short-term. Current cost projections will be fully explained at the meeting, and we will have petitions available for those that want to sign them.

I look forward to seeing many of you Tuesday evening.

Barb Casey

President, Alplaus Residents Association

399-5714

bcasey@skidmore.edu

PCB Incineration

by Barb Casey

Some members of the Alplaus Residents Association board have been investigating the new PCB incinerator you can see on the lot behind Freeman’s Bridge and Maple Avenue, about one mile up river of us. Thanks for Chris Breslin and Tam Donlon for making some phone calls. Below is taken from Chris’ summary of the situation.

Mike Mason (State Project Manager) explained that the newspaper articles about the project were incorrect at best. They will not be incinerating the PCBs. They are burning, but it is a low temperature (~600 F) process.

What Mike told me was that is similar to an evaporative process where they will dry the soil and the contaminants will evaporate out and be captured in a catalytic oxidizer which will capture the PCBs. I believe the PCBs will be taken off site for disposal. The remaining air will travel through a bag house and through activated carbon before being released to the environment. The soil will then be quenched in water to restore its moisture content. It will be sampled to measure the PCB level. If the level is below 1 PPM (part per million) then it is considered clean and will be used as fill. If it is over 1 PPM it will be retreated.

Any heavy metals contamination (mercury, etc.) will be taken off site for proper disposal. Some soil will be mixed with lime to make it more workable.

They have air monitoring stations set up around the site already and have been taking readings for about a week to set up baseline readings. They will be measuring VOC (Volatile organic Compounds) emissions and will also be doing real time dust monitoring.

D.A. Collins won the contract for the site with the state and Earth Tech did the planning and will be monitoring the situation. Also TDX associates is the contractor that runs the more critical >50 PPM burner.

The ARA is considering asking for the credentials of those doing the work and/or requesting weekly monitoring reports, but the information we’re getting from most quarters indicates that the superfund cleanups are done well and that we have nothing to be concerned about.

The best thing we can do is stay aware and stay informed! Let me or Chris Breslin know if you have any thoughts, questions, or concerns.

Editor/Publisher Art Harris

e-mail address: arthur.harris@earthlink.net

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

HOME TOWN NEWS

ALPLAUS, NEW YORK 12008

January 2007 Vol. 131 No. 1

E. GRAY WATKINS

THOMAS H. CULVER 399-5557

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