On the Hill

"Spring" took on a very personal meaning last Monday when we found water creeping across our basement floor. This was a "high water" spring in Alplaus with many of us dealing with damp basements and soggy yards. It's hard to imagine watering the flowers when you are pumping out the basement!

We are glad to welcome Betty Vedder's contribution on senior events in this month's Home Town News. She promises to keep us informed on this news front.

This year's ARA meeting was well attended and full of discussion on important issues - sewer extension, proposed area development, traffic control, and more. Barbara Casey has written an in- depth review of the meeting and some background information.

Matt Hopkins and Cherie Vedder have given us background information on Samuel's that should answer any questions you may have about what's going on in the old Alplaus Store; including when Samuel's will open.

__________________________________________________________________________________

Alplaus Fire Department

Calls for March 2005


Date	Alarm Time	Incident Number	Call Type	Location	# Fire Fighters	Fire Fighters Hours
01 MAR 2005	17:20	000027	Medical Emergency	Wood haven Drive	6	2.7
03 MAR 2005	13:20	000028	Medical Emergency	Mountainwood Avenue	4	1.6
03 MAR 2005	17:48	000029	Medical Emergency	St. Anna Lane	5	2.7
04 MAR 2005	11:27	000030	Medical Emergency	Glenridge Road	3	1.1
06 MAR 2005	13:19	000031	Medical Emergency	Glenridge and Bruce	11	5.1
15 MAR 2005	05:07	000032	Medical Emergency	Bath Street	7	3.5
15 MAR 2005	10:45	000033	Medical Emergency	Woodcrest Drive	2	1.7
18 MAR 2005	05:54	000034	False Alarm Fire	Glenridge Road	5	119.8
18 MAR 2005	18:06	000035	Medical Emergency	Bath Street.	5	1.3
23 MAR 2005	12:18	000036	Other Fire	Habel Lane	4	2.8
25 MAR 2005	20:06	000037	Medical Emergency	Brookside Avenue	4	1.8
27 MAR 2005	03:34	000038	Medical Emergency	Woodcrest Drive	7	3.2
27 MAR 2005	16:26	000039	Medical Emergency	Acorn Drive	4	2.0
28 MAR 2005	17:32	000040	Public Service	Hill Street	6	7.5
29 MAR 2005	06:37	000041	Public Service	Acorn Drive	4	7.1
31 MAR 2005	09:14	000042	False Alarm Fire	Glenridge Road	2	0.4

Alplaus Post Office News

The computer system in Rexford is now in the process of updating all pertinent information for post office box holders. The required form has been put in all post office boxes. Please fill out and return the form to me as soon as possible. We are also required by the postal service to have two forms of ID. I have a list of acceptable ID info. If you allow anyone else to collect your mail I will need ID from them too.

Over the years and moves much of the information on the old forms is no longer relevant. We have post office box information going back over 40 years. So the update is definitely needed.

Box rents due as of March 1st 2005 will be REDUCED. The new rate will be $24 for the small boxes and $36 for the large boxes annually.

New 2005 stamps are coming in. The new love stamp is very beautiful. If you have a special event coming up and would like a special stamp let me know so I can make sure I have them in stock. (Disney stamps, Dr. Seuss, Happy Birthdays and love stamps are just a sample of the stamps used for weddings, children's birthdays and baby showers). Kathy Boyle, APO Postmaster

Alplaus Historical Society

by Bob Culver and Kathy Boyle

(March 31 Report to ARA Annual Meeting)

Since the winter of 2004, when the Alplaus Historical Society was formed, we have had meetings approximately every other month.

We have held interviews with some longtime residents, done research, collected photographs, news articles, and brainstormed ideas. We have also been in the process of passing out a one page questionnaire to each household, in the hope that we can gather more information and create a file on Alplaus houses, people and properties. One of the goals of the historical society is to put together some form of publication of all the information we collect. If you have visited your local library or bookstore, you have probably seen books on Clifton Park, Burnt Hills, and Saratoga, to name a few.

With development all around us, it seems even more imperative to collect and record things now. All the information we have collected is stored at the post office. Some of the photographs are also on display. People are welcome to come and explore the many photos and news articles during the post office hours.

We are always looking for new ideas, and people to contribute. We hope this is just the beginning, and the Alplaus Historical Society will continue to grow in members and history in the upcoming years. Information about the historical society may be obtained from Kathy at the post office.

Orabell Kline Wood

by Cliff Hayes

I had the pleasure to visit with Orabell, who is 86 years young, at her senior apartment in Scotia recently. Orabell is a former Alplaus resident who was raised on Glenridge Road & lived most of her adult live in the Alplaus area.

Orabell’s grandfather, John Henry Kline, owned much (160 acres) of what was farmland where the Woodhaven area is located now and boarded by the Alplaus Kill. His name appears on the 1890 county directory. The old farmhouse, long gone, was a 2-story structure with 6 bedrooms with bathrooms added by Orabell’s father, Edward. The farm included a sawmill, cattle, and peach and apple orchards. Orabell had brothers Fuller, Floyd (Skip), Ray, and a sister Trudee. A sibling died at 5 years.

Orabell graduated from Alplaus School in 1933. I showed her the picture, which was obtained by the historical society. She recalled everyone by name in the picture. Many of her greatest memories of school were the playgrounds (proposed empty-nester development) during lunchtime. When it was time to return to class, Mrs. Coldwell, the principal, would ring the school bell.

As a young girl, winter activities were skiing on the vast farmland of the Kline’s with many friends from the village. Orabell’s mother served hot chocolate. The most picturesque part of the skiing was the beauty of the 1^st and 2^nd falls of the Alplaus Kill. In the summer, horseback riding at the Governor’s Inn (Yates house) was enjoyed.

I only knew Fuller & Skip from the appliance business they owned at 62 Glenridge Road (now apartments). They sold and serviced the new magical box called a television set back in the 1950’s.

Orabell’s father & brother Ray built the house at 181 Maple Avenue where she and her husband resided until 1946 followed by her Aunts. Fuller also has built homes for his own living quarters.

The Kline family was well represented in the Alplaus area during the 20^th century. I thank Orabell for the pleasant visit.

Ladies Auxiliary

Happy Spring! As the rains recede and the sun gets warmer our beautification committee, headed by Kathy Boyle, Elizabeth Burke and Kim Sheely, will be busy making Alplaus even more beautiful and colorful with new plantings around our Fire House and Post Office.

Over the past several months members from the Auxiliary and the community-at-large have made 45 lap quilts to be distributed to wounded soldiers from New York State. Helen Robinson and Elizabeth Burke have done a tremendous job organizing and energizing this effort. Many thanks to all of you that contributed your time, talents and materials to this project. We will keep you posted about scheduling additional quilting bees in the fall.

We are continuing to collect items for the Schenectady Domestic Abuse Shelter. A box is at the Alplaus Post Office and your contributions are very much appreciated. Copies of a wish list of things needed for the shelter can be found in the Post Office.

The Auxiliary is once again sponsoring a Red Cross Blood Drive. It will be held on Friday, May 13^th from 2-6 pm at the Alplaus Firehouse. Giving blood is a way to give back! Your donation could help your family, a friend, a neighbor, or even yourself and it takes less than 30 minutes of your time. There have been several changes to the donor eligibility guidelines so if you have any questions about your ability to donate call 1-800- GIVE-LIFE or visit their website www.givelife.org. Please make an appointment by calling Robin Driskel at 399-4911 or the Post Office at 399-8048. Walk-ins will be accepted but we can only guarantee you no wait if you make an appointment. If you need any more incentive, delicious cookies will be provided to each donor! Please call today.

The Village Wide Flea Market and Garage Sale will be Saturday, June 4th, so mark your calendars and keep this event in mind as you do your spring-cleaning!

We recently replenished our Alplaus Sweatshirt supply in the Post Office as we sold out after the Reunion last fall. Please stop by or call in your order to (518) 399-8048.

Our next business meeting will be Monday, April 25th, at 7:00 pm in the Alplaus Post Office.

The Auxiliary is open to all women who live within the fire district and we are always interested in welcoming new members. Please feel free to attend any of our meetings. Call Vicki Watkins at 399-0184 if you have any questions.

Frequently Asked Questions About Samuel's

by Matt Hopkins and Cherie Vedder

With the opening of Samuel's less than a month away (May 1st), Cherie and Matt have collected a bunch of the most frequently asked questions about Samuel's for the Hometown News.

Q: "Who owns the building?"

A: The building is owned by Capital District Youth for Christ. CDYFC is a local chapter of a 60 year old national (and now international) Christian youth ministry much like the YMCA. Matt, Cheri, Jen, and all of the Samuel's employees are all YFC staff.

Q: "What are your hours going to be?"

A: Regular retail hours: Sun- Thurs 6:00 am to 9:00 pm, Fri & Sat 6:00 am to 11:00 pm.

Q: "Why bother, do you guys really like coffee that much?"

A: It has been a lot of work and certainly many years in the making and we have often asked the "why bother" part of this question many times along the way. YFC's mission is to love kids where they are, and our vision is to create a place where kids want to be. Experience tells us that creating a "teen center" with smelly couches does not draw kids. And seeing how many kids hang out in the coffee bars in Saratoga and at Starbucks in Niskayuna birthed the idea of Samuel's. Being Alplausians ourselves, we wanted to make sure that it was a place that fit into Alplaus and that it would not ever be an eyesore. By going big and opening for more than just after-school kid hours we expect that it will be more valued in the community. Business during those non-kid hours will be essential to supporting the high standard we have set for it.

Q: "Who are all those people who have been helping out?"

A: Some are your neighbors, some are folks connected to YFC from throughout the Capital District, and some are friends of ours who have caught our vision and all have become friends along the way.

Q: "How will you deal with parking?"

A: Beyond the visible parking up front and the two spots directly across the road, the Fire Commissioners have agreed to have overflow parking at the firehouse. This agreement is contingent on always leaving space for firefighters should a call come in, not conflicting with events at the firehouse (parties, meetings etc.). The tenants in the apartment next to Samuel's will begin parking in the rear of the building once we open. We will synch our schedules with the firehouse to insure that we don't plan events (concerts, art shows, etc.) on top of events at the firehouse. Also we are looking into expanding the parking in the rear of the building.

Q: "Concerts? What about noise?"

A: We plan on having live performances at least twice a month. That said, those that have been in the building know that the space lends itself more to acoustic performance than a full blown rock band. Beyond keeping the size and volume of our performances down, we invested much in insulation, and new windows and doors. These upgrades, along with central air, will go a long way to cutting sound pollution. We will monitor our sound impact on the community very carefully to be sure that we are not becoming an 'ear-sore". If you continue to have concerns about this issue once we open, please talk to Jen, Matt, or Cherie.

Q: "What will you serve other than coffee?"

A: We will have an in-house baker, who will crank out breakfast fare (muffins, pastries, etc.). She will also bake pies for the after dinner dessert crowd, and holiday cookie platters by request. We are looking into a lunch menu of soup and sandwiches but will wait and see how business goes first.

Q: "Can I stop by for a gallon of milk and a dozen eggs?"

A: Good question. We will not advertise any retail groceries, but we will certainly sell a gallon of milk to a neighbor (leave your Stewart's milk card at home). As eggs (and flour for that matter) will be part of the baking operation (separate from the coffee bar side of things) we will have to work out an arrangement there with the baker for the person who comes looking for two eggs and a cup of flour.

ARA Annual Meeting.

I just spent a rainy Saturday morning walking on the streets of Alplaus—I hit them all! Despite the dreary day, I love that I can walk through our little hamlet and feel that it’s a real community. That feeling is reinforced by the turnout at our annual meeting [80+]. We have all ages and backgrounds, but what draws us together is a passion for this little place we call Alplaus. I’m privileged to be starting my third year as president of the Alplaus Residents Association, and thank all of you for your support and words of encouragement. Many thanks to Vice-President Kathleen Sheppeck, who coordinated most of the meeting arrangements this year. And to members of the auxiliary who provided our refreshments (Kathleen had a big hand in that as well).

Don and Lou Diel were named this year’s Outstanding Citizens in recognition for their contributions to the community over 60 years of living in Alplaus. Those who know Don and Lou appreciate their smiling faces, which always make us smile in return. Many thanks to their son Bryon and his wife Karen for filling in the details of their lives and for helping us to preserve the surprise. We look forward to seeing Don and Lou as grand marshals in this year’s Fourth of July parade!

I’m delighted that our entire board is returning (what president could ask for more?) and that we are even adding one new member: Kathleen Schnitzer, who moved onto Hill Street in the past year and whose cat Max attended our meeting the other night. Many thanks to all of the board members for their efforts and advice on all the year’s activities. It is truly a team effort!

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.



THOMAS H. CULVER                       399-5557

   38 SARATOGA ROAD          SCOTIA, N.Y. 12302

                       Residential – Commercial

      HOLLENBECK PAVING CORP.

BLACKTOP

      DRIVEWAY          ROAD       PARKING AREA

2005-2006 Officers. The Alplaus Residents Association officers for 2005-2006 will be:

Barb Casey, president

Kathleen Sheppeck, vice-president

Debra Story, secretary

Mike Sheppeck, treasurer

Elected directors who will serve on the board are:

Matt Hopkins (continuing, and elected Thursday to a three-year term)

Bob Culver (continuing, and elected Thursday to a three-year term)

Gray Watkins (continuing)

Gary Withey (continuing)

Keith Abatto (continuing)

Art Harris (continuing)

Jessica Evans will continue on the board in a one-year term, appointed by me, and Kathleen Schnitzer will also serve a one-year appointed term. If you have questions, concerns, or suggestions, please contact one of the directors.

We will meet in late April to discuss Fourth of July festivities, among other things, and we invite any of you to join us at the meeting or in helping with plans for the Fourth. If you’re interested, call me and I’ll let you know when the meeting is set.

Barb Casey, ARA President 399-5714

bcasey@skidmore.edu

Annual ARA Meeting Highlights

By Barb Casey

I get a lot of questions by residents on various issues, and I bring them to town officials and others, trying to bring back the best answers I can. However, my first choice is that residents be able to pose their questions directly to those who can provide answers, and I was pleased that that happened at our annual meeting.

The entire town board attended the meeting: Supervisor Clarence Mosher, Mark Quinn, Bob Bailey, Jim Denney, and Peter Russo, along with Commissioner of Public Works Andy Coppola, Town Engineer Dana Gilgore, Consulting Engineer Mark Kestner, and Developer and President of Concord Development Chris Myers.

The meat of the discussion centered around the progress on sewers and on the proposed development. On the first item, Mark Kestner outlined the process so far, and his hope that we'd have an answer from the state comptroller's office in two months.

Construction might start in the fall, although we discussed the possibility of pushing off until spring '06, something no one hopes will happen. There was some discontent expressed over how things have moved after they left resident hands last spring, but Commissioner Coppola indicated that everyone is doing what they can to move it along.

Chris Myers gave a brief presentation on his plans for a new development off of Maple Avenue. There will be 55 townhomes, priced beginning at $200,000 and a maintenance-free community with a homeowner’s association that would be responsible for maintenance. His target audience is empty-nesters and retirees, who are attracted to a maintenance-free community. The road into the development will be private, constructed according to town specifications, and directly across from Alplaus Avenue. Mr. Myers announced that he would pay for a traffic light at that intersection, should his development receive final approval from the town.

Topics of questions included the preservation of historic structures and sites and some were upset to hear that the oldest Alplaus school (the one directly across Maple from the end of Alplaus Avenue) could not be preserved in some way. The white building, which was a later and larger Alplaus School also, and the old Yates Farmhouse will be subdivided off and will be retained by their current owners. The Yates Cemetery will be maintained by the homeowner’s association and will be available for public access with prior notice.

One resident also asked about an archeological survey for artifacts, and it was indicated that will be done. A question arose about how we can be sure that there won't be MORE development on that site, and Supervisor Mosher assured that nothing could be changed from the site plan, if it's approved, without a new application to the town. Questions arose about Mr. Myers choice of land and decision about type of home were offered, and some indicated that multi-family homes weren't appropriate and that they didn't want any additional development. I mentioned the open space plan and the need to know who owns the land around us, how it's zoned, and whether there are any plans for it.

There continue to be many concerns about traffic should the site plan be approved, even with (and in some cases because of) the traffic light. Some feel that MORE traffic would come through Alplaus if there was a light; others are worried mostly about volume.

We outlined the process, indicating that the plan would next be reviewed by the town environmental commission. The Army Corps of Engineers and the US Fish and Wildlife Service will simultaneously be reviewing the project for wetlands disruption and the presence of the locally-rare Indiana bat, respectively. The Glenville Planning and Zoning Commission will be reviewing the final site plan and there will be a public hearing before the final site plan is reviewed. I will send notice of the meeting to those on my e-mail list, or you can call me or the town for updates. If you’re not on the e-mail list, but would like to be (or don’t get e-mail but would like me to call you when I send one), please let me know.

EDITOR/PUBLISHER Art Harris

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

HOME TOWN NEWS

ALPLAUS, NEW YORK 12008

April 2005 Vol. 129 No. 4

Orabell Kline Wood

E. GRAY WATKINS

THOMAS H. CULVER 399-5557

BLACKTOP

EDITOR/PUBLISHER Art Harris

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

HOME TOWN NEWS

ALPLAUS, NEW YORK 12008

April 2005 Vol. 129 No. 4­­­­­­­­­­

Orabell Kline Wood

E. GRAY WATKINS

THOMAS H. CULVER 399-5557

BLACKTOP

April 2005 Vol. 129 No. 4