GLENVILLE Politics blamed for removal Koetzle loses Highway Dept. liaison position BY MICHAEL GOOT Gazette Reporter Reach Gazette reporter Michael Goot at 395-3105 or mgoot@dailygazette.net.
Councilman Chris Koetzle is crying foul after Supervisor Frank Quinn removed him as Town Board liaison to the Highway Department — with Koetzle claiming that it is related to his bid against Quinn for supervisor. “The timing is clearly politically motivated from the point of view that I am a declared candidate for him against his seat,” he said. Koetzle, who is in his first term on the Town Board, is the Republican nominee for supervisor in November’s election against Democrat Quinn, who is seeking his second four-year term. Quinn said the change was not politically motivated but in the best interest of the town to improve communications between the Highway Department and the Town Board. “It has become obvious to me it’s not been working for several months,” he said. Koetzle said there were no communication problems between himself and Public Works Commissioner Rick LeClair. “If there were, the solution would have been to sit down and talk about it,” Koetzle said. He added that he has done good work with the department, including helping to reinstate the leaf pickup program and the bulk waste disposal program. Koetzle did get into an argument with LeClair at a Town Board meeting in May. Koetzle opposed a proposal by LeClair to purchase two snowplow trucks at a cost not to exceed $425,000 to replace aging vehicles, using some of the $620,000 in Federal Emergency Management Agency money the town is set to receive in reimbursement for December’s ice storm costs. Koetzle was concerned about buying the trucks without actually having the funds in hand. At that meeting, he was also displeased that the request was not brought before him as the Highway Department liaison, but before Deputy Supervisor Edward Rosenberg instead. He had e-mailed LeClair some questions and did not get a response. Rosenberg said Koetzle should have made a follow-up phone call, and Quinn said there appeared to be a communications problem. The motion to purchase the trucks was defeated by a vote of 4-1. Quinn said the flap over the trucks was just the latest example of communications issues. “We’ve got the liaison asking questions at these meetings of the highway superintendent. Those things should have been ironed out long before the meeting,” he said. He said politics is not a factor. “I’m trying to make sure we have good control and communication,” he said. “It happens to involve Chris Koetzle, but it could have been any board member.” Quinn switched the assignments of Rosenberg and Koetzle and named Koetzle the liaison to the Police Department. He said his plan was to make the change effective in July, but the board wants to discuss it at its next work session in the second week of July. LeClair said he was surprised as anyone else by Quinn’s action. “It was a decision he had made himself,” he said. He added that he didn’t have any major faults with Koetzle as the liaison, just a little bit of issue with communication with Koetzle and the timeliness of responses to questions. .........>>>>..............>>>>...........http://www.dailygazette.net/De.....amp;EntityId=Ar01501
Teens charged with ripping out playground equipment
By DAVID FILKINS, Staff writer Last updated: 5:26 p.m., Thursday, July 2, 2009 GLENVILLE -- Three teenagers were taken into custody Wednesday, accused of using a truck and tow straps to rip equipment out of the ground at a playground in Burnt Hills.
Police said James Johnston, 17, of Scotia, Carroll Foreman, 17, of Rotterdam, and Zachary Ferraro, 17, of Glenville, are charged with felony criminal mischief in the May 17 incident, which caused about $4,000 in damages to the playground and ballfield at 50 Cypress Drive............>>>>..........>>>>>...........http://www.timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=816333
SCOTIA Event to help home for terminally ill Prince Home has been closed since May because of declining donations BY STEVEN COOK Gazette Reporter Reach Gazette reporter Steven Cook at 395-3122 or scook@dailygazette.net.
A home for people who are facing the last few months of their lives is struggling for its own existence. A fundraiser planned for tonight — one of several in the works — will benefit the Joan Nicole Prince Home on Glenview Drive. This evening’s fundraiser, “Art for the Home,” features local artist David Arsenault. Since June 2006, the home has served 45 individuals — two at a time — as they lived out their last months. They received this service for free. But no one has been helped since May as donations have dried up in the slumping economy. Organizers are targeting early January to reopen. “The home is so important because it’s serving people in the last three months of their life, who may have very few safe and comfortable options for residential care,” said Stacey Bentrovato, vice president of the home’s board. Tonight’s fundraiser is scheduled to run from 5 to 8 p.m. at the Mohawk Golf Club in Niskayuna. Tickets are $25 per person. The event is to feature Arsenault’s original oil paintings and prints, along with live music by Roger Mock and Peter Rizzo. All proceeds from ticket sales will go to the home. Paintings and prints will be available, with 50 percent of the proceeds from sales going to the home. Arsenault got involved with the home through his wife, Sue Koehler-Arsenault, who is a chaplain for Community Hospice of Schenectady. They talked about the situation through the summer and wanted to help, Arsenault said. “It was something that seemed for me to be a good way to use what I had to offer to do something to tangibly help others,” Arsenault said. The home is dedicated to providing a safe, comfortable, caring residence for terminally ill patients who have no family or friends to care for them and are in need of a home during their final days. It was modeled after other community homes for the terminally ill in the state. The home is a twobed residence for patients with the greatest need and fewest care options at the end of their lives. It was named after Joan Nicole Prince, a 36-year-old mother of four from Niskayuna, whose husband gave a donation to begin construction on the house after her death from cancer. ...........>>>>...........>>>>.........http://www.dailygazette.net/De.....r01200&AppName=1
Remember the movie Soylent Green, is that where this country is heading?
yes I do remember that movie. And yes...sometimes I do see us moving in that direction.
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
VIEWPOINT Cozy, well-used Scotia Post Office should be kept open BY AUDREY OSTERLITZ For The Sunday Gazette
The village of Scotia is sometimes affectionately called Mayberry by those who live and work within its boundaries. The main street is Mohawk Avenue. At the village entrance and to the right stands an old building that is a branch of the Schenectady County Library. It has recently been designated an historic site. Beyond the library and down a gentle slope is Collins Park, a beautiful expanse of green space with baseball fields, tennis courts, swings, and the village’s own swimming hole, Collins Lake. On the other side of Mohawk Avenue, opposite the library, is the Glen Sanders Mansion, home of Mansion Catering, Glen Sanders Restaurant, and the prime location of many weddings and special events. Traveling along Mohawk Avenue, one can see small shops and restaurants including Village Paint and Hardware, O’Leary’s and San Souci Restaurant. People often walk in the village, many of them with children and dogs. There is an aging fire station which houses the Village Hall, the Scotia Police Station and other village offices. About four blocks down Mohawk Avenue is the U.S. post office, a study brick building with a formal, impressive facade. It has been there for as long as I can remember. My grandfather lived on Center Street, which ends at the post office. He walked there six days a week to retrieve his mail. Along the way or in the building he ran into friends and neighbors and exchanged greetings and news of the weather. The very existence of the post offi ce in this little village contributes to its lovely hometown atmosphere. Several years ago, the government decided to build a post office in the town of Glenville. It is difficult to determine its purpose. All residents of the town continued to use the same ZIP code, 12302, which is the same as Scotia. “Scotia” remains the official mailing address for Glenville town residents. Although there is a ZIP code for Glenville, it is rarely used. The same can be said for the new post office. It has no homey atmosphere. Its entrance is confusing. I don’t know anyone who goes there. I pass it every day, and I prefer to use the Scotia office. The Glenville building has not a fraction of the character of the village post offi ce. I am sure there are many residents still scratching their heads, wondering why it was built in the first place, in that lonely parking lot where all other businesses save the Glenville Queen Diner have vacated their space and abandoned the property. Now there is news of tentative plans to close Scotia’s post offi ce. We should have seen this coming. The little blue mailboxes into which we deposit our letters and bills began to disappear. Now the closest mailbox for the Main Street denizens is right outside the Scotia post office. When depositing mail there curbside, one can see the box so full ..........>>>>.............>>>>.............http://www.dailygazette.net/De.....1&Continuation=1
GLENVILLE Official warns of serious town tax increase BY MICHAEL GOOT Gazette Reporter Reach Gazette reporter Michael Goot at 395-3105 or mgoot@dailygazette.net.
A long-delayed request to purchase a snow plow truck will be pushed off at least another week. The Town Board last week postponed any action on a request to purchase a 2010 Mack Granite with Henderson body and plow equipment for no more than $260,000. Board members instead decided to wait until after the second of two community budget meetings to take any action. The meeting will be held tonight at 7 p.m. at the Glenville Senior Center on Worden Road. Supervisor Frank Quinn, who advocated the postponement, told the board that there are at least a dozen expenses that could affect the 2010 budget. He is projecting another $1.2 million in expenses before the board adds any new spending. “That’s a 24 percent tax increase if it were to go forward,” he said. Quinn, who will present his tentative budget later this month, said revenues are flat and expenses are rising. He is projecting a $180,000 increase in medical insurance premiums, a $200,000 increase in employee retirement contributions, a $15,000 increase in insurance and worker’s compensation and $15,000 in new state fees on utilities. In addition, the town will have to make a $200,000 payment on the bond note for the police communications tower and a previous bond note to purchase trucks. Other expenses are $55,000 to replace vehicles, $14,000 for repairs at the senior citizen center and either $9,000 to repair or $55,000 to replace the town’s large mower. ..............>>>>...............>>>>...................................http://www.dailygazette.net/De.....r01302&AppName=1
GLENVILLE Grant to lower sewer service price tag BY MICHAEL GOOT Gazette Reporter
Yearly costs for Alplaus sewer district residents will be reduced thanks to a $579,000 state grant. The town recently received a Shared Services Grant for its project to construct a new sanitary sewer service for the residents in Alplaus as well as adjoining residents in Clifton Park and the Glencliff School. There are about 230 sewer users in Alplaus currently hooked up to the system, which was completed in December. Up to 250 additional residential units and some commercial units in the Old Nott Farm and Rivercrest sewer districts will be added. The Old Nott Farm development, Edison Club and some neighboring properties are served by an outdated sewer system. Public Works Commissioner Rick LeClair said the grant should reduce the average Alplaus residential sewer bill by $70 to $90. Currently, they are paying about $900. LeClair said the grant is divided proportionally, with Glenville getting about 60 percent and Clifton Park and the school district getting about 40 percent. The sewer extension should start in early spring and be fi nished sometime next year. The cost of the entire project is $3 million, with the Alplaus portion alone costing $2,815,000. In addition, LeClair said the costs for those residents will go down another $175 once the Clifton Park users are on board and the debt service charges are being spread among more sewer users. Supervisor Frank Quinn said that both towns and the school dis-............>>>>.........................>>>>...................................http://www.dailygazette.net/De.....405&ViewMode=GIF
SCOTIA Effort to save village post office hits the streets with petition drive BY MICHAEL GOOT Gazette Reporter Reach Gazette reporter Michael Goot at 395-3105 or mgoot@dailygazette.net.
Rizzo is organizing a door-todoor petition drive to keep the Mohawk Avenue facility open. It is one of some 400 recommended for closure by the Postal Regulatory Commission as the U.S. Postal Service tries to close a deficit that could be as high as $7 billion. Rizzo said Monday he is getting good response to the petition drive. “I’ve got over 60 signatures so far in a couple hours of going out,” he said. He estimated that there are about 100 total signatures so far, including about 30 on the copy of the petition that is at the village clerk’s office. ................>>>>...........>>>>............http://www.dailygazette.net/De.....r01003&AppName=1
GLENVILLE Board member mounts write-in bid to keep her seat BY MICHAEL GOOT Gazette Reporter
Town Board member Valerie DiGiandomenico is mounting a write-in campaign to keep her seat after she was dropped from the Democratic ticket for the Nov. 3 election. DiGiandomenico ran with Edward Rosenberg and Supervisor Frank Quinn on the “Real Change” ticket in 2005. In May, she found out she was being replaced on the ticket because the local Democratic Committee decided to go in a different direction. Newcomer Cathryn Bern-Smith, policy director for the state Senate, will complete the Democratic Town Board slate. Signs popping up around town encourage people to write in DiGiandomenico for another four-year term. DiGiandomenico said last week that she began to receive calls from people when they found out she was not endorsed. They told her to run again, “saying we need a different choice.” She said party leaders only gave her a vague answer as to why they chose someone else. “I imagine because I speak my own mind and do what I think is right for the voters. I’m not a puppet,” she said. ..........................>>>>.................>>>>...............http://www.dailygazette.net/De.....r01103&AppName=1
SCOTIA Petition to save post office continues to add names BY MICHAEL GOOT Gazette Reporter
Scotia resident Tom Dowling said it would be a shame if the U.S. Postal Service closed the village’s only post office. “Not only do we find it convenient, it’s sort of a way of life. You meet your friends. It would be a total change in culture.” About 1,400 people have signed petitions hoping to save the Mohawk Avenue facility, which is among more than 400 the Postal Regulatory Commission is considering closing around the country. A final list of recommended closures could come later this week. Copies of the petition were at Village Hall, Scotia-Glenville High School and local merchants. Deputy Mayor Joe Rizzo and other volunteers also went door to door gathering signatures. “I’ve never seen something take off like this did,” Rizzo said. “It’s been very successful. I’m just hoping that it bears fruit.” Residents have strong feelings about keeping the facility downtown for the convenience of residents. “I only live a couple blocks away,” said Dan Willis, who was at the post office Monday. “Otherwise it means a four-mile drive up to [Glenville].” There are also a lot of elderly residents in the community. “There’s so many people that have to walk,” said resident Jane Brehm. Mayor Kris Kastberg said village residents have been very involved in the effort to save the facility. “We even had one elderly resident that made up their own sign and picketed the post office for a couple of days,” he said. .....................>>>>.................>>>>...............http://www.dailygazette.net/De.....r01000&AppName=1
SCOTIA Residents push to keep post office BY MICHAEL GOOT Gazette Reporter
Having the post office on Mohawk Avenue is important for village resident Nelson Austin, who is legally blind. “I can’t drive anymore, but I have been taught by the blind how to get around. I can walk to the post office, I can walk to Gabriel’s, I can walk to any place I have to go in the village,” he said. But if the post office was gone, he said, it would be very difficult for him to get stamps or mail a package on his own. Austin was one of close to 100 people who attended a public hearing Thursday at Scotia-Glenville Middle School regarding the Postal Regulatory Commission’s recommendation to close the Scotia Post Office. The facility is on the list of 371 locations targeted for closure. More than 1,500 people have already signed a petition to elected representatives and postal officials asking that it stay open. The U.S. Postal Service is trying to close a deficit that could be as much as $7 billion. Revenues have declined as mail volume has decreased because of the recession and more people doing transactions online. ................>>>>.........................>>>>...................http://www.dailygazette.net/De.....r01305&AppName=1
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