To the Editor:

We would like to thank the New Scotland Community for the terrific turnout for Community Cares Days on Saturday, April 28, and on Sunday, April 29. Nearly 200 residents and business owners and employees volunteered to help care for our beautiful town, village, and neighbors. The event was sponsored by the village of Voorheesville, the town of New Scotland, and the Kiwanis Club of New Scotland.

During Saturday’s Green Clean event, volunteers cleared debris from the Vly Creek while others joined with the Adopt-a-Highway crews from the Voorheesville and New Salem fire departments, The Friends of Jerry Clark, and the New Scotland Republican Committee to clean up many of our roadways and parks.

Teams from the local Cub Scouts, Hannaford Supermarket, Ballston Spa National Bank, Key Bank, Red Maple Land Services, St. Matthew’s confirmation candidates, Elite Motors and Greg’s Towing, and the Voorheesville Rod and Gun Club pitched in to the cleanup efforts.

At the Voorheesville Fire Department site, 166 vehicles journeyed through the recycling drop-off area between the hours of 9 a.m. and noon. We collected scrap metal for Voorheesville lacrosse; books for the Albany Book Project; automobile and lawn-equipment batteries; bottles and cans for the Voorheesville Fire Department’s Auxiliary; and shoeboxes, blankets, and towels for the Mohawk Hudson Humane Society.

The Town of New Scotland assisted the recycling efforts by providing a paper shredding truck for the event; 6,000 pounds of paper were shredded!

The weekend’s Neighbors Helping Neighbors program assisted 16 residences with yardwork, window-washing, flower-bed sprucing, and home repairs. Boy Scouts from Troop 73 completed a major property cleanup effort in the Orchard Park neighborhood.

The event’s success was aided in part by the local businesses that donated to the cause, including: Advanced Auto Repair and Advanced Car Wash, Reddy’s Deli, Subway, Jaycees Pizza Depot, Robert Wright Disposal, Stewart’s Shops (Voorheesville and both Slingerlands stores), Falvo’s Meat Market, the Voorheesville Hannaford Supermarket, and United Rentals.

Big thanks and much appreciation go to our committee members who made Community Cares Days possible, including: village residents Lance Moore, Bruce Moore, Bridget McManus, Dan Byrne, Rich Mazzaferro, and Mary Miller and town residents Joe and Katherine Sapienza, Joanne and Rich Porter, and Evie Shillinglaw.

Not only do these committee members dedicate hours to planning the event, many donated items needed to make the event a success. This year, local business owner Kaela Knoth (TJ’s NAPA Auto Parts) rejoined the effort to help bring other local businesses into the fold, gathering their support in the form of work teams, materials, and financial donations.

Thank you as well to our local board members (village, town and Kiwanis) and Department of Public Works employees for their time, talents, and efforts in a variety of areas throughout the weekend.

We’d also like to again thank Mike Malark for his dedication to caring for our community and for his family members who came to accept the Kiwanis Volunteer of the Year award on his behalf at Sunday’s barbecue.

With so many people participating, we cannot list you all individually but know that we appreciate the efforts of all volunteers who showed up with smiles on their faces and enthusiastic attitudes (especially on the rainy, cold Sunday). Your hard work and care for our community makes the New Scotland area a wonderful place to live.  

Janna Shillinglaw

Karen Finnessey

Community Cares Days

Committee Coordinators