NBFD helps flood survivors

BETHLEHEM — On Saturday, the North Bethlehem Fire Department and Auxiliary will hold a fund-raiser to help survivors of Tropical Storm Irene.

“Our guys in the fire department have been going over there to help and they said, we need to do something,” said Debra Schenkel, secretary of the auxiliary.

Months ago, Oct. 15 was set aside for an annual garage sale, but, instead, the date will be used for a three-part fund-raiser.

The chief of the Broome Fire Department and his wife, who heads the auxiliary, will attend and show photos of what happened to both the fire department itself and to the homes of Broome residents.

“The auxiliary had a freezer full of meat,” said Schenkel. “Not only can’t they find the meat, they can’t find the freezer.”

Donations will be collected on Saturday, possibly with a boot drive, to help Broome.

Also the Hudson-Mohawk Humane Society will be at the fund-raiser, running an adoption clinic and collecting both cash and pet food donations to help animals left homeless after the storm.

Finally, a collection — again both cash and canned items — will be taken for the Regional Food Bank.

The fund-raiser will run from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday at the firehouse, located at the  corner of Russell and Krumkill roads.

Food, including, hot dogs, will be sold. “We will match whatever we get with up to $1,000 from the auxiliary,” said Schenkel.

—         Melissa Hale-Spencer

More Guilderland News

  • Since the pandemic, the town planner notes, there has been less demand for office space, and both requests for zoning changes are spurred by the applicants’ need for tenants.

  • The Guilderland Zoning Board on June 4 approved the special-use permit application of Kent Hansen to turn the former seminary and recovery center at 1180 Berne-Altamont Road into the Inns of Altamont.  

  • Director Hawver credits Senator Patricia Fahy, an Albany Democrat, for “taking the lead,” writing letters to Kathy Hochul, “urging the governor in the budget this year to include money for an upgrade to the grounds, the outdoor portion of our Discovery Center, to improve it for safety, accessibility, aesthetics, and sustainability.”

The Altamont Enterprise is focused on hyper-local, high-quality journalism. We produce free election guides, curate readers' opinion pieces, and engage with important local issues. Subscriptions open full access to our work and make it possible.