Archive » May 2022 » News

Perlee hopes to empower villagers with tools to research the history of their homes, and so build community

“This is an activity about community,” says Perlee, a lawyer and Albany County legislator who describes himself as an amateur historian.

Jon Phillips vs. the Guilderland Coalition for Responsible Growth

by Sean Mulkerrin

Store signs became a bone of contention between Jonathan Phillips of Phillips Hardware and the Guilderland Coalition for Responsible Growth.

Governments rally as meat-processing monopolies drain agricultural communities

by Noah Zweifel

In addition to $1 billion invested nationwide by the federal government, New York State Senator Michelle Hinchey announced a $5 million meat processing expansion grant, which aims to empower New York residents to open up meat-processing facilities at a time when farmers are reportedly having trouble finding any.

A Hug From the Hilltowns holds first farmers’ market, plans to grow

by Noah Zweifel

The farmers’ market, which features a wide variety of vendors from the Hilltowns and beyond, will continue to be held each Wednesday through most of October from 4 until 7 p.m. at the Helderberg Lutheran Church, in Berne.

Status quo in Voorheesville: Conventional candidates win, school and library budgets pass with ease

by Sean Mulkerrin

Of the 1,101 ballots cast on Tuesday, 893 were in favor of the $28.1 million budget for the 2022-23 school year and 208 were against it.

BKW election: All items accepted by voters

by Noah Zweifel

Berne-Knox-Westerlo voters re-elected incumbent, unchallenged school board candidates Matthew Tedeschi and Rebecca Miller; approved the district’s $25 million budget; and authorized the purchase of several buses, as well as a property that sits adjacent to campus.

Week CXIV: Reinfection rates rise along with spread of Omicron subvariants

by Melissa Hale-Spencer

“As the Omicron variant emerged in New York State, the number of people who have been infected with COVID for a second time has increased dramatically,” the state’s health department reports.

Teacher-backed slate wins GCSD election, budgets pass handily

by Melissa Hale-Spencer

The winning slate was made up of three current school board members — Kelly Person, Gloria Towle-Hilt, and Kimberly Blasiak along with teacher Katie DiPierro. They supported work done by the district’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee and also supported teachers being trained to be respectful of LGBT kids.

After two years, Voorheesville Memorial Day Parade is back

by Sean Mulkerrin

“We’re really excited about having it,” said Wendall Thayer, post commander of the Voorheesville American Legion Post 1493, of holding this year’s Voorheesville Memorial Day Parade.

Knox weighing tax options after solar project approval

by Noah Zweifel

The 37-acre, 5-megawatt solar project proposed by RIC Energy received conditional approval from the Knox Planning Board last month as the town board works to negotiate a payment-in-lieu-of-taxes agreement among the company, the county, and the Berne-Knox-Westerlo School District.