The results still need to be certified by the New York State Board of Elections later this month, but official county-level results show that Janet Tweed, a member of the Delhi Village Board, has eked out a roughly 80-vote win over retired teacher and activist Mary Finneran.

Berne-Knox-Westerlo kicked off the 2024-25 administrative school year at its reorganizational meeting on July 1, where the board of education elected Matthew Tedeschi as its president, and heard from the new superintendent, Bonnie Kane, on the district’s new block-scheduling format.

In a 3-to-2 vote, the Westerlo Town Board got rid of the town’s planning board — which Supervisor Matt Kryzak has described as “rogue” — despite opposition from residents and the Albany County Planning Board.

Berne-Knox-Westerlo salutatorian Katie Joslin is headed to the State University of New York at Binghamton where they will study psychology, hoping to one day go into private practice and help give adolescents a strong foundation during their formative years. 

Jodie Howland, the Berne-Knox-Westerlo valedictorian, is headed to Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Massachusetts, where she plans to get involved with the robust study-abroad program they have there. 

Pop culture and family phrases took center stage at the Berne-Knox-Westerlo graduation this year, as speakers quoted family, the comedian Kevin Hart, and the song “Respect” in their parting messages to the graduates. 

Physical therapist and Delhi village board member Janet Tweed has a narrow lead to take on incumbent Republican Assemblyman Chris Tague in the 102nd District in November. Tweed’s opponent in the primary is Mary Finneran, a grassroots activist and former educator.

The budget cuts six faculty and staff posts — two teachers, three aids, and one administrative assistant — and eliminates the school resource officer program, Bulldog Club and other after-school programs, next year’s graduation ceremony at The Egg, late bus runs, and field trips, among other things.

The Old Songs Festival, which is being held at the Altamont fairgrounds from June 28 through 30, features folk music and artisans, with opportunities for attendees of all ages to learn about various crafts and create their own. 

At a public hearing on Supervisor Matthew Kryzak’s proposal to eliminate the town’s planning board and hand its duties over to the zoning board of appeals, more than two dozen residents showed up to beg the board to turn it down.