RENSSELAERVILLE — The Rensselaerville Fire Department Battalion is at it again.

For more than 20 years, the battalion has collected toys for needy kids.

This year’s drive started Nov. 1 and runs through Dec. 2. 

“We are looking for anything from infants up to teenagers,” said organizer Kathy Wank.

Albany County Legislator Chris Smith, of Berne, will remain in office after fending off a challenge from Rensselaerville Democrat Hébert Joseph, who had criticized Smith for being a low-energy representative. 

Berne voters ushered planning board Chairman Joe Martin and incumbent Al Thiem onto the town board for four-year terms. They also elected Jeff Harvey as justice. All three were uncontested. 

Incumbent Rensselaerville Town Board member Brian Wood and former highway superintendent Randall Bates were elected to the town board in a three-way race for two seats, winning over newcomer Patricia Byrnes, who, like Wood, ran on the Democratic line. For justice, Republican Richard Tollner and incumbent Democrat Greg Bischoff are nearly tied, with Bischoff leading Tollner 263-to-260. 

Democrat Russ Pokorny got 429 votes to Jamie Berenger’s 238. Berenger, a Berne-Knox-Westerlo school bus driver with no known political history, was the Republican Party’s pick to challenge the only Democrat on the Republican-dominated board. All other seats were uncontested, sought only by their Republican-backed incumbents.

Supervisor Matt Kryzak, on the Republican line, was re-elected to a four-year term with 41 percent of votes, despite challenges from body-shop owner Donald Morin, getting nearly 32 percent of votes on the Democratic line, and Angela Carkner, getting 27 percent of votes on an independent party line. Town board incumbents Peter Mahan and Amie Burnside also defended their seats.

Arts Around Greenville — a local arts initiative under the Community Partners of Greenville umbrella — is hosting a series of events at the Greenville Public Library this month and next that highlight small, for-sale works created by local artists. 

William Hall, Westerlo

Berne has proposed a tax rate of $4.60 per $1,000 of assessed value for 2024, making it the highest Berne tax since 2016, when it sat at roughly $4.66 per $1,000. It’s a 752-percent increase over the current tax rate of roughly $0.54/$1,000. 

A foreclosed property on Knox Cave Road, which has a market value of $132,308 according to Knox’s 2023 tax roll, will likely be sold to a neighboring family for $5,000, pending legislature approval.