Grateful for town's collection day, Pondering history of animal in Guilderland​

A huge hello and thank-you to the Guilderland Transfer Station and the town’s highway department,  and to all the men, women, and friends of those departments who carried out their  super Saturday morning shredding and hazardous waste collection day. It was wonderful!

When I arrived about 9:20 a.m. at the entrance road and saw the amazing number of cars in line, I  was astonished. However, it took me only about 15 minutes to get through the line and be met by the  men who took my shredding and hazardous-waste materials from the trunk of my car with aplomb and a smile.  

The organization of that huge town effort was well thought out and, when I think of all the clean attics, basements, and garages in the town of Guilderland, I say again,  "A warm thank-you to all who took part in the  event!"

I was home by 9:45 a.m.!  I would be interested to know just how many cars and vans showed up to deliver their worth.

Controlling animals

This month, I was handed three metal dog tags dated 1951, 1953, and 1955.  They seemed a bit worn and faded.

Do dog tags have to be turned in when a dog "moves on?"  A trip to the animal shelter seems where I might get that answer.

At the first actual meeting of the town of Guilderland held April 5, 1803 at "Good Hank Apple's Tap Room" in Guilderland Center, the following laws were created with regulations regarding animals:

— Resolution 1: Resolved, that it shall not be lawful for hogs to run at large beyond the enclosure of the owner;

— Resolution 2: Resolved, that stallions of the age of two years and upwards shall not be suffered to go at large beyond the enclosure of the owner, under the penalty of $5;

— Resolution 3: Resolved., that it shall be lawful for any person or persons to cut or geld any ram that may be found going at large beyond the enclosure of the owner from the 15th day of August to the last day of November, or any time within that space;

— Resolution 4: Resolved, that a bounty of $30 shall be paid by this town to any person killing a wolf running wild within said town. (The bounty on wolves was no idle  gesture, according to the late Arthur Gregg, Guilderland’s long-time town historian.  There were plenty of wolves roaming around the Helderbergs and the Pine Bush, awaiting the opportunity to clean out a farmer’s entire flock); and

 — Resolution 5: Resolved, that the compensation to Fence Viewers shall be at the rate of $1.25 for every day that they or them shall be acting in that capacity.

Nicholas V. Mynderse was the supervisor at that time.

And we all, or most of us, know where the Mynderse House was and still is, on Route 146 between Guilderland Center and Altamont.

There is no mention of laws regarding dogs or cats from that first town meeting. The animal shelter is on my list for tomorrow.