Grace WarnerVOORHEESVILLE — Grace May Warner always put her family first. A dedicated mother and wife, she died on Saturday, Feb. 16, 2013, after a decade-long battle with Alzheimer’s disease. At 90, she was surrounded at the St. Peter’s Hospice Inn in Albany by those who loved her.

“After my sister was born, she was a stay-at-home wife and mother,” said her son, retired Air Force Master Sergeant Brian Gerard Warner. “She was always there when we got home from school.”

He recalled his mother’s fondness for cooking homemade meals and especially her desserts. “Pies, cakes, cookies, everything was from scratch and homemade. She followed in her mother’s footsteps; our grandmother always had a piece of cake or pie to offer,” he said.

When Mr. Warner was a boy, he remembered going out to a wooded area near their home along State Farm Road to pick wild strawberries. The land has since been developed into the back nine holes of a golf course, he said.

“She was a great cook and me and Mom used to pick the best wild strawberries,” he said.

Mrs. Warner was born in Albany, the daughter of the late Peter and Dorothy Gerard. She graduated from Albany High School, Class of 1940. She married her husband, Frank William Warner, on June 13, 1942.

“Six weeks after they got married, he got drafted, and three-and-a-half years later, he came home,” said their son. Frank Warner served in the Army Air Corps, where he also took photographs for the service and was honorably discharged in 1945. Some of his World War II photographs were later published in a book.

He came home and got a job at General Electric, working as a professional photographer. Mrs. Warner was employed by Montgomery Ward for several years and the couple bought a home in New Scotland in 1947. They would live there, happily married, for the next 70 years.

The couple had their first of two children, a daughter, Deborah Jean Warner, in 1951.

Mrs. Warner was active within the New Scotland Presbyterian Church for 60 years, where she served as treasurer of United Presbyterian Women, a Sunday school teacher, and assisted with church dinners and fund-raisers.

Mrs. Warner also became a Girl Scout leader after her daughter joined the group. Mr. Warner recalled having to go to the Girl Scout meetings as a child.

“The troop in Voorheesville used to meet in the grade school and I had to go to the meetings. I was just a little punk who wasn’t old enough to be left alone, so I had to go,” he said.

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Grace May (Gerard) Warner is survived by her husband, Frank William Warner; her son, Brian Gerard Warner, and his wife, Barbara Mary (Perkins) Warner; and by her grandchildren, Anastasia Marie Warner and Stephany Lynn (Warner) McKinley and her husband, Robert McKinley; and by her great-granddaughter, Layla Marie McKinley.

Her parents, Peter and Dorothy Gerard, died before her as did her daughter, Deborah Jean Warner.

A funeral service was held at the New Scotland Presbyterian Church on Feb. 20. Arrangements were by the New Comer-Cannon Funeral Home in Colonie. Mourners may leave online messages at www.NewcomerAlbany.com.

Memorial contributions may be made to the New Scotland Presbyterian Church, 2010 New Scotland Rd., Slingerlands, NY 12159.

—Tyler Murphy

Pamela VilleneuveEAST BERNE — With heart, laughter, and a love for words, Pamela Villeneuve cultivated a rich group of friends and family that could fill a beach house.

She visited New England beaches on vacations, renting houses with as many as 20 friends and co-workers from the day-care center she directed for decades.

Mrs. Villeneuve died Thursday, Feb. 14, 2013, at home, surrounded by her loving family. She was 62.

Born on Nov. 28, 1950, in Little Falls, N.Y., Mrs. Villeneuve, the daughter of Joseph and Mary (née Calabrese) Clemente, grew up around a gregarious and large Italian family in Utica. Her mother was a school-crossing guard.

After high school, Mrs. Villeneuve met her husband, Gary Villeneuve, in Utica. They moved to East Greenbush when he left the Air Force and took a job with Amtrack in Rensselaer. They had two children, Jeff and Krista, before their divorce.

Mrs. Villeneuve later taught at the Children’s Place day-care center in Albany, eventually becoming its director after receiving her associate’s degree in early childhood education from Maria College in Albany during the mid 1980s.

“She made the rounds throughout the day-care center,” said her daughter, Krista Novotarski. “She knew everybody.”

In recent years, Mrs. Villeneuve went annually with her son, Jeff, to see her favorite baseball team, the Yankees, play at the Bronx stadium. Mrs. Villeneuve lived with Jeff in Berne for the last 10 years.

“She had to shout at the T.V., ‘Oh come on, it’s a good base hit, home run,’” said Ms. Novotarski.

She was a broad reader, of mystery novels or anything to pique her curiosity.

“She always had a book,” her daughter said.

When she was a young parent, Mrs. Villeneuve wrote two books, one of which relates to her reconnecting with her birth mother when she was around 18.

“I think she found the papers at my grandparents’ house with her name on it, and looked her up,” said Ms. Novotarski.

Her mother’s generosity and conversation, sometimes humorous, she said, formed lasting relationships for years.

“Parents came that we hadn’t seen in years, of the children that she cared for,” her daughter said of the outpouring of support in recent days.

Mrs. Novotarski said shopping, reading, and being with her children were often how her mother enjoyed spending her time. During the summer trips, which rotated among beaches in Rhode Island; New Hampshire; on Cape Cod; at Long Sands, Me.; and in Wildwood, N.J., Mrs Villeneuve was always looking for unquiet ocean waters.

“She had to have big waves,” she said. “She wanted to ride the waves.”

****

Pam A. Villeneuve is survived by her son, Jeff Villeneuve and his wife, Erin; her daughter, Krista Novotarski and her husband, Greg; her grandchildren, Michelle Villeneuve, Jayson Villeneuve, Rebecca Oravec and her husband, Ted, Victoria Villeneuve, and Ryan Novotarski; her brother, Pat Clemente and his wife, Beverly, and ex-daughter-in-law, Karen Hamilton; and three godchildren, Amy Brodeur, Max Scheibly, and Steve Armer.

Arrangements were made by the Fredendall Funeral Home in Altamont.

Interment will held in the spring at Jonesville Cemetery, Clifton Park NY.

Memorial donations may be made to the Helderberg Ambulance, 321 Street Road, Altamont, NY 12009.

The family would like to extend its thanks and gratitude to all those who cared for her during her illness.

— Marcello Iaia

Laura E. WestfallGALLUPVILLE — Laura E. Westfall, who spent all of her long life in Schoharie County, loved her family, her church, and her neighbors.

She lived in Shutters Corners in the town of Wright, and she died at Ellis Hospital in Schenectady, after a brief illness, on Sunday, Feb. 17. She was 91.

“She was lots of fun — a very strong woman with a lot of energy,” said her granddaughter, Janet Partridge.

Mrs. Westfall was born on Feb. 2, 1922 in Schoharie, a daughter of Stephen and Rhoba (Bullock) Wilber. She was raised on her family’s dairy farm with three sisters and four brothers, and attended the Barton Hill Schoolhouse.

Later, Mrs. Westfall went to Schoharie High School where she played basketball on the school team. “Because she was a nice, strong farm girl, she played on the varsity team as a ninth-grader,” said her granddaughter. “She thought that was kind of cool.”

Mrs. Westfall married Frank C. Westfall Sr. on April 6, 1940. “They grew up in the same town,” said Ms. Partridge. They raised three sons. The Westfalls’ marriage lasted 46 years, ending only with Mr. Westfall’s death in 1986.

Together, the couple operated the Gallupville Corner Store. 

“They had the store for 17 years,” said Ms. Partridge. “It was an old-fashioned place with all the jars of candy…one of those cute little hometown stores that sold everything. She and Grandpa did most of the work in the store.”

Mrs. Westfall loved local history and also worked part-time at the Old Stone Fort Museum. “In her later years, after she retired, she volunteered there. She loved history and researched the genealogy on the Westfall side of the family,” said her granddaughter, noting that Mrs. Westfall was a member of the Town of Wright Historical Society.

She was also a member of the Town of Wright Senior Citizens and volunteered at the Cobleskill Community Hospital where the seniors ran a café and shop where she helped out.

Mrs. Westfall had “a strong faith,” said her granddaughter and, as a longtime member of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Gallupville, she served on the church council and was also on the Gallupville Rural Cemetery Board.

“She put a lot of time and effort into things going on at the church,” said Ms. Partridge. “She helped with the big suppers they used to have.”

Mrs. Westfall’s interests were varied and she enjoyed collecting bottles, traveling and camping, tole painting, and playing cards.

“The Canasta Club was one of her favorite things,” said Ms. Partridge. Just as she went to church every Sunday, Mrs. Westfall played cards with her long-time friends every Tuesday as they took turns hosting the canasta gatherings and serving snacks.

“It would help make the week go by,” said her granddaughter. “She said canasta was all about luck, not strategy.”

Painting was another passion for Mrs. Westfall who changed found objects into works of art.

Her husband encouraged her to paint, said Ms. Partridge, adding, “My grandfather made her wood frames for canvas.”

Mrs. Westfall’s brother-in-law, who lived next door to her, was fond of going to flea markets and would bring her boxes and other trinkets that he found. She would decorate them with her folk-art tole panting, and eventually sold her work.

Mrs. Westfall liked the outdoors and, when her family was young, she enjoyed camping with them.

She never lost her zest for having fun with children. “She was a great grandmother,” said Ms. Partridge. “She was always there for us.” Mrs. Westfall attended school events to support her grandchildren. She also took them camping or invited them, several at a time, to stay over at her house.

“She did this in her eighties,” said Ms. Partridge. “She’d call one of us up and we’d all go out to eat. She loved spending time with family.”

****

Laura E. Westfall is survived by six grandchildren: Donna Rudd and her husband, Rick, of Blacksburg, Va.; Daniel Westfall and his wife, Tara, of Coxsackie; Douglas Westfall, of Glens Falls; Christopher Westfall, of Greenland, Maine; Janet Partridge and her husband, Eric, of East Durham; and Michael Westfall and his wife, Ginger, of Davie, Fla. She is also survived by 14 great-grandchildren, Mackenzie, Nick, Lizzy, Jake, Tasha, Sophia, Kacie, Courtney, Cole, Katie, Emilee, Ben, Laura, and Tyler; by two daughters-in-law, Linda Westfall, of Cobleskill, and Melanie Westfall of Amsterdam; and by several nieces and nephews.

Mrs. Westfall’s husband, Frank C. Westfall, died on July 22, 1986. Her three sons — Thomas G. Westfall, Frank C. Westfall Jr., and Joseph C. Westfall — and an infant daughter, Bonnie, all died before her as did her siblings — Martha Ottman, Flossie Wood, Mabel Armstrong, John Wilber, Stephen Wilber, Leroy Wilber, and Ray Wilber.

Calling hours were held on Wednesday, Feb. 20, at the Langan Funeral Home in Schoharie.  A funeral service will be held at noon today, Feb. 21, at the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Gallupville, on Route 443.  Burial will be later in the Gallupville Rural Cemetery.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Evangelical Lutheran Church, Post Office Box 22, Gallupville, NY 12073.  Further information is available at www.langanfuneralhome.com

— Melissa Hale-Spencer

Helen Jean Siver

By John R. Williams

Tuesday, Feb. 12, was one of those winter days where the roads were of the “oops” type. Early in the morning, the OFs were talking about this because the sun was shining (a tad) but the wind was really whipping, especially on the mountain. There was a little snow during the night and the wind would blow it across the road where there were open fields.

These are the type of conditions when the OFs would be cruising along on wet and even dry roads and then whoops — the OFs would come upon a stretch of road with two to three inches of snow blown across. Hit one of those at 55 miles per hour, on a turn, and the driver will have his hands full and he just hopes there isn’t another car in the same spot with another driver with his hands full.

Even with these challenges, the OFs made it to the Blue Star Restaurant in Schoharie without incident.

This has been mentioned before but again it was noticeable. There was another group of guys at another set-up of tables at the Blue Star.  This group was not as large a group as the OFs; there was a table full of loggers having breakfast before heading to the woods along with the OFs and two other tables with some patrons seated there.

In other words, the place was full. One waitress, and the owner, and the OFs don’t know how many in the kitchen but we think maybe just one cook and a dishwasher, and that was it.  The waitress also cashed everyone out, and did some of the bussing of the tables along with the owner.

The OFs know they couldn’t keep all that straight.  Must be experience.

Scant Valentine’s plans

The subject of Valentine’s Day came up because it was only a couple of days away. The routine question asked was, “What are you doing for Valentine’s Day?”

There was quite a lull that led the scribe to think the collective answer was not much.

One OF said, “Hey, I show up for supper every night, that is Valentine enough. What more does she expect — cards, flowers, candy; that stuff is for sissies.”

The ice appeared thin here so the subject drifted off into the sunset.

Views on cruises

The OFs started talking about the cruise ship that was adrift in the Gulf of Mexico and tugboats that were being sent out to rescue it. This started talk about cruises the OFs have been on with the pluses and minuses.

One OF said he has been on two cruises and doesn’t care to go on anymore. This OF said his first trip was to go across the ocean to go to war and they ran into a typhoon.  His second trip was to come back home and again they ran into a typhoon.  That is enough cruising for him.

Another OF said they had the same experience as the ship that was floundering in the Gulf of Mexico. They ran into a storm with a waterspout, and, after being tossed about a bit, one of the engines quit. They experienced the exact same thing with people becoming ill, nothing working, toilets overflowing, etc.; it was not pleasant.

Like the OF going to battle and coming home, this OF has not been on a cruise since.

Other OFs think they are the best thing going.

“We get to see other places,” one OF said, “and we are waited on hand and foot. It is a good thing that we do stop at ports of call; otherwise, it would be like a floating jail that we couldn’t get off of.”

One OF said, “Bus trips are like going on cruises only they are on land and generally are a lot of fun except for the old ladies taking forever to get off the bus at break stops and with me having a full bladder. On these trips, we are catered to and get to see a lot of the country, so I guess I can put up with a couple of full bladders. Using the facilities on a moving bus going 70 miles an hour is not the easiest thing in the world.”

A second OF said, “There are a lot of things that have to be thought out before venturing out on any of these type of excursions.”

Travel doppelgangers

All this talk of travel and getting away for a little while had the OFs winding up in Florida — where else?  The conversation just rambled with one OF saying he was in such-and-such a place, and another OF saying, “Yeah, so were we,” and that led to the set of circumstances that to any traveler is hard to explain.

One OF related a story saying he was in a Piggly Wiggly supermarket, and right behind him checking out was a good friend of his that, because of relocation, he had not seen in about three years and there he was in the Piggly Wiggly 1,300 miles away.

The other OFs began to relate similar stories; one OG said, “Here we are 1,500 miles from home and we run into a neighbor from just down the road. Some number cruncher should crunch the laws of probability on these types of occurrences.”

Those OFs who were at the Blue Star Restaurant in Schoharie, and not in the Piggly Wiggly were: Roger Chapman, Steve Kelly, Miner Stevens, Roger Shafer, Bill Krause, Robie Osterman, George Washburn, Frank Pauli, Harold Guest, Dave Williams, Glenn Patterson, Mark Traver, Jim Heiser, Mace Porter, Gary Porter, Ted Willsey, Mike Willsey, Harold Grippen, Elwood Vanderbilt, Jim Rissacher, and me.

We did have one OF who was not at the breakfast because he was called out to go to Boston on a volunteer mission. The roads are closed! The OFs are dedicated.

Funding for public education in New York State is in crisis.

Our front page last week detailed the excruciating problems in each of our local districts. In rural Berne-Knox-Westerlo, which has had trouble passing budgets in recent years, the majority of board members say they want no tax-levy increase.

We’re painfully aware of Hilltown residents who say they must leave their homes because they can’t afford the taxes. Poor districts face a double whammy: Their state aid has been cut disproportionately, and they are the least likely to be able to remedy that cut by raising more through local property taxes.

While suburban Voorheesville and Guilderland are comparatively wealthier — with fewer than a tenth of their students getting free or reduced-price lunches as opposed to a third of BKW’s — they, too, face difficult problems as state aid and property values stagnate and costs for health care and pensions rise.

A rollover budget at Voorheesville would raise property taxes by nearly 8 percent. State law now caps the levy increase at about 2 percent unless 60 percent of the voters approve a greater hike.

“This is a horrible thing school districts are facing, and I’m not saying poorer schools shouldn’t get help,” said Voorheesville’s business administrator, Gregory Diefenbach, “but how the distribution goes and how it’s handed out needs to be looked at.” He’s right; it does need to be looked at — and changed.

At Guilderland, which is trying to close a $2.1 million revenue gap in a roughly $90 million budget, students, teachers, and parents last Tuesday lined up at a microphone to plead with the school board not to make cuts, or to restore cuts that took 120 jobs over the last three years.

The board, of course, does not want to make those cuts any more than the administrators recommending them. It is painful to dismantle years of work building fine programs.

Led by Superintendent Marie Wiles, Guilderland has launched an advocacy campaign, urging residents and students to write the governor, telling him to restore school aid lost through the Gap Elimination Adjustment, which was enacted as a temporary measure to fill the gaping state deficit.

The problem, though, is the state government is suffering from the same economic downturn that has hurt schools and businesses. As just one example, the faltering stock market has cut the return on pension investments, meaning local schools and municipalities have to make up the difference.

The Chinese word for crisis is composed of two characters — one for perilous and the other for crucial point or pivot.

This fiscal crisis has put New York public education in a perilous place. We must pivot now — quickly and decisively — to save a cornerstone of our democracy.

Two things have to happen — one locally and the other on the state level.

Locally, school workers — from administrators and teachers to bus drivers and custodians — have to accept lower wages. Many businesses in our area have made across-the-board cuts in wages to stay afloat and preserve jobs. Most school contracts involve raises in the form of yearly step increases as well as salary increases on top of that.

If workers were to agree, as the Guilderland teachers recently did, to no raises — less than they would have gotten under the Triborough Amendment by not negotiating a new contract at all — many of the lost programs and services could be reinstated.

The second, statewide change must be to restructure how public education is funded in New York. One citizen told the superintendent last week that having students write the governor is sending them on a fool’s errand. We don’t think that’s so. But the change needs to be much bigger than doing away with the Gap Elimination Adjustment.

Governor Andrew Cuomo has said, “There are two education systems in this state — not public and private. One for the rich and one for the poor and they are both public systems.”

A decade ago, a group from New York City that saw the inherent unfairness of this, the Campaign for Fiscal Equity, sued the state and won. The state’s highest court determined that, according to New York’s constitution, students were entitled to a “sound basic education.” Accordingly, a plan was drafted that would have increased aid across the state while adding aid for the poor districts. As New York found itself in a mounting economic crisis, those plans were redrafted, stretching over more years, and then, finally, scrapped.

This problem of inequity is not a new one. Twenty years ago, the Board of Regents proposed a major reform of the system for distributing state aid. The Regents found that per-pupil spending in districts around the state in 1990-91 ranged from $5,200 to $30,000. The disparity is even greater now.

School districts in poor communities, the Regents found, spend far less per pupil than those in more affluent communities — classes tend to be larger, teachers less experienced, and educational technology less available.

That’s not fair. Every child is entitled to an equal chance at a good education. We are all part of the same society.

For over a quarter of a century, we have on this page urged implementing a statewide income tax to fund education. Our system of property-based school taxes is archaic and should be replaced with a progressive statewide income tax divided among districts on a per-pupil basis.

Currently, state aid to local school districts is determined by a complex system of formulas arrived at piecemeal in a political arena. And, despite its broad use, the school property tax is widely seen as imposing unfair burdens on those who can least afford them.

Local property taxes take up a larger percentage of income for poor people than for wealthy people. And, for those with lower incomes, real property is likely to be the only source of wealth.

Aside from helping the elderly and others on low or fixed incomes continue to live in their homes, an income tax would allow small-scale farmers in our rural areas to continue their operations, maintaining open space for all.

Funding formulas should be decided not on the basis of political realities, but rather on the basis of educational needs.

A statewide income tax should be levied to pay for all state-required educational needs at the elementary and secondary levels. It should be distributed on a per-student basis, evenly, across the state, with adjustments made regionally for varying costs of living. In areas where there are high concentrations of poverty, additional state funds should be shifted to those districts since there are increased educational costs there.

Of course, taxpayers in wealthy districts that wanted to offer their students more could always vote to levy increased local taxes upon themselves to provide the extras their students now receive.

Statewide requirements should be paid for by taxes levied statewide. As it is now, locally elected school boards in districts that aren’t wealthy have very little say on how locally raised taxes are spent. Within the framework of already existing guidelines, school districts could still decide how monies will be spent.

Only when each child is given the same financial backing, backing that will adequately meet all of his or her educational needs, will each student have the same chance to succeed.

Our democracy depends on a well-educated constituency. Before the chasm between the rich and the poor grows too wide to bridge, we need to see that funding for our public schools is fair. We’ll all pay for the consequences.

By Jordan J. Michael

The Enterprise — Jordan J. Michael
Keep away: Guilderland players Marc DuMoulin, right, and Connor Burg, left, close in on Schenectady’s best player, Darius Macon, after he grabbed a rebound in the first half of the Class AA first-round sectional game on Tuesday. The Dutchmen won, 65 to 55, and DuMoulin scored 15 points. Burg had eight points, including two big three-pointers.GUILDERLAND –– Finding shooting space against Schenectady’s 3-2 zone defense turned out to be easier than Guilderland initially thought coming into Tuesday’s first-round Class AA match up. By the time the third quarter rolled around, the Dutch were slicing, dicing, and having its way on offense.

Guilderland was able to sink seven three-pointers during the 65-to-55 home win, and, if the three bucket weren’t available, Dutch players would drive up the middle for a silky two-pointer.

The Dutch moved the basketball quickly and efficiently. Guilderland had to deal with Schenectady’s 6 feet, 7 inch stand-out, Darius Macon, but the Dutch were able to maneuver around him for most of the evening.

“Basically, we knew some middle space would open up, so we attacked,” said Marc DuMoulin, who scored 15 points for Guilderland while dealing with Macon, who also scored 15. “We knew he could block shots and jump high, so we had to play physical with him and box him out.”

Guilderland played with intensity, but was also controlled and confident in its demeanor. A three-pointer by Connor Burg at the beginning of the fourth quarter and another three by freshman Andrew Platek towards the end of regulation play sealed the win for the Dutch.

By Jordan J. Michael

The Enterprise — Jordan J. Michael
It’s mine! Voorheesville senior Anna Feller, right, was very active during a 52-to-40 win over Mayfield last Friday in the opening round of the Class C girls’ basketball sectionals, here, ripping the ball away from a Panthers’ player. Feller scored 23 points and grabbed numerous rebounds for the Birds, who played Hoosick Falls on Tuesday.VOORHEESVILLE –– Ahead by 12 points at the start of the third quarter against Mayfield, the Voorheesville girls’ basketball team had a chance to put its opening round Class C sectional game away. Instead, the Birds’ shooting went cold. The team scored only five points over a 10-minute stretch in the second half.

Voorheesville was able to kick its game back into gear last Friday during the final five minutes of regulation play, scoring 15 points to close out Mayfield while advancing to the next round. But, third-quarter letdowns have happened to the Blackbirds earlier in the season.

Call it the third-quarter blues?

“I don’t know about that, but we play better when we have momentum,” said senior Anna Feller, who scored 23 points for Voorheesville. She could have easily scored 30 if some of her shots didn’t rim out. “Sometimes, coming out after halftime,” she said, “we need to build that momentum up again.”

The third quarter started with a lay-up from Feller off a smooth pass from Katina Wallace. But, for the next 10 minutes, most of the Birds’ shots rimmed out or missed the rim completely. Mayfield was getting some shots to fall, but not enough to take the lead.

By Jordan J. Michael

Happy skier: Guilderland senior Laurie Knapp makes her way up a hill during the Section 2 cross-country skiing championships on Feb. 13. She came in seventh place out of 64 racers, qualifying for the state meet on Feb. 25 at Harriet Hollister Park in Canandaigua. Knapp placed in the top 10 in every race but one this season.GUILDERLAND –– Cross-country skiing can bring Laurie Knapp a lot of pain during a race, but the amount of accomplishment she feels from finishing well makes all that suffering worth it. Skiing since her freshman year at Guilderland, Knapp, now a senior, will compete at States for the first time.

“You fall apart, but recover,” Knapp said of cross-country skiing. “It feels good. After I’m done racing, I feel like I did something that I didn’t know I could do.”

The last female Guilderland skier to make the state competition was Courtney Davis in 2009. Head Coach Barbara Newton said that Knapp’s overall fitness is her biggest asset.

“Skiing is highly aerobic, so your endurance needs to be at the top of the line,” Newton said. “Laurie is one of the hardest workers at anything she does. She’s a great kid, and deserves everything she’s earned.”

Knapp finished seventh at the Section 2 championships on Feb. 13 and will be one of 12 girls representing Section 2 on Feb. 25 and 26 at Harriet Hollister Park in Canandaigua for the state championships. Knapp had five top 10 placements during the regular season’s ski schedule.

By Jordan J. Michael

The Enterprise — Jordan J. Michael
Eyeing the prize: Senior Zach Precious drives the lane and shoots for Voorheesville during its 60-to-49 loss to Canajoharie in Wednesday’s Class C first-round playoff game. Precious scored 10 points, including the Birds’ final basket with about three minutes left in regulation play. Voorheesville didn’t score after that.CANAJOHARIE –– With a two-point lead and the end of regulation play on the horizon, a win for Voorheesville seemed promising. But, suddenly, the Birds couldn’t get a shot to fall while Canajoharie kept putting points on the board.

It may have been the most frustrating three minutes of Voorheesville’s basketball season, which is now over after the 60-to-49 loss at Canajoharie in the first round of the Class C sectional playoffs on Wednesday evening.

The Cougars finished the game on a 13-to-0 run to advance to the quarterfinals. The Blackbirds were left with questions as to why the ball wouldn’t go through the net when the Birds needed it most.

By Melissa Hale-Spencer

From Natalia MeMoyne’s blog EverydayEdTech
Digital natives, like this first-grader in Deanna Barney-Sischo’s class at Pine Bush Elementary School, show their parents, digital immigrants, presentations they created on school iPads about “Transportation Through time.”GUILDERLAND — Despite budget pressures, the school district here is moving ahead to promote student use of cutting-edge technology.

At its meeting last week, the board agreed to a contract for roughly $325,000 with the Capital Region Board of Cooperative Educational Services for 396 laptops and three carts allowing Farnsworth Middle School to be completely wireless.

Payments will be made as part of an annual BOCES contact for services and about half of it will be reimbursed, said Assistant Superintendent for Business Neil Sanders.

The contract, which starts July 1, is for up to three years.

Guilderland will be paying a BOCES management fee of $16,338, which Sanders said is “not negotiable.”

By Marcello Iaia

The Enterprise — Marcello Iaia
Cheers: Ryan Demler pours beer samples from a keg after a conference at the Carey Center for Global Good of barley growers, maltsters, and brewers. Demler, a brewer with the C.H. Evans Brewing Co. at the Albany Pump Station, said he would like to brew with ingredients from New York, but access to locally grown and malted barley is limited.ALBANY COUNTY — A squeeze between thumb and forefinger of a hop cone ready for harvest can release the potent aroma often found in the complex craft beers demanded by a new generation of drinkers and brewers.

State legislation passed last year, which opened licensing requirements and tax exemptions for small farm breweries, and loosened State Liquor Authority restrictions, is aimed at reviving a beer industry that was thriving in New York in the 1800s and establishing the brew as a product of local land and culture.

By Mike Nardacci

The Enterprise — Michael Nardacci
Flocks of ducks gather in a karst pool near Ravena, offering rest and food in the harsh weather conditions.The air temperature was hovering around 10 degrees and the highs had stayed in the teens for days.  At night in this part of New York State temperatures were falling below zero and in higher elevations double-digit, below-zero readings were reported.

The forests and fields of southern Albany County were barren and frost-locked; in most places there were only a few inches of snow on the ground — and a lot less where the frigid winds had blown away whatever snow had fallen, leaving the remnants of dead plants encased in frozen mud.  Shining wanly through icy clouds, the sun cast cold, pale light on the landscape, leaving no doubts that it was deep winter. 

Every pond and pool was frozen over, and the few breaks in the ice encasing streams showed bitterly cold, black, churning water, moving with a sound like the shattering of glass.

And so the sound of a crowd quacking ducks happily swimming through open water, dipping or diving now and then to feed, or dropping out of flight and splashing in to join their companions, was a genuine surprise.  They seemed to have no concern about the frozen, desolate ground around them or the numbing wind: They had found open water and it offered not only a haven from the bitter temperatures, it had food. 

It was a karst pool, and, even in the deep freeze, its waters remain above freezing.  Minnows and water bugs and a lonesome frog may appear to a patient observer and large areas of the surface and the shallow mud floor beneath may feature extensive mats of watercress.  While an occasional patch of thin ice may drift along its surface like a floating sheet of black glass, the pool will remain mostly ice-free until the onset of spring further warms its waters and brings new growth on its shores.

The Enterprise — Michael Nardacci
Masses of watercress, a delicate, lacy green in the foreground, grow on and under the surface of this karst pool on the edge of Joralemon Park near Ravena. The bare branches of nearby trees are reflected on the rippled surface of the water and the icy edge at top.And yet, a few hundred feet away even smaller ponds may be frozen over to a depth of several inches. If there is enough snow, these frozen ponds may be almost indistinguishable from the rest of the wintry landscape, betraying their presence only with the absence of the remnants of the previous year’s growth — weeds or cultivated crops — sticking up through the snow pack.

So what allows one pool to remain an open haven for plant and animal life both on and beneath its surface while another is as frigid and seemingly lifeless as a feature on one of the icy moons of the giant gas planets far from the sun?

Karst.

Karst seems to have derived its name in the 19th Century from the Karst Plateau, a region of what used to be called Yugoslavia and is today a part of Slovenia. Geologists noted that the bedrock there was mostly limestone, and that acidic waters that fell from the sky (picking up carbon dioxide from the atmosphere) or formed in pools on forest floors also rich with CO2 derived from rotting vegetation, had eaten away at the bedrock.

This process results in the formation of vast caverns — subterranean stream systems — and surface features such as sinkholes, disappearing streams, and springs.  And, although the type of locality is far from New York State, karst landscapes cover about 20 percent of Earth’s surface and locally make up large areas of both Albany and Schoharie counties.

Liquid water has a high specific heat, which means, essentially, that it takes a very long time to heat up when exposed to a heat source, and a very long time to cool down when that source is removed. That is why that cup of scalding hot coffee you have been served may still be too hot to drink 10 minutes later.  And it is why local lakes such as Warner and Thompson may remain unfrozen even after weeks of sub-freezing temperatures and why some years a large body of water such as Lake George may not freeze over at all.

When water sinks into the ground to collect in the water table or flow through a cave, the ground above acts as a natural insulator, with the result that the water and cave will assume the average temperature of the landscape above. In the Albany-Schoharie region, if one were to average all the highs and lows of the year, the number would fall between 46 and 50 degrees Fahrenheit, depending upon the elevation at which the readings were taken. 

As most of the caves in these areas are at relatively high elevations —hundreds of feet higher than sea level (at which the City of Albany is situated) — the air and water temperatures in our caves tend to fall around 48 degrees, with only minor fluctuations throughout the year.  Hence, a cave that might seem a cool refuge on a sizzling hot day in the summer may seem toasty warm on a day in the winter when air temperatures flirt with 0.

But, of course, this latter impression can be highly misleading because that 48 degrees seems warm only in comparison to the frigid outside ambient temperatures.  Still, the difference between cave temperatures and outside temperatures can be enormous in the winter and, in places where vertical surface cracks and fissures extend downward into a cave, the much warmer cave air may rise toward the surface.

The Enterprise — Michael Nardacci
Rime ice cakes a small opening into a cave as the water vapor in the warmer air freezes on contact with the much colder surface temperatures.Warm air is capable of holding much more moisture than cold air, and so on days when outside temperatures fall to single digits or lower, these cracks and fissures may be coated with rime ice as the warm vapor instantly solidifies on contact with the frigid outside rock and air.

The 48-degree temperature of the cave stream is 16 degrees above the temperature at which water freezes and it can take a long time to give up its heat and solidify. Therefore, when water flowing through a cave reaches its resurgence point — the place where it finally comes out of the cave passage and again flows over the surface — it may not freeze for a long time as it flows toward sea level.

And, if that water happens to collect in a pool near the resurgence, it  may remain liquid throughout the winter as the water that exits the pool is constantly being replaced by additional flow from the cave.

Hence, open karst pools like the one on the edge of Joralemon Park near Ravena — easily visible from Route 102 — not only remain open throughout the winter but permit the continued growth of hardy water plants. 

The karst pool near Joralemon Park is fed by water emerging from Hannacroix Maze Cave within the park, and it features masses of watercress, the dark green of its foliage defying the harsh weather conditions around it, and occasional patches of duckweed. 

Karst landscapes are often invested with a certain romantic quality, given the presence of streams that flow briefly over the surface and then vanish underground, ominous-appearing cracks and pits in the bedrock that may drop dozens or hundreds of feet into blackness, and extensive cave systems — universally evoking mystery and awe.

But karst pools with their relatively warm waters sustaining many types of plant and animal life do not promote somber thoughts or fear:  They show the tenacity of living things and offer promise of the eventual passing of winter and the return of new, invigorated life with the coming of spring.

To the Editor:

In response to the letter from Albany County Executive Daniel McCoy published last week on moving forward with the lease agreement for the county nursing home:

This decision is one of the most important decisions that will ever be made in Albany County; the nursing home is historic to Albany and touches the lives of so many.

As the letter indicates, the county executive’s office has been working with a for-profit organization, Upstate Services Group, and has proposed to “lease” the Albany County Nursing Home.

In regards to the county executive’s lease agreement, a lot is still uncertain, many questions are still unanswered, and no final lease has been presented to the legislature.

In recent weeks, the county executive held five question-and-answer sessions. The open forum allowed the legislators to address questions they had along with concerns they have for the employees, patients, and taxpayers.

The legislative body asked an array of questions; some legislators who were unable to attend the sessions submitted their questions in writing with the request to have their answers returned in writing. That request was refused.

In addition to the lack of answers, the members of the legislature requested copies of the minutes that were taken during the Q&A sessions from the county attorney and still have not received those either.

When the proposed lease was presented to the Elder Care Committee (on Jan. 28) and to the Audit and Finance Committee (on Jan. 30), it still had blank pages, missing exhibits, and iniquitous details. Negotiations of this magnitude should contain transparency and accountability that involve the legislative body and public input.

In order to “do what is right,” it is essential that the county executive’s office cooperate with the legislature.

It is unclear if the nursing home will remain a safety-net facility under the new lease agreement.

As the county executive mentioned, the nursing-home deficit is estimated between $7 million and $9 million annually; what is confusing to all of us is, that amount keeps changing.

Now is the time for the county executive to coincide with the legislative branch of government to bring in qualified experts to evaluate the finances and the operation of the nursing home.

As many people would like a conclusion to the nursing home, it is not that easy — there is entirely way too much at stake. To move forward with this lease agreement “as is,” is simply irresponsible. The legislative body is in place to ensure whatever decision is made, is the right decision for everyone!

Frank J. Commisso

Majority leader

Albany County Legislature

To the Editor:

Thank you, Altamont Enterprise, for Jordan J. Michael’s story about our grandson Garrett Pitcher [Feb. 7, 2013: “BKW 1,000-point club: Pitcher joins grandfather].

He is a truly deserving young man who has done a lot for his team and community, always thinking of his teammates and getting the win when he plays.

Sunday night, he scored 16 points in the first half, tying the record made by his grandfather [Ted Pitcher] of 1,024 points in 1955. Now, Garrett has 1,024 points.

Grammy Rita and I have seen most of his games and we are proud that he got his 1,000 points. Keep adding to it, Garrett. We love you.

Poppy Roy Wilcox

New Scotland

To the Editor:

The Knox Cemetery Association held its annual meeting on Feb. 7. Before the meeting was opened, there were discussions concerning falling interest rates and rising operating costs of the cemetery.

During the past five years, operating income from interest on investments has dropped from approximately $3,000 to under $500 annually. Operating expense of the cemetery is $4,500 to $5,000 yearly.

Since the cemetery has a limited area of investing monies, we see no immediate improvement in our financial situation, but to request a personal contribution if you can afford it. Please make contributions payable to the Knox Cemetery Association Inc. in care of: Knox Cemetery Association Inc., care of Louis Saddlemire, president, Post Office Box 14, Knox, NY 12107.

Other topics of discussion were: updating of cemetery by-laws and rules and regulations, road repairs, and memorial straightening and repairs. For information concerning the cemetery, call Louis Saddlemire at 872-0586.

The following are current trustees of the association: Richard Dexter, secretary; Joseph Hughes, trustee; Jack Norray, trustee; John Saddlemire, trustee, Louis Saddlemire, president/superintendent; James Schager, trustee; Marlene Schager, treasurer; Robert Stevens, trustee; and Roger Van Wormer, trustee.

Louis Saddlemire

Knox

To the Editor:

Anti-hunger advocates were pleased that Governor Andrew Cuomo‘s written State of the State address included ten pages devoted to the problem of hunger and the need for action.

Unfortunately, hunger did not make it into the actual speech he delivered.

Anti-hunger advocates were stunned when the governor’s actual budget proposals eliminated direct funding allocations for critical anti-hunger programs such as HPNAP (funding for emergency food) and WIC (Women, Infants and Children). Instead, they were lumped together into a new “block grant” with other programs in the health department; the amount of funding proposed for these programs was a $13 million cut from prior funding levels.

Since the Great Recession started in 2007, the number of people fed at emergency food programs (EFPs) has increased by more than 60 percent, while state funding has remained stable and federal funding has been cut. Two-thirds of the program said that their funding from government and private donations has dropped, while 90 percent saw more guests this year. Even the state agency that works with EFPs had recommended a $10 million increase in funding for emergency food.

A recent statewide survey of such programs by the Hunger Action Network found that 20 percent of the three million or so guests are seniors, a big increase. Unfortunately, the governor is proposing to keep the same funding level for the Meals on Wheels programs.

More than a third of the guests at EFPS are the working poor. Anti-hunger advocates were glad that the governor proposed an increase in the state minimum wage to $8.75 an hour but were disappointed that he failed to support indexing it to inflation like many other states do. Most anti-hunger advocates have been asking for a minimum wage of at least $10 an hour, with indexing.

The governor’s budget largely ignored that much of the state is still hurting from the Great Recession. Government at all levels need to increase their investment in targeted job creation and overall spending to stimulate the economy. The so-called recovery has restored far fewer jobs than any other “post-recession“ bump in our history, and middle-class jobs are being replaced with poverty-wage jobs.

Mark A. Dunlea

Executive Director

Hunger Action Network

of NYS

To the Editor:

On behalf of the volunteers of the New Scotland Community Food Pantry, I would like to express our appreciation to Hannaford Supermarkets for its sponsorship of the Helping Hands food boxes.

A box contained 26 ounces of pasta sauce, a 5 ounces can of chicken, a can of green beans, a can of Tasteeos, a box of instant oatmeal, a box of elbow macaroni, a box of macaroni and cheese, a bag of long-grain rice, and a can of chicken-noodle soup.

Voorheesville Hannaford sold 203 boxes at $10 each that were donated to the New Scotland Community Food Pantry for our clients. This outpouring of support indicates a caring community of which I am proud to be a resident.

It also shows that Hannaford is a good neighbor. We thank them for their continued generosity to the New Scotland Community Food Pantry.

Marguerite Teuten

Development Coordinator

New Scotland

Community Food Pantry

To the Editor:

If you had stopped by Altamont Rescue Squad on the night of Friday, Feb. 8, you may have thought that there was a party going on, but really it was just ARS doing what it does best — being prepared to take on anything!

With two full crews on duty until midnight, the station was full of EMTs, volunteers, and one of the town’s paramedics. The paramedic, Richard Reuther, thought it would be a great idea to build morale and encourage the volunteers to staff an additional crew of first responders, if we held a fun themed “Snow Party” in response to winter storm Nemo.

President Lillian Quinn and Director Tyler Reinemann shopped for the occasion to make sure that Altamont’s responders were well fed! Reinemann and Member Jill White grilled hot dogs and burgers outside in the snow while the two crews ate chips, hummus, homemade cookies, and many other delicious things. In total, there were 14 members in attendance.

Turning a busy night into an evening filled with good food, laughter, and fun games like EMS Monopoly, is one of the many ways that the members of the Altamont Rescue Squad stays close. This fun-packed evening was not only an example of the rescue squad members being ready to take on anything that nature might throw at them, but how much of a family it is in EMS.

The Altamont Rescue Squad is constantly seeking volunteers so, if you are interested, please call 861-6715 for more information.

Maureen Ramirez, secretary

Altamont Rescue Squad

By John R. Williams

Tuesday, Feb. 5, the Old Men of the Mountain met at the restaurant of Mrs. K’s in Middleburgh. The OFs noticed that, though it is the dead of winter, the attendance at the breakfast does not seem to have tailed off.

Thankfully, the OFs have been joined by some new fellows from off the Hill and off the farm who have decided that enough of the rat race is enough. When the OFs who desert us in the winter (for the warmer weather) return, the OF contingent will be considerable — a force to be reckoned with.

The OFs talked about how small farms (at least in the Northeast) are dwindling down to a precious few. Government regulations make it so tough they can’t compete.

This fact, according to the OFs, has been known for a long time and our state and federal legislators do not care at all that it has been happening.

The OFs maintain that it is big money all along that runs the show. But one OF remarked that it has been that way since the Battle of Hastings. Another OF said it is no more than the advancement of time and the development of technologies that move things along.

With farming, it was speedier transportation that started it all; now it is the ability to preserve foods for longer periods, and the computer.

Wool can come from all over the world, cheaper than we can produce it here; blueberries are brought in year ’round from all over the world — oranges, seafood, you name it, the OF said, it is summer somewhere and climate-controlled ships as big as small cities can haul this produce from anywhere in the world in a matter of days.

One OF said there has to be something this country can do to save the small farm. The OFs did not mean gentlemen farms but farms that families actually had to make a living from.

A drive around the countryside shows decaying barns, unattended scrub fields producing nothing but weeds. You will see old, once-beautiful farmhouses falling into disrepair.

It is sad, plus it is costing us four bucks just to take a little 20-mile ride, and that (in many cases) is just getting someone out of the city.

“Yeah,” an OF added, “and look at the corn that is used for that same 20 miles.  That corn could be put into corn meal, or feed, or something that will sustain life instead of just burning it up like a gasoline additive.  What is wrong with this picture?”

The old homestead

This conversation led to the OFs talking about going back to the old homestead, and, as one OF said, the old adage of not being able to really go back home once left for awhile is correct.

It is hard. Houses have gone, or have fallen down; what once were stores many times now are just empty lots. People that the OF remembers have aged just like he has, and they either have moved on, or are not the same as the OF remembered them.

The character of the town is just not the same as when the OF was in knickers.

The changes are more subtle to the OFs that were born, raised, and still are occupying the old homestead. For the most part, the changes are slow and absorbed by the OFs who hung in there. 

Conversations between the OFs who have left, and the OFs who have stayed are interesting, especially when the OF who has left asks about this or that and the OF who has stayed comments on what happened to who, or what.

It is surprising that some of the changes are so slow the OF that has stayed has trouble remembering, and sometimes can’t remember at all what happened.

This leaves the returning or visiting OF with a slightly empty or nostalgic feeling, while the OF that stayed just grumbled at the changes but went with the flow because he did not realize there was even a change until the visiting or returning OF brought it up.

Rising prices,

falling patience

This brought up the same old discussion of the cost of living and how it has gone up at a rate much faster than anticipated.

The OFs attribute some of it to just numbers.  The numbers of illegal immigrants, and just numbers of people who have to be taken care of — the OFs included.

One OF said he thought the other OF was right.  We are beginning to grow like amoebas. And then, he added, that, besides the corn item mentioned above, the cost of food and fuel, building materials, entertainment etc., and then the government wants to take away what little we have left over to pay for education and medical attention for 11 million people who don’t legally belong here.

“If these people are not documented, how can they be paying taxes?” one OF said. 

The debate went on but enough of that.

Hot topic

In our area (and a good part of the country), we all know it is winter and the OFs discussed furnaces — i.e., what works and what doesn’t. It was not surprising that some of the OFs made good heating decisions and some didn’t. Some of the OFs mentioned the old “octopus” coal-burning hot air monsters that were in their older homes, which had to go.

Not many people burn coal anymore but some thought that maybe we should go back to that.

When the OFs were burning coal it served multiple purposes.  Not only did the coal  keep the OFs warm but they were able to spread the ashes on the walk so people wouldn’t be slipping all over the place.

Now the OFs have to use chemicals, or salt to do the same thing.

“Which is better,” an OF asked, “to burn oil or gas, then have to use another chemical in the winter for safety, or to burn coal which we have plenty of?”

Some OFs have these newer high-efficiency furnaces that atomize the fuel so that it burns to the point that all the heat in the oil is used, and the stacks run cool enough so the OF can put his hand on it.

Add that to the fact that the OFs no longer have to shovel out coal ashes and lug them outside and it’s easy to see why the newer furnaces have taken over.

Keeping warm in the winter and cool in the summer is big business and the older this OF gets he says, the more he wants to be at a pretty constant temperature.   He continued, “When I was on the farm, I could be in a hay mow at 120 degrees and not really mind it, or I could be breaking a hole in the pond for the cows to drink at zero degrees and not mind it. Now, let the temperature get below 40 and I am freezing, or above 80 and I am camped in front of the air-conditioner.”

Those OFs who made it to Mrs. K’s Restaurant in Middleburgh, and glad most cars and trucks have good heaters and air-conditioners were: John Rossmann, Jim Heiser, Glenn Patterson, Bill Krause, Steve Kelly, Roger Chapman, Dave Williams, Otis Lawyer, Mark Traver, Frank Pauli, Harold Guest, Roger Shafer, Robie Osterman, George Washburn, Gary Porter, Mace Porter, Jack Norray, Lou Schenck, Henry Whipple, Don Moser, Jim Rissacher, Ted Willsey, Elwood Vanderbilt, Mike Willsey, Harold Grippen, and me. 

Jeff Haas asked us not to use his son’s name or picture in our paper. We admire him greatly for standing by his son.

His son is the 14-year-old from Berne-Knox-Westerlo who was all over the news recently because, Haas says, after his cell phone was confiscated during a study hall at school, the principal used it to access nude pictures of the boy’s ex-girlfriend. The principal called the Albany County Sheriff’s Office.

The sheriff’s office was wise not to arrest the 14-year-old. “I’m sure it was something very innocent and giddy,” said Inspector Mark DeFrancesco of the girl, who is also 14, sending her pictures.

Schools should be a place where kids can learn lessons without getting arrested.

We granted Jeff Haas’s request, although his son said he saw no problem with his name and picture being in the paper since everyone at school — those in his world, in this time and place — knew who it was.

The reason we withheld the name and photo — which is rare for our newspaper— is we know that the Internet has reach far beyond the here and now.

Most every week, we get calls from people who were arrested in the past, sometimes decades ago, whose crimes appear online at the local library’s website for historic newspapers. The crimes appear instantly and effortlessly for anyone typing their names into a search engine.

We continue to report local arrests because we believe it is important for the public to know both about the crime in the community and also about the job being done by the police they are paying. But it was different when the week’s newspaper went out in the trash. Someone would unearth the news of a long-ago arrest only if he were purposefully looking for it, say, by going to the library and ferreting out the information.

Just this week, we got a call from a woman who said her chances at getting a job were stymied because of a mistake she made when she was 17 and was arrested for shoplifting at Crossgates Mall. That will now follow her for the rest of her life.

So we think Mr. Haas is wise to protect his son from something that might haunt him in a future he cannot yet fathom.

For the very same reason, we can see why the school principal had concerns. Mr. Haas likened his son’s iPhone to a diary. The parallel works when it comes to Fourth Amendment rights protecting citizens from random search and seizure. Although there’s little court precedent on the matter, on the face of it, it seems like an illegal search if the picture was not immediately visible on the phone.

But where the parallel breaks down is that the words in a paper diary, or a nude picture pasted in a diary, are not instantly and easily transmittable to a wide audience the way cell-phone images are. Would Tyler Clementi have jumped to his death from the George Washington Bridge in 2010 if his Rutgers roommate had just seen him kissing another man, rather than filming it and urging Twitter followers to watch it?

Mr. Haas also said that boys will be boys and likened it to kids of his generation looking at pictures in Playboy magazine. In even earlier times, issues of National Geographic informed generations about the naked human anatomy.

But, again, there is an important difference. Those magazine images are of people who are unknown to the curious young viewers. That is very different from nude pictures of a 14-year-old girl who walks the same school hallways. It would have been unfair to her to have such pictures transmitted about.

Mind you, we’re not saying they were. But we are saying a school administrator is not out of line to have concerns. We believe the correct course of action would have been to have the boy and his parents meet with the principal to look through the images together to determine if any harm had been done.

There’s been a sea change in technology in the last decade and schools need to be able to stay on top of the waves. Kids need to be educated on what should and should not be done. A 2011 Pediatrics article reported that 1 percent of teens between the ages of 10 and 17 said they had appeared in or created sexually explicit images or videos. An earlier survey, in 2008, by the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy and Cosmogirl.com found 20 per cent of teens between 13 and 19 reported they had sent or posted nude or semi-nude pictures or videos of themselves. That’s a wide disparity, but, in any case, it’s clear it is happening.

New York State was wise to enact the Cybercrime Youth Rescue Act last year, to channel the flow of minors involved for the first time in sexting crimes from family courts to educational programs run by the state’s Office of Children and Family Services, resulting in dismissal of the charges.

The Internet age can be unforgiving and what is meant as a Valentine for a boyfriend can end up as a nightmare.

Research hasn’t kept up with the way social media is changing our world. Certainly, it allows us to connect with people we wouldn’t otherwise know. But it can also cut down on basic human interchange, society as we once knew it.

Schools have a chance to pave the way. While BKW doesn’t allow students to use cell phones, other districts, like Guilderland, are pushing for wireless networks at school that would allow mobile devices like cell phones to be used regularly as a part of instruction.

“The greatest and maybe saddest irony is the majority of our students can gain access almost everywhere but their learning environment,” Demian Singleton, Guilderland’s assistant superintendent for instruction, recently told the school board.

By 2016, he said, 85 percent of all broadband service will be mobile instead of fixed.

”BYOD is very much a movement in education,” said Singleton, referring to Bring Your Own Device. It allows students to be “knowledge makers instead of recipients of information,” he said.

We encourage local districts to involve parents, students, and the school community at large in forums to examine the new technology and how it would best fit into the curriculum. The stance on mobile technology at BKW as it now stands is not clear with new iPads for elementary students but a ban on iPhones.

“As society and technology change, so does literacy,” said the National Council of Teachers of English. “Because technology has increased the intensity and complexity of literate environments, the 21st Century demands that a literate person possess a wide range of abilities and competencies, many literacies. These literacies — from reading online newspapers to participating in virtual chat rooms — are multiple, dynamic, and malleable…” Schools should lead in teaching this new kind of literacy and the ethics that go along with it.

By Jordan J. Michael

The Enterprise — Michael Koff
Quick pin: Guilderland’s Josh LoGiudice, top, finished first in the 99-pound weight class of the Division 1 State Qualifiers held at Queensbury High School last Sunday. Here, LoGiudice, who will compete at the state competition, pins his quarterfinal opponent. His Dutch teammate, Mike Lainhart, placed second in the 106-pound class.QUEENSBURY –– Entering Sunday’s Section 2 State Qualifiers, two local wrestlers had a legitimate chance at state glory. In the end, Guilderland’s Josh LoGiudice was the master of the 99-pound class, and Berne-Knox-Westerlo’s Joe Sprung was disappointed after dropping out of the 220-pound class due to a bad illness.

LoGiudice experienced epic highs while Sprung endured a crushing low.

“It feels really good, like my goal has been accomplished,” LoGiudice said this week of his victory. He pinned Anthony Sgorrano of South Glens Falls with seven seconds remaining in the first period with a cradle move. “But, now, I have a new goal,” he said. “I have a shot at a state championship.”

The state championships will be held at Times Union Center in Albany on Feb. 22 and 23. LoGiudice, a junior, is 38-1, his only loss coming at the hands of Huntington’s John Arceri.

LoGiudice said that Arceri was wrestling in his 99-pound finals match on Wednesday, but wasn’t sure of the result. LoGiudice would like to wrestle Arceri again.

“I need to score out of the positions that I didn’t last time,” said LoGiudice of his potential rematch with Arceri. “I couldn’t get off the bottom against him.”

By Jordan J. Michael

The Enterprise — Jordan J. Michael
Flying off the rail at Whiteface Mountain last Saturday is Ben Irving, of Altamont, who competed in the Empire State Winter Games skiing slopestyle event on Sunday. Skiers in a slopestyle competition are judged on tricks pulled off jumps and objects, like this rail. Irving finished in 14th place.WILMINGTON –– Freeskiing has taken the slopes by storm, and Ben Irving is right in the thick of the snow. As a fifth-grader, he watched the Winter X-Games and was immediately hooked. Irving, now 15, wanted to land the big tricks like the athletes he saw on television.

During that initial viewing of one of the world’s most important freeskiing competitions, Irving, of Altamont, saw skiers like Simon Dumont and Tanner Hall landing mesmerizing stunts on skies with curves on both ends. At last month’s X-Games, Irving watched as Henrik Harlaut won a Gold medal with his “nose butter” maneuvers.

Irving was influenced by Harlaut while practicing his nose butter 540 last Saturday at Whiteface Mountain in preparation for Sunday’s Empire State Winter Games slopestyle event. He landed the trick the previous weekend at Windham Mountain during another competition.

A nose butter is when the skier leans on the tips of his skies, starting to spin before leaving the jump. Snow sprays as the skier flies through the air.

Making the X-Games is a tough goal to achieve, but Irving has a lot of time ahead of him.

By Jordan J. Michael

The Enterprise — Michael Koff
Leading the rush up the ice is Susan Tullock during team Adirondack’s 15-to-1 win over Long Island during the first game of the Women’s Hockey event at the Empire State Games held this past weekend in Lake Placid. Tullock, of Guilderland, came home with Gold.LAKE PLACID –– The Adirondack women’s hockey team spent most of last weekend thrashing opponents on its way to a successful Empire State Winter Games Gold medal defense. Over five games, Adirondack scored 43 goals while allowing only five.

The celebratory ride started last Friday morning with a 15-to-1 whiplashing of Long Island, and closed with a 5-to-2 victory over Western. Silver medalist New York City gave Adirondack a fight, losing by two goals.

Guilderland’s Susan Tullock and coaches Jim Joyce and Corey Rosoff have been with Adirondack for at least 10 years while the team has stacked Gold and Silver medals. Year after year, Adirondack is the cream of the hockey crop at the Games.

By Marcello Iaia

The Enterprise — Marcello Iaia
The hand that feeds: Brendon Chrysler, a Berne-Knox-Westerlo elementary student, reaches high to receive a piece of pizza for lunch on Monday, as Alanna Yandon, left, waits her turn. Students are required to take their fruit cup; the dough with some whole grains and cheese for a slice of pizza have been reduced in order to comply with federal dietary guidelines in effect this year.HILLTOWNS — Berne-Knox-Westerlo is hoping to make up financial losses to its meal program while students adjust to new rules. Like others across the country, Berne-Knox-Westerlo students have a distaste for new federal dietary guidelines, and food services director Deborah Rosko has seen more bagged lunches since the guidelines took effect in September.

Described by district Business Official David Hodgkinson as a “perfect storm,” a drop in participation, rising food and labor costs, and modest general-fund transfers have caused an estimated shortfall of almost $90,000 for the meal program. The annual expenses are over $400,000.

Budget estimates presented at the board of education meeting on Feb. 4 included a transfer of $70,000 to bring down the food services deficit.

School cafeterias often run in the red, kept afloat by transfers made from districts’ general funds. Such transfers were not made in years when BKW was operating on a contingency budget.

Other schools have dropped the United States Department of Agriculture’s food programs, like the National School Lunch Program and the School Breakfast Program, after new guidelines emphasizing fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, with limits on proteins, sodium, and calories, this year led to student grumbling and losses in participation.

By Marcello Iaia

The Enterprise — Marcello Iaia
“A completely different world,” said Jeffrey Haas about new technology. He thumbs through his iPhone, sitting in his living room before the Superbowl. He and his son have quickly integrated their smartphones into their daily lives. The landline at home, Haas says, used to be the main mode of communication in the Hilltowns, where he grew up, but now it is mainly used for faxes.BERNE — The touchstone of a generation of Internet-connected mobile devices, the iPhone was first sold during the summer of 2007. Around the same time, Twitter was gaining traction as a means for immediate and worldwide communication. Just a year before, the social-networking website Facebook started welcoming high school students.

When cell equipment was installed in Berne in 2009, Facebook had 300 million users and Apple had sold roughly 20 million iPhones. Those numbers are now well over 1 billion users, and 250 million iPhones.

For developing teenagers, this world of mobile communication is an established part of society. Adults have to learn and adapt. What isn’t established is its effect, if any, on perceptions or realities of safety and privacy.

“I think it’s a completely different world,” said Jeffrey Haas, who grew up in Berne.

Haas, an electrician, worked on installing the infrastructure for grounding and connecting power to the cell equipment that replaced the bell in the steeple at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, a few hundred feet from the Berne-Knox-Westerlo High School he had attended. That is what made it possible to use cell phones at BKW and elsewhere in Berne.

This past Christmas, Haas bought his 14-year-old son an iPhone 5. It’s the newest generation of a phone that is virtually a pocket-sized computer. With its many security features, Haas said the idea was to monitor and control his son’s use through his own iPhone.

The Enterprise agreed to the elder Haas’s request to withhold his son’s name. (See editorial.)

“My intent is to get literate with that and use it for that,” said Haas. “The intent in allowing him to get the iPhone for Christmas is to exert my parental authority.”

By Jordan J. Michael

The Enterprise — Michael Koff
Anxiously waiting her time to perform on the ice, Ellen Harris, 15, of Slingerlands, looks at the rink and listens as her coach, Maria Dollard, gives her some last-minute encouragement on Friday afternoon. She skated to an Empire State Games Gold medal on the rink that was built in Lake Placid for the 1932 Olympics.LAKE PLACID –– Ellen and Ben Harris, 15-year-old twins from Slingerlands, both skate on ice. Ellen carves figures with grace while Ben sprints with force.

Years ago, Ellen and Ben learned how to skate side by side. They chose different skating paths, but spent last weekend together in Lake Placid, competing in the Empire State Winter Games. Ben watched Ellen win a Gold in figure skating, and Ellen observed Ben win Bronze in short-track speed skating.

“Oh, yes, our relationship is wonderful,” Ellen exclaimed with a hint of sarcasm last Friday as Ben stood next to her. “We fight sometimes, like when he takes my headphones, but I love him.”

Ellen used those same headphones earlier in the day, listening to “The Swan,” her theme music, before skating her Gold medal performance at the 1932 Rink in Olympic Center. She skated with poise, nailing all her jumps, spins, and combos.

Preparing for his finals match Saturday at the Niskayuna High School, Josh LoGiudice, center, waits to face Saratoga’s Richard Schrade in the 99-pound weight class, which he won, 13 to 0. LoGiudice, as champion, will compete next weekend along with eight other Guilderland wrestlers — Mike Lainhart in the 106-pound class, Zach Alloush at 120, Brian Knodler at 138, Elijah Clemente at 145, Andy Cummings at 152, Ryan Harris at 160, and Colton White at 170 and Jesse Futia at 182 — in the State Qualifiers at Glens Falls Civic Center.

Battling Saturday, at far left, in the 120-pound weight class, is Zack Alloush, who placed sixth, here against Saratoga’s Hunter Rumpf in the quarterfinal match, which he lost by pin. In the 138-pound weight class, Brian Knodler placed fourth. At left of center, Knodler battles Schenectady’s Antonio Zamora in the quarters, which he won, 3 to 0.

 Tight battles, at bottom, were also fought in the 182-pound and 106-pound weight classes. Jesse Futia, right of center, faced Shenendehowa’s Ali Hashimee in the finals but came up short by a score of 11 to 2. Mike Lainhart, far right, faced off against Columbia’s Golan Cohen and also came up short, 7 to 0.

  {loadposition gallery6}

 Photos by Michael Koff

By Alice Begley

Musicians of Ma’alwyck, directed by Ann-Marie Barker Schwartz, at left, play classical selections for a Slava at Norman Vale celebrating the feast day of St. John the Baptist. The Slava is a tradition of the Serbian Orthodox Church.This historian had the privilege and pleasure to spend an evening recently at historic Norman Vale mansion locally known as the Nott House, on Nott Road. The home is owned by doctors Dilip and Ana Das.

The event was a Slava. It is an Eastern Orthodox Church tradition of the ritual honoring of a family’s patron saint. In this case, it was St. John the Baptist who was honored. His feast day is Jan. 20. Dr. Ana Das welcomed approximately thirty guests to her home, and Dr. Dilip Das explained the significance of the Slava.

The Dases have restored the beautiful interior of the house to its earliest beginnings. The eight-inch-wide original floorboards glowed softly by the light and warmth of several large fireplaces. Large crystal candelabra added to the ambiance.

The fire was so delightful: Beneath the decorated mantel and ornate fan, in the basement of Norman Vale, a sturdy stone arch supports the drawing-room fireplace.Most of the old doors had their original black-iron latch closings, not doorknobs. The many downstairs sitting and drawing rooms held a splendid array of European antique furniture and paintings.

Second-floor bedrooms, six, I think, were decorated in silk accessories of gentle soft colors. Many came from Mrs. Das’s first home in Belgrade, Serbia.

After a lovely concert of chamber music by the Musicians of Ma’alwyck, guests had dinner, and then a tour of the Norman Vale House.

The basement under the two-and-a-half story center of the house has two attached brick rooms with no windows but a narrow staircase down from the first floor. It could have been “holding rooms for runaway slaves from the South heading for Canada,” according to Allan Deitz, Guilderland researcher.

On the second floor, one wing is called the Eleanor Roosevelt Wing since she visited there quite often, history records note.

The top floor is believed to have been servants’ living quarters. It has three rooms connected by narrow doors. Window panes in that area were of wavy glass that could have been made by the Hamilton glass factory that started operation in 1785 in Guilderland. The post-and-beam roof is marked by numerals, typical of a Dutch installation. In the basement, a stone and brick arch support in the west wing supports a first-floor fireplace and chimney.

The 24-room mansion was built in 1786 and owned by New York State Governor John Taylor. He was lieutenant governor in 1813 and became governor when Governor Daniel Tompkins resigned to become vice president under President James Monroe.

Taylor rose to the state’s highest office, reluctantly. He refused to take the oath of office and called himself “Acting Governor.” The following election, Dewitt Clinton became governor, and Taylor went back to being lieutenant governor.

Another renowned resident of Norman Vale was Eliphalet Nott, D.D. LLD., president of Union College in Schenectady who served 62 years in that position. In 1798, at the age of 25, Nott accepted a pastorship to the First Presbyterian Church in Albany. By 1800, he had become a trustee of the college, and in 1804 was asked to become the college’s fourth president.

Artful still life: The mellow light from a period candelabrum casts a warm glow on a violin, as if time stood still, during the recent Slava celebration at the historic Norman Vale mansion in Guilderland.The round, domed building at the symbolic center of the Union College campus is named after him. Dr. Nott was an avid abolitionist. “Viney” was Nott’s chauffeur, a former slave who had gained his freedom when Nott paid $800 for his release.

It was a lovely evening filled with the sights and sounds of much local history. I look forward to an early spring thaw when I can peruse the family cemetery on the many acres of Norman Vale.

To the Editor:

With the Capital Region still buzzing from last week’s unprecedented regional rally to avert the fiscal crisis facing public schools, educational stakeholders representing 47 school districts will reconvene Monday night to learn what they can personally do to advocate for change.

The Niskayuna Central School District will be the host this time for “A Call to Action,” Part Two of the landmark program, “Your Public Schools in Fiscal Peril – Running Out of Time & Options,” which was held Jan. 31.

Following this memorable kick-off event, hundreds pledged to do more than just listen about how years of state-aid cuts are crippling our schools.  That’s what “A Call to Action” is all about.

Please join us for a 90-minute follow-up workshop at 7 p.m. on Feb. 11, in the auditorium of Niskayuna High School on Balltown Road. The workshop will offer effective “how-to” strategies and techniques for helping parents, teachers, and taxpayers like you reach out to lawmakers.

Featured speakers will be Robert Lowry and Kyle Belokopitsky from the New York State Council of School Superintendents. Their presentations will be followed by an audience question-and-answer session, then refreshments and conversation in the school cafeteria.

Call 456-6200, ext. 3102 to confirm your attendance on Feb. 11.  For planning purposes, we need to know if you will be attending.  To learn more about the event, please visit www.guilderlandschools.org.

Thank you and we look forward to seeing you on Monday!

Marie Wiles

Superintendent

Guilderland Central

School District

To the Editor:

Jan. 31, 11:37 p.m.: I left work a little early tonight in order to get a seat at the region-wide school budget rally at Columbia High School. Not that I thought I would hear anything new when it comes to public schools demanding their “fair share” but I felt an obligation to report back to my fellow taxpayers with what to expect in coming months.

The objective of the rally was to “inform and energize influential stakeholder teams” representing the 47 school districts in attendance. There were about a thousand people there and each was given a flyer filled with great advice for helping their district achieve its budgetary goal.

Among that advice was an admonition to write letters to newspaper editors, although I don’t think they want to read mine.

The keynote speaker of the event was Dr. Rick Timbs and he was a terrific choice for the job. He was very funny. He put forth a great presentation that made such mundane data as “combined wealth ratios” seem interesting.

He spent just enough time on the subject to show us how those numbers are derived and to get everyone there to feel as though their district was not getting the funding they deserved while others were getting far more than they needed.

But he failed to incorporate one tiny little detail. A district’s “combined wealth ratio” has no correlation to educational outcomes. I did my research and wrote about this in a letter to the editor on March 3, 1998. If you Google: “The Albany City School District has a combined wealth ratio similar to that of North Colonie at 1.262,” you will be directed to that letter.

Dr. Timbs went on to entertain us with a cute story about how he got his 4-year-old granddaughter to understand the difference between equal and equitable. He said he put a $1 bill under each of the four cushions on his couch and asked Gracie if he had divided the money equally. Of course she agreed.

Then he asked her to imagine that the cushions were people but that cushion number one was some poor homeless person and the next was someone who had no job and I think the third had no home or job but the forth person he gave the dollar to was Justin Bieber.  That got a lot of laughs.

He asked his granddaughter if she still thought he had distributed the money fairly and of course she said no. She suggested he spread most of Bieber’s dollar among the rest and leave him with a few cents.

Again, for the entertainment of the crowd at this event, he hilariously suggested substituting Justin Bieber with Warren Buffett. But I had my fill of the comedy, remarked how much that sounded like socialism, and made my way to the door.

I had an important date with a treadmill at the gym. At 60 years old, I’m in the middle of training to run my first marathon, which will be a piece of cake compared to the ordeal of trying to get our education community to stop drinking the Kool-Aid.

The reality of the economic problems we face are the opposite of what Dr. Timbs imagines them to be. The wealthier people of our school districts who feel they can afford to pay higher taxes have been voting for spending that the less fortunate residents of the community cannot afford.

Justin Bieber and Warren Buffett do not pay these taxes so playing to the crowd’s propensity for class envy is disingenuous. The way I see it, the crowd Dr. Timbs was playing to had a 4-year-old’s understanding of economics and his presentation sought to keep it that way.

David Crawmer

East Greenbush

Editor’s note: David Crawmer owns a business in Guilderland.

To the Editor:

To suggest that how an arrest is handled is distinct and separate from whether there should be a village police force is to ignore the reason many desire a small-town police department with more full-time officers in the first place. [For the full story, go online to www.AltamontEnterprise.com for Jan. 24, 2013 “Motorist charged with misdemeanor: APD excessive.” An editorial ran last week, Jan. 31, “Too much of a good thing?”] If the police have the discretion to allow an individual 24 hours to provide proof of insurance or to shackle her, place her car on a tow truck, and deliver her child to protective services then how residents, at least, are treated has a great deal to do with a discussion of the village police and its value to the community.

I suspect Mrs. Kowalski was as concerned about neighbors and acquaintances seeing her being placed in a police car as she was about the variety of effects this event was having on her son. Being in the back of a police car is humiliating enough, and what if she had been shackled, placed in a police car, and her son taken away?

What would you think if you happened to see that scene as you drove home? Would you consider that the offense might be a late car insurance payment that she had already made? Would you tell your friends? What would you think of her if you met her at a village or school function and the only thing you knew of her was that she had been arrested?

The legitimate use of force in a democracy is by the authority of the people and thus should express their values. We have a great opportunity in this little community to speak to each other through village government and through The Enterprise and to bear witness to such events on a small scale.

Thank you to The Enterprise for your comprehensive reporting and the opportunity to express these opinions.

Anne Faulkner

Altamont

Editor’s note: The New York State Vehicle and Traffic Law makes no mention of police having the discretion to allow 24 hours for a motorist to provide proof of insurance before arresting, it is not an option.

See related story.

To the Editor:

Stuyvesant Plaza is back again — with its proposal to change green space near TGIF and McKownville Park into asphalt and parking.

It was not a good idea when it was proposed by Stuyvesant in 2010. It was not a good idea when it was proposed by Stuyvesant Plaza in 2011. And in 2013 it is still not a good idea.

McKownville is one square mile with much of the area taken by the University at Albany, the Northway, and the Thruway.

People need green space — private lawns and public gardens and parks and wooded areas and green areas.

Stuyvesant Plaza paved over the town land west of the park for a parking lot and to store its construction materials. It used to be wooded.

Stuyvesant Plaza paved over town land for its entrance from Western Avenue.

Stuyvesant Plaza paved over town land bordering Starbucks and the dry cleaners.

Stuyvesant Plaza paved over town land near the liquor store.

And now it again is requesting permission, this time to pave over an area near TGIF.

Many corporations are good citizens — they do nice things for their neighbors.

In the 44 years I have lived in McKownville, I do not remember one nice thing Stuyvesant ever did for its McKownville neighbors — not one. (If Stuyvesant cannot think of one — the university sent free tickets for a university lacrosse game to McKownville residents).

Not only did Stuyvesant not extend itself as a neighbor, it piled snow illegally on park land for years.

It took water from our park pond for its own uses for years — without payment for the water.

Stuyvesant Plaza still permits the runoff from its parking lots to go into our park and the pond.

Now it wants to cut down trees for parking and more asphalt, yet again.

We need green space far more than we need more asphalt.

Thanks Stuyvesant — but for the third time — I do not want the town land to be one more piece of asphalt and a parking lot.

Don Reeb

McKownville

Editor’s note: Don Reeb is president of the McKownville Improvement Association, but asserts he wrote this letter not in that role but rather as a McKownville resident.

To the Editor:

As the Albany County Legislature begins its deliberations on the lease agreement between the county and the Upstate Services Group for the operation of the Albany County Nursing Home, I wanted to provide some detail on what my office is doing to bring all the facts to light when it comes to the nursing home.

Over the past few years, I have spent a significant amount of time discussing the future of the nursing home with the public, legislators, and the media. I have worked with legislative leaders Chairman Shawn Morse, Majority Leader Frank Commisso, and Minority Leader Christine Benedict to ensure that we are protecting our seniors and our taxpayers and are accepting financial responsibility as we consider this agreement with USG.

I have made it clear that the lease agreement ensures that the nursing home will continue to serve the current patients and carry out existing admission policies, which means the facility will continue to serve as a safety net for our seniors.

In my view, moving forward with USG as the operator gives us an opportunity to keep the facility open and to undertake some capital improvements that are needed.

It goes without saying that the patients at the nursing home are well cared for by the staff at the nursing home and that will continue with USG as the operator. However, the facility’s infrastructure badly needs repair.

For the last two years, our budget planning has been hampered by trying to mitigate the impact of mandates, reductions in reimbursements from the state and federal government, and costs that are beyond our control. Despite our best effort, the nursing home continues to negatively impact county finances, with a deficit of $7 million to $9 million annually.

At a time of fiscal uncertainty, this has proven to be problematic for the county and for taxpayers. For the past two years, the county has been unable to craft a budget that would be under the 2-percent property tax cap. Simply said, costs are increasing too rapidly for us to keep up. We need a solution to this problem now.

That is why I support moving forward with the lease agreement with USG to take over operations of the nursing home. From the beginning of the process, I have been committed to working with the legislature to ensure we protect seniors and the taxpayers and that we finally accept responsibility for the nursing home by recognizing that the economic realities of running this facility are untenable.

We have explored other options and we have not been successful. It is time for us to move forward to ensure that the patients and taxpayers are protected.

Our agreement with USG does that and more.

In order to ensure that the process was conducted openly and with transparency, we held five open forums with county legislators. While not all of them chose to attend the sessions, I believe that it was my duty to bring the stakeholders together to discuss the nursing home.

Before the first session was held, I provided a copy of the agreement to the leadership and the legislators, which is something that has not been done in the past. I did that to facilitate a thorough review of the agreement while providing an opportunity for the legislators to ask questions about the agreement.

The days of putting tough decisions off until tomorrow are over. We cannot defer moving forward on this plan. Too much depends on it. We have to do what is right, for the nursing home patients, for their families, and for the 300,000 residents of Albany County.

Daniel P. McCoy

Albany County Executive

By Jordan J. Michael

The Enterprise — Jordan J. Michael
What’s ahead? Eddie Harasiemowicz, a freshman on the 0-18 Guilderland-Mohonasen hockey team, looks toward the bleachers at Union College just before taking the ice for the second period of a Jan. 29 game against Niskayuna-Schenectady. The Dutch Warriors lost, 11 to 1, and have been struggling all season with low numbers and inexperience.SCHENECTADY –– Guilderland-Mohonasen has had a tumultuous hockey season with no wins. Players say that some people don’t even realize the school has a hockey team. The people who do know of the Dutch Warriors’ players will tell them that they’re awful at hockey.

The players hear all sorts of negative comments from opponents and they hear it in school. Some Dutch Warriors have thought about quitting, but they have too much faith and heart to hang it up.

Guilderland-Mohonasen fights through every lopsided game and tries to get better, but the low roster numbers and inexperience are a lot to overcome.

“They’re like little soldiers that are told to take the hill,” said Jonathan Phillips, father of players Tyler Phillips and Connor Phillips. He’s also the booster club president. “They haven’t been trained on how to take the hill the correct way.”

Guilderland-Mohonasen has suited no more than 13 skaters this season. Every other Capital District High School Hockey League team has at least 20 skaters. The program’s first and only head coach, John DeRubertis, who started when the team was founded 12 years ago, left after last season, and the team lost valuable seniors to graduation.

Because of the low numbers and expense of ice time, Guilderland joined with Mohonasen, another Suburban Council school, three years ago.

Going into the final stretch of the season, the Guilderland Girls’ Senior League team is currently in first place, with the final games scheduled for next weekend.

Despite missing two key players (Michelle Burmistrova and Lindsey Garrant), Guilderland was still able to finish strong against opponent Bethlehem, 38 to 22. Guards Meghan Bruni and Francesca Constantini led the scoring with eight points each, followed by strong jumpers from Alexandra Benjamin (six points).

Outside shooting from Amanda Conklin and Haley Hoffman added an additional eight points for Guilderland. Strong offensive rebounding from Sarina Cannavo, Paige Pizzemento, and Samia Baker combined for a total of eight additional points, securing the lead for Guilderland.

A strong, balanced effort from all highlighted Guilderland’s play and it rewarded the team with another win.

Biddy B

The Guilderland Biddy B team played a great game last Saturday. It took an early lead, but fell behind at halftime when Niskayuna had a 10-to-0 run.

Behind by 12 points at halftime, the Biddy B team did not give up. The team scratched and clawed its way back into the game and all the players contributed with great defense.

With less than 30 seconds left in the game, Guilderland was within two points, but time ran out on a courageous comeback.

The final score was 27 to 25.  

Graycen Dubin led all scorers with 19 points. It was a great effort by the ladies on the Biddy B team.

Junior B

Guilderland faced off against Niskayuna last Saturday for the second meeting of the season. The Lady Dutch came out strong, but lost steam quickly, allowing the Warriors to pull ahead midway through the first half.

Guilderland intensified the player-to-player defense in the second half, but its ferocity was too little, too late. Niskayuna came away with the win, 25 to 19. Rachel Mastrianni led the Lady Dutch in scoring with 12 points.

For the second consecutive weekend, Guilderland matched up against St. Matthew’s, although this outing went much differently.

Last weekend, the Lady Dutch fought hard to pull out a comeback win. St. Matthew’s was not deterred this time around; it flew ahead early and didn’t look back.

Guilderland lost, 39 to 25. Amelia Kedik dominated the boards with eight rebounds, followed closely by Rachel Mastrianni with six rebounds.

Fourth grade team

The Guilderland Storm took on a tough Burnt Hills squad this past weekend. Burnt Hills scored early, but the Guilderland defense would allow no more in the first half.

Hayley Bonavita (six points) and Kendall Rafferty dominated under the basket as Laila Nino and Grace McFerran harassed their opponents at the point. Caroline Burns and Empress Lee controlled the wings as Guilderland raced out to a 12-to-2 halftime lead.  

The second half was sloppy for both teams with numerous missed shots keeping the score down. The Storm was down two players with Ava Lia and Valencia Fontennelle both out with knee injuries, but Guilderland continued to excel at defense as Lauren Thompson, Savanna Henderson, and Gwen Wronski caused several turnovers and kept the Burnt Hills team off balance.

In the end, Guilderland pulled out the win, 18 to 6.

Sign ups for spring sports at Guilderland High School are underway.

Spring sports include boys/girls track and field, boys/girls lacrosse, softball, baseball, and boys’ tennis.

Students interested in playing a spring sport should pick up a sport sign-up packet from the high school nurses’ office and return the completed packet to the nurses’ office as soon as possible but no later than Feb. 26.

The sport packet includes three forms: the School and Sport Physical Form, the Athletic Form, and the Health History Form — all of which are also available online at www.guilderlandschools.org.

Students will not be able to try out or participate in practices without a sports packet cleared by the nurse’s office.

Physicals at the Guilderland nurses’ office will be on Feb. 11 and Feb. 25 from 4 p.m. to 5:45 p.m.

For more information, please visit www.guilderlandschools.org or call the Guilderland High School nurses’ office at 861-8591, ext. 3030.

By Hedi McKinley

Ah! Valentine’s Day! Hallmark’s bonanza! Such an easy way to put into words what we might feel or wish we felt towards our partners.

But — for the remaining 364 days of the year, a card may not be enough. The divorce rate continues to be up to 50 percent in some areas. We’re just not good at making marriages last. And last is the word!

Fifty, 60, even 70 years with the same partner! Can marriages work?

Benjamin Disraeli said “Every woman should marry and no man!”

Is this still true two centuries later? Yes and no.

Women’s lives have changed immeasurably in just the past few years. Some decide to have a career instead of a marriage. Some take on the responsibility for conceiving and raising children, but many still go the traditional route of marriage and weddings, which might plunge them into debt for years to come.

Here are a few thoughts how married — or family — life might be improved a bit:

— 1. Eat together: Too many of us “grab a bite” as each of us runs off to the gym, courses, piano lessons, etc. Family meals can be treasure troves of bonding, teaching and learning what makes our family special;

— 2. Be modest: Cover up! Few men and even fewer women continue to appreciate barely covered raggedy partners after the honeymoon is over;

— 3. Show affection (non-sexual, that is): Couples frequently have difficulty interpreting (even after years of guessing) when a hug or a kiss is an invitation to sex, and when an expression of affection and pleasure in each other’s company. Discussing it would help;

— 4. Think of birthdays and anniversaries sooner than a day before. Paying attention, listening to the partner, looking around — helps. Forgetting is often equated with not caring;

— 5. Remember not to refer to your children as “mine” instead of “ours.” As obvious this suggestion is, as often it is neglected and leads to fights and recrimination;

— 6. When looking for a home, consider the advantage of two bathrooms. While a great master bathroom with two sinks and whirlpool looks fabulous, many people relish privacy and do not experience intimate behavior as a turn-on. (At least lock the door!);

— 7. Listen to your partner: That, of course, is easier said then done, especially for men who tend to want to fix whatever problem is presented to them.

So, many women prefer to talk to other women who seem to be able to offer sympathy, empathy, hugs, and tissues. Chances are that your partner wants to hear, “I’m here for you” rather than, “What you should do is …”;

— 8. Do not resort to silent treatment: It’s destructive and hurtful. Don’t play “something’s wrong but I won’t tell you because you won’t understand.” A partner’s silence often resurrects old anxieties and fears of abandonment. Present the problem with lots of “I” and few “you” messages. Explain how you feel. Feelings are free; and

— 9. Lastly: Do not expect your partner to “make you happy.” Says Anton Checkov: “If you are afraid of loneliness, don’t marry.” We can hope for love, affection, sex, fun, children, support, even occasional bolstering of our ego. But happiness is for each of us to work on even if it takes a lifetime, which it often does.

Editor’s note: Hedi McKinley, who lives in Altamont, is a clinical social worker in Albany.

To the Editor:

Altamont Reformed Church is participating with Church World Service in supporting this year’s “Blankets +” program, with a special campaign period that kicks off this Sunday, Feb. 10, and runs through Sunday, March 10.

The church, located at 129 Lincoln Ave. in Altamont, has announced that its annual “Blanket Sunday Breakfast” will be held in its Fellowship Hall from 9 to 10 a.m. on Feb. 10. The breakfast is sponsored by the church’s Benevolence Committee, and is open to the public. It will include an explanation of how past and present donations have made a tremendous difference to people in need, both in the United States and worldwide.

Altamont Reformed Church has supported the Blankets + campaign every year since the mid-1980s, and in that period has raised $25,318 in support of Church World Service. That total translates into over 5,135 blankets; the money raised not only provides blankets, tents, water, and food for natural disaster relief, but also supports loan funds, tools, and seeds, so that impoverished communities might have hope to build more sustainable lives.

This year, Church World Service is focusing its efforts on relief aid for victims of Hurricane Sandy, both in the United States and Cuba. In recent years, the campaign has assisted in rebuilding efforts in earthquake-stricken Haiti and Japan, as well as with the ongoing need to build sustainable communities in rural Africa, southeast Asia, and eastern Europe.

This year, the church’s Benevolence Committee has set an ambitious goal of raising $1,500 in donations. Each Sunday, from Feb. 10 through March 10, those in worship will “purchase” hearts in honor of someone, or in remembrance of a loved one. Each paper heart represents a $5 donation, and eventually the “purchased” hearts fill a larger, heart-shaped poster hanging on the sanctuary’s wall.

Everyone in the wider-Altamont community is invited to attend this Sunday’s “Blanket Sunday Breakfast”; there is no cost to attend. Come and enjoy the fellowship and good food. (Kindly call the church at 861-8711 to note your plans to attend, so that adequate seating can be arranged.)

Everyone is also warmly welcomed to remain for the regular 10:30-to-11:30 a.m. worship hour that will follow the breakfast gathering. During that worship service, more information about the work of Church World Service will be shared.

Greg Goutos

Member of

the Benevolence Committee

Altamont Reformed Church

To the Editor:

Are you a stay-at-home adult caring for young children and looking to connect with other Christian people like yourselves?

The First United Methodist Church of Voorheesville, at 68 Maple Ave., would like to start a group for you!

We will be holding an interest and development meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 12, at 10 a.m. in the nursery at the church. The children can play while we discuss our interests.

Please plan to attend with ideas of what you would like this group to be. Should it be a gathering to meet socially and how often? Or would you like volunteers to care for the children while we do a group study? All of your thoughts and ideas are gladly encouraged.

This group will be open to all community members so please pass on the information to family, friends, and neighbors.  If you are unable to attend but would like more information, please contact The First United Methodist Church of Voorheesville at 765-2895.

Dianne Lucci

First United

Methodist Church

Voorheesville

To the Editor:

Hockey players are like fierce cobras. They’re patient; they slither stealthily up to their target. And then — they pounce, firing the puck off the crossbar and so deep into the net you wouldn’t be surprised if it never came out.

Sadly it does, and it returns to that same spot many times in the next half an hour, that dark shameful pocket in the back of the net. Especially when you’re battling knights, as in the Saratoga Knights, I mean.

I like to think of our team as a giant cobra. Except, instead of scoring goals, our team is trying to capture a game.

To be a champion, you have to follow a few simple steps.

First, you have to find your kill.

Next, you have to wrap your long, scaly body around it and wrestle it to the ground. Finally, you sink your dagger like fangs into your prey, spraying venom into its limp body.

For the Guilderland-Mohonasen Dutch Warriors, we’ve made it past step one so far in our 2012-13 season. We have successfully played another team in hockey. Essentially, we’ve accomplished nothing.

When our town’s varsity hockey team is brought up in a conversation, it mostly ends with a negative comment. An example of one used often would be, “We suck” or, “We’ll never win a game” or, “Coming to a game would be like throwing four hours of my life in a trash can.”

When asked for an opinion on our team, people give these responses: “Losers,” “A pathetic excuse for a hockey team,” and. my personal favorite. “Guilderland has a hockey team?”

I try to be angry, I really do, but I can’t disagree with the commenters’ reactions. After all, our team is 0-10, counting our very recent loss, a 7-to-2 disappointment to LaSalle.

Slowly but surely, we are being cobra-ized by every opponent we face no matter their size or skill level. Some players think the life of our short-lived team is gradually being squeezed and it’s inevitable that “the cobra” will eat us, thus defeating our hopes and dreams of a victory for the umpteenth time this year.

Despite all this terrible truth, we continue to play our hearts out and leave everything out on the ice. I know we may doubt ourselves sometimes but on the inside we will always have confidence in our team and know that our patience will be rewarded.

With good advice from our responsible, wise coaches and a whole lot of sweaty conditioning, our team can make a difference. Even if it’s just for a single game.

We can prove to all the deserters out there that we can will ourselves to complete any goal. We will change the views of many, and they will join us in our road to glory. We will show the world that the impossible can be done, miracles can happen.

A little, inexperienced team can overcome a greatly more powerful one! Although we may have moments of recklessness, in the end we have fought like warriors.

With a large amount of faith, and a larger quantity of heart, I believe in the Guilderland/Mohon warriors and our courage to undertake anything.

Connor Phillips

Guilderland

Editor’s note: Connor Phillips, an eighth-grader at Farnsworth Middle School, plays on the varsity Guilderland-Mohonasen Dutch Warriors team. See story in Sports.

By John R. Williams

On Tuesday, Jan. 29, the Old Men of the Mountain met at the Country Café in Schoharie. The weather outside was frightful, but the fire was so delightful that some of the OFs decided not to chance it and so they stayed in by the fire.

It is understandable with some of these OGs because it was a little tricky walking in spots. Some of the OGs have trouble walking when they are on dry ground and, for them, Tuesday’s choice to stay in was not a bad idea. Even so, these OGs do get out and about when they can.

The roads were fine but there were areas on the sidewalks where it was just a glare of ice, and glare is the operative word here. One fellow did take a spill, and another person, much, much younger than the OFs, put on quite a dance to maintain his equilibrium but he did.

Once anyone gets past 60 years old, falling is one of their major fears, and, at the ages of the OFs, this fear becomes even greater. Some of the OFs have only one good eye, or are on canes, or wear orthopedic shoes, or wear hearing aids (among other things) and all affecting the OFs balance so much so that at times people may think they are drunk by the way they waddle. (Well maybe one OF is — hmmm — these factors make for a good excuse.) 

All the OFs who made it did saunter into the Country Café where it was worth the trip; the banter and breakfast was a great pick-me-up from some of the gloom of gray winter days.

Dissolve the village?

A topic that the OFs spoke about was what is going on in Middleburgh?  Why do they want to dissolve the village? Is it a money thing, or does it have something to do with the flood, or is it just a political maneuver that the OFs don’t understand?

The vote is supposed to be early February, but as far as the OFs know there is nothing out there as far as information goes, and a lot of the information is just rumor.

Staying fluid

This next discussion is nothing new to our wives, girlfriends, or kids.  The OFs declared that they are rather set in their ways!

Many of the OFs have had 80-plus years for this cement to harden. One OF said it is important to keep the area between the ears fluid and not let it harden up like the rest of their bodies.

A few OFs said to try and learn something new every day, to which one OG said, “Yeah, they all say that but I bet those that say it don’t do it.”

Then one more OG said that he tries to learn something that might take a year just to keep his mind going. This OG suggested we change our routine; brush our teeth with our left hand for a month, put on the opposite shoe first, wear bright colors, buy a couple of pairs of kaki pants instead of jeans, grow a beard, shave off a beard, and do things differently like take a diverse route home.

This OF said, “Don’t let your brain atrophy like your body does because, when the brain is kept fluid, no matter what happens to the rest of our bodies, we will be more interesting persons to be around.”

Plowing bare roads?

This year, the OFs noticed that for some reason the snowplows seem to be plowing bare road. One OG said he can hear the plow coming from half a mile away, sparks a-flying from under the blade.

The other OFs in unison joined in, in agreement.

“There must be some reason for it,” one OF said, but he doesn’t know what the reason is.

It is not just one town or place. The OFs from Cobleskill, Schoharie, Knox, Berne, most all over, said the same thing. One OF said that at three o’clock in the morning he hears them coming.

Then another OG threw in a thought — he bets the operator says, “Hey, if I have to be up and out here at this time in the morning, I am going to wake all you (nasty word) up too.”

Another OF said that might be a true statement for the C-130 pilots on their early morning training missions also. One OF said that he must sleep sounder than the rest of these guys because that plane goes right over his house (often so low he can see the pilot) but he doesn’t hear the plane or the plows at night.

BKW principal off base

We touched on the problem at Berne-Knox-Westerlo, and think the principal was totally wrong. The kid, as the OFs understand it, was in study hall.

Big whoop, the OFs remembered what went on when they were that age in study hall.

“Parents,” an OF said, “have a tendency to forget what they did when they were that age and in school.”

So what’s new? To hear some parents talk today, schools must have been loaded with saints when the parents of today’s kids trod the halls.  The OFs think the rules in schools are necessary but they should have well-thought-out guidelines.

In this case, the phone should have been taken away, put in the teacher’s desk in a baggie with the kid’s name on it, and given back to him when he left whatever class it is.

That phone should never leave the kid’s sight without a warrant. What if it were the parent’s phone and there was personal information and some photos between husband and wife? In our opinion, this principal was way off base.

As long as we are what-iffing here — what if there were communications on planes to blow up the school on that phone?

“Then the principal would be a hero,” one OF added.

“That is a good point,” another OG said, “So the guidelines should be that any confiscated phone would be taken by the teacher and the contents of the phone examined in front of the parents, and the student. I bet that would stop all this phone shenanigans in school,” the OF continued.

Facial canyons

The OFs have mentioned this subject before (hair growing where it is not supposed to) i.e., the advent of wrinkles that turn into actual crevices, which makes shaving a tough job.  The OF can’t stretch his neck far enough to get all the wrinkles out so the whiskers can come in contact with the razor.

Who knows what else is lurking in the canyons of the OF’s skin? Anybody looking for a lost ATV?

The Old Men of the Mountain who made it to the Country Café in Schoharie who were well fed, and sorry they didn’t bring their skates, were: Roger Shafer, Mark Traver, Steve Kelly, Jim Heiser, Glenn Patterson, Roger Chapman, John Rossmann, Harold Guest, Frank Pauli, Dave Williams, Otis Lawyer, George Washburn, Robie Osterman, Bill Krause, Henry Whipple, Bill Rice, Jack Norray, Lou Schenck, Mace Porter, Gary Porter, Elwood Vanderbilt, Jim Rissacher, Harold Grippen, Mike Willsey, and me.  

We see a ray of light in the midst of a foggy, congested thoroughfare. When Scouting began in this country in 1910, discrimination was rampant — against African Americans, against newly arrived immigrants, against women, and against homosexuals.

As our society has progressed, it has become more inclusive.

The Boy Scouts of America has refused to see the light and has lost its way. At the start of the millennium, the national organization defended its decision to remove an openly gay scoutmaster all the way to the United States Supreme Court, and won. Afterwards, the BSA issued a statement that “an avowed homosexual is not a role model for the values espoused in the Scout Oath and Law.”

The Boy Scouts’ mission statement says it is “to prepare young people to make ethical and moral choices over their lifetimes by instilling in them the values of the Scout Oath and Law.”

Furthering prejudice is neither ethical nor moral. It serves as a poor model for young people.

The Scout Law is to be “Trustworthy, Loyal, Helpful, Friendly, Courteous, Kind, Obedient, Cheerful, Thrifty, Brave, Clean, Reverent.”

When a Boy Scout takes the oath, he promises, “On my honor, I will do my best to do my duty to God and my country and to obey the Scout Law; to help other people at all times; to keep myself physically strong, mentally awake, and morally straight.”

A boy is born with a particular sexual orientation, just as he is born with a predisposition to be right-handed, or left-handed, or ambidextrous. The era is long gone when teachers slapped the hands of left-handed students to force them to use their right hands.

Forcing someone to hide or deny his sexual orientation is not helpful, not friendly, not courteous, and not kind.

Excluding someone based on his sexual orientation is also a violation of the Scout Oath; discrimination is the opposite of helping other people. It is hurting them, sometimes badly, sometimes irreparably. There is nothing immoral about a man’s sexual orientation; again, it is simply the way he was born.

We’d like to think the governing board of the BSA had a moral awakening last week when it announced the ban on gays may be eliminated. Yesterday, it postponed the decision. We suspect that, rather than a moral awakening, backlash to the policy was causing problems.

A longtime Guilderland Boy Scout leader, Larry Vincent, told us, if the ban were lifted, it would be a huge relief. “We’d be happy for it,” he said. “It’s a source of contention. We lost a lot of use of buildings, even one of the oldest meeting places for Scouts, in Philadelphia.” And, many state and federal lands where jamborees and other gatherings had been held are now off limits because of the discrimination. There has been pressure from corporate sponsors as well.

“Currently, the BSA is discussing potentially removing the national membership restriction regarding sexual orientation,” said Deron Smith, the BSA’s director of public relations, in a statement last Monday.

However, the Boy Scouts — again, we assume for practical reasons — hedged their bets. They made no sweeping statements of equality for all. Rather, if the new policy were adopted, it would mean, said Smith, “the chartered organizations that oversee and deliver Scouting would accept membership and select leaders consistent with each organization’s mission, principles, or religious beliefs.” He went on, “BSA members and parents would be able to choose a local unit that best meets the needs of their families.”

This allows the BSA to keep funding from groups that chose to discriminate, so it is not a “morally straight” solution. But it will at least allow some relief for those brave enough to grasp it.

For Vincent, it’s a no-brainer. We commend him for his straightforward approach. He leads one of four Boy Scout troops in Guilderland; his is backed by Saint Madeleine Sophie Church. “I can’t speak for the church,” he stressed. “The next time we charter, we’ll have to make sure they’re OK with it.”

We urge the backers of Vincent’s troop and those of other local Scout troops to do what is brave, helpful, friendly, courteous, and kind.

Vincent said that a half-dozen years ago, when a Cub Scout pack in Florida passed a resolution it would allow gay Scouts and gay leaders, it was cut from the national program, sending a shock wave through troops across the country.

Local leaders discussed it, he said. “There was a quiet, mutual agreement not to ask kids if they were gay. They could have cancelled our charter,” he said, likening the local approach to the former military policy of “Don’t ask, don’t tell.”

“We never came out with anything publicly,” said Vincent who has led Scouts for 15 years. “I’m sure several of the boys I’ve been a leader of are probably gay. For the kids, it’s never been an issue.”

Vincent described, though, “a boy out of Albany, an Eagle Scout who was a very respected leader at Camp Rotary,” a camp Guilderland Scouts attend. “He came out after his 18th birthday and was stripped of his leadership. He was a nice kid…” Vincent said, his voice trailing off.

Vincent also said he doesn’t believe allowing gays is “an issue with any of our parents; they’ve never expressed displeasure.” He went on, “New York is a liberal state.”

How strange to be a gay New Yorker who is allowed to marry but not allowed to lead a son in Scouts. Vincent, in his job at the Capital District Physicians Health Plan, said he works with gay couples. “When we prohibit parents from participating, what chance do we have of getting their kids involved?” he asked.

Vincent goes on to list some of the aspects of Scouts that he finds most worthwhile. Boys learn by doing as they earn merit badges, they become leaders, they contribute to their community with service projects, and they get back in touch with nature.



“So many kids today get on an Xbox or PlayStation and don’t know about nature,” he said.

Scouting, just as when it was founded a century ago as families were leaving their farms for the cities, can teach boys self-reliance.

But all this goodness can occur only if all boys are welcomed. Similar organizations saw the light long ago. Camp Fire Boys and Girls issued this statement after the 2000 Supreme Court decision: “Camp Fire is inclusive and is open to every person in the United States…Camp Fire Boys and Girls works to realize the dignity and worth of each individual and to eliminate human barriers based on all assumptions which prejudge individuals.”

Similarly, the 4-H Council submitted a friend-of-the-court brief to the Supreme Court in support of the dismissed gay scoutmaster.

And, long before, in 1991, Girl Scouts of the USA stated, “As a private organization, Girl Scouts of the USA respects the values and beliefs of each of its members and does not intrude into personal matters. Therefore, there are not membership policies on sexual preference….These are private matters for girls and their families to address.”

Scouts like to tell a story about how Boy Scouting came to America. The story is set on a foggy street in London where a well-known Chicago publisher, W.D. Boyce, is lost. A boy who came to be called the Unknown Scout leads him to where he needs to go but, refusing Boyce’s tip, tells him that he is a Boy Scout doing his daily good turn. Boyce is so impressed that he meets with Chief Scout Robert Baden-Powell, founder of England’s Scouts, and returns home to launch the program in America, now three million strong.

The BSA itself is now in need of a guide to lead it out of the fog, and into the light. That would be a good turn of events for all of us. But, in the meantime, we need to rely on local leaders like Larry Vincent to see that all boys who want to be Scouts, and all men who want to lead them, can — with pride and dignity, without hiding who they are. That is the way to stay morally straight and leave the fog behind.

By Marcello Iaia

The Enterprise — Marcello Iaia
On board: New councilmen Theodore Lounsbury, center, and William Bichteman, right, sit with their new colleagues at the Feb. 5 Westerlo Town Board meeting. Anthony Sherman, left, voted in favor of Bichteman and against Lounsbury. All other votes were affirmative. Last month, a motion to appoint the two newcomers was halted by Sherman’s “nay” vote. Sherman declined to comment on his reasons. They are all Democrats.WESTERLO — The Feb. 5 town board meeting began with the votes needed to fill two seats left empty at the end of 2012.

William Bichteman and Theodore Lounsbury, both Democrats, joined the all-Democratic town board Tuesday, which voted to publish its legal notices in the Times Union, a regional daily newspaper, rather than, as formerly, The Enterprise and The Pioneer, both local weeklies.

The appointment of Bichteman was made with councilman Anthony Sherman in favor. At the January meeting, he voted against appointing both Bichteman and Lounsbury. That left the board with just two “aye” votes, not enough for a majority. Both Bichteman and Lounsbury took their oaths of office, as the Supervisor maintained the vote was legal at the meeting.

By Melissa Hale-Spencer

The Enterprise — Melissa Hale-Spencer
Concerned Guilderland parent Judy Seery expresses her thoughts about proposed cuts to Farnsworth Middle School next year during a budget forum on Tuesday where community members were asked for their views on over 70 items. Administrators produced lists cutting 5-percent of all budget codes and then answered questions about their proposals.GUILDERLAND — School leaders say they want to hear from the community on what to cut next.

Coming off three tough budget years, during which Guilderland axed 120 jobs, the district faces a $2.1 million revenue gap for next year.

Department and school leaders were asked to propose 5-percent cuts. That list, of over 70 items, was presented Tuesday night at a forum where attendees were asked for their views.

About $400,000 is in play since the across-the-board 5-percent cuts totaled much more than needed to fill the gap. Hence, choices can be made on which items should stay and which should go.

Superintendent Marie Wiles said the only thing added to the budget proposal for next year is $15,000, which may be reimbursed with aid, to hire a consultant to study “building capacity.” School board members last year had raised the question of closing one of the district’s five elementary schools as enrollment declines.

About 60 people — many of them staff and board members — listened to a sobering budget presentation Tuesday before dividing into six groups. School leaders circulated among the six tables — in what organizers called a World Café — to answer questions on each of six areas: elementary, middle, and high school instruction and staffing; special areas like art, music, business, health, world languages, physical education, and athletics; special education; and support services like building and grounds, transportation, technology, and administration.

Again and again, school leaders said they didn’t like the choices they were forced to make.

Wiles said she would listen to feedback and present her budget on Feb. 28.

“It’s still not done on the 28th,” she said. “That’s the first draft.”

By Marcello Iaia

The Enterprise — Marcello Iaia
Lead and follow: Susan Miner, top, leads her 9-year-old granddaughter, Sarah Myers, to demonstrate the dance turns that, after many years, have worn on her knee. Seven years ago, Miner was told her knee should be replaced. She refused, lost weight, and is now training for an indoor triathlon at the Guilderland YMCA.GUILDERLAND — Susan Miner took her 9-year-old granddaughter’s hand to demonstrate the turns of a folk dance in the busy YMCA last Friday night. At 65, she had just spent two hours in the pool and on the track, training for an indoor triathlon, for reasons as much for her as they are for others.

When she was around the same age as her granddaughter, Sarah Myers, Miner did international folk dances in the 1950s and called square dances broadcast on television. Though Miner has been physically active most of her life, as an adept swimmer and sailor, the March 10 triathlon is a new challenge. It consists of consecutive, 15-minute intervals swimming, on a stationary bike, and running on a treadmill.

The ages of the triathlon’s 70 participants ranged from 14 to 75 last year, said Jennifer Rittner-Paniccia, senior program director at the Guilderland YMCA. The three-year-old program of triathlon training classes involves a coach, who guides triathletes through skills and techniques, especially with swimming, which Rittner-Paniccia said is often the most challenging part. Awards based on distance are given for each gender overall, and for each activity.

“Our pastor is always telling us we should stretch ourselves,” said Miner, referring to Jay Francis of the Rock Road Chapel in Berne.

Verses of the Bible orient Miner’s motivation. She is awakened as well by stories of people her age, and wants to set an example for her husband, John, and her grandchildren.

The Enterprise — Marcello Iaia
Buoyed: The duo, Susan Miner and Sarah Myers, stand upright in the YMCA pool Friday after their warm-up aerobics, jumping up and down in the water. They later ran around the track in preparation for an indoor triathlon next month that will involve 15 minutes each of swimming, riding stationary bike, and running on a treadmill.“This is a lot more tiring than running,” said Myers, wearing orange goggles, after she and Miner swam a lap of backstroke. They use their time in the water as a warm-up for more strenuous workouts on balance balls, running, or resistance exercises. They sometimes do water aerobics, jumping up and down in neck-high water, and use paddleboards to flutter kick along the length of the pool.

“One of my goals for last year was to swim faster than all my grandchildren,” Miner said, sitting on the steps of the pool. She has been practicing her exit from the water, using her arms to lift herself from any point of the pool wall.

Twice a week, Miner does strength training to build muscle. But two days before, she said, her shoulder was overworked. With her work as a home health aid, providing company or help to elderly or disabled people, Miner said she doesn’t have a normal week. She does what she can.

“Sometimes I have to play catch-up,” Miner said.

Miner discovered the triathlon when she brought a 99-year-old client to the YMCA facility to swim last year. With the 2013 event approaching, Miner was waiting in her doctor’s office when she opened a copy of Guideposts, a magazine of faith-based stories. She read an article titled, “Iron Mom,” where a woman with rheumatoid arthritis was training for her eighth triathlon. She was inspired to try a triathlon herself.

Formative fill

Miner said she feels like a fish out of water when she runs. Her mother started her swimming when she was just 6 years old, and accompanied her as she went door-to-door selling Girl Scout cookies.

Wearing sapphire-blue uniforms with black sashes and an embroidered emblem of a ship’s wheel, Miner’s senior scouting troop, Mariner Ship 5, would go pioneering in the Adirondack Mountains, where they would forage for food, white-water canoe, and sail.

Such active formative years, Miner said, were encouraged by her mother, who had the same leg broken three times.

“I think my mother lived vicariously through me,” said Miner.

She recalled her mother’s watch over her fiber, which she now bakes in cinnamon-raisin bread loaded with bran. The family’s freezer used to have a winter’s supply of blueberries, and the family ate home-cooked foods, including stewed prunes, with lemon and whipped cream.

Because of her new regimen, Miner is trying to eat more carbohydrates and protein, but is a self-described “fruit and vegetable nut.”

“Even at my own birthday parties, I won’t eat birthday cake,” said Miner.

She lost 40 pounds using Weight Watchers, gained it back, and then lost it again, in a struggle Miner said helped her learn to focus.

Leading and following

Miner has dubbed Myers, “Lightning,” her personal trainer on Fridays.

“I’ve seen her bending her legs a lot more,” said Myers, standing on the side of the upstairs track after their run. “I see her doing whatever tips I give her and, if it’s hard, she pushes herself. She sets a goal for herself.”

Myers’s favorite sport is soccer and, like her grandmother, she loves to dance. She participates in a dance club at New Scotland Elementary School, and a running club she joined after being challenged by her older brother to run with her backpack during their walks from school.

“At first I was really slow, and, as I got better, I added books in my backpack,” said Myers.

Instead of playing basketball, Myers now spends recess racing others.

When she was 58, Miner made a visit to her orthopedic doctor, who said her knee might have to be replaced. Miner has arthritis and pseudogout.

“I said, ‘I will not.’ I said, ‘I’ll lose 10 pounds first,” Miner recalled, after a change into fresh running clothes and shoes with thick, flat soles that, she admits, are not the sneakers she needs.

“I had read somewhere that if you lose 11 pounds, it’s better for your knee,” said Miner. She suspects the knee was stressed from years of leading, following, and balancing as a dancer.

The duo ran several laps around the track, with Myers skipping at times. They stopped to do lunge exercises, taking long, slow steps, nearly touching their knees to the track floor.

The Enterprise — Marcello Iaia
The advisor: Sarah Myers, standing on the side of the YMCA track after a run, explains the importance of running with unclenched fists and long steps to her grandmother, Susan Miner. Myers comes Fridays to train with Miner, who is preparing to participate in an indoor triathlon in March.As she ran, Miner’s fists were tightly clenched. Myers advised her to relax them, and instead focus on breathing and wide strides.

Miner says that taking long walks with a blind client, to visit the post office and the Honest Weight Food co-op, sometimes carrying groceries, has made a difference.

“I’m getting stronger and stronger, and this is part of my job,” said Miner, who has read nutrition books for the blind client.

To cool down, Myers and Miner sat on balance balls. As she distributed her weight to stay atop her gray ball, Miner said she wears hearing aids, and is nearly deaf in her left ear

“Even when I dance at church, if I don’t have my hearing aids on, or if I’m not watching what I’m doing, I might just fall,” said Miner.

The value of the triathlon is not in winning, but in the training and the challenge, says Miner. To set goals and keep moving is important with her busy schedule.

“This has been helping me with stress tremendously,” Miner said of her training.

In the lobby, Miner ate a tuna sandwich and Myers had twizzlers as they discussed their workout.

Miner twirled around, laughing and holding Myers tight. The knee recommended seven years ago for a replacement is on course to take her through the March triathlon.

By Anne Hayden

The Enterprise — Michael Koff
Peaceful purr: Balely the therapy cat sits calmly and purrs loudly as she gets a patting from a friendly hand. The vibrations of a cat’s purr can be soothing to a person with hearing loss.Sarah Worden, an East Berne resident, found her cat, Balely, nestled in the hay at Van Etten Farm in Altamont. In fact, she found a litter of four kittens hidden in a hay wagon when she was helping out at the farm.

All four cats — the other three owned by relatives or neighbors of Worden’s — have hay-related names.

The Enterprise — Michael Koff
Kitty kisses: Sarah Worden cuddles her therapy cat, Balely, which she trained to wear a halter, walk on a leash, sit, and stay. Worden brings Balely to local nursing homes and the Military Courtesy Room at the Albany International Airport, and will soon bring her to group therapy sessions for children with cancer.Now, a little more than a year later, Worden takes Balely to a local nursing home and to the Military Courtesy Room at the Albany International Airport, where the cat happily interacts with people who are overjoyed to see her. Starting this summer, she hopes to take Bayley to group therapy sessions for children with cancer.

Worden trained Balely to wear a harness and walk on a leash, and the cat also understands the commands “sit” and “stay.”

“She loved to be out and about, and she was always curious and wanted to be around people,” said Worden, of what motivated her to start training Balely as a therapy cat. She was further inspired when she encountered a woman who did therapy with her dog.

Part of Balely’s training was also influenced by her Worden’s boyfriend, Michael China, who never wanted a cat, but a dog, instead.

“He told me that we could get a cat if we could make it dog-like,” Worden said.

In addition to teaching Balely simple commands, Worden had to make sure that the cat would not react to having her tail, ears, or paws played with, and that things like walkers and wheelchairs would not scare her.

“The women at the nursing home love to pull on the tufts of fur between her toes, because it’s so soft and fluffy, and she doesn’t even care,” Worden said.

Most of the other people she has met or talked to locally, who are involved in pet therapy, are participating with their dogs, she said, which makes Balely unique.

There is some research, however, that proves cats can be beneficial in ways that dogs aren’t.

Dr. Adnan Qureshi, with the Department of Neurology at the University of Minnesota, studied the connection between cat ownership and the risk of fatal cardiovascular diseases.

Adnan observed 2,435 people, who presently or previously owned cats, over an average period of 13 years, and events of stroke, brain hemorrhage, and heart attack were recorded among the participants.

The results of the study showed that there was a significantly lower rate of death due to heart attack and stroke in participants who had a history of cat ownership compared with those who had never owned a cat.

“We found an independent association between cat ownership and the risk of fatal MIs in the present cohort study,” wrote Qureshi, of myocardial infarctions, or heart attacks, in his discussion of the research. “The protective effect may be related to a spontaneous relaxing effect with buffering effect on autonomic reactivity to acute stressors, and/or classical conditioning of relaxing response.”

He noted that the same effect was not seen with dogs, although both dogs and cats did lower blood pressure and heart rate.

Cathie Witzel, Qureshi’s administrative assistant, said, “The mechanism of the protection is not really understood.”

The Enterprise — Michael Koff
Calming cat: Therapy cats, like Balely the Maine Coon, are proven to lower the risk of cardiovascular deaths, according to a study by the University of Minnesota’s neurology research department.“Acquisition of cats as domestic pets may represent a novel strategy for reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease in high-risk individuals,” Qureshi’s study concluded.

Witzel said she suspected that Qureshi’s decision to study the health benefits of cat ownership stemmed from his affection for his own cats.

“He has two gigantic, much, much beloved cats,” she said. “I don’t think he was surprised by the results of the study, but I think he was very pleased.”

Worden was not expecting the results she got from her therapy cat.

She said she most often visits the dementia units in nursing homes, and recalls a resident who was largely uncommunicative and emotionless, but whose face would light up when she saw Baley. She would also talk to the cat when she wouldn’t talk to anyone else.

A therapy cat is also different from a therapy dog in one significant way, said Worden, in that an elderly person hard of hearing can feel a cat purring, and be soothed by it.

In the Military Courtesy Room at the airport, Baley visits with soldiers, who may be heading off for active duty, or dealing with a long layover between flights. The cat typically roams around the room, rubbing up against people, sitting on their laps, and purring, said Worden.

“I really didn’t think it would work as well as it has, not just for other people, but for us, too,” Worden said. “Balely needs to be social or else she gets restless, and I feel good about myself after helping people.”

By Jordan J. Michael

The Enterprise — Jordan J. Michael
After reaching 1,000 career points on Tuesday, Berne-Knox-Westerlo senior Garrett Pitcher locks fists with his teammates before returning to a tight game against Mayfield. The Bulldogs won, 64 to 55, and Pitcher scored 24 points to put his career total at 1,008, which is 16 points behind his grandfather, Ted.

There are only two gentlemen on the Bulldogs’ 1,000-point list and both have Pitcher as a last name.

Garrett Pitcher ended up with 1,008 points after BKW beat Mayfield, 64 to 55, at home on Tuesday. Ted Pitcher said he has no problem surrendering his record to his grandson.

Mr. Pitcher knew that this day would eventually come.

“The way he’s been going, I knew he would do it,” said Mr. Pitcher, who graduated from BKW in 1955. “That’s why I come to the games. I want him to pass me on the board. That’s why I’m here.”

Garrett Pitcher averages 23 points per game for the Bulldogs. He’s a great scorer, fully capable from both close and far range, but he can play all roles. Pitcher had four blocks on Tuesday to go with 24 points, assists, steals, rebounds, and deflections.

Rachel Degnan, of Guilderland, a member of the State University of New York at Cobleskill women’s swim team, was named the school’s Fighting Tiger Athlete-of-the-Week.

The talented rookie was the women’s swimming team’s top performer in a 104-to-47 home loss to the College of Saint Elizabeth last Saturday afternoon at the Bouck Hall Natatorium. Degnan set a new program record in the 400-yard individual medley, finishing second overall in a time of 5:09.67 while winning the 100-yard butterfly in 1:07.53, and placing second in the 500-yard freestyle in 6:05.

The Fighting Tigers will return to action this Saturday when the team travels to Saratoga Springs for the 2013 Skidmore College Women’s Invitational hosted by Skidmore College beginning at 1 p.m.

By Peter Henner

The 22-year-old Magnus Carlsen followed up his victory in the December 2012 London Chess Classic by topping the field in the annual Tata Steel Chess tournament in Wijk aan Zee, with a score of 10-3, a full 1.5 points ahead of last year’s winner, Lev Aronian (8 ½ -4 ½), and World Champion V. Anand and S. Karkajin who tied for third and fourth (8-5).

The sole American entry, H. Nakamura, finished sixth with 7-6.

With this victory, Carlsen raised his already record-high Fédération internationale des échecs rating to 2872, more than 60 points higher than the world Number 2 Aronian.

In 2010, Carlsen, already one of the top players in the world, declined to play in the world championship qualifying cycle. Although he did not qualify in 2012, he will be one of the eight players who will contest a double round-robin tournament in London in the last two weeks of March 2013, to determine the 2013 challenger to Anand.

The other contestants are Aronian, former world champion V. Kramnik, B.Gelfand (the lowest rated contestant at 2740, who qualified because he narrowly lost the 2012 world championship match), V. Ivanchuk, P. Svidler, A. Grischuk and T. Radjobov.

Schenectady championship

Although John Phillips appeared to be winning his playoff game with Carlos Varela for the sixth spot in the finals of the Schenectady championship, a simple blunder cost him the game

In the first round of the finals, Carl Adamec defeated Dilip Aaron, Mike Mockler defeated Varela, and I defeated Dave Finnerman, in a game that is extensively annotated by Bill Little on the Eastern New York Chess Association blog.

End of Gazette Chess Corner

Schenectady’s Daily Gazette has decided to end its long-running chess column in the Sunday paper. This is a major loss for the Capital District chess community and leaves this Enterprise column as the only regularly published chess column in the Capital District.

Bill Townsend had been writing the column for many years, in addition to directing a number of tournaments (including the Schenectady championship). He has been a tireless collector of chess games from both the Capital District and around the state. (He also writes a regular column in Empire Chess, the magazine of the New York State Chess Association.)

I contacted The Gazette and urged them to reconsider canceling the column, and I would encourage readers of this column to similarly contact The Gazette.

Capital District top players

One of the things that Bill Townsend has always done is prepare an annual list of the region’s top players. This year’s list shows 104 local players with ratings over 1000, including two masters (over 2200), seven experts (over 2000), and 27 Class A players (over 1800).

In addition, there are a number of inactive players, including at least two masters (Matthew Katrein and Daniel Van Riper) who are not listed because they have not competed in tournaments for a number of years.

Lawyers as chess players

It is not surprising that some lawyers are chess players: Our legal system, at least in theory, is a form of intellectual combat, and individuals who choose such combat as their profession are likely to be drawn to chess, which, more than anything else, is a form of pure intellectual combat.

Three of the 12 contestants in the Albany club championship, two of the six contestants in the Saratoga championship, and two of the six contestants in the Schenectady championship finals are lawyers.

On the Capital District top players list, lawyers hold positions 5, 7, 19, 23, 34, 51 and 70.

There is one fact that I, as a lawyer and chess player, find particularly noteworthy: Of the seven identified lawyers, none of us have worked for a large law firm for a significant part of our careers: one holds a position with the Department of Public Service, two are retired from other state jobs, three of us either were or are solo practitioners, and one is employed by the State in a non-legal capacity.

I would suggest that this is not an accident: Lawyers who are drawn to the pure intellectual struggle of chess are not the types of people who are drawn to the type of work that is done by large law firms.

This week’s problem

White’s (Grandmaster Karkajin) 31st move, Qg2, contained a subtle threat which Black, (Ivan Sokolov, who was having a very bad tournament and finished last) failed to recognize when he played Rd8.

As a result, White has an immediate win.

Hint: It is a relatively quiet move, rather than a spectacular piece sacrifice.

Scroll down for solution

After 32 Bc2, Sokolov resigned because of the threat of Bd1, trapping the Black Queen. 31 Qg2 indirectly threatened mate at g7, and prevents the Knight at g6 from moving to create a retreat for the Queen. Had Black played 31… Re7, Black could now play Nf8, and answer 33 Bd1 with Qe8. After 32… Rd8, Black’s best is to give up his Bishop with Bg3, but a full piece down is a hopeless loss at the grandmaster level.

Kenneth WilleteGUILDERLAND — A man who left a blood trail after breaking into a Heartland Drive home in 2010 pleaded guilty to second-degree burglary, a Class C violent felony, in Albany County Court on Tuesday.

Currently a prisoner in New Hampshire State Prison for an unrelated crime, Kenneth Willete, 36, kicked in a basement window of a Guilderland home to steal jewelry, electronics, money, and sports memorabilia in June of 2010, according to a press release from the district attorney’s office.

When the homeowner returned, Willete confronted him before driving off, the release said.

By Melissa Hale-Spencer

GUILDERLAND — Fast action on Friday — first, from a neighbor and then from volunteer firefighters — saved a house from being destroyed by flames.

The Enterprise —  Doris Selig
Peering inside: Bill Beha, left, and Vic Rodriquez, both members of the Guilderland Fire Department, check to see that the flames have been quelled in a house at 3272 East Old State Road on Friday, Jan. 25.A neighbor across the street from the vinyl-sided frame house at 3272 East Old State Road saw smoke and called 911, according to Allen Mason, a lieutenant with the Guilderland Fire Department.

The call came in at 1:06 p.m., and, within 11 minutes, “We were on the scene,” he said.

By Marcello Iaia

HILLTOWNS — Disruptive behavior has traditionally been met with discipline in schools. For actions, there are consequences.

Berne-Knox-Westerlo administrators are hoping to create a “positive social culture” in pre-K through eighth grade next fall to address behavior issues that cut down on time spent teaching and promote core values: “be respectful,” “be responsible,” and “be safe.”

At the Jan. 22 board of education meeting, Regina Yeo, elementary school principal, and Susan Casper, director of special education for the district, presented a comprehensive approach to behavior touted under Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports by the United States Department of Education Office of Special Education Programs.

The board gave its support for PBIS, which carries a $4,800 cost this year and $7,500 each year after, and plans to include it in its 2013-14 fiscal year budget process.

“The biggest problem we have is discipline. We hear it from teachers, from parents, from students, from everybody,” said Vasilios Lefkaditis, president of the board of education, at the Jan. 22 meeting.

Weichert Real Estate Affiliates, Inc. was ranked second in the nation by Entrepreneur magazine among all other competitors in the real-estate category in its “Entrepreneur 2013 Franchise 500” list, an annual ranking of America’s top franchise opportunities. The full list appears in the January 2013 issue of Entrepreneur.

WREA entered the franchise arena in 2001 as a division of Weichert, Realtors, opening its first affiliated office in January 2002. In 2005, WREA was identified in Entrepreneur’s “Top 10 New Franchises” as one of the fastest growing U.S. franchises and was the only real estate organization to be included.

In 2008, Entrepreneur’s 29th Annual Franchise 500 listed WREA in 35th place among the nation’s fastest growing franchises in all categories. According to the magazine, this made Weichert Real Estate Affiliates the second-fastest growing real-estate franchise in the nation.

Currently, Weichert’s independently owned and operated affiliates serve more than 230 markets in 35 states.

Senior Hope Counseling, Inc., a not-for-profit non-intensive substance-abuse treatment program for seniors 50 years and older and their families, has appointed a new executive director, Nicole S. MacFarland.

At the same time, William Brian Barr has been named president of Senior Hope’s board of directors.

Nicole S. MacFarlandMacFarland was recently promoted after serving as the agency’s clinical director for the past eight years. She succeeds Senior Hope co-founder and former executive director, Dr. William P. Rockwood, who led the agency since its inception in 2002.

Rockwood announced his retirement in May 2012 at the agency’s 10th anniversary celebration, where he and Adrienne Rockwood, his wife and Senior Hope’s co-founder, were honored for their vision and their work with the elderly in the Capital Region. Both Dr. Rockwood and Adrienne Rockwood remain involved with Senior Hope, meeting regularly with clients and serving as honorary board members.

MacFarland has been a pioneer and outspoken advocate in the field of geriatrics, according to a release from Senior Hope Counseling. She has lectured on both the local and national stage on the topic of geriatric addictions and co-occurring disorders among older adults.

Her articles have been printed in several national publications and she wrote a chapter in the book, Days in the Lives of Gerontological Social Workers: 44 Professionals Tell Stories from Real Life Social Practice with Older Adults.

MacFarland has also developed an online continuing education course about seniors in recovery, available through the New York State National Association of Social Workers. She is the recipient of a Hartford Doctoral Fellows Pre-Dissertation Award and the 2009 New York State Individual of Distinction in Addictions Education and Training Award. In 2010, she was honored as Social Worker of the Year at the NASW-NYS conference.

MacFarland’s community service includes leadership roles within the National Association of Workers, as delegate to the National Delegate Assembly representing the Northeast division of New York State, and representative to the committee on nominations and leadership identification for the NASW-Northeast division.

MacFarland received her bachelor of arts degree from Skidmore College and a master’s degree in social work from the University of Pennsylvania School of Social Policy and Practice. She is currently a doctoral candidate at the University at Albany’s School of Social Welfare, where she is completing a dissertation in the area of geriatric addictions. MacFarland lives in the Capital Region with her husband, Gary, and their son, Jared.

President Barr

Barr is a retired social worker and substance-abuse counselor. He has been a volunteer and activist in the Capital Region for more than 35 years, working closely with such service organizations as the Neighborhood Resource Center, Rotary Club, and United Way.

William Brian BarrBefore joining Senior Hope’s board as vice president in 2005, he served as associate deputy commissioner for the New York State Office of Children and Family Services. Prior to that position, he was the clinic and community service director for LaSalle School, a post he held for 28 years.

In 2011, Barr was honored by the Jefferson Awards for Public Service at a national recognition ceremony in Washington, D.C. where he spoke before volunteer leaders from across the country. The Jefferson Awards – often referred to as the “Nobel Prize for public service” – are a prestigious national recognition system honoring community and public service in America, presented on both national and local levels. The awards program, whose past national honorees include Rosalynn Carter, Colin Powell, and Oprah Winfrey, serves as a call to action for volunteers in local communities.

The Barr family experienced a deep personal tragedy when they lost their 18-year-old son to suicide in 1984. Since that time, Barr has been a prominent voice in the suicide-prevention movement, as one of the first to speak of suicide as a disease.

He also recognized the need for specialized treatment and the importance of renewing dignity to those most affected by the loss of a loved one. His work has been published in several venues, including Prevention magazine and the book, One Bite at a Time: Attitude Control in Daily Living.

Barr is a graduate of Christian Brothers Academy and St. Michael’s College, and he received his master’s degree in social work from Boston College. He is also an affiliate member of the Brothers of the Christian Schools.

The other members of the board of directors are Vice President Alice Green, Ph.D.; Treasurer Alan Lobel, M.B.A.; Secretary Karen Lobel, M.S.; Robert Conway Jr.; Betty Devine, M.S.W.; Rose Golden, L.M.S.W.; Alice King, Ph.D.; Peter Knapp; Margarita Perez; and Cheryl Randall, Esq. Honorary board members include William Rockwood, Ph.D.; Adrienne Rockwood, M.S., Ed.S.; and Father Peter Young.

By Anne Hayden

The Enterprise — Michael Koff
A dream come true: Art Nauman has wanted to open his own restaurant for over a decade, and he achieved his goal in November when he opened P’sghetti’s in the Park Guilderland Plaza on Route 146. The restaurant offers a take-out menu for pizza and a full dinner menu for patrons who want to eat in the family-friendly dining room.GUILDERLAND CENTER — 
A new Guilderland Center restaurant got its name based on an argument and a joke.

Art Nauman, owner of the Italian-themed eatery called P’sghetti’s, said he was amiably arguing with a friend when he was filing the paperwork for his new restaurant, because he couldn’t think of a name. He was aiming for something that would reflect that it was a family-friendly eatery.

“My friend said, ‘I don’t care if you call the place P’sghetti’s, but you need a name!’” said Nauman. “I stopped and thought about it, then called a few people whose opinions I trusted, and they all liked it as a name.”

It is meant to approximate the way a young child might pronounce spaghetti.

By Jordan J. Michael

The Enterprise — Jordan J. Michael
Hitting the brakes during last Friday’s game is Guilderland point guard Shannon Mackesey (#10) after blowing by Burnt Hills’ Gabby Mackenzie-Rivera on her pursuit to the basket. The Dutch won the home game, 49 to 38, and Mackesey scored 13 points. Guilderland is 6-5 in the Suburban Council South.GUILDERLAND –– So far, the Guilderland girls’ basketball season has fluctuated between wins and losses. The 7-7 team is looking for consistency.

In the first 10 games, the Dutch followed each win with a loss until a defeat at Colonie broke the cycle after being hammered by Averill Park in the previous contest. Then, Guilderland won two straight games –– over Saratoga and Burnt Hills –– only to lose to Columbia at home on Tuesday.

The 48-to-43 defeat to the Columbia Blue Devils was significant, dropping Guilderland (6-6) into a tie with Columbia (also 6-6) in the Suburban Council South standings. Tuesday’s loss put a constraint on the Dutch’s fight for a fourth seed in the upcoming Class AA sectionals.

Three of Guilderland’s four remaining regular-season games are against opponents ahead in the standings –– Bethlehem, Averill Park, and Colonie have each beaten the Dutch by double digits this year.

Last Friday, after a 49-to-38 victory over Burnt Hills, senior Emily Sischo, who scored 14 points for Guilderland, emphasized the Dutch’s need to build on its two-game winning streak. Instead, Guilderland dismantled against Columbia.

Dutch Head Coach Frank Cacckello said on Wednesday that Columbia is of equal talent to his team. “There’s no excuses, but it was a weird game,” he said of the loss to Columbia. “We didn’t have any real time to practice leading up to the game, so we came out flat.”

By Jordan J. Michael

The Enterprise — Jordan J. Michael
Putting on his game face, Brock Gingell of the Guilderland-Mohonasen hockey team readies himself for the rink after a dismal first period during an 11-to-1 loss to Niskayuna-Schenectady at Union College on Tuesday night. The Dutch Warriors are in the basement of the Capital District High School Hockey League with a 0-17 record. Guilderland-Mohonasen hasn’t come close to winning a game.SCHENECTADY –– When a situation is going poorly, you can give up and walk away, or keep fighting and try to search for answers. Falling to 0-17 after another hefty loss on Tuesday, the Guilderland-Mohonasen hockey team is facing a truckload of adversity.

The Dutch Warriors dressed only 13 skaters on Tuesday. The team has allowed 132 goals this season while scoring only 12 times. On paper, Guilderland-Mohonasen is by far the worst team in the Capital District High School Hockey League.

On ice, the Dutch Warriors are still in the pits, but the players and Head Coach Ed Koivula say that the team isn’t going to fold like a chair. Guilderland-Monhonasen has two more chances to try and scratch out a victory.

“Do you get into the fetal position and just lay down and die?” exclaimed Koivula after an 11-to-1 shellacking at the hands of Niskayuna-Schenectady at Union College. It was the second 11-to-1 defeat to the Mohawks this year. “Or, do you fight back and keep going and try to see positives?” he asked.

By Jordan J. Michael

The Enterprise — Jordan J. Michael
Limb locked: Voorheesville sophomore Nick Succocio drapes his body over Mechanicville wrestler Devin Gaudette during a 138-pound match last Thursday at Voorheesville. Succocio’s right hand is grasped onto Gaudette’s right ankle. Succocio won the match, pinning Gaudette with 34 seconds left in the first round.VOORHEESVILLE –– With half a wrestling team and no juniors or seniors, Voorheesville is trying to do the best it possibly can. Winning meets isn’t really an option, so the wrestlers are focusing on the future.

Last Thursday, the Blackbirds hosted a meet against Mechanicville. Seven matches were spread out over 25 minutes, and most of the matches ended in the first round. Not one match made it to the third round.

Alex Fisher (99 pounds), Tristan Welton (113), and Nick Succocio (138) each pinned their opponents in the first round for Voorheesville. Mechanicville recorded pins in the other four matches.

By Melissa Hale-Spencer

GUILDERLAND — The president of the public library board left for California on sabbatical and the trustees, at their January meeting, could not agree on which of two candidates should fill the vacancy on the 11-member board.

Vishnu Chaturvedi, a clinical microbiologist, is now at Berkeley, according to the library’s director, Barbara Nichols Randall.

“It’s a great loss,” she said of Chaturvedi’s departure. “He was very methodical and scientific…It was a career opportunity he couldn’t ignore.”

She added, “We’re happy for him, just like we were for Doug Morrissey.”

Morrissey had been the board’s president before Chaturvedi.

Clarkson honors

These local students were named Presidential Scholars for the fall 2012 semester at Clarkson University:

— Luke D. Berte, a senior majoring in financial information and analysis, from Voorheesville;

— Melissa K. Bogart, a freshman majoring in engineering studies, from Voorheesville;

— Karen M. Dawson, a senior majoring in chemical engineering and environmental engineering, from Voorheesville;

Students on dean’s list at University of Delaware

The following local students have been named to the University of Delaware’s dean’s list for the Fall 2012 semester:

— Jennifer Belgiovine, of Voorheesville;

— Katharine Chiseri, of Voorheesville;

— Zachary Keller, of Voorheesville;

— Kevin Kost, of Schenectady;

— Salvatore Loccisano, of Voorheesville; and

— Kelly Nash, of Schenectady.

To meet eligibility requirements for the dean’s list, a student must be enrolled full-time and earn a grade-point average of 3.33 or above for the semester.

Dean’s list Geneseo

These local students have been named to the dean’s for the fall 2012 semester at The State University of New York at Geneseo:

— Allison Cropsey from Altamont, at the State University of New York College at Geneseo;

— Alexandra Fasulo from Altamont, at the State University of New York College at Geneseo;

— Charles Turner from East Berne, at the State University of New York College at Geneseo;

— Marissa Buyck from Schenectady, at the State University of New York College at Geneseo;

— Shelby Leonard from Schenectady, at the State University of New York College at Geneseo;

— Lisa Velesko from Schenectady at the State University of New York College at Geneseo; and

— Stephen Barron from Voorheesville, at the State University of New York College at Geneseo.

By Jane Scrafford

The Tawasentha Chapter of the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution is proud to announce the selection of four local high school seniors as DAR Good Citizens.

The Good Citizens Program is a long-standing event in the DAR year. Each chapter notifies local schools of the opportunity to name one high school senior as the school’s DAR Good Citizen. Selected students must exemplify the character traits of the Good Citizen program, which are dependability, service, leadership, and patriotism.

Mujtaba Warsi, center, a Bethlehem High School student, is flanked by his mother, Faiza Warsi, right, and Jane Scrafford, Tawasentha Chapter’s chairwoman for the Good Citizens Award. His essay is, among the four local winners, the one chosen to compete at the national level.

These local students have been named to the Siena College president’s list for the fall 2012 semester:

— April Alfieri, a junior biology major, of Schenectady;

— Renee Bourgeois, a senior physics major, of Schenectady;

— Joshua Giordano, a sophomore biology major, of Schenectady;

— Julian Girard, a sophomore physics major, of Altamont;

— David Hoffman, a freshman religious studies major, of Schenectady;

— Anjali Panackal, a sophomore biology major, of Altamont;

— Francesca Romano, a senior mathematics major, of Schenectady;

— Audrey Sabatini, a senior economics major, of Schenectady;

— Haani Mohammed Virjee, a junior biology major, of Guilderland; and

— Joseph Watroba, a senior accounting major, of Schenectady.

To be named to the president’s list, a student’s grade-point average for the semester must be 3.9 or above.

Dean’s list

Also for the fall 2012 semester, these local students have been named to the Siena College dean’s list:

—Max Clayton, a senior psychology major, of Voorheesville;

— Christopher Gosh, a senior marketing major, of Schenectady;

— Alyssa Grogan, a sophomore biology major, of Altamont;

— Daniel Lee, a senior biology major, of Schenectady;

— Joseph Mastroianni, a junior finance major, of Schenectady;

— Jessica Olszowy, a junior accounting major, of Schenectady;

— Vincenzo Polsinelli, a senior biology major, of Schenectady;

— Steven Spaccarelli, a freshman political science major, of Altamont;

— Matthew Spargo, a senior environmental studies major, of East Berne; and

— Robert Williams, a junior chemistry major, of Schenectady.

To be named to the dean’s list, a student’s grade-point average for the semester must be between 3.5 and 3.89.

The following local students were recently named to the President’s List for the fall 2012 semester at Hudson Valley Community College.

To be named to the President’s List a student must have a term grade-point average between 3.5 and 4.0.

— Erika Dockey of Altamont, in the liberal arts and science: humanities and social science academic program;

— Kendra Dzingle of Altamont, in the liberal arts and science: humanities and social science academic program;

— Thomas Fiacco of Altamont, in the mortuary science academic program;

— Maxwell Goodknight of Altamont, in the non-matriculated academic program;

— Christopher LeClair of Altamont, in the automotive technical service academic program;

— Jamie Martin of Altamont, in the business administration academic program;

The following local students have been named to the 2012 fall term dean’s list at Hartwick College:

— Traci Bologna-Jill, of Altamont, is the daughter of Joanne and Scott Bologna-Jill. She is a junior majoring in biology;

— Steven Grzeskowiak, of Schenectady, is the son of Lisa and Michael Grzeskowiak. He is a junior majoring in physics and mathematics;

— Mallory Kuchis, of Schenectady, is the daughter of Anthony and Michelle Kuchis. She is a junior majoring in biology;

—Aaron Parisi, of Schenectady, is the son of Adam and Christine Parisi. He is a junior majoring in economics and mathematics;

— Derek Rexford, of Schenectady, is the son of Lloyd Race and Kim Rexford. He is a junior majoring in art;

— Brianna O’Keefe, of Voorheesville, is the daughter of Jami and Kenneth O’Keefe. She is a sophomore majoring in nursing;

— Helen Merkley, of Schenectady, is the daughter of Arthur and Susan Merkley. She is a first-year student; and

— Kelsey Wegener, of Voorheesville, is the daughter of Lori Wegener and Marc Wegener. She is a first-year student majoring in psychology and sociology.

Hartwick’s dean’s list reflect the completion of a full course load with at least a 3.5 grade-point average based on a 4.0 scale.

These local residents were among 805 students named to The College of Saint Rose dean’s list for the fall 2012 semester:

— Haley Anderson, of Schenectady;

— Joseph Atwood, of Schenectady;

— Joseph Conway, of Schenectady;

— Briana DelBene, of Altamont;

— Kayla Furnia, of Schenectady;

— Jenna Herbert, of Schenectady;

— David LeBlanc, of Schenectady;

— Rachel Newman, of Schenectady;

— Kevin Noonan, of Schenectady;

— Anthony Pitkin, of Schenectady;

— Nina Santana, of Schenectady;

—Robert Stoddard, of Schenectady;

— Britania Weinstein, of Voorheesville;

— Lauren Febraio, of Schenectady;

— Andrea Bollentin, of Voorheesville;

— Brittany Countryman, of Schenectady;

— Karen Lima, of Schenectady;

— Denise Willsey, of East Berne;

— Alessia Duca, of Schenectady;

—Sarah Dykstra, of Voorheesville;

—Teresa Falco, of Schenectady; and

— Peter New, of Schenectady.

Full-time students who achieve a semester grade-point average of at least 3.5, are on the list.

Oneonta honors

These students were named to the State University of New York College at Oneonta Provost’s List for the fall 2012 semester: — Christopher Cure of Altamont; and

— Hannah Kinisky of Schenectady.

Dean’s list

These local residents earned dean’s list honors for the fall:

— Carlie Bassler of Altamont;

— Kathryn Forti of Altamont;

— Benjamin Greene of Schenectady;

— Kelsey Lizotte of Schenectady;

— Elizabeth Marshall of Altamont;

— Michael Perkins of Schenectady;

— Alicia Switser of Schenectady; and

— Bryttni Walter of Schenectady.

McKOWNVILLE — Michael G. Melas, M.D., a local physician, a leader in the Greek Orthodox Church, and devoted family man, died peacefully at the Daughters of Sarah Nursing Home in Albany, on Tuesday, Jan. 22, 2013, after a long illness. He was 87.

“He was shy in some respects,” said his wife of 55 years, Jane Melas, “but always able to talk to his patients…He loved his patients.”

She went on, “Even at the nursing home, he thought he was there to work. They got a big kick out of that. He never forgot he was a doctor.”

Dr. Melas was born on Oct. 25, 1925, to the late George and Eugenia Melas; he was the third of five children. His parents were both born in Greece.

“He was very, very close with his Greek Orthodox faith, and very proud of his Greek heritage,” said his wife. “He knew the Greek language before he went to school.”

His father had a Greek restaurant, where Dr. Melas worked when he was growing up.

He was raised in Albany and attended Albany High School.

In 1943, he went into the United States Army, serving in Italy in the 10th Mountain Division. “He went in right after high school,” said his wife. “He was just 18. They taught him how to ski.”

During the war, fighting in difficult mountainous terrain, Dr. Melas forged bonds that lasted a lifetime. He was an avid and enthusiastic member of the 10th Mountain Division Association, and attended many reunions, his wife said.

During the war, he received a Bronze Star, a Purple Heart, and three Campaign Stars.

After the war, Dr. Melas studied at Siena College, where he received his bachelor of science in biology in 1949; he attended Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and graduated with a master of science degree in biology in 1951. He was a Full Emeritus Member of Sigma Xi at RPI.

After RPI, he attended Albany Medical College, where he received his Doctor of Medicine in 1955. He continued on as an intern, assistant resident, and chief resident in medicine through 1959.

In 1959, Dr. Melas set up his medical practice in Albany, treating many generations of families, until 1990, when he retired. “After he retired — at 65 because of a back disability — former patients would always recognize him and say how they missed him,” said Mrs. Melas.

He met his wife as a young doctor at Albany Medical Center where she was a nurse. “At the hospital, they called him the Greek god. He was Greek and very handsome,” recalled Mrs. Melas. “He was wonderful…We had a very good marriage.”

The couple settled in Guilderland in 1960, in a Colonial on Western Avenue. “We were in the same home in McKownville for 52 years,” said Mrs. Melas.

Her husband liked Guilderland, she said, and in 1973, ran unsuccessfully for a seat on the Guilderland Town Board. Dr. Melas was a Democrat, and the board at that time was Republican.

“He liked the people here,” Mrs. Melas said of Guilderland. “He was very active in the McKownville fire department. He examined the new recruits.”

Although Dr. Melas had little time to spare with a busy medical practice, he was a “wonderful father” to their son and daughter, said Mrs. Melas. “He took us to Greece twice,” she said.

His dedication to medicine went beyond caring for his patients.

Dr. Melas served as president of the Alumni Association of Albany Medical College, a member of the board of trustees at Albany Medical College, and the Area Medical Director for the New York Telephone Company. He served on the staff of Albany Medical Center, St. Peter’s Hospital, and Child’s Hospital, and as associate clinical professor of Albany Medical College.

Throughout his life, Dr. Melas drew great strength from his faith, his wife said, and made many contributions to the church.

Dr. Melas was a lifelong member of St. Sophia Greek Orthodox Church, where he served on the Parish Council for over 25 years, including eight years as president.

He was a longtime member of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocesan Committee of North and South America, a trustee of St. Basil’s Orphanage, and a member of the American Hellenic Educational Progressive Association. In addition, he served as the vice chairman of the founding committee of the St. Sophia Senior Citizens Apartments, beginning in 1980, and served on the board continuously, in some capacity, since that time, until his death.

In 1972, Patriarch Athenagoras named him Archon Aktouarios, the highest honor that can be bestowed on a layman in the Greek Orthodox faith. An Archon is an honoree by His All Holiness, the Ecumenical Patriarch, for his outstanding service to the church.

“He was a devoted physician who compassionately treated anyone who sought his help,” his family wrote in a tribute. “He was a loving family man who cherished spending time with his children and grandchildren.”

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The family would like to thank the staff of the Blue Unit at the Daughters of Sarah Nursing home for their caring, comfort, and support during his illness.

Dr. Melas is survived by his wife of 55 years, Jane (Feist) Melas, of Guilderland; his children, George Melas, and his wife, Kari, of Delmar, and Andrea Papandrea, and her husband, James, of Guilderland; his grandchildren, Trystan and Jesse Melas, and Michelle and Matthew Papandrea; his sisters, Christine Marcklinger and Angeline Koutelis; his sister-in-law, Ann Melas; Louise Phillips, and her husband, Joseph; Roberta Feist; and many nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends.

His brother, Alexander, died before him, as did his sister, Irene, and his brothers-in-law, William, John, Nicholas, and John.

A funeral was held on Jan. 26 at St. Sophia Greek Orthodox Church in Albany. Interment was at the Graceland Cemetery.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association, 4 Pine West Plaza, Building 4, Washington Avenue Extension, Albany, NY 12205, or to St. Sophia Greek Orthodox Church, 440 Whitehall Road, Albany, NY 12208.

— Melissa Hale-Spencer and Anne Hayden