Here’s where inflation is welcome

Sunday, May 15 brought the 8th year of the Farmer’s Daughter Gravel Grinder bicycle race, a non-competitive event for all levels of experience. Starting at PS21 in Chatham, the race set out on a 65-mile course that covered the terrain mostly on gravel roads and trails and some paved intervals from Chatham to New Lebanon, Canaan, Richmond MA, Austerlitz and back to Chatham. Pictured are the riders on Main Street in the Village of Chatham. The event is named for one of Chatham Brewing’s IPAs. Event organizer Andy Ruiz said that there were about 740 riders from all over the Northeast. He said it went well thanks to all the sponsors and the Chatham community. Beneficiaries of the event included Columbia Land Conservancy, Crellin Park, PS 21, Chatham Fire and Police departments and youth cycling. The event is owned by the Capital Bike Racing Club. Photo by David Lee

Retiring school board members praise Hudson schools

by JEANETTE WOLFBERG

HUDSON—Two people who decided to leave the Hudson City District (HCSD) Board of Education spoke positively about their experience serving on it.

Charles Parmentier’s board term ends in June and he decided not to run again after serving almost four years. Sage Carter decided to leave the board following this week’s election. She served almost eight years and was its longest-serving member. The board’s longest-serving member is now Willette Jones, who joined it in 2016 and is currently president.

Ms. Carter is general manager of Hudson Hall. Her son is in 9th grade. Mr. Parmentier is Human Resources director of the state Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historical Preservation in Albany. His wife has taught in the HCSD for “close to 30 years.” His three children graduated from Hudson High School in 2008, 2011 and 2020. Read more…

State wants more Hecate data

by DIANE VALDEN

COPAKE—Hecate Energy must submit a long list of additional information before its application for a 60 megawatt (MW) industrial scale solar facility can be deemed complete.

On March 8 Hecate Energy, a Chicago-based developer of solar and wind facilities and energy storage projects, filed its application for the controversial Shepherd’s Run Solar Facility proposed for several sites along State Route 23 and County Route 7 in and around the Copake hamlet of Craryville.

The submission of the application with the New York State Office of Renewable Energy Siting (ORES) set in motion a 60-day clock by the end of which ORES will have reviewed the application and determined its completeness and define deficiencies, if any.

In his monthly update about the project to the Copake Town Board Deputy Supervisor Richard Wolf reported that “May 9, ORES issued Hecate a ‘Notice of Incomplete Application,’ and presented the developer with a 20-page list of additional information Hecate must submit for ORES’ review before it determines whether the Shepherd’s Run application is complete.” Read more…

Voters OK school spending

by PARRY TEASDALE

GHENT—Voters around the county have overwhelmingly approved all six public school district annual budgets and ballot propositions. Incumbent board members also fared well.

The margin of victory in the New Lebanon School District was so large for the budget and a bus purchase proposition that, in a brief website letter to the community, schools Superintendent Andrew Kourt referred to the victories as “80%” and “70%” respectively.

The budget for Ichabod Crane (ICC), which is still in the midst of a major upgrade of school buildings at the Valatie campus, received strong support, winning approval with 1,155 votes compared to 597 voting no. A ballot proposition to purchase four school buses for a total of $443,926 was green-lighted by Ichabod voters with a margin almost as large as the budget vote tally. Read more…

Ghent Sportsmen host annual Children’s Fishing Derby

by DAVID LEE

The Ghent Sportsmen’s Association held its annual children’s fishing derby on Saturday, May 7. The location was the pond next to the club house at 1128 County Route 9 which had lots of trout for the children to catch. There were 94 participants.

Pictured (l to r) are 6 year-old Faith Hansberger of Niverville holding up a very nice rainbow trout.

Cameron Vanderwerken of Averill Park with his catch.

Johannah Dunn of Stuyvesant holding up a stringer of trout

County asked to leave one lane open on Copake Falls bridge

by DIANE VALDEN

COPAKE FALLS—It may be a little bridge, but replacing it is going to be a big deal.

The bridge over the Bash Bish Brook on Valley View Road is just a stone’s throw off of Route 344 headed east through the hamlet. It’s an old steel grate bridge and county officials have been talking about replacing it for several years. The bridge’s weight limit has been reduced to eight tons, which prevents all but small utility fire apparatus from traveling over it.

To close the bridge down completely or leave one lane open during the replacement process is now the $2.2 million question.

Columbia County is moving forward with the bridge replacement project and will put it out for bid shortly, according to County Commissioner of Public Works Ray Jurkowski, PE, who recently convened a virtual meeting with stakeholders to discuss recent cost overruns and alternative ways to approach the project. Read more…