Category Archives: Communities

GREEN THOUGHTS: Gone daffy o’er the queen

by DAVID CHINERY

THE FEW RECENT DAYS of sunshine and warmth have come as a welcome shock to the body and soul. While our travels are restricted, we’re still allowed to emerge outdoors into our personal safe zones, shrugging off winter’s long-johns, Snuggies and gloom. And what better to greet us than the daffodil? William Cullen Bryant said it best in four simple lines: “Though many a flower in the wood is waking, the daffodil is our doorside queen; she pushes upward the sword already, to spot with sunshine the early green.”

Just picturing a daffodil makes me happier. And that such a delightful plant is so easily grown is another gift from the gardening gods. Daffodils thrive in any at-least-average, decently drained soil, in full sun or partial shade. In fall, plant them at a depth two times the bulb’s height and they will easily outlive you. Deer and voles leave them alone since they contain needle-like crystals of calcium oxalate–why can’t more plants contain such pest insurance? All daffodils ask is that you leave their foliage to wither naturally after the flowers fade, which can be maddening for neatnik gardeners. The trick is to plant them amongst emerging daylilies or other perennials which can mask the dieback or in a patch of lawn which can be left unmown. If that is impossible, give them at least six weeks post-bloom before wielding the shears in their direction. Read more…

THROUGH THE WOODS: Daffodils

by NANCY JANE KERN

I WANDER’D lonely as a cloud

That floats on high o’er vales and hills,

When all at once I saw a crowd,

A host, of golden daffodils;

Beside the lake, beneath the trees,

Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.

–William Wordsworth 1804

WHAT BEAUTIFUL IMAGERY for a beautiful flower.

Narcissus was the classical Greek name of a beautiful youth who became so entranced with his own reflection that he pined away and the gods turned him into a flower. People sometimes refer to certain types of daffodils as narcissus, but in general growers refer to all types as daffodils.

Daffodils grow wild and are found in a variety of habitats in Europe and North Africa. Spain hosts the greatest variety of species, but they can also be found in Morocco, Portugal, western France, Italy, and other countries.

Daffodils were found in gardens at a very early stage in the history of man. About 300 BC, the Greek botanist and philosopher Theophrastus listed and described many of the earliest known kinds. Thousands of cultivars have been bred by hybridizers around the world. These cultivars are usually grown in spring, or less frequently in autumn or winter. The petals are mostly yellow or white but can occasionally be orange, green, or red or a combination of these colors. Read more…

Community briefs for April 9 through 16

by STAFF
Grange offers wide variety of help
COPAKE– The Copake Grange #935 is offering bandanna masks for anyone who is in need. They are made based on CDC guidelines (https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/diy-cloth-face-coverings.html). To get one, email: and Grangers will make arrangements to get the masks to those who need them..

Also, the Grange has a Match-Up Program, in which volunteers will help with picking up groceries and medications. To get this help, email a request to or call 917-270-5989. Volunteers are standing by, ready to be of service.

Franny Alexander is a Copake community member who has a background in holistic nursing/health counseling and is an RN, a licensed yoga teacher, and a retired pediatric nurse practitioner. She is volunteering her time as a “listener.” In this time of social isolation, those who live alone may want to talk with someone and learn some simple ways to handle the stress with gentle stretching, breathing, and other ways to relax. She is available for telephone discussions for two hours a day from 9 to 11 a.m. (except Sundays). Schedule a time to talk with Ms. Alexander by contacting her at . She offers general support, not psychological therapy.
With Covid-19 so much in the spotlight, people may have forgotten that this is tick season and it is especially bad this year. Here is a tip: check yourself frequently and if you find a tick on your body put a dab of Dawn liquid detergent on it. The tick will start wiggling out, making it much easier to remove.

No chicken now

COPAKE—The Copake Fire Company #1 chicken barbecue at the fire station, 390 Center Hill Road (County Route 7A), April 11, has been canceled.

Egg hunt off for this year

MELLENVILLE—Following the CDC’s recommendation discouraging gatherings of 50 or more people, the Claverack Republican Club has canceled the annual Easter egg hunt scheduled for April 11 at the Claverack Town Park in Mellenville.

The event traditionally draws hundreds of area youngsters, their parents and grandparents but must be canceled this year for fears of the Corona Virus. Read more…

College nursing dept. donates PPE to CMH

by STAFF

GREENPORT—Columbia-Greene Community College’s Nursing Department recently donated several cases of personal protective equipment (PPE) to Columbia Memorial Health.

The gowns and masks were given to the hospital as part of a national effort to supply front-line medical staff with these items, which have fallen into short supply as the Covid-19 pandemic reaches a fever pitch world-wide.

“We packed up everything we could in our lab and filled a trunk with boxes. CMH has been an extraordinary supporter of C-GCC’s Nursing program, and we will do anything we can to help them,” Dawn Wrigley, C-GCC professor of nursing and department chairperson, said in a press release. Read more…

Canetto named to Capital District Sports Women of the Year

by STAFF

Taconic Hills High School senior Amelia Canetto.

CRARYVILLE – Amelia Canetto, a senior at Taconic Hills High School, has been named as one of the 10 scholastic award recipients for 2020 by the Capital District Sports Women of the Year.

Amelia, who competes in field hockey and track & field, will be recognized at the first-ever Capital District Sports Women of the Year Awards Gala, which is scheduled for May 12 at 6:30 p.m. at the GE Theatre at Proctors in Schenectady.

The Capital District Sports Women of the Year (CDSWOY) honors the best and brightest female student athletes from high schools and colleges in the Capital District of New York State. The student-athletes will be recognized for their achievements in academics, athletics and community service. More information is provided at the website, cdswoy.com. Read more…