Category Archives: News

Read the latest local news from Columbia County and surrounding areas.

ICC gets more than expected in state aid

by EMILIA TEASDALE

VALATIE–The Ichabod Crane Board of Education reviewed the school’s state aid for the 2019-20 school year at their meeting Tuesday night, with Superintendent Michael Vanyo reporting that the district will receive about $80,000 more in state aid than expected when the district started planning early this year for next year’s budget.

“We are really pleased,” he said of the budget numbers though he did say, “to get $80,000 more is a very thin margin.”

The district is looking at a $41-million budget for the next school year with about $15.7 million of that coming from the state aid. The rest of the funds, about 58% of the total budget, will come mainly from local property taxes. Read more…

K’hook village ponders short-term rental law

by EMILIA TEASDALE

KINDERHOOK–Mayor Jim Dunham presented the Village Board with a proposed zoning law on short-term rentals at the Wednesday, March 13 village meeting.

Village Zoning Code Enforcement Officer Glenn Smith had asked the board to review some sort of village regulations on short-term rentals, like the ones offered on the website Airbnb. At the January board meeting, Mr. Smith told the board he looked at the Airbnb website and there are several short-term rental options offered in the village.

“I don’t want to eliminate them, I just want them to be inspected,” he said at that meeting. Read more…

New Lebanon switches to LED streetlights

by PETER FLIERL

NEW LEBANON–The Town Board meeting March 12 was preceded by a special meeting and presentation on the Columbia County Environmental Management Council Resolutions on Carbon Fee and Dividend, a policy to address climate change. There was a packed house and attendees were encouraged to participate in discussions throughout the evening.

Like other Columbia County towns, Supervisor Colleen Teal noted that New Lebanon had received an increase in revenue from the county sales tax, a reflection of the improved economy that resulted in $97,000 more than budgeted. Read more…

Supervisor’s cool to pavilion stove purchase

by EMILIA TEASDALE

CHATHAM–The Town Board reviewed plans for an updated pavilion at Crellin Park at their meeting last week. The board plans to borrow over $220,000 to add flooring, bathrooms and snack bar/kitchen to the structure at the town park near the swimming pond.

At the March 21 meeting, the board debated whether or not the plans should include a radiant heating system and a stove for the kitchen, which would add another $26,000 to the plan.

There was also discussion of whether to connect the pavilion to the Village of Chatham water system or continue using a well at the site. If the board chooses the well, the town will have to install an $8,500 water treatment system. The site is already connected to the village sewer system. Read more…

Upper Hudson Planned Parenthood celebrates it’s new home

by DAVID LEE

HUDSON – Upper Hudson Planned Parenthood (UHPP) employed the giant scissors of the Columbia County Chamber of Commerce to cut the ribbon on its new facility at 804 Columbia Street on Monday, March 25. In attendance to lend their support for the opening were Congressman Antonio Delgado (D-19) and Assemblymember Didi Barrett (D-106).

The health center will serve more people in Columbia, Greene, Albany, Rensselaer and Berkshire counties. The next nearest centers are in Albany and Kingston. Plans are in the works for a new center in Troy.

The facility has four patient rooms, an abortion recovery room, behavioral health care and counseling offices, and a shared teen space and community room. Services include health care, abortion, sexual health education, transgender care and mental health counseling. Read more…