Around the Neighborhood - Summit

 

Bentley Wilcox as Alien if you have room

 

Here we are at November already, WOW

I hope the Trick or Treaters had fun and stayed warm on Halloween; man oh man it was chilly and windy.

I had fun watching the CRCS Ryder Halloween Parade with granddaughter in it.

Thank you to Deb and Jim Soucia, of Lutheranville, for leading us through their 11th annual Halloween Extravaganza on Halloween night. There were numerous rooms, a barn and a cemetery to walk through and get scared in. On the way home we went by a tree down on Sawyer Hollow Rd. then the power went out at 10:30 during the howling winds. Then on Sunday there was some sleet and snow mixed in with the rain at times.

Thank you to Dawn Fyfe, our postmaster, for a wonderful spread of goodies at the post office on Halloween.

I just put out a window bird feeder, with sunflower seeds, for the winter. The chickadees found it within an hour; how do they do that. Next came the juncos, tufted titmouse and blue jay.

Another wonder of the world; why do game apps get loaded on a cell phone all by themselves?

Upcoming November birthdays: Eddie Oles, Emmett Bush and Richard Blodgett. Thank You to Patricia Oles for letting me know.

Peppercorn Tavern in Charlotteville is now open daily for lunch and Thursday thru Sunday breakfast.

Any group interested in decorating a tree at the New York Power Authority Visitors Center contact Candi Mattice at candi.mattice@nypa.gov or 518-287-6385 to reserve at tree.

CESRPL Team and High Individual Match Scores 10/31/2025  Match V: Halloween Spooktackular? Stamford/Richmondville beat Sidney: 1103-20X to 1025-11X. High Stamford/Richmondville Scores were from: Carl Tubbs 282-7X; Gus Mueller 281-5X; Larry VanDeusen 271-1X; and Javin Traver 269-7X. Other Stamford/Richmondville Shooters were: Jim Hitt, Steve Baker, Harry Wykoff, David Ferris, Jan Hornbach, and Maynard Vance. High Scores for Sidney were: Connor Sherman 272-4X; Mike Terzo 264-1X; Brandi Carofe 248-2X; and Chris Curtin 241-4X. Other Sidney Shooters were: Jim Winn.

November 8 – Contra Dance at Breakabeen Grange, 130 Clauverwie Rd., 7-10pm with The Catskill Gamblers with Robby Poulette. Suggested donation $10, beginners welcome.

November 11- Veterans Day

November 13 – Schohary 250th meeting at LaSalle Hall, Schoharie, 10am. All welcome.

November 14- Pork Roast & Ham Buffet 5-7pm Charlotteville Firehouse.

November 15-December 7 – Regular Deer hunting season in the Southern Zone.

November 16- Charlotteville FD Breakfast Buffet 8-11am at the firehouse.

November 20- Summit Town Board meeting 7pm.

November 23- Charlotteville Schoolhouse Tree Lighting in their Front Memorial Garden at 4:30pm with hot cocoa and cookies

November 27 – Thanksgiving Day

November 27 – Schoharie County 38th Annual Thanksgiving Dinner, for home delivery call Office for the Aging 518-295-2001 by noon November 21.

November 29 – Holiday Market for small Business Saturday at Jefferson Central School, contact Andi Cammer is interested in being a vendor 607-652-7822 or acammer@jeffersoncsd.org

December 6 – Defensive Driving Course at Charlotteville Firehouse 9am-3pm, cost $35, call Sherry Stewart 607-538-9632 or Georgia  VanValkenburgh 607-422-6000 to register.

December  7- Charlotteville Schoolhouse off-site fundraiser at Ace Hardware 783 East Main St Cobleskill Brooks BBQ chicken halves - we start serving hot off the grill at 11am (assorted baked goods from our member volunteers will also be available for sale)

History

November 4, 1909 Jefferson Courier -  Eminence News.- Mrs. E. Muckey is on the sick list.- Mr. Roy Burnett and wife visited at C. D. Fancher’s.- David Beard has taken his herd of cows to Cobleskill for the winter.- Good many of our farmers have been busy drawing potatoes to market. -Mrs. Norman Crosby spent a part of last week visiting friends at this place.- Mr. and Mrs. David Gray made a business trip to Richmondville. - Marvin Dauley and family made a business trip to Cobleskill last week.- Mrs. F. S. Felter has returned home after visiting friends in Albany and Howes Cave. - Some of the farmers attended the creamery meeting at Jefferson Monday of this week. - H.W. Ploss was seen in town last week. He came to look after some of his farm produce. - Mrs. W. A. Face returned home after a two weeks’ visit with friends in Cobleskill. - Harry Felter returned home after spending some little time visiting friends at this place. - Geo. Harris and family have been visiting friends at this place. George says it looks natural.

Let me know if you have any news or events to share karenc@midtel.net.

 

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Local History - Autumn 1880 in Cobleskill

By Wildert Marte

COBLESKILL — In late September 1880, Cobleskill felt busy and a little electric. The Cobleskill Index of Thursday, September 30 opened with the season’s big draw: fair week. Rain and mud slowed the grounds on the first day, but once the gates truly opened, the crowds came in waves; entries were extensive, receipts were strong, and the midway soundtrack was brass bands, barker calls, and Brockway’s trained ponies drawing their usual knot of onlookers. It was, the paper said, the largest attendance yet.

Politics, of course, threaded through everything. Cobleskill was deep in the Hancock & English moment, and Democratic enthusiasm was loud enough to note. One Saturday brought a banner raising across Main Street portraits of the ticket swinging over a street stuffed with neighbors and by night a torchlight procession moved off to speeches. The mood was orderly, confident, and very pleased with the new pole and its handsome flag. The county’s Democratic nominations sat in bold type atop the front page that week, underscoring how national talk met local sidewalks each evening. Not everything was pageantry. A Thursday blaze at a shop Helyea’s was tamed with uncommon orderliness by a large, un-drilled crowd. Losses were partially covered by London insurance, the editors added, and they used the column inches to nudge readers: clean chimneys, mind your fires, and make sure your policies are sound. It’s striking how modern that advice reads across the years. The fair wasn’t the only school-year milestone. Teachers countywide were called to Cobleskill for the fall institute, a week of methods, music, and evening lectures beginning Monday, October 25. Trustees were invited to a dedicated day to swap notes with conductors Lantry and Northam framed in the paper as two of the state’s foremost educators. You can picture the downtown boarding houses filling up with valises, and the hardware counters briefly giving way to ink-stained lesson plans.

Travel and talk flowed beyond village bounds. The rails were hummin so much so that new “sidings” were being laid at Cobleskill and other stations, with a double-track promised for the next year. Stockyards were under construction out at Quaker Street the editors read the scene as proof that traffic and trade were on the climb. Meanwhile, telephones till a novelty, were set to reach Central Bridge, a one-line note that must have landed like a small miracle for business owners and anyone with relatives a few miles downriver. The index also captured the tiny dramas of town life. A pocket was picked; someone lost forty-five dollars at a boarding house; another had a watch lifted; a butter package walked out of a store at night. The paper printed these with a half-cluck, half-wink, often right next to ads for stoves, candies, and the newest run of Wheeler & Wilson sewing machines that could “write names” and stitch buttonholes like a trick. It’s all very human: a mix of warnings, shopping lists, and a gentle insistence that, yes, you really should drop by the agency on Division Street to see the modern marvel before the fair closes.

There’s a social map tucked into the columns, too: who's off to Chicago, who's visiting from Knowersville, and who’s trading law studies for a desk in Van Schaick’s office. A serenade for the Hotel Augusta and the Corn little civic courtesies that tell you as much about a place as any headline. Even the postmaster’s list of unclaimed letters sketches a roll call of neighbors you’d recognize on Main. Zooming out, you feel how politics and everyday life braided together. One paragraph tallied farmers and merchants preparing for a torchlight meeting; another teased Albany visitors who fared poorly with their exhibits; still another promised that local Democrats would “prevail or” with the sort of unfinished bravado that only makes sense when you’ve just come home from a rally and your ears are still ringing. The “big days” drew crowds, but the week itself was stitched from small routines: fieldwork, storekeeping, club meetings, and the steady logistics of a county fair that refused to be washed out by the weather.

Read together, those September pages sound like a living room with the door open: muddy boots at the mat, a band somewhere up the street, a coal stove flyer tucked under your arm, and a neighbor reminding you not to forget Thursday’s meeting because the teachers are in town next month and someone ought to show them around Main. 

 

 

 

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Honeys of the Valley to Debut at Sun Mountain Apiary Honey Store

DELANSON – It’s not often a business opens its door for the competition, but that is exactly what Sun Mountain Honey Store is doing.  With their own honey stock running low due to this spring’s weather conditions and high demand, owner Bob Muller thought why not give customers access to honey from other beekeepers.  Working with the Mohawk Valley Beekeepers Club, the store is allowing any current members of the club to display and sell their honey at their store. Members hail from throughout a five-county area and each has a unique honey based on the flora in their immediate area. 

“Many members, including myself, only have roadside stands to sell our honey.  As winter approaches we need to close even though we still may have honey.  With Bob offering access to the Sun Mountain’s Honey Store to sell our honey, it gives many club members a renewed chance to sell our product and gain exposure.”  Mike Hammond, President, Mohawk Valley Beekeepers

With honey and other hive related products being very popular gifts, offering “Honey of the Valley” during the holidays made a perfect fit.  As Muller explained, many in the club have less than 10 hives, yet make great honey the public normally does not have access to.  This is a unique opportunity for the public to try some of the many exquisite honeys our area has historically been known for.

 “This is a great collaboration among the area’s agribusinesses. It is this type of collaboration that will both benefit consumers and strengthen the resiliency of our small ag producers.  I am thrilled that they are collaborating to bring their wonderful local honeys to market.”  Caroline Myran, Schoharie County Agricultural Development Specialist.

Sun Mountain Apiary’s Honey Store will be offering “Honeys of the Valley” from November 1 to December 30.  The store is located just off Rt 146 in the Town of Wright and is open 9am to 5pm daily.  Mohawk Valley Beekeepers was formed in 2018 and meets at 7pm on the third Thursday of the month at Cooperative Extension in Cobleskill. It is open to both beginner and experienced beekeepers.

 

 

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Esperance FD Celebrates Halloween - Upcoming Event Preview

By Heather Skinner

ESPERANCE —The Esperance Volunteer Fire Department has offered a free, fun, and safe way families can celebrate Halloween and their open house for over 4 years now. 

Angela Burman (Secretary/Treasurer/Auxiliary Director) said that during the evening of October 31st they had over 150 visitors and, “We served-cider donuts, cider, goblin eye juice, soda floats, hamburgers, hot dogs and lots of fun with lots of music!” They also offered fire bags for adults and Burman credited Dairy Carnival for their candy donations. 

Volunteers put a lot of time, effort, and thought into shopping and preparations to make this event happen and Burman expressed, “We thank our Members for their support  - it takes a village!”

There is consideration to add even more activities during next year’s Halloween at the Esperance Fire Department including crafts, games, and a costume contest. 

Burman shared that there are many ways you can support the fire department; “First and foremost come join us either as a firefighter, Rescue Squad, support or Auxiliary!” Attending their events is another great way to show support and they have lots more exciting events coming up!

The Esperance Volunteer Fire Department is located at 115 Church Street and you can follow Esperance Fire and Rescue Squad on Facebook for updates. There will be more information as we get closer to Fish Fries for Lent and Valentine’s Day gift baskets.

November 9th from 7 AM- 11 AM they will be offering a Pancake Breakfast of pancakes, french toast, waffles, eggs, sausage, and sausage gravy by donation (cash and Venmo accepted.)

Christmas in Esperance will be Saturday, December 20th. Start your day enjoying Breakfast with Santa from 8 AM - 11 AM. Local vendors will be present from 1 PM -7 PM, there will also be an Esperance FD Auxiliary Bake Sale, and Santa will return for the 5 PM annual tree lighting. All day long there will be complimentary coffee, hot cocoa, warm cider, and kids will be able to participate in activities like decorating sugar cookies and making crafts.

If you live within 2 miles of the Village of Esperance, make sure to stop by the Esperance Village Hall by the 14th of December, where entry forms to enter the 8th annual Holiday House Decorating contest are available. Judging will be conducted the night before Christmas in Esperance and winners will be announced during the 5 PM tree lighting on December 20th. The prize for the Best Overall category will be a $100 Visa gift card, and $25 Visa gift cards will be awarded for Most Creative, Most Traditional, and Best Door.

Their Christmas in the Village of Esperance Facebook event page shows, “We are in need of Vendors!!! Please reach out to Angela to get your spot today!” Burman also encourages community participation and would like to hear ideas you may have for future events. Reach out at 518-487-9214 with your ideas and/or to secure your 10x10 space to set up your own table as a Christmas in Esperance vendor.

Candy donated by Dairy Carnival, photo supplied by Angela Burman.

“Support Your Local Fire & EMS Volunteers.” Firefighter, Rescue Squad, support and Auxiliary volunteers welcome! Attend their upcoming events, consider sending a note to show appreciation, and thank you to Angela Burman for this photo and Esperance Volunteer Fire Department Venmo Donation QR Code where donations can be made while holidays are in full swing and any time!

Photos supplied by Angela Burman. (Left) Dalton Ward in costume as Patrick Mahomes, (middle) Finnick Castro, (right bottom) Lauren Deffer & Caroline Waddell , and (right top) the Bakers: Morgan, Brittany, Emmanuel as Oscar the Grouch, and Maxwell as Tigger.

 

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Tough Loss for Bulldogs

Let the game begin. Bulldogs deferred and let the Wildcats have the ball first last Friday. 

HF/T built a 14-2 lead entering the final frame and put the game away with a pair of fourth quarter touchdowns, earning the Class C quarterfinal win on Friday.

August Lee and Owen Hart with rushing scores staked the Wildcats to a 14-0 lead at the break.

After C/R got on the board with a safety in the third period, HF/T opened the fourth with a 19-yard scoring strike from Hart to Gabe Toomijian and so after Glenn Milliman added an eight-yard rushing score to seal the victory. Hoosick Falls/Tamarac defeated C-R 27-10.

Lee led a strong Wildcat ground game gaining 128 yards on 31 carries while Milliman added 56 yards on 14 totes.

 

Chase Henry #28 with the carry picking up yards in this game. The weather was miserable. Cold, rain, wind. They couldn't keep the ball dry which added to the issues.

 

Cayden Cernauskas #9 gets caught in the backfield. Photos by Robert Duso.

 

Cayden Cernauskas #9 sends one down field in the direction of Cam Jackson.

 

Quarterback Owen Hart #15 of the Wildcats with the toss to August Lee #22., who had a busy night with the ground game.
 

 

 

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Careers in Construction Month: BOCES is the Answer to Escalating Industry Worker Shortage

ALBANY/SCHOHARAIE -- The impact of the skilled worker shortage is well known—increased costs for products, delays in getting work done and increased pressures on workers and few industries can relate to this more than the construction industry.

The Associated Builders and Contractors organization reports that the construction industry must attract an estimated 439,000 new workers this year to meet anticipated demand for construction services. In 2026, the trade group states, the industry will need to bring in 499,000 new workers as spending picks up in response to presumed lower interest rates.

Capital Region BOCES is helping to address these needs, preparing students for careers in a multitude of construction industry professions.

Enrollment has steadily increased in recent years in eight different construction-related programs including Building Trades, Carpentry, Electrical Trades, Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration, Heavy Equipment Repair and Operation (HERO), Plumbing Trades and Network Technology and Welding and Metal Fabrication.

Business and labor partners said the programs make a difference.

“We need people like these students in our industry. The industry is desperate for people with these skills,” said Jeff Knox, CEO of Bill Lake Modular Home.

Scott Nadeau, an Organizer for UA Local 7, Plumbers and Steamfitters union, said “BOCES is a valuable partner for us. They provide us with students who are interested in the trades, who want to learn and work, and who have a basic understanding of the fundamentals of the trades.”

That sentiment was echoed Brian Williams, Executive Director, Capital Region Workforce Development Board.

“The work done here at BOCES and CTE is amazing. It … puts students on the road to great success,” he said.

Graduates and students alike say BOCES prepared them well for work in the industry.

“BOCES helped me learn that the trades are for me and that learning in a classroom is  not for me. Overall, BOCES does a really good job about giving students – no matter the class – great opportunities,”  said Braeden All, a member of the Laborers’ Local 157 union and employee of Tri-City Scaffold Co. Inc. Just a few short months ago, All graduated from the Building Trades program and Middleburgh High School.

Senior Macord Stevens also offered praise.

“I like learning how to make my own house and how to wire it and do things that are useful for myself,” the Sharon Springs student who is enrolled in the Building Trades program.

Fellow rising senior Lydia Waage is on a mission to not only join the construction industry, but make a difference.

 “I want to operate a dump truck when I graduate. I already know how to operate a stick shift, so I am one-third of the way there. Before I came to BOCES, I only knew how to drive a tractor, and I have already learned so much,” she said last Spring.

The Cobleskill-Richmondville student now hopes to draw more women into the industry.

“Don’t listen to the voices in the back of your head. Don’t listen to the doubts. Get up and try something new,” Waage told female students interested in the skilled trades.

Throughout October, Capital Region BOCES -- in conjunction with its business and higher education partners – is celebrating national Careers in Construction Month by highlighting the multitude of careers and opportunities that exist in the industry and the effort BOCES undertakes to prepare students for those careers. 

For more information on the Capital Region BOCES program, go to https://www.capitalregionboces.org/career-technical-education/courses-programs/welding-metal-fabrication/.

 

                                                        Anthony Chavarria making a ramp.

 

                                                                            Braeden All

 

                                                                        Macord Stevens

 

                                                                            Lydia Waage

 

                                                                        Scott Naduea

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Christmas Bazaar at Worcester UMC Dec. 6

WORCESTER — There will be a Christmas Bazaar at the Worcester United Methodist Church on Saturday, Dec. 6 from 9am to 2pm. The sale will happen at 111 Main Street with handmade items, Christmas decorations, baked goods, gift items and more. All are invited. Bring a friend!

 

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GOP Candidates Sweep Richmondville, Seward Races

SCHOHARIE – Republican candidates secured all major contested seats in the towns of Richmondville and Seward during Tuesday's general election, according to unofficial results from the Schoharie County Board of Elections.

In the Town of Richmondville, the entire unopposed Republican slate was elected. Jeffrey Haslun won the Supervisor race with 96.5% of the vote, and Brian W. Manchester was elected Superintendent of Highways with 97.7%. For the two open Town Council seats, Harry Rode (49.8%) and George Horning (47.6%) were elected.

In the Town of Seward, Supervisor Mark Fletcher (R) was elected with 95.4% of the vote, and Brenda Southworth (R) won the Town Clerk/Collector position with 98.9%. The race for two Town Council seats was won by Republicans James Seresky (33.1%) and William Harlow (31.6%), defeating Democratic challengers Lisa Sigtermans (19.0%) and Tina Dawson (16.3%).

The Seward Superintendent of Highways race saw Anthony (Tony) Kulesza (D) win with 56.6% of the vote against a significant write-in campaign that captured 43.4% of the vote. The Town Justice position in Seward was decided entirely by 25 write-in votes.

 

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Mohr Wins Contested Summit Clerk Race; Jefferson GOP Slate Elected

JEFFERSON – Katie Mohr won a close, contested race for Town Clerk/Collector in Summit, while all candidates in Jefferson ran unopposed on the Republican line, according to unofficial results from Tuesday's general election.

In the Town of Summit, Mohr, running on the Democratic and Katie for Clerk lines, defeated Republican Steven Baratta for the Town Clerk/Collector position, securing 51.5% of the vote to Baratta's 47.9%.

Other races in Summit were unopposed. Roger Gural (REP) was elected Supervisor with 99.2% of the vote. For the two open Town Council seats, David Knight (REP) received 50.4% of the vote, and Mark Hearon (REP) received 49.4%.

In the Town of Jefferson, the entire unopposed Republican slate was elected. Margaret Hait was elected Supervisor with 99.5% of the vote, and Lynn H. Hait won the Town Justice position with 100.0% of the vote. For the two Town Council seats, Kenneth Cole received 52.8% and Donald VanValkenburgh received 46.9%.

 

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Republicans Fare Well in Northern Part of County

ROUTE 20 CORRIDOR — Based on the unofficial results from Tuesday's general election, Republican candidates saw wide support across the towns of Carlisle, Esperance, and Sharon, with most running unopposed.

In the Town of Carlisle, John Leavitt was elected Supervisor with 98.5% of the vote. Two cross-endorsed candidates also won their races: Stacy Bruyette was elected Town Clerk/Collector with 99.7% of the vote, and Michael Broadwell was elected Superintendent of Highways with 99.7%. For the two open Town Council seats, Christine Kraemer, who also had both party lines, secured 57.0% of the vote, while Robert L. Smith took the second seat with 42.3%.

The Town of Esperance showed similar results for its all-Republican slate. Earl VanWormer, III, was elected Supervisor with 97.7% of the vote. Jessica Castle won the Town Clerk/Collector position with 99.7%, and Michelle Brust was elected Superintendent of Highways with 99.3%. The Town Council race was close, with Harold Conklin (50.4%) and Michael Keller (49.4%) winning the two available seats.

In the Town of Sharon, the only two races on the ballot were for Town Council and Town Justice. For the two council seats, David Cross (49.1%) and Bryan MacFadden (48.7%) secured the positions. Kenneth Kelly was elected Town Justice with 98.9% of the vote.

 

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