The Mountain Eagle

3/13/25

Richmondville EMS News and Events

Written By The Mountain Eagle on 3/13/25 | 3/13/25

Richmondville Volunteer Emergency Squad welcomes back Captain Annette Hournauer with a leg bandaged Tigger. Mary Rode presented the award.

Vice President of Richmondville Volunteer Emergency Squad, Larry Fort Sr. gets a custom-made cup for his "Most calls of Month" awarded to him for January and February.

By Elizabeth Barr

RICHMONDVILLE — Richmondville Volunteer Emergency Squad is proud to announce that EMT Hope Harvey has been added to the list of Marquis Who’sWho in America. She is a biographical candidate who will represent Professionals from the State of New York in the upcoming edition of Who’s Who in America. Congratulations to Hope for all her hard work and accomplishments.

RVES welcomes back their Captain, Annette Hournauer back from her hiatus and celebrated her return with a delicious cake and a special Tigger with his leg bandaged. Vice President, Larry Fort Sr, was presented with the “Most Calls in a Month” award. He was honored for both January and February. Many thanks to Larry and Annette for their hard work.

Join the Squad, This Sunday, March 16th, 9 am till noon for a fun and friendly Community Pancake Breakfast. RVES wants to invite everyone to stop in for pancakes smothered in syrup, eggs, crispy bacon, savory sausage, and home fries. They will also be serving coffee, tea, orange juice hot cocoa and milk. This event is donation based and all the contributions will be used to support life-saving work and to help serve the community. Please join them to kick off the weekend and to share community spirit. Their address is 388 Main Street, Richmondville.

On May 30th and May 31st, the Richmondville Volunteer Emergency Squad will be at the parade on Richmondville Days and will be featuring music from the Retrobilleze from 6 – 8 pm on May 31st. There will be many more family-friendly events to fill your day with fun. So save the date. Hope to see you there.

Save the date for several other fun events at RVES. June 21st – Cornhole Tournament and pie contest, August 23rd – Touch a Truck, Police, Highway, Firetruck, Stock Car, Mud Truck, Tractor, and Motorcycle, October 25th – Halloween House and possible Trunk or Treat, Pumpkin Painting Contest, November 4th – Spaghetti Supper and December 13th – Santa and a Movie.

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SSCS Maker's Faire Showcases Minds of Tomorrow

By Tori Edwards

SHARON SPRINGS — Future inventors, historians, engineers, scientists, and culinary chiefs were at the Sharon Springs Central School on March 6th. Students engaged in creative displays of their choice based on science and history.

The 1st grade class participated in a farm animal research project, the 2nd grade class presented the Iditarod of 2025, the fourth-grade class made dioramas of the Erie Canal.

Specific projects were color changing flowers by Juliette Hubbel, how to make butter, paintings, desserts, The Periodic Table of Elements display, how do dogs communicate, what is the Science Club, Lego to Lego Tech by Colton Star, The Big and the Small of the Universe, volcano projects, slime project by Sasha and August, how to propagate a fig tree by Mila and Yasmin Issa, World War 2 D-Day historic collection by Hunter, and a display of the Dassler Brothers who founded the shoe companies Adias and Puma.

There were also mind stimulation games and snack booths. Stickers passed out by Principal Yorke in support of a former student. Trenton Witham currently works at NASA on The Blue Ghost Mission 1 that launched on January 15th.

At the end of the Faire participants were able to throw whipped cream at Principal Yorke as a finale of the event.

Great displays, SSCS students! We can’t wait to see what you all come up with next year! Let’s Go Spartans!

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Second Annual Free Bluebird Lottery at Landis

ESPERANCE — During the spring of 2025, Landis Arboretum is holding its second annual free Bluebird Lottery with entries accepted from now through April 15. The purpose of this lottery event is to have some fun while highlighting the birding opportunities at the Arboretum. Oh ... and there will be prizes! Visit https://shorturl.at/9Z2y8 to access the online entry form.

How to Participate

Guess which nest box pair you think will host fledged bluebirds by June 15, 2025. Submit your guess (one guess per person) by April 15. If you guess correctly then you will be entered into a prize drawing for one of fifteen free one year Landis Arboretum memberships. Free membership winners will be subsequently entered into the free grand prize drawing. Refer to our website for grand prize details. Winners will be notified by email by late June.

Nest boxes are number coded by location. You can view the Landis Bluebird Trail Maps here to aid you in your guessing. There may be more than one nest box that produces fledglings by June 15 - you only have to guess one of them correctly to qualify for our prize drawing!

For more information, visit our website at https://landisarboretum.org/events/bluebird-lottery-2-2.Proudly sponsored by Rick's Feed and Seed, Wildbird Junction, and the Mountain Eagle.

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Schoharie’s Beginnings Shared with Historians

Tim Snyder, program chair for the Town of Cobleskill Historical Society, at right, welcomes historian and author Jeff O’Connor to the society’s March 3 meeting. O’Connor discussed his books on the earliest settlement of Schoharie County.

COBLESKILL — Local Author Jeff O’Connor offered highlights from his three-volume series “Skohere and the Birth of New York's Western Frontier, 1609-1731” for Cobleskill historians at the society’s March meeting.

“When the Palatines arrived in the Schoharie Valley in 1712, the world they stepped into was a century in the making,” O’Connor said.

He offered this synopsis of the “Skohere” trilogy: “This formative period of the valley's history has never been fully told, nor has the true impact these rebellious German refugees had on pushing New York's western frontier as far as they did, as fast as they did. Until now.

The three-volume series is about the Palatines that's not really about the Palatines. It is a biography of the Schoharie Valley and the people and events that helped shape its earliest colonial history.”

The talk and accompanying visual presentation followed the lives of a handful of historic figures who feature prominently in the O’Connor trilogy. These figures, according to the guest speaker, “connect the network of people who not only play significant roles in the foundational history of the Schoharie Valley region, but also in shaping of Provincial New York.”

Using key figures like Nicholas Bayard, Adam Vrooman, Robert Livingston, the Johannes Weiser family, Mohawk War Captain Kryn, and Mohawk protector of the Schoharie Valley, Hendrick, O’Connor’s program (and books) described for the historical society the broad scope of the three-volume “Skohere.”

O’Connor writes the trilogy challenges the accepted understands of the history of the period.

“By the end (of the series) the Schoharie Valley, once overshadowed by the better-known Hudson and Mohawk, takes its rightful place as a closely related equal in the early formative years of New York State.”

About 20 attended the March 3 meeting. It was second meeting for the rejuvenated Cobleskill Historical Society, following its hiatus during the COVID pandemic.

New members are welcome, and former members are strongly encouraged to re-join the group. Dues are $10 for the year. The society is a nonprofit, 501c (3) organization and membership donations are tax deductible. Checks may be sent to the Town of Cobleskill Historical Society, PO Box 423, Cobleskill, NY 12043.

The next meeting of the society will be Monday, April 7, at 6 p.m. at the Cooperative Extension Building on South Grand Street, Cobleskill. The guest speaker will be announced.

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Schohary250 Update - Hero of the American Revolution Settled in Schoharie County

A black and white drawing of a person holding a stick

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A group of men in historical clothing

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By Vic DiSanto

David Williams was an unlikely hero, a Westchester County farm hand, poor and uneducated, who did the right thing at the right time, and influenced the course of history. Today David and his comrades, John Paulding and Isaac Van Wart, are mostly forgotten at best and incorrectly maligned as highwaymen at worst, but during their lifetime, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Alexander Hamiliton, and Lafayette praised the trio as virtuous patriots.

David’s parents had emigrated from the Netherlands and settled in the Saw Mill River Valley in Westchester County, where they anglicized their Dutch surname Willems to Williams. His father was not wealthy enough to purchase his own land, so he farmed as a tenant on Philipse Manor. David spent his youth on his farmer’s farm until the American Revolution erupted. On July 4, 1775, at the age of twenty, David enlisted in the Continental Army. He soldiered at Fort Ticonderoga before being sent to Canada to participate in the Siege of Fort Saint John and the occupation of Montreal. He then manned a bateau to deliver supplies to Colonel Benedict Arnold’s troops besieging Quebec.

His enlistment ended on January 1, 1776, and he returned to the lower Hudson Valley and volunteered for the New York State militia. He most likely had to remain north of the Croton River because his father’s landlord, Frederick Philipse III, was a staunch loyalist. The Westchester County militia participated in the Battle of Long Island and the Battle of Harlem Heights. David never went into detail about his military service, so we do not know if he was present at those engagements. Muster rolls do indicate that he did volunteer for the State Troop Regiment that fought at the Battle of White Plains in October 1776.

David did a nine-month tour in a State Troop Regiment in 1778, where he was stationed in the neutral ground, a twenty-five mile stretch of land between British forces south of the Bronx and Continental forces north of the Croton River. On one patrol he captured some Tory militia in Tarrytown and on another patrol, he rode on horseback with his company during a three-day snowstorm to raid Tory militia in the Bronx. The weather was severely cold and many of the soldiers were left unfit for duty. David’s feet were frozen, and he it took several months to recuperate.

In the spring of 1779, David moved to South Salem, where he boarded on Joseph Benedict’s farm. The Benedicts were well-known patriots in the area and David had served with Joseph’s son Ambrose and several Benedict cousins earlier in the war at Fort Ticonderoga and in Canada.

During the afternoon of September 22, 1780, six of David’s comrades arrived at the Benedict farm and asked him to join them on a trip to Tarrytown, where they hoped to recover some livestock that recently been stolen by the Tories before they were sold to the British. New York State law encouraged off-duty militia to recover stolen cattle.

This routine patrol turned into a rendezvous with destiny the following day when Williams, Van Wart, and Paulding stopped and searched the British spy, Major John André, dressed in civilian clothing and using an alias, riding south to New York City with intelligence concerning West Point hidden in his stockings. André and Benedict Arnold had been conspiring for over a year to turn over West Point and George Washington to the British. At the time, Washington was traveling to West Point to meet with Arnold.

André tried to bribe the trio for his release, offering them riches they could only dream about, which they refused, instead transporting their prisoner to the Continental Army. The following day, André revealed his identity in a letter to Washington.

The trio of rustic militiamen met with Washington, Hamilton, and were introduced to both the rank and file and the officers of the Continental Army at Tappan. They received a lifetime pension from Congress, a confiscated farm of their choice from New York State, and Washington presented them with the Fidelity Medallion, the first military decoration in United States history. They were lionized in ballads and the play “The Glory of Columbia: Her Yeomanry,” and given honorary commissions in the New York State Militia. The capture of André became a popular topic for artists, and later in life, John Henry Isaac Browere made life masks of the old patriots.

David married Nancy Benedict in 1782. They moved in 1805 to Broome. Williams died in 1831 and was interred at the Livingstonville Cemetery with military honors. In 1876 during the Centennial of the American Revolution his remains were moved to Rensselaerville in Albany County without the permission of his descendants. David had wished to be laid to rest in Schoharie County, and a little over a year later, on July 19, 1877, his remains were again moved to the Old Stone Fort and Nancy was reinterred there. On September 23, 1876, the largest crowd ever assembled in Schoharie at the time—some 10,000 people—witnessed the dedication of New York State’s David Williams monument, at the Old Stone Fort.

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BOCES Students Looking Forward to Challenges in Skill Competition

Lydia Waage, CRCS

ALBANY/SCHOHARIE -- Dozens of high school students from across the region will represent Capital Region BOCES in the regional SkillsUSA competition taking place in mid-March.

The 2025 Area III SkillsUSA Competition will feature more than 400 students from dozens of schools testing their skills in 32 events ranging from baking to nursing, diesel engine repair and heavy equipment operation. The majority of events are taking place at the Capital Region BOCES Career and Technical Education Center - Albany Campus on March 19; though some events are also taking place at SUNY Schenectady County Community College and the International Union of Operating Engineers training center.

Capital Region BOCES students competing said they are excited to meet new people and test themselves.

“I am looking forward to challenging myself with something I have never done before,” said Ivan Bittner, a Network Technology junior from Cohoes. “Mr. Henson realized I have the opportunity and potential to be good at speaking and encouraged me to compete. I was 50/50 at first, but I realized you miss every shot you don’t take.”

Fellow junior Alana Gauvreau said she is equally interested in challenging herself.

"SkillsUSA is fun and it gives me the opportunity to see other people and how I compare to them," the Scotia-Glenville student enrolled in the Culinary Arts program said.

Students from nearly every Capital Region high school will be taking part in the events at both locations, hoping to advance to represent their region at the New York State SkillsUSA competition in late-April.

“I am hoping to make it to states,” said Lydia Waage, a Heavy Equipment Repair and Operation junior from Cobleskill-Richmondville said. “I am looking forward to meeting new people, and I am good at public speaking.”

Deb Toy, a social worker on the Career and Technical Education Center- Albany Campus and a SkillsUSA advisor, said the regional SkillsUSA competition is important not only because of the actual competition, but also because of the opportunities it affords students.

“This is an important competition as it reinforces the value of these skills and these jobs with the students while allowing them to interact with their peers with similar interests, as well as with business and industry partners who are acting as contest chair people and judges,” Toy said. “Our business partners tell us on a virtually daily basis that the need for students to have these skills and to prepare to fill the middle skills jobs gap has never been greater.”

Students competing in the regional competition, followed by their event and their home school district includes:

Albany Campus

Nick Smith, Diesel Equipment Technology, Middleburgh

Charles Tommell, Diesel Equipment Technology, Berne-Knox-Westerlo (BKW)

Students attending the regional competition for other SkillsUSA activities, such as meetings, include:

Schoharie Campus

Montana Garcia, Action Skills Basic, Schoharie

Cody Vannie, Automotive Service Technology, Duanesburg

Austin Mazza, Baking and Pastry, CRCS

James Hitchcock, Carpentry, CRCS

Ed Maura, Carpentry, Duanesburg

Kadence Lawrence, Cosmetology Junior, BKW

The team of Ayumi Shaw, Middleburgh; Wyatt Moss, Duanesburg and T.J. Caron, BKW, Crime Scene Investigation

The team of Alexzina Merritt, Sharon Springs; McKenzie Tansey, CRCS and Riley VanDenburgh, Schalmont, Crime Scene Investigation

Jake LeSage, Culinary Arts, CRCS

Isabella Rosini, Early Childhood Education, Duanesburg

CJ Palluti, Electrical Construction Wiring, Duanesburg

Bryce Mensing, Electrical Construction Wiring, Duanesburg

Emily Gwozdz, Electrical Construction Wiring, Sharon Springs

Madeline Markson, Food Preparation Basic, BKW

Ayden Marsh, Heavy Equipment Operations, Middleburgh

Jeffrey Mulhern, Heavy Equipment Operations, Duanesburg

Caitlyn Engle, Job Skill Demo Open, Sharon Springs,

Dylan Gallagher, Job Skill Demo Open, CRCS

Lydia Waage, Prepared Speech, CRCS

The team of Fayth Farrisi, Sharon Springs; Giavanna Robinson, Sharon Spring and Brooke'lyn Bender, CRCS, Promotional Bulletin Board

Marley Wayman, Restaurant Service, CRCS

Peyton Mazzariello, Welding, CRCS

Anais Trombley, Welding, Middleburgh

Students attending the regional competition for other SkillsUSA activities, such as meetings, are:

Joseph Nedelsky, Security Corps, Sharon Springs

Brady Canning, Security Corps, Duanesburg

Molly Coppolo, Security Corps, CRCS

Dominic Castro Fletcher, Security Corps, CRCS

Sirenity Gonzalez, Photographer, Schoharie

Rose Mercer, Culinary Competition Cluster Helper, Middleburgh

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Local History at the Old Stone Fort - Butler’s Rangers Badge

The Old Stone Fort’s Clay Edmunds sent us this neat piece of history this week. This Butler's Rangers badge was made in 1780. These heavy brass badges helped keep the leather flap top of the soldier's cartridge box closed. Butler's Rangers were a British provincial Military Unit led by Loyalist John Butler from 1777-1784.

Last week we ran a photo of a sewing material holder owned by Nancy Benedict Williams. She owned it but we have no evidence she created it herself.

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The Iroquois Museum Invites You to Celebrate Milestone on April 4

HOWES CAVE — Join us for a ribbon-cutting ceremony on April 4 at 10:30 a.m., marking the completion of a $400,000 addition to our 7,500-square-foot museum at 324 Caverns Road, Howes Cave. This exciting project transforms our entrance into a vibrant new museum shop featuring artisanal goods crafted by Haudenosaunee artists.

This expansion was made possible through the generous support of the Nicholas J. Juried Foundation, allowing us to reimagine our space. By enclosing the front porch and creating a 750-square-foot addition, we can relocate the gift shop and reception area, making room for expanded exhibition space that honors Haudenosaunee art and culture through dynamic displays, archaeological exhibits, and an interactive children’s museum.

We look forward to celebrating this exciting new chapter with you!

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Ensuring Safe Water for Sharon Springs

By Alexis Pencar

The Village of Sharon Springs has just recently released its annual drinking water quality report for 2024, providing residents with crucial information about the quality and safety of their drinking water. This annual report is an integral part of yearly reporting for health and well being of residents.

The Village's primary water sources are two reservoirs, with an additional deep well for emergencies. The water is filtered, disinfected with chlorine, and treated with a corrosion inhibitor. In 2024, tests detected 13 contaminants from reservoirs and 20 from the well, all within safety limits.

Over the past year, the Village collected numerous samples to ensure water quality that included: Total Organic Carbon (TOC), Alkalinity, with an additional 107 parameters. This testing revealed some violations, including sulfate in the well and turbidity, or cloudiness, in filters. However, health effects information and corrective actions are detailed in the full report available online at https://www4.schohariecounty-ny.gov/

While most residents can safely consume the water, vulnerable populations, such as those with weakened immune systems, like young children or elderly, should consult healthcare providers. The report outlines potential health effects of contaminants like lead, copper, nitrate, and radon, emphasizing precautionary measures.

Compliance with disinfection by-products, including Haloacetic Acids and Total Trihalomethanes (TTHM), is maintained. Long-term exposure to these by-products at high levels can increase health risks, such as cancer. Additional Information on chloride, sodium, zinc, barium, radon, iron, manganese, and other contaminants is provided in the full report. The Village ensures through these annual reports that all detected levels are within safety limits, with ongoing monitoring and compliance.

The Village received waivers for monitoring certain inorganic contaminants and asbestos due to consistently low detection levels, and according to the full report, there has been compliance with the Revised Total Coliform Bacteria Rule since 2016 assures safe drinking water.

On the topic of water, residents are always encouraged to conserve water to save energy and reduce costs overall. Great tips include repairing leaks, using dishwashers efficiently, and being mindful of water usage. Conservation by all helps maintain adequate supply and reduces strain during dry spells for the community. The Village continues to improve the water system, keep in mind, rate adjustments could be necessary for those ongoing improvements.

Would you like to find out more or get involved? Regular meetings are held on the third Thursday of the month at 6:00 PM located at the Sharon Community Building (129 Main Street Sharon Springs, NY 13459). Residents are encouraged to participate and stay informed. Ensuring safe drinking water is a collective effort, and the Village of Sharon Springs remains committed to providing high-quality water to its residents.

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Cobleskill Soup Stroll Highlights Local Restaurants

By Lei Pollard

COBLESKILL — — On Saturday, Cobleskill hosted the second annual Soup Stroll to bring attention to seven locally owned and operated restaurants in town. The event was brought together by Cobleskill Partnership Inc. (CPI) with the goal of getting more traffic to businesses during a time of year that’s typically slower. Participating restaurants included Chieftains, Bull’s Head Inn, Locomotions, Brick House Bakery, Pizza Shack, La Marketa, and Cowboy’s Taqueria. Mayor Rebecca Stanton-Terk started the event at the ticket booth, greeting everyone with a confident smile and handshake before she began checking in on restaurants to ensure all involved were happy.

Pre-purchased tickets cost $15, and day of purchases were $20 per person. Half of the funds raised will go to the Marathon for a Better Life, a committee-run not-for-profit corporation that began in 1996 to assist Schoharie County residents fight cancer.

Brick House Bakery served fire roasted vegetable soup along with creamy grilled cheese and tomato soup near their regularly set up soup station. Children coming with their parents had fun looking at all the baked goods as they waited in line for soup. Staff showed a strong bond and appreciation with each other as they came together to do well.

Bull’s Head Inn prepared prime rib beef barley soup in their ambient cellar, which was accompanied by live performer Div. Mary welcomed everyone who came down, served the delicious soup, and checked in on those who ate in. “It’s so great to see everyone coming out,” Mary said. “Not everyone is comfortable to come alone and this allows them to try something new.” Singers like Div perform regularly in the Inn, with Div saying he comes about once a month.

The Pizza Shack cooked up lobster bisque and chili. The family owned business happily chatted with customers, hoping that people would come in more. “We’re not just pizza,” owner Sal Liadro stated, “we’ve got it all.” With the quaint atmosphere, great soup, and large smiles from staff, the Shack felt like a place to enjoy quality time with others. They’ve proudly operated together since 1981.

La Marketa served Sopa de Salchichon, a Puerto Rican salami soup. This restaurant opened back in September of last year, highlighting part of the owners culture through food from the territory. In coming months, they plan on purchasing a fryer to cook even more Puerto Rican originated foods. On Tuesdays, the pair also serves Cuban sandwiches. La Marketa also mentioned that they were a safe place for members of the LGBTQ+ community, and working on getting on the Everywhere is Queer app.

Bustling Chieftains served chicken corn chowder at the bar as seats filled up at tables. Servers also made sure to give out soup to loyal customers, even if they didn’t purchase a ticket for the event. The kitchen struggled to keep up with how many people came into the restaurant for the Soup Stroll.

Alongside the hosting two adorable Girl Scouts selling their iconic cookies, Locomotions cooked up kick’n stuffed pepper soup, Mexican chicken soup, and cream of broccoli soup. Locomotions was quieter, but the connections were stronger. Large rooms allowed for groups of guests to spread out, yet come together for conversations. Locomotions served guests multiple servings of soup so they could try all three kinds prepared.

Cowboy’s Taqueria served chicken bowtie soup and a spicy chicken vegetable soup. Colorful decorations covered the interior. Staff made rounds to seated guests to offer water with either watermelon or mandarins; a sweet way to counteract the mild spiciness of the soup.

The Soup Stroll had large numbers of people coming to attend. Community came together to support each other over some delicious soup. CPI thanked all who came out to support the event online.

For more information about CPI and their mission, contact them at cobleskillpartnership@gmail.com