April 2024

Table of Contents

From the Supervisor's Desk

Solar Update

Columbia County Board of Supervisors

Help Wanted

Grange Events

Copake History - Trotter Racing in 20th Century Copake

What's Happening at the Library

Bicentennial Celebration

Columbia County Hazardous Household Waste Day

2024 Copake Clean Up Day

Pickleball Mania

Copake/Hillsdale Farmer's Market

Memorial Bricks

Columbia County Mental Health Center

From the Supervisor's Desk            

April already has been an extraordinary month for Copake. It began with a severe storm with punishing winds that knocked out power to almost 1000 homes. 

Some people were without electricity for two days, and we once again opened the Park Building as a warming center. Conditions were so challenging that for a brief moment in the early morning hours of Thursday, April 4, we considered postponing the Special Town Board meeting scheduled for that evening, even though the meeting was supposed to mark the 200^th anniversary – to the day – of Copake’s first public meeting. Fortunately, it quickly became apparent that Bill Gregory and his Highway Department staff had worked through the pre-dawn hours to clear the roads.

When the winds finally stopped roaring, we realized that everything could proceed as planned. Chief John DeRocha was able to have the Fire Department park a ladder truck in the Town Hall lot and display an enormous American flag. A big sheet cake, decorated with icing to look exactly like the cover of the bicentennial event schedule brochure, was placed in the back of the court room. One hundred chairs were arranged for attendees. But one big question remained: would the power outages, bad weather, and uncertainty about whether the event would even happen, depress attendance at the Special Board Meeting?

The answer was a resounding “no." When we called the meeting to order at 7:00pm, all 100 seats were filled. And people kept arriving. By the time we adjourned, sang “Happy Birthday” to Copake, and cut the cake, attendance had reached 150 people.

It is hard to overstate the good feelings that everyone took away from that evening. Copake’s community spirit was on full display. Copakeans who had never attended a town board meeting before, and some who, I am told, are never seen at public events, came to Town Hall that evening. Many people lingered to chat and eat a piece of cake or two.

The next day, Friday, April 5, those of us lucky enough to have reserved tickets, went to the Grange to see the premiere of Carl Ritchie’s “Your Town,” “a play with songs” – Carl’s imagining of what might have happened at Copake’s first public meeting. Everyone agreed it was a huge success! All four performances were sold out. The municipal parking lot on Church Street was filled to overflowing, and attendees walked from the lot to Empire Road on the newly-constructed pathway.

Incidentally, some cars were parked behind the lot, in the area of the Fire Pond. This is not permitted – access to the pond by fire trucks could be obstructed, potentially creating a dangerous situation if the Fire Department needed water to combat a fire. Going forward, “No Parking” signs will be conspicuously displayed in the area behind the lot.

Wednesday evening I was joined at the County Board of Supervisors meeting by three members of the Bicentennial Committee – Lesley Doyel, Roberta Roll, and Gina White – as Copake was presented with a proclamation in recognition of our bicentennial year. I wanted to honor the exceptional work of the committee, and this was a nice way to do it.  The county proclamation, signed by Board of Supervisors Chair Matt Murrell, has now been added to Copake’s Bicentennial Proclamation Collection, joining one from Senator Michelle Hinchey, a citation from Assemblymember Didi Barrett, and, of course, the Town Board’s proclamation, which we read at the April 4 meeting.

So, the bicentennial celebrations are well under way. Next up are a series of five talks and panel discussions at the Historical Society and the Grange. These are sure to be interesting and informative, and I urge everyone to attend. Check the event schedule brochure for date, times, and locations.    

Richard Wolf

Town Supervisor

Solar Report

Last month I reported on Hecate’s plans to submit an application to the NYS Office of Renewable Energy Siting (ORES) to construct and operate a smaller version of “Shepherd’s Run” in Craryville. Smaller is a relative term: the footprint of the 42-megawatt solar factory the developer is proposing would occupy the equivalent of 150 football fields, on acreage that is mostly prime farmland. Running from State Route 23 south alongside County Route 7, Shepherd’s Run is very poorly sited along CR 7, the gateway road from the Taconic Parkway and from Massachusetts into the Hamlet of Copake and Copake Lake.

Hecate’s original application for a 60-megawatt facility was dismissed by ORES after it learned that the developer had lost land rights to a 60-acre parcel of its proposed site. ORES’ dismissal was “without prejudice,” enabling Hecate to file a new application. But Hecate is treating the “new” application as little more than an amendment to the old one.

On March 21, Bob Haight and I met with two Hecate representatives. It was obvious that little had changed from the old application to the new proposal. Hecate continues to rely on the same studies it commissioned for its 60-megawatt proposal application. Some are almost four years old. Do the results of breeding bird surveys from 2020 reflect conditions in the project area now?

Hecate must be made to redo its outdated, potentially inaccurate studies. But Hecate is in a hurry and clearly does not intend to do so, unless required by ORES.  Hecate wants to file a new application ASAP. That is why it scheduled required community meetings on short notice, and on a Wednesday, when most second homeowners wouldn’t be able to attend.  People who did attend the meetings on April 3 were astonished to see the very same project display poster boards mounted in the Hillsdale Firehouse that they had seen two years earlier. Lest there be any doubt that the boards had not been updated, several even had the year “2022” on them; one map of the project area included the 60-acre parcel that had been sold and was no longer part of the project proposal. When some attendees asked why Hecate was using the same poster boards, the reply was, “We didn’t have time to update them, but we will.”

Didn’t have time? Hecate is under no New York State time-limitation mandate. The Hecate representative misspoke – it’s not that Hecate “didn’t have the time;” it’s that Hecate “didn’t want to take the time.” As I reported last month, Hecate didn’t bother to prepare a new Public Information Program (PIP) plan. It recycled the old one from January 2020, replete with inaccuracies such as misidentifying town board members and listing a deceased Copake man as deputy chair of the Park Commission.

The purpose of the community meetings is ostensibly to obtain community input, but Hecate has never shown any interest in community input. It has failed to incorporate into its new proposal any of the major recommendations of the ad hoc Working Group. Indeed, when we met, Bob Haight and I impressed upon the Hecate representatives the importance of developing the recommended public green space, and of providing monetary compensation to homeowners immediately across the road from the proposed project site. There was no response other than, “we’ll look into it” -- the same thing Hecate has been saying for years.

Hecate indicates that it may file its new application as soon as June 3. Whenever we receive it, our attorney and environmental engineers will review it. If it is not supported by up-to-date studies, we will insist that ORES demand such studies. If it doesn’t provide for adequate screening, we will demand it. If it does not include provisions for compensation of the most adversely-affected neighbors, we will demand it.

Just as was the case last time, ORES will have 60 days from the day Hecate submits its application to make a determination as to the application’s “completeness." If ORES were to issue a Notice of Incomplete Application (NOIA), the developer would have 90 days to cure whatever deficiencies ORES identifies, and to resubmit. ORES would then do another review and would have another 60 days to make a completeness determination.

Having gone through this same process with its 60-megawatt application, it is unclear whether Hecate’s virtually identical 42-megawatt application will be found to be incomplete. If ORES deems the application to be complete, it would issue to Hecate a draft permit. The process would then extend to a new phase, during which the town will seek to obtain “party” status, the only way to assure Copake a place at the table as final permit conditions are considered by ORES. “Party” status is very difficult to get, especially given that Copake is deemed the “host community.” Without it, we would be blocked from having any input into the final siting permit for Shepherd’s Run.

Richard Wolf

Town Supervisor

County Board of Supervisors Honors Copake Bicentennial

At the regular County Board of Supervisors meeting, on April 10, a proclamation was presented to Town Supervisor Richard Wolf and members of the Bicentennial Committee in honor of Copake’s bicentennial celebrations.

The proclamation noted Copake’s history, starting with the town’s establishment in 1824. It was created by the splitting of the Town of Granger into two towns - Copake and Taghkhanic. It mentions Copake’s role in the Anti-Rent War, the Copake Iron Works, its agricultural economy and rural landscape, and its strong community with civic engagement. To read the full proclamation, click HERE.

Photo: Supervisor Richard Wolf, Roberta Roll, Lesley Doyel, Gina White

Poll Workers Needed in Copake

The Board of Elections is looking for poll workers for Copake for the upcoming primary election on June 25 and for the general election on November 5, 2024.  

The job of a poll worker is to help ensure smooth, honest elections. It is a paid job at $18.50 an hour. The day is long - 5am to 10pm - but you can negotiate a half day, and it is a pleasant job that allows you to greet and assist your neighbors.

Tasks you will perform as a poll worker:

• Prepare the polling place for voting
• Set up the voting equipment
• Sign-in and process voters
• Enforce social distancing
• Demonstrate voting procedures to the voters
• Sanitize voting equipment
• Close the polling place
• Canvass and report the results
• Assist voter if requested

The Board of Elections will provide training in Hudson.

Contact info: Board of Elections, 301 State St., Hudson, NY.

518-828-3115 elections.columbiacountyny.com

Help Wanted

The Town Board of the Town of Copake will be accepting letters of interest and resumes for the following positions:

Zoning Board of Appeals Clerk

Park Commission Members

Letters/resumes may be sent to: Town Clerk, 230 Mountain View Road, Copake, NY 12516, or emailed to: copaketownclerk@townofcopake.org.

The Rent War: Crusaders or Criminals?

The Roeliff Jansen Historical Society will host an illustrated talk by Jill Knapp on the “rent war” of the mid-1800s on Sunday, April 28 from 2-4pm.

Even after the Revolutionary War, much of New York State’s Hudson Valley was owned by a few wealthy landowners – “lords” of their manors. Among the most powerful were the Livingstons and the Van Rensselaers. In this feudal leasehold system, the lords rented parcels of land to tenant farmers, who continued to pay their rent in goods and services. In time, farmers began to wonder why they’d fought for self-government in the Revolution, only to remain under the yoke of European masters. The ensuing, and sometimes violent struggle between tenant and landlord, became known as the Anti-Rent War.

Ms. Knapp, author of The Time for Redemption, will discuss some key players involved in the lengthy conflict waged in Columbia and Rensselaer Counties: Big Thunder, aka Dr.Smith Boughton, the “Fighting Finkle Brothers” and others, including her own great, great grandfather, William Witbeck. 

In the final analysis, was Anti-Rentism a battle for land reform a crusade for a cause, or was Anti-Rentism domestic terrorism, resulting from the failure of the legal system to resolve the issue of perpetual leases?

You be the judge as to whether their actions were justified.

Admission is free. The talk will be held at The Roeliff Jansen Historical Society, 

8 Miles Road, Copake Falls, N.Y. For more information: www.roeliffjansenhs.org and follow our social media.

Grange Events

Saturday, April 20, 9am - 12 noon - Pick-up Litter Day. Celebrate Earth Day and help us keep Copake beautiful! We’re organizing to pick up litter along roads in Copake hamlet, Copake Falls, Craryville and Copake Lake. Pick up along your nearby roads or meet us at the Grange Hall at 9am. We will provide trash bags. Bring your own gloves and sturdy shoes. You may drop off your collection by noon at the dumpster at Town Hall, 230 Mountain View Rd. or, if the dumpster is full, bring it to the Copake Park dumpster or the transfer station. Please do not leave trash on the ground next to the dumpsters. Take photos of you and your trash and send them to copakegrange@gmail.com Need more info? Contact Peggy Lewis at 914-475-5162 or plewispok@gmail.com

Saturday, April 20, 3:30 - 5pm - Planet vs. Plastics. The Copake Grange, The Friends of Taconic State Park, and Copake Conservation Advisory Committee invite you to celebrate Earth Day with us. Earth Day 2024 theme is Planet vs. Plastics. Deb Weltch and Jim Sullivan are guest speakers from the organization "Beyond Plastics.” We will learn about the amount, impacts and proposed solutions to the problem of plastics in the environment. The event is free.

Sunday, April 21, 4 - 5:30pm. Jammin’ at the Grange. Come on down to the Grange with your instruments and have a great time jamming with your musician friends and neighbors. Free.

Friday, April 26, 7 - 9pm - Open Poetry Night. Copake Grange #935 and the Roeliff Jansen Community Library celebrate National Poetry Month with this in-person event at Grange Hall. Bring poems of your own to read, or a poem by one of your favorite poets. Or, just tune in to listen and be inspired and delighted by the magic and power of poetry. Readers do not need to sign up in advance. For more info, email roberta.roll@gmail.com. Free.

Saturday, April 27, 7pm - L’Arema.  The talented woodwind trio L’Arema Ensemble — Diane Lipartito (bassoon), Joseph Rutkowski (clarinet), Pamela Sklar (flute) — presents an eclectic program ranging from classical to Broadway, including works composed by Mozart, Ibert, Joplin, Giovanni Mayr, Gershwin, Bernstein and others. There will be a reception with the artists following the performance. This performance is made possible in part by Stewart’s Shops. Tickets $15 at the door, or pay what you can.

Friday, May 3, 7 - 9pm - Open Mic Night.  All are welcome to perform - music, stories, skits, readings, poetry, dance, songs, and more. Bring your instruments; we have a piano. Or you can just come to relax and be entertained. This is a great venue for both beginning and veteran performers. Free.

Saturday, May 11, 9am - 12 noon - Flea Market & Bake Sale.  A great way to do some spring cleaning and find new treasures! Browse for those gems you've been looking for: kitchenware, household goods, art, linens, accessories, small furniture, gifts. Delicious baked goods will be for sale, as well. Snack on delicious cookies or find the perfect cake for your dinner party. Drop off times at the Grange for items: Friday, April 19, 4:30-5:30pm; Saturday, April 20, 9-10am; Saturday, April 27, 9-10am; or by appointment. Please check the website for guidelines for donated items and to offer baked goods at copakegrange.org/events

Saturday, May 18, 7 - 9pm - Noyes and the Boys. This local folk rock group often performs at our open mic nights. Come hear them perform in full style! $15 or pay what you can.

Saturday, May 25, 9am - 1pm - Annual Plant Sale. Our famous annual Plant Sale is back - rain or shine here at the Copake Grange! Welcome spring by coming to check out our perennials, annuals, herbs, ground covers, shrubs, and more. If you have items to contribute, contact us at copakegrangeplantsale@gmail.com and deliver them the day before between 10am and 1pm. Make sure to get there early - it always sells out!

Saturday, June 1, 7 - 9pm - Mamaliga. Mark your calendar and get ready for another fantastic performance by this Klezmer band. You won’t want to miss it! Stay tuned for more details.

For more information about the Grange and events or to join, go to copakegrange.org. The Copake Grange is located at 628 Empire Rd., Copake, NY 12516. Parking for Grange events is limited - please park at the Municipal Lot on Church St. if the Grange parking area is full.

Copake History

Trotter Racing in 20th Century Copake

One of Copake’s most fascinating leisure activities was trotter racing, whose roots in the town go deep into the 19th century.

One early trotters track was at the West Copake farm of Henry Astor, the town’s richest resident; a second one was behind the Methodist Church on Church Street.

Later, in the 1880s, William Dinehart, Henry Astor’s brother-in-law, bought Empire Farm with Henry’s help. William then created a half-mile track, possibly the town’s best one, but he sold the farm to his brother Delbert in the 1890s.

In 1900, after also engaging in trotter racing, Delbert left the gold and yellow barns of Empire Farm and moved to Hudson. The farm’s track continued to operate until John D. Ackley, founder of the Copake Telephone Company, acquired it in 1920. Later, Ackley's son Ben, who entered his father’s business, converted the acreage into a showplace for Holstein cows.



Then, around Thanksgiving time in 1962, at the instigation of former Copake auctioneer Henry Folger, a group of people interested in harness racing met in the auction house. Ben Ackley was one of them. As a result, the Empire Driving Club was founded and an invitation to membership was publicized. Soon afterward, when Folger and Ben Ackley borrowed some money from the Pine Plains Bank and put together the club's first stake race, the club was off and running. At the Chatham fairgrounds, it had its first matinee racing event, consisting of at least three races, two heats each, and sometimes more, depending on how many horses were racing.

The Chatham races were followed by ones at the Cobleskill, Rhinebeck, and Oswego state fairs. Among the club’s charter members were Charles Peck and Jim Fuller of Copake and Joyce Roche of Ancram, mother of Ancram Town Historian Robin Massa. After 15 years of dairy farming, Fuller was so taken with trotting that he gave up farming and became a trainer. He spent many years at Saratoga Raceway where he was voted one of the two top trainers. In 1974 he was training for eight owners. Roche, one of only two female members who drove, became one of the club’s, and the Hudson Valley’s, top drivers.

By the time of the club’s founding, although Henry Astor’s and the trotters track behind the Methodist Church were gone, there were two functioning tracks in Copake: Henry Folger’s and Ben Ackley’s revived track. Folger’s ran around the pond on Mountain View Road, which locals still call “Folger Pond.” In addition to having competitions at Empire Farm, Ackley let Charles Peck, and likely other fellow club members, do practice runs there with their horses.

One of the most unusual trotter racing events occurred in the winter of 1963, when the Empire Driving Club sponsored a race on the ice at Copake Lake with horses fitted with spiked shoes. The event drew a crowd of thousands.

In 1974, 300 people attended the club's 12th annual banquet held at Kozel's restaurant.

About 90% of the members owned horses but the rest loved the sport without even owning any. After a good several decades run, the club faded away with the deaths of some its mainstays like Ben Ackley, who passed away in 2004.

Photo: A trotter and driver at Empire Farm’s former trotters track c. 1980

Questions? Contact Howard Blue

Howard Blue

Town Historian

copaketownhistorian@gmail.com

What’s Happening at the Library?

Thursday, April 11, 6:30 p.m.

Can’t Sleep? Let’s Talk About It. There are many reasons that people can’t sleep, and magazines and bookstores are loaded with treatments for insomnia. Each treatment offers relief to people in general, but how can you know whether it will be helpful to you? In this workshop, led by Thad Harshbarger, we will mix brief presentations on the nature of sleep and insomnia with discussion periods that focus on your needs and ways that you can address them. Our goal will be for you to leave with a clearer understanding of your own sleep and some actions you can take to improve it.

Licensed as a psychologist in New York and Massachusetts, Thad Harshbarger has been working clinically with individuals and couples for more than 45 years. As a teacher and psychotherapist, he helps people define and resolve their own problems in their own ways. His recent book, The Fight For Sleep: Pick Your Battles – Win the War, takes the clinical process into printed form.

Thursday, April 18, 1:00 p.m.

Book Marks! Book Club. Join our nonfiction book club, Book Marks!, led by Circulation Librarian Robin Gottlieb. Meets the 3rd Thursday of every month. This month we are reading Talking to Strangers by Malcolm Gladwell. Copies are available through the Mid-Hudson Library System, Hoopla, and Libby.

Saturday, April 20, 11:00 a.m.

Water Bottle Fireflies. Get crafty this Earth Day! Join us in making water bottle fireflies by recycling materials. Let's celebrate by creating something beautiful while reducing waste. Light up your Earth Day with creativity! No registration is required.

Saturday, April 20, 2:00 p.m.

Cookbook Club. Join our Cookbook Club led by Outreach Library Associate Fran Colombo. Meets the 3rd Saturday of the month. Members choose a recipe and bring the cooked/baked dish to the next meeting, where the group will discuss the book and share in a community meal. Bring copies of recipes to share with other foodies!

For our April meeting, we will be cooking from local chef Dan Pelosi’s new cookbook, Let’s Eat! The book is available to browse at the library - ask for it at the front desk.

All are welcome to join! The more, the merrier! For more information, contact Fran at outreach@roejanlibrary.org.

Monday, April 22, 5:00 p.m.

Free Film Screening: Plastic Earth. In recognition of Earth Day 2024's theme of "Planet vs. Plastic," the Roe Jan Library invites you to a screening of the 2023 documentary Plastic Earth, which looks at how plastic pollution is affecting the earth, and how we can solve the problem together.

An official selection of the International New York Film Festival, the film follows Janice Overbeck, a concerned mother, as she embarks on a journey to uncover the full extent of the problem and the innovative solutions being developed to tackle it. Through interviews with leading scientists, engineers, researchers, and environmental advocates, Janice gains unique insights into the efforts to control the plastic epidemic.

Thursday, April 25, 2:30 p.m.

Tea Time at the Library. Every 4th Thursday of the month, Library Associate Fran Colombo hosts a special tea time featuring guided conversation, crafts, special guests, and local tea and coffee options provided by the Library. Each month’s gathering has a different theme; listen, discuss, and enjoy a cup of tea (or coffee if that’s your preference!) and sometimes a fun activity. There will also be plenty of time to chat, get to know your neighbors, and wind down.

This month join us for Tea Time with Sharon Flitterman-King for a discussion on her book, A Secret Star, a fictionalized account of a young Jewish girl during WWII and the Polish family that saved her from the Nazis.

Thursday, April 25, 6:00 p.m.

Art in the Evenings with Tia. Beat the winter blues with color and art! Fun classes for all skill levels. In each class, we will learn about and create a piece of art inspired by a specific artist. For our April 25th class, we will be creating works inspired by the artist Katsushika Hokusai. To register, email youth@roejanlibrary.org as space is limited. 

Sunday, April 28, 1:00 p.m.

Library of Local: Back to Nature - Composting. To gardeners, compost is black gold. Compost is generated from biodegradable waste. Amending your soil with compost improves your soil by providing nutrients, helping retain moisture, balancing the PH, suppressing disease, and reducing the need for chemical fertilizers. During this presentation by Master Gardener Volunteer Tammy Rusoff, we will cover the biochemistry of composting, what to include in the mix, types of containers or bins, and how to avoid problems. You will learn how to generate compost from different sources.

Tammy was born and raised in Minnesota and is now a resident of Ghent. She has a master’s degree in social work. She moved to NYC and continued her work for a total of 20 years. Upon her retirement, she became a master gardener volunteer 11 years ago. She became interested in gardening following her husband’s passion for gardening. While his interests focused on flowers, trees, and shrubs, Tammy took a different path, focusing on nutrition and health, growing vegetables, composting, soils, and landscape design using native plants.

This program is presented in partnership with the Cornell Cooperative Extension of Columbia and Greene Counties

Thursday, May 2, 6:30 - 7:30 p.m.

Saving the Night Sky: Dark Skies and Light Pollution. Dark skies are not just important for seeing the stars but for the health of our planet and ourselves. Light pollution threatens many animal species, from migrating birds to hatchling sea turtles. It also impacts human health as it disturbs our sleep patterns. Unnecessary lighting wastes money and energy and contributes to climate change. Join us for a film screening and presentation and discussion with Susan Bachelder on the importance of dark skies and learn about a citizen science project to help measure and report light pollution in our area.

Susan P. Bachelder, a resident of Egremont, has been a member of DarkSky International for over a decade. She has posted a local STAR DATE blog for 15 years for her neighbors, encouraging star gazing using simple ID skills to identify stars and planets while explaining the underlying astronomical structures, both in contemporary and historical terms to underpin her observations.

This program is free and open to all!

Thursday, May 9, 6:30 p.m.

Poetry Reading: Irene Mitchell. Irene Mitchell, a long-time teacher of English and Writing in inner city and rural New York, will read from and discuss her most recent book of poetry, My Report from the Uwharries (Dos Madres Press, 2022). Mitchell is the author of several earlier books, including Selected Poems (FutureCycle Press, 2021), Clerestory (Dos Madres Press, 2020), Fever (Dos Madres Press, 2019), Equal Parts Sun and Shade: An Almanac of Precarious Days (Aldrich Press, 2017), Minding the Spectrum's Business (FutureCycle Press, 2015), A Study of Extremes in Six Suites (Cherry Grove Collections, 2012), and Sea Wind on the White Pillow (Axes Mundi Press, 2009).

Formerly the Poetry Editor of Hudson River Art Magazine, Mitchell is known for her collaborations with visual artists and composers. Her poems have been presented for gallery exhibition as a series of broadsides, the text incorporated into the artwork. Mitchell's poetry has also been set to music for piano and voice in cycles of art songs, the marriage of music and poetry. Mitchell was a 2019 Associate Artist in Residence at the Atlantic Center for the Arts.

Wednesdays, 10:30 a.m.

Story Art with Tia. A free drop-in program specially designed for young children and their parents or caregivers that combines the magic of storytelling with creative art activities inspired by children’s storybook readings. Ages 2+.