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Greetings from Copake
Copake Connection is an online newsletter brought to you by the Town of Copake. This newsletter will publicize community events throughout the Town of Copake and will be published once a month, on the 15th of the month. The editor is Roberta Roll. All submissions should be sent to roberta.roll@gmail.com no later than the 10th of the month. The newsletter will be distributed to anyone who wishes to subscribe. Simply click the mailing list icon below.
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Table of Contents
From the Supervisor's Desk
Solar Update
Town of Copake Website
Copake Loses a Friend
Town Honors Lawrence O. Proper
Copake Light Parade
Festive Trees
Copake's 200th Birthday
CEDAC Opening
Town Job Openings
Town Boards Have Openings
Grange Events
Copake History
What's Happening at the Library
Copake Outdoors
COVID Tests
Memorial Bricks
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From the Supervisor's Desk
2022 - It was a Very Good Year!
After two years of isolation, masks and remote meeting, Copake emerged this year with new energy. Looking back, it was a busy 12 months. Here are some highlights.
Town Hall
Town Hall Project - August 13, 2022 was the grand opening of a permanent historic exhibit in Copake Town Hall including 24 historic panels, in addition to a display of enlarged historic post cards and various original paintings of Copake scenes. Particularly exciting are two paintings by Nick Fritsch which are on loan to the town and depict the First Meeting House and an old railroad depot. The three-person committee which created this exhibit included Nick Fritsch, Howard Blue and Vana Hotaling.
Infrastructure
Park Building Parking Lot - The Park Building is used for the summer camp and social events and is also the site of the Columbia County Office for the Aging Luncheon Program. This summer we paved the lot and in so doing, expanded it to include more handicapped spaces and a turnaround area very close to the front entrance.
Generators - The outdated generators at the Park Building and Town Hall were replaced this year with automatic, energy efficient generators.
Cold Storage Building - The Highway Department has run out of space to store trucks and other equipment. We contracted with an engineering firm to design a storage building which would be unheated. This project will be put out to bid in January 2023.
Streetscape Consultant - Columbia County is on schedule to start construction on the road re-design and rehabilitation project in the Hamlet of Copake in 2024. The town is responsible for streetlights, benches, plantings and other improvements. To assist the Road Advisory Committee, the town board approved hiring Starr Whitehouse Landscape Architects and Planners,PLLC, a firm that did very successful work in Hudson.
LED Streetlights - Late in 2021, the town board agreed to convert NYSEG owned streetlights to LED. Those new lights are expected to be installed this month.
Energy Audit and Improvements to Town Hall - The town received an $8000 grant from Local Champions - Partners for Climate Action. We will use this money to pay for an energy audit of our 20-year-old town hall. We want to understand what needs to be improved and repaired, as well as how to be more efficient and climate smart. We are working with an engineering firm, which submitted our application to NYSERDA earlier this month. NYSERDA will pay 50% of the cost of the audit, so the total cost of the audit will be paid for with NYSERDA and Local Champions funds.
Technology and Communications
Town Emails - As of 2020, all the town emails were with Fairpoint Communications. Town board members were using their own personal email for town communications. This presented numerous issues, including threats to cyber security. As of 2022, all town board members and all employees have TownofCopake.org email addresses (and the Google suite capabilities which go with it).
Town Website - The current town website was created circa 2013. It has been long outdated and could not be upgraded. As reported elsewhere in this edition, the town will launch a new website on Dec. 15.
Town Government
CEDAC - Copake Economic Development Advisory Committee - This committee was created in 2020 and has taken a proactive role in seeking a developer for the Roeliff Jansen School. The committee applied for and won a wastewater grant. A report is expected this month regarding the wastewater engineering study.
Copake Conservation Advisory Committee - This year, the committee added two sub-committees: the Climate Smart Committee and the Historic Preservation Committee.
Short Term Rental Working Group - This ad hoc committee was appointed earlier this year and this month held a very successful informative public forum. The committee will be making recommendations to the town board in early 2023.
Confidential Assistant Administrator to the Supervisor - As of 2020, the total support staff for the Supervisor was a bookkeeper who worked 7 hours a week. In 2022, the town board passed a law to create this new expanded administrative position to increase the efficiency of town government. The town hired Gwen Menshenfriend to fill this new position.
NYS Deferred Compensation Plan - The town approved a NYS Deferred Compensation Plan, which will be available to employees beginning in January 2023.
Town of Copake Bicentennial - As we have reported in this edition, a committee has been appointed and will begin meeting in January.
A final note: all of this has been done without raising taxes. The 2023 budget does not include any increase. Copake has received record amounts in sales and mortgage tax in the past year, but the town board has also been fiscally responsible in managing the budget. We have availed ourselves of ARPA funds and various grant sources. In January 2022, we passed a Fund Balance Policy and this year we have made prudent use of the town’s fund balance.
Jeanne E. Mettler
Supervisor
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Solar Update
Last Friday, the NYS Attorney General’s Office filed its response, on behalf of the Office of Renewable Energy Siting (ORES), to the petitioners’ appeal in the lawsuit seeking to have ORES’ regulations declared invalid and requiring that new regulations be promulgated in a manner consistent with state law.
Also, an amicus, or “friend of the court,” brief was filed in support of ORES by the Natural Resources Defense Council, the Sierra Club, the New York League of Conservation Voters, and New Yorkers for Clean Power.
Copake is the lead petitioner in the lawsuit, which has been brought together with five other upstate, rural towns and seven non-profit organizations. It is the petitioners’ position that the regulations, written for ORES by an energy industry consultant which has Hecate as a client, were passed in violation of the State Environmental Quality Review Act, following a sham public comment process (in which more than 5000 comments failed to yield a single substantive change in the draft regulations); severely and unfairly restrict a town’s ability to challenge a developer’s application for a siting permit; and violate “home rule” provisions of the state constitution by allowing ORES to waive a town’s zoning codes, comprehensive plans, and farmland protection plans. Petitioners’ attorneys are reviewing the state and amicus briefs and preparing a response. The appeal will be argued before a panel of judges from the Third Judicial Department in Albany, perhaps as early as January, 2023.
As to Hecate’s application for a permit to site the Shepherd’s Run solar power plant in Craryville, we expect that Hecate will soon file with ORES amendments to its application in response to the deficiencies identified by ORES in the second “Notice of Incomplete Application” it issued on September 27. Once Hecate submits its filing, ORES has 60 days to determine whether the siting application is “complete.” If ORES is satisfied, it will issue a draft permit. If not, it could issue a third “Notice of Incomplete Application.” Alternatively, if ORES refuses to make a determination within 60 days, the application will automatically be deemed complete, and Hecate would receive a draft siting permit.
Richard Wolf
Deputy Supervisor
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Town Launches New Website Dec 15!
Under the leadership of Town Clerk Lynn Connolly, a new Town of Copake website has been created and will go live on Dec 15.
the culmination of over 19 months’ planning. In April 2021, a website committee was
appointed by the town board, chaired by Town Clerk Lynn Connolly and comprised of
Supervisor Jeanne Mettler, Copake Economic Development Advisory Committee
members Rich Lee and Austin Urban, and local residents Alan Friedman and Caly
Connolly. The committee recommended hiring Town Web to design the new site, and
that firm was approved by the town board. The cost of the design was $4,274 and was
covered by ARPA funds.
It is hoped that the new site will provide easy navigation and increased accessibility. The website will allow residents to sign up for notifications. The site is still in process and more improvements and additions will be made in the months to come. The website is maintained
by the town clerk. The previous website was approximately ten years old and had outlived its technology.
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Copake Loses a Friend
Frank Peteroy, who was very active in town government for many years, passed away on November 22, 2022.
Frank gave tremendously to the Town of Copake. He was a long time member of the Zoning Board of Appeals, he was an important member of the Comprehensive Plan Committee, and he was a member of the Land Use Review Committee, which assisted the town in re-writing Copake’s zoning.
At the December town board meeting, Supervisor Mettler remembered Frank, concluding that “We owe him a great deal of gratitude.” The meeting was adjourned with a moment of silence in Frank’s memory. The town extends deep sympathy to Frank’s wife, Marcia Peteroy.
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Town Honors Lawrence O. Proper
Town Clerk’s Office dedicated in Larry’s honor
It was standing room only at a Special Town Board meeting on Saturday, November 26, called to remember and honor the late Lawrence O. Proper. Addressing a full house, former Supervisor Angelo Valentino and former Town Clerk Vana Hotaling spoke about Larry and his contributions to the Town of Copake. President of the Board of Fire Commissioners of the Copake Fire District P.J. Proper recalled Larry's early involvement in the Craryville Fire Department and his later membership in the Copake Fire Department.
Supervisor Jeanne Mettler read an email from former resident and town board member, Mary Ackley, remembering Larry as the "Mayor of Copake.” Supervisor Mettler recalled Larry's great generosity to the town, calling him the “consummate public servant.” At the close of the meeting, the town board passed a Proclamation dedicating the Copake Town Clerk's Office in Larry’s memory. Town Clerk Lynn Connolly and Highway Superintendent William Gregory joined Supervisor Mettler in presenting the proclamation to Larry's wife, Teri Proper.
Photo: Larry’s family in front of the plaque on the Town Clerk's Office, which was unveiled on November 26.
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Copake Parade Lights up the Hamlet
The 2022 Light Parade, which took place on Saturday, December 10, was a great success and well attended.
Participants included the Copake Fire Company Number One, as well as the Town of Northeast Fire Department, a couple of Herrington’s gas trucks, Boy Scouts Troop 2130, Camp Waubeeka, singers from the West Copake Reformed Church, the Slater Family and one truck from Precious Pound Pups, Inc., which included a real dog in the lead vehicle followed by many little cabooses decorated to look like dogs and carrying children. Horses and riders from Sky Farm clip-clopped at the rear of the parade, followed by the Copake Highway Department pulling Santa’s sleigh bearing not only Santa Claus himself but also Zach Nayer, who provided music.
At the end of the parade, parents and children gathered in the beautifully decorated Park Building where Santa greeted all the good little boys and girls.
Many thanks to the Copake Park Commission, chaired by Liana Gaston, who organized this wonderful event.
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Thanks to the Copake Grange for Festive Trees
This year the Copake Grange organized the purchase and decoration of the holiday trees, which were installed at the Clock, the Park and in front of local businesses.
Faced with the increased price of trees, the Grange was forced to reduce the number of trees but did place nineteen trees in the Hamlet of Copake and Copake Memorial Park, and one in Copake Falls. The town purchased some trees but in keeping with tradition, this project was largely sponsored by individual contributions. Those who made contributions were able to have a dedication hung on the trees at the Memorial Clock. Members of our community may want to take the time to walk around the Clock area and read the many wonderful dedications in memory or in honor of loved ones.
Many thanks go to the Grange and especially to Grange members Noel Fair and June Makela for organizing the project, and Bob Callahan, who installed the trees.
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Town Prepares to Celebrate 200th Birthday
At the December Town Board meeting the board appointed a Bicentennial Committee charged with planning a town-wide celebration of the 200th anniversary of the founding of the Town of Copake.
The first town meeting was held on April 4,1824. It is expected that the bicentennial celebration will include numerous events, beginning with an event in April 2024 and concluding with a parade in 2025.
The board appointed the following Copake residents to the committee: Winette Edge, Gina White, Suzanne Hollenbeck, Lesley Doyel, Liana Gaston, Howard Blue, Kellie Nardin, Vana Hotaling, Robert Callahan, Roberta Roll, and Lindsay LeBrecht. Kellie Nardin was appointed as Chair, and Liana Gaston and Lesley Doyel were appointed as Vice-Chairs.
The committee is expected to hold its first meeting in January 2023.
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CEDAC is Seeking a New Member
The Copake Economic Development Advisory Committee (CEDAC) is seeking to fill a vacancy on this seven-person committee appointed by the Copake Town Board.
CEDAC’s mission is to promote sustainable economic development in the Town of Copake by encouraging and supporting existing businesses and attracting new business opportunities to the town. CEDAC advocates for and balances the needs of residents, business owners, environmental sustainability, quality of life, and public works. Members of CEDAC should be either residents of the Town of Copake, or stakeholders in the town with strong ties to the community (e.g. business owners, property owners, or individuals with some demonstrated stake in the town).
If you have an interest in joining CEDAC, please submit a letter of interest along with a short resume by email to copaketownclerk@townofcopake.org or by mail to Town Clerk, 230 Mountain View Road, Copake, NY 12516 no later than January 2, 2023.
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Town Boards Have Openings
If you would like to get more involved with town government and town matters, Copake has many openings for you.
There are currently openings on the Ethics Board, Park Commission, and Zoning Board.
Information and job descriptions can be obtained from the Supervisor at (518)329-1234 ext. 1. Letters of interest and resumes should be mailed by January 2, 2023 to 230 Mountain View Road, Copake, NY 12516 Attention: Lynn Connolly, Town Clerk or email copaketownclerk@townofcopake.org.
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Grange Events
Friday, Jan. 6, 7-9pm - Open Mic Night. LIVE and IN-PERSON! Live open mic is on and it’s great! Come on down to the Grange and join us with your instruments, songs, poems, stories, skits, etc. Or just come to relax, have fun and be inspired. We have a piano. For more information, contact copakegrange@gmail.com.
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Saturday, Jan. 14, 3:30pm - Movie and Soup Night. Join us for the classic movie, “The Defiant Ones” (1958), starring Tony Curtis and Sidney Poitier as two prisoners who escape, chained together. One black, one white, they form an unlikely but deep bond as they flee across the country. Dinner afterward (optional) of homemade soups, salad, bread, dessert. BYOB. Movie: by donation. Dinner: $10.
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Saturday, Jan. 21 - Chili Cook-Off. Spice it up and stay warm with our chili cook-off night. Tastings, judges and prizes for best chili. All chili for sale. For more information about entries, go to our website at copakegrange.org/events
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Feb. 17, 18, 19 & 24, 25, 26. Stay tuned for more information about the theater performances by The Two of Us Productions!
The Grange is located at 628 Empire Rd.
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Copake History
Copake’s Wealthiest Man Ever: Henry Astor (1830-1918)
Henry was a remarkable man to see. Six feet tall, broad-shouldered, and strong-muscled, he had a ruddy face and a flaming red beard. In defiance of his family, Henry married Malvina Dinehart, the daughter of the gardener at his family’s estate in Red Hook. Allegedly, Henry was only 20 years old when he bought 200 acres in West Copake, where he built his mansion. He was wealthy, eccentric, and often generous, particularly to his wife’s family.
Henry built his house in 1874. Every able-bodied man in the neighborhood had a part in the raising of its frame. At the end of each workday, Henry would put out a box of cigars and give one to each workman. How do I know when the house was constructed? By having seen a plaque last year in what had been the house’s basement, before the structure burned down in the 1940s.
One of Henry’s favorite amusements was to start amateur wrestling and sparring matches among his friends and neighbors. He would give prizes of $5 bills to the winners of the matches. One time he started a tournament between two of his farm hands, each of whom had a garden hose with good hydraulic connections. In the duel that followed, he got entangled with the tubing and got more of a ducking than the contestants did, but he didn't care.
At the end of a winding roadway stood the Astor stable, where Henry had at least three horses. He also had a carefully graded and rolled private race track half a mile in circumference. Every spring or summer morning he would drive a pair of trotting horses into a lather. It was said that if a horse did not exactly suit him, he would give it away to some deserving and appreciative friend.
Henry called his farm hands by their first names and they in turn did the same with him. One time, one man from Boston corners whom he knew for a number of years made the mistake of calling him “Mr. Astor.” Ever after, Henry would give him a cold stare and call him “Mr.” when they met.
In his later years, Henry bought one of the first automobiles in the town and also added an unusual feature to his house. To obtain a chauffeur, he sent the son of a farm employee to New York City to learn to drive the vehicle. Unfortunately, around the time when Henry turned 85, he slipped at the top of a staircase and fell all the way to the bottom, resulting in a permanent injury. So, he had a lift of his own design built in the narrow vestibule of the house. A neighbor, a good carpenter, built it for him. From then on, whenever Henry wanted to go up or downstairs, he would sit down on a teak wood stool in the elevator and work it by a rope pulley.
Every year, for Henry's birthday there would be a birthday cake. When he reached 85, although many people of that age would not have done so, he had all 86 candles put on a very large cake. Everybody dropped in to offer their congratulations and take a piece.
Although Henry’s family cut him off from much of the family’s wealth when he married Malvina, he still retained ownership of some prime real estate in midtown Manhattan, including most of the block bounded by Broadway and 8th avenue and by 45th and 46th streets. As a result, he received income from 125 parcels during his lifetime. The resulting money enabled him to use his money in various ways that came to influence the Copake community. For one thing, because he attended the West Copake Reformed Church, when it needed to be decorated several times over the years, he and Malvina contributed most or all of the funds needed. More importantly, Henry gave money to Malvina’s relatives. Thus, one of her brothers purchased what later became the Ackleys’ farm on Empire Farm. (Oddly, the present owner claims that Henry lived on that farm. He did not). Similarly, the late Bill Dinehart owned the farm on Route 7 (as you leave Copake going south), that has several beige colored barns, now unfortunately needing work, that later was inherited by Sukey Langdon.
Howard Blue, Town Historian
Photo: Henry Astor
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What’s Happening at the Library?
On Display: David J. Lesako.
Now through January 12
David Lesako taught art for 38 years, with students ranging from kindergarteners through college age. After retiring as a public school teacher in Pennsylvania, David and his wife relocated to Ghent. Taking inspiration from both nature and the historic buildings located in the Berkshire and Taconic regions, his luscious pastel landscapes are often created en plein air, a French expression that means "in the open air" and refers to drawing and painting outdoors. He prefers bright late afternoon or early evening light and enjoys documenting the seasonal changes. David lists the French Impressionists and the German Expressionists among his favorite painters. He currently teaches adult classes at the Art School of Columbia County.
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Wednesdays, 10:30 a.m.
Circle Time with Tia. Preschoolers and their families are invited to join Tia in a circle for stories, fun activities, laughs, and more!
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Wednesdays, 1:00 - 2:00 p.m.
Homeschool Wednesdays. Tia, the Library’s Children’s & Youth Services Associate, will be sharing stories and activities for homeschooled kids in the Children’s Room every Wednesday.
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Thursday Afternoons.
Lego Club. Join us every Thursday for an afternoon filled with Legos and fun in our Children’s Room. Check with us on social media for our weekly themes!
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Thursdays, 5:00 - 7:00 p.m.
Homework Help. Need a quiet place to get your homework done? Having trouble with an assignment? K-12 homework help is available at the library for English and Spanish speakers. Se habla español. Volunteer tutors are welcome to apply. Questions? Visit the library or call for more information.
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Thursdays, 6:00 – 7:30 p.m.
English-Language Tutoring by Appointment. Free English-language tutoring will be available between 6:00 and 7:30pm by appointment on Thursday evenings. This tutoring program is intended primarily for adults. Instruction will be one-on-one or in small groups with Yvonne Acevedo and will be geared toward everyday conversational needs. Free childcare will be provided for children ages 3 and up. Please e-mail director@roejanlibrary.org or call 518-325-4101 to schedule an appointment.
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Saturdays,10:30 - 11:30 a.m.
Storytime with Tia. Tia, the Library’s Children’s & Youth Services Associate, will share stories and related activities for kids in the Children's Room every Saturday starting at 10:30 a.m. We hope to see you there!
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Thursday, December 15, 6 - 7 p.m.
Board of Trustees Budget Meeting. The Board will review the proposed 2023 budget.
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Saturday, December 17, 10:00 - 2:00 p.m.
Friends of the Library Bookstore, last chance holiday shopping. The Friends of Roe Jan Library Bookshop will be open for one more day this year for any last chance holiday shopping you may have left to do!
After the holidays, the Bookshop will be open on the first Saturday of every month starting January 7, 2023.
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Saturday, December 17, 1:00 & 2:30 p.m.
Decorate a Gingerbread House. Get ready for the holidays by making your very own gingerbread house! We provide the housing material and decoration supplies, you bring the craftsmanship! Feel free to bring any extra special supplies like gumdrops, candy canes, etc. All ages welcome.
We will have two different time slots, the first at 1:00 p.m. and the second at 2:30 p.m. Registration is required. Please e-mail director@roejanlibrary.org to reserve your gingerbread house and request your preferred time. You may also call the library at (518)-325-4101.
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Saturday, December 24
Library Closed. Christmas Eve
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Wednesday, December 28, 1:00 – 2:00 p.m.
Homeschool Wednesday with Babe, the Golden Retriever therapy dog. Babe, a Golden Retriever, will be visiting the library to hang out with the kids attending our Homeschool program at the library. Babe is trained and very gentle. A new study suggests that spending time with therapy dogs may help lower children’s stress levels even more than relaxation exercises. Let's all share our New Year wishes with our furry friend. Come over and visit with Babe! Her owner, Nora Hayes, is a certified evaluator for Bright and Beautiful Therapy dogs.
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Saturday, December 31
Library Closed. New Year’s Eve
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Saturday, January 7, 11:00 a.m.
David Lesako Live Art Demo. Meet current featured artist David Lesako and watch as he does a demonstration on drawing with pastels. He will be at the library working from 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. drawing our view of Roe Jan Kill! Come for this live demo, ask questions, be amazed . . .
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Wednesday, January 11, 5:30 p.m.
Roe Jan Writers Series: Maryann Proper Barto. Maryann Barto grew up in West Taghkanic with her basket-making mother, which gave her the inspiration to write A Story from a Basket Maker’s Daughter: The Hill. Her family’s stories have been living history and enhanced her love for researching forgotten history to include in her writing. Maryann will read from and discuss her new novel, set in a rustic village known as The Hill, whose members have depended upon one another for survival, fearing the consequences of their secrets and the changes around them.
Maryann graduated from Columbia Greene Community College with an associate’s degree Human Services. She went on to achieve a bachelor’s degree at Empire State College in Community and Human Services, which allowed her the opportunity to work with diverse communities for over 30 years. She now resides in the Adirondack Region of New York with her husband and their pets.
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Copake Outdoors
Copake Outdoors, the local group dedicated to having fun hiking, biking, kayaking and swimming in and around Copake, will have its next outing on January 8, 2023 at 9:30am.
For their previous outing, the group had a scenic walk at the Greenport Conservation Area. The January outing will be at the Drowned Lands Swamp Conservation Area in Ancram. There are approximately 2 miles of trails with a couple of moderately steep sections; we’ll spend a little over an hour there. Meet at the parking area at 654 County Route 3, Ancram.
For more information, go to:
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Expiration Dates on some COVID Test Kits are Extended
The Copake Town Clerk’s office has been distributing “At-Home” COVID test kits throughout the spring.
At this point, the town still has a limited number of tests available to citizens, but the expiration dates on some of the boxes have passed.
We have been advised by Director of Emergency Management David Harrison that the
expiration dates have been extended by the FDA and that up-to-date information is
available from the FDA website. To check to see if the expiration of a test kit has been
The list of test kits and relevant information is at the bottom of the page.
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If you wish to submit an article or notice regarding a community event taking place in the Town of Copake to the Copake Connection, please e-mail: thecopakeconnection@gmail.com. All submissions should be received by us by noon on the 10th of the month.
For more and current information on Meetings in Copake and events throughout the Roe Jan area, go to the Copake Website.
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Contact
Copake Town Hall
230 Mountain View Road
Copake, NY 518-329-1234
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