Canajoharie

Twenty Years Ago

Local municipal and industry representatives traveled to Montreal, Canada, seeking a potentially more efficient and cost effective means of handling wastewater treatment. Mayor Ronald Dievendorf, Trustee Dennis Yacobucci, Superintendent John Scott, Canajoharie Wastewater Treatment Plant, Norman Bean, Beech-Nut Nutrition Corp., and Jack Rossman, Lamont Van de Valk Engineers, P.C., journeyed to Canada to examine a plant utilizing sequential batch reactors, an advanced process technology for the wastewater treatment industry. The trip was sponsored by Fred Falleson, company representative for Eco Equipment, manufacturers of the SBR technology. The wastewater site visited was Abattoir Laurentian, a chicken processing plant outside Montreal.

An outline of a plan for conducting a feasibility study for the combination of the Canajoharie and Sharon Springs Central School districts was presented at the meeting of the Canajoharie Central School Board of Education. The plan was developed by William J. Nagle, study consultant, who told board members that all activities involving the merger/annexation feasibility study must be kept well in the public eye, to make it perfectly clear that “you’re not trying to ram anything down anyone’s throat.”

Several hundred people lined the banks of the Mohawk River along the Canajoharie boat launch area, and many more watched from the Canajoharie-Palatine Bridge river bridge, as the gates of Lock 14 opened, and the first annual Mohawk Valley Recyclable Regatta began. As cheers rang out and the shouts of encouragement began to punctuate the afternoon sky, the student-piloted recyclable boats began their trek from the canal lock to the boat landing site. Some of the students pedaled their recycled creations while others pushed, paddled and just plain attempted to keep their colorful crafts on course.

Thirty Years Ago

Voters in the Canajoharie Central School District approved a $3,921,881 budget by a 2-1 margin, and elected Mrs. Marion Lupo, Canajoharie, to the school board for a five-year term to succeed Mrs. Doris McDuffee, who had been a member of the board for the last 11 years and was not a candidate for reelection. The vote on the budget was 271-122, a margin which pleased school officials since a true estimate of the tax rates in the three major segments of the district could not be determined. Lupo received 354 votes.

Tuesday, Aug. 3 was the date announced for the opening of the new McDonald’s restaurant in the Dutchtown Plaza, Palatine Bridge, now under construction by Brian Henaburgh, owner. The announcement was made during the quarterly dinner-meeting of the Canajoharie Palatine Bridge Chamber of Commerce. Henaburgh told some 49 chamber members present at the Fort Rensselaer the new restaurant will employ 50 people locally, with an estimated annual payroll of $200,000.

Parishioners, friends and neighbors attended a farewell reception for the Rev. Edna Felter, who earlier that day, preached her farewell sermon to the congregation of the Ames-Sprout Brook United Methodist Church. She will be taking over a congregation in Central Bridge.

Ninety-seven candidates for graduation will march to ‘Pomp and Circumstance’ at the 104th annual commencement of the Canajoharie Central School. The class will be led by Valedictorian Bryan Christman, Salutatorian Holly Wagner and Class President Linda Frasier.

Forty Years Ago

Sheila Weaver, Sprakers RD, was crowned Montgomery County Dairy Princess in Canajoharie.

A 17 year old boy was swept to his death over the Canajoharie Falls and two companions attempted to walk across the stream about 20 feet above the 40-foot falls. About mid-way across, he lost his footing or attempted to dive into the water and his friends saw him swept over the precipice. Raging waters, swollen by recent rains, delayed the recovery of the body. One rescue worker, Canajoharie fireman Wayne Horning, escaped death when he slipped over a bank, clinging to the edge of his fingertips until he could be pulled to safety by other rescue workers.

Fort Plain

Twenty Years Ago

Many Harry Hoag Elementary School students recently were treated to a trip into the night ó without leaving the cafetorium stage. How could this be? Easy, with the help of a portable planetarium, brought to the school by the Board of Cooperational Education Services and sponsored by the local PTA. The STARLAB planetarium demonstrates how the night sky has inspired poets throughout history and at the same time provides a thought provoking creative outlet for today’s young people and would-be poets. Inside the dome shaped STARLAB, the lights dimmed, the ten-foot diameter amphitheater became the night sky above. Stars, suns, planets ó whole galaxies appeared, winding off to infinity.

John Vesty, author of the book “Adirontreks: Places and People in the Adirondacks” will be in Fort Plain. Vesty, who grew up in Alexandria Bay and spent his working years as a technical writer, now residing in Indian Lake, will be at Diane’s Books and Gifts, 8 Canal St., Fort Plain to visit with local residents and autograph copies of his book. “Adirontreks” takes you on a relaxed journey of highways and back roads, lacing the vast Adirondack Park.

Thirty Years Ago

The Fort Plain Village Board at its monthly meeting adopted the resolutions necessary to implement the final phase of the sanitary sewer rehabilitation project, to be completed this year. One resolution authorizes the village to issue bonds in the maximum amount of $390,000 guaranteed by Farmers Home Administration to be repaid by the municipality over a period of 40 years. It is expected, however, Mayor Richard Jacksland said, that only $265,000 of the total will be used, some of this amount already expended. Village Clerk-Treasurer Ruby Rockefeller was authorized to advertise for bids, expected to be awarded about Aug. 1 in eight major work areas of the wastewater facilities project.

The Hotel Fort Plain announced with regret that it will no longer be serving food.

The 87th annual graduation ceremony at Fort Plain Central School will be held in the Harry Hoag gymnasium. The salutatory address will be given by Christl E. Urbin, who is also class president, and the valedictory address will be given by Carol Lynn D’Arcangelis. Seventy-seven candidates will participate.

Bishop Roy C. Nichols, resident bishop of the New York area of the United Methodist Church will be the guest preacher at the Fort Plain United Methodist Church at services celebrating its 150th anniversary.

Forty Years Ago

In the wake of a 530-246 vote defeat of the proposed 1972-73 school budget, the Fort Plain Central School Board of Education has decided to adopt an austerity budget. The austerity, or contingency budget, will increase the tax rate $2.18 per $1,000 of taxable property from last year, rather than the $6.50 per $1,000 prior to the vote.

St. Johnsville

Twenty Years Ago

The St. Johnsville Central School District will be honoring one of its own during a special open house for Betty Bradbury, who is retiring after 43 years as a third grade teacher in the district. The open house will be held in the D.H. Robbins Elementary School, and all residents of the St. Johnsville school district are encouraged to attend to wish Bradbury the best of luck in her retirement.

Martha Francesco has been selected as the St. Johnsville Nursing Home’s Employee of the Month. She has been employed at the local nursing home since July 5, 1989, and works in the housekeeping department. A native of Honolulu, Hawaii, she is well liked by the residents and staff. She is described as outgoing and extremely pleasant in nature. Her husband, Rocky, volunteers on staff/resident cookouts and helps to monitor the barbecue. She lives in St. Johnsville with her husband and their Springer Spaniels.

Thirty Years Ago

The St. Johnsville Central School Board of Education at a special meeting adopted an operational contingency budget, totaling $2,207,283. The action came in the wake of the defeat of the proposed 1982-83 budget of $2,264,285 by a vote of 497-122 at a recent public forum. At that time, taxpayers suggested measures which could be taken to stabilize the district’s financial situation and what could be done to develop a realistic budget a year down the road in 1983-84. The board opted against resubmitting the original budget to district voters or cutting and resubmitting it. The operational contingency document will allow the district to operate for the entire 1982-83 school year without returning to the taxpayers for another vote. However, the board, at it’s meeting, voted to present to district voters six separate propositions items in July which appeared in the original budget. Propositions to be submitted are as follows: interscholastic athletics, $35,040; school library, $7,800; teaching equipment, $8,707; swim program for grade four, $3,080, and transportation, including field trips, $164,392. The items total $219,392.

Forty-four seniors are expected to participate in the annual commencement exercises. Addresses will be presented by Valedictorian Michelle Miklic and Salutatorian Lisa Lawyer.