Guest Column
Marlene McTigueChange is upon us. At 5:15 on Wednesday evening, the first traveler of the season was crossing the road.A red eft no bigger than your pinky was making its careful way across the pavement toward a vernal pool. The tiny amphibian, the wandering juvenile stage of the eastern newt, moved ...
ONE OF MY friends shared this beautiful piece with me, not long after I had to say goodbye to my beloved heart-dog Cartier. I am not ready yet to write about the incredible daily blessings he brought to my life. We shared deeply on many levels. His loss is still very painful. I trust our readers ...
HUDSON--At the same time as the county adopts its annual operating budget, it also puts forth a capital plan, showing the major investments it intends to make over the next five years. As in the case of the operating budget, many of the planned expenditures will be funded through state and federal ...
ALONGSIDE ROUTE 23 — a major east–west road that carries residents, freight, and visitors through the heart of Columbia County — and sprawling along the entrance to the Copake Lake Watershed, a 42‑megawatt solar proposal has become a test of something larger than energy policy. Shepherd’s Run would ...
Dear Rusty: A friend of my wife told her, and she believes, she could receive a Social Security benefit based on my SS benefit that I’m currently receiving while I’m still alive. I told her she could only receive spouse survivor benefits. Is there any truth to what she now believes? Would you ...
OUR PREDOMINANT sparrow of winter is our little American Tree Sparrow or Spizella arborea, whose genus of birds is often referred to affectionately as “spitzes.” This genus is also called another name, one that comes from their frustrating similarities as they flit around and defy identification.
ARE WE still making a difference?After working at the Columbia-Greene Humane Society/SPCA for 25 years, the story is still the same when it comes to animal cruelty cases: they are overabundant—and under-punished.Recently, I was in a conversation with my boss Ron Perez who serves as President/CEO of ...
I’m on SS disability; should I switch to regular Social Security?By Russell GloorFor Capital Region Independent MediaDear Rusty: Should I take my Social Security now at age 62, or wait until I am 65? I’ve been collecting SS disability due to health issues and was curious if I should wait or claim ...
I’m on SS disability; should I switch to regular Social Security?By Russell GloorFor Capital Region Independent MediaDear Rusty: Should I take my Social Security now at age 62, or wait until I am 65? I’ve been collecting SS disability due to health issues and was curious if I should wait or claim ...
THIS IS THE progressively dark and gloomy time of year, of cold and shortening days. It is a time to welcome the holidays and many faith traditions of light as part of the festivities; the torches, lamps, candles, and bonfires, and now modern electric lights that help dispel the darkness. There ...
THIS PAST WEEK brought what I remembered as a real winter. In 1968, I was working in Schenectady and commuting with a few friends, all of us in our early 20s. I am a farm girl with extensive winter gasoline-engine experience, and I always added dry gas to the full gas tank of my 1960 Chevy Bel Air ...
HOWES CAVE – Laura Boggs Gagnon is a parent, librarian at Golding Middle School in Cobleskill...and a local musician. A talented musician.Gagnon is a singer and songwriter. She plays guitar (both acoustic and electric), mountain dulcimer, and banjo. Her multi-instrumental talents allow for her to ...
Wishing you all a wonderful Thanksgiving! Our area is known for its many gatherings and dinners, even if they are not all held on the actual day of celebration. One of the largest in the area is the 23rd Annual Community Free Thanksgiving Day Dinner, Thursday, November 27, at the Schenevus Masonic ...
Since I was 5 years old—57 years now—I’ve had gasoline and gears in my veins, so kicking off the weekend with Antique Power Days in Roseboom felt like stepping back into a golden era.This wasn’t just a field full of tractors…it was a living, breathing history lesson. The old iron—excuse me, ...
In the smoke and thunder of the American Civil War, amidst the muddy trenches and shattered redoubts of New Bern, North Carolina, a name would etch itself into the fabric of American history—Lieutenant Colonel Charles A. Heckman of the Ninth New Jersey Infantry Regiment Volunteers.Charles Heckman ...
As our community collectively experienced on July 14, and multiple times before it, flash flooding is a continuing problem in parts of our area. It has the potential to uproot people from their homes, disrupt businesses, and it risks the lives of residents, guests, and first responders. We are ...
BASKING RIDGE, NJ - Most people don’t think about where their sneakers go after they are worn out, or worse, barely worn. I didn’t either, until I began collecting and repurposing athletic shoes for refugee centers through a program I started called the Relay Project. But the more sneakers I ...
They Didn't See Me at First—And They Still Don't See Many of UsI came to the U.S. from Puerto Rico when I was eight. I didn't speak English. I was labeled, overlooked, and underestimated from the moment I stepped into a classroom. It didn’t take long to learn that visibility is a privilege, and in ...
Benches may seem like small features in the landscape of a city, but in a dense, pedestrian-oriented community like Hoboken, New Jersey, they are essential elements of public life. As a compact, walkable city with a high population density and limited open space, Hoboken thrives on the vibrancy of ...
Fanwood Update:The New Jersey Office of Emergency Management (NJ OEM) has opened a Damage Assessment Portal for residents to report property damage from the July 14 storm that hit our region. These damage reports will help authorities assess storm impacts and may help expedite future assistance ...
In 2022, the city’s nonprofit arts and culture sector generated $46 million in total economic activity, supported over 530 jobs, provided $28.2 million in personal income, and contributed $7.1 million in local and state tax revenue. The data is clear: when we invest in culture, we invest in the ...
Disability is part of all of our lives, even if we don’t always recognize it or name it. Disability shows up in all kinds of ways. Sometimes you see it. Sometimes you don’t. Some people are born with it. For others, it becomes part of their life through injury, illness, or simply as life changes.
On Wednesday, Governor Phil Murphy put his signature on the “Bill Ricci Eligibility Extension.” Thanks to this new law, even more New Jersey first responders, including members of the NJFMBA, will be granted the opportunity to receive accidental disability retirement allowance for participation in ...
Just across the harbor from the Statue of Liberty and a short light rail ride from downtown Jersey City, Bayonne stands as an enduring paradox: a city that is physically close to the heart of one of the most progressive regions in America, yet socially, remains mired in deep-rooted prejudice. Last ...
Dear Rusty:I opted to draw my Social Security retirement benefit early and work part-time. The company I work for has decided to pull me from field work due to my age and health. Although they are great keeping me at 20 hours per week running for parts and doing office work, I’m not sure how much ...
In the quiet spaces of our neighborhoods, thousands of seniors live independently. Many on fixed incomes, many without daily access to legal guidance. For them, even seemingly routine transactions like signing a home improvement contract can carry serious risks. Until recently, New Jersey law ...
CORAL SPRINGS, FL - As a committed member of this community, I am writing to express serious concern over the CRA Board’s recent June vote to grant an estimated additional $2 million in public funding to the developer of the project at the southwest corner of Sample Rd and University Drive ...
Greetings Carlisle and Happy Birthday America. It’s been 249 years since we gained independence. “It will be celebrated with pomp and parade, with bonfires and illuminations from one end of this continent to the other.” ~ Thomas JeffersonHope your celebration is safe, happy and filled with ...
Jefferson New York Seniors are invited to join a trip with the Stamford-Harpersfield senior club to the Schenectady Aquarium on Thursday, July 17. The bus for the trip will be picking up Jefferson Seniors at 10am. Call Phyllis at 607-538-1242 for arrangements. Trip cost is $58 a person. Lunch ...
Worcester Wieting TheaterAn Evening with Grateful Upstate Toodeloo. This is a benefit show for our theater. Supporting the arts, especially on a local level, is important, now more than ever. We’re more than just summer family movies. Worcester is blessed to have this amazing venue, your continued ...