December 2009 - Clifton Knolls – Mill Creek Civic Association

Clifton Knolls and Mill Creek Civic Association
News & Views
www.ckmcca.org
December 2009
SAVE THE DATE!!!
March 6, 2010
6th Annual Wine & Cheese Party
at the Locust Lane Club House
The party offers a great way to meet new neighbors
and relax with the ones you already know.
If you are interested in helping to plan the party or would
like to make a food donation, please contact Keri Horton
at lkachort@nycap.rr.com or 383-1325.
Please remember to pay your Oct. ‘09 – Sept. ‘10
membership dues. A portion of your dues covers the
cost of holding this fantastic event.
Happy
Holidays
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Community Corner
Announcements and Events Organized by Members of Our Neighborhood
Dear Neighbors,
Thank you to all who donated coats, hats and gloves for the homeless at the Mercy
House and Lwanga shelters. We collected 25 coats. Your generosity will help keep
someone warm this winter.
Sincerely, Maureen Dahl
Shenendehowa is proud to offer 8 lanes of lap swimming, 6 days a week to community members at our new Aquatic Center. The program is run through the district's Community Education Program.
Dates:
1/4-2/27 (Session 3)
Times:
5:45 to 6:45am Monday to Friday
1:00 to 3:00pm Saturday
Fee is $2.00 per day for individual sessions, or $82 for all of Session 3.
Register by filling out the form that can be found here, and following the instructions:
http://tinyurl.com/yhf9yyc
Maximum Capacity Per Day: 40 Swimmers--5 Per Lane, first come/first serve basis. Must be 21
or older. Individuals must show a valid drivers licenses at the time of swim that will be crosschecked against the registration list. Lap Swim is open to individuals who prefer to swim for
conditioning, fitness or practice. No coaching or organized swimming practices are permitted
during Lap Swim!
Happy New Year!
Snow Plowing
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Happy Housing!
By Genie Bassett
December! Christmas! A new year! Many of
our neighbors in the Knolls and Mill Creek
managed to get their outdoor decorations up
before the snow and cold made the task
memorable. But, what fun is that? It‘s warm
– that‘s what it is!
We have a tradition in our house that we
never get the tree until there is 24 inches of
snow on the ground and the temperature –
driven by a 40 mph wind – is hovering
around the minus-10. Hopefully, by the time
you read this we will have a nice covering of
white to get everyone into the holiday spirit.
It is such a pleasure to take a leisurely drive
around the
neighborhood to
appreciate the
Courier and Ives
scene in which we
have the pleasure
to live. We usually
do that after the
Christmas Eve
church services.
You know that inside most houses
all the kids are
home from college
and families are
making last minute preparations. And this is true for many
non-Christian homes as well as we celebrate
so many wonderful Holidays at this time of
year. Such is the wonder of the season.
Whether you celebrate Christmas or you
simply appreciate what the holiday season
means for just about everyone, it is a special
time of year. Some of that may be due to
the fact that it is the end of the year and we
are preparing for a fresh start. And after the
last year, I think everyone is ready for a new
year. And it‘s even the beginning of a new
decade! (Or is it?)
But lets go back to that Courier and Ives
scene again for a moment. Our wide, treelined streets, the warm glow of Christmas
lights spilling across the snow-frosted lawns,
the happy reunions, even the hectic preparations. It is a pretty nice picture.
Let‘s make a special effort to extend the
holiday spirit to our neighbors. It doesn‘t
have to be a big deal, but it can be very
meaningful if you reach out to someone. Perhaps to a new neighbor who just moved in
this last year. (Despite the conventional wisdom, there have been quite a few sales this
year.) Or maybe there is one of our seniors
who you haven‘t chatted with for a while. If
you make holiday cookies, make a few extra
and take a plateful to someone who will surprised by it. You could check out the great
little bouquets of flowers you can pick up at
the food stores. Wouldn‘t it be great if this
happened up and down the streets of our
neighborhood?
If you really want to
spread some cheer,
get together a halfdozen friends and
neighbors and have a
caroling party. It
doesn‘t have to be
complicated, just ask
folks to bring some
party food and open a
couple of bottles of
your favorite beverage.
And just in case there
are some carolers on
your street, check tonight to ensure that the
pole lamp in your front yard is working. It is
a simple job to replace a burned out bulb
and it doesn‘t cost too much if you have to
get an electrician to fix the fixture. After all,
we don‘t have street lights so those little
post lamps are very important to keeping
everyone safe since it seems like the sun is
going down around 3 o‘clock in the afternoon.
Happy Housing and keep warm!
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Clifton Knolls/Mill Creek Park District Advisory Committee Report
for the 2009 Year
To Our Neighbors:
First of all, our committee would like to thank most enthusiastically the many neighbor
volunteers in our community who care for the entrance marker gardens. It is always a joy to
see the lovely flowers and plantings as we enter the development. And a special thank you at
this holiday season to Tim Leonard who once again installed the decorations at each marker.
The winter storm of 2009 is now a distant memory for most of us. However, for your park district advisory committee as well as many of our neighbors, it was quite a nightmare. The Town
of Clifton Park did obtain some assistance in cleaning up some downed trees and limbs from
FEMA. Then, this summer, our two high school boys did a fine job in clearing the pathways and
remulching most of them so they are now passable again. The committee is continuing to obtain bids to do more and more cleaning up of the ponds and roadsides for safety and aesthetic
appreciation of our residents.
We also would like to give kudos to our perennial landscaper, A – Z Property Management, for continuing the excellent maintenance on our perennial gardens. A-Z also cleaned the
scrub brush out around the ponds next to Valencia Lane and S. Barney which opened up more
pond and woods views. And our trees and shrubs maintenance company, Cliffsides, also did a
fine job in continuing to beautify the parklands.
We hope you have noticed that the park district committee is working also on increasing
parking and making exiting from the parking areas on each side of the tennis/ basketball courts
onto Clifton Park Center Road, easier and safer. A-Z has taken down old and dead trees on
each side of the courts. The Town Buildings and Grounds Department will be adding crushed
stone to the areas soon. In the spring, our park district committee will plant more shrubs and
flowering trees to beautify the grove on the western side of the basketball court. In a few
weeks, the Buildings and Grounds Department will flood the basketball court so our residents
can ice skate on that surface.
Our goose chaser has continued this season to keep our lands relatively free of pesky
Canada Geese. His manner, chasing with his Border Collies as he paddles his kayak at times, is
a humane but very effective technique of discouraging the geese from finding a permanent
home on the fields. Our residents have often commented that the fields are cleaner and much
more usable since we have had these services.
Once again this year, we employed Aquatic Control Technologies of Massachusetts, to
condition the ponds with algaecide. Unfortunately, Aquatic Control suggested that the weeds
were so intense, that they held up the algae and impeded any attempt to rid the ponds of the
algae. Approximately every three years in the past, we also used herbicide to kill the weeds.
And just this year, we installed several hundred weed eating fish to help out. Unfortunately, we
have not noticed any lessening of the growth in our ponds. The ponds seem to be filling up with
dirt and disintegrated matter so that they are much shallower and the sun‘s rays nourish any
growth much more easily. So now our committee is exploring all other options to try to keep
our lovely ponds from becoming completely overgrown and boggy. Many of us remember all too
well how the ponds smelled 10-20 years ago before we began the treatments. We are working
with LA Associates in Saratoga who is looking into the feasibility of removing large volumes of
the materials that are clogging up the ponds. There are many issues related to this attempt,
not the least of which is cost. We‘ll continue to update the community as we gather more information.
We invite any interested residents to visit our committee. It meets on the fourth Tuesday
of each month in Room B of Town Hall at 7:00 P.M. Call Judy Hughes at 371-9541 for information.
Sincerely, the Clifton Knolls/Mill Creek Park District Advisory Committee:
Claudia Hroncich, Judy Hughes, Ron Johnson, John Laviano, Marlys McGinnis, Pat Miller, Loretta
Parsons, John Rinebolt, Tom Sargent, Joyce Savage and Sheila Suozzo.
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Halloween Party—A Big Success!
Thank you to all of the Clifton Knolls and Mill Creek residents who pitched in to help make the
2009 Association Halloween Party a great big success. After the parade, we were able to host a
bunch of games and distribute some goodie bags. A good portion of the
Locust Lane was even turned into a fabulously scary haunted house! We
would like to extend a very heartfelt thank you to all of the generous donations from residents toward the party and goodie bags.
Thanks also to all the families that turned their lawn tractors into floats for
the parade, and special thanks go to all of our volunteers, who did everything from proposing the resolution and got the town board to pass it so
we could "close" the streets for the parade, to the folks that set up and
cleaned up Locust Lane Clubhouse for the party. These folks include Amy McGeary, Rose Finn,
Kristen DeSalvatore, Kathy Friedman and Ed Schauffert who swept the floor for 2 hours Another note of appreciation goes to our motorcycle escorts and the residents who came out for
their assistance in ensuring safety at the intersections along the parade route.
The board would also like to express appreciation for the residents who
signed up to volunteer to help plan next year‘s Halloween Party. The invitation is extended to all residents who are interested in helping to make
next year‘s party a bigger success. Please contact any board member with
your contact information if you would like to help with the Halloween party
and any other community events!
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2009-2010 CKMCCA
MEMBERSHIP DUES
JOIN THE CIVIC ASSOCIATION TODAY!
We sponsor a number of exciting events throughout the year and need your support. An updated Clifton Knolls/Mill Creek Directory will be published in early 2010 and delivered to all dues
paying members of the Association. Your dues also support the publication and delivery of the
News & Views. So fill out the coupon below and send it in with your check for $18.00.
If you are away over the winter, let us know and we will hold your directory and deliver it to
you when you return. Also, we‘d like to have your e-mail address so we can send you notice of
events and meetings without the need for additional paid mailings.
2009-2010 DUES $18.00
October 1, 2009 – September 30, 2010
Send Dues ($18.00) to:
Clifton Knolls/Mill Creek Civic Association, PO Box 2, Clifton Park, NY 12065
Name:
Address:
Phone:
Move in Date:
E-Mail Address:
Optional: indicate names and birth dates of your children for the directory, or if you have children that would be willing to babysit and/or pet sit:
Please check any of the following that you’d be interested in participating in:
___ Adult Wine & Cheese Party
___ Annual Meeting Speaker
___ Become Board Member
___ Children’s Halloween Party
___ Entrance Marker Upkeep
___ Garage Sale
___ Obtain Directory Advertising
___ Obtain Directory Updates
___ Obtain News & Views Advertising
___ Scholarship Coordination
___ Web Site Development
Comments:
THANKS FOR YOUR SUPPORT!
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CKMCAA 2009/2010 ADVERTISING
NEWSLETTER and/or DIRECTORY
PAYMENT MUST BE MAILED WITH THE AD COPY!
―News & Views‖ Newsletter:
The five issues of the newsletter are sent to every household (about 900 homes) in Clifton Knolls and Mill
Creek five times per season (October, December, February, April, and June).
Rates: 1/8 page (business card)
1/4 page
1/2 page
Full page
$20
$30
$50
$100
per issue
per issue
per issue
per issue
Please circle the ad size you want and check the boxes below for the issues you want your ad to appear.
February ‗10 ___ April ‗10 ___ June ‗10 ___
CKMCCA Directory:
The CKMCCA Directory includes names and addresses of everyone in Clifton Knolls and Mill Creek, as well
as a street map with numbered housing locations. It is issued once annually (usually in March) and is
sent to all dues paying members of the Civic Association.
Rates: 1/8 page (business card)
1/4 page
Full page
$95
$165
$225
Please circle the ad size you want.
Instructions:
Please include a copy of your ad submitted as ―camera ready‖ and if possible in black and white print. For
business card ads, please include a copy of your card. Send this form to:
Clifton Knolls/Mill Creek Civic Association
P.O. Box 2
Clifton Park, NY 12065
PAYMENT MUST BE MAILED WITH THE AD COPY!
Provide us your contact information:
Name:
Address:
Phone:
E-Mail:
Signature:
Date:
See your ad at www.ckmcca.org by calling up the archived issues of the News & Views!
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CKMCCA News
MEETING SCHEDULE
The CKMCCA regular board meetings of the 2009-2010 membership year will be held on:
January 13
February 10
March 10
April 14
May 12
June 9
We will send out an e-mail regarding the location of these meetings, and post them on
CKMCCA.org as well. Meetings start at 7:30 pm, and typically run 60-90 minutes, depending on the number of items on the agenda. All are welcome to come and participate, be it
to suggest something that would enhance our neighborhood, volunteer to help in one of our
existing events, or to raise an issue or two.
CKMCCA DIRECTORY
The 2009-2010 CKMCCA Directory will print in the spring of 2010. That means that within
the next few weeks you may be getting a phone call or knock on your door to verify your
name and other information. If you want to help with gathering information, please contact a Board member.
E-MAIL NEWSLIST
The News & Views gets published five times a year. Often times, there are things that arise
between publication dates, and more and more, e-mail is the best way to get quick messages out. The Civic Association has an e-mail distribution list of about 300, but most of
those are from individuals who have paid their Civic Association Dues. As paying dues is
optional—but highly encouraged!—we don‘t get e-mail addresses from most of the approximately 900 homes in Clifton Knolls and Mill Creek.
In the past, we‘ve used it to alert residents about power and flooding issues, send a headstart on leaf pickup, as well as reminders on neighborhood events. If you would like to be
put on the e-mail distribution list, please send an e-mail to Bryon Backenson at
pbryon@fastmail.fm or
mailinglist@ckmcca.org.
Be assured that your e-mail will not be used for commercial purposes or spam, and when
neighborhood-wide messages go out, all e-mail addresses are hidden, so people won‘t be
able to get everyone‘s e-mail addresses. Thanks for your cooperation—e-mail really is the
quickest way to get messages out these days.
SOLICITORS
Door-to-door solicitation is prohibited in Clifton Park. If you are receiving unwanted knocks
at your door, or are concerned about solicitation in our neighborhood, please call Town
Hall.
STORM DRAINS AND HYDRANTS
As the snow starts to pile up, remember to clean out storm drains and plow out access for
fire hydrants. This prevents flooding, and gives access in case of emergency. Thanks!
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Town Hall Updates
Stony Creek Reservoir Purchase Update
Supervisor Barrett gave an update on the town‘s interest in purchasing the Stony
Creek Reservoir from the Town of Colonie, reporting negotiations came to a standstill and
Colonie went out for an RFP. The Town of Clifton Park was the only bidder at $3.08 million.
He explained once the NYSDOH restrictions have been lifted the offer would be $3.27 million.
The Town of Clifton Park is partnering with the Open Space Institute (OSI) which is a
large organization with endowments that preserve properties around the state. Supervisor
Barrett noted OSI is an expert in this field and can guide the town through the process. OSI
would front the money for the purchase and the town would have an agreement with OSI
where the town would pay them substantially less than the purchase price $3.08 million
over a period of years and eventually the town would take ownership of the property.
He stated it is more than just OSI‘s expertise and guidance, they are a financial partner. The Supervisor said the town will continue to work towards acquiring the property and
turning it into a recreational showplace for kayaking, canoeing, and fishing. He noted current state restrictions on the property would have to be lifted.
Update on crosswalk or sidewalk on Clifton Park Center Road across from the Clifton Knolls
development
Supervisor Barrett responded the school has received a Safe Route to Schools Grant
that will enhance that area as well as other connections on the school campus. The town
helped in writing the grant and has helped with the execution. Mr. Scavo said the town
Highway Safety Committee met with the representatives of the school district who received
the NYSDOT grant. He continued, the town also provided NYSDOT with right-a-way maps
and DOT is designing the trail system for the school district. DOT has completed the design
and the next step is for the school district to actually implement construction of the trail
system. Mr. Scavo reported as part of the towns Recreation Master Plan, town officials met
with school officials and once the Safe Route to Schools Project is complete, there is the
possibility of a walking school bus volunteer program with the parents of Clifton Knolls. Mr.
Scavo explained the town cannot authorize construction as the grant award is with the
school. Supervisor Barrett said there is not enough room for trails on Clifton Park Center
Road.
Clifton Knolls-Mill Creek Civic Association Board Information
CKMCCA Members
Bryon Backenson
Chame Blackburn
Chris Collet
Todd Done
Keri Horton
Paige Rossi
Sheila Suozzo
Chris Zinsley
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Contact Information
To Contact the Board:
board@ckmcca.org
To Update Your Directory Information:
directory@ckmcca.org
To Submit Information to the News & Views Editor:
newsandviews@ckmcca.org
To Advertise in the News and Views or Annual Directory:
advertise@ckmcca.org
To Get Added to the CKMCCA E-Mail Distribution List:
mailinglist@ckmcca.org
Classifieds
WANTED: Garage space to rent for classic
Car, now through end of March. Clifton
Knolls resident. If you have space, please
call Tom at 348-2822.
dential swag-for large living room window
118‖ wide( can easily be made smaller), 2Swag and Jabot, 41‖ wide and 65‖
wide. Perfect for Clifton Knolls
homes. Custom made by Victoria‘s DecoratPIANO TEACHER: Palo Alto Court, Ages 4
ing corner, WAVERLY MONTAGUE. Beautiand up, $25 for 30 minutes. Instructor with ful, Call 383-8360 or 526-8978. I can email
BA in Music Theatre. Call Katie at 371-4041. a photo. Asking $250.
FOR SALE: Men's Wilsons leather jackets black XL $150, brown XL $150, red
XL $100, camel suede L $100, all in excellent
condition. Call 371-0599.
FOR SALE: Adjustable car top ski racks that
lock with keys to keep the skis safe. They
will hold at least two pair of skis. Asking
$50. Call 371-7945.
FOR SALE: Croscill oversized King comforter
set 11 piece set. Comforter, bed skirt, 2
standard shams, 2 king shams, 2 decorator
pillows, 3 balloon valances. Nice paisley pattern, jewel tones. Call 383-8360 or 5268978. Can email photo. Asking $50.
FOR SALE: 2 Youth cross country ski sets,
includes boots, skis and poles, only used 3
times, asking $75 each set. Call 383-8360 or
FOR SALE: Troy Bilt Lawn Vacuum. This is a 526-8978 for more information.
self-propelled 22" mulcher with a wood chipper chute. Asking $150. Call 461-4118 in
FOR SALE: 2 sets of Youth, LLBean, BearClifton Knolls.
claw snowshoes for up to 60 lbs. Asking $25
FOR SALE: Window treatments: 1 - Presi-
each. Call 383-8360 or 526-8978.
Did you Make a snowman
this year? Send your best
pictures of your snowmen
(or other snow sculptures)
to:
snowman@ckmcca.org
and we’ll post them on the
Clifton Knolls/Mill Creek
website for all to see.
They won’t melt there,
and we might even give
prizes to the best ones! 11
Want to contribute to News
& Views and make it a better newsletter? Send articles,
classifieds, essays, or opinion
pieces to:
newsandviews@ckmcca.org
Or contact Bryon Backenson
at 371-7931.
Please remember to shovel out
fire hydrants and storm drains
this winter!
Call For Applications: CKMCCA Annual Scholarship Award 2009
Your annual dues to the Clifton Knolls/Mill Creek Civic Association helps our neighborhoods have the
children‘s Halloween party, have the adult wine and cheese party, maintain our neighborhood entrance markers, and publish this newsletter and our annual directory. For the past several years, it
has also granted a scholarship to a different deserving neighborhood student each year.
The CKMCCA is again offering a $500.00 scholarship award to recognize an outstanding high school
senior who shows academic achievement, extracurricular activities, and involvement in the community. Besides showing these characteristics, the other requirements are that the student must live
in the Clifton Knolls or Mill Creek neighborhoods, and their family must be dues-paying members of
the Civic Association. Students are eligible regardless of the school that they attend, or even if
they‘re homeschooled.
To apply for the scholarship, high school seniors are required to submit a letter describing their
qualifications and interest in receiving the scholarship. Because the scholarship is awarded based
on academic achievement, extracurricular activities, and civic involvement, it would be wise to include this information in the letter. A copy of the student‘s most recent high school transcript is
also required. Other information, such as letters of recommendation, could prove helpful in the selection process, but are not required.
Applications are evaluated and ranked by a group of business, governmental, and academic leaders
in the Capital District. They are not members of the Civic Association, to ensure their impartiality.
If there are questions regarding the scholarship or the application process, please contact:
Bryon Backenson
8 Eldorado Drive
Clifton Park, NY 12065
518-371-7931
pbryon@fastmail.fm
There is no formal application form. The application consists of the letter/essay, transcripts, and
optional supporting documents. These should be submitted to Bryon Backenson at the address
above by March 15, 2010.
And CALL US
FOR YOUR
snow
plowing too!
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Clifton Knolls/Mill Creek Civic Association
PO Box 2
Clifton Park, NY 12065
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