Newsletter – June2013 - Clifton Knolls – Mill Creek Civic Association

June 2013
www.ckmcca.org
News
CKMCCA
& Views
Clifton Knolls/Mill Creek
Civic Association
Saturday, June 8th
Locust Lane Pool and Park
Games from 3-5 p.m. / Food Tent from 4 - 7:30 p.m.
Swimming available all day at the Locust Lane Pool
(Pool member’s guests are $3.00)
$10 per Family
**Please mail or drop off payment to 8 Valencia Lane or 8 Locust Lane**
• C
KMCCA will provide table service, burgers
and dogs.
• N
eighbors with last name N-Z please bring a
dessert to share.
• N
eighbors with last name A-M please bring
a side dish to share.
• E
VERYONE BRING YOUR OWN DRINKS
(no alcohol)
Volunteers are needed!
Do you like to play basketball, tennis, or pickle ball? Do you have a special talent that you could share? (Juggling,
magic tricks, puppet show etc.) Do you need service hours for school, scouts, or church? Then WE NEED YOU!!!!!!
The CKMCCA board has been hard at work to make this year’s neighborhood picnic the best one yet!! We need folks
to help plan activities for the day as well as help with set-up and clean up. If you are interested in making this picnic
FUN, FUN, FUN then please e-mail Candice Vild at jewelrymomof3@gmail.com or call 557-7471.
R.S.V.P. to Brent at venture48@gmail.com or 557-7471
News
& Views
New To Clifton Knolls or Mill Creek?
First of all, welcome to the neighborhood!
Many of us have been here since the
neighborhood started in 1960, and some
of us have only been here for a few years.
But one thing we all have in common is
wanting to live in a neighborhood that is
clean, safe, and reflects our pride in the
community.
From the Editor
I took a walk early this spring with my
kids to go on a beaver hunt. I heard we
had one that has been quite busy, but I
wasn’t sure exactly where. So, we walked
on the path that goes alongside the pond
on Broadleaf, starting at Valencia. We
didn’t see anything until we got to Barney
Road; that’s where we saw the beaver
swimming around in the lower pond.
Further along the path towards Belmonte
Lane, we saw all the stumps of the trees
that the beaver chopped down. A busy
beaver indeed!
The Clifton Knolls-Mill Creek Civic
Association has been around since August
1962. The CKMCCA is not a homeowners association that everyone must join,
and does not imparts universal requirements, like mailbox styles. We are a true
civic association—our goal since our
inception has been to make our neighborhood better by fostering a sense of
community.
To that end, the CKMCCA sponsors a
number of events in our neighborhood,
from the Halloween parade and party
every fall, to the neighborhood garage
sale every year, to the summer picnic,
winter wine and cheese party, and college
scholarship. CKMCCA also publishes this
newsletter (which goes to everyone in the
neighborhood), and the annual directory
(which only goes to dues-paying members
of the CKMCCA).
As someone who is new to our neighborhood, we ask you to contact us to give us
your contact information for inclusion in
the next version of the directory, and to
provide us with your e-mail address, so we
can get in touch with you between issues
of the “News and Views”. In return, we’ll
give you a free copy of the latest CKMCCA Neighborhood Directory, regardless
of whether or not you join the Association. Thanks for choosing to live in our
neighborhood!
Other animals sited at the pond include
muskrats, mallards, wood ducks, mergansers, osprey fish, minks, blue herons and
eastern painted turtles. So much wildlife
in our own backyards!
Coming up that is sure to be a blast is
the annual Family Picnic. We have a
lot planned for this year. Let’s hope the
weather cooperates, but even if it doesn’t
we have plenty to do rain or shine. This is
a great opportunity to meet neighbors, so
please come join us on June 8th at the Locust Lane Pool and Park. And remember
if you are interested, please volunteer!
As always, we welcome any comments,
suggestion or contributions (we would
love some contributions, please!!).
Contact us at newsandviews@ckmcca.org
Use your smartphone to scan
this QR code and send an
email directly to News and
Views!
PAGE 2
It’s never too soon to start thinking about the
Annual Garage Sale!
Our tentative date for this years Annual Garage Sale is August 24th. There is
no cost to participate, we advertise in places like Craigs List and The Penny
Saver and we offer a neighborhood map at the main entrances.
Keep a lookout for an email with more information coming
this summer! If you have any questions or are interested in
volunteering, email garagesale@ckmcca.org.
Clifton knolls/Mill Creek Civic Association
MESSAGE FROM THE BOARD
This has been a somewhat challenging year for
CKMCCA, with a shrinking number of volunteers, yet still with events to organize and pull
off. The most recent of these was the annual
meeting in April. About 30 people participated
and discussed issues in the neighborhood, and
afterwards learned a bit about lawn and garden maintenance from Sue Beebe of Cornell
Cooperative Extension. While the turnout
was a bit low, we think it was an informative
night--most everyone in attendance seemed
appreciative of Ms. Beebe’s answering questions well
past bedtime! If anyone has any suggestions for future speakers at
our annual meeting, please send an email to the Board.
Our next two events are the summer picnic and the neighborhood garage sale. We hope both
are successful and make our neighborhood a better place to live. More details are elsewhere in
this issue of News and Views.
We also ask you to be on the lookout for your 2013 membership forms in the mail soon,
and consider joining or renewing your CKMCCA membership. We’ve had some issues with
Staples printing envelopes for us, but those issues should be ironed out soon. Once the membership drive is completed, we will print and distribute the 2013 directory to members.
The Board is always looking for more volunteers, and for ideas for different neighborhood
events. The goal of CKMCCA as a civic association is to make our neighborhood a better
place to live--and to keep our property values up! If you’d like to help contribute to that goal,
please contact us.
Summer in Clifton Knolls and Mill Creek is a great place to be. Our older neighborhood
has nice wide streets, and people usually take full advantage of them--walking, running, and
biking. Please be aware that more people are out on the road and drive safely.(And to those
running at 5am--remember that windows of sleeping people are open!)
Lastly, we’d like to remember former long-time CKMCCA board member Joyce Savage, who
passed away this past March. Joyce was a tireless promoter of both Clifton Park and our neighborhood. Please take a moment to read the kind words about her on page 8.
MEETING SCHEDULE
• CKMCCA regular board meetings are held on every second Wednesday of the month
between the months of September through June:
June 12
November 13
September 11
December 11
October 9
CKMCCA Board
of Directors
Shanley Alber
Bryon Backenson
Deb Jackowski
Kathy Lamanna-Friedman
Amy McGeary
Kevin Simon
Sheila Suozzo
Candice Vild
Contact Information
CKMCCA Board:
board@ckmcca.org
Directory Information:
directory@ckmcca.org
News & Views Editor:
newsandviews@ckmcca.org
Advertise in News & Views
and/or Annual Directory:
advertise@ckmcca.org
CKMCCA E-Mail List:
mailinglist@ckmcca.org
Get Connected!
Follow us on Twitter! We’re
cliftonknolls.
We’re on Facebook too! We’re a
group — do a search for CKMC
Civic Association. Feel free to add to
our growing page on Facebook!
And, don’t forget to be put on the
email distribution list for important
information between newsletters.
• Meetings start at 8:00pm and run 60-90 minutes.
• W
e want your input! These are open meetings, all Clifton Knolls/Mill Creek residents
are welcome to come and participate.
• W
e will send out an e-mail regarding the location of the meeting, and post them on
CKMCCA.org as well.
SAVE THE DATES
June 8, 2013. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Neighborhood Picnic
august 24 (tentatively), 2013. . . . . Neighborhood Wide Garage Sale
PAGE 3
News
& Views
News & Views of the Children of Clifton Knolls and Mill Creek
Welcome to MICRO VIEW! It’s the place for
the children in the neighborhood to read, write
and share. Have a story or article you’d like to
share? Submit it! All entries are welcome and
we will do our best to print them here.
You are in the home stretch now - only a
few more weeks of school and then summer
vacation! I was going to talk to you about
summer vacation and the history of it in
the United States - it’s very interesting. And
also the debate on whether or not we should
even have a summer vacation. “What?!?!?”,
you ask, “No summer vacation? Are you
pulling my leg, or something?”. Nope. Ask
your parents about it. I’m not opening up
that can of worms here.
So, lets talk about something everyone
loves: ICE CREAM! “You scream. I scream.
We all scream for ice cream!” When I was a
kid we had 2 soft serve ice cream shops that
we could ride our bikes to. And the cost?
85¢ for a small (that was huge) and $1.50
for a stomach buster (that was literally 8” of
icecream on top of a cone). Below is a list
of some places to get ice cream around here,
all within 5 miles or less.
Soft serve ice cream:
Rainbow Delights, 1569 Route 9
Players Park-Eagle Crest, 1012 Route 146A
Pirates Hide-Out, 175 Guideboard Rd
Country Drive-In, 1455 Vischer Ferry Rd
The Snack Shack, 1759 Route 9
Hard ice cream:
Stewarts, 645 Grooms Rd
Friendly’s, 815 Route 146
Frozen Yogurt:
16 Handles, 5 Southside Dr
Menchie’s, 22 Clifton Country Rd
And, don’t forget Mr. Ding-A-Ling! You can
hear his trucks from streets away on almost
every night of the summer.
PAGE 4
micro view ANSWERS
A) did you have homework over spring break?
B) What neighborhood park do you like best: Locust lane park,
Beechwood “train” park or Barney Road Park?
Luke, Age 9, Greenlea Dr.
a) No
b) Locust Lane Park
Brendan, 4, Chestnut Ln.
a) No
b) Locust Lane Park
Macey, Age 2 1/2, Greenlea Dr.
a) No! Silly
b) Train Park
Erin, Age 5, Eldorado Dr.
a) No, just read.
b) Barney Road Park
Darby, Age 10, Eldorado Dr.
a) No
b) Locust Lane Park
Nick, Age 6, Eldorado Dr.
a) No, just read.
b) Locust Lane Park
Jaydon, Age 9, Eldorado Dr.
a) Yes
b) Barney Road Park
Trevor, Age 9, Valdepenas Ln.
a) Yes, too much.
b) Barney Road Park
Lucas, Age 6, Eldorado Dr.
a) No
b) Locust Lane Park
Sarah, Age 13, Valdepenas Ln.
a) Yes, but it was manageable.
b) Barney Road Park
John, 6, Chestnut Ln.
a) No
b) Locust Lane Park
micro view Question
Answer one or both of these questions. Have your parent email your answer to newsandviews@
ckmcca.org. Include your first name, age and the street you live on.
1) What do you look forward to the most this summer, or what was your favorite thing you
did this summer (you can answer before or after summer)?
2) What do you like better: playing and swimming at the beach or at a pool?
Babysitter? Yard Worker? Dog Walker? Hey kids, do you have services you’d like
to offer? Submit your name and contact information and you will be listed in News and
Views. Email information to newsandviews@ckmcca.org
Clifton knolls/Mill Creek Civic Association
PAGE 5
News
& Views
Star gazing
As summer ripens -- so does
its celestial offerings
We have two seasonal milestones (solstice and equinox) coming in the next
4 months, and a chance to see a young
moon at a convenient time (for me at
least!). I really enjoy trying to spot a baby
moon, it’s a treat because timing is everything: crystal clear sky, unobstructed view,
and a good window of time. I try not
to use binoculars, it’s more fun to spot
with the unaided eye. So many cultures
based their calendars on the lunar cycle
with each month beginning when the
moon was first spotted after a new moon.
The ancient Roman calendar contained
three primary markers – the Kalends, the
Nones and the Ides (this being the most
known). The Kalends began on the first
day of the month. In those times, a priest
was assigned to observe the sky for the
first sight of the slightest beginning of the
crescent moon, he would then ceremoniously proclaim (‘kalends’ or ‘call out’) the
beginning of a new month. Our word
‘calendar’ came from this Roman custom.
June opens with The Big Dipper hanging
by Amy Smith
high in the north at nightfall. This high
position makes it a great time to use those
pointers and locate Polaris.
June 9th - Baby moon. Look very low
and due west after sunset, then solemnly
announce your sighting to the family.
June 11th - Look west after dusk - find
the crescent moon. To its lower right are
the planets Mercury and Venus; slightly
upper right are stars Pollux and Caster
(Gemini), and if your horizon site is low
enough, lower left will be the star Procyon.
June 17th - Waning crescent moon and
Jupiter are in your eastern sky an hour or
so before sun-up (around 4 a.m.). Look
low along the horizon.
June 19th - Look south after nightfall.
The 6th planet, Saturn, will be upper
right of moon.
June 21st - Summer Solstice. The Earth
will have reached its northernmost position in the sky. This is the first day of
summer in the Northern Hemisphere and
the first day of winter (winter solstice) in
the Southern Hemisphere.
CKMC “TBD” Club
Calling all Girls, Ladies, Women, Females.... Welcome to the neighborhood club
for us! We plan outings (Ladies Night Out) or inings (Ladies Night IN!) just for
fun. We also plan to share recipes, plants, anything you can think of. This is an
informal club, events can be planned or spontaneous depending on the group. All
ages welcome!
So far we have gone to Mocha Lisa’s, The Edge in
Halfmoon for rock climbing, and in May we went
to “Kitchen Garden Herbs for Beginners” held at
Historic Grooms Tavern. We are always open to
suggestions for something new to try!
Interested? Email Heather Fariello at ha_trent@
yahoo.com.
PAGE 6
June 23rd - Look southeast, mid evening
and treat yourself to spotting the dwarf
planet Pluto (demoted due to being
smaller than U.S.). Use a telescope to best
see this faint star.
July 2nd - The Northern Crown is high
overhead, look for a backwards letter ‘C’.
Jul 8th - Looking southwest, Saturn will
be at its highest at dusk and begin descent
as night falls.
July 12th - Cygnus the Swan begins its
flight due east. This is one of my favorite
constellations, I love its simplicity and the
fact it flies within the Milky Way.
Jul 16th - Moon near Saturn, looking
southwest.
Aug 3rd - Look in the eastern predawn
sky to see Jupiter, Mars and Venus to the
lower left of the crescent moon.
August 11th-12th - Perseids Meteor
Shower. This is one of the best meteor
showers to observe, generating up to 60
meteors per hour at its peak. Meteors are
produced by comet Swift-Tuttle, which
was discovered in 1862. Best viewing will
be from a dark location after midnight
looking northeast.
Aug 26th - Neptune will be at its closest
but you’ll still need dark skies, binoculars
or a telescope, look south.
September 8th - Conjunction (closeness)
of the Moon, Venus and Saturn. The thin
crescent moon will be to the left of the
planet pair. The planet pair will be visible
in the western evening sky for about 2
hours after sunset.
September 22nd - Autumnal Equinox.
The Sun will shine directly on the equator
with nearly equal amounts of day and
night throughout the world. This is the
first day of fall in the Northern Hemisphere and the first day of spring (vernal
equinox) in the Southern Hemisphere.
Clifton knolls/Mill Creek Civic Association
Burglars
Don’t Take Vacations
While you’re away on vacation, the last thing you want to worry
about is burglars invading your home and stealing your personal
belongings. So before you leave, take these precautions. They’ll help
protect your property and give you peace of mind.
• L
ock all windows and use dead-bolts on exterior doors. Install
security bars on sliding doors to prevent them from being
lifted off their tracks.
• L
eave a few shades or curtains open to maintain a “lived-in”
appearance.
• S et light timers in a few rooms so that it appears people are at
home when it’s dark.
• S top newspaper delivery so that papers don’t pile up at your
door.
• S tore cash, jewelry and other valuables in a bank safe-deposit
box.
• D
on’t leave an outgoing message on your answering machine
announcing you are on vacation. Lower the volume on the
machine and your telephone ringer.
• F
inally, ask your neighbors to keep an eye on your
property and to notify you if they suspect a problem.
Even better, ask a friend or relative either to house sit
or to stop by daily to collect your mail, put out your
garbage, and check that everything’s okay. Don’t forget
to exchange the favor yourself.
For more information, please contact Kevin Simon at 518• If you can afford one, install and activate a security system. Or 371-2486 Ext. 53654 or Kevin.Simon@LibertyMutual.com.
at the very least, put security system warning decals on doors Coverage underwritten and provided by Liberty Mutual Insurance Company and its affiliates,
175 Berkeley Street, Boston, MA 02116. ©2013 Liberty Mutual Group. All rights reserved.
and windows to deter intruders.
• Install outside lights, preferably with motion detectors.
!
h
h
h
h
h
S
Just a friendly reminder...
Now that we are into warmer months and longer days, please remember that
Clifton Park does have a Noise Control Ordinance, Chapter 149:
No person shall make, cause, allow, or permit to be made any unreasonable
noise within the geographical boundaries of the Town or within those areas
over which the Town has jurisdiction between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and
7:00 a.m.
For the complete code, go to http://ecode360.com/6712552
So, please remember to keep voices down on early-morning or late-night walks,
now that the weather’s getting warmer and windows are open. And keep these
hours in mind when hosting backyard gatherings and even mowing your lawn!
PAGE 7
News
& Views
A TRIBUTE TO
JOYCE SAVAGE
(read at the May 20th Clifton Park Town
Board meeting)
Our community lost an incredibly dedicated individual recently whose hard
work and determination will be sorely
missed. Joyce Savage passed away last
month. Her tireless efforts for the betterment of our community have made
an indelible impression and we all owe
a large debt of gratitude to her for her
efforts. In Joyce’s extensive career, she
was a history teacher, a realtor (Joyce
actually sold us our house on Beechwood Drive 35 years ago) and she was
very active in many town organizations;
some of which were The Clifton Park
Chorus, Beth Shalom Congregation,
and The League of Women Voters. She
was also a very active member of The
Clifton Knolls/Mill Creek Civic Association for many years.
But my association with Joyce for the
last thirteen years occurred when she
was Chair of The Clifton Knolls/Mill
Creek Park District Advisory Committee and asked me to become a member
since she knew I loved to garden. Joyce
was a charter member of this committee. She lobbied for the establishment
of our park district in Clifton Park and
helped to design how the committee
would work, from setting up the ByLaws, to helping to initiate the bond
that would finance the work. The first
order of business under Joyce’s chairmanship was to employ a landscape
architect who designed a master plan
for our parklands. Joyce then continued
the hands on work of putting the plans
into action. That entailed designing
and overseeing the establishment of the
playgrounds, walking paths, perennial
gardens, and removal of the rusted fencing around the ponds. It also concerned
the resurfacing of the tennis and basketball courts and re-fencing them.
As if all of that was not enough, our
community enjoys the lovely views
of three ponds. But they had become
pretty bad smelling and boggy. The
committee decided that a pond study
was essential and Joyce helped to finalize that study and review of the water
quality by the Phenix Company called
“Ecological Assessment of Terrestrial
and Aquatic Resources.” That study
ran from 1996-1998 and ultimately
led to the plan we now have in place:
conditioning the ponds to return them
to the sweet smelling and algae/weed
controlled waters of the past. When
Van Patten decided to sell the community pools, Joyce realized that our park
district could not undertake that obligation. She was instrumental in encourag-
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Drawing-Painting-Collage-3D-Design
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As local schools reduce Arts curriculum, we maintain dedicated
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child’s imagination, creativity and problem-solving skills.
Carole Warburton, Director, NY State Certified Art Teacher
678 Riverview Rd, Rexford, NY 12148 | www.studio5art.com | (518) 371-2359
PAGE 8
Clifton knolls/Mill Creek Civic Association
ing the Town to purchase and operate
the Knolls Pools. She compiled a study
of the costs of operating the pools
which she presented in 1997. Happily
for us all, the Town has now owned and
operated the pools for the last few years.
It is quite noteworthy that in fact, over
a mere five year period primarily under
Joyce’s leadership, the Clifton Knolls
Park District acquired the property,
commissioned professional studies,
made plans, financed projects and set
them all in motion. This is especially
impressive given that our parks include
such a variety of features: woods and
trails, playgrounds and playing fields,
courts and ponds
It should also be noted here that Joyce
was not one to delegate. When it was
time to choose trees, she was never
satisfied to phone a landscaper and
order a tree. No, Joyce would insist on
driving to the tree farm and personally
selecting the exact tree to go in a certain
spot. The same was true for everything
that Joyce did for our park district. She
researched and selected the playground
equipment for the Barney Road Park.
She knew exactly what the boundaries
were and was exact in helping to position the various swings and slides.
As the Vice-Chair for the past thirteen
years, (when she encouraged me to take
over as chair) Joyce was the one who
knew all the requirements of the laws
under which we needed to operate.
Count on Joyce to remind us exactly
how far the town’s property extended
from the center of each roadway; how
many feet were restricted by DEC from
each of the ponds; the precise history
of the formation of any decision made
by the committee.
Joyce was a strong woman, a person of
very intense feelings which she made
known throughout her tenure with the
committee. But her motives were always
for the betterment of the community
and for the enjoyment of park residents.
And I personally will not forget that
even through excruciating knee surgery
years ago and just lately very serious
illnesses that led to her recent death,
Joyce continued to come to park district
meetings. We as a park district are all
the better because Joyce Savage was so
unselfishly active and determined for
all those years in helping to make our
community a wonderful place to Live,
Work and Play.
memory…one that will shade a bench
so moms can sit comfortably and watch
their children play at the Locust Lane
Playground. We will publicize the date
of the event as soon as we can finalize it.
Thank you.
Sincerely,
Judy Hughes
And let me add as a postscript:
Our committee has elected to honor
Joyce’s memory later this year with
a gathering in the park. She loved
trees and we plan to plant one in her
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Contact Melissa Grattan of Make It Fit, LLC
for more information at 366-1901 or visit
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PAGE 9
News
& Views
Shanley Alber Board Member
Shanley Alber has been in the neighborhood since 2005 when she moved from
Waterford with her husband Keith and son, Jaydon. Since then the family has
grown with the addition of their second son, Lucas and a dog, Zoey. The draw
to this neighborhood was large yards, comfortable-sized houses, location and
all that the neighborhood has to offer with its parks, pools and family-friendly
atmosphere. “We all love living here in Clifton Knolls. Jaydon and Lucas are
constantly playing with the kids on our street. I enjoy running through the
neighborhood and Keith likes to be able to go out on his bike and ride all of
the rural roads from here to Lake Desolation.”
When Shanley is not helping her children with homework, playing
with them or bringing them to Tae Kwon Do, you can find her out
running with Zoey. Shanley is an avid long distance runner, having
just completed her second marathon. And although she never thought
she would do more than one marathon, she is looking forward to
training for the next one so she can qualify for Boston again. Shanley
also tries her best with gardening; both flowers and vegetables. She
and Keith have just started to grow fruits and vegetables in their backyard and have had some descent success so far.
Shanley saw that the CKMCCA was in need of a volunteer to take
over News & Views a year ago, so she stepped forward to offer her
skills. Shanley is a graphic designer for Comfortex Window Fashions.
Above: Shanley and husband, Keith. Left: Shanley and children, Jaydon and Lucas.
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1 Barney Road, Suite 222, Clifton Park
Theyogalily.com
(518) 744-5565
• Children ages 18 months to 7 years
are nurtured and protected
• Small groups with 4-to-1 Ratio;
CPR, First Aid, and Mat Certified
• We focus on Academics and the
Arts through Hands-On Experience
• Country Setting with Parklike
Playgrounds
• We teach children to read, write,
and do basic math
• FT/PT, hourly rates. M-F 7:30am5:30pm
• Preschool 9:30-11:30am, M-F
www.kinderparkchildcare.com
PAGE 10
Clifton knolls/Mill Creek Civic Association
Erik
Rossi
— Electrician —
Clifton Knolls
Resident
Troubleshooting
Diagnostic Testing
Outlets and Switches
Indoor and Outdoor Lighting
Panel Changes and Repairs
Residential or Commercial
Yes, I work on low voltage systems like
those found in most Clifton Knolls homes!
518-371-3903
Fitness Classes in Your Neighborhood! SUMMER COUCH TO 5K PROGRAM Instructed by an experienced personal trainer. Register at: www.cliftonpark.org or call 371-­‐6667. Starts 7/9/13 for 10 weeks. Cost: $90 THE STAFF AT FITNESS PROFESSIONALS NEEDS YOUR HELP to plan reasonably priced classes for you and your family at Locust Lane Club House and other nearby locations. Please email us (cox@nycap.rr.com) answers to these questions: 1. Your 2 favorite exercise classes (E.g. Zumba®, Kickboxing) 2. Would you attend a 10-­‐week total body-­‐conditioning program meeting twice per week? Combines nutrition, weights, & aerobics with training plan. 3. Do you want exercise classes for children (e.g. ZumbAtomic®, Mommy & Me). Specify ages of children. 4. Preferred exercise times & days of the week for you and/or your children. We will send all who respond a schedule of classes, and 3 healthy low-­‐glycemic recipes for the summer! Please visit us at www.FitnessProfessionalsOnDemand.com and call to book a ZumbAtomic® class for your child’s party (505-­‐2669) Interested in becoming a member of a Book Club?
To join or for more information, email Lisa
Westrick at lmwestick@gmail.com.
Our book for May is Wild: From Lost
to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail
by Cheryl Strayed. We will discuss
this book at our next meeting on
May 29th.
Our book for June is Gone
Girl by Gillian Flynn. We will
discuss this book at our next
meeting on tentatively on June
26th.
Other books which have been suggested are:
- The Suiters, by Cecile David-Weill
- Memoirs of a Geisha, by Arthur Golden
- The Help, Katheryn Stockett
- The Language of Flowers, Vanessa Diffenbaugh
- Water for Elephants, Sara Gruen
- Orange is the New Black, by Piper Kerman
- Rebekah, by Orsen Scott Card
- Hemingways Girl, by Erika Robuck
- The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, by Rebecca Skloot
- Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for
Women Worldwide, by Nicholas Kristof & Sheryl DuWunn
PAGE 11
News
& Views
Have you tried out pickleball at the tennis courts
behind the locust lane pool? Play-It-Again Sports sells
the paddles and balls--or check online for good deal.
The ymca has play time, also. Maybe I will ask the
CKMCCA to put out an email one day and Chuck and
I can explain the game.
Put on your walking shoes and enjoy the beautiful
trails around the ponds. Join the town swimming pools.
Has it occurred to you that we practically live in a resort
community? Sometimes I think of it that way, and
when bob and I list or sell a home in our neighborhood, you can be sure that we point that out.
by Genie Bassett
We usually focus on our houses in this column, but
with summer weather here--I thought I would write
about our neighborhood and the environment in Clifton Knolls and Mill Creek.
It’s time to get out! Go for a walk or a bike ride and
admire your neighbors’ flowers and landscaping.
Take note of the beautiful flowers planted at the
entrances and other spots by our resident volunteer
gardeners who add so much to the ambience of our
neighborhood.
Plan to attend the neighborhood picnic--and have fun
with new and long-time friends. But most of all, just
enjoy and appreciate our great neighborhood and location.
And as always—HAPPY HOUSING!
Get the clubs out and hit the links on the Barney Road
golf course. The town is doing a great job in maintaining the course. The new bridge is spectacular. And did
you know that we now have a rest room facility mid
way through the course? And with the multi round pass,
this golf course is a great bargain.
Aaron Construction Co.
Kitchens • Baths • Decks
Plumbing • Electrical • Carpentry
For all your home remodeling needs.
NO JOB TOO SMALL!
857-8354 or 371-1519
PAGE 12
Want to help make the CKMCCA a few bucks? Make www.ckmcca.
org your home page, (or bookmark it) and when you want to do a
google search, just do it off the CKMCCA page. CKMCCA makes
a few cents every time a google search happens off the search box on
our page. Those cents add up, and help us defray the costs of what we
do in the neighborhood!
Clifton knolls/Mill Creek Civic Association
Cornell Cooperative Extension of Saratoga County
Speaks at Annual Meting
by Kathy LaManna-Friedman
The guest speaker at this year’s CKMCCA annual meeting was
Susan Bebee of the Cornell Cooperative Extension of Saratoga
County. Susan gave a very interesting and informative presentation
on getting lawns and gardens ready for Spring.
PH TESTING
Knowing the pH level of your soil will help you with determining how much (if any) phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) fertilizer your lawn needs, or how to make your gardening soil ideal for
vegetables. With Susan’s instructions it’s easy to do.
Divide your yard into sections (i.e. front yard, side yard, back yard,
garden as each section may have a different pH level). Then, simply
take soil samples from within an area to be tested. To do this dig
down about six inches and add a small amount of soil to a plastic
bag. For best results, take from several locations within an area to
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add to your bag (for instance, 4 samples from your front
yard). Label each bag to be tested.
Next, bring your samples to the Cornell Cooperative
Extension of Saratoga County located at 50 West High
Street in Ballston Spa. There is a charge of one dollar per
sample (bag). I dropped several samples from my yard off
in the morning and I had an email from Susan with the
results that afternoon. She gave her recommendations of
what was needed for each area tested. Susan is quick to
respond to questions emailed to her.
Fertilizer
Many of us keep fertilizer or other chemicals from one
year to the next in the garage or shed. Susan explained
products that have been frozen or subject to moisture may
not be as effective. Before discarding any old chemicals
check the label for proper disposal procedures.
Gardening Tool Care
To avoid contamination from season to season, Susan
suggested cleaning pots and the blades on hand tools. Use
a solution of one part bleach to nine parts water. Rinse
thoroughly and dry. Consider doing this in the fall as to
have one less task in the spring.
Do you know how often you should sharpen your lawn
mower blade? Susan suggests sharpening your blade every
10 times of mowing to help maintain a green, healthy
lawn. A sharp blade not only cuts blades clean so grass
recovers quickly, it helps reduce your lawn mowing time.
GROW LINE
The CCE has a newsletter called Grow Line, the annual
rate is ten dollars. Anyone who attended the meeting
could subscribe at the discounted price of five dollars.
CCE of SARATOGA COUNTY
The CCE is located at 50 West High Street in Ballston
Spa NY 12020. Their website is www.ccesaratoga.org For
more info or gardening questions call the Master Gardener at 885-8995. Or the Cornell Gardening site www.
gardening.cornell.edu.
We proudly use Pittsburgh Paints.
References Upon Request.
PAGE 13
CKMCAA 2012/2013 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 and Sizes:
A) 1/8 page (business card). . . .
B) 1/4 page. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
C) 1/2 page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
D) Full page. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
3.5” x 2” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $20 per issue
3.625” x 4.5” . . . . . . . . . . . . . $30 per issue
7.75” x 4.5” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $50 per issue
7.75” x 9.375” . . . . . . . . . . . . $100 per issue
B
A
C
Please circle the ad size you want and check the boxes below for the issues you want your ad to appear.
June ‘13 _____ October ‘13 ______ December ‘13 ______
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 and Sizes:
A) 1/8 page (business card). . . . 3.5” x 2” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $95
B) 1/4 page. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.75” x 4.25” . . . . . . . . . . . . . $165
C) Full page. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8.5” x 11” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $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. Or email a high resolution pdf or jpg to newsandviews@ckmcca.org
Send this form to (PAYMENT MUST BE MAILED WITH THE AD COPY!):
Clifton Knolls/Mill Creek Civic Association
P.O. Box 2
Clifton Park, NY 12065
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!
Clifton knolls/Mill Creek Civic Association
CLASSIFIEDS
BABYSITTERS, PETSITTERS,
PLANT SITTERS AND MORE!
Sophie is 15 and is available for
babysitting, plant sitting and pet sitting.
RUBY is 12 and is available for plant
sitting, pet sitting and as a mommy’s
helper.
Both girls have taken the American
Red Cross Babysitting Class and Certification, both have experience with
new born to 8 year olds, dogs, cats
and watering cans!
Are you looking for a babysitter or
mother’s helper? Call me, Rachel
Sangaline at 518-383-3106 or
518-932-5122. I am a certified
American Red Cross babysitter, I’m
good with kids, I love being with
kids, and I’m thirteen years old. My
availability is weekday’s afterschool,
weekends, and most days in the
summer. Thank you!
518-280-3147
Do you have services you’d like to
offer? Submit your name and contact
information and you will be listed in
News and Views. Email information
to newsandviews@ckmcca.org
Help is only a phone call away!
FOR SALE: Fireplace Child Safety Gate
Fireplace child safety gate fits hearths up to 6-feet wide and 2-feet deep. Door
provides access for adults but cannot be opened by toddlers. Excellent condition
with all parts and directions. Sturdy, but easy to assemble.
Model info: KidCo HearthGate Model G70d-C
Price: $145
Contact: Mike DeMasi, 371-1667
FOR SALE: Used 4-burner electric range top from a Van Patten house
Works fine; just replaced with a flat top style range. $10 or hghest bidder.
Donald B. Aulenbach, 28 Valencia Lane. Call: 371-7572
Want to contribute to News & Views
and make it a better newsletter? Send
articles, classifieds, essays, or opinion
pieces to: newsandviews@ckmcca.org
Door to Door Sales?
According to Clifton Park Town Clerk Pat
O’Donnell peddlers going door to door
in the Town are required to have a license
obtained from the Town Clerk’s office.
Residents should always ask to see a license
issued by the Town Clerk or Deputy Town
Clerk. If an individual cannot produce a
license, residents should immediately contact the Town Clerk’s office at
371-6681, Town Security at 369-6651
or the New York State Police or Saratoga
County Sheriff ’s Department.
We Need Ads! You
Need Customers!
Notice that there aren’t
many ads in this issue?
We need more ads to be
able to keep producing
News & Views, as well
as support other
CKMCCA activities.
Your ad will reach over
900 homes, at very
reasonable rates. Perfect
for businesses located in
the area, or home-based
businesses in Clifton
Knolls or Mill Creek.
See the ad form on page
14 of this newsletter.
If you have a lost or found item, please submit your information to newsandviews@ckmcca.org
PAGE 15
Clifton Knolls/Mill Creek Civic Association
PO Box 2
Clifton Park, NY 12065
PRSTD STD
CAR-RT
US Postage
PAID
Permit No. 8
Clifton Park, NY
Clifton Park Bike Ride, June 2
Clifton Park holds two group bicycle rides every year, to highlight Open Space,
Trails, and things to see and do in Town. There is one in the spring, and one in
the fall. This year’s spring ride is being held on Sunday June 2 at 1 PM. The
ride is beginning from Vischer Ferry Fire House Station 1, which is located at the
intersection of Crescent Road and Riverview Road. If you’re interested in riding,
please meet there.
This year’s ride features an 8 mile or 17 mile loop option. This is a family-paced
ride, and there are usually people there of all ages. There’s even stops for lemonade and cookies!
The organizers are looking for two things at this time. If anyone is willing and
able to volunteer as a ride marshall, please let Jerry Burr know at candjburr@aol.
com. The ride marshals should arrive a couple of minutes early that day to help
organize and pick up a safety vests.
We want to
hear from you!
Do you have a question about
the neighborhood? A suggestion
for News & Views? A story
you would like to contribute?
We would love to hear what you
have to say... Even to just say,
“Yes, I am reading.”!
Email us at
newsandviews@ckmcca.org
Or, scan this code with
your smartphone:
The other thing we are in need of is a sag wagon to follow the ride. If anyone
has an SUV or van that could follow the ride it would be greatly appreciated and
please again contact Jerry at candjburr@aol.com
Hope some folks from Clifton Knolls and Mill Creek get out to enjoy the ride!
Opinions in submitted pieces are those of the respective author, and not necessarily the opinions of the
Clifton Knolls/Mill Creek Civic Association. Advertisements are solely responsible for the content of their ads.