Our weather has finally settled down with little precipitation and mostly sunny weather over the past week which has helped keep Western Turnpike Golf Course at near-peak conditions.   It has also helped dry-out the Town’s extensive hiking trail system, and playing fields.  The Town’s summer recreational program is very popular, with a few activities already at capacity.  More details are shared below.   

Town News & Announcements

Thank you for volunteering for the Town clean-up events last Saturday.   Volunteers helped collect a large volume of trash along the public rights of way, sidewalks, parks and open space.  I thank Kathy Burbank who started organizing the event last fall, and arranging for support from CM Fox Realty, Crossgates Mall, and West-Winds Contracting.  I also thank Rec & Parks Director CJ Gallup for assembling teams who helped by clearing trails, cleaning picnic and playground areas, and open space in our Town parks.  

On Tuesday evening, the Police Department held a Neighborhood Watch meeting at Town Hall at which police staff detailed emerging scams, crime statistics, the role of school resource officers, and answered a wide-range of questions from the audience and online participants.  There will be quarterly meetings held at different locations in Town to address more localized neighborhood concerns.  You can sign up for information about upcoming events or emailing watch@guilderlandpd.org.

On Friday, May 10 from Noon to 5pm, the American Red Cross is holding a blood drive at Town Hall.   You can sign up online and enter “guilderlandtown” in the search box. 

On Monday, May 13 at 11am at Town Hall, the Guilderland Garden Club is hosting Martie Teuman, a Master Gardener, who will speak about bringing native plants into your home garden and how they support birds and insects. 

On Thursday, May 16 at 2pm, the Guilderland Historical Society is meeting at the Guilderland Public Library.   Mark O’Brien will present "The Mystery of the Blockhouse and the Secret of the Old Mill," in the area of State Route 155 and Nott Road.  The Mynderse-Frederick House, the usual site for the meetings of Historical Society and Garden Club, is under renovation thanks to a generous grant secured by Assemblyperson Patricia Fahy. 

On Friday, May 24 at 10am, the Town is hosting the Hometown Heroes banner event, when we honor 17 residents and Town employees who have served our nation.   This year’s ceremony will take place at the Guilderland Performing Arts Center in Tawasentha Park.  In case of inclement weather, the ceremony will be held on GPAC’s stage.  Limited handicapped parking is available, and if needed, please contact the Parks & Rec Office.

The Tawasentha Park’s adult exercise facility is open for use.  Starting today, you can also sign-up online for classes including Functional Fitness, Functional Strength Training, Lifted Vision Community Yoga, Tai Chi, and Total Body Circuit,

that started today.  Please bring water and wear comfortable, breathable exercise clothing and sneakers.   You can also use a free app available for tracking your use of the equipment.  

The registration for the 2024 Summer Camp remain very strong.  This year’s camp brochure lists over 100 sport camps, enrichment classes, and fun activities.   The summer camp runs from Monday, July 1 to Friday, August 9.  There are also opportunities for entry level summer camp counselors who must be at least 16 years old.  While previous experience as a counselor-in-training, teacher, childcare, or related field is preferred, it is not required.  

The Guilderland Performing Arts Center’s 2024 season opens on Thursday, June 20 at 7:30pm, with a performance by the Guilderland Town Band.   The season’s nine concerts are on Thursday evenings at 7:30pm, except for National Night Out’s concert at 6pm on Tuesday, August 6.   Each concert will have a food truck.  

Parks & Rec is also offering a Pickleball class at Tawasentha Park, starting on Monday, June 5 to Friday, June 9, from 9am to 11am.  You can learn the sport’s rules and basic skills, and also sharpen your beginning skills and strategies.  Paddles and balls will be provided.  

Western Turnpike Golf Course has opened for the season, with daily 8am start times each day.  The course’s webpage has tee time reservations and opportunities for weekly adult classes taught by Golf Pro Joe Lavinga.   Registration for PGA Jr. League for girls and boys, ages 7 to 13, is now open.  The Hedge Bistro is also open for in-house dining and takeout options, with an updated menu, including Texas BBQ.   

The Highway Department’s removal of accumulated winter debris with front loaders has ended after six runs on Town streets.  Highway crews will now only pick-up lawn bags and tied branches in five-foot lengths.

The Town is accepting letters of interest and resumes from candidates for a full-time Police Officer, Paramedic, Stormwater Management Officer, Telecommunicator/911 Dispatcher, and Laborers in the Highway, Parks and Water Departments.

Community Events and Resources

A reminder that the FDA has authorized a monoclonal antibody to help prevent COVID-19 for people who are moderately or severely immunocompromised, ages 12 and older, and weighing at least 88 pounds.  In addition to vaccination, Pemgarda may provide another layer of protection against COVID-19 and can be given at least 2 weeks after receiving a COVID-19 vaccine.  A healthcare provider gives Pemgarda as a single intravenous infusion over 60 minutes at a doctor’s office or healthcare facility.  If continued protection is needed, additional doses may be given every 3 months.

The Guilderland Public Library’s monthly events calendar is full of interesting activities for all ages, including the Sunday Concert Series, with a performance this Sunday, May 5 at 2pm, by Jeanine Ouderkirk, a jazz vocalist who specializes in interpreting the Great American Songbook and improvisation in the form of scat-singing.

The Albany Pine Bush Preserve’s annual Lupine Fest this year is a month-long celebration, with in-person and virtual events, on weekdays and weekends, and daytime and night. This special event marks the return of the Karner Blue Butterfly and the flowering of lupine that is essential for the butterfly’s existence.  The first week’s opportunities include guided hikes, educational programs, engaging lectures, special Discovery Center exhibits, a native plant sale, and the new Lupine Fest Passport program.  Please note that some events require a reservation.  

The Preserve is also hosting “Nature Night Out” events on Friday, May 10, Thursday,  June 6, and Wednesday, July 17 when you can enjoy live music and a meal from food truck vendors, take a Story Walk along the trail, and learn more about the natural and cultural history of the Pine Bush with interactive Discovery Center exhibits.  The Discovery Center will be opened until 7:30pm to take advantage of longer sunlit hours.  The Preserve’s spring calendar has other activities for children and adults.

The Mohawk Hudson Land Conservancy’s Loving Your Land Workshops are continuing with Techniques in Action, an in-person seminar about invasive species and pollinators on Friday, May 17 from 10am to Noon at the Bender Melon Farm Preserve in New Scotland.  On Friday, June 7 from 10am to Noon, also at the Bender Melon Farm Preserve, MHLC is sponsoring All About Birds about techniques for grassland bird management. 

The Guilderland YMCA’s calendar is full of health and fitness programs.  The YMCA is also waiving the joiner’s fees for college students who are home on summer break to enjoy classes, wellness centers, basketball courts, and more by using the code “College2024” during online checkout.

On this Saturday, May 4, Parks & Trails New York is celebrating “I Love My Park Day,” the State’s largest single-day volunteer event, when you can help clean up parks and shorelines, plant trees and gardens, restore trails and wildlife habitat, remove invasive species, and other improvements.  Some sites are nearing capacity.  

Town Hall will be closed on Monday, May 27 for Memorial Day.  The Transfer Station will also be closed on Tuesday, May 28.    

Thank you for taking the time to read this newsletter.  

Peter G. Barber

Town Supervisor