July 24, 2025

Our typical summer weather continues with stretches of near perfect weather followed by a heat wave. Parks & Rec’s Summer Recreation program has been very busy, and the Guilderland Performing Arts Center’s concert series continues with a performance tonight at 7:30pm. More details are shared below.

Oklahoma

Town News & Announcements

The Guilderland Performing Arts Center’s 2025 summer season continues tonight at 7:30pm with a performance by Annie and the Hedonists, playing vintage blues, jazz, folk, and country music. The food truck tonight is High on the Hog BBQ. Next week, the Park Playhouse Stage Company’s performances of Oklahoma! takes place at 7:30pm on Thursday, July 31 through Saturday, August 2, and a matinee on Saturday, August 2 at

National Night Out

National Night Out takes place this year on Tuesday, August 5. The Police Department is hosting this free event which allows the community to interact with police officers, fire department members, EMS personnel, and local organizations who serve our community. There will be free ice cream, popcorn, and food available for purchase from vendors, and children’s games. The Refrigerators will perform at 6pm at the nearby GPAC.

The Parks & Rec’s 2025 Summer Program continues next week, with a registration deadline for next week’s offerings at midnight tonight. You can sign-up your children for one-week half-day camps through Friday, August 8, swimming lessons, and dozens of sports and enrichment camps. Tawasentha Park’s pool offers Tot Swim and Learn to Swim programs. Adult lap swimming takes place on Monday thru Thursday from 11am to Noon, and on weekends from 10am to 11:30am. Lap lanes are available on a first come, first serve basis.

Garden Club

On Monday, August 11 at from 10am to Noon, the Guilderland Garden Club will meet at Town Hall, with a presentation on vermicomposting by Cody Futia, the owner of Vermiluv, a local worm composting farm.

The Town’s summer water usage restrictions are in effect until September 15. The use of automatic underground sprinklers is limited to between 1am and 4:30am on odd days for properties with odd numbered street addresses and on even days for properties with even numbered addresses. For above-ground manually placed sprinklers and hand-held sprinklers, the water use is limited to between 6:30am and 8:30am and 6:30pm and 8:30pm on odd days for properties with odd numbered street addresses and on even days for properties with even numbered addresses. There are no water restrictions for hand-held sprinkling of non-commercial vegetable and flower gardens. Please contact the Water Department before filling a swimming pool. These restrictions are in place to maintain adequate water capacity and pressure in homes, businesses, and fire hydrants.

Please remember that, in all Town parks and open spaces, dogs must be on a leash at all times. Your dog may be very friendly, but hikers and park patrons do not know that and the presence of an unleashed dog can be disconcerting. The exceptions to this rule are the Town’s two dog parks at Nott Road Park and behind EMS Station 1 in Westmere.

The Senior Services Department’s July newsletter has information about classes and seminars, book discussions, tax preparation assistance, trips, medical and shopping transportation, next month’s book discussion, legal aide, monthly meal calendar, games, and much more. On Wednesdays from 11am to 12:30pm, the Guilderland Public Library is the home for Senior Connects!, where seniors can have a friendly chat on a wide-range of interesting topics.

The Town is accepting letters of interest and resumes from candidates for Police Officer, Telecommunicator/911 Dispatcher, and Laborer positions in the Highway, Parks and Water Departments.

Upcoming Meetings at Town Hall

The following is a list of dates and times for currently scheduled meetings of boards and committees at Town Hall over the next 30 days. Please check the Town’s calendars for the latest news about public meetings and community events, possible changes in agendas and cancellations, and the latest contents of agenda packets. Unless stated otherwise, each of the listed meetings start at 7pm, and are livestreamed on the Town website, and broadcasted on Verizon channel 34, and Spectrum channel 1303. Within days of a broadcasted meeting, an indexed recording, with links to each listed agenda item, is also posted online.

Conservation Advisory Council

Monday, August 11

Town Board

Tuesday, August 19

American Revolution 250^th Anniversary Committee

Wednesday, August 20 at 3pm (not broadcasted)

Zoning Board of Appeals

Wednesday, August 20

Industrial Development Agency

Monday, August 26

Planning Board

Wednesday, August 27

Community Events & Resources

The 2025 Altamont Fair returns this year from Tuesday, August 12 to Sunday, August 17, with an entertainment schedule listing new shows, amusement rides, demolition derby, circus, dog shows, and the return of favorite attractions.

The Guilderland Public Library’s summer calendar includes on Tuesday, August 5 from 2pm to 3pm, a virtual discussion with Smithsonian biologist Jay Falk, the author of The Bird Book: The Stories, Science, and History of Birds about the natural history of birds and cultural connection. The Library has launched a Long-Range Planning process for the Library. To ensure that the Library continues to meet the changing needs of our community, it has created a survey for your feedback. This is your chance to share what you value most about the library, as well as ideas for improvements or new services, and to help shape the library’s future. The survey is also available at the Library for your convenience.

The Altamont Free Library’s 2025 Orsini Park Concert Series continues this coming Tuesday, July 29 at 7:30pm, with a performance by One 118, a five-person local band. The Library is creating a new Long-Range Plan of Service that relies, in part, on a brief and anonymous survey on whether you use the Library, how you use it, and what it can do better for you in the future.

Lunchtime Chats

Community Caregivers’ weekly Lunchtime Chats includes Exploring the Finger Lakes tomorrow at 1pm, and The Hot Air-Balloon’s First Flight at 1pm on Wednesday, July 30.

You can easily join and listen in on these one-hour chats by calling (518) 992-6661. Community Caregivers is looking for volunteer drivers who can transport seniors for medical and other essential trips, and help keep our neighbors in their homes. If you are interested or have questions, please contact Community Caregivers at info@communitycaregivers.org or by calling (518) 456-2898.

Albany County’s transportation program (GoGoGrandparent) provides residents aged 60 and older with two free round-trip rides each month to any destination of their choice. The service is available Monday through Saturday, from 8am to 8pm. The program is funded by the New York State Office for the Aging. To participate, you can call a dedicated County line at 855-915-6601. Once enrolled, rides can be scheduled in advance by calling 855-464-6872.

Please remember that seniors (at least 60 years old) may be eligible for coupons for 2025 farmers markets. There are monthly income thresholds based on family size. To request a coupon booklet, please contact the Albany County Senior Services Office at 518-280-7607.

Regal Cinemas at Crossgates is offering its popular family-friendly Summer Movie Express series, with two PG-rated movies every Tuesday and Wednesday only for $1. The double-bill showing on July 28 and July 29 is “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem” at 10:30am and “The Garfield Movie” at 10:45am.

The Albany Pine Bush Preserve’s summer calendar includes, on this Saturday, July 26 at 9am, Fire Ecology and Ethnobotany of the Albany Pine Bush, a three-hour exploration of the benefits of prescribed burns and how Native Americans, who relied on the Preserve for food and medicines, use fire to produce the fire-dependent plants.

Thank you for taking the time to read this newsletter.

Peter G. Barber

Town Supervisor