TOP LOCAL News
By NANCY JANE KERN
May 10, 2026
THIS COLUMN IS dedicated to long-time friends and my country neighbors, John and Janet Piwowarski of the Town of Hillsdale. They were lost to us in a horrific car/gasoline tanker truck accident in Craryville on April 16, 2026.I met them through the Alan Devoe Bird Club, Chatham. Going through back ...
CASTLETON–Questar III BOCES Career and Technical Education students from Donald R. Kline Technical School and Robert H. Gibson Technical School attended the SkillsUSA New York State competition in Syracuse from April 22-24.The students earned six medals at the competition, including one first-place ...
GREENPORT—Come together with the Columbia Land Conservancy and care for the land on Working Wednesday at the Greenport Public Conservation Area, 319 Joslen Boulevard,May 13, 1 to 3 p.m.This work party will focus on getting the pollinator patch ready for the season. Projects will include clearing ...
GERMANTOWN—Master Gardener Diane VanKempen speaks at the next meeting of the Germantown Garden Club at the at the Germantown Library Hover Room, 31 Palatine Park Road, Tuesday, May 12 at noon.Active in the Western Massachusetts Master Gardener Association and Bee Friendly Williamstown, Ms.
HUDSON–Columbia-Greene Community College (C-GCC) unveiled its new mascot, the Guardian, before students, faculty, and staff on April 29.The Guardian, a black bear adorned with armor, is the result of a deliberate process that was student-first, representing the spirit of both Columbia and Greene ...
AS I WAS walking along the trail in the early spring through the tall forest of oak and pine, I caught my first glimpse. Two mourning cloak butterflies, fluttering around and around each other in the cool air. I lifted my eyes to follow their movements as they spiraled together, up, up, and up, ...
NORTH CHATHAM--North Chatham Free Library (NCFL) presents “Is Your Home Ready for the Future You?” on Tuesday, May 12 at 10 a.m. at the Trolley Station, 103 Depot Street.Do you have a plan so you can age safely at home? Join Melissa Pollack of Bespoke Decor.com who will address key questions to ask ...
NEW LEBANON--The Friends of the New Lebanon Library will host its annual book sale from Friday, May 29 through Sunday, May 31. The sale will be held at Church of Our Savior located at 14660 State Route 22. All proceeds from the sale will benefit the New Lebanon Library.The friends are now seeking ...
KINDERHOOK--On Sunday, April 26, Kinderhook Scout Troop 113 joined the Columbia Friends of the Electric Trail (CFET) for a trail cleanup to commemorate Earth Day. Twelve scouts plus leaders and parents recovered recyclables, trash and eight shopping carts along the Albany-Hudson Electric Trail ...
The tour of the Theodore Robinson Community Forest on April 26./Photo by David LeeGERMANTOWN--It was a big day in the town on Sunday, April 26, marked by the official opening of the newly-created Theodore Robinson Community Forest, a 23-acre parcel of land just north of Palatine Park and adjacent ...
CHATHAM--The Mary E. Dardess Elementary School Drama Club proudly presents Disney’s “The Jungle Book KIDS.” Based on the book by Rudyard Kipling and adapted from the classic Disney animated film, the musical features a host of colorful characters and some very catchy music. Performances will be ...
GREENPORT—The Columbia-Greene Caregiver Forum: Taking Care of Them, Taking Care of You will be held Monday, May 18, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Registration for the conference due by May 11.This free full-day event at Columbia-Greene Community College Professional Academic Center, 4400 State Route 23, is ...
HUDSON--MHACG’s REACH Center hosted Take Back the Night, a march and survivor speak out to raise awareness about sexual violence in all forms and support survivors in their healing journey, in Hudson on April 24. The event began at the center on 713 Union Street, at 5 p.m. Participants marched ...
CHATHAM--To many, the doings at the Sonoco-Crellin plant on Route 66 just outside Chatham are a mystery. But to the members of the What’s So Cool About Manufacturing Club at Chatham’s Middle School, the facility is not simply an open book but it is, in fact, the subject of an award-winning ...
To the Editor:Unprecedented use has been made of the ‘shadow docket’ by the Supreme Court, especially since early 2016, for rulings which should require the usual procedure of extensive briefing and discussion, public oral argument and lengthy written opinions. Instead, too many have been rushed to ...
HILLSDALE—The Town of Hillsdale on Saturday, April 25 renamed the park outside its town hall to honor Tom Carty, a longtime Hillsdale volunteer, community organizer and Town Board member who died last year.Dozens of friends, family members and past and current Hillsdale officials gathered to ...
CRARYVILLE—At least one water well near the site of the April 16 fatal crash where a gas tanker spilled 3,000 to 5,000 gallons of gasoline has tested positive for the flammable liquid fuel.About a dozen representatives from the state Departments of Environmental Conservation (DEC), Health (DOH), ...
HUDSON–Hoffman Car Wash will recognize the strength and dedication of military spouses by offering a free Ultimate Car Wash on Friday, May 8, in honor of Military Spouse Appreciation Day.Military spouses can visit any Exterior or Full Service Hoffman Car Wash location and simply let a team member ...
GREENPORT—The Alan Devoe Bird Club takes its popular Birders and Birds Walk at Olana State Historic Site, 5720 State Route 9G, Saturday, May 9.Meet 8 a.m. at the lower parking lot (by the large barn and pond) for a walk through Olana’s artist-designed landscape while keeping eyes and ears open for ...
HUDSON--The application is now available for the Paul and Maria Morra Scholarship Trust which is administered by Cornell Cooperative Extension of Columbia and Greene Counties. The purpose of this scholarship trust is to honor the lives of Paul and Maria Morra (trust benefactors) and their ...
KINDERHOOK—The Ichabod Crane Central School District has published information for voters for the annual budget vote and election to be held on May 19 in the high school gymnasium from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. In order to be eligible to vote on May 19 residents must be registered to vote.Qualified voters ...
GHENT--The Ghent Playhouse is seeking a male actor, mid-late 30’s, for the role of Brian in a production of Bess Wohl’s Tony Award-nominated comedy “Grand Horizons,” scheduled for early October 2026.Wohl’s play is a hilarious, heartbreaking commentary on marriage, family, and the wisdom that comes ...
TAGHKANIC--Fifteen of townspeople helped to celebrate Earth Day by collecting 21 bags of trash today along SR82 between the Taconic State Parkway and the town line at Taconic Orchards. There were lots of baked goodies to enjoy with the coffee setup, provided by Emma Rosenbush from the new Doves ...
COPAKE—Copake residents are invited to dump their unwanted, old or broken stuff during the town’s annual Clean-up Day, Saturday, May 9, 8 a.m. to noon at the Town Highway Garage, 47 School Road.Acceptable junk includes: scrap metal, appliances, TVs, computers, unupholstered furniture, general ...
HARLEMVILLE—Hawthorne Valley Farmscape Ecology Program leads a bird walk at Hawthorne Valley Farm, 327 County Route 21C, Friday, May 8 from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m.Spring migration is well underway and it’s an exciting time of year to go birding. The guided walk gives participants the opportunity to ...
HUDSON—In Flight, Inc. hosts its first-ever Spring-O fundraiser at Hudson Brewing Company, 99 South Third Street, Friday, May 8 from 5 to 8 p.m.The event brings the community together for an evening of bingo, local brews, and fundraising to support people with intellectual and developmental ...
CHATHAM--On May 19 voters living in the Chatham Central School District will be asked to approve a new $37.4 million budget (a 1.75% tax increase over last year) and to decide which four of eight candidates should sit on the seven-member Board of Education (BOE).Across the county, school taxes ...
Calendar of EventsTo have an event listed here, send the information (including date, time, street address and cost if any) via email to news@columbiapaper.com at least two weeks before the event.Because of the high volume of workshop listing requests, we can list only workshops that are free, ...
HUDSON--In partnership with Spark of Hudson, Ancram Center for the Arts is bringing its free storytelling workshops to Hudson on Friday, May 8 from 6 to 8 p.m. at Spark of Hudson, 502 Union Street. Designed for anyone with a story to tell, attendees will explore story ideas through creative ...
AUSTERLITZ--There are some basic facts about Columbia County that suggest that finding housing solutions for our senior population will, at the same time, help others in search of affordable homes. Columbia County is the second “oldest” county in the state. The median age of our population is 49.8 ...