Chatham Town Board opens year with no dissent on appointments

By Melanie Lekocevic

Capital Region Independent Media

COEYMANS — After months of planning, organizing and hard work, Coeymans’ biggest weekend of the year is finally here.

The town is celebrating its 350th anniversary and this weekend has a huge roster of events and activities to mark the milestone, including concerts and a parade from the village to the hamlet.

While a few events have already taken place this year — such as the Cinco de Mayo comedy show and the launching of the beer trail — this weekend will be the biggest party of the last half-century, since the last time Coeymans celebrated its anniversary back in 1973.

The festivities will celebrate the 350th anniversary of the granting of the Coeymans Patent by Gov. Francis Lovelace on April 7, 1673. The Patent designated an expansive tract of land that ran from the border of the town of Bethlehem down to the Coxsackie Creek, and west to the modern-day site of Westerlo.

“We are recognizing that it’s been 350 years — not the founding of the town, the town was incorporated later, but it commemorates the Coeymans Patent,” said town historian and 350thAnniversary Committee member Joseph Boehlke.

For the town, the 350th anniversary is a milestone never to be repeated. The last time the town had a milestone celebration of this magnitude was back in 1973 for the tricentennial, celebrating 300 years.

“In 1973, I participated in the Coeymans Tricentennial Celebration with my family and friends as an 8-year-old boy,” Town Supervisor George McHugh said. “This weekend, I am humbled and honored to be celebrating the 350th birthday of the Town of Coeymans as Town Supervisor. This event could not have happened without the hard work and dedication of many committee volunteers, local businesses, our first responders, and town employees. A special thank you to co-chairs Councilmember Marisa Tutay and Deputy Town Supervisor Brandon LeFevre. This event will be successful due in large part to their leadership and countless hours of hard work over the last 12 months. I hope everyone enjoys the festivities and has a safe and enjoyable time.”

Tutay, too, remembers celebrating the town’s tricentennial as a young child.

“It was such a great celebration — it went on for weeks,” Tutay said.

Those memories spurred her to get involved in the planning of the 350th anniversary as well.

“It was a wonderful experience and I wanted to recreate some of that,” Tutay said.

Lefevre said it was an honor working to plan to anniversary celebration.

“The town of Coeymans was established in 1673, making our community older than our country,” Lefevre said. “What an impressive milestone!”

This weekend’s celebration will kick off on Friday, June 9, at Joralemon Park. Vendors and food will be available beginning at 5 p.m. and entertainment by the band Skeeter Creek will run from 7-10 p.m.

Then on Saturday the fun continues with a huge parade that will step off from Main Street, in the vicinity of Magnolia Circle, at 1 p.m., and will head down to Coeymans Landing.

The parade’s grand marshals will include Jane Travis, Nancy Bruno, Blondie Neri, Ismay Payne, Eugene Datri and Paul Caswell, LeFevre said.

Parking for the day’s festivities will be at Pieter B. Coeymans Elementary School on Main Street, and shuttle service will run between the school and Coeymans Landing on Saturday from noon until 9:30 p.m., LeFevre said.

Following the parade, there will be more food and vendors, carnival-style rides for the kids, pony rides, a rock-climbing wall and performances by Sugar Skull from 2-4:30 p.m. and The Refrigerators from 5:30-9 p.m., all at Coeymans Landing, LeFevre said. Local brewery Rail II River will have a beverage tent.

At nightfall, around 9 p.m., there will be a huge fireworks show launching from the Hudson River.

Visitors attending the concerts at both parks should bring their own lawn chairs for seating.

The boat launch at Coeymans Landing will be closed all day Saturday; boaters can head to an alternative launch in Coxsackie a few miles down the river.

There is no admission fee to either day’s events, but the organizing committee is still accepting donations to help offset the cost of the festivities, and a fundraiser is also scheduled to help raise funds.

“We are having a chicken BBQ on June 22, from 3-7 p.m., at the corner of McConnell Avenue and Main Street to help offset the costs,” Boehlke said. “Tickets, at $15, will be available at all events next weekend.”

In addition to the anniversary committee’s co-chairs Brandon LeFevre and Marisa Tutay, also serving on the committee were Town Clerk Candace McHugh, historian Joseph Boehlke, Ginny Pearson, Joan Radley, Carol McDonald, Mark Dayo, Kate Robertson, Heather Collins, Marlene McTigue, Barb Lisa, Kelly Castle, Rosemary McHugh, tracy Douglas, Karen Waddingham and Patti LeFevre.

“Each of the members brought different aspects of expertise to the committee,” LeFevre said. “The committee received guidance and support from Supervisor George McHugh, Police Chief Marc Tryon and Highway Superintendent Dan Baker. This weekend is filled with fun things for our community.”

Everyone is invited to come to the festivities on both days, Friday, June 9, at Joralemon Park, and Saturday, June 10, at Coeymans Landing.