KINDERHOOK—The Town Board accepted the retirement certification of Town Clerk Kimberly Pinkowski at their regular meeting on December 5. Ms. Pinkowski will retire at the end of the year and the board plans to appoint current Deputy Clerk April Pinkowski to the position.
The deputy clerk, who is distantly related to Ms. Pinkowski by marriage, pointed out to the board at the meeting that Clerk Pinkowski has to send her request to retire to the state. Town Clerk is an elected position and will be on the ballot in November 2023.
Board member Debbie Johnson said she was making the motion on Ms. Pinkowski’s retirement “with regret.” Ms. Pinkowski has been town clerk since 2001.
The board also heard a presentation from Unity Lodge Masonic No. 9F & A.M. about the group’s hopes to start an outreach program in the town. The lodge is on Main Street in the Village of Valatie.
The plan presented by members Kyle Kuffel and Joel Van Alstyne is to reach the communities in the county by “collecting donations for local businesses, other charitable organizations and private citizens…. [which will be] divided amongst free stores and food banks.”
Mr. Kuffel and Mr. Van Alstyne talked about the outreach programs in New Lebanon, which has a free store in the town hall for people to take non-perishable food and other items they need when the town hall is open.
According to the Town of New Lebanon’s website, the Free Store opened in 2017. It is open on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. through the Town Clerk’s Office. The website (townofnewlebanon.com) reads, “It is open to all residents of New Lebanon to come and take whatever you need for free…. We have a huge selection to choose from. To volunteer or for more information contact Marcie Robertson at 518 794-8888 or townclerk@townofnewlebanon.com.”
The lodge members also mentioned to the Kinderhook Board that New Lebanon has its own fuel assistance program through working with local fuel providers. A press release from the Town of New Lebanon, saying the town works in collaboration with Charlie’s Pantry, Unity Lodge No. 9, the American Legion, Larabee Fuel and HL Fuel, was asking for donations for the program. “Those who need help heating their homes this winter should contact [Town Supervisor] Tistrya Houghtling at 518-794-8889 or supervisor@townofnewlebanon.com,” according to the release.
At the Town of Kinderhook Board meeting, the lodge members talked about working with the local food pantry, which is only open a few hours a week. The Valatie Ecumenical Food Pantry, on Church Street, serves residents in the Ichabod Crane School District, which includes the Town of Kinderhook. Currently food pantry hours are every Monday from noon to 2 p.m.; the first, third and last Wednesday of the month from 6 to 8 p.m. and the second and fourth Saturday from 9 to 11 a.m.
The members of the lodge said at the board meeting that their plan is to expand that program and asked the town for any support, especially showing support as the members of the lodge talk to local businesses. A resident suggested that the board pass a motion of support for the lodge’s program, which the board did at the meeting.
According to the information the lodge members gave the board members, “the lodge would like to directly sponsor one local family in need, to start. Then, as a program gets up and running, we would like to sponsor one family per town.”
Information on the lodge can me found at https://9-ny.ourlodgepage.com/
Also at the meeting:
•The board approved using federal ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act) funds to cover the $3,062 cost for a water study by town engineer Patrick Pendergrast. The plan is to look at replacing water lines on Route 9 near the Ocean State Plaza and State Farm Road. Supervisor Tim Ooms said that some of the $531,690.71 APRA funds the town received from the federal government due to the Covid-19 pandemic would be used for the project but that it would not cover the whole project
•The board appointed Walt Simonsmeier to the Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) for a term that expires in December of 2023. Mr. Simonsmeier’s current term on the ZBA expires this December
•The board will hold a public hearing on a proposed local law to prohibit hunting on town land at their next meeting on January 9.
The next board meeting will be the organizational meeting on January 9 at 6:30 p.m. at the Martin H. Glynn Municipal Building, on Church Street in Valatie.
To contact reporter Emilia Teasdale email eteasdale@columbiapaper.com
