Sheriff, troopers press K’hook assault probe

By Marlene McTigue

Capital Region Independent Media

CAMBRIDGE — The story of Hubbard Hall Project and its new executive director, Erin Harrington, is one of resilience, passion for the arts and inclusion.

Situated in picturesque Cambridge in Washington County, Hubbard Hall has seen many transformations since its establishment as an opera house in 1878.

Harrington, recently appointed to lead the arts organization, sees her role as both an honor and a new challenge. Her vision is rooted in the personal experiences that shaped her relationship with the arts. Harrington’s own journey with theater began at an early age and led her to her studies at SUNY Potsdam, where she majored in theater and English with a focus on dramaturgy.

Harrington saw the transformative power of theater, both in herself and in those around her. She directed plays, wrote scripts, and even initiated sensory-friendly performance programs, focusing on making the arts accessible to all, regardless of ability.

This passion for inclusivity is central to her vision for Hubbard Hall. For Harrington, theater isn’t just for world-class professionals; it’s a medium through which people from all walks of life can explore, learn and grow. Her philosophy is grounded in the belief that artistic expression isn’t about perfection but the experience it brings to participants and the broader community. This is a philosophy which seems to align perfectly with the Hubbard Hall Project.

Hubbard Hall has always been more than just a theater. Over its long history, it evolved into a hub for arts education, hosting a wide range of classes from Irish step dancing to drama for children as young as five. Harrington now hopes to expand these programs, ensuring that the community remains engaged and that new opportunities for growth emerge. She draws inspiration from Hubbard Hall’s founder, Mary Hubbard, a tenacious woman who fought for control of the hall after the death of her husband and led it successfully for 25 years, according to Harrington. The new director sees herself continuing this legacy of perseverance and artistic leadership.

The Hubbard Hall Project is now poised for further growth, particularly through its artist residency program and plans to expand the facilities. With an endowment from the family of a former student, Harrington is overseeing the creation of new artist residency housing, fostering an environment where artists can live and work on campus. This expansion is aimed at attracting even more creative talent to Hubbard Hall, further cementing its status as an arts incubator and a vital force for cultural enrichment in the community.

As Harrington embarks on this journey, her experience in the arts, dedication to inclusivity, and understanding of Hubbard Hall’s historic importance will inform her leadership, helping to shape the future of the Hubbard Hall Project.

A PERSONAL JOURNEY INTO THE ARTS

Harrington’s love for the arts began when she was 15 years old, as a shy, quiet student.

“I was a very awkward, quiet kid growing up, and then as I got into theater, I found a way to come out of that,” she explained.

Her passion for theater grew so intensely in high school that she knew early on it would be her life’s calling.

“When I got into it, I thought, ‘I’ve got to do this with my life,’” she recalled.

Harrington’s journey continued through college, where theater became not just a passion but also a lifeline. It helped her navigate significant transitions in life.

“Being involved in the arts helped me with those transition,” she said.

Yet, it wasn’t until later, during her time at Saratoga’s Homemade Theater, that she realized how much the arts had truly impacted her life.

A NEW AWARENESS: EMBRACING NEURODIVERSITY

While directing a production of “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time,” a play about a boy on the autism spectrum, Harrington began to reflect on her own experience. The production, originally slated for 2020 but delayed due to COVID, opened her eyes to how much the arts had helped her navigate her own challenges growing up. Harrington, after receiving feedback from a college counselor suggesting she might have Asperger’s, hadn’t thought much of it at the time. But as she began to delve deeper into the play and its themes, she realized the counselor’s insight might have been accurate.

“I’m a big research person,” she said, “and in doing all the research around sensory-friendly performances and working with coordinators experienced in that area, it became clearer that the diagnosis might be true.”

The sensory-friendly elements of the production, designed to make theater more accessible to individuals with sensory sensitivities, resonated with her on a personal level.

As Harrington continued preparing for the play, she also reflected on the small but significant challenges she had faced in her own life, such as learning to drive.

“It took me a long time to learn to drive,” she shared. “It wasn’t until I was 27 that I got my license. That was a light bulb moment for me—realizing how common this challenge is for people on the autism spectrum.”

MAKING THE ARTS MORE ACCESSIBLE

Harrington’s experience with “The Curious Incident” transformed her approach to theater and deepened her commitment to inclusivity. Now, as executive director of Hubbard Hall, she brings that same passion to her mission of ensuring that the arts are accessible to everyone.

“The arts have done so much for me, even before I realized what they were doing for me,” she said. “I want everyone to be able to experience that.”

She has already made strides in this direction, organizing sensory-friendly performances and advocating for programs that reflect the diverse needs of the community.

“Who’s in the community whose stories are we’re not telling?” she asked. “I want to make sure we’re reflecting the audience that’s there.”

Through her leadership at Hubbard Hall, Harrington is determined to create an inclusive environment where everyone feels welcome and represented.

“I want to help people feel comfortable, to create spaces where they can express themselves without feeling awkward or ashamed,” she emphasized.

For Harrington, making the arts accessible is not just about entertainment—it’s about fostering personal growth, connection and understanding for all.

In the few months since she began her role, Harrington has been overwhelmed by the warm reception from the Hubbard Hall community.

“Everybody’s been so welcoming,” she said. “It’s such a nice place, and I’m very excited to be here.”

As Harrington continues to steer Hubbard Hall into its next chapter, she remains focused on making it a place where the arts can truly thrive for all, no matter their background, challenges, or abilities.

By Melanie Lekocevic

Capital Region Independent Media

GREENVILLE — The Greenville school district is considering adding football to the Athletic Department’s offerings.

The district has never had a football team and is now looking at two options — starting their own team and merging with another school district’s football team.

Denise Wickham, director of Health, PE and Athletics, presented options and costs to the board of education at the January meeting. The department had been looking at a three-way merger between Greenville, Cairo and Catskill prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Wickham said, but the current proposal looked at merging with the Coxsackie-Athens school district.

Bringing football to Greenville is a popular concept with students, she said.

“If you ask, are our students interested in football? Yes, they are,” Wickham said. “In the short amount of time I put out a survey last week, we had 76 responses from students.”

The survey asked if students would play football if the district offered it. Of the respondents, 71.1% said they would be interested, 5.2% said no and 23.7% said maybe. The highest number of positive responses came from students in seventh and eighth grades, with 18 each, followed by 14 tenth graders, 11 students each in grades nine and eleven, and four in sixth grade.

The Greenville teams, in all sports, compete in the Patroon Conference. The conference only offers football at the varsity and modified levels, not junior varsity. A good percentage of the positive responses came from younger students, who would presumably begin at the modified level, Wickham said.

“We don’t have a JV level for most of our programs so we could start at a modified level and there seems to be quite a bit of interest at the lower levels,” Wickham told the board.

Football is open to both boys and girls, she added.

The survey also asked if the student plays a fall sport, would they switch to football instead, to gauge the possible impact on the district’s other sports. Of the total respondents, 60.5% said they would switch, 11.8% said no and 27.6% said maybe.

“This speaks to what would the impact be on our other sports programs here in Greenville, should we get into a merger or do a team on our own,” Wickham noted.

She next looked at the costs of implementing and maintaining a football program.

“First of all, you have uniform program costs — usually varsity uniforms, modified uniforms, and then there’s practice uniforms, jerseys and practice pants. Those range in different prices,” she said. “And then there’s safety equipment — that’s where you really get the largest cost for football.”

The largest single expense for safety equipment would be the helmets, which can cost anywhere from $350 to $500 each; shoulder pads cost around $300, a girdle to protect the thighs, hips, tailbone and knees costs $60, mouth guards are $3 and belts are $12 apiece.

There is also a cost for reconditioning the safety equipment between seasons, which costs around $10,000 annually. Reconditioning is required for helmets, and while not required for padding, it will extend the life of the equipment. Helmets have an expected lifespan of 10 years.

There are also transportation costs to be considered, Wickham said.

“It’s an eight-week season and with the postseason, it can be a 10-week season,” she said. “If you merge with another district, say with Coxsackie, your eight weeks would be $13,600 for transportation and 10 weeks is $16,000.”

Another transportation issue is the question of bus drivers. The district already has a shortage of drivers for regular bus runs.

There would also be expenses related to coaches. A varsity team generally has a head coach and two assistant coaches; modified teams typically have one head coach and one assistant. Those costs would vary based on what the district could negotiate.

“Even if you merge with a program you would have to hire a coach, somebody that’s going to be with those kids as they are transported back and forth from another school, so that would be something you would have to work out with the other school district,” she said.

Hiring officials and a referee for each home game would cost $514 per game for varsity and $211.50 per modified game.

There would also be other costs if the district were to create its own team, including facility upgrades, primarily the purchase and installation of goal posts — costing between $11,000 and $17,000 each. Other costs would also be related to the purchase of a chain gang, headsets, field markers, field paint and a blocking sled and dummies for practices.

If the district were to opt to merge with another team, such as Coxsackie-Athens High School, the deadline to propose a merger is Feb. 1.

“I have been in conversations with Coxsackie-Athens’ athletic director,” Wickham said. “The merger deadline for football is Feb. 1, so if this is something that Greenville is considering, then we need to make a decision soon. You can apply for a merger and then at the last minute you can say no, we are not going to merge, but if you don’t do that, that’s a firm deadline — they will not let you in afterwards.”

There would still be costs related to a merged team with Coxsackie-Athens.

“It’s around $49,000 and what they were recommending is that we divide that in half so it would be $24,750 for a merger and that’s plus transportation and coaching stipends. So, eight weeks would be $38,350, 10 weeks for $40,950, and that does not include the coaching stipend for us to hire one.”

The board of education did not make a decision on whether to pursue either option — a merger or creating a new football team — at the January meeting.