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Obituaries: Kerr, Wahlers, Lees, Marks

In Obituaries, Obituaries - Columbia, The Columbia Paper
March 9, 2011
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James Kerr, 76, stock handler, liked arts and crafts

SANDISFIELD, MA—James M. Kerr, 76, formerly of Hudson, died Sunday, March 6, 2011 at the Berkshire Nursing Home.

Born September 13, 1934 in Hudson, he was the son of Robert and Verna (Fowler) Kerr.

He attended Hudson High School and served in the US Air Force during the Korean War.

Mr. Kerr was employed as a stock handler at the Universal Match Factory.  He was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and a published poet. He enjoyed arts and crafts and genealogy research.

Surviving are: his son, James L. (Tina) Kerr and daughter, Charlanne Loomis, both of Hudson; five grandchildren, Justin, Jeremy and Zachary Kerr, Louis Loomis and Shannon Williams; and a great-grandson, Darrick Williams.

In addition to his parents, he was predeceased by his wife, Charlene (Schermerhorn) Kerr, and his sister and brother-in-law, Harriett and Roy Drum.

Funeral services were March 9 at the Bates & Anderson—Redmond & Keeler Funeral Home. Burial will be at a later date.

Karl Wahlers, 78, company foreman, liked a good horse race

HUDSON—Karl Wahlers, 78, of Stottville, passed away peacefully with his loving family at his side, Sunday, March 6, 2011 at Columbia Memorial Hospital.

Born in Hicksville, Nassau County, October 6, 1932, he was the son of the late Charles and Alice Wahlers.

Mr. Wahlers was a foreman at the Mephisto Tool Company in Greenport for more than 37 years.

He served in the US Air Force during the Korean War and was a member of the Stottville Fire Company. Mr. Wahlers was an avid bowler, loved playing horseshoes and cards and enjoyed a good horse race.

He is survived by: his son, Duane (Judy) Wahlers of Stottville; his daughter, Romona Wahlers of Hudson; his step-daughter, Debra Card of Hudson; his stepson, Leonard Hall of Ghent; his daughter-in-law, Barbara Wahlers of Stuyvesant Falls; his partner, Jean March of Claverack; several grandchildren and great-grandchildren; and many aunts, uncles, nieces, and nephews.

Mr. Wahlers was predeceased by his wife, Maria (Cesternino) Wahlers, his son, Stewart Wahlers, and his daughter, Karla Wahlers.

Funeral services were March 9 at the Bates & Anderson—Redmond & Keeler Funeral Home.

Burial will be in St. Mary’s Cemetery in Stuyvesant Falls, March 10. Memorial donations may be made to the Stottville Fire Company.

 

Eleanor Lees, 88, taught theatre arts

VALATIE—Eleanor M. Lees, 88, of Valatie, died Saturday, March 5, 2011 at Barnwell Nursing Home.

Mrs. Lees was predeceased by her husband, Robert B. Lees.

She is survived by her son and daughter-in-law, Jonathan David Frank and Kathy Frank of Poway, California, and two grandchildren, Daniel Joseph Frank and Rebecca Jean Frank.

Mrs. Lees was born in Chicago, October 31, 1922, to the late Gerald W. and Bessie Reve (Swartz) Sullivan.

She was a theatre arts teacher and a member of Congregation Anshe Emeth.

Services were held March 8 at Congregation Anshe Emeth in Greenport.

Burial will be in Cedar Park Cemetery in Hudson.

Arrangements are with the Bates & Anderson—Redmond & Keeler Funeral Home.

Dr. Ira Marks, 76, pediatrician to many

OLD CHATHAM—Dr. Ira Marks died at home in Old Chatham Tuesday, March 8.

A Brooklyn native, Dr. Marks graduated from James Madison High School, Bethany College in West Virginia, and Harvard Medical School.  He served as president of his Harvard Medical School class.

Dr. Marks was an intern in medicine from 1959 to 1960 at North Carolina Memorial Hospital in Chapel Hill and completed his residency in pediatrics at Children’s Hospital in Boston. From 1962 to 1964, he practiced pediatrics as a captain in the Air Force at Andrews Air Force Base in Washington, DC, earning the Air Force Commendation Medal for meritorious service.

In 1964, Dr. Marks moved to the Chatham area with his wife, Susannah, where he practiced pediatrics for more than 40 years, for most of those years in partnership with Dr. Lawrence Greitzer.

Dr. Marks began working at Columbia Memorial Hospital in Hudson in 1964 and assumed the role of chief of the Department of Pediatrics from 1978 to 1989. He also worked from 1966 to 2000 at the Berkshire Farm Center for Youth; from 1975 to 2000 at the Brookwood Secure Center, a juvenile detention center for boys; and as the school physician for the Chatham Central School District for many years. In addition, he served as a member of the New York State Council for Graduate Medical Education Board from 1989 to 1992.

Outside of doctoring, Dr. Marks took an active role in local affairs. He participated as a member of the Town of Chatham Comprehensive Planning Committee and the Town of Chatham Ethics Board, and he helped lead efforts to prevent the establishment of a cement plant in Columbia County. He also served for a year as president of the Tri-Village Fire Company. His career included memorable roles in the musical “Annie” at the Chatham High School and in the play “Our Town” at PS21, and he was a member of the same monthly reading group for more than 30 years.

Dr. Marks is survived by Susannah, his wife of 49 years; their three children, Sarah, Ilana and Jared; their grandchildren, Matthew, Joshua, Isabel, Emily, Noah, Esme and Amelie; and his brother, Sidney.

According to Dr. Marks’s wishes, there will be no memorial service. Donations may be made to the Tri-Village Fire Company. On line condolences may be sent at www.frenchblasl.com.

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THROUGH THE WOODS: White Pines

In Communities - Columbia, The Columbia Paper
September 22, 2023
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By NANCY JANE KERN

THE WHITE PINE TREES around the house begin to get scruffy this time of year. This is a normal phenomenon and is called seasonal needle loss or fall needle drop. In the spring a tuft of new needles forms on branch tips. Toward the fall and winter, the oldest needles, about 2-3 years old, turn brown and are shed. So, if you are wondering about the health of your pine trees this may explain a recent change. It seems to be occurring early this year and may be related to our unusually cool, wet weather.

Eastern White pines, or Pinus Strobus, are beautiful trees and have been referred to as the “monarchs of the forest.” If you have visited Saratoga Springs think of the Avenue of the Pines which is a landmark site on the way to the Gideon Putnam Hotel.

The trees there are mature and tall, exhibiting their usual height of 50-80 feet or more, and spread of 20-40 feet wide. They grow fast (over 25” per year) and do well in sunny locations under a variety of conditions. They make good windbreaks and evergreen fillers for many spaces. I located my house between several old white pines for these reasons and because they attract many birds. Woodpeckers and chickadees, pine warblers, and others are drawn to them. In winter, the soft needles and old woodpecker holes make great shelter, and the rich seeds are enjoyed by wildlife as well as birds.

There is an abundance of large clusters of pine cones hanging on the trees this year. In Columbia County, there are nice examples of white pines anywhere, including many in the Cedar Park Cemetery in the City of Hudson. It is hard to believe, but back in colonial times, white pines reached a height of 250 feet and had trunks 6 feet in diameter. These very tall trees were perfect for ship masts, and as their numbers decreased, the English Navy got Parliament to make a law in 1691 that reserved all these large trees as property of the English government. This began the “broad arrow” acts, named for the axe mark placed on these trees.

Colonists resented the crown confiscating all the best trees, and this, along with the famous Boston Tea Party, contributed to the start of the American Revolution. The first flag of the revolutionary forces had a white pine emblem on it. White pine has other uses, particularly as lumber for houses, knotty pine paneling, flooring, and furniture.

The wood is light in weight and has fewer tendencies to warp or check than some other woods. Since it is softer than woods like oak, it is easily marred when used as flooring. But then, these wear marks add to the floor’s character.

The six tribes (the Cayuga, the Mohawk, the Oneida, the Onondaga, the Seneca, and the Tuscarora) of the Iroquois League of Nations called it the Tree of Peace. In the early 1800s the warring tribes decided they had had enough fighting and agreed to bury their weapons under a giant white pine tree. Native Americans revered these trees and used them for many things. They ate the inner bark of white pine for food during the winter and made a drink of steeped pine needles that contained high levels of vitamin C which prevented scurvy. The name “Adirondack” is an Iroquois word which means tree-eater.

Being around these magnificent trees is peaceful. When the needles are sun-warmed on a hot summer day, they give off a wonderful scent and offer cooling shade. When fall arrives and there are piles of soft brown needles all around, they silence footfall. The pines will look much better in time for Christmas, and some will be harvested as one of our favorite Christmas trees. The lovely evergreen needles will brighten winter, and against the snow, give us hope for spring.

Committee looks at busing options for county residents

In News - Columbia, The Columbia Paper
June 29, 2024
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By JEANETTE WOLFBERG

HUDSON–The proposed Chatham-to-Hudson Bus, for which NY State made $200,000 available, thanks to help from Assemblymember Didi Barrett (D-106th) and Senator Michelle Hinchey (D-41st) (May 24 article by David Lee) may run only one or two days a week, according to options discussed by the Columbia County Board of Supervisors Transportation Subcommittee on June 13. Furthermore, one option would include discontinuing public bus service to Ancramdale and Copake. In addition, once the county agrees on a Chatham service option, it could take “at least a year” for the service to begin, estimated committee chairman Michael Chameides, supervisor of Hudson’s Third Ward. Still, the Chatham bus might have more than one round trip on the days it does run. The next step is talking with community residents and officials to get a feel of where and at what time potential riders want the bus to go, as well as estimate the ridership and thus the needed bus size.

Columbia County offers three types of public bus service: a Shopping Shuttle loop through Hudson and Greenport; a weekday bus between Hudson and Albany via Stottville, Kinderhook and Valatie; and weekly bus trips from other locations to Hudson and back. The Shopping Shuttle runs several times a day, currently seven days a week. The Albany buses run four times in each direction each weekday. The once-a-week buses serve Philmont and Claverack, Germantown and Stuyvesant, Ancramdale and Copake, and Livingston, a different route each day of the week. None serve Chatham, Ghent, or northeastern Columbia County.

Chatham and Ghent have senior housing, said several people at the June 13 meeting. But Chatham has lost a lot of businesses on Main Street, said Board Clerk Kelly Baccaro. And people are using Amazon more and going to shopping centers less, said somebody else. Route 66 in Ghent has some county departments, although Board Chairman Matt Murell (Stockport) reported that the county has dropped the idea of moving the Office for the Aging there.

For Chatham service, Mr. Chameides said the “most effective service” would be “direct” and “back and forth,” with the Shopper Shuttle a better model than the once-a-weeks. He laid out four options, combining elements of both models, possibly available with current resources and the new $200,000.

Three options would provide service between Hudson and Chatham on one weekday and/or on Saturday. Service schedules would allow connecting to the Shopping Shuttle “and other routes.” Mr. Chameides said he “envisions multiple trips a day.” All options would need agreement from the operator to provide service and approval from the State Department of Transportation.

For two options, the operator would be Johnston Transportation Company LLC, which runs the Albany service, the once-a-week routes, and some Shopping Shuttles. Under one option, the weekday would be Friday, because that day there are no once-a-weeks.

Under the other Johnston option, the weekday would be Wednesday. That is the day Johnston drives to Ancramdale and Copake. Under this scenario, since Johnston’s bus would be needed for Chatham, Copake would lose its service. The Chatham service could take on more ridership than the Copake one has now. Anybody wanting transportation from Copake could seek it from an agency like the Office for the Aging (OFA) and the Department of Social Services (DSS). But “I’d hate to discontinue service to Copake,” said a supervisor.

Under the third public bus option, ProPark, which operates some Shopping Shuttles, would run the buses. ProPark charges three times as much as Johnston for similar runs, Mr. Chameides said. Therefore, there would have to be fewer runs. And on weekdays, its last run would have to end before 2:45 p.m., so that ProPark can get its bus ready for its share of the Shopping Shuttle.

The fourth option would consist of cars and vans run by county agencies. This can be implemented more quickly. However, even if not exclusive to clients of the operating agency, such service can be perceived as such. It would miss out on federal funds, and the general public would be less likely to find out about it.

Before bus service starts, the county should survey people in Hudson and Chatham, negotiate with service providers, and line up state funding, said Mr. Chameides.

Service would last until the money runs out. Mr. Chameides suggested it be designed to run for two years. He later said he does not know about any deadline for using the $200,000. Assumed that if service is successful, there will be an effort to get more money to continue it.

Supervisor Ron Knott (Stuyvesant) said that by increasing bus frequency, “you’re reducing riders per trip.” (However, total ridership on the Shopping Shuttle increased when it added more frequencies.)

Still, Mr. Knott said if something is advertised as public transportation, it must have buses at certain times in certain places every time they say they will come.

Supervisor Richard Scalera (Hudson, 5th Ward) recommended studying the on-call system. One can sign on a certain number of hours in advance.

“What I’m getting from the room is that all options are still possibilities and we should pursue all,” concluded Mr. Chameides.

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