Copake celebrates Bicentennial Finale

Copake celebrates Bicentennial Finale

The Bicentennial Committee marched with its banner on Saturday, Aug. 17, ahead of horses and a goat.

Photo by John Coston

COPAKE — Townspeople started to gather around the Clock Tower, on the steps of the General Store, along Main Street and Route 7A, unfolding their chairs and chatting with friends and neighbors about the parade to come.

Saturday, Aug. 17 marked the culmination of a yearlong celebration of the town’s founding 200 years ago with a parade that Bicentennial Committee Chairwoman Kelly Nardin said would be the largest parade in Columbia County this summer.

The General Store sold its last sandwich, but ice cream sandwiches and fudgsickles were on sale in front of the Community United Methodist Church.

The parade itself was assembling at the firehouse on Center Hill Road and as the clock struck 3 p.m., the first glimpse of the marchers appeared in the distance.

A cavalcade of public officials on foot and in cars preceded a procession of emergency vehicles, people on horseback, on tractors, front-end loaders, and what seemed like innumerable golf carts.

State Sen. Michelle Hinchey (D-41) and Congressman Marc Molinaro (R-19) walked and waved behind a car carrying the town board, including Supervisor Richard Wolf.

Fire and emergency departments represented included Copake, Hillsdale, Craryville, North East, Millerton, Taghkanic and Egremont, along with many businesses and organizations and churches. There were marching bands and floats among the 60 participants.
The parade advanced along Main Street and looped back to the firehouse. The day was capped with a party at Catamount.

Photo by John Coston

Right to left, Ian Wold, Agathe Wold, Robin Williams and Estella were among the crowd at the parade in Copake Saturday, Aug. 17.

Latest News

North East becomes certified Pro-Housing Community; Millerton begins process

The Town of North East joined the Town of Amenia in being a certified Pro-Housing Community; a designation that recognizes the town's commitment to increasing its housing stock. Communities shaded in green have been granted certification and communities shaded in blue have begun the process with a letter of intent.

Map courtesy NYS Office of Information Technology Services GIS Program Office

MILLERTON — The town of North East announced last week that it has achieved certification as a New York State Pro-Housing Community, a designation that encourages and rewards municipalities taking steps to increase their housing supply.

North East is now one of 352 Pro-Housing Communities in the state — when the town began the process, there were just 75.

Keep ReadingShow less
Art facility hearing closes with no decision

SHARON — The public hearing for the development of a commercial district office and event space for local arts nonprofit Low Road Sharon closed on Sept. 10 with a note of reconciliation between neighbors and the applicant.

The plans involve demolishing the two existing buildings at 1 Low Road and replacing them with two structures facing each other across a central green. A public footpath will connect Lovers Lane to Low Road.

Keep ReadingShow less
Kent reviews 13-unit affordable housing proposal

A rendering of the proposed 13-unit affordable housing building that was discussed at Thursday’s hearing of the Kent Planning and Zoning Commission.

Ruth Epstein

KENT — Deciding to get an opinion from its engineer, the Planning and Zoning Commission Thursday continued the hearing until next month on Kent Affordable Housing’s application for the 13-unit affordable housing project off Maple Street despite pleas from KAH board members.

Justin Potter, chairman of KAH, went through a detailed presentation of the plan, which calls for a single building with an elevator to be located adjacent to the South Common affordable housing complex on 1.15 acres now owned by the town. Once all approvals are received, the town will pass the property to KAH.

Keep ReadingShow less
Planning Board approves Bennett Park trail extension with conditions

Bennett Park’s eastern portion is now open to the public, offering paved walking and biking paths.

Photo by Nathan Miller

MILLBROOK — Plans for extension of the Bennett Park trail system were reviewed during a public hearing and later approved unanimously by the Planning Board at its regular meeting on Monday, Sept. 8, although a few conditions were attached to the approval.

Reviewing plans during the public hearing was Richard Rennia of Rennia Engineers, who was accompanied at the meeting by Senior Planner Peter Sander.

Keep ReadingShow less