January 2025

Next Town Board Meeting

Thursday, February 13, 2025

7:00pm

Access to virtual meetings can be found on the homepage of the Town of Copake website at townofcopake.org

Table of Contents

From the Supervisor's Desk

Solar Update

Help Wanted

Columbia Land Conservancy

Grange Events

Eco-Tips

What's Happening at the Library

Memorial Bricks

Columbia County Health Center

From the Supervisor's Desk

It’s a Wrap

This past year was a very successful and productive year for Copake. In addition to our bicentennial celebration activities, 2024 saw the construction of a beautiful bandshell in the park, which has enhanced the quality of the summer concert series, a shade gazebo at the very popular pickleball courts (currently available for ice-skating and hockey for those willing to brave the unusually cold weather), where the first annual Picklemania tournament was held, and a walkway from the Church Street municipal parking lot to Empire Road. Constructed entirely by Copake’s Highway Department, the walkway facilitates parking for Grange event-goers.

In 2024, Copake was certified by NYS as a Pro-Housing Community, which makes us eligible to apply for various state grants. The Conservation Advisory Committee (CAC) was instrumental in obtaining grants to support the lighting improvement project we completed for Copake Town Hall. We established two important committees: Comprehensive Plan Review (chaired by Jeanne Mettler) and Farmland Protection (chaired by Will Morningstar). We obtained easements to enable us to create a Main Street municipal parking lot, hired transportation engineers to work on a hoped-for Copake Spur to connect the Harlem Valley Rail Trail to the Copake hamlet, negotiated a new 3-year contract with the Teamsters for the highway department employees, and converted space in the West Copake fire house to a storage facility for the Roe Jan Historical Society.

Throughout 2025, the town board will build on last year’s successes. An audit, paid for by a NYSERDA grant, will result in energy upgrades at the highway garage building, the park building, and the town hall, which also will be paid for by NYSERDA grants. We will hire a consultant to work with the two new committees. Their final work products will be presented to the town board by the end of June, 2026. The Main Street municipal lot will be completed this spring. Also in the spring, the CAC will work with the highway department to landscape the walkway, and I am hopeful that we will be able to follow Highway Superintendent Bill Gregory’s recommendation to put down a concrete surface for the walkway. Our transportation engineering consultants will be meeting soon with the New York State Department of Transportation engineers, who are designing a rehabilitation or replacement of the bridge on State Route 22 over the Bash Bish Creek. Our hope is to create a pathway underneath Route 22 to provide safe passage for bicyclists and hikers between the rail trail and downtown Copake.

Of course, all of this will be happening as the town board addresses issues surrounding Hecate Energy’s newly filed application for Shepherd’s Run.  

One further note: At the December town board meeting, as I was thanking folks for all they had done last year, I inadvertently omitted Copake’s former historian, Howard Blue, who retired in August of 2024 after more than 4 ½ years of service to the town. Howard taught me a lot about Copake’s history and presented interesting historical information and anecdotes in his writings. So… a belated and sincere thank you to Howard Blue!      

Richard Wolf

Town Supervisor

Solar Update

They’re back! On December 23, Hecate Energy filed its application with the New York State Office of Renewable Energy Siting and Electric Transmission (ORES) for a siting permit to “Develop, Design, Construct, Operate, Maintain, and Decommission a 42-Megawatt Solar Energy Facility known as the Shepherd’s Run Solar Farm located in the Town of Copake, Columbia County.”

For anyone unfamiliar with the Shepherd’s Run saga, or in need of a refresher, here is a summary.

On March 28, 2024 Hecate issued a “60-Day Notice of Intention to File an Application,” indicating that it would file “on or about June 3rd.” June 3 came and went, and was followed by nine months of Hecate silence, interrupted only by a letter on July 30, stating that it remained interested in developing Shepherd’s Run, and had applied for a Renewable Energy Credits incentive contract from NYSERDA. On December 19, Hecate served a “3-Day Notice of Intention to File,” indicating that it would file with ORES on or about December 23. It did so, applying to construct a 42-megawatt solar factory on 217 acres in Craryville. We made a motion objecting that Hecate’s 60-day Notice of Intent had been misleading, because the developer had represented it would file on or about June 3, and the more than seven month delay was prejudicial. As we explained, days after the March notice, Hecate held a required “community information” meeting to present its new proposal – not in Copake, but at the Hillsdale Fire House. Attendees were astonished to see the same project display poster boards they had seen two years earlier at a meeting for the original 60-megawatt proposal. Some boards were still dated 2022; one map of the project footprint still included the sold and unavailable 60-acre parcel! 

The same ALJ whose earlier adverse decision was reversed by the ORES executive director is again assigned to the new Shepherd’s Run application. We just got her decision. She again ruled against Copake, in effect saying that the required, expected application filing date in the 60-day notice means nothing. This raises the obvious question: why is it there? 

We will have to see whether Hecate intends to have any more community meetings, with updated, accurate information. The developer has not yet presented to the community plans for their slimmed-down, but still very large project.

Richard T. Wolf

Town Supervisor

Help Wanted

The Town Board of the Town of Copake will be accepting letters of interest and resumes for the following position:



Board of Assessment Review Member

Letters/resumes may be sent to: Town Clerk, 230 Mountain View Road, Copake, NY 12516, or emailed to: copaketownclerk@townofcopake.org, no later than January 27, 2025, at 4:00pm.

CLC Launches Countywide Conservation Planning

Join the Columbia Land Conservancy for the first of a series of four public events to help inform the Countywide Conservation Plan! This first meeting will take place virtually via Zoom on Jan. 23 from 6:00pm to 7:30pm.

The kick-off meeting will provide the opportunity to learn more about the project and how CLC will develop the plan using community input. It will also be an opportunity to discuss the current state of conservation and collect information from attendees about their vision of the future of conservation in Columbia County.

Once completed, the plan will use community feedback and data to identify the most important priorities for our local environment and our local communities. This plan will help CLC strategically conserve land, prioritize resources, and best serve the people who live, work, and play in Columbia County.

Register to join the conversation

Can’t make it, but want to weigh in? Please register to join anyway, and we’ll send a recording!

Grange Events

Jan. 26, March 2 & 23, 4:00-5:30pm. Jammin’ at the Grange. Come on down to the Grange with your instruments and have a great time jamming with your musician friends and neighbors. Free. (Please note: no February Jammin’ session. There will be two in March - March 2 and 23).

Saturday, Jan. 18, 7-9pm. Dance Party. Banish the winter blues and come inside where the music is happening! Great music, refreshments, dance to your heart’s content. Submit your favorite dance tunes with the words “love” and “dance” in them to tinyurl.com/JanuaryDance. Suggested donation $5.

Sunday, Jan. 19, 3:30pm. Movie and Soup Night. Our Classic Film Series continues. In conjunction with Martin Luther King Day, we will show "Mississippi Burning." This film, based on true events, is a fictionalized version of the FBI's search for the killers of three civil rights workers in the South in 1964. It stars Gene Hackman, Willam Dafoe and Frances McDormand and was directed by Alan Parker. It won an Academy Award for best cinematography. Stay afterward for good conversation and delicious soup, salad, bread and dessert. Movie by donation. Supper $10.

Saturday, Jan. 25, 5:00-7:00pm. Chili Cook-Off. Hot fun on a winter night! Spice up your evening with chili of all kinds. Sample them, vote on your favorite chili and see who wins the prizes. Eat in or take-out. Details on our website copake.org/events.

Saturdays, Feb. 1, March 1 & 29, 10am -11:30am. Children’s Art Classes. Join us for a series of 3 children’s art making classes, for children ages 7 to 18. Grange members Liz Fenamore and Deborah Macheski will conduct hands-on sessions where kids can learn to make their own creative projects. Feb. 1 will be on collage-making. March 1 will be how to make colorful marbled paper. March 29 will be on book-making. Art supplies will be provided. Email cleo42002@yahoo.com to reserve a spot. Admission is $5.00 at the door.

Fridays, Feb. 7 and March 7, 7:00-9:00pm. Open Mic Night. All are welcome to perform - music, stories, skits, readings, poetry, dance, songs, and more. Bring your instruments; we have a piano. Or you can just come to relax and be entertained. This is a great venue for both beginning and veteran performers. Free.

Fridays, Feb. 14 & 21, 7:30pm, Saturdays, Feb. 15 & 22, 7:30pm, Sundays, Feb. 16 & 23, 3pm. The Two of Us Productions presents “CLUE - The Comedy Murder Mystery.” Based on the iconic 1985 Paramount movie inspired by the classic Hasbro board game, Clue is a hilarious farce-meets-murder mystery. At a remote mansion, six mysterious guests assemble for an unusual dinner party where murder and blackmail are on the menu. When their host turns up dead, they all become suspects. Led by Wadsworth – the butler, Miss Scarlet, Professor Plum, Mrs. White, Mr. Green, Mrs. Peacock and Colonel Mustard race to find the killer as the body count stacks up. Clue is the comedy “whodunit” that will leave both cult-fans and newcomers in stitches as they try to figure out…WHO did it, WHERE, and with WHAT! Tickets: $20 adults, $15 youth (18 & under) & seniors (60 & over), at the door, or call 518-329-6293 or online at www.thetwoofusproductions.org

Saturday, March 8, 7-9:30pm. Musicians Showcase. The enormously popular show, organized by Slink Moss and featuring an extraordinarily talented line-up of local musicians will be back! More details to follow. Put it on your calendar now!

For more information about the Grange and events or to join, go to copakegrange.org. The Copake Grange is located at 628 Empire Rd., Copake, NY 12516. Parking for Grange events is limited - please park at the Municipal Lot on Church St. if the Grange parking area is full.

Eco Tips for Healthy Living

Note from the editor (Roberta Roll):

Cara Boyle will be taking over the reins on writing "Eco Tips” for healthy and sustainable living here in our beloved Copake and Columbia County. Cara is a member of the Copake’s Conservation Advisory Committee (CAC) and Climate Smart Task Force (CSC). These committees are working on a number of exciting programs and projects to help us navigate the challenges we face with the changing environment and protecting our beautiful town and surrounding area. This column will continue to focus on various topics, with suggestions for actions, small and big, that we can all take to make a positive difference. Cara is excited to share ideas and practical solutions!

Energy Efficiency

So far, winter has presented us with some ups and downs with the temperatures but the last few weeks have been very cold. So, it’s appropriate that the first CAC/CSC event of 2025 will deal with how to conserve energy. On January 18, at 10am at Copake Town Hall, there will be a presentation and discussion on Energy Efficiency Opportunities for homes and businesses, with speakers Fiona Hynes (Energy Advisor with the Affordable Housing Partnership and Capital Region Clean Energy Hub) and Dana Grover (Account Manager with NYS Clean Heat). They will provide you with information and answer your questions about energy upgrades and how to access financial incentives in NY State, including Empowered Plus, Clean Heat and Energy Audits. Topics to be covered include: how to reduce heating and cooling costs, weatherizing your home, options for solar, heat pumps - types and options for our area and rebates and financing options for homeowners and business. 

So, if you want to save money on heating and cooling bills and reduce your carbon footprint, please join in on January 18th! The meeting will be in-person and virtual; details are set forth below. And, oh yes, there will be hot drinks and snacks!

Cara Boyle

CAC/CSC

What’s Happening at the Library?

Wednesday, January 15, 6:00 p.m.

New Fiction Book Club. Calling all fiction lovers! Roeliff Jansen Community Library is launching a brand-new book club! The club will meet every third Wednesday at 6:00 p.m. At our first meeting, we’ll discuss North Woods by Daniel Mason, a hauntingly beautiful novel that weaves together stories spanning centuries, all centered on one Western Massachusetts house. Whether you’ve read the book or just want to learn more, come join the conversation! The book club will be led by Kate, our communications manager, and Fran, our outreach associate. No registration is required, and all are welcome! Help us brainstorm a name for the club at the first meeting—we’d love your input! North Woods is available to borrow through the Mid-Hudson Library System, Hoopla, and Libby.

Thursday, January 16, 1:00 p.m.

Book Marks! Book Club. Join our nonfiction book club, Book Marks!, led by Circulation Librarian Robin Gottlieb. Meets the 3rd Thursday of every month. For our January meeting we are reading The Soul of an Octopus by Sy Montgomery. Copies are available through the Mid-Hudson Library System, Libby, and Hoopla. Email circulation@roejanlibrary.org for more information.

Saturday, January 18, 10:30 a.m.

Saturday Storytime. Join us for our brand-new Saturday Storytime starting on January 18th at 10:30 AM! Led by our new Children’s Library Associate, Xondra, this is the perfect opportunity to meet other parents, enjoy engaging stories, and spend a cozy morning in the children’s section. Stop by to say hello and help us welcome Xondra to the library! All ages are welcome.

Saturday, January 18, 1:00 p.m.

Cookbook Club. Cookbook Club meets the third Saturday of the month, now meeting from 1:00 to 2:00 p.m., led by local volunteers Monique Rinere & Rita Jakubowski. Members select a recipe, prepare the dish, and bring it to the next meeting, where they discuss the cookbook and enjoy a shared meal. Don’t forget to bring copies of your recipe to share with fellow food enthusiasts! For Saturday, January 18, members will cook an Asian dish of their choosing. Everyone is welcome—more members mean more delicious dishes! For more information, please contact Rita at rlj304@gmail.com.

Saturday, January 18, 1:00 - 3:00 p.m.

Artists Reception. We are excited to present Nurtured by Nature, an art exhibit featuring the work of Nancy Maurice Rogers and Lee Rogers. The exhibit will be on display from January 12 through February 28, 2025, with an artists reception on Saturday, January 18, from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. at the Library.

Lee Rogers’s work features a unique fusion of photography and photograms, created in the darkroom using 35mm black-and-white film and natural objects collected during his journeys. His prints blend landscape imagery from the Northeast and Southwest United States with found objects, hand colored with meticulous detail to evoke a deep connection to nature.

Nancy Maurice Rogers draws on a lifelong relationship with art and nature, crafting handmade paper pieces and monoprints that embody the spontaneity and malleability of her chosen media. Her abstract works invite viewers to find their own meanings while reflecting on the awe and concerns inspired by the natural world’s transformations.

Wednesday, January 22, 1:00 p.m.

Adventure Wednesday. Adventure Wednesday is a monthly program designed for homeschool and daytime learners. Each month, we will visit a different location in the region for a field trip and special tour! On the 22nd, come visit the Library at 1:00 p.m. to chat with Parks Educator Haley about being a nature scientist! We will learn about what a scientist looks like and how to become a bird-watching expert. We’ll have some bird guides to look at and binoculars to use. We will also learn how to use the Merlin App. Dress to start indoors and then go outside with us.

Wednesday, January 22, 6:00 p.m.

Tech Labs on Zoom: Library Apps. In need of some tech pointers? The Columbia County Libraries Association presents a series of five online Tech Labs designed for those seeking help managing basic to moderate functions like online searches, Google Drive, avoiding scams, and more. All labs will be presented by our resident tech guru, Pam Doran, on Zoom.

In this Lab, you will explore the essential apps that make the library accessible and convenient, from borrowing eBooks to accessing research tools on your device. Learn how to access library books, magazines and all sorts of digital services and learning tools from your computer or phone at home or anywhere remotely!

To register and receive the Zoom link, email columbiacountylibraries@gmail.com.

Thursday, January 23, 2:30 p.m.

Tea Time at the Library. Plan to visit the library on the fourth Thursday of each month at 2:30 p.m. to discuss fun and informative topics. Each month’s gathering will have a different theme; listen, discuss, and enjoy a cup of tea (or coffee if that’s your preference!), and sometimes a fun activity. There will also be plenty of time to chat, get to know your neighbors, and wind down.

For our January meeting, we will be joined by Noa Fusco for a discussion on finances and scams. Come join in and enjoy a cup of Harney's Tea (or coffee) and some fresh baked goods on the house.

Monday, January 27, 6:30 p.m. on Zoom

Zoom Around the World Book Club. Join our online book club, sponsored by the Columbia County Libraries Association! This club will meet via Zoom on the fourth Monday of each month to read and discuss books by international authors. The fourth book up for discussion will be Japanese writer Yoko Ogawa’s Mina’s Matchbox. To join, email columbiacountylibraries@gmail.com.

Wednesday, February 5, 6:00 p.m.

Tech Labs on Zoom: Google Drive. In need of some tech pointers? The Columbia County Libraries Association presents a series of five online Tech Labs designed for those seeking help managing basic to moderate functions like online searches, Google Drive, avoiding scams, and more. All labs will be presented by our resident tech guru, Pam Doran, on Zoom.

In this Lab, learn how to organize, store, and share files seamlessly with Google Drive while mastering collaboration features.

To register and receive the Zoom link, email columbiacountylibraries@gmail.com.

Sunday, February 9, 1:30 - 4:30 p.m.

Film Screening: American Fiction. Join us for a film screening of the 2023 film American Fiction, based on Percival Everett's 2001 novel, Erasure. The film tells the story of Thelonious “Monk” Ellison, whose writing career has stalled because his work isn't deemed “Black enough.” Monk, a writer and English professor, writes a satirical novel under a pseudonym, aiming to expose the publishing world's hypocrisies. The book's immediate success forces him to get deeper enmeshed in his assumed identity and challenges his closely held worldviews. The film explores racial stereotypes, the frustration of being constantly defined by one's race, and the question of who has the authority to write about what experiences.

The film stars Jeffrey Wright, Tracee Ellis Ross, Issa Rae, Sterling K. Brown, John Ortiz, Erika Alexander, Leslie Uggams, Adam Brody and Keith David, and is directed by Cord Jefferson.

Monday, February 10, 6:30 - 7:30 p.m.

History Webinar: The Roosevelts, Race, and Civil Rights. Join us for the first in a series of history programs on FDR, presented by Jeff Urbin, educator from the Roosevelt Presidential Museum and Library in Hyde Park.

The election of Franklin Roosevelt in 1932 brought about great changes in America's political, economic and racial landscapes. This session explores how the support of Black voters shaped the Roosevelt Administration's policies in New Deal and World War II and helped lay the groundwork for the civil rights movement of the 50s, 60s and 70s. How did support from Black voters help elect FDR? In what way did the New Deal seek to address racial inequalities? How well did it work? What role did Black servicemen and women play in Roosevelt's approach to winning World War II? Why wasn't greater progress made during this time? What was Mrs. Roosevelt's role during the Administration and beyond?

This program is sponsored by the Columbia County Libraries Association. To register and receive the Zoom link, email columbiacountylibraries@gmail.com.

Wednesday, February 12, 6:00 - 7:00 p.m.

Author Talk: Maria Socolof: Healing from Chronic Pain. Join Maria Socolof for an author talk based on her memoir The Invisible Key: Unlocking the Mystery of My Chronic Pain. Competitive athlete turned scientist Maria Socolof discovers the key to healing her chronic myofascial pain in this raw and gripping memoir. An acute injury. Chronic pain. A shocking discovery. A former collegiate athlete, at age forty Socolof ruptured a disc in her neck when she rolled over in bed. Time and conventional medicine failed to heal her. Years of debilitating pain followed. She sincerely questioned whether life in such pain was worth living. Then, through mind-body approaches and bewildering revelations, true healing finally began. Her raw chronicle attests to the impact emotional trauma can have on the body and how we can set ourselves free from the limitations of our subconscious. She went from being unable to stand for more than fifteen minutes to hiking in Alaska five years later. She shows us that one can heal, even when hope is lost.

Maria Socolof, who recently moved to Hillsdale, was a competitive gymnast through college, received a Master of Science degree from the Harvard School of Public Health, and was enjoying a successful 22-year career as an environmental health scientist when everything suddenly changed. She is now an author, speaker, and advocate, using her personal experience and research to support those healing from pain and trauma. She created the website healingfromchronicpain.com and is President and co-founder of the nonprofit 5WAVES, Inc.

Wednesdays, 1:00 - 4:00 p.m.

Digital Navigator Office Hours. So many things happen online! If you can’t connect to the internet easily, it can be hard to find a job, housing, pay your bills, schedule appointments, and more. Digital Navigators of the Hudson Valley can help you get online at the library or help you use your personal device to get things done. Digital navigators are trusted guides that can help you with your tech questions for free. Our communications manager, Kate, is a newly trained Digital Navigator of the Hudson Valley! Kate holds open office hours on Wednesdays from 1:00 - 4:00 p.m. for general tech help and digital guidance. Walk-ins are welcome, appointments are appreciated. Email communications@roejanlibrary.org or call the Library at 518-325-4101 to reserve a time with Kate.