Tomorrow from 1pm to 4pm at Tawasentha Park, the Town is celebrating Arbor Day, when members of the Tree Preservation Committee will hand out 110 tree seedlings (30 Sugar Maples, 30 Eastern Redbuds and 50 Concolor Firs). There will also be a handout containing tree descriptions and planting instructions, with QR codes for helpful videos. Town Arborist Tim Downey will also answer questions on tree types, soil conditions, proper planting, and maintenance.  

At the same day and time, you can participate in Clean Up Guilderland, an annual spring event to pick up litter on Western Avenue, other streets, and neighborhoods.   You can do it alone or gather a group, with supplies provided.  Please call Kathy Burbank at (518) 461-8032 or by email at kburbank01@gmail.com.

I Love My Park Day, a State-wide volunteer effort, by removing invasive species, garden beautification efforts, and a scavenger hunt.   More information is available by contacting Dave Jenkins at the Parks & Rec Office or by calling (518) 456-3150 or emailing at jenkinsd@togny.org. 

A reminder that Parks & Rec has opened registration for its 2025 Summer Program which takes place this year from Monday, June 30 to Friday, August 8, with one-week half-day camps, swimming lessons, and dozens of sports and enrichment camps.  The printed lime-colored 2025 brochures are available at Town Hall and the Park & Rec’s Office, and were delivered by back-pack mail at schools before the Spring break. 

Parks & Rec’s Pickleball for Beginners takes place from Monday, June 2 to Friday, June 6 from 9am to 11am at Tawasentha Park.  The course can advance your Pickleball game from beginner to an advanced beginner/intermediate player, and also learn the basic skills and rules of the sport.   Paddles, if needed, and balls will be provided.  

Please remember that, in all Town parks and open spaces, dogs must be on a leash at all times.  Your dog may be very friendly, but hikers and park patrons do not know that and the presence of an unleashed dog can be disconcerting.   The exceptions to this rule are the Town’s two dog parks at Nott Road Park and behind EMS Station 1 in Westmere.   

Please remember that Highway crews only pick up lawn bags and tied brush and will not vacuum leaves until fall.   Leaf piles should be bagged.  The Highway Department has also completed its sweeping of sidewalks and is now sweeping streets and cleaning out stormwater drains.    Highway crews are now edging the sidewalks, an important step in mowing grass and keeping the sidewalks unobstructed.     

The Town’s Senior Services Department’s April newsletter has information about classes and seminars, book discussions, tax preparation assistance, trips, medical and shopping transportation, next month’s book discussion, legal aide, monthly meal calendar, games, and much more.  

On Wednesdays from 11am to 12:30pm, the Guilderland Public Library is the home for Senior Connects!, where seniors can have a friendly chat on a wide-range of interesting topics.  On next Wednesday, May 7, Town Arborist Tim Downey will talk about the harm caused by invasive tree species, and an overview of possible tree selection.   Other topics include home downsizing, senior resources, hobbies, books, movies, favorite day trips, and local events.   No registration is required for this free event. 

The Town is accepting letters of interest and resumes from candidates for Police Officer, Telecommunicator/911 Dispatcher, and Laborer positions in the Highway, Parks and Water Departments. 

Community Events & Resources

On next Tuesday, May 6 at 6:15pm at the Library, the Guilderland Historical Society and the Town's American Revolution 250th Anniversary Committee are having its inaugural meeting for a new book club featuring the books about the Revolution.  This series will start with Rick Atkinson's award-wining book The British Are Coming.   Registration for this special event is open through Monday, May 6, 2025 at Noon.

On this Saturday from 8am to 2pm, the Guilderland Central School District is sponsoring the Guilderland Recycling Extravaganza in Farnsworth Middle School’s front parking lot, when you drop off sneakers, bikes, cardboard, plastics, clothing, electronics (but not TVs), cell phones, and gently used instruments.  Please take a look at the list of acceptable and unacceptable donations, and vendor details.  

Community Caregivers’ weekly Lunchtime Chats includes Lending a Helping Hand: Elevate your Impact!, tomorrow at 1pm, and Celebrating Earth Day: A Tribute to Our Planet, next Wednesday, April 30 at 1pm.  You can easily join and listen in on these one-hour chats by calling (518) 992-6661.   You can help with Community Caregivers in fulfilling its mission by volunteering your time and/or making donations.  

DEC announced an environmental investigation study at the Master Cleaners site at 2312 and 2314 Western Avenue under the State's Brownfield Cleanup Program.  DEC and DOH will oversee the investigation which will determine the nature and extent of contamination in soil, soil vapor, groundwater and any other parts of the environment that may be affected.  DEC noted that prior investigations determined that chlorinated solvent contamination exists at the site, and that Tetrachloroethene and its byproducts are present in the site’s subsurface.  DEC will review the investigative report and a proposed cleanup plan, with the goal of ensuring the protection of public health and the environment. DEC will present the proposed cleanup plan to the public for its review and comment during a 45-day comment period.

DEC is looking for volunteers to help in its study of the American eel which are born in the Atlantic Ocean and enters North American estuaries, including the Hudson River, as tiny transparent "glass eels" each spring.  The American eel also reaches the Watervliet Reservoir, and how the eels can safely navigate through the City of Watervliet’s hydroelectric plant was extensively studied by DEC and US Fish & Wildlife during the federal relicensing of the plant.  Volunteers can check specialized nets for "glass eels," as they enter freshwater after travelling from more than 1,000 miles away in the Atlantic Ocean. Eels are counted, weighed, and released upstream, and environmental conditions are recorded.  Sample sites include streams from New York City to near Albany, and all gear is provided.   If you are interested in participating, please email eelproject@dec.ny.gov and include where you live and a little bit about yourself, so DEC can match you with the best nearby site.  For more information, visit DEC’s Hudson River Eel Project page.

Thank you for taking the time to read this newsletter.  

Peter G. Barber

Town Supervisor