Discover Village of Colonie
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n DISCOVER VILLAGE OF COLONIE
Home pride This month’s edition from our Discover series shines a spotlight on the Village of Colonie, which is already celebrating a special birthday in 2021
8 COLONIE SPOTLIGHT | May 12 - 18, 2021
Discover Village of Colonie
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Housing
Residents
$260,000 7,618
Estimated village population as of 2019.
is the median asking price for an average home in Colonie, according to Realtor.com as of last month.
42.9
Is the average age of a resident.
Education $88,281
The median household income.
The percentage of residents who have attained a high school education or higher.
90.9%
Colonie
VILLAGE OF
by the numbers
Neighbors Helping Neighbors Celebrating
Best Wishes
100 YEARS
for the
Centennial Celebration
With You!
of
The Village of Colonie and for the Next 100 Years!
1965 Central Avenue Colonie, NY 12205
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Paid for by Peter Crummey for Colonie Town Supervisor
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Peter Crummey
Midway Fire Department 518-869-6191
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What is a village without a seal? Colonie went nearly 70 years before one resident created one
S
ince 1921, the Village of Colonie conducted without an official seal. Instead, the unofficial seal for its Department of Public Works was used. In 1994, nearly 70 years after the village was incorporated, Bob Rogowicz launched an idea. The recreation director at the time ran a contest to create an official Village of Colonie seal. Dottie Carroll, a 50year village resident and member of the village’s senior center, designed the seal. She submitted her creation as part of a contest in 1994. The Village Board picked her design, saying at the time that it
“best represented the safety, recreation, conservation and public service that all added to the quality of life in the Village of Colonie.” In 2019, in preparation of the centennial celebration, the mayor and Board of Trustees began a contest to create the official Village of Colonie Centennial Celebration Seal. Ryan Appleton, a South Colonie High School student, created the winning design. The mayor and board were impressed with his “clean design, attention to detail and professional- ism in creating the seal. This seal will appear on all Village Centennial correspondence
and materials.” The board was so impressed with the new design, that with a few minor alterations, it has chosen it as be the new official seal of the Village of Colonie.
Dottie Carroll’s winning design adopts some of the many aspects of village life to which residents can be proud — including Village Hall, its parks, sports and fire department. Jim Franco / Spotlight Newspapers
HAPPY 100TH BIRTHDAY to the VILLAGE OF COLONIE We recognize and honor the leaders, staff and residents of the Village of Colonie. Our sincerest best wishes as you celebrate your 100th Anniversary. Your friends and neighbors at: 2020 Central Avenue Albany, NY
(518) 869-1005
www.cannonfuneral.com John Cannon
Glenn Ward 114758_4
10 COLONIE SPOTLIGHT | May 12 - 18, 2021
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Happy 100 years, Colonie Residents celebrate a momentous milestone for its village — one full of immense growth
By JIM FRANCO francoj@spotlightnews.com
T
he Village of Colonie is 100. There was a whole slate of events lined up for this summer and fall to help the village celebrate its centennial but, like everything, COVID-19 threw a wrench into those plans so instead the village will celebrate 100+1 next summer. “We have been working on this for a quite a while Jim Franco / Spotlight Newspapers now but because of the
Colonie, the village, was incorporated a century ago on March 2, 1921.
pandemic we were worried about people getting together and the safety of large groups and how willing people would be to get together so we decided to move it forward a year,” said Mayor Tom Tobin previously of a large group of volunteers and village staffers. “This has given us more time to work on things, and we are hoping it will be better than we initially thought.” To commemorate its centennial, town officials are looking for any and all photos or stories or
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Best wishes from the Colonie Democratic Slate: Kelly Mateja • Jessica Mahar • Melissa Jeffers Alvin Gamble • David Green • Rebekah Kennedy Daniel Hurteau • Galen Heins • Leroy Robinson www.kellyforcolonie.com Paid for by the Friends of Kelly Mateja 114764_4
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memories people have of the village. Tobin, who is interested family genealogy and who participated in shepherding much of the growth when he became a member of the Planning Board in 1998, said he is happy with but not surprised by the support of village staffer and residents. “If you don’t look at how it was, and how it is today you can’t appreciate it,” he said. “We are just trying to give everyone today a look at what the past was and a glimpse of what could happen in the future if we continue on the same road.” On March 2, 1921, Charles Collins borrowed $500 to defray legal costs, announced the creation of the Office of Police Justice and set a tax rate of $3 per $1,000 to support a whopping $1,285 budget. The Village of Colonie was officially and duly incorporated in the eyes of
the state. Today, the 3.3-squaremile village, located in the heart of the Capital District, has grown to more than 7,600 residents, more than 3,200 homeowners and businesses and a budget of more than $7 million. Central Avenue bisects the village from the east side of Route 155 to the west side of Wolf Road, for better because of tax revenue generated from the car dealers and other businesses, or worse, because of the traffic. It was known as the King’s Highway until about 1799 when it became the Albany-Schenectady Turnpike. When it became Central Avenue is not known, but it has always been a major thoroughfare and in the 1920s the village took advantage of the traffic by setting speed traps at
A war memorial honors the men and women who served in the armed forces to protect our country. Jim Franco / Spotlight Newspapers
Continues next page
Happy Centennial Birthday From Shaker Run Apartments! Shaker Run, is nestled on thirty acres between Albany and the Village of Colonie in the South Colonie School District. The complex is conveniently close to a bus route, all area shopping malls, restaurants, hospitals and professional buildings
Office Hours: Monday — Friday, 8:30 AM — 5:00 PM
900 Shaker Run, Albany, NY 12205 | 518-452-3044 | shakerrun@rosettiproperties.com
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From page 11 ...
Happy 100 years, Colonie it boundaries on either end and raised more than $20,000, according to a historical account on the village’s website. The 1930s saw the Fire Department incorporated the village budget grew to $16,000. A decade later, the village got water — purchased for all residents from the Latham Water district — Lincoln Avenue was paved and the Zoning Commission was created to “protect the village from undesirable buildings” according to the website. By the 50s the village budget was nearly six figures. Politics over the last few years has been relatively quiet but in 1960 there was a tie in the race for a seat on the Board of Trustees The Frank A. Leak Amphiteater for the Arts is named after the former Colonie mayor who was first elected in 1995. between Edward Mahoney Jim Franco / Spotlight Newspapers and William Cook. Like
most things in the village — yesterday and today — it was decided quickly and efficiently, in this instance by a draw of cards. Mahoney drew an eight of diamonds and Cook upped him with a jack and went on to become the village’s ninth mayor, serving from 1961 to 1971. In the 60s and 70s, the Planning Commission was created, the land now home to one of the best open spaces in the Capital District, Cook Park, was purchased and a new Village Hall was dedicated. A ladder truck was purchased to help protect the blossoming buildings along Wolf Road and a sanitary sewer system was introduced. Mayor Frank Leak was elected in 1995 and
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in his 24 years, the village expanded in every way — services were expanded for youth and seniors businesses sprouted along Central Avenue adding to the tax base. Throughout it all, the village in the middle of the Capital District with Central Avenue and Wolf Road within its borders still feels like a village. Everyone knows everyone in one of the most active Senior Centers in the area, the Boy Scouts lay wreaths on Memorial Day and The Fire Department still loads up Santa and the Easter Bunny to visit the children. In 2022 there are five major events scheduled so far to celebrate 100+1: • May: All village facilities — Village Hall, the Fire Department, the Family Recreation Center, Senior Center and the Department of Public Works — will host open houses that will include
tours of the facilities and Village Hall will feature memorabilia of the past 100 years. • July: A picnic at Cook Park similar to the annual Family Fun Day but with more food, more entertainment and more fun stuff. • August: The Mayor’s Cup 5K and Fun Run and Walk will take place at Cook Park • September: A parade will march down Central Avenue, down Lincoln Avenue to a finale at Cook Park • October: The 100+1 celebration will culminate with a birthday dinner celebration with a Roaring 20s theme.
A line of white picket fences directs visitors to a gazebo at Cook Park. Jim Franco / Spotlight Newspapers
Congratulations to the Village of Colonie
100
OU R Y N O
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