COMPLIMENTARY Issue XCIX
g our 40th Year! Celebratin SO CLOSE IT’S LIKE HAVING YOUR OWN
300 SARATOGA ROAD
(next to Market 32 by Price Chopper)
518-399-WINE (9463)
MON to SAT 9 – 9 • SUN 12 – 6 CHECK US OUT ON FACEBOOK AT:
official personal wine cellar Celebrate the Season
Champagne, Eggnog! , Specials... and more! Plus last minute gift ideas!
MILITARY & VETERANS receive 10% discount on all items purchased SENIORS save 10% on all wine purchases
15% OFF
(SORRY... INDIVIDUAL DISCOUNT OFFERS CANNOT BE COMBINED)
Country, Primitive & Transitional
Quality Furniture • Made in the USA
DECEMBER SALE To show our appreciation to our customers... we will deduct the amount equal to the sales tax from all purchases!
yht1217
SUPER$AVER ANY WINE PURCHASE WITH THIS
COUPON
RS)
ER DISCOUNT OFFE (CANNOT BE COMBINED WITH OTH
Happy Holidays from our Family to Yours! Call the store or check Facebook for special Holiday Hours & Tasting Schedule
CURBSIDE SERVICE
AVAILABLE EVERYDAY
Call ahead to place your or
der
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Featuring Hallagan Fine Upholstered Furniture, Zimmerman Chair Handcrafted Wood and Classic Amish Furnishings. At Kugler’s Red Barn, livable style and lasting quality come together to make furniture Celebrating our 40th Year! built for life.
Tues, Wed, Fri, Sat 10am-5pm • Thurs. 10am-8pm • Sun 12pm-5pm 425 Consaul Road, Schenectady • 518-370-2468 www.kuglersredbarn.com yourhometowne@gmail.com
free waxing
color special
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With this coupon. Not valid with other offers. Offer expires 01-10-18.
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HAIR STUDIO ONE
HAIR STUDIO ONE
men’s cuts
tanning special
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Girfdt Ca
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open 7 days a week walk-in service senior discounts everyday
10 visits
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With this coupon. Not valid with other offers. Offer expires 01-10-18.
With this coupon. Not valid with other offers. Offer expires 01-10-18.
women’s cuts express facial
1995 $10 off
$
(shampoo and blow dry included)
(w/ purchase of any color service)
HAIR STUDIO ONE
HAIR STUDIO ONE
With this coupon. Not valid with other offers. Offer expires 01-10-18.
With this coupon. Not valid with other offers. Offer expires 01-10-18.
357-8676
10 Glenridge Road • Target Plaza • Glenville
www.hsosalons.com
POWER
Great Gifts for the Handyperson in your life! Hedge Trimmer With 18” Blade HS 45
$
299
Air Blower BG 50 $
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FS40C-E Designed for homeowner use, the HS 45 is available with 18” or 24” dual-reciprocating, double-sided blades with integrated cutter guard. Quad Power ™ engine adds power without adding weight. Standard features include a heavy-duty gearbox and a large front handle for multi-position cutting.
Chainsaw MS 170
$
17995
30.1 cc 184 ci
Includes many of the same excellent design features as our professional models, including STIHL Quickstop® inertia chain brake, Master Control Lever™, anti-vibration system, easy-off filter cover view-through oil and gas tanks.
yourhometowne@gmail.com
Low-cost, homeowner trimmer. Lightweight with fast-cutting double-line AUTOCUT® head and easy-to-service filter. Primer bulb and start throttle lock provide fast, easy starts.
$
15995
13995
Makes cleanup work a little easier. Primer bulb and throttle lock ensure fast starts. Two-stage air filter is easy to remove and replace. Optional vac attachment available. Optional gutter kit available.
ALL SEASONS EQUIPMENT INC.
Hours: Mon, Tues, Wed, Fri 8:00-6:00 Thurs 8:00-7:00, Sat 8:00-3:00
(518) 372-5611
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Thank you for over 46 years of business in our community!
From,
The Morris Auto Group
KITCHEN & BATHROOM SPECIALIST
OVER 25 YEARS EXPERIENCE...COUNTLESS REFERENCES...
Before
After
Merry Christmas & Happy New Year from all of us at Jade Enterprises! Call us today and make your dream kitchen or bath a reality in the New Year! Don’t Custom Replace...
Kitchens
Reface!
CUSTOM CABINETRY, CABINET REFACING, COUNTERTOPS, (LAMINATE, GRANITE, QUARTZ), CUSTOM BATHROOMS, FLOORING, TILE WORK, AND MORE! Rick Miller 4
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New Showroom located at
4227 State Hwy 30, Amsterdam, NY
Call Today (518) 527-5568
FREE Estimates Fully insured yourhometowne@gmail.com
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Any Color Service
($50 minimum) Not Valid With Any Other Promotions. Full Service Only With This Coupon. One Coupon Per Person Glenville Salon Only • Expires 1/10/18
LOOKS GOOD ON YOU
GLENVILLE • 272 Saratoga Road • 518-399-1341 www.fantasticsams.com • Open 7 Days A Week Mon-Fri 9-8, Sun 10-3
Most salons independently owned and operated.
©2017 Fantastic Sams Franchise Corporation
www.FantasticSams.com
Holidays Home-days
We have something special f every occa on! Custom Baskets Created by Carrie
We offer a full selection of Liquors, Aperitifs and Wines for all occasions!
Carrie Peek, Owner/ Operator
(518) 982-1735
$
5 off
Purchase of $50.00 or more
Expires 12/31/17 Can not be combined with other offers.
123 Saratoga Road (Socha Plaza) Scotia, New York 12302 yourhometowne@gmail.com
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Open till Dec 24th Open 7 Days a Week • 7:30am-5:00pm
399-8359 • LakesideFarmsCiderMill.com • 336 Schauber Rd • Ballston Lake • 399-2198
“At Christmas, all roads lead home.”
~Marjorie Holmes
ARIENS SNOW BLOWERS
Unparalleled performance. Built right. Engineered for durability and reliable results. We have a few 2017 leftovers, when they’re gone, they’re gone Mon, Tue, Wed & Fri 8-6 Thu 8-7, Sat 8-3 Sun Closed 6
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Every meal is prepared to order and served with
Joyous holiday wishes to you and your family … Amy Aldrich, Agent 123 Saratoga Road Glenville, NY 12302 Bus: 518-384-2692 www.amyaldrichagency.com
1101450.1
Southern Hospitality
from your good neighbor. May all your wishes come true this wondrous season. Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there.® CALL ME TODAY.
State Farm, Home Office, Bloomington, IL
Some of our specialties: Memphis Style Ribs or Shrimp Lobster Mac & Cheese • Dirty Dozen best wings in the area! Tuesdays Kids Eat FREE, Kids eat free w/ adult meal Wednesdays Trivia Thursday Nights Live Entertainment Fridays and Saturdays Prime Rib till it’s gone! Sundays NFL PACKAGE Every Night Beer Specials Shop Rite Plaza (off 146 -Balltown Rd)
2305 Nott St., E. Niskayuna 12309 • (518) 374-7455
furniture
Family owned for 81years
www.PattersonvilleFurniture.net 1664 Main St.•Pattersonville, NY 518.887.2741
In Stock Orders Delivered by the Holidays!
FREE Delivery & Removal
Fine Handcrafted Furniture from Hallagan and Hardan, manufactured in New York State Caperton (Tom Seely), Daniel’s Amish, Leathercraft, Lyndon, Simmons Beauty Rest, and more
$
200
OFF
Purchase of Sofa with Chair
(Not to be combined with other offers or specials. Expires Jan 31, 2018)
OPEN Daily: 10am-5pm • Thu & Fri til 9pm • Closed Sun yourhometowne@gmail.com
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CHARLTON
8
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SEPTIC SERVICE
yourhometowne@gmail.com
Best Mexican, Southwestern & Cajun this side of the border!
Smoked Brisket Fresh off our Smoker!
Proper insulation can save you up to 30% on energy costs to heat your home. Insulate Naturally With Cellulose Insulation!
Watch your favorite game! 11 big screen TVs for all you sports fans!
Fully Insured 55% Repeat & Referral Business Own Team Of Installers
518-384-7362 761 Rte. 50 Burnt Hills - www.RMPenaWindows.com
Dead Ahead
1st Friday of every month Book your
Join us for Happy Hour 4pm -7pm Mon – Fri • Buy 1- get 1 half price
Taco Tuesday $2 Tacos Wednesday Trivia 7pm-9pm Thursday Yuengs & Wings $2.50 pint Yuengling 50¢ Wings
Make Shoppingngry? you Hu e care We’ll tak u! of yo
with us!
29 Beers on Draft lines! We have the best SIZZLING HAND CUT STEAKS, FAJITAS, PEEL N’ EAT SHRIMP and FRESH SALADS Open Mon-Sat 3pm -close, Sun Noon - close
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Lou Mosher, Owner, Commercial Sales • Bill Gutowski, Residential Sales
403 West Main Street, Amsterdam, NY 12010 • (518) 842-7370 or (800) 842-7370 yourhometowne@gmail.com
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A message from The first fall of snow is not only an event, it is a magical event. You go to bed in one kind of a world and wake up in another quite different, and if this is not enchantment, where is it to be found? ~J.B. Priestley
The first few flakes of snow are yet to come as I write this month’s column. I’m looking forward to the peacefulness of the first big snow. The precious moments of silence and peace stop our hurried lives in its tracks. Even while the storm swirls all around, gusting and blowing, those of us who have lived here our entire lives know that the fury of the storm will be followed by gentleness. When the world is covered in white, sharp edges are layered in softness; colors are muted. We look out the window with fresh eyes. The earth has been cleaned, it’s time to make some fresh tracks! “. . .there’s just something beautiful about walking on snow that nobody else has walked on. It makes you believe you’re special, even though you know you’re not.” -Carol Rifka Brunt I love to go out before the plows have begun their noisy scraping and clearing of streets; before the snow blowers start to rev up. I am drawn, as always, to the parks, to nature. A walk with my girlfriend Kris on our local trails always lifts my spirits and brings me back to center. We laugh and breath in the fresh air, forgetting about responsibilities and focus on what is good in life. At night Ken and I bring the Boyz out for their romp down the street. Sniffing as deep as their noses will go, they never tire of tracking down the rabbits that have made their way back to their dens. Always hopeful for a glimpse of a renegade Hare, they are on full alert; tails wagging, excited at every movement, be it a blowing leaf or that illusive Hare, they really don’t care. It is a brand-new world of sniffs once the snow falls. “Kindness is like snow, it beautifies everything it covers” ~Kahlal Gibra
world turned white and silent. A good blizzard also is a reminder of the limits of human activity. We slow down and wait for the person behind us, making sure they don’t slip and fall. We stop and help motorist who are stuck in the snow. Most of us carry jumper cables, gloves and boots in our vehicles “just in case”. Thoughtfulness seems to be carried upon a snowflake here in our frozen world. We know it can be delightful, we also know it can be dangerous; that is why we take the time to help strangers. We take immense pleasure in knowing we sent someone home to a safe warm place, that they are safe with their loved ones because we cared. “Snowflakes are one of natures most fragile things, yet look what it can do when it sticks together” ~Vista M. Kelly I believe snow is a gift from nature to remind us of the power of togetherness. While we may balk about the cold as our snowbird friends have escaped to the south, you will never convince me that they aren’t just a little bit jealous when our first snow comes, and they are not here to play in it. There is nothing more fulfilling than building a snowman with a child. The look of wonderment on their faces as you sculpt your own snow person, scrounging for the best sticks to use as arms, the best black objects to create eyes, the funniest nose you can find. All those snowflakes packed together, creating a strong snowman who will withstand the cold, guard your yard and create ever lasting memories for you and those who get to share it with you. “The snow doesn’t give a soft white damn Whom it touches.” -E.E. Cummings Which to me is a challenge; I will touch it back! Peace,
Something about a good storm makes people kinder. Infinity and eternity are easy to contemplate in a 10
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The Tiny Snowflake
In a small town lived a little girl waiting each winter for the first snowflake. One day her mother would show Patricia how all the snowflakes could turn into snowmen. Each winter many snowmen were made and dressed in very creative outfits. Patricia never outgrew her love for snowmen. Wherever she traveled, new snowmen would join her collection. When she retired she was a widow, a mother of one son, a grandson and a great-granddaughter - her collection became in the hundreds. Halloween tucked away, out came the snowmen. The kitchen, living room, curtains and shower curtains were all decorated. Snowmen large and small filled the house with warmth. Patricia would invite family, friends and many others, “Come see my snowmen. Come have cookies and hot chocolate.” In February, each snowman was wrapped carefully and put to bed. At 85 Patricia realized she might not have the strength to say hello to her entire collection. Her nephew Joseph was selected to be the next caregiver. On Patricia’s 86th birthday, she had a stroke and was not able to say good-bye to her 810 snowmen. Traveling to the country, Joseph and Jeannette opened their all season room welcoming the snowmen. Today you will find them in a beautiful setting over looking the valley - all 810. Patricia left us on October 10, 2017. Whenever you are out catching snowflakes, remember Patricia and her love for the splendor of our New York winters.
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“As the Twig is Bent, So Grows the Tree” ~Ralph Waldo Emerson This is a phrase that is read on a poster or heard spoken in many chiropractic offices. We have used this example in nature to describe to parents what can (and probably will) happen to their children’s posture if a spinal distortion in childhood is not addressed as they grow. Many children have benefited from the care they have received as a result of chiropractors telling their practice members these words. At the very least, the quality of these kids’ lives has been improved, and this is a crucial understanding for all parents to gain. But when Emerson first wrote these words, he was actually referring to how a child sees the world. He knew that the thoughts, beliefs and attitudes we develop in childhood determine in large part how we will see the world and respond to it as adults. We chiropractors see that children who believe that a drug, remedy, surgery or any other kind of treatment from the outside is necessary for them to heal, will continually look outside themselves for help, and they will live in a world where they are constantly trying to eliminate or prevent something they don’t want in their lives. This may not seem like a bad thing. But, if all our time is spent working on getting rid of what we don’t want, we have very little time or energy left to give to creating what we do want! But, this is just the tip of the iceberg as far as the kind of thinking that develops in individuals who are brought up in the medical mindset. Not only do they think this way as far as their health, they also learn to see themselves as imperfect at EVERY level! Since we all learn at a very early age to identify ourselves with our bodies, being told how imperfect our bodies are on a regular basis (i.e., you need these shots, this medicine, this operation, etc.) causes many of us to develop and carry over these attitudes into every aspect of our lives. In contrast, kids raised in the chiropractic mindset grow up understanding that we all have within us a mighty force called “Innate Intelligence” that runs, regulates, heals and grows our bodies. They
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are taught that we have perfection within us just waiting to be fully expressed! These kids grow up believing that we all have a vital purpose. And, more importantly, we have everything we need already inside of us to actualize that purpose! There is yet another aspect of chiropractic that is of supreme importance in understanding what Emerson was saying. We perceive and interpret everything we encounter as a result of impulses we receive through our nerve systems. If we lose the CONNECTION between our brain and our body, we go into what is called “survival mode” and we can no longer receive or interpret the information from our senses in a way that is most useful to us. In other words, our view of the world and how we fit into it will be distorted! The problem is not how much of our connection we lose; ANY loss of connection has the effect of distorting our view of the world! Understanding this is critical! This means that even if children are brought up with empowering belief systems, they may not be able to gain the desired lessons and therefore will not benefit the way someone with a fully functioning nerve system will. And, the same loss of nerve connection that causes a child to grow up with a distorted view of the world will cause an adult to misinterpret the world too! Will this affect your performance at work? Can you be the parent you want to be and teach the lessons you want your children to learn if you aren’t at 100% yourself? So I ask you, how important is it for everyone to maintain the function of their spine? The way I see it, without chiropractic care and a fully functioning nerve system, the world will end up with an awful lot of crooked trees! Dr. Donovan is accepting new patients! 353 Saratoga Rd. Glenville, NY 12302 399-3810 www.thriveglenville.com
yourhometowne@gmail.com
Oh My... Poor Grandma
I in my kerchief and he in his cap just settled in for a long winters nap A small knock on the door as small as a mouse My eyes got big as she walked into the house. She had hoof prints on her forehead and Clause marks on her back
G NOW ACCEPRTIN WINTE TS CONSIGNMEN t en tm in po By Ap
Beautiful Fur Coats!
Jewelry - Shoes - Handbags
What was this, some kind of crazy attack I asked what happened and this is what she said... “I had too much eggnog at the home you see called an UBER and here I be” She told us more of the man in the suit a big belly laugh and a big buckle on his boot A shiny red nose that lit up the night Boy, what story to tell as they drove out of sight She brushed off the snow and heard a faint call Merry Christmas, Merry Christmas, Merry Christmas to ALL They say there’s no such thing as Santa, this I do not believe It’s in the hearts of all of us especially Christmas eve.
As always, I wish you peace, joy and A Holly Jolly Christmas (p.s. NO grandma’s were hurt during the writing of this column) Pattie Rakvica is a Nutritional Therapist at rakvicahealth@gmail.com
“Christmas will always be as long as we stand heart to heart and hand in hand.” ~Dr. Seuss
yourhometowne@gmail.com
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Join us for Customer Appreciation day
on wednesday t a s t c u d These prorices make Dec 13 P w o L w Than Ne rt! o k you p p for your business and su
! s t f i G t a e r G
Grey Goose Vodka 1.75L Special $49.99 AWESOME!
Jameson Whiskey Trilogy Irish Whiskey, Caskmates and Black Barrel 1 each of 200ml $39.99
Jim Beam Bourbon Special 750ml $16.99 1.0L $19.99 Rebates Available!
Wine will be 15% OFF on 750ml or larger and liquor will be $2 OFF on 1.0L or larger and $1.50 OFF 750ml all day! Pete will be here 4-7pm to taste Terrazas Reserve Malbec and Reserve Cabernet, Belvedere Unfiltered Vodka, Johnnie Walker Wine Cask Scotch And More. We will have a cheese platter. Clearance items are excluded from discounts!
Johnnie Walker Wine Cask Finish Scotch 750ml $28.99
VDKA 6100 Vodka Special 750ml $21.49 Beringer 1.0L $25.49 White Zinfandel $15 OFF and White Merlot Rebates 1.5L Special Availavvble! $9.99
Join us... for a tasting on Friday Dec. 15th from 4-7pm
Absolut Vodka 1.75L Special $29.99 WOW!
New
We are not responsible for cancelations or changes.
A representative will be here to taste Hellboy Cinnamon Whiskey, Silver Peak Cabernet, Pinot Noir and more!
Johnnie Walker 4 Pack: Black, Bombay Gold Reserve, Sapphire Gin Platinum and Blue 1.75L Special 200ml of each $38.99 Special $99.99
Old Smuggler Scotch 1.75L Special $19.99
2 Gingers Irish Whiskey 1.0L Special $19.99
Greg Norman Shark Red Special 750ml $9.99
PepperJack Barossa Red 750ml Special $14.99 A Nice Dry Blended Wine highly recommended!
v Advent Calendar Bourbons $43.99 Contains 24 50mls for each day of Advent
A representative will be here to taste Jim Beam Apple, Honey, Vanilla and Double Oak Bourbons!
Era Prosecco 750ml Special $13.29 Great for the Holidays!
Santero Mango, Peach and Strawberry flavored Moscato Sparkling Wines 750ml $9.99 Great for the Holidays!
We are open Christmas Eve 12-6pm and New Year’s Eve 12-7pm. Closed Christmas Day and New Year’s Day! We have gift sets, complimentary gift bags and a lot more selections and specials for your Holiday needs! MON-SAT 9:30am-9pm • SUN 12-5
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443 Saratoga Rd • Point Plaza 399-1405 yourhometowne@gmail.com | 518.265.1105
• Vitamins • Supplements • Cosmetics • Dried Fruit • Gluten Free •
Ha ppy Ho li days! f r o m. . .
...Your Local Healthfood Store
Unique Gifts and Local Products
Handmade Brooms Hand Knit Hats Local Jelly, Honey, Skin Care Products Diffusers and Essential Oils Build a basket of healthy goodies and wonderful smells! 585 Saratoga Rd. Glenville, NY 12302 (518) 399-2742 Mon-Fri 10am to 6pm • Saturday 10am to 5pm
• Vitamins • Supplements • Cosmetics • Dried Fruit • Gluten Free •
Nuts • Seeds • Spices • Grains • Protein Powders
Nuts • Seeds • Spices • Grains •Protein Powders
Full Service Restaurant & Bar
824 Saratoga Rd. • Rt. 50 Burnt Hills
384-1997/384-1794 LUNCH • DINNER• COCKTAILS • KIDS MENU OPEN 7 DAYS Mon-Tues 4-10•Wed-Sun 11-10
Dine In or Take Out
Plush Hair Studio
We will pamper you from head to toe! December Color Special Root touch up Highlights $85 and cut $70 (half head)
Together $120 With Bre or Amanda only
Eyelash Extension Special Full set $95
Visit our Gift Boutique for Stocking Stuffers
Also offering
Full Body Waxing • Full Service Nails Pedicure • Hair Extensions • Updos • Makeup
126 Saratoga Rd (Upstairs, Elevator accessible) Glenville 12302 • (518) 280-3167
Have a Healthy and
Happy Holiday Season!
Fresh
Cool off
with a Tsingtao Beer or Mixed Cocktail!
3
$ 00 Purchase of
OFF $20 or More
824 Saratoga Rd. Rt. 50 Burnt Hills
One Coupon Per Visit. Cannot be combined with any other offers Expires Dec 31, 2017
yourhometowne@gmail.com
Made to Order Entrées
MSG & Gluten Free Menu Available & Healthy Entrees
Orange Flavored Chicken Seafood Delight Dragon and Phoenix Walnut Shrimp Duck w/ Szechuan Sauce Singapore Chow Mein Fun
Gifts for all your furry friends and nature lovers
• BIRDFEEDERS •HORSE ITEMS • BIRDSEED & SUET
Toys, Treats, Warm Coats, Gifts for your Furry Friends! 518.399.1592
We Carry a Complete Line of Pet Supplies 730 Saratoga Rd.•Burnt Hills, NY 12027• countryacresfnp.com Yo u r H o m e t o w n e | X C I X 2 0 1 7
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Holiday Hunger Appeal
Now through - December 24 at 11:55 pm Event Navigation The Holiday Hunger Appeal is the Food Bank’s largest and most public fundraising event. This appeal runs from mid-November to Christmas Eve. A Holiday Hunger Appeal display is set up at Crossgates Mall where volunteers ask shoppers to make a donation to the Food Bank and hang ornaments on the holiday tree.
“One of the most glorious messes in the world is the mess created in the living room on Christmas Day. Don’t clean it up too quickly.”
~Andy Rooney
Many businesses and organizations serve as Matching Day Sponsors, matching collections in the mall on designated days and providing all or some of the day’s volunteers. Other groups take up collections or participate in special activities (such as the Ornament Pin-Up Program) to raise funds and donate the proceeds to the Appeal. A special Holiday Hunger Appeal mailing also produces contributions. For more information on the Holiday Hunger Appeal or to sign up to volunteer at Crossgates, please contact: Sarah LaBella 518-786-3691 sarahl@regionalfoodbank.net
Gary Fountain 518-399-6102
518-382-0054 16
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“Christmas Oratorio” With the holidays right around the corner, many people’s mind tends to go straight to the idea of “The Nutcracker”. Many local productions are performed each year, some of which my own students partake in. The classic sounds of this Tchaikovsky piece can be hear all over and visions of sugarplums fairies dance in children’s heads. There is also another, somewhat lost, holiday treat celebrating the holiday season as well. No history of modern dance would be complete without homage to Charles Weidman (1901-1975), whose career spanned more than half a century. He was a pioneer in the field, working first with the Denishawn Company, founded by Ruth St. Denis and Ted Shawn before forming his own company with Doris Humphrey. Throughout his life Weidman’s work reflected the human drama: its strength, weakness and humor. In addition to his choreography, Weidman touched the lives and work of many well-known artists in the field of dance including Jose Limon, Alvin Ailey and Bob Fosse. Many people are unaware of Weidman’s “Christmas Oratorio”, which was first performed in 1961. He chose the music of J.S. Bach to retell the ancient story of Christmas. As the story unfolds his choreography focuses on joy, wonder, compassion and understanding. In the opening, a back curtain is lit like vaulted stained-glass windows. Long-skirted dancers in blue are soon joined by others in red. They swirl like angels hovering above the earth, trumpeting
Christ’s coming by wheeling their arms upwards and pressing their chests to the sky. With skirts billowing and the voices of the choir rising, the room is filled with a happy anticipation. With this tone set, the work moves onto Joseph and Mary traveling to Bethlehem and their being turned away at the inns. While the story is the heart of the “Christmas Oratorio,” it is the uplifting dancing from the host of angels that makes the piece memorable. A buoyant gleeful protector of Mary and Joseph and guides the couple and the shepherds with a sweet assurance and enthusiasm that is comforting. Since his death in 1975 interest in Weidman’s work has grown. I actually had the pleasure of dancing in the piece several years ago with Nacre Dance Company in Saratoga. It was a wonderful treat to be apart of, and not to be lost! Be sure to explore non-traditional avenues of dance this holiday season for you and your child. Learn different cultural holiday dances, try a new style as a New Years resolution or simply get lost watching dance on YouTube!
Modern Dance with Ginny Martin and Dana Yager, LLC call (518)982-1763 for questions or to enroll. email at dana.wojcik@gmail.com • www.danayagerdance.com
518-399-6325
518-372-2896 yourhometowne@gmail.com
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Crossword
Answers on page 23 18
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Sight is a Precious Gift Think about all the things you’re doing today. How many of those things are dependent on your eyesight? We often take our ability to see for granted. Over 100 million lightreceptive cells in our eyes work together to give us images of the world around us. Our eyesight is second only to our brain function in terms of complexity. Although modern science has found ways to transplant hearts, kidneys, and skin, we can’t yet transplant eyes. The optic nerve is just too sensitive and complex to reconstruct. There is a common misconception that if a person sees well, their eyes must be healthy. In fact, many serious, sight-threatening eye diseases, such as glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, macular degeneration and retinal detachment may actually have no early warning symptoms. Fortunately, optometrists have the skills to detect many of these eye conditions in their early stages. Protect your eye health with regular eye exams. We appreciate that you allow us to be your lifelong partner in doing that. We are grateful for the honor and opportunity to serve you, your family, and you neighbors and friends. Imagine if you could help a child read, an adult succeed in his job, a senior maintain her independence. In just about any dresser drawer, one can find a pair of eyeglasses that are no longer being used. That same pair of eyeglasses can change another person’s life. If you have used eyeglasses you no longer need, you can donate them now. For the month of December when you donate a pair of old glasses to the Lions club through our office, we will give you a $25 voucher towards the purchase of a new pair*. (Lions accept prescription and reading glasses, sunglasses and plastic and metal frames. Children’s glasses are especially needed) As you go about your life today, think about how things would be different without your vision. Would you be able to do the same things? How does vision enrich your life? Make sure that you cherish your eyesight. Come in for regular eye exams and keep your prescription updated. Thank you for trusting us to take care of your vision. *(Maximum 2 vouchers per person) For more information contact Kristen Cameron, Burnt Hills Optical, 793 Rt. 50 Burnt Hills, 399-6130 or visit www.burnthillsoptical.com
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Traditional You’re Worship Service Invited! Please come worship with us at Burnt Hills Baptist Church Sundays, 10:00 a.m. 193 Kingsley Road Burnt Hills, NY 12027 518-399-5740 Burnthillsbaptistchurch.org Knowing Jesus, making Jesus known and connecting people to Jesus and one another
Visit Capitaland Motors and Share The Love with The APF
The APF has been selected by Capitaland Motors of Glenville again this year as their charity of choice in the Subaru Share the Love Sales Event. Subaru will donate $250 for each lease or purchase at Capitaland Motors between November 16, 2017 and January 2, 2018.
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TERRY S FLOORS
Where the Owner
is the Installer!
810 Saratoga Rd, Burnt Hills Plaza • terrysfloors.com • 518.399.0307
Vinyl Planking • Hardwood • Ceramic • Carpet • Laminate 0% Financing for 12 mos* (*Must be credit qualified & balance paid in 12 mos.)
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480 Balltown Road, Schenectady, N.Y. 12304
Christopher Sells A House Every 7.8 Days!* Yours Could Be Next...
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518.441.3033 518.370.3170 christopherhaddon@howardhanna.com Cell:
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*Based on ENYRMLS Data, 2016
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Authorized Dealer
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SANTA Think there’s almost a conspiracy out there to squelch your child’s belief in Santa Claus? Technology can help you fight back. For years the big guy in red has had to contend with aggressive pushback from the PC crowd who apparently wish he’d just pack up his sleigh and stay home in the North Pole. Department stores were pressured to nix their Santa stand-ins. Schools changed their calendars to say “winter holidays” instead of Christmas. And let’s not even talk about the damage done to his image by Billy Bob Thornton’s “Bad Santa” movies. Santa, being Santa, could keep right on ho-hoing when lesser immortals would’ve sicked their elves on them. But you? Clearly, just quoting pro-Santa experts like Professor Jacqueline Woolley, chair of the Psychology Department at the University of Texas at Austin, wasn’t going to cut it. “Believing in impossible beings such as Santa Claus may exercise children’s counterfactual reasoning skills,” she’s written. “The kind of thinking involved in imagining how nine reindeer could fly through the sky carrying a heavy sleigh may well be the same kind of thinking required for imagining a solution to global warming or a way to cure a disease.” Which is where a website called www.PackageFromSanta.com comes in. First started a decade ago as a pure labor of love by the husbandand-wife team of Dale and Carey Gruber operating out of their home in suburban Washington Township, Michigan, the business has grown to the point where it now includes a 21st-century app — downloadable at the iTunes and Android App Stores — that lets users worldwide personalize a phone call to their kids from none other than Santa himself. As in, say, “So! Olivia, I couldn’t be prouder of you for being such a good girl! And I’ll see you soon.” And completing the effect for tech-savvy kids: Both their own and Santa’s name and photo appear on their smartphone’s call screen (with the call shown as originating from the “North Pole Workshop”). “The reason we continue to do this is that it often seems like there’s an effort to take the joy out of Christmas,” explains Dale Gruber, who’s also a graphic artist. “Whereas we think a child’s innocent belief in Santa is something worth fostering.” The site offers three different packages at very affordable prices — all also include a letter from Santa and a personalized Santa video — and feature items like Christmas cocoa, “genuine reindeer food,” and a tin of Mrs. Claus’ Famous Sugar Cookies. In fact, so popular has PackageFromSanta.com become that celebrity fans like Sarah Palin, Bristol Palin, and reality TV star Kim Kolciak Biermann have taken to social media to sing its praises this Christmas season. Think of it as Santa’s ultimate ho-ho. Courtesy of NewsUSA
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Holiday Tips Less Stress More Fun As festive and joyous as the holidays are, preparing for the holiday season can sometimes bring on more anxiety. Here are some tips for helping you celebrate the season with a minimum of stress. from Christopher Haddon, Licensed Associate Real Estate Broker, Howard Hanna Real Estate Services
Pick one piece as the focal point, then decorate around it. In each room have one decorated focal point, whether it be the fireplace in the living room, dining table or foyer. Every inch of the room does not need to be visually overloaded. Create a theme to keep you focused and less stressed. Lastly, pull out your calendar and pick a decorating day. Put on festive music, light some holiday scented candles and actually enjoy the process. Choose one dish you do well. For dinner, prepare a dish you cook so well that it’s a sure hit with your guests. Then base everything else around that one entrée. Get creative with presentation. Take a page from trendy restaurants by serving sushi in a martini glass or dessert in wine goblets. Think ahead. What can you prepare the day before? Roasted vegetables work for any holiday and you can make them the day before. Refrigerate the vegetables overnight and warm them for five minutes the day of your dinner, she says. For drinks,select one alcoholic beverage – maybe a holiday concoction – and a wine with a water option. Host one big open house instead of lots of smaller events. Open houses are much less stressful for both hosts and guests. Keep it simple with finger foods and appetizers. Or, make it a dessert party. You can even offer sweets from the local bakery to save time. Shop online, when it’s convenient for you. Packed parking lots, long lines, crowded malls, and higher blood pressure – not necessarily what you’re hoping for during the holiday season. Instead, opt for a calmer, gentler shopping experience. Grab your slippers, a warm cup of apple cider and turn on the computer. No matter what time of day or night, online shopping is available! Select seasonal items for can’t-miss gifts. Sometimes you just don’t know what to choose from the vast array of options, and that’s when the insanity begins. First, be organized. Before you begin the hunt, sit down and make a list that includes who you’re shopping for, what you think each
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might want, their interests and hobbies and stores you know they frequent. For gifts that can’t miss, pick up fun, seasonal items that can be used during the festivities, like holiday décor. Festive candles, a set of holiday-themed guest towels or monogrammed guest soaps make great hostess gifts. Also, consider a colorful set of tumblers for serving that special eggnog recipe. Breathe Most importantly, remember to take time out to BREATHE, and enjoy the sights, smells and joy that come with this wonderful time of year! For information on this article, or if you have any real estate questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me today. Christopher Haddon • Licensed Associate Real Estate Broker Cell 518.441.3033 • christopherhaddon@howardhanna.com
Real Estate Services
**The information in this article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute a recommendation or endorsement of any kind. Information deemed reliable but not guaranteed by Howard Hanna or its agents/affiliates.
Crossword on page 18
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During Holidays, Be Extra Vigilant About Protecting Financial Data To help achieve your longterm goals, such as a comfortable retirement, you should save and invest regularly. But that’s only part of the picture. You also need to protect your financial assets in various ways. One such method is guarding your personal information – especially any information that could be linked to your financial accounts. It’s obviously important to be vigilant at any time, but you need to be even more on your toes during the holiday season, when fraudsters are particularly active. So, to help keep your important data under wraps during the
holidays, consider these suggestions: Extend your protection to all mobile devices. Identity thieves can now compromise your mobile devices by installing spyware that steals usernames, passwords and credit card information. Fortunately, you can fight back. By doing a little research online, you can find the best mobile security software for your needs. Use multiple passwords. Online security specialists recommend that you use different passwords for each new online shopping site you visit during the holiday season. Although this might seem like a hassle, it can be helpful, because even if identity thieves were to grab one of your new passwords, they still couldn’t use it for other sites you may visit. And you can even find a free online program that can help you keep track of all your passwords. Be suspicious of “huge savings.” It happens every holiday season – identity thieves develop fake sites with attractive graphics and stunningly low prices on a variety of items, especially digital devices. If you fall for these pitches, you won’t get any merchandise, but you might get a handful of headaches once the bad guys have your credit card number and other personal information. To prevent this, be wary of any deal that sounds too good to be true, and do some digging on the websites that offer these mega-savings. Watch for fake shipping notices. During the holidays, when you may do a lot of online shopping, you will probably receive some legitimate shipping notices. But the bad guys have gotten pretty good at generating fake notices designed to resemble those from UPS, FedEx and even the U.S. Postal Service. If you were to click on the link provided by one of these bogus notices, you could either take on some malware or get taken to a “phishing” website created by the shipping notice forgers. Your best defense: Only shop with legitimate merchants and only use the tracking numbers given to you in the email you received immediately after making your purchases. Keep your Social Security number to yourself. As a general rule, don’t give out your Social Security number online — to anyone. No legitimate retailer needs this number. Finally, be aware that not all attempts at stealing your personal information will come online. When you’re out shopping at oldfashioned, brick-and-mortar stores, consider bringing just one credit card with you — and protect that card from prying eyes. By following these precautions, you should be able to greatly reduce the risk of being victimized by identity thieves and other miscreants. And the more comfortable you are in doing your holiday shopping, the more you can enjoy the season. Chris Nyhan runs the Edward Jones office in Burnt Hills, NY. This article was written by Edward Jones for use by your local Edward Jones Financial Advisor. Chris can be reached at 399-5087 or chris.nyhan@edwardjones.com
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Happy New Year Wishes
May you get a clean bill of health from your dentist, your cardiologist, your gastroenterologist, your urologist, your proctologist, your podiatrist, your psychiatrist, your plumber and the I.R.S. May your hair, your teeth, your face-lift, your abs and your stocks not fall; and may your blood pressure, your triglycerides, your cholesterol, your white blood count and your mortgage interest not rise. May New Year’s Eve find you seated around the table, together with your beloved family and cherished friends. May you find the food better, the environment quieter, the cost much cheaper, and the pleasure much more fulfilling than anything else you might ordinarily do that night. May what you see in the mirror delight you, and what others see in you delight them. May someone love you enough to forgive your faults, be blind to your blemishes, and tell the world about your virtues.
May the telemarketers wait to make their sales calls until you finish dinner, may the commercials on TV not be louder than the program you have been watching, and may your check book and your budget balance - and include generous amounts for charity. May you remember to say “I love you” at least once a day to your spouse, your child, your parent, your siblings; but not to your secretary, your nurse, your masseuse, your hairdresser or your tennis instructor. And may we live in a world at peace and with the awareness of God’s love in every sunset, every flower’s unfolding petals, every baby’s smile, every lover’s kiss, and every wonderful, astonishing, miraculous beat of our heart. HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!!
From Jeans to Formal Wear, Military Badges, Professionally Sewn and Altered
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From
our family to yours... May you have a blessed and wonderful holiday season.
Irish
Specialties
Spend New Years Eve with us! Live music with Scott Garling from 9 till Midnight! Happiest of Happy Hours! 4-6pm $5 Shared apps, Drink specials Be here- Be happy
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“Grief is the price we pay for love.” ~Queen Elizabeth II
Family owned and operated for 3 generations 9 Glenridge Road Glenville, NY 12302 (518) 399-1630 glenvillefuneralhome.com
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Watch our Facebook
for Daily specials an
d Entertainment Sche
654 Saratoga Rd, Burnt Hills
dule
Open Daily at NOON • ww.pignwhistleatthegrove.com
518.280.5439
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Since 1991
Yamaha 20 Clarinet Outfit
Guitars • Violins Brass • Woodwinds •Lessons
See Burnt Hills Music on YouTube
•Repairs •School Supplies
Armstrong 104 Flute Outfit
$299 (list $1020)
Guitar Package Special
$299 (list $1020)
Youth Guitars All under $100
Silverton Electric Strat Danville Amp/clean distortion, headphone jack 6 ft Cable Electrical Digital Tuner $199 (value $303.00)
Luna Bird (New $1,120)
Sale $699 Includes Hardshell Case
Burnthillsmusicny.com • 518-399-6047 800 Saratoga Rd (Burnt Hills Café Plaza), Burnt Hills, 12027 Mon-Thu 10-8 • Fri 10-6 • Sat 10-3
Gift Certificates Available
From: Cheryll and Jenny!
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5 Ways to Become More Joyful Within each and every one of us there is capacity to live a life of joy. Whatever the issue, circumstance, time in life, we can choose to appreciate moments, people, and activities with a sense of wonder in our lives. Joy is the result of allowing ourselves to feel elated by what is around us. When we find delight and value in what’s around us, we move to an elated state. Far too often, we hold ourselves from feeling joy, because it feels vulnerable to lean completely into a wonderful moment. In fact, it may feel so vulnerable that we are afraid of it even subconsciously. Whether we feel fear, suspicion, thinking about the future, worry about the past or any other of a number of emotions, we may hold off truly absorbing a joyful moment that can blossom into a joyful state. We may even have negative connotations around this joyful state such as, “I’d better be careful the other shoe is going to drop,” (foreboding joy) or “I’m being complacent and not reaching my potential if I’m joyful and content.” “We create most of our suffering, so it should be logical that we also have the ability to create more joy. It simply depends on the attitudes, the perspectives, and the reactions we bring to situations and to our relationships with other people. When it comes to personal happiness there is a lot that we as individuals can do.” Dalai Lama XIV, The Book of Joy: Lasting Happiness in a Changing World There is little joy without gratitude. A daily practice of gratitude cultivates the awareness that allows for a life time of joy. When we are always focusing on what is good in our lives, we are poised to enter a joyful state. 5 Simple Ways You Can Become Joyful 1. Go general. When we are too specific in our thinking, too conditional, joy can disintegrate. If our thinking is focused on general awareness, allowing in the sights and scenes around us in with an attitude of wonder, we are able to notice and appreciate nature and simple things that can lead us to joyful state. When you are cooking, driving, laying your head down at night, say things like I appreciate this food, the smell of cooking, I appreciate my car and paved roads. I appreciate my bed and pillow. 2. Be willing to feel better. Open up to the perspective that you should feel good. Allow yourself to lean into happy moments or pleasant experiences savor the good for a few minutes. Allow your brain to catch up to your interest in finding joy regularly. Like exercising a muscle, you are informing and retraining your brain to feel good and see good. Over time, the good will come to you more readily and you can experience joy all the time. 3. Make a “joy list”. List and observe all of the things that you love to do. Get in touch with your own interests, desires, and happiness. Make time for these ‘joys’ in your life. 4. Practice gratitude for at least 5 minutes every day. Gratitude is the cultivation of soil and planting of seeds for the garden of joy. Feed and water your garden daily to experience joy in your life. 5. Spend time each day with someone or something that you love. During and after, pay close attention to your feelings. You will begin to see an expansion of your joy. Cultivating joy is based on finding as many brief moments of joy yourhometowne@gmail.com
that you can in a day and letting them pile on top of one another. Ultimately, life is what we make it. There are many examples of people who have had difficult circumstances but choose joy anyway. Often, these joyful individuals even credit their struggles with the joy they now find. Joy is the purpose of life. Experiencing the ups and downs, triumphs and tragedies, celebrations and devastations, and choosing to see the good that surrounds us is true joy. Please visit out Facebook for a complete listing of our Events and Workshops. Of course feel free to call for more information. Take the first step towards being joyful. If you are interested in creating a life of balance and joy, visit www.Center4C.com to learn more about Kim Perone and Helene Verdile, Certified Life Coaches. The Center for Clarity, Compassion & Contentment ~ a wellness center located behind Edward Jones, offers one-on-one and group coaching programs: The Power of YOU!, Live by Design (Not Default), Fearless, Joy Starts Here, Innerspace, Soul Sessions and Inspired Life Book Clubs. The Center also hosts a dozen other wellness practitioners and their activities. The Center offers engaging, entertaining, and empowering programs and coaching around all of these activities. Follow our calendar and programs at www.center4c.com and feel free to contact us at (518) 344-6725.
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A New Venture for Two Brothers as Your Local Jewelers
Glenville has been attracting quite a few young entrepreneurs recently. Just this past July two brothers decided to open up Brittany Jewelers in Socha Plaza, next to the Glass Tavern. The store was previously owned by 2 local jewelers that decided it was time to retire and enjoy the sunshine. Perfect timing for 2 young men with a drive and passion to be your local jewelers, with their own sense of style to open a jewelry store right in their own backyard. Dennis and Andrew Mahoney have brought a new dimension to shopping local for jewelry and gifts here on the Rt.50 corridor. Their refreshing attitude of transparency on pricing and quality makes it easy for anyone to buy jewelry for their loved ones and walk away with a truly cherished gift that will be a favorite for years to come. The store is laid out so you can shop easily within your budget. Their inventory includes a range of jewelry from precious gemstones to keepsake pieces from small manufacturers that take the time to make every piece unique. They also carry a variety of designer purses and will be adding new
products as they go. Their “no pressure” approach is comforting and their desire to make each customer happy is obvious when you walk in the door. There is one more Mahoney, Dennis Sr. His Irish smile is a dead giveaway; he is very proud to have his two sons be working together to build a family business here in Glenville. What Dad wouldn’t be? If you are looking for an engagement ring, you really need to stop in. They have the latest styles and will custom order whatever you want to make your significant other feel as special as they are to you. They carry a fantastic array of men’s jewelry as well. From rings to watches and bracelets; Brittany Jewelers men’s selection is cutting edge. They want to be sure you have a piece that delights and fascinates people, they are innovative and not afraid to be trend setters. Dennis and Andrew have partnered with The Glass Tavern to offer you an opportunity to present your gift and have a fantastic meal to celebrate when you are ready. Take a look at the back page of this issue for more information on their jewelry selection and their offer to earn a $25 gift certificate at the Glass Tavern with a purchase from their store. 115 Saratoga Rd (Socha Plaza next to The Glass Tavern) Glenville, 12027 • (518) 456-0575 Yourgotojeweler.com
“Kindness is like snow, it beautifies everything it covers”
~Kahlil Gibran
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Does My Estate Plan Need to Include My Vacation Property?
Yes! If you own a vacation home, timeshare, investment property, or any other asset outside of the state where you are domiciled you must make sure it’s included in your estate plan. If you fail to include these in your estate plan, or fail to have an estate plan at all, your heirs will encounter issues, and usually the expense and hassle of court costs, when inheriting these assets. Because state laws vary, your principal residence may even be divided one way in your home state (your “domicile”) while other properties can end up divided completely differently. Having a comprehensive estate plan puts you in control and lets you determine who will receive your property, regardless of where it’s located. Avoiding Unnecessary Probate When property is located in a different state than where the deceased person was domiciled, your family may need to file a second probate case, referred to as an ancillary estate. Typically a local attorney must handle the ancillary estate, which adds more cost, time, and hassle for your family to settle your affairs. For example, if you died as a resident of New York but owned a condo in Florida as well, you might have an ancillary probate in Florida for the property located there. Probate is the legal process that is used to change title of property upon their passing, whether the deceased had a will or not. Each state has their own probate rules, making it fairly complex for families that inherit property in multiple states. It is important to know that while personal property may be probated in the state where the decedent is domiciled, real property must be probated in yourhometowne@gmail.com
the state or country where it is located. The need for ancillary probate can be avoided, however, through proper estate planning. Specifically, if the decedent transfers the property to his or her trust before death, ancillary probate can be avoided. Of course, there are several ways to avoid the costs, delays, and headaches of probate other than a trust, but each alternative has downsides. Bottom Line Intestacy laws can be complicated because they vary from state to state. At the same time, a well-thought-out estate plan avoids unnecessary probate costs, in every state where you own property. With the help of a knowledgeable estate attorney, you can successfully avoid unnecessary complications and make settling your affairs as easy as possible for your heirs. Remember to tell your estate planning advisor about everything that you own - no matter how small in value or where it is located. In order to fully protect your family and assets, all of your property (real and personal) must be considered and included. If you have any questions about ancillary probate, or any other estate planning issues, contact us today. Here’s wishing you peace, good health and happiness this holiday season! Law Office of Kathleen M. Toombs • 157 Barrett Street Schenectady, NY 12305 • P: (518) 688-2846 Yo u r H o m e t o w n e | X C I X 2 0 1 7
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Burnt Hills Music and Teaching Academy Founded in 1991 This month I’m going to put a little twist on my Local Business Spotlight. Usually I tell the tale of how a business started, how they became what they are today and what their vision for the future is. I will say it can be difficult because small business owners tend to be very busy and humble. They don’t really toot their own horn. They work long hours, their “free time” is usually spent doing “other jobs” to keep their business going; from billing to payroll, your local business owners work very hard. I have wanted to highlight Burnt Hills Music for some time now but Rick Werblow, the owner; well he is a little tougher than most to pin down. I have visited Rick several times over the past few months, spending quite a bit of time in his store along with his manager Dottie. After several times you start to notice a pattern in any business you visit. So instead of giving you history about Burnt Hills Music, I’m going to tell you about what they do now.. Each time I have visited Rick and Dottie at the store they greet everyone, including me; with a smile. They have a passion, just like their customers do. They love music. People come in with their instruments in hand looking for a string or a mouthpiece or something that is preventing them from playing. One or both will diagnose the problem then off they go to their parts inventory. Disaster averted, the instrument works and everyone is happy. I’ve watched the faces of the junior high students as they come for their lessons. They are truly excited! Their little faces bright and smiling, laughing at Rick or one of the other 9 teachers that offer lessons at the store. And then I began to think; what if Rick would do a column about music? I already knew he was funny and articulate from watching him interact with his customers and myself. What a nice addition music would be to the articles in the YHT. So… I asked him to write a column, and here it is. The passion I mentioned earlier, you are about to read it in his own words.
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Where is happiness? In the future, when you finally attain your goal? In the past, with a fondly remembered memory? No, it is now. In the present. My favorite performances have always been in the present. Feeling the crowd with you, all our consciousness coming together, listening together. Then suddenly you become aware that the music is originating with you. The flow is broken, a note is missed, the moment passes. But these are the great times, when the practice pays off. I’ve taught over 20,000 private lessons over the years, on piano and guitar mostly, but also banjo, bass, harmonica and more. I like to tell my students that we are studying a language, and that our goal is to “think out loud in music”. We practice the sounds and corresponding symbols of the 26 letters of the English language from an early age. And although we have different voices; young, old, male, female, as well as different minds behind those voices, we can think out loud in our common language, almost as fast as we think. So it is with the language of music. Did you know, there are only 12 notes in music? How remarkable! But we can hear them in high and low registers (“octaves”), and combine them in many different ways (“chords”). And, of course then we can add rhythm. Any song can be made to sound different. Think of “America the Beautiful” . Imagine it played by a marching band. How about by a saxophone, or a slow version on electric blues guitar. Same notes, but different “voices”, different minds. Can you “hear” that in your mind? Playing music is as ancient as mankind. And, it is so very good for you. It is not easy. You will feel justifiably proud if you conquer your instrument. Just as when you learn a new language, like French, or Spanish, you will feel awkward. You may wish to quit, declaring that it is too hard. But having succeeded, you are now able to travel in, and experience a different culture in new and profound ways. You belong. When I, or my teachers, teach new students, we are climbing a mountain together. We cannot carry our student, for they cannot grow stronger that way. We climb side by side. Sometimes, they spot an intriguing side trail they wish to dash down. We pull them back. “Don’t get lost! Don’t be distracted! The time will come!”, we tell them. Then, one day, their time arrives. We have climbed the mountain. And the view is glorious! Looking down, the student sees all those many paths, and can now name them. “Look! There is the Jazz Path! And over there is the Country Path, and look at that Rock ‘n’ Roll Path!” all united by those same 12 notes. Now the student is strong, confident, and independent. So we teachers smile and say: “Go explore!” Rick Werblow • Burnt Hills Music 518-399-6047 • burnthillsmusicny.com 800 Saratoga Rd (Burnt Hills Café Plaza) • Burnt Hills, NY 12027 yourhometowne@gmail.com
8 Reasons for the 8 Days of Chanukah The Chanukah miracle: A flask with one night’s oil burned for 8 nights. But being that there was oil for one night, the miracle actually lasted only 7 nights. So why is Chanukah 8 nights? Here are 8 approaches to answer this question: They divided one night’s oil into eight portions. Miraculously, each portion lasted an entire night. Beit Yosef, Orach Chaim 670 The Greeks ransacked the Temple many days in search of oil to defile. Despite their strength and numbers, they overlooked one flask. A few weak, battle-weary Jews found it immediately. HaMeiri in Lehodos Ulehallel; Sefer HaEshkol, Chanukah 6:13 Wanting the oil to last, they made the wicks one-eighth of the normal thickness. Nevertheless, the flames burned just as brightly as if the wicks had been the normal thickness. Chidushei HaRim The golden Menorah was ritually impure. So were all the Jewish soldiers, having come in contact with death on the battlefield. Therefore, they were forced to make a temporary earthenware Menorah, because earthenware is more resistant to impurity. But earthenware is porous, and when its new it absorbs a small but significant part of any oil put in it. Therefore, one nightÄs oil for a gold Menorah was not sufficient for an earthenware menorah because some of the oil is lost to absorption. Bava Metzia 40a & Maharsha Chullin 55 In one account, the text reads “and there wasn’t enough (oil) it to burn even one day...” Sheiltos DeRav Achai Gaon, Parshas Vayishlach found in footnote to Megillas Antiochucus in Siddur Otzar Hatefilos Seven days commemorate the miracle of the oil, and one day commemorates the miracle that a few weak Jewish soldiers defeated the mighty Greek legions. Kedushas Levi
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Chanukah occurred in the year 3622 (139 BCE). Calendar calculations and other historical sources indicate that the 25th of Kislev, the first day of Chanukah, fell on Shabbat that year. Therefore, they needed to light the menorah before sunset Friday night, and consequently needed a little more than a night’s-worth of oil. Atzei Zayis The commandment to light the Menorah with pure oil is written in the Torah (Leviticus, chapters 23 and 24) immediately after the commandment to observe theSuccos festival for 8 days (7 days of Succos followed byShemini Atzeres). The Sages saw this as a Divine hint that Chanukah should be for 8 days. Bnei Yisaschar in the name of the Rokeach Research based on Sefer Ner Lemeah, Rabbi Yerachmiel Zeltzer
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what’s Recipes with wiggle room
Smoked Salmon and Fingerling Potatoes
Party Shrimp • 1 tablespoon olive oil • 1-1/2 teaspoons brown sugar • 1-1/2 teaspoons lemon juice • 1 garlic clove, thinly sliced • 1/2 teaspoon paprika • 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning • 1/2 teaspoon dried basil • 1/4 teaspoon pepper • 1 pound uncooked large shrimp, peeled and deveined 1. In a large resealable plastic bag, combine the first eight ingredients. Add shrimp; seal bag and turn to coat. Refrigerate 2 hours. 2. Drain shrimp, discarding marinade. Place shrimp on an ungreased baking sheet. Broil 4 in. from heat 3-4 minutes on each side or until shrimp turn pink.
Chocolate and sweet potato batters are swirled together to make this moist, tender spice cake. Wrap and store the cooled cake overnight for easier slicing. • 12 fingerling potatoes (about 1 pound), halved lengthwise • 1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil • 4 ounces thinly sliced smoked salmon • 1/2 cup crème fraîche or sour cream • 1 tablespoon caviar or capers • Cracked black pepper, to taste 1. Toss potatoes in olive oil on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake at 425° for 20 minutes or until golden brown and tender. Let cool 2. Arrange pieces of smoked salmon on potatoes; top each with a dollop of crème fraîche and sprinkling of caviar and pepper. Wiggle Room – Use Brie, Cream cheese or any of your favorite white cheese spreads.
Meatball Parmesan Sliders • 1 lb ground chuck or lean (at least 80%) ground beef • Salt and freshly ground pepper • 2 eggs, beaten • 1 cup Progresso™ Italian style panko crispy bread crumbs • ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese • 3 cloves garlic, very finely chopped • 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley or 1 tablespoon parsley flakes • 5 tablespoons olive or vegetable oil • 4 cups marinara sauce • 12mini hamburger buns • 12 slices mozzarella cheese • 12 fresh basil leaves, if desired Wiggle Room: Use cheddar and BBQ sauce, or Pest Sauce instead of Marinara Sauce
“People who love to eat are always the best people.”
~Julia Child
Yield: about 2-1/2 dozen.
Indian-Spiced Roasted Nuts • 1 1/2 teaspoons brown sugar • 1 1/2 teaspoons honey • 1 teaspoon canola oil • 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon • 1/8 teaspoon salt • 1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom • 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves • Dash of freshly ground black pepper • 1/4 cup blanched almonds • 1/4 cup cashews • 1/4 cup hazelnuts
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1. Preheat oven to 350°. 2. Combine the first 8 ingredients in a microwavesafe bowl. Microwave at HIGH for 30 seconds; stir until blended. Add nuts to sugar mixture; toss to coat. 3. Spread nuts evenly on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake at 350° for 15 minutes or until golden brown. Cool. 4. Spread nuts evenly on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake at 350° for 15 minutes or until golden brown. Cool.
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The Urban Legend of the Poisonous Poinsettia Every year I encounter someone visiting the garden center who will not consider purchasing a poinsettia because they believe that their cat or dog is going to eat it and die. This belief is so ingrained that there is no convincing them otherwise. eaten. It is amazing and amusing what people choose to believe. A survey a couple of years ago revealed that about 70% of the population still believes that poinsettias are poisonous. I’m sure it doesn’t help that the word poinsettia resembles the word poison. How did the poor poinsettia become the focus of all this angst? The Hawaiian connection. It all started in Hawaii in 1919 when the 2 year old toddler son of an army officer was found dead. Some reports indicate that the child was found near a poinsettia bush which is a common garden plant in Hawaii. It was supposed that the child had eaten some of the poinsettia and died. There was no proof of this...no autopsy or toxicology test...it was simply assumed that the poinsettia was to blame. The rumor spread throughout the islands and it became common knowledge that “poinsettias are poisonous” and will kill if eaten. Twenty five years later the rumor was so well-entrenched that it was published as fact in a book called ‘Poisonous Plants of Hawaii’. At that point there was no stopping the rumor and it went viral. Soon poinsettias were being incorrectly listed as poisonous plants by even such illustrious institutions as the USDA. All this without one shred of evidence of any person or animal ever being harmed let alone killed by eating poinsettias. Eventually tests were conducted and it was found that poinsettias aren’t toxic at all. Even with this evidence the toxic legend of the poinsettia didn’t die and 100 years after the rumor began most people still believe that poinsettias are killers.
feed the plant. Maintain the poinsettia this way until midsummer. At that time, cut it back by about 1/3, removing whatever colorful bracts that remain. Increase watering and feed every other week. If you move the plant outside for the summer, be sure to bring it back in when nighttime temperatures approach 50° F. The trickiest part is getting the poinsettia’s bracts to turn color at the right time. It needs to follow the natural cycle of shortening daylight as it occurs outdoors. This means that when the sun goes down, the poinsettia MUST be in a TOTALLY DARK AREA. This critical period starts about the first of October. Light from even one 40-watt bulb after dark is enough to prevent the poinsettia from changing color… Many people think it needs to go into a closet for the entire month of October. Not so. It still needs light in the daytime. The best thing to do is keep it in a room where there are no lights on in the evening or at night. Once you notice that the bracts have begun to change color, you can move the plant wherever you wish. Once the color starts to change nothing will stop it and the cycle begins again. Thanks for the read Peter Bowden • pbowden2@nycap.rr.com
Growing your own With proper care, poinsettias can be grown year after year and reach heights up to 3 feet even as a potted specimen. The colorful bracts are actually a special set of leaves that change color, simulating giant flowers to attract insects to the small yellow flowers at their center. During the blooming stage, poinsettias should be kept in a warm, sunny spot with the soil just lightly moist. The small yellow flowers at the center of the bract should be pinched off. Don’t
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