As my new term begins as Mayor I am excited about the next four years. Together with Trustees Aileen Nicoll and Seth Harris, we look forward to continuing the efforts already begun, as well as working on future projects with newly elected Trustees Diane Foley and Steve Boulet. I wish to thank Mike Mackay and Mark Lansing for their hard work and dedication to the Village during their terms in office.

I was pleased to be invited to participate in the Menands Community Education Summit held in June. The summit included an evening of community interaction put on by the Menands School Board of Education and administration to address issues facing Menands School. With representation from the school and Village communities, the summit was very engaging and informative. Many great ideas were discussed that will help develop future plans to benefit the school.

On behalf of the Weidman family I was honored to present the Mayor John J. Weidman, Jr. Education Foundation Award during the 8th grade commencement ceremony. Congratulations to Aidan Nicoll on receiving this award as well as to the other award recipients. The Hundsdorfer-Stewart Service Above Self Award was also presented by the Hudson Shores Rotary Club to High School Graduates Becky Rossier and Richard McKoy.

Richard is a graduate of Tech Valley High School where he volunteered as a school ambassador. He was a member of Key Club and Co-President of Students of Color Alliance. Richard served for three years on the Youth Advisory Council under DA, David Soares. Richard truly believes in Service Above Self, which is evidenced by his numerous community service hours, including over 275 hours at the Metropolitan New Testament Mission Baptist Church. Richard also volunteered at his High School, the Ronald McDonald House and the Menands Library. Richard will be attending Newbury College in Brookline, MA majoring in Computer Science, with a minor in Criminal Justice.

Becky graduated from Shaker High School where she maintained a 93 GPA. She will be attending SUNY Brockport in the fall with a major in Biology and plans of becoming a Physician Assistant. Becky volunteered in the Menands Community,  with Shaker High School Student Government for four years and for the Basketball Challenger League working with special needs youth teaching the basic skills of basketball. Becky also participated in Basketball and Track and Field during her time at Shaker. She was Team Captain on both the JV and Varsity Basketball teams and named to the Suburban Council Times Union and Troy Record All Star Teams. Becky was the #1 Discus and #1 Shot Put thrower for all seniors in Shaker history. She beat a 13 year Shaker School Record for Discus with a throw of 115’-10”. Becky received athletic awards all four years, including being named the 2014-2015 Shaker Best All-Around Athlete.

While traveling through Menands during our campaign I had an opportunity to talk to many proud parents about the accomplishments of their kids. I am pleased to share their stories.

Congratulations to Logan Testo, Liam Nugent, Jeffrey Fay and Julio Guity on being selected to receive the Annual Excellence in Art Award at Shaker High School.

Caroline Leinung majored in Marine Science at the University of San Diego. She was a member of the Honors Program and graduated cum laude. Her senior project involved collecting, sorting, and counting baby fish in Mission Bay, which is one way to track the health of the ocean/ bay environment. She studied one semester at James Cook University in Townsville, Australia, where she put her scuba skills to good use. In California she learned to surf as well as play soccer (“football” in Australia), ultimate Frisbee, and softball on intramural teams. Caroline plans on attending graduate school to study marine science.

Erin Franklin attended Hudson Valley Community College from the Fall 2011 to Spring 2013, studying Liberal Arts & Sciences: Humanities & Social Sciences. Erin was on the President’s List and was a member of the Phi Theta Kappa Society. She graduated with honors with an Associates in Arts degree. Erin transferred to Siena College in the Fall 2013 and was awarded the Phi Theta Kappa scholarship to pursue an English major. While attending Siena, Erin was on the Dean’s list. She graduated in May 2015 with cum laude honors and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English with a Writing and Communication minor.

Anna Flores graduated summa cum laude from Union College in Schenectady in June with a major in English and a minor in Gender, Sexuality and Women’s Studies. Anna is a member of Phi Beta Kappa. She won the President’s Commission on the Status of Women Senior Thesis Prize along with two other College Prizes for outstanding scholarship. Anna is currently attending Union Graduate College where she will receive her Masters of Arts in Teaching in June, 2016.

I would love to continue to share stories with the community about our youth. If anyone has a proud moment to share please send a brief description to email hidden; JavaScript is required and I will post in future Mayor’s messages. Congratulations to all on their achievements.

The summer concerts are back. Come join friends and neighbors on Tuesdays from 6 – 8:30pm for great music and fun at the Menands Park. See the schedule in this newsletter. Also, the Summer Youth Program has begun. Youth Director Brianna Coughlin has awesome events scheduled for the kids. As a reminder, please be mindful of kids playing outside this summer, especially around our parks.

Have a great summer!

Mayor Meg