It is hard to believe that summer is quickly coming to an end but a lot of exciting things happened over this short period of time:

The Summer Concerts in the Park were a great success. Despite the threat of rain every week, the concerts were well attended and the music was awesome. Thank you to the Menands Fire Co., DPW, Police, residents and the bands for supporting these events.

The Annual Village Picnic was also a wonderful time. It is always nice to see old friends and neighbors while enjoying a family night out. Thank you to the Menands Fire Co., Auxiliary, Library, Seniors, Youth, Village Gardener, Police, DPW, Village Board and employees for their participation in another successful picnic. I was pleased to recognize Tim Boyd for his 29 years of service to the Village. Tim and Melinda were happy to see so many familiar faces and we were happy to see them as well.

On August 1, the Menands Karate Studio (Dojo) celebrated its first year in its location in Mid City Shopping Center. Founded by Shihan (Master Instructor) Tony Butler, the program serves about 70 youngsters who are learning the basics of the martial arts. In addition, the students learn the value of discipline, hard work, the necessity of paying attention in class as well as respect for others. Albany County DA David Soares was in attendance. His office offers scholarships to those who may not be able to afford the cost of participating in the program. Thank you to Paul Reuss, Executive Assistant to the Mayor, for representing the Village at the press conference. We wish Tony and his staff all the best for the future success of the program.

On August 7th, Paul Reuss, Lyle Darmetko and I attended the ground breaking ceremony at Dutch Village for the new apartment buildings. The site work is continuing and the foot print of the first building has been laid out. This project is moving right along.

Work continues on The Lofts @ Albany International. The new windows look amazing. I look forward to another tour of the building as progress is made.

Family Dollar is also moving forward. With the framework of the building in place, work on the facade has begun. The Grand Opening won’t be far away.

Several streets in the S. End of the Village were paved and infrastructure work continues on the water distribution system along VRB. There are always inconveniences during any construction projects and I thank the residents for their patience during these times.

Congratulations to the Pay It Forward Together committee for another wonderful community program. The Back to School Closet is located at Bethany Church and provides clothing, school supplies and toiletries to those in need. This group is such a great asset to our local communities.

Congratulations also to Menands resident Joe Legnard for the success of his recent Fuel For School Food Drive. With over 1,000 lbs of food collected that will go a long way to refill the shelves of the Capital District Food Pantries as the kids get ready to head back to school.

I had an opportunity to attend opening night of Zombie Apocalypse, located at 21 Simmons Lane. Talking to folks after, who had the full experience of hunting zombies with laser tag weapons through a haunted house while trying to avoid being bit, said it was cool and left their hearts racing. For the Zombie enthusiasts check out their event dates and information for purchasing tickets at www.albanyapolcalypse.com. Best of luck to owners Ron Young and Jeremy Hammond for a successful endeavor.

This past May, Menands resident and youth counselor, Catherine Price graduated from Russell Sage College with her Bachelor’s in Nursing. Traditionally the Bachelor’s program takes four years to complete, however Catherine was able to complete it in three years. She graduated Summa Cum Laude with a 4.0 GPA, was inducted into the Sigma Theta Tau International Nursing Honor Society and was also inducted into the Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society at Russell Sage. She recently passed her Nursing Boards and is now officially working as an RN in the Surgical Intensive Care Unit (SICU) at Albany Medical Center. She plans to continue her education to become either a Nurse Practitioner or Nurse Anesthetist. Congratulations Catherine on a great achievement and best wishes in your future.

I would like to thank Colonie Town Supervisor Paula Mahan for once again joining me in a project for the betterment of our residents. In an effort to increase the safety of crossing Broadway near Village One Apts., the Town and Village are working together with Kathy Seymour from National Grid to upgrade the lighting in that area. With the road work on Broadway expected to continue next Spring, NYS DOT will include a cross walk, which along with the enhanced lighting will create a safer environment for pedestrians. I appreciate the support of Supervisor Mahan, National Grid and DOT on various projects that we have collaborated on during my time as Mayor.

With school starting soon please be mindful of stopped school buses and kids crossing streets. Best wishes to the students, teachers, faculty and administration for a safe and productive school year.

Until next time,

Mayor Meg