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WIND CHILL WARNING ISSUED Dangerously cold wind chills expected through Saturday The National Weather Service has issued a Wind Chill Warning for Columbia County, in effect until 1 PM Saturday. Wind chills will plummet today, and will be 15 to 30 below zero through the day. The lowest wind chills are expected tonight into early Saturday morning. Winds will gust from 30 to 45 miles per hour into tonight, which could result in isolated power outages.  The dangerously cold wind chills could cause frostbite on exposed skin in as little as 10 minutes. Please limit your outdoor activities during this period. If you have elderly friends, neighbors or family please check on them. And please, bring your pets inside! PROPERTY OWNERS AGE 65 & OVER Important information from NYS Taxation & Finance  From the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance:
K.I.S.S PROGRAM IS BACK!  The Columbia County K.I.S.S. Program is once again available to seniors in the Town of Claverack. This program, founded by Columbia County Clerk Holly Tanner, stands for Keeping the Identities of Seniors Safe. It was designed to protect the identities of our seniors while assisting them in the shredding of their sensitive materials. March 13, 2023 - March 24, 2023 June 5, 2023 - June 23, 2023 August 28, 2023 - September 8, 2023 November 27, 2023 - December 8, 2023 Bins will be available on the dates listed above at the Town Office on Church Street in Mellenville (9:00 am and 3:00 pm, Monday through Friday). UPCOMING MEETINGS FEB 6 -- Planning Board Meeting, 7:00 pm at the Temporary Town Hall (former Claverack Library) FEB 9 -- Town Board Meeting, 6:00 pm at the Temporary Town Hall (former Claverack Library) FEB 22 -- Zoning Board of Appeals Meeting, 7:30 pm at the Temporary Town Hall (former Claverack Library)
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Tropical System Henri is forecast to impact the region Sunday and Monday with heavy rain and gusty winds possible. As is typically the case, the exact tract is not yet certain, but Claverack is in the cone of probability.  As of the 6:00 p.m. briefing from the National Weather Service, they expect around 2" to 3" of rain here in the Claverack area., with more as you head east in Columbia County (see NWS graphic below).  Wind gusts 25 to 30 mph are possible (see NSW graphic below).  To summarize, we are monitoring the storm carefully and reviewing briefings from the National Weather Service in Albany.
Depending on the track of this storm, heavy rain and gusty winds are possible on Sunday and into the day on Monday. We'll issue additional updates as warranted. The National Weather Service has issued an "EXCESSIVE HEAT WARNING" for Claverack (and all of Western Columbia County) for tomorrow.  Heat index values are expected to reach approximately 107 degrees.
The Warning is in effect from 10:00 am to 8:00 pm tomorrow, Thursday, August 12th. These types of warnings are rare; our first of 2021. Please take the warning seriously and limit outdoor activity tomorrow. The Weather Service recommends you drink plenty of fluids, stay in an air-conditioned room, stay out of the sun, and check up on relatives and neighbors. Thanks and be safe, Kippy & Team Happy to partner with the Claverack Library to temporarily provide space for Town government and Court services as we work to build our new Claverack Town Hall and community center! The new building will include space for a new Town Hall and Town Court complex. We're also investigating the feasibility of using the nearby Agawamuck Creek to generate power for the new building, and considering space for an "emergency services substation" that would provide police and EMS an area to work from, thereby improving service and response to the Philmont and Mellenville communities. Much more to come on all of this!  (From The Columbia Paper) The former Claverack Library building will become the temporary home of the Claverack Town Court and Town Hall during construction of a new Town Hall and Community Center in Mellenville. The town also plans to utilize the new library’s meeting spaces for municipal functions during construction.
Minor renovations are now underway at the little white building at the intersection of state routes 9H and 23B, with the addition of a new wing with a fully ADA-accessible bathroom and a new entryway to bring the building up to code. “This joint project provides the town a space to hold court and conduct meetings while we take the necessary steps to plan and build a new town office complex that will house the court as well as all of our offices, in addition to providing much needed community space for the public,” said Town Supervisor Kippy Weigelt in a press release. “We are grateful to the library for their willingness to rent this building to us while we embark on this exciting project.” “This is a wonderful partnership between the town and the library,” said Library Board Vice President Stephen King. “It will allow the court and town meetings to take place in a historic much-loved building and the library to make improvements that will make it available for rental in the future, thus helping keep the library healthy and vibrant into the future for all.” The Columbia County Department of Health has announced upcoming COVID-19 vaccination Points of Dispensing (POD) that will deliver over 1,600 vaccinations to eligible Columbia County residents. The first POD, scheduled for March 17th is already full. But fear not, there are others scheduled and we have the information on when and where to register!  Three additional PODs are scheduled for March 18-20. All of these PODs are open to Group 1B, which includes 60+ seniors, residents with comorbidities, and Essential Workers including: public facing government and public employees, not-for-profit workers who provide public-facing services to New Yorkers in need, and essential in-person public-facing building service workers.
If you aren't sure if you qualify, check here. The links for these PODs will be released as follows: March 18th link will be released Tuesday, March 16 at 5 PM March 19th link will be released Tuesday, March 16 at 5 PM March 20th link will be released Wednesday, March 17 at 5 PM The links to register will be posted here. (Scroll down to "CCDOH POD Registrations.") For additional information, or assistance with registering, call the Columbia County Department of Health's hotline at 518-697-5560. COVID-19 CASES CONTINUE TO GROW IN COLUMBIA COUNTY (January 22, 2021) -- With 68 new positive cases of the COVID-19 virus as of midday Friday, county DOH Director Jack Mabb said there seems to be “no letup” in the virus’s continuing impact among county residents. There have been 2,799 positive cases since the beginning of the pandemic. “It’s hammering us,” he said. As of Friday, there were 36 individuals hospitalized with the virus, which is a new record high for Columbia County. Six individuals are in the ICU, with two on ventilators. Director Mabb said that five recent deaths – three in nursing homes, two from the community -- bring the county total to 61. Active cases and mandatory quarantine totals were unavailable midday Friday. Director Mabb said the Ghent Rehabilitation and Nursing Center, The Grand at Barnwell, and Livingston Hills all continue to experience significant outbreaks of the virus among residents and staff. “For those who still are not taking this virus seriously, it’s clear this is not a hoax,” said county Board of Supervisors Chairman Matt Murell. “People need to take all available precautions to do what they can to help confine the spread of the virus.” Director Mabb added that the county DOH administered 107 vaccines on Thursday, and 400 on Friday, bring the total 1700 vaccines administered.  CLAVERACK TOWN OFFICE OPEN BY APPOINTMENT ONLY The Claverack Town Office continues to be accessible to the public by appointment only until further notice. This includes the clerks office, assessors office and building department. To make an appointment, please call the Town Office number at 518-672-7911 and follow the directory to find the extension for the department you are looking for. Thank you for your cooperation. For updates, check the town website.  COLUMBIA COUNTY DOH COVID VACCINE INFORMATION Columbia County has established a call center to answer questions regarding the COVID-19 vaccine. Columbia County residents may call the hotline at 518-697-5560, Monday through Friday between 9am and 4 pm. Please understand that, due to the very limited supply of vaccine provided by the state, it may take a substantial amount of time (weeks) before CCDOH can provide you with an appointment for vaccination. That said, if you have an opportunity to get the vaccine elsewhere, or a pharmacy contacts you to provide the vaccine to you, it is recommended that you DO IT. For updated information, continue to check the CCDOH COVID-19 Vaccine Information webpage. A NOTE FROM KIPPY
Friends, Things will likely continue to get worse before they get better; but it is our hope that with holiday gatherings now behind us and more and more people getting vaccinated, we will begin to stem the tide and start to see this pandemic eventually come under control. In the mean time, please continue to be vigilant about wearing a face covering when in public, wash your hands often and remain socially distant when possible. I assure you that I, Deputy Town Supervisor Steve Hook and the entire Town Board continue to be actively engaged and doing our part to keep our town finances under control, and town services available to residents . These are difficult times, no doubt, but we'll get through it. - Kippy If the forecast is right, we're facing our first significant winter storm of the season Wednesday night into the day on Thursday; and while we're used to these storms here in the northeast, the first snowstorm of the season can sometimes catch us off guard. That said, I wanted to give you a little heads up and layout the forecast, as it looks right now.  The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Storm Warning for Claverack effective 4 PM Wednesday through 1 PM Thursday. It looks like snow will begin to fall here after 5 pm on Wednesday, so there should be (as it looks now) minimal impact on the Wednesday afternoon commute home. Snow picks up in intensity late Wednesday night and through the overnight into Thursday when snowfall rates could reach 1"-2" per hour. This will likely make for a very difficult Thursday morning commute. If you're able to go into work late on Thursday, or work from home, that would probably be best. Total snow accumulations of 12" to 18" is expected by the time the storm winds down Thursday afternoon. Again, heavy snow isn't new to us here, but please - since this is our first significant snowstorm of the season - plan to check on elderly friends, family and neighbors. Stay up-to-date by subscribing to my email list, Kippy News.  If you haven't already enrolled in Columbia County's new emergency alert system NY-ALERT, now would be a good time!
 Effective August 29, 2020, Columbia County is changing its mass-notification emergency alert system from CodeRed to the system provided by New York State known as NY-ALERT.
All Columbia County residents are encouraged to enroll in the new emergency alert system, NY-ALERT, prior to August 29th. Existing landline telephones will be automatically subscribed to the new service. The Town of Claverack has received a limited amount of cloth face masks (not medical grade) from the County to distribute for free to Claverack residents who have been unable to obtain them elsewhere.
A limited supply of these masks will be distributed in the Claverack Library Parking Lot on Saturday, April 25th, from 12:00 Noon until about 2:00 PM (or until we run out). Masks are also available at McNann’s on Main Street in Philmont for those of you that live closer to Philmont. The masks come in packages of five, so we are limiting the distribution to one package per family. We encourage you to share any unneeded masks with someone who needs one. They are made of soft cloth and can be washed and re-used. Per the State social distancing guidelines, we ask that everyone maintain at least a 6-foot distance from one another if you come to get a package. Please note that if you cannot make it on Saturday, there will be a supply of these masks at the Town Office on Church St during the week. If you come to the office, our Town Clerk will come out and give you a package. We apologize for the short notice, but we just received these and wanted to get them out into the community without delay. Thank you, Claverack Town Board Here's the latest information...
 The Pine Haven Nursing Home continues to care for multiple residents who have been diagnosed with COVID-19. To date, over 20 residents have tested positive, some have succumbed to the virus. In response to the outbreak, County leaders have helped to coordinate procurement of personal protective equipment for Pine Haven staff and Administrators from the facility have been in regular contact with County and State Health Officials to help coordinate response to the situation. A number of local businesses have donated equipment and materials to the home. The Claverack Republican Club recently provided dinner to all shifts at the home to show support and appreciation for the work being done. We sincerely appreciate all that is being done to support Pine Haven and the residents who reside there. A MESSAGE FROM COUNTY TREASURER PJ KEELER  As we all know by now, the COVID-19 pandemic is wreaking havoc on our healthcare system and has been personally devastating for thousands of New Yorker's who have contracted the virus and the families of those who have lost their lives as a result. Our thoughts and prayers are with them all. What may not be so apparent, is the economic toll that the pandemic is having across the country, including right here in Columbia County. When businesses are forced to close, spending and economic activity plummets. This in turn results in significantly less revenue flowing to local governments; money we count on to pay the bills. At the same time, we're forced to spend monies that may or may not have been budgeted for, to respond to the pandemic; things like overtime costs and equipment. I want to assure everyone that the County finance team is fully engaged and responding to this situation. We are diligently working to assess the potential economic impact this pandemic will have on county and town operations and planning strategies to aggressively respond to the challenges ahead. Make no mistake, we will get through this. It will take some tough decisions, belt tightening, and good conservative fiscal management, but rest assured we will take the steps necessary to keep our financial house in order... and I will keep you updated as we do. My best to you all. Please stay home, stay safe, and be healthy.  |
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