News&ViewsFebruary 2008

CKMCCAOfficers

President:Ray Misiewicz

Vice President:Amy SangalineTreasurer:

Bryon BackensonSecretary:

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Shake Those Winter Blahs andGet to Know Your Friends & Neighbors Again!

COME TO THE 2008 CKMCCAADULT WINE & CHEESE PARTY

(Includes Beer & Soda)

Featuring the acoustic talents of Soloist Tom Harding

Saturday March 8, 2008

From 7:00-11:00 PM

Locust Lane ClubhouseR.S.V.P. Keri Horton at

LKACHORT@nycap.rr.com or 383-1325

There will be a $7.00 per person charge to helpcover the cost of refreshments and entertainment.

SEE YOU THERE!!

Membership Drive Update!We are happy to report that a significantnumber (20%) of our current members arebrand new or returning residents. Thanksfor your support. And thanks also to thoseof you who never fail to send in your duesevery year. We sure wish there were morelike you! The civic association could doeven more to enhance life in ourneighborhood.

As of this writing, in early January 2008,our membership drive has been going foralmost three months. Usually these are thestrongest months of the drive and the bulkof our memberships are paid by now.Unfortunately, the current numbers show adrop off since the same time last year. Soif you are one of the large number offamilies who have not sent in your $18membership dues, now would be a greattime to do just that.

Why become a member of the CKMCCA?The most direct benefit is that membersare sent a copy of the neighborhooddirectory. We will be mail those in March.Furthermore, your dues will help pay theactivities of the association: publication ofthis newsletter five times in a year, the

THANK YOU TO OUR 2007ENTRANCE MARKER

GARDENERS

The CKMCCA Board of Directors wouldlike to thank the volunteers who maintainedthe plantings at our entrance markers in2007.

Alan Iverson — So. Barney/GroomsRoad

Keri Horton — Beechwood Dr./CliftonPark Center Rd.

William and Nancy Conner — Greenlea/Vischer-Ferry

Les Denison — Par Del Rio/Moe

Barbara Misiewicz —Barney/Moe

We would also like to thank the Connorsand the Leonards for their year round andholiday decorations.

Thank you to all.

Upcoming Deadlinesfor News & Views

PublicationsApril 2008 - Copy deadline by

March 15th

Any questions? Call 383-0722 andmention the News and Views.

cont’d on Page 4

3

Please Remember toSupport Our Advertisers!!!

Ben Forcucci Co-Owner Phone: 542-5626

• Kitchens & Baths • Roofs / Siding / Windows • Finished Basements • Additions • Custom Decks

Board of Directors Message Happy New Year! With the holiday seasonbehind us and spring not yet in sight, pleasecome to our annual CKMCCA Wine &Cheese Party on March 8th. The event isopen to all residents of Clifton Knolls andMill Creek and is a nice way of meetingyour neighbors.

Our 2008 membership drive has beenunderway since October. We are currentlyrunning behind last years membershiplevels. Please remember to send in yourdues which support events like theHalloween Party, Scholarship Award, Wine& Cheese Party and Community GarageSale.

For those of you new to this area, theCKMCCA has been active for over 45years. We were instrumental in efforts toform a park district, save our pools,develop a sewer district, build our entrancemarkers and so much more. Without yourcivic association you would have noorganized voice in town when the next suchissue arises. In the meantime we try tomaintain our sense of community with theevents and publications we sponsor. Eachhousehold in Clifton Knolls and Mill Creekreceives our News & Views. But if youneed more information about us talk to anyof the CKMCCA Board Members or cometo our annual meeting which is held in April.

Just a reminder about water table problemswhich led to some basement flooding in thespring of 2007 in areas which had notexperienced that problem before. Calendaryear 2006 had a water equivalent rainfall 7

inches above the historical average.Calendar year 2007 had a water equivalentrainfall over 6 inches above the historicalaverage. So be prepared for the potential ofbasement flooding again in the spring of2008.

The remaining events before summerinclude our annual meeting and scholarshipaward in April and the community garagesale in May. Look for details about them inthe April issue of the News & Views.

Hope to see all of you at the Wine &Cheese Party!

annual CKMCCA college scholarship,The most important reason for joining theCKMCCA is arguably the most intangible.It has to do with civic pride. By becominga member of your neighborhoodassociation you send a signal thatneighborhood cohesiveness is important.Though we live in an era of increasingglobalization, we still honor the links wehave with our friends and neighbors.Think globally, act locally. Join theCKMCCA today!

Membership Update Cont’d

Dates to Remember:

Saturday, March 8th, 7pm - 11pm - Adult Wine and Cheese Party

Friday, March 14th - Applications due for CKMCCA AnnualScholarship

Saturday, March 15th - New Articles / Ads due for the April 2008News and Views

Classified Ads are published free ofcharge to any resident of Clifton Knolls/Mill Creek. Contact Jon Barry for more

information, 383-0722

HappHappHappHappHappyyyyyHousingHousingHousingHousingHousing By Genie Bassett

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As the winter trundles along in its fitful wayand there is continuing talk about the slowreal estate market, this might be a good timeto consider how to make the best of theoutstanding homes we enjoy in CliftonKnolls and Mill Creek.

Our homes have some attributes that makethem very desirable.It is ourresponsibility ashomeowners to takefull advantage of theattributes – both interms of thepleasures of living inthis specialneighborhood andthe economics ofprotecting a major financial investment.

As I assist Knolls and Mill Creek owners inpreparing their homes for sale, a frequentissue to come up is whether to uncover thehardwood floors. In my opinion, unless thecarpet is nearly new and in pristinecondition, it is generally a big plus to havethe hardwood exposed. After all, the wealthof hardwood we find in many of our housesis an expensive and attractive feature thatdeserves to be seen.

A few years ago, we decided to take up the

carpet and have the floors refinished, andwe are very happy that we did. We wereconcerned as the work began as to whatwould be found under all that carpet. Wouldthere be stains and damage to the hardwoodthat would complicate the refinishingprocess? Would the maintenance of the

wood floors becomean unpleasant anddemanding task?After all, it is prettyeasy to run a vacuumover the carpet.

It turns out that afterthe work is done andthe hardwood isadding its warm glow

to the house, the maintenance is a snap.Most cleaning involves running a dust mopover the floors. The modern polyurethanecoatings are a wonder. They are practicallyimpervious to water and can be cleaned witha damp sponge mop with just a little soap inthe water. Spills wipe up with a paper towel.This is the way we do it. Check therecommendations of the manufacturer ofany products used on your floor to makesure your are cleaning them in the right way.

We even took the extra step by havinghardwood installed in our kitchen. And itwas an excellent decision as it creates a niceopen flow through the entire house, tying allthe rooms together. It is a personal choice.Some folks prefer ceramic tile, which canbe a very nice feature and a good modernlook. But we love the hardwood because ofthe warmth it brings to the home.

During these winter days when it is not sopleasant to be outdoors, it is a good time toeither tend to indoor tasks or plan for thespring when we can get after the shrubs, theflowers and the lawn.

There are the obvious inside improvementsyou can make – painting, new windowtreatments, redecorating. But perhaps oneof the more dramatic projects you canundertake to emphasize the nice squarefootage that our houses have is to declutterand reorganize how we use this amplespace.

This might involve taking a hard look at how

much furniture we have in our living roomsand whether our closets are stuffed to thegills with clothing or other treasures that wehaven’t used in a couple of years. Chuckjust purchased a couple more of this strongplastic shelves that snap together and placedthem in the garage. What a difference thathas made to get things organized. We havealso been making good use of our annual“recycling center” permit from the town.

The annual Burpees catalog comes outaround this time of year. That is the signalto begin to think spring and how we canmaximize the large lots we have.

Happy Housing!

Genie

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The View FromHereBy: Ray MisiewiczCurrent Events:

Construction of the new Saratoga County watersystem continues to have problems. The

Adirondack Mountain Club has questioned thevalidity of using some Moreau Lake State Park landfor the pipeline without the approval of the statelegislature. The state DEC has ruled the Countycan’t transfer an existing water permit to the newSaratoga County Water Authority, meaning it maybe the County not Water Authority that will have toissue the construction bonding. All this facilitates awater supply for the Luther Forest Tech Park tosupport AMD if and when they decide to build achip plant here. The county supervisors alsodeclared the AMD site in Luther Forest an EmpireZone which qualifies AMD for an additional $260million in state tax breaks.

The Saratoga County Sewer District treatmentplant outside Mechanicville also needs to beexpanded to process the 10 million gallons per dayof waste water that the AMD plant would produce.Bids on that project in excess of $50 million wereapproved by county sewer commissioners. Thiscould increase the average user’s bill by about $50

per year. AMD would pay an annual users’ fee ofabout $400 thousand.

A little closer to home the McCormicks fromTrustCo Bank have dropped their lawsuit againstthe Town of Clifton Park. Remember the disputeover the barn “raising” on their Grooms Roadproperty where it was intended to develop homes.A former Town Supervisor, Kevin Dailey, has takenan option to buy the property. Working with anadjoining property owner, Dailey proposes to build40 high end homes on 70 acres centered around aplanned horse farm and riding stable. The remaining74 acres would be donated to the town for openspace.

You can get up and speak at a Clifton Park TownBoard meeting as long as you don’t take more than5 minutes. In the past the Supervisor and Town

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where zoning rules were recently changed to “preserveopen space and rural character”.

A 79,000 square foot Marriott Residence Inn hasbeen proposed in Clifton Park on the east side ofRoute 9 just north of the intersection with Clifton ParkVillage Road. This is up near Chelsea Park where theoff campus offices of the Shenendehowa SchoolDistrict are located.

The Stewarts at the corner of Grooms and Vischer-Ferry Roads is apparently changing the brand ofgasoline for sale. I saw a request to the PlanningBoard for 3 Mobil Company signs on the canopy overthe gas pumps.

Recollections:

In 1984 the civic association held the annual wineand cheese party in February at Donovan’s Restaurant(where the Outback Steak House now resides). Therewas a 1950’s theme for the evening and folks camedressed as mouseketeers, boy scouts and a lot of theladies wore their old letter sweaters. The eveningincluded hula hoop, jitterbug and limbo contests.

At the civic association annual meeting in April, TownSupervisor Roy Speckhard presented plans to buy the71 acre Gifford Farm property on Vischer Ferry Roadto be used as a community center. Over the followingyears that plan evolved into the Clifton Commons aswe know it today.

The annual field day included a 2.5 mile run aroundthe golf course for the first time. Over 100 participantsand spectators turned out for the event despite thetorrential rain fall. So much so that most of the eventshad to be moved indoors.

The civic association board began discussing how topreserve the open spaces in Clifton Knolls includingour ponds, ball fields and playgrounds, which werethen owned by developer Robert Van Patten. Thoseconversations were the beginnings of what laterbecame the Clifton Knolls Mill Creek Park District

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Board members tried to accommodate folks who ranbeyond that limit by extending their time. Not anymore! A new $600 digital wall clock timer will be usedto bring any comments to a close.

Plans for the new town park on six acres along theMohawk River off Riverview Road just east ofRiverview Orchards were unveiled at a Groom’sTavern meeting on November 15th. Because of thephysical constraints on the property with significantwetlands and a steep slope, there will be no vehicleaccess with only a small parking area off RiverviewRoad. Activities in the park will be passive in naturewith fishing access and a few picnic tables.

The Town of Clifton Park recently took ownership ofthe Mohawk Valley Grange Hall on Sugar Hill Roadright next to Grooms Tavern. The building comes witha large meeting room, a stage, full kitchen and restrooms. The Sugar Hill Road structure was built in1896 as a local community center. The Town willmove slowly in considering how to use it.

The Towns of Clifton Park and Halfmoon havebegun a study to improve traffic flow betweencommercial areas within the towns. The study areaextends from Route 146 south to Sitterly Road andfrom Plant Road west to Maxwell Road. The study isfunded by a grant through the Capital DistrictTransportation Committee with each town alsocontributing and will try to improve connectivitybetween shopping areas in the towns while diminishingthe number of entrances on main roads.

Independent Towers, LLC (a cell tower developer)has applied for a zoning variance at 753 GroomsRoad (that’s the farm across the street from the newfire station) to build a 120 ft. high tower supportingSprint/Nextel with future expansion to Clear Wire andVerizon. The property is zoned R-1 residential and thezoning law currently prohibits new towers in an R-1residential zone.

The Planning Board is considering the Conifer Villagesenior housing project proposed for the southeastcorner of Route 146 and Waite Road. The 80 unit, 3story structure will be in the western portion of town

with most of those resources (except thegolf course) now owned by the Town ofClifton Park.

The Town put on hold the civicassociation request to form a leaf pickupdistrict in 1984. But the civic associationpersevered and that great service makes allour lives a little simpler each fall.

The Halloween parade and partyentertained over 200 kids. The exceptionalsunny 70F degree weather brought out alarge crowd that year.

Captains of Shenendehowa opened theCaptain’s Treasures thrift shop on Route9 in 1984. Captain Youth and FamilyServices still provides assistance whereneeded in our community today.

The civic association worked withRobert Van Patten to provide ice skatingon our ponds that winter. Volunteersmanned the skating area on the north endof Barney Pond and some lighting waseven added for night time activities.

The civic association sponsored aholiday shopping trip to the Charles Town

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factory outlet stores in Utica. CharlesTown was a converted munitions plantwhich was advertised at that time ashaving the largest number of factoryoutlet stores under one roof.

The Clifton Knolls Women’s Club againsold luminary candles for the holidayseason. Our streets were always lined bythose candles at night. It was a pleasantsight to drive through the neighborhoodon a winter evening in December.

The best classified ad for 1984 camefrom an address on Par Del Rio. FREEpine needles were offered to thecommunity. At least the price was right!

Classified Ads are published free ofcharge to any resident of Clifton Knolls/Mill Creek. Contact Jon Barry for more

information, 383-0722

Call For Applications: CKMCCA Annual Scholarship Award2008

Extended Deadline!

Your annual dues to the Clifton Knolls/Mill Creek Civic Association helps our neighborhoods have thechildren’s Halloween party, have the adult wine and cheese party, maintain our neighborhood entrancemarkers, and publish this newsletter and our annual directory. For the past several years, it has also granted ascholarship to a different deserving neighborhood student each year.

The CKMCCA is again offering a $500.00 scholarship award to recognize an outstanding high schoolsenior who shows academic achievement, extracurricular activities, and involvement in the community.Besides showing these characteristics, the other requirements are that the student must live in the CliftonKnolls or Mill Creek neighborhoods, and their family must be dues-paying members of the Civic Association.Students are eligible regardless of the school that they attend, or even if they’re homeschooled.

To apply for the scholarship, high school seniors are required to submit a letter describing theirqualifications and interest in receiving the scholarship. Because the scholarship is awarded based on academicachievement, extracurricular activities, and civic involvement, it would be wise to include this information in theletter. A copy of the student’s most recent high school transcript is also required. Other information, such asletters of recommendation, could prove helpful in the selection process, but are not required.

Applications are evaluated and ranked by a group of business, governmental, and academic leaders inthe Capital District. They are not members of the Civic Association, and they don’t live in Clifton Knolls orMill Creek, to ensure their impartiality.

If there are questions regarding the scholarship or the application process, please contact:

Bryon Backenson

8 Eldorado Drive

Clifton Park, NY 12065

518-371-7931

pbryon@fastmail.fm

There is no formal application form. The application consists of the letter/essay, transcripts, and optionalsupporting documents. These should be submitted to Bryon Backenson at the address above by Friday,March 14, 2008. Note that this is a new, extended deadline. This will be the last News and Viewsbefore the applications are due, so don’t forget!

Clifton Knolls/Mill Creek Civic AssociationPO Box 2Clifton Park, NY 12065

PRSTD STDCAR-RT

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PAIDPermit No. 8Clifton Park,

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