November 20, 2025

With Thanksgiving next week, community organizations, such as the Guilderland Food Pantry, Community Caregivers, and the YMCA, are tirelessly working to address growing food insecurity in our community. You can help by donating food, money, or volunteering. More details are below.

Town News & Announcements

At its meeting on Tuesday, the Town Board formally adopted the Comprehensive Plan Update which sets forth the community’s future goals and recommendations ranging from encouraging affordable and workforce housing, expanding parks and recreational opportunities, and adding more sidewalks and multi-use paths. The 181-page document sets forth the framework for how the Town will address the needs of our growing and diverse community.

Holiday Tree Lighting

On Saturday, December 6 at 7pm, the Town is holding its first annual Tree Lighting celebration outside the clubhouse at Western Turnpike Golf Course. The evening starts with a holiday parade of about 20 decorated fire and other trucks from Town Hall to the clubhouse. There will be live music, food, warm drinks, craft events and more inside the clubhouse.

In addition to the lighting of a Town holiday tree, you can purchase a tree in memory of a loved one, as a symbol of peace & hope, or celebrating the season. The trees will be secured in place by Town staff around the Town holiday tree. The cost of each tree is $75.00 which includes the tree, electricity, and a lead cord. You provide LED lights, ornaments, and decorations. For more information, please contact Town Clerk Lynne Buchanan at Town Hall at (518) 356-1980 or Dave Jenkins at the Parks & Rec at (518) 456-3150.

2025 Open House and Greens Show

The Guilderland Garden Club and the Guilderland Historical Society are hosting the 2025 Holiday Greens Show at the Mynderse-Frederick House in Guilderland Center. This year's special show takes place on Friday, December 5 from 4pm to 8pm, Saturday, December 6 from 1pm to 5pm, and Sunday, December 7 from 1pm to 5pm. Santa is making a special visit on Saturday between 1pm and 3pm. This year’s theme is “Winter Whites & Lights,” with the recently restored and painted historic home decorated with fresh greens, handmade ornaments and decorations made by Garden Club members, and available for purchase, with proceeds supporting the Garden Club’s scholarship program, and other local charities.

The Highway Department’s vacuuming of leaf piles is scheduled to end on Thursday, December 4. While the schedule has two specific days for vacuuming each listed streets, Highway crews have already made four vacuuming visits on most streets and will continue beyond the last scheduled day as long as good weather continues. Highway crews know where leaves fall late and there is no need to call about accumulated leaf piles. Highway trucks circulate year-round picking up leaf bags and tied brush.

Please remember that, from November 1 to April 1, during the hours of 2 to 7 am, there is no parking on town roads, except when allowed by posted signs, to help with snow and ice removal.

The Parks & Rec.’s registration for its Winter Break Bonanza, a fun camp for children in grades 1 to 6 of tag games and activities like Jailbreak, Pins Down, Survivor, Seven-Base Kickball, Indoor Soccer, Basketball, and much more. It takes place from Friday, December 26 through Wednesday, December 31 from 9am to 11am at Guilderland Elementary School.

Registration is also open for Saturday Morning Basketball for children in grades 3 to 5 at Farnsworth Middle School. The program focuses on basketball fundamentals, with an emphasis on fun, teamwork, and sportsmanship. The program will use a league format, with games taking place every Saturday morning. The program has a limited number of spots available to maintain an optimal player-to-coach ratio and ensure quality instruction. The camp takes place on Saturdays from December 6 to February 7 from 9:30am to 11am, with no camp during the school break on December 27 or January 3.

The Parks & Rec. Dept.’s 2026 Hometown Heroes Banner Program recognizes active duty and veteran service members, both living and deceased, for their bravery, courage, and sacrifice. Each banner honors a current or former Guilderland serviceperson by name, branch of service, and photo. The banners will be displayed at Tawasentha Park at a special event held at GPAC. In late fall, the banners are made available to sponsors. Banners may be sponsored by individuals, families, businesses or organizations at a cost of $150 per banner. The deadline for applications is March 27, 2026. If you have any questions regarding banners, please call the Parks & Rec Office at (518) 456-3150.

The Senior Services Department’s monthly newsletter has information about classes and seminars, upcoming trips, heating assistance program, medical and shopping transportation, a visiting author, fall crafts, legal aid, monthly meal calendar, games, and much more. On Wednesdays from 11am to 1 pm, the Guilderland Public Library is the home for Seniors Connect!, where seniors can have a friendly chat on a wide-range of interesting topics.

The Town is also accepting letters of interest and resumes from candidates interested in applying for positions for Police Officer, Telecommunicator/911 Dispatcher, and Laborer positions in the Highway, Parks and Water Departments.

Upcoming Meetings at Town Hall

The following is a list of dates and times for currently scheduled meetings of boards and committees at Town Hall over the next 30 days. Please check the Town’s calendars for the latest news about public meetings and community events, possible changes in agendas and cancellations, and the latest contents of agenda packets. Unless stated otherwise, each of the listed meetings start at 7pm, and are livestreamed on the Town website, and broadcasted on Verizon channel 34, and Spectrum channel 1303. Within days of a broadcasted meeting, an indexed recording, with links to each listed agenda item, is also posted online.

Tree Preservation Committee

Thursday, November 20 at 3pm (neither broadcasted nor taped)

Town Board

Tuesday, December 2

Zoning Board of Appeals

Wednesday, December 3

Conservation Advisory Council

Monday, December 8

Planning Board

Wednesday, December 10

Town Board

Tuesday, December 16

American Revolution 250^th Anniversary Committee

Wednesday, December 17 at 3pm (neither broadcasted nor taped)

Turkey Bingo Night

Community Events & Resources

On this coming Saturday, November 22 from 5pm to 6:30pm, the Guilderland Center Fire Department is holding its annual Turkey Bingo Night, with door prizes, raffles for turkeys and cash, free beverages, and food and desserts for a donation. The event takes place at GCFD’s fire house at 30 School Road in Guilderland Center.

Charlie Brown Friendsgiving

On this coming Sunday, November 23 from 1pm to 3pm, the Altamont Free Library is hosting the second annual Charlie Brown Friendsgiving & Food raiser at the Altamont Masonic Lodge at 136 Maple Ave in Altamont. The “Thanksgiving dinner” is modeled on the classic Charlie Brown Thanksgiving dinner consisting of pretzels, popcorn, toast and jelly beans. The event will include the classic Peanuts piano jazz soundtrack played by the Dave Gleason Trio. To make this event more special, please bring non-perishable food items or a monetary donation for the Altamont Food Pantry.

December 6, 2025

The Fort Hunter Fire Company will be hosting a fund raiser on Saturday, December 6 at the Guilderland Elks, beginning at 5:00pm. Spend an evening with Katie Manning, a gifted psychic medium, who will be bridging the gap between our world and loved ones who have crossed over. Tickets are $65.00 per person and can be purchased here when scanning the QR code.

Guilderland Food Pantry

I was pleased to join Assemblymember Phil Steck at the Guilderland Food Pantry in presenting a check for $25,000 to support its mission. The Town is helping the Pantry by collecting non-perishable food items at Town Hall. Several car loads of donations have been delivered. The most needed items are rice (one-pound bags), pasta, canned fruit, cereal, pancake and muffin mix. Thank you for your support.

November Chats

Community Caregivers’ upcoming weekly Lunchtime Chats includes Happy Thanksgiving! Stories, Fun Facts, and More on Wednesday, November 26. You can join the one-hour chats starting at 1pm by calling (518) 992-6661. Community Caregivers is looking for volunteer drivers who can transport seniors for medical and other essential trips, and help keep our neighbors in their homes. If you are interested or have questions, please contact Community Caregivers at info@communitycaregivers.org or by calling (518) 456-2898.

The Guilderland Public Library’s calendar of upcoming event includes, on this Sunday, November 26 at 3pm, Sunday Concert: Triple Entendre & Guest, featuring vocalist/entertainers Cathy Olsen and Lucia Bryd with Diane Geddes on keyboard, presenting fun show tunes and shades of the blues, drawn from their years of performance experience in clubs, theaters, and other venues.

On Tuesday, December 9 at 2pm, the Library is hosting The Legacy of Julia Child's Kitchen, a virtual discussion with Paula J. Johnson, the author of Julia Child’s Kitchen: The Design, Tools, Stories, and Legacy of an Iconic Space. There are a few seats open on the Library’s Holiday bus trip which takes place on Saturday, December 6, with two buses departing the Library at 8am and arriving at Bryant Park in Manhattan at 11:30am. The day can be spent visiting museums, grabbing a show, shopping and enjoying the holiday splendor. The buses depart Manhattan at 6pm and return to the Library by 9:30pm.

The Albany Pine Bush Preserve’s late fall calendar includes a Thankful Walk on Friday, November 28 at 11am, a 2.6 mile stroll over rolling terrain through the Karner Barrens and taking breaks along the way. If there is snow, it will a 0.9 miles snowshoe hike, with snowshoes provided. On Sunday, December 14 at 10am, the Preserve is hosting a Winter Beginner Bird Walk, a 1 mile hike to explore the Karner Barrens and look for winter birds. The event will show how to use binoculars and identify birds by sight and sound. The Preserve will provide binoculars and field guides to help identify birds.

On next Tuesday, December 2 at 7:30pm, the NYS Writers Institute is sponsoring a public conversation with faculty from the University at Albany’s AI & Society College and Research Center which was launched in 2025 to advance responsible, human-centered approaches to artificial intelligence. The evening will the opportunity to explore how emerging technologies are reshaping democracy, education, and public services.

Town Hall and the Transfer Station will be closed for Thanksgiving and Friday, November 28.

Thank you for taking the time to read this newsletter.

Peter G. Barber

Town Supervisor