Nominees sought for Mother of Year

Online nominations are being taken through April 10 for the 22nd annual Mother of the Year Contest celebrating area mothers who have demonstrated a commitment to their community and who have made a positive impact on their children and loved ones.

Five finalists will be selected. They must be available to attend a small ceremony in May.

The contest is sponsored by the city of Albany and St. Peter’s Health Partners Maternity Care.

For more information, or a nomination form, go to www.motheroftheyearalbany.com.

Albany’s literary legacy explored

“Backyard Literary Legends” will be the topic of a free Zoom presentation at 2 p.m. Sunday, sponsored by the Historical Society of the town of Colonie.

Presenter will be Maeve Mceneny-johnson, who will celebrate the fact and the fiction of the area’s historic literary past, including William Kennedy, local connections of Herman Melville, Henry James, Gregory Maguire, Vladimir Nabokov and Charlayne Woodard.

To attend, go to Zoom, and enter meeting ID: 832 126 2781 and passcode: HSTC.

Volunteers needed to help fire victims

BALLSTON SPA — Volunteers are sought for After the Fire, a nonprofit that helps Saratoga County residents who have suffered losses due to fire, for the organization’s monthly meeting at 7 p.m. Tuesday, at Eagle-matt Lee Firehouse, 35 Washington St.

The organization provides affected families with gift cards, a night’s stay at a participating hotel/motel, Red Cross referral, informational material and emotional support.

Meetings are held on the fourth Tuesday of the month.

For more information, call 518-435-4571 or go to https://www.afterthefire.org.

Zoom program spotlights birds

“Birds and more Birds — An introduction to our Feathered Neighbors” will be presented via Zoom at 10:30 a.m. March 25 by Shenendehowa Neighbors Connecting.

Explore the basics of bird watching, bird feeding and bird behavior as a state Department of Environmental Conservation educator talks about the wonderful flying and twittering creatures that live just outside your door and offer an opportunity to connect with spring and the outdoors.

Registration is required. For more information or to register, go to www.snc.clubexpress.com.

Socks, toothbrushes sought for children

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Drop off warm socks and toothbrushes at the first Pop-up from 3 to 5 p.m. March 25 at St. Clement’s Church Parking Lot, 231 Lake Ave.

The drive is organized by Youth2 to help Snacpack, for children and teens ages 6 through 18.

Youth2, Youth Helping Youth, is an organization in the city, under the care of the Community Foundation for the Greater Capital Region working together. Snacpack started six years ago to provide children living in foodinsecure homes with meals to sustain them over weekends and the summer.

March 25 event looks at polarization

ALBANY — Exploring opportunities for depolarization, the League of Women Voters of Albany County and the Capital Area Council of Churches will show the documentary “Braver Angels: Reuniting America” from 6:30 to 8:15 p.m. March 25.

In the documentary, a workshop participant offers the theory that polarization is actually being fueled by the media and politicians.

The film follows a workshop of a group of “reds” and “blues” who were able to find common ground and forge friendships despite initial tensions, apprehensions and differing views. Following the 50-minute film, there will be breakout rooms to facilitate discussions of the issues, constructive communication and forging positive political and social actions. To register, go to http://bit.ly/lwvacbadoc.

Author discusses racism issues

TROY — Douglas A. Blackmon, Pulitzer Prize winning author of “Slavery by Another Name: The Re-enslavement of Black Americans from the Civil War to World War II,” will be the featured speaker at a webinar at 7 p.m. March 25. A question-and-answer session will follow.

The talk is being hosted by the Justice Center of Rensselaer County as part of its ongoing work to address systemic racism.

A professor in the Creative Media Industries Institute at Georgia State University, Blackmon is working on a book coauthored with former U.S. Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr.

Blackmon has written about the American quandary of race, exploring the integration of schools during his childhood in a Mississippi Delta farm town, lost episodes of the civil rights movement and the dilemma of how contemporary society grapples with a troubled past.

Participants are encouraged to read the book and/or watch the documentary. To register, go to https://justicecenterofrensselaercounty.com.

Grange serving chicken dinners

BETHLEHEM — A takeout chicken and biscuit dinner fundraiser will be offered 3:30 to 6 p.m. April 3 at the Bethlehem Grange 137, 24 Bridge St., Selkirk.

Each dinner will cost $13 and must be ordered by March 31. For more information, or to place dinner orders, call Carol Carpenter, 518-421-1384.

Troy’s Earth Day cleanup next month

TROY — The city’s residents, families and business owners can come together April 17 through 25 to organize community-driven cleanup and beautification projects at local parks, green spaces, and neighborhoods across the Collar City.

They may participate in a small-scale alley cleanup or adopt a park or other green space with your neighbors and collaborate to improve it throughout the seasons. The city will provide clear bags for litter cleanup and yard bags for organic materials.

To organize a project in your neighborhood, call Renee Panetta, city recycling coordinator, 518279-7171 or email: renee.panetta@troyny.gov with meeting location, start and end time and date of cleanup and organizer contact information. Follow public health guidelines and wear a mask and maintain physical distancing.

For more information, go to www.troyny.gov/ earthday.

Also of interest

The East Greenbush Board of Education meets at 7 p.m. Wednesday. Due to social distancing guidelines, the public may not attend the meeting in person, but the meeting can be seen at www.egcsd.org. Public comment will be available during the meeting.

— Compiled by Azra

Haqqie

Appointments are now available for booking at 10 new state-run mass vaccination sites — including one in Queensbury — that are scheduled to open Friday, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo’s office announced Wednesday.

The sites will operate from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily and should have capacity to vaccinate over 1,000 individuals a day, depending on vaccine supply from the federal government, his office said. Appointments can be made online through the state’s “Am I Eligible” website or by phone at 1-833-NYS-4-VAX (1-833-697-4829).

The new local site will be at the Queensbury Aviation Mall Sears location at 578 Aviation Road, according to the state’s announcement Wednesday. The state vaccination site at the University at Albany continues to be open.

A previous announcement from the governor’s office said the Queensbury site would be located at 50 Gurney Lane — the former site of Warren County Social Services. Asked about the reason for the location change, state Department of Health spokesperson Sam Fuld said it was prompted by capacity needs in light of the Biden administration’s recent announcement that all adults will be eligible for vaccine starting May 1.

“Not only does this new location provide additional flexibility to expand capacity in the future to accommodate the increasing number of eligible New Yorkers, but it is a convenient location right off the Northway and has sufficient parking,” Fuld said.

As of Wednesday morning, the state’s online scheduling site was showing appointments booking through April 30 at the Queensbury site, which will administer doses of the Pfizer-biontech vaccine.

Montgomery County offices reopening

Montgomery County Clerk Brittany Kolbe said the county clerk’s office and DMV will reopen to the public on Monday, April 5. Both departments have been appointment-only since July 2020.

“After having conversations with our county executive and public health director, as well as many other county clerks across New York state, I feel we can open up to the public again safely,” Kolbe said.

Kolbe said COVID -19 safety protocols will remain in place, such as social distancing, mandatory mask wearing, a temperature check machine, and a handsanitizing station. A maximum of 10 people will be allowed in the DMV lobby.

Later hours on Tuesdays will start again April 6, with the DMV being open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Kolbe said the DMV and clerk’s office will still take appointments. Walk-ins and appointments will continue are just for Montgomery County residents.

— Bethany Bump