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Category: Community
THE POKE JAR – NOW OPEN
We have all been anxiously looking forward to some wonderful new eats from the Poke Jar. The Poke Jar opened on Main Street March 15, congratulations to the owner on the new location and a warm welcome to the village from COHMSA. The dine-in and takeout restaurant offers a wide menu of sushi, street tacos, and ramen. The food looks fantastic and we can’t wait to try it ourselves. From what we have heard it is off to a wonderful start and we wish you the best of luck in your endeavors.
Check out their MENU here.
Follow their Facebook page for the latest updates
View the Times Union Table Hopping Post
(518) 336-4404
28 S Main Street
Castleton-on-Hudson, NY 12033
Tuesday – Saturday 11am – 7pm
WINTERLIGHT EVENT 1/22/22
We welcome all to join us for a wonderful winter event January 22 at 4:30 to 7:30 for sunset and firelight on Main Street! Come down to the corner of Main Street and Scott Avenue in your winter wear to enjoy music and community togetherness during a fun outdoor evening. Bring a chair and stay warm by the firepits and patio heaters, while talking with friends and neighbors. Cider, hot chocolate, pizza, donuts, and giveaways will be provided by COHMSA.
JANUARY BLOOMIN’ 4 GOOD
We are so excited to share that COHMSA has been selected to be a part of the Hannaford Bloomin’4 Good Program, created to give back to communities.
For the month of JANUARY 2022, each time a $12.00 Bloomin’ 4 Good Bouquet with a red circle sticker is purchased at the East Greenbush Hannaford, $1 will be donated to COHMSA. This is a great way to give back and raise donations for our organization.
Flowers can brighten a room, spread a smile or make someone’s day. Supporters can buy two, three or more bouquets throughout the month. The more bouquets sold, the more donations raised!
HAPPY HOLIDAYS
All of us here at COHMSA wish everyone a happy and healthy holiday season to be enjoyed with family and friends.
HOLIDAY GIFTS
Consider a gift for a loved one who loves Castleton-on-Hudson, shop to support Main Street. The Castleton-on-Hudson Main Street Association has lightweight tote bags for $10 and short sleeved T-Shirts for sale in white or grey. T-Shirts are $15 for Adult sizes and $10 for Youth Sizes (White Only).
The proceeds from the donations go toward the revitalization efforts of Main Street. Please consider making a purchase that supports our efforts to revitalize Main Street and increase awareness in our community. Memberships can also be purchased for friends and loved ones as gifts. The best part is that all donations stay local in the community, helping to breathe new live into the heart of Castleton-on-Hudson.
If you are interested in any of the items listed below, they may be ordered by emailing us at info@castletonmainstreet.org to coordinate payment and pickup/delivery options.
COHMSA SWAG
WHITE FRONT WHITE BACK
GREY FRONT GREY BACK
FALL DECORATIONS ON MAIN
Check out the wonderful fall decorations of corn stalks and pumpkins on Main Street! Special thank you again to Swartz Dairy and Produce for generously donating. Here are also a few pictures of the colorful flowers still in bloom this time of year along Main.
2021 RAFFLE FUNDRAISER
CONGRATULATIONS TO THE WINNERS!
*Kayak: Marlee Ford
*Yeti Cooler: Roger Conti
Gas Fire Pit: Kristina Golden
Thank you to everyone who bought tickets for this fundraising event. We were able to raise $2,390 for Main Street Revitalization efforts. We look forward to continuing our work for Main Street and the village.
*Donated by the Tryon Family Foundation
HANNAFORD BLOOMIN’4 GOOD
PURCHASE A BLOOMIN’4 GOOD BOUQUET THROUGHOUT THE MONTH OF SEPTEMBER AND COHMSA WILL RECEIVE A $1 DONATION!
SPRING 2021 RIVERKEEPERSWEEP
Another successful annual sweep, with 27 volunteers who collected 665 lbs. of trash and recyclables. We removed and gathered massive amounts of brush, scrub trees and other undesirable growth that was obstructing views of the river and access to the beaches on either side of Riverfront Park. The most common trash item collected were candy wrappers. The most unusual of the sweep were a family of baby bunnies who scattered when their brush was disturbed but they were gathered and replaced and marked with a Do Not Disturb sign.
A tremendous Thank you to all the volunteers and their effort, the support of the Village of Castleton leadership, the Department of Public Works. Additionally we would like to thank American Rivers and Home Depot for their donations.
Andrea Marvinney and Suzanne Cecala were coleaders who worked closely with Riverkeeper to set up and organize the cleanup. Please visit Riverkeeper and show your support of the important work that they do safeguarding the Hudson River by making a donation or shopping their Riverkeeper Swag.
SPRING NEWSLETTER
Happy Spring from the Castleton-on-Hudson Main Street Association (COHMSA)! We are so happy to be embracing 2021 with vaccinations under our wings (in our arms) and our excitement for the future ramped up. Please join us in celebrating coming through a tough time, and know that our hearts are with those who suffered losses this past year.
To those of you who made a membership donation, we thank you! As a 501c3 staffed by volunteers and funded entirely by donations and sponsorships, we appreciate the generosity that allows us to take on new projects and maintain existing ones. We want you to feel your money is well-spent, so please give us feedback. A special thank you to our sponsors. We have rolled your sponsorship over to cover 2021 because 2020 was such a bust.
WHAT WE’VE DONE
Calendar year 2020 was tough for everyone. We had to cancel some major events, such as a planned Bike Race, Main Street Day and Halloween Happening. But we did accomplish:
- Main Street Cleanup
- Main Street planter flowers
- Rainbow lawn signs throughout the Village
- New signal flags for nautical flagpole; new American flag
- Participation in Diversity Parade
- Purchase of new garbage cans in partnership with Village
- Participation in Halloween Parade
- Main Street Fall Decorations
- Riverfront Park cleanup as part of Riverkeeper Sweep in collaboration with the Village
- Created masks with “I LOVE Castleton” for membership and sale
- Grant applications
- Collaboration with Library to hang Snowflakes in Main Street windows
- Monthly meetings; attendance at Village Board meetings; articles submitted to Castletonian; annual membership drive
WHAT WE’RE PLANNING
- We are looking to expand our leadership team! Do you want to join a team working to improve our hometown and having lots of fun along the way? We have new bylaws and we’re jazzed to step up our activities. Your payment will be in the sense of service to your community and lots of laughter. People of all ages, genders and backgrounds encouraged to apply. For more information, email info@castletonmainstreet.org
- We are looking to increase our volunteer list. Do you have special skills or the desire to help out on an as-needed basis? Please watch your Inbox for a survey coming later this week. We’d love to add you to our database and reach out when the time comes.
- Volunteers needed now! We are looking for volunteers for two upcoming cleanup events:
- Saturday, May 1, 9:00 – noon: Riverkeeper Sweep! Riverfront Park Cleanup and Brush Removal. Located at Riverfront Park on the other side of the tracks. Adults only. Please pre-register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/castleton-on-hudson-riverfront-park-cleanup-and-brush-removal-registration-142545797317
- Saturday, May 15, 9:00 – noon: Main Street Cleanup. Meet at River Rest at 9:00 AM (the green space by the tracks, across from The Store). Please bring basic gardening tools and gloves. We will supply trash and lawn/leaf bags.
SAVE THESE DATES:
Main Street Triple Treat: Week of 5/17/21
Main Street StoryWalk: In collaboration with the Castleton Public Library, COHMSA invites you to bring the family down to read a book from one end of the Main Street business district to the other.
Main Street Geocaches: Caches in Castleton! Finally! Where are they? (What are they? Learn here.) Maybe you’ll be able to find them and log them. Or maybe not…
Main Street Mile: It’s not new, but it’s as good as ever. Start somewhere on Main. Walk south to the Village Hall, north to the base of Seaman Ave., and back to where you started. Boom! One mile. Look for MSM medallions and signs along the way. Fun + Healthy = WIN
Diversity Parade II: June 19th. While not a COHMSA event, we will be participating. If you’d like to help plan or know more, please contact COHcelebratingdiversity@gmail.com
Main Street Day: September 25. Join us for music, art, crafts, raffles, camaraderie. You don’t want to miss this one!
Halloween Happening: October 25. Details TBD. Ooh, scary.
CLEAN-UP EVENT AT RIVERFRONT PARK
Join the Castleton-on-Hudson Main Street Association and Riverkeeper for a clean-up event at Riverfront Park on Saturday, May 1, 2021 at 9am – Noon
Location
Riverfront Park
2 South Main Street
Castleton, NY 12033
About this Event
Join the Castleton-on-Hudson Main Street Association and Riverkeeper for a park clean-up and brush removal event at Riverfront Park on Saturday, May 1, for the 10th Annual Riverkeeper Sweep, a day of service for the Hudson River and its tributaries.
Volunteers will meet at the paved area by Amtrak gates, next to 2 South Main Street, Castleton-on-Hudson, NY. We ask all Sweep volunteers to wear sturdy shoes or boots, clothing that they can get dirty, and to bring a hat, sunscreen, a full reusable water bottle, and a face mask, work gloves and hand sanitizer. This site is not suitable for elementary-aged children.
*IMPORTANT! To ensure the safety of volunteers, Sweep Site Leaders, park staff, and our communities, we ask that volunteers adhere to the following guidelines:
- Volunteers are required to pre-register for Sweep, and bring their own masks, gloves, hand sanitizer, and water.
- All participants and Sweep Leaders must wear masks that fully cover both their nose and mouth, at all times, no exceptions.
- All volunteers must maintain a minimum distance of 6 feet and wear masks at all times. When announcements are being made, a distance of 15 feet should be maintained.
- Volunteers should carpool only with members of their own household.
- Volunteers should not participate if they have ANY signs of illness or if they have potentially been exposed to COVID-19 within the previous two weeks.
Questions? Contact Riverkeeper at sweep@riverkeeper.org or site leader Suzanne Cecala at scecala@nycap.rr.com.
To support the Riverkeeper Sweep and Riverkeeper’s year-round work to protect and restore the Hudson River and its tributaries, please consider becoming a Riverkeeper member or renewing your Riverkeeper membership with a donation of any amount, or starting a fundraiser to encourage your friends and family to become Riverkeeper members. Learn more and donate at: https://give.classy.org/Sweep2021
GRATITUDE AND UPDATES
Happy Holidays! 2020 is coming to a close soon, and we’re looking forward to a new year. This one has been very challenging, to say the least. To those who have endured losses this year, our hearts go out to you. And while Thanksgiving looks very different this year for most of us, we want to express our gratitude for our village and for each other. The Castleton-on-Hudson Main Street Association (COHMSA) team feels very grateful that we live in a welcoming community with kind neighbors, low crime, lovely homes and beautiful scenery.
We launched our annual membership drive at the end of October and we are grateful to those who have renewed their membership or joined for the first time. Your support helps us accomplish our goals of visible change and forward our efforts in the areas of economic growth and community pride. We are 100% volunteer and the support of the community helps keep us going. It’s not too late to donate for the 2021 year!
Those who donated $50 or more got a free “I Love Castleton-on-Hudson” face mask. We are also selling them for $12 each. If interested, please email info@castletonmainstreet.org and we’ll get one to you.
In addition, while we encourage buying local and shopping small businesses, if you do shop on Amazon, consider enrolling in their Smile program and choosing us as the charity to receive a portion of your purchase. It doesn’t cost you anything extra and it helps our organization.
We would like to congratulate Joe Keegan for his win as Mayor of Castleton and Jen Pratico and Lissa D’Aquanni as Village Board Trustees. We thank Marianne Carner for always being a great liaison between COHMSA and Village Board and we welcome Lissa to joining us. We thank Bob Schmidt for his service as Mayor and Gina Giuliano for her service as Trustee.
RIVERKEEPER SWEEP: On October 17, COHMSA, in partnership with Mayor Joe Keegan and village Trustees Sharon Martin and Lissa D’Aquanni, led Riverkeeper’s annual Sweep which had been postponed from May due to COVID-19. With strict COVID safety guidelines and safe track crossing procedures, we did a huge cleanup of Riverfront Park. Drive or walk by and check out the beautiful views!
Thank you to the wonderful volunteers who came out and helped and to the Castleton Department of Public Works. We represented Rensselaer County as one of more than 65 locations from Brooklyn to Watervliet with more than 900 volunteers who came out to care for the Hudson River. Together we removed 8 tons of trash, 1 ton of recycling, and 98 tires, and planted or maintained 500+ native trees and shrubs.
Here are some other updates:
HALLOWEEN PARADE: We were delighted to participate in the vehicle parade organized by the Castleton Public Library in conjunction with the Fire Department and attended by village trustees. What a joy to see all the families lining the parade route in their costumes, excited to get the candy being tossed their way.
FALL DECORATIONS: Thank you to Swartz Dairy & Produce for their generous donation of corn stalks and pumpkins for decorating Main Street.
CASTLETON VIDEO: You might remember that COHMSA submitted a video for HGTV’s new show, Home Town Takeover, last February. We didn’t win, unfortunately, but for some reason, it has begun circulating widely recently and we are happy for the attention and positive feedback.
MAIN STREET PROPERTY OWNERS: We see you! Thank you to those who have recently made improvements either by painting, cleaning or repairing your property. Every little bit helps Main Street look nicer.
NAUTICAL FLAGPOLE: The nautical signal flags, which spell “WELCOME HOME,” have been taken down for the winter. The American flag will continue to fly and will be replaced as needed. (Last year, the replacement was delayed due to shipping issues related to COVID.)
As always, we welcome ideas and suggestions.
Email:
info@castletonmainstreet.org
Website:
www.castletonmainstreet.org
Facebook and Instagram:
COHMSA
Wishing everyone a safe and happy holiday season –
Team COHMSA
2020 RIVERKEEPER SWEEP
Riverfront Park
2020
Castleton-on-Hudson
What a wonderful day Riverkeeper Sweep on Saturday, October 17th was! COHMSA, supported by Village officials, staff and volunteers, helped clean up 225 lbs. of garbage from the banks of the Hudson River. We also removed a massive amount of scrub trees and overgrowth from Riverfront Park, unveiling this hidden treasure and revealing beautiful vistas of the River.
Riverkeeper, who organized this Sweep event in more than 65 sites along the Hudson from Brooklyn to the Capital Region said that with only half the sites reporting results, 27,801 lbs. of garbage was cleaned from the River. Thank you to everyone who helped maintain one of our most precious resources.
To learn more about the efforts of Riverkeeper in protecting the Hudson River visit: https://www.riverkeeper.org/
We would like to thank The Home Depot in Rensselaer and Country True Value Hardware & Rental for their generous donation of garbage bags and work gloves. We greatly appreciate your support!
WHY TREE CITY USA?
Special thanks to Mike Martin and team who was instrumental in helping Castleton in being recognized as a Tree City USA community.
You may have noticed the signs are up at the village entrances. Castleton has demonstrated a commitment to the public trees by managing them and caring for them. Below are a few key benefits of the TREE CITY USA program:
- Boost property values across your community. Properly placed trees can increase property values from 7–20%. Buildings in wooded areas rent more quickly, and tenants stay longer.
- Build stronger ties to your neighborhood and community. Trees and green spaces directly correlate to greater connections to neighbors.
- Improve community pride. Participation in the Tree City USA program helps residents feel good about the place they live and work. Annual recognition shows visitors and prospective residents that trees, conservation, and the environment are important to your community.
- Honor your community and demonstrate your commitment to a healthier environment through Arbor Day celebrations and Tree City USA recognition.
