📆 BETHELEHEM AREA EVENTS

🌡️BETHELEHEM AREA WEATHER

🎓📚 LOOKING AHEAD TO 2040! RCS SCHOOLS UNVEIL ROADMAP FOR THE FUTURE! 🏫🚀

Introducing the Bethlehem Area Live Community Calendar

October 12th Monday

More Events at: https://BethlehemAreaLive.com

📍 DELMAR, NY — The Town of Bethlehem's proposed zoning code overhaul is heading back before the Town Board on Wednesday, October 14, 2026, following a significant revision released on October 2.

The latest proposal would preserve the existing Residential A and Residential B zoning regulations, reversing earlier plans to replace those districts with a new low-density residential classification.

However, questions remain about proposed higher-density development in other parts of town.

Following months of public discussion and concerns about development density, traffic, neighborhood character and school capacity, Town Supervisor David VanLuven announced at the September 23 Town Board meeting that the town would abandon its proposed changes to Residential A and B districts and existing conservation subdivision regulations.

The revised October 2 proposal reflects that direction.

✅ Residential A and B: Existing zoning regulations would remain in place.

✅ Conservation subdivisions: Current regulations would be retained.

✅ Neighborhood character: Revised language would emphasize protecting established suburban residential neighborhoods, single-family homes, undeveloped residential lots and agricultural lands.

While the proposed changes to Residential A and B have been withdrawn, other proposed zoning provisions remain under consideration.

These include:

🏢 Commercial Mixed-Use Districts: Proposed residential density of up to 25 units per acre.

🏘️ Mixed-Density Residential Districts: Proposed residential density of up to 17 units per acre.

Potentially affected corridors and areas include:

📍 Route 9W
📍 Delaware Avenue
📍 Cherry Avenue
📍 New Scotland Road
📍 Route 85
📍 Meads Lane
📍 Blessing Road

Some residents have expressed concerns about the potential effects of higher-density development on traffic, infrastructure, public safety and school enrollment.

According to the October 2 update, the proposed density allowances in these districts remain unchanged.

IMPORTANT: The Town Board is NOT scheduled to vote on final approval or rejection of the zoning code update on October 14.

Instead, the board is expected to consider whether to schedule a public hearing for November 10, 2026, allowing additional public discussion before any final decision.

The town released the revised proposal 12 days ahead of the October 14 meeting, providing residents with additional time to review the proposed changes.

Zoning regulations help determine where and how future development can occur throughout Bethlehem, including Delmar, Glenmont, Slingerlands and Selkirk.

The decisions under consideration could influence future residential development, commercial growth, neighborhood planning and infrastructure needs.

📅 NEXT TOWN BOARD MEETING: Wednesday, October 14, 2026

📅 PROPOSED PUBLIC HEARING: Tuesday, November 10, 2026 — subject to Town Board approval

🔎 Residents can review the proposed zoning amendments, summary of changes and redlined zoning code through the Town of Bethlehem's official website.

💬 WHAT DO YOU THINK?

Does retaining the current Residential A and B zoning address your concerns, or do you have questions about the proposed higher-density districts along Bethlehem's major roadways?

Share your thoughts respectfully in the comments. 👇

📰 Bethlehem Local News — Keeping Our Community Informed!

Source: Spotlight News

LINK TO OCT 2ND ZONING REVISIONS

#BethlehemLocalNews #BethlehemNY #DelmarNY #GlenmontNY #SlingerlandsNY #SelkirkNY #BethlehemTownBoard #ZoningUpdate #CommunityDevelopment #LocalGovernment #CommunityNews #BethlehemZoning

As families and businesses throughout Bethlehem, Delmar, Glenmont, Slingerlands and Selkirk continue to face rising utility costs, a new debate in Albany is raising an important question:

How much discounted electricity are large companies receiving through state-supported energy programs — and could those arrangements ultimately affect what New York residents pay?

Republican lawmakers in the New York State Assembly are demanding greater transparency from the New York Power Authority (NYPA) regarding discounted electricity allocated to data centers across the state.

The information they're seeking could help New Yorkers better understand how public energy resources are being distributed and whether those allocations deliver sufficient economic benefits.

The New York Power Authority operates programs that provide lower-cost electricity from publicly owned hydroelectric facilities and other sources to qualifying businesses.

These incentives are intended to encourage investment, economic development and job creation.

However, Assembly Minority Leader Ed Ra and other Republican lawmakers want answers to several questions:

⚡ How many data centers currently receive discounted electricity?

💵 How much are those companies actually saving?

🏢 How many permanent jobs are being created in exchange for these incentives?

📊 Are taxpayers and electricity customers receiving sufficient economic benefits from these arrangements?

The exact electricity prices paid by individual companies are not publicly disclosed, making it difficult to calculate the value of their discounts.

Even though this debate is taking place at the state level, its implications could reach communities throughout the Capital Region.

💡 1. YOUR MONTHLY ELECTRIC BILL

New York households are already dealing with substantial increases in electricity costs.

According to energy pricing data cited by the Times Union, average residential utility bills statewide have increased nearly 50% over the past five years.

Large data centers can require enormous amounts of electricity, particularly facilities supporting artificial intelligence.

If new demand requires additional power generation, transmission infrastructure or grid upgrades, an important question is who pays for those investments?

Depending on utility regulations and cost allocation, some expenses could potentially be passed along to customers.

However, discounted NYPA power does not automatically mean higher bills for Bethlehem households. The actual impact depends on how the programs are funded and how electricity system costs are distributed.

🏪 2. LOCAL SMALL BUSINESSES

Bethlehem's restaurants, retailers, service providers and other small businesses also depend on affordable electricity.

Some smaller businesses and nonprofit organizations qualify for NYPA programs, but large industrial users receive much bigger power allocations.

Greater transparency could help determine whether available public power is being distributed effectively among major corporations, smaller employers and community organizations.

🏗️ 3. ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT VS. PERMANENT JOBS

Data centers can bring substantial construction spending and property tax revenue to communities.

But they often require significant electricity while creating relatively few permanent jobs.

One proposed data center in Genesee County, for example, would require electricity equivalent to the needs of more than 300,000 homes while creating approximately 125 permanent positions.

That raises questions about how New York should evaluate the economic return from allocating limited energy resources.

🌳 4. FUTURE DEVELOPMENT IN THE CAPITAL REGION

There is no indication in this report that Bethlehem is currently considering one of these massive AI data center projects.

However, decisions made statewide about data center incentives, electric grid capacity and development regulations could influence future projects throughout the Capital Region.

For local communities, important considerations include electric system capacity, infrastructure costs, property tax benefits, environmental impacts and long-term employment opportunities.

Governor Kathy Hochul imposed a one-year moratorium on certain large-scale data center developments in July 2026.

Smaller existing facilities used for everyday computing, including those serving hospitals and financial institutions, are exempt.

The administration has also proposed restricting certain tax incentives for data centers and establishing clearer expectations for future developments.

Importantly, existing rules do not categorically prevent future large AI data centers from qualifying for NYPA power allocations.

The Republican lawmakers' request for disclosure and the governor's regulatory initiatives represent different approaches to questions surrounding data center growth, affordability and public benefits.

Publicly owned energy resources are valuable economic assets.

Understanding who receives discounted electricity, how much they save and what New Yorkers receive in return could help policymakers make more informed decisions.

For Bethlehem area residents, the information could help clarify three important issues:

✅ Whether public power incentives are producing meaningful economic benefits.

✅ Whether growing electricity demand could contribute to future utility costs.

✅ Whether state energy policies adequately consider households, small businesses and local communities.

Transparency alone won't lower electric bills, but it could provide important information about how New York's energy resources are being used.

⚡ Are rising electricity bills becoming a bigger concern in your household?

🏢 Should companies receiving discounted public electricity be required to disclose their savings and demonstrate measurable economic benefits?

🏠 What protections should be in place to ensure residential customers aren't unfairly burdened by future large-scale energy projects?

👇 Share your thoughts respectfully in the comments!

📰 Bethlehem Local News — Keeping Our Community Informed About Issues That Matter Close to Home!

🔗 Source: Times Union

#BethlehemLocalNews #BethlehemNY #DelmarNY #GlenmontNY #SlingerlandsNY #SelkirkNY #CapitalRegionNY #ElectricBills #EnergyCosts #NYPA #DataCenters #EnergyAffordability #NewYorkNews #LocalBusiness #CommunityNews

🎓📚 LOOKING AHEAD TO 2040! RCS SCHOOLS UNVEIL ROADMAP FOR THE FUTURE! 🏫🚀

What should education look like for today's students — and how can schools prepare children for a world that doesn't yet exist? 🤔

That's the challenge facing the Ravena-Coeymans-Selkirk Central School District, where Superintendent Craig Chandler has introduced a new framework designed to guide the district's priorities, investments and major decisions in the years ahead.

Presented publicly at the September 30 Board of Education meeting, the plan centers on THREE interconnected priorities intended to strengthen education while supporting students, families and taxpayers.

📚 1️⃣ FUTURE-READY LEARNING — PREPARING STUDENTS FOR TOMORROW

The district wants students to graduate with more than academic knowledge.

Along with strong reading, writing and mathematics skills, the framework emphasizes:

✅ Critical thinking and problem-solving
✅ Communication and collaboration
✅ Applying classroom knowledge to real-world challenges
✅ Adaptability in a rapidly changing world

🌎 Here's something to think about: Today's RCS pre-kindergarten students are expected to graduate in 2040!

That means schools are preparing children for careers, technologies and opportunities that may not even exist today.

❤️ 2️⃣ BELONGING & SAFETY — EVERY STUDENT MATTERS

RCS is also placing emphasis on creating schools where students and families feel safe, respected, supported and connected.

The district's approach includes:

🏫 Physical and emotional safety
🤝 Strong relationships among students, staff and families
💬 Open communication and responsiveness to concerns
❤️ A welcoming environment where every student feels valued

The underlying goal is to create the conditions students need to learn, grow and succeed.

💰 3️⃣ FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY — MAKING EVERY DOLLAR COUNT

With taxpayers making a substantial investment in public education, the district says responsible financial management must remain central to its decisions.

That includes carefully evaluating:

💵 School budgets and spending
👩‍🏫 Staffing and educational resources
🏫 Buildings and facilities
💻 Technology and infrastructure
📊 Long-term sustainability of programs

The objective is to ensure district resources are used effectively and that major expenditures can be explained to the community.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

🏛️ FIVE PRINCIPLES TO GUIDE THE DISTRICT

Supporting these priorities are five expectations for district leadership and operations:

🔹 Trust
🔹 Transparency
🔹 Communication
🔹 Excellence
🔹 Strategic Systems Thinking

The district intends to use these principles when considering future decisions involving curriculum, staffing, facilities, technology and educational programs.

Importantly, the three priorities are designed to work together, with none taking precedence over the others.

🔍 WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR RCS FAMILIES AND TAXPAYERS?

The framework is intended to provide a consistent way to evaluate major decisions and explain how those decisions support student learning, school safety and responsible spending.

It establishes a direction for the district, although specific initiatives, costs and implementation timelines will still need to be addressed as future proposals come before the Board of Education.

📢 THE BIG PICTURE

From today's classrooms to the graduating class of 2040, RCS is looking to balance academic preparation, student well-being and fiscal accountability.

The real measure of the framework will be how these priorities translate into decisions and results in the years ahead.

💬 WE'D LIKE TO HEAR FROM OUR RCS COMMUNITY!

Parents, teachers, students and taxpayers — what should be the district's TOP priority as it plans for the future?

📚 Academic achievement?
❤️ Student safety and well-being?
💰 Fiscal responsibility?
🤝 Or finding the right balance among all three?

👇 Share your thoughts in the comments!

📰 Source: The Ravena News-Herald

Read the full article:
https://www.ravenanewsherald.com/towns/the-ravena-news-herald/categories/news/articles/rcs-lays-out-roadmap-for-district-s-future

#BethlehemLocalNews #RCSSchools #RCSCentralSchoolDistrict #RavenaCoeymansSelkirk #RavenaNY #CoeymansNY #SelkirkNY #PublicEducation #FutureReadyLearning #StudentSuccess #SchoolSafety #FiscalResponsibility #EducationNews #CommunityEngagement #AlbanyCounty

Today's Problem:

\[ 8+8\div8+8\times0=? \]

Step 1: Divide first

8 ÷ 8 = 1

Now we have:

8 + 1 + 8 × 0

Step 2: Multiply next

8 × 0 = 0

Now we have:

8 + 1 + 0

Step 3: Add everything

8 + 1 + 0 = 9

CORRECT ANSWER

💡 Remember: Always do multiplication and division BEFORE addition and subtraction!

🎉 Did you get it right?

#MondayMorningMathPuzzler #BethlehemLocalNews #MathChallenge #BrainTeaser #KeepYourMindSharp

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