📆 BETHELEHEM AREA EVENTS

⚡💧 SLINGERLANDS-BASED PLUG POWER SURGES AFTER BEATING WALL STREET EXPECTATIONS 📈🚀

🍁🚌 SWEET LEARNING ROLLS INTO ELSMERE ELEMENTARY! 🍁📚

🟣📚 VOORHEESVILLE VOTERS TO DECIDE ON $36.6M SCHOOL BUDGET MAY 19 🗳️🏫

❤️✏️ “IT’S OKAY TO BE DIFFERENT” — GLENMONT STUDENTS INSPIRED BY LOCAL SPEAKER 🌟🚲

Introducing the Bethlehem Area Live Community Calendar

MAY 13th

MAY 14th

MAY 15th

MAY 16th

MAY 1th

Plug Power, the hydrogen fuel cell company headquartered in Slingerlands, is getting fresh attention after reporting stronger-than-expected revenue for the first quarter of 2026. 💥

The company announced:
💰 $163 million in revenue
📈 Nearly 17% ABOVE Wall Street expectations

Investors reacted quickly, sending Plug Power shares climbing from:
📊 $3.09 Monday morning
➡️ $3.60 by Tuesday afternoon

🏡 Why this matters locally

Plug Power has become one of the Capital Region’s most closely watched companies, with deep roots in Bethlehem and the growing clean-energy economy.

The company:
⚡ Manufactures hydrogen fuel cells in Slingerlands
🏭 Operates major facilities in Bethlehem
👷 Supports local jobs in advanced energy technology

New CEO Jose Luis Crespo, who took over leadership in March, told analysts the company is focused on finally becoming profitable for the first time in Plug Power’s history.

🎯 Key company goals include:
✅ Positive core profitability by the end of 2026
✅ Full profitability target by 2028
✅ Continued cost reductions and operational efficiency

🗣️ “We exceeded internal expectations on revenue,” Crespo said during the earnings report.

📉 The company still reported a quarterly loss of:
💸 $245 million

However, that was partially offset by:
📉 Improved loss-per-share numbers
⚙️ Major manufacturing cost reductions
📈 Growing demand for hydrogen technology

🌍 Global instability fueling interest in hydrogen

One major theme from the earnings call was how worldwide energy uncertainty is increasing interest in alternative fuels.

Crespo said:
⛽ Rising fuel prices
🌍 Political instability
⚠️ Persian Gulf tensions

are pushing countries and industries to explore:
💧 Green hydrogen
✈️ Sustainable aviation fuels (SAF)
⚡ Alternative energy systems

Plug Power says it is seeing growing momentum in its electrolyzer business — machines that extract hydrogen from water to create cleaner fuel sources.

✈️ The aviation industry is also showing increasing interest in hydrogen-powered fuel alternatives, according to company officials.

🚀 Plug Power has already:
✅ Signed a hydrogen contract with NASA
✅ Expanded global partnerships
✅ Begun exploring aviation fuel opportunities overseas

📊 Industry analysts cautiously optimistic

Analysts say Plug Power still faces significant financial challenges, but many believe the latest quarter shows progress.

A Motley Fool analyst called the earnings report:
🗣️ “A step in the right direction.”

Locally, many residents continue watching Plug Power closely because of its major impact on:
🏡 Bethlehem jobs
⚡ Clean energy development
📈 The Capital Region economy

🔗 Read more:
https://www.timesunion.com/business/article/plug-power-surprises-wall-street-added-revenue-22254519.php

#PlugPower #SlingerlandsNY #BethlehemNY #CleanEnergy #HydrogenFuel #CapitalRegionBusiness #BethlehemLocalNews #518Business #GreenEnergy #NASDAQ #TechNews #LocalEconomy #FutureOfEnergy

Students at Elsmere Elementary got a hands-on taste of New York history and agriculture Monday when the Mobile Maple Experience rolled into Delmar! 🚛🍁

Hosted inside a 24-foot interactive trailer, the New York State Maple Producers Association’s traveling classroom brought the fascinating world of maple syrup production directly to students. ❤️

Kids learned all about:
🌳 How maple trees are tapped
🪣 How sap is collected
🔥 How syrup is boiled and processed
🍯 Why maple syrup color and flavor changes throughout the season

The experience also explored:
📜 Native American maple traditions
🏷️ Syrup grading and labeling
🥞 Flavor profiles and maple production techniques

Students got an inside look at one of New York State’s most iconic agricultural industries through engaging exhibits and hands-on learning opportunities. 🍁✨

🏡 Maple syrup is a BIG deal in New York

Did you know?
📍 New York is the SECOND-largest maple syrup producer in the United States!

Programs like the Mobile Maple Experience help connect local students to:
🌾 Agriculture
📚 Science and history
🍁 New York traditions
👨‍🌾 Local food production

A big thank you goes out to:
👏 BCSD Food Service Director Claire Groudine
for organizing the informative — and delicious — educational visit!

Moments like these show how creative learning experiences can make classroom lessons come alive for students throughout the Bethlehem community. ❤️

🔗 Read more:
https://www.bethlehemschools.org/elsmere-students-get-the-maple-experience/

#BethlehemNY #DelmarNY #ElsmereElementary #MapleSyrup #BCSD #HandsOnLearning #NewYorkMaple #CommunityNews #BethlehemLocalNews #518Kids #AgricultureEducation #SweetLearning 🍁

Residents in the Voorheesville Central School District will head to the polls on May 19 to vote on the district’s proposed $36.6 million budget for the 2026-27 school year — a plan school leaders say maintains programs, preserves staffing, and invests in students despite rising costs. 📈📚

The proposed budget represents:
💰 A roughly $2 million increase
📊 About a 6% rise over the current year

District officials say much of that increase is tied to expenses largely outside local control, including:
⚕️ Rising employee health insurance costs
🏗️ Debt payments tied to the district’s capital project

🏡 What’s included in the proposed budget?

According to the district, the spending plan would:
✅ Maintain current programs
✅ Preserve staffing levels
✅ Bring back Universal Pre-Kindergarten (UPK)
✅ Create a new in-district special education classroom for kindergarten and first grade

The district says the new special education classroom could save approximately:
💵 $400,000 annually
by reducing out-of-district placement costs.

Superintendent Frank Macri emphasized the importance of keeping students educated within their own community:
🗣️ “The goal is to give the district an outstanding program in-house for our students to become Voorheesville Blackbirds and community members.”

👶 Universal Pre-K returns

One of the biggest highlights for many families is the return of a UPK program through a partnership with the Capital District YMCA. ❤️

The program is expected to operate out of the former Christ the King building in Guilderland.

State funding currently provides:
💲 $5,400 per student

However, officials say that amount could nearly double if Governor Kathy Hochul’s proposed state budget increase is approved.

💸 What about taxes?

To support the budget, the district is proposing:
📈 A 4.2% tax levy increase
—the maximum increase allowed under state law.

Estimated homeowner impacts vary by municipality:
🏡 Berne: roughly +$160 per $100K assessed value
🏡 New Scotland/Guilderland: just under +$100 per $100K
🏡 Village of Voorheesville: slightly above +$100 per $100K

District leaders said reducing the levy below the allowable limit could create long-term financial problems by permanently shrinking the district’s future tax base.

📊 Where does most of the money go?

About 75% of the proposed budget covers:
👩‍🏫 Salaries
⚕️ Employee benefits

Other major expenses include:
🚌 BOCES services
📄 Contractual expenses
🏗️ Debt service payments

🗳️ Board of Education election

Residents will also vote on Board of Education seats.

Interestingly:
👤 Only one candidate — incumbent Argi O’Leary — filed paperwork for the district’s two open board seats.

📅 VOTING INFORMATION
🗓️ Tuesday, May 19
📍 Voorheesville Central School District
🗳️ Budget Vote & Board Election

For many families, the upcoming vote will help shape:
📚 Educational programming
👶 Early childhood opportunities
🏫 Student services
💜 The future of the Blackbird community

🔗 Read more:
https://altamontenterprise.com/04292026/vcsd-send-366m-budget-voters

#Voorheesville #Blackbirds #VCSD #SchoolBudget #CapitalRegion #518Schools #CommunityNews #BethlehemLocalNews #NewScotlandNY #EducationMatters #LocalGovernment #UPK #SchoolVote

Students at Glenmont Elementary recently received a powerful lesson about kindness, perseverance, and embracing differences from local speaker and disability advocate John Robinson. ❤️

And judging by the number of kids reportedly trying to write their names with their elbows over the weekend… his message clearly made an impact. ✍️😊

Robinson, who lives just blocks from the school and is a former Glenmont parent, visited students to share his personal story of growing up with a disability and learning to navigate the world in his own unique way.

🗣️ “I’m really happy with who I am,” Robinson told students. “It’s a good thing that we’re all a little different.”

During the schoolwide assembly, Robinson explained that he was born without full extension of his arms and legs, and described how he adapted everyday tasks like:
✍️ Writing
📱 Using technology
🍴 Eating
🚗 Driving

To help students better understand his experiences, he challenged them to try writing their names using only their elbows — an activity that quickly became one of the most memorable moments of the visit.

🏡 A message bigger than the classroom

Beyond discussing disabilities, Robinson focused on:
❤️ Acceptance
🤝 Inclusion
💪 Confidence
😊 Embracing what makes people unique

He shared stories about:
⚽ Playing sports as a child
😔 Facing teasing and bullying
🚴 Discovering a three-wheel hand cycle as an adult

That hand cycle eventually helped Robinson ride hundreds of miles along the Erie Canal with his family. He even brought the bike to show students during the presentation. 🚲✨

💼 Robinson also discussed his career journey, including leaving a sales job to become CEO of:
🌟 Our Ability
—a company focused on helping people with disabilities find employment and independence.

Students eagerly asked thoughtful questions about:
📱 How he uses a phone
🚗 How he drives
🚲 How he rides his bike

And Robinson answered each one with warmth, humor, and honesty.

❤️ A lesson students — and adults — won’t forget

His message throughout the visit remained simple but powerful:
🗣️ “It’s okay to be different. That’s part of being human.”

In a world where kids often feel pressure to fit in, many parents and educators say visits like this help students build:
✅ Empathy
✅ Understanding
✅ Confidence
✅ Compassion for others

A huge thank you to John Robinson for sharing his story and inspiring the Glenmont school community. 👏❤️

🔗 Read more:
https://www.bethlehemschools.org/glenmont-speaker-inspires-students-with-simple-powerful-message/

#BethlehemNY #GlenmontElementary #ChooseKindness #InclusionMatters #CommunityNews #BCSD #BethlehemLocalNews #DisabilityAwareness #ItsOkayToBeDifferent #518Schools #PositiveMessage

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