Jeff McKinney

Local Scams

According to the New Lebanon Quarterly Newsletter, there are two scams currently being run in our area. Here are the descriptions from the newsletter:

(1) There are two men approaching homeowners in a dump truck with stone claiming they can give it to them at a reduced price because it is “left over” from a job. When the homeowner declines, they dump the product anyway and INSIST that they are owed payment. Additionally, one of the men will try to gain entry to the home by claiming to need to use the bathroom or some other excuse. They are very aggressive and intimidating.

PLEASE share this information with friends and family – REMIND your family and friends NOT to allow strangers into their homes and that they should call 911 immediately if someone comes onto their property and will not leave when asked to. Someone cannot come onto your property to do work you have not authorized and then demand payment.

(2) Someone calls a grandparent in the middle of the night and claims they have their grandchild (and refer to them by name) here at the police barracks. They ask you to wire them money to bail them out of jail and get their vehicle out of impound. DO NOT wire any funds. Call 911 immediately. Then make a call to the grandchild or their parents to make sure they are okay. Several people have sent money and unfortunately there is no legal recourse to recover it.

We had a rock truck show up at our house a few summers ago. I don’t know if it was related to this scam but the guy with the truck gave me the same story about having extra rocks because of a job done in the area. He was pushy but didn’t try anything as described in the above warning. Please share this info with friends, family and neighbors in and around the county.

At The Crandell: 21 Jump Street

It looks like The Hunger Games has left The Crandell. This was one of the few times that our local theater has shown a movie on its opening night and continued to run it for multiple weeks. The folks at The Crandell did that without raising ticket prices so I hope this was profitable and a positive experience for everyone. You can read my recap of The Hunger Games’ midnight showing premier at The Crandell by clicking here.

Tonight, a new movie arrives in Chatham, it’s 21 Jump Street, starring Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum.

Here is the trailer:

Rated: R
Action/Comedy
Running Time: 109 minutes

Show Times:
Friday 4/13 & Saturday 4/14 at 7:00pm & 9:00pm
Sunday 4/15 – Thursday 4/19 at 7:15pm

Ticket Prices:
Adults: $5.00
Children Under 12: $4.00

The Crandell Theatre is located at 48 Main Street
in the Village of Chatham. Visit CrandellTheatre.org for more info and follow ColumbiaCountyCurrent.com on twitter @CoCoCurrent.

Mysterious Object Falls From Sky in Litchfield, CT

It looks like our Connecticut neighbors have a real-life X-File on their hands. This past Tuesday, around 2am, a state trooper and another person reported a large object falling out of the sky in Litchfield, CT, located in the North-West corner of the state. The object was described as being the size of a whale, green and glowing. The witnesses thought the item landed in Bantam Lake and the fire department was called to the scene to investigate. Nothing was found and the search was called off. The item remains a mystery.

The 99% in Great Barrington This Friday

This Friday, April 13, there will be a 99% Action Training meeting in Great Barrington, MA. This is part of a nationwide movement to teach people how to reclaiming our country through sustained non-violent action.

Here is some info on the meeting from the organizers:

“We’re coming together to learn how we can use nonviolent direct action—in the footsteps of Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr.—to win change. We’ll be building our skills in order to join an unprecedented series of actions planned nationwide to confront corporate power holders, end tax giveaways to the 1%, fight the influence of money in politics, and more.”

When: Friday, Apr. 13, at 6:00 PM
Where: South Berkshire Friends’ Meeting (in Great Barrington)

For more info and to RSVP, click here or visit MoveOn.org.

Food for Fines @ New Lebanon Library

All this week (April 9 – April 14, 2012) at the New Lebanon Library, it’s Food for Fines times!

Do you owe fines at the Library? Use them to feed the hungry! Food will be accepted in lieu of fines. Fines for overdue materials (regardless of amount) will be cleared from your record at the rate of one fine per one non-perishable, unexpired, unopened food donation. Only overdue items – not lost or damaged items – are eligible.

All food donations will be forwarded to Charlie’s Pantry for distribution to needy families in and around New Lebanon. So clear your conscience of all those overdue books and benefit your community at the same time!

WHEN: Monday 4/9 through Saturday 4/14
WHERE: New Lebanon Library (550 State Route 20, New Lebanon)
Phone: 518-794-8844
Email: leb@taconic.net