Historic group picks new leaders

By Rebecca Webster, Recorder News Staff

The Historic Amsterdam league Board of Trustees met Wednesday night
and are now sporting new leadership.

Robert von Hasseln, Amsterdam city historian and director of community
and economic development, stepped down as president of the
organization.

HAL trustee Jerry Snyder was nominated as the organization's new
president, with Dorothy Domkowski nominated as the new vice president.

The full HAL membership will vote on the nominations at their February
annual meeting.

Prior to the leadership discussion, the trustees recounted the events
from the end of 2012 and worked out some ideas for the 2013 year.

The Haunted History Tours from October netted more than $3,500 this
year, said treasurer Betty Clough.

"I think we did pretty well," she said.

The group decided they would give $500 to the Green Hill Cemetery for
all the help they gave to support the tours.

Trustees later remarked on partner locations, including the Old
Peddler's Wagon, who helped by selling tickets for the event.

"When they did that whole redesign, it's a wonderful place," von
Hasseln said. "The prime thing you see when you walk in the new front
door is Jerry's postcards. They move. They sell."

With the help of supporting businesses, the group is planning to
continue the ghostly tours for 2013.

"We should definitely capitalize on the interest," Domkowski said.

Trustee Nick Zabawsky gave fellow trustees an update on the historic
work needing to be done on City Hall.

"I've had several meetings over that last few months," Zabawsky said.
"We were able to get more money than we anticipated."

More than $30,000 was put into an account for the work on the
building, and about half has gone to the architect for the work
already done.

As for this year's HAL tour of one section of the city, the trustees
pushed ideas around about this year's West End Story tour.

Domkowski suggested the Century Club be used for the starting and
ending location for the tours, adding that they possibly will have a
lunch there this year as part of the tour event.

One of the highlights of this year's tour will be the historic
Firehouse No. 6 on Henrietta and Division streets.

Future projects for HAL include the research on the Clock Tower
building in the city and the possibility of getting the building on
the National Historic Register.

"It's amazing, the view," von Hasseln said. "It would be an easy
project between the city, HAL, and the owners to get that thing (the
clock) lit up again.

"It would be a great thing for the city."

The trustees also considered doing a winter event in City Hall and
spoke briefly about the Rockton House on Lyon Street, a place that the
trustees see as a potential future HAL headquarters.

"We wanted to make sure it was preserved because we suspect it may
have been the original house of Rockton," von Hasseln said after the
meeting, believing the home to be built around the 1820s or 1850s.

"We wanted to make sure that whatever else it becomes, it's preserved."

The idea to house HAL there was with the notion that even local
residents could come to the location to obtain information on historic
tax credits and some of the history of Amsterdam.

Steps need to be taken to make such an idea happen, but the group is
looking into the possibility.

HAL will hold its annual meeting on Feb. 20 where they will officially
vote on and swear in officers, as well as discuss plans for the year.

-- 
Bob Sullivan
Schenectady Digital History Archive
<http://www.schenectadyhistory.org/>
Schenectady County (NY) Public Library