Around the Neighborhood - Esperance - 12 April 2026

Welcome to all your Esperance updates conveniently in one place!

Esperance, Sloansville, and Central Bridge residents, did you know you can share special happy birthday & anniversary wishes, as well as graduation, achievement, & celebration announcements in this Esperance column? 

Wishing Mayor Royce Gage a very happy birthday on April 9th! Other than three years spent in Florida, he has lived in Esperance his whole life and has been Mayor of the Village of Esperance for three years. Mayor Gage is a hard-working family man, happily, “married with three wonderful children and eight grandchildren.” In addition to Mayoral duties, he has been a truck driver for Price Chopper for 33 years, is a Caretaker for The Esperance Cemetery, a member of The Esperance-Sloansville United Methodist Church, a life member of the Esperance Fire Department, and past Exalted Ruler of the Esperance Elks Lodge. Every February he looks forward to snowmobiling in Quebec and he’s planning a snowmobiling trip to Newfoundland and Labrador. “My biggest accomplishment as Mayor is to make the Village a pleasant and beautiful place for the citizens of the Village and for people traveling Historical Route 20; they can stop and enjoy the Village, but none of this would be possible if I did not have two wonderful Trustees of the Village and my Village Clerk and Deputy Clerk to keep this Village running smoothly. Growing up in this Village was a wonderful place to be as my family, my father, and grandfather ran the family business of the Gage Insurance Company and the Schoharie Schenectady Mutual Insurance Company; my uncle had his law office here in the Village. I have seen a lot of great accomplishments in this Village, and I plan to keep it going and do great things for our beautiful Village. And I look forward to re-election this year to continue to be the Village of Esperance Mayor for years to come.” Mayor Gage is consistently vocal about his love of Esperance and his hope to see more involvement at monthly meetings, and you will find him participating at events like the upcoming celebration of our Country's 250th anniversary of the signing of the Decoration of Independence during the annual Esperance Memorial Day Parade. This cherished tradition is scheduled for a 1 PM line up and 1:30 PM parade start on May 25th.

Village Officials have been working to obtain a playground grant and Mayor Gage gave the latest news, “If all goes well we should start breaking ground for our new Village playground next spring.” Mayor Gage also wants you to know, “If there are any joys and concerns of the Village, please contact me and or please come to the Village meetings. I would love to hear any positive or negative feedback that would help the Village be a better place. Thank you.” Regular Esperance Village meetings are held every second Monday of the month, 7 PM at 115 Church Street; during April 13th’s meeting the budget discussed during April 4th’s Budget Hearing will be voted on. During the March meeting, many residents came out to discuss the state of Esperance sidewalks, so Mayor Gage would like to share this reminder, “Please pick up after your dog on walks and watch out for pedestrians walking in the Village and at the playground.” 

Village Hall rental is available (donations are appreciated; call the Village Office at 518-875-9044 for more information), and Esperance notifications are available at your fingertips by texting “Esperance” to the TextMyGov number 91896. 

Esperance Town Board meetings are every third Thursday of the month, 7 PM at 104 Charleston Street. During April 16th’s meeting, you will be able to view the beginnings of the new Town Hall art collection being hung in the meeting room. 

Esperance Town Supervisor, Earl VanWormer III, is advocating for those in need of a Dialysis Center in Schoharie County. He currently knows of at least eleven residents and their families who are struggling to make constant, necessary dialysis appointments no matter the weather and the distance. Please reach out to VanWormer at 518-852-0270 or via email at supervisor@esperancetown-ny.gov if you are another resident who would be relieved to see a local Dialysis Center come to fruition in Schoharie County, and if you are a professional versed on the logistics of how to go about getting a Dialysis Center constructed and staffed. All the support that can rally around this cause is appreciated.

VanWormer is also owner of Van-Dale Farms. They are located at 1391 Grosvenors Corners Road in Central Bridge and on Facebook; follow their page for updates on the local markets they can be found vending at, including The Central Bridge Farmer’s Market every Wednesday July - October, 4 - 7 PM at The Ball Park (649 NYS Route 30A, Central Bridge) and The Festival Farmers Market at The Gathering Place (127 Kenyon Road, Cobleskill) every Saturday July 11- October 24; 10 AM - 2 PM. Those interested in also vending can call Earl VanWormer III at 518-852-0270.

At Sweet Dahlia Farm & Florals: “The first dahlia and ranunculus sprouts of the season have sprung! It won’t be long before we are harvesting armloads of summer blooms. 

Prom season is almost here! We are now accepting prom flower orders for Duanesburg, Schoharie, Middleburgh, and surrounding local schools. We offer custom corsages, boutonnieres, pocket boutonnieres, and bouquets—designed to perfectly match your dress, suit, or tie. To order, send us a message on Facebook or Instagram with a photo of your outfit and any inspiration pics for your dream color match. Limited spots available—pickup in Esperance, NY before each school prom.

This week, we are busy seeding the rest of the summer blooms and preparing for exciting upcoming events. Catch us at Becker’s Nursery (927 Krumkill Road, Slingerlands, NY 12159) on Sunday, April 19, from 12–3 PM for their spring vendor market event!” Sweet Dahlia Farm & Florals is located at 4625 State Highway 30 in Esperance, and there is a self-serve stand at the end of the driveway. 

Cute and Wicked Candles has officially reopened at 152 Main Street, Suite 1, Esperance. “Thank you to everyone who stopped by and supported us—we truly felt the love. A special thank you to Kim (Greiner) for helping me create all those beautiful hand-whipped soaps. I couldn’t have done it without you.” Visit Thursday - Saturday, 11 AM - 5 PM; their highlighted candle for the month of April focuses on, “Empowerment, renewal, bringing new life to yourself.” The Empowerment Candle comes with two crystals; Jasper for courage, strength, and grounding, and Angel Aura Quartz for healing and raising vibration and clarity. The herbs associated with it are for healing, hex breaking or removals, new beginnings, & new starts. It also comes with a parchment paper you can write all you want to release, then fold it up, put it under your candle, and ask the candle to guide you to where you need to be; “burn it and let it go.”

Enter the Cute and Wicked Candles Mother’s Day Giveaway with a $25 minimum purchase. The winner will get a box filled with a hand-poured soy wax candle, botanical body oil, room & linen spray, lip balm, body lotion, and herbal bath salt valued at over $85-worth of products to gift or enjoy as a Mother’s Day treat; drawing will be held May 2nd. And mark your calendar to visit their shop on May 9th from 12 PM - 3 PM, Cute and Wicked Candles will hold a, “Mother’s Day Sip & Shop; An afternoon of music, wine, & shopping; Featuring Acoustic Duo Becca Frame & Brian Shafer; Complimentary Wine, Light Appetizers, Luxury Shopping Experience.” Candle Crafting Classes begin in June; “Be the first to experience our signature candle classes; Create your own candle and discover the art behind the pour; Limited seating; Additional dates to follow.” Cute and Wicked Candles wants to collaborate with other businesses! Please reach out to them if you are a fellow local crafter and a source for beeswax. Follow Cute & Wicked Candles and More on Facebook and through their website cutenwicked.com.

S&H Bicycle Store is looking forward to warmer weather and their Spring Kick Off Sale and Swap Meet on May 9th from 9 AM - 3 PM. During the event, William Monaghan Jr will present an 11 AM Basic Bicycle Fitting Class, which will cover seat position and bar position. There will also be a 1 PM Bicycle Flat Tire Changing Class during the event with Steve, “Have you ever been stranded with a flat tire and did not know what to do? We can walk you through how to get out of the flat tire jam.” S&H Bicycle Store is an authorized Aventon E-Bike dealer with open hours Tuesdays and Thursdays 5 PM - 9 PM & Saturdays 10 AM - 3 PM. In addition to new & used bikes and accessories for every budget and skill level, they offer tune-ups, repairs, and service at 3595 Highway 20, Sloansville. 

The Esperance Historical Society’s “Annual Membership Meeting is coming up on Sunday, April 12th at 1:30 PM at Two Saps Sap House (303 Cripplebush Road, Central Bridge). We’ll start with a brief meeting and election of officers, while enjoying a full breakfast with pancakes, eggs, sausage, cookies, coffee, orange juice, and plenty of maple syrup. After breakfast, join us for a special program with Vic DiSanto, a retired museum professional, Army veteran, and associate at the Iroquois Museum. Vic will share the stories behind 17 Revolutionary War flags, exploring how these early American banners united troops, and helped shape a new nation. We hope to see you there!” And, “Find us at the Village-Wide Garage Sale; We are excited to participate in the Esperance Village-Wide Garage Sale on Saturday, May 16 from 9 to 2 PM! We’ll be opening the barn doors for another blow-out sale featuring books, picture frames, artwork, Christmas decorations, and lots of housewares from cups and glasses to small appliances. You may even find a few antiques and vintage items. Stop by and check out our bargains!” The Esperance Historical Society would like your help, “We’re looking for friendly faces to welcome visitors at the Esperance Historical Museum this summer, and we’d love to have you on board. We call our greeters “docents” (which is just a fancy way of saying you’ll hang out with fellow history buffs who stop by to explore the museum). It’s easy, no experience required! In between visitors, you’ll have time to flip through our incredible collection of vintage scrapbooks curated by Esperance residents, they’re full of stories, photos, and local gems you won’t find anywhere else. (Seriously, they’re worth the visit alone.) We’re open weekends from Memorial Day to the Sunday before Labor Day. And the shifts are short, just 3 hours, from 1 to 4 PM on a Saturday or Sunday (whatever works best for you). To sign up, contact Linda Feuz by email (lfeuz27@gmail.com) or give her a call (518-577-4073).” Follow The Esperance Historical Museum on Facebook and check out their eBooks. “Member Benefit: You can subscribe to the Mountain Eagle annually for fifteen bucks — just call (518-763-6854) and say you're a member!” Esperance Historical Society Memberships are $9.00 per year and $5.00 per year for Sr. Citizens; small business patron $25. Anyone looking to support this organization can send a check made out to the Esperance Historical Society to 123 Church St., Esperance, NY 12066. 

Esperance Elks Lodge #2507, members and non-members are welcome to attend Monday classes taught by Registered Yoga Teacher, Venus Louise; “5:30 PM Chair Yoga, 6:30 PM Intro to Power Yoga. Classes are free by donation. Contact Venus Louise 518-764-9460.” Additional classes include Monday & Friday 10:30 AM Mindful Walking Yoga at The Gathering Place (5 week session that’s open to non-members), Wednesdays at The Gathering Place 10:30 AM Chair Yoga ($5 for members, $7 for non-members), and Tuesdays & Thursdays Thai Bodywork at Esperance Health and Wellness ($75 per hour, by appointment only). 

“Chair Yoga is an incredibly accessible fitness form that can burn up to 150 calories in one hour while seated. It is not just for seniors; it offers a high-impact, low-stress workout for office workers, travelers, or anyone looking to reduce joint pain and improve flexibility without needing a mat. 

Mindful Walking Yoga is a one hour indoor exercise. Incorporating a warm up and then alternating 3-minutes of fast paced Walking followed by 3 -minutes of slow walking. FUN music specifically picked for Walking in the lyrics, ie. Walking on the Sun. Walking on Sunshine. I walk the Line. These boots are made for Walking. Then cool down seated in a chair.

Power Yoga aka Ashtanga is a dynamic, highly structured, and traditional system that synchronizes breath and movement (vinyasa) through set sequences to promote detoxification, strength, and mental clarity.”

Esperance Yard Sale Day is May 16th. “Sign up to participate in this event and sell your items or baked goods; 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM; Don’t live in the Village of Esperance - Here’s your opportunity to participate in the Village Wide Garage Sale - Rain or shine we’ll be there!” For information, call or text Julie at (518) 332-8024. Anyone interested in applying for space to sell on the Lodge grounds are welcome and applications are available at the Esperance Elks Lodge. New Elks Lodge #2507 members are typically invited by existing members, but if you don’t have a connection to someone at the Elks Lodge, there’s a membership inquiry form available through their website (elks2507.org). You can also call the Lodge at (518) 875-6200 or email join@elks2507.org. The Esperance Elks #2507 Facebook page is regularly updated and they’re located at 111 Main Street. 

Esperance-Sloansville United Methodist Church offers confidential food pantry assistance; You can call or text 518-248-2185 to utilize that resource or reach out via phone or email (pastoralisyn@gmail.com) to schedule a food pantry donation drop-off at 175 Main Street.

Esperance-Sloansville United Methodist Church upcoming events: 

“Worship – Sunday, April 12th at 11:00 AM; Join us as we celebrate Eastertide with a hymn sing! Come to worship with some favorite hymn requests.

Faith Adventure Club – Sunday, April 12th at 10:40 AM; FAC meets in the Education Building for age-appropriate faith formation and fun for kids in grades K–8. 

Mosaic Youth Group – Sunday, April 12th, 4:00-6:00 PM; Sunday, April 12th, we’ll gather at CUMC for dinner, devotions, and games. All youth in grades 5-12 are welcome to join. Stay connected! Follow us on Facebook for updates on Youth Group and dates and locations.”

There are lots of exciting April events to attend at Landis Arboretum while they are celebrating 75 years! It’s free to enter their Bluebird Lottery. To participate, “Our nest boxes are placed in pairs; all you have to do is look at our Bluebird Trail map, pick one nest box pair location that you think will produce fledged bluebirds by June 15. Submissions will be accepted from April 1 to May 1. Oh ... and there will be prizes!” Head over to their website (landisarboretum.org) to access their online entry form and register for these other upcoming events: April 18th Houseplant Swap at 11 AM ($5 donation per person to register; bring plants and cuttings to share with others; please, no plants for sale of healthy, pest free plants, Common and rare plants are welcome), April 18 Star Party at 8:30 PM (free, donations to the Arboretum greatly appreciated; view the stars and planets in Landis' dark skies with members of the Albany Area Amateur Astronomers; a variety of telescopes will be set up; Star Parties are cancelled if the skies will be mostly cloudy), April 22 at 2 PM WAMC On The Road presents The Vox Pop Gardening show at the Landis Arboretum that you can be in the audience for during this broadcast; reservations are required, April 24 American Chestnut: History, Blight, Recovery at 1 PM (learn the story of one of the most important trees in American history and see samples of remaining Chestnut plants; Arboretum members: individual $5, family $15; nonmembers: individual $15, family $25), and April 25th 2026 Annual Spring Hawk Watch & Hawk Identification Workshop 10 AM - 4 PM (“A day observing hawks in migration over the Schoharie Valley. We will gather at the Meeting House and hope to see bald eagles, sharp-shinned hawks, osprey, and the longest travelers, broad-winged hawks - among other raptors on the move. Members: $5/person, $15/family; non-members: $15/person, $25/family”). 

Want to volunteer at the Houseplant Swap? “Contact us at landisvolunteering@gmail.com. Questions? Contact us at info@LandisArboretum.org!” Additional volunteer opportunities are, “Coming up May 15, 16, 17 we have our Spring Plant Sale. Tasks include set up on May 14th, working at bake sale, book sale and raffle tables, helping folks get plants to their cars, and shuttle from parking with golf cart. Especially looking for students needing hours toward honors programs. Email landisvolunteering@gmail.com.” Landis Arboretum is located at 174 Lape Road and, “is open dawn to dusk 365 days a year to you (and your well-behaved leashed dog; please scoop and remove any poops). No motorized vehicles allowed on the property beyond parking lots.” 

You can follow local businesses like Biscuitwood Farm (2639 State Route 162, Esperance; website: biscuitwoodfarm.square.site) and Dairy Carnival (3673 US-20, Sloansville) on Facebook for weekly specials and product availability. Dairy Carnival is currently open Wednesday through Monday from 12:00 PM - 9:00 PM; closed Tuesdays and they, “Have online ordering available as well indoor and outdoor eating, take-out and drive-thru!”

I’d love to include your Esperance, Sloansville, & Central Bridge business & organization updates including events, classes, special offers, and seasonal hours, as well as resident birthday, anniversary, achievement, holiday, graduation announcement, and celebration messages. Email them to me at bookclubhbhs@yahoo.com.

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Photo caption: Photo provided by Mayor Royce Gage. Please help keep sidewalks clear for those walking with strollers, other dogs, and to visit local businesses by taking advantage of this brand new Dog Waste Station. Village Officials just installed it in front of the Esperance-Sloansville United Methodist Church on Main Street.