Dear All, Tomorrow, Tuesday, March 8, the Town of Colonie Planning Board will have a sketch plan review for an 8,000 sq foot warehouse on the 4.8 acre vacant lot behind Yonder Farms in the Albany Pine Bush — 4298 Albany Street. The Planning Board meets at 6:00 PM at the Town of Colonie Memorial Town Hall, 534 New Loudon Rd, Latham, NY 12110. This is a relatively small lot and it’s next to existing warehouses and Yonder Farms, but it…
Here are some helpful tools to help you research development and land use changes in Albany Pine Bush. Properties on the Planning Board Agendas See our Planning Board Agenda Tracker. Search a Property You can search a property here, however it must be in a very specific format to match the tax record, like this describing the property: 20 New Karner Rd, Town of Guilderland. If you don’t have that level of detail or nothing is returned, you should use…
Dear Save the Pine Bush Friends, Please support this great event from Lights Out Norlite and the Clean Air Coalition. Thanks,Lynne Jackson HELLO ADVOCATES – THE CLEAN AIR COALITION OF GREATER RAVENA COEYMANS IS JOINING LIGHTS OUT NORLITE’S “EAT IN THE STREETS” FRIDAY JULY 23RD AT 6:30PM. WE ARE RAISING COMMUNITY AWARENESS ON THE LOCAL ENVIRONMENTAL AND PUBLIC HEALTH CATASTROPHES FROM WASTE, TOXIC CHEMICAL AND TIRE INCINERATION. PARK BY OR AT COHOES CITY HALL 97 Mohawk St. THEN MEET UP…
Willow Street Again Willow Street Again SPB Sues over Sewers Built in the Preserve DEC Caves in to Developer by Lynne Jackson Ten months after filing a ground-breaking suit that forced a developer to remove water lines from the Preserve along Willow Street in Guilderland, Save the Pine Bush has filed a second suit against the same defendants, this time seeking removal of the sewer lines. Lewis B. Oliver, Jr., attorney extraordinaire for SPB said, “We were successful in…
Monarch Butterfly Conservation Crisis Monarch Butterfly Conservation Crisis On September 12, 2000, The New York Times published an urgent warning by noted Monarch butterfly expert Dr. Lincoln P. Brower, and other scientists and conservationists, describing a crisis situation at the Monarch butterfly’s overwintering grounds in central Mexico (The New York Times, Science Times, p. 1). Ten days later, the New York City Parks Department hosted a “who’s who” of Monarch experts and conservationists in New York’s Central Park, to inform…
Willow Street Again Crossgates Follies The Government Plays Catch-Up By Daniel Van Riper Yerbury Flip-Flops Guilderland Supervisor Jerry Yerbury, who is up for re-election this November, has publically turned against the ravenous Pyramid Corporation and their plan to double the size of Crossgates Maul. Yerbury was quoted in the Daily Gazette as saying on Feb. 3rd, “I am personally opposed to the further expansion of Crossgates and I promise the residents of Guilderland that as long as I am…
Willow Street Again Guilderland Holds Steady History In The Making? By Daniel Van Riper The people have spoken, and the politicians are running to catch up to reality. Nobody with even a shred of self-respect wants to see the evil and rapacious Pyramid Corporation expand Crossgates Mall and possibly eventually plant a mega-casino. The effects on the Pine Bush ecosystem and on the regional economy are too horrible to think about. Meanwhile, Pyramid waits for it’s chance, brooding over…
Willow Street Again Letters The following excellent letter appeared March 21,1999 in the Hearst-owned Times Union under the title, “Improve Downtown and Preserve Pine Bush”: To the Editor: Why is the Albany Common Council approving Pine Bush development (Drumlin Fields office building) when there are plenty of vacant parcels in downtown and on Henry Johnson Boulevard that are screaming for development? I thought the goal of Mayor Jennings was to rebuild and improve downtown and Arbor Hill, making…
Willow Street Again Drumlin Fields Its Not Over ’til Its Over (There is still time to call your Council Member!) by Lynne Jackson Dramatic events have happened since our last newsletter, when we made an appeal for Save the Pine Bush supporters to contact their Common Council members and ask them to vote “no” on the Drumlin Fields proposal before the scheduled vote on January 21. The Common Council did NOT vote on January 21. They received a mountain…
New York State Historic Archaeological Site Inventory Form Stanford Home Hearing Information Hearing Notes January 23 Hearing Canadians are Coming! Archeological Information Photos – Outdoor Photos – Indoor Bonding Editorial Preservation Donate Contact New York State Historic Archaeological Site Inventory Form NYS OFFICE OF PARKS, RECREATION & HISTORIC PRESERVATION (518) 237-8643 For Office Use Only–Site Identifier Project Identifier USN A09303.000240 Your Name Louise Basa and John Wolcott Date September 1, 2006 Address Basa: 1220 Waverly Place, Schenectady, New…
by Tom Ellis ALBANY, NY: Dan Van Riper spoke about the proposed Lincoln Park sewage treatment facility at the May 16 SPB dinner. His wife, Lynne Jackson, introduced him saying Dan has studied the sewage issue for more than ten years and written about it extensively on his blog Dan began saying, “This is a really complex issue and if you don’t understand it, I don’ blame you.” He said the city wants the treatment plant in the ravine along…
STATE OF NEW YORK COUNTY OF ALBANY SUPREME COURT _________________________________________________ In the Matter of the Application of SAVE THE PINE BUSH, INC., REZSIN ADAMS, SANDRA CAMP, SHARON CASTERLIN, LUCY CLARK, LYNNE JACKSON, MARTHA MASTERS JOHN WOLCOTT, PETER VAN NOSTRAND and RUSSELL ZIEMBA, Case No. 1 VERIFIED PETITION Petitioners, Index No. for judgment pursuant to Article 78 of the CPLR RJI No. -against- …
Tuesday, January 23, 2007 at 7 p.m. Stanford Home Hearing Information Hearing Notes January 23 Hearing Canadians are Coming! Archeological Information Photos – Outdoor Photos – Indoor Bonding Editorial Preservation Donate Contact Tuesday January 23 Public Hearing on special use permit which allows another mall in Niskayuna Dear Friends of Ingersoll/Stanford parklands and all preservationists: Tonight, Tuesday January 23rd is the important Public Hearing on the special use permit that would allow a mall at Ingersoll/Stanford lands…
Marchers on M Street. Marchers on M Street. Previous • Next
The March The March Drummers sit in the street and drum
written by Lynne Jackson << Previous Begin Next>> Read the Developer’s outrageous response to this issue that says "walking or bicycling . . . should be discouraged." Public Health Issues The Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the proposed Residence Inn says the following about bicycle and pedestrian access: d. Bicycle Access – Page 19 “There is no convenient bicycle access to the site through the use of dedicated or shared bicycle lands. The Applicant does not anticipate either employees or…
The March The March At the first intersection, we could look across the street, and see the marchers returning.
Marching down 42nd Street Marching down 42nd Street
A founding member of Save the Pine Bush in 1978, Wolcott was a month shy of his 91st birthday when he passed away Thursday ALBANY — John Wolcott, a passionate long-time defender of preserving the Pine Bush ecosystem, self-proclaimed Albany historian, and thorn in the side of developers and government officials for decades, died this past week. Wolcott, a founding member of Save the Pine Bush in 1978, was a month shy of his 91st birthday when he passed away…
COLONIE – John Wolcott, a rebel with a cause, a purveyor of justice and the truth, died August 17, 2023, a month before his 91st birthday. He is now walking the Glory Road with Jesus. John was a genius who had a photographic memory. He was a beautiful calligrapher and made his own Christmas cards each year. He was a self-taught person who knew how to use maps to locate many details. He was an all or nothing person, which…
Another interesting crane Another interesting crane which we passed while marching down 42nd street.
Editor’s Note: Ward Stone died on February 8, 2023 at the age of 84. Ward Stone was a friend of Save the Pine Bush and often spoke at SPB vegetarian lasagna dinners. Here are two letters which describe Ward. The first letter was written by long-time friend, Lewis Oliver and sent to many media outlets, but, never published. The second letter from Tom Ellis was published in the Altamont Enterprise. Dear Mr. Seiler: The front-page article about the death of…
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by Tom Ellis RENSSELAER, NY: Rensselaer and East Greenbush (R&EG) residents continue organizing to close the Waste Connections (WC) Dunn construction and demolition debris dump. The overarching issue is the dump is sited in a major population area and thus affects many people. It is located next to the Rensselaer public school campus and in between R&EG neighborhoods. Tractor trailers–sometimes in convoys–traverse downtown Rensselaer streets every weekday from 6:30 a.m. until late afternoon, ruining the health and quality of life…
by John Wolcott Join us on a visit to a forgotten locale at the crossing of Old Karner Road with the AMTRAK tracks. This was bypassed when New Karner Road was built and then after a while the crossing was closed. This place was the location of the railroad stop half way between Albany and Schenectady established in 1831 when the first chartered passenger railroad in the Western Hemisphere was constructed here and for it’s first several years ran only…
As much as we love solar, the Eden Renewable Solar Project in Colonie is NOT okay. Dear Save the Pine Bush Friends, Please come to the public hearing regarding the proposed Solar Farm in the Pine Bush. I have included links to the documents and maps. Thank you so much, Lynne Jackson For Save the Pine Bush Join the next fight for the Pine Bush Wednesday, June 1, 2022, at 7:00 p.m. The meeting will be held at the Town of Colonie…
2020s 🦋 2010s 🦋 2000s 🦋 1990s Search Newsletter Archives: 1999 🦋 1998 🦋 1997 🦋 1996 🦋 1995 🦋 1994 1999 December 1999, January 2000 Garbage in the Pine Bush – City Proposes Landfill Expansion SPB Files Most Unpopular Suit Yet – Sues the Albany Pine Bush Preserve Commission The Thruway Authority Comes Across Royally Thank You to All Who Responded to the Emergency Appeal 1st Annual Pine Bush Walk-a-Thon a Sucess! October/November, 1999 Save the Pine Bush Sues…
by Tom Ellis RENSSELAER, NY: David Carpenter, a renowned local physician who studies the human health impacts of toxic materials, spoke at a December 2nd East Greenbush Town Board (EGTB) forum on the Dunn dump. He was the first presenter on a five-person panel. The Dunn construction and demolition debris dump, owned by Waste Connections, sits atop a hill next to the Rensselaer public school campus and the Holy Sepulcher Cemetery, and in between Rensselaer and East Greenbush neighborhoods. Odors…
At the same Town Board meeting where the Board passed a zoning amendment prohibiting commercial soccer fields in residentially zoned areas, the Town Board heard a presentation by its director of parks about the townÕs own proposed soccer fields in the Pine Bush. The zoning amendment passed by the Town Board specifically prohibits commercial soccer fields, but allows town facilities in residentially zoned areas. The town proposes to build 10 outdoor soccer fields on the 100-acre site which the town…
Contrary to the comments made by individuals who know not of what they speak, the TD Bank Protest event on February 23rd did not happen as reported by the TU Staff writer. There were a good 25 enthusiastic supporters at the TD Bank protest, but only those trained in Non Violent Civil Disobedience went inside the bank. Those who did not wish to be arrested left as requested by the police officers when they arrived. The incident with the officer…
by Grace Nichols Earth Day Season began with a Teach-In by the Black Caucus of PEF (Public Employees Federation) at the Albany Public Library (on April 16th) about the environmental injustice done to the Sheridan Hollow community in Albany, NY. Sheridan Hollow is named for its location down a ravine that’s across the street from the State Capitol, centered along Sheridan Avenue. It also has a history of being Albany’s energy producer, having begun producing energy by burning coal at…
by Steve Rider On its website it states that the Albany Pine Bush Preserve Commission “assure(s) the protection, restoration and management of the natural and cultural resources of the Albany Pine Bush.” However, in reality preservation of cultural resources is given little priority compared to the ecological goals. Original, unspoiled remnants of four historic roads can be found within the Preserve, some as part of the trail system, and nothing has been done to protect them nor to educate the…
It is with great sadness that we observe the passing of our dear friend, Louise Burch. Louise was a stalwart volunteer for Save the Pine Bush for decades. She folded newsletters and drove Rezsin and the newsletters to the post office. But, most important of all, she selflessly washed the dishes at the dinners, so that others could enjoy the food and the listen to the speakers. She did those behind the scenes important necessary tasks that needed to be…
Reprinted from the Altamont Enterprisel Thursday, May 17, 2018 Before there were cars and trucks, before there were carriages and wagons, before there were wheels, people have always made pathways. The routes they traveled linked hunting grounds with dwelling places, became a means of trade and commerce, linked one community to another or allowed one to fight another. Few of us give much thought to ancient roads in our midst. We didn’t until we got a letter from Steven Rider,…
by Tom Ellis Albany County legislator Doug “Bullhorn” Bullock has proposed legislation that would ban the use of take-out polystyrene (Styrofoam) food and beverage containers from chain restaurants and eateries in the county. The proposed bill, called the Food Service Waste Reduction Act, has numerous co-sponsors and may be voted on Tuesday, November 12. A poorly attended public hearing in late August was dominated by out-of-state plastics and chemical industries representatives. However, more than ten county residents spoke in favor of the ban at the September 9 monthly meeting and three…
PETER HENNER ATTORNEY AND COUNSELOR AT LAW P.O. BOX 326 CLARKSVILLE, NEW YORK 12041-0326 (518) 768-8232 Fax: (518) 768-8235 WEB SITE: peterhenner.com * CERTIFIED MAIL – RETURN RECEIPT REQUESTED NOTICE OF INTENT TO SUE October 20, 2003 Mr. Mark Wagner, General Manager Pyramid Crossgates Company 120 Washington Avenue Albany, New York 12203 Dear Mr. Wagner: This letter is a formal Notice of Intent to file a citizen suit against Pyramid Crossgates Company (“Crossgates”) for violations of its State Pollution Discharge…
NYC 10-27-07 Page 1 | Page 2 | Page 3 | Home Quakers carry signs End of the march End of the march Islam is not my enemy! Drive out the Bush Regime – the World Cant Wait! Mechanism to stop cars from driving down the street Mechanism to stop cars from driving down the street African Burial Ground National Monument African Burial Ground National Monument Mechanism to stop cars from driving down the street Fedral Plaza Reagan/Cheney Information booth…
Letters to Save the Pine Bush Letters to Save the Pine Bush Here is a sampling of letters written to Save the Pine Bush and some responses written by Lynne Jackson: From: rngeorge@gw.dec.state.ny.us (Richard Georgeson) To: pinebush@aol.com To Lynne Jackson: Lynne – In your history of Save the Pine Bush section of your web page, you incorrectly state, “In September of 1978, there were no environmental laws in effect in New York State.” However, in 1978 there…
It is with great sadness that we learned that Chet Burch passed away on New Year’s eve. Chet was a long-time volunteer with Save the Pine Bush, becoming involved more than 40 years ago. Most recently, Chet volunteered at dinners, making sure the church was open and available for our monthly lasagna dinners. A beautiful tribute to Chet was published in the Times Union. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Save the Pine Bush, c/o Lynne Jackson,…
Even Environmentalists Have a Sense of Humor Even Environmentalists Have a Sense of Humor A sense of humor is essential to surviving the rigors of being an activist and fighting one of the oldest political machines in the U.S. Have you ever heard of the Ladies Against Women? I understand the group was formed to follow Phyllis Schaffly around at her speeches and ask her for her cookie and cake recipes. They have a way of poking fun at just…
Location Is Everything – Kunstler Offers Solutions Location Is Everything Kunstler Offers Solutions By Daniel Van Riper We are living in "the national automobile slum. That is the human ecology of the United States." Thus spoke novelist and reformer of architecture James Howard Kunstler, who returned to speak at the May 13, 1998 Save the Pine Bush dinner at 1st Presbyterian Church in Albany. Since we last saw him two years ago, he has been "lecturing across the country for…
From Andy Arthur, our hike leader: Save the Pine Bush Hike Canceled That said, you are more then welcomed — and encouraged to take your own hikes at the Albany Pine Bush. Unlike other public lands in the area, the area is snow and ice free. Additionally, based on my recent walks in the preserve, the all trails are dry and mud-free except a short section of the Red Trail at the Great Dunes off Willow Drive near the vernal…
by Tom Ellis ALBANY, NY: At the March 16 SPB dinner, Albany County Executive Dan McCoy spoke about Environmental Accomplishments and the Agenda for the Future. Mr. McCoy began with, “There is so much we’ve done” and “You’re organization — Save the Pine Bush — has been the rock of our community.” Mr. McCoy grew up in Albany and still lives in the city. He said his love of nature and being out in it resulted in…
Save the Pine Bush Raises Money Save the Pine Bush Raises Money If you asked me what my least favorite activity is, I would say "fund-raising". Its no fun. But, we have discovered that our work to preserve the Pine Bush costs money. And because a lot of people believe as we do, we have raised far more money than I ever expected. SPB has no full-time, salaried staff. We are all volunteers, and have been known to put thousands…
The Two Month Debate – Jennings and McEneny In A Death-Grip The Two Month Debate Jennings and McEneny In A Death-Grip By Daniel Van Riper Part 1: The Challenger State Assemblyman and Albany mayoral candidate Jack McEneny found himself being interviewed by the editors of the local media outlet for the Hearst Corporation, the Times Union. After the usual questions they asked him, "How do you get along with the business community?" " Well," said McEneny, "I have a number…
Show Down Over Roundup Show Down Over Roundup by John Wolcott Invading black locust trees are crowding out and over shadowing native Pine Bush plants including the blue lupine which is essential to the survival of the Karner Blue. Black locust trees, along with bulldozer happy developers, are one of the many threats to the survival of the Pine Bush. Black locusts, like developers, are extremely difficult to eradicate from the Pine Bush. Jerry Mueller has been cutting down one…
New Light on an Old Road New Light on an Old Road by John Wolcott Save the Pine Bush board member John Wolcott has discovered evidence of a forgotten foot path through the Pine Bush that in the 1600’s and 1700’s ran parallel to the main Albany-Schenectady Road, the Maquas Padt. Here is Part 1 of a two-part article on what John found. "A Map of the Lines Run Pursant to the Direction of the arbitrators, as Claimed by the…
Proposed Hotel in the Pine Bush Hotel Update: Oral Arguements in the NY Court of Appeals Tuesday, September 15 at 2:00 The Court of Appeals is next door to Albany City Hall. This is an extremely significant case, and could, if we win change who has standing in SEQRA cases. Click here to read Amicus briefs Read attorney Steve Downs’ commentary about the hotel case here. Action Alert! Hear the Oral Arguments in the NYS Appellate Division Friday,…
ALBANY, NY: Christian Grigoraskos of the Extinction Rebellion Capital Region spoke at the February 19th SPB dinner on the topic of Climate Change: Heading for Extinction (And What to Do About It). Before he began, Lynne Jackson provided an update on the various proposals Crossgates has pending in the Town of Guilderland. Lynne said the PACE Environmental Litigation Clinic is representing SPB. Attorney Steve Downs added that SPB is the community organization that expanded the legal concept of standing by…
Protests Links to Photos of Protests Since January of 2000, I have felt that as a Citizen of the United States of America, that it is my duty and obligation to peacefully protest economic and war policies that I believe to be wrong. It is not that I like going to these protests, but I feel I must. At the protests, I take photographs. Here are links to the protests I have attended. On occassion, I attend other civic events…