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Crossgates Mall drops charges in T-shirt incident

Crossgates Mall officials have dropped trespassing charges filed Monday against war protester Steve Downs, who wore a pro-peace T-shirt as he walked through the building that afternoon. The decision to negate the arrest came Wednesday evening, after more than 100 anti-war protesters descended upon the mall wearing shirts similar to Downs’. Tim Kelley, who works for the Pyramid Management Group that manages Crossgates and other malls throughout New York, said local managers had called the police. The decision to drop…

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Draft Environmental Impact Statement

Draft Environmental Impact Statement DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT for Avila House Independent Senior Campus Lead Agency:   City of Albany Planning Board 21 Lodge Street, Albany, New York 12207 Contact: Nicholas Dilello (518) 434-2532 ext. 28   Project Sponsor:   First Colun1bia, LLC 26 Century Hill Drive Latham, New York 12110-2128, (518) 213-1000   Report Contributors:   Hershberg and Hershberg 40 Colvin Avenue Albany, New York 12206 Responsible for "Pine Bush" Contact: Daniel Hershherg (518) 459-3096 Transportation Concepts, LLP 152…

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The Uyt Kyck Drumlin In The Schenectady – Albany Pine Bush

By John Wolcott By way of an etremely simplyfied explaination s drumlin is a major and fairly popularly known outwash feature of glaciial retreat. Over hundreds of thousand of years there have been four major glacial periods on earth when glaciers formed and spread north from the South Pole and south form the North Pole. Then there were interglacial warmer periods. There were miner fluctuations of re advance and re retreat. The fourth North American Glacial Advance; the Wisconsin moved…

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Dr. George Robinson Sheds Light on Landfills, their Possibilities and Problems Post-closure.

by Grace Nichols Dr. George Robinson is a professor in the Biodiversity and Conservation Policy graduate program at the University at Albany. He is very knowledgeable about landfills, as much of his work has involved transforming old landfills into positive open spaces which can meet the needs of local wildlife and local communities. Dr. Robinson’s students have traditionally used the Pine Bush as a place to conduct studies; Dr. Robinson maintains a good relationship with the Pine Bush Commission which…

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Save the Pine Bush Comments on Proposed Hotel

written by Lynne Jackson << Previous Begin Next>> Creation of a Viable Preserve The Applicant in the DEIS, goes to great lengths to show that a 2,000 acre fire-manageable Preserve has been attained. However, since the court cases listed by the Applicant, scientific research has shown that a viable preserve must be much larger than originally thought. The Albany Pine Bush Commission’s goal for a viable Preserve, based on scientific research, is set at 4,610 acres, much more than the…

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Save the Pine Bush Comments on Proposed Hotel

written by Lynne Jackson << Previous Begin Next>> Land Ownership — Identify the Principals The DEIS should identify the current owner of the property. This is a factual matter, and is important because it must be determined if the current owner is or is not the prior owner. Pyramid Corporation, as “Washington Commons Associates” sold the land on 12/29/04 to R.I Heritage Inn of Albany, LLC whose address is 128 Rear Washington Avenue Extension, an empty field and one of…

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Save the Pine Bush Comments on Proposed Hotel

written by Lynne Jackson << Previous Begin Next>> Questions of Illegal Clearing and SPDES Permit Violations The Common Council must consider that this land was illegally cleared, in violation of the SPDES permit (#4-0130-00007/2002, issued on 7/6/94) given to Pyramid Crossgates. This permit applies to Crossgates Mall, the Karner Blue Hill Preserve, and adjacent properties owned in whole or part or under control of Pyramid Crossgates. Special Condition #7c in the permit states that prior to any further physical alterations…

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Save the Pine Bush Comments on Proposed Hotel

written by Lynne Jackson << Previous Begin Next>> Karner Blue Habitat First, the Common Council should not accept this DEIS until the Common Council determines what the City of Albany’s policy is on extinction of species. The City of Albany should clearly outline its policy on extinction of species, including whether or not it values protecting species in danger of extinction. Because the entire site is within 200 meters of an occupied Karner Blue butterfly habitat, it must be considered…

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Save the Pine Bush Comments on Proposed Hotel

written by Lynne Jackson << Previous More Information Next>> April 29, 2005 Richard Nicholson Historic Preservation Planner City of Albany Department of Development and Planning 12 Lodge Street Albany, NY 12207 RE: Residence Inn Draft Environmental Impact Statement VIA FACSIMILE: 434-9846 Dear Mr. Nicholson: Save the Pine Bush is extremely concerned about the Draft Environmental Impact Statement that has been prepared for the Residence Inn development in the Pine Bush in the City of Albany. Our specific comments are detailed…

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Developer Responses on Proposed Hotel

by Lynne Jackson ALBANY: Responding to a motion to dismiss the lawsuit against the City of Albany over the proposed hotel in the Pine Bush, Judge Stephen A. Ferradino ruled in favor of Save the Pine Bush, giving all the plaintiffs standing. Steven Downs brought this case on behalf of Save the Pine Bush. Standing is whether or not a person or entity has the right to bring a case to court. A number of years ago, a case, Society…

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Developer Responses on Proposed Hotel

<< Previous Begin Next>> Note: The "Comment" is the developer’s summary of the public input, the Response is what the developer says in response. Comment 4: Commentor indicated that walking is a dangerous mode of transportation. No sidewalks are proposed. Employees will not be able to walk to work or use mass transit. Customers will not be able to walk or bicycle to the nano-tech facilities. Because customers and employees will need to use vehicles, their risk of being involved…

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Ward Stone was employed by the state but he worked for the people, animals, and environment

Published in the Altamont Enterprise, 3/2/23 To the Editor: I greatly appreciate your full-page commentary in the Feb. 16 issue about Ward Stone [“From the editor: A scientist who strove to make a healthier Earth”]. I knew Ward for 40 years. Ward was a rare public servant: competent, articulate, hardworking, fearless. He insisted he had a right and duty to inform and warn the public about environmental health threats. He was employed by the state Department of Environmental Conservation but…

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Save the Pine Bush Turns 45 Years Old!

by Lynne Jackson Forty-five years ago, Save the Pine Bush came into being. On February 6, 1978, the Albany City Planning Board scheduled a public hearing on four developments in the Pine Bush: the Dunes, Pinehurst, Pine Circle, and a development by Charles Touhey. However, it snowed that day. It snowed so much that the offices of the New York State government were closed by the governor and stayed closed the next day. Just because the entire city was shut…

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Tracy Frirsch’s PFAS Resolution

Tracy Frirsch drafted the following resolution and is calling on organizations and local legislatures to pass it: A Resolution Calling on the NYS Legislature and Department of Environmental Conservation to Ban the Use of Sewage Sludge in Compost and as a Soil Amendment or Fertilizer due to PFAS Contamination. Summary: This resolution calls for New York State to ban the recycling and use of sewage sludge (also known by the PR term “biosolids”1) as a fertilizer or soil amendment, including…

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Zeroing Out Waste Conference

Speakers Include: Neil Seldman, Institute of Local Self Reliance Professor Paul Connett, International Waste Management Researcher Majora Carter, Environmental Justice Leader, Founder Sustainable South Bronx Barbara Warren, Citizens’ Environmental Coalition Why do we have so much garbage? What can we do to prevent it? Looking at the trash question as a resource issue and a problem of industrial design is ushering in bold alternatives to leaking landfills and polluting incinerators in forward-thinking cities and countries around the world. What can…

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Development in Albany Pine Bush – 2010 to 2020

Albany County Tax records show that 253 acres of Pine Bush were forever lost to development between 2010 and 2020. Acres in Study Area Acres Developed with a Building * % Acres Preserved ** % Acres Undeveloped or Used for Highways / Landfill *** % 13,005 5,723 44.0% 3,317 25.5% 3,965 30.5% * Acres developed does not include highways or other developments that do not contain buildings. ** Albany Pine Bush Commission managed lands *** County tax parcels that do…

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Fire Burns House of Save the Pine Bush Founder John Wolcott

ALBANY: On Sunday, May 23, a fire ripped through John Wolcott (one of SPB’s Founders) and Linda Becker’s Sheridan Avenue home. The fire began in the house next door and leapt to the roof of John and Linda’s house. Fortunately, John and Linda were away on vacation and are safe. Unfortunately, the house was a total loss. And, inside, were many historic documents and maps, collected by John for over six decades. The day after the fire, Albany fire fighters…

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Returning to flight Efforts of New England biologists help usher in rebirth of the endangered Karner blue butterfly

CONCORD, N.H. – Two biologists crawled through a field thick with blueberry, black chokeberry, and scrub oak, searching for butterfly eggs the size of pinheads. Suddenly, one of them, Steve Fuller, thrust a hand into the air. “Found one!” he shouted. As his colleague, Heidi Holman, ran to his side, Fuller opened his hand to reveal a tiny white egg of the Karner blue butterfly, clinging to a twig. Eight years ago, it was impossible to find any sign in…

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The Islands of Radix Center

by Tom Ellis ALBANY, NY: Scott Kellogg and Justina Thompson spoke at the September 19th SPB dinner. Scott is the executive director of the Radix Center at 153 Grand Street in the South End of Albany. Justina is a 19-year-old student at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute majoring in sustainability studies. Both are highly enthusiastic about their work and are accomplished experts in environmental education. Before they began, Grace Nichols spoke briefly saying insect populations are rapidly declining for multiple reasons. These…

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Returning to flight

CONCORD, N.H. – Two biologists crawled through a field thick with blueberry, black chokeberry, and scrub oak, searching for butterfly eggs the size of pinheads. Suddenly, one of them, Steve Fuller, thrust a hand into the air. “Found one!” he shouted. As his colleague, Heidi Holman, ran to his side, Fuller opened his hand to reveal a tiny white egg of the Karner blue butterfly, clinging to a twig. Eight years ago, it was impossible to find any sign in…

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Keith Schue and Ward Stone fire up “Save the Pine Bush” about the Proposed Gas Turbines and the ongoing toxin issues at Sheridan Hollow

ALBANY, NY: At our February Save the Pine Bush dinner, two speakers, Keith Schue and Ward Stone, spoke about how toxic pollutants continue to impact the Sheridan Hollow neighborhood in Albany and how it might get even worse. Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York Power Authority (NYPA) had planned to install a new Gas Power Plant in Downtown Albany at the old Sheridan plant, built in 1911, and still operates with steam from electricity derived from fracked gas shipped…

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Let Your Voice Be Heard! – Don’t Let Them Take Land from Preserve! Public Hearings on the Pine Bush Make your voice heard about Pine Bush Preservation! It does make a difference! Wednesday, November 5, 7:00 pm – There will be a hearing on the Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the YWCA proposal at the Town of Guilderland, McCormacks Corners, Route 20, Guilderland. See article for details. Please call Jamie or Mary Malcome for information at 456-6246. A Monday or…

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Save the Pine Bush loses a friend Peter J.R. Buttner

  Below are excerpts from an article about Peter Buttner from the Altamont Enterprise: Peter J.R. Buttner was a man who, by his own reckoning, worked to build a brighter future no matter how dark the present. He did this in his personal life and in his professional life as director of Environmental Management for the state. He also did this for his community; when he lived in Guilderland, Dr. Buttner led a citizens’ board that pushed to have toxic…

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Rezsin Adams, leader of Save the Pine Bush, passes away

ALBANY: It is with great sadness that Save the Pine Bush announces the passing of one of its founders and long-time leader, Rezsin Adams. Rezsin, born in Brooklyn on February 13, 1927, died peacefully yesterday at the age of 93. Rezsin met her husband, the late Dr. Theodore Adams, while attending college at the University of Rochester.  After marrying in 1947, and receiving a masters degree in physiology, Rezsin and her family moved to the City of Albany Center Square neighborhood in 1959….

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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…

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Even Environmentalists Have a Sense of Humor

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…

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Walk in the Pine Bush!

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…

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DEC reintroduces box turtles in Albany Pine Bush Experiment

DEC reintroduces box turtles in Albany Pine Bush Experiment Born Free DEC reintroduces box turtles in Albany Pine Bush Experiment Reprinted from the Daily Gazette, June 24, 1997, By Paitrick Kurp, Gazette Reporter COLONIE – Deep in the Albany Pine Bush – some 500 yards, that is, from the New York State Thruway – among the pitch pines, white oaks and chestnut oaks, stands a rickety corral of wooden stakes and chicken wire. The floor of the 400 square foot…

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Candidates Night at SPB

Candidates Night at SPB Candidates Night at SPB Three Candidates for Common Council President Tell Us About Themselves by Lynne Jackson All three candidates for Common Council President spoke at our August dinner to an attentive audience. Rezsin Adams introduced the candidates in alphabetical order. Gregory Burch spoke first. A lifelong resident of Albany, Burch is a newcomer to politics. He got the political bug six months ago, feeling that things need to be changed. "We are off-course," he said,…

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Save the Pine Bush

Karner Blue Butterfly eggs are being cut open and eaten, and still no culprit has been found. The ants, however, have not been ruled out as suspects. Dr. Peter Spoor gave an update on his investigations into the lifestyle and habits of the friendly butterfly at the Sept. 26 dinner at the Unitarian Church. Stunning slides of their eggs under an electron microscope failed to reveal what sort of creature is leaving it’s marks along the broken edges. Other excellent…

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Things that can be recycled: 14 unique items

Cris Carl originally wrote this for Networx.com. Fri, Jun 03 2011 at 10:22 AM As environmental awareness has grown, so have greater opportunities to recycle. Recycling is incorporated into the waste management systems of most every town in the U.S., and what can be recycled has expanded because of changes in technology and marketing. Justine Fallon of the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection said that even within the last year, changes have occurred. “Aerosols used to be a safety issue (for workers)….

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Save the Pine Bush

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,…

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Environmental Injustice at Ezra Prentice Apartments and Community Health Study

by Dominick Calsolaro   The Ezra Prentice Homes, an Albany Housing Authority project consisting of 179 units, is located in Albany’s South End, at the southern end of South Pearl Street (Route 32). The area where Ezra Prentice is situated is a designated environmental justice community. The residents of Ezra Prentice, Old South Pearl Street, and lower Mount Hope Drive, suffer from the adverse health and environmental affects of: Crude-oil-by-rail; other industrial activities at the Port of Albany; traffic from…

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Extinction Rebellion Capital Region

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…

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Protest the RNC Protest the Republican National Convention On Sunday, August 29, I went with 275 other Capital District residents to the United for Peace and Justice protest of the Republican National Convention. These are the photos that I took. The protest was peaceful. What were we protesting? We were protesting George W. Bush’s war in Iraq, the loss of Civil Liberties, the disparity between rich and poor, the Bush administration’s economic polies, the Bush administration’s health care polices, and…

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Anti-War Protest, September 24, 2005

Anti-War Protest, September 24, 2005 Anti-War Protest, September 24, 2005 With two companions, Kathy and Alice, I went to Washington for the historic anti-war march on Saturday, September 24, 2005. Oraganizers of the protest believe over 300,000 people decended on Washington, DC to express our opposition to the Iraq war and our solidarity with the victims of hurricane Katrina. We boarded a bus from Albany, NY at 11:45 pm Friday, and arrived in Washington at 7:20 am. There were so…

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Women’s Lives 04-25-04 Women’s Lives 04-25-04 On Sunday, April 25, I had the privilege of going to Washington, DC, with hundreds of other people, to March for Women’s Lives. These photos represent my experiences at this march, attended by more than One Million people. Lynne Jackson Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9 Blue organizes Carrie, our bus captain Getting off…

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Sally’s Recycling Corner:

  Whether it’s a bottle of baby aspirin in a cabinet above your kitchen sink or a shelf of prescriptions on the bathroom shelf, medication is a common household item. In fact, a Maine Department of Environmental Protection study says the use of over-the-counter medications has risen 60 percent since the 1990s. But what happens when you get rid of the nasty cold and no longer need that cough medicine? Should you throw it in the trash? Or can you…

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The Solution to the Garbage Problem

by Lynne Jackson ALBANY: Resa Dimino, Special Assistant in the DEC Commissioner’s Policy Office spoke about Solid Waste Management Planning at the July SPB dinner at the First Presbyterian Church. Resa Dimino is leading the effort to develop a new State Solid Waste Management Plan in New York State. Her talk focused on the planning the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation is doing on the state level and what DEC will be asking of local planning units as they revise…

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How fares the Karner Blue?

by Lynne Jackson The first part of this series was printed in the February/March, 2005 newsletter and is a summary of a presentation given by Neil Gifford at the October, 2004 SPB lasagna dinner. The Karner Blue Butterfly Federal Recovery Plan has three priorities. In New York State, scientists are focussing on priority one, which is doing those things necessary to prevent extinction of or the irreversible decline of the species, everything from monitoring populations to creating and implementing a…

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Greening Your World

by Rezsin Adams ALBANY, NY Ñ The SPB September veggie lasagna dinner welcomed Steve Breyman, Director, Ecological, Economic, Values & Policy Program in the Department of Science & Technology Studies at RPI as he spoke about ÒGreening Your World.Ó “ Most people running institutions today have very few or no Õgreen bonesÕ.” Steve Breyman opened his remarks on greening institutions by pointing out that greening is beneficial in at least two ways: in itself it benefits the institution and the…

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A Journey to Nabokov’s Karner, New York – a Conservation Dilemma

  A recent date to speak about Nabokov’s blues in Albany, New York — the state’s capital — afforded me a chance to visit what is left of old “Karner”, New York. Karner is the little hamlet that, in common parlance, has attached its name to Nabokov’s famous endangered species Lycaeides melissa samuelis, the “Karner Blue”. Karner got the nod for samuelis’s common name because Nabokov chose specimens of samuelis from Karner for his type series (the specimens he used…

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16-09 Sept-Oct Newsletter

16-09 Sept-Oct Newsletter Sept/Oct 16 No. 132 • 33 Central Ave., Albany, NY 12210 • email pinebush@mac.com • phone 518-462-0891 • web http://www.savethepinebush.org • Circ. 600 Vegetarian/Vegan Dinner Wednesday, September 21, 2016, 6:00 p.m. Climate Crisis and Practical Solutions Conor Bambrick Air & Energy Director, Environmental Advocates of NY will speak about NY Renews and practical solutions for transition to clean energy Mark Schaeffer who works with 350.org will speak about Overview of climate crisis and need for a political…

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Stop the Landfill Expansion — Get Involved!

VILLAGE OF COLONIE: On May 3, Save the Pine Bush members met to discuss the next steps in fighting against the proposed landfill expansion in the Pine Bush and for a rational solid waste police. Village of Colonie Mayor Frank Leak graciously opened the Village of Colonie Family Recreation Center for our meeting. Mayor Leak told us of a recent visit he made to the Rapp Road landfill at the invitation of Albany County Legislators William Clay and Frank Commisso….

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Speak Out for Pine Bush Preservation

Guilderland, NY: A speculator has proposed to sub-divide 7.9 acres of Pine Bush in the full protection area between the New York State Thruway and Lydius Street. The proposal is currently before the Guilderland Planning Board. Last January, Mr. Coles, a real estate appraiser, proposed sub-dividing the property into four lots. There is already one house on the property, near Lydius Street, three more houses would be built. There is a large dune on the property between the current house…

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Its not a Garbage Problem Its an Economic Problem

by Lynne Jackson ALBANY: Albany City Commission of the Department of General Services Willard (Bill) Bruce spoke at the May Save the Pine Bush dinner. Mr. Bruce began by showing slides of how landfills are constructed. He emphasized that the Rapp Road landfill is not just a dump, it is a highly-engineered structure and there is a great deal of infrastructure in the landfill. Components of the landfill He began with a photo of the electrical generation system which produces…

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They Don’t Ever Quit-But Neither Do We

They Don’t Ever Quit-But Neither Do We They Don’t Ever Quit But Neither Do We By Daniel Van Riper Not Again, Charlie We’ve been graciously alerted by Alderwoman Carol Wallace that the Albany Common Council Zoning Committee is being treated to a rerun of developer Charlie Touhey’s proposal to build the “Pine East Office Park” at 300 Washington Avenue Extension. While only 13 acres and hardly in the best of shape, it is adjacent to and part of the main…

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Honoring Lou Ismay at the April SPB Dinner

by Tom Ellis ALBANY, NY: “If we lose reverence for any part of life, we lose reverence for all of life,” said Save the Pine Bush member Lou Ismay at the April 17th SPB dinner at which Lou spoke about his launching the Protect Your Environment (PYE) Club at SUNY Albany fifty years ago. He said many future members of Save the Pine Bush met each other through PYE. Before Lou spoke, Lynne Jackson read proclamations honoring Lou and his…

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Strategy & the Story Behind the Albany County Styrofoam Ban

by Wendy Dwyer ALBANY, NY: Tina Lieberman spoke at the November SPB dinner. For Tina, this was her first attempt at getting a law passed and she said it took a lot of people. Tina asked people who had helped in some way (writing letters, attending hearings, signing petitions, etc) to stand up and almost everyone in the room had helped! Tina said Albany County Executive, Dan McCoy, felt the letters to the editor really influenced the legislators. There were…

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The Islands of Radix Center

by Tom Ellis ALBANY, NY: Scott Kellogg and Justina Thompson spoke at the September 19th SPB dinner. Scott is the executive director of the Radix Center at 153 Grand Street in the South End of Albany. Justina is a 19-year-old student at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute majoring in sustainability studies. Both are highly enthusiastic about their work and are accomplished experts in environmental education. Before they began, Grace Nichols spoke briefly saying insect populations are rapidly declining for multiple reasons. These…

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