Search Results for: steve downs

Steve Downs Tells the Legal History of Save the Pine Bush at SPB’s 40th Birthday Party —Part 1

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by Lynne Jackson ALBANY, NY: Lynne Jackson, a volunteer for Save the Pine Bush, gave a brief introduction and described how SPB started. On the night of February 6, 1978, as the “Blizzard of 78” was pounding the Capital District, a couple dozen brave souls nevertheless ventured to the Albany Public Library to speak out at a public hearing on four proposed developments in the Pine Bush. Prior the the hearing, a few people met first at an old fashioned…

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Marchers protest arrest of man for wearing peace T-shirt at Crossgates

By CAROL DeMARE ,Staff writer, with wire reports First published: Wednesday, March 5, 2003 GUILDERLAND — About 100 people marched through Crossgates Mall at noon today to protest the arrest Monday of a man who wore a peace T-shirt while he shopped. "We just want to know what the policy is and why it’s being randomly enforced," said Erin O’Brien, an organizer of the rally. No arrests were reported, and protest leaders were scheduled to meet with the mall’s manager…

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Save the Pine Bush Update and the War on Terror

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by Tom Ellis ALBANY, NY: Lynne Jackson spoke about current developments in the Pine Bush and Steve Downs about The War on Terror – Twenty Years Later, at the February 23 Save the Pine Bush virtual meeting. After thanking SPB members for their financial contributions to assist one of SPB’s dinner chefs, Adam Baldwin, with his sudden medical bills, Lynne thanked Andy Arthur for creating an on-line “event sweeper” that quickly identifies proposed projects in the pine barrens sections of…

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SPB Newsletters Listed by Date – 2010s

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2020s 🦋 2010s 🦋 2000s 🦋 1990s Search Newsletter Archives: 2019 🦋 2018 🦋 2017 🦋 2016 🦋 2015 🦋 2014 🦋 2013 🦋 2012 🦋 2011 🦋 2010 2019 Newsletter 🦋 December/January 2019-20 Newsletter Download printable PDF version Listen to the Podcasts Merton Simpson — Fighting Environmental Racial Injustice, December/January 2019 Air Pollution in Albany’s South End, December/January 2019 Dunn Landfill — Stinks Up the School; Parents and Residents Protest, December/January 2019 Proposals in the Pine Bush December/January 2019…

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Save the Pine Bush

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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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Extinction Rebellion Capital Region

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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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Save the Pine Bush

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  Earth Day at the Village of Colonie Village of Colonie: On Earth Day, the Village of Colonie held a public meeting about the proposed landfill expansion. Residents of the Village of Colonie and members of the public were invited to speak about their concerns about the proposed expansion. Save the Pine Bush volunteers attended the hearing. About 150 people came out to speak and to listen. Mayor Frank Leak opened the hearing saying that he wanted to hear people’s…

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Son of Mountains – Virtual Book Signing

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by Lynne Jackson ALBANY: A virtual book signing for Son of Mountains by Yassin Aref was the topic for the May Save the Pine Bush vegetarian/vegan lasagna dinner. Yassin, along with Mohammed Hossain, were subject of an FBI sting operation and were sent to prison for 15 years each. During the five months Yassin was awaiting sentencing, he wrote Son of Mountains in the Rensselaer County Jail. Carl Strock, Daily Gazette columnist said “Incredibly, Yassin Aref has written a book,…

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Historic Action 02-01-07 Historic Action, February 1, 2007 Historic Action Network sponsored a walk from the Riverside Club and Freihofer Building in Lansingburg, across the 112th Street bridge to Waterford to show the connection between these beautiful historic buildings and the Hudson River. More than 30 people participated. Historic Action Network believes these buildings should be preserved. Home Rally Taling to the TV John Wolcott and Steve Downs Russell Ziemba Speaks Russell Ziemba Speaks Russell Ziemba Speaks Russell Ziemba advocates…

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Marriott Hotel Poised to Destroy only Known Upstate Colony of Rare Worm Snake

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ALBANY: As we go to press, the Albany Common Council may have taken the final step to allow a Marriott Hotel to destroy the only known upstate colony of the rare worm snake by approving a re-zoning for the proposed hotel site. After Save the Pine Bush sued the City over its approval of the hotel, the judge ruled in our favor and sent the developer back to find other rare and threatened species on the site. The developer’s scientist,…

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Save the Pine BushTurns 30

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by Lynne Jackson ALBANY: Save the Pine Bush turned 30 and celebrated with a big party at the First Presbyterian Church. What was served? Lasagna, of course! Over 100 people attended the bash. “Looking Forward, Looking Back 30 Years of Advocacy for the Pine Bush.” The first order of business was the “Looking Forward” part. For that, 10-year old Karine Franke gave an update of her work for the Karner Blue (please see page 3 for details). Everyone decided that…

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Save the Pine Bush

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by Grace Nichols, July 26, 2009   The survival of the Federally Protected Karner Blue Butterfly in the Albany Pine Bush Preserve is in doubt here in Albany – its numbers have been critically low for at least ten years. This butterfly was first named by Vladimir Nabokov, the famous writer, and became one of the best known insect species on the East Coast. It is a beautiful brilliant blue color when it spreads its wings, while the undersides of…

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Save the Pine Bush Turns 35 in February

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by Lynne Jackson     On February 6, 2013, Save the Pine Bush will be 35. I wanted to reprint the story of our formation (the extended version can be found on the website, http://www.savethepinebush.org) Save the Pine Bush came into being on February 6, 1978. It snowed that day. It snowed so much that the offices of the New York State government closed down and stayed closed the next day. This is the only time that I remember in the…

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September Biogas Talk

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by Lynne Jackson   On behalf of Save the Pine Bush, Steve Downs, our attorney, filed an amicus brief on the standing issue in the Brunswick Smart Growth appeal. The premise of the lawsuit — that comprehensive planning (when done correctly) — is a better tool to forge environmental policy than is litigation. Therefore anything that can make comprehensive planning unenforceable (such as very restrictive standing requirements under SEQRA), should be eliminated. The holding of Supreme Court in Brunswick Smart…

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Save the Pine Bush

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by Steve Downs   ALBANY: On September 15, 2009, Save the Pine Bush will argue before the Court of Appeals that it was entitled to standing in the case of the proposed Mariott Hotel case. In 1991 the Court of Appeals decided in the Society of Plastics v. Suffolk County, that the test for standing to bring an action in a the State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA) proceeding was whether the plaintiff would suffer a direct injury greater than…

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Oral Argument in Hotel Case Heard in Appellate Division

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ALBANY: Eighteen supporters of Save the Pine Bush attended the Appelate Division oral argument in the case about the proposed hotel in the Pine Bush in May. Attorney Steve Downs argued the case for Save the Pine Bush. Save the Pine Bush won the case in Supreme Court. The City of Albany had asked the Court to dismiss our case saying that we did not have standing or the right to sue. The Supreme Court judge noted the “passion” Save…

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A Tribute To Lew Oliver

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by Steve Downs On September 1, 1976, a new law, the State Environmental Quality Review Act, SEQRA, came into effect which required comprehensive environmental planning at the beginning of every environmentally significant project – the problem was that nobody was sure just how the new law worked. Just two years later the first published law suit by Save The Pine Bush was filed against the City of Albany by a young lawyer, Lew Oliver, eager to see if this new…

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Save the Pine Bush Virtual Meeting – Wednesday, February 22, 2023 6:30 PM

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Save the Pine Bush Zoom Meeting February 22, 2023, at 6:30 p.m. Alÿcia Bacon Moms Out Front and Save the Pine Bush Volunteer, will speak about … How to Get Our Government to Protect the Remaining Pine Bush Organizing a Lobbying Campaign Alÿcia Bacon will give a presentation on creating an effecting lobbying campaign. The battle for Pine Bush preservation started 45 years ago this month. Up until now, Save the Pine Bush has mostly used litigation to stop development…

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List of Speakers

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Every month, Save the Pine Bush volunteers make a vegetarian/vegan lasagna dinner with salad, garlic bread and delicious deserts. Everyone is invited to attend! After dinner, we have a speaker. Here is a partial list of the speakers who have visited Save the Pine Bush over the years. Our Favorite Butterfly, the Karner Blue David MacDougall Author ofA Field Guide to the Karner Blue Butterfly(Lycaeides melissa samuelis) Natural History, Identification, & Conservation of a Regional TreasureWednesday, February 18, 2009 Changing…

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Newsletters Articles Ordered by Subject

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Search Newsletter Archives: What is Full Protection, Partial Protection and who is the Pine Bush? – By Lynne Jackson – June / July 2022 Newsletter A Tribute To Lew Oliver, our wonderful lawyer The Pine Bush’s Most Famous Resident – The Karner Blue Butterfly Save the Pine Bush Victories and Fights The Thruway Authority Comes Across Royally, Dec 99/Jan 00Save the Pine Bush is 25!, Mar/Apr 03 Legislation regarding standing in court We Need the Environmental Access to Justice Act,…

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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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Ad Hoc Albany Committee To Uphold Environmental Law.

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Ad Hoc Albany Committee To Uphold Environmental Law. February 7, 2011 To the Common Council and Members of the Press: The City of Albany has violated its own Pesticide Ordinance since its passage in 1998. Two years of FOILS and activism, from 2008-9, focused on protecting our birds of prey from anti-coagulant rodenticides and phasing out the use of insecticides near the Pine Bush. After an obvious herbicide spraying near children in a public park was publicized in the press,…

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