Browsed by
Category: Sheridan Hollow

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

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…

Read More Read More

Ward Stone — NYS Wildlife Pathologist Worked for the People

Ward Stone — NYS Wildlife Pathologist Worked for the People

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…

Read More Read More

Environmental crusader Ward Stone is dead at 84

Environmental crusader Ward Stone is dead at 84

Longtime state wildlife pathologist fought many battles against pollution — and his bosses at the Department of Environmental Conservation https://www.timesunion.com/news/article/environmental-crusader-former-radio-host-ward-17776032.php Updated: Feb. 10, 2023 11:22 a.m. HUDSON —Ward Stone, the longtime state wildlife pathologist whose name became synonymous with environmental activism as he helped uncover and publicize the threat of PCBs, died Wednesday in Columbia Memorial Hospital after a battle with cancer. He was 84. Mercurial in his personal life and media-savvy in his professional endeavors, Stone cut a wide…

Read More Read More

Practical Steps We Can Take to Save Our Climate

Practical Steps We Can Take to Save Our Climate

by Tom Ellis Ed. Note: Here is the PowerPoint for the lecture. We are working on getting the audio from the lecture online in the coming weeks. ALBANY, NY: Tina Lieberman and Bill Reinhardt spoke remotely at an Earth Day April 20 SPB meeting about practical steps we can take to reduce carbon emissions and save our climate. Lynne introduced the program and Carole Waterman the speakers. Tina spoke first, then Bill, each then took turns, with finally a discussion…

Read More Read More

SPB Newsletters Listed by Date – 2010s

SPB Newsletters Listed by Date – 2010s

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…

Read More Read More

Fire Burns House of Save the Pine Bush Founder John Wolcott

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…

Read More Read More

Earth Day Actions in Albany NY

Earth Day Actions in Albany NY

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…

Read More Read More

The Poor People’s Campaign

The Poor People’s Campaign

by Tom Ellis ALBANY, NY: Joe Paparone of the Labor-Religion Coalition of NYS and former Albany Common Council member Vivian Kornegay spoke about The Poor People’s Campaign: A National Call for Moral Renewal (PPC), at the April 18 SPB dinner. Joe described himself as a sax player but not a singer, and works on immigration issues.. He said people in forty states are participating in PPC. He frequently quoted Martin Luther King, Jr., and said Rev. King sought to make…

Read More Read More

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

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…

Read More Read More

SPB Files Appeal – – An Appeal Against the Avila Approval

SPB Files Appeal – – An Appeal Against the Avila Approval

by Sandy Sheridan In a continuing effort to preserve Karner Blue Butterfly habitat, Save the Pine Bush petitioned the Appellate Court to overrule the Albany Planning Board’s approval of another senior housing project’s construction within the Pine Bush. The plan to build Avila Independent Senior Housing Campus was given the go-ahead by the Albany Planning Board, despite distinct preservation criterion instituted by Federal, State and City regulations. The proposed Avila Campus would be built on land owned by the Roman…

Read More Read More

The Two Month Debate – Jennings and McEneny In A Death-Grip

The Two Month Debate – Jennings and McEneny In A Death-Grip

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…

Read More Read More

Remember The Elections? Be Thankful We Still Have Them

Remember The Elections? Be Thankful We Still Have Them

Remember The Elections? Be Thankful We Still Have Them Remember The Elections? Be Thankful We Still Have Them By Daniel Van Riper It’s been 3 months since the November elections, time enough to assess the damage . . . and look forward to more! Here’s a quick roundup, and boy is it partisan: Bond Act Boondoggle More than a few folks were puzzled by Save the Pine Bush’s lack of an endorsement for the Environmental Bond Act, especially since it…

Read More Read More

Merton Simpson — Fighting Environmental Racial Injustice

Merton Simpson — Fighting Environmental Racial Injustice

ALBANY, NY: Albany County Legislator Merton Simpson spoke about “Fighting Environmental Racial Injustice” at the October 16, 2019 SPB dinner. He began saying, “I see one of my environmental heroes–Ward Stone–here.” [Ward is the legendary and now retired wildlife pathologist (1969-2010) of the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation.] Merton said, “We live in perilous times, even if we remove Trump and Mitch McConnell.” He said racism in the US goes back to the origins of the US and “our grandchildren,…

Read More Read More

The Federal Karner Blue Butterfly Recovery Plan

The Federal Karner Blue Butterfly Recovery Plan

by Sandy Sheridan What are we going to do about these butterflies? What the US Fish and Wildlife Service thinks should be done has been specifically outlined in the “Karner Blue Butterfly Recovery Plan” (October 2001). This 239-page plan comprehensively describes the Karner Blue, its plight and the plan of action to perpetuate its populations in the 13 recovery units (RU’s) identified. The Pine Bush is one of the 13 RU’s examined. Lycaeides melissa samuelis, the Karner Blue Butterfly, is…

Read More Read More

SHARE Opposes the Microgrid Fossil Fuel Plant in Sheridan Hollow

SHARE Opposes the Microgrid Fossil Fuel Plant in Sheridan Hollow

by Tom Ellis ALBANY, NY: A panel that included Albany County legislator Merton Simpson spoke in opposition to the proposed Sheridan Hollow Microgrid Fossil Fuel Plant at the October 18 Save the Pine Bush dinner. About 45 attended. Also speaking were engineer Keith Schue and environmental health advocate, Rita Ogburn-McCall. Sandy Steubing moderated the discussion. Sandy said the New York Power Authority (NYPA), the state-owned electric utility, had, moments earlier, notified her that it would not participate in a previously…

Read More Read More

Crossword Puzzle

Crossword Puzzle

by Sandy Sheridan Birk Try your hand at our first Save the Pine Bush Crossword puzzle! Click here for answer key. Across 1. The Karner Blue Butterfly is currently listed as ____________. 5. Butterfly’s young 8. How many generations of Karner Blue Butterflies are hatched each year in the Pine Bush? 9. These insects often share a mutualistic relationship with the Karner Blue Butterfly. 10. The soil in the Pine Bush is full of _____________. 13. _____________ the Pine Bush!…

Read More Read More

Earth Day Lasagna-Wasserman Headlines Gathering Of Activists

Earth Day Lasagna-Wasserman Headlines Gathering Of Activists

Earth Day Lasagna-Wasserman Headlines Gathering Of Activists Earth Day Lasagna Wasserman Headlines Gathering Of Activists By Daniel Van Riper Five prominent and hard-working environmental activists addressed the Earth Day special lasagna dinner on April 24th at 1st Presbyterian Church in Albany. Some 80 attendees packed the room and listened intently to each speaker in turn. Here’s the lineup, in order of appearance: Lee Wasserman Everyone was curious to see and hear the very serious challenger for the job of congressional…

Read More Read More

Anerobic digester and the Albany Landfill

Anerobic digester and the Albany Landfill

by Diana Wright On March 28, Albany and Saratoga Counties unveiled plans for a jointly funded aerobic digester facility in Menands. It has bi-partisan support in the Albany County Legislature and will save each county $1 million annually. It will shut down 4 incinerators at the current facility, which spew out toxic chemicals into the air, and will instead create green energy which could potentially power, in part, the Sheridan Hollow facility. (see article in the Saratogian at: http://www.saratogian.com/general-news/20180328/saratoga-albany-counties-join-forces-on-45m-waste-to-energy-plant) The…

Read More Read More

SHARE — Sheridan Hollow Alliance for Renewable Energy Forms

SHARE — Sheridan Hollow Alliance for Renewable Energy Forms

ALBANY, NY— Leaders of local community organizations, backed up by environmental organizations throughout the state, released a letter on September 19, 2017; calling on Governor Cuomo and the Department of Environment Conservation (DEC) to undertake a full environmental review, including an Environmental Impact Statement on a 16-megawatt gas-fired power plant proposed in Sheridan Hollow, a low income, people of color, neighborhood near the State Capitol. The new coalition, Sheridan Hollow Alliance for Renewable Energy (SHARE), is calling on the state…

Read More Read More

Ward Stone, Environmental Hero, Speaks

Ward Stone, Environmental Hero, Speaks

by Lynne Jackson ALBANY: Ward Stone, NYS Wildlife Pathologist and environmental hero, spoke at the May Save the Pine Bush vegetarian/vegan lasagna dinner at the First Presbyterian Church. Ward began by describing how he met Rezsin Adams on the very first Earth Day in April, 1970, at the University at Albany. That day, Ward gave about four of five talks; he was saying that things were really bad, with pollution and habitat destruction, and that it would take a lot…

Read More Read More

Guilderlandt

Guilderlandt

by Sandy Sheridan Birk The US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) approved the final version of the Karner Blue Butterfly Recovery Plan in August. Part I of the Plan describes the butterfly’s life cycle and ecosystem, as well as the threats to its survival*. Part II delves into the plan of action needed to reach the ultimate goal of de-listing the Karner Blue Butterfly (KBB) from the Federal list of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants. Certain benchmarks must be…

Read More Read More

Podcasts

Podcasts

Subscribe to "Dinner with Save the Pine Bush" on iTunes! Table of Contents Dan Van Riper from albanyweblog.com speaks about The Proposed Sewage Treatment Plant in Lincoln Park, May 16, 2019 Anne Pope, Rev Sam Johnson and Stephanie Woodard speak about The Rapp Road Historical Association, January 16, 2019 Ward Stone, Former NYS Wildlife Pathologist and Keith Schue speak about Health Effects of the ANSWERS Plant Pollution and The Proposed Sheridan Hollow Gas-Fired Power Power Plant, February 20, 2019 Bruce Campbell Canadian author speaks about…

Read More Read More

Mark Dunlea Speaks about Climate Change – Asks People to Take Action Now

Mark Dunlea Speaks about Climate Change – Asks People to Take Action Now

by Hugh Johnson Mark Dunlea, the Green Party Candidate running for the New York State Comptroller, spoke at October Save the Pine Bush dinner. He commenced by stating the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)’s assertion that we have only 12 years to do something about Climate Change (really Accelerated Global Warming, AGW). A “miracle” solution is needed to cut back Greenhouse Emission by 97% which the IPCC feels is needed to begin to reverse AGW.  This would include reducing the use of Natural gas and Fracking,…

Read More Read More

Podcasts

Podcasts

Subscribe to “Dinner with Save the Pine Bush” on iTunes! Table of Contents Dan Van Riper from albanyweblog.com speaks about The Proposed Sewage Treatment Plant in Lincoln Park, May 16, 2019 Anne Pope, Rev Sam Johnson and Stephanie Woodard speak about The Rapp Road Historical Association, January 16, 2019 Ward Stone, Former NYS Wildlife Pathologist and Keith Schue speak about Health Effects of the ANSWERS Plant Pollution and The Proposed Sheridan Hollow Gas-Fired Power Power Plant, February 20, 2019 Bruce Campbell Canadian author speaks about…

Read More Read More

Newsletters Articles Ordered by Subject

Newsletters Articles Ordered by Subject

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,…

Read More Read More