by Christine Kielb Each weekday, from 6:30 am to 4:00 pm, up to 100 large tractor trailer trucks (18-26 wheelers) arrive off the Dunn MemoriaI Bridge onto Broadway Street in the City of Rensselaer. These trucks travel north on Broadway, turn east onto Partition Street and proceed up and down its steep hills through residential … Landfill truck traffic in Rensselaer affecting quality of life for residents.
by Tom Ellis ALBANY. NY: There is much to report on issues regarding solid wastes. The NYS Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC or En Con)) DEC held a public hearing in Albany to receive comments on proposed revisions to its Part 360 regulations, DEC is assisting the Town of Colonie with its landfill expansion application,” … Solid Waste Issues in the City of Albany, the Town of Colonie and the Proposed Changes in the NYS Solid Waste Regulations
by Tom Ellis Albany, NY: Kim Fraczek, Co-Director of the Sane Energy Project spoke on “Gas Infrastructure — The Big Picture” at the January 18 SPB dinner. She is very enthusiastic opinionated, and optimistic about blocking construction of many of the proposed natural gas pipelines in New York. She displayed an interactive, online map of … Kim Fraczek Speaks about the Sane Energy Project and Mapping PipelinesKim Fraczek Speaks about the Sane Energy Project and Mapping Pipeliness
CALL 866-846-4075 The Pilgrim Pipelines would carry explosive fracked oil along the New York State Thruway and through six counties, from Albany to New Jersey, and return flammable refined products north. If constructed, the two pipelines would threaten our drinking water, risk the safety of dozens of communities, and promote fracking and climate change chaos. … Call-In Week to Governor Cuomo – Coming Up January 23-27, 2017
NEW SCOTLAND — A man of principle and passion, Peter Henner worked for causes he believed in with the same logic and commitment he used when playing chess. He tackled his legal work as he tackled mountains on climbs with his wife — with a sense of adventure. “He always told everything straight,” said Nancy … Peter Henner
By Tim Truscott Henry L. Diamond, New York State’s first environmental conservation commissioner, who was appointed by Gov. Nelson A. Rockefeller on the inaugural Earth Day in 1970, died on February 21 in Washington at age 83. Mr. Diamond recalled in a recent article in The Environmental Forum that, at the time, in the … Henry Diamond, First DEC Commissioner, Dies
by Tom Ellis ALBANY, NY: Retired University at Albany economics professor and McKownville Improvement Association president Don Reeb was the speaker at the November 18 SPB dinner. Don spoke about SUNY Poly — formerly College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering (CNSE): The Good, the Bad and the Ugly. Don is 82 years old. He said the neighborhood contain 900 … Don Reeb — The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
In 1996, the Iroquois Pipeline Co. pleaded guilty to four felony counts and paid multimillion dollar fines for overseeing hundreds of criminal violations of the Clean Water Act during the construction of a 375 milelong gas pipeline across New York state. A decade later, the construction of the Millennium Pipeline resulted in the same … Say ‘No’ to proposed pipeline
Albany: More than 20 years of habitat restoration and breeding programs have helped the endangered Karner blue butterfly make a comeback in the Capital Region pine barrens where it was discovered by Russian author Vladimir Nabokov decades ago. “This project has been unbelievably rewarding,” said Neil Gifford, conservation director for the 3,200-acre Albany Pine … Hi again, Karner blue
By Brian Nearing — Published in the Times Union, Saturday, June 27, 2015 It’s a long way from a sea of natural gas wells scattered through Pennsylvania’s Bradford County to Libby Reilly’s organic farm off Clarks Chapel Road in Nassau. And it is even longer from her farm, where about two dozen beef cows … Crossing paths: Area farmers fear risks from 2 gas pipeline proposals
By Tom Ellis ALBANY, NY: Michael McLaughlin, the Director of Research for Albany County Executive Dan McCoy, was the SPB dinner speaker on May 21, filling in for McCoy who was attending the convention of the NYS Democratic Party. He said he is involved in many of McCoy’s policies. Mr. McLaughlin said the Polystyrene ban signed by … Michael McLaughlin, Director of Research for Albany County Executive Dan McCoy Speaks to SPB
by Tom Ellis On December 12, when Albany County Executive Dan McCoy signed legislation passed by the county legislature a month earlier that bans chain restaurants and eateries from using polystyrene (Styrofoam) take-out food containers, he credited his three children, especially Egan, a senior at Albany High School, for pressuring and reminding him to be … Albany County Executive Dan McCoy, Styrofoam Ban and Protection of the Pine Bush
by Sheree Cammer, Troy Compost volunteer Easily compostable organic waste is generated at the rate of an estimated 3/4 pound per person per day in the USA, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. Crisis or opportunity? It’s up to us. Inter-Municipal Organics Wate Initiative A resolution approving the City of Troy joining the Inter-Municipal Organics … Local Food Waste Update
Editor’s note: we all love turtles at Save the Pine Bush and Rezsin thought others would enjoy this success story SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — Puerto Rico’s governor on Saturday signed a law to protect a swath of land along the island’s northeast coast that is a top U.S. nesting site for the … Puerto Rico protects premier turtle nesting site
by Tom Ellis ALBANY, NY: In late February, the NYS Inspector General released a 40+ page report trashing Ward Stone, accusing him of bullying his subordinates, intimidating his supervisors, misusing state funds, and being some sort of a monster. The report drew considerable news coverage including a February 28 article in the New York … Ward Stone is a Hero
ALBANY — Fires used in the Pine Bush to restore native habitat of scrub pine and open grassland also greatly reduce chances that hikers will pick up ticks that could carry Lyme disease. A study by two Union College professors has found areas of the Pine Bush that have already been restored carried 98 percent … Pine Bush fires cut tick threat
by Sheree At RPI, there are at least two food “waste” projects. One is a prototype small methane digester. The other is a dumpster composter, which digests its load in 7 days. Unfortunately, hardly anyone seems to want the compost, which they have been giving away free. It would be ideal if a farmer picked … Organic “Waste” Composting: A Random Local Update
By BRIAN NEARING Staff Writer 2010 ALBANY — Honeysuckle smells sweet and its red berries make a colorful splash in the fall, but this flowering shrub may be a magnet for deer with ticks that spread Lyme disease. A recent academic study found that areas around dense thickets of honeysuckle are 10 times more likely … Plant linked to Lyme risk
by Tom Ellis As many readers know, Ward Stone, NYS DEC wildlife pathologist since 1969, has had numerous conflicts over the years with DEC higher-ups, most concerning Ward’s determination to learn the facts about how pollutants impact wildlife, and then reporting what he has learned. The latest of these battles is now in progress. This … We Want Ward in Our Backyard!
By JORDAN CARLEO-EVANGELIST, Staff writer , reprinted from the Times Union, First published in print: Tuesday, May 4, 2010 ALBANY — City lawmakers on Monday again rejected a crucial borrowing measure to allow the city to continue the Rapp Road Landfill expansion, dealing another blow to Mayor Jerry Jennings’ administration and once again leaving the … Turnabout defeats Albany landfill vote again
an editorial by Lynne Jackson See: United National Peace Conference And, on Sunday, July 25, join the Rally & March at 1:00 A National Conference to Bring the Troops Home NOW! is being held at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, State and Lodge Streets, in Albany, NY from July 23 to July 25. I believe all … United National Antiwar Conference to be Held in Albany
by Lynne Jackson ALBANY: Grace Nichols spoke about pesticides at the June Save the Pine Bush vegetarian lasagna dinner at the First Presbyterian Church. Pesticides include herbicides, insecticides and rodenticides. Grace explained that unlike other types of pollution which are a by-product of making something, pesticides are designed to kill organisms. Pesticides are a whole … The Great Pesticide Hunt
ALBANY: On July 2, the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit denied Yassin Aref and Mohammed Hossain’s appeal of their convictions in the FBI terrorism-sting operation. This means that both men’s convictions were upheld, and the men will continue to serve their 15-year sentences. The court’s decision is a sad day for … Sad News — Update on Yassin Aref’s Appeal
The Albany Pine Bush Preserve Commission has a web-based survey asking people to comment about what they would like in the new Pine Bush Discovery Center to be located in the State Employees Federal Credit Union building on Route 155. The survey asks about what types of exhibits you find most helpful and informative, how … Albany Pine Bush Preserve Commission Wants Your Opinion
ALBANY, NY: Just when you thought it was safe to go to the mall, Pyramid Crossgates proposes yet another project to destroy Pine Bush and potential Karner Blue habitat. Albany City Hall was the setting for Pyramid to describe to the Albany Common Council Zoning Committee how its proposal to build a residence inn hotel … Crossgates Casts a Dark Shadow Over the Pine Bush
The Good News, The Bad News And The Ugly Truth The Good News, The Bad News And The Ugly Truth June/July 1995 By Daniel Van Riper Like it or not, Pine Bush preservation has become one of the major defining issues in the Capital District. Perhaps this is because it is a black and white … The Good News, The Bad News And The Ugly Truth
Conservancy, Albany are Partners in Pine Bush Land Deal Conservancy, Albany are Partners in Pine Bush Land Deal The following is part of an article from the Times Union, Nov. 14, 91 by James Denn. We’re not sure about some of the details, but here it is. The Nature Conservancy, a national not-for-profit environmental group, … 7
Pyramid is Back! Hoblock Makes A Deal Pyramid is Back! Hoblock Makes A Deal by Daniel W. Van Riper, July/Aug. 92 Pyramid Corporation, hiding behind an entity called Albany Commons Associates, wants to buy prime Pine Bush from Albany County and build strip malls. The acreage threatened with destruction, located along Washington Ave. Extension, is … Pyramid is Back! Hoblock Makes A Deal
Save the Pine Bush Construction Begins Before Court Decides Case Construction Begins Before Court Decides Case by Daniel W. Van Riper, July/Aug. 91 Barry, Bette and LeDuke have begun construction of a 70,000 sq. ft. office building in Albany’s ecologically sensitive Pine Bush while State Supreme Court Justice Daniel H. Prior decides whether or not … 7
Lasagna Makes You Smarter Lasagna Makes You Smarter It’s Nutritious and Fun By Daniel Van Riper The Old Machine Author and political observer Frank Robinson spoke to the November dinner crowd at 1st Presbyterian Church in Albany. He is probably the foremost authority on the old and defunct Albany O’Connell Democratic political machine, an entity … Lasagna Makes You Smarter
ALBANY — The state Department of Environmental Conservation should enforce a 1994 agreement with a landowner to protect endangered Karner blue butterflies in Clifton Park, Capital Region environmentalists said Thursday. In a petition filed with the state agency Monday, the Albany-based Save The Pine Bush and 22 area residents asked DEC general counsel James … Petition: Shield Karner blue habitat
by DINA CAPPIELLO, Staff writer A building that Pine Bush protectors once protested for being constructed in the rare pine barren became part of the preserve on Friday, when the state announced it traded a piece of the Harriman State Office Campus for the State Employees Federal Credit Union on New Karner Road. The deal … LAND SWAP ADDS TO PINE BUSH
by Claire Hughes, Staff writer Excessive development of rural countryside, which leads to the loss of some animal species there, could be the reason the Capital Region and other areas of New York have seen recent spikes in rates of Lyme disease, according to a study being published this week. A group of researchers, including … Study Links Lyme Disease, Rural Building
GUILDERLAND – A man who wanted to send a message of peace by wearing a T-shirt with anti-war slogans was arrested Monday at Crossgates Mall after he refused to remove the shirt or leave the mall. Stephen F. Downs, 61, of Selkirk, was charged with one count of trespassing, a violation. Police said he was … Peace’ T-shirt prompts arrest Mall patron faces trespass charge
by Tom Ellis ALBANY, NY: Don Rittner was the guest speaker at the June 20 SPB dinner. Don was introduced by John Wolcott who said Don took Albany by storm in 1973 with his archaeological research of the Isaac Truax Tavern on the King’s Highway that George Washington stopped in six times. He said Don … The Way We Were
by Tom Ellis First-term Albany Common Council member Frank Commisso, Jr., has figured out how Albany Mayor Jerry Jennings operates and is determined to make substantive changes. A member of the common council’s finance committee, he led a revolt over two proposed bonding ordinances – one for $7 million to expand the city’s Rapp Road landfill yet … Jerry Jennings Blinked
Needing to be rewarded for denying patrons the right to wear anti-war T-shirts and for building a shopping maul on Karner Blue butterfly habitat, the Pyramid Company sought $600 million in tax incentives from the State of New York. Pyramid was seeking tax breaks and cash from the New York state to expand Crossgates Maul’s … Speak Out for Pine Bush Preservation
ALBANY, NY: Save the Pine Bush filed suit in New York State Supreme Court over the Albany City Planning BoardÕs approval of the Roman Catholic Diocese senior housing project in the Pine Bush. The Planning Board violated the State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA) in approving this project on an essential Karner Blue Butterfly migration … Albany Pine Bush Preserve Commission Proposes a New Plan – Mark October 18 to Attend Hearing
by Tom Ellis ALBANY, NY— “The future is bright,” said John Ciovacco, President of Aztech Geothermal, at the November 15 SPB dinner. He spoke about “Geothermal Heat Pump Systems as One solution to Climate Change.” Aztech was founded in 2007, the first installations were in 2009, and 350 installations have now been completed. Mr. Ciovacco … Geothermal Power is Possible in the City
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 Skip the ‘state of the union’ on Tuesday, January 23rd, and join the ‘state of Niskayuna’ rally and gathering at 7 … Tuesday, January 23, 2007 at 7 p.m.
Yes, the King’s Royal Yorkers are Coming! Stanford Home Hearing Information Hearing Notes January 23 Hearing Canadians are Coming! Archeological Information Photos – Outdoor Photos – Indoor Bonding Editorial Preservation Donate Contact Yes, the King’s Royal Yorkers are Coming! Well, one man is representing the Captain Richard Duncan Company. Background: In the 1777 … Yes, the King’s Royal Yorkers are Coming!
Million Worker March Million Worker March Page 1 | Page 2 | Page 3 | Page 4 | Page 5 | Page 6 | Home Billionaires sing "Don’t Vote!" IMG_3061.JPG The media A great speaker Haitian Flags So many unions represented A woman holds a Haitian flag IMG_3072.JPG Union members from Japan Union members from … 4
Congratulations to Tom Ellis for his excellent letter-to-the-editor which appeared in Thursday’s Times Union (12/30/10) concerning the SWMP plan, the proposed solid waste authority and the possibility of an incinerator being constrducted in the area. The letter is shown below. In addition to the points Tom made in his letter, it should be mentioned that … Rethink Plans for Disposal Facility
by Tom Ellis RENSSELAER, NY: The Covid-19 pandemic highlights a major problem with government in the USA, NYS, and locally. Executive agencies employ vastly more people than legislatures despite the complaint that legislatures are bloated. Elected executives (presidents, governors, county executives) appoint commissioners and other top staff, often subject to approval by a legislative body, … COVID-19 and Dunn Landfill
by Tom Ellis ALBANY, NY: On August 21, Lou Ismay completed the lecture he began in April about his experiences teaching and leading the Environmental Forum course at the University at Albany beginning fifty years ago. Lynne Jackson introduced Lou saying Lou’s office was in the Arts building. Lou hung strings from the ceiling connected … Lou Ismay and the Environmental Forum
WHEREAS: Rezsin Adams was born on February 13, 1927, and grew up in the Bronx; and WHEREAS: Rezsin is an unassuming hero, a woman of small stature who always has a smile on her face. However, she has been at the heart of Albany’s peace and justice movement for decades and was dubbed the “Grande … Proclamation — Monday, February 13, 2017 to be: “Rezsin Adams Day”
You are invited to the first statewide Zeroing Out Waste Conference Saturday, November 15, 2008, 9:30 AM – 5:00 PM Westminster Presbyterian Church, Use entrance at 85 Chestnut St., Albany , NY 12210 Speakers Include: Neil Seldman, Institute of Local Self Reliance Professor Paul Connett, International Waste Management Researcher Majora Carter, Environmental Justice Leader, Founder … Zeroing Out Waste Conference
by Tom Ellis Rensselaer city residents have intensified their efforts to stop nearly 100 large trucks per day from driving through the downtown. The trucks, which have 18, 22, 24, or 26 wheels. supposedly carry construction and demolition (C&D) debris wastes. They traverse Broadway and turn east onto Partition Street with its steep hill en-route … Updates in Brief — Trucks, Zero-Waste Tulipfest and a Leaking Landfill
by John Wolcott The Albany Pine Bush Management Commission was sued last summer by a group of individuals accusing the Commission of “conspiring to reduce the value of their land.” The Times Union characterized the plaintiffs in the law suit against the Commission as “several farmers”. Actually, there are several individual plaintiffs but out of … “Farmers” Sue Albany Pine Bush Management Commission
Karner Blue Butterfly Links Eastern-Tailed Blue – Marietta College, looks like a Karner Blue, but its notThe Karner Blue – a summary of the naming of the Karner Blue by NabokovFamily Lycaenidaes – Michigan UniversityThe Karner Blue – Center for Private ConservationThe Karner Blue – Endangered Species Facts, US Fish and WildlifeThe Karner Blue – … Links and Resources