Wednesday, December 31, 2014
Saturday, December 27, 2014
Athbhliain faoi Mhaise Daoibh
The Irish Gaelic greeting is pronounced "AH / vlee-ihn / fwee / WAH-shuh / Heev" which is quite a mouthful. That is not unusual, given that Gaelic does not have its roots in the language we know as American English, so pronunciations often don't sound the way they look.
Translated literally, it means "You have a prosperous New Year."
And so, to all my fellow residents of Troy no matter your heritage, I say, "Athbhliain faoi Mhaise Daoibh."
FOOTNOTE: If you like toasts and quotes of all sorts, you may like one of my oh-so-many blogs, called "Toasts & Crumbs" and subtitled "When Words Fail You, Try These." You can access it by clicking here.
John T. Casey, a life well lived
That is how my former colleague Paul Grondahl began his appreciation of the late legal icon in today's Times Union."John T. Casey, who rose from the hardscrabble streets of South Troy to become an associate justice of the Appellate Division of the New York State Supreme Court, beloved by two generations of attorneys he mentored and respected for a common-sense jurisprudence during 35 years on the bench, died on Christmas at Teresian House after a long battle with cancer. He was 93."
Judge John T. Casey
For those who remember John Casey, I recommend you read Grondahl's paen and recall fond memories with him.
For those of you who did not know John Casey, I recommend you read it to learn something about a life well lived, one that can set an example for many.
Wednesday, December 24, 2014
Tuesday, December 23, 2014
He said, she said -- What's in a pronoun?
Carmella Mantello tells me, "I sent an e-mail to the full Council and mayor [Al Rosamilia] regarding budget issues. [Council member] Ken Zalewski replied to my e-mail ... Then Mr. Wiltshire responded with the attached degrading e-mail to all council members and the Mayor:
" 'Thank you Ken. It's hard for me to respond to her statements without getting agitated. I'm glad that you can answer her straight'."Mantello, never one to let things slide, promptly e-mailed this immediate response to the same people she had originally e-mailed:
Dear All,Several things come to mind from this exchange. One is that while Mantello rightly takes umbrage with Wiltshire's cavalier attitude toward her, accusing him of being sexist and his remark an "affront to each and every woman in our community" is a bit much. Had he used the pronoun "him" to refer to a man, I doubt it would have registered with anyone.
I am dismayed that the President of Troy City Council would refer to me as "her." This is clearly a sexist comment and is an affront to each and every woman in our community. The Council President should give an immediate apology to this sexist comment that is an insult to all the women in our community.
It is interesting that Council President Wiltshire is now interested in the problems facing city finances. This is the same Council President who missed the last 2 annual budget meetings even though Mr. Wiltshire is President of the Finance Committee.
But, to my mind the larger point, is that Wiltshire, as leader of the City Council by dint of garnering the largest number of votes last year, fell down on his duty to respond pertinently to constituents.
The Democrat may not be a fan of the Republican Mantello, who fell short in her run for a Council seat the same year he was elected, but she is a resident and taxpayer of the City of Troy. As such, she has as much right as anyone to suggest, question, cajole and opine on the budget. Fear of "getting agitated" is a weak and unstatesmanlike retort.
There is a tendency by too many local elected officials to realize they are not operating at a state or national level far removed from the people they ran for office to, at least in theory, serve. Yes, it is tough to endure the slings and arrows of outrageous political sniping or partisanship when discussing the merits and demerits of situations, but no one promised you a rose garden.
Wiltshire probably still is stinging from public criticism over missing the last two city budget votes because he preferred to be on vacation both times, so any additional comments may be an irritant. But, making a snide remark via e-mail does not substitute for intelligent response. Obviously, Wiltshire did not learn a lesson about the dangers of e-mail remarks even though he created quite a dust-up in December 2013 when he played the race card in an e-mail to several other Council members.
This is not a good record for someone who recently told a Times Union writer when asked whether he will run for mayor next year, "Right now, I'm not thinking about that. I'm certainly running again next year for some elected office."
Powers Park tree a story of persistence of the spirit
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| Arrow points to Powers Park. |
The lowlife or low-lives who several times vandalized the Christmas tree installed by the Lansingburgh community in Powers Park, resulting in the battered tree being removed, deserve to be caught, publicly embarassed and sentenced to some stiff community service.
This once-proud neighborhood, which over the generations has tried to keep its own identity even though it is part of the City of Troy, is really suffering through hard times. A rising crime rate, incessant drug trafficking, frequent arsons, housing stock that is crumbling, people loitering and jaywalking with no heed to traffic, trash piled in front of buildings for a week at a time rather than only on trash pickup day ... and the plywood covering what had been windows and doors. Oh, the plywood.
I have spoken to numerous people in recent years who grew up in the 'Burgh, and even raised their families there. But, in the face of the downward spiral, they finally sold their homes for what they could get and headed for greener pastures.
In the face of all that, a core of good, community-minded people has continued to try to regain the upper hand in the 'Burgh, pushing for neighborhood cleanups, activity programs for otherwise aimless kids, lobbying for stronger police presence, organizing and promoting civic entertainment such as festivals and concerts.
People like Lansingburgh residents Ron and Sue Higgs, who donated the original 20-foot tree they had planted 22 years ago when their son was born.
It is people with a similar community spirit who anonymously placed another Christmas tree in Powers Park to make up to some degree for the battered Higgs tree. (Rumor has it that the 'Burgh's former city councilman Mark McGrath and former mayor Harry Tutunjian were involved in the replacement.) The new one is smaller, to be sure, but it is a tree. A symbol that not all the creeps in the world can permanently subdue the heart of the 'Burgh.
The persistence to have such a special holiday touch says a lot about the spirit of the 'Burgh. Perhaps not as widespread as it once was, but it still beats strongly and that means hope for the future.
Powers Park has been part of Lansingburgh since 1878 when Deborah Ball Powers created the 2½-acre space as a memorial to her husband, William. When she died in 1891, her sons deeded it to the then-Village of Lansingburgh -- nine years before the 'Burgh became part of the City of Troy. It is a major part of our community's shared history, and everyone has a stake in keeping it as a safe gem.
Christmas Eve Update: I drove by Powers Park early this afternoon, and the replacement Christmas tree appears to be doing just fine.
Friday, December 19, 2014
Happy 2015, and watch your checkbooks
Yes, I could have written that sentence so many times in the 20-plus years I have been a resident of the city. But today, it's for a brand new reason.
Despite patting itself on its collective back for passing a balanced 2015 budget after one of the clumsiest processes on record, the nine-member City Council on Thursday, in its final Financial Committee session of 2014, voted to increase the amount of money the City pays Rensselaer County for emergency dispatching services.
By how much, you ask? By more than 75%, after considering just a single non-competitive bid endorsed by Mayor Lou Rosamilia after he did a bit of flirting with Albany County's dispatch people. (By the way, despite calls to do so, neither he nor anyone in his administration has publicly explained why that exploration stopped, and how he arrived at the abominable figure he chose to endorse.)
As a result, a half-million of your tax dollars will go to the County, rather than the current $285,000. And, that number is projected to more than double in the next decade under an agreement Rosamilia and County Executive Cathy Jimino agreed to before putting it up for a vote. Thus, taxpayers will have to go from paying $285,000 a year to $1,200,000 in a 10-year period.
Nice negotiating, Mr. Mayor.
But, that is not the only bit of financial bad news for Troy residents and businesses. The Council also voted to increase the amount charged for sewer bills by 20%. Your current sewer bill is 65% of what your water bill is. For 2015, it will be 85%. (Council Member Lynn Kopka even floated the possibility of a 100% increase.) Feel that extra pinch in your pocketbook?
The logic in that rate hike is to drum up an extra $856,000 a year to be applied to paying down a $3,537,411 million bond issue that was floated to finance a capital project for the regional combined sewer overflow control plan.
The problem with increases of the sort I'm pointing out is not that that they are inherently bad. What they are is a case of too much, too soon.
Yes, the City has paid the same $285,000 a year to the County for emergency dispatch services for nearly 20 years, so some increase is not out of line. But the approved amount is, tremendously so.
A more gradual schedule of increases would have been palatable. Instead, Rosamilia and the Council have leapfrogged to a mind-boggling level that will only continue to increase each year unless the City opts out of the contract, which seems unlikely given the current mindset.
And, there is no doubt the sewer overflow capital project is needed. But, once again, it is a huge hike to absorb all at once, especially for residents of a city with an average adjusted gross income of $39,000.
Given all the good things happening in the City -- often despite rather than aided by the government -- we are in dire need of people with energy, perspective, business experience and critical thinking skills to consider making a run at City Hall and on City Council next time those seats come before the voters.
Thursday, December 18, 2014
Snow emergency plan? Now we can breathe easier
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| Troy, NY - Dec. 11, 2014 |
I suppose that's a good thing. Winter doesn't officially arrive until this Sunday.
Never mind that we've already had several heavy snowfalls that required lots of plowing, salting and scraping, and many city streets were mired in slush, backed-up traffic and the usual accoutrements of the season.
Better late than never, one must suppose. Why would we expect the government of a municipality located in Upstate New York to foresee winter coming around every year?
City's outside legal fee projection borders on obscene
Mantello just released on Facebook a shortened version of a letter she sent to Mayor Lou Rosamilia and the nine members of the City Council:
"We are all aware the City of Troy is facing a very difficult budget situation for 2015 and beyond. I am recommending, in order to reduce expenditures, the City put a freeze on any legal consultant services effective January 1, 2015. In the years 2012, 2013 and to date in 2014, the City has spent $629,425 for such consultant services. I believe an unnecessary expenditure and such services can easily be done in-house.
"In particular, in the 2015 budget $297,450 is allocated for the Corporation Counsel’s office. This includes seven staff personnel, six of which are attorneys. Therefore, the legal city staff has the ability to perform the same services as the outside consultants. ... "Mantello has a point -- the point being the matter certainly is worth discussing. Is she correct? That depends on what the discussion reveals.
As someone with long experience creating and managing multi-million-dollar budgets, I've always been cautious about too quickly assuming something is bad simply because it has large numbers attached to it. But, breaking it down by Mantello's figures, we have shelled out a monthly expenditure of $18,000 for outside legal help during the 35-month period she cites.
Now, that is a big number I don't like.
And, because politicians don't put dollars in a budget and then not use them, the cost to taxpayers will grow even larger in 2015. Result: Add that $18,000 per month to the nearly $24,800 the City has budgeted for its in-house legal office and we're up to $42,800 -- per month!
I regard that as an obscene number, especially in a city of fewer than 50,000 residents.
To be fair, doing away with outside legal services isn't always possible in a municipal setting. There often are legitimate circumstances in which legal work by non-employee, unaffiliated people is necessary. However, a moratorium on using them for a specified period appears advisable.
Such a moratorium would be a period in which the Rosamilia administration and the Council would be tasked with critically analyzing the perceived need on an instance-by-instance basis. And, by the same token, a time in which the people of Troy would be able to critically analyze the decisions their elected officials are making, and shape their votes accordingly.
Peck's Arcade will be the city's newest venture
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| One of the vintage Peck's post cards. |
That is the name of the latest downtown commercial restoration project by the husband-wife team of Vic Christopher and Heather LaVine, the people behind the Lucas Confectionery & Wine Bar and The Grocery, a title just announced Wednesday.
The Tavern operated at the 217 Broadway site for about 60 years, until the 1990s. However, well before that a department store called Peck's Arcade did business there from 1883. That title, and finding vintage post cards advertising the store, prompted the couple to revive that name for their veggie-heavy casual restaurant in the building they have fully restored.
Peck's Arcade, which is connected to hallways and a courtyard serving both their other businesses, will offer small plate dishes from Wednesday through Saturday, beginning next month. However, curious potential customers will be able to get a preview of the venue before the scheduled January 7 opening. That will be tonight, when Tavern Noodle, a pop-up noodle eatery that made its first appearance during the recent Victorian Stroll, will return at 5 p.m. and serve until food runs out. Nick Ruscitto is the head chef. You can see the pop-up menu here.
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| The latest look. |
The commercial history of the building actually predates Peck's Arcade. It began as a boarding house, called Clark House, built in 1876. It had numerous small lodging rooms but only one bathroom. By 1894, it housed a collection of industrial, manufacturing and retail tenants, including Peck's Arcade on the ground floor.
Publicly, at least, opting for the Peck's Arcade name rather than reviving The Tavern name was a change of pace. There has been a Facebook page for The Tavern since the reconstruction project began, and that name has been the only public working title until this announcement. The Peck's Arcade page on Facebook was launched just two weeks ago.
Friday, December 12, 2014
Belief
Do not believe in anything simply because you have heard it.
Do not believe in anything simply because it is spoken and rumored by many.
Do not believe in anything simply because it is found written in your religious books.
Do not believe in anything merely on the authority of your teachers and elders.
Do not believe in traditions because they have been handed down for many generations.
But, after observation and analysis, when you find that anything agrees with reason and is conducive to the good and benefit of one and all, then accept it and live up to it.
Do not believe in anything simply because it is spoken and rumored by many.
Do not believe in anything simply because it is found written in your religious books.
Do not believe in anything merely on the authority of your teachers and elders.
Do not believe in traditions because they have been handed down for many generations.
But, after observation and analysis, when you find that anything agrees with reason and is conducive to the good and benefit of one and all, then accept it and live up to it.
-- Buddah
$1.5M grant will help Farmers Market create a home
The 15-year-old market, which has about 80 vendors operating during warm months at Riverside Park and during the winter at the Atrium, will become a permanent part of the One Monument Square project -- if all the dithering ever ends over getting a final plan for the project to be constructed on the vacant site that formerly was home to City Hall.
Creation of a new home for the market will be enabled by a $1.5 million Economic Development grant, part of $60 million in grants announced on Thursday for various Capital Region projects.
While the $1.5 million award is heartening, it is far less than the $2.8 million grant application the Farmers Market reportedly submitted back in June.
Monica Kurzejeski, market manager, said, "We're pretty hard on the Atrium. It's a tough use. We bring in produce and freight and everything every week and then pull it back out. So, this is a great opportunity for us to design a building that fits the market."
While there are no actual architectural plans for the project so far, Kurzejeski said "We are working with a developer to create a very garage-door like atmosphere, so during the summer we can roll it up and it can be a wide-open space and you can see the river and be able to utilize the public access points of the park."
Thursday, December 11, 2014
Troy Drug-Free Coalition buoyed by $625K federal grant
The organization has been notified it will receive $625,000 -- $125,000 grants each year for the next five -- from the federal Office of National Drug Control Policy. The feds say the Coalition will be working to promote a lifestyle free from the abuse of alcohol and drugs. If that sounds a bit vague, it notes that the financial grants are intended to facilitate youth and adult participation at the community level in youth drug prevention efforts.
Davia Collington, a prevention specialist with the Rensselaer County Department of Mental Health who is the coordinator of the coalition, is quoted in The Record saying “We are not powerless against the challenge of drug use among young people here in Troy. Research shows that prevention is the most effective tool we have to reduce the terrible consequences associated with drug use among young people. This new funding will allow us to help place more young people on the path toward success and enable them to live healthier and safer lives.”
Troy’s Drug-Free Community Coalition works to involve parents, youths, teachers, religious and fraternal organizations, health care and business professionals, law enforcement and media members in its programs. Any organization that can do that deserves a financial helping hand.
Friday parking crackdown promised by City
Vehicles parked in areas designated "No Parking" tomorrow will be ticketed and towed to allow for snow pushback.
The affected area runs from Federal Street to Ferry Street and from River Street to Sixth Avenue. The normal Friday morning prohibited parking zones are sides of the street that are posted for no parking on Fridays from 4 a.m. until 7 a.m.
Thanks to the Troy Downtown Business Improvement District (BID) for spreading the word on the situation.
Tavern Noodle scheduled for another pop-up
The latest project from Vic Christopher and Heather LaVine first surfaced during the Victorian Stroll last Sunday. Now, it will reappear at 5 p.m. next Thursday, December 18, and operate for one night until it runs out of food.
The downtown venue is the same -- 217 Broadway, just off Monument Square. That's where the industrious couple is renovating The Tavern, which will become a full-service restaurant to join their portfolio of renovated structures that now house the Charles F. Lucas Confectionery & Wine Bar and The Grocery.
You can get a look at Tavern Noodle's food menu here and drinks menu here.
Calling 911 on city's emergency dispatching contract
How lovely. Is there something Lou Rosamilia and his administration does not want the public to know about?
This is not a personnel matter. What it is, is a matter of dollars and cents -- yours and mine -- and the quality of services to be rendered. That is something that needs more public discussion, not an after-the fact comment. Especially not from an administration that has stumbled and bumbled its way through other contract negotiations and budgeting, landing us under the fiscal microscope of state government once again.
At one point it appeared as if Troy City Council members would find several possibilities on their menu. Now, however, it turns out there apparently is only one choice, since, according to a report in the Times Union, the Rosamilia administration "ended its conversation with the City of Albany about teaming up for emergency communications after reaching an agreement with the county on Friday, officials said."
Translation: Rather than having competing possibilities for 911 dispatching services to consider, we have the "choice" of the one County Executive Kathy Jimino says is being distributed to legislative bodies for consideration. And it is one the administration doesn't want to talk about publicly. That makes me nervous, since this is the first time in 20 years the city could have had a choice to consider.
I encourage the City Council to forget about their Republican and Democrat labels and work collectively to publicly discuss the potential contract rather than rubber stamp it. Given some of the machinations that have gone on under the current administration, it is imperative that all commitments the city makes undergo the most careful scrutiny before the fact.
What we do know is that eight months ago the County proposed raising its 911 dispatching fee for Troy by an astounding 75.5%, to a half-million dollars in 2015. Calls for Troy's ambulance, fire and police services make up about 40% of the county dispatch center's business, which comes out to about 53,600 calls a year.
Using those numbers, the County was trying to hike the cost to Troy taxpayers from $5.32 to $9.33 per call.
Is that number part of the contract now under consideration? Although we do know the city wasn't thrilled with that proposal back in April, we don't know what wound up in the proposed contract.
Am I making a big deal out of nothing? Again, who knows? Until someone makes details of the proposed new contract public -- and, bear in mind it is only proposed even though it is being presented as the only choice -- and gets some input from beyond the halls of government we can only ask questions.
Another improvement in reworking Plywood City
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| Architect's drawing of City Station North. |
City Station North is expected to be 90,000 square feet of office space and 100,000 square feet of residential space divided into 80 apartments in a seven-story structure.
The prior phases of the sprawling project by the United Group of Companies of Troy have turned a blah open space into an eye-catching development very much in keeping with the architecture of the city and the needs of RPI graduate students for off-campus housing. Unlike those, however, this part of the project will include residential space designed for families. The designers even envision, at least in the abstract, an urban grocery locating there, something many city dwellers desperately need.
The $55 million phase, which should take about two years to complete, will involve getting rid of a very ugly building at Congress and Sixth opposite the police headquarters that until recently was home to the Troy Educational Opportunity Center (EOC). In a good example of the ongoing revitalization efforts in the city, the EOC recently relocated to the Hedley Building on River Street, itself the conversion of an old factory into an attractive and bustling edifice.
All of which shows the very healthy mix of new and renewed buildings that continues to make Troy an ever-more-attractive place for new businesses and new residents, all of which help grow the tax base -- certainly something the city needs, given its current financial woes created by some very weak management.
Now, if we can just get our city government to do something about what makes this place Plywood City -- namely the boarded-up commercial and residential structures that so heavily punctuate our streets and neighborhoods -- we can begin crowing about the rebirth of a community. Until then, boarded-up buildings are daily reminders of failure.
Note: Back in 2002, I first tagged Troy with the nickname "Plywood City." You can read that commentary by clicking here.
Wednesday, December 10, 2014
'2015: A Beer Odyssey' set for Rare Form Brewing
Rare Form Brewing Company, Troy's new craft brewery, will ring in the new year with a little something it is calling "2015: A Beer Odyssey."The New Year's Eve event is scheduled for 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. on Wednesday, December 31.
Rare Form will be tapping its Tripped Out Belgian Trippel and inviting some guest taps for the occasion. Among those guests will be the Other Half Brewing Company of Brooklyn and Rushing Duck of Chester, Orange County, with several to be added.
In a bit of a nod to the event title, a riff on "2001: A Space Odyssey," sci-fi films will be shown on a big screen, and custom printed T-shirts will be available. Tickets, priced at $55, will cover all-you-can-drink beer plus wine, a New York State sparkling wine toast, appetizers and a T-shirt. Tickets are available only online.
Rare Form Brewing Company is located at 90 Congress Street in Troy. Phone: 326-4303.
The iconic Notty Pine Tavern is on the block
A Troy restaurant that opened at the end of World War II is for sale.The Notty Pine Tavern, located at 2301 15th Street on the northern edge of the RPI campus, has an asking price of $425,000 which covers the name, building and equipment.
The restaurant was founded by the DeBonis family, who sold it to the Zitto family which currently owns and operates it. The nearly 3,000-square-foot restaurant remains open.
Hours: Monday-Thursday, 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday-Saturday, 11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. Closed Sundays. Phone: 272-4557 and 272-9383.
Council's missing president needs a technology lesson
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| So easy a child could do it. |
Wiltshire once again has excuses for being AWOL, of course, but there really is not a legitimate one in this era of high-tech communications. Despite being away, he nevertheless could have attended -- and fully participated in -- the Council sessions via real-time electronic means such as Skype, iPad's Facetime, etc.
The City Charter does not preclude that, nor does common sense. Should Wiltshire not have such technology available to him, surely someone could have loaned him the necessary device. Modern businesses use such remote communication all the time. Matter of fact, so do children who can't stand to be separated from their friends. It is not a radical notion.
Wiltshire says the 5-3 vote that was cast shows his attendance would not have made a difference in the outcome. That could be interpreted as him admitting he does not have any influence over Council actions despite his leadership position. Perhaps he is right.
The embarrassing, endlessly-squabbling council Wiltshire will not or cannot get under control, and his callous dismissal of his responsibilities say a lot about both his performance in office and his attitude toward his civic role. Unfortunately for the residents of Troy, he has at least another year in office.
Monday, December 8, 2014
Played for a sucker, one last time
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| Me with Danny Sarmiento. |
Since sending the organization a check, it has inundated me with endless requests for more money and pushing me to buy all sorts of useless tchotchkes. It is safe to say the organization has spent more in mailings and brochures sent to me than I contributed.
This, regretably, is not unusual. Numerous other organizations that have been recipients over the years of my contributions meant as supportive of their programs and goals have done the same mindless thing. I can site such groups as the Eastern Paralyzed Veterans, Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, Capital City Rescue Mission, the Muscular Dystrophy Foundation, the American Red Cross and on and on.
By contrast, I also contribute significant sums through Rotary International, the 1.2 million-member global public service organization of which I long have been a member. In all the years I have done so, I have never been targeted for continual arm-twisting for more money.
It has been said insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. So, I am proclaiming my mental health to be strong and my charitable contributions from, now on to be limited to Rotary projects, be they local or international.
Locally, our Rotary club — Southern Rensselaer County, in my case, of which I am the current president — supports family service organizations, Boy Scouts, college scholarships, food pantries, literacy, the Gift of Life organization that brings children here for lifesaving cardiac surgery, and other undertakings. Globally, we support the ongoing battle to eradicate polio, provide ShelterBoxes which bring temporary shelters, tools, water purifying equipment, first-aid supplies and similar materials to areas ravaged by the forces of nature.
When I see the direct result of the hard personal work and generosity of my fellow Rotarians that does only good rather than becoming a catalyst for incessant fundraising, I know that decision is a proper one.
The most recent example is the $11,000 my club of fewer than 30 members raised to bring a Honduran youngster to Albany for lifesaving cardiac surgery under the auspices of the Gift of Life program. Little Danny Sarmiento (see photo above) is an example of what can be accomplished without wasting money on browbeating and annoying people who want only to help.
Friday, December 5, 2014
Entrepreneurs' efforts mix pop-up and history
Their latest item is a little something called Tavern Ramen, a pop-up restaurant that will be in operation during this Sunday's Victorian Stroll.
The venue will be 217 Broadway, just off Monument Square, where Christopher and LaVine are resurrecting The Tavern, a longtime mainstay that has been in ruins for years. Tavern Ramen will offer ramen noodle dishes -- guaranteed to be popular with the city's many students from RPI, Russell Sage and Hudson Valley colleges -- plus pork buns and a few other items from 11 a.m. on Sunday.
Will this pop-up lead to something more permanent?
"We're taking the concept for a test-drive," Christopher says. "(It) could evolve into something else at some point."
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| Spiak's dining room neon sign. |
Christopher and LaVine already operate the Charles F. Lucas Confectionery & Wine Bar and The Grocery in the same neighborhood, both in once-crumbling buildings they have completely renovated.
The couple has a penchant for preserving/restoring as many original items as possible in their projects, or re-purposing others with a touch of local history. A prime example of the latter is their acquisition of the dining room neon sign that hung for years at Spiak's, a popular Watervliet restaurant that has closed due to retirement.
"Walter Spiak has been working in the restaurant since he was 12, and he's got no regrets about retiring. He wanted the dining room sign to end up in a highly visible location, so he decided to send it our way," Christoper says.
"It will be displayed prominently at The Tavern Restaurant. The sign has been on display for decades, and is actually a replacement for the original sign which read 'Ladies Entrance'."
For those of you who keep track of such anachronistic items, the former South End Tavern in Troy -- still up for sale along with several adjacent buildings -- still has a "Ladles Entrance" sign on premises.
Tuesday, December 2, 2014
Why soft drinks and food stamps don’t mix
It caught my attention because they had been paying for their groceries with food stamps supported by your tax dollars and mine. That left them plenty of cash for the beer and smokes.
Ah, the cradle-to-grave welfare system. Why use your money for the basics of life when someone else’s money will get them for you? In effect, you are buying their drinks and smokes.
There are, of course, some people who can’t exist without assistance, but I see so many examples of people simply milking the system — put bluntly, stealing money from my wallet — that I have less and less sympathy all the time.
I recall some months ago when the partial collapse of an old brick residential building in Troy forced tenants of an apartment to find accommodations elsewhere. I felt bad for them at first. Then it was revealed that the building was Section 8 housing in which a big chunk of the rent is paid by -- guess who? -- you and me, through our taxes.
On the surface that’s alright because some people need such assistance. But, by law only family members are allowed to reside in each unit, and their total income must be below a certain level to qualify. It turns out one of the occupants was the boyfriend of the mother of the family, not a legal family member.
Plainly put, this lout and loutess were jobbing the system to get cut-rate rent for her and rent-free housing for him while other members of the community whose taxes are supporting them are worrying about making their own rent or mortgage payments.
These are far from isolated cases. When they keep popping up generation after generation, I root for some tighter oversight of welfare programs so the truly needy are aided and the truly cheating are exposed.
In many communities around the country, municipal governments have been petitioning the federal government to allow them to prohibit food stamp recipients from using the handouts to purchase soft drinks. A small step, but better than no step, unless you’re among the soft drink makers/distributors/sellers and their cohort (snack food manufacturers, for one) already whining about the proposal.
Why do I regard this as a positive step for society at large? Besides the obesity problem, to which sugary drinks contribute mightily, take a look at the numbers, step by step:
• There are 1,700,000 New Yorkers getting food stamps.
• That is roughly equal to the combined entire populations of Vermont, Wyoming and Washington, D.C.
• If each food stamp recipient bought just 1½ soft drinks daily, that would come to about $2,500,000 a day, or $76,500,000 a month of your money being spent.
• That last figure exceeds the annual gross state product of each of 13 states: Alaska, Delaware, Hawaii, Idaho, Maine, Montana, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Vermont, West Virginia and Wyoming.
Perhaps you’re beginning to get an idea of the enormity of the topic.
By the way, if you think my figure of 1½ soft drinks a day to make my case is too high, consider that all available data puts the average American’s soft drink consumption at 3 quarts per week. We’re the largest soft drink consuming nation in the world. And you and I are buying the sodas for a lot of those people.
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