RSS
Things I didn't get to...
Well, it didn't take long for me to discover that providing blog readers with a preview of things to come in the newspaper wasn't a good idea. Despite my promise to update readers on the status of the pending lawsuit between the city and the Saratoga Lake Association (SLA), I have not been able to get that story out this week.
In what turned out to be a very busy news week, I just didn't have enough time to work on the lake story.
But here's what I did learn. In a conversation earlier today with Wilma Koss, president of the SLA, she told me that SLA's lawyer had advised her that the city had asked to extend the "return date for the motion for leave to appeal” beyond the Feb. 11 deadline.
In essence, what this means is that the SLA has filed the case with the State court of appeals, but before the court will consider it, the city has to decide if it will fight the appeal. The city feels it needs more time to make this decision. Given that all three new members of the city council have not expressed support for the lake water plan, pursuing this case further could be a tough sell from Kim and Franck. But, the fact that the city hasn't yet made a decision to abandon the case means it may still be heard by the court.
Only time will tell.
In yesterday's news, there was a fire on Grand Avenue. Although I wasn't at work when it happened, and as such, not involved with the coverage, I did work on a follow-up story for tomorrow's paper. In reporting that story I spoke with Helena Frost, the building's owner, who lives in Manhattan. Although clearly upset by hers, and her tenents loss of property, she took the time to remark on the wonders of technology.
"It was amazing that my family across the country was able to see a video of my building burning, and call me to express their sympathy," she said.
Of course, I would have preferred her family to see a video on a happier subject, but still, it was nice to hear that our website (slow as it is) was put to good use yesterday, and that it enabled a family to come together in the face of a terrible loss.
Have a nice weekend, I'll see you Sunday.
In what turned out to be a very busy news week, I just didn't have enough time to work on the lake story.
But here's what I did learn. In a conversation earlier today with Wilma Koss, president of the SLA, she told me that SLA's lawyer had advised her that the city had asked to extend the "return date for the motion for leave to appeal” beyond the Feb. 11 deadline.
In essence, what this means is that the SLA has filed the case with the State court of appeals, but before the court will consider it, the city has to decide if it will fight the appeal. The city feels it needs more time to make this decision. Given that all three new members of the city council have not expressed support for the lake water plan, pursuing this case further could be a tough sell from Kim and Franck. But, the fact that the city hasn't yet made a decision to abandon the case means it may still be heard by the court.
Only time will tell.
In yesterday's news, there was a fire on Grand Avenue. Although I wasn't at work when it happened, and as such, not involved with the coverage, I did work on a follow-up story for tomorrow's paper. In reporting that story I spoke with Helena Frost, the building's owner, who lives in Manhattan. Although clearly upset by hers, and her tenents loss of property, she took the time to remark on the wonders of technology.
"It was amazing that my family across the country was able to see a video of my building burning, and call me to express their sympathy," she said.
Of course, I would have preferred her family to see a video on a happier subject, but still, it was nice to hear that our website (slow as it is) was put to good use yesterday, and that it enabled a family to come together in the face of a terrible loss.
Have a nice weekend, I'll see you Sunday.
posted by The Saratogian City Desk at
6:41 PM
4 Comments:
Water is one heckuva big issue. One great aspect of this debate is that decisions can be based on facts. As an active citizen, my "Spotlight" appearances before the Council have been to share relevant and significant facts. Things like the TRUE LANGUAGE in the Sutherland report. Things like the "EXTENSIVE PCB testing" done at the Queensbury plant are in fact done FOUR times per year, never ONCE sampled during a period of hi-flow when toxic sediment is churned.
When it comes to facts, we citizens owe much to Wilma Koss. She doesn't use the Public Comment as a selfish turn in the "Spotlight." To the contrary, she presents facts with clarity and dignity...and never sinks to a level of bitter personal attacks.
This Tuesday I will take my 120 seconds to share some facts about a MAJOR topic of discussion in the water debate- The Saratoga Experience with droughts, past and future. I'll even have handouts for those who mistake Civic Discourse for Spotlights and drama.
Part of what makes our city so unique are the people who get involved...like the Grand Avenue residents who immediately took their neighbors into their homes as firemen arrived on the scene. But maybe they were only hoping for a front-page photograph and their moment in the "Spotlight"...
...but I think not.
Kudos to the entire Saratogian Staff for the coverage.
Kyle,
I've always been intrigued by the notion that the PCB's are somehow migrating upstream. To the best of my knowledge, apparently PCB's were mapped upstream of where they were during previous testing. Is this correct? Is it possible the PCB's were always in the upstream location but never discovered? When you refer to the Queensbury plant are you referring to the intake for Queensbury's water supply? Do they have PCB's in their drinking water?
9:32 Ben Arnold,
Your questions are all excellent. For better or worse, the DEC experts have addressed all of your concerns, all available in the 1.26 issue of the Saratogian. The editors published my "Reader's View" in which I cite the facts as documented and mapped. As to the PCBs that Queensbury tests for on those FOUR rare days every year, despite all my requests, I've never been allowed to see one original "report", much less forward it to an independent lab. So all I can do is cite the DEC's Queensbury Sediment Summary released on October 5, 2001. As the authors planned for the dredging project which NIMO has been ordered to complete, on page 3 the report states-- "Whatever is decided will include concerns from the town of Queensbury about no PCBs getting into their plant. It may be that PCBs are getting into their plant, we just can't detect that low to see them."
Your questions are suburb. The answers are disturbing. As for the NIMO river dredging plan, the DEC has had the full complete project plans since June 23, 2003. They refuse to share the "SFS for OU2," nor will officials discuss it for the record.
Sorry Kyle, never saw the print edition of the 1/26 Saratogian, and I cant seem to locate it online. Can you paste it?
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home