Tonight is a night of celebrating here at The City Desk.

Why? Well, aside from the usual jubilation that comes with Thursday evening, mere hours ago I learned that The City Desk (henceforth TCD) has received a second-place award for blogs in the 2008-2009 New York Associated Press Association contest.

This post may be a little self indulgent, but I'm entitled. I'm proud to think that this blog has gone, in just a year and a half, from a vague notion to being the Saratogian's best-read blog, and an award winner. We were late comers to this whole Internet thing, but we're also fast learners.

I hope that over the past 420-odd posts, I have remained true to my original mission, which was, and still is, to provide a new venue for discussion of city issues, while supplementing coverage in the newspaper.

Before I take too much credit for all of this, I'd like to offer my thanks to all of my readers (about 5,600 a month and growing), who make this blog worth writing, to the many individuals who have been the subject of blog posts, who make the blog worth reading.

Last but not least, I'd like to thank Web Editor Stephen Shoemaker, who has been a tremendous help to me in wading through the ethical issues that come with maintaining a blog, providing emotional support and encouragement, and who has been (and will continue to be) instrumental to some of the best-read posts this blog has ever seen.

Thanks to you all, if you keep reading, I'll keep writing!

Thanks for indulging me, now, on to the news:

Today, in the New York State Appellate Court, third department, five justices heard arguments in the case Lebron V. Cline et al, arguments were made that could serve to force a primary on the Independence Party line in the race for Mayor of Albany, in which Democrat Mayor Jennings is running for re-election.

This case is nearly identical to one here in the city, in which three Democratic candidates are seeking to force a primary on the Independence line. Last week, Judge Steven Ferradino ruled that the Democrats' petitions were not valid because the notary collecting signatures had not administered a formal oath. This is the same issue in the Albany case.

If the five judged on the appelate court rule in favor of Cline (and Jennings, who is party to the case), Ferradino said he would allow the Saratoga case to come back before him. Saratoga County is within the third department, so precedent set at the higher court would likely apply to the Saratoga case.

There was no decision in the Albany case today, but my fly on the wall said arguments made by the pro-primary side pertained to the first amendment. Attorney said that depriving someone of an ability to vote in a primary was tantamount to stifling their freedom of expression. The justices are expected to issue a decision Friday or Monday. Stay tuned.

Of course, Jim Walsh, who represented Republicans not wanting a primary on the Independence line in Saratoga Springs, said that if the case does come back, he has other wittiness to call that will serve to disqualify the petitions.