Perhaps inspired by their bowling counterparts on the Mechanicville Red Raiders’ boys’ team that won the Colonial Council tournament last Monday, the Red Raiders’ girls’ team earned some hardware of their own when they took top honors in the Colonial Council girls’ tournament the very next day. And then they followed up that triumph by winning their second consecutive Section II Class C/D title on Thursday.
To read more login to The Weekly Paper
The NY Giants selected eight players in the 2007 NFL draft, all of whom ended up making the team coming out of training camp. That, in and of itself, was a long shot in the dog-eat-dog world of NFL rosters. It was Giants general manager Jerry Reese’s first draft, and when all eight players were contributors for the eventual Super Bowl Champions, Reese was lauded as something of a personnel savant. While Aaron Ross, Steve Smith, and Kevin Boss all played key roles that season and in subsequent seasons, the pick of the litter was undoubtedly the last of the eight – the 240th player selected in the entire draft – Ahmad Bradshaw.
With Bradshaw’s release last week, fourth round selection Zak DeOssie (primarily a long-snapper) is the only remaining player still on the roster. That’s not all that uncommon in the NFL (the acronym commonly is referred to as Not For Long for good reason), but snagging a player of Bradshaw’s caliber after 239 other players were taken certainly is rare. Saddled with character issues coming out of Marshall University, as well as a smaller than average frame and an ailing foot, Bradshaw slid to the Giants in the seventh round. A non-factor for most of the ’07 season, Bradshaw burst onto the scene in a big way in the snow in Buffalo in week 16 in what amounted to a must-win situation for Big Blue. With 151 yards on 17 carries, highlighted by an 88 yard scamper in the fourth quarter that cemented a victory that clinched a playoff berth for the Giants, Bradshaw showed he belonged. Over the following five years with the Giants, he proved it time and time again.
No player in Blue over this Eli-Coughlin led run of success has embodied what fans and the organization refer to as “the Giants way” more than Bradshaw. Undersized, he ran in such a violent manner it almost seemed to surprise defenders at times. His enthusiasm was infectious; you could just tell how much the offensive linemen loved blocking for him. Heart always on his sleeve, playing each game like it was potentially his last, wear and tear on his body be damned. Ultimately, that’s what spelled his demise with the Giants, as it eventually does with most NFL players. With more screws in his feet than a Home Depot, and with younger, cheaper options such as Andre Brown and last year’s first round pick David Wilson showing promise, the Giants made the decision that Bradshaw was expendable and cut him from the roster. Use him up and spit him out. Such is life of an NFL player, especially running backs.
From a “business of football” standpoint the move makes all the sense in the world. Statistics show us that running backs that have six years of wear and tear will slow down rapidly, injuries and miles piling up. In the salary cap NFL, and with a quarterback making $13 million a year, you have to pick and choose who gets paid and the Giants are obviously choosing Victor Cruz and Hakeem Nicks, with an eye toward Jason Pierre-Paul in the coming years. On the field, Bradshaw’s tremendous ability at picking up blitzes will likely be the biggest hole to fill as Brown and Wilson are unproven in that regard. The bigger issue is who picks up the emotional void created by the loss of Bradshaw?
All #44 ever did was give his entire heart, soul, and body to his teammates, organization, and fan base on every play over his six seasons in East Rutherford. As a fan, that’s all you can really ask. As a business? It wasn’t enough to warrant a seventh season.
MECHANICVILLE JANUARY 31- Larry Gandron retired after serving 15 years at the Post Office.Cake and cookies were served in the lobby all day long for those who wanted to thank Larry for his good humor and service to the community. Larry always had a smile and a quip for the patrons. As an example of his consideration he was always more than willing to offer the services of the Stillwater Post Office to those who were in a hurry. When lines were long and patience was ebbing Larry was at his best. He kept everyone laughing. They still had to wait but he made the time go by quicker.
Larry will be staying around town. There are unfounded rumors that he will be going to Las Vegas to perform as a stand up comic. Larry denies them.
Mechanicville will miss the postal worker with the most personality.
Hoosic Valley Central was one of the 47 area school districts, served by the Questar III and Capital Region BOCES who rallied stakeholders to come out to attend the regional education forum titled “Your Public Schools in Fiscal Peril - Running Out of Time and Options.” Legislators, community members, parents students and educators filled the auditorium as well as a spill over space in response to a “Call to Action” on behalf of the public school system. The anticipated state aid cuts and lack of funding that continues to threaten public school systems across the state was the topic for the forum. “Inequity and insufficiency is the problem,” states Dr. Rick Timbs, Executive Director, Statewide School Finance Consortium and Featured Speaker. “Almost all districts in the room are below average,” he states. “If we don’t solve our fiscal problems we are going to have educational problems,” says Timbs.
To read more login to The Weekly Paper
MECHANICVILLE – Mrs. Isabelle P. Cifone, 97. of East Saratoga Ave., died Monday morning, February 4, at St. Mary’s Hospital, Troy, after a brief illness.
Born in Waterford, Sept. 2, 1915, daughter of the late Theresa DeVito Ennello and former Mechanicville Police Chief John Ennello.
A seamstress for many years at the former Korell Dress Co. of Mechanicville, she retired when the dress shop closed.
A faithful member of years of the Mechanicville Home Bureau, she enjoyed knitting and other crafts, also needlepoint. Fortunate of travel to Italy and Spain, she was a great cook and baker, loved serving Sunday dinners for her family, playing bocce ball, and her weekly pinnacle and pokeno clubs with her girlfriends. She, her sisters and others would bake holiday cookies for all their network of family and friends.
To read more login to The Weekly Paper
James C. Dunn, 64, of Hudson Ave., died Saturday morning, February 2, at his home, in the loving company of his family, after a courageous battle with colon cancer, spanning almost 9 years.
Born in Troy, Sept. 11, 1948, son of Isabelle Moll Dunn of Clifton Park and the late prominent area Funeral Director, J. Dwight Dunn, Jim was a 1967 graduate of Mechanicville High School, where he was a trombonist with the school band. He then served in the US Navy from 1968-70, aboard the USS Richard E. Byrd of Norfolk, Va.
To read more login to The Weekly Paper
MALTA, Feb. 4 – Malta Business and Professional Association president Steve Gottmann, , Saratoga Chamber of Commerce President Todd Shimkus, and in a letter Southern Saratoga County Chamber president Peter Bardunias, let their support to Monday evening's Malta Town Board set the stage for use of the Downtown Form Based Code zoning concept in the Town.
Gottmann called the anticipated adoption later in the meeting "a unique and proactive process... A long time coming [it took about three years] , what I think is great about it is it has been an extensive opportunity for residents, stakeholders, professionals and others to be involved [in its adoption]."
"I think it provides clarity and a framework for a feasible and smart growth in the Town of Malta. There's a lot happening in Malta;" and large projects going on to attract many different people, who want to move here, and developers as well.
Another element he pointed to was "an element of fairness, as I read the code. That is, that for those projects that have already permitted projects, there are provisions that allow them, as I understand, to move forward, and I think that reaching-out and sending that message by the Town Board is a very good message, to not just developers but also residents." (Several details about such accommodations were discussed and added to the legislation just before the vote.)
Shimkus, whose Chamber has 2700 members, many in Malta, added to his similar supportive comments the announcement of a new connection to Malta, the Chamber having recently expanded "in response to overwhelming need" its small business counseling service – which is free and offered on a weekly basis. He characterized the Form Based Code as "really unique for New York State" adding that when he talked to a number of planners about the Code, some he particularly trusts "tell me that this is a great opportunity for the community. We're going to set a model for across New York State."
According to the Form Based Code Institute's website,
http://www.formbasedcodes.org/what-are-form-based-codes, the definition is in part that "Form-based codes foster predictable built results and a high-quality public realm by using physical form (rather than separation of uses) as the organizing principle for the code. They are regulations, not mere guidelines, adopted into city or county law. Form-based codes offer a powerful alternative to conventional zoning. Form-based codes address the relationship between building facades and the public realm, the form and mass of buildings in relation to one another, and the scale and types of streets and blocks..."
The board adopted the Code, whose administrative details Building and Planning Coordinator Anthony Tozzi said should be complete in about a month.
The board voted to approve the Code 4-1, with Town Supervisor Paul Sausville voting in the negative; objecting that this was "like putting a square peg in round hole... trying to make it look like Saratoga Springs." He cited how 87 percent of respondents in a survey he conducted wanted to see "a more hamlet type vision of the downtown," while an urban vision is being carried over by adopting the Form Based Code.
Councilman John Hartzell prior to the vote called the change "something really in the forefront of planning – and adjoining communities are starting to consider. More learned and more saw the value of it."
Also approved by the board, after a long and often contentious process, was the basic planning document of the Round Lake Road Corridor Improvement Project.
During public input on that matter, prior to the unanimous vote in favor, several residents expressed skepticism and even distrust over the board's handling of the proposal.
Kathy Eitzmann of Round Lake Rd. recalled how at the prior board agenda meeting, residents were told it was still in process of developing the scope of services, that it was at least another month; yet it was on this week's agenda. She said wanted to address her concern that "the citizens are not being told the full story."
Sausville explained that Town officials were not aware, at that time, that the State Department of Transportation would sign off on the project "so expeditiously."
But said resident John Rich: "I'm really concerned about the honesty [of the board]... We've asked you three to four different questions – no answers... The people have stood up and said, we don't want it, and you seem to proceed, you want to go forward with it;" although also under pressure from the "love affection" he said the State's Department of Transportation seems to have with roundabouts. He seriously questioned the further half million dollars to be spent on a safety study, for an area that realistically is "not a walking community, not a biking community. It's people that travel in automobiles."
Also on the matter of safety observed resident Mark Spataro – "What really gets me, is the judgment of this community is made by an engineer... Any of us who has ever worked with an engineer knows they can take a number and make what the customer wants it to be " – while the engineer doesn't have to live in the community, doesn't have to live with the results, is not going to be paying taxes in the community, and is not voting there. "People in this room will remember this – That's the bottom line... You're not working with us."
Sausville sought in reply to make it clear the option [of roundabouts vs. signalized intersections] has not been decided. "That's why we're spending a half million dollars to have an engineering firm look at safety issues"– probably until the summer. "So we're still in fact finding...I just want to make it clear that there has been no decision made [on tyhe above options]..Those findings he stressed will be taken into consideration by the Town Board along with public input, and the research may not be completed until into summer.
In other actions or discussion:
-The board accepted a purchase bid of $144,000 for the Collamer Building, on Rte 9 and East High St.
-Parks and Recreation Director Audrey Ball reminded residents that the Saratoga County Soil and Water Conservation District is holding its annual bare root seedling purchase pogram, which she said she knows many residents take advantage of., to get a variety of trees and bushes at a very low price, "to landscape and attract deer, and birds and bees to your property." It can be found on he County website, saratogacountyny.gov, under Departments, and there is a detailed announcement when one clicks on Soil and Water.