Aug 15, 2011
Scenes from a pizza party
The first social get-together of the year was the Terrace Pizza Party, held Friday, August 12, at the common lawn in the circle.
Aug 12, 2011
Tickets available for 'Troy Restaurant Tour'
If you'd like to try a variety of local restaurants' fare, the 2nd annual Troy Restaurant Tour may be just the ticket.
The event is scheduled for 6 to 9 p.m. Tuesday, August 30.
And, speaking of tickets, I have a handful for sale at the discounted price of $20 each. That is $10 off the day-of-the-event price.
The culinary sampling event is a fundraiser to support the Troy Boys & Girls Club services and programs.
Here's how it works:
- Participants get a chance to stroll through Troy, stopping in at participating restaurants to sample their fare.
- If you plan to go, you'll receive a "tour guide" -- which is a map and menu of participating venues -- that evening. At each venue, a Troy Boy & Girls Club volunteer will direct you to the food.
- You can start at any venue where you'll pick up your map and proceed at your own pace, visiting restaurants in any order you like
Bootleggers On Broadway
(245 Broadway)
(245 Broadway)
Daisy Baker's
(33 2nd Street)
DeFazio’s Wood Fired Pizza
(266 4th Street)
Dinosaur Bar-B-Que
(377 River Street)
DP Dough
(71 4th Street)
Famous Lunch
(111 Congress Street)
Flavour Café
(228 4th Street)
Francesca’s
(461 Broadway)
(33 2nd Street)
DeFazio’s Wood Fired Pizza
(266 4th Street)
Dinosaur Bar-B-Que
(377 River Street)
DP Dough
(71 4th Street)
Famous Lunch
(111 Congress Street)
Flavour Café
(228 4th Street)
Francesca’s
(461 Broadway)
Lo Porto’s Ristorante
(85 4th Street)
(85 4th Street)
-- Bill Dowd
Aug 11, 2011
Polling place location changed
The Rensselaer County Board of Elections has been mailing out yellow notice cards to Terrace residents, informing them that the location for casting their votes has changed from the Buckley Water Treatment Plant on Leversee Road to the Community Room at Diamond Ridge, 59 Harris Road.
Incidentally, if you are in need of an absentee ballot application or voter registration form, contact the Board of Elections by calling 270-2990 or going online here to download forms.
Absentee ballots are made available to registered voters who will be out of the county on Primary Day or General Election Day, or are ill or physically disabled and unable to go to the polling place.
- Primary Election – Tuesday September 13, from noon to 9 p.m.
- General Election – Tuesday, November 8, from 6 am to 9 p.m.
Of city water meter replacements and billing woes
Pat Whitman at No. 27 has had the honor of being the first Terrace homeowner to have her water meter replaced. And, according to what she found out, she'll be the only one for a while.
Pat recently received written notice from the City of Troy that it would be replacing her meter. She tells us that when she checked into the matter, she was told "The plan is to change everyone over but our area isn't at the top of their list."
Hers was changed because of an access problem. No word on when the rest of us will have the changeover.
Incidentally, it would be a good idea to closely check your sewer and water bills from the city. There have been several instances reported in the Times Union of vastly inflated bills and intransigence on the part of the City of Troy to rectify the problems. If you run into a billing problem, go here to check out the city's official procedures.
Here is the latest story on billing woes, by TU "Advocate" columnist Cathy Woodruff:
TROY -- Dawn Conville found the Troy Water Department ultimatum hanging on her front door Tuesday: Pay $498 or her water would be shut off on Aug. 16.
Conville is the latest in a stream of Collar City homeowners who have contacted me to report high-handed treatment by the city Water Department, where consumers who dispute their bills or alleged usage are told to pay up or face dire consequences.
I consider it a virtual shakedown of Troy water consumers, who endure a cold shoulder from city officials because Troy has established no system of due-process rights for residents who believe their water bills are inaccurate.
"I am frustrated beyond belief," Conville told me Thursday. "I've been fighting with them for too long about this."
For more than a year and a half, Conville, 42, has been trying to determine why the water bills for the house she bought in 2005 have been inconsistent and unpredictable.
Her actual recorded quarterly usage was 7,700 gallons, back in the spring and summer of 2006, when she was billed $24.02 for water.
But in the last quarter of 2007, her alleged actual usage jumped to 27,700 gallons, and it has bounced up and down with no apparent pattern or reason since then. The peak came late in 2009 and in early 2010, when she received quarterly bills putting her usage at 40,100 gallons in October 2009 and 47,500 gallons on Jan. 19, 2010.
Those bills were for $137 and $163 (water portion only), respectively, and that's when Conville contacted the Water Department, started questioning the department's calculations of her usage and asked for help in determining the cause of the fluctuating readings.
The answer remains elusive.
The Water Department has twice conducted "flow tests" at her home to determine if she had a leak. Both times, no evidence of a leak was detected.
Conville also has searched assiduously on her own for some explanation for the inconsistent water bills.
"If I have a major leak, of course I want to know about it," she said.
Her house came with a lawn sprinkler system, which she has not used since the summer of 2009, but she decided to have that checked and serviced, anyhow. Nothing was found to be amiss.
Conville said she finally felt relief this April, when Troy Public Utilities Commissioner Bill Bradley personally visited her house to check things out. She says he, too, found no leaks -- though he did take note of an old-style toilet and suggested she might want to replace it.
In May, she said, she was thrilled to see a bill that finally seemed to be in line with her actual water usage. The calculated water usage was 5,500 gallons, and she paid the new water and sewer charges totalling $52.20 in full.
She did not, however, pay the disputed back charges, she says, since Bradley had agreed that there were unexplained irregularities in her bills and he indicated the charges for "past usage" should be addressed in some way.
Then, this Tuesday, she found the brightly colored termination notice on her door. She contacted city officials, including Bradley and Neil Bonesteel, the longtime chief operator at the water plant.
A written response from Bonesteel says, as readers may not be surprised to hear, that Conville still is considered in arrears for her most recent bill because that payment was applied to the amount the city contends she owes for past usage and penalties.
Bonesteel's email also asserts that during his visit to her house, Bradley found a leaking toilet, which he fixed with an adjustment.
"Subsequent to that, multiple readings were taken showing the usage was under 100 gallons per day, indicating a leak had been repaired," he writes, adding "I believe the issues have been resolved."
That response has launched Conville, who works at home as a workers' compensation claims adjuster for an insurance company, into a new level of orbit.
"You just never get a straight answer," she said. "It's 'Nope, you don't have a leak.' Then, it's 'You must have a leak. That's your problem.' Can someone stop talking in circles and give me the real story here?"
In combing through her bills for clues, Conville has found a particularly puzzling inconsistency.
In January 2010, when a sewer pipe was replaced, she says, the Water Department reset her meter to zero. The May 18, 2011, cumulative reading on her last bill was 92,592 gallons, indicating she had used that much water since the meter was reset.
But we added up the quarterly gallons charged on the five bills covering the period from Jan. 19, 2010, to May 18 of this year, and that sum indicates she was billed for a total of 119,001 gallons. That is 26,409 gallons -- or 28 percent -- more than the amount on the meter.
"That, right there, should be enough for them to say, 'We have a problem. How can that be?' " Conville said.
Since there is no verified problem with the meter, Conville has been speculating about a possible clerical error.
"It's probably some stupid thing like someone put the wrong number in the computer and it just kept snowballing," she said. "Why not just check the records? People make mistakes. I understand that."
Conville thought she'd finally found someone willing to take her seriously when Bradley, the public utilities commissioner, came to her house.
"Mr. Bradley said to me, 'Your bills are all over the place.' Those were his exact words," she said.
I tried to reach Bradley to get his take on things several times on Thursday and Friday and, after being encouraged to leave messages -- which I did -- I learned that he was out of the office on vacation.
I also was directed to Jeff Pirro, a spokesman for Mayor Harry Tutunjian, who has responded to my inquiries about water customer problems in the past.
He sent this response via email: "We are aware of Ms. Conville's concerns and city staff has investigated the issues she raised."
I'll leave it to readers to judge how illuminating that is.
Generally, I remain concerned about the lack of rights for Troy water customers who contest their water bills or face huge retroactive charges. I hope that the city's next administration will be more attentive to this issue.
In May, Troy City Court Judge Matthew Turner ruled against retiree Eugene Booth, another city resident who was slapped with a big bill for past water usage.
Booth objected to being billed retroactively -- originally $1,309, reduced to $530 -- for water the city claimed he used over many years, but for which he was not billed at the time. The city contends that its own outdoor device, which city workers were using to calculate Booth's water bills, was faulty.
The city's position is that Booth's actual cumulative usage was recorded on an indoor meter, which was replaced during a meter-upgrade program and had not been read before.
Even if that's so, I believe it is deeply unfair to charge water customers retroactively, years later, for usage that was not detected at the time and for which they were not billed.
Turner decided that Booth hadn't met a legal burden of proof to show that the city's meter readings were inaccurate as a result of fraud, mistake or accident. It does not matter that this is not what Booth believes happened; that's what he had to prove to win his case.
I hope Conville won't find herself facing such an unreasonable standard sometime down the line.
Pat recently received written notice from the City of Troy that it would be replacing her meter. She tells us that when she checked into the matter, she was told "The plan is to change everyone over but our area isn't at the top of their list."
Hers was changed because of an access problem. No word on when the rest of us will have the changeover.
Incidentally, it would be a good idea to closely check your sewer and water bills from the city. There have been several instances reported in the Times Union of vastly inflated bills and intransigence on the part of the City of Troy to rectify the problems. If you run into a billing problem, go here to check out the city's official procedures.
Here is the latest story on billing woes, by TU "Advocate" columnist Cathy Woodruff:
TROY WATER DEPARTMENT LEAVES HOMEOWNERS HIGH, DRY
Sunday, August 7, 2011
 |
| Dawn Conville at home. (Times Union photo) |
Conville is the latest in a stream of Collar City homeowners who have contacted me to report high-handed treatment by the city Water Department, where consumers who dispute their bills or alleged usage are told to pay up or face dire consequences.
I consider it a virtual shakedown of Troy water consumers, who endure a cold shoulder from city officials because Troy has established no system of due-process rights for residents who believe their water bills are inaccurate.
"I am frustrated beyond belief," Conville told me Thursday. "I've been fighting with them for too long about this."
For more than a year and a half, Conville, 42, has been trying to determine why the water bills for the house she bought in 2005 have been inconsistent and unpredictable.
Her actual recorded quarterly usage was 7,700 gallons, back in the spring and summer of 2006, when she was billed $24.02 for water.
But in the last quarter of 2007, her alleged actual usage jumped to 27,700 gallons, and it has bounced up and down with no apparent pattern or reason since then. The peak came late in 2009 and in early 2010, when she received quarterly bills putting her usage at 40,100 gallons in October 2009 and 47,500 gallons on Jan. 19, 2010.
Those bills were for $137 and $163 (water portion only), respectively, and that's when Conville contacted the Water Department, started questioning the department's calculations of her usage and asked for help in determining the cause of the fluctuating readings.
The answer remains elusive.
The Water Department has twice conducted "flow tests" at her home to determine if she had a leak. Both times, no evidence of a leak was detected.
Conville also has searched assiduously on her own for some explanation for the inconsistent water bills.
"If I have a major leak, of course I want to know about it," she said.
Her house came with a lawn sprinkler system, which she has not used since the summer of 2009, but she decided to have that checked and serviced, anyhow. Nothing was found to be amiss.
Conville said she finally felt relief this April, when Troy Public Utilities Commissioner Bill Bradley personally visited her house to check things out. She says he, too, found no leaks -- though he did take note of an old-style toilet and suggested she might want to replace it.
In May, she said, she was thrilled to see a bill that finally seemed to be in line with her actual water usage. The calculated water usage was 5,500 gallons, and she paid the new water and sewer charges totalling $52.20 in full.
She did not, however, pay the disputed back charges, she says, since Bradley had agreed that there were unexplained irregularities in her bills and he indicated the charges for "past usage" should be addressed in some way.
Then, this Tuesday, she found the brightly colored termination notice on her door. She contacted city officials, including Bradley and Neil Bonesteel, the longtime chief operator at the water plant.
A written response from Bonesteel says, as readers may not be surprised to hear, that Conville still is considered in arrears for her most recent bill because that payment was applied to the amount the city contends she owes for past usage and penalties.
Bonesteel's email also asserts that during his visit to her house, Bradley found a leaking toilet, which he fixed with an adjustment.
"Subsequent to that, multiple readings were taken showing the usage was under 100 gallons per day, indicating a leak had been repaired," he writes, adding "I believe the issues have been resolved."
That response has launched Conville, who works at home as a workers' compensation claims adjuster for an insurance company, into a new level of orbit.
"You just never get a straight answer," she said. "It's 'Nope, you don't have a leak.' Then, it's 'You must have a leak. That's your problem.' Can someone stop talking in circles and give me the real story here?"
In combing through her bills for clues, Conville has found a particularly puzzling inconsistency.
In January 2010, when a sewer pipe was replaced, she says, the Water Department reset her meter to zero. The May 18, 2011, cumulative reading on her last bill was 92,592 gallons, indicating she had used that much water since the meter was reset.
But we added up the quarterly gallons charged on the five bills covering the period from Jan. 19, 2010, to May 18 of this year, and that sum indicates she was billed for a total of 119,001 gallons. That is 26,409 gallons -- or 28 percent -- more than the amount on the meter.
"That, right there, should be enough for them to say, 'We have a problem. How can that be?' " Conville said.
Since there is no verified problem with the meter, Conville has been speculating about a possible clerical error.
"It's probably some stupid thing like someone put the wrong number in the computer and it just kept snowballing," she said. "Why not just check the records? People make mistakes. I understand that."
Conville thought she'd finally found someone willing to take her seriously when Bradley, the public utilities commissioner, came to her house.
"Mr. Bradley said to me, 'Your bills are all over the place.' Those were his exact words," she said.
I tried to reach Bradley to get his take on things several times on Thursday and Friday and, after being encouraged to leave messages -- which I did -- I learned that he was out of the office on vacation.
I also was directed to Jeff Pirro, a spokesman for Mayor Harry Tutunjian, who has responded to my inquiries about water customer problems in the past.
He sent this response via email: "We are aware of Ms. Conville's concerns and city staff has investigated the issues she raised."
I'll leave it to readers to judge how illuminating that is.
Generally, I remain concerned about the lack of rights for Troy water customers who contest their water bills or face huge retroactive charges. I hope that the city's next administration will be more attentive to this issue.
In May, Troy City Court Judge Matthew Turner ruled against retiree Eugene Booth, another city resident who was slapped with a big bill for past water usage.
Booth objected to being billed retroactively -- originally $1,309, reduced to $530 -- for water the city claimed he used over many years, but for which he was not billed at the time. The city contends that its own outdoor device, which city workers were using to calculate Booth's water bills, was faulty.
The city's position is that Booth's actual cumulative usage was recorded on an indoor meter, which was replaced during a meter-upgrade program and had not been read before.
Even if that's so, I believe it is deeply unfair to charge water customers retroactively, years later, for usage that was not detected at the time and for which they were not billed.
Turner decided that Booth hadn't met a legal burden of proof to show that the city's meter readings were inaccurate as a result of fraud, mistake or accident. It does not matter that this is not what Booth believes happened; that's what he had to prove to win his case.
I hope Conville won't find herself facing such an unreasonable standard sometime down the line.
Aug 10, 2011
Harvey Bailey on the mend
According to Lorraine, Harvey underwent a quintuple bypass and a valve replacement, but is doing well.
We urge you to send cards to the Bailey residence, and keep Harvey and Lorraine in your thoughts and prayers.
2 units for sale on the Terrace
Shirley Fischer has just put No. 28 on the block. While we wish her success in the venture, potentially losing Shirley as a neighbor is a sad thing for all of us.
In addition, Rose Hastings-Weaver's No. 13 has been up for sale for a number of months.
If you know anyone interested in making the Terrace their home, Coldwell-Banker is handling Shirley's house and Bryce Realty is handling Rose's.
Summer pizza party this Friday
The weather forecast is good, but we'll nevertheless be dining under a tent, so any sneaky showers shouldn't be a problem.
We already have more than 20 people ready to attend the event. Details are on the signup sheet.
About those dead plantings ...
Some residents have taken appropriate steps to repair and/or replace damaged and dead plantings. Unfortunately, some have not.
As part of its responsibility to help maintain the appearance and property values of our community, your Association Board of Directors is taking this opportunity to remind everyone of the requirement to maintain grounds.
As stated in the bylaws and covenant of the Terrace, and recently emphasized in an extract of “do’s and don’ts” circulated to all homeowners:
“Dead trees or shrubs must be removed from any property in a timely fashion. Any costs for doing so are the responsibility of the property owner unless said plantings are on Association property.”
Our thanks to all of you for your cooperation.
-- Your Board of Directors
Jun 20, 2011
3rd quarter dues coming up
The third installment of your 2011 dues is due by Friday, July 1.Dues are $355 per household. Please send your checks, made payable to the Terrace at Highpointe Community Association, to:
Terrace at Highpointe
35 Hyland Drive
Troy, New York 12182
Thank you.
Terrace at a crossroads
We have reached a bit of a crossroads in the operation of the Terrace at Highpointe Community Association (THCA). What it means is that the possibility is growing that your quarterly dues could significantly increase, as much as 100% or more.
Why? Because we don't have the level of volunteer participation we need. While simply purchasing a home in a community does not mean one has to socialize with everyone there, helping with its operation creates a pleasant atmosphere and strong property values. Too many Terrace residents do not participate in the THCA.
We are nearing an opportunity to change that attitude. We will be electing three new members to the Terrace Board of Directors at our October meeting.
Jerry Gordon and Joan Richardson will remain on the board, but we need successors for me after three terms as president, and for Harvey Bailey and John Milliren.
Past President Bob Hayward again is chairing the Nominating Committee. If you are interested in volunteering to stand for election, please contact him ASAP.
Because we run the THCA using the business, legal and other expertise of volunteers from the community, we are able to avoid paying a professional management company to handle our affairs. That keeps your dues low. But, with a continued lack of broad resident participation and the fact that the same core of people doing the work year after year is becoming onerous, we will be facing a move to a management company.
Based on the experience of other community associations in the region, you would be looking at doubling your dues payments as well as losing direct access to board members and receiving rapid response to architectural applications and to problems.
I urge each of you to seriously consider running for a seat on the Board. It is your community and we need more people sharing the workload.
Bill Dowd
THCA President
THCA President
Lazy, hazy days of summer are here
 |
| The rising sun seen through Stonehenge. |
The word "solstice" comes from a combination of Latin words meaning "sun" (sol) and "to stand still" (stice). As the days lengthen, the sun rises higher and higher until it seems to stand still in the sky.
The Summer Solstice results in the longest day and the shortest night of the year. Looked at another way, the days will only grow shorter as we proceed, so enjoy every daylight hour you can.
Flower thief strikes again
If anyone sees any suspicious-looking character(s) messing with our decorations, please let us know right away.
I suggested to Ginny that we could hold a combination "pizza party/firing squad" event if we catch the creep.
Jun 15, 2011
Minutes of May 16, 2011 meeting
Terrace at Highpointe Community Association
General Membership Meeting Minutes
May 16, 2011
General Membership Meeting Minutes
May 16, 2011
Attendance (24 units): 1,3,4,6,7,8,9, 11,12,14, 15, 16, 18, 19, 21, 22, 25,26, 28,
29,30,32,33, 34.
President Bill Dowd convened the meeting at 7 p.m., then called for a moment of silence in honor of the late Julia Austin.
• Bill welcomed new Terrace resident Ned Elasky, and the returning "snowbirds."
• The reading of the minutes of the General Membership Meeting of October 4, 2010 was waived upon unanimous consent.
Jerry Gordon gave the Treasurer's Report. Due to the extreme winter, the cost of snow removal is $7,000 over budget. The Board will have to decide in October how to handle any budget deficits. There was a saving of $4,000 by eliminating spring mulching this year. Bill commented that the Board of Directors has adopted a policy stating that if the Association’s checking account balance is below $6,500 or above $10,000 at the end of the calendar year, an automatic review of the dues structure will be triggered. The Treasurer's Report was adopted without dissent.
• Architectural Committee: No activity since the last member meeting.
• Grounds Committee: Harvey Bailey reported that two trees uprooted during a winter storm have been replaced in the strip fronting Hyland Court. In addition, many sections of lawn were reseeded to make up for ice and snow damage.
He also announced a June Spring Cleanup event. There also will be a sign-up sheet posted in the mailbox gazebo for those residents who do not want their shrubs pruned by Vintage Landscaping this year. Harvey suggested that the Association could skip the mulching every two years.
In response to a question regarding the cost of snow plowing, Harvey commented that Mark is dependable, he is the only one who will shovel sidewalks, he always comes when needed, and he was available to rake the roofs.
Harvey reported that the seal coating of the common blacktop areas will be done by Vintage at a cost of $1,500. He noted that all Hyland Court residents needs to have their driveways seal coated.
• Beautification Committee: Bill thanked Ginny Chichester and Claire Steiner for their work.
• Old Business:
Bill announced that a "How-to document" based on the original Bylaws of the Association has been prepared and asked members to pick up a copy before they left the meeting. It is intended to be a quick guide to Terrace rules and policies.
New Business:
Volunteerism -- Bill commended Tom Chichester and Harvey Bailey for the large amount of work they have done to replace the two blue spruce trees, as well as their ongoing efforts to maintain the terrace grounds. He also said we need more people to be involved in the Association's activities, especially since we have a lot of professional expertise among residents. We will need volunteers to serve on the Board of Directors when three seats are up for election in the Fall. Bob Hayward, a past president, was asked to again head the Nomin ating Committee fir the October election.
The next meeting was scheduled for 7 p.m. October 3, 2011.
Jun 5, 2011
Peaceable Kingdom Animal Rescue seeks help
THIS STORY IS REPRODUCED FROM THE WEBSITE OF THE SOUTHERN RENSSELAER COUNTY ROTARY CLUB. IF IT IS OF ANY INTEREST TO YOU TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE CAUSE, PLEASE CONTACT APRIL.
April Dowd, one of our new members, spearheaded a drive to collect supplies for the Peaceable Kingdom Animal Rescue project, headed locally by Columbia County Deputy Sheriff Wendy Guntert.
Wendy spoke at our April 7 meeting, describing the organization's volunteer mission to rescue abused and unwanted dogs and other animals, re-socialize them, get appropriate medical care as needed, and find new homes for them. Many are rescued from "kill shelters" in Southern states, although in her job with the Sheriff's Department Wendy also comes across horrendous cases of animal abuse.
April and Bill, with the support of several other people including Terry Brewer, acquired the supplies. On Saturday, April and Bill delivered them to Wendy at her home in Hillsboro where she has extensive housing for the animals as she and other Peaceable Kingdom volunteers seek homes for them.
They delivered 80 pounds of dog food, 30 pounds of cat food, 40 pounds of cat litter, numerous towels and other items. Wendy expressed her gratitude for the support.
April said she will continue to collect items for the program as part of her Rotary effort, and has asked all Southern Rensselaer Club members to contribute pet food coupons; unwanted, clean towels; bleach; newspapers; cat food, and Iams brand dog food. Financial support also is gladly accepted to help with veterinary bills and follow-up medical care.
Incidentally, Peaceable Kingdom is working on its first permanent shelter, located in North Granville, Washington County. Presently, rescued animals are housed at volunteers' residences.
What follows is a look at Wendy and some of her current temporary boarders.
PHOTOS BY BILL DOWD
Jun 4, 2011
Spring Cleanup '11 another success
Many of the mature plantings around the Terrace are showing signs of nearing the end, their demise helped along by the unusually harsh winter. Nevertheless, the common areas once again are spruced up for the summer.Led by Grounds Committee Chairman Harvey Bailey, an energetic group of dedicated gardeners, painters and fixer-uppers on Saturday trimmed, plucked, planted, brushed, sawed and scrubbed their way through winter's accumulated muck and debris to make Spring Cleanup 2011 a success.
The work crew:
Harvey and Lorraine Bailey, Ed and Elaine Reilly, Tom and Ginny Chichester, Bill Dowd, Joe Claeys, Russ Golino, Trent Cox, Nadeen Thompson, Jack Coyne, Tom Savchick, Amy Willard, Betty Looney, Paula Fox and Bob Malphus, Fil Steiner, Bob Hayward.
To those who show up virtually every year, our earnest thanks. To those who usually do but had conflicting demands this year, see you next year. For those who never bother helping ... well, enjoy the fruits of your neighbors' labor and the lovely look of the Terrace.
Here are a few candid shots I took of the work effort.
-- Bill Dowd
May 20, 2011
May 14, 2011
Thanks for the food. Want to help more?
Unfortunately, the problem of hunger in our larger community needs more than a one-time donation since lack of nutritious food is a year-round woe.
If you are interested in making financial or in-kind donations to, or volunteering labor for, organizations in the Capital Region that help feed the hungry, here is some contact information as well as live links to their websites. (Just click on the organization's name to be linked to them.)
Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York
965 Albany-Shaker Road
Latham, NY 12110
Phone: 786-3691
Food Pantries for the Capital District
32 Essex Street
Albany, NY 12206
Phone: 458-1167
Food Bank Association of New York State
235 Lark Street
Albany, NY 12210
Phone:
Don't feed the deer! Here's why
For one thing, doing so violates New York State Law. As the Department of Environmental Conservation explains, it also is illegal to put out any sort of food or other materials that will attract deer.
The reasons behind the prohibition are not to spoil the fun for animal lovers. It is for the protection of the deer and the people who share their environs. In other words, us.
A few facts to keep in mind:
- When placing feed on the ground for deer, residents likely will attract other critters, such as raccoons and mice. The white-footed mouse is a key player in the transmission of Lyme disease.
- Residents living near busy roadways create the potential for more deer-auto collisions as deer travel across the roadway in search of the supplemental food source.
- Improper diets provided during feeding can create health problems for deer.
- Concentrating deer and increasing nose-to-nose contact around a food source can increase the rate of the spread of disease.
- Deer are browsers and will heavily graze areas surrounding feeding stations. A resident who feeds deer in an urban setting can cause increased landscape damage for neighbors.
- Deer using a feeding site can become acclimated to, and no longer fearful of, humans. A fear of humans is in the best interest of deer. Increased acclimation will create more conflicts between humans and deer and between humans and other humans.
May 12, 2011
Welcome back to our Snowbirds
In an annual rite of spring, our Snowbirds have returned from warmer climes and begun getting their yards, patios and decks in shape for a great summer.
Be sure to welcome them back when you attend our Monday, May 16, spring membership meeting.
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