There was a bear in Schenectady, tax cap quirks, removal of town justice recommended for allegedly fixed speeding tickets
Live local eyewitness action on your side team coverage alert: a black bear roamed around Schenectady yesterday before finally ending up in a tree in the Stockade. Schenectady police had been searching for the bear and called DEC officers when they found it. The DEC hit the bear with two tranquilizer darts before he fell about 50 feet (or 30 feet) from the tree. He's being kept for observation and will be released if he checks out. The scene turned into a bit of a zoo with a large of group of onlookers -- including Jim Tedisco -- live TV coverage, and his own Twitter hashtag. (photo gallery) [WNYT] [Daily Gazette] [TU] [AP/News10] [YNN] [Fox23] [@JamesTedisco] [Daily Gazette]
Three Capital Region school districts are asking voters to override the tax cap next week. The cap has resulted in some perhaps surprising results -- including an allowable double digit rate levy increase in Green Island, and a required decreases in Stillwater and Ballston Spa. [TU] [TU]
A state appellate court has ruled that five Capital Region counties must pay millions in fees levied upon them by the Hudson River-Black River Regulating District (a flood control district) -- just not as much as originally levied. The court also ruled the state must chip in, too. [Post-Star] [Troy Record] [TU]
The state's Commission on Judicial Conduct has ruled that East Greenbush Town Court justice Diane Schilling should be removed because she allegedly fixed a speeding ticket for wife of another judge and allowed one of her own tickets to "disappear." Schilling's attorney called the commission's decision "dead wrong" and said she's considering an appeal. [NY SCJC] [Troy Record]
Andrew Cuomo is reportedly looking to restructure the NYRA board in order to assert more control over the horse racing org. [Saratogian]
An investigation by the Albany County DA's office has concluded that the former chair of the Green Island Power Authority didn't violate the law by collecting public pension benefits while still on the payroll. [TU]
Concerns raised during the latest hearing about the proposed Price Chopper at the site of St. Patrick's in Watervliet: traffic, noise, effect on views. A Watervliet planning board member is pushing for a more urban-style design -- like the new Price Chopper in Saratoga Springs. [Troy Record] [TU]
A Rotterdam town councilman is challenging Schenectady County's decision to use money originally intended to protect drinking water wells for the town and the city of Schenectady for a different purpose. [Daily Gazette]
A Halfmoon group has organized to oppose the pace and density of new development in the town -- and drawn accusations of being a political front. [TU]
Schenectady landlords are pushing for the city loosen regulations, arguing that current rules are discouraging people from becoming landlords. [Daily Gazette]
Saratoga police say it doesn't look like there actually was a robbery to go along with the report of a man shot in the leg early Thursday morning -- the guy probably accidentally shot himself. [Saratogian]
The man caught using his brother's identity for a DWI arrest -- he even pleaded guilty under his brother's name -- has been sentenced to 1-3 years in prison in Saratoga County. [Saratogian]
Troy police are trying to stem a rise in thefts from cars by locking unlocked cars and notifying owners if valuables are in plain sight. [Troy Record]
A 22-year-old Schenectady High School dropout (he got a GED) is running for Schenectady's school board. [TU]
The sale of a former school in Lincoln Park to the Boys & Girls Club of Albany, allowing to move from its current nearby building, is another piece in a still-incubating plan to re-develop the Lark Street/Delaware/Madison/Park South area (map). [TU]
An "umbrella" community aid org is apparently moving toward buying the former St. Peter's Church in Troy (map). [Troy Record]
The Muhammad Ali's Greatest Fight shoot moves to the Stockade in Schenectady this evening. (Maybe the bear wanted to be an extra.) [Daily Gazette]
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Comments
More on the bear, from North Country Wild Care: https://www.facebook.com/NorthCountryWildCare
I wasn't too impressed with the TU article's toss-off snarky line "Some animal rights activists showed up to yell at whoever would listen." Perhaps if they were interested in reporting, they might have gotten more info that's useful - like, what, exactly IS the best protocol when you have a bear in your backyard. And maybe question whether you need to kill them every time, or if this and the Albany bear incident do prove that you can safely and humanely tranq and relocate bears instead of just killing them.
... said Gina on May 11, 2012 at 2:45 PM | link