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Crews to resume razing former church Monday to make way for market
Monday, May 13, 2013, Page: C1
Watervliet
There were no speeches or formal instructions. Just a song.
As the last stains of sunlight receded below the horizon, Jim de Seve opened the doors of his 2010 Honda and turned on the stereo. Beethoven's "Missa Solemnis" pierced the chilly night air, and the roughly three dozen people who had gathered along the 23rd Street sidewalk flicked on their flashlights.
They pointed shafts of light at the battered brick tower, the last, obstinate remnant of St. Patrick's Church, which has been a city landmark for over 100 years.
It was the last good night.
After several unsuccessful attempts last week, the Nigro Companies intends to tear down the tower on Monday. The company plans to develop a Price Chopper supermarket on the site, and is ripping down the brick church and bell tower that, perhaps for the last time Sunday, soared 137 feet above the city's streets.
"It's actually a celebration for St. Patrick's," said Donna Wellworth, holding a flashlight covered with green cellophane. "It's still here. They said it was unstable, but three times they've been unable to topple it. There was no need to tear down this church."
Cables intended to pull down the tower snapped on Thursday and Friday. After a weekend of preparatory work, crews will try again in the morning.
Despite their protestations, those assembled for the vigil knew their struggle to keep the church standing was unsuccessful. Angela Mastan was close to tears. She and her 6-year-old daughter, Olivia Miller, will watch the tower's last vertical hours from a neighbor's yard.
"We'll do what we can to pay tribute," Mastan said. "It's still a beautiful structure, and it should stay standing for another 100 years."
jvielkind@timesunion.com -- 518-454-5081 -- @JimmyVielkind
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Monday, May 13, 2013, Page: C7
Finding cause of death could take 2 months
ALBANY -- University Police said it could take up to two months to learn what caused the death of an 18-year-old Elizabethtown College student after his body was discovered Saturday in a car on the University at Albany's main campus.
Investigator Aran Mull said Sunday that police must wait on lab results, which can take six to eight weeks, before completing the autopsy findings for Jared Trotti, who was originally from Oneonta before attending Elizabethtown in Pennsylvania.
Trotti was visiting someone at UAlbany and apparently spent the night in a car in the visitor lot near Indian Quad before his body was discovered around 7:30 a.m. The physical autopsy showed "a cause consistent with an accidental death," Mull said.
University Police said they have been in contact with the Albany County District Attorney's office and that no criminal charges are being considered.
-- Lauren Stanforth
Woman reports rape in Saratoga Springs
SARATOGA SPRINGS -- Police said a woman reported being raped by someone she knew in the parking lot of the Saratogian around 1:45 a.m. Sunday.
Police included the information in the daily arrest report, but added that there were no further details Sunday. The parking lot is behind 20 Lake Ave.
The city was on edge a couple of months ago after two women were assaulted in March. But in those cases, the attackers were unknown to the victims.
On the night of St. Patrick's Day, police said two men sexually assaulted a pedestrian and took her belongings just outside the downtown area. Police said another woman in late March was assaulted on Caroline Street. These attacks came after the Sept. 1 report from a 21-year-old woman who alleged a man assaulted and raped her at around 5 a.m. at Lake and East avenues. Then, residents criticized city police for not immediately releasing information on that case.
-- Lauren Stanforth
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Monday, May 13, 2013, Page: A1
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Monday, May 13, 2013, Page: C1
The Rev. Paul Blanch, the rector at Saint George's Episcopal Church in Schenectady, talks about St. George the Martyr during The Patronal Festival on Sunday. The festival celebrates St George, the patron saint of the Schenectady church. Following the service, the parishioners and church officials marched through the streets around the church's neighborhood.
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Monday, May 13, 2013, Page: A3
The Senate is not coming in.
Legislators had already agreed on an abbreviated schedule for this week because of the Jewish holiday of Shavuot, but the 63 members of the state's upper chamber canceled votes that had been planned for Monday, and will instead stay scattered in their districts.
Earlier this year, senators convened a session on Palm Sunday to pass state budget bills. They stayed at the Capitol for three days when they had planned to be on break for Passover and the Christian Holy Week; the Assembly convened on one day that week to consider budget bills.
But looming over the Senate's decision to stay home is specter of recent arrests. Last week, federal prosecutors revealed that the FBI had tape recorded a half-dozen senators and several aides as part of an ongoing public corruption probe.
It's unclear what shoes, or indictments, will drop next.
Monday
The Assembly will convene in the afternoon for 2 p.m. session followed by a closed-door meeting of its Democratic Conference. Legislators will consider a perennial bill granting labor rights to farm workers.
Assemblyman Steve McLaughlin, R-Schaghticoke, will honor Blue Star Mothers, a group of military families, with a resolution on the Assembly floor.
In the evening, Rep. Paul D. Tonko will announce the winner of the Congressional Art Competition within the Capital Region district he represents. 5 to 6:30 p.m., Arts Center of the Capital Region, Troy.
TUESDAY
The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority will announce money for infrastructure upgrades for a supercomputer at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. 11 a.m., Rensselaer Technology Park, North Greenbush.
Medicaid Director Jason Helgerson will address a breakfast meeting of the Citizens Budget Commission. 8 a.m., The Harvard Club, Manhattan.
THURSDAY
Comptroller Tom DiNapoli will deliver the keynote speech at a Buffalo event to support public financing for political campaigns.
FRIDAY
Assembly members Pat Fahy and John McDonald will participate in "Bike to Work" day by riding around the capital city, which they both represent. They'll eventually end up at the Legislative Office Building. Starts at 9:30 a.m., Hudson River Coffee House.
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Monday, May 13, 2013, Page: B2
The Knicks and Indiana Pacers series has seven games written all over it but the Knicks need more the just Carmelo Anthony to get there. If Amar'e Stoudemire is going to play, then he needs to contribute when he's on the court. I know he is rusty from being out, but he was awful in Game 3. You can give J.R. Smith a free pass for his lousy performance because he was sick. But at some point the Knicks need to quit making excuses and give Carmelo some help or they won't make it to a Game 7. NewsChannel 13's Rodger Wyland can be heard weekdays from 9 a.m. to noon on WOFX 980 AM.
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Monday, May 13, 2013, Page: C2
The National Weather Service is predicting frost again for early Tuesday morning, as a second night of temperatures dip into the 30s.
A frost advisory was issued for the early morning hours Monday as temperatures were expected to dip into the mid-30s. People are advised to bring sensitive plants inside or to protect them with cover outside.
Temperatures are expected to warm into the 50s Monday, but will drop again even further early Tuesday morning into the low 30s. Temperatures will then warm Tuesday back into the 60s.
The frost advisory Monday was for Saratoga County, the eastern portions of Schenectady and Albany counties and the western portion of Rensselaer County for between 2 and 8 a.m. Monday.
-- Lauren Stanforth
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Monday, May 13, 2013, Page: A1
Mayfield
The single bolt of lightning that struck the Mayfield Presbyterian Church two years ago was so powerful it shattered the massive bell of the 182-year-old sanctuary in a split second.
By the time firefighters arrived, the tower was an inferno. The flames spread rapidly, and the church, home to five generations of town families, was destroyed in minutes on April 28, 2011. It was razed weeks later.
The rebuilt Fulton County church opened on March 31 with the helping hands of the pastor, her flock and volunteers. New pews sit on freshly laid cherry floorboards. The Rev. Bonnie Orth belts out stirring sermons through an earpiece microphone rigged to state-of-the-art speakers. A pair of high-definition screens screwed into the walls high above the altar can show YouTube clips and slide shows.
But what grabs the eyes and emotions of the 135-person congregation here are not the modern amenities. It's the relics salvaged from the blaze.
There are the two quilts that fell off the walls during the fire. They likely did not burn because they were so saturated with rainwater and spray from fire hoses. Soot is still visible on both. All the congregants have since written their names on each.
The wooden baptismal font sits in front of the altar and looks almost as though it never weathered a fire that destroyed nearly everything around it. No one is sure how it escaped.
"I guess it was positioned just right," Orth said.
The Communion table is the centerpiece. A bent brass cross that survived the fire is fastened to its front. Its surface was constructed from colorful shards of stained glass that cracked apart during the blaze.
"We're so lucky, so blessed," said Thelma Chiles, 89, who was baptized at Mayfield Presbyterian. Her family members have been with the church since the late 1800s. She lives a few doors away and saw the lightning strike from her kitchen window.
The fire broke her heart, but she says whatever pain lingered in the immediate days after the inferno was quickly trumped by how her community responded and the resolve she saw in her fellow churchgoers. "Look at this place now. Everything is so beautiful."
Orth was 1,800 miles away in Texas when the lightning struck. She rushed back on the first flight she could grab. The two years since have been a blur of coordinating rebuilding efforts and helping her congregation cope while dealing with her own feelings of loss and grief.
"For most pastors, you may have three, four or maybe five people in your church at any time who need help working through a crisis," Orth said. "Everyone here was hurting badly."
Despite the fire, Mayfield Presbyterian has not skipped a single service. Beginning the week of the fire, Orth held services every Sunday at Mayfield High School's auditorium.
The church raised $300,000 through donations from its own congregants, and from others in the community and around New York. Letters were sent to every Presbyterian church in the state asking for help. Insurance covered the rest of the costs.
The last service at the old church was Easter Sunday of 2011. The first at the new one was Easter Sunday this year.
Orth now seeks out other churches around the country that have been destroyed. This week, she and several of her congregants will travel to Mississippi to help a church that was ravaged by a tornado.
"You never really can imagine how it feels to lose your church until it happens to you," Orth said. "It's like losing a member of your family."
bfitzgerald@timesunion.com - 518-454-5414 - @BFitzgeraldTU
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In first Tri-County attempt, he captures match play title
Monday, May 13, 2013, Page: B1
Voorheesville
Mother Nature sprang a Mother's Day surprise on the Tri-County Golf Association's Match Play Championship finalists Sunday at Colonie Golf and Country Club.
As the morning semifinal matches were winding down, Matt Canavan of Saratoga National and Mike Wheeler of Shaker Ridge suddenly saw the calendar shift from June to April.
"One minute it was normal and calm," Canavan said. "The next minute it was cold and windy."
Canavan, in his first Tri-County attempt, weathered the elements enough for a 1-up victory over Wheeler.
"I came in on (No.) 18 this morning, it was nothing," Wheeler said of the weather. "I had a 9-iron in my hand, ready to go, and 15 seconds later, you could see pollen flying from that tree past the clubhouse. It dropped 20 degrees, 20-mph winds. I nutted an 8-iron, and I was 60 feet short."
The conditions were most noticeable on No. 12, a 223-yard par 3 that was playing upwind. Wheeler squared the match with a bogey when Canavan's tee shot blew into a hazard.
Canavan, a 24-year-old Skidmore graduate, answered on the next hole, a par 5. He was right of the green in two and chipped to within 4 feet, taking a lead he would not relinquish.
"I got a little lucky on the par 5," he said. "I blocked that second shot."
Both players were tested in their semifinal matches.
Canavan went all 18 holes before eliminating Jim Welch of Olde Kinderhook, 2-up. Wheeler lost the 17th and 18th holes before beating Jim Gifford of Mohawk on the 19th hole.
"It was a nice feeling to come here and play well, and compete against some really good players," said Canavan, whose victory earned him an exemption into the New York State Amateur.
In the senior division, Bill Paulsen of Eagle Crest took home the title with a 1-up victory over Mark Russ.
pdougherty@timesunion.com - 518-454-5416 - @Pete_Dougherty
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Apple says inmate's letters indicated he was depressed
Monday, May 13, 2013, Page: C1
Colonie
Albany County Sheriff Craig Apple said letters found in the cell of a county jail inmate who killed himself Saturday indicated he was depressed.
Demearle Gulledge, 36, of Jefferson County was found around 6:50 a.m. Saturday hanging by a bedsheet from the bar doors of his cell -- 26 minutes after correction officers had last seen him during routine checks.
Apple said Gulledge, who was at the Albany County Correctional Facility because of overcrowding in Jefferson County, had shown no indication of suicidal thoughts before he was found unresponsive early Saturday. Correction officers cut the bedsheet loose and started CPR, but Gulledge was pronounced dead at 7:09 a.m.
The jail's last death was in October when 63-year-old Stanley Haluska, who was scheduled to be extradited to Alabama on a sex abuse conviction, tried to suffocate himself in his cell. He was initially listed in critical condition at Albany Medical Center Hospital but died shortly afterward.
The state Department of Correctional Services' investigation into Gulledge's death could take several months, Apple said.
On Friday, Gulledge was in a dormitory setting, meaning he was staying in a large room with four to five other men. But because the population was getting low in the wing, Gulledge had to be transferred to another cell. Apple said Gulledge requested being in a cell by himself because, he said, "'I'm going to kill someone,'" Apple said.
But the sheriff said Gulledge, who was facing second-degree assault charges for allegedly fighting four correction officers in June in Jefferson County, didn't show any signs of wanting to hurt himself. Apple said after Gulledge's death, letters to those close to him found in the cell revealed the inmate's mental state.
His mother-in-law, Nancy Fey of Delmar, said Saturday that Gulledge, the father of several children, had been depressed, but she was surprised that he would end his own life. She said the family had complained previously about Gulledge being assaulted in the Jefferson County facility by guards before his transfer to Albany County.
Gulledge, who was also a level 2 sex offender for a 2002 conviction of first-degree sexual abuse involving a 15-year-old girl, was initially jailed in Jefferson County for allegedly slashing a vehicle's tires. Apple said Gulledge probably would have stayed at Albany County Correctional for a maximum of 65 days before being sent back to Jefferson County.
lstanforth@timesunion.com - 518-454-5697
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Monday, May 13, 2013, Page: C7
ALBANY MEDICAL CENTER HOSPITAL
PALUBA, Carlie Ann, daughter of Alisa and Gregory Paluba, Rensselaer, 7 lbs. 8 oz., Nov. 11.
SHOEMAKER, Blake Stephen, son of Nicole and Stephen Shoemaker, Troy, Nov. 11.
MEHER, Blake Timothy, son of Meghan Noods and Timothy Meher, Troy, 7 lbs. 1 oz., Nov. 12.
ROBINSON, Jam'Mere Ahson Lee, son of Shy-Asia Owens, Albany, 7 lbs. 8 oz., Nov. 12.
DANIELS, Keiari Markia, daughter of Brizadere Daniels, Albany, 7 lbs. 2 oz., Nov. 12.
RUYOL-ABBAS, Alyanna Jean, daughter of Maureen Ruyol and Tijani Abbas, Albany, Nov. 12.
MOSES, Carter Grayson, son of Sarrie and Steven Moses, Albany, 9 lbs. 2 oz., Nov. 12.
KOSPA, Jaxon Michael, son of Shannon Ostrowski and Justin Kospa, Albany, 8 lbs. 13 oz., Nov. 13.
SHRESTHA, Ezra, son of Eva Pradhan and Tarak Shrestha, Albany, 6 lbs. 8 oz., Nov. 13.
CALICCHIA, Capria Ann, daughter of Christina Calicchia, Clifton Park, 5 lbs. 13 oz., Nov. 13.
OSORIO RAMIREZ, Santiago, son of Celia Ramirez-DeJesus and Santiago Osorio DeJesus, Albany, 4 lbs. 12 oz., Nov. 13.
DAVIDSON, William Clifford, son of Tracy and Sean Davidson, Guilderland, 8 lbs. 7 oz., Nov. 14.
BRUSCO, Travis George, son of Nicole Bruso, Albany, 7 lbs. 12 oz., Nov. 14.
SMITH, Rihanna, daughter of Nicole Smith, Albany, 5 lbs. 15 oz., Nov. 14.
STEVENS, Khloe Katalina, daughter of Karie Pelletier and Kevyn Stevens, Rensselaer, 7 lbs. 10 oz., Nov. 14.
MENDEZ, Carlos Samuel, son of Carrie Scherkenbach-Mendez and Carlos Mendez, Altamont, 7 lbs. 4 oz., Nov. 15.
RIVERS, Cameron Forrest, son of Amanda Miner and Forrest Rivers, Troy, 7 lbs. 8 oz., Nov. 15.
MUNANDI, Amelia Rispah, daughter of Wendy and Cosmas Munandi, Poestenkill, 7 lbs., Nov. 15.
VANPELT, Kennedie Ann and Kamryn Ann, twin daughters of Jennifer Richard and Chris VanPelt, Saratoga, 3 lbs. 13 oz. and 4 lbs. 13 oz., Nov. 15.
HENRY, McKaylynn Rayann, daughter of Amanda Coss and Joshua Henry, Albany, 7 lbs. 7 oz., Nov. 15.
TRIMBELL, Brooklynn Dawn, daughter of Desiree and Brent Trimbell, Hobart, 5 lbs. 5 oz., Nov. 15.
KOWALSKI, Alyssa Hope, daughter of Leah and Anthony Kowalski, Hyde Park, 6 lbs. 8 oz., Nov. 15.
PARTYKA, Annalise Faye and Adeline Felicia, twin daughters of Laura and David Partyka, Mechanicville, 4 lbs. 11 oz. and 4 lbs. 13 oz., Nov. 15.
HEMSWORTH, Cathryn Quinn and Samuel Christopher, twins of Andrea and Robert Hemsworth, Rotterdam, Nov. 15.
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Monday, May 13, 2013, Page: B2
The 73rd edition of the William F. Eddy Meet is set for Saturday and Izaiah Brown appears poised to once again do something spectacular at Union College.
Competing at the Johnstown Invitational May 11, Brown captured wins in three individual events to go along with running the anchor leg on Amsterdam's victorious 1,600-meter relay squad. The sophomore's stellar showing helped the Rams capture the team title.
For his efforts, Brown has been named the Times Union's Athlete of the Week for the period of May 6-11.
Brown registered wins in the 200 and 400 sprints with times of 22.53 and 48.39 seconds, respectively. He also won the high jump with a leap of 5 feet, 10 inches. Brown, the 2013 state indoor champion in the 300, established a new state freshman standard in the 400 (47.80) at the 2012 Eddy Meet -- and was named the competition's outstanding performer.
Top performers
Sarah Osaheni, Shenendehowa girls' track and field: The senior recorded wins in the 100 hurdles (15.80) and the triple jump (37-0) Friday to help the Plainsmen tie Saratoga for the team title at the Suburban Council Championships.
Keelin Hollowood, Saratoga girls' track and field: Collected victories in the 1,500 (4:47.45) and the 2,000 steeplechase (7:11.46) at the Suburban Council Championships.
Kelly Schlansker, Niskayuna girls' lacrosse: The senior standout, who is headed to play at the University of Michigan, tallied four goals against Shenendehowa and seven goals vs. Ballston Spa.
Luke Goldstock, Niskayuna boys' lacrosse: Bound for North Carolina in the fall, Goldstock unleashed a superlative performance on Shenendehowa Wednesday when he scored six goals and added three assists to lead the Silver Warriors to an 18-5 triumph.
Tyler Pantalone, Niskayuna boys' lacrosse: Won 20 of 25 faceoffs Wednesday, plus scored one goal, in a resounding 18-5 victory against Shenendehowa.
Robbie Knightes, Burnt Hills baseball: The senior shortstop came through with a walk-off two-run home run Thursday as the Spartans beat Shaker 9-7.
Will Brooking, Rensselaer baseball: The sophomore sensation delivered a one-hitter Wednesday with a career-high 21 strikeouts -- pushing his season total to 113 -- in leading the Rams to a 14-2 win over Berlin.
Nico Church, Voorheesville baseball: Finished 4-for-4 and stole five bases Wednesday, plus doubled, singled three times and added five RBIs Thursday.
Kevin Napier, Cohoes baseball: Produced a grand slam and a two-run home run in an 18-10 loss against Voorheesville.
Kevin Twardzik, Fonda baseball: Homered, doubled, singled and knocked in seven runs Thursday as the Braves edged Voorheesville 16-14.
Joe Nellis, Johnstown baseball: Fired a no-hitter, struck out 12, homered, doubled and drove in four runs as the Sir Bills beat Broadalbin-Perth 11-1.
Charlie Peltz, Queensbury baseball: Headed to compete at the University at Albany, Peltz tossed his second straight no-hitter with 14 strikeouts Wednesday in a 4-0 victory against Glens Falls.
Becca Smith, Albany Academy for Girls softball: The senior struck out 18 in a 3-1 win against Ichabod Crane and fired a one-hitter with 15 strikeouts Thursday as the Bears beat the Sabres 3-0.
Briana Matazinsky, Tamarac softball: The junior blasted a two-run home run in the seventh inning as the Bengals bested Granville 7-5.
Michela Puglisi, Amsterdam softball: Tossed a perfect game over five innings in a 21-0 decision over Bishop Maginn.
Kayla Doty, Chatham softball: The University of Connecticut-bound star fired a one-hitter, struck out 11, tripled, doubled twice and drove in five runs Friday as the Panthers prowled to a 15-0 win against Cairo-Durham.
Team of the week
Schalmont baseball: The Sabres produced a 4-0 week. They posted Colonial wins over Fonda (3-0) and Albany Academy (3-1), then captured their Bruce Bouck Memorial Tournament Saturday with victories against Bishop Gibbons (22-0, no-hitter and 14 strikeouts by Matt Capovani) and Scotia (9-4).
Event of the week
BOYS' AND GIRLS' TRACK AND FIELD
Eddy Meet at Union College, 9 Saturday
Premier performers from Section II and around the state compete in one of the true showcase events of the season.
Games to watch
BASEBALL
Loudonville Christian at Rensselaer, 4 Monday
Catskill at Hudson, 4 Monday
Burnt Hills at Niskayuna, 4:15 Monday
CBA at Troy, 4:30 Monday
Voorheesville at Schalmont, 4:30 Monday
Bethlehem at Colonie, 4:15 Tuesday
Saratoga Central Catholic at Fort Plain, 4:30 Tuesday
Averill Park at Guilderland, 4:15 Wednesday
Colonie at Columbia, 4:15 Wednesday
Shen at Shaker, 4:15 Wednesday
Burnt Hills at Shen, 4:15 Thursday
Guilderland at Colonie, 4:15 Friday
Chatham at Catskill, 4:15 Friday
Queensbury at Shenendehowa (Clifton Common), 7:30 Saturday
SOFTBALL
Chatham at Taconic Hills, 4 Monday
Bethlehem at Colonie, 4:15 Monday
Columbia at Averill Park, 4:15 Monday
Voorheesville at Schalmont, 4:30 Monday
Cohoes at CCHS, 4:15 Tuesday
Taconic Hills at Chatham, 4 Wednesday
Colonie at Columbia, 4:15 Wednesday
Guilderland at Averill Park, 4:15 Wednesday
Tamarac at Greenwich, 4:15 Wednesday
Cohoes at Mechanicville, 4:30 Wednesday
Albany Academy for Girls at Voorheesville, 4:30 Wednesday
Guilderland at Shen, 4:15 Thursday
Columbia at Bethlehem, 4:15 Friday
Guilderland at Colonie, 4:15 Friday
Mechanicville at Bethlehem, noon Saturday
BOYS' LACROSSE
Albany Academy at Scotia, 4:15 Tuesday
Ballston Spa at Shenendehowa, 5:30 Tuesday
Guilderland at Shaker, 7:30 Tuesday
Shaker at Shenendehowa, 5:30 Thursday
GIRLS' LACROSSE
Burnt Hills at Niskayuna, 7:30 Tuesday
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Monday, May 13, 2013, Page: A3
Last week, Sen. Eric Adams stated "I believe deeply in transparency." Yet he continued to refuse to answer lingering questions about the four nights in October 2011 he spent in South Korea. The Brooklyn Democrat was on a trip with Sen. John Sampson and others, including a lobbyist from Albany's biggest firm.
Adams promised to cooperate with "any" investigation after a document provided to a federal judge was made public in federal court last week. His name was on the list of public officials taped by former Sen. Shirley Huntley, a Queens Democrat who last summer wore a wire at the direction of criminal investigators looking into the activities of several elected officials.
When asked last week by the Times Union to discuss the Korea trip he took with Sampson, D-Brooklyn, Adams revealed about as much as he provided in December 2011 --- that private and campaign funds were used.
This time he had a political aide, Evan Thies, talk for him. Thies, when pressed, said that the private and campaign funds used for the Korean trip were the senator's resources, not someone else's.
Sampson would not answer any questions on the subject, just as he refused to when he was Senate leader. Adams' Senate website provided captioned pictures from the trip. And his campaign filings show he spent more than $3,000 for the journey, mostly for airfare for himself and a sum for Tracey Collins, a Brooklyn woman who does not work for the Senate. An Adams campaign aide said Collins was reimbursed $1,400 by the Adams campaign for buying his ticket, and that $1,495 paid by the campaign to Korean Air was airfare for his chief of staff, Ingrid Lewis-Martin. The Adams campaign also paid $201 to the Pullman Ambassador Hotel in Changwon, South Korea. The day before the Korean trip, Sampson's campaign reimbursed Sampson $1,867 and the Democratic Senate majority's intergovernmental relations officer Carrie Mobley $1,288 for unspecified expenses.
Steven Greenberg, a spokesman for Wilson, Elser, Moskowitz, Edelman and Dicker, the top lobbying firm in Albany for the past 16 years, confirmed that Stacey Rowland accompanied the senators on the Korea trip while she worked for the firm. Rowland was on vacation and was not paid or reimbursed by Wilson, Elser, which still employs her, he said. Greenberg said the firm knew Rowland was going to Korea with the senators before she left. He said none of the firm's clients were among the companies visited.
Several people familiar with Rowland say she has been a close friend of Sampson, who was the leader of the Senate at the time of the trip. On May 6, Sampson was accused by federal prosecutors of embezzling $440,000 in escrow funds he was responsible for handling as a court-appointed mortgage foreclosure referee, starting in 1998. Adams has not been accused of any crimes. Principals of several lobbying firms say they would discourage or prevent one of their lobbyists from vacationing with a sitting elected leader. Rowland, who has had several public jobs, would not discuss the trip. Wilson, Elser's website says, "Stacey has access to key decision-makers whose assistance can help her clients meet their objectives." David Grandeau, head of the defunct state lobbying commission, said lobbyists and politicians lobbied by their firms can have personal relationships. "If you're a lobbyist and you're going on a vacation with a public official, I would caution you that you have to be careful; you have to pay your own expenses," said Grandeau. Lobbyists are generally not allowed to provide gifts to lawmakers if the gifts are business expenses or if they are reimbursed for the costs.
Thies, who is working on Adams' bid to become Brooklyn borough president, would not provide the reason for the trip, a list of those who traveled or an itinerary for the venture. Adams' Senate website said the "Senate delegation" visited Wonju City, South Korea, and were greeted by Deputy Mayor Yoong-Hoon Park, and that they went to RDF's Green Industrial Waste Management facility in Buscan, Household Refuse Management in Wonju, and Hyundai's High Speed Rail system. Senate Democratic spokesman Michael Murphy would not answer questions about the trip, referring a reporter to Adams and Sampson.
"Why not be aboveboard if it is indeed a kind of fact-finding trip or a trip to benefit something about New York or New Yorkers?" asked Susan Lerner, executive director of Common Cause. She said campaign funds should be used for an election, not to support a lifestyle, or a vacation with friends. "This is why we need wholesale reform of New York state's campaign laws and enforcement of campaign laws," she said.
Dick Dadey, executive director of Citizens Union, said it is impossible to rule out conflicts of interest because the purpose of the trip and how it was paid for haven't been disclosed. "Given the insidious nature of Albany politics brought to light in the last few weeks, it becomes even more necessary for these kinds of questions to be answered," he said.
BOX:
Do you have a story about waste and abuse of public funds? Contact James M. Odato at 518-454-5083, jodato@timesunion.com or on Twitter at @JamesMOdato
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Uncle finds self thrust into caretaking role after boy's fatal beating
Monday, May 13, 2013, Page: A1
Schenectady
The phone call that late Saturday morning in February forever changed DC Dunkel's life: His little sister screamed that his nephew wasn't breathing.
Dunkel, 20 years old, a father himself, hustled from his apartment to his mother's home a few blocks away in the Vale neighborhood. It was full of cops and ambulance technicians frantically working to revive 8-year-old Sha'hiim Nelligan. The child later died at Ellis Hospital.
Police charged Dunkel's mother, Gloria Nelligan, 43, with beating her grandson to death in what the district attorney later described as torture overnight Feb. 22 and 23.
Until the tragedy, Gloria Nelligan's daughters -- ages 11, 13 and 16 -- lived with Sha'hiim and their mother, who also was the boy's legal guardian.
Nelligan remains jailed without bail on charges of second-degree murder and first-degree manslaughter. She has pleaded not guilty.
Dunkel was granted temporary custody of his three sisters. He and his fiancee, Vanessa Hernandez, 20, have a 3-year-old son, and Hernandez is three months pregnant with the couple's second child.
"Without my mom in the picture, and if I didn't step up they would have got lost in the system," said Dunkel, a broad-shouldered, unassuming man. "I don't think of it as a load. I think of it as my sisters, and I'm here and baby-sitting 24 hours a day."
The girls, he said, beaming, are honor roll students at a charter school in Albany.
While Dunkel realizes the severity of the criminal charges against his mother, he said the caring woman who raised him is not the "monster" he said has been portrayed by the news media. He said Nelligan donated bread to needy neighbors, took in homeless families and stray cats, and is a member of the Pilgrim Holiness Church in Schenectady.
"Anybody that knows my mom knows that she is a good person and this happening was not her," he said, describing the alleged beating as "something that got out of hand."
He confirmed that Sha'hiim stole a pack of gum Feb. 19 and that Gloria Nelligan apparently thought the boy wasn't taking his punishment seriously.
Dunkel described as excessive the 20-year prison sentence he said the district attorney offered his mother as part of a plea deal.
"It's not helping us because her family doesn't feel that's what she deserves," Dunkel said. He noted that even Sha'hiim's 26-year-old mother, who lives downstate, dismissed the plea offer as "crazy."
Gloria Nelligan is on a cocktail of medications for mental health and other issues and doesn't remember what happened, Dunkel said. They don't talk much about the fatal beating when he visits her at the county jail.
While renovating his mother's cluttered Mynderse Street home, Dunkel said, he came across many of Sha'hiim's papers, including one that reads: "I love my Nana, she's the best." In the yearbook the school recently sent home, Sha'hiim wrote, "My Nana is the best. She is very special to me."
Dunkel claims he was "misled" and "manipulated" by police and prosecutors "just for them to build their case" against his mother.
He said the girls were questioned late into the night in April by Child Protective Services without an attorney with a promise that they would be allowed to go home with their brother if they cooperated.
Dunkel said a CPS employee told him his sisters could go home with him instead of into foster care if they agreed to be interviewed about the incident by the district attorney's office the next day. They did, and the day after that they testified before the grand jury, Dunkel said.
"It was basically a bargain for their testimony," Dunkel recalled. "I was under the impression that I had to do this or they would take my sisters."
A Boston attorney he contacted about representing his mother told Dunkel his sisters should have had a law guardian to represent their interests while they were being questioned.
County spokesman Joseph McQueen said state law does not require a law guardian to be present when a witness or potential witness is being questioned in a criminal probe. When the girls were questioned, a law guardian had not been appointed, County Attorney Chris Gardner said.
District Attorney Robert Carney said only defendants are allowed to have a lawyer with them during grand jury proceedings.
"Even with child witnesses they aren't entitled to have a lawyer present; they are barred from having one," he said. "We would always question a witness in any case if they possess relevant information."
Dunkel said he had to quit his job as a television technician at Albany Medical Center Hospital because his shift didn't leave him enough time to care for his sisters. Since getting temporary custody, he has become more organized, his fiancee said.
Dunkel, who is surviving on his savings, credited the fathers support group Community Fathers Inc. in Schenectady with helping him stay focused.
He said it can be challenging when his sisters argue, but that he tries to treat them as adults.
He said he tells them: "We got to work together and you guys have to understand what I'm doing for all this to work, otherwise it's all going to go downhill."
On the day he found out about Sha'hiim's death, Dunkel was going to buy a car with his tax refund.
The grass-roots Community Fathers group is planning a May 18 fund-raiser to help Dunkel buy a car.
Walter Simpkins, a community activist who runs the fathers program, said the theme of the event is "It takes a village to raise a child, but it takes a community to save a family."
Simpkins said he has known Dunkel since he was a boy and recalled how Gloria Nelligan took him to the Hamilton Hill Arts Center, where Simpkins previously served as president.
"DC is what the best of our community is all about," said Simpkins, adding he has been impressed by Dunkel's maturity and courage. "This is not a DSS problem. This is not a criminal justice problem. This is a community situation, and it's up to the community to step up."
pnelson@timesunion.com - 518-454-5347 - @apaulnelson
BOX:
How to help
What: Barbecue dinner fund-raiser for DC Dunkel and his family
When: Noon to 7 p.m. Saturday
Where: Steinmetz Family Investment Center, 120 Emmons St., Schenctady
Cost: Reasonable donation
Info: 346-7546, Walter Simpkins, Community Fathers Inc.
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Clifton Park man retires; rose to command 4,000 as rear admiral based in New Orleans
Monday, May 13, 2013, Page: C1
Clifton Park
Coast Guard Rear Admiral Roy Nash, who grew up in this landlocked suburb, rose through the ranks to oversee a 26-state region and lead more than 4,000 Coast Guard members, retired earlier this month after 34 years.
His last post, New Orleans, also was his most challenging assignment, including helping coordinate the U.S. government's response to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. The 2010 disaster spilled an estimated 4.9 million barrels, or 201 million gallons, of oil.
"It was the largest and most complex oil spill situation in our nation's history," said Nash, who worked to deploy 47,000 workers across five coastal states at the height of the spill response.
"It was a challenge to coordinate logistics, resources and staffing while also being careful with the safety of responders," Nash said. He recalled that the heat index rose above 110 degrees throughout the summer as workers spent long days in punishing heat to recover oil.
A lesson of the environmental disaster was the need to invest in prevention measures, Nash said. "The Coast Guard is America's first responders and our readiness is key to succeeding. We have to continue to improve our response readiness," he said.
In the first seven months of 2012, Nash said Coast Guard personnel rescued and saved 240 lives in the 8th Coast Guard District that he commanded.
Nash noted that the Coast Guard motto is "Semper Paratus: Always Ready."
He also helped coordinate the Coast Guard response to Hurricane Isaac, which battered the Gulf Coast in 2012.
Nash was one of 18 two-star rear admirals in the military branch. There are five three-star vice admirals and one four-star admiral who is the commandant.
Nash was born in Utica and moved with his family to Clifton Park when he was 8. He was a Times Union paperboy and spent a lot of time on Ballston Lake, where his parents owned property. That's where he learned to skipper a 12-foot aluminum skiff with a small outboard motor.
"I had to take a safe boating course with the Coast Guard Auxiliary when I was 12, and that made an impression," said Nash, who graduated from the Coast Guard Academy in 1979. He also earned a master's degree in fire protection engineering from Worcester Polytechnic Institute.
During his Coast Guard career, he was stationed in Seattle; Cape Cod; Charleston, S.C.; Portland, Maine; Rhode Island; New Hampshire and Washington, D.C. His two-year posting in New Orleans included a Coast Guard-owned house in the city's Garden District. He also participated in humanitarian missions in Cuba and Haiti.
"Those assignments reminded me how fortunate we are and that we have a responsibility to help others in need," Nash said.
"I had a very fortunate career. It's going to be hard to find the second best job in the world now, but I'll try," said Nash, 56, a 1975 graduate of Shenendehowa High School.
Nash and his wife, Deborah, have three grown children. His wife's parents live in Clifton Park. Nash's father, a widower, moved to Florida. Nash has siblings and an aunt who still live in the area. He has no firm plans after retirement, but expects to enter the civilian workforce eventually.
He once commanded a large fleet of vessels and now his only water craft is a kayak. "It hasn't been out on the water much lately, but I'll have more time to kayak now," he said. "I'll be wearing a life jacket."
He noted that Safe Boating Week is this month. "Life jackets save lives," he said.
At his formal change of command on May 2 in New Orleans, he saluted the commander succeeding him and said: "Request permission to relieve."
The incoming commander said: "Sir, I relieve you."
"I stand relieved," Nash said. He added a crisp salute and placed an exclamation point on a successful Coast Guard career.
pgrondahl@timesunion.com - 518-454-5623 - @PaulGrondahl
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