D. Cecelia Martinez

Clip: ‘Troy boy’ reflects on Iwo Jima, looks ahead

dcecelia — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 06:28:25 +0000

A Memorial Day feature about a former Navy Seabee who served in World War II and fought in the battle of Iwo Jima. Utilized in-person interview, journals and military documents.

George Jacques with a portrait of himself (center) and his sons who also served Ron in the Army (l) and Les in the Coast Guard. (Tom Killips/The Record)

TROY — The 133rd Battalion Log Book of the U.S. Navy Construction Force describes the invasion of Iwo Jima as “black hell.” One of the more iconic battles of World War II, the invasion and eventual takeover of the Japanese island of Iwo Jima began on February 19, 1945, and spanned 26 days of explosions, air raids, sniper fire and warfare in the darkness of night.

A year and a half earlier in August of 1943, seven Troy natives were commissioned by the 133rd Battalion to join the fight in World War II.

Peter Falco, Daniel Hennessy, Anthony Maslott, Howard McAlonie, Abbot Hope, Edward Mangione and George Jacques began their more than two-year journey at Camp Peary near Williamsburg, Va., for training. Referred to as Seabees, the Construction Battalion of the Navy entered active battlefields to quickly build bases, establish safe water supplies, pave roads and a wide variety of other construction and engineering projects.

Much of the attention in regard to the Battle of Iwo Jima is focused on the Marine branch of the military, but the Seabees were heavily involved, and suffered a record number of casualties. According to the official Seabees Web site, the 133rd Battalion suffered 245 casualties with an additional 191 enlisted and 12 officers wounded in action.

Jacques remembers working one day on Iwo Jima and entering the Marines 4th Division cemetery where casualties were buried before being transported home, when he saw a marker with the name of Herbert Moxey, a Seabee from St. Louis, Mo. Moxey, who Jacques said was a husband and father, had formed a friendship with Jacques while they trained together stateside.

“It felt like I had been punched in the stomach,” said Jacques. “I had to just kind of put my blinders on and get back to work.”

All seven of the “Troy boys” returned home on Christmas Eve in 1945. Jacques, who carried a photograph of his then-fiance Jeannette all three years of his deployment, wasted no time upon his return and the two were married by January of 1946. Now, nearly 65 years later, the two live in Haynesville and Jacques is one of three remaining survivors — along with McAlonie and Hope — of the seven.

Many of the veterans remained friends upon returning to Troy. Estelle “Toddy” Mangione-Lisky, daughter of Edward Mangione, said that her father was involved in veterans’ organizations and was particularly close to Hennessy. Mangione-Lisky reached out to Jacques after her father’s death in 2002, providing Jacques with memorabilia that her father had collected and brought back from the war.

Mangione, although somewhat quiet and reserved, took many photographs while deployed. Jacques hopes to use the photos, documents, books and awards that Mangione collected and display them in a Hall of Valor he is working to establish to honor veterans from Troy.

After returning to Troy, Mangione rejoined his brother, Joseph P. Mangione, and the family locksmith business started by their father. It is the same locksmith company on Fourth Street that recently celebrated 125 years in business, but back in the 1940s, it was a place for family and friends to gather and share information about the war and the men overseas.

“The family hub and their lives revolved around the lock shop,” said Mangione-Lisky. “If you had information to report or obtain this was the place to go.” Mangione-Lisky said that Joseph P. Mangione was particularly aggressive in seeking out information about his brother “Eddie” from any soldier in Troy that he could find.

Edward Mangione was the youngest of 14 children in a very religious family. According to his daughter, he was very patriotic and didn’t have a second thought about going to war.

“It is not surprising that my father would enlist in the service at a time when his country needed him so desperately,” said Mangione-Lisky. “He loved his God and his country.”

Eventually Mangione started his own religious artifact business, later moving from its location on Fourth Street to Albany. He was involved in a number of community organizations, including the Knights of Columbus, the American Legion and the Associated Locksmiths of America.

Mangione-Lisky said that her father never spoke much about his time at Iwo Jima. “He never spent a lot of time dwelling on it,” she said.

Jacques, who has also spearheaded the movement to promote Troy as the home of Uncle Sam, hopes that someday Mangione’s photos will be on display at a Hall of Valor to honor veterans.

Mangione-Lisky is proud that her father served in such an important war at such an important time.

“My Father was a voracious reader and wonderful speaker and most importantly, a loving and gracious man and great patriot,” she said. “I guess even as adults we like to think of our parents as heroes.”

Link to original article

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Clips: Ongoing coverage of Troy Housing Authority scandal

dcecelia — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 06:17:16 +0000

Gained experience utilizing both leaked and FOIL documents, as well as navigating union and employment contracts and anonymous sources.

Ex-THA head showed for work after termination

TROY — Former Troy Housing Authority Executive Secretary William Meissner was told to leave the THA offices Thursday after he showed up for work one day after being terminated as executive secretary.

Meissner said Wednesday evening that he had, prior to his termination, appointed himself as accountant for the THA.

“He did come in and was told to leave,” said Tom Hulihan, who is serving as acting executive secretary in addition to his usual duties as director of planning and development. “Nobody took his arm and forced him out, he left on own free will.”

State Comptroller’s Office looking into Rosenthal’s work at THA

TROY — The state Comptroller’s Office is looking into work performed for the Troy Housing Authority by retired Comptroller Roger Rosenthal, who has fulfilled the comptroller duties at the THA as an independent contractor from 2006 up until last Thursday, when he was notified his services were no longer needed.

“We are looking into the contractual relationship he has with the Authority,” said Mark Johnson of the State Comptroller’s Office. According to Johnson, Rosenthal retired in 2005 and receives a monthly gross pension of $3,953.59. Johnson added that as far as they could tell, Rosenthal, 61, had not reported any income to the Comptroller’s Office nor had he or an employer submitted any contract information in regard to his work for the THA.

Contract, payment information released for Rosenthal

TROY — Documents released Thursday to The Record through a Freedom of Information Law request revealed details about contract and payment information for retired Troy Housing Authority Comptroller Roger Rosenthal, who worked as an independent contractor for the THA from 2006 up until his dismissal last week.

According to 1099 tax documents submitted to the New York State Comptroller’s Office, Rosenthal made a total of $185,503.45 working as an independent contractor after his retirement in 2005. According to Mark Johnson of the Comptroller’s Office, Rosenthal did not report any of that income despite receiving a $3,953.59 monthly gross pension from the state.

Also submitted to the state Comptroller’s Office was a consulting agreement purportedly drafted between Rosenthal and the THA in December of 2009. The contract provided Rosenthal with a minimum of 10 hours per week at a rate of $47 per hour in additional to travel, meal, administrative and lodging expenses.

Documents: Paperwork for THA sick time not submitted

TROY — Troy Housing Authority employee Barbara Goodell failed to submit all required paperwork needed to receive 45 days of advanced sick time in 2009 that she was ultimately granted and is now working to pay back, according to documents obtained by The Record.

Article 15 of the union contract between the Civil Service Employees Association and the THA states that any employee accepting advanced sick leave credits must sign a “Recoupment Agreement Advanced Sick Leave” document and submit a written request to the executive secretary and department head for extended sick leave. In addition, the “Housing physician shall consult with the employee’s physician and an opinion shall be rendered to the authority as to the merits of the request.”

According to the documents obtained, a Recoupment Agreement document signed by Goodell and then Executive Secretary William Meissner was submitted, but a written request for the time and an opinion from either a housing physician or Goodell’s personal physician were not.

Meissner made $32K by selling vacation hours back

TROY — Former Troy Housing Authority Executive Secretary William Meissner did not use any vacation days during his three-year tenure despite indicators that he did take vacations on multiple occasions, according to documents obtained by The Record through a Freedom of Information Law request. The documents also showed that Meissner carried over vacation hours in excess of contractual limits and sold vacation hours back to the THA, paying himself a total of $32,254.14.

The discrepancy was discovered as part of an investigation into the former executive secretary by THA Board Chairman Jay Vandenburgh prior to and after Meissner’s termination in April.

Disobeying HUD mandates could cost THA $1 million

TROY — The Troy Housing Authority stands to lose nearly $1 million from the U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development after failing to operate under a new accounting and management system. According to HUD, the THA failed to address the new system in three separate management responses to HUD, and is now appealing for the fourth time.

“I would rather not comment on it at this time as we are presently appealing HUD’s decision,” said THA Acting Executive Secretary Tom Hulihan. He did say that while the THA has not explicitly stated that it will operate under the new system, the current appeal does address the issue by presenting reasons why the THA believes the model currently in use is more efficient.

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Clips: Ongoing coverage of the sale of the Uncle Sam Parking Garage This story was particularly interesting for me because it...
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Clips: Ongoing coverage of the sale of the Uncle Sam Parking Garage

dcecelia — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 06:06:10 +0000

This story was particularly interesting for me because it was one of my first real tests dealing with the extremely partisan politics in Troy as well as an experience in the necessity of fact-checking and going beyond the press release.

Parking garage deal back on the table

TROY — A new deal for the sale of the Uncle Sam Parking Garage to developer David Bryce appears to be back on the table after members of the City Council approached Bryce and negotiated a new contract that would add nearly $300,000 to the sale price of the garage.

An original attempt to sell the garage died out in February after a controversial 4-4 vote with one abstention by the City Council.

According to Councilman Kevin McGrath, D-District 5, Bryce Realty has agreed to pay $2.4 million for the garage, up from the original offer of $2.15 million, and has also agreed to allow the city use of the garage for three days per year. Free parking on nights and weekends at the garage would be available for a 10-year period, and Bryce would invest $1.4 million to build a third parking deck.

Dueling contracts for Troy parking garage sale

TROY — In response to a stalling deal negotiated by Councilman Kevin McGrath, D-District 1, Councilman Mark McGrath, R-District 2, announced plans to introduce legislation approving the sale of the Uncle Sam Parking Garage under the original contract that failed to get enough votes from the City Council in February.

“I believe the original contract is fiscally responsible and protects Troy’s taxpaying residents both in the long-term and short-term,” said Mark McGrath, who questioned why sponsors of a renegotiated deal had failed to move forward by officially submitting a contract or resolution.

Earlier this month, Kevin McGrath announced that he had led negotiations with buyer David Bryce and had reached a deal to sell the garage for $2.4 million, approximately $300,000 more than the price in the original contract. Since that announcement, however, there has been no formal resolution submitted by a council member in regards to the deal.

Parking garage deal: ‘Take it or leave it’

TROY — The City Council will vote on a new deal to sell the Uncle Sam Parking Garage at the next regular meeting on June 3, but the administration is doubtful the proposed purchaser, developer David Bryce, will accept the deal.

In response to weeks of behind-the-scenes discussion of renewed negotiations with Bryce for the sale of the garage, Councilman Mark McGrath, R-District 2, introduced an ordinance to authorize the sale of the garage for $2.1 million under the original deal that died after it failed to get enough votes in February.

That ordinance was ruled out of order after Kevin McGrath, D-District 1, pointed out that under Chapter 2, Article 5 Section 2-32 of the City Charter, a motion for reconsideration of a decision can only be brought by a Council member that voted with the majority. Kevin McGrath then introduced an ordinance to authorize the sale of the parking garage for the price of $2.4 million with an additional consideration that Bryce not grieve the current $2.6 million assessed value of the property for period of ten years provided the city does not reassess the garage at a greater value than the current assessment. The deal also gives the city the right to utilize the garage for three days per year.

Parking garage sale one step closer

TROY — Developer David Bryce has signed a contract for the purchase of the Uncle Sam Parking Garage and is now working with the Industrial Development Authority to enter into a 20-year Payment-In-Lieu-of-Taxes (PILOT) agreement and bond for the acquisition and expansion of the garage.

The IDA approved a resolution to enter into a preliminary agreement with Bryce at a meeting Friday morning and the finalized proposal should be released for public notice by the end of next week.

“We’d like to get it out as soon as possible because it has to be posted for 30 days,” said Planning Director Sondra Little.

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Clips: Ongoing coverage of NYSTI director scandal

dcecelia — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 05:54:54 +0000

NYSTI head’s hiring, spending blasted

ALBANY — New York State Theater Institute Producing Artistic Director Patricia Snyder violated nepotism laws and improperly directed and spent more than $1 million in public funds, according to a report released Tuesday by State Inspector General Joseph Fisch.

However, staff at the Troy-based NYSTI say Synder’s hirings of her self and relatives were based on artistic merit and expenses were within the realm of NYSTI policies and were used to advance the work of the educational theater. The theater is located at 37 First St. in Troy.

The report found that Snyder directed approximately $700,000 in payments and benefits to her family and racked up $475,000 in questionable spending, such as $280,000 on meals, car services and a state-leased apartment in midtown Manhattan.

In letter to board, NYSTI supports Snyder

TROY — Employees from the New York State Theater Institute have sent a letter to the Board of Directors in support of Producing Director Patricia Snyder who, in a report released by the state inspector general last week, was accused of practicing nepotism and improperly spending upwards of $475,000. The letter calls the Inspector General’s report “seriously flawed” and “abhorrently distorted.”

According to Public Relations Director Sarah Howes, the letter was sent to the board in anticipation of a planned meeting later this week. Addressed to Chairman David Morris and the other members of the board, the letter was signed by 24 NYSTI employees and expresses their “unqualified support” of Snyder.

“We are appalled that Dr. Snyder’s integrity and character have been called into question,” states the letter, which also addresses the reports of nepotism by Snyder towards her husband, son and daughters in law. “We have worked with members of the Snyder family … as peers and as friends. No member of the Snyder family has received anything they haven’t earned with their expertise, time, dedication, generosity and most important of all, their talent.”

NYSTI director takes unpaid leave of absence

TROY — New York State Theater Institute Producing Artistic Director Patricia Snyder has asked for and been granted a temporary unpaid leave of absence in order to focus on allegations of nepotism and improper spending made against her in a report by the Inspector General last week.

“This will allow time for a clear response to false allegations and to achieve some balance and perspective on the issues that have been raised,” said Snyder in a released statement. Snyder, who founded the not-for-profit education theater, added that she did not want NYSTI to be the target of negativity as a result of the charges brought against her.

The board granted Snyder’s request, adding that the allegations brought against Snyder were unproven. In previous responses to the Inspector General’s report, the board has challenged or offered explanation for many specific instances of reported nepotism and improper spending by Snyder.

Most of NYSTI board resigns

TROY — Nearly all members of the New York State Theater Institute Board of Directors have resigned in response to Gov. David Paterson’s demand for their resignation. Paterson has appointed members of his cabinet to fulfill temporary board positions until permanent board members can be named.

According to Paterson spokeswoman Morgan Hook, the governor has received resignation letters from all NYSTI board members except Wendy Davenport and Joyce Shenker. Of the seven appointed by Paterson, Larry Schwartz, first deputy secretary to the governor, will serve as the NYSTI board chair.

Board spokesman David Catalfamo released a statement saying: “The outgoing board members strongly desire the state’s continued support for NYSTI and its valuable mission of educating young people in theater arts.”

NYSTI salaries will be paid

TROY — Despite being excluded in this week’s budget extender bill, the salaries of New York State Theater Institute employees will continue to be paid while the State works to determine a long-term solution to NYSTI’s budget issues. According to Phillip Smith, president of the United University Professions union that represents NYSTI employees, and Assembly Majority Leader Ron Canestrari, the Governor’s Office will direct the State University of New York at Albany to honor employee paychecks.

NYSTI Interim Producing Artistic Director David Bunce called for an emergency meeting of the NYSTI board yesterday after receiving notification that NYSTI would exhaust its state funding on June 9, after which point SUNY Albany would no longer process NYSTI employee payroll. Canestrari said he spoke with Bunce, who also expressed concern over the Theater’s performance of Alice in Wonderland, scheduled to run through June 18 and the impact a closure would have on high school students participating in NYSTI’s internship program.

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Warning to RSS subscribers

dcecelia — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 05:41:31 +0000

I’m going to be uploading numerous clips tonight, so be forewarned that your RSS feed may be inundated with updates over the next few hours. I apologize for any inconvenience or additional scrolling this may cause.

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Clips: They’re pigging out for a good cause (video)

dcecelia — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 05:37:18 +0000

TROY — Sounds of cheering and barking filled the air as people gathered outside X’s to O’s Vegan Bakery at noon on Saturday for a cupcake eating contest and pit bull kissing booth to raise money and awareness for Out of the Pits, an organization that provides education, spay and neuter services and rescue operations for pit bull dogs.

Approximately 50 onlookers crowded the sidewalk on the corner of Fourth and State streets and watched as Dan Brotherhood, 28, of Schenectady ate nine and a half cupcakes in five minutes to take the top prize.

Jennifer Keal, 20, of Schenectady took a close second place prize, eating nine cupcakes.

“I actually feel like I could eat more,” said Keal. “It was just the fact that we had to do it in so little time.” Contestants were given cups of water to help wash down the cupcakes, but some contestants, like Keal, dipped the cupcakes in the water to get them down faster.

“It was pretty gross,” Keal said.

Contestants in the contest each donated or received pledges of at least $10. Sarah Preston, owner of the bakery, said the event raised a total of $1500 for the organization.

The kissing booth was also a big hit, with certified therapy dogs, all pit bulls, taking turns offering “kisses” to passersby in an effort to demonstrate the gentle nature of the breed.

“What we know about these dogs is the fact that they’re not at all what has been created by society,” said Kathleen Pierce, the owner Piggly Wiggly, one of the therapy dogs offering kisses at the event. “What we’re trying to do is to redefine who they are more accurately.”

Cydney Cross, president of Out of the Pits, said that the organization has provided free spaying and neutering to 120 pit bulls since August through the Fix-A-Bull program, and helped rescue and re-home two dogs involved in the Michael Vick animal abuse case. Cross said the number one goal of the organization is to educate the public about the breed, and feels that this event did just that.

“We’re very excited about the turnout, and we’re very excited about the people that are asking questions,” Cross said. “It’s very important that people understand the true nature of the American pit bull terrier. It is important for people to know that they are a people-loving breed under all circumstances.”

Preston said that she was more than happy to be involved in the event.

“I especially thought it was important for Troy,” she said. “I’ve seen a lot of people that own pit bulls in this area, and I do know that, especially in New York state, there’s a lot of dog fighting rings, and I just felt that we needed to get the word out about how amazing and loving pit bulls are.”

For those interested in learning more about Out of the Pits or the Fix-A-Bull program, visit www.outofthepits.org or contact the Troy office at 763-3647.

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A ‘wonderful time to be in the news business’?

dcecelia — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 00:17:31 +0000

Is journalism's clock still ticking?

I never really used to be a podcast person — I always preferred listening to music and found the talking distracting, especially if I was working on something else at the time (and who has time to just sit around and listen to something? I’m all about multitasking).

Maybe my boyfriend’s talk radio listening habits are rubbing off on me, because lately I’ve developed a habit of listening to various media-related podcasts while going through my Google News Alerts in the morning. I like the Morning Media Menu series from MediaBistro, and at 15 minutes, they’re easy to digest.

This morning for the first time I checked out the Rebooting the News podcast series with Jay Rosen and Dave Winer. I started following @jayrosen_nyu a little while ago after he tweeted about Journal Register Company (JRC, my future employer) CEO John Paton’s blog covering the JRC overhaul, and Rosen is also heading up the new East Village blog venture between NYU and the New York Times (I’m always interested when journalism and academics mix).

This podcast is definitely longer, and might be better served from a more dedicated listen, as my ear tended to wander and then periodically get dragged back to specific topics they were covering (NYT pay wall, Twitter in Google search results, etc.).

At one point Dave Winer mentioned football, which always grabs my attention. He made a nice metaphor about how journalists often fail to step back and give themselves room the way quarterbacks sometimes do, and then he said the following about the survival of journalists and news organizations:

What you need inside these news organizations, Jay, is, I know this, you never hear it, but you need people who love news. And aren’t scared by news. Who think that news is the greatest thing that God ever invented.

And a person who really really really loves news — and by the way I’m not saying there aren’t a lot of people at these organizations that do, absolutely, but they’ve got their heads… it’s like, if you think your way towards dancing, you don’t do any dancing. The secret to dancing is to just try to look stupid. Instead of worrying about looking stupid, the trick is to try to look stupid. Just get out there and make a fool of yourself and sooner or later you’re going to be dancing.

So if you really love news, then what you have to do is you have to start acting that way, and you have to start doing things that are just wonderful for news. I know I’ve said this before on this podcast, but it’s got to be said over and over again because it’s so important. But just go have fun, it’s a great time to be alive and news, we’ve got these phenomenal networks that make news work so much better than it ever has before. What a wonderful time to be in the news business this is.

“What a wonderful time to be in the news business this is.” There are probably many that would disagree with this, who would say that the news business is dying and that all the best years are in the past. But I agree with Winer — every day there are newer, better technologies that allow us to not only better provide the public with the vital information and analysis, but to have a conversation with that public and engage their opinions, ideas and stories.

Winer’s message is one that a lot of discouraged, struggling journalists need to hear. You don’t become a journalist because of money, recognition or the great working environment — and if you do, you’re doing it wrong — but because you (really really really) love news. So don’t focus on whether or not your story will scare off an advertiser, get enough clicks or land you an award that will let you keep your job over the dozens of other reporters. Focus on the news, because that’s what you love about journalism, and when you do what you love, the rest will work itself out.

Click here to check out the Rebooting the News podcast, it’s worth a listen.

What do you think? Do you think it’s naïve to be so optimistic about the future of the news industry? What changes do you see in store?

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More advice for small-school journalist jobseekers

dcecelia — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 21:04:17 +0000

Okay, my school wasn't that small.

I’m writing in response to another Ask the Recruiter column, this time about an aspiring journalist with an impressive resume coming from a small college.

In his column, Joe Grimm offers some pretty good advice to the student — on his jaw-dropping sixth internship at a daily newspaper — who seems to be having some problems breaking into a bigger daily publication.

It is unclear whether he is trying to land another internship or an actual job, but as both processes are similar, the advice (network harder, reach out to recruiters) is applicable to either.

I want to elaborate on this topic, because while I don’t have nearly the amount of internships and accolades as this student, I do come from a small school and can relate to his situation.

I come from a private college with a relatively small (but growing) Communications department and an even smaller student newspaper.

I’ve been able to turn that into a positive, though, by playing up the fact that because the school/newspaper is so small, I had to take on more roles and become more independent.

I’m obviously biased, but editors at small schools/newspapers often have to be well-rounded, resourceful and willing to take the initiative to make things happen.

However, at a small school — especially if it’s also in a small town — it can be easier to get trapped inside the campus bubble. I’ve seen many students who are so focused on school, work or campus activities that they don’t bother to do any kind of off-campus networking until they reach that oh-crap-I’m-graduating-in-two-months-what-do-I-do phase.

Now, keep in mind that the student in the Ask the Recruiter column is going after a top-size newspaper — with his credentials he could probably have landed a job at a smaller pub now.

But, if you want to be a journalist and come from a smaller school, here are some things to keep in mind:

Break out of the bubble — Don’t let a lack of media-related events or activities on your campus hold you back. Seek out professional organizations (many have student membership prices and mentorship programs) and attend every panel, workshop and lecture you can find and talk to people while you’re there.
Take pride in your publication — Don’t play down the low circulation or small staff of your college paper. If, as Editor-in-Chief, you were also Web Editor, Advertising Manager, Business Manager and Layout Editor, put that in your resume. Working at a small publication makes you versatile, and that’s what makes you valuable.
Use your professors — While larger universities may have more big-name professors with industry connections, at a smaller school, the professors will actually talk to you. Set up informational interviews and see if any would be willing to advise on a project. You paid a lot of money for those small class sizes — take advantage of them.
Go it alone — So maybe your school doesn’t offer classes in multimedia production or have the resources for a daily student newspaper. That’s ok — you can still improve your skill set and experience by starting your own blog, Internet TV show or podcast. Sure, having the support of a college or university helps tremendously, but the benefit of taking on an independent project is that you’re no longer just a student, but an entrepreneur with obvious passion and initiative.

Anyone else out there from a small school have advice? Have you found it harder to make connections? What’s has (and hasn’t) worked for you?

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Entry-level: Benjamin Brown

dcecelia — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 20:34:16 +0000

Entry-level is a new series profiling those who are working their first media jobs out of college. Want to be featured? Send an e-mail to d.ceceliamartinez [at] gmail [dot] com with a photo and answers to the questions below.

Founder and CEO Benjamin Brown

Name: Benjamin Brown (@RedLeader656)

Location: Albany, NY

Gig: Founder and CEO, New Hand Media

Education: The College of Saint Rose, 2009

Length of job search: My job search lasted months. During school, I was working for Apple Inc. as a computer tech at one of their retail stores. It was a great job and I was paid well, but there was so much that I felt I was missing. So, making one of the most important decisions of my life, I decided to quit my job and relocate to Charlotte, NC. It was there that I got a taste of the real world and how bad the economy actually is. I spent eight to 10 hours a day sending out resumes and calling companies, never hearing a word back from any of them. This went on for about six months, until I finally ran out of money and had to come back to Albany. I was disappointed, but learned a lot about life and the job market, so for that I’m forever grateful.

Why he decided to start his own business: The difficulty of finding a job in established companies. There are a lot of marketing and ad agencies out there, but in an economy like this, most of them are looking to let people go rather than hire. After a huge amount of disappointment and frustration, I decided to start my own business. I knew what I wanted to do, and I knew that I could do it better than most people that I had come across in the same field. I found what I loved and now I’m making a career out of it.

What’s been the hardest part so far: Just making the leap forward to do it. You have to jump in head first and hope that you don’t smash your head on the rocks at the bottom. It’s sort of a leap of faith. All of your time, money and effort are focused on getting your name out there and generating buzz for your brand. It’s nothing short of petrifying, but you just have to believe that you’re going to make it, otherwise no one else will.

What attracted him to social media: Social media has changed the way that we live our lives. We now have the ability to converse and connect with consumers in a way that wasn’t possible five years ago. Right now there’s a mini ‘gold rush’ going on to see who can take advantage of these cutting edge technologies. The ability of something like Facebook to allow you to target very specific audiences is incredible. The other thing that amazes me is how platforms like Twitter have really given a lot of power back to consumers. Ten years ago, marketing and ad campaigns were generated in sort of a cookie cutter fashion, with no real feedback. Now people can talk about your brand on an exponential level, reaching far beyond their immediate circle of friends and family. This ultimately makes brands much more accountable for their actions and messages.

His dream client: Some sort of niche brand that I could help develop into a titan in the market. I would love to be able to bring some small brands into the marketplace in a big way.

Ultimate goal: To make sure that I love every minute of what I’m doing. When you hate your job and you’re miserable at work every day, what’s the point? I want to ultimately make a sustainable company that is able to develop interesting and impactful brand awareness. Of course I’d also like to make loads of money, but that’ll come later if I keep doing what I love.

Advice for job seekers out there: Find what you love and do it! Read every book that you can about starting a business, find online resources and apply that to something that you want to do for the rest of your life. It’s never been easier to get a small business going that’s made of nothing more than your voice talking about what you love. Now is the time to get into the game because like I said, social media has become the great equalizer. It’s going to allow you to get your message and content out there. If you’re passionate about what you’re doing then do it every day and go at it as hard as you can. At the end of the day you’re going to be happier with yourself.

More and more people are become entrepreneurs because of the lack of traditional employment options, and media can be a great product because there’s so little startup costs involved. There’s been more than a few media startups in this area, some who have found real success. However, as the current state of the media industry proves, just because you know media doesn’t mean you know business.

Have you considered the possibility of starting your own business, or are you content holding out for a full-time job, no matter how long it might take?

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Clips: Are We Family?

dcecelia — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 23:51:25 +0000

Metroland // 4.30.09 // A long-form investigation into the constitutionality of the ‘grouper law’ in Albany and how it affects residents

Matt Morrissey (Photo: Alicia Solsman)

Albany tries to find common ground on an ordinance that some feel attacks student housing and others think is necessary to preserve the Pine Hills neighborhood

Samantha Eferstein, a Uni versity at Albany senior, says she and her five roommates are very close. “We look out for each other,” Eferstein says. She and her roommates haved lived in a large, blue Victorian house at 414 Hudson St. in Albany for the past two years. The six friends have lived together since they were freshman, and two of them have known each other since their high-school days on Long Island. They appear to enjoy living together. The house they share is well-kept, with lace curtains and matching furniture—a rare sight among the college apartments on their street. They cook meals together, study together, and throw parties together.

These students, all seniors, are not only counting down the days to graduation, but are also counting down the days until they will no longer have to live in fear of eviction due to a violation of what is known as the “grouper law.”

The grouper law is not an actual law; it is a city zoning ordinance that defines the word “family” as it applies to single- and multi-family houses. A family is defined in the city of Albany code as “one, two, or three persons occupying a dwelling unit; or four or more persons occupying a dwelling unit and living together as a traditional family or the functional equivalent of a family.” The tricky part of the ordinance—and the part that is referred to as the grouper law—is the second half of the definition, which states, “it shall be presumptive evidence that four or more unrelated persons living in a single dwelling unit do not constitute the functional equivalent of a traditional ‘family.’ ”

Essentially, the code restricts four or more unrelated people from being considered a family. This can cause problems for some tenants and property owners of four-, five-, and six-bedroom apartments in the heavily-student- populated area of Pine Hills. The majority of the controversy is centered on a four-block radius, including Hudson, Hamilton, Quail, and Ontario streets, that is commonly known as the “student ghetto.”

Eferstein’s experience with the grouper law began after some partygoers got out of hand at her house last November. A fight broke out, and one of her roommates called the police.

One of the police officers inquired about the residency and found out that six people were living at the house. “We didn’t think anything of it,” says Eferstein. That same night, at 1 AM, workers with Albany’s Division of Building and Codes showed up to inspect the property. The city threatened to evict the tenants, and the building’s owner, Matt Morrissey, was threatened with fines.

After the incident, Morrissey began the lengthy process of converting the house from a six-bedroom single unit to two three-bedroom apartments. Because Morrissey has kept up with the process of making the renovations, he has not yet been fined and has not had to evict anyone.

The tenants say that if they were forced to move out they would most likely have to crash on friends’ couches or try their luck at finding available on-campus housing in the middle of the semester.

Morrissey and the tenants at 414 Hudson are just one of many examples throughout the city of apartment dwellers living under threat of the grouper law. According to Nicholas DiLello, director of Albany Building and Codes, records of citations are sealed once the case has been settled, so it is hard to get an accurate picture of the scope and geography of the citations. He estimates the number of cases at only two or three a month, and says that citations are complaint-based.

“We’re not the Gestapo,” he says. “We don’t go out there and hammer landlords.” DiLello says that the city has a 100-percent victory rate: All grouper-law citations have either resulted in compliance or in the citation being upheld in court.

Some landlords complain, however, that they are discouraged from bringing the issue to court and told by DiLello that it is “expensive and pointless.”

“Nick DiLello,” Morrissey says, “is the judge, the jury, and the executioner.”

An April 8 meeting of U-Albany’s committee on University and Community Relations of the University Police offered the first opportunity for property owners to publicly address the grouper law. A panel, including DiLello and property owners, considered a proposal to change the definition of family.

The proposal, presented by Debbie Pusatere, vice-president of the New York Capital Region Apartment Association, expands the definition of family to up to five unrelated persons and allows for a group of six or more unrelated persons to prove that they are the functional equivalent of a family if they meet certain qualifications, like sharing the cost of food and utilities, and “any other factor reasonably related to whether or not a group of unrelated persons living together are functioning together as a family.”

“I’m not saying this is exactly what would be passed,” says Pusatere. “I’m saying this is what’s on the table to open it up.”

Her proposal, she says, brings the defintion of family “up to current times.”

As many college towns across the country have found, using the definition of the term family to evict tenants has complicated legal implications. Some cities have found their versions of the grouper law to be unconstitutional, while other places can’t seem to pinpoint exactly what constitutes a family.

An ongoing case in Oneonta, filed in March of this year, cites a 1989 New York State Court of Appeals decision in the case of Baer v. Town of Brookhaven. In this case, the town of Brookhaven charged five unrelated elderly women living together with a violation of a zoning ordinance similar to that in Albany. The court determined that the zoning law, which did not place a similar restriction on the number of related people allowed to live together, violated the state’s due process clause because it restricted the size of a functional equivalent of a family but not the size of a traditional family.

In other Capital Region cities, “family” has become a loaded word as well.

Schenectady corporation counsel L. John Van Norden determined in April 2008 that his city’s grouper law was written so vaguely that 10 members of the Union College football team qualified as a family. Norden found that the students shared expenses and had the social functions of a family, which were requirements of the city’s definition.

In Troy, after determining that a grouper law would be unconstitutional, the city tried an alternative route to combat overcrowded houses. Taking particular concern with property owners who were renovating buildings to add extra bedrooms without adding extra space, Troy enacted a moratorium to prevent this type of construction. The Troy City Council has since extended the moratorium while working out the kinks of a resolution, attempting to define a “rooming house” and “roomers” in order to avoid the word “family” in zoning laws.

The architectural approach that Troy has taken is similar to a solution recommended by the Capital District Association of Rental Property Owners (CDARPO) and its president, Robert McRae, another panelist at the April 8 meeting. McRae suggests modifications to the law that rely on limitations to the architecture of a house, instead of trying to define the word “family.” For example, a law could define a bedroom by square footage, have bathroom requirements per number of bedrooms, or allow only single-room occupancy for houses containing more than three bedrooms.

McRae also provides alternatives to the grouper law, like encouraging property owners to require parental co-signers and using laws such as the noise ordinances and litter laws already in place, to address problem properties.

“They just want to shoot the shotgun and say ‘You can’t do that’ to everyone,” McRae says. “They have this idea that the less kids are running around out there the fewer problems there will be, and we don’t agree with that.”

McRae is also concerned that, in its current state, the zoning ordinance could be used as a weapon or threat against property owners in Albany.

“What concerns me, and what concerns my members, are the innocent causalities,” McRae says. “The guy who is smart enough to say, ‘Nick, Bob McRae next to me has six kids in his building; if you’re not enforcing it with him, you can’t enforce it with me.’ There’s where I have a problem.”

That’s what happened to at least one Pine Hills landlord (who wishes to remain anonymous for fear of retaliation). He first found out about the grouper law a year ago when one of his properties was cited while he was on vacation.

The house, a two-family located in Pine Hills, contains two four-bedroom apartments. Three of the four students living in the upstairs unit requested to have the fourth person evicted, and the landlord agreed. However, he explained that the rent would remain same regardless of the number of tenants, and that the remaining three would each have to pay more to add up to the full amount.

“One girl would not agree to pay for the additional rent for the missing fourth person,” the landlord says. “Then she wouldn’t pay me at all, and I threatened eviction. Her father called Nick DiLello and turned me in for the grouper law because he knew I had four [tenants] downstairs also,” even though there were only three people living in the apartment at that time.

When the landlord returned from vacation a week later, he found two notices on the building: The first was an order to fix the situation on both floors. He says initially he was given about two to three days to comply, which, being out of town, he obviously hadn’t done. The second notice was an order to appear in court.

“So here’s a situation where I helped the tenants out, and they were able to use the grouper law against me,” he says. “This is not a neighbor calling in to complain. This is a guy from Brooklyn [the father] who has never even seen the house.”

He was charged a $1,000 fine and given 30 days to evict the tenants or it would be an additional fine of $1,000 per day.

The upstairs tenants already were moving out that month, but the downstairs tenants—who already had signed a renewal lease for the next year—had to scramble to find another apartment. The tenants ultimately ended up moving out and finding another four-bedroom apartment.

“When I tried to call the city of Albany and Nick DiLello to reason with them what was going on, they treated me like a common criminal,” he complains. “They literally treated me like dirt.”

Consider, he says, that he knows of more than 100 four-bedroom apartments in the student ghetto, and the eviction of one student from each of these apartments not only would displace many students, but also would reduce the amount of money a landlord is able to earn from a property. His apartments currently rent out as three-bedroom units at a lower rate: a loss of $7,000 a year.

“In the end, the entire community is going to suffer,” says McRae, “because if an investor or owner can’t make the expenses to maintain that property, it’s going to fall into disrepair, no matter what your intentions are.”

Pusatere, who has properties in Cohoes and Watervliet, says that she has seen students in Albany moving out to these areas.

DiLello argues that the displacement of students is not an issue because, according to him, there is no shortage of available apartments in Albany.

“There are a lot of vacant buildings,” DiLello says. “There’s a lot of potential for residence in the city. I mean, just look at the vacant buildings. If there was a greater demand for residence in the city, there wouldn’t be many vacant buildings.”

McRae doesn’t agree.

“The reason a building is abandoned is because it wasn’t supporting itself,” McRae says. “A lot of that vacant stock is in really bad shape and is going to cost a serious amount of money to bring to livable conditions.”

Some property owners are getting creative about ways that they can improve quality-of-life issues in Albany as an alternative to the grouper law. One suggestion is to install security cameras on the buildings to survey the streets and sidewalks in Pine Hills. Another is to target the number of cars.

“I’d have no problem at all not renting to a student if they had a car,” McRae says. “I would put it in my lease. If that eases the neighborhood’s parking situation I would say, ‘You know what, this is great off-campus housing, but you can’t have a motor vehicle because the neighborhood can’t support it.’ I would look at options like that.”

After spending more than $15,000 in architect fees, Morrissey says that it’s no longer financially viable to make the necessary renovations to 414 Hudson. He is currently seeking a use variance from the Board of Zoning Appeals. A use variance is another tool that property owners can utilize; that is, they can apply to be an exception to the rule. The Pine Hills Neighborhood Association likes this because it allows the neighborhood association to be involved in the decision.

“We do like the way the current law is written in that it allows the neighborhood associations to have a say regarding use variances,” says association president Dan Curtis, “but I still take issue with it in that I think we may be requiring property owners to jump through too many hoops.”

Morrissey is presenting his case at this month’s PHNA meeting. But, an approval from the PHNA does not automatically guarantee approval from the Board of Zoning Appeals.

“Basically the BZA, they don’t usually issue variances without our support, and they don’t usually deny a variance when we do support it, but there’s not a one-to-one relationship,” Curtis says. “I think that the BZA has come to a point where they appreciate that we’re very active, and we take some time to investigate these matters and to investigate the other property that the landlord owns and see what kind of impact we really think it’s going to have on the community.”

Morrissey has his concerns, however, because he says DiLello told him that applying for a use variance was a waste of time.

“Nick certainly plays a role in that,” Curtis says, “but I think that Nick plays less of a role than he thinks he plays. There is a Board of Zoning Appeals and I’m pretty confident that the ultimate decision would lie with them, but if the board didn’t go with the way the neighborhood association felt was appropriate—as you’ve seen before—I have no problems with making a bit of noise.”

There are, however, many who feel that the grouper law is an effective tool to preserve the quality of the neighborhood. For some of the residents in Pine Hills, college students don’t make the best neighbors. Littering, late-night parties with loud music, public urination, and vandalism are all part of an average Saturday night.

“If you’ve got four kids in one flat, and then next door he’s got 10 kids, it does affect the neighborhood,” says DiLello. “If we don’t get strict enforcement there, probably in 10 years we’re talking slums.”

Cecelia Quinn is a resident of St. Vincent’s Senior Apartments on Yates Street in the heart of the Pine Hills student area. Two popular college bars are just half a block away, and on weekend nights students parade up and down the street in front of her building.

“We are surrounded by frat houses, college kids and everything in between,” Quinn says. “We are apartments for senior citizens.”

Quinn seems torn about the situation and has particular concern with how the senior citizens in the apartment complex can coexist with the college students. She spoke at the April meeting, saying she felt the need to “stand up for the people.”

“What hurts us is they disrespect our building; they throw pizza garbage near the school, they skateboard, and we call the police,” Quinn says. “We’re not trying to run them out of town, but it feels somehow like they would like to terrorize us.”

Despite the described abuse at the hands of college students, she still feels optimistic about the students and the area.

“We have so much potential here,” she says. “What gets me about these kids is that they are smart, they are talented, and they are the future. It’s tough being a young person now; they have a lot of demands. But the thing is, we have a lot in this area, and I love this area. We have the best schools, and we have a real chance to turn things around. These kids have more IQ, they’re smarter than I’ll ever be. Why do they think the street is their garbage pail? I just think it’s heartbreaking.”

McRae understands the desire for better neighborhoods, and feels that the solution goes beyond citing property owners.

“There are three people that need to come together on this: the city, the landlords and the students,” McRae says. “The students need to take responsibility for themselves and for their actions, and the city needs to start holding the landlords accountable for these types of things.”

There hasn’t been any public action in regards to the proposed changes, but property owners are anxious to get the ball rolling.

“We brought this issue up at the meeting to inform people about what the law is and to allow for discussion,” says Gebhardt, who says that the university has no official stance on the issue.

Curtis also says that the grouper law is going to be a big issue for the PHNA over the coming months.

“I’m really looking forward to stoking that conversation,” Curtis says, “and getting it riled up.”

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