Tricounty DFA: Meetup Report, Keehn Signatures, Events, More
Hello Everyone!

In This Update:

1. Meetup report: John Strough, Endorsement, Resolutions
2 Keehn Signatures
3. Ethics Board
4. Events: Gillibrand At Fair, Yepsen Open House, Ballston Dems BBQ
5. NY Times: Warming Of the Northeast
6. Friday Night Film Fest


1. Meetup report: John Strough, Endorsement, Resolutions

We had another great DFA Link-up or "meetup" last week at the Rockhill Bakehouse Cafe. The highlight of the evening was a low-key candidate forum with Queensbury Councilman John Strought.

Johh, who is running for reelection this year, recounted the origins of his career in an effort to prevent the destruct of Blind Rock, an important historical relic and site from the French and Indian War. Preservation issues led him into fighting the overdevelopment of Queensbury. The town's growth has caught everyone by surprise. Queensbury's population is now reaching 29,000, a level that was not expected by the town's plan until sometime around the year 2020.

One of the little known but disturbing trends John is fighting on the Town Board is a push by wealthy home builders and developers to convert large parcels zoned light industrial and commercial to large residential lots. They then build a so-called large "MacMansion" on the property. This has at least two really negative effects. First, by taking light industrial and commercial sites, the town's tax base is reduced: those uses generate more revenue. Secondly, they rob the community of job and economic development. The only jobs that come from a MacMansion, once it's built, are gardening and maid type jobs, not good jobs.

Some of our members were so enthused by John's presentation that they attempted to take a collection as a campaign contribution for John's race. However, he turned them down. That's right-- a politician refused money. John finances all of his campaigns out of his own pocket, despite the fact the last time the Republicans spent $6,000 to knock him out, only to fail.

But he is confident of victory. Afterwards, a motion from the floor to endorse John Strough for Queensbury Town Council was carried without a dissenting vote.

After John left, we passed two resolutions, one urging Congress to speed up resolving the War In Iraq, and a seond urging the restoration of the Fairness Doctrine, providing equal time in television for all points of view.


2 Keehn Signatures

On Tuesday Mayor Valie Keehn filed a record 773 signatures to get on the ballot in Saratoga Springs. This was a huge volunteer effort, and really shows the depth of support for Keehn in the Spa City.


3. Ethics Board

On Queensbury again, Councilman John Strough reports the town is looking for new members of the Ethic's Board. This importance of this should be obvious-- John also talked about ethics during his presentation last week. It uually only meets a couple times a year and you cannot be a current member of a party political committee. If you are interested please sent a brief bio within your letter of intent to:
Leesa Stiller
742 Bay Road
Queensbury, NY

Or, pass this along on to another worthy person.


4. Events: Gillibrand At Fair, Yepsen Open House, Ballston Dems BBQ

Rep. Gillibrand will be bringing her "Congress to a Corner" outreach program to the Saratoga County Fair in Ballston Spa this Friday, July 20th at 3:00pm. She and staff members will be taking questions near Gate 2 at the Point.

Joanne Yepsen, County Supervisor for Saratoga Springs, will be hosting her traditional Open House on Opening Day of the Races Wednesday, July 25 from 6 - 9 p.m. to celebrate Open Government and Open Space! Please consider this an Open Invitation to attend the outdoor party in her yard at 91 Fifth Avenue, Saratoga Springs (2 blocks from the race track) and enjoy a wonderful array of food and drinks on this special day!

For more info go to: www.supervisoryepsen.com or call 584-5167.

You are cordially invited to the Third Annual Ballston Democratic Chicken-BBQ on Saturday, July 28th from 1-4pm. The location is the Lakeside Farm Cider Mill on Round Lake Road in the town of Ballston Lake. Tickets are $35, Sponsors $50. There is a children's menu for $10. Make checks payable to the Ballston Democratic Committee. Funds raised will support local candidates. For more information or to RSVP please contact Pat Southworth by July 18th at 518-281-4718 or go to http://www.ballstondems.org .

5. NY Times: Warming Of the Northeast


There's been an awful lot of coverage of the war and the Senate's attempt yesterday to end it, so I will not add to the redundant reports. But this story in the NY Times may have been overlooked, and is the "must read" of the week, because it so affects us here in Upstate New York.

"By the end of this century, 100-year floods could hit New York City every 10 years, Long Island lobsters could disappear and New York apples could be hard to come by if nothing is done to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, according to a report released yesterday by a group of scientists and economists."

“The Northeast can anticipate substantial — and often unwelcome or dangerous — changes during the rest of this century,” concluded the report by the Union of Concerned Scientists,

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/12/science/12warm.html?_r=1&oref=slogin


6. Friday Night Film Fest

Finally, the Rockhill Bakehouse Cafe's Friday Night Film Festive continues at 7:30 with:


July 20 BALSEROS (2003) Josep M. Domenech 120 min.
This epic documentary examines the lives of seven Cubans who came to live in the United States after being rescued by the U.S. Coast Guard as they attempted to paddle across the ocean from Havana to Miami on ramshackle homemade rafts. Over 50,000 Cubans attempted this feat, trying to immigrate to the United States in 1994 seeking a better life outside of Fidel Castro's communist regime. However, when it became apparent that the boats were causing more drownings and deaths than successful passages, the U.S. intervened. Those who were caught leaving Havana on homemade boats were picked up and transplanted to a refugee camp at Guantanamo Bay where they served a nine-month probation. They were allowed to sen

July 27 HIGH SCHOOL BOOT CAMP (2000) Chuck Braverman 90 min.
Director Chuck Braverman certainly got his hands dirty with this attempt to document the activities at a High School Boot Camp. Choosing the Eagle Academy in Belle Grade, Florida as his muse, Braverman follows a group of youths as they attempt to rescue their troubled lives from toppling further into a crime-strewn abyss. But to survive the rigors of the boot camp these kids will discover they have to leave their ego's at the door--a task some of them find hard to accomplish. As the tough regime kicks into action, it becomes clear exactly how harsh the training is, with Marine-style maneuvers introduced in an attempt to instill some discipline in the youthful miscreants.

Thanks everyone!

Larry Dudley
- posted by Larry Dudley @ 10:39 AM