Downtown Man in an Uptown World fka Upstream & Downtown

This Blog Will Go To Blog Heaven On Sunday

Daniel Weaver — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 13:28:57 +0000

This blog will die and go to blog heaven on Sunday. All entries will be deleted. {{more}} So book mark the Mohawk Valley Independent web site, Click here to go to the Mohawk Valley Independent web site. To receive news by email from the Mohawk Valley Independent, click on the NEWS VIA EMAIL near the top right of web site and fill out the form.

The Mohawk Valley Independent Needs Your Help

Daniel Weaver — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 13:27:43 +0000

Welcome to The Mohawk Valley Independent!

Read all these stories and more here.

Front Page
- The Mohawk Valley Independent Needs Your Help

State News
- Thruway Board Adopts 2012 Capital Program

National News
- Ross C. “Rocky” Anderson Launches Presidential Bid for 2012 Election
- LightSquared and Skype Co-Founder’s FreedomPop Partner to Offer Free Broadband Services

International News
- Leymah Gbowee, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf of Liberia Share Nobel Peace Prize with Yemeni Tawakkul Karman

Religious News
- Knights of Columbus Continues Battle to Save Jesus Statue

One Voice by Jean Leonard
- Something in your eye, Newt?

Today in History
- WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 13: “A CHRISTMAS CAROL” PUBLISHED

Film News and Reviews
- American Film Institute Announces AFI AWARDS 2011 Official Selections

Books
- First Covert Flight Over Tokyo Described In New Book
- Six of Lewis Grizzard’s Bestselling Books Are Re-Introduced After 12 Years Off the Market

Bob Cudmore Raises $1,000 for Charity on Book Tour & More

Daniel Weaver — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 13:29:07 +0000

Read yesterday’s and today’s stories here.

Welcome to The Mohawk Valley Independent

December 5, 2011

Front Page
- WEXT’s Latin Alternative – Syndicated in Albany, Broadcast from Amsterdam, Listened to in L.A.
- U.S. Senate Rejects Amendment to Preserve Civil Liberties in National Defense Authorization Act – Gillibrand and Schumer Vote for Amendment.
- Hi-Tech Companies in U.S. and Other Western Nations Enabling Repressive Countries to Spy on Citizens According to Newly Released Documents by Wikileaks

State News
- Anthony V. Cardona, Presiding Justice of the Appellate Division, Third Department, Dies
- Empire State Plaza Ice Rink to Open in January for the First Time Since 2007

December 6, 20111

Front Page
- Amsterdam’s Chess Club Participates in its First Chess Tournament
- Amsterdam’s Common Council to Consider Resolution Honoring Kirk Douglas’ 95th Birthday
- Bob Cudmore’s Book Tour Raises $1,000 for Charity

State News
- DEC: Ban on Disposing Rechargeable Batteries in NYS Goes Into Effect Today

National News
- Occupy Wall Street — A Passing Fad?

International News
- NASA’s Kepler Confirms its First Planet in Habitable Zone of Sun-like Star
- NASA’S Voyager Hits New Region at Solar System Edge
- NASA Finds ‘Merging Tsunami’ Doubled Japan Destruction

Latino News
- National Hispanic Caucus of State Legislators Announce 2012-2013 Newly Elected Leadership

Environmental News
- The Road to Durban: Tracking Global Warming’s Devastating Impact Across the African Continent

Opinion – Valley Voices
- no angel

One Voice by Jean Leonard
- Military Detention of Citizens Spells the End of Freedom

Music
- U.S. Census Bureau Daily Feature for December 6 Grand Ole Opry Turns 84

Amsterdam Resident Michael Cinquanti’s New Book, Not Just Another Christmas Story, Makes a Great Christmas Gift & more

Daniel Weaver — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 12:44:09 +0000

Read all these stories and more here.

· Amsterdam Resident Michael Cinquanti’s New Book, Not Just Another Christmas Story, Makes a Great Christmas Gift
· Love Letter to Amsterdam
· Amsterdam Businessman Volunteers to Pay Controversial Flower Bulb Bill
· More than 6000 People Attend NYS DEC Hearings on Hydro-fracking

State News
· “Hancock 38″ Defendants Found Guilty for Bold Army Base Protest Against U.S. Drone Attacks Abroad
· New York State Tax Department Introduces Prepaid Card Option for Personal Income Tax Returns

Health & Medical News
· U.S. Census Bureau Daily Feature for December 3 – Replacing Damaged Hearts
· FDA Approves First Generic Version of Cholesterol-Lowering Drug Lipitor
National News
· State Dept. Veteran Peter Van Buren Defies U.S. Censors to Recount Failed Reconstruction in Iraq

The Parable of the Tulips and More in Today’s Mohawk Valley Independent

Daniel Weaver — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 12:48:46 +0000

Read all the following stories in The Mohawk Valley Independent!

Front Page
- Opinion – The Parable of the Tulips
- St. Johnsville, Utica and Fort Plain School Districts Have Highest Poverty Rates in the Mohawk Valley

Health & Medical News
- FDA Approves First Generic Version of Cholesterol-Lowering Drug Lipitor

National News
- State Dept. Veteran Peter Van Buren Defies U.S. Censors to Recount Failed Reconstruction in Iraq
- Occupy Wall Street Camps in Los Angeles, Philadelphia Dismantled in Massive Police Raids
- “Handwriting in the 21st Century? An Educational Summit” Set for Jan. 23 in Washington, D.C.

International News
- As Biden Visits Iraq Ahead of U.S. Withdrawal, Critics See Last Ditch-Effort to Preserve Occupation

One Voice by Jean Leonard
- Organized Sports and Sexual Abuse: Educating our Children

Books
- Dictionary.com Selects “Tergiversate” as 2011 Word of the Year

Music
- Kanye West Leads GRAMMY® Nominations With Seven; Adele, Foo Fighters and Bruno Mars Each Earn Six; and Lil Wayne and Skrillex Each Garner Five
- Foster The People Receives Grammy® Nominations for ‘Best Alternative Album’ and ‘Best Pop Duo/Group Performance’
- Adele Garners Six Grammy® Award Nominations

City of Amsterdam to hold Winter Mixer and more

Daniel Weaver — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 14:03:48 +0000

Read all today’s article here.

Front Page
- City of Amsterdam to Hold Main Street Winter Mixer on December 16
- Amsterdam’s WEXT 97.7 One of the Few Remaining Alternative Stations in the United States
- Battlefield America: U.S. Citizens Face Indefinite Military Detention in Defense Bill Before Senate
- DEC Police Ticket Dozens for Deer Poaching Including Some in Albany, Fulton, Montgomery, Saratoga and Schenectady Counties

State News
- New York State Bar Association Task Force Holds Hearings on Family Court Reform

Health & Medical News
- High Blood Sugar Levels in Older Women Linked to Colorectal Cancer

National News
- Occupy Student Debt: Students Urged to Refuse to Pay Off Loans As Schools Hike Tuition
- Pepper-Spray Creator Decries Use of Chemical Agent on Peaceful Occupy Wall Street Protesters
- Bariatric Physicians Do Not Support Ohio’s Intervention for Childhood Obesity

Latino News
- Puerto Rico Posts Strong Tourism Gains, Unveils New Marketing Campaign to Continue Momentum

Latest News on the Mohawk Valley Independent website

Daniel Weaver — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 13:19:44 +0000

Note: If you signed up to receive news via email from the Mohawk Valley Independent and you have a Roadrunner or Comcast email account, the emails are being returned as undeliverable. We are working on the problem.

Today’s and yesterday’s stories can be found here.

Front Page
· Amsterdam’s WEXT 97.7 FM First Radio Station in the U.S. to Play Adele, Scars on 45 and Many Other Artists
· Wikileaks Awarded Walkley Award for Most Outstanding Contribution to Journalism
· Faith Matters – Rev. Joanne McFadden Teaches Changing Your Life by Changing Your Thoughts

Sports
· ‘Heading’ a Soccer Ball Could Lead to Brain Injury

State News
· Capital District Session on Transportation Planning Mohawk-Erie Corridor Topic on Thursday, Dec. 1

Health & Medical News
· New Study Supports Mammography Screening at 40

National News
· One-third of Americans Support the Tea Party and Two in Five Support Occupy Wall Street
· Senate Okays Leahy-Graham Legislation to Give the National Guard a Seat on the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Elevating the Guard’s Role in Pentagon Decision Making
· Glenn Greenwald: Is Obama Fulfilling the Neocon Dream of Mass Regime Change in Muslim World?

International News
· NATO Kills 24 Pakistani Troops in 2-Hour Assault on Pakistani Base, Tensions Flare in Region

Latino News
· $30,000 for Master’s Degree Expenses for Latinos Through The Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation

Footnotes from an Unwritten Memoir
· To ______

Comics
· The Early Worm Gets the Bird (Warning – Somewhat Vulgar)
Music
· Researchers Use CT to Recreate Stradivarius Violin
· From The Sky Down – To be Released on Blu-ray and DVD

This Week’s Highlights

Daniel Weaver — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 11:43:26 +0000

Below are some of the more important news, essays and opinion pieces from this past week in the Mohawk Valley Independent that we would like to highlight in case you missed them.

81 Year Old Delmar Man Arrested at Occupy Albany Protest This Morning Reveals Another Face of the Occupy Movement by Dan Weaver.

New York State Appellate Division Rules Use of GPS Device Without A Warrant to Track State Employee was Reasonable by Dan Weaver.

Opinion – Tough Questions Need to be Asked Before Allowing Interfaith Partnership to Open Homeless Shelter in Amsterdam by Jean Leonard.

God Speaks – a Brief Homily to Begin (and end) Thanksgiving Week by Jay Towne.

Kindle This – On Collecting Ephemera – Old Paper Items Are a Valuable Source of History and Are Very Collectible by Dan Weaver.

1991 The Year the Melting Pot Boiled Over in Amsterdam by Dan Weaver.

Also new entries in the micro-stories column, Footnotes from an Unwritten Memoir.

And while it appeared in today’s Sunday Gazette, not here, Town of Florida resident, L. D. Davidson, who also contributes to the Mohawk Valley Independent, had a powerful op-ed essay, Libraries should be home to books, learning — not computer games. You have to have a subscription to the Gazette to read it. If not, it’s worth going out and buying a copy just to read it.

Here are the first two paragraphs to whet your appetite.

“The recent removal of the director of the Amsterdam Public Library is an impetus to review some very questionable leadership policies at public libraries throughout the region. Someday people may look back and wonder what kind of people were making decisions about library policy.”

“As it is, the public library system in the United States represents a major achievement of enlightened philanthropy. In many communities, libraries are the most visible pillars of community life. They have enriched the lives of several generations.”

Today’s Stories at www.mohawkvalleyindependent.com

Daniel Weaver — Fri, 25 Nov 2011 12:54:25 +0000

10% off sale today and tomorrow at the Book Hound.

Read all these stories here.

Front Page
· Deck the Doors at Amsterdam City Hall A Celebration of Wreaths and Silent Auction to benefit Old Fort Johnson National Historic Landmark Tomorrow and Sunday
· New York State Appellate Division Rules Use of GPS Device Without A Warrant to Track State Employee was Reasonable
· “A Moment in the Sun”: An Extended Interview with Schenectady Native & Independent Filmmaker, Author John Sayles
· U.S. Senate to Vote Monday on Defense Bill with Wide Ranging Civil Liberty Implications

Tough Questions Need to be Asked About Amsterdam’s Proposed Homeless Shelter, GASD Contracts Posted Online & More

Daniel Weaver — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 12:49:10 +0000

Sign Up to Receive News Via Email Before this Blog Self-Destructs

I finally have everything set up correctly so that you can receive an email once a day containing links to what’s new on www.mohawkvalleyindependent.com. Since this blog will self-destruct in a few weeks, it might be a good idea to sign up for the daily email. You can sign up by clicking on the News Via Email menu near the top right on the front page of the website, and filling out the form.

The information will not be sold, exchanged, given away or even used by me for any other purpose except to send out a daily email containing the days news. You can unsubscribe at anytime. Also if you would rather not put in your own phone number, feel free to use my bookstore phone number instead, which you can find here.

Please make sure you type in your email address correctly. I already have one subscriber who is not getting her emails because it was apparently typed in wrong.

Here are today’s and yesterday’s stories.

Click here to read them.

· Editorial – Small Business Saturday is not a Grassroots Replacement for Black Friday but a Corporate Takeover Attempt of Shop Local Movement by American Express
· Opinion – Tough Questions Need to be Asked Before Allowing Interfaith Partnership to Open Homeless Shelter in Amsterdam
· Unemployment Rate Dropping in Most of the Area
· See Through New York Posts 360 New School Teacher and Superintendent Contracts Including GASD
· Amsterdam’s Blogging Community Continues to Grow (Updated)
· Amsterdam’s Blogfather Keeps on Blogging

81 Year Old Delmar Man Arrested at Occupy Albany Protest This Morning Reveals Another Face of the Occupy Movement & More

Daniel Weaver — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 15:18:50 +0000

· 81 Year Old Delmar Man Arrested at Occupy Albany Protest This Morning Reveals Another Face of the Occupy Movement
· Consumer Reports Unveils 2011 Naughty & Nice Holiday List
· New York State Leads Nation in Income Disparity – Groups Urge Renewal of Millionaire’s Tax

Read the above stories here.

Music
· The Recording Academy® Announces 2012 GRAMMY Hall Of Fame® Inductees can be read here.

1991 The Year the Melting Pot Boiled Over in Amsterdam & more

Daniel Weaver — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 13:47:49 +0000

· Photo of the Week
· 1991 The Year the Melting Pot Boiled Over in Amsterdam

Read these stories here.

· A Grand Review of the Army of the Potomac on Nov. 20, 1861 Left One New Yorker in the Mud and Another Inspired
· French Battlefield Dedicates Memorial to Troy-Based 42nd Infantry Division Soldiers Statue Recalls Sacrifice of Rainbow Division Troops in WWI

Read these stories here.

Check out our state, national and international news also.

When the South Side of Amsterdam had its own Newspaper and More

Daniel Weaver — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 12:26:02 +0000

Read all the following stories here.

· South Side of Amsterdam Once Had Its Own Newspaper
· Deck the Doors at Amsterdam City Hall A Celebration of Wreaths and Silent Auction to benefit Old Fort Johnson National Historic Landmark Saturday & Sunday, November 26 & 27 2011
· At Littauer a Lullaby Announces a New Bundle of Joy Hospital Plays 20 Seconds of Brahms’ Lullaby Each Time a Baby Is Born
· NY State Canal System Re-opens Temporarily Beginning November 20 Open from Oswego to Waterford to Allow Stranded Boats to Reach Destinations
· Police Crackdowns on Occupy Protests from Oakland to New York Herald the “New Military Urbanism”

Chiara Wins – Analyzing the Elections & More

Daniel Weaver — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 13:16:52 +0000

Here are just some of the articles posted on the Mohawk Valley Independent website over the past two days.

Front Page
· Mohawk Valley Regional Economic Development Council Report Released – Two Projects Planned for Town of Florida in Montgomery County
· Opinion – 2011 Local Elections in Review
· Michael Chiara Wins 5th Ward Supervisor Post in Write-In Campaign in the City of Amsterdam.
· Inside Occupy Wall Street Raid: Eyewitnesses Describe Arrests, Beatings as Police Dismantle Camp
· Amsterdam’s Common Council to Consider Several Resolutions Tonight
· Editorial – David Soares Above the Average New York State D.A.
· Police are Raiding Occupy Wall Street
· Verizon Launches ‘Cine Nostalgia,’ a Top Movie Channel for U.S. Hispanics

You can read the above articles here.

All History is Local
· 69th New York State Militia Becomes the “Fighting 69th” and Goes To War on Nov. 18, 1861 can be read here.

Footnotes from an Unwritten Memoir
· “‘Tis a Memory to be Hoarded” can be read here.

Route 5S Re-opened and more at www.mohawkvalleyindependent.com

Daniel Weaver — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 14:15:41 +0000

Footnotes from an Unwritten Memoir by Daniel T. Weaver
· “‘Tis a Memory to be Hoarded” can be read here.

Photo Gallery of Re-opened Route 5S can be viewed here.

Front Page News can be read here

· Route 5S Open Again
· Amsterdam Free Library to Hold Book Sale
· Amsterdam Native Jim LaBate Publishes His Fifth Book

More articles and stories will be posted later.

Honoring Veterans of War and Peace & more stories

Daniel Weaver — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 14:28:14 +0000

You can read all these stories here.

Footnotes from an Unwritten Memoir
· Honoring Veterans of War and Peace
· A Little Light in the Darkness

Front Page
· Editorial – Count Every Vote and Make Sure Every Vote Counts in Amsterdam’s Fifth Ward
· New Tally Increases Thane’s Lead in Amsterdam Mayoral Race, Puts Wierzbicki Ahead by One Vote

Latino News
· Latino Voters Help Dethrone Anti-Immigrant Champion in Historic Arizona State Senate Recall Election

Photos from last night

Daniel Weaver — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 13:34:52 +0000

Click here to see photos from last night at the Democratic party at Main Street Billiards in Amsterdam.

Four More Years for Ann Thane & Other Stories

Daniel Weaver — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 12:39:38 +0000

The following stories can be read here.

· Thom Georgia Philosophical About Defeat – Diane Hatzenbuhler Through with Politics
· Amsterdam’s Controller & Fifth Ward Supervisor Races Very Close
· Unless Absentee Ballots Say Otherwise, Ann Thane is Mayor of Amsterdam for Another Four Years

Mike Chiara, Write-in Candidates and more at www.mohawkvalleyindependent.com

Daniel Weaver — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 11:22:31 +0000

Click here to read these stories and more.

· Editorial – Take Write-in Candidates Seriously Especially Amsterdam’s Fifth Ward Supervisor Candidate Mike Chiara
· Write-in Candidates Face Uphill Battle but Can Win
· Two Area Organizations Receive Gifts to Help with Flood Relief

National News
· 10,000 Surround White House to Protest Keystone XL Tar Sands Oil Pipeline

International News
· U.S. Drone Kills 16-Year-Old Pakistani Boy Days After He Attends Anti-Drone Organizing Meeting
Opinion – Valley Voices
· Opinion – Wall Street Protesters Need Clear Goals

GASD Salaries, Campaign Finance Reports & More at www.mohawkvalleyindependent.com

Daniel Weaver — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 11:58:52 +0000

You can find all of these stories here.

· Campaign Finance Reports Allow Voters to Look at Candidates’ Donations and Spending
· Editorial – An editorial on an editorial
· Nearly 50% of Greater Amsterdam School District Employees Earn More Than $50,000 a Year
· Teachers’ salaries in Mohawk Valley lowest in NYS according to recently released data

Opinion – Valley Voices
· Opinion – Wall Street Protesters Need Clear Goals