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The
Year In Pictures 2009
Notorious
(clockwise
from top left) Former state Senate Majority Leader Joe Bruno
was driven away from the federal courthouse in downtown Albany
after answering to the eight-count indictment that would eventually
lead to his conviction; state Sen. Pedro Espada pushed his
way through a throng of reporters outside the Capitol at the
height of the coup insanity that crippled the Senate; Sen.
Bruno’s former “constituent liaison” to Rensselaer County,
“Three-Job” Bob Mirch, took a break from running Troy’s Department
of Public Works (but not from campaigning for Michael “Pickles”
Picarello) to have a smoke.
(clockwise)
Photo:
Martin Benjamin
Photo:
Alicia Solsman
Photo:
Joe Putrock
Politicians
(clockwise
from top left) President Barack Obama stopped by Hudson Valley
Community College in Troy; first-term Albany Common Councilman
Corey Ellis took a shot in the Democratic primaries at unseating
16-year incumbent Mayor Jerry Jennings and fell short; Albany
Common Council President Shawn Morris announced that she would
run for Albany mayor only to drop out of the race months later;
and after a messy and much-criticized process, ex-Rep. Kirsten
Gillibrand was tapped by Gov. David Paterson to replace Hillary
Clinton as U.S. Senator from New York.
(clockwise)
Photo:
Joe Putrock
Photo: Martin Benjamin
Photo: Chet Hardin
Photo: Joe Putrock
Protests
(clockwise
from top left) Albany bicyclists pored over proposals for
a new bicycle master plan that they had hoped to see implemented;
the Free Marijuana movement rallied its forces on the steps
of the Capitol; People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals
staged a protest to draw attention to the repulsive living
conditions of milk cows; and Elyse Kunz and Elyse Griffin
fought for cleaner air by targeting one of the state’s biggest
polluters, Lafarge Cement in Ravena.
(clockwise)
Photo:
Alicia Solsman
Photo: Josh Potter
Photo: Chet Hardin
Photo: Alicia Solsman
Media
(clockwise
from top left) It was a hard time for newspapers, but Times
Union editor Rex Smith put on a brave face; WGDJ’s Paul
Vandenburgh brought us talk radio with a distinctly local
focus from his Times Union Center studios; Susan Arbetter
began a weekday radio show from the state Capitol for Syracuse
NPR affiliate WCNY (heard locally on WROW); Greg Dahlman and
Mary Darcy made All Over Albany the happy Internet place to
be.
(clockwise)
Photo:
Alicia Solsman
Photo: Alicia Solsman
Photo: John Whipple
Photo: Alicia Solsman
Personalities
(clockwise
from top left) The Dalai Lama paid a controversial visit to
Albany, during which he found a few moments to shed enlightenment
on the soon-to-be-embattled New York State Senate Majority
Leader Malcolm Smith; Sex columnist extraordinaire Dan Savage
headlined Sexuality Week at the University at Albany; the
Hellions of Troy were part of roller derby’s growing sisterhood
on skates; powerhouse thoroughbred Rachel Alexandra became
the first filly to win Saratoga Race Course’s famed Woodward
Stakes.
(clockwise)
Photo:
Chris Shields
Photo: Alicia Solsman
Photo: Martin Benjamin
Photo: Joe Putrock
Food
(clockwise
from top left) Chef Ric Orlando surveyed the kitchen of his
successful new Albany restaurant, New World Bistro Bar; Bam
Lynch and Lynn Beaumont announced plans to expand their hole-in-the-wall
hit Cheesecake Machismo; chef Tim Meaney hit the Saratoga
Farmers Market in search of fresh local ingredients for the
Beekman Street Bistro; certified master chef Dale Miller returned
to Albany, opening his elegant restaurant in the Omni Plaza.
(clockwise)
Photo:
B.A. Nilsson
Photo: Joe Putrock
Photo: Martin Benjamin
Photo: B.A. Nilsson
(clockwise
from top left) Members of Goff Middle School’s Garden Club
tended to the lettuce beds of their organic garden; Ashley
Loehr worked in the greenhouse of Germantown Community Farm,
a small farm modeled on the growing trend of community-supported
agriculture; Albany Mayor Jerry Jennings paused on the campaign
trail to sample Stewart’s Shops new All-America City ice cream;
a worker scooped dates at Honest Weight Food Co-op, where
plans for a massive and much-debated expansion are in the
works to keep up with community demand.
(clockwise)
Photo:
Kathryn Geurin
Photo: Josh Potter
Photo: Martin Benjamin
Photo: Alicia Solsman
Arts
(clockwise
from top left) Filmmaker Ang Lee was all smiles at Chatham’s
Crandell Theatre for the local premiere of Taking Woodstock;
photographer Brenda Ann Kenneally fostered a sense of community
with her Troy-based Upstate Girls project; Tony Award-winning
actress Mary Louise Wilson mentored students at Russell Sage
College; and (l-r) “paper girl” Sina Hickey and her confederate
Melanie O’Malley prepared to share free art with the people
of Albany.
(clockwise)
Photo:
Kim Hugo
Photo: John Whipple
Photo: B.A. Nilsson
Photo: Josh Potter
(clockwise
from top left) A historic freight yard was the physical heart
of a community resurgence in Cambridge; Sara Worden created
fascinating eco-art in collaboration with a few obliging red
wrigglers; author Tobias Seamon continued to bring the dark
past of the Hudson River valley to life in his haunted tales;
and Albany essayist Daniel Nester explored the limits of inappropriate
behavior with a comic touch.
(clockwise)
Photo:
Kathryn Geurin
Photo: Leif Zurmuhlen
Photo: Leif Zurmuhlen
Photo: Joe Putrock
Live
(clockwise
from top left) The Hold Steady stayed positive—and sweated
through their rock and roll finery—at Valentine’s; Chrissie
Hynde and the revamped Pretenders proved they’re still for
real at the Palace; also at the Palace, Jennifer Hudson let
us know she’s here to stay; and Tom Jones brought the lead—and
swung it hard.
(clockwise)
Photo:
Martin Benjamin
Photo: Julia Zave
Photo: Joe Putrock
Photo: Martin Benjamin
(clockwise
from top left) Karen O blitzed Northern Lights with the Yeah
Yeah Yeahs; The New(ish?) Kids on the Block reminded SPAC
that the second time really is the best; Posion’s set at SPAC
helped remind us why Bret Michaels ever got his own reality
TV show; and Grizzly Bear proved that those angelic harmonies
work just as well onstage at Skidmore.
(clockwise)
Photo: Martin Benjamin
Photo: Julia Zave
Photo: Joe Putrock
Photo: Joe Putrock
Local
Music All-Stars
(clockwise
from top left) Railbird spread their wings to become our pick
for 2009’s best local band; man-about-town Bryan Thomas performed
at the Local 518 benefit at the Exit Dome; the opening of
Casperland in Troy introduced the region to circuit bender
Peter Edwards and artist Kate Sweater; singer-songwriter-survivalist
Sean Rowe went foraging and came back with Magic.
(clockwise)
Photo:
Leif Zurmuhlen
Photo: Martin Benjamin
Photo: Joe Putrock
Photo: Leif Zurmuhlen
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