RIP Len Morgenbesser

http://www.timesunion.com/local/article/Leonard-Morgenbesser-Albany-gun-violence-4383184.php

Len was an active member of the
Buckingham Pond/Crestwood
Association for many years. Most
recently serving as Vice-President.

Most notably, Len joined myself
Mary Rahmati and Peter Sheehan
Chair, Hudson-Mohawk Group of
the Sierra Club, in blocking
construction of a 12 story apartment
tower and parking garage on
Krum Kill Rd opposite
Ohav Shalom Senior apartments.

http://metroland.net/back_issues/vol_26_no36/newsfront.html


Len was an asset to his neighborhood
and the City of Albany.

                                  Joe Sullivan

SPRING RAIN

A blessing from God. A good
soaking rain to wash away the
grime from excessive dumping
of road salt.

The Red Maple seedling in
front of the house appears to
have survived the road salt.

I mulched leaves around the
base of the tree and placed
some plastic curbside to reduce
salt absorption. Also, a barrier
to shelter the little tree's buds
from salt spray of passing
vehicles.

Today's drenching rain will
flush salt from the soil so
the tree roots can absorb
water and nutrients from the
soil.

Need to incorporate some
gypsum, epson salts, egg
shells (magnesium and
calcium ) as well as clean
mulch in the soil around the
tree.

Planted spuds, parsnips, beets
peas, turnips, chard yesterday
before the rain arrived last night.

Oats beginning to sprout, along
with garlic and rhubarb.

Today, placed lack and white
newsprint between the spud
hills to keep down weeds and
to stimulate soil organism
activity.

Maybe, tomorrow I will cover
the spud beds with straw.

Frost planted spinach two
weeks ago.

                         Joe Sullivan

OF SALT, CARS, TRUCKS

Cars and trucks are becoming too
expensive for many Americans to
own, maintain and buy replacement
vehicles.

Read:
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/cars-increasingly-reach-many-americans-145957880.html

Road salt rusts your vehicles, including
brake lines and  rots your tires.

So. When are you going to wise up
and demand that local and state
governments abandon destructive
exessive road salt dumping?

There are alternatives. Sand. Slow
down in bad weather.

Otherwise, you may, one day
be among the growing ranks of
Americans who can no longer
afford car/truck ownership.

If you live in the city, you might
not care. For those who live in
suburban and rural places, the
level of concern will be greater.

                       Joe Sullivan

MINIMIZE ROAD SALT
DAMAGE TO STREET TREES

Look around Albany residential
neighborhoods. Observe street
trees damaged by road salt.

Read:

http://www.extension.umn.edu/distribution/naturalresources/dd1413.html


Best option is to have the cash
strapped city  stop excessive
expensive salting.

Meanwhile, homeowners should
incorporate organic matter and
gypsum into upper half foot of soil
around trees, within the drip lines.
Thoroughly water/flush the soil
to reduce salt accumulations and
thereby permit plant roots to absorb
nutrients and water from the soil.

Select and plant salt tolerant
young replacement trees.
Establish them before older
trees die and are removed.

Salt spray from passing vehicles
damages/kills buds of deciduous
trees/plants as well as needles of
conifers.

When the excessive road salt
drys and become airborne, salt
laden winds sandblast our home
exteriors requiring more frequent
painting/repairs.

The resultant air pollution is a
health risk to all who breathe
the air in urban places, especially
like Albany which sits on a
former glacial lake bed, surrounded
by highlands.

Take a ride to the Thacher Park
overlook and see if you can
detect Albany beneath the smog
of salt laden air in March and April.

The State Office Campus is a
dumping ground for excessive
amounts of road salt every winter.

The same is true of shopping center
parking lots like Colonie Center
and Crossgates, as well as
supermarket parking lots everywhere.



                    Joe Sullivan