Increasingly formalized pet-adoption policies have made it more difficult to obtain animals from shelters, but shelter workers say it’s all for the good of the animal (Metroland – Jan. 15, 2004) Cydney Cross probably finds more unexpected gifts on her doorstep than anyone you know. Unfortunately, these frequent surprises are rarely a cause for celebration. [...]

An attempt to reinstate the death penalty comes under fire in the Assembly (Metroland – January 27, 2005) It was a matter of life and death—and justice—this week in Albany, as the state Assembly held a public hearing to discuss the future of the death penalty in New York. The state’s 1995 capital punishment statute [...]

The U.S. Army invaded Albany last weekend, but critics contend that the military had orders to recruit, not to educate (Metroland – September 30, 2004) Acid-rock and synthetic fog filled the Pepsi Arena Friday morning as green lights swept the floor and video screens taller than most homes flashed grainy images of helicopters unloading human [...]

Popular abstinence-only curricula teach schoolchildren falsehoods and stereotypes (Metroland – December 09, 2004) When they learn about the birds and the bees at school, children might be avoiding more than just an uncomfortable conversation with their parents. According to a recently released report on nationwide reproductive-health curricula, they might be avoiding the truth. “Abstinence-only education, [...]

An Albany Common Council resolution to create a gun-violence task force nears its one-year birthday, and remains unfulfilled (Metroland – December 09, 2004) Clippings of carjackings and armed robberies, stories about shootings and home invasions—this is the stuff of Leonard Morgenbesser’s collection. And unlike most collectors, he looks forward to the day when his subject [...]

The performance and proliferation of charter schools stirs passions in Albany and Schenectady (Metroland – December 16, 2004) It was an educational week here in the Capital Region, but not all of the lessons learned were the sort you want your kids to absorb. On Monday, representatives from various state and local governments joined with [...]

The fitness industry is booming, but are clubs maximizing their revenue at the expense of consumers’ rights? (Metroland – August 5, 2004) In July 2001, Jill Doris thought she had found the perfect fitness center. It was fairly new, local, and with relatively low monthly fees. Most important was that the club had all of [...]

Despite a new report saying everything’s rosy, examples show there are no guarantees an Albany convention center will succeed (Metroland – June 10, 2004) Is a new convention center in Albany’s future? A recent announcement by Mayor Jerry Jennings would seem to indicate that it’s a sure thing, but questions still surround the proposal. The [...]

State Legislature passes amended version of convention-center bill (Metroland – July 1, 2004) A number of bills found their way out of the New York State Legislature last week in the annual flurry of activity preceding lawmakers’ departure. Included among the last-minute legislation is a bill that would create the Albany Convention Center Authority—bringing the [...]

Cable contracts are up for renewal around the region, and one community—Albany—still lags behind in providing public access (Metroland – July 15, 2004) By most accounts, the pro- cess of negotiating a city’s TV cable contract usually has a David-and-Goliath feel, pitting local governments with little experience in such issues against powerful cable companies with [...]