Highly Dense Housing Proposed for New Rochelle's Downtown by Peggy Godfrey

Russell Albanese, chairman of the Albanese company, and George Andrus presented their vision for a highly dense housing development in New Rochelle. An initial set of apartments along with a five deck parking garage would be build on a downtown city parking lot in the southern section of the City. Eventually these buildings could be followed by another seven story garage at the present Church-Division site along with an 23-24 story apartment building with 550 housing units. The project would be developed in several phases.

Where is the Open Government?

Suzi Oppenheimer's office released an announcement earlier today that she will not seek re-election. The Albany Times-Union is speculating that George Latimer or Amy Paulin may seek the Democratic nomination.

Official Statement:

State Senator Suzi Oppenheimer (D-Mamaroneck) announced today that she will not seek re-election this November. The Senator made her decision upon recently learning that she will have to undergo major shoulder replacement surgery in 2012.

Said Oppenheimer:

One of the hot issues being debated in Congress is the Stop Online Privacy Act or SOPA (a similar bill in the U.S. Senate is called Protect IP Act).  The internet world is waging a fierce battle against it, and I am pleased to see the opposition.

It is my view that SOPA is deeply flawed and being rushed through Congress without the proper due diligence of a substantive review.  I believe it creates a prior restraint of free speech on the internet and grants way too much power to the federal government to regulate speech and commercial activity, while eliminating rule of law safeguards to those regulated and sanctioned by the law.  I strongly urge opposition to this law as currently drafted.

I don’t deny that internet piracy is a real problem, but this law is a massively overbroad remedy to the problem.  Unfortunately, it appears to be moving quickly through both houses of Congress since it is backed by the massive money and power of the media corporate world.  The U.S. Senate vote is currently scheduled for January 24.

December 22, 2011

The Honorable Andrew M. Cuomo
Governor of New York State
NYS State Capitol Building
Albany, NY 12224

RE: Tax-Cap

Honorable Governor Cuomo,

I contact you as 56-year old New Rochellian who had to move from my city of birth due to high taxes. I am now faced with the task of maintaining our New Rochelle family home in hopes of keeping my 80-year-old mother-in-law, who suffers from dementia, in familiar surroundings until her time comes.

Philip Sherwell has a profile of Chelsea Clinton in the Sunday Telegraph, a major newspaper in the U.K.: Media-shy Chelsea Clinton explains her new role as television journalist for one of America's biggest networks

Sherwell interviewed me last week for the article based on our report that Democrats in Albany had approached Chelsea about running for Congress.

In a country where political dynasties are commonplace, it has not been lost on some Democrat strategists that there will be no Clinton holding public office for first time in three decades when, as expected, Hillary steps down as secretary of state next year.

Another intriguing scenario has been discussed by some Democrats in New York - that she might be persuaded to run for Congress.