The Eastwick Press Newspaper

Eastern Rensselaer County's Community Newspaper

Troy

Troy City Councilwoman Guilty of Absentee Ballot Fraud

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The U.S. District Court in Albany announced on Wednesday, May 8, that Troy City Councilwoman Kim Ashe-McPherson has plead guilty to a felony count of submitting fraudulent absentee ballots in last year’s primary and general elections. As part of the plea, she has agreed to resign from the Council within 30 days. She has represented North Troy for seven years.

The plea is part of a federal grand jury investigation into ballot-fraud allegations in Rensselaer County.

Hoosick Falls Connection

Ms. Ashe-McPherson is the brother of former Hoosick Falls Police Chief Robert Ashe, who is also part of the investigation. It was for that reason he was suspended last December and resigned in April, after pleading guilty to separate criminal investigation involving the  appropriate removal of evidence. Mr. Ashe has not yet been charged in the ballot-fraud case.

Play Ball on Troy City Streets

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By a unanimous 7-0 vote, The Troy City Council on Thursday evening, May 19, approved an amendment to what Council President Carmella Mantello referred to as “an archaic law” that said “no person shall play ball in any of the streets of the City.” In her press release, Council President Mantello said after a recent neighborhood issue where a resident who was upset regarding local children playing ball in the street contacted code enforcement, the code enforcement officer mentioned to me he was issuing a citation to the homeowner of the basketball hoop in front of the owner’s home and referred me to this city code. You could only imagine my response. “I was shocked and was unaware of this archaic code,” Mantello added. “We are working so hard to keep our youth active and away from illegal activities, yet we have a local law on the books discouraging our youth from everyday activities like playing ball on our streets. That’s ridiculous.”

Mantello initially proposed a complete repeal of the law but said after conversations with the Troy Police and Corporation Counsel, it was expressed even though rarely used we should add language that says only if a person unduly or unsafely obstructs the free flow of vehicular and pedestrian traffic law enforcement will officials have the option of enforcement.

The legislation now goes to Mayor Patrick Madden who has ten days to sign or veto it.

Improvement Projects Approved

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Submitted by City Council President Carmella R. Mantello
Troy City Council President Carmella Mantello announced the Troy City Council has approved neighborhood improvement projects totaling over $20,000.

The projects are through the City Council Neighborhood Improvement Program (NIP), and initiatives range from gateway beautification projects to neighborhood Veterans Memorials. Funding was made available through the City Council’s annual budget and the Capital Resource Commission.

DWI Victims Memorialized

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Poestenkill Victim Latest Name on the List

by Doug La Rocque
Families of those killed by a drunk driver, County and local officials gathered at the Rensselaer County DWI  Memorial Tuesday, April 26, to remember those whose names are on the memorial wall and to plead with people not to drive while under the influence of alcohol or drugs. District Attorney Mary Pat Donnelly conducted the yearly ceremony reminding all it is important to share our concerns about people’s awareness of the dangers of drunk driving and touched on another topic as well: marijuana. She noted the recent legalization of marijuana has opened a new door for law enforcement with the ramifications of smoking and driving still undefined. Unlike alcohol use, which can be measured with a breathalyzer, there is no such yardstick for marijuana use. She again touched on the awareness factor, pointing to the sign in front of the speaker’s podium that said “If you feel different you drive different.”

Ms. Donnelly remarked about the horrific accident in Poestenkill last Thursday night that took the life of a local man and saw the driver of the second vehicle charged with Driving While Intoxicated. Please see the related story on page 4.

County Executive Steve McLaughlin also read a proclamation marking the annual event, held every year since the memorial was dedicated on September 8 of 2000. The Memorial is located on a strip of land on Congress Street in Troy, opposite Prospect Park, the very site where a popular Troy teenage girl was struck and killed by a drunk driver.

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Cox Guilty of Second Degree Murder of a Child

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Submitted by the Rensselaer County District Attorney’s Office
Following a nearly two-week long trial, a Rensselaer County Court Jury on Wednesday, April 27, convicted 42-year old Kevin Cox on two counts of Murder in the Second Degree and one count of Assault in the First Degree. The charges stem from the February 11, 2020 death of six-year-old Davonte Paul of Lansingburgh. 

District Attorney Mary Pat Donnelly confirmed that according to the evidence, Davonte was found after a 911 call by his mother stating that he had drowned in the bath tub, although no water was found in the child’s lungs.

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Cox Guilty of Second Degree Murder of a Child

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Submitted by the Rensselaer County District Attorney’s Office

Following a nearly two-week long trial, a Rensselaer County Court Jury on Wednesday, April 27, convicted 42-year old Kevin Cox on two counts of Murder in the Second Degree and one count of Assault in the First Degree. The charges stem from the February 11, 2020 death of six-year-old Davonte Paul of Lansingburgh.

District Attorney Mary Pat Donnelly confirmed that according to the evidence, Davonte was found after a 911 call by his mother stating that he had drowned in the bath tub, although no water was found in the child’s lungs.

“As proven at trial, Cox punished the child by forcing him to sit outside on a snow covered deck on a blisteringly cold February night. Cox left Davonte outside for hours which directly caused his death. This was a heartbreaking case and I applaud the jurors who sat through the difficult testimony and viewed evidence of the death of this child,” said District Attorney Mary Pat Donnelly.

Cox will be sentenced on May 18 before County Court Judge Debra Young and faces a maximum sentence of 25 years to life in prison.

The Uncle Sam Parking Garage Will Come Down

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by Doug la Rocque
The Troy Planning Commission is expected to hear plans within the next couple of months to take down the Uncle Sam parking Garage in Troy, located adjacent to the Troy Atrium between Third and Fourth Streets. The garage has been closed for more than a year, when chunks of concrete started falling. Troy City Council President Carmella Mantello tells The Eastwick Press she has requested the Planning Commission ensure that landscaping and trees be planted around the site and that the aftermath of the demolition be kept clean and safe while plans are made to redevelop the former garage location.

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Uncle Sam Parking Garage Coming Down

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A long time stable in Troy, now closed because it has fallen into disrepair , the Uncle Same Parking Garage is slated to be torn down within the next couple of months, according to City Council President Carmella Mantello. Large concrete portions of the structure starting falling down when the garage was used by the NYS Labor Department for parking when they had offices in the Troy Atrium.

Ms. Mantello does not have a problem with the structure being demolished, what concerns her is that it becomes just a large hole in the ground in the middle of the city. The Council President tells The Eastwick Press “I have requested the planning commission (director) ensure landscaping, trees and that the location is clean and safe while they put together their plans to redevelop the site. Also I don’t want it to sit idle and a hole at the gateway of the city and the bond should be the developer present a plan before the planning commission within one year.”

Troy Winter Lighting Festival

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The Arts Center of the Capital Region, the Rensselaer County Regional Chamber of Commerce and the Downtown Troy BID are thrilled to announce Troy Glo, a dazzling new winter lighting festival opening the night of the 40th annual Victorian Stroll. The size and sophistication of the artwork is expected to draw an estimated 25,000 visitors from the Capital Region and beyond over the course of a month. Creative development for Troy Glo will be managed by The Arts Center of the Capital Region.

The Arts Center is seeking artists to design temporary public light art installations at various locations in Downtown Troy. With creative and artistic support from an experienced artist and curator, a team of five artists will be commissioned to design a series of temporary light art pieces throughout the Downtown shopping and dining district.

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HVCC No Cost Summer Courses for HS Students 

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Submitted by Hudson Valley Community College

Hudson Valley Community College (HVCC) will offer more than 50 college-level courses for rising high school juniors and seniors this summer with an added incentive: tuition and fees will be completely funded through a college scholarship, and textbooks will be provided at no cost for students. The scholarship offer covers up to eight credits.

The same incentive was offered last year, and nearly 1,000 students from around the Capital Region took advantage of the opportunity.

“We want to do everything in our power to make our summer College in the High School courses even more accessible,” said President Roger Ramsammy. “By offering a full scholarship on tuition and providing open educational resources or free textbooks, we are offering an incredible opportunity for students to get a jump start on their college career while still in high school.”

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