NABA completes tenant parking lot

The Northeastern Association for the Blind of Albany completed their brand-new parking lot on Central Avenue. The parking lot will provide much needed spaces to the non-profit's tenants at their two adjacent properties. The lot also offers a small green space for clients' guide dogs, complete with a picnic table donated by the Girls, Inc. club of Albany.

The new lot was completed in mid-November, and is now in use. For safety and security, the parking lot is fenced with handsome brick and iron; tenants are issued a code to gain entrance. New lightpoles have been added to ensure that the parking lot is well-lit. It's been landscaped as well, to make it more pleasant.

The lot will provide 10 spaces to the University at Albany, NABA's tenants at 299 Washington Avenue, as well as additional spaces for the future tenants at 80 Central Avenue, says Christopher Burke, NABA's Executive Director.

Eighty Central is currently empty, but NABA is in talks with a potential tenant for the old building, says Burke. If terms are agreed upon and met, this tenant would take a good portion of the building's 17,000 square feet, and NABA would use the remainder to expand its children's programming and technology resources, he says. NABA is already pressed for space in its current location at 301 Central, and by collaborating with this potential tenant, they could gain as much as 5,000 additional square feet.

The new tenant will not be named until all the paperwork has been finalized. In the interim, NABA is trying to identify funding to begin to rehab the old building, starting with the historic facade. This process could begin as early as spring, Burke says.

The collaboration with this new tenant is very exciting, Burke says. Building a new parking lot, securing tenants, and restoring an adjacent building for expanded programming is part of an innovative multi-phase approach to building and developing the agency. It's ambitious, but also it's exciting, Burke says. "That will make us permanent," he says.

Veteran's Day Parade 2009

Seems like old times: Original Shalimar Owner Reclaims Landmark Restaurant

Qasim Bhatti just opened Lazeez on November 1, but already, he feels at home. Not surprising, since Bhatti owned and operated Shalimar out of this building for years before deciding to take a break from the restaurant business in 2000. He turned the business over to his brother-in-law, Leo Ashiq, who went on to open two additional locations in Bethelehem and Clifton Park.

This fall, when Ashiq announced plans to close the original Albany Shalimar to focus on his suburban locations, a collective groan went up across the city. Thankfully, the restaurant's original owner swiftly stepped in and filled the gap. In fact, there seemed to be almost no interruption in service, and the only outward sign of the shift was the new restaurant sign on the building.

Bhatti's restaurant Lazeez offers a menu almost identical to Shalimar's, and the dishes are cooked by the same chef and served by many of the same staff members. Customers who have grown accustomed to the comfortable ambience, complete with lantern lights and colorful artwork will be happy to find that the restaurant's interior is exactly the same. Even the buffet is the same--in fact, I wouldn't be surprised if the chafing dishes were in the same order.

"The perception is that it's a new restaurant because of the name, but they come in and they see it's the same or an even better operation," Bhatti says.

In the future, Bhatti would like to update the menu with some new vegetarian options and to offer some new appetizers, but all cooked in the same northern Indian style that his customers have come to so appreciate, he says.

After a nine-year hiatus from the restaurant business, Bhatti says it's a pleasure to be back on Central Avenue. He and his wife started the restaurant in 1992, during a real turning point in the area, and they became intimately involved in the neighborhood and its residents. Bhatti has been gratified to see many of those same customers still coming in. "The local community has supported me over so many years," he says. He hopes that same level of support will continue.

Lazeez is located at 35 Central Avenue, Albany. They offer delivery service. For more information, please call 435-0333 or visit their website at http://www.eatlazeez.com/.

Roadmap for the Future: Albany's Comprehensive Plan Underway

Where are we going? Are we there yet? The City of Albany has engaged a planner and appointed a new board, all with the goal of creating a comprehensive plan for the city. The plan will take a long range view of the city's future, to figure out both where we are, and where we'd like to be in the next 20 years.

Slated for release in 2011, the comprehensive plan will be the first in the city's 400 year history.

Neighborhood Association members across the city are being invited to attend a series of January meetings so that residents can provide their input on the state of the city. At Monday night's West End Neighborhood Association meeting, John O'Grady, president, exhorted members to participate in the meetings. The city needs to hear from its constituents, he explained to the members who met at the West End Presbyterian Church.

The plan is an important document, which promises to have a long-lasting impact on Albany. It will serve as the city's guiding policy document, and "set a common direction for the city," says David Rouse, Principal with Wallace Roberts and Todd, a planning and design firm out of Philadelphia that was hired to consult on the process.

The firm will work with the city's Department of Planning and Development, as well as the city's recently created Comprehensive Planning Board. The 30-member comprehensive planning board is made up of city personnnel, business owners, and civic leaders who were appointed by the city's Common Council in September. According to the city website, the board will provide guidance for the plan and make a recommendation to the council for its adoption.

The process for creating the city's first comprehensive plan promises to be both thorough and thoughtful. "We're under way, and we're looking for the entire process to take between 15 and 18 months," Rouse explained. The comprehensive planning board will host group meetings, hold one on one interviews, and conduct massive surveys, all with the goal of soliciting input from the public. This week, Rouse and his colleagues kicked off the process by holding meetings with city stakeholders, including transportation agencies, neighborhood associations, and business improvement districts. During the meetings, attendees were asked about the city's strengths and challenges.

While it's still early in the process, the meetings have nevertheless revealed a number of concerns, Rouse says. Stakeholders voiced concerns about the high number of tax-exempt properties in the area, the perception problem with the city school district, and safety issues. However the meetings also revealed a long list of city assets, including walkable neighborhoods, a number of vibrant arts institutions, and a wealth of historic architecture.

In January, the city will hold another series of public meetings, this time aimed at city residents. "We want as many people to participate as possible," Rouse says. Residents will be asked what they like about living in the city and what they would like to see improved.

The idea is to capitalize on some of the city's assets and solve some of the problems that have been identified, Rouse says. The plan will serve as a starting point, and could help direct zoning changes, regulatory changes, and transportation infrastructure, he says. It could even make the city more eligible for grant funding: "Generally, if a community has a good plan in place, it puts them in a good position for competitive grants," Rouse says.

The meetings will be held on January 28, 29 and 30. Times and location will be announced soon.

Other meeting notes:

--Janet Parker, community liasion for the Albany Police Department, updated the audience on recent criminal activity in the area. There's been an upsurge in burglaries from cars, which will probably continue to rise as the holiday season approaches, she cautioned. She advised people to park in well-lit areas, don't leave valuables in plain sight, and always lock your car doors and roll up your windows. "I've seen larceny for things like change in a cupholder," she said.

--A public meeting will be held on December 3rd at 6:30pm in the Education Building of the St. Rose College, Carl Touhey Forum to discuss the selection of the new police chief. Residents will be asked to help choose criteria for the selection of this new post.

Legal clinic for small business

Contact: Paul Stewart
Capital District Community Loan Fund
518/436-8586 tel
For Immediate Release
November 16, 2009

Free Legal Clinic for Entrepreneurs

The Capital District Community Loan Fund and the Legal Project of the Women’s Bar Association are sponsoring a legal clinic for small business and micro enterprise owners on Thursday, December 3rd at the Legal Project Office, at Stuyvesant Plaza in Albany.

Volunteer attorneys with expertise in business-related matters will provide individual and confidential consultations on specific questions about: the various forms of business ownership and legal structure; purchasing an existing business; trademarks & copy rights; contracts; and permit and zoning issues for example.

Space is limited. Participants must sign up for an appointment by calling the Legal Project at 435-1770. Priority is given to women, minorities and low income people starting or owning their own business. The meeting place is handicap accessible and there is free parking.

This clinic is one part of the Capital District Community Loan Fund’s efforts to provide accessible, affordable and relevant training and capital to businesses that have traditionally been denied access to services. The Community Loan Fund is a non-profit community development financial institution founded in 1985.

The Legal Clinic of the Women’s Bar Association is offering this clinic as part of their Small Business Legal Network and with financial support from the New York State Bar Foundation.

Mayor's Drop Off Event a Success in spite of rain

With the support of the Lodges, Central BID, Hannaford Supermarkets, Nigro Real Estate, Stewarts, and Hoffmans Car Wash, Mayor Jerry Jennings held his annual Drop Off Event on October 24. The event held at Hannaford Plaza to gather winter gear for Albany's underprivileged kids, and even rainy weather couldn't dampen the spirit of giving. Tents were erected to protect volunteers, and as the day went on, the coats and winterwear kept piling up.

The Mayor will distribute the proceeds at five area schools on November 16, said Bob Van Amburgh, Executive Assistant to the Mayor.

"Girls Need a Place": Girls, Inc. holds annual lunch

The vision for Girls Incorporated is simple. It was founded in 1957, when three girls were prohibited from joining the city Boys Club. The girls took action, and went to the then-mayor Erastus Corning to ask for help. Fifty-two years later, at the foundation's annual luncheon, Gail Wilson-Giarratano, President and CEO of Girls Inc. recalled the important message the girls carried to the mayor so long ago: "'Us girls, we need a place,'" she said, her voice filling the ballroom crowded with Girls Inc. members and alumnae.

Mayor Corning agreed with the young women, and he established Girls Incorporated, which has been offering fun, educational programming for young women ever since.

The message those "three girls in action" carried to Mayor Corning is as true now as it was then, Wilson-Giarratano explained at Thursday's Girls in Action Fundraising luncheon. In today's stress-filled world, where there is more pressure on girls than ever to become prettier, skinnier, and stronger, they need a safe haven where they can escape from that pressure, and figure out what they want, she said.

To that end, Girls Inc. offers educational programs in media literacy, financial literacy, sports and adventure, health and wellness, as well as homework help. Perhaps most importantly, the clubs offers a safe space for girls to meet with other girls and simply be themselves, she said.

Thursday, one young woman after another took the stage at the Century House and spoke of the important role Girls Inc. played in their lives.

Lisa Simmons, a former police officer and is now a Crime Prevention Specialist at Union College, who was a member of the club in the 1970s spoke about how important it was to have that consistency in her life. "I was a girl who needed a place," she told the room. Marsé Pulley, who just graduated from high school and is just about to embark on her training as a nurse, agreed. For her, Girls Inc. was "a stepping stone to overcoming adversity," Pulley said.

Girls Inc. has two locations, one in Albany and one in Schenectady. These clubs offer vital afterschool programming, as well as workshops and summer camp, but they need financial contributions in order to continue their mission, explained Felix Neals, member of the Board of Directors. Luncheon attendees were encouraged to make a donation using pledge cards distributed at the tables. Neals explained that "there's no right or wrong amount of giving," and that even small amounts help connect girls with services.

People can also help by giving their time, explained Penny Page, Vice President for Development. People can donate their time and skills to the Cornerstone Group, a committee that helps with fundraising, she said. The luncheon program also listed a number of supplies needed by the club in the form of a "wish list." Their wish list includes everything from modeling clay to photo paper, white T-shirts, computer mouses and journals, all of which would be used for programming.

Girls Inc. is located at 25 Western Avenue, Albany. (518) 436-0034. For more information about Girls Inc. of the Capital Region and how you can get involved, please visit their website: http://www.girlsinccapitalregion.org/

Girls Inc. Wish List

modeling clay
plaster of paris
beads and string
markers
colored
paper
scissors
pipe cleaners
tissue paper
styrofoam balls
glue
badge kits
photo paper
organizing bins
easel boards
white boards
new volleyball net
exercise flooring
mesh sports
bags
10 compound light microscopes
soldering iron
12 scientific
calculators
bunsen burners
beakers
hot plates
graduated
cylinders
K-nex building kits
leaf blower
breast exam model
various woods for woodworking
t-squares
hand push drills
disposable cameras
writing tablets
2 electric CD players
headsets
journals
sand table/water table
lights for growing
plants
computer mouses
turtle filter
blenders
apple corer
First Aid kit supplies