"Rensselaer County’s Hudson River"

Kathy Sheehan, Rensselaer County Historian, will explore the history of the towns and cities that border the Hudson River from Schodack to Schaghticoke using historic maps, photographs, letters etc. from the Rensselaer County Historical Society archives.

October 18, Sunday, 2 PM, Rensselaer City Hall, 62 Washington Street.

Rensselaer City Candidates 2009

Mayor:

Daniel J. Dwyer (D), Incumbent
Edward S. Kosinski (R, I, C)

President of Common Council:

Harry Adalian (D): Web; Facebook; Twitter
Gloria Fonda (R, I, C)

City Clerk:

Maureen G. Nardacci (D, I), Incumbent
Ashlee E. Giacalone (R, C)

City Treasurer:

Susan L. Lupian (D) , Incumbent
Claude P. Manna, Jr (R, I, C)

Alderpersons:
Ward 1:

Marion L. Webber (D)
Dawn M. Gillan (R, I, C)

Ward 2:

James D. VanVorst, Jr (D, I)
Albertine M. Felts (R, C), Incumbent

Ward 3:

Philip J. Elacqua (D)
William J. Lithgow (R, I, C), Incumbent

Ward 4:

Gretchen A. Euvrard (D)
David M. Gardner (R, I, C )

Ward 5:

Dominick M. Tagliento, Jr (D), Incumbent
Bernard Maskell, Jr. (R, I, C )

Ward 6:

Brian J. Stall (D, R, I, C ), Incumbent

Ward 7:

James F. Casey, Jr (D)
Frank J. McClellan (R, I, C)

Ward 8:

Richard J. Mooney (D, I), Incumbent
K D MacDonald, Jr. (R, C)

Ward 9:

Margaret M. VanDyke (D)
Dennis R. Walters, Jr. (R, I, C)

Rensselaer County Legislator, District 6 (City of Rensselaer)

John M. Mooney (D, W)
Michael E. Stammel (R, I, C), Incumbent

If you see any mistakes above, or if you are a candidate with a web page, blog, Facebook page, LinkedIn profile or professional biography that you want linked to your name, please e-mail bathonhudson@gmail.com.

There's a Ward Map in the City Clerk's office, or find your Ward at NYS Polling Place Lookup (they call it "Election District").

Attend the League of Women Voters Candidates' Debate at the Rensselaer High School Auditorium, Thur., Oct. 22nd, 7-9p.m if you have questions or comments for the candidates.

October 9, 1909 - Life on Mars

100 Years Ago: From The Rensselaer Eagle [NY 41 Rensselaer 93-32173].

No Life On Mars?

The nearness of the planet Mars to the earth has again made acute the question of whether or not it is inhabited. The most staggering blow to the theories of life on Mars is the report of the Lick observatory that no water vapor exists in the Martian atmosphere. Professor Percival Lowell, who is the most prominent advocate of the life on Mars theory, had already stated that he found evidences of both water vapor and oxygen. To test the matter definitely the Lick observatory astronomers placed their instruments on the top of Mount Whitney, which is not only one of the highest peaks on the continent, but has the added advantage of an exceedingly dry atmosphere. Thus the amount of water vapor in our own atmosphere was reduced to the lowest possible point. Comparative spectroscopic observations were made of Mars and the moon. The results, according to the Lick scientists, showed practically the same results from both bodies. As the moon is admitted to be without water vapor, this would seem to settle the question.

Even admitting the correctness of their findings, however, the question is not entirely decided. The so called Martian canals, with their waxing and waning lines, supposed to be due to the annual growth and disappearance of vegetation, have yet to be explained. As in the case of the polar controversy, science will not render her verdict until the evidence is all in.

The "polar controversy" referred to whether Frederick Cook or Robert Peary first reached the geographic North Pole. In 1910, Peary said Cook faked it in 1908 - Peary probably got within 5 miles in 1909. ("The North Pole: its discovery in 1909 under the auspices of the Peary Arctic Club".) Ken Burns' "National Parks" mentioned Cook's 1906 false claim of reaching the top of Mt. McKinley (video: "Denali: The First Climbers").

The Victorians believed Mars was inhabited (see A Mars Timeline - an Italian astronomer observed "channels" in the 1870's - mistranslated as "canals", this suggested deliberate construction). Mars was still a hot topic in the early 1900's, when astronomer Percival Lowell addressed the issues of "Mars and its Canals" and "Mars as the Abode of Life". Read more about the Lick Observatory's 1909 Mars observations at "To Climb the Highest Mountain" (History of Astronomy, V.20, NO.2/61/JUN, P. 77, 1989).

In the popular culture, H.G. Wells had serialized "The War of the Worlds" in 1898. "Edison's Conquest of Mars" by Garrett P. Serviss was also from 1898. Fiction in 1909 included "Zarlah the Martian" by R. Norman Grisewood and "Mirrikh: or, A woman from Mars" by Francis Worcester Doughty.

One hundred years later, we're still unraveling the mysteries of Mars and the Moon, observing deposits of ice on Mars (New York Times, 9/28/2009: Red Planet May Be Better Known as the Wet One) and crashing a probe on the moon (Science Daily: Rocket Smash Could Find Moon’s Water Ice, Expert Says).

Flu Shot Clinics

Click here for a Flu Clinic Locator (seasonal flu shots only) from the American Lung Association. (I linked to a search for 3 miles from 12144, but you can redo the search.)