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Page 18 January 2, 2008 Spotlight Newspapers
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steel mill with Brizzell’s father. It
would lead her to pursue degrees
in sociology, hoping one day to become
a social worker.
“That’s how I got started out in
life as a volunteer in the North Colonie
School system. That’s how I
got involved with the community,”
said Brizzell.
Brizzell quickly fell into a juggling
act of volunteerism, serving
in a political offi ce and working at
Brizzell’s Flowers, the retail shop
she ran with her husband. Two
years ago, the shop was sold, along
with a portion of the Brizzell family
farm, and this week she left her
post as supervisor, but she will always
continue her volunteer work.
And maybe some retail as well.
She said some of the best moments
of her career involved her
work on planning initiatives such
as helping to protect the Albany
Pine Bush Preserve and the
town’s 10-mile stretch of Mohawk
River waterfront. She recently received
awards for her involvement
with both.
In 1971, Brizzell vicariously
entered town politics through
her husband, Bill, who sat on the
town’s planning board. In 1983,
she took a seat on the zoning
board of appeals. In less than a
year she made her way onto the
town board. Ten years later, Fields
asked her to follow in his footsteps
as supervisor.
She remembers his parting
sentiment: “It’s more leading by
example than by rhetoric.”
She ran unopposed and won
the seat in 1995.
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Outgoing Colonie Supervisor Mary
Brizzell.
Graham S. Parker/Spotlight
This November, longtime Republican
rule in the town came to
an end with a strong Democratic
showing at the polls. Brizzell’s
seat, as well as three vacancies
on the town board, were fi lled
Jan. 1 with the town’s fi rst Democrats
since Supervisor William E.
Lothridge was in offi ce from 1928
to 1931. It is the fi rst Democratic
majority in the town since its formation
in 1895.
“There was nothing sexy about
this election. No one showed up to
vote,” said Brizzell.
Republicans are still licking
their wounds following the defeat.
Brizzell said she has a good idea of
what happened.
“The Rod and Gun Club, the
defi cit and change for the sake of
change,” she said.
Leading up to elections, public
outcry was nearly deafening when
the town came under fi re for using
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public money and employees to
grade and pave the parking lot of
the privately owned West Albany
Rod and Gun Club. Town offi cials
defended the action as a benefi t to
the public. The same offi cials who
came to the town’s defense, for the
most part, were the ones voted out
in November.
That incident, coupled with a
more than fi ve-year $8.5 million
defi cit in the town, was the last
straw for many voters.
Brizzell said she hopes the party
shift will serve the best interests
of the town.
In her last board meeting Thursday,
Dec. 20, Brizzell thanked the
public for her six, two-year terms
as supervisor.
In return, outgoing board members
Kevin Bronner and Ulderic
Boisvert, Deputy Town Supervisor
Frank Mauriello and others
thanked Brizzell for her leadership.
Mauriello thanked her for naming
him her deputy and for her
commitment to dozens of town initiatives
including The Crossings
of Colonie park and the 2005 townwide
comprehensive plan.
“It gives me a lot of satisfaction
because I was part of a lot of
enhancements to the town,” said
Mauriello.
Following those sentiments,
Brizzell gave a fi nal thanks and
farewell.
“When I took offi ce in 1996,
I promised to leave this town a
little better than I found it. I have
conducted myself with the utmost
integrity and sincerity … and for
the last time. The meeting is adjourned,”
said a teary-eyed Brizzell.
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Mon., Tues., Thurs. 10-9; Wed., Fri., Sat. 10-6; Sun. 12-5
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Rescued dogs
draw a crowd
First of 28
Chihuahuas are
quickly adopted
By GRAHAM S. PARKER
parkerg@spotlightnews.com
Hopeful adopters began lining
up outside the Mohawk
Hudson River Humane Society
shortly after 7 a.m. Friday, Dec.
28, to get their hands on one of
seven Chihuahuas.
The Menands humane society
announced shortly after
noon on Thursday, Dec. 24, that
it would be putting seven of the
28 dogs seized from a Coeymans
home in November up for
adoption. After the defendant in
the animal cruelty case failed to
post bond, the cost incurred by
the shelter to care for the dogs
for one month, the Chihuahuas
became available for adoption.
Humane society staff was
fearful that the case would become
tied up in the courts and
cost them tens of thousands in
dollars. The price is still steep,
estimated at $22,000 to care for
the dogs so far, but over the
coming New Year, staff is hopeful
the dogs will be adopted.
“The seven dogs we had
available for adoption are all
gone. They’ve all been adopted.
There were 45 other people who
wanted to adopt,” said MHRHS
Executive Director Brad Shear.
Shear is confi dent that the
remaining 21 dogs will be rescued
judging by the turnout on
Friday. Although the shelter
won’t be doing a large one-time
donation like it did, there will
be other smaller donations at
two to three dogs at a time in
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than 5-acre landfi ll extension,
but for now the town is hoping to
make the most of its purchase.
“Honestly, we weren’t looking
at that (razing the properties) initially.
We wanted to be compatible
with our neighbors. If they made
it all offi ce space (when the properties
went on the market) that
wouldn’t be good for me,” said Joe
Stockbridge, Colonie environmental
services director.
Being a landfi ll, there are times
when the site doesn’t make a good
neighbor, he said. There is noise
and sometimes odors, he said.
The intent was to purchase the
buildings to help serve as a buffer
to the landfi ll’s daily operations, as
well as make available space for
other town operations.
Several tenants remain at the
offi ce building, including construction
contractors and legal offi
ces. The town hopes to move its
public records offi ce into one of
the three 15,000-square-foot buildings
that make up 12 Arrowhead
Lane. The other two buildings,
as well as space at 4 Arrowhead
Lane, will be leased out.
Town offi cials have said that it
the near future, he said. In the
meantime, the remaining Chihuahuas
will go to foster homes
where they can receive further
medical treatment and become
acclimated to human contact,
said Shear.
The turnout on Friday didn’t
surprise him, he said. The November
seizure got a lot of
media attention and the word
spread quickly that the dogs as
young as a couple of weeks to a
few years old, would be up for
adoption.
“We were looking online on
the humane society Web sites
and found the notice that rescue
puppies would be up for
adoption,” said John Arellano,
23, of Glenville.
Arellano and his family arrived
at the shelter at 9:30 a.m.,
an hour before the dogs were
up for selection. He sat with
his adoption papers in hand, a
number, and his half Chihuahua,
half miniature pinscher,
Piquito.
Arellano had been keeping
a close eye on the happenings
with the rescued Chihuahuas
as he has been looking to add a
dog to the family, he said.
The shelter used a lottery
system to match dogs with a
new family. More than 50 people
arrived, and only 20 were
given numbers to adopt one
of the seven dogs. Arellano
said he had also expected the
large turnout. A lot of people
like small dogs, he said, and
the thought of rescuing one
makes the adoption that much
sweeter.
“A rescue is better than a
dog from a store or a breeder
because this way you are saving
a life,” he said.
makes fi nancial sense to lease the
properties rather than let them
stand vacant.
“It’s enough to make it worthwhile
to lease. We are not planning
to break ground tomorrow on a
landfi ll expansion. But you don’t
want to be in the situation where
you don’t have a plan to go. It’s just
planning ahead,” said Town Attorney
Arnis Zilgme.
Contractors are nearing completion
on the landfi ll’s sixth and
fi nal phase under its current permit.
The more than 8-acre site
will carry landfi ll operations into
2020. As work has continued on
the phase, the town has been buying
any properties that go on the
market on Arrowhead Lane with
the hopes of some day expanding
landfi ll operation past 2020.
The town is also hoping to
avoid the same predicament the
city of Albany will soon fi nd itself
in; without landfi ll, said Zilgme.
Town offi cials have said that
the landfi ll is too big a part of the
town’s revenue stream and too
costly of an investment to lose.
The millions in dollars it generates
through municipal contracts and
the addition of a methane-to-electricity
generating plant is money
the town can’t go without.
The rental agreements have
yet to be drawn up but most likely
would include extended agreements.
Perhaps after fi ve to 10
years, the properties will then
go up for annual leases when the
time nears to consider expanding
the landfi ll, said Zilgme.