News - Week in review

A two-car crash in front of PJ's Bar-B-Q sent four to the hospital on Tuesday.

Kenneth Johnson, 43, of 727 Leverett Ave., Staten Island, was driving in his vehicle that also carried his father when he crashed into another vehicle containing a mother and daughter. Following the collision, Johnson was charged with failure to keep right, failure to yield to the right away, unsafe lane change, and driving while intoxicated, a class-A misdemeanor.

The collision occurred around 5 p.m. Tuesday and led to all four being transported to local hospitals. Jonson was airlifted to Albany Medical Center and the other victims were transported to Saratoga Hospital.

Yepsen petition for 43rd Senate District denied

Saratoga Springs Supervisor Joanne Yepsen was denied a spot on the ballot for the 43rd Senate District after the state Board of Elections denied more than 300 of her signatures.

Yepsen is currently 32 signatures shy of the 1,000 required to be eligible to run for the seat, which was vacated by Joe Bruno. She had previously submitted 1,300 signatures before the Board of Elections.

Yepsen would have run in a primary against Brunswick attorney Brian Premo and Mike Russo, former district manager for U.S. Representative Kirstin Gillibrand.

There is a possibility that she still could fight the Board of Elections decision in a state appeals court.

School board set to fire tenured teacher

A tenured Saratoga Springs High School English teacher who engaged in an inappropriate relationship with a 14-year-old female student will soon be fired.

In a 36-page state report were the details of how Mark Oppenneer, 37, of Wilton, contacted the student through email, instant messages, text messages, phone calls and MySpace during the 2006-07 school year. He also met the girl at several eateries, traded music CDs with her and bought her a leather notebook.

The issue was brought to light when the girl’s mother discovered the interaction between the two and reported it to state police in early September of 2007. After the incident was brought to light Oppenneer was placed on paid administrative leave on Sept. 5. Criminal charges were never filed.

The school intends to fire Oppenneer at its next school board meeting on Aug. 12

Four charged in vandalism of vending machines

Four men have been charged in connection with an incident involving the vandalism of four vending machines at the Moreau Recreation Park on July 26.

The perpetrators entered the park at 4:30 a.m. with the intentions of stealing soda, candy and money. Two of the machines were substantially damaged and two of the machines were damaged beyond repair.

Corey M Russell, 20, of Queensbury, Robert L. Cleveland, 20, of Stony Creek, Andrew D. Lee, 19, of Hudson Falls, were all remanded to Saratoga County Jail. William J. Russell, 18, Queensbury, was released.

They have each been charged with one count of burglary in the third degree and criminal mischief in the second degree, both class-D felonies.

Tedisco will seek re-election to Assembly

Assemblyman Jim Tedisco (R,C,I-Schenectady-Saratoga) announced his intention to seek re-election to the 110th Assembly District, which encompasses parts of Schenectady and Saratoga counties.

Tedisco, who resides in Schenectady County, has served as the Leader of the Assembly Republican Conference since being unanimously elected to the post in November 2005 and unanimously re-elected by his Members in the fall of 2006. Tedisco is seeking his 14th term as a Member of the Assembly and is again running as the endorsed candidate of the Republican, Conservative and Independence parties.

“The opportunity to serve the hard-working families of the 110th District is an honor, a privilege and a responsibility I take very seriously. The hard-working families across our community are the reason why I’ve been so outspoken about the need to fix a broken Albany and deliver real property tax relief, lower gas prices and build a stronger economy,” Tedisco stated.

“This fight, our fight, is not finished – we have begun to see some positive change in how Albany works, but there is still too much dysfunction, partisanship and influence from the special interests. State government still spends, taxes and borrows too much. Our state deficit and debt are ticking time bombs that will only be diffused through a return to fiscal accountability. When state government finally learns to live within its means - just as Schenectady and Saratoga families do – we will be able to achieve the types of real change taxpayers deserve – and New York genuinely needs,” Tedisco said.

Tedisco was seen by many as the driving force behind stopping former Governor Eliot Spitzer’s unlawful plan to give illegal aliens driver’s licenses, frequently appearing on local and national public affairs programs on CNN, Headline News, Fox Business Channel and Fox News in opposition to the proposal. Eventually, in the face of intense pressure from New Yorkers opposed to the proposal – and a legal challenge launched by Tedisco and his Assembly Republican Conference – the former Governor backed down.

Tedisco was equally outspoken in calling for the resignation of Spitzer when the former Governor’s long-time involvement with a prostitution ring was publicly revealed. Tedisco was the first Republican leader to call for Spitzer to either step down, or face impeachment if his alleged criminality was proven true. Spitzer resigned his office on March 12, 2008.

Tedisco and his Conference were instrumental in bringing a property tax cap to the forefront of the public debate over New York State having some of the highest property taxes in the nation. A property tax cap is now publicly supported by the Governor, three of the four Legislative Leaders and 69 percent of New Yorkers, according to a July 14 poll from the Siena College Research Institute.

Tedisco and the Assembly Republican Conference also took the lead this spring in calling attention to the need for relief from excessive gas prices and what are expected to be record-high home heating fuel costs this fall and winter season.

“This past year will go down as one of the most memorable and intense in New York State’s history. From leading the effort to defeat an unlawful proposal advanced by a Chief Executive bent on abusing his office, to taking the property tax cap from an idea to a near reality, this past year will be remembered for many years to come,” Tedisco said.

“However, the reality is that New York has miles to go before we can say the goal of enacting real change has been achieved. A property tax cap is still not in place. Gas prices and home heating fuel costs are still too high. Our economy, especially Upstate, is still underperforming. Too many of New York’s best and brightest – and our most successful small businesses and risk-taking entrepreneurs – are still leaving our state. People are voting with their feet and choosing to live elsewhere. We need to reverse this trend,” Tedisco said.