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THE LOCALLY OWNED VOICE OF THE CAPITAL REGION

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 8, 2016

SCHENECTADY

Group gives principal an A+

WWW.

Wilkinson honored as region's administrator of the year

BY ZACHARY MATSON Gazette Reporter

With her fourth year as Schenectady High School principal nearly complete, Diane Wilkinson played the role of cake server on Tuesday afternoon.

In a small C-wing classroom, Wilkinson stood at a table as a steady stream of teachers and staff stopped

by for a slice of cake and a chance to congratulate Wilkinson, who last week was named administrator of the year for the Capital Region.

The Empire State Supervisors and Administrators Association named Wilkinson one of seven outstanding administrators across the state at a ceremony on Friday.

But to Wilkinson, the greater reward comes later this month when

the Class of 2016 graduates cross the main stage at Proctors. And this year's graduating class started high school the same year -- four years ago -- that Wilkinson became principal.

"It's all about getting to the 24th," she said, alluding to the school's June 24 graduation. "We are working hard

See HONOR, page A8

RYAN ZIDEK/FOR THE DAILY GAZETTE

Schenectady High School principal Diane Wilkinson and Class of 2016 Principal Jerry Rosen are photographed at school on Tuesday. Wilkinson has been named administrator of the year for the Capital Region by Empire State Supervisors and Administrators Association.

SCHENECTADY COUNTY

Extending

its authority

JOHN CROPLEY/GAZETTE BUSINESS EDITOR

An architectural rendering of the Earl Street side of the former Draper School in Rotterdam is compared to a photo of the same side taken June 1. The $12.5 million apartment conversion project is one the most recent recipients of Metroplex aid: a $125,000 facade improvement grant.

Legislators hoping to hike bond limit, add 5 years for Metroplex

BY JOHN CROPLEY

tive houses, and must be

Gazette Business Editor

voted out of committee

daily Metroplex is running into the limit

of its ability to issue bonds, but state legislation is being pursued that would effectively double its bond cap and extend the agency's life five years, to 2038.

for action by the entire

house. The Senate and

Assembly calendars

currently don't

extend beyond

June 16.

Farley

gazette Identical measures have

been introduced in both the

Farley sounded confident Tuesday.

.com state Senate and Assembly by

majority-party members in

"Metroplex, which I was the original author of, is very

each house -- Sen. Hugh Far-

important to me, and we're

ley, R-Niskayuna, and Assem- Share your

going to see it happen," he

blyman Phil Steck, D-Colonie thoughts

said. "It's absolutely essential

-- and a home rule request for the measure was approved Monday by the Schenectady County Legislature, all of

on this story at daily



that Metroplex raise their bond cap."

If Metroplex can't bond, it can't operate, Farley said.

which should increase the

"That would be a total stifling

chances of approval.

of economic development. I'm

The time frame for action this sea- very confident that I'll pass it in the

son is dwindling, though. Both measures are still in committee in their respec-

See METROPLEX, page A8

SCHENECTADY

Vandals `key' 60 vehicles in city

BY STEVEN COOK Gazette Reporter

On Wendell Avenue Tuesday afternoon, the damage could still be seen.

Multiple cars, sometimes one after another, showed

scratches nearly the length of the vehicles.

Someone -- or more than one person -- went down Wendell and portions of at least nine other streets in recent weeks keying the sides of about 60 cars, police said Tuesday.

"I was upset. I couldn't believe it," longtime Wendell Avenue resident Ralph Graveley said Tuesday of the long scratch inflicted on his Chevrolet Malibu.

City police Tuesday appealed to the public for help in finding the culprits.

Incidents are being investigated on Oneida Street, Parkwood Boulevard, Lenox Road, Wendell Avenue, Union Street, Elmer Avenue, Waverly

See CARS, page A8

T-storm in spots. High 64/Low 50.

PAGE C5

REACH US

Got a story idea? Call us at 395-3140. Email us anytime at news@.

INDEX

Business Classified Comics

A4-5 D3-8

D7

Horoscope Life & Arts Obituaries

D2 D1-2

A7

Opinion Sports Television

Wendell Avenue resident Ralph Graveley Tuesday points to a scratch on his car left by a vandal recently. City police are looking for whoever keyed more than 60 cars in recent weeks and they're asking for the public's help.

STEVEN COOK/ GAZETTE REPORTER

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A8 WEDNESDAY, JUNE 8, 2016

NATIONAL/REGIONAL

WWW. THE DAILY GAZETTE

Clinton wins N.J., caps `amazing journey'

BY PATRICK HEALY AND JONATHAN MARTIN New York Times Service

Hillary Clinton claimed the Democratic presidential nomination Tuesday night with a crushing victory in the New Jersey primary, and quickly appealed to supporters of Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont to unite with her against Donald Trump.

Delivering an evocative speech woven with references to trailblazing women, Clinton pledged to build on the achievements of pioneers like the 19th-century leaders at Seneca Falls, New York, who began the fight for women's rights in America.

She took the stage with her hands clasped over her heart in gratitude, threw her arms open in joy and savored a long moment as a jubilant crowd waved American flags and chanted "Hillary."

"Tonight caps an amazing journey -- a long, long journey," Clinton said. "We all owe so much to those who came before, and tonight belongs to all of you."

She praised Sanders and his passionate supporters, saying that "vigorous debate" had been "very good for the Democratic Party and America."

Sanders made plans to lay off most of his campaign staff, yet he appeared reluctant to let go completely after months of political warfare against a Clinton machine that he holds in thinly veiled contempt. With six states voting Tuesday, Sanders was holding out hope for a huge upset in the California primary to justify staying in the race and lobbying Democratic officials to support him in a contested convention next month.

Sanders won the North Dakota caucuses Tuesday; Montana, New Mexico and South

DOUG MILLS/NEW YORK TIMES

Hillary Clinton declares victory in the Democratic presidential primary in an address to supporters at the Brooklyn Navy Yard on Tuesday. In an evocative speech woven with references to trailblazing women, Clinton praised Sen. Bernie Sanders and called on his supporters to unite behind her for the general election.

Dakota also held Democratic contests. Republicans voted in several states, although Trump became the presumptive nominee in early May.

As Clinton sought to turn her attention to the general election, Trump -- who had a weekslong head start -- was busy reckoning with problems of his own making. His criticism of a federal judge, Gonzalo P. Curiel, for the judge's Mexican heritage continued to inflict damage on his campaign, as the House speaker, Paul D. Ryan, called Trump's remarks racist and other Republicans piled on criticism. One Republican senator rescinded his support.

Trump, speaking in Briarcliff Manor, New York, pledged to make Republicans "proud of our party and our movement," though he did not try to defuse the controversy. Instead, reading carefully from a teleprompter, he mounted a lengthy attack on Clinton's record, saying she had "turned the State Department into

her private hedge fund." He explicitly reached out to Sanders supporters who he said had been "left out in the cold by a rigged system."

"We can't solve our problems by counting on the politicians who created our problems," Trump said. "The Clintons have turned the politics of personal enrichment into an art form for themselves."

Although Tuesday had promised to be a watershed moment in the nation's political history, it proved anticlimactic after The Associated Press reported Monday night that Clinton had secured enough delegates to clinch the party's nomination. But she stuck to her plan to use a victory rally Tuesday night in Brooklyn to celebrate her achievement -- becoming the first woman to win a major party's nomination -- with some of the same New York Democrats who helped her win a Senate seat in 2000, beginning her career in elected

MELINA MARA/THE WASHINGTON POST

Clinton supporters cheer as they wait for election results at a primary-night party in Brooklyn on Tuesday.

office. The unexpected news set

off conversations Tuesday within the two campaigns, with Clinton representatives preparing to make overtures to the Sanders camp as early as Wednesday.

Sanders advisers were on edge over the declaration that Clinton had locked up the nomination, worried that it would depress voter turnout in California. And Sanders told NBC on Tuesday evening that he was "upset" and "disappointed" that AP had made its call based on a survey of superdelegates, party officials who can shift their allegiances as late as the convention.

Sanders said that his aides were "on the phone right now" with superdelegates, including those supporting Clinton.

"Defying history is what this

campaign has been about," he said of his bid, which was initially seen as a long shot. "I am going to be meeting with our supporters to figure out the best way forward so that we have a government which represents all of us, and not just the 1 percent."

His campaign also emailed supporters late Tuesday asking them to commit to vote for him in the final Democratic primary, in the District of Columbia next Tuesday -- suggesting that Sanders was not calling it quits just yet.

Still, Sanders planned to let go a large number of workers Wednesday, according to current and former aides who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

Representatives of the Sanders and Clinton campaigns have been talking in recent days about the future of the

race and about policy priorities for the party's convention platform in July, according to two Democrats close to the candidates. So far, the discussions have not included the possibility that Sanders will concede to Clinton or endorse her, the Democrats said, but the groundwork has been laid for an eventual conversation or meeting.

John D. Podesta, Clinton's campaign chairman, told CNN on Tuesday that she and Sanders had not spoken recently but that they had "time to work things out," arguing that their policy differences were far narrower than those between Democrats and Trump. He sidestepped two questions about whether Clinton would consider picking Sanders as her running mate, saying no decisions had been made.

Metroplex

Continued from page A1

Senate." The measures would extend the

life of the Schenectady County Metroplex Development Authority from 2033 through 2038 and raise its bond limit from $75 million to $100 million. But the most important change, according to Metroplex Chairman Ray Gillen, is a single word: "outstanding."

Right now, every bond ever issued by Metroplex since its creation in 1998-- a total of $73 million -- counts toward the $75 million cap. Under the legislation, only bonds that have not been paid off ("outstanding" debt) would count toward the cap. Metroplex currently has $53 million in outstanding bonds.

The state set the bond cap at $50 million when it created Metroplex in 1998, then raised it to $75 million in 2008.

Asked why Metroplex wants both the wording changed and the bond cap boosted, Gillen said doing so will maintain the agency's high bond rating, thus keeping the costs of borrowing low, and avoid the need to repeatedly revisit the debt cap.

As part of the creation of Metroplex, the Schenectady County sales tax was increased from 7.5 percent to 8 percent. The money from that 0.5 percentage point is split 70-30

between Metroplex and the towns in the county. In 2015, that was $12,018,000 -- $8,412,600 for Metroplex, $3,605,400 for the towns.

As for the five-year Gillen extension of Metroplex as an operating entity, to 2038, Gillen said that the longer time frame is preferable for borrowing.

"To get the most favorable rates . . . you want to have a 20-year window, that's optimal," he said.

QUALIFIED OPPOSITION

The Schenectady County Legislature voted 11-2 Monday to request the changes contained in the state legislation.

Legislators James Buhrmaster and Brian McGarry cast the "no" votes.

On Tuesday, both expressed support, even admiration for Gillen. Both said the progress made by or through Metroplex was extensive and undeniable. But both had problems with the sums of money involved.

"I have been a strong supporter/ proponent of Metroplex for a very long time," Buhrmaster said.

"My vote last night wasn't against the extension of the taxing authority -- it's a beautiful funding device. My issue is we need to start thinking about the future. Those bonds do have to be paid for. At some point in time, we've got to understand that this money is the people's money, and we're investing it, and it's not unlimited."

`People think we invest in companies. We invest in communities.'

RAY GILLEN

Schenectady County Metroplex Development Authority chairman

Buhrmaster explained that he supports extending the sunset date of Metroplex to 2038, and changing the bond cap to count only outstanding debt. With that, Metroplex should have enough money under a $75 million cap.

"I think 75 is satisfactory," he said. "It's just an honest difference in opinion."

McGarry's opposition follows his philosophy that smaller government is better.

"I think Ray Gillen's done a great job. You can look around the county and see things he's done," he said. "It's substantive improvements.

"What you don't see," McGarry added, "is what might have happened in the free economy."

The day will never come, he said, when Metroplex says "You may have your half a percent back."

"Think of the money that's been sucked out of the economy."

McGarry acknowledged his is a hard argument to make, as it compares what has been done to what conceivably could have been done under a different scenario.

"I think about what could have

been, had that $10 million not been taken out of the economy. I talk about what might have been. That's a hard sell."

UNQUALIFIED SUPPORT

Steck, a Colonie Democrat whose Assembly district includes Niskayuna and much of Schenectady, takes the opposite view -- he says the private sector won't be able to accomplish as much on its own, even with a slightly lower tax rate.

He served on the Albany County Legislature a dozen years before being elected to the Assembly in 2012, and saw the differences in economic development between his county and neighboring Schenectady County.

"In Albany County, we didn't have anything like Metroplex. And I can tell you it's made a huge difference in Schenectady. I think it's doing a great job. I think it's a great asset to Schenectady."

Steck said: "Upstate New York has had a variety of depressed areas." He asks himself: "What would Franklin Roosevelt do?" His answer: "Direct government investment. It worked really well in a lot of depressed areas."

In this day and age, he added bluntly, "Business is not going to be able to do it alone."

Gillen said a public-private partnership is what Metroplex seeks to build, creating jobs, investment and tax revenue in the process.

"The communities that are winning are the communities that are investing in themselves," he said.

The bonds that are the subject

of the pending state

legislation are how

Metroplex makes it

happen. The agency is-

sues a bond against the

promise of future sales

tax revenue, then uses

Steck

that bond to finance

work that is designed

to attract future development or that is

negotiated as a condition of a particular

development.

These can be public infrastructure

-- streets, sidewalks, sewers on lower

State Street, for example -- or im-

provements to private property, such

as the Golub headquarters and Center

City. Metroplex focuses on commercial

projects, though multiunit residential

sites also qualify for assistance. It can

assist with projects throughout the city

of Schenectady, most of Glenville and

Rotterdam, and parts of Duanesburg,

Niskayuna and Princetown.

Along with handing out its own

money, Metroplex pursues state and

federal grants to make projects happen,

tries to attract new businesses to the

county, finds sites for companies look-

ing to move here, helps arrange low-

interest loans, negotiates tax breaks,

conducts tours of the area and tries to

direct projects to sites with existing or

previous commercial uses, rather than

untouched green space.

"People think we invest in compa-

nies," Gillen said. "We invest in com-

munities."

Reach business editor John Cropley at 395-3104, john@ or @cropjohn on Twitter.

Honor

Continued from page A1

at getting better at providing what our kids need."

Jerry Rosen, the class of 2016 principal and longtime Schenectady school administrator, helped nominate Wilkinson for the award. He said she was a collaborative leader who interacts regularly with students, parents and staff.

"She's a great person to work with, and I won't say work for, because she works with people," Rosen said.

Wilkinson started in the district as a middle school technology teacher in 1991, taught at Oneida school for nine years, served as district technology coordinator for five years and was named high school principal in 2013.

District officials and Wilkinson highlighted the Operation Graduation initiative that Wilkinson helped spearhead. The program provides intensive academic support for freshmen and sophomores at

GAZETTE FILE PHOTO

Appreciative graduate Joshua Powell embraces Schenectady High School Principal Diane Wilkinson at last June's graduation ceremony at Proctors. This year's seniors were freshmen when Wilkinson took over as principal.

risk of falling behind in their coursework. She also encourages students and parents to text her questions any time of the day, and spends nearly every lunch in the cafeteria connecting with students.

She said the school is constantly trying to find the balance between providing the services they need to succeed in class while maintaining rigorous expectations for the

students. "For me, as humbling as [the

award] was, it did give me an opportunity to talk about how great our staff and amazing our students are," Wilkinson said.

Reach Gazette reporter Zachary Matson at 395-3120, zmatson@ or @zacharydmatson on Twitter.

Cars

Continued from page A1

Place, White Street, Stanford Street and Bedford Road.

Police say the damage spans about two weeks, from May 23 through Sunday. Each involved the keying of the sides of vehicles and each appears to have occurred in the early morning hours.

Anyone with information on the vandalism is asked to contact police at 788-6566.

Graveley said he hears people walking by early in the morning and he wonders if he heard the vandals.

He's not sure yet what he'll do about the long scratch. He's hoping an auto store remedy will fix it.

As for the number of incidents, Graveley said, "You're concerned, because those things don't happen around here."

Nicole Levesque's SUV sat parked directly behind Graveley's car Tuesday. She said the vandals hit her vehicle twice on different days.

"I'm like, `Are you serious?' " Levesque recalled of her reaction to the second time.

Levesque said she hopes to fix the damage herself, too. But she also knows that it could be worse. It could have been damage that required immediate attention.

"We're lucky because last time they did it,

`We're lucky because last time they did it, they smashed all the windows,'

NICOLE LEVESQUE

Vandalism victim, referring to previous spree

they smashed all the windows," Levesque said.

Levesque referred to the April 2015 case with several similarities to the recent keying spree. In that case, two men in their early 20s went on 24-hour, BB-gun vandalism spree that left an estimated 100 vehicles, and some buildings, with shot-out windows. Authorities arrested the two suspects after catching them shortly thereafter continuing the BB-gun spree in Saratoga County.

Clarence Hagadorn, 23, of Mechanicville, received 16 months to 4 years in state prison for his role in the spree. Authorities also charged 22-year-old Garrett Disarno related to the April 2015 spree. The status of his case was unclear Tuesday.

Statements given by the April 2015 BB gun suspects indicated heroin fueled their spree.

Reach Gazette reporter Steven Cook at 395-3122, scook@ or @ByStevenCook on Twitter.

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