Pattison appointed
Formerly a member of RPI’s board of trustees and two term mayor of Troy, Mark Pattison was recently appointed to the position of clinical professor of both Humanities and Social Sciences and Architecture here at RPI.
During this semester he will be working with courses that range from focusing on urban policy and planning to policy analysis. In addition to holding a bachelor of arts in political science, he also has a master’s degree in organization and management.
President Jackson said of Pattison that his “experiences in government and administration will provide a valuable perspective to [RPI] students.”
Troy in 2200
Last Saturday, 12 groups from area schools gathered on campus for one of 34 regional competitions that challenged middle school students to envision their city in the distant future. Troy’s Doyle Middle School modeled its home city in 2200 and made it to the final round, finishing in second place.
This year’s theme was using plastic in helping senior citizens. Among the future Troy’s features were a high speed rail system that had health monitors seniors could use and round buildings to maximize space per area and disallow precipitation accumulation.
Maple Hill Middle School, which tried to predict Albany in the year 3000, won the regional competition and advanced to the national competition in Washington, D.C. next month. They will be competing for a trip to the U.S. Space Camp in Alabama.
“Embrace the Dream”
Next Monday, RPI will celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day by holding its third annual “Embrace the Dream” celebration. All activities will be free and open to the public.
The event will start with a brunch and speech delivered by President Jackson at 11 am in the McNeil Room of the Union. The event, coordinated by the Office of the First Year Experience, will feature a service component for volunteers.
Starting at 4 pm there will be a “Now and Then Discussion” in room 3606 of the Union hosted by both the Black Student Alliance and the Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity. The last event of the day will be the “Cultural Fest” from 8 pm to 10 pm in the McNeil Room and will feature music, arts, crafts, food, and giveaways.
Judge charged
A recent report on the charges against Troy City Court Judge Henry Bauer sustained 49 of 50 charges brought against him last year. The charges against the judge include setting excessive bail, not informing defendants of the right to counsel, and even coercing guilty pleas.
Elected in 1994 for a 10 year term, Bauer faces re-election this November. The report will go before the State Commission on Judicial Conduct at the end of this month.
Bauer, who currently makes more than $90,000 annually, wants the charges dismissed and has opted for the hearing to be public.
City overtime
The city of Troy not only increased the amount of overtime it budgeted for firefighters and police officers last year, but it also exceeded the increased amounts by about $300,000.
Former Mayor Mark Pattison justified the increases by pointing to vacancies and the zero tolerance program. He also said that the feeling was that the city had sufficient funds in the budget to cover the extra pay. While the new mayor, Harry Tutunjian, agreed that there should be sufficient funds, he has instructed the departments to cut back on overtime.
Four people in the departments were paid more than the mayor’s $85,000 salary between overtime and their salaries—one individual even earned over $60,000 in overtime pay alone.
