Photo galleries online

If you haven't noticed yet, we are now offering a new service for readers to view staff produced photographs (and order reprints) and submit their own photos/videos.

On The Saratogian home page, look for a link to the Photo Galleries under the story tabs on the left side of the page (see illustrative image with my rudimentary markings to the left). You'll have a couple choices there, with links to view all galleries (staff and readers'), order reprints (only photos shot by Saratogian-staffers), or to submit your own photos.

This is a great addition to the site for a number of reasons: First, it allows us to cast a brighter spotlight on the great work our photographers do; second, it makes the process of ordering photo reprints easier for folks; third, it allows people to share their own photos of their pets, cars, events, etc. Fourth, it brings us up to speed with other newspaper Web sites out there.

As we get more familiar with the service, we'll start creating albums for specific events: For example, an album for people to upload their photos from the Saratoga Race Course this summer. We'll also refine our Sports/News/Features album offerings.

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A couple updates for previously published stories:

1) On the photo gallery theme: I created an album for the photos that ran with Andrew J. Bernstein's Sunday story about urban renewal. Click here to view the photos of Spa City locales, past and present (note: these photos are not available for purchase).

2) Last week reporter Mareesa Nicosia wrote a story about the Saratoga Partnership for Prevention giving a presentation to the SSCSD Board of Education that detailed the results from a 2008-09 survey about drug use in the district. The Partnership e-mailed me the files from the presentation Friday, but the typical end-of-the-week crush kept me from seeing them until today. Anyhow, the executive summary of the survey, as well as the PowerPoint presentation are both available for viewing.

100th post minus two

Crap. It seems our cake and coffee celebration, along with the fireworks, were a bit premature. You see, turns out my previous post here was only my 97th. I didn't realize at the time that the tally included on the Blogger "dashboard" included three drafts that have been in limbo, one as far back as last summer. That one got deleted, but the other two are forthcoming.

Oh well. Consider the last post a practice run for the big 0ne-zero-zero. I've thrown some plastic wrap over what's left of the cake, and I'll be sure there's a fresh pot of java brewing when the time is right. Besides, it seems my colleague over in the sports department, Brendan O'Meara, just passed the quadricentennial mark at his blog The Carryover, which I read after writing the last post. That sort of took the wind out of my sails.

But we're on track. This makes 98. Two more to go...

100th post and Skidmore smokes

And here it is! Welcome to Tangled in Wires' 100th post.

There's coffee in the breakroom and we can probably scare up some stale cake if you'd like it.

While we're talking numbers quickly, here's a few more: As I write, there are 171 people registered to leave comments with the site; 17 alone signed up yesterday (April 21, 2009), presumably to leave comments on the story we ran about Skidmore students celebrating their fondness for marijuana. Why do I suspect that? Well, of those 16, three e-mail addresses are @skidmore and four others have "Skidmore" or "Skid" in their chosen usernames; plus, that story currently has 40 comments, the most any article has received since we began requiring commenters register with the site.

Incidentally, it seems no one told that Octopus that it was a casual-attire event, yet there he was in his top hat...

Hits (no pun intended) to our site for the day were up over 1,100 over the previous Tuesday and about 1,200 from two Tuesdays prior. The article itself got 3,519 page views yesterday (28.8 percent of total page views for the day) and 591 so far today (10.2 percent).

This story generated a lot of conversation in the newsroom (and of course in the online comments), and I think that's a good sign that it probably did the same out in the community. There's agreement in-building that the article was non-judgemental and balanced; we weren't trying to condemn anyone, just observe/talk to folks/report. Whether you agree with that assessment, and whatever your stance on the issue, it's a good thing when something comes along to help spur the dialogue on a topic like this.

So I guess it could be said: When Skidmore kids smoke up, everybody wins!

(Note: The above statement should not be considered an endorsement of marijuana use, nor a judgement against it. It's not for me and I prefer not to be around it, but we'll leave it at that. Oh, and be sure to check out my colleague Andrew J. Bernstein's thoughts on the story. )

Upcoming: I've got another, smaller online milestone I'm hoping to cross by next week. Also, I was struck by an idea last night before bed that I think will be a humorous combination of both my professional backgrounds: journalism and anthropology. Of course, like a lot of things, it might just be funny in my head, but I'll be exploring the idea here in short order.

Vox populi

Some of you may have noticed issues with saratogian.com and troyrecord.com earlier today. Our site provider was having server issues across the board, but matters have been resolved and we're broadcasting at full frequency. Or such.

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The TU has a story on an interesting, if not-particularly-recent trend: People increasingly giving up landlines in favor of cell phones. Of course I'd expect the sales reps quoted in the article to pitch the benefits and necessities of a cell over a landline and old codgers to decry the proliferation of the mobile devices...but that's neither here nor there.

What is here, however, is a new Google offering that's sure to have triggered the salivary glands of technistas the world over when it was unveiled about a month ago; especially those that find themselves juggling multiple phones.

You can read more about Google Voice at this article on Forbes.com from last week, including the well-thought reasons writer Andrew Laing thinks the service might not be as revolutionary as we've come to associate with Google. But here's an excerpt about what this service offers those with too many numbers at which they can be reached:

The new service, which should soon open its doors to new, non-GrandCentral users, assigns users a new, single phone number, and that number rings all of your phones at once. Google Voice offers some neat technological advances to help users manage phone calls: features available through the site include voicemail storage and computerized transcription, Gmail-like SMS storage (you can send SMS messages through the site as well), call blocking (it even plays a recording to tell persistent callers your number has been disconnected), conference calling, and the ability to place calls (although the calls are placed via your phone, so you won't save any minutes). In a nutshell, Google Voice makes managing your telephonic life a little easier.

This is seemingly great for anyone that wants to be more accessible. I guess I'm old fashioned in that I still prefer to give my cell number only to those I actually WANT calling me; my landline is mostly for take-out orders and calls to local businesses. The idea of someone, anyone, whatever their agenda, being able to reach me with just one number bothers me. I'm not interested in being that accessible, and I have a difficult time understanding why others would want to be.

Though the voice-message-to-text feature is cool, as the Forbes article points out, that option already exists with some voice plans.

So if I'm missing something, I leave it to you, beloved readers, to enlighten me.

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I was home for Easter, and if you've been reading my blog the last month or so, you should know that I originally hail from the Binghamton area. After arriving in town for the weekend, I drove down Main Street in Endicott toward home. As I passed the hometown McDonalds I read "God Bless Marc and Sonia" on the sign rising above the street. It felt like a nice tribute in an unlikely spot.

Misguided animal rights

I'm out until Tuesday, but I was scanning some headlines and came across this story about the backlash a German Shepard breeder got for selling Vice President Joe Biden a puppy.

Really? Death threats from animal activists? For buying a dog? Their efforts would be better spent actively trying to educate the public about puppy mills that stock mall-based pet stores with what amounts to stock on the shelf. Or people that don't spay or neuter their pets.

If people want to to rescue a dog, that's great, and I would encourage it. If they want to buy a purebred, that's their business.

Dog breeders make it their work to bring animals into the world, ensure their health and well-being, and then pass them along to owners. I'm sure there's some bad eggs out there, but then, there could be bad eggs anywhere along the equation.

I love animals, too, especially dogs, but it's a sad, misanthropic thing to think your morals trump basic human decency. May as well blast Biden for having his own kids, rather than adopting.

News desk makes it happen

Another quick appearance, as I'm again on budget duty. The choice of photographs yesterday (for today's paper) was slim, but despite that, our news desk did a fantastic job laying out the newspaper, I think:

The dominant visual element on the front page is a nice standalone photo of DWP worker Joe Sankovich installing third base at the Geyser Park softball field; a story about Tedisco claiming the lead as the recount of the 20th CD special election results continues stripped across the top; a city council preview with a headshot of Commissioner of Public Safety Ron Kim, who's going to call for a vote to award Bonacio Construction the contract to build a new public safety building (and the $4.5 million the city would be set to receive as a result); a followup on former Rep. John Sweeney, and a deeper look at what repeat DWI offenders have to look forward to.

The front page looks varied but clean, with a variety of stories and points of entry.

Anyhow, today is somewhat exciting because we're finally back at "full" staff now that a reporter is back from vacation. Of course, of the four, only one is in right now ... But I know one is at an interview and the other two have meetings to attend tonight, so they'll be in mid-afternoon. I'm looking forward to having too many stories and not enough space to put them all, as opposed to the alternative.

Finally, on a totally unrelated note: With each post here on the blog, I'm closing in on a milestone I never quite thought I'd reach: 100 posts. I know that's a minuscule amount, especially compared to the prolific bloggings of my colleague Andrew J. Bernstein, but, you know, it makes me smile.

Binghamton shooting victims

Just putting in a quick appearance today. I'm on budget duty again for the day due to illness (obviously not mine) so my attention is mostly geared toward cobbling together a newspaper for tomorrow. We're looking pretty good for stories, but I wouldn't mind more photographs to work with.

Anyhow, seems there is a small personal connection to the Binghamton shootings: Roberta "Bobbie" King, the 72-year-old instructor teaching English to the class that was gunned down, was fairly well known by my mother. King had been a substitute teacher for many years, including in the Binghamton City School District, where my mother spent most of her career as a third-grade teacher.

About 15 years ago, as the story was told to me, King was subbing in her school and was a bit unsure about certain programs or procedures the kids had to follow that day. My mother and another instructor helped her out, and in thanks King later gave them both a glass, heart-shaped candy dish full of candies, which my mom still has.

For some odd reason, when I first saw King's name listed as a victim, it rang a bell. I wasn't sure why, though, but after hearing my mom's story it seems possible King was also a substitute in my school district growing up.

Click over to the Binghamton Press & Sun Bulletin's Web site at www.pressconnects.com for local coverage of this awful story.

More thoughs on shooting

It's still very difficult to believe the violent notoriety the place I call home has earned in just over 24 hours. It's currently the lead story on CNN.com, featured on the BBC Web site for the Americas; it's even the top AP story that pops up when I log into my e-mail. It's difficult to imagine President Barack Obama ever heard of Binghamton before (Joe Biden, however, yes, since he grew up in Scranton, 70 miles south), and now he's issuing statements of condolensce and support.

More details about the killing and the killer are being revealed: That he'd been wearing a bulletproof vest, seemed prepared for a "death by cop" suicide but took his life instead. Still no real information about those who were killed. Instead, a list of survivors was released.

Earlier today, I read an article on the New York Times, in which the final paragraphs describe an interview last night with a Filipino man living in Binghamton who's wife had been in the American Civic Association building taking an English class when the shooting started. Her name was not listed as a survivor, and he could not track her down at any of the hospitals. He planned to be up all night, fielding calls from family abroad and calling the hospitals. The article ended with a quote to the effect of, "Right now, I'm looking at our wedding photos."

That wrenched my heart.

During a press conference this morning, Binghamton Mayor Matt Ryan thanked the media for representing the community well, highlighting the tight-knit nature and resiliency of its residents. He said most were shining a positive light on the area; except for a few newspapers, he said.

I wonder which ones?

I know alot of people (if they even know where it is) think poorly of Binghamton and are quick to insult the place. I get that. I've slung my fair share of light-hearted insults at other places in the state and even my own hometown. A lot of times it's people from downstate and Long Island who bash the place, jaded as they are by the downstate suburban sprawl and proximity to NYC .

But in reality, I think the Binghamton region is beautiful. I've been all over this state for leisure and in my previous career with the State Museum and still haven't found a setting I prefer more. I always think of the hills. In that part of the Southern Tier, sizeable hills rising above the rivers (Susqhehanna and Chenango) are always in sight, no matter what direction you face. I came to realize it provided a sense of security. When I first came to Albany in 1998 for college at UAlbany, I remember feeling exposed. I still do, sometimes.

Topographical beauty aside, the place is where I grew up. It's not just memories there for me: Family and friends are still there; the places and people and things that shaped much of who I am are still there. I try and get home for a visit every other month or so. Sometimes I think about going back. It's a place where much of my life still unfolds.

I guess I feel the need to write all this because I think it's important for people to know that the Binghamton area - now the scene of much heartache and grief, long the scene of much disdain from those who choose to overlook it, and now in full view of the world - is home to people that still care about it, who love it despite the hard times it has seen in recent decades, and who want to see it renewed. I want the place to be known for what it really is, not what some distressed soul inadvertently made it in a sudden flash of carnage.

Binghamton shooting reaction

I watched from the corner of my eye as assistant managing editor Betsy DeMars approached, but kept my attention and gaze on the task I was attending to on my computer screen.

"Hey, Steve," she said in that graceful fashion of hers that suggests there's something of more immediate importance than what you're currently doing. "There's a story on the state wire about a shooting and hostage situation in Binghamton that we ought to put online."

I thought my hearing tuned out briefly during the last part of her sentence.

"Binghamton?" I said with a hint of dubious incredulity, my eyes still focused forward.

"Binghamton," she restated.

I brought up the Associated Press' state wire and scanned it quickly, unbelieving. I posted the latest article online and my first inclination after that was to jump over to www.pressconnects.com, the online iteration of the hometown newspaper I grew up with. Sure enough, a shooting and hostage situation at an immigration office in downtown Binghamton. I grew up in Endicott, a mere nine miles (if that) west of the city.

My stomach sank a little bit as I grew worried about my family and friends. Of course, no one in my family works in the American Civic Association, where the shooting took place, and none of my friends that I still keep in touch with do either, so in that respect I knew my concern was unfounded. But then again, what about the off chance that for some odd reason or another ...? And what about people I know that I DON'T keep in regular contact with? Could they be in harm's way, or injured? Or dead?

A childhood friend of mine who now lives in Albany happened to be home in Endicott this past week. I hadn't talked to him since Tuesday, and, again, though he would have had no business anywhere near this building, what if some unforseen event brought him downtown?

He has a cousin who serves on the Binghamton police force. The husband of another cousin serves on the Endicott force, which had sent their bomb unit to assist (though I don't know if he serves on that detail).

As I write, news reports are indicating 13 people are reported dead. That's up from the four I was hearing when I last checked in.

I work in a newsroom in a town I'm still new to covering (let's face it, just over a year is still pretty new). When a story of this magnitude happens in the area you grew up in and still, to a large extent, call home ... well, let's just say I've haven't felt a developing news story hit me this hard since Sept. 11.

Most recently, Binghamton was in the national news because the academically-respected Binghamton University's Divison I basketball team made it to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in the program's history. Prior to that, it was because of a former BU basketball star and his friends beating another student into a coma and then fleeing the country to his native Serbia. And before that, the national spotlight was on the region back in 2006. It was one of the hardest hit areas when devastating flooding washed over much of the state. Anderson Cooper himself was in town.

Of course the area has had it's share of violence and homicides.

But this. This is something much, much worse. This involves a double-digit deathtoll brought about by murder. This is my home, soaked in blood.

With the lights of the national media shining down on it.

Update, 4:38 p.m.

It's interesting to observe the (predictable) filth and bile bubbling up in the comments on the story at the Press & Sun Bulletin Web site. They too require registration to leave comments, but with a story of this magnitude, I'm sure they're quite short staffed and a lot of the worst statements will go unmoderated for the time being. Of course, while a lot of what I've read has been inflammatory and racist, I'm not sure it's enough to warrant removal.

Thanks all around, live blog success

I've got some thanks to liberally distribute.

First and foremost, thanks to the staff at Uncommon Grounds for recovering my forgotten laptop (or the unknown customer who discovered it and turned it in to staff). Yes, I foolishly left it over there last night. I'd gone to kill some time before coming back into the office for our live blog event over at the Saratoga City Desk (more on that shortly). I packed it up after puttering around on it and set it against the wall in the back where I was sitting while I read a book, and when the time came to leave I gathered up all my other belongings and left the computer. D'oh!

The thing is, I left around 7:15 p.m. and didn't even think about it until about 1:15 this morning when I was getting into my car after enjoying a post-special-election brew and conversation with co-workers. I called the coffee shop first thing this morning and, most fortunately, they had it.

So much thanks to them (on top of my usual thanks for their fine variety of tasty roasts).

Second, thanks to reporters Andrew J. Bernstein and Emily Donohue for phoning in updates last night from the two campaign parties. They supplied the blog with great quotes, observations and humorous asides (and even a cell phone photo). I think our second live blog endeavor was a big success. Hopefully readers found it somewhat informative and enjoyable, perhaps a decent supplement to what they were watching on the TV news.

Between juggling my office phone and personal cell to take their updates and trying to scan results, and the fact that I don't sit in view of a TV, I couldn't update with numbers on the blog. But I hope supplying links to the updated results at each individual county's boards of elections sufficed.

Finally, and most importanly: Thanks to all those who checked out the blog last night. We got huge numbers (for us) and are really happy about it. Web traffic for www.saratogian.com on the day as a whole was up about 4,000 hits more than normal, and Andrew's blog got 5,518 unique hits for the day (March 31). The most came in the 10 o'clock hour last night: 3, 219. His traffic for today is already up significantly too ... I should probably try and goad him into updating it ...