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.V--; -k- ;-'V;y TOfe Altamont Enterprise - Thursday April 13,2006 From ihmsditor The Altamont Enterprise brings home eight state awards The Altamont Enterprise brought home eight awards this year from the annual New York Press Association competition, in which 242 weekly newspapers submitted 4,052 entries. We received awards for our coverage of the environment; education; local government; and crime, police, and courts as well as prizes for community leader- ship, feature photos, columns, and feature writing. Our . two first-place awards show the range of Enterprise coverage — from celebrating the wonders of small-town life to taking a provocative look at some of its problems. Reporter Holly Grosch won a first-place prize for her photo- graph of a joyous Jeffrey Weeks washing his family's sheep at the Altamont Fair. \Great photograph promoting an event — perfect fair shot with kid having fun. Nice composi- tion,\ wrote the judges, who were members of the Washing- ton State Newspaper Associa- tion. There were 234 entries in the feature-photo competition and only four first-place winners, one for each of four divisions, based on circulation. {The Enterprise, with a circulation of about 7,000, competes largely in Division 2.) Grosch, who has covered New Scotland for The Enterprise for two years, has, during those two years, also covered the Altamont Fair with equal enthusiasm and care. Her photograph graced the cover of a special section on the fair, designed by Carla Luft. Coverage of Crime, Police and Courts The Enterprise also again took first place for its coverage of crime, police, and courts. The judges wrote that the newspaper \took complicated cases and issues and presented readable stories backed up with plenty of research.\ They also praised the paper's weekly blotters column. \Many newspapers shy away from pub- lishing names of offenders,\ they wrote. \This paper doesn't. Good job.\ The win was based on two edi- tions — June 30 and Sept. 29 — which highlighted the work of Nicole Fay Bar. Fay Barr, who covered the town of Guilderland assiduously for four years, re- cently left her beat for a tougher and more satisfying assignment — motherhood. The front page of the June 30 issue was devoted entirely to Fay Barr's coverage of Erick Westervelt's trial — the young man from Guilderland was con- victed of a brutal hatchet murder while he and his family staunchly maintained his inno- cence. Fay Barr listened to hours of testimony and conducted addi- tional out-of-court interviews to write several stories in a single edition that rang true for both the family of the dead man and the family of the convicted man. The stories were illustrated with pho- tographs by Saranac Hale Spencer of. Westervelt, shackled in handcuffs, and also portraits of his parents and friends who testified at the trial. Other stories highlighted in that edition included Hilltown reporter Matt Cook's story on a Knox man accused of man- slaughter and drunk driving after a crash resulted in the death of a Binghamton professor, and Fay Barr's story on Jason Ku- tey's arraignment for holding his ex-girlfriend hostage in Guilder- land. The front page of the Sept. 29 edition was again devoted en- . J4reJy_t5_a single, issue, .expertly researched and rendered by Fay m S3 1 Holly Grosch won first place in feature photos for her picture gracing the cover of the Enterprise's special section on the Altamont Fair. 'Perfect fair shot with kid having fun.' r -..-,. „ ^...j— Stewart'* wifJb*br**v« Home proposal — page 7 The rAiterprise Albany County's Independent Newspaper For'1 20 Years »•-._•.— «« - «. .-.. 754] Number 49 • Thursday, June 30, 2005 Crime of passion Erick Westervelt convicted of hatchet murder By Nicola Fay lUrr ALU ANY — Entk W«[erraH, who |uM laat (»U waa itudytn* at lha Unimaitr at Aiban. *nd •*• pirin( la b* a rolic* offirrr, in minted W*io*ad.y -fttrtv-n AfttT ft wrik-amM-bnlr trial Jut, Svi, il.* 33-r*ar-*H Cinlrk-r- boit man Iir-at Timothy Oray 10 «vn»li in rhr head =1 hi» fWlh- Uhrin hum* tlint CIrar dwd A faw day* Utrt. Allhanih WtiloroU lull lx- hlnit no t>NA *vtd«ici, b* did wnta and atfn a ronflnmfon. Pto>«litnri «4¥ tir -1<n had H motif* hit «-(iilfntnd liiul lift \I'm »ery pleaied.* AflUtunt Diltrirt Atternay V'*id Sunt, *vha protacutfd lh* (•*«*. told *Thi Bnltrprtm jila/ thtvrrdfrt. \I think tha Bathliharn Polio* DtpartCMnt did an ouulandlnf *1 r«ip«ct th* jury/ Math. Sairo, Wr*larv*1i'l*Uoni*y,*aid ID raipona*. 'But, tar cljtn'l maintain* hii innotrota (hat h* didn't da it. Tha proof n not thar*; Ihara'a n» ftfontiea or ay*witnaa**a. Itr'a get an alibi.\ Tha July wai mo*t ptiiuadcd by Wuttrvall'i eonfaitton and , Uii fact that bo had a oiotiv*,- Run ilid n* d«f»nw tried la convint* (hi jury that WnUrv.lt waa lntarrO(at*d in inch a way that hf nuwi> a fall* confruton Th* Jury didn't accept thai h/ w » cotrcad into a copfMaion.\ Ran, laid It* raid hi', tarn fal»*-confet*ii/n dtUntet b*fiir*, but, IVe na<ar IK-II it »hff* th* onridao' Wtilarvalt will a PPM I. Sicro Mid, Thara arr alfhifitant up- paflau itauaa in th* «aV flacca alludrd ta anMhir brutal raordar in Bathlaham lhat at- nn d ioon aflat Oray'i. Ptt.i Porto wfti blud(»on.i (a drath In hU homa and h» wlfa wn aavaraly injurid. 8»«o tiid thai tb* una unknown (MdUnl had eomtnitud both th* Oisy and Porta Diird«r>. Uh ona haa b**n tharfd in tha Poreo t»u Aaktd abvnt WtikPlll'i f»«- tian ta tb* tafdicl. SUM. .aid. Ila** davMUUd, ofmuraa !!•'* Cadnl IS ntn ta Ufa far aom*. thiflfhadJdntito' W.iUrvalt'a family, toe. • taVinf tha vtrdJct hard, Sana aald. Hit pamtU. hii brothtr. hu thraa aonta, anil «w of bli frttndi war* in tht nnrtroom wh*a Ikt vatdlct w u raid Il'a • harrlbi* fa I* for * boy who baa narar boan 'n Irauhta, Saftenld. Young man's life on trial BY Niroir Kay Ran- ALBANY - Tht atory thai MO fotdtd m the Albany Ouunty C«iith«i«i thu »»« w«* onr «f aharpti'fltraiu Wnt M -y««r ulJ Knelt W'rtfrvrll * hruul miir darai \he blud(ft>iiM( • nmn ihatHiKondWdhlmiodw, u li f \. n< lv . •I . Th» ptofftiiiKin pfttnt^d a pif tiovaf a man wha did cmnpuut haUB.l, (imilai to • boyhi«'-i niuv.nl r halchat Ihnl h.-id huntf on hif r*dn»m wall, in mmnnl . iiijurmdaya lular. Tlicyaay that, althoufh W««tt(V\U'« rurtnir Cirlfrttnd, Jrtrtt* nomafy, 1*0 liim (vt Cray. Wivtarvoll dhl »Pt kit) (hr mm nn Ort S la hi* Beth. U'calarvi'lt hlm«lr aim loan- fi^.1 Ihjt hr uaa h»nu Ihr mlira driy u( Oct. S and that ha m i Surra Hid U'nln»riay. t(Ur iKr jury hmiilrd Jawn c fiillly t-rdirt. thol WrJfrvtll will up- iml J.j.lf. Jotspli C, Tarsal rrldol aa Ihc defam* on Pri- ly cfllltd ila key wtnetm to th* ami After Weiwrrotfa pantnta id hitnilii > u PYrh«r» Iht nk ImonrUnt «|nn i u th* da- 'There art* mi foren»t« In pul him there.' Dut, lh* dafana* pmm M wltnuK* who uld Waitaryall waa borna th* nl(ht of th* trim. < and th*t bla ranrauton. faread by polica, *M a fala* ana. , Wtrtarvflft ihra* b«t (ri.nd* lh* fBOT Culldtrland Kl(h 9*hoo1 (raduata* inarparabt* •laca*J*m*nl*ryachciol. uid ht'l th* nlcfft, moat ptaoaful parvon th*yVt arar known Wa*I*rv«li'i matliar aaid liar aon u a pwd nan. who hud • 111 tl* traubla (iKisf o.(> a braakuP Hh* raollrd a happir' Ura* y*«ra ffu whan, al Lakr C*or|*. ah* l»n(ht liai (on - woodiri lay halchit Ilia Cathor U>d Wait.rv.li w.i with him nn lh* nllht of Oil ft aodthat h* wouldn't li« for him _ r Attorwyi Kanl Sprotbarry and T&tM*r>»->™<*ittrf»r~»( Hark5«teoHwdallorthiir*r|. byjanrHi el tht Albany Ceuniy CourthouM Friday. WttUrvcti, tvlio IMU found guilty W/dnrirtajt for munUtinfon n-firlfntnd't lavtr, layt lit icit forttd by pellet la nnfitt to a crunt lit didn't W**t*r**ll. of Culld.rland, riot do what b* It aixuaad nf Thay i*1 h* did not boat Timo- thy Of*y *o *a'*r*ly with a ftriH — Dr. AlliMfl fUdllch. flcr doubt on V/Mtarv-lt'l ilpi*d eonfaaaian to tha murdti. Th* paycbalsflat Wtllfitd abnitt n*r 'rwwarch ef fall* coo- f«flora, Sprolbarry liUr told Tht Etitfpntt that, altbou|h Wntvrvah Uibl pollreb. com rait- t*d th* trim*. *11* ilidnl do it. * •II * fala* tenfaulon. That'i *tiit ah* UUdlicbi oipUlnad to tha jury It'i nr*ly'd*v*lop*d rvulrncr oiTnlx ronftiiioni. \HF WUJ ul lion)\ hit pannta l»ld In* jury that.' Sprotbarry •aid. There are no fiirrnaka U put him irwrw * Tht Enttrpwt Ihla wrck 0^1--d Auliiant rhatilct Alloroty l)n<id Roiai, who proaatutcd, alinut DMA tvidene* In th* WntarvcR tu t H* a*IJ that* w*a no UNA hut aipart* frnifl • lib laid noihin/ waa uanfunl with IhoL flatal iU» aald that W.tW rv.lt «al familiar with forartjtc 'ContiDuadonPafaJO Gray's sister says: 'This wont bring my brother back' DyNleol* Fay Barr AL0ANY— Jmnlfar Cray (*It both r*li*f and aidant WadttM- ,day, ai a Jury handtd dawn a riilty vtrdifl to EtirJt Wattariy) 1 , proiteutori *ay IdIM >*d that th. jury\.aw lh* truth for what it waa,* J*nnir*r Oray told Tnt EnttrprlH Wadn**d*y •ntdag- 'ItafortunaUli', it* oat foini u bnn* ray broth*T back.* Tiraalhy Oray family, hi* aular aald. At 2*. hia lib waa cat too ahort, ah* taU. Lata on tha night of Oct. S. Btlhtitwra Polle* told Th, tn- itrpritt Lut fall, Woiumlt *r*nt to Oray'a hotua, at' MA EUm*r» AT*., and bait him in tha htad and fata with a hauhal. Cray dj*drW*day«*al*r. W(*Urv«lt, of Oulldarlaod, wujralouamra woman, pollc* aiii. Hi eanfuwd to lb* k***u!t •od, Wadnuday, waa found fttilty.(0*araUtad»toria*) Thiaw**k, Jemifrr Oray. who Ura* with hat family in W*aich- aatar County, dawnbod faitinf a caJI from Dathltham Pol It* un Oct 6 D.Hctim told har to com* t\ Albany Madlcal CrntM rirhl *w>y. ah* aald. bw*ii**h*r brotbtf waa *<varaty injurad •It wa« Jtut h*art-braakinf •h*n \* law him.* Ony and •HU Injuria* war* rruaaom* ' Timothy Cray w*i in a coma, hi* dtr** Mid. and aba n*nr rol to(p**>tohlm*taJn •Haayfoirif paraon* Tiovithy fjray waa lh* middlt -cbildaflhrniibbafi Hii wl»r. \W* ware tlul*,\ lh* B«ld Tim hid a h*arl of fold. H* would do anythinf for anybody and hit •mill would hitll your h**rf Cray fradualad from PlnlU- buvfb Stat* Univiriity and mad* many frUnd* thtr*. hii alalar aaid. 11* h*toaf*d to * friUroUy, to whlth b* was *aiy loyal, ih* •aid Many of hi* fratamlt* Irollura' atUadxl WWurvalla tnal,(b«aaHl flray morad to B*thl.b*iu lut July, ta b* with hi* fjrlfrtnd, (CoflOnutd aa Paf* U) First place: The Enterprise won for its coverage of crime, police, and courts in the New York Press Association 2005 Better Newspaper contest. Stories by Guilderland reporter Nicole Fay •Barrwere a baeked up withrplenty of research\ the judges said. Barr. Her series on abuse was perhaps the most difficult we have run in our 131-year history. We told tiie unusual story of an abused woman and relied on her courage,, even in the face of law-enforcement officials and abuse experts telling us that she or we could be endangered by publishing the story.. Best Column and Feature Story Editor Hale-Spencer, who has written for The Enterprise for 18 years, took a second place this year for Best Column and a third place for Feature Story. \She shares parts of her life and times that unquestionably are the best-read stories in her 'Readable stories backed up with plenty of research.' What made the story unusual was, after the woman had left . her abusive husband, he began . using police, court, and social- service agencies to abuse her, by reporting false incidents. No one else has told her story. Fay Barr did voluminous re- search, sifting through cartons of papers, to verify the incidents. Her series included not just the woman's story, but also the. viewpoints of the agencies who had failed her. Based on Fay Barr's series, we were able to editorialize on changes that need to be made. The Sept. 29 issue also in- cluded a story by Fay Barr on Guilderland's Democratic Coun- cilwoman Patricia Slavick quit- ting her state job because of the Hatch Act; an article by Grosch on graffiti at the Clarksville Ele- mentary School leading to a po- lice sweep; another story by Grosch on a 44-year-old man arrested for molesting two girls while camping; and an article by Cook on a Berne man arrested for molesting a nine-year-old girl left in his care. Community Leadership In a competition without divi- sions, including newspapers of all circulation sizes, The Enter- prise took a second place for Community Leadership. \The paper's dogged, ongoing efforts over several years on an Army toxic waste dump shined a light on a health threat that needed to be addressed,\ the judges wrote. \Thanks to the Enterprise's refusal to quit, cleanup is finally beginning. Good job!\ This year, editor Melissa Hale- Spencer covered the story of the cleanup on Joan Burns's prop- erty. Burns purchased her Guilderland property from the federal government in her youth, without being told of the waste buried there, and has spent most of her life in fear, unable to use her land. Burns credited The Enterprise for its years of cover- age of her plight; the story has been virtually ignored by other media. The Enterprise's in-depth and ongoing series on the toxic waste buried at the old Army depot began in 2002 with work by re- porter Carol Kaelin and was car- ried on, after Kaelin retired, by Fay Barr and Hale-Spencer. Aside from many interviews and detailed research of docu- ments, the .Enterprise's investiga- tion has also been, quite literally, hands-on. Frustrated by lack of funds for testing, Hale-Spencer put on_ tall rubber boots and pro- tective gloves and, under the direction of an environmentalist on the Citizens' Restoration Ad- visory Board, she scooped up samples of bottles that were sur- facing throughout the defoliated areas of Burns's property. Edito- rials have run along with the news stories. newspaper,\ the judges for Best Column said. One of Hale-Spencer's win- ning columns — \A true picture\ — explains the impetus behind the feature story that won third place. Her daughter, photogra- pher Saranac Hale Spencer, cov- ering the Altamont Fair, had taken picture of a part of the fair that neither The Enterprise, nor any other local media, had ever focused on — a sideshow on the midway. Melissa Hale-Spencer de- scribes how her initial revulsion and anger subside as she inter- views the people — self-declared freaks — her daughter has pho- tographed and comes to under- stand, at least in part, their way of life. \This is a thorough look at a curious and fading facet of the entertainment industry,\ write the feature judges of Melissa Hale-Spencer's story, illustrated by Saranac Hale Spencer's pic- tures of Tommy Breen swallow- ing a sword, Ses Carney insert- ing needles into his eyes, Norbert Terhune eating fire, and Chelsea Rammen sitting on an \electric chair\ while she shocks a volun- teer. \In this well-written article,\ the judges say, \Hale-Spencer takes the time to explain the joy behind what at first appears to be a gloomy profession.\ The Feature Story category, always the most competitive in the contest, had 338 entries this year. Coverage of Education Following a long-standing tradition of receiving awards for coverage of education, The En- terprise won third-place this year. The award was based on two editions — March 17 and May 5. The judges termed our coverage \thorough.\ The March 17 edition included an editorial — \Shining school on the Hill\ — commending Berne- Knox-Westerlo for its success rate in meeting new state stan- dards and examining the meth- ods it used. Holly Grosch wrote an in- depth preview, with photo- graphs, of the Voorheesville Di- onysians' Beauty and the Beast, and Hale-Spencer wrote one of the Guilderland Players' produc- tion of Into the Woods. The March issue also included articles by Hale-Spencer on a change in school-board leader- ship and a debate on private funding as well as a two-page spread on an author telling schoolchildren about his journey on the Hudson River. Fay Ban- wrote a story on the effects of town-wide reassessment on school tax rates. The May 5 edition featured a front-page look at\ Ron. \Cook\ Barrett, who spoke at Guilder- land High School, and has made it his mission to reduce gang (Continued on next page)
