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UJAbfSOcl AN pu&ijspLinci *AV uj.Sfse.v,, PZZZ puei japLi.no fuejqn oiiqnd THURSDAY, JUNE 8,2006 DO NOT CLIP ANYTHING from newspapers. This »is defacing library property, and anyone found doing this will be held responsible for the cost of the items defaced. ********************************* ******,!,**,!,,,,,,,,!, 21 years Albany County's independent newspaper ,4* The Enterprise — Holly Grosch Rain, rain go away...little Jack wants to play: Three-year-old Jack Peterson, bundled in a vinyl raincoat, plastic and rubber puddle boots, and carrying a rainbow umbrella, stands by his grandma, a cancer survivor, at Voorheesville's Relay for Life on Saturday. Despite the continuous drizzle, walk- ers also endured keeping at least one team member on the high school track all night in order to raise money for cancer research and support programs. Relay for Life has a second run By Holly Grosch VOORHEESVILLE — \Rain will not wash cancer away!\ Sherry Burgoon shouted into the crowd of soggy supporters at Saturday's Relay for Life fund- raiser to fight cancer. She stood on a tarp-covered podium as people cheered. The turnout at Voorheesville's high school was not as large as last year's first relay event, but spirits were high. The ceremonial second walk around the track, where every participant walks a lap together With cancer survivors in the lead, carried the same awe- inspiring intensity as last year. A swarm of umbrellas floated. gracefully along the curves of the track. This second lap is the most important to cancer survivor Greg Burgoon. The first lap was reserved just for cancer survi- vors. They took the first treGk around the football field with the crowd clapping. Gloria Gaynor's, \I Will Survive\ blasted over loudspeakers. \The first walk to me says I'm a survivor,\ Burgoon told The Enterprise. \Everybody has problems, ours happens to be cancer.\ But it is the \second walk that's most important to me,\ he said. Relay for Life is \awesome he said, because there are two ma- jor components to beating cancer — support and research — which is what the walk is all about. Burgoon who was diagnosed with oral cancer, was one of the guests of honors on Saturday. After 12 surgeries, his face and jaw have been completely recon- structed and he now lives to tell about it. \I wasn't ready to die,\ he said. He motioned with his hand, making a line through the mid- dle of his cheek, \From here down, it was all completely gone,\ he said. He's .been called \a walking cadaver,\ and it's kind of true, he said, because parts from his shoulder, legs, abdomen, and elsewhere were removed to reconstruct his face. The only part of his body that grafts were not taken from, was his left arm because that's where the IVs were during surgery, he said. Burgoon is happy to share his story but, since it would be diffi- cult for a crowd to understand his speech as he talks through swollen tissue, he had his brother, Dan, read a message to the community during the opening ceremony. The two stood by each other. \For many people, it's a silent disease,\ Dan Burgoon read; the cancer can attack any part of your body and grow for years without your knowing about it. Greg Burgoon wrote about his 11-hour surgeries, his weeks in the hospital, and \the support that is so necessary\ .including (Continued on Page 13) Guilderland Town Board Rare 3-2 split leads to delay for re-zoning By Jarrett Carroll GUILDERLAND — If there was one message conveyed dur- ing last Tuesday's town board meeting, it was that proper town planning is necessary. The board listened to public comments on two re-zoning pro- posals — one at the site of a new restaurant and the other for a senior housing complex — but no decisions were made. In a rare 3-2 split, the all- Democratic town board voted to delay re-zone requests for 2026 and 2028 Western Avenue from Local Business to Business Non- Retail Professional, in an effort to address what members call \spot zoning.\ Those parcels are the site of a former flower shop, where the zoning board has now approved variances and a permit for an Italian restaurant. Supervisor Kenneth Runion and board member Michael Ri- cafdfvoted against board ,mem- ber. 1 David Bos'worth's proposal to delay the vote. Board members Patricia Slavick and Paul Pas- tore voted in favor of the pro- posal. \I feel-the board made a mis- take in making.the lots Local Business, so I don't feel a delay is necessary,\ Runion said at the meeting, adding that he already gave an extensive review of the lot's history. Bosworth, who chairs Guild- erland's Democratic party, sent Runion an e-mail prior to the meeting, asking for a delay in the re-zone vote because he be- lieves other similarly-zoned par- cels along the busy Western Avenue corridor should be re- viewed in order to prevent future problems. \I'd like to postpone the vote and ask the town planner to look at other parcels on Western Avenue,\ Bosworth said, adding that he did not want the owners of the two Western Avenue prop- erties to feel singled out. Pastore, the tie-breaker, was hesitant with his vote in favor of the delay. \I'm going to vote in favor,\ Pastore said, but warned, \What we are doing is setting a prece- dent for an Appellate review of the planning and zoning boards, and I am wary of that,\ Pastore said. Runion reminded everyone at the meeting that the restaurant slated to open at 2026 Western Ave., which was the source of a neighborhood petition asking for the re-zoning, would retain its special-use permit, no matter what the property is zoned. \The ability of the restaurant to open is not in jeopardy by any action that this board takes,\ Runion said. The re-zone, if it goes through, would restrict the parcels to lighter uses, such as a doctor's office or lawyer's office. The par- cels on busy Route 20, are backed by a residential neigh- borhood. Town planner Jan Weston told the board that she wanted to speak with Supervisor Runion about the \scope\ of the zoning reviews. During the public-comment period at the beginning of the meeting, the new restaurant's owner, Connie Ware, and her attorney, Rob Adams, spoke to the board. \I purchased the prop- erty...because I felt it would be a (Continued on Page 19) GOP chair charged with DWI By Saranac Hale Spencer GUILDERLAND — Remorse sits heavy but doesn't right wrongs for Antonio Cortes. The chairman of the stagnant Guilderland Republican Com- mittee, Cortes, was arrested in Colonie on May 28 and charged with driving while intoxicated; his blood alcohol content was over .08 percent, according to the Colonie Police Department. His position on the committee isn't certain at this point, though he is full-speed ahead with go- ings-on for the party, he said. Cortes told The Enterprise that he will meet with the Al- bany County Republican Com- mittee chair, Peter Kermani, next Monday. They will discuss his situation and proceed with party logistics, like getting peti- tions ready for the next election, he said. Kermani didn't return a phone call from The Enterprise yesterday. Guilderland politics had been dominated by Republicans for over a century, but the GOP has not done well in recent elections. Although enrollment in town is about one-third Republicans, one-third Democrats, and one- third independents or small party, only one town post is still held by a Republican — the long- time highway superintendent. There will be a decision on who •yvill chair the committee \sometime in the following week,\ said Cortes. As far as who might step in to the position (Continued on Page 10) i* Inside this week's edition starting on page.... News Opinion Community Calendar l^ie] Classifieds N»«l Sports l Pa 9 e29
