{ title: 'The Altamont enterprise and Albany County post. (Altamont, N.Y.) 2006-current, December 21, 2006, Page 2, Image 2', download_links: [ { link: 'http://www.loc.gov/rss/ndnp/ndnp.xml', label: 'application/rss+xml', meta: 'News about NYS Historic Newspapers - RSS Feed', }, { link: '/lccn/2006245259/2006-12-21/ed-1/seq-2/png/', label: 'image/png', meta: '', }, { link: '/lccn/2006245259/2006-12-21/ed-1/seq-2.pdf', label: 'application/pdf', meta: '', }, { link: '/lccn/2006245259/2006-12-21/ed-1/seq-2/ocr.xml', label: 'application/xml', meta: '', }, { link: '/lccn/2006245259/2006-12-21/ed-1/seq-2/ocr.txt', label: 'text/plain', meta: '', }, ] }
Image provided by: Guilderland Public Library
The Altamont Enterprise - Thursday, December 21,2006 Editorial Death raises questions And we want answers No other media, besides The Enterprise, has covered the death of Mabel Speanburg. Why? . Perhaps because it has been hard to find out about it. Ms. Speanburg was a New Visions resident and we were told of her death by workers at New Visions, ah organization that has group homes, apartments, and a day facility to serve people who are mentally retarded or have developmental disabilities. How could an accident have happened on a public road that no one outside of New Visions knew much about? Was someone really dead because of it? We could find no family to talk to. It took our reporter, Jarrett Carroll, several days to piece together the circumstances of Ms. Speanburg's death. We began by filing Freedom of Information Law requests with three differ- ent police agencies for records that didn't exist. Mr. Carroll got the first piece of useful information from a rescue squad member who knew about the accident. From that, he could find out more. On Nov. 6, Ms. Speanburg, a 60-year-old who used a wheel- chair, was being transported in a New Visions van from the main facility on Krumkill Road in Bethlehem when it collided with another New Visions van in front of hers after the lead van stopped abruptly. Mr. Carroll learned this from the Bethlehem Police who said that, at about 3:21 p ; m. on that Monday, they assisted an ambulance on Krumkill Road after they received a call stating, \A 60-year-old woman fell out of her wheelchair inside an as- sisted van.\ The Western Turnpike Rescue Squad responded to the acci- dent and transported Ms. Speanburg to St. Peter's Hospital in Albany. \We treated her for lacerations and for a possible head injury,\ said Howard Huth, chief of operations for the rescue squad. According to Albany City Hall's vital statistics department, Ms. Speanburg died two days later, on Nov. 8, at St Peter's Hospital. \It was a tragic, tragic accident that touched all of us deeply,\ said Margie Sheehan, director of communications for New Vi- sions. Every death is painful to the people who knew and loved the person who died. •; Bu^a death resulting from an accident is troubling to those beyond friends and family, and often merits media coverage. Ms. Speanburg's death raised even more troubling questions. More than a month after Mabel Speanburg died, the executive director of New Visions, Andrew McKenzie, was unwilling to answer our questions about the crash. He said the incident is still under investigation by New Visions and that it would be \irre- sponsible\ to release details prematurely. New Visions workers told us that Ms. Speanburg did not have her seat belt on and they said that, with just one staff member on the van, clients cannot be properly maintained. They also made other allegations about the circumstances surrounding the crash that we chose not to print because we could not substantiate them. Mary Cox of the Bethlehem Police said no written report was filed because no tickets were issued at the accident. We filed a request under the New York's Freedom of Informa- tion Law with the state's Office of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities, which is charged with investigating such accidents. The request was filed on Dec. 11; an agency has five days to respond, according to state law. We've gotten no response. We don't want to jump to conclusions. Perhaps, if we were able to obtain reports on the accident, we'd find nothing awry. Per- haps we'd learn that Ms. Speanburg was properly secured in the van and died of unrelated causes at the hospital. We have, in the past, lauded New Visions, its group homes and programs. We believe that well-run homes for the disabled are not only good for the home's residents but for the community at large. We have fought prejudice to site such homes and will continue to do so. Residents of these homes, those with mental disabilities, are the most vulnerable among us. If it turns out to be true that lack of staffing led to a client not being properly secured in a van, we need to know so that action can be taken to prevent it from happening again. A letter-writer this week said we owe New Visions an apology for last week's front-page story on Ms. Speanburg's death and the questions it raised. Rather, we believe New Visions owes us some answers. And so does the state office charged with overseeing such programs. Mr. McKenzie told us last week that deaths are usually private family matters and New Visions residents are all one*big family. In response to workers' allegations that the death was covered. up, Mr. McKenzie said no order was ever given about not talking to the media, but, according to standard operating procedures, as with ftiany companies, a chain is developed in order to deal with media relations. \ \Not even the board of directors is allowed to talk to the presp,\ said Mr. McKenzie. No one would be asked to cover up the details pfa \loved one's\ death, he said. So let's haVfe the details. Surely six weeks is enough time to hayeihvestiiiai^ed a ttyb-van crash. A death tftat results from an accident on a public roaji, involving workers and residents of a facility that uses public funds is not a private matter. The police and the Office of Mental Retardation are both public agencies th%^o1ila pr^Q^^itdils as well. • WeroWjEi'it to Ms. Speanburg, and others like her, to find the answers.' ' . The Enterprise opinion pages are an open forum for our community We encourage readers to express their thoughts about issues that appear in this newspaper or affect the community Letters should be brief (with an^fei^e .limit of 1,000 words) and must include the writer's address, nanj^is^ipnbne. number for verification The editors'may reject letter&tKaJ; have been printed elsewhere Letters concerning elections will'wfcruf off 6n6 issue before the «y ^AJP / - g election at the/editpi's discretion. No unsigned I ^m \jf €^^%^t/€X letters. Deadiin%ior'letters is Tuesday at noon wrv m *- Conditions at New Visiiro should not he thrashed out in newspaper To the Editor: I am writing in response to your front page story last week, Dec. 14, headlined \Crash kills New Visions client, leads to ques- tions.\ First let me say that, though I never knew Mabel Speanburg, I also mourn her death and extend my sympathy to all who loved her. As a person once seriously involved in resi- * dential programming for those with developmental disabilities, I take a particular. interest in reports of this kind and was shocked to read of a client being killed while a passenger in a residence van. The account of this is out- rageous. First of all, Ms. Spean- burg did not die asthe result of a crash. Well into the long account, we learn that she was a passen- ger in one of two vans which collided while leaving the pro- gram site on Krumkill Road. Unfortunately, her seat belt had not been fastened and her wheelchair fell over, causing facial lacerations and \a possible head injury.\ The actual cause of her death was not released to The Enterprise at the time of the story, but it seems unlikely that she died directly from the in- juries she received. The Enter- prise headline suggests a major accident, a crash probably taking place on a highway and resulting in a woman's death. This is downright dishonest reporting. A large blot has been placed on the reputation of New Visions and always people who read the story will remember it as the poorly run agency in which a women was killed in a program van crash. The main purpose of the story appears to be to offer an oppor- tunity for agency employees to express their dissatisfaction with working conditions and management at New Visions. Readers can't know how much of this is true, but it certainly is not something to be thrashed out in the newspaper. We have been readers of The Enterprise for over 40 years and have appreciated much about it, particularly the attention given to local news. In recent years, though, there has been an increase in the spec- tacular, more attention given to making news than simply re- porting it. Melissa Hale-Spencer is a fine journalist with keen insight. I was surprised to see her name on this story. New Visions deserves an apology for whatever small good it may do. Morag Stauffer Guilderland Center Editor's note: My name was not on the story; it was written by our Guilderland reporter, Jarrett Carroll. I edited the story and consider it a well-researched and much-needed piece of journalism. See this week's editorial. — Melissa Hale-Spencer Support the library's millon-dollar campaign To the Editor: Do you know how important your contribution to the Alta- mont Free Library can be during this holiday season? The Alta- mont Free Library is launching a $1 million campaign to renovate the historic Altamont Train Station so that we can move the library from the basement of the KeyBank building to a modern facility, accessible to all. Because of its location, many of our patrons do not have ac- cess to our library's services. In order to move to the train sta- tion, extensive interior and exterior repairs need to be done. We are fortunate to live in a community that appreciates the importance of our library and the vital need to preserve our historic buildings. The Altamont Free Library has applied for grants to cover some of the costs; however, the library relies on the voluntary donations of our generous supporters in order to make this dream a reality. There are many ways to support the Library Building Fund: by making a contribution in honor of a loved one, donating money for year-end charitable giving purposes, or just by giving as generous a gift as you can afford. There are also naming opportunities at many different giving levels. ,..>» Your support of the Altamont Free Library will be greatly appreciated, as is the support of those who have already contri- buted. Please call me at 861-7239 or stop by the library. Thank you for including us on your giving list! Judith Wines Director Altamont Free Library First Clarksville Heritage Day a success To the Editor: The first annual Clarksville Heritage Day was held on Aug. 26, and it rained all day. The car show turnout was low, as well as the number of spectators. Finan- cially, we made a profit. On behalf of the Clarksville Historical Society, I would like to thank the following people, busi- nesses, and organizations for their help, support, and dona- tions for the Clarksville Heritage Day: J and S Automotive, Brian Pangman (Snap-On), Nichols' Market, June's Place, Joseph T. Hogan Appliance & Electric Ser- vice, Paul Martin,- Pep Boys, Helderberg Oil, WM. Biers Inc., Stewart's Shops, Toll Gate Ice •Cream, Joe Merli (blacksmith), Michele Segerjberg (volunteer Iwildlife rehabilitator); Oriesque- thaw Volunteer Fire Company, and Mountain Treadlers Fiber Art. Also: Onesquethaw Fish'& Game Club, Inc., Otiefequethaw- Coeymans Watershed Council, Clarksville Post Office, Pdst- master Donna Martin; MohaWk Hudson. Land'' 0t>rise#a:iicy, Clarksville Comfuujttity Chiiiich, Clarksville AutdmbtiveJ history 2006 Booklet Advertisers, Anne Gepfert, Lisa and Larry Pelky, Wendy Storm, Kristine Crookes, Kathy and Garth Barrett, Russ Shaver, Sean Dwyer, Roxanne Neumann, John Crookes, and Charles Sparkman. Also: Car show co-chairs Steven Crookes and Bob Van- Alstyne; car show judges Scott Myers, Frank Tracey and Chuck Bereriger; booklet editor Tristan Fritz; advertising representa- tives Janice Crookes and Mike Cootware; advertising designs Michelle VanAlstyiie; publicity Susan Dee; and all the CHS members who participated. The second annual Clarksville Heritage Day will be held on Aug. 4, 2007. If you have any ideas, Suggestions or would like to help, please contact me. Oft Oct. 15, at 1 p.m. hear the intersection of Route 443 afld Cass Hill Road* the CHS dedi- cated •Thei Battleof^^CJiarksviile\ historical marker. Theft, we pro- ceeded dWn Route 443 to, the second dedication site, between the GVange flaii and Mill iR6ad on the south side of Route 443. At this site, wededicated the \BlafeksinitnShop oh the West side, and the \Harmanus Bogar- dus House,\ on the east side. This is the first two different text on each side of the marker in Albany County and most likely in New York State. The first historical marker cost $750 and the second marker cost $1,050 for a total of $1,800. We are still accepting your tax-deductible donations, to- wards the cost of the two histor- ical markers. At present, we have received $650 in donations. Following the dedications, we were given a copy of the Histo- ric Marker Road Rally directions and a quiz. After the excellent road rally, we met at the Clarks- ville Coritfnunity Church for a fantastic potluck supper'. I would like to thank Bob and Michelle VanAlstyiie for all their hard work putting together the road rally and potluck supper. Everyone enjpyed it very much. The CHS heeds your help and support. Please donate your time,, artifacts, and tax-deduct- ible donations. As always, please contact me with any comments and qttefc$bns. Joseph T. Hogan, President ClarksvilleHistorical Society
