Upwards of 200 volunteers were present on Thursday for a day of service to commemorate the anniversary of September 11th at Lawson Lake. I joined Albany County Executive Daniel McCoy, Senator Cecilia Tkaczyk, and Albany County Sheriff Craig Apple at the park in thanking the volunteers for their efforts. Located on the border of the Towns of Coeymans and New Scotland, Lawson Lake is a 420-acre park includes a lake, wetlands, forested upland, open fields, waterfalls and streams. Fish found in lake include black crappie, large mouth bass, pickerel, and various sunfish. There are also many species of birds and excellent opportunities for wildlife viewing at and around the lake. A loop trail offers access for hiking and cross country skiing.

Centennial celebration of Thatcher Park. On Saturday, Sept. 13 from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., John Boyd Thacher Park will celebrate its 100th anniversary with a variety of events and activities for the entire family to enjoy. Free to attend. For more information, visit nysparks.org.

Celebrating Special Green Spaces in Albany County. On Saturday, Sept. 13 at 9 a.m., The Pine Hollow Arboretum, Mohawk Hudson Cycling Club and Mohawk Hudson Land Conservancy join in Celebrating Special Green Spaces in Albany County with a bike road tour.

This 35-40 mile ride will include riding by and perhaps briefly stopping at a few Mohawk Hudson Land Conservancy properties located along the Bozenkill beyond Altamont; cross the new rail trail running from the Port of Albany to Voorheesville, and ride through the Five Rivers Environmental Education Center. The ride begins at the Pine Hollow Arboretum Visitor Center, located at 16 Maple Avenue in Slingerlands and ends at the office of the Mohawk Hudson Land Conservancy, 425 Kenwood Avenue in Delmar.

Pop Place in Downtown Albany. From September 13th through the 18th, Capitalize Albany will host a series of pop up shops in public spaces to help support entrepreneurs and increase the community’s vibrancy.

The project introduces new business concepts and engages pedestrians. This effort allows people to visualize unique types of retail spaces and offers the kind of stores that serve the retail strategy recommendations emerging from the Impact Downtown initiative.

The overall “Pop-Place” concept seeks to momentarily revitalize a neighborhood by developing a temporary initiative that has the ability to surprise, provoke, and entertain residents and visitors in ways that change perceptions about the places where they occur. More information can be accessed here.

Upper Madison Street Fair. The Upper Madison Street Fair takes place on Sunday, Sept. 21 from Noon to 5 p.m. The fair takes place at the western end of Madison Avenue between South Allen and West Lawrence Streets. The street is blocked from the flow of traffic for an afternoon of music, dancing, art, food, and fun for all ages! For more information, visit uppermadison.org.

Route 85 rehabilitation. The proposed project, expected to begin in 2015 and conclude in 2016, would involve reconstruction of the road between where Route 85 travels over the Thruway to Route 85's intersection with Interstate 90. Read more about it via Time Warner Cable News.

Job Opportunities: New York State has setup a new job portal entitled Jobs Express, where thousands of private and public sector jobs are listed. Visit jobs.ny.gov for more information on how to apply for these opportunities.

As always, for the latest about my office’s happenings or for upcoming events, please visit my office online, on Facebook, on Twitter, or my Times Union blog. If you would like to reach my office, please feel free to send us a note.

Sincerely ---

Pat