New York
Related: About this forumPrison officers block news crew from tourist site
WILTON (AP) An upstate New York TV crew was threatened with arrest by corrections officers as they filmed at a public historic site on the grounds of an empty, soon-to-be-closed state prison, the station said.
Mark Mulholland, a reporter for Albanys NewsChannel 13, was working Thursday on a story about Grants Cottage, the site in the Saratoga County town of Wilton where President Ulysses S. Grant died, according to the stations account. He was confronted by a lieutenant from the Mount McGregor Correctional Facility who said the crew had not gotten prior permission to film and ordered them off the property while demanding their footage.
Officers in the meantime allowed tourists access to the site, the station reported.
Eric Hoppel, the stations news director, said Friday that Mulhollands crew had no problem covering re-enactors marking the 129th anniversary of Grants death on Wednesday, but ran into trouble returning the next day for footage showing the proximity of Grants Cottage to the prison, which is closing Saturday.
- See more at: http://m.herkimertelegram.com/article/20140725/NEWS/140729596/1999/NEWS#sthash.cWwGAb7M.dpuf
Cooley Hurd
(26,877 posts)...I made a beeline to Grant's Cottage, only to find it was on the grounds of a correctional facility. I was denied access to an important historic site because it was "off season" (it was June). Cannot WAIT for the goddamned prison to close so I can see General Grant's cottage!
hrmjustin
(71,265 posts)Cooley Hurd
(26,877 posts)hrmjustin
(71,265 posts)Cooley Hurd
(26,877 posts)Love or hate General Grant (I happen to like him), this is where he spent his last days. From what I've read, the state of the cottage is exactly the way it was the day he died (to a history junkie like me, that's freakin' HEROIN!). But, I was denied access.
hrmjustin
(71,265 posts)Cooley Hurd
(26,877 posts)A bit wilted, but the same friggin' flowers! For history nut me, overwhelming!!!!
hrmjustin
(71,265 posts)Cooley Hurd
(26,877 posts)...kinda like a time capsule:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grant_Cottage_State_Historic_Site
hrmjustin
(71,265 posts)Rhiannon12866
(206,013 posts)My grandmother was big on taking us to all kinds of historic sites around here and she was friendly with the elderly Japanese lady who was the caretaker of Grant's Cottage. The last time I tried visiting must have been in the '80s, after the prison was there, and the guards with guns nearby were intimidating enough that I just turned around and got out of there!
Having been inside numerous times, it's actually kind of creepy. The clock is stopped at the minute of General Grant's death, his dusty funeral flowers are preserved there as well as his used bandages, believe he died of throat cancer.
hrmjustin
(71,265 posts)I can't get over the bandages and the flowers still being there.
Rhiannon12866
(206,013 posts)But my grandmother was great at taking us to all kinds of historical places - and there sure are a lot around here - and I'm grateful for it. My grandmother is buried in the same cemetery as Jane McCrea, of Revolutionary War fame. That was the incident that disturbed me greatly as a little kid. There are numerous graphic paintings of her being scalped by American Indians.
hrmjustin
(71,265 posts)Greenwood Cemetery here in Brooklyn is great to walk around in.
Rhiannon12866
(206,013 posts)Guess that was her way of entertaining us, LOL, but I learned to appreciate the history there. She was the only one in my family who took me out when I was learning to drive, would take me to cemeteries to practice turning...
hrmjustin
(71,265 posts)Rhiannon12866
(206,013 posts)hrmjustin
(71,265 posts)Rhiannon12866
(206,013 posts)Nothing is within walking distance and the only public transportation is taxi service. There are buses in Glens Falls, and a summer trolley service to Lake George, but they don't come anywhere near me.
hrmjustin
(71,265 posts)My sister drives so if I need it she is always willing to help.
Rhiannon12866
(206,013 posts)The first time I flew overseas, went to Ireland when I was a teenager, my mother insisted that my parents take me to the airport. My Dad refused, so my grandmother drove me to my uncle's in New Jersey and he took me to JFK.
hrmjustin
(71,265 posts)Rhiannon12866
(206,013 posts)Yes, I went there with my fifth grade class, LOL, would really like to go back sometime!
hrmjustin
(71,265 posts)They want to make a casino near there.
I also remember the smaller Secret Caverns.
Rhiannon12866
(206,013 posts)We have enough issues without bringing more gambling to the area.
A couple of years ago my cousin, who currently lives in Connecticut, wanted to meet my brother and me at Howe's Caverns, an excuse to get together, but my brother wouldn't go.
hrmjustin
(71,265 posts)I really wish they did not vote for these things.
Rhiannon12866
(206,013 posts)I grew up in Saratoga. In the summer, when the track was open, all kinds of undesirables came to town along with the racing set and the beautiful horses.
hrmjustin
(71,265 posts)Tuxedo NY is fighting the casino development as well.
Rhiannon12866
(206,013 posts)The ones we get now are bad enough...
hrmjustin
(71,265 posts)God help us.
Rhiannon12866
(206,013 posts)Often at the expense of those who can least afford it.
hrmjustin
(71,265 posts)Rhiannon12866
(206,013 posts)Apparently she spent all her money and had no way home. She has serious addiction problems.
hrmjustin
(71,265 posts)Rhiannon12866
(206,013 posts)The only time we ever hear about these things is if someone gets in legal trouble.
hrmjustin
(71,265 posts)Rhiannon12866
(206,013 posts)When I was a kid, my friend's stepfather worked summers at the $50 window at the track. He acquired all kinds of "friends" who'd regularly stop by just to say hello, since nobody knew they weren't actually betting.
hrmjustin
(71,265 posts)Rhiannon12866
(206,013 posts)My Dad used to take us to see the horses. We'd sit with the rich people in the mayor's box.
hrmjustin
(71,265 posts)Rhiannon12866
(206,013 posts)To run in the Travers.
hrmjustin
(71,265 posts)Rhiannon12866
(206,013 posts)hrmjustin
(71,265 posts)Rhiannon12866
(206,013 posts)As you know, I grew up in Saratoga, now it's about 20 minutes south. With the track as their biggest tourist card, I don't think a prohibition on casino gambling stands a chance.
hrmjustin
(71,265 posts)It is a shame.
hrmjustin
(71,265 posts)Rhiannon12866
(206,013 posts)You've been doing a super job! And it now looks like we're on the same MIRT schedule...
hrmjustin
(71,265 posts)The team seems like a good one. I am also glad skinner is making changes to the host forum.
I won't miss access to it.
Rhiannon12866
(206,013 posts)As for the host forum changes, I'm a "wait and see," though I'm kinda bummed since the forums I'm a host for, especially LBN, have long time and experienced hosts who have gotten used to working well together.
hrmjustin
(71,265 posts)We shall see. I won't miss the forum.
Rhiannon12866
(206,013 posts)When I was first a mod, back in 2007, we all worked with separate forums. I was an LBN mod back then. But when I came back a couple of years later, all the mods worked together on all the forums and it worked well, but I'm not sure how it will work with the hosts. First of all, will all the hosts for all the forums remain as hosts? I'll be cool with it if there's no fighting. When I was a mod, we got along pretty much the same way we do in MIRT.
hrmjustin
(71,265 posts)Rhiannon12866
(206,013 posts)That may be a good thing, since we've had a couple of them that were disruptive, like the one who objected to locking anything in LBN. Guess we'll see...
hrmjustin
(71,265 posts)Rhiannon12866
(206,013 posts)I'm already a host in four of the major forums and have been for quite awhile...
hrmjustin
(71,265 posts)I will stick to the two groups I host and mirt. I will be getting a new star in the next few months.
Rhiannon12866
(206,013 posts)I didn't read anything about current hosts being ineligible unless they had hidden posts.
hrmjustin
(71,265 posts)30 members will be chosen tomorrow from the top of the lists of forum hosts. It might be a mess at first but people will deal with it.
Rhiannon12866
(206,013 posts)But I guess many of the others didn't. I would imagine that most of the current hosts fit those qualifications...
hrmjustin
(71,265 posts)Rhiannon12866
(206,013 posts)From my perspective, I think the most active hosts should be chosen.
hrmjustin
(71,265 posts)Rhiannon12866
(206,013 posts)Sometimes when we get an alert late at night, I take a look at the list to see who might still be around - and I often notice names I've never seen.
hrmjustin
(71,265 posts)The whole idea was to have a large group that can be on different hours of the day but some seem to forget or just want access to the room.
Rhiannon12866
(206,013 posts)But that was occasionally true with the mods - or on MIRT, as you know. We seem to have good coverage in the morning, have a couple of super LBN mods who always check in, but I'm always looking for who else might be around at night... Last night I must have nuked DTG a half dozen times after midnight.
hrmjustin
(71,265 posts)Rhiannon12866
(206,013 posts)And I am very poor about cleaning out my inbox...
hrmjustin
(71,265 posts)Rhiannon12866
(206,013 posts)But I think it's safe for me to get rid of PMs from previous terms...
hrmjustin
(71,265 posts)Rhiannon12866
(206,013 posts)Though it would help a great deal if we had Forum Search.
hrmjustin
(71,265 posts)Rhiannon12866
(206,013 posts)Sometimes I'm sure we've discussed someone before, but I'm practically cross eyed after going through numerous previous pages...
hrmjustin
(71,265 posts)How is the weather there?
Rhiannon12866
(206,013 posts)And the weather has been just awful here! It started raining last night, lightning and thunder, but when I got up today it was worse, teeming rain with a vengeance, and it's not over yet!
hrmjustin
(71,265 posts)Have not used the ac yet this summer.
Rhiannon12866
(206,013 posts)I can't imagine living without AC these days, and I live right next to the mountains!
hrmjustin
(71,265 posts)When did the snow finally melt?
Rhiannon12866
(206,013 posts)And I can remember having a blizzard here in May...
hrmjustin
(71,265 posts)I figured you might find this interesting.
Historic NY
(37,453 posts)since the inmates aren't there any more 3 months ahead of schedule the photographic restriction is off. The place is closed effective today.
http://www.saratogian.com/general-news/20140422/last-of-mcgregors-inmates-now-gone
Someone should have called Albany - NYS Historic Preservation.
http://poststar.com/news/local/prison-officers-detain-reporters-working-on-grant-cottage-story/article_01347390-143b-11e4-99fd-001a4bcf887a.html
hrmjustin
(71,265 posts)Historic NY
(37,453 posts)hrmjustin
(71,265 posts)ABCin2014
(74 posts)The closure of Mt. McGregor (and other prisons) has been a big issue for the corrections officers union and locals, as corrections is a big employer in the north country. I have to question if the reporters were actually there to do a story on the Grant Cottage, if they were, they probably would have called the Dept of Corrections or the Dept of Parks first to make arrangements.
If they were doing a story on the prison closure, they wouldn't call because the current administration would never let them near the place. Cuomo is not well-regarded in the North Country, and is not above bullying to control the media and message.
Historic NY
(37,453 posts)in the end the media won the Lt. was over excercising authority he didn't have.
ABCin2014
(74 posts)The orders came from much, much higher.