The CRIBA Blog :: Live Local, Buy Local » Author: Justin Cresswell http://blog.criba.org Tue, 24 Nov 2009 16:55:02 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 en hourly 1 John Ray and Sons gets into the pink http://blog.criba.org/2008/10/03/john-ray-and-sons-gets-into-the-pink/ http://blog.criba.org/2008/10/03/john-ray-and-sons-gets-into-the-pink/#comments Fri, 03 Oct 2008 09:28:15 +0000 Justin Cresswell http://cribany.wordpress.com/?p=104 CRIBA founding board member Ken Ray, President of John Ray and Sons, has partnered with the Northeastern New York affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure organization which funds breast cancer research, education, screening, and treatment in the Capital District.

One of John Ray’s 5,000-gallon fuel trucks was painted pink, and 1 cent from every gallon the truck delivers will be donated. Ken’s wife, Fran, is a 12-year survivor of breast cancer. We congratulate Ken and Fran for their service to the community. They are a shining example of the positive impact a business owner can make.

The annoucement was covered here in the Troy Record.

]]> http://blog.criba.org/2008/10/03/john-ray-and-sons-gets-into-the-pink/feed/ 0 Jennings: The City of Albany is open for business. http://blog.criba.org/2008/09/26/jennings-the-city-of-albany-is-open-for-business/ http://blog.criba.org/2008/09/26/jennings-the-city-of-albany-is-open-for-business/#comments Fri, 26 Sep 2008 01:46:55 +0000 Justin Cresswell http://cribany.wordpress.com/?p=90 Speaking of downtown Albany, Mayor Jerry Jennings said “We have an inventory of every building that’s down there.”  See what else he said.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TO0UJ4oBlIY]

]]> http://blog.criba.org/2008/09/26/jennings-the-city-of-albany-is-open-for-business/feed/ 0 CRIBA thanks everyone for attending the Stacy Mitchell event http://blog.criba.org/2008/09/23/criba-thanks-everyone-for-attending-the-stacy-mitchell-event/ http://blog.criba.org/2008/09/23/criba-thanks-everyone-for-attending-the-stacy-mitchell-event/#comments Tue, 23 Sep 2008 16:20:23 +0000 Justin Cresswell http://cribany.wordpress.com/?p=71 Anthony Cresswell)

Stacy Mitchell addresses the group at Carmine's Restaurant (Credit: Anthony Cresswell)

CRIBA is off to a great start, and we owe it all to you. The response from the Stacy Mitchell breakfast last Friday was great.  Sixty-five people attended to hear Stacy speak about how we as residents, owners, employees, and activists can work toward substantive change. We thank everyone for attending, especially Mayor Jerry Jennings, who gave an impromptu speech, excerpts of which are here.

To Carmine, Armand and the wonderful staff at Carmine’s Restaurant, we say thank you for rising so early and so high for the event. To Paul and Pat from Talk 1300, we say thank you for spreading the word and broadcasting live that morning. To CRIBA’s founding board, we say thank you for your support, in all its different forms. And to Stacy Mitchell, we say thank you for writing Big Box Swindle and for being such a strong voice for true change.

Following the event, we took Stacy to WRGB Channel 6 in Schenectady where she was interviewed by Liz Bishop on the noon news broadcast. Stacy’s segment immediately followed news of the federal government’s $700 billion bailout of the mortgage industry. This juxtaposition emphasized the rationale for doing business with local vendors during the current economic crisis.

]]> http://blog.criba.org/2008/09/23/criba-thanks-everyone-for-attending-the-stacy-mitchell-event/feed/ 2 Addressing the Group: Albany Mayor Jennings http://blog.criba.org/2008/09/19/albany-mayor-jennings-addressing-the-group/ http://blog.criba.org/2008/09/19/albany-mayor-jennings-addressing-the-group/#comments Fri, 19 Sep 2008 12:48:46 +0000 Justin Cresswell http://cribany.wordpress.com/?p=69 “I know the importance of small local business.”

“The City of Albany is open for business. If anyone wants to sit with me, sit with our economic development people, we’re open. . . We do need more retail. . .we want to diversify even further.”

“I need retail to support the residential.”

“Don’t be shy. Call us up.”

]]> http://blog.criba.org/2008/09/19/albany-mayor-jennings-addressing-the-group/feed/ 1 Last question – about unions and strange bedfellows http://blog.criba.org/2008/09/19/last-question-about-unions-and-strange-bedfellows/ http://blog.criba.org/2008/09/19/last-question-about-unions-and-strange-bedfellows/#comments Fri, 19 Sep 2008 12:44:10 +0000 Justin Cresswell http://cribany.wordpress.com/?p=66 Unions and local businesses can work together in new ways. Stacy’s talking about how the Maine Informed Decision Act grew from a strange confluence.

“Several hunderd business owners, labor leaders and environmental groups all have the same interests.”

Full disclosure – my dad asked the question. He’s also taking lots of photos that you’ll see soon!

]]> http://blog.criba.org/2008/09/19/last-question-about-unions-and-strange-bedfellows/feed/ 0 Hidden costs http://blog.criba.org/2008/09/19/hidden-costs/ http://blog.criba.org/2008/09/19/hidden-costs/#comments Fri, 19 Sep 2008 12:41:19 +0000 Justin Cresswell http://cribany.wordpress.com/?p=64 Stacy’s answering an audience question about zoning and the rash of site abandonment by big-boxers and the hidden development costs incurred by local governments.

A single Wal-Mart generated 10,000 car trips a day. A day. Just one day.

A large number of police calls generated by Wal-Marts, for police services, traffic, and accidents.

Road maintenance

“Big-boxers even play municipalities against each other.”

]]> http://blog.criba.org/2008/09/19/hidden-costs/feed/ 0 Portland, Maine’s IBA http://blog.criba.org/2008/09/19/portland-maines-iba/ http://blog.criba.org/2008/09/19/portland-maines-iba/#comments Fri, 19 Sep 2008 12:30:32 +0000 Justin Cresswell http://cribany.wordpress.com/?p=61 The Portland, Maine IBA has over 200 members now, and is only a couple of years old.  Portland is Stacy’s hometown.

]]> http://blog.criba.org/2008/09/19/portland-maines-iba/feed/ 0 You need to be part of CRIBA. http://blog.criba.org/2008/09/19/you-need-to-be-part-of-criba/ http://blog.criba.org/2008/09/19/you-need-to-be-part-of-criba/#comments Fri, 19 Sep 2008 12:28:58 +0000 Justin Cresswell http://cribany.wordpress.com/?p=59 As Jim Gile said as he introduced Stacy – “You need to be part of CRIBA.  We can make a difference!”

JOIN TODAY!

How’s that for subtle?

]]> http://blog.criba.org/2008/09/19/you-need-to-be-part-of-criba/feed/ 0 How this is already working http://blog.criba.org/2008/09/19/how-this-is-already-working/ http://blog.criba.org/2008/09/19/how-this-is-already-working/#comments Fri, 19 Sep 2008 12:26:26 +0000 Justin Cresswell http://cribany.wordpress.com/?p=57 “Trends are not destiny.”

“More and more people are waking up to the true cost of big-box retail”

“A growing number of places are…getting rid of subsidies for retail development.”

Arizona has recently made some important changes to alter the political dynamic.

“Legislative initiatives spoke up and made a difference there.”

]]> http://blog.criba.org/2008/09/19/how-this-is-already-working/feed/ 0 Albany Mayor Jerry Jennings just arrived. http://blog.criba.org/2008/09/19/albany-mayor-jerry-jennings-just-arrived/ http://blog.criba.org/2008/09/19/albany-mayor-jerry-jennings-just-arrived/#comments Fri, 19 Sep 2008 12:22:53 +0000 Justin Cresswell http://cribany.wordpress.com/?p=55 He’ll be doing his weekly radio show from here. He and Paul Vendenburgh wasted no time in busting each other’s chops. Julie Chapman from Capital News 9 also stopped in for breakfast and to soak up the event.

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