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

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.

“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.”