. . . Lamb No. 2735: birth to burger . . .
There’s a fascinating special story in today’s Albany [NY] Times Union. Written by restaurant critic Steve Barnes, “Farm to market: A lamb’s short life, from country meadow to dinner table” (May 22, 2008) tells the life story of Lamb No. 2735, who was born June 6, 2007. In an interview this morning with radio host Don Weeks, at 810WGY, Steve said he felt that omnivores have a moral obligation to understand where their meat comes from. He stressed that Lamb No. 2735 had as idyllic a life and death as can be expected in this country. There is an online photo gallery, and a separate article about the slaughtering process, which in this instance “strives to be humane.”
Today, at Steve’s Table Hopping weblog, he says:
Times Union photographer Luanne Ferris and I spent 11 months following a lamb from Elihu Farm in Easton, Washington County. We were there the day he was born (when farm owner Mary Pratt was holding him at right), then periodically checked in for almost a year. We watched him grow, followed him to the slaughterhouse, witnessed the butchering, took photos when one of his legs became the centerpiece of a family’s Passover meal, and I ate a spectacular tasting menu featuring the lamb at J.T. Baker’s New Cuisine in Greenwich, which regularly buys Elihu lamb.
On his 9-month birthday, No. 2735 weighed about 120 pounds and was ready to go to market in time for the high demand around Easter and Passover. Barnes notes that he was “still just a pip compared to his father, Max” and explains that Elihu Farm “names its few mature rams, but its hundreds of ewes and lambs must be kept track of by number.”
I learned a lot about the life, death and marketing of lamb from this story. I eat very little red meat, but agree with Steve Barnes that omnivores need to understand how meat gets to their table.
mountain wind
the stillness of a lamb
gathering crowsclearing mist
the white legs
of lambs and gothswinter mountains
the whiteness of water
beside the ewes…………………………………….. by Matt Morden
“mountain wind” – New Resonance 2
“clearing mist” & “winter mountains” – Morden Haikulate spring walk
flattened grass
where the ewe was sheared……… by paul m. from called home (Red Moon Press 2006)
cloudless sky
the baaing
of penned sheep………………. by Carolyn Hall
– The Heron’s Nest (Valentine Award 2005, Special Mention)
After revealing last week that our Central Library would close in a few weeks for up to 18 months as part of its expansion project (see our 
Of course, such minimal disruptions would have been incorporated into any reasonable construction plan from the start — to respect the needs and desires of the public and in line with the usual practices of contractors. So, I’m not about to fall all over myself praising the County for their quick, survival-0riented responsiveness to the will of the people. (Nor fall for Legislator Gary Hughes’ attempt to let us know the was “concerned” — but impotent? — from the start.) Bernard Allanson, who has to work with Library and County officials as the president of Friends of Schenectady County Public Library, was a bit more diplomatic than I feel like being today. The Gazette reported that:
“ ‘I would say that the public has had a significant impact on the Legislature. I applaud the Legislature for listening,’ he said.”
p.s. It is not all sturm-und-drang in Schenectady County this weekend. I want to express my love and gratitude to 
. . . Albany [NY] will be celebrating its 
. . update (May 10, 2008): At the 
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update (May 11, 2008): See our post “
Compromise Plan: It appears that County leaders (e.g., Kathy Rooney the County Manager, Susan Savage, Legislative Chair, and Gary Hughes, chair of the Legislature’s Library Committee) have heard the public outcry and are working on a compromise plan that would improve the way the Library’s current building is used (e.g., putting public space on the 2nd floor), and replace the operating systems, without changing the current shell of the building, and in a manner that will greatly reduce the period(s) in which the building will need to be closed. I have no idea how the Legislature could be accepting bids — or contractors crafting their bids — on the project before the revised plan is adopted.
“It is difficult to get a man to understand something when his job depends on not understanding it.” . . . 
At the bottom of this posting (
Want to express an opinion to our elected or appointed officials? Click 
Below [click “more” if you are on the f/k/a homepage] you will find links to articles and opinion from the Schenectady Daily and Sunday Gazette, and other source, concerning the closing of the Central Library, along with excerpts from the pieces. —
(
As you can see, the Washington Avenue cherry-blossom trees are rather young, but they already make a big splash and promise much more as the years go by. Here are a couple photos I took this afternoon; you’ll find a few more 
Washington Ave. looking northward from Union St. (
update (April 24, 2008): Many thanks to our venerable (well, old) and very popular local morning radio personality Don Weeks, for posting a few of these f/k/a photos at his 810WGY webpage. See “
by Lori Van Buren /Albany 
It also reminded me that I’ve been wanting to escape my Green-Eye Monster and tell you about Tim Kevan’s current status: His popular The Barrister Blog (see our 
The (ex-)Barrister Blog is written by Tim Kevan who was a barrister for ten years before retiring to live by the sea, go surfing and write a novel for Bloomsbury Publishing.
p.s. If you’re into cyber-surfing, and want to painlessly learn about Virtual Law, I suggest heading over to 
Schenectady attorney 
‘He got mouthy with the judge and reached over and punched me in the side of the head,’ said attorney Brian Mercy, who was not injured. ‘I saw it coming.’
. . . . . . 
. . . “A few weeks before the trial started, Barnes presented an alibi to his lawyer, public defender 
The Schenectady 
“As upsetting as this crime is, what is also upsetting to the court is that you came and put your hand on the Bible and lied in front of the jury,” Giardino told Barnes. “You tried to put this off on someone else, and in doing so you damaged the integrity of the whole criminal justice system.”
We’re not doing legal ethics punditry these days here at f/k/a, but I’d like to do a little Concerned Citizen Commentary. Frankly, I don’t buy lawyer Gebert’s excuses — and I would not like to think that the ethical and “professional responsibility” duties of an officer of the court could be so lax as to allow him to look the other way, while his client tried to pin the crime on a picture-frame model. I’m hoping that my weblogging friend 
Actually, even if Judge Reilly’s decision is not appealed, this may not be the final resolution, because Casadei — who has never quite explained where the money came from and why he did not initially contact the Schenectady Police Department over the theft — says there was as much as $210,000 in the bag, $48,500 of which Skoog had quickly spent, and another $32,300 is unaccounted for, but which he wants back from the ex-con handyman.
[
Parking Impertinence: Naturally, everyone around here (except for Prof. Yabut) is shocked: Schenectady city hall workers too lazy to walk a block to their free parking lot? Parking all day, despite the direct disapproval of Mayor Brian U. Stratton, in front of the very businesses His Honor is constantly boosting and trying to revive? And not feeding the meters at all, or staying all day and feeding them past the limit for each meter? Sadly, the answer to each question is “yes,” as you can see in 
If you recall 
afterthoughts (May 31, 2008): Occasionally, when I take a weekend picture of the Mohawk (and the Isle of the Cayugas) from my backyard or the end of my block that I particularly like, I’m going to add it here, creating my own little riparian-neighborhood photo album. (You can click on each for a larger version.) update: For many more of my Mohawk River and Stockade sunsets, see my photoblog 
— See our post “
Admit it, you still haven’t taken 
The Gazette article gives more details from this detective tale, along with speculation about the house, which might be the oldest building in Schenectady, and date back to a time when “British and Dutch traders maintained a very tentative foothold in the area.” The evidence was enough to bring 
“When this airs, the rest of the country will know that Schenectady was one of the first American frontiers. . . . You never know what you’ll find in your attic.”
– pbs 
update (08/08/08): Here’s coverage of the show from WMHT’s member magazine, Outlook (August 2008, at p. 4; pdf. 
