Collections : [New York State Modern Political Archive]

Albert Jack Abrams was born in Stamford, Connecticut, on May 29, 1915. Abrams began his university studies at the University of Michigan in 1932, and he attended the National Institute for Public Affairs in Washington, D.C., in 1935. He received an A.B. from New York University in 1936, and he continued his studies at Columbia University (1940) and the Cornell School of Labor and Industrial Relations (1946). The records in this manuscript collection were originally arranged in a numerically classified subject file under the general subject of legislative administration.

The Hudson Valley Area Joint Board was formed in 1957 through the merger of the Columbia County and Mid-Hudson Valley Joint Boards. At that point, the two joint boards were affiliated of the Textile Workers Union of America (TWUA), which merged with the Amalgamated Clothing Workers of America (ACWA) in 1976 to form the Amalgamated Clothing and Textile Workers Union (ACTWU). The collection documents the organization, administration, and activities of the Hudson Valley Area Joint Board and its predecessor organizations.

This series contains appraisal documents of commercial and residential properties in Newburgh from NYR-189 and NYA-10 with full specifications on most of the residential lots (physical condition, measurements, and information on the owners). The documents also include photographs of the properties. A very small number of files related to apprisals are also located in the Administrative series.

This collection contains materials from the City of Newburgh Engineering Department and the Newburgh Urban Renewal Agency, documenting the City's redevelopment efforts in the mid-late 20th century.

Series includes various types of administrative files from the Urban Renewal project of the 1960s and 1970s. These include mainly business correspondence but also Newburgh Urban Renewal Agency materials, reports, contracts, payment ledgers, relocation payments, deeds, meeting minutes, and newspaper articles.

The Associated Industries of New York State/ Business Council of New York State Records contains documents which were created during the group's 66 years of business. Among the contents are files on the group's former directors, correspondence and legal council records. The records of the association also contain some publications from other sources.

The Atlantic States Legal Foundation Records document the environmental not-for-profit organization's pollution reduction and environmental remediation projects and cases throughout the United States and territories.

This series contains primarily environmental, scientific and legal journals, magazines, newsletters, reports, analyses, studies, and other publications collected by the ASLF. The majority of materials address environmental issues or geographic areas specific to New York State, although the Midwest is well represented. The series is divided into four subseries - serials, New York publications, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation publications and publications about issues outside of New York.

This series contains reports and other official publications about issues affecting New York State. Federal, state, county and city governments and their agencies, including the Environmental Protection Agency or the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, published the majority of these reports. Universities and non-profit organizations issued a smaller number. For reports specifically written by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, please see Series 2, Subseries 3.

This collection contains materials related to the lives of Bill and Andy Spence, including folk and traditional music and materials documenting the Fox Hollow and Old Songs Festivals.

Folk music aficionados Bill and Andy Spence retained photographs, newspaper clippings, posters, schedules, flyers, and audio of the Fox Hollow Festival, of which they were involved in through their Capital District folk organization, Pick'n' and Sing'n' Gather'n' (PSG). The Beers family (Robert, Evelyne, and Martha) of Petersburgh, N.Y. held the Fox Hollow Festival on their family farm celebrating the traditions of folk music and arts every year from 1966 to 1980. The Festival consisted of multiple days packed with folk singing groups, workshops, art showings, activities, entertainment, dancing, games, speakers, crafts, and special guests with camping and other site accommodations upon request. This festival served as inspiration for the Old Songs Festival created in 1981 by Andy. The passing of Robert Beers in May 1972 signaled a shift for the Fox Hollow Festival, and Bill and Andy's last year of participation was 1973. PSG were involved as volunteers with the festival from 1966 to 1973, and Andy resigned from the Fox Hollow Board of Directors in September of that same year.

This collection documents the comprehensive planning work of New York's Capital District Regional Planning Commission across several decades.

This series contains files pertaining to planning decisions for areas/projects that span county boundaries within New York State's Capital District -- i.e., Albany County, Rensselaer County, Saratoga County, and Schenectady County. A great many of the files involve regional transportation planning and travel data; this includes corridor plans and studies, as well as non-state federal-aid streets and highways conditions reports. There are documents pertaining to the Port of Albany spanning several decades. Other documents of note include an analysis of the Albany-Schenectady-Troy housing market, air quality data for the region, and a soil map of Albany and Schenectady counties from the 1930s.

The Citizens Budget Commission contain information on the financial outlook of New York City from the 1930's to the 1990's.

The main purpose of the reports issued by the Citizens Budget Commission is to recommend how New York City, and beginning in 1984 New York State, could save money and better their financial situation. The reports include long-term and short-term studies. The size and complexity of New York City's budget has resulted in a need for continuous revision over the years. The first folder is undated, but due to its significance of listing some of the reports is housed first in the series. The remainder of the series is in chronological order. These reports document financial issues of concern from the 1930s to the 1990s.

This collection documents the day-to-day activities of the Civil Service Employees Association (CSEA) from 1918 to the present. There is no documentation of the organization's initial years of existence, but significant material about administration, meetings, membership, agreements, publications, and organizational history.

This series contains both the official CSEA newspaper for its members and smaller newsletters which focus upon a specific segment of membership. The official newspaper chronicles CSEA activities such as scholarship funds, solidarity marches, and the individual achievements of members. Originally entitled The Civil Service Leader the name was changed to The Public Sector in 1978 and to The Work Force 20 years later. The early editions of the newspaper focused primarily on the maintenance of wages and benefits. They also listed numerous job vacancies throughout New York State and the nation.

This series contains items related to the boat Clearwater; Clearwater as an organization, including its predecessor organization, Hudson River Sloop Restoration; and affiliated sloop clubs, particularly North River Friends of Clearwater. It includes newsletters, board of directors meeting minutes, membership mailings, catalogs, and educational materials. There is a near-complete collection of programs from Clearwater's annual Great Hudson River Revival, as well as copies of Clearwater's official newsletter, mainly from 1973-1993. This newsletter began publication under the name North River Navigator, then became the Clearwater Navigator in 1978. Administrative files from NRFC are limited and include by-laws, charters, some meeting minutes, and a membership dues receipt book from 1978. NRFC newsletters, spanning from 1976-1993, began as an unnamed publication, then became The Compass in 1982.

The papers of Nancy Papish document her involvement with Clearwater, North River Friends of Clearwater (NRFC), and the campaign to stop Hydro-Quebec's development plan for James Bay. These papers document the environmental activism of Nancy Papish from the 1970s through the 1990s. Included are meeting minutes, notes, mailings, press releases, news clippings, magazine articles, programs, and publications. The Clearwater files contain near-complete runs of newsletters produced by both NRFC and the parent Clearwater organization. Evidence of NRFC's outreach activities is found in a slide show titled "This Is Clearwater" and numerous poster displays. Documentation of Clearwater's organization and administration, such as meeting minutes, internal reports, and committee files, are almost entirely absent. There is little information about the membership of Clearwater. The James Bay files contain materials from several organizations.