'TIS THE SEASON...
Center Square will have its own neighborhood outdoor Christmas
tree again this year, on the vacant lot next to the Picotte
Building on Chestnut Street
All residents, and especially children, are invited to take part
in the decorating and lighting at 3 p.m. Sunday, December 21.
After carol singing, all are welcome to indoor refreshments at
an informal open house in the Billmyer home at 199 Lancaster St.
Mrs. Theodore Adams, Christmas chairman, says this year's tree
will combine decorations home-made by children of the area with
ready-made ones contributed by members and other neighbors.
Donors should call her at 462-0891.
She asks all children to join her Saturday afternoon, December 20,
at the home of Mrs. Yvonne King, 172 Chestnut Street. She will
supervise the children in collecting ornaments (l to 2 p.m.) and
in making other decorations (2 to 3 p.m.) -— followed by refresh-
ments.
The association has outdoor lights, but will appreciate outdoor
type ornaments for a permanent collection. These should be fairly
heavy, unbreakable, and ones that can be tied to the tree. Tin-
sel and other hangings that cling are good too.
Paul Steinkamp, in charge of putting the tree up, would like some
sturdy volunteers to help him — his telephone number is 434-0269.
Mrs. Warder Cadbury is the third member of the Christmas tree
committee.

BLOCK CAPTAINS
Seventeen willing residents have agreed to be Center Square block
captains, to sign up new members, tell neighbors about association
activities and help to solve problems.
Mrs. John D. Skeer, membership chairman, has organized the block
captain network and has prepared a mini-brochure and membership
application for the captains to use in the membership drive.
The block captains will also report changes in ownership, wel-
come new residents, suggest locations for new trees and call
attention to such problems as trash accumulations, lack of
street cleaning and zoning violations.
The captains, with their house and telephone numbers, are:

State Street
255 — Mrs. Martha H. Williams (463-9809)
286 —- Mrs. Joseph F. Burns (462-0229)
316 —- Mrs. Harold S. Coyne (436-8000)
339 -— Mrs. John H. Cumming (434-7840)

Chestnut Street
106 — Mrs. J. Frank Hegarty (462-5241)
119 — Mrs. Thomas P. Maloy (462-4991)
148 — Mrs. Elijah D. Blanner (434-3052)

Lancaster Street
133 — Mrs. Suzanne Martin (465-5359) I
165 — Mr. Jonathan Trumbull (462-3155)
198 -— Mr. Edward Heilig (465-4657)
222 —- Mrs. William Gibson (434-3336)

Jay Street
135 — Mrs. Warder H. Cadbury (462-3139)
. 2 175 e- Miss Treva E. Kauffman (463-0557).. .
203 —- Mrs. Anne M. White (434-2752)

Lark Street
-- Mrs. John F. O'Nei11 (434-3092)

Dove Street
49A — Miss Eleanor Foote (462-1517)
55 — Mr. J. Kenneth Vaughn (434-7856)

CENTER SQUARE HISTORY #1
By Miss Catharine Bacon
The Center Square Association should be proud to be a part of
Albany's history, which goes back to the 1600s when a few
sturdy pioneers settled here to trade furs with the Indians.
The colony grew and prospered under the Dutch and then the
English. Because of its strategic location, on one river and
near a second, the colony commanded an unusual position in the
New World and played a significant part in the Revolutionary
War. .
In 1794 Simeon DeWitt?, surveyor for George Washington, drew up
"A Plan of the City of Albany," which by then had moved up
the hill and of which our area was now a part. There is some-
thing very familiar about that old map! Eagle Street, Hawk

Street, Swan Street, Dove Street and Lark Street, with
Swallow Street and Snipe Street, lost later in Washington
Park.
Then in the other direction ran Elk Street, Lion Street
(now Washington Avenue), Deer Street (State), Tiger Street
(Lancaster) and Buffalo Street (Hudson). Only Elk Street
is left of those colorful, fighting names. Our present A
O Chestnut and Jay Streets, unfortunately, did not exist in
1794.
(Miss Bacon, historian for the Center Square Association,
has agreed to write a short historical note for each issue
of the Newsletter. Miss Bacon has specialized in research
on the history of Center Square, and of specific old houses
in this area.)

MR. BLANNER RETURNS
Elijah Blanner, who resigned last year as tree chairman for
the Center Square Association, has agreed to help out again
and share his valuable knowledge about the care of trees.
He points out that snow should not be piled around the trees.
Melting snow permeates the bark, refreezes and causes serious
cracks, especially in trees on the shaded south side of our
streets. He also warns against using salt on the sidewalks,
because it also harms trees. He recommends crushed limestone
grits, granite grits or sea sand instead.

"A MODEST BARK, BUT CERTAINLY NO TEETH"
This was President Harold Rubin's characterization, in a letj
ter to Mayor Corning, of the city's present Historic Sites
Ordinance —— a description which applies to most such ordi—
nances throughout the country.
In reply to Mr. Rubin's suggestion that the law be strength-
ened, Mayor Corning reported that he has asked the corporation
counsel to draft a revision which would require a public hear-
ing before any demolition which is not approved by the His—
toric Sites Commission. The present ordinance requires only
a waiting period.
The mayor also wrote that he is acting on other complaints
from the Center Square Association, including several apparent
violations of the city's zoning ordinance and some health and
safety hazards in the neighborhood.
The city is also considering a proposal to require parking
lots which are already in existence to meet the same standards
which the zoning ordinance sets for new parking lots --
screening, paving, landscaping, etc. The city is also pre-
paring a brochure on that subject.

ZONING ORDINANCE BOOKLET
Because full and fair enforcement of the city's new zoning
ordinance (passed in 1968) is essential to the well-being of
Center Square, every resident should understand its provisions.
For this reason, the association plans to print a popularized
explanation, hopefully by early in 1970.
For the present, these are the highlights of the ordinance:
-- The entire Center Square area is zoned R-5 Resi-
dential except for a portion of Lark Street.
-— One- and two-family homes may not be converted ·
for three or more units without obtaining a
variance (which requires a public hearing).
-- Except in the commercial part of Lark Street, no
new business may be established in Center Square
without obtaining a variance. (Exceptions are a
few specified occupations, such as seamstress and
doctor, if the owner uses a major portion of the
house as his residence.)p, g (
-- All businesses and multiple dwellings which were
legal prior to the new ordinance may continue as
nonconforming uses. But illegal uses of property
do not become legal simply with the passage of time.

NUMBERS TO CALL
One major purpose of Center Square Association is to insist on
services which all residents have a right to expect. Below is
a list of telephone numbers of agencies responsible for various
services. We also recommend telling your block captain about
your complaint and what happened — several people with the
same problem are more likely to get action by working together.
Air pollution (burning trash, etc.) ........... 436-8481
Fire ........................................... 472-8904
Garbage collection ........................... . 472-5156
Police (including parking violations) ......... 463-4141
Snow removal .................................. 472-8856
Street cleaning ............................... 434·610l
Water breaks .................................. 472-8850
Zoning and building violations ................ 472-8145

OUR OWN MRS. MALONE
For its membership drive, Center Square Association prepared
a folder which included the names of all board members —· we
thought. Just as the folder was about to be distributed, it
was discovered that Mrs. Howard Malone, long—standing chair-
man of real estate, was not listed. We apologized to Mrs. I
Malone, a mainstay of the association who has been instrumental
in getting many new homeowners to move into Center Square.
As real estate chairman, Mrs. Malone does not buy or sell houses;
she received no commission for her efforts. Her only reward
is the satisfaction of bringing into our neighborhood those
who choose central city living over the siren song of the sub-
urbs. Her work is in the nature of the classical matchmaker ——
getting prospective residents together with those who, for
one reason or another, have to leave.
Our error, at least, has given us this opportunity to salute
Mrs. Malone and to tell potential buyers and sellers about the
services of our hard-working real estate chairman.

CALLING NEW MEMBERS
Anyone who owns property or lives in Center Square -— the area
bounded by State and Jay, Swan and Lark, plus Lancaster to
Willett -— can do so by filling out the blank below and send-
ing it to Mrs. John D. Skeer, membership chairman, at 154 V
Chestnut Street.
Dues cover the year from October l to September 50, and husband-
wife memberships are the same price as single ones. Checks
should be made out to the Center Square Association.
Enclosed is $ for annual membership in the Center Squarei
Association. p
NAME __
STREET ADDRESS ZIP
Owner only Regular membership ($2)
Owner occupant Supporting ($5]
Tenant Sustaining ($10)

Be a good neighbor ——
Sweep your sidewalk
Pick up trash
Clear off snow and ice
Bring in garbage cans 5

CENTER SQUARE BOARD
OFFICERS
President: Harold Rubin, 156 Chestnut Street, 434-0855
Vice-president: John P. Jehu, 49 Dove Street, 436-8946
Corresponding secretary: Mrs. Warder Cadbury, 135 Jay Street,
462-3139
Recording secretary: Miss Ruth Jones, 151 Chestnut Street,
434-4261
Treasurer: Howard M. Daffner, 220 Lancaster Street, 436-1140

COMMITTEE CHAIRMEN
Historian: Miss Catharine Bacon, 183 Lancaster Street, 434-0506
Historic Sites Commission: Mrs. George Hemstead, 209 Lancaster
Street, 434-6618
Membership: Mrs. John D. Skeer, 154 Chestnut Street, 434-1881
Newsletter: Mrs. David Billmyer, 199 Lancaster Street, 465-0737
Planning: John P. Jehu, vice-president
Real estate: Mrs. Howard L. Malone, 205 Lancaster Street,
436-8219 ‘
Trees: Elijah D. Blanner, 148 Chestnut Street, 434-3052
Zoning:. Harold Rubin, president _