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Albany diocese faces 33 new sexual abuse claims
Brendan J. Lyons
July 22, 2020 Updated: July 23, 2020 9:04 a.m.
Attorney Jeff Anderson, center, announces 20 lawsuits filed against the Albany Diocese on the first day the Child Victims Act at the Hilton Albany on Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2019 in Albany, N.Y. Survivor Jeanne Marron, left, attorney Cynthia LaFave, second from left, and survivors Bridie Farrell and Mark Lyman stand at right. The act allows a one-year period for claims to be filed regardless of the age of the plaintiff. (Lori Van Buren/Times Union)Lori Van Buren/Albany Times Union
ALBANY – More than 30 child sexual abuse complaints were filed Wednesday against the Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany, including seven claims directed at a deceased Christian brother who had been assigned to Notre Dame-Bishop Gibbon High School in Schenectady in the 1960s and '70s, according to the filings.
The Child Victims Act complaints were filed in state Supreme Court in Albany by two law firms, Jeff Anderson & Associates and LaFave Wein & Frament, that have now filed 107 lawsuits against the Albany Diocese.
"We are honored to stand with these survivors in their pursuit of truth and accountability," Anderson said. "Until the diocese disgorges the secrets that it has kept hidden for decades, children remain at peril."
The filings increase to eight the number of CVA complaints filed against deceased Brother Clement Adan Murphy, C.F.C., who worked at Notre Dame-Bishop Gibbons.
Two complaints name Michael Scaringe, a registered sex offender from Cohoes. Those claims allege abuse in the 1970s at St. Helen and St. Paul the Apostle, two other Schenectady schools. Scaringe was a music teacher at both schools; in 1996, he was acquitted of sexually abusing a child at Bay Point Middle School in St. Petersburg, Fla., where he worked as a substitute band teacher, according to the court filings.
The complaints state that in 2012, Scaringe was convicted of sexually abusing a child connected to the Saranac Lake Youth Center in the Adirondacks, where he was the director. At his criminal trial, several survivors testified that Scaringe had sexually abused them as minors when he was a music teacher in the Tupper Lake Central School District. Scaringe served seven years in prison, the complaints state.
Two complaints allege abuse by Brother James Vincent Hanney, C.F.C., in the 1970s when he was working at Bishop Gibbons High School and Notre Dame-Bishop Gibbons High School. There are at least 12 lawsuits pending against Hanney.
Another complaint names former priest Frank Genevive, who in 2008 was convicted of sexually abusing multiple minors between approximately 1977 and 1989 while he was assigned to St. Anthony of Padua in Troy. Genevive died in 2014.
"Each of these filings represents another life irrevocably altered; not only by the perpetrator in question, but by the actions and inaction of the diocese," said Cynthia LaFave, an attorney for the plaintiffs. "I can think of no obligation more fundamental to the diocese's avowed purpose than to regard and defend the safety of the human lives they purport to serve."
The Albany diocese faces more than 100 cases under under the Child Victims Act, which opened a one-year "look-back" period allowing survivors to file previously time-barred cases against individuals who had allegedly sexually abused them as children.
Due to court slowdowns and shutdown during the coronavirus pandemic, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo issued an executive order extending by five months the CVA's one-year filing window, which was set to expire next month. New York legislators are urging Cuomo to approve a bill they passed calling for a one-year extension to give survivors an opportunity to come forward and file lawsuits. Many lawmakers said they are concerned there could be legal challenges over Cuomo's executive order and whether it can supersede the original CVA passed by the Legislature.
More than 2,200 cases have been filed under the CVA so far, according to state court data.
1of2Bishop Edward Scharfenberger is interviewed by the press ahead of a prayer service for sex abuse survivors at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Albany, N.Y. on Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2019. (Lori Van Buren/Times Union)Lori Van Buren/Albany Times UnionShow MoreShow Less
Bishop Edward Scharfenberger is interviewed by the press ahead of a prayer service for sex abuse survivors at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Albany, N.Y. on Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2019. (Lori Van Buren/Times Union)
Lori Van Buren/Albany Times UnionShow MoreShow Less
An earlier version of this story listed the wrong year that Michael Scaringe was acquitted of sexually abusing a child.
Reach Brendan J. on
Brendan J. Lyons is a Managing Editor for the Times Union overseeing the Capitol Bureau and Investigations. Lyons joined the Times Union in 1998 as a crime reporter before being assigned to the investigations team. He became editor of the investigations team in 2013 and began overseeing the Capitol Bureau in 2017. You can reach him at blyons@timesunion.com or (518) 454-5547.


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Urbex, Vietnam Articles
Abandoned Water Park Hue, Vietnam – Crocodiles and Bribery!
Posted on 18th October 2018 25th February 2019 by Sean Delaney
Cursed waterpark fails to keep afloat
Exploring the 'dragon' waterpark
If you should meet a crocodile…
Accessing the waterpark
Vietnam's unofficial must-see attraction!
Sean Delaney
Looking like something drawn from the nightmarish imaginings of the latest Stephen King thriller, the Ho Thuy Tien abandoned waterpark, Hue, Vietnam is an eerie monument to an unrealised dream.
Since closing its doors in 2006, just two years after its unveiling, the park has fallen into a state of disrepair and the exact reasons for closure remain shrouded in mystery. Today, it is a crumbling playground for adventurous backpackers impervious to health and safety risks and eerie warnings of supernatural goings on.
The dragon's lair…
You won't find its name on any maps either. Its exact location in Hue remains a close-guarded secret passed on over card games and tales of motorcycle journeys off the beaten track.
Located just 8km south of the ancient city of Hue, the Ho Thuy Tien waterpark was built by the Hue Tourism Company in 2004 for a total cost of 70 billion dong ($30m) and was tipped to be the region's go-to tourist attraction but was never completed.
Ownership was later transferred to the HACO Company in 2013 with proposals to rebuild the site as an area for eco-tourism, only for these plans to again stall and never reach full fruition.
It remains unknown why the project failed and why it continues to remain undeveloped. Built in an area renowned for its Buddhist pagodas and illustrious temples, including the tomb of Khai Dinh, the 12th Emperor of Vietnam, some locals believe it to be cursed.
From inside the dragons mouth Hue Abandoned Water Park
Perhaps a commercial project of this magnitude was always doomed to failure when you consider the culture and modest means of the local Vietnamese people.
As you enter the park from one of the dusty trails, the three-story dragon perched on top of what was meant to be an aquarium in the centre of the lake stands out as the park's most alluring feature. Like everything else in the park it is completely coated in graffiti and mossy undergrowth, as it slowly decays and succumbs to the elements.
The graffitied walls inside the three-storey dragon.
For avid adventurists, a climb to the top of dragon's mouth through the rusted stairwell rewards you with stunning views of the lake.
Descend into the basement with caution through the smashed glass to see the empty tanks where shark and other aquatic animals were once held.
In the distance, water buffalos graze the fields to provide food for locals and stand in sharp contrast to the lifeless man-made construct. How ironic it is that the dragon, the Vietnamese symbol of prosperity and power, should be one of the enduring features of the park.
Other attractions to explore include swimming pools, abandoned villas, a concrete car which looks like the Ford Anglia from Harry Potter and an amphitheatre with a capacity for 2,500 seats, most of which have now caved in. Find one which is solid and you've got yourself a great view for lunch.
The winding water slides make only for tepid excitement as the algae-filled pools are littered with throwaway Coca-Cola bottles and chocolate bar wrappers, presumably purchased from opportunist vendors making the most of the park's status as an 'unofficial must-see attraction'.
The decaying slides of the Abandoned Water Park, Hue.
It was these treacherous conditions that blighted the existence of native crocodiles that, like the waterpark, lay to be forgotten in the filth of the murky waters.
Thankfully after backpackers reported the terrible conditions of these creatures to the People for the Ethical Treatment for Animals (PETA) they have since been removed and transported to a wildlife park in the North of Vietnam.
An update about the park was published in February 2018 declaring the park to be dangerous due to the poor state of the buildings and that entrance would no longer be permitted.
In the dragon's mouth!
A security guard now watches over the front gate and prevents anyone from entering. Differing access points to the site are now discussed but it is popular knowledge that his loyalty to health and safety can be dissuaded for Dong. A payment to the sum of 10,000 Dong (under a Dollar) is likely to suffice.
Draped in graffiti and overgrown forestry, this weary waterpark is fast succumbing to the elements and might not be around much longer. Walking round the grounds it's not hard to imagine what joy and excitement it could have brought, but has instead been replaced with an eerie sense of a time forgotten.
The decaying slides of Ho Thuy Tien Waterpark, Vietnam.
If you're looking for a day's exploring off the beaten track of temples and pagodas it's definitely worth paying a visit during your time in Vietnam.
Revealing the waterpark's exact location would not be in keeping with the mystique that surrounds it. But if you're heading to Hue, strike up a conversation among backpacker circles and you'll undoubtedly get some directions scribbled on a beer coaster thrust in your direction.
The rest is up to you… Hire a motorbike and explore!
Love Urbex? Check out more abandoned places in Southeast Asia here.
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Sean on the Run
Sean Delaney is a journalist and travel writer from South East London. In 2017 he quit his corporate job in the city to seek out new adventures in Asia. He has since visited six continents and over 35 countries and plans to tick off a few more in the near future. Follow his blog at http://seanontherun.com/. Are you interested in writing for us?
Related Articles & Pages...
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Doing Time – Inside an Abandoned Prison, Chiang Mai, Thailand
The Joy of Urbex: Why Exploring Abandonded Places Beats Full Moon Parties
Bangkok's Train Graveyard – Way Off the Beaten Track
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Finance & Markets, Top Stories
UK energy switching on the rise
The total number of electricity switches this year has reached more than 3.7m
Just under half a million customers switched energy suppliers last month.
That's a 11% increase from the same month last year, taking the total number of electricity switches in 2018 to more than 3.7 million.
Out of the switches in August, 41% were from larger to small and medium sized suppliers and 11% from small and mid-tier to larger companies.
Around 31% moved between larger suppliers and 12% were between small and medium sized companies.
During the summer months, between June and August, nearly 1.5 million moved to a different power supplier.
Energy UK says confidence in switching remains high, with nine in 10 customers saying they are happy with the process.
Lawrence Slade, Chief Executive of Energy UK said: "Despite record-breaking temperatures, it is great to see that nearly 1.5 million people have made a switch this summer.
"Competition is thriving in the energy market and ever-increasing numbers of customers switch every year – with a record 5.5 million doing so last year. it is vital that these positive steps, which deliver benefits for customers, are not undone as a result of policy decisions with Ofgem's own impact assessment suggesting falls in switching of up to 40% as a result of the proposed price cap."
More than one in five disengaged energy customers saw average savings of around £300 a year under a collective switching trial run by Ofgem.
Energy prices will be part of the discussions at Energy Live Expo on 31st October in London, with Energy Minister Claire Perry headlining the event. To book your place, you can e-mail [email protected].
energy suppliers energy switching switching UK


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Windermere Introduces Linda Earlywine, Orange County Managing Broker
March 4, 2013 | NEWS
Windermere Real Estate SoCal is proud to introduce Linda Earlywine as the new Managing Broker for their Orange County offices in Dana Point, Laguna Niguel and Laguna Beach. Previously a Windermere agent, Linda has assumed this position with the passion, energy and commitment to agent support that she is so well known for.
With over 28 years of real estate experience, Linda's impeccable work as a real estate agent, successful coach to new and seasoned real estate agents, and previous experience as a broker/manager quickly came to Windermere's attention. Linda has been recognized by a number of national real estate brokerage franchises for her ability to successfully launch new office locations as well as grow existing offices. Her office management skills and coaching contribute to significant increases in agent productivity. She is well known for her impressive recruiting ability and agent retention throughout Coastal Southern California cities, including Long Beach, Huntington Beach and Fountain Valley.
"One of the things I appreciate most about Windermere's non-competing broker policy is that it allows me to focus my full attention on our agents. I love being able to help agents build and grow their businesses. At the end of the day, it's about how successful we can make every Windermere agent," shared Linda.
Linda's management experience with agents covers the full spectrum from jump-starting new licensees to guiding top producers to attain even higher levels of production. For 9 years, Linda served as the Director of Career Development for two real estate schools, working with other national trainers and recruiters. During her 6 years as a Real Estate Coach with Tom Ferry, Linda trained not only agents but real estate brokers, franchise owners and other real estate managers—leading to the development of some of the nation's top producers. Linda has a true passion for the industry, and Windermere is pleased to welcome her to their Orange County locations.
"I have found a great fit with Windermere. I really appreciate that the owners, The Bobs, are very successful agents themselves. Their knowledge of the many facets of real estate industry is derived from personal, hands-on experience, not rhetoric. They are entirely focused on the success of each of their agents, and their marketing savvy and presence is off the charts," said Linda.
"Linda brings a tremendous background as a broker, trainer, manager, and as a successful real estate agent herself. We are excited to have her as the new Managing Broker for our Orange County offices and are thankful for her time with us as a supportive and successful agent. Under Linda's informed and highly professional management, we look forward to seeing our agents continue to grow and expand their business," said Bob Deville, co-owner of Windermere Real Estate SoCal.
Bennion and Deville
events These Fantastic Desert Events Have Us Fired Up for February Jan 29, 2023
news 12 New Year's Resolutions for You and Your Home to Follow Jan 22, 2023
news What the Fourth Quarter 2022 Coachella Valley Real Estate Market Tells Us About 2023 Jan 17, 2023


This website is designed to document my explorations, expeditions and adventures throughout the world. It's still in the works.
This trip I am taking is intended to be a learning experience. I've been fortunate enough to travel to almost 20 countries already, and I have found traveling to be addicting enough that I need to see about 20 more before my working (real?) life begins. The more places I see and the more places I learn about, the more places and cultures and customs I want to see and experience. I don't think American culture advocates international travel nearly as much as it should. I think the perspective gained by going out and seeing the world for yourself is invaluable and vastly underrated, and I mean to take advantage of my youth and resources to broaden my understanding of the world and its inhabitants as much as I can.
The first month I'll travel alone through New Zealand and Australia, but the next four months will be a joint adventure with my good friend Kristof. Backpacking through Asia is probably better with a friend, and I'll be documenting our experiences together for as long as he's with me. After Turkey I'll be traveling alone again.
I'm hoping to post updates several times a week. If you want to follow along, I encourage you to use the RSS updates, and you can post comments on my posts as well. Feedback is appreciated on all matters.
I hope you enjoy my blog on your own and my experiences vicariously. And if you're going to be somewhere at the same time as me, let me know!
"Not All Those Who Wander Are Lost" is among my 'guiding' principles….
I urge you to write as much as you can. I think you have a great deal of insight into the world, and your "travel-log" will be a uniquely valuable work.
I loved hearing (and seeing your photos) about your Fiji experience! Totally awesome I hope you have many more experiences like that – connecting with the locals – And I'm sure you will .
I can't tell you how much I am enjoying reading your blog. Your whole trip is absolutely fabulous. I only wish I could have had similar experiences. The concept of couch surfing certainly is new and fun, and the opportunities to really get to know individuals in these rarely visited by tourist areas is priceless.
I especially like all the great pictures you've included to illustrate your historic journal. I hope you plan to turn all of it into some kind of bound volume when you return home. It will be a joy to you in the many years to come. Some of the views I can relate to, but many are so different that it's hard to believe the incredible changes. I note this in particular about Singapore and Kuala Lumpur.
You're certainly getting a taste of what we'd term exotic. Glad to hear you have an iron stomach and are enjoying all the new and different foods.


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Search in titles only Search in The TC-Cancer Ballroom only
The TC-Cancer Ballroom
How to tell to our children?
Wow, i realize that now that i am cured, i never told to my 2 daughters about my cancer. I told them that i was following treatment for a little disease and never pronounced the word cancer. My oldest daughter asked me a few minutes ago 'what are you doing on tc-cancer.com?'. What should i do? If i talk to her about it she will be affraid because she's affraid of everything.
Stage 1 seminoma in august 2001
with invaded spermatic chord and treated with RT
Relapse november 2005, 4 BEP and now back to surveillance
My four kids are all very well aware that I had cancer, but that I've been treated for it and am doing great. They are also well aware that I spend a lot of time on TC-Cancer.com, because I think it's important to help other people.
Our daughter is 9. With us, my husband's surgery was as an outpatient so he really wasn't away from home very long. We told her daddy had an operation for something only men get and please don't jump on him when he's lying on the floor! Radiation was done early afternoon so he was back by the time she was home from aftercare. He was nauseous and didn't join us for dinner some nights but she really didn't press as to why. I guess everyting was so "under the radar" we could avoid it. My Dad died of lung cancer shortly before my husband was diagnosed and I just did not want to mention cancer unless I needed to so as to spare her the anxiety and fear. I think a big part with us was that my husband hasn't told anyone...so if she knew the whole town would find out. If he ever needs chemo we will sit down and tell her all about it. God willing he will never have a recurrence, and when she gets older we'lll tell her. I think it is important for her to know cancer can be beaten and life does go on. YOur daughter may have developed some fears already by what she's overheard, seen, and pieced together. You telling her it's behind you and you're fine may be a good thing.
topshelf
my kids are 6 and 3 and when i cane home from the rplnd my wife and tried to explain it as best we could ....and to this day a year and 4 months later they still want to see daddty "boo boo" and kiss it to make it better ... thats the rplnd scar not the i/o scar ...dont need child services coming to the house so i want to make that clear
diagnosed jan 19, 2005 - right i/o jan 21- ct scan and x rays clear-- march 14 rplnd... mixed germ cell
My son David, who just turned 8, told me in the pool today, "I can still see your [L-RPLND] scars. They're really visible!"
I'm kind of proud of them now. They give me character.
As for my I/O scar, it's faded away to nothing.
When my husband was diagnosed, Jeff was 5 years old and in kindergarten. In those days, they kept you in the hospital for two weeks after the RPLND surgery so Jeff needed to know where his father was. He was in the hospital during the middle of September right when school started. I will never forget open house. His teacher came up to me and said "Little children tend to tell stories and Jeff told a whopper. He said that his father was in the hospital because he had surgery for cancer." I replied "That is why he isn't here tonight." She was shocked "How can someone so young have cancer?" She took this information and turned it into a learning experience for the children. She turned a quarter of the room into a "hospital" and taught the kids about doctor and nurses and tests and surgery so they would not be afraid. It was a very kind thing for her to do. It made Jeff feel special.
Diane:
Waht a great thing for a teacher to do. There are angels everywhere.
sylvyrwulf
i still havent told my kids about the cancer i just havent found a way to sit them down and tell them yet but i'm working on it


The Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) and the National Policy Board for Educational Administration (NPBEA) are pleased to present the 2014 Interstate School Leaders Licensure Consortium (ISLLC) Standards (the Standards"). The Standards are model leadership standards that outline what education leaders should know and be able to do to ensure that all students graduating from high school are prepared to enter college or the modern workforce. These Standards outline foundational principles of education leadership, which cut across grade levels and help improve student achievement and engagement.
The first version of the ISLLC Standards was released in 1996. A 2008 update provided important, but modest, revisions to the 1996 standards.
Please click HERE to download the Public Comment Draft.


Recovery from Cults: Help for Victims of Psychological Abuse (W. W. Norton and Company) is edited by Michael D. Langone, PhD, one of the leading experts in the cultic studies field, with a preface by the late Dr. Margaret T. Singer, a pioneer in the field. The contributors to this hardcover book, which retails for $37 (USA), explore the psychological effects of cultic exploitation as found in a wide variety of groups, from religious fringe groups to New Age, political, and psychotherapy groups. This book is a comprehensive guide to all aspects of the cult experience. It draws on the clinical expertise of treatment professionals and the personal experiences of those formerly involved in high-intensity mind-control groups.
The book examines the history of the cult phenomenon, the nature of mind control, the psychological literature on post-cult distress, why people leave cults, exit counseling and deprogramming, and how to facilitate recovery. The last four chapters discuss the special topics of adolescent involvement in Satanism, children and cults, ritualistic abuse, and legal problems.
Assessment and Rehabilitation Guidelines for: Therapists, Clergy, Support Groups, Families, Ex-members, and Psychiatric Hospitalization of Ex-cultists.


Latest figures from the Council of Mortgage Lenders shows the number of mortgages in arrears and the number of repossessions both fell in the first quarter of 2010. The number of repossessions was 9,800, down from 10,600 in the previous quarter and 13,200 in the first quarter of 2009, while loans in arrears fell from 206,800 at the end of the first quarter of 2009 and 196,400 at the end of last year to 186,300 at the end of the first quarter of this year.
However, we all know the major reason for the lack of repossessions during this recession (45,000 in 2009 versus up to 85,000 a year in the 1990s) is due to artificially low interest rates and mortgage support from the government. As a result, CML continues to predict a high 53,000 repossessions for 2010.
CML says "This welcome decline gives no cause for complacency as a large number of households, who are just coping, still remain vulnerable to shocks that may arise from the economic uncertainty ahead" especially if they are civil servants of course!
Up until now many that have lost their jobs probably weren't homeowners as it has mostly hit the private sector such as retail, catering etc. Now with pending government cuts, this could hit the property market hard, as many civil servants do tend to own property. Some areas which rely heavily on the civil service for employment (30% or more) could see a 'double dip' in property prices within the next 12 months, depending on the impact of the cuts.
So, if you are in an area heavily dominated by civil service and local authority employment, it's worth waiting to see what happens to property prices over the next 12 months. If you are in an area of good employment in the private sector, prices are still likely to continue to rise as demand outstrips supply, and if you are in an area that isn't recovering too well from the recession and unemployment continues to rise, then holding fire on buying might be the best option.
To find out what's happening in your local property market, read Kate's latest Property Market Update.
Take a look at our articles Top Tips to Avoid Repossesion and Top Tips to Stop Repossesion, plus our Selling a Repossession section.