The parents of Alexander Grant have filed suit against those they claim are responsible for their son’s death. The lawsuit, which was filed in Saratoga County Court last week and obtained by the Saratogian, cites the fact that Grant was underage and names nine of his peers who provided him with alcohol. The suit also alleges “wrongful death,” and repeatedly emphasizes that all of the defendants knew that Grant was under-21 at the time.
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Family of Alexander Grant Sues
Thursday, April 26th, 20124/20 is Nigh
Thursday, April 19th, 2012
"Skidmore College students partake in smoking with a homemade contraption made up of two triple-filtration water-pipes, named Octavius S. Octopus II during Monday's 420 celebration on the Skidmore campus" -Saratogian
This Friday is 4/20.
I hope everyone saw Ms. Calhoun’s email where she reiterated the administrations position. Just know that campus safety will not treat this day differently. If you choose to indulge, do not do it in public.
Some of you may remember the 2009 4/20 fiasco, which caused a huge outrage in Saratoga and led to Skidmore landing at #2 on Princeton Review’s Reefer Madness List. It’s probably the highest we’ve ever placed on one of those lists but it seems unearned. There’s no way we should be edging out Boulder, Green Mountain or Hampshire.
So hang out and enjoy the day but keep the giant bong octopus out of sight.
Details of Last Night’s Scribner Arrest Released
Tuesday, March 6th, 2012According to the Saratogian, the man arrested last night in Scribner is Tyler Sean Burton, 20, of Bingham Road in Greenfield Center. He is charged with “three counts of seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, third-degree criminal trespassing, obstructing governmental administration and resisting arrest, all misdemeanors.” He will also face a felony second-degree assault charge.
The Saratogian reports:
Officers Daniel Mullan and John Guzek were both injured while arresting Burton. Guzek suffered a leg injury that Lt. John Catone said did not appear to be serious. Mullan, however, suffered injuries to his arm and shoulder that are serious and may require extensive treatment, according to Catone. Mullan may be out of work for some time.
Alexa P. Theo, 19, of Van Dam Street was with Burton at the time and was also charged with resisting his arrest.
Once again, if you have any information related to the arrest, don’t hesitate to email us at Editor@SkidmoreUnofficial.com or let us know in the comments.
Via the Saratogian
Saratoga Man Threatened to Kill Obama From Skidmore Computer
Monday, March 5th, 2012A longtime Saratoga resident is accused of threatening to assassinate President Obama on the White House website message board. The Times Union reports that Brent G. Dickinson, 33, used a computer in the Saisselin Art Building on February 17 to make the threat. He also used a public computer at the Saratoga Public Library on Friday to write that he would take schoolchildren hostage and kill them.
According to the Saratogian:
The Secret Service had reached out to Skidmore Campus Security, which [District Attorney James A. Murphy III] said co-operated with the investigation into the first e-mail. When the second e-mail targeting children was sent, [SSPD Lt. John Catone] said the Secret Service notified the police department, which found him less than 30 minutes later at the Saratoga Springs Public Library.
Dickinson lived at the Gateway Motel on Maple Avenue. He was arrested on Friday and is currently being held in Saratoga County Jail on $50,000 bail, with a grand jury set to hear his case on March 21. Murphy said that the U.S. Attorney’s Office will prosecute Dickinson on the charge related to the threat against President Obama, while his office will handle the second email in which Dickinson threatened children.
Via the Saratogian and the Times Union
Everyone Check Out This Incredible Headline
Monday, January 30th, 2012Community Expresses Outrage Over Nudity on Campus
Tuesday, April 28th, 2009SARATOGA SPRINGS—Hundreds of Skidmore students congregated on the campus green this Saturday for the school’s annual “Fun Day.” The so-called “fun” activities that the student body engaged in included smoking on marijuana cigarettes, chugging on alcohol beers, and exposing their naked bodies.
There were no consequences.
After hearing about this blatant disregard of indecent exposure laws, several Saratoga residents expressed outrage.
“This is a disgrace,” said Saratoga resident Martin Patterson. “Nudity is illegal. These kids think that they can do whatever they want and get away with it. They have no idea how tough it’s going to be in the real world, where taking off all of your clothes can result in getting fired from your job or ejected from your son’s little league game.”
Other residents called for action from the Saratoga Police Department, which was warned about the potential nudity, but stood idly by.
“What a joke,” said Saratoga resident Shirley Stewart. “It’s against the rules to be naked on Main Street but in the Skidmore green anything goes. The next time one of my children gets in trouble for getting naked in his second grade classroom I’m going to remind them of this double standard they set.”
“These laws are in place for a reason,” said Saratoga resident John Borstein. “They’re to protect the children. Not that there are any children on the Skidmore campus. Actually, I heard there were some children operating the bouncy castle. Why weren’t they being protected?”
Borstein added, “This is conclusive proof that one hundred per cent of the nudity in the Saratoga area comes from the Skidmore campus.”
Skidmore sophomore Andrew Cantor, who is news editor of the student newspaper, witnessed some of the “Fun Day” nudity.
He did not endorse it.
“For a school with such a rich academic history, it’s disappointing to see,” Cantor said. “Nudity is something that happens, but it should be confined to certain places, such as the shower, or—holy shit, look at that girl’s boobies!”
Skid News: A Response to the Pot Party Protest
Monday, April 27th, 2009In response to the scrutiny of the local community, the Skidmore News Editorial Board drafted and sent a response letter to the Saratogian disputing all of the slanderous press covering this year’s nothing but modest 4-20. The response letter was printed in the Sunday Saratogian, but in case you missed it check it out here:
This letter is in regard to articles published on April 21, 23 and 24:
In business, no news is often good news; in the newspaper business, good news usually means no news. But that doesn’t mean newspapers should sensationalize events. 420 is not exclusive to Skidmore College. It’s a national event, both on and off college campuses.
The blanket portrayal of Skidmore students as a group of stoners is distressing; we’re not. Assigning a reputation to a school based on the behavior of less than 5 percent of its student body is a misleading and damaging generalization.
Accusing Skidmore of being the source of the Saratoga drug trade is irresponsible and willfully ignorant of the true problem. To hear the Saratoga Partnership for Prevention blame Skidmore for high school and middle school drug use is absurd. Correlation does not equal causation.
Saratogian Covers 4/20 Celebration, Uses Phrase “Toke Up” Seriously
Tuesday, April 21st, 2009Yesterday’s festivities did not go unnoticed by local newspaper The Saratogain which published pictures and an article chronicling (get it?) yesterday’s events on South Park Green. The article, accompanied by a picture of the crowd and a close of up the “homemade contraption made up of two triple-filtration water-pipes, named Octavius S. Octopus II,” questions the college for allowing such public disregard for the law. The article seemed surprised that the peaceful event went uninterrupted.
Campus police, city police and the college administration were all aware of the event. None made any attempt to break it up.
The article also clears up the any fleeting ambiguities as to whether or not the college acknowledges the celebrations. Both Dennis Conway, Director of Campus Safety, and Lt. Greg Veitch, Head of the Investigations Unit at the Saratoga Springs Police Department explained that they were aware of the day’s significance but explained that aside from extra patrols there wasn’t much they would do.
“It’s very difficult for an officer in full uniform to walk across a field and catch someone smoking marijuana,” Veitch said, adding that the department doesn’t have the resources for undercover officers that could alternatively be used in this type of situation.
The pictures accompanying the article are harmless but it bothers me that the Saratogian felt it necessary to dispatch a reporter and photographer to a smoky field while so many other events go uncovered.
While the article is amusing for its naïve surprise the true gem here are the comments which I suggest you read aloud.
Read the full article HERE


