LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION honoring freelance journalist Norman Oder for
receiving the Crystal Eagle Award from the Owners' Counsel of America

WHEREAS, It is incumbent upon the people of the State of New York to
recognize and acknowledge those within our midst who have made signif-
icant contributions to the quality of life therein; and
WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and in full accord with its long-
standing traditions, this Legislative Body is justly proud to honor
freelance journalist Norman Oder for receiving the Crystal Eagle Award
from the Owners' Counsel of America; and
WHEREAS, The Owners' Counsel of America acknowledges individuals for
their remarkable journalism and unwavering effort to be critical and
objective, specifically with respect to their investigative reportage
and balanced analysis regarding the government's use of eminent domain;
and
WHEREAS, Norman Oder's journalism career has spanned more than 25
years; his work has appeared in THE NEW YORK TIMES, THE AMERICAN LAWYER,
COLUMBIA JOURNALISM REPORT and THE VILLAGE VOICE; he received the ABA's
Silver Gavel Award for Media and the Arts in 1989, and received a Master
of Studies in Law (MSL) on a journalism fellowship at Yale Law School;
and
WHEREAS, Norman Oder currently works as News Editor for a NYC-based
trade magazine, and volunteers a second shift on his daily blog, "Atlan-
tic Yards Report"; the blog takes a critical look at Atlantic Yards, an
enormously controversial project to build a basketball arena and 16
towers near his home in Brooklyn, and follows broader issues of develop-
ment policy and eminent domain around metro New York; and
WHEREAS, In doing this, Norman Oder provides a mix of reportage,
commentary, and analysis, using the online format, including, this year,
video, to go into far more detail than available in other media; and
WHEREAS, Norman Oder has been interviewed for and cited regularly in
press coverage of Atlantic Yards; in May of 2008, he was listed as No.
77 in a list of the most powerful people in New York real estate by the
NEW YORK OBSERVER, the only person honored who was moonlighting; and
WHEREAS, Norman Oder's work involves regular critiques of media cover-
age, long-form reporting of events like public hearings and court argu-
ments, and detailed analyses of documents like legal papers and those
submitted for the state's environmental process; he regularly gleans
scoops by filing Freedom of Information Law requests and bridges the gap
between legal formality and ground-level reality; and
WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body that those who
enhance life in their community and have shown a long and sustained
commitment to excellence certainly have earned recognition and applause;
now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
honor freelance journalist Norman Oder for receiving the Crystal Eagle
Award from the Owners' Counsel of America; and be it further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be tran-
smitted to Norman Oder.