The Sidecut doesn’t refer to a quick path to your destination, far from it, pun intended. It refers to something that connected businesses and communities. It did that by controlling the flow of people, boats, products, and money through a channel. I’m talking about the 23rd Street side-cut.

The 23rd Street side-cut was a wide double-lock located in Watervliet, originally known as West Troy. Watervliet was, and still is, a small working-class city in upstate New York, a few miles outside the state capital, Albany. The 23rd Street side-cut connected the Hudson River to the Erie Canal. Today, the side-cut is buried beneath a modern asphalt monument—I-787. The Erie Canal and Hudson River built Watervliet, but a new form of transportation and connection, I-787, cut the city from the river that built it. Just because something is new and novel doesn’t mean it is beneficial to all. The consequences of a "good idea" may not be realized until decades later.

So, why am I writing this?  Because I’m excavating The Sidecut.  Brushing off asphalt, clay, and beat-up Pepsi cans and reimagining something old and buried.  

As for myself and role. I worked for the New York State and Local Retirement System (NYSLRS) for sixteen years. NYSLRS is one of the best funded and most complex pension systems in the country, 300 unique plan calculations, in all. During my career, I developed a high-level expertise in pension administration, providing quality and approachable customer service and leading a team in my managerial role. Those roles ranged from data entry at the start of my career, to one-on-one pension consultations, retirement presentations, and leading a team of employees in NYSLRS. These experiences cemented my institutional understanding and respect for what pensions can do.  

I started The Sidecut to fulfill a drive to provide excellent and specific services to public employees - optimizing their pension within a model.

As Yogi Berra said, “no matter where you go, there you are.” So, there we are. That’s my story and the story of The Sidecut.

If you want to learn more about your pension, schedule an appointment below and let’s dig out your Sidecut.