POLITICIANS, SUPPORTERS BID FAREWELL TO WHALEN.(CAPITAL REGION)

Byline: JAY JOCHNOWITZ - Staff writer

From the rich and powerful to the city's quiet volunteers, a throng of more than 800 people gave Mayor Thomas M. Whalen III a send-off from office Tuesday night.

With one month left after 10 years as Albany's chief executive, Whalen was honored by friends and supporters in an event at the former Union Station, now Peter Kiernan Plaza, that was not only a recognition of his accomplishments, but also a celebration of the people who helped achieve them.

"You usually just keep your head down and just keep going from project to project," said Whalen, taking a break from pumping hands at the end of the evening. …