All Over Albany

Record voter turnout expected, ballet season shortened, flooding in Monument Square, airport getting new eateries

Boards of election around the region say they're expecting record voter turnout today. One of the Albany Count election commissioners says he expects between 75 and 88 percent of registered voters to cast a vote. [Daily Gazette] [Troy Record]

David Paterson says he's worried that if Barack Obama becomes president, he will ignore the needs of New York because he coasted to such an easy victory in the state. [AP/TU]

Paterson says borrowing money to cover the state's $12.5 billion project budget gap next year is "off the table." [Newsday]

An Albany man has pleaded guilty to torching two apartment buildings he owned this past summer in order to get the insurance money. But wait, there's more -- the guy is a former Trustco bank manager who needed the money to pay restitution on $40k he had stolen from the bank. [TU]

The New York City Ballet's residency at SPAC next summer will be two weeks long, instead of the usual three weeks. The shortened schedule is expected to save about $800,000 -- SPAC and the ballet lost a combined $2.3 million on the three week schedule last summer. Officials hope the shortened schedule will increase attendance at each performance. SPAC says another dance company might be brought in for what would have been the ballet's third week. [Daily Gazette] [TU] [Saratogian]

A 12-inch water main burst in Troy last night, flooding Monument Square. The city engineer says the pipe could be 150 years old. [TU] [Troy Record]

An unexpected state grant will allow a smaller tax increase in the 2009 Saratoga Springs budget -- and the addition of two more police officer positions. The state grant is for using methane from the city's landfill to power the ice making machines at the city ice rink. [Daily Gazette] [Saratogian]

The cost of road salt is up about 25 percent this year, but the biggest local supplier says there should be enough to go around. [Troy Record]

The Albany International Airport is getting a Dunkin Donuts, a Starbucks, a wine bar and a few other new restaurants. On the out: the Coffee Beanery, the owner of which says ALB let a huge corporation unfairly push him out of his spot. [TU] [Daily Gazette]

The horse sculpture outside Roohan Realty on Broadway in Saratoga has been damaged -- again. This time it appears the horse was assualted by a trio in formal wear. [Daily Gazette]