Officials urge calm on emerging flu, CDTA consolidating routes, Albany getting grant for anti-violence program, old Saratoga Winners destroyed, no Shakespeare in the Park this year

New York State has now had 54 confirmed cases of the emerging H1N1 flu -- including three cases outside NYC. Samples from five suspected cases in the greater Capital Region (two each in Schenectady and Washington counties, one in Albany County) have been sent for testing -- officials say they're not sure when results will be back on those samples. David Paterson reiterated his call for people to stay calm and said the state is prepping for a worst-case scenario. [TU] [Saratogian] [Daily Gazette]

Albany city treasurer Betty Barnette now says she will release copies of dismissed parking tickets to the Common Council -- if the council agrees to not share the info with anyone else. Barnette had initially balked at the council's request, which is part of the ghost ticket investigation, citing HIPAA -- even though the medical privacy law doesn't apply to her office. [TU]

CDTA ridership was up 11 percent to record levels during the fiscal year that ended in March. The transit org says it's still short on money, though, and will be changing, consolidating and eliminating routes to save money. [TU] [Daily Gazette]

Police used a state police helicopter, a K-9 unit and a lockdown of schools yesterday during a manhunt in Schenectady. Police were looking for a man they suspect has information about the fatal shooting outside a club this past weekend. They didn't get him. [TU] [Daily Gazette]

The City of Albany could get as much as $500k for an anti-violence project modeled after a program that's reportedly been effective in Chicago. [TU]

Police say a Schenectady teen was stabbed in the ear while walking home from school yesterday. [Daily Gazette]

The old Saratoga Winners club was destroyed during an overnight fire, which closed traffic on Rt 9 for a while. [TU]

The College of St. Rose is pushing ahead with a handful of constructions projects, despite the economic downturn. [TU]

UAlbany and St. Rose have gotten a $95k grant to study how to make the student ghetto safer. [TU]

The former St. Clare's hospital in Schenectady is being turned into a nursing home. [Daily Gazette]

The Saratoga Shakespeare Company says it won't be producing performances in Congress Park this summer because it doesn't have the money. [Post-Star]

Comments

Ahh, Winners! As Bill Ketzer said, it was "the dump behind the dump". Classic place to see a lot of bands back in the day - the upstate version of NJ's City Gardens (or as the locals called it, "Shitty Garbage"). Last show I saw there HIGH ON FIRE....kind of fitting!

I gotta give Betty Barnette respect for the HIPPA excuse. Dang, that's creative. I wish I had her legal sounding jargon. Usually when I don't want to reveal something I just pretend to ¿no comprede? because I no speaka da englay. And if that doesn't work, I make intricate hand gestures as a way to fool people into thinking I'm deaf. Maybe she would have had better luck with that strategy.

Now Betty says that she gave the information to the State Comptroller's office about a week ago, because she trusted that they would not release the names. Hmmm, Betty doesn't trust her own Common Council? Shouldn't it be the other way around. Betty, can you say "Replaced"?

Is it possible to get an Apocalyptic Flu Scale? Kinda like the snow scale? This is getting out of hand!! IMHO

Here's how to make the student ghetto safer:
1. Teach the students and residents not to act like idiots: walk in pairs at night, take self-defense classes, and don't walk alone, drunk, high and talking to your bro on your cell phone at top volume on dark streets.
2. Train the cops to actually patrol and treat all residents with respect, rather than just putting up enormous signs stating their presence and acting like maintaining peaceful neighborhoods is too much of a strain for them.
3. Hold landlords accountable for repairing their tenement-quality housing, thereby increasing the safety of student housing.

There. That should do it. I'll be expecting my $95,000 check from Saint Rose and U. Albany.

Gov. Paterson says we shouldn't panic about Swine Flu.

Really?

I'm already dividing up my friends/co-workers into:

A) Has needed skills to rebuild civilization.
B) Has cajones to seal the Vault door when we reach capacity.
C) Has sneezed in my presence in the past 24 hours.

@Sandor: +2 for all the geeky references. Pip-boy.

@S - Come with me if you wanna live. Viene la tormenta!

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