Dredging starts up again, Espada says no quid pro quo for son's job, rally for post office, horse prices up at Saratoga sale
The Hudson River PCB dredging project has started up again. Officials say they'll be working slowly in an attempt to prevent PCB levels from spiking. The PCB spikes have prompted some "told you so" from dredging opponents. [NYT] [TU] [CapNews9]
The Schenectady County legislature has voted to ban BPA from baby bottles and sippy cups. Albany County passed a similar ban earlier this week. [TU]
Pedro Espada said yesterday that the $120k/year state Senate job created for his son (Pedro G. Espada) is "not the result of a quid pro quo or a contingency to my ending the Senate stalemate." An unnamed state Senate Democrat called the younger Espada "lazy and not so smart." Big Pedro, who's know the Senate majority leader, apparently tried to hire his son directly, but ethics rules prohibit senators hiring family members. [PolitickerNY] [NY Post] [TU]
New York State will be giving people on welfare $200/child to help with back-to-school costs. A total of 800,000 kids will get grants. The cash comes from federal stimulus money snagged with the help of $35 million from George Soros. Dean Skelos called the plan "ripe for fraud and abuse." [CapNews9] [Fox23] [AP/Troy Record]
The number of new homes being constructed in the Capital Region is way down -- because of the economy, but maybe also because of changing buyer preferences. [TU]
There was a rally in support of the Delaware Ave post office in Albany yesterday. The location is on the list of possible closures/consolidations. Common Council president Shawn Morris, who lives just a few blocks away, said the council will petition the federal government to keep the location open. [CapNews9] [TU]
The Albany County legislature has approved the sale of a parcel of land in downtown Albany for the convention center project. [TU]
Joyce Wachala is stepping down from the Schenectady school board so that she can have more time to care for her diabetic son. Wachala was one of two members recently elected in what was considered by many as a protest vote against the board's recent actions. [Daily Gazette $] [TU]
Troy's Knickerbacker Pool will be closed for the rest of the summer. Apparently the city couldn't get a new pool pump soon enough. This is the same pool that was closed after a near-drowning earlier this summer -- city officials say that incident doesn't have anything to do with the closure. [Troy Record] [@TroyMayor] [TU]
There are now lawyers involved with the Saratoga Springs ambulance service negotiations. [Saratogian]
The land around Saratoga County Airport is purposefully scruffy. [Saratogian]
Saratoga Springs' web site has gotten a makeover. [Post-Star]
The median sale price for horses at this year's Saratoga Selected Yearling Sale was up almost 10 percent over last year. The big spender: Sheik Mo, at $5.5 million. [Fasig-Tipton] [Saratogian]
Bobby Flay loves The Track. [Saratogian]
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I find it laughable that Dean "The Pot" Skelos would have the nerve call anything "ripe for fraud and abuse".
Has the guy looked around the Senate lately?
... said Jon (was) in Michigan on Aug 12, 2009 at 3:12 PM | link