November 28, 2011
Local food pantries facing increased demand, search for car in fatal hit-and-run, stabbing outside Northern Lights, Occupy Albany shifting focus
Local food pantries are finding that they have to serve a larger demographic on a more regular basis because of increased unemployment and the number of emergencies the area has seen the past year. [TU]
Albany police are searching for a green Honda that allegedly hit and killed a man walking on Quail Street in Albany Saturday morning and then fled the scene. [WNYT] [WTEN]
The disputed ballots in the tight Schenectady mayoral race will be before a judge this morning. There are currently more than 100 contested ballots in the race. [YNN] [TU]
Rather than accept a bid from one of two companies to redo the state's troublesome Medicaid computer system, the state has instead extended the contract of the company that created an outdated, flawed system that cost the state millions in the first place. [TU]
Syracuse University has fired assistant basketball coach Bernie Fine after a third man reportedly stepped forward to accuse Fine of molesting him as a child. Head coach Jim Boeheim, who had earlier issued strong statements of support for Fine, called the firing "appropriate" and said "I deeply regret any statements I made that might have inhibited that from occurring or been insensitive to victims of abuse." [Syracuse Post-Standard] [Syracuse Post-Standard]
My Exit: Cori Irwin
Tonight's My Exit DJ, Cori Irwin
It's Monday, time for another My Exit. Here's tonight's guest DJ, who will be sharing her favorite music at 8 pm on WEXT.
This week, a redux show -- new twists on some great classics.
Bye, bye, Miss American Pie...
The Post-Star's Tom Dimopoulos had a fun article over the weekend about Saratoga-area legends, including the famous one about how Don McLean supposedly wrote "American Pie" at the Tin 'n' Lint on Caroline Street in Saratoga Springs, and then first performed it at Caffe Lena:
In most re-tellings, McLean was in town for a performance at Caffe Lena and had wandered into the Tin & Lint, where he spent the night alternately drinking and scribbling phrases like "American Pie" and "drove my Chevy to a levy" on a series of bar napkins, which were forgotten about and abandoned during the course of the evening, but rescued by one of the workers at the Tin & Lint that night.
So, is it true? Dimopoulos actually talked with Don McLean about the story -- and the musician had a definitive answer about whether it's correct.
(Thanks, spiritoflife!)
image via Wikipedia
LEGOmania at the Albany Institute
Legos + creativity at the Albany Institute
This weekend, fortified by turkey and stuffing, teams from all over the Capital Region competed in the Albany Institute of History and Art's first LEGO Building Challenge. Teams of LEGO-maniacs faced off on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Their mission: create Albany architecture from either the past, present or future.
We got to judge the contest on Sunday afternoon along with David Brickman, Jim Kambrich and Rebecca Angel Maxwell. We saw everything from an awesome model of the 1864 Saratoga Race Course, to a Village People concert at The Egg, to a futuristic hydroelectric power plant...
Contractors for an energy audit?
Martin emails:
I'm going to schedule a home energy audit in the near future. I contacted NYSERDA and I was approved an audit award. Now I'm looking over the list of NYSRDA approved contractors. The Capital Region's list is long, and I don't want someone who's only goal is to pressure me into buying services and products I don't really need.
Does anyone out there have recommendation this area' listing?
Got a suggestion for Martin? Please share!
Earlier on AOA:
+ Ask AOA: Furnace cleaning and tune-ups?
+ Keep up with the Joneses? Pfft. Beat 'em.
photo: Flickr user ActiveSteve
Ani DiFranco at The Egg
It's a way off, but Ani DiFranco will be playing The Egg April 19. Tickets go on sale this Friday, December 2. (Also: it looks there are still tickets for Lyle Lovett on December 10.)
Dark Sky app funded, and other local Kickstarter projects
Dark Sky, the weather-just-ahead app from Troy-based web developers Jackadam (Jack Turner and Adam Grossman), reached its $35,000 goal on Kickstarter over the weekend. Its deadline was the end of this month -- and the project is still accepting funding through then.
Here are a few other local Kickstarter projects that caught our eye that are looking for funding -- or recently met their goal...
Architecture of EMPAC
A book that might appeal to architecture/design/arts nerds: The Architecture of EMPAC: The Tangible and the Tantilizing, which follows the construction of the RPI building with what are apparently fantastic photos (we haven't seen them). Writes the blog for the architecture firm BUILD in a roundup of design books: "With just a crack of the book, we were hooked. This one deserves a thorough read-through, not only because of the glossy photographs and diagrams of the building (to say nothing of the time-lapse video of the building construction included in the companion dvd), but the concept behind the school itself." We checked today with the Book House-- the book's in stock at Market Block. Earlier on AOA: A photo tour of EMPAC
... said KGB about Drawing: What's something that brought you joy this year?