All Over Albany

A quick recap of the week

Here are a few highlights from the past week on AOA:

+ Soapbox: Rob on a man he met in downtown Albany -- and his flagpole.

+ The ice skating rink is returning to the Empire State Plaza.

+ Sebastien shared photos from the Victorian Stroll in Troy.

+ Ben, who's new to town, asked about fun things to do around the holidays.

+ RPI's Shirley Jackson continued to hold a spot in the top 10 for private university president salaries.

+ Brian asked about finding a good veterinarian for dogs -- and people had a lot of helpful suggestions.

+ A member of the UAlbany women's rugby team chased down, tackled, and pinned the guy who allegedly stole her wallet.

+ Amy spotted a duo of white squirrels in Albany.

If you'd just like the whole week unfiltered, check our listing of the last seven days of AOA. (Commented Maximillian: "This is probably the weirdest thing I've read on AOA all year.")

+ Kim asked about local bakeries that make Bûche de Noël.

+ Andrew Cuomo and the leaders of the legislature worked out a deal to restructure the state's income tax brackets. (You're probably getting a small tax cut.)

+ You know that big building being constructed at the edge of the State Office Campus along Washington Ave? We looked at what that's going to be.

+ What was up in the Neighborhood this week: downtown Troy, model trains, loquacious dignitaries, the Victorian Streetwalk, the Albany County Rail Trail, cycling tech, three kinds of bacon, customer service, pizza, ugly apples, Adventure in Food, chocolate fountains, Duncan's, danish, Christmas trees, merchant princes, and blooming in December.

+ "In a world... where fountains only spray water... one fountain had the courage... to light up and spray water..."

+ Let's hope Santa isn't getting probed.

+ A few of the items found on Craigslist this week: a breakup over big hair, a lost will to live, a pants-dropping Santa, and loveseat in search of lovers.

+ The Capital Region was a non-winner in the state's Regional Economic Development Council competition -- but a bunch of local projects did get funding, and a few of them caught our eye.

+ We've experienced the soda fountain of the future. (It was at Colonie Center.)

+ It's yet another round of bumper gawking. (Mmm, BACN...)

And we're asking people what's on their local holiday wish list this year:

+ Christine from Unspeakable Visions
+ Kaitlin Resler from All This Happiness
+ Daniel B. from the Fussy Little Blog

If you'd just like the whole week unfiltered, check our listing of the last seven days of AOA.

Thanks to everyone who posted a comment or shared a photo or idea this week!