All Over Albany

Dannemora employee takes plea deal, Malta man sentenced in wife's murder, Quirky cuts jobs, goat rustlers sentenced

Dannemora employee pleads guilty to aiding escape
Joyce Mitchell, an instructor at the tailor shop at Clinton Correctional Facility, pleaded guilty Tuesday to aiding Richard Matt and David Sweat in their escape from the prison in June. Mitchell told a judge she "was caught up in he fantasy," and that she enjoyed the attention they gave her and the thought of the start of a different life. [TU][NYT]

Former cop sentenced in wife's murder
The Malta man and former Long Island cop convicted of killing his wife of 40 years was sentenced to 15 years in prison.[TU]

Schenectady shooting victim named
The 18 year old man shot on a Schenectady Street on Monday has been identified as Kusaan Tolliver. The shooting was the second in five days in the city. The president of the Hamilton Hill Neighborhood Association says the group is planning a march against violence with the help of the Southern Christian Leadership conference.[TU][TWCN]

Mann sentenced
A Lake George man was sentenced on criminally negligent homicide in connection with a fatal bar fight in Saratoga last September. At the sentencing Andrew Mann apologized to Aaron Huggins' family and to his own, saying " not a day goes by that I don't wish I hadn't put my hands on him." [WNYT][Saratogian]

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EMPAC fall 2015 season

Without ado, further or otherwise, here's the slate for the upcoming fall season at EMPAC. It is, as usual, full of performances, talks, and events that promise to be interesting, thought-provoking, even challenging.

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"They started hitting us a little bit and Ed started loosening up, and he was a lot of fun that night"

William Kennedy and E.L. Doctorow walk into a bar in Albany... Not the beginning of a joke, but an actual story as told by Kennedy to Paul Grondahl. The story also involves "vodka poppers." (There's also a glancing cameo by Hunter S. Thompson.) [TU+ (link around)]

- Wed 11:44 AM - 2 comments

What's up in the Neighborhood

Among the topics in this most recent spin around the Capital Region's online neighborhood: Track season, Tanpopo, Chester's, Siro's, sushi cake, birthday cake, the ValleyCats, the uptown campus, Thacher Park, moths, Washington Park, a secret beach, FDR, disturbing mini hot dogs, and Neanderthals.

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Where to rent a boat on Lake George?

Sean emails:

I've got some friends coming into town and we thought it would be a blast to head up to Lake George and rent a boat for the day. There seems to be a ton of places out there that rent so I was wondering if any of your readers have done this before and could perhaps recommend something to us. We'll have 7 adults and are not tied to any particular location on the lake.

If you have a place to suggest -- or even thoughts on what to look for -- we'll be awarding non-redeemable bonus points for suggestions that include a sentence or two about why that's a good place.

Got advice for Sean? Please share!

Earlier on AOA: Where to go paddleboarding?

"That pile of snow is like a glacier"

Noted: There is still snow in Buffalo left over from last November's huge snow storm. [WGRZ]

- Wed 2:48 PM - say something!

Massry Center 2015-2016 season

Ukelele master Jake Shimabukuro will be there in November.

The schedule for the upcoming 2015-206 season at the Massry Center at the College of Saint Rose is out. The slate includes a ukulele virtuoso, a couple of banjo titans, a river-spanning jazz festval, and the return of the popular Christmas concert featuring the music of Vince Guaraldi.

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Pick-your-own blueberry season 2015

We are into the thick of blueberry season around the greater Capital Region. And as we've mentioned before, blueberries are just about our favorite pick-your-own crop because they're easy to pick (on bushes about waist high), relatively cheap (usually between $2-$3 per pound), and they freeze beautifully, so you can stock up for later in the year.

There are a handful of farms around the Capital Region that offer pick-your-own blueberries. Here's a list with some info. And, of course, if you know of a place that should be on the list, please share.

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