All Over Albany

Interfaith vigil for JCC after second bomb threat, Marchione pushes for tax cap that would always be 2 percent, ideas for the old Matten Shipyard

Interfaith vigil in support of Albany JCC
Hundreds of people turned out at the Albany Jewish Community Center Thursday evening for an vigil as a show of support following the second recent bomb threat made against the center this week -- and the event included speakers of many different faiths calling for peace and solidarity. [TU] [WNYT]

Niskayuna woman can't back into the US
The family and friends of a Niskayuna woman -- a French citizen born in Syria who's an electrical engineer at GE -- say she was traveling with her children when the Trump immigrant order was instituted and now can't get back into the US. [WNYT]

State of Troy
In his state of the city address Thursday, Troy mayor Patrick Madden touted new investment in the city and touched on the city's difficult budget situation: "My administration is committed to fact-based budgeting devoid of the political calculations that led us to where we are today." City council president Carmella Mantello said she wanted to hear more about addressing the fiscal challenges. [TU] [TWCN]

Tax cap
Kathy Marchione is sponsoring a bill in the state Senate that would make the local property tax increase cap 2 percent each year instead of the current arrangement which can include a lower cap depending on inflation. [TU]

SAFE Act
+ A Republican state Senator from western New York is proposing to repeal the SAFE Act everywhere in the state except for New York City. [TWCN]
+ Saratoga County officials are criticizing the hand gun recertification process that's part of the SAFE ACT, calling it redundant and an unfunded mandate. [Daily Gazette]

Oil shipments
The two companies that operate oil transfer terminals at the Port of Albany say in a letter to the state Department of Environmental Conservation that they're not involved with a proposed pipeline project that would run from the port to New Jersey. [Politico NY]

Albany city government
+ Albany treasurer Darius Shahinfar says the number of properties delinquent in paying their property taxes has fallen 28 percent between 2012 and 2016.
+ The appointment of Rachel McEneny as head of the city's Department of Administrative Services is up for a vote before the Common Council Monday night. (She's been serving as the city's budget director.) [TU]

Schenectady schools
After recent complaints about at student behavior in its schools -- one teacher told the school board the current situation is "a disgrace" -- the Schenectady school district says it's moving to hire a group of new hall monitors. [Daily Gazette]

Title IX investigation at UAlbany
UAlbany is under a Title IX investigation by the federal government after a complaint about the university's elimination of its women's tennis team. [Daily Gazette]

Downtown Albany real estate
Downtown Albany has the area's highest vacancy rate for office space -- 21.5 percent. [Biz Review]

Peebles Island State Park
Consultants for the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor are collecting public input on what to do with the old Matten Shipyard site in Peebles Island State Park. [TU]

State tourism app
The New York State tourism app promoted by those interstate signs the state and feds have been fighting about has been downloaded more than 100,000 times. [Politico]

Headline of the day
"Police Plead for Public to Pinpoint Patriots Fan Who Pilfered Purse" [TWCN]