All Over Albany

Move toward paid family leave for state employees, Troy police turmoil, Commisso takes top spot in mayoral race fundraising period, the principal who was "the man"

Paid family leave
New York State's new paid family leave law takes effect in 2018 -- but it doesn't apply to public employees, though a benefit could be available through collective bargaining. The Cuomo administration says it will offer the benefit to state employees starting January 1 if their unions choose to opt in. [TU]

Troy police
+ A look at the administrative-, discipline-, and labor-related strife involving the Troy Police Department right now. [TU]
+ Citing crime in Troy, state Assemblyman (and Rensselaer County exec candidate) Steve McLaughlin is criticizing the Cuomo admin for deploying 200 state troopers to New York City, which he says could compromise coverage of areas upstate. [Troy Record]

State Police in Albany
The Albany Police Department/State Police joint patrols are set to start this week. [Spectrum]

Schenectady police resignation
Schenectady police say a detective accused of assaulting a man during an off-duty fight at a bar last year has resigned -- he pleaded guilty to a violation earlier this year. [Daily Gazette]

Upswing in police calls to children's facility
Schenectady city councilman Vince Riggi wants to know why the number of police calls to the Northeast Parent and Child facility on Park Ave have more than doubled in recent years. [Daily Gazette]

Voter registration
Andrew Cuomo issued a handful of directives to state agencies aimed at making it easier for people to register to vote, but the League of Women Voters was unimpressed. [TU]

Albany mayoral race
Frank Commisso Jr. pulled in the largest total of campaign contributions for the Albany mayoral race during the first half of this year. Figures for: Commisso | Sheehan | McLaughlin. [TU] [NYS BOE x3]

Albany Common Council races
A roundup of who's running for which Common Council seat and who's challenging whom over petitions. [TU]

Schenectady City Council race
Schenectady city Democrats are challenging roughly half of the petitions filed by Damonni Farley, whose run for city council would force a primary with the three party-backed candidates. Farley, who's gotten some support from mayor Gary McCarthy, criticized the action as "undemocratic." [TU] [Daily Gazette]

New Albany middle school
The Albany school district middle school will be called Edmund J. O'Neal Middle School, after the city's first black school principal. [TU]

Bikes
Sara Foss surveys the proposed Schenectady bike infrastructure plan. [Daily Gazette]

Albany livability
Does Albany have something to learn from Providence, Rhode Island about growth and becoming more livable. [TU+]

Clifton Park town center
A look a the new mixed-use project aimed at helping to define a town center for Clifton Park. [TU]

Remote controlled mower
The background on the remote-controlled mower the state has been using to cut grass along Route 85 in Albany. [TU]

Stuff going on today

Capital Rep
Tuesday-Sunday: Capital Rep continues its production of Mamma Mia!. Tuesday-Sunday various times -- $20 and up

Park Playhouse
Tuesday-Saturday: This is the last week for the Park Playhouse production of Ragtime at the Washington Park lake house. It's gotten very good reviews. Tuesday-Saturday 8 pm -- free lawn seating is unreserved / reserved seats available starting at $16

WTF
The Williamstown Theatre Festival continues the productions of The Clean House. And it premieres Moscow Moscow Moscow Moscow Moscow Moscow. Tuesday-Sunday various times - various prices

Summer in the City films
Tuesday: The Summer in the City series of family movies at The Palace is showing Finding Dory. Tuesday 1 pm -- free

NYS Writers Institute
Monday-Friday: It's the last week of the NYS Summer Writers Institute series of public author readings at Skidmore. This week's schedule:
+ Tuesday: Novelist William Kennedy (Ironweed, Roscoe) and Novelist Francine Prose (Lovers at the Chameleon Club: Paris 1932)

The events start at 8 pm in the Davis Auditorium of Skidmore's Palamountain Hall. They're free.

Music: Drive-By Truckers at The Egg
Alt country. With: The Seratones. 7:30 pm -- $29.50 and up

Music: Chicago + Doobie Brothers at SPAC
Still going. 7:30 pm -- $25 and up

Music: The Stray Birds at Caffe Lena
Americana. 7 pm -- $22