All Over Albany

Investigation into Schoharie limousine crash, community and first responders try to cope with the deaths of so many, students could use better math prep, questions for the Adirondacks

Schoharie limousine crash
+ On Monday Andrew Cuomo and State Police said the stretch limousine in the Schoharie crash that killed 20 people had failed a state inspection last month and the driver didn't have the proper licensing to be operating the vehicle. The company -- Prestige Limousine -- is now under a cease-and-desist order from the state preventing it from operating, and State Police have seized the company's vehicles. [CBS6] [WNYT x2]

+ State Police and federal investigators are continuing to sort through the details of the crash, and State Police left open the possibility of criminal charges. [NYT]

+ Contrary to comments made by state officials, Lee Kindlon, the attorney representing Prestige Limousine, said Monday the vehicle had passed state inspections and "was safe to be on the road." And he turned attention to the design of the Route 30/Route 30A intersection: "I think the state has been warned about that intersection for years and the Department of Transportation is just looking to point a finger." [News10] [TU]

+ Schoharie's current and former town supervisor both say the 30/30A intersection has been a safety problem for years. NYSDOT redesigned the intersection in 2010, and in 2015 trucks were banned from the Route 30 hill. [CBS6] [Daily Gazette]

+ The owner of the Wilton-based Prestige is Shahed Hussain -- a former Albany gas station owner who became an FBI informant after being snagged for drivers license fraud and ended up being the key informant in the the sting that led to the arrests of Yassin Aref and Mohammed Hossain in Albany. State Police said Monday Hussain is now in Pakistan. [TU] [Daily Gazette]

+ A look at the safety concerns regarding these sorts of limos, and how this sort of crash can injure people as badly as it did. The owner of a Watervliet-based limo company tells the Business Review he figures there are at least a dozen small limo operators around the region not following vehicle and insurance laws. [NYT] [TU x2] [Biz Review]

+ The crash has prompted calls for tighter regulations. Andrew Cuomo Monday: "You know, the instinct is always, 'We need a law, we need a new regulation.' Sometimes the law worked fine and the regulation worked fine. They were just broken." [Spectrum]

+ Short profiles and memories of the people who died in the crash. [TU]
+ Thousands of people attended a vigil Monday night in Amsterdam to honor the people who died. [Daily Gazette] [Spectrum]
+ The first responders on the scene are also trying to cope -- said one to CBS6: "The things we saw were like a nightmare." [CBS6]

Gubernatorial election
Apparently dissuaded by Marc Molinaro's performance in the polls so far, Republican donors aren't lining up behind him and he reported just $210k in his campaign account at the last disclosure -- Andrew Cuomo had $9.2 million. [NYT]

Control of the state Senate
Roy McDonald -- the Republican who formerly held the state Senate seat now held by Republican Kathy Marchione (he lost to Marchione in a primary in 2012) -- has endorsed Democrat Aaron Gladd for the seat. (Marchione is supporting Republican Daphne Jordan.) [TU]

Albany County Board of Elections and the South End
Multiple Democrats -- including county exec Dan McCoy and Albany mayor Kathy Sheehan -- held a press conference Monday in front of the DMV office in the South End to criticize the recent statements by the county's Republican elections commissioner that the neighborhood is a "bad, dangerous" one. They also weren't happy about the Democratic commissioner's silence on the issue. (The DMV space has been floated as a potential new location for the county Board of Elections.) [TU]

Ballston Spa finances
An audit by the state Comptroller's office criticized the village and its former budget officer for what it said were incomplete and inaccurate records.

More math
Forty-five percent of respondents in a poll of recent New York high school graduates said they wished they had gotten better preparation in math. [TU]

SAT
Schenectady High School is paying for almost all of its students in grades 10-12 to take the SAT this year. [Daily Gazette]

Adirondacks
Three current questions prompted by the increasing popularity of the Adirondacks and all the foot and vehicle traffic that goes along with it. [Daily Gazette]

Stuff happening today

Lincoln Park public meeting
Tuesday: The city of Albany has a public meeting to gather feedback about the future of Lincoln Park. Tuesday 6:30 pm, Hackett Middle School

Capitol Hauntings
Monday-Saturday: The popular Capitol Hauntings tours have started up for the season at the state Capitol. "The tour lasts about an hour, but the chilling, ghostly tales might haunt you forever." Monday-Friday 1 pm and 5:30 pm / Saturday 1 pm -- free (but you must make a reservation and they fill up)

Anastasia
Tuesday-Sunday: A touring production of the Broadway show Anastasia will be at Proctors. "From the Tony Award-winning creators of the Broadway classic Ragtime, this dazzling show transports us from the twilight of the Russian Empire to the euphoria of Paris in the 1920s, as a brave young woman sets out to discover the mystery of her past. Pursued by a ruthless Soviet officer determined to silence her, Anya enlists the aid of a dashing conman and a lovable ex-aristocrat. Together, they embark on an epic adventure to help her find home, love, and family." Tuesday-Sunday various times --

The Royale
Tuesday-Sunday: This is the last week for The Rep production of The Royale. Tuesday-Sunday various times -- $20 and up

Brainfood for the Curious: Watkins Glen
Tuesday: The new season of the State Museum's lunchtime talks series -- Brainfood for the Curious -- opens with a talk about the history of auto racing at Watkins Glen. (Your welcome to bring your lunch.) Tuesday 12:10-12:30 pm, Huxley Theater -- free

Justine Bateman and the hijacking of reality
Tuesday: Actor/author/activist Justine Bateman will be at UAlbany as part of the NYS Writers Institute visiting writers series. She'll be talking about her new book Fame: The Hijacking of Reality. (She'll also be doing a craft talk at 4:15 pm.) Tuesday 7:30 pm, uptown campus, Campus Center Ballroom -- free

Front Parlor
Tuesday: The Front Parlor storytelling series is back at The Ale House in Troy. This month's theme: "Shangri-La." Tuesday 7:30 pm -- free admission

Paws and Play Movie (rescheduled from last week)
Tuesday: There's a free, dog-friendly, outdoor screening of Frankenweenie at Quackenbush Square in downtown Albany. "Dogs are encouraged to attend this Halloween-themed movie night featuring Tim Burton's spooky animated 2012 film. Special "doggy bag" style dinners for both pups & people will be available for purchase from the The Olde English Pub so you can dine while you watch!" Tuesday 6 pm games and trivia, 7 pm film -- free admission

Music: Hayes Carll at Proctors
Folk/country singer/songwriter. 7:30 pm -- $30.50