Items tagged with 'UAlbany'
Quality opponents lined up fo Siena, UAlbany
The Siena and UAlbany men's basketball teams released their non-conference schedules this week. And both schools have lined up some quality, big name competition.
Both schedules are after the jump. A few of the at home highlights:
UAlbany November 12 vs. Cornell (Sweet 16 in the NCAA tournament last season)
Siena November 23 vs. Butler (you know, the runner up in last season's national title game)
Siena December 22 vs. Georgia Tech (against old coach Paul Hewitt)
Also: The Siena-UAlbany game will be December 4 at the TU Center.
PostSecret coming to UAlbany
An earlier Post Secret installation in Canada.
Here's something to look forward to: PostSecret, the post card confessional web series, is bringing one of its touring exhibits to UAlbany. The site's exhibit schedule reports it will be at UAlbany's performing arts center from January 19 to February 11.
PostSecret describes itself as "an ongoing community art project where people
mail in their secrets anonymously on one side of a postcard." The cards are often creatively decorated or illustrated. Among the recently posted secrets :
"I'm 25 and finally in a loving, committed relationship. It just happens to be with a married couple."
"I'm convinced that being a Mets fan has taken years off my life!"
"The romance of being with a pilot has worn off. I want my own adventure."
"We haven't been dating long, but I constantly daydream about our Star Wars theme wedding."
The site started in 2004 -- and quickly became very popular. Material from the site has since been turned into four books.
(Thanks, Jessica R!)
photo via International Arts & Artists
Where Capital Region colleges rank on Princeton Review lists
The Princeton Review released its annual college rankings this week (party schools, reefer madness, etc).
Here are the lists Capital Region schools made it onto...
Union, RPI in top 20 for "return on investment"
Not(t) a bad deal?
An online service called PayScale has ranked colleges based on "return on investment."
Here are how the schools in the Capital Region stacked up:
Oddly, neither St. Rose nor Russell Sage Colleges were on the list of 852 schools.
Businessweek has the same rankings posted with a few more categories.
Here's the methodology, which is worth skimming. In short: the numbers were calculated using the 30 year median pay for a 2009 grad with a bachelor's degree, in a full time job.
MIT was ranked #1. The highest ranked public school was UC-Berkeley at #16.
(Thank, Fred)
Earlier on AOA:
+ Skidmore, Union, RPI among nation's most expensive
+ Capital Region college tuition
UAlbany president's pension is head of the class
UAlbany president George Philip has the largest annual pension benefit among retired state and local government employees, according to figures published today by the Empire Center. The annual total: $261,037.
Philip racked up the pension working for the New York State Teachers' Retirement System between 1971 and 2007. He eventually served as chief investment officer and executive director of the fund that was then worth $105 billion, according to his UAlbany bio.
The Empire Center's SeeThroughNY database reports that Philip made $282,906 last year as president of UAlbany. That made him the fourth highest paid employee at the university (Alain Kaloyeros topped the chart at $734,353).
The think tank added pension data to the database this week. The average annual pension benefit for people in the system that includes Philip is $25,947, according to the Empire Center.
[via the ASP]
Earlier on AOA: RPI's Jackson tops compensation chart
UAlbany's garlic guy
The work of UAlbany chemistry professor Eric Block is the main dish in a NYT piece today by Harold McGee, the creme de la creme of food science writers.
Block is an expert on alliums -- that is, plants such as onions and garlic. From McGee's piece:
"It's still astounding to me what happens when you cut or bite into an onion or a garlic clove," Dr. Block told me in a telephone conversation last month. "These plants originated in a very tough neighborhood, in Central Asia north of Afghanistan, and they evolved some serious chemical weapons to defend themselves."
Their sulfur-based defense systems give the alliums their distinctive flavors. The plants deploy them when their tissues are breached by biting, crushing or cutting. The chemicals are highly irritating, and discourage most creatures from coming back for seconds. They kill microbes and repel insects, and they damage the red blood cells of dogs and cats. Never feed a pet onions or garlic in any form. ...
Dr. Block explains that different alliums stockpile different sulfur chemicals to make their weapons, and this accounts for their varying flavors. The stockpiles themselves are inert, but when the plant's tissues are damaged, enzymes in the tissues quickly convert the sulfur compounds into reactive, stinging molecules.
There a bunch of interesting bits in the article -- whether you cook, or just eat.
Block wrote a recently-published book about alliums, Garlic and Other Alliums: The Lore and the Science. The book blurb says it "outlines the extensive history and the fascinating past and present uses of these plants."
Block co-authored a 2007 paper in the Archives of Internal Medicine that reported the neither raw garlic nor garlic supplements appeared to have clinically significant effects on cholesterol levels in people.
[via @ualbany]
Giants coming back to UAlbany
The New York Giants announced today that they'll be back at UAlbany for training camp again this summer. The agreement also includes an option for the team to train there in 2011 and 2012.
Camp runs from August 1-20.
While the practices aren't exactly what we would call exciting, if you're a football fan it is kind of cool see the team up close. Just watching on TV it's hard to get a sense of how remarkably big and fast these guys are.
The Giants have trained at UAlbany since 1996. Fan attendance at last year's camp was 46,960.
[via @AndrewCatalon]
photo via NY Giants
"I Love SUNY"
Check it out: a guy named Neil Roche has recorded a song about being a student at UAlbany. A sample verse from "I love SUNY":
I wanna go to SUNY for the rest of my life
Where I can walk to Pine Hill, get Keystone Light
I can hit up Bogie's, the Abbot or Mike's
Probably go to Chubby's if it's a week night
You are not us, not even close
F*** SUNY Binghamton and SUNY Buffalo
Chillin' on Hudson, that's where my man lives
Kept blunts on Quail Street, pizza on Madison
Don't eat Chartwells, it gives you the runs
I swipe my munch money, unlimited funds
Four years in no time, can't really believe it
Time of my life and I don't really want to leave this
Later on, he says he might go "Van Wilder" and just stay for like eight years.
Update: As Kevin points out, this appears to be an homage to, or parody of, the Asher Roth song "I Love College."
Curious about Roche, we looked for more about him. According to what appears to be his Facebook page, he's a sociology major from out past Binghamton. Does anyone know more about his work? Please share.
We also found a video of Roche reading slam poetry at Busboys and Poets in DC earlier this year. The clip is embedded after the jump.
[via @patrickdodson via @katieanello]
The new UAlbany School of Business building
The design, by big-name firm Perkins + Will, is intended to be a "modern interpretation" of the Edward Durell Stone design of the rest of the campus.
UAlbany revealed the design for its new $64 million School of Business building. Of course, this being 2010, it's not just a building -- it's "a hub of learning and innovation in commercialization and entrepreneurship for business students and professionals throughout the Capital Region and New York State."
The building will sit along the main campus entry and the design, according to a release, "preserves the modernist formality of the campus's orthogonal aesthetics in a more modern interpretation." It also will apparently incorporate eco-friendly elements.
Construction is slated to start this summer; the target date for completion is 2013.
Earlier on AOA:
+ UAlbany's walk-through fountain
+ A photo tour of EMPAC
+ A modern building hidden in plain sight
+ A tour of the Massry Center for the Arts
image: Perkins + Will
Report: car sharing coming to the Capital Region. Sort of.
A Zipcar in Portland, Oregon. The program at UAlbany will be run by Hertz, according to the ASP.
The ASP's Jon Campbell reports that car sharing is coming to UAlbany via partnership with Hertz.
Over the last few years we've heard a handful of people -- online and off -- express their desire for car sharing here in the Capital Region.
Fountain Day 2010 photos
Chilly day in the fountain -- yesterday's high temp was 56.
Kayla sent along photos from yesterday's Fountain Day at UAlbany. There are a bunch more in her photostream.
Be sure to check out Patrick's photostream, too -- it includes a bunch of good shots from in the fountain. And here's video from the live stream.
(Thanks, Kayla!)
photo: Kayla Galway
Addicted to tanning?
Can't stop?
A paper published today in the Archives of Dermatology reports that of 229 UAlbany students surveyed who were tanners, almost 40 percent could be considered to have an "addiction" to tanning.
The study was conducted by Sharon Danoff-Burg, an assistant professor at UAlbany, and Catherine E. Mosher, a research fellow at Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in NYC. In 2006, they surveyed a pool of more than 400 students at UAlbany. [HealthDay] The students were evaluated for indoor tanning addiction using two measures -- a modified questionnaire that's usually used for screening for alcoholism and the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) criteria for substance-related disorders.
Danoff-Burg and Mosher report that of the 229 student who reported going to tanning salons, 39.3 percent met the DSM criteria and 30.6 the questionnaire criteria for addiction to indoor tanning (about 22 percent met the criteria for both screens). [Reuters] Of those scored as being tanning-addicted, 78 percent said they tried to cut down but couldn't. [LAT]
The authors write: "Further research should evaluate the usefulness of incorporating a brief anxiety and depression screening for individuals who tan indoors. Patients with anxiety or depression could be referred to mental health professionals for diagnosis and treatment."
A small study in 2004 reported that tanning appears to have mood-altering effects. And a 2006 study reported that it appeared that the younger a tanner started, the harder it was to quit.
Earlier on AOA: Dan Nester reported in the Daily Beast that there are more than 800 tanning salons in the greater Capital Region.
[via @UAlbanyNews]
* HealthDay reports it was UAlbany -- the study's abstract simply says it was "a large university (approximately 18 000 students) in the northeastern United States" (that's UAlbany's enrollment). We're checking to confirm. Yep, it was UAlbany. We confirmed it with the university.
photo: Flickr user Evil Erin
Jimmy Fallon's friend didn't actually get hit by a car on Western
WCDB's Ethan Ullman recently interviewed Jimmy Fallon -- about knocking over soda machines on the downtown UAlbany campus, getting booed off the stage at Bogie's and working for Metroland:
From a transcript on the Albany Student Press:
JF: If you spit salt water into the dollar thing that you put the dollars into, it's just ridiculous. I mean, me and my friends getting a mouthful of salt water and going: (spitting noise). Spitting in the dollar thing, trying to short out the machine.
So we broke into the downtown campus at SUNY and we went into some place that was -- I want to say there were like ten soda machines.
ASP: How many did you steal?
JF: Well, what happened was, it didn't work for some reason. So we were just spitting salt water and nothing worked, and so my friend tried to pull and shake the machine, and it fell on his leg.
So we were like, "Oh my god! What do we do?" And he was like, "Dude, it's broken, I know it's broken!" We're like, "Oh my gosh!" So we limped him out of there and we're running. It was so "Animal House," it was ridiculous. And then he laid in the street. I'll never forget this. It was snowing out, and he laid in the street in Western Avenue, and he called the cops and said that he got hit by a car.
That was so his parents wouldn't find out that he broke into SUNY and tried to spit. It's just the dumbest thing ever. But, that guy's a teacher now, I'm not kidding.
Here's part two.
Earlier on AOA: A whole bunch of items about Jimmy Fallon and his time in Albany
Clip from Rove/Dean debate at UAlbany
Via New York Now, here's a clip from last night's Karl Rove / Howard Dean debate at UAlbany -- the topic was the stimulus package. As you'll see, the pointed finger was one of the preferred moves:
There were a few protesters outside the debate. A protester was tossed from the debate itself about two minutes in.
Tweets from/about the debate. Here's a recap from the Troy Record.
Rove/Dean ticket info
It looks like the Karl Rove / Howard Dean debate at UAlbany April 8 will be open to pretty much anyone who registers. As the event page notes: "UAlbany students, alumni, family, and friends of the community are able to attend."
You do have to register beforehand, though. And be seated by 7:30 pm (the rhetorical engagment begins at 8 pm). Also:
All tickets not picked up at Will Call by 7:30 will be redistributed to anyone who wants to attend the event. There were tickets left over at the previous Speaker Series event, so it is worth trying to get a ticket last minute in case you or a friend doesn't have a ticket/didn't register.
The debate is at SEFCU Arena on the uptown campus.
(Thanks, Amanda!)
Rove photo via Wikipedia | Dean photo by Flickr user Mr Wright
Rove/Dean at UAlbany
The ASP reports that Karl Rove and Howard Dean will engage in a political mixed martial arts bout a debate at UAlbany as part of the school's World Within Reach Speaker Series. The event is scheduled for April 8.
Details aren't posted, yet. But if this event is like the Colin Powell speech (also part of this series), it could be a tough ticket to get for people not connected to UAlbany. We'll update as we find out more.
It looks like Rove and Dean have participated in a handful of these debates -- last fall at DePauw University and Penn State; and just a few days ago in Portland and at Colorado-Boulder. Politics Daily reports the Rove/Dean fee for Colorado was $56k.
(Thanks, Patrick!)
Rove photo via Wikipedia | Dean photo by Flickr user Mr Wright
Ford takes shot at Gillibrand and Schumer, TU Center turns profit, second ESP man caver sentenced, Phillip Livingston school up for sale
Harold Ford was in Albany yesterday to make the rounds at the Capitol and ESP -- and take shots at both Kirsten Gillibrand and Chuck Schumer. Ford said on Talk 1300 that both senators were elected to be independent and not act like a "parakeet" for for the Democratic Party. A Gillibrand spokesman shot back: "The notion that [Ford] is independent is completely contrived." Said one legislative intern to the TU after meeting Ford on the ESP concourse: "He should really look into getting a New York accent." [AP/Troy Record] [NYO] [NYDN] [NYT] [TU]
David Paterson said yesterday that his potential gubernatorial campaign opponents shouldn't be hiding in the "candidate protection program." [NYDN]
Annoyed that the governor keeps calling them back for special sessions, the legislature has decided to just not adjourn -- basically blocking more special sessions. [Daily Politics]
Albany County announced that the Times Union Center, which it owns, turned a profit of almost $1.8 million last year -- up from about $900k the year before. That's the second-highest profit in the facility's 20-year history (not adjusted for inflation). [Albany County] [TU]
Suspended Schenectady cop arrested again, Cuomo to declare in March?, man arrested for 65th time, local pilot flies supply missions to Haiti
Suspended Schenectady police officer John Lewis has been arrested. Again. It's his sixth arrest in the last two years. In this most recent case, he's accused of causing a car accident in the Ellis Hospital parking lot after he allegedly left the emergency department drunk. The SPD first tried to fire Lewis in 1998 for allegedly using a racial slur. The department's waiting for a decision on its most recent attempt to terminate him. [WNYT] [Daily Gazette $] [TU] [Fox23] [CBS6]
A "source close to [Andrew] Cuomo" tells the Daily News that Andrew Cuomo will officially announce he's running for governor in March. David Paterson's campaign manager says "it's clear Mr. Cuomo is running for governor." [NYDN] [NYDN]
David Paterson is apparently going to try again to get the state worker unions to give up their raises this year. [TU]
Colonie assemblyman -- and outspoken MMA critic -- Bob Reilly says he's willing to support a compromise bill that would legalize ultimate fighting in the state if certain restrictions were placed on the sport. [TU]
UAlbany cancelled a cage fighting match scheduled for the SEFCU Arena this past weekend after a state commission said the event appeared to violate state law. [@albstudentpress] [Daily Gazette $]
Two men shot in Pine Hills, legislators propose new ethics oversight, alleged horse slasher pleads guilty, struck Saratoga pedestrians ticketed
Albany police say two men were shot on Ontario Street near St. Rose yesterday evening (map). They say how the shooting went down was unclear. The two men's injuries were not considered life threatening. St. Rose security said the campus was locked down temporarily while police searched for suspects. [CBS6] [TU] [CapNews9] [ASP]
The Troy police overtime was almost double the amount budgeted for last year. The city's highest paid employee last year was a police sergeant who made $140,738.10 -- almost half of that overtime. [Troy Record] [TU]
State legislative leaders introduced a package of ethics reforms that would create new watchdogs for the legislature, the executive branch and lobbyists. David Paterson said the plan isn't enough because it doesn't require legislators to disclose their outside business clients. A "top aide" said the governor won't sign the bill in its current form. [TU] [NYT] [Daily Politics]
Documents filed by Andrew Cuomo's office in state supreme court allege that Pedro Espada may have violated tax, election, labor law -- and committed fraud, too -- as head of a Bronx health care group. Espada called the investigation by the AG a "witch hunt driven by his political ambitions." [NYT] [TU]
Writers Institute spring schedule
The spring lineup for the New York State Writers Institute is out.
The schedule includes what look like a bunch of interesting talks. Among them: editorial cartoonist Jules Feiffer (that's a self-cartoon on the right), philopsopher Rebecca Goldstein, author Michael Ondaatje and playwright Stephen Adly Guirgis.
All the events are free and open to the public. They start in February.
cartoon: Jules Feiffer
Siena vs. UAlbany this weekend
The Siena/UAlbany basketball game is this Saturday. It's probably the biggest sporting event of the year in the Capital Region, aside from the Travers. Pete Iorizzo reports that a bunch of tickets have already been sold -- and the total could top 14,000.
Both teams are coming off losses in the south. Siena fell 74-61 to Georgia Tech in Atlanta this past Wednesday. UAlbany lost at Florida Atlantic 81-65.
Siena, which has been a favorite of hoops pundits this year, would seem to have the clear the advantage in this game. But the Saints might not have Edwin Ubilies (that's him on the right) in the lineup -- he's one of their best players.
Tip-off time for the men's game is 7:30 pm at the TU Center. Robert Lee and Tom Huerter will have the call on Talk 1300.
Also: Pearl Street will be closed from 3-10 pm from Beaver St to Hudson for the game (that's the block right in front of the TU Center).
From Albany to Iraq and back
Kate Hoit, a UAlbany student and Iraq veteran, writes about her time in the Army this week in the Albany Student Press:
In the summer of 2004, I got a phone call while waiting tables at the Fountain Restaurant on New Scotland Ave. It was a sergeant from my unit in Schenectady telling me I was being deployed.
I hung up the phone and stood there for a minute. I should've known this was coming.
I picked up the phone and called my parents.
"Hi Mom," I said.
"Katie, your sergeant just called here," my mom said.
"I know, I just talked to him," I said "I'm being deployed to Iraq."
There was an awkward moment of silence. There was nothing she could've said that would've made me feel better. I was a soldier. This shouldn't have fazed me -- but it did.
"You've got to be kidding me," she said through her tears.
"I wish mom. I gotta get back to work."
"Okay, I love you."
I hung up the phone and walked outside. My eyes started to fill with tears as I wondered if I was going to be killed over there.
I remembered the couple that had just come into the restaurant. I walked back in and took their order.
Here's part two of the piece.
Kate also writes a blog: My American-Iraq Life.
photo: Patrick Dodson / ASP
Bruno trial focuses on disclosure forms, progress -- or not -- on state budget gap, contractor dies on dredging project, the crow wars continue
Joe Bruno Trial: Much of the testimony yesterday focused on how Bruno's financial disclosure forms had been compiled. Ken Riddett, the former counsel to the Senate majority, testified that state senators were instructed to hand deliver their financial disclosure forms because of "concerns with federal mail fraud statutes." Also: Bruno's former executive assistant continued her testimony yesterday. She recounted the time Bruno sent her to the bank to get a $1000 bill for his wife -- and she says Bruno got "very angry" with her when she returned with ten $100 bills instead. [NYT] [TU] [Troy Record]
What's the state of discussions on how to close the state's budget gap? It depends on whom you ask -- though count David Paterson as one who's not optimistic, calling the situation a "prelude to what will be continued unhappiness." The governor also said he wouldn't rule out state worker furloughs if a deficit deal doesn't come about. [Daily Politics] [TU] [NYO] [NYDN]
Amy Seyboth Tirador, the Colonie soldier who recently died in Iraq, was buried in Saratoga National Cemetery yesterday. About 300 people attended her funeral in Colonie. Military officials in Iraq told the TU via email yesterday that "we do not know if her death was accidental, a suicide or a homicide." Seyboth Tirador's family has said the soldier was shot in the back of the head. During the funeral yesterday her grandfather said, "Whoever did this crime, I hope they rot in hell." [WTEN] [Troy Record] [TU] [WNYT]
Can the Great Danes be dolphin-like?
The UAlbany men's basketball team tips off its regular season tonight against Syracuse at the Carrier Dome. The game will be on ESPNU at 9 pm (that's channel 606 on Time Warner digital).
Obviously, this a is a big game for the Great Danes -- it's not every day they play a high-profile team like the Orange. But it could also be a big game for SU. Coach Jim Boeheim has 799 wins in coaching career. Could UAlbany be #800?
It might seem like a done deal. Syracuse is ranked in/near the Top 25. But the Orange lost a bunch of good players from last year's team -- including point guard Jonny Flynn, who was picked #6 overall in this year's NBA draft. And Syracuse just lost an exhibition game to the mighty Dolphins of Division II LeMoyne. So you never know.
Update: Or sometimes you do. The Orange ran away with it, 75-43.
By the way: The Siena men's hoops team opens its season at Tennessee State Friday night.
Legislature back today, Tonko and Murphy split on health care vote, the weekend in stabbings, police chase half-naked suspect through Watervliet
The legislature is back this week for at least a few days. Today's schedule includes a joint session this afternoon in which David Paterson will speak about the state budget gap (whatever size it may be). A special session is schedule tomorrow to take up measures to address the gap -- and, maybe for the state Senate to vote on the same-sex marriage bill. [Fox23] [TU] [NYDN] [Daily Politics]
The two local House members split on the health care reform vote his past weekend. Paul Tonko voted "yes" -- in a statement he said the bill will provide coverage to 22,000 people in his district. Scott Murphy voted "no" -- in a statement, he said the bill didn't do enough to curb costs. Murphy was one of 39 Democrats to vote against the bill -- and one of three from New York. [TU] [Paul Tonko] [Scott Murphy] [NYT] [Daily Politics]
The Army has called the death of Colonie solider Amy Seyboth Tirador "a non-combat related incident" in Iraq. But her family says the staff sergeant was shot in the back of the head -- though beyond that, they say the military hasn't given them any more details. [Fort Lewis press release] [CBS6] [Fox23]
Week two of the Joe Bruno trial begins today. On a Friday Leonard Fassler, a longtime associate of Bruno, testified that the senator set up meetings with government officials, including then-Governor Pataki, for companies which were paying him consulting fees. Fassler said the consulting fees were paid to Bruno because he helped Fassler become a "better executive." [CBS6] [TU] [Troy Record]
Bruno trial starts today, homicide in Albany, speculation about connections between deaths in Greenfield, toddler found because of lights on his shoes
Joe Bruno's federal trial starts today. The feds are prosecuting him under a "theft of honest services" statute -- the feds allege that Bruno made more than $3 million in consulting fees from groups who benefited from his influence in state government. The case is expected to shine a light on the many of the gaps in New York State's ethics laws. Apparently some people are saying the case is almost like putting the entire culture of the capitol on trial. Bruno has already spent more than $600k on his defense. [TU] [AP/Saratogian] [TU] [NYT] [AP/Troy Record]
Albany police say a man was killed on Saturday in an Eagle Street apartment just down the block from the Governor's Mansion (map). The APD says there are no suspects, yet. [Fox23] [TU]
Troy police say a man has been arrested and charged for the murder on Second Street two weeks ago. They didn't release info about a motive. Police say information from people in the neighborhood helped lead them to the suspect. [TU] [Troy Record] [WNYT]
The Schenectady city council approved a budget that does not include a tax increase. The originally-proposed budget had included an almost six percent increase. [TU][TU]
New York State's texting-while-driving ban took effect yesterday. [Fox23]
Investigators hope to pull DNA from bone fragments, big development planned for Troy, Paterson's deadline could be January, police car license plates stolen
Law enforcement officials say they found a jaw bone containing teeth near the site of the skull fragments in Greenfield. The hope is they'll be able to extract DNA evidence from the teeth. Forensic testing is expected to take weeks. Officials say the child-sized skull could be evidence in a handful of missing persons cases -- but they say it's unlikely the fragments belong to Jaliek Rainwalker. [Saratogian] [TU] [CapNews9] [WNYT] [Fox23]
Jerry Jennings has put together an eight member search committee for a new chief of police. The Albany mayor says the panel has no timeline. [CapNews9] [TU]
The union that represents Troy firefighters is using a house fire this past weekend to continue its push for more staffing at the station on Boulton Road (the station near RPI). They say it took crews an extra three minutes to respond to the fire because they were short staffed -- and that delay may have resulted in a firefighter sustaining minor injuries. The union would like to see two more firefighters added to the crew at the station. [Troy Record] [TU] [WTEN] [WNYT]
A developer is proposing a $160 million mixed used project in Troy at Ferry, Congress and Eighth streets (map). [TU]
I'll have what she's having
The Center for Jewish Studies at UAlbany is sponsoring an "an interactive, multimedia" talk this Thursday about the evolution of Jewish delis in American -- or, as the blurb on the event's Facebook page says, "how the 'soul food' that [delis] dished up became a quintessential part of American culture for Jews and non-Jews alike."
The talk starts at 7 pm in the Standish Room in the Science Library on the uptown campus. It's free.
Earlier on AOA: Corned beef at Old World Provisions
Rainbow weather
There's a pot of gold out there. Somewhere.
Yesterday's late afternoon rain showers -- and subsequent break in the clouds -- produced a bumper crop of rainbows around the Capital Region.
The local Twitter stream yesterday was full of rainbow sightings -- over the ESP, at RPI, over the county court building in Albany, on Henry Johnson, in Delmar, at Stuyvesant Plaza (a full double arc), at Crossgates, at Colonie Center, and over Central Warehouse.
Barry took the photo above at UAlbany. You can just make out the double rainbow in the upper left corner.
(Thanks, Barry!)
photo: Barry Trachtenberg
Colin Powell speaking at UAlbany
The former Secretary of State and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff will be the first speaker in UAlbany's "World Within Reach" series on October 10. Powell's talk is titled "Diplomacy: Persuasion, Trust & Values" -- from the blurb on UAlbany's site:
In a compelling presentation filled with humor and anecdotes from years of service at the highest levels of international affairs, Powell, former U.S. Secretary of State, describes the delicate process of forging alliances, bringing people and countries together, and promoting universal human ideals of democracy and peace around the world.
UAlbany's site says "All UAlbany students, parents, alumni, faculty, staff and friends are welcome" to the talk at the SEFCU Arena. It's free, but tickets are required. Registration starts Wednesday -- we're not sure exactly yet how you might go about scoring one, but we'll update when we find out.
A visit from Powell isn't cheap. The Albany Student Press reports that it was told his fee is $125,000.
[via ASP]
Writers Institute Fall schedule features Krugman, Cuomo and Rita Moreno
The Fall schedule for the New York State Writers Institute is out. And it includes what look like some pretty great events. A few dates that caught our eye are after the jump.
This year marks the 25th anniversary of the Writers Institute. It was started in 1984 with money William Kennedy won from his MacArthur "genius" award.
Learning to eat well
We've joked that we're going to embark on a dining tour of local college campuses, but we're starting to think that we should actually do just that.
First there was Skidmore's renovated dining palace ("hall" doesn't seem to quite cover it) that made the cover of NYT. And now this about UAlbany's recently re-modeled dining hall:
Students enjoy healthy food options at the newly-renovated Indian Quad Dining Hall, including locally-grown fruits, vegetables and grass-fed beef. Students are also encouraged to create their own meals, interact with staff to produce personalized meals and enjoy meals prepared in exhibition cooking displays.
It sounds like eating on the set of a Food Network show.
According to UAlbany's Facebook page, all of the school's dining halls are also now "trayless" -- which is apparently all the rage on eco-conscious campuses these days. Trayless cafeterias reportedly reduce food waste and save water and energy.
photo: Mark Schmidt/UAlbany
Rudy leaning toward run for governor, attorney accused of ripping off clients, Giants could be leaving for good, Rachel Alexandra will race at Saratoga, fire truck for sale
People "close" to Rudy Giuliani say the former NYC mayor is leaning toward a run for governor. Giuliani has apparently told "associates" that he'll make up his mind within the next two months. Giuliani trails Andrew Cuomo 53-40 in a hypothetical gubernatorial matchup, according to the latest Siena poll. [NYDN] [NYT] [AOA]
The head of the state Republican Party is stepping down. Giuliani apparently was one of the people who pushed him out, which is another reason observers think Rudy is planning a run for governor. [Daily Politics] [NYT]
The federal Department of Justice says New York State's four juvenile prisons routinely use excessive force on their residents. That approach has led to an "alarming" number of injuries, according to the DOJ report. [NYT] [TU]
A Saratoga Springs attorney was arrested yesterday on charges that he ripped off more than $400k from clients. Police say he took the money as part of two real estate transactions. The attorney has pled not guilty. [TU] [Saratogian] [Fox23]
A Colonie lawyer says he was fired from his job with state Senate Democrats after decided to run for town justice on the Republican ticket. [TU]
GE officially announces new plant in Schenectady, Ellis calls for review of ambulance service, feds say Central American gang members picked up, toward nanobioscience
GE has officially announced that it will be building a new battery plant at the GE Energy campus off Erie Blvd in Schenectady. The plant is expected to cost $100 million and create 350 jobs. GE is getting a package of grants and incentives worth $20 million from New York State and Schenectady Metroplex. The plant will make batteries based on technology developed at the company's research center in Niskayuna. [Daily Gazette $] [CapNews9] [TU] [Fox23]
Albany police detective George McNally pleaded guilty yesterday to drunk driving and reckless driving. McNally careened through Albany and Delmar after leaving a bar on New Scotland Ave this past January. As part of the plea deal, he'll pay a fine, do community service, and his license will be revoked -- though he'll be able to drive for work. [TU] [CapNews9]
Albany mayoral candidate Corey Ellis has called for a review of ambulance service in the city. Ellis says the review is necessary because of Mohawk Ambulance's delay in arriving at the scene of the fatal crash involving a kid on a bike and a car. Jerry Jennings accused Ellis of politicizing the tragedy. [Ellis press release not online] [TU]
The state Senate will be back in session today for what's expected to be a short, "very vanilla" session. [TU]
Friend says man killed by police suffered from mental illness, unease over state worker buyouts, judge pleads guilty to DWAI, big year for apples
A family friend says the man shot and killed by Schenectady police this past weekend suffered from mental illness. The man's brother says the SPD should have used non-lethal force. [Daily Gazette $] [CapNews9]
Workers at GE Energy in Schenectady approved a new contract with the company that includes no layoffs for two years -- and clears the way for a new battery factory that could add 350 jobs. In return, the union is forgoing cost of living raises for the next two years. [WNYT] [CapNews9] [TU]
The Hudson River dredging project has started up again after tests indicated that PCB levels in the water had dropped below the set limit. The EPA is blaming fast-moving currents for the spike. Officials from some downstream communities say the EPA was slow to notify them of the test results. [Troy Record] [TU] [Post-Star]
New York State has finally paid the property taxes it owed on The Track -- almost $478k. The payment was six months late. Apparently the state is exempt from having to pay late fees. The state started paying property taxes on The Track after it took ownership of the property from NYRA. [Daily Gazette $] [Saratogian] [TU] [Post-Star]
Lack of information about the $20k retirement buyout is upsetting state workers. [TU]
Man shot to death by Schenectady police, no more Bruno bacon, conflict over dredging dump site, artist accused of stealing his own paintings
Schenectady police say an officer shot and killed a man wielding a butcher knife Saturday afternoon. Schenectady's public safety commissioner says the man moved quickly toward the officer -- and there's "nothing that indicates" the officer did not comply with department's laws and regulations. The Schenectady County DA's office says it will investigate. The officer who fired on the man had been shot in the line of duty ten years ago. Saturday's shooting was the first by an officer in Schenectady since 2002. [Daily Gazette] [CapNews9] [CBS6] [TU] [Daily Gazette] [TU]
A state panel has concluded that the City of Albany's refusal to release "fixed" parking tickets could be a violation of state law. [TU]
With Joe Bruno no longer sending this bacon this way, the Capital Region's haul of state Senate pork is down 76 percent. [TU]
Andrew Cuomo has apparently "begun to embrace the possibility of a run for governor." [NYT]
It sounds like Carolyn Maloney is now leaning against challenging Kirsten Gillibrand in the Senate Democratic primary. [Politico]
Another gap in the state budget, foreclosure rates stay low, authority moves to buy Albany's oldest building, big plans for bus rapid transit
The state Division of Budget is projecting that New York will be short $2.1 billion during this fiscal year. The reason: less-than-expected revenues from both income and sales taxes. The projected gap will probably bring the legislature back into session in September. [NYS DoB] [NYT] [TU]
A state appeals court has ruled that Richard Ravitch can serve as lieutenant governor until the legality of his appointment is argued in court August 18. One catch: he's not allowed to preside over the state Senate or cast tie-breaking votes in the chamber. Ravitch says he been working on budget issues in the administration. [Daily Politics] [Biz Review] [Fox23]
A handful of state governors will be in Saratoga this weekend for eating, drinking, horse racing and partying a conference hosted by David Paterson. [Daily Politics]
Albany police say a man -- dressed as a woman -- stabbed a stylist at a salon on North Lake in yesterday. Police say the man then ran off with the woman's purse before being arrested. [CapNews9] [CBS6]
Not much has changed in state Senate, Gillibrand cut off at Sotomayor hearing, judge admonished for not getting work done, pair accused of using kid to aid burglaries
Now that the state Senate leadership mess has been resolved, the chamber can move on to the really important stuff: staffing budgets. Oh, and Pedro Espada says was made majority leader because senators "trust" that "I can lead that house." [AP/Troy Record] [CapNews9]
Already bolstered by the state Senate's "extraordinary" sessions, downtown Albany restaurants are pulling for a special session. [CapNews9] [TU]
Chuck Schumer (video) and Kirsten Gillibrand (video) introduced Sonia Sotomayor at her Supreme Court nomination hearing yesterday. KG went on so long that she had to be cut off by Judiciary Committee chairman Patrick Leahy (the first gavel comes at 6:25 in her video). Gillibrand does have a reputation for being loquacious. [SchumerTube] [GillibrandTube] [TU] [NYT]
Joe Bruno has already spent more than $450k on lawyers this year as part of his defense against federal corruption charges. [Daily Politics]
CSEA members showed up at last night's Albany County Legislature meeting to protest the planned five-day furloughs of county workers. The union says workers found out about the furlough via the media. Albany County exec Mike Breslin says the county is facing a $20 million budget gap. [Fox23] [CBS6]
Senate drama twists again, small plane crashes into Mohawk, firefighters pull unconcisous girl from fire, Whole Foods reportedly scouting area
The state Senate drama took another twist over the weekend when Hiram Monserrate -- one of the Democratic switchers -- said he's returning to caucus with the Democrats. Apparently one of Monserrate's demands for returning to the Dems' caucus was that Malcolm Smith had to go as majority leader. Brooklyn senator John Sampson is reportedly going to take over as head of the Democratic caucus -- but Smith might stay on as leader-in-name-only so the Democrats can pursue their case arguing that the Republican takeover was illegal. [NYDN] [NYDN] [NYP] [TU]
If Monserrate really does switch back, it would leave the Senate split 31-31 -- and that could mean epic gridlock. Dean Skelos and Pedro Espada -- the (new, former?) Senate leaders -- would stay in charge of the body. Typically in a 31-31 split the lieutenant governor would cast the deciding vote -- but New York is currently without a lt governor. Republicans are apparently arguing that Espada -- who's the Senate pro tem -- should get two votes. That's not going over well with the Democrats. [Buffalo News] [NYDN]
By the way: Espada still hasn't settled his numerous campaign disclosure violations, as he promised to do. [TU]
Two people are dead and another missing after a small plane crashed into the Mohawk shortly after take-off from the Mohawk Valley Airport in Glenville yesterday afternoon. Witnesses say it appears the plane didn't get enough speed to take off. [TU] [Daily Gazette]
The Troy pizza shop worker who thwarted a robbery last month was shot four times Saturday in another hit on the shop -- he's expected to live. Police say the man confronted the shooter(s) in front of the store because he thought something was up. The shop is a Domino's -- the company is offering a $5000 reward for info. [TU] [Troy Record] [CapNews9]
State ethics panel slammed for being unethical and ineffective, UAlbany gets new president, Saratoga Springs mayor running for re-election, giant sinkhole opens in street
After a report from the state inspector general blasted the state Commission on Public Integrity -- an ethics panel -- for leaking info about its investigation of the Spitzer Administration, David Paterson called on all of the commission members to quit. The commission's response: no. Leaks or no leaks, there no indications the commission might not have exactly been doing a great job. [NYT] [TU] [NYDN] [NYDN]
UAlbany has a new president: George Philip, who's been serving as the school's interim president. The university's presidential search took three years and cost $300,000. The selection of Philip -- who had been there all along -- had at least a few students scratching their heads. [TU] [ASP]
GlobalFoundries says the EU's fine of Intel for anti-competitive practices will help the Luther Forest chip fab project -- because Intel's main rival, AMD, is currently GloFo's only customer. An Intel spokesperson says the ruling won't be sorted out for years and probably won't have any impact on the Luther Forest project. (some broader perspective) [Daily Gazette] [Saratogian] [TU] [Post-Star]
The week in murders and shootings: Two brothers have been charged with the murder outside a former night club in Schenectady last month. A man was indicted for the stabbing murder on Bradford Street last week in Albany. And federal marshals in Georgia picked up the guy accused of shooting a woman outside the Playdium in March. [Daily Gazette] [TU] [TU]
Assembly passes same-sex marriage bill, GE battery plant coming to Capital Region, NY's top court says no police GPS without warrant, condo slump in Saratoga, the $500 wedding
The state Assembly passed a bill that would allow same-sex marriage. The vote was 89-52 -- that's four more "yes" votes than in 2007. Five members who had voted "no" two year ago voted "yes" this time around. The lobbying focus now shifts to the state Senate, where there's currently no vote scheduled on the bill. The Senate sponsor of the bill said last night the he thinks he has enough votes to pass the measure. [TU] [Daily Politics] [NYT] [Planet Albany]
GE announced that it will build a plant to manufacture special rechargeable batteries somewhere in the Capital Region. The plant will employ 350 people and will cost $100 million -- $15 million of which the state is chipping in. The exact location of the plant has yet to be determined. Saratoga County officials are hoping the plant will land at the Luther Forest tech campus or NYSERDA's Saratoga Technology & Energy Park. [TU] [Daily Gazette] [Saratogian]
Former state health commissioner Antonia Novello was arraigned yesterday in Albany County Court on 20 count indictment that alleges she took advantage of her staffers while she headed up the health department. She could get as many 12 years in prison. An earlier state inspector general report concluded that Novello had run up almost $50k in staff overtime for things such as driving her to the mall, watering her plants and arranging her furniture. Novello's case is being compared to former state comptroller Alan Hevesi, who resigned after it came out he had been using state employees to chauffeur his wife. Novello's lawyer she's being targeted for political reasons. [TU] [AP/Daily Gazette] [NYP] [NYDN]
Officials urge calm on emerging flu, CDTA consolidating routes, Albany getting grant for anti-violence program, old Saratoga Winners destroyed, no Shakespeare in the Park this year
New York State has now had 54 confirmed cases of the emerging H1N1 flu -- including three cases outside NYC. Samples from five suspected cases in the greater Capital Region (two each in Schenectady and Washington counties, one in Albany County) have been sent for testing -- officials say they're not sure when results will be back on those samples. David Paterson reiterated his call for people to stay calm and said the state is prepping for a worst-case scenario. [TU] [Saratogian] [Daily Gazette]
Albany city treasurer Betty Barnette now says she will release copies of dismissed parking tickets to the Common Council -- if the council agrees to not share the info with anyone else. Barnette had initially balked at the council's request, which is part of the ghost ticket investigation, citing HIPAA -- even though the medical privacy law doesn't apply to her office. [TU]
CDTA ridership was up 11 percent to record levels during the fiscal year that ended in March. The transit org says it's still short on money, though, and will be changing, consolidating and eliminating routes to save money. [TU] [Daily Gazette]
Police used a state police helicopter, a K-9 unit and a lockdown of schools yesterday during a manhunt in Schenectady. Police were looking for a man they suspect has information about the fatal shooting outside a club this past weekend. They didn't get him. [TU] [Daily Gazette]
He's the famous Fountain Day guy
After the TU's (in)famous 2004 Fountain Day photo resurfaced last week, we were kind of curious to find out what's become of the two people in the pic.
Well, we're still keeping an eye out for the mysterious Tatiana Shvachus -- but we found Eric Fisher. He's now a TV meteorologist in Springfield, Massachusetts.
We emailed him a few questions about his memories of that day -- and that picture.
State is monitoring swine flu situation, murder in Schenectady, Angelina makes shows up, baby born on Thruway, Fountain Day draws record crowd
David Paterson says the state is monitoring the swine flu situation, but doesn't see "any real danger ahead." There have been eight confirmed cases of swine flu in Queens. (Some perspective.) [Fox23] [NYT] [NYT]
The 911 call in which an off-duty Schenectady cop followed an allegedly drunk off-duty Albany police detective driving through Albany and Delmar indicates that the APD may have held off on pursuing the detective. According to the off-duty Schenectady cop's comments on the call, the APD detective could barely stand and almost hit cars coming in the opposite direction. [TU]
"Several" Albany Common Council members tell the TU that Jerry Jennings' executive assistant has been trying to convince them to drop the council's investigation of the ghost ticket scandal. [TU]
A man was shot and killed in the parking lot of
Scott Murphy said Jim Tedisco concession was a "very gracious" end to the special election. With about 700 ballots still uncounted, Murphy was up 399 votes on Tedisco Friday afternoon. Murphy got a congratulatory call from President Obama. Republicans, wondering how they lost again in a district with more enrolled Republicans than Democrats, pointed to a lack of party unity and backfiring negative ads as contributing factors to Tedisco's loss. There's speculation now that Tedisco could be on his way out of the Assembly. Murphy wouldn't say on Friday whether he plans to run again next year. [Daily Gazette] [NYS BoE] [Saratogian] [TU] [Daily Gazette] [PolitickerNY]
Angelina Jolie was in town yesterday to shoot scenes for Salt (video -- pics of the crew and shot setup). It seems locals can't get enough of gawking at the scene. Apparently the paparazzi prefer NYC, though. Oh, Brad Pitt was not here -- he was in Niagara Falls. [TU] [TU] [CBS6] [Troy Record] [TU] [Telegraph UK] [TU] [Buffalo News]
From the archives
Oh, Fountain Day.
Look what an enterprising web editor at the TU dug out of the archives today: the (in)famous Fountain Day soft-porn photo.
That photo graced the front page of the paper a few years back. We remember doing a double take when we picked up the bundle of papers that morning. And then blushing a little bit.
Anyway, that pic must be like click-through crack.
Update!
Here's the meta-info for the photo:
Times Union staff photo by Michael P. Farrell
SUNY Albany freshman Tatiana Shvachus and second year student Eric Fisher (both center) bask in the cool water during Fountain Day at the State University at Albany, New York Thursday April 22, 2004.
Does anyone know what's become of Ms. Shvachus? Amazingly, a Google search for her name comes up... empty. We have an email in with the Eric Fisher we think might be the photo's Eric Fisher.
Also: as Naomi pointed out, that is an award-winning photo. It won both AP and National Press Photographers Association awards.
screengrab: Times Union
Alleged "Craigslist killer" went to UAlbany, Schenectady HS fight reportedly over suicide taunting, police say bus driver may have been at wheel drunk, smokin' at Skidmore
Philip Markoff, the Boston U medical student accused of being "the Craigslist killer" by police, is reportedly a 2007 UAlbany graduate. The man's fiance, who also reportedly attended UAlbany, told ABC News that police have the wrong guy. Markoff is the fourth former UAlbany student to be charged with murder during the last five years. [Boston Globe] [AP] [ABC News] [Albany Student Press]
Three teen girls were charged after a fight at Schenectady High School yesterday injured two teachers. One of the girl's mothers said her daughter did throw the first punch -- because she was being taunted about the recent suicide of her cousin. Students said yesterday that bullying is an ongoing problem at the school. [TU] [Daily Gazette] [Fox23]
Rudy Giuliani was in town last night for the Albany County Republicans' annual Lincoln Reagan dinner. Guiliani said state leaders should be "ashamed" of the New York's current "anti-competitive position" and he criticized the size of the recently passed state budget. Guiliani said he hasn't made his mind up about whether he'll run for governor next year and isn't sure when he will. [NYDN] [CapNews9] [AP/Newsday] [PolitickerNY]
There are still about 1500 disputed absentee ballots still to be counted (or not counted) in the NY20 special election. Scott Murphy's unofficial lead over Jim Tedisco is at 273 votes -- and Democrats are starting to make noises about the race being over. [TU] [CapNews9]
Capital Region college tuition
Union's Nott the most expensive.
After hearing recently that the cost of attending both Skidmore and Union had crossed the $50k mark, we were curious about how the local colleges stack up when it comes to cost.
So, we looked it up. The list and a few notes are after the jump.
Trashy looks at UAlbany's Ecouture
This Friday night at UAlbany models will be strutting down the catwalk in clothing that's just garbage.
Really. It's trash. Actual trash.
Siena leaves its mark on the NCAA tournament, Morris calls for more community policing, stabbing in Ballston Spa, baracking
Siena put up a good fight against #1 seed Louisville in the second round of the NCAA tournament, but ultimately lost 79-72. After trailing at halftime by five, the Saints took the lead a little more than 10 minutes into the second half and held it until about four minute mark. [TU] [ESPN]
The org that runs New York's electricity market says an arrangement in which buyers of electricity pay more than the lowest bid is a feature, not a bug. [TU]
A study sponsored by a free market academic center concludes that New York State has the lowest level of personal and economic freedom in the country. [TU]
A 2005 report about then-state Senate minority leader David Paterson's office describes an operation with problems very similar to those exhibited during Paterson's first year as governor: chaos, indecisiveness and jumbled communication. [NYDN]
Albany Common Council president -- and mayoral candidate -- Shawn Morris says the APD has shifted its focus away from community policing -- and that's contributed to a recent surge in crime. [TU]
Forty percent of children in Albany County live in poverty -- as do 25 percent of people in Schenectady -- according to a report out from an advocacy org. [Daily Gazette]
The manager of the TU Center says he'd like to see mixed martial arts fighting legalized in New York State. He estimates ultimate fighting could sell out the arena and generate $1 million to $2 million in economic activity. [Daily Gazette]
After two of the three finalists for the job of UAlbany president dropped out, a source tells the TU the search will likely be reopened. UAlbany has been looking for a new president for more than two years. [TU]
Special election candidates fight over what's pork, SPAC director's salary in spotlight, man accused of threatening garbagmen with cleaver, new job for McNulty
The two major party candidates for the 20th Congressional District, Jim Tedisco and Scott Murphy, went back and forth at each other yesterday over the federal stimulus bill. The super condensed version -- Tedisco: it's pork; Murphy: no, it's not. Tedisco, who said this week that he would not have voted for the stimulus bill, also said he would have voted for it -- if he could have amended it. [CapNews9] [Troy Record]
Schenectady mayor Brian Stratton says he wants to fire five of the city's cops. The city hasn't successfully fired a cop since 1982. [Daily Gazette]
Organizers of the Dalai Lama's visit to Albany say the event will "change the face of Albany if the population of Albany embraces it and gets excited about and really understands the fortitude of something like this coming to this city..." The organizers of the visit are connected to a Clifton Park management training program that's been accused of being a cult. [TU]
Steven Raucci, the Schenectady School District employee accused of arson and terrorism, has filed an application for retirement. He's currently on suspension without pay. [TU] [Daily Gazette]
The salary for Marcia White, SPAC's executive director, is catching criticism after a survey revealed that the leaders of other local arts organization make much less. White was paid $244,865 in 2006. [Daily Gazette]
One Schenectady suicide reportedly prompted chain of attempts, Morris officially in the pool for Albany mayor, parents sue bars for $12 million, UAlbany student robbed at gunpoint
The suicide of a 17-year-old in Schenectady last fall appears to have started a chain reaction of five other suicide attempts -- two of which led to deaths. All five of the teens who subsequently attempted suicide apparently used the same method as the first teen. [Daily Gazette]
The heads of both the Albany Police Officers Union and the union's parent organization say they will not testify under oath about the ghost ticket scandal at tonight's meeting of the Albany Common Council. That may lead the council to take the unusual step of issuing a subpoena to the APOU's president. [TU]
Albany Common Council President Shawn Morris officially announced on Sunday that she's running for mayor. Morris says she wants to "open up City Hall to the people who own it." Morris has served on the council for 15 years. [Fox23] [TU] [CapNews9]
Rumors have apparently been circulating that Schenectady officials are talking about dissolving the city's troubled police force. After a Schenectady police sergeant reportedly left work during a shift to go to the dentist this past week, mayor Brian Stratton says he personally told two shifts of SPD officers that it was time to get their act together. [TU]
Tedisco and Murphy debate, Raucci charged with terrorism, Schenectady school district struggles with teen suicides, chip fab company gets new name, UAlbany student sues Facebook
Jim Tedisco and Scott Murphy found a lot to agree about during their debate yesterday in Saratoga Springs. One point of departure: the federal stimulus bill, which Murphy said he supports and Tedisco said had enough pork to "create trichinosis for most of us in this room." They also disagreed on union "card check" -- Murphy supports it, Tedisco doesn't. The debate drew an overflow crowd of more than 250 people to the Saratoga Springs Public Library. [Daily Gazette] [Post-Star] [Saratogian] [TU]
Police say a woman walking her dogs in Spa State Park yesterday morning found a partially frozen body (it seems her dog was the first to find it in the tree line). There are conflicting reports on whether authorities consider the situation suspicious -- "unusual" seems to be the word being used. The man was found fully clothed and dressed for winter. Witnesses says the body was covered in vomit. An autopsy is scheduled for today. [Saratogian] [Fox 23] [Post-Star] [Daily Gazette] [TU]
Steven Raucci, the Schenectady school district employee accused of arson, was charged with terrorism yesterday -- the state's highest felony. Officials say they've been filing charges against Raucci sequentially so they can keep him in jail. [TU] [Daily Gazette]
The state's inspector general has ordered an investigation of the State Insurance Fund because of accusations of mismanagement by a whistleblower. The whistleblower came forward after the story of the guy making $94k/year to do nothing came to light in the TU. Noted: John Sweeney's first wife, Elizabeth, works at the Insurance Fund as a secretary and makes $94,000 a year. [TU] [SeeThroughNY]
Here comes the stimulus money, APD says Bailey case isn't cold, jailhouse marriages, TV station's parent company files for bankruptcy, the flamingos are back
New York State is in line to get almost $25 billion in federal stimulus money, according to an analysis by the state. Among the many projects that could get funding in the state: high speed rail service from Buffalo to NYC. Local municipalities have also been getting their wish lists together. [AP/TU] [Troy Record]
The two candidates in the race for Kirsten Gillibrand's former House seat are in a race to see who can smear the other guy first. The mud boiled down: Jim Tedisco's campaign says Scott Murphy is a light-weight and tax dodger, Murphy's campaign says Tedisco is a career politician who's milked taxpayers for car costs. In a more positive direction, Murphy is hoping to get his wife's large extended family -- many of them Republicans -- to vote for him. And Tedisco is picks up his dogs' poop. Also: Kirsten Gillibrand and Paul Tonko were in Albany over the weekend to endorse Murphy (no, Albany is not in the 20th Congressional district). [TU] [TU] [Daily Gazette] [Daily Gazette] [Troy Record]
The Albany Police Department says the murder of UAlbany student Richard Bailey "is absolutely not a cold case." Bailey's father, a retired NYC cop, says he has faith in the APD's ability to find the murderer. [TU] [TU]
The vast majority of restaurants in Albany County did OK on county health inspections in 2008, according to a Times Union analysis. Among the few that didn't: Tandoor Palace on Lark Street, the Corner Food Court at the corner of Lark and Washington, and the Metro 20 Diner on Western. [TU]
Dan Savage at UAlbany Tuesday
Dan Savage -- of "Savage Love" fame -- will be giving an "educational lecture" at UAlbany Tuesday night as part of the school's "Sexuality Week."
In addition to his weekly sex advice column, Savage has gotten a lot of attention for stirring things up on the political/cultural front -- whether it's trying to infect Gary Bauer with the flu or redefining the term "Santorum" (you might not want to click that last link at the office).
The talk starts at 8 pm in the Campus Center Ballroom. It's free.
[via]
photo: Dan Savage
Albany's ghost ticket scandal widens, Tutunjian plans for new city hall, mud flying in Gillibrand replacement race, UAlbany narrows list of potential presidents,
The roster of vehicles eligible for "ghost" parking tickets apparently extends to a "VIP" list of 270 vehicles owned by the government and private citizens. Among those with a park-for-free pass: the head of the Downtown BID, who has previously said that people should expect to pay for parking. Albany police chief James Tuffey says the program has been shut down. [TU] [CBS6]
Nelson Costello, the man accused of murdering David Bacon 40 years ago in Waterford, was indicted yesterday on charges or murder and witness tampering -- he pleaded not guilty at his arraignment. Authorities say Costello and Bacon were involved in a rivalry over Bacon's then-fiancee -- the woman now lives in Schaghticoke. The Saratoga County DA says Costello was arrested last week in Cohoes after crashing a rental car and then trying to cover up the location of the accident. [Daily Gazette] [TU] [Troy Record]
Troy mayor Harry Tutunjian announced during his state of the city address last night that the city would seeking $22 million of federal stimulus money to build a new city hall on the site of the old one. [TU] [Troy Record]
The council meeting after Tutunjian's address turned into a verbal spat as the council argued with Troy deputy mayor Dan Crawley over the implementation of a new landlord registration law. After a council member accused Crawley of not responding to email, Crawley reportedly shouted: "Not from you. Approach me like a man and quit hiding behind your computer." [Troy Record]
Live with Less at UAlbany
The new art exhibit at UAlbany is kind of trashy.
Literally.
But it's also kind of cool. And it makes you think.
Ice and freezing rain on the way, budget process again focus of Capitol, Bruno calls indictment "garbage," texting gets UAlbany teams in trouble, don't be a spigot pig
The storm that's moving the through the area today has already glazed large portions of the South and Midwest. Ice and freezing rain are expected here this afternoon. [AP]
With the Senate selection circus over, things returned to normal at the Capitol -- which is to say, gridlock and complaining about the budget. [AP/Troy Record] [TU]
New York State comptroller Thomas DiNapoli says year-end bonuses on Wall Street were down 44 percent this year -- and that will cost the state $1 billion in tax revenue. [Biz Review]
David Paterson says he won't pursue the source(s) of the leaks about Caroline Kennedy from his administration. That's created a weird situation where many members of the press know who the leaker (or leakers) is -- and the governor's telling them not to tell anyone. [AP/Troy Record] [NY Post]
Kirsten Gillibrand officially became a US Senator yesterday (99th on the seniority list), as she continued to take heat over her views on guns and immigration. [NYDN] [Daily Gazette] [NYT]
After officially being tapped as the Republican candidate in the upcoming special election to replace Kirsten Gillibrand, Jim Tedisco said his focus will be "jobs, jobs, jobs." Tedisco doesn't actually live in the Congressional district (he's not required to), but says he'll move there. [TU] [Daily Gazette]
People gather to watch inauguration, Paterson keeps everyone guessing, Alaei brothers sentenced, hot fudge business is sweet
People got together in places all over the Capital Region yesterday to watch the inauguration, including living rooms, restaurants, senior citizen homes, Proctors Theater, fraternal organizations, a think tank and a lot of schools. [Daily Gazette] [Saratogian] [TU] [Daily Gazette] [Saratogian] [Saratogian] [Troy Record] [Saratogian] [Daily Gazette]
There were also a bunch of local people at the actual event, some with better spots to view the ceremony than others. [Daily Gazette] [Troy Record] [Saratogian] [Fox23]
Hillary Clinton was not confirmed by the full Senate yesterday as Secretary of State. The vote on her confirmation was held up by Senator John Cornyn of Texas, who expressed concerns about donors to the Clinton Global Initiative. [NYT]
David Paterson told reporters yesterday morning that he had a "good idea" about who he's going to pick to replace Hillary Clinton. Then he told Katie Couric and Bob Schieffer later that he's "not totally sure who I'm going to appoint yet." (video) He also told Couric and Schieffer that Andrew Cuomo is among the people he's considering. [Daily Politics] [CBSNews] [Buffalo News]
Kamiar Alaei Update
Reports on the status of Kamiar and Arash Alaei have been a bit confusing, but the latest news out of Iran suggests the UAlbany graduate student and his brother have now been convicted of attempting to overthrow Islamic rule in Iran as part of an alleged $75 million US-backed plot.
The brothers, both internationally known AIDS doctors, have been detained in Iran since June. Earlier reports suggested they were convicted several weeks ago, but on Saturday Iranian intelligence officials announced four people were convicted of plotting a "velvet revolution" as part of a CIA plot. Today it was announced that the Alaei brothers were two of the four. Some analysts say the conviction is intended to send a message to Barack Obama about U.S. policy toward Iran.
Kamiar and Arash are now facing prison terms of 1 to 10 years.
Paterson budget proposal out today, thousands still without power, CDTA says rapid bus line moving forward, UAlbany plans to chill out
David Paterson is releasing his proposed 2009 state budget today -- and it's expected to include the elimination of 3,000 state worker jobs, some of through layoffs. The governor's people say many of the layoffs could be averted if the state worker unions agree to defer their raises next year and delay a week's-worth of pay. [TU]
Caroline Kennedy says she wants to succeed Hillary Clinton and is actively pursuing the seat. [NYT]
As of this morning, about 40,000 homes in the Capital Region are still without power. National Grid says it brought 900 line and tree crews into the region and they've been working 18 hour shifts to get things repaired. [Daily Gazette] [TU] [Daily Gazette]
Chuck Schumer and David Paterson are calling on the federal government to provide disaster aid to the area. [Troy Record]
Deal for state Senate control crumbling, ban on texting and driving, Lydia Kulbida being let go, Tutunjian says he'll go to jail over budget, reps speak out against cow fart tax
That deal Malcolm Smith reportedly struck with the "Gang of Three" to solidify control of the state Senate appears to be falling apart. It seems the trio is upset that Smith was trying to strip many of the powers away from the majority leader title (under the reported agreement, Smith would become Senate president pro tem and one of the trio would become Senate majority leader). The Gang of Three seems upset, with one member blaming, among others, "The gays." [NYT] [Daily Politics] [Daily Politics]
A Marist poll reports that New Yorkers favor either Andrew Cuomo or Caroline Kennedy for Hillary Clinton's seat. Well, either them, or "unsure." [Marist]
The Schenectady County Legislature passed a ban on texting while driving last night. It takes effect next March. Getting caught violating the ban will cost $150. [Daily Gazette]
WNYT has decided to not renew the contract of popular anchor Lydia Kulbida. Her contract runs through mid January, though the station's not sure if she'll be back on the air again. Seventeen other people at the station are also being let go. [TU]
Democrats strike deal for control of state Senate, Schumer touting Gillibrand, longtime Saratoga sheriff gets challenger, wrong way driver causes four accidents, students organize for french fries
Note: the TU's site wasn't loading this morning.
Democrats in the state Senate have worked out a deal with the "Gang of Three" senators who were threatening to side with Republicans in the upcoming leadership vote. As part of the deal, Malcolm Smith will become head of the state Senate (president pro tem), but Pedro Espada will become majority leader (no, it usually doesn't get split like that). Also apparently part of the deal: the chamber won't bring up a vote on gay marriage, which one of the Gang of Three opposes. [NYT] [NYDN] [NYP]
Chuck Schumer is reportedly encouraging David Paterson to pick Kirsten Gillibrand to replace Hillary Clinton. [NYP]
The solider from Rensselaer County accused of killing two superiors in Iraq was found not guilty by a military jury yesterday at Ft. Bragg in North Carolina. The judge had to clear the courtroom after the verdict prompted yelling from the victims' families. [AP/Daily Gazette]
Police say bystanders flocked to the aid of the family hit by a pickup truck on State Street in Schenectady Wednesday. An SPD spokesperson says the accident scene was one of the worst he's ever seen, with little kids "lying in the street screaming for their mother." [Daily Gazette]
Fence
The New York Writers Institute will be hosting the launch of the latest issue of Fence Magazine this Thursday. Not familiar with Fence? From the mag's site:
Founded in 1998, Fence is a biannual journal of poetry, fiction, art, and criticism that has a mission to redefine the terms of accessibility by publishing challenging writing distinguished by idiosyncrasy and intelligence rather than by allegiance with camps, schools, or cliques.
The Thursday event will feature readings from three contributors to the issue:
- Ira Sher, who's appeared on This American Life
- Edward Schwarzschild, UAlbany English Department Professor
- Shelley Jackson, who's described as a "groundbreaking creator of hypertext fiction"
The reading starts at 7 pm in the Standish Room of the Science Library on the uptown campus. It's free.
Paterson goes looking for help in DC, Gillibrand on list to replace Clinton, Albany gets an upgrade, infamous B&B gets new purpose
David Paterson and other top state officials were in DC yesterday lobbying for federal aid -- with little progress. Chuck Schumer said help -- if there is any -- would not arrive before there's a new Congress in January. [TU] [NYDN]
In what was perhaps not the best PR move during a budget crunch, the state's Office of General Services bought a $21,000 custom rug for the Governor's Mansion. Upside: Turkish rugs are apparently very much in style now. [TU]
Kirsten Gillibrand is reportedly on the list of people David Paterson is considering to replace Hillary Clinton -- if Clinton takes the Secretary of State job in the Obama Administration. Paterson apparently would like to appoint someone who's a woman or Latino or from upstate. [NYT]
Jerry Jennings said yesterday that he wants to "create a new template for urban education" in Albany. He didn't elaborate, though. [TU]
Troy deploys gun shot detector, Albany targets blight, movies for gym class, poll worker says students weren't turned away, IMAX screen opens
The City of Troy demonstrated its new system for monitoring and locating gun shots. The "ShotSpotter" cost $250,000. So where's the coverage area? The location of the monitors is a secret. [TU] [Troy Record]
The Troy City Council voted unanimously to ask RPI to start paying a public safety fee to offset the costs of the emergency services coverage at the campus. Mayor Harry Tutunjian says he's already been talking with the school and is concerned the council is trying to negotiate the deal itself. [TU] [Troy Record]
The City of Albany says it's using mapping software and a multi-department effort to focus on cleaning up the 50 most blighted blocks in the city. The program is being coordinated by the city's police chief. [TU]
A woman climbed down a steep 75 foot embankment yesterday in Ravena to help the passengers of a pick up truck that had just slammed into the back of her car. The woman, a nurse, says "I like to help people." [CBS6] [WNYT]
Who needs a magic wall or holograms?
Patrick Donges, the news director at WCDB.
This photo by Patrick Dodson made us smile. We love the fantastically lo-fi map posted in the studio at UAlbany's WCDB radio station last night.
Here's a larger version of the pic.
photo: Patrick J. Dodson
Search continues for UAlbany student's killer, number of local foreclosures jumps, push to register organ donors, ready for NANOvember?
Police say there are still no leads in the murder of UAlbany student Richard Bailey. But another person has said he saw two people on bikes hurrying away from the scene. "Those guys were in a hurry to get somewhere," the neighbor told the TU. A woman driving by the scene said earlier this week she believed the two bikers were somehow involved. The APD says it's looking for the pair, but also says they're not suspects. [Daily Gazette] [TU] [CBS6]
A lawyer for Charles O'Byrne, David Paterson's chief of staff, says his client suffers from "late-filing syndrome." Yes, he really did say that. No, it's not a recognized psychological condition. O'Byrne owed almost $300,000 in back taxes, penalties and interest after not filing a return between 2001 and 2005. Paterson aides attribute O'Byrne's filing problems to bouts of clinical depression. [NYT] [TU]
The number of home foreclosures in the Capital Region more than doubled last quarter from the same period a year before. Even so, the region has one of the nation's lowest foreclosure rates. [TU]
A former Saratoga Springs employee is suing the city for racial discrimination. The man says he was passed over for promotion because he's an African-American. The federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission ruled in 2007 that the city had discriminated against the man. [Daily Gazette]
No leads in UAlbany student shooting, probable safety violations at site of ditch death, Paterson dials wrong number, spellcheck blamed for Obama/Osama mixup
Richard Bailey, the UAlbany student shot in the head Monday night, died yesterday afternoon. He was from Long Island and planned to become a cop. The APD hasn't identified a motive for the shooting. It says it's looking for two people who were riding bikes past the intersection of South Lake and Yates at the time of the shooting. Police say the two bike riders aren't considered suspects, but a woman who was driving past the same point that night says she thinks the they were involved. [TU] [NYDN] [Daily Gazette] [CBS6]
Kirsten Gillibrand and Sandy Treadwell met for their first debate / candidate forum last night in Poughkeepsie. The main exchange between the seems to have been of the "Yes, you did/No, I didn't" variety on tax increases. [TU] [Fox23]
OSHA says the death of a construction worker after a ditch collapse in Clifton Park this week was "preventable." An official says a complete investigation could take several weeks. An attorney representing the contruction contractor says it appears the man who died did not follow instructions on how to properly dig the ditch. [TU] [Daily Gazette] [Saratogian]
Leaders of the state worker unions met yesterday with David Paterson to talk about ways the state could cut costs. Layoffs did not come up in the discussion, though the Gov reportedly did say "there are no sacred cows." [TU]
Construction worker buried alive, UAlbany student shot in the head, falling oil prices a sting for some, forced time off for city employees?
A construction worker died yesterday in Clifton Park after the walls of a ditch collapsed on him, burying him alive. Co-workers didn't notice the mishap at first, thinking the man might have gone inside to have coffee. The man had been digging the 8-foot-deep ditch for a home addition (pictures of the site). An OSHA official says there "clearly" were violations of safety regulations at the site. [TU] [Daily Gazette] [Saratogian] [Troy Record] [TU]
A UAlbany student was shot in the head last night at the intersection of South Lake and Yates St in Albany (map). He's on life support at Albany Med. Police are looking for the shooter -- they say a motive isn't apparent right now. [CBS6] [TU]
It seems absentee ballots in Albany County were more screwed up than originally thought. Not only was David Soares not listed on all the appropriate lines, but neither were assemblyman Jack McEneny and state senator Neil Breslin. Also, some ballots apparently listed the wrong assemblyman for the district to which they were sent. One of the county's elections commissioners say the board is understaffed. [TU]
Both Governor Paterson's top advisor, Charles O'Byrne, and the state's top cop, Harry Corbitt, have yet to get security clearances from the FBI -- even though their applications have been in for six months. That means the two officials aren't allowed to view or handle secret intelligence from the federal Department of Homeland Security. [TU]
Former Schenectady police chief indicted, Governor talks of more budget cuts, huge reptiles rescued from house fire, UAlbany home to largest death penalty collection
Former Schenectady police chief Greg Kaczmarek and his wife, Lisa, were both indicted yesterday on drug charges. Among the allegations: that Kaczmarek provided strategic advice to the drug ring's leader during a meeting at DiCarlo's, the strip club on Central Ave. There have been suspicions about Kaczmarek and drug use dating back to the 1990s. [TU] [Daily Gazette] [Daily Gazette]
A clerk for the Saratoga Springs department of public works has been arrested on charges she was skimming money from the sale of trash bags. Police say she might have stolen as much as $21,000. The head of the DPW says a lot of people were "very surprised" by the allegation. [Daily Gazette] [TU] [Saratogian]
David Paterson said yesterday that it's "very likely" he'll call the Legislature back for another special session to possibly make more cuts to the state budget. Paterson seemed to indicate that state worker layoffs are not on the table. [TU]
The steel suspension cables on the Twin Bridges are being replaced. The current cables are showing signs of rust and fraying. [Daily Gazette]
Former police chief accused of drug ring involvement, Grandma's gets a new owner, UAlbany nanotech aims for another building, giant pink bike rider assaulted
Former Schenectady police chief Greg Kaczmarek is scheduled to appear in court today where he will reportedly face charges for his involvement with a drug ring. Kaczmarek's wife and stepson already face charges for being involved with the same operation. [TU] [Daily Gazette]
The media sale price for a Capital Region home was down 2 percent last month from the same period last year. Albany County median prices saw the biggest local drop -- 6 percent to $202,500. [Daily Gazette]
One of three developers pick to submit proposals for the redevelopment of the Harriman Office Campus has dropped out of the process. One of Harriman's board members says tightening credit markets and competition from other tech park developments could slow the project. [TU]
Grandma's Country Restaurant on Central Ave has been sold to the owner of Ralph's Tavern (also on Central). The new owner says Grandma's gift shop will be closing, but says everything else -- including the pies -- will remain exactly the same. [Daily Gazette] [Biz Review]
What students say about local colleges
Alas, no one reviewed UAlbany's new walk-through fountain.
Unigo, a new site aimed at giving prospective college students the scoop on schools, debuted this week. It uses a sort of Zagat-style approach in which students already at the schools write reviews.
So what were the reviews like for local colleges? We picked out some highlights (and lowlights).
Candidates stretch for primaries, Albany High schedules still not totally fixed, new details in UAlbany roof stabbing, parking fees at airport might be going up, train runs over man
The Democratic candidates vying to replace Mike McNulty in Congress are stretching toward the de facto finish line -- tomorrow's primary. Phil Steck took out a home equity loan worth almost $100,000 to fund his campaign and Tracey Brooks has loaned her campaign $50,000. [Daily Gazette]
Waterford and Halfmoon are fighting with the EPA over how and when they should get water during the Hudson PCB clean-up. The federal agency is now threatening the towns with $32,500 a day in fines if they don't allow access for the construction of a back up water pipeline. The towns say they have no problem with the pipeline -- they just want a guarantee the pipeline will be ready when dredging starts. [TU] [Daily Gazette]
No one seems to know which way heating prices are headed this winter. That hasn't stopped state politicians from making them an issue. [Daily Gazette] [TU]
Albany High is scheduled to start its school year, again, today. It still hasn't completely fixed its scheduling problems, though. [TU]
UAlbany's walk-through fountain
Every day can be fountain day now.
UAlbany dedicated a new "walk-through" fountain this week at the Collins Circle campus entrance on Washington. And, yep, you really can walk through the fountain.
It's basically just a plaza with spouts that shoot water straight up from the surface. There's a sort of runway to follow through the water, but you do get wet.
While we were there today checking it out, a handful of people stopped to take a look. It seemed like the most common reaction was, "Huh?" (Katherine had a similar reaction.)
More pics after the jump.
Something stinks on the backstretch, workers overcome by fumes, schools big into bilingual, scholarship participation yanked over scuffling football coach, paying more at the dollar store
As if shoveling horse manure all day wasn't bad enough, the New York State Department of Labor says many backstretch workers at The Track are not only not getting paid overtime, they're not even making minimum wage. The labor department says horse trainers, who employ the backstretch workers, are engaged in "widespread violations labor law." [TU]
Two workers for Precision Industrial Maintenance in Schenectady were overcome by toxic fumes yesterday when they stepped inside a tanker truck used to collect raw sewage. Both were taken to the hospital in critical condition. Precision was cited for violating workplace safety rules on a different project earlier this year. [Daily Gazette] [TU]
A plan to turn an apartment building in Troy's Little Italy neighborhood into housing for homeless people with mental illnesses is catching flak from residents of the area. They say they're worried the building could hold back the neighborhood's revitalization. [TU]
Two crime reports from locations you don't normally see them from: a stabbing in Niskayuna and shots fired in Glenmont. [CBS6] [TU]
Troy prostitution sting, local synchro swimmer competing today at the Olympics, on the trail of a campaign sign thief, Mr. Subb goes upscale
The Troy police busted 16 men this week during what they've described as an undercover prostitution "reverse-sting." As you might expect, there were some complaints from the busted. One guy says he didn't actually ask the undercover policewoman for, um, service (police say the same guy was arrested on the same charges last year). And another says he had a stick stuck up his nose during the arrest. [TU] [Troy Record]
After having their Schenectady store broken into eight times over three years, the owners of Funn Electronics and Keys World say they're moving back to Brooklyn, where they didn't have any trouble. They say they might stay if the city would allow them to install a metal gate that could be pulled down over the business while it's closed -- but the city doesn't allow them. [Daily Gazette]
Troy native Kim Probst is competing in synchronized swimming today at the Olympics. She's co-captain of the US team. [Troy Record]