Items tagged with 'albany'
What you can do about the phone book menace
Ick.
So, news of the coming onslaught of phone books got us wondering what exactly happened to Albany's effort to keep them off our doorsteps. City councilman Joe Igoe got some national press when he championed the effort last spring, but we haven't heard much about it since.
Well, it turns out his proposal is still out there. Igoe says there's a committee meeting on the issue next Thursday at 5:30 at Albany city hall. The meeting is open to the public, so if you've had enough, show up and let 'em know. Meanwhile, if you don't want a book next year, Igoe says you can sign the Do Not Deliver registry at ypdnd.com.
photo: Flickr user Wallula Junction
New designs for success
Toward the end of last year, someone broke into Albany Tattoo on Delaware Ave and stole all of the shop's equipment. Yep, all of it, plus a bunch of other stuff, too.
The owners are frustrated -- but not defeated.
Cindy Maxwell, Jinx and company have closed shop and are selling their digs in search of greener pastures. They'll soon be joining forces with the piercers and tattoo artists at Dead President's Lounge on upper Madison Ave. To make the transition easier, the folks of AT will be keeping their same e-mail addresses, phone numbers and Web sites.
In the meantime, though, they're selling some of Cindy's watercolors, tattoo memorabilia and other things from their shop. (That's one of the Cindy's watercolors on the right.) Photos of the items are posted on their MySpace page.
Job anxiety at Capitol, Albany Med planning more development, cell phone prompts school evacuation, NYSTI fighting merger with Egg
The change in control of the state Senate is causing a lot of anxiety for staffers -- many of their jobs are up in the air as resources are being re-apportioned. The state Senate has 1,300 staffers. [NYT]
Albany Med is looking to build an office building, hotel and parking garage on land owned by the VA across New Scotland Ave. The plan would also reconfigure that part of New Scotland into a four-lane street. [TU]
A chunk of ice flew off the back of a tractor trailer yesterday and smashed through the windshield of a Ballston Spa woman's car. (The picture is remarkable.) She says she'd now like to see a state law to making it illegal to drive with ice on your car. [CBS6] [CBS6]
Local auto repair shops say business is booming as people look to hang on to their cars longer because of the economy. [TU]
Police say they're not sure what led to the death of a man found along the side of the road in North Greenbush on Sunday. [Troy Record]
Reaction to State of the State, rally in downtown Albany, more weird twists in Kathina trial, sewage might have ended up in vegetable compost, pet deer attacks man
Elected state leaders praised David Paterson for being direct about the state's situation in yesterday's State of the State speech. (They also apparently envy his memory.) But some said the speech was short on specifics. (The Record has put together an extensive compilation of reaction from interest groups and local elected leaders.) [Fox23] [Troy Record] [CapNews9] [Troy Record]
About 4,000 people got together in downtown Albany before the speech for a protest organized by the civil service unions. They turned out to oppose Paterson's proposed budget -- to the sounds of Twisted Sister. [Troy Record] [NYT]
After control of the state Senate passed to the Democrats yesterday, Dean Skelos' name was scratched off the door of the majority's office space. [Daily Politics] [TU]
Paterson's proposals for more research into renewable energy and efficiency could benefit the Capital Region. [Daily Gazette]
State of the State today, Democrats organize control of state Senate, unemployment claim system crashes, two-year-old found wandering snowy streets
David Paterson will deliver the state of the state speech today at 1 pm. A group of labor unions representing state, local and healthcare workers is planning a march through downtown Albany before the speech -- traffic is being re-routed as thousands are expected to take part. Paterson has largely been out of sight the last few weeks because he's needed the time -- some 60 hours -- to memorize his speech. [TU] [Daily Gazette] [CBS6] [Daily Politics] [ABCNews]
It appears the Democrats have worked out an arrangement to take control of the state Senate. The deal may -- or may not -- have included an agreement to block a vote on same-sex marriage. Malcolm Smith will become the state's first African-American Senate majority leader. And with the change of party control, there are a bunch of new committee chairs -- including the guy who was recently charged with felony assault. [NYT] [TU] [NYDN] [Daily Politics] [NYT]
On the first day of testimony in the trial of the teen accused of firing the shot that killed Kathina Thomas, a prosecution witness admitted he had lied during his testimony. The girl's mother also testified yesterday and her account of the incident was heartbreaking. During opening arguments, the attorney for the accused teen said his client did fire a shot that day -- but not with the type of gun police say killed Thomas. [TU] [AP/Daily Gazette]
Asparagus soup at Lark St. Wine Bar and Bistro
Kevin Everleth's post-holiday deep freeze funk buster.
It's cold. The holidays are over. There's ice and slush everywhere you look. And did we mention it's cold?
So last night we went in search of the antidote to our post-holiday deep freeze funk. And we found it--asparagus soup at the Lark Street Wine Bar and Bistro. Actually, any soup from the Lark Street Wine Bar and Bistro will work, but asparagus with white truffle oil is our favorite.
And here's why.
Trial begins for teen accused of killing Kathina Thomas, state Senate Dems still haven't worked things out, father-son duo accused of stealing tombstones, pot eater tasered by police
The trial of the teenager accused of firing the shot that killed Kathina Thomas last May starts today. Albany County DA David Soares has asked local media outlets to not identify witnesses in the trial because of worries about witness intimidation. [Daily Gazette] [TU]
Our famously dysfunctional state legislature opens its new session tomorrow. Will the Democrats be able to organize control of the state Senate? Maybe. Maybe not. [TU] [NYDN] [NYT]
The SUNY Research Foundation is reviewing the resume of Susan Bruno -- Joe Bruno's daughter -- after the TU reported it may have included questionable claims about her education and credentials. Susan Bruno currently holds an $84k/year job with the foundation. [TU]
A company-funded study reports that the Lafarge cement plant in Ravena is the second largest emitter of mercury in the state. The reported levels are half of what they were two years ago, but one prominent expert says it's still "a heck of a lot of mercury." [TU]
Joe Bruno's daughter under scrutiny, Thruway toll hike kicks in, local t-shirt biz hopes to help kids in Africa, ice fishing heats up,
The TU reports that Susan Bruno -- Joe Bruno's daughter -- has come under scrutiny as part of the long-running federal investigation into her father. At issue: whether Susan Bruno was given a high-paying job at the SUNY Research Foundation, but not really required to do much. Also: her spelling skills apparently need some work. [TU]
Filings at the Albany office of federal bankruptcy court were up more than 20 percent in 2008 over the year before. [TU]
Gun sellers at a show in Saratoga Springs say business is way up this year. They cite concerns among gun owners that the Obama Administration will push for stiffer gun control laws. [Saratogian] [CapNews9]
A five percent increase in Thruway tolls took effect on Sunday. [Fox23]
Gifts that say Albany -- literally
When you visit NYC, you can't throw a snow globe without hitting a Big Apple themed gift. Hats, shirts, mugs stickers, ties, postcards. But if you have friends or relatives visiting the Capital Region, have you noticed that it's nearly impossible to find the same kind of things with an Albany theme? It's the capital city, but can you find an "I heart The Egg" bumper sticker, or an "I got my tan in Albany" t-shirt? Noooooo.
Well, if you're just busting to show your A-Town pride you might find an outlet at CafePress.
There's always room for pie
A plethora of pie!!!
So I stopped into Grandma's pie shop this week, and let's just say you'd never know there was a recession by the look of the dining room. They whole thing has been converted into a sort of "pie holding area," overflowing with boxes marked "from Grandma, with love."
Darcie Cegener, the manager, says by tonight they'll have sold about 5,000 pies for Christmas. The most popular ? Apple, pumpkin, and chocolate.
Five thousand pies is a drop in the bucket. Thanksgiving week they sold 12,000,
So is there one left for you? Yep, but don't dawdle. The pies are going quick, and Grandma closes her doors at 3PM today.
Paterson annoyed by Senate chatter, horse found murdered, mortgage rates way down, shoe repair business way up
David Paterson says the chatter about who will get Hillary Clinton's Senate seat has "reached a new high and new low in areas of gossip, speculation, mind-reading." A Q poll reports that the public thinks Paterson will appoint Caroline Kennedy -- a conclusion that apparently frustrates the Gov. [TU] [Quinnipiac] [NYT]
The attorneys for a Troy man accused of killing his infant son in September say charges against their client should be dropped because the child named in the indictment is actually the deceased infant's twin brother -- who's still alive. [TU]
The chairman of CDTA's board says he realizes the 50 cent fare hike will be difficult for some people, but the transit org had "no other alternatives." [TU] [Daily Gazette]
A horse in Hoosick Falls was found dead this week, its throat slashed during what appears to have been an attempted robbery. [Troy Record]
Standoff ends in suicide, vote today on bus fare increase, Saratoga recreation center drama continues, a low-key bank robbery
US marshals say a man accused of multiple rapes in Pennsylvania killed himself in Cohoes yesterday after a standoff with police. The man, who had once run for Congress, jumped bail last month after he was accused of posing as a cop in order to take advantage of prostitutes. His had recently been featured on America's Most Wanted. Police say they aren't sure what brought the man to the Capital Region. [TU] [Daily Gazette] [Troy Record] [Troy Record]
The CDTA board is scheduled to vote on the proposed 50 cent per ride fare increase today. A coaltion of riders, advocates and politicians is protesting the increase, arguing that that increase would disproportionately hurt low-income people. The transportation org recently scaled back the proposed fare hike for commuter lines that run along the Northway. [CapNews9] [TU] [Daily Gazette]
More than 300 cars have been towed during Albany's snow emergency. Apparently even/odd can be tricky. [CBS6] [WNYT]
Scrooged at The Palace
Alright, enough with the snow, the shopping the wrapping, the baking. It's time for a holiday chuckle. The Palace Theater's Classic Movie Series continues tonight with our favorite version of the Christmas Carol story, Scrooged. Bill Murray plays a bitter TV executive who gets hysterical late night visits from David Johansen and Carol Kane. (One of the meanest/funniest Christmas movie moments ever -- when Murray's Scrooge
orders wardrobe to staple antlers to the mice to make them look more like reindeer.) If you've got time for dinner first, The Victory Cafe is running a $20 special for movie goers tonight.
Heads up, though, if you can't walk or take the bus: it's worth paying for space in the lot across from the Victory tonight. The movie starts at 7, but there's a snow emergency in effect in Albany tonight, which means you'll have to move the car at 8 you may have a holiday humbug of your own.
It snowed, pharmacy held up with a grenade, man stewed before bank heist, Paterson in Iraq, hope for ESP skating rink?
It snowed. The National Weather Service estimates the Capital Region got between 14-20 inches over the course of Friday, Saturday and Sunday. A snow emergency is in effect in Albany until 8 pm Tuesday -- and in Troy, you can park free in downtown city lots and garages until Monday at 8 pm. [Daily Gazette] [City of Albany] [City of Troy]
After the recent ice storm and power outages, the state Public Service Commission says it will be watching how well utilities keep trees trimmed around power lines. One potential culprit for some of the downed trees: the white pine weevil, a beetle that weakens otherwise ice-resistant pine trees. [Daily Gazette] [TU]
Police say a man robbed an uptown Albany CVS of narcotics Friday night using the threat of a grenade. [Daily Gazette]
Police say yet another pizza delivery guy was robbed in Albany in apparent setup. This is the third time that's happened in the last few weeks. In this most recent robbery, it seems the muggers only got away with pizza and chicken wings. [CBS6] [CapNews9] [TU]
Don't Bogart the Egg Nog
Just in time for Christmas, The Rev Records has released a holiday album. The Silver Screams Don't Bogart the Eggnog is a collection of original holiday music recorded by A-Town's Bryan Hamill.
From the website:
Hamill turns his lens on the holiday season, tackling such subjects as pets,knitting, and pastries, all in his signature hodge-podgey bedroom pop style.
You can download an mp3 for 5 bucks or email one as a gift.
Bank robbery involves chase, fake beard and -- possibly -- gunfire, local unemployment rate up again, DA says RPI student's death a mystery, that's not Jimmy Tedisco
State police say a man, wearing a "a fake Abe Lincoln-style beard," robbed a bank in Latham at gunpoint yesterday afternoon before leading cops on a high-speed chase up the Northway and into Saratoga. They say the man the sped down Rt. 50 before striking another vehicle and flipping his SUV. Police are also investigating whether gunfire was exchanged -- there are indications a state trooper did fire his weapon. [TU] [Daily Gazette] [Saratogian] [Post-Star] [TU]
The Capital Region's unemployment rate hit its highest point for a November (5.2 percent) since 1992's November. Retail jobs have been among the hardest hit. A state labor department analyst says he expects the numbers to get worse, but compared to the rest of the country, they're not that bad. [Biz Review] [Daily Gazette] [TU]
The number of calls last month to the state's unemployment insurance call center was almost triple that of the same period a year ago -- and as a result, about 40,000 calls went unanswered. Things are so bad the head of the center asked the TU not to reveal its location for fear that angry people would show up at the building. [TU]
Plug Power laid off 90 workers yesterday, most of them at its Latham headquarters. [Biz Review]
Find those crows a job
Bird brains.
Albany's crow problem is apparently serious enough that the city is now employing fireworks and lasers in an attempt to scare away the flocks. And as we can attest, the huge murders are kind of freaky.
But the city might be going about this wrong way. Maybe it just needs to find those crows a job.
Pendant necklaces from Elissa Halloran Designs
A plethora of pendants.
What?
Pendant necklaces from Elissa Halloran.
The Frankencake at Cheesecake Machismo
Mmmmm. Frankencake.
Why settle for one flavor of cheesecake when you could have six? Or more!
If you're headed to a holiday party this season and don't know what to bring, here's the perfect idea: A Frankencake from Cheesecake Machismo.
More budget reaction, power almost completely restored, Kennedy goes upstate, Pine Hills residents upset about crime, police say penis guy wasn't wearing shirt or shoes
A Siena poll reports that 78 percent of people polled support raising taxes on people making $1 million a year or more as a way to help cover the state's budget gap. The Paterson budget plan currently doesn't include such a tax. [SRI]
There's some question as to whether the Luther Forest chip fab would still qualify for all its tax breaks under the Paterson budget plan's proposed adjustment to the Empire Zone program. Yesterday the state approve the transfer of $650 million in incentives from AMD to the spin-off company that will be building the fab. [TU] [Daily Gazette]
Proposed cuts to state subsidies for Amtrak could halt service between Albany and Montreal. The line that runs between Rutland and Albany could also be in jeopardy, which -- when combined with the possible cut of the Montreal route -- would mean the station in Saratoga Springs would be left with no trains. [TU]
Liquor store owners are upset by David Paterson's proposal to let supermarkets sell wine. They say rules prohibiting them from owning more than one location and from staying open late will hurt their ability to compete with the supermarket chains. [TU]
Almost 2,000 homes in the Capital Region are still without power. A National Grid spokesperson said the ice storm was like "our version of a hurricane." [Daily Gazette] [Daily Gazette]
Caroline Kennedy made stops in Syracuse, Rochester and Buffalo yesterday as part of her non-campaign campaign for Hillary Clinton's Senate seat. She also may -- or may not -- have said she'd be running for the seat in 2010 if she's not appointed. [NYT] [AP/TU]
Rock climbing, anyone?
What?
Gift certificates for indoor rock climbing at Albany's Indoor Rock Gym.
Who is it for?
Anyone who's climbing the walls -- or would be, if it weren't so cold outside. There are overhangs, floor-to-ceiling climbs, and even across-the-ceiling climbs. You can do indoor caving too.
Paterson budget has everyone complaining, RPI layoffs start, Caroline headed upstate, student found dead, penis guy arrested again
It seems you can't throw a snow ball and not hit someone who's upset in some way about David Paterson's proposed budget. Everyone from hospital groups to beverage companies to county DAs to salon owners to environmentalists to unions to the suburbs took issue yesterday with some aspect of the budget. (A quick read of the proposed budget.) [TU] [TU] [Saratogian] [CapNews9] [Biz Review] [NYT] [NYDN]
About 10,000 homes in the Capital Region are still without power. National Grid is asking people still in the dark to call them. [Daily Gazette] [TU]
The RPI layoffs started yesterday. It's unclear how many people have been let go. The school reported to the state Department of Labor that it would be eliminating 98 jobs -- but a source told the Troy Record the number is somewhere between 100 and 170. A hundred jobs would be about 5 percent of RPI's workforce. The layoffs have been sparking harsh comments about RPI president Shirley Jackson. [TU] [Troy Record] [AOA comments]
Caroline Kennedy will reportedly be in Syracuse today as part of a sort of upstate campaign for Hillary Clinton's Senate seat. [Syracuse Post-Standard] [NY Mag]
Albany Art Room Gift Certificates
Gift certificates to the Albany Art Room AND permission to get dirty? Yay!!!
What?
Gift Certificates to the Albany Art Room. Think about it-- the kids are going to be off for a whole week, it's cold out, and the the time it takes to go from infatuation with new toys to stir crazy is shorter than you think. A few hours at the Albany Art Room could be a lot of fun for kids and a great break for parents.
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]
Tens of thousands still without power, Paterson to propose "obesity tax," friend says Bruno indictment likely, SPAC renovation on ice
As of this morning, 75,000 homes in the Capital Region were still without power. National Grid says homes are being returned to the grid "every minute of every day." The utility company says it could be Wednesday before all the repairs are made -- and now there's concern that high winds today will set things back. [Daily Gazette] [Troy Record] [TU]
A married couple in Glenville died this weekend from carbon monoxide fumes produced by their generator. At least 15 other people around the region were taken to hospitals for carbon monoxide poisoning caused by using grills inside. [Daily Gazette] [TU]
With no power at home, people flocked to stores and restaurants this weekend. An Italian restaurant in Schenectady was so busy it ran out of spaghetti. [TU] [Saratogian] [Daily Gazette]
Many of the Amtrak trains running between Rensselaer and NYC are still canceled. [CapNews9]
The Santa Speedo Sprint
Brrrrrrrrrr.
Updated Monday morning with video!
Today's Santa Speedo Sprint kicked off a few minutes sooner than expected. But hey, if you were waiting to race in only running shoes and a little red Speedo, and it was only 22 degrees, you'd be anxious to get things over with too. Yes, another Santa Speedo Sprint has come and gone, but AOA managed to capture a few of the fond--and somewhat disturbing--memories.
Ice storm knocks out power, violence at Albany High said to be out of control, Freihofers sold, alleged puppy-napping in Troy
Note: The Daily Gazette's website wasn't loading this morning.
Updated: 11:25 am
The ongoing ice storm has knocked out power for about 160,000 National Grid customers in the four core counties of the Capital Region (that figure is from National Grid's website this morning at 11:25 am). National Grid says it has 150 crews in the area working on repairs. [National Grid] [TU]
An anonymous Albany High School employee tells CBS6 that violence is out of control at the school. Among the incidents collected from police reports this school year: a teacher has been pushed to the ground and kicked, another teacher was punched repeatedly in the ribs, there was a three-on-one student beating, and two students hit another student in the back of the head with a padlock. [CBS6]
An anonymous source tells the TU that "ghost" parking tickets have been circulating in the City of Albany since the early 1990s -- and the stickers that marked a car as being eligible for the no-fine tickets were distributed by the Albany Police Officer's Union. Current police chief James Tuffey was president of the union in the early 90s, but he says he never knew about the stickers. [TU]
One upside to the slowing economy: the price of electricity and natural gas is falling. The price National Grid is charging for a kilowatt hour of electricity has dropped about 15 percent over the last year. [TU]
A note to CDTA
Helpful? Maybe not so much.
Dear CDTA,
We know how hard you're working to get us to ride the bus in the Capital Region. We appreciate that it's green and all -- and we love the song -- but CDTA, you gotta help us out here.
Holiday treats for furry friends
Yes, they look yummy, but hands off! They're for the dog (or cat).
On day three of AOA's holiday gift guide -- a little something for man's best friend.
What?
A selection of baked pet treats from Sherry's Kitchen.
Albany's biggest parking ticket scofflaws
Let three of these slip and the city considers you a scofflaw.
So when we were looking up info on the Albany Parking Ticket Amnesty, we noticed a link at the bottom of the Parking Violations page: "CITY OF ALBANY TOP 20 SCOFFLAWS." And what do you know, there are some people who really need amnesty.
The list is after the jump.
Budget drama in Troy, charges against Schenectady cops dismissed, Smith's leadership of Senate off to weird start, NYRA forecasts finish in the money
Troy mayor Harry Tutunjian has vetoed the 2009 budget passed by the city council. He says the council unlawfully shifted money into a contingency fund at the last moment. The council president says the shift was made to provide "oversight" of the contingency money. [TU] [Troy Record]
The Albany County legislature approved its 2009 budget, which includes a four percent tax increase. [TU]
A Schenectady County Court judge dismissed official misconduct charges against three Schenectady police officers yesterday. The trio had been charged with not turning on their patrol car's video camera and failing to fill out the proper paperwork following a DWI stop last December in which the suspect accused the officers of using excessive force. The officers have been on paid leave since then. [Daily Gazette]
A grand jury found that two Albany police officers were justified in firing their guns during a chase in September. Police say the suspect in the case pointed a gun at them. [TU]
Drinking chocolate at Crisan
Yes, we admit it, we've got a little love affair going on with Crisan. ( And yes, we have the love handles to prove it.) It started with a little $1 gelato, then moved on to the Kiss Me phase. Now, we're ready to spend the winter sipping tiny cups of spiced drinking chocolate.
No, not hot cocoa.
Drinking chocolate.
New plan for Albany Convention Center, tech park for Arsenal, pepper spray fog sends six to hospital, ESP skating rink protests
The Albany Convention Center Authority has reformulated its plan for the project, separating the convention center, parking garage and hotel into their own parts. The new plan is expected to cut the cost of the project by about 40 percent. The authority says it won't be doing less, it'll just be "putting the pieces together differently." [Daily Gazette] [TU]
A federal investigation and raid in Watervliet led to the arrest of three men on charges they were making bombs and growing marijuana. [TU]
The plan to turn a significant portion of the Watervliet Arsenal into a tech park was officially announced yesterday. Outgoing US Rep Mike McNulty says the site could eventually support 1000 jobs. [Daily Gazette] [Troy Record]
The latest local layoffs at: WNYT | Albany International | Momentive Performance Materials. [TU] [Daily Gazette] [TU]
Pickup plows into family of pedestrians, ESP skating rink won't open, Saratoga packs 'em in for Gillibrand, ghost ticket investigation urged
A pickup truck hit a family of seven as they were crossing State Street in Schenectady late yesterday afternoon. A police spokesmen said there were "bodies all over the street" and it was "the worst thing" he'd ever seen. Two of the injured children were airlifted to Albany Med -- they were in critical condition last night. [TU] [WNYT] [Daily Gazette]
Opponents to the expansion of the Albany dump were out in force last night at a public comment meeting. One city resident called said the dump problems wouldn't be fixed until there's a new mayor. And Colonie residents complained about the smell. The dump is projected to be full by the end of next year. [TU] [WNYT]
The family of the man who was mistakenly identified by police as having died in a car wreck says the error was preventable. They say police didn't take notice that the body didn't match their son's license -- it was 200 pounds heavier and had different color eyes. They also say police never asked them to identify the body. [TU]
The skating rink on the ESP will not open this year. The state says it can save $150,000 keeping the rink closed. [TU]
Kaczmareks got "family plan" plea deal, early retirment incentives for state workers?, drug stores everywhere, bus fare price war
The attorney for former Schenectady police chief Greg Kaczmarek says prosecutors offered Kaczmarek and his wife the "family plan" plea deal in their drug cases -- and that Kaczmarek took a longer term in prison to shorten the term for his wife. As part of the deal, Greg Kaczmarek was sentenced to two years in prison -- but he could be out in 17 months with good behavior. [Daily Gazette] [TU]
The state legislature is reportedly working on a plan that would offer early retirement incentives to state workers as a way of trimming the state payroll. David Paterson says he's not on board with the plan. [AP/TU]
David Paterson is currently being treated like the "prom queen" as people lobby him about the decision of whom to appoint to Hillary Clinton's Senate seat. [NYT]
Albany police say a group of "backpack bandits" (the TU's phrase) may be responsible for a string of muggings around the city. The group may have been in involved in a reported robbery late Monday afternoon in a which a man says five muggers stopped his car, bashed him in the head with a gun, and stole $2000. [TU] [Troy Record]
Former Schenectady police chief to plead guilty, chip fab clears another hurdle, Paterson "disturbed" by list, Jumpin' Jacks waterfront to get makeover
Both former Schenectady police chief Greg Kaczmarek and his wife are expected to plead guilty today to drug charges. The former top cop is expected to get two years in prison as part of the plea deal. [Daily Gazette]
State police incorrectly identified the victim in a fatal car crash over the weekend in Clifton Park. The mix-up led to the wrong family being notified. The situation was resolved after the grandmother of the man who actually did die noticed something was wrong. [TU]
Super Steel is closing its plant in Glenville. The manufacturer of train cars says it's seen "a steep decline in orders." The shutdown will put 175 people out of work. [TU] [Daily Gazette]
The Malta chip fab project cleared another hurdle yesterday. The Empire State Development Corp. approved the transfer of $1.2 billion in state incentives from AMD to the new spin-off company that will run the plant. [Daily Gazette]
New York needs a new senator, driver hit by trains charged with misdemeanor, ESP skating rink on ice?, Reilly has headlock on UFC, Troy officials fight over door lock, Garcia's closes
Hillary Clinton will be introduced as Barack Obama's nominee for Secretary of State today. That means, of course, that New York will need a new US senator (David Paterson gets to make the pick). Of interest: it came out this past weekend that Clinton had been offered the chair of the powerful Senate Appropriations Committee, which would have allowed her to direct loads of pork to NY. [NYT] [NYDN]
The man driving the SUV that was struck by two trains last week in New Scotland has been charged with a misdemeanor for not stopping at the rail crossing. Officials say a review of video and black boxes from the trains indicates the train operators did nothing wrong. [TU]
A 17-year-old was shot Friday night in the area of Clinton and Lark in Albany. Police say the shooter caught the young man in the face with a shotgun. [TU] [Troy Record]
Vandals spray-painted more than 50 cars in Lansingburgh Friday night. Residents say vandalism in the neighborhood is out of control. [Troy Record] [TU]
Home prices holding steady, Jennings starts up re-election campaign, RPI center will focus on extraterrestrial life, family gets Oprah makeover
The median sale price of homes in the Capital Region is holding more or less steady, even as many fewer houses are being sold. The number of sales in October was down 16 percent over the same period a year ago. [Biz Review] [TU]
New York State comptroller Tom DiNapoli is predicting the state could lose 225,000 jobs during the next two years. DiNapoli says about 3/4 of the lost jobs will come from Wall Street -- which could take a big bite out of state revenue. About 20 percent of state tax revenue comes from the Street. [TU]
The Albany Common Council approved a 2009 budget for the city. The budget includes a tax increase of $96 for the average homeowner. [TU]
Saratoga Springs' finance commissioner has proposed a new 2009 budget that takes into account the proposed cut in VLT money from the state. The new budget includes a tax increase of 3.5 percent -- up from 2.7 percent in the previous version. [Saratogian] [Daily Gazette]
Jerry Jennings' 2009 re-election campaign is starting up, apparently with some haste. The Albany mayor's campaign will be holding a fundraiser at the Fort Orange Club in December -- $500/person for the cocktail reception, $1000/person for dinner. [TU]
Family's SUV hit twice by trains, proposals include paying for parking in Saratoga, road salt costs up, state saving money on tree lighting
A father and his two daughters escaped with just a few cuts and bruises after two trains hit their SUV. The father said he never saw the trains coming as he drove through a train crossing near their home in New Scotland Saturday morning. The two collisions knocked the front and back ends off the SUV. The crossing has no signals -- the father says he'd been pushing the town and the train company to change that. [TU] [Troy Record] [Fox23] [Fox23]
Two of the three development proposals for the new public safety building in Saratoga Springs include plans to charge for downtown parking. And it looks like those two proposals, which also include plans for a movie theater, are the two leading candidates. The president of the Downtown Business Association called the idea of charging for downtown parking "ridiculous." [Daily Gazette] [TU] [Saratogian]
There have been a lot of shots fired in Albany over the past few days. Last Thursday evening, police say a man fired a shot inside a neighborhood grocery on Ontario St. On Saturday, police say three men conducted a bike-by shooting on South Lake near the uptown end of Washington Park (the gunmen missed). And then on Sunday, a man was shot in the butt while he was standing at the corner of Lark and Livingston. [Daily Gazette] [Troy Record] [CBS6]
Albany County officials are pushing for a 30 cent per month tax on mobile phones to help cover the cost of operating 911. Many other local counties already have such a tax. [TU]
Capital Hills
In a sign that winter is really here, the City of Albany's Capital Hills Golf Course closed last weekend for golfing. Sad for golfers, but good for walkers and dogs.
Why? Because when the course closes for golf, it basically becomes an enormous park. It's a great place to take a winter walk. And dogs absolutely love it -- Otto gives it his highest praise.
The course opens back up for golf next April 15.
Unemployment rate up over a year ago, Soares looks to crack down on DWI, Troy stores will be on Oprah, DiNicola has a brain tumor
The Capital Region's unemployment rate in October was 4.9 percent, up from 3.6 percent a year ago. [TU]
A Siena poll reports that a majority of New Yorkers are planning to spend less this year on holiday presents. [Daily Gazette]
A Thanksgiving food bank in Schenectady says requests are up about 20 percent this year. [Daily Gazette]
Albany County DA David Soares says his office will be cracking down on drunk drivers and will push to seize the cars of DWI suspects. [TU]
The mayor of Rensselaer says the city will not be prepared to handle snow removal this winter after the city council voted down a plan to use state money to replace equipment damaged during summer flooding. The council president says the city hasn't adequately documented what was lost. [TU] [Troy Record]
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]