All Over Albany

Field for Bruno's seat coming together, Pataki snubbed, local bankruptcies up, dude - where's her car?

Mike Russo, who works for Kirsten Gillibrand, has officially announced that he will seek the Democratic nomination in the race for Joe Bruno's state Senate seat. He joins Brian Premo and Saratoga Springs supervisor Joanne Yepsen. The Republicans still don't have any official candidates, but that should change tomorrow when Wilton assemblyman Roy McDonald is expected to officially announce. Ray Seney, a councilman from the town of Nassau, is also circulating petitions in a bid to run. [TU] [Daily Gazette]

George Pataki will not be a delegate at the Republican National Convention later this year, even though the former governor was on John McCain's list of preferred delegates. The dis is apparently payback from state Republican committee chair Joseph Mondello after Pataki pushed to replace him. [AP] [NYDN]

Bankruptcy filings in the Capital Region are up from the same period last year and local bankruptcy lawyers report they're swamped with cases. [TU]

Three weeks ago, Kerri-Ann Vincent drove a stabbing victim to the hospital in Troy. And she hasn't seen her car since. Troy police are holding the vehicle as evidence. Vincent says she can't get to work without her car. The TPD has basically told her to deal. [CBS6]

Two apparently popular Guilderland High School teachers have been relegated to the middle school after a "culture climate inquiry" inquiry. The two teachers, one of whom is out on maternity leave, are accused of contributing to a "locker room" and "boys' club" atmosphere within the school's social studies department. [TU]

The stock of Feldman Mall Properties, one of the co-owners of Colonie Center, has been delisted from the NYSE. The company lost $17 million last year. [Daily Gazette]

Overheard at the new movie theater

A woman is waiting in line for one of the discount movies at the new movie theater at Colonie Center. An usher is handing out promotional flyers.

Woman: What do you know about this Sweeney Todd?

Usher: Not much. All I know is what I heard from Regis Philbin. He says it's really bloody and gory.

An iPod vending machine at Macy's? What?

For when an iPod craving just hits you out of nowhere.

We saw this on a swing through the Colonie Center Macy's this week. It's a vending machine for iPods, cameras and other digital media gadgets -- like a little piece of Japan right next to the cosmetics department.

It looks like Macy's has been rolling out these vending machines over the last few years. The company pretty much dumped selling electronics back in the late 90s and is hoping the iPod-o-mat (our name, not theirs) can help them get back in the game.

OK, but why a vending machine? Couldn't you just sell iPods at, you know, a counter or something? It seems the vending machines are supposed to help spur impulse buys and... wait for it... attract younger shoppers.

Earlier on AOA:
+ The Wal-Mart. Has. An Escalator.

The theater at Colonie Center: thumbs up or down?

Is that sweet and sour pork I smell? And pizza. And soup.

Updated May 19, 2008

Figuring "Who are we to turn down a movie for $2?", we checked out the new Regal Cinemas at Colonie Center last night. Here's our quick review, Siskel-Ebert-Roeper-Whoever-It-Is-Now style...

(there's more)

Preview the new theater at Colonie Center

For $2, there's probably something you'll like.

You know that movie theater they've been building on the roof of Colonie Center for seemingly forever? Well, it's finally ready.

The official opening is this Friday, but the theater's having a sort of dress rehearsal the next few days, which means you can check it out for cheap. Really cheap. Admission is $2 to showings of not-exactly-new-anymore movies. Popcorn and drinks are also two bucks.

The preview lineup is kind of a mixed bag. For every Atonement there seems to be a 10,000 BC. But it's hard to go wrong for $2. And given that the place is brand new, your feet might not even stick to the floor.

Make it work! Tim Gunn's coming to town!

There was squealing at the AOA satellite office this afternoon when we found out that Tim Gunn -- the best thing to come out of Project Runway -- will be at the Colonie Center Macy's (you know, the "good" Macy's) April 26 at 2 pm. It seems that Tim, who's now chief creative officer of Liz Claiborne, will be demonstrating "how to build a versatile wardrobe with a couple of key pieces."

And maybe he can explain to us why Victorya seemed like such a pill on the last season of Project Runway.

UPDATE: You'll need reservations for the event. Call 1-888-622-9769 and apparently you can leave a message to reserve your spot. Probably. The reservation process seemed a little unclear.

(Thanks, Aja!)

photo: Bravo Company

Convention center money sought, home foreclosures up, Colonie Center movie theater nears completion, horses back at Saratoga

The Albany Convention Center Authority is looking for the state to help pay another $190 million in expenses for the project. The price tag for the convetion center has almost doubled from its original projection. [TU]

The number of Capital Region home foreclosures continued a year-long upward swing. [TU]

Uri Kaufman, the guy who turned Cohoes' Harmony Mills into luxury apartments, has proposed doing the same for a former knitting factory in Amsterdam. Kaufman is also currently involved with a plan to convert the old Victory Mill in Saratoga into lofts. [Daily Gazette]

Public filings indicate that Feldman Mall Properties, which owns a piece of Colonie Center, has spent $110 million renovating the mall. The project was originally slated to cost about half that, but the cost of building a movie theater on the mall's roof has ended up being much expensive than originally projected. And what about that much delayed theater? The planned opening date is now May 16. [Business Review]

The parent company of The Saratogian and The Troy Record is being de-listed from the New York Stock Exchange today. Journal Register Company is straining under the weight of debt and some analysts are projecting the company is headed for default. [AP/TU]

About a third of shoppers at Railroad Avenue Price Chopper in Saratoga Springs walk there, according to a company survey. So, what? There have been rumors the Chopper at that location might close, which has prompted concern the city would no longer have a supermarket to which people could walk. [Saratogian]

Training season has opened at Saratoga. [Daily Gazette]

The "good" Macy's just got better

Stylish crocodile sighting at Colonie Center.

The Macy's at Colonie Center (also known as the "good" Macy's) just got a little better.

There is now a BCBG MaxAzria section at the store. It's definitely edited, but it's also the real deal; not a watered-down department store version.

The saleswomen told me that the "boutique" is brand new, and the company is experimenting with select stores on the East Coast.

Another new development : Lacoste.

A year or two ago Macy's got a men's Lacoste section, and I remember complaining because they conveniently left the ladies out to pasture. Well that's been addressed as well. There is now a women's Lacoste table. They have both the classic boxy cut and the more modern fitted version in maybe 7 or 8 colors.

It's not much people, but a little goes a long way.

The America's Next Top Model casting call: surprisingly not a trainwreck

When you hear that there are going to be tryouts for America's Next Top Model at the local mall, you have to expect it all: zealous pageant-mom types, Paris Hilton-types, and way too much make-up. Instead, the auditions at Colonie Center this past Saturday were sort of... low-key. Fly 92 was there (Big Ray was the MC), as was the CW, which airs the show.

There were lots of girls of various heights, sizes and ages decked out in stilettos, skinny jeans, and channeling the last five looks of Victoria Beckham. The crowd was the occasional family member or friend holding up a sign to support their daughter/sister/BFF.

All hopefuls stood against a white backdrop and were photographed and video-taped facing the camera and in profile. They also had to do a runway walk and a pose (yeah, they ALL need to work on that), and then they had to say a little something into the mic. On-lookers couldn't hear what was said, but I'm pretty sure that was the part when contestants talk about how they've wanted to model their whole lives and how they want to be like Tyra Banks when they grow up.

Unlike the show, there was no drama (much to my chagrin). Just a lot of high-school girls with a bit of diva in them, hoping to be the next big thing.