Items tagged with 'saratoga'
McDonald officially in, Lyme disease settling in here, financial trouble ahead for SPAC?, here she is -- Mrs. New York America
Republican Roy McDonald, currently an state assemblyman from Wilton, has officially jumped into the pool for Joe Bruno's state Senate seat -- with Bruno's support. And it looks like Tony Jordan, an attorney from Washington County, will be the Republican candidate for the seat McDonald's vacating. That race already has a Democrat -- Wilton councilman Ian McGaughey. [Daily Gazette] [TU]
A federal court rejected an appeal by Yassin Aref and Mohammed Hossain, the two members of an Albany mosque caught in the federal sting involving a fake plot to buy a shoulder-fired missile. [TU]
A state review of the Albany Police Department has concluded that there is "no evidence of systemic abuse of citizens' rights" by department. The review had come at the request of six Common Council members. [TU]
Lyme disease appears to be establishing itself in the Capital Region and north. [Daily Gazette]
SPAC officials are worried that financial troubles for Live Nation, the company that produces all the pop music concerts there, will end up hurting the venue. SPAC currently gets $1 million a year from Live Nation, but that contract is up next year and officials seem to think renewing the deal for the same amount will be tough. [Saratogian]
The Peerless Pool at Spa State Park still isn't ready to open. Wet weather has kept the pool's new surface from curing properly. Officials hope the pool will be able to open in a week or so. [Daily Gazette]
The new Troy Orchestra debuts tonight with a concert behind city hall. [Troy Record]
The new Mrs. New York America is Kerry Lyn Boettcher, a teacher from Schenectady. She'll go on to compete for Mrs. America in September. [Daily Gazette]
School board walks out, money donated to Thomas family, it really was a rainy June, 12-year-old accused of stealing cars, Adelphi for sale
Hundreds of people showed up at the Guilderland School Board meeting last night to protest the transfer of two popular social studies teachers. Then the school board walked out of the public forum. [TU]
A meeting Tuesday night of the Albany Gun Violence Task Force provided more evidence that the community and law enforcement officials have trust issues. [TU]
The philanthropist who put up the bulk of the money for the Kathina Thomas reward has given $5000 to the girl's family. Rudy Ciccotti decided to give the money to the family after the APD didn't indicate anyone should receive the reward. [CBS6]
Lester Freeman is reportedly dropping out of the race for the 21st Congressional District (McNulty's seat). That still leaves eight Democrats and two Republicans in the race. [CapNews9] [AOA]
Yes, it has been a rainier-than-usual June. We've gotten about 45 percent more rain than in an average June. [Daily Gazette]
The City of Schenectady says it's out of money for graffiti removal. So a group of people of the Stockade and East Front Street neighborhoods pooled their money and painted over a bunch of graffiti themselves. [Daily Gazette]
The Saratoga Springs city council has approved a taxi fuel surcharge. The fee will range from 60 cents to $1.85 per person. [Fox23]
Albany police say a 12-year-old has stolen three cars during the last week. Apparently he's a pretty good driver. [TU]
The Adelphi Hotel in Saratoga is up for sale. List price: almot $7.8 million. [TU]
Keehn not running for Bruno's seat, whither all the Bruno pork?, new high school has leaky roof, live grenade found
Val Keehn is now saying that she will not run for the Democratic nomination in the race for Joe Bruno's state Senate seat. The former mayor of Saratoga Springs will instead support Joanne Yepsen, who's currently Saratoga Springs town supervisor. Keehn says she decided not to run after hearing that Mike Russo, who currently works for Kirsten Gillibrand, is considering a run. Russo has not officially declared yet. There's already one Democrat who has -- Brian Premo. [TU] [Saratogian]
Now that Bruno's no longer leader of the state Senate, will the Capital Region go back to getting pretzels (Joe Bruno's word) from the state. Dean Skelos, the new majority leader, says no. Others aren't so sure. What is certain: Joe Bruno brought home a lot of pork -- and his name is on a bunch of stuff. So many things bear his name that his staff has lost track. [TU] [Daily Gazette]
Sixteen hours after a community anti-violence meeting in the neighborhood, two men were shot on the north end of Lark Street in Albany. [TU]
The new Rensselaer High School, just six months old, already has a leaking roof. And it smells weird. [Troy Record]
A construction worker found a live grenade while sifting top soil at a construction site in Milton Friday afternoon. The bomb squad destroyed it. Officials aren't sure where the grenade came from. [Daily Gazette]
The Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception (the big church at Madison and Eagle in Albany), will soon be closing for 18 months of renovations. [WNYT]
Get your hands in the air, Duanesburg. Snoop Dog is coming to town. [Daily Gazette]
Keehn says she's in the running, Jimino says she's not, Timmons case criticized, gun buyback expanding, when is a massage more than a massage?
Valerie Keehn, the former Democratic mayor of Saratoga Springs, has confirmed that she is collecting signatures in order to run for Joe Bruno's seat. Kathy Jimino, the Republican Rensselaer County executive, says she will not be getting into the race. [Saratogian] [Troy Record]
An advocacy group says the case of Jermayne Timmons, the 15-year-old who allegedly fired the shot that killed Kathina Thomas, was mishandled by police and prosecutors. It says Timmons waived his Miranda rights without a lawyer. [Daily Gazette]
The organizer of the Albany gun buyback says the program will be expanding to Schenectady. (Earlier on AOA: The Albany gun buyback: buyer's remorse?) [WTEN]
Believe it or not, people advertise "massages" and other similar services on Craigslist that are actually a bit more than that. And as local law enforcement found out, sometimes you to have experience it firsthand to confirm that. [TU] [Troy Record]
A Dubai firm has bought the Fasig-Tipton riding stable, auction house and other land in Saratoga for $5.7 million. [Business Review]
The carousel in Saratoga
It has it's ups and downs.
The thoroughbreds aren't in town for another month, but if you've got a hankering for the horses check out the hand carved beauties on the carousel in Saratoga's Congress Park. The nearly 100 year old carousel was carved in Coney Island by the renowned artist Marcus Illions and has been bouncing around Saratoga County ever since. In 2002 it found a home in Congress Park and as of mid June it's open every day but Monday (weather permitting) throughout the summer. Yes, big kids (adults who just want to ride the carousel) are allowed, and It's only 50 cents a ride. Even a bet at the flat track will cost you a buck.
Legislative session ends with whimper after fireworks, Keehn to run for Bruno's seat?, American to stop flight to ALB, Peerless Pool opening delayed
All the drama aside, this state legislative ended this week with most of the big issues -- including the state's ballooning budget deficit -- unresolved. [NYT]
One bill that did make it through: a measure that would have the state pay the City of Albany $5.5 million dollars this year as a sort of tax payment on the Harriman office campus (the technical term is payment in lieu of taxes). The city could use the money -- it's facing an $8 million budget gap. David Paterson is expected to sign the bill. [TU]
One of the issues lost, or whacked, in the legislative shuffle: Colonie's special mid-year deficit reduction tax. Town officials say they can't figure out why it failed in the Senate. Sen. Neil Breslin, a Democrat, says it died because town Republicans asked party members in the Senate to block it. [TU]
Former Saratoga Springs mayor Valerie Keehn says she's "considering the possibilities" of a run for Joe Bruno's soon-to-be-former state Senate seat. The Saratoga County Democratic Chair says Keehn has already decided to run. [Saratogian] [WNYT]
American Eagle, the regional carrier for American Airlines, will stop service to ALB on November 1. American and its predecessors had been serving the airport since 1929. American Eagle carries only three percent of the passengers in and out of ALB. [Daily Gazette]
The Troy Housing Authority is moving to kick out six tenants who haven't performed the required eight hours of community service. [TU]
The Fort Orange Club plan to demolish two buildings along Washington Ave in downtown Albany continues to draw criticism from neighbors and preservationists. The plan is now in front of the city's Board of Zoning and Appeals. [TU]
The pipe organ at the Round Lake Auditorium could be named a national landmark by the feds. [Daily Gazette]
The Peerless Pool at Spa State Park will not be opening this weekend as planned. Rain has kept a sealant from setting up. Victoira Pool will open, though. [TU]
The Siena men's basketball team will be playing at Kansas this coming season. The Jayhawks are the defending national champion. [Daily Gazette]
Skelos takes over, Bruno endorses McDonald, AMD CEO stops by but still no word, Colonie tax put on hold, Ethan Allen settlement
State Senate Republicans "formally elected Dean Skelos to replace Joe Bruno as majority leader. Skelos, who's from Long Island, says his top three priorities are reducing property taxes. [TU]
Bruno has endorsed Wilton Assemblyman Roy McDonald as his successor in the 43rd Senate district. [Daily Gazette]
The CEO of AMD, the company with tentative plans to build a chip fab plant in Luther Forest, was at the Capitol yesterday to make the rounds. The company says its leader was not here to ask for more money. AMD still has definitively committed to the project. [TU]
At least for the moment, it looks Colonie will not be able to levy its special mid-year deficit reduction tax. The town needs the permission of the state to collect the money, but the measure died in the Senate yesterday (it had already been approved in the Assembly). The tax would have collected about $7 million toward the town's estimated $18 million deficit. [TU]
A confidential settlement has been reached with some of the defendants in the Ethan Allen case (the foliage tour boat the tipped over on Lake George). [Daily Gazette]
The plan to create a downtown Troy business improvement district is encountering friction from people worried about the tax needed to fund the BID. [Business Review]
The owners of the Saratoga Polo grounds are hoping to build an $80 million luxury time-share (er, um, "fractional ownership) resort there. Their waiting on the state AG's office to approve the ownership arrangements. [Daily Gazette]
A teenager recently stole a car in Waterford, but only made it as far as Troy in the ride -- because that's where he ran out of gas. Police nabbed him at a Stewart's. [TU]
Last Vestige- Saratoga
It's a more-hit-than-miss kind of beat-up musical boutique thing that makes Last Vestige in Saratoga an essential weekly stop. Every trip is different because most of the stock is a rotating bundle of used media. So while you might not find the season three DVD of Weeds this week, there's a likely chance you'll stumble on a coveted Black Flag album or even a Tommy James and The Shondells cassette.
Still, in the age of Amazon, why bother with a vintage record shop?
Joe Bruno leaving state Senate, adult bookstore owner says roundabout is plot to get him, new food at The Track, Travers chases Big Brown
Joe Bruno has announced he's not running for re-election. His decision is being described as "unexpected and stunning." In a statement, Bruno said it was "time to move on." It looks like Assemblyman Roy McDonald, who represents an area around Wilton, is the leading Republican choice for Bruno's seat (Brian Premo, a Democrat, is already in the race). Capital Region leaders are already mourning the loss of all the pork Bruno sent in this direction. [TU] [NYDN] [Daily Politics] [Daily Politics] [AOA] [TU]
The Albany County Board of Elections is cutting the number of polling places from 72 to 49. An elections commissioner says the consolidation will reduce the cost of new federally-mandated voting machines. Critics say the reduction will make it harder for elderly and people without cars to vote. [TU]
The owner of the Dewitt Clinton (the building just across from the capitol at State and Eagle) is continuing its push to evict tenants so that it can redevelop the building into a hotel. One of the tenants is the State Room, a banquet hall, which has been getting calls from worried couples who have made wedding plans there. [TU]
The owner of an adult bookstore in Schenectady says the plan for roundabout on Erie Boulevard is just an attempt to get rid of his store. His building would have to be demolished in order to contstruct the traffic circle. [Daily Gazette]
Five Saratoga restaurants will be selling food at The Track this summer: Hattie's, Brindisi's, Grey Gelding, Panza's, and 1 Caroline Street/Mouzon House. [Saratogian]
NYRA is trying to convince the owners of Big Brown, the horse that won the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness, to run in the Travers. [Daily Gazette]
Lots of illegal guns, corroded wires caused manhole cover explosions, water stays on for Rennselaer, damaged apples, a really big wind turbine
According to federal stats from last year, the number of seized illegal guns per resident in Albany and Schenectady was higher than that of New York City. There are two ways to look at this. Half-full: police here are getting better at finding illegal guns. Half-empty: there are a lot of illegal guns on the streets. [TU]
Prosecutors say Jermayne Timmons, the 15-year-old accused of firing the shot that killed Kathina Thomas, wrote an apology letter to Thomas' mother. From the letter Timmons allegedly wrote: "I am so sorry that the gun I shot is the gun that could have takeing your baby girl away from you." [Daily Gazette]
An aide at a state facility in Schenectady has been charged with a misdemeanor for allegedly punching a blind autistic woman after the woman spilled the aide's salad. [Daily Gazette]
The Troy city engineer says the manhole-cover-popping explosions earlier this year were caused by arcing underground cables that had been corroded by road salt and water. [TU]
The City of Rennselaer has paid Troy for its water use over the last two years, and Troy Mayor Harry Tutunjian is no longer threatening to cut off Rennselaer's water supply. Still at issue: years of unpaid water bills from before 2006. [TU] [Troy Record]
Saratoga Springs is renovating its jails cells and needs someplace to put prisoners while the work is being done. The current solution: handcuffing the arrested to hooks in the booking area. [Daily Gazette]
Thomas D'Ambra, the CEO of Albany Molecular Research Inc, was the Capital Region's highest paid CEO last year. [TU]
The hail storm this week damaged apple crops. One farm in Columbia County says it suffered $1 million in damage. [Fox23]
GE wants to build a 400-foot-tall wind turbine just of I-890 in Rotterdam. [Daily Gazette]
It looks like Saratoga Springs will not be getting its first roundabout just yet. [Saratogian]
Gun buy back program, New Yorkers support tax cap, Schenectady cops say they're well trained but fat, how to improve Spa Park, pluck while you wait
A church in Albany is offering to ""buy back" guns from people in the community in exchange for a $150 mall gift certificate. The program was prompted by the "community gun" that allegedly was used to fire the shot that killed Kathina Thomas. [TU]
A Siena poll reports that 74 percent of New Yorkers support a 4 percent annual cap on school property taxes. David Paterson has said he supports the idea, but the other Two Men in the Room don't appear to be on board. [AP/Troy Record]
All complaints about the APD will now go to the Citizens' Police Review Board -- whether the person filing the complaint wants it to or not. The department has been accused of holding back complaints by persuading people to withold their grievances from the board. [TU]
A Schenectady city councilwoman has blasted the SPD's plan to use $41,000 to hire a wellness coach to help officers lose weight. Denise Brucker says the money should be used for training, for which it was originally budgeted. The police seem to think that's not necessary, though. "I think our department is one of the most well-trained," an assistant chief told the Gazette. [Daily Gazette]
Among the more popular ideas to come up at a public meeting about how to improve Spa State Park: a fenced-in dog park, and an extended season for the Victoria and Peerless pools. [Daily Gazette]
Wilton is the hot spot for new home construction in the Capital Region. [TU]
An archaelogical survey has started at the site of the proposed Albany Convention Center. The overall plan is still on hold because it needs an additional $190 million from the state. [Daily Gazette]
A Guyanese immigrant is hoping to open a live butcher shop in Schenectady by the end of the summer. When open, the shop would allow you to walk in, pick your chicken (as it still clucks), and have it butchered immediately. [Daily Gazette]
Teen says he used community gun, big drug bust, Sweeney under investigation, Albany addicted to garbage money, black bear sighting
In a statement to police, the teenager accused of firing the shot that killed Kathina Thomas said he did use a gun that "everyone in the neigbhorood uses" the night Thomas died. Police haven't found the weapon. Why Jermayne Timmons fired the shot isn't clear, though there are suspicions it might have had something to do with some kind of gang issue. [TU] [Daily Gazette]
Law enforcement officials announced that they've busted another big drug operation that had been moving cocaine and pot from downstate. The total haul in seized drugs is worth an estimated $1.7 million. [TU] [Daily Gazette]
Federal investigators are looking into whether John Sweeney was funneling campaign cash into his personal accounts by paying it to his then wife for her work as a "fundraising consultant." There's also some question about whether Gayle Sweeney's job at a lobbying firm was connected to the former Congressman steering money toward the firm's clients, a list that included Siena College and the Shaker Museum. [TU]
The City of Albany's dump has filled up faster than expected because the city was taking in as much garbage as it could in order to generate cash, according to a former commissioner. The dump in its current configuation will fill up by the end of next year. [TU]
A four-story building with 17 residential units is planned for the spot across from the Olde Bryan Inn in Saratoga. [Saratogian]
A black bear was sighted on the campus of Holy Names yesterday in Albany. [TU]
Saratoga's in the iPhone slow lane
Dark blue is faster than light blue.
Part of the hubub (technical term) surrounding the new version of the iPhone is that it supports 3G service, which means that -- theoretically -- you'll be able to buffer YouTube clips of water skiing squirrels while you stand in line at the supermarket faster than with the current data service.
AT&T, which is the only carrier for the iPhone, has a page where you can check coverage for its data services. And judging from the map (above), it looks like the Capital Region has OK coverage. Except for Saratoga. For the moment, iPhone users will be stuck in the slow lane there.
By the way, Sprint and Verizon also offer 3G service -- and they do have coverage in Saratoga. Alas, you can't use the iPhone with them.
Hot and bothered about the Victoria Pool
We can only dream.
It. Is. Hot. And it looks like it's going to be hot for a while. It's just the kind of weather best spent sipping a cool drink next to the Victoria Pool in Saratoga's Spa State Park.
But don't pack that beach towel, just yet. Both Victoria Pool and the Pearless Pool at the park don't open for another 18 days. Traditionally the pool schedules have dovetailed with summer vacation for the Saratoga School District. (That's June 28 through Labor Day this year.)
His Crankiness at i-Saratoga is steamed about this, and it's making waves with the folks at The Save the Victoria Pool Society, too. Their blog is on pool watch ("June 9, 95 degrees, still no pool"). But get this: there are people who think the pools being closed is a good thing. One commenter at the STVP blog went so far as to suggest there's no need for two pools.
Hothead. Obviously the heat has gotten to someone. Or, at least, he's never sipped a gin and tonic poolside at the Victoria.
(Thanks, Jessica!)
(Thanks for pic, Richard and Penny!)
Hundreds mourn Kathina Thomas, skydive suicide pilot didn't have correct license, families could get boot for not doing community service, step right up to tour cramped police station
Hundreds of people showed up for the funeral of Kathina Thomas. The APD says it's making progress on finding who fired the stray bullet that killed her, though it hasn't released any additional new details. [TU]
The FAA says the pilot who flew the plane from which Sloan Carafello jumped didn't have the right kind of license to be taking skydivers up in the air, though an agency spokeman says that probably had nothing to do with Carafello being able to make it out of the aircraft without a parachute. Carafello's twin brother says the family doesn't blame the pilot. [TU]
Four aides at a state care facility in Niskayuna for people with development disabilities have been put on leave after accusations that one of their clients was assaulted in the parking lot of a McDonald's. Spilled food seems to have set off the alleged assault. [Daily Gazette]
The Troy Housing Authority says it has plans to evict families from it public housing if the residents don't complete eight hours of community service by next month, as required by federal law. Almost 100 families are on the list. [Troy Record]
The New York Civil Liberties Union has formally filed a notice of claim against the City of Troy over the code enforcement at the Sanctuary for Independent Media. The notice is the first step toward suing the city over claims it closed the arts space because it displayed Wafaa Bilal's "Virtual Jihadi" exhibit. The space has since re-opened. [Troy Record]
The parent company of WTEN/Channel 10 is on the verge of being delisted by Nasdaq. [Business Review]
If you'd like to see for yourself why Saratoga Springs needs a new police station, the cops will be happy to show you. [Saratogian]
A Colonie five-year-old's lemonade stand helped raise $10,000 for a neighbor's cancer treatment. [TU]
Man jumps out of plane without parachute, state says Albany landfill plan stinks, new mosque in Latham
A Schenectady man killed himself Saturday by jumping out of a skydiving plane -- without a parachute. The pilot says Sloan Carafello had said he just wanted to go up to take aerial pictures. Co-workers at Price Chopper described him as very quiet and said he sometimes asked people whether they'd prefer to die by jumping off a building or from a plane with no parachute. Carafello's body hit a house in Duanesburg, punching a hole in the roof. No one was home at the time. [Troy Record] [TU] [Daily Gazette]
The funeral for Kathina Thomas, the West Hill girl killed by a stray bullet, is today. A handful of her relatives from Guyana won't be there becuase their visa requests were denied. [TU] [TU]
The state DEC has called the expansion plans for the City of Albany's landfill "deficient" and says the city must now work up a contingency plan in case the expansion doesn't get approved. The landfill is expected to be full by the end of next year. [TU]
After freedom of information requests from a handful of news orgs, Albany County DA David Soares says he will be releasing documents related to his initial investigation of Eliot Spitzer's involvement in the effort discredit Joe Bruno by leaking the state senator's travel records. That original investigation had concluded the former governor wasn't involved -- but a second look at the matter determined just the opposite. One issue with the planned relased: Soares says many documents may not come to light because of deals he cut with members of the administration in return for testimony. [NYT] [NYDN]
Redevelopment plans at the Harriman State Office Campus have slowed and some people -- including Jerry Jennings -- say the project is headed in the wrong direction. [TU]
Construction is scheduled to start next month on a new mosque in Latham. [TU]
"The Gut" in Saratoga Springs is getting a historic marker. [Saratogian]
Kathina Thomas reward increases, Schenectady cops have a lot of arresting to do, Paterson supports tax cap, Bruno gets a challenger, testy judge rebuked
The reward for information on the shooter in the Kathina Thomas case is now $17,000. The APD says it's made the case a top priority, but there's nothing to report so far. [TU]
Eeny, meeny, miny, moe, whom should the Schenectady police arrest today? It turns out they have a lot of options -- about 1000, in fact. That's how many unexecuted arrest warrants -- 200 of them for felonies -- have piled up with the SPD. Part of the problem: your email program has better sorting functions than the department's warrants database. [Daily Gazette]
David Paterson says he'll push for the four percent school property tax cap proposed this week by a state commission. [Daily Gazette]
Brian Premo has officially announced that he will challenge Joe Bruno for his state Senate seat. Premo, running as a Democrat, says the state has to stop being run by "three men in a room." The Bruno people had talking points at the ready, calling Premo "inexperienced" and a "flip-flopper." [Troy Record] [TU]
Joseph Sullivan has announced he's running for the 21st Congressional District (McNulty's seat). Sullivan will be running as a Democrat -- he ran for Albany mayor as a Republican two years ago. (AOA's Local Congressional Race Scorecard) [Daily Gazette]
The new public safety building proposed for Saratoga Springs could cost as much as $11.7 million. [Saratogian]
You know how judges on TV shows are always scolding people and holding them in contempt of court? Apparently that doesn't go over so well in real life. [TU]
School tax cap recommended, cigarette taxes jump today, truckers want to roll through Albany, pothole for paychecks
A state commission has recommended capping school tax increases at four percent a year. It also suggested that the STAR exemption be linked to income so that high earners wouldn't necessarily get a break on their property taxes. NYSUT, the politically powerful teachers union, opposes the tax cap (that's what those NYSUT billboards with kids in graduation caps are referring to). New York property taxes are 79 percent above the national average. [TU]
New York's cigarette tax jumps $1.25 today to $2.75, the highest in the nation. [AP]
A group of truckers wants to ring the capitol with big rigs to protest rising Thruway tolls and high diesel prices. The City of Albany hasn't decided yet whether to issue the protest a permit -- though one organizer says the truckers will roll into town regardless. [TU]
A plan is coming together to reshape the intersections around Northway Exit 9 in Clifton Park. Among the goals: to put some "there" there. [Daily Gazette]
The Van Dyck will be going up for auction July 2. It's estimated to be worth about $1 million. A bank foreclosed on the building last year. [Daily Gazette]
KEM Cleaners has bought a new, somewhat more environmentally friendly cleaning machine -- and is changing its name to Greener Cleaners. It seems that "environmentally friendly dry cleaning" is a relative term, though. For example: there's nothing really organic about "organic" dry cleaning. [TU]
The pay check process at the Saratoga Springs Department of Public Works has hit a pothole. The DPW's office manager retired last week -- and with no replacement, there's now no one who can legally process the payroll. [Saratogian]
Congressional race drama for Albany Dems, Troy mayor says Rensselaer's all wet, something's rotten in Clifton Park, the neighborhood where you gotta pick up your own pizza
The race for the 21st Congressional District (McNulty's seat) has Albany County Democrats divided. The party committee endorsed Phil Steck last night, but only after about half of the members walked out of the meeting. The walk-outs, most of them from the City of Albany, didn't want to endorse anyone ahead of the primary. There are eight Democrats running for the nomination. [TU] [Daily Gazette]
The mayor of Rensselaer is offering to settle the city's water deb with Troy by sending a check $1.59 million and $150,000 each year for the next seven years. Troy mayor Harry Tutunjian says Rensselaer owes a lot more than that and called the neighboring city "deadbeats." [TU]
It seems that a composting facility in Clifton Park really stinks -- in more ways than the obvious (though the obvious seems pretty bad). [TU]
Sections of Spa State Park will be allowed to grow wild in an effort to reduce costs and "improve sustainability." A member of a park advocacy group called the plan "ridiculous," though a park naturalist contends the wild areas will be pretty. [Saratogian] [TU]
The Mont Pleasant neighborhood in Schenectady is apparently the Bermuda Triangle of pizza deliveries. Many pizzerias have stopped delivering there after multiple robberies and weirdness. Just this week a delivery guy was robbed at taser-point (taser-prong?). [Fox23]
Thumbelina, the world's smallest horse, and her Thumbymobile visited the Children's Hospital at AMC yesterday. [Daily Gazette]
Paterson has surgery, school budgets pass, NanoCollege joins up with Army, talented dog adoption gets more expensive
The "migraine" that sent David Paterson to the hospital yesterday was actually a buildup of pressure in his left eye. The governor had laser surgery yesterday to relieve the pressure, which is a form of glaucoma. Doctors will repeat the procedure on his right eye -- the one in which he still has some vision -- as a preventive measure. [NYT]
School budgets passed in almost everywhere yesterday, including Albany, Schenectady, Troy, Saratoga Springs, Bethlehem, Guilderland, Shen and E. Greenbush. The Albany library budget also passed with an increase that will allow for a new branch in Arbor Hill and expansion of the Pine Hills branch. [TU]
UAlbany's NanoCollege announced it will be working with the US Army to develop technologies like tiny sensors, "smart" bandages and (gulp) nanobots. [Daily Gazette]
New York State has recommended that Saratoga Springs pay female employees $2000 in compensation for, among other things, not having a women's bathroom at the city's police station. [Saratogian]
How does the Larfarge cement plant in Ravena, the state's largest mercury polluter, win an environmental award? Having a company VP sit on the environmental group's board probably doesn't hurt. [TU]
Saratoga County is studying the possibility of a horse park. [Daily Gazette]
The Albany Common Council raised many administrative fees, including the one paid for adopting a "talented" dog. The fee for taking in such a dog is increasing from $50 to $65. Adoptions of "other dogs" will be $15. [TU]
The pommes frites at Ravenous
With mayo, svp.
In America, French fries have been relegated to sidekick -- the Robin to the cheeseburger's Batman. Would you like fries with that? As if a good French fry can't be a reason to visit a restaurant. The fries at Ravenous in Saratoga Springs refuse to take a back seat.
But please, don't call them French fries.
Virgil's in Saratoga: coffee without the buzz
Unplug before entering.
Kathleen Quartararo wants you to visit Virgil's House, her coffee shop in Saratoga
Springs, but your laptop can stay at home. And your cell phone? Off, please.
In a day when most of us are looking for a place with a good latte AND free wifi, Kathleen is bucking the trend in an effort to create an old fashioned unplugged environment. No phones, no texting, no computers. Why? AOA called her (yes, on our cell phone) to find out.
The shelf-stocking kingpin, "rapidly" improving schools, Saratoga surplus, old-school pumps can't count high enough
Wiretap transcripts are painting a more detailed picture of the guy police say was behind the drug operation that allegedly involved the former Schenectady police chief's wife and step-son. Kerry "Slim" Kirkem is described as a part-time supermarket stocker, concerned parent, and philosopher. Among his pearls of wisdom on why you should fear no one: "Because you do (expletive) on earth, then you die." [TU]
The state Department of Education released report cards for schools across the state. Many of the districts in area suburbs were on the "high performing district" list. The Brighter Choice charter school in Albany also made that list. Eight schools in Schenectady and Albany were described as "rapidly improving," which apparently means "better, but not there yet." Or as the superintendent of Albany schools put it to the TU, "We're not just improving, we're rapidly improving." [Daily Gazette] [TU]
In what's being described as a bit of a surprise, Saratoga Springs had an almost $4 million surplus last year. [Daily Gazette]
The woman who fell through a man hole on the Union College campus five years ago had her pain and suffering award cut down two-thirds by a state appellate court. Unless she appeals, the woman will now receive $450,000 on top of the $3.36 million previously awarded to her for future medical expenses. [Daily Gazette]
An old-school gas station in Troy has pumps that can't sell gas for more than $3.99 a gallon, which has become a bit of a problem lately as premium prices have shot above $4. [Troy Record]
The Gazette has a picture of Kirsten Gillibrand's new son. [Daily Gazette]
Local congressional candidates talk and point, suggestions for downtown Saratoga, big expectations for AMD plant, who needs trays?
The eight Democratic candidates running for the 21st Congressional District (McNulty's seat) showed they could wait their turn Wednesday night. It seems they can also point fingers. [TU] [CBS6]
A group that represents businesses along Broadway has suggested a bunch of improvements for downtown Saratoga. Among them: more trees, more parking, public bathrooms, heated sidewalk, and pocket parks. [TU]
Expectations for the proposed AMD chip fab plant in Malta are becoming, let's say, exuberant. The latest claim: the project could spur the area's population to grow by 400,000 over the next 10-15 years. [Saratogian]
The Troy fire deparment has called off its overtime boycott of RPI's commencement after the school agreed to talk about the department's concerns. [TU]
Two brothers are opening a Vespa dealership in Schenectady. (Yes, someone did that in Saratoga awhile back. No, it didn't make it.) [Daily Gazette]
Among the local measures taken in the struggle against rising food costs: "Trayless Tuesday" at the RPI dining halls. That doesn't seem to have worked out very well.
Overheard in Saratoga
A stylish woman is having coffee on a sidewalk patio in Saratoga, discussing a recent date with a couple of male friends...
"So, I said 'You're not the first DEA agent I've dated, so it really doesn't impress me, you know.'"
Paul Katz at Feast Gallery
If you have few minutes in Saratoga during the next month, you might want to stop by Feast Gallery on Beekman (it's at the head of the arts district that's sprouting on the west side.) It's currently exhibing works by Paul Katz. The collection includes small paintings on pages from the New York Times, as well as some mesmerizing iterative works.
It's definitely worth checking out -- and you can stop by downstairs for a drink afterwards at newish pub and tea place The Local.
Meat recall, sick leave that never ends, affordable housing friction, capitalize that Capital
Price Chopper has recalled packages of its store-brand ground beef patties because hard plastic pieces may have fallen into the meat. [TU]
Details continue to surface about the drug ring that allegedly involved the former Schenectady police chief and his wife. It seems the ring had some operational issues. Police were were able to lift a shipment from one of the operation's mules -- without her even realizing it at the time. She thought she was just getting a field sobriety test, apparently. And that drug transporter's boyfriend? He got nabbed by the cops when he showed up to visit her in jail this past weekend. [Daily Gazette] [Daily Gazette]
A Schenectady cop has been calling in sick for the last two years, which apparently he is well within his rights to do. Now the city council is appealing to the state legislature to allow them to offer the officer a retirement deal. [Daily Gazette]
A plan to build affordable housing in Saratoga Springs is meeting opposition. [Saratogian]
The number of available seats on flights departing from ALB has fallen 10 percent from a year ago. That means crowded planes and higher fares. [TU]
A private Montessori grade school is opening this Fall in Schenectady. [Daily Gazette]
A "superhero of language" visited the Capital Region Monday and found residents a little cool to his grammatical assistance. (He also doesn't seem to know that "Capital Region" should be capitalized.) [TU]
Former Schenectady police chief named in drug indictment, Buzz dumps Schenectady, Siena and UAlbany keep rivalry alive, Saratoga horses in the big city
The name of former Schenectady police Gregory Kaczmarek has come in a drug operation indictment. Kaczmarek himself wasn't indicted, but his wife was. And in the indictment, authorities allege that Kaczmarek's wife told an associate that the former chief would serve as a drug mule and "flash his badge" if necessary. Kaczmarek's stepson was also indicted as part of the operation. The former chief has been the subject of drug-related rumors for years, which prompted him in 1996 to announce at a press conference before he became chief that he didn't use drugs. [TU] [Daily Gazette]
The New York Buzz, the World Team Tennis club that's brought stars like Serena Williams and Anna Kournikova in for matches, has broken up with Schenectady -- by letter -- after a 13 year relationship. It seems the Buzz now fancies Albany and its Washington Avenue Armory, which doesn't have weather issues. "I'm only the mayor, not God, I can't guarantee the weather," said Schenectady mayor Brian Stratton after getting dumped. [Daily Gazette]
Siena and UAlbany have renewed their agreement to play their annual basketball game for another three years. Under the new deal, UAlbany gets 500 more seats -- some of them pretty good -- at the TU Center. [TU]
Seven of the painted fiberglass horses that had been placed around Saratoga will be displayed outside New York City's Museum of Natural History this summer. [Daily Gazette]
Hillary Clinton narrowly edged Barack Obama in a local pre-school election. It seems Senator Clinton can thank a bloc of young lady voters for the win. "I wouldn't vote for the other two -- they're boys. I'm not a boy," said one three-year-old to the Troy Record. Barack Obama ran a close second on the strength of having a name that starts with "B," which polled very well with the electorate. [Troy Record]
Yep, that is a lot of paper
There was that story this week about how city council meetings in Saratoga Springs are going paperless. And as part of that story, one of the city commissioners mentioned that city hall uses 475 cubic feet of paper every year.
That sounded like a lot of paper to us, but really, how much is it? So we decided to measure that figure against something we could relate to. And this being Saratoga Springs, we picked the track. The result, with how we got it, after the jump.
NY's doctor watch list, synthetic track at Saratoga?, lots of repaving projects, graduation ceremony headliners
More than two percent of practicing doctors in New York State were on a watch list last year because of problems such as drug use or professional misconduct. New York's rate is twice the national average and ranks it seventh highest. Some -- including the state health commissioner -- say the high number is evidence the state is actually doing something about the problems, but watchdogs say public still isn't getting info about their docs. [NYT]
NYRA will be holding a forum this summer about whether the state's horse tracks -- including Saratoga -- should switch over to synthetic surfaces. A NYRA spokesman says it's "seriously interested" (the Gazette's phrase) in making the switch. Synthetic tracks have been touted as a way to reduce horse injuries, but a lot of horse people and bettors don't like them. [Daily Gazette] [Saratogian]
A "throng" of south side Saratoga Springs residents are exercised over a plan to convert play fields on Vanderbilt Avenue into an indoor rec center. Mayor Scott Johnson is pushing for the site, saying the Vanderbilt location will make it easier for kids in downtown to use the center -- and he says the fields are currenlty only used for "random unstructured play." [Daily Gazette]
It seems like half of Albany's roads are getting repaved this year. [TU]
David Paterson, David Gergen and, um, Jeanine Pirro -- yep, that Jeanine Pirro -- headline (so to speak) the list of Capital Region graduation speakers this year. [TU]
Schenectady surplus, cotton candy man quits, parking meters for Troy?, clown class graduates
The City of Schenectady has a budget surplus for the third consecutive year, ending up with more than $8 million left over from last year. As recently as 2004 a state auditor had warned the city it would run out of money mid-year. [Daily Gazette]
The glitch that kept people from placing Kentucky Derby bets at local Capital Region OTBs has been blamed on "operator error" at the company which totals up the number and amounts of bets for the system. OTB -- and the municipalities with which it shares revenues -- will be reimbursed for the lost revenue. [TU]
A community board has called for the Town of Malta to keep a close eye on the environmental regulation of the proposed AMD chip fab plant. The company has asked for a zoning change that would decrease the town's involvement with environmental monitoring for the project. [Daily Gazette]
The guy who's been accused of making cotton candy laced with ant poison (unintentionally, it seems), says he'll no longer make the sticky stuff. [TU]
Troy is considering parking meters for downtown. [Troy Record]
A one dollar surcharge has been approved for taxi rides from the airport -- if gas prices drop below $3.25, the surcharge goes away. [TU]
Saratoga Springs city council meetings are going paperless. The agenda and associated documents will be available to council members on laptops. The city's commissioner of accounts says city hall used 475 cubic feet of paper last year. [Saratogian]
A class of clowns graduated from HVCC yesterday.
Big Fuller Road makeover planned, local Derby bettors tripped up, Albany Med prize awarded, bad cotton candy
A plan to completely reconstruct Fuller Road in Albany includes three roundabouts, medians, bike lanes and the possibility of moving the intersection with Washington Ave north to provide more room for Albany NanoTech. [TU]
Bettors at Capital Region OTBs had a little trouble getting into the gate before the Kentucky Derby. A computer glitch an hour before post time kept people from placing bets on race. Capital OTB says the hiccup wasn't its fault. It looks like about $500,000 less was bet this year on the race than last year, possibly because of the hold-up. [Daily Gazette]
The Albany Medical Center Prize went to UCSF's Elizabeth Blackburn and Yale's Joan Steitz this year for their work on RNA. They're the first two women to win the award, which is $500,000 -- the largest cash prize for medicine in the country. [Daily Gazette]
An Albany County legislator is proposing that sex offenders be prevented from staying in the same emergency shelters as everyone else. [TU]
The Fort Orange Club wants to knock down a couple of office buildings on Washington Avenue so it can build a parking lot. It seems people in the neighborhood aren't too happy about that. [TU]
The City of Saratoga Springs is holding a class to teach people how to "grieve" their property tax assessments. [Saratogian]
You know what's a bad flavor for cotton candy? Ant poison. [CapNews9]
Governor seeing all sorts of red (ink), bids for Troy City Hall not so hot, home foreclosures up, brewery hopped up
David Paterson says the state is facing $20 billion in budget shortfalls over the next three years. As part of a plan to address the gaps, he's recommending that many local governments be consolidated. [TU]
Only two proposals were submitted to buy Troy City Hall -- and Harry Tutunjian isn't happy about it. The mayor says he's upset that the developer with whom he'd arranged the city hall for Verizon building swap didn't even submit a bid. That developer did send along a letter saying the fighting between Tutunjian and the city council over the plan made it "unwise" to pursue the project. [TU] [Troy Record]
The was a big jump in local home foreclosures during the first quarter of 2008. [Daily Gazette]
Decks of cards with the faces and profiles of missing persons are being given out in jails all over the state. The hope is the cards will generate leads on the cases. [CapNews9]
The main branch of the Schenectady County library system will be closed for a year-and-a-half for renovations. [Daily Gazette]
The City of Saratoga Springs is looking to build on a park on the shore of Saratoga Lake. [Saratogian]
Olde Saratoga Brewing Co. is expanding its capacity. In addition to producing its own beers, it also brews for other labels -- and it seems people can't get enough He'brew. [TU]
New research center for Troy, vendettas in Schenectady, McNulty's regret, make that McDonald's a double
The state is putting up $10 million to help build a Hudson River research station in Troy. The project is part of a larger effort to monitor, model and forecast changes in the river. [Daily Gazette]
Schenectady's public safety commissioner says "personal vendettas" are behind the recent surge in gun violence there. He also said that recent reinforcements from the state police seem to be helping to calm the situation. [Daily Gazette] [CBS6]
Mike McNulty said yesterday that his vote in favor of authorizing the war in Iraq is one of his biggest regrets from his 20 years in Congress. He added that continuing the US's current policy in Iraq is "morally indefensible." [Daily Gazette]
People in Waterford are upset about a plan to have the town continue to draw its drinking water from the Hudson during the early stages of the dredging project. The town's supervisor says if the EPA doesn't listen, residents may have to "shut down" the agency's office in Hudson Falls for a few days. [TU]
Parents in Albany waited overnight in a park so they could be assured of getting a spot in the district's foreign language immersion program. [TU]
The Saratoga Springs planning board has told the owner of the McDonald's on South Broadway that the restaurant's new building should look more like a Big Mac than a regular cheeseburger. [TU]