All Over Albany
Albany, NY
http://alloveralbany.com/archive/2009/08/14/jennings-and-ellis-spar-over-vacant-buildings-stat
Jerry Jennings and mayoral candidate Corey Ellis went back and forth yesterday over vacant buildings and the city’s plan to paint boarded up windows to look like real windows. At a press conference on Henry Johnson, Jennings said the painted boards will help deter crime. At his own presser nearby, Ellis said “There’s not enough paint in this city to solve these problems.” [TU] [WNYT] [CitizenAction YouTube via PolitickerNY]
A former state Senate employee has alleged that David Paterson was having an affair with a staffer while he was lieutenant governor. That prompted a lawyer for the alleged mistress to call the former staffer “a lying weasel.” [NYT]
The state Senate is paying $1.5 million on a lease for empty office space near the Capitol. [TU]
The Schenectady Free Health Clinic is on the verge of closing after its state funding didn’t get renewed. [TU]
Saratoga public safety commissioner — and mayoral candidate — Ron Kim says the Saratogian has been too lax in allowing what he calls racist comments to be posted on its web site. (Kim is part Korean and apparently some of the comments make references to him being like Kim Jong Il). The Saratogian says Kim didn’t report the offensive comments to the paper. [TU] [Saratogian]
Contrary to some reports, Joe Bruno’s corpse has not been propped up and paraded around Saratoga Weekend at Bernie’s-style. [Daily Politics]
The Albany County legislature has passed a law requiring sports facilities — such as indoor soccer complexes — to have portable defibrillators. [TU]
The Bridge Ave Bridge in Cohoes is closing today so that the bridge can be rebuilt. The project is expected to take a year. [TU] [Troy Record]
New York State has a shortage of large-animal veterinarians. [TU]
The Shen schools superintendent has turned down his scheduled raise this year. [Daily Gazette $]
A martial arts studio that offers self-defense classes and a gun store that sells pepper spray — both in Colonie — report that business has surged. [CBS6]
A used car dealership in Rensselaer County says 37 catalytic converters were ripped off from vehicles recently — a $50,000 loss for the business. Catalytic converters are often targeted by thieves because the emission control devices contain platinum. [Troy Record] [Fox23] [Wired]
The King Fuels smokestack in Troy is scheduled to come down today. [Troy Record]
There are public bathrooms in Saratoga’s Congress Park now. [Saratogian]
Saratoga socialite Michele Riggi is hoping to help fund the construction of a 24-hour pet hospital by selling a book about her 30 tiny dogs. [Saratogian]
