All Over Albany

This week was brought to you by

2012-05-26T00:10:00Z

]]> The Whole Hog -- winner of the AOA Burger Lab -- coming this fall to the menu at Central Steak.

]]> This week was brought to you by childhood rediscovered, pretty peonies, the not-so-much-a-bagel and The Whole Hog.

And, of course, by the advertisers below. They make AOA possible, so please, check them out when you can. If you want to reach the AOA crowd with your advertising message we can make it simple and affordable. Just email us advertising@alloveralbany.com and we'll give you details.

Food and Drink

+Central Steak host of the AOA Burger Lab. Check out the new harvest burger,noodle bowl and other fun stuff on the spring menu.

+ The patio is open at The Wine Bar and Bistro on Lark. And Albany Gastropub is now serving Sunday brunch. So what are you doing this Sunday morning?

+Delmar Farmers Market runs Saturdays, June through December 9AM-1PM, at the Bethlehem Middle School. Great food and friends. It's all there.

+The new spring menu is out at Taste. Sample it with a three course prix fixe dinner for $27. A new dinner every week.

+The folks at City Beer Hall put on a fantastic party for AOA. It's a fun place to hang out and you'll love the food. Need to work or surf the internet over lunch? The WiFi works really well. Oh, and two more words: Mechanical. Bull.

+ Our Daily Eats -- serving up fresh basil pesto, roasted nuts and seeds. They also have four granolas. Available at the Delmar Farmers Market, Schenectady Greenmarket and the Empire State Plaza Wednesday Farmers Market. Local retailers are listed on their website.

+ Capital Wine on State and Lark in Albany. They've got tastings every Friday night, so stop by on your way out to dinner. And they've got great tips on wine and food pairings.

+ Stop in at The Point for dinner on in the "Don Draper Room."

+ There are lots of great seasonal flavors waiting for you at Honest Weight Food Coop.

Stuff to do

+The Saratoga Performing Arts Center, opening its classical season on Thursday, June 7th with a performance by the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane modern dance company.

+Live Nation Presents Florence + The Machine at SPAC on September 16th.

+The Arts Center of the Capital Region is offering all kinds of interesting classes from art to cooking. Check them out and learn something new.

+The Albany Aquaducks and Trolleys are open for the season with fun spring break tours for the kids all week.

+Mop & Bucket Company makes up great improv comedy every Friday night underground at Proctors. They're also available for parties and private events. Check them out at MopCo.org.

+ God of Carnage closes this weekend at Capital Rep .

Stuff to learn

+You can get an MBA in 22 months and keep your current job at UAlbany's Weekend MBA Program.

Helpful stuff

+It's getting warm out -- Crisafulli Brothers Plumbing, Heating and Cooling can install or service your central air. Check out their online specials.

+ Recenter Square is ready to help you jump start your new year's resolution right now. They've got personal trainers, classes and there's off street parking.

+ Sunmark Federal Credit Union is celebrating its 75th birthday! Check out their website to see how to put more money in your pocket.

+ Best Cleaners will pick up and deliver your dry cleaning to your home or office at no extra charge.

Stuff to live in

17 Chapel Boutique Condominiums in downtown Albany still has a few condos available. This weekend you can tour three beautifully decorated 17 Chapel condos as part of the Vanguard showhouse tour.

Stuff to Try

+ Get $250 off your 2011 website design and development from Brayton Graphics when you mention you came from AOA!

+ Get a FREE MONTH of Wink High Speed Internet Service from Tech Valley Communications. Enter this code when you sign up for service at: www.winkinternet.com: w1n87k0

Stuff to do this weekend

2012-05-25T14:00:00Z

The Kooks don't have the holiday weekend off -- they'll be at Upstate Concert Hall.

]]> This weekend marks the unofficial start of summer and there are plenty of ways to unofficially celebrate.

After the jump, a few things we thought you might want to know about. Got other plans? Share, please.

And no matter what you're up to, have a fabulous Memorial Day weekend.

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TU editor alleges wife's business targeted because of coverage, Soares censured by state court, 74 State remaining open through foreclosure, big semiconductor conference in Saratoga

2012-05-25T12:53:52Z

Times Union investigations editor Bob Port alleges that a spa owned by his wife was targeted by local law enforcement in "a carefully planned plot to retaliate against me and my newspaper and my reporters for many stories we have done in recent years about the Albany police and the sheriff's office drug enforcement unit." The Times Union reports that the spa was the subject of an undercover investigation that resulted in an arrest of a woman (not Port's wife) working at the spa for alleged prostitution. [NYT] [TU]

Albany County DA has been censured by a state appeals court for comments he made about an Albany judge as part of the high profile prosecution of an alleged steroids ring in 2010. Soares called the words he used about the judge's decision "regrettable." [TU] [Daily Gazette] [State of Politics]

The proposed Albany convention center project is apparently still kicking -- the Albany Convention Center Authority recently acquired another parcel. [TU]

Andrew Cuomo in a speech before the Democratic State Committee: ""At the end of the day, after 18 months, people believe in state government once again. ... That is everything, and that is everything for us politically." [TU]

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Sunmark Startup Grant 2012 winner

2012-05-24T21:30:20Z

The finalists.

]]> The three finalists in this year's AOA/Sunmark Startup Grant competition made their presentations to our panel of judges this week at the Albany Colonie Chamber of Commerce.

They all did well -- but there can only be one winner...

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The Troy > Albany Tour

2012-05-24T18:45:00Z

Is Troy greater than Albany? We shall see.

]]> Trojans are always going on about why their city is so great: history, architecture, a walkable downtown, and on and on.

Well, on June 20 we're giving Troy a chance to back it all up.

AOA has organized a tour of the Collar City led by its fierce advocate, Duncan Crary.

Heckling Duncan on behalf of Albany: Maeve McEneny.

And all this will happen on an Albany Aqua Duck. With snacks.

Here's how to come along...

The Troy > Albany Tour is sponsored by Brown's Brewing, the Arts Center of the Capital Region, Bacchus Wood Fired Pizza, and the Olde English Pub and Pantry.

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Craig and his wonderful list

2012-05-24T16:00:00Z

The good thing about Craigslist: It's a window into our fellow community members' wants, needs and aspirations. The bad thing about Craigslist: It's a window into our fellow community members' wants, needs and aspirations.

Good or bad, we'll let you decide...

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BusPlus realtime app

2012-05-24T15:40:53Z

CDTA says its mobile app for BusPlus now includes realtime information about bus arrivals. The app pulls the location info from CDTA's BusTime, which uses GPS to track BusPlus buses are at moment to moment. (At least, it should -- we couldn't get that feature to work this morning.) We'd love to eventually see this feature for regular bus routes, too.

Barberville Falls closed for summer

2012-05-24T14:30:00Z

]]> Beautiful. And for this summer, closed to the public.

]]> The Nature Conservancy is closing public access to the Barberville Falls in Rensselaer County this summer because it says people aren't following the rules there. From the org's press release:

Despite effort to prohibit swimming and other activities not allowed at the preserve, misuse of the preserve and disrespect for the preserve neighbors continues to be a problem.

"The decision to close the preserve, especially during the summer months, is a difficult one," said Rick Werwaiss, executive director, The Nature Conservancy Eastern New York Chapter. "In past years, the Conservancy has hired a security force, utilized volunteers, and had staff on site to patrol the preserve. Despite our efforts to discourage and control the misuse of the property, the problem has persisted and we feel closure is the only option currently available to us."

Closing the preserve will give the police the ability to strictly and consistently enforce the recurring issues of trespass, disturbing the peace, littering, swimming and climbing on the falls, and alcohol consumption.

The Nature Conservancy owns one side of the falls -- the other side is owned by a private homeowner. And as we found out when writing about the falls a few summers back, the homeowner is very serious about people not cutting across their property to reach the falls. That's understandable -- we wouldn't want hordes of people walking through our backyard all summer, either.

The conservancy says access to the falls will be closed from Memorial Day until Labor Day.

The whole situation is unfortunate. It really is a beautiful spot.

Earlier on AOA: Capital Region waterfall walks

photo: Sebastien Barre

Alleged Ballston Spa bank robber nabbed after car crash, APD officers cleared in February shooting, AC Dems won't endorse candidate to replace McEneny, Spa City parade back on

2012-05-24T13:30:00Z

A Ballston Spa man is facing a second degree robbery charge after allegedly robbing a branch of the Adirondack Trust Company. Nigel Guy was arrested after crashing his car in a getaway attempt. Ballston Spa Central School District schools went into lockdown mode during the attempt to apprehend Guy. [WNYT] [TU] [Saratogian]

Lincoln Elementary School in Schenectady went on lockdown for a short time Wednesday after shots were fired nearby. Police are investigating where the shots came from.[News 10] [TU]

Albany County Democrats decided last night not to endorse any of the candidates bidding for Jack McEneny's Assembly seat. Frank Commisso dropped out of the race earlier this week, but his son, Frank Commisso Jr is apparently considering a run and three more Democrats are officially in the race and another is expected to enter the race soon [WNYT] [TU]

Police say they're close to making an arrest in the shooting of a 15-year-old girl in Troy this week. City councilman Mark McGrath has ask the Mayor and the Troy P.D. to reinstate the city's Street Crimes unit. Troy police do say they're stepping up patrols in the city after the shooting. [WNYT] [Record] [News 10]

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How to move a piano?

2012-05-23T20:15:00Z

Having successfully submitted his property tax assessment grievance with your help, Sean is back for more:

My wife and I just moved, but the one item that we couldn't manage was our piano. We're not related to any football players or bodybuilders, and there are more than one flight of stairs to contend with, so none of our moving posse felt comfortable taking on this challenge. So, that leaves us searching for an alternative solution. Do you or your readers have any tips for not only getting this thing out of our former residence, but into our new one as well?

Are there still piano moving services? Or any advice for Sean (aside from lift with your legs)?

Please share!

photo: Flickr user readephotography (Jimmy and Sasha Reade)

"The Maple Avenue Mind-Set"

2012-05-23T19:40:09Z

The bizarre drama over whether a kid should be able to ride his bike to Maple Ave Middle School in Saratoga is rehashed in a recent issue of Bicycling magazine. The long article by David Darlington -- "Why Johnny Can't Ride" -- details the many turns in the story, but also argues it's part of a broader context involving health, urban planning, and helicopter parenting:

Schoolwise, this might be referred to as the Maple Avenue Mind-Set: passive acceptance of a status quo that promotes not only pollution and disease but also the lesson that children (who grow up to be citizens--and parents) are helpless. Amid this grand civic failure, the chief cause for encouragement comes from individuals who refuse to give in: the Marinos, Olsons, Skenazys, and Robinsons who prioritize fresh air and exploration and exercise, the powers-that-be be damned.

In a twist we wouldn't have guessed, the Shen school district and its superintendent -- Oliver Robinson -- are held up as an example of a more bike-friendly district.

(Thanks, Jess)

photo: Nathaniel Welch / Bicycling

Pug Ball VIII

2012-05-23T17:45:00Z

]]> Little devil.

]]> The annual Pug Parade and Costume Ball is coming up June 2. It's pretty much what it sounds like: a bunch of pugs parading about. In costume.

The event is organized by the Albany Capital District Pug Lovers Group and is a benefit for the Mohawk & Hudson River Humane Society and the Green Mountain Pug Rescue org.

We attended the Pug Ball a few years back -- it was a lot of fun. Pugs are sort of inherently funny dogs. Many of them appeared to actually enjoy parading about in costume. (Or, at least, they didn't feel like it was crushing their will to live, as some dogs have claimed.) There seemed to be a lot of happy people and dogs.

Of course, if you're a strict no-costumes-on-dogs person, this event is not for you. Because the costumed pugs will have you surrounded and outnumbered. Snort.

The Pug Ball runs from noon-4 pm on June 2 (a Saturday) at the main pavilion in Colonie's Cook Park. The pug parade is at 2 pm.

After going to Hell and back...

2012-05-23T17:15:00Z

Steve notes that the Cambridge Hotel in Washington County -- which got a makeover earlier this year for an episode of the Gordon Ramsay series Hotel Hell (the ep hasn't aired yet) -- is being foreclosed on by its bank, and scheduled for auction. [Table Hopping] [Cambridge Hotel FB] [Post-Star] By the way: Pie a la mode is said to have been invented at the Cambridge Hotel in the 1890s

What's up in the Neighborhood

2012-05-23T16:25:17Z

From Sebastien's recent trip to The Gunks.

]]> Among the topics in this most recent spin around the Capital Region's online neighborhood: moving to Albany, bike commuting, the 1880s, the Frear Building, magnifique with a side of sacrebleu, the escarpment, moths, lobster, sliders, cheating, downtown Saratoga, running uphill, and a remembrance.

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Proposed New York legislation aims to crack down on anonymous online comments

2012-05-23T14:45:12Z

Members of both the state Senate and Assembly are pushing legislation that aims to crack down on cyberbullying and other online nastiness by requiring a commenter's actual name and contact info be associated with a comment.

From the text of the "Internet Protection Act":

"A web site administrator upon request shall remove any comments posted on his or her web site by an anonymous poster unless such anonymous poster agrees to attach his or her name to the post and confirms that his or her IP address, legal name, and home address are accurate. All web site administrators shall have a contact number or e-mail address posted for such removal requests, clearly visible in any sections where comments are posted."

The bill's Senate sponsor -- Tom O'Mara, a Republican from the southern tier -- has framed the bill as anti-cyberbullying measure: "Victims of anonymous cyberbullies need protection. We're hopeful that this legislation can be helpful to the overall effort to deter and prevent anonymous criminals from hiding behind modern technology and using the Internet to bully, defame and harass their victims." [NY Senate]

But other sponsors also see the legislation as a way to crack down on anonymous criticism of businesses and politicians.

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