Notes from around town

 Downtown Troy is starting to experience a rebirth.

In recent weeks, we've seen the Denim Library open in the former First Class Laundromat space. Troy Rewind gives the city its first video arcade since the 80's. Another cannabis dispensary has opened on Hoosick Street, next to the St. Mary's Massry Center. Really cheeky move there.

But, at the same time, citizens are increasingly angry over the Flock cameras installed in the city, with allegations that the information gathered is being shared with the federal government, which seems to be the point of the exercise in the first place.

However, overnight, someone decided that a little graffiti was in order at the Hedley building, current home of City Hall.

Photo courtesy Albany Times-Union.

Now, a number of other businesses, and some vacant storefronts, have been tagged in recent months, but when the graffiti reaches City Hall, well, it's only then that the police, at the request of Mayor Carmella Mantello, are looking into the tagging, because part of it, as you can see, can be interpreted as a personal attack on the Mayor.

Some will argue that the graffiti undermines citizen groups looking for peaceful solutions. The frustration is setting in, it's clear. We know the Mantello administration is emulating the idiot squad in Washington, and it's not a good idea. The Mayor is fishing for brownie points from the White House. Not only that, but recent photos suggest that the Mayor is growing old before her time, as she seems to have aged 10 years in the last 16+ months.

Schools throughout the 518 will be closed for the Memorial Day holiday starting tomorrow, with classes resuming Wednesday instead of Tuesday. It's a recent trend, similar to starting Easter break on Good Friday, for example. Things my generation didn't have back in the day.

After exhausting their supply of last year's baseball cards, Hatchet Ace Hardware on 3rd Street is trumpeting the fact they're carrying Pokemon cards, which can be found behind the counter to dissuade shoplifters. If they do get any of this year's baseball cards, they'll also go behind the counter, mostly to keep the greedy scalpers away.

And that would be a welcome idea.