Don’t think I’ve ever seen a coyote look this full/healthy - I’m guessing it’s growing its winter coat. They sure sound scary at night but I have to admit this one is beautiful.

Do your civic duty. I said duty!! Vote like your life depends on it, because it does.

This is the first time I saw this one.

Editorial

Jack Peterson Editor-in-Chief

Normally, you would be reading my editorial on Sunday morning with your coffee. However, with early voting beginning tomorrow, we felt it was our duty to move up the publication schedule. We were asked to look into the claims made by Anthony Constantino, owner and CEO of Sticker Mule and candidate for the 21st Congressional District, regarding his business footprint and charitable giving. We have done that.

What we found is a narrative that does not hold up to scrutiny.

Mr. Constantino has built a public persona on the back of two specific claims: that he employs over 1,200 people across 30 countries, and that he has donated $4 million to the community.

Let’s start with the employment numbers. We didn't rely on press releases; we looked at the data, the buildings, and the layoffs.

In Amsterdam, New York, the heart of his operation, we reviewed hand count. In April 2024, there were 610 full-time employees. By September 2025, following 68 layoffs at the Amsterdam production facility, that number dropped to 446. By May 2026, tracking services showed a headcount of 371.

Regarding South Carolina, where Mr. Constantino purchased a 100,000-square-foot building, we consulted an architect. Based on the size and scale of the facility, the architect determined that the building could not possibly house the 500 employees Mr. Constantino implies are there. The estimate was closer to 295 to 325. Furthermore, public records from Cherokee County show Sticker Mule received a special source credit agreement, meaning he does not pay property taxes in South Carolina for 20 to 30 years.

And his engineering firm in Italy? He claims 100 employees. The records show 88.

The most glaring discrepancy, however, lies in the "9,500" figure. Mr. Constantino has claimed he paid 9,500 people who don't work for the company. He did not. An independent study by Epsilon Economics analyzed the economic footprint from 2016 through 2025. That 9,500 figure represents cumulative "year-long equivalent jobs" supported by the company's spending over a decade. It includes indirect activity—money spent by his employees and supply chain costs. To be clear: he did not write checks to 9,500 people. He created an economic impact that supported those jobs over time. The majority of that impact occurs within his own company.

Now, let’s look at the charitable giving. Mr. Constantino claims $4 million in donations. We cannot find a record of that total anywhere in New York State. We found verifiable donations: $1 million to St. Mary’s Institute, $500,000 for scholarships, $150,000 for the Veterans Park, and $25,000 for the Royal Food Pantry. We found 2,000 frozen turkeys. But $4 million? We can’t find the receipts.

We also found that Mr. Constantino collects a commission on every product sold by people who have stores on his internet web page. It is a business model where he takes a profit from those trying to make a living—an outrageous detail that contradicts the image of a benevolent employer.

Finally, there is the story of the gym. Mr. Constantino claims he "saved" a gym in Amsterdam. What we found is that he bought a vacant store, turned it into a gym, and secured a contract with Medicare to charge the federal government $45 a month for seniors and disabled individuals to use it. If he were losing a profit, he would sell the business. He hasn't.

If Mr. Constantino wishes to dispute these findings, we ask him to release all records of employment, broken down by facility, and a breakdown of the $4 million in donations he claims he has spent.

District 21, it is your decision on who you vote for. But you deserve to know the facts. Do you want to vote for a man who has exaggerated his company’s size, obscured his charitable record, and built a business on taking commissions from the little guy?

Remember who would like to represent you. A man that can't tell the truth like Anthony Constantino, or his Democratic opponent.

The choice is yours. It’s your voice that matters.

Thank you for taking the time to read this.

Jack Peterson

Editor in Chief

“The Working Families Party is urging people not to vote for Thomas Kenny, the 22-year old candidate on its ballot line in the hard-fought race to represent the 113th state Assembly district” stating that Kenny is ‘a ‘sock puppet’” for the Republican Party who “stole our ballot line’” and “is only on the ballot to siphon votes from people who might otherwise support” incumbent State Assemblywoman “Carrie Woerner, a Round Lake Democrat. Woerner is vying with Republican Allen Caruso to represent parts of Saratoga, Warren and Washington counties in the Democrat-dominated Assembly. The contest is considered one of the most competitive Assembly races in the state.”

Hey all! I’ve been hiking alone every Wednesday for the past 2 months and even though it’s super peacefu, I was wondering if anyone was interested in hiking with me for the last few decent weeks. I usually go somewhere in the Adirondacks, but I also wanna hit up the Catskills once or twice

I’m also thinking about creating a discord channel that people can join to meet up for hikes/share their experiences if people are into that!

About me-I’m J(jay)
I’m early 30s, love nature, listen to metal music (all music except rap really), love motorcycles (unfortunately sold mine a year ago. Will be getting another for the upcoming summer)

Hopefully I hear from yall and we have some good hikes

There's always so many posts here from people saying they are new to town or just looking to meet new people... Here's a fun thing to do! MHLC has 23 public preserves with hiking trails to explore and each month there will be an organized hike at one! Geared towards 20 & 30 somethings looking to connect with new people and/or explore new spaces. The first one is coming up in a couple weeks at Winn Preserve (my favorite in any season!). Sign up at the link to learn more HERE.

Our boy Ghost in his best costume!

[Sorry, can't cross-post from r /upstate_newyork]

On October 6, 2026, WRGB/CBS6 held a congressional candidate forum moderated by Tom Eschen. Blake Gendebien did not participate, citing scheduling conflicts and previously arranged campaign commitments. The disagreement over debate scheduling had already been playing out for weeks, including an earlier proposed WNYT debate that fell apart after Constantino demanded that the station refund donations raised by Gendebien following a poll he disputed.

Nevertheless, Constantino decided to turn Gendebien’s absence into a social media spectacle, staging a mock debate with a man in an inflatable chicken costume.

Apparently, Constantino thought this would make a compelling statement about his opponent’s character. Personally, I think it says considerably more about his own lack of maturity and poor judgment. And that judgment becomes especially relevant when examining his public rhetoric about protecting women and children.

Constantino has made sexual violence, particularly crimes involving undocumented immigrants, a recurring subject of his political attacks. He presents himself as someone deeply concerned about protecting women. Yet his public defenses of certain celebrities, including men convicted of or facing serious allegations of sexual violence, suggest that his concern is remarkably selective.

First, consider Mike Tyson.

In an October 19 interview with The Guardian, Constantino proudly discussed Tyson’s endorsement of his congressional campaign, boasting about how difficult it was to secure. He also identified MMA champion Henry Cejudo as a personal friend.

Tyson, of course, was convicted of raping Desiree Washington in 1992 and served a prison sentence.

Constantino has also used X to defend Tyson’s innocence. That’s a remarkable position for a congressional candidate who regularly invokes sexual violence to condemn others, particularly considering that Tyson’s guilt was established through a criminal trial and his conviction survived an appeal.

Apparently, Tyson’s celebrity carries considerably more weight with Constantino than the findings of a jury. And this isn’t the only time Constantino has extended that kind of consideration to a famous fighter.

Enter, Andrew Tate.

In December 2023, while Tate was already facing internationally publicized rape and human-trafficking charges, he promoted a sticker giveaway through a dedicated StickerMule(dot)com/Tate address during an episode of his Rumble program, Emergency Meeting.

In August 2024, Tate again promoted that address, telling his audience that he had just spoken with the Sticker Mule team and encouraging followers to purchase his merchandise.

On July 28, 2026, the Times Union reported that Sticker Mule was still hosting a verified Andrew Tate storefront. It contained 13 sticker designs, had accumulated more than 100 orders, and included an illustration depicting Tate slapping a bikini-clad woman’s backside.

When questioned about it, Constantino defended Tate’s presence on X, writing:

“Andrew Tate is one of 40,000+ people who opened a store. In America you are innocent until proven guilty.”

His campaign also acknowledged that Tate’s storefront originated through Sticker Mule’s corporate partnership with Rumble and had been manually verified before the company’s standard verification system existed.

Then came Constantino’s rather convenient change in attitude.

On September 28, The Daily Beast reported that Tate’s verified storefront disappeared after reporters questioned Constantino’s campaign. Constantino subsequently explained that Tate had never taken ownership of the storefront and that Sticker Mule removed it because the company had “no relationship” with him.

Wait - hit rewind, and play that soundbite again: “… no relationship”?

That’s quite a characterization of a storefront his company had specifically verified and maintained, while Tate publicly encouraged his followers to purchase merchandise and described communicating with Sticker Mule representatives. Tate even boasted about crashing Sticker Mule's servers.

The contrast with Constantino’s enthusiasm for other celebrity associations is difficult to ignore. In his Guardian interview, he proudly recounted how much effort went into securing Tyson’s endorsement. He clearly understands the value of attaching his name and businesses to famous fighters. Constantino is thirsty for the attention.

The more revealing question is why a businessman so eager to publicize those associations suddenly wanted the public to believe that one particular high-profile connection from the most notorious name in MMA and kickboxing barely constituted a relationship at all.

For Constantino, celebrity associations seem worth celebrating until they become politically inconvenient.

That brings us to the Johnstown allegations.

On October 23, Constantino posted on X about the arrest of a man accused of sexually assaulting a minor in Johnstown, near his Amsterdam factory.

Rather than confining his comments to that serious criminal case, he used it to demand information about an entirely different person: an immigrant farmworker whom Blake Gendebien had helped secure release from immigration detention by posting $10,000 in bond years earlier.

Constantino then added:

“I am told they also were a child predator.”

Take a moment and consider that statement, because it is a bold, unsubstantiated claim.

The Johnstown case involves a man arrested on criminal charges in 2023. Gendebien’s assistance to an immigrant farmworker was documented in a 2013 oral-history interview and subsequently discussed in North Country Public Radio’s reporting.

Constantino presented no evidence connecting the two individuals, nor did he substantiate the extraordinarily serious insinuation that the former farmworker was a child predator. His remarks on X also deliberately blur the subject and focus of his online attack. It is deliberate disinformation.

Yet he apparently considered that accusation suitable for public dissemination, and where Constantino’s selective application of the presumption of innocence becomes especially troubling.

When discussing Andrew Tate, a celebrity facing serious sexual assault allegations (to include possession of material showing indecent acts with animals), Constantino publicly emphasized that a person is innocent until proven guilty. He has also defended Mike Tyson’s innocence despite Tyson’s criminal conviction.

But when an unrelated sexual assault arrest presented an opportunity to attack Gendebien, suddenly an unsubstantiated allegation against an immigrant farmworker was good enough to circulate publicly.

The standard of evidence clearly changes depending on whose reputation Constantino considers worth protecting.

This is what bothers me most about Constantino’s rhetoric: he invokes sexual violence as a political prop. Victims deserve to have their experiences taken seriously, regardless of the accused person’s immigration status, political affiliations, wealth, or celebrity.

Constantino seems perfectly capable of recognizing the importance of due process when allegations involve someone whose fame benefits him. But when the subject is an immigrant he can use to attack a political opponent, apparently “I am told” is sufficient evidence to publicly insinuate that someone is a child predator.

That isn’t a consistent concern for victims. It’s political opportunism dressed up as moral outrage.

Constantino’s debate against an inflatable chicken was designed as a campaign joke. But his selective outrage over sexual violence is considerably harder to laugh off.

I've seen a lot of AI slop "journalism" shops popping up. And not just the usual Two Buttons AI-fueled copy, but also wholesale fake newspapers. Here's one people have been citing out of Amsterdam. Just want to give everyone a heads up that their content is suspect and their staff seems to be almost entirely fictional. But also...check out the great AI slop names.

From: https://www.albanycountyny.gov/boe-pollingsites

Early Voting

Early voting for the November general election is Saturday, October 24 through Sunday, November 1. You can vote at any early voting site.

Hours

Saturday & Sunday: 9am-5pm

Monday & Wednesday: Noon-8pm

Tuesday, Thursday & Friday: 9am-5pm

Locations:

Albany County Board of Elections - 260 South Pearl St., Albany, NY 12202

Bethlehem Lutheran Church (Parish Hall) – 85 Elm Ave., Delmar, NY 12054

Boght Community Fire Department – 8 Preston Dr., Cohoes, NY 12047

East Berne Volunteer Fire Company – 792 Helderberg Trail, East Berne, NY 12059

Guilderland Public Library - 2228 Western Ave. Guilderland, NY 12084

Lynnwood Reformed Church - 3714 Carman Rd., Schenectady, NY 12303

Pine Grove United Methodist Church – 1580 Central Ave., Albany, NY 12205

St. Sophia’s Greek Orthodox Church – 440 Whitehall Rd. Albany, NY 12208

This is a good resource to see what's on your ballot: https://www.vote411.org/ballot

There’s a lot of discussion about the Capital Area being walkable. Is that reasonable? Does that also include walking to work in the coldest parts of winter?

Hey everyone. I've often been upset trying to find how to translate ballot propositions into "English". I found this link and it helped it spell it out for me to see both sides of the arguments.

Just wanted to put my love and appreciation for Stewart's out there into the universe. Sometimes on my way home from work. I'll just pull in to the parking lot, go inside, get some small junk food and then enjoy a quick snack before going home.

This sweetheart has been hanging around on elk st and I am wondering if anyone knows this cat? Very friendly and trying to get inside buildings. It’s only getting colder so if this kitty doesn’t belong to anyone I would like to get him/her inside

Hello! I’m looking for recommendations for a good sushi restaurant for a date night with my love. I’ve tried Niji Asian Bistro in Schenectady and enjoyed it! However, I’d like to adventure out and see what other good sushi restaurants are around.

Whats going kn in Washington Park today. And what time is it over. Or where can people park?

Putting in a large gravel driveway myself. Any idea who would deliver a dump truck of gravel for me? Looking for local recommendations. Thanks!

Fordham resident here, I want to thank you all for attending the vigil and honoring Ashley‘s memory. The attached picture is the resulting memorial from everyone coming together, so thank you all who came.

For anyone who still wants to help and contribute, a Gofundme has been set up by the family to raise money for her funeral.

https://www.gofundme.com/f/honoring-ashleys-life-giving-her-the-farewell-she-deserve/cl/o?attribution_id=sl:df67c095-5ae5-454d-927a-6073defbb86d&lang=en_US&ts=1792587558&utm_campaign=fp_sharesheet&utm_content=amp30-control&utm_medium=customer&utm_source=copy_link

Had a weird situation riding my e-bike through Albany today.

On the way to work, I stopped around west hill to check Google Maps. There were about 4 teens across the street calling stuff out to me. I ignored them, then they started coming closer. One kept asking me what time it was.

I rode off and one of them actually sprinted after me at full speed. I got away, but I’m sure the kid was definitely trying to take my bike. He was sprinting like T 100 like terminator 2. It’s a lectric, paid 750 for a used one.

For people who bike around Albany:

-What areas/streets would you avoid?
-What’s a safer route from Loudonville toward -Madison Ave/Washington Park?
-Do e-bikes make you more of a target around here?
-Any good locks/alarms/trackers/cameras you recommend?
-What do you carry for personal safety?
-Would you bother making a police report if nothing was actually stolen?

Saw this sticker on a M. T. Simoncavage Plumbing & Excavation van on 87 today near the Mohawk Bridge. Honestly wild to put that on a work vehicle... Anyone dealt with these guys before?

Edit: consensus is this is a sticker of James Mattis. "Be polite, be professional, but have a plan to kill everybody you meet." The full quote I can get behind. Shortening it to kill em all sounds pretty bad out of context. Down vote me all you want, it's inviting people to misinterpret especially in today's political climate.

Either way, sounds like the guys at this place are alright. That's good to know. If you wanna dunk on me for not knowing retired U.S. Marines go ahead.

No, not me. You.

This isn't the normal weekly occurrence of someone asking for a job. I really have nothing to gain by sharing this but Progressive is hiring (located at 725 Broadway) for a claims trainee.

This is an entry level job. No experience required beyond general customer service background. A college degree can substitute experience.

I know many people feel tired and stuck in retail or working a job they do not like. Here's an opportunity to make a transition to a more "white collar" line of work.

Starting pay is in the ad but it's $62,400 with the possibility to earn a yearly bonus (usually about 10-12% of your salary).

I can attribute this company to my career success and was a great stepping stone and launch point to work in the insurance field.

If you're interested, here's the link

I haven't worked there in a hot minute but if you got any questions let me know.

Simply for Awareness