Are you planning on running your sprinkler every day or washing your car this month? If so, then the City of Saratoga Springs is asking you to reconsider.
The city is implementing voluntary water restrictions on outdoor watering due to increased strain on the water system, lower than average rain and inadequate rain forecasted in the future. The public works department said the restriction was a precautionary measure to decrease water usage.
Under the restrictions, residents are asked to only run water on landscaping every other day based on their house numbers — with odd numbered houses watering on odd numbered days and even numbered houses watering on even numbered days. For example, someone who lives at house number 201 would water on August 13, 15, 17, 19, etc. — while some at 210 would water on August 12, 14, 16, 18, etc.
In addition, the city is asking all residents not to water or wash cars between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. due to increased evaporation rates which the city says can represent a loss of 30%.
The Department of Public Works said the restrictions do not apply to handheld watering devices, however, they did ask residents to ensure water remains on lawns and gardens and not on paved areas.
“Help from residents to conserve water will go a long way to preserve the reservoir levels until it’s replenished with some heavy rainstorms,” Department of Public Works Commissioner Chuck Marshall said. “This is a precautionary measure to reduce the volume of water being used for landscape watering and we appreciate the public’s cooperation.”
According to the Department of Public Works, the city’s water treatment plant pumped 5.2 million gallons of water per day in June and 6.6 million gallons of water per day in July, an increase from the 4.3 million gallons of water per day averaged in 2024.
Saratoga Springs isn’t the first jurisdiction to implement voluntary water restrictions. The Town of Ballston implemented similar water restrictions on July 16, and the Town of Charlton implemented the measures on July 17. In addition, the Town of Moreau issued a water restriction order on Aug. 12 — although this notice was due to repairs to the water supply in Queensbury.
The voluntary water restrictions come at a time when Saratoga Springs has seen higher than average temperatures with steady or below average precipitation. According to the National Weather Service, June saw 4.41 inches of precipitation, compared to the average of 4.18 inches while July saw 3.91 inches compared to an average of 4.24 inches.
Meanwhile in terms of temperature, Saratoga Springs saw an average temperature of 71.4 degrees in June, compared to the average of 67.2 overall, and an average temperature of 77.3 — the highest average temperature for July on record — compared to the typical average of 71.8 degrees.
For the second week in a row, a haze fell over Saratoga County as wildfire smoke continued to penetrate the landscape.
On Aug 4 and 5 Federal and private monitors in the capitol region showed air quality index levels above 100 — making the air unsafe for sensitive groups — while some monitors in Saratoga County showed air quality levels above 150 — dangerous for all people.
With the continued downturn in air quality, Saratoga TODAY looked at what’s causing this problem and whether it will get worse.
What’s causing drops in air quality?
In the US, air quality drops have been associated with smoke coming from wildfires currently taking place in Canada. Smoke from fires over 1000 away from Saratoga has been travelling southeast, across the Midwest and into New York.
According to the latest situation report from the Canadian Interagency Forrest Fire Centre (CIFF), there are currently 737 active fires impacting the country. Of those, 504 are considered out of control with 199 receiving a full response and 305 receiving a monitored response.
Where are the fires taking place?
The fires are taking place largely beyond where most of the population of both Canada and the US would be directly impacted by the blazes. According to CIFF, most of the fires are taking place out west in the northern parts of Western Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia. There are also clusters of fires in Canada’s Northernmost territories of Yukon and Northwest Territories, as well as out east on the island of Newfoundland.
A map of the wildfires in Canada. Red dots indicate a fire that’s out of control and receiving a full response, purple indicates a fire that’s out of control but being monitored, yellow indicates a fire that’s been held to a specific area and blue indicates a fire that’s been contained and in the process of being extinguished ( Courtesy of CIFF)
While Canada is the second largest country in the world by landmass, most of it’s population is clustered in major cities such as Toronto and Montreal in the east and Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver in the west, according to population maps from statistics Canada.
As a result, most of the fires are taking place far away from population centers. While there have been multiple evacuation orders in the provinces impacted by the blazes, many of these are primarily in small rural communities.
Is this normal?
Across North America, wildfires are a natural phenomenon. In Canada specifically, the fires serve to help a forest recycle debris and prevent build up, according to Parks Canada.
Fire is also one of the ways forestry services deal with wildfire conditions. As part of many forest management plans, agencies will start fires in what are prescribed burns, according to the National Park Service. These fires reduce fuel build up and allow an area to go through its natural processes in a more controlled way. Fires are even used locally in Saratoga National Park to help keep the battlefield in similar condition to what it was during the battle 250 years ago.
While fires themselves may be natural, the current conditions aren’t. Since 1983, when data on wildfires was first collected and reported in Canada, there has been only two fire seasons worse than the one currently being experienced — 1994 and 2023.
These worsening fire conditions have been attributed to climate change. According to Natural Resources Canada, because the air is becoming warmer and drier, wildfire seasons have been getting longer and more intense. This can be seen in drought conditions which show much of Canada experiencing abnormally high levels of dryness — particularly in areas currently dealing with the fires.
Canada has also had to deal with “zombie fires” or fires that lay dormant beneath the permafrost and snow for months before sparking back up when conditions are ripe for fires, according to NOAA.
How does this compare to the US?
Despite sharing a long border and working together on many wildfire responses, there are some notable differences between how the US and Canada experience and deal with fires.
The first major difference is human settlement in fire prone areas. In the US, settlement in wildland areas has gone up by nearly 50% in the last 40 years, according to a study funded by the US Forest Service. This number equates to 32% all housing in the US being in the wildland areas as of 2020.
Meanwhile in Canada, according to data from the Canadian Journal of Forest Research, 12.1% of Canadians live in wildland areas with an estimated 17% of those being in wildfire prone areas.
Beyond just having a lower population in wildland areas, Canada also has fewer fires started by humans. In the US, an estimated 85% of fires are started due to human interaction — be it accidental or due to negligence, according to the US Forest Service. Canada meanwhile sees the majority of their fires sparked by lightning strikes. In 2023 — the worst fire season on record — 93% of fires were as a result of lightning strikes with the remaining 7% caused by humans according to a study by Canada’s natural resource department.
What’s the impact on Saratoga?
In light of the of these fires, the New York Department of Health has advised residents to keep an eye on air quality levels and consider moving events inside — especially for those in high-risk groups.
“Poor air quality can pose serious health risks — especially for those with heart conditions, lung diseases, such as asthma, young children, those over 65 years old and pregnant individuals,” New York State Health Commissioner Dr. James McDonald said “To reduce exposure, limit strenuous activity outdoors. We encourage all New Yorkers to visit airnow.gov for the latest air quality forecast and be on the lookout for Air Quality Health Advisories from the Department of Environmental Conservation and the Department of Health.”
A parking meter on the Putnam Street Parking Deck ( Thomas Dimopoulos)
Roads and parking were two of the main focuses of this week’s Saratoga Springs City Council meeting.
The council considered a bill that would suspend seasonal parking fees for two days and held it’s first hearing on a bill that would reduce the speed limit in the city from 30 to 25 mph.
These were just two of the items on the agenda for the city this week. Here is a rundown of major events and happenings from City Council.
Parking bill fails to pass.
A proposal to give residents and visitors two days of fee-free seasonal parking failed to gain traction in city council.
The bill was designed to promote economic activity and support businesses downtown. Under the bill, two days would be selected by the Commissioner of Public Works to have no fees on parking in city owned garages and surface lots.
Commissioner of Public Works, Chuck Marshall proposed the bill because he didn’t expect the paid parking program to reach its anticipated financial goals and he wanted to give two days back to the business community.
Marshall has consistently been opposed to the paid parking program and argued that since they’re not going to get their promised revenue from the program, then the program should be temporarily suspended to incentivize people to stay in the downtown area particularly after major events such as shows at SPAC or important races at the track.
When presented before City Council, the proposal met stiff opposition from other council members. Accounts Commissioner Dillon Moran argued that cutting off revenue was financially unsound while Public Safety Commissioner Tim Coll wanted a full year to review the program and its impact on the city.
Ultimately, these concerns won out as the measure failed to pass by a vote of 3-1 with Coll, Moran and Mayor John Safford opposing the measure and Marshall supporting it.
Residents voice opinions on proposed drop in speed limit.
A Proposal to reduce the city’s speed limit to 25 mph held it’s first public hearing this week. The measure has been proposed by Public Safety Commissioner Coll in order to make the streets of Saratoga Springs safer.
Before the public got a chance to speak, a presentation was made by Safe Streets outlining how reducing the speed limit would reduce traffic injuries without significantly increasing travel times. According to Safe Streets, accidents at 20 mph had a 90% survival rate while accidents at 40 mph had a 100% survival rate. At the same time, the mile time from 30 mph to 25 mph was only reduced by 24 seconds.
The proposed speed limit reduction had widespread support from members of the public. The first speaker, a young boy who said he rides his bike and walks around the city, argued that a slower speed limit would make the roads safer for kids like him. The boy received a round of applause from council members and audience members, and his views were echoed by other speakers.
Many argued that the speed limit had to be reduced and also urged more enforcement of the speed limits both new and current.
The ordinance is set to be voted upon on a later date as city council members wanted to ensure proper time for consideration.
Public hearing set to remove jail time for 39 offenses.
A public hearing has been set on a proposed ordinance that would remove jail time for 39 different municipal offenses.
The proposal, which is coming from the mayor’s office, comes at the urging of Assistant City Attorney Tony Izzo who said that in his 40 years working for the city, there has only been one instance where he can recall someone went to jail for violating city ordinances.
The Lemonade stand packed the streets as people of all ages came out to support the family of Ollie Seymore (Aidan Cahill)
A local group is working to help raise money for a family dealing with childhood leukemia — one glass of lemonade at a time.
On Aug. 2, the area outside the Ribbon café in Ballston Spa was closed to vehicle traffic as residents came together around a lemonade stand to raise money for the family of Oliver Seymore — known as Ollie.
The event was organized by Ballston Spa Sunshine Kids, a local group who puts together a yearly lemonade stand to benefit a local family dealing with illness. Co-organizer Patricia Stevenson said the group started as just two families in the Ballston Spa community looking to help others.
“Every year, we’re usually trying to find somebody that we can donate to,” Stevenson said “This year, Kate found his family along with the owner of the Ribbon Cafe, and he just wanted to be able to help. Obviously, childhood cancer is something that, not only is very difficult for the child but affects the whole family, affects the family’s ability to work, to be able to support their family.”
As for this year’s recipient, Stevenson said Ollie was diagnosed on the day after Christmas last year and has been battling the disease ever since.
During the May 2 event, the block outside the Ribbon Café was packed with local organizations. Representatives from the Lions Club, Brookside Museum and other organizations were there while a local wrestling team set up a dunk tank, local race teams showed off their cars and the fire fighters from Ballston Spa showed off their gear. There was also a bouncy house set up for kids to play in.
Ollie was diagnosed with childhood cancer the day after Christmas. The lemonade stand has so far raised over $12,000 for his ( Courtesy of the Ballston Spa Sunshine Kids)
Stevenson thanked the community for coming out and for raising awareness about the family.
“One of the beautiful things that we’re just very blessed with every year to see how the community comes together,” Stevenson said “They’re volunteering their time and their services so that they can make this more of a family event, because this is about helping a child.”
As of Aug. 6, the lemonade stand has raise over $12,000 to help Ollie’s family. Stevenson said the money is used however the family sees fit — whether it be medical bills, groceries or just being able to spend time together.
Those still looking to donate can do so via their go fund me.
A Wilton man has been found dead from a motorcycle crash in Corinth.
Jarod Green, 32, was found in a wooded area at the intersection of Fuller Road and County Road 24, according to the Saratoga County Sheriff’s Office. He had been reported missing on Sunday Aug 3 at 11:10 a.m. Green was last seen leaving the Star Bar in Corinth.
According to deputies, Green failed to negotiate a curve in the road and struck several trees after leaving the road. He was pronounced dead on the scene. The intersection where Green was found was about two miles from the bar, on the same street. Deputies said they found the wreck after tracing routes of travel from the bar.
The investigation is still active at this time, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
The Saratoga Springs Police Department has released the identity of a man found dead behind Market 32 on Ballston Avenue this week.
Michael Friday, 45, of Gansevoort, New York was found dead in a wooded area behind the supermarket on Wednesday July 30 at 6:40 am. Police were called to the scene by citizen who discovered the body. An autopsy was conducted the next day and while the results are still pending, police said no foul play is suspected at this time.
Police encouraged anyone with information about the case or Friday’s recent activity to contact Investigator Stacy Rigano at srigano@saratogapolice.org or (518)584-1800.
A Dodecahedron — a 12-sided sphere like object — is a common tool used by NCTWC to teach teamwork and woodworking skills. During the week, the girls made several of these to help hammer in soft skills (Aidan Cahill). See Story pg. 13
The second annual Girls Construction Camp recently wrapped up with girls in middle school learning about trades.
The camp was put on by the Northeast Construction Trades Workforce Coalition (NCTWC) and took place at the Whitbeck Construction Education Center in Gansevoort. The camp was the first of two to be held this year — the second being an advanced course.
Doug Ford, the president of the Northeast Construction Trades Workforce Coalition said the idea for the camp came from State Assemblywoman Cathy Woerner. Ford said that Woerner was looking for a way to bridge the gender gap in the trades by exposing girls to careers in the trades at a young age.
“We really want to make sure that young women know that the trades are an opportunity,” Ford said. “There’s no reason for them not to go into the trades with the technology that exists today.”
Ford said that only 10% of jobs in the trades are filled by women. Part of the mission of the camp was to also show that the trades weren’t just physical labor, according to Ford.
“When you talk about the trades, we always seem to focus on the physical aspect,” Ford said. “But there’s a lot of jobs that are part of the trades that aren’t necessarily physical. Project management, design, logistics — all these jobs associated with the trades that never get talked about.”
Job security was a benefit of the trades emphasized by Assemblywoman Mary Beth Walsh (R-112) who addressed campers during the closing ceremony of the camp.
“Jobs are always going to be around,” Walsh said. “You’re always going to need a plumber, you’re always going to need an electrician, you’re always going to need somebody to do HVAC, you’re always going to need a good carpenter. So, there are always going to be really good jobs in the trades and the jobs are only getting better.”
During the weeklong camp, the girls learned about the trades, went on field trips to job sites, saw firsthand the importance of soft skills like communication and got hands on experience working with common tools and materials.
Nora Chanese, an incoming ninth grader at Queensbury High School, talked about how communication on the job site was one of the major challenges the girls faced in the camp.
“It’s definitely been challenging our communication skills,” Chanese said. “There’s been times where we just absolutely fail at communicating and then we just can’t build.”
Chanese said she learned about the camp through a BOCES program that exposed incoming high schoolers to different paths. While Chanese said she is focusing more on sciences for now, she’s very grateful for the skills she learned at the camp.
“This is obviously a needed skill in the future,” Chanese said. “It means I don’t have to always call someone if something breaks — I can fix it myself.”
Under the direction of Matt Whitbeck, Vice President of NCTWC and owner of Whitbeck Construction, the girls built charcutier boards, Viking chairs, flower boxes, sawhorses and other wooden objects.
In addition, the girls participated in team-based competitions, got a look at quarry operations and cared for their respective mascots — two dogs named Buster and Bella. They also learned that the one naughty word on a construction site is “perfect,” according to Whitbeck.
One of the issues Ford said the camp didn’t have to deal with was distractions from smartphones. He said during the camp, they didn’t have to tell a single camper to put away their phones. This lack of distractions was noted by another camper, incoming eighth grader Joe Kelleherstark.
“It was actually really nice,” Kelleherstark said. “Sometimes in school, you don’t have that much teamwork because you’re normally allowed to go on your phone. You’re never talking to your friends at lunch and stuff. This time there were no phones, no nothing. And we were actually focusing very well on each other and helping each other.”
One of the projects the girls worked on was a viking chair. The chair was comprised of two boards interlocking ( Aidan Cahill).
Both Kelleherstark and Chanese said they were exposed to the trades growing up through their grandfathers — Chanese’s was a general contractor while Kelleherstark said hers was involved in building houses.
Kelleherstark said she was considering carpentry as a career since she’s always been building things as a kid. One of the things she was most happy with was how well people got along.
“I’m pretty happy about how people are working together,” Kelleherstark said. “It’s very exciting to see people working together, because sometimes people are just on their own.”
In a July 24 meeting, the Saratoga Springs School Board approved a state-mandated restriction on cell phones and other internet connected devices.
The policy — which is new for this school year — bans all personal internet connected electronic devices during school hours and on school property except those supplied by the school for learning purposes.
Under the policy, students would not be allowed to access the device during any portion of the day — including during down periods such as lunch or study hall. Under the policy, students are discouraged from bringing devices into schools’ but if they do there are guidelines on how the device is stored.
For elementary school students, they’re required to keep the device in their assigned cubby on silent while students in middle and high school are required to keep the device on silent in their lockers.
Some exceptions to the ban were carved out for students who need the device for medical reasons or for those who need it for translations. Other students whose Individual Education Plan or section 504 plan require personal devices will be allowed to use them.
The ban is a state requirement that came into effect as a part of the budget for the 2026 fiscal year. Under the law, each school district, charter school, and board of cooperative educational services are required to implement a policy by Aug. 1, 2025. It also mandated that each school assemble an annual report on the enforcement of the policy due for first release on Sept. 1, 2026.
Cell phone bans have a long history in New York. In New York City, pagers and beepers were banned in 1988 with cell phones explicitly banned in 2005. This ban survived legal challenges and petitions calling for it to be rescinded, mostly by parents who were concerned about not being able to contact their kids during the day or in times of emergency.
These concerns won out in 2015 when the Mayor de Blasio lifted the ban in February of that year.
10 years later, Governor Cathy Hochul pushed for a new statewide ban, citing safety concerns as well as a desire to see more kids develop better face to face communications skills.
“I want laughter in the hallways again,” Governor Hochul said in an op-ed published on both Fox News and the state of New York Website. “I want to hear real voices in gym class. I want our kids to make eye contact and talk to each other face-to-face. I want teachers to feel free to teach again. And I want to create an environment where kids can actually learn and just be kids again.”
As for concerns about not being able to contact kids, especially in times of emergency, Governor Hochul argued that cell phones could distract students from getting to safety. This sentiment was echoed in the policy implemented in Saratoga Springs.
“In an emergency, the use of personal electronic devices can distract students from following the directions of staff or emergency responders, contribute to the spread of misinformation, create congestion in the emergency response system, and interfere with the district’s emergency response protocols,” The policy stated in its introduction.
Students who violate the policy will have their device confiscated and placed in the office. For the first offence, their parent or guardian will be notified, however the student will be able to retrieve the device themselves. Subsequent offences will result in the parent being required to pick up the device as well as the potential for the device to be held for a longer period of time.
While the policy explicitly states that it alone can’t be used as justification for out of school suspension, it did list other consequences for violators.
“The district may utilize consequences under the district’s Code of Conduct, including detention, in school suspension, and exclusion from extracurricular activities,” The Policy States. “The district may also utilize assignments on the detrimental impact of social media on mental health, smartphones in school, or other relevant topics.”
Air quality index. Educational scheme with excessive quantities of substances or gases in environment. Vector stock illustration
For the first time this year, summer got a little bit hazy as air quality levels in Saratoga County hit unhealthy levels.
On July 26 and 27, a monitoring station in Albany County — the closest to Saratoga County that reports to the EPA — air quality index levels above 101 for the first time this year, making the air unhealthy for sensitive groups.
These reports were backed up by private air quality monitors from the company IQAir which has seven monitors in Saratoga County. All of their monitors in the county showed air quality index levels hitting 101 or more in that time frame.
The drop in air quality comes as fire crews across North America battle several wildfires. In the US, there are currently 33 large fires being fought while Canada is seeing 109 fires, of which 56 are out of control, according to the National Interagency Fire Center and Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre as of July 30. In total forest fires have burned 15,357,733 acres in Canada and 3,141,850 acres in the US.
These fires have sent smoke plumes across the continent, leading to air quality alerts hundreds of miles from the origin of the smoke. The latest air quality alert advised sensitive groups — listed as those who are children, pregnant, have an underlying medical condition and/or work outside — to take frequent breaks, lower the intensity of work and to watch for symptoms such as shortness of breath and coughing.
Saratoga County wasn’t the worst place in New York to be affected by the drop in air quality. A monitoring station on White Mountain in the Adirondacks reported an air quality index of 160, a level dangerous to everyone outside.
The drop in air quality was compounded by extreme heat advisories which saw temperatures as high as the 90s.
A photo of the train derailed during a railroad Strike in Ballston Lake (Courtesy of North East Rails)
Walking the streets of Saratoga Springs, it’s almost impossible not to notice the history all around you.
From having one of the oldest sporting venues in the country to being next store to one of the most important battles in American history, the spa city is no stranger to influence and importance.
It’s this history that inspired Saratoga TODAY to look back at some of the events and notable happenings that took place this week in history.
Grant visits Saratoga Springs
July 27, 1865, saw famed general and future president Ulysses S. Grant and his family visit Saratoga Springs briefly before traveling to Nova Scotia via Boston. According to media reports at the time, Grant — who was only three months removed from winning the Civil War — was met with cheering but mostly well-behaved crowds. While in the city, Grant attended parties at Congress Hall, Union Hall and Lake Saratoga. He reportedly left in the early hours of July 29 to avoid crowds of onlookers. Later that day, General Joeseph Hooker and Rueben Fenton would arrive in the city for vacations.
Child Abducted in Saratoga Found in New York City
July 28, 1874 saw a child who was abducted from his father in Saratoga was found 12 years after he was kidnapped. The finding came after his abductor made a deathbed confession admitting to the kidnapping. Upon hearing the news, the father went to New York City to retrieve the now young man.
Train Derailed as Part of Strike
The night of July 31, 1910, saw eight rail workers purposefully derail a passenger train carrying 400 people in Ballston Lake. The derailment lead to the Sherriff to intervene in the strike and prevent further violence. Local reports indicate that the strikers were look for a 25 cent — about $8.50 today — increase in pay. The eight men were later caught and tried for the derailment.
Flights between Saratoga and New York City Begin
On July 27, 1929, it was announced that there would be regular flights between Saratoga Springs and New York City during track season to start July 29. The flights took place during track season and transported passengers via seaplane from Queens to Saratoga Springs with an additional stop in Lake George. Media reports said the schedule meant that someone could work in the morning, go to the track and be back in time for dinner.
In addition, on July 31, a short-wave radio station between Roosevelt Field in New York City and Saratoga Springs was implemented to give pilots up-to-date weather information.
Anti-Gambling advocates Home Bombed
On July 28, 1934, the home of Emma St. John was bombed by two men who reportedly broke the front windows of her home and tossed in the bombs. St. John was treated by a local doctor for shock. The bombing came after she had submitted a petition to then New York Governor Herbert Lehman to remove three county and city officials in Saratoga for failing to curb gambling in the city ahead of the race season. Lehman refused.
