Like many parents across the Saratoga Springs City School District, I am looking forward to the 2021-2022 school year with a full-time, in-person educational experience for our children that fosters a healthy routine, puts learning at the center of every decision, and highlights the need for community, mental health awareness, respect for others, a safe learning environment, and a sense of love and belonging.
In addition to being a parent and community volunteer, I am a lifelong learner with urban, rural, and suburban teaching and leadership experience at the K-12 level. My extensive network in the educational community in the Capital Region and state are a result of my selection and work as a New York State Master Teacher, former PTA President, and former Camp Invention Director.
I am running for the school board to continue my service to education and our community. The knowledge and skills that I have honed over the past 20 years make me the ideal candidate for handling the critical issues related to instruction, policy, and budget, especially in light of the pandemic. I urge you to take the time to learn more at connieforschoolboard.com and appreciate your vote on May 18.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — Saratoga Central Catholic School will host Career Day 2021, and school alumni will return virtually to their alma mater for the event.
Career Day 2021 will take place on Friday, April 23 from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m., at Saratoga Central Catholic School, 247 Broadway, Saratoga Springs. The morning will include presentations by alumni sharing the career paths they chose since their high school experience at SCC. Alumni will also highlight what they enjoy about their professions. Students in grades 9-12 will pre-select the presentations they are interested in attending. The event is virtual this year so that students in school, as well as students who are attending classes remotely, can both participate.
This year’s list of over 20 participating alumni includes SCC graduates who have pursued careers in dentistry, law, nursing, voice acting, military service, writing, accounting, software engineering, culinary arts, theater, professional sports, education, funeral direction, social media/digital marketing, medicine, law enforcement, building/carpentry, TV and film production. The 2021 selection of presenters come from graduation years that span 1968-2013. Some of the participating alumni live locally, while others live as far away as California.
For more information about Career Day 2021, call 518-365-3459.
BALLSTON SPA — Saratoga’s Community Federal Credit Union and First New York Federal Credit Union recently collaborated on a state-of-the-art Interactive Teller Machine (ITM). This is the second collaboration for the two credit unions with the shared initiative of improving access to financial services in our local region.
Under this collaboration, First New York FCU has launched an ITM in one of the drive-thru access lanes of Saratoga’s Community FCU’s newly opened Ballston Spa Branch. This provides members of both credit unions as well as members of all Shared Branch credit unions access to a full-service branch and ITM in the Ballston Spa community.The ITM is staffed and maintained by First New York FCU and is available with extended weekday hours and Saturday hours.The terminal also performs as an ATM with 24/7 access.
Under the new collaboration, members of the credit unions can complete all routine teller transactions with guidance from a live teller, and members of other credit unions within the CO-OP Shared Branch network can use the ITM terminal to complete common shared branching transactions.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — Martin Nemer, founder of Nemer Motor Group, died unexpectedly of a heart attack at age 53. Nearly five decades later, his family still thinks about what might have been.
Earlier this month, the Nemer family—and the company that bears their name—made a gift to Saratoga Hospital Foundation to help prevent others from suffering a similar loss. As a tribute to their father and grandfather, the Nemers are underwriting Saratoga Hospital’s subscription to the emergency Lifenet System.
Lifenet transmits electrocardiogram and other critical patient information to the Emergency Department while the ambulance is en route. Armed with this information, the hospital can prepare for the patient’s arrival and ensure the emergency interventional cardiology team is at the ready, if necessary.
“If Lifenet were available when my father had his heart attack, he might have lived,” said Robert Nemer, partner, Nemer Motor Group, in a statement. “If we can help save someone’s life by getting them treatment faster, that would be a fitting tribute to him.”
Nemer Motor Group owns four dealerships, including Nemer Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram of Saratoga. Several family members live in Saratoga Springs.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — Impressions of Saratoga hosts its fifth annual Breyer Fun Day, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, April 24.The event will take place in front of Impressions of Saratoga and The Dark Horse Mercantile – at 368 and 445 Broadway – and allow for safe social distancing. Masks are required.
Breyer Animal Creations was founded in 1950 in Chicago, Illinois, originally called Breyer Molding Company. They gained recognition when the company was commissioned by F.W. Woolworth to create a horse statue (now known as the # 57 Western Horse) to adorn a mantel clock.
This event is free and features a Breyer Model Show, Paint your own Model Horse craft project, visits with the live miniature Dark Horse mascot UPSET, a scavenger hunt around downtown, raffles, prizes and more activities and events.
The 401(k) has become the de facto method of retirement savings for many Americans. Because it is more often than not the centerpiece of one’s finances, it is important to ensure its maximum efficiency. Mistakes can be costly, and they should be relatively easy to avoid given proper planning. We will look at the three biggest to provide an easy checklist for your situation.
Not Contributing Enough
Retirement is so far away and current needs always seem more pressing than putting dollars aside for later. As a result, there is a tendency to leave money on the table by not contributing enough to fully take advantage of an employer matching contribution. Each company is different, so it is prudent to check with human resources to see what the details are. It is important to be contributing at least enough to maximize that company match. To illustrate, imagine a situation where a 30-year-old making $60,000/year misses just 1% of company match for the next 35 years until retirement. At the end of those 35 years, he or she will have missed out on almost $120,000 in company contributions and associated growth. It adds up!
Contributing Too Much
After ensuring that you are maximizing your match, contributing too much can be equally damaging. The IRS restricts access to money in retirement plans until you reach retirement age and will assess penalties for early withdrawal. If you are overcontributing at the expense of not having enough readily accessible savings, you risk getting hit with penalties just to access your own money. According to the IRS, Americans recently paid a total of $5.7 billion in a single year for early withdrawal penalties – that does not even factor in interest paid on 401(k) loans. A sound financial plan should have ample balance between short- and long-term money.
Checking Your Balance Too Much
Saving for retirement is a process that takes time. Logging in to check your balance frequently would be like planting an oak tree and measuring its growth every day. Investment decisions should be made with the head rather than the heart and checking your 401(k) too frequently can cause action based on the emotions of seeing volatility in your account balance. Once you are comfortable with your investment allocation, check in no more than once or twice per year.
It is said that a football game comes down to the fundamentals like blocking and tackling. Those teams that do them well, win. Nailing your retirement savings is the blocking and tackling of personal finance. To win the game it is essential to focus on what matters most and ensure you are doing everything correctly.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — Saratoga Springs is losing another of its few remaining historic American elms.One of the most majestic, and certainly the most visible, of the City’s elms died of Dutch elm disease last season.Towering above the northwest corner of Broadway and Van Dam, where it has welcomed every visitor arriving from Exit 15, this tree is scheduled for removal soon by the City’s tree crew, perhaps as early as Saturday, April 24.
Ironically, the removal of this titanic heritage tree coincides with Sustainable Saratoga’s Tree Toga planting event, when volunteers will plant 15 trees around town.Saratoga once had hundreds of American elms, the most graceful and beloved street tree of them all.The arrival of the Dutch elm disease midway through the 20th century wiped out all but a handful of these beloved trees.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — A final draft document of the UDO was presented to the City Council this week.
The UDO – a Unified Development Ordinance – is a tool combining traditional zoning and subdivision regulations, along with other development standards for items such as design guidelines, storm water management, signs and street standards into one, easy-to-read reference document.
It is intended to eliminate redundant or conflicting code provisions and help streamline the review and approval process.
The April 19 presentation effectively kicks-off the last phase of the project. Discussions will continue at the next City Council meeting, on May 4, after which advisory opinions will be requested from the city and county Planning Boards and the Design Review Commission.
Additional public hearings will be scheduled later this year, after which it is anticipated the City Council will vote on the matter.
The 304-page final draft UDO document is available for view at: saratoga-springs.org.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — Representative Paul D. Tonko announced this week that applications are being accepted for funeral assistance for New Yorkers who have lost a relative to COVID-19. Tonko helped establish this program as part of the American Rescue Plan recently passed by Congress and signed into law.
“No amount of money can heal the loss of a loved one,” Congressman Tonko said, in a statement. “While we cannot erase that pain, we can help those facing the added financial strain during this dark time. This funeral assistance program is here to help New Yorkers and all Americans access needed relief and lessen the economic burden they have had to carry during this prolonged pandemic.”
New Yorkers who paid for funeral expenses after Jan. 20, 2020, for an individual whose death may have been caused by or was likely the result of COVID-19 can apply for up to $9,000 of assistance per funeral through FEMA’s dedicated call center at 844-684-6333; TTY 800-462-7585, Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.- 9 p.m. No online applications will be accepted. There is no deadline to apply.
The applicant responsible for COVID-19 funeral expenses will need to provide the following information below when they call FEMA to register for assistance. FEMA recommends gathering this information ahead of the application process: Social Security number for the applicant and the deceased individual; Date of birth for the applicant and the deceased individual; Current mailing address for the applicant; Current telephone number for the applicant; Location or address where the deceased individual passed away; Information about burial or funeral insurance policies; Information about other funeral assistance received, such as donations; CARES Act grants and assistance from voluntary organizations; Routing and account number of the applicant’s checking or savings account (for direct deposit, if requested).
Learn more about the program from FEMA at: www.fema.gov/disasters/coronavirus/economic/funeral-assistance/faq.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — Assemblywoman Carrie Woerner (D-Round Lake) will be hosting three virtual town hall meetings in the last week in April to provide legislative updates and hear from constituents.
These town halls will provide members of the community to share their suggestions and concerns, and ask questions about issues important to their communities. The virtual town hall schedule is as follows: Tuesday April 27 6:30-8 p.m.; Wednesday April 28, 6:30-8 p.m.; Thursday, April 29, 1-2:30 p.m.
Space is limited and those interested in participating are invited to call Woerner’s office to reserve a spot and to enable them to connect to the event: 518-584-5493.
