Author: Jonathon Norcross

BALLSTON — The Willow-Marsh Farm Store announced on Feb. 4 that Listeria was found in a batch of their raw milk. The store owners, Sara and Chuck Curtiss, said it was the first time in more than 17 years that test results had shown Listeria present in their raw milk.

The store is not selling any raw milk until they receive the results of a retest taken on Feb. 11. The results are expected back at some point between Feb. 14 and 18. Anyone who has purchased milk from the store between Jan. 28 and Feb. 2 should dispose of it. The store also said they would be conducting their own Quality Milk Production Services herd survey on Feb. 11.

“We want to take a moment to express our deepest gratitude for your continued support,” the Curtisses wrote in a Facebook post last weekend. “We are so grateful for all of the messages on our social media, calls to the farm store, and the emails we have received. They have been unexpected, informative…heart-warming, and, well, have given us so much positive energy as we deal with this challenge.”

Listeria is a foodborne bacterial illness. According to the Mayo Clinic, healthy people rarely become ill from listeria infection, but the disease can be fatal to unborn babies, newborns, and people with weakened immune systems. Prompt antibiotic treatment can help curb the effects of listeria infection. Listeria is most commonly caused by eating improperly processed deli meats and unpasteurized milk products.

According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, raw milk (otherwise known as unpasteurized milk) can carry bacteria such as Salmonella, E. coli, and Listeria. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warns that “consuming raw milk can lead to serious health risks, especially for certain vulnerable populations.”

Although not widely available, the production and sale of raw milk is legal in New York State, under certain conditions. The state requires all raw milk dealers to obtain a license in order to sell raw milk directly to the public, and the milk can only be sold on the farm where it is produced. The Willow-Marsh Farm Store is subject to monthly, unannounced inspections in which their milk, water, cheese, and cows are all assessed.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Your MacBook. Your golf clubs. The joint replacement your father just received. There’s a decent chance that a Saratoga Springs-based company is responsible, at least in part, for any or all of these things.

Guyson USA in the W.J. Grande Industrial Park is a surprisingly under-the-radar manufacturer given both its 50-year-long presence in the area and the sheer size of its facilities, which measure around 73,000 square feet. Contained within this massive space are machines capable of contributing to almost any industry, from aerospace to automotive to firearms. And after working on top-secret projects with the likes of Apple, Guyson is turning its attention to the Saratoga region.

“There’s a ton of local companies around here that I believe really could use us,” said Caitlin Lewis, who heads Guyson USA’s marketing and business development.

Guyson is an international company with offices scattered across the globe. Its primary specialty is designing and building cabinet-blast machinery used for production by manufacturers. This machinery can clean, finish, and surface treat a wide variety of products. Guyson is also enthusiastic about its work in robotics and engineering. A tour of its facilities reveals a plethora of complicated machinery that includes an entire room devoted to 3D printers that seem to be constantly at work.

Perhaps most impressive is the sheer range of products that Guyson helps create, from airplane turbine blades to dental implants to silverware to 10,000-pound tires.

“We’ve been from one end of the world to the other,” said Plant Manager Matt Bush.

One project that hit closer to home was Guyson’s repair of the U.S.S. Saratoga’s nearly 1,000-pound bell, which saw action in World War II aboard the aircraft carrier named for the famed Revolutionary War Battles of Saratoga. The bell had a crack in it, and the task fell to Bush and company to fix it up before it was placed at the entrance of the Saratoga National Cemetery.

“We put it in one of our machines and we polished it up,” Bush said. “All the support stuff, we built all that here.”

An American flag that flew on the U.S.S. Saratoga, presented to Guyson in 1994, is still prominently displayed in the company’s offices.

And it was perhaps Saratoga’s most defining feature that brought the international corporation to the Spa City in the first place. Guyson’s founders, the Thomson family, are racing fans and a well-known name in the motorsport world. It was the Saratoga Race Course that, in part, inspired the need-for-speed family to open their USA branch here.

“And obviously I think they fell in love with Saratoga because what’s not to love here?” Lewis said.

For more information about Guyson USA, visit www.guyson.com.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — The first of the Phila Street dominoes has fallen.

Familiar Creature, a Montreal-inspired wine bar from the team behind Hamlet & Ghost, officially opened its doors last weekend at 42 Phila.

The eatery is led by Executive Chef Michele Hunter (a Food Network Chopped Champion), who previously worked at The Adelphi Hotel and Hamlet & Ghost, as well as Sous Chef Alex Johnson, who has worked with top chefs such as Thomas Keller, Jenner Tomaska, and Eric Leveillee.

Co-owners Brendan Dillon and Dennis Kiingati, of Hamlet & Ghost fame, collaborated with New York City-based design firm Post Co. to create a modern space reminiscent of a French bistro.  Familiar Creature features indoor seating for 50 patrons, as well as an outdoor patio that can accommodate an additional 30 patrons during the warmer months.

Some signature items advertised by Creature include a white negroni, Manila clams, seasonal ice cream, local meats and cheeses, roasted chicken, and, of course, wine. The restaurant is open Wednesday through Sunday, from 4 p.m. until close. There are plans to expand to a six-day schedule in the coming weeks.

The restaurant’s name is derived from a line in William Shakespeare’s “Othello”: “Come, come, good wine is a good familiar creature, if it be well used.”

The eatery is one of at least four establishments set to open on Phila Street this year. Others include Standard Fare (serving upscale American comfort food and due to open this spring at 21 Phila), Noah’s (an Italian joint at 43 Phila), and Fillies on Phila (a wood-fired pizza restaurant at 39 Phila that’s set to open this winter).