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Author: Kacie Cotter-Harrigan

Fall Gardening with Peter Bowden

Written by Kacie Cotter-Harrigan on . Posted in Home & Garden.

The colorful days of fall are over and it is the time to prepare for the winter ahead. What can we do to help our landscape get through winter in good shape? 

Remember that dehydration is the greatest threat to landscape plantings. The cold arctic wind that blows from the north and west is the worst culprit. The sun also contributes to the drying effect. Rhododendron, Holly, Laurel, and other broadleaf evergreens are in the worst danger of being damaged by desiccation. Though they are evergreens, they still enter a dormant stage as the ground freezes. The dry, windy, frigid days of January and February will give these plants little respite.

Constructing burlap windbreaks is a good way to protect evergreens. Drive hardwood stakes about a foot into the ground and staple burlap to them, leaving the top open. The idea is to block as much wind as possible. Remember, wind coming from the east or south is warmer and gentler. Construct your windbreak so it protects plants from the much harsher prevailing winds that blow from the north and west.

Snow, ice and wind aren’t the only threats to our landscape plants in winter. There are also hungry animals out there looking for food, and many of our landscape plants are on their menu. So how do we keep mice and deer and rabbits from making a meal of our plants?

For absolute deer, mouse and rabbit protection, you’ll need a physical barrier. Tree wrap allows you to wrap the trunk right down to the soil so critters will never be tempted to take a bite. Once trees get old enough and develop the rough bark of a mature tree, the mice and deer won’t bother them anymore.

Deer will also nibble the buds of many flowering shrubs like lilacs, azaleas and forsythia which set flower buds in the summer. Those buds must survive winter to open in spring, but these nutrient-packed buds are just what the deer need in the depths of winter. The only way to prevent this is by creating an enclosure of deer netting. If you have evergreens like arborvitae that deer love to eat, wrap the deer netting directly around the evergreen. Deer netting is made of plastic, and with a little care, it can be reused for many years.

The term “blanket of snow” is very appropriate. The “blanket” of snow acts as an insulating barrier. In years of “snow drought,” the exposed crowns of our beloved perennial flowers are exposed to the cold, drying winter winds. Snow will shelter and protect our perennials, lessening the chance of winterkill. Although it is counterintuitive, shoveling snow onto your perennial beds can help protect them through the winter. During snowless winters, covering them with evergreen boughs is a good substitute for snow and there is no shortage of discarded evergreens in January! 

THANKS FOR THE READ!

Holiday Happy Hour: Pairing the Perfect Wine, Cocktail, or Aperitif with Saratoga Wine & Spirits

Written by Kacie Cotter-Harrigan on . Posted in Food.

The holiday season is almost upon us! The owner Gerard Moser and staff of Saratoga Wine and Spirits are ready to assist you in pairing the perfect wine, cocktail, or aperitif with your holiday meal. We also can assist in choosing a nice gift. 

2020 has made most of us adjust how we do things. Many people have been having smaller gathering or virtual gatherings and we have seen a trend toward specialty cocktails, liquors and wines. 

The smaller gatherings and virtual happy hours have awakened our interest in the beverages or local mixologist would makes for us. Many of our customers have begun trying their hand at bartending and making cocktails. Others have begun to try some ports, sherry, brandy or cognacs.

For your pre-meal choices, old school cocktails and aperitifs like Old Fashions and whisky sours have returned in a big way! These cocktails are often poured to be smaller in size but pack big taste. A few combinations we especially like are Bourbon and blood orange and a Brandy Alexander. Aged rum is a delightful choice. Many aged rums are much more economical then equivalent whiskeys and are consumed neat or in a cocktail.  We also love local eggnog with a splash of either cognac or bourbon. 

Sparkling wines also make a nice aperitif. One especially versatile sparkler is Cremant  – a perfect choice for both before and after dinner. Before dinner it can be served with a splash of blood orange or a cordial like Chambord.  It is slightly less bubbly than traditional champagnes and is also a good choice after dinner to aid digestion. Or take a step back and serve a Lambrusco.

While wine and food pairing is neither an exact science nor are there concrete rules, we can make some suggestions for your holiday parties and meals. Red wines are an excellent choice with turkey. Pinot Noir, Burgundy, Beaujolais, Syrah, Grenache and even Zinfandel are some of our favorites. Try an Oregon Pinot Noir. 

Turkey lends itself to many different preparations. Many choose a traditionally roasted style. If you lean toward savory recipes with some spice you can pair it either with Pinot Noir or a French Burgundy. If you are roasting a turkey without a stuffing and with a light rub of fresh herbs served with simple roasted vegetables try light Beaujolais.

You can also try deboning a turkey and applying a dry rub of spices.  Either you or a butcher can roll and tie the turkey.  You can then grill it until it forms a crust then wrap it in foil and cook slowly on the grill or oven.  This preparation nicely pairs with a Syrah. I have prepared it this way with softened dry fruit and some nuts as a stuffing. In this case you could serve a low alcohol Zinfandel or Grenache. Lower alcohol Zinfandel and Grenache wines will have a slight sweetness that will pair well with the sweetness of the dry fruit. 

When paring wine with dinner you might even consider the side dishes you plan to serve rather than how the turkey itself is prepared. If they are on the sweeter side such as candy sweet potatoes you might consider either a Zinfandel or a Grenache. If they are on the spicier side like a dry rubbed roasted butternut squash you might consider either Syrah or Pinot Noir.

Not all of us serve turkey. When serving beef roast or game, we suggest Cabernet and Bordeaux to complement the beef and game.  We also recommend Sangiovese wines and blends.  Malbec is a great choice as well:  Customers say they are “easy drinking” and appeal to a variety of tastes. 

If your holiday meals are vegetarian, Beaujolais, Chardonnays or Vouvray are excellent choices when preparing hearty roasted root vegetables. Rieslings or Gewürztraminer wines also nicely complement many vegetable dishes that feature a spice finish.

Enticing your guests to try something new can add to the holiday festivities.  It is a great time of year to create your own virtual cocktail and cordial tasting.  You all may discover you enjoy something you thought you would never like!

Remember, when it comes to wine and food, there are no rules especially in 2020- only suggestions.  Experiment with food and wine pairings this holiday season, and design your signature twist on the merriment! 

From all of us at Saratoga Wine and Spirits, we wish you all a safe, happy, and healthy holiday season. We look forward to helping you discover a new taste to ring in the season!

Decorating Your Home & Holiday Table for Thanksgiving

Written by Kacie Cotter-Harrigan on . Posted in Home & Garden.

With the abundance of textures and colors of autumn, Thanksgiving is one of the easiest holidays to decorate for.  A great way to get started is to grab the kids, get in the woods and start collecting! Gather up pinecones, acorns, twigs, colorful leaves and berry branches. Then head to your favorite garden center and snatch up some mums, pumpkins of different sizes, shapes and colors, gourds, squash, corn and cabbage. 

At home dust off your favorite holiday dishes, flatware and glasses and start layering! 

For the table, start with a textured table runner, either in neutral tones or a nice fall color. If you have some left over fabric from a project you could even gather it up over the flat runner to add more dimension (burlap is a great place to start).

From there add in some pumpkins in varying sizes and colors and place them down the center of your table (stack some, lay some on their side and just have fun!) Nothing in nature is perfectly placed, make your centerpiece the same way. Add in candlesticks or pillars, again in varying sizes and heights (they don’t even have to match). Battery candles are a safe way to provide soft ambiance without the fire hazard of real candles.

To finish the centerpiece off mix in greenery, leaves, acorns and pinecones (or anything you gathered up from your hike in the woods). These items combined make for an interesting array of textures, colors, heights and interest.

For your place settings, choose either placemats or charges or a combination of both. If using both, start with a rectangular or square placemat and use round chargers that are smaller than your placemat so you get the full effect of layering.

Thanksgiving is all about giving thanks for the people and things in our lives and everyone is unique in their own way. Your home and table should be just as unique, so go ahead and get those things out that you haven’t used in a while. Break out (not literally) the china that’s been stored away, polish the flatware that has been in a drawer! Mix the family heirlooms in with the new, more modern décor. Not only will your table be beautiful, it will give you some great stores to talk about at the dinner table.

Once you have your dishes sorted, stack salad plates on top of dinner plates and place on top of your chargers.

Napkins are another great way to make a statement on your table. Choose styles and colors to coordinate with your dishes, then stack some, roll some, tie some with twine or use unique napkin rings to really dress them up.  Have fun with them. Don’t make it a chore, see how creative you can be!

Hand printed place cards glued to pinecones or mini pumpkins will make guests more comfortable by knowing exactly where they are sitting around your holiday table.

A super fun way to chill your beverages on your adult drink table is to carve out a pumpkin, add some ice and place your bottles of holiday cheer inside. Don’t forget to add some greenery, leaves and other décor to this table as well. Guests will appreciate the extra effort!

If the kids have their own table for dinner, why not let them make their own table runner or placemats by painting turkeys or pumpkins on paper in different, fun colors (the traditional tracing of the hand and making it into a turkey is always a favorite of mine). And let them set their own table with the items they love best. It will put them in the holiday spirit and hopefully no gravy fights will break out!

Another fun project for the kiddos is to use the acorns you gathered up in the woods, get some different colored paints and paint the bottoms of the acorns. These, along with pinecones and pumpkins can be placed in glass jars or vases and put in the center of the kids table on top of their handmade table runner.

Now on to the home overall. Start with the front door and/or porch. A beautiful fall wreath made out of large acorns, twigs, leaves and gorgeous flowers will welcome all that visit. Pumpkins, gourds, mums and candles on the front porch will add a touch of warmth for the cold days and nights ahead.

In the living room, add cozy throws in different sizes, colors and texture (faux fur is my favorite!) and lots of fun pillows for the sofas, chairs and even floor pillows for the kids. These will warm up the room and make it come alive with the colors of fall.

Powder rooms are great rooms to decorate to the max! Everyone uses your powder room so make it stand out! Add scented candles or cinnamon pine cones to give it freshness. Make a floral/feather bouquet for the back of your toilet with tall plumes of feathers, twigs (you can even spray paint them to coordinate with the color of your room) and anything else you already have on hand. Just make it big and make a statement! Change out hand towels for the day – there are so many out there to choose from. Make it fun and beautiful for you and your guests.

 In summary, get out in nature to see what is out there! If it has fallen off the tree, you can take it home with you. Get things out that you haven’t used in a while. Use your beautiful dishes and glasses handed down from your grandparents. Enjoy the season with your family and friends. And most of all – be thankful for everything you have in your life! Life is short – live it to its fullest!!

Honey “I Lost My Bake Ware!”

Written by Kacie Cotter-Harrigan on . Posted in Food.

Hello my Foodie Friends!

The holiday season is quickly approaching. We still do not know what the holidays will look like this year. (Will we all be in quarantine again? Will it be safe to celebrate with a small group? Will we be eating a big meal on Zoom?). One thing we do know for sure is that more of us will be cooking at home than usual. No matter what is going on, some people will still want to play it safe at home. Getting the right culinary tools to help you with your upcoming delights is important in the planning and preparation of your favorite dishes. Listed below are a small group of “must haves” for your kitchen as you prepare for your holiday cooking. It’s that time of year!!

Rimmed Baking Sheet: A rimmed baking sheet has got to be the most used, versatile and essential item in the home kitchen over the holidays. If you have the space, having at least two half-sheet pans (18-by-13 inches) on hand for baking cookies or roasting vegetables.

Quality Cutting Board: Lots of people underestimate the importance of a good cutting board, but a good one will change your life. It needs to be big enough that you can get the job done correctly and it needs to be made of a material that won’t dull your knives

Silicone Cooking Liners: Greasing cookie sheets becomes a thing of the past once you get your hands on Silpat Silicone cooking liner. The liners prevent you from having to grease pans and cleanup is a breeze. Simply hand-wash and roll the mat up when you’re done baking. 

Mandoline slicer : The single best investment in my kitchen over the past years has been a mandoline slicer. Essentially, it’s an adjustable slicer for fruits and veggies, and it makes preparing salads a breeze. All the intricate slicing you normally have to do for good salads and prepping veggies is so much easier with a mandolin.

Kitchen Scale: If you really want to get into baking high-quality breads or desserts, a kitchen scale is a must-buy. Often stated, “cooking is an art and baking is a science”.  Science depends on math, and good math starts with accurate measurements. Digital scales can assist with weighing ounces, pounds, fluid ounces, grams, and milliliters.

Meat Thermometer: Variance in degrees can separate a good steak from a perfect one. A meat thermometer will be one of the most-used tools in your drawers. Everyone should have an instant read thermometer in their kitchen, as it gives you better control over everything from chicken thighs to caramels. So named because it gives a temperature reading very quickly, an instant-read thermometer is an essential food safety and sanitation tool.

Chef Knife: Most well equipped kitchens have a handful of knives for different purposes. But if you are just getting started, a good chef’s knife is where you want to begin. For almost every job, a good chef’s knife will nearly always do the trick. They are great for chopping veggies, slicing meat and managing most common jobs. 

Also, have your knives sharpened so you do not end up hacking away at your roast. Remember, we have knife sharpening services at Compliments to the Chef. 

These are just a small list of what can help you this season. Getting ready for the holidays doesn’t have to be a struggle! Let us help you prepare for this holiday season. Stop by Compliments to the Chef, your Neighborhood Kitchen and Cutlery store located at 33 Railroad Place in Saratoga Springs. Remember my Foodie Friends; “Life Happens in the Kitchen.” Stay safe and well! 

 Take Care,
John & PaulaREARDON PumpkinCannelloni

From Extravagant to Intimate: Holidays with Help from the Saratoga Farmers’ Market

Written by Kacie Cotter-Harrigan on . Posted in Food.

We are still in a pandemic, which means a holiday season without large gatherings, parties and concerts, or even perhaps meals with loved ones who live separately from us. Given this sad set of circumstances, it might help to consider what we can be grateful for. 

One of my best experiences this year was the early outdoor opening of the Saratoga Farmers’ Market, one week after the COVID-19 lockdown began. I remember that blustery March morning when as a market vendor I pulled into the Wilton Mall parking lot, where I was directed to a space several feet between two others. I rubbed my hands together to stay warm as I unloaded a table, coolers of meat, cartons of eggs, and jars of dry corn. I wasn’t sure customers would come, but within minutes of the market’s opening, you all arrived, looking for fresh local food you could trust. Our farm did well that day, and like the market itself continued to do well all year — thanks to your customer support. That support reinforced the power of interconnectivity and the synergy that comes from being together.

The market is going inside the mall now, where it will continue to offer a safe, healthy space to shop and to gather for brief, socially distanced exchanges. And the market invites you, as our customers and friends, to spend part of this holiday season with us.

Holidays need to be unspectacular this year, for safety’s sake. But unspectacular doesn’t have to be dull. It can be cozy, relaxing, creative, and fun. Here are a few suggestions for making it so:

• Visit the market first, then plan your holiday meals. Doing so will assure that your table will hold the best of our region’s farm-fresh ingredients. It also will alleviate potential disappointments if an item on your menu is out of season or no longer available as the harvest periods for our agricultural vendors wind down.

• Once you know what’s available, develop a menu. Plan around what you love eating instead of what you’re “expected” to prepare. Perhaps the two will come together. For instance, I love making several dozen batches of cheese-and-onion rolls. This involves creating a mixture of onion, hot pepper, and cheese; spooning it into the slit tops of pre-baked rolls; and then warming up the rolls. This year, I might try this recipe with Argyle Cheese Farmer, Moxie Ridge, Nettle Meadow, or R&G Cheesemakers’ cheese. I also might rekindle memories of last spring’s bread baking binges and make my rolls from scratch.

• If you don’t want to deal with a turkey, try something else: A roast duck, a baked steelhead trout, pot roast, or even something like Swedish meatballs over fresh pasta. Giovanni Fresca offers pasta, Pura Vida has fish, Squashville has duck, Elihu Farm has lamb, and many meat vendors carry ground beef, pork, or lamb.

• Sneak in a “secret” ingredient. For the past few years, I have baked pumpkin pies using a Long Island cheese pumpkin, which has a pale orange color and delicious creamy taste. To bring out the taste of the pie, I eliminate the usual pumpkin pie spices — cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger, and allspice — and instead use about a teaspoon of Saratoga Chocolate’s hot chocolate mix.

• Honor the first inhabitants of our region, the Haudenosaunee, with dishes that evoke the staple foods of their diets — sweet potatoes, cornbread, beans, and squash. 

The Saratoga Farmers’ Market runs indoors at the Wilton Mall on Saturdays from 9:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram and subscribe to our weekly e-newsletter at www.saratogafarmersmarket.org/weekly-newsletter.

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Saratoga Farmers’ Market at Wilton Mall for Winter Season 

by Madison Jackson

On Saturday, Nov. 7, the Saratoga Farmers’ Market will move back inside the Wilton Mall for the winter season. The farmers’ market will be located in the mall’s food court which is accessible by the Bow Tie Cinemas entrance and within the mall interior. Markets will run every Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. from November through April. 

As days get a little shorter and a lot colder, the farmers’ market is grateful to take up our winter home in the Wilton Mall, moving indoors from our summer season in the mall’s parking lot. This indoor location will provide some much-needed warmth for vendors and shoppers alike and the convenience of one-stop shopping for a variety of products. 

In order to accommodate proper COVID-19 social distancing and safety guidelines, vendors will be spaced accordingly, hand washing and sanitizing stations will be easily accessible, and crowds will be closely monitored by market representatives and mall management staff to make sure shoppers feel safe and have a pleasant experience. The Wilton Mall has also installed a hospital-grade air filtration system in its high-quality HVAC system. The farmers’ market ensures that only the vendors handle their products until they are purchased. And, masks are required to be worn by all. 

While COVID-19 may have changed some of the ways we operate, we hope to offer a sense of familiarity and comfort to our community through the farmers market. The pandemic has posed some new challenges for us all but with the support of the community, we have remained a safe and reliable source for local foods and products. During these uncertain times, it is especially important to support our local farmers and businesses who are determined to bring their products to customers in the safest and healthiest way possible.

 In addition to many familiar faces, we will also be introducing a number of new vendors including Fossil Stone Vineyards (wine), Bear’s Cup (bagels and other baked goods), Hebron Valley Veal (fresh meats), and Sweetbrier Farms (herbal wellness and body care goods). With 50+ vendors bringing a variety of fresh produce, ready-to-eat foods, and artisanal products each week we strive to remain accessible and affordable to our local residents throughout the winter. 

Market Vendors: 
Key: Vendors for *Nov-Dec only. ^Vendors new to our winter market.

518 Farms^
Argyle Cheese Factory
Ballston Lake Apiaries
Bear’s Cup
Big Breath Wellness
Bunker Hill Creamery^
Daily Fresh*
Earth to Mind
Echo Creek Farm^
Elihu Farm
Euro Delicacies
Feathered Antler
Fossil Stone Vineyards^
Freddy’s Rockin’ Hummus
Giovanni Fresco
Gómez Veggie Ville
Goodway Gourmet^*
Grandma Apple’s Cheesecakes*
Green Jeans Market Farm
Hebron Valley Veal^
Kim Dolan Designed Jewelry
Kokinda Farm
Longlesson Farm
Mariaville Mushroom Men
Moon Cycle Seed Company
Moxie Ridge Farm
Mrs. Londons
Muddy Trail Jerky Co.
Mugzy’s Barkery
My Dacha Slovenian Cafe
Nettle Meadow
Owl Wood Farm*
Petra Pocket Pies
Pleasant Valley Farm
Puckers Gourmet
Pura Vida Fisheries
R&G Cheese Makers
Ramble Creek Farm
Saratoga Apple
Saratoga Chocolate Co.
Saratoga Garlic Company
Saratoga Peanut Butter Co.
Saratoga Suds ‘n’ Stuff*
Scotch Ridge Berries & Trees*
Slate Valley Farms
Slyboro Cider House
Something’s Brewing
Springbrook Hollow Distillery*
Squashville Farm
Sweetbrier Farms^*
The Chocolate Spoon
The Food Florist
The Vermont Spatzle Co.
Underwood’s Greenhouse / Shushan Valley Hydro Farm
Vital Eats
Yankee Distillers LLC

East Side Rec Reopens

Written by Kacie Cotter-Harrigan on . Posted in Sports.

The newly revamped East Side Recreational Park reopened this week.

Closed since renovation work began in the Spring, the reopening was kicked off with a ribbon cutting on Friday, October 30. 

Mayor Meg Kelly and the Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce were in attendance, along with school officials, construction associates, students and community members. 

“The future of East Side Rec is obviously bright,” said School District Superintendent Michael Patton.

WELCOME BACK TO THE GREAT OUTDOORS
The park’s renovations are part of the school district’s $15.6 million Great Outdoors Project, which was set in motion in 2016. 

The Project includes improvements to the District’s eight schools, Gavin Park, West and East Side Recreation areas.

The plan passed in May 2018, and no new taxes were levied to pay for the project. The East Side Rec improvements were budgeted to cost $6.5 million.

Completed improvements include a new field house (with restrooms, offices, and concession stand), overhauls to the stadium, baseball field turf, tennis, pickleball and basketball courts. 

New picnic areas with a pavilion, playground equipment, a paved fitness trail, lights, signage, and fencing have also been added. 

AN AMAZING PLACE TO PLAY
Students are excited to have the opportunity to make use of this incredible investment in the expansive park year-round. 

Saratoga Springs High School Senior, Nick Grosso, said he grew up playing at the park. Before the renovations there was a running joke about how much the condition of the tennis courts had deteriorated.

“In tennis, you have three surfaces that you can play on – courts that are clay, grass, or a hard surface. Here, it was a combination of all three because they were so rough and had so many cracks,” he said. 

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Carl O’Callaghan, a senior on the Saratoga High School Basketball Team said he liked seeing that there were big changes on the courts – they’ve been resurfaced, have new backboards and rims. 

Both agreed however, that the park still needed something.

“You can’t really ask for anything else, it turned out great. What it needs is more kids here,” said Grosso.

UP NEXT: THE LEGACY PROJECT VOTE
The next renovation proposal for the school district is The Legacy Project, a $129.7 million capital improvement plan. 

Building and safety improvements, energy efficiency, and educational program enhancements are included in the project, which will be funded with no additional taxes levied. 

The vote is scheduled for December 8. 

For more information about The Legacy Project, go to www.saratogaschools.org.

A Day to Remember: Gaylord Brunell honored by Family and Community for his 90th Birthday

Written by Kacie Cotter-Harrigan on . Posted in News.

Earlier this week, Jill Chouinard orchestrated a surprise 90th birthday celebration for her father —  and one of Ballston Spa’s favorite sons, Gaylord Brunell. The ninety year-young Brunell was given a day to remember led by dignitaries from State and County level elected officials.

The Maple Avenue Fire Department was the scene of the event. State Senator Jim Tedisco and County Sheriff Michael Zullo made speeches crediting Gaylord for his years of service in his adopted home town and county.

Prior to the festivities, a parade led by police cars and fire trucks slowly made its way past Gaylord’s home on Rowland Street, attracting the many family members, friends, work associates and well wishers who braved the chilly weather to honor this American Original.

The day after Gaylords birthday bash this reporter was given the opportunity to sit down with him and learn of the journey that he took as a member of America’s Greatest Generation.

He spoke of his family moving From Altona, New York to this area when he was nine years-old. A decade later he found himself in war torn Korea.

Gaylord served with the 25th Division as a military policeman. The unit saw it’s share of action. Gaylord remembers the extreme cold that the soldiers faced. It was not uncommon to brave temperatures reaching twenty- five below zero Fahrenheit for extended periods of time.

When his tour was up Gaylord made the seven thousand mile trip back to Ballston Spa. His training as an MP would soon come in handy in a law enforcement career that would span four decades.

Not sure of his future, he headed out to California to visit his brother.

Gaylord decided to stay and took a job with AT&T. After a short stint with that company he decided  to head back home.

This move would lead to his first job as a police officer. In the late fifties he was appointed to the Ballston Spa Police Department. To his surprise he was informed that he had to purchase his own sidearm. Otherwise he would have to go on the job without one.

This was a stepping stone to his landing a position with the Saratoga County Sheriffs Department in 1962. He married his high school sweetheart shortly thereafter.

For the next twenty-five years Gaylord plied his trade on the county roads. In the early years only two sheriff’s deputies patrolled the entire county on the night shift. It was not uncommon to ride the roads on nearly bald tires.The department did not have the funding as it does today. Gaylord presented his case on needing new tires for his vehicle. After bartering back and forth with hire ups he settled for two new tires. It’s hard to fathom in todays world. Yet that was the state of affairs in a bygone era.

Gaylord reached the rank of Sargent during his tenure. After twenty-five years of Service he retired from the Sheriff’s Department in 1986.

Not one to sit on his laurels he started a new career as a construction worker. Then Gaylord was on to a fourteen year tenure with Pompas Brothers. There he specialized in commercial black topping jobs.

After that it was time for a well deserved retirement. His wife of fifty-five years passed away a short time ago. Gaylord stays active. He tends to a garden in his back yard during the Summer months. He still drives a car and fends for himself. He also keeps his property in pristine condition. This nonagenarian still has the get up and go of people half his age.

Gaylord’s biggest fan is his daughter Jill. They have a strong bond that is easily recognizable.

On a final note an interesting thing happened to Gaylord during the birthday festivities. County employees were able to locate his badge that was turned in when he retired many years ago. It was presented to him as a gift from his peers. Among the many gifts that he received this one had a special meaning to this law and order advocate.

Hopefully Gaylord will hit the century mark ten years from now. That should be a birthday party for the ages.

COVID Fatigue: Healing the Rifts Between Us

Written by Kacie Cotter-Harrigan on . Posted in Families Today.

COVID fatigue is an inevitable consequence of the undue stress of this pandemic. People are really struggling with no reprieve from kids, from bills, from being cooped up inside the same four walls. Some people are tossing their masks—risking infection for themselves and their community—simply because they can’t take it anymore.  

Undue stress is an understatement for 2020. The pandemic has brought wholesale change to all of us, including fear and grief for lost loved ones, lost jobs, and lost way of life. But more than that, we’ve also had a year of divisive politics, racial tensions, civil unrest, a fluctuating economy, and angry rhetoric in social media. 

It’s no wonder that we find ourselves snapping at each other over everything from spilt milk to unpaid bills and everything in between. Some families and friends have even stopped speaking to each other. 

There’s no silver bullet to resolve COVID fatigue. No one-size-fits-all solution to healing the pain we cause each other when angry or unable to resolve differences of opinion. But there are several things we can do to try healing the rift or prevent one from occurring in the first place. 

Keep perspective. Thankfully, we have access to 21st century medicine and can be confident that this pandemic is temporary. It’s just one year, maybe two, which is hard, but doable in the grand scheme of things. It’s all temporary. 

Have compassion for yourself. Don’t beat yourself up for feeling angry, hopeless, or terrified. These are normal feelings for the times, and you are not alone. Be forgiving of yourself and those around you.

Shift to gratitude. You can choose how you interpret what is happening around you. Feeling gratitude will help you not sweat the small stuff and strengthen you when facing something more serious. 

Prepare for anger. You are going to feel angry. Everyone does. So, think about what you can proactively do to manage those feelings. In the gap between the impulse to act on your anger and the action itself, you have choices. What do you want to do the next time you feel angry? 

Recognize the signs of anger. Notice the changes in your body that precedes an outburst of anger. You might feel tension in your jaw, heat in your face, or tightness in your gut. If you pay attention to these cues, you can step back and take a breath. Walk away. Don’t send that email until the next day. It is much harder to walk back impulsive words and repair their damage than to not say them at all. 

Resist self-medicating. Anger is impulsive, often born of feeling powerless and helpless about the situation around you. Be mindful about self-medicating with alcohol or drugs, overeating, or spending too much money to manage those feelings. In the long run, they can make things worse.

Look beneath the anger. Your anger may be masking underlying depression, sadness, anxiety, or other emotion. Perhaps you are upset that you can’t visit your new grandchild in another state. Or you need time off from work, a day trip away, or some other kind of reprieve. Ask yourself what else you are feeling and why.   

Clear the air. Cold-shouldering isn’t good for you, and it isn’t good for anyone in the household or office. Perhaps the other person wants to make up, too, and doesn’t know how. If you feel safe to do so, then be the first to apologize. Not for your opinion, but for how you expressed it. 

Take responsibility. Use “I” statements when communicating. (I’m sorry. I want to get along with you. I value our relationship.) Don’t try to explain or rationalize the way you behaved. Own your part without any expectation that the other person will own theirs. 

Practice good communication. Difficult subjects should not be discussed through texts and emails. Face-to-face is best because much of what we communicate is nonverbal. Together, decide on ground rules for discussing topics where you differ, like politics. Dialogue to share points of view, not to change minds. Keep things constructive, not personal or threatening. Listen thoughtfully and respectfully. 

Seek help. The counterbalance to anger and frustration is cultivating positive reactions, such as patience, focus, and compassion. Sometimes that is easier said than done. It’s okay to ask for help through therapy, couples counseling, or your primary care doctor, to name a few. 

We are living through a momentous year of hardship and perseverance that will appear in school textbooks one day. It is normal to feel angry and afraid. But remember, we are also resilient and resourceful. We can do hard things.

A vaccine will come. Until then, we can resist the temptation to lower our guard. We can wear masks, social distance, and avoid gathering in groups for another year if necessary. We’re in a worldwide marathon to beat this virus. As long as we support and truly connect with each other, we can reach the finish line and show future generations how it’s done. 

Saratoga Hospital offers behavioral health services through our Primary Care practices, medication management and counseling at Saratoga Community Health Center, Inpatient Mental Health services (for those at risk of harming themselves or others), as well as substance abuse and behavioral health counseling through our Addiction Medicine services. Learn more at SaratogaHospital.org.

If your stress or anxiety is keeping you from getting through your day for longer than a week, or you cannot shake serious feelings of sadness and depression, call your healthcare provider right away. You can also call:

• SAMHSA Disaster Distress Helpline: 1-800-985-5990
• Substance Abuse & Mental   Health Services Helpline: 1-800-662-HELP (4357)
• Suicide Prevention Coalition of Saratoga County: 1-800-273-8255
• Saratoga County Crisis Line Hotline: 1-518-584-9030
• Wellspring Domestic Violence Hotline: 518-584-8188
• NYS Child Abuse Hotline: 1-800-342-3720
• National Suicide Prevention Hotline:1-800-273-8225
• NYS Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-942-6906
• Samaritans Suicide Prevention Center Hotline: 1-518- 689-4673

Challenge Accepted.

Written by Kacie Cotter-Harrigan on . Posted in News.

The rise of homelessness in Saratoga is both troubling and frustrating but not surprising, given the rise of Saratoga’s fortunes over the last two decades. A thriving economy lends itself to increases in housing costs, which in turn, leads to an increase in the number of local hard working families who can no longer afford housing. This pattern is not unique to Saratoga; it has repeated itself in similar communities across the country. What is unique to Saratoga however is that it benefits from a significant amount of resources; a deep level of community engagement; and a sincere desire by local agencies to shift their interventions away from being crisis-oriented towards a system that is focused on prevention and permanent housing. 

Saratoga Today invited the community to collectively respond to the homelessness challenge in our midst.  One agency alone cannot solve homelessness, it takes a coordinated effort across multiple agencies and sectors.  In the fall of 2019, a coalition was formed.  Over thirty agencies, from non-profits to the public and private sectors, agreed to work together to address homelessness in Saratoga. We are grateful to Saratoga Today for providing this forum for the coalition to communicate and collaborate with our community. We begin by dispelling some of the myths about homelessness. 

Myth #1: 
Most people who are homeless have severe mental health and/or addiction issues, and they choose to stay homeless. This common belief arises because those who are the most visibly homeless (e.g., living on the streets, sidewalks, in parks) often do exhibit these behaviors/challenges. These individuals are considered “high needs” and require intensive outreach and support services to help them navigate homelessness. In Saratoga, multiple times a day, outreach teams work hard to motivate these individuals to accept services and find a different path. It is not an easy job, as anyone who’s attempted to change the destructive behavior of a loved one well knows. However, high needs individuals, those most visible to you when you visit downtown Saratoga, are the smallest percentage of the homeless population (10% – 20%).  The vast majority of those experiencing homelessness, are individuals and families that you probably don’t notice; those who simply cannot afford housing in this market. Many of them are employed, leaving the shelter every day to go to work, trying to save enough money to rent an apartment.

Myth #2: 
It will cost too much to prevent and end homelessness by helping people pay rent (short or long-term). The aggregate cost of maintaining a person’s homelessness through the network of disconnected crisis agencies (e.g., emergency shelters, police interactions, and emergency rooms) typically costs three to four times more than it would to help someone pay their rent. This is true even when you include the cost of intensive services for those who need them to retain housing. When you stop and think about how many agencies that a person experiencing homelessness interacts with (by default or by design), and the true cost of those interactions, this economic reality becomes obvious. As we iterate to solve problems, we must follow what the data tells us—and in this case that means investing in access to, and preservation of stable affordable housing.

Communities around the country are proving that it is possible to end homelessness (defined as reaching and sustaining functional zero), and I truly believe Saratoga can do the same. It will take long-term, laser-like focus, political will, and—over time—shifting investments away from expensive crisis systems and towards prevention and housing (as well as employment services and access to healthcare). The amazing provider agencies in Saratoga, the faith community, and the City and County, have done, and continue to do, incredible work on this issue, much of it invisible to the casual observer.

Over the next few months, a federal CARES Act allocation will be available to Saratoga County for homeless response in the wake of the COVID crisis. This will be a county-wide collaborative effort by committed partners and organizations. Under the direction of Saratoga County Department of Social Services the CARES Act funds will further build out a system to address COVID-19 and to end homelessness, not manage it.  The emphasis will be through street outreach, supporting emergency shelter systems, homeless prevention, and rapid rehousing homeless households in permanent housing. We will keep you informed about this work via a monthly update in Saratoga Today.  Dear community member, please stay tuned for more stories and information as the months unfold. 

Learn more at EndHomelessnessSaratoga.org