Author: Marisa Scirocco

The history of architecture has often promoted the idea that bigger is better but today, the tiny house movement is challenging this notion.

Offering the styling of larger houses with a lower price tag, minimalist living is an attractive option for environmentally-minded homeowners who want a simpler lifestyle. 

Building a tiny house, however, is no simple task. 

The Best Laid Plans

The 220 sq. ft. tiny house was a big project that involved a lot of work by many people. 

Even before the high school students in the Washington-Saratoga-Warren-Hamilton-Essex Board of Cooperative Educational Services (WSWHE BOCES) Residential Construction Course began the tiny house project, work-based learning coordinator, Bruce Hoffman, was helping to organize donations of materials, appliances and expertise from a long list of industry professionals. 

“At BOCES we thrive on that. We always want to show the value of cooperation and building relationships with the community. That all comes together in this project. It showed, very clearly, what you can do in a BOCES program and what can be accomplished,” said BOCES Senior Public Information Specialist Maribeth Macica. 

In seven months students, led by instructor Ian Hamilton, redesigned architectural plans to make the tiny house mobile, built much of it, and worked on electrical and plumbing components within it at the F. Donald Myers Education Center campus in Saratoga.  Welding class students modified the trailer deck, and conservation class students used heavy equipment to tow it once it was completed. 

Showcasing Student Opportunities

The WSWHE BOCES programs provide students with opportunities for hands-on learning and gives them the experience to get well-paid jobs. 

“Each program has a consultant committee that annually reviews the curriculum and gives advice as to what’s happening on the cutting edge of that industry,” said Macica. 

BOCES students are learning things the average high school student is not. You may already know that WSWHE BOCES students build sheds, but did you know that last spring, they cleared a site in Moreau for the Harry J. Betar Recreational Park & Playground or that they design and create the “Tuff eNuff” obstacle course each year in Saratoga Springs?

These activities build a workforce and strengthen the community which is eager to hire skilled people. To help get the word out, the BOCES tiny house was on display at the Washington County Fair, and at three different locations in the fall Showcase of Homes, organized by the Saratoga Builders Association (SBA). 

“The Saratoga Builders Association has 160 members and our mission is very focused – we promote construction and make life in Saratoga County better,” said SBA Executive Director Barry Potoker.

This year will mark the 25th annual Showcase of Homes tour. It attracts between 3,500 – 4,000 visitors each year and has helped to fund the $1.3 million that the SBA has donated  to charitable causes. 

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Designing the Tiny House

The Showcase of Homes demonstrates what area builders can do. These homes show off the latest in building innovations and luxurious living. 

Interior designer Michele Ahl, of 2B Design, LLC. has served on the Showcase planning committee, as a judge, and won awards in 2016 and 2018 for her designs. She volunteered to help make the tiny house into a home. 

“The idea of promoting the youth in the trades got me very excited. They can make an amazing living. It’s a fantastic opportunity because now, if you want someone good, you have to wait a long time. If there were more people in the industry, we could do jobs faster and there would be more competition, which would bring prices down. It would help everything in every way,” said Ahl.

Designing for the Showcase of Homes is a unique challenge.

“In a lot of ways, it wasn’t any different than any Showcase house; there are big plans at the beginning, as time goes on, it all changes, and at the very end, you have to scramble to get it done. It’s very long days and nights, redesigning, rethinking, refiguring, shopping and returning things to make it work,” said Ahl.

Sizing Up Small Spaces

When it came to designing the tiny house, Ahl’s main concern was how to maximize livability in such a small space.  Since the structure is also mobile, she had to consider the weight of materials and furnishings, as well as how to secure them during transport. 

“In each location, the tiny house garnered a lot of attention. There was a line down the sidewalk of people waiting to get in each weekend to see what we did. People would flock to it,” said Ahl.

Features of the tiny house include a small front porch, a 10’x8’ sleeping loft, electric heating and a composting toilet. Vinyl plank flooring stretch the length of the main level with natural pine floors used in the loft space. There is a built-in seating area for up to 7 people, a small workspace, and a kitchen with a 4-burner stove and a wine cooler. A pine sliding barn door divide the living area from the bathroom and a Precision Glass floral-printed glass door cover the utility closet, which had enough room for a stackable washer and dryer.

After the Showcase, the tiny house was sold, fully-furnished, for $21,000 in an online auction.

Living Large in Small Spaces

While your space may not be as small as the tiny house Michele Ahl decorated, you can use her designer tips to get the most life out of your home.

Light Colors: Even when there isn’t sunlight flowing through the windows, small spaces feel bigger and more open when you pair neutrals, like whites and grays, with fresh eucalyptus and mint green colors. 

Clever Storage: Live well in any-sized space with storage that fits your needs. Use your vertical space! Hanging baskets and toiletry holders save on precious surface area. By hanging a mirror over the bathroom window, you create privacy that serves a second function.

Outside-the-Box Solutions: Create unique, inexpensive shelves by mounting books with brackets.  Copper piping in the kitchen makes interesting, usable cabinet hardware, and a wall-mounted sink positioned sideways saves space in the bathroom. 

Spring always brings flowers and the anticipation and excitement of the Historic Homes Tour, the largest fundraising event of the Saratoga Springs Preservation Foundation.  On Saturday of Mother’s Day weekend, May 9, Skidmore College was graciously going to open its doors of the historic Surrey-Williamson Inn to those on the tour and host our Buildings & Breakfast and Lunch & Learn events.  Unfortunately, due to the Coronavirus, the event was postponed.  However, there is no reason to delay sharing the history of this stucco English style building until the tour can take place!

Skidmore College made the decision to move to its current campus on North Broadway in 1961 when Board of Trustees member Erik Jonsson and his wife Margaret donated the former Henry Hilton estate, Woodlawn.  Prior to that, the Skidmore College campus was comprised of nearly 90 buildings located along Union Avenue and adjacent streets.  The college was faced with the need to grow and the increased costs of maintaining and operating a variety of historic buildings that included former mansions and associated carriage houses, a sanitarium, small hotels, and a church.  The 650 acres of Woodlawn gave the college the opportunity to build a new, larger campus.  Construction started in October of 1963.  The first buildings, a residential and dining complex and the Lucy Scribner Library, were completed in 1966. Building of the new campus and the transition from the downtown campus continued for several years.

It was the year following the opening of its first buildings that Skidmore College acquired what is today known as the Surrey-Williamson Inn.  The building and associated annex were originally part of the estate of E. Clarence Jones.  Jones was a prominent New York City banker and stockbroker who was known for his philanthropy.  He acquired lands of the former Henry Hilton estate and built his summer estate immediately over the city limit of Saratoga Springs in the town of Greenfield between 1917 and 1919.  The compound overlooked Woodlawn and included the Broadview Lodge, Overlook Cottage, Hill Crest Cottage, Pine Tree Cottage, and a stone stable as well as a garage with a chauffeur’s apartment. 

The Broadview Lodge, today the Surrey-Williamson Inn, was the main house of the compound that was built by prominent local contractor William J. Case and Son. On June 23, 1918 the New York Herald wrote:  “E. Clarence Jones has completed one of the most imposing villas on North Broadway. It is to be known as the Broadview Lodge and is on an eminence of a commanding and extensive view to the east. It is a copy of an old English villa and is very attractive.  The cottage is well back from Broadway and to the east the land gently rolls.  The gardens about the villa are very attractive.” 

The Broadview Lodge with its slate roof had twenty-one rooms, twelve of which were full baths. The first floor had an entrance hall with a double staircase, a living room, dining room, and two reception rooms. The ground level of the house contained a kitchen, butler’s pantry, refrigerator room, servants’ dining room, flower room, and a butler’s bedroom and bath. 

In January 1921, Jones, who had been divorced for twenty years, married Marjorie Seely Blossom, an actress and widow of author and playwright Henry Martyn Blossom. At the time, Marjorie was considered one of the most beautiful women of New York City.  Jones and his wife would typically spend from June through October at the estate and loved to entertain. 

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In 1926, Jones passed away.  His widow became the sole heir to Jones’ estate and retained ownership of the Broadview Lodge and the other buildings.  In 1928, she married Robert Amcotts Wilson, a retired British naval officer.  Over time the various buildings of the estate were subdivided.  In 1945, the Broadview Lodge was sold to former State Senator Thomas Brown and his wife Hattie. However, the Wilsons continued to summer at the Hill Crest Cottage until 1949.   

In 1946, the husband of Senator Thomas Brown’s daughter Elinor, Roy Wright, opened the Brown School for Boys at the Broadview Lodge.  It was a boarding and day school that offered one to two years of intensive preparation for college with small classes and much individual attention.  Many of the students were World War II veterans in their early twenties who needed preparation to attend four-year colleges.  Students, upon graduating, were admitted to prestigious schools including Yale, Colgate, Middlebury, Syracuse, William and Mary, RPI and others.  The school was short-lived and closed in the fall of 1948. 

The following year, the Brown School for Boys was converted into a 21 room hotel, the Surrey Inn.  A June 6, 1949 Saratogian article shared “extensive alterations in dining and room furnishings and decoration are being made. Twin-bed rooms and suites with private bath will be available. Accommodations for personal maids and chauffeurs will be maintained on the property. Dining service will be offered to non-guests by appointment only. While the hotel will be operated principally for guests wishing to spend a week or more in Saratoga, those staying for a shorter period will be accepted as vacancies permit.” 

Later the hotel, an eight room annex with garage, and associated furnishings were offered for sale for $65,500.  On May 12, 1965, The Surrey Inn Corporation acquired the property and extensively renovated it.  Less than two years later on January 18, 1967, Skidmore College President Joseph Palamountain announced that the college had received the controlling interest of The Surrey Inn Corporation in a gift-purchase transaction with Robert Ducas of New York City, the sole stockholder.  “Skidmore is very grateful to Mr. Ducas. Not only for his generous gift, but also for his thoughtfulness in making available to the college an attractive property adjacent to the new campus,” said Palamountain, who intended to continue to operate it as a hotel. 

The Surrey Inn – later renamed Surrey-Williamson Inn in honor of longtime trustee and benefactor Susan Kettering Williamson – became a popular location for members of the Skidmore community to gather for academic symposia, events, receptions, and meetings. With 10 newly renovated private guest rooms with private baths, onsite catering, beautiful gardens, and access to the college’s facilities, including its hiking trails, the space continues to be used for meetings, conferences, weddings, and other events.  “It is one of those special places that sets it apart from anywhere else on campus. It feels as if you are in another era when you step inside and you imagine the splendor and charm that guests over the past century have enjoyed,” shared Wendy LeBlanc, Director of Conferences and Events.  She is excited that this beautiful venue is now open to others outside the Skidmore community to experience.   

Over time, Skidmore College has acquired the other cottages that were once associated with the E. Clarence Jones Estate – Overlook Cottage (Colton Alumni Welcome Center, 860 North Broadway), Hill Crest Cottage (Waring Admissions Center, 950 North Broadway), Pine Tree Cottage (Van Patten House, 954 North Broadway) – to serve different administrative purposes, bringing back together much of the original estate. 

While it is uncertain when the Historic Homes Tour will be rescheduled, please take this time to walk North Broadway to see the former E. Clarence Jones estate and enjoy the peacefulness of the North Woods and campus while appreciating its architecture, history, and landscape. To learn when the Historic Homes Tour; Porch Party that kicks-off the event; Breakfast & Buildings, a presentation about the history of Woodlawn, the main campus of Skidmore College, by Emeritus Skidmore professor Robert Jones; and Lunch & Learn event with Charlie Kuenzel and Dave Patterson presenting “Saratoga’s Big Bang: The Post Civil War Building Boom,” will take place, please periodically visit the Foundation’s website SaratogaPreservation.org. 

Spring always brings flowers and the anticipation and excitement of the Historic Homes Tour, the largest fundraising event of the Saratoga Springs Preservation Foundation.  On Saturday of Mother’s Day weekend, May 9, Skidmore College was graciously going to open its doors of the historic Surrey-Williamson Inn to those on the tour and host our Buildings & Breakfast and Lunch & Learn events.  Unfortunately, due to the Coronavirus, the event was postponed.  However, there is no reason to delay sharing the history of this stucco English style building until the tour can take place!

Skidmore College made the decision to move to its current campus on North Broadway in 1961 when Board of Trustees member Erik Jonsson and his wife Margaret donated the former Henry Hilton estate, Woodlawn.  Prior to that, the Skidmore
College campus was comprised of nearly 90 buildings located along Union Avenue and adjacent streets.  The college was faced with the need to grow and the increased costs of maintaining and operating a variety of historic buildings that included former mansions and associated carriage houses, a sanitarium, small hotels, and a church.  The 650 acres of Woodlawn gave the college the opportunity to build a new, larger campus.  Construction started in October of 1963.  The first buildings, a residential and dining complex and the Lucy Scribner Library, were completed in 1966. Building of the new campus and the transition from the downtown campus continued for several years.

It was the year following the opening of its first buildings that Skidmore College acquired what is today known as the Surrey-Williamson Inn.  The building and associated annex were originally part of the estate of E. Clarence Jones.  Jones was a prominent New York City banker and stockbroker who was known for his philanthropy.  He acquired lands of the former Henry Hilton estate and built his summer estate immediately over the city limit of Saratoga Springs in the town of Greenfield between 1917 and 1919.  The compound overlooked Woodlawn and included the Broadview Lodge, Overlook Cottage, Hill Crest Cottage, Pine Tree Cottage, and a stone stable as well as a garage with a chauffeur’s apartment. 

The Broadview Lodge, today the Surrey-Williamson Inn, was the main house of the compound that was built by prominent local contractor William J. Case and Son. On June 23, 1918 the New York Herald wrote:  “E. Clarence Jones has completed one of the most imposing villas on North Broadway. It is to be known as the Broadview Lodge and is on an eminence of a commanding and extensive view to the east. It is a copy of an old English villa and is very attractive.  The cottage is well back from Broadway and to the east the land gently rolls.  The gardens about the villa are very attractive.” 

The Broadview Lodge with its slate roof had twenty-one rooms, twelve of which were full baths. The first floor had an entrance hall with a double staircase, a living room, dining room, and two reception rooms. The ground level of the house contained a kitchen, butler’s pantry, refrigerator room, servants’ dining room, flower room, and a butler’s bedroom and bath. 

In January 1921, Jones, who had been divorced for twenty years, married Marjorie Seely Blossom, an actress and widow of author and playwright Henry Martyn Blossom. At the time, Marjorie was considered one of the most beautiful women of New York City.  Jones and his wife would typically spend from June through October at the estate and loved to entertain. 

In 1926, Jones passed away.  His widow became the sole heir to Jones’ estate and retained ownership of the Broadview Lodge and the other buildings.  In 1928, she married Robert Amcotts Wilson, a retired British naval officer.  Over time the various buildings of the estate were subdivided.  In 1945, the Broadview Lodge was sold to former State Senator Thomas Brown and his wife Hattie. However, the Wilsons continued to summer at the Hill Crest Cottage until 1949.   

In 1946, the husband of Senator Thomas Brown’s daughter Elinor, Roy Wright, opened the Brown School for Boys at the Broadview Lodge.  It was a boarding and day school that offered one to two years of intensive preparation for college with small classes and much individual attention.  Many of the students were World War II veterans in their early twenties who needed preparation to attend four-year colleges.  Students, upon graduating, were admitted to prestigious schools including Yale, Colgate, Middlebury, Syracuse, William and Mary, RPI and others.  The school was short-lived and closed in the fall of 1948. 

The following year, the Brown School for Boys was converted into a 21 room hotel, the Surrey Inn.  A June 6, 1949 Saratogian article shared “extensive alterations in dining and room furnishings and decoration are being made. Twin-bed rooms and suites with private bath will be available. Accommodations for personal maids and chauffeurs will be maintained on the property. Dining service will be offered to non-guests by appointment only. While the hotel will be operated principally for guests wishing to spend a week or more in Saratoga, those staying for a shorter period will be accepted as vacancies permit.” 

Later the hotel, an eight room annex with garage, and associated furnishings were offered for sale for $65,500.  On May 12, 1965, The Surrey Inn Corporation acquired the property and extensively renovated it.  Less than two years later on January 18, 1967, Skidmore College President Joseph Palamountain announced that the college had received the controlling interest of The Surrey Inn Corporation in a gift-purchase transaction with Robert Ducas of New York City, the sole stockholder.  “Skidmore is very grateful to Mr. Ducas. Not only for his generous gift, but also for his thoughtfulness in making available to the college an attractive property adjacent to the new campus,” said Palamountain, who intended to continue to operate it as a hotel. 

The Surrey Inn – later renamed Surrey-Williamson Inn in honor of longtime trustee and benefactor Susan Kettering Williamson – became a popular location for members of the Skidmore community to gather for academic symposia, events, receptions, and meetings. With 10 newly renovated private guest rooms with private baths, onsite catering, beautiful gardens, and access to the college’s facilities, including its hiking trails, the space continues to be used for meetings, conferences, weddings, and other events.  “It is one of those special places that sets it apart from anywhere else on campus. It feels as if you are in another era when you step inside and you imagine the splendor and charm that guests over the past century have enjoyed,” shared Wendy LeBlanc, Director of Conferences and Events.  She is excited that this beautiful venue is now open to others outside the Skidmore community to experience.   

Over time, Skidmore College has acquired the other cottages that were once associated with the E. Clarence Jones Estate – Overlook Cottage (Colton Alumni Welcome Center, 860 North Broadway), Hill Crest Cottage (Waring Admissions Center, 950 North Broadway), Pine Tree Cottage (Van Patten House, 954 North Broadway) – to serve different administrative purposes, bringing back together much of the original estate. 

While it is uncertain when the Historic Homes Tour will be rescheduled, please take this time to walk North Broadway to see the former E. Clarence Jones estate and enjoy the peacefulness of the North Woods and campus while appreciating its architecture, history, and landscape. To learn when the Historic Homes Tour; Porch Party that kicks-off the event; Breakfast & Buildings, a presentation about the history of Woodlawn, the main campus of Skidmore College, by Emeritus Skidmore professor Robert Jones; and Lunch & Learn event with Charlie Kuenzel and Dave Patterson presenting “Saratoga’s Big Bang: The Post Civil War Building Boom,” will take place, please periodically visit the Foundation’s website
SaratogaPreservation.org. 

Most years, this story would be about the fabulous gardens awaiting visitors on the Secret Gardens Tour planned for July.

But this isn’t like most years. 

With the status of the Covid-19 virus uncertain, the Saratoga Soroptimist club decided for safety’s sake to cancel what would have been its 26th consecutive annual tour. 

Yet, even without a tour, the gardens will be fabulous. Gardening, after all, is a labor of love. It reflects individual creativity and appreciation for nature’s nourishment of our five senses — and our soul.

Just ask Heather Madigan. “I am a hospital physician actively caring for Covid patients,” she told Soroptimists in mid-April. “The gardening is my meditation.”

Heather owns the middle of three adjacent city homes that would have been on the Secret Gardens 

Tour. (All the gardeners have been invited to participate in 2021.) “We have been blessed with wonderful neighbors on both sides, and our backyards in many ways flow from one to the other,” Heather explained. A portion of her backyard is intended for urban farming, and, in addition to herbs and vegetables, there are organic free-range chickens, which sometimes wander next door. Social distancing doesn’t apply to fowl.

Sure, the tour is canceled this year, but the gardens still will be tended with their owners’ irrepressible passion, same as always. This is their pleasure.

“The shade gardens on the north side of the house are a personal favorite, very textural and soothing with a babbling water feature and a winding pathway to draw you into the little sitting area,” wrote Barbara and Glenn LaGrone about the gardens they built from scratch at their Ballston Spa home.  

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Down the road a bit, Chris Burghart’s backyard includes “Pollinator’s Playground at Mosaics Crossing,” a registered Monarch Way Station in a sunny area boasting a homemade totem pole and stepping-stones. Shady paths lead to a babbling stream with koi, goldfish, little green frogs – and a glass mushroom patch Chris has “grown” in her indoor art studio.

Not far from there, Liz Kormos and Sander Bonvell were excited to show visitors how their garden has matured and flourished since it was on the Secret Gardens Tour five years ago. Native grasses have been divided twice. Their arbor now supports three varieties of grapes and hardy kiwi. 

All these people garden for the joy it brings them, a sentiment Cathy and Neil Roberts understand perfectly.

Their Fiddle-i-fee Farm, named for a Pete Seeger song, is a mélange of fields, woodlands, and wetlands in eastern Saratoga County’s Bacon Hill. “It rolls to a bluff above the Hudson, with vistas east to Vermont and north to the Adirondacks,” Cathy explained. They have enriched the hedgerows and swales with arborvitae, larch, bald cypress, sycamore, willow, magnolia, pawpaw and persimmon trees. They planted a tulip tree when their eldest son was three years old; it is, like him, now more than four decades old. 

“A prairie reconstruction shares a field with an orchard and vegetable garden. An expansive informal garden billows around an Arts and Crafts-style house, borrowing views from surrounding nature,” Cathy wrote. The prairie was part of a hayfield she has turned into a meadow with grasses planted from seed. “By August the grasses are taller than your head,” she told me. 

Cathy experiments with plantings native to North America, though not common to upstate New York.  “You know how designers plan a garden on paper? I cannot do that. I just have to walk around. I’m familiar enough with the plant materials, their height, their type of bloom, and I like when they seed themselves, or things pop up somewhere else. I’m naturalistic. I like things to blend with the woodlands,” Cathy said. “It’s not just gardens that surround a house. We sort of made our own park.”

In early July, when the Secret Gardens tour typically occurs, they certainly have flowers in bloom, but, Cathy explained, “My garden is more about foliage. I am adding things all the time.” Come fall, their usual strategy is to fill their trailer with the bags people place curbside in nearby developments and use the leaves to mulch their flower beds and vegetable garden. 

Cathy and Neil have protected their entire 140 acres from ever being subdivided and developed through what’s called a conservation easement, accomplished with the guidance of Saratoga PLAN. “We love this land,” Cathy said. 

Part of their property is rented to an adjacent farmer for field crops. The couple concentrate their most intense cultivation on about five acres surrounding their home. “We’re always outside. Even when I’m not working in the garden, in the evening, particularly, I like to walk around my paths and see what’s flowering. Gardens are never static. I’ll go away for the day and be gone maybe six hours, and the garden is different when I return. It really is a park to us, and lovely to live in.

“To other people it would be, ‘Oh, groan, oh, work’,” Cathy said. Quite the contrary for gardeners on the Secret Gardens Tour. “This is what we like to do. We like to make things beautiful.” 

About Soroptimists

The Secret Gardens Tour is presented by Soroptimist International of Saratoga County, the local branch of an international professional women’s service organization whose name means the best for women. The all-volunteer event raises thousands of dollars for projects and programs in keeping with the Soroptimist mission to improve the lives of women and girls locally and globally. The local club’s keynote project is a hands-on program conducted through Wellspring, consisting of a series of classes to help victims of domestic violence obtain their legal and financial independence. Another exciting new program involves workshops and mentoring for girls in secondary school, aimed at helping them overcome obstacles to their future success. Soroptimists at SoroptimistSaratoga.org.

“Coming together is a beginning, staying together is progress, and working together is success.” ~Henry Ford~

Walking downtown seems so different now.

Retail shops and favorite restaurants are shuttered, with signs about the Governor’s mandate posted on doors and windows every which way you turn. 

No one expected this pandemic. And no one could have predicted the havoc it would play on lives, businesses, everyday joys in life – now on pause for the foreseeable future. No one ever would have guessed we’d have to wear masks out in public, staying six feet away from others. 

At first, we thought it would be a week or two of inconveniences – we were sure things would return to normal quickly, and we could get on with our lives. 

Of course, that, and more, proved untrue. 

People lost jobs; businesses closed, folks of all ages passed away from Covid-19 alone in hospitals, away from family and friends. Only essential jobs with essential workers remained. Travel ceased, seemingly overnight. State borders closed – or discouraged visitors for the time being.

All of us wondered how long this could go on – when would we re-open – what would we do in the meantime? 

If we weren’t in The Twilight Zone, it sure felt like it.

It still does.

Saratoga has always been a strong community. One of the things I love most about living here is that we’re a city full of people who rally together to help in times of need. 

So, the moment restaurants began to think outside the box, determined to do everything they could to stay afloat-we were open to the idea-excited to help out. 

Though some might have wondered if buying one or two meals curbside could even make a difference, there were more of us that said, “Our favorite place has a to-go menu, let’s order dinner.”

And the act of patronizing local places ignited hope for recovery – in me, at least. 

Below are a few of my favorite places to eat in Saratoga. I’ve always loved the restaurant staff, the building’s atmosphere, the freshest food, and imaginative recipes out there. 

Besides that, I’m a hugger – a big fan of greeting with a warm smile and handshake, leaving with a doggy bag and tight embrace. I’ve made friends in these places. I care about their livelihood. 

And they care about me.

Hugs will have to wait, for sure. But I can still smile behind my mask, ask how everyone’s holding up during this pandemic, offer a warm greeting, and say thanks as I leave. 

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Olde Bryan Inn

An old stone house with Revolutionary-era ties, this restaurant serves sandwiches, steaks, and hearty American fare. They have the best French onion soup.
www.oldebryaninn.com/take-out-menu

Eddie F’s

I was never so excited to discover this place. I’m from Boston, and seafood is a must there. I love their whole-belly clams, scallops, and super-thin battered onion rings.
www.facebook.com/eddiefseatery

Ravenous 

Here, it’s all about crepes – savory and sweet. Don’t even get me started on their French fries and poutine! I miss going in to sit by the window. I’m grateful they offer their full menu, even though it’s a curbside pick-up.
www.ravenouscrepes.com

Mrs. London’s

A boutique bakery that’s still open. (Thank God!) The seats are put away for now, but they sell pastries, sandwiches, loaves of bread, soups, and more. The last time I was there, you could buy discounted wine and spirits with a purchase. They also ship. Pretty cool.
www.mrslondonsbakery.com

Hamlet and Ghost

Bottled cocktails to go? Packed with delicious food from the kitchen? Ummm, yes, please. Their take-out menu is pretty extensive, and their signature touches of imagination and originality are written all over it.
www.hamletandghost.com

Taquero

Whoever said serving tacos, rice bowls, salads, and doughnuts was a good idea? Yes, I said doughnuts. Personally, I think they should be one of the four food groups. At Taquero, it’s all about ‘fresh and delicious.’ You need to try this place out if you haven’t already.
www.eattaquero.com

Duo

This is a pretty neat restaurant, serving Japanese cuisine and Hibachi. When they re-open, I suggest you make it a date-night. Dine on the freshest sushi, sashimi, steak, chicken, and seafood dishes. For now, no cash or in-person orders. Curbside only. 
duo-japanese.com

Flatbread Social

I miss the atmosphere here. I miss playing shuffleboard with friends while our pizza is baking. Their take-out menu is pretty extensive, and they even have a drink menu – craft cocktails, bottles of wine, and growlers to-go. Love that!
flatbread.social

BWP

While Wheatfields and 2 West are both closed, the WOW Restaurant Group offers up BWP for all my barfood faves… Wings, Pizza, Apps… yup!
beerwinepizza.com

These are only a handful of fantastic restaurants that have risen to the occasion in this unprecedented time – I’m sure you could add many to my list. I could, too.  Here’s the thing – they all need our help. Not just in a monetary way, either. Seeing our faces, knowing that we haven’t forgotten they’re an integral part of our community means a lot. 

I’m sure of it.

There are too many heroes to name at Saratoga Hospital. Everyone on the staff is going beyond the call of duty to fight this pandemic. 

Physicians, advanced practice providers, and nurses on the front lines providing direct patient care. Environmental Services, scrubbing everything clean. Engineering, reconfiguring rooms and equipment to provide the safest levels of quarantine. Information Services, finding technological answers to data tracking and connecting isolated patients with their families. These are but a few of the multiple departments tirelessly giving their all.  

Today, we are recognizing four of Saratoga Hospital’s many front-line and behind-the-scenes heroes who are making sure those on the front lines of COVID-19 have everything they need to provide life-saving medical care and keep patients, staff, and our community safe. Learn more at SaratogaHospital.org.

Nichole Mello, MS, RN

COVID-19 Navigator and Manager of Population Health & Engagement, Saratoga Hospital Medical Group

I was born and raised here in the Saratoga Springs area. My husband and I enjoy summertime at our camp with our two daughters, who are 5 and 10 years old. I’m a bit of a workout enthusiast. We hike, ride bikes, and walk our dogs.

I love my job, which touches on several areas, including chronic care management, quality and safety, public health, and health policy. Since February, I have taken on an additional role, COVID-19 Navigator. I manage the testing tent next to the Emergency Department.

 It is a complex task with many moving parts, such as making sure the tent is staffed and supplied, collecting data to help track the spread of the virus, and being the hospital’s liaison with county public health departments, our urgent and emergent care facilities, first responders, our medical group members, and other local providers. 

As of April 21, we have conducted 195 inpatient tests and collected another 2,124 specimens through the tent that were sent to Wadsworth, the test lab. On a single day, our tent team handled as many as 115 tests. 

We contact all patients with their results. I personally reach out to patients who have tested positive. I help them understand their symptoms, go over quarantine requirements, and connect them with a primary care physician if they don’t already have one. 

I have a great team doing vital work. I am proud to be able to do what I can for our community during this crisis.

Marissa Broadley, BSN, MPH, MSEd, RN, CIC, CPHQ

Manager, Infection Prevention at Saratoga Hospital 

Originally from Rockland County, I relocated to Saratoga Springs four years ago. My golden retriever, Jakey, and I love to get outside and spend time in Downtown Saratoga walking along Broadway and visiting its shops and restaurants, looking forward to when they reopen. I also like to relax with my knitting needles or read on my balcony, over-looking the Saratoga landscape. 

As a registered, board-certified nurse in Infection Control and Epidemiology, now more than ever, Infection Prevention is a job I find extremely rewarding and essential. 

As we learn more about the COVID-19 virus, new data and best practices are being identified minute-to-minute around the world. During the course of a day, I am investigating evidence-based guidelines and in constant communication with the NYS Department
of Health and regional Public Health Offices. One of my most important roles is to serve as a resource to every department within Saratoga Hospital and our numerous off-site locations. 

At the on-set of the COVID-19 pandemic, Saratoga Hospital implemented stringent visitation restrictions and patient isolation precautions. Collaborating with Hospital Leadership, all department plans have been continually evolving and re-evaluated as
updated information is received. Working with the Environmental Services Department, specific cleaning protocols have been implemented throughout the organization. Personal protective equipment (PPE) alternatives were discussed with our Materials Management and Occupational Health Departments, and Nursing triage processes were also augmented to include COVID-19 risk factors.

I am amazed at the impressive level of expertise and professionalism of the Saratoga Hospital staff during this challenging time. We will all get through this together.

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Susan Armer, RN

System Director, Sourcing and Contracting, Saratoga Hospital

I was born in Gloversville and live in Ballston Spa. I’m a runner and a mentor for a local Fleet Feet beginner 5k. I also volunteer for Saratoga Hospital Foundation. 

I had my first job at the hospital in 1990, when I was a senior in high school. I have worked in procurement for more than 20 years and have never seen anything like what we’re seeing today within the supply chain. 

The materials we have come to rely on are few and far between. We are experiencing the confiscation of supplies so that they can be redistributed to areas of highest need. So, we pivot and source similar materials from different vendors, being highly vigilant to avoid price gouging, counterfeiters, and products that aren’t up to our standards for safety. Everyone needs to be on their toes right now.

We’ve also found creative alternatives and methods to extend the life of what we have. We are using UV lighting to sanitize medical N95 masks so staff can use them longer. Every department that could spare supplies has been very generous in conserving and
redistributing items to areas in the hospital with the greatest need. 

We’ve been creatively sourcing isolation gowns, gloves, face shields, eye protection, hand sanitizer, procedure and surgical masks, and other items on short supply due to high demand, as countries all over the world are needing the exact same supplies at the same time. But, we’re lucky. Given what we were seeing in China, we began preparing for this back in January. We didn’t know the virus would come here, but we knew supply chains would be affected.  

With great effort from my sourcing team and the generous Saratoga community’s donations, we’ve been able to hold out much longer than expected. My purchasing and distribution teams have done a wonderful job of making sure departments are getting something, even if it’s not exactly what they were requesting. I can’t thank my teams and community enough for their incredible support, which has kept us able to continue to provide the high quality of care needed in this crisis.

Dr. Michael Holland 

Medical Director, Employee Health Services and Occupational Medicine, Saratoga Hospital and Saratoga Hospital Medical Group

I’ve lived here since ‘89 and all four of my kids went to Saratoga Springs schools. My wife and I now have three grandchildren. I’m a volunteer fitness instructor at Saratoga YMCA’s Wilton branch, which I enjoy very much.  

I’ve been working in Occupational Medicine for over 30 years, and with so many businesses closed and not hiring, that portion of my work has slowed considerably, but it has risen dramatically on the Employee Health side. As a hospital, it is critical for us to do everything we can to keep our employees safe and healthy, which also keeps our patients and community safe and healthy. 

Our team established a Sick Line call center, in record time, I might add, to provide a knowledgeable and compassionate resource for any questions employees may have about symptoms, possible exposures, or any health concern. For those who are home sick, we provide follow-up calls to continue to be a resource for them and their recovery. 

Given we have nearly 3,000 employees, we are quite grateful to the many nurses and staff from other departments, including Occupational Medicine, who have pitched in to help. Debbie Zaloga, RN, Taryn Woodard, RN, Marcy Dreimiller, MBA, SPHR, Associate Vice President of Human Resources, and everyone at Employee Health Services, Occupational Medicine, and Human Resources have been instrumental in establishing our protocols. Their work has been extraordinary.

We authorize tests for every employee with any possible COVID-19 symptoms, quarantining them until we have results. Any who are positive or sick at all are also quarantined until, following very strict protocols, they can return. Currently, employees who have tested positive contracted the virus from out in the community, not from patients. I have to thank the Infection Prevention and Environmental Services teams for their tremendous efforts, as well.  

The staff here at Saratoga Hospital are real troopers. It’s hard to maintain social distancing in the cafeteria and breakrooms, especially in stressful times when you want to be with your friends and colleagues—but everyone is doing their part, all highly committed to keeping the hospital safe for all our patients and our staff.