SARATOGA SPRINGS — Luz D. Hannan passed away on Monday, January 6, 2020. A private graveside service was held on Friday, January 10, 2020 at Gerald B.H. Solomon Saratoga National Cemetery, 200 Duell Road, Schuylerville. For online condolences, visit compassionatefuneralcare.com
MECHANICVILLE — Michael L. Green, age 59, passed away on Monday, January 6, 2020 at Alpine Rehab & Nursing Center. A Celebration of life was held on Saturday, January 11, 2020 at the Knights of Columbus. For online condolences, visit compassionatefuneralcare.com
SCHENECTADY — Ernestine Lee Gooden passed away Friday, January 3, 2020. A funeral service was held Saturday, January 11th at Compassionate Funeral Care, 402 Maple Ave., Saratoga Springs. Calling hours were held prior to the service. For online condolences, visit compassionatefuneralcare.com
SARATOGA SPRINGS — Diane Famiano passed away Sunday, January 12, 2020. A funeral service will be held at 11 a.m., Saturday, January 18 at Compassionate Funeral Care, 402 Maple Avenue, Saratoga Springs. Calling hours will be from 10 to 11 a.m. prior to the service. Interment will follow. For online condolences, visit compassionatefuneralcare.com
COURT
Keith C. Owen, 42, of Saratoga Springs, was sentenced Jan. 8 to 1 year in jail, after pleading to criminal contempt in the first-degree.
Andrew M. Acabbo, 79, of Saratoga Springs, pleaded Jan. 8 to felony DWI.
Sentencing March 11.
Jaredd M. Elston, 26, homeless, pleaded Jan. 3 to assault in the second-degree, a felony. Sentencing March 6.
Anthony Orologio, Jr., 67, of Round Lake, was sentenced Jan. 7 to one year jail, after pleading to felony DWI, in Ballston.
Joseph P. Koren, 24, of Saratoga Springs, was sentenced Jan. 8 to five years in prison and 2-1/2 years of post-release supervision, after pleading to criminal possession of a loaded weapon in the second-degree. Koren admitted he possessed a loaded .38-cal. revolver in his neighbor’s yard on June 19, 2019, as he attempted to flee from police, and “repeatedly refused commands by city police officers to drop the revolver and keep his hands in sight,” according to Saratoga County District Attorney Karen Heggen.
Nicholas Q. Furnia, 25, of Gansevoort, was sentenced Jan. 6 to five years of probation, after pleading to felony DWI, in Wilton.
Elliott Q. Ruggles, 27, of Saratoga Springs, was sentenced Jan. 6 to 1-1/3 to 4 years in state prison, after pleading to felony DWI.
Christian D. Roldan, 36, of Northumberland, was sentenced to 2 to 4 years in state prison after pleading to attempted assault in the second-degree, and one year in jail after pleading to criminal obstruction of breathing. Sentences to run concurrently.
POLICE
Matthew T. Washburn, 30, of Hudson Falls, was charged Jan. 5 with strangulation, a felony, after allegedly choking another person to the point of unconsciousness, according to the Saratoga County Sheriff’s Office. The incident occurred in the town of Saratoga. He was sent to Saratoga County Jail in lieu of bail or bond.
Justin A. Peters, 29, of Milton, was charged Jan. 5 with strangulation in the second-degree, and criminal contempt in the first-degree – both felonies, and the misdemeanors: endangering the welfare of a child, and criminal mischief. Peters is accused of applying pressure to the neck/throat of another person, resulting in that person suffering a physical impairment, according to the Saratoga County Sheriff’s Office. He is also accused of violating an order of protection and preventing a person from calling 911. A minor was also present during the alleged incident. He was arraigned in Milton Town Court and released on his own recognizance.
Alena Demarco, 21, of Saratoga Springs, was charged Jan. 3 with misdemeanor petit larceny.
Marcus Elston, 28, of Saratoga Springs, and Neil Lescault, 45, of Mechanicville, were each charged Jan. 3 with one count criminal trespass, in Saratoga Springs.
Aaron Edwards, 38, of Corinth, was charged Jan. 4 in Saratoga Springs with assault in the third-degree.
Joshua Imler, 40, of Cohoes, was charged Jan. 5 in Saratoga Springs with misdemeanor DWI, and the unsafe backing of a vehicle.
Mark Galluci, 46, of Saratoga Springs, was charged Jan. 2 with harassment, and criminal tampering.
Robin Colon, 33, of Troy, was charged Jan. 2 in Saratoga Springs with assault, and criminal mischief.
Shawn Johnson, 37, of Saratoga Springs, was charged with criminal trespass on Jan. 1 and on Jan. 2.
Marie Elise-Bechard, 24, of Saratoga Springs, was charged Jan. 1 with criminal trespass.
Meghan McCabe, 40, of Saratoga Springs, was charged Dec. 31 with misdemeanor petit larceny.
Mickenzie Miner-Papke, 25, of Ballston Spa, was charged Dec. 30 in Saratoga Springs with unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle, and operating an unregistered vehicle.
Audrey Hill, 51, of Glens Falls, was charged Dec. 30 in Saratoga Springs with aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle.
When I finished my term on the BOE last summer I hoped that the divisive rhetoric around school safety would abate.We are so fortunate that our kids can walk to and from school safely, there are rarely physical fights in schools, homicides in our community are exceedingly rare, and our kids, for the most part, have teachers and staff who care about them.But I still worry for our children’s safety. Not from an extremely rare mass school shooting but from things like student anxiety, depression, and substance abuse that can be exacerbated by bullying, nastiness, feelings of isolation, and/or intolerance.We need to do better as a community.We all want safe schools.But, how can we expect students to try to understand different perspectives, think critically, and agree to disagree with civility if adults in our community do not?Let’s focus on making sure all of our students feel connected to school, are not experiencing bullying, and have the support to succeed academically and socially.That means assessing the climate of the district and developing an action plan to address areas of concern.
(www.p12.nysed.gov/sss/ssae/schoolsafety/school-climate.html). Let student voices, not a few adult voices, drive our safety related policies, procedures and programming.
– Heather Reynolds, Saratoga Springs
On January 3rd, 18-year-old Michael Ross of Malta threatened to shoot students at Maple Avenue Middle School. Thanks to the new bail reform law, Mr. Ross was released upon his own recognizance to be arraigned at a later date. The response of the Saratoga Springs School district was to increase the presence of armed Security on Monday January 6th. Which naturally begs the question, what about every day after that?
Despite the recent threat, the change to NYS law and the expert recommendations around the necessity of armed school guards, the Saratoga Springs Board of Education continues to sit idle. The debate about whether or not active and retired police officers are qualified to carry a firearm on campus is over. That question was settled by Andrew Cuomo and the Democrat Party controlled majority of the legislature last year.
Saratoga Parents for Safer Schools continues to hear from outraged parents, students and educators throughout the district, concerned that the recommendations from law enforcement and experts continue to be ignored by the school board. This spring we will again take on the task of electing new members to the SSCD board of education. Leaders that put the safety of the students and staff ahead of their own political agenda. Please join us in this fight.
– Kara Rosettie, Saratoga Parents for Safer Schools
My name is Jennifer Zhang and I am a college student and recent graduate of Potsdam High School, running to represent the 21st Congressional District at the 2020 Democratic National Convention (DNC) as a delegate pledged to Elizabeth Warren.
Elizabeth Warren is running on a platform of policies that will revitalize our community. Medicare for All will lower net health care costs, while her plan to establish a $25 billion rural health care access fund will improve lives for North Country residents. She has committed $2 trillion to green energy research and manufacturing, focusing on creating jobs in rural areas while also fighting the climate crisis. She has pledged $100 billion over ten years to end the opioid crisis and $7 billion to a nationwide fund to support small businesses. She will review and reverse mergers between large agribusinesses that made food markets less competitive and include representatives from rural areas in all future trade negotiations.
I firmly believe that Elizabeth Warren is the best candidate running and would be a phenomenal president. Come April, I would be honored to have your support as a delegate in the New York State Democratic primary, and Elizabeth Warren would be proud to have your vote.
– Jennifer Zhang
GANSEVOORT — William U. Winters, 85, a resident of Shelly Park, passed away Tuesday, January 14, 2020 at Saratoga Hospital.
Born May 28, 1934 in Elmira, NY, he was the son of the late Ulmont and Pauline Kuryla Winters.
Mr. Winters was a graduate of Elmira Free Academy in 1952 and was a US Army Veteran serving 1954-56. He had worked for NYS Corrections and then retired from NYS Department of Transportation in Saratoga Springs in 1989. He was a member of Old Saratoga Post #278 American Legion in Schuylerville and the Harley Davidson Owners Group. He enjoyed the outdoors, snowmobiling, motorcycling, boating and traveling the East Coast with his wife on his Harley Davidson.
In addition to his parents, he was predeceased by his sister, Lorraine Yole.
Survivors include his wife of 50 years, Jeanne Haskell Winters of Gansevoort; his son, Daniel (Lynn) Winters of Middle Granville; sister, Suzanne (James) Haskell of Hudson, NH; 3 grandchildren, 3 great-grandchildren, several cousins, nieces, nephews, great-nieces and great-nephews.
A funeral service will be held at 12:30 p.m. Friday, January 17, 2020 at Flynn Bros. Inc. Funeral Home, 13 Gates Ave., Schuylerville, NY with Rev. Janet Vincent officiating. Burial will follow at 2 p.m. in the Gerald B.H. Solomon Saratoga National Cemetery in Schuylerville.
Friends may call on Friday from 11-12:30 p.m. at the funeral home prior to the service.
Memorials can be made in his memory to the Gansevoort Fire Dept., the Moreau Emergency Squad or the charity of one’s choice.
Online remembrances can be made at www.flynnbrosinc.com
