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Author: Saratoga TODAY

Share A Step for Seniors Fundraiser at The Wesley Community

Written by Saratoga TODAY on . Posted in Neighborhood Buzz.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — The Wesley Foundation, the philanthropic arm of The Wesley Community in Saratoga Springs, welcomes Capital Region residents to take part in its “Share A Step For Seniors” virtual fundraiser beginning Thursday, June 19.

The weeklong fitness initiative, which runs through June 26, offers participants the opportunity to raise funds for The Wesley Community while working towards a fitness-oriented goal, such as running or walking a mile per day or completing a 30-mile bike ride. Members track their workouts, share their progress on social media and encourage friends and family to support their efforts via a donation.

All donations generated through “Share A Step For Seniors” will support The Wesley Community’s continued efforts to serve its residents and staff during the coronavirus global health pandemic. The Wesley Community is a non-profit senior living campus in Saratoga Springs with more than 700 residents.

“Showing love and support for our seniors is more important than ever and we are excited to hold a virtual event focused on health and wellness, while practicing social distancing,” said J. Brian Nealon, CEO of The Wesley Community. “We encourage participants to follow the guidelines from government and health officials during their fitness activities. All of us at The Wesley Community appreciate the continued support for this event.”

Registration is free. Individuals or teams interested in participating in the “Share A Step for Seniors” campaign can register at www.justgiving.com/campaign/shareastep.

Major sponsors of “Share A Step For Seniors” include Stewart’s Shops and the Dake Family, Jim LaVigne and Mary Gavin, Mannix Marketing and Saratoga.com, CDPHP, Ruth Pouliot, Lisa Cardone-O’Connor – Merrill Lynch Wealth Management, Fingerpaint and T.C. Equipment. 

For more information about the Share A Step For Seniors event, visit www.justgiving.com/campaign/shareastep or contact Katelynn Donovan via email at kndonovan@thewesleycommunity.org or by phone at 518-691-1616.

Carmel (Babe) Parisi

Written by Saratoga TODAY on . Posted in Obituaries.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Carmel (Babe) Parisi, 92, passed away peacefully in the arms of Christ on June 4, 2020. Services were private. Memorial donations in Carmel’s name to the Schuyler Ridge Nursing Home, 1 Abele Blvd. Clifton Park, NY 12065 or to charity of your choice. Visit burkefuneralhome.com.

June 12 – June 25, 2020

Written by Saratoga TODAY on . Posted in Calendar.

Friday, June 12

Fantastic Food Truck Corral
Washington County Fairgrounds
392 Old Schuylerville Rd., Greenwich | 4 – 8 p.m.
Enjoy fair food from the comfort of your own home. Get some of your fair food favorites for takeout or curbside pickup. Each week the Washington County Fairgrounds will be posting information about the food trucks joining them as well as their menu options. www.facebook.com/WashingtonCountyFairNewYork. 

Wednesday, June 17

Roast Pork Dinner
Saratoga-Wilton Elks Lodge
1 Elk Lane, Saratoga Springs | 4:30 – 6:30 p.m. 
For Curbside Pickup Only. Call Monday or Tuesday Between 10 a.m. – noon to place your order: 518-584-2585 
Menu: roast pork, mashed potatoes, vegetable, stuffing, applesauce, gravy and roll, tossed salad. Dinner for two – $25 (cash only).

Sunday, June 21

Annual Strawberry Social
Wilton Heritage Museum
5 Parkhurst Rd., Wilton | 1 – 4 p.m.
Curbside pickup only. Donation $5. Collected in jar, exact cash. Strawberries, home-made biscuits, freshly whipped cream. Sorry we cannot socialize as usual because of New York State’s restrictions. 

Thursday, June 25 

Online VBS – “Rocky Railway Rally – Jesus’ Power Pulls Us Through!” 
St. Paul’s Lutheran Church | 11 a.m.
Join for this summer’s Vacation Bible School. This online VBS is being held for five consecutive Thursday mornings, beginning June 25 at 11 a.m.  Pastor Adam from St. Paul’s Lutheran Church will bring a different Bible story to life each week and teach some of the VBS songs. Each family that registers will receive a code to download the positive and uplifting VBS songs that will have your whole family singing!  Best of all, like God’s amazing grace, it’s completely free! Go to SpaLutheran.org/vbs for more information and to register. Consider this event to be a sneak peek for next summer’s in-person VBS, to be held June 28 – July 2, 2021! 

A Voice to the Voiceless

Written by Saratoga TODAY on . Posted in Letters to the Editor.

I thought I would give voice to the voiceless, defend the defenseless, and walk the walk, not talk the talk.  I thought I would shed some awareness of a situation that arises in our own hometown.  I would like to bring those in the dark into the light…

When I go to get ice cream at Stewarts, and I am greeted with friendliness and cheerfulness upon requesting a sample, when my friend, who requested a sample earlier,  is given no smile and is sneered at without eye contact…that is racism.

When I go to the checkout counter at the Saratoga Springs Public Library, and I am greeted with salutations, and served with eye contact, calm and relaxed service and smiles, but the man before me was given no eye contact from the checkout clerk, and even worse, serviced with a quick flurry of activity from the clerk to move him along as promptly as possible, and no salutations is offered…that is racism.

When I hear of a friend’s black son, attending high school at Saratoga Springs High School, sitting in a class, and the teacher admits to the whole class that he crosses the street when he sees a black person walking toward him, in order to walk on the sidewalk on the other side of the street…and even worse, nothing is done about it, no apology from the teacher in front of the whole class, no reprimand of the instructor…nothing in writing in the teacher’s record…that is racism.

Racism and bigotry knows no bounds, exists in more places, and occurs more frequently, than most white people can fathom.  When you have walked side by side with someone who is judged based on their color, and not on their character, perhaps some awareness will be awakened.  When you are sneered at or dismissed or disregarded while walking with your friend, perhaps you will “feel” what is means to be black…

Walk the walk, protest, give voice to the oppressed and victimized, and perhaps you will understand what white privilege is in your own home town.

– Rachel C. McDermott, Financial Representative

Beating the Pandemic: Cutting Edge Research at Saratoga Hospital

Written by Saratoga TODAY on . Posted in News.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — In every public crisis, people rely on the training and courage of first responders and emergency medical personnel. While that remains true in the COVID-19 pandemic, the teams whose mettle are most tested are in
the laboratory. 

Saratoga Hospital’s Chair and Medical Director of Saratoga Hospital Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Josenia “Joy” Tan, MD, MT(ASCP), FCAP, and Director of Laboratory Services Richard Vandell, MS, MT(ASCP)SC, SH, knew they were facing a virus that spread like wildfire, but no one really knew how or how to identify those infected. 

According to Dr. Tan, “Even large laboratories were making decisions in the dark. So we read everything we could get our hands on for ideas. The community was counting on us, so we worked the science and kept figuring it out.”

Dr. David M. Mastrianni, senior vice president of Saratoga Hospital Medical Group, said, “Let me explain how rare our laboratory team is. When we ran out of viral transport media, they made it. When we were low on testing swabs, they had them 3D printed. When testing kits were becoming scarce, they started batch testing. And they couldn’t just implement these changes. They had to first prove these ideas worked. Other lab directors would have given up, but not ours.”

 According to Dr. Mastrianni, this response is not typical for labs outside of research campuses or even in larger hospitals. This higher level of function meant the lab was conducting research and validating the results, all while testing the public and patients for the virus as well as performing all their regular non-pandemic duties. 

“Our first task was to stop the spread, and you can’t do that without testing to identify who has it,” Vandell said. “We didn’t have enough testing supplies. No one did. But we always find a plan B.”

The lab’s initial accomplishment was to establish a testing tent in record time, making Saratoga Hospital the first and longest continuously running specimen collection facility for the COVID-19 test in the region. Overall, Saratoga Hospital has tested nearly 8,000 people.   

Then, to assure the safety of patients and staff and conserve protective gear (PPE), the hospital decided to test every inpatient. For a long time, it was the only hospital in the region to do that. Additionally, the lab obtained “rapid test” capabilities, a test for COVID-19 that could be done in-house and returns quicker results. 

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These tests remain in short supply, so the lab researched “batch (or pooled) testing” to help conserve them. Five samples of low-risk patients are now combined into one vial. If the test comes back negative, four test kits as well as PPE are saved. If it comes back positive, which only happens less than 1% of the time, patients are retested individually.   

Saratoga Hospital offers physician-ordered antibody testing services, an in-house test that is another innovative use of existing resources brought about by the lab team. When rapid test collection swabs were hard to find, the team researched and obtained 3D printed swabs and validated them for use.

When many hospitals stopped testing due to a shortage of viral transport medium, a solution that preserves a patient’s sample on its way to be tested, Saratoga Hospital’s lab and in-house pharmacy made it from scratch, following CDC guidelines, then the lab validated its quality and purity, and now there’s an ample supply.   

With the combined efforts of physician leadership, the infectious disease team, senior leadership, and others, the lab also developed a diagnostic algorithm to help physicians decide which test to use and when to use it. At the time, there wasn’t one for COVID-19.   

“Our process and data for it have been submitted to the FDA and NYS Department of Health,” Dr. Tan said, “Once authorized, anyone in the country can follow our procedure. It’s remarkable, the amount of collaboration and support we have to do this.”

Working with its affiliate partner, Albany Med, Saratoga Hospital has been able to continuously work with the state laboratory to keep results moving. And Skidmore College loaned its biosafety hood, which allows laboratory scientists to safely handle infectious specimens, once the lab realized the two they had would not be enough to handle the extra capacity.

“There’s so much riding on what we do,” Vandell said. “Testing is key to reopening and will continue to be a challenge into the foreseeable future.” 

Dr. Mastrianni agreed. “To successfully meet a pandemic head on, it all boils down to having people who are really bright and a supportive administration that lets them use their imagination, good judgment, and years of experience to do what they do best.”

New Tang Exhibition Opens Online

Written by Saratoga TODAY on . Posted in Entertainment.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — The Frances Young Tang Teaching Museum and Art Gallery at Skidmore College announces the opening of Lover Earth: Art and Ecosexuality, a student-curated online exhibition that encourages viewers to think critically about their bodies and the planet. The exhibition is presented on the Tang website.

Organized by Caroline Coxe ’20, Lover Earth draws on the ideas of Elizabeth Stephens and Annie Sprinkle, collaborative performance artists who coined the term “ecosexuality” to describe an erotic connection to nature. Instead of “Mother Earth,” they opt to use the phrase “Lover Earth” to denote a reciprocal relationship between humans and Earth.

Through a selection of paintings, prints, photographs, and moving images, Lover Earth recontextualizes artworks from the Tang collection—many being shown by the Museum for the first time—to create a diverse ecology that celebrates nature, sexuality, and the ways in which these ideas intersect.

Franklin Williams’s A Beautiful Dark Moment, 1973, combines acrylic paint, twine, yarn, and fabric to create abstract shapes and hairy tendrils that conflate human, animal, and plant sexual anatomy. Frank Moore and Jim Self’s video Beehive, 1985, explores the sexuality of honeybees through dance; Paula Wilson’s video Salty & Fresh pays homage to feminine creativity by telling the creation myth of an artwork while alluding to fertility and birth as they symbolically relate to bodies of water.

Other artists with work on view in the exhibition are Steven Arnold, Atong Atem, Dorothy Dehner, Naomi Fisher, Flor Garduño, Corita Kent, Ana Mendieta, John O’Reilly, Olivia Parker, Clare Richardson, and Dasha Shishkin.

Lover Earth continues the Museum’s tradition of Skidmore College students curating their own exhibitions. Coxe, a studio art major, is the 2019–20 Eleanor Linder Winter ’45 Intern, and the exhibition is the capstone project of her internship. 

 Go to: tang.skidmore.edu. 

Property Transactions: May 30 – June 5, 2020

Written by Saratoga TODAY on . Posted in Property Transactions.

BALLSTON SPA

31 Woodside Dr., $3239,827.
Michael and Julie Burnetter sold property to Christopher and Michelle Kulak.

CLIFTON PARK

27 Sterling Heights Dr., $430,000.
Kate and Christopher Schleede sold property to Steven Liquorman and Jami Pecora Liquorman.

34 Huntwood Dr., $220,000.
Maureen Mucahy sold property to John Belkevich III.

73 Tallowwood Dr., $191,000.
Betsy Cuttita  sold property to Senthil Dhechinamoorthy and Priyameena Manoharan.

997 Hatlee Rd., $430,000.
GJA and S LLC sold property to Ryan Baker and Keila Koch.

37A Greensboro Blvd., $185,000.
Valentino Tebbano sold property to Maria Wilder.

35 Heritage Pointe Dr., $460,000.
Boubacar Bah sold property to Vidyaranya Gujju and Preethi Shalini.

22 Sunrise Terrace, $293,814.
Rodney and Ingrid Peterson sold property to Shawn Benoit and Diane Larue. 

20 Woodstead Rd., $351,000.
Joseph and Ann Baumgartner sold property to Kelsey and Eric Mokarry. 

38 Barkwood Lane, $230,720.
British American Remodel and Design LLC sold property to Rose Rider.

40 Vistas Court, $353,244.
Vistas West Development LLC sold property to Ronald and Carolyn Schirnglone.

74 English Rd., $389,000.
Victor and Tatyana Aristova sold property to Richard Ditieri III.

41 Vista Court, $363,000.
Vistas West Development LLC sold property to Jack and Judith Eastman.

12 Tipperary Way, $650,000.
Kristen Chopas sold property to Frank and Lynne Iati.

34 Vista Court, $383,344.
Vistas West Development LLC sold property to Maura O’Brien.

CORINTH

315 Angel Rd., $169,148.
Rosalie Mosca (Ind and as Agent) and Phyllis Sanfilippo (by Agent) sold property to Michael Morris.

677 County Rte 25, $80,000.
Maynard Lillibridge (by Exec) sold property to Barry McDonough.

GALWAY

5960 Jockey St., $133,000.
Travis Mitchell sold property to Joseph Dannible.

23 Ericson Dr., $288,100.
Michael Carpenter sold property to Thomas and Caitlin Aldridge. 

3098 New York State Route 9N, $225,000.
Orisek LLC sold property to MNMC Property Holdings LLC. 

HALFMOON

26 Dormie Ave., $294,900.
Sean Lyons sold property to Nicholas Hess and Heather Daigneault.

35 Silo Dr., $386,000.
Wilfredo Miranda, Jr. sold property to Brian and Allison Miranda.

4 Linden Park Dr., $105,000.
United Residential Group LLC sold property to Marini Homes LLC. 

4 Linden Park Dr., $496,237.
Marini Homes LLC sold property to Grant Smith III.

14 Halfmoon Dr., $154,500.
Andrea and Kenneth Retell III sold property to Michael and Stephanie Macdonald. 

1534 US Rte 9, $500,000.
Denooyer Realty Corp sold property to One Thousand Five Hundred Thirty Four Route 9 LLC.

148 Clamsteam Rd., $235,000.
Dane and Kaitlyn O’Neil sold property to Frank Costanzo.

43A Raylinsky Lane, $253,400.
Valerie Franz sold property to Mark and Lynda Travis.

MALTA

3 Meadow Rue Place, $280,000.
June and Kristin Schlichting sold property to Zachary Westbrook and Tara Wheeler.

108 6th St., $205,000.
Nicholas Curto, Jr., Arthur Curto, Celeste Curto Benoit, Denise Curto Miller, and Anita Curto Jesmer sold property to Nicholas and Lynn Argenti.

90 Arrowwood Place, $210,000. 
Sara and Thomas Killian, III sold property to Corissa Salvo.

5 Basswood Court, $345,000.
Michael and Brooke Trotta sold property to Suzanne and Patrick Cronin, Sr.

1132 Laural Ln, $230,000.
Chelsea Ahl sold property to Giovanni and Domenico Casanica.

East High St., $3,900.
Town of Malta sold property to Christina DeFilippo.

39 Vettura Court, $409,191.
DeGraff Bloom Custom Builders Inc. sold property to Susan Verhaeg (as Trustee).

MILTON

154 Bath St., $143,500.
Peter Ruggiero sold property to Duane and Christine Averill.

344 Northline Rd., $72,000.
Linda Wilber sold property to DMJ Property Management LLC.

5009 Fairground Ave., $218,299.
Paul Laskey, Sr. (Co-Trustee) and Timothy Laskey (Co Trustee) sold property to Mary and Paul Laskey, Sr.

16 Skylark Dr., $270,000.
Christine Lindheimer Dinuzzo sold property to Laurie Simmons (as Trustee).

MOREAU

8 River Crest Rd., $328,000.
Mitchel Barker sold property to Travis Longenbach.

TOWN OF SARATOGA

204 Patriot Hill Dr., $85,000.
Northeast Green Tech LLC sold property to Cerone Construction LLC. 

204 Patriot Hill Dr., $564,500.
Cerrone Construction LLC sold property to Michael and Kelsey Altavilla.

254 Burgoyne Rd., $185,000.
Secretary of Veterans Affairs, Department of Veterans Affairs sold property to Jarrod John.

SARATOGA SPRINGS

25 Sarazen St., $20,000.
Barbara Stamas (by Admin) sold property to AAA O and E Properties LLC.

55 Crescent Ave., $279,000.
Brandon and Jo Ann Winchell sold property to David Deciantis.

250 Excelsior Ave., $2,400,000.
CLC Real Estate Corp sold property to MAG Realty Holdings Excelsior Park LLC.

174 York Ave., $305,000.
Kathleen Leary sold property to Megan Lombard.

284 Washington St., $200,000.
Helen Scalo sold property to Wilmington REO LLC.

STILLWATER

11 County Route 75, $348,000.
Ronald and Denise Cooney sold property to Gregory and Jacqueline Schnapp.

WILTON

30 Sheffield Rd., $445,000.
Andrew and Christina Armstrong sold property to Christopher and Laura Sullivan.

4 Sheffield Rd., $435,000.
Bernard and Marisa Rahman sold property to Gregory Prisco and Jesiah Roche.

284 Dimmnick Rd., $405,000.
Brian McKenzie sold property to Blake Dillon.

9 Oxford Dr., $307,000.
Rhonda Bonacci sold property to Maxwell and Samantha Grey. 

3 Conklin Court, $421,890. 
McPadden Builders LLC sold property to David Zachar.

New Owners Planning Upgrades at Saratoga Hilton Garden Inn

Written by Saratoga TODAY on . Posted in Business.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Gulph Creek Hotels is seeking approval from the city of Saratoga Springs to renovate the Hilton Garden Inn, three months after purchasing the 112-room hotel.

Exterior renovations are part of $2 million in proposed upgrades planned by the suburban Philadelphia hotel management company.

Gulph Creek purchased the 21-year-old Hilton Garden Inn for $9.75 million in February. The South Broadway hotel was acquired from BRE Select Hotels Properties LLC, part of Blackstone Group (NYSE: BX). The deal closed Feb. 20.

The new owners have filed an application with the Saratoga Springs Design Review Commission seeking an architectural review of plans to replace the front entrance, repaint the hotel and make other exterior improvements at the 2.75-acre property. Gulph Creek is working on the project with architect Kiprian Fedetz of Allentown, Pennsylvania.

Gulph Creek executives said in February that the Hilton Garden Inn’s occupancy had been strong, but the company purchased it seeing opportunities for improvement. Less than a month after the purchase, the Covid-19 pandemic started spreading across New York state, forcing thousands of businesses to shut down, dramatically limiting travel.

Hotel occupancy in Saratoga County fell by 38.5% in March 2020, compared to the same period the previous year.

The city is preparing for its busiest season; however, this summer’s turnout remains in question since the Saratoga Race Course plans to run without permitting fans at the track. Last year, more than 1 million people attended the races.

Gulph Creek owns a half-dozen hotels and manages 20 others in Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania. The company secured a $9.6 million mortgage through Truist Bank of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, when it purchased the Saratoga Springs hotel. Approximately $2 million of that total was part of a construction loan to cover renovations.

Gulph Creek principal Derek Sylvester said in February that the new owners also plan to upgrade the bar and reconfigure the lobby. The 112 rooms already had been renovated over the past two years.

Developer Ready for $12.4 Million Saratoga County Tech Park

Written by Saratoga TODAY on . Posted in Business.

 SARATOGA SPRINGS — Developer Mark Rekucki is about to invest $12.4 million to construct three warehouses totaling 186,000 square feet at his 200-acre Synergy Tech Park site in Clifton Park.

The founder of M.J. Properties of Clifton Park will build the warehouse-and-office buildings on speculation after receiving interest from a string of logistics and shipping companies since introducing plans to develop a technology park off Route 9 and Kinns Road.

Rekucki is working with Saratoga Economic Development Corp. to apply for mortgage, sales and property tax incentives through the Clifton Park Industrial Development Agency to help control the cost of the overall project. If approved, Rekucki would save $1.5 million in taxes over 10 years, including $470,000 in sales tax breaks.