The Saratoga Race Course sign at the intersection of Union and East Avenues completed its refurbishment last week, according to New York Racing Association VP of Communications Patrick McKenna. The snazzed-up sign is currently advertising the upcoming Belmont Stakes Racing Festival, taking place from June 4-8. Photo via Patrick McKenna.
LAKE GEORGE — In June 2024, an electrical fire destroyed the Shepard Park bandstand.
Within three weeks of the fire, a committee of municipal leaders, presenters, technical engineers, artists, and community members was formed. Meeting weekly or bi-weekly since that time, the committee was tasked with helping inform the design of a new amphitheater and asked to provide diverse perspectives, speak to their experience using the space, and provide a range of voices in conversations centered around design, functionality, and accessibility.
The Village of Lake George and AJA Architecture recently unveiled the new design plan.
The design for the Shepard Park bandstand and amphitheater features an acoustic-centered design, improved sight-lines to both the stage and the lake, and safer, more accessible seating.
Artists will benefit from high-quality sound and lighting, green room facilities, and much-needed storage, while key safety upgrades—including lighting improvements in the park, ADA compliant walkways, and wi-fi improvements will enhance the overall experience for all who are visiting the park.
Construction is anticipated to be awarded and begin this summer, with completion in May-June 2026. For more information, go to: lakegeorgearts.org/shepard-park.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — Saratoga Immigration Coalition will host a general meeting at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 26.
The meeting will take place both in person and on Zoom.
Attendance by Zoom requires registration at the link: https://us02web.zoom.us/…/register/B6aDNz-4RZGvAtOMrKAqFA. After registering, a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting will be sent.
The meeting may also be attended in person, at the Presbyterian-United Church of Christ, 24 Circular St., Saratoga Springs. Enter the Nolan House on the church grounds from the parking lot off Park Place. For more information, email: saratogaimmigration@gmail.com, or call 518-306-1313.
HUDSON FALLS — A two-day health clinic hosted by Remote Area Medical (RAM), will be taking place on April 12 and 13 at Hudson Falls high school, and they are looking for volunteers. The clinic is being set up to offer free, quality dental, vision, and medical care to those in need within Hudson Falls and the surrounding area.
RAM is looking for volunteer medical, dental, and vision professionals, as well as general support volunteers to offer their time for this clinic. General support volunteers will help in the setup on April 11 and take down on April 13. Overnight parking volunteers are needed to greet patients, and interpreters can also aid patients through the process in the parking lot or during clinic operations. General support staff are not required to have any medical field experience to participate.
Since 1985, RAM has been providing free, high-quality healthcare to those living in underserved and uninsured communities, helping over 940,000 people through more than 1,400 clinics along the way.
For more information on the upcoming clinic, including how to volunteer or donate, visit www.ramusa.org or call 865-579-1530. The clinic will be held at 80 E. Labarge Street, Hudson Falls.
BALLSTON
Lynne Hilko sold property at 169 Lake Rd to Eric Schultz for $710,000
Catherine Todd sold property at 3 Jacob St to Frank Rakvica for $353,000
Ferdinand Danise sold property at 74 Cypress St to Jin Long Yun for $475,000
Michael Weaver sold property at 32 Mclean St to Paolino Peluso for $325,000
Glen Gerber sold property at 12 Forestbrook Dr to Mary Long for $429,900
Eric Schultz sold property at 972 Benedict Rd to George Hall for $420,000
CORINTH
Jenifer Leahy sold property at 92 Main St to 92 Main Corinthians LLC for $265,000
Malina Valentine sold property at 109 Eggleston St to Fabiio Borges for $230,000
GREENFIELD
Lawrence Picarello sold property at 261 Miner Rd to Nicholas Gush for $150,000
Margaret McCabe sold property at 81 Pepper Lane to Christopher English for $545,000
Robert Fox sold property at 6 Lower Meadow Lane to Kyle Hoeft for $1,150,000
Gail Johnsen sold property at 409 & 411 North Creek Rd to James McIntosh for $280,000
MALTA
Louis Dachille sold property at 110 Wineberry Lane to Mark Trucios for $202,000
Kyran Nigro sold property at 4 Woodshire Ct to US Bank Trust National for $568,832
Howard Dorn sold property at 17 Anna Lane to Linda Casse for $310,000
MILTON
Robert Kane sold property at 160 Saratoga Ave to Daniel Nolan for $439,900
Hunter Lane LLC sold property at 13 Hunter Ct to Edward Morris for $557,532
Matthew Jeanson sold property at 121 Finley Rd to Chad Farquharson for $265,000
SARATOGA SPRINGS
Chen Hong Yu sold property at 70 Beekman St to Yue Lan for $808,000
Peter Meisel sold property at 10 Flying Dutchmen Way to Ronald Vilardi for $685,000
Louis Morizio sold property at 83 Monroe St to Billie Jo McCann for $1,300,000
Armen Galluci sold property at 143 Caroline St Apt 6 to Mary Byrne for $299,500
Clinton Street Row House LLC sold property at 25 Clinton St to Michael Sheedy for $1,175,000
Adelphi Owner II sold property at 19 Washington St Apt 562 to Daniel Pickett II for $825,000
Adelphi Owner II sold property at 19 Washington St Apt 560 to Daniel Pickett II for $2,500,000
Spa City Property Partners LLC sold property at 116 Ballston Ave to Saratoga County for $2,500,000
WILTON
Nawed Siddiqui sold property at 37 Jessica Trace to Russell Barrett for $725,000
Pigliavento Assoc. LLC sold property at 16 Eastpointe Dr to Kevin Donovan for $930,791
Chandra Lagalwar sold property at 98 Damascus Dr to Sarita Laglwar for $300,000
Stephen Fortin sold property at 10 Bear Cub Crossing to Jay Woods for $525,000
Forest Grove LLC sold property at 42 Daintree Dr to Jacqueline Altavilla for $567,460
SARATOGA SPRINGS — The Phinney Design Group announced last week the groundbreaking of a sustainable residential development in Saratoga Springs that aims to set “a new benchmark for eco-friendly living.”
The new Riley Farms development is designed to integrate green technology, such as solar energy, geothermal heating and cooling, and advanced clean air systems, to create energy-efficient homes on a 30-acre nature preserve. Each home in the development will be designed with passive solar principles, high-performance insulation, and responsibly-sourced materials.
“This project is not just about building homes; it’s about staying true to our principles and creating a future where sustainable living is the standard, not the exception,” said Mike Phinney, founding principal architect at Phinney Design Group, in a news release.
“I didn’t want just another cookie cutter development,” said Riley Farms Owner and Developer Kenneth Scott. “We wanted to create a community of unique homes, as works of art.”
With construction already underway, the first homes are expected to be move-in ready by late 2025 or early 2026.
For more information about the project, visit https://rileyfarm.homes/.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — Last week, U.S. News & World Report published its 2025 Best Hotel Rankings, including the Best Hotels in Saratoga Springs category. For the third year in a row, Saratoga Arms has taken the top spot as the #1 ranked hotel in the Spa City. The hotel also earned a Gold Badge, signifying the top 25% of ranked luxury hotels within a ranking list.
U.S. News & World Report’s Best Hotels rankings evaluate more than 30,000 luxury properties across the United States, Europe, Bermuda, Mexico, Canada, and the Caribbean. The methodology considers a hotel’s star rating and both expert and guest sentiment by collecting annual awards from travel publications and user scores from various sources, the combination of which helps determine each hotel’s rank.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — The Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce, in partnership with Empire State University, announced last week the relaunch of the Saratoga County Institute of Management (SCIM). This program, designed for emerging or new managers, provides the essential skills and strategies needed to thrive in today’s workplace.
SCIM offers new accelerated six-week programs that not only sharpen technical and soft skills but also address some of the most common challenges faced by new managers. Participants will walk away with strategies to boost team dynamics, improve communication, and engage in effective leadership after track one. Track two covers a more tactical skill set, with a curriculum designed to cover finance, legal, human resource, and resource management.
“The Saratoga County Institute of Management reflects our commitment to cultivating management excellence across all sectors of our economy,” said Todd Shimkus, president of the Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce, in a news release. “SCIM is an incredible opportunity for local organizations to invest in their greatest asset—their people.”
The SCIM program was originally launched as a pilot program prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.
For more information or to register for SCIM, visit www.saratoga.org/scim.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — On Feb. 13, the Saratoga Springs City School District Board of Education approved the Legacy 2025 Capital Project referendum, a $142.8 million initiative aimed at districtwide improvements and renovations. The referendum will be presented to residents for approval on May 20.
The proposal includes modernizing additional classrooms; renovating selected bathrooms and kitchens; improving accessibility and energy efficiencies; and replacing select roofs, doors, and windows. The project will also include renovations to the high school auditorium, with new seats, carpeting, and finishes. Improvements will be made to existing athletic facilities as well, including resurfacing the track and installing turf on the infield of the softball field at Saratoga Springs High School.
Broken down by school, the project will include:
Caroline Street Elementary School
Select classroom renovations
Select bathroom renovations
Security enhancements
Building improvements and energy efficiencies
Window replacement
Roof reconstruction
ADA compliance upgrades
Division Street Elementary School
Select classroom renovations
Select bathroom renovations
Security enhancements
Building improvements and energy efficiencies
Window replacement
Roof reconstruction
ADA compliance upgrades
Dorothy Nolan Elementary School
Nurse’s suite renovation
Select classroom renovations
Select bathroom renovations
Security enhancements
Building improvements and energy efficiencies
Window replacement
Roof reconstruction
Geyser Road Elementary School
Nurse’s suite renovation
Select classroom renovations
Select bathroom renovations
Building improvements and energy efficiencies
Window replacement
Roof reconstruction
Boiler replacement
Greenfield Elementary School
Select classroom renovations
Replace septic drain
Security enhancements
Building improvements and energy efficiencies
Window replacement
Boiler replacement
Roof reconstruction
Lake Avenue Elementary School
Library renovations
Auditorium renovations
Select classrooms renovations
Security enhancements
Building improvements and energy efficiencies
Roof reconstruction
Elevator modernization
Maple Avenue Middle School
Select classroom renovations
Select bathroom renovations
Security enhancements
Building improvements and energy efficiencies
Roof reconstruction
Saratoga Springs High School
Auditorium renovation
Select classroom renovations
Select bathroom renovations
Building improvements and energy efficiencies
Roof reconstruction
Elevator modernization
Boiler replacement
Athletic improvements
Varsity softball turf infield
Resurface track
The district anticipates that no additional taxes will be required to fund the project. Instead, funding will come from state building aid, Capital Reserve Funds, and expiring existing debt.
To help shape the scope of this project, the Legacy Referendum Advisory Committee, composed of over forty stakeholders from the community and school district, met from March to October 2024. This committee helped identify priorities for the scope of work and made recommendations to the Board of Education.
A capital project newsletter will be mailed to all district residents in April 2025.
BALLSTON SPA — The Ballston Spa Central School District recently praised their School Resource Officers (SRO) Deputy Kassie Heflin and Deputy Pedro Garcia as part of National School Resource Officer Appreciation Day.
SRO fill a three-part role, serving as informal mentors or counselors, law educators, and law enforcement officers to support the students and communities they serve.
In a statement posted to its website, the district called Deputies Heflin and Garcia “valuable and essential members of the education community who deserve unwavering respect and support from the public in the pursuit of keeping schools and students safe.”
