Author: Saratoga TODAY

BALLSTON — The Saratoga County Board of Supervisors on May 21 approved funding to install a crosswalk at the intersection of Kingsley Road and Lake Hill Road in the Town of Ballston. 

The resolution authorizes Saratoga County Department of Public Works (DPW) to contract with DLC Electric LLC for construction services associated with this crosswalk project connecting the only county-owned sidewalk with a town-owned sidewalk. 

Saratoga County DPW will administer this project in partnership with the Town of Ballston. The Town of Ballston will pay $114,000 and the County will contribute $31,518 for the entire project. 

The intersection is frequented by many Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake students. 

 “Addressing the intersection of Lakehill and Kingsley with a crosswalk and signals is a great step forward for safe pedestrian access in the hamlet of Burnt Hills,” said Superintendent of Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake Central Schools Patrick M. McGrath, Jr. “Anyone trying to turn at this intersection recognizes that it has an awkward angle that makes it tricky. This intersection is highly traversed by students walking between schools or to commercial establishments on Route 50.” 

Updates about the crosswalk installation will be reported by the Saratoga County Facebook page. 

SCHENECTADY — The Hume-Lind family and The Daily Gazette Board of Directors announced last week that they have agreed to the framework of a deal that will transition their 130-year ownership of the paper from the extended family to long-time Gazette publisher John DeAugustine of Saratoga Springs. 

“As a family-owned newspaper since 1894, it gives the Hume-Lind family, the Board of Directors, and everyone at The Daily Gazette great comfort and pride knowing that we are passing the torch to a family that values the newspaper as much as we do,” said Gazette board chairwoman Elizabeth “Betsie” Hume-Lind, in a statement. 

The sale of The Daily Gazette consummates a 12-year effort by the Hume-Lind family, The Daily Gazette board, and employees to strengthen, diversify, and grow the company. The family consists of fourth and fifth generation owners. 

While the Gazette building will be sold, the newspaper will remain in Schenectady. All its historical documents and artifacts will be curated in a local repository. Additionally, The Daily Gazette board of directors will remain intact for the foreseeable future.

The Daily Gazette named John DeAugustine publisher in 2013 shortly after Betsie Hume-Lind became president. DeAugustine came to the Gazette from the Hearst Corporation and brought more than 25 years of newspaper industry experience to the paper. 

Family-owned since 1894, the Daily Gazette is based in Schenectady and has more than 450,000 readers monthly for its print and online content. 

A draft contract between the city of Saratoga Springs and the New York Racing Association stipulates the city provide NYRA with the following firefighting personnel and equipment for the 2024 Belmont Stakes: June 6 and June 9 – one engine with an officer and three firefighters each day for 7 hours a day at a cost of $2,588.81 per day; June 7 – one engine with an officer and three firefighters for 8 hours at a cost of $2,958.64; June 8 (Belmont Stakes race day) – one engine, hazmat truck, two officers and six firefighters for a 9-hour day with a cost of $6,656.94.

In total, NYRA is to pay the city $14,793.20 for the services.

The following street(s) are to be paved/ milled this week. 

Paving will begin at 6 a.m. and should be completed by 2 p.m. There is no parking of cars on the street during these hours, and driveway access/egress will be limited with potentially lengthy delays.

Monday, June 10 – Victoria Lane from Excelsior Spring Ave through cul-de-sac.

Tuesday, June 11 – Mallard Landing from Pheasant Run through cul-de-sac.

Wednesday, June 12 – Victoria Lane from Excelsior Spring Ave through cul-de-sac.

Wednesday, June 12 – Ritchie Place from Pheasant Run through cul-de-sac. 

SARATOGA SPRINGS —The Code Blue shelter wrapped up its 10th shelter season in April and provided access to shelter for nearly 300 people facing winter homelessness in the greater Saratoga area, Shelters of Saratoga (SOS) reported last week. 

The 2023-24 Code Blue shelter, located at 120 South Broadway opened for the season in October 2023 when temperatures dipped below 32 degrees, the threshold for inclement weather shelter in New York State. The shelter’s 75 cots were full within two weeks of opening, despite an unseasonably warm winter. 

The Code Blue shelter closed for the season on Tuesday, April 26, 2024. 

During the season Shelters of Saratoga (SOS) staff helped 30 guests successfully move into housing, and 26 guests transitioned to longer-term shelter with support services at SOS’s Emergency Shelter program on Walworth Street or the RISE Housing and Support Services’ Adelphi Street shelter. Fourteen guests chose to enter clinical care facilities. Placement into housing and transitional services helped minimize the number of guests leaving Code Blue without stable accommodations when the shelter closed.

“Once again, Code Blue was at capacity early in the winter season. A crucial element for our success has been our collaboration with RISE,” Duane Vaughn, Executive Director at Shelters of Saratoga, said in a statement.  “Our partnership has been instrumental in providing effective services to those struggling in our community. The Adelphi Street shelter operated by RISE provides the opportunity for guests to continue stability services that began at Code Blue. This partnership highlights the effectiveness of community collaboration in addressing homelessness.” 

The Code Blue shelter plans to reopen at 120 South Broadway in October 2024. Those in need of shelter may choose Shelters of Saratoga’s emergency shelter on Walworth Street, or the temporary low-barrier shelter operated by RISE on Adelphi Street, each operating year-round. 

The Code Blue shelter is operated by area non-profit Shelters of Saratoga, with assistance from Saratoga County and in accordance with NYS Emergency Measures for the Homeless During Inclement Winter Weather. The NYS measure mitigates the effects of inclement winter weather, and the resulting impacts of such weather on individuals experiencing homelessness, as the responsibility of each social service district. 

Over 11,500 meals were served to guests of Code Blue, donated by area restaurants, faith-based groups, and civic organizations. Community volunteers spent 312 total hours serving meals to guests. 

2023-24 Highlights

Number of people sheltered: 299

Meals served: 11,560

Nights open: 171

Housed: 30

Long-term shelter: 26

Clinical treatment programs: 14

Volunteer hours: 312

Dinner donors: 16 

Average length of stay: 35 nights

Range of length of stay:

1 day               41 guests

2-15 days        110 guests

16-30 days      32 guests

31-60               48 guests

61-90               30 guests

90+                  38 guests 

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Two local gatherings – held on May 1 and on May 25, have resulted in charges filed against Alexis Figuereo, who is suspected of organizing the events, and alleging City Codes were violated because permits were not secured in advance of the gatherings. 

A summation of the public announcements related to the two events follows:    

April 27 – Saratoga BLM Facebook posting. May Day Rally for Palestine, 6 p.m. May 1 at Congress Park. 

May 21 – Saratoga Springs Police Department statement, press release. 

On May 1, a pre-planned demonstration occurred in the city of Saratoga Springs. The demonstrators did not seek a permit prior to demonstrating in Congress Park, nor did they seek a permit to march on Broadway. These actions constitute violations of City Ordinances; chapters 98 and 151 respectively. Blocking streets without a permit is illegal. Doing so strains police resources, impedes our ability to respond to other calls for service and endangers public safety, as evidenced by the 911 calls made to SSPD during this incident. 

The primary organizer of the demonstration has been identified and charged for violating Saratoga Springs City Code 98 Demonstrations and 151 Parades due to not applying for a permit with the city. 

May 24 – Saratoga BLM statement, media advisory. 

On May 25, Saratoga BLM will be joined by organizations and community leaders across the Capital Region for a joint press conference in Congress Park regarding the recent charges filed against Lexis Figuereo. On Tuesday, May 21, the public was made aware that the Saratoga Springs Police Department would be filing charges against Figuereo for being the “primary organizer” of a May 1 rally for Palestine. Despite the SSPD knowing the event was co-organized by multiple organizations, they chose to single out Figuereo and falsely accuse him with no evidence that he was the primary organizer of said event. 

May 29 – Saratoga Springs Public Safety Commissioner Tim Coll, press release. 

The city of Saratoga Springs requires that any group planning to demonstrate must submit a document called a “demonstration declaration.” There is no fee for the declaration and this requirement was established by the City in 2005.

The purpose of this document is to provide a way for the Department of Public Safety to work cooperatively with groups organizing demonstrations to ensure that the demonstrators and the public can be safe. 

In the case of the May 25 demonstration promoted on the Saratoga Black Lives Matter Facebook page, no such demonstration declaration was received by the Accounts Department. In advance of the demonstration, the Department of Public Safety took the proactive step of notifying Attorney Mark Mishler of the requirement for his client to file a demonstration declaration. Unfortunately, the Department of Public Safety received no response from Mr. Mishler and no demonstration declaration was filed. On May 29, Attorney Mishler accepted an Appearance Ticket on behalf of his client, Alexis A. Figuereo, for violating Chapter 98 of the Saratoga Springs City Code.