ALBANY — Berkshire Bank has announced the hiring of Milly Deane as SVP, commercial relationship manager, CRE (Commercial Real Estate) serving the Capital Region of New York state.
At Berkshire, Milly will be responsible for originating new commercial real estate loans and lines, managing a sizable portfolio, and representing Berkshire in the community, the release states.
WILTON — The Town of Wilton is offering a free fall leaf pickup program for town residents. One pick up only. Visit townofwilton.com for more information, or call Nancy at 518-587-1939, ext. 239.
BALLSTON SPA — The Saratoga County Board of Supervisors has announced the County has named Discover Saratoga as the county’s official tourism promotion agency.
A resolution passed by the Saratoga County Board of Supervisors at its Sept. meeting allows Discover Saratoga to register as the county’s Tourism Promotion Agency and apply for a 2024 ‘I Love New York’ grant, states a press release from the County.
“Saratoga County is recognized as a leading tourism destination, and we believe this new partnership will increase our visitors who want to experience the many different attractions that draw people from around the world,” said Board of Supervisors chairman Theodore Kusnierz, Jr., in the release. “We are excited to work with Discover Saratoga to promote our growing vacation, leisure, and convention activities across the County, which are an important segment of our economy.”
Discover Saratoga (Saratoga Convention and Tourism Bureau) will assist in the promotion of the county initiative, ‘Saratoga: America’s Turning Point,’ which is said to highlight the 250th anniversary of the Battle of Saratoga and the Revolutionary War, the release states.
Discover Saratoga will assume TPA duties for the County beginning Jan. 1 of next year. This year, the county had allocated $300,000 for TPA services to the Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce, the release states.
“The hospitality sector is a vital engine for expanding economic opportunity across Saratoga County, and that’s why the Chamber originally suggested that leisure and group tourism promotion be consolidated into Discover Saratoga,” said Chamber president Todd Shimkus in the release. “Having Discover Saratoga dedicate all their efforts to this mission is the most effective and efficient way to do this and is a win for everyone. This change means that the Chamber will be able to focus our time, talent, and treasure in other vital areas.”
“We’re absolutely delighted and honored to be designated as the official Tourism Promotion Agency (TPA) for Saratoga County,” said Discover Saratoga president Darryl Leggieri in the release. “We are excited to embark on this journey to showcase the unparalleled beauty, culture, and experiences that our county has to offer. Together with our valued tourism partners, we’re ready to not only celebrate, but also elevate Saratoga County’s status as a year-round tourist destination. Our shared mission is to create unforgettable experiences and forge lasting memories for both our visitors and locals alike, with the goal of fostering a profound connection with our respected County.”
BALLSTON SPA — The Saratoga County Career Center in conjunction with the Greater Capital Region Career Centers will hold the following free virtual career workshops during October:
Oct. 10 at 10:30 a.m.: Interview Preparation. Learn how to articulate your strengths, what questions to expect, how to address difficult topics, and ace the interviewing process.
Oct. 11 at 10 a.m.: Goal Setting. This workshop explores how goal setting works, why goals are important, and provides helpful resources to get you started to reach your dreams.
Oct. 19 at 11 a.m.: Job Applications. Statistics show approximately 50% of mid-sized companies and almost all large corporations use an applicant tracking system to screen candidates for job opportunities. Learn how to prepare your online application to get the most visibility from hiring managers.
Oct. 24 at 11 a.m.: Overcoming Barriers. Join an informal discussion about how to overcome potential stumbling blocks to finding a job. Whether you’re facing transportation needs, childcare needs, prior justice system involvement, inexperience, health concerns or more, this workshop will provide you with resources and strategies to help you meet your goals.
Oct. 26 at 1:30 p.m.: Social Media. Your social media presence can make or break your ability to find a job. Learn how to use social media to your advantage in searching for a job and marketing yourself to land the job or career you’ve always wanted.
Registration is required for all workshops. Visit thejoblink.org/calendar/ to register or call the Saratoga County Career Center at 518-884-4170 for more information.
SARATOGA — The area’s premiere new home tour, the 2023 Saratoga Showcase of Homes opens its doors this weekend!
Tickets are available at all Adirondack Trust branches, Saratoga National Bank on South Broadway in Saratoga Springs, Glens Falls National Bank in Glens Falls, Curtis Lumber in Ballston Spa & Queensbury and Roohan Realty in Saratoga Springs. Showcase tickets are also available at any showcase home during tour hours of 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. or can be purchased online at saratogashowcaseofhomes.com. Once again this year, each showcase ticket holder will receive a free commemorative shoe/tote bag at the first home visited, while supplies last.
Tickets are only $25, which allows you to visit all of these beautiful new homes. This year’s edition has 9 locations from 7 of our area’s finest builders. New this year is a showcase location in Lake Luzerne.
Participating award-winning builders in this year’s event are Belmonte Builders, DeGraff-Bloom Custom Builders, DSG Construction & Remodeling, Kodiak Construction, R & M Homes, Whitbeck Construction and Witt Construction. To view an interactive mobile map with locations, directions and much more, visit saratogashowcaseofhomes.com
Last weekend, the showcase featured a student “Minds Under Construction” exhibition on Oct. 8 at the DeGraff-Bloom showcase home #3. Area students from the 10-12 grades built vertical gardens and students from the 2–5 grades participated in the popular toolbox build activity. It’s all part of spotlighting work in the trades by the Northeast Construction Trades Workforce Coalition. In addition, a new 8’ x 24’ Tiny House built by BOCES students will be on display at the same location.
Now celebrating its 27th year, this annual community event has contributed nearly $1.5 MILLION dollars to our local charities. Proceeds from the Showcase of Homes will benefit Rebuilding Together Saratoga County (www.rtsaratoga.org) and Habitat for Humanity of Northern Saratoga, Warren and Washington Counties (www.glensfallshabitat.org). For more details on the 2023 Saratoga Showcase of Homes event, visit www.saratogashowcaseofhomes.com. Check the event out on Facebook and follow all the updates on this year’s event.
About Saratoga Builders Association
The Saratoga Builders Association, Inc. (SBA) is a specialized professional trade association representing an industry basic to the wellbeing and economy of the people of Saratoga County. Its membership includes residential and commercial builders, developers, remodelers, building material suppliers, sub-contractors, financial institutions, architects, engineers, realtors, attorneys and other industry professionals. SBA is committed to the continued growth, prosperity and quality of life in Saratoga County. For more information, visit their website at www.saratogabuilders.org or contact Barry Potoker, Executive Director at 518-366-0946 or bpotoker@saratogabuilders.org
SARATOGA SPRINGS — The New York State Association of Counties (NYSAC) has appointed Saratoga County Supervisor Matthew Veitch as Chair of its Standing Committee on Public Safety. Supervisor Veitch replaces Yates County Sheriff Ron Spike, who retired this year after more than a decade at the helm of the committee.
“I am honored and grateful to President McCoy and the NYSAC leadership for having the confidence in me to Chair this important committee,” Veitch said in a statement. “There is always important work to do to tackle the issues surrounding both Law Enforcement and Emergency Services, as well as associated things like Probation, Prosecution and Defense, as well as our Jails. I will do my best to advocate fairly on behalf of New York Counties as Chair of the Public Safety Committee.”
NYSAC Standing Comm-ittees are essential in the development of NYSAC’s advocacy planning and efforts. They develop, discuss, and adopt the series of resolutions that go before the full county delegation, and then become the basis of NYSAC’s legislative program for the coming year.
In addition to his role with NYSAC, Veitch also serves in several leadership positions with the National Association of Counties (NACo), including Vice-Chair of the Community, Economic, and Workforce Development Policy Steering Committee, member of the Arts & Culture Commission and IT Standing committee, and as immediate past Chair of the International Economic Development Task Force.
Organized in 1925, NYSAC is the only statewide municipal association representing the interests of thousands of county leaders, including legislators, supervisors, county executives, administrators, commissioners, and other county officials from all 57 counties and the City of New York.
I am privileged to be running for election as your next Saratoga County Supervisor, and, after serving as your Commissioner of Finance for ten years, I am once again humbly asking for your support.
My foremost priority is to build a better relationship between Saratoga County and the City of Saratoga Springs. Cooperation and communication between the county and the city are essential for the prosperity of our community. By fostering a strong and collaborative partnership, we can address shared challenges more efficiently, allocate resources more effectively, and ensure that both the county and the city are working towards common goals. This improved relationship will ultimately benefit all residents, leading to better services, increased opportunities, and a stronger sense of unity.
Additionally, I would like to stress the importance of bringing the city and the county closer together to tackle the issue of homelessness. By working together, we can establish comprehensive and sustainable solutions to address the root causes of homelessness, such as affordable housing, mental health services, and access to job opportunities. Let us demonstrate our compassion and responsibility by creating a community that ensures no one is left behind.
The implementation of a policy to close bars earlier is also crucial to better protect the public and to alleviate the strain on our emergency services, especially in the peak summer season. By setting an earlier closing time for bars, we can reduce the likelihood of alcohol-related incidents, such as drunk driving, fights, and other unfortunate occurrences that threaten the safety of our residents, visitors, and first responders. This measure will not only enhance public safety but also contribute to the overall quality of life in our city.
It is my hope that we can unite together to address these issues as a community, for the greater good of all residents.
I am honored to ask for your vote in the upcoming election. Election Day is Tuesday, November 7, and early voting begins on Saturday, October 28. You will find my name on the ballot on both the Democratic line and the One Saratoga line.
Thank you for your consideration.
– Michele Madigan, Candidate for Saratoga County Supervisor, City of Saratoga Springs
For more about Michele’s campaign, visit www.ElectMadigan.com
SARATOGA SPRINGS —The eighth annual Saratoga International Flavorfeast will be held 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 7.
The popular food festival in downtown Saratoga Springs provides attendees a feast of flavors from around the globe, while enjoying multi-cultural street performances throughout the day. International flags that line Broadway herald the annual event’s return.
Beginning at 11 a.m. on Oct. 7, Flavorfeast “passport-maps” displaying a layout of participating restaurants/businesses can be picked up on the corner of Broadway and Division Street.
The map – which is also available at www.saratogaflavorfeast.com the night before the event – helps event-goers plan their day’s itinerary of travel to a variety of local restaurant destinations for $2 food samples from countries of origin such as Ireland, Italy, India, Guatemala, Spain, Mexico, Egypt, Greece, and more.
Participating restaurants include: Bare Blends, Ben & Jerry’s, Boca Bistro, Brasserie Benelux, Cantina, Esperanto, Gaffney’s Restaurant, Hattie’s, Henry Street Taproom, KaffeeHouse, Kaleidoscope Café, Karavalli, Kindred, Maple Valley Farm, Nashville of Saratoga, Phila Fusion, Sara’s Kitchen, Sushi Thai Garden, The District, The Parting Glass, Trattoria Fortunata, West Avenue Pizza, and Wheatfields Restaurant & Bar. Saratoga Olive Oil Company will be offering free tastings throughout the day.
“Our inspiration for creating this event was to showcase the variety of restaurants we enjoy in this region and to highlight the tremendous skills of our local chefs,” Ashley Dingeman, Saratoga Food Fanatic Blogger/Writer and co-organizer of the event said in a statement. “Fall is a beautiful time of year to walk the streets of Saratoga, and sample incredible tastes from local restaurants representing countries from all around the world.”
Entertainment including Asian dance, Irish Step Dancing, fiddling, German accordion playing, African drumming and more will take place at various locations downtown including The Spa City Motor Lodge Parking Lot, the Parting Glass Lot, the Adirondack Trust Drive Thru, as well as roaming locations throughout the city streets.
When you pick up your “passport map,” at the corner of Division and Broadway, you can enter to win prizes. All proceeds will go directly to the Food Pantry at the Franklin Community Center. In addition to food samples at restaurant locations on Broadway, Phila Street, Caroline Street, Lake Avenue and Henry Street, there will be restaurants from outside the center of town set up in The Spa City Motor Lodge Parking Lot, on the corner of Broadway and Division Street.
The Saratoga International Flavorfeast is presented by Saratoga Food Fanatic and Network Saratoga. A full list of participating restaurants, menu items, and entertainment will be posted on www.saratogaflavorfeast.com. For more information, call 518-365-3459.
SARATOGA SPRINGS —After a lengthy period of building upgrades, the New York State Military Museum will host a Grand Re-Opening Celebration 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 7. The museum is located at 61 Lake Ave.
The event, which is free and open to the public, will feature performances by the 42nd Infantry Division band, free ice cream, and costumed re-enactors representing soldiers from many of the nation’s conflicts including the Revolutionary War, Civil War, Spanish-American War, World War I, World War II, Korean War, and the Vietnam War.
The event will also include souvenir handouts celebrating the day, a scavenger hunt for children, and more.
Housed in an historic armory constructed in 1889, the Military Museum was closed from last October through the middle of July for the installation of new slate roof and an HVAC system.
The New York State Military Museum is a nationally recognized source of New York State military history highlighted by the display of numerous historical treasures.
The Military Museum is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Admission is free. For more information, call 518-581-5100 or visit the website at https://museum.dmna.ny.gov.
BALLSTON SPA — Downtown Ballston Spa is about to transform into a showroom full of classic cars with the 21st Annual “The Way We Were” Car Show Sunday, Oct. 8.
The event, presented by the Ballston Spa Business & Professional Association, takes place 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. on Front Street, Ballston Spa.
Organizers are expecting a large turnout of cars and trucks. There will also be food and merchandise vendors, a kid zone with a bounce house and activities, live music and a trophy presentation at the end of the day.
The event is free to spectators. To learn more about “The Way We Were” Car Show, visit www.ballston.org.
