SARATOGA SPRINGS — Beginning Feb. 1, high school seniors attending private or public school within the Saratoga Springs City School District can apply for scholarships ranging from $2,500 to $20,000 from the Saratoga Springs Rotary Education Foundation.
Applicants must pursue a degree at an accredited 2- or 4-year college or postsecondary vocational educational institution. Students’ academic performance, extracurricular and work activities, community service and financial need are all considered when reviewing applications.
In 2022, the Foundation awarded scholarships totaling $85,000 to fifteen students.
Scholarship applications must be uploaded to the Foundation’s website (rotaryscholarships.org) by the postmark deadline of April 1. Finalists will then be invited to interview with the Foundation’s scholarship committee.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — The Saratoga Builders Association, Inc. has announced they will be awarding two student scholarships in 2023. One is the SBA $1,000 Scholarship award, and the other is the $1,000 “Bob Best” Memorial Scholarship award.
The organization makes these cash scholarships available annually to students who are planning to pursue a construction industry education.
These scholarships are open to any high school senior or college undergraduate in Saratoga County who is planning to pursue a construction education at a 2 or 4-year accredited college or university or to students who would like to purchase tools and/or equipment for employment/career or to start a business in the construction industry.
Students must have a GPA of 3.0 or higher. They must demonstrate current or past involvement in the construction field, including classes taken in high school or college, to be eligible for these awards. Each applicant must also submit a high school or college transcript or list of construction classes taken, plus a short essay describing why they are interested in a construction industry career and what events led to this decision.
Applications for the Saratoga Builders Association Scholarship program must be postmarked on or before April 1. Only the first 25 completed applications will be accepted. The winner and their school will be notified by June 1. To receive a scholarship application, please contact Barry Potoker, Executive Director at 518-366-0946 or bpotoker@saratogabuilders.org.
Attendees view a presentation during the 2023 C-PASS School Safety Training Conference at the Excelsior Springs Event Center (Photo by Dylan McGlynn).
SARATOGA SPRINGS — For the second consecutive year, law enforcement officials and educators from across New York State met this week to discuss safety in schools.
Held at the Excelsior Springs Event Center, the 2023 Committee on Policing and Safeguarding Schools (C-PASS) School Safety Training Conference brought over 200 attendees in total, with law enforcement from 92 different agencies across the state on hand.
“The training that we do, we are successful in that by being collaborative between educators and law enforcement,” said Jonathan Becker, program director of C-PASS. “If we’re all under the same roof, experiencing the same training, then when we take that back to our school districts, it works that much smoother.”
Local law enforcement officials said the conference allows them to meet and share ideas with other officials from across the state.
“It’s been great for networking, getting to know a lot of other school resource officers and other administrators from different areas and sharing ideas,” said Brian Nikles, a deputy at the Rensselaer County Sheriff’s Office and a school resource officer at the Averill Park Central School District.
Becker said C-PASS was established in 2019, and initially held meetings in Albany before shifting to weekly virtual meetings due to COVID-19.
“It started out with trying to provide a baseline of specific training that would include everybody, and allow everybody to be on the same page with everything that we were doing,” said Becker. “I put (the conference) together last year with the help of our board, and this year, we’re here and we’re doing great things again.”
The conference includes debriefings of past incidents in schools, which Nikles said can equip officers and school staff with the knowledge of how to handle such incidents.
“If these things would ever happen in one of our schools, we have the ability and knowledge on past incidents on how to handle it,” said Nikles. “There’s been quite a bit of information that has come from this year that we can apply. This is the second year they’ve had the conference, and I know I took back a lot last year that has helped us in the schools.”
Wednesday’s schedule included a presentation from the ‘I Love U Guys’ Foundation on the reunification process, which is the process of reuniting students with their families after an incident takes place at school.
“A lot of schools are starting to institute those kinds of things, so getting everybody up to speed on how that’s going to work, so we can kind of help each other if we do need it,” said Austin McGuire, a deputy from the Rensselaer County Sheriff’s Office who works as an SRO at the Berlin Central School District.
Nikles said it is important for both law enforcement and educators to be able to share ideas regarding safety and connecting with students.
“You build those relationships with everybody differently,” Nikles said. “When you share some of those ideas, maybe I can break down a wall with a student that I wasn’t able to by using the way somebody else does it.”
Kerri Canzone-Ball, Director of Pupil Personnel Services at the City School District of Albany, said the conference is “an affirmation of the work” the district has been doing.
“We were here for one day last year, but we thought it was such a worthwhile and important event that we took a team here for the whole conference this year,” said Canzone-Ball.
She said the district has “a really strong relationship” with local law enforcement agencies, and partners with Parsons and Northern Rivers to offer behavioral health services to students.
“I think the importance of sharing as much information with families and students, and having a transparent process regarding safety measures within the district is critical,” Canzone-Ball said. “So I’ve gotten some takeaways that will be going back to our district-wide safety team and our leadership team to see how we can tweak and make some improvements to our efforts.”
The deputies also said threat assessment has been another major topic at the conference.
“That’s a big thing that we need to do better at and more of,” said McGuire. “How we work with that, or how we get the right information to the right people at the right times. That’s a big thing.”
“How are we taking the information, how are we dealing with it?,” Nikles added. “What steps are we taking to determine whether or not that person really is a threat and needs something preventative, or is it something less?”
Nikles said that ultimately, the conference is “a great place” to meet new people, discuss ideas, and learn new strategies.
“We came here last year, and when we were told they were doing it again, we all wanted to come back,” said Nikles. “It’s a good place to do this. … As informative as it is enjoyable.”
CLIFTON PARK — Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s have announced plans for a new destination retail store in Clifton Park.
The outdoor retailer’s fourth location in New York, the new 70,000-square-foot store will serve outdoorsmen and women in greater Albany and the Adirondacks region.
“The Adirondacks have played a huge role in our nation’s sporting heritage and our country’s world-leading history of conservation. We are honored to open our newest Bass Pro Shops in Clifton Park,” said Johnny Morris, founder of Bass Pro Shops. “This location will not only pay tribute to the region’s past, but will proudly outfit the sportsmen, women and families who continue to enjoy the Adirondacks today. For that, we are humbled, excited and deep down proud.”
Like all Bass Pro Shops locations, the new store will feature a completely unique custom design. Envisioned as a tribute to the great sporting heritage of the region and a celebration of the sportsmen and women of New York, the store will build on the signature qualities that define the Bass Pro Shops shopping experience.
The store also will showcase industry-leading boat brands including Tracker, Nitro, Ranger, Sun Tracker, Regency and Tahoe. In addition, the new location will display a wide assortment of new Tracker Off Road ATVs and side-by-side vehicles.
The retail destination will offer equipment and clothing for all outdoor adventures, including hiking, backpacking, wildlife viewing, camping, and other related outdoor gear.
In addition to providing customers with the outdoor products they love, a team of talented artists and craftsmen will design the store’s localized imagery to reinforce its immersive outdoor theme.
Bass Pro Shops is expected to employ more than 115 “Outfitters” at its new Clifton Park location. The new retail location is expected to open in 2024.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — The Adelphi Hotel, one of Saratoga Springs’ most historic properties, has been named to the 2023 Forbes Travel Guide Star Awards.
Adelphi general manager Helen Watson said the honor “validates everything we’ve been striving for.”
“All the hard work and dedication from the staff that they’ve put in for the past several years is really paying off and making a difference,” said Watson. “This is great incentive for the staff to keep up the good work, and to build on that.”
Forbes judges properties for the Travel Guide based on over 900 points of “objective criteria,” according to the Forbes website. Anonymous inspectors stay two nights at each hotel that Forbes evaluates. The rating system has a special emphasis on service, the site says.
The Adelphi has a storied history in the city, first opening in 1877. Watson said the hotel today focuses on “making an overall experience” for its guests.
“Touching all five senses with the guest, and really going above and beyond and making them feel like they’ve had the most amazing stay,” Watson said.
The honor is “a great way to start the year,” for the Adelphi, said Watson. The hotel will be adding 33 additional rooms this year, Watson said, more than doubling the current 32-room capacity. The hotel is also planning to construct 80 condominium units, which will have full access to the hotel’s amenities, said Watson.
The hotel was restored by the current ownership group in 2012, with Watson saying this was done “because the hotel is for the community.”
“It was really important for us to welcome the community in, and let them know that we did this for the community,” Watson said. “This is a really unique town, and the collaboration that the businesses do to boost not just their own business, but Saratoga itself. Because if Saratoga does well, we all do well.”
Gambling is in vogue right now. Thanks to the increased prevalence of online betting, bettors wagered a staggering $16 Billion on Super Bowl 57. After a rough 2022 in financial markets, investors are finding it hard to tell the difference between their 401(k) and their online sportsbook account. I cringe whenever I hear somebody say that the stock market is like a casino. Sure, the green and red numbers and the up and down arrows make it *feel* like a casino, but there is one key difference (besides free drinks): the odds are easily in your favor with your investments. Let me explain.
Holding money in stocks is a bet on the ability of humans to innovate and on the ability of corporations to turn those innovations into profits. If you hold them long enough and diversify sufficiently, the odds are high that you will turn a handsome profit. There are two key phrases in that last sentence: “long enough” and “diversify sufficiently.” Using the S&P 500 as a proxy for the market, over 95% of rolling 10-year periods are positive. Translation: if you sit tight, chances are your money will grow in the next decade. The problem is ten years can feel like an eternity, and emotions like fear and greed tend to throw us off. If you think humans will stop innovating, that is your right, but I’ll take the other side of that bet every time.
Bonds are less uncertain than stocks, but as we saw last year, that doesn’t mean they can’t go down in value. Investing in bonds is like playing the bank to companies or governments. You lend money to the borrower for a stated period of time, they pay the interest along the way, and then they give your money back at the end. The greater the probability that the company won’t be able to pay you back, the higher the interest rate you will require. Stated that way, bonds should be boring, but last year felt like a casino. To explain why let’s assume you bought a $100 bond paying 2% in 2021 with the expectation of getting your money back in 2031. In that scenario, you are on schedule to earn 2% on your investment unless you need to sell before 2031. If you wanted to sell last year, the price someone would have been willing to pay went down for various reasons. If you held and are still holding, you are still on track to earn that initial 2%.
As retirement funds have shifted from pensions to 401(k) plans, the onus is on the individual investor to make prudent investment decisions. It is a big responsibility! Without sounding too dramatic, the fate of one’s retirement depends on their ability to make good decisions throughout their life. Thinking that the market is a casino, or a zero-sum game with the odds stacked against you, is a precursor to some potentially harmful decisions. Working with a financial advisor can help cut through some of the noise and provide you with clarity.
David Rath, CMT, CFA, is the Chief Investment Officer at Continuum Wealth Advisors in Saratoga Springs. Continuum Wealth Advisors, LLC is a Registered Investment Advisor registered through the Securities and Exchange Commission.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — The Saratoga County Citizens Committee for Mental Health (SCCCMH) and the Saratoga County Alliance to End Homelessness (SCAEH) have partnered to host “Changing the Lens on Homelessness: A public discussion on homelessness in Saratoga County.”
The event will be held 6 to 8 p.m. on Wednesday, March 1, at the Saratoga Springs City Center in Meeting Room 1. This program is free and open to the public.
Homelessness is a multi-faceted condition and to help people experiencing homelessness requires a multi-faceted understanding. The public discussion will expand this understanding and perhaps lead to strategies to consider or implement to end homelessness.
The following panel of experts will lead the discussion on homelessness in Saratoga County: Jenna Espey of RISE Housing and Support Services, Maggie Fronk of Wellspring, Kate Evanico of the Saratoga Hospital Mental Health Unit, Stephanie Romeo of Shelters of Saratoga, Dr. Michael Prezioso and Heather Wolfe of the Saratoga County Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services; Jennifer Myers from Unlimited Potential of Northern Rivers; Michael Moore – CAPTAIN Community Human Services; and Heather Crola – Healing Springs Recovery Community Center. The program will start off with a brief video of interviews of a few homeless people who live in Saratoga. For more information contact, info@SCCCMH-Saratoga.org .
The Saratoga County Citizens Committee for Mental Health (SCCCMH) is a non-profit, charitable organization that distributes grant money to agencies and programs in Saratoga County to enrich existing programs or expand services for people living with mental illness. For more information about the SCCCMH, go to www.SCCCMH-Saratoga.org.
The Saratoga County Alliance to End Homelessness (SCAEH) is an inclusive collaborative effort committed to ending homelessness in Saratoga County by increasing the level and coordination of housing and support services so that the cycle of homelessness is not perpetuated. For information about SCAEH, go to www.endhomelessnesssaratoga.org.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — The city of Saratoga Springs hosts ongoing public meetings at City Hall regarding its three Land Use Boards. Upcoming –
Zoning Board of Appeals,Monday, Feb. 27, new business on the agenda includes:
• 31 Harrison Carriage House: Area variance to permit the conversion of the existing historic carriage house into a second principal single-family residence.
• 136 State St. Garage Demo & Reconstruction: Area variance to permit the renovation of the existing single-family residence.
• 40 Horseshoe Screened Porch: Area Variance to permit the construction of a screened porch.
• Marion Ave Zoning Interpretation: Appeal to the Zoning Board 9/12/22 Interpretation of section 1.7 regarding 31-33 Marion Ave UDO.
• 191 Church St Porch: Area variance to permit the demolition and reconstruction of the side porch to connect to the main porch within the Office Medical Business (OMB) District.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — The Saratoga County Young Democrats will host a revival meeting at the Saratoga Springs Public Library at 4 p.m. on March 2.
The Saratoga County Young Democrats will organize at this meeting and recharter with the New York State Young Democrats and the Young Democrats of America. The organization’s purpose is to pursue liberty, justice, and freedom for all regardless of race, religion, or sex.
In attendance will be Saratoga County and city of Saratoga Springs Democratic Committee Chairpersons. Items on the agenda include electing officers, assigning members to committees, the appointment of an executive director and convention delegates, and beginning the chartering process.
All are welcome, and no RSVP is required. Attendance to the meeting is free; membership comes with an annual fee of ($10) for regular members, and ($5) for student members. Membership includes voting powers, as well as the ability to be elected an officer or as a delegate to the State or National Young Democrats convention.
