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Author: Saratoga TODAY

Saratoga Regional YMCA launches 2023 Annual Campaign with $400,000 goal

Written by Saratoga TODAY on . Posted in Education.

Photo by Dylan McGlynn.

MALTA — The Saratoga Regional YMCA officially began its 2023 Annual Campaign on Monday, with the goal of raising $400,000 to help ensure their services are available to all.

The campaign was launched at the Malta YMCA, and featured Saratoga Regional YMCA CEO Scott Clark and Saratoga Regional YMCA Board of Directors member Allison Meyers. Children from the Malta YMCA’s childcare center were also on hand to help kick off the campaign. 

Clark said this was a great fit due to the importance of providing childcare services. The Saratoga Regional YMCA provides early learning, before- and after-school, and preschool programs.

“Childcare is an essential part of what is needed every day for parents to be able to work, but also develop these kids so they can grow, learn, and thrive as they move on and prepare for kindergarten and beyond,” said Clark. “The Y served last year over 1,500 kids in our childcare program, and currently is seeing about 700 children a day in childcare.”

The YMCA raised over $650,000 last year, Meyers said, emphasizing that this money helps provide opportunities to those who may not be able to afford it.

“It may have been a chance for their child to go to summer camp when they’ve never had that chance before, or maybe a chance to participate in youth sports programming that this made possible,” Meyers said. “This is why the Y is here. This is why we’re here in the community, and it is this annual campaign that makes it possible for us to provide these programs to everybody in the community, regardless of their ability to pay.”

The kids sang ‘You’ve Got a Friend In Me’ by Randy Newman, and spoke about their favorite parts of the YMCA, with many saying they enjoy time with their teachers and friends. Clark said the song was fitting, saying the YMCA provides “that opportunity for friendship.”

“They’re staying here, spending time with their teachers, developing friendships, learning how to play, learning hopefully about the Y’s values,” said Clark.

Clark said the YMCA is “so proud” of their goal to never turn anyone away based on their ability or inability to pay for services.

“It is my hope that together, we can make an even greater impact on the health and wellness of our community in 2023 and beyond,” added Meyers.

Ballston Spa High School Robotics Team Prepares for Competition

Written by Saratoga TODAY on . Posted in Education.

Photo provided by Ballston Spa Central School District.

BALLSTON SPA — The Ballston Spa Central School District’s FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) Team 3044 is finishing their build season and will compete in the FIRST Robotics Finger Lakes Regional Tournament on March 16-18 at the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT). 

They will then compete in the New York Tech Valley Regional Competition which will be held March 29 to April 1 at MVP Arena in Albany.

The FIRST Robotics Competition season kicked off in early January when the 2023 Charged Up Challenge presented by Haas Game Animation was released. In this year’s competition, the FIRST Robotics Competition teams are inspired to see the potential of energy storage in a new light as they compete to charge up their communities. 

Under strict rules, limited time and resources, teams of students are challenged through the FIRST Robotics Competition to raise funds, design a team “brand,” hone teamwork skills and build and program industrial-size robots to play a difficult field game against like-minded competitors. The program is as close to real-world engineering as a student can get. Volunteer professional mentors lend their time and talents to guide each team.

In addition to working on their robot for the 2023 season, FRC Team 3044 provided mentorship to FIRST Lego League Challenge (FLL) Teams and FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) Teams from Ballston Spa Central School District. 

 The Ballston Spa Central School District is able to offer opportunities in robotics to students through the support of sponsors including Ballston Spa National Bank, GlobalFoundries/Town of Malta Foundation, Eastern Heating & Cooling, Inc., HMS Agency, Bechtel Foundation, Generations Auto Repair, Aquatic Development Group and Coffee Planet.

Brooklyn-Based Markstone Group Seeks To Develop Senior Living Community In Wilton

Written by Saratoga TODAY on . Posted in Business.

WILTON — Brooklyn-based developers The Markstone Group have proposed construction of an age 55-plus senior housing community on Route 50 in Wilton.

The community would have 390 units across three buildings at 4029 Route 50, according to minutes from the Town of Wilton Planning Board’s January meeting. The location is currently occupied by The Christmas Gift Shop.

Two of the buildings would be L-shaped and approximately 39,000 square feet, with a third, longer building of approximately 42,000 square feet set back from the other two. The buildings would each be four stories and have 130 units, according to the meeting minutes.

The project would be Markstone’s second senior living community in the Capital Region. Hamilton Parc, another adult living community, currently is under construction in Guilderland. Jacob Freund, COO of The Markstone Group, said on Monday that the company was drawn to the area after seeing a need for such facilities.

“We researched and we saw there’s a big, big need for quality senior living, so we threw ourselves into the market,” said Freund. “There’s nothing built that’s affordable, nice, and up-to-date, with amenities, services, the whole nine yards. That’s exactly what we’re doing. We’re trying to bring a product to the market that’s going to be affordable and beautiful.”

The group is proposing indoor amenities in the third building, including an exercise room, meeting rooms, game rooms, and a kitchenette. They have also proposed amenities such as basketball, pickleball, and tennis courts, as well as a putting green, community gardens, and a dog park, according to the meeting minutes. 

Rent prices have not yet been determined, with Freund saying Monday the company is still going through the entitlement process. The community is proposed to have boulevard access off of Route 50, and would feature a center courtyard with parking in addition to parking lots on the side and in back of each building, according to the meeting minutes.

Freund said that it is important to Markstone to “make it work” for potential residents.

“It’s never too late to live a life. We want them to have quality living,” said Freund. “It’s crucial here in people’s lives, and it’s important that they have quality time with each other.”

The project will be presented to the Town of Wilton Zoning Board of Appeals on March 23, seeking approval of a variance for the occupied height of the buildings. A maximum of 55 feet is allowed, but the top 20 feet must be unoccupied, leaving 35 feet occupied. The plans call for the buildings to be within the maximum height allowed, but over the allowed amount of occupied space, according to the minutes from the Wilton Town Board’s meeting on Feb. 2.

Saratoga National Bank Promotes Leslie D’angelico To Business Development Sales Manager

Written by Saratoga TODAY on . Posted in Business.

Photo provided by Saratoga National Bank and Trust Company.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Saratoga National Bank and Trust Company has announced the promotion of Leslie D’Angelico to Business Development Sales Manager.

In this new role, Ms. D’Angelico will be responsible for day-to-day management of the Business Development Team with a focus on developing, growing and deepening new and existing relationships across the bank’s footprint and business lines. She will also continue to support the bank’s Retail Branch teams.

Ms. D’Angelico has more than 20 years of experience in banking, 12 of which have been spent with Saratoga National Bank and the Arrow Family of Companies. In that time, she has successfully held leadership and individual producer roles within retail banking. 

Ms. D’Angelico attended SUNY Adirondack and has completed several courses from the American Institute of Banking. She lives in Queensbury and is active in the community serving on two boards, Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Southern Adirondacks and Queensbury Community Scholarship Association.

March 17 – March 23, 2023

Written by Saratoga TODAY on . Posted in Property Transactions.

This beautiful home at 6 Russell St Saratoga Springs was listed by Valerie Thompson and Roohan Realty for $699,900.

BALLSTON

Bruce Ewing sold property at 631 Cindy Lane to Ryan Schuette for $290,000

Gregory McGrath sold property at 13 Chesterwood Ct to Dennis Keppler for $344,900

CORINTH

Patricia Stephens sold property at 231 Maple St to Sarah O’Brien for $165,000.

GREENFIELD

David Gurney sold property at 4333 NYS Rt 9N to Baltazar Puente for $185,000.

Stefanie Bitter sold property at 437 Coy Rd to Citimortgage Inc for $211,975

Kevin Salaun sold property at 22 Forest Dr to Murray Lawrence Realty LLC for $150,000.

HALFMOON

Rocco Maplewood Estates LLC sold property at 5201-5220 Plank Rd to Regal Apts LLC for $3,330,000.

Robin Jasmin sold property at 315 Farm to Market Rd to Bruce Tanski for $750,000

Edward Rosiak sold property at 8 Pineview to Collin Borzell for $270,000.

TP Builders Inc sold property at 4 Dutch Lane to John Moran for $674,284

Abele Builders Inc sold property at 17 Bradley Circle to Abele Homes LLC for $100,000.

Abele Homes LLC sold property at 17 Bradley Circle to Lee Ann Werner for $469,995.

MALTA 

Mangino’s Restaurant sold property at 101 7th St to Town of Malta for $125,000

SARATOGA SPRINGS

Matthew Scoville sold property at 4 White Birch Lane to Jeffrey Hanan for $290,000

Jeffrey Dumont sold property at 184 Church St to John Hoch for $383,000

Gregory Bruno sold property at 18 Evergreen Dr to Carmella Simiele for $575,000.

Manuel Ballestero sold property at 1,19,25 Buff Rd to Buff Rd LLC for $170,125.

Steven Hachigian sold property at 24 Kaydeross Ave W to Cody Lough for $118,750

Leann Fyvie sold property at 44 Glenham Rd to Brendan Kisselback for $507,500.

Tradewinds Holdings LLC sold property at 215 Grand Ave to John Ucles for $810,000.

STILLWATER

Luther Woods LLC sold property at 23 Winterberry Lane to Jeffrey Durant for $561,089.

Luther Woods LLC sold property at 13 Winterberry Lane to Peter Judson for $406,117.

Lori Rasmus sold property at 643 Hudson Ave to Kerry Leary for $526,500

Brian Baker sold property at 8 Barbolt Ct to David Luccarelli for $272,000.

WILTON

Jessica Huggins sold property at 12 Whispering Pines Rd to Xiaoming Yang for $227,000.

Allen Yates sold property at 12 Nicholas Dr to Andrew Wilson for $320,000.

Edie Road LLC sold property at 10 Canon Royal Rd  to Scott Hladik for $190,000

MSLC Development LLC sold property at 24 Moonglow Rd to Damian Clute for $400,000.

Karen Mars sold property at 56 Rolling Hills Dr to Richard Molea for $475,000.

Michael Bannon sold property at 22 Burnham Rd to Gilbert Prieto for $800,000.

Tonko Announces Relaunch of Addiction, Treatment, and Recovery Caucus 

Written by Saratoga TODAY on . Posted in News.

SARATOGA COUNTY — Today Congressman Paul Tonko, who represents Saratoga County in the 20th Congressional District, along with Ohio congressman Dave Joyce announced the relaunch of the Addiction, Treatment, and Recovery Caucus for the 118th Congress. The Congressmen will serve as co-chairs of the Caucus, which is a bipartisan group of legislators committed to advancing bipartisan solutions to the country’s multifaceted addiction crisis. 

“There isn’t a community in our nation that has not been touched by the overdose epidemic,” said  Tonko, D-Amsterdam, said in a statement. “While I am deeply proud of the strides we’ve made to address the disease of addiction with laws like my Mainstreaming Addiction Treatment Act, far more work lies ahead. It is my hope that the ATR Caucus will continue to serve as a forum to convene Members who are serious about eliminating barriers to treatment, and saving lives. I’m grateful to have a strong partner in Rep. Joyce as we work to put a stop to this crisis and support our loved ones and our communities.”

 The Addiction, Treatment, and Recovery Caucus is the first and longest running Congressional caucus that recognizes addiction as a disease. The Caucus is comprised of more than 50 Members of Congress from both sides of the aisle. This Congress, the Caucus will serve as a clearinghouse for legislation aimed at expanding access to treatment for addiction, supporting Americans recovering from the illness, and bolstering the health workforce on the frontlines of the addiction crisis. 

Dust Off Your Wood Racquets: Second Chance Sports Hosting Wood Racquet-Only Day

Written by Saratoga TODAY on . Posted in Sports.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Second Chance Sports is having a wood racquet-only day on July 1. The event started in 1990 in Saratoga Springs.

All who play will receive a special Saratoga gift and food all day, with prizes to the winner and runner-ups in all divisions.

A beginner division is included. Games will be doubles play, with no ad scoring, to help move along play. Funds will go toward disabled sports programs through Second Chance Sports and The Learning League.

There are a limited number of players. Sign up begins this week, and is first come, first serve. The event will be held July 1, with July 8 as a rain date. To sign up, call Bill at (518) 226-5888.

Assemblywoman Woerner: Assembly Budget Proposal Addresses Priority Issues

Written by Saratoga TODAY on . Posted in News.

SARATOGA COUNTY – Assemblywoman Carrie Woerner, D-Round Lake, this week released a statement regarding the Assembly budget proposal. 

“I applaud the amendments that the Assembly proposal is making to the executive’s plan regarding housing,” Woerner said.” We don’t need to solve our state’s housing crisis by running roughshod over local zoning laws. The Assembly’s plan would stimulate housing growth by working with municipalities, not dictating what must be done.”

Specifically, the proposal provides $500 million in total funding for cities, towns and villages in need of housing. Municipalities would receive initial payments for submitting a housing plan and secondary payments once they meet housing growth targets within the target period starting Jan. 1, 2024, Woerner said. 

“Through my annual survey, constituents told me that their highest priorities in the budget were healthcare and education (K-12), followed closely by environment, housing, workforce development, and infrastructure,” Woerner added.  “While there are some things in the Assembly budget proposal that my constituents and I do not support, the overall proposed spending plan addresses the funding priorities of the communities I represent.”

The Assembly’s proposal includes a 10% increase in Medicaid funding for nursing homes and other long-term care facilities, coupled with additional funding for distressed nursing homes. It also proposes significant investments in the Environmental Protection Fund, including farmland and open space conservation, in water and sewer infrastructure, and in workforce development programs.

Adirondack Sports Summer Expo March 18-19; Saturday 10-5 • Sunday 10-4

Written by Saratoga TODAY on . Posted in News.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — The 17th annual Adirondack Sports Summer Expo is back at the Saratoga Springs City Center on Saturday-Sunday, March 18-19 – beat cabin fever on the first weekend of spring! The FREE admission, high energy show brings Adirondack Sports magazine to life with 200 exhibitors covering running, biking, triathlon, hiking, paddling, health, fitness, and travel across upstate New York. See our exhibitor list below.

Attendees can buy new clothing, gear, products and services; enter to win $10,000 in prizes; enjoy in-booth demos; and bring the kids of all ages for educational, entertaining and fitness activities – including ‘try paddling’ and ‘more kids on bikes’ trainers. Plus, we’ll have healthy lunch, snack and drink options from 9 Miles East Farm & Cafe– and frozen treats from the Ben & Jerry’s food cart.

The Summer Expo is a gathering of 10,000 like-minded people in an upbeat atmosphere! Expo-goers can speak with local club members and join, sign-up for races/events, set realistic health/fitness goals with our providers, and challenge yourself to try something new. Adults and families can plan their travel with our destination exhibitors representing beautiful lakes, mountains, communities, attractions and events/races. Join the Expo to plan your summer adventure now!

Capture Summer Expo energy with friends and family in the Saratoga Photobooth, where attendees can get a courtesy color print and visit their website for an online version – perfect for sharing. At the Expo entrance, staff will be accepting donations of non-perishable food items for the Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York, so let’s work together to fight hunger.

It’s also St. Patrick’s weekend in Saratoga Springs so come up, enjoy the Summer Expo, and the festive downtown atmosphere with many local shops, restaurants and bars. At the show, pick up Discover Saratoga’s Map & Visitor’s Guide with a 10% off discount card at participating businesses. For those who like to plan ahead, go to: www.discoversaratoga.org/ultimatemap. 

Bacon Hill Documentary Premieres March 30

Written by Saratoga TODAY on . Posted in News.

Bacon Hill Aerial View.

BALLSTON SPA – The Saratoga County History Center has announced the forthcoming release of their latest documentary, “Bacon Hill, a Forgotten Crossroads.” 

The program showcases the rich history and plans of the Bacon Hill farming community in the eastern Saratoga County town of Northumberland through the eyes of three generations of residents.

The documentary will have its first screening at a special event for History Center members at 7 p.m. on March 30, which will take place at the Brookside Museum in Ballston Spa. The documentary will be screened at the Bacon Hill Reformed Church on April 20 at 7 p.m., followed by a second showing on April 29 at 2 p.m. at the Brookside Museum.

Those interested in attending these events can register through the History Center’s website at https://brooksidemuseum.org/. 

The SCHC’s series, “Forgotten Crossroads,” explores the history of bypassed communities in Saratoga County from the 19th and 20th centuries. Each episode highlights a different community and the stories of those still living there.

The first episode, released in April 2022, delves into the history of Rock City Falls in the town of Milton, a small hamlet located alongside Kayaderosseras Creek. Viewers can watch the episode on the SCHC’s YouTube channel.

For more information and program updates, visit: www.brooksidemuseum.org