Author: Saratoga TODAY

SARATOGA SPRINGS — The Dake Foundation for Children has announced their 2023 Board of Directors slate, welcoming three new members to its ranks. Founded by Gary Dake, President of Stewart’s Shops, the Foundation has provided grants to local children with disabilities since 2009 with a focus on inclusion, independence, and fun.

The Dake Foundation’s Board, comprised of 15 community volunteers, will welcome Pam Fisher – Director of Community Relations for Hudson Headwaters Health Network, Linda Miller – pediatric Doctor of Physical Therapy, and JoAnne Starks – Director of Marketing for AAFCPAs.

“Having grown up with progressive hearing loss, the mission of the Foundation is personal to me,” said Fisher of her new role. “I know firsthand that equipment and technology exist that can provide people with greater access to fun. It’s heartbreaking to me that people may opt out of fun activities because they can’t access adaptive equipment. I look forward to connecting young people with these opportunities and furthering the mission of the Foundation.”

Miller joins as a full board member after serving on the Medical Advisory Panel for the past year – a group of specialists and medical professionals who help steer the grant giving process. Starks brings with her over 20 years of marketing experience, and loves to support projects that foster education, youth development, and diversity and inclusion.

“We are a very volunteer-driven organization, and we are incredibly blessed to have Pam, Linda, and JoAnne joining the team,” said executive director Sarah Burns. 

The full 2023 Board of Directors line up can be found at www.dakefoundation.org.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Lemery Greisler LLC, a leading Capital Region business law firm, has announced the promotion of Claire E. McRae to Member. 

 McRae has been with the firm since the start of her legal career, first in 2011 as a summer clerk and then in 2012 as an associate attorney. She concentrates her practice in the areas of corporate and transactional law, including mergers and acquisitions, as well as the formation and day-to-day operation of corporations, limited liability companies and other business entities.

McRae also practices estate planning and estate settlement, which includes the drafting of wills and trusts as well as the representation of fiduciaries, beneficiaries, and creditors in estate probate and estate administration.

“We have been proud of Claire’s professional development and the skill and knowledge she brings on behalf of our clients,” said Paul A. Levine, a managing partner with the firm. “Lemery Greisler looks forward to Claire’s continued contributions and the perspective that she will add to the management and strong future of the law firm.” 

Prior to graduating law school at Boston College, McRae interned with the Albany County District Attorney’s Office and the Schenectady County Probation Department. She is admitted to practice in the State of New York and is a member of the American Bar Association, the New York State Bar Association, and the Saratoga County Bar Association.

QUEENSBURY —  Southern Adirondack Independent Living (SAIL) has appointed Tyler Whitney as their new Executive Director. 

Marti Burnley, the current Director, is retiring. Whitney has been employed at SAIL for the past three years as Deputy Director and brings an abundance of academic and non-profit work experience to his new role.

“SAIL is a premier agency serving 16 counties and assisting those living with disabilities to live more independently. I am looking forward to continuing the great work of the agency and elevating the importance of independence alongside the incredible staff of this organization,” Whitney said. 

SAIL provides an array of advocacy, health insurance, and nursing home transition services to individuals with disabilities and their families. They also loan out medical equipment at no cost.

MALTA — The Sugar Fairy Bakes, a from-scratch bakery in Mechanicville, will be opening a second location in the Ellsworth Commons in Malta this March. And for owner Stacie Blair, it’s been some time coming.

Blair founded The Sugar Fairy Bakes in 2019, and initially ran the business out of her home. Blair had planned for the company’s initial storefront to be located in Malta, but the plans were tabled after the COVID-19 pandemic struck in early 2020. 

Shortly after, Blair found an opportunity to establish her bakery in Mechanicville. Now, she’s expanding her horizons back to Malta. 

“It’s been a great year,” said Blair of the bakery’s time in Mechanicville. “We’re staying in Mechanicville, but I’m not utilizing my equipment to its fullest potential. All the equipment I got with the building is factory, and Mechanicville just cannot put forth the demand that my equipment can take care of.”

Sugar Fairy Bakes will be baking items at the Mechanicville location, and delivering them to be sold at the Malta storefront, Blair said. Their location in the Ellsworth Commons is slightly over 2,000 square feet.

And for residents of Malta, Blair said that Sugar Fairy Bakes will offer “old-fashioned, from-scratch” bakery items to the community. Blair emphasized that “99.9%” of their food comes fully from scratch.

“Nothing comes out of a box or a can,” Blair said. “A lot of my ingredients are locally sourced.”

Sugar Fairy Bakes receives eggs from a farm in Melrose, honey and maple syrup from a farm in Cobleskill, and meat from a farm in Schaghticoke, she said. Many of the company’s recipes have been handed down through family members of Blair and her employees, with some over 100 years old.

“We’re just your old-fashioned, small, community bakery,” said Blair.

Sugar Fairy Bakes offers items such as cakes, brownies, cookies, pies, cinnamon buns, quiche, eclairs, cannolis, breakfast sandwiches, and more. 

“We have our signature chocolate chips, and then we do a cookie of the week,” Blair said. “I make over 250 different cookies, so this is a good way to get each one out there. … Every Wednesday is scone day. Thursdays are sweet roll day, so instead of a cinnamon bun, you’d have a raspberry, or strawberry, or blueberry.”

Blair cited the growth of the Malta community as a reason for the expansion, saying the Sugar Fairy Bakes will help fill a need in the area.

“With the Malta community just really growing, I’m giving them something that they don’t have easily accessible,” said Blair. “I’m putting in their hands fresh-made, cracked-egg breakfast sandwiches and baked goods that they don’t have anywhere else.”

Blair also hopes that the opening of her second location will begin a trend for the company. Blair said her plan is for Sugar Fairy Bakes to be franchised in the next 10 years.

“I have a 10-year plan. Within 10 years, we will be franchised,” Blair said. “That’s the plan. We have Mechanicville, we have Malta. … But I will never get so big that I can’t do from-scratch, and I can’t do what makes me, me.”

But first comes the opening of the Malta location, which offers something “real” to the local community, Blair said.

“When you’re cooking from scratch, you’re using real butter, you’re using real eggs, you’re using flour, you’re using sugar,” said Blair. “You’re combining all these ingredients together to produce the end product. You’re not using processed, chemically-preserved cheap alternatives to create it. In the end, not only do you have a healthier product, but you have a better-tasting product. The quality just speaks for itself.”