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Author: Saratoga TODAY

Saratoga Hospital Names New Administrative Director of HR 

Kathy LaFond. Photo provided.

SARATOGA SPRINGS ­— Kathy LaFond has been promoted to Administrative Director of Human Resources at Saratoga Hospital, a member of the Albany Med Health System. In her new role, she provides leadership to all areas of human resources and guidance to the directors of volunteer services and employee health and occupational medicine.

LaFond has nearly two decades of human resources experience, including more than eight years as Senior Director of Human Resources at Glens Falls Hospital, also a member of the Albany Med Health System. Most recently, she was Associate Director of Benefits and Compensation at Saratoga Hospital.

 “Kathy has extensive experience overseeing critical HR functions and a keen understanding of the challenges facing today’s hospitals,” Saratoga Hospital Executive Vice President Jeffrey Methven said. “Equally important, she shares our commitment to maintaining the supportive work environment that has long been a hallmark of Saratoga Hospital.”

 LaFond has a bachelor’s degree from SUNY Empire State College, a Master’s in Human Resource Management from Stony Brook University, a certificate in human resource management from Duke University, and a certificate in diversity, equity and inclusion in the workplace from the University of South Florida.

 She also holds two human resources professional certifications: senior professional in human resources from the Human Resources Certification Institute and senior certified professional from the Society for Human Resource Management.

LaFond, of Queensbury, is president of the Adirondack Human Resource Association and serves on the Adirondack Employee Assistance Program board, Saratoga-Warren-Washington Workforce Development board, and Saratoga Regional YMCA human resources committee. She is a member of the Capital Region Human Resource Association and the Society for Human Resource Management.

Beech-Nut Distributes Food at “Beech-Nut Gives Back” Event

AMSTERDAM —On September 30, Beech-Nut Nutrition Company, an award-winning baby and toddler food manufacturer, hosted its 6th annual “Beech-Nut Gives Back” drive-thru food distribution event for local families in need. The drive-thru event provides baby food, fresh produce and shelf-stable pantry items. They placed 1,015 boxes of food in the trunks of cars as traffic wound through the parking lot of the Amsterdam-based headquarters and manufacturing facility.

Boxes contained Beech-Nut jars, pouches, and Crispeas, as well as fresh fruits and vegetables from regional farms including Genecco Produce, Mancuso Marketing & Sales, Beak and Skiff Apple Orchards, and bread from Bimbo Bakeries. Additional shelf-stable pantry items were donated by the Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York.  

Amanda Ettinger, Consumer Engagement Manager and co-chair of Beech-Nut’s “Helping Hands” community-service initiatives, said, “This event is something our associates look forward to each year. As a company in the business of feeding young children, we are committed to challenging the issue of food insecurity right here in our local community. We appreciated the chance to come together as a Beech-Nut family to host this event.”

Since 1931, Beech-Nut® Nutrition Company has been a leader in the baby food category and is the #1 jarred baby food on the market. Beech-Nut operates a state-of-the-art LEED certified manufacturing facility in Amsterdam, New York where it produces a variety of organic and conventional certified baby and toddler foods. Beech-Nut is a subsidiary of Hero AG of Lenzburg, Switzerland, a global leader in consumer goods and infant feeding. For more information, visit www.beechnut.com. 

Youth Helping Youth to Host Yard Sale to Benefit Charity    

Photo provided.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Youth Helping Youth, or Youth2, is an organization that orchestrates collaboration  between youth and adults to brainstorm and execute ideas to help their community. Youth2 allows young people to take part in direct social action, encouraging them to continue doing charity work well into adulthood. Youth2 donates grant money to fund both existing and newly-created youth-led and youth-designed projects, helping citizens locally, nationally and globally.

On Friday, Oct. 14 Youth2 will be hosting a yard sale at 27 Excelsior Springs Ave.  in Saratoga Springs. The sale will be open from Friday, Oct. 14 to Sunday, Oct. 16 from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. each day. On Sunday from 2-4 p.m., items are free or with donation. Youth2  will have medical, office and household supplies, musical items, travel aids, new Christmas and holiday fare, sports clothes and equipment, tools, purses, hats, mittens, women’s and men’s clothing, baby items, bedding and more. Many items can be re-gifted and re-purposed.

Youth2 plans to give all proceeds from this event to the Brigid Alliance, the National Alliance on Mental Illness – a nationwide, grassroots mental health organization offering educational programs and advocacy for individuals and families,  New York State’s SNUG – a street outreach gun violence prevention program aimed at reducing and preventing shootings and gun violence and the Pitney Meadow Community Farm Trail. 

For more information, visit: www.youthsquared.org.

Pursuit Announces Chris Levy as New CEO

ALBANY — Pursuit, an Albany-based provider of alternative business financing, has recently announced Chris Levy as their new Chief Executive Officer after former CEO Patrick MacKrell’s retirement on Sept. 30.

Chris Levy previously served as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer at Pursuit, where he headed all company operations, shaping policies, culture and growth. 

After interning with Pursuit, Chris joined the team full-time in 2012 as an underwriter. Shortly after that, he was promoted to oversee the credit department and ultimately served as Chief Credit Officer. Chris’s deep knowledge of SBA underwriting, credit, policy management, and team management has allowed him to continue to expand his role at Pursuit throughout his tenure. Chris oversaw Pursuit’s administration of the Paycheck Protection Program, which resulted in over 11,000 loan approvals for $780 million. Chris’s leadership has resulted in thousands of small businesses obtaining financing to start and grow their operations.

Chris was a member of the Albany Business Review’s 40 Under 40 class in 2022 and received the Coleman Report 2019 SBA Emerging Lender of the Year award. Chris holds a BS in Finance from the University of Maryland Robert H. Smith School of Business and received his Juris Doctor degree from Albany Law School. He is admitted to practice law in New York and New Jersey.

For more information about Pursuit visit pursuitlending.com.

Blue Streaks Field Hockey Shuts Out Schuylerville on Pink Night

Photos by Super Source Media Studios

SARATOGA SPRINGS — On Monday, September 26, the Saratoga Blue Streaks hosted the Schuylerville Black Horses in their senior night game. The contest was also their annual “Go Pink” game, which aims to raise money and spread cancer awareness. The two teams share a special link through Beth Roberts, who lost a battle to cancer last year. Roberts spent 22 years as a special education teacher in the Schuylerville Central School District. Along with teaching, she coached field hockey and lacrosse in the Saratoga Springs district and Schuylerville district respectively. Both programs won championships while Beth was on the sidelines. 

“We purposely picked Schuylerville,” Saratoga coach Jo-Anne Hostig said in a statement. “We wanted to play each other because we both had a personal connection and some players have even more of a connection. There are so many people in our field hockey community that have unfortunately had to battle with cancer.”

To kick off the scoring in the contest, Viviana Nicastro scored a goal off a corner play, assisted by Allie Shamberger with a few minutes left in the first quarter. After Saratoga took the lead, they never looked back. In quarter two, Allie Shamberger scored a goal of her own with the assist coming from Aubrey Ide. And in quarter three, the Blue Streaks finally put the game out of reach with goals from Alyssa Smullen (assisted by Maddie Miller) and Aubrey Ide who scored unassisted. The penalty corners totaled 13 to 4 in favor of Saratoga, and the shots were lopsided as well, with the Blue Streaks logging 21 to Schuylerville’s 3. Schuylerville’s goalie, Petra Gemage logged an impressive 16 saves while Saratoga goalies Lily Wilborn and Alexis Georgeadis logged 3 and 1, respectively.

Saratoga moves to an 8-1 overall record this season. 

Giant Pumpkins at Anne’s Washington Inn

Anne’s Washington Inn recently hosted some of the hard-working farmers who participated in Saratoga Springs’ annual Giant Pumpkinfest that took place Saturday, September 24.

One of the benefits of hosting the farmers… you get to keep over 5,000 pounds of pumpkins! 

The 3 pumpkins weighed in at (left-right): 2,007 pounds, 1,747 pounds
and 1,350 pounds! Photo provided.

Glens Falls Symphony Announces 2022-2023 Concert Season 

Music Director Charles Peltz. Glens Falls Symphony has announced its 2022-2023 Concert Season. Photo provided.  

GLANS FALLS —The Glens Falls Symphony has announced its 2022-23 season, and its return to the Glens Falls High School Auditorium. 

The season will commence on Oct. 9 with a performance of Brahms Violin Concerto, featuring concertmaster Michael Emery, plus the Symphony No. 9 by Dimitri Shostakovich. 

A highlight of the season will be the Nov. 13 performance of a work co-commissioned by the Glens Falls Symphony with the New Music for America Consortium of 36 professional American orchestras. Pulitzer and Grammy-winning composer Jennifer Higdon will be in residency during rehearsals and performance of Cold Mountain Suite, based on her opera and the best-selling novel of the same name.

On Dec. 18, three talented young vocal students, Paige Eaton – Warrensburg High School, Carter Sano – Queensbury High School, and Madison Gaiser – Queensbury High School will perform solos with the orchestra in the “Shinning Lights” Holiday Pops concert. 

For a complete schedule of the Glens Falls Symphony 2022-23 Season and ticket availability, go to www.theglensfallssymphony.org, call the Symphony office at 518-793-1348 or stop by the office, upstairs in the LARAC Gallery building: 7 Lapham Place in Glens Falls. Office hours are Monday – Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Zimbabwean Vocal Ensemble, Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center Kick-Off SPAC Fall Season 

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Zimbabwean vocal ensemble Nobuntu will lead off Saratoga Performing Arts Center’s 2022 fall and holiday season at the Spa Little Theatre on Friday, Oct. 14. 

The a cappella quintet is Zimbabwe’s first all-female professional vocal ensemble, and practitioners of mbube, the distinct style of South African singing recognizable by its rhythmic unity, complex harmonies, and nuanced textures. Show time is 7 p.m. and tickets are $30, all general admission. 

SPAC’s Fall and Holiday Season continues at the Spa Little Theatre with performances by Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center (Oct. 15), Danú: “An Emerald Isle Christmas” (Dec. 11), a Canadian Brass Holiday Concert (Dec. 13), and Damien Sneed’s “Joy to the World: A Christmas Musical Journey” (Dec. 18). 

 “SPAC is excited to move back into the Spa Little Theatre, as we continue our expansion of year-round programming,” SPAC President and CEO Elizabeth Sobol said, in a statement. “From Afro-jazz to gospel to classical and beyond, we invite the community to join us for this exploration of music and traditions from around the world.” 

For tickets and more information on the events, go to: spac.org.

William Shakespeare to Patsy Cline – Single Tickets Available Thursday for the REP 2022-2023 Season

ALBANY — Single tickets have been made available for the entire 2022-2023 season at Capital Repertory Theatre. 

Shows include: 

• Secret Hour (Friday, Jan. 27–Sunday, Feb. 19) – a world premiere of the 2021 NEXT ACT! New Play Summit winner by Jenny Stafford. 

• A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Friday, April 14-Sunday, May 7) is a popular classic by world-renowned writer William Shakespeare. 

• Honky Tonk Angels (Friday, July 14 – Sunday, August 20, 2023) is written by Patsy Cline with mausic by country music’s greatest songwriters, including I’ll Fly Away, Stand by Your Man, 9 to 5, Coal Miner’s Daughter, Ode to Billy Jo, These Boots Are Made for Walking, I Will Always Love You and Harper Valley PTA. 

Shows are also available as part of the 2022-2023 subscription series, which includes Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors, currently running through Sunday, Oct. 23.

For tickets and information, call the box office 10 a.m.- 6 p.m. Monday-Saturday at 518-346-6204 or visit capitalrep.org. Groups of 10 or more can get their tickets by calling 518-382-3884, ext. 139. 

Saratoga Recycles Day is Oct. 1 and Paint Collection Day is Oct. 2

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Sustainable Saratoga will hold their 6th annual Saratoga Recycles Day on Saturday, Oct. 1, from 9 am – noon, in the SPAC overflow parking lot on the west side of Route 50. And, for the first time, there will also be a separate Paint Collection Day in the same location on Oct. 2, from 12 – 3 p.m. 

Anyone can participate; There are no residency requirements for this event. Cost is $5 per household vehicle fee, plus $30 per TV or monitor. Cash or check accepted.

On Recycles Day, Sustainable Saratoga will accept clothing & textiles (any condition), scrap metal, eyeglasses, hearing aids, adult bikes, 20 & 24-inch mountain bikes, musical instruments, backpacks, cell phones with chargers, camping gear, and more. eLot will collect appliances & electronics (including TVs). There will be an additional $30 fee per TV or monitor.  And Youth2 will give out bamboo reusable towels to the first 100 cars. Paint will not be accepted on Oct. 1. 

On Paint Collection Day, Sustainable Saratoga and our partner, Green Sheen, will accept interior and exterior household paint, deck coatings, stains, shellacs, sealers, urethanes, waterproofing sealers, metal coatings, field and lawn paints. No aerosols. Containers should not be empty or leaking. No other items  will be accepted on Oct. 2.