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Author: Saratoga TODAY

A Fresher Way to Get through the Week

Written by Saratoga TODAY on . Posted in Food.

Weekend farmers’ markets are a great way to unwind from the week, spend time with family and friends, and stock your fridge for the week ahead. But there’s no need to wait until the weekend to do this – the Saratoga Farmers’ Market’s midweek market, rain or shine, on Wednesdays, 3-6 pm, offers a way to get the freshest foods – usually picked off the land the day before or even that morning.

This year’s return of the midweek market to downtown Saratoga in High Rock Park offers a more intimate, slower-paced alternative to the Saturday markets. Product offerings include fresh produce, plants and flowers, eggs, baked goods, prepared foods, tool sharpening services, and more.

Vendors appreciate the market’s different characteristics. “Midweek markets are a great opportunity for farmers since it provides a platform to sell your freshest products that otherwise might not make it to the weekend,” says Charles Holub, owner of Scotch Ridge Berry & Tree Farm. He notes that since his farm doesn’t use pesticides or herbicides, they must pick berries every other day to avoid critters. “And naturally grown fruit doesn’t keep long after picking – just a day or two – so these midweek markets let us sell more of our product,” Holub adds.

For customers, the smaller size of the Wednesday market is a draw, especially this year. “Many customers prefer the smaller crowds – plus it makes it easier to have more meaningful personal interactions with customers,” says Becky Dennison of Shushan Valley Hydro Farms. “Since there’s less traffic, products don’t sell out as quickly, and there’s not such a rush for customers to get to the market. The atmosphere is very laid back,” adds Charles Holub.

A family-friendly affair, this season’s Wednesday 

markets will offer the Power of Produce Club with themed activities for children of all ages (running June 30th through September 1). Market-goers can also expect weekly live music and community guests (including the Cornell Cooperative Extension’s Master Gardeners offering gardening tips and soil testing every third Wednesday of the month). Also, on Wednesday, July 21 and Wednesday, August 11, representatives from the Office for the Aging will hand out free Farmer’s Market Nutrition Program coupons to be spent on fruits and vegetables at the farmers’ market.

The Saratoga Farmers’ Market is open Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Wilton Mall and Wednesdays from 3 to 6 p.m. at High Rock Park.  Find us online at saratogafarmersmarket.org and follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

FM KentuckyKissCocktail

DAR Essay and Junior American Citizen Winners

Written by Saratoga TODAY on . Posted in Education.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — The Saratoga Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) awarded certificates and checks to winners of the New York State DAR Flag Essay Contest, the American History Essay Contest, and Junior American Citizen Contest. 

The Flag Essay Contest theme was “What the Flag of the United Stated of America Means to Me” and was eligible for any student in the fifth and sixth grade and attending public, private, parochial schools or those who are home schooled to enter. This year the chapter had over 60 essays entered. The winner was Meghan Kempf, second place went to Hudson Bauer, and third place went to Gabriela Schwartz. 

The American History Essay Contest theme was “The Boston Massacre” and was eligible for any student in fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth grade in public, private, parochial schools or those who are home schooled to enter. The winner was Conor Reilly. 

The Junior American Citizens (JAC) is a community service project. The JAC contest is open to all pre-school through 12th grade students in public, private, and parochial schools, and in sanctioned home study programs in the categories: gifted, general, and special needs. The winners collected food for people needing assistance. Each received a check, a Junior American Citizen Certificate, and a small goody bag. Co-winners were Sakthi and Surya Muthukrishnan. The co-winners read a short note to the members, thanking them for awarding them first place. 

“We are honored to recognize these talented students with their creative writing skills and doing community service,” said Chapter Regent Martha Chromik.

The National Society of Daughters of the American Revolution, founded in 1890, is a women’s service organization whose members can trace their lineage to an individual who contributed to securing American independence during the Revolutionary War. Today’s DAR has over 185,000 members in 3,000 chapters in the United States and abroad. DAR members annually provide millions of hours of volunteer service to their local communities across the country and world. DAR chapters participate in projects to promote historic preservation, education, and patriotism. 

If you are interested in learning more about DAR membership, contact saratogadaughters1143@gmail.com. 

Julian Silva-Forbes Named National Museum of Racing’s 2021 Rodion Cantacuzene Scholarship Recipient

Written by Saratoga TODAY on . Posted in Education.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Saratoga Springs High School senior Julian Silva-Forbes has been selected as the 2021 Rodion Cantacuzene Scholarship recipient by the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame. 

The scholarship, awarded in a one-time amount of $1,000, is presented annually to a high school senior from Saratoga County who has demonstrated a record of academic excellence and exemplary service to the community along with a strong interest in pursuing future studies in history and/or the arts. 

Silva-Forbes will attend Columbia University in the fall. 

Saratoga Builders Association Awards Two Student Scholarships

Written by Saratoga TODAY on . Posted in Education.

SARATOGA — The Saratoga Builders Association (SBA) have awarded two student scholarships to high school seniors or college students who are planning to pursue a career in the construction industry. One is the annual SBA Scholarship for $1000 and the other is the annual “Bob Best” Memorial Scholarship for $500.

Congratulations to Luke Baringer of Wilton. Luke is a senior at Saratoga Springs High School and will be attending Clarkson University in the fall to study Civil Engineering & Architecture Design. 

Congratulations to Brendan Lee of Salem. Brendan is a senior at Salem Central School and also attends WSWHE BOCES. 

Schuylerville’s Top Ten

Written by Saratoga TODAY on . Posted in Education.

SCHUYLERVILLE – Schuylerville CSD introduces their Class of 2021 Top Ten. 

• Valedictorian Camilla Brown, student of Meike Wiesenberg and David Brown, will attend Skidmore College and major in Environmental Science. 

• Salutatorian Cody Belden, student of Christine and Mark Belden, will attend St. Lawrence University and major in Neuroscience/Psychology. 

• Emily Oakes, student of Cheryl and Jeffery Oakes, will attend Nazareth College and major in Psychology. 

• Patrick McGloine, student of Deborah and Thomas McGloine, will attend Saint Michael’s College and major in Environmental Science. 

• Molly Vianese, student of Katie and Justin Vianese, will attend the University of Rochester and major in Finance.

• Lulu Burkowski, student of Volker and Axel and Burkowski, will attend SUNY Oneonta and major in Art & Design. 

• Cameron Wian, student of Cynthia and Kent Wian, will attend Worcester Polytechnic Institute and major in Robotics Engineering. 

• Samuel McGarrahan, student of Brian and Mary Beth McGarrahan, will attend Middlebury College and major in Economics. 

• Lauren Bilinksi, student of Erica and Joseph Bilinski, will attend Nazareth College and major in Early Childhood Education. 

• Jack Dwyer, student of Marci and Michael Dwyer, will attend Syracuse University and major in Civil Engineering. 

No Easy Solutions for Local Labor Shortage

Written by Saratoga TODAY on . Posted in News.

Visit www.saratoga.org and click “Job Zone.” It’s possible we’ve never had as many job openings posted on this exclusively local online job portal since it was
first created. 

Just among the recent posts, we have local employers looking for cooks, tellers, pre-school teachers, laborers, hotel front desk attendant, security officer, and loan processor. Dig a little deeper, you’ll full-time positions available as branch managers, business analyst, certified nursing assistant, machine operator, carpenter, director of data management, electronics tester, fashion stylist, family advocate, immigration services specialist, landscape architect, news producer, planner, veterinary assistant, warehouse worker, and welder. Right now, every sector in our local economy is struggling with open jobs that can’t be filled. 

Some suggest the labor shortage is being caused by the Federal government’s $300 weekly unemployment bonus. There have been calls for this bonus to be discontinued. It is set to expire in September. I certainly know a few people who are staying home versus returning to work because of this bonus. I also know others who need this support because of childcare issues and school-aged children who still have not returned to school full-time. 

The reality is that Saratoga County had a labor shortage before the pandemic. At the time, our unemployment rate was about 3.5%. Now it is 4.4%. Then, there were approximately 4,000 people who qualified for unemployment benefits. Now there are just over 5,000. Even if all 1,000 of the “new” individuals on unemployment came back to work, we’d still have a labor shortage. Getting people on unemployment back to work will help. It won’t solve the problem.

I believe there are larger demographic forces at play. Locally, we have an aging population. During the pandemic, the percentage of people over 65 who decided to retire started to increase. The stock market helped many of them immensely in the last decade. Even after the bottom fell out last March, the market rebounded and retirement investments continued to increase in value. Those 65 and over were also more susceptible to the virus. So some made the choice to retire for health and safety reasons. 

On the other end of the spectrum, we’re not having as many kids as we once did. This isn’t hurting us today but it will soon. The younger generation now in high school and college has also stayed away from working more so than prior generations. Roughly twenty years ago, more than 70% of this cohort worked. Today, that percentage is down to nearly 40%. During the pandemic, some parents kept their children at home versus encouraging them to take a front-facing job where they might be at risk. 

Our immigration system is broken. It’s been broken for decades. The US Chamber of Commerce has been a leading advocate for immigration reform because of the labor shortage. Once again, immigration reform won’t solve the problem. But if done thoughtfully, it can help the hospitality, technology, agricultural, construction and healthcare sectors. 

The Chamber is doing what we can to help. Any employer in Saratoga County can post open jobs for free on the Job Zone. This was once a members-only benefit. We realize everyone needs our help now. That’s why we made the change. We’ve also created a Saratoga County Help Wanted promotional campaign. For as little as $100, we’ll do a mini-social media campaign to promote your local job openings. This is helping but it won’t solve the labor shortage.

We’re seeing local employers increasing starting wages. Some have bonus programs if you get a friend to apply or if you stay for a certain period of time. We’re seeing flexible hours and work from home options. Employers are hosting their own drive-up job fairs. Some are providing transportation to and from work or partnering with CDTA. We’re also seeing businesses automate. You can see this every time you exit a big box retailer and there are more self-checkout lines than staffed ones. And small business owners are just working more hours themselves.

I feel particularly bad for our locally owned small businesses. This summer as we return to normal, it’s likely many of them will be understaffed. This is where you can help. Be kind to these businesses and their employees. It may take them a little longer to serve or to help you. Have some patience. Be respectful. Remember that those who are working will likely be working harder than ever before.

Saratoga County Prosperity Partnership President & CEO Shelby Schneider Announces Departure

Written by Saratoga TODAY on . Posted in Business.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Saratoga County Prosperity Partnership President and CEO Shelby Schneider has announced she will depart from the organization. 

“I will be moving on to a new opportunity that will allow me to grow personally and professionally but I will miss the incredible people and businesses I have had the pleasure of working with here in Saratoga County over the past 21 years. I wish them all a bright and prosperous future,” Schneider said. 

Schneider was appointment President and CEO of the Saratoga County Prosperity Partnership in February 2020, after serving as Director of Business Retention and Expansion, and as Vice President of the organization, which she joined in 2016.  Previously, she spent 13 years at the Saratoga Economic Development Corporation as a member of the economic development team that brought GLOBALFOUNDRIES to Saratoga County. 

The Prosperity Partnership is a Saratoga County-based economic development organization. The mission of the organization is to secure sustainable jobs and capital investment by attracting new business to Saratoga County, and retaining existing businesses by assisting them to grow.

“I’d like to thank the Saratoga County Prosperity Partnership board of directors and Saratoga County Board of Supervisors for the opportunity to lead this organization,” Schneider said. “Although the past year navigating the organization during a global pandemic has been incredibly challenging, it has also been equally rewarding.” 

Schneider’s new position is focused on economic development, and a formal announcement regarding her move will be made within the next few weeks, she said. 

Local Small Business Icon Retires

Written by Saratoga TODAY on . Posted in Business.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — More than a thousand small businesses have been started north of the Mohawk because of Bill Edwards and the regional SCORE team he built starting in 2005.

Starting with a single office provided by the Adirondack Regional Chamber of Commerce in Glens Falls, Edward’s team grew to 30 counselors in four offices.

After being Senior Financial Officer for HP Hood Dairy and International Corporate Vice President and Regional Director for Arthur D. Little, one of the world’s largest consulting firms, Edwards became a college teacher and was selected as the Harder professor of business and management at Skidmore, where he regularly received rave reviews from his students.

Retiring for the second time in 2005, Bill became a volunteer with SCORE, which is a national not-for-profit partner of the U. S. Small Business Administration dedicated to helping small business owners form and grow their businesses. 

Edward’s third retirement comes after a banner 2020. Using Zoom, his team spent more than 6,000 hours and helped start or expand 117 businesses, creating 236 new jobs. These businesses invested more than $4,000,000, more than half of which was raised from local and regional financial institutions which came to respect SCORE for introducing them to entrepreneurs who were well prepared to start or grow their businesses. 

For more information, go online to score.org. 

Tully Rinckey PLLC Announces Allen Shoikhetbrod as Managing Partner of Albany Office

Written by Saratoga TODAY on . Posted in Business.

ALBANY — Tully Rinckey PLLC has announced that Allen Shoikhetbrod has been promoted to Managing Partner of Tully Rinckey PLLC’s Albany office. Shoikhetbrod started as an associate attorney with the firm 2014 and has been a Partner since 2019.

As Managing Partner of the Albany office, Shoikhetbrod assists with day-to-day operations for the firm and provides input on the firm’s long-term strategic vision. He also serves as Practice Chair of Tully Rinckey’s New York State Labor and Employment Practice and Team Leader for the Federal Employment Practice.

Shoikhetbrod has experience representing clients before federal and state courts, as well as before administrative tribunals and agencies such as the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB), U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL), New York City Commission on Human Rights (NYCCHR), the Foreign Service Grievance Board (FSGB), and matters before the U.S. Office of Special Counsel (OSC).

For more information, contact Tiarnan Barrett at 518 640-1225 or via email at tbarrett@tullylegal.com.

Property Transactions: June 12 – June 18, 2021

Written by Saratoga TODAY on . Posted in Property Transactions.

BALLSTON

Eric McMahon sold property at Lot 2 Lake Rd to Gerard Manilenko for $160,000.

Peter Solberg sold property at 166 Charlton Rd to Stephen Burchett for $900,000.

Patrick Finazzo sold property at 18 Van Vorst Dr to Joshua Duquette for $260,000.

Brookview Court Inc sold property at 5101 Stonebridge Dr to Sarah Werner for $278,055

CORINTH

AMMHP LLC sold property at 56 Antone Mt Rd to JOEM MHP I LLC  for $920,174.

Adam Dapper sold property at 61 Locust Ridge Dr to Alexander Mekkelson for $220,000.

Jason Conner sold property at 360 Cty Rt 10 to Susan Diep for $300,000.

Jason Conner sold property at 360 Cty Rt 10 to Susan Diep for $118,000.

Yvette Daniele sold property at 331 Center St to Shenan Tucker for $207,000

GREENFIELD

Daniel McIntyre sold property at 45 Kilmer Rd to Frederick Scheidt for $315,000.

Tasha Overbay sold property at 82 Sand Hill Rd to Elizabeth Laurin for $302,000

Randy Mitosinka sold property at 480 Greene Rd to Daniel OLeary for $210,000.

MALTA 

Michael Mueller sold property at 4 Woodmint Place to Daniel Mueller for $268,000.

Harold Ritter sold property at 61 Pepperbush to Sean Mansfield for $226,000

Omri Karo sold property at 2 Woodshire Ct to Patrick Regan for $410,000.

MILTON

Chrisitne Guarnieri sold property at 42 Coachman Dr to Kathryn Starczewski for $255,100

Brian Theriault sold property at 7 Pinewood Lane to Bobby Reed for $547,500.

Kee to Independent Growth Inc sold property at 330 Northline Rd to Bridgette Arnold for $330,000.

Matthew Smullen sold property at 10 Van Brummel Lane to Nikie Degonzague for $427,000

Fair Oaks Milton LLC sold property at 7 Catalina Dr to Brody Savoie for $515,520

Ashley Novak sold property at 65 Edmund Dr to John McGuinnes for $259,900.

SARATOGA SPRINGS

John Kent sold property at 14 Horizon Dr to John Vanmarkwyk III for $680,000

Oak Ridge Development LLC sold property at 37 Monarda Lane to Beechwood Saratoga LLC for $120,000

Mark Armstrong sold property at 118 Hathorn Blvd to Carmen Pascuito for $295,000

Joseph Layden sold property at 26 Nelson Ave Ext to Joseph Davis for $446,500.

Dean Doin sold property at 276 Washington St to Monica Melendez for $347,777.

Cathy Manjunath as exec. sold property at 79 Railroad Pl Unit 301 to Edward Meehan for $740,000.

Frances Calhoun sold property at 3 James Dr to Andrea Barry for $299,000.

Erica Friday sold property at 7 Newton Ave to Alexander Briggs for $540,000.

Advantage Equities 14446 LLC sold property at 126 Circular St to 100 Park Rd Kingsbury LLC for $825,000

Excelsior Park LLC sold property at 10 Whistler Ct to Richard Martino for $502,631.

WILTON

David Painter sold property at 19 Kings Mills Rd to Kevin Drury for $395,000.

John Devito sold property at 20 Hillcrest Lane to Paul Von Schenk for $335,000.