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Author: Saratoga TODAY

Santa Claus is Coming to Town!

Written by Saratoga TODAY on . Posted in Neighborhood Buzz.

The Saratoga Springs Downtown Business Association and Stewart’s Shops are bringing Santa to the children of Saratoga Springs!

Catch a Glimpse of Santa in your Neighborhood as he travels through Saratoga Springs atop a tower ladder fire truck!

December 6 Starts @ 4 p.m. Geyser Crest Area
December 12 Starts @ 3 p.m. West Side Area
December 16 Starts @ 6 p.m. Woodlands & Meadowbrook Area
December 19 Starts @ 3 p.m. East Side Area
December 23 Starts @ 2 p.m. South Side, Jefferson St., Union Ave. South Area

Follow Santa Live on Facebook @DowntownSaratogaSprings

Learn more at saratogaspringssowntown.com

Property Transactions: November 26 – December 4, 2020

Written by Saratoga TODAY on . Posted in Property Transactions.

BALLSTON

Barbera Homes Kelley Farms LLC sold property at 9 Stablegate Dr to Seamus OConnor for $650,794.

Barbera Homes Kelley Farms LLC sold property at 2 Red Barn Dr to Daniel Keating for $417,328.

Debra Brown sold property at 56 Cypress St to Thomas Vogel for $354,900.

Michael Molocznik sold property at 185 Charlton Rd to Bonnie Chapman for $440,000.

TP Builders Inc sold property at 8 Meadowbrook Ct to Alyssa Greer for $553,125.

BDC Cornerstone LLC sold property at 21 Cornerstone Dr to Donald Wood for $290,000.

CORINTH

Atlantica LLC sold property at 17 Heath St to Colleen Shannon for $139,900.

Julianne Taylor sold property at 122 Miner Rd to Joshua Smith for $250,000.

Allison Parks sold property at 3 Fuller Dr to Ronald Tabbitas for $245,000.

GREENFIELD

Bruce Poritzky sold property at 141 Middle Grove Rd to Nikki Yas for $460,000.

Duane Carpenter sold property at 131 Wilton Rd to Mitchell Rager for $145,000.

MALTA

26 Albany Ave LLC sold property at 26 Albany Ave to Ann Marie Floresca for $255,000.

Rasheed Bhatti sold property at 2867 Rt 9 to Aftab Bhatti for $355,179

Kathryn Kos sold property at 81 Arrowwood Place to Alyssa Taranto for $182,000.

Kenneth Jackson sold property at 51 Glade Mallow Rd to Sarah Maiolo for $282,000.

Michael McCabe sold property at 21 Ordelia Lane to Edward Updyke for $367,500

Joseph Greene sold property at 129 Thimbleberry Rd to Susan McQuade for $210,000

Andrew Lamothe sold property at 34 Pennyroyal Rd to Susanne Richardson for $262,000.

SARATOGA SPRINGS

Thomas Roohan sold property at 489 Broadway to 489 Springs LLC for $995,000

Excelsior Park LLC sold property at 9 Gibson Ct to Dalida Toro for $330,000.

Craig Wilson sold property at 9 Sunset Dr to Robert Woodson for $220,000.

Daniel Monaco sold property at 365 Caroline St to Salvatore Salamone for $765,000.

Aztlano Archuleta sold property at 13 Clubhouse Dr to Aimee Privitera for $251,500.

Lindsay Cogan sold property at 13 Michael Dr to Patricia ONeil for $257,500.

Kyle Marsicano sold property at 39 Wagon Wheel Trail to Stephen Prohaska for $265,900.

Spencers Landing LLC  sold property at 24 Arrowhead Rd to Deborah Destefanis for $601,800

Anthony Nazzaro sold property at 225 Caroline St to Robert Leiponis for $510,000

DMN Realty Properties LLC sold property at 54 Walnut St to Thomas Grant for $473,000.

Thomas Burke sold property at 5 Jenee Way to Kyle Klopstock for $568,000.

Jennifer Rose sold property at 30 Central Ave to Kyle Manny for $515,000.

Robert Stern sold property at 44JWagon Wheel Trail to Jerry Gibson for $309,000.

WILTON

Sally Gangell sold property at 3 Carlyle Terrace to Paul Farrell for $559,000.

Kasimier Jarosz sold property at 2 Saw Mill Court to Michael Akker for $620,000.

Richard Bangert sold property at 64 Castleberry Dr to Jennifer Colonagelo for $230,000

Kristen Bonner sold property at 9 New Kent Dr to Jennifer Foresman for $240,000.

Stuart Hardy sold property at 37 Nicholas Dr to Shawn Lavigne for $220,000.

Collaboration and a Multi-Sector Team to Tackle the Issues of Homelessness in Saratoga County

Written by Saratoga TODAY on . Posted in News.

In the on-going conversation around homelessness, a recurring theme emerges with local leaders, community advocates, committed groups and individuals, and those agencies tasked with developing meaningful solutions.

That theme is: It takes a collaborative and coordinated approach to prevent and end homelessness.

It is not the singular effort of one person or agency, and responsibility doesn’t lie with one sector or organization, it is the collective effort with purpose that creates and sustains movement forward and progress. 

For many years Saratoga County has benefited from the collective effort of the Saratoga – North Country Continuum of Care (CoC). This is a collection of agencies funded through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to provide housing solutions across the entire spectrum of homelessness: chronic, youth, families, domestic violence victims, veterans, and all others experiencing a housing crisis. The CoC serves a large region encompassing Saratoga, Warren, Washington, and Hamilton Counties; however, there is a subset of the full CoC, a local planning body known as the Saratoga Housing Alliance, that provides a committed local presence with years of experience and countless stories of success. 

Just last month, the Saratoga Housing Alliance formally combined efforts with the Saratoga Collaborative to End Homelessness to become a more cohesive and organized group that will be called the Saratoga County Alliance to End Homelessness. This new group now combines the efforts of over 12 different agencies and organizations, several faith-based partners, the Saratoga Chamber of Commerce, Department of Social Services, the City of Saratoga Springs, community advocates, health sector partners, and many others, which in practice and purpose meets the vision of the community-based response to collaboratively address and prevent homelessness for all. This presents an opportunity for coordination on an entirely new level, breaks down barriers of perceived responsibility, and sets the stage for implementation of new funding available to Saratoga County to make significant change and impact on homelessness.

On March 27, 2020 Congress passed and President Trump signed H.R. 749, the CARES Act. Included in that legislation is an emergency allocation of $4 billion to be used specifically to address the needs of individuals and families experiencing homelessness, or at risk of homelessness, that have arisen as the result of COVID-19. For Saratoga County, this allocation amounted to $975,000. Under the direction of, and in collaboration with, Saratoga County DSS developed a comprehensive community-wide plan to implement the funding with 8 different non-profit organizations, and named CAPTAIN Community Human Services as the lead agency tasked with coordinating those programs and services. The collaborative agencies include Legal Aid of NENY, Prevention Council / Healing Springs, Salvation Army, Shelters of Saratoga, Transitional Services Association, Veterans and Community Housing Coalition, and Wellspring.

The funding will be directed toward increasing on-the-street presence of trained professionals for Street Outreach, strengthening and supporting Emergency Sheltering services, providing access to permanent housing for homeless individuals and families, and preventing evictions and homelessness through financial assistance. This funding allows for implementation of innovative strategies to increase access to housing and permanency in a collaborative and cooperative model that is client-focused, which ultimately benefits the entire community by decreasing the opportunity for community-spread of this debilitating disease and increasing the wellness of the most vulnerable.

Further, the City of Saratoga Springs Community Development Office received funding to create a program to address homelessness, or those at-risk of homelessness within City limits, due to the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. The program provides additional funding for housing services, which are administrated through partnerships with local non-profits. Those non-profits work with eligible clients to provide security deposits, rental assistance, case management, and other supportive services to help homeless individuals and families attain permanent housing or maintain their current housing by preventing evictions.

The combination of these new funding sources and the enhanced collaborative, community-based approach, Saratoga County is poised for opportunities for real and lasting positive impact on homelessness. 

More information will be available to the community on how to access these resources and eligibility for assistance in the coming weeks, but information can be found by contacting CAPTAIN Community Human Services at 518-371-1185, or on the City of Saratoga Springs website at: saratoga-springs.org/2577/COVID-19-Emergency-Housing-Assistance-Pr

Dr. Lindsay Ferraro Joins Team at Saratoga Hospital

Written by Saratoga TODAY on . Posted in Business.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Dr. Lindsay Ferraro has joined the neurology team at Saratoga Hospital.

 As a physician with Saratoga Hospital Medical Group – Neurology, Ferraro provides outpatient care and is available for inpatient consultations. She also works closely with the hospital’s emergency medicine team, 24/7 teleneurology service providers, and stroke care partners at Saratoga Hospital’s affiliate Albany Med.

 Ferraro was raised in Clifton Park. She comes to Saratoga Hospital from the Neuroscience Center at Ellis Medicine in Schenectady. After earning a medical degree from New York University School of Medicine, Ferraro completed a neurology residency and epilepsy fellowship at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, the flagship hospital of Penn Medicine. She is board certified in neurology with subspecialty certification in epilepsy.

Ferraro serves on the professional advisory board of the Epilepsy Foundation of Northeastern New York.

Roohan Realty Welcomes Anny O’Neill

Written by Saratoga TODAY on . Posted in Business.

 SARATOGA SPRINGS — Roohan Realty has announced that Anny O’Neill has joined the team as a Licensed Associate Real Estate Broker.

O’Neill has been listing and selling real estate in Saratoga County and surrounding areas since 2001. She has also been a member of the Church of St. Peter’s since 1986 and is a past member of the Parish Council, as well as a supporter of the Saratoga WarHorse Foundation, Mary’s Haven, the Franklin Community Center, Community Hospice and the American Cancer Society. 

O’Neill and her husband Vince have been residents of Saratoga Springs since 1986. They have been married for over 35 years with three adult children who were born and raised in Saratoga Springs and now live in the area.

Saratoga Casino Hotel to Donate $100,000 to Regional Non-Profits During Holiday Season

Written by Saratoga TODAY on . Posted in Business.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Saratoga Casino Hotel has kicked off their “30 Days of Giving” campaign, committing to donate a total of $100,000 to 38 local and regional non-profit organizations. 

Each day through Dec. 22, team members from Saratoga Casino Hotel will help to fill local food pantries, purchase essentials for families in need, and deliver checks to provide funding for non-profit programs and initiatives.

Each organization will be featured on Saratoga Casino Hotel’s social media pages highlighting their cause and promoting local support and assistance. Throughout the 30 days the casino will also feature four Player Choice contests on their Facebook page where fans can vote for particular organizations to receive a $1,000 donation. All organizations selected for the Player Choice contests will receive at a minimum $500.

In addition, Saratoga Casino Hotel is purchasing many of the non-monetary gifts for their program from small local establishments such as G. Willikers, Putnam Market, The Bread Basket Bakery, and D’Andrea’s Pizza. 

The following organizations will receive a donation ranging from $500-$10,000 during the “30 Days of Giving” campaign: After the Fire: AIM Services Inc.: Ballston Area Community Center; Ben Osborne Memorial Fund: CAPTAIN Community Human Services: Catie Hoch Foundation; Donna Crandall Foundation – Cystic Fibrosis; Franklin Community Center; Friends of Saratoga County Animal Shelter; Gateway House of Peace; Give a Child Christmas; Habitat for Humanity; Jake’s Help from Heaven; Mechanicville Area Community Services; Moreau Community Center; Nathan Littauer Foundation;         Nipper Knolls Equine Center; Operation Adopt a Soldier; Rebuilding Together Saratoga County; Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Capital Region; Saratoga Center for the Family; Saratoga County Foundation-Save our Locals; Saratoga EOC; Saratoga Hospital Community Health Center; Saratoga Senior Center; Saratoga County Children’s Committee Empty Stocking Project; Schuylerville Area Food Pantry; Shelters of Saratoga; Queensbury School District Snack Pack Program; Saratoga Springs School District SNACPack Program; Saratoga Sponsor-A-Scholar; Stillwater Food Pantry; Town of Malta Emergency Food Pantry; Wait House – Warren Washington County Homeless Youth Coalition; Wellspring; The Wesley Community; Wilton Food Pantry; The Corporation at Yaddo.

Local Sales Tax Collections Decline 5.2% in October

Written by Saratoga TODAY on . Posted in Business.

ALBANY ­— Local government sales tax revenue declined by 5.2 percent in October compared to the same month last year, according to a report released by State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli. 

October’s sales tax collections totaled $1.4 billion for counties and cities, or $74.4 million less than in October 2019.

The drop was less severe than previous declines since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, however. In the spring, collections fell by double-digits. Overall, local government collections in 2020, from January-October, are down nearly $1.6 billion, or 10.4 percent compared to the same period in 2019.

Locally, from January through October, sales tax collections were down 3.3% in Saratoga County and 19.5% in Saratoga Springs. 

“Statewide local sales tax collections have declined year-over-year for eight straight months,” DiNapoli said in a statement. “Our local governments are on the forefront of the pandemic response and they need financial aid from the federal government to help them get through this crisis.”

According to the Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce, demand for hotel rooms in Saratoga County is down 37.6% versus the same time in 2019 through the first ten months of 2020. As a result, Saratoga County’s 2020 revenue per available room is down 49.8% vs 2019. Demand for hotel rooms in Saratoga Springs is also down 41.2% and revenue per available room down 53.3% in the first ten months of 2020 versus the same time in 2019, according to the Chamber.

November 26 – December 4, 2020

Written by Saratoga TODAY on . Posted in Police Blotter.

COURT 

Shawn L. Whitman, 43, of Mechanicville, pleaded Nov. 23 to rape in the third-degree, in Saratoga Springs. Sentencing scheduled Jan. 26, 2021. 

Frank L. Lewis, 39, of Stillwater, pleaded Nov. 24 to felony DWAI, in Saratoga. Sentencing scheduled Jan. 25. 

Levi J.S. Tripp, 39, of Lake George, was sentenced Nov. 24 to 1 to 3 years state prison after pleading to failure to register or verify as a sex offender, in Moreau. 

Neil L. Fullington, 65, of Saratoga Springs, was sentenced Nov. 18 to four months in jail, after pleading to failure to register as a sex offender. 

Edwyn M. Snyder, 58, of Cohoes, was sentenced Nov. 18 to six months in jail, on the felony charge of attempted rape in the second-degree. 

John A. Butler, 41, of Gansevoort, was sentenced Nov. 18 to 5 years of probation, after pleading to felony DWI, in Northumberland. 

Kayla N. Scolamiero, 29, of Ballston Spa, pleaded Nov. 17 to DWAI, in Ballston. Sentencing scheduled Jan. 20. 

Dennis C. Woods, 55, of Corinth, pleaded Nov. 17 to felony DWI, in Wilton. Sentencing scheduled Jan. 27. 

Devin W. Campbell, 20, of Clifton Park, pleaded Nov. 17 to felony DWI, in Clifton Park. Sentencing scheduled Jan. 19. 

Alexander P. Jones, 33, of Ballston Spa, pleaded Nov. 20 to criminal possession of stolen property in the fourth-degree, a felony, in Malta. Sentencing scheduled Jan. 25. 

William M. Biette, 44, of Latham, was sentenced to 2 to 6 years state prison, after pleading to felony DWI, in Malta. 

Javier A. Dalmasi, 25, of Saratoga Springs, pleaded Nov. 19 to criminal contempt in the first-degree, a felony, in connection with incidents in Northumberland, Malta and Saratoga Springs in late 2019. Sentencing scheduled Jan. 26.

POLICE 

Lucas Sisco, 20, of Granville, was charged Nov. 17 in Saratoga Springs with aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle, and failure to stop at a stop sign. 

Shannon Richute, 43, of Wilton, was charged Nov. 17 in Saratoga Springs with aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle. 

Joshua Rector, 42, of Saratoga Springs, was charged Nov. 17 with resisting arrest, obstruct governmental administration, petit larceny, and criminal possession of stolen property. All four charges are misdemeanors. 

Jeremy Depasquale, 40, of Saratoga Springs, was charged Nov. 18 with petit larceny, a misdemeanor. 

Michael Redd, 18, of Mechanicville, was charged Nov. 19 in Saratoga Springs with misdemeanor assault. 

Meaghan Kraft, 42, of Ballston Spa, was charged Nov. 19 in Saratoga Springs with misdemeanor DWI, misdemeanor aggravated DWI, refusal to take a breath test, and two driving violations. 

Miles Hawes, 29, of Milton, was charged Nov. 17 in Saratoga Springs with misdemeanor DWI, misdemeanor aggravated DWI, unlawful possession of marijuana, having no motor vehicle license, and motor vehicle registration suspended. 

Keegan A. Farrell, 20, of Greenfield Center, was charged Nov. 30 with felony burglary. Farrell is accused of entering and remaining unlawfully in a building in the town of Ballston with the intent to commit a crime, according to the Saratoga County Sheriff’s Office. 

Robert Bump, age 47, of Rensselaer, was charged Nov. 30 with burglary in the third-degree, regarding an alleged incident that occurred in the town of Halfmoon. 

William Brown, 37, of Latham, was charged Nov. 14 in Saratoga Springs with misdemeanor DWI, misdemeanor aggravated DWI, reckless driving, leaving the scene of a personal injury accident, obstruct governmental administration, criminal mischief, and three driving violations following an incident on Grand Avenue in Saratoga Springs where Brown is suspected of colliding with an unoccupied car. 

Gregory Dempsey, 51, of Greenfield Center, was charged Nov. 14 in Saratoga Springs with misdemeanor DWI, refusal to take a breath test, and moving from lane unsafely. 

Nicholas Charron, 22, of Spencerport, was charged Nov. 15 in Saratoga Springs with misdemeanor DWI, reckless driving, speeding, and failure to obey police officer. 

Andrew Barney, 22, of Greenfield Center, was charged Nov. 15 in Saratoga Springs with two felony counts criminal possession of a controlled substance, and trespassing. 

Noah McFarland, 21, of Greenfield Center, was charged Nov. 16 in Saratoga Springs with misdemeanor DWI, and speeding. 

Christopher Nichols, 29, of Saratoga Springs, was charged Nov. 16 with misdemeanor petit larceny and misdemeanor criminal possession of stolen property. 

Joy Jirak, 35, of Milton, was charged Nov. 16 in Saratoga Springs with criminal contempt, and criminal mischief – both charges are misdemeanors. 

Edward “Buz” Fiorill

Written by Saratoga TODAY on . Posted in Obituaries.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Edward “Buz” Fiorill, 77, passed away on November 21, 2020. Services were private. A funeral mass and celebration of life will be held in Belle Vernon, PA at a later date. Information will be updated www.burkefuneralhome.com as it becomes known. Memorial donations may be made to Saratoga Hospital Foundation.

A. William Colonell

Written by Saratoga TODAY on . Posted in Obituaries.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — A. William Colonell, “Bill,” died November 22, 2020. No calling hours. Mass of Christian Burial: 11 a.m. Friday, December 4, 2020, St. Clement’s Church (will be streamed on St. Clement’s Church Facebook page). Burial with military honors following in St. Peter’s Cemetery. Memorial donations to a charity of your choice. burkefuneralhome.com