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Author: Saratoga TODAY

Shingles & Seniors: Proactive Prevention

Written by Saratoga TODAY on . Posted in Families Today.

With the rollout of the Covid-19 vaccine upon us, many are enthusiastic about taking a major step forward in ending the pandemic. But as seniors prepare to be inoculated against Covid-19, there is a second vaccine they should also consider: the shingles shot. Shingles is a painful skin rash caused by a reactivation of the same virus that causes the Chickenpox. If you are one of the 99% of adults over 50 years old who have had chickenpox, the virus that causes shingles is already inside your body. It can reactivate at any time and your risk increases with age. And, shingles is common, with 1 out of 3 people in the US developing shingles at some point in their lives.

Shingles is a medical issue that seniors should take seriously. Shingles typically produces a painful rash that blisters and scabs over in 7 to 10 days. People who get shingles often experience acute pain, and many describe the pain as aching, burning, stabbing, or shock-like. Due to the severity of symptoms often associated with shingles and the potential for longer-term complications, the National Institute on Aging recommends that people over the age of 50 receive the shingles shot.

As disconcerting as the prospect of getting shingles is, the shingles vaccination is good news for seniors who would like to protect themselves from the condition. The National Institute on Aging states, “The shingles vaccine is safe and easy, and it may keep you from getting shingles.” In fact, one of the available shingles vaccines is proven to be up to 90% effective in clinical trials. With so many reasons to get the shingles shot, one of the major obstacles that may prevent seniors from doing so is cost—with shingles vaccinations potentially costing hundreds of dollars.

Seniors on Medicare may have to satisfy a deductible or be responsible for sizable copayments when receiving the shingles shot. And, the pricing of the vaccine may not be transparent upfront, as insurances have vastly different pricing policies for the vaccination. These challenges can put the vaccine out of reach for many, but this does not have to be the case. Seniors on Medicare who are considering the vaccine should contact a knowledgeable expert before getting the shot to ensure they pay the lowest cost possible. 

Please contact Blue Chip Financial in Saratoga Springs at 518-584-8057 for more information on how we can help you get the Shingles vaccine at an affordable price.

COVID Updates – Feb.18, 2021

Written by Saratoga TODAY on . Posted in News.

COVID Positivity Rate: 7-Day Average

• New York State overall: 3.7%
• Capital Region (eight regional counties including Saratoga): 2.3% 
• Saratoga County: 2.2%. 
* The total number of Saratoga County residents to date who have tested positive for COVID-19: 11,415. 

Hospitalization Capacity: 7-Day average
• Capital Region Beds available: 31%. New York Statewide average: 34%. 
• Capital Region ICU Beds available: 22%. New York Statewide average: 26%. 

Vaccines Administered
• Saratoga County residents – First Dose: 31,265.  Both Doses: 15,713.   
* Statistics provided by Saratoga County Public Health Department and New York State Department of Health, as of Feb. 16, 2021.

Jobs – Saratoga County’s Department of 

Public Health currently seeking individuals:
• CONTACT TRACERS – interviewing positive patients, identifying their close contacts, interviewing and alerting those contacts to the risk of infection, instructing those contacts to quarantine or isolate for 14 days.  “Contract” positions at $25/Hour.
• LEAD CONTACT TRACER – lead a team of contact tracers. Temporary, per diem-based position at $30/Hour.
• COVID Support Personnel – work is primarily routine in nature, standardized clerical tasks, working alongside vaccinators, health care providers and public health staff engaged in the COVID-19 vaccination effort. temporary, per diem-based position at $22/Hour.
• COVID Response Coordinator – under general supervision, responsible for performing a wide variety of administrative tasks required to ensure the efficient and effective operation of the Public Health emergency response effort. Temporary, per diem-based position at $25/Hour.
• All jobs: No remote capability – onsite required. 

More information, go to: saratogacountyny.gov. 

Assemblywoman Woerner: Transparency and Accountability Required of Governor’s Office

Written by Saratoga TODAY on . Posted in News.

SARATOGA — Gov. Andrew Cuomo is facing accusations that he covered up the true death toll of the pandemic on nursing home residents. 

Local Democrat Assembly-woman Carrie Woerner said that the state Legislature must fully investigate the governor’s actions and take immediate steps to protect vulnerable populations.    

In a statement released last week, Woerner, D-Round Lake, said: “like many of my constituents, I’m outraged by the revelations that the Cuomo administration purposefully withheld critical information about nursing home deaths because they were afraid of the Department of Justice.Regardless of whether such an investigation would have been politically motivated, that doesn’t justify what the governor did.  At this moment of crisis, transparency and accountability are absolutely paramount.  Without it, there can be no basis for trusting our government.”

Earlier this month, Woerner was one of only two Democrats who voted against a bill to rename Donald J. Trump State Park. The justification cited by the assembly measure for the renaming of the largely underutilized park on the border of Putnam and Westchester counties expressed that “the park should embody the goals of uplifting and unifying New Yorkers. For these reasons the Donald J.  Trump State Park should be renamed.”  Despite Woerner’s “nay vote,” the state Assembly opted to move forward with the bill in a 14-7 vote. 

Two Village Trustee Candidates Running as a Team Under Ballston Spa Non-Partisan Line

Written by Saratoga TODAY on . Posted in News.

BALLSTON SPA — Shawn Raymond and Ben Baskin are candidates for the two open trustee positions on the Village of Ballston Spa Board.  The election will be held on Tuesday, March 16.  They are running as a team under the local, non-partisan A Better BSpa line.

Raymond, a civil engineer, has served as Village Trustee over the past four years and is running for re-election. Baskin, a non-profit and public health professional, is a long-time community volunteer, is running with Raymond. The motto of the campaign is: Keep Moving Forward. 

Baskin and Raymond’s four key campaign issues are: preserving village character; promoting smart growth; providing fiscal responsibility and protecting village services. 

Tonko Announces Near $50 Million for Saratoga County, $440 Million for Capital Region in Proposed Federal COVID Rescue

Written by Saratoga TODAY on . Posted in News.

WASHINGTON—Congressman Paul Tonko released local impact figures under the Fiscal Year 2021 Reconciliation Act currently moving through the House and Senate. The rescue package would deliver an estimated $440 million in direct federal COVID-19 relief funding to counties, cities, towns, and villages in New York’s 20th Congressional District—which is represented by Tonko—to maintain essential services and staff including teachers, nurses, firefighters, water systems managers and countless others in the Capital Region. Under this bill:

Public services in Saratoga County – within the boundary lines of Tonko’s 20th Congressional District – would receive a total of $49,867,173. Albany County would receive a total of nearly $174 million, Schenectady County about $117 million, and Rensselaer County more than $82 million. 

“Capital Region communities have showed incredible strength and resilience in the face of this dangerous pandemic, but this fight has weighed on our spirits and depleted our family, municipal, county and state budgets; our local communities may not all survive long months of further economic hardship without federal help,” said Tonko, in a statement. 

“As more contagious new COVID variants continue to spread throughout the country, and with vaccinations still coming far too slowly and herd immunity still months away, we need bold leadership now to deliver that relief. Our COVID package does just that. This plan puts money in the pockets of millions of Americans, scales up vaccination production and distribution and delivers a lifeline to state and local governments to ensure local teachers, firefighters, police officers, nurses and other essential workers are supported while they work to keep our communities going. The end of this pandemic is in sight, but we still have much work ahead to crush this virus and rebuild our economy. Advancing this legislation will give us a clear path to achieve these goals and save countless lives.”

The Reconciliation Act provision includes: $195.3 billion to states and the District of Columbia with $25.5 billion of that total equally divided among the states and $169 billion based on the state share of total unemployed workers, $130.2 billion to local governments, divided evenly between cities and counties, and $19.53 billion for municipalities with populations of less than 50,000. An additional $117 million in funds is targeted for oversight entities to promote transparency and accountability of all federal coronavirus relief funds. 

Melinda Bucknam and Carissa Conley Announce New Tax-Focused CPA Firm

Written by Saratoga TODAY on . Posted in Business.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Melinda Bucknam and Carissa Conley, certified public accountants specializing in tax matters, have formed a new CPA firm, Bucknam & Conley CPAs PLLC. The new firm offers tax and advisory services to businesses and individuals throughout New York State and across the country, both in-person and remotely.  The firm’s focus is on income tax issues, tax planning and business operations.

Conley brings over 20 years of CPA experience and has a well-blended background reflecting work for large and local CPA firms on behalf of diverse clients, from individuals with sophisticated tax needs to all forms of business entities. Her work spans a wide range of industries across multiple states and, combined with rigorous continuing education, provides her broad perspective on varied tax and accounting issues.

Bucknam brings over 30 years of experience as a CPA, advising small-to-medium businesses and their owners on tax planning, tax strategy, accounting, and business operations. Her extensive work with restaurants, real estate firms, construction companies, veterinary practices and other specialty retail has given her a well-rounded business perspective. Bucknam’s clients benefit from her broad view on the impact of accounting, tax and general business financing issues on overall business operations and strategy. 

Conley and Bucknam are members of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) and its Tax Section.

For more information visit www.saratogacpa.com. 

Ballston Spa Softball Booster Club Receives Generous Support

Written by Saratoga TODAY on . Posted in Neighborhood Buzz.

MALTA — The Ballston Spa Softball Booster Club recently accepted a generous donation at the conclusion of a fundraiser held in conjunction with the opening of a new business in Malta. 

As part of the grand opening kickoff of the new Jersey Mike’s sub shop in Malta, the Ballston Spa Softball Booster Club was selected as the recipient of their local fundraising campaign.  Utilizing coupons provided by the shop, the club was able to raise $2,000 in just a few days. 

February 13 – February 19, 2021

Written by Saratoga TODAY on . Posted in Police Blotter.

COURT 

Ralph Knapp, 68, of Saratoga Springs, was sentenced Feb. 10 to 60 days in jail, after pleading to failure to register as a sex offender, a felony. 

Emily S. Baxter, 34, of Slingerlands, was sentenced Feb. 9 to five years of probation, after pleading in Saratoga Springs to fourth degree felony grand larceny. 

Paul Pike, of Saratoga Springs, was sentenced Feb. 8 to 3 to 6 years in state prison, following the conviction of vehicular assault in the first-degree, according to a statement released by Saratoga County District Attorney Karen Heggen. An investigation by Saratoga Springs Police determined that Pike crashed his car into a telephone pole just south of Saratoga Performing Arts Center on Route 50, after traveling more than 100 feet on the shoulder of the roadway. A 7-year-old passenger in the back seat of the vehicle suffered serious physical injuries, including a skull fracture, a severe brain bleed, and a laceration to his face, according to the statement.  Heggen said Pike had failed multiple field sobriety tests at the scene of the crash – which occurred June 10, 2020 – and that it was determined he was impaired by a variety of drugs, suboxone, klonopin, and Vyvanse among them.    

Joshua L. Briggs, of Warrensburg, was charged Feb. 9 with grand larceny in the fourth-degree in connection with a series of retail larcenies in February at the Target Store in the town of Wilton. Briggs is accused of stealing electronics valued at $1,551.43.

Robert Salisbury, Jr., 32, of Schenectady, pleaded Feb. 11 to felony DWI, in Ballston. Sentencing April 15. 

Ronnie L. Gardner, 28, of Saratoga Springs, pleaded Feb. 11 to grand larceny in the third-degree, a felony, in Wilton. Sentencing April 12. 

Leslie F. Allen, Jr., 39, of Corinth, was sentenced Feb. 11 to 1.3-4 years state prison, after pleading to failure to register as a sex offender, a felony, and 3 to 6 years state prison for felony grand larceny, that was originally charged in the town of Greenfield between Feb. 3 and June 11, 2020. 

POLICE

Matthew Salvo, 41, of Greenfield, was charged Feb. 12 in Saratoga Springs with criminal possession of a controlled substance, a misdemeanor. 

Christopher Hance, 31, of Middle Grove, was charged Feb. 13 in Saratoga Springs with unauthorized use of a vehicle in the third-degree, a misdemeanor.

Kenneth Drobner, 27, of Albany, was charged Feb. 13 in Saratoga Springs with aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle, and motor vehicle registration suspended – both misdemeanors. 

Nile Steigerwald, 58, of Saratoga Springs, was charged Feb. 13 with misdemeanor DWIO, and unsafe backing of vehicle. 

James J. Willsey, 31, of Malta was charged Feb. 6 with felony DWI- Previous Conviction, and circumventing an interlock device, a misdemeanor. State Police stopped Willsey for an alleged series of traffic infractions as he drove down State Route 9 in Malta. According to state police, when the Trooper spoke with Willsey they could smell the odor of alcohol and observed signs of impairment. Willsey was administered the standardized field sobriety test which were indicative of impairment and he was taken into custody for suspicion of driving under the influence. Willsey was transported to SP Saratoga where he refused to submit to a test to determine the alcohol content of his blood. He was arraigned in Halfmoon Town Court.

Jason Benson, 39, of Corinth, was charged Feb. 11 in Saratoga Springs with aggravated unlicensed operation- a misdemeanor, unlawful possession of marijuana, operating a motor vehicle without an inspection certificate, and exhaust system equipment violation. 

James Altamirano, 39, of Ballston Spa, was charged Feb. 11 in Saratoga Springs with criminal trespass in the third-degree, a misdemeanor. 

Donald Clute, 57, of Saratoga Springs, was charged Feb. 12 with criminal possession of a firearm, a felony. 

Jonathan D. Cain, 25, of the Bronx, was charged Feb. 14 with felony robbery, felony grand larceny, and misdemeanor attempted assault. Cain is accused of using physical assault to steal a person’s mobile phone and attempting to cause physical injury to that person during an alleged incident that occurred in the town of Wilton, according to the Saratoga County Sheriff’s Office.

Fanny May Woodcock Putnam

Written by Saratoga TODAY on . Posted in Obituaries.

FannyPutnam now FannyPutnam then

CHANDLER, AZ — Fanny May Woodcock Putnam, 82, of Saratoga Springs, passed peacefully into the arms of her Lord and Savior the evening of February 11, 2021, in the company of her children at her winter home in Chandler, AZ.

Born in Saratoga Springs on November 3, 1938, she grew up number six out of ten children in those difficult post-depression WWII years. Learning first-hand the meaning of deprivation and rationing, she developed a near-Scroogian appreciation of the value of a dollar, which would serve her well in the pursuit of her later accounting career.

Fanny attended and graduated from Schuylerville High School, class of 1957, where she divided her attention between academics (as much as was necessary), singing in the school choir (as much as was scheduled) and traveling with her brothers to spend time dancing with the boys (as much as she could get away with).

She would meet her sweetheart, Jay Myron Putnam, in 1957 and marry him for life when she was nineteen years old in June of 1958.

Her career found her early in the accounting department at Montgomery Wards, where she served over thirty years until the company waned into oblivion, then she took her accounting skills to Saratoga County, where she served another sixteen years, retiring to travel with her husband in 2004.

While she spent much of her life as a working mother, she found time do all those things that her family loved. Sewing for her children and grandchildren provided clothes, blankets, handmade dolls, quilts and many treasured memories. She was an accomplished baker, crafting cookies and winning the hearts of every starry-eyed grandchild. 

Outside the house, she devoted time to her Sunday School classes at both the Saratoga and Ballston Spa Christian & Missionary Alliance churches. If she wasn’t actively engaged in caring for her family and others, she found time to devote to their treasured horses, Pete, Major and Casper, relaxing in casual riding, or heated competitive barrel-racing.

Fanny turned out to be a woman of surprises. She could be quiet and calm around the house, but quickly quite the terror at the table drawn up around a deck of cards or a handful of dice. At home in the saddle on the back of a quarter horse, she was equally comfortable on the back of a hurtling motorcycle. Behind the wheel of their Dodge pickup, which seemed to be her favorite ride, she was known for dominating the road and lesser drivers alike, with speed being her primary measure of competency.

We will long remember the extended-family fried dough and bacon breakfasts and sundown shindigs she hosted in their barn and corral where dozens of family and friends would gather around the fire with coffee, music, and hours of stories and gossip.

In the end, Fanny reflected the love of her Lord and Savior in her sacrificial love for others; her friends, her brothers and sisters, her children, and most of all her husband. 

She loved, and she was loved.

Those of us blessed to know Fanny knew without question that her heart was for others, whether family or friend, and you were not a friend for long before you understood you were family.

She is survived by her husband of sixty-two years, Jay M. Putnam, an old rodeo rider, who shared her love for horses, rodeos, and the cowboy way, and her two proudest achievements, her son Casey (Tracey Hartman) Putnam, and her daughter Margaret (Brad) Williamson. 

Her legacy continues in those who we knew brought her so much joy; her seven grandchildren: the Putnams – Cheyanna, Elizabeth and Garrett, and the Williamsons – Caitlin (Ross) Downhour, Tierney, Beck (Lexi Schmidt), and Keely, and her five great-grandchildren: Cheylee, Braylee, and Novalee on the Putnam side, Maynard and Simon on the Williamson side.

She is also survived by her brothers; Roger George, Karl K., and Kirklin D.

She is preceded in death by her parents, Kirkland D. and Martha A. (Owens) Woodcock and siblings Betty Lou (Zwijacz), Ralph Lamar, Olive Sandra “Sandy” (Dickenson), and Joy Susan, as well as half-sisters, Lois (Saetes) and Rose-Marie (Neiger).

Memorial services will be held both in Chandler, Arizona and in Saratoga Springs with details being published as soon as circumstances allow.

Fanny will be interred in the Gerald B. H. Solomon Saratoga National Cemetery in Schuylerville, weather and pandemic restrictions allowing, as early as May 2021, on a specific date to be announced.

The family’s heartfelt thanks go to the exceptional nurses at Chandler Regional Medical Center and the professional staff of In My Home Hospice Care, who provided not only attentive nursing care for Fanny, but also a peaceful, compassionate, and hymn-filled environment during her transition from this life to the next.

Memorial donations can be made to In My Home Hospice Care, 1204 East Baseline Road, Suite 101, Tempe, Arizona 85283.

Raymond Zielinski 

Written by Saratoga TODAY on . Posted in Obituaries.

Zielinski

ST. AUGUSTINE, FL ­— Raymond Zielinski of St. Augustine, FL died after a courageous month-long battle with COVID-19. He was 83 years old. 

Ray was born in Albany, NY on April 9, 1937 to Mary and Stanley Zielinski. He graduated from Siena College and received his master’s degree in business from SUNY Albany. Ray worked for New York State for 33 years. Raymond was the president of the Albany Polish American Citizens Club for several years when the new building was established. 

Ray and his wife, Ann, left Saratoga Springs after he retired for St. Augustine, FL. There he worked for the Red Train giving tours of this great historical city. Ray could often be found on the golf course or socializing with friends. Always adventurous and vivacious, he was known for his love of parties and friendship.

He and Ann would vacation to Saratoga Springs for the summer months where he would conduct back stretch tours of the racetrack. Ray also volunteered at the Saratoga Visitors Center where he gave tours of Congress Park, Yaddo, and trolley tours of the city. Raymond belonged to the Historical Society where he continued his interest in the bygone Saratoga.

In addition to his parents, Ray was predeceased by his brothers Richard and Stanley Zielinski and his sister, Pat Dobek.

Survivors include the love of his life for 33 years, his wife Ann, his daughters whom he was so proud of, Alecia Ramos (Tony), Amy Lee (Joe), Alison Faggiano (Blaise), Ann’s children Kelly Smachlo (Mark), Stuart McDowell (Gloria), many grandchildren, and his sister and best friend, Sandy Crooks (John). 

As soon as Ray learns the layout of Heaven and its many attractions, he will be giving personalized guided tours. Ray was truly a love of history.

Due to COVID-19 a memorial service will be announced at a later date.