Written by Veronica Zabala on . Posted in Education.
Photos by Mary Guarnieri.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — Last Saturday, Jan. 25, Saratoga Central Catholic held its Annual Winter Gala at the Holiday Inn. 200 attendees enjoyed an evening of dinner, dancing, fun raffles and an exciting live auction. SCC raised over $130,000 at this event. The proceeds will be used to enhance the prosperity of Saratoga Central Catholic School.
Written by Veronica Zabala on . Posted in Business.
On March 1, the Bag Waste Reduction Law will go into effect across New York State. The law is meant to encourage shoppers to use reusable bags and cut down on waste. However, some see it as a downside.
The new law bans plastic bags that would be provided to customers at any state retailer that collects sales tax. Instead, stores will provide paper bags at an extra cost of 5 cents, which is collected as a state tax. Stores will also begin to sell reusable cloth bags for customers to purchase.
Not every plastic bag is banned under this new law. Exempt bags include those used to wrap food products and plants, bags for collecting bulk items, garment bags, trash bags and most importantly for us, bags for delivering newspapers. Shoppers are also encouraged to keep using the current plastic bags that they already own.
Local businesses are already preparing for the change. Healthy Living Market and Café in Wilton has already instituted a plastic bag ban at their store and recently began charging 5 cents for paper bags earlier this week. However, their paper bag decision was made long before the law was passed, and the 5 cents they charge goes to a local food pantry.
“We’re really trying to be a step above the game,” said Duane Hendershot, General Manager at Healthy Living. “We don’t care about the nickels and dimes, we care about the environment and getting people to reuse their bags.” Healthy Living Market and Café also offers a 10-cent discount for anyone shopping with a reusable bag.
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In a recent Facebook post, Stewart’s Shops also announced that they would no longer have plastic bags, and encouraged members of the community to share their memories of the bags. Many commenters said they particularly liked Stewart’s plastic bags because they were thicker than other bags, and used them for carrying winter boots, cleaning cat litter, and using as garbage bags in small garbage pails.
While Stewart’s encouraged its customers to keep reusing their plastic bags, some expressed sadness and frustration about not being able to get new ones anymore. Others in the community think that the new law is a positive sign for the future of the environment. “A lot of people want their hands held and want things to be the same as when they were kids, but things change,” said local resident Daniel Abrams. “Maybe this makes life more inconvenient, but you just have to get another kind of bag. It may be annoying, but a law is a law.”
It is still unclear in the scientific community whether plastic bag bans are actually beneficial to the environment, or have unintended and harmful consequences. According to the Environmental Literacy Council, plastic bags take up less space in landfills than paper bags, creating less waste by volume. They are also reusable, unlike paper bags. However, plastic bags are not biodegradable and can be extremely harmful to marine life, clog sewer pipes and are some of the most common stray trash found on the planet.
Another study that examined a plastic bag ban in the state of California showed that after the ban was implemented, the sale of garbage bags skyrocketed. Garbage bags can be even more harmful than regular plastic bags, as they are made of thicker material and use more plastic. According to the study’s author, economist Rebecca Taylor, “…about 30% of percent of the plastic that was eliminated by the ban comes back in the form of thicker garbage bags.” Even reusable cloth bags are not without their harm, due to water use and other production factors.
No matter what bag consumers use, it may feel like a Catch-22. The best option for New Yorkers is to keep reusing whatever bags that they already have. Whether it’s plastic bags, cloth bags, tote bags, purses or backpacks, reusing what you already own is a better choice than buying something new. For more information on the NYS Plastic Bag Ban Law and other exempt plastic bags, visit www.dec.ny.gov/chemical/50034.html.
For Purposes of Clarification
In Saratoga Today’s Feb. 7 edition, the front-page article “So Long, Plastic!” omitted that at this time Saratoga County and the City of Saratoga Springs will not opt-in to the 5 cent paper bag tax under the Bag Waste Reduction Law.
Written by Veronica Zabala on . Posted in Business.
SCHUYLERVILLE/ QUEENSBURY — Come hear from Jan King, owner of King Brothers Dairy, and John Bolster of Reduced-Fat Design, as they share insights into the re-birth of a family-owned business. Learn how this client/designer partnership used customer insight to craft a brand promise to provide farm-fresh quality dairy to the community through home delivery, restaurants, grocery stores and farm-based retail in Schuylerville. The event will take place on Thursday, Jan. 30 from 7:30 a.m. to 8:45 a.m. at SUNY Adirondack’s Queensbury campus. Tickets are $15, free for students and faculty, and can be purchased online. For more information, please contact the Office of Business by calling 518-681-5613 or emailing businesscentral@sunyacc.edu.
Written by Veronica Zabala on . Posted in Business.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — Dr. Lee Ruotsi recently joined Saratoga Hospital as medical director of the hospital’s new wound healing program.
Ruotsi has more than 30 years of experience, most recently as medical director of Catholic Health Centers for Advanced Wound Healing in Western New York. He also served as a wound care and hyperbaric medicine consultant for Roswell Park Cancer Institute in Buffalo, taught in several residency programs and was program director of the Wound Care Fellowship at Catholic Health System of Buffalo.
Wound healing specialists treat chronic and problematic wounds. These typically affect patients who have diabetes, poor circulation, nerve damage or other conditions, or those who have undergone radiation treatments. Elderly patients also are more likely to need wound care.
“We start by identifying both the cause of the wound and the barriers to healing,” Dr. Ruotsi said. “In addition, we focus on conditions in the wound itself, applying evidence-based care to get the wound into an optimal state of readiness to heal.”
The new wound-healing program is the latest example of Saratoga Hospital’s commitment to add programs and services to keep pace with a changing community.
“We are seeing a growing need for wound healing in the Saratoga region and expect that to continue to increase as the population ages,” said Dr. Richard Falivena, vice president and chief medical and physician integration officer at Saratoga Hospital.
“Dr. Ruotsi is the ideal choice to help us meet this need,” Falivena added. “He has extensive experience in growing and overseeing high-quality wound care programs. Equally important is the way he delivers that care, with an emphasis on dignity, respect and the human touch.”
Ruotsi is board certified in wound care by the American Board of Wound Medicine and Surgery and in undersea and hyperbaric medicine by the American Board of Preventive Medicine. He also is certified as a wound specialist by the American Board of Wound Management.
In addition, Ruotsi serves on the board of directors of the American Board of Wound Medicine and Surgery and the National Pressure Injury Advisory Panel. He is a member of the Wound Healing Society and the Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society. He also lectures nationally and internationally on topics related to wound care and hyperbaric medicine.
Ruotsi is in practice with Saratoga Hospital Medical Group – Wound Healing. He sees patients at Saratoga Medical Park at Malta. For an appointment, call 518-886-7568.
Written by Veronica Zabala on . Posted in Business.
SARATOGA COUNTY — What will you do with the extra day we all get this Leap Year, on Saturday, February 29? The Saratoga County’s Chamber’s idea — take part in Leap of Kindness Day and do something kind for someone else.
To help you participate, The Saratoga County’s Chamber reached out to local nonprofits in Saratoga County and asked them for some ideas. While you can wait to deliver any items you might donate, you are encouraged to start collection activities within your workplace or organization as soon as possible to maximize your participation and community impact.
The Chamber is also inviting their members and other local organizations to share their own creative ideas for participating in Leap of Kindness Day this year.
Leap of Kindness Day now happens every four years. The idea is to get as many people in our community as possible to use the extra day we all get in a Leap Year to do something kind for someone else. Our first Leap of Kindness Day was in 2016.
Locally across Saratoga County, hundreds of people take part in this celebration of kindness. Some cooked breakfast or delivered lunch for first responders. Others delivered flowers or socks to residents in local retirement homes. Local employers collected clothes, food and money for a wide range of local charities. Others acted individually sending a thank you card to someone who meant a lot to them.
Beyond Saratoga County, there were more than 50 chambers in 30 states that joined the Leap of Kindness Day celebration.
And now as we inch closer to Leap of Kindness Day 2020, our goal is to see that even more individuals and employers come together to do something kind for someone else using the extra day they will get on February 29.
Below are what some local nonprofits are requesting:
Habitat for Humanity
We are asking for the community to purchase a 2x4x8 or 2x6x8 and write a message about home ownership and/or affordable housing on it. Please drop it off at the ReStore, at 1373 Rt 9, Moreau NY 12828. Contact Adam Feldman for details at 518-793-7484.
Mechanicville Area Community Center
We could use any items, but what we are and will continue to be short on is cleaning products (laundry items, sponges, cleaning sprays, dish soap), personal care items (toothpaste, mouth wash, hand soap, full size shampoo / conditioner, deodorant) and pet supplies (dog and cat food, kitty litter, treats). Contact Megan Quillinan for details at 518-664-8322.
Franklin Community Center
A major need we have this time of year is individually packaged snack items to provide snacks to our 150+ Project Lift participants, as well as hygiene items like shampoo, conditioner, shaving cream, soap, toothpaste, toilet paper, paper towels and tooth brushes. These items are even more helpful than food items because they are things that SNAP benefits do not cover. Contact Kari Cushing at 518-587-9826.
CAPTAIN Community Human Services
We have four offices that could use painting at our Glenville location. Painting help or donated paint would be appreciated Contact Ava Martin if you can help at 518-399-4624.
Shelters of Saratoga
Canned goods drive for our outreach program. Contact Rosemary Royce at 518-581-1097.
The Wesley Community
Flowers, stuffed animals, etc. for residents. Contact Greg Dixon at 518-691-1419.
The Salvation Army
Collecting sock and underwear donations for all ages. Contact Bree Barker at 518-584-1640.
Backstretch Employee Service Team
Donation of jeans for backstretch workers at the Saratoga Race Course. Contact Nancy Underwood at 518-587-3720.
Below is a list of “acts of kindness” our member organizations are planning to do to join our Leap of Kindness Day celebration.
The Rotary Club of Saratoga Springs
Participate through the Rotary Home & Lifestyle Show by making donations of items at the show: Saturday, Feb. 29 will be socks and underwear, and Sunday, Mar. 1 will be pet items such as unused dog and cat beds, food, treats, toys and other pet paraphernalia. Bring your donations to the show and place them in the receptacle near our entry table.
First New York Federal Credit Union
Collecting donations for Blue Star Mothers of America at all of their credit union branches.
The Chamber’s Veterans Business Council
Collecting donations for STRIDE, a veteran organization assisting disabled veterans.
The Clifton Park Halfmoon Public Library
Working with CAPTAIN to collect funds to support their outreach programs, including their Street Outreach Project and Youth Shelter. Patrons can donate funds and they will receive a “frog” where they can write their name. It will be hung up on their window to create a visual frog pond.
The Saratoga County Chamber’s Board of Directors
Bringing fruit and vegetable platters to the overnight staffs at the Ellis Medicine Urgent Care Center in Clifton Park, and the Albany Med/Saratoga Hospital Urgent Care Center in Malta.
Please email or call the Saratoga County Chamber at 518-584-3255 to let us know how people can help your nonprofit organization as part of Leap of Kindness Day 2020. Please also share what you are doing with the chamber on Facebook. Every effort will be made to thank and publicly acknowledge all of the acts of kindness taking place in Saratoga County and beyond.
Written by Veronica Zabala on . Posted in News.
SARATOGA SPRINGS/MEXICO — In 2008, 14 year-old Eleuterio Martinez Ramirez, or Ele, arrived in the U.S. Speaking no English, he set off on a journey that would see him master the language, gain scholarships, a college degree, and working on a project to change the future of recycling. The reason for his journey? To search for a better future.
Hailing from the small village of La Sabana, Copala in Oaxaca, Mexico, Ramirez came to Saratoga Springs and was assigned a guardian to help his adjustment to the U.S. Through a program put on at the backstretch, he learned English, and began to pursue higher education.
Ramirez attended Skidmore College, and studied Documentary Studies, Anthropology, and Math, with the goal of becoming an engineer. “To me, art and science are not separated, but related by how they help us understand and solve important problems in society,” he said.
While at Skidmore, Ramirez was able to travel back to his home village as part of an internship program. He was able to assist at a local school, Centro de Integracion Social 28, and began a community based photography program to help students learn about photography, and to explore his own Triqui culture. “The Triqui people are one of the pre-Colombian indigenous groups that live in the south-western of the state of Oaxaca, Mexico, who are still preserving their culture through their native language (called Triqui), beliefs and art,” explained Ramirez.
This internship became a photo project that was then put on exhibition at the Skidmore Case Center. The project, entitled, “Ventana a mi Comunidad (Window to my Community)” ran in the fall of 2018, and featured photos of local school children, landscapes, adults and daily routines of villagers.
After graduating from Skidmore in May of 2018, Ramirez was able to visit his hometown again with help from the Anne Palamountain Award. This time, he was able to continue his efforts in teaching local school children, and brought 15 tablets and other materials to help assist them.
Despite all of this, Ramirez has no plans of slowing down: he currently works as an Associate Technician at Global Foundries, and has big plans for the future. “My goal for this year while working at Global Foundries is to pursue a second bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering through a program at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute,” he said.
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Ramirez is also currently working on a recycling and solar project. “This project got my attention because I noticed that many rural areas in my home-state, especially in my community, don’t have recycling companies that take our plastic, so instead people just dump it out in the rivers or burn it, and this is very bad for the environment,” he explained. “I visualized that bringing this project
back home can have a positive impact on not just the community, but to the environment as well.”
Ramirez said that installed solar panels could help power schools and clinics in his home community. “This is essential to me because many teenagers, like me or under 18 year-olds, quit school because of the lack of resources that the school and/or the government don’t provide every year,” he said. “Therefore, I want to set up the goal to work on these projects and not just give back to my community, but inspire the young Triqui generation [to see] that everything can be done through the knowledge that they can gain through education, and to truly appreciate it because any ideas can be achieved by knowledge, and also determination and sacrifice.”
Throughout his journey, Ramirez has a large group of supporters throughout the community, ranging from professors, coworkers, and friends. “Few individuals have manifested their fear and used it to propel themselves forward down a virtuous path,” said Ramirez’s former professor, Bernardo Ramirez Rios. “Eleuterio Martinez Ramirez is one of the few individuals I know who has overcome tremendous adversity and will continue to shape the story of the United States of America in a righteous way.”
Another friend and supporter, Michelle Paquette-Deuel, Director of the Pre-College Program at Skidmore, has known Ramirez for 10 years. “When once asked why he [Ramirez] studied tirelessly as a Skidmore student, he explained that he carried on his shoulders the hopes of all those who had helped him to get there, that he couldn’t let them or himself down,” stated Paquette-Deuel. “His achievements reflect his steadfast work ethic and sacrifice on behalf of others and the future of his dreams—a future that now includes his U.S. citizenship. Eleuterio’s story entails an epic journey, but it is the measure of his character that is most remarkable.”
Ramirez’s large group of supporters was able to help him celebrate a momentous occasion, when he officially became an American. “I recently obtained my citizenship yesterday [Jan.17], which was the most remarkable day of my life because to me it represents not just a great accomplishment that I did, but it also represents all the people that have supported me through this long journey,” said Ramirez.
Ramirez will continue to give back to his hometown, and to his new community in the U.S. “I witnessed many conditions that pushed me to leave when I was younger like poverty and lack of resources to enhance students’ learning,” he said. “I felt privileged to have all the opportunities that I gained through my education and just to be here in the USA, but I wanted to give back these opportunities to other students that don’t have it.”
Written by Veronica Zabala on . Posted in News.
Photos provided by John Rowe
SARATOGA SPRINGS — On Wednesday, Jan. 15, a group of students from Warrensburg and Mayfield Central Schools visited Prestwick Chase to speak to residents about growing up, their careers and their lives today. The students were part of a lifespan/ human development class that is taught at both schools. The residents also had some questions for the students in return: they wanted to learn what life was like for the students today, and their plans for after school. Student visitors included Zach Carpenter, Liam Edmeunds, Chris Lambeth, Serena Stewart, Alexia Insonia, Olivia Dunn, Navae Aponte, Lilliana Powers, and teachers Maryellen Seaman and Stacie Anastasia. Prestwick Chase residents were Marian Peterson, Walter Blair, Bruce Conroy, Pat King, Jane Rydzynski, Ellie Strack and Doris Ludwig.
Written by Veronica Zabala on . Posted in News.
ROUND LAKE — For the fourth year in a row, The Mill on Round Lake defies the bleakness of winter with their 30-foot Fire & Ice Bar. Fire pits will be available to keep customers toasty warm as they enjoy the frosty surroundings, including ice sculpture shuffleboards, and corn hole. Patrons can also retreat to a cozy spot by the indoor fireplace.
Creating the longest ice bar in the Capital Region is a Herculean event requiring 10,000 pounds of ice and countless hours of planning and set-up. Charlie “The Ice Man” Jones and his sculptors bring the event to life and The Mill staff does everything from making ice shot glasses to stacking firewood in preparation. Installation of the ice bar will be Jan. 29 around 4:30 p.m. and usually takes two to three hours. The Fire & Ice Bar will be open only six days, but the novelty has made this time of year one of the busiest at The Mill.
Speciality cocktails will range from an Artic Cosmo to Sex on a Snowbank. Moscow Mules, bottled beer, wine and ice shot glass shots will also be served, as well as hot drinks such as Chocolate Coconut Cream Pie and Hot Cinnamon Toast Crunch. The drink menu will be available via the website’s What’s Happening homepage section: www.myfavoritetaverns.com
The Fire & Ice Bar will be open as follows:
Friday, Jan. 31 • 5 – 10 p.m.
Saturday, Feb. 1 • 11 a.m. – 10 p.m.
Friday, Feb. 7 • 5 – 10 p.m.
Saturday, Feb. 8 • 2 – 10 p.m.
Friday, Feb. 14 • 5 – 10 p.m.
Saturday, Feb. 15 • 2 – 10 p.m.
Written by Veronica Zabala on . Posted in News.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — In an effort to sustain both the First Night and July 4th fireworks displays in downtown Saratoga Springs this year and into the future, the Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce has created a Saratoga Springs Fireworks Fund. The Chamber is now seeking local businesses that want to see First Night and July 4th fireworks displays continue to become a sponsor or to make an online donation. All sponsorship funds and donations to the Saratoga Springs Fireworks Fund are tax-deductible as charitable donations. This is your chance to make a difference! The funds donated will be used solely to put on the fireworks this year on First Night and July 4th and hopefully for years to come. To donate, please visit secure.givelively.org/donate/ saratoga-county-foundation-inc/ saratoga-springs-fireworks-fund.
Written by Veronica Zabala on . Posted in News.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — The Saratoga Springs Lions Club 5th Annual “Because Hunger Doesn’t End With the Holidays” food drive collected a record amount of food for local food pantries in Saratoga on Saturday, January 18. Partnering with the Golub and Hannaford Corporations, the club collected donations at four area Price Chopper, Market 32 and Hannaford stores. All of the donations received were shared equally with seven area pantries, including the Franklin Community Center Pantry, Wilton Food Pantry, St. Clement’s Church Pantry, Saratoga EOC Pantry, Shelters of Saratoga Pantry, Presbyterian Church Pantry and Salvation Army Pantry. In total the club collected approximately 7,500 pounds of food and monetary donations of $330! The monetary donations will go toward the Saratoga Springs School District School Lunch program.
The Lions are especially grateful to the tremendous outpouring of support from members of our community! Your donations will go a long way toward restocking the shelves of our food pantries, which many fellow members of our community rely on.
