HALFMOON — A drive-thru convenience store may be coming to the region. 

Farm Stores are drive-thru convenience/grocery stores in retrofitted shipping containers that resemble red barns. Drivers pull up on parallel sides of the building to view merchandise – dairy, eggs, fresh-baked bread, produce, beverages, and more – through the windows. A clerk working inside takes and bags orders.

An article done by the Albany Business Review states that a developer of Farm Stores has already purchased a 0.67 acre plot of land at 9 Route 236. This plot is across from a Stewart’s, and a few miles down the road from a Trader Joe’s that is currently under construction. 

Olivia Huffman, a commercial real estate broker at RedMark Realty out of Clifton Park, exclusively represents Farm Stores and confirmed that the developer who purchased the land is Pointe Companies. Huffman also said that there are a minimum of 10 locations in upstate New York where they are looking to build more Farm Stores. Franchisees Richard and Angela Barone will be opening one soon in Wappingers Falls. 

Richard Harris, the Director of Planning & Building for the town of Halfmoon, says that they have not yet received an application or concept plans for the Farm Store, and that the approval process could take approximately 2-3 months. However, Harris believes that it could be a positive commerce opportunity for Halfmoon, and might help to spread out traffic near other businesses in town.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Ian Berry has joined the Saratoga Arts Board of Directors.

Berry is Dayton Director of The Frances Young Tang Teaching Museum and Art Gallery and Professor of Liberal Arts at Skidmore College. He has organized over 100 museum exhibitions for the Tang and museums across the United States. 

Berry is a leader in the field of college and university museums, and is a regular speaker on interdisciplinary, inventive curatorial practice and teaching in museums. He is well known for his active publication record including monographs on artists Terry Adkins, Nancy Grossman, Corita Kent, Nicholas Krushenick, Tim Rollins and K.O.S., Alma Thomas, and Kara Walker. 

He is a board member of the Museum Association of New York, has chaired the Visual Arts Panel of the New York State Council on the Arts, and serves on several advisory committees for regional and national arts organizations. 

SARATOGA SPRINGS — William Keogh with Keller Williams Capital District has earned the nationally recognized Seniors Real Estate Specialist® (SRES®) designation from the SRES® Council of the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR).

Keogh joins more than 15,000 real estate professionals in North America who have earned the SRES® designation. All were required to successfully complete a comprehensive course in understanding the needs, considerations, and goals of real estate buyers and sellers ages 55 and older.

“Working with seniors to meet their housing needs requires an expert understanding of their lifestyle and financial needs, and the SRES® designation means that a REALTOR® has that understanding,” said Keogh. 

SRES® Council, founded in 2007, is the world’s largest association of real estate professionals focusing specifically on representing senior clients in real estate transactions. There are more than 15,000 active members of the organization worldwide. 

The National Association of REALTORS®, “The Voice for Real Estate,” is America’s largest trade association, representing more than 1.4 million members involved in all aspects of the residential and commercial real estate industries.

For more information, visit SRES.realtor. 

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Mark Quandt has announced his retirement from Northeast Regional Food Bank after 38 years. 

The Regional Food Bank has been helping to feed the poor and hungry in the greater Capital Region and beyond since 1982. It is the only organization of its kind in northeastern New York and collects large donations of food from the food industry and distributes it to charitable agencies serving hungry and disadvantaged people in 23 counties, including across Saratoga. From Plattsburgh to Newburgh, in urban, rural, and suburban communities, the Food Bank provides over 40 million pounds of food a year to 1,000 agencies. 

Congressman Paul D. Tonko issued a statement following the announcement of Quandt’s retirement. It reads: “Mark Quandt is one of the finest people I have ever known. His work as Executive Director brought our Northeastern Regional Food Bank to new heights and helped lift thousands of our neighbors, friends and loved ones out of the pain of hunger and despair, and every step of the way he has done so with a deep spirit of compassion. I appreciated his tireless work to better serve the needs of my own constituents. I am humbled and deeply grateful for the gift of his decades spent addressing human need in our region. He remains a beacon of hope and inspiration to many, and I wish him my very best as he embarks on his next chapter of life.”

For more information, go to: regionalfoodbank.net

Saratoga County — Rebuilding Together Saratoga County announced a new name for their store in Ballston Spa. ReShop for the Good sells new and gently-used furniture, household goods and decor. Proceeds from ReShop for the Good support Rebuilding Together Saratoga County’s work to provide critical repairs and accessibility modifications for low-income homeowners in our community.  ReShop for the Good originally opened in 2017 and has continued to see increased business year-over-year.   

“We opened our store in 2017 and the business has continued to grow online and in our store, even during the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Executive Director Michelle Larkin.  “It’s clear that the community understands the value of being able to both donate and shop to support our work.  With this growth, our team saw an opportunity to rename our store so we can build a brand around the mission of the ReShop and Rebuilding Together. Our motto is ‘When you do good, you feel good’ and the new name of our store really reinforces that message.  Every item you donate and every dollar you spend at the ReShop helps us help our neighbors-in-need live in safe, healthy, warm, dry, and affordable homes.” 

ReShop for the Good is planning a ribbon-cutting in Spring 2021 with details to be shared at a later date. 

For more information about ReShop for the Good, please visit www.reshopforthegood.com.

Rebuilding Together Saratoga County is a volunteer-driven, registered 501(c)3 nonprofit organization with a mission of “Repairing homes, revitalizing communities, rebuilding lives.”  In the 18 years since its founding, Rebuilding Together Saratoga County has repaired 1,379 homes, improved 103 nonprofit centers and community spaces, and replaced 20 substandard manufactured homes with the help of 10,672 volunteers who have dedicated 81,847 hours of their time. For more information, visit www.RTSaratoga.org.

On Wednesday, March 24, the Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce is hosting what was once a hugely popular event – The State of Saratoga County Breakfast.

Of course, this breakfast will be unique in many ways. It’s the first time we’ve ever hosted one during a pandemic. So we’re taking extra precautions to make sure everyone is safe. You have to bring your own breakfast. You’ll have to make or buy your own coffee. You have to find your own seat. But it can be anywhere in the world. You’ll need a computer, laptop, tablet or phone to actually attend. You don’t need to dress up. You won’t need to bring any business cards. We won’t ask new members to stand up and introduce themselves.

This year’s event will be virtual. The good news is that this means anyone can attend. You’ll be on mute but we will take questions via chat. The event is generously sponsored by The Adirondack Trust Company. During the breakfast, virtual attendees will hear from the 2021 Chair of the Saratoga County Board of Supervisors, Town of Moreau Supervisor Todd Kusnierz, and the new Saratoga County Administrator, Steve Bulger.

Since taking over in January, the Chairman and the Administrator have made sure to focus the county’s efforts on stopping the spread of the virus. They appointed Supervisor Tara Gaston to lead the effort as Chair of the Board’s Health & Human Services Committee. This committee and every County department are working diligently to slow the spread of the virus and to help local residents to get vaccinated. We’re sure the breakfast will cover this topic extensively.

Chairman Kusnierz and his team have been hosting regular updates via Facebook live as the year has progressed. They’ve taken action to help local restaurants by supporting a cap on third party delivery fees. They’ve helped promote the work by the Saratoga County Industrial Development Authority and the Clifton Park Industrial Development Authority to provide tens of thousands of dollars in reimbursement grants to help local businesses and nonprofits pay for personal protective equipment expenses. They’ve supported efforts by the Saratoga Casino Hotel to expand their hours of operation which has helped them to attract more people to Saratoga.

The County is regularly sharing information on the vaccination program online and on social media. The Chamber has been keeping close track of this information. We’re publishing a weekly chart that updates everyone on the progress being made to vaccinate the county’s residents. This is vital if we are to reopen our local economy fully later this year. It’s vital if we want to be allowed to have a more normal summer with fans at all of our most popular venues. 

With the passage of a new stimulus law at the Federal level, there are now millions of dollars in assistance coming to Saratoga County. It’s likely that the County’s leaders will update attendees at this breakfast as to how this money will be allocated. As with everything else, there are likely strings attached to this funding and maybe some areas where our local officials will have some flexibility. We look forward to hearing about all of this and more.

These two leaders, of course, also have the regular and more traditional work of the county to lead. We’re blessed with having decades of great leadership in Saratoga County. Even during a pandemic, Saratoga County leaders maintained our lowest in the state property tax burden. They successfully managed to balance the county budget while providing all essential services plus so many unanticipated costs associated with the war against COVID 19. In many ways, this was what the focus was of this former annual event. Just because it is not at the top of the agenda this year doesn’t take away its importance. 

The breakfast will be held on Wednesday, March 24, from 8:45 a.m. to 10 a.m. To register, please visit www.saratoga.org. Click Chamber Events and follow the directions to register. There is a $10 fee to attend. While we look forward to the day when this event can be held in person again, our hope is that we’ll have a bigger and more diverse audience this year since the program is so accessible and the information so vital. Send any questions about the event to acole@saratoga.org. 

MALTA — The Luther Forest Technology Campus may soon be adding to its list of residents. 

The campus, which sits in the towns of Malta and Stillwater, has long been home to GlobalFoundries as its sole tenant. Scannell Properties, a privately owned real estate development and investment company, is looking to develop up to five large warehouses consisting of millions of square feet of manufacturing and warehouse space at LFTC, bringing about 2,500 new jobs to the county along with it. 

“It would be significant for a couple of reasons. First and foremost is the sheer number of jobs involved. They’re talking about 2,500 jobs, which would absolutely be a game-changer, a generational change in terms of economic activity,“  said Timothy Dunn, councilperson on the Malta Town Board.   

GlobalFoundries employs about 3,000 people, but many are of a specialized high-tech variety. Dunn explained that the Scannell project would appear to seek the employ of a more varied skill set and offering jobs that run the gamut from tech and tech-related jobs to light manufacturing and distribution. “I think it would be a huge opportunity for the local work force. The ability to get those jobs to local people is really high I think, and would be a big benefit,” Dunn said.   

Before the project can proceed, the towns of Malta and Stillwater would need to allow a mix of uses on the land that Scannell would employ. 

The company is based in Indiana and was founded in 1990. Its focus is on build-to-suit and speculative development projects, and cites more than 350 completed development projects with a geographic reach across 44 U.S. states, as well as in Canada, France, Italy, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain and the UK. 

“A company like Scannell that’s looking to make a strategic investment based on market demand is exciting. They develop property and work with companies that would have the highest propensity to want to do business in our area based on the marketplace and all of the strategic assets that we have in our region,” said Shelby Schneider, President and CEO of Saratoga County Prosperity Partnership.  “It’s exciting to see. They develop property for Fortune 100 companies around the country. If they have confidence in the marketplace, they relay that confidence on to Fortune 100 companies.” 

Scannell has an option to buy more than 200 acres of land south of the GlobalFoundries computer chip plant, and is in communication with local municipalities regarding the land use changes to the planned development district necessary for the development of the potential project. 

A discussion was held among members of the Malta Town Board during its workshop earlier this month and it is anticipated discussions will continue during a full town board meeting on March 29. A town board Action Meeting takes place April 5. It is believed a similar process will be undertaken in Stillwater.   

The project has also been forwarded to the Malta Town Planning Board as well as the Saratoga County Planning Board for review. “So, we’ll be anticipating input from both of those entities,” Dunn said. “Once we’ve gone through all these steps it will be up to the town board to make a decision whether to approve or not approve the amendment of the Planned Development District – which is ultimately what precipitated this whole discussion.” 

SARATOGA SPRINGS —  AIM Services, Inc., one of the area’s largest providers of services to people with developmental and intellectual disabilities has announced that Bo Goliber has joined the non-profit organization as its first chief development and communications officer. 

Goliber will lead the existing fundraising and marketing efforts at AIM Services, fine-tuning its strategy and enhancing its development team and brings nearly two decades of marketing, public relations, fundraising and development experience in the nonprofit sector coupled with experience in corporate philanthropy and Corporate Social Responsibility. 

She most recently spent eight years at Fingerpaint, a national health and wellness marketing agency managing their company-wide philanthropy efforts. Prior to that, she spent nearly a decade with Franklin Community Center as development and community relations coordinator and as a board member.

For more information about Aim Services, go to: aimservicesinc.org

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Jaime Williams has joined the team at Roohan Realty as a Licensed Real Estate Salesperson.

For over 17 years, Williams has worked at Franklin Community Center, a non-profit human service agency located in downtown Saratoga Springs. She was involved in program management, fundraising and development. In addition to her involvement with Franklin Community Center, Williams serves on the Board of Directors for the Ballston Spa Education Foundation. Originally from Massachusetts, Williams moved to Ballston Spa in 2003. 

Roohan Realty, located at 519 Broadway, is celebrating 52 years of serving the community’s residential and commercial property needs. Williams can be reached at 518-226-9478 or:  jaime@roohanrealty.com.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Former Manhattan ADA turned boxing promoter and founder of One With Life Organic Tequila (OWL) Lisa Elovich embarks on a new partnership with four world champions.

The team of boxers joining the brand include Teofimo Lopez, the current unified Lightweight World Champion and the youngest four-belt champion in the history of boxing; Hall of Fame Heavyweight Champion Larry Holmes; Lightweight Hall of Famer Ray “Boom Boom” Mancini; and “The Real Million Dollar Baby,” Maureen Shea Carranza, a WBC & IFBA Featherweight Champion.

“I wanted to start a new business and I wanted to do something that was exciting like boxing… when I thought about what’s fun and light-hearted, I thought about tequila,” Elovich explained in an interview with this paper in 2018, when the Spa City local discussed taking her Tequila brand national. 

“I look at life like an adventure, I like to keep life fun and interesting and never get stuck in a rut. I like to get out of my comfort zone and learn new things and really have fun with life, so I don’t normally stick to one career very long,” Elovich said.

She had worked in criminal justice for 28 years. She was a prosecutor in New York City, worked at the Attorney General’s office and was an administrative law judge for child abuse cases. More recently, she was on the parole board as the parole commissioner. She first became interested in boxing by attending classes to lose some baby weight. In her years as a boxing promoter she has had shows on ESPN and MSG. 

“Both boxing and tequila are sexy, exciting and have a passionate fan base,” she says.  “If you aren’t fully engaged in the present, whether in life or in the ring, you can get punched in the face figuratively…or quite literally if you’re a boxer. My new business partners understand the One With Life philosophy better than anybody as you don’t become a champion by losing focus and getting knocked out.”

One with Life Organic Tequila is hand crafted from sustainably grown and farmed Blue Agave in Jalisco, Mexico. For more information, go to: onewithlifetequila.com