SARATOGA SPRINGS — While meetings, interviews and contact all moved online and over the phone, one fitness center aimed to move their workouts to members at home.

The strength studio called Evolution Strength and Performance announced an on-demand online portal with recorded videos on strength training, condition, core and mobility. The on-demand training concept allows Evolution members to still meet up and workout through the internet.

“This is a first…it was a goal of ours. We were going do it a year from now and we kind of had the foresight to look at what was happening and decided it was something we should do sooner rather than later,” Chris Abbott, owner of the studio, said. 

Abbott said about a week before businesses closed down, the studio filmed for five days to capture video and start the online training program. Since then, the program has evolved to include classes Monday through Saturday that members can participate in.

“We are really big on community at Evolution and so initially, we started off with pre-recording coaches doing the workouts that we make for everyone else,” Abbott said. “We’re always trying to make our products better so as time went on, we decided that these were great, but we were missing the community aspect of it so we decided to start doing some live stream workouts,” Abbott said. 

The 150 members can log into Zoom, a video communication service, and do the workout with five coaches.  Abbott said he has been opening the training sessions earlier so people can join in and chat, just like they would in class. 

“It’s that way to get a little bit of more of that community feel even though we’re not with each other,” Abbott said. 

The workout is recorded so if members don’t join in live they are able to follow the training session after. Each video is posted on their online portal so members can focus on what workout they want. 

Lindsay Cruz, coach at Evolution, said online classes became an idea after trying to figure out a way to train everyone in Saratoga, if they wanted to. 

“Over a year ago we were all sitting down and [Abbott] brought to us the question: if everyone in Saratoga wanted to train with us, how would we deal with that? I think that’s where the whole thought process began. How could we help everybody and if we had the opportunity to, how could we do it,” Cruz said. 

Cruz joined Evolution when it first opened as a member, and now as a trainer. Currently the online classes are only available for members, but Abbott said moving forward they hope to expand to anyone who has a kettlebell at home. 

Abbott created the studio in July 2017 through a love of kettlebells. A kettlebell is a cast iron or steel ball with a handle attached to the top. Abbott said he loves the kettlebell because it’s one tool for a workout. He said just like a spin bike, members could come in, grab a kettlebell and have a great workout. 

“Knowing that our tool could be used anywhere was always something that was in the back of our heads,” Abbott said. 

Despite having a one-tool workout, safety and proper form is something Cruz said is a priority of the studio. Even though the studio moved workouts online, Cruz said members could still get one-on-one coaching time through Zoom. 

“We can critique some technique on Zoom or we have members sending us videos, so there is that one on one personal feel of a coach even through the live workout,” Cruz said.

BALLSTON SPA — The Saratoga County Prosperity Partnership, in collaboration with SEDC, and its local, state, and federal community and business partners, is conducting a survey to identify Saratoga County businesses in need of assistance, how the Saratoga County economy has been affected by the coronavirus (COVID-19), and what resources are needed to ensure business continuity.

The Saratoga Partnership is looking to gather information so that they can assist in helping mitigate the impacts to businesses and the regional economy, as well as connect businesses to the tools and resources they need during this challenging time. 

Individual responses will remain confidential. Data collected will be aggregated to demonstrate economic impact. 

The Saratoga County Prosperity Partnership is a member of the Saratoga County Economic Development Alliance, which includes the Saratoga Economic Development Corporation.

The survey is available at: www.surveymonkey.com/r/ZWYJDHH. 

The Partnership informs that SBA Administrator Jovita Carranza has approved a statewide disaster declaration for N.Y. Eligible small businesses may now apply for SBA Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) online at: disasterloan.sba.gov/ela. 

SARATOGA COUNTY — Hannaford Supermarkets announced its stores will offer dedicated shopping hours for people age 60 and older, as well as those with compromised immune systems. 

Stores will open 6 a.m. to 7 a.m. on Tuesday through Thursday to service this vulnerable population and allow a less crowded shopping environment, which enables better social distancing.

In addition, Hannaford has shortened its general store-operating hours to provide for additional time to clean, stock shelves and give associates additional time to rest.  The new daily hours are 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Providing a designated shopping period for seniors and at-risk individuals allows this population to shop prior to other customers being in the store. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), people who are 60 and over and those with compromised immune systems are most vulnerable to the COVID-19 virus. Although associates will not be requesting ID for entry, Hannaford urges the community to respect the intention for the early opening.

Locally, stores are located on Weibel Avenue in Saratoga Springs, as well as Ballston Spa, Malta, Greenwich and South Glens Falls. 

Hannaford Supermarkets also announced it is donating $250,000 to support area food banks that are experiencing increasing and unprecedented demand during the widening of the COVID-19 global pandemic – including $50,000 to the Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York, which services many food pantries across Saratoga County. 

A register and store kiosk donation program has been initiated at all Hannaford grocery stores where customers can donate to their community’s local food bank at the register with a $5 or $10 donation, or with a cash donation at a kiosk located at the front of the store. 

SARATOGA SPRINGS – “Ultimately, I think we’re going to be talking about things as being either pre-Corona, or post-Corona,” says Elliott Masie, disengaging from a Zoom video conference with a screen depicting representatives from 60 different companies across the nation who had gathered to discuss where they are  and what they are doing “in these times.”

“I think this will change everything. And I don’t think it’s all bad; I don’t think it’s all good,” he says. “There’s a lot we haven’t figured out yet. But there are some things that are going to be absolutely different.” 

Masie has hosted and curated learning & development seminars, labs, and conferences for several decades. He’s pulled in experts from across the country and put up interviews with them since before the age of Podcasts and Ted Talks, in the formative years of the Internet. He leads a learning consortium of more than 150 global organizations cooperating on the evolution of learning strategies – a lot of it from the Saratoga Springs think tank The Masie Center, with a focus on how organizations can support learning and knowledge within the workforce. 

On this day, the faces of dozens of representatives from a myriad of companies simultaneously stare back from his screen. One represents a financial service company with 60,000 employees, another a fast food service company that employs 1 million workers. 

“Many of them are having to lay people off, and others are working from home, so I try to be the Rabbi – to mediate, and to have conversations with them about what’s changing,” Masie says. “We’ve never had a situation like this before.” 

The moment it became clear the virus was coming to the U.S., Masie says he decided to use the Masie Center – its people, resources, reputation and networks – to host regular video support conversations to link colleagues and support the people who are in charge of the workforce learning all around the country. 

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Working from home and learning from home. What works? What doesn’t work? 

“It’s hard. If you have your partner, or kids or dogs. Maybe you don’t have the Internet at home. People may not have all the tools they need to work at home. To employers, I would say: in the old days, meaning a few years ago, when businesses shut down, they just shut down and people went home. We’re now doing something that’s miraculous, but there’s no model for doing that,” Masie says. 

”I was on the phone with someone who has 47,000 people working for them and the first thing they realized is that 9-to-5 isn’t a relative term. Meaning somebody may need to take care of their kids, because daycare’s not working. So, they’ve moved from thinking about the 9-to-5 to just get done what you can done.”

Communities in upstate New York began looking at things like high-speed Internet capabilities with an eye trained upon a future time when employees could be capable of working from their homes. In 2010, then-President Barack Obama signed legislation instructing each federal agency to come up with policies to promote telecommuting. At the time of the Telework Enhancement Act, approximately 5 percent of the federal work force was engaged in some level of teleworking, with slightly more than 100,000 employees teleworking at least once a week. A 2016 Gallup Survey reported the number of employees who worked remotely in some capacity was up to 43%. For those who haven’t, now would seem a good time to heed the advice from those who have. 

 “Have a dedicated in-home workspace and do your best to keep it holy,” explains Michael Eck, a longtime beloved Capital Region fixture in the art and music world. A self-employed freelancer for nearly 30 years, Eck telecommutes every day to the West Coast. Currently he works for Two Old Hippies Stringed Instruments in Bend, OR.

“Get up in the morning at the same time you would for your morning drive and do your morning routine,” Eck says. “Get dressed. In actual clothes. And put on your shoes. You’re going to work. Have breakfast. Be at the desk by your regular time and do the work. Make sure to eat lunch and take a brief afternoon walk so it feels like a regular day. Lather, rinse, repeat.” 

Working from home with kids at home is an entirely new experience for those not accustomed to it, writes Kristen Hare, who has broken down her suggestions for working parents at home into categories respective of the children’s ages – from babies and toddlers to middle schoolers and teens. The piece may be viewed at Poynter.org. 

 “Just because workers’ laptops are now nearby on their kitchen tables doesn’t mean managers can expect their workforce to be available 24/7,” points out Alison Green in her article “You Don’t Have to Work All the Time Now,” which may be read at slate.com. “People feel like they’re expected to be working every minute of the day—in ways they generally wouldn’t be expected to do when they’re in the office… Remote workers aren’t on a chain gang; they’ve just temporarily relocated their workspace.”

For people new to working at home, Masie recommends being mindful of your time not only to produce good quality work, but to avoid burning out. 

“We’re people under stress. And if people are under stress, their ability to learn, for accuracy, and their ability to 100% focus goes down. So, things that might have taken a half-hour at work, now might take two hours,” Masie says. “You do need to monitor your stress level. And you may need to tell people to stop working, meaning they’re working 14 hours a day just because there is no going home. That’s not the deal and that’s not healthy.” 

He also recommends limiting your news-watching time. “I tell people to find one hour a day where if you want to, need to, or choose to, to go get the news. Don’t do that all day long. I love news, talking about it, thinking about it – but it’s not really updating, in a sense. You talk to someone who went through Katrina, they’re not floating through the river with a transistor radio on.  So, I think there’s a psychological balance that’s needed.” 

At home, one may not have the informal “water cooler” moments to talk with co-workers.  Masie says in a social-distancing world, he’s created a time to socially interact with others, albeit it using technological means. 

“Every morning at 7:15, Ira and I have a cup of coffee and a toasted bagel. He lives on one side of town and I live on the other,” Masie says, with a laugh. “And we carry on the same kind of conversations we’ve always had.

“Some things will never be the same and sadly a lot of people who have spent their life building a career, might have it disrupted, in some cases transformed, or in the worse-case ended by a tragic moment in history. So, you go back to Kubler-Ross there are some death and dying elements that people have to go through to find some peace. Luckily I can’t think of a better place that I would like to be than Saratoga.” 

SARATOGA COUNTY —The Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce President Todd Shimkus stated in a press release two creative ideas to generate income to small businesses.

A local couple looking to support some of their favorite small businesses presented the first idea. They have setup two “PRE-PAID house” accounts, one at a local hardware store and the other at a local market. A” PRE-PAID house” account means that an individual gives money to a local business and as this person makes future purchases the account is drawn down.

The store owner will treat the account as store credit. If your business would like to allow your most loyal customers to help you by setting up a PRE-PAID House Account, please send Devin Zurlo an email at dzurlo@saratoga.org.

“We want to help all businesses deemed non-essential to secure as much support and money as possible during this crisis,” Shimkus said.

Many businesses offer the ability to purchase gift cards online for products or services. The chamber announced working on a special promotion that can reach thousands of people via email and social media that will showcase our members who offer people the opportunity to buy online gift cards.

If you’d like to be a part of this promotion, please share with Andrea Cole via email at acole@saratoga.org your company email, the specific website link where people can purchase a gift card from you, and any special incentives you might be offering to encourage the sales of gift cards while your actual place of business is closed.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — The Wesley Community is seeking candidates for more than 100 full-time and temporary positions to help meet the needs of aging adults residing at its senior living campus in Saratoga Springs. 

Positions available include: registered nurses; licensed practical nurses; certified nursing assistants; home health aides; dining; maintenance; laundry; and housekeeping. Wesley Senior Solutions, a licensed home care service agency, is hiring companion care and personal care assistants. Paid training is available for certified nursing assistants and home health aide positions.

“The Wesley Community is looking for dedicated and compassionate candidates to work with seniors who need health care services and other quality of life assistance on our campus and in the community,” said J. Brian Nealon, CEO of The Wesley Community, in a statement.  “We are offering a wide range of positions which provide an ideal opportunity for both non-clinical staff, as well as for seasoned and new healthcare professionals. Successful candidates will be rewarded with employment opportunities that will allow them to help the numerous aging adults served by The Wesley Community.”

The Wesley Community is a 37-acre, non-profit agency that provides independent and assisted living for seniors, affordable independent senior housing, short-term rehabilitation and long-term care, as well as home care services and outpatient therapies available for people of all ages.

 For a full list of employment opportunities at The Wesley Community, visit www.thewesleycommunity.org/careers.

For an immediate interview, contact The Wesley Community at 518-252-0414 or visit www.thewesleycommunity.org/careers.

Here’s what I’ve learned from a little bit of research.

Everyone can be resilient. EVERYONE can be resilient.

Resilience is defined by the American Psychological Association as: “The process of adapting well in the face of adversity, trauma, tragedy, threats or even significant sources of threats.”

Resilience is important because we all face adversity, trauma, and tragedy in our lives. 

And right now it seems that we’re all facing adversity in one way or another from the wide range of threats posed to our personal and economic health from COVID-19.

Now most people equate resilience with an individual who perseveres and overcomes a significant threat or tragedy on their own.

But all of the research is clear.

People who develop resilience have at least one stable, committed relationship with a supportive caregiver.

We’re talking about relationships with people you trust. People you can count on. People who love you.

Resilience is NOT about going it alone.  Instead, resilience is about collaboration.

That’s why the Saratoga County Chamber joined forces with Discover Saratoga, the Saratoga Springs DBA, the Saratoga Springs City Center, the Saratoga Economic Development Corporation and the Saratoga County Prosperity Partnership when we all saw our local communities and economy under siege from efforts to socially distance all of us from one another to fight the spread of this virus.

We all knew that to overcome this challenge we had to collaborate. 

Resilient people are optimists. They have hope and faith. They often have a noble purpose and a desire to help others. 

They can often tell you a story that describes the moment or moments when their resilience was tested and how they adapted. 

They have a “narrative of hope.”

Downtown Saratoga Springs was at its lowest points they say in the 1960’s. Thankfully, some resilient people banded together and created a Plan of Action and it’s made all the difference.

We’ve survived ice storms, blizzards and hurricanes. We’ve survived recessions and bruising political battles often times pitting neighbor versus neighbor.

When New York City and our nation was attacked on 9/11, it was this community that rose up to host first responders for a weekend respite with their families. We did this again ten years later to show our support for those in our armed services who had fought the War on Terror in Iraq and Afghanistan.

It was this community that invented Leap of Kindness Day!

This latest threat is real. There likely will be days for many among us where the trauma and tragedy is real, personal and hard to comprehend.

But we can all be resilient. We can climb any mountain. We can climb out of any hole too.

We’ll do this together. We’ll do this through collaboration.

We will try our best to remain optimistic. To be hopeful and to have faith in one another and our collective ability to adapt and to overcome this challenge.

The actions we take in these next few weeks as resilient people working together will help us to write the next chapter of our Narrative of Hope.

MALTA — Finishing Touches Home Decor announced shutting their doors on their current store to open a new location on Route 9 in Malta.

After being open for five years, owner of Finishing Touches, Shelly Walker, said they felt tucked away in their old location and wanted to move to an easier accessed location. 

“It’s very exciting and we’re doing renovations right now,” Walker said. 

Walker said they plan to open doors early spring with a new look to the store. She said the new store would host a more modern and vintage looks compared to what they have now. Currently they have a selection of modern furniture and items upstairs, while they offer an Adirondack and rustic look downstairs.

“We’re going to have a large focus on products that are made in the USA,” Walker said. “Handmade and locally made items.”

Gift bags and sets for birthdays will also be offered at the new location. Walker described it as a one-stop-shop, where customers can pick out a gift box, get it wrapped and even pick out a card.

“It’s a little bit different than what we have here now,” Walker said.

However different, Walker said they still plan to sell furniture, lamps and interior design details. Since the new location has a plethora of windows, Walker plans to stain each trim with a different treatment so customers can come in and see what the actual trim would look like. 

“We do a lot of window treatments, shades, shutters and custom draperies,” Walker said. “We used to have to show what it would look like in pictures, but now they can come in and see in person what it looks like.”

Walker also added that she and her husband, Doug Walker, have a surprise planned for the new location, but plans to release that at a later date.

“There is a little section of the store we want to have it,” Walker said. “He has always wanted to do this and it’s another reason to bring people there.”

Starting this week, Dollar General is encouraging the first hour of operation each day to be dedicated for the shopping needs of senior customers. Market 32 starting March 19 will pre-open exclusively to seniors from 6 a.m. to 7 a.m.

Dollar General wants to provide these at-risk customers with the ability to purchase the items they need and want at the beginning of each day to avoid busier and more crowded shopping periods, according to their release. Market 32 President Scott Grimmett reflected similar ideas and announced the stores will close at 10 p.m. and re-open at 7 a.m. to help restock products and preventative sanitation. Dollar General will also close an hour earlier to allow employees to clean and restock shelves.

“In keeping with our mission and our ongoing commitment to serve our communities, we are dedicating the first hour of each day to seniors.  We appreciate our customers’ understanding of our decision and request they visit our stores later in the morning to allow at-risk populations the ability to purchase the items they need at affordable prices,” said Todd Vasos, Dollar General’s CEO. 

“Despite the fact that some high in demand products are more difficult to keep in stock than others, I assure you that the food supply is not in jeopardy and that we are committed to providing the highest possible level of service,” Grimmett said.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — In honor of World Water Day, Artisanal Brew Works will release a limited-edition beer on March 22.

World Water Day highlights the importance of freshwater, showing the connection between water and climate change. The goal is to bring awareness of how to use water more efficiently and adapting to those habits.

Artisanal Brew Works partnered with Saratoga PLAN, Preserving Land and Nature, to create a one of a kind beer that’s only available for a limited time. Owner of Artisanal Kurt Borchardt said he’s excited about the fundraiser. 

“We like to do that kind of stuff,” Borchardt said. 

The beer, named the World Water Day IPA will be offered until the single batch runs out. He said a portion of proceeds would go to support Saratoga PLAN. 

“Our intention with this collaboration is to bring awareness to the community by connecting the dots between water conservation and all of the systems that rely on it, not just nature,” said Alex Fylypovych, PLAN’s Community Engagement Manager in a press release.

As a brewery that focuses on achieving unique flavors in beer, Borchardt stepped up to create the IPA. He added that in early summer, another beer would be released to donate to the Saratoga Auto Museum. 

The brewery opened in July 2016 as a New York State Farm Brewery, meaning 90 percent of raw materials came from NYS farmers. However Borchardt said grain was becoming expensive, they were limited on hop choices and they didn’t want to pass cost to the customers. 

“They love the idea of local but then they look at the price and ask why it’s so expensive,” Borchardt said. “It was really hard to compete like that and we wanted to make certain styles of beer, so directionally we changed our focus from being exclusively a farm brewery to a dual license.”

The brewery is still certified as a NYS Farm Brewery, so each year the brewery has to use a certain amount of farm materials. In addition, the brewery also has a microbrew license, which is what more breweries have. 

“Once we did that we started ramping up our creativity because we weren’t constrained by ingredients anymore,” Borchardt said. “That [license] allows me to use ingredients form all over the world.” 

The brewery now aims to target unique flavors in the beers they create, like a chocolate caramel truffle stout, and figure out what ingredients they can use to achieve that. He said they perpetually try different hops, water chemistry and different grains to achieve a specific flavor. 

“I like the fact that were not static and were flexible in a lot of different ways. Clearly the different beer styles we make are reflective of that,” Borchardt said. 

He added that over the winter, he focused on creating sour beers. He said most sours give an off flavor that he didn’t enjoy, so he focused on eliminating that over the winter until he figured it out.