SARATOGA SPRINGS — With a passion for renewable energy coming out of college, Jim Minogue knew that he had a future somewhere in the field. After working in the solar industry for several years, he decided it was time to move in his own direction. This led to the start of Solar Environment, a family-owned solar panel installation and consulting company serving the Saratoga County area since 2021.
“It’s a pleasure to be a part of a community that’s growing so much. It’s not just a destination in the summer for people anymore. It’s a place where people want to move to and raise their kids,” said Minogue. “To be a small business owner in a community that’s growing like that is pretty special.”
Solar Environment offers a variety of services for commercial and residential customers alike who are looking to make the switch to solar energy. This includes several solar panel systems, such as roof mounts, ground mounts, and hybrid systems. They also offer services on generators and make the promise to sit down and consult with customers until they understand their solar proposals in full.
Minogue said that customers can feel assured that he will be fully involved in every one of their projects to ensure the best quality possible. He also said customers can trust they are getting a fair price, a fair opportunity, and will never feel like just another number.
Solar Environment operates out of Saratoga Springs and takes on projects all over Saratoga County and other portions of the Northeast. They are open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.
To learn more about the company, visit solarenvironmentny.com.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — As spring comes into bloom, a new brunch restaurant has opened up in Saratoga Springs. Run by chef Adam Foti, the PDT Maison is looking to add something new to the area with its blend of breakfast, brunch, and dinner options meant to entice anyone that visits, while also providing an atmosphere that inspires people to stick around for as long as they like.
Foti is no stranger to the region, however, running PDT Catering in the Saratoga County area since 2013, while also being part of several other restaurants over the years. PDT Catering was expanded to include food trucks in 2023, and Foti was also part of the team running PC Market, now Franklin Square Market, until mid-2023. He said that opening his own restaurant was the natural next step in his journey.
With his family coming from Quebec and Sicily, Foti said he has always known what scratch-made home cooking is like, and he wanted to bring that into the restaurant for everyone to enjoy.
“It’s just sort of baked into my DNA. We just want to take care of people and make good quality scratch-made food,” Foti said. “Good food is made with good ingredients.”
With all food including dressings made from scratch, Foti said that customers can be sure that their food is clean, with no additives like preservatives or high-fructose corn syrup.
The menu for PDT Maison has plenty of options to choose from, including items like a Saratoga club sandwich, falafel or chicken Caesar wraps, a Parisian or Firenze sandwich, protein bowls, several salads, smash burgers, French toast, quiche, popovers, arancini, crapes, and more. Foti said there are also more options coming to the menu in the near future, such as mac & cheese, lobster mac & cheese, and a lobster roll.
The PDT Maison menu also offers dessert options like French macaroons, chocolate mousse, and cannoli dip. Gluten free, dairy free, and vegan options are available on the menu as well. Foti and his team are also working on steps to add a cocktail menu to the roster sometime in the near future that will offer Mimosas, Bloody Marys, and more.
The PDT Maison is open from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Wednesday through Monday. Customers have the option to order at the restaurant or order in advance online. The restaurant is also available to host private parties, such as weddings, work meetings, luncheons, and more.
PDT Maison is located at 35 Maple Avenue. Visit www.pdtmaison.com for more information.
WILTON — The Wilton Mall is being sold for $25 million by its owner, The Macerich Company.
The news was announced during the Q4 2024 Macerich earnings conference call on Feb. 27.
“We are currently under contract to sell the Wilton Mall for $25 million, which is expected to close in the first half of 2025, subject to customary closing conditions,” said Macerich’s new Chief Financial Officer Daniel E. Swanstrom II.
Swanstrom added that the sale of the mall, along with Macerich’s other recent sales and transactions, was consistent with the company’s “stated disposition plan to improve the balance sheet and refine our portfolio.”
The sale comes in the midst of plans to create hundreds of apartments at the mall that could be occupied as soon as the summer of 2026. As previously reported by Saratoga TODAY, the residential project was allowed to move forward thanks to the Wilton Town Board’s approval last year of a Planned Unit Development District (PUDD).
Wilton Town Board Supervisor John Lant, who cast the lone vote against the creation of a PUDD, told Saratoga TODAY that the board will consider news of the sale “once we have all the information via confirmed sources.”
SARATOGA SPRINGS — The American Cancer Society’s (ACS) Leadership Saratoga team is launching a volunteer recruitment campaign for Road to Recovery, an ACS program that provides free transportation so that cancer patients can get to their medical appointments.
The ACS said that more volunteer drivers are urgently needed in Saratoga County to help meet demand.
The organization is looking to recruit volunteers who meet the following criteria:
Have a safe and reliable vehicle
Are between the ages of 18-84
Hold a valid driver’s license
Can pass a background check
“In 2024, we had 144 rides requested in Saratoga County and were only able to fulfill 100 of them due to a lack of drivers,” said Elizabeth Hunter, director of the Capital District ACS, in a statement. “It is a very tangible way to make an impact—you immediately feel and see the difference you are making in an individual’s life.”
Those interested in volunteering can connect with the ACS at cancer.org/drive or call them at 1-800-227-2345.
Photo via the Ballston Spa Business & Professional Association.
BALLSTON SPA — A new hair salon located in downtown Ballston Spa celebrated its grand opening recently with a ribbon cutting ceremony hosted by the Ballston Spa Business and Professional Association.
Located at 114 Milton Ave, the Golden Hour beauty company specializes in hair coloring and extensions. It’s the second location for owners Emily Cooper and Mikayla Steigerwald, who also operate a salon in Saratoga Springs.
On hand to celebrate the occasion were Ballston Spa Mayor Frank Rossi, State Senator Jim Tedisco, Assemblywoman Mary Beth Walsh, and Ballston Spa Trustee Mary Price-Bush.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — The Wesley Community recently announced the appointment of Marc Walker as administrator of the Wesley Health Care Center, the long-term care skilled nursing facility located on the grounds of the Saratoga Springs-based senior living campus.
Walker, who began his new appointment on Mar. 10, brings more than three decades of professional healthcare experience to his new role. For the past five years, Walker served as the executive director of St. Peter’s Health facilities, overseeing Schuyler Ridge in Clifton Park and Eddy Village Green in Cohoes.
Wesley also recently announced the retirement of longtime Director of Pharmacy Cliff Van Wagner, who served residents for the past 48 years.
“We have been privileged to have Cliff at the helm of the Pharmacy Department, and as a champion of our community, for so many years,” said J. Brian Nealon, CEO of The Wesley Community, in a news release. “His unwavering dedication, time and significant contributions to the pharmacy and campus overall have been pivotal to our growth as an institution. His larger-than-life presence and compassion have improved the quality of life for the residents we serve. We extend our best wishes to him as he transitions into retirement.”
Malta-Stillwater EMS Director of Operations Michael Evans poses with Executive Director Scott Skinner in front of an open ambulance. Photos by Jonathon Norcross
MALTA — Malta has been growing so rapidly that some town board members have recently called for a development moratorium.
There’s the massive GlobalFoundries campus, which will soon grow even larger when a new $575 million center is built. Around 100 full-time jobs are expected to materialize over the next five years thanks to the expansion.
There’s a 293-unit development planned for Route 9 that could add hundreds of new residents and another 40,000 square feet of commercial space to the town.
There was also an attempt made late last year to replace the Albany-Saratoga Speedway with a 700-unit development, though that plan hit a dead end. Next to the speedway, however, is a new, 13,000-square-foot, $3 million office for a solar company.
All of this new infrastructure and population growth has created some challenges for the Malta-Stillwater Emergency Medical Services (EMS) team, including higher call volumes (they’ve already received more than 1,000 in 2025), harder-to-retain employees, a decline in volunteers, and newly built elevators that are too small to accommodate nine-foot-long ambulance stretchers.
“A lot of times, that’s a problem; trying to maneuver, trying to get a patient out of their apartment to get them to the hospital and you have to try to manipulate the stretcher to get them out of there,” said Lenore Norris, a member of the Malta-Stillwater EMS board of directors.
“New York State code doesn’t necessarily consider EMS stretchers as an important item because they do allow for smaller elevators,” said Executive Director Scott Skinner.
New York also doesn’t formally recognize EMS as an essential service, though attempts have been made in the state legislature to change that. An essential service designation would have a significant impact on funding, which has been a persistent issue for many EMS agencies, including the one in Malta. EMS agencies are dependent on revenue from Medicare and Medicaid, both of which can reimburse below the cost of care. Private insurers also often deny emergency claims.
“Insurance companies are holding onto their money, not paying. They’re making copays higher. They’re making the cost to the customer more and it’s hard to collect. So we have to go to the towns for funding,” Skinner said. “There are no good solutions, other than making it an essential service.”
EMS agencies seem to be in a state of peril. According to the EMS Leadership Academy, the number of active EMS responders in New York State declined by 17.5% between 2019 and 2022. Additionally, over the past decade, the number of ambulance services in New York State has decreased by 9%, from 1,078 to 982. Nationwide, nearly 60% of EMS agencies report insufficient staffing to meet 911 call demands.
“We have to keep people employed,” Skinner said. “If we don’t have people, that’s our biggest asset. We can have all the nice ambulances and equipment in the world but if we don’t have people that deliver a service, if we don’t have two people in every rig, we can’t run those rigs. There’s a real problem nationwide with getting people to do EMS.”
Despite its challenges, the Malta-Stillwater EMS has been serving the community since 1961, responding to tens of thousands of 911 calls with what Skinner called “emergency rooms on wheels” equipped with ventilators, CPR devices, and cardiac monitors.
“People in EMS, especially our agency, these are people with a heart and they do it because they have a heart,” Norris said. “They enjoy doing patient care and that’s the priority.”
“I’ve been in fire and EMS since I was 18,” Skinner said. “I’ve always liked to help people…My whole adult life, it’s kind of the only thing I know.”
For more information on employment and volunteer opportunities at the Malta-Stillwater EMS, visit https://maltaems.org/volunteer-careers/.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — Thanks to a donation from Nemer Motor Group and the Nemer family, Saratoga Hospital is adding a LUCAS® 3 CPR chest compression system to its emergency department.
“This generous donation from Nemer Motor Group enhances the capabilities of our clinicians, equipping them with cutting-edge technology to provide rapid, high-quality CPR for extended periods of time,” said Jill VanKuren, Saratoga Hospital President and CEO, in a news release. “Every year, our Alfred Z. Solomon Emergency Center cares for more than 40,000 patients and having the most advanced tools available not only benefits our patients but also supports our highly skilled medical staff, allowing them to perform at their very best in critical situations. We are incredibly grateful to the Nemer family for their generosity and commitment to strengthening healthcare in our community.”
SARATOGA SPRINGS — The first-ever Saratoga Big E Consumer Showcase will take place from 4-7 p.m. on Thursday, March 20 at the Saratoga Springs City Center. Hosted by the Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce, the event will give local residents, property owners, businesses, and nonprofits the opportunity to learn more about becoming energy efficient in a variety of ways.
Several car dealers including Chevy, Toyota, Ford, GMC, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Hyundai, Honda, and Jeep will showcase electric vehicle options for participants to see, sit in, and explore. The Capital District Transportation Authority (CDTA) will also show vehicles at the event, including electric cars, bikes, scooters, and an electric bus.
Different companies will attend the event to discuss a number of topics surrounding energy efficiency and environmental care. Kasselman Solar, Hudson Solar Solutions, and Solar Environment will speak about both residential and commercial solar projects. Energy Catalyst Technologies will offer guidance on geothermal systems. Hot Water Solutions will be showing off heat pump options to participants.
Meanwhile, Phinney Design will be showcasing the first-ever green building development in Saratoga, and Peak Environmental will be breaking down their eco-friendly landscaping care packages.
Attendees will also have the opportunity to witness talks and showcases on energy-efficient tools and equipment, environmentally friendly products for water management, setting up home and office electric charging stations, and lowering natural gas and supply costs; while National Grid offers information about tax incentives and rebates for purchasing and installing these products.
The Saratoga Springs City Center is located at 522 Broadway. Visit www.saratoga.org/eshowcase for more information on the showcase.
A rendering of the currently under-construction The Still at Speckled Pig on Washington Street in downtown Ballston Spa. Image provided.
BALLSTON SPA — The popular Speckled Pig Brewing Co. is expanding its presence in downtown Ballston Spa with a forthcoming distillery, The Still at Speckled Pig.
Nestled next door to the brewery at the former site of Jim’s Garage, The Still will feature a modern design, outdoor patio with fire pits, and an interior glass wall revealing liquor-makers and bottlers at work.
RJ Elliott of Speckled Pig is one of five partners (including Larry Heid, Mary Jo Heid, Randy Elliott, and Kelly Delaney-Elliott) spearheading the project.
“I grew up in the village. My family grew up here,” Elliott said. “The goal has always been to bring cool businesses to the village so that it continues to thrive.”
The Still just acquired its final permit last week and electrical work is underway as the former auto repair shop is transformed into a chic eatery where patrons can toss back glasses of whiskey and bourbon. Despite the redesign, the building will keep its garage doors, which will open up to the front brick-filled patio space.
As for the menu offerings, aside from liquor and cocktails, Elliott said to expect small plates that pair well with the drinks, such as charcuterie boards, salads, and skirt steaks.
If all goes well, Elliott expects the doors to be open and the spirits to be flowing by this summer, just in time for the Speckled Pig’s three-year anniversary on Sept. 23.
“Ideally, we’re open then for a large gathering, bar hopping scene between the two places; a block party type deal,” Elliott said.
The extravaganza would be one of many events (which Elliott said sometimes reel in thousands of people) happening at Speckled Pig, like the St. Patrick’s Day Celebration on Mar. 15 that will feature green beer and the Albany Pipe Band. Past events have included Oktoberfest shindigs, trivia nights, rooftop yoga, and live music.
One new offering is Speckled Pig’s cocktail club, which will allow members to design a brick on The Still’s patio. Members will also receive a complimentary cocktail of the month and a special invite to an annual cocktail club party.
“We have a lot of great businesses opening up [in Ballston Spa], and more and more people visiting the village,” Elliott said. “The hope is that we add another one to that scene, another bar where people leave the Speckled Pig and go grab a cocktail next door, and then maybe they head to dinner at Next Door Kitchen or Brickyard. There’s plenty of great businesses in the village that all benefit when we pull more people in.”
