SARATOGA COUNTY — The Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce has released insights from January to November of 2022, saying the county collected “a record amount of sales taxes when compared to the last three years.” The report also states that unemployment rates in the county “remains consistently lower than ever before” even with limited local workforce reductions.

Saratoga County collected $144.6 million in sales taxes from January to November, the report states. This is a 5.3% increase from the same period in 2021, and a 23.5% increase from 2019. Tax collections in the City of Saratoga Springs also increased to $15.2 million, up 16.3% from the previous year ($13.1 million).

In comparison to other local counties, Saratoga County’s sales tax collections increased at a higher rate than Schenectady County (4.2%), but at a lower rate than Albany and Warren Counties (11.2% and 8.3%, respectively).

The unemployment rate in Saratoga County in November 2022 was 2.1%, the report says, with 2,600 people considered to be unemployed. There were 120,900 people employed in the county in November, which the report states is the highest number of people employed in the county in the month. The report also states that the labor shortage is expected to continue into 2023, saying “there are still so many local jobs unfulfilled,” despite limited workforce reductions.

In terms of lodging, the report states that the county’s revenue per available room was $103.70, a 25% increase from the same period in 2021 and an 11.7% increase from 2019. Total occupancy for local hotels increased nearly 13% from 2021, says the report, and were 2% lower than in 2019.

The Greater Capital Association of Realtors reported that Saratoga County saw 2,776 closed real estate sales from January through November 2022. The report says this figure is “nearly identical” to numbers from 2019 and 2020, but is a 10% decrease from 2021 figures. 

The overall number of new listings has also decreased, “and as a result,” the county’s median sales price was $388,000, a 10% increase. Through the first eleven months of 2022, the report states that the amount of days a home is on the market continues to decline, and the percent of the original list price received is over 102%.

CAIRO — Stewart’s Shops, one of the area’s most beloved businesses, has spread its operations throughout New York State and Vermont. And one family has seen them all.

Kristin and Augie Freemann, along with their son Kody, spent 2022 traveling across the state to visit every available Stewart’s location. 

Augie Freemann said the idea came about after hearing of a couple who visited every Cracker Barrel location in the United States.

“I said to my wife, ‘Oh, that’s something we would do.’ And she said, ‘Yeah, we could go to every Stewart’s’,” said Freemann. “We looked into it, and it seemed feasible, so here we are.”

To up the challenge for themselves, the Freemanns decided they would visit every Stewart’s location within a calendar year. Residents of Cairo, the family began on Jan. 1, 2022, visiting nearby locations in Cairo and Greenville. 

They also received some assistance from Stewart’s themselves. Kristin Freemann said the company shared a spreadsheet with the family, containing information about all of their locations. 

“We’d pick a weekend and say, ‘Where do we want to go?’” said Kristin Freemann. “We would map out and also kind of decide how many we wanted to do in a given day.”

Stewart’s currently has 358 locations, the Freemanns said. While the Cairo and Greenville locations are relatively close to the family, some stores took quite a bit of driving. 

“Some we had to be a little more strategic with, like any that were out in St. Lawrence County, out in Potsdam, Malone, and the ones that were up by Plattsburgh,” said Kristin Freemann. “Those we actually did as a weekend trip.”

The family said it was “really nice” to be able to see parts of the state they typically would not have traveled to.

“Up by Plattsburgh and Lake Champlain is beautiful, and we hadn’t really ever spent a lot of time up there,” said Kristin Freemann. “Same with the St. Lawrence area, Thousand Islands, out that way was beautiful. So, it was really nice.”

They also reconnected with old friends along the way, with Freemann saying she met up with a friend who currently lives in Potsdam while the family was in the area. 

“It actually became fun,” Freemann said. “I know people think we’re crazy. It was kind of a silly, crazy thing to do. …We didn’t have any reason to do this other than it was a silly, fun thing to do as a family.”

As part of the challenge, the family had to purchase a product at each location. 

“All three of us had to physically go into every single store, and we had to purchase something at every store,” said Kristin Freemann. “Fuel did not count. We obviously had to buy gas or whatever, but we would buy a product of some kind, at least one, at every store. … (Kody) got to pick a lot of the snacks, that was the fun part.”

Kody said his favorite snack from the experience was the gummies. The family said a majority of the stores had mostly similar offerings but did note some variety throughout the state.

“Especially when it came to their hot foods,” said Kristin Freemann. “Some would have a specific kind of breakfast sandwich, or a specific kind of chicken sandwich. There were times where we would find things that we hadn’t seen in other stores.”

The family also said one constant was the staff, who Kristin Freemann said were “so nice” at every location.

“All of the employees at every single store, across the board, were really friendly. That’s something that’s hard to say about a chain,” Freemann said. “Every single store we went into, everyone was really nice.”

The Freemanns finished their quest on the final day of the year, hitting eight stores on New Year’s Eve. Kristin Freemann said they saved six locations in Ballston Spa and two in Mechanicville for the final day of the journey.

“We strategically planned that as well,” said Kristin Freemann. “Because Saratoga County had the most, but they’re also very close together, we knew that if we left Saratoga County kind of to the end, that we would be able to make it work.”

The family’s final Stewart’s was on Church Avenue in Ballston Spa, where the original Stewart’s location first opened. 

“Kody was concerned though, when we went into our last store, he said, ‘So does this mean we can’t go to Stewart’s anymore?’,” said Kristin Freemann. “I said, ‘Nope, we just don’t have to drive really far to go to Stewart’s now.”

Ultimately, what began as the Freemann’s quest to visit every location of a beloved local chain turned into nearly a full year of quality time and fun as a family. 

“It was really nice that we could just do something that was silly and fun, for no other reason than just to spend time with each other,” said Kristin Freemann. “We were able to spend quality time together, do something fun, and see parts of the state that we never get to see.

“Even those weekend trips we did where we were away, we did other things than go to Stewart’s. We would make a point to go on a hike somewhere. When we were in the Thousand Islands, we went and visited Boldt Castle. … It was really nice spending quality family time together just for fun. There was no reason for us to do this other than that.”

SARATOGA SPRINGS — The Rotary Club of Saratoga Springs has awarded the Saratoga Regional YMCA a $20,000 gift to support their Capital Project, in partnership with the Saratoga Senior Center. 

The Saratoga Springs Rotary Club consists of local community leaders and business owners who share a common goal to uphold their values of fellowship and service. To continue that mission, the Rotary Club offers a Major Gift Program yearly to support local community-based organizations. After reviewing a total of 7 worthy applications, the Saratoga Regional YMCA was selected for the Rotary Club’s 2022 $20,000 major gift award. 

This major gift will benefit the Saratoga Regional Y’s Capital Campaign with the Saratoga Senior Center. The Senior Center will be relocated from their Williams Street location onto the Y’s West Avenue Campus and provide the county’s ever-growing senior population a larger space and a greater number of services. 

This project will also expand the Y’s programs and services, with additions such as a new gymnasium, health and wellness offices and an indoor Adventure Center for more children’s play space. Their joint $8.8 million-dollar project broke ground in June of this year and is expected to be completed in the Spring of 2023. 

The Rotary Club’s Major Gift was presented by Club President Stephen Kyne and the Club’s Major Gift Committee Chair, Susan Rhoades. 

“The club and its members are proud to support the Y, and its ever-growing role in the Saratoga Springs community,” said Kyne. 

Chief Executive Officer of the Saratoga Regional YMCA, Scott Clark, accepted the Rotary Club’s gift on the construction grounds of the Y’s Capital Project at their West Ave. location. 

“We are incredibly thankful and appreciative of the Rotary Club’s support of our capital project with the Senior Center and look forward to using their gift so we may have a greater impact on the communities both young and old we serve at the Y,” said Clark.

BALLSTON SPA —This January, when you buy a Fight Hunger Bag at the Ballston Spa Hannaford on Rossi Way, you’ll be contributing to the Saratoga County Senior Nutrition Program.

The Saratoga County Department of Aging and Youth Services has been selected once again by local Hannaford store leadership as the benefiting organization in the Fight Hunger Bag Program for the month of January. Donations made through this program will directly benefit the Saratoga County Senior Nutrition Program, which provides healthy meals to participating seniors throughout Saratoga County.

The Senior Nutrition Program helps Saratoga County seniors remain independent while providing those individuals with daily nutritious meals. The home delivered meal program serves those who are primarily homebound and in need of nutritional support. The Gather and Dine program offers dining at eight meal sites throughout the county, giving seniors the opportunity to socialize with others in their community.

For every $2.50 reusable Fight Hunger Bag purchased, Hannaford sends a $1 donation to an organization local to the Hannaford in which it was purchased. During the month of January, the Saratoga County Senior Nutrition Program has been chosen to receive $1 for every Fight Hunger Bag purchased at the Hannaford on Rossi Way in Ballston Spa.

MECHANICVILLE — The newest restaurant in Mechanicville opens its doors today, with Moby Rick’s Seafood, a restaurant and fish market, kicking off a “soft opening” today and tomorrow, Jan. 6 and 7.

Owner Rick Lofstad said the location is “huge,” noting that it has a catering hall with a capacity of 100 people among other amenities.

“It’s huge,” said Lofstad. “That’s a 3,500-square-foot full restaurant.”

Located at 251 North Main Street in Mechanicville, it is the second current Moby Rick’s location, with another on Congress Street in Saratoga Springs. Lofstad also owns Pura Vida Fisheries, where he sells fish at “25 farmer’s markets a week.”

Lofstad said he will be able to make prepared foods at the Mechanicville location and bring some to Saratoga to be sold.

“We have been making soups, sauces, sides. Crab cakes, fish cakes, meals ready to go,” said Lofstad. “For example, we’re making a smoked salmon quiche, where people can take a slice home or take a full pie home. We’ll make baked dinners, where it’s like a take-and-bake. You just throw it in the oven and off you go.

“Those are the kind of things that we’ll now be able to make in Mechanicville and offer over there (in Saratoga).”

Lofstad also said he plans to open a tasting room, where customers can experiment with unfamiliar fish.

“The ocean is full of fish, but not fish that people know,” Lofstad said. “So now I have a tasting room. I go to a brewery, they have a tasting room with four or five different beers. A vineyard, they have different wines. But I’m a fisherman, so I have my own tasting room.”

The Mechanicville restaurant will have a limited menu during the soft opening, with Lofstad saying he will take things “slow and steady.”

“I have a good team of experienced restaurant workers, so we’re going to go slow and steady,” said Lofstad. “Unfold as we go along.”

In addition to the new location, Moby Rick’s is also opening an online business, with Lofstad saying they will be able to deliver in the area. He said many people travel from the Adirondacks to pick up products during the summer.

“We do get many customers that make the trip all the way down to Saratoga to pick up product and take it up to their camps,” Lofstad said. “The online business will be able to offer me to deliver it to them.”

Lofstad said he hopes the Mechanicville location can be “a place where local people can experiment and enjoy new things.”

“The fish I’ve been mostly catching, people up here don’t really look for, like mackerel, blue fish, porgies, and sea bass,” said Lofstad.

Lofstad said he gets fish “from all over the world,” and also catches some himself. Lofstad said he owns three boats and that his family owns four additional boats in Long Island, Massachusetts, and Connecticut.

He also noted that the fish come directly from the sea to his locations, saying “it’s just as fresh as anybody’s getting on the coast.”

He said he also hopes to begin offering brunch at the location, naming smoked salmon, a seafood quiche, and shrimp and grits as possible offerings.

“And maybe a Bloody Mary or a mimosa,” said Lofstad. “Something a little bit different.”

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Starting in January, a new opportunity for kids to learn hip hop dance is coming to Saratoga Springs. 

C3 Hip Hop Dance Co., started by founder and coach Julie Labate, will offer local kids an opportunity to train, dance, and perform in the community. 

Labate said she has wanted to start a hip hop dance program since she was a child, and said she realized “that there probably was space in the community for youths to get excited about a different program that wasn’t currently being offered here.”

“I felt it was time for me to realize that dream, that I’ve had, really, since I was a kid, and start my own youth hip hop dance company,” said Labate. “And basically share the opportunity with kids up here that I was really fortunate to have growing up in different locations.”

Labate was born and raised in Miami, Florida, where she began dancing at a young age, joining her first hip hop dance team at nine years old. As a member of the Hip Hop Kidz, a longtime program in the Miami area, Labate performed at the Super Bowl, at parades, Miami Dolphins games, and more. 

She was a competitive cheerleader with the Top Gun All-Stars and at the University of Florida, and led her sorority’s cheerleading and dance teams. After college, Labate moved to New York City and began teaching classes. 

“That helped me kind of transition to a new stage of life, where dance was still part of it, but in a really different capacity where I was instructing adults,” said Labate of teaching classes.

Now living in Saratoga Springs, Labate will lead her own teams at C3 Hip Hop. 

“I have two daughters, and I want them to have the opportunity to learn hip hop dance,” Labate said. “I want other kids to get to have the same opportunities that I had.”

C3 Hip Hop is planning to launch at the end of January, with the inaugural season being a half-season, Labate said. Team placements begin on Jan. 28, according to C3’s website. Classes and instruction are held at Max Level Fitness.

“They’ll follow the school year’s calendar, so it will be September through June,” said Labate of the seasons. “Whereas this year, we’re starting in January because I don’t want to delay any further, and it’s just a half season. It’s primarily going to be focused on training.”

Labate said that there will be an advanced team and a novice team for the initial season. 

“If you come to tryouts, it’s just team placements,” Labate said. “You’re going to get placed on a team no matter your level, because I really want this to be an inclusive place for people of all levels if they want to improve.”

“We’re definitely going to have a novice space, that might be joined with intermediate. Then we’ll have an advanced team as well.”

The teams are open to kids ages 9 to 18, with Labate saying she hopes to add a peewee team (ages 5-8) in future seasons. She said the goal is for the teams to have opportunities to perform both locally and for family and friends, stressing that they will be “full-on productions.”

“They’re going to actually have dynamic productions that they put on that should be really exciting for friends and family, plus the local community, to watch,” said Labate. “I also really want to start competing within the next year or two. That’s something that we’ll build up to.”

Labate said the competitions would primarily be against other local teams to start.

“With that, you’re essentially preparing a really dynamic performance that incorporates different elements of hip hop dance,” Labate said. “It’s like a medley of songs, it’s pretty short. It’s meant to have lots of wow factor, high energy, and just really intricate choreography.”

Labate said she will also be hosting summer clinics to “give people a glimpse into what they would be getting if they signed up for the following season.”

“I really want them to have the opportunity to perform around the community, and for their families, for their friends, and just be proud and excited of what they learned, and show it off, and have these unforgettable experiences that keep them focused, and driven,” said Labate.

Labate grew up with long-term, established programs in Miami, and said she now hopes to build a similar community in Saratoga with C3. 

“Over the years, my vision for this is that it’s a long-term community, a staple of the broader dance community here in Upstate New York. It’s a place that they’re proud to call home,” Labate said. “I’ve seen that in other places that I grew up cheering and dancing with, and I know it’s possible to bring here as well. I’m excited to get that started.”