MALTA — Hudson Valley Community College (HVCC) will start the bidding process for contractors to expand its Malta campus starting next month. 

In august, HVCC announced that they will be constructing a new training and apprenticeship center at the college’s North extension center in Malta following a $500,000 philanthropic gift from GlobalFoundries. The center is part of the college’s $12.5 million expansions project aimed at boosting workforces training efforts in high demand areas. 

HVCC President, Roger A. Ramsammy, explained that the college receives many applications for their selective programs. The expansion of the Malta campus will both facilitate travel for students who live more north of the Rensselaer campus and will allow for more openings in those programs. 

The project, designed by Mosaic Associates Architects of Troy, is a new two-story, 17,500 sq. ft. STEM Education Center, which will include brand new, state-of-the-art labs for microbiology, anatomy, and physiology, chemistry and biology, and new classrooms, student support spaces, and offices. 

Bids will be opened on Jan. 19. Construction is expected to take at least one year and is scheduled to start in April and be finished before the fall 2023 semester. 

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Saratoga Hospital has received the American Heart Association’s Get With the Guidelines® – Stroke Silver Plus Quality Achievement Award. 

The national recognition acknowledges Saratoga Hospital’s commitment to providing patients with the most appropriate stroke treatment, in keeping with the latest research-based guidelines. 

“Our goal is to give our patients the best chance for survival and quality of life after a stroke,” said Dr. Robert Donnarumma, chair of the Department of Emergency Medicine at Saratoga Hospital and medical director of its stroke program. “Get With The Guidelines provides tools and resources – including achievement measures – that help us follow evidence-based guidelines and improve patient outcomes.” 

Stroke is the No. 5 cause of death and a leading cause of adult disability in the U.S. On average, someone in the U.S. has a stroke every 40 seconds, and nearly 795,000 people have a new or recurrent stroke each year. Early detection and treatment are key to improving survival, minimizing disability, and speeding up recovery times. 

Saratoga Hospital has made significant investments in recent years to enhance stroke care. In 2020, the hospital launched a teleneurology program – including telestroke care – to give patients 24/7 emergency access to neurologists who have extensive experience treating strokes. 

In August, Saratoga Hospital received a $100,00 grant from Highmark Blue Shield of Northeastern New York Blue Fund to advance the hospital’s stroke program. The grant will help cover education, equipment, and other costs involved in attaining New York State Department of Health designation and Joint Commission-American Heart Association certification as a Primary Stroke Center. 

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Saratoga Hospital has promoted Sarah Bunzey of Hadley to Director of Women’s Health Services. She has worked at the hospital since 2004, most recently as a clinical coordinator in women’s health services. 

For Bunzey, the promotion is the next step in the realization of a childhood goal. She has known since her teenage years that she wanted to be a perinatal nurse, caring for women during pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum. 

She began her Saratoga Hospital career as a hospice nurse on a medical/surgical floor. Two years later, Bunzey joined women’s health services as a labor and delivery nurse. She has worked in perinatal nursing ever since. 

SCHENCTADY — As a way of giving back during the holiday season, Mohawk Honda has announced “12 Days of Giving,” a campaign designed to donate a combined $60,000 to 12 charities throughout the Capital Region. Community members are asked to nominate local organizations they support to be entered into the contest. 

The Mohawk Family will present a check to each finalist between Dec. 13-24. The finalists will be featured on Mohawk Honda’s social media pages. Each nonprofit will receive $5,000. 

Community members can nominate local charities on Mohawk Honda’s Facebook page. Nominations are being accepted Nov. 29 through Dec. 10. 

MOREAU — Cerrone Builders has submitted a proposal to build a cannabis growing and processing facility in the Moreau Industrial Park. 

According to documents filed with the Town of Moreau Planning Board, the facility will be a single story, 30,000 sq. ft. light manufacturing building on an undeveloped 2.7 acres of land at 2-6 Corporate Place within the Moreau Industrial Park. 

Construction is estimated to take 8-12 months if approved, and the estimated value of the project upon completion is $4 million. 

Moreau Industrial Park was not the first choice. Back in August, Cerrone Builders presented a proposal to the Planning Board to build the cannabis facility across from their headquarters at 1589 Route 9 in South Glens Falls. The Planning Board raised concerns regarding that location, and the proposal was tabled until now that they have picked a new site. 

Joseph Dannible, a senior Landscape Architect and partner with Environmental Design Partnership who has been overseeing the project, told the Planning Board in August that a Massachusetts-based cannabis company is the potential tenant, but the company’s name has not been released. 

Saratoga TODAY reached out to Cerrone Builders and the Town of Moreau for a comment but didn’t receive a response. 

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BALLSTON SPA — Labels To Last celebrated their launch with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Nov. 17 at the Name Bubbles headquarters in Ballston Spa.

Name Bubbles is an award-winning brand specializing in custom waterproof children’s labels. On Nov. 17 they celebrated the launch of a new division in their company specializing in custom, everyday labels for older adults – Labels To Last.

Senator Jim Tedisco was in attendance to award Michelle Brandriss, Founder and President, with a citation for business achievement, along with Milton Town Supervisor, Benny L. Zlotnick, Jr., who thanked her for contributing to the town’s economy with her business. 

Brandriss started the company in 2009, and when the pandemic hit she began searching for ways she could diversify the business, and Labels To Last was born. 

Labels to Last was created to provide a high-quality label solution for those in retirement homes/communities, nursing homes, assisted living facilities, and other senior care. Labeling apparel and other belongings can help seniors keep track of their items and avoid lost or stolen goods. 

The company’s sales are nationwide, and Brandriss announced that Name Bubbles/Labels To Last will be expanding to Colorado for easier and faster shipping to states in the Midwest and on the West Coast, hopefully by the spring of 2022. Roughly 10% of Name Bubbles sales are local. 

To purchase the durable, waterproof press-and-stick or iron-on labels from Labels To Last or Name Bubbles, visit their websites at labelstolast.com or namebubbles.com. 

SARATOGA SPRINGS – Death Wish Coffee Co., the makers of the World’s Strongest Coffee, has announced the launch of Caffeine Critters, the brand’s first rendition of trading cards inspired by the reviews of Death Wish products from the brand’s wildly caffeinated fans. 

Immortalizing the craziest and funniest reviews from their fans, Death Wish Coffee Co. is bringing real feedback left by real consumers to life through the artwork of Spinning Yarn Illustration Company. The artwork embodies everything from a skeleton riding the morning coffee wave to a unicorn over the ready-to-drink latte, keeping the brand’s playful spirit alive. The initial launch will feature three new playing cards with names, photos, and reviews from some of the brand’s biggest supporters, recognizing those who drink the extra cup of Death Wish Coffee. 

All consumers who purchase any of the core coffee products on Nov. 18, including the Dark and Medium roasts, will receive one pack of Caffeine Critters trading cards with their purchase, while supplies last. 

“We’re excited to dive into the nostalgia of trading cards for our devoted Death Wish Coffee drinkers,” said Mike Pilkington, President of Death Wish Coffee Co. “Caffeine Critters is the perfect way to celebrate our die-hard fans and show our appreciation for them leaving such creative reviews on products they love so much.” 

The launch of Caffeine Critters is the latest in Death Wish Coffee’s celebrations of its community of loyal fans, who flock to the brand’s highly caffeinated and boldly flavored roasts and ready-to-drink lattes. Additionally, on Black Friday, Nov. 26, Death Wish Coffee will offer 30% off all bagged coffee with mug giveaways and ongoing merch deals.

For more information about Death Wish Coffee Co. and Caffeine Critters, visit www.deathwishcoffee.com. 

My wife turned to me and said, “I wouldn’t know what to do if you died.” I had just gotten off the phone with my father who was simultaneously mourning the sudden loss of his brother and trying to sort out his finances. Talk about a wakeup call. As a financial professional, I’d like to think that I’m ahead of the game regarding this sort of stuff, but her comment made me realize I could do better. I handle the family finances and as a result, had inadvertently left her in the dark as to what would happen in the worst sort of circumstances. Let’s examine a few simple things you can do to prepare your loved ones.

The first financial question that arises when someone passes is “ok, what did they have going on?” Accounts, passwords, investments, debts, real estate, beneficiaries, the list goes on. This burden of data gathering will often fall to an executor named in your will. If there is no clear instruction or executor for an estate, the presiding court will determine a willing individual. Think about this for a second. If you suddenly leave this Earth, someone who you care about will have to deal with the emotional stress of losing you and the mental stress of getting your affairs in order. An organized list of financial accounts, updated annually, can greatly decrease this burden.

Do you have an estate plan? According to a survey by Caring.com, 2/3 of adults in this country do not currently have a will. I get it – it is not the most fun thing in the world to think about and it costs money, so it is easy to push to the back burner. The alternative is not great. Anything with a beneficiary designation like a life insurance policy is cut and dried – everything else is up for debate and probate courts and attorneys may spend a good amount of their time (and your money) to figure out who gets what. Speaking of beneficiary designations, are yours up to date? It is not a great look when an ex-husband gets a life insurance payout after his former spouse has remarried. Again, an annual review of this is recommended.

An alternate angle to approach this topic is one where you become incapacitated but have not yet passed. A health care proxy allows someone you designate to make medical decisions for you. These decisions range from acceptable treatments to measures taken to sustain life. It is pretty heavy stuff so make sure the person you name is someone you trust and is willing to accept that obligation. Related to the health care proxy is the idea of naming a power of attorney to take care of your financial affairs while you are incapacitated. A few difficult conversations and proper paperwork instituted before anything happens can save a lot of angst during a stressful period of time for all involved.

Day in, day out, we see very little variation to our routine. Wake, coffee, school/work, home, bed, rinse, repeat. During this repetition, it is easy for our minds to become numb to the reality that everything can end in an instant. The Stoics have a helpful phrase to remind themselves of this stark reality: memento mori. Translation: remember that you will die. If that is jarring to think about, it’s because it is supposed to be. I have used this experience to better prepare my family for my absence. My hope is that you will use it as motivation as well.

For more information, visit contwealth.com

David Rath, CFA is the Director of Portfolio Strategies at Continuum Wealth Advisors in Saratoga Springs, NY

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Nearly 4,900 part and full time Stewart’s Partners received bonus check equivalent to one week’s pay. Any Partner that started after September 2021 received a $100 check as a thank you. 

The bonus comes as a thank you to the Partners for all their hard work and commitment throughout the pandemic. Stewart’s Shops have stayed open continuously throughout the pandemic, providing essential food and fuel for customers. 

Stewart’s Shops share their success with Partners every year through their ESOP plan, but this bonus is for all Partners, not just those enrolled in ESOP. 

Stewart’s Shops currently has positions available at its shops, plant, and corporate office. Visit their careers page at www.stewartsshops.com/careers for more information. 

GANSEVOORT — Sundaes Best Hot Fudge Sauce will host an open house and pop-up shop at their manufacturing facility on Saturday, Nov. 20 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Celebrating 20 years in business, owner Katie Camarro and friends will be on hand with product displays and gift ideas for everyone on your list. 

Sundaes Best Hot Fudge Sauce kitchen is located in Gansevoort at 23 Northern Pines Rd, 1st floor, Bldg. 2, across from Saratoga Restaurant Supply. For more information visit www.sundaesbest.org or call 518-584-4036