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$60.5 Million Budget Proposed

Written by Thomas Dimopoulos on . Posted in Featured, News.


Saratoga Springs Comprehensive Budget Presentation, October 2023. 

SARATOGA SPRINGS — The city’s first presentation of the 2024 budget calls for a $60.5 million spending plan – a 6.2% increase over this year’s plan, and the inclusion of a 2.99% tax increase.

Finance Commissioner Minita Sanghvi revealed the $60.5 million 2024 Comprehensive Budget during a 40-minute presentation on Oct. 3, and set a tentative budget public workshop schedule through the month of October for all departments. 

By rule, a budget needs to be approved by a majority of the five-member council by Nov. 30, or the $60.5 million plan presented Oct. 3 goes into effect for 2024.   

Among the main issues impacting city finances, Sanghvi pointed to inflation – higher prices of everything from construction materials to health care costs; decisions made by previous administrations to not raise property taxes or conduct reassessments for more than a decade, and the number of new hires made by the current administration.

“We’ve not collected delinquent taxes for a decade,” Sanghvi said. “Ten years ago, the city’s real property tax revenue was $15.99 million, and the adopted budget was $40.44 million. In 2024, property tax revenue will be $17.6 million, and the comprehensive budget is $60.5 million.”

A proposed 2.99% tax increase will have the following impact on taxpayers: $3.32 per month higher for a home valued at $200,000 in the inner district, and $3.25 higher for the same house in the outer district.  That monthly impact grows with the value of the home; for example, a home valued at $400,000 inner district would cost homeowners $6.64 more per month, etc.   

In a Budget Call letter sent to commissioners on June 20, Commissioner Sanghvi recommended the total preliminary “requested” budget made by each department be similar to the “adopted” budget amount approved this year, or about $57 million. This year’s requests ultimately arrived with a $70 million tag. That amount was whittled down to the $60.5 million plan presented Oct. 3.   

Personnel and benefits costs overall account for more than 80% of the spending plan. The city’s 2024 Comprehensive Budget includes no new hires. 

Sales tax revenue is estimated at $19.5 million for the calendar year 2024, an increase of more than $2 million compared to this year’s plan.  

The city has made 30 new hires over the past two years. “No more hiring until we find new revenues,” Sanghvi said. “There is a lot our administration has been working on these past two years and that’s where we needed to hire people – but we also have to figure out what we need to do to continue our growth in services along with new revenues.”  

Those new revenue streams could potentially flow from collecting occupancy tax on short term rentals, cannabis sales tax, parking, reassessment, and community preservation funds. Additionally, the city council is working on collecting delinquent taxes amounting to more than $3 million, Sanghvi said.

Tentative schedule – departments have until October 6 to inform the Finance Department that they would like to reschedule the date of their meeting – are slated as follows: 

Department of Public Safety 11:30 a.m., Wednesday, Oct. 11); Department of Public Works, Recreation Department (11 a.m., Friday, Oct. 13); Accounts Department, Finance Department (9 a.m., Friday, Oct. 20); Mayor’s Department, Civil Service (11 a.m., Monday, Oct. 23); Summary of Amended Budget Workshop (5 p.m., Wednesday, Oct. 25). 

Public workshops for all departments regarding the 2024 budget will take place at City Hall through the month of October. Each will also include a brief public comment period. For an updated listing of times and dates, visit the city website at: Saratoga-springs.org. 

SLOW DOWN: City to Explore Reduced Speed Limits

Written by Thomas Dimopoulos on . Posted in Featured, News.

SARATOGA SPRINGS —City Mayor Ron Kim announced the city will begin to explore implementing a 25-mph speed limit in certain areas of the city. 

“Research has shown that faster driving speeds correlate to more serious injuries and fatalities for pedestrians in the event of a crash,” the mayor told the council on Oct. 2. 

The recommendation came from the city’s Complete Streets Advisory Board, citing the promotion of safety as a top priority and implementing a 25-mph speed limit within the city’s inner district. The recommendation, submitted to the city on Sept. 29 by CSAB Chair Ken Grey and Co-Chair Ted Orosz, specifically points to the area between West Ave and Henning Rd (east/west), Crescent Avenue and Route 50 (north/south) and west of route 50 to include Skidmore College. 

“This initiative can be refined based on neighborhood analysis. Reduced speed limits will also assist changing behaviors, including the slowing of truck traffic on Broadway and doing our part to become a climate smart community,” the SCAB letter states, and references communities in Seattle, Washington; Denver, Colorado; Kennebunkport, Maine, and New York City as having implemented reductions in speed limits and achieving positive outcomes. 

“In the Capital District the city of Albany and Town of East Greenbush are implementing these changes, and the Town of Malta is considering implementing them,” according to the CSAB. “We believe this is an important measure for enhancing the walkability, bike-ability and safety of Saratoga Springs.”

“The next step is we are going to retain an engineering study of our traffic and report back to the City Council,” Mayor Kim said Oct. 2 “We will have several Public Hearings where people can express their opinions (and) the hope is that in a few months we will be able to make a decision about this after public hearings and back-and-forth dialogue.”   

Wilton Mall Redevelopment Plans Continue

Written by Dylan McGlynn on . Posted in Business, Featured.

A rendering of the proposed redevelopment at Wilton Mall. Image provided by Macerich.

WILTON — Discussion on the proposed redevelopment of the Wilton Mall continued during a public hearing at the Town Board Meeting on Oct. 5.

The plans propose the development of apartment units and townhomes at the site of the mall’s former Bon Ton location. While speaking at the hearing, Wilton Mall GM Mike Shaffer said similar plans have been enacted in malls nationwide, converting the properties into what he described as “mixed-use destinations.”

He stated the project’s goal is to increase property values, reduce vacancies in the mall, and add an increase in sales tax revenue to the town and county.

Shaffer said that the proposal has begun to garner interest from several companies, including a fitness company and a new theater operator. He also cited a study from Camoin Associates stating that the project would generate over $360,000 in net sales tax revenue, and over $800,000 annually to the Saratoga Springs City School District.

Jon Locke, owner of Salty Buns Restaurant in the Wilton Mall, spoke strongly in support of the proposal, saying part of the reason the restaurant moved into the mall this summer was their belief in the plans.

“This endeavor will bring vitality into our town, offering decent living spaces and crafting a vibrant community complete with essential amenities at our fingertips,” Locke said. “What truly sets this project apart is its capacity to offer employment prospects on numerous fronts, from skilled labor that will be necessary during the construction to the countless positions needed to support the residents and businesses within this new complex.”

Duane Hendershot, store director of Healthy Living Market inside the mall, said he is “really excited” about the proposal. As part of the plan, funding would also be provided to Saratoga PLAN for a conservation easement on the Vincek Farm.

Laura Vincek of the Vincek Farm said at the hearing that the easement would benefit not just to town residents, but “will benefit the planet for as long as the planet exists.” She said the Vincek Farm has been a continuously-working farm since the 18th century, prior to the Revolutionary War.

“The Vincek Farm is a historic landmark, and a national treasure that should be protected eternally for the generations to come,” said Laura Vincek. “People have said to me, ‘Well, you could just remove the development rights.’ Well if I could do that, someone else can put them back.”

Josh Vincek also spoke at the hearing, and said they hope to add more events and activities at the farm for members of the community. He said the farm often hosts groups and assists with local nonprofits.

Tori Roberts of Saratoga PLAN read a letter from the group at the hearing, saying that while Saratoga PLAN takes no position on the mall project, they are “supportive of the concept of using previously-developed land for sustainable redevelopment strategies” from an environmental and conservation perspective.

“Concentrating development in these areas offers the potential to reduce urban sprawl, and preserve open space for the entire community,” the letter read in part.

However, some residents raised concerns about the proposal. Scott Kingsley said he does not believe a PUDD is appropriate for the area, and noted he is against urbanization in Wilton, saying, “If you want to look like Saratoga Springs, the problems of Saratoga Springs will follow.”

“The problem is, when you open the door, the door never closes,” said Kingsley. “What happens when the rest of the mall continues to struggle? … We know what’s going to happen. And I do feel sorry for the property owners there. But they’re going to want more residential when other parts of the mall fail.”

Chad Jerome said he does not believe the residential properties will have the stated effect.

“You’re putting residential property next to a mall with the idea that, hopefully, residents of that are going to somehow make the mall successful that’s been in decline,” Jerome said. “… It’d be unfortunate if the Wilton Mall were to go away. Businesses come and go, unfortunately. The town board isn’t here to save every business that may or may not work. That’s not saying that we want the mall to go. But if the business isn’t there for it, then the business isn’t there for it.”

Some residents also raised concerns about a potential increase in traffic, although Shaffer cited a traffic study that he said was conducted in 2022 that did not anticipate any significant impacts.

After the hearing, Town Board member John McEachron stated that while he is in favor of the project, “There has to be something in it for the Town of Wilton.”

“We’re changing zoning,” McEachron said at the meeting. “We’re changing zoning to a 110-acre PUDD that can never get brought back, can never change back. So what do we get out of it? There’s got to be a public benefit.”

Following the hearing, Shaffer told a group of reporters he was pleased with the turnout of supporters, and is looking forward to continuing the process.

“Very pleased for the supporters that turned out for us tonight, and the amount of knowledge that they had on the project,” Shaffer said. “Just very pleased with that turnout. And we’ll see where it goes from here.”

The plans will be brought to the Wilton Planning Board on Oct. 18, and are expected to return to the Town Board at its Nov. 2 meeting, Shaffer said.

Allegations of “Toxic Culture” in Spa City Sports

Written by Dylan McGlynn on . Posted in Featured, Sports.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — The Saratoga Springs City School District is alleged to have not adequately handled “a toxic culture of alleged abusive coaching” in a legal complaint filed by lawyer Martin Greenberg representing Safe Athletes for Everyone (SAFE).

Included in the letter are complaints against girls varsity cross country/track coaches Art and Linda Kranick, as well as girls varsity soccer coach Adrienne Dannehy and former girls varsity lacrosse coach Katie Hannan.

The letter by SAFE requests, in part, the firing of the coaches involved, and for the State Education Department to investigate the district. It also requests the district’s prior athletic directors be fired or reprimanded, and for the district to issue a public apology. 

Many of the complaints were filed anonymously. Statements are included from runners, parents of runners, parents of former girls lacrosse and girls soccer players, as well as from a girls soccer and a girls lacrosse player. The letter states that many chose to keep their identities anonymous due to fear of retribution.

One former runner, 1989 graduate Kristen (Gecewicz) Gunning, attached her name to a statement alleging the running program is “a toxic culture of control and abuse of middle and high school girls all in the name of winning.”

Gunning stated the coaches would restrict runners’ diets, clothing, and who they associated with. Other anonymous statements also claim instances of overtraining or training through injuries.

“The message was always strong and clear from the Kranicks: run through illness and pain,” part of Gunning’s statement reads.

A 2020 letter from former Board of Education member Steve Grandin to school officials regarding concerns about the cross-country teams training out of season was also included in the SAFE complaint.

Ann Marie Pendergast, a parent of a former girls varsity soccer player, described the girls soccer program as a “demoralizing and unhealthy culture” in a letter from July. She also wrote letters in 2015 and 2016 to district officials regarding Dannehy, which were included in the SAFE letter.

The letter was addressed to New York Governor Kathy Hochul, Attorney General Letitia James, Commissioner of Education Betty Rosa, Chancellor Lester Young, and NYSPHSAA Executive Director Robert Zayas.

A statement provided by the district states that, “The Saratoga Springs City School District cares about each and every student. We take any matters of alleged abuse or bullying very seriously.”

“The district was notified of a letter sent to New York State officials that contains allegations concerning some of the district’s athletic programs late on October 4,” the district’s statement continues. “The letter was not sent to the district directly. While the allegations in the letter are very concerning, any allegations that the district ignored or did not address the complaints referenced in this letter are completely false. We are not able to comment on any individual personnel or student matters included in the letter.”

“As a district, our goal is to provide a positive experience for all our student-athletes, on and off the playing field. We appreciate the dedicated efforts of our professional coaching staff and the ongoing support of our families and school community. We will continue to review the allegations with the goal of providing a more detailed response at an appropriate time.”

A Spectacular Fall Tradition – 2023 Saratoga Showcase Of Homes: Oct. 7-8

Written by Saratoga TODAY on . Posted in Featured, News.

Showcase home #8 by Belmonte Builders. Photo by Randall Perry Photography

SARATOGA — The area’s premiere new home tour, the 2023 Saratoga Showcase of Homes opens its doors this weekend!

Tickets are available at all Adirondack Trust branches, Saratoga National Bank on South Broadway in Saratoga Springs, Glens Falls National Bank in Glens Falls, Curtis Lumber in Ballston Spa & Queensbury and Roohan Realty in Saratoga Springs. Showcase tickets are also available at any showcase home during tour hours of 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. or can be purchased online at saratogashowcaseofhomes.com. Once again this year, each showcase ticket holder will receive a free commemorative shoe/tote bag at the first home visited, while supplies last.

Tickets are only $25, which allows you to visit all of these beautiful new homes. This year’s edition has 9 locations from 7 of our area’s finest builders. New this year is a showcase location in Lake Luzerne.

Participating award-winning builders in this year’s event are Belmonte Builders, DeGraff-Bloom Custom Builders, DSG Construction & Remodeling, Kodiak Construction, R & M Homes, Whitbeck Construction and Witt Construction. To view an interactive mobile map with locations, directions and much more, visit saratogashowcaseofhomes.com

Last weekend, the showcase featured a student “Minds Under Construction” exhibition on Oct. 8 at the DeGraff-Bloom showcase home #3. Area students from the 10-12 grades built vertical gardens and students from the 2–5 grades participated in the popular toolbox build activity. It’s all part of spotlighting work in the trades by the Northeast Construction Trades Workforce Coalition. In addition, a new 8’ x 24’ Tiny House built by BOCES students will be on display at the same location.

Now celebrating its 27th year, this annual community event has contributed nearly $1.5 MILLION dollars to our local charities. Proceeds from the Showcase of Homes will benefit Rebuilding Together Saratoga County (www.rtsaratoga.org) and Habitat for Humanity of Northern Saratoga, Warren and Washington Counties (www.glensfallshabitat.org). For more details on the 2023 Saratoga Showcase of Homes event, visit www.saratogashowcaseofhomes.com. Check the event out on Facebook and follow all the updates on this year’s event.

About Saratoga Builders Association

The Saratoga Builders Association, Inc. (SBA) is a specialized professional trade association representing an industry basic to the wellbeing and economy of the people of Saratoga County. Its membership includes residential and commercial builders, developers, remodelers, building material suppliers, sub-contractors, financial institutions, architects, engineers, realtors, attorneys and other industry professionals. SBA is committed to the continued growth, prosperity and quality of life in Saratoga County. For more information, visit their website at www.saratogabuilders.org or contact Barry Potoker, Executive Director at 518-366-0946 or bpotoker@saratogabuilders.org

Back to Back: Saratoga Girls’ Golf Wins Suburban Council Tournament

Written by Dylan McGlynn on . Posted in Featured, Sports.

Photo provided.

HALFMOON —The Saratoga Springs varsity girls golf team has started clicking at the right time, as the Blue Streaks captured the team title at the 2023 Suburban Council Tournament on Sept. 26, held at the Fairways of Halfmoon.

“We stuck together, we definitely held each other up,” said sophomore Sophia Jackson. “In the end, we came out on top, and we’re pretty happy about it.”

Jackson paced the Blue Streaks, shooting 42 to finish third overall individually. Lira Bonitatibus shot 46, Paeton Koshgarian shot 49, and Emily Landau shot 53 for Saratoga. The team’s combined score of 190 was enough to hold off second-place Guilderland (194 points), while Colonie and Shaker (202 points each) tied for third.

“I was just trying to put up a good score, so I could contribute to the team the best that I could,” said Landau, who won the Suburban Council individual championship last year. “I just tried to have fun when I was playing, just because I know I can put up a better score if I’m having fun.”

It is the second consecutive Suburban Council championship for the Saratoga girls’ team, but this year’s victory comes after a regular season that saw the Blue Streaks drop several close matches.

“If you look at the scores throughout the entire season, the Suburban Council girls’ golf has become incredibly competitive,” said head coach Karen Cavotta. “On the bus that morning, I talked to them about that again, and said, ‘Listen, we have just as much opportunity as anyone else. We might not have the record that a couple of the other teams had, but we have the scores, we have the ability.’”

Saratoga will send five golfers to sectionals this year, with the four who represented the Blue Streaks at the Suburban Council Tournament set to attend, along with ninth-grader Lily Collier.

Cavotta said the team is “a great group,” noting that they are supportive of each other, and that the team has bought into something Cavotta said she often tells her golfers, “‘If it’s not your best day, make it the best day you can give us.’”

“It helps that they really support each other,” she added. “They really do. They always want everyone to have their best day.”

The Blue Streaks finished their regular season on Wednesday against Columbia, and now prepare for the Section 2 Tournament. Saratoga finished second in the 2022 sectional tournament to Albany Academy. 

Cavotta and Bonitatibus noted the sectional tournament will be a challenge, consisting of 18 holes compared to the Suburban Council Tournament’s nine holes.

“The big thing I said to them was that we’ve shown, throughout the year, our continued improvement,” said Cavotta. “I think people are looking at us a little bit more than they were halfway through the season. I think they’ve gained confidence, I think they feel pretty good about themselves.”

Bonitatibus said the victory at Suburbans is a “confidence-booster” ahead of sectionals.

“It showed us that we were able to do it, all of us,” Bonitatibus said. “So it just gave us a lot of confidence that we could continue to do well.”

“We didn’t have our best season, so I think this win really uplifted us, and gave us a bit more hope for how sectionals might go,” Koshgarian added.

Travels With Darley – Saratoga To Be Featured in National PBS Broadcast

Written by Thomas Dimopoulos on . Posted in Featured, News.

Darley Newman at High Rock Springs with Charlie Keunzel. 
Photo provided.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — The region’s contributions to American history and its role in the birth of the nation will receive a prominent boost in the new year with an appearance on a nationally broadcast popular PBS series. 

Darley Newman – producer and host of the long-running “Travels with Darley,” was in town this week, filming segments for the series that will launch in January. 

“This area is interesting because it’s a big part of the story,” said Newman, taking advantage of some down-time during filming to speak with journalists at the Old Bryan Inn in Saratoga Springs this week. “Saratoga was a turning point and really is significant in the shaping of America. It was a big part of what turned the American Revolution.“

Newman was in town with a film crew for a five-day run, arriving Sunday, Sept. 24 and working through Thursday, Sept. 28. 

Monday’s filming tour took place along the eastern edge of the county and visited Saratoga National Historical Park – home of the battlefield and the infamous Benedict Arnold “Boot” monument. Tuesday explored Hadley’s Revolution Rail and Saratoga Springs, and Wednesday’s focus captured the historic Schuylerville region and adjoining communities, with pre-planned visits to the Schuyler House, the Saratoga Monument, and the sword Surrender Site.   

Saratoga County Historian Lauren Roberts accompanied Newman for much of the visit. Roberts also serves as Chair of the Saratoga County 250th Anniversary Commission. The 250th anniversary celebrating the Turning Point of the American Revolution will reach full fruition in 2027.

“I think it’s great when we can be more educated about culture and history in the world. What people see, how people dress,” Newman said.

“All these things play into knowing more about ourselves because this is all part of our past. I mean, my grandparents came from Sweden and Finland. They were immigrants. So I haven’t been in America that long but I still feel that it’s all part of my history, too,“ she said. 

Newman began showcasing her work on PBS in 2007 with the series “Equitrekking” – “I went horseback riding around the world,” she explained – and her latest long-running series, “Travels with Darley,” has been broadcast on PBS since 2016 and depicts 10 seasons which have included episode visits to everywhere from Istanbul, Turkey to Seoul, South Korea.   

The Revolutionary War Trip segments launch in January 2024. Newman’s visit to Saratoga County follows earlier journeys to South Carolina, Virginia and New Jersey for the series. 

“We’re taking a look back at the history of the American Revolution, but from the perspective of places that you can still visit today,“ Newman said. “We still find there are so many mysteries – things people are thinking about and still trying to solve. You read your normal history that you might learn about school – when I learned about the American Revolution I felt like it might be a little dry, but now when you get to go out and meet people you get new things coming to light.”

Saratoga New Year’s Fest Announced

Written by Thomas Dimopoulos on . Posted in Featured, News.


Photo: Robert Millis announces the lineup for this year’s Saratoga New Year’s Fest during presser at Bailey’s Saratoga on Sept. 26, 2023. Photo by Thomas Dimopoulos. 

SARATOGA SPRINGS —Joan Osborne, Robert Randolph, and the Gibson Brothers will be some among the many performers to stage live events during this year’s Saratoga New Year’s festival. The events take place Dec. 29 to Jan. 1.  

“This is a joint presentation: the city the Chamber, Discover Saratoga, the City Center and myself,” said producer Robert Millis of the 398Group, during this week’s festival announcement. “We put this idea together last year to bring back First Night – and it worked. We met our milestones. It’s all part of a three-year-plan to make this thing get bigger and bigger.”    

This year’s events will feature more than 30 performers on nearly two dozen stages. In addition to live music performances there will be a 5K run, fireworks show, a family-friendly pre-fireworks block party and other events. Standard tickets are $25 in advance, kids under 16 are admitted free of charge, and Shelters of Saratoga will serve as this year’s beneficiary of a portion of the proceeds. 

The musical lineup includes Joan Osborne, Robert Randolph, Gibson Brothers, Dogs In A Plie, DJ Logic, Toubab Krewe, Organ Fairchild, Tracy Bonham, and others. For a full lineup and/or to purchase tickets, go to: facebook.com/saratogafirstnight, or www.saratoga.org/tourism/saratoga-new-years-fest/.    

Hospital CEO Reflects On First Year

Written by Dylan McGlynn on . Posted in Business, Featured.

Saratoga Hospital President & CEO Jill Johnson VanKuren. 

SARATOGA SPRINGS —Saratoga Hospital President and CEO Jill Johnson VanKuren has worked in the role for just over a year, and on Tuesday, she reflected on her first 365 days in the Spa City among other topics as part of the ‘Serving Saratoga’ series hosted at Caffè Lena.

The series is a collaboration between Caffè Lena and the Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce, and was hosted by Caffè Lena executive director Sarah Craig. The event also touched on topics such as current issues in healthcare, and the mindset of managing and collaborating with a team.

During the conversation, VanKuren said her first year in the role has been “wonderful,” saying her past roles helped prepare her for a position as CEO. She also discussed Saratoga Hospital’s affiliation with Albany Med, which she said allows the hospital more opportunities to offer and expand services in the community.

“We’re strategic partners, but we maintain our independence,” VanKuren said of the partnership. “So it keeps our focus on community needs, but we have the partnership with Albany Med to add activity to this community. We are able to bring more specialists, where, as an independent, we wouldn’t be able to hire some of those providers. We are purchasing and installing an electronic medical record together, which is an extremely difficult and expensive endeavor that we wouldn’t have been able to do on our own.”

She said this model provides strong benefits for the hospital, noting that partnering with other area hospitals allows their focus to remain local.

VanKuren also made note of some of the struggles currently facing the healthcare industry, saying that Saratoga Hospital is dealing with many of the same issues faced by hospitals across the country.

“We are suffering from a negative bottom line, just like every other healthcare institution in the nation right now. So there is that fear, ‘Can we continue to do what we’re doing as we are losing money?’” VanKuren said at the event. “That is difficult. I think we do have a way forward. It’s going to be, probably another year until I think we can get back above that line to profitability, but it will take some sacrifice, some change.”

She said the hospital is looking to focus on what services the local area may need moving forward.

“It’s challenging to think of our facility not being, at least, breaking even or profitable, because that’s not something that’s really happened before,” VanKuren told Saratoga Today. “… So, looking at a way forward, a lot of the things we talk about are, ‘What does this community need into the future?’”

She mentioned services for those who wish to age in place, as well as optimizing the hospital’s staffing and supply chain. VanKuren noted they had been working to expand outpatient and ambulatory services in recent years, but the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in a sudden shift back to more inpatient demand.

“So we had to go from really focusing on ambulatory development to going back to being a jam-packed inpatient hospital again,” VanKuren told Saratoga Today. “But now the pendulum’s coming the other way, so we need to shift our focus to that ambulatory network, and continue that service.”

She also noted during the event that she has felt embraced in the community since arriving, saying Saratoga Springs is “unique.” VanKuren said that it is meaningful to hear from people who have utilized the hospital’s services.

“Your best day and your worst day can be the same day in a hospital, so it always gives me such a sense of pride listening to the stories,” VanKuren said during the event. “And it’s always about how we made you feel. Not just about the healthcare we provided, but the staff and their connection with you and your family. That is the most important thing, and I think that is what makes Saratoga Hospital unique and special.”

Once Living Matter Repurposed in Art Show

Written by Thomas Dimopoulos on . Posted in Entertainment, Featured.


Terri-Lynn Pellegri. Photo provided.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Ten works line the wall inside Dining Room Gallery of the new Saratoga Senior Center. Gaze upon them intensely, for they seem to trick the eye. Or do they? They boast appearances of multi-dimensional proportion. They look alive.

“Renewal,” says Terri-Lynn Pellegri. “Once-living energy, repurposed.”  

Love Compost Saratoga Collaborative depicts 10 new original works captured by Pellegri’s camera eye. The exhibition, on display at the new Saratoga Senior Center, opens with an artists’ reception on Sunday.   

“Composting is really pretty simple,” Pellegri says. “Nature knows what to do. For me, it’s the breakdown of once-living matter – food waste, vegetables, tea bags, eggshells – and the natural decomposition of that which then aids and nourishes soil.  For me, it’s identifying living/ non-living. Of the earth/ not of the earth. I saw the difference between living and non-living matter.” 

The photographer’s passion for her composted subjects began in earnest on a spring day in 2014 during a seemingly random moment alongside her kitchen sink, where a batch of collected peels and scraps sat in a small compost container.

“I remember the light shining through, and I had this moment. I saw something and it just stopped me. I thought: Oh, there’s something here that looks beautiful,” Pellegri says. “For me, photographing is about seeing, about being absorbed in the moment. I got lost in that moment, looking into my compost, into this food waste. I was stunned. I went and got my camera and started photographing.”

She has learned to look at the by-product of what we consume; We eat the eggs, for example, but dispose of the eggshells, the gnarly ends of broccoli and render the nubby parts of carrots as simple discard. 

 “It’s about the light and it’s about allowing yourself to have that moment,” Pellegri says. “To be in the moment without judging it, without analyzing it; Just giving myself that moment To Be. To see.”

“We put in one big bundle anything that is not useful to us anymore. Trash. We don’t want to see it. It all goes in a bag and off to the landfill,” Pellegri says. “I just couldn’t put any more in the landfill, so I started composting. And I really fell in love with it. It’s hard to explain. Just watching these things go back to the earth, where it had come from.”

She began showcasing her composting photography work in 2019, visiting area businesses that were composting – Caffe Lena, Saratoga Tea & Honey, and Four Seasons among them – and creating compositions with the materials presented. 

“It’s allowed me to shift my thinking. It has totally changed my relationship with food, and with waste,” she says. 

This past spring, Saratoga Arts announced Pellegri was awarded a grant as part of a NYSCA regrant program for LOVE COMPOST Saratoga Collaborative, to include 10 new pieces of photographic artwork – Compost COMPOSiTions – featuring five works that honor and celebrate entities and businesses that have a compost program in place, and five works of her own, all with companion narratives.

“Skidmore College has an amazing program, Lily and The Rose, The Mouzon House, Hattie’s and Corina Contemporary Jewelry in Ballston Spa – even though she’s a jewelry shop, she takes food waste from other businesses and composts.  So many things are interwoven and what I really want to share is the feeling of connectedness: what we do, who we are as people, what we do in our community, and how we communicate with one another,” Pellegri says. “The thread of commonality between the businesses, all taking food waste and compostable material and creating something.”

Across the ten works there are unlikely pairings. Tea bags collaborate with pistachio shells, clementine peels become dance partners with dried irises, scraps of carrot, and the paper casing of garlic cloves – all colorfully captured and repurposed even as they fluctuate through the varied points of their own natural decay.  

“My attempt was to bring them together, to life,” Pellegri says, “to celebrate them in this visual expression.  

An Artist’s Reception will take place 2-4 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 24 in the Dining Room Gallery of the new Saratoga Senior Center, located at 290 West Ave., adjacent to the Y.