First in Northern New York, Third in Albany region and Twenty-second statewide

SARATOGA SPRINGS – Saratoga Hospital has once again been named a Best Regional Hospital by U.S. News & World Report, taking the top spot in Northern New York and ranking third in the Albany region for 2020-2021.

Saratoga Hospital is ranked twenty-second in New York state and was rated “high performing” in four specialties, procedures and conditions: chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, heart failure, hip replacement, and knee replacement.

“This ‘best’ designation is a tribute to every member of our organization—their skills, their overriding commitment to quality, and their passion for serving this community,” said Angelo Calbone, Saratoga Hospital president and CEO. “During these uncertain and challenging times, the U.S. News recognition is yet another reminder that, in Saratoga Hospital, our community has a safe place to turn for exceptional care.”

For the 2020-2021 rankings and ratings, U.S. News evaluated more than 4,500 hospitals and medical centers nationwide in 16 specialties, 10 procedures and conditions. Of those facilities, 560—less than 14%—earned the “best” designation. Saratoga Hospital also received the designation in 2018-2019.

SARATOGA SPRINGS – Whitman Brewing is excited to announce their first can release, New World Water. 

Four-packs of this Hard Seltzer went on sale this past July 30 at the brewery, located at 20 Lake Avenue in Saratoga Springs. The new canning line was scheduled for setup by the manufacturer, Cask Global Canning Solutions, based out of Alberta, Canada, just days before the border was shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This delayed the first canning run, but after many calls and video meetings with Cask, Head Brewer Nick Meyer had the machine up and running.

The first release is New World Water, a 5.14% ABV Hard Seltzer conditioned with over 200lbs of puréed strawberries, giving it a subtle pink hue and a slightly tart fruit flavor. 

“We are thrilled to finally be able to offer our loyal customers a packaged product. Hard Seltzer seemed like the perfect choice for summer, since it pairs well with outdoor cookouts and boating.” said Brewery Director, Keegan Dombrosky. 

Whitman Brewing is a craft brewery located in downtown Saratoga Springs, NY. Serving approachable, yet sophisticated beers since 2019. Check out their website at waltandwhitmanbrewing.com

SARATOGA SPRINGS – Native Saratogian and local author Elizabeth Macy is excited to announce the release of her third children’s picture book in the Lucky’s Adventures Series. 

The Lucky’s Adventures Series was inspired by the true story of Elizabeth’s rescue dog Lucky, who was lost in Saratoga for 4 days. Lucky was safely found thanks to the support of the community. The first 2 books are Lucky’s Adventure in Saratoga and Lucky’s Adventure in Winter Wonderland.

In Lucky’s Adventure in the Great Outdoors, Lucky and her sister Hershey the cat go on a family camping trip. They are worried about making new friends with the forest animals. In this action packed adventure they realize that kindness and teamwork helps them get out of some unlucky situations and also helps to build new friendships. 

A launch event will be held on August 9 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Spa City Farmers’ Market, Saratoga State Park, 65 S. Broadway, in Saratoga Springs. Elizabeth and Lucky will be signing books along with local illustrator Arien Smith. A portion of sales will be donated to H.O.P.E. Animal Rescue.

The event is family and dog- friendly and will include kids’ activities and giveaways. 

Follow Elizabeth and Lucky at Lucky’s Adventures Books on Facebook and Instagram for upcoming events or contact at www.luckysadventures.net

Lucky’s Adventure in the Great Outdoors is currently available for pre-sale purchase online and will be at numerous stores locally. 

BALLSTON SPA – Nearly a month into phase 4 of reopening New York and local gyms are still not allowed to open their doors.

            For one gym in Round Lake Ballston Spa, those doors will now never open. Global Express Fitness opened their doors to a new location in Malta in early January. With almost two months of being opened, the gym was forced to shut doors at their previous location in round lake, with no plans to reopen them.

            “We did close our Round Lake location due to the impacts of COVID-19. We appreciate everyone who kept their membership during this time. Unfortunately because of the amount of people who decided to cancel, we just could not sustain both locations,” Express Fitness Owners wrote on Facebook. “Four months without a gym is unbelievable.”

            All workout equipment has moved to their new facility built in Malta. Any memberships will be valid at the new Malta location once they’re allowed to open their doors.

            Saratoga Peak Performance wanted to open their doors in Phase 2, when “specialty gyms” were allowed to reopen.

            “For the time being, we will abide by the state guidelines for Phase 4 opening…It’s putting myself and our great staff of personal traners at great economic hardship and simply makes no sense when you consider the hundreds going into big-box retail stores daily, yet we can’t open with just eight clients,” Bryan Briddel, owner, wrote on Facebook.

            As on July 20, each of NY’s 10 regions have reached the final phase of the four-phase reopening process. To date, movie theaters, gyms, and gatherings with more than 50 people are not allowed. With outbreaks increasing around the country, Governor Andrew Cuomo has not mention a Phase 5 when the remaining industries will be allowed to reopen.

            The City of Saratoga Springs’ Commissioner of Public Works Anthony Scirocco announced this week that Saratoga Springs based gyms, fitness trainers, and yoga studios are able to use Congress Park, High Rock Park, Geyser Road Veterans Memorial Park, and the Waterfront Park to host workout sessions without paying rental fees. The proposed rental and use policy was unanimously approved by the City Council at their July meeting.

            Gym classes and workout are not the only to move outside, as street dining has seen a massive increase this past month. The village of Ballston Spa, downtown Saratoga Springs and Schuylerville announced this week they will expand outdoor seating options. In order for a business to reopen they must meet general requirements such as strict cleaning and sanitation, mandatory face masks for all employees and customers and coronavirus cases must be traced, tracked, and reported to regional public-health officials.

The strength studio called Evolution Strength and Performance moved to the virtual world when the pandemic began, and their online on-demand training portal has been successful since. Not only did the gym change the face of its company, they also expanded the gym and rebranded themselves to be called Kettlebell Works.

“Back in May we restructured everyone’s gym memberships. We made the decision to predominantly become a remote based business with minimal in-person work, and that’s our direction moving forward,” Owner Chris Abbott said.           

The new studio is double the size of the old one, and has been ready to open since April. Kettlebell Works is located at 26 Commons Blvd in Clifton Park and can be reached at 518-235-3896. Global Express Fitness is located at 43 Round lake Rd in Ballston Spa and can be reached at 518-400-1428. Saratoga Peak Performance is located at 30 Gick Rd in Saratoga and can be reached by phone at 518-505-9542.

BALLSTON SPA 

1 Pasture Place, $299,425. Rosetti Acquisitions LLC sold property to Justin and Melissa Barnett. 
135 Ballston Ave., $155,000. Diplomat Property Manager LLC (by Atty) sold property to Sean Eaton. 
8 Willem Way, $706,186. Christopher Naughton and Donna Arini sold property to Kristin and Jason Tucker.
87 Jenkins Rd., $445,000. Charles Morris sold property to New York Development Group Saratoga LLC. 
87 Jenkins Rd., $1,218,000. New York Development Group Saratoga LLC sold property to Michaels and Laraway Holdings LLC.

CHARLTON

657 Sweetman Rd./Birchton Rd., $550,000. Stacy Komorny sold property to Matthew Keyes. 
7 Cornelia Ave., $270,000. Daniel Maynard sold property to Mitchell and Cheryl Reed.

CLIFTON PARK

1 Southwood Dr., $120,225. Carolyn McGrath sold property to Szansa Design and Build LLC. 
9 Skybrook Circle, $437,500. Tae Kim Hyun sold property to Weichert Workforce Mobility Inc. 
9 Skybrook Circle, $437,500. Weichert Workforce Mobility Inc. sold property to Kathryn Jersen.
33 Plaid Place, $254,850. Aaron Schlipmann sold property to Mackayla Schmidt and Zachariah Markowski. 

4 Pepper Hollow Dr., $273,500. Thomas J. Burke (as Trustee and Atty). sold property to Robert Lane IV.
3 Blue Jay Way, $348,000. Nancy Parry sold property to Matthew Clouse.
10 Sage Court, $270,000. Elizabeth Treffiletti sold property to Hot Tran.
12 Orchard Park Dr., $390,000. Daniel and Laura O’Sullivan sold property to Fe Mondragon.
6 Sleepy Hollow Dr., $345,000. Ernest Black sold property to Weichert Workforce Mobility Inc. 
6 Sleepy Hollow Dr., $345,000. Weichert Workforce Mobility Inc. sold property to Mary and Paul Koretnicki.

CORINTH

24 Spruce Mountain Rd., $109,000. Linda and John Price sold property to Andrew and Amanda Beswick.
685 County Route 25, $5,000. Janine Moretti sold property to Fourteen Cardinal LLC. 

GREENFIELD

216 Young Rd., $122,500. David and Janice Morrow sold property to John and Allyson Fox and Norbert and Lorraine Caggiano.
125 Young Rd., $190,000. Michael Mullaney (as Trustee) sold property to Joanne Hamilton.

MALTA

6 Scotch Mist Way, $285,000. Mary Nangle sold property to Katrina Howey.
37 Pepperbush Place, $182,000. Rockie Mullen sold property to Hans and Mary Hoefgen. 
126 Eastline Rd., $350,000. Steven and Kimberly Logan sold property to Andrew Fera and Christina Devantier.
79 Blue Spruce Lane, $275,000. Thomas Scott sold property to Jaime Shaw. 
12 Woodfield Court, $360,000. Dennis Krosky sold property to Edward Gharzouzi. 

MILTON

204 Revere Dr., $275,000. Thomas Henson, Jr. (by Atty) and Cassandra Henson (Ind and as Atty) sold property to Le Minh Thu Nguyen. 
3 Arlington Circle, $618,000. Fair Oaks Milton LLC sold property to Scott Lewis and Meghan Dobroski.

MOREAU

Hatchery Rd., $75,000. Gardner and Gay Congdon sold property to Craig Brown and Alicia Collier.
22 Maplewood Parkway, $70,000. Patten Property Development LLC sold property to Tyrone and Victoria Hall. 
15 Catherine St., $87,750. Wilmington Savings Fund Society (as Trustee, by Atty) sold property to Mary and William Hayes.
268 Clark Rd., $185,000. Wells Fargo USA Holdings Inc (by Atty) sold property to William Pistoccop and Michael Davis. 
176 Ferry Blvd., Jennifer and Esward Sharrow, Jr. sold property to Travis Wylie.
33 Iris Ave., $205,000. Shod LLC sold property to Chad Jorgensen.
8 Maple Ave., $135,000. Kathleen Collins sold property to David Nichols.

TOWN OF SARATOGA

106 Schuyler Hill Dr., $507,750. Cerrone Construction LLC sold property to Douglas and Catherine Flanagan.

SARATOGA SPRINGS

88 Tompion Lane, $235,000. Robert Spellman (as Trustee) sold property to Nicole Ryan. 
30 Collins Terrace, $475,000. Loren and Veronica Brown sold property to Keith Ferrara.
1 Van Dorn St., $420,000. 1 Van Dorn St., $420,000. Eric Stefanik sold property to Neil Cavanaugh. 
20 Bowman St., $299,900. Twenty Bowman Street LLC sold property to Nine Gridley Street LLC. 
23 Underwood Dr., $430,000. Phillip and Laurie Feldhaus sold property to Eric Gentino and Allison Buckley.
289 Jefferson St., Unit 18, $179,000. Blue Star Enterprises LLC sold property to Gisele Errichetti. 
51 Jane St., $482,492. Blitman Saratoga LLC sold property to Craig and Sally Horneck. 
77 Van Dam St., Unit 202, $307,800. Seventy Seven Van Dam LLC sold property to Elva Guiliani and Andrew Yin.
41 Waterview Dr., $835,000. Mary Fisher sold property to Jonathon and Paige Bernstein. 
15 Vichy Dr., $269,000. Cleo Ostrander sold property to Anna Smith. 

STILLWATER

67 East St., $152,600. Rebuilding Together Saratoga County sold property to Andrew Keith.

SARATOGA SPRINGS – Saratoga Center for the Family is hosting a silent auction that began on July 27 and will run until 5 p.m. Aug. 1.

Community members and organizations donated all items that will be auctioned. All proceeds raised will support the Center for the Family.

The support helps Saratoga Center for the Family provide much needed mental health, advocacy, and educational programming to children and families who otherwise would not be able to afford these services. 

To register for the auction go to biddingowl.com. The Center for the Family is located at 359 Ballston Avenue and can be reached at (518) 587-8008 or saratogacff.org.

SARATOGA SPRINGS – The National Society Daughters of the American Revolution (NSDAR) Saratoga Chapter honored Marylou Whitney today by placing a NSDAR marker at her gravesite. Whitney loved the Daughters of the American Revolution. She was proud to be a member and was an avid supporter.

SARATOGA SPRINGS – Mike Dubb and his Beechwood Organization spent 35 years building 7,500 downstate homes.

For the first time in his career, Dubb is starting to build homes in Saratoga Springs, less than three miles from Saratoga Race Course, the thoroughbred racetrack he has been visiting since he was 17-years-old.

Dubb and Beechwood outlined details of the 53 homes they are building at the Oak Ridge development between the track and Saratoga Lake. Homes will range in size between 2,200 square feet and more than 6,000 square feet. They will be priced in the $850,000 to $2 million-plus range.

Now, Dubb is looking at other properties around the city for future projects.

He is convinced the Covid-19 pandemic will only increase the number of downstate New York and New Jersey residents who are interested in moving to or building a second home in Saratoga.

“I know people prior to Covid who were saying, ‘I want a better life or I want a town and something not so dense as New York City and the surrounding suburbs,’” Dubb said. “Home has taken on a new importance with people because of Covid.”

The founder of Beechwood Organization secured the remaining 53 lots at Oak Ridge from Jeffrey Snyder and Oak Ridge Development in April after looking at the 135-plus acre site on a whim in October.

“I really wasn’t looking to develop in Saratoga,” Dubb said.

The pastoral setting off Meadowbrook and Dyer Switch roads and the ability to construct four-, five- and six-bedroom homes with large porches, high-end finishes and garages tucked behind the houses caught his attention. Dubb sees the Oak Ridge by Beechwood project as a way to recreate what he describes as the “old Saratoga” architecture that exists along North Broadway and Union Avenue.

He expects the 53 homes will sell over the next three to four years, and he is not worried that the coronavirus pandemic and economic slowdown will jeopardize the project.

“Covid and the economic effects cannot take away the beauty and desirability of Saratoga,” Dubb said. “We may lose some restaurants and hotels. A few individuals may struggle. Long term, Saratoga is too strong … One or two economic rough years does not a town make.”

Dubb, 64, started visiting Saratoga Springs as a teenager and became heavily involved in thoroughbred racing over the years. He is a seven-time leading owner at Saratoga Race Course and serves on the board of the New York Racing Association, the nonprofit that manages the track.

Dubb and Beechwood also are currently building a daycare center in Saratoga Springs that will be donated for use by children of the backstretch workers at Saratoga Race Course. They constructed and donated a similar facility at the Belmont Park thoroughbred track nearly 20 years ago.

Dubb, who has owned a home in Saratoga Springs for 10 years, remains bullish in the track and Saratoga Springs despite the fact that the pandemic is preventing Saratoga Race Course to operate without fans for the first time this year.

Two months before Dr. Timothy Brooks was set to retire as medical director, chair and chief of emergency medicine at Saratoga Hospital, COVID-19 struck New York City. “We saw what was happening—and that it could happen here,” Dr. Brooks said. “I couldn’t in good faith walk away.”

Instead, he stayed for what would become some of the most challenging months of his more-than-30-year career. As he’d done so many times since coming here in 1987, Dr. Brooks helped lead the hospital and community response.

Now, with COVID-19 numbers down throughout the region and systems in place to identify, treat and protect patients and staff, Dr. Brooks can move ahead with his plans. He retires July 31 with the respect, admiration and gratitude of patients, medical and emergency response professionals, organizations and officials throughout the region.

Those who know Dr. Brooks weren’t surprised that he put the community first.

“In many ways, Dr. Brooks is a rock that we built the hospital on,” said Dr. Richard Falivena, vice president and chief medical and physician integration officer at Saratoga Hospital. “He has been instrumental in helping us launch almost every clinical program we offer. We can’t overstate his impact.”

Making a difference for millions If you’ve received emergency medical care, been an inpatient at Saratoga Hospital, or visited one of its urgent care centers, Dr. Brooks has made a difference in your care. He’s also informed public health policy and
decisions in Saratoga Springs and Saratoga County, and he’s been instrumental in bringing people together to improve emergency preparedness.

“After 9/11 we realized we had to change our approach,” Dr. Brooks recalled. “We formed a countywide committee and developed plans for managing mass-casualty situations, including biological warfare and pandemics. We’ve been meeting quarterly ever since.”

The committee, which Dr. Brooks chaired from its inception until his retirement, included dozens of health and safety officials. It also caught the attention of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which asked Dr. Brooks to serve as a consultant on educating physicians on bioterrorism.

“He is so respected, within and outside the hospital,” said Ann Marie Cross, MS, RN, administrative director for emergency and urgent care services at Saratoga Hospital. “People know who he is, what he’s done, and how much he cares about everyone.” 

Ms. Cross and Dr. Brooks were “a tag team” for 11 years. She attributes his impact to a combination of exceptional clinical skills and bedside manner, a genuine love of teaching and mentoring, and a fundamental belief in collaboration.

“He knew that what we did in the Emergency Department would affect other providers and departments, so he always involved them in the decision-making,” Ms. Cross said.

“He set the stage for so much of what we do,” she added. “He was constantly striving to improve care, and that affected the way we develop protocols, learn from every experience, and collaborate to do what’s best for our patients.

“That’s not going to change,” Ms. Cross said. “It will be his legacy.

BALLSTON SPA – With a sense of resignation at the inevitability of no mass gatherings during pandemic of COVID-19, the organizers of this fun, family festival have reluctantly cancelled this years event. 

Initially scheduled for June 19 to 21 at the Saratoga County Fairgrounds, the event was pushed to August 14 to 16, hoping for a break from the onslaught from the coronavirus. However, there was no such luck.

While the promoters regret the circumstances surrounding the cancellation, they are optimistic about hosting the event in 2021 at the Fairgrounds. They hope for a vaccine to pave the way back to a semblance of normalcy by next spring.

According to Todd Monahan, the balloon meister, “we already have 30 balloons lined up for 2021. They are all psyched to come to Saratoga to fly here again.”

To keep informed about the Saratoga Balloon and BBQ Festival, check on the website www.balloonandbbq.com.