SARATOGA SPRINGS — Staging its inaugural premier fundraising event with a showing of The Rocky Horror Picture Show at Universal Preservation Hall Oct. 28, RISE Housing and Support Services raised nearly $60,000. 

Approximately 150 attended the event which included a costume contest. 

RISE, formerly known as Transitional Services Association, has been a catalyst, leader, and partner within the greater Saratoga community to provide housing, mental health, and addictions services for over 40 years. 

Funds raised at the event will support RISE’s mission to help people living with mental health, substance use, and other life challenges to remain safe and healthy in the community through housing and supportive services

For more information about RISE Housing and Support Services visit, www.riseservices.org.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Sales tax received by, and Hotel Occupancy tax paid to Saratoga Springs are both anticipated to exceed amounts expected in the 2022 revised budget, Finance Commissioner Minita Sanghvi said Nov. 15 during her Third Quarter Financial Report submittal to the City Council.  

The amount received in sales tax as of Sept. 30 was $9,110,252.30, an 11% increase compared to Sept. 30, 2021. It is expected the city will exceed the 2022 revised budget of $14.9 million. 

As of Sept. 30, the city had received $201,300.89 in hotel occupancy tax. Collections are rebounding from 2021 and have about doubled in 2022 when compared to the first two installments of 2021, Sanghvi said. The city expects to exceed the 2022 revised budget of $425,000.

The report specifies for the quarter ended Sept. 30. 

Property taxes in the General Fund are recognized as revenue for the full amount levied at the time the tax roll is posted to the general ledger and an adjustment made at year end to defer to future years the amount not collected. As of Sept. 30, 87% – or $14,824,510.48 had been collected, similar to the 87% collected last year at this time. 

Additional items: 

• VLT aid in the amount of $2,325,592 for 2022 was received on June 17. The City’s revised budget for 2022 is $2,325,592.

• State Aid Revenue sharing is distributed in two installments, September and December, with the largest share received in December. The September payment was $227,128. The city expects to meet the revised budget of $1,649,701.

• Mortgage Tax is paid semiannually in May and November. Mortgage tax receipts increased approximately 12% when compared to Sept. 30, 2021. As of Sept. 30, 2022, $1,135,241.98 was received. Taking into consideration the property tax revenue recognition issues, approximately 69% of revenues were actually received as of this date – a decrease from 2021 when 77% of revenues were received. This decrease is partly a timing issue of when grant revenues are received, the use of fund balance in the 2022 adopted budget, and also because in 2021 the city received 2020 state aid that had been held back in 2020, according to the Finance Department. 

• The city closed on a General Obligation Bond on June 23, 2022 to finance various 2022 capital projects for $17,137,299.

BALLSTON SPA —The county announced the formation of a multi-agency peer support team that provides mental health and post-traumatic incident response to first responders in need.

The Saratoga County Peer Support Team (SCPST) is the result of a collaboration between Saratoga County Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services and the Saratoga County EMS Council. 

The trained team of 50 members across multiple agencies and responder disciplines, including EMS, fire, and law enforcement, stands ready to aid individual first responders in distress or groups in the aftermath of traumatic incidents.   

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMSHA) and the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), among others, report significantly elevated levels of anxiety, depression, PTSD, suicidal ideation and attempts, addiction, and divorce among first responders.

Locally, within the past six weeks, during the team’s pilot, members conducted critical incident debriefings at five agencies and provided individual support and follow up to more than 20 individuals who responded to calls involving fatalities and first responder suicide. 

The Team is centrally coordinated and makes use of an existing communication platform. I Am Responding, used by first responders to ensure rapid notification and response in case of need. First responders may self-refer or be referred by agency leaders. 

Additional information is available through the Saratoga County EMS Council website at www.saratogaems.org.

BALLSTON SPA — In September, Saratoga County began offering clinics for seniors regarding updated COVID-19 vaccine boosters. 

The boosters – called a bivalent COVID-19 vaccine – include components of the original virus strain and the Omicron variant and are designed to provide better protection against the Omicron variant, according to the U.S. Food & Drug Administration.

Saratoga County Health Services Commissioner Dr. Daniel Kuhles recently provided the county’s Health and Human Services Committee with an update regarding the status of the vaccination clinics.

“On the bivalent COVID vaccine initiative, we’ve been focused on our seniors, who can either register online or call our call center,” Kuhles said. “We’ve had clinics almost every day since September.” Most recently, the county staged Moderna Bivalent Booster Clinics at the county Public Safety Building in Ballston Spa, and Pfizer Bivalent Booster Clinics at Galway Town Hall and at Mechanicville Senior Center.  

Comparatively speaking about 7.3% of the US population and 8.5% of the population in New York State has received a bivalent booster, Kuhles said. “In Saratoga County, it’s 13.56 % and 35% of seniors. So, while the overall interest across the nation is low, we continue to outperform the nation and the state.”  

Appointments are required, and information may be found via the county website at saratogacounty.ny.org. The county clinics restrict the bivalent vaccine to seniors. For all others, boosters offered at pharmacies and other locations may be found via the CDC (search at: vaccines.gov, or call 1-,./ 800-232-02330). 

New Yorkers ages 5 and older are eligible for a Pfizer-BioNTech bivalent booster dose and New Yorkers ages 6 and older are eligible for a Moderna bivalent booster dose.

The middle of November has, over the past two years, traditionally been the start of a major regional spike in COVID infection, according to state reports. 

Nov. 12, 2020 marked the first fall time surge as the Saratoga County 7-day average infection rate topped 20 cases per 100,000 – peaking at 82 in January – and staying above 20 until April 26, 2021.  

A similar fall surge took place last year, climbing above 20 per 100,000 on Nov. 5, 2021, peaking at 380 in January, and staying above 20 through Feb. 15, 2022.  Since April, the weekly average has fluctuated little, maintaining an approximate 20 cases per 100,000 rate of infection. Those numbers, sourced via the NYSDOH database, do not include self-administered home tests.

Overall, there have been 2,262 hospitalizations and 376 deaths of county residents since 2020, according to Saratoga County’s Department of Health COVID Surveillance data.   

Of those hospitalized: 304 were vaccinated and up-to-date with booster recommendations, 608 were vaccinated but not up-to-date with booster recommendations, and 1,350 were not vaccinated.

Regarding deaths: 39 were vaccinated and up-to-date with booster recommendations, 73 were vaccinated but not up-to-date with booster recommendations, and 264 were not vaccinated.

For more information on county government matters, go to: saratogacountyny.gov. 

BALLSTON SPA — The First Presbyterian Church of Ballston Spa is organizing an ecumenical Thanksgiving bag ministry to provide items for a Thanksgiving dinner to families in need.

Families can sign up to receive a Thanksgiving bag through church food pantries at the following locations:

• First Baptist Church (202 Milton Avenue) Tuesday from 9 to 11 a.m., Thursday from 4:30 to 6 p.m. 

• Christ Episcopal Church (15 West High Street) Monday, Wednesday, Friday 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., Tuesday from 12 to 2 p.m., Wednesday from 5 to 6 p.m.

• United Methodist Church (101 Milton Avenue) Wednesday 9:30 a.m. to 12 p.m.

The signup period runs through Nov. 18. Distribution of the Thanksgiving bags will take place Nov. 21 from Noon to 6 p.m. at the First Presbyterian Church at 22 West High St.

Last year’s Thanksgiving bag ministry provided over 100 dinners to families in need, according to a flier advertising the event.

A suggested list of items is also available for those who wish to donate to the Thanksgiving bags. Suggested items include:

• $10 gift card to a local grocery store or an 8-14 pound frozen turkey

• Two boxes of seasoned stuffing mix

• Two boxes of instant mashed potatoes

• Two cans of gravy (no glass)

• Three to four cans of vegetables

• One can of cranberry sauce

• One boxed dessert mix

Bags and turkeys can be delivered to the First Presbyterian Church on Nov. 20 from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Donations are tax deductible, the release says, if the receipt is saved and attached to a signed tax receipt available at the church on the dropoff date.

The First Presbyterian is also seeking volunteers to assist with distributing the bags on Nov. 21. Those who are interested can contact the Church at 518-885-5583 or email ballstonpres@gmail.com.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Saratoga Candy Co is entering it’s 24th holiday season. On Friday, Nov. 18, the store will have been in the 353 Broadway location in Downtown Saratoga for a year.

Good news! Saratoga Candy Co is staying put at this space. The original space at 5 Washington St. was torn down in May.

“Everyone is finding us just fine and the positive response to our space has been uplifting. Broadway baby!! Always knew we were meant for the bright lights of Broadway! Thanks for all the support. xoxo”