ALBANY — Saratoga Spa State Park was awarded $1.2 million from the National Park Service’s (NPS) Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) to support critical upgrades, Congressman Paul Tonko announced last week.  

The funding will be used for major improvements to the Spa State Park’s Roosevelt Dr. Corridor.

“Our parks and public lands are local treasures that hold cultural and historical significance for our region, all while serving as economic drivers for our communities,” Congressman Tonko said, in a statement.  “This kind of federal support is critical not only to sustain the natural beauty of our Capital Region parks, but also to advance the cause of environmental justice by ensuring that low-income and underserved communities are able to access these vital local resources.”  

Created by Congress in 1964, the Land and Water Conservation Fund provides matching grants to state and local governments for the acquisition and development of public outdoor recreation areas and facilities.  Since its inception, the fund has provided more than 40,000 grants to states and localities, supporting more than 29,000 projects to develop parks and recreational facilities in all 50 states.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Saratoga TODAY will host a candidate debate on Oct. 11 at the Saratoga Springs City Center for the Saratoga County District Attorney race. 

Both incumbent District Attorney Karen A. Heggen (Republican, Conservative parties), and challenger Michael J. Phillips (Democratic, Justice & Public Safety parties) have agreed to participate in the debate, which will take place at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 11. Doors open at 5:30 p.m.  

Election Day is Nov. 8 and marks the first contested race between candidates for the four-year county district attorney term in several decades, according to officials at the Saratoga County Board of Elections.  

Residents and voters interested in submitting potential questions to be asked during the debate, may do so via email at news@saratogapublishing.com.

Some Key Upcoming Dates 

Are you registered to vote? An online tool hosted by the NYS Board of Elections allows residents to search for their voter registration status. That may be found at: voterlookup.elections.ny.gov.  

If you need to register to vote, the deadline to do so is approaching in October. There are varying deadlines in October for mail registration, in-person registration, voter change-of-address, and absentee voting requests.     

Important Dates, deadlines, poll locations, and downloadable voter registration applications all may be accessed  by going to: www.saratogacountyny.gov/departments/board-of-elections/.  

Early Voting takes place Oct. 29 to Nov. 6.  

Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 8. 

Saratoga County

On the ballot for voters in the Saratoga region: Governor and Lt. Gov; Comptroller; Attorney General; U.S. Senator; State Supreme Court Justice; 20th Congressional District; 44th State Sen. District; 113th Assembly District; District Attorney; Treasurer; Family Court Judge. 

Specific to the city of Saratoga Springs: An election to fill the remainder of the term for DPW Commissioner. That term goes through the calendar year 2023. 

Registered Voters By The Numbers

There are just over 168,000 active registered voters in Saratoga County, according to the New York State Board of Elections. That party affiliation includes: just under 50,000 registered Democrats, just over 61,000 Republicans, and nearly 45,000 “blank” voters, as of the most recent filing on Feb. 21, 2022.  

SARATOGA SPRINGS — An application proposing a multi-family residential project that would site four apartment buildings with more than 300 units in addition to nearly 50 new townhouses at Route 29 and Station Lane is under consideration by the city Planning Board this week.  

Proposed Action: 

Construction of multi-family apartments and townhouse dwelling units on 17 acres, located between State Route 29, and Station Lane. Proposed by: Prime Companies. 

Specifics: Apartments – Four multi-family apartment buildings having a total of 338 units. Buildings would stand four stories tall with garage parking below each building. 184 one-bedroom units, 104 two-bedroom units, and 50 three-bedroom units.  A recreation space for tenants only would include a swimming pool, outdoor putting green, outdoor pavilion and other amenities. 

Townhouses -constructed in pods of 6 units over 8 pad sites, a total of 48 units. Townhouses would stand two-to-three stories high, garages located at the rear.  

Additional applications under consideration include Site plan review of a proposed workforce housing project at Excelsior Avenue (Excelsior Avenue Apartments), a sketch plan review of a proposed five-lot conservation subdivision at 274 Kaydeross Avenue East, and sketch plan review of a proposed reconfiguration of a subdivision resulting in 16 new residential lots at Bemis Heights Road. 

The Saratoga Springs Planning Board typically meets twice every month at City Hall. For meeting times and dates, go to: saratoga-springs.org. 

SARATOGA SPRINGS — The Saratoga Motorcar Auctions, now in its sixth year, will take place Sept. 24-25, at the Saratoga Casino & Hotel.  

The event is open to spectators as well as buyers and sellers and includes many surprising and affordable vehicles as well as some insanely special classic and vintage cars and trucks, the museum says.  

For attendees: Tickets to attend Saratoga Motorcar Auction are $20 for one day, or $30 for both days and may be reserved at: saratogaautoauction.org/. 

For bidders: Registration required. There are three ways to register to bid: meet with an auction staff member in person at the Saratoga Automobile Museum, call Auction Services at 518-401-5183 or fill out and submit an online form. For information, go to: saratogaautoauction.org/register-to-bid.  

The Saratoga Automobile Museum officially opened to the public in June 2002, with a mission to preserve, interpret and exhibit automobiles and automotive artifacts. The Museum is located within the 2,500-acre Saratoga Spa State Park and offers weekly museum tours. Museum hours are 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. – open every day through September, and those same hours open Tuesdays through Sundays in October.  Upcoming events include: a BMW Vintage Lawn Show on Oct. 8, and a “Lost Speedways” presentation on Nov. 26. 

One hundred percent of the proceeds from the Saratoga Motorcar Auction support the Saratoga Automobile Museum, a 501(c)(3), not-for-profit.  The event will be held at Saratoga Casino Hotel in Saratoga Springs. 

BALLSTON SPA — The Saratoga County History Center sponsors a presentation on the Civil War letters of Saratoga County resident, Alonzo Bump, by David Handy, author of the recently released book “Theas Few Lines: The Civil War Letters of Private Alonzo D. Bump, 77th New York State Voluntary Infantry,” at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 26 at Brookside Museum.

The letters, compiled in part from the collection of the History Center at Brookside Museum, provides a rich account of the experience of an upstate New Yorker who left home to fight for the Union during the American Civil War.  

Alonzo D. Bump lived in the thriving cotton mill community at Victory, the home of the Saratoga Victory Manufacturing Company where he was employed as a weaver.  With the desire to, “go down to see the world,” Alonzo left behind his wife Mary and his three-year-old daughter Mattie.  Private Bump’s letters were primarily written to Mary, though a few were directed to his mother, mother-in-law, and his two sisters-in-law.

Books will be available for signing, and pre-registration is required at brooksidemuseum.org.