SARATOGA SPRINGS – Stewart’s Shops first grand opening of 2022 is in a completely new shop location in Colonie. 

The new shop, located at 1560 Central Ave, has a large footprint, inside and out. Outside you’ll find plenty of parking, outdoor seating, and gas pumps, while the interior of the shop has a spacious food bar, a beer cave, extra seating, and a cone counter. 

Stewart’s will be holding a grand opening celebration at this new shop in Colonie on Friday, Jan. 14 from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. There will a ribbon cutting, as well as food, drink, and gas specials all day, including: 50¢ single scoop ice cream cones, 99¢ Stewart’s Shops 20 oz. sodas and 16 & 20 oz. Refreshers, 99¢ Make Your Own hot dogs and roller grill items, any 16″ pizza for $7.99, and 10¢ off gas, including diesel. 

In honor of the event, Stewart’s Shops will be donating $2,000 to the Warrior Will Foundation. The foundation helps newborns with life-threatening illnesses and their families who are enduring a crisis. 

In 2022, Stewart’s Shops is planning on opening 20 new shops in total – 13 new rebuilds and 7 new-to-market shops. The new shop in Colonie is part of their continuous commitment to invest in their communities and meet the growing needs of their customers, offering a wider variety of food and beverage options, and making life easier. 

Select Sotheby’s International Realty has released a statement for the story that ran in last week’s issue (Jan. 7-13, 2022), titled “Sotheby’s International Realty Expands with Dual Mergers”. The statement is as follows: 

“We are very excited about our new partnerships with the highly respected brokerages of Gary DiMauro Real Estate and Four Season’s Sotheby’s International Realty. This merger has renewed our sense of enthusiasm and anticipation for the future. Not only have we increased our footprint in the Hudson Valley, we have also gained new affiliates in Vermont and New Hampshire, through the support of Peerage Realty Partners. 

We have expanded our marketing department and can now offer even more marketing coverage and better tools to assist our agents in servicing our clients buying and selling needs. We look forward to continued growth and expansion throughout New York State and strive to offer unrivaled property exposure locally, nationally, and internationally, while providing our clientele exceptional agents who offer the same great services and commitment the Sotheby’s International Realty Brand is renowned for worldwide.” 

MALTA – NYSERDA has put the Saratoga Technology Energy Park back on the market; the last time it was up for sale was an auction in 2017. 

The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) is again trying to sell the 280-acre Saratoga Technology Energy Park (STEP).  Instead of an auction, they are working with CBRE Albany, the Capital Region’s largest real estate brokerages, to list the property on their behalf.

The listing shows that the property at 0 Hermes Road is for sale for $12 million. GlobalFoundries has an option on 65 acres for a new fab and expanding the capacity at their current facility. Additionally, four buildings occupy 17.6 acres; three of the four NYSERDA has leased to Hudson Valley Community College, the United Group of Companies, and Jersen Construction. That leaves roughly 198 acres of “certified shovel-ready, light industrial/professional office/research and development land.” 

STEP is a part of the Luther Forest Technology Campus that houses the GlobalFoundries chip fab plant and new headquarters, relocated from Santa Clara, CA in April 2021. NYSERDA states that the location of STEP, “located in the heart of New York’s Tech Valley,” is what makes the property desirable for clean-energy and environmental technology companies.

Read the full story on Saratoga Business Report: www.saratogabusinessreport.com.

SARATOGA SPRINGS – The Adirondack Trust Company has announced that several of its branches will provide its pup patrons with samples of The Lazy Dog Cookie Co., Inc.® treats, while supplies last. 

The Lazy Dog Cookie Co., Inc.® started out of Amy and Keith Augustine’s kitchen in 2001 and has called Saratoga County and Ballston Spa home since 2005. 

“A lot of people don’t even realize we’re local,” said Keith, now Vice President of Sales for Lazy Dog. 

In recent years, the brand has become nationally recognizable and found just about anywhere dog treats are sold – from local boutiques and supermarkets to PetSmart, Chewy, and other large chains. 

“But we’re rooted in the community, and want to be where our community is,” Keith continued, pointing to the many individuals the company now employs, and the various nonprofits with which Lazy Dog partners. “We love it here.” 

Beginning its relationship with Adirondack Trust Company in 2015, Lazy Dog has since enjoyed its highest growth years yet. 

“The Lazy Dog Cookie Co., Inc.® is a perfect example of folks who worked hard and put in years of sweat equity to successfully build their business,” said Adirondack Trust Company Vice President of Commercial Lending, Chris Mesick, who works with the Augustines on their business growth and strategy. “It is an honor to play a small role in their success.” 

The company has come a long way since Amy was hand-making all-natural peanut butter treats for her coworkers, but one thing remains the same – the high quality of ingredients used to create the treats. The product line includes innovative new products to help dog families celebrate all of life’s milestones: Pup-PIE® line, Mutt Mallows®, Treat them with LOVE!® crunchy biscuits, a make-at-home line, and even a children’s book. 

Fellow local dog lovers are invited to sample The Lazy Dog Cookie Co., Inc.® treats at most Adirondack Trust Company branches, while supplies last. These all-natural treats come in a variety of delicious flavors, such as Candied Maple Sweet Potato, Ginger Glazed Pumpkin Carrot, Cinnamon Swirled Peanut Butter, Crushed Peanut Sprinkled Banana, and Toasted Vanilla Peanut Butter. All treats contain limited ingredients that are good enough for humans. 

To learn more about The Lazy Dog Cookie Co., Inc.® and to find out where to purchase their products, visit www.lazydogcookies.com. To learn more about Adirondack Trust Company’s partnership with Lazy Dog, visit www.adirondacktrust.com/lazydog.

GLENVILLE – Mohawk Honda establishes itself as a top Honda dealership out of 1,100 throughout the country. The Schenectady County dealership sold 1,323 certified pre-owned vehicles last year, ranking 10th in the nation. 

This comes alongside a paramount year for the fourth-generation family-owned dealership as it celebrated 50 years with American Honda Motor Co., Inc. in September 2020. 

The dealership was named an Automotive News 2020 “Best Dealership to Work For”, ranking it among the top 100 dealerships nationwide. Mohawk Honda was one of three New York State dealers recognized. 

Additionally, Mohawk Honda has earned the prestigious 2019 Honda Masters Circle award from American Honda Motor, Co., Inc., for ranking in the top 50 dealerships in annual new vehicle sales volume while creating an outstanding customer experience.

Mohawk Honda’s Assistant General Manager Greg Johnson says this recognition shows the hard work and commitment of all employees.

To learn more about Mohawk Honda, visit www.mohawkhonda.com.

ALBANY – Sen. James Tedisco (R, C), whose 49th district includes parts of Saratoga County, spoke this week about legislation first introduced last year that would “bring discretion back to our judiciary, reduce crime and restore common sense to our criminal justice system.”

Senate Bill 1521 (S.1521/A.1705) – an act to amend the criminal procedure law, relates to setting bail for defendants who pose a threat to public safety. It would provide judges with discretion when setting bail for dangerous defendants, according to the bill. 

Tedisco said, in a statement, that a “‘catch and release’ revolving door of danger and disaster wrought by cash bail reform led to 3,400 criminals who were not held in jail being rearrested for a violent felony while awaiting trial last year,” and has played a role in former residents of New York leaving the state.     

SARATOGA SPRINGS – BlueTriton Brands, Inc. has acquired local premium spring water brand, Saratoga Spring Water Company. 

Adam Madkour, CEO and sole shareholder of Saratoga Spring Water Company, has sold certain assets of the company to BlueTriton, a Connecticut investment firm previously known as Nestlé Waters North America. Latham & Watkins, LLP represented BlueTriton and KPMG Corporate Finance represented Saratoga Spring Water Company in the transaction; financial terms of the deal announced in November 2021 were not released. 

BlueTriton manages other regional bottled-water brands: Poland Spring, Pure Life, Deer Park, Ice Mountain, Zephyrhills, and Arrowhead. The acquisition of Saratoga Spring Water, with its current vendors and distinctive blue glass bottles, gives BlueTriton access to the upscale beverage market in hospitality and retail channels. 

Saratoga Spring Water Company was founded in 1872 in Saratoga Springs and has its headquarters and bottling plant off Geyser Road. Saratoga Spring Water is sold throughout the United States and internationally. 

Saratoga TODAY reached out Saratoga Spring Water Company and BlueTriton Brands for comment but received no response. 

SARATOGA SPRINGS – The founders of FLAG Saratoga (Front Line Appreciation Group) have relaunched a grassroots campaign to help support local frontline workers at a time when hospitals and healthcare workers are being significantly strained again by the pandemic.

FLAG Saratoga was founded in the spring of 2020 by four Saratoga residents Nadine Burke, Becky Kern, Andrea Macy, and Lisa Munter. The group originally raised more than $40,000 – which resulted in more than 4,000 meals and gift cards delivered to over 30 different hospital departments, nursing homes, fire, police, and EMS departments throughout Saratoga. 

“We have been asked to restart our efforts and due to the outpouring of support that we received the last time, we knew we could quickly mobilize to help out,” said co-founder, Lisa Munter, in a statement. “Our community is filled with so many generous and resilient people who are always willing to give back and help each other, we are counting on this support so we can pass it along to our healthcare workers who really need it.” 

Working alongside the Saratoga Chamber of Commerce and the Saratoga Hospital Foundation, the group is raising money through the Chamber’s dedicated fundraising page on their website, at www.Saratoga.org. All money will go directly into providing meals, snacks, and other resources needed. 

“We’re proud to team up with FLAG of Saratoga and the Saratoga Hospital Foundation to show our gratitude to our frontline heroes,” “Our board, led by Tara Pleat, voted unanimously to help with seed funding to kickstart FLAG’s efforts. We look forward to working alongside the community to give back to our healthcare workers and first responders who continue to work tirelessly to keep us safe and healthy throughout this pandemic,” Chamber President Todd Shimkus said in a statement.

To learn more, visit FLAG Saratoga at their Facebook Group, or on Instagram at @Flagsaratoga. To donate, visit: www.Saratoga.org. For more information about FLAG Saratoga contact Becky Kern at: beckykernpr@gmail.com.

SARATOGA SPRINGS – MLK Saratoga’s 7th Annual Dr. King Celebration Weekend offers a range of programming illuminating, amplifying, and reflecting on social, environmental, racial, and economic justice issues. 

The events run from Friday to Monday and feature a variety of workshops, performances, lectures, and panel discussions. 

This year’s theme centers on Dr. King’s quote: “I have decided to stick with love.”

The DKCW opens with the Dr. King Challenge on Friday night featuring performances by regional artists, actors and musicians and continues Saturday through Monday with both virtual and in-person events for both kids and adults, and includes workshops, musical performances, film screenings and a multitude of other gatherings that will be staged at various locations across Saratoga Springs. 

 For a comprehensive list of in-person events, and links to virtual programming, go to: www.MLKsaratoga.org.

Newly elected Saratoga Springs Finance Commissioner Minita Sanghvi says she wants to implement all 50 recommendations of the Saratoga Springs Police Reform Task Force. Sadly, Ms. Sanghvi doesn’t seem to realize that some of those proposals cannot be legally implemented by the city since they conflict with state law.

For instance, the Task Force called for the diversion of “seized assets” to “Community Based Restorative Groups or community service organizations.” Unfortunately, this is not legal according to state law.

Ms. Sanghvi would do well to do some homework before she makes embarrassing statements to the press. Our city used to have a fabulous City Attorney, who would have been extremely beneficial in guiding Ms. Sanghvi, however, our new Mayor fired him.

– Tracey L. LaBelle, Saratoga Springs