BALLSTON SPA — Saratoga County Public Health Services (SCPHS) issued an advisory on Aug. 7 recommending that all individuals—fully vaccinated, partially vaccinated, and unvaccinated–wear a mask when indoors with people who are not members of their own household, outdoors in crowded settings, and when engaging in activities that involve close contact with others who are not fully vaccinated. 

SCPHS also said it recommends vaccination for those who are eligible to do so. 

The announcement comes as Saratoga County is experiencing a high level of COVID-19 community transmission, fueled by the spread of the highly contagious B.1.617.2 (Delta) variant. 

According to the state Department of Health, the weekly average positivity rate of Saratoga County residents who had gotten tested for COVID-19 was 4.6% through Aug. 9 – a positivity rate among the highest in the state.    

Since June 6, approximately 40% of reported cases in the county have been identified in individuals ages 18-39; an additional 10% of reported cases have occurred among those ages 6-11 years. While hospitalizations during this time have not increased to levels observed during January 2021, approximately 89% of hospitalized individuals were not fully vaccinated, the department said. 

To date, only 0.007% of fully vaccinated county residents have been hospitalized due to COVID disease. Similarly, of the 169 COVID-19 related deaths reported to SCPHS, 99.4% occurred in individuals who were not fully vaccinated. 

Just over 70% of all county residents and 80% of vaccine-eligible county residents have received at least one dose of vaccine. “This level of vaccine coverage has prevented a surge in severe COVID-19 disease and hospitalizations in our community,” the release said. It also cited masking as providing protection from COVID-19 to the wearer; If the wearer is infected, masking helps prevent transmission to others. 

SARATOGA SPRINGS — On Aug. 10, the Saratoga Springs City Council unanimously approved a resolution adopting the recommendations of the Saratoga County Public Health Services urging all citizens fully vaccinated, partially vaccinated, and unvaccinated to wear a mask when indoors with people who are not members of their household, in crowded outdoor settings, and when in activity with those who are not fully vaccinated.

Saratoga County is currently experiencing a high level of community spread fueled by the Delta variant. 

 “Right now, we need to protect one another and the best way to do that is to get vaccinated and for everyone to mask up, one layer of protection is not enough,” Public Safety Commissioner Robin Dalton said, in a statement. 

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Andrew Cuomo was first elected governor of New York in November 2010. Re-elected in 2014 and again in 2018. On or about August 24, his governorship will come to an end, Cuomo announced this week, in the wake of a report by investigators appointed by New York Attorney General Letitia James that found the governor sexually harassed multiple women. 

“I think given the circumstances, the best way I can help now is if I step aside and let government get back to governing. And therefore, that’s what I’ll do,” Cuomo announced Tuesday, Aug. 10. “My resignation will be effective in 14 days.” 

On that date, current Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul will take office. “I agree with Governor Cuomo’s decision to step down. It is the right thing to do and in the best interest of New Yorkers,” she tweeted, shortly after Cuomo’s resignation announcement. “As someone who has served at all levels of government and is next in the line of succession, I am prepared to lead as New York State’s 57th Governor,” she said. 

Hochul, who has visited all 62 counties in the state during her tenure as Lieutenant Governor, was last in Saratoga Springs on July 27, when she met with local business leaders at the official public opening of The Pines building at Saratoga Performing Arts Center. She was born and raised in the Buffalo area, the descendant of immigrant grandparents who fled poverty in Ireland, and the daughter of a steelworker and union organizer.  She holds a bachelor’s degree from Syracuse University and a JD from Catholic University. 

Hochul will be the state’s first woman governor, and the eighth of fifty-seven governors to be appointed – the last being David Paterson in March 2008 following the resignation of Eliot Spitzer – who stepped down after reports surfaced that he had patronized a prostitution ring.

The state governorship is filled with notable names in American history and some colorful ones as well. Martin Van Buren, Grover Cleveland, Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Theodore Roosevelt had each become U.S. Presidents. Andrew Cuomo’s father, Mario Cuomo, was first elected N.Y. governor in 1982 and served three four-year terms. Among the candidates who had once tossed their hat in the ring are Philip Schuyler and Aaron Burr, Robert Moses, and Malachy McCourt. Al “Grandpa Munster” Lewis ran for the office in 1998 and came in sixth place in a ten-person race that saw the re-election of George Pataki.  The next gubernatorial election in New York will take place Nov. 8, 2022. 

Responses to Cuomo’s resignation were swift from regional elected officials, who each praised the women who came forward to report Cuomo’s sexual harassment.   

Additionally, Republican Senators Jim Tedisco (R -Glenville) and Daphne Jordan R-Halfmoon) called on the Assembly Judiciary Committee Chairman Charles Lavine and members of the Committee to move forward and expedite the impeachment of Gov. Cuomo. Assemblywoman Carrie Woerner, D-Round Lake, said she was “relieved” Cuomo announced his resignation and called the governor’s responses to the Attorney General’s report “utterly tone deaf.”

U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-Saratoga, called for Cuomo to be arrested and prosecuted for sexual harassment, assault, and abuse, as well as for “covering up the tragic deaths of our most vulnerable seniors in nursing homes.” 

U.S. Rep. Paul Tonko, D-Amsterdam, said the resignation was “long overdue,” and looked forward to beginning the process of restoring New Yorkers’ trust in the dignity and accountability of the state’s executive leadership, as well as maintaining a focus on the urgent task of tending to the ongoing COVID pandemic. 

SARATOGA SPRINGS – City police have made an arrest in connection with an overnight incident during which a 38-year-old man was slashed on the arm.

The incident is believed to have occured shortly after 2 a.m. on Caroline Street between Pavilion Row and Henry Street where a fight had taken place between two men, police said.The assailant had left the scene prior to officers arriving. A person of interest was quickly identified.

Chalmers D. Davis, 43, of Saratoga Springs was charged with felony assault, and with criminal possession of a weapon – which rises to a felony based on a previous conviction.

Police said their investigation shows the incident started as a verbal argument between the two men and escalated into a physical confrontation during which Davis is accused of using a knife. 

The victim, whose name was not released, suffered a significant laceration to his left arm and was transported to Albany Medical Center. His injury is not considered life threatening.

Davis was arraigned in City Court and sent to Saratoga County jail without bail. Additional charges are possible, city police said.

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BALLSTON SPA — The Capital Region in general, and Saratoga County especially, has seen an upswing of COVID infection rates over the past few weeks. 

On July 29, Saratoga County Board of Supervisors Chairman Todd Kusnierz announced the formation of the Saratoga Health and Readiness Planning (SHARP) Task Force, which was tasked to analyze guidance issued by state Department of Health and the CDC, and make recommendations for the community. 

“We had a meeting with senior staff here at the county (on Aug. 2) and we expect to have a full Task Force meeting – we’re shooting for the end of this week – and hold a public event to update our county residents,” Kusnierz said this week. 

“The county is strongly recommending our residents follow CDC guidelines. However, the county is not going to do mandatory requirements for masks. At the end of the day the most effective way to protect yourself, your loved ones, the people you interact with, is to get vaccinated – so we are strongly encouraging anyone who has not been vaccinated to do so. “

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has tagged Saratoga County as having a “substantial” level of transmission and as such recommends the wearing of masks indoors, whether or not a person has been vaccinated. According to Saratoga County data this week, the fully vaccinated population accounts for 1.5% of overall county infections to date. Of the 168 deaths in the county, all were unvaccinated. 

Approximately two-thirds of the county’s population – just over 150,000 of the approximately 230,000 Saratoga residents – have received at least one vaccine dose. According to the state’s Vaccination Zip Code Tracker – Saratoga Springs, Ballston Spa, Clifton Park are each above the 70% threshold for vaccination rates, while Victory Mills (46.7%), Porter Corners (48%), and Corinth (52.5%) are the three municipalities with the lowest vaccinated zip codes, according to the state.   

The city announced Aug. 3 it has begun appointing members to the COVID-19 Memorial Committee. The group will be tasked with creating the language and placement of a memorial for those who have lost their lives to the pandemic. Among the members are: Charlie Samuels, Tara Gaston, Susanna Combs, and Dr. Robert Donnarumma, chair of Emergency Medicine at Saratoga Hospital. 

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Public input sessions will be held until mid-August across the state in the first-ever public redistricting process where average New Yorkers have the opportunity to weigh-in on their district lines. 

Redistricting is the process by which new congressional and state legislative district boundaries are drawn, and new boundary lines are drawn every 10 years that decide congressional, state Senate and state Assembly seats. This time around, those lines will be drawn by the Independent Redistricting Commission – which was created in 2014 by voters in New York State to determine redistricting after the completion of the 2020 Census.

Members of the commission held a meeting virtually on Aug. 2 that focused on the Capital Region and the Mid-Hudson Valley. 

“On Aug. 16, the Census Bureau will release New York’s redistricting census data, which will be used to draft our initial set of lines,” explained David Imamura, during the Aug. 2 meeting. Imamura, an attorney, is chair of the 10-member New York State Independent Redistricting Commission. This week’s meeting included members Elaine Frazier of Albany, Willis Stephens, Jr., John Conway III, and Ivelisse Cuevas-Molina.

The Commission is actively soliciting input from communities, and stresses that as it embarks on the process of drawing the future district lines of New York State, feedback and guidance from the residents of New York “is of the utmost importance and at the core of the Commission’s goal to fairly and equitably redraw Congressional and State Legislature lines.”

Upcoming virtual meetings welcoming live public input will be held 2 p.m. Monday, Aug. 9 (focusing on the Southern Tier of N.Y. and Central N.Y.), and 2 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 12 (Finger Lakes and Western NY). “We also will be having a catch-all session in mid-August, prior to drawing the lines,” Imamura said. That session date has not yet been announced. Materials such as letters and maps may also be submitted separately from the meetings, via the commission website. 

Timeline: Public feedback is currently welcome, in advance of the release of census data. After the Census Bureau releases its data on Aug. 16, the Independent Redistricting Commission, or IRC, will start drawing its “initial set of lines.” Those will be released by Sept. 15, and one month later the public will be asked for their input on the proposed lines, Imamura said. Potential modifications will subsequently be made and the completed proposal will be submitted to the legislature in January, 2022.  Election Primaries next take place in June 2022. 

To take part in the sessions, submit materials such as letters and maps, and for more information go to:  www.nyirc.gov. 

SARATOGA SPRINGS — The construction of a new, 6-story mixed-use commercial and retail building with underground parking at 269 Broadway, is under consideration by the city’s Land Use Boards this week.   

Plans call for retail on the first floor, office and restaurant on the second floor, and office space on floors three through six. 

Saratoga Springs Land Use Boards upcoming meetings: Zoning Board of Appeals – 6:30 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 9; Planning Board – 6 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 12; Design Review Commission Workshop – 4 p.m., Aug. 25. 

All meetings at Saratoga Springs City Hall.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Friends of Saratoga Spa State Park is among four recipients of grant funds awarded this week. 

The Saratoga-Capitol District Parks Region was awarded nearly $100,000 in new funding through Park and Trail Partnership Grants program. Funding will be disbursed to four of the regionals friends’ groups to build programming capacity, produce educational content, and develop key infrastructure projects. The full list of awards include: 

• Friends of Saratoga Spa State Park ($75,000) – To restore the Coesa spring house, provide interpretive signage about the Coesa Mineral Spring, and to install a historically accurate replica of the original granite fountain.

• Friends of Fort Crailo ($6,500) – To harness the capacity to draw broader awareness to the Friends of Fort Crailo and Crailo State Historic Site by strengthening the board makeup, developing a strong membership plan, and creating a website.

• Friends of Grafton Lakes State Park ($9,506) – To build capacity through membership, volunteer, and donor development, and to fund a series of activities including hiking, mountain biking, summer film series, fundraising events, promotional materials, and other initiatives.

• Friends of Bennington Battlefield ($6,750) – To add professionally produced audio files via QR code to recently installed interpretive panels providing diverse accounts of the Battle.

“These grants speak to the thriving partnership between State Parks and Historic Sites and our individual Friends groups.” said Regional Director Alane Ball-Chinian, in a statement. “As community focused non-profits, our Friends groups are able to execute on unique projects that meet the needs of our patrons, made possible with the Park and Trail Partnership grants. This funding will change the capacity and landscape of our sites for generations to come” 

The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation oversees more than 250 parks, historic sites, recreational trails, golf courses, boat launches and more, which are visited by 71 million people annually. A recent study found that New York State Parks generates $5 billion in park and visitor spending, which supports nearly 54,000 jobs and over $2.8 billion in additional state GDP. For more information on any of these recreation areas, call 518-474-0456 or visit www.parks.ny.gov. 

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Citing public safety concerns occurring during the early morning hours, the City Council on Aug. 3 adopted a resolution it hopes will ultimately result in the 2 a.m. “closing time” of bars. State law currently allows establishments to remain open until 4 a.m. 

“Through the analytics and arrests and what we’re hearing through the police department, the hours between 2 and 4 a.m. are unquestioningly posing a public safety threat to the community-at-large due to the volume and intensity of the people coming to enjoy our nightlife,” said Public Safety Commissioner Robin Dalton, regarding the measure that asks the Saratoga County Board of Supervisors to enact a resolution for submittal to the State Liquor Authority. 

The SLA has the power, upon receipt of a resolution by the county board of supervisors, to restrict current hours for sales of the on-premises of consumption alcoholic beverages, according to the resolution. 

“We cannot let this public safety threat go on. I am personally worried about the safety of my police officers every night when they go out, especially between those hours and the safety of the people coming to enjoy our nightlife,” Commissioner Dalton told the council, as city Mayor Meg Kelly held up what she said was a stack of 52 fake ID cards that were presented to one bar in one night. 

The council approved the resolution, which will now go to the county Board of Supervisors, which next meets on Aug. 17.  Regarding any changes that may be implemented in the future, Dalton said “I think it’s important for us to work with the businesses that might be affected to offset any financial loss, or the perception of financial loss they might have.”