“Coming together is a beginning, staying together is progress, and working together is success.” ~Henry Ford~

Walking downtown seems so different now.

Retail shops and favorite restaurants are shuttered, with signs about the Governor’s mandate posted on doors and windows every which way you turn. 

No one expected this pandemic. And no one could have predicted the havoc it would play on lives, businesses, everyday joys in life – now on pause for the foreseeable future. No one ever would have guessed we’d have to wear masks out in public, staying six feet away from others. 

At first, we thought it would be a week or two of inconveniences – we were sure things would return to normal quickly, and we could get on with our lives. 

Of course, that, and more, proved untrue. 

People lost jobs; businesses closed, folks of all ages passed away from Covid-19 alone in hospitals, away from family and friends. Only essential jobs with essential workers remained. Travel ceased, seemingly overnight. State borders closed – or discouraged visitors for the time being.

All of us wondered how long this could go on – when would we re-open – what would we do in the meantime? 

If we weren’t in The Twilight Zone, it sure felt like it.

It still does.

Saratoga has always been a strong community. One of the things I love most about living here is that we’re a city full of people who rally together to help in times of need. 

So, the moment restaurants began to think outside the box, determined to do everything they could to stay afloat-we were open to the idea-excited to help out. 

Though some might have wondered if buying one or two meals curbside could even make a difference, there were more of us that said, “Our favorite place has a to-go menu, let’s order dinner.”

And the act of patronizing local places ignited hope for recovery – in me, at least. 

Below are a few of my favorite places to eat in Saratoga. I’ve always loved the restaurant staff, the building’s atmosphere, the freshest food, and imaginative recipes out there. 

Besides that, I’m a hugger – a big fan of greeting with a warm smile and handshake, leaving with a doggy bag and tight embrace. I’ve made friends in these places. I care about their livelihood. 

And they care about me.

Hugs will have to wait, for sure. But I can still smile behind my mask, ask how everyone’s holding up during this pandemic, offer a warm greeting, and say thanks as I leave. 

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Olde Bryan Inn

An old stone house with Revolutionary-era ties, this restaurant serves sandwiches, steaks, and hearty American fare. They have the best French onion soup.
www.oldebryaninn.com/take-out-menu

Eddie F’s

I was never so excited to discover this place. I’m from Boston, and seafood is a must there. I love their whole-belly clams, scallops, and super-thin battered onion rings.
www.facebook.com/eddiefseatery

Ravenous 

Here, it’s all about crepes – savory and sweet. Don’t even get me started on their French fries and poutine! I miss going in to sit by the window. I’m grateful they offer their full menu, even though it’s a curbside pick-up.
www.ravenouscrepes.com

Mrs. London’s

A boutique bakery that’s still open. (Thank God!) The seats are put away for now, but they sell pastries, sandwiches, loaves of bread, soups, and more. The last time I was there, you could buy discounted wine and spirits with a purchase. They also ship. Pretty cool.
www.mrslondonsbakery.com

Hamlet and Ghost

Bottled cocktails to go? Packed with delicious food from the kitchen? Ummm, yes, please. Their take-out menu is pretty extensive, and their signature touches of imagination and originality are written all over it.
www.hamletandghost.com

Taquero

Whoever said serving tacos, rice bowls, salads, and doughnuts was a good idea? Yes, I said doughnuts. Personally, I think they should be one of the four food groups. At Taquero, it’s all about ‘fresh and delicious.’ You need to try this place out if you haven’t already.
www.eattaquero.com

Duo

This is a pretty neat restaurant, serving Japanese cuisine and Hibachi. When they re-open, I suggest you make it a date-night. Dine on the freshest sushi, sashimi, steak, chicken, and seafood dishes. For now, no cash or in-person orders. Curbside only. 
duo-japanese.com

Flatbread Social

I miss the atmosphere here. I miss playing shuffleboard with friends while our pizza is baking. Their take-out menu is pretty extensive, and they even have a drink menu – craft cocktails, bottles of wine, and growlers to-go. Love that!
flatbread.social

BWP

While Wheatfields and 2 West are both closed, the WOW Restaurant Group offers up BWP for all my barfood faves… Wings, Pizza, Apps… yup!
beerwinepizza.com

These are only a handful of fantastic restaurants that have risen to the occasion in this unprecedented time – I’m sure you could add many to my list. I could, too.  Here’s the thing – they all need our help. Not just in a monetary way, either. Seeing our faces, knowing that we haven’t forgotten they’re an integral part of our community means a lot. 

I’m sure of it.

ALBANY — On Sunday, approximately 50,000 tests were conducted statewide regarding COVID-19 infections, with less than 1,000 people testing positive for the virus, and 54 reported deaths. 

“That is the lowest number we’ve had since this began,” state Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Monday. “The progress is just phenomenal.”

Saratoga, Albany, Glens Falls and the surrounding communities are currently in “Phase One” of the reopening process, and an evaluation of infection rates is underway with the possibility of the region on Wednesday going to “Phase Two.” 

“The Capital District region is moving to go into Phase 2 on Wednesday. All the numbers look good there. We’re going to run them by our local team to make sure they are as good as we think they are, but at this point the Capital Region is on track to go into Phase 2 on Wednesday,” Cuomo said.

Phase 2 reopening includes hair salons and barber shops, in-store retail, real estate, offices and others. Distancing, mask guidelines and crowd limits remain in place. For details go HERE.

“What we have done with this COVID virus is really an amazing accomplishment, and it was all done by the people of this state. They did it, 19 million people did what they never did before. They responded with a level of determination and discipline that I was amazed with frankly,” Cuomo said Monday. “Remember where we were: we had 800 people die in one day. We had the worst situation in the United States of America. At one point we had the worst situation on the globe. And now we’re reopening in less than 50 days. We went from an internationally terrible situation to where we’re talking about reopening today.”

The Saratoga County Department of Public Health Services today confirmed the death of one more county resident from COVID-19 — a 69-year-old male from Halfmoon. Updated statistics:

Click Here for Local Ice Cream Shops Close Windows, Open Drive Thru’s

SARATOGA SPRINGS — A local neighborhood on the west side of Saratoga has brought up concerns regarding an access road for which Canadian Pacific Railway uses an easement.

Property owner Joseph Ogden noticed the access road when he first moved to the residential area with his family almost eight-years-ago. After looking into the history of the access road, he began to question if Canadian Pacific actually requires use of the path, or is even legally entitled to it.

“When there was only a couple houses in this neighborhood, use of the access road made sense…maybe it was more out of the way, but the neighborhood now is residential and it’s problematic,” Ogden said.

Adjacent to Grand Ave, Ogden said the easement was originally given to the property owners when the overpass was built so residents could have access to Grand Ave and not become landlocked. From what Ogden has noticed, the only use of the path is from unauthorized vehicles using the road to privately dump garbage on an adjacent parcel of undeveloped land. 

“People come in and they bring truck loads because they think that this is something they can get away with. They don’t understand that this is really private property. The railroad and the property owners themselves are the ones that hold the easement,” Ogden said. 

The undeveloped parcel of land now holds loads of broken cement, rocks and even a CRT (cathode ray tube) television. As the neighborhood grew with more families and houses, he grew concerned over the path’s overall safety, adding to the environmental concern. 

“They have not articulated to us that there is something unique about this particular path that gives them some kind of different functionality,” Ogden said.

He started contacting the railroad company about a year ago, voicing his concerns over the safety and asking if the rail company actually needed access to the path.

He asked: “you have several other access points on the west side as a railroad company and just here in the city, do you really need this? We also noticed we don’t use it a whole lot. It’s not even plowed in the winter…it’s covered in snow for those months and if you’re only using it seldom throughout the year, do you really need it?”

He said at first, Canadian Pacific said they would look into the access road and it’s use, but after nine months of follow-up by Ogden, finally answered they were not willing to submit the use easement. 

“They’ve admitted to me that they don’t use it, that they don’t need it,” Ogden said. “My goal, as a citizen and property owner and our goal as a neighborhood here, is to have Canadian Pacific acknowledge that they do not use this access road anymore. They don’t need the access road anymore. It’s private property and the full ownership and full use of it really needs to be returned to the property owners, given that it doesn’t appear to have any extra functionality for the railroad. I know they don’t use it a whole lot and it’s engendering this unauthorized dumping. The safety of our entire neighborhood is in question, including the well-being of our young children. We cannot tolerate this any longer.”

WILTON — Earlier this month U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik visited with President Donald Trump at Camp David, where she said the president talked extensively about the research and development that’s going into a COVID-19 vaccination, as well as the “reopening” of the country. 

“The president is very supportive of the safe reopening of the economy, which he’s delegated it to the states, and that was the right decision,” said the Congresswoman during a visit to a Belmonte Builders construction site in Wilton on May 26. “I want to see it at the state level – the delegation to the County Public Health Offices. I think that’s the right call moving forward because they’re the most connected.” 

Stefanik represents the 21st Congressional District, which includes parts of Saratoga. 

As the community prepares for its potential Phase 2 reopening next week, Stefanik said she believes preparations are also underway should a rise in COVID-19 infections hit the region. 

“In my communications with the county public health offices and the hospitals, we are watching the data very, very closely. Our (increased) testing capacity gives us a better understanding of the real data in upstate, because initially we were undertested in this region,” she said. “But certainly, there are plans and discussions going on if there is a second surge in the virus transmission. It’s part of the conversation about reopening schools – we have to reopen schools safely and there are ways to do that – but many of our students who are underserved either in the disabilities community, or who are unable to access online education, they have atrophied so much during this crisis. I feel very confident that those conversations are being professionally handled by the county public health offices.” 

Stefanik’s visit coincided with a joint announcement that she and U.S. Rep. Paul Tonko made. Tonko represents the 20th Congressional District, which like the 21st District also includes parts of Saratoga.  The announcement heralded a $61,515 award from the Federal Communications Commission to improve telehealth for Saratoga Hospital Consortium in Saratoga Springs. The funding is intended for remote diagnosis and monitoring equipment and other telehealth equipment to treat patients with COVID-19 infection and to expand telehealth to other patients with symptoms of COVID-19 infection.

“Out of necessary efforts to prevent further spread of COVID-19, telemedicine has quickly become the primary method of connection between a patient and their doctor,” Saratoga Hospital CEO and President Angelo Calbone said in a statement. “Unfortunately, anyone who doesn’t have access to internet services and equipment can’t participate. Sometimes, a video visit can’t provide enough clinical information about a patient’s current status for those with chronic or serious conditions, such as diabetes or heart disease. This grant enables us to pilot a Facilitated Telemedicine program that will provide essential medical care to these underserved populations without having to leave their homes.”

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Finance Commissioner Michele Madigan last week revised the city’s projected revenue deficit due to the COVID-19 shutdown as between $15 and $17 million for the calendar year, roughly one-third its $48.7 million operating budget for 2020.   

At a special meeting of the City Council May 15, the council voted 4-1 for a measure to furlough employees that is expected to save the city about $277,000. 

“The Council and Unions chose to make the furlough program voluntary, which was counter to the plan presented by Madigan and made an almost negligible contribution to addressing the city’s serious financial challenges,” read a statement issued by Madigan, explaining her dissenting vote on the measure. 

At the regularly scheduled council meeting May 19, the council unanimously approved obtaining a Tax Anticipation Note, or TAN, for $6.3 million. 

Madigan said she anticipated the month of June as when the city would deplete its cash; obtaining a TAN will push that date to December, although “it also presents new challenges and costs our taxpayers, as the principal must be prepaid within 12 months and the interest rate will likely be high given current economic conditions.”  Madigan said she plans to access $6.5 million in fund balance to help the city meet its financial obligations through November. 

MALTA / Schuylerville — Village of Schuylerville Mayor Dan Carpenter and Malta Councilman Timothy Dunn have initiated a friendly wager to see which community can raise more money for its food pantry by July 4. 

“We wagered some beers from our local breweries; Bound by Fate Brewing Company from Schuylerville and Unified Beerworks from Malta,” Carpenter says. “This is all in good fun but seriously, this all is to raise money for a good cause.

“To add a little more fun and to put some more skin into the game, if we beat Malta, I will let my children shave my head bald and my wife will get to shave the beard she loves soooo much,” Carpenter added. 

“We’re ready to show how Malta works. And sorry, mayor, when we win, my hair and beard are staying right where they are!” responded Dunn. 

To donate to the Schuylerville SAFER food pantry, go to: secure.givelively.org/donate/saratoga-county-foundation-inc/stronger-together-schuylerville.

To donate to the Malta Food Pantry, go to: secure.givelively.org/donate/saratoga-county-foundation-inc/malta-helps?fbclid=IwAR2RfVCNbo-tuUCLgg71tJO21Uk-Cf8APJvw_1xc9cGORqSWwJbsZl4JbLY. 

WILTON — Due to social distancing requirements, instead of a one-day Wildlife Festival on Sunday, May 31, Wilton Wildlife Preserve & Park will be hosting a Wildlife Week. 

The Festival Week will kick-off with a Facebook LIVE Turtle Discovery Program at 10 a.m. on May 31.  Each day through June 6, the Wilton Preserve will premiere a short video or host a live event that is based on the in-person events that would have taken place at the annual festival at Camp Saratoga. These will premiere daily at 10 a.m. on the Wilton Preserve’s Facebook page and the videos will be posted to its YouTube channel. 

The schedule of virtual, online activities for the week is:
• Sunday, May 31: Facebook LIVE Turtle Discovery 
• Monday, June 1: Karner Blue Butterfly Walk via Video 
• Tuesday, June 2: Video Nature Craft at Home   
• Wednesday, June 3: “Who Will Roar if I Go?” Online Storybook Reading
• Thursday, June 4: A Video Exploration and History of the Historic Cornell Hill Fire Tower
• Friday, June 5: Aquatic Freshwater Wildlife Exploration Video from Delegan Pond
• Saturday, June 6: National Trails Day Trail Highlight Video – Get outside and visit a trail

Even though there cannot be a large gathering, everyone is encouraged to get outdoors in the coming weeks and explore the trails at Wilton Wildlife Preserve & Park while maintaining safe social distancing. This is the time of year when the meadows are filled with the stunning purple blossoms of the wild blue lupine. The first brood of the Karner blue butterflies has been observed, making these next two weeks an ideal time to visit the Preserve & Park and see it in its full beauty. 

The last day of the Festival Week is June 6, National Trails Day, a perfect time to get out and explore the wonderful trail system at the Wilton Preserve. The more than 25 miles of trails are found on NYS DEC, Saratoga County, and Town of Wilton lands, and Wilton Wildlife Preserve & Park works closely with its partners to help keep these trails in shape for outdoor recreational activities.

The best trails for viewing the lupine and butterflies are Camp Saratoga North on Scout Road, the Old Gick Farm and Fox trailheads on Route 50 north of King Road, the Opdahl Farm off of Ballard Road by the Trinity Church, and Edie Road trailhead south of Scout Road on Edie Road.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — After receiving a donor match that saved his life three years ago, Jim Calhoun is excited to announce that his donor, Christian Montano, signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers as a rookie free agent. 

“We were waiting for the draft that weekend because we knew that this would be his year…he just graduated. We watched the draft all weekend,” Calhoun said. “As soon as the draft ended they called him immediately and said he was probably being looked at by 13 teams. We were ecstatic when we found out.”

Montano is a recent graduate from Brown University where he joined the football team as an offensive lineman. Calhoun admitted that although he’s a diehard NY Giants fan, he would cross over to the Steelers to support Montano. 

“I’m always going to be a die hard Giants fan, but since saving my life I’ve drilled more into football than I ever had,” Calhoun said. “I follow the Steelers app and try to read the stats on everything. I was never one into stats on anybody, but it’s amazing the position that [Montano] plays and how he always has to be an alert person…I appreciate what he does as far as on the field. It’s just an amazing thing.”

Ironically, the Steelers season opening game is against the Giants in New Jersey this year. Currently, Calhoun is waiting in anticipation to order Montano’s jersey as soon as the player’s numbers are established. 

“I would love to go to that game and I’m hoping I could somehow get my chance to go watch,” Calhoun said. 

Calhoun’s battle began in 2017 when a blood test revealed he had acute lymphoblastic leukemia. In addition to chemotherapy, Calhoun needed a bone marrow transplant. 

During his first year at Brown, Montano had signed up for a cheek swab for “Be The Match” with the football team. The swab revealed he matched all 12 genes for transplanting capability with Calhoun. 

The two keep in close contact to this day, speaking and texting a few times per week. Calhoun said Montano has a busy schedule now filled with meetings, as Montano isn’t at the Pittsburgh training facility due to COVID-19 restrictions. 

“We text quite often and his family has welcomed us in like we all have been family forever. I’m waiting for this quarantine to be over so we actually hang out with them again,” Calhoun said. 

Calhoun had previously worked for 15-years as a Human Resources Assistant at St. Peter’s Health Partners. This past March, he was excited to get back to work when two-hours into the job, he was sent home.  The next day there were two reported cases of COVID. 

“I was just getting ready to get out and go to work and then this [virus] happened. It kind of put me back to square one where I’m not working…but there are a lot of people out there now that are not working,” Calhoun said. “I try not to worry about work right now, there is nothing I can do about it, but I just try to make the best out of every day.”

Calhoun is excited for the football season and knows Montano will do well.

“I’m excited and I can’t wait for the season to start,” Calhoun said.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — A continued adherence to social distancing and face-covering guidelines have reduced the COVID-19 infection and hospitalization rate significantly across the Capital Region during the past few weeks, and as such, businesses in the Spa City and the surrounding communities are preparing to potentially enter the Phase 2 reopening of their establishments next week. 

“It’s working,” Gov. Andrew Cuomo said this week, referring to New Yorkers across the state reducing the curve of the virus infection. 

Cuomo’s NY Pause order went into effect March 22, and the city of Saratoga Springs and the greater Capital District Region were cleared by the state to begin the phase 1 re-opening of the local economy beginning Wednesday, May 20. 

There are four reopening phases in all, and an up-to 14-day incubation period between phases to ensure that infection rates and hospitalizations are maintained at a manageable level. 

And while the state has yet to release Phase 2 reopening guideline, or give the OK to cycle into the next phase, there is a general belief that that the region will meet the metrics required and be able to reopen for Phase 2 at the expiration of the 14-day incubation period on Wednesday, June 3.

Phase Two reopening allows for the following: Professional Services (including hair salons and stylists among them); Retail; Administrative Support; Real Estate / Rental & Leasing. Social distancing, face coverings and limited occupancy requirements will remain in place. 

WHAT IS REQUIRED OF BUSINESSES

Every business is required to develop a written safety plan outlining how its workplace will prevent the spread of COVID-19. Businesses may develop their own safety plan or use the template below provided by the state. To download that state created Safety Plan Template, go to: governor.ny.gov/sites/governor.ny.gov/files/atoms/files/NYS_BusinessReopeningSafetyPlanTemplate.pdf. 

A copy of the plan must be retained on business premises at all times and be made available to the NYS Department of Health (DOH) or local health or safety authorities in the event of an inspection.

CONTACT TRACING

One key factor in reducing the spread of the virus is, when discovering someone has been infected with the virus, tracing that person’s previously known whereabouts and with whom they had come into contact.  According to the CDC, the goal is to trace and monitor contacts of infected people, notify them of their exposure and support the quarantine of contacts to prevent additional transmission.

“We’ve done that from day one in Saratoga County and that’s how we flatten the curve, how we were able to reopen, and how we’ll be able to stay open,” Cathy Medick, Department of Health Director of Patient Services said during a forum the county hosted May 27. 

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Additional questions were raised during the forum regarding the topic. 

Q: How do big box stores like Walmart, Target, etc. Do tracing? Is that any different than small businesses? 

A. Cathy Medick, Department of Health Director of Patient Services: “No. As far as their employees go, they have to keep track of all the employees that are on for a shift and it’s their responsibility to have it as part of their safety plan. We have worked with bigger businesses and places that have had positive cases. Many of them had used their security cameras or their Frequent Shopper cards to identify people who may have come into contact. We do realize it would be impossible to write down every single customer that comes into the store, so, that’s the main difference there.” 

Q. How is our privacy protected, and what type of information is to be given to a contact tracer? 

A. Medick: “Under Public Health Law, HIPPA is skewed a bit. As a Public Health entity, we have the right to collect information to protect the health of the greater public.”

Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce President Todd Shimkus, a panelist at the forum, was also asked about the topic. 

Q. What happens to a business owner if contact tracers track a cluster back to their business – and, what is the extent of that liability? 

A. Todd Shimkus:  “One of things businesses need to do as part of their safety plan is to figure out how they are going to manage contact tracing should somebody from the county show up at their business a day later, or at any point in time and say: ‘OK, you had a customer who was here three days ago, we need to make sure we notify you, your employees and anyone else who might have been here.’ So, every business as part of your plan, you have to have some way of recording who was in your store, your business or workplace every day, so in case there is contact tracing going forward you can contact those people who were there. It’s part of your responsibility as part of your safety plan. 

“The second is liability. This is a much bigger challenge. The liability provisions in terms of insurance and the law do not cover COVID-19. 

“That means you at the very least, have to comply with the existing law which goes back to having a safety plan. Making sure that safety plan uses all the right protocols: that your employees are following it, that your customers are following it, so that you don’t have any issues that cause you liability concerns.” 

The NYS Forward Safety Plan Template regarding the issue, directs that customers may be “encouraged” to provide their information, but are “not mandated to do so.”   

That specific segment reads: “Maintain a continuous log of every person, including workers and visitors, who may have close contact with other individuals at the work site or area; excluding deliveries that are performed with appropriate PPE or through contactless means; excluding customers, who may be encouraged to provide contact information to be logged but are not mandated to do so.”

Additionally, “Which employee(s) will be in charge of maintaining a log of each person that enters the site (excluding customers and deliveries that are performed with appropriate PPE or through contactless means), and where will the log be kept?”

Again, while a Safety Plan is required, the state informs that a business may use the NYS Forward Safety Plan Template to fulfill the requirement, or may develop its own Safety Plan. 

An official announcement regarding the OK for the second phase of reopening is anticipated soon, as Friday marks 14 days since a handful of regions in the state began phase one. And in what may ease any confusion, the state is also expected to release detailed updates regarding Phase Two plans. For the most current update, go to: forward.ny.gov.