On October 22, 2020, City Court Judge, Francine Vero, presided over the first session of the Homeless Court in Saratoga Springs. Since then, about 90% of individuals agreeing to participate in the Homeless Court have been connected to care management and community services and the court has seen a significant drop in repeat offenses.

The Homeless Court was designed in collaboration with the Mayor’s Office, Judge Vero, and RISE Housing and Support Services (formerly Transitional Services Association). However, it was Judge Vero who first identified the problem and thought through the solution, “Individuals experiencing homelessness were accumulating multiple dockets and often failing to appear in court.  This population is particularly challenged in getting to court due to a lack of structure and resources. I decided the court needed to implement a new approach to address these issues and connect individuals experiencing homelessness to the services they need. I met with stakeholders, we discussed the issues, and the homeless court was created.”

On the two court dates set aside each month, Homeless Court Coordinators, Samantha Macio and Victoria Furfaro, head out in a van donated by the Mackey Auto Group to offer transportation to people who are scheduled for court. Because a person who is homeless does not have a permanent address or often does not have a phone, the court cannot send appearance notices nor can the court call to remind them of the date. Sam and Victoria make it their mission to locate individuals and help them to make their appearance in court.

Samantha and Victoria are experienced Care Managers at RISE Housing and Support Services. They work with participants outside of the courtroom several days a week through community outreach. It is an opportunity to develop a trusting relationship with people experiencing homelessness who might not have faith in the system. They provide a single and familiar point of contact for those appearing before the Homeless Court. On any given day, a person who is homeless may be hungry, need clothing, or need shelter. By doing outreach to the encampments, they learn what people are struggling with. They are then better able to assist the Saratoga County Assistant District Attorneys, Lyn A. Murphy and Samuel V. Maxwell, and Saratoga County Assistant Public Defender, Joseph W. Hammer in deciding a dignified approach to working with a homeless person.

To date, the Homeless Court Coordination program together with community partners have connected nearly 30 individuals to stable housing, substance use treatment, and mental health services. Community partnerships have been pivotal to the Homeless Court’s success, so when circumstances allow, individuals can take part in court-mandated services and programs instead of going to jail or being fined.

Healing Springs Recovery Centers offer peer-to-peer recovery coaching for individuals wanting to work on the development and implementation of a recovery wellness plan and welcomes all recovering people and families seeking recovery from the effects of addictions. The Salvation Army assists with care management as well as hot meals and groceries. CAPTAIN Community Human Services connects staff directly to youth ages 13-21 years. RISE Housing and Support Services helps people living with mental health, substance use, and other life challenges to remain safe and healthy in the community. AHI Health Home Care Management ensures all caregivers involved with a person so they can focus on their client’s needs. Shelters of Saratoga has programs including emergency shelter, case management, and drop-in centers.

In February, the American Bar Association’s Commission on Homelessness and Poverty met with Judge Vero and the Homeless Court Coordinators with praise for the establishment of a Homeless Court in Saratoga Springs. The Commission is committed to educating members of the Bar Association as well as the public about homelessness and poverty and how the legal community and advocates can assist those in need.

This dignified and research-based approach to working with people experiencing homelessness improves the quality of life within our community, and results in administrative cost benefits by decongesting court dockets and reducing the amount of time the police department spends responding to calls and arrests.

For more information about the Homeless Court and RISE Housing and Support Services, please visit RiseServices.org.

WILTON — The Wilton Volunteer Fire Department will be opening its station to potential area recruits and their families as part of RecruitNY. 

The open house will take place on April 24, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Wilton Volunteer Fire Department (WVFD) located at 270 Ballard Road. WVFD will be taking part in the RecruitNY initiative, as volunteer fire departments across New York at their respective firehouses hold a unified recruitment drive. A virtual option with the WVFD, for those unable to make it or with public health concerns, will be held on April 25 from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. It is available by appointment only, and appointments should be made by April 22. You can email abobbitt@wiltonfiredept.org to schedule.

Partner agencies also attending the recruitment open house include Wilton EMS, Saratoga County Sheriff, NY State Police, FBI, and LifeNet. LifeNet’s helicopter is scheduled to land at approximately 10 a.m. The public can view the landing from their cars in the Ballard Elementary parking lot. 

RecruitNY in Wilton will highlight the rewards and responsibilities that come with being a firefighter, paramedic, or law enforcement officer. Also, raising public awareness about the need for recruits as volunteer fire departments across the state have struggled these past several years with decreased membership and increased call volumes.

The WVFD is hoping to bolster its ranks so it can continue to provide the optimum and necessary level of protection for its 15,000 residents. Last year the department responded to over 330 calls for events such as the following: fires, motor vehicle accidents, fire alarms, carbon monoxide alarms, natural gas/propane leaks, downed power lines, and EMS assists. The not-for-profit designated 501(c)(3) department is made up of entirely volunteers, including its officers and Chief. 

“This open house is a great opportunity for those interested in actively serving their community in an impactful way to meet their local volunteer firefighters and learn more about their local fire service and what is entailed in becoming a member,” said WVFD Chief Murray. “Our firefighters come from diverse backgrounds and ages with one shared common concern of helping people in their times of need, 24 hours a day – 7 days a week – 365 days a year. It is our hope after hearing how we teach, train, and serve together, more community members will become a part of our organization.”

For area residents looking for more information, visit fireinyou.org or the Wilton Fire Department at www.wiltonfiredept.org. 

SARATOGA SPRINGS — The final Draft of the UDO is expected to be released on April 19. Several summary presentations will kick-off the last phase of this project, and the public is invited to participate via the schedule below.

Major project steps during the coming months leading up to the Council vote include advisory opinions from the land use boards and other involved agencies, another opportunity for public comment, SEQR determination and public hearings. 

The Unified Development Ordinance is a tool which combines traditional zoning and subdivision regulations, along with other development standards for items such as design guidelines, stormwater management, signs and street standards into one, easy-to-read reference document. 

On the following dates listed below, an overview of the final Draft of the UDO will be presented by Camiros, the City’s consultant. All sessions will be held via Zoom. The public is invited to attend any of the presentations and may ask questions where noted. To register, follow the links for UDO at: saratoga-springs.org. 

April 20 at 7 p.m. – City Council Presentation.; April 21 at 2 p.m. – Public Presentation and Q&A; April 22, at 9:30 a.m. – Public Presentation and Q&A; April 22 at 6 p.m. – City Land Use Boards Presentation. 

STILLWATER — Saratoga National Historical Park is planning a series of prescribed fires in the coming weeks.  The areas to be burned this year include approximately 40 acres of grasses, shrubs, and woodlands on the hillsides around Stop 3 and Stop 9 on the Park Tour Road. 

Depending on favorable weather and site conditions, the first burns could take place during the second or third week in April. Because certain prescription parameters must be met (including wind speed, relative humidity, fuel moisture, and drought index), it is not possible to precisely schedule prescribed fires in advance. Roads, visitor use facilities, and hiking trails may be temporarily closed while burns are underway.

Prescribed fire is an approved tool for natural resource management throughout the National Park System and is part of Saratoga National Historical Park’s fire management program. The primary objectives of the prescribed fire program are: restoration and perpetuation of scenic and cultural landscapes, including native plant species; reduction of wildland fuel loading; and enhancement of wildlife habitat.

Assistance may be provided by firefighters from other National Park Service units, the US Fish and Wildlife Service, the New York State Forest Rangers and The Albany Pine Bush Preserve.

For more information about Saratoga National Historical Park, please call the Visitor Center at 518-670-2985, visit www.nps.gov/sara, or find the park on Facebook or Twitter @SaratogaNHP. 

SARATOGA SPRINGS — The local non-profit Sustainable Saratoga invites you to team up with them on Saturday, April 24, and Sunday, April 25, to clean up neighborhoods, streets and trails for Earth Day. 

“We’re seeing extra plastic pollution and pandemic-related litter this year – things like masks and gloves – littering our streets and sidewalks,” said Whitney Davis, a Sustainable Saratoga board member and co-chair of their Zero Waste Committee, in a statement. “We were looking for a COVID-safe activity to both reduce the impact of the litter on the environment and raise awareness about the chronic problem of litter pollution in our local communities. This event lets us do that.” 

While COVID has limited the opportunity for large groups to gather, Sustainable Saratoga has designed this event so that anyone can participate by volunteering an hour or two to clean up an area of their choosing. 

So, grab some trash bags, gloves and friends to clean our roadsides and neighborhoods on Earth Day weekend! 

Sustainable Saratoga requests that you register (forms.gle/AoyQsUK9v3wA8wWY6) for the event so they can keep track of the impact that participants collectively make that weekend. They will also have free ice cream certificates, donated by Stewart’s, for the first 100 confirmed participants. 

To learn more visit: www.sustainablesaratoga.org.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — A large, two-story building owned by Saratoga County on Woodlawn Avenue is currently up for auction. 

The building, which stands at 31 Woodlawn Ave., was completed in 1927 and used as a clothing factory until 1936 when the County first rented it from the City of Saratoga Springs. The county purchased the building in 1940 and has served a variety of purposes. Currently, one floor of the building is leased to Shelters of Saratoga for use as an overflow homeless shelter. That lease expired March 31.

The building has approximately 10,300 square feet of useable space, two parking lots, a finished basement, and frontage on Woodlawn Ave. and Railroad Pl. 

In 2020, the land was assessed at $459,200, the total assessment at just over $1.7 million, and the full market value at $2.754 million. 

The Saratoga County Board of Supervisors approved a resolution to hire a company to put up for auction the building in late February. Bidding, which began April 6, concludes on April 28, according to Auctions International. 

For more information about the auction, go to: auctionsinternational.com and search Saratoga.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Current city Public Safety Commissioner Robin Dalton this week officially announced her candidacy for Mayor of Saratoga Springs. Dalton, who left the Republican Party line earlier this year to become independent of any party – will run on the newly created Saratoga Stronger Together ballot line. 

“Right now, we need someone leading the city in the mayor’s position who truly understands the extremely precarious position we’re in,” Dalton explained. “The only person who can understand that is someone who has been on the City Council the past two years and who has gone through this crisis, from the inside.”

City voters in November will elect a new mayor and four commissioners – which comprise the five-member City Council – as well as two Supervisors to represent the city at the county level. Of those seven positions, at least four will see new faces; three incumbents are not seeking re-election, and Dalton is vying for a different seat.       

In New York state this year, several party ballot lines have been eliminated. The remaining parties are Democrat, Republican, Conservative and Working Families – the latter of which is currently being litigated among potential candidates. 

Candidates may also create their own ballot lines, but those must secure a specific number of signatures for that line to be valid in November. In Saratoga Springs, the number of required signatures is 305, and the dates to secure signatures is April 13 to May 25.   

This week, Dalton unveiled the ballot line Saratoga Stronger Together, which lists as candidates: Robin Dalton – Mayor; Adam Israel – Commissioner of Finance; Colin Klepetar – Commissioner of Accounts, and Tara Gaston – County Supervisor, the latter a position that Gaston currently holds. More candidates may be added in the future. Any additional candidates would require additional signatures to the 305 that the four currently listed as candidates must secure as a group. 

“The way we will treat each other, and how we treat politics in Saratoga Springs will be with civility and with respect,” Dalton said, of candidates on the Saratoga Stronger Together ballot line. “We can agree to disagree. We can build consensus together and still hear every voice. We’re not really concerned with people’s former political party. We’re united in – not policy necessarily – but how we treat legislating at the City Council table.” 

Like Dalton, finance commissioner candidate Adam Israel is a former registered Republican. “I was always a registered Republican, but I did not agree with the previous administration nationally, so I switched my party to NOP (No Party Preference).” 

“As we started developing things for the election cycle in November, it became clear to me that the representative parties locally represent what the parties represent nationally, which is, fairly extreme positions,” Dalton said. “What I hear over and over from Saratogians is they’re not looking for (extremes), they’re looking for a middle ground, and someplace that focuses on the city of Saratoga and not on the politics dividing us as a country.” 

As of this week, city Democrat, Republican, and Working Families candidates on file with the Board of Elections include:  Mayor: Ronald Kim (D), Heidi Owen (R, C); Accounts: Dillon Moran (D), Samantha Guerra (R,C); DPW: Domenique Yermolayev (D), Anthony “Skip” Scirocco INCUMBENT (R, C); Finance: Minita Sanghvi (D), Joanne Kiernan (R,C), Sierra Hunt (WF); Public Safety:  James Montagnino (D), Tracey Labelle (R,C). For Supervisor (two seats): Tara Gaston INCUMBENT (D, WF), Shaun Wiggins (D), Matthew Veitch INCUMBENT (R,C), John Safford (R,C), Bruce Altimar (WF), Gabriel O’Brien (WF). 

Petitions regarding some Working Families Party line candidates are reportedly being challenged at Saratoga County Supreme Court. 

“There’s been a faction of Republicans who have disaffiliated from the Republican Party and re-registered as the Working Families Party, so when people go to vote in November there’s a fairly high likelihood that they’re not actually voting for the people who stand for the Working Families ideology – they’re voting for people who represent something different,” Dalton said. 

The majority of the city WF line is comprised of new members who came from various previous affiliations and recently registered with the party. Of those, previously registered Republicans outnumber previously registered Democrats by a near 2-to-1 margin. 

“We’re going toward an election season in November where we really only have two options. For Saratoga Springs, I feel that it’s incredibly necessary for us as a community to have a third option, one that prioritizes city over party,” Dalton said. “Once I began articulating that, I had a lot of other voices join in and want to participate in this effort to create an actual independent party line, where people can run free of the constraints of our traditional two-party system.”

Israel, the line’s Finance Commissioner candidate, earned a degree in finance at RPI, and said politics was always in the back of his mind. 

“It was really becoming bothersome to me that the moderates in the middle are losing their say at the table. I got to talking with Robin and my view is that there should be a line where people are beholden to the people they serve and not to the party line. That’s really what brought us together. The idea that we may not always agree, but that’s OK, because we are going to do what’s best for the people of Saratoga,” Israel said. 

Dalton and Israel say one way they connected was in sharing their experiences of answering a call to duty under unpredictable and challenging circumstances. Israel found himself working on humanitarian efforts in 2017 in the Virgin Islands after being hit with back-to-back Category 5 hurricanes. Dalton’s experience came when the city went on PAUSE due to COVID-19. “I was thinking: how are we going to survive this from a public health perspective, how are we going to survive this as a city, and knowing that I was in charge of that response. It was terrifying, but it was: am I going to rise to the occasion and give it everything I’ve got? Of course.” 

“Robin and I quickly learned that we jelled. We didn’t know we would, but we can share these experiences – standing at the cliff’s edge, looking at this impending doom and the fear that grips you. And you can either bow to the fear, or, do the work. It really turned out we had a lot in common,” Israel said.      

A grassroots effort to secure signatures began this week and will continue into May. The group says it will look to secure those signatures in open air locations, utilizing drive-by methods, and in other protocol-safe ways. Any registered voter in Saratoga Springs can sign the petition regardless of their political affiliation, as long as they have not signed the petition of one of the endorsed candidates of any of the other parties. For more information about signing petitions or the ballot line, go to: www.saratogastrong.com

Click Here for Glowegee Creek Trails Open in Galway

Click Here for Glowegee Creek Trails Open in Galway

BALLSTON SPA — Village of Ballston Spa is conducting a Pedestrian and Bicycle Master Plan and Linkage Study. 

The Village, with consultants VHB and Planning 4 Places, and the Capital District Transportation Committee are developing a master plan for a multi-use pedestrian and bicycle access and a link from the Zim Smith Trail to downtown Ballston Spa. The Ballston Spa Pedestrian and Bicycle Master Plan (The Plan) will help the Village continue to pursue its goals of promoting economic development, improving safety, and creating a connected and integrated transportation network for users of all ages and abilities. The Plan will provide clear direction on priority locations and desired design treatments for repair and construction of sidewalks, bike paths, street restriping, signage, repaving or reconstruction projects, based on a representative public input process.

A project website has been developed to keep the community fully informed of the progress of the study and to solicit input. Visit the project website at: projects.vhb.com/BallstonSpaPBMP/default.htm.