ALBANY — Gov. Cuomo on Wednesday afternoon discussed the summer meet at Saratoga Race Course, which is slated to open July 16. 

 “You can’t open an attraction that could bring people from across the state to that attraction and overwhelm a region,” Cuomo said.  “Saratoga Race Track – I don’t think you can open unless we can open (all large-scale attractions) statewide.”

Cuomo went on to say: because there is such a pent-up demand to get out of the house and do something, you open the Saratoga Race Track, I guarantee you you’ll have the highest attendance in the history of the Saratoga Race Track. You will have people from the entire northeast region driving to the Saratoga race track just because they want to get out of the house. Now, you could say, well, that’s great for the Saratoga Race Track – but density is not our friend…How do you do sit six feet apart at the racetrack?  

“I think it would have to be a statewide opening coordinated with Connecticut and New Jersey, otherwise you will have a much more dense situation – being the only attraction in town – and town is a tri-state region.”  

A few hours later on Wednesday, New York Racing Association Director of Communications Pat McKenna released the following statement:

NYRA joins the entire racing community in applauding Governor Cuomo’s steady leadership throughout this unprecedented public health crisis. We recognize that decisions about large scale events are rightly left to our elected leaders and public health officials. At the same time, horseracing is in a unique position as a sport that can be safely staged without attendees. Earlier this week, Governor Cuomo encouraged sports entities to consider how they could operate without fans in attendance that would be economically viable while providing much needed entertainment.

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By closing to spectators and reducing employees and support staff to only those who are required under the rules of racing, the running of races would support the small businesses and hourly workers who form the backbone of the sport. NYRA held races at Aqueduct Racetrack safely and securely under these conditions through March 15. Our experience during this period of time, as well as our ability to continue the training operation at Belmont Park throughout the pandemic, informs the strict safety protocols that we currently have in place at Belmont Park and would seek to implement at Saratoga Race Course.

As such, NYRA is seeking to resume live racing at Belmont Park in the absence of fans and we have prepared operating plans that follow the same model for Saratoga. These plans prioritize the health and safety of employees, horsemen and the backstretch community and include a broad array of risk mitigation strategies developed according to the most updated heath guidance. By closing to the public, layering additional health and safety protocols to our ongoing practices, and reducing the number of employees on-property, NYRA is in a position to provide a small sense of normalcy for fans across the country who can watch on television and online. At the same time, this model will enable NYRA to preserve its ability to serve as the cornerstone of an industry that generates more than 19,000 jobs in New York and $3 billion in annual economic impact.

This is a delicate balance, and one that must always prioritize health and safety. NYRA has experience finding that balance and we are committed to taking every step possible to keep our communities safe while providing entertainment and contributing to the New York economy as we collectively begin the return to a new normal.

John Bevan’s map (circa 1850) locates 308 Nelson on part of Saratoga’s first cemetery. Originally named the Sadler Cemetery after the land’s donor Seth Sadler, it was also referred to as “First Cemetery”, “Peter’s Cemetery” and in the 1870’s as “Nelson Street Cemetery.” Former long time city Mayor Addison Mallery wrote to our city historian describing ‘Peter’s Cemetery’. He said, “When I was a youngster we played on what was known as Peter’s Cemetery. It halfway down the hill on Nelson Avenue. Occasionally we would find a bone.” The property bordered land owned by J. R. Peter’s thus some referred to the land as “Peter’s Cemetery.”

In a city graced with colorfully painted Victorian houses boasting wide wrap around porches, my cedar shake bungalow appears to offer little historical significance. My family has owned the property since 1964 and until recently my thoughts were, “keep moving, nothing to see here.” I certainly didn’t expect any local or national historical significance for such a basic looking structure. I encourage those of you with similar feelings to look deeper into the history of the place you call home. The results may surprise you.

My parents purchased 308 Nelson Avenue in 1964 from then high school principal, John Sexton. Their deed outlined our parcel of land as “beginning at the southwest corner of the burying ground on Nelson Street (now Nelson Avenue…).”  My parents never gave much thought to this description and filed the deed away.

Instead, we embraced the large backyard, tried to teach my mother how to navigate the steep hilly driveway while we kids overlooked the lack of a flat sidewalk to play hopscotch on. Our house is located at the crest of the hill on Nelson Avenue heading down to High Rock Spring. Little did we realize that these topographical features had played a key role in the history of our family homestead.

When my father, Richard Stone moved to his funeral home at 628 North Broadway in 1984, my husband and I took over the family home.

Beginnings of the house – First FHA Mortgage

The Federal Housing Administration was created in 1934 to facilitate construction and mortgages of houses after the Great Depression. Nationwide, 2,600 FHA mortgages were granted on June 15, 1935. The first home in Saratoga County to be started under the newly formed administration was our house. Mildred and John Sexton were proud recipients of an FHA loan to build a six-room bungalow at 308 Nelson Avenue. Their groundbreaking ceremony was attended by numerous city and county dignitaries breaking ground with red, white and blue beribboned silver spades. News articles and photographs documented the momentous occasion.

The proud new owners quickly went to work on the sand-filled, neglected lot. Gardens and a grass lawn were planted.  Original resident Elizabeth Sexton Weiss described her intrigue as she watched a man her father hired walking around the yard with a divining stick. Although city water was available, the Sextons then dug a well in the basement with the idea of pure water. “My job was to pump water for morning coffee. Was told it made the BEST coffee,” recalls Elizabeth. The 88-year-old who recently made a pilgrimage from Cambridge, Massachusetts to visit her childhood home. 

Mr. Sexton was the principal at the High School conveniently located a few blocks away on Lake Avenue. He and his wife raised their four children in the red with white trim home featuring a flagpole in the Northwest corner of the property. One year, high school students pranked Mr. Sexton by setting his beloved flagpole on fire. It survived and still stands today.

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Sadler Cemetery aka Nelson Street Cemetery 1765-1878

The Sextons also disregarded the burying grounds descriptor in their deed.

Neighborhood lore was that our land had been a Native American burial ground.  I incorrectly assumed this was true and believed this was the burying grounds referred to on our deed.

After all, we were in close proximity to the High Rock Spring where Native Americans gathered and even brought Sir William Johnson in 1771 to cure him with the waters.

The well-researched Chronicles of Saratoga by Evelyn Barrett Britten mentioned a cemetery in her chapter “Burying Ground Disappears; Seth Sadler gave land in Late 1700s.” Her short piece spurred more questions than answers. However, it lead me to Greenridge Cemetery. Carol Waldron, Greenridge’s Administrative Assistant, presented me with a binder on our city’s first cemetery- the Sadler Cemetery located on Nelson Street (later renamed Avenue), the cemetery referenced in our deed. 

I excitedly read the binder’s contents. The hill that plagued my hopscotch attempts proved to be unstable for a burial ground.  An account of boys coming across a skull on the Nelson Avenue hill on their way to school captured my imagination. The school Superintendent confirmed it as a human skull. What other stories unfolded on this plot of land? How and why would a cemetery be moved? Wouldn’t people be outraged? Basic facts about the cemetery were limited: the Sadler family donated the land in the late 1700s; 67 people were buried there-the first of whom was Fern Wadsworth, a visitor to the nearby High Rock Spring in 1785 ; the most famous was President Rutherford B. Hayes’ grandfather, Roger Birchard.

I searched the city historian’s records and the Saratoga Room for information on the Sadler Cemetery, but facts were limited. By chance I typed “Nelson Street Cemetery” into the Fulton History website and miraculously 24 articles from 1877 and 1878 appeared, answering many of my questions.

Indeed, permission to move the graves had been granted. A special session of the Saratoga County Board of Supervisors was called on July 6, 1877 to ask for “authorization to remove the bodies interred in the Nelson Street Cemetery to some proper cemetery grounds.” Notices were published advising relatives and representatives “you have 30 days in which to remove the bodies of which you are the representatives.” Ads appeared for “written proposals to buy the land and remove the remains from the Nelson Street Cemetery.”

The process was not without controversy. William E. Stone protested “Our graveyards ought to be venerated as holy ground.” Another newspaper account of the relocation process described a “place that had been so neglected for years” and felt it was no wonder that those in the area would have “desired the removal of the remains from there.”

Before dismantling the cemetery, a complete account of the headstone inscriptions was done by historian enthusiast Cornelius Durkee. However, no one seemed to accurately record where the remains actually ended up. Britten stated there was no record of the whereabouts of President Hayes’ grandfather, Roger Birchard. Thanks to ancestry.com, it is documented that he was moved to the family plot in Wilmington, Vermont. 

I continue to be fascinated by the stories of those who have shared the land I live on. It will inspire me to continue researching what transpired on Nelson St. from 1785-1900.

More importantly I hope my story will inspire readers to see what happened “on this spot” they call home. Dive into the internet or hire the Saratoga Preservation Foundation to do a written history of your home. Our area is so rich with history, you never know what you may find!

SARATOGA SPRINGS – Fasig-Tipton will consolidate its July, Saratoga, and New York Bred yearling sales into one selected yearling auction – the 2020 Selected Yearlings Showcase – to be held on Wednesday and Thursday, Sept. 9-10, at its Lexington, Kentucky facility, the company announced Monday.  The decision was made “after evaluating the progression of the COVID-19 pandemic for the last several weeks,” according to a statement.

Billed as “the crown jewel of the North American yearling sales calendar,” the Saratoga Sale, staged Aug. 5-6, 2019 in Saratoga Springs brought more than $55 million.  The two-day New York Bred Yearlings sale one week later brought an additional $16.2 million.

“2020 has been a difficult year so far, and we are all being forced to make decisions that we never envisioned having to make,” said Fasig-Tipton President Boyd Browning, in a statement. “We waited as long as possible to come to these determinations, conducting our due diligence to ensure that we make informed decisions that are in the best interests of our buyers and sellers.

“Our two Saratoga auctions are tied closely to the race meet.  We desperately want to see a traditional Saratoga race meet as much as anyone.  However, the details for the race meet – including whether spectators will be permitted – are understandably not finalized.  We are at a point in time where we must provide our sellers with a definitive schedule so that they can make sales plans for their yearlings.”

The July, Saratoga, and NY Bred Selected Yearling Sales are anticipated to return to their traditional dates in 2021.  The company intends to conduct the remainder of its 2020 auction calendar as scheduled. Fasig-Tipton will offer a group of selected New York Bred yearlings as part of the Saratoga Fall Mixed Sale, scheduled to be held on Oct. 20 in Saratoga Springs.

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SARATOGA COUNTY — Life hasn’t stopped at the Saratoga Senior Center despite the world’s lockdown. The doors are no longer open, but volunteers are practicing social distancing and going around the community to help some of its’ most vulnerable members.

“We’re providing [the senior citizen community] with groceries if they want or referring them to food pantries and things like that. So, we’re helping them in any way we can. We’re helping them cook, we’re delivering them toilet paper if they need, we can deliver puzzles, and games. We’re also working on getting as many masks delivered as possible because that’s the number one request and we’re having a hard time picking them up so we’re looking for people to donate masks as well. We’ve started doing spring clean up and yard work at this point for anybody who has a hard time getting out and needs some help with that,” explained Lois Celeste, executive director. 

The senior center has also been offering online Zoom classes and one on ones via phone with volunteers to teach the community how to use and utilize Zoom, social media, and Facebook Live.

“Our goal is to reach out to all seniors in the county and communities and help out if they need it. The big thing is getting the word out. The Zoom programs have been really fun. We’re probably now up to about 15-20 different zoom classes each week and we’re seeing a huge audience. It’s so exciting,” she continued.

The center also has volunteers to help on on one to assist with the Census so people can do it online rather than wait.

 “If people call our front desk, we can connect them and help them with any of these things,” she said.

 The center is in need of more volunteers and more face masks.

“Obviously for the whole world, this is the new normal and what is that going to look like? And for us, we work with the most vulnerable, we’re very much an essential service and in many ways the volunteers out there are kind of front line. It’s everybody’s goal to get everyone to stay at home but especially to get the seniors to stay at home because they’re independent and it’s okay they do things on their own but we’re trying to get them not to grocery shop and let us help them. They are at risk, it is so critical. I don’t know what will happen as far as the center opening so we’re going to keep going with virtual programming and helping people. Eventually, as the community opens up, we will look at what is safe and responsible to do with seniors for opening up. Some day we’ll be open but i don’t know how long that will be,” Celeste stated.ssc

To receive services or volunteer at the Senior Center, call 518-584-1621 or email seniorcentervolunteer@gmail.com. Visit saratogaseniorcenter.org for programming information. 

• The council during its Tuesday meeting unanimously approved by a 4-0 measure a 30-day extension of the city’s State of Emergency declaration, initially declared in March. That State of Emergency now goes through May 12. City Mayor Meg Kelly was absent from Tuesday’s meeting. 

• Public Safety Commissioner Robin Dalton updated the latest known status of the summer meet at Saratoga Race Course, which is slated to begin July 16. 

“My understanding is that NYRA is following the governor’s recommendations and they are preparing to be open and to run if they have the opportunity to do so – meaning the restrictions on mass gatherings and events will have to be lifted,” Dalton said. “If indeed that happens then they will be ready to run in July.” 

Accounts commissioner John Franck added that there also is a possibility that the Saratoga meet may be staged with no fans present. “This is what I heard from various representatives and racing people; I guess the reason being there will still be gambling online, so there would still be revenues coming in to NYRA and the state. We just don’t know yet.” 

Last year, the meet at Saratoga Race Course generated more than $700 million in all-sources handle for the first time in NYRA history at The Spa, despite losing one full racing day to a weather cancellation. The $705.3 million all-source handle bested 2018’s total by more than $46 million. 

• Late Fees for City, County and Delinquent School Taxes: Finance Commissioner Michele Madigan said the city had looked into the potential waiver of fees and penalties as they relate to tax bills. “Last week the late notices went out to anyone who was late paying their taxes and that really kicked off quite the firestorm,” Madigan said Tuesday, during a meeting of the City Council via Zoom. “Unfortunately, legal research shows that the city has no authority to waive these fees. The only person who can do so during the State of Emergency is the New York State governor.” The New York Conference of Mayors legal team reports that local governments do not have unilateral authority to extend the interest-free period with respect to the payment of property taxes, she added. 

Regarding other types of fees or late payments that are established via local law – such as water, sewer, garbage – local governments do have the ability to extend or modify late penalties and payments dates by promulgating an emergency order that suspends the relevant local law. 

• Funds: Given anticipated revenue losses due to the COVID-19 emergency, Madigan asked each department to submit by April 29 suggestions on where to potentially cut or trim non-mandatory expenditures. 

All city employees – full-time and part-time – had been paid full wages through April 17. “As of April 18, part-time employees have been furloughed, unless their departments deem them essential and they are actually working,” Madigan said. A temporary hiring freeze went into effect April 10. Until that order is rescinded, new hires may only be made on an emergency basis. 

Options under consideration include payroll reductions, layoffs, securing loans, and using the city’s cash fund balance, the latter of which is already underway, according to Madigan. 

• Land Use Board meetings will resume this week and will be held virtually with board members and applicants and may be viewed via live stream on the city’s website. Consult the city website for dates and times for meetings of the Planning Board, Design Review Commission, and Zoning Board of Appeals.

ALBANY — There has been a noticeable shift among lawmakers during the past 10 days that points to a scheme of an eventual reopening plan for New York that may take the shape of a region-by-region easing of restrictions, as opposed to the state reopening in its entirety, all at the same time.   

“There are regional economies within the state. Let’s talk about reopening economies in a regional context. Coordinated regionally. And that’s what we’re going to be doing,” state Gov. Andrew Cuomo said this week, naming Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul in charge of overseeing the Western New York region public health and reopening strategy, and former Lt. Gov. Robert Duffy as special advisor on public health and reopening in the Finger Lakes region. 

Nearly two months since New York registered its first COVID-19 case, and three months since the first case in the U.S. was discovered, Cuomo surveyed the daily charted number of infections, hospitalizations and intubations in New York City – where more than 10,000 residents have died as a result of the virus – and cautiously explained “the numbers would suggest we are seeing a descent…the question is how long and how steep the descent? Nobody knows.” That descent will play a major role into when the state reopens. 

Governors in each state will decide when to re-open, and President Donald Trump has recommended in advance of a phased-in approach to reopening there should be, among other things, a decline in COVID-19 cases for 14 days. 

Regionally, however, the percentage of the number of people testing positive for COVID-19 has been steady, or rising. A three-day sample in Saratoga County from April 15-17 indicates of 267 people tested, 17 (or about 6.4%) tested positive, while more recent tests of April 19-21 sample shows 13 of 175, or about 7.5% tested positive.  Overall, as of April 21 in Saratoga County where about 3,500 people have been tested, 7.6% percent of those tested positive. Albany County shows a 9.8% overall rate, Warren and Washington counties each are over 11%, and Schenectady County is over 12%. And indications are that those percentage numbers have not fallen in any of the counties. 

On April 17 Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute researcher Malik Magdon-Ismail discussed a new model showcasing the pandemic impact in smaller cities. The model indicated that with 75% of the population in the Capital Region in New York remaining at home, the COVID-19 pandemic will peak locally in about four weeks, in late May. 

“How do you educate yourself on reopening? Testing,” said Cuomo, who explained he had a “productive” meeting with Trump at the White House April 21, and one of the results of that meeting is the expectation that the number of tests in New York State will as much as double in the near future – from approximately 20,000 to 40,000 per day. 

“Make the decisions on the facts, not on political pressure. We make a bad move, it’s going to set us back,” said Cuomo, adding that it is vital to also understand the consequences of opening one region at a time, so as to not flood that region with unanticipated problems, presumably meaning an influx of people coming from areas still on “pause.”    

“We can’t make a bad decision and we can’t be stupid about it. This is a marathon, not a sprint. More people will die if we’re not smart,” he said.   

As Cuomo spoke inside the State Capitol, a rally organized by the group “ReOpen New York State” was staged outside on Wednesday to protest the New York on Pause coronavirus plan. While protest organizers told people planning to attend the rally to respect social distancing, most were crowded on the sidewalk and in the road, and many were not wearing masks, according to WRGB. 

At the same time and of a different view, a letter signed by Saratoga Unites, Saratoga DSA, Saratoga Progressive Action and more than a dozen other area organizations and individuals was issued in support for efforts taken by New York state leadership with the current stay at home orders. The letter states, in part: “It is natural to feel like we need to ‘do something,’ and we encourage people to focus on support for healthcare and essential workers, the unemployed, and the small businesses which are all so vital to the Capital District.”

Cuomo said he anticipates “a rolling curve” of infections. That is, that different test-positive hotspots will flare up at different times. “New York City had the first curve and then they project higher curves in other states and in other parts of our state,” the governor said. “Buffalo will have a later curve, Albany will have a later curve, and we’re watching the curves in different parts of the state. Our strategy is: we deploy to wherever the curve is highest.” 

ANTIBODY TESTING UNDERWAY

A weeklong statewide antibody testing survey that will randomly sample 3,000 people began April 19 in a handful of upstate communities, Saratoga and Schenectady among them. 

The antibody test – which is different than the tests which currently identify the virus –  will tell whether a person had previously had COVID-19. The state is hopeful this large-scale antibody testing will help determine the percentage of the population that is now immune to the virus, allowing more individuals to safely return to work. The finger-stick blood samples will be tested at the Wadsworth Center, which is located in Albany. 

The “random” designation is particularly important. The other tests conducted – the ones which tell whether a person currently has the virus –  are mostly conducted with people showing symptoms of illness, or those potentially exposed to it. 

Preliminary data of the antibody tests  –  randomly conducted in grocery stores and box stores in 19 counties, 40 localities overall – showed 13.9% overall tested positive for antibodies – that is 13.9% of people randomly tested across the state have, at some point, had the virus.

In Schenectady, where the information regarding the random testing was not made public, those showing up to be tested included “several county legislators” according to the Gazette. In Saratoga County, where the information was made public by Saratoga County on its Facebook page, many more people turned out than were anticipated. 

 “It should not have been posted on Facebook – both for randomizing purposes, but also a (Price Chopper) manager told me at one point there were nearly 300 people in there just to get tested,” said Saratoga Springs Supervisor Tara Gaston, who visited the Price Chopper store in Malta where the testing took place. “That 300 is in addition to the people who were just shopping. My understanding is those (tests) are going to take place, but not in the same spot and they’re not going to be announced. My hope is no one puts it on the county website or Facebook page. That shouldn’t happen (again). I’m not going to say that it won’t – but, that’s our goal.”

While different parts of the state may open at different times, Cuomo said regardless of where reopenings occur, schools and businesses will be open at the same time in that particular region. 

There is no specific committee charged with specifying reopenings. A region-by-region determination will be addressed via discussions in a collaborative effort between state and local governments. Cuomo did not specify whether a “local” government make-up would consist of county, city, town, and/or village officials.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — As some individuals embraced Covid-19 stay-at-home restrictions placed over the community, tensions in families and couples living at home can worsen to create an un-safe environment as time goes on. 

Those dealing with domestic violence are under duress as many survivors are locked down with their abusers. Maggie Fronk is the executive director of Wellspring, a social service dedicated to support survivors and engage the community to end relationship and sexual abuse. As tension, stress and abuse situations escalate with the abuser and victim staying home 24/7, Fronk shared ways to create a safe home situation. 

“Everyone’s situation is different. I think everyone who is in that situation knows their circumstances best, but I’d really like them to know that they are not alone,” Front said. 

Parents who may discover rising tensions and diminishing patience are recommended to take a step back. Fronk said spreading love is important for parents who experience added stress from schooling their kids at home. Taking a break from the rules, and giving love to their children and themselves allows individuals to take a step back and breathe. 

“It’s important to know that this is a new normal…I think none of us can strive for the level of performance we had before. It’s important to maintain some routines and also to relax them if we need to,” Fronk said.

The want and need to know what’s happening out in the world can add stress. Fronk said setting times to disengage from phones and computers is important to take a step back.

“Just to do something in the moment. It may be starting a new routine, going for a walk outside, playing a family game or cooking something different. Like having dessert first at dinner,” Fronk said. “It’s easy to get caught up in the stress of this, so we have to build in those moment that refresh and renew us.”

Although life may be different when it comes to navigating an abusive situation during COVID-19, Wellspring still offers their services. Supportive services such as advocacy and case management, crisis intervention and financial empowerment are different areas Wellspring can help in. For individuals who are dealing with relationship abuse, Fronk recommended calling their hotline to chat with an advocate.

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“Sometimes, all people need is some support. Our hotline is not just for crises, it’s for information if you want to explore what’s happening at home or to discover if a [situation] is domestic violence,” Fronk said. “I don’t believe a lot of people think to call unless there is physical abuse, but there are all kinds of power and control.”

Emotional control and social-isolation are some of ways an abuser might hold control over their victim. Survivors who had abusers in jail gain another level of fear and complications as those inmates were released in New York and other states. Even as stress levels rise, Fronk said calling in can alleviate stress and help an individual navigate their situation. 

However, Fronk pointed out that with children studying from home, calling in might not be easily available for parents. In response to this, Wellspring created a web-based chat line. The web-chat can be accessed at Wellspringcares.org, and allows individuals to “talk” to an advocate. The chat is available during the workday, but hours are also offered from 9 p.m. to midnight. Fronk said the chat line helps individuals who are not able to place phone
calls or communicate better through typing.

“That’s after when kids have gone to bed where you could just be on your computer and getting the support you need,” Fronk said. “With all of our services, you can find out what we can help you with.”

Self-isolation creates social-isolation, placing a pause on relationships outside the home environment. As those relationships grow distant, Fronk said individuals who know of someone in an abusive situation are welcomed to call in. Wellspring services are confidential and free of charge.

Knowing if and when to leave an abusive relationship changes based on each situation. However, Fronk recommended simply calling their hotline can help individuals.

“Many people don’t reach out for help because they don’t know everything that’s available. You don’t have to be thinking about leaving to call us. You can just want to explore what your options are so you have a plan A and a plan B,” Fronk said.

Wellspring also helps individuals with basic needs such as food and housing. Fronk said Wellspring offers rent subsidized housing for those dealing with abuse. Individuals can also get help dealing with courts to get safety, including gaining an order of protection. 

Most importantly, however, is that Wellspring allows individuals to explore their rights and options for assistance if it’s wanted.

“I want people to know that you’re not alone in this. There is help out there. I think people are afraid to call because they think it will start something where they will have to leave and they’re not ready to leave. We can just help you where you are to figure out how to get through this and know what supports there are. You don’t have to be in a crisis to call us,” Fronk said.

Wellspring hotline can be reached at 518-584-8188.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Maura Pulver stood behind the counter of the Five Points Market & Deli, which she has owned the past eight years. The east side eatery has served the neighborhood for more than a century. 

Last week, one of the neighbors reached out to Pulver to express some concerns. 

“One of our regulars – she has three elementary school age kids – she said she and her husband were concerned about kids perhaps not getting meals,” Pulver explained. 

Maura Pulver poses inside Five Points Market & Deli with a pair of handmade signs that will be fixed to a table on weekends offering “free lunch,  for anyone who needs it,” while supplies on the table last. Photo by Thomas Dimopoulos. 

With New York State on “PAUSE” and the closure of schools extended through at least May 15, the woman, Jenn McMahon, was brainstorming an idea for weekends that would complement breakfast and lunch availability for students provided via the Saratoga Springs School District.

“She was thinking about that kid, just riding by on their bike, who maybe didn’t get breakfast this morning,” Pulver said. “I thought, oh my God, I love that; Let’s make it happen.”

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The fruition of the idea was to set some sandwiches upon a table outside the store during weekends providing a free lunch for anyone who needs it. 

“So I asked her kids to make the signs for it and this past Sunday was our first day of doing it. I put them out there – sandwiches, a nice little package. Some cold cuts, some peanut butter & jelly, some cheese, an apple and potato chips, and some baked cookies,” Pulver said. “There were about 15 of them and by 1 o’clock they were all gone. Jenn ants to do it every Saturday and Sunday, from 11 to 1, and she said: ‘We’re just very fortunate right now that we can help out, and I can probably pay for a month’s worth.’”

Area residents either out for a walk or perusing social media where images of the table fixed with bright blue and yellow hand-made signs topped by an offering of small brown lunch bags went viral were moved by the gesture. 

“Let me tell you what happened: when the neighbors heard about it, they came by and took pictures of the table and since Sunday people have been handing me money to have it continue,” Pulver said.  “Now we’re thinking about maybe adding another day, or maybe increasing the numbers. We want to keep it going for as long as we can.”

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Social distancing and self-isolation have become the norm in today’s world, but what happens when your entire job is based around social contact and stimulation?

Direct support professionals at Saratoga Bridges have been working since COVID-19 has struck the community, working hands-on with individuals living in houses or supportive apartments. Saratoga Bridges provides professional services to people with developmental disabilities. The non-profit ensures individuals are able to realize their goals, hopes and dreams and help accomplish them.

Explaining COVID-19

Sloan Russell is an assistant residential manager at Saratoga Bridges. For Russell’s daily duties, he helps six individuals take care of their daily needs. The needs vary each day and Russell helps with any banking duties, weekly shopping and even administers medication. 

“I help with everything that they need done in order to exist as a regular person in society,” Russell said. “Typically, our jobs are to help them feel more a part of the society that they’re in, but it’s reverse psychology here. Normally we’re trying to bring them into society…to let them feel more a part of daily life and interact with people outside of what they’re used to. Now, we have to keep ourselves distanced.”

Sloan Russell social distancing with Tina.

Russell works in a behavior house, meaning different situations and trigger points can impact one resident differently than others. He works a steady schedule with three women and three men in his house, helping with anything they need. Russell even helps with individual’s meal plans. Some individuals are tube fed, which staff are trained and certified for, while others have special diets including a ground diet and low acid diets.

Despite his daily duties, Russell’s day begins before he steps foot into the house, going through a screening before he enters the home. The screening process includes a check of temperature and heart rate, oxygen status and a standard questionnaire. The goal is to monitor as many things as possible, from vital signs to personal experiences on how they’re feeling for the day.

One of the hardest tasks Russell and other direct support professionals have taken on is explaining the virus. Although he goes through daily screening, not every resident understands what COVID-19 is all about.

 “It takes a lot of explaining and a lot of just careful planning with all the staff on how we handle it. You have to ease everyone into it. Tell them everyone else is doing it and it’s not just them,” Russell said. “Everyone is their own person, so how we explain to them is case by case.”

Direct support professional Dawnmarie Costantino said consistency as well as repetitiveness helps individuals understand the virus. Using the same type of sentence throughout the entire staff can help reinforce proper behavior. 

“It’s interesting because you have different forms of communication with the individuals in one home. Some of them do tactile manual signs, others are completely verbal, and others just do ASL. Then you have folks that are nonverbal who utilize gestures or physical movements for you to understand how they are feeling,” Costantino said. “It’s already a challenge so when we’re in a situation like this, reassuring them, letting them know why we are here and keeping everything consistent and concise will help them stay in a better face and be willing to participate in activities that are being offered at home.”

Russell reflected the same thoughts, adding some individuals are verbal, open to current events and consistently on social media while others are the opposite. He said those individuals that don’t understand what’s going on think they are being kept at home on purpose. 

“It’s tough. You feel for them because you can’t explain everything to them.

They look at you and ask why you’re wearing a mask around them, or constantly washing our hands. They want to know what’s going on with that and why extra activities taking place,” Russell said.

Keeping Consistency

The extra activity Russell is referring to doesn’t only include proper PPE and screening procedures, but the “day-hab” classes as well.  Prior to social restrictions, individuals in Saratoga Bridges would participate in a day program, or day-hab. Pamela Polacsek, assistant director of communications, said the day program has since moved to the individual’s houses or apartments. 

“Because of the virus, all of our day staff are going and working in the houses during the day. The individuals who would normally be in a day program setting or at work are now at home,” Polacsek said. 

The day-hab would normally partake in Wilton, Clifton Park, and off of Exit 13. At those locations, Polascek said an upwards of 450 individuals would get transported to partake in the day-hab. 

Costantino would teach day-hab classes to 13 individuals from different agencies. Now, Costantino teaches a group of five in their own home. Just as Russell goes through the initial screening each morning, Costantino does the same. She now see’s her classroom individuals earlier in the day, allowing her to get a better idea on how everyone is feeling that morning. 

She starts each day with an activity schedule, so the five individuals always know what to expect. They start with daily communication, talking about the day of the week and month.

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“We talk about the things are good for them cognitively to remember. It’s very good for people to continue remembering where they are in their day or their months. Everyday we do the same thing to help them with structure and we see end results, helping them with their own cognitive abilities,” Costantino said.

After the daily communication, Costantino will focus on different activates each day. Activities including a math group, music exercise activities and preparing meals are some of the few. In her math class, Costantino teaches the typical school layout but adjusts the level for each individual. 

“Not everyone gets the same thing out of it, but everyone gets something. I try to engage them in a lot of music. It’s really good for you to feel music and move to music. It lets people forget about what’s bothering them and their worries because they’re engaged in something with such a great energy,” Costantino said.

Having a set routine helps some individuals out who prefer having a schedule ahead of time. Costantino said when the individuals have a routine, they know what they’re looking forward to and can help with forgetfulness. She said some individuals may start forgetting earlier than others, but being able to remind them of the daily schedule helps their mental health. Bringing day-hab to their homes is something new to the residents as well, and having a schedule helps them differentiate between class and regular home hours.

Russell said his individuals have responded well since COVID-19 struck. Although they are coping, Russell noticed they missed going outside the most. He said outings with his house have always been a big deal, going to play basketball or to a department store. They are trying to incorporate sensory rides, using a van to keep individuals six-feet apart.

“We go out and do a ride through the neighborhood or go out by lake. We drive around so they can see scenery and look at nature. The biggest thing is trying to keep everyone isolated from outside contact as much as possible right now. It’s a reversal of typically what we do,” Russell said.

#WeAreEssential

Polacsek felt direct support professionals often get overlooked when someone defines an essential worker. In response to that, she created the hash-tag WeAreEssential to call attention to direct support professionals. 

“Our field, a lot of times, gets overlooked as far as the essential work they do to enhance, improve and empower other peoples lives. It’s truly very inspiring…their commitment and devotion and flexibility throughout this whole virus,” Polacsek said. 

Saratoga Bridges supports 132 people in their residential program, having 19 houses and 10 supportive apartments through the county. Of those individuals, Polacsek said 150 work in the community. 

“A lot of our individuals have worked in grocery stores for years, and they’re working hard because the current hours to go into work. They’re providing support to the community as well. They’re certainly able to support the community that’s supporting them,” Polacsek said.

Russell feels that direct support professionals often get forgotten because people don’t understand the way these individuals live and their daily routines. He said the hash-tag wasn’t created for the work they’re doing during COVID-19, but rather the daily routines before and after COVID-19 they will continue to do.

“People don’t think there is actually staff out there helping and aiding. That there are individuals in these homes, where if we don’t come in or are not able to help these guys, they wouldn’t be able to live in these independent homes and enjoy life as it is. Some have no clue, they just think that these guys are autonomous. That they’re just out there living their best life not knowing how they live it,” Russell said. 

Just as he goes through a screening to protect the individuals in his home, he does the same when he goes home to his family. Russell can work a 12 or 16-hour shift and feels at the end of the day, all essential workers are in the same situations. 

“I’m trying to get other people to recognize what exactly a front line worker is, there are so many different aspects of being a front line worker. At the end of the day, all of us essential workers are all in the same boat. We all have to still work, so the chances of cross contamination between your job and your personal life is at an all-time high,” Russell said. 

While Russell hopes to shed some light on his daily job for the community, Costantino said she noticed the work residential staff do. Since stepping outside her classroom, she noticed how careful the staff works with the individuals, ensuring every room in the house is sanitary. She noticed individual’s bedrooms were personalized as well. 

“I have to say I’m really amazed about how much more work my residential coworkers do that I wasn’t aware of before. There are a lot more involved that I didn’t know,” Costantino said.