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NYS Police: Deadline for Trooper Exams Oct. 1 

Written by Saratoga TODAY on . Posted in News.

NEW YORK STATE — The New York State Police announced that applications to take the Trooper Entrance Exam are now over 10,000. Applications opened on July 1 and the deadline to apply is Sunday, Oct. 1. 

Earlier this year, NY Gov. Kathy Hochul approved a request from the New York State Police to raise the maximum age to apply to become a New York State Trooper from 29 to 34.  As a result, almost 2,400 individuals between those ages have taken advantage of this change and applied. Military applicants may be able to apply up until the age of 42.

Candidates can learn about becoming a New York State Trooper and sign up to take the exam at JoinStatePolice.ny.gov. Individuals can get in touch with a recruiter by emailing recruit@troopers.ny.gov or calling 518-485-0855.

Man Accused of Posting Images of Female Runners in Saratoga Springs Charged with Stalking

Written by Thomas Dimopoulos on . Posted in News.

SARATOGA SPRINGS —A 62-year-old Albany man accused of posting videos and photographs of female runners in and around Saratoga Springs to an Instagram account has been charged with stalking in the fourth-degree.  

Charles A. Ross, of Grant Avenue in Albany, was taken into custody and processed on the active arrest warrant for the charged misdemeanor and subsequently released without bail to pre-trial services. 

In August, the Saratoga Springs Police Department reported it had been made aware of the social media account that displayed videos and photographs taken in public places and that it began to investigate the matter to determine if any crime has occurred. Police also asked anyone recognizing themselves on the social media website regarding the case to contact them. One such person has apparently stepped forward. 

According to court documents, the suspect is alleged on Aug. 18 to have “intentionally and for no legitimate purpose” followed a woman from the Saratoga Spa State Park to Broadway near Caroline Street, conduct which – the report adds – was likely to cause reasonable fear of material harm to the woman’s health and safety. 

“I felt like someone was watching me or following me and I felt unsafe,” the unnamed woman, who is in her early 20s, told police related to her run that began in the Saratoga Spa State Park. She added that she felt sufficiently unsafe to the point that she moved off of her normal running path to get away from the road.   

The woman was later informed by a friend of the social media website and recognized herself in multiple images and/or videos, according to court documents. 

An apparent 2018 arrest image, widely circulated on social media without attribution, allegedly depicts Ross with short gray hair.  The fall 2018 image is connected with a felony stalking charge of Charles A. Ross of Whitehall – then 57 years old – who was arrested shortly after South Glens Falls Police received complaints that he followed a group of 12- and 13-year-old girls near a middle school while driving a Mr. Ding-A-Ling ice cream truck, the Post-Star reported at the time. The girls believed he was either videotaping or taking photos of them, and the man had also been the subject of a similar complaint in Lake George earlier in the year, but no charges were filed.

A more recent image, posted by NewsChannel 13 and filmed inside Saratoga Springs city court, depicts Ross with shoulder-length lightened hair and black-frame eyeglasses, nearly unrecognizable from the image of five years ago. Given the current charge in Saratoga Springs is a misdemeanor, city police said they will not be releasing a current arrest image.   

Let Freedom Read: 60 Years of Banned Books Event at Library Oct. 5

Written by Saratoga TODAY on . Posted in News.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Sixty Years of Banned Books will be hosted by Caffè Lena at the Saratoga Springs Public Library on Thursday, Oct. 5 at 6 p.m. in celebration of National Banned Books Week.

In partnership with the American Library Association, “Let Freedom Read” will feature seven local authors: Dr. John Brueggemann, Carol Graser, Patricia A. Nugent, James Preller, Dr. Minita Sanghvi, Dr. Gerald Stulc, and Stephen Williams. They will read from the top-banned books from each of the past seven decades, such as Slaughterhouse Five, Fahrenheit 451, and Amanda Gorman’s inaugural poem The Hill We Climb. 

Original music will be performed by Dan Berggren and Reese Fulmer. Videos advocating the freedom to read will also be shown, including a video message from bestselling author Salmon Rushdie. 

“Banned Books Week” was launched in 1982 in response to a sudden surge in the number of challenges to books in libraries, bookstores and schools. The annual event highlights the value of free and open access to information and brings together the entire book community — librarians, educators, authors, publishers, booksellers, and readers of all types — in shared support of the freedom to seek and to express ideas.  

Retired Glens Falls Post-Star editor Ken Tingley will serve as the emcee and introduce each of the writers.

Attendance is free, but reservations are recommended; last year’s program sold out. To support the Little Liberty Library in Caffe Lena’s courtyard, attendees are invited to donate a banned book. For more information and to reserve a seat, visit https://sspl.libcal.com/event/10667478.

Notebook: Saratoga Board of Supervisors Monthly Meeting  

Written by Saratoga TODAY on . Posted in News.

BALLSTON SPA — During its monthly meeting, held Sept. 19 at the county complex in Ballston Spa, the Saratoga County Board of Supervisors announced the acceptance of two grants from the NY State Department of Health totaling approximately $670,000 overall, authorized more than $30 million in spending to three health providers related to medical insurance costs to cover county employees for the 2024 calendar year, and announced a series of countywide proclamations to be initiated in October.      

Acceptance of Funding, Grants

• The Adolescent Tobacco Use Prevention Act Grant: $67,437, for the term through March 31, 2024. The Adolescent Tobacco Use Prevention Act (ATUPA) regulates the sale of tobacco and vaping products to restrict their access by youth and young adults, including banning the sale of flavored vapor products, ending price discounts on tobacco and vapor products, banning exterior display of tobacco and vapor product ads near schools, stopping shipment and delivery of cigarettes and vapor products to private residents, increasing retailer penalties for tobacco sales violations, and raising the minimum legal sale age to purchase tobacco and vapor products  

• Immunization Action Plan Grant.  Acceptance of the NYSDOH five -year grant in the amount of $118,680 per year, through March 31, 2028, totaling $593,400. Grant funding shall be used to reduce and eradicate vaccine preventable diseases in adults and children by eliminating barriers to the receipt of the immunizations. 

• Acceptance of $343,450 in funding from the New York State Office for the Aging, for the Saratoga County Department of Aging and Youth Services. The funding will assist with the Senior Nutrition Program, Expanded In-Home Services for the Elderly, senior transportation, and mandatory caseworker conference fees, among other items. 

Medical Insurance Costs for County Employees

The Board authorized an agreement with Capital District Physicians’ Health Plan, Inc. for the provision of medical and prescription health care insurance and administrative services for County employees for the 2024 calendar year at a projected cost of $25,884,468.25.

Authorized to execute any and all agreements required with MVP Health Plan, Inc. of Schenectady, for the provision of medical and prescription drug health care insurance for Medicare eligible retirees from County employment under MVP’s Medicare Advantage Plan for the 2024 calendar year at a projected cost of $3,816,471.98.

Authorized an agreement with Metropolitan Life Insurance Company, Inc. for the provision of dental health care insurance for County employees and the offering of voluntary dental health care insurance plans to County retirees, for the 2024 calendar year at a projected cost of $925,696.75. 

Proclamations

•The Board proclaimed Oct. 7 – 13 as “National Fire Prevention Week” In Saratoga County, and encourages all residents to plan and practice a home fire escape for Fire Prevention Week 2023. Home fires caused 2,285 civilian deaths in the United States in 2022, according to the National Fire Protection association (NFPA), and fire departments in Saratoga County responded to 899 residential fire alarms of which 372 were reported structure fires. 

•The Board proclaimed the month of October 2023 as “Domestic Violence Awareness Month” in Saratoga County and urges all of our citizens to support and participate in on-going programs designed for the reduction and elimination of domestic violence. Each year more than 10 million adults experience domestic violence; on a typical day, domestic violence hotlines nationwide receive over 20,000 calls.  

One community member requested to speak during the public input session of the monthly county meeting. 

Darlene McGraw, of Halfmoon, suggested Saratoga initiate a reporting App for county residents to inform community leaders of street signs being down, and requested the county institute a smoke-free and vape-free policy in the vicinity of county buildings. 

Saratoga Giant Pumpkinfest on Saturday

Written by Saratoga TODAY on . Posted in News.

Saratoga Giant Pumpkinfest. Photo provided.

SARATOGA SPRINGS —The 2023 Saratoga Giant Pumpkinfest will take place 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 23 in downtown Saratoga Springs. This free and fun-for-all-ages event is presented by the Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce at the Saratoga Springs City Center parking garage.  

Attendees will have the opportunity to marvel at giant pumpkins – some over 1,000 pounds – and watch the official weigh-off, which begins at 11 a.m. Growers from all over New York state and the Northeast bring the biggest pumpkins from their harvest and compete for the title of “Heaviest Pumpkin of Year,” along with additional categories and prizes.

The festival will include fall favorite activities as well as food and beverage vendors on-site and is located near the Saratoga Farmers’ Market at High Rock Park.

History Center to Host Trivia Night Sept. 27

Written by Saratoga TODAY on . Posted in News.

BALLSTON SPA —The Saratoga County History Center hosts a Trivia Night fund-raising event at Brookside Museum in Ballston Spa, from 6-9 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 27.

The event will be hosted by Ballston Spa native Mark Hersh of Hersh Productions. Mark, a long-time mobile DJ and event producer, currently hosts two weekly trivia events in Ballston Spa and brings his experience to the museum’s first Trivia Night, held to support the many activities of the History Center.  

Typical trivia categories such as TV and movies, songs, sports, science, and geography will be enhanced by local history related questions created by the event committee.  The evening will begin at 6 p.m. with light refreshments and the trivia challenge begins at 7.

Prizes will be awarded to the winning teams and a 50-50 raffle will be held. Registration is $25 per person and is available on the museum website. brooksidemuseum.org/event/trivia-night-at-brookside-museum

Spa City Gunfight Indictment Dismissed

Written by Saratoga TODAY on . Posted in News.

BALLSTON SPA — An eight-count indictment involving a Vermont Sheriff’s Deputy in connection with a downtown Saratoga Springs incident late last year was dismissed in Saratoga County Court on Sept. 20. 

The Nov. 20, 2022 incident allegedly involved an altercation between off-duty sheriff’s deputy Vito Caselnova of Glens Falls and three other men, and took place in the Caroline Street-Broadway downtown district. The event included a subsequent police response and resulted in an exchange of gunfire.

The indictment charged Caselnova with five felonies – including attempted murder in the second-degree, two misdemeanors, and one violation. Caselnova pleaded not guilty to the charges. 

In his concluding comments of this week’s 31-page ruling, Judge James Murphy wrote that the cumulative impact of the prosecutor’s improper tactics during the presentation of the defendant’s case to the grand jury sufficiently impaired the integrity of the proceedings so as to potentially prejudice the ultimate decision reached by the Grand Jury and warrants dismissal of the indictment.  

The case may be re-presented to a new grand jury. 

In a statement released following the decision, Saratoga County District Attorney Karen Heggen noted that the court’s decision dismissal of the indictment “raised issues with the way the case was presented – it does not absolve Mr. Caselnova of any wrongdoing. We will take our time to thoroughly review the court’s concerns and will move forward with the case.”   

Still standing are the charges filed against three other men allegedly involved in the incident. Alexander Colon, Darius A. Wright, and Christopher (AKA Christian) E. Castillo, were each charged with one count attempted assault in the third-degree, a misdemeanor, in connection with the incident. Each of the three men pleaded not guilty to the charges.   

I Run For Twilight 5k Walk/Run Sept. 23

Written by Saratoga TODAY on . Posted in News.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — A twilight run/walk will take place on the Pitney Meadows Community Farm trails Saturday, Sept. 23. Registration is at 5:30 p.m., and start time is 6:30. 

The course features a flat sandstone-packed surface that takes runners along the perimeter of the Pitney Meadows Community Farm. All levels welcome.

Post-run activities include live music, s’mores, and bonfires on the Pitney Meadows grounds. 

The event is inspired by Building on Love families. The idea is that participants can run/walk for someone special in their lives. Families can fundraise in honor of that special person leading up to the event. 

Register at: https://bit.ly/irunfor-twilight-5k

Autumn Stroll of Historic Franklin Square on Sunday

Written by Saratoga TODAY on . Posted in News.

Franklin Tour on Sunday. Photo provided.

SARATOGA SPRINGS —Historic Franklin Square, Saratoga’s oldest residential neighborhood, will be the focus of an Autumn Sunday Stroll at 10:30 a.m., Sunday, Sept. 24. 

Current Assemblywoman, and former Saratoga Springs Preservation Foundation Executive Director Carrie Woerner will act as stroll leader for the “Wealth & Wellness: Franklin Square” event, presented by Saratoga Springs Preservation Foundation. 

 Next Sunday, Oct. 1, Madison Squires will lead the popular stroll “Mail Order Houses of Saratoga.” This tour features houses on East and Pinewood avenues and meets at the Northwest corner of Lake and East avenues.

The SSPF Sunday morning tours last approximately 90 minutes and require walking and standing on varied terrain. 

Tours are limited to 30 and tickets should be purchased in advance. If additional tickets remain, they can be purchased the day-of at the Tour meeting location. The cost per tour is $15 for SSPF members and $20 for non-members. Members with stroll passes need to contact the Foundation’s office to book their tour. 

For additional information or to purchase tickets to any of the upcoming strolls and events visit saratogapreservation.org, call 518-587-5030, or email Marcy Dreimiller, Administrative Assistant, at admin@saratogapreservation.org.

Belmont in Saratoga: Everything We Know

Written by Thomas Dimopoulos on . Posted in Featured, News.

Photo courtesy of NYRA. 

SARATOGA SPRINGS —August Belmont Jr. died ninety-eight Decembers ago in his midtown Manhattan apartment, but during the past few weeks his surname has been circulating around the local Saratoga community perhaps louder than it ever had before. 

With a massive $455 million renovation project slated to take place at Long Island’s Belmont Park, the New York Racing Association is considering staging the high-profile Belmont Stakes at Saratoga, the company’s president recently told the Daily Racing Form. 

That temporary relocation of the Belmont Stakes – a race which traditionally sites the third and final leg of the Triple Crown – could include the next two runnings of the renowned race, to be held in June 2024 and June 2025, until its normal Long Island home venue would be ready for prime time in 2026.    

“I think this is a huge opportunity – not only for the city of Saratoga Springs, but for the county and the entire region,” said Darryl Leggieri, President at Discover Saratoga – a Saratoga Springs based promotion and marketing organization.  “This will bring huge tourism dollars to our region and have an economic impact for many of the businesses as well. Many people think about lodging with tourists – and they should do well – but people spend money where they stay and that will trickle down to many of the small businesses in the community such as the restaurants and the retailers.” 

The 2024 Belmont Stakes will be staged in its traditional calendar spot in early June, following May’s running of the Kentucky Derby, and the Preakness, the first and second legs of the Triple Crown, respectively. That would presumably place the Belmont at Saratoga on Saturday June 8 – although the number of racing days prior to the stakes race and/or the length of a Belmont Stakes Racing Festival in Saratoga is up for discussion. This year’s festival was a three-day affair on Long Island, according to NYRA’s June 2023 calendar.  

“June is traditionally a busy time for Saratoga Springs but there’s always room for a major historic event of this magnitude,” Leggieri said. “We’re optimistic that this will be boon for our whole area and really put a spotlight on our destination internationally – especially if there’s a Triple Crown (horse) in contention.”  

An early June Belmont date in Saratoga raises a series of potential ramifications for the local community. 

The traditional start of the 40-day Saratoga meet is typically held one month later. And while that meet is anticipated to stay the same, a flurry of activity in early June featuring the last leg of the Triple Crown series would create a special set of scenarios for the local community – from business owners and hoteliers to public safety officials who would be dealing with an accelerated flow of traffic and tourism.    

“We’re going to have to wait and see what the details look like. Maybe it’s for a long weekend – we’re hearing that, maybe it will change into something else, we just don’t know yet, but we’ll be ready,” said Saratoga County Administrator Steve Bulger. 

Economically? “We have to think there would be positive impacts on both – occupancy tax and sales tax that weekend – which the county would welcome,” Bulger said.  

“From a county perspective, law enforcement and the Sheriff’s Office especially would probably be the department most impacted, making sure we have proper coverage across the board, helping the city (of Saratoga Springs) out, like we usually do during Travers Weekend,” Bulger said. “Having Emergency Services ready to go in case anything popped up; maybe the district attorney’s office might have a busier weekend than normal. But using an enlarged Travers Day Weekend as our baseline, we would make sure we’re working with the city and NYRA so that any and all resources the county can provide will be made available.”  

So, who was August Belmont, Jr? A synopsis via the National Museum of Racing & Hall of Fame:  August Belmont II was born in New York City in 1853 and upon his father’s death became heavily involved in racing. Belmont, Jr. took over August Belmont & Co., the New York City bank founded by his father August, Sr. He continued his family’s practice of raising horses and bred 129 stakes winners, Man o’ War, among them. He was also associated with William Collins Whitney in the revitalization of Saratoga in the early 1900s and was among the founding members of The Jockey Club in 1894. In 1905, Belmont opened Belmont Park on Long Island and transferred to the park the Belmont Stakes, inaugurated in 1867 and named in his father’s honor.

The potential temporary relocation of the Belmont Stakes and the renovation at the Long Island racecourse that holds the Belmont name is dependent on various approvals. An official decision is anticipated to be announced sometime this fall.