BALLSTON SPA — The residents of Ballston Spa have been busy painting and decorating birdhouses to prepare for this special celebration of creativity and community spirit. The Village of Ballston Spa will be hosting the Fifth Annual Ballston Spa Birdhouse Festival in Wiswall Park and on Front Street from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. June 11.
More than 1,000 birdhouses have been decorated by community members and from as far away as Albany and Vermont. These fantastic creations will hang throughout the retail district all summer, along with a 16-foot tall sculptural birdhouse in the center of Wiswall Park.
The Birdhouse Festival is the kick-off of Ballston Spa’s summer arts and entertainment season. The Birdhouse Festival is family-friendly with free crafts and games for children, music, entertainment, food and vendors. Miller’s BBQ will serve their delicious BBQ chicken and pulled pork meals to eat in or take out.
In addition, the Ballston Spa Fire Department will show off their new Heavy Rescue Fire Truck, and the Village Department of Public Works (DPW) will show off their recently purchased equipment.
A favorite activity at the yearly festival is selecting favorite birdhouses and artists searching for their own works of art. Participants range in age from 4 to 94 years old and no two are alike.
“The Birdhouse Program is an incredible community-oriented program that’s unique to the Village of Ballston Spa”, says Mayor Frank Rossi, II. “It’s what makes Ballston Spa so special, to see people work together to make our Village come alive with color, artwork and community spirit”.
Mayor Rossi had the honor to select the 60 ‘Mayor’s Awards’ with Deputy Mayor/Trustee Bernadette VanDeinse and the Birdhouse Festival Chair, Mary Price-Bush. The Awards will be presented at 1 p.m. at the Birdhouse Festival.
“Working with the Mayor and Trustee VanDeinse to select 60 birdhouses for the ‘Mayor’s Award’ was wonderful. Everyone put their heart and soul into creating such amazing artwork,” said Mary Price-Bush. “We’d like to thank everyone for participating in this year’s program. I’m so proud to be a part of this community; everyone cares so much about making our Village a great place to live.”
The Festival has a rain date of June 18. The Birdhouse Festival and Program is generously sponsored by: Curtis Lumber, the Alfred Z. Solomon Charitable Trust, Saratoga County, the Town of Milton, Slic Fiber, New York Army National Guard and Verdant Architecture.
SCHUYLERVILLE — Caitlin Johnson, the Library Director at Schuylerville Public Library, has been named a 2023 Mover and Shaker by the Library Journal. According to the publication, the award profiles up-and-coming individuals from around the world who are innovative, creative, and making a difference fighting against censorship, and helping improve their workplace.
Johnson began her role as director in September 2015 and was able to quickly identify some core issues in her community like the lack of preschool opportunities and rural food insecurity. With the amazing group of people who work and volunteer at the Library, Johnson was able to initiate some innovative programs to help meet those needs.
“Caitlin has developed a reputation for being the first to try something new and continues to bring exciting new programs and opportunities to our library to meet the needs of our community,” said Schuylerville Public Library Board of Trustees President Amy Carpenter.
Johnson has increased community partnerships, leading to the library being a partner in the nationally award-winning Farm-2-Library fresh food distribution program, helping to get healthy free produce into the hands and bellies of residents. The Library Journal honor details the other efforts made by Johnson and staff to help meet library patrons’ basic needs, such as their annual participation in the Free Summer Meals program for children, elimination of overdue fines, Little Food Pantry open 24/7, and a free wireless internet zone in a nearby park.
The Schuylerville Public Library is a school district library, established in 2013 to serve the towns and villages of Easton, Fort Edward, Greenwich, Northumberland, Saratoga, Schuylerville, Stillwater, Victory and Wilton.
The Schuylerville Public Library is located at 52 Ferry St., Schuylerville. Call 518-695-6641, or visit: schuylervillelibrary.sals.edu.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — This year marks the 85th anniversary and celebration of National Donut Day. Established in 1938 by The Salvation Army, National Donut Day is a reminder of the bravery of The “Donut Lassies” who joined soldiers’ on the front lines during World War I.
In 1917, The Salvation Army volunteers traveled to France and set up makeshift huts to provide soldiers with essential supplies, emotional and spiritual support, and fresh baked donuts. The sweet treat did more than raise spirits; it brought comfort and a taste of home to those who risked their lives.
Today, The Salvation Army continues serving on the front lines of our local communities by providing a wide range of programs and services to vulnerable individuals and families in need.
On Friday, June 2, in honor of National Donut Day, The Salvation Army of Saratoga Springs has partnered with Dunkin Donuts and will be handing out free donuts at corner of Broadway and Church, right outside Adirondack Trust.
For more information about National Donut Day or to download the Donut Lassies’ original recipe, visit easternusa.salvationarmy.org/eastern-territory/donut-day.
Halfmoon — The Town of Halfmoon Spray Park will be open for the summer season starting this Memorial Day weekend on Saturday, May 27 and Sunday, May 28. The Spray Park is a fun and refreshing attraction for children of all ages and a great way to enjoy the warmer weather.
The park will be open daily from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., except for weekdays from June 26 to August 4, when it will be reserved for the Halfmoon Summer Recreation program from 10 a.m. to Noon. The rest of the time, the spray park will be available for all Town residents to use. The spray park has a closing date of October 1.
Halfmoon Town Supervisor Kevin Tollisen said, “The spray park is one of our most popular amenities and a sign that summer has arrived in Halfmoon. We invite families to come and experience the joy of playing in the water and cooling off on a hot day. Our Town is proud to offer this wonderful facility for our community to enjoy.”
For more information about the Town of Halfmoon Spray Park and its hours of operation, call 518-371-7410, extension 2200.
Come out and honor the memory of U.S. servicemen and servicewomen. The Grand Marshal will be escorted by “Ballston’s Finest” along Doubleday Avenue across from Carousel Village and continue with a pause for a ceremony at the Kayderosseras Creek bridge then continue along Milton Avenue to Front Street where the parade proceeds to the Civil War Monument, turning onto Low Street to Veterans Park.
Hosted by the Village of Ballston Spa, Henry Cornell American Legion Post #234 and the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post #358, the schedule of events includes the Placing of Wreaths, a rifle salute by the combined veterans’ Honor Guard Rifle Squad, Invocation by Chaplain, Memorial Day address by our Officer Of the Day (OOD), Remarks from Grand Marshal, a reading of the Gettysburg Address by local Scouts of Troop 1, Flag Raising at Veterans Park, TAPS, Closing Benediction, followed by a reception in Wiswall Park.
Gerald B. H. Solomon Saratoga National Cemetery’s Memorial Day Ceremony
Saturday, May 27 | 11 a.m.
The Department of Veterans Affairs Gerald B.H. Solomon Saratoga National Cemetery will host a Memorial Day Ceremony, accompanied by remarks, keynote speaker, the firing of a military rifle volley, a cannon salute and the playing of Taps.The event is open to the public and will start promptly at 11 a.m. on Saturday, May 27 in the Assembly Area at the cemetery. Gerald B.H. Solomon Saratoga National Cemetery is located at 200 Duell Rd., Schuylerville.
Memorial Duathlon & 5K
Sunday, May 28 | 8 a.m.
On Sunday, May 28 the Saratoga Lions Club will sponsor their Memorial Duathlon and 5K. The race will begin at 8 a.m. at the Saratoga Casino Hotel. This community event brings families, friends and businesses together for a challenging and fun athletic event while acknowledging our fallen troops and veteran population. All event proceeds enhance the Saratoga Springs Lions Club efforts in helping individuals with sight and hearing disabilities, funding diabetes research and supporting other youth and community initiatives. To register, visit www.thememorialduathlon5k.com.
Corinth Memorial Day Parade
Tuesday, May 30 | 6 p.m.
The Corinth Memorial Day Parade will start at the corner of 4th and Palmer Ave. The Parade route will exit Palmer Ave and turn on West Mechanic St. and all will end at the Fire Station. There will be a short memorial and wreath laying at both Catholic & Protestant Cemeteries at 12 p.m. followed by a wreath laying ceremony at the bridge on West Mechanic St. These Ceremonies are open to the public. There will also be a ceremony at the bottom of school hill during the parade. People that watched the parade in the past downtown are encouraged to use the school hill. Parade Line up is 5 p.m., step off 6 p.m. Rain Date Wednesday, May 31.
Saratoga County Sheriff Michael Zurlo at press conference on May 23, 2023. Photo by Thomas Dimopoulos.
BALLSTON SPA — Six minutes after sunrise Tuesday morning, members of the county Sheriff’s Office Special Operation and Narcotics Unit assisted the DEA in executing a federal search warrant at 312 Foxwood Drive. The warrant relating to a six-month long narcotics investigation.
“The Special Operations team announced their purpose and authority and entered the residence,” explained Saratoga County Sheriff Michael Zurlo. “A person inside the home began shooting at deputies.”
The person inside, identified as 23-year-old Anthony Zaremski, was the subject of the investigation leading to the search warrant.
“He struck two deputies with gunfire, at which time deputies returned fire,” Zurlo said. “Mr. Zaremski was pronounced dead at 9:15 a.m. at Albany Medical Center.”
The two injured deputies, who Sheriff Zurlo declined to name, have served with the department for five years, and two years, respectively. One was struck in the chest with a round that was deflected by life-saving body armor; the other suffered a shattered femur as a result of a serious gunshot wound to his thigh, Zurlo said.
The prognosis for both is excellent, he added. “The quick thinking and instinctive actions be the members of the Special Operations Team in rendering aid to the deputies – including applying two tourniquets to the deputy shot in the thigh – was nothing short of heroic.”
A DEA officer, who is also a medic, applied first aid to Zaremski until he was transported to Albany Medical Center.
Zaremski had a lengthy criminal history record, Zurlo said, including attempted murder, and criminal drug and loaded firearm possession charges. “We encountered a dangerous subject this morning when we entered that residence.”
Tuesday’s actions were part of an ongoing criminal investigation dating back six months and involve four search warrants in the Saratoga/Albany region.
“The seizures that resulted from today’s operation resulted in hundreds of thousands of fentanyl pills and ecstasy pills, multiple kilograms of cocaine and nearly 50 rifles and handguns,” said Frank Tarentino III, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s New York Division covering the State of New York. “The amount of Fentanyl pills we seized today is equivalent to roughly 60,000 lethal doses removed from the streets of this community.”
The tally of seized items is from the first three warrant searches. Any items seized from the fourth location – where the shooting occurred Tuesday – are not included in that tally, Tarentino said.
Sheriff Zurlo said he would not comment whether anyone else was present inside the home, other than that no children were present.
“This is the first time I think, in the history of the Saratoga County Sheriff’s Office, that we had two members shot,” Zurlo said, at a presser held in Ballston Spa Tuesday afternoon. “There are no words to sufficiently describe how grateful I am that this is only a press conference and not a eulogy.”
SARATOGA — The Gerald B. H. Solomon Saratoga National Cemetery holds its 24th Annual Memorial Day Ceremony Saturday, May 27. The ceremony begins at 11 a.m. with a cannon salute.
“We’re going to honor and commemorate the service of the men and women who served. We’ll have a full-blown ceremony with a rifle salute, we have cannons here, music, song, speeches, replay presentations,” says Scott Lamb, cemetery director at Gerald B. H. Solomon Saratoga National Cemetery, located in the town of Saratoga.
Gerald B.H. Solomon Saratoga National Cemetery is New York State’s sixth national veteran’s cemetery and the 116th in the National Cemetery Administration. There are currently over 26,000 interments, which began in July 1999, over its 350 acres, 90 acres of which have been developed.
Saturday’s ceremony will include Master Sgt. John Leavitt, U.S. Army retired Vietnam Veteran as Keynote Speaker. Special guests also include WWII Veteran Ken Bailey, and Korean War Veteran Paul O’Keefe.
The ceremony is open to the public.
“It starts at 11 and we ask you give yourself a little extra time to get here a bit early,” Lamb says. “It is a well-attended ceremony and usually 1,500-plus attend. It’s a beautiful ceremony and we’re supposed to have beautiful weather. If you’re looking for a very relaxing ceremony, to sit in a chair, listen to some songs and hear a few people speak and commemorate and remember our men and women who have faithfully served, it’s a great place to do it.”
The cemetery was renamed after the late Congressman Gerald Brooks Hunt Solomon, who advocated for the cemetery to be in Saratoga.
“It was originally going to be in the Utica-Rome area. Congressman Solomon advocated for it to be here, close to the Saratoga battlefield,” says Lamb, a Navy Veteran who served from 1990 to 1998. Solomon was buried at the cemetery Oct. 31, 2001. Three months later, President George W. Bush signed legislation renaming Saratoga National Cemetery as the Gerald B.H. Solomon Saratoga National Cemetery.
The ship’s bell from the USS Saratoga, CV-3, was installed as a memorial at the cemetery in 1999. The USS Saratoga was launched in 1925 and spent 20 years at sea, including action during World War II. An American gray granite memorial was erected in 2001 to honor veterans from Saratoga County. The American Veterans (AMVETS) donated a carillon in 1999, and a granite and bronze memorial was erected in honor of U.S. submariner veterans in 2002. The cemetery also has a walkway that features a variety of memorials erected by veterans and fraternal organizations in honor of events and fallen comrades.
More than 1.4 million veterans live in New York and more than 225,000 reside in the Albany/Saratoga area. Many of the questions the national cemetery in Saratoga is asked comes from veterans inquiring whether they are eligible for burial there.
“A lot of veterans don’t realize that they are eligible, along with their spouse, if married, and any dependent children. You don’t need to have served in war – you just have to have been honorably discharged and most folks don’t know that,” Lamb says. “There is some paperwork involved, and we encourage folks to look at that. I’m a veteran myself, and I did it to see how long it took. It was a very easy process, and I got an official letter back that basically says I’m deemed eligible for burial when the time comes.”
When a Veteran, service member, or family member qualifies for burial in a VA national cemetery, they receive certain burial benefits at no cost to their family. “After you come through the cemetery everything is paid for by the government – that’s the opening and closing of the gravesite, the placing of the headstone or marker, the perpetual care, the maintenance – all paid for, for you and your spouse,” Lamb says.
The cemetery in Saratoga conducts approximately 1,300 interments a year and has space available to accommodate casketed and cremated remains. Since 1999, the cemetery counts a total of about 26,000 interments and has ample space for expansion. Eligibility information for veterans may be found at: www.va.gov/burials-memorials/eligibility.
Gerald B.H. Solomon Saratoga National Cemetery is open daily from dawn to dusk and is located in the town of Saratoga. For more information go to: cem.va.gov/cems/nchp/geraldbhsolomonsaratoga.asp. Follow on Instagram: instagram.com/gbhs_saratoganatcem, and Facebook: facebook.com/NatCemSaratoga.
Molly Pezzulo, an epidemiologist at Saratoga County Public Health services, providing Narcan training in Ballston Spa. Photo by Thomas Dimopoulos.
SARATOGA COUNTY — It is a 10-minute discussion that can save a life. And it is offered free of charge.
“The level of overdoses we’ve seen the past couple of years… we haven’t experienced this before in my 30 years,” says Saratoga County Health & Services Committee chairman Phil Barrett. “It crosses every demographic- age, gender, economics.”
On this day, Barrett is standing in a parking lot adjacent to the county building complex in Ballston Spa. He is flanked by a multitude of county health department workers wearing bright blue windbreakers that showcase the county seal and manning similarly draped tables where walk-ins are provided a 10-minute-long, one-on-one training session about administering nasal Narcan. The overdose reversal drug (Naloxone) works on opioids such as heroin, prescription pain medications and fentanyl.
Since January Saratoga County’s Department of Health has conducted more than 30 training events and distributed more than 3,400 two-dose Narcan kits across the county.
During the sessions, participants are trained to recognize an opioid overdose and how to administer nasal Narcan. The training takes about 10 minutes and participants receive a Certificate of Completion that states they have been trained in the use of naloxone for the purpose of preventing death from an opioid overdose. They are also given a free Narcan rescue kit, which includes two doses of Narcan, a rescue breathing face shield, a certificate of training, a drug disposal system, and a mental health and substance use disorder resource guide.
“The availability of drugs has always been there, but now you have an increased availability of cheap drugs that are extremely harmful, more harmful than we’ve ever seen,” Barrett says.
Less than six months into 2023, there have been more than one dozen fatalities in Saratoga County and about 250 countywide overdoses overall. The age-range: as young as 13, as old as 73. And that’s only the ones that have been reported. Over the previous five years, approximately 250 known drug-related overdose fatalities have occurred in Saratoga County.
“Each individual that attends one of these events you can save a life with everything you learn. That’s really the goal – to get as much information and resources to people directly in our communities.”
Nationwide, more than 101,000 reported fatal overdoses occurred in the 12-month period ending in October 2022, primarily driven by synthetic opioids like illicit fentanyl, according to the FDA.
“We know this is a huge issue nationally, statewide, locally,” said Board of County Supervisors Chairman Theodore Kusnierz. “The numbers tell the tale. We’re seeing increases every year in opioid overdoses, so In Saratoga County we’ve made fighting the scourge of opioids our top priority. Now that we’ve transitioned from the COVID-19 pandemic now we can focus particularly on this issue.”
Some of the ways the county is addressing the issue includes earmarking nearly $1 million – it has received about $900,000 in opioid settlement money to date – in what Kuznierz calls a multi-prong approach” which includes the Saratoga County Health Department, the Department of Mental Health & Addiction Services, and the county Sheriff’s office in providing assistance for prevention, education, and treatment.
Specifically, the county has initiated a comprehensive, near real-time substance-use surveillance dashboard to help response efforts in combatting the opioid epidemic – at Savealifeto.day – authorized the spending of $50,000 to purchase a mass spectrometer – which rapidly detects specific substances involved in overdoses – and stages Narcan training and distribution events.
“We’ve seen the numbers and we know that they are not trending down, that’s for sure,” Kusnierz said. “I should point out that these are only reported cases. We know there are other cases that are not reported, so the numbers are even higher.”
An additional method of helping prevent drug overdoses and reducing harm involves Fentanyl test strips, or FTS. The small strips of paper can detect the presence of Fentanyl – an opioid 50-100 times more potent than heroin and morphine – in various different kinds of drugs. It is unclear whether the county has, or will have FTS, and make them available to the general public.
Narcan nasal spray was first approved by the FDA in 2015 as a prescription drug.
Currently, the State DOH provides the nasal spray to local health departments at no charge so they can provide training and free distribution of Narcan to their communities.
Six weeks ago, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced the approval of Narcan nasal spray for over-the-counter, nonprescription, use. It is the first naloxone product approved for use without a prescription. When it does make its way onto the shelves of neighborhood stores, however, the cost of the nasal spray may get pricey. The county plans to continue to distribute the kits free of charge for as long as they have them.
For upcoming Saratoga County DOH training and distribution events, go to: www.saratogacountyny.gov/narcan.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — City Finance Commissioner Minita Sanghvi presented the 2022 Preliminary Financial Report for Saratoga Springs for the Fiscal Year ended Dec. 31, 2022. The updated document was filed with the State Comptroller’s Office on April 28, 2023 and presented to the City Council on May 4.
Some of the comparable data of general fund revenues between 2022 and 2021: Sales Tax collections were $16.955 million, an increase of 13% over 2021; Hotel Room Occupancy Tax collections $743,000, an increase of 27%; Admission Tax: $451,000, up 13% over 2021.
In general fund expenses, Health Insurance costs were $7.824 million in 2022, an increase of 8% from 2021.
The unaudited numbers show an excess fund balance, but Sanghvi cautioned, “we need to be conservative in spending and look for additional revenue sources. The success of 2022 was largely due to Federal Funds, a one-time revenue source…we should be looking at building reserves, covering liabilities, investing in infrastructure and establishing stable revenue streams.”
Sanghvi said some potential future revenue streams include registration for short term rentals, and dispensaries and cannabis cafes – municipalities receive a 3% tax on cannabis sales, under New York State law.
The Finance Office is preparing the 2022 Financial Statements. Upon completion of the audit, the commissioner will publicly release the audited figures.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — The City Council approved the awarding of $10,000 Mayor’s Non-Profit Grants to four organizations.
Those organizations are: The Wesley Health Care Center, Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Saratoga Springs, Race Track Chaplaincy of America Metro NY Division, and Saratoga Springs Arts District.
There were 30 proposals vying for the grants, and each of the grants were unanimously approved by the City Council.
Wesley Health Care Center operates a Certified Nurse Assistants Training Program to prepare previously unemployed and underemployed Saratoga-area residents for CNA positions and guarantees employment for those who successfully complete the program. Approximately 78 individuals participate in the paid on-the-job training annually. The program provides a continual supply of certified individuals to fill open positions throughout The Wesley Community and other local health care organizations.
Funds will be used to purchase materials for trainees, who are provided with textbooks, CPR cards, gait belts, personal protective equipment, and other personal care tools for use during the training and beyond.
Citing statistics that express the importance of parents, guardians, and other family members of LGBTQ youth to have access to the resources they need to ensure their LGBTQ children are protected and supported, Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Saratoga Springs will use funds to develop targeted programs to support LGBTQ teens, parents and allies and the hire of professional facilitators, coordinators, presenters, and therapists to support that programming.
The New York Race Track Chaplaincy ministers to a community of stable workers and their families with children’s enrichment, teen mentoring, women’s enrichment, social service, recreational, and educational programs as well as non-denominational religious services. The funding allows the organization to continue serving the families of the backstretch community with excellence and provides the stability to relieve concerns regarding the number of families who may seek the organization’s assistance at Saratoga.
Identifying a project that will benefit merchants, restaurants and clubs by the increase of traffic to Beekman Street, the Saratoga Springs Arts District – located on Beekman Street – plans to use funding to hire a professional event planner who would select and organize visiting artists and makers, hire musicians, promote and advertise events, and serve as liaison for the merchants on Beekman, as well as use funds to hire artists to demonstrate their creative process during events.
