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Raising Awareness About Eating Disorders: Flutters Of Hope

Written by Saratoga TODAY on . Posted in News.

SARATOGA SPRINGS – Flutters of Hope was born a few years ago after Cheryl Marron saw the immense need to raise awareness of Eating Disorders, a disease which has been hidden behind education, the lack of medica/mental health care, and insurance providers.

“I know first-hand the suffering an eating disorder in a family member or friend can cause,” Marron says. ‘My daughter, Annalise, has had issues since she was a teen. Throughout the years I have met so many people with eating disorders or parents and friends who know someone with one. Along the way I have had the opportunity to hear their unique stories and can personally relate to their hardships regarding stress, guilt, shame, financial disruption, and want to bring awareness to our community on the topic. ”

Upcoming event:  at Adirondack Sports Expo, March 18 & 19, from 10-4 at Saratoga Springs City Center, 522 Broadway. Free admission. 

For more information, visit: www.fluttersofhopeinc.org.If you know anyone suffering from the disease or a family member/friend who needs help contact: Cheryl Marron hello@fluttersofhopeinc.org or call: 716-818-0170. Flutters of Hope, is a 501c3 state and federally recognized organization to help those with eating disorders. 

Saratoga County To Participate In STOP-DWI ST. PATRICK’S DAY “High Visibility Engagement Campaign” 

Written by Saratoga TODAY on . Posted in News.

BALLSTON SPA – Saratoga County police agencies and STOP-DWI coordinators will participate in special efforts to bring awareness to the dangers of impaired driving.

The statewide STOP-DWI High Visibility Engagement Campaign (HVEC) efforts start on March 16, and will continue through March 19. 

St. Patrick’s Day Weekend is a notoriously deadly period for impaired driving due to the number of celebrations and drivers on the road. The Sheriff’s Office, municipal law enforcement agencies and STOP-DWI programs across the state will be participating in special engagement efforts to reduce the number of alcohol related injuries and deaths. 

The STOP-DWI St. Patrick’s Day HVEC is one of many statewide initiatives promoted by STOP-DWI NYand the Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee. Highly visible, highly publicized efforts like the STOP-DWI HVEC aim to further reduce the incidence of drunk and impaired driving. 

You can help to make a difference by Having a Sober Plan! Download the mobile app – “Have a Plan” and you will always be able to find a safe ride home: www.stopdwi.org/mobileapp.

Election 2023: City GOP Endorses Democrat for Public Safety

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


Saratoga County – Active Voters Party Affiliation. Total Saratoga County Enrollment: 174,991. Graph depicts active registered voters in the thousands. Data Source: NYS Board of Elections, as of Feb. 21, 2023. Democratic Party, Republican Party, Conservative Party, Working Families Party, Other parties, Blank/Not enrolled in a party. Graph, compiled data by Thomas Dimopoulos.

Saratoga Springs – Active Voters Party Affiliation. Total Saratoga City Enrollment: 20,836. Graph depicts active registered voters in the thousands. Data Source: NYS Board of Elections, as of Feb. 21, 2023. Democratic Party, Republican Party, Conservative Party, Working Families Party, Other parties, Blank/Not enrolled in a party. Graph, compiled data by Thomas Dimopoulos.

SARATOGA SPRINGS – Less than 15 months have passed since the start of their respective two-year terms, and the next vote-casting day is scheduled to take place more than 33 weeks away. 

Cue the candidates for the November 2023 election.  

Last month, the Saratoga Springs Democratic Committee announced their endorsed slate of candidates for this year’s city election. This week, the Saratoga Springs Republican Committee followed suit.   

The Democratic Committee endorsed each of the five current City Council members – all of whom are Democrats. Those incumbents are:  Ron Kim for Mayor, Minita Sanghvi for Commissioner of Finance, Jim Montagnino for Commissioner of Public Safety, Jason Golub for Commissioner of Public Works and Dillon Moran for Commissioner of Accounts. Additionally, Gordon Boyd was endorsed by the committee as Supervisor to represent the city at the county level. 

This week, the Saratoga Springs Republican Committee announced their nomination of “three strong candidates,” said city GOP Chairman Mike Brandi. “While the current City Council and Democratic Committee consume themselves with politics and petty squabbles, the Saratoga Springs Republican Committee remains focused on what really matters: delivering candidates who will provide effective, competent, and transparent government for the residents of Saratoga Springs.”

The endorsed candidates are: John Safford for Mayor, Matt Veitch – running for reelection to a ninth term as County Supervisor, and Tim Coll for Public Safety. 

Safford, a Vietnam Veteran and small-business entrepreneur, was previously unsuccessful in a 2015 bid to unseat incumbent Mayor Joanne Yepsen and in his 2021 run for Supervisor.    

Veitch has served as Supervisor since 2008, advocating for the city of Saratoga Springs at the county level. 

Coll, who worked as a Special Agent of the FBI for 30 years, is seeking the position of Commissioner of Public Safety. Coll received the unanimous endorsement of the Saratoga Springs Republican Committee. He is also a registered Democrat. 

“Tim Coll is indisputably qualified for this position,” said Chairman Brandi, adding that Coll will bring decades of law enforcement and leadership experience with the FBI to “repair and restore the toxic environment that is poisoning the public safety department under the current Commissioner… the Committee is proud to put politics aside to support a candidate as qualified and motivated to serve our city as Tim is.” 

Coll says he decided to run because over concerns about “the potential impact of the mismanagement that currently plagues the Public Safety Department.” Coll said after being “denied the opportunity to address the full Democratic Committee for their support,” he sought the endorsement of city Republican leadership. “While I am a registered Democrat, I refuse to be drawn into the tribalism of Democrats vs. Republicans.” 

Coll’s campaign manager is Jane Weihe, a past chair of Saratoga Springs Democratic Committee. Weihe was previously unsuccessful in her bid as city Finance Commissioner in 2007 and in a mayoral run in 1987. She is married to local political blogger John Kaufman. Coll said he plans on being on the November ballot as a Democrat with GOP endorsement.

The City Council is comprised of five councilmembers – one mayor and four commissioners. Saratoga Springs is additionally represented at the county by two supervisors. Elections for all seven seats are held every two years. 

In addition to the six candidates endorsed by the city Democratic Committee overall and the three thus far nominated by the city Republican Committee, former city Finance Commissioner Michele Madigan recently announced she will be vying for a seat as Saratoga County Supervisor, and former Public Safety Commissioner Chris Mathiesen said he will run for Mayor.  All potential candidates will now be soliciting signatures in order participate in the election, making for a busy Primary and Election season in Saratoga Springs. 

The 2023 Election Cycle Calendar points to Primary Elections, where applicable, on June 27, with Early Voting June 17-25. The General Election will be held Nov. 7, with Early Voting Oct. 28-Nov. 5. This year, an election will be held in Saratoga Springs for all five City Council seats – that is, the mayor and four commissioners, as well as both Supervisor positions. 

Countywide, registered Republican make up approximately 35.8% of all registered voters, with Democrats charting 29.2% and “blanks” – or registered voters not enrolled in any party – accounting for 27.6%. 

In the city of Saratoga Springs, that balance shifts, with SARATOGA SPRINGS – Less than 15 months have passed since the start of their respective two-year terms, and the next vote-casting day is scheduled to take place more than 33 weeks away. 

Cue the candidates for the November 2023 election.  

Last month, the Saratoga Springs Democratic Committee announced their endorsed slate of candidates for this year’s city election. This week, the Saratoga Springs Republican Committee followed suit.   

The Democratic Committee endorsed each of the five current City Council members – all of whom are Democrats. Those incumbents are:  Ron Kim for Mayor, Minita Sanghvi for Commissioner of Finance, Jim Montagnino for Commissioner of Public Safety, Jason Golub for Commissioner of Public Works and Dillon Moran for Commissioner of Accounts. Additionally, Gordon Boyd was endorsed by the committee as Supervisor to represent the city at the county level. 

Parking Spaces, Sacred Places: Collamer Lot to Install Paid Parking

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

Private Parking signs have been installed in the parking lot on Broadway adjacent to the Algonquin apartments and the Collamer building. Photo by Thomas Dimopoulos.

SARATOGA SPRINGS – Parking spaces make for sacred places during the Spa City’s heaviest trafficked times, inspiring motorists to navigate a busy Broadway seeking a free spot of convenience to temporarily stash their vehicle.  

The Collamer lot, as it is often referred to, stands just north of City Hall and for several decades has hidden amid the camouflage of plain sight, a welcome respite for wheeled roadsters yearning for rapid runs to any one of the many fine sidewalk coffeehouses lining main street or aid in the undertaking of some quick storefront shopping, alike. 

With quiet suddenness one recent morning, the lot, long unbothered save for a two-hour parking limitation, was discovered in an altered state festooned with a proliferation of tall metal poles upon which were posted signs warning all who enter: Private Parking. All Others Will Be Towed. Of course, the new, mammoth city parking structure welcoming motorists stands a mere few dozen yards away. But, still.  

So, what gives? 

As it turns out, the city of Saratoga Springs, which owned the lot, sold it about 16 months ago to Algonquin LLC for approximately $1.2 million.  

“They finally, I am told, exercised their control over it,” said Saratoga Springs City Attorney Tony Izzo, when asked about it. “It was a situation where they needed to do that, because the public was essentially still viewing it as a public parking lot. Now that they’ve put the signs up, it should be very clear to the public that it’s a private parking lot.” 

Izzo said there were some discussions with the owner’s attorneys regarding whether or not the city might subsequently lease a part of the lot, but that did not happen. “The city wanted to sell it and be done with it.”  

The space had once sited the Pavilion Hotel – built in 1819 and felled by a fire in the 1840s. In 1857, the First Presbyterian Church was built atop the lot at a cost of $3,000 and supplemented with an organ to provide the public “the pleasure of hearing its tone and power,” according to published reports of the time. 

The church stood for 119 years, itself destroyed by a fire of suspicious origin in the pre-dawn hours of the last Thursday of January 1976. Flames from the blaze shot up as high as 200 feet according to eyewitnesses and was first discovered by then-23-year-old Saratoga Springs patrolman Frank Max. Max, now 70 years of age and still living locally, said when contacted for this article last week, that he vaguely remembers seeing smoke coming from the building while he was walking his beat.  As a result of the fire, three policemen and a firefighter were injured and 60 residents of the adjacent Algonquin apartment house and the Collamer building were evacuated from the safety of their abodes. 

Nearly a decade ago, the parcel was to be coupled with a land sale in an acquisition that sought to develop an east side fire station. And in 2008, the city contemplated various proposals from three different development groups that included the sale of the so-called Collamer and High Rock lots in exchange for a new public safety facility, a parking garage, retail/residential buildings and potentially a city-wide paid parking system. None of the proposals ultimately came to fruition.      

A plaque fixed to a stone outside the building told the history of the church, although that plaque has gone missing and today only a naked stone remains. 

More changes are planned for the lot in the future. A site plan filed with the city of Saratoga Springs last September calls for a proposed mixed-use project to include approximately 4,000 sq. ft. commercial space and 112 residential units on the upper floors. The proposed project is titled Algonquin Properties Re-Development. The applicant is The Algonquin, LLC, of Monsey, N.Y.

There are also plans for a portion of the parking area of the lot itself.  

“We’ve rented a number of the spaces to a number of people in the Collamer (building) and at City Hall,” says Will Borchers, manager at the Algonquin. “In a couple of weeks, we’re also going to implement a paid parking system – by the hour, or by the day.” That system will be using an app and a QR code and will feature somewhere around three dozen spaces. 

Saratoga Springs Sets Next Public Forum to Discuss Short Term Rentals 

Written by Saratoga TODAY on . Posted in News.

SARATOGA SPRINGS —Commissioner of Accounts Dillon Moran has set April 25 for the fourth public workshop hosted by the Accounts Department to continue the discussion about short term rentals in Saratoga Springs. 

 “This is a continuation of a series of workshops to encourage discussion about our community’s long history of rentals, and the current landscape and impact of short-term rentals on housing availability, neighborhoods, and safety,” Moran said, in a statement. “Saratoga Springs is a destination and a community, and the positive economic impact for locals needs to be balanced by defining short-term rentals. It is also important for local government to work toward effective and enforceable regulations especially regarding public health and safety challenges.” 

Residents interested in discussing short-term rentals and potential changes necessary to address the short-term rental market are encouraged to participate. 

The workshop is scheduled to take place 6-8 p.m. on Tuesday, April 25 at the Saratoga Springs City Center.  

Saratoga BLM Activist Pleads Not Guilty to Violation Initiated by City Public Safety Commissioner; Judge Denies Additional Request for Order of Protection

Written by Thomas Dimopoulos on . Posted in News.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Chandler Hickenbottom pleaded not guilty to a disorderly conduct charge during her arraignment at Saratoga Springs City Court on March 7.   

The violation charge, specified as disturbing a lawful assembly, was requested by City Council member and Public Safety Commissioner Jim Montagnino in connection with the disruption of a Feb. 7 City Council meeting. That council meeting was subsequently adjourned early and eventually resumed two days later.

“I filed the charge that I filed because the City Council meeting was ended. It wasn’t delayed, it wasn’t’ interrupted, it was ended,” Montagnino said, during the City Council meeting Tuesday night, March 8.  

The 26-year-old Saratoga Black Lives Matter activist was accompanied by her attorney Mark Mishler who told the court that the allegations infringe and violate Hickenbottom’s protected First Amendment rights. 

Inside the courtroom, supporters of Hickenbottom wore newly minted red sweatshirts stenciled with the hashtag #thepeoplesmeeting and name-checking the city’s public safety commissioner with the stenciled phrase addition “Your Racism Is Showing.”    

Both Saratoga Springs City Judges – Jeffrey Wait and Francine Vero –  apparently withdrew from hearing the case, the reason for their respective recusals not immediately known. Mechanicville City Court Judge Constantine DiStefano instead took the position at the judge’s bench flanked by the U.S. flag and N.Y. State flag as a handful of regionally based television news crew members sat in the jury box and fixed their cameras on the defendant’s table. 

In court, Judge Constantine DiStefano denied an additional filing by the commissioner, who sits on the City Council, for an order of protection. If approved, it presumably would have barred Hickenbottom from attending council meetings, which are attended by Montagnino. 

All parties are scheduled to return to city court on March 28.

“This whole situation is absolutely ridiculous,” Hickenbottom said, meeting with members of the media on the steps of City Hall following her appearance in court. “What we see is a public official now taking out an Order of Protection against an activist. This is taking away from my (ability) to go to City Council meetings, to speak about things I feel I should be able to speak about.  I am a lifelong community member, born and raised in Saratoga Springs, and it is my right to come to these City Council meetings.” 

Hickenbottom said recent developments are “fracturing” the relationship between Saratoga BLM and city government. Recently, the council agreed to hold a special forum with activists to discuss issues. That forum is anticipated to take place March 21. 

A number of Saratoga BLM activists are intending to bring a lawsuit against the city, according to Hickenbottom’s attorney, Mark Mishler said. “Going back well before (city protests in) July 2020, but at least for these purposes, starting in July 2020, there has been a policy and practices directed and motivated to violate the civil rights, the constitutional rights, of Saratoga BLM and other supporters of Saratoga BLM,” Mishler said. “We didn’t need this new charge to have a very strong lawsuit against the city of Saratoga Springs, (but) it is our intent that this event will also be part of the lawsuit.” 

There is no specific timeline to file a potential lawsuit, but Mishler reminded that the state Attorney General’s office remains engaged in an investigation of the city related to civil rights violations. “We are interested in seeing what the Attorney General’s office says when they complete their investigation, so, most likely a lawsuit will not be filed until that process is complete.” 

“I want to see actual change,” Hickenbottom said. “Nothing is going to change if they don’t listen to the things that the community wants. What I’m looking for is the City Council to actually listen to the community. The only way we’re going to move forward and be a better Saratoga is to listen to the people who are working in Saratoga and living in Saratoga. And that doesn’t mean the people who are rich in Saratoga. That means the minorities of Saratoga: the poor, the black, the homeless.”

The other four members of the City Council have come out publicly expressing disapproval of the action brought by their fellow Democrat public safety commissioner. 

“I wish we hadn’t taken this step,” city Mayor Ron Kim said, shortly after Hickenbottom’s court appearance. “I don’t think we need to have a court hearing on someone who is exercising their free speech, even though that speech we may not like, or we may not like the way they are delivering it; it’s still essentially a First Amendment right and we shouldn’t have the courts dealing with this. It’s regrettable we have this situation.” 

“Where we are now is partly because of Daryl Mount, but it’s not only because of that,” said Saratoga BLM activist Alexis Figuereo. 

Darryl Mount was a 21-year-old biracial man who was mortally injured while fleeing city police in the early morning hours of Aug. 31, 2013. Mount was subsequently in a coma for several months following the incident and died in May 2014. 

The city’s Public Safety Department maintained there was no police misconduct evident related to the circumstances of the injuries suffered by Mount, although the level of speculation about what may have occurred has remained high among some area residents, particularly after a 2018 report published by the Times Union revealed court documents showing the city’s then police chief admitted no internal investigation into misconduct was ever conducted and that he had intentionally deceived a local reporter whose published stories referenced an ongoing internal investigation that the chief knew didn’t exist.

“I believe with all the things that have been going on across America, and even in our own communities – things that are swept under the rug and people don’t talk about – that’s the reason we came together in 2020 to speak our mind,” Figuereo said. In the summer of 2020, protests for social and racial justice ramped up regionally much as they had nationwide in the wake of the May 25 murder of George Floyd in in Minneapolis.    

“Even if there was no Daryl Mount we would be out here. Daryl Mount is a big part of it, but there are still a bunch of other people who have been abused in this community and in this county – being called racist words, the KKK flyers on our cars. It needs to be spoken against, and that’s what we’re going to do.”    

Saratoga Springs Finance Commissioner Announces Second Year of Record-Breaking Sales Tax

Written by Saratoga TODAY on . Posted in News.

 Tax Collection Comparison, Saratoga Springs Finance Office. 

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Saratoga Springs led the state in year-over-year growth of sales tax collection, according to a statement issued on March 3 by city Commissioner of Finance Minita Sanghvi. 

The city’s increase – a 14.6% increase in 2022, totaling $16,954,841.43 – mirrors New York State’s overall sales tax collection, which totaled $22.1 billion in calendar year 2022, up 12.7%, or $2.5 billion, from 2021, according to a report released by State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli. 

In 2021, of the cities that impose their own sales tax, Saratoga Springs had the strongest year-over-year increase, at 32.5%.

Saratoga Springs also collected $743,149 in occupancy tax, a 27% increase from 2021 and the city’s highest-ever, exceeding pre-pandemic levels by 12%, Sanghvi said. 

The 2022 revenues exceed those of 2019, the year of the city’s second highest occupancy tax revenue, by $80,186.

“This is the second year we’ve seen record breaking tax revenues for our city,” Sanghvi said, in a statement. “This is very good momentum for our city and reflects all the work our administration is doing to attract visitors and make our city a popular tourist destination.”

“These figures tell the story of the resilience of our community. Saratoga Springs continues to attract people because of the public and private investment in making the city a great place to live, work and play,” city Mayor Ron Kim said, in a statement.

Public Meeting for Workforce Housing Project Monday Night

Written by Thomas Dimopoulos on . Posted in News.

The Zoning Board of Appeals stages its meeting Monday night at Saratoga Springs City Hall.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — A proposed workforce housing project will be one focus of Monday night’s Zoning Board of Appeals meeting at City Hall.  

According to documents filed with the city, the applicant – Liberty Affordable Housing, Inc., of Rome, NY, and the owners – Saratoga Harness Racing, are seeking an area variance of 8 feet relief on a 48-foot structure to permit the development of workforce housing. 

Plans call for the construction of approximately 215 workforce housing units on the 30-plus acre property located at the corner of Jefferson St. and Crescent Ave. 

The ZBA Meeting gets underway at 6:30 p.m. on March 13 at Saratoga Springs City Hall. 

Meetup: How To Fight Disinformation

Written by Saratoga TODAY on . Posted in News.

SARATOGA  COUNTY — League of Women Voters of Saratoga County member Barbara Thomas will present an online program via Zoom focused on the topic of: How to Fight Disinformation. 

The PowerPoint presentation will use information developed by the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) about ways to counteract disinformation. UCS says the main and most important thing to remember is to NEVER repeat disinformation – even when pointing out that it is incorrect. 

This free event takes place 7 p.m. Wednesday, March 15, and is sponsored by the League of Women Voters of Saratoga County. Register in advance for this virtual event: lwvsaratoga.org/events

50th Vietnam War Commemoration Ceremony: March 29

Written by Saratoga TODAY on . Posted in News.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — The Friends of the New York State Military Museum, in conjunction with the Capital District of New York Chapter of the Association of the United States Army (AUSA), will be conduct a 50th Vietnam War Commemoration ceremony at 7 p.m. Wednesday, March 29, at the Saratoga-Wilton Elks Lodge, 1 Elks Lane, Saratoga Springs.  

The event will recognize and honor the service of Vietnam War era veterans who served in the military during the period of Nov. 1, 1955 thru May 15, 1975 and have time on active duty even if only for training. All branches of the service – Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines and Coast Guard qualify. 

The event is free and open to the public; veterans who register in advance will receive a Vietnam War era lapel pin,  issued by the United States Department of Defense as part of its 50th Anniversary Vietnam War Commemoration – a multi-year program to thank and honor Vietnam veterans and their families for their service and sacrifice. 

A Surviving Spouse pin will also be issued to the spouse of a deceased veteran who served on active duty in the United States Armed Forces at any time during the period noted above regardless of location. Veterans and Surviving Spouses may register for the event by contacting CSM(R) Bob Van Pelt at 518-210-2868 or email at bvpcsm@aol.com. 

Registration must be completed no later than March 24. Provide your name, dates of service and name of spouse/family/guest you will bring. Each individual Vietnam War Era Veteran will be recognized and presented with the lapel pin and have an opportunity to say a few words. Refreshments will be served. Prior pin awardees are welcome to attend and make remarks. Everyone attending must register.