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Larry Goodwin

Larry Goodwin

Thursday, 31 August 2017 16:48

Jockeys Visit Maple Avenue Coffee Shop

Front photo shows Hall of Fame jockeys Javier Castellano (left) and John Velazquez at the Maple Avenue Dunkin' Donuts on Aug. 30. Photo by Larry Goodwin. Gallery photo provided by Ed Lewi Associates. 

WILTON – As customers filed through the doors of Dunkin’ Donuts on Maple Avenue Wednesday morning, famed horse jockeys John Velazquez and Javier Castellano waited inside to greet them for a promotional contest and the introduction of a new flavor.

“It’s a pleasure to be here,” offered Castellano, who has competed at the Saratoga Race Course and other national thoroughbred tracks for nearly 20 years. He joked how that is not as long as Velazquez, who has raced for 27. 

Tom Burke of the Burke Network had coordinated the Hall of Fame jockeys’ visit to the Wilton store as a means to promote the Dunkin’ Donuts “Sip. Peel. Win.” contest. It offers a variety of prizes and specials to customers who purchase large or extra large coffees, teas, or hot chocolates.

Castellano and Velazquez enticed willing customers to peel off oversized stickers from a store employee who was disguised as a coffee cup; the jockeys also served up samples to people as they relaxed at tables in the store.

The “Sip. Peel. Win.” contest runs through the end of September at participating Dunkin’ Donuts stores, or until supplies run out. 

The celebrity-backed promotion, according to Burke, was also part of introducing Maple Pecan, a new Dunkin’ Donuts flavor, and the Maple Sugar Bacon Breakfast Sandwich.

“This maple-inspired event was part of a national Dunkin’ Donuts program, in which 15 Dunkin’ Donuts shops located on Maple Streets, Maple Roads and Maple Avenues throughout the country offered free maple-flavored coffee and breakfast sandwich samples,” explained a statement from the Albany firm Ed Lewi Associates.

The “Maple Pecan-flavored coffees and lattes serve a sweet and nutty taste for an exciting new way to stay energized around the changing of the seasons,” the statement continues. The flavor is available in the “full coffee lineup” at Dunkin’ Donuts stores, it adds, including hot or iced beverages, espresso, and frozen or cold-brew coffee.  

For more information, visit the websites www.sippeelwin.com or  www.DunkinDonuts.com.  

The Saratoga County administrative offices on McMaster Street in Ballston Spa. Photo by Larry Goodwin.

BALLSTON SPA – Out of more than half of a billion dollars in taxes paid this year by Saratoga County property owners for government services, county officials found less than half of a million to save in a shared-services review mandated by New York State.

On Tuesday, Aug. 15, the formal Shared Services Panel chaired by County Administrator Spencer Hellwig voted to approve a two-part plan developed this summer among the supervisors and mayors of the county’s two cities, nine villages and 19 towns.

School districts, which account for 65 percent of taxes levied on property owners, were allowed to opt out of the shared-services review in the law proposed by Gov. Andrew Cuomo and passed by the state Legislature earlier this year, according to the New York State Association of Counties (NYSAC).

The “cooperative bidding” part of the plan enables the Saratoga County Purchasing Department to find the best deals on “office supplies, paper products, cleaning supplies and auto parts” for use by all municipalities in the county, according to the official report that was issued by the panel. 

The total cost in 2016 for such items exceeded $2 million, but the panel devised a way to save 15 percent, or $300,265, in 2018 and beyond.

The second part of the plan involves a “Medicare-eligible Retiree Health Insurance Consortium,” the report says. It authorizes municipalities to join the county’s “Medicare Advantage” plan for retirees, with anticipated savings of $172,376 starting next year.

The combined annual savings in the Saratoga County shared-services plan is $472,641.

According to the panel’s report, the “sum total of property taxes levied in the year 2017 by the county, cities, towns, villages, school districts, BOCES and special improvement districts” is $530,713,796.

The “anticipated savings to the average taxpayer” is $4.89, the report indicates. It also amounts to savings of 1.2 percent for homeowners and 1.42 percent for businesses.

After the Aug. 15 vote, Deputy County Administrator Chad Cooke said property taxes account for slightly more than $56 million of Saratoga County’s $300 million annual budget. The remainder is derived from sales taxes in county businesses as well as state and federal aid.

On Aug. 14, Saratoga Springs Mayor Joanne Yepsen convened a special meeting of the City Council that focused on the county’s shared-services panel. The council voted to opt out of the health consortium, but it will participate in the cooperative bidding process.

Commissioner of Finance Michele Madigan said the Adirondack Trust Company, the city’s insurance broker, had advised opting out of the health insurance consortium for retirees. Madigan explained that the city has “a limited ability to do anything” because the rules for that type of insurance “are embedded in our labor contracts.”

According to an Aug. 1 statement by NYSAC, the shared-services review is the third attempt by state lawmakers in the last six years to compel the 57 counties outside of New York City to reduce tax burdens and overall costs.

A 2011 state law mandated property tax caps and a 2014 measure introduced a related “tax freeze rebate program,” the statement indicates. 

“While the goal of this legislation was to reduce property taxes, there is still work to be done,” NYSAC President William Cherry remarked in the statement. “The biggest cost drivers for property taxes in this state are schools and state mandates, and they were largely unaddressed by these panels.”

When reached for comment, NYSAC Executive Director Stephen Acquario said “we need to do more in this space to help local taxpayers,” referring to the complicated nature of insurance coverage for government employees at the state and local levels.

Acquario admitted that county governments have to evolve with the times and technology, and it should be “heavily scrutinized” whether or not that is happening.

Still, he questioned the value of state leaders mandating the current shared-services panels. Acquario said the counties are only “in the middle of the process” at this point.   

“We’re still collecting the data,” he added.

“The state has to have more skin in the game,” Acquario said. 

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The Veterans Memorial Walkway in front of the Malta town complex. Photo by Larry Goodwin. 

MALTA – To Renee Farley, every action that helps a military veteran can be compared to a single drop of water being added to Saratoga Lake—the problems that local veterans face are so grand in scale.

On Monday, not long before she was scheduled to give a brief presentation to the Malta Town Board regarding a small project to expand the Veterans Memorial Walkway near town hall, Farley received an alert about a veteran in trouble.

She called him Everett. He reportedly fell in his garage and then refused to call for an ambulance. Farley ended up visiting Everett’s home to ensure that an ambulance was called, and he was later admitted to the hospital. 

The alert to help Everett went out by email to several thousand people through the Malta Veteran Appreciation Program (MVAP) network, of which Farley is one of four primary coordinators.

“We just kind of took him under our wing,” she says of Everett, adding that he often gets depressed. His only vehicle was recently repossessed, complicating matters more for him. “He’s had a tough life,” Farley added.

Farley described how another veteran living near the Publik House restaurant and pub on Route 9 was leaning a chair against his refrigerator door to keep it closed. When she went to inspect, Farley said, she noticed that his oven was in equally poor condition. 

She promptly made sure the veteran received two new appliances.

With military members in her family, Farley says her determination to help veterans is unwavering. Some days she arranges transportation for them to doctors’ appointments; on other days comforting phone calls may be necessary if, as in Everett’s case, they get admitted to hospitals.

A simple phone call could be the act that prevents a veteran from committing suicide, according to Farley, because it proves to them that people truly care about those who have served their country.

“It’s, basically, whatever they need,” she said. “They’re out there alone.”

The MVAP network’s official motto is “Help Us Locate Our Veterans in Need,” and Farley says her goal is “to keep adding emails” of local individuals who want to assist in that effort. People are welcome to call MVAP anonymously at any time if they are aware of a veteran who needs help, she said. (The network’s website is www.mvap.us.)

On Sunday, Sept. 17, a dedication ceremony has been scheduled between 1 and 3 p.m. at the Veterans Memorial Walkway in Malta to formally announce sales of bricks for $100 each to honor local veterans.

The bricks will be installed as complements to the existing memorial, which includes a small piece of steel from the twin towers of the World Trade Center. The veterans’ park was first built in front of the town complex nearly 20 years ago.

Farley informed the town board that unionized bricklayers have already offered to donate their labor for the expansion project.

“We have a long-term plan to grow it slightly in size,” explains Malta Councilman Craig Warner, referring to the existing concrete walkway. Warner has worked closely with Farley on veterans’ outreach since his 2015 election campaign.

The bricks are being manufactured in Florida, according to Warner, and they will be etched with individual names and military units. “When we sell each of them, it will benefit veterans out here substantially,” he said.

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Thursday, 24 August 2017 13:50

Solar Eclipse a Hit In Local Communities

Front photo was taken Monday, Aug. 21 at 2:41 p.m., when the eclipse reached its (local) peak of 66 percent, in the Winner’s Circle at the Saratoga Race Course. Photo by Thomas Dimopoulos. Gallery photos were taken by Nancy Castillo of Wild Birds Unlimited; and a scene with staff and residents at the Prestwick Chase senior living community on Saratoga Boulevard, who had an Eclipse 2017 party outside at the pavilion.The community and guests were treated to decorations, live music, fun food and snacks, including moon pies and rocket ice pops. Photo provided. 

SARATOGA SPRINGS – Multitudes of locals stopped whatever they were doing Monday afternoon to observe or photograph the partial eclipse over upstate New York.

Nancy Castillo, owner of the Wild Birds Unlimited shop in Wilton, explained that she had captured a series of images of the eclipse at home with her smartphone, using a spotting scope fitted with a solar filter.

Castillo then shared the pictures on social media for the benefit of people who were unable to see the eclipse.

“We have lots of customers that, maybe, weren’t able to get out there,” she said.

Castillo added that Wild Birds Unlimited is accepting donations of special eclipse glasses as a means to benefit school children in Asian and South American countries ahead of a 2019 solar eclipse that will be viewable there. The group Astronomers Without Borders is leading that effort.    

People in upstate New York will be able to observe a 98 percent “totality” solar eclipse in April 2024, according to Castillo.

The residents of Carbondale, Illinois have the good fortune of enjoying 100 percent “totality” in both 2017 and 2024 because of their geographic location, she reported.

“It’s pretty cool,” Castillo said.

For more information, visit the website www.saratogasprings.wbu.com.   

SARATOGA COUNTY – A popular solar company in the Hudson Valley has partnered with a geothermal firm to expand both types of energy consumption at homes in Saratoga County.

On Monday, only hours before a well-publicized eclipse captivated people in upstate New York, a partnership was announced between Hudson Solar and Dandelion Energy. Both companies have increased marketing operations in the Capital Region.

In a statement, it was reported that Dandelion has developed “a new geothermal installation process” that “can convert homeowners away from oil or gas heat and offer them substantial savings.”

“A geothermal system uses a heat pump and underground pipes to move heat between the earth and your home—it’s the most efficient way to heat and cool your home,” the company explains on its website (https://dandelionenergy.com).

Jeff Irish, the founder and president of Hudson Solar, said: “Dandelion has lowered the cost of geothermal and set up financing so a homeowner switching to geothermal from oil or propane can save money from day one, just like with solar. When we combine our offerings, we enable customers to save money on their energy bills and completely eliminate their greenhouse gas emissions.”

In a subsequent email, Irish explained that Hudson Solar originally installed geothermal systems after it started as a business nearly 15 years ago. But the company has focused exclusively on solar panels for the last eight, he added.

Irish said “an average single-family home solar system is in the $8,000 to $15,000 range after federal and state incentives and tax credits.”

He added that Dandelion and Hudson Solar “are now working closely together on advertising, information sessions and events to promote geothermal and on-site and community solar” projects.

As a former Town of Rhinebeck Zoning Board of Appeals member, Irish further indicated that he is “sensitive to and experienced with zoning laws and issues.”

Katie Ullmann, vice president of marketing for Dandelion, said in her own email that single-family homeowners who want a geothermal system installed could expect to pay $150 per month over 20 years with no upfront costs; or $20,000 upfront “with no additional costs and minimal long-term maintenance.”

“Either way, when homeowners get our geothermal installation, they completely eliminate their oil, propane or natural gas bills,” Ullmann said. 

Dandelion has an office on Railroad Place in Saratoga Springs, Ullmann explained, and also has partnered with the firm Aztech Geothermal off Route 50 south of Ballston Spa.

Dandelion officially launched on July 6, so local marketing efforts are only just getting organized. An ESPN radio host regularly endorses Dandelion on-air and some outreach is taking place this summer at county and street fairs, Ullmann said.

According to Ryan Riper, director of planning and engineering in the Town of Wilton, at present there are 107 residential and seven commercial solar arrays in Wilton. Town officials are currently reviewing a comprehensive solar zoning policy.

Riper said he is not aware of any homeowners in Wilton who utilize geothermal heating and cooling, though one Route 50 business did install such a system.   

Homeowners who desire to have solar panels installed must apply for a permit, Riper added, so that firefighters can expect to encounter that type of electrical wiring in the case of an emergency.

[Readers are encouraged to post respectful comments regarding the article below.]  

MALTA – An annual listing of the 5,000 fastest growing companies in the national magazine Inc. reveals that Saratoga Springs is home to nearly a half-dozen of them. 

Grete Soule, economic development assistant and coordinator for the Saratoga County Prosperity Partnership, compiled a list this week of local companies that made the 2017 “Inc. 5,000” list and their official ranks.

The first three, Soule reported, are advertising and marketing firms. They are BrandXads on Railroad Place (583); the Patient Experience Project in Congress Plaza (1,213); and Fingerpaint on Broadway (3,936).

Also found in the “Inc. 5,000” list are Airosmith Development, a telecommunications company on Clinton Street (4,059); SmartWatt, an energy company in Ballston Lake (4,088); and Informz, a software developer in Saratoga Springs (4,642).

BrandXads achieved the most rapid financial growth, according to Inc., with a rate of 776 percent and revenue of $6.6 million; the Patient Experience Project had a 340 percent growth rate with $7.4 million in revenue; Fingerpaint had a 72 percent growth rate with $29.8 million in revenue; Airosmith’s growth rate was nearly 69 percent with revenue of $7.8 million; SmartWatt had growth of 67 percent with revenue of $82.1 million; and the growth rate for Informz was 50 percent with $13.9 million in revenue. 

For the complete listing, visit the website www.inc.com

Thursday, 17 August 2017 15:20

340% Growth: Local Firm Makes Inc. List

Photos show Patient Experience Project cofounder and president Dan Bobear; the main hallway inside the firm’s Congress Plaza offices; and a group photo of employees after the Aug. 16, 2017 ribbon cutting. Photos by www.photoandgraphic.com

SARATOGA SPRINGS – With cake, coffee and an abundance of genuine smiles, the president and employees of the Patient Experience Project (PEP) celebrated the firm’s five-year anniversary this week as well as its favorable ranking by Inc., a national business magazine. 

“We’ve got a lot of good things ahead of us,” remarked Dan Bobear, the PEP cofounder and president, before a ribbon cutting that was organized Wednesday outside the company’s Congress Plaza headquarters—complete with an amplified sound system.

“This business started in my basement in 2012,” Bobear explained, thanking his wife and children for bearing with him through his early attempts to secure clients. 

The Patient Experience Project specializes in marketing and communications focused on people who suffer from rare medical diseases and conditions. 

Bobear’s efforts to build the PEP client base quickly bore fruit and yielded rapid financial growth. His office expanded twice before moving last January into the current location behind the Embassy Suites. 

His family members operate a “sister company” there called 32 Mile Media that creates video content for specific PEP campaigns.  

Bobear now employs more than 50 women and men in a modern and colorful space. He is also finalizing plans to open another PEP office in Chicago.

In the current “Inc. 5,000” ranking of America’s fastest growing companies, the Patient Experience Project is listed at about the 1,200 mark—the top 25 percentile—with revenue of $7.4 million and an annual growth rate of nearly 340 percent.

David A. Moore, the firm’s creative director, explained the basic PEP mission thusly: “Part of it’s raising awareness; part of it’s advocacy; part of it is really building a bridge between patients, health care providers and the pharmaceutical companies that are trying to produce products that can help these families.” 

The PEP client base is more national and international than local, according to Moore.   

“One disease that we work with is so rare,” he said, “that in order to bring patients together we had to go to Germany.” 

“We make decisions based on what’s the right thing to do for patients, their families, and not only what makes the right numbers for business,” Bobear told those gathered for the Aug. 16 ribbon cutting. 

He also thanked the Saratoga Chamber of Commerce officials and representatives of state lawmakers who were present at the event. Saratoga Springs Mayor Joanne Yepsen made her own brief appearance.   

“We do work that matters,” Bobear said. “We are proud that our corporate success means that we can impact more lives along the way.” 

“Our success would not be possible without the very talented team of experts” on the PEP staff, Bobear concluded. “We’ve got medical experts, content and digital artists, designers, office managers, account and project managers…and basically some of the most talented and smartest people that I’ve ever had the privilege to know.”

Thursday, 17 August 2017 15:02

Milton Councilwoman Faces Ethics Violation

A campaign sign for Councilwoman Barbara Kerr at the intersection of Northline Road and Rowland Street in Milton. Photo by Larry Goodwin. 

MILTON – Months after citing the town’s Code of Ethics in the appointment of a woman to the Zoning Board of Appeals, Milton Councilwoman Barbara Kerr is fending off a more recent ruling against her for violating the same code. 

On Aug. 2, the Milton Ethics Board issued a formal ruling that Kerr’s membership in the Saratoga County Republican Committee—Women’s Republican Club, as a sitting member of the Milton Town Board, violated section 14-15 of the ethics code.

The ruling stated that Kerr “should attend ethics training as well as make a statement publicly acknowledging the violation, its background, her former and current status with this organization, and the determination of the Ethics Board on this matter.” 

The town board is not required to act on any formal ethics board rulings. It did not vote to take action against Kerr at its Aug. 16 meeting, despite some heated discussion of the matter.* 

Kerr stated this week that she has since resigned from the Women’s Republican Club. She is seeking to replace Milton Supervisor Dan Lewza in a November election, but must first win a Sept. 12 primary to qualify.

The town’s Republican Committee has endorsed Councilman Scott Ostrander for supervisor. 

In April, Kerr had raised concerns about the town board’s vote to appoint Megan Soden, a previously active member of the Republican Committee, to the Milton zoning board.

Soden ended up resigning from her position on the committee and now serves each month in the review of various construction projects in Milton. 

Shannon Doherty is one of nearly 30 Republican Committee members in Milton. It was Doherty who filed the formal ethics complaint against Kerr after media reports surfaced about Soden’s appointment.

Doherty made two other allegations against Kerr under separate sections of the ethics code. They were related to her role as former director of the Ballston Spa Senior Citizen’s Club, which is provided with thousands of dollars annually by the town board. A related vote took place on January 14, involving $15,000.

The club’s director position is volunteer and not compensated, according to the ethics board ruling. Kerr resigned from that position on May 30, and the board found “no violation” of code sections 14-7 and 14-11 had occurred.

Still, according to the ethics board, Kerr “should have stated her position with the club at the time of the resolution in the spirit of public confidence, government transparency and perception of impropriety.”

“Given the need for integrity and transparency by our elected representatives, I find Ms. Kerr’s actions and excuses to be very disappointing and unacceptable for our great town,” Doherty asserted in an Aug. 12 statement on the ethics ruling.

“If I made a mistake, I made a mistake,” Kerr said in response. “As far as I’m concerned, it’s a political witch hunt. If I wasn’t running for supervisor, it wouldn’t have come up.”

[* Due to an editing error, these two sentences were mistakenly omitted from the print copies of Saratoga TODAY.]   

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Thursday, 17 August 2017 14:42

Ballston Spa Residents Debate the ‘Hate’

The Ballston Spa Village Board (left to right): Attorney James Fauci; Trustees Robert Cavanaugh and Stuart Hodsoll; Mayor John Romano; Trustees Noah Shaw and Shawn Raymond; and Deputy Clerk Cari Scribner. Photo by Larry Goodwin

BALLSTON SPA – In response to a weekend of violence between white nationalist groups and counter protesters hundreds of miles south, a lively discussion of the subject ensued Monday on the front lawn of a village justice.

Ballston Spa Mayor John Romano, who has served in that role since the 1990s, called it “one of the best public meetings” he ever witnessed.

“That’s what we’re here for, to find out what you folks want,” Romano told those in attendance. 

In an email distributed to members of the group Smart Growth Ballston on Sunday, the day after a young woman died in Virginia while protesting white nationalism, village Trustee Noah Shaw announced his intention to propose “a volunteer task force to recommend measures we can take to ensure we walk the walk of inclusion.”  

“I will propose a resolution that the village stands united against the white nationalist, neo-Nazi hate and bigotry that has raised its awful head in Virginia,” Shaw wrote.

“In the aftermath of the tragic events in Charlottesville, Virginia, it is incumbent upon us – as it is for all public officials across this country, from members of the smallest local boards to those who walk the halls of Washington, D.C. – to make clear that our communities are open, welcoming and safe for all of our residents and visitors no matter the color of their skin, ethnicity, religion, gender identity or sexual orientation,” Shaw added.

The Ballston Spa Village Board held its last summer open-air meeting on Aug. 14 in front of the Chester Street home of Village Justice Michael Morrissey.

Initially, Shaw received comments in favor of his resolution from fellow Trustees Shawn Raymond and Stuart Hodsoll. Several residents also voiced support.

The remaining two board members, joined by a more vocal group of residents, were not comfortable with media coverage suggesting that local problems exist similar to those in Virginia; or the idea that government should take such an active role to counter them.

Romano opined that “the fear” created by events in Virginia will not influence matters in Ballston Spa. “We will absolutely be vigorous,” he said, in opposing all types of bigotry. He repeatedly praised the “spirit and intent” of Shaw’s proposal.  

Still, Romano said, he is unaware of any incidents that “warrant the creation of a task force.” 

Trustee Robert Cavanaugh said there are countless groups nationwide being “influenced” by social media, but that quaint villages like Ballston Spa remain a refuge.

Romano set aside normal meeting rules and opened the village yard for public comment. Shortly after 8 p.m., the debate over Shaw’s proposal lingered on even as the sunlight slipped away and mosquitoes turned more aggressive.  

One schoolteacher talked about her reaction to swastikas being painted on village streets before last year’s presidential election. Another woman recalled a more recent incident at a Stewart’s store, in which she confronted a young man who allegedly displayed white nationalist beliefs.  

“How are you going to influence people’s opinions?” wondered Pat Southworth, whose wife Patti is a former Ballston town supervisor.

Southworth said any response to actual bigotry and hatred in the community has to emanate from “faith-based” groups, rather than “ad-hoc” committees—it “should not be dictated by government,” he urged the board. 

Gina Marozzi, who attends most village board meetings together with Frank Rossi, questioned the process of identifying local hate groups. “Who determines what hate is?” Marozzi asked, equating her own recent past experiences with such acts.

Marozzi described instances in which others called her a “fascist” for admiring President Donald Trump. She said her family members also received “death threats” several years ago for supporting the construction of a Wal-Mart north of the village.

“One person’s philosophy is another person’s hate speech,” added Rossi, noting how the city government in Charlottesville, Virginia might have provoked the recent violence by proposing to remove a statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee.

Rossi said that amounted to putting a “bulls eye” on the southern city for targeting by hate groups.  

In the end, Shaw proposed amending the language to accommodate the concerns that were raised. The board voted unanimously in favor, and the crowd applauded.

“The point is to get ideas,” Shaw said. “The point is not to form an entity.”

The final version of the resolution states that village government “will take all actions within its powers…to ensure both that all residents and visitors feel welcome and to make clear that there is no room in Ballston Spa for racism and hatred.” 

It adds that board members “will welcome recommendations from all residents regarding appropriate steps the village can take to underscore and strongly communicate the village’s policy of openness and inclusivity.”

[Readers are encouraged to post respectful comments regarding the article below.]  

Photos show an over-sized shipping container used by the U.S. Navy and a flatbed truck used for transport from railways. Photos provided.

BALLSTON SPA – Later this year, in preparation for a major renovation project planned at the Kesselring training site in West Milton, workers for the Naval Nuclear Laboratory will restore some of the train tracks on the south side of the village.

Gene Terwilliger, a spokesman for the Naval Nuclear Laboratory (NNL), gave a presentation on Tuesday to the Saratoga County Board of Supervisors regarding the Kesselring upgrade project, which is expected to begin late next year.

An informational flyer that was distributed by Terwilliger to supervisors and the public reports that “the rail spur adjacent to the Malta Avenue Elementary School, Ballston Area Community Center and Ballston Area Recreation Center requires upgrades to clear the overgrowth in the area and refurbish/replace rails, ties and ballast to ensure readiness to support equipment delivery and transport.”

In a subsequent email, Terwilliger clarified that “the upgrade work to the rail spur will extend from Eastern Avenue to approximately 700 feet west of Eastern Avenue.”

“This work should have minimal impact on the community,” the NNL flyer says. 

The tracks in Ballston Spa were last used in 2004. No definite date has been established for the planned rail work to begin in the village, but the Navy does expect to be utilizing the refurbished tracks by the spring of 2018. 

The NNL further explains that Canadian Pacific Railroad will transport “equipment and components for the refueling” of the S8G nuclear submarine prototype at Kesselring that is used for training U.S. Navy personnel—a process that also necessitates the need for over-sized trucks navigating local roads between Ballston Spa and West Milton. 

“The equipment and components will be transferred from the rail to a heavy hauler for over-the-road transport,” the NNL flyer says. It adds that all road transportation will be “closely choreographed and coordinated with local officials.”

“Some of the shipments,” it continues, “will include spent nuclear fuel and it is our practice to promptly ship this material to our facility in Idaho.” The NNL further reports that there have been “more than 870 similar shipments and all have been done safely with no release of radioactivity and no injury to the workers or the public.”

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Page 15 of 26

Blotter

  • New York State Police The New York State Police announced that it issued 5,576 tickets during this year’s St. Patrick’s Day enforcement initiative. The campaign began on Friday, March 15, and continued until Sunday, March 17. During the campaign, funded by the Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee, State Police utilized sobriety checkpoints, additional DWI patrols, and underage drinking and sales to minors detail. State Police also ticketed distracted drivers who use handheld electronic devices. State Troopers arrested 132 people for DWI and investigated 199 crashes, which resulted in 25 people being injured and no fatalities. As part of the enforcement, Troopers also…

Property Transactions

  • BALLSTON Heather DiCaprio sold property at 473 Garrett Rd to Justine Levine for $288,000 Sharon Willman sold property at 99 Jenkins Rd to Charles Lemley for $165,000 CORINTH George Montena sold property at 422 Oak St to Stephen James for $142,250 Mark Makler sold property at 313 Oak St to Sabrina Sinagra for $195,000 GREENFIELD Landlord Services of Upstate New York sold property at 1935 NYS Rt 9N to Cochise Properties LLC for $210,000 MALTA  Linda LaBarge sold property at 35 Snowberry Rd to Qu Haozheng for $270,000 Dennis Mitchell sold property at 60 Village Circle North to BGRS Relocation…
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