Thomas Dimopoulos

Thomas Dimopoulos

City Beat and Arts & Entertainment Editor
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SARATOGA SPRINGS —  In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Shelters of Saratoga (SOS) Executive Director Karen Gregory has announced that The Holiday Inn, located in downtown Saratoga Springs, will serve as a temporary location for the city’s homeless.

Isolating people experiencing homelessness in individual hotel rooms with access to private bathrooms is the best possible solution to facilitate safe distancing and the ability to practice good hygiene thus preventing a community-wide spread of COVID-19, Gregory said.Food service, basic necessities and case management is being provided to those staying in the hotel. The shelters on Walworth Street remain open and SOS is serving over 100 people through the outreach program which provides people with food and hygiene products. 

“Our number one priority is the health and safety of people we are helping each day. Social distancing and hygiene is the only way to slow the spread of COVID-19. Unfortunately, people experiencing homelessness don’t have the ability to stay home.” Gregory said in a statement. “People experiencing homelessness don’t have regular access to sinks where they can wash their hands and those staying at homeless shelters can’t always remain six feet from another person. There are simply too many people and not enough space.” Quarantine for a sick or exposed individual would not be possible in these settings.

In addition, homeless individuals face a variety of issues when it comes to COVID-19. Age, poor health, disability, and living conditions make them highly vulnerable to illness. Once the virus is introduced to this high-risk population, further transmission will be very difficult to contain. As such, Shelters of Saratoga initiated this proactive, rapid response plan for this crisis.

Gregory stated “I made several requests to Saratoga County to move our shelters into a local hotel before someone was symptomatic or tested positive for COVID-19. I was told over and over again that would not be possible until somebody tested positive, although I explained at that point it would be too late and I was afraid we would have a shelter full of very sick people including my staff. Ultimately, I did not want anyone to die.”

Gregory voiced her concerns and ideas to Saratoga Springs Mayor Meg Kelly, who Gregory credits in assisting in the search to find a hotel. Kevin Tuohy, General Manager of the Holiday Inn in Saratoga, offered his support immediately and without hesitation.

“In 1961 the idea of a community hotel in Saratoga Springs was born.  While asking for donations from locals, the founders of the hotel stated that “change can impact a community in a positive way”. Fifty-six years later, we are incredibly proud to have the opportunity to change the way we operate to support the Saratoga Springs community in this time of unprecedented crisis,” Tuohy said. Gregory is also moving in to the hotel to keep operations running smoothly. 

"As Mayor, it's my job to protect all of my citizens, including and especially those most vulnerable," Kelly said. "Current federal and state guidelines for COVID-19 and homeless individuals set a reactive threshold - quarantine only after an individual presents with symptoms. For our city, this was not a high enough standard. I'm proud that Saratoga Springs is joining a short, but growing list of communities across the country prepared to prevent infection and spread among our homeless population by using hotels to practice social distancing and enable access to adequate hygiene, hand washing, and quarantine. This will save lives." 

Tuesday night, the city will host a public hearing and a potential vote to provide financial support to Shelters of Saratoga to move the homeless population, currently sheltered at Code Blue, from their congregate setting to the Holiday Inn at 232 Broadway. The matter is documented as: new activity under its 2019 CDBG Action Plan, rising to the level of a Substantial Amendment, and thus requiring Council action...city funds to be reallocated to this emergency priority project are to be drawn from the Economic Development Revolving Loan Fund in the amount of $61,950.


Shelters of Saratoga’s mission is to provide individuals with safe shelter, supportive services and sustainable strategies to end homelessness in the Greater Saratoga region. Since 1991, Shelters of Saratoga has been providing assistance to people who are facing homelessness by offering a path to self-sufficiency and helping these individuals to get back on their feet. 

ALBANY – The State will open a critical new COVID-19 mobile testing site for the Capital District region on Monday.  The mobile testing center will be located in a parking lot at the State University of New York at Albany campus - 1400 Washington Ave., Colonial Quad parking lot, accessible from the main UAlbany entry, off Washington Avenue. The campus is located just south of The Northway.

The site will prioritize tests for individuals that are among the highest risk population.  Residents who would like to be tested must make an appointment by calling 888-364-3065. There will be no walk-ins allowed and all patients must be in a vehicle.  The center is slated to be operational on Monday, April 6, at 10 am. Site hours will be Monday - Sunday, 8 am - 6 pm. in partnership with Albany Medical Center, St. Peter's Health Partners and The University at Albany.

The state has opened seven mobile facilities to date.

New York is currently testing more than 16,000 people per day, more than any other state and more than China and South Korea on a per capital basis.

During his Saturday presser, Gov. Andrew Cuomo confirmed 10,482 additional cases of novel coronavirus, bringing the statewide total to 102,863 confirmed cases in New York State. Of the 102,863 total individuals who tested positive for the virus, the regional geographic breakdown is as follows: Saratoga County 141, with 9 new positives; Albany County: 267, with 14 new. Rensselaer: 56, 3 new; Schenectady: 110, 9 new; Warren County: 19, 1 new, and Washington County: 15, with 3 new.

In Saratoga County specifically, 1,899 persons were tested – 57 persons thus far tested today - and of those 1,899 persons, 141 tested positive – a rate of 7.4%.

Amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo will issue an Executive Order allowing the state to redistribute ventilators and personal protective equipment, or PPE, from institutions that don't currently need them and redeploy the equipment to other hospitals with the highest need. The National Guard will be used to transport the ventilators and PPE across the state. The equipment will be returned to the hospital or the hospital will be reimbursed for the equipment in the future.

Cuomo also announced the launch of www.ny.gov/covid-19tracker, which will provide New York State's comprehensive coronavirus testing data to the public. The website, which will be updated daily with the latest data, presents visualizations of statewide and county-level testing and results. The public can also access the testing data through Open NY at data.ny.gov, New York State's open data portal, which offers machine readable datasets in downloadable standard formats that can be sorted, searched, analyzed and applied to new uses.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — A local performance by Celtic Woman – scheduled to appear at Saratoga Performing Arts Center June 7 – has been cancelled, the band announced this week. Refunds are at Point of Purchase only. Internet and Phone orders will automatically be canceled & refunded, according to SPAC.

Last week, The Zac Brown Band announced it was cancelling all tour dates through mid-September, including a previously announced June 13 date at SPAC. To our knowledge, these are, thus far, cancellations of the Live Nation summer pop concert series at the venue. 

Meanwhile, in lieu of the ability to continue its staging of live performances, Caffe Lena is taking a different approach. The long-running Phila Street café plans to broadcast previously filmed performances. 

“Every night we gather for music and conversation on Caffe Lena's rapidly growing YouTube channel. After a few days of flailing, (apologies for all the schedule changes!!) we've decided to not even try doing anything live on stage for the foreseeable future. Instead, we're mining our private archive of recorded concerts, bringing the musicians into the "chat room" with us, and re-living a great performance together,” the venue announced on its web site. “Please come! We'd love to welcome you to the party. You can chat if you want, or just watch quietly from the sidelines. Either way, it's good company and the sound and video production will put you right back in the best seat in the house. 

This past week shows featured the likes of The Lustre Kings, Jim Gaudet, and Spa City native and Figgs’ co-founder Pete Donnelly, and upcoming performances include the Gibson Brothers.  The “Stay At Home” Sessions broadcast at 8 p.m.  and the stream may be accessed via caffelena.org. 

This month, Northshire Bookstore launched a virtual events program. Anchored around a standing Thursday 5 p.m. Northshire Live virtual event, it will feature weekly authors and guests via Zoom. 

Northshire event managers Rachel Person and Dafydd Wood will host a wide-ranging conversation about books from their respective homes. Each week will feature one or more author guest stars who will read from and discuss a recent or forthcoming book. 

Next up: the weekly virtual community gatherings for book lovers will feature Janice Shade, author of Moving Mountains: The Power of Main Street Americans to Change Our Economy 

And, if you haven’t heard. Bob Dylan – who performed at Caffe Lena in a time when John F. Kennedy was President of the United States, has just released a 17-minute song about the assassination of JFK. 

“Greetings to my fans and followers with gratitude for all your support and loyalty across the years,” reads the brief introductory statement posted on Dylan’s website. “This is an unreleased song we recorded a while back that you might find interesting. Stay safe, stay observant and may God be with you…”

The song may be heard at: bobdylan.com.

 

SARATOGA SPRINGS — The circumstances of the Saratoga racing meet remain status quo as of this week, with the season scheduled to run July 16 – Sept. 7. 

The Aqueduct winter and spring meets meanwhile have been cancelled. Aqueduct Racetrack will serve as a temporary hospital amid the COVID-19 pandemic and will serve the borough of Queens - where the racetrack is located – as a 1,000-plus patient overflow facility.  Aqueduct is the only racetrack in New York City, occupying 210 acres in South Ozone Park.

“We stand ready to assist in any way we can,” New York Racing Association CEO and President Dave O’Rourke said in a statement. “Aqueduct Racetrack will serve as a safe haven for those recovering from this virus. We recognize that we all must work together as a community to meet this challenge and emerge stronger for it.” 

The Big A winter meet was slated to run through March 29 with the 13-day spring meet scheduled from April 2 through April 19. The 51-day Belmont spring/summer meet featuring 58 total stakes races worth $18.65 million is slated to run April 24 through July 1.

On March 30, Gov. Andrew Cuomo extended by two weeks the length of his directive putting New York State on “pause” – directing the state nonessential workforce to continue to work from home through April 15.   

The NY Race Track Chaplaincy meanwhile continues to work in partnership with the New York Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association (NYTHA), the New York Racing Association (NYRA) and the Backstretch Employee Service Team (BEST). The recently formed NYRA Preparedness and Response Plan Committee, which is comprised of key NYRA staff members as well as representatives from NYTHA, BEST, and the NY Chaplaincy, is monitoring and assessing developments regarding the coronavirus.

NYRA-operated racetracks have been used in prior emergency situations, including in 2012 when NYRA donated the use of the Aqueduct parking lot to the American Red Cross to operate a mobile feeding kitchen and relief supplies staging area in the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy. In 2001, Belmont Park served as one of the staging areas for emergency vehicles and personnel in the days following 9/11.

Thursday, 02 April 2020 12:17

State of Emergency: Week 3

SARATOGA SPRINGS — They stood several feet apart from one another at a noisy intersection where Broadway meets Lake Avenue on a Tuesday morning that marked Day 18 of the city’s declaration as a state of emergency.    

Three months into her new job, the city’s Public Safety Commissioner took her turn at the portable lectern stationed in front of a City Hall under renovation, but where the tools of its reconstruction have been muted. 

“This is not the time for sleep-overs, play-dates, or dinner parties,” instructed commissioner Robin Dalton. 

One of the essential keys of trying to keep people healthy is social distancing – that is: remaining six feet from all other people when in public, and refraining from nonessential gatherings – be it socially, recreationally, or otherwise. Saratoga Springs is taking up Gov. Andrew Cuomo's guidelines - “These are not helpful hints, these are legal provisions” – and implementing those provisions. 

“As a city we will be enforcing those through warnings, ticketing and fines if needed, because your actions are that important and our health and safety depends on them,” Dalton said. “The longer people break the rules, the longer we are going to be in this situation. How we come out the other side depends on you – the public…we’re going to need the help of every resident in our city to help slow the spread of coronavirus.”

The gathering included city Mayor Meg Kelly, Police Chief Shane Crooks, Fire Chief Joe Dolan, and Saratoga Hospital President Angelo Calbone – the latter of whom explained that the hospital had 10 COVID-19 cases in the building, and that they possessed sufficient Personal Protective Equipment, or PPE’s, to take care of patients and staff at this time. On Thursday, April 2, The Saratoga County Department of Public Health  announced county-wide that there were 139 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Saratoga County with 19 of those individuals hospitalized at this time.

Saratoga Hospital has also joined the "statewide hospital system" as proposed by Gov. Cuomo, following the Covid-19 outbreak. "To that end, we are comforted to know  that if Saratoga Springs needs it, help will be there from other New York providers," Mayor Kelly said on April 3. The same afternoon, Congresswoman Elise Stefanik, NY-21, released a statement to say she was "very concerned about Gov. Cuomo’s announcement regarding his plan to sign an executive order to shift ventilators from Upstate to Downstate New York." Stefanik's district includes a portion of the city of Saratoga Springs, as well as municipalities east, west and north of the city.  

“The North Country comprises the largest number of seniors of any Congressional District in New York State, the most vulnerable age group to COVID-19. Our critical needs and vulnerabilities must be considered....our rural hospitals are already very limited in resources and we must ensure Upstate New York’s needs for testing supplies and ventilators are fully met."

Mayor Kelly said the city’s parks are still safe for people to go to - as long as social distancing measures are observed. “We want to keep separated right now, and the last thing we want to do is close parks.” One day later, on Wednesday, Gov. Cuomo announced, due to city residents repeated violation of distancing rules, playgrounds in New York City will be closed to the public, although open space areas will remain open.Local authorities in Saratoga Springs re-iterated on Thursday that while the playgrounds and basketball courts where high-density congregation may occur are closed, the parks remain open. 

During his daily briefing from the State Capitol in Albany, Gov. Cuomo warned that rules of social distancing will be in place for a while. “We’re still going up the mountain, and that’s where the battle will be in 14 to 21 days, depending on who you believe. That’s the apex,” the governor said. “We still have to come down the other side of the mountain (before everything re-opens).”

During a mid-week teleconference with the press, Congresswoman Elise Stefanik, who represents the 21st District, said she is concerned about non-essential travel. “We want to mitigate non-essential travel from anywhere in the state. We have rural hospitals that are already in challenging positions. If the numbers continue to go up or surge, our rural hospitals are not in the same position as some of the hospitals downstate, in terms of bed-count.”    

While the renovation of City Hall has stopped, for the time being, the building of the multi-story parking garage adjacent to the Saratoga Springs City Center has received approval, with some restrictions, to continue with its construction, building for the time when visitors will once again flock to the city and engage in its multitude of events, conferences, and happenings. 

Site-specific COVID-19 procedures will be met during the building process and the continuation of the Flat Rock Parking Structure is vital for the city’s ability to recover from the damages of the pandemic, City Center Executive Director Ryan McMahon said in a statement. “The Saratoga Springs City Center Authority’s action is in keeping with guidelines issued by Empire State Development (ESD) and is an essential infrastructure project.” 

Financially, the city is bracing for a multi-million dollar loss in revenue due to the pandemic and the resultant closing of all but “essential” businesses, the potential cancellation of major public events, and the stifling of tourism. 

At this time, the city is considering a scenario of a $7.8 million loss of revenue for the first half of 2020, and potentially a total 2020 year-end revenue shortfall of $16 million, Finance Commissioner Michele Madigan estimated in March. With a 2020 General Operating Budget projecting total 2020 revenues of approximately $48.7 million, the scenario equates to a 33% shortfall in 2020 revenue to what was previously anticipated. 

“We are proceeding with caution regarding how to address this loss-of-revenue scenario.  Both over- and under-estimating our response has consequences,” Commissioner Madigan said in a statement.   “Given the city’s good financial position and excellent community partnerships, we have many options, including cash-on-hand, healthy reserves, borrowing, various bonding tools, and shared services…It is too soon to determine what combination of these efforts will fit our needs.  But it is not too soon to state that all options will be considered very carefully.” 

The potential finance losses may be tempered somewhat should the city receive state for hosting a VLT casino. Earlier this year, the city, along with other state municipalities, was warned it might lose approximately $2.35 million in that aid.  On March 31, the city received the hopeful news that the aid may be restored. Madigan said the restoration of that VLT Impact Aid in the 2020-2021 State Budget would be a very positive outcome, particularly as the city works through COVID-19 related fiscal uncertainties.

“We are very hopeful that the city will be receiving its VLT aid based on the budget bill that was published today,” said Assemblywoman Carrie Woerner, via phone late Tuesday afternoon. “The bill was published and is now aging for us to vote on it, and the cut that the governor had proposed in his Executive Budget has been removed. So, we are hopeful that the legislature will soon be voting on that bill and the aid will be available to the city.”

However, Woerner echoed Madigan’s sentiments regarding the restoration of that $2.35 million to Saratoga Springs. “You know, it’s not done until it’s done,” she said.

SARATOGA SPRINGS – A COVID-19 Task Force has been established, the city of Saratoga Springs announced March 26.

The action follows the State of Emergency - declared on March 13, and the activation of the City of Saratoga Springs Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan.  

Commissioner of Public Safety Robin Dalton leads the city’s response to the Coronavirus outbreak with Incident Commander SSFD Chief Joe Dolan and the support of the COVID-19 Task Force. The Task Force, in consultation with the City Council, is charged with coordinating the performance of specific emergency functions and responsibilities, as outlined under the Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan.  The Plan provides the city the critical ability to respond to the viral outbreak with a streamlined, efficient and direct response, Dalton said, in a statement.

Commissioner Dalton and Mayor Kelly stressed the city must remain vigilant in following community mitigation actions in the coming weeks to flatten the curve of COVID-19 and slow the spread from reaching our most vulnerable residents, while reducing the strain on our local health care system. 

 ‘It is imperative that we continue to act responsibly and follow the Governor’s Executive Order, so our City can get through this challenging time united in spirit and strength,” Dalton said.

CITY HALL ESSENTIAL SERVICES CONTACT INFORMATION
Call your health care provider FIRST if you have any concerns over your health and possible exposure to COVID-19. In the event of an emergency, call 911.

PUBLIC SAFETY DEPARTMENTS
• Fire Department Non-Emergency
Call 518-587-3599. 
Access to administrative reports, including fire incident reports, will be handled via email and/or phone. No in-person document requests will be facilitated at Fire Headquarters (60 Lake Ave).

• Police Department Non-Emergency
Call 518-584-1800. Members of the public are asked not to come to the police department to file a report. To request copies of an accident report please visit https://buycrash.com. To download a police report request form please visit the city website at https://www.saratogasprings.org/290/Obtaining-Police-Reports.

•Please be advised that wait times may be longer than normal.
• Pay your parking tickets online at https://www.saratoga-springs.org/212/Parking-Tickets or Call 1-800-996-0285 to pay by phone (There will be a $3.50 charge per ticket).
• All station tours, internships, or non-essential programs have been postponed and will be rescheduled at a later date. All civilian fingerprinting services have been suspended until further notice.
For more information, contact Eileen Finneran, Deputy Commissioner of Public Safety, at 518-265-6485.

PUBLIC WORKS SERVICES
• The DPW workforce is in emergency standby mode.

• Transfer station hours are 8 am-12 pm/noon, Tuesday-Saturday.
• DPW service calls can be made to police dispatch at 518-584-1800.

CITY HALL SERVICES
No in-person services or appointments will be done at this time. All available City Hall services are outlined below.

ACCOUNTS DEPARTMENT
• Vital Records:  Death Certificates: Death certificates will continue to be filed within seventy two (72) hours as required by NYS Law.
• Certified Copies: Certified copies for births, deaths and marriages must be requested via the MAIL on a request form with the required fee of Ten Dollars ($10.00) per copy. Email Stefanie Richards This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or Lisa Ribis This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
• Purchasing: Invoices may be emailed to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
• Chapter 136 Cabaret, Eating and Drinking, Lodging and Sidewalk Cafe Licensing: Mail applications and fees for renewal applications. Penalties for late filing will be waived. 
• Special Event Application: Mail applications and fees. Permits will be issued per NYS Governor Cuomo’s Emergency Directives
•  Assessment: Assessment operations are suspended until further notice
• Risk and Safety Issues: Please call Marilyn Rivers, Director Risk & Safety at 518-210-3243
• Vital Records and Purchasing staff are available by phone: Please call Marilyn Rivers, Director Risk & Safety at 518-210-3243

FINANCE DEPARTMENT
Taxes and Utility Bill payments may be mailed or paid online here:  https://www.saratoga-springs.org/419/Property-Tax-Search-Online-Payments. You may also call the Finance Department at 518-587-3550 x2565.  We will get back to you as soon as possible. 

CIVIL SERVICE
Exam applications are still be accepted. Mail the completed application and required exam fee (or fee waiver if you qualify, please visit the website to review the waiver), to 15 Vanderbilt Ave., Saratoga Springs, NY 12866. Exam dates may or may not be postponed, but applications will still be accepted. To see the exams that are currently announced, please visit http://saratoga-springs.org/Jobs.aspx.  Please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. with any questions. 

MAYOR’S DEPARTMENTS
Mayor’s office staff are available by phone and email during business hours: Call 518-587-3550 x2520 or Email  This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. For more information, contact Lisa Shields, Deputy Mayor, at 518-414-2118.

BUILDING DEPARTMENT
• Intake of new applications is suspended. The counter is closed to the public.

• For active permit applications, staff is reviewing them and working remotely. They are available by phone and email during business hours.
• Only inspections approved by the Building Inspector or designee will be scheduled.
• All non-essential inspections will be cancelled and/or suspended.
• Inspections will be limited to essential projects where no inspection alternative is possible.  
• No inspections will be conducted in occupied residential buildings or assembly spaces.
• All inspection documents, plan revisions, and paperwork must be submitted digitally.
• If an inspection is approved, the contractor must provide accommodations for isolation.

PLANNING DEPARTMENT
• Intake of new applications is suspended.

• For active Land Use Board applications, staff is reviewing them and working remotely. They are available by phone and email during business hours.
• City Land Use Boards meetings are cancelled for at least the next two weeks.

RECREATION DEPARTMENT
• NO in-person registration. Online registration for Spring Soccer and Summer programs are still being accepted.

•Recreation Parks are open to the public, but no organized activities will be scheduled and fields will not be scheduled until further notice.   All rental questions should be emailed to the address below.  If you plan to use a park, please follow all NYS and CDC recommendations regarding COVID-19.  
• Department staff are working remotely.  Please email any questions to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. DPW (park maintenance staff) is working in emergency standby mode. DPW service calls can be made to police dispatch, 518-584-1800

CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS
• The City Council will hold its regularly scheduled meetings, but the public will not be allowed to attend in person until further notice. Meetings will be livestreamed through our website and Facebook page. The agenda will be available in the Agenda Center. Email Mayor Kelly’s office with questions or comments that you would like to have entered into the record.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Search your friends and friends-of-friends on Facebook and you will find them, there to illuminate and entertain. Some of the region’s most talented musicians, poets and artists have taken to a variety of social media platforms to perform their songs and their works-in-progress in the wake of the shuttering of public venues. 

Fans of “good folk” may also want to check out caffelena.org, where the Phila Street café is streaming live shows nightly at 8 on YouTube. This week’s slate includes scheduled performances by Let’s Be Leonard (Friday); Scott Sharrard (Saturday), and The Lustre Kings (Tuesday, March 31). 

Area poets, meanwhile, are engaging the community with video and verse at places like @albanypoets on Instagram. 

And for some irresistible grooves on a national scale, check out the happenings at the “online concert venue”  website stageit.com, where on March 29 the Dollyrots will perform the first of their weekly “pay what you can” acoustic shows live from their home base of sequester: “This is for our fans - and since our kids are cooped up with us they'll probably be around too. Watch us try and wrangle them as the show goes by, or hopefully they just behave themselves haha!” 

A world of creative sound and vision is being made available online during these times. If you know of something other folks should know about, let us know at: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and we’ll be happy to spread the word. 

Thursday, 26 March 2020 12:45

Working At Home In The Age of Corona

SARATOGA SPRINGS – “Ultimately, I think we’re going to be talking about things as being either pre-Corona, or post-Corona,” says Elliott Masie, disengaging from a Zoom video conference with a screen depicting representatives from 60 different companies across the nation who had gathered to discuss where they are  and what they are doing “in these times.”

“I think this will change everything. And I don’t think it’s all bad; I don’t think it’s all good,” he says. “There’s a lot we haven’t figured out yet. But there are some things that are going to be absolutely different.” 

Masie has hosted and curated learning & development seminars, labs, and conferences for several decades. He’s pulled in experts from across the country and put up interviews with them since before the age of Podcasts and Ted Talks, in the formative years of the Internet. He leads a learning consortium of more than 150 global organizations cooperating on the evolution of learning strategies - a lot of it from the Saratoga Springs think tank The Masie Center, with a focus on how organizations can support learning and knowledge within the workforce. 

On this day, the faces of dozens of representatives from a myriad of companies simultaneously stare back from his screen. One represents a financial service company with 60,000 employees, another a fast food service company that employs 1 million workers. 

“Many of them are having to lay people off, and others are working from home, so I try to be the Rabbi – to mediate, and to have conversations with them about what’s changing,” Masie says. “We’ve never had a situation like this before.” 

The moment it became clear the virus was coming to the U.S., Masie says he decided to use the Masie Center - its people, resources, reputation and networks - to host regular video support conversations to link colleagues and support the people who are in charge of the workforce learning all around the country. 

Working from home and learning from home. What works? What doesn’t work? 

“It’s hard. If you have your partner, or kids or dogs. Maybe you don’t have the Internet at home. People may not have all the tools they need to work at home. To employers, I would say: in the old days, meaning a few years ago, when businesses shut down, they just shut down and people went home. We’re now doing something that’s miraculous, but there’s no model for doing that,” Masie says. 

”I was on the phone with someone who has 47,000 people working for them and the first thing they realized is that 9-to-5 isn’t a relative term. Meaning somebody may need to take care of their kids, because daycare’s not working. So, they’ve moved from thinking about the 9-to-5 to just get done what you can done.”

Communities in upstate New York began looking at things like high-speed Internet capabilities with an eye trained upon a future time when employees could be capable of working from their homes. In 2010, then-President Barack Obama signed legislation instructing each federal agency to come up with policies to promote telecommuting. At the time of the Telework Enhancement Act, approximately 5 percent of the federal work force was engaged in some level of teleworking, with slightly more than 100,000 employees teleworking at least once a week. A 2016 Gallup Survey reported the number of employees who worked remotely in some capacity was up to 43%. For those who haven’t, now would seem a good time to heed the advice from those who have. 

 “Have a dedicated in-home workspace and do your best to keep it holy,” explains Michael Eck, a longtime beloved Capital Region fixture in the art and music world. A self-employed freelancer for nearly 30 years, Eck telecommutes every day to the West Coast. Currently he works for Two Old Hippies Stringed Instruments in Bend, OR.

“Get up in the morning at the same time you would for your morning drive and do your morning routine,” Eck says. “Get dressed. In actual clothes. And put on your shoes. You’re going to work. Have breakfast. Be at the desk by your regular time and do the work. Make sure to eat lunch and take a brief afternoon walk so it feels like a regular day. Lather, rinse, repeat.” 

Working from home with kids at home is an entirely new experience for those not accustomed to it, writes Kristen Hare, who has broken down her suggestions for working parents at home into categories respective of the children’s ages - from babies and toddlers to middle schoolers and teens. The piece may be viewed at Poynter.org

 “Just because workers’ laptops are now nearby on their kitchen tables doesn’t mean managers can expect their workforce to be available 24/7,” points out Alison Green in her article “You Don’t Have to Work All the Time Now,” which may be read at slate.com. “People feel like they’re expected to be working every minute of the day—in ways they generally wouldn’t be expected to do when they’re in the office... Remote workers aren’t on a chain gang; they’ve just temporarily relocated their workspace.”

For people new to working at home, Masie recommends being mindful of your time not only to produce good quality work, but to avoid burning out. 

“We’re people under stress. And if people are under stress, their ability to learn, for accuracy, and their ability to 100% focus goes down. So, things that might have taken a half-hour at work, now might take two hours,” Masie says. “You do need to monitor your stress level. And you may need to tell people to stop working, meaning they’re working 14 hours a day just because there is no going home. That’s not the deal and that’s not healthy.” 

He also recommends limiting your news-watching time. “I tell people to find one hour a day where if you want to, need to, or choose to, to go get the news. Don’t do that all day long. I love news, talking about it, thinking about it - but it’s not really updating, in a sense. You talk to someone who went through Katrina, they’re not floating through the river with a transistor radio on.  So, I think there’s a psychological balance that’s needed.” 

At home, one may not have the informal “water cooler” moments to talk with co-workers.  Masie says in a social-distancing world, he’s created a time to socially interact with others, albeit it using technological means. 

“Every morning at 7:15, Ira and I have a cup of coffee and a toasted bagel. He lives on one side of town and I live on the other,” Masie says, with a laugh. “And we carry on the same kind of conversations we’ve always had.

“Some things will never be the same and sadly a lot of people who have spent their life building a career, might have it disrupted, in some cases transformed, or in the worse-case ended by a tragic moment in history. So, you go back to Kubler-Ross there are some death and dying elements that people have to go through to find some peace. Luckily I can’t think of a better place that I would like to be than Saratoga.” 

Fear and anxiety about a disease can be overwhelming and cause strong emotions in adults and children. 

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), stress during an infectious disease outbreak can include: Fear and worry about your own health and the health of your loved ones; Changes in sleep or eating patterns; Difficulty sleeping or concentrating; Worsening of chronic health problems; Increased use of alcohol, tobacco, or other drugs. 

Taking care of yourself, your friends, and your family can help you cope with stress. Helping others cope with their stress can also make your community stronger.

Things you can do to support yourself: 

Take breaks from watching, reading, or listening to news stories, including social media. Hearing about the pandemic repeatedly can be upsetting.
Take care of your body. Take deep breaths, stretch, or meditate. Try to eat healthy, well-balanced meals, exercise regularly, get plenty of sleep, and avoid alcohol and drugs.
Make time to unwind. Try to do some other activities you enjoy.
Connect with others. Talk with people you trust about your concerns and how you are feeling.
Call your healthcare provider if stress gets in the way of your daily activities for several days in a row.

“As we all take measures to protect our physical health, we also need to protect our emotional health,” writes psychotherapist Lori Gottlieb, whose article “Dear Therapist’s Guide to Staying Sane During a Pandemic,” was recently published in The Atlantic. “Everyone copes with horrible situations differently. For some, humor is a balm. It’s BOTH/AND: It’s horrible AND we can allow our souls to breathe.” The article may be read online at: theatlantic.com. 

Gov. Andrew Cuomo issued the following statement as part of a COVID-19 Announcement on March 21: Mental health is a vital part of public health. To that end, I am calling on psychologists, therapists and other mental health professionals to pitch in and volunteer their services to help with New York’s Coronavirus response. To sign up, go to: health.ny.gov/assistance. 

SARATOGA SPRINGS — The 2010 census indicated the city of Saratoga Springs had a population of 26,586. Those population numbers are estimated to be higher, now, a decade later. 

The U.S. Constitution mandates that the census takes place every 10 year and responses matter in helping determine how many dollars in federal funding flow into states and communities each year, as well as how many seats in Congress each state gets.

The U.S. has counted its population every 10 years since 1790.

Door-to-door campaigns inspiring residents to fill out 2020 Census forms have been halted by the coronavirus pandemic, and the U.S. Census Bureau has extended the national deadline for the count by two weeks, until mid-August.

Through March 22, the most recent date of available figures, less than one-fourth, or 22.5% of Saratoga Springs households responded online, by mail, or by phone to the 2020 Census. That percentage is just under 20% for Saratoga County as a whole. The city and county 2010 self-response rates were each at approximately 70 percent in 2010. 

For more information and to respond to the census, visit: 2020census.gov 

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  • Saratoga County Sheriff’s Office  The Sheriff’s Office responded to a domestic incident call on Manchester Drive in the town of Halfmoon on April 21. Investigation into the matter led to the arrest of Julia H. Kim (age 33) of Halfmoon, who was charged with assault in the 2nd degree (class D felony) and criminal possession of a weapon in the 4th degree (class A misdemeanor). Kim is accused of causing physical injury to a person known to her by striking them to the head with a frying pan. She was arraigned before the Honorable Joseph V. Fodera in the Halfmoon Town…

Property Transactions

  • BALLSTON Edward Pigliavento sold property at 2 Arcadia Ct to Stephen Emler for $399,900 Erik Jacobsen sold property at 51 Westside Dr to Jeffrey Satterlee for $330,000 Brian Toth sold property at 288 Middleline Rd to Giannna Priolo for $347,000 GALWAY Owen Germain sold property at Hermance Rd to Stephen North for $120,000 GREENFIELD Nicholas Belmonte sold property at 260 Middle Grove Rd to Timothy McAuley for $800,000 Derek Peschieri sold property at 33 Southwest Pass to Michael Flinton for $400,000 MALTA  Jennifer Stott sold property at 41 Vettura Ctl to ESI Development LLC for $476,500 Kathy Sanders sold property…
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