Displaying items by tag: saratoga springs

SARATOGA SPRINGS — The city this week discussed legislation signed March 31 by Gov. Andrew Cuomo legalizing adult-use cannabis. 

The new law in New York legalizes use and possession of cannabis of up to three ounces for those over 21 and older. 

”I realize our last City Council meeting was actually on 4/20, and if I had been more clever I would have discussed this then,” quipped city attorney Vince DeLeonardis, referencing the April 20 or 4/20 so-called national holiday for cannabis culture. 

DeLeonardis told the council that multiple state agencies are being established to administer programs, issue licenses, and investigate and enforce infractions related to cannabis. The agencies include the NYS Cannabis Control Board and the Office of Cannabis Management. 

“This is anticipated to be very similar as to how the state regulates alcohol through the State Liquor Authority,” DeLeonardis said. 

Besides the newly legislated use and possession of cannabis in New York, the law allows for retail dispensaries and on-site consumption establishments, but those are not expected to take place until at least late 2022. Municipalities do have the ability to opt-out of allowing these, but to do so they must adopt a Local Law by Dec. 31, 2021, which will also be subject to a public referendum. 

Revenue-wise, there will be a 4% tax imposed upon the cannabis, with 3% of that 4% coming to the city.  In other words, if the city of Saratoga Springs does not opt-out it would receive 75% of the 4% tax, and Saratoga County would receive the other 25%. 

That 4/20 designation, according to an article published by Time magazine in 2018, traces back to five students at a Marin County, California high school, who in the early 1970s would say “420” to each other as code for marijuana, in advance of their meeting at 4:20 p.m. by a campus statue “to partake.”

Published in News

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Franklin Community Center, a Saratoga Springs-based organization that provides basic necessities and services to individuals and families, received a charitable contribution of $10,000 from the Jennifer Crimi Sunshine Donor Advised Fund of The Community Foundation for the Greater Capital Region. This grant will support Project Lift, an after-school prevention program for youth that operates within the Saratoga Springs City School District elementary and middle schools. 

“Support from partners like Dennis and Lynne Crimi and the Jennifer Crimi Sunshine Donor Advised Fund is critical to the continued success of our program. We are grateful for their generosity,” said Colleen O’Connor Potter, Project Lift Program Director. “Thanks to their support, we will be able to send approximately 60 children to over 250 weeks of summer camp. These kids will get to experience much-needed fun and exciting programs in safe and healthy environments.”

Dennis and Lynne Crimi established the Jennifer Crimi Sunshine Fund as a way to honor the memory of their daughter. Since 2005, the fund has given hundreds of children in need the opportunity to spend summer at various camps and other outdoor adventures. 

Franklin Community Center operates Project Lift in all Saratoga Springs Central School District elementary schools and middle school. The unique and comprehensive program has been in operation for over 30 years and places strong emphasis on positive youth development. The after-school program is free to the enrolled students and provides access to Franklin Community Center’s ancillary services, such as holiday assistance, school supplies, food, clothing, summer camp and other services as needed.

For more information regarding the program and services of Franklin Community Center, visit franklincommunitycenter.org. 

Published in Neighborhood Buzz
Thursday, 06 May 2021 13:41

Saratoga Springs DPW Celebrates Arbor Day

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Commissioner of Public Works Anthony “Skip” Scirocco was joined by the City Arborist, Steve Lashomb, and NYSDEC Regional Forester for Region 5, Jeff Speich, today, to celebrate Arbor Day with the planting of a new tree on Broadway. 

The City of Saratoga Springs has been recognized as a Tree City USA, since 2017, by the Arbor Day Foundation, and the planting of this new tree acknowledged the City’s continued commitment to its urban forest.

“The City of Saratoga Springs has demonstrated a real commitment toward protecting and promoting our urban forest. This has included investment from both the City and our community partners. DPW established a successful program managed by City Arborist and Urban Forestry Division to support the Urban Forestry Master Plan and ensure that city trees are maintained and cared for,” said Scirocco, in a statement.

The Tree City USA program, administered by the Arbor Day Foundation, designates municipalities following the review of their investment and maintenance to the urban tree canopy. The program requires spending of at least $2 per capita on urban forestry. Saratoga Springs budgets approximately $11 per capita to manage its urban forest.

Published in News
Thursday, 06 May 2021 13:25

SSPL Project Connects NYers

SARATOGA SPRINGS — We can learn a lot from one another, even if we may never meet. So, what is daily life like for you?

The Saratoga Springs Public Library has launched a project to connect New Yorkers across the diverse state landscape through the act of letter-writing. 

The project was inspired by Sue Johnson, who first brought the idea to the Saratoga Springs Public Library a year ago after having participated in a similar program from Oregon Humanities called, “Dear Stranger” -   a project which since 2014 has seen almost 1,000 people exchange letters. 

Dear New Yorker is a creative writing project that allows people living in and around New York state to create connections through writing letters to other New Yorkers.  Saratoga Springs Public Library is the host of the project. 

Here’s how it works: Participants pen a letter, send it to the library and then the library will match it and send it off to another letter writer.  Volunteers will log and keep track of correspondences, but all participant addresses will be kept confidential and not shared with other participants. The only thing the letter recipient will get is your first name and letter - no contact information.

Participating in the project means someone in the state will receive your letter and you will receive one from someone else. The anonymous exchange provides the opportunity to share experiences about life across many miles.

“What’s a day in the life in your town? What do you like about it? What makes your town unique?” Johnson says. “Our state is so diverse, and in so many ways.” 

The project recognizes that a lot can be learned from our neighbors across the state, even if we may never meet one another.

While participants in the project may eventually have the opportunity to exchange addresses, all letters will be exchanged anonymously. “Strictly anonymous, unless the two parties decide they want to carry on and write to each other,” Johnson says. The letters participants receive will come from the library’s address, to ensure participant addresses are kept confidential. 

Interested in taking part? Here are some guidelines: include your full name and address on the envelope you send to the library so the library knows who to send a letter back to. Do NOT include your address on the letter itself and please do NOT include offensive language or inappropriate topics. Once you have written your letter, mail the letter to: Saratoga Springs Public Library c/o J. Ogrodowski/Dear NYer, 49 Henry Street, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866. 

For more information: https:guides.sspl.org/dearnyer

Published in News

SARATOGA SPRINGS — A three-week auction of the county-owned building at 31 Woodlawn Ave. recently concluded. The high bidder for the building, which once housed the DMV, was identified as the Adirondack Trust Company. The bid is for $2.8 million. County approval of the sale of the building is expected to take place later this month, city Supervisor Matt Veitch said. 

Published in News

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Ms. Michelle Tsao, Principal of Saratoga Springs High School, announces that Jason Zheng has been named Valedictorian of the Class of 2021 and that Julian Silva-Forbes has been named Salutatorian of the Class of 2021 at Saratoga Springs High School. 

Jason Zheng
Jason Zheng, son of Dun Ming and Mei Zheng of Saratoga Springs, will attend Yale University, and plans to pursue a career as a physician. 

Julian Silva-Forbes 
Julian Silva-Forbes, son of Keith and Sonia Silva of Saratoga Springs, will attend Columbia University and pursue a career in the media industry as a journalist or screenwriter. 

Kara Hausam
Kara Hausam will attend Northeastern University and major in chemistry.

Raquel Cohen
Raquel Cohen will attend Boston College and plans to become a doctor.

Jonathan D’Alonzo
Jonathan D’Alonzo will attend the University of Notre Dame and plans to become a doctor.

Devon “Kale” Kimble-Lee
Devon “Kale” Kimble-Lee will attend Lesley College and plans to pursue a career in art illustration and secondarily as an art teacher.

Kai Farr
Kai Farr will attend Boston University and plans to pursue a career as a film director.

Ava Herzog
Ava Herzog will attend RPI’s 7-year Accelerated Medical Program with Albany Medical College and plans to become a physician-scientist.

Jane Ginley
Jane Ginley will attend Boston College, where she was one of only 25 students selected to be part of its inaugural Human-Centered Engineering program.

Cristina DeMeo 
Cristina DeMeo will attend Harvard University and plans to become a doctor.

Tyler Munter 
Tyler Munter will attend Northeastern University and plans to pursue a career in Engineering.

Cole Zeh
Cole Zeh will attend Colgate University with a premedical path and plans to become a surgeon.

Last Year of Academic Recognition

Saratoga Springs High School has also announced that beginning with the Class of 2022, they will no longer be reporting the top students of the class, including a valedictorian and a salutatorian. They will start using only an unweighted Grade Point Average (GPA).

This decision was made by the Building Leadership Team (BLT), which is comprised of  members in the school district: students, teachers, parents, school counselors, support staff, and building administration. The BLT presented this to the Board of Education in July 2019, and it was communicated to families the following month. The team used research from college admissions counselors, national organizations, the SSHS Graduation Committee, and other local high schools to form their decision. Student Council received input and feedback from the student body. 

Student Council received input that if a weighted GPA is removed, so should the top rank, as the top rank creates division, anxiety and separation among peers.

The switch to use only the unweighted GPA was made because the BLT believes that the dual GPA system is not only confusing, but inconsistent when used to determine scholarships, merit awards, and rank. Therefore, they will no longer be reporting class rank on a student’s transcript. 

The BLT believes that their decision will impact the school culture by fostering an environment in which students will place more importance on learning and personalizing their schedules. With the weighted GPA system, students are more likely to prioritize their grades over their interests, passions, and academically challenging themselves. College admissions counselors have reported they like to see students taking courses that are challenging, yet appropriate, for their
academic interests. 

Published in Education

Spring is in the air, and we are eager to move outdoors for our summer market season. May 1 marks the beginning of the 43rd outdoor market season for the Saratoga Farmers’ Market, the area’s longest-running, producer-only farmers’ market. The Saturday market will open at the current location, the Wilton Mall Bon-Ton parking lot, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The Wednesday market will open at High Rock Park in downtown Saratoga Springs from 3 to 6 p.m. every week. 

The location split results from various factors, including COVID-19 social distancing guidelines, customer parking, accessibility, and community feedback. A recent survey with more than 700 responses resulted in an even split in public opinion on holding markets downtown versus the Wilton Mall. 

This year’s weekly Saturday markets will feature more than 70 vendors selling fresh produce, dairy products, eggs, meat, poultry, flowers, prepared foods, and more. The Wednesday markets will feature about 20 vendors with a similar range of products. Both markets will also include music, community guests, and periodic special events like Saturday’s Blueberry Festival in July and Power of Produce (POP) Club for kids on Wednesdays this summer.

We are excited to welcome new and returning vendors into the mix carrying a variety of products. Some to look out for include Capital Greens NY, Charlton Woodworking, Dancing Ewe Farm, Grazin’ Acres Farm, Leaning Birch Farm, Lovin’ Mama Farm, M & A Farm, Mirage Waterless, Native Farm Flowers, Night Work Bread, Old Tavern Farm, TogaNola Snack Company, Vashti’s Kitchen Delights, and Nine Pine Soup and Design. 

The Saratoga Farmers’ Market has remained committed to creating a safe environment for both vendors and customers, including handwashing and sanitizing stations, social distancing, and mask requirements. As we move into the summer season, we will continue to enforce these state-issued regulations for the health and safety of our community. 

The addition of an online ordering and curbside pickup program has provided an alternative for customers to safely and conveniently access local goods without having to shop inside the market. Orders can be placed online each week between Monday at 9 p.m. and Thursday at 9 p.m. for curbside pickup on Saturdays. Visit localline.ca/saratoga-farmers-market.

“Warming temperatures are a sign that the summer market season is about to begin, and we can’t wait for all it will bring this year: spring flowers, summer produce, live music, and community in the great outdoors,” says Market Administrator Emily Meagher.

Wednesday Market Vendors:

  • Burger Farm
  • Euro Delicacies
  • Gifford Farms
  • Gómez Veggie Ville
  • Left Field
  • Mister Edge Sharpening
  • Nine Pine Soup and Design
  • Old World Farm
  • Owl Wood Farm
  • Saratoga Apple
  • Saratoga Garlic Company
  • Scotch Ridge Berry Farm
  • Squash Villa Farm
  • The Chocolate Spoon
  • The Food Florist
  • The Mushroom Shop
  • Underwood’s Greenhouse/Shushan Valley Hydro Farm
  • Vashiti’s Kitchen Delights

Saturday Market Vendors:

  • 518 Farms
  • Argyle Cheese Factory
  • Balet Flowers & Design, LLC
  • Ballston Lake Apiaries
  • Big Breath Wellness
  • Bunker Hill Organic LLC
  • Burger Farm
  • Capital Greens NY 
  • Charlton Woodworking
  • Daily Fresh
  • Dancing Ewe Farm
  • Elihu Farm
  • Euro Delicacies
  • Feathered Antler
  • Fossil Stone Farms
  • Freddy’s Rockin’ Hummus
  • Giovanni Fresco
  • Gómez Veggie Ville
  • Grandma Apple’s Cheesecakes, LLC
  • Grazin Acres Farm
  • Green Jeans Market Farm
  • Hebron Valley Veal
  • Junbucha
  • Kokinda Farm
  • Leaning Birch Farm
  • Left Field
  • Longlesson Farm
  • Lovin’ Mama Farm
  • M & A Farm
  • Mariaville Mushroom Men
  • Mirage Waterless LLC
  • Moon Cycle Seed Company
  • Moxie Ridge Farm
  • Mrs Londons
  • Muddy Trail Jerky Co.
  • Mugzy’s Barkery
  • Native Farm Flowers
  • Nettle Meadow
  • Night Work Bread
  • Old Tavern Farm
  • Old World Farm
  • Owl Wood Farm
  • Petra Pocket Pies
  • Pleasant Valley Farms
  • Puckers Gourmet
  • Pura Vida Fisheries, Inc
  • R&G Cheesemakers 
  • Ramble Creek Farm
  • Saratoga Apple
  • Saratoga Chocolate Co. 
  • Saratoga Crackers
  • Saratoga Garlic Company
  • Saratoga Peanut Butter Co.
  • Saratoga Spicery
  • Saratoga Suds ‘n’ Stuff
  • Scotch Ridge Berry Farm
  • Slate Valley Farms
  • Slovonian European Cafe
  • Slyboro Cider House
  • Something’s Brewing
  • Springbrook Hollow Farm Distillery
  • Squash Villa Farm
  • Talmadge’s Vegetables
  • The Chocolate Spoon
  • The Food Florist
  • The Smoothie Shoppe INC
  • TogaNola Snack Company, LLC
  • Underwood’s Greenhouse/Shushan Valley Hydro Farm
  • Vashiti’s Kitchen Delights
  • Yankee Distillers LLC
Published in Food

Happy Earth Week! Some places celebrate Earth Day, others make it a weeklong event, and others organize month-long festivities. At the Saratoga Farmers’ Market, we like to think that every day is Earth Day.

Farmers’ market operations are inherently more sustainable than factory and grocery store operations. Most obviously, vendors produce food locally, cutting down on transportation impacts. The Farmers’ Market Coalition cites that, on average, food travels over 1,000 miles from the point of production to the retail store. In contrast, practically all vendors at the Saratoga Farmers’ Market live just a county away from the market.

Many grow and produce their food with extra care for the environment, for instance, by growing organically or choosing sustainable packaging. Think compostable mushroom boxes, egg carton returns, or glass deposits on items like maple syrup, yogurt, or kombucha. “It’s obvious to consider the earth when you’re a farmer; your hands are literally in the dirt. But other food producers are equally responsible for operating sustainably,” said Shane Avery, owner of Junbucha.

That green focus is evident in customers’ minds, too. Customers are prepared to shop with reusable totes and netted produce bags. They religiously return their empty containers. They often choose the more sustainable options even if it costs a little more. Julia, one market customer, stopped by to return her glass maple syrup jar, calling choosing glass over plastic “the intuitive choice.” She chooses jars as they are reusable, returnable, recyclable, and she uses them to store granola at home before returning them.

And then, there are the green choices that extend further than the farmers’ market. The Saratoga Farmers’ Market’s partnership with the Franklin Community Center is a prime example: customers drop off compost at the farmers’ market to be used in the Center’s community garden, while vendors donate unsold food to the food pantry.

All these green efforts point out a quiet strength of farmers’ markets: their belief in the efficacy of traditional ways, where less is more, quality trumps quantity, and there is a deep-rooted connection to the earth.

Join us this Saturday, April 24, for our last winter market before welcoming our new summer vendors. We will be joining The Children’s Museum at Saratoga’s Children’s Road Rally event and offering a scavenger hunt and prizes for kids. Starting May 1, our Saturday markets will take place at the Wilton Mall from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., while you can find our Wednesday markets at High Rock Park from 3 to 6 p.m. For online pre-ordering and curbside pickup, visit localline.ca/saratoga-farmers-market.

FarmersMarket BaconCheeseQuiche

Published in Food
Thursday, 15 April 2021 14:06

Spring Invites New Flavors from Local Farms

It felt so good to feel sunshine on our faces this past Saturday at the Saratoga Farmers’ Market. 

From now through the end of April, the farmers’ market will be outside, weather permitting, in the Bon-Ton/Bow Tie parking lot at the Wilton Mall on Saturdays, 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Current COVID guidelines still stand, so mask up, bring your shopping bags, and remember to social distance as we continue to ensure the safest (and freshest) shopping experience.

As we eagerly anticipate spring perennials like asparagus and rhubarb, they are still much too young to harvest as vibrant shoots have just recently broken through the earth. Even fiddleheads are weeks away from emerging. However, early spring offers an opportunity to savor the first tender greens that are getting their start in greenhouses and the last of stored crops like beets, kohlrabi, and radishes. Innovative farmers are also bringing hydroponically grown produce like cucumber, watercress, and herbs. And, some farmers work tirelessly to bring crops that grow year-round, like mushrooms. 

If you are eager to make spring meals, there are plenty of flavorful ingredients available at the farmers’ market. We feel inspired to share recipes for a fresh herbed salad and seared pork chops this week. Combining stored fruit and vegetables with freshly harvested greens, fresh farm eggs, and heritage meats is what spring cooking is all about. 

The Saratoga Farmers’ Market is open Saturdays from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Find us online at saratogafarmersmarket.org and follow us on Facebook and Instagram. For online pre-ordering and curbside pickup, visit localline.ca/saratoga-farmers-market.

PorkChopsRecipe

 

HerbedSpringSaladRecipe

Published in Food
Thursday, 08 April 2021 13:57

The Magic of Sowing Seeds

Winter was hard. Just as I thought I could start to socialize again, new variants of the Coronavirus surfaced, pushing me back into isolation. I found myself feeling haggard from too much work at home, sitting at the computer trying to manage my teaching work and other responsibilities as a college professor alongside running our farm..

I longed to rip open a bag of organic potting soil, fill a tray of 72 seedling cells, and start planting arugula. But my husband Jim and I have been moving our farm, and with me left responsible for much of the packing, decluttering, and cleanup of our old locale, there was little time or space to make such a dream come true.

Last weekend, though, was Easter and its promise of renewal. I celebrated with Jim at the new farm. We sunk our hands into the soil and began planting rhubarb crowns that had arrived two days earlier. I checked out the seedlings Jim had started under grow lights and marked times in my calendar for when I could help transplant those starts into the ground. 

Last year, many of us fought back pandemic fear by creating what were dubbed “COVID gardens.” Gardeners planted radishes, turnips, arugula, lettuce, carrots, and peas. They obtained seedlings from such places as the Saratoga Farmers’ Market, along with tips on how to transplant, water and fertilize.

This year, we can tackle combat pandemic fatigue with gardening again.

Seeds for most spring crops – think peas, radishes, turnips, carrots, beets, lettuce, and kale – are widely available. Seedlings for summer crops, along with such vegetables as broccoli, will be available soon at the Saratoga Farmers’ Market at the Wilton Mall on Saturdays and, starting in May, at High Rock Park on Wednesdays. 

Many gardeners – from novices to experts – came to my market stall last year with stories about their successes – the spicy tang of a radish pulled straight from the ground, the sweetness of a tomato just off the vine – and their failures – the seeds that did not germinate, the rabbits who made the lettuce bed their salad bar. Their celebrations and their laments show how planting seeds is about more than growing food. It’s also about magic: the healing power of letting our hands touch dirt, the wondrous transformation of a germinating seed to sprout, plant, and fruit. 

It’s time to get planting. Let’s do it together. 

The Saratoga Farmers’ Market is open Saturdays from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Find us online at saratogafarmersmarket.org and follow us on Facebook and Instagram. For online pre-ordering and curbside pickup, visit localline.ca/saratoga-farmers-market.

FM Cornbread

Published in Food
Page 7 of 56

Blotter

  • Saratoga County Court  Kathleen M. Callanan, 62, of Saratoga Springs, was sentenced to 1 year in local jail, after pleading to felony grand larceny.  Cassandra R. Barden, 38, homeless, was sentenced to 1-1/2 to 3 years incarceration after pleading to felony attempted assault, charged in Milton.  Ashley Vetrano, 35, of Glens Falls, pleaded to felony robbery, charged in Moreau. Sentencing May 23.  Gabrielle Montanye, 63, of Stillwater, was sentenced to 5 years probation, after pleading to felony attempted identity theft, charged in Ballston Spa.  Daniel J. Koenig, III, 53, of Round Lake, was sentenced to 2 to 4 years incarceration, after…

Property Transactions

  • BALLSTON Eastline Holdings LLC sold property at 12 Aspen Dr to Shaun Scott for $596,673 Sunmark Credit Union sold property at 15 17 & 19 Main St to Landmark Holdings 2023 LLC for $240,000 CORINTH Gary ONeil sold property at 115 Hollister Dr to Aaron Schips for $345,000 GREENFIELD Jeffrey Fuller sold property at 4 Lanie Dr to Jacob Brooks for $221,700 Bernice Moeller sold property at 395 North Creek Rd to Devin Vernon for $270,000 MALTA  Maureen Weise sold property at 13 Pepperbush Pl to Robert ONeill for $245,000 MECHANICVILLE Robert Murphy sold property at 406 Park Ave to…
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