Thomas Dimopoulos

Thomas Dimopoulos

City Beat and Arts & Entertainment Editor
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ALBANY – New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced a new initiative Monday afternoon that involves a coalition of six mostly neighboring states to share information and address both public health and economy in discussions focused on coming up with a plan to potentially re-open schools, businesses and municipalities.

The six-state coalition will include a head of economic development, a head health official and the governor’s chief of staff from each state. “Six states, 18 people,” Cuomo said, during a special press conference called to announce the initiative Monday afternoon.

There are a variety of available options to a reopening strategy. Cuomo likened it to the careful opening of a valve. That is, enough to begin a return of the economy, but not too much as to cause the infection of a large segment of the population.

“If you want to open business, schools have to be open, to any large degree. You want to turn the valve a lot? Schools have to be open. Why? Because you can’t open businesses if people don’t have child care. Or, you can say: I’m not turning the valve that far, we’re going to ease into it, were going to phase into it. That’s what this group has to discuss.”    

An effective vaccine against COVID-19 is likely 18 months away. Two occurrences that would help the decision-making process – a rapid test for the new coronavirus that would indicate who is infected, as well as antibody tests — which could detect who had previously been infected with the virus and is potentially immune at present – have been slow to roll out from the federal government.   

Talks between the cooperative partnership will commence Tuesday, April 14. “This is about being smart. Follow the data, learn from the other countries,” Cuomo said.  Input will come from both healthcare and economic development experts, the governor added.

“I don’t believe that we come up with a fully common strategy. You have different states in different positions. Within this state you have different areas with different circumstances and the plan has to fit the facts of the circumstance. There may be one situation in New York, a different situation in rural counties, a different situation in suburban counties,” Cuomo said. “I want to make sure that we are smart in the way we are doing this for all the people we represent.”   

Monday afternoon’s presser included the leaders of the collaborating states, including Gov. Phil Murphy of New Jersey, Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont, Gov. Tom Wolf of Pennsylvania, Gov. John Carney of Delaware, and Gov. Gina Raimondo of Rhode Island.

Locally, the Saratoga County Department of Public Health announced on Sunday that there are 221 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Saratoga County- with 12 of those individuals hospitalized at this time. The Department also confirmed the county’s sixth death — a Saratoga County resident who had passed away in New Jersey.

Slightly different totals were posted by the New York State Department of Health which indicated 2,640 persons have been tested in Saratoga County, with 201 – or 7.6%, testing positive.

QUEENSBURY — A drive-up novel coronavirus public testing site is set to open today in Queensbury providing the availability of COVID-19 tests for residents of Warren, Washington, Saratoga, Hamilton and Essex counties, according to Warren County Public Health Services.

The mobile site is the second in the region, a new state-run drive-through test site opened on the University at Albany campus on April 6.

Glens Falls Hospital and Warren County Public Health Services worked together to open the most recent public testing site on the Warren County Municipal Center campus.

According to a statement, the site will be open for drive-up public testing only for those who have obtained medical authorization. Anyone who believes they should be tested should contact their medical provider. Those wishing to have a test performed will need to get an order from their health provider, who will then contact Warren County Public Health Services to arrange a time for the test. The site will be staffed by Glens Falls Hospital personnel in personal protective equipment.

Testing site staff will be able to handle 50 or so tests per day between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m., Monday through Friday. Results through a state laboratory will take 3 to 5 days.

The Municipal Center is located off Route 9 in Queensbury, near Exit 20 of the Northway. Those who have doctors’ orders for a test will follow electronic signs on Route 9 that will direct them to the testing location at the rear of the county complex. They will be asked to enter the Municipal Center through Glen Lake Road.

Through April 8, 2,269 Saratoga County residents had been tested overall, with 172 positive results for the coronavirus - a 7.6% positive return rate. Warren County had tested 581 persons (40 positive, 6.9%) and Washington County 383 (with 25, or 6.5% postive).  

SARATOGA SPRINGS — The idea came to him, as good ideas sometimes do, while otherwise engaged in the seeming mundanities of everyday life. 

Jacob Hopper and Dempsey, a yellow Lab, were out walking through Saratoga Springs. Hopper had started up the Evander and Louise lifestyle and travel brand, just as everything else around him began locking down.  March 1 was a heckuva time to launch a new business. 

“Horrible timing,” Hopper admits. A lot of the work is centered on the partnerships he created with 17 different local restaurants. 

“We know eating-out and taking-out can be a luxury for some people. And a lot of us are on limited incomes right now, watching the budget, but it’s really important that we support our small local businesses as much as we can. I think the more we can support them, the better we will be when we come out of this,” Hopper says. 

“Well, we launched and then this all happened. I started thinking: what can I do?” The answer came to him while out walking with Dempsey.  “Tag Your Take Out. It just popped into my head. I thought it might be a good way to promote these restaurants who really need help.”

The way the campaign works is this: people going out for take-out food snap a photo or capture a video of their excursion and post it to Instagram, tagging Evander and Louise at @e.l.saratoga and using the hashtag #tagyourtakeout. 

In addition to the photos making the rounds of social media and adding to a sense of community, Hopper’s E&L selects four winners every week from the posts. Each of the four receive a $50 gift card redeemable at one the group’s 17 restaurants. A $10 gratuity will also be provided to the restaurant, and for each $50 gift card given away, a $50 donation will be made to Franklin Community Center.

“We’re buying the gift cards. I didn’t want to ask the restaurants to give us gift cards because they’re already hurting enough, and we’re also including a $10 gratuity to the business because I think it’s important to remember that there are still people working. They might not be coming to your table like they usually do, but they are putting themselves at risk,” Hopper says. 

“With each gift card we give away, we’re also giving a $50 donation to Franklin Community Center as well – because the whole concept from the beginning was: support our local restaurants and support families who are in need, because the families can have other basic needs,” he says. “We’ve got 22 giveaways funded, so currently that’s $1,100 in gift cards and $1,100 to Franklin Community Center.” 

Franklin Community Center – which is located on Franklin Street – is a non-profit organization providing basic necessities and services to less fortunate individuals and families in Saratoga. 

“Anybody can tag their take-out at any locally-owned restaurants, and we’re certainly encouraging people to have fun with it,” says Hopper, adding that the support of sponsors, such American Natural Gas, help make the gift-card drawing possible.  “It’s focused on Saratoga, but we’ve gotten some who have tagged in Ballston Spa, and we’ve gotten some from Albany. Post a photo of it, tag us and tag the restaurant and you can be entered in the drawing.”

Each week on Wednesday afternoon four winners are picked, and Hopper says he anticipates staging the drawings and gift card winners for at least the next couple of weeks. 

“We want people to go and support local restaurants. The restaurants – obviously they’re all hurting and the feedback they’ve given me is they’re doing what they can to stay afloat and to keep their staff as much as is possible.” 

For more information about the Evander and Louise #tagyourtakeout initiative, and a list of the Saratoga eateries where the winning gift cards are redeemable, go to: evanderandlouise.com/tag-your-takeout

Thursday, 09 April 2020 12:09

Lights, Camera, Saratoga!

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Hunkered down for either the long haul or the short, and a hankering desire for some Spa City scenes? 

Dating back deep into the last century, some of the fruit born from Saratoga’s architectural and historical charm has been captured inside the scrolling frames of celluloid legacy. And with a plethora of screening services available to modern-day mankind – be it via YouTube or Netflix, Amazon Prime and beyond – the once bustling city streetscapes, which one day will bustle with busy-ness yet again, may be enjoyed while ensconced in the plushy comfort of your own abode during these stay-at-home times. 

Boasting unique architecture, historical landscapes and natural scenery from airy greenspace to waterfront properties, the region has provided many a filmmaker’s an ideal setting.  Flip inside to see some of them... 

THE VINTAGE 

“Saratoga” filmed in part at Saratoga Race Course, this 1937 film stars Clark Gable, Lionel Barrymore, and Jean Harlow – the latter in her final film. Harlow collapsed on set during the making of the film, and her unfinished scenes were completed by using a stand-in actress. 

A few years later, the racecourse made another appearance - in the 1947 film “The Homestretch,” as the camera follows a Boston socialite – portrayed by Maureen O’Hara, who navigates across a landscape of various American racetracks and through one rocky marriage. The racecourse also was featured in the 1979 made-for-television drama film My Old Man, starring Kristy McNichol.

Perhaps the most prominent appearance of the racecourse, at least in the modern day, was the adaptation of Laura Hillenbrand’s nonfiction bestseller, “Seabiscuit: An American Legend.”  During a week-long shoot following the conclusion of the 2002 summer meet, a crew of more than 200 people settled into the Saratoga region transforming the racecourse into a circa-1920s and ‘30s setting;  they removed 20th century fixtures such as televisions and vending machines from the racecourse and boosted local businesses with their patronage, spending money at area restaurants, hotels and dry cleaner establishment, renting computers, and buying office supplies. When the film was released the following year, locals scanned the silver screen for their own faces as film extras alongside actors such as Tobey Maguire and Jeff Bridges.

SOME MAJOR PRODUCTIONS

A number of Victorian-era homes on and around North Broadway provided the setting for the 1981 film “Ghost Story,” that showcased performances by John Houseman, Douglas Fairbanks Jr. and Fred Astaire.

Multiple scenes across Saratoga County were used alongside additional settings in Montana and California in the 1998 movie “The Horse Whisperer.” Robert Redford directed and starred in the film, which garnered praise and attention for a 13-year-old relatively unknown Scarlett Johansson, portraying a teenager traumatized by a riding accident. 

In the fall of 1990, 3,000 area hopefuls tried out as extras for the filming of “Billy Bathgate.” Approximately one-third were chosen for the three-week shoot at Saratoga Race Course, the Hall of Springs and at the Gideon Putnam Hotel. Film fans snooped around the region for the film’s stars Dustin Hoffman, Bruce Willis, Nicole Kidman and then-boyfriend Tom Cruise. Kidman was filmed dancing in the Hall of Springs in the Saratoga Spa State Park. 

A few hundred yards and an entire generation away, a leather-clad Jim Morrison was captured within the cinderblock confines of the backstage area at Saratoga Performing Arts Center in September 1968, some footage of which was eventually used as part of The Doors’ self-produced documentary “Feast of Friends.” 

Historically incorporating portions of the Saratoga story is “12 Years a Slave” (the Solomon Northup story) – released in 2013, and “Saratoga Trunk,” released in 1945 with Gary Cooper and Ingrid Bergman.

In 2005, the city provided a setting for two different films:  “Aftermath” - which featured Anthony Michael Hall, Tony Danza and Chris Penn - the latter of whom died shortly after the filming, and the dramatic thriller “The Skeptic” -  with a cast that included Tom Arnold and Tim Daly. 

Saratoga Springs native Chris Millis debuted the local premiere of his film “Small Apartments” – starring Billy Crystal and James Caan -  in a sold out event at Saratoga Music Hall in 2013, and local resident and filmmaker and photojournalist Charlie Samuels released his award-winning and critically acclaimed documentary “Virgin Blacktop: A New York Skate Odyssey,” last year. 

Some of the rest: “Virgin Alexander” – a 2011 comedy that depicts a young man who attempts to stave off eviction turns his Saratoga house into a brothel, and “Isabelle,” a horror-filled 2018 film that showcases the life of Matt and Larissa, a young couple who move into their dream home in Saratoga Springs. When the young woman has a chance meeting with a neighbor at the mailbox on the front sidewalk, it all goes downhill pretty quickly. See if you can recognize their Spa City “dream house,” which stands on a distinctive Spa City street.   

AROUND THE REGION

You will find glimpses of the surrounding region in films such as “The Way We Were,” starring Barbara Streisand, Robert Redford and featuring the Union College campus of the early 1970s, as well as Front Street in Ballston Spa. “Synecdoche, New York,” – inspired in name if not scenery – stars Philip Seymour Hoffman, who studied acting as a teen at Skidmore College once upon a time. “The Place Beyond The Pines,” features Bradley Cooper and Ryan Gosling and a slew of bank robberies from Scotia to the Electric City, “The Time Machine’ – 2002 version, was filmed in that city’s Central Park. Angelina Jolie caused mayhem atop the Empire State Plaza ramps to I-787 portraying CIA agent Evelyn Salt in the spring 2009 for the film released as “Salt” a year later. And the city of Troy shows up in “Scent Of A Woman,” “The Age Of Innocence,” and “Ironweed,” based on the book by William Kennedy. 

SARATOGA SPRINGS — The New York Racing Association today announced that the opening of the Oklahoma Training Track and stabling area at Saratoga Race Course will be delayed due to the continuing impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. 

The Oklahoma facility was originally set to open April 15, when training traditionally gets underway in advance of the Saratoga meet.

NYRA is working with the New York State Gaming Commission and public health agencies to determine an appropriate date to safely open the Oklahoma for training and stabling. 

The delay does not impact the start of the Saratoga racing season which is scheduled to begin Thursday, July 16. 

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.

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  • 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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