Saratoga Business Journal - April 2023

SARATOGA BUSINESS JOURNAL

Canadian HDPE Pipe Manufacturer Gets OK To Build A Plant In Grande Industrial Park

Albany-Based Development Group Buys Clifton Park Center Near Northway Exit 9

BY R.J. DELUKE

A Quebec-based company that makes high density polyethylene (HDPE) pipes wants to build a plant in the W.J. Grande Industrial Park in Saratoga Springs.

Soleno Inc., based in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec, presented its plans to the city Planning Board on March 23 and received approval for the project, estimated to cost about $22 million. The new plant will be situated on 22 acres.

According to Benjamin Robitaille, a vice president for Soleno, 35 to 50 jobs would be created, with an average salary of $70,000 per year. Those jobs would be engineers, operators, technicians and sales and administrative personnel.

Munter Enterprises will be the general contractor. Company president John Munter appeared before the planners along with Robitaille.

Robitaille said the company is family owned, founded in 1977. They have 10 plants in eastern Canada and employ more than 500 people. The plant in Saratoga Springs would be its first U.S. location.

Soleno has applied for a tax incentive package from the Saratoga County Industrial Development Agency. The Saratoga Economic Development Corp. is assisting the company in that process.

A two-phase project is planned, Munter explained. The board approved construction of a 45,480-square-foot factory and office building. Some 25,000 more square feet could be added if the business is strong enough to justify it.

Robitaille said the company builds HDPE piping used for water drainage projects, and has for-

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Ascent Fabrication Uses Computer-Aided Design, 3D Printing To Make Prosthetics

BY CHRISTINE GRAF

Certified prosthetist Joe Fairley has established himself as an innovator in the field of prosthetics and orthotics.

His company, Ascent Fabrication, utilizes CAD (computer-aided design) and 3D print technology to create highly functional and innovative prosthetic and orthotic devices.

Fairley developed an interest in CAD while a student at Saratoga Springs High School, and it was while pursuing a physics degree at Siena College that he taught himself how to use his department’s new 3D printer. After mastering the device, he established a group at Siena to create hero-themed, prosthetic hands for kids.

They partnered with e-NABLE, a global community of volunteers who use 3D printers to make free and low-cost prosthetic upper limb devices for children and adults in need.

It was through volunteering with e-NABLE that Fairley became interested in the clinical side of the field of prosthetics and orthotics. After working as a prosthetics technician at Sampson Prosthetics and Orthotics in Schenectady, he attended Northwestern University where he earned a M.S. in prosthetics and orthotics.

After graduating, Fairley began his residency at a clinic in Savannah, Ga., where the head clinician was a paralympic runner and founder of the nonprofit

Amputee Blade Runners.

“I credit a lot of my clinical knowledge to him,” said Fairley. “He taught me to make running prosthesis, and I fell in love with working with high-activity patients.”

Continued On Page 12

BY PAUL POST

The reinvention of Clifton Park Center, with exterior storefronts providing direct easy access, kept it thriving while many malls across America dwindled in the face of stiff competition from online shopping platforms.

The 630,000-square-foot property continued to flourish despite major challenges such as the Great Recession of 2008 and the more recent COVID-19 pandemic.

But after achieving its goals there, Clifton Parkbased DCG Development recently passed the torch to a new owner—Albany-based CPC Development I, LLC, for a reported $55 million.

“DCG did extraordinary work transforming the former Clifton Country Mall into the town center that it is today,” said Faraz Khan, CPC principal, who purchased the site with an investment group of

family and close friends. “We hope to continue DCG owner Don Greene’s vision and legacy by further the developing the property in years to come. We appreciate the opportunity to continue as stewards of this very important community asset.”

The commercial real estate location analytics company, Placer.ai, said Clifton Park Center hosts nearly five million visitors per year.

The deal was brokered by RedMark Realty of Clifton Park.

“While internet shopping has certainly impacted retail over the past several decades, the primary reason that regional malls have been struggling is really due to a change in shopping patterns,” said Alex Kutikov, RedMark principal. “Instead of just going to the mall and roaming around, shoppers know exactly which stores they want to visit and

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Lisa Vollendorf Inaugurated As The New President Of Empire State University

Empire State University inaugurated Lisa Vollendorf, Ph.D., as its sixth president on March 23 in a ceremony at the Saratoga Springs City Center.

SUNY Chancellor John B. King performed the presidential investiture.

Vollendorf began her tenure at SUNY Empire on July 1, 2022. With more than 26 years of experience in public higher education, she is deeply committed to the values of access, inclusivity and academic excellence.

In her short time at SUNY Empire, she has led the implementation of numerous initiatives to advance the institution and enhance the student experience, including overseeing the institutions change from SUNY Empire State College to Empire State University, creation of a new strategic plan, new academic programs, and initiatives to improve access, diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Prior to SUNY Empire, Vollendorf held faculty appointments and leadership positions at numerous universities, including Wayne State, Cal State Long Beach, San Jose State, and Sonoma State. A Spanish professor by training, she has published two monographs and six edited collections on women in early modern Spain and colonial Latin America. She holds a Ph.D. in Romance Languages from the Univer-

sity of Pennsylvania and a B.A. in both English and Spanish from Colorado State University. “Empire State University builds on modern ideas and modern solutions. As a leader, President Vollendorf understands the vital

Continued On Page 17

Joe Fairley is a certified prosthetist who owns Ascent Fabrication. ©2023 Saratoga Photographer.com

Lisa Vollendorf, Ph.D., was inaugurated as the sixth president of Empire State University. Couresty Empire State University

This is a rendering of the building Soleno Inc. wants to build in the W.J. Grande Industrial Park in Saratoga Springs. The company makes high density polyethylene (HDPE) pipes.

Clifton Park Center was sold by DCG Development to CPC Development I, LLC, for a reported $55 million. Planned changes include a children’s play area and four-story, mixed-use building.

Personnel Briefs

Saratoga National Bank and Trust Co. announced the promotion of Danielle A. Pelletier to branch manager of the Troy office.

The bank also announced the promotion of Whitney Burger to vice president, municipal banking relationship manager.

Pelletier joined the bank in 2015 as a teller and was promoted to assistant branch manager in 2022.

Pelletier is responsible for cultivating business relationships, managing and coaching staff and providing banking services to Rensselaer County communities. She brings more than 10 years of banking experience to the position, eight of which have been spent with Saratoga National Bank.

She is active in her community, serving as a tutor with Literacy Volunteers of Rensselaer County. She is a Stillwater native.

Burger is responsible for maintaining, growing and servicing the company’s municipal portfolio and deepening relationships with longtime customers.

She joined the bank in 2018 and will continue to work closely with branch staff and business partners to offer a variety of products and services to enhance the customer experience.

The Whitehall native attended Ithaca College, where she received her bachelor’s degree in communications.

Burger currently lives in South Glens Falls and is an active member in her community. She serves as board president of the Warren Washington Homeless Youth Coalition/DBA WAIT House.

* * *

Robert Roemer has been named vice president of information technology at Ballston Spa National Bank.

He will be responsible for leading and managing the bank’s information technology strategy including core, network, application, and telecommunication services.

Bringing 25 years in leadership and technology experience from a local federal credit union, Roemer most recently worked as a senior vice president of systems delivery.

He graduated from Sage Junior College of Albany with a degree in computer information systems. Active in the community, Roemer is a trustee and wish grantor for Make-A-Wish NENY.

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UHY Advisors, Inc. recently announced that Eric Scaringe, CPA, has joined UHY’s Tax Services group. He brings a broad spectrum of tax services expe-

Woman Fulfi lls A Dream With Opening Of Her ‘Book Nook’ Store In Ballston Lake

rience spanning the federal, individual, international, state and local, as well as commercial and non-profit spaces.

Prior to joining UHY, Scaringe held a leadership position consulting with an international accounting firm. He is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants. He is a licensed CPA in the state of New York. Scaringe holds a B.S. in accounting from Siena College. He specializes in the financial services, technology, cryptocurrency, retail, and asset management industries, including those of Fortune 50 companies.

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Roohan Realty announced that Jordan GolisanoVanNeil has joined the team as a marketing assistant. She will be creating and sharing content on social media as well as writing blog posts.

Jordan was born and raised in Rochester, and graduated from Siena College in 2023 with a degree in marketing/communications.

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Dale Dan, Ed.D. has been hired as the chief diversity officer at SUNY Empire State. She will also hold the title of visiting professor of business.

Dan has extensive experience leading diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts on college campuses, including DEIdriven curricular development and online teaching and learning. Dan is also a certified mediator with a background in conflict resolution.

Audeliz Matías, Ph.D., had served as the college’s interim chief diversity officer since July 2021. Upon Dan’s arrival, Matías will take on her new role of senior advisor to the provost.

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BST & Co. CPAs, LLP announced the appointment of Alyssa Salerno as a marketing strategist.

Salerno specializes in digital marketing, website design, social media, content creation and photography. Since 2017, she has assisted a wide range of clients with rebranding strategies, campaign development, research projects and more.

As marketing strategist, Salerno will be responsible for developing marketing and communications tactics in support of BST’s corporate and strategic growth initiatives. She will assist in writing and designing marketing materials, organizing events and creating website and social media content.

Salerno will also support the firm’s CMO for Hire division, which offers outsourced marketing services to businesses, startups and nonprofit organizations.

Continued On Page 13

BY CHRISTINE GRAF

The Book Nook, a small, independent secondhand bookstore opened its doors in Ballston Lake on March 1.

Located at 146 Raylinksky Road, Suite 4A, in the plaza behind Stewart’s, the store carries a wide selection of books for adults and children.

Before opening the bookstore, owner Sue Rainka worked for her family’s business, Hart Alarm Systems. After she and her siblings sold the Watervliet company in 2020, Rainka stayed on to work for the new owners. It wasn’t until after her mother passed away in 2022 that she decided to pursue her dream of opening her own bookstore.

“I had always talked to my mom about wanting to open a bookstore,” she said. “I’ve worked a lot of year and this is something I’ve always wanted to do, so I decided now was the time to do it.”

While scouting for locations, Rainka posted on Facebook that she was collecting donations of used books for her new store. The donations started pouring in, and within a matter of months, she had collected close to 1,000 books.

“I got such a wide array of books. It was just incredible,” she said. “I couldn’t believe what I was lucky enough to have donated. My first donation was a Harry Potter set. I was floored that someone would donate that.”

When Rainka opened her doors the store was stocked entirely with donated books. Although she continues to accept donations, she now offers store credit in

exchange for books that are in good condition and that are likely to sell. Encyclopedias, Reader’s Digest condensed books, library books, and Harlequin Romances are not accepted.

With help from her husband, Phil Patnode, Rainka designed the store as a place for customers to relax as they browse for books.

The Book Nook features comfortable seating, a Kid’s Nook, and a kitchen area with complementary hot beverages. There’s always a puzzle in progress that customers are encouraged to work on.

According to Rainka, she has been overwhelmed by the community’s support of her store during her first month in business.

“We’ve been very busy since we opened, and I’ve gotten a lot of positive feedback. Everyone has been so welcoming," she said.

The Book Nook has thousands of books in stock, and they have an average selling price of around $5. While newer books are more expensive, they are always priced at more than 50 percent below their full retail value. Audio books are also available.

“I’m certainly not going to get rich from selling used books, but I want to cover my expenses and make the store a positive experience for people,” said Rainka. “I feel very fortunate that I’m able to be able to surrounded by books and people who love my books.”

The Book Nook is open Tuesday-Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. For more information, visit www.thebooknook2023.

Sue Rainka is the owner of the Book Nook, a shop she opened at 146 Raylinksky Road, Suite 4A, in Ballston Lake on March 1.

©2023 Saratoga Photographer.com

Alley Family Fun Center Owners Buy New Bowling Facility In Latham

Kingpin’s

BY SUSAN ELISE CAMPBELL

The husband and wife team of Doug and Alison Bohannon, owners of Kingpin’s Alley Family Fun Center in South Glens Falls, added a second location to their business portfolio with the purchase of Spare Time bowling alley and arcade at 375 Troy-Schenectady Road in Latham.

The Bohannons said they closed the transaction on Nov. 30 for $3.2 million.

“I have been in the bowling business since 1999, starting out as a pin changer and working my way up through management,” he said.

In 2013 the opportunity was presented to purchase the Spare Time lanes in South Glens Falls. The Bohannans re-named the business Kingpin’s Alley Family Fun Center and in February 2022 was approached by Spare Time Entertainment about purchasing the Latham location.

“Th is is a company I was employed by for 13 years and who sold us our South Glens Falls alleys 10 years ago, so we are very familiar with each other,” said Bohannon. “Ne-

gotiations went pretty quickly.”

The Bohannons changed the name of the center but have no plans to renovate at this time. Neither will there be staff changes among the 30-plus employees.

“There is a great staff here, and the manager, Carol Judge, has been at these lanes for 17 years,” he said. “She is very well known in the area for her bowling knowledge and ability to run an alley.”

He said bowling is very popular right now.

“Th is is true across the country, not just upstate New York where our alleys are located,” he said. The Bohannons want to make the new location in Latham “the destination of choice. We would like patrons to know what we have to offer, and customer service is the number one thing. People have money to spend right now. We want to give them their money’s worth and help them have fun so that they will want to come back.”

Kingpin’s Alley Family Fun Center is available for parties and corporate events. There is league bowling Monday through Thursday nights and open play on weekends.

Skidmore College Names New Vice President For Enrollment, Dean Of Admissions

Jessica Ricker, with over 20 years of experience in admissions and enrollment management at liberal arts colleges, will join Skidmore College as its next vice president for enrollment and dean of admissions and fi nancial aid on June 5.

She will lead an integrated and collaborative enrollment management approach for the College, continuing Skidmore’s consistently strong performance in admissions and fi nancial aid support, college officials said.

“Th roughout her career, Jess Ricker has repeatedly demonstrated the ability and genuine drive to apply a creative vision to all she does— an ethos that will benefit the entire Skidmore community,” said college President Marc Conner, who chaired the search committee. “Her commitment to amplifying student voices and supporting historically marginalized groups will help ensure Skidmore continues to create a diverse, equitable, and inclusive liberal arts experience for all.”

Ricker has served as dean and director of admissions at Wellesley College since 2018 and recently served as the interim dean of admissions and fi nancial aid. Before joining Wellesley, she worked in admissions at Connecticut College for 18 years in various capacities. She holds a Master of Arts degree in psychology and a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Connecticut College.

At Wellesley, Ricker led a staff of 20 and oversaw admissions operations, including student recruitment, application review, marketing and communications, customer service, data analysis and reporting, event management, and staff development.

In 2022, she was the recipient of an Agent of Innovation achievement award, given each year to an outstanding member of Wellesley’s staff who has demonstrated the use of innovative ideas, approaches, or techniques in their work. She also initiated and led a yearlong assessment of implicit bias among staff, policy, and processes across the Admission and Student Financial Services Division and devised

an equitable, mission-driven application review and selection process.

Ricker says she looks forward to partnering broadly to recruit, enroll, and support students at Skidmore.

“I’m elated to join the Skidmore community in June. Institutional mission has always been of paramount importance to me, especially the commitment to fi nancial aid and inclusive excellence,” she said. “As a fi rst-generation college student from the Midwest, generous need-based aid and Pell grants made it possible for me to have a transformational liberal arts college experience. It will be an honor and a privilege to contribute my passion and skills to the great work already being done at Skidmore.”

Ricker will succeed Mary Lou Bates, who will retire at the end of the 2022-23 academic year after 49 years with the college.

The national search was assisted by WittKieffer, a global executive search and leadership advisory fi rm.

Doug and Alison Bohannon, owners of Kingpin’s Alley Family Fun Center in South Glens Falls, pose in the second location they opened at 375 Troy-Schenectady Road in Latham.

Cosntruction Education / Training / Personal Development Health / Community Services

Publication Date: May 4, 2023

DCG Development Nears Building Large Office/Warehouse Space In Clifton Park

BY PAUL POST

A Clifton Park fi rm’s proposed $8.9 million project would help bring new business to the area, and give existing small ventures a place to expand.

The Clifton Park Industrial Development Agency recently approved a nearly $1.3 million incentive package for DCG Development to build 57,360 square feet of office and warehouse space on currently vacant land at 26 Wood Road, just east of Northway Exit 10.

Plans call for three separate structures, ranging from 7,200 square feet to 26,400 square feet, which would be built on speculation—meaning DCG develops the facilities without having signed leases from tenants.

“We’re hoping to break ground as soon as the weather breaks and have space available for lease in the third quarter,” company vice president Donald MacElroy said. “It’s a matter of continuing with a successful formula.”

DCG previously developed, leased and later sold Tech Valley Flex Park, directly across Wood Road from the proposed new construction site. The Flex Park’s 36-acre campus is home to more than 20 different businesses. Its largest tenants are Death Wish Coffee and WyreStorm, an audio and video equipment manufacturer.

“We had great success with that fi rst project,” MacElroy said. “It gives people the opportunity to run a business where they need an overhead door, some warehousing space, or maintain a small on-site office. We’ve dealt with everyone from distributors to small contractors and we’ve done a good deal of business with folks servicing or involved with construction of the GlobalFoundries complex over the years. I would see that continuing in the future.”

GlobalFoundries is pursuing plans to build a second, large semiconductor manufacturing plant at Luther Forest Technology Campus in Malta adjacent to its current plant.

SARATOGA BUSINESS JOURNAL

“There are national and international companies that have to set up a local source of ser-

vice, and provide parts and labor to support GlobalFoundries, both during initial construction and ongoing operations,” MacElroy said.

But demand for business space was strong even before GlobalFoundries announced plans for a new plant.

“Th is is only going to heighten it,” said Tori Riley, Saratoga Economic Development Corporation vice president. “We’ve lost a few projects because we don’t have ‘spec’ space readily available. We’re also seeing huge demand for smaller spec space, around 1,800 square feet from folks starting small businesses. It’s gone from a hobby to business model and they can’t operate out of a garage any more.”

Others such as Clifton Park-based M.J. Properties and Luther Forest Corp. President Cailean Mackay and investment partners are pursuing plans for spec space, too.

“They’re developing different size facilities for different needs based on inquiries they’re receiving,” Riley said.

Outside fi rms seeking to locate in Saratoga County typically lease space and establish a market presence before expanding and building facilities of their own. Projects such as DCG’s makes it possible for them to pursue such plans, Riley said.

The Clifton Park IDA’s incentive package was for $262,500 in sales tax exemptions, $57,720 in mortgage tax exemptions and a payment-inlieu-of-taxes agreement worth $958,160 over 10 years. The package is expected to save DCG almost $1.2 million, which it says is critical in the face of rapidly increasing construction costs.

By offsetting such costs, DCG said it can keep rental fees down, making the project competitive with similar facilities in the area.

Earlier in its history, DCG did a number of multi-family developments, but sold its residential portfolio in 2005. The company is now focused on retail, office and light industrial projects. It developed Congress Plaza in Saratoga Springs, Malta Gardens near Northway Exit 12 and owns four Hilton Hotels along the I-87 corridor.

HDPE Pipe Manufacturer Continued

estry and agriculture applications

Products are made for culverts, catch basin and manholes, surface draining systems, treatments systems, infiltration basin and retention systems and many other applications. They also make and sell all manner of amenities for those systems

Robitaille told the board that in Saratoga, the company plans to make pipes it is currently not producing at other plants. These pipes will be anywhere from 48 inches in diameter, to 12-14 feet in diameter.

The piping is “leak free, sustainable, flexible and customized for specific application,” he said.

In its manufacturing process, Soleno uses recycled plastics, including bottles, that are shredded and incorporated as one of the raw materials, said Robitaille.

Where manufacturing standards allow, a significant part of the raw materials come from post-consumer recycled content. Those materials, routed through the Soleno Recycling plant in Yamachiche, Quebec, come largely from the prod-

From Page 1

ucts placed in recycling bins each week.

HDPE piping systems have been used for municipal and industrial water applications for over 50 years. They are used for ground source geothermal applications, also known as earth energy or geoexchange systems.

According to the Plastic Pipes Institute, HDPE is a tough, durable piping material with unique performance properties that allow for its use in a broad range of applications, utilizing a variety of different construction techniques. In the ground source geothermal industry, HDPE was one of the earliest piping materials utilized, thanks to its combination of characteristics which meet the specific demands of these applications, as listed above.

HDPE piping systems are approved for geothermal ground loops in all model codes across the United States and Canada.

Soleno’s mission is to design, manufacture and distribute HDPE, products for controlling and mastering stormwater.

Tang Museum At Skidmore College Gets NYS Grant To Help Continue Its Many Events

Franklin Community Center Receives Grants From Five Groups To Support ‘Project Lift’

Franklin Community Center was recently awarded several grants in support of its Project Lift program.

The agency received $500 from the Town of Greenfield Lions Club, $3,000 from the Rotary Club of Saratoga Springs, $5,000 from the Stewart’s Holiday Match, $9,000 from The Christopher Dailey Foundation and $14,000 from The Hawley Foundation for Children.

Project Lift, created in 1984 as a free after school program, addresses the growing need for youth to have prevention-based conversations as well as the opportunity to enhance their social and emotional skills. The funding assistance will support the impactful program as well as provide for the ancillary services offered to the Project Lift students and their families.

Franklin Community Center is blessed to have these organizations as partners. Thanks to all of their long-standing grant support, the students who attend our after-school program are able to benefit from the Back to School Backpack program, Holiday Assistance, Food Assistance and Camp Assistance, said Colleen O’Connor Potter, Project Lift program director.

We are so appreciative and look forward to many more years working together with these great community organizations.”

Project Lift works directly with students in grades first to sixth in the Saratoga Springs City School District. The program serves up to 175 children and their siblings in all six elementary schools and the middle school, with support to the students’ families. Services include Camp Assistance, which offers scholarships for participants enrolled in Project Lift the experience of attending summer camp.

The goal is to offer students a place where they may learn about and better understand themselves in a safe, supportive, and relaxed natural environment. Providing camp opportunities to children from financially disadvantaged backgrounds helps the students to constructively learn independence and safe risktaking, build relationships with peers and reap the benefits of connecting with nature.

Community members interested in learning more about supporting the program and the services provided, can find more information at www.franklincommunitycenter.org.

The Frances Young Tang Teaching Museum and Art Gallery at Skidmore College received a grant award totaling $80,000 from the New York State Council on the Arts to support the recovery of the nonprofit arts and culture sector.

Since the Tang Teaching Museum’s opening exhibition S.O.S.: Scenes of Sound in fall 2000, state support has bolstered the museum’s ability to support contemporary artists directly and to offer visitors from the Capital Region access to extraordinary exhibitions and programs, all of which are presented free of charge, museum officials said.

The new funding will ensure that the Tang can emerge with its full range of exhibitions and events.

Skidmore College President Marc Conner said the grant “will provide crucial support for the

Tang Teaching Museum’s contemporary art exhibitions and public programs. We are extremely grateful to state for this support, which will make artists and their work more accessible and a catalyst for transformative experiences for our students, faculty, staff, and visitors.”

In the 2021-22 season, the Tang presented 18 exhibitions, featuring the work of more than 130 artists, including presentations on new and recent work by New York-based artists Lauren Kelley, Laura Ortman, Laura Splan, and Ruby Sky Stiler.

In addition to interdisciplinary exhibitions for which the Tang is well known, such as Parallax: Framing the Cosmos that is now on view, the Tang’s gallery presentations include the Opener Series, which focuses on artists early in the careers to introduce them to broader audiences; the Elevator Music Series, which turns the museum’s

“Helping children develop social and emotional skills is the heart and soul of our program and we are pleased to have the commitment of these organizations in supporting our work,” she said. “Being able to rely on this generous funding helps Franklin Community Center meet our goals in providing fun and impactful experiences for each of our Lift students.

elevator into an exhibition space for experimental sound and visuals; and curatorial projects organized by Skidmore College faculty and students.

Last year, the Tang offered 145 public events and brought in 45 guest artists.

NYSCA Executive Director Mara Manus said organizations such as the Tang Teaching Museum “are the cornerstone of our vibrant arts economy. As crucial drivers of our health and vitality, we are grateful to the unwavering dedication of arts workers across the state.”

NYSCA Chair Katherine Nicholls said the museum’s creative work “provides the benefits of the arts to both their community and all of New York.

The Saratoga Springs-based organization has been providing vital programs and services to individuals and families in the Saratoga County area for almost 40 years. Its mission is to work with individuals and other agencies to provide services that will improve the quality of life and foster a sense of neighborhood, community and family for all people.

Arts organizations are essential, leading our tourism economy and fueling sectors such as hospitality, transit, and Main Streets across our state.”

The Tang Teaching Museum at Skidmore College is a pioneer of interdisciplinary exploration and learning.

The Tang Teaching Museum’s award-winning building, designed by architect Antoine Predock, serves as a visual metaphor for the convergence of art and ideas, college officials said.

The Museum is open to the public on Thursday from noon to 9 p.m. and Friday through Sunday from noon to 5 p.m. Its website is tang.skidmore. edu.

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The Tang Teaching Museum’s award-winning building, designed by architect Antoine Predock, serves as a visual metaphor for the convergence of art and ideas, college officials say.

Courtesy Tang Museum

Race Track General Admission Allows Attendees To Visit Previously Restricted Areas

SARATOGA BUSINESS JOURNAL

Saratoga Race Course will feature one admission price this season for all fans, thereby eliminating the traditional two-tiered structure of clubhouse and grandstand admission.

The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) said a single admission rate will provide fans with access to both the Clubhouse and Grandstand. Admission will be $7 daily when purchased at least 24-hours in advance, a savings from last season’s clubhouse price of $10. Admission to Saratoga Race Course on the day of the event will be $10.

Admission does not include reserved seating. Since 2019, daily clubhouse admission has stood at $10 and grandstand admission at $7.

The elimination of the clubhouse and grandstand exchanges means that fans will now have universal access to amenities and attractions such as the Jim Dandy bar and the portion of the apron by the finish line that had previously been limited to those with clubhouse admission. The track restaurants, including the Turf Terrace and Porch, are also located within the clubhouse (admission plus seating charges apply).

“Our new single admission policy is designed to improve the overall experience for our fans by providing access to all areas of Saratoga Race Course,” said Kevin Quinn, NYRA vice president, sales and hospitality. “Not only does this change create a seamless, simplified experience, but it will provide all fans with access to previously unavailable amenities, like upper

concourse bars and concession stands located in the clubhouse.”

Fans will be able to purchase daily admission to Saratoga Race Course beginning Thursday, June 1, online at NYRA.com/Saratoga.

Season admission passes, which provide admission at a deep discount for all 40 days of the summer meet, will go on sale this month.

Travers Day general admission will be available for $25 in advance and $30 day-of, while supplies last.

Opening Day of the 2023 summer meet at historic Saratoga Race Course is Thursday, July 13.

Live racing will be conducted five days per week, Wednesdays through Sundays, with the exception of opening week and closing week which will conclude on Labor Day, Monday, Sept. 4. The 154th edition of the Travers will take place on Saturday, Aug. 26 and the 96th renewal of the Whitney will be run on Saturday, Aug. 5.

“The start of spring likely has horseracing fans dreaming of warmer temperatures in anticipation of summer days at Saratoga,” said Quinn. “Fans can lock in the best seating selection for all 40 days of the meet with a season ticket to Saratoga Race Course.”

Weekly reserved seat plans go on sale during the week of April 10 and single-day reserved seats can be purchased beginning the week of May 8.

For more information about Saratoga Race Course, visit NYRA.com/Saratoga.

Washington County New Business Registrations

Alta Havana performs at the gazebo stage in the backyard at Saratoga Race Course last summer. Live music is part of the entertainment NYRA provides for fans at the track.

Owner Of Warren Tire Continues To Grow Business, Will Build New Shop In Greenwich

AHLA: Hotel-Generated Tax Revenue Expected To Reach New Heights Th is Year

Hotel-generated state and local tax revenue will reach new heights nationally ($46.71 billion) and in states across the nation this year, according to state-by-state projections released in March by the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) and Oxford Economics.

Average U.S. hotel occupancy is projected to reach 63.8 percent in 2023—just shy of 2019’s level of 65.9 percent. Staffi ng is expected to remain a challenge for many U.S. hotels in 2023, as the industry continues to grow its workforce back to pre-pandemic levels.

“Hotels are making significant strides toward recovery, supporting millions of goodpaying jobs and generating billions in state and local tax revenue in communities across the nation,” said AHLA President and CEO Chip Rogers. “To continue growing, we need to hire more people. Fortunately, there’s never been a better time to be a hotel employee, with wages, benefits, flexibility and upward mobility better than ever before.”

To help hotels fi ll open jobs and raise awareness of the hotel industry’s 200-plus career pathways, the AHLA Foundation’s “A Place to Stay” multi-channel advertising campaign is now active in 14 cities, including Atlanta, Baltimore, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, Nashville, New York, Orlando, Phoenix, San Diego, and Tampa.

For more info on the campaign, visit thehotelindustry.com.

Additionally, AHLA affi liate “Hospitality is Working” recently launched the Workforce & Immigration Initiative. The effort is aimed at urging Congress to address workforce shortages with bipartisan solutions to incorporate more immigrants into the American economy.

On average nationally, every direct hotel job supports an additional 2.6 jobs in the community, according to the projections.

BY PAUL POST

One of the Capital Region’s largest tire retailers is growing again with the $400,000 expansion of existing facilities in Greenwich, Washington County.

Warren Tire Service Centers, which has stores in Saratoga Springs and Clifton Park, has purchased a vacant former Cumberland Farms store, with plans to create three new service bays, add 14 parking spots and hire two additional service technicians.

“We’re expecting a 30 percent increase in business,” company President Robert Kellogg said. “It’s a growing area. Greenwich is a hub for a lot of surrounding towns such as Schuylerville, Salem and Argyle, plus the town of Greenwich itself is growing. It’s a little overwhelming with the amount of space we have currently. We need more space to accommodate all our customers.”

The Queensbury-based company, which has 16 stores in seven counties, is celebrating its 40th anniversary this month. It was founded by Kellogg’s 80-year-old father, Wayne, 80, the chief executive officer who is still involved with daily operations, although he is no longer an owner.

Robert Kellogg’s nephew, daughter and son-inlaw are part owners, too, of this third-generation family-run business.

“We’re big enough to compete with the largest nationwide chains, but still small enough to know everyone that works for us and our customers, and to stay on top of running the company well so we can keep providing the high-quality service they expect,” Kellogg said.

The current Greenwich store is at 88 Abeel Ave., slightly behind a Stewart’s Shop at the corner of Main and Wilson streets. The former Cumberland Farms store is directly across Abeel Avenue, a quiet residential street.

Warren Tire expected to close on the property on April 6.

Plans call for a complete renovation of the existing building without changing its footprint.

“We’re really fixing up the place,” Kellogg said. “We want to bring it up to modern codes. It will

have a gabled roof, dormers and a nice brick exterior. If everything goes well we expect to be in there in August.”

The company sells several well-known brands of consumer and commercial tires, the latter for large trucks, and provides many types of automotive service.

The Greenwich store gets considerable business from Washington County’s large agricultural community, a major part of the local economy. “We sell farm tires and have road service trucks that go to farms,” Kellogg said.

The company has no immediate plans for opening more new stores, but is in the process of securing a new commercial tire warehousing facility, in Schenectady.

“We’re real close to finalizing a lease with an option to buy,” Kellogg said. “We’ll have tires and wheels in stock there for dump trucks and tractor-trailers, and it will be a place to dispatch service trucks from.”

He said retail sites are chosen with an eye toward filling gaps in the market, while staying in close proximity to corporate headquarters.

“So we can be involved,” he said. “We like to be hands-on.”

One of Warren Tires’ newest stores, which opened in 2020, is at 581 Maple Avenue (Route 9) near the border of Saratoga Springs and Wilton, almost directly across from Smith Bridge Road.

“We wanted to be in Saratoga for a long time, but couldn’t find a location,” he said. “That’s been a really good spot for us. It closed the gap between Clifton Park and Glens Falls.”

Kellogg attributed the family-run company’s growth and success to “a good reputation with our customer base and vendors” and “loyal longterm employees.”

“About half of our 149 employees have worked here 15 years or more,” he said. “That’s really helped our business. Providing that consistency every day to customers is really important. We’ve continued to grow to meet the demands of customers. We never expected this from our original plan.”

Hotels across the country are on a hiring spree because they’re looking to fi ll many of the jobs lost during the pandemic, AHLA said. As of December 2022, national average hotel wages were at historic highs of over $23/ hour and hotel benefits and flexibility are better than ever. Nearly 100,000 hotel jobs are currently open across the nation, according to Indeed.

The American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) is the largest hotel association in America, representing more than 30,000 members from all segments of the industry nationwide – including iconic global brands, 80 percent of all franchised hotels and the 16 largest hotel companies in the U.S. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., AHLA focuses on strategic advocacy, communications support, and workforce development programs to move the industry forward. Learn more at www.ahla.com.

Warren Tire Service Centers, which has stores in Saratoga Springs and Clifton Park, has plans for a new shop and will hire two additional service technicians.

Courtesy Warren Tires

Home / Real Estate

EXIT Realty Continues To Expand, Now Has Th ree Real Estate Offices In The Region

BY JILL NAGY

EXIT Realty now has a Glens Falls office in addition to its Clifton Park and Hudson offices.

The real estate group held a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the Glens Falls office in February. But actually, the office had been open since June 2021. The event was delayed by the COVID pandemic.

The Glens Falls branch is part of the regional franchise, EXIT Realty Empire Associates. The group’s headquarters is in Clifton Par.

Jennifer Vucetic, principal broker and owner, said the company was doing so much business in the Lake George area, out of its Clifton Park office, they decided to open the new office at 1 Lawrence St.

Empire Associates celebrate its fifth anniversary this summer. Vucetic has been in the real estate business since 2005.

Currently, there are 12 agents in the Glens Falls office. The core of the group is a team of agents headed by Bill Moon, who is also director of the board of the local Big Brothers and Sisters organization. The office occupies the first floor of a former pediatrics office.

The connection with Big Brothers and Sisters reflects the community service participation that is part of the DNA of both the national EXIT Realty International organization and the local franchise. A portion of every transaction fee received by the parent company is applied to its charitable fund, $7 million, to date, according to the company.

Locally, fees are shared with the Open Door Mission, Habitat for Humanity, the Food Pantry, and other organizations in addition to Big Brothers and Sisters. In addition, brokers donate time to community organizations and make cash contributions, including a recent $5,000 gift to Big Brothers and Sisters to help that organization serve more young people.

“EXIT has a very big culture of giving back to the community but Glens Falls does it to a greater extent,” Vucetic said.

One of the employees, Lisa Grassi Bartlett, was recently recognized by the Women’s Council of Realtors as a top producing agents and received an award from EXIT Realty International for her dedication to real estate and to her community. Grassi helped the Open Door Mission sell its former headquarters building and then

donated her commission back to the organization.

“We are very good at time management,” Vucetic replied when asked how she and her colleagues can devote so much time to the community and still hold full-time jobs and raise families.

Vucetic just completed a year as president of the New York State Association of Realtors. As president, she placed much of her emphasis on advocacy activities.

“Anyone who knows me understands that advocacy is a passion of mine. As Realtors, it is paramount that we have an active voice at the table on local, state, and national levels,” she said.

Activities of the organization during her tenure included providing frequent legislative updates to association members and organizing the group’s annual lobbying day in Albany. She also participated in a trade mission to Italy, revamped the group’s Leadership Academy, and created a new strategic plan.

There are no immediate plans to add to the current team of 12 agents in the Glens Falls office. However, Vucetic said, “We will consider anyone of a like mind set who is community driven and has a passion for real estate.”

Further information about EXIT’s Glens Falls operation is available online at www. exitrealtyempireassociates.com, or by telephone at 518-225-1013.

Shannon McCarthy Team Uses Cloud-Based, Non-Traditional Model To Benefit Its Agents

BY SUSAN ELISE CAMPBELL

Shannon McCarthy may be ahead of the curve when it comes to rapidly changing trends in the local real estate industry.

The Shannon McCarthy Team of 14 real estate professionals, formerly part of Keller Williams, has moved en masse to eXp Realty, a cloud-based firm that trades on NASDAQ and claims to be the number-one independent real estate broker in the U.S. in terms of transactions and closed sales, according to the company’s website.

McCarthy is a Saratoga native who sold her first home in 2003. She has her flagship realty office in Saratoga and a second office in Lake George.

In the next month she plans to expand south into the Tri-Cities, where she said there is need for experienced real estate professionals.

“Once you have team members in an area and working it, you slowly grow market share,” said McCarthy. “It grows organically because you are attracting more agents.”

Whatever brick-and-mortar presence the team may build next, headquarters is now a cloud-based, non-traditional business model that McCarthy says benefits both agents and consumers.

“The industry is getting disrupted by eXp because a cloud-based company cuts expenses,” said McCarthy. “Real estate professionals can build our teams without a ceiling or restrictions on what we can do with processing and systems.”

The eXp paradigm also links brokers with buyers from all over the world. This is especially important for clients served by the Lake George office, as many sales are second homes. Buyers come from everywhere, McCarthy said, and are willing to wait for the right opportunity to open.

McCarthy has imposed a limit on the number of team members she hopes to attract, saying that 25 to 30 is a manageable number that she can mentor and support.

“I have been a solo agent, on a small team and on a mega-team,” she said. “I know how to help team members build a business and grow it and they won’t have to recreate the wheel. I want to have a close relationship with each team member. It is super important to me to mentor my team and support each individual.”

On the Shannon McCarthy Team, McCarthy said each professional can “work at a very high level. There’s no trial and error.”

By providing a cloud-based framework, agents have even more freedom to work with clients, a strategy that McCarthy said consistently outperforms.

“We had 344 transactions last year and year-to-date we have 125, so we are talking 400 transactions this year,” she said.

She said the traditional brokerage models are limited to whatever programs, servicing and contact systems they currently use. But because eXp’s membership base is so wide, she can “see what the best agents and team leaders around the country are doing and bring that back” to her teams serving the North Country down to the Capital Region.

“There is no doubt that COVID forced society online, and the industry realized we can do business this way,” she said. “We can all learn virtually and leverage technology to serve clients better.”

The transition enables the Shannon McCarthy Team to utilize eXp’s “superior contact relationship software for keeping in touch and staying informed,” she said. “There are so many nuances to each transaction, we cannot rely on our memories to stay on top of every detail.”

McCarthy said that “constantly following up and communicating” within the team and with consumers “is what our clients need to feel supported. Moving is already stressful.”

The premise of eXp Realty is that it “provides a network of other highly professional agents and the widest audience” of homebuyers, she said. “Usually there are franchises in different regions, but eXp is one large brokerage.”

Instead of competing with one another, agents learn from and help other members because eXp’s revenue sharing program motivates all to succeed, said McCarthy.

“So we have a true collaboration, working together to solve consumer problems,” she said.

Lack of inventory has been the number-one problem in real estate, which combined with rising mortgage rates adds up to a unique market, according to McCarthy.

“When there is no inventory, we have to mastermind how to work with clients to craft offers that will get chosen,” she said. “Also, sellers are concerned about where they’re going to move to when inventory is low.”

McCarthy is “looking to attract like-minded agents and support staff who want to work hard, be creative and innovative, and evolve to better help the consumer.”

McCarthy beat the odds by flourishing in her industry for 20 years. According to her, 90 percent of new real estate agents fail in the first two years.

Recent years experienced “the highest turnover I’ve ever seen,” she said.“I am excited and happy to be here and hope other business people out there with aspirations will join my team to be mentored. Teams are the future of this business.”

Learn more at www.mccarthysells.com or on LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram.

Jennifer Vucetic is principal broker and owner of EXIT Realty. Courtesy EXIT Realty Empire Associates

Shannon McCarthy, on right, in the back, stands with some of her real estate team. ©2023 Saratoga Photographer.com

Business Report

Immovable Object Vs. Unstoppable Force

BY STEVEN LUTTMAN

April 2, 1989 marked a formative day in the childhood of many within a certain age demographic. Following the dissolution of their tag team, Hulk Hogan battled Randy Savage for the world title in what was billed as “The MegaPowers Explode.”

Two icons of the sport engaged in battle, the former relying on brute strength and power while the latter found success with fi nesse and quickness. It was impossible to imagine either succumbing to the other. Th ree-plus decades later and this impasse parallels today’s confl ict between buyers and affordability within the residential real estate market.

On one side of the housing equation, you have interest rates. Last March the Federal Reserve announced what would go on to be the fi rst of several increases to their Fed Funds rate. Since then, the velocity in which the cost of borrowing money has risen hasn’t been seen since the early 1980s.

Many homeowners fortunately saw the writing on the wall, and locked in attractive mortgage payments before the escalation fully got underway. Goldman Sachs now estimates nearly three-quarters of all borrowers have interest rates below 4 percent, and 99 percent possess one below six.

While this was fi nancially prudent, the corresponding friction it would go on to cause is significant. When considering moving up, downsizing or simply eyeing a change, one of the fi rst factors a homeowner must come to terms with is the idea of trading in a 3 percent mortgage in exchange for the prevailing rates of today which are double that.

Consider a $250,000 loan amount. On a 30-year mortgage this change represents an additional $450 of monthly interest required when compared to a purchase made just twelve months ago. Th is puts sellers in an uncomfortable situation where they could conceivably be priced out of buying a house that is less expensive than the one in which they currently reside. Let that sink in for a moment.

Th is is not simply a theory, as we can actually see this playing out in real time. According to The Greater Capital Association of Realtors, February saw 1,426 available homes for sale in our area, a 40 percent reduction from just two years ago. While six months of inventory (how quickly the buyer pool would absorb the current stock given no additional listings) is viewed as healthy, today we have one fourth that amount.

Employment is not immune from this entrenchment. Real estate data fi rm ATTOM reported 1.52 million residential mortgages were originated in Q4 of 2022, down 55 percent year over year. A decreasing number of real estate transactions unfortunately leads to a lower

Realtors Group Says Lack of Inventory A Factor In Low Number Of Closed Sales

With a continued lack of inventory and interest rates starting to rise once again, closed sales dropped to their lowest point in nearly a decade, according to the housing report released in late March by the New York State Association of Realtors.

Closed sales plummeted 34.3 percent, from 9,351 sales in February 2022 to only 6,147 units in February of 2023. This marks the lowest number of closed sales in month-over-month comparisons since February 2014 when there were just 5,700 units sold, according to the report.

New listings were down as well, from 11,760 listings in February 2022 to 9,905 in February 2023 representing a 15.8 percent decline. Pending sales also fell 8.1 percent from 9,350 homes last year to 8,593 sales pending in February 2023.

In Saratoga Springs, data showed that new listings were down about 45 percent from January through March 22, but closed sales were up 4.5 percent. The median sales price os $557,500 was down about 22 percent. The inventory of homes for sale was up 2.3 percent.

dian sales price of $320,500 was up m18.1 percent. The inventory of homes for sale was up about 10 percent.

According to Freddie Mac, interest rates escalated every week during the month of February. The monthly rate on a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage started the month at 6.09 percent but ended February at 6.50 percent.

Inventory of homes also fell in year-over-year comparisons. The 30,308 homes available in February 2023 marked an 8.2 percent decline in the 33,031 units available in February 2022. This is the 40th consecutive month that the housing inventory has fallen in year-over-year comparisons.

Median sales prices of homes dipped moderately from $400,000 in February 2022 to $375,000 just last month. This represents a decline of 6.3 percent.

Additional data is available at www.nysar.com/ industry-resources/market-data.

All data is compiled from multiple listing services in the state of New York and the data include townhomes, condominiums and existing singlefamily homes.

number of professionals needed to facilitate them. LoanDepot, Wells Fargo and of course Better.com (whose CEO went viral for how not to lay off workers) together account for thousands of reductions in head count, largely attributed to a slowing real estate market.

Let’s now touch on prices. While stocks have taken a beating, bond portfolios have been whacked (hello Silicon Valley Bank) and crypto currencies appear to have gone the way of Beanie Babies. Real estate values, on the other hand, have held up relatively well.

On a national level, the median existinghome sale price retreated 0.2 percent last month compared to the same time in 2022 according to NAR. Looking into the future, a panel of experts recently convened by Forbes expects housing prices to climb 3.5 percent annually from 2024-2027. Th is would be on par with standard price appreciation seen prior to the pandemic fueled buying spree of 2020-22.

Locally, things have fared even better, with values increasing 3 percent year over year as reported by GCAR.

I’ll wrap up today with some strategies you can consider implementing to increase your chances of success. While variable rate mortgages were a bit of a dirty word following the Great Financial Crisis, these days they are very much back in vogue. Depending on the product, you may fi nd this avenue saves you a full percentage point versus its fi xed rate counterpart.

Are you in a position to pay cash? One-third of buyers do not rely on fi nancing, and sellers traditionally prefer offers with as few contingencies as possible. For those willing to put in some leg work, loan assumptions can be extremely powerful. Consult with your attorney and agent, however taking over the current owner’s mortgage versus obtaining a new one

In Saratoga County, Saratoga County, new listings during that period were down 28.6 percent and closed sales were down 35.3 percent. The me-

could

The New York State Association of Realtors is a nonprofit trade organization representing more than 60,000 of the state’s real estate professionals.

you

Time is the great healer of confl ict. Th is holds true for professional wrestling grudges of the 1980s, and for real estate markets of the 2020s. But just like any good storyline, the time frame future events are to transpire over remains unknown.

645

so many possibilities for this lot!

Steven Luttman, broker/owner of SJ Lincoln Realty, host of The Expected Returns podcast.

Courtesy Steven Luttman

Highly visible 3 acre lot in a fantastic location on the busy Route 9 corridor in Wilton. This parcel is located in the Hamlet zone which offers many development opportunities. Continued steady growth in this area. Well and septic on the lot and municipal water and sewer are across the street. Come put up your retail store or dental practice! There are

Located in downtown Saratoga Springs, this suite is on the corner of Railroad Place and Division

Insurance / Medical Services

Mothers Get Help And Important Info On Feeding Their Babies At ‘Breastfeeding Savvy’

Sean Finnegan Saves Customers Time And Money Choosing Medicare Supplement Plan

BY JILL NAGY

Jenelle Nemeth’s new business, Breastfeeding Savvy, aims to ease the frustration and isolation felt by many new mothers trying to breastfeed their babies.

Nemeth and her colleagues offer individual consultations both before and after a baby’s birth and host weekly meetings of a lactating mothers’ support group.

The business, also called The Lactation Lounge, is located at 58 Clifton Country Road, Suite 106 in Clifton Park.

Nemeth said that she dreamed for a decade of providing a lactation support service but was motivated to actually do it when the hospital she worked at discontinued outpatient services during COVID and still is very limited by shortages of staff in what it can offer.

As a hospital nurse, Nemeth did home visits for a couple of years and, during that time, she saw a lot of new mothers self-isolating, cut off from outpatient services and support groups.

“My heart could not see another isolated mom and that was the real drive behind launching: to gather these moms together to see that they were not alone in transitioning into parenthood,” she said.

She sees between eight and 16 women a week for individual consultations. In addition, Nemeth opens the facility every Wednesday morning for a free support group. Sometimes,

the new mothers just talk about common problems, lack of sleep high on the list, and exchange hints and ideas.

“I jump in with clinical support as needed,” she said. Other weeks, she arranges crafts or speakers. There are usually about eight women participating. Once the weather gets warmer and she can open the windows wide, she can expand the number of participants, she said.

In addition, the center offers CPR classes focusing on the special needs of infants. Nemeth sees it as part of preparation for starting babies on solid food.

Nemeth is assisted by two other RNs, Barbara Donnelly and Kathleen Burke. All three are international board certified lactation consultants. Each of them has a decade or more of hospital experience and Burke still works at St. Peter’s Hospital in Albany. In fact, the three of them worked together at St. Peter’s.

An intern, Sarah Henderson, is pursuing certification. Nemeth’s husband, Steve Nemeth III, does non-clinical work.

The business is named after the Nemeths’ daughter, Savanah, six and a half years old, nicknamed Savvy. They also have a son, Austin, almost four.

“My daughter was the inspiration behind the business name . . . and AJ, well, he tested my clinical knowledge during our breastfeed-

Continued On Page 12

BY SUSAN ELISE CAMPBELL

Sean Finnegan once researched stocks and bonds for his clients, but now he is fi nding the best Medicare Advantage plans for their specific needs as an independent Medicare broker.

Over the decade he was a fi nancial advisor his clients often asked him questions about Medicare. He decided to look into how health insurance supplements worked.

“I literally thought: I can make a living helping people make this decision,” he said. For three years he worked as an independent Medicare Advantage broker on the side of his fi nancial advisory role. Then he gave up his securities licenses and founded Saratoga Medicare Group, LLC at 125 High Rock Ave. in Saratoga.

Then COVID happened.

“It was hard for me at fi rst to help clients over the phone because I’m a hands-on kind of guy,” Finnegan said. “That is how I build my client’s trust and how they know I am looking out for their best interests.”

Finnegan said the Center for Medicare Services made the role of an Independent Medicare Advantage Broker easier during the pandemic by improving on-line applications and making compliance more streamlined. Finnegan “was happy to sit down and show people what’s available and most cost effective for them” as safety mandates lifted.

As an independent, there is no advantage for Finnegan to enroll clients in one plan over another, he said. Medicare pays him the same fee regardless of the insurance company the client selects.

“I convey the information, but the client decides,” he said.

There’s an open enrollment period for Medicare recipients to join, switch or drop a plan. It runs from Oct. 15 to Dec. 7 each year and is effective the following calendar year.

Finnegan is busiest then, checking out the changes and costs associated with the various insurance carriers. But he said he is actively involved with new and existing clients all 12

months.

“Th is is not public knowledge, but there are ways to switch plans during the year,” he said. “My client may have enrolled in a pharmaceutical assistance plan, or there may have been an event, such as moving or a change in their health condition, which enables them to make changes outside that window.”

Finnegan starts enrollment season investigating all available plans in New York, which are dominated by three or four major carriers, he said. He uses soft ware that compares the features and costs of the plans, which he then shows side-by-side to the client.

“When they are shown benefits on the monitor, sometimes they see one and say, ‘I want that,’” he said. “But the puzzle pieces are matching a plan that covers both the client’s prescriptions and their doctors. If the plan does not completely cover both, we may have to do some triage and think outside the box.”

For example, perhaps one plan includes their physician but not all their medications. One option might be to pick the plan and look for a discount prescription app, such as Good Rx, or search for coupons, he said.

“It always ends up working out,” said Finnegan. “The medication may even be available cheaper than it was under that plan.”

Finnegan said he stays proactive and in constant contact with clients. Oftentimes they’ll call him after receiving a communication.

“I tell them, just read me a part of the letter or send me a picture of it,” he said. “Usually I can tell them to just throw it away, but sometimes it is resolved in a few minutes. Whatever you do, don’t call their 800 number. About 90 percent don’t have to make a call and for the other 10 percent, we can contact the company together.

That level of service helps him determine, based on their conversations and client feedback, which companies are doing a good job responding and which are poor at customer

Continued On Page 12

In her business Breastfeeding Savvy, owner Jenelle Nemeth and staff aims to ease the frustration and isolation felt by many new mothers trying to breastfeed their babies.

©2023 Saratoga Photographer.com

Sean Finnegan once researched stocks and bonds for clients, but now his business helps find the best Medicare Advantage plans for people’s needs as an independent Medicare broker. ©2023 Saratoga Photographer.com

‘With Grace Mental Health Counseling’ Wants To Remove Stigma Of Seeking Such Services

Finding Safety In Whole Life Insurance

BY BRIAN M. JOHNSON, MBA, CLTC

Amid recent news about prominent banks failing, inflation and increased market volatility, many Americans are fi nding refuge in whole life insurance.

To be clear, whole life insurance is NOT an investment. It is a type of life insurance policy that provides coverage for the entirety of one’s life, as opposed to term life insurance which only covers a specific period of time. While whole life insurance offers several benefits, one of the most important considerations for many people is the safety of the policy.

What is whole life insurance? It is a type of permanent life insurance that provides coverage for the entirety of one’s life. Unlike term life insurance, which only provides coverage for a specific period of time, whole life insurance does not expire as long as premiums are paid. In addition to providing a death benefit, whole life insurance policies also build cash value over time, which can be borrowed against or used to pay premiums.

BY SUSAN ELISE CAMPBELL

With Grace Mental Health Counseling PLLC has been growing and operating at capacity at their Saratoga Springs and Clifton Park locations since 2018. The business recently opened a third location in Queensbury, increasing access to quality mental health care in the North Country.

“We consistently heard feedback that the community in and around Queensbury would benefit from more providers to support the expansion of the area,” said Nicole Edwards, LMHC, who is co-founder and co-owner with Diane Webb, LMHC.

Edwards specializes in couples and family counseling and Webb in trauma, “which is why we are well-matched. We do different things and have a well-rounded staff of therapists,” she said.

All three locations are purposefully located close to clinics, and the Queensbury location at Fowler Square is across the street from Adirondack Community College.

“We are easy to find at 719 Bay Road,” she said. “Students can walk over to Suite 2101 and receive services.”

When Edwards and Webb were solo practitioners, they had waiting lists a year and a half long, according to Edwards. Joining forces allowed them to open a large practice and hire more therapists.

They want to help remove the stigma attached to people seeking mental health services.

“It doesn’t work to create shame around mental health services,” she said. “It means people haven’t been getting needed treatment. Counseling is a necessary part of life, and fortunately the shame associated with it is now diminishing,” Edwards said.

The pandemic, isolation and the societal changes that have driven many to counseling, according to Edwards.

“The unique pressures of our time create significant stress that may make us susceptible to anxiety, depression, or other mental health challenges,” she said. “COVID put a spotlight on couples, leading to separations among many adults because there was nowhere to hide. In other relationships, fewer face-to-face interactions and remote conversations often led to lack of depth and fulfillment in those relationships.”

“For our young people, it is particularly hard to be a teen today because of isolation,” she said. “And social media is causing them to make unhealthy comparisons with one another as teens try to put their best face forward. Also for children, the lack of structure and isolation caused by the pandemic in such formative years is something that we are still seeing families work-

ing through.”

COVID also forced the entire practice to be “more flexible and adaptable,” and Edwards said they “had to turn the business from full-time in person to completely virtual overnight.”

“Thanks to secure online platforms, we are able to continue to provide traditional in-person therapy while offering cutting edge on-line therapy for those that benefit from that modality,” she said.

Edwards and Webb oversee and split their time among all three locations. There have been four new hires in Queensbury, three relocated from other offices. The space could accommodate as many as 10 professional staff.

A second goal when designing the Queensbury space was to create “a healthy workplace environment that promotes work/life balance.” Edwards said With Grace is a practice “where therapists can put their families first, so our focus is on putting staff first while supporting them in their growth and passions in the field.”

The partners thus encourage the counsellors to select a specialty, choose the amount of time they want to work, and “essentially build their own salary. Therapists today really are overworked and underpaid,” she said. “We are putting a lot of energy into creating a stress-free, supportive and positive environment.”

“We believe that investing in our employees will lead to the best possible treatment for clients,” Edwards said.

The partners chose a suite that allowed new construction so that they could design it for the needs of their business and their patients, such as soundproofing. Edwards said it is “set up more like a spa than a clinic,” which helps the practice “stand out. This gives patients a more profound sense of a place for healing and where they can feel their worth when they enter our space.”

The scope of professional services at With Grace Mental Health Counseling includes couples therapy, family therapy, trauma, teen specialties, maternal mental health, grief and bereavement, addiction, co-parenting, and more for the unique needs of clients.

Edwards said that everything she does is driven by her faith, which is why she and Webb named their business “With Grace.”

“The meaning of that word, Grace, is what we work very hard to extend and to teach,” she said.

“We are all mental health counselors from different faiths and backgrounds.”

Learn more about the locations and services that With Grace Mental Health Counseling, PLLC has to offer at the website www.withgracemhc.com.

One of the main benefits of whole life insurance is its safety. Unlike other types of investments, such as stocks or mutual funds, whole life insurance policies are not subject to market fluctuations. Th is means that the cash value of the policy is guaranteed to increase over time, regardless of economic conditions. In addition, whole life insurance policies are backed by the fi nancial strength of the insurance company, which provides an additional layer of safety.

When you purchase a whole life insurance policy, you are essentially entering into a contract with the insurance company. The insurance company agrees to pay a death benefit to your beneficiaries in exchange for the payment of premiums.

In addition, the insurance company guarantees that the cash value of the policy will increase over time, regardless of market conditions. Th is means that even if the stock market crashes or the economy takes a downturn, your whole life insurance policy will continue to provide coverage and build cash value.

In addition to the safety of whole life insurance policies, there are several other benefits to consider. For example, whole life insurance policies offer a fi xed premium, which means that the cost of the policy will not increase over time. Th is can be especially beneficial for individuals who are looking for long-term fi nancial stability and want to avoid the risk of rising premiums.

Another benefit of whole life insurance policies is that they can be used as a source of cash in times of need. Because the policies build cash value over time, policyholders can borrow against the cash value or even surrender the policy for its cash value if needed. Th is can be

a valuable source of emergency funds or can be used to pay for other expenses, such as supplementing retirement income, college tuition or a down payment on a house.

Finally, whole life insurance policies provide peace of mind knowing that your loved ones will be taken care of in the event of your death. The death benefit can be used to pay for funeral expenses, outstanding debts, provide fi nancial support for your family, and transfer wealth in an efficient means. Life Insurance death benefit proceeds are generally income tax free.

While whole life insurance policies offer a number of benefits, it is important to choose the right policy to meet your individual needs. When choosing a whole life insurance policy, there are several factors to consider, including:

The death benefit should be sufficient to provide for your loved ones in the event of your death.

The premium cost should be affordable and fit within your budget.

The cash value of the policy should grow at a rate that meets your long-term fi nancial goals.

The insurance company should have a strong fi nancial rating and a good reputation for paying claims.

As far as additional benefits, some whole life insurance policies offer additional benefits, such as long-term care coverage or accelerated death benefits. Consider whether these benefits are important to you.

Whole life insurance can offer you and your family guaranteed premiums and death benefits, competitive tax-deferred growth in cash values and tax-efficient way to transfer wealth to the next generation. Whole life is not right for everyone and it’s important you consult with your fi nancial advisor and/or CPA to determine whether a policy makes sense for you.

Nicole Edwards, right, is co-founder and co-owner with Diane Webb of With Grace Mental Health Counseling, which has two Saratoga County offices and recently expanded in Queensbury. Courtesy With Grace Mental Health

Brian Johnson, director, business development at Advisors Insurance Brokers. Courtesy Advisors Insurance Brokers

Millennial Medical Imaging Will Donate $337,500 To Saratoga Hospital Over 5 Years

Ascent Fabrication

Continued From Page 1

Fairley returned to Sampson in Schenectady to complete his orthotics residency, and while there, he focused heavily on 3D printing—technology that he had introduced to Sampson during the time he worked for the company as a technician.

“As we started to ramp up the 3D side of the business, we were getting requests from all over the country to teach other clinics how to 3D print and do CAD design,” he said. “We also started printing 3D devices for other clinics across the U.S.”

The process of creating a prosthetic or orthotic using a 3D printer begins with a 3D scan of a patient’s limb. The scan is then uploaded into CAD modification software where it can be clinically manipulated. After necessary modifications are made, the 3D printer is used to create the device.

In April 2021, Fairley established his own company, Ascent Fabrication, in order to focus on 3D printing of prosthetics and orthotics.

“I decided to go off on my own to better prepare the field as a whole to give them the educational tools they need to be able to implement 3D printing effectively in their clinic,” he said. “We provide a lot of onsite, in-house training, and I’ve flown out to six different clinics in the last eight months to teach them the exact process from start to finish. We also do a lot of virtual training and support.”

As its name implies, fabrication is at the core of Ascent Fabrication’s day-to-day operations.

vice to 3D print and ship out to them,” said Fairley. Ascent Fabrication has grown exponentially over the past two years and is now headquartered at 480 Broadway in Saratoga Springs.

Ascent’s staff includes a 3D print technician as well as several contracted CAD designers. Fairley recently took on a partner in the San Francisco Bay area in order to expand the company’s printing capacities and reduce turnaround times and shipping costs.

According to Fairley, 3D printing is currently being utilized to create approximately 30 percent of prosthetic devices in the United States. He predicts this number will continue to grow.

“There will always be a reason to use some traditional techniques with hand casting on some of the more intimate parts of the body. But, I do think 3D printing is going to be the majority of how devices are made simply due to the increased efficiency and decreased cost of how we are providing these devices.”

In addition to offering fabrication of prosthetic and orthotic devices, Ascent Fabrication resells 3D printing filament plans. The company plans to begin its 3D printer leasing program in the near future. Ascent also partners with other companies to provide CAD design and 3D printing for applications outside of the prosthetics field.

As an example, Fairley said they are working with a local pool company to print 3D models of the different pools that the company offers.

Millennium Medical Imaging will continue its longstanding philanthropic support of Saratoga Hospital by donating $337,500 over the next five years.

The radiology practice has provided medical imaging services at Saratoga Hospital locations since 2000 and has contributed over $1 million to support hospital programs and fundraising efforts.

“We couldn’t ask for a better partner,” said Richard Falivena, DO, vice president and chief medical and physician integration officer at Saratoga Hospital. “Clinically, they are among the best in the region. Philanthropically, they set an example for others to follow.”

Millennium’s latest pledge includes $250,000 for advanced imaging equipment. The remaining $87,500 will provide five years of sponsorship support for Saratoga Hospital’s three annual fundraising events: the Cantina Kids Fun Run, the Gala, and the Golf Invitational.

The Fun Run supports children’s health care services, the gala benefits the hospital’s Saratoga Community Health Center, and the Golf Invitational supports the hospital’s nursing scholarship program.

For Millennium, philanthropic support is another way to serve Saratoga Hospital, its patients, and the community that is home to many members of the medical imaging practice.

“We see, firsthand, what Saratoga Hospital means to this community,” said Dr. David Strauss, president of Millennium and co-chair of Saratoga Hospital’s Radiology Department.

“We take great pride in being part of this hospital—in providing the high-quality care the region deserves and in helping Saratoga Hospital continue to grow and thrive.”

To date, the foundation has raised more than $75 million for Saratoga Hospital. For more information, visit www.SaratogaHospitalFoundation.org.

“People can go on my web site and upload a 3D scan, and we can design a prosthetic or orthotic de-

Medicare Agent

Continued From Page 10

service, he said.

“All companies have to put their best foot forward,” he said. “If they don’t, we won’t sign them up. Th is is a very competitive product. That means every year the features get a little better and the costs get a little lower.”

Open enrollment last year was seven weeks long. As plan changes were announced, Finnegan said he was able to look at all his client accounts to assess whether they were covered the best way, or if another plan would suit them better.

“I met with 120 clients in those seven weeks,” he said. “If you sit down together and explain the benefits, the worst thing is that you might fi nd the client is in the right place. Insurance

Breastfeeding Savvy

Continued From Page 10

ing journey, and I can now support our patients more optimally,” she said.

While Nemeth sees some women before their babies are born and helps prepare them (physically and emotionally) for nursing, most come for an initial consultation only after the baby is born. Typically, Nemeth said, those consultations last between two and two and a half hour.

“I help the moms determine what’s normal and what’s not normal,” she said. A major aim is to help the mother get—and remain—pain free. The baby is weighed before and after a feeding to be sure she or he is getting enough milk. Subsequent consultations are shorter, usually one to two hours.

Breastfeeding Savvy is in the networks of major health insurers and Nemeth is working on establishing affi liations with the others.

“We can do practically anything marketing related,” said Fairley. “We can also do any kind of reverse engineering for any hard to find parts. We can really print just about anything.”

The business website is www.ascentfab.com.

companies pay me to help people, so why not get the best health insurance option for them.”

Finnegan gets new clients through referrals, search engine optimization on the web, and workshops or individual meetings with clients of fi nancial advisors. The aging population on Medicare is growing and his office is expanding quickly. After three years in the business, he has “a stack of resumés” on his desk to look over, he said.

“More people are turning 65 and need help, so I am willing to train agents once they are tested and licensed,” he said. His hiring requirements are “honest people who are willing to answer their phone.”

“I love this job and I work a lot, but it doesn’t seem like it sometimes,” he said. “If you go above and beyond for your clients, they will stick with you.”

Learn more at www.saratogamedicare.com.

For mothers covered by those insurers, care is free. For others, Nemeth provides detailed receipts that can be used to get reimbursement from their insurers. For self-paying clients, the initial consultations costs $250 and follow-up consultations are $150. But, Nemeth said, “I would never turn a mother down.”

While there are no immediate plans to expand the business, Nemeth noted that “a lot of consultants are knocking on our doors to join our team.” She estimates that she could expand to 10 qualified consultants within a month. She plans to grow the business as the number of clients justifies it.

Nemeth and her colleagues are still sensitive to protocols to reduce COVID exposure.

“We try to be extra cautious,” she said, “to protect the little ones.” Staff members still wear masks although they are optional for clients. Hand sanitizers are everywhere, she added.

Further information is on the company’s webpage, www.breastfeedingsavvy.com or by telephone at 518-344-6377.

Dr. Richard Falivena, left, with Jill VanKuren, Saratoga Hospital CEO, Dr. David Strauss and Dr. David Hindson, far right, posing at the Millennium Medical Imaging check donation.

Courtesy Saratoga Hospital

Couple Creates ‘Premier Homes Elite Realty’ Which Flips Houses, Has Some Rental Units

Personnel Briefs

Continued From Page 2

CMO for Hire assists business leaders with creation and execution of marketing strategies to support growth, sustainability and succession by identifying gaps and opportunities.

Salerno earned a bachelor’s degree from SUNY Oneonta.

* * *

Angela Beddoe, Jahkeen Hoke, Dwayne Killings and Angelique Powell have been named board members of the Saratoga Springs-based Business for Good.

The group’s board has unanimously elected the new members.

Beddoe is editor-in-chief of HerLife. Hoke is Business for Good CEO. Killings is the head coach of men’s basketball at UAlbany. Powell is director of community animation for The Blake Annex.

They join five current board members, including co-founders Ed and Lisa Mitzen, expanding the board to nine people.

* * *

Julie & Co. Realty announces that Francis “Frank” A. Steinbach Jr. is the newest member of its brokerage in Saratoga Springs.

BY CHRISTINE GRAF

After several years spent fl ipping houses and acquiring rental properties, Kyle and Chrystal Chadwick have ventured into the sales side of the real estate business.

Their real estate company, Premier Homes Elite Realty, opened its doors at 66 East St. in Stillwater at the end of March.

“We started in real estate about three years ago with fl ipping houses and buying rental properties,” said Kyle Chadwick. “We’ve bought foreclosure properties—properties that were in distress, properties that no one else wanted, and ones that were eyesores for the community. We renovate them and make them absolutely beautiful again.”

The Chadwicks also own eight rental units and have another five under contract. Their rental properties are located in Mechanicville, Cohoes, Gloversville and Troy.

“We live in one of the properties we fl ipped in Mechanicville,” he said. “We bought it from HUD, and it was an eyesore to the community. We renovated the entire building pretty much all the way down to studs and then brought it back up again.”

In addition to fl ipping houses, Kyle works in the banking industry, and Chrystal is a biologist at General Electric. It was after people began reaching out to the couple for advice on purchasing real estate that they decided

to open their own real estate brokerage company.

“People were reaching out to us before we were licensed. They were asking us to help them fi nd a house or an investment property,” said Chadwick. “We were having to refer them to someone else.”

Because of their experiencing with fl ipping houses and purchasing rental properties, the Chadwicks have a unique perspective to offer their customers. They are able to provide guidance regarding buying, selling, renovating, and investing in rental properties.

According to Chadwick, inventory in the local real estate market continues to be low. Even though the increase in interest rates took a lot of buyers out of the market, demand continues to exceed supply.

“I think you are going to see a lot more listings coming on, and I expect it to shift to more of a balanced market. It may even go slightly towards a buyer’s market.”

Chadwick said that the foreclosure market is becoming active again now that the state foreclosure moratorium has been lifted.

“Foreclosures stopped during COVID, and there haven’t been foreclosure on the market in quite a while, but they are starting to come back.”

For more information, visit  www.premierhomeseliterealty.com.

He is a state-licensed real estate salesperson with an associates degree from Schenectady County Community College with a background with the state Department of Corrections and Community Supervision.

* * *

Tyler Poitras has been named the new senior sales manager at the Lake George Regional Convention & Visitors Bureau (LGRCVB).

Poitras, a graduate of Johnson and Wales University in Rhode Island, began his hospitality career in 2015 at Walt Disney World, Florida, supervising multiple Food & Beverage locations including Hollywood Studios and Wilderness Lodge. He joined the Team at Disney’s Pop Century Resort working as concierge and operations support, eventually shifting to Front Desk Supervisor.

Poitras will prospect and generate new business relationships to achieve booked business and over-

night room goals, and secure future bookings that will meet rate and occupancy goals of the destination partners throughout the Lake George Area.

In 2021, Poitras returned to the area, working in the finance sector for Trustco Bank as senior universal banker and eventually transitioning to a business banker. He led multiple branches to grow business in Saratoga, Warren and Washington counties. He then joined KeyBank to enter a training course and complete his exam to become a financial advisor. * *

Glens Falls National Bank and Trust Co. announced the recent promotions of Wendy Lanzone to senior vice president, customer experience and director of deposit and loan services and Daniel Segrell to senior vice president, director of consumer lending.

Lanzone is responsible for promoting digital strategy and operational efficiency, while collaborating with other business units and leaders at the bank to identify opportunity areas to improve and promote the customer experience.

She has nearly 35 years of experience, with extensive management, electronic and deposit services practice.

Lanzone has been with Glens Falls National Bank for 13 years, starting as assistant vice president and manager of the electronic banking department. Most recently, she was vice president, director of deposit and loan services.

Lanzone lives in Stillwater and is an active member in her community, serving on the Tri-County United Way Allocations Committee.

He is responsible for working with Consumer Lending teams and collaborating with other departments throughout the bank in support of continued loan growth, efficient operations and enhancing the customer experience.

Segrell joined the bank in 1990. Throughout his tenure with the bank, he has held various credit and lending positions, and was most recently senior vice president and director of indirect lending.

He earned a bachelor’s degree in international business from the State University of New York at Plattsburgh. Active in the community, he serves on the board of directors of Liberty House Foundation, Tri-County Literacy Center and the Family Service Association of Glens Falls. He lives in Queensbury.

Kyle and Chrystal Chadwick have ventured into the sales side of the real estate business with the creation of Premier Homes Elite Realty based in Stillwater.

Courtesy Premier Homes Elite Realty

Chuck Ciaccia 29 years

Jude Gosh 34 years Dave Weiss 23 years

Agan 25 years

Entrepreneurs

DeCrescente Distributing Wins President’s Award From Molson Coors For 10th Time

DeCrescente Distributing Co. in Mechanicville has won the Molson Coors President’s Award for the second consecutive year and 10th time overall.

The company is in its 75th year as a family run local beverage distributor.

Only 32 beverage distributors nationwide earn this prestigious award each year. Winning the award twice in two years is uncommon and a testament to the hard work and creativity of the DDC team, said company president C.J. DeCrescente.

“We set a high bar here,” DeCrescente said. “Each year, we create a strategic plan for each of our suppliers to help take their products to new heights. Winning this award proves that our entire team brought their A-Game to help us achieve our ambitious goals for the Molson Coors family of brands in 2022.”

In addition to winning the President’s Award, DeCrescente Distributing is one of seven Molson Coors Founders Award finalists. The award recognizes the nation’s top Molson Coors distributor for exemplary sales and distribution performance over the last year. DeCrescente is the only distributor in the nation to have ever won the Founders Award four consecutive times.

The Founders Award winner will be announced later this year.

In 2020, C.J. DeCrescente was awarded the Molson Coors “Legends” award for his impact on the beverage industry. He followed in the footsteps of his father, Carmine “Carm” DeCrescente Sr., who was named a MillerCoors “Legend” in 2005.

In addition to awards from Molson Coors, DeCrescente Distributing has been named to the Albany Business Review’s “Best Places to Work” list for 13 consecutive years (2010 to 2022). The company was named one of the publication’s “Healthiest Employers” for the past four years (2019 to 2022). In 2021, DeCrescente was named the publication’s “Family-Owned Business of the Year.”

DeCrescente Distributing has also won the first place Fleet Safety Award from the Trucking Association of New York for six consecutive years, 2018 to 2023.

Founded by Angelo DeCrescente in 1948, DDC will celebrate its 75th year in business in June with a series of events for its employees, customers, suppli-

ers, and the community.

DDC distributes over 11 million cases of beer, soft drinks, and snacks to 11 counties in the Greater Capital Region, including Albany, Columbia, Fulton, Greene, Montgomery, Rensselaer, Saratoga, Schenectady, Schoharie, Warren, and Washington.

DeCrescente Distributing is a fourth-generation beverage and snack distributor, family owned and operated since 1948. The largest distributor in New York’s Capital Region, DDC has been voted one of the area’s Best Places to Work for 13 consecutive years while employing more than 400 people. DDC distributes 11 million cases of product annually to 11 upstate NY counties. The company has been recognized nationally as both Wholesaler of the Year and Craft Distributor of the Year by beverage industry leaders. For their complete list of products, please go to www.decrescente.com.

For more information on upcoming events, please follow DeCrescente Distributing Company on Facebook or Instagram, or contact communications manager Roberto Cruz at r.cruz@ddcbev.com or 518-539-2035.

ADK Mobile Nurse Services Brings Medical Help To Patients Homes In The Region

BY JILL NAGY

If someone needs a nurse, Lisa Murphy can be there without the patient leaving home. Her Glens Falls-based ADK Mobile Nurse Services provides services in patients’ homes—or wherever else they are—in communities within 60 miles of Glens Falls, including Queensbury, Lake George, Saratoga, Albany, and surrounding locations.

Murphy is a registered nurse with 15 years of hospital experience, including case management, and 10 years as a director of clinical services in long term care and rehabilitation facilities. Her office, at 35 Evergreen Lane, Queensbury, is in a senior living facility.

With hospitals discharging patients earlier and providing less outpatient care, there is a growing need for the kind of care Murphy can provide. She can step in to provide follow-up care after hospital discharge, whether managing medications, changing dressings, helping patients adjust to a new lifestyle, or just looking in to be sure someone is getting along well.

In addition, she administers intravenous vitamin and mineral treatments (on orders from a physician).

Care ranges from a single consultation to continuing care on a monthly retainer basis.

Murphy estimates that she has seen about 100 clients so far. She has been busy enough to cut back on a formerly full-time nursing job. She offers a wide range or services.

“I do what I can within the scope of my practice,” she said. She cannot write prescriptions but she can help patients understand their medications.

When Murphy is unable to provide a service herself, she can often refer a client to someone who can. For example, when someone needed a physical therapist who makes house calls, she was able to find one for the patient. In the future, she said, “I would like to get an arsenal of other professionals” who will provide home services.

Murphy is also a certified Alzheimers educator. She can help arrange a home so that it is safe for someone with dementia. She can also help the patient and family members know what to expect in the future.

She prides herself on giving one-on-one care and taking as much time as it needs.

“I absolutely love it,” she said of her practice and notes that it is far better than trying to divide her time among 40 patients.

In a few weeks, Murphy expects to receive a Masters degree in health care management. She is putting the finishing touches on a thesis entitled Lateral Violence in Health Care, exploring what she sees as a “huge problem worldwide,” not so much physical violence as bullying and harassment. She sees experienced nurses lording it over less experienced colleagues.

The problem seems to be worst in emergency room settings and got significantly worse during the COVID crisis, she said. Nurses are frightened or unsure of themselves and take it out on their colleagues. And there are just not enough nurses to go around. Murphy cited the figure that there will be a shortage of one million nurses in 10 years.

Murphy’s thesis is based on research she did at New England College in New Hampshire, where she also did the clinical rotations that were part of a mostly online program through Aspen University in Colorado.

“I don’t ever want to go to school again,” but predicts that she will change her mind and begin working toward certification as a nurse practitioner. That will allow her to prescribe medications and, equally important, to bill insurance companies for her services.

The service’s webpage is ADKMobileNurseServices.com and the telephone number is 518-9257013.

DeCrescente Distributing Co. has been in business for 75 years.

Courtesy DeCrescente Distributing

Lisa Murphy, RN, is the owner/operator of ADK Nurse Services.

Dion Puts Her Skills To Work As Owner Of ‘Adirondacks & Beyond Motorcycle Safety’

BY CHRISTINE GRAF

For the past 20 years, Adirondacks & Beyond Motorcycle Safety LLC, has been offering a variety of motorcycle courses for both beginners and experienced riders.

Owner Jeanne Dion purchased the business from Marc and Margie Connelly when they retired in 2021. Before that, she worked for the Connellys as a Motorcycle Safety Foundation certified RiderCoach.

Dion has been riding for about 20 years, and after learning the basics from her husband, she enrolled in a motorcycle course for beginners. “I took the class within six months of him teaching me to ride,” she said. “I learned so many skills, and it just made riding much more enjoyable.”

A few years later, Dion was working as a civilian at the Stewart Air National Guard Base in Newburgh when she became a RiderCoach for the motorcycle safety course that was offered there. After she and her husband relocated to the North Country, she continued to work for the military and became a RiderCoach at Adirondacks & Beyond Motorcycle Safety.

Nine years later, she purchased the business.

“We offer everything across the board— from classes for people who have never sat on a motorcycle to classes for riders to enhance their skills,” said Dion. “We provide the motorcycles, so if it’s just something you want to try out to see if motorcycle riding is something you want to do, the Basic Rider Course is a great course to take.”

After completing the two-day, 16-hour Basic Rider Course I, students are given a road test. Upon passing the test, the rider receives a license waiver that can be taken to any state Department of Motor Vehicles office. The waiver enables them to receive the Class M license endorsement. As part of the Basic Rider Course I, students must also complete an online course that takes approximately five hours.

“Not everyone passes the road test the first time,” said Dion. “Sometimes you need a little bit more practice. We offer a second chance for people to come back and take the test again if they don’t pass the first time.”

Adirondacks & Beyond Motorcycle Safety also offers classes for individuals who already have their motorcycle licenses. The classes are designed to enhance riding skills.

“We have an on-the-road class, we have an advanced rider class, and we are in the process of getting one for learning how to ride three wheels,” said Dion. “We’re also hoping to add a couple of other new classes as well.”

Classes take place at SUNY Canton and SUNY Queensbury from April until the end of September. They are taught by Dion or one of her 18 experienced RiderCoaches.

“Coaching is something you do because you love riding,” she said. “We have some really awesome coaches who love what they do.”

Velocity Sales In Moreau Helps Businesses Achieve Their Sales Visions And Goals

BY PAUL POST

Alan VanTassel stays in business by working himself out of a job.

After 30-plus years in corporate America, he recently launched his own Moreau-based firm, Velocity Sales, which helps entrepreneurs achieve their sales vision and goals.

“Sales is an area of difficulty for most small business owners,” VanTassel said. “They’re passionate about what they do, but their experience is not often in sales. At some point they get to a place where sales are declining or they’re frustrated with revolving-door salespeople coming and going, and can’t attract good talent. Clients hire me on an interim business. We don’t just consult, we actually do the work for them.”

Adirondacks & Beyond Motorcycle Safety offers classes during the week and on weekends. Dion encourages even the most experienced of riders to consider taking one new class a year to enhance their skills.

“One of my coaches said something to me that hit hard and hit home with me. He said, ‘I’ll never understand why people will invest $20,000 on a bike, spend $5,000 on chrome, and hundreds more in gear but won’t invest $200 in themselves to become better riders and improve their chances of coming home at the end of the day,’” she said.

“Always invest in yourself through training and practice. It’s only $200, and it may help you in a situation for your muscle memory to kick in and to save you. Muscle memory kicks in when you are in a situation where you don’t have time to think about what you should do. It’s an automatic instinct, and in our classes, when you are on the motorcycle, we really work on your muscle memory.”

On April 29-30, Adirondacks & Beyond Motorcycle Safety will be hosting On the Road, a four-hour pilot course offered by the Motorcycle Safety Foundation.

“For this class, two coaches will take six students out on the road. They will do about an hour-long ride, and they will stop along the way and talk about a ‘what if’ scenario. It’s a great way to start the season,” said Dion. “We offered it last year and it went very well. If it goes well again this year, we are hoping to be able to offer it once a month.”

According to Dion, there is always something new to learn when it comes to riding a motorcycle.

“Probably 98 percent of the time, people walk away after taking one of our courses and say, ‘Wow, I learned something new.’”

For more information, visit www.adkmc. com

“The model is to help them build a sales structure they don’t have, to help them get their business to the next level,” he said. “I’ll help them hire salespeople, do weekly ridealongs and attend sales meetings. I can be part of the business and run sales while developing a long-term strategy or plan. After 12 to 24 months I’d be gone.”

Early in VanTassel’s career, he traveled the country for Melville Corp., the parent company of numerous nationwide chain stores such as Thom McAn shoes, Marshalls and KB Toys. Then he was a regional sales manager for Stride Rite shoes before moving to Verizon, where he managed sales in its upstate New York market’s messaging division.

Most recently, VanTassel spent the last nine years working for StoredTech.

Right before this, however, in 2000 he launched his own Glens Falls-based technology firm, which laid the groundwork for his newest venture, Velocity Sales.

“That’s where I got my first exposure to the life of an entrepreneur,” he said. “That’s when you become chief cook and bottle washer. In the corporate world, I didn’t realize how much got done by someone else. It gave me a new appreciation for business

owners and entrepreneurs, how hard they work.”

VanTassel decided that 2023 was a good time to make significant career and lifestyle change. Velocity Sales was launched in early January, aligned with a global firm called Sales Xceleration, which supports more than 200 sales leaders like VanTassel throughout the U.S. and several other countries. Its stated mission is to provide “outsourced sales consultants to small businesses and mid-sized corporations that want to launch, expand or improve their sales operations to drive revenue growth.”

Small and new businesses are often plagued by declining or stagnant sales because the owner is focused on other tasks. Or, the enterprise may be growing too fast with no sales process or procedures in place, and the owner doesn’t have a good strategy and doesn’t know how to create one.

VanTassel helps solve these and many

Continued On Page 17

Jeanne Dion gives riding lessons at Adirondacks & Beyond Motorcycle Safety LLC.

Alan VanTassel is the chief sales officer at Velocity Sales.

Clifton Park Center

Continued From Page 1

prefer the convenience of pulling right up to their destination. Retailers understand their customers and have altered their prototypes to have exterior entrances directly from the parking lots.”

“The nationwide trend has become to ‘de-mall’ indoor shopping centers and convert them to openair, outdoor lifestyle centers with a mix of fashion, restaurant and other retail or power centers anchored by big box and junior anchors,” he said.

Other Capital Region retail centers such as Northway Commons in Colonie (Target, Lowe’s, BJ’s), Mohawk Commons in Niskayuna (Target, Lowe’s, Market 32) and Shoppes at Latham Circle (Super Wal-Mart, Lowe’s) also succeeded by pursuing a similar business strategy.

However, Clifton Park Center’s convenient location just off Northway Exit 9 in southern Saratoga County gives it a distinct advantage over other sites. Ninety-six percent of the center’s space is currently occupied.

Several other highly popular firms such as Bass Pro Shops, Trader Joe’s and Chick-Fil-A have either opened or plan to locate in Clifton Park as well, making it even more of a destination for shoppers within the immediate Capital Region and beyond.

The 1976 opening of Clifton Country Mall, developed by Myron Hunt of Buffalo, ushered in a whole new era that transformed Exit 9 into a retail shopper’s paradise. Before long, Shopper’s World anchored by Price Chopper and Village Plaza anchored by a Hannaford Brothers supermarket, opened nearby.

But only 20 years later, Clifton Country Mall had taken a financial nosedive, even earning a place on the “Dead Malls of America” list.

However, Greene saw opportunity there and DCG acquired the mall from GE Capital in 2006. In addition to physical changes, DCG succeeded in bringing a diverse group of hospitality, entertainment and recreational tenants to the site, which made it more appealing to a broader customer base.

“Southern Saratoga County continues to be among the fastest growing areas in upstate New York and Clifton Park Center has prospered by offering that increasing population the goods and services they desire in a more convenient venue,”

DCG Vice President Donald MacElroy said.

The center’s anchors now include such

well-known names as JC Penney, Marshalls & HomeGoods, Boscov’s, Regal Cinemas, Planet Fitness and Sky Zone Trampoline Park. Fashion tenants include Loft, Maurices, Lane Bryant and Shoe Department, and visitors may also choose from restaurants such as Olive Garden, Chipotle, Starbucks and Buffalo Wild Wings.

The center’s success has also been a driving force in promoting other types of local economic development in the healthcare, hospitality and retail sectors.

“De-malling is an extremely pricy investment for landlord and some malls lend themselves easier to the conversion than others,” Kutikov said. “The ones that have undertaken the conversion have all been highly successful with minimal vacancy.”

Khan, a graduate of the GE leadership program, has an extensive background in real estate and finance. CPC’s various other holdings include multifamily, mixed use and industrial properties. At one point his portfolio featured more than 600 residential units.

But two years ago he sold Price Chopper-anchored Colonie Plaza for $20.8 million, Hinckel Brewery Apartments at 201 Park Ave. in Albany for $4.4 million, and 50 more units, with an eye toward purchasing Clifton Park Center.

Khan reportedly wants to brighten up the property with renovations including a children’s play area. Plans also call for a new four-story, mixed-use building called Park Tower near one of the mall’s entry points, with commercial tenants below and apartments above.

“Clifton Park has all the ingredients for retailers: location, accessibility, infrastructure, population demographics, income levels, employment and proof of concept with all the existing retail,” Kutikov said. “To a retailer that translates to a predictability of high sales projections. We have now opened the door to a whole new class of regional tenants.”

Financing of the Clifton Park Center sale was structured and arranged by Axiom Capital Corp. of Clifton Park. The lead lender was Rhinebeck Bank, with participation from Union Savings Bank, First National Bank of Scotia, Glens Falls National Bank, National Bank of Coxsackie and Catskill Hudson Bank.

Business Briefs

The Academy for Lifelong Learning Saratoga Region continues its 30-plus year tradition of presenting educational and social opportunities for adults 55 and older by offering 35 five-week courses starting the week of April 10 and the week of May 15.

Registration is now open.

Course brochures will be available at local libraries, YMCAs and retirement communities or by request at (518) 290-6968 or Lora@allsaratoga.org.

Registrations are being accepted throughout the term until courses are full. Some courses will sell out. Annual membership is $75 and goes for 365 days from join date. Five-week courses are $50 each. Courses are held outdoors, by Zoom, or in community classrooms including at SUNY Adirondack’s Wilton location.

Topics for these volunteer-led, noncredit courses include music, literature, variety speaker series, art history and anatomy, Italian, ancient game of Go, hiking, biology of aging, farm tours, local authors, grocery shopping tips, current events, dining out, history, local media professionals, global warming, opera, poetry, local walking tours, writing, museum tours, and more.

For a brochure with registration form, go to www.allsaratoga.org. * * *

BankWise Technology has launched Customer Verify, a real-time customer authentication solution for banks and credit unions looking to enhance their customer authentication procedures.

It is an advanced and secure system that offers

financial institutions a more reliable alternative to traditional methods of customer verification, such as DOB or SSN.

Customer Verify is a standalone module within the Happy Banker ecosystem that offers a simple, affordable, real-time tool to authenticate customers just before a transaction, change of address, or other uses that the bank may have. It is used when the customer is at a branch, on the phone, or via chat.

Customer Verify benefits include real-time authentication, reduced fraud, easy deployment, and an improved customer experience.

The company emphasized that Customer Verify is specifically designed as a customer authentication tool that works in real-time without requiring any additional hardware or software on the customer side. The tool is particularly useful for banks that already have a verified phone number on file and want to authenticate their customers prior to a transaction or for banks to use as a routine best practice.

To learn more, visit www.bankwisetech.com/ customer-verify.

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Saratoga Hospital, a member of the Albany Med Health System, has been named one of “The World’s Best Hospitals” by Newsweek magazine for the third year in a row.

Newsweek announced the rankings in March. With 171 beds, the hospital is the smallest New York state facility to earn the designation.

The rankings are compiled by Newsweek and partner Statista, a research and analysis service. Their 2023 World’s Best list recognizes 2,300 hospitals in 28 countries.

Dr. Daraban Becomes Medical Director, Chief Of Cardiology At Saratoga Hospital

Dr. Nicoleta Daraban, who has served as director of Saratoga Hospital’s diagnostic center for nine years, has been named medical director and chief of cardiology at Saratoga Hospital.

Daraban will oversee all inpatient and outpatient cardiology services, in collaboration with other members of hospital leadership. She will continue to lead the diagnostic center.

“Throughout her tenure here, Dr. Daraban has earned the respect of her patients and her colleagues across the organization,” said Dr. Richard Falivena, vice president and chief medical and physician integration officer at Saratoga Hospital. “She has the administrative and medical experience to lead our cardiology team in addressing heart disease and other cardiac challenges for patients in our community.”

Daraban earned her medical degree from Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy in Romania, and completed an internship and residency at New York – Presbyterian Lower Manhattan Hospital. She went on to complete a fellowship in interventional cardiology at the University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston.

Daraban is board certified by the American Board of Cardiovascular Disease, the American Board of Internal Medicine with subspecialty cer-

Dr. Nicoleta Daraban is medical director and chief of cardiology at Saratoga Hospital. Courtesy Saratoga Hospital

tification in cardiology, and the National Board of Echocardiography. She sees patients at Saratoga Hospital Medical Group – Cardiology. To make an appointment, call 518-886-5080.

Amtrak, Via Rail Canada Open Train Line From NYS - Montreal; Includes Saratoga Stop

Amtrak, in conjunction with VIA Rail Canada (VIA Rail), the state Department of Transportation and other federal agencies, resumed train service between New York City and Montreal via the Adirondack train on Monday, April 3.

It includes a stop in Saratoga Springs.

This milestone marks the return of all Amtrak and VIA Rail cross border service between the United States and Canada for the first time since 2020 and aligns with the growing demand of train travel in both countries.

Northbound Adirondack trains will depart Moynihan Train Hall at New York Penn Station at 8:41 a.m. and arrive in Canada’s Gare Centrale/Central Station in Montreal at 8:16 p.m., with southbound Adirondack trains departing Montreal at 11:10 a.m. and arriving at NYP at 10:15 p.m. Additional popular destinations on the Adirondack besides Saratoga Springs and Schenectady.

“The return of the Adirondack promotes one of many rail initiatives benefiting and connecting American and Canadian travelers and residents,” said Amtrak President Roger Harris. “We are proud to partner with NYSDOT and VIA Rail and thank Senators Schumer and Gillibrand, and Congresswoman Stefanik for championing the Adirondack’s return, as well as their shared commitment with Amtrak to bring more trains to more places and more people as we enter a new era of rail.”

“VIA Rail is excited to collaborate with AMTRAK to offer the return of this popular service for our customers on both sides of the border,” said Rita Toporowski, VIA Rail’s chief customer officer. “The return of the Adirondack for the first time since 2020 is another indication that Canadians and Americans are excited to travel again, and increasingly choosing to do so by train. We welcome our customers back and are happy to provide them connections through Montreal to all our VIA Rail trains serving Canadian communities from coast to coast.”

“The cultural riches and natural beauty along the Adirondack train route amount to an experience that is unlike anything else in the world, and it highlights the importance

of this service – making it easy and fun for travelers to be able to enjoy the unique treasures of the Empire State,” said DOT Commissioner Marie Therese Dominguez. “We are pleased to work with our partners at Amtrak on the reopening of this vital connection between New York City and Montreal, and commend them for their ongoing commitment to providing reliable, safe passenger rail service to the beautiful destinations across New York state and beyond.”

New York State and Montreal travelers and visitors can expect the same amenities onboard the Adirondack as they do on most Amtrak trains, including free Wi-Fi, the freedom to use phones and electronic devices at all times (no “airplane mode”), the ability to travel with small pets within the US, a café car, large spacious seats with ample leg room and no middle seat.

In addition to the standard entry documentation requirements, the Canadian and United States governments have several additional requirements must follow for entry into Canada and the United States.

For more information about the Adirondack route, visit www.amtrak.com/ adirondack-train.

Velocity Sales

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‘Celebrity Bartender Party’ Returns In May

After a three-year-long pause due to COVID-19, Shaken & Stirred is finally returning to benefit Universal Preservation Hall in Saratoga Springs.

The Shaken & Stirred Celebrity Bartender Party is an annual fundraiser for UPH. Local businesses team up to compete against each other, bartending for the most tips. The team that raises the most during their shift wins.

This year’s event will be 5:30-9 p.m.

Thursday, May 18 at the Saratoga National Golf Course.

“We’re excited to bring back this important fundraiser. All proceeds raised go towards our education programs through the Collaborative School of the Arts, which is an incredibly important aspect of arts for youth in our area.” Teddy Foster, director of Universal Preservation Hall.

The vision of the Collaborative School of the Arts is to provide extensive performing arts opportunities with instruction by regional and national professionals. Its programs inspire and cultivate career paths for students in creative fields while developing and welcoming a diverse palette of artists.

Tuition assistance ensures student accessibility across Proctors Collaborative, including UPH’s summer program Rock Camp.

Past champions of Shaken & Stirred include DeCrescente Distributing Co, Julie & Co. Realty and Adirondack Trust Company. For more information, go to universalpreservationhall.org. There is no cover charge for this event.

SEDC Marks 45 Years At April 20 Reception

The Saratoga Economic Development Corp. (SEDC) will celebrate 45 years of economic success at its annual reception on Thursday, April 20 at Excelsior Springs, 47 Excelsior Ave., Saratoga Springs

The reception will run from 5:30-8 p.m. The event will be a cocktail-style reception with hors d’oeuvres, carving stations, dessert, and a cash bar. SEDC staff, stakeholders, sponsors, community leaders, board members, and elected officials will be on hand.

“As we reflect and recognize the pioneer’s vision for our organization, the team’s efforts and successes, and how so many professional service partners played a part in it, we look forward to celebrating with our members, colleagues, supporters, and peers,” said Tori Riley, SEDC vice president. “Th is milestone is abundant with tremendous success, and we look forward to collectively working with everyone on the next steps for future preparedness that lends to continual success and sustainability.”   The cost is $150 per person, and sponsorships are available. Registration is required for the event as SEDC cannot accommodate walkins.

“We are so proud of the successes and accomplishments of our fi rst 45 years,” said Riley. “It would be our honor to have our stakeholders join us by sponsoring and attending. Regardless of your title, this event is the place for any professional looking to build, grow, and celebrate their contribution to what makes this region so spectacular.”

For more information, please visit www. saratogaedc.com or email events@saratogaedc. com.

other similar problems.

“I have this huge passion for wanting to help entrepreneurs,” he said. “It’s tough running your own business and it’s lonely at the top. Most entrepreneurs who go into business don’t realize how hard it is. I know I can bring value and help them get back the quality of life they might be struggling with because they’re just pulled in too many different directions. The more people I can do it for, the most satisfied I’m going to be.”

At any given time VanTassel works with

three to four different clients, primarily in the Capital Region and North Country where he developed a broad business network over the years. Clients are in many types of business, from insurance to executive recruitment.

“I like working with customers in the community where I live and giving back that way, but I have no boundaries,” he said. “I’m currently consulting with one client in Wisconsin. The beauty of why I chose this is that I’m doing what I like, but at my own pace.”

President Of Empire State University

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importance of a forward-focused institution whose advancements in academics, scholarship, and workforce development, such as the nursing simulation opportunity for students, its designation as an Autism Supportive College, and its commitment to lifelong learning show SUNY’s essential place in the landscape of higher education,” said King.

State Public Service Commissioner and Chairman of the College Council, John Maggiore, said Vollendorf’s presidency “marks a significant milestone in the history of our institution, and we are happy to have her at the helm. Her visionary leadership will continue to drive Empire State University forward and ensure that our students receive a highquality, flexible, and affordable education. The council looks forward to working with her to build a vibrant and inclusive community that

celebrates excellence, diversity, access, and innovation.”

“I am deeply honored by the opportunity to serve as the sixth president of SUNY Empire State and the fi rst president of Empire State University,” Vollendorf said. “SUNY Empire has, from the very beginning, been devoted to the singular—and singularly challenging— mission of serving learners who otherwise would not have the opportunity to attend college. We stand alone in our ability to educate individuals at all stages of life, many of whom believed their chance to attend college had vanished when they took a job or had a child or moved away or joined the military. I have never worked at an institution that has such a clearly distinctive role to play in helping public higher education be more accessible, more flexible, and more inclusive.”

Amtrak, VIA Rail Canada resumed service from New York City to Montreal on April 3. Courtesy Amtrak

Get Your Brunch On at These Top-Rated Restaurants in Saratoga

Featuring all of your breakfast and lunch favorites, along with some specials, brunch is arguably the best meal of the week. It’s the ideal time to meet up with family or friends, enjoy a mix of sweet and savory dishes, and brighten up the day with mimosas or a Bloody Mary. If you’re ready to plan your next brunch outing, then check out these 12 great spots in Saratoga.

The Hideaway: Serving Up Food & Drink Specials With a View

Start the day off right with a spectacular view of Saratoga Lake Golf Club when you dine at The Hideaway. Open for brunch on Saturday and Sunday, The Hideaway features a unique mix of menu items for every member of the family, such as avocado toast, chicken and waffles, sugar pearl waffles with berry compote, and an omelette station with various cheeses and fillings to pick from.

Adults can indulge in one of their brunch cocktail specials too, such as the Ultimate Bloody Mary (topped with a fried chicken slider, mozzarella stick, shrimp cocktail, bacon, olives, and celery!).

The Country Corner Cafe: A Cozy Dining Spot in a Historic Building

Head over to The Country Corner Cafe in Saratoga Springs and munch on all of your favorite brunch items in a comfortable dining space. This top-rated cafe welcomes diners for breakfast, brunch, and lunch, and one Google reviewer had the following to say in their 5-star review: “Everything we ordered was hot, fresh, delicious, and well seasoned. It was such an enjoyable experience to sit down and unhurriedly enjoy a nice simple brunch.”

Check out their “breakfast sammies,” eggs Benedict dishes, buttermilk pancakes, and specialty sandwiches like The New Englander (bacon, tomato, and cheese with American or Jalapeno Pepper Jack).

Sweet Mimi's Café & Bakery: Bring Your Appetite to This Local Favorite

From the cozy atmosphere to the excellent selection of sweet and savory menu items, Sweet Mimi's Café & Bakery in downtown Saratoga has everything you could want in a brunch spot. The restaurant changes up the brunch menu monthly, but you can expect to find specials like pistachio pancakes, a strawberries and cream waffle, a grilled banana bread platter, and even smoked salmon “toast” with Norwegian smoked salmon, pickled red onions, and capers. All of their items are either made from scratch or locally sourced, so you’ll be able to taste the freshness in each bite.

The Local Pub and Teahouse: See Why People Rave About This Neighborhood Pub

Whether you’re a fan of coffee, freshly brewed organic tea, or a mimosa with your brunch, The Local Pub and Teahouse has you covered. Located in Saratoga’s historic Dublin neighborhood, The Local is popularly known for offering traditional English and Irish dishes and personal pots of tea to enjoy.

Some of their weekend brunch items include an Irish breakfast (two eggs any style, Irish bacon and sausage, grilled tomato, and toast), eggs Benedict, corned beef hash, and more. In describing their experience, one Google reviewer stated, “Came by for brunch and loved it…First time...Great friendly staff and great food...Defi nitely looking forward to going back.”

The Saratoga Winery & Tasting Room: Cheers to Marvelous Mimosas

The Saratoga Winery & Tasting Room is more than just a fun spot to discover new wines. They also offer an outstanding brunch on Saturday and Sunday with cheese boards, housemade Belgian waffles, Rosemary’s Biscuit Sandwich, woodfired pizza, and other delicious options. In addition, you can bring your brunch to the next level by getting a full-size Bloody Mary, a full-size mimosa, or a mimosa flight featuring five different mimosa creations. The mimosa flight is perfect for sharing around the table.

Prime at Saratoga National: Chill Out with a Sunday Jazz Brunch

Make your next brunch a memorable one at Prime at Saratoga National, which offers a fantastic Sunday jazz brunch with tons of great menu items. Looking for something sweet?

Check out the crème brûlée French toast with warm maple butter. Craving fresh seafood instead? Order a colossal lump crab cocktail or a surf and turf tempura roll with lobster and steak. When the weather is nice, you can eat outdoors on the patio overlooking the beautiful golf course.

The Merc: A Go-To

Spot

for Hearty Brunch Fare and Craft Cocktails

The Merc in downtown Saratoga is one of the city’s hottest brunch spots, and for good reason! Brunch is served every day the restaurant is open, and it includes a massive menu of small plates like truffle fries and crispy Brussels sprouts, salads, buttermilk pancakes and brioche French toast, breakfast burritos and biscuits and gravy, hearty sandwiches, and more. The Merc’s bar can mix you up a craft cocktail too, such as a Bloody Mary, a mimosa (bottomless option is available), an Irish coffee, and other specials.

“The best brunch spot in town,” says one Google reviewer. “Everything on the menu is an incredible value. The food is amazing and the service staff is always on point.”

Hattie’s Restaurant: Satisfy Your Cravings for Fried Chicken and Waffles Done Right

When it comes to fried chicken in the Saratoga Springs area, Hattie’s Restaurant is the place to be. Since opening in 1938, Hattie’s has become famous in the Spa City for serving authentic Southern and Louisiana cuisine in a friendly atmosphere. One of the best times to visit the restaurant is during weekend brunch, as diners can enjoy a wide array of items from the griddle and skillet, as well as house specialties like biscuits and gravy, shrimp and grits, and of course, fried chicken and waffles.

As one Google reviewer notes, “They are known for the chicken and waffles so I ordered that and it was delightful! The fried chicken was crispy and left a crunch into the juicy white meat.”

The Whistling Kettle: Sip Tea & Feast on High-Quality Brunch Items

If you’re in the mood for sweet crepes, savory crepes, or even “scone-wiches”, then you’ll want to stop by The Whistling Kettle for brunch. With locations in Ballston Spa, Schenectady, and Troy, The Whistling Kettle is one of the Capital Region’s best places for brunch, lunch, and dinner. Over the years, Google reviewers have spoken positively about this cafe and tearoom’s eye-catching decor, friendly staff, and tasty menu items. When paired with one of their Tea Quenchers, such as the Pineapple Green Quencher (golden starfruit green tea, pineapple puree, and lemonade), you have the recipe for a perfect meal.

Iron Roost: Meet Up for Sweet & Savory Gourmet Waffles

Take a trip to downtown Ballston Spa for a wonderful waffle-fi lled brunch at Iron Roost. Founded in 2012 by owner Linnaea DiNallo, Iron Roost is a cozy 45-seat restaurant featuring natural lighting, stylish brick and industrial details, and the area’s best selection of gourmet waffles made with the freshest ingredients. Choose from sweet waffles like Lemon Berry (lemon mascarpone, house-made lemon curd, strawberries, and whipped cream) or go the savory route with Okey Dokey Artichoke (scrambled eggs, artichoke hearts, spinach, mozzarella, parmesan, and a waffle wedge).

Note: Iron Roost is open Tuesday - Saturday, and closed Sunday - Monday.

The Flats Restaurant & Tavern: Treat Yourself to Tasty Cuisine and Morning Libations

Located on Grooms Road in Clifton Park, The Flats Restaurant & Tavern offers a delicious Sunday brunch with menu items for every palate. Share a plate of Breakfast Nachos with your group, and then take a look at all the great specials like steak and eggs, chocolate chip pancakes, a French Toast Bake, shrimp and grits, and more. The Flats serves plenty of morning libations too, so you can celebrate this get-together with a classic Bloody Mary, a Paloma Mimosa, a Pear Cosmo, or even a Brunch Sangria.

Clifton Park 12065

Magic Cleaning Services

Cataline DaSilva

20 Ponderosa Driva

Clifton Park 12065

Glitter and Grit Boutique

Lindsey Shults

463 Southline Road

Galway 12074

Mahagony Hill Farm

Jill Cunningham

213 Beekman St. Saratoga Springs 12866

Saratoga Automotive

Nicholas Massaroni

Alexei Lareau

23 Northern Pines Road Wilton 12831

AAA All Court Transcripts

Catherine Sausville

111 Rowland St. Ballston Spa 12020

Saratoga Self Defense

Jared Murphy

1405 Route 9 Fort Edward 12828

Tree to Table Sawmill

Bradley Phillips

129 Sherman Road Middle Grove 12850

Sacandaga Well Pumps

Peter Edwards

107 Prokop Road

Broadalbin 12025

Divergent Psychological Services

Lauren Weisberg

480 Broadway

Saratoga Springs 12866

Big Bear Bakes

Sarah Maloney

115 A Eastline Road Ballston Lake 12019

Barrett and Associates

Scott Barrett

34 Hillman Loop Round Lake 12151

Upstate Broker Network

Christy Kannegiser

100 Gordon Lane Gansevoort 12831

Bo’s Crochet and Crafts

Bose Gulnek

1 Cortland Drive Ballston Lake 12019

Armer Memorials

Jason Armer

431 Hop City Road Ballston Spa 12020

Bishop Remodeling

Melvin Marsh

109 Green St. Schuylerville 12871