LO C A L
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I N D E P E N D E N T
Volume 10 • Issue 21 • May 29 – June 4, 2015
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F R E E saratogaTODAYnewspaper.com • (518) 581-2480
Homeless In Saratoga The first in a three-part series exploring solutions by Norra Reyes Saratoga TODAY SARATOGA SPRINGS — Over the last few weeks, mingled with discussions about street performers and their impact – positive and negative – on business in downtown Saratoga Springs, many questions arose about the impact of the homeless population as well, especially vagrants who would block doorways or panhandle near business establishment entryways. Gregory Veitch, chief of the Saratoga Springs Police Department, has been working
with service providers and local businesses regularly. He understands the concerns of the business community, and recently spoke at the Saratoga Springs City Council on the subject, where he assured members and attendees that the department will uphold the law while honoring people’s Constitutional rights. “You can’t arrest your way out of a homeless or vagrancy issue,” he said in a telephone interview. “We can arrest for criminal behavior, like lewdness or public urination, but we can’t arrest people for being homeless.” See Homeless pg. 8
AVAILABLE
The Shelters of Saratoga is one of the local providers of assistance to the County homeless population. Photo provided.
Saratoga Rowers Capture Gold SPAC Kicks Off 2015 Season by Neil Benjamin Jr. Saratoga TODAY
The Saratoga Rowing Association took home 10 medals at nationals in Camden, N.J., last week. See Rowing pg. 31
SARATOGA SPRINGS — While the Saratoga Performing Arts Center’s season technically kicked off earlier this month with graduation ceremonies and some local events, it will be country group Lady Antebellum who will start the concert portion of the season on May 31. The start to this season will also kick off a two-year celebration of SPAC’s 50th anniversary. “Last year was an extraordinary year for us, and this year looks to be just as extroadinary,” Marcia White, president of the SPAC board of directors, said last week. “This is the kickoff to the 50th.”
White said there are two big new things at the venue for this season, with the first being construction of new bathrooms near the loading dock. White said it was a necessary upgrade to the shed. “The facility, like all of us, is aging,” White added. The other improvement, which is much more major, was that a team of people from the venue, New York State Parks and the Cornell Cooperative Extension took a hard look at the lawn and determined they were going to install an Evergreen blanket. White said the seeds root deeper and give it a better look. See SPAC pg. 9
TODAY In Print & Online Inside TODAY Blotter 5 Obituaries 6 Business 10-11 Education 14-15 Food 18-19 Sports 28-31
Weekend Forecast FRIDAY
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