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SARATOGA POLICE
Tiana McGuire, 28, of Ballston Spa, was charged Jan. 8 with DWI, and two moving violations.
Eric Parente, 21, of Ballston Spa, was charged Jan. 8 with harassment, and disorderly conduct.
Danielle Wren, 36, of Greenwich, was charged Jan. 7 with DWI, and a motor vehicle violation.
Megan Kron, 20, of Schoharie, was charged Jan. 7 with criminal impersonation.
Abigail Kosier, 20, of Howes Cave, was charged Jan. 7 with possession forged instrument.
Francesco Mazzella DiBosco,
47, of Saratoga Springs, was charged Jan. 6 with DWI, and a driving violation.
James Price, 45, of Ballston Spa, was charged Jan. 6 with felony DWI – as a second offense within 10 years, aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle, and moving from lane unsafely.
Tanya Fowler, 42, of Saratoga Springs, was charged Jan. 4 with assault, criminal mischief, and criminal contempt.
Terrance Rudes, 31 of Saratoga Springs, was charged Jan. 3 with petit larceny, and criminal possession stolen property.
Ford Fafard, 23, of Greenfield
Center, was charged Jan. 3 with aggravated unlicensed operation, and operating motor vehicle without stop lamps.
Damon Beckerman, 28, was charged with aggravated family offense, aggravated criminal contempt, unlawful imprisonment, criminal possession weapon, menacing and two counts of assault.
Jessica Stavropoulos, 44, of
Pennsylvania, was charged with DWI, aggravated DWI, and failure to obey traffic control device.
Lynn Vosko, 71, was charged with
DWI.
Joseph Viscusi, 66, was charged with criminal mischief.
Kraig Sharka, 32, was charged with
DWI, no motor vehicle license, vehicle equipment violation, and making an unsafe turn. Karen Ryan, 50, was charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance, operating a motor vehicle while impaired by drugs, and two driving violations.
William Bogdanowicz, 33, was charged with harassment.
Timothy Duffy, 54, was charged with DWI, aggravated DWI, aggravated unlicensed operation, failure to keep right, and circumvent interlock.
Tessa Murphy, 35, was charged with petit larceny.
COUNTY COURT
Benjamen J. Bullard, 35, of
Saratoga Springs, was sentenced Jan. 10 to 5 years of probation, after pleading to attempted criminal sale of a controlled substance in the third-degree, a felony.
Neil J. Desposito, 44, of Menands, was sentenced to 1-1/3 to 4 years incarceration, after pleading to felony DWI, first charged July 2022 in Wilton.
Jordan M. Sunkes, 31, of Saratoga Springs, was sentenced Jan. 9 to time served and 5 years of probation, after pleading to aggravated family offense, a felony.
Eric S. Predential, 31, of
Schenectady, was sentenced
Jan. 9 to 1-1/2 to 3 years incarceration, after pleading to felony grand larceny, first charged
May 2022 in Waterford.
Jarred P. Lasorda, 29, of Clifton Park, pleaded Jan. 6 to criminal contempt in the firstdegree. Sentencing March 10.
Todd J. Whitcher, 43, of Mechanicville, pleaded Jan. 6 to felony DWI, first charged August 2022 in Saratoga Springs. Sentencing March 21.
SARATOGA COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE
Cody J. Letourneau, 25, of Malta, was charged Jan. 4 with failing to change his address as required within 10 days due to his being a registered sex offender.
Mother and son charged: on Jan. 9, members of the Saratoga County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigation Unit arrested Michael T. May, 27, and Tomassina May, 67, after a lengthy investigation into multiple complaints involving them both endangering minors in the towns of Wilton, Northumberland, Moreau, and the city of Saratoga Springs. It is alleged Michael T. May, over the course of the past several months, used social media to contact multiple underage juvenile females, engage them in conversation and set up sales of nicotine products, vapes, and other products to them. Tomassina May is suspected to have participated in these sales. Michael would offer to give these products to these juvenile victims if they would send him sexually explicit photos and videos via social media, and it is alleged that Michael did receive, and possess, some of these illicit pictures and videos. Michael T. May was charged with 5 counts of endangering the welfare of a child, 3 counts of unlawfully dealing with a child, 3 counts of promoting an obscene sexual performance by a child, and 2 counts of possessing an obscene sexual performance by a child. Tomassina May was charged with 3 counts of unlawfully dealing with a child.
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Wilton Wildlife Preserve & Park Annual Meeting on Jan. 23
WILTON — Wilton Wildlife Preserve & Park will host its annual meeting at 6 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 23.
At the annual meeting, there will be a presentation giving an overview of the activities of the Preserve & Park in 2022, including educational activities and programs, conservation efforts, recreation and trail projects, volunteerism, fund development, and finances.
New board members will be also elected to three-year terms.
The meeting will take place on Zoom and everyone is welcome to attend. To receive the Zoom link, contact the Preserve & Park office at 518-450-0321 or via email at info@wiltonpreserve.org.
Anything Broken and Small Enough to Carry: Schuylerville Public Library Hosts Repair Café
SCHUYLERVILLE — What do you do with a broken toaster? Or with a lamp that won’t work? Or with a favorite shirt that is ripped? Toss it? No way! Schuylerville Public Library is organizing its second Repair Café from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 25.
Various volunteer repair experts will be available to help make all possible repairs free of charge. Most tools and materials will also be on hand.
People visiting the Repair Café will bring along their broken items from home. Limit of two items per person. Small appliances, lamps, hair dryers, radios, clothes, toys... anything that is broken and small enough to carry is welcome and can more than likely be repaired. The Repair Café specialists almost always have the know-how.
Interested in volunteering for this event, as a repairer? Contact Caitlin Johnson at cjohnson@sals.edu.
The Repair Café concept arose in the Netherlands, in 2009, and was formulated by Martine Postma, at the time an Amsterdam-based journalist/publicist. In 2010, she started the Repair Café Foundation (see Repaircafe.org). This foundation provides support to local groups around the world wishing to start their own Repair Café. The foundation also supports the Repair Café in the Schuylerville Public Library.
Photo provided.
BALLSTON LAKE — “An Afternoon with Town Historian Rick Reynolds” - The History of Our Lady of Grace Church in the BH-BL Community will take place Sunday, Jan. 22 at 2 p.m. at Our Lady of Grace. This event is part of a series celebrating the Parish Centennial.
From our beginnings in the pavilion at Forest Park to our first church on Edward Street, to today’s modern facility on Midline Road, Our Lady of Grace, its people and its leaders, have played an active role in local history.
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Join for an informative and interactive presentation by the Town of Ballston Historian Rick Reynolds as he shares about the roles Our Lady of Grace has played in the local community over its 100-year history.
The public is invited to join the members of the parish for this event. Light refreshments will be served after the presentation. Our Lady of Grace, a Catholic Community is located at 73 Midline Rd., Ballston Lake. Cost: Free will donation. Contact Pat Parker at 518-441-2450 with questions.
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Saratoga Reptile Show
SARATOGA SPRINGS — The inaugural Saratoga Reptile Show will be hosted at the Saratoga City Center on Sunday, January 22 from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. The Saratoga Reptile Show is all about love and passion for exotic animals. With access to hundreds of reptiles and all of the supplies you need to create a comfortable and healthy home habitat, attendees can browse almost any reptile-related you can think of in a family-friendly environment.
The Saratoga Reptile Show will offer attendees an in-person experience to meet with America’s top vendors and breeders. Buy discounted cages, supplies, feeder insects, frozen and live rodents. The Saratoga Reptile Show encourages responsible reptile ownership. Cost is $5 children (7-13), $10 adults, children under 7 are free. Saratoga City Center is located at 522 Broadway. For more information visit saratogareptileshow.com
Hattie’s Mardi Gras 2023 Charity Fundraiser: Jan. 28
SARATOGA SPRINGS — The annual Hattie’s Mardi Gras event will take place Saturday, Jan. 28 from 6-10 p.m. as the Canfield Casino will once again be transformed into the “New Orleans of the North.”
Savor your experience with the culinary expertise of Hattie’s Restaurant Chef Jasper Alexander, Chef Phil Fitzpatrick, and Chef Mark D. Graham. Dance the night away to the sounds of Soul Session and Garland Nelson and bid to win during the silent auction. Acclaimed CNN journalist Alisyn Camerota will be Emcee for the evening. Relaunching this event is a community effort; we encourage you to get involved.
The 2023 Hattie’s Mardi Gras beneficiary is the Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York. The Food Bank works to alleviate hunger and eliminate waste by collecting large quantities of food and distributing it to 350,000 of our Capital Region neighbors in need, every month.
The inaugural Hattie’s Mardi Gras began in 2001 and has donated over one million dollars to non-profits in our community. In 2021 Hattie’s Restaurant joined the Business for Good (BFG) family of companies and donates all profits to charity. BFG co-founders Ed and Lisa Mitzen will be hosting the upcoming event.
For more details about the Hattie’s Mardi Gras event, tickets, donation and sponsorship information visit www.classy.org/event/ hatties-mardi-gras/e436154
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Hattie’s Mardi Gras event 2019. Photo by Super Source Media Studios
photo OF THE WEEK winter 2023
“Settling in for the night.” Photo by Tina Devincenzo
Now is your chance to get your photos published!
Submit your “Photo of the Week” for a chance to be PUBLISHED IN PRINT in Saratoga TODAY Newspaper. Winter contest photo submissions close Feb. 15. One photo will be chosen each week. Email your photo to: Design@SaratogaPublishing.com All submissions will be added to our website: saratogaTODAYnewspaper.com/galleries.
Saratoga Celebrates MLK Weekend
SARATOGA SPRINGS — Hundreds of members of the community were joined by a plethora of city and regional elected officials in celebrating the Dr. King Celebration Weekend conclusion with a “Songs Are The Soul of a Movement” event at Saratoga Springs United Methodist Church Jan. 16, 2023. Photos by Thomas Dimopoulos.
ALBANY — New York Attorney General Letitia James reached an agreement on Jan. 9 with Bell Pet Company, LLC (Bell Pet) - which does business as The Pet Zone, and its owners for misleading consumers about the health of the pets they sold to New Yorkers.
The Pet Zone, which has stores in Albany, Poughkeepsie, Watertown, and Queensbury, misled customers about the health of the pets they purchased by providing incomplete medical records, James said.
The agreement requires Bell Pet to pay a civil penalty and create a restitution fund of up to $200,000 to reimburse eligible consumers for medical costs.
“Deceiving families into buying sick puppies and kittens is not only cruel, it’s illegal,” said Attorney General James. “The Pet Zone turned a happy moment of bringing home a new pet into misery for pet owners when they discovered that their pet was sick and that they had to pay expensive medical bills to help them recover. This agreement will ensure that no one is deceived about the health of a pet they bring home. I encourage any individual who purchased a pet from The Pet Zone and was misled about their health to file a claim for reimbursement.”
The Office of the Attorney General (OAG) found that The Pet Zone provided consumers with deceptive medical records that did not include a full list of medication provided to the pet to hide previous illnesses. The Pet Zone offered consumers an online tracking system called “PetKey,” which the defendants claimed included a full list of all the medication provided to the pet prior to purchase. The OAG found that on several occasions, PetKey failed to list medications, including antibiotics, provided to pets and once the pets were brought home, they became sick.
Today’s agreement requires The Pet Zone to create a restitution fund of up to $200,000 to reimburse eligible consumers who purchased pets in or after January 2014 and within 14 days of purchase received a certification from a vet that their pet was sick and should have been unfit for sale. Eligible consumers will be reimbursed for their veterinary costs related to the vet’s certification and treatment for the illness up to the total cost of the pet, including tax. The fund will be available to any qualifying consumers for 12 months. In addition, The Pet Zone must pay $2,500 in penalties to the state.
As part of the settlement, within the next 30 days, the Pet Zone will be required to post information about submitting claims for anyone who believes they may be eligible to seek reimbursement. In the interim, if New Yorkers have questions about this settlement, they are encouraged to contact the OAG Watertown Regional office at 315-523-6080.
The agreement also requires The Pet Zone to ensure that every pet has been examined by a licensed vet and has received all the vaccinations as required by state and local law with accurate and complete records provided to consumers. Additionally, The Pet Zone is required to train its employees and visibly alert consumers to the requirements of the Pet Lemon Law. The Pet Zone must identify a corporate point of contact for all Pet Lemon Law claims.
First-Of-Its-Kind - Affordable Housing in N.Y.
by Thomas Dimopoulos Saratoga TODAY
SARATOGA SPRINGS — The City Council unanimously approved a resolution to seek $1 million in grant funding - via the Restore NY Communities Initiative Municipal Grant Program – that anticipates taking a currently vacant parcel at 53 Putnam St. and redeveloping it into a multi-story building with affordable/mixed-income housing units that will house lowincome individuals and families.
At least 20 units in the anticipated 60-unit building are expected to be made available “for low-income individuals and families to own and occupy their own home,” according to the city.
“It’s a win for environmentalists, a win for developers, investors and a win for the city of Saratoga Springs,” city Mayor Ron Kim said during the council’s discussion of the matter on Jan. 17.
The project is located on a NYS Brownfield Environmental Remediation lot, sited opposite the Saratoga Springs Public Library.
Dubbed as “Putnam Square,” the project anticipates development as a public/private partnership between Putnam Resources, and the city along with a variety of local non-profit organizations. The estimated overall project cost is just over $15 million. More than $3 million has already been invested by developers to acquire, manage and clean the site.
“If this works the way it is currently positioned, it will be the first of its kind in the state,” said Commissioner Dillon Moran, drawing a contrasting comparative with the typical home-byhome basis actions, which takes a while to develop, by organizations such as Habitat for Humanity.
Mayor Kim said that “onethird or more” of the 60-unit building will be offered at HUD affordable prices at a percentage of the region’s determined area median income, or AMI. The AMI for all cities across the country fluctuates, and is defined each year by U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).
I Hear America Singing
• The City Council approved the appointment of Joseph Bruchac as Poet Laureate of the city of Saratoga Springs. Bruchac was born and raised in Saratoga Springs and has authored more than 120 books, along with numerous poems and short stories.
The appointment marks the first by the city of a Poet Laureate and carries the duties of serving as a representative of the Saratoga Springs in creating literary and artistic works in commemoration of the city, its history, and its people. The position, which carries through 2025, was unanimously approved by the Council and will be under the supervision and guidance of the Mayor’s Office, in consultation with the arts commission.
Saratoga New Year’s Fest
Will Be Back for 2023/24
• Bob Millis, primary producer of the inaugural Saratoga New Year’s Fest staged Dec. 31-Jan. 1 told the Council that the event was an overall success and will return for its second year.
“We hit all of our markers. We attracted people from across the Northeast, we put them in hotels, we sent them to downtown venues and we generated sales tax,” Millis said. “It was such a great success we have committed to continuing the event into the future.”
School Resource Officer(s)
• The council approved an addendum to the agreement between the Saratoga Springs City School District and the city of Saratoga Springs that will - beginning on Jan. 30 - have the city assign an additional School Resource Officer to the District’s Elementary Schools.
“The school district had a Safety Survey Report that recommended the addition of two School Resource Officers – one to be provided by the Sheriff’s Department for the two elementary schools outside the city limits, and a recommendation that the city provide an SRO from the Saratoga Springs Police Department for the four elementary schools that are in city limits,” city Public Safety Commissioner Jim Montagnino told the council Jan. 17. “That recommendation was adopted by the school board last week.” The measure was approved by the Saratoga Springs City School District Board of Education by a 5-4 margin.
The school district will pay $74,285 as reimbursement toward the cost of the Elementary SRO, prorated from the Elementary SRO’s start date through the end of the contract. The district currently employs two SROs, one at the high school and one at the middle school campuses.
The four district elementary schools within Saratoga Springs city limits are: Caroline Street Elementary School, Lake Avenue Elementary School, Division Street Elementary School, and Geyser Road Elementary School.
The elementary schools SRO will be on duty from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. each school day, at or between the elementary schools. In all, the city has seven officers currently trained as SRO’s on staff, Montagnino said.
“Putnam Square” – a vacant lot on Putnam Street, depicted in this image captured Jan. 17, 2023 with the Saratoga Springs Public Library in the distance, is a target site for the development of a five-story building housing affordable residential units. Photo by Thomas Dimopoulos.
Saratoga County Board of Supervisors Stage First Meeting of 2023
by Thomas Dimopoulos Saratoga TODAY
BALLSTON SPA — Citing a “significant increase in mortality in Saratoga County” as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the county board of Supervisors on Jan. 14 amended a previously authorized contract agreement with NMS Labs from $75,000 to $110,000 to cover the increase in costs in the services the lab provides.
The 2022 agreement with National Medical Services directs NMS Labs to provide post-mortem toxicological services to the Saratoga County Corners.
The county Law and Finance Committee and the County Coroners recommended that the contract for 2022 services be amended to increase the authorized contract amount.
The Board of Supervisors this week additionally approved amending an agreement with Saratoga Hospital from $65,000 to $75,000 due to increasing numbers of cases handled by the County Coroners at Saratoga Hospital in 2022.
The county department of health updates its COVID-19 surveillance dashboard weekly. To date, since 2020, there have been 1,521 hospitalizations and 395 COVID19 related deaths. The breakdown of fatalities by year: 44 in 2020, 223 in 2021, and 128 in 2022.
County Names Members of 2023 Standing Committees
by Thomas Dimopoulos Saratoga TODAY
BALLSTON SPA — Board of Supervisors Chairman Todd Kusnierz on Jan. 17 announced his member appointments to the county’s 12 Standing Committees. Saratoga Springs City Supervisor Tara Gaston was appointed to the Trails & Open Space Committee; City Supervisor Matt Veitch was appointed as member to a handful of committees including the Buildings & Grounds Committee of which he will serve as chair.
The committees are typically where the initial work is debated regarding topics later sent to the Board of Supervisors for their ultimate approval. The Law and Finance Committee specifically is the last Committee meeting scheduled prior to the Regular Meeting of the Board of Supervisors, and Items approved by the Law and Finance Committee constitute the agenda of the Board of Supervisors Regular Meetings.
Fatalities Graph, depicting COVID-19 related deaths by month grouping, reported to Saratoga County Department of Health in 2020 (dark blue), 2021 (light blue), and 2022 (green). Source: SCDOH.
Saratoga County Board of Supervisors - 2023 Standing Committees
Buildings & Grounds
Matt Veitch * Phil Barrett Eric Connolly Diana Edwards John Lant Scott Ostrander Mike Smith
Economic Development
Mark Hammond * Eric Butler Joe Grasso Jean Raymond Kevin Tollisen Kevin Veitch Sandra Winney
Health & Human Services
Phil Barrett * John Lant Scott Ostrander Tom Richardson Jonathan Schopf Tom Wood Arthur “Mo” Wright
Human Resources & Insurance Kevin Tollisen * C. Eric Butler Joe Grasso John Lant Bill Peck Jean Raymond Sandra Winney
Public Safety
John Lant * C. Eric Butler Joe Grasso Mark Hammond Jean Raymond Kevin Tollisen Kevin Veitch
Public Works
Phil Barrett * Diana Edwards Jack Lawler Jonathan Schopf Mike Smith Matt Veitch Tom Wood
Real Property Tax
Scott Ostrander * Phil Barrett Diana Edwards Jack Lawler Arthur “Mo” Wright
Law & Finance Jonathan Schopf * Phil Barrett Diana Edwards Joe Grasso John Lant Kevin Tollisen Matt Veitch
Legislative & Government Affairs Eric Butler * Mark Hammond John Lant Kevin Veitch Sandra Winney
Trails & Open Space Joe Grasso * Eric Connolly Tara Gaston Ed Kinowski Matt Veitch
Veterans’ Affairs Mike Smith * Scott Ostrander Tom Richardson Tom Wood Arthur “Mo” Wright
Airport Improvement Theodore T. Kusnierz, Jr. * Phil Barrett Scott Ostrander Kevin Veitch Matt Veitch
Members of Saratoga County’s 2023 Standing Committees were announced Jan. 17. Note: *asterisk* denotes committee chair.
