LOCAL • INDEPENDENT • FREE Volume 14
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Issue 19
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May 8 – May 14, 2020
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saratogaTODAYnewspaper.com
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518- 581-2480
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Downtown Struggles to Survive by Opal Jessica Bogdan Saratoga TODAY SARATOGA SPRINGS — “Doors are closing. People are closing. It’s already too late for many businesses,” said Heidi West, Lifestyles of Saratoga owner. West is just one voice of many small business owners all coming to the same consensus, it may already be too late for the once bustling downtown Saratoga. While some stores embraced reinventing to keep business going for them amid COVID-19 restrictions, others were not so lucky.
“A lot of doors are closing. We don’t have much time left to be honest. We do need to figure out how to be safe and be open all at the same time,” West said. “All of this makes it an uphill battle but… give us a fighting chance. Open our doors so we can get through it.” The community of Saratoga Springs has felt the impact of economic restrictions before. In 1945, the community was filled with rundown structures following both the Great Depression and World War II. It was not until 10 years later, in 1958 the Planning Board moved forward with the city’s master plan for renewal.
See Story pg. 12
RACING? Into the Wild
insideTODAY Mother’s Day Guide
2
Obituaries
6
Neighborhood Buzz
7
Business
12, 13
Property Transactions
TRAIL PROJECT RECEIVES $500K GRANT Photo courtesy of NYRA. See Story pg. 8
See Story pg. 3
14
Families Today
15-19
Summer Camps
20-21
Food
22-23
Fun & Games
24
Arts & Entertainment
25
National Nurses Week
28