February 2009 Archives

While President Barack Obama continues to stress the importance of creating a more open and transparent government, Saratoga Springs Commissioner of Accounts John Franck has been implementing such ideas in city government through the use of technology since taking office.

Temple Sinai has been located at 509 Broadway in downtown Saratoga Springs since 1966, but whether or not they'll stay there is another matter.

When John D. Biss of Wilton was captured by Japanese forces on Corregidor Island, Philippines and became a prisoner of war in 1941 during World War II, his siblings knew they couldn't sit home and do nothing. One by one, Stephen, Julia and Michael Biss enlisted in separate branches of the military.

South side rec center put on hold
Saratoga County Court Judge Thomas Nolan has ordered the city of Saratoga Springs not to break ground on the proposed South Side recreation center building project as it weighs the possibility of imposing an injunction. The indoor rec center, which had just awarded its contract for construction eight days prior, was halted in order to determine whether or not the project went through the proper approval process.

A local non-profit group was recently named a recipient of USA WEEKEND Magazine's annual Make a Difference Day Contest.

The Saratoga Springs Rotary Home and Garden Show kicks off the annual event on Friday, Feb. 27.

Saratoga Springs - James T. Quinn, Jr., a lifelong resident of Saratoga Springs, passed away peacefully Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2009 at Wesley Health Care Center. He was 82.

Saratoga Springs - Frank N. Toffoli, 92, passed away on Friday, Feb. 20, 2009. Born on Jan. 5, 1917, in Ormelle, Italy, he arrived in the United States at the age of four. A veteran of the Army Air Corps in WWII, he and his beloved wife of 65 years, Marjorie (Van Essendelft), made their home first in Bay Shore, NY and later in Lakeland, FL. An auto-body repairman by trade, his hobbies included taxidermy, carpentry, masonry, oil painting and carving. He loved spending hours in his gardens, and he believed "one is closer to God in a garden than anywhere else on earth."

Saratoga Springs - John E. Warner of Caroline Street died Friday, Feb.20, 2008 at Saratoga Hospital. He was 88.

Saratoga Springs - Lillian C. Mihalek, formerly of Walworth Street, died on Sunday, Feb. 22, 2009 at Maplewood Manor in Ballston Spa. She was 81.

Saratoga Springs - Cecil Bentley Hilleboe of Caroline St. passed away quietly at her daughter's home on Thursday, Feb. 26, 2009. She was 101.

Paul G. Reckner, Sr., 74, of 21 Biette Rd., Clifton Park, pleaded guilty to a charge of first-degree rape, a class- B felony. He was arrested on Dec. 7 in Clifton Park. He will return to court for sentencing on May 7.

This Sunday, March 1, the Saratoga National Historical Park is hosting an encore presentation of its program, "Men of African descent who served in Saratoga in 1777," in an effort to bring to light the great contributions made by African American men during the Battle of Saratoga, thus far largely undocumented.

While the average American is quite familiar with goat dairy products of cheese and milk, in America one usually has to go to an ethnic area to find goat meat (Chevon) on the menu. (This is not true for most of the rest of the world where 63 percent of red meat consumed world-wide is goat.) However, as the world becomes smaller and Americans be-come more ecologically concerned and more aware of their diets, Chevon (as goat meat is referred to in culinary circles) is becoming more mainstream. We are very lucky in the Saratoga area to have access to fresh, farm-raised Chevon.

Saratoga junior skier Kieran Mottau had an outstanding season as a member of the Stratton Mountain Ski Academy racing team. As a first year J-3 skier (ages 13 and 14), he skis in the very competitive Southern Vermont Council and races against 100 junior ski racers from Bromley, Magic, Willard and Mount Snow ski areas.

I just got back from a mid-winter break. My wife and I took a week to get away from the snow and cold and just kind of cruise down the east coast with no real schedule or purpose, just to relax. Oh yeah! We did see a couple of our kids along the way, but the main purpose was just to see something besides white!

For many brides-to-be, picking out the perfect gown is a central event in wedding planning. The gown, frilly or plain, will hold a special place in the bride's heart for as long as she can remember and the photographs capture the dress on the bride for eternity. 

This Sunday, Feb. 22, the Saratoga Film Forum is holding its 16th annual Oscar Night, a fund-raising event hosted at Mare Ristorante on 17 Maple Ave in downtown Saratoga Springs.
The only not-for-profit cinema in the greater Saratoga region, the Film Forum has dedicated itself to showing award-winning movies from all across the globe, movies that other local cinemas won't play.

The 2nd annual Winter Festival: Celebration for Preservation, sponsored by the Saratoga Sport and Social Club and Saratoga P.L.A.N. (Preserving Land and Nature) will be held Sunday, February 22, 2009 at the Saratoga Spa State Park warming hut, from 11 a.m. - 4 p.m. This family-oriented winter festival will feature food, adult and children's cross-country ski races, a snow sculpture contest, craft and wellness fair, live music, nature walks, ice skating and numerous children's activities. 

As Saratoga Springs continues to evolve through the development of commercial districts it is no surprise that the growth would one day affect the lives of people living in the city's residential neighborhoods. One group of residents that is fed up with the encroachment of commercial buildings on their properties is a faction living in the West Avenue Corridor. The group is currently fighting developer Steve Kamen over a vegetative buffer he had promised to construct behind his building at 120 West Avenue in order to ensure the protection of their quality of life and property values.

Local groups are taking a stand against the possibility of paid parking downtown, stating they deserve to have a say on an entity that would have a direct effect on their businesses and organizations.

Investigator Shane Crooks was named Officer of the Year for the Saratoga Springs Police Department last week.
 

Paterson announces special election

Governor David Paterson announced that the special election to replace the 20th Congressional District seat vacated by Kirsten Gillibrand will take place in just six weeks, to be held on March 31. Democratic candidate Scott Murphy will go up against the Republican candidate James Tedisco for the position.

Susan Slovic has been trying to donate blood for the last five years.

The Saratoga Downtowner is remarketing itself as a home away from home for tourists and locals alike.

 

Thirty years ago early intervention services for children who showed delayed learning skills were very hard to come by. In Saratoga County, the only place to turn for help was Skidmore College.

Valentine's Day is almost here and its time to come up with a scrumptious meal for your Valentine. What better way to show how much you love someone than to give them an incredibly savory meal that is unique and healthy - right down to the dessert! Read on, then make your way to the Saratoga Farmers' Market this Saturday to get the ingredients and start cooking! Voila! It will be a dinner to impress.

For more than three decades Skippy and the Pistons have been entertaining audiences with a mix of high energy cover songs for people throughout Saratoga Springs and beyond. Now after years of being one of the area's most well-known cover bands, the group has written their first song, which will be featured in local filmmaker Thomas Farone's upcoming movie "Aftermath."

For those of you who have not been watching and reading, those in Albany and Washington have taken a new turn in their attempts to destroy our second amendment rights, you know, the rights concerning guns.

Shirley M. Silvernail, 63, of 41 Clifton St., Waterford, pleaded guilty to a charge of driving while under the influence of alcohol or drugs after being arrested on Aug. 25 in Clifton Park. She will return to court for sentencing on March 27.

Saratoga Springs - Marion H. Callahan Runge of Schuyler Drive passed away Sunday, Feb. 8, 2009 at her residence. She was 84.

Saratoga Springs - Helen E. Russo passed into eternal life on Thursday, Feb. 12, 2009 after a long illness.

Saratoga Springs - Joan Beddow Purner, formerly of Wilton, passed away on Saturday, Feb. 7, 2009 at Wesley Health Care Center. She was 74.

Ballston Spa - Gary J. Scavone of Dublin Drive in Ballston Spa passed away Sunday, Feb. 8, 2009, surrounded by his family.

Saratoga Springs - Bobbi Jo Hoffmann passed away on Thursday, Feb. 5, 2009 at Saratoga Hospital due to illness. She was 41.

Wilton, NY - Gabrielle Ruelos Cannistraci passed away on Sunday, Feb. 8, 2009 at Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital of Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center in New York City. She was 11.

With the current economic recession hitting the country as a whole, countless people are reentering the job market in hopes to land one of the few jobs out there.
 
In December 2008, 524,000 jobs were lost, bringing the national unemployment rate from 6.8 in November to 7.2 percent.
 
While Saratoga County has a slightly lower unemployment rate of 5.6 percent, up from November's 4.9 percent, more and more people are still finding themselves out of a job.

There are only six more weeks of winter ahead of us, but for many residents the season's end can't come soon enough. In the months of December and January alone, the region was blasted with ice and snow storms, with estimates from the National Weather Service totaling up to 46.9 inches of accumulation. With temperatures consistently below freezing, much of that snow has sat undisturbed, slowly building up layer after layer. For homeowners, this can be bad news.

Saratoga County is taking the lead for upstate New York, along with Rensselaer County, to explore options to become more environmentally friendly.

Sen. Roy McDonald, R-Saratoga, along with Saratoga County Board of Supervisors Chairman Art Johnson announced the creation of the Saratoga County Green Committee that will essentially be a think tank for county officials to study green initiatives and look at long term investments.

It wasn't the economy or capital projects that brought out concerned citizens at Tuesday's City Council meeting, but rather an intersection at the corner of Gick Road and North Jordan Drive that had residents in Saratoga Springs concerned over peoples' safety.

Last Sunday morning at approximately 4:09 a.m., in scenic downtown Saratoga Springs, a man was stabbed multiple times in the torso and is currently in a drug-induced coma.

Shocking? Maybe, maybe not.

Image Photo and Events has made the lives of brides and grooms-to-be just a little bit easier.

In January, Image Photo and Events launched the Saratoga Wedding and Event Boutique located within the photo studio. Anyone who is in the process of planning a wedding is invited to stop in the boutique and see what Image has to offer.

Running a business during a depression is not an easy task, but when George Thibeault acquired Adirondack Appliance in 1929, he knew that in order to attract customers, he must provide the best customer service in the area.

As summer turns into fall, most people look at it as a time to close their gardens. However, there are plenty of things you can find to do during the winter months to keep enjoying the pleasures of gardening.

If you're looking to add some space in your home, there's no better place to start than in your basement.
 
"Going into a basement is the most cost-effective way, rather than building out or up," John Jekielek of Owens Corning said.

Singer/songwriter Bob Warren will showcase songs from his new CD "Only the Message Mattered" about civil rights leader Susan B. Anthony at two different events in Saratoga Springs on Saturday,
Feb. 14.

Singer/songwriter Denise Culhane knows all too well the trials and tribulations of being a struggling artist having survived a bout with thyroid cancer that led to the loss of her voice and the possibility that she would never sing again.