Month: April 2026

By Paul Post

World-class racing and top-flight entertainment are on tap, providing a significant economic boost when the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival returns to Saratoga for the third and final time.

The 158th edition of the historic Grade 1, $2 million Belmont Stakes highlights five days of racing from Wednesday, June 3, to Sunday, June 7.

But plenty of off-track fun is planned, too, as the band Fitz and the Tantrums headlines a free Belmont on Broadway concert with special guest Vertical Horizon, from 7 to 10 p.m. in downtown Saratoga Springs.

“Belmont on Broadway has really become the heartbeat of the week,” Discover Saratoga President Darryl Leggieri said. “It brings a critical mass of people downtown, creates energy for our businesses and showcases the very best of Saratoga Springs. It’s a perfect example of how tourism and community pride come together to create real economic impact. It also shows the world that Saratoga can deliver a world-class experience, and our community shows up in a big way to make it happen.”

Los Angeles-based Fitz and the Tantrums bring a vibrant, feel-good sound rooted in indie pop and neo-soul, known for high-energy, horn-heavy hits such as “MoneyGrabber,” “Out of My League” and “HandClap.” With dual lead vocals and a dynamic stage presence, they’ve become a staple on major festival circuits, delivering an upbeat, danceable experience that resonates with a wide audience.

Vertical Horizon, formed in Washington, D.C., is a multiplatinum alternative rock band known for its late-1990s and early-2000s hits, including the chart-topping “Everything You Want.” Blending alternative rock, pop rock and acoustic elements, its music has remained popular with fans who grew up with that era, while still delivering high-energy live performances today.

By Rod Bacon

One of the area’s premier photographers has relocated to downtown Saratoga Springs.

Tom Stock, owner of Stock Studios Photography, continues to provide clients with exceptional images from his new studio in the Shannon-Rose Design building at 65 Clinton Street after selling his building on West Street.

“I have the whole second floor,” he said. “It is exactly the same size as the main studio area of the building we just sold. It’s everything I could have asked for.” 

For 35 years, Stock has been offering a wide range of services that include architectural, advertising, food, product, portraits/lifestyle, and aerial photography.

Locally, he has worked with all of the hospitals, banks, and law firms in the Capital District, as well as many area architects and building contractors. He has also provided images for the New York State Department of Health and the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA).

He noted that he has worked with Saratoga Hospital’s marketing department for 30 years, shooting everything from staff portraits to operations. 

Alliance180, a nonprofit supporting veterans, first responders and frontline health care workers in their journey toward post-traumatic growth, has appointed Amy Amoroso to its board of directors.

Amoroso is program director for the McNulty Veterans Business Outreach Center, supporting the Small Business Association Region II across New York and New Jersey. She leads Boots to Business and Boots to Business: Reboot training programs for veterans, provides client counseling and oversees program operations, compliance and performance reporting.

A business consultant with more than 25 years of experience, Amoroso specializes in business planning, financial analysis, startup and growth strategy, and small business lending. She is a small business owner, a military spouse and a volunteer with the American Red Cross, the Veterans Administration and AMVETS Post 35. Amoroso was appointed by Gov. Kathy Hochul to the New York State Veterans Task Force.

“We are pleased to welcome Amy to the Alliance180 Board of Directors,” said Denise Romeo, Executive Director, Alliance180. “Her experience and thoughtful approach to business development and community engagement will be a valuable asset as our board continues to navigate toward our goals. We look forward to the perspective she will bring as we build on our work and continue moving the organization forward.”

Alliance180 thanked outgoing board member Linda G. Gibeault for her service and leadership. “We are incredibly grateful to Linda for her time, leadership, and unwavering support of Alliance180,” Romeo added. “Her contributions have helped shape where we are today, and we wish her all the best in her future endeavors.”

By Rod Bacon

When some entrepreneurs achieve success, they give back to the communities that have supported them.

For Ed and Lisa Mitzen, that took the form of launching Business for Good, a philanthropic initiative committed to bridging the wealth gap in America.

The Mitzens started with the 2020 purchase of Bread Basket Bakery in Saratoga Springs, creating an entity that not only pays its employees competitive wages and provides free health insurance benefits but also donates all of its profits to local organizations that address food insecurity. In 2021, they duplicated this model with the purchase of Hattie’s Restaurant. That year, they also donated $5.4 million in grants and resources to 25 local nonprofits. In 2022, they registered the organization as a public foundation and purchased the historic University Club in downtown Albany, later donating its use to the newly formed Albany Black Chamber of Commerce and Social Club.

In May 2025, the organization was rebranded as Business for Good Foundation (BFGF), a 501(c)(3) public foundation. As such, it secures external donations and funding.

By Paul Post

Playoff-bound Adirondack Thunder had a franchise-record 18 sellout crowds this year, with one home game left heading into the regular season’s final weekend, April 17-19.

A three-game attendance mark of 15,375 was set during the Friday-to-Sunday, March 27-29, weekend, surpassing the previous record of 14,869.

That was followed by back-to-back crowds of 5,231 and 4,851 on Saturday and Sunday, April 11-12, for five straight sellouts at the 4,800-seat Harding Mazzotti Arena.

“It’s amazing, how great the fan support is for such a small community,” Thunder President Jeff Mead said. “It’s pretty unbelievable when half your home games are sell-outs.”

The Thunder drew 156,316 fans, averaging 4,466 per game, or 93 percent of the arena’s capacity, with one home game left on Friday, April 17.

“These fans are passionate,” Coach Sylvain Cloutier said. “They love the game. There’s no place like it in minor hockey. They come out and support us every weekend. They’re the best.”

Forward Matt Salhany said Kalamazoo’s Matt Knuble couldn’t believe the crowd that showed up for the game on Sunday, March 29, because attendance for Sunday afternoon games is usually much lighter at most arenas, especially when a big crowd turned out the night before.

By Susan Elise Campbell

Over the next year, the leadership of North East Fire Protection Systems Inc. will transition to Stacey J. Fantauzzi, whose parents started the company in 1978.
Jimmy Fantauzzi has been building the company he founded for nearly 50 years and is ready to hand over the presidency to his eldest daughter. The Ballston Spa-based company designs, fabricates, installs, inspects and maintains sprinkler systems for commercial and light industrial buildings and residential developments.

“I’m in no rush to get him out of the company. He’s a great asset,” said Fantauzzi.

In the upcoming year, the elder Fantauzzi will extend his expertise to the next generation of estimators, training them the way he did estimating: drawing by hand. His sketches are then input into a CAD system, she said.

“To understand the whole process at that rudimentary level is a gift to the young folks we have in our office,” she said.

“Jimmy is also helping us with those areas of the business that determine where we are moving forward,” she said. “But at the end of the day, the decisions are mine as to what projects we will take.”

Fantauzzi said her father “never clipped my wings or said I couldn’t do something.” There was no expectation that she or her siblings would join the family business.

“I don’t remember him telling me ‘No’ very often. It was, how are you going to do that?” Fantauzzi said. “He thought it was fabulous that I took my 10-speed bicycle apart and wrote an entire school paper about how it worked. He still likes to learn new things.”

By Ann Donnelly

After decades in the insurance industry, navigating family business dynamics, corporate consolidation and shifting market trends, Kevin O’Brien could have easily coasted into retirement. Instead, he co-founded a new venture to blend modern technological efficiency with old-fashioned, face-to-face service.

O’Brien, co-owner of TechFirst Insurance Agency, launched the business in 2023 alongside local entrepreneur Mark Shaw. The agency is located at 543 Queensbury Ave., Queensbury, NY 12801, and can be found online at techfirstInsurance.com. For O’Brien, the move represents the culmination of his extensive career and a deliberate response to an industry increasingly dominated by private equity firms.

A veteran of the industry, O’Brien spent nearly a decade at Travelers before joining his father’s agency, founded in 1957. He was later recruited to Glens Falls National Bank, now Arrow Bank, to consolidate several local acquisitions into what is now Upstate Agency.

Now back to carving his own path as an independent agent, O’Brien said TechFirst Insurance Agency aims to combine strong service with the benefits of technology to offer a “gold seal” client experience by removing the paperwork of the 1980s and 1990s while remaining deeply tied to the community. “We simply want to be more consumer-friendly, because there are more tools out there to make it easier for the customer,” O’Brien said.

However, he emphasized that technology will not replace the personal touch required when disaster strikes. With access to 12 to 15 carriers, O’Brien works to match clients with the right coverage and pricing — a stark contrast to private equity-owned firms, which he said often prioritize investor returns over personalized care.