Month: May 2026

The Saratoga Regional Health Center Will Provide A Full Range Of Medical Services

May 19, 2026

The Saratoga Regional Health Center at 612 Maple Avenue in Wilton is nearing a July soft opening, with construction continuing on the two-story medical facility and surrounding parking areas.
Courtesy of BBL Construction Services

By Rod Bacon

Saratoga County is poised to be the home of a full service medical facility.

Plans call for the Saratoga Regional Health Center to have a soft opening in July.

Spearheaded by Rich Paulsen, founder of Albany-based Paulsen Development, and his sons, Matthew and Ryan, the two-phase project will consolidate a wide range of medical specialities in a single location.

According to spokesman Dr. Lenny Goldstock, an orthopedic surgeon at OrthoNY, Phase I, located at 612 Maple Avenue in Wilton, will house a branch of his practice as well as those of EyesNY, Albany ENT & Allergy Services, Saratoga Schenectady Gastroenterology Associates, and St. Peter’s Hospital.

“I’ve been partners with Rich for twenty years doing medical development,” said Dr. Goldstock. “He has a history of sharing in the success of his projects by offering tenants ownership to develop ancillary revenue to the physician groups, and that’s part of the appeal of this project.”

He noted that Paulsen Development has been involved in nearly all of OrthoNY’s buildings in Albany, Schenectady, Wilton and hopefully Glens Falls.

Saratoga Springs Welcomes SLICFiber Expansion And New Broadband Choice

May 19, 2026

Local government and civic officials gather at Saratoga Springs City Hall to welcome SLICFiber, which now is expanding broadband service and competition in the city and Saratoga County area.
Courtesy SLICFiber

By Paul Post

Local government and civic officials took part in a recent event at Saratoga Springs City Hall to welcome upstate New York’s fastest-growing internet provider to the city.

St. Lawrence County-based SLICFiber already serves Geyser Crest and expects to have full coverage in the Spa City within a year.

“We’re not a new company, we’re just new to your neighborhood,” SLICFiber CEO Kevin Lynch said.

Fiber optics is considered vital to future growth because it has almost unlimited capacity and much greater speed. A key element of modern economic development strategy involves attracting highly talented, skilled people who can work wherever and whenever they want to, but need to be sure they are connected to the rest of the world.

“Fast and reliable electronic communication in the 21st century is essential to economic development,” said Greg Connors, Saratoga Economic Development Corporation president and CEO. “It is among the top questions asked by investors contemplating their next capital investment when considering Saratoga County. SLIC’s expansion in the City of Saratoga Springs with plans to expand into Saratoga County is considered a ‘next generation’ fiber. It will replace legacy technology, provide pricing stability for its users and create full-time job opportunities.”

Siena Poll Shows Two-Thirds Of New Yorkers Use AI Chatbots, Use Rising Yearly

May 19, 2026

Forty-three percent of New York state residents say the disadvantages of artificial intelligence are too great, while 37% say the advantages outweigh the disadvantages, according to a Siena Poll released April 14. 2026.

Nearly 1 in 5 respondents, 19%, said they do not know whether the advantages outweigh the disadvantages.

Two-thirds of New Yorkers, 67%, said they use AI chatbots, while 32% said they have never used an AI chatbot. Forty-four percent said they use AI at least weekly, including 21% who said they use it daily.

Compared with last year, 48% said they are using AI tools more, 39% said their use is about the same and 8% said their use has decreased.

Among those who use AI chatbots, 41% said they use them mostly for personal reasons, 24% mostly for professional reasons and 32% equally for both. More than half of users, 56%, said they double-check AI results always or most of the time. Twenty percent said they pay for an AI chatbot subscription.

Among New Yorkers who use AI chatbots at least weekly, 28% said they pay for a premium subscription, compared with 5% of those who use chatbots infrequently. Across users, ChatGPT was the tool used most often, followed by Gemini and Copilot.

Nearly 9 in 10 residents, 92%, said they have seen content in the last 30 days that appeared to be generated by AI. Thirty-five percent said they trust results from a traditional search engine more than information provided by an AI chatbot, while 8% said they trust AI results more. Twenty-eight percent said they trust both equally and 23% said they trust neither.

Saratoga Showcase Of Homes Returns This Fall For 30th Anniversary Event

May 19, 2026

The Saratoga Builders Association’s Showcase of Homes returns for its 30th year this fall.
Courtesy Saratoga Builders

The 2026 Saratoga Showcase of Homes Committee has announced this year’s dates and list of builders as of this date. Celebrating 30 years of exceptional homes, the annual tradition will be presented over four fall days, Oct. 3-4 and Oct. 10-11. The lineup will include some of the region’s finest builders for the area’s premier new-home tour event.

The award-winning builders committed to this year’s event so far are Amedore Homes, Barbera Homes, Belmonte Builders, Kodiak Construction, Kohler Homes, Malta Development, Spa City Builders, Trojanski Builders, Urvalek Builders and Witt Construction, with a few more to come.

Last year, $66,000 was raised, and over the past 29 years, the community event has contributed nearly $1.7 million to two local charities. Proceeds from the Showcase of Homes benefit Rebuilding Together Saratoga County, www.rtsaratoga.org, and Habitat for Humanity of Northern Saratoga, Warren and Washington Counties, www.glensfallshabitat.org. For more details on the 2026 Saratoga Showcase of Homes event, visit www.saratogashowcaseofhomes.com. Follow the event on Facebook and Instagram for updates.

Sponsorship Opportunities Now Available

Personnel Briefs: May 2026

May 19, 2026

Northern Insuring Agency, Inc. has added Chrystina Chaney to its Personal Insurance Division as a Retention Specialist Assistant in the company’s Glens Falls office.

Chaney joined the team in January and has obtained her NYS Insurance License. She and her husband live in Hudson Falls with their three children and pets.

“We’re excited to welcome Chrystina to the team,” said Melissa Kokofsky, manager of the Personal Insurance Division. “She brings years of face-to-face experience working with people from all walks of life, along with a strong commitment to providing exceptional service. We’re thrilled to have her on board.”

Northern Insuring Agency, Inc., founded in 1930, provides auto, home, business, life and health insurance, and employee benefits services.

Provided by Northern Insuring Agency, Inc.; edited for style and length.

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Arrow Bank National Association has hired Cara Schroeder as Assistant Vice President, Business Banking Relationship Manager.

In her new role, Schroeder will support small businesses by developing new relationships and strengthening existing ones with customized financial solutions. She will manage a portfolio of business customers, collaborate with internal partners to drive business growth and support retail teams across small business and business banking.

Schroeder has more than 20 years of banking experience. She began her career with TD Bank in 2004 and held roles including Teller, Head Teller, Customer Service Representative, Small Business Specialist and, most recently, SBA Business Development Associate.

A native of Averill Park, New York, Schroeder will support businesses throughout the region.

Arrow Bank National Association, part of the Arrow Family of Companies, is a commercial bank headquartered in Glens Falls, New York, serving eight counties in northeastern New York. It operates 38 banking offices and provides banking, wealth management and insurance services.

Provided by Arrow Bank National Association; edited for style and length.

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GlobalFoundries Celebrates Ferain As Champion, Coffey As Honoree In 2026 Awards

May 19, 2026

Sen. Welch of Vermont, center, stands with GlobalFoundries leaders tied to the Manufacturing Institute’s 2026 STEP Ahead Awards, which recognized Ferain as a Champion and Coffey as an Honoree. Courtesy GlobalFoundries

The Manufacturing Institute, the workforce development and education affiliate of the National Association of Manufacturers, honored two GlobalFoundries leaders at its annual STEP Ahead Awards.

Dr. Isabelle Ferain, vice president of product development engineering, based in Malta, New York, was recognized as a 2026 Champion. Kylee Coffey, senior director of integration, yield and controls engineering, based in Burlington, Vermont, was recognized as a 2026 Honoree.

The STEP Ahead Awards recognize leaders in manufacturing who are driving impact from the shop floor to the C-suite.

The Champion category recognizes individuals who support others by fostering supportive cultures, opening doors and modeling leadership. GlobalFoundries said Ferain, the global executive sponsor of the company’s GlobalWomen employee resource group, supported growth and engagement across a network of more than 2,100 employees and expanded the group to eight chapters worldwide. The company said she helped launch a six-month group mentoring program with its Inclusion & Engagement team and worked with human resources to reform the company’s technical career ladder promotion process to improve transparency and standardization.

Saratoga Hat Shop Founder Built Boutique From Racetrack Inspiration

May 19, 2026

Inside Hatsational Haberdashery in Saratoga Springs, shelves and cases filled with hats reflect Joyce Locks’ year-round Broadway boutique and its ties to local racing-season shoppers at the shop.
Courtesy Hatsational Haberdashery

By Carol Ann Conover

Joyce Locks said a bad hair day at the racetrack helped launch Hatsational Haberdashery in Saratoga Springs.

Locks was in Florida watching her horse race at Gulfstream Park when she realized she had forgotten her hat and could not find a store that sold one. Back home, she said, she found the same gap in Saratoga Springs.

“I started this business because I was having a bad hair day in Florida and I was at a horse race and I couldn’t find a hat anywhere,” Locks said. “And I came home and realized there were no hat stores. So that’s what started this. And now I just make people happy.”

Locks founded Hatsational Haberdashery in 2007 as a home-based business, hosting hat salons and pop-up events before earning an invitation from the New York Racing Association to sell at Saratoga Race Course. In 2013, she opened her first brick-and-mortar storefront on Broadway. The business now operates at 506 Broadway and keeps a seasonal presence on Artist Row at the racetrack.

Hatsational later expanded to three Broadway locations, including separate men’s and women’s shops. During the pandemic, Locks reduced the footprint and consolidated operations.

Saratoga County Chamber Of Commerce Honors Matt Jones With 2026 Service Award

May 19, 2026

Matt Jones, senior partner at Jones Steves Grassi LLP, holds the Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce’s 2026 Joseph Dalton Community Service Award at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs.
Courtesy Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce

Matt Jones, senior partner at Jones Steves Grassi LLP, has received the Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce’s 2026 Joseph Dalton Community Service Award.

Jones was honored May 7 during the chamber’s Annual Chamber Celebration Night at The 1863 Club at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs.

“Volunteerism is such a huge part of the role of the Chamber of Commerce and making things happen here in Saratoga Springs and Saratoga County,” Jones said during his acceptance remarks.

The award, created by unanimous vote of the chamber’s board of directors in 2017, recognizes an individual who has been faithful and loyal to the Saratoga County community for more than 25 years.

Jones focuses his law practice on land use and development matters in Saratoga County, representing clients involved in major development projects. Over nearly five decades of practice, he has represented GlobalFoundries, Saratoga Hospital, Skidmore College, Regeneron and others.

A Developer And Owner Of Multiple Subway Shops Set To Break Ground On Seventh Plaza

May 19, 2026

The planned Wolf Road retail plaza in Colonie is shown in a C2 Design Group rendering, with three tenant spaces in a 6,400-square-foot building being developed by Russ Faden along Wolf Road.
Courtesy C2 Design Group

By Rod Bacon

Construction of a retail plaza on Wolf Road in Colonie is slated to begin this month.

According to developer Russ Faden, financing has been secured through Pioneer Bank and all approvals are in place except for a permit from the Department of Transportation.

“All the contractors are lined up and we’re ready to go,” he said. “We’re just waiting on that last permit.”

Scott Lansing of Malta-based Lansing Engineering PC did much of the work to secure the approvals and permits.

The 6,400-square-foot building, designed by C2 Design Group of Schenectady, can accommodate three tenants, one of which will be a Subway sandwich shop. The estimated cost is $2.5 million.

“I own the Subway shop and we’re assuming there will be two other businesses in there,” Faden said.

Faden owns 41 Subway franchises. Most of them are in the Albany area but his reach extends north to Lake George, west to Cobleskill, and east into Vermont and Massachusetts. He said they are a combination of existing ones he purchased and others he built from the ground up, many in commercial plazas he has developed.

Eastern Heating Grows HVAC Business Through Service And New Construction

May 19, 2026

Dan Knapp of Eastern Heating & Cooling points to a control system display as the Albany-based mechanical contractor grows its HVAC service, controls and new construction work across the region.
Courtesy Eastern Heating

By Paul Post

Heating, cooling and ventilation are the unseen components of buildings that house some of the Capital Region’s largest and most important employers, including colleges, hospitals and senior living centers.

Founded 81 years ago, Eastern Heating & Cooling has evolved into a full-service mechanical contractor with $42 million in annual revenue. It specializes in design-build HVAC systems, controls, fabrication and long-term service, with commercial clients within a 100-mile radius of its Albany headquarters.

“We want to be the solution to the problems that keep customers up at night,” company President Buddy Tricarick said. “If we can maintain their equipment, where they don’t have to worry about it, that’s the goal. That’s what exceptional customer service is. Preventive maintenance goes a long way.”

Business Development Manager Luke Schreiber said, “We meet with the customer, talk to them, ask questions and really try to understand what their business and equipment needs are, tailoring an approach that’s better aligned with their business versus a cookie-cutter solution.”