Jake Van Ness, Author at Saratoga Business Journal

Jake Van Ness

2079 Articles

Capital District Sport & Fitness In Round Lake Re-Opens With Expanded Facilities

September 17, 2021

From left, Paul Morse, Mike Sirani and Dan Jones at Capital District Sports & Fitness.
©2021 SaratogaPhotographer.com

By Christine Graf

After being closed for four months during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Capital District Sport & Fitness (CDSF) has expanded their facility at 21 Wood Road in Round Lake.

Owners Mike Sirani and Dan Jones are Capital Region natives who met while on the baseball team at Springfield College. Both men have degrees in exercise science as well as extensive experience working with professional, collegiate, and high school athletes.

Opened in June 2018, CDSF specializes in small group, semi-private training and offers customized workout programs that are developed based upon a client’s movement assessment, goals, health history, and injury history. With their 1,500-square-foot expansion, they are able to offer additional gym space as well as a baseball pitching cage that runs the length of the gym.

A CDSF membership is not required to book the pitching cage coaching sessions that are available to athletes in middle school through college.

Local Health Experts Have Advice For People Who Gained Weight During Pandemic

September 17, 2021

Life and health coach Lisa Wolfe of Moreau helps people with weight issues.
©2021 SaratogaPhotographer.com

By Christine Graf

According to a study conducted by the American Psychological Association, more than 40 percent of adults have reported gaining unwanted weight, an average of 29 pounds, since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Saratoga County professional life and health coach Laura Conklin said that many people have turned to food for comfort during the pandemic. The owner of HELD Life & Health Coaching, Conklin offers individualized weight loss programs to her clients and works with them to uncover the root causes of their weight gain as well as their motivation for losing weight.

“If you are struggling with your health or weight, chances are that there are some things going on in your mind that need some balancing and reframing. When people come to me wanting to lose weight, we start getting into some core issues of what they believe about themselves. It’s about a deeper level of transformation than just body weight,” she said. “Without strong motivation, it’s easy to put aside all of the strategies and revert back to overeating.”

There is no one-size-fits-all model for weight loss. Conklin said there is often trial and error involved.

Business Report: Planning For A Healthy Fall

September 17, 2021

By Jodi Tamburrino, RD, CDN

Whether you’re returning to the office or working from home, the change in seasons is the perfect opportunity to reset after a busy summer and prepare for a healthier fall.

Stay hydrated.

Although you may be tempted to indulge in extra caffeine as you readjust to a new schedule, what you should be drinking is water—and lots of it. Water eliminates excess calories by filling you up so you do not snack unnecessarily between meals. Adequate hydration also prevents constipation, flushes toxins from the body, promotes kidney function, and lubricates muscles and joints.

When it comes to daily intake, Mayo Clinic recommends 15.5 cups (124 ounces) of water for men and 11.5 cups (92 ounces) of water for women. If you struggle with hydrating throughout your day, here are some things you might want to try:

Business Report: Managing Market Corrections

September 17, 2021

Stephen Kyne, CFP, partner at Sterling Manor Financial LLC in Saratoga Springs.

By Stephen Kyne, CFP

With market indices at, or near, all-time highs, it’s natural for some to wonder if they can go any higher? Never mind the fact that every all-time high has necessarily been prefaced by every other all-time high, loss-aversion makes many investors wary of a cliff. This is when you may start hearing the word “correction” tossed around.

So, what is a correction?

The standard definition of a market correction is a 10 percent pullback in the value of an asset, like a stock, or of an index, like the S&P 500. These pullbacks can happen slowly over a period of time, or as quickly as in a single day. Corrections can vary in length, as well, from just a few days to a several months.

Market corrections are notoriously difficult to predict, however they generally happen when the price of assets far exceed their fair value, and markets become overly inflated. How inflated an asset must become is the great unknown.

Understandably, a 10 percent drop in the price of assets sounds like something that should be devastating. In the short-term it can be, but in the long-term corrections can be a boon to the market. Since market corrects tend to be overly broad, can they provide opportunities for investors to rebalance their portfolios and reallocate from areas that are truly overvalued, to those which may be undervalued.

Hotel & Lodging Group Says Business Travelers Are Scaling Back Their Travel Plans

September 17, 2021

U.S. business travelers are scaling back travel plans amid rising COVID-19 cases, with 67 percent planning to take fewer trips, 52 percent likely to cancel existing travel plans without rescheduling, and 60 percent planning to postpone existing travel plans, according to a new national survey conducted by Morning Consult on behalf of the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA).

Despite an uptick in leisure travel over the summer, the new survey highlights the dim outlook for business travel and events, which account for more than half of hotel revenue and aren’t expected to return to pre-pandemic levels until 2024.

The lack of business travel and events has major repercussions for employment both directly on hotel properties, and in the broader community, according to AHLA. Hotels are expected to end 2021 down nearly 500,000 jobs compared to 2019. For every 10 people directly employed on a hotel property, hotels support an additional 26 jobs in the community, from restaurants and retail to hotel supply companies—meaning an additional nearly 1.3 million hotel-supported jobs are also at risk.

Sixth Annual Saratoga Giant PumpkinFest Weigh-Off To Take Place On September 25

September 17, 2021

Giant pumpkin growers from the Northeast will again compete at the Saratoga Giant PumpkinFest Weigh-Off at the Saratoga Springs City Center Parking Garage.
Courtesy Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce

The Saratoga County Chamber Of Commerce, the Saratoga Springs City Center, and the Saratoga Farmers Market will host the sixth annual Saratoga Giant PumpkinFest Weigh-Off on Sept. 25.

It will be held at the Saratoga Springs City Center Parking Garage.

Giant pumpkin growers from the Northeast will again compete at the festival to find the biggest pumpkin of the year.

In 2019, there were 40-plus giant pumpkins and a crowd of 10,000 people in attendance, according to the Chamber.. Last year, the pumpkins were weighed and then safely transported to locations for families around the county to view during the month of October.

The Saratoga Giant PumpkinFest is a free, family friendly event. These giant pumpkins begin arriving in the early in the morning, with the weigh-off starting at 11 a.m. There will be the Saratoga Farmer’s Market next door on High Rock Avenue, with food vendors, and special exhibits.

Shelters Of Saratoga Partners With Group To Provide Apartments, Support Services

September 17, 2021

Shelters of Saratoga (SOS) has entered a partnership with The Business for Good Foundation to provide affordable apartments with support services to low-income residents.

The foundation gifted long-term use of the building at 1 Franklin Square, Saratoga Springs, to build the availability of supportive and affordable housing in the city.

“The gift works to fill the community need for affordable apartments with supportive care,” said Duane J. Vaughn, executive director at Shelters of Saratoga. “Access to health care, food, employment, and community services promotes self-sufficiency and stable housing.”

Known for their continued charitable giving in the Saratoga community, Ed and Lisa Mitzen formed Business for Good with a mission to invest in people to build better businesses, stronger communities, and a more equitable world.

1863 Club At Saratoga Race Course Remains Open To Host Events During Track Offseason

September 17, 2021

The 1863 Club, which debuted during the 2019 season, will for the first time be available for private events during the racing offseason now through June.
Courtesy NYRA

The 1863 Club at Saratoga Race Course will for the first time be available for private events during the racing offseason now through June, the New York Racing Association (NYRA) announced.

The 1863 Club, which debuted during the 2019 season, is a three-story, climate-controlled hospitality building located on the Clubhouse turn overlooking the historic main track at Saratoga Race Course. The building features differentiated hospitality options for a wide variety of uses and experiences, including weddings, fundraisers, reunions, and corporate dinners.

The first-floor banquet space, The Rail at the 1863 Club, features floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the main track and accommodates up to nearly 500 individuals. The second floor, presented by Resorts World, accommodates up to 300 guests. The third floor offers three luxury suites each welcoming between 30 to 45 guests for intimate gatherings.

“We have received tremendous feedback from those who have enjoyed a day at the 1863 Club during the Saratoga racing season and are excited to provide even more guests with the opportunity to experience this unique space year-round,” said Kevin Quinn, NYRA vice president of sales and hospitality. “The 1863 Club, with its sweeping views of Saratoga Race Course, is ideally suited to host events of all shapes and sizes during the off-season.”

Business Briefs: September 2021

September 17, 2021

The Saratoga Economic Development Corp. (SEDC) will hold its annual golf outing fund raiser on Thursday, Sept.23, at Airway Meadows Golf Club, 262 Brownville Road, Gansevoort.

The event consists of registration and a “grab ‘n go lunch” at 11:30 a.m. The 9-hole scramble shotgun start begins at noon. And there will be a party on the patio cocktail reception from 2:30-4 p.m.

The cost is $175 for members and $225 for non-members. The cost for the party on the patio only is $45 for members and $60 for non-members,

To register, visit saratogaedc.com/our-investors/events/2021-annual-sedc-golf-registration.

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Mackey Auto Group In Saratoga Springs Gives $30,000 To SPAC Education Program

September 17, 2021

Representatives of SPAC and the Mackey Auto Group attended the presentation of the ceremonial check representing the donation of $30,000 to SPAC’s education program.
Courtesy SPAC

Saratoga Performing Arts Center announced that Mackey Auto Group donated $30,000 to its education program for 2021.

The program serves approximately 50,000 students throughout the Capital Region annually, according to SPAC. The contribution marks the beginning of a five-year campaign as part of Subaru of America’s annual “Share the Love” event.

“Our education program has grown exponentially over the past five years,” said Elizabeth Sobol, SPAC president and CEO. “This generous gift will help us reach even more students and children with free and engaging arts programming like SPAC’s Learning Library, our Classical Kids program, and dance workshops with New York City Ballet and National Dance Institute.

“SPAC’s commitment to education and community clearly aligns with everything that the Subaru brand stands for,” said Chris Mackey, Mackey Auto Group managing member. “Putting the community first and selling cars and trucks second has been part of Mackey Auto Group’s ethos since the beginning. We truly believe in the vision that SPAC has for the future and know that this funding will have a huge impact on access to arts education throughout the region.”