Ray O’Conor, Chief Executive Officer; Jeffrey Reale, Chief Financial Officer; and Lori Eddy, Administrative Secretary of the Saratoga County Capital Resource Corporation (SCCRC) were recognized recently by the SCCRC board of directors for their twelve years of service. All three members of the management team will retire from their respective roles at year end 2025.

During their years of service, the SCCRC has supported several Saratoga County not for profit organizations by issuing more than $400 million in tax exempt bonds for capital projects related to health care, education and affordable housing. The organization provides grants to local not for profit organizations as well.

Succeeding O’Conor as CEO will be Matthew Veitch, long time Saratoga County Supervisor from Saratoga Springs, who chose not to run for reelection this year. Michael Sharp will serve as the new CFO and Katherine Tiedemann has been appointed to the position of Administrative Secretary.

By Susan Elise Campbell

Whoever coined, “Life is Short. Eat desert first,” knew that a little sugar is good for the soul.

That’s a philosophy of Elise Soto, new owner of Indulgence Bakery at 63 Putnam Street in Saratoga Springs.

Members of the Saratoga Chamber, family and friends, former associates from Putnam Market, Mayor John Safford, and Senator James Tedisco all attended the bakery’s grand opening and ribbon cutting on November 6th. 

It’s a full-circle moment for Soto. She was a pastry chef at Putnam Market on and off for 10 years, she said. Now her shop occupies the original site of the gourmet deli.

Soto left Putnam Market and started a custom cake business, Yours Truly Cake Designs, in 2021, she said. She had been employed there since 2008 as an intern after culinary school and had been promoted to kitchen manager by the end of the pandemic.

By Rod Bacon

A hospitality venue that was once part of a larger hotel complex that included the now-demolished United States Hotel has undergone a complete renovation and rebranding.

The St. Charles Motel, which was purchased in March 2024 by Saratoga Springs-based Weekender Hotels, opened in September with a new look and amenities.

“Saratoga is a continually growing market and we liked the urban nature of the property’s proximity on South Broadway to what downtown has to offer, as well as the Saratoga Race Course, mineral springs, and SPAC,” said Keir Weimer, founder/CEO of Weekender Hotels. “We had the vision to take it from what it was, which was a bit of a distressed, older, under-optimized property to Weekender Hotel standards.” 

Renamed The Ambler, the building was completely gutted and reimagined to what Weimer described as “a Palm Springs desert retro feel with pops of color and layouts that bring in sunlight.”

“We wanted to achieve a creative concept that was something different and unavailable in the local and regional areas,” he said.  

The two-story building has 18 guest rooms that were given new floors, bathrooms, and unique color schemes. State-of-the-art technology provides voice enabled Wi-Fi, thermostats, and streaming televisions. There are also two suites, one of which has an Alaskan king bed. The exterior brick has been painted white.

Weimer said rooms are priced from $160 per night to $500-$600 for suites during the summer season.

By Susan Elise Campbell

Through Hewison Aviation, Christopher and Maura Hewison extend their passion for flight to help people of all ages become pilots in a safe, professional, and pleasant atmosphere.

Chris founded Hewison Aviation 11 years ago, originally as a Part 61 flight school instructing in private pilot, instrument, commercial, and certified flight instructor (CFI) designations, as well CFII for teaching instrument reading to other students, said Maura Hewison, the company’s chief operating officer.

Their flight instructors currently teach out of five airports, the closest in South Albany until the newly renovated Saratoga County Airport welcomed them a year ago. The timing coincided with FAA approval for Hewison’s Part 141 school, she said.  

In October, with staff and members of Saratoga Chamber of Commerce, a representative of Assemblywoman Mary Beth Walsh’s office, and others, the Hewisons hosted a grand opening ribbon cutting and accepted a citation from a representative of Senator James Tedisco’s office. They also received congratulations from the Chamber and sponsor Arrow Bank.

“It was cool to hold those big scissors,” Maura Hewison said.

Where Part 61 is more flexible, the more regimented Part 141 classes are for students who want to get into professional flight, commercial airlines, or charter services. In addition to training on the ground, this designation requires more time in the air than when qualifying to fly recreationally, Hewison said.

“I’ve been surprised at the number of our students looking to make a career change and fly professionally,” she said.

By Ann Donnelly

Stark Tech helps businesses run their large buildings more efficiently by making them “smarter” and more sustainable. The company connects heating, cooling, lighting, and security systems into one easy-to-manage platform. This allows companies to save money on energy costs, lower their environmental impact, and simplify building management.

Stark Tech specializes in energy solutions, building systems integration, and maintenance services. The company expanded its reach in 2021 with the acquisition of Technical Building Services (TBS), headquartered in Ballston Spa, NY, and founded in 1981. TBS served a wide Upstate New York territory—from Lake Placid to Utica, south to Binghamton, and east to the lower Hudson Valley—providing temperature-control and mechanical maintenance services. The acquisition enabled Stark Tech to build on TBS’s strong reputation while expanding into advanced solutions such as access control, security integration, and protective systems.

Today, Stark Tech employs more than 1,000 people across 16 offices in New York, with additional operations in Florida, Massachusetts, Georgia, and New Jersey.

In Eastern New York, Market Lead Jason Tyler manages operations from Stark Tech’s Ballston Spa office. His territory stretches from the Canadian border to Westchester County, where he oversees client accounts and coordinates with a technical team of union technicians, engineers, and designers.

Tyler draws on more than 15 years of experience in hospitality, real estate, and property management to help clients plan for both capital (CAPEX) and operational (OPEX) expenses. He said he once looked for companies like Stark Tech to help reduce costs and modernize facilities. “I was looking for a true mission and purpose behind what I was doing,” he said. “It’s nice to see the results of the projects you support. What we’re doing now is making an impact not only locally but throughout the state.”