SUNY Adirondack and SaratogaCanCode have joined  forces to offer free computer coding education and training programs to serve unemployed and underemployed New York residents.

Funded through a state Department of Labor grant, the partnership will enable coding instruction in two popular courses—Front End Web Development and Python for Data Analytic —to serve up to 45 people starting Nov. 8.

SUNY Adirondack’s Workforce Readiness Academies Program (WRAP) provides free training opportunities for residents of New York state. Included in the program are customized services based on participant need, such as career coaching, academic advising, job-search skills, and accessing resources such as emergency child care and technology support.

The 12-week computer coding programs are offered virtually through SaratogaCanCode, which is part of CanCode Communities, a nonprofit organization dedicated to building a trained software workforce throughout upstate New York and beyond.

“We’re seeing such success with the summer cohort of students who are about to finish their IT boot camp training,” said Caelynn Prylo, Assistant Dean for Continuing Education and Workforce Innovation at SUNY Adirondack. “This program is truly transformational for the participants. With the workforce changes we’ve seen over the past year, more people than ever can benefit from this high-impact training program, expanding their skills and securing employment in a high-demand field and strengthen our region’s pool of trained, talented tech professionals.”

As the restaurant industry continues to grapple with the lingering repercussions of the coronavirus pandemic, many restaurants across the state are asking the government to replenish funding to help keep them afloat.

On Nov. 4, the New York State Restaurant Association, alongside local restaurant owners in the Capital Region, discussed the imminent financial hardships restaurants anticipate as the outdoor dining season comes to an end.

One of the meetings was held in Saratoga Springs, where some restaurant owners and New York State Restaurant Association president and CEO Melissa Fleischut talked about the situation.

As seasons change and options like outdoor dining space become limited, New York restaurants are looking to the federal Restaurant Revitalization Fund (RRF) program for continued relief. Many restaurants across the state found relief by expanding or overhauling outdoor dining options for their establishments.

The RRF, a federal funding program, was designed to provide emergency assistance for restaurants and bars impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. In New York state, only 35.4 percent of businesses who applied for RRF funding received financial assistance, the association said in a news release.

There were 27,643 applicants from New York asking for $9.6 billion, and 17,868 applicants were not funded—an outstanding need of $5.9 billion, according to the group.

At Forno Bistro in Saratoga Springs, owners from DZ Restaurants, Druthers, Cantina, Henry Street Taproom, Flatbread Social and Hamlet & Ghost met with Fleischut to discuss the imminent financial hardships and the importance of continued relief from the Restaurant Revitalization Fund.

“The RRF program was deemed necessary in assisting the relief of many struggling restaurants at the height of the pandemic, but this aid is still desperately needed today,” said Fleischut in a statement.

by Jennifer Farnsworth

For Ryan Carpenter, the kettlebell is more than a fitness tool. As the owner and founder of Simple Strength and Conditioning, a kettlebell gym, Carpenter has found that it has given him direction both physically and mentally.

The former U.S. Marine said his fitness operation, at 110 Main Street, Midtown Plaza in South Glens Falls, has been met by the public with an enthusiasm that helps to keep him inspired and driven.

He said when he left active duty with the Marines he struggled to connect with a fitness program. When he found himself making poor nutritional decisions, he decided it was time to focus on his fitness and his diet. It was during that time that he found the kettlebell.

“I started in 2015. I was 335 pounds … I knew I needed to change, so I started slowly by just refining my diet and doing easy simple workouts. As I started to lose weight, I branched out with my workouts and was introduced to kettlebells,” said Carpenter.

Carpenter credits his mentor Chris Abbott,  a gym owner who he said gave him the opportunity to become a coach and prepared him for certification. Once COVID hit, Abbot had to close his gym, Kettlebellworks, and it was then that Carpenter made the decision to open a location in South Glens Falls. Since first opening in July, Carpenter, a Strong First certified trainer, said he has worked with people from all different backgrounds, something he loves doing.

“I use simple, but effective, exercises through the use of kettlebells that have proven to make people stronger and leaner while having a low impact on the joints. I have clients from 13 years old all the way to 78 years old. I love to teach and see people achieve their goals,” said Carpenter.