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Owner Of Mechanicville Bakery To Open A Second Shop In Ellsworth Commons, Malta

Posted onFebruary 13, 2023
Stacie Blair, owns The Sugar Fairy Bakes in Mechanicville and very soon will have her second shop up and running in Ellsworth Commons in Malta.
©2023 Saratoga Photographer.com

By Christine Graf

Just over a year after establishing The Sugar Fairy Bakes in Mechanicville, owner Stacie Blair plans to open a second location in Ellsworth Commons in Malta. 

The 2110 Ellsworth Boulevard space where the shop will be located was previously occupied by the Little Gym.  

Blair developed her love of baking at an early age while working alongside her grandmother in the kitchen. By the age of 5, she had memorized her grandmother’s banana bread recipe. Today, she serves that same banana bread at The Sugar Fairy Bakes. 

A longtime Mechanicville resident, Blair was working in restaurant management and sales when she experienced sudden and unexplained hearing loss in 2014. Over a three-month period, she completely lost her hearing. 

After receiving cochlear implants, she was able to regain some hearing but remains hearing impaired and suffers from problems with her equilibrium. Because of this, Blair was no longer able to work in a profession that required phone calls and interaction with customers. 

It was while she was in search of a new career that her son suggested she sell her baked goods. Although she was skeptical that anyone would want to buy them, he convinced her to give it a try.

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Mocha Lisa’s Caffe Is Open At New Clifton Park Mall Space With New Ownership

Posted onFebruary 13, 2023
Mocha Lisa’s Caffe has new owners and a slightly different location within Clifton Park Mall. It is much larger, with more tables and has a selection of new and used books for sale.

By Jill Nagy

Mocha Lisa’s Caffe has new owners and a slightly different location. 

The business is still in the Clifton Park Mall but in a larger space some 260 feet from its former location. 

It is much larger, with more tables and has  a selection of new and used books for sale. It is now more of a place for people to relax, according to Nicole Van Zandt, one of the new owners.

The new owners, Van Zandt and her husband, Roland, and her brothers Colin and Alan Hughes, are longtime Mocha Lisa’s customers, now on the other side of the counter. 

They bought the name, the furniture and other contents and are keeping the staff. They will continue to serve a special blend of coffee from Capital City Roasters and are negotiating a contract with a supplier of teas and honey.

They purchased the business on November  and moved into the space in December.

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SUNY Empire State Gets Grant To Ensure Inclusion Of Students In Science Programs

Posted onFebruary 13, 2023
SUNY Empire State received a grant through its Inclusive Excellence 3 (IE3) initiative.

Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) recently announced that SUNY Empire State is one of a select group of colleges and universities receiving phase-two grants through its Inclusive Excellence 3 (IE3) initiative. 

The grant will help SUNY Empire continue its critical work in ensuring inclusion of all students in science. The college is one of only two SUNY institutions chosen to participate in this prestigious national program funded by one of the largest research philanthropies in science.

SUNY Empire’s grant—totaling $531,600 over six years—along with prior funding for previous phases, is being used to design experiments aimed at improving the introductory undergraduate science experience for students from historically underrepresented backgrounds.

Along with 14 cohort institutions, including University of California Santa Cruz, Fordham University, and Middlebury College, SUNY Empire will be tasked with finding ways to make the content of the introductory science experience more inclusive through faculty development, student engagement, and curricular change.

SUNY Empire also was selected to participate in the first phase of the project, which began in April 2021 and ends in March. In this phase, SUNY Empire worked with its partner institutions to identify and better understand institutional and cultural barriers to inclusion at colleges and universities of all sizes and geographies. SUNY Empire’s work specifically focused on systemic issues that affect the student learning experience in introductory natural science courses, such as biology, chemistry, physics, and environmental science.

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‘Bread Basket Cake Shop’ Is New Destination For Specialty Desserts For All Occasions

Posted onFebruary 13, 2023February 13, 2023
Angelina Tallman is the head cake decorator of the Bread Basket Cake Shop launched by Business for Good. All profits will be donated to local charities fighting hunger and food insecurity.
Courtesy Business for Good

The Bread Basket Cake Shop is a new destination in Saratoga Springs for specialty cakes fit for all celebrations. It was launched by Business for Good and all profits will be donated to local charities fighting hunger and food insecurity.

Bread Basket Cake Shop will occupy a retail boutique space within The Springs at 3 Hempstead Place.

The location will serve customers looking for specialty and custom cakes for all occasions, as well as offering coffee drinks and breakfast pastries throughout the day. The space features a special spot for consultations with Bread Basket Cake Shop’s team.

Bread Basket Bakery, with which the new business is affiliated, has been a staple of the Saratoga area for years. Since its incorporation into Business for Good’s family of companies, it has donated 100 percent of its profits to help “bake a difference” in the local community. 

With customer demand growing year to year, an opportunity arose to dedicate a unique space as a location for the bakery’s cake orders.

“Bread Basket Cake Shop is a much-needed service in the community,” said Business for Good cofounder Lisa Mitzen. “Not only will people get to enjoy delicious and beautiful cakes, but their choice of purchasing at Bread Basket Cake Shop will help local charities working to fight food insecurity and hunger in the Capital Region.”

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Bella Lucia Pizzeria In Clifton Park Has NYC-Style Pizza, Other Sandwiches And Dinners

Posted onFebruary 13, 2023

By Christine Graf

Six months after closing the Halfmoon Sandwich Shop, partners Melissa Craine and Sean Lee opened Bella Lucia Pizzeria at 1218 Route 146 in Clifton Park. 

The couple previously owned Rocco’s, a fine dining establishment in Jonesville. 

Before closing their Halfmoon eatery in August, they had attempted to purchase the building that they had leased for 15 years.

“We were really confident that we would be able to purchase the sandwich shop building on Route 9, but unfortunately we were unable to come to terms that would have been beneficial to both parties,” said Craine. 

By that time, they had already purchased the Route 146 property with plans of opening a second restaurant, a pizzeria. The unexpected closing of the sandwich shop presented them with the opportunity to focus all of their energy on Bella Lucia.

“During that time, we went down to (New York City) to a pizza school in Staten Island called Goodfellas Pizza School. For us, it was a refresher, a confidence booster, and a way to get some extra know-how,” said Craine. “Even though we have been in the restaurant industry in many different facets for many years, pizza is new to us.” 

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Two From Saratoga County Get Volunteerism Awards At State Office For Aging Event

Posted onFebruary 13, 2023
Marlene Hathaway of Mechanicville was honored by the state Office for the Aging.
Courtesy NYS Office for the Aging

The state Office for the Aging recently honored 94 older adults for their volunteerism, including Marlene Hathaway and Cheryl Wood of Saratoga County, as part of its annual Older New Yorkers’ Day celebration.

“The word ‘volunteer’ cannot capture fully the accomplishments of this group of incredible individuals,” OFA Director Greg Olsen said in his remarks at the event. “Older adults impress us all with their commitment to a greater good and a greater cause. You tell the real story of what’s good about people, what’s good about New York. Through your deeds and actions, time and again, you show us how valuable you all are to those you touch, to those you serve, to the families and communities and lives you make better.”

During Hathaway’s more than three years of volunteer services, the Mechanicville resident has contributed as a meal delivery driver, delivering hot meals to homebound seniors, and currently as a transportation assistant, driving  older adults to and from medical appointments throughout the county.

She is also a Telecare caller, supporting a program that began during the pandemic as a way to connect with older adults who may feel lonely and isolated. Hathaway continues to make these calls, which provide vital social connection while also serving as a wellness check.

She has a lengthy history of volunteering with other organizations. Hathaway graduated from Shenendehowa High School and then entered the U.S. Air National Guard, where she served for 20 years before retiring as a lieutenant colonel. “It is so rewarding to volunteer with seniors,” she said. “There is such a need to help and I absolutely love doing it.”

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New Owners Of Comfort Inn In Wilton Are Investing $2 Million In Facility Upgrades

Posted onFebruary 13, 2023March 3, 2023
Brothers Ravi and Subhash Modasra, third generation motel operators, bought this property in late October for $5.32 million. They expect to invest $2 million to upgrade the property.
©2023 Saratoga Photographer.com

By Jill Nagy

The Comfort Inn and Suites at 17 Old Gick Road, near Norway Exit 15 in Wilton, has new owners and is undergoing a major facelift.  

Brothers Ravi and Subhash Modasra, third generation motel operators, bought the property in late October for $5.32 million. They expect to invest another $2 million in upgrading the property.

The property will remain in operation as the renovation goes forward in stages. 

The current design, called “rise and shine,” will require new finishes, flooring, wall coverings, and furniture. Ravi Modasra expects work to begin in the next few weeks and be completed by June 1. In any case, “we will do our best to be ready for track season.”

The Modasra brothers already operate a Comfort Inn and Suites property in Scotia and have other real estate holdings. They built the Scotia motel in 2018 and will continue to operate it. Ravi described his and his brother’s businesses, the Mohawk Companies and Bluebird Commercial Real Estate,  as being “in an acquisition and growth mode.”

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Group Invests In Construction Of Affordable Housing Units Across From Saratoga Library

Posted onFebruary 13, 2023
This vacant lot on Putnam Street in Saratoga Springs was once contaminated by chemicals. It has been cleaned up and an investment group is aiming to build apartments there.
©2023 Saratoga Photographer.com

By Christine Graf

It’s been 10 years since First Fairfield Associates, a social enterprise investment firm, announced plans to redevelop a vacant property at 53 Putnam St. in Saratoga Springs.

 Now an ownership group, Putnam Resources, LLC, is proposing construction of a 60-unit mixed-income condominium building called Putnam Commons. More than $3 million has already been invested to acquire, manage, and clean up the site.

Local author Jason Letts is among the partners.

The property is located across the street from the Saratoga Springs Public Library. A dilapidated one-story building that sat on the property was built in 1905 and once housed a dry-cleaning business. The building was razed and several underground petroleum storage tanks were found on the 0.3-acre property.

Soil testing revealed significant ground contamination that resulted in the property being declared a Brownfield site—a parcel contaminated by low concentrations of hazardous chemicals. The contamination likely resulted from a combination of petroleum and dry-cleaning chemicals

After five years of chemical remediation, cleanup of the site is complete. It is now certified as a successful state Brownfield cleanup project.

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Report: Construction Firms Added Workers In December, Unemployment Rate Dropped

Posted onFebruary 13, 2023

Construction firms added 28,000 employees in December and continued to raise wages for hourly workers more than other sectors as the industry’s unemployment rate fell to a record low for the month, according to an analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America of new government data. 

Association officials said the data align with their newly released survey, which found the majority of contractors are optimistic about demand for most construction types, despite reporting difficulty filling positions.

“There are more people working in construction today than ever before, and those figures are likely to continue to increase,” said Ken Simonson, the association’s chief economist. “But as optimistic as contractors are about 2023, they remain worried about their ability to find enough workers amid record-low unemployment.”

Construction employment totaled a record 7,777,000, seasonally adjusted, in December, an increase of 231,000 or 3.1 percent from a year earlier. Nonresidential firms—comprising nonresidential building and specialty trade contractors along with heavy and civil engineering construction firms—added 17,900 employees in December. Residential building and specialty trade contractors together added 9,500 employees.

Pay levels in the construction industry continued to increase in December at a faster pace than in the overall private sector. Average hourly earnings for production and nonsupervisory workers in construction—mostly hourly craft workers—climbed by 6.1 percent, from $31.25 in December 2021 to $33.15 last month. That increase exceeded the 5.0 percent rise in average pay for all private sector production workers. Such workers in construction now earn an average of 18.1 percent more per hour than in the private sector as a whole.

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Schuylerville Public Library’s New Pavilion Will Add Space For Events And Storage

Posted onFebruary 13, 2023

The Schuylerville Public Library is getting a new pavilion that will provide much-needed space for meetings, programs and storage.

The state Education Department has awarded $119,850 in Public Library Construction Grant funds to the library as part of a program designed to assist libraries undertaking major construction and remodeling projects.

The library recently completed some renovations such as lighting upgrades, a 500-square-foot addition and projects to make its facility fully accessible.

Official said the future pavilion will be approximately 27×27 feet on the northwest side of the current library property and feature a covered area for picnic tables and public programming, as well as secure storage.

“We are thrilled to have received this grant. Library services are essential for the well-being of all of our patrons including children, teens, adults, and seniors. This project will also allow the library to serve more of the community’s needs with additional space for outdoor programming, which has been incredibly popular in the last few years. We appreciate all who made this project possible,” library board president Amy Carpenter said.

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