The Saratoga Builders Association Inc. awarded two scholarships this year to high school seniors or college students who are planning to pursue a career in the construction industry.
The association normally makes one annual $1,000 scholarship, but awarded two this year due to the number and quality of the applications, the organization said.
Brandon Fitzpatrick and Jakob Wiegand, both of Saratoga Springs, each received $1,000 scholarships.
Fitzpatrick is currently attending SUNY Delhi and is pursuing a career in refrigeration/HVAC. He has a high 3.89 cumulative GPA at college.
Wiegand is a senior at Saratoga Springs High School with a cumulative GPA of 99.93 and rated sixth in the graduating class of 532. He will be attending Valparaiso University this fall to study civil engineering.
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The Saratoga Springs Heritage Area Visitor Center has been honored with a 2018 Certificate of Excellence from TripAdvisor, making it their third straight year receiving the accolade.
The award is presented to select businesses with consistently great reviews on their profile listing. The reviews boast the center as a “must-first-stop” and “great information resource,” while also complimenting the friendly and helpful staff and volunteers.
The center, at 297 Broadway across from Congress Park, is an information hub for Saratoga area resources and attractions. It assisted over 40,000 guests in 2017. In addition, the facility organizes historic guided tours of Broadway and Congress Park, a free summer concert series and educational seminars in partnership with the Saratoga Springs Public Library.
The center is open Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., and on Sunday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The concert series continues in Congress Park, with shows on July 8, 15, 22 and 29, August 7, 14, 21 and 28. In addition, “History, Legends, Lore and More” tours run Monday through Saturday in July and August, and Saturdays in September and October. For more information visit, www.SaratogaSpringsVisitorCenter.com or www.DiscoverSaratoga.org.
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The Saratoga County Prosperity Partnership will highlight the economic impact of arts and cultural organizations on the county’s economy, and its important connection to economic development, when it unveils the first-ever Saratoga County Cultural Index on Wednesday, June 13, at the Excelsior Springs Event Center in Saratoga Springs.
Officials said the index will measure the economic impact generated by the attraction of visitors to a host of venues in the county, spending by patrons both on and off site, and the multiplier effect on the wider business community, among other information. In addition, it will report the results of a survey gauging the value of encouraging entrepreneurship and partnerships in the arts community as a means of further supporting and stimulating economic development.
The presentation of the index will be followed by a panel discussion involving leaders of a number of arts and cultural institutions in Saratoga County: Elizabeth Sobol, president of the Saratoga Performing Arts Center; Teddy Foster, campaign director for Universal Preservation Hall; Maureen Sager, project director for the Upstate Alliance for the Creative Economy; and Joel Reed, executive director of the Saratoga Arts Council.
The event begins with registration at 11:30 a.m., followed by lunch and the program at noon. Registration is available online at https://saratogaculturalindex.eventbrite.com.
The presenting sponsor of the event is Adirondack Trust Co., the silver sponsor is Whiteman Osterman & Hanna LLP and the bronze sponsor is C.T. Male Associates.
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The U. S. Small Business Administration Syracuse District office announced the list of participants selected for the 2018 Emerging Leaders program for Capital Region small businesses.
Seven of the 15 area businesses included: Airosmith Development, Saratoga Springs; Aztech Environmental Technologies, Ballston Spa; Henssgen Hardware Corp., Queensbury; L&S Energy Services, Clifton Park; Northeast Vascular Imaging Group, Rexford; Peak Environmental, Round Lake; and Saratoga Restaurant Equipment Sales, Gansevoort.
Class participants represent diverse sectors, including manufacturing, food service, and technology. The Capital Region program began on April 10 with the first class and will continue through November. Over a period of seven months and 13 training classes, participants will work with mentors and develop connections with other business owners and community leaders. Upon graduation, participants will exit the program with a strategic growth plan for their business, developed using the knowledge, skills, and techniques honed in the class.
To learn more about Emerging Leaders, visit www.sba.gov/ny/syracuse.
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The Adirondack Trust Co. has donated $1,750 to the Brave Will Foundation as part of its annual ATC Saratoga Programs credit card donation.
Once a year, the company donates a percentage of the interest earned on credit card balances to a local nonprofit organization. The organization is selected as part of an ATC customer survey that is sent out annually and selected by ATC Saratoga credit card customers.
The Brave Will Foundation is a nonprofit that provides services and support for the families and the children who are diagnosed with life-threatening illnesses.