Category Archives: Business News

Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo’s fiscal year 2019 budget includes a proposal to create a license for farm meaderies, a new license similar to those already available to farm wineries, breweries, distilleries and cideries.

Mead, commonly referred to as “honey wine” is an alcoholic beverage that is created by fermenting honey with water, which can be infused with fruits, spices, herbs and flowers.

“New York is the number one producer of honey in the Northeast, and by increasing opportunities for farms to produce mead, our thriving craft beverage manufacturing sector will continue to grow,” Cuomo said. “The creation of the farm meadery license will help strengthen these two great New York industries, and further add to our tourism economy, fueling growth in every corner of this great state.”

The farm meadery license will authorize the establishment and licensure of farm meaderies for the manufacture and sale of mead made from New York state produced honey. The provision also allows farm meaderies to produce “braggot,” a malt beverage made from honey, in addition to malt, hops, fruits, spices, herbs and other agricultural products.

In order to obtain a farm meadery license, the mead or braggot must be made exclusively from honey produced in New York state and no more than 250,000 gallons may be produced annually. Farm meaderies will be allowed to sell by the glass, offer tastings of, and sell to go not only mead and braggot, but also any state farm-produced beer, wine, cider and spirits.

SUNY Empire State College’s location at 113 West Ave., Saratoga Springs, has been designated as an official national testing center for The Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Education Support (DANTES) and DSST Standardized Exams.

U.S. Navy Commander Judd Krier, commanding officer of the Naval Nuclear Power Training Unit (NPTU) in Ballston Spa, and Merodie A. Hancock, president of SUNY Empire, cut a ceremonial ribbon to mark the occasion.

Krier said that staff at NTPU researched how to provide better opportunities for the sailors to take DANTES and DSST exams and contacted SUNY Empire State College’s Office of Veteran and Military Education, which led to the college’s designation as a national testing center.

SUNY Empire State College already accepts college credit for successful completion of DANTES and DSST Standardized Exams.

However, sailors stationed at NPTU had to travel outside the area to take these exams, which, Krier said, presents a significant challenge.

By Susan E. Campbell

Saratoga Springs is reinvesting in the community by making $150,000 available to three different housing and restoration projects in the city, according to Commissioner of Finance Michele Madigan.

“We were at the high end of our fund balance and several economic development projects had come forward,” she said. “The City Council decided to break the reserves into three equal funding grants of $50,000 each.”

The recipients of the grants are the Saratoga Springs Housing Authority, the developers of a mixed use project on South Broadway, and reonovation  of the historic Universal Preservation Hall.

Receipt of these funds is contingent on each recipient obtaining grants or tax incentives from the state to move forward on the respective projects.

“We have the unique opportunity to increase the likelihood that multiple-million-dollar projects occur within the city with only a modest contribution [from the city],” said Madigan.

Saratoga Housing will construct a new workforce housing project behind Stonequist Apartments on South Federal Street.

More than 57 years after Saratoga’s Caffé Lena opened for business, the now world-famous acoustic music venue is celebrating its first birthday all over again.

With the help of a long list of donors, including a philanthropic partnership with Bonacio Construction, Inc, the nonprofit Caffé Lena was transformed from timeworn loft space to state-of-the-art venue and community center.

The renovations, started in 2016 and completed over the course of 2017, stabilized the late-Victorian building, increased occupancy, made the second floor performance space handicap-accessible, and created a home for the venue for decades to come.

Officials said since reopening 12 months ago, Caffé Lena has seen a surge of new life. Now open nearly every night, the schedule includes concerts, open mics, theatrical performances, musical workshops, community forums, children’s concerts, and more.

Brian Straughter, president of the Turf Hotels, is the new chairman of the board of directors of the Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce for 2018.

He will be recognized at the Chamber’s 100th anniversary dinner 6-9:30 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 25, at the Saratoga City Center, 522 Broadway, Saratoga Springs. The presenting sponsor of the event is the Adirondack Trust Co.

The Chamber was founded in 1918 and organized its first dinner on June 7 of that year.

Nearly 1,000 people are expected to attend the event. Besides recognizing Straughter, the attendees will honor David Collins, of D.A. Collins Companies, who served as the chairman in 2017 and will continue to serve on the Executive Board as the immediate past chair.

Looking forward to 2018, Straughter said the Chamber wants to both celebrate 100 years of success and to get things done to move Saratoga County forward as well. Given his company’s ownership of two hotels in Saratoga Springs—the Hampton Inn & Suites and the Homewood Suites—Straughter will make use of his expertise to create a new research and development task force with members from the Chamber and the Saratoga Convention and Tourism Bureau to help evaluate new markets and potential new amenities that will be required to increase group and leisure trips to Saratoga County to ensure demand for hotel rooms continues to grow.