Category Archives: Business News

Jessica E. Stover, Esq., a former partner of The Towne Law Firm, and Christine E. Taylor, a former associate, have both been named as principal partners of the firm.
Stover is in charge of the firm’s Saratoga Springs office location.
The firm said coupling Stover’s large real estate following with existing real estate matters necessitated an expansion of both real estate attorneys and paralegals in the Saratoga office, with more expansion planned.
Before moving to Saratoga Springs in 2007, Stover attended Union College, earning a Bachelor of Arts degree. She went on to Syracuse University School of Law, where she received her J.D. degree. She also obtained an L.L.M. in Real Property Development from the University of Miami School of Law.
Stover’s real estate law services include both residential and commercial purchase and sales, leases, bank representation, homeowners’ associations/condo associations; title examination and title insurance law, and estate planning.
Taylor joined the firm in 2018 and has refined her practice to focus primarily on the hospitality industry, serving clients across the entire northeast as well as nationally.
Taylor, originally planning to focus her career on entertainment law, attended UCLA School of Law where she received her J.D. degree.

The Grant Cottage state historic site, a 19th century residence where U.S. President Ulysses S. Grant completed his memoirs shortly before his death, was named a National Historic Landmark by the National Park Service.
Acquired by State Parks in 1957 as a State Historic Site, the 43-acre Saratoga County property includes a two-story residence where Grant, diagnosed with terminal throat cancer, went to complete his memoirs for six weeks immediately prior to his death in July 1885.
“This well-deserved federal designation brings more public awareness to the important role this place played in the life of one of our most famous national leaders,” said State Parks Commissioner Erik Kulleseid. “State Parks is grateful for the years of work invested in obtaining this designation by our Regional Commissioners and the Friends of Ulysses S. Grant Cottage that operates and cares for this site.”

By Susan Elise Campbell
Franklin Community Center has purchased the former MASIE Center property at 95 Washington St. in Saratoga Springs.
The building will soon be known as The Michael & Stacie Arpey Family Community Center in tribute to the Saratoga Springs philanthropists who donated $1 million to help make the purchase a reality in 2020.
“We had raised the first million dollars when COVID struck,” said center Executive Director Kari Cushing.
Over the past five years the growth in demand for the types of services and outreach Franklin Community Center provides made it clear that more square footage was needed, she said. “This reality led the board of directors to commit to more space.”
The building will be the fourth facility Franklin Community Center manages in order to bring basic necessities and services to the public. Administrative offices, a community room and a food pantry are housed at 10 Franklin St. The distribution center is across the corner at 101 Washington St. There is also a 19-unit rental building at 95 Congress St.

By Sen. Jim Tedisco
Do you have a loved one or know someone who has moved out of New York state?
Many people do and the numbers show this is happening all too frequently as children graduate from school and then move elsewhere, or as long-time residents retire and pull up stakes from their communities for another state.
The high cost of living, taxes, and public safety concerns are just some of the reasons people cite for leaving New York state, particularly Upstate. The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the exodus from our state.
However, there has not been any real coordinated effort by state government to closely look at why so many people are leaving New York, and to adjust its agenda, as it is hitting Upstate communities especially hard.
As we begin a new year and new legislative session, our top priority should be addressing the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic so we can stop the spread of the virus, save lives and safely improve and reopen our economy.
In order to reset New York state by safely restarting our economy, we need to address the elephant in the room that the leaders in our state government have not been talking about: the fact that for the third year in a row, New York leads the nation in out-migration of residents with 126,000 people leaving last year and over one million in the past decade.
New York state followed up its net loss of 1.7 million residents from 2000 to 2009 with a loss of 1.4 million residents this past decade. This loss leads the nation in largest overall population decline, according to Census data.
New York is also facing a skills gap where 42 percent (5.65 million) of New Yorkers have a high school diploma or less and are being left out of the technology and clean energy jobs that the state suggests it has made a push to attract.

Despite severe challenges caused by the COVID-19 Pandemic, Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC) closed the year without a budget shortfall, officials said at the organization’s board of directors meeting in December.
Also, given the uncertainties of what 2021 may bring with regard to the pandemic, SPAC is planning for a number of potential scenarios to present a season that will be ready to meet whatever the prevailing conditions are this spring and summer.
“What we know is this,” said Sobol. “One way or another, there will be a SPAC season. And one way or the other, we are committed to ensuring a Saratoga presence by our beloved resident companies.”
Like so many cultural institutions, SPAC’s 2020 was markedly different than what President and CEO Elizabeth Sobol imagined when programming for season was first announced in January of 2020, before the COVID-19 pandemic hit.
“Just over seven months ago, SPAC took the unprecedented measure of cancelling its whole summer season in the face of the worsening coronavirus pandemic,” said Sobol. “Taking that step felt literally like walking off a cliff.”

Skip Carlson, Vice President Of External Affairs of the Saratoga Casino Hotel, is the 2021 chair of the board of directors of the Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce.
He assumed this volunteer leadership role, on Jan. 1, as Kevin Hedley of Hedley & Co. PLLC completed his one-year term as board chair. Hedley now becomes the immediate past chair.
“In what was truly an unprecedented time in our Chamber’s history, Kevin Hedley as chair of the chamber’s board did an amazing job leading our organization,” said Carlson. “He worked closely with the Chamber’s professional staff to ensure that we did everything we could to collaborate with our community partners in the private, public and nonprofit sectors to reopen our economy and to save our local businesses.
“As we enter 2021, the Chamber continues to lead the way as a visible and vocal advocate for local vaccination sites and support for local small businesses. Kevin’s leadership put us in a position to take on these important challenges. We cannot thank him enough for this commitment to our Chamber and our local community.”
Other board officers for the year include Tara Anne Pleat of Wilcenski & Pleat PLLC, chair elect; Amy Smith of Saratoga Arms Hotel, vice chair; and Chad Kiesow of Stewart’s Shops, treasurer and secretary.
New members elected by the membership to three-year terms on the board include Vincent Laurenzo of Quick Response Restoration, Dennis Kiingati of Hamlet & Ghost, David Rosenberg of Brix Wine & Liquor, and Andrew Wise of Saratoga National Bank & Trust Co.