The boards of the Center for Economic Growth and the Capital Region Chamber have agreed to form a Joint Task Force to pursue possible affiliation.
The affiliation is being explored as CEG President and CEO Andrew Kennedy has accepted a senior position with Ostroff Associates, a leading government relations firm based in Albany.
“On behalf of the CEG board of directors, I would like to thank Andrew for his leadership, implementation of the CEG investor model, and his commitment to the growth of the Capital Region over his years of service,” said Dr. John Bennett, Chair of CEG and president and CEO of CDPHP.
“With Andrew’s transition, the CEG’s volunteer leadership took this opportunity to step-back to determine how to best proceed. Our belief is that business and community growth in the Capital Region requires a unified vision and coordinated strategy that was best achieved if CEG and the Capital Region Chamber were directly affiliated under one organizational structure.”
“It has been a privilege and honor to serve as the president and CEO of CEG,” said Kennedy. “I am proud of the work done by the professional team at CEG who work day in and day out to not only market the Capital Region but serve as the resource for Capital Region businesses. As I transition to the new opportunity, I would like to thank the CEG board of directors and our investors for their support. It is through their efforts we have made the Capital Region stronger.”

The 2020 summer meet at Saratoga Race Course will begin July 16 and will run races without fans due to the coronavirus, as they have been doing downstate at Belmont Park.
Another big change for the meet is that the Travers Stakes will be run on Saturday, Aug. 8, rather than the last Saturday in Aug..
The New York Racing Association (NYRA) announced the racing schedule featuring 71 stakes races worth $14.45 million in purses, encompassing 39 graded stakes and 18 Grade 1s. The meet ends Monday, Sept. 7.
“We’re thrilled to be racing at Saratoga this summer and we thank Gov. Andrew Cuomo for his support and the support of horsemen who have worked with us to navigate the many challenges,” NYRA President and CEO Dave O’Rourke said. “While this will be anything but a traditional Saratoga season, we hope to provide a semblance of normalcy for both the local community as well as racing fans across the country.”

By Jennifer Farnsworth
Tully Rinckey PLLC has opened a new office in Saratoga Springs.
The office at 125 High Rock Ave. is their 13th worldwide and seventh in New York state.
It is lead by partner Michael J. Belsky, who has over 20 years of experience practicing law in Saratoga County.
Belsky, who had been working out of the Albany office, said he is excited to serve the Saratoga community where he has deep roots working as an attorney with Saratoga County Family and with state Supreme Court cases.
His areas of experience are in matters related to divorce, adoption, child custody and support.
“We are excited to be a part of the community and plan to give back where we can. I have always stayed connected to Saratoga,” said Belsky.
The Saratoga office offers legal services covering family and matrimonial, trusts and estates, corporate, and criminal law.
Michael Macomber, Tully Rinckey chief executive officer, said they will have about three to four employees in the new location. He said they have talked about opening an office in Saratoga for several years and felt the time was right to make it official.

By Christine Graf
In April, Saratoga Polo Association owners Jim Rossi and Mike Bucci turned over the deed to the historic club to Carver Laraway, owner of Altamont-based Carver Companies.
Although Laraway’s plans for the 43-acre property remain uncertain, many local residents are hopeful it will remain a polo club. Located on Bloomfield Road in the town of Greenfield, just west of Saratoga Springs, Saratoga Polo Club is one of the oldest in the United States. It was founded in 1898 by William Collins Whitney, a financier, politician and owner of thoroughbred horses.
Rossi and Bucci purchased the club for $1.2 million in 2004. Although they were successful in increasing attendance and sponsorship revenue, they were plagued by financial problems. They were also unsuccessful in efforts to develop apartments and condominiums on the property.

Americade, the motorcycle touring rally and a Lake George tradition of nearly 40 years, will not take place this summer, Americade organizer Christian Dutcher announced.
The event was originally moved from June to July because of the COVID-19 pandemic. But it has now been canceled. Officials hope it will return next year.
“When we rescheduled Americade to July, I knew that it was a bit of a long shot. Attempting to create a safe event in the face of a global pandemic was a big challenge and would require numerous changes to ensure everyone’s wellbeing,” said Dutcher.
“The odds of it being financially worthwhile were near zero, but we wanted to give it a try for several reasons. We didn’t want to be yet another event that canceled in 2020 (there was already enough depressing news). We knew that all of our partners (vendors and the local community) needed every bit of help we could give them. And we didn’t want to interrupt the 37-year tradition of Americade,” he said.