Stewart’s Shops, which has a longstanding history of giving back to nonprofits in local communities, has started a fund to help.
“During these difficult times, the need is even more prevalent” to help nonprofits, a company news release said. “The coronavirus virus has impacted different groups in different ways.
Stewart’s is encouraging nonprofits impacted by COVID-19 to reach out for additional help for sustainability. Grants will be given on a case by case scenario as they come in. There is no deadline for submission.
As of April 30, the company reported nearly $200,000 in grants had been awarded.
With an increased demand on services, many nonprofits are experiencing strains on budget, staffing and resources. “Whether you are a food pantry feeding families in need or a concert venue/theater uncertain about the future with ticket sales on hold for an indefinite time; there is no doubt that these current circumstances are difficult for everyone,” the company said.
Hudson Headwaters Renovated Women’s Center Has More Comprehensive Services
By Susan E. Campbell
Women’s Health, part of the Hudson Headwaters Health Network, reopened its doors on April 6 following months of interior renovation.
The changes make the center at 90 South St. in Glens Falls “an optimal experience” with more comprehensive services for women and their families, according to practice leader Sally Howard.
“We expanded up and down,” said Howard, who has been with the practice for three years. “The physical expansion of the facility creates an environment where patients and providers feel they will get the best care.”
Hudson Headwaters Health Network has centers from Champlain down to Moreau and west to North Creek. The recently re-named Women’s Health became a part of the network in 2013, said Dr. Ted Denious, who co-leads it with Dr. Danielle Goertzen.
Saratoga PLAN Conservation Group Gets Largest Ever Donation For Trail System Work
Courtesy Saratoga PLAN
Saratoga PLAN recently received its largest private cash gift ever—$500,000 from the Sarah B. Foulke Charitable Fund for producing the Friendship Trails System.
The donation will underwrite the planning, design and stewardship of more than 20 miles of publicly accessible, permanently conserved trails in the 40,500-acre Southern Palmertown Range, an ecologically important area that stretches north from Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs to the Hudson River, and is bordered by routes 9 and 9N, on the east and west, respectively.
Saratoga PLAN aims to design Friendship Trails that will provide enjoyment through an inclusive spectrum of outdoor activities: walking, running, wheelchairing, dog-walking, mountain-biking, horseback-riding, bird-watching, botanizing, forest-bathing, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, snowmobiling, and learning about nature and local history.
Hudson Headwaters Finds Telehealth Network A Big Help During Pandemic
If anything good comes from the COVID-19 pandemic, telehealth will fall into that category, Hudson Headwaters Health Network Chief Medical Informatics Officer Dr. Kevin Gallagher said.
“I think this is an exciting time in health care and a really great opportunity for us to redesign our care delivery,” he said in an interview about the organization’s telehealth program, which expanded rapidly to accommodate COVID-19 concerns and social distancing guidelines.
“I think we’re just at the tip of the iceberg with how we can get creative with this.”
Hudson Headwaters Community Relations Manager Jane Hooper said the network was planning to introduce telehealth this year over a number of months, but the pandemic dramatically upped that time line.
Gallagher joined Hudson Headwaters March 2, and just days later telehealth became the main focus of his work as the organization had to start addressing how to minimize COVID-19 exposure for patients and providers.
He and other network leaders started meeting in the main conference room and mapping out how to deploy virtual visits. They discussed information as it came, including regulation changes that made different platforms more accessible and certain services billable.
Adirondack Trust Hopes Cuomo Will ‘Keep An Open Mind’ About Opening Race Track
With the status of this year race meet at Saratoga Race Course up in the air, and indications being that horses will run, but fans won’t be allowed in, local businesses are concerned about the economic implications.
Racing season has a huge impact on local businesses—restaurants, hotels, bars, downtown shops, employees at the track and many more. Regarding that, officials at Adirondack Trust Co. released a statement in conditions as they exited on May 1st.
That statement follows:
“Gov. Cuomo … expressed doubt about the advisability of opening major attractions like the Saratoga Race Course, saying gatherings of large crowds might impede efforts to stop the spread of the novel coronavirus.
An attraction like the Saratoga thoroughbred racing meet would draw fans from across New York and from neighboring states, he said, and potentially spread the virus.
Cuomo is absolutely correct in placing the health and safety of all New Yorkers as his top priority. With respect to welcoming the public this summer at the Saratoga thoroughbred race track, we hope he will keep an open mind. The circumstances of this pandemic change rapidly and conditions could change for the better sooner than expected. With robust public health protections in place, it may still be safe to open to the public, at least on a limited basis.
National Hotel Association Says Some 70 Percent Of Staffs Laid Off Or Furloughed
Courtesy AHLA
The American Hotel & Lodging Association released data today showing that 70 percent of hotel employees have been laid off or furloughed as eight in 10 hotel rooms across the nation remain empty.
As the crisis, the impact to the travel industry is nine times worse than the 9/11 tragedy, with forecasted occupancy rates for 2020 hitting record lows worse than rates in 1933 during the Great Depression, the AHLA said.
“With the impact to the travel industry nine times worse than September 11, the human toll of this public health crisis has been absolutely devastating for the hotel industry. For the hotel industry our priority is rehiring and retaining our hardworking employees who power our vibrant industry,” said Chip Rogers, president and CEO of AHLA. “Hotels were one of the first industries affected by the pandemic and will be one of the last to recover.
“The CARES Act was an important first step with a lot of supportive measures for the hotel industry, but we need Congress to make important changes to the program to reflect the current economic reality and help the employees in the industries that have been impacted the most.”
Task Force Created To Help Local Business Stay Afloat, Cope With COVID-19 Issues
©2020 Saratoga Photographer.com
By Andrea Harwood Palmer
In response to the mandated shutting down of all non-essential businesses, six Saratoga organizations have collaborated to form a task force.
The group is comprised of the Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce, the Saratoga Economic Development Corp. (SEDC), the Saratoga County Prosperity Partnership, Discover Saratoga, Saratoga Springs City Center and the Saratoga Springs Downtown Business Association.
“The first thing we did on March 13, as it was becoming crystal clear that the world was about to change, was start a collaborative conversation. All of us have formed a partnership to get Saratoga County through this,” said Todd Shimkus, Chamber president.
Quick Response Offers Free Disinfecting For All Area First Responder Vehicles
Courtesy Quick Response
By Andrea Harwood Palmer
Quick Response Restoration in Round Lake is offering a free disinfecting service for all first responder vehicles used during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Vince Laurenzo, Jr., CEO, said “given the nature of our business, we work with first responders quite a bit already … All first responders that want to bring their vehicle to our headquarters in Round Lake from 2-5 p.m. every day, we’re going to have our guys out there kind of like a carwash, but a disinfection carwash. We have them line up in a row, drive through, get out and we’ll spray down the cab and whatever else needs to be disinfected for the day,” said Laurenzo.
“We have a large property and the infrastructure for proper distancing to easily and efficiently do this,” said Laurenzo.
Much Of The Construction Industry At A Standstill Amid Struggle With Pandemic
By Susan E. Campbell
Coming out of winter, construction companies were getting ready for building and renovation activity that accelerates with warmer weather. But the coronavirus pandemic has changed things.
The state has ordered non-essential projects be put on hold until further notice.
“The construction industry was in very good shape, both residential and commercial,” said Barry Potoker, executive director of Saratoga Builders Association, a nonprofit trade group. “Prior to the virus, demand was for a lot more building.”
“The rules of engagement are somewhat unclear, as you would expect,” Potoker said. “This is a devastating change for residential construction. If projects are unsafe, the sites are to be made safe and then shut down.”
“Saratoga Builders Association has 160 members who are not just builders, but mortgage companies, lumberyards, HVAC companies, and others affected by new rules,” he said.
Work Continues On Parking Garage Project For Saratoga Springs City Center Authority
©2020 Saratoga Photographer.com
The Saratoga Springs City Center Authority and its design build partner, Bette and Cring, will continue work on the Flat Rock Parking Center.
The decision was made after the Authority received Bette and Cring’s site-specific COVID-19 procedures, according to Ryan McMahon, the executive Director. “We are confident that Bette and Cring is able to meet these procedures and they are prepared to continue work in accordance with such policies. “
The Authority’s action is in keeping with guidelines issued by Empire State Development (ESD) and is deemed an essential infrastructure project.