By Jill Nagy

William Farmer,  chief operating officer of Creatacor Inc., is hoping to help with the coronavirus pandemic with a plan he has to build  hospital beds and other things to help out in the crisis.

The company, located in Halfmoon, usually builds displays for retail stores, trade shows and other events. It is well positioned to create temporary structures for use in the crisis, building things like beds, waiting rooms and treatment areas, Farmer said.

Normally, Creatacor would be preparing exhibits for events like South by Southwest and companies like AngioDynamics, General Electric, Lego and Ikea.

The Holiday Inn in downtown Saratoga Springs is now serving as a temporary location for the city’s homeless.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Shelters of Saratoga (SOS) Executive Director Karen Gregory said isolating people experiencing homelessness in individual hotel rooms with access to private bathrooms is the best possible solution to facilitate safe distancing and the ability to practice good hygiene thus preventing a community-wide spread of COVID-19.

Food service, basic necessities and case management is being provided to those staying in the hotel. The shelters on Walworth Street remain open and SOS is serving over 100 people through the outreach program which provides people with food and hygiene products, she said.

By Stephen Kyne, CFP

At the end of March Congress passed the CARES (Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security) Act, which is a $2.2 Trillion life support bill to help the economy survive the duration of the government-imposed shutdown.

While the bill is extremely wide-ranging, and many provisions may not apply to you, there are some items in the Act which you should at least be aware of.

Saratoga Raceway’s 79th season of live harness racing is underway at Saratoga Casino Hotel.
Coupled with the 2020 racing season is the unveiling of the SaratogaBets Simulcast Center, a new trackside venue offering carrel seating, self-service and live teller wagering options, in addition to bar and food service at Diamond Jim’s.
This season the casino will look to build on the success of last year’s performance, officials said, where all-source handle exceeded $48 million and the Saratoga Harness simulcast signal was broadcast to over 400 outlets worldwide.

Universal Preservation Hall (UPH) the new performance center in Saratoga Springs, opened on Feb. 29 before a sellout crowd that was entertained by singer-songwriter Roseanne Cash.
While the renovation and construction is not quite complete, it is finished enough to begin a season that already includes well known acts from across musical genres, and also standup comedians.
The transformation from 19th century High Victorian Gothic church to a 700-seat, state-of-the-art performance facility was long and expensive, but worthwhile, officials said.
The opening of UPH, at 25 Washington St., capped a $13.5 million effort by community members to turn the church building into a performance space. Saratoga Springs Mayor Meg Kelly helped cut the ceremonial ribbon before the concert.
“When we saw it was possible to open on a Leap Day, we leapt,” said Philip Morris, CEO of the Proctors Collaborative in Schenectady, of which UPH is a subsidiary, during a new conference before the concert.

SUNY Empire State College and SUNY Adirondack Community College have approved a phase-one agreement for five joint-admissions degrees in business and management at SUNY Empire’s Saratoga Springs campus.
Under the agreement, SUNY Adirondack students will benefit from increased access to SUNY Empire’s campus in Saratoga Springs, where they can matriculate in bachelor’s and eventually graduate programs in a convenient location upon completing their degree at SUNY Adirondack.
While SUNY Empire has shared space on other college campuses around New York state—including Alfred State College, Cayuga Community College, Fulton-Montgomery Community College, SUNY Adirondack, and SUNY Plattsburgh—this is the first time in its nearly 50-year history that SUNY Empire will host a fellow SUNY institution, creating greater opportunity for Saratoga residents to earn associate, bachelor’s, and master’s degrees close to home.