By Christine Graf

The owners of WestWind Ag are seeking approval to open Z-Farm Brewery, a craft brewery and taproom, on their 308-acre farm on Old West Road in Moreau.

The brewery would be located in an existing building on the property that would undergo extensive renovation.

According to WestWind Ag’s Rachel McDermott, “The plan is to take some areas of the farm that we can’t put into crops and make some income on that area of the farm so that we can preserve it.”

In 2016, McDermott left her career as an investment banker in New York City to join the family business. She graduated from Cornell University in 2008 with a degree in applied economics and management.

LaBella Associates, a multi-discipline design firm, has completed the acquisition of Aztech Technologies in Ballston Spa.

Through the deal, LaBella Associates, headquartered in Rochester, expands its umbrella of environmental engineering services to include environmental contracting, such as drilling, excavation and remedial design and construction. It also augments LaBella’s team with experienced engineers, geologists, drillers, installers and operators, while adding a fleet of construction equipment to its resources.

Roosevelt Baths & Spa, the historic spa in Saratoga Spa State Park, recently completed renovations to every treatment room and added new massage therapy options, enhancing the facility experience.
The upgrades complement the major renovations that Delaware North completed at the Gideon Putnam, also located in Saratoga Spa State Park, in 2018. Delaware North operates both properties on behalf of the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation.

The Saratoga Performing Arts Center’s 2019 season was marked by a record number of SPAC premieres, programming that extended beyond the traditional summer months, and significant growth in its educational and community outreach efforts, officials said at a recent board of directors meeting..
The summer season culminated with the re-imagined Saratoga Wine and Food Festival, which connected the community and cultural organizations in support of SPAC’s educational programming.
The festival “united cultural organizations, local businesses and our community in a celebration of art, music, nature and locally-sourced foods, serving as the perfect punctuation mark to our summer season,” said Elizabeth Sobol, SPAC president and CEO. “As we look ahead, we will continue to create meaningful experiences through innovative programming, educational outreach and new year-round offerings.”

Family nurse practitioner Janice Ceccucci, DNP, typically sees patients at their most vulnerable, in the hours after a sexual assault or a report of ongoing sexual abuse.
In the nearly 15 years since she began providing sexual assault forensic exams, Ceccucci’s skill and sensitivity—and her determination to improve these services for patients of all ages—have benefited children, adolescents and adults far beyond the Capital Region.
These contributions, and her leadership in educating and mentoring nurse practitioners and physician assistants, earned Ceccucci recognition as New York state’s 2019 Nurse Practitioner of the Year.

The hospitality and tourism industry in Saratoga County has a nearly $1 billion annual impact on the area economy, and creates and sustains thousands of jobs, according to the a study by the Saratoga County Prosperity Partnership.
The economic index for the industry also drives substantial activity at hotels, restaurants, retail outlets and tourist attractions throughout Saratoga County, according to the economic development organization.
The report was released in November.
Saratoga County’s hospitality and tourism sector generated an economic impact of $979 million in 2018, according to the index, which captured a quantitative analysis of data prepared by Tourism Economics, a leader in global forecasting.

By Jill Nagy
After nearly 39 years in the sporting goods business, Randall Wojdyla recently opened a second location for Sievert’s Sports at the Crossings in Clifton Park.
He credits his son, Brennan Wojdyla, and son-in-law, Tim Dada, for steering him to the new location after many years in Amsterdam. They are sales manager and store manager, respectively.
“They knew of it as a young area,” he said.