Small Packages Offers Carefully Curated Products For Every Gift Giving Occasion

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Gift boxes filled with popular products are available through Small Packages.
Courtesy of Small Packages

By Ann Donnelly

Saratoga-based Small Packages is a company built on the idea that gift-giving should be personal and stress-free. 

Owner Riham LaRussa, who took over the company in late 2022, aims to empower customers to find the perfect gift for any occasion. Each gift box is curated with a personal touch, ensuring the recipient feels unique and valued.

Small Packages offers a variety of gift boxes, each filled with high-quality products, 85 percent of which come from women-owned or minority-owned businesses. 

“These brands don’t get as much attention, so we want to highlight and showcase these and help you discover new brands and products,” says LaRussa.

The gift boxes are suitable for a wide range of occasions, from birthdays and new baby arrivals to self-care and holidays. Small Packages also allows customers to create custom gift boxes, selecting from various products on the website that suit their budget and the recipient’s interests.

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Respected Musical Artists In The Celtic Tradition To Perform At Brookside Museum

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Flautist Melanie Chirignan (right) and harpist Darhon Rees-Rohrbacher, who formed Stringwynde, will perform at the Saratoga County History Center this month.
Courtesy of Stringwynde

In August 2017, an ambitious flautist emailed a highly recommended harpist, and inquired if she might want to play some duets together – and, thus, Stringwynde was born. 

The artists each hold graduate degrees in music and perform in a variety of musical genres. As individual performers, their appearances have included solo recitals, chamber ensembles, symphonies, and many private events. As versatile educators, they have taught countless private music students as well as working in both public and private school classrooms. 

Flautist Melanie Chirignan and Harpist Darhon Rees-Rohrbacher are well known throughout the Capital Region, and specialize in music of the Celtic tradition. They will be performing in the Long Room at The Saratoga County History Center at Brookside Museum on November 16 at 3 p.m. This concert is sponsored by a grant from Saratoga Arts, The Music Performance Trust Fund of the American Federation of Musicians and the Saratoga County History Center.

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The Annual Holiday Parade And Tree Lighting Is Set To Delight The Ballston Spa Community

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Festively decorated vehicles will highlight the annual Ballston Spa Holiday Parade and Tree Lighting, this year benefitting Toys for Tots.
Courtesy of The Ballston Spa Business & Professional Association

The Village of Ballston Spa is set to transform into a winter wonderland this December. The Ballston Spa Business & Professional Association (BSBPA) has invited the community to celebrate the annual Holiday Parade and Tree Lighting on Friday, December 6, along Milton Avenue.

A beloved hometown tradition, this holiday parade draws thousands of spectators to enjoy the festive floats, fire trucks, and community groups that illuminate the village. The parade steps off at 6:30 p.m. from the north end of Milton Avenue and continues down to West High Street. 

Following the parade, Santa and Mrs. Claus will make their grand entrance on an Eagle-Matt Lee Fire Company truck to light the Christmas tree in Wiswall Park.

This year’s parade also supports the Toys for Tots campaign in partnership with the Ballston Spa Community Emergency Corps, Saratoga County Sheriff’s Department, and U.S. Marine Corps. Volunteers will be collecting donations of new, unwrapped toys along the parade route and at Wiswall Park during the tree lighting.

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Saratoga Springs Offers An Ecletic Variety Of Holiday Events To Satisfy Everyone’s Tastes

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The annual Festival of Trees at the Saratoga Springs City Center is just one of the family-friendly events that make the Spa City a special place during the winter holiday season.
Courtesy of the Saratoga Springs City Center

Traditionally known for its bustling summer season, Saratoga Springs proves it has more to offer all year long with a diverse lineup of public events at the Saratoga Springs City Center. As the cooler months arrive, the City Center invites both locals and visitors to enjoy a series of exciting and inclusive events, showcasing Saratoga Springs as a vibrant year-round destination.

• Saratoga Comic Con – November: A family favorite, Saratoga Comic Con draws fans from across the region for a weekend filled with pop culture, cosplay, and collectibles.

• Center for the Family Craft Marketplace – November 30, 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m.: Taking place on Small Business Saturday, this event supports local artisans and crafts people, with unique handcrafted goods perfect for early holiday shopping. As the 49th annual holiday marketplace, the event will feature over 130 crafters and artisans, offering everything from woodwork to candles and gourmet foods.

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The CPKC Holiday Train Will Benefit Franklin Community Center During Stop In Saratoga

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The Canadian Pacific Kansas City Holiday Train will once again make its annual trip across North America, with a stop in Saratoga Springs.
Courtesy of Canadian Pacific Kansas City Railway

The iconic Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) Holiday Train is back on the rails, bringing holiday joy and supporting local food banks across North America. For the third year in a row, Franklin Community Center has been selected as the local beneficiary for the Saratoga Springs stop, with the event set to take place on Monday, November 25 at 7:20 p.m. at the Saratoga Springs Train Station at 26 Station Lane. 

The event, which is free to attend, will feature live performances by James Barker Band and Clerel, offering festive entertainment for the whole family. Thanks to a special collaboration with B&B Plumbing and Heating, a top plumbing and HVAC company in Saratoga Springs for over 25 years, attendees will also enjoy complimentary hot chocolate, cookies and candy canes as they gather at the station to welcome the brightly decorated train.

“Our office is conveniently located next to the train station, giving us a front-row seat to the CPKC Holiday Train. Last year, we saw this as a great opportunity to support the Franklin Community Center at the event, so we decided to serve hot chocolate to encourage donations,” said BJ Kozlowski, owner of B&B Plumbing and Heating. “It was such a hit that we’re doing it again this year.” 

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Area Caterers Take The Hard Work Out Of Preparing Delicious Holiday Feasts

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Banquet rooms are available for holiday parties at Augie’s Family Style Italian Restaurant.
Courtesy of Augie’s Family Italian Restaurant

By Jill Nagy

Whether you are planning a party for 100 people or an intimate family dinner, local caterers can help  out. 

Augie Vitiello said that he can serve a party of 100 in one of the private rooms at his restaurant, Augie’s Family Style Italian Restaurant in Ballston Spa, without disturbing service in the main dining area. 

Kenny Bourbeau prepares a family meal every week that customers can pick up at the Saratoga farmers’ market on Sunday or have delivered to their home on Monday. He works our of a commercial kitchen in his home, also in Ballston Spa.

Bourbeau, doing business as Kenny B, changes the dinner menu weekly. Recently, it was chicken enchiladas, roasted butternut squash, and a poblano soup. Menus serve four to six people and range in price from $45.99 to $65.99. 

He also caters private dinners in homes or drops off meals. In those cases, he works with the customer to develop the menu. For Thanksgiving, he plans to offer “supporting sides” but not full meals. He does not do desserts. He is working on menus for the Christmas and New Year’s holidays but expects to include hors d’oeuvres and possibly a lobster macaroni and cheese.

If he prepares a dinner in a customer’s home, Bourbeau charges $40 an hour for shopping, cooking, serving, and clean-up. He buys most of his food at the Saratoga farmers’ market. And he does wash the dishes.

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Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner Continues To Improve Treatment Methods For Her Patients

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Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner Susan McDermott recently opened Saratoga Wellness.
Courtesy of Saratoga Wellness

By Christine Graf

After more than three decades of working in the healthcare profession, Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner Susan McDermott has opened  her own practice, Saratoga Wellness, PLLC. 

Located at 7 Hemphill Place in Malta, Saratoga Wellness offers a comprehensive range of psychiatric services to adults 18 and older. These services include psychiatric evaluations, individual therapy, medication management, nutritional and physical wellness assessments, and psychotherapy. 

It was while working as a family nurse practitioner that McDermott made the decision to continue her education. Returning to college, she earned a post-master’s degree from SUNY Upstate Medical University-College of Nursing.

“I worked as a family nurse practitioner for about eight years, and in doing so I saw the need for additional support for patients with mental health issues such as depression and anxiety,” she said. 

Since becoming licensed as a psychiatric nurse practitioner in 2020, McDermott has worked in the inpatient units at both Glens Falls Hospital and Saratoga Hospital. She currently splits her time between her private practice and Four Winds Hospital. 

“I opened my private practice in June, and I also work at Four Winds where I work with inpatients as well as in their partial hospitalization program,” said McDermott. “That’s given me the opportunity to see real acute pathology complicated by substance use, PTSD, ADHD, and those sorts of things.”

It was through her work at Four Winds and other local hospitals that McDermott recognized that mental health disorders need to be treated with more than just medication. She referenced the Star*D trial, a study that assessed the effectiveness of depression treatments in patients diagnosed with major depressive order. 

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An Experienced Massage Therapist Practices Myofascial Release To Relieve Patients’ Pain

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By Christine Graf

After graduating from the Swedish Institute, a massage therapy school in New York City, Albany native Virginia Touhey, embarked on a decades-long career as a massage therapist. The owner of Fascial Connections, Touhey has offices in Clifton Park and Saratoga.

“I got into this about 30 years ago just kind of by accident,” she said. “I had been working as a carpenter for about 10 years, and I was in between jobs. I heard about this massage school in New York City, so I went to check it out.”

The rest is history, and Touhey worked for Stratton Mountain Sports Center and the Crystal Spa in Saratoga before venturing out on her own. Although she started her career doing Swedish massage, she now specializes in myofascial release (MFR), a technique that involves the application of gentle, sustained pressure to myofascial connective tissue—the tissue that wraps, connects, and supports muscles. By applying sustained pressure to trigger points in the connective tissue, MFR can help to reduce pain, release tightness, and improve circulation and mobility. MFR has been shown to be particularly effective in improving pain and physical function in patients with chronic lower back pain. 

An Advanced Myofascial Release Therapist, Touhey was about five years into her career as a massage therapist when she received her MFR training from John Barnes, an internationally renowned physical therapist. A leading authority of MFR, Barnes has trained more than 100,000 therapists and physicians. 

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Business Owners Should Consider How Their Companies Are Structured For Tax Purposes

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CPA Paul Dowen provides expert tax planning advice to his clients.
Courtesy of Whittemore, Dowen, Ricciardelli

By Susan Elise Campbell

Year-end may be a good time to consider restructuring a small business to shield personal assets from potential liabilities. 

The tax code allows for several options, according to Paul Dowen, CPA, and partner at Whittemore, Dowen & Ricciardelli, LLP, certified public accountants serving the North Country and Saratoga County. Dowen said the typical choice today is between a limited liability company (LLC) or a Subchapter S corporation (S corp), although there are other entities. 

Both provide some protection for the owner by limiting personal liability, just as a corporation does. If the company has debt or other financial obligations, owners are not personally responsible for satisfying them.

“In a retail store or restaurant with people coming in and out of the building, you might have product liability,” he said. “Both LLCs and S corps give you some protection.”

“The confusion is that an LLC can be organized as a sole proprietorship, a partnership, a C corp or an S corp,” he said. “If a client tells me their business has been set up by the attorney as an LLC, I know there is some liability protection, but that doesn’t tell me how the company is being taxed.”

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