By Christine Graf

Just over a year after establishing The Sugar Fairy Bakes in Mechanicville, owner Stacie Blair plans to open a second location in Ellsworth Commons in Malta. 

The 2110 Ellsworth Boulevard space where the shop will be located was previously occupied by the Little Gym.  

Blair developed her love of baking at an early age while working alongside her grandmother in the kitchen. By the age of 5, she had memorized her grandmother’s banana bread recipe. Today, she serves that same banana bread at The Sugar Fairy Bakes. 

A longtime Mechanicville resident, Blair was working in restaurant management and sales when she experienced sudden and unexplained hearing loss in 2014. Over a three-month period, she completely lost her hearing. 

After receiving cochlear implants, she was able to regain some hearing but remains hearing impaired and suffers from problems with her equilibrium. Because of this, Blair was no longer able to work in a profession that required phone calls and interaction with customers. 

It was while she was in search of a new career that her son suggested she sell her baked goods. Although she was skeptical that anyone would want to buy them, he convinced her to give it a try.

By Jill Nagy

Mocha Lisa’s Caffe has new owners and a slightly different location. 

The business is still in the Clifton Park Mall but in a larger space some 260 feet from its former location. 

It is much larger, with more tables and has  a selection of new and used books for sale. It is now more of a place for people to relax, according to Nicole Van Zandt, one of the new owners.

The new owners, Van Zandt and her husband, Roland, and her brothers Colin and Alan Hughes, are longtime Mocha Lisa’s customers, now on the other side of the counter. 

They bought the name, the furniture and other contents and are keeping the staff. They will continue to serve a special blend of coffee from Capital City Roasters and are negotiating a contract with a supplier of teas and honey.

They purchased the business on November  and moved into the space in December.

Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) recently announced that SUNY Empire State is one of a select group of colleges and universities receiving phase-two grants through its Inclusive Excellence 3 (IE3) initiative. 

The grant will help SUNY Empire continue its critical work in ensuring inclusion of all students in science. The college is one of only two SUNY institutions chosen to participate in this prestigious national program funded by one of the largest research philanthropies in science.

SUNY Empire’s grant—totaling $531,600 over six years—along with prior funding for previous phases, is being used to design experiments aimed at improving the introductory undergraduate science experience for students from historically underrepresented backgrounds.

Along with 14 cohort institutions, including University of California Santa Cruz, Fordham University, and Middlebury College, SUNY Empire will be tasked with finding ways to make the content of the introductory science experience more inclusive through faculty development, student engagement, and curricular change.

SUNY Empire also was selected to participate in the first phase of the project, which began in April 2021 and ends in March. In this phase, SUNY Empire worked with its partner institutions to identify and better understand institutional and cultural barriers to inclusion at colleges and universities of all sizes and geographies. SUNY Empire’s work specifically focused on systemic issues that affect the student learning experience in introductory natural science courses, such as biology, chemistry, physics, and environmental science.

The Bread Basket Cake Shop is a new destination in Saratoga Springs for specialty cakes fit for all celebrations. It was launched by Business for Good and all profits will be donated to local charities fighting hunger and food insecurity.

Bread Basket Cake Shop will occupy a retail boutique space within The Springs at 3 Hempstead Place.

The location will serve customers looking for specialty and custom cakes for all occasions, as well as offering coffee drinks and breakfast pastries throughout the day. The space features a special spot for consultations with Bread Basket Cake Shop’s team.

Bread Basket Bakery, with which the new business is affiliated, has been a staple of the Saratoga area for years. Since its incorporation into Business for Good’s family of companies, it has donated 100 percent of its profits to help “bake a difference” in the local community. 

With customer demand growing year to year, an opportunity arose to dedicate a unique space as a location for the bakery’s cake orders.

“Bread Basket Cake Shop is a much-needed service in the community,” said Business for Good cofounder Lisa Mitzen. “Not only will people get to enjoy delicious and beautiful cakes, but their choice of purchasing at Bread Basket Cake Shop will help local charities working to fight food insecurity and hunger in the Capital Region.”

The state Office for the Aging recently honored 94 older adults for their volunteerism, including Marlene Hathaway and Cheryl Wood of Saratoga County, as part of its annual Older New Yorkers’ Day celebration.

“The word ‘volunteer’ cannot capture fully the accomplishments of this group of incredible individuals,” OFA Director Greg Olsen said in his remarks at the event. “Older adults impress us all with their commitment to a greater good and a greater cause. You tell the real story of what’s good about people, what’s good about New York. Through your deeds and actions, time and again, you show us how valuable you all are to those you touch, to those you serve, to the families and communities and lives you make better.”

During Hathaway’s more than three years of volunteer services, the Mechanicville resident has contributed as a meal delivery driver, delivering hot meals to homebound seniors, and currently as a transportation assistant, driving  older adults to and from medical appointments throughout the county.

She is also a Telecare caller, supporting a program that began during the pandemic as a way to connect with older adults who may feel lonely and isolated. Hathaway continues to make these calls, which provide vital social connection while also serving as a wellness check.

She has a lengthy history of volunteering with other organizations. Hathaway graduated from Shenendehowa High School and then entered the U.S. Air National Guard, where she served for 20 years before retiring as a lieutenant colonel. “It is so rewarding to volunteer with seniors,” she said. “There is such a need to help and I absolutely love doing it.”