Springs: Outdoor dining through 2024
Spa City will allow outdoor dining for at least three years, under a resolution proposed by Commissioner of Accounts Dillon Moran at the Feb. 1 Saratoga Springs City Council meeting.
“We need to continue our outdoor dining for the foreseeable future,” he said, adding that the outdoors restaurants and seating have become “elements of our identity.”
Outdoor dining in the city started during the pandemic after then-Governor Andrew Cuomo cut capacity of every establishment’s dining room to 50%. The city allowed restaurants with permits to use the sidewalks, grass and some parking lanes to replace the lost seating.
The law has been reviewed and extended regularly since it was first enacted in the summer of 2020. The three-year extension to 2024 would be the longest.
Moran says this would give restaurant owners a chance to plan for more than a few weeks or months at a time and invest in necessary equipment and supplies.
On the campaign trail last fall, Moran said he wanted to keep the outdoor dining and even expand it beyond the current locations on Broadway, lower Caroline, Phila and Henry streets.
Temporary outdoor dining is different from “sidewalk cafes,” which are permitted and built permanently onto the sidewalks, especially on Broadway.
The hearing is set for 7:20 Tuesday Feb. 15 and a vote for March 1.
[Read more about Moran’s idea here. Read about outdoor dining here.]
DA Heggen appeals judge’s ruling on Jamaica Miles
District Attorney Karen Heggen is appealing the decision in the People vs. Jamaica Mails, the DA announced Friday Feb. 4. Heggen wrote in a statement that judge Francine Vero’s ruling to throw out the charges against Miles ignored the law and facts of the case and focused more on Miles' situation as a single mother and Schenectady School Board member who has not been in trouble with the law before.
Miles was arrested for her role in the July 14, 2021 Black Lives Matter protest in downtown Saratoga Springs. She faced violations and a misdemeanor unlawful imprisonment charge for blocking traffic.
“I am concerned that this decision sends the wrong message that someone can violate the law and stop traffic, but if you have a background with involvement in your community and family, that can sway a court to dismiss the charges against you,” Heggen wrote.
The Times Union reported that Vero’s decision was not based solely on Miles’ life but that “video evidence showed she joined the group after traffic had already been stopped and left about three minutes later while others continued to block traffic,” a detail that Heggen did not include in her statement, the story says.
[Read more from the Times Union here.]
Angelo Calbone retiring from CEO of Saratoga Hospital
From a press release: Saratoga Hospital President and CEO Angelo G. Calbone will retire later this year, ending a 16-year tenure that transformed both the hospital and healthcare in the region. Calbone’s decision was announced by Saratoga Hospital Board of Trustees Chairperson Michael J. Toohey, who lauded the impact of the CEO and his team.
“Every family in Saratoga County has access to better healthcare because of what Angelo and his team have built,” Toohey said. “They have expanded and improved services, invested in facilities, technology and talent, and elevated the quality of care and reputation of this hospital.”
Calbone took the helm at Saratoga Hospital in September 2006. Under his leadership, the hospital has expanded significantly, reflecting his vision of improving the region’s health, in part, by bringing services closer to those in the community. Saratoga Hospital now provides care on three campuses—in Saratoga Springs, Malta and Wilton—and at over 20 locations across the county. Its Saratoga Hospital Medical Group has more than 300 providers in over 30 specialties.
“It has been the honor of a lifetime to serve this community with this team,” Calbone said. “Some of my most vivid memories will be of the courage and commitment they have displayed during the worst public health crisis in recent history.”
(Credit: Saratoga Hospital, 2022)
Angelo Calbone