Fun in Saratoga

Victorian Streetwalk

Well I had fun last night at the Victorian Streetwalk - another of the many events that make Saratoga Springs great and unique.  My Mom and brother came from Buffalo, and my girlfriend and part of her family came up from Albany.  I hope to get some pictures up when I get them from the people that were with me.  In the meantime, if you missed it, here are some news links that should tell you about it.

WNYT News 13 story

Times Union Story

Trader Joe's in Saratoga?

An article in last week's Business Review reported on the fact that a group in Albany was trying to lure a Trader Joe's to the Albany area.  I assume that means Saratoga also, or at least perhaps Clifton Park.  The demographics of a Saratoga County Store probably make more sense to me, although I would guess there is room for more than one in the Capital District. 

To tell you the truth, what I really would love would be a Whole Foods or a Wegmans - now that would be heavenly.

Above: Picture inside a Whole Foods Supermarket.  Below:  The outside and Inside of a Wegmans Supermarket

Alleged crime occurring at the YMCA

I just received the below blast email from the Saratoga YMCA:

You will hear on the news today that Thomas Filion was arrested by the Saratoga Springs Police, in regards to an incident which occurred at the West Avenue Branch. Mr. Filion was a member as was the victim.  The police contacted us after the incident was reported by the 15 year old youth.  The YMCA was instrumental in aiding the apprehension of Mr. Filion, as he was identified by the victim reviewing our video surveillance.

We at the YMCA take this matter very seriously and want to ensure that all of our members safety is our number one priority.

Any questions or concerns about this matter, please contact Jim Letts at 583-9622 ext.112

Jim Letts

CEO

YMCA of Saratoga

Here is the Capital News 9 story on this. 

I am a member and a fan of the YMCA, so I credit them with being forthcoming about this.  It should be noted that this alleged perpetrator is a member of the Y, not an employee.   Although I am sure the Y will review policies and procedures, they have thousands of members, so this situation should be viewed differently than, say, a school district hiring a teacher who commits sexual abuse on a child. I don't want to downplay this incident at all - it is very disturbing and serious - but I just wanted to commend the Y for being upfront with their members about it and being helpful to the police, and for using overall common sense.

(The below picture is of Thomas Filion, age 67, who was charged by Saratoga Springs Police with felony sexual abuse and unlawful imprisonment.)

Need a roofer

I'd have an easier time finding a world class cardiologist than finding a roofer for my house.  Does anyone in the Saratoga blogosphere know a reliable roofer?  Unfortunately, my repair job is pretty difficult, because it's on a steep part of a four story home, so the roofer will need a lift.  I've called several roofing contractors, and only about half even return calls, and of that half very few are capable of handling this particular job, and of that minority none so far have any openings for new jobs.  Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated.

Shifting gears here, I, along with a few other bloggers, have been pretty critical of The Saratogian.  When I see something that is good, I try to be fair and point it out.----Well Holy cow - I was trying to commend The Saratogian, but just when I wrote that last line I went to their web site to link the article I was going to refer to, but they left out a very important side box that complemented the article nicely.  So they did a nice job on the article, which was about the importance of getting flu shots, but they did a poor job posting it on the site because the print version of the article included a box which listed the dates and times of upcoming local flu clinics.  They didn't include that in their on-line version - which is just another example of what I feel is at best a lackluster effort, and of course often crosses over into incompetence.  The clinic information is a very important part of the article, and it is inexcusable not to include it on there.  Honest to God, I was trying to give them an attaboy, but they disappoint me yet again.

OK folks, stay warm.  Don't forget the quarterly city tax bills are due at the end of the week.    

I hate the fact that I'm not blogging

Well, after several months, I'm making an entry.  As the title states, I hate the fact that I'm not blogging, but I just didn't have it in me for some reason.  I love living in Saratoga, and I love writing about it on this blog and reading other Saratoga blogs, but it got tiring.  I dropped off the beginning of summer, and just now am thinking about returning regularly.

Well there is plenty going on - I have family coming from Buffalo for the Victorian stroll next week, and of course that means the holiday season is here.  We have a new mayor and other officials starting office in Janauary - so that should be interesting. 

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving, and I wish you a great holiday season and hopefully the oncoming winter will not be too severe or too long.  Maybe the onset of the cold weather is a good time to start blogging again - I don't want to make any false promises. We shall see.  Stay warm.