Obituaries

DeCrescente Distributing Co. Mourns the Loss of its Patriarch

Gloria J. Abbott James Buchholz

MECHANICVILLE — Carmine “Carm” James DeCrescente Sr., the secondgeneration former president of DeCrescente Distributing Co, has passed away at 94 due to complications from COVID-19.

Carm DeCrescente served in the U.S. Navy during World War II after graduating from Mechanicville High School. In 1948 he started working for the family business alongside his father, Angelo DeCrescente, growing the beverage supplier to 11 million cases per year through 20-plus acquisitions.

Carm DeCrescente saw consolidation as the future of beer distribution. Through 22 acquisitions starting in 1986, the DeCrescente’s purchased small and large competitors, including Saratoga Spring Water and Arizona teas, to expand the company beyond traditional beer.

His son, C.J, has been running the business since 1997, but he has left behind many important philosophies and lessons about company culture, work ethic, and investments.

Throughout the years Carm DeCrescente quietly donated to several charities. He was also a musician, playing the saxophone and clarinet at local restaurants, private golf clubs, and bars for many years.

Carm DeCrescente was predeceased by his wife and business advisor of 60 years, Mary Cicchinelli, and his son Leo John Boyland. He is survived by his son C.J. DeCrescente Jr. and his wife Marybeth; sister Angela “Babe” Dugan; grandchildren Jessica Aiezza, Carmine DeCrescente III, Matthew DeCrescente, and Payton DeCrescente; and five great-grandchildren.

A private burial with military honors will be held in the family plot at St. Paul’s Cemetery.

BUSKIRK — Gloria J. Abbott, age 75, peacefully passed away on Saturday, December 4, 2021, at her home in Buskirk, NY. The family will be having a private celebration of life. Visit www. compassionatefuneralcare.com

GANSEVOORT — James Buchholz, age 57, passed away on December 9th, 2021, at Saratoga Hospital. A funeral service was held on Friday, December 17 at Compassionate Funeral Care, 402 Maple Ave., Saratoga Springs. Visit www. compassionatefuneralcare.com.

Gerald “Jerry” O. Lawyer

GANSEVOORT — Gerald “Jerry" O. Lawyer passed away on Monday, December 6th at the age of 80 surrounded by family. At the family’s request there will be no calling hours or service. Visit www. compassionatefuneralcare.com

Charles Stephen (Chip) Lee Colleen Ann Kirchhoff George Potter

STILLWATER — Charles Stephen (Chip) Lee, age 68, passed away on December 6th. A memorial celebration of Chip's life was held on December 11th at Longfellows Inn and Restaurant, 500 Union Ave, Saratoga Springs. Visit www. compassionatefuneralcare.com

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Colleen Ann Kirchhoff (Nana), died on December 9th. A funeral service was held on December 18th at Compassionate Funeral Care, 402 Maple Ave., Saratoga Springs. Interment will be held at a later date in Queen of All Saints Cemetery. Visit www. compassionatefuneralcare.com

GREENFIELD CENTER — George Potter died on December 4. A funeral service was held December 8th at Compassionate Funeral Care, 402 Maple Ave, Saratoga Springs. Interment was held at Middle Grove Cemetery, 400 Middle Grove Rd, Greenfield Center, NY 12833. Visit www. compassionatefuneralcare.com

COURT

Travis R. Austin, 36, of Saratoga

Springs, pleaded Dec. 10 to criminal contempt in the firstdegree. Sentencing scheduled

March 9.

Ivan Joy, 54, of Fort Edward, pleaded Dec. 10 to criminal contempt in the first-degree, in Moreau. Sentencing Feb. 10.

Anthony R. Young, 49, of Albany, was sentenced Dec. 10 to 3 years of probation on a felony DWAI charge, first charged in Wilton in November 2018.

Miles H. Latimer, 27, of

Schenectady, was sentenced

Dec. 8 to 8-1/2 years’ incarceration and 5 years post-release supervision, after pleading to felony attempted burglary, two felony counts each of burglary, and grand larceny, and the misdemeanors: petit larceny, criminal mischief, and criminal trespass. First charged February 2019 in the town of Clifton Park.

Damani A. Went, 22, of

Schenectady, pleaded Dec. 8 to attempted criminal sale of a controlled substance, in

Milton. Sentencing Feb. 23.

Thomas Tedesco, 42, of

Mechanicville, pleaded Dec. 9 to felony criminal possession of a weapon. Sentencing

March 10. Shawn R. Bultman, 41, of

Northumberland, pleaded

Dec. 9 to attempted assault in the first-degree, in Wilton.

Sentencing Feb. 10.

Jeffery E. Tennyson, 59, of

Queensbury, pleaded Dec. 9 to felony DWI, in Moreau.

Sentencing Feb. 10.

Alfredo Lebron-Rivera, 36, of

Albany, was charged Dec. 7 with two felony counts grand larceny, and unlawful fleeing of police and reckless driving.

He is accused of stealing a vehicle from the Cumberland

Farms in Ballston Spa and fleeing police.

Jai’Anthony D. Holley, 20, of

Lake City, Florida, pleaded

Dec. 8 to criminal possession of a firearm, a felony, in

Moreau. Sentencing Feb. 9.

Guy Pierce, 56, of Saratoga

Springs, was sentenced Dec. 8 to 2-1/2 years’ incarceration, and 1-1/2 years post-release supervision, after pleading to assault in the second-degree, first charged in Saratoga

Springs in May 2019.

Michael A. Thomas, 58, of

Levittown, was sentenced

Dec. 8 to 4 years of probation, after pleading to felony

DWI, in Ballston.

POLICE

Michael J. Kennedy, 33, of

Amsterdam, was charged

Dec. 10 with multiple felony robbery, burglary, assault, and criminal use of a firearm in connection with an alleged larceny attempt in Galway

Dec. 5 that resulted in both,

Kennedy and the robbery victim, receiving non-lifethreatening wounds by gunfire, according to the Saratoga

County Sheriff’s Office.

Danielle N. Pereira, 31, of

Newburgh, was charged Dec. 2 with two felony counts grand larceny. She is accused of stealing merchandise from the

Kohl’s Department in Clifton

Park on two separate dates.

Justin D. Traver, 33, of Malta, was charged Dec. 15 with grand larceny. He is accused of receiving $7,900 in August 2020 to perform construction-related work, which he did not perform.

Renee Tanner, 26, of Saratoga Springs, was charged with aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle, and failure to yield the right-of-way.

Daniel Mooney, 33, of Saratoga

Springs, was charged with disorderly conduct/create hazardous or physically offensive condition. Jarod Green, 28, of Saratoga

Springs, was charged with misdemeanor DWI, and unsafe backing of vehicle.

Abigail Bartlett, 23, of Saratoga

Springs, was charged with aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle, and an equipment violation.

Dustin Quirion, 37, of Saratoga Springs, was charged with aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle, and vehicle registration suspended.

Nathan Shreve, 41, of Saratoga

Springs, was charged with menacing, criminal possession of a weapon, aggravated family offense, and harassment.

Shawn Smith, 28, of Scotia, was charged with aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle, DWAI felony, use of vehicle not equipped with interlock device, and following too closely.

Christopher Brewer, 39, of

Saratoga Springs, was charged with criminal contempt, and aggravated family offense – both felonies, and criminal trespass misdemeanor.

Joshua Shippey, 35, of Greenfield Center, was charged in Saratoga Springs with aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle.

Philip Fear, 56, of Saratoga

Springs, was charged with misdemeanor DWI, failure to keep right, and speed not reasonable.

Harrison Blackington, 25, of Saratoga Springs, was charged with criminal mischief and criminal tampering. Both charges are misdemeanors.

Darian Rivers, 25, of Saratoga

Springs, with aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle, operating a vehicle without insurance, and registration suspended.

Ricardo Guana, 37, of Saratoga

Springs, was charged with operating motor vehicle while impaired with drugs, after being involved in a property damage accident.

Edouard Questel, 72, of

Gansevoort, was charged in

Saratoga Springs with misdemeanor DWI, failure to keep right, and unsafe turn.

Patricia Hunter, 28, of Saratoga

Springs, was charged with assault, criminal possession of a weapon, and criminal mischief. All three charges are felonies.

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2254 Route 50 South Saratoga Springs, NY 12866 Phone: 518-581-2480 Fax: 518-581-2487 saratogaTODAYnewspaper.com

Letter TO THE EDITOR

Comment from Former Commissioner of Public Safety

The December 17 edition of Saratoga TODAY included an interview with in-coming Commissioner of Public Safety James Montagnino. I congratulate Mr. Montagnino on his victory but I feel compelled to comment on some of his responses in the interview. When asked why he ran for that office, he responded that the one thing that motivated him was the Darryl Mount Case and how it was treated, “How nobody in authority did anything that you would have hoped.” When asked if he would advocate for an investigation, either internal or external, at this point, he stated that ‘had there been an Internal Investigation done in a timely fashion where a report and the evidence upon which it was based were released to the public, depending on its thoroughness, I might say: We’re done. But, with all that’s happened, I can understand how many people have drawn the conclusion that there must be something to hide.” As the person who in August 2013 was in authority at the time of Darryl Mount’s tragic injury, I feel that it is important to point out that, immediately after the incident, a thorough investigation took place. Saratoga Springs Police Department investigators dealt with the criminal investigation of the domestic violence which initiated the pursuit of Darryl Mount. Due to the irresponsible rhetoric of a local blogger who had no direct knowledge of the incident but insinuated on his blog that police officers caused Darryl’s injury in an alley, the investigators also focused on finding any evidence or inconsistency that might support the blogger’s contention. Many interviews were conducted. There were pages of documents and views from surveillance cameras which were produced but there has been no evidence of wrongdoing on the part of those officers that night. In fact, after the less than six-minute chase, when Darryl was found at the base of construction scaffolding, the officers assessed his injuries and immediately summoned the fire/EMS department to initiate emergency care. Darryl sadly passed away in the Spring of 2014. The information from the criminal investigation was then released in June, 2014 when the Public Safety department held a press conference. There, all the evidence was released, with the exception of video of the act of physical domestic violence. Documents and videos from that June 20 press conference were subsequently made available on the City website. There was full transparency regarding the Darryl Mount incident. Nothing has been hidden.

Context is important. Family members and the local blogger insisted that there should be an outside investigation of the Darryl Mount incident. While I felt that the very thorough investigation conducted by our department was more than adequate, both Police Chief Veitch and I insisted that there would be full cooperation should an outside agency decide to conduct their own investigation. The family never asked for a formal Internal Investigation by our department. That term is reserved for situations where there is evidence of or charges by actual witnesses of wrongdoing on the part of the police. While I created some confusion when I unfortunately used the term ‘internal’ loosely when being pressed by Saratogian reporter Catilyn Morris about why I was not calling for an outside investigation, it was never anyone’s intention to misinform the public or the press about a formal ‘Internal Investigation’. Saratogians in general and Commissioner-elect Montagnino in particular need to know that the Saratoga Springs Police Department and the Department of Public Safety acted responsibly regarding the Darryl Mount tragedy. Despite the terrible rhetoric that I have recently heard, residents and visitors should understand that we continue to have a great police department serving our City.

- Christian E Mathiesen (former Commissioner of Public Safety)

Winter Coat Drive Begins in Saratoga Springs

Photo provided.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Shelters of Saratoga has partnered with Fingerpaint to provide winter coats to anyone in need. The 3rd annual “Take One, Leave One” winter coat drive was created as an easy way to provide warm coats for anyone in need one.

The coat rack is located in downtown Saratoga Springs in front of the Fingerpaint building at 395 Broadway. Community members wishing to donate are encouraged to hang gently used or new coats on the rack which will be available through the winter.

For more information contact Shelters of Saratoga office at 518-581-1097.

Soroptimist “Saratoga Community Grants”

SARATOGA COUNTY — Soroptimist of Saratoga County’s Fund Distribution Program is now called “Saratoga Community Grants.” This year a total of $35,000 will be awarded to local organizations that support the needs of women and girls in Saratoga County.

To qualify, candidate organizations must be based in or serve the needs of residents of Saratoga County. Grants are typically awarded for specific activities, start-ups, or capital projects. Consideration will be given to the number of people served.

The application must be submitted by February 15, 2022 and is available on the SISC website at www.soroptimistsaratoga.org. Grant recipients will be notified by April 15, 2022. For more information, email the committee at funddistributionsaratoga@ gmail.com.

NEW REDC GRANTS ANNOUNCED TO SUPPORT VITAL COMMUNITY PROJECTS

SARATOGA COUNTY — Assemblywoman Carrie Woerner (D-Round Lake), announced Saratoga and Washington counties are slated to receive more than $9.7 million for 14 important community projects. The funding was provided through Round XI of the Regional Economic Development Council (REDC) initiative.

“Thanks to this influx of state funds, Saratoga and Washington counties can repair critical infrastructure, improve recreational opportunities and breathe new life into local towns and villages. With the 2022 legislative session right around the corner, I’ll keep working to support our local recovery and help us all build back stronger,” Woerner said, in a prepared statement.

Gov. Kathy Hochul announced the REDC Round XI funding, which provided an additional $196 million to support 488 projects statewide, earlier this week. In Saratoga County, the local projects that received funding include: • $2.75 million to upgrade Saratoga County’s Water Treatment Plant by installing efficient technology for the biological removal of ammonia from wastewater. This project will repair aging infrastructure, protect the Hudson River from pollution and allow regional manufacturers to continue expanding in the region.

• $2.5 million to expand STEM and Health Care Workforce Development by enabling Hudson Valley Community College (HVCC) to create new training facilities that expand workforce development programs in healthcare and advanced manufacturing. • $2 million to reduce energy consumption at the county Water Treatment Plant through biogas production created by new digesters. • $800,000 for AlbanySchoharie-SchenectadySaratoga BOCES to expand its Occupational Health and Safety Service program. • $500,000 for Wright Electric Inc. – a company specializing in reducing the environmental impact of aviation – to establish the new Wright Laboratory, which will create high-paying jobs in the Capital Region. • $250,000 for the town of Moreau to break ground on the Big Boom Trail by creating trailhead parking, the Waterfront Trail Loop, a kayak launch, fishing piers and an overlook area. The first of a three-phase project, this new trail will connect bicyclists and hikers from Nolan Road to Moreau State Park and to the Palmertown Ridge Trail System. • $153,000 for the village of Ballston Spa to develop a Brownfield Opportunity Area (BOA) program nomination for a 176-acre area that includes a large portion of the downtown center along Route 50 and Gordon and Kayaderosseras creeks. The village intends to redevelop this area to increase waterfront access and return underutilized land to productive use. • $100,000 for the town of Wilton’s Artisanal Brew Works facility to invest in new equipment, a new facility and restaurant service to meet the burgeoning demand for craft beverages. • $100,000 for the town of Halfmoon to expand an Empire State Trail trailhead near Crescent Vischer-Ferry Road, Old Canal Road and Crescent Bridge and create a new parking area. • $85,000 for the town of Saratoga to install a new segment of the planned Champlain Canalway Trail, allowing a portion of that trail and the Empire State Trail to pull off the heavily trafficked Route 4 corridor. • $24,000 for the city of Mechanicville to develop an engineering report to identify sources of inflow and filtration, evaluate alternatives and recommend improvements to the city’s wastewater collection system.

Additionally, in Washington County: $428,500 for the village of Greenwich’s downtown revitalization efforts.

Ballston Spa Awarded $153,000 Brownfield Opportunity Area Nomination Grant

Aerial view of Ballston Spa. Photo by Super Source Media.

BALLSTON SPA — The village of Ballston Spa has been awarded a $153,000 competitive grant from the New York Department of State Brownfield Opportunity Area (BOA) Program for a BOA Nomination Plan.

Brownfields are neighborhoods or areas within a community negatively affected by real or perceived environmental conditions. The properties often are underutilized because the contamination, or perception of contamination, has impeded investment and redevelopment.

New York State Department of State’s (DOS) BOA Program was created by the Superfund Law of 2003. Through the program, brownfields are transformed from liabilities to community assets that generate and support new businesses, jobs, and revenues for local economies, as well as provide new housing and public amenities.

The village of Ballston Spa intends to develop a BOA Nomination Plan for a 176-acre area encompassing a substantial portion of the downtown center along NYS Rt. 50, and two adjacent water bodies - the Gordon and Kayaderosseras Creeks. The village intends to prioritize four areas for redevelopment within the BOA to create transformative redevelopment of the central core of the village, increase access to waterfront property, and return underutilized properties to productive use.

The purpose of the funding request is to prepare a Brownfield Opportunity Area Nomination Study in compliance with the NYSDOS brownfield redevelopment program. Once the BOA Nomination Study is complete, the village will request BOA designation from the Secretary of State, which allows developers who are participating in the voluntary Brownfield Cleanup Program to receive a tax credit “bump-up” to redevelop the sites in a manner that is consistent with the community’s vision and Secretary-approved plan.

The grant of $153,000 requires a $17,000 match from the village and will allow the hire of a consultant. The study is expected to take approximately 14 months to complete.

CHARGING INTO THE NEW YEAR

Four new “fast-charging” stations for electric vehicles just north of the Saratoga Springs City Center on Dec. 21, 2021. Photo by Thomas Dimopoulos.

by Thomas Dimopoulos Saratoga TODAY

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Four new “fast-charging” stations for electric vehicles were ampedup in Saratoga Springs this week.

The EVolveNY EV charging stations were installed at the Saratoga Springs City Center parking lot on Maple Avenue, and join four other operational fast chargers in the immediate region, located at Stewart's Shops’ Spier Falls location, just off exit 17 of the Northway. Stewarts plans to install 4 more fast chargers at its Clifton Park, and at its Latham locations in the near future.

The New York Power Authority is dedicating $250 million through 2025 to the EVolve NY program, with the goal of making electric vehicles easy to own in New York State and decarbonizing the state’s transportation sector, and is part of the state’s broader goal to have at least 800 new EV fast charging stations installed through 2025.

The fast chargers will be located along major state highway corridors, usually within five minutes of the roadway exit, and will be compatible for all types of current EV models.

Charging will generally take between 15 and 30 minutes, depending on how empty the EV battery is at the beginning of the charge event, the desired battery charge level and the vehicle’s charging speed, according to the state Department of Transportation.

The recharging process of electric vehicles varies, with different levels of EV charging and different EVs charging at different speeds on each level. Level 3 -DC Fast Charging, Tesla Supercharging - gets the job done in under an hour at public charging stations, according to an Oct. 4, 2021 article published by Forbes titled: “What Are The Different Levels Of Electric Vehicle Charging?”

For information about Saratoga Springs’ city-operated Public Charging Stations, go to: www.saratoga-springs.org/2419/ EV-Charging-Stations. For more information specifically about the fast-charging stations and an interactive national Electric Vehicle Station Locator map, go to: evolveny.nypa.gov.

Tracking COVID in Saratoga County Through the Calendar Year 2021

# OF DEATHS

MONTH OF 2021

Chart depicting number of COVID deaths per month in Saratoga County, February to December 2021.

by Thomas Dimopoulos Saratoga TODAY

SARATOGA SPRINGS — It was one year ago, nearly to the day, when then-Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced that the first confirmed case of the so-called UK strain of COVID-19 virus has been detected in Saratoga Springs. The strain was traced back to an individual affiliated with a Saratoga Springs jewelry store and all individuals who visited the store from Dec. 18 through Dec. 24, 2020 were encouraged to contact the Department of Health and immediately receive a COVID-19 test.

Additional variants have appeared in 2021 – “Delta” and “Omicron” (titled after letters of the Greek alphabet) among them.

As 2021 draws to a close, Saratoga County Public Health Services reports more than 27,000 known cases of COVID-19 among county residents since the first infections due to the original virus were tracked in early 2020, and more than 250 deaths among county residents since that time.

The chart depicts month-tomonth deaths in Saratoga County in 2021.

In mid-January 2021, Saratoga County Public Health Services reported they were “investigating an issue with the county COVID dashboard,” and as such, to provide the most accurate portrayal of 2021 data, the description begins in February 2021.

The first death of a county resident linked to COVID-19 was reported in late March 2020. On Feb. 1, 2021, the SCPHS reported 10,604 confirmed cases in all, and 120 total deaths. Today, nearly 11 months later, those total numbers are 27,915 and 258, respectively, through Dec. 21, 2021.

SARATOGA COUNTY 2021

Month/2021 Confirmed COVID Cases COVID Deaths

February 1,366 25 March 905 10 April 1,635 9 May 796 4 June 98 0 July 406 0 August 1,464 10 September 1,733 13 October 1,996 17 November 3,655 17 Dec. 1- Dec. 21* 3,257 33

*December 2021 statistics available through first three weeks of the month only. Source of data: Saratoga County Public Health Services.