MOREAU — Saratoga Biochar Solutions has accused the Moreau town supervisor and town board of “underhanded and potentially illegal actions” after Moreau officials held a closed-door meeting regarding a possible construction moratorium at the Moreau Industrial Park, where Biochar is attempting to build a facility. 

In a statement, Biochar said the meeting was “in likely violation of New York state open meeting law.” As of January 31, the Town of Moreau’s website had not posted any record of the January 19 meeting taking place. A request for comment from the Moreau town supervisor’s office was not returned.

Raymond Apy, founder and CEO of Northeastern Biochar Solutions, the parent company of Saratoga Biochar, said he hasn’t heard from any Moreau officials since his company released a statement criticizing them on January 24. “I would not accuse them of malicious activity,” Apy said. Rather, Apy said he was disappointed that “they’re not holding true to their campaign promise of transparency.”

Gina LeClair, a former member of the Moreau Town Board from 2008 to 2020, said that closed-door meetings are common but “not something that’s lightly done.” 

“They’re legal meetings,” LeClair said. “The town board meets every two weeks. If something comes up that they need the advice of their attorney, they can, at any point that’s convenient for them and the attorney, get together.” LeClair said that attorneys present during the meetings would “immediately speak up” if a specific discussion was not allowed in private.

Biochar has been attempting to build a fertilizer plant at the Moreau Industrial Park for the past two years. Possible construction of the facility has led to opposition from local politicians, as well as the formation of anti-Biochar groups such as “Not Moreau,” which was co-founded by LeClair and currently has 1,700 followers on Facebook.

LeClair said that opposition to a Biochar facility in Moreau is motivated by concerns with emissions, truck traffic, noise pollution, odor, and a potential decline in property values. “Twenty jobs at a sewage sludge handling plant is not significant enough to put all of this down on all of these communities,” LeClair said. “There’s really not much in there that’s good for the residents of Moreau.” 

In contrast to local opposition, Apy said his interactions with New York State officials have been “very collaborative.” Biochar recently received its Notice of Completed Application from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC). NYSDEC is expected to make a final decision on solid waste management and air emissions permits for Biochar at some point this year.

“We’re a small startup company. We’ve been accused of being some big, giant corporate greedy pig,” Apy said. “We care about environmental sustainability. That’s our entire company ethos.”

Apy said he remains optimistic about not just building a plant in Moreau, but also expanding his company to Colorado, California, Pennsylvania, and even Australia. “It would be unfortunate for New York not to gain the recognition of a groundbreaking facility like this coming online before some other state or even another country,” Apy said. 

NYSDEC will hold both virtual and in-person public hearings about Biochar in South Glens Falls on February 7 and 8. Anti-Biochar activists are planning their own meetings on February 6 that will teach attendees “how to make an impactful statement or letter to convince [NYSDEC] to not issue permits to Saratoga Biochar,” according to an event flier.

BALLSTON SPA — Jellyfish with googly eyes made from plastic bowls. Photos of students inside paper-plate hot air balloons. Paintings of cats, baseball players, and lizards displayed above tiny desks. The Ballston Area Community Center’s Universal Pre-Kindergarten classrooms were on display Monday night for an open house event that allowed parents to meet teachers and tour the facilities.

The free pre-K program is a partnership between the Ballston Area Community Center (BACC) and the Ballston Spa Central School District. Although applicants are not guaranteed a spot, the program has been successful in placing most kids. “We try to be as open and available for as many families as possible,” said Kathleen Skellie, the district’s Director of Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment. “There is no restriction, as long as you live in the district, as long as you can get yourself to and from, the cost is free,” added Colleen Russo, Executive Director of BACC. 

The goal of the pre-K program is to ensure a smooth transition into kindergarten. Courses include pre-K versions of kindergarten phonics and math programs. “The beauty of the consistency is when our kinders get to us, they know their letters, they know their sounds,” said Skellie.

“We work on everything from social emotional to physical,” said Russo. “They have gross motor, fine motor, all sorts of different skills that they’re building.” There are also special programs such as yoga and music. “It really helps transition the kids from the classroom to a different activity, and then back to the classroom, like they’re expected to do in kindergarten,” Russo said. 

The largest classroom can fit 18 students, while smaller rooms have 14 or 16. The earliest drop-off is 9 a.m., and pickup is at 2 p.m. BACC also offers an after-care program that goes until 6 p.m. After-care does have a fee, although financial assistance may be available to families that qualify.

Registration opened on Monday. Online registration is available at bscsd.org/Page/13659. The deadline for applications is March 1, 2024. If there are more applicants than available spots, a random lottery will occur. Those not selected in this lottery will be placed on a waiting list. A letter confirming acceptance or rejection from the program will be mailed to families by March 15.

Any questions about the Universal Pre-Kindergarten program can be directed to the district’s Office of Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 518-884-7195, ext. 1374. For additional information, visit bscsd.org/Page/13659.

BALLSTON SPA — Students from Malta Ave Elementary celebrated kindness by filling up “jars” with messages written on post-it notes. As part of the school’s Great Kindness Challenge, a note is added to a “jar” every time a student or staff member does something kind. The notes included messages such as “made a new friend on the bus” and “helped someone get class materials.”

ALBANY — The New York State Senate honored retired MLB pitcher Bartolo Colón last week. The resolution recognized Colón’s “outstanding career, significant contributions to the state of New York, and his role as a proud Dominican immigrant who brought glory and excitement to the sport.” Senator James Tedisco, who represents Saratoga County, co-sponsored the legislation and met with Colón.

Colón, nicknamed “Big Sexy,” played for nearly a dozen teams, including the New York Yankees and New York Mets. He was a four-time All-Star with a career WAR of 46.2 across 3,461 innings pitched.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — At a Board of Education Meeting on January 25, Dr. Michael Patton, Superintendent of Schools for the Saratoga Springs City School District, said that an ongoing independent review of the district’s athletic program should be completed “about a month or so from now.” The review is being led by Tracie Lopardi of the Harris Beach law firm. Lopardi and her partners have examined documents and conducted “many interviews,” according to Dr. Patton. 

The review stems from claims of “a toxic culture of alleged abusive coaching” in a legal complaint filed in October of last year. Girls varsity cross-country and indoor track coaches Art and Linda Kranick were at the center of the allegations. 1989 graduate Kristen (Gecewicz) Gunning said that the running program was “a toxic culture of control and abuse of middle and high school girls all in the name of winning.” 1999 graduate Lauren Hogan said that some aspects of the Kranicks’ program “caused immense damage to me both mentally and physically.” 

An updated version of the legal complaint from October 30 included more than a dozen witnesses who made various claims against the Saratoga Springs High School track program. The claims spanned from the 1980s to 2022.

SYRACUSE — Ballston Spa junior Mia Collins captured the New York State Girls’ Wrestling Invitational title last weekend in Syracuse. Collins won four matches in the tournament. Last month, she finished first in the Eastern States Girls’ Classic, and took home the Section 2 girls’ title.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — The Saratoga Casino Hotel is celebrating its 20th anniversary this month. Upon opening on January 28, 2004, it became the first video gaming facility in New York. Since then, the facility has expanded to include table games, live entertainment, a steakhouse, and a 117-room hotel.

“We have been committed to providing exceptional entertainment experiences for our guests since we opened,” said Alex Tucker, Chief Operating Officer of Saratoga Casino Hotel, in a statement. “As we reflect on the past 20 years, I believe it’s this core mission that has made us successful. We are grateful to our guests, and we are proud to be one of many factors that make Saratoga Springs such a prosperous and thriving community,” said Tucker.

A study released by the Saratoga County Industrial Development Agency said that the Saratoga Casino Hotel receives an average of 1.5 million visitors per year. The property hosts harness racing, concerts, and corporate events.

For more information on the 20-year anniversary celebrations, visit saratogacasino.com.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — If you’re considering selling your home, now may be the time to do it. According to Lisa McTygue, a top realtor at Julie & Co. in Saratoga Springs, “from a seller’s standpoint, this time of year is really the best to get ahead of your competition.”

“Everyone waits until April or May, when their grass is greenest, to list,” McTygue said. But during the warmer months, “competition for a seller greatly increases because the inventory goes up.” For sellers, listing their homes in the offseason can be beneficial because there isn’t as much competition.

Of course, it’s been a seller’s market in Saratoga for some time now. Inventory is still low, at around 2.2 months’ supply, which according to McTygue, is up slightly compared to this time last year. But “a normal market for buyers and sellers is 6 months’ supply of inventory, so we are way below, and this has been going on for a few years,” McTygue said. 

All of this is good news for sellers, as is the steady increase of property values in Saratoga Springs. “I’ve been doing this almost 20 years, property values just keep going up and up,” McTygue said. “Saratoga County has been an insulated area as far as being protected on values and being a very strong market for sellers, time and time again.” 

But the market is far more complex for buyers. “As far as the market goes for buyers, it revolves around interest rates and inventory. So right now we have high interest rates and low inventory,” McTygue said.

So what’s a buyer to do given this scenario? Waiting for interest rates to decline may not be as advantageous as it first seems. “If you keep waiting, prices go up, inventory goes up,” McTygue said. “In my opinion, it boils down to what’s the perfect time for the buyer. Are you qualified now? Do you have the funds to do it now? Don’t wait. You can always refinance if the rates go down a couple percent down the road. Don’t wait, because renting is 100% interest. Owning a home, you’re building equity and you’re building your wealth.”

McTygue said that in April and May, there will likely be an increase in inventory, but nothing “drastic.” She hopes that interest traits will fall to under 6% by the end of the first quarter or beginning of the second quarter. For buyers, the future might be a little brighter, but it’s still decidedly a seller’s market in Saratoga Springs.