October

The Saratoga County Department of Aging and Youth Services has been selected by local Hannaford store leadership as the benefiting organization in the Fight Hunger Bag Program for the month of November. Donations made through this program will directly benefit the Saratoga County Senior Nutrition Program, which provides healthy meals to participating seniors throughout Saratoga County.

The Senior Nutrition Program helps Saratoga County seniors remain independent while providing those individuals with daily nutritious meals. The home delivered meal program serves those who are primarily homebound and in need of nutritional support. The Gather and Dine program offer dining at eight meal sites throughout the county, this program gives seniors the opportunity to socialize with others in their community.

The Hannaford Fight Hunger Bag Program is an easy way for shoppers to give back to the local community and the environment as part of the regular shopping routine. For every $2.50 reusable Fight Hunger Bag purchased, Hannaford sends a $1 donation to an organization local to the Hannaford in which it was purchased. During the month of November, the Saratoga County Senior Nutrition Program has been chosen to receive $1 for every Fight Hunger Bag purchased at the Hannaford on Rossi Way in Ballston Spa.

For more information about the Hannaford Fight Hunger Bag Program, please visit hannaford.bags4mycause.com.

For more information about the Saratoga County Office of Aging and Youth Senior Nutrition Program, please visit www.saratogacountyny.gov.

November 1 at 11AM: Transferable Skills. Transferable skills are qualities you have already acquired that can be used in a different job. Learn how to make employers see the connection between your qualities and the skillset needed to do the job and market yourself as the solution to an employer’s problem. Facilitated by Warren and Albany.

November 9 at 10AM: Goal Setting. This workshop explores how goal setting works, why goals are important, and provides helpful resources to get you started to reach your dreams. Facilitated by Washington and Albany.

November 10 at 10AM: Resume Development. This workshop presents the basics of a powerful and effective cover letter including formatting, tailoring to the job, and getting through the online application process to land an interview. Please have a rough draft of your resume with you. Facilitated by Rensselaer & Columbia-Greene.

November 17 at 11AM: Completing Job Applications. Statistics show approximately 50% of mid-sized companies and almost all large corporations use an applicant tracking system to screen candidates for job opportunities. Learn how to prepare your online application to get the most visibility from hiring managers. Facilitated by Warren and Washington.

November 22 at 11AM: Overcoming Barriers. Join an informal discussion about how to overcome potential stumbling blocks to finding a job. Whether you’re facing transportation needs, childcare needs, prior justice system involvement, inexperience, health concerns or more, this workshop will provide you with resources and strategies to help you meet your goals. Facilitated by Saratoga and Fulton-Montgomery-Schoharie.

November 29 at 1:30PM: Social Media. Your social media presence can make or break your ability to find a job. Learn how to use social media to your advantage in searching for a job and marketing yourself to land the job or career you’ve always wanted. Facilitated by Schenectady.

Registration is required for all workshops. Visit https://thejoblink.org/calendar/ to register or call the Saratoga County Career Center at (518) 884-4170 for more information. The workshops are offered as part of the Saratoga County Career Center’s WorkPays! workforce education campaign.

The Saratoga County Employment and Training Office provides comprehensive training and employment services to residents through its Career Center and works with local businesses to attract and retain the local workforce.

The Greater Capital Region Career Centers is a group of local county and city-based Career Centers and partners that coordinate services to address the workforce needs of the Greater Capital Region by providing a variety of career and workforce resources, training opportunities, and more. Members include Capital Region Workforce New York; Columbia-Green Workforce NY; City of Albany Career Center; L.E.A.P; Rensselaer County Career Center; Saratoga County Career Center; Schenectady County Connects; Warren County Career Center; Workforce Solutions System of Fulton, Montgomery, Schoharie Counties.

November 3: Northumberland Town Hall (17 Catherine St, Gansevoort), 9AM to Noon

November 10: Corinth Fire Department (16 Saratoga Ave, Corinth), 9AM to Noon

November 17: Galway Town Hall (5910 Sacandaga Rd, Galway), 9AM to Noon

The Pfizer vaccine will be available at all clinics. An appointment is required.

To make an appointment, seniors may call (518) 693-1075 Monday through Friday between 8AM and 4:30PM.

“I am proud to have built and led an emergency management office that is respected statewide, and I am confident that our team of professionals will continue to serve the people of Saratoga County,” said Zeilman.

Zeilman, 46, is an active United States Navy Reservist and serves as the assistant officer-in-charge of a public affairs unit when not keeping county residents safe. An open search for a full-time successor will begin immediately.

“Commissioner Zeilman has been an exceptional leader serving for nearly a decade as our emergency management director. Whether overseeing a response to a severe weather event or assisting with the COVID19 pandemic, he consistently put the residents of Saratoga County and their well-being first. I would like to thank him for his years of service and wish him nothing but the best in his role and all future endeavors,” said Chairman of the Saratoga County Board of Supervisors, Theodore T. Kusnierz, Jr. (Town of Moreau).

The Saratoga County Office of Emergency Management has the primary responsibility of protecting life and property during disasters and emergencies. The office does this through comprehensive emergency planning encompassing preparedness, response, mitigation, and recovery.

“He built the office of emergency management and brought us into the next generation,” said Saratoga County Sheriff Michael Zurlo. “He has a done a tremendous job elevating the department and most importantly serving the residents of Saratoga County. We thank him for his years of dedicated service to the community.”

Zeilman said his biggest accomplishment was guiding the county’s COVID-19 response and recovery effort. “A pandemic like COVID-19 is hopefully a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Our response which included personal protective equipment distribution to being the first county in the country to conduct in-home COVID vaccinations was mirrored by other emergency management offices. In my view this was a big success,” said Zeilman.

During his tenure, Zeilman successfully negotiated the co-location of cellular equipment on county-owned towers with wireless carriers in the northern part of the county, bringing wireless coverage to the Sacandaga Lake region and earning statewide accreditation under New York State’s Emergency Management Association (NYSEMA) and the New York State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services (DHSES), one of the first counties to do so in the State of New York.

Emergency Management allocates resources to 33 fire departments, 12 EMS agencies, 7 local police agencies and the Saratoga County Sheriff’s Office.

Zeilman stated an announcement regarding his future plans will be forthcoming.

The Roll With Us campaign began in May of 2022 to help local fire departments address a critical need for more volunteers and continues its recruitment efforts on behalf of those departments.“Across the nation and right here in Saratoga County, we are seeing a significant need for volunteer firefighters. This Fire Prevention Week, we’re encouraging residents to not only make a fire safety plan but to also make a plan to Roll With Us,” said Carl Zeilman, Director of Saratoga County Office of Emergency Management. “There are many ways you can use your talents to help your community as a volunteer firefighter. From controlling traffic to conducting search and rescue, each volunteer firefighter plays an important role.”

To learn more about the County’s Roll With Us Campaign, please visit www.saratogacountyny.gov/rollwithus/.

This year’s FPW campaign, “Fire won’t wait. Plan your escape TM”, works to educate everyone about simple but important actions they can take to keep themselves and those around them safe from home fires.

“Today’s homes burn faster than ever. You may have as little as two minutes (or even less time) to safely escape a home fire from the time the smoke alarm sounds. Your ability to get out of a home during a fire depends on early warning from smoke alarms and advance planning,” said Lorraine Carli, vice president of Outreach and Advocacy at NFPA.

Saratoga County Office of Emergency Management encourages all residents to remember these key home fire escape planning tips:
• Make sure your plan meets the needs of all your family members, including those with sensory or physical disabilities.
• Smoke alarms should be installed inside every sleeping room, outside each separate sleeping area, and on every level of your home. Smoke alarms should be interconnected so when one sounds, they all sound.
• Know at least two ways out of every room, if possible. Make sure all doors and windows open easily.
• Have an outside meeting place a safe distance from your home where everyone should meet.
• Practice your home fire drill at least twice a year with everyone in the household, including guests. Practice at least once during the day and at night.

To find out more about Fire Prevention Week programs and activities in Saratoga County please contact your local Fire Department. For more general information about Fire Prevention Week and fire prevention in general, visit fpw.org and sparky.org.

Residents simply choose whether they are reporting storm damage or severe weather and fill in the location, date, and time of the observation. Users also have the option of uploading a photo as well as including additional comments and their contact information.

This is not a replacement for 911. In emergencies, residents are always instructed to dial 911.

Carl Zeilman, Director of the Saratoga County Office of Emergency Management said, “We are proud to bring this Storm Reporting tool to Saratoga County residents. The information collected from the tool will allow emergency management staff to better support efforts by public works, utilities, and hazard mitigation professionals following severe-weather events.”

Information collected may be shared with first responders, town officials, the Saratoga County Office of
Emergency Management, and the Saratoga County Department of Public Works if applicable.

For more information about the Saratoga County Office of Emergency Management, please visit www.saratogacountyny.gov.

October 13: Saratoga Senior Center (5 Williams St, Saratoga Springs, NY) from 1PM to 4PM

October 20: Wilton Town Gavin Park at the Dailey Gym (10 Lewis Rd, Saratoga Springs, NY) from 9AM to 3:30PM

October 27: Halfmoon Town Hall (2 Halfmoon Town Plaza, Clifton Park, NY) from 9AM to 3:30PM

The Pfizer vaccine will be available at all clinics. An appointment is required.
To make an appointment, seniors may call (518) 693-1075 Monday through Friday between 8AM and 4:30PM or visit www.SaratogaCountyNY.gov/COVID.

For more information about COVID clinics and resources, please visit www.SaratogaCountyNY.gov/COVID.