I CAN TALK TOO!

Hello Bat fans.  The run for the money has started in earnest.  Looks like Sutton will have her (2) $500.00 per plate dinner fundraisers compliments of Scott Johnson and reportedly by residents of Palacio de Riggi.  The Mayor didn’t need the fundraisers as past Republicans did but Sutton’s lack of funds needed to win (about $75,000.00) will be made up by the fundraisers and by Johnson and his out of town attorney groups.

The NYS Funeral Association convention is being held this week in Saratoga and the guest speaker will be none other than our very own Mayor Scott Johnson, it seems that a group of happy funeral home directors were walking downtown one night and passed by Mayor Johnson as he came out of Sperry’s and thought he looked like someone from the Walking Dead, so they just had to have him on the agenda to see if he indeed talks.

The Police of Saratoga Springs, handicapped by former Commissioner Wirth’s layoffs are doing an incredible job in keeping the City in fine shape, is Saratoga Springs without crime?, No.  Take a look at national averages though and our crime rates are on the low side of cities throughout the country. 

According to the Saratogian:

“Saratoga Springs does have more arrests from reported burglaries than the national average.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation collects crime data from thousands of police agencies across the country, including Saratoga Springs. The national clearance rate for burglaries is 12.7 percent, which is the percentage of arrests made from reported burglaries. The city’s clearance rate for the last decade is 16.4 percent.”

 I would call that pretty good;  as for those of you who want instant up to the minute information on what the Police are up to, one word of advice would be to join the force, why is it that in today’s world we have to know everything that is going on as it happens?

The capital budget has been set and it seems that the Mayor and his aide Shauna Sutton have told residents on the Eastern Plateau that EMS and Fire protection should not be a priority for them.  Something has to be done and if it takes a change of leadership in the Mayor’s chair to do it then the Eastern Plateau residents should tuck this info in their mind for Election Day.

City Deputy Public Works Commissioner Tim Cogan said there are intake valves at the water plant that date back to 1871 and need to be replaced.  Please, if you could wait just 8 more years, we could have another year of Saratoga 150 festivities for those intake valves.

Remember that the primary’s are coming up soon and it should be a gauge on what the election will bring, so stay tuned and please attend one of those $500.00 a plate fundraisers, I know I will.

CUT ANOTHER TREE

Have you started to receive political paper at your house yet?  Door hangers and political ads have started to be dumped by Republican candidates, so you can expect the Democrats to follow suit soon. 

The DROP seems to be starting a little early this year, but then again there are a couple of primaries in September.  PLEASE don’t throw your junk pieces away, give them back to the candidates so they can save on printing more junk pieces.

Has anyone else noticed that whenever the Mayor has been at any event lately that makes the newspaper accompanied by a picture, Shauna Sutton is somewhere in there, like a Where’s Waldo picture?

Well a new book store opens and the best Italian restaurant in the area burns down, happy and sad in the same day, however, Broadway will be that much better for having Northshire Books and Ballston Spa and our whole area will be glad when Augie’s is back up and running.  Augie’s is having a fundraiser for their staff, you can go here http://bit.ly/16YsPyx

to make a donation, starting at $25.00, businesses, area restaurants, customers and those touched by the effort of Augie have been supporting the fund.  On the website he says this:

“Augie's Family Style Italian Restaurant had a fire. The entire place was condemned. The most important headline of the day is that no one was hurt. Things can be replaced - and we will rebuild. However, while we rebuild, our faithful and amazing staff will be temporarily out of work. As per the nature of being service staff, supporting them is difficult when much of their money comes in as tips for their superb and amazing service.
We are making a fund for those who have experienced the service from Augie's to help hold over our employees while we rebuild. We hope we have the community reach out and help the staff. Nothing is more important to us than our dedicated and friendly service staff. Without them, there wouldn't be an Augie's.

Where the money goes:

The money raised will go towards the service staff's hold-over budget - split as we normally do with tips and money raised with normal business at Augie's. We will use the funds to assist our employees while they are out of work during rebuilding. Any remainder of the funds (in case we rebuild faster than estimated) will go towards local homeless shelters in the 518.
Those who assist will receive a one-time coupon good for a percentage discount off of their bill upon reopening - applicable for in-house dining. We will also have a page built on our website showing who loves and supports the Augie's staff. “
Augie, a classy guy and a businesses man dedicated to the well being of his employees.