LOOKING BACK
The Saratogian's top 10 stories from 2021
SARATOGA COUNTY, N.Y. » The world had high hopes going into 2021 after a pandemic filled 2020, however, unfortunately, even with vaccines, the global pandemic is peaking yet again.
With the New Year being a time for reflection, the editorial staff at The Saratogian looked back at some of what we believed to be our top 10 stories from 2021.
Below is our list from number one to 10 and a little review on each story.
1. GlobalFoundries moves headquarters from Silicon Valley to Malta
In July, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer held a major announcement at Global Foundries in Malta. Schumer announced that Global Foundries will move its headquarters from Silicon Valley to Saratoga County.
GF has invested more than $15 billion in its Malta site over the last decade to support innovation and manufacturing capacity.
In 2021, the company is doubling its planned investment to expand global capacity, with $500 million targeted for Malta alone.
The move from GF’s previous headquarters in California to its state-of-the-art fab in New York is part of the company’s commitment to address the soaring global chip demand, with a focus on semiconductor manufacturing innovation.
GF will maintain a substantial presence in Santa Clara, Calif., where many of its leading U.S. customers and ecosystem partners are based.
2. From pandemonium to fandemonium; Saratoga Race Course set for Opening Day
Fans were back allowed into the Saratoga Race Course in 2021 after no fans were allowed during the peak of the pandemic in 2020. Fans were treated once again to 40 days of world-class thoroughbred racing.
The Spa City hummed, whistled, and bustled and reclaimed its mantle of the summer place to be.
A pandemic, rainy July, and muggy August didn’t deter fans from turning out in droves. That passion translated into a new record all-sources handle, surpassing the 2019 tally of $705,343,949.
It was a memorable 153rd summer meet, from honoring essential workers on opening day weekend to Essential Quality’s win at the 152nd Runhappy Travers Stakes. That day saw a paid attendance of 44,507 spectators witness Essential Quality emerge victorious for reigning Eclipse Award-winning trainer Brad Cox and jockey Luis Saez. The Travers made for essential viewing interest on FOX as well, pulling in the event’s largest audience since 2015 with 1,089,000 viewers, up 80% from last year.
3. SPAC looks ahead to the return of live performances in 2021
The stage at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center was filled with entertainers and fans again in 2021.
Following a year of a shuttered amphitheater stage due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this season SPAC welcomed back all three resident companies — New York City Ballet, The
Philadelphia Orchestra and Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center — in addition to hosting its iconic Freihofer’s Saratoga Jazz Festival, a popular concert lineup presented by Live Nation, the return of Caffe Lena @ SPAC and a special evening dedicated to Health Care Workers.
As visitors made their way through the SPAC gates once again this past summer, they will have noticed major facility improvements. In 2020, with funding from Live Nation, Empire State Development, and New York State Parks Recreation & Historic Preservation, SPAC completed its new capital project called The Pines@SPAC.
4. Saratoga Springs Mayor-elect Kim on victory: ‘Democracy matters’
Voters in the Spa City had their chance to elect a new mayor during the November 2021 election. Outgoing Mayor Meg Kelly chose not to run for re-election.
On this Election Day in 2021, Democrat Ron Kim earned more votes than competitors Heidi Owen West (Republican, Conservative United Saratoga), outgoing Public Safety Commissioner Robin Dalton (Saratoga Stronger Together) and Maxwell Rosenbaum (Working Families). Kim will be sworn-in during a private ceremony on New Year’s Day.
5. Democrats take 3 of 4 Commissioner offices in Saratoga Springs
The City Council in Saratoga Springs will look different going into 2022 with a lot of new faces.
The Saratoga Springs Democratic Committee declared a major victory on Election night 2021, after apparently winning almost all of the positions they ran for in the general elections, pending final official results.
Jim Montagnino won the office of Commissioner of Public Safety, Dillon Moran won in the Commissioner of Public Accounts race, and Minita Sanghvi was victorious in the race for Commissioner of Finance. Republican incumbent Anthony “Skip” Scirocco remained the Commissioner of Public Works.
Current office-holders Michele Madigan (Finance), John Franck (Accounts) and Robin Dalton (Public Safety) previously announced they would not be seeking re-election.
6. Vandalized statue honoring New York 77th Infantry Regiment reinstalled at Congress Park
A statue honoring the New York 77th Infantry Regiment, a group of local soldiers who fought in the Union Army during the American Civil War, is once again standing at Congress Park in Saratoga Springs.
The monument, vandalized in July of 2020, was reinstalled on Tuesday morning by Saratoga Springs Department of Public Works employees, as community members watched and celebrated.
Before this grand return, the zinc statue required significant repairs, which were performed by Evergreene Architectural Artists in Maryland.
7. First Night Saratoga again a no-go for New Year’s Eve
People were once again not able to attend First Night Saratoga on New Year’s Eve to close out 2021.
The popular local tradition was missed for the second year in a row.
While the pandemic is a major challenge for any large-scale event planning in 2021, the COVID virus isn’t the only reason that Saratoga Arts can’t run the festival this year, Kerr said, explaining that funding is a problem too.
Kerr, who started as the new Saratoga Arts leader in August of 2020, said it doesn’t make sense for the arts center to operate such a large event involving 140 volunteers and an outlay of about $100,000.
So, last year, Saratoga Arts initiated discussions with representatives from the Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce, the Saratoga Springs City Center, Discover Saratoga, the City of Saratoga Springs and the Saratoga Regional YMCA (which presented the inaugural First Night Saratoga in 1996) about running the program more collaboratively in the future.
Though this year’s First Night is a no-go, Kerr is optimistic that the festival will return again, in a different form.
8. Kakavelos sentenced to life without parole for 2019 murder of Allyzibeth Lamont
George Kakavelos, convicted of first-degree murder earlier this year in the 2019 death of Allyzibeth Lamont, was sentenced to the maximum sentence of life without parole by Saratoga County Court Judge James A. Murphy on Tuesday.
A jury found Kakavelos guilty of 10 charges on June 17, 2021. The trial lasted for six-plus weeks, with the jury hearing from more than 60 witnesses and considering over 700 items of evidence.
In November of 2021, Murphy imposed sentences for each of the 10 counts as follows:
1 — Murder in the First Degree, a Class A-I felony: Life without the possibility of parole in a state correctional facility;
2 — Conspiracy in the Second Degree, a Class B felony: 8 1/3 to 25 years incarceration in a state correctional facility;
3 — Concealment of a Human Corpse, a Class E felony (regarding the covering, removing and transportation of the victim’s body from Fulton County and depositing the victim’s body in Saratoga County): 1 1/3 to 4 years incarceration in a state correctional facility;
4 — Concealment of a Human Corpse, a Class E felony (regarding the burial of the victim’s body in the Town of Malta): 1/1/3 to 4 years incarceration in a state correctional facility;
5 — Tamper Tampering with Physical Evidence, a Class E felony (regarding concealment, alteration or destruction of items found inside or outside the Local No. 9 deli in the City of Johnstown): 1/1/3 to 4 years incarceration in a state correctional facility; 6 — Tampering with Physical Evidence, a Class E felony (regarding concealment, alteration or destruction of items found in the wetland area of Dean Lung Road in the Town of Galway): 1/1/3 to 4 years incarceration in a state correctional facility;
7 — Tampering with Physical Evidence, a Class E felony (regarding the concealment, alteration or destruction of items found in the wooded area of Dean Lung Road in the Town of Galway): 1/1/3 to 4 years incarceration in a state correctional facility;
8 — Tampering with Physical Evidence, a Class E felony (regarding concealment, alteration or destruction of items found off Rowland Street in the Town of Milton): 1/1/3 to 4 years incarceration in a state correctional facility;
9 — Tampering with Physical Evidence, a Class E felony (regarding the concealment, alteration or destruction involving the relining of the trunk area of a black 2008 Volkswagon Passat in the Town of Glenmont, County of Albany): 1 1/3 to 4 years incarceration in a state correctional facility;
10 — Tampering with Physical Evidence, a Class E felony (regarding the concealment, alteration or destruction involving the cleaning and deodorizing of a black 2008 Volkswagon Passat in the Town of Colonie, County of Albany): 1/1/3 to 4 years incarceration in a state correctional facility.
Murphy directed that all of the sentences shall run concurrently, with the exception of the Concealment of a Human Corpse count regarding the burial of the victim’s body in the town of Malta. The Judge directed that sentence of 1 1/3 to 4 years was to run consecutive to all the other sentences imposed.
Kakavelos was convicted for the murder of Lamont on or about Oct. 28, 2019 in Johnstown. Lamont was a 22-year-old woman who worked for the defendant at his sub shop and deli in Johnstown. The jury found Kakavelos hired another employee, James Duffy, to assist him with the murder and the removal of the victim to a gravesite in the Town of Malta.
9. Halfmoon Trader Joe’s location opens
Many locals were excited to see a new Trader Joe’s open in Halfmoon in September of 2021. The new storefront is located at 3 Halfmoon Crossing, just east of the Halfmoon/Clifton Park border.
The Halfmoon location is the first Trader Joe’s in Saratoga County. The approximately 12,500 squarefoot store features colorful artwork that pays tribute to area landmarks and local lore, including the Twin Bridges, Saratoga County’s famed apple orchards, and various wildlife native to the shores of the Mohawk and Hudson rivers.
10. Saratogians mark 20th anniversary of 9/11 terrorist attacks
Saratogians gathered around the Tempered by Memory sculpture on Saturday, Sept. 11, 2021 for a ceremony marking the 20th anniversary of 9/11 terrorist attacks.
The sculpture, created by Noah Savett in collaboration with John Van Alstine, features steel beams from the World Trade Center. It is located at High Rock Park in Saratoga Springs, where it was erected in 2012.
Many community members surrounded the sculpture for a solemn occasion.
The city’s 9/11 Remembrance Ceremony included songs, prayer and patriotism.
Representatives from the Saratoga Springs Police Department, Saratoga Springs Fire Department, Sea Cadets, Disabled American Veterans, Daughters of the American Revolution and the Church of St. Peter all participated in the event.