Sprucing up

Chicks Painting worker McKenzie Holmes of Cobleskill puts a fresh coat of paint on a business on E. Main Street in Johnstown on Wednesday.

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The Greater Johnstown School District held a public hearing on a proposed solar array on the high school campus on Wednesday.

Schools Superintendent William Crankshaw said the district is planning for the 1.5 to 2.5 megawatt project not to exceed $11 million. The project will cover 9.01 acres and generate 3.2 million kilowatt-hours in its first year post-completion. It also is set to receive $2 to $3 million in federal incentives through the IRA investment Tax Credit (IRA-ITC), and $11 million in building aid over a 15-year financial term from the state, according to John W. Danforth Co. representative Ian O’Brien. The Danforth Company is a Syracuse-based solar energy company, but also services multiple parts of New York state.

The district said the new array will support the district in a green and environmentally-friendly manner for the next two to three decades.

Crankshaw said the district is not putting any of its own money into the project, with it being fully funded through energy savings and government incentives. The district will hold a community vote on July 15 to vote on an Energy Performance Contract (EPC) proposal.

“The district is not shelling out money for the project,” Crankshaw said at the meeting. “They get money back from state aid, they get money back from the energy savings. Solar energy has its pros and cons, but it does create an energy saving for the district, so this solar project being developed is delivered through this [initiative], fully funded through guaranteed energy savings.”

However, some attendees had concerns. Local resident Catharine Levee was concerned about the impact the array could have on the land during Wednesday’s public hearing.

“Who is going to be responsible for taking care of everything, all for that, if there is vandalism, if there is any damage that happens, and who is going to test the soil?” she asked.

John W. Danforth Co., which is partnering with the district to develop the array, is responsible for any damage to the array per the 18-year contract signed with the district. They have been in partnership concerning the development of the array for the past three to four years. After following the recommendation of the district’s Shared Decision Making committee in the Fall of 2024 to move forward with the project, the district put the project out to bid and ultimately signed with Danforth to be the project’s designated Energy Service Company (ESCO). As the project’s ESCO, Danforth will be responsible for overseeing the district’s savings guarantee.

“If there was damage to the array, damage to production in any way, we hold the responsibility to correct it and then meet the savings guarantee if something is damaged, the array for whatever reason out of our control,” O’Brien said. “We hold that responsibility as far as soil testing.”

The district has worked with the Town of Johnstown for all permitting and approvals to move forward with the project, and Crankshaw said Wednesday that the district has submitted a permit application to the town’s planning board. If the project is approved, the district plans to begin construction in the fall of the 2025-2026 school year.

The district additionally said the solar project will pay for itself through energy savings over time to the district, and will also have the ability to potentially create additional revenue, according to a press release.

The solar project will be out of public sight with trees surrounding the array on all four sides. Fruit trees and bushes, along with native plants, will be added throughout the property. Although the solar array is near the current cross country running trail, it won’t disturb it.

Registered voters may vote by absentee ballot or by early mail voting if they will be unavailable in-person on July 15.

“This solar project was thoughtfully designed as a key part of the district’s long-term strategic plan to ensure financial stability for years to come,” Assistant Superintendent Alicia D. Koster said in the press release. “By investing now, the district is proactively future-proofing its ability to meet rising electrical demands – particularly with the growing need for EV charging infrastructure.”

Former Raiders wide receiver Henry Ruggs prepares to read a statement in court during sentencing at the Regional Justice Center in Las Vegas in 2023.

Capt. Dan Morley of the Saratoga County Sheriff’s Office recently spoke with former NFL player Henry Ruggs III about his experience with drunken driving. A short 30-second clip of the conversation was posted on the Sheriff’s Office FaceBook page this week.

On November 2, 2021, Ruggs was drunken driving in Las Vegas, Nevada, reaching speeds of up to 156 mph. He crashed his car killing Tina Tintor and her dog, Max. At the time, Ruggs played for the Las Vegas Raiders football team.

Morley, who serves as the Sheriff’s Office’s public information officer, contacted Ruggs’ attorney over a year ago to see if he was interested in doing an interview for Saratoga County’s Stop-DWI program. After going back and forth, Morley and Ruggs were able to meet on June 26 for a video conference.

Throughout various victim-impact panels, Morley had been hearing a lot from people that they wanted more recent and relatable DWI stories. Morley felt Ruggs’ story hit all the marks.

“I thought this story would speak to a lot of younger people, especially athletes,” Morley said.

The full interview was about an hour and half long. Morley........

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