257 comments? We'll take that on.
Wilton has a salty watershed moment.
Welcome to the Daily Dispatch, the afternoon Saratoga Springs news email straight to your inbox.
For a shareable link, or to read this email in your browser, click here.
TOP: Wilton’s watershed moment (it’s salty).
BELOW: 257 comments to taste test. (Someone had to do it.)
Wilton's watershed moment
New salt initiative to help Saratoga Lake.
It’s a watershed moment for Wilton.
The Town of Wilton’s Highway Department, led by Superintendent Mike Monroe, has implemented a series of measures to reduce road salt in the Saratoga Lake watershed, a press release from the Saratoga Lake Association says.
Earlier this year, Wilton completed the calibration of all 14 of its large dump trucks used for winter salt spreading, with technical assistance from WIT Advisors, a firm that helps municipalities and organizations improve road salt use and snow management.
Each truck now has a precise chart in its cab showing the number of pounds of salt applied per lane-mile, tailored to that truck’s unique hydraulic setup. This will allow operators to apply the right amount of salt per storm, improving efficiency and reducing environmental impact.
Wilton also equipped four trucks with “live edge” plow blades which clear the road more completely, reducing the need for salt. Monroe plans to install these blades on all large trucks in 2026, the SLA’s statement said.
Wilton also fabricated and installed a 2,600-gallon brine tank and dispenser on one truck. Brining will allow the town to pre-treat the roads ahead of storms, reducing the need for salt.
Monroe’s work comes as the Skidmore College Environmental Studies and Sciences Capstone Report, funded by the SLA, warns that chloride levels in Saratoga Lake and its tributaries are at or near toxic thresholds for aquatic life, and road salt is a major contributor.
For Monroe, the effort is about more than technology.
“Calibration, training, and brining are just tools in the toolbox,” Monroe said in a statement. “The real goal is to keep our roads safe while protecting the lake and our drinking water. We can do both — and do it better than before.”
SLA President Dr. Jim DeMasi said Monroe is setting a gold standard and urged other municipalities to follow suit.
Keep reading about salt and Saratoga Lake!
“We’re at a tipping point.” SLPID Executive Director Cristina Connolly.
Please forward this email!
You are enjoying the Dispatch, and others will too. Please send this email along to friends, neighbors and colleagues, encouraging them to subscribe. Word-of-mouth and paid subscriptions is how our little company survives. — Abby Tegnelia and Steve Thurston, co-founders, editors
We appreciate the readers we have, and we appreciate what they say about us!
“Very informative for what’s going on around our City.” —John
“Quality local coverage.” —Tad
The $8 bread debate at BuonaSera on the Lake
A not-new restaurant stirring up 257 mostly-fiery Facebook comments? I headed straight over.
By: Abby Tegnelia
Who knew a freshly baked loaf of Italian bread served with a fragrant roasted bulb of garlic and herby, garlicky butter could be so…controversial.
Think it couldn’t be? Wading through the 257 (yes, you read that right) comments on a recent social media post might change your mind. But it wasn’t the only polarizing issue on this charming, upscale year-old restaurant — so I decided to wade in and offer my unsolicited opinion on four complaints and three raves, based on one meal this week.
This Substack is reader-supported. If you’re hungry for more Saratoga Dish, help keep us around via a paid subscription.
It all started with an innocuous-enough request on the infamous local Facebook group What’s Going on Saratoga. “Wanted to get honest reviews for Buona Sera Saratoga Lake. Thank you,” read the Saturday, August 16 post.
Very polite.
Things quickly turned…
Starting right out of the gate with shock and horror: a complaint
Keep reading with a 7-day free trial
Subscribe to Saratoga Dispatch — the Spa City's essential newsletter to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.