Saratoga North Edition | Thursday, December 30, 2021
Nonprofit that grew to feed hungry Comfort Food Community continues to expand mission to help fight food insecurity ByLINE: WENDY LIBERATORE
Board clears mayor, who slams complaint ByLINE: WENDY LIBERATORE
SARATOGA SPRINGS - Outgoing Mayor Meg Kelly was cleared by the city's Board of Ethics last Wednesday on allegations she used her office to win a $200,000 grant for a private school where she works and to provide its students access to her office through exclusive KELLY internships. The Board of Ethics concluded "there is no reasonable cause for believing the city official violated the City's Ethics code," prompting Kelly to call the charges "baseless and absurd" and to release a scathing statement targeting Commissioner of Public Safety Robin Dalton, who asked for the probe in late November. "The complaint was created for the sole purpose of damaging my reputation," Kelly said in a long written statement. "The evidence of this motive is that she leaked the complaint at the time of the filing to the media, in obvious hopes of generating negative coverage. Media outlets took the bait and wrote negative stories. Painfully, the real story was missed -- the unseemly attempted manipulation by a public official of the important office of the City Board of Ethics. These actions are unbecoming of someone honored with the title of Commissioner by our City. Moreover, the damage to public discourse when someone entrusted with the public service of serving as Commissioner of Please see KELLY 6
GREENWICH - On a Friday night in 2012, Maryann McGeorge and Sue Sanderson were volunteering at the Greenwich Youth Center in Village Hall when they heard a knock on the door. It was a woman who said she needed to find the food pantry. "We have nothing to eat, can you help us"? she asked. Sanderson said they were baffled. "We didn't know there was a food pantry," Sanderson said. "We gave her some ramen noodles and things we had there for her to have something to eat for that evening. The following Monday, we decided it would be important to know where the food pantry was." What they discovered troubled them. There was a food pantry in Village Hall, tucked upstairs off a narrow hallway. To access it, those in need had to call a number that most didn't know. And for those who did know it, they could only access nonperishable foods. Moreover, pantry clientele were only allowed to visit once a month. That motivated
the socially minded couple to do something. They gathered four other like-minded souls to create Comfort Food Community, which today is a $1.1 million nonprofit devoted to providing healthy, fresh food that is easily accessible to those in need. But it is much more. CFC, as it is known, is also dedicated to reducing food waste, educating the community about nutrition and food preparation, and partnering with health care professionals to serve up food as medicine. Last year alone, CFC fed 13,000 people with its distribution of 500,000 pounds of food, all under their motto: "When everyone eats, all are nourished," Executive Director Devin Bulger said. Sanderson said everything CFC does is there in the organization's name. "Comfort is the security of knowing your next meal was available and the elimination of the anxiety of an empty stomach and knowledge that nutritious and healthy foods are available in the stores and at the school and when necessary in the pantry," Sanderson said. "Food is the essential ingredient, to make possible a healthy productive life. And community is the collaboration of the individuals and groups that bind individuals together.
It strengthens the whole." But getting CFC where it is today was a lot of work. And one of their best and most pivotal decisions was the hiring of Bulger in 2014 as executive director, both women said. A native of Greenwich and a Loyola University Maryland graduate in finance, Bulger had returned to the area "bit by the social work bug" after working with the homeless in Denver. "I was doing homeless outreach, literally out in the street with a backpack,
meeting people, trying to figure out what their situation was, what their story was and bring them back to stable housing," Bulger said. "I was also renting a plot with Denver Urban Gardens and I started to think how to make the connection between food, work, health and nutrition." A mutual friend who joined in the effort as a founding member of CFC introduced Bulger, who was at the time working at a Community Please see FOOD 6
Carlin making strides on mat ByLINE: JAMES ALLEN
Colin Carlin is a junior wrestler at Burnt Hills. As a freshman, Carlin advanced to the Section II Division I final at 120 pounds. As a sophomore, Carlin dealt with a season reduced to just a few matches because of the coronavirus pandemic. Carlin is competing this season at 138 pounds and is one of the top contenders with a 13-2 record. Q: How grateful are you to be back to a somewhat normal schedule? A: Honestly, it is perfect. Definitely missing my sophomore year was a pretty big deal for me because I think I have made huge strides from freshman year to junior year. I think sophomore year would have been a big year for me. It is what it is. Now, I am here and trying to make the most of it. Q: I don't care what sport it is, missing essentially an entire year would be difficult for anyone to deal with. You already had competed two years as a varsity wrestler prior to your sophomore year, yet you still missed vital development time. Did you find yourself working even harder during the summer trying to get back into the routine you previously enjoyed? A: Yeah, for sure. There wasn't really much I could do during the offseason, but practice and get better when we were able to come back. Q: How frustrating was it for you as a competitor to basically have your sport taken away?
A: It was hard to get into places to do stuff. You had to make the most of what was available to you and build off of that. It was a struggle for a lot of people. I know I had problems finding ways to get better. You just tried to build. Q: We are a decent way into the season now, so how would you assess how things are going so far? A: I think I can be doing better, but I am not complaining. I had two pretty tough losses against guys that are beatable and higher up in the state. This season, I am just letting things fly and doing my best pretty much. Q: You made the Division I finals as a freshman and then don't have a tournament as a sophomore. Did that sort of stoke your fire for this season? A: For sure. That loss my freshman year was pretty hard on me. At the time I thought, well, I only have three years left and I better make the most of them. Last year got canceled, so I am down to two. I am really trying to build up and make a name for myself these last two years. Q: What is it like having your brother Liam on the team with you? A: Oh, it is great. Before, I liked the team of course. Now, I have something else. You are always excited for your teammates, but I really have someone to get excited for, someone I train with that is by my side. He is having a great year (at 13-0) and took out a state champ. He is looking to get a state title this year.
JENN MARCH / JENN MARCH PHOTOGRAPHY
Burnt Hills' Colin Carlin, right, during the Section II wrestling finals in Feb. 2021.
Q: When you have something taken away fr om you, no matter what it is, it can be difficult. Your sport was hit hardest by the COVID-19 situation. As much as you must be enjoying the physical aspects of being able to compete again, how tough was it for you having wrestling taken away from a mental standpoint? A: I think there actually were some positives from being gone for a while. Wrestling is such a tough sport from a mental standpoint. You Please see CARLIN 6
Farm sees Bright future in growing marijuana Saratoga County couple await state’s rules to obtain licenses ByLINE: REBEKAH F. WARD
GREENFIELD - Local maple syrup "tastes better," according to the website of Twin Leaf Farms, a new brand on an old plot of land in Saratoga County. Now, its owners are gearing up to market a similar bid for a different leaf:
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marijuana. While the land and home next to Twin Leaf has been in Claudia Bright's family for seven generations, she and her husband, Kevin Bright, bought the farm about four years ago, when the former owner -- who had run it himself for decades -- was looking to get out. Public records show they registered the brand in August 2019. "Since then, we've upgraded the maple operation," Kevin Bright said. He explained, from a couch in the cou-
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PAGE 2 | DECEMBER 30, 2021
LOCAL FIRST | SARATOGA NORTH
Trail offers views, some surprises By HERB TERNS
I’d been riding for a while when the first rays of light arrived. Heading east into a crisp, December sunrise was one of many unanticipated joys of the trip, and I stopped to turn off my bike lights. The genesis of the trip was an email from Dave in East Schodack, who asked if I’d considered writing about the Albany-Hudson Electric Trail — a newly constructed 36-mile segment of the Empire State Trail running from Rensselaer to Hudson. I thought about Dave’s question for a while. I considered driving to Rensselaer, but then I’d need to put the bike on my car and find a parking place. Instead, I elected to ride from my Schenectady home because I liked the sound of “Home to Hudson.” I knew it was roughly 20some miles from Electric City to Albany but stopped doing math for fear of talking myself out of the trip. Instead of planning and math, I packed Clif Bars and bike lights. Lots of them. The sun had been up for a few hours when I arrived at the northern end of the AHET in Rensselaer. I experienced “Stewart’s mirage,” where I’m very hungry and imagine every brown-and-white building is a Stewart’s. While most of the AHET is off-road, there are short segments of on-road riding. These segments are well-marked and generally on sedate streets. The northern end of the route winds through suburban areas which, happily for me, offered an actual Stewart’s and a cyclist’s “second breakfast.” Somewhere near Nassau Lake, the AHET starts showing off, rolling by lakes and streams
Weekend Winter Sports Rentals at Wilton Wildlife Preserve & Park WILTON - Don’t hibernate all winter! Cross country skiing and snowshoeing are great ways to explore the outdoors during this time of year. Starting the weekend of January 8th 2022, cross country skis and snowshoes will be available for rent every Saturday and Sunday through March 13th. Rentals will also be available during the school vacation week from February 21st through February 25th. Both adult and child sizes available, meaning
and through pretty, small towns. The miles between Nassau Lake and Kinderhook Lake are surrounded by horse farms and are bike heaven. Bicycling-.com recently ranked the Empire State Trail the “Best Cross-State Ride,” and you’ll see why. So, why would I write about a bike trail in winter? A few reasons. The first: Next week you might make a list of things you’re going to do in 2022 — try to define who you’re going to be. Maybe you’ll learn French, or convert your basement into a home gym or learn to make pottery. Consider adding a ride on the AHET to that list. You don’t have to ride a zillion miles. Just ride. Maybe bring a toothbrush and extra clothes and stay overnight in one of the towns along the trail. Since the invention of the bicycle, there has never been as much, or as good, bike infrastructure as we have right now. Plan to get out and enjoy it. If your bike has been in the garage for years, now is a great time to fix it. Bike shops are busy in March and April, when the warm weather returns. They aren’t busy in December and January, so bring that bike in now. It doesn’t matter which bike shop, because they’re all good. No one opens a bike shop to be a millionaire, they do it because they love bikes and want people riding them — you’ll see. I didn’t research the mileage or description of my trip because I wanted to be surprised and I was. Surprised at the pretty trail below Niverville, dancing with the Valatie Kill. Surprised by apple orchards with views of the Catskills’ Blackhead Range. Surprised when a pack of alpacas (do alpacas pack?) came to the fence to say hello. Surprised to see a man on
the whole family can enjoy the winter scenes of Wilton Wildlife Preserve & Park! The Rental Cabin is located at the Camp Saratoga North Parcel, Parking Lot #1, on Scout Road of the town of Wilton. Rentals are $10.00 for adults and $5.00 for kids/students. Rentals are available between 10:00AM and 2:00PM. All rented equipment must be returned by 3:00PM. Rentals are given out on a first-come firstserve basis. For more information, please contact the Preserve & Park office at 518-450-0321 or via email at info@wiltonpreserve.
org. For up-to-date trail conditions or program information, please visit the Preserve & Park’s website at www.wiltonpreserve.org The Wilton Wildlife Preserve & Park is a non-profit organization that conserves ecological systems and natural settings while providing opportunities for environmental education and outdoor recreation.
Capital District Fly Fishers Annual Fly Tying Class CAPITAL DISTRICT - 8 Sessions Various Wednesdays 7:00-9:00 pm - Jan. 12th, 26th, Feb.
645 Albany-Shaker Road Albany, NY 12211
The Largest-Circulation Print newspaper in New York’s Capital Region HERB TERNS / TIMES UNION
Riders on the Albany-Hudson Electric Trail near Kinderhook Lake.
a unicycle, decked out in winter gear, waving hello. Surprised to cross the Hudson city limits and the end of the AHET. I turned my bike to head back north. I knew the route but the view was different. This is why I come out, no matter the season: to know this place better, to see it from a different direction. The day began to fade and the horses and lakes and streams looked better in the crisp sunset. By the time I arrived at the northern end of the AHET, I needed bike lights again. I paused on the Dunn Memorial Bridge to take in Albany’s lights against the ink-black sky. From the bridge to the bike path is a steep, habitrail-like enclosure that I zipped through with a smile on my face, having more fun than adults are supposed to have. The Corning Preserve deer reluctantly stepped off the path as I rode, a silver moon reflected in the Hudson River beside me. I did the trip to find beauty and a challenge and found them both. Thanks, Dave.
2nd, 9th, 23rd March 2nd, 9th, 23rd, March 30th Makeup Session. Location: 5 Locust Lane, Clifton Park, NY 12065. Learn to Tie the following flies: Streamers Nymphs, Wet Dry, Terrestrials Caddis & Leaches, Deer Hair. Course Includes: ALL materials to tie 70 flies (5 each of 14 flies). Material give a way at the classes. Must have own tools, which are covered at the 1st session. Class size limited (First Come First Serve). For Information or Gift Certificate,Contact: Rodney Priddle (518) 421-6762 or flyrod@nycap. rr.com Paul Sinicki at (518)885-
8257 or cdflyfishers@ nycap.rr.com For Registration go to https://parksrec.egov. basgov.com/cliftonpark Or call (518) 371-6651.
Ballston Spa United Methodist Church Thrift Shop BALLSTON SPA - The Ballston Spa United Methodist Church Thrift Shop is open on Tuesday morningsfrom 9:30 until noon. We are located at 101 Milton Avenue in Ballston Spa. However much you can fit in a grocery bag is just $3. e-in number, call or text 518-424-0472. and the Liberty wallpaper plant in 1924. Other tidbits include the date the Visitation Church closed, the Quaker Springs Methodist church was incorporated, the Assembly of God Church was dedicated, the Dovegate Inn opened on Broad Street, the Old Saratoga Trading Post Museum closed, Schuylerville Central School District was formed, and a helicopter crashed and burned in Grangerville. Calendars may be purchased for $5.00 in Schuylerville at Byron’s Market, Saratoga Apple, Schuylerville Public Library, Schuylerville Village Clerk’s office and at the Town Clerk’s office or at the Old Saratoga Mercantile and Olde Saratoga Home and Garden on Route 29 and from Pat Peck. The Old Saratoga Historical Association has produced the Town of Saratoga calendar for the past 37 years. Call Pat Peck, 518-584-4129, to arrange to have calendars mailed and to offer photos for the 2023 calendar.
2022 Town of Saratoga Calendars Now Available
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TOWN OF SARATOGA - The 2022 Town of Saratoga calendars featuring pictures from days gone by in the villages of Schuylerville and Victory and in the surrounding areas are now on sale. Calendar pages are sprinkled with close to 150 historical tidbits. The photos include Broad Street Schuylerville in the early 1900s, the 1951 confirmation students at Notre Dame Church, one of the last steam engines of the Saratoga & Schuylerville Railroad in 1947, the old one-lane iron Bryant’s Bridge, the Eustis wedding party in 1930, and seven other pictures from the Town’s past. You will learn that fire destroyed Prospector’s Bar & Grill and the Hotel Schuyler in 1997, struck the Dutch Reformed Church in 1831, the gristmill in Grangerville in 1938, the Glass Bakery on Broad Street in 1945, the Theater Bar in 1984
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Volunteers Needed Saratoga National Cemetery Honor Guard Association CAPITAL DISTRICT - The Saratoga National Cemetery Honor Guard Association is recruiting volunteers to become new members. We welcome honorably discharged veterans to join the Saratoga National Cemetery Honor Guard Association and Color Guard. The Honor Guard also joins directly with all active duty branches sharing in the ceremonial procedures. If you are interested in exploring membership, please go to www.snchga. org and read about our organization. If you feel the Honor Guard may be a good fit for you, complete an application and mail the required forms to the address on the application. If you would like to talk to someone before applying for membership, please email mjoly@nycap.rr.com with your information so you may be contacted or call 518-383-3214 (Mark Joly) or 518-253-3202 (Art Dutcher) to discuss your questions with an Honor Guard member.
Porter Corner’s United Methodist Church Continues to Collect Bottles and Cans
PORTER CORNERS -The Porter Corners UMC continues to collect deposit refundable beverage bottles and beverage cans They must have the label intact. You can leave yours at the back door of the church at 512 Allen Road or if you have a large amount we can arrange to pick them up. To arrange for pickup please call Jane at 518-893-2289 or Carrie at 518-893-6214. We thank you for your continued support!
DECEMBER 30, 2021 | PAGE 3
LOCAL FIRST | SARATOGA NORTH
AROUND YOUR COMMUNITY
Last Day Hike at Moreau Lake State Park GANSEVOORT - Friday, December 31, 1pm. Join and environmental educator on a guided hike along the Red Oak Ridge trail to the Moreau Overlook. This will be a strenuous hike up to the overlook. It is a steep incline with a rocky section right before we reach the top. This will be about a 4+ mile hike. Please call 518-917-2174 to make a reservation. Cost is $5 for adults and $1 for children.
First Day Hike at Moreau Lake State Park GANSEVOORT Saturday, January 1st, 10am and 11am. Let’s get the new year started off right by joining Moreau staff for a lovely walk in the woods around the beautiful Moreau Lake. Spots are limited, please call 518-917-2174 to reserve yours. $5 for adults, kids under 16 free. Weather permitting. If there is ice or snow please come prepared with cleats or snowshoes. There is a limited amount of snowshoes available for rent. The warming hut will be open with a fire inside and out.
Are You a Family Member in Crisis? GLENVILLE – Families Anonymous is a free support group for family and friends of a loved one who is suffering from alcohol, drugs, or other addictive behavior. You are not alone and there is help. Meetings are presently phone-in every Monday evening at 7:15. Listen to other FA members, become stronger, and learn new ways to improve the situation. For additional information or meeting phone-in number, call or text 518-424-0472.
SARATOGA SPRINGS - Home Made Theater is happy to announce a grant award totaling $49,500 from the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA) to support the recovery of the nonprofit arts and culture sector. Following New York State’s $105 million investment in the arts for FY2022, NYSCA has awarded more than $80 million since June 2021. Governor Kathy Hochul Quote: “The arts have long been a critical sector in our economy, and as we continue to rebuild a stronger New York, it’s essential we do all we can help this industry thrive once again,” Governor Hochul said. “These awardees represent the best of what New York’s vibrant communities have to offer and with this funding in hand, they will be able to not only continue their creative and inspiring work, but help spur revitalization in their own backyard as well.” Mara Manus Quote: “NYSCA applauds Governor Kathy Hochul and the New York State Legislature for their responsive investment of $105 million for the nonprofit arts and culture sector. 2022 will continue to bring change and Home Made Theater will play a vital role in the renewal of our state’s economy and creative ecosystem,” said Mara Manus, Executive Director, NYSCA. “On behalf of the entire NYSCA Team, we wish to extend our sincere congratulations on your award.” You can read Governor Hochul’s press release here: https://www.gov-
Looking For New Baseball Umpires CAPITAL DISTRICT Capital District Baseball Umpires Association is looking for new members for the 2022 season. If you think you have what it takes to be a baseball umpire, training classes are now forming. For more information, call Bob Umholtz at 518-986-5987 or go to cdbua.com
Saratoga Area Retired Teachers Meeting
SARATOGA COUNTY - Saratoga Area Retired Teachers will meet on Monday, January 3, 2022, at noon at Longfellows Restaurant, 500 Union Avenue (Rte. 9P), Saratoga Springs. For membership information and luncheon reservations, call 518-587-5356.
ernor.ny.gov/news/ governor-hochul-announces-45-million-critical-funding- propel-recovery-nonprofit-arts-and Home Made Theater will use the funds to help fulfill their mission, which is to enrich the cultural life of the Capital Region and beyond by offering a diverse range of locally sourced live theater created by professionally minded artists, providing the opportunity for exciting and rewarding participation in all aspects of theater to the community.
Capital Region Social Happenings December Event and Concert Series CAPITAL DISTRICT - https://www.facebook. com/CapitalRegionSocial - CapRegSocialHappenings@gmail.com. Friday Night Events at 7 pm – Picnic at noon at 435 New Karner Road (Hanover Square Building) at “Hill” door entrance. Open to the public. Inside seating is limited. $12 pp and that includes beverages and snacks. Plenty of free parking. Handicap accessible. CDC & COVID compliant. Masks required on everyone. Be prepared to show your vaccination card as well as provide your phone number for contact tracing. Our inside seating is limited. Call 518-452-6883 for more information. Friday Night – December 31: We starting with an early 6:00 pm New Year’s Eve Party for those that would like to be home early to watch the ball drop! Bring a finger food to share and be prepared for a few delightful surprises. This event won’t break your bank! $4 with finger
Ch. 60, Korean War Veterans’ Association January Meeting SARATOGA SPRINGS - The January meeting for Ch. 60, Korean War Veterans’ Assoc., will be held at 1:30 p.m. on January 6th at the VFW home in Saratoga Springs.. Best directions are to take the Arterial North of Saratoga, then take a right on Veterans’ Way. At the bottom of the hill take a left and the home is on the right. Veterans who served anywhere during the Korean War or in Korea at any time, spouses, widows, friends and relatives are all invited to attend. New members are always welcome. For further information or an application to join the organization, please contact Comm. Paul O’Keefe at 518-603-4186.
food and $10 without. Non-alcoholic sparking toast included. Friday Night – January 7 at 7 pm: Special Event – BANNED BOOK NIGHT – Bring your favorite Banned Book to this event and share a passage from it. (Lists available on request or check the web). We’ll discuss the reasons for books being banned or challenged. $5 for all. Friday Night – January 14 at 7 pm: Lonnie Hons will perform toe-tapping Country Songs for us. Put your boots on and stomp along with music. Line dancing welcome! Performance starts at 7 pm. Friday Night – January 21 at 7:00 pm: Special Event: Going on the Cheap! Fashion and Food!!! Wear an outfit that you assembled from a thrift store for no more than $10 and show us your creation. In addition bring a dish to share that you prepared for no more than $2. This will be a fun night for everyone attending. Only $5 for all. If you decide not to participate in Fashion or Food then it’s $10 for the pleasure of watching the rest of us! Prizes. Friday Night – January 28 at 7 pm: The Back Porch Players will perform music that we all enjoy. Maybe even some sing-alongs. Performance starts at 7 pm. Sunday Night – January 30 at 7 pm: We’re kicking off our first dance of the year with a great DJ. Put on your dancing shoes and be prepare to strut your stuff on the dance floor. Music requests taken. Only $6.
Shelters of Saratoga Partners with Fingerpaint to Provide Winter Coats to Those in Need SARATOGA SPRINGS - Shelters of Saratoga has partnered with Fingerpaint to provide winter coats to anyone in need this winter. The 3rd annual “Take One, Leave
One” winter coat drive was created as an easy way to provide warm coats for anyone in need one. The coat rack is centrally located in downtown Saratoga Springs in front of the Fingerpaint building at 395 Broadway. Community members wishing to donate are encouraged to hang gently used or new coats on the rack which will be available through the winter.
The Wesley Community Delivers Holiday Cheer to Residents at Wesley Health Care Center
SARATOGA SPRINGS – The Wesley Community delivered holiday cheer this week to the residents at the Wesley Health Care Center in Saratoga Springs, NY. A special holiday gift was delivered to each individual resident at the long-term senior care facility at The Wesley Community ahead of the upcoming holiday weekend. Wesley staff purchased and donated nearly 130 presents for the residents, while the remaining gifts were purchased through donations to The Wesley Foundation. The annual tradition of caring and sharing at Wesley Health Care Center ensures all residents enjoy the holiday season. For more than 40 years, Wesley Health Care Center has provided quality nursing care for aging adults and seniors through a variety of services, including: long-term care; light care geriatrics; Alzheimer’s and memory support; and a short-term rehabilitation program. Wesley Health Care Center is part of The Wesley Community, a 37-acre continuum of care campus in Saratoga Springs which provides seniors with a variety of levels of care including independent living, assisted living, long-term care, outpatient therapies, short-term rehabilitation and home care.
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PAGE 4 | DECEMBER 30, 2021
LOCAL FIRST | SARATOGA NORTH
OPINION
The High-Water Mark Of Biden-Era Progressivism By Rich Lowry
Joe Manchin and London Breed have nothing in common. One is an old-school Democratic senator from West Virginia, surviving and thriving in an increasingly red state; the other is the progressive mayor of San Francisco, a city that is a byword for cutting-edge left-wing politics. Yet both, in their own ways signaled that Biden-era progressivism has reached its high-water mark. Manchin, of course, delivered an emphatic thumbs down to Joe Biden's signature Build Back Better plan, while Breed reversed field on crime in a stunningly frank endorsement of law-and-order in a jurisdiction infamous for the opposite. The de facto pincer movement by the wildly different Democrats from wildly different parts of the country -- San Francisco is roughly 19 times as large as
the biggest city in West Virginia -- shows that the progressive tide that built in the Trump years is finally colliding with political reality and the real-world consequences of progressive extravagance. This doesn't mean that progressivism is spent obviously. It dominates the media, academia and almost all the rest of elite culture. At the same time, Democrat s st i l l cont rol t he elected branches of government in Washington. But a growing backlash against progressive excess has found expression in two notable acts of Democratic defiance. By now, the context of Manchin's "no" on Build Back Better is familiar. Joe Biden campaigned as a pragmatic Democrat only to reverse field after his election and develop a heroic image of himself as the next transformational Democratic presi-
dent in the line of FDR and LBJ. This drove the mistake of not realizing that Manchin or any other Democratic dissenter in the 50-50 Senate had the power to derail Build Back Better and accordingly scaling it back from the outset. Instead, the White House and congressional leadership acted as if Manchin could be cajoled or bullied out of his oft-repeated qualms. Perhaps Democrats will reu n ite w it h t he senator on a scaled-back spending bill in the new year, but the era of FDR fantasies is definitely over. Democrats should ask themselves, if they had a mandate to remake the country, why the entire project depended on the approval of a single conservative Democrat from West Virginia? Now, Democrats are looking down the barrel of a mid-term election wipe-out that could give the GOP a durable House ma-
Building The Wall Back Better Cal Thomas, Tribune Content Agency
During a debate with George H.W. Bush in New Hampshire in 1980, the moderator asked that Ronald Reagan's microphone be "turned off for the moment." Reagan was angry and said something that might be applied to the failure of the Biden administration to use materials lying unused in Texas paid for during the Trump administration for the purpose of constructing the border wall. Said Reagan, "I paid for this microphone." The clear implication was that since he paid for it, he ought to be able to use it. Gov. Greg Abbott of Texas is making a similar argument. He believes the Biden administration, either to spite Trump, or because it is not interested in securing the border, refuses to use materials already paid for by taxpayers for the purpose of resuming construction of the wall. As a result, Abbott has ordered that construction resume, using state taxpayer funds and new materials. More than a $100 million of taxpayer money was spent on materials intended for the border wall during the Trump administration. They should be made available to Gov. Abbott, but the Biden administration won't allow it. President Biden canceled contracts for its construction after entering office last January. The Texas Department of Transportation is set to pay nearly $25 million for the construction of a nearly two-mile concrete barrier along the border in Eagle Pass. The Texas Tribune reports: "Under the project, the state has also contracted for a temporary fence near the right of way along State Loop 480, which the Department of Public Safety has designated a high-traffic area for illegal immigration." Officers from the Texas Department of Public Safety are patrolling parts of the border where federal border control officers cannot be found. Immigrants who cross are being charged with trespassing and put in jail.
Gov. Abbott has said: "The Biden administration has abandoned its responsibilities to secure the border and Texans are suffering as a result. The problems along the border are only getting worse due to President Biden's inaction. Property is being destroyed, deadly drugs and illegal weapons are being smuggled into communities throughout the state, law enforcement is having to redirect their resources, and county judges and mayors are facing skyrocketing expenses. Texas is doing more than any state has ever done to protect the border, but it is clear that more is needed. In the Biden administration's absence, Texas is stepping up to get the job done by building the border wall. Through this comprehensive public safety effort, we will secure the border, slow the influx of unlawful immigrants, and restore order in our border communities." As some media outlets (mostly Fox) show pictures of migrants illegally entering the country and new reports find some are coming from other than Central American countries, opinion appears to be shifting. A Fox poll last spring found an increase in the portion of respondents saying the migrants "hurt" the country and that attitude is seen across the board: "independents (+21), Republicans (+20), Whites (+18), men (+16), women (+14), Blacks (+11), and Democrats (+8) are more likely to think immigrants hurt rather than help." Abbott has created the equivalent of a GoFundMe campaign so he might have additional resources to complete the wall. The website is borderwall.texas. gov. I'm betting there are many Americans who would be willing to contribute, because they want to see the wall finished and stop the invasion. I would call the project "building the wall back better." Readers may email Cal Thomas at tcaeditors@tribpub.com. Look for Cal Thomas' latest book "America's Expiration Date: The Fall of Empires and Superpowers and the Future of the United States" (HarperCollins/Zondervan).
jority that will put paid to any thought of BBB-style legislation for years. If Manchin said "enough" to big-spending federal aggrandizement, London Breed said it to the soft-on-crime consensus in blue cities that has led to spiraling disorder. The Bay Area, home to the smash-and-grab robbery and other routine offenses against basic human decency, has been Exhibit A. Concluding that even the tolerant people of perhaps the country's most tolerant city wouldn't put up with it much longer, Breed had her Howard Beale moment. In a speech clearly meant to set down a political and rhetorical marker, she called for an end to "the reign of criminals who are destroying our city." The Breed turnabout, from police-defunder a year ago to would-be Rudy Giuliani now, marks an end to the period af-
ter George Floyd's death when a nt i-p o l i c e s e nt i m e nt w a s ascendant. There are other signs that the progressive momentum is beginning to give way. A rightward shift among Latinos shows the limits of paint-by-the-numbers identity politics. That the left's response to the grassroots movement against critical race theory in schools has been to deny there is any critical race theory in schools speaks to a telling defensiveness. Next year, the Supreme Court may well knock out Roe and Casey, cornerstones of the progressive social agenda. Of course, the political and cultural war will continue apace. Still, December 2021 looks like an inf lection point when, as Breed put it in her speech, "the bull***t" finally got a reality check. Rich Lowry is editor of the National Review.
Defeat For The Build Back Better Plan Might Not Be Total Disaster For Biden Jonah Goldberg, Tribune Content Agency
You know that old tale about the guy stranded on a rooftop during a flood who beseeches God to rescue him? A neighbor in a rowboat comes and offers to rescue him. "No, I've asked God to save me," the man says. Then a police boat makes the same offer, and he gives the same reply. Finally, a helicopter arrives, same response. The flood claims the man and, when he gets to heaven, he berates the Almighty: "I had faith in you, but you didn't save me. You let me drown. Why?" God says: "What are you talking about? I sent two boats and a helicopter for you. What more do you want?" Sen. Joe Manchin III of West Virginia may not be on a rescue mission from God, but the Democrats would be wise to see him that way. On Sunday, Manchin told Fox News' Bret Baier that he was a no vote on President Biden's "Build Back Better" plan. The response from the White House and Democrats was one of poorly contained fury and unbridled panic. It was a blow to the future of "democracy" and the death of Biden's domestic agenda and perhaps his presidency. A lot of this outrage is premised on the same misreading of political reality that led the Democrats to push the plan in the first place. When Biden was elected, the Democrats gained only one Senate seat and the GOP was expected to retain control of the Senate. But Donald Trump's meddling in two Georgia run-offs handed two seats and nominal control of a tied Senate to the Democrats. And yet, pressure from progressives and bizarre advice from some historians convinced Biden that the electorate craved a New Deal-style "transformative" agenda. "This agenda," Biden said last month, "the agenda that's in these bills, is what 81 million people voted for." Big, if true. A far more plausible take: Many people simply voted against Trump, or for a more competent approach to the pandemic or less drama from Washington or just because they're Democrats who would have voted for any Democrat. But Biden decided to govern as if the political winds were a gale at his back. If it were true that Americans were hungry for a new New Deal, Biden would have had coattails because the New Deal wasn't just popular according to some carefully worded polls. FDR's party gained 97 seats in the House and 11 in the Senate in 1932. In 2020, no Republican incumbent lost in the House (the Democrats lost 13 seats) and, pre-Georgia, the GOP lost only one Senate seat. That's no groundswell. t's funny, the same folks furious at Manchin keep saying that one senator from West Virginia shouldn't have the power to block Biden's transformative agenda also implicitly think that winning two Georgia seats validates that agenda. More importantly, Manchin wasn't one senator standing athwart Build Back Better, he was the 51st senator. Throw in Kyrsten Sinema, Democrat of Arizona, and it's 52 senators against, 48 for. So much for majoritarianism. Biden is a victim of surely one of the worst messaging screw-ups in recent political history. He got $1.9 trillion in spending at the beginning of his presidency for COVID relief. He successfully managed to do what Trump couldn't -- pass a $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill, with bipartisan support. Over $3 trillion in spending -- nearly twice the Obama stimulus and Obamacare price tags, combined -- is plenty for your first year in office. Biden could have -- and should have -- declared victory and swiftly pivoted to centrist initiatives and rhetoric that would help Democrats hold on to moderates and independents in the 2022 midterms. Instead, he opted to pander to the slice of the Democratic base that opposed him in the primaries. Now, by the standards he and congressional leaders set for themselves, he's got a disaster on his hands. The House Democrats he and Speaker Nancy Pelosi cajoled into voting for BBB will now have to defend their votes for a bill that was too radical and expensive to pass the Senate, at least according to their Republican opponents. Even now, the Democrats are still misreading political reality. The defeat of Build Back Better needn't be the disaster they are making it out to be. The defeat of healthcare reform (led by Hillary Clinton) in 1993 didn't grease the skids for Bob Dole winning the presidency in 1996. Instead, that policy failure -- along with the 1994 midterms -- prompted Bill Clinton to drag his party back to the center. The 2022 midterms are shaping up to be a Republican tsunami, but Biden has plenty of opportunities to avoid drowning in it. After all, that's why God sent him Joe Manchin. Jonah Goldberg is editor-in-chief of The Dispatch and the host of The Remnant podcast. His Twitter handle is @JonahDispatch.
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DECEMBER 30 , 2021 | PAGE 5
LOCAL FIRST | SARATOGA NORTH
HOME SOLUTIONS 3 factors to consider before converting an attic At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, many homeowners suddenly found themselves in need of more usable square footage in their homes. Required to work from home due to social distancing recommendations, millions of working professionals suddenly found themselves setting up shop at kitchen tables Accessibility is an important or islands, in alcoves, variable to consider as garages, or even walk-in homeowners try to determine closets. Those makeshift if they can convert their attics offices were never supinto a livable space. posed to be permanent, but as companies loosen workplace policies and embrace full remote or hybrid working arrangements, professionals are seeking more permanent home office solutions. Home additions are a possibility for homeowners who need more usable square footage, but add-ons may not be the right option for everyone. If adding on won’t work, homeowners may want to look up ... at their attics. Attics with ample space can make for ideal home offices, as they’re away from the hustle and bustle of a home’s main floor. That can make it easier to concentrate when everyone is in the house and reduce the likelihood that video calls with colleagues and clients will be interrupted by kids and pets. Attic conversions are not always possible, and the
How to care for winter birds that visit your yard The pristine, white backdrop of a snowy winter day can be a wonder to behold. While fresh snow on the ground can make for awe-inspiring landscapes, the absence of greenery amid the starkness of winter poses challenges for animals that do not ride out winter in a state of hibernation. Several bird species stay in colder climates over the winter. Red-winged crossbills, snow buntings, bohemian waxwings, evening grosbeaks, and cardinals are just some of the birds one may find while gazing outside on a chilly winter’s day. Birding in the winter can be a rewarding hobby because, despite the chilly conditions, birds tend to be easy to find in bare trees. Furthermore, the colder temperatures may keep many people inside, meaning neighborhoods, trails and parks can be very quiet, making it easier for those who brave the cold to see birds. The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds indicates that winter is a difficult time of year for birds due to the weather and the scarcity of food. Furthermore, birds must consume a lot of food in a short amount of time to
following are three important factors homeowners may need to consider before they can go forward with such projects. 1. Dimensions: Both the renovation experts at This Old House and the real estate experts at UpNest indicate that at least half of a finished attic must be a minimum of seven feet high and seven feet wide and 70 square feet. Requirements may differ depending on where homeowners live, but that 7-7-70 guideline is generally the minimum requirement. An attic that fails to meet such requirements won’t necessarily be a lost cause, but it might be costly to make adjustments that ultimately align with local codes. 2. Access: Access is another aspect that must adhere to local safety guidelines. Many attics are accessible only through pulldown ladders, but that will have to change if homeowners repurpose their attic spaces. A staircase that complies with local laws will need to be installed, and contractors can work with homeowners to build that and estimate the cost. Homeowners who simply want to put desks in their attics without going with full-fledged conversions are urged to adhere to local access requirements anyway, as they’re intended to ensure residents can safely escape attics in the case of a fire or another emergency. 3. Climate control: Attics are converted to provide residents with more livable space. Converted space is only livable if the climate within the attic can be controlled so it’s cool in the summer and warm in the winter. An existing HVAC unit needs to efficiently heat and cool an extra room. If it can’t, bills might spike because the rest of the home likely won’t be as comfortable, forcing homeowners to adjust thermostats to offset that discomfort. That also could affect the unit’s life expectancy. Before going forward with an attic renovation, homeowners should have the energy and body warmth to survive each day. Even birds that store food in caches or have developed special scavenging strategies to find as much food as possible can benefit from a little wintertime help. Penn State Extension suggests providing a variety of foods to attract the greatest number of species. Small, black-oil sunflower seeds are preferred by many smaller species of bird and have a high oil content that is nutritionally important for birds. Other sunflower seeds will be appropriate for blue jays and cardinals. Some other popular foods include white proso millet, thistle seed, niger seed, and peanuts. Consult a wild bird store, which likely sells a birdseed mix that enables you to place a variety of seed into one feeder. In addition to seed, suet, which is made from high-quality animal fat, is crucial for birds in the winter. Families can get crafty by spreading peanut butter onto pine cones and sprinkling seed on top. Hang the pine cones tied to pieces of string from tree branches for homemade feeders. Birds likely need a little help surviving the winter, when conditions can be bleak. Offering food and observing backyard visitors can be a great way to unwind on winter afternoons.
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FOOD
Supported Agriculture farm in Easton, to McGeorge CONTINUED FROM 1 and Sanderson. McGeorge said meeting him was transformational. "He embodied so much for us," she said. He was hired on part-time, and along with the board they created a path forward. "Right from the get-go, it's been intense," Bulger said. "We focused on things that could make an immediate impact that no one else was doing." Within that first year, they raised thousands of dollars, joined the Northeast Regional Food Bank in Latham, launched a backpack program so food insecure children and their families eat over the weekend, and planted a community garden with one area dedicated to replenishing the food pantry with fresh produce. The biggest change was the transformation of the food pantry. It moved out of Village Hall into St. Joseph's Hall. Fresh food and shopping carts, donated from Hannaford, were added. And those who visited shopped rather than received a handout. "We want to provide a pleasant and dignified shopping experience," Bulger said. "If it feels like a normal shopping experience, it's more respectful. Beside, they know what the best choices for their families are." Sanderson said that's important as poverty strips away choice. "It's not just addressing food insecurity, but food sovereignty, giving people back a choice to what they want to eat," Sanderson said. Sanderson recalled one woman coming into the pantry and taking her daughter's hand and saying, "Now I will teach you how to shop." "That was it for us," Sanderson said. "That is what we were supposed to do." McGeorge said that one woman, who visited the pantry, pulled her aside. "She said, 'For a long time I would go to bed a night and wake up, go downstairs and open my kitchen cabinets and there would not be anything in there. I was so worried about how we were going to find food and where we would find the money for any kind of food. Now I go to bed and every once in a while I go downstairs and open the cupboard and there is food in there. Good food. We are not going to die hungry.'" Bulger said there are endless stories like that and
KELLY CONTINUED FROM 1
Public Safety weaponizes the City's ethics process for petty personal political purposes is, well, irreparable." Last Thursday, Dalton said she didn't know the board made a decision as she was never informed by the board if it had received her complaint, or on any of its proceedings. However, she knew Kelly's office was aware of the inquiry as the complaint had to go through Kelly's office first, and she said that the city's attorney office met with her on Nov. 19 to try to convince her not to file it. She ultimately filed a
complaint that accused the mayor of "ethically questionable" behavior when she used her office "to promote and market the Charlton School, as well as solicit a sizeable donation from a city employee." The donation, Dalton claimed, came after Kelly asked Assistant City Attorney Tony Izzo, who reports to Kelly and sits on the board of the Sarah B. Foulke Charitable Fund, to arrange for the sizable grant for the private high school in Burnt Hills. Izzo has denied that he was pressured into it, but Dalton said Izzo came to her concerned with Kelly's actions. In forming its opinion, the Board of Ethics, which is appointed by the mayor,
he's happy the experience continues today at CFC's newest location at 2530 Route 40. A former restaurant, the center is open on Mondays and Wednesdays. Shoppers can take home as much bread and produce as they want, along with milk, cheese, yogurt, deli items, desserts and all the nonperishables that one expects at a pantry. To be eligible, one must be a resident and answer a few questions about age and household size. "We ask the essential questions for data tracking to know our customer well," Bulger said. "It's a regional food bank requirement. We don't ask any more information than that." CFC also opened a satellite center in the Cossayuna Fire House on Bunker Hill Road that is open Tuesday afternoons. In addition, CFC partners with farms to glean, wash and distribute excess produce, which they then bring to libraries and senior centers in Warren, Washington and Saratoga counties. CFC leads cooking classes to educate clientele. It also partners with health care facilities for its Food as Farmacy and Produce for Prescription programs that matches up those suffering with chronic illnesses with food that could provide optimal health benefits. Last summer, thanks to local community donations and grants funding, CFC expanded again. It bought the former ToyWorks factory where it has opened a food hub and distribution center to store nonperishables, as well as all its bins of fresh produce from local farms. The next step is to open a commercial kitchen in the building. "We started with the Greenwich-based programs and then we realized there was a bigger regional need," said Bulger, who is now full-time and manages a staff of seven and a pool of nearly 100 volunteers. "It's been a fast and furious eight years to get to this point. We have done it by being true to the mission." McGeorge credits the success of CFC to the community. "It's unbelievable," McGeorge said. "The volunteer ethic in this community is extraordinary. When we ask for human capital, there was never a time when people didn't step up. The friends and neighbors in this community make it work. It's the most important word in our name. We couldn't have done it without community support." said it reviewed written statements and heard oral testimony. City Attorney Vincent DeLeonardis, who also works directly for Kelly, was also present during the proceeding. The Board of Ethics ruled that Kelly's favoring of Charlton School students over those who attend city schools was "frivolous." As for the grant, the Board of Ethics found the conversation between Kelly and Izzo on the grant "was made to a City employee as a member of a three person advisory board (not the decision making board), mitigating influence the City employee held over any decision to award. The Board found the facts do not support the allegations
within the inquiry." In her statement, the two-term mayor said that Dalton's filing of the ethics complaint was motivated by bad feelings after Kelly did not endorse Dalton for mayor, and instead supported Republican candidate Heidi West. She and Dalton, who ran on an independent line, lost to Democrat Ron Kim. "I believe this was taken as a personal slight and this contributed to the public crusade to damage my reputation," Kelly wrote. Dalton said their relationship was frayed before she even took office in 2020 after she refused to appoint Kelly's niece and Milton resident, Theresa Wilson, as her deputy commission-
LOCAL FIRST | SARATOGA NORTH
CARLIN CONTINUED FROM 1
look at a lot of other sports, which are tough. Wrestling, you are out there by yourself where there is no one out there to help you. Taking time off from competition was not an awful thing. Coming back now, I have a totally different mindset and I am so happy to be out there again. Q: You have enjoyed a high level of accomplishment in this sport. Is wrestling something you hope to continue with in college? A: I think so. I am not sure where I will end up going, so I am hoping for the best and we will see what happens. As of right now, I am thinking about wrestling in college. Q: This is an exciting time for your sport coming up on January. When we get to the new year, we start having some big tournaments and move into sectionals. How much are you looking forward toward that build up? A: It is totally exciting. These two months are the biggest two months of the year pretty much for me. January and February are huge and the buildup is super exciting. Every day is a countdown to sectionals for me.
League of Women Voters of Saratoga County SARATOGA COUNTY - The League of Women Voters of Saratoga County will present a virtual program by Peter Iwanowicz, Executive Director of Environmental Advocates NY and a Member of the New York Climate Action Council on January 12 from 6:30-8:00. He will present an analysis of the long awaited plan for the State of New York to implement New York’s clean energy and greenhouse gas emission goals set forth in the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act . The program is Co-sponsored by the League of Women Voters of Saratoga County & Sustainable Saratoga. To register go to the League website, www.lwvsaratoga/events. er. Furthermore, Dalton said that Kelly did offer her the endorsement for mayor, but Dalton said she didn't want it because "it would have been the kiss of death." "Remember, everyone she endorsed, lost," Dalton said. "If she wants to talk about our strained relationship, let's be honest about it." Kelly also said she wants to revise the city's ethics code to penalize those who bring unwarranted complaints forward and for those who leak complaints to the press. "I have asked the Board of Ethics to consider amending the City's Code of Ethics, so that the Board process cannot be misused and abused in the future," she wrote. Dalton agreed
there needs to be changes because "who would file an ethic complaint against the mayor if the board is selected by the mayor?" "Am I surprised by the outcome? No," Dalton said. "The system is seriously flawed." Ethics Board Chair Brendan Chudy said that he cannot "comment on the confidential discussions and information delivered during our Board research and analysis." He did say the board is considering "making a recommendation to amend the Ethics Code to address inquiries disclosed to the media, outside of the board's confidential process. That concept has been discussed prior to the current inquiry."
HOUSE OF THE WEEK
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PHOTOS BY FIELD REALTY
The house was built in 1827 and then updated with Victorian style in the 1870s.
T
he final selection of 2021 is a brick row house in the Stockade. Originally built in 1827, it was made over in a Victorian style in the 1870s, when an entry foyer and the parquet floors were installed on the first floor. The original beams are visible in the basement, where the current owners built a bar. The house has three bedrooms and two and a half baths, and includes a guest suite on the third floor. There are beautiful finishes LEIGH throughout the house and a HORNBECK large, modern kitchen. The HOUSE OF property has a private brick THE WEEK courtyard and two-car garage. It is above the flood plain. Schenectady schools. Taxes: $7,691. List price: $449,900. Contact listing agent David Schwartz of Field Realty at 518-369-1359 for a showing.
n If
you have seen or own a particularly interesting home for sale to feature, send the address to lhornbeck@timesunion.com
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see more House of the week photos, go to Leigh Hornbeck’s Places & Spaces blog at http://blog.timesunion. com/realestate
Top to Bottom: living room has parquet floors and a marble mantel; one of three bedrooms; the basement bar. At far left is the kitchen.
DECEMBER 30 , 2021 | PAGE 7
LOCAL FIRST | SARATOGA NORTH
GENERAL NOTICES NOVENA Dear Jesus, in the past I have asked for many favours. This time I ask for a very special one. Take it dear Jesus, and place it within your own heart, where your father sees it. Then, in His merciful eyes it will become your favour and not mine. Amen. S. W.
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Saratoga National Historical Park to receive $6.6 million for infrastructure improvements Great American Outdoors Act funding will improve the Battlefield Tour Route STILLWATER – The primary visitor experience at Saratoga National Historical Park is about to benefit from $6.6 million in funding provided by the Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA). Extensive work on the park’s popular, self-guided battlefield Tour Road will begin in 2022 and result in increased accessibility and visible improvements to the parking areas, trailheads, walkways, seating, exhibits and viewing areas along the ten-mile-long route. Be sure to check the park website for information about temporary road closures during construction. “This project is an extraordinary opportunity to invest in our visitors and enhance their enjoyment and understanding of the Saratoga Battlefield and the events that took place here. It is a big step in preparing the park for the 250th Anniversary of the American Revolution and interpreting the critical role that the Battles of Saratoga played in turning the tide of Revolution and changing the world,” said Saratoga NHP Superintendent Leslie Morlock. The current Tour Road experience is more than 50 years old. This renovation will expand physical access and safety enhancements for more than 100,000 visitors annually and eliminate $4 million of the park’s maintenance backlog. It will also be instrumental in preparing the park for the extra attention it will receive related to the upcoming 250th anniversary commemorations of the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 2026 and of the battles in 2027. The parking areas and walkways will be revamped at all ten tour stops to meet universal standards for accessibility, including seating with companion seating, new improved exhibits, and audio description provided on an app for public use. Modern outdoor exhibits will replace the existing informational waysides that are well beyond
Diabetes Support Group Online SARATOGA COUNTY - January 7, 12 pm is the next Diabetes Support Group sponsored by Cornell Cooperative Extension of Saratoga County. This informal support group is held via Zoom for people with diabetes or prediabetes. Family members of those with diabetes are also welcome to attend. There is no fee for the support group. Topics will vary and may be based on the interest of the group. Contact Diane Whitten at 518-885-8995, or dwhitten@cornell.edu for more information. Register in advance for this meeting at: https://cornell.zoom. us/meeting/register/ tJcrcumprTgsHdTnnFQhaAk3DmT35kxzTfzR or with this QR code. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
French Toast, Home Fries, Orange Juice, Coffee, Tea, Hot Chocolate. Cost: $10.00 Adult, $5.00 Child. Everyone will be welcome to join us. 518-695-3917.
Saratoga/Wilton Elks Lodge #161 Roast Beef Dinner for Curbside Pick Up
SARATOGA/WILTON - Wednesday January 5, 2022, 4:30-6:00pm. Call Monday or Tuesday between 10am-noon to place an order, 518-5842585.Roast Beef, Mashed Potatoes, Vegetable, Salad, Roll, Gravy. Dinner For 2 /$30.00 (Cash Only).
C.L. HOME IMPROVEMENTS Taking care of all your window and remodeling needs. Neat & dependable. Fully ins. Free est. Rich (518) 528-7173 DIVORCE $389.00 - Uncontested Make Divorce Easy – only 1 Signature, Inc. poor person app. Info: (518) 274-0380 F.E. PALMA CONSTRUCTION Building, Remodeling, Renovations. Since 1985. Free est. Ins. o518-627-4344 c518-257-2880 Firewood/ Cooking Wood Exit 15N.com Lou "The Wood Guy" Rt. 50, Wilton. 24/7
FRIDHOLM PAINTING Interior painting - 1 or multi-room projects. Popcorn & Cathedral ceilings. 2-story foyers & wallpaper removal. Make your appt. for your free est. for your 2021 ext. projects. Call us @ (518) 330-9507 or visit us at www.FridholmPainting.com. We Love What We Do!
HOUSE CLEANING Call today for an estimate on a one-time deep cleaning or regularly scheduled cleanings. Excellent references. Linda (518) 222-9734
their intended design life. The 60 new exhibits will be constructed of durable steel, aluminum, and bronze. In addition to being more cost-effective by requiring less routine maintenance, the new exhibits will include replica objects and convey updated information about the battles, the landscape, multiple perspectives, and the roles of lesser-known participants to better connect visitors with the meaning and importance of the site. The design layouts are geared for easier reading; using added color contrast, appropriate fonts and font size, tactile bronze relief maps, braille, and installation heights that are beneficial for all visitors. Saratoga National Historical Park preserves, protects, and interprets the sites associated with the battles, siege, and surrender of the British forces at Saratoga. The park encompasses five sites including the Saratoga Battlefield, General Philip Schuyler’s House, Victory Woods, the Saratoga Monument, and Sword Surrender site totaling 3,579 acres. It was here in September and October 1777, during the American War for Independence, American troops battled and defeated the British invasion force. A British Army surrendered, for the first time in history, on October 17, 1777. This crucial victory secured essential foreign recognition and support and boosted the morale of the American forces making it the turning point of the American Revolution. The project is being financed through GAOA’s National Parks and Public Lands Legacy Restoration Fund. Supported by revenue from energy development, the fund provides up to $1.9 billion per year for five years to make significant enhancements in national parks and other public lands to ensure their preservation and provide opportunities for recreation, education and enjoyment for current and future visitors. GAOA, the recently passed Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and other construction funding sources are part of a concerted effort to address the extensive maintenance backlog in national parks. For more information about Saratoga National Historical Park, please call the Visitor Center at (518) 670-2985, visit www.nps.gov/sara, or find the park on Facebook or Twitter @SaratogaNHP.
Saratoga Springs Figure Skating Club Learn to Skate Program
SARATOGA SPRINGS - We are the only area club to offer the US Figure Skating sanctioned program. Our instructors are experienced and approved through USFS, The program is open to all ages from 3-adult. We meet on Saturday mornings from 10-11. Our next 6 week session starts January 8th, Our Registration is open now and additional information can be found at www.SaratogaLearnToSkate.com.
Tools for Mental Wellness at Healing Springs Recovery Center SARATOGA SPRINGS - First & Third Thursday of each month. Meeting at Healing Springs, 125 High Rock Ave. (Rear parking lot, blue awning). 518-3063048. Social distancing, all must wear masks. Check out our “Let’s Talk Mental Health - Above Ground Podcast” - www. abovegroundpodcast.net - Peers supporting mental health wellness. Email: peerwellness518@ gmail.com
EMPLOYMENT
EARN EXTRA CASH!
UNFURNISHED APARTMENTS Adult Community. Minimum 55 years old. Mohican Hill Apts, Ballston Spa. Spacious 1 BR. Washer, dryer hkups. Low heat costs. Fully sanitized. $795. No pets. (518) 885-4232
WANTED RENTALS Want Room to Rent - $300/mo. incl. util., mo. to mo., no cont., no dep, F, smoke. (667) 2014587
Fish Creek Rod and Gun Club Fish Fry Friday VICTORY - Fish Creek Rod and Gun Club will start Fish Fry Friday, Friday, January 14, 2022, at 4:00 7:00 PM , and continue every Friday thru April 15 2022. All are welcome, members and non-members. Menu: Includes but not limited to : Fish Fry, Chicken Fry, Clam Fry, Popcorn Shrimp , Buffalo Shrimp, Coconut Shrimp, Scallops, Chowder, Dinners are served with your choice of french fries or onion rings, coleslaw and sauce, ask about our extra’s and beverages. You are welcome to eat in at our club house, or call ahead for Take Out. 518-695-3917.
HOROSCOPE
Week Of January 2, 2022 ARIES – Mar 21/Apr 20 Your finances need a little extra work, Aries. Start to focus on investments, money and other financial matters. Your mind is quick and you catch on quite fast. TAURUS – Apr 21/May 21 Romance is on your mind this week, Taurus. This is the time to focus on solidifying your relationship with someone special in your life or to find that perfect match. GEMINI – May 22/Jun 21 Matters involving work are at the forefront of your mind, Gemini. You may need to put in some extra hours on the job this week. Keep your head down and your efforts will be noted. CANCER – Jun 22/Jul 22 Cancer, you may be longing for an encounter with your romantic partner, but other factors keep getting in the way of your date. You have to make romance a priority. LEO – Jul 23/Aug 23 An unexpected financial windfall lands in your lap, Leo. It is just the good news you need at this point in time. Start thinking about how to invest this unexpected gift. VIRGO – Aug 24/Sept 22 Business and personal successes are coming your way soon, Virgo. It could be a project that brings you financial gain or the development of a new friendship. LIBRA – Sept 23/Oct 23 Libra, whether it’s a hunch or a tip from someone close to you, you have some valuable information that will come in handy in the coming days. SCORPIO – Oct 24/Nov 22 A relationship reaches new heights, Scorpio. If you are unattached, you might find
a partner soon. If you have a significant other, he or she will become even closer. SAGITTARIUS Nov 23/Dec 21 Sagittarius, draw your closest friends together and plan a gathering where you can exchange ideas and rekindle friendships. It’s been a while since you socialized. CAPRICORN Dec 22/Jan 20 A long journey is in your near future, Capricorn. It may come by way of a muchneeded vacation, or you may make a move across country to follow a job or passion. AQUARIUS Jan 21/Feb 18 Finances dominate your week, Aquarius. This could be related to a pay raise at work or a personal investment that pans out. One way or another, success isn’t too far away. PISCES – Feb 19/Mar 20 Pisces, a business partner may contact you with some good news after returning from a trip. Prepare to join this person in a promising venture. FAMOUS BIRTHDAYS JANUARY 2 Dax Shepard, Actor (47) JANUARY 3 Eli Manning, Athlete (41) JANUARY 4 Jaeden Martell, Actor (19) JANUARY 5 Bradley Cooper, Actor (47) JANUARY 6 Irina Shayk, Model (36) JANUARY 7 Lauren Cohan, Actress (40) JANUARY 8 Genevieve Padalecki, Actress (41)
Looking to Hire?
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Fish Creek Rod and Gun Club Monthly Breakfast VICTORY - The Fish Creek Rod and Gun Club invites all to join us at our Monthly Breakfast on Sunday January 9, 2022, starting at 8:00AM through 11:00AM. Menu: Eggs cooked to order, Bacon, Sausage, Toast (White or Wheat), Pancakes (Regular, Blueberry, Buckwheat, Apple Cinnamon),
JOBS TOO SMALL? Can’t get the right price? Let’s freshen up! We do snow removal, siding, painting, kitchen, baths, basements & roofing! Available for after hours emergencies. Bob (518) 275-7731 PAINTING SOLUTIONS Interior painting & staining. Wallpaper removal, wall repairs, taping. Res./Comm. Free est, fully ins. 518-986-1154 PJ’S CONSTRUCTION Windows, doors, remodeling, roof repair, small jobs. Quality work for quality price. Ins. (518) 527-3067 UNSEASONED FIREWOOD 7 (+/-) cord load, cut, split & delivered. $1260. Call for area discount. Smaller loads avail. 518-692-2109
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To place an ad in our paper contact: Jennifer Morrell • 518-526-6330 jmorrell@timesunion.com Heidi Gaschel • 518-965-1714 Heidi.gaschel@theadvertiser.us
PAGE 8 | DECEMBER 30, 2021
LOCAL FIRST | SARATOGA NORTH
FARM "Friends" -- a megahit for which Kevin Bright was the executive producer, along with David Crane and Marta Kauffman. Kevin Bright was himself a native Manhattanite, eventually kindling a sociology 101 romance with his wife, Claudia, as a SUNY Plattsburgh student and putting down roots in her native community in Greenfield. But the pair is decidedly bicoastal, with a residence in Los Angeles, after first moving to California in 1982. The initiation of Bright's interest in cannabis may have drawn a laugh track from the room -- "well, I was 16 years old..." -- but he nodded at more serious insights from when he and Claudia watched the West Coast industry unfold. The couple have been public cheerleaders for the plant ever since Kevin Bright's elderly, treatment-resistant mom saw a significant quality-of-life benefit after being prescribed the synthetic cannabinoid Marinol (known also by its generic name dronabinol). After watching her improvements, a decade ago the couple approached UCLA looking to support cannabis-related research. While the school didn't have much to say on the topic at the time, years later it came back to them for support of its now-robust Cannabis Research Initiative. But the Brights were less than enthusiastic about the way California's adult-use legalization played out. "I think we're bringing the experience with us of what not to do," Kevin Bright said. "The state grows more than literally the inhabitants of California combined. This leads to a lot of black market growing. And these dispensaries open up in vacant stores and they open for a month and then they get busted and then they move on and they open another one, that's part of the process of what they do. They're underselling the legitimate dispensaries." Kevin Bright said the pair was encouraged to jump into the market in New York in spite of the California "wild west" because it sounded to them like the state would do things differently, including investing the industry's revenue in communities most affected by its criminalization. Their vision for the 400 acres of their Twin Leaf Farms is to keep producing maple syrup and doing other traditional farming, while also trying their hand at cannabis, and technological advances like solar energy -- but to lodge the latter two deeper onto their property, out of sight. "Our solar field will not be an eyesore because it will be in the middle," said Claudia Bright, noting that residents of the area have protested solar based on how it changes the character of the region's agricultural land. Similarly,
they hope to apply for a license for mom-and-pop, craftscale cannabis farming and listen carefully to neighbors' concerns about issues like security. But nearly nine months after the Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act was passed in New York to legalize cannabis, all of their plans are speculative -- the newly formed Cannabis Control Board and Office of Cannabis Management have yet to release regulations and license categories that will allow the couple to know where they might fit. Board Chair Tremaine Wright recently said she was sticking to a previously announced 18-month timeline -- since the board's completion in October -- for the state's adultuse industry to be up and running, which means such operations would not be operational until April 2023. But many public relations agents, lobbyists and lawyers across the state have been stacking up clients who are hoping to give themselves an early edge in the market -including Mercury Public Affairs, who the Brights have begun working with already. Many of these attorneys and lobbyists have told the Times Union that it's not too early to start drumming up interest in a plan. They advise versions of what Kaelan Castetter, vice president of the New York Cannabis Growers & Processors Association, called "creating an air of inevitability" -- engaging community leaders, senators, assembly members, even residents of the area. According to the Mercury representatives for the Brights, the pair has already made strides to share their plan with leaders, even offering a tour of the property to Assemblywoman Carrie Woerner, whose district skirts Greenfield Center. "(Twin Leaf Farms) is one of maybe four potential grow businesses that have reached out to me to talk about what their ideas are, and how they'd like to proceed," Woerner said. Woerner does not have a say in who will get the licenses -- the Office of Cannabis Management will submit recommendations on decisions to Wright, whose ultimate approvals will rely on a lack of objection from the five-person board. But the Assemblywoman does have hopes for what the industry will look like in her area. "We really wanted to encourage locally grown businesses as opposed to candidates coming in from out of state," Woerner said. "So I'm really encouraged by the conversations I've had." Woerner learned about the Brights' plan from Kevin Veitch, who has been involved in managing the farm and who she knows from her time working in local government. Veitch will take on the role of town supervisor in Greenfield in the new year. Meanwhile, Kevin and Claudia Bright have high hopes for Claudia's native region: they see it as a potential "Napa Valley" of the East Coast, with agrotourism and cannabis at its core.
Learn to Skate with the Saratoga Springs Recreation Department’s Intro to Ice Skating Program
Newly Diagnosed with Parkinson’s? Consider Attending PD SELF – Parkinson’s Self-Efficacy Learning Forum
Ballston Spa Comprehensive Plan Committee to Discuss Climate Change, Technology Effects
SARATOGA SPRINGS - Registration is open for our Winter session. Learn the basics of ice skating and build upon skills already learned. Children age 3 and up as well as adults are welcome. Choose from Tuesday or Saturday classes. Masks are required regardless of vaccination status. Visit www.SaratogaRec.com and click Programs, Ice Skating lessons for complete information and to register. Contact the Recreation Department at (518) 587-3550 x2300 or recreservations@saratoga-springs.org with questions.
CAPITAL DISTRICT - A national program being offered in Albany. The program provides people newly diagnosed with Parkinson’s with an in-depth understanding of the disease and the tools to manage it with confidence. There is no cost to attend. Registration is required. Space is limited. Care partners are encouraged to attend. This year the program, starting in September, has been adapted to be fully online. Find out more at www. cdparkinsons.org/pd-self
BALLSTON SPA - The Village of Ballston Spa’s Comprehensive Plan Steering Committee will meet twice during the month of January to identify and discuss the effects of climate change and information technology advancements on the
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Master Gardener Volunteer Training Program WARRENSBURG - Applications are now being accepted for the Cornell Cooperative Extension Master Gardener Volunteer Training Program! The program starts in January 2022 and will be held virtually. The program is open to anyone who has an interest in expanding their gardening experience and knowledge. Learn how you can improve your own gardens and landscapes. Learn scientifically-based gardening information in a relaxed and supportive atmosphere. It is a great way to learn even more by sharing information with fellow-Master Gardeners during the training, and following the training, by participating in community-based horticultural programs, educational proj-
ects, and helping people in the community with their gardening questions. The Master Gardener Training Program is packed with information provided by the many scientists, educators, and garden experts associated with Cornell University. The course includes information about botany; entomology; organic gar-
ay, s Edition | Thursd
Twin Bridge
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connects Clifton Sitterly Road and is a popPark with Halfmoon motorists headed ular route for and retail centers. - Work has CLIFTON PARK to area schools to unexpectedly the bridge Due to the need structure, the started to replace entire Northway (I-87) a replace the spanning the by an oversized said it assembled state agency that got whacked spring. Prelimteam of state this and acmultidisciplined truck earlier the Sitterly Road "streamline on The engineers to inary work Park between design process. will celerate" the into Bridge in Clifton construction will stretch , first stage of excavation exits 9 and 8A surveying with including begin this spring in preparation early spring, work and utility relocaand concrete of the existing tree cutting the new completed, for the removalbridge will be comtions. Once all bridge will structure. Theto traffic during the 16-foot, 7.5-inch-tprevious inits pletely closed be taller than will feature two ion, which has bulk of constructfor late June to carnation and with lanes travel been scheduled r to accommodate ei11-foot-wide shoulders on state early Septembe routes, according 6-foot-wide to the bus local school ther side, according tation, of Transpor Department
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Best Wishes to Councilwoman Sabo Mary Frances
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The city's CommisSPRINGS - Dalton has asked SARATOGA Safety Robin Meg sioner of Public Board to rule on Mayor secure the city's Ethics office's authority to her Kelly's use of for a private school where gift In the undated a $200,000 the mayor works. to be reviewed Dalton says was expected Wednesday last complaint that Ethics Board outgoing Demby the city's said that the Mayor to Dalton the evening, as the office of ocrat "has used Charlton School, market the promote and
immediately Brendan Chudy, last Wednesby attorney executive session board is called for an or what the ARCHIVE saying who / TIMES UNION to the Times day without LORI VAN BUREN of did not respondcomplaint. the Kelly is the subject reviewing. Kelly Mayor Meg comment on Safety Saratoga Springsby Commissioner of Public Board Union seeking Capo, the school's executive at Alex filed the city’s Ethics a complaint Neither did making Kelly's work status for who has asked woman who a $200,000 gift Robin Dalton, director, thus However, a efforts to secure she says the school said to rule on Kelly’s in Charlton where Dalton the school unclear. phone at the that she "comes a private school answered the and , Izzo Kelly's title know However mayor works. didn't lot at the school. the He said he and goes" a not end with the Times Union. nd that the other complaint did did speak with d to recomme ing. Dalton's listed a number the to also pressure She money feel gift. the did not troubled Dalton foundation le Fund give "We Kelly took that Foulke Charitabadvisory only," Izzo said. actions that are school. "We
BALLSTON SPA - The Ballston Spa United Methodist Church Food Pantry is open each Wednesday from 9:30 to noon and serves all of Saratoga County. We are located at 101 Milton Avenue in Ballston Spa.
You are the most important partner in your child’s education! We’re here to help you get your child ready for kindergarten while You aresupport the most providing for theimportant whole family.
You may qualify Head Start! We provide free early learning partner inforyour child’s education! programs including preschool classes to income-eligible families with children ages 3-5. We’reLEARN hereMORE to help you get your & APPLY TODAY! | lifeworksaction.org child 518-288-3206 ready for kindergarten while providing support for the whole family. Some programs have income guidelines. This institution is an equal opportunity provider and employer.
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WILTON - On Monday, January 3rd at 10:30am Wilton Wildlife Preserve & Park will be holding one of their bi-monthly Nature on the Move walks. This walk is geared towards gentle exercise and the enjoyment of nature and will be accessible for participants at basic fitness levels. This is a great opportunity to enjoy a winter walk on the trails! The walk will depart from the Camp Saratoga North Trailhead kiosk. These walks are a bi- monthly activity with the next walk scheduled on January 24th at the same location, the Camp Saratoga North Trailhead kiosk. Registration is required. Space is limited. Snowshoes will be available for rent 15 minutes before the program at $3 per participant. If there is no snow, the program will take place without snowshoes. To register please visit our website, wiltonpreserve.org, and click on the “Public Programs” tab to access the online registration form. For more information, please contact the Preserve & Park office at 518-450-0321 or via email at info@wiltonpreserve.org.
development, population, employment and economic prosperity of the village. The meetings will be held on the first and third Thursdays of the month, January 6 and January 20, at 7 pm at the Saratoga County Office Building at 50 West High Street in Ballston Spa. The January 6 meeting will feature guest speaker Dr. Bruce Piasecki, founder and president of AHC Group Inc., a general management consulting firm specializing in growth, energy, environment and sustainability. Dr. Piasecki will lead the discussion on how to address upcoming trends in climate and IT. The Comprehensive Plan Steering Committee has been formed to work in conjunction with a professional planning consultant to identify and study several topics over the course of the next year in order to create a final plan for approval by the Village board of trustees. All meetings are open to the public, either in-person attendance or via Zoom. Zoom link will be available prior to each meeting at https://www.villageofballstonspa.org/comprehensive-plan-steering-committee. For more information, contact steering committee chairperson Karen Martell at karenmartell27@gmail. com or the Village Office at 518 885-5711, villageclerk@villageofballstonspa.org.
dening; soil health; use of fertilizers; plant diseases; good flower, fruit and vegetable growing practices; and wildlife management. Please contact Rebecca Devaney for more information and an application by calling 518-623-3291 or email rld245@cornell. edu .
Send Us Your News 2021 December 16,
Nature on the Move Walks at Wilton Wildlife Preserve & Park
email to: bulletinboard@crwnewspapers.com
You may qualify for Head Start! Formerly Saratoga County Economic Opportunity Council We provide free early learning Formerly Saratoga County Economic Opportunityin Council Youprograms are the most important partner your including preschool education! We’re partner here toinhelp Youchild’s are the most important youryou classes to income-eligible child’s education! We’re to families help youwhile get your child ready forhere kindergarten getproviding yourwith childchildren ready forfor kindergarten ages support the 3-5. whole while family. providing support for the whole family.
You may qualify for Head Start! We provide free early learning programs including preschool classes to income-eligible You may qualify for Head Start! We provide free early learningfamilies with children ages 3-5. programs including preschool classes to income-eligible families with children ages 3-5.
LEARN MORE & APPLY TODAY!
LEARN MORE & APPLY TODAY! 518-288-3206 | lifeworksaction.org 518-288-3206 | lifeworksaction.org Some programs have income guidelines. This institution is an equal opportunity provider and employer.
Some programs have income guidelines. This institution is an equal opportunity provider and employer.