Schuylerville Turning Point Newspaper, Issue 3, Mid-July to Mid-August 2012

TURNING POINT The Sch

ylerville

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Mid-July to Mid-August 2012

From the Editor Village Board Politics Letter

Environment

Ask the Doctor The Standard

Serving the People, Villages, Schools and Towns in What Is Olde Saratoga.

2

Christine Barton Schuylerville Turning Point

The term “Turning Point” has a very significant meaning to Schuylerville; so signif3 icant that the village sponsors a parade each year as tribute to the importance of this 5 event. Many historians have coined the defeat of the British in 1777 during the Ameri8 can Revolution as the “turning point” of the revolution, which took place right here on 9 hometown soil. The village hosts a parade each year to commemorate this victory and 17 the freedoms we enjoy because of it.

The Turning Point Parade is one of the largest parades in the Upstate New York re20 gion and is slated this year for Sunday August 5th, 2012 at 1 p.m.

The parade has been a signature event in the village of Schuylerville for the past 18 years. 2012 will also mark the 8th year of the Turning Point Festival that is held at Fort Hardy Park. The festival kicks off on Saturday, August 4th, and runs through August 5th, ending with the fireworks display by Alonzo on Sunday evening. The event is free and open to the public.

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was also convinced to join Schuylerville’s signature event France forces and support Americans in the fight for freedom. c o m m em o ra t e s t h e w o r l d ’ s Commemorating the significance of this victorious battle back in 1777 continues to be the mission m ost i mp or tan t b at tl e . of the Turning Point Parade and

Historical Significance Schuylerville and the surrounding areas are rich with history. The battles fought on this very soil are of great importance to our country and our freedom. In 1777, the turning point

Sam, 11

Grads, 13

Row, 19

A scene from last year’s parade.

of the American Revolution during the Battle of Saratoga was when the British surrendered to American troops. During this time in addition to the victory for America,

accompanying festival. Many historians consider the Battle of Saratoga to be the world’s

business to sustain itself in a rural town during a stable financial times and even harder during tough economic times.

Schuylerville and the surrounding areas are rich with small businesses that open their doors in the village with plans for success. Unfortunately some of them are not able to go the long haul and eventually shut down for one reason or another.

The community is then left to find another business with a similar product to patronize. It is no secret that villagers have seen many new businesses come and go over the years. Luckily for Schuylerville, there are many small busi-

nesses that have been able to sustain themselves and become a familiar landmark on the main streets of the village. A few of these businesses have become well known and patronized establishments in the village for many years now.

Schuylerville Pizza and Pasta located on 23 Spring Street has been in the area for 9 years.

Bill Diamantopoulos is the manager at the Schuylerville location and he enjoys working in the village because of the quaint and friendly surroundings. “Small

Longstanding pizza place stays strong

Christine Barton Schuylerville Turning Point

Schuylerville, without a doubt, has its fair share of history. The historical symbols in and around the area are only one of the focal points of the village. Parks, rural landscapes, Hudson River access and a old fashioned small town feel are just a few of the other things Schuylerville has to offer. Another thing that can be added to the list of things to see and do and eat in Schuylerville is “pizza.” While pizza originated in Italy, it has become a traditional favorite food of people across the globe. The options for pizza are virtually limitless, from traditional cheese to meat lovers’ to even fruit topped pies.

Schuylerville is definitely NOT without its share of pizza and interestingly enough the pizza is as much about how it is served as it is about taste.

Food establishments come and go in towns and villages across the country every day. New businesses open and others close for a variety of reasons. It is probably safe to say that many close due to economic reasons. In a difficult economy, people often have to cut costs, for some that means scaling back on going out to eat. It can be difficult for a small

continued on page 11

continued on page 5

Schuylerville Pizza and Pasta’s (l-r) Billy Diamadis, assistant manager, Desirée Lewis, staff, and Billy Diamantopoulos, manager.

Are papers being replaced by ‘The Jersey Shore?’

Turning Point | Mid-July to Mid-August 2012 | Page 2

Darren Johnson Publisher

I’m writing this column from Atlantic City, N.J., just before press time.

I love this modern era, where the idea of work can be done from anywhere.

When I started this newspaper, several people asked me if I were going to open an office. In everyone’s heads is this idea that a newspaper has to have an office, where ideas are exchanged, copy is vetted, people come in to place ads and pay for subscriptions.

And maybe this is why so many newspapers are going out of business, what with all that overhead. Soon, I will FTP the final PDF of this newspaper to a printer in Gloversville from a $450 laptop I got a few years ago. The printer then will print it and ship it to my home, where it can be distributed.

People have emailed me text and ads, to be placed in the paper. Office?! The thing I hated most about being a reporter back in the day was the obligation I felt having to go to an office. The Internet and smart phone have freed all that up, and me up.

I just finished proofing a draft of this issue on the beach. Hopefully I didn’t miss many typos.

One thing I do notice, having come to this city many times over the years, is that most of the coin-operated newspaper boxes are gone. There used to be rows of newspaper boxes every hundred yards or so on the Boardwalk, with papers from New York City, Philadelphia, Trenton and elsewhere.

As a devotee to the journalism genre, I was in heaven.

Perhaps people don’t carry enough change anymore to buy the ever-increasing costs of daily papers. I never seem to have change anymore; what with the rise in debit card use and that the few businesses that are cash-only usually have a tip jar now where I drop my coins. As well, maybe the newspaper machines are gone because people don’t read the daily papers as much anymore.

On the beach here, I haven’t seen anyone with a newspaper. A recent Sunday, my family and I were at Moreau State Park; the beach was full, but I was the only one there with a newspaper. Sunday used to be the day that everyone seemed to buy the paper.

I read the Post-Star cover to cover that day. It’s a pretty typical small daily paper – a handful of capably done local stories with lots of national wire copy to fill in the gaps.

One wire story scared the heck out of me on the beach that day. A parasite called T. gondii seems to infect about 10 to 20 percent of humans, who get it from changing kitty litter or eating undercooked meat. Its presence in humans is linked to increased depression, bi-polar disorder and suicide.

OK, well enough, I’ve never owned a cat, and usually cook my meat thoroughly, but then the story went on to say how the parasite is primarily spread. This parasite is so savvy, it travels to the brain of mice and changes their brain chemistry to the point

Saltwater taffy. where the mice think they like cats. So these infected mice just amble up to cats, get eaten, of course, and the parasite spreads. Insidious.

This made me wonder what other parasites we may not know about, and what are they doing to us? Maybe I watch too many sci-fi shows, such as “Falling Skies,” where some humans are harnessed with parasites that make them slaves, but maybe such shows aren’t that far off.

Maybe there are some parasites that make people criminals. Maybe some are actually beneficial to society.

Let’s face it; from a science point of view, humans were pretty dumb up until maybe 100 years ago. Cities were dumps with raw sewage everywhere,

practically every day.

Maybe some meteor crashed with a parasite on it that makes some people really, really smart. Alien smart.

Of course, then again, looking around me, maybe the aliens also sent a parasite down that makes people act like the cast of “Jersey Shore.” It’s hard to tell what’s what when it comes to parasites, and who’s infected with what anymore.

Anyway, with all this doom and gloom about newspapers, how can I expect this new STP to survive?

Minimal overhead was already mentioned. The difference-maker though is that STP tries to have stories that are a “read.” I got about 25 responses to my longish cover essay in the last edition about Schuylerville “moving on” from a scathing New York Times Magazine article from over 20 years ago.

That’s a lot for a small newspaper. These were all positive responses, as well. I worked for most of the 1990s at a paper about the size of STP and never got that many responses to an article.

‘I don’t really see people publicly reading newspapers anymore, and where did all the coin-op newspaper machines go?’ and it was a miracle if people lived past 40. Just reading old issues of The Schuylerville Standard, one can see cases of people dying of “acute indigestion.” Huh? Humans existed for millions of years (or thousands, if you don’t believe in evolution), and really didn’t get so far in all that time, until recently.

Yeah, the common man today probably isn’t much brighter than the common men of 100 years ago, but there have been many geniuses who have propelled us to this point in time where a whole newspaper can be made by a guy on the beach 300 miles away with a relatively cheap device.

Too bad no one on the beach is reading a newspaper, but that’s beside the point.

The wire stories tell us about new scientific and technological advances

THE

TURNING POINT

is published monthly and distributed throughout Greater Schuylerville and into the parts of Saratoga and Washington counties where we also visit.

People have responded to other stories in the paper as well. It is being read, closely. People are keeping it around. There are few smalltown papers like that anymore.

In this new era of journalistic peril, newspapers have cut down the size of stories in print, the exact opposite of what they should be doing. Newspapers should try, instead, to produce works that linger. That’s better for the advertisers, too. A paper that sticks around on a coffee table has a better effect all around. Most of these local shopper papers I get in the mail go directly to my recycle bin without being opened. I know there’s nothing inside.

What a waste of trees.

The breaking type news, we will put on our site, 29east.com. In here, we mostly will put feature stories, village government pieces that aren’t all that timely, essays, columns, and, yes, some wire stories. This newspaper is a work-in-progress.

There are a lot of events coming up in Schuylerville soon. Maybe I will see you at some of them!

For now, my family and I took this brief respite. We’re not gambling. Just catching the waves. We found a Days Inn on the Boardwalk for $70/night. A small pile of USA Todays in the lobby stays mostly untouched.

Publisher/Editor: Darren Johnson.

Design Template: Thomas Johnson.

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Mayor proclaims ‘Flag Week’ for Village

Christine Barton Schuylerville Turning Point

The summer months offer many chances to celebrate America and the historical milestones that have made this great country what it is today. Flag Day, while not considered a federal holiday like Memorial Day or Independence Day, is an equally important day that pays special tribute to the American flag and the freedoms it represents. It is hard to miss Old Glory soaring proudly across the landscape of the towns and villages across the country. She flys high and proud on days of celebration and low and strong on days of sorrow and remembrance. This country has seen struggles and successes but has always maintained hope for a better tomorrow. Our flag is always there to remind us that we are proud to be Americans. The thirteen stripes of red and white represent the original colonies that later became the first states in the Union following the declaration of independence from Great Britain. The blue rectangle houses the 50 stars that signify all of the states that make up America.

Our flag is the one thing in this county of great diversity that binds us together as on nation. Flag Day is not about a specific event, an important battle or even a victory, but rather a pure simple symbol of freedom and unity that we can all share as Americans.

In addition to federal holidays, individual states, cities, towns and villages may also honor other historical events that are significant to the community or to American history. Jurisdictions may arrange celebrations by holding fairs, festivals, concerts or parades in tribute to these events. Each celebration, large and small, national or local remembers in its own way events that have become hallmarks of history. Events such as the Turning Point Parade and Festival in Schuylerville, the Flag Day Parade in Troy or Saratoga’s Independence Day Celebration are just a few of the examples of how communities across the re-

gion pay special tribute to the signature events that are so much a part of local and national history.

H i s to r y o f th e P r o c l a m a t i o n On June 14th, 1777, the Second Continental Congress approved a resolution to adopt the Unites States flag, which became the symbol of our country. On August 3rd, 1949, Flag Day was established as June 14th through an Act of Congress. It was requested that on this day all government buildings would display the flag and ob-

part of the celebration of Flag Day. June 20th 1985, public law was passed to have the “Pause for the Pledge of Allegiance” be a part of national Flag Day celebrations.

The President must issue the proclamation annually as outlined in the resolution. Since 1777, the American flag has signified our strength, unity and freedom as a country. The flag has become a powerful badge of pride and is widely recognized as a symbol of Americanism. While Flag Day is not an official fed-

A simple request from the Bemis Heights Society is answered.

The proclamation the Village issued.

serve the day. In 1966, Congress approved another resolution that further recognized the week of June 14th as “National Flag Week.” This resolution called upon all Americans to display the flag in celebration of our freedom and to honor the flag as our national symbol. On December 8th, 1982, by Act of Congress the National Flag Day foundation was instituted to promote educational programs throughout the nation and encourage Americans to “Pause for the Pledge of Allegiance” as

officer of the Bemis Heights Society since 2003. In May, Szewczyk wrote a letter to Mayor John Sherman on behalf of the Bemis Heights Society requesting the village board approval for a proclamation to celebrate “National Flag Day Week.”

This resolution was on the table at the June 13th village board meeting and unanimously approved. The Proclamation states as follows, “I, John Sherman, Mayor of the Village of Schuylerville, do hereby proclaim June 10-16, 2012, as Flag Week of the Village and urge all citizens of New York to pause at 7 p.m. EST on Thursday, June 14, 2012 for the 30th Annual National ‘Pause for the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag’ and join all Americans in reciting the ‘Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America.’

This simple request from the Bemis Heights Society written by Szewczyk evidences that true patriotism is still alive and well. Understanding what is important and the cooperation of village officials made this proclamation that originated way back in 1949 a reality for Schuylerville in 2012. While it may be too late to officially celebrate the “Flag Day” that is nationally recognized on June 14th, it is never too late to pay tribute to our freedom. The nice thing about this holiday is that every day can be Flag Day. There is no date stamp on our ability to defend liberty, remember our fallen soldiers and to honor those that continue to sacrifice for our freedom. Every day that we proudly display our American flag is a day that we pay homage to our history and the core American values that our flag stands for.

eral holiday, it continues to be a significant day that celebrates our solidarity as a nation. Parades, festivals, and celebrations take place all across the country to commemorate this historic day and to honor Old Glory. Pennsylvania is the first and only state to date to honor Flag Day as a formal state holiday.

T h e Vi l l a g e o f Sc h u y l e r v i l l e P r oc l a i m s N at i o n a l F l a g W e e k Katherine Szewczyk is a junior at Saratoga Central Catholic High School. She is also a member of the New York State Board of the Children of the American Revolution (NYSSCAR). She has been an

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Turning Point | Mid-July to Mid-August 2012 | Page 3

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Village board meeting heats up over water

Turning Point | Mid-July to Mid-August 2012 | Page 4

Darren Johnson Schuylerville Turning Point

The Schuylerville Village Board of Trustees got into some heated discussions at their July 11 meeting, the most contentious of which was the water board report, followed by citizen complaints that the board wasn’t being accessible enough.

The issue of the water board has been ongoing. The water board is an inter-municipal body shared between the villages of Schuylerville and Victory.

Each village sends a faction to water board meetings, then the factions report back to their individual village boards.

In July 11’s Schuylerville report, Mayor John Sherman talked about the July 10 inter-municipal meeting.

“What happened last night was disgraceful,” the mayor said, adding that the water board could not come to a consensus as to whether to pay May through July vouchers to vendors. “I’m disturbed. If we need services, we will not be able to buy them the way things are.”

The water board reportedly could not decide on whether to pay attorney Phil Dixon. The Victory group did want to pay his retainer, which was said to be $1000/month. Mayor Sherman said that Dixon hasn’t been at recent meetings, so he did not feel he had enough information to pay the retainer. The mayor thinks that Dixon’s contract with the water board may not be valid; though, from the audience, resident Gail Blake, a water commissioner from Schuylerville, refuted that.

Mayor Sherman said that the Victory group wanted to pay all the bills, including Dixon’s. The final vote ended up being a 2-2 deadlock, so none of the vouchers could be paid (as of press time, at least). The mayor said that utility bills will be paid, however.

He alluded to a recent mediation of sorts held in Saratoga where it was discussed that the water board may remove both Victory representative Jim Sullivan and Schuylerville representative Wendy Lukas, two of the board’s most vocal members, as an olive branch, but no movement has been made in that regard.

Lukas said after the meeting that that suggestion wasn’t practical. “If both of us were removed, [the Victory representatives] would just vote afterward to put [Sullivan] back on,” she said.

Blake wondered if the water board’s inability to cut checks may be a safety issue during the Turning Point Festival’s upcoming fireworks considering the recent heat and dry conditions.

The mayor said that that’s a fire department call. “Whatever we do, we will make sure that [the fireworks] are safe for everyone,” he said.

The mayor worried that residents may not get their June water bills until close to when the September bills are issued. Schuylerville residents pay $112.50 per unit per quarter for water, or $450/year.

“People are going to scream and holler,” he said.

August Nix Causes Heat While not quite screaming and hollering, the board’s announcement that

they had decided, at their previous Monday work session, to cancel the regularly scheduled August meeting also caused audience ire.

“Why not have an August meeting?” asked Leona Colvin.

“You have an obligation to let the village know what’s going on.

It’s one night a month!

“You obviously have business to conduct,” she said, referring to the previous water board discussion. “I just don’t understand how you can justify this decision.”

The mayor called into effect a three-minute rule for speakers.

Later on in the meeting, village trustee Pamela Foehser, who wasn’t at the previous work session, said, “I think there should be an August meeting.”

Trustee Charles Sherman said that because of all of the village events and social gatherings in August, having the regular meeting during the usual time wasn’t as necessary. The village will hold a meeting in August, at a date to be announced, to vote on official matters.

“We are having a meeting in Local delays due to water discharge piping imAugust,” Charles Sherman said. provements will stop soon, to pick up again in “It just won’t be at the regularly the fall and last approximately 1.5 years appointed time.”

Clerk Anna Welfley said that the meeting will be publicly advertised.

While Colvin said that the village web site isn’t up to date and not in legal compliance, Blake suggested that the village implement a time-clock system.

She said that she had come to village offices at 8:30 a.m., the posted opening time, and no one was there “several times.”

“There is no need for a time clock,” the mayor said.

“I regularly leave at 6 p.m. I’d love a time clock,” Welfley said. “ ‘Several times’ is not an accurate statement.”

In other business, the board: • Approved the new memberships of Tim Williams of Saratoga Springs and Paul Chojnacki of Schuylerville to the Schuyler Hose Company fire department.

• Approved the use of Fort Hardy Park for parking for the Schuylerville Lions Club Annual Wine & Food Fest . The board also approved the mass gathering permit for the event, to be held on Saturday, July 28, from 4 to 7 p.m. in the Schuylerville Yacht Basin.

• Announced that the fire department responded to 14 alarms in June and 64 for the year, through June 30.

• Announced that they were looking at pricing for a new garbage truck.

• Announced that code enforcement conducted the final approvals for two new café locations – Over the Moon at the site of the former Olde Saratoga Café and Bakery on Broadway and one to be named at 31 Ferry Street.

• Announced that current roadwork will soon stop until fall.

3rd party candidates hope for more than the 1%

Emily Siner Scripps Howard Foundation Wire

Gary Johnson doesn’t agree with Barack Obama or Mitt Romney on most things, and he certainly doesn’t agree that either of them should be president. The best one for the job, he believes, is himself.

He’s running as a Libertarian, and that means one thing in American politics: A lot of people who might agree with him just won’t vote for him.

“I’m not naïve. I know the odds are against us,” said Johnson’s running mate, retired California Superior Court judge Jim P. Gray, in a telephone interview last week.

A two-term Republican governor of New Mexico, Johnson worked on education reform and advocated for the decriminalization of marijuana use, but his most frequent tactic was to stop the New Mexico Legislature from doing anything. He vetoed a record-breaking 750 bills, earning him the nickname “Governor Veto.”

When he left office, the state had a budget surplus.

After a stint in the Republican presidential primaries last year, he turned to the Libertarian Party, one of the largest third parties in the U.S., and won its nomination in May. By Libertarian standards, he’s doing pretty well. As of early July, he has a place on 30 state ballots, and he’s expecting to be on almost all 50 by November.

Now, his goal is to attract 15 percent support in five national polls – the 12-yearold standard for participation in the televised presidential and vice-presidential debates in October. As far as goals go, it’s a lofty one. An Investor's Business Daily/Christian Science Monitor/TIPP Poll from early July ranked him at 2 percent, but in general, few of the polls even

include him as an option.

Johnson and Gray need to get noticed in polls to be in the debates – but they need those debates to get noticed. A simple Google News search recently for stories published within the past 24 hours showed 24,400 results for “Barack Obama,” 18,700 results for “Mitt Romney” and a mere 220 results for “Gary Johnson,” not all of them for Gary Johnson, presidential hopeful.

“I think that we have a legitimate chance of winning – if we get in the debates,” Gray said. “If we cannot get into the debates, we’re dead.”

Some would say they were doomed from the start.

Little Room for Third Parties David Crockett, a professor of political science at Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas, argues that almost since its foundation, the U.S. government has been divided in two. When fundamental issues arise – whether there should be a national

In this day and age, it is hard for them to be heard.

bank, whether to allow slavery in new territories – politicians gather around one of two answers: yes or no.

These two issues were particularly potent. The Democratic Party became a coherent political force in the 1830s partially by opposing the national bank, and the Republican Party, with presidential candidate Abraham Lincoln, ousted the Whig Party in 1860 by opposing the extension of slavery. Although the parties’ platforms have morphed, they have dominated U.S. politics since.

What happens to Americans who don’t align with a party on every issue? If there are enough of them, they might form

Pizza (cont. from cover)

communities have to work together,” says Diamantopoulos. “The key to a good restaurant is quality, good food, price and a friendly atmosphere,” which is something that Schuylerville Pizza and Pasta offers to all of their customers.

“We like that we are in the small town, we know first names of our patrons, we see kids growing up, and we are able to really get to know our customers; it is like we are growing with them,” says Diamantopoulos.

This family operated restaurant is open 7 days a week from 11 a.m.-9 p.m. and offers sit down services as well as food delivery. Business is very steady all week long. The restaurant has a menu that appeals to their customers of all different ages who frequent the restaurant. According to Diamantopoulos, the younger crowd usually orders pizza and wings while the older crowd is more likely to come in for a chicken and pasta or something traditional like spaghetti and meatballs or a steak and cheese grinder. Besides a menu that most of the repeat customers know, the restaurant also offers weekly specials such as half price pizza on Tuesday and half

price pasta on Wednesday. The restaurant also has a well-known specialty Greek pizza and a homemade traditional pan pizza. “Everyone really counts on the specials each week,” says Diamantopoulos.

Monument Pizza formerly located on 142 Broad Street was a familiar business in the Schuylerville area for many years. It recently closed its doors and another new pizza shop quickly

their own party, which is why the Libertarian Party was founded in 1971.

But strategically, this isn’t a rational way to gain power. U.S. elections are winnertake-all; the second-place candidate, no matter how popular, gets nothing. And the presidential election raises the odds even higher: All states except Nebraska and Maine have a winner-take-all rule for their electoral votes, so a candidate has to win enough states to secure a victory.

If a third party is in the race, one that’s new or not well known, voters probably won’t have the confidence to vote for its candidate. They’ll see it as “wasting their vote,” even if they agree with that candidate, said Lara Brown, assistant professor of political science at Villanova University in Villanova, Pa. Take Ross Perot, who ran as an independent against Bill Clinton and George H.W. Bush in 1992 on a platform of balancing the budget. He was in the debates – the most recent third-party candidate to be included – and he won a fifth of the popular vote, the most a third-party candidate has won since 1912. Ultimately, he failed to win any electoral votes.

A political group whose main goal is anti-terrorism might not agree with the group that supports hands-off economics, but in the end they have an incentive to

long haul. A major part of making any business grow and thrive in a small community is making a lasting impression on those who are going to become regular patrons.

There is always natural competition between businesses that offer the same goods and/or services from car repair to coffee to pizza. While competition is inevitable, it seems the town has ample room for two establishments that have pizza in common. Pizza is a mutual foundation for both Whipple City and Schuylerville Pizza and Pasta; the environment of each establishment

‘We know the first names of our patrons, and see kids growing up.’

found a new home in Schuylerville.

Whipple City Pizza moved into the area about a year ago and is located at 112 Broad Street. The Whipple City establishment also has longstanding locations in neighboring communities of Greenwich and Cambridge. Whipple City Pizza is a familiar name in the surrounding areas but still fairly new to their Schuylerville address. Given that it has established longtime roots in surrounding communities, it is a sure sign of that they might be in town for the

offers something a little different, as do the menus, allowing customers a choice. The choice may be not about who has the best pizza but rather what else is on the menu. Just because a customer makes a choice to go to one place over the other doesn’t necessarily mean that one is better or worse than the other, just different. “Every place does their own unique foods and has their own secret for success, not better, just different,” says Diamantopoulos.

Two pizza shops may seem like a

form a coalition with one of the big players – in this case, the Republican Party. These factions decide it’s better to be the backup player on a popular team than to be the MVP in a game with no one watching.

It’s just as important for the big two players to make sure these factions either join them or leave the game. In 2000, Ralph Nader ran against Al Gore and George W. Bush as the Green Party candidate. He won about 3 percent of the popular vote, but Crockett said that his environmental platform might have cut into the Democratic votes in swing states, including Florida – costing Gore the election.

Democrats and Republicans have an incentive to incorporate the key issues of popular independent parties into their platforms, as Clinton did when he emphasized

continued on page 20

lot for a village the size of Schuylerville; but when you put things into perspective, there is more than two of many things in the village.

There are more than two gas stations, convenient stores, specialty shops and eateries in the village also. It seems that there is ample room for everyone to be successful here in a village that supports the small businesses that have been the foundation of this country for years. The customer base is what keeps any small business in business.

Customers have choices and may sway from time to time but usually the regulars eventually find their way back to a business that offers good customer service and good food.

“We want to thank all of the customers who have been with us for the last nine years. The customers keep us going,” says Diamantopoulos.

Most businesses, large and small, start out with the same goals; to make a profit and to serve customers in the best way possible, which will keep them coming back. The nice thing about competition when it comes to pizza is that America just can’t seem to get enough of it. It is one of those things that doesn’t go out of style, and even when it’s bad it’s usually good, this is a recipe for success in itself.

Turning Point | Mid-July to Mid-August 2012 | Page 5

‘18th-century’ artisans at Schuyler House

Over 25 colonial artisans will ply their crafts at the Philip Schuyler House on Sunday, August 12, from noon to 5 p.m. at the free annual 18th Century Day celebration.

Steve Khoury, a blacksmith from Altamont, uses a forge, bellows, anvil and hammer to produce nails, hooks and other essential items for the home and farm. The blacksmith was considered the king of craftsmen, capable of making anything from a weapon to a horseshoe from wrought iron.

Renowned tinsmith Walter Fleming of Ballston Lake uses tin snips, anvil and mallet to create sconces, lanterns, candlesticks and other household items.

Nine colonists out of 10 were farmers who tilled a few acres and kept a few cows, some pigs and chickens and perhaps some sheep and a team of oxen. Joe Peck, who manages a 110-cow dairy farm with his son David in the town of Saratoga, portrays the colonial farmer. Fred DePaul of Plymouth, Vermont, demonstrates sheep shearing.

Bees are essential for pollinating orchards and gardens, Rick Greene will share his knowledge of beekeeping and honey production, and Dave Anthony and crew will show how scything was done to harvest the grain.

The colonial woman spent her days cooking, washing, baking, mending, tending the vegetable garden, drying foods, churning butter, making candles and soap, spinning flax or wool, weaving cloth, sewing garments and caring for the children.

Saratoga County dairy princess Molly Pokrzywka and her court will demonstrate butter making, and Mary Jane Pelzer of Saratoga Springs will show how to make soap.

Brooms were essential in keeping a clean house. Paul Russell of Latham will make brooms on the porch of the Schuyler House and Liz Gee will talk about growing and using herbs. Sandy Schatley of Glen will spin flax and wool into yarns along with other members of the Rock Day Spinners, who will also demonstrate how to dye the wool. Kathy Thomas of Stillwater will show the art of knitting socks and caps for the family.

Garments and curtains were often decorated with crewel embroidery, demonstrated by Gay Gamage of Saratoga Springs, and candlewicking, done by Maria Hull of Troy. Joan Rowland of Porter Corners will show how to make quilts.

‘Punch & Judy’ is put on by Eric Olsen (left) of the Morristown (N.J.) National Historical Park and Joe Craig of Saratoga National Historical Park.

Other confirmed arts and artisans include 18th century medicine by Stu Lehman of Albany, paper cutting by Kathy Ceceri of Schuylerville and rope making by Mike Speranza of Watervliet. Historian Bob Mulligan will talk about 18th century currency National Park Service rangers Eric Olson and Joe Craig will stage a Punch and Judy show, and Ridley and Anne Enslow will play period music on the violin and hammered dulcimer. Members of the Sharp & Spicy 4-H club will serve punch

and cookies.

A chicken barbecue will be served from 1-4 p.m. at the Old Saratoga Reformed Church on Burgoyne Street. The menu includes one-half chicken, baked potato, Dutch kraut, roll, cake and beverage.

Call 695-6638 for reservations. Walk-ins are also welcome.

The Old Saratoga Historical Association and the National Park Service sponsor this annual event. For more information call 664-9821.

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Turning Point | Mid-July to Mid-August 2012 | Page 6

PETA offers up free veggie dogs at Capitol

Chelsea Boozer Scripps Howard Foundation Wire

Zachary Koval arrived on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, July 11, clad in nothing but a banana-colored Speedo and flip flops, escorted by three tan women wearing lettuce-leaf bikinis and high heels.

The group held signs reading “FREE VEGGIE DOGS” and wore pins declaring “GO VEG!” Koval, People for Ethical Treatment of Animal’s sexiest vegetarian contest winner, was the face of the group’s protest against National Hot Dog Month. He and PETA volunteers handed out more than 400 free veggie hot dogs to people who passed their table outside the Rayburn House Office Building.

“It’s really just a fun way to show people they can pig out on hotdogs without causing pigs to suffer,” said Tracy Patton, PETA campaigner and the event’s lead organizer. “The lettuce bikinis help us show that veggie hot dogs can shed off pounds and lead to a healthy physique.”

PETA’s protest started more than a decade ago as a response to the American Meat Institute annual hot dog lunch for members of Congress and their staffs.

Since the 1970s, AMI has hosted its event every July, which was designated as National Hot Dog Month in 1957.

Patton said PETA’s veggie dog giveaway “ran the meat industry out of town.”

“Our veggie dogs – and the sexy volunteers serving them – have been such a hit that the meat industry couldn’t compete, and now their event is held later in the month,” PETA spokeswoman Shakira Croce said.

AMI spokeswoman Janet Riley said

the trade association’s annual hot dog lunch has always been the third Wednesday in July and is scheduled for July 18.

“I love their attempt at spin. Our event is more popular than ever. I think they are chicken,” Riley said, making note of the pun. “People are craving the real thing. In recent years they’ve resorted to wearing bikinis to get takers. We are fully clothed and mobbed with interest, which is testament to the continuing popularity of the great American hot dog.”

There were no counter-protesters Wednesday, aside from a group of teenagers who walked by the bikini-wearing PETA volunteers chanting, “Meat! Meat!

Meat!”

Josh Ferrell, 16, of Corpus Christi, Texas, hurried into line with a group of other teenage boys to receive his free veggie dog. A sophomore at Ray High School, he said it was “obvious” that the free food is what drew him to the event. He comes from a vegan household and said he tries to be vegan most of the time.

“No, but in reality it is an interesting display,” he said with a laugh, eyeing the lettuce bikinis. “I definitely didn’t expect it when I was walking out, but it definitely caught my attention and it got the point across.”

The volunteers’ outfits, he said, weren’t “too far out there,” and served their purpose as attention grabbers. He didn’t think the sex appeal demeaned the group’s cause.

Robin Bowman, though, was reluctant to have her sons, ages 10 and 11, go through the line. Her husband, James, 42 a tobacco salesman, collected food for the family.

“I don’t think they’ll get their point across,” Bowman, 42, a school teacher

Servers’ bikinis were made of lettuce.

from Mount Vernon, Ky., said. “I didn’t care for the guy’s dress.”

Rebecca Novack, 35, of Bloomington, Ill., focused more on the free lunch than the event’s message but said the scene was fun and family friendly.

“I think it’s fine,” she said. “The costumes didn’t attract us. It was the free food.

We have five kids with us.”

The event was more than just a free lunch for Mermel Stein, 83, of Miami, who is retired from the dry-cleaning business.

He said he’ll start buying veggie dogs instead of hot dogs.

After taking a free veggie dog, people could pose for photos with Koval, of

Brooklyn, N.Y., who has been vegetarian since age 10 and a vegan for more than two years, and lettuce-bikini clad PETA intern Brynn Longenecker. A “GO VEG!” button was strategically placed on Longenecker’s bikini top and another on Koval’s Speedo.

For him, the Speedo was a fun way to get the word out.

“It’s a great kind of innovative way to get people to see us and they say, ‘Hey, What’s going on?’ and then they try a veggie dog, and they see that there are options that are cruelty free,” he said. “This is all just a response to the meat industry handing out hot dogs in front of Congress.”

Turning Point | Mid-July to Mid-August 2012 | Page 7

What’s FX’s loss is Netflix’s gain

Darren Johnson Schuylerville Turning Point

“Louie, Louie, Louie� theme song, and is perfect for a quick laugh or two before you go on to do something else.

What makes Netflix shine are the long-form TV shows. Some of the shows Rocky, The Series on there, I have no clue where they apPerhaps the FX Network just dumped peared before and which network would all of its shows on Netflix. Another one reeven air them, but I try them out if they cently hit: “Lights Out� is a 13-episode boxhave more than 4 stars and hit “next� a ing drama that chronicles a 40-year-old good deal until they run out of episodes. heavyweight former champ who falls into I’m currently in the middle of financial trouble and makes a comeback. “Louie,� which is a bunch of shorts followThe show was cancelled by FX after ing comedian Louis C.K. around Lower one season as ratings dipped each episode, Manhattan in a somewhat fictional world. but it has nearly 5-stars on Netflix. Maybe Just like “Seinfeld� had an episode for that will prompt another comeback. every possible situation – we all have enMaybe the problem isn’t the series, countered a “Soup Nazi� who runs a small but maybe FX itself just isn’t all that great at restaurant, for example – “Louie� seems to planning and marketing, because “Lights operate in this same vain.

Out� is excellent. Maybe it’s a rung or two But the show is ultra-low budget. Shot below the top hour-long dramas, such as with one “Breaking camera, edBad,� ited, writ“Walking ten, Dead� or produced “Dexter,� and starring but still betC.K., this ter than any proves that drama on in this new the broadera one doesn’t need a lot of money to cast networks. make something decent that works on serv“Lights� Leary (Holt McCallany) was a ices like Netflix. champion and lost his last fight, five years Researching this online, it appears that prior, in a controversial decision, after get“Louie� is on the FX Channel. I guess that ting bad ringside advice from his channel’s not on my radar, but I can’t see father/manager. A bit dazed after the fight, how that’s even possible considering how his wife, Theresa (Catherine McCormack), envelope-pushing the subject matter is. I convinces Learyto retire with his $11M guess a lot of people are not watching FX. purse. She has plans to go to medical Like “Seinfeld,� the show usually starts school, anyway. with C.K. doing standup in a small club But five years later, Leary finds that his with a brick background. However, C.K.’s money had been mismanaged by his ethihumor is much edgier. He even kids about cally challenged brother, and the IRS is pedophiles. closing in on him. At first, Leary takes An episode I watched last night was some assignments from devious very funny – and, like the Soup Nazi, percharacters to be a bagman and break haps we’ve all been there. C.K., who is a a guy’s arm who owes a debt. divorced dad, convinces his young daughLike “Rocky,� Leary is afraid of ters to go on a road trip to visit an ancient his wife, and willing to do whatever it aunt who lives in the country. She is a takes to pay the bills. In fact, this throwback, he tells them, to a time when film borrows a lot of ideas from people road in horse carriages and street “Rocky� and the Irish-tinted “The lamps were lit by fire. She doesn’t even Fighter,� even a little bit from “Rehave a phone and only communicates by snail mail. This would be a first-person history lesson for them. The kids buy in, and when they finally get there, they are introduced to a woman who looks to be 100. Turns out, she is a racist, dropping the N-word in every other sentence. C.K. then has to explain that to the kids, who are pretty aghast. “Louie� is a very short show, ‘Louie.’ only about 20 minutes after the

L e t te r t o t h e E d i t or

Dear Mr. Johnson, I really enjoyed reading the article you wrote in the latest issue of STP. For the past 12 years I have resided in Schuylerville after being attracted to its small town charm and excellent school system, and I enjoyed your analysis.

Overall, I thought your piece (“Standind Still and Moving On�) was interesting to read and even insightful at times. As I was reading it, I thought to myself how lucky we are to have a free local paper that would run a quality story such as yours.

However, I am greatly disappointed in your use of the pit-bull to portray an element of society that is undesirable. While I applaud you for not taking the completely Turning Point | Mid-July to Mid-August 2012 | Page 8

A press photo for ‘Lights Out.’ The real cinematography is less vivid.

quiem for a Heavyweight.� The actual boxing scenes are weaker than those movies.

Like in “Rocky I,� “Lights Out� had to black out the audience for its big fights. It’s hard to find 20,000 extras to sit in an audience on spec.

Midway through the series, Leary decides to get a new manager to replace his retiring father. He goes Upstate to find a spiritualistic guru, Ed Romeo (Eamonn Walker), who used to be known as the best in the business, but had a serious mental breakdown and was considered damaged goods. I guess this is similar to Rocky going to Apollo Creed to work out in an oldschool ghetto gym and learn hunger and rhythm.

Romeo could have been a breakout character. The series definitely took a twist with his introduction, similar to this past season of “Dexter� where Dexter encounters junkyard spiritualist Brother Sam (Mos Def), and starts to see himself in a different light.

However, “Lights Out,� without much reason, gets rid of the intense Romeo after

just a couple of episodes, and just brings back the father and brother to coach Leary. It must have been a ratings thing.

But, this series has closure. It has a beginning, middle and end, and is only 13 episodes; less than 13 hours in total. The whole “Rocky� series is only about 13 hours. So there you go.

McCallany is not 40; he is actually 48.

I’m not sure what the producers were thinking, anyway. At best, they could have gotten a few years out of the actor as a believable champ. Add in that the character fears he has pugilistic dementia, and this plotline could only end poorly.

I know Sylvester Stallone’s ego likely wouldn’t allow it, but – as I really do love that series – if, like “Star Trek� did a few years ago, “Rocky� were recast, but instead of catching him at midlife, we can start from when Rocky and Mickey were younger and in their boxing and coaching primes. What went wrong for each that got them to the beginning of “Rocky I?�

Now that prequel would be a great, long-form TV series.

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easy way out and portraying them as vicious, I still think your characterization perpetuates a stereotype that leaves dogs who even resemble pit bulls sitting in shelters, denied families not because of who they are but because of an unfair image that has largely been created for them.

Since you are a journalist, I expect that you are more aware than most of the power that words carry. Please be more thoughtful in the future when characterizing pit-bulls and pit-bull type dogs. I am certain if you spent some time getting to know some of the animal shelter residents in our area who fit this description, you would not wish to contribute to this problem, even unintentionally. Thank you for your time.

Respectfully, Michelle Maddalla Schuylerville, N.Y.

Hudson Crossing news: Riverwalk revamp

Mike Bielkiewicz Contributor

Work has begun on the Riverwalk Trail and Kayak Launch at Hudson Crossing Park. Shale surfacing materials have arrived on site for the improved Riverwalk Sensory Trail and Kayak Launch area. The Cleveland Brothers Landscaping, Inc., was awarded the bid for the project to improve the trail experience and make it a handicap-accessible trail and kayak launch by summer’s end.

These projects were initially let out with a combined project bid by the Town of Northumberland in February 2012 but came in over the amount budgeted by the Town. The projects were re-evaluated and modified with acceptable design changes that reduced the overall cost of each. A re-bid for both projects, allowing potential contractors to bid on one or both of the projects was publicly advertised on May 18th with the bid openings on June 5th. The successful contractor, Cleveland Brothers Landscaping, Inc., is required to begin the projects by early July 2012 and complete them by November, 2012.

The Riverwalk Trail will be a 1400foot stone dust path from the Dix Bridge along the shore of the Hudson River and continuing to the new Alfred Z. Solomon Canoe/Kayak Launch,

which will be located just south of the Lock 5 Canal Office. Both of these projects are being funded using $160,000 from the NYS Department of State’s Waterfront Revitalization Program Grants utilizing NYS Environmental Protection Funds, awarded to the Town of Northumberland, and a $20,000 grant from the Alfred Z. Solomon Trust, awarded to Hudson Crossing Park, Inc. An additional grant of $1,000, made by the Schuylerville Lions Club, means that the projects will require minimal input of local to dollars to complete while adding quality trail and launch additions along a very picturesque portion of the Hudson River within Hudson Crossing Park.

Along the trail will be two river overlook decks The trail as it is now. and at these picturesque sites will be placed an ecohandcrank. While the crank is turned, friendly Tour-Mate device with which the listener presses one of four buttons, visitors will be able to hear short stories selecting stories relating to the four lives about the surrounding area. The Tourof the Lakes to Locks Passage. The four Mates run using a listener-operated lives include Natural Forces & Native

voices” for the recordings. These auditions will be held electronically. As the scripts are being finalized, one will be made available on the Hudson Crossing Park website and interested persons may submit a recording to the contest review committee.

You may become one of “the’ Voices’ of Hudson Crossing Park.”

This opportunity will be announced on both the Park’s website and Facebook page.

Local people are being recruited to record an audio tour.

Peoples; Conflict & Settlement; Corridor of Commerce; and Magnet for Tourism.

These two audio units were funded by a $5,000 grant from the Hudson River Improvement Fund of the Hudson River Foundation.

Eight scripts are being written for the Tour-Mates, and Hudson Crossing Park will hold a contest to discover “the

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Turning Point | Mid-July to Mid-August 2012 | Page 9

Introducing ‘The Man Column’

Turning Point | Mid-July to Mid-August 2012 | Page 10

Darren Johnson Schuylerville Turning Point

Welcome to a new column, “The Man Column,” set somewhere near the Hudson River. If you are a female, you should avert your eyes, though I have a feeling you will read on.

From what I can tell, there are no columns out there in the mass media by men, for men. I guess there are magazines supposedly aimed at men, with metrolooking guys on the cover, but nothing for guys who like to wear whatever’s comfortable, say Fruit of the Looms, circa 1994, and think anything over $15 is too much for a haircut.

There are some issues in the guy world that aren’t being properly debated.

In this inaugural column, I will address a few. Don’t worry. I won’t be politically incorrect. Just I come from a background that was similar to a lot of guys, and I tend to have typical guy tastes in a lot of areas; and most “typical” guys don’t end up being writers, so maybe I can corner a popular market with this column and become wildly rich in syndication. So here goes…

Lawn Mowing This issue definitely divides the guy world. Is it manlier to be meticulous about lawn care or to just do the minimum, and cut as needed, but nothing extra? I’m also noticing a growing trend of women mowing

the lawn, and am unsure where this issue fits on the man spectrum.

This is not to be sexist. It may be more a question of fairness. Ninety percent of my Facebook friends, my wife notes sternly, are female. It just ends up this way.

Facebook is more of a female thing. It’s verbal. It’s pictures.

And more and more often, I notice this post by female posters: “Just mowed the lawn. Now off to cook dinner.”

This seems unfair. I don’t mind cooking, and worked in an Italian restaurant for a bit in college, so can hold my own, but mowing the lawn AND cooking? Many of these women have full-time jobs, too.

This could just be part of a growing trend where middle-aged women think their middle-aged husbands have lost a step and are rubbing it in publicly on Facebook.

If you are a guy and have broken dreams, be prepared to be kicked by the wife while you’re at your lowest point.

My wife read some of these posts, and since I work so much, offered to learn how to mow the lawn – “Just the front lawn,” she said. (Our back lawn is like a football field in size, but rough; our front lawn is manageable and smooth, hand-planted one

summer by yours truly.)

I taught her how to start the mower, and she did a couple of back-and-forths on the front lawn. I think she drew an ampersand (&). How hard is it to walk in a straight line? I secretly had to do it over again after she went in, and I patted her on the back. Chances are, that was the first and last time she ever pushed a mower.

(OK, I understand. Sometimes I purposely screw up the laundry for the same reason.)

But let’s get out of the quagmire of which gender should mow the lawn and get back to the question of whether it is more manly to actually LIKE mowing the lawn or not.

I hate it. When I’m mowing what amounts to Giants Stadium with my push mower (I’m old school that way and don’t use a rider mower, though it does have a motor; I think it’s healthier to get out and walk), I listen to a podcast of the sports show “Nick and Artie” or some 1980s rock, sweat up a storm, get accosted by all kinds of species of bugs, and think how much better my time would be spent doing something else. I put no care into worrying about brown patches in the lawn. I don’t fertilize. Still, I usually have a pretty green lawn overall because I don’t over-mow it, either.

I posted the dimensions of my lawn on a math site and some guy came up with a formula that, considering the width of my mower, mowing the whole lawn is the equivalent of walking 5 miles. So I do the lawn in three sections – front, middle, and back – over a week or two.

On the other end of the spectrum, I hear guys at the YMCA talking endlessly about their lawns. Maybe it’s a generational thing, as these guys are usually older than me (42). One of the guys most fervent about his lawn also prances around the locker room naked all morning, it seems. Totally hairy, except on his head, he stands in front of a full-length mirror blow-drying everything – EVERYTHING. He even lifts one leg on the counter for added effect while he blow dries … down there.

Yes, I’ll stay in the hate-mylawn camp.

Football and Weight I find that a lot of guys who are a few pounds – or more – overweight today played contact sports when younger. I’m in that camp. I played nine years of football, wrestled, did judo and in college played lacrosse. Even when I played a saner sport, like baseball, I was usually catcher, the only contact position on the field. I’m not a particularly gifted athlete, just didn’t mind hitting and being hit back when.

The past five years I’ve been exercising, some months

more intensely than others, but always a good amount of cardio, and I don’t think I eat more than the recommended amount for someone my height. I even got up to the point where I was running a few miles a day. But, no matter what I did, and which workout/diet plan I was doing, my weight barely budged in all that time. That said, my pulse rate is really good.

My skinny doctors always assume I’m not doing enough. I tend to think though that no matter what I do, I will always be at least 20 pounds over the recommended weight. It has to be the effect of contact sports from 20 years ago.

The guys I knew in high school who took it easy and did golf, soccer and cross country are all relatively thin today. The football players are all square-shaped, at best.

Contact sports are pretty intense, and the training is wild. In football, we’d do two-a-days in the summer in equipment.

Bull-rings. That’s where 20 guys encircle one guy and the coach calls out random numbers. Those players run in full speed and hit the guy in the middle over and over. In wrestling, we’d practice spin moves over and over and over on an opponent until total exhaustion. My last year of lacrosse, at 22, I could barely run anymore and was made a goalie. I’d have grapefruitsized welts in uncovered places on my body from getting hit with 100 MPH balls in frozen weather.

I have a couple of theories as to why contact sports like this could screw up a guy’s physiology. The first, maybe the body goes into a fight-or-flight mode where if it can’t get faster, it gets bigger due to the perceived danger. People from crummy neighborhoods often are bigger boned than people from the suburbs. Maybe the body senses danger and bulks up permanently.

My other theory is, maybe it’s just impossible to replicate those intense workouts of our youths. The body has already been to war and just laughs at your sorry, middle-aged butt on an elliptical. I could soar on an elliptical forever at the same speed as a 98-pound girl; my pain tolerance is really high due to all of the abuse I took from age

Shorties.

8 to 22. I don’t shed a pound from those things, except a bucket of water weight that’s quickly replaced.

But maybe as long as one is hearthealthy, 20 extra pounds won’t matter in the big picture.

Beer!

Okay, you’re going to blame the extra

continued on page 18

Turning Point Festival (cont. from cover)

most influential.

“The parade draws about 8,500 people from surrounding areas and runs for about one and a half hours,” says Jennifer Allen, Festival Coordinator. Allen has been a part of the event for eight years and in charge of coordinating it for the last four.

This event is significant to the community because “it commemorates the Battle of Saratoga and the location marks the ‘turning point’ of the revolution,” says Allen.

The original mission for the events was to remind the public of the importance of the area to our history and our freedom. The parade has expanded in the last 18 years and now includes recognition of veterans and military personnel from the eras following the American Revolution. Thanks are given to all who have

served their country so we can continue to enjoy the freedoms won back in 1777.

The parade also pays tribute to the many dedicated volunteers and service workers in the area who work tirelessly to maintain the safety of the community. Fifteen musical groups and many other units will also march the parade route.

While the first settlers to the area known as Schuylerville were likely the Mohawk Indians, the Schuyler families were the first documented settlers titled to the territory now known as Schuylerville.

This part of the area was originally called Saratoga. After the village was partially destroyed during the revolutionary war, it was later built back up and became known as Schuylerville, after the first settlers.

Area Landmarks Saratoga County offers a number of historical sites in and around the area that all serve as memorials to the many events and people that have contributed to the history of the region. Here are just a few of those historical markers. * Saratoga National Historical Park is the actual site of the turning point of the Revolutionary war in the battles of 1777. * Saratoga National Cemetery serves war veterans from the Northeast and is located just north of the Park. * Saratoga Battle Monument originally completed in 1883 and restored in 2002 commemorates the battles fought and won in Saratoga. * General Philip Schuyler House is the third home to occupy the original site of the Schuyler family. The original

A scene from last year’s parade. home was destroyed during the French and Indian war in 1745, and the second home was destroyed by British troops after the battles in Saratoga. * British Artillery Park is located at the intersection of Broad and Spring. This is the location where alleged spy Lovelass was condemned to be hanged. * Field of Grounded Arms is now Fort Hardy Park, just east of the Old Champlain Canal on Route 29. On this site it is said that the British army stacked their arms at the original site of Fort Hardy. * The Marshall House is currently a private residence but the house itself is one of the few remaining structures in the area that date back to revolutionary war times.

The Parade and Festival “The festival offers lots of great events and amusements,” says Allen.

Crafters, vendors, food, and entertainment such as music and a small game farm are included in the line up of activities that will take place throughout the weekend.

The village board, pending the ap-

proval and supervision of the Fire Chief, has approved a community bonfire. The bonfire will be held at Fort Hardy Park and will be supervised by the fire department. It is slated to take place on Saturday evening. The bonfire is a new edition to the festivities. Live music will play in the park following the parade and the festival will come to an end with the fireworks display on Sunday at dusk.

Word of mouth is the biggest advertising for this event. Vendors and crafters are still needed for the event. There is ample space in the park to accommodate generators, and power and water are also available as needed for vendor booths.

Anyone interested in being a vendor for the festival can contact Jennifer at the web site turningpointparade.com.

The parade committee is also looking for new members to join their team and be a part of this great event. Sponsorship by the community for this patriotic event is always welcome.

Events at the National Historic Park

The following is a list of coming events at the Saratoga National Historical Park. The Saratoga National Historical Park (the Battlefield) is located between US Route 4 and State Route 32 in Stillwater, N.Y. For more information, call the Visitor Center at 518-664-9821 ext. 1777, check their website at www.nps.gov/sara or follow them on Facebook at www.facebook.com/saratoganhp.

R a n g er - G u i d e d E v e n i n g B i k e T o u r s 6 p . m . , W e d n e sd a y s , J u l y 2 5 ; A u g u s t 1 , 1 5 , 2 9 – B a t t l e f i el d Gentle rides along 5-mile sections of the park.

In case of inclement weather, an inside ranger program will be offered. Please bring water and insect repellant. Helmets required.

C h i l d r e n ’s P r o g r a m S e r i e s 1 p . m . , T h u r sd a y s , J u l y 1 9 , 2 6 S c h u y l e r H o u se Children ages 5-12 enjoy different 18th century activities each week such as playing games, dressing up in colonial clothes, cooking and dancing! Sponsored by Friends of Saratoga Battlefield.

Gu ided Ear ly Mor ning History Walks 9 a . m . , W e d n es d a y s – B a t t l e f i el d Join Park Volunteers Ray Palmer and Dick Farrell on a series of walks. Participants should be able to walk 2 miles over uneven ground and should bring water and insect repellant.

July 18 — September 19: The First Battle July 25 — October 7: The Second Battle August 3 — Why Saratoga?

August 10 — September 19: The First Battle August 24 — October 7: The Second Battle

P r o g r es s i v e E n c a m p m en t 1 0 a . m . – 4 p . m . , S a t u r d a y an d S u n d ay , J u l y 2 8 2 9 – B a t tl e f i e l d Re-discovering the daily lives of soldiers in the American Revolution is always in progress. Find out how the men slept in camp — without tents — and what army rations were like. Ongoing camp activities include building brush shelters, musket drills, food rationing and mess demonstrations, making and repairing uniforms and knapsack inspections.

A u g u st M u s i c S e r i e s N o o n , T u es d a y s , A u g u s t 7 , 1 4 , 2 1 , 2 8 – V i s i t o r C e n te r The track is closed, but music echoes through the Hudson River Valley. Bring a bag lunch and enjoy the views while listening to noontime concerts every Tuesday. Sponsored by Friends of Saratoga Battlefield.

R a n g er - G u i d e d E v e n i n g H i s t or y S t r o l l 6 p . m . , S a t u r d a y , J u l y 2 8 – B a tt l e fi e l d Join a Park Ranger for a unique evening stroll highlighting some of theseldom-explored stories from the Battles of Saratoga.

Turning Point | Mid-July to Mid-August 2012 | Page 11

Turning Point | Mid-July to Mid-August 2012 | Page 12

clothing 123 Broad Street, Schuylerville NY

www.BlueElmClothing.com

follow us on facebook More upcoming local events On Sunday, August, 12 from 1-4 p.m., Old Saratoga Reformed Church, corner of Pearl and Burgoyne Streets, Schuylerville, will hold a Pulled Pork Dinner, in conjunction with 18th Century Days in the village. Menu includes pulled pork with a roll and sauce, potato salad, baked beans, Dutch kraut, cake and beverages. Tickets are $9 for adults, and $5 for children 5-12.

Under five is free. Take outs will be available. Reservations may be made by calling 695-6638.

Featuring large-scale and highly decorative puppetry, the Mettawee River Theater Company will perform “Communications from a Cockroach: Archy and the Underside” on Friday, July 20, at 8 p.m. at the historic Schuyler House on Route 4 in Schuylerville. Event is free; please bring lawn chairs, flashlights and insect repellant. If weather is uncertain, please call 854-9357 after 5:30 p.m. to confirm the performance. The play is drawn from Don Marquis. the “Archy and Mehitabel” sketches, written by noted humorist and poet Don Marquis for his daily column in the New York Sun starting in 1916. The illustrious Archy is a cockroach who possesses the reincarnated spirit of a free-verse poet and who finds his means of expression by jumping from key to key on Marquis’ typewriter.

The production incorporates a wide array of puppet critters operated by actors in full view of the audience - from fleas, tarantulas and crickets, to an ancient Egyptian mummy – a colorful population from the nooks and crannies of early 20th century New York.

The Schuylerville Garden Club’s annual flower show runs Saturday (1-6 p.m.) and Sunday (1-4 p.m.), July 28-29, at Saratoga Town Hall on Spring Street. This year’s event is titled “A Work of Art.” On Sunday at 2:30 p.m., there will be a one-stroke painting demo. Admission is free. Door prizes! For details, visit schuylervillegardenclub.org.

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Former Cenco station eyed by board

Turning Point | Mid-July to Mid-August 2012 | Page 13

Darren Johnson Schuylerville Turning Point

Several topics related to village improvements were discussed at the July 11 Schuylerville Board of Trustees meeting.

The board approved a video surveillance system for Fort Hardy Park.

The price came in at approximately $3500, even though the board had allotted $5000 at a previous meeting. The system will consist of four cameras, though four more cameras could be added later.

The system will create tapes that are stored for 36 days. One camera will have infrared, another will have the ability to zoom, it was reported. A rape occurred in the park last year.

The board also voted to approve the installation of a “No Parking Anytime” sign on a sliver of curb at the former Cenco Station on Broad Street.

The station has been abandoned for decades, and people have been parking in front of it, making it difficult for truckers maneuvering from Route 29.

After the vote, trustee Charles Sherman posted on this newspaper’s web site, 29east.com: “I think the Village board should use the eminent domain process to acquire this corner property.

It is a black eye to Schuylerville having a property owner do nothing for over 15 years with a parcel right in the middle of our Village. He should either sell or renovate! It could be a nice paved parking lot for visitors who want to visit local businesses!”

On the Facebook page “You Know You’re From Schuylerville,” this reporter posted the Cenco photo seen on this page, and readers reminisced that it was the last gas station in the area where employees pumped gas for motorists.

Unresolved at the July 11 meeting was whether or not the board should go ahead and pay consultants Barton & Loguidice, PC, to write a grant application that could result in the DEC giving the village $10,000 to create a master plan for a five-acre parcel of property the village purchased last year. The property sits near the village’s sewage treatment plant and was purchased for $20,000, Trustee Sherman said.

The trustee at first criticized the idea: “Why would we want a firm to tell us what we can do with our own property? … Some firm will give you a book that will tell you to put out a couple of picnic tables.”

But he did move the resolution forward, noting that $1400 out of approxi-

Many try to park on this narrow strip along the longabandoned Cenco station on Broad Street, annoying truckers from Rt. 29. mately $1M the village has in its general fund is worth the risk. “It’s not going to break the bank,” he said.

But he could not get a second from the board. “We bought that piece of property down there, and it just sits there,” the trustee added. “We can spend the $1500 we saved from the surveillance system [on the grant application].”

The deadline for the grant application is July 20, so it is unlikely, as of press time, that the board could try to vote on the matter again.

Schuylerville graduation sends off 127

Darren Johnson Schuylerville Turning Point

Schuylerville Junior-Senior High School saw off 127 graduates at commencement ceremonies on Saturday, June 23, at City Center in Saratoga Springs.

Over 100 scholarships were also handed out. This is the last class to graduate from the combined school, as this fall a middle school opens and SHS will just house grades 9 through 12.

“Set your sites on what you want to accomplish and move forward,” said superintendent Dr. Ryan Sherman. “Your generation are the future leaders of our country. We need you.”

Salutatorian Tiffany Hulka remembered the one graduate who could not make the day’s ceremony.

Senior Jesse Cale of Greenwich passed away unexpectedly in May. His sister Tessa walked on stage to receive his diploma, to a standing ovation.

Hulka said: “Rest in peace, Jesse – this incident helped us to come together as a class and to look at life differently and appreciate the people around us.”

She also said that the class of 2012 crammed a lot

in its four years together. “The world has so much to offer us, and we have the potential to offer ground breaking changes,” she said.

Student Taylor Fields read her original poem: “This is your life, why live it like someone else? … Fight for a future that’s one of a kind. … We’re all together in this.”

Valedictorian Kristofer Pieper intertwined the usual graduation platitudes with an original take on eating an Oreo cookie … or a few … to a loud round of laughs and applause from the audience. He ended his speech pulling out and consuming a cookie and a small carton of milk as a salute to this final class.

Principal Matthew Sickles closed the ceremony: “Today is the best part of my job. …

Each of you has your own story, and I’ve learned from you not to take anything for granted. … Hold your heads high and be proud. … Today is not the end of your story, but the beginning. Turn the page. We can’t wait to read the next chapter.”

See more scenes from graduation on 29east.com.

Valedictorian Kristofer Pieper.

Who are Schuylerville’s top 10 for 2012?

Schuylerville Central School District’s Class of 2012 finishes a school year marked by high academic achievement and a commitment to community service. Among the approximately 127 graduates are the following “top 10” students:

Valedictorian Kristofer Pieper, who is graduating with a 98.72 academic average. He plans to attend Tufts University in the fall, where he’ll major in international relations. Throughout his high school career, Kristofer has been involved in many school activities, such as Student Council, WAVE (Working Against Violence Everywhere), National Honor Society, Math League, Prom Committee and Quiz Team, as well as the student newspaper and yearbook. Additionally, Kristofer has excelled in music, performing with the district’s Chamber Singers and being named to the New York State School Music Association’s (NYSSMA) All-State Chorus. His high school athletic experiences include participation on the cross country, indoor track, outdoor track and lacrosse teams.

Kristofer received numerous awards and honors, including a National Merit Scholarship, the U.S. Air Force Excellence in Math and Science Award and the Rensselaer Medal. He received the highest grade on the World History Regents exam (100), the U.S. History Regents exam (99) and the French Regents test (100) and was also named a Chronicle Scholar Athlete. Kristofer has been an active volunteer, giving of his time to the Salvation Army, the American Red Cross, Abundant Life Church, Floyd Warriors and the Adirondack Mountain Club. He is the son of Mary and Fred Pieper of Gansevoort.

Salutatorian Tiffany Hulka, who is graduating with a 97.96 academic average. Tiffany plans to attend Roberts Wesleyan College in the fall, where she’ll major in biology.

She has participated in many school organizations, including Student Council, WAVE, National Honor Society, Prom Committee and Yearbook. She also represented the student body on the Jr.-Sr. High School Building Team.

In the athletic arena, she has played on the softball, field hockey and basketball teams. Tiffany's accomplishments extend into the musical realm, as well; she was chosen as a member of Women’s Select Chorus and was named to All-County Chorus. Tiffany is the recipient of numerous awards and honors, including the Wells College 21st Century Leadership Award, an outstanding attendance award and a scholar athlete award, as well as being named to the WASAREN League Second Team All-Star Field Hockey Team. Additionally, Tiffany was selected to represent the district at the National Youth Leadership Forum on Medicine, attended the Hugh O’Brian Youth Leadership Forum and was nominated to be a student leader in the People to People Ambassador Program. She has been on the high honor roll since 2009. Tiffany has been active in community service, volunteering for the Salvation Army, church functions, the district’s parent volunteer group, Parents as Education Partners (PEP), as well as tutoring fellow students. She is the daughter of Diane and Kent Hulka of Saratoga Springs.

Austin Anderson, who is graduating with a 97.82 academic average. Austin has been recognized with several honors, including the Clarkson University Achievement Award and an Outstanding Achievement in Chemistry Award. His academic achievements are numerous, including being on the high honor roll for a majority of his high school career; this designation requires a grade point average of 95 or higher. Austin also earned perfect scores on the following New York State Regents examinations: Algebra, Geometry and Comprehensive Spanish. Austin has participated in many school activities, such as Math League, basketball and baseball. His volunteer work includes helping to sort and prepare Thanksgiving food baskets for St. Therese Chapel. Austin plans to attend LaSalle University, where he will major in mathematics. He is the son of Karen and Richard Anderson of Gansevoort.

Allison Liptak, who is graduating with a 97.25 academic average. In addition to high academic achievement, Allison has held leadership positions in Student Council (class vice president and co-secretary), Spanish Club (vice president) and Yearbook (co-editor). She has also been a part of Prom Committee, WAVE and the National Turning Point | Mid-July to Mid-August 2012 | Page 14

Honor Society (co-secretary), National Junior Honor Society (co-secretary), along with playing on the soccer, basketball and lacrosse teams. She was named to several WASAREN league all-star teams, as well as being team captain for basketball and soccer.

Allison’s awards include a Rochester Institute of Technology Innovation and Creativity Award, as well as earning high honor academic status throughout her high school career. She has volunteered her time for the Elks Club, vacation bible school, Camp Fowler and HOPE (Homes for Orphaned Pets Exist) and for various district events. Allison will attend Drexel University in the fall and major in biomedical engineering. She is the daughter of Marty and Michael Liptak of Schuylerville.

Samantha Cottone, who is graduating with a 97.19 academic average. Samantha has been involved in National Honor Society, Salutatorian Tiffany Hulka.

Band, Chorus, Yearbook, SADD (Students Against Destructive Decisions) and Book Ethan Zwirn, who is graduating with a 96.49 academic Club. She received numerous honors, including the Stuaverage. Ethan was on high honor roll during 11 of 12 sedent Sage Award from The Sage College and high rankmesters at Schuylerville Jr.-Sr. High School, along with ings from the New York State School Music Association being named a scholar athlete. His artistic talents have for her solo performances. She has had perfect attendance earned him an award for outstanding achievement in Studuring four years of high school and earned Outstanding dio Art; additionally Ethan’s work was chosen as part of Effort Awards in Spanish and English classes, along with a the district’s permanent art collection and for the cover of Student Services Center award during her sophomore Looking Glass art and literary journal. Ethan has particiyear. Additionally, Samantha participated in SUNY Alpated in extracurricular activities, including Student Counbany’s University in the High School Program and the cil, WAVE, Symphonic Band, National Honor Society, University of Maine’s Early College Program. She has lacrosse and soccer. He has earned high rankings from given of her time to Rebuilding Together Saratoga County, NYSSMA, was named a student representative for the the American Cancer Society, the American Red Cross Board of Education and received the George Eastman and the Wilton Wildlife Preserve and Park. Samantha is Young Leaders Award from the University of Rochester. the daughter of Amy and Anthony Cottone of Gansevoort. His community service activities include volunteer work In the fall, she will attend the University of New England for Rebuilding Together Saratoga County. He will attend and major in marine biology.

Bates College in the fall, majoring in environmental stud-

Olivia Woodruff, who is graduating with a 96.81 academic average. Olivia has been a student of modern dance for more than a decade and has also been recognized for music-related accomplishments, including being named to All-County Band and All-County Orchestra as a bassoonist. Additionally, she has played with the Saratoga Springs Orchestra and earned high NYSSMA rankings for her solo performances. Olivia is the recipient of the Elmira College Key Holder Award and the Outstanding French Award, along with participating in National Honor Society and French Club. She was on the district’s high honor roll for two years, challenged herself with Advanced Placement courses in French, English and psychology and volunteered her time for Rebuilding Together Saratoga County.

She also helps teach dance classes to younger students.

Olivia’s post-high school plans include attendance at Hobart and William Smith College, where she’ll major in French. She is the daughter of Lorraine and David Woodruff of Saratoga Springs.

Elizabeth Wrisley, who is graduating with a 96.51 academic average. Elizabeth has earned numerous honors, including the Dale Hawley Leadership Recognition Award, the New York State Council on Student Leadership and Activities (NYSCLSA) Student Recognition Award and the Frederick Douglass/Susan B. Anthony Award. She has maintained high honor roll status throughout high school, even while taking all of the district’s honors-level classes, four Advanced Placement courses and two college-level classes. Elizabeth has been involved with many school clubs and teams, including National Honor Society, Student Council, Women’s Select Chorus/Chamber Singers, WAVE, the Mock Trial Team, softball and volleyball. Additionally, she has been elected to several NYSCLA leadership positions. Her public service work includes volunteering for the Saratoga National Historical Park, the Bacon Hill Reformed Church, the Salvation Army, HOPE, the American Cancer Society and for numerous school district functions. Elizabeth is the daughter of Terri and Brian Wrisley of Schuylerville. She will attend SUNY Geneseo in the fall and major in political science.

ies. Ethan is the son of Kay and Richard Zwirn of Gansevoort.

Anthony Piraino, who is graduating with a 96.04 academic average. Anthony has been active in many school activities, including the Symphonic Band, French Club, National Honor Society and the Academic Bowl Team that competed in national championships. In addition, he played on the district's golf team and was a member of Area All-State Band, All-County Band, the Saratoga Springs Youth Orchestra and the Empire State Youth Orchestra. He received the Rensselaer Computing Medal and the Harvard Book Award, as well as high ratings during NYSSMA events. Anthony’s community service activities include work for The Alzheimer’s Association of Northeastern New York, Habitat for Humanity, Rebuilding Together Saratoga County and the Northway Church.

He is the son of Jami and Anthony Piraino of Schuylerville. Anthony plans to attend Boston College in the fall; he is undecided about his major.

Madison Squires, who is graduating with a 95.03 academic average. Madison has had perfect attendance since the first day of kindergarten. His honors include winning the Rochester Institute of Technology Creativity and Innovation Award, as well as the Outstanding Effort in Chemistry Award, Schuylerville High School’s Scholastic Award, the Student Services Center’s Student of the Year Award and Student of the Quarter designations. Madison has been on high honor roll or honor roll throughout high school. His extracurricular activities include participation in WAVE, National Honor Society, Student Council, Chorus, Symphonic Band, Jazz Band, Chamber Singers, Pep Band, Yearbook Committee an Odyssey of the Mind.

Madison’s community service activities include volunteer work for Rebuilding Together Saratoga County, Fort Miller Reformed Church, 4-H, the Salvation Army, the American Heart Association, the Alzheimer’s Association and Saratoga Hospital. Madison will attend SUNY Albany in the fall; he is undecided about his major. Madison is the son of MaryLou Gaylord and Gary Squires of Schuylerville.

Gates tells college leaders to innovate

Chris Jessen Scripps Howard Foundation Wire

Former Microsoft CEO Bill Gates credits an 1862 law for changing American higher education forever by showing that equity and opportunity do not need to compromise excellence.

“If the nation had chartered a different course 150 years ago, and education had continued to be reserved for the select few, there’s no doubt that we’d be less competitive today,” Gates said. “Instead, we decided to build something new and better, and we created these universities that are the envy of the world.”

The Morrill Land-grant Act, which expanded higher education by proving federal land or money to states to establish public universities, reached its sesquicentennial this year.

Gates, the founder of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, was the keynote speaker at the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities’ celebration of the act.

“American public colleges and universities do the finest research in the world,” Gates said. “You create knowledge … to improve people’s lives.”

Gates, who dropped out of Harvard as a junior to start Microsoft, said he is awed by the students at these universities.

“It’s always impressive to me to see the energy these students put in to get an education,” Gates said. “It’s a leap of faith, of course, that you’re going to spend four years and that’s going to do something great for you.”

Gates discussed what public universities need to do to make this “leap of faith” worth it to students, as this is what he called “the golden age of innovation.”

He said education advocates have been looking at international competitors recently and are seeing that these countries are copying the U.S. college system.

Yet, in some areas, such as graduation rates, some of those nations are doing better than the U.S., Gates said.

Of the 24 countries belonging to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development that reported firsttime college graduation rates in 2008, the U.S. ranked 13th, according to the National Center for Education Statistics’ 2011 Youth Indicators report.

The U.S. had a graduation rate of 37 percent. Finland had the highest graduation rate with 63 percent, followed by the Slovak Republic and Iceland, with 57 percent each. Turkey, Mexico and Luxembourg had the three lowest graduation rates.

Between 1995 and 2008, the United States had only a 4 percentage point change, the lowest increase of the reporting countries, according to the re-

port.

The percentage of U.S. adults with college degrees was about 5 percent in 1940. It rose steadily in the following decades.

“What that says to me is that Bill Gates. we need to double down,” Gates said.

Gates said the high cost of education and too much emphasis on selective admissions are problems.

“Fewer people of those who want to attend universities are getting in, and those who do get in are paying more,” Gates said.

Gates said public universities need to let in as many people as can be successfully educated and at the lowest possible cost. He said universities need to find better ways to spread around their financial aid, despite having less money.

He encouraged the university leaders to embrace new educational technology, including online classes and evaluation tools, because it can help with efficiency and quality.

said Morgan Fox, communications manager at Marijuana Policy Project, a Washington-based lobbying group.

He cited Colorado where 2 percent of residents are registered marijuana users and several polls find the presidential race a near tie. A candidate’s view on the issue could gain or cost him the state, Fox said.

For the past year, Arkansans for Compassionate Care has gathered signatures for a petition asking to put a medical marijuana law on the November ballot.

Campaign Director Ryan Denham said there is a good chance Arkansas’ initiative could make it to the ballot and pass, which would make it the first southern state to support the movement.

“It is going to send a strong message on a national level to Congress,” Denham, 29, said. “It’ll show that even folks in the South support medical marijuana use. This is a state and local campaign, but we are

fighting for a national issue too.”

The group has collected more than the 62,507 signatures needed to put the measure to a vote. The state has until August to decide if the initiative qualifies.

Citizens of 26 states cannot petition for initiatives, forcing the issue into state legislatures. In June, New Hampshire Gov. John Lynch, a Democrat, vetoed a bill to legalize medical marijuana. The state Senate was three votes shy of overriding the veto.

In his veto message, Lynch said he sympathizes with the need for those suffering from serious illness to use marijuana as a treatment, but the bill did not provide for tightly controlled production.

“While SB 409 requires that marijuana for medical use be cultivated in a ‘locked and enclosed site,’” Lynch said, “neither state nor local law enforcement is authorized to generally inspect and confirm that these conditions are being main-

The US ranks 13th in completion.

Michael F. Adams, president of the University of Georgia, said Gate’s references to increased online education “makes a lot of sense.”

He said he likes Gate’s idea about rewarding professors and other instructors who work well with students.

Though Adams said there were a lot of positive things about Gate’s speech, he didn’t think Gates said anything “revolutionary.”

Charles R. Bantz, executive vice president of Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, said Gates coming to the event was important.

“He did go to a private institution, and for him to be a strong advocate of public universities and our mission to provide access and success, as well as do research, is impressive,” Bantz said.

More states to address medical marijuana

Chelsea Boozer Scripps Howard Foundation Wire

Recognition of marijuana as a medical treatment is creeping into the national health-care discussion.

Measures to legalize the substance for medical use have been proposed in 19 states this year. Fifteen legislatures failed to pass marijuana legislation, but through citizen petition processes, four states could still legalize the drug this year.

Massachusetts residents will vote on a ballot initiative in November that would make cannabis available for certain registered users. Residents of Arkansas, North Dakota and Ohio may vote on similar ballot measures to join 17 other states and the District of Columbia in legalizing the drug for medical use.

“It is totally possible the presidential election can swing on the marijuana issue,”

tained.”

Lynch’s reservations confirm Fox’s comment that opposition is expressed “almost entirely from law enforcement.”

“Law enforcement has a history of drumming up fears and using straw-man arguments,” Fox said. “There is a misconception that it is a dangerous drug. If you ask how many times marijuana was a cause for violence, you’ll see almost none.”

In Colorado, penalties for non-medical marijuana use are similar to those for alcohol misuse. The state, along with 12 others, eliminated jail time for possessing small amounts of the substance.

“I think that in the near future we are going to see Congress passing a law removing marijuana from the Controlled Substances Act, or possibly putting it under the purview of the tobacco and alcohol act,” Fox said.

Turning Point | Mid-July to Mid-August 2012 | Page 15

$20K for Preservation

‘Vatican Floor’

Mosaic workshops

In the working studio of the Canal Crossing Mosaic Workshop, neatly arrayed, brightly colored glass tiles in an assortment of shapes and sizes line customized shelves along the back wall. To the right and left finished work is on display, in orderly rows on easels and hung on the walls. On the individual hand built oak tables are projects in varying states of progress along with the tools and adhesives used to create them. If you stop in during open studio on Saturdays (10-3) chances are you will be shown down the long hallway that acts as a gallery for member work, where the door jambs have been adorned with a geometric mosaic design. The hallway leads to a large carefully arranged

classroom where additional work is on view. This classroom will be home to a number of mosaic workshops being offered in July (for more information please visit canalcrossingmosaic.com).

Past the classroom and through the rear door, the tour ends with the 16 site specific mosaics the workshop was commissioned to create as part of the renovation of the building. These mosaics, crowning the windows facing the canal, were uniquely designed to complement each other as well as the color and architecture of the building.

The studio always welcomes visitors and is eager to share their knowledge and appreciation of mosaic with the community.

Send us your events –

get info on 29east.com.

Bill encourages EMTs

Charles Scudder Scripps Howard Foundation Wire

Many military medics who get realworld experience in Iraq and Afghanistan are ineligible for emergency medical technician and paramedic jobs when they return to civilian life.

A House bill discussed on July 9 on Capitol Hill would offer incentives to states to streamline the certification process for veterans, who are often more qualified for EMT jobs than civilian applicants.

Rep. Adam Kinzinger, R-Ill., introduced the bill. Kinzinger, a major in the Air National Guard, said he was able to easily transfer his active duty military train-

ing as a pilot to Federal Aviation Administration certification.

Because individual states dictate certification and licensing for EMTs and paramedics, an easy transition is not possible for most veteran medics.

When some veterans return to civilian life, they are forced to start with basic training, when they may need only refresher courses in some subject areas they didn’t encounter in combat zones.

The bill – H.R. 4124, the Veteran Medical Technician Support Act – has received bipartisan support from Congress and little opposition from state legislatures, Kinzinger said.

Turning Point | Mid-July to Mid-August 2012 | Page 16

Saratoga P.L.A.N. (Preserving Land and Nature) announced on July 4 that it has received a $20,000 gift from the Saratoga Springs Rotary Club for enhancement of the 43-acre Rowland Hollow Creek Preserve on Grand Avenue. The gift will be used to ready the Preserve for public enjoyment. Components of this project include an orientation kiosk and entry sign, a well-marked walking trail, a parking area, and even a letterbox treasure hunt for kids.

“We’re excited and thankful for this major gift from the Saratoga Springs Rotary Club that will allow us to accomplish our goal of opening the Rowland Hollow Creek Preserve for hiking, nature study, and other passive forms of recreation”, said Maria Trabka, Executive Director of Saratoga P.L.A.N. “Land conservation thrives in Saratoga County largely due to the support of organizations such as Rotary which want to continually make their community a better place.” This project was also made possible by other partners who have contributed: individual volunteers; the City of Saratoga Springs; and Charlew

Builders all were vital to making the Preserve a reality.

Saratoga P.L.A.N. Stewardship Director, Andy Fyfe, added, “When it opens, the great thing about this Preserve will be that it provides a wooded walk, the chance to see wildlife, and views of Rowland Hollow Creek less than 3 miles from downtown Saratoga Springs. As Saratoga Spring’s urban core grows, we will find such natural areas increasingly important.”

Current plans look forward to a late August or early September ribbon cutting.

Saratoga P.L.A.N. is a not-for-profit land trust offering comprehensive land conservation services to landowners, developers, organizations, and government partners, while striving to achieve regional coordination and cooperation on land use, conservation and recreational trail planning. It has protected over 3,433 acres of farmland, natural habitats, and water resources in Saratoga County. For more information on land conservation, or directions and trail maps for public preserves, contact Saratoga P.L.A.N. at 518587-5554 or at www.saratogaplan.org.

A bus trip is planned for August 5th to see Schuylerville Community Theater 2005 Scholarship winner Andrea Green perform in an Off-Broadway comedy entitled “Harrison, Texas,” a trilogy about fictional people and events in rural Texas, at Primary Stages located at 59 E59th Street in New York City.

Proceeds from this theater experience will be donated to the SCT Ted Shuster Memorial Scholarship. The bus will leave Greenwich Central School at 8 a.m. and return at about 11:30 p.m. The total cost of the trip is $90 per person, which includes the bus trip and a ticket to the play. To purchase tickets for this NYC trip, please stop by Just Because in Greenwich or contact Mary Green at marygreen323@localnet.com.

Following her graduation from Greenwich High School, Andrea studied theatre at SUNY New Paltz and graduated with a degree in Theatre Arts and a minor in Russian Studies.

She is thrilled to be in this off-broadway comedy, and fondly remembers her time with SCT and especially the opportunity to work with Ted Shuster.

The comedy was written by Pulitzer Prize winning author Horton Foote (“A Trip to Bountiful”). Andrea, now an equity actor living in Queens, appeared in several SCT productions including “Oliver,” “The Wizard of Oz,” “A Christmas Carol” and “Once On This Island.” “Harrison, Texas” opens on July 24th and plays through

September 15th.

Take advantage of this great opportunity to see live theater in New York, enjoy seeing a local talent on the stage and support the SCT Ted Shuster Memorial Scholarship Program.

Another alum of the SCT stage, Anthony Festa, will be performing this summer in New York City. Anthony is another former recipient of the Ted Shuster Memorial Scholarship, in 2006.

Anthony has been cast in the New York Musical Festival’s “How Deep Is The Ocean,” at The Theatre at St. Clement’s, 423 W. 46th Street, NYC. While a student in the Ballston Spa school district, Anthony preformed the role of Artful Dodger in SCT’s production of “Oliver,” opposite Ted who portrayed the colorful character, Fagin.

A 2010 graduate of SUNY Cortland, Anthony spent a year performing with Royal Caribbean International Cruises before hitting the bricks in the city and landing a role in this entertaining musical.

“How Deep Is The Ocean” runs from July 12-21. Tony Danza is a member of the cast; and Anthony has enjoyed working with him and reports that Danza is an amazing tap dancer.

Tickets are available on the theater’s website or by calling 212-352-3101.

Heritage Hunters of Saratoga County will meet on Saturday, July 21, at 1 p.m. at the Town of Saratoga Town Hall, corner of Rt. 4 and Rt. 29 in Schuylerville.

Mark Phillips owner of the William J. Burke and Sons Funeral Home on North Broadway, Saratoga Springs, will discuss Victorian funeral

customs and what you can learn from funeral home records and directors.

The public is welcome. For information call 587-2978.

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From the Doctor: About medical miracles

Lee S. Shapiro, MD, FACP Schuylerville Turning Point

I am a believer in miracles. I have seen them happen. However, I don’t count on them occurring. Like most physicians, I practice “evidence based medicine,” using tried and true remedies that have been tested against placebo. But, of course, medicine has greater complexity. Many treatments are not always effective or well tolerated. Too many conditions still don’t have any effective treatment.

Miracles are needed much more often than they occur!

Just this past week, a 14 year-old girl whom I had grown to love died of complications of her disease, scleroderma. She had an unusually aggressive variant of the disease that had made her life miserable for the two previous years, causing great discomfort, progressive disability, and damage, ultimately fatal, to her heart, lungs, kidney, and gastrointestinal tract. All of the medications available for this disease were employed, yet none proved effective. A miracle was needed and I have no doubt that she, her parents and all of her family and friends, as well as this physician prayed one would occur. But, none did. We can pray for miracles, we can welcome them, but we can’t make them happen.

Even when miracles do occur, they have their limits. The oil that lit the Chanukah lights of the Maccabees was thought enough to burn for only one day, but lasted eight. On the ninth day, however, the light was out. Cats may have nine lives, but when they have used up all those gifts, they pass on, too.

We surmount one challenge, miracle or no miracle, only to be challenged again. Miracles occur in several forms. One consists of triumphs of the will. Doctors often give prognoses based only on detailed knowledge of the disease, not on detailed knowledge of the individual with the disease, of his or her character. Many years ago I called the two sons of a patient of mine

and told them to come to the hospital because I did not expect their father to make it through the night. They did come but he survived for two more weeks. I had seen many other individuals as sick as he had been when I placed the call, but I had forgotten that he was the survivor of a Nazi concentration camp. He was a man of strength and powerful love of life. His toughness did not abandon him in his final battle. I had forgotten to factor in his inner strength and will-power. In the face of any disease, character matters!

So, those who are “clueless” may see miracles around them all the time.

As I wrote, I have seen miracles, triumphs of faith and practical applications of new knowledge that have defied existing expectations. As communication improves, as the flow of information accelerates, we can look forward to more advances that truly seem miraculous. When we get most discouraged, we must remember that we don’t live in a stagnant world, but a world that is rushing forward.

Every problem contains the possibility of solution. We can make miracles happen by drawing attention to problems, campaigning for awareness and research funds. My own faith has been restored by just such a powerful event, a moment that reminded me that answers to what seem insolvable problems may already exist.

The miracle occurs simply in the process of discovering what someone else already knows. I saw an 18 yearold boy with a very rare condition called Degos Disease. When this disease takes a systemic form, all existing literature describes it as near universally fatal within two or three years. My patient was a healthy athletic high school student who presented simply with unusual skin lesions, initially misidentified. No answer can be found when the wrong question is posed.

But repeated skin biopsies led to accurate diagnosis. The patient and his parents read the available literature and knew the terrible potential of systemic disease. The illness can cause stroke, heart failure and perforation of the small bowel. My patient rapidly became more ill with abdominal pain, culminating in an “acute abdomen” and the need for surgery. He had much evidence of bowel involvement by the disease.

Over the next few weeks, he required two more surgical procedures and his overall status worsened. He needed ventilatory support, medication for blood pressure, for sedation, for pain control, and intravenous antibiotics. I felt the weight of dealing with someone with an imminently lifethreatening illness for which there was no treatment. I passed his anguished siblings, parents and grandparents daily.

Yes, I prayed for a miracle, as did they.

The literature contained no answer, even with the assistance of multiple search engines. I consulted the published disease experts. No one had an answer for us.

So, I turned to the internet and sent a query to 30 physicians worldwide whose email addresses I could reach with a single click. Within two hours, I had 12 responses! However, most were simply expressions of sympathy, two were reports of similar cases with fatal outcomes. Finally, a response arrived from a physician attending a conference in Portugal! She had seen

‘Two hours later, I received an email from my patient’s excited father stating simply: “It’s working!”’

Miracles are also a matter of time and place. The outcome of a disease is so dependent on access to care and the quality of care received. A patient of mine had a heart attack while hiking in Yosemite National Park.

Thanks to a helicopter evacuation, he speedily received first class care.

Had he been without a companion, without the means to communicate with the outside world, the miracle of his survival and present excellent health could not have occurred. Many die when they shout for help because there is no voice to hear them and respond. The level of care varies tremendously from country to country. In many parts of the world, the care we accept as routine would truly seem miraculous. And, we live in an age in which the seemingly impossible has time and again moved to the realm of the possible.

An individual diagnosed with HIV in 1982 may have felt they he or she had been sentenced to an early death.

In 2012, the same diagnosis carries a prognosis so much better than that from the perspective of that earlier time, it is indeed miraculous.

Often what we take as a miracle is really not a defiance of the laws of nature, but the result of better understanding of nature.

Our entire thought process may be so far removed from reality that the simple revelation of truth may seem miraculous. If we think that vapors and not bacteria cause our disease, then the success of antibiotic therapy must seem miraculous. But, it is no miracle to those who know the science.

someone with the same illness just three weeks earlier and had seen that patient respond overnight to a new medication, never before employed for this disease. That patient, near dead, had strikingly improved within hours of receiving the medication and had steadily recovered. She sent me the name of the medication, a name totally foreign to me. I reviewed and was convinced by the thought process that had led to its use. I called the medical director of the company that manufactured the drug, let her know I was familiar with its recent successful use in a similar case and pleaded for access to the drug. She authorized release of the medication. Snowstorms delayed delivery while my patient languished. But, when it did arrive at the ICU, it was immediately infused.

Two hours later, I received an email from my patient’s excited father stating simply: “It’s working!!!!!!!” His son’s fever had resolved, pulse and blood pressure normalized. He rapidly improved and spoke at his church’s Easter service a couple of months later.

He remains well.

This was the most gratifying experience of my career. It seemed like a miracle, but, more properly, it was “serendipity,” finding an answer while actively engaged in search.

I love living in an age in which the expansion of knowledge and the rapid diffusion of knowledge provide new answers all the time. I love miracles, but they aren’t the defiance of science, rather they are the expression of it.

About the author : Lee Shapiro, MD, FACP, sees patients at The Center for Rheumatology, LLP in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., and is director of the Steffens Scleroderma Center. He is codirector of the Pulmonary Hypertension/Scleroderma Clinic operated jointly with Albany Associates in Cardiology. Dr. Shapiro serves on the Medial Advisory Board of the Tri-State Chapter of the Scleroderma Foundation. He is clinical professor at Albany Medical College and an adjunct instructor at Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences. His research activities are currently focused on vascular aspects of scleroderma and related disorders. He resides in Saratoga Town.

Turning Point | Mid-July to Mid-August 2012 | Page 17

Obama signs student loan bill

Turning Point | Mid-July to Mid-August 2012 | Page 18

Chelsea Boozer Scripps Howard Foundation Wire

President Barack Obama signed into law a bill that he says will create or save millions of jobs and help millions of college students.

Obama wore his traditional dark suit, brick-red tie and broad grin at July 6’s signing ceremony for the the bill Congress was pressured into passing the week prior. It will rebuild the country’s roadways, extend the National Flood Insurance Program and maintain student loan interest rates that were set to double.

“This bill will keep thousands of construction workers on the job rebuilding our nation’s infrastructure,” Obama told the crowd of about 250 people in the East Room of the White House. “These steps will make a real difference in the lives of millions of Americans.”

The bipartisan bill, which takes effect immediately, authorizes $105 billion to be spent on road and transportation projects over the next 27 months. Two unemployed construction workers stood behind Obama as he signed the bill.

Obama has been quick to tout it as a job producer, and he urged Congress for months to pass the bill, which he said will “have an immediate impact on the economic security of American families.”

At the last minute, just before a July 1 deadline for loan interest rates to increase and a July 31 deadline for the flood insurance program to expire,

the House and Senate came to an agreement.

The Senate approved the package on a 74-19 vote after it had passed in House 373-52.

“This is so good for America,” Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said after the ceremony. “So many people are going to go to work as a result of this, building roads and bridges.”

Obama signed the bill the same day the Bureau of Labor Statistics released its monthly jobs reports that most called disappointing. It showed 80,000 jobs were created in June, and the unemployment rate stayed at 8.2 percent – 0.9 percent below the level in June 2011.

“It is important not to read too much into any one monthly report and it is informative to consider each report in the context of other data that are becoming available,” Alan Krueger, chairman of the Council of

“Let’s keep finding ways to work together to grow the economy and to help put more folks back to work,” Obama said. “There is no excuse for inaction when there are so many Americans still trying to get back on their feet.”

Three students stood alongside the construction workers, members of Congress and other administration officials who crowded around the president as he signed the combination bill.

For the next year, college students are assured that federal subsidized loan interest rates will stay at 3.4 percent.

The White House estimates that will save more than 7 million students about $1,000 each.

Under the new law, students forfeit the six-month repayment grace period

‘The White House estimates that 7 million students will save about $1000 each.’

‘Man Column’ (cont.)

Economic Advisers, said in a statement.

He noted the economy has added 504,000 manufacturing jobs since January 2010, which he said is the largest amount in any 29-month period since April 1995.

Obama put some pressure on Congress, asking it to go beyond this bill and use the money the nation is no longer spending on war to build roads, bridges and wireless networks.

pounds on beer, but you’re wrong. I only enjoy the occasional brew. What makes a beer a man’s beer?

This topic is often debated in the male world. Probably something where you have to squeeze a lemon into it isn’t all that manly. The ultra-cheap Meister Braus – not manly. It’s not manly to be that guy without a car, walking down the sidewalk (or worse, on a bicycle) in a tattered Blue Oyster Cult shirt with a suitcase of empty Keystones to be replaced by a full case from the local Cumby’s.

The topic gets a bit more complicated when we compare the less expensive microbrews to the more expensive ones. It is manly to support mom-and-pop breweries, but at what price is one becoming pretentious? Probably about a buck a bottle is reasonable. Now, flavored ales have to be judged on a case-by-case basis. Black forest – OK. Pumpkin spice – probably not.

The Coors and such of the world, where they advertise ad nauseam during sporting telecasts, may or may not be acceptable. On the one hand, they may be good drinking beers. On the other hand, someone influenced by stupid TV commercials is a tool.

The ultimate man rule is: If you like it, who cares what anyone thinks? Drink a mojito wine cooler if you want. It’s your money and your taste buds.

My preference is beer in brown glass bottles from

mid-sized, preferably Upstate, breweries. The Saranac (Utica Club) brewery is the best, but I also like Genesee. I found these shorties (pictured) the other day at Byron’s Grocery Store. A real throwback. Each sip brought me back to the ’80s. You can taste the barley and hops. And at about $7.50 a 12-pack, they were neither too cheap or too pricy. We guys don’t want to give money away just for fancy labeling.

and will have to start repaying their loans as soon as they leave school.

Graduate student will have to pay interest on their loans while they are in school.

In 2007, the interest rate on Stafford loans was 6.8 percent. Congress passed a bipartisan bill to cut the rate to 3.4 percent by 2011. The new law extends that rate for the next year, but the rate could rise after that.

Although he praised Congress for “an outstanding piece of business,” the president said more needs to be done.

“It’s not enough just to keep interest rates from doubling. I've asked Congress to reform and expand the financial aid that’s offered to students,” he said.

Boxing vs. MMA This topic is way too controversial in the guy world to explore now, at the end of this column. Maybe I will address it in my next column – if there is a next column – but currently I am out of space.

If you read my reviews in “It’s New to You!,” you probably know my preference. I’ll bet Rocky never had Adrian mow the lawn.

Protecting journalists

Chris Jessen Scripps Howard Foundation Wire

Sometimes journalists need to act a little outside their job description to protect themselves.

“Honestly, it feels a bit like pretending to be a spy,” said Danny O’Brien, the San Francisco-based Internet advocacy coordinator for the Committee to Protect Journalists.

To help journalists assess and prevent threats to themselves and sources, CPJ released its Journalist Security Guide on April 26. A panel discussed the guide in June at an event hosted by CPJ and Internews, both non-profits that promote free press.

The deaths of New York Times reporter Anthony Shadid and The Sunday Times reporter Marie Colvin earlier this year in Syria are examples of the risks journalists take. The Newseum, which maintains a memorial to journalists killed on duty, counts 21 journalists killed so far this year.

Because journalists die in the field every year, the security guide contains information about the risks reporters and citizen journalists face.

These dangers are an expanding problem, not a declining one, said Kathleen Reen, vice-president of Asia, environment and news media programs with Internews and the event’s moderator.

This is why Frank Smyth, CPJ’s senior adviser for journalist security, and O’Brien wrote the guide.

“We wrote this with the sense that journalists have much less support now than they ever did, and they have to make sure that they’re aware of that before they go into some situations,”

Smyth said.

The guide is the third of its kind from CPJ and details the latest and newly recognized contingencies, such as the risk of sexual assault.

Cyber security is another issue the guide discusses because more state and private entities have spied on the press, O’Brien said.

“Journalists are the people who protect their sources, and they’re also people who gather information … that means that journalists are honey pots,” O’Brien said. “They’re collectors of information, and they become very valuable targets.”

Rajiv Chandrasekaran, Washington Post associate editor, said that, during his evolution as a journalist, he realized the notes on his computer

21 journalists have been killed in duty so far this year.

Mike Bielkiewicz Contributor

could not only get lost or damaged in a car accident, but they could also be stolen while sitting unattended in his hotel room or “downloaded by U.S. customs agents when I was coming back to the States.”

He was the Post’s bureau chief in Iraq during the first two years of the war there and has reported in Egypt and Southeast Asia.

Chandrasekaran said he takes precautions that he never would have only five years ago.He removes most files from his laptop before he goes, keeps his contacts on paper or in a memory stick, emails sensitive material to several email accounts and takes notes in notebooks rather than on a computer.

“There’s a risk there. If the notebook gets lost, you’re kind of screwed,” Chandrasekaran said. “But I want to at least minimize the opportunities for

Danny O’Brien.

other people to snoop into my material, for that material to wind up in the wrong hands and for others to identify who my sources are.”

Online storage can also be vulnerable, and the panelists said reporters should use it with caution.

Chandrasekaran said journalists need to think about basic things such as first aid kits, water purification pumps and other safety and medical items before going into hostile environments.

Chandrasekaran attended a security training seminar, but he said these can be very expensive, especially for freelance journalists and those not working in the U.S. For those who can’t afford the seminars, he suggested

basic first aid and life saving training.

Journalists should make sure they have health insurance and know what it covers, which Smyth said is one of the most important parts of security. He said reporters should know their blood type and should inform their colleagues about it in case they need someone to speak on their behalf.

While journalists may need to use spy-like precautions to protect themselves, Smyth said reporters need to remember safety is a core function of journalism.

“Journalists must take responsibility for their own security,” Smyth said.

Cardboard Boat Race readies to launch

Hudson Crossing Park presents its 8th Annual Cardboard Boat Race on Saturday, August 11th (rain date Sunday, August 12th), at Fort Hardy Park Beach on Route 29 in Schuylerville from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. This year’s themed race is “Birds of a Feather.”

On-site registration and construction is open from 8 a.m. – 12 p.m. The first race launches at 1 p.m. and best photo opportunities are between 12pm and 2pm. Admission is free for spectators.

Pre-registration discounts for individuals and companies are available at www.hudsoncrossingpark.org. On the website you will find videos and photo galleries of previous race days. Also, you will find an online registration form for boats and sailors as well as a printable version that can be mailed in with your registration fees.

A list of rules, registration forms and hints to get started with your boat building is available at www.hudsoncrossingpark.org or by calling Marlene Bissell at: 518-859-1462.

Racing participants will construct a human-powered boat made of corru-

gated cardboard or 100% recycled materials, that will hold at least one crew member and be - seaworthy enough to race a short distance on the river. Racers may construct their boats ahead of time or on the morning of the event where materials will be available at the event site for a nominal fee.

During race preparations, there will be live music by Swing Shift, a Rotary Club BBQ, National Park Service Archeological Dive Team, tshirt sales, eco-info, and terrific photo opportunities in a fun-filled day for all. This year we are offering a new “Mini-Cardboard Boat” race table where small cardboard boats may compete with each other. Individuals, families, groups, businesses and school teams are all encouraged to race. Whether you come as a crew member, the captain, or an on- A scene from last year. shore cheerleader, we promise you a day you’ll never forget! See you Schuylerville Chamber of Commerce. on the river! If you can’t make it to the Hudson Crossing is an evolving biriver on race day, listen to Star 101.3 county educational park centered on as they simulcast the event. and near the Champlain Canal Lock 5 Sponsors of this “Canal Splash” Island of the Hudson River. The park event include the Erie Canalway Naoffers river and canal access, a floating tional Heritage Corridor and the dock, trails, picnic sites, fishing access,

points of geological and historical significance and the innovative Hudson Crossing Park Play Garden. E-mail info@hudsoncrossingpark.org for more information.

Turning Point | Mid-July to Mid-August 2012 | Page 19

Looking at The Schuylerville Standard

Darren Johnson Schuylerville Turning Point

Putting together this feature, looking for old articles from what was the local paper here for over 100 years, I notice how things have changed.

Judicial sentences for what seems to be pretty unsavory crimes are light compared to today. As long as the victim got some money, back when, a lot could be overlooked. Last issue, we reprinted a blurb that had juvenile jewel thieves who pretty much just got yelled at by the judge and a bill for the jewelry.

Another perp tricked a guy into coming here from Germany, made him into a slave to make bootleg, locking him in a poisonous basement, and the punishment was pretty much that the perp had to pay for the kid’s boat fare back to Europe.

Strange car accidents – no one asked if the drivers were drunk.

Pre-Internet, I guess crimes could happen in a vacuum, and if one developed a bad rep, just move to the next town and start fresh.

Today, we find several blurbs from The Standard dated February 23, 1923.

Thanks to the Heritage Hunters for archiving many old issues on the web.

This first one reminds me of my childhood doing a paper route. I’ll bet the customers at the end of the route

complained that their papers were late!

It’s too bad kids don’t deliver papers anymore. If any kids want to deliver Schuylerville Turning Point, just send us a telegram!

N ew s b o y S av e s L ad f r o m D r o w n i n g Frank Townsend, Thirteen, a newsboy of Bennington while delivering his papers a few days ago saved the life of Winfield Gates, eight, who had fallen into Morgan's pond. The boy had to swim a rod before reaching the other lad, who was sinking in about six feet of water. He pulled the lad to shore and pumped the water from his lungs, employing a system of resuscitation learned at school. After he recovered the Gates boy was taken to his home, and the Townsend boy secured a change of

Mills Casino by a cast of children from Victory Mills and Schuylerville was a decided success, enjoyed by a large audience. Every number was well received and the entire show gave evidence of the careful training and earnest work on the part of the youngsters.

Gregory to Keep the Bear Joseph Gregory, proprietor of the Lake Harris house at Newcomb, has received a permit from the state conservation commission allowing him possession of the 250-pound black bear captured by a party of surveyors near Long Lake several weeks ago. A strong attachment has sprung up between the bear and Nick Lenchuk of Newcomb, a member of the party which captured the animal. Honey, sugar and other food given the bear by Lenchuk is readily accepted, while the presence of any other persons seems to irritate him. Mr. Gregory is having a large cage built in which he will place the animal. The cage will be placed on a side hill near the Lake Harris house and the bear will be on exhibition.

‘Though sane, Miss McDougall was committed to an insane asylum, the result of hostile neighbors.’ clothing and continued his route.

L an d S al e Edward Crandall to Clara E. Bullard, for $775, property in Green Street, Schuylerville.

Juvenile Minstrel a Success The juvinile minstrel show presented Saturday evening at the Victory

Aged Woman found in dying condition. Long tragedy of Jennie McDougall's life comes to its final chapter.

News of the death of Miss Jennie McDougall at the Glens Falls hospital Friday following a stroke of apoplexy brought to many residents of this vicin-

“I could not be a part of any group that would condone, much less assist, such a direct and frontal attack upon our liberties,” Gray said. “It took me about 9½ seconds to realize that my home was with the Libertarian Party.”

The Libertarian Party challenges the notion that the government should fix the country’s problems. The party’s views aren’t anarchist – otherwise, Johnson wouldn’t be running for a government position – but it believes private individuals and the free market are more effective at finding innovative approaches to health care, stem cell research and other issues.

The party sticks to the Republican ideals of balancing the budget “exclusively by cutting expenditures, and not by raising taxes,” according to its platform. Johnson wants to do away with the income tax and Internal Revenue Service and enact a consumption-based tax called the FairTax, which Gray said would bring manufactur-

ing back to the U.S., create jobs and minimize administration fraud.

Economically, the Libertarian Party runs close to the Tea Party, Crockett said. But the party’s hands-off philosophy also extends to social issues – or, to quote Johnson’s mantra in interviews, it is “fiscally conservative and socially tolerant.” When it comes to abortion or gay marriage, Libertarians say the government shouldn’t be involved. Johnson believes marijuana use should be regulated and taxed by the government, but not criminalized.

“A Libertarian is going to end the wars in the Middle East,” Johnson said on the Colbert Report in April, to cheers from the audience. “A Libertarian’s going to balance the federal budget. A Libertarian’s going to stand up for marriage equality.”

Gray is confident most Americans would “flock” to Johnson’s ideas if they thought he was a viable alternative.

“There are so many people that are voting not for Obama so much as they’re

3rd parties (cont.)

the budget in 1992.

The major parties are happy because they dissolved their opponent’s platform; the voters are happy because the issue is being addressed. Everyone wins except, of course, the third-party candidate. Perot might have thought about balancing the budget, but Clinton was the one who got to do it.

The Libertarian Hope “If you’re really serious about winning,” Crockett said about Johnson and Gray, “you become a Libertarian-Republican. You become a Republican with Libertarian ideology.”

But both men defied Crockett’s logic.

Johnson left the Republican Party in December, and Gray, who had an unsuccessful bid as a Republican nominee for a House seat in 1998, said he left the Republican Party after Bush signed the Patriot Act in 2001.

ity recollections of a woman an account of whose life reads like tragic romance.

For years Jennie McDougall had eked out an existence raising chickens and selling eggs and poultry. She lived alone in South Glens Falls, where neighbors found her lying unconscious on the floor last Wednesday night. She had not been seen for two days at her customary tasks of caring for her fowls and going on her daily trips to homes in Glens Falls, where she gathered garbage to feed her flock. Many years ago Miss McDougall was a teacher in Greenwich and later she taught at the Glens Falls academy. Talented, cultured, and artistic she had the advantages of extensive travel and education. She lived with her father near Glens Falls for many years and until his later years they were in comfortable circumstances. Through unfortunate investments they lost their property and their home was sold under foreclosure. Miss McDougall became almost totally deaf years ago. Friends came to her aid at various times, but she outlived most of the friends of her early life and in recent years had been reduced to want. About eight years ago Miss McDougall was taken to Utica insane asylum. It appeared that her commitment was brought about by hostile neighbors. Influential friends secured an investigation of the case and it was found that she was entirely sane. After an absence of two weeks she returned to her home where she lived until stricken with apoplexy last week. Miss McDougall was about eighty years of age.

Gary Johnson. voting against Romney. … And there are lots of people that would put their X by Romney, but they’re really voting against Obama,” he said. “You know something?

Vote in favor of someone. If you vote for the lesser of two evils, all you still end up with is evil.”

Turning Point | Mid-July to Mid-August 2012 | Back Page