B. Spa’s 3 rd Annual BIRDHOUSE COMPETITION

BALLSTON SPA’S 3rd ANNUAL BIRDHOUSE COMPETITION Takes Flight!

“Johnny Talks A Lot,” the winning 2019 ‘Original’ by sculptor Tom Collins

An original, made-from-scratch tiger cat.

“We’re partnering with many different organizations within the village to create a village-wide event that promotes the work of all the different groups..."

An avian community along the trail.

A woodland log cabin.

WRITTEN AND PHOTOGRAPHED BY WENDY HAUGH (UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED)

Soft dressing at its best! I fell in love with the blue of this 525 America top. Folks will be flocking to Ballston Spa on Saturday, June 13th for the village’s third annual Birdhouse Competition (rain date June 20th). This unique event gives people of all ages and abilities the chance to build their own original birdhouses or decorate raw-built homes fabricated by woodworking students at Ballston Spa High School. To date, these industrious students, under the direction of teacher Jered Marcantonio, have built 278 birdhouses to be distributed to community groups, including 4-H, Girl Scouts, Cub Scouts, Creative Endeavors, Saratoga Bridges, and Senior Citizens. Birdhouses will also be available at the Ballston Spa Public Library. “This year the Ballston Spa Birdhouse Competition is expanding to become Ballston Spa Blooms,” says organizer Mark Blech, who created and implemented the first birdhouse festival in 2018. “We’re partnering with many different organizations within the village to create a village-wide event that promotes the work of all the different groups. We want to cross-advertise and really create synergy within our community.” Some of the special events planned include a book fair at the Ballston Spa Public Library, a craft fair at Brookside Museum, a Bottle Museum event, live music, and a Lion’s Club barbecue. Ballston Spa’s Farmers’ Market and the Village-Wide Garage Sale will also be in full swing. Competition entries are judged in two separate categories: original made-from-scratch birdhouses; and premade, hand-decorated birdhouses. Judging takes place at Wiswall Park on Front Street. The Mayor always chooses and gives out the Mayor’s Awards. But visitors are encouraged to pick up scorecards that day and cast votes for their personal favorites. Fun categories include Most Patriotic, Silliest, Most Serious, and Scariest. Winners in the popular vote are later notified by email. There are no age limits or entry fees for the competition, and birdhouses can be made by individuals or groups. However, kits and other mass-manufactured birdhouses will not be accepted. Made-from-scratch birdhouses can be made of any materials that are safe and sturdy enough to withstand outdoor conditions and avian activity. After the event, these original entries will be mounted on trees along the Jim Tedisco Fitness Trail, the half-mile walking trail stretching from The Old Iron Spring on Front Street to Prospect Street, just above The Factory Eatery.

“It’s about community spirit and connecting. It’s about getting children to feel ownership and pride in their community by becoming actively involved..."

Event date: June 13 (rain date June 20)0). Entry forms available at the Ballston Spa Public Library, bspl.sals.edu/ Deadline for entries: May 20th. Birdhouses are available at the Ballston Spa Public Library while supplies last. For further info, contact marklouisco@gmail.com

The creative, patriotic flagpole in Wiswall Park, Photo by Mark Blech

An original ‘Thomas the Train’ engine

Impressive decorations: pebbles, gemstones, and a penny roof!

Quality basics are a must. I am CRAZY for this white Lysse blouse - thank you Pam for suggesting it! For event organizer Mark Blech—a sculptor who worked for 25 years in Atlanta’s film industry before relocating to Ballston Spa— the birdhouse event is all about bringing people together. “It’s not about winning,” he says. “It’s about community spirit and connecting. It’s about getting children to feel ownership and pride in their community by becoming actively involved. Nowadays, it’s so important to make people feel empowered within the place that they live, and not disillusioned or separated from the world around them. We need to nurture that feeling in people, young and old, so they know that they’re an important part of a bigger family, a bigger future, a bigger community than just themselves and their own families.” When it comes to Ballston Spa’s Birdhouse Competition, it truly takes a village. “So many people come together to make this happen,” Blech explains. “Curtis Lumber supplies all the lumber for the raw-built houses, as well as many additional supplies. Each year they supply us with more lumber—and we always run out of birdhouses! We also have a great partnership with the high school woodworking class. This project gives the kids real life experience in fabrication and production.” When Blech first broached the birdhouse idea to former Mayor John Romano, the village board not only vigorously endorsed the project but allotted funds to help with promotional posters and supplies. “Our new mayor, Larry Woolbright, has actually created an Arts Council to help support the arts in Ballston Spa,” Blech says. “That has never happened before. The dedicated workers of the Department of Public Works mount all the raw-built birdhouse entries along major village streets, then take them down in November. They also hang all the originals along the fitness trail. “The Ballston Spa Business & Professional Association generously helps with advertising and distribution of information. Shopkeepers hang posters, create buzz, and contribute their time, energy, and ideas in countless ways. And Andrea Simmons and her staff at the Ballston Spa Public Library are incredible. They distribute the birdhouses, collect the finished entries, and catalogue each one so we have an accurate record of who built what.”

Original entries have made a stunning addition to the Jim Tedisco Fitness Trail, subtly blending art and Nature and inspiring travelers along the woodland path. Mark Blech envisions filling the entire trail with the community’s creative endeavors.

“In fact,” he reports, “this year we’ll be working with the different elementary schools and middle school to create a mural-like banner—a fence wrap, as I call it—that will stretch across much of the chain link fence that was recently put up along the trail for safety reasons. The fence is a necessary part of the nearby construction and development. But we can use it to our advantage to showcase our children’s artwork. It’s all about community involvement and getting children to feel ownership and pride in their community.

“With the globalism of the internet and the cell phone era, it’s great to feel that you’re connected with the world,” Blech adds. “But people need to feel connected with the people around them, too. It’s a new era, but we need to remember where we come from and that ‘one-on-one’ connection.”

Without a doubt, Ballston Spa’s Birdhouse Competition is becoming bigger and better every year, creating a tremendous source of village-wide pride while offering other communities an inspiring model of hometown ingenuity and spirit. S S