Saratoga TODAY 12.22.17 by Saratoga TODAY

LOCAL • INDEPENDENT • FREE Volume 11

•

Issue 50 • December 22 – January 4, 2018 •

2017 top 10 by Thomas Dimopoulos Saratoga TODAY

The Latest Developments WEST SIDE GOES BIG

In January, two new proposals were presented to the city’s Planning Board seeking to develop 10 new buildings, a

five-story hotel and spa, more than 400 residential units and nearly 30,000 square feet of retail space, on the city’s west side. The projects – submitted by Top Capital of New York’s Station Park, and the Vecino Group – specifically call for the construction of 72 for-sale condominiums, more than 100 senior housing units and 160

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“workforce” or “affordable” housing units. The proposed complex would occupy a stretch of currently vacant land that extends from the south end of the Saratoga Springs train station to Washington Street/ Route 29, and just west of West Avenue. Meanwhile, at the city’s southern gateway, a proposal currently under consideration calls for the demolition of the Saratoga Diner – which closed in 2012 - and the development of more than 100 workforce housing units in its place on South Broadway. The project would include 110 single and two-bedroom apartment units, two floors of commercial space, and a new business incubator collaboratively

partnered by Saratoga Economic Development Corporation and Saratoga CoWorks. Specific plans call for 46 onebedroom units - monthly rent will start at about $750 per month, and 64 two-bedroom units – which will rent for approximately $1,650 per month, translating overall to a rate of approximately $1 to $1.35 per square-foot. The ground floor will feature 7,000 square feet of retail space, 4,000 square feet of service establishment space – such as what would house a salon or barber shop - and a 7,500 squarefoot food beverage or brew pub, which will act as a visible anchor on South Broadway. Streetscape

inside TODAY Obituaries

Year in Review

14, 15

Holiday Gift Guide

22, 23

Religion Man on the Street

26, 27

First Night Photo provided. See Story pg. 45

See Story pg. 12

34 32, 33

Neighbors:

WHO: Richard Frank, Owner of Four Seasons Natural Foods WHERE: 120 Henry Street

December 22 – January 4, 2018

Snippets of Life from Your Community

Q. How does Four Seasons Natural Foods serve the community? A. Hopefully, we give a nice alternative to conventional supermarkets. We’ve been focusing on organic, natural, local products for 30 years almost. You can get a good bit of what we sell here in many places, but maybe not all in the same kind of mix that we have. We have the supplements and we have the local produce, which is a little bit different. And we have a different vibe, for sure. Q. Have you seen the market for organic products expand? A. Oh, yeah. When we opened, most of the products you could only buy here. You couldn’t even get like tofu or something in the supermarket. Now, obviously, there’s lots of different venues, outlets. We’re different in that we’re local. I’d say that’s what really defines us. I don’t think anybody else is locally owned and operated. We try to keep people…our average employee length is nine years. This kind of stuff ’s important. Q. How has the city changed? A. It’s like an incremental change. It’s not like this month is much different than last month. You look back two years, you’re like, whoa, that’s different. A lot of the neighborhoods are still the same but the downtown core is way different and, for the most part, way better. You want growth. It’s nice to have people living and working in your downtown. You go around New York State and you see the alternative. It comes with urban problems and congestion. We have rush hour now. Q. What did you want to be growing up? A. For the longest time, I wanted to be a paleontologist as a kid; and then an oceanographer, but then I get seasick. So, I was like, I can’t be seasick as an oceanographer. Q. What do you do for fun? A. I volunteer at the Waldorf School. I get a lot out of it. I have two kids, 14 and 9, and a wife, so we try to have fun on weekends and do family stuff.

PHOTO BY: Larry Goodwin

Q. Do you have a favorite music for the store? A. We play a lot of eclectic music here. You could have folk music, classical, new age and Led Zeppelin. We have one of those services; the employees have fun with it.

A Holiday Angel SARATOGA SPRINGS — Local veteran Sid Gordon was surprised this week when he cut open his homegrown tomato and was greeted by the image of an angel. “Just in time for the holidays,” said Gordon. Photo by Sid Gordon. Angel by God.

December 22 – January 4, 2018

NEWS 3

Keeping the Bill of Rights Alive by Larry Goodwin Saratoga TODAY BALLSTON SPA — In the words of Judith Whitmore, the officials and citizens who joined together last week in a county officebuilding auditorium did so because “they really care about America.” Amidst the normal bustle of a Friday night before Christmas, Whitmore, the founder of Stand Up and Sing for America and vice-chair of the group We the People (WTP-NY), had organized a “Bill of Rights Day” on Dec. 15 in concert with WTP-NY Founder Robert Schulz and Upstate Conservative Coalition President Ben Potiker. Two years ago, a similar event was held in Queensbury. Schulz and Whitmore both indicated afterward that Bill of Rights Day ceremonies would be organized in Ballston Spa and statewide every December. It was on Dec. 15, 1791, according to Schulz, that lawmakers in the state of Virginia

had finalized the process of ratifying the first ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution. Pastor Earl Wallace of Liberty Christian Fellowship in Clifton Park said it is important “to keep alive the concepts” in the Bill of Rights. He was invited to the Saratoga County office building on West High Street to read the First Amendment aloud, and then put a small flashlight inside a star-themed “luminary” on a table next to the podium. That same routine was repeated for the other amendments, which were read by State Sen. James Tedisco (R-Glenville); National Guard Sgt. Brandon Moseman; Sheriff Michael Zurlo; District Attorney Karen Heggen; Assistant Public Defender Oscar Schreiber; Wilton Judge David Towne; State Supreme Court Judge Martin Affredou; County Clerk Craig Hayner; and Assemblywoman Carrie Woerner (D-Round Lake). Whitmore asked the crowd of about 50 people to join her in giving “love and energy for America” through patriotic songs as well. Pocket Constitutions were handed

out and coffee and snacks were offered at the end. “As we celebrate this anniversary, we should give thanks for our constitutional, democratic republic, and commit to become better informed about our rights,” stated Schulz in his opening remarks. “So long as we are committed to the principles underlying our Constitution and Bill of Rights,” he added, “we will know the blessings of liberty no matter the immensity of our problems, whether it be world peace, foreign conspiracies, rising crime, racial strife, climate change or the decaying hearts of our great central cities.” For more information, visit the websites www. upstateconservatives.org and www. standupandsingforamerica.org.

(Left to right) We the People Founder Robert Schulz; Upstate Conservative Coalition President Ben Potiker; and Stand Up and Sing for America Founder Judith Whitmore in Ballston Spa on Dec. 15, 2017. Photo by Larry Goodwin.

NEWS

December 22 – January 4, 2018

MALTA RESIDENTS SPEAK OUT AGAINST ROUTE 9 PROJECT by Larry Goodwin Saratoga TODAY MALTA — Nearly 20 local homeowners spoke at a public hearing of the Malta Planning Board Tuesday night, making clear their concerns about a proposal involving 15 acres of forested land between Ellsworth Commons and the Cramer Woods neighborhood. A majority of residents called upon by Planning Board

Chairman William Smith stated their opposition to Conifer Realty’s proposed Red Pine Grove complex. It would include 12 three-story “workforce housing” towers, as the firm calls them, and a separate apartment building with 70 units for senior citizens closer to Route 9. Rockrose Way homeowner Cliff VanGuilder was among the first to speak. In a letter, he urged planning board members to “be careful in deciding whether this

development is actually needed, and whether it is sustainable for the tax base.” As 9 p.m. approached, more than a dozen residents had criticized the Red Pine Grove proposal. They alleged that town officials are not properly studying impacts on local traffic and schools, among various other matters. Smith said he would leave open the public hearing. The planning board is expected

to revisit Conifer Realty’s proposal at its next meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 18. The same land, on the eastern side of Route 9, had been previously chosen for the Malta Crossings proposal, which included a mix of residential, retail and a hotel. “It was a pretty aggressive design,” observed David Bogardus, a consultant to Conifer Realty. The overall density of the Red Pine Grove buildings “has been significantly reduced” by

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about 50 percent, he added. Brian Donato, senior project director at Conifer Realty, responded to many of the residents’ concerns, including the need for more local housing complexes. Conifer Realty is in the process of building the Blue Heron Trail residential towers a few minutes west in the Town of Ballston. The company would not advance its Red Pine Grove proposal, Donato said, if “we didn’t think there was a market for it.”

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December 22 – January 4, 2018

COURT Nicholina J. Sarro, 25, of Ballston Spa, was sentenced Dec. 13 to five years of probation, after pleading to felony grand larceny. Brian B. Wade, 37, of Corinth, pleaded Dec. 13 to felony attempted assault. Sentencing scheduled for Feb. 7. Adam J. Rouse, 32, of Hudson Falls, was sentenced Dec. 13 to six months in jail, after pleading to failure to report address change within 10 days, in Saratoga Springs. Rakell L. Dutcher, 32, of Galway, pleaded Dec. 11 to aggravated DWI with a child, a felony. Sentencing scheduled for Jan. 3, 2018. Marshall G. Gaudet, 31, of Malta, was sentenced Dec. 13 to 25-years-to-life imprisonment, after pleading to rape, predatory sexual assault against a child, and two counts of possessing a sexual performance of a child – all felonies. According to the Saratoga County District Attorney’s office, Gaudet created and possessed multiple items of child pornography and committed ongoing acts of sexual assault between 2013 and 2016. Gerard R. King, Jr., 53, of Glens Falls, was sentenced Dec. 11 to 13 years in state prison, after pleading to burglary in the second-degree, a Class C Violent Felony, in connection with an incident that occurred in Saratoga Springs. Donald P. Gilbert, Jr., 32, of Milton, pleaded Dec. 8 to attempted strangulation, in connection with an incident that occurred in Milton. Sentencing scheduled Feb. 2. Norman E. Rose,III, 38, of Milton, pleaded Dec. 8 to felony criminal contempt, in connection with an incident that occurred in Milton. Sentencing scheduled Feb. 26. Robert S. Loomis, 30, of Schuylerville, pleaded Dec. 8 to felony sexual abuse, in connection with an incident

that occurred in the town of Saratoga. Sentencing scheduled Feb. 9.

POLICE Michael J. Lewis, age 37, Greenfield Center, was charged on Dec. 11 with felony criminal mischief. Calvin W. Gong, age 59, Saratoga Springs, was charged on Dec. 11 with criminal trespass. Connor J. Pressley, age 18, Saratoga Springs, was charged on Dec. 10 with criminal possession of marijuana. Francisco T. Florian, age 19, Saratoga Springs, was charged on Dec. 10 with unlawful possession of marijuana. Jaloreal J. Bullock, age 26, Albany, was charged on Dec. 10 with misdemeanor DWI, refusing a prescreen test, use of portable electronic devices, fail to keep right, passed a red traffic signal light. Albert R. Johnson, age 34, Saratoga Springs, was charged on Dec. 10 with aggravated harassment, a misdemeanor. Jeffrey C. Bowen, age 47, Ballston Spa, was charged on Dec. 10 with criminal possession of a controlled substance, and criminally using drug paraphernalia. Courtney W. Aesch, age 20, Gloversville, was charged on Dec. 9 with operating motor vehicle while impaired by drugs - a misdemeanor, and unlawful possession of marijuana. Raphaella M. Saunders, age 24, Gansevoort, was charged on Dec. 9 with aggravated unlicensed operation – a misdemeanor, and passed a red traffic signal light. Roberto M. Ciavarella, age 40, Saratoga Springs, was charged on Dec. 9 with misdemeanor DWI, aggravated DWI, and failing to signal a turn. Kenneth W. Cruger, 45, of Greenfield, was charged Dec. 7 with criminal contempt,

BLOTTER 5 and assault following a domestic incident in the town of Greenfield. It is alleged Cruger punched a female victim in the face and the victim had an order of protection against him. Cruger was arraigned and sent to the Saratoga County Correctional Facility in lieu of $2,500 cash, or $5,000 bond. Nico J. Rivera, 18, of Ballston Spa, was charged with disseminating indecent material to minors – a felony, and sexual misconduct – a misdemeanor. It is alleged

that Rivera had sexual intercourse with a 15-yearold female victim and sent inappropriate photos of himself to her. Rivera was arraigned and released on his own recognizance and will answer further to the respective charges in the Ballston Town Court at a later, undisclosed date. Jesse R. Harris, 31, of Corinth, was charged Dec. 7 with felony grand larceny, stemming from an incident that occurred in the town of Wilton in September. Harris is suspected of stealing

items, cash, and equipment belonging to his employer in the town of Wilton worth a total value amount of $2902.29. Dillon J. McIntyre, 18, Robert N. Rouse, 30, and Gary J. Roberts, Jr., 40, all of Hadley, were each charged with felony burglary following an investigation by the Saratoga County Sheriff ’s Office. The complaint alleges the defendants unlawfully entered a dwelling on Miner Road in the town of Greenfield on Dec. 6 and stole a flat-screen television.

OBITUARIES

Joan (Williams) Wheatley

Minnie Clark Bolster

SOUTH GLENS FALLS — Joan (Williams) Wheatley passed away December 17, 2017. Services were held at Pine Knolls Alliance Church in South Glens Falls on Thursday, December 21, 2017. Burial will be private at the convenience of the family. Online remembrances may be made at burkefuneralhome.com.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Minnie Clark Bolster, 97, died Dec. 16, 2017. Calling hours were Tuesday, Dec.19 at the Burke Funeral Home, 628 North Broadway. A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated Wednesday at The Church of St. Peter; burial followed in Greenridge Cemetery, Lincoln Ave. Visit burkefuneralhome.com.

Burke & Bussing

SSARATOGA ARATOGA S SPRINGS PRINGS ∙∙ 584-5373 584-5373

Funeral Homes

Brian Dwyer

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Brian Dwyer, 80, passed peacefully Sunday morning, December 17, 2017 at Saratoga Hospital surrounded by loved ones. Brian, a.k.a. “Buckets” was born in Brooklyn on December 3, 1937 to Dr. Thomas E. Dwyer and Margaret E. Dempsey. He attended St. Peter’s Academy for most of his early education and graduated from Saratoga Springs High School in 1956. He attended Ithaca College and graduated from Hudson Valley Community College with a degree in Applied Science majoring in Construction Technology. He was an accomplished builder of homes in Saratoga including his own residences on Pine Road and Pinehurst Drive. He was a licensed real estate broker and acquired several

December 22 – January 4, 2018

properties which he renovated and operated, most notably “The Congress Building” at 328 Broadway on the corner of Spring Street. In the 1970s and early 1980s, Brian served the City of Saratoga Springs in the Department of Public Works, first as Deputy Commissioner, then elected Commissioner for two terms and was instrumental in purchasing the Geyser Crest Waterworks and was involved in the development of the Saratoga Springs City Center. In 1986 he became Clerk of the Works for the construction of the Saratoga County Jail. Brian was a Past Exalted Ruler of the Saratoga Elks Lodge 161, a 49-year member, and a member of The Friendly Sons of St. Patrick. He was also a member of the Historical Society of Saratoga Springs and volunteered in the Saratoga Room at the public library. Brian was a charming, humorous, fun-loving character that was loved by many. Talented in so many areas, intelligent and passionate about politics, history, genealogy, sports, old movies, and – he loved to sing. In 1999, Brian survived lung cancer with the removal of a lung. He remained cancer-free over the years and was happy to celebrate his 80th birthday last week.

He is pre-deceased by his parents, the mother of his children, Judith Karl, his brothers Burke and Lawrence, and his sister, Suzan Richardson (Scott). Brian is survived by his children Sharon Bolton (Richard), Molly Dwyer, Katy Dwyer, and Thomas Dwyer all of Saratoga Springs, his sister Sheila Dwyer of Stuart, FL, 11 grandchildren, several nieces and nephews and many close friends of which he considered family. Relatives and friends gathered to remember him Thursday, December 21, 2017 at the William J. Burke & Sons/Bussing & Cunniff Funeral Homes, at 628 North Broadway, Saratoga Springs. Members of the Saratoga-Wilton Elks Lodge 161 will meet at 6 p.m. Thursday at the funeral home for their service. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Friday, December 22 at 10 a.m. at the historic Church of St. Peter, 241 Broadway, Saratoga Springs. Brian will be interred in spring in the Dwyer Family plot in St. Mary’s – Cemetery of the Visitation in Schuylerville, NY. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to St. Peter’s Hospital Foundation, 310 South Manning Boulevard, Albany, NY 12208. Online remembrances may be made at burkefuneralhome.com.

Burke & Bussing Funeral Homes

SSARATOGA ARATOGA S SPRINGS PRINGS ∙∙ 584-5373 584-5373

December 22 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; January 4, 2018

December 22 – January 4, 2018

ANNIVERSARY BANQUET FOR LIFELONG LEARNERS

Saratoga Hospital Oncology Unit Director Renee Russell (fifth from left) is flanked by Knitters Chairs Carol Dunnigan and Gloria Marceau and members of the Academy for Lifelong Learning’s knitting group. Photo by Bernie Fabry.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — The Academy for Lifelong Learning at SUNY Empire State College marked its 25th anniversary with a “Celebrating Silver” Banquet on Friday, Dec. 1, at the Gideon Putnam Hotel. A group of 210 academy members and friends past and present attended. Special guests included Saratoga Springs Mayor Joanne Yepsen, who proclaimed Dec. 1 as Lifelong Learning Day in the city; SUNY Empire State College dignitaries Walter Williams, Mary Caroline Powers and Sue McFadden,

founding members of the academy; Saratoga Hospital Oncology Unit Director Renee Russell; plus John Rowe and Kellie Postlethwaite of Prestwick Chase. The event included lunch, recognition of the founding members, entertainment by Bobby and Susie Dick, raffle baskets and a collection for the Saratoga County Economic Opportunity Council. There also was a special presentation of 425 knitted caps, one for each member of the academy, donated to cancer patients at Saratoga Hospital.

JULIE AND CO. REALTY Sharing Knowledge

DONATES $10,000

SARATOGA SPRINGS — In honor of Julie and Co. Realty’s second anniversary, and as a continued effort to give back to the community, the local brokerage donated a portion of its November closings to Saratoga Sponsor-a-Scholar (SSAS). Jim LaVigne, the SSAS volunteer executive director, accepted the check on behalf of the

program at Julie and Co. Realty’s sales meeting on Tuesday, Dec. 19. In a statement, LaVigne said, “It always amazes me what a generous community we live in and no one personifies that more than Sonny and Julie Bonacio. This gift was both unsolicited and extremely generous. It covers seven years’ expense for one of our young scholars

and will make a tremendous difference in their life.” In June of 2017, the seventh SSAS class graduated from Saratoga Springs High School. All 64 of the graduates in the first seven years were accepted to college. For more information, visit the website www. saratogasponsorascholar.org.

Julie Bonacio (center) and her sales team at Julie and Co. Realty’s Division Street office on Tuesday. Photo provided.

of Conservation Area

(Left to right) Maria Trabka of Saratoga PLAN, Wilton residents Thomas and Joanne Klepetar, and Ethan Winter of the Land Trust Alliance. Photo provided.

GREENFIELD — Alta Planning and Design, the Open Space Institute and Saratoga PLAN hosted a public workshop on Dec. 13 in Greenfield Center, seeking input on emerging recreation, conservation and economic development opportunities in the Southern Palmertown region. The Palmertown Conservation Area stretches from Moreau Lake State Park and the Village of Corinth in the north to Saratoga Spa State Park in the south, and from Route 9 in the east to Route 9N in the west. The area includes some of the wildest and most natural terrain in Saratoga County, including forests that provide important wildlife habitat and timber and protect the headwaters of the Snook Kill and Kayaderosseras

Creek. The area being studied encompasses 63 square miles. Over 40 local residents and community leaders gathered in the Greenfield Community Center to learn more about the Palmertown region, and to provide local knowledge and personal perspectives on important areas to protect, key destinations, natural areas appropriate for various recreational uses, and ways to enhance economic opportunities for those who live and work in the region. Participants were able to study and mark up maps with useful information. For more information about the Palmertown Conservation Area and the community planning process, visit the website www.saratogaplan.org.

December 22 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; January 4, 2018

NEWS

December 22 – January 4, 2018

ADIRONDACK TRUST HAMS DONATED

ANNOUNCES GRANT RECIPIENTS

FOR THE HOLIDAY

The 2017 Lend-A-Hand Grant recipients at a reception held on Dec. 11 at the Adirondack Trust Company. Photo provided.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — The Adirondack Trust Company Community Fund announced this week that its Independent Advisory Committee has awarded more than $52,000 in Lend-A-Hand Grants to 29 local nonprofit organizations. The grants were presented at the Community Fund’s annual reception on Monday, Dec. 11. Directors or representatives of the

organizations were present at the reception and spoke briefly about their respective organization’s mission and how the grant will support their particular cause. “We are so fortunate to have the communities’ support that enabled us to award 29 Lend-A-Hand Grants this year,” said Independent Advisory Committee Volunteer Chair

Caroline Putman. “This year’s grant awardees are a small example of the amazing nonprofit organizations that are out there serving a multitude of needs. The awarded grants support programs that help all ages, those that have fallen on hard times, the arts, education, health and wellbeing…we are honored to be a part of this process.”

Jim Myers and Phil Imbarrato of the Ballston Spa Lions. Photo provided.

BALLSTON SPA — The Ballston Spa Lions have donated 60 hams for Christmas to local food pantries. The Methodist Church, First Baptist Church and Christ Episcopal Church each received 20 hams, according to Lions President Ed Moore

December 22 – January 4, 2018

NEWS 11

COUNTY WORKERS HONORED AS FOUR SUPERVISORS DEPART

(Left to right) 25-year Saratoga County employees Joanne Monaco (Social Services); Gay McKinney (Clerk); D'Arcy Plummer (Treasurer); Valerie Dussault (Real Property); J. Wes Carr (Youth Bureau); and Frank Blaisdell (Animal Shelter); Stillwater Supervisor and Board Chairman Ed Kinowski; 30-year employees Darryl Tree (Sewer District); Beatrice Tree (Social Services); Steve Dorsey (County Attorney); and Sandra Cross (Aging); and 35-year employee Elaine Pratt (Clerk of the Board). Photo by Deputy Board Clerk Therese Connolly.

by Larry Goodwin Saratoga TODAY BALLSTON SPA — The Saratoga County Board of Supervisors presented “longevity awards” this week to a small group of the county’s 1,100 employees, and bid farewell to four of its own members whose terms neared an end. “The longer you have, the greater your service to the people,”

observed Board Chairman Ed Kinowski, the Stillwater town supervisor, after calling out the names of 10 county employees and inviting them to be part of a group picture. Kinowski gave them small gift bags and formal proclamations. Kinowski also pointed to the work of outgoing Supervisors R. Gardner Congdon of Moreau; John Collyer of Providence; Dan Lewza of Milton; and Peter

Martin of Saratoga Springs— “each of whom is leaving to enter a new phase of life and embrace all the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead,” Kinowski said. “Your contributions to the county as supervisors have been very numerous,” he continued. “You’ve been creative and innovative in your approach to solving problems, always looking for the best ways to achieve goals.”

MAN CHARGED WITH ROBBING BROADWAY BANK by Thomas Dimopoulos Saratoga TODAY SARATOGA SPRINGS — A 39-year-old man, suspected of being involved in Wednesday’s alleged robbery at the main branch of the Adirondack Trust Company, has been charged with felony robbery and felony grand larceny, according to Saratoga Springs Police. The man, Anthony J. Paradise, of Ballston Spa, was taken in to custody at approximately 9 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 20. The robbery occurred shortly after noon, earlier that same day. Paradise is suspected of forcibly stealing in excess of $3,000 from the bank. Police said a search warrant was executed at the Ballston Spa residence where Paradise had been staying short term, and that items were secured with potential ties to the robbery. Paradise is believed to have acted alone. Two previous robbery attempts occurred at the Broadway branch of the bank, which is located at 473 Broadway, one block from the city police station, in 2007 and 2010.

Anthony J. Paradise

In July 2007, Moreau man Rick Massey handed a teller a threatening note, escaped with nearly $7,000 cash, and fled to Nashville, Tenn., where he turned himself in to police, six days after the incident. In October 2010, a 57-year-old city man who proclaimed himself to be “a non-violent bank robber” walked into the branch and handed a note to a teller that read, “Give me all your money and God will love you.” After the teller gave him nearly $7,000, he put the money back on the counter, made several incoherent statements to bank employees, and exited the bank without any money in hand. He fled on a bicycle, headed west on Church Street and was apprehended by police three blocks later.

NEWS

December 22 – January 4, 2018

2017 Top 10 continued from front page... improvements include street lamps, landscaping, and a total of 273 parking spaces for resident and commercial parking uses. The second floor will house 17,000 square feet of commercial space where two new tenants are expected to join SEDC’s 10,000 square foot “incubator,” a flexible co-working space to be inhabited by a rotating group of entrepreneurs and early-stage growth business teams. The long-standing horse atop the Saratoga Diner on South Broadway has already been removed for safekeeping by the property owner. Status: Both proposals are currently making their way through the city’s land use and application process. Should it go well, it is anticipated the diner could be demolished and new construction begun at the southern gateway project in the spring with a structure fully operational by the summer of 2019.

NEW CODE BLUE SHELTER HELD UP BY LEGAL CHALLENGE

Since December 2013, when a temporary winter emergency homeless shelter was first started in the city, a permanent location has been sought. In February 2017, local business owner Ed Mitzen and his wife Lisa announced they would fund the costs of a new Code Blue homeless shelter to be built on the current Shelters of Saratoga property on Walworth Street. Local firms Bonacio Construction and the LA Group, who were brought in to develop a

two-story building to house about 50 beds, each agreed to forego any profits to keep the building costs as low as possible. And officials at Shelters of Saratoga – who currently operate two other buildings on the Walworth Street property - said having the Code Blue shelter in close proximity to the case-managed shelters would maximize the opportunity to provide a full continuum of services and more easily connect homeless individuals with the support services they need. It was anticipated to be operational Nov. 1, in advance of the winter season. Shortly after the announcement, however, a group of 22 residents filed a legal challenge claiming the project doesn’t fit into the west side neighborhood, charging the shelter would not meet the definition of a neighborhood rooming house or the criteria for a special use permit. Many who have since spoken at public hearings in opposition to siting the shelter have delicately bypassed not-in-my-backyard verbalizations while urging that a shelter be built elsewhere. According to an executive order signed by Gov. Andrew Cuomo, emergency shelters must open their doors on nights at or below 32 degrees. In November, with temperatures dipping below freezing, Code Blue opened a temporary shelter once again at the Soul Saving Station Church – as it had previously done at St. Peter’s Parish Center and at the Salvation Army building. Status: The proposed permanent Code Blue shelter remains undeveloped. The Zoning

Board of Appeals is expected in the new year to discuss whether the proposed building would meet zoning ordinance compliance as a neighborhood rooming house.

TEN VOTES SPLIT THE DIFFERENCE

Nearly 9,000 residents cast their ballots in a public referendum in November to decide whether to change, or to maintain the Commission form of governing that has ruled the city for the past 102 years. The tally: 4,458 for the status quo - 4,448 to change. In late November, an action was commenced in New York State Supreme Court in the hope of seeking a full review and recount – called a recanvass - of all ballots cast in the Election Day referendum for a new city charter. The action was initiated by Gordon Boyd - who filed the request as an independent voter, and on behalf of “other private individuals” who supported the campaign for charter change. Status: On Dec. 19, the court asked counsel on both sides of the issue to submit memoranda of law by Jan. 8, after which the court will consider when scheduling oral argument regarding the matter.

TV EYE

In May, Aerosmith front man Steven Tyler and his daughter Liv Tyler - an actress perhaps best known for her role in the Lord of the Rings film trilogy, were featured in an episode of the TV series “Who Do You Think You Are?” on the TLC channel. The duo visited the adjoined Saratoga villages of Schuylerville and Victory in January 2017 after learning of their 19th century ancestral ties to the community. Steven Tyler’s great-greatgrandfather, George Washington Elliott, was a drummer who was present at the battle of Antietam and at Gettysburg. He set down roots in Saratoga County while in his 20s, shortly after the Civil War. “I can see my dad in his face,” Liv Tyler told Saratoga County Historian Lauren Roberts, after being shown a photograph in a 1912 brochure during a segment that depicted “Mr. and Mrs. George Elliott and family, Schuylerville, N.Y.” with their 17 children. Liv Tyler, the daughter of Steven Tyler and Nashville based singer, songwriter and pop culture icon Bebe Buell, was filmed while driving around Saratoga and

Intensity on the faces of candidates, attorneys, and political advocates alike during the counting of Charter referendum absentee ballots at the Saratoga County complex on Tuesday, Nov. 21. Photo by Thomas Dimopoulos

visiting the office of the Saratoga County Clerk in Ballston Spa. She was joined by her dad at Prospect Hill Cemetery in Victory, where in the shadow of the a 155-foot tall Saratoga Monument, they visited the burial sites of their ancestors. Local historians pin-point Tyler’s ancestral family home as having sat on Pearl Street in the village of Victory and just around the corner from St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church on nearby Grove Street in Schuylerville.

Also in 2017, city Mayor Joanne Yepsen initiated the 10-member Human Rights Task Force of Saratoga Springs. The group is dedicated to fostering a welcoming and inclusive community irrespective of race, color, ethnicity, nation of origin, gender, sexual identity, sexual orientation, religion, age and/or disability.

THE IMMIGRATION ISSUE

In August, residential, business and wireless customers within the existing 518 area code embarked on a mandatory dialing of the prefix “518” to existing 7-digit local telephone numbers. The state Public Service Commission approved the new area code to be added to ensure a continuing supply of telephone numbers. The 518 region serves all or part of the 17 counties in eastern upstate New York, including Saratoga, Albany, Rensselaer, Schenectady, and Warren and Washington counties. The addition of the numbers serves as an introduction of a new 838 area code that will be “overlaid,” or superimposed, over the same geographic area as the 518 area code. Current telephone numbers, including current area code, will not change. However, all calls within the 518/838 area must be programmed to dial using 10-digit phone numbers. Calls to reach 911 Emergency Service remain three digits, and existing 211, 311, 411, 511, 611, 711 or 811 services will also remain three-digit dial numbers.

Deportation officers with ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations reported arresting 34 men in Saratoga Springs between May and September. Two churches in the city — the Presbyterian New England Congregational Church and The Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Saratoga Springs - stepped forward with a sanctuary pledge for undocumented immigrants who are targets of deportation. “I think it’s an excellent opportunity for the church to put its money where its mouth is,” said Rev. Annie Reilly, of the Presbyterian New England Congregational Church. “We talk about welcoming strangers. What better way than to welcome sanctuary seekers.” Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operates under guidelines that recognize places like churches and schools as “sensitive locations” where agents would not normally carry out enforcement actions. However, there are no guarantees.

HANGING ON THE TELEPHONE: THE 518

December 22 – January 4, 2018

NEWS 13 HERE COMES THE SUN: SPA SOLAR PARK GETS ITS DAY

The Spa Solar Park — a new, 2.5-megawatt solar array sited adjacent to the Weibel Avenue landfill, became fully energized in August. The energy park features 7,992 panels on approximately 14 acres of city-owned land and is anticipated to power about 40 percent of city municipal power needs, from buildings to street lights. It is expected to provide a cost savings for city taxpayers and is environmentally sound. The city received support for the Spa Solar Park development from New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) through the Governor’s NY-Sun Competitive PV Program.

The original staircase of the Adelphi Hotel, which was painstakingly disassembled and completely restored. Image by PhotoAndGraphic.com.

HISTORIC ADELPHI HOTEL REOPENS, PLANS CALL FOR MORE HOTELS

The Adelphi Hotel, an iconic Broadway building that harkens back to Saratoga Springs’ grand Victorian Era appears reopened on Oct. 1 after an extensive fiveyear renovation and a project cost of approximately $30 million. The Adelphi, which first opened in 1877, had more recently been purchased for $4.5 million by RBC Hotels - a hotel management company owned by Richbell Capital LLC - and closed following the summer 2012 season for renovation. Richbell Capital and Blue Skies Forever subsequently partnered to create a new luxury hospitality company called The Adelphi Hospitality Group. The hotel stands four stories tall, the uppermost three floors with 11 rooms each, of which four are suites. There are 32 rooms in all - the variance due to the equivalent of one room being converted into a hotel guest library. The rooms are equipped with individual

thermostats which heat the bathroom floors, the towel bar, the toilet seat and the mirror. Almost all have free-standing European style deep-soaking tubs and a separate shower in the porcelainized Italian stone and marble bathroom. An integrated room automation system operates independent lighting fixtures, shades and drapes via a control panel. Room sizes vary from about 375 to 550 square feet and costs range from the high $200s or $300s in the winter and $800 to $1,200 in the summer. Suite rates are different and are sized up to 685 square feet and feature a large veranda overlooking Broadway. Additional Adelphi properties are located on Washington Street just west of Broadway and adjacent to the existing hotel. Plans are in the works for an additional six-story hotel and spa with 50 rooms to be developed on the Washington Street side, near UPH. And next to that, owners of the Rip Van Dam have proposed a new six-story Boutique Hotel to feature 152 rooms and located behind the four-story Van Dam hotel and the Starbucks café on Broadway.

ELECTED

On Election Day, in November, city voters selected Meg Kelly as the 21st mayor of the city of Saratoga Springs. Kelly, currently the city’s deputy mayor, will begin her twoyear-term Jan. 1, 2018. She defeated Republican candidate Mark Baker 4,630 - 3,911, or by a 54.13 percent to 45.73 percent margin. Voters also elected Democrat Peter Martin as commissioner of public safety. Martin - currently one of two supervisors representing the city at the county level – defeated Republican Donald Braim by a narrow 4,217 to 4,021 margin, and Democrat Francine Vero bested Republican challenger Andrew Blumenberg by a wide margin for the city judgeship. In the vote to elect two city supervisors, Republican incumbent Matt Veitch - with 28.76 percent of the vote,

and Democrat Tara Gaston – with 24.3 percent of the vote, were chosen to serve the city. Democrat Pat Friesen (22.94 percent), Republican John Safford (22.39 percent), and Green Party candidate Joseph Levy (1.56 percent) finished out of the running. Republican DPW Commissioner Anthony “Skip” Scirocco, and Democrats John Franck, accounts commissioner, and Michele Madigan, finance commissioner, were each re-elected in uncontested races for City Council seats. Kelly vowed to preserve the greenbelt, fix the city’s parking issues, and work collaboratively with the council’s four other members. Current city Mayor Joanne Yepsen chose not to run for re-election. Yepsen first secured elected office in Saratoga Springs since 2005, when she became city supervisor.

December 22 – January 4, 2018

Looking Back THE GREAT AMERICAN ECLIPSE

CROSS AT THE GREEN, NOT IN BETWEEN Horse racing fans don special “eclipse glasses” and look skyward, in the winner’s circle at Saratoga Race Course, Aug. 21, 2017. Photo by Thomas Dimopoulos.

A pair of ducks take an afternoon stroll across Broadway. Photo by Thomas Dimopoulos.

MINNIE CLARK BOLSTER

Orion Anderson, two-time state champion from Schuylerville, has committed to Binghamton where he was offered a full ride scholarship with an injury guarantee. Photo provided.

Sequoia Cumming, first ever female football player at Saratoga Springs High School. Photo by Lori Mahan.

Oprah Winfrey received an honorary doctorate of letters in the arts from Skidmore College and spoke for about 30 minutes during the college’s 2017 Commencement at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center in May. Image by PhotoAndGraphic.com

Saratoga Springs icon Minnie Clark Bolster, seated in her living room during an interview in May 2017. “The biggest change in the city? You can’t find your way down to Broadway with all the buildings, haha. But, that doesn’t bother me,” she said. Minnie published four books and collected thousands of pieces of historic memorabilia related to the city she loved and where she lived for nearly a century. She died Dec. 16 with her family at her side. Photo by Thomas Dimopoulos.

December 22 – January 4, 2018

2017 Super Bowl champions, World Series victors, Triple Crown winners and local kids got together for a celebrity softball game at Saratoga Casino Hotel on Sept. 23, 2017. The event raised more than $10,000 for The Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Capital Region. Among the former athletes participating: Jose Canseco, Ozzie Smith, Craig Nettles, Mickey Rivers, Wade Boggs, Otis Anderson, “Goose” Gossage, Dwight Gooden, Angel Cordero, Ron Turcotte and others. Image by PhotoAndGraphic.com.

LAWRENCE TAYLOR AT BAT

The Schuylerville Girls varsity soccer team jump for joy after their senior game. The team made it to the Section II quarter-finals and lost by two against Voorheesville. Photo by Ruthann Thivierge. Hundreds of high school seniors from Saratoga Springs and Averill Park accepted Brad Paisley’s invitation to attend a special free “dress rehearsal” concert in May at SPAC, in advance of the start of his nationwide tour. For more than one hour, the West Virginia born singer-songwriter strolled the catwalk, took selfies, and showcased his guitar skills, mixing strains of Prince’s “Purple Rain” and the Rolling Stones’ “Honky Tonk Women” into a slew of tunes. Image by PhotoAndGraphic.com.

BRAD PAISLEY

A rendering of the proposed Saratoga County public safety complex provided by David Pacheco of H2M architects + engineers. After more than 10 years of delays, Saratoga County supervisors voted in November to fund its construction, starting next year. The complex will consolidate the operations of multiple county agencies. The Saratoga Central Catholic Saints volleyball team had an undefeated 8-0 league season, losing to Lake George in the semi-finals. Photo by www.PhotoAndGraphic.com

BUSINESS

December 22 – January 4, 2018

ADIRONDACK TRUST SETTLES ON DESIGN FOR NEW WILTON BRANCH SARATOGA SPRINGS — The Adirondack Trust Company announced this week that it has finalized the design for their Wilton location located at 650 Maple Avenue. The branch burned down in March 2017 and is currently being redesigned by the architectural firm Phinney Design Group. The new branch is designed with the future of banking in mind, and will feature many new enhancements. It will feature an inviting, customer-friendly service area and layout; safe deposit boxes; and three drive-thru lanes, which will include a drive-up ATM. “We are excited to begin the process of rebuilding our Wilton branch, which tragically burned down earlier this year. We are working diligently to ensure that our customers are taken care of and that we design the branch to be as

customer-friendly as possible,” said Executive Vice President Charles V. Wait Jr., in a prepared statement. “This design complements our recent launch of our new logo and website, and it reflects the continual evolution of our brand.” Phinney Design Group has designed a building that would be rotated from the original footprint to engage both Maple Avenue and Northern Pines Road.

Rendering provided by Adirondack Trust Company.

Aerial view of the Maple Avenue and Northern Pines Road intersection in Wilton. Photo by PhotoAndGraphic.com.

“A reimaging of the existing parking lot improves safety and drivability, increases green space, and adds parking spots, allowing the location to host more customers at a time than before,” said Principal Architect Michael Phinney. “The Adirondack Trust Company aims to support our region not only with financial services, but by actively engaging sustainable design. Phinney Design Group couldn’t be happier to help them achieve this aspiration,” added Phinney. “With this newly redesigned branch, we hope to set a precedent for design that reflects the Adirondack Trust Company’s mission and image for an evergrowing and bright future.” Company officials expect construction to start in spring 2018 and to be completed sometime next summer. For updates on the Adirondack Trust Company’s Wilton branch, visit the website www.Adirondacktrust.com/about/ wilton-branch-update/.

December 22 – January 4, 2018

Trojanski Elected President of Saratoga Builders Association

David Trojanski. Photo provided.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — This week the Saratoga Builders Association Inc. Board of Directors announced that David Trojanski of Bonacio Construction has been elected President of the association. He will serve a two-year term through 2019. In addition, David DePaulo of Bella Home Builders has been named First Vice-President for a two-year term, along with the association’s other executive officers: Doug Ford of Curtis Lumber as Second Vice-President; Jeff Pietrosanto of Pietrosanto Insurance as Treasurer; Mark Johnson of DeGraff-Bloom Custom Builders as Secretary; and Wayne Samascott of Malta Development as Immediate Past President. Matthew Whitbeck of Whitbeck Construction also was appointed to the association’s board, bringing the total number of board members to 14. Whitbeck can be reached at 518-701-9438 or matt@ whitbeckconstruction.com. For more information, contact Executive Director Barry Potoker at 518-366-0946 or bpotoker@ saratogabuilders.org; or visit the website www.saratogabuilders.org.

SEDC Moves to Fill Vacated DiSiena Space SARATOGA SPRINGS — The Saratoga Economic Development Corporation (SEDC) is working with Precision Valve and Automation (PVA) of Latham and its founder, Tony Hynes, to win economic incentives for a renovation of the recently closed DiSiena Furniture headquarters and warehouse in Mechanicville. A $1.6 million initial investment by PVA is pending, and SEDC officials expect the site acquisition process to close in January. The company is proposing a $2.3 million project to repurpose the 75,000-square-foot building as an entrepreneur space with prototyping machinery, software and technical support. The initial application was presented by SEDC to the Mechanicville-Stillwater Industrial Development Agency (IDA) at a Dec. 11 meeting. A public hearing has been scheduled for 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 16 at the Mechanicville Senior Center. The benefits requested to support PVA’s investment include a 10-year Payment In Lieu of Taxes (PILOT) agreement, for an estimated savings of $564,250; and sales tax abatement against materials purchased for the renovation project, for an estimated savings of $78,386. For more information, visit the website www.saratogaedc.com.

Glens Falls Hospital Sells Dialysis Service GLENS FALLS — With a goal of ensuring long-term, regional availability of the broadest array of healthcare services possible, Glens Falls Hospital has reached an agreement to sell its renal dialysis service to Dialysis Clinic

BUSINESS BRIEFS 17 served as senior vice president of installation operations at Sungevity, where he led a team of more than 120 people and a network of more than 50 installation partners. Previously, he held senior positions at SolarCity and Meridian Solar. Brian Zimmerly joins Dandelion as director of product engineering. Zimmerly had served as senior engineer at Tesla, where he developed and deployed new energy technologies and services, including combined solar, battery storage and energy management. Hunter and Zimmerly will team up with James Quazi, Dandelion’s co-founder and chief technology officer. Dandelion is a renewable heating and cooling company

Inc. (DCI), the nation’s leading not-for-profit dialysis provider. DCI cares for more than 15,000 dialysis patients in over 230 centers across the country, including locations in Saratoga Springs, Clifton Park and Albany. The sale is contingent upon approval by the New York State Department of Health. Patients are not expected to experience any changes to their treatment regimen. DCI will own and operate the Renal Dialysis Center on Broad Street in Glens Falls, and provide inpatient dialysis services at the hospital. Employees of Glens Falls Hospital’s dialysis service line have been offered employment opportunities with DCI to ensure a seamless transition and to continue providing uninterrupted, patientcentered care. As the nation’s leading nonprofit dialysis provider, DCI will supplement its expert local care with access to extensive national-level resources, including a clinical research department and national clinical trials, advanced employee training, and kidney disease education and medication therapy management programs. For more information, visit the website www.glensfallshospital.org.

from the company’s sales team generated over 9,000 cans (nearly 4 tons of food) that were donated to food banks across New York State. The “Giving Thanks and Giving Back” initiative was launched earlier this year when Leonard Bus Sales partnered with seven regional food banks across the state. The partnership was forged around a newly created “BackPack” program to help eradicate child hunger and raise awareness about the problem of food insecurity. To learn more about the school-based hunger program or to find regional food banks, visit the website www.feedingamerica.org.

Leonard Bus Sees Results of Food Drive

Ryan Hunter. Photo provided.

Brian Zimmerly. Photo provided.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Earlier this month Dandelion, a renewable heating company with an office on Railroad Place, announced two hires from the solar industry. Ryan Hunter is joining Dandelion as the vice president of operations. Hunter most recently

that provides homeowners access to affordable home geothermal. The company operates in upstate New York with plans for significant territory and technology expansion in 2018. For more information, visit the website www.dandelionenergy.com

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Leonard Bus Sales, a distributor of IC Bus and Trans Tech brand school buses in the W.J. Grande Industrial Park, has launched the “Giving Thanks and Giving Back” charitable initiative. It includes direct contributions to food banks resulting from a holiday can drive. Leonard Bus Sales recently sponsored a can-drive competition at all of its facilities. In just four weeks, support

Dandelion Taps Solar Industry Talent

EDUCATION

December 22 – January 4, 2018

THE GRATITUDE PROJECT Hannah Weeden, founder of The Gratitude Project. Photo provided.

by Lori Mahan Saratoga TODAY SARATOGA SPRINGS — Hannah Weeden, an English teacher at Maple Avenue Middle School, created The Gratitude Project 15 years ago and has made it her life’s work for the last two years. This project consists of students delivering handwritten letters to people who have made a powerful impact on their lives, showing gratitude to them for that. Weeden believes that if gratitude is instilled in a child from a young age, you raise a happier child. “Thinking and then recognizing the little things as well as the big things that enrich our lives enables us to not just feel happy, but be happy,” Weeden explained. To Weeden, gratitude isn’t simply words, it’s an attitude. “Students need to grow this attitude to find fulfillment within themselves, this has to be taught and modeled,” she said. The students handwrite their letters because Weeden feels that handwriting is as personal as it can get in this day and age with all of the technology that is available. She does not read the letters, she feels that would take away “from the sincerity of the students’ heart.” “Similar to developing a muscle at the gym, developing gratitude requires regular and periodic practice in order to grow and develop,” Weeden explained. Weeden has been a keynote speaker for the New York State Middle School Association

(NYSMSA) at their last two annual conferences. “I saw the tear-stained faces of my colleagues and I was blown away at how transformative it was for them to just receive a letter,” she explained, in reference to the students handing out their letters to the teachers who have made an impact on them. “I feel like it’s essential for students to truly find ways to be positive and upbeat and I don’t think that often times they know how to do that. So that whole notion that gratitude isn’t necessarily about saying thank you to someone but it’s experiencing gratefulness of what you have, big or small. What I’ve come to recognize is students need to grow this attitude and I really am acting as a facilitator of that growth. They need to find fulfilment within themselves, but it really has to be taught and modeled, it doesn’t just happen,” she said. “What has been incredibly empowering for me, is to see through their physical interactions between student and adult, student and student, to see that interaction, they’re growing. It’s a messy process, but they are really growing their soft skills which are being lost in a day and age when everyone is connected to a cell phone. So, it’s not only developing them in terms of giving them a more positive outlook on life but it’s enabling them to develop soft skills that are otherwise being lost,” she said. In the last two years, teachers from South Glens Falls and South Colonie have expressed an

interest in using The Gratitude Project in their classrooms. “I’ve continued to speak to as many people, that are willing to listen, in terms of the project, as I can” Weeden said. “Sharing this has been a very intense experience for me. Yes, I put myself out there every day with my 145 students but I’m not one to put myself out there otherwise,” she explained. With sharing her message of gratitude, Weeden’s goal is to see positive change. “This is certainly a project that can be done at all levels,” she said enthusiastically. For more information on The Gratitude Project, visit www. hweedenpowerofwords.com.

Artwork created by one of Weeden’s students. Photo provided.

EDUCATION BRIEFS

December 22 – January 4, 2018

Photo provided.

Saratoga Sponsor-AScholar Holiday Party SARATOGA SPRINGS — On Monday, Dec. 11 the Saratoga Sponsor A Scholar (SASS) celebrated their annual holiday party. SSAS board member John Snow and his wife Terri provided each of the students with a cash gift. The students were joined by their mentors and enjoyed catering by Hattie’s Restaurant.

International Baccalaureate Programme in Ballston Spa BALLSTON SPA — Ballston Spa High School’s International Baccalaureate (IB) Programme will host an IB Information Night from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 3, 2018 in the High School Library for interested students and families. In addition to hearing about the IB options available at Ballston Spa High School, both public and private colleges will present on what role IB plays in the college admissions process. For additional details, contact the IB Coordinators, Christy Knapp at cknapp@bscsd.org or Nicole Stehle at nstehle@bscsd. org. IB applications are due Friday, February 2, 2018.

Saratoga Springs CSD To Register Kindergartners SARATOGA SPRINGS — Kindergarten registration for the Saratoga Central School District will be conducted in the Registrar’s office for age eligible children entering school in Sept. 2018. Children must be five years of age on or before Dec. 1, 2018. For more information and to begin the process go to, www.saratogaschools.org.

Saratoga Independent School to Hold Alumni Association Inaugural Event SARATOGA SPRINGS — Saratoga Independent School’s newly-formed Alumni Association will be holding their first-annual alumni pizza party from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 12, 2018. This event will provide an opportunity for former SIS students to get reacquainted, hear future plans, tour the school, and to assist in the formation of the Alumni Association. To RSVP, or to find out more, contact Pamela Howard, Director of Development, at 518-583-0841 or email phoward@siskids.org.

Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake Seeking Members for 2018 Bond Referendum Board BURNT HILLS-BALLSTON LAKE — The district is looking for five BH-BL residents to serve alongside administrators, faculty, staff members, and PTA representatives on the 2018 Referendum Committee. The committee is responsible for evaluating the projects proposed by an internal group, prioritizing the identified projects, and making recommendations to the Board of Education, among other things. If interested in applying, submit a letter by Dec. 30 to Superintendent of Schools Dr. Patrick McGrath, BH-BL CSD, PO Box 1389, Burnt Hills, NY 12027. In the letter, explain why you think you’d be a valuable addition to the committee. Include in the letter your mailing address, phone number, and email address. Only BH-BL residents can apply for the committee.

Photo provided.

Adirondack Trust Company Community Fund Awards Grant to Ballston Spa Schools BALLSTON SPA — The Ballston Spa Central School District recently received a $2,500 Lend-A-Hand Grant from the Adirondack Trust Company Community Fund (ATCCF). It will be used to support the 2018 Girls’ Summit, a full-day, STEM-based forum for and about girls held at TECSMART in Malta. The event is designed to empower, inspire and inform girls to lead healthy lives and better prepare for their futures. Grant funding will provide the opportunity for over 100 Ballston Spa Middle School girls to attend the annual event coordinated by Girls Incorporated of the Greater Capital Region.

Saratoga CSD Hall of Distinction Honorees SARATOGA SPRINGS — Saratoga Springs Central School District is seeking the public’s input on candidates for the fifth annual Hall of Distinction Honorees, which is an opportunity to honor and celebrate the outstanding accomplishments of the graduates of the school. Potential candidates must have graduated at least 10 years ago and must exemplify the district’s educational philosophy. All forms must be completed by Jan. 5, 2018. For more information visit www.saratogaschools.org/news.

Project Kids Care SARATOGA SPRINGS — In December, all Saratoga Springs CSD elementary schools participated in Project Kids Care Day. Project Kids Care

is an opportunity to teach the importance of empathy and celebrate the community service that schools engage in. Elementary school students and staff give back to the community throughout the entire school year.

December 22 – January 4, 2018

A Different Christmas Poem For the brave men and women around the world, standing your watch, walking your post, doing your duty, giving your lives to us…

The embers glowed softly, and in their dim light, I gazed round the room and I cherished the sight. My wife was asleep, her head on my chest, My daughter beside me, angelic in rest.

"It's my duty to stand at the front of the line, That separates you from the darkest of times. No one had to ask or beg or implore me, I'm proud to stand here like my fathers before me.

Outside the snow fell, a blanket of white, transforming the yard to a winter delight. The sparkling lights in the tree I believe, completed the magic that was Christmas Eve.

My Gramps died at 'Pearl on a day in December," Then he sighed, "That's a Christmas 'Gram always remembers. My dad stood his watch in the jungles of 'Nam,' And now it is my turn and so, here I am. I've not seen my own son in more than a while, But my wife sends me pictures, he's sure got her smile.”

My eyelids were heavy, my breathing was deep, Secure and surrounded by love I would sleep. In perfect contentment, or so it would seem, So I slumbered, perhaps I started to dream. The sound wasn't loud, and it wasn't too near, But I opened my eyes when it tickled my ear. Perhaps just a cough, I didn't quite know, Then the sure sound of footsteps outside in the snow. My soul gave a tremble, I struggled to hear, And I crept to the door just to see who was near. Standing out in the cold and the dark of the night, a lone figure stood, his face weary and tight. A soldier, I puzzled, some twenty years old, Perhaps a Marine, huddled here in the cold. Alone in the dark, he looked up and smiled, standing watch over me, and my wife and my child. "What are you doing?" I asked without fear, "Come in this moment, it's freezing out here! Put down your pack, brush the snow from your sleeve, You should be at home on a cold Christmas Eve!" For barely a moment I saw his eyes shift, Away from the cold and the snow blown in drifts.. To the window that danced with a warm fire's light. Then he sighed and he said "Its really all right, I'm out here by choice. I'm here every night."

Then he bent and he carefully pulled from his bag, The red, white, and blue... an American flag. "I can live through the cold and the being alone, Away from my family, my house and my home. I can stand at my post through the rain and the sleet, I can sleep in a foxhole with little to eat. I can carry the weight of killing another, Or lay down my life with my sister and brother.. Who stand at the front against any and all, To ensure for all time that this flag will not fall." "So go back inside," he said, "harbor no fright, Your family is waiting and I'll be all right." "But isn't there something I can do, at the least, "Give you money," I asked, "or prepare you a feast? It seems all too little for all that you've done, For being away from your wife and your son." Then his eye welled a tear that held no regret, "Just tell us you love us, and never forget. To fight for our rights back at home while we're gone, To stand your own watch, no matter how long. For when we come home, either standing or dead, To know you remember we fought and we bled. Is payment enough, and with that we will trust, That we mattered to you as you mattered to us.”

December 22 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; January 4, 2018

HolidayGift Guide

December 22 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; January 4, 2018

HolidayGift Guide

December 22 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; January 4, 2018

RELIGION

December 22 – January 4, 2018

PLACES OF WORSHIP Adirondack Christian Fellowship 8 Mountain Ledge, Wilton Contact: 518-587-0623 | acfsaratoga.com Services: Sunday 8 a.m. & 10 a.m. Adirondack Friends Meeting 27 Saratoga Avenue, South Glens Falls Contact: 518-793-3755 | adirondackfriendsmeeting.org Services: Sunday 10:30 a.m. Assembly of God Faith Chapel 6 Burgoyne Street, Schuylerville Contact: 518-695-6069 Rev. Jason Proctor Services: Sunday 10:30 a.m. Assembly of God Saratoga 118 Woodlawn Avenue, Saratoga Springs Contact: 518-584-6081 Services: Sunday 10 a.m. Bacon Hill Reformed Church* 560 Route 32N, Bacon Hill Contact: 518-695-3074 Rev. Janet Vincent Services:10 a.m. Sunday School: 10 a.m. Ballston Center Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church 58 Charlton Road, Ballston Spa Contact: 518-885-7312 | ballstoncenterarpchurch.org Services: Sunday 10:30 a.m. Ballston Spa United Methodist Church 101 Milton Avenue, Ballston Spa Contact: 518-885-6886 Services: Sunday 10 a.m. Baha’i Community of Saratoga Springs Saratoga Springs Public Library, Glasby Room Contact: 518-692-7694, 518-885-0876, 1-800-22UNITE Bahai.org | Public Meetings: 1st Tuesdays 7 p.m. Bethesda Episcopal Church* 41 Washington Street, Saratoga Springs Contact: 518-584-5980 | Bethesdachurch.org The Very Rev’d Marshall J. Vang Services: Sunday 8 a.m and 10 a.m. Burnt Hills United Methodist Church* 816 Route 50, Burnt Hills Contact: 518-399-5144 | nybhumc.com Pastor Holly Nye Services: Sunday 9 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. Sunday School 10:30 a.m. Calvary Capital District 5 Williams Street, Saratoga Springs Contact: calvarycd.com Pastor Andrew Holt Services: Sunday 10 a.m. Church of Christ at Clifton Park 7 Old Route 146, Clifton Park Contact: 518-371-6611 | cliftonparkchurchofchrist.com Services: Sunday 10:30 a.m. Charlton Freehold Presbyterian Church 768 Charlton Road, Charlton Contact: 518-399-4831 | Charltonfreehold.org Services: Sunday 10 a.m. Christ Community Reformed Church 1010 Route 146, Clifton Park Contact: 518-371-7654 | ccrc-cpny.org Services: Sunday 10 a.m.

Christ Episcopal Church* 15 West High Street, Ballston Spa Contact: 518-885-1031 Services: Sunday 8 and 10 a.m. Christian Restoration Ministries Saratoga Senior Center: 5 Williams Street, Saratoga Springs Contact: 518-796-4323 | Pastor Pat Roach Services: Sunday 6:30 p.m. Christian Science Church 107 Circular Street, Saratoga Springs Contact: 518-584-0221 Services: Sunday 10 a.m. Community Alliance Church 257 Rowland Street, Ballston Spa Contact: 518-885-6524 Services: Morning Worship 10:30 a.m. Congregation Shaara Tfille* 84 Weibel Avenue, Saratoga Springs Contact: 518-584-2370 | saratogasynagogue.org Services: Saturday 10 a.m. Corinth Free Methodist Church 20 Hamilton Avenue, Corinth Contact: 518-654-9255, 518-792-0271 Services: Sunday 10 a.m. Corinth United Methodist Church 243 Main Street, Corinth Contact: 518-654-2521 | cfumc@cnyconnect.net Services: Sunday 11 a.m. Cornerstone Community Church 100 Saratoga Village Boulevard. #8 Ballston Spa. Contact: 518-664-5204 | mycornerstonechurch.org Pastor Frank Galerie Services: Sunday 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. Corpus Christi Roman Catholic Community 2001 Route 9, Round Lake Contact: 518-877-8506 | office@corpuschristichurch.net Services: Saturday: 4 p.m. Sunday: 8 and 11 a.m. Eastern Orthodox — Christ the Savior 349 Eastline Road, Ballston Lake Contact: 518-212-7845 | www.xcsavior.org Services: Sunday 9:30 a.m. First Baptist Church of Saratoga Springs 45 Washington Street, Saratoga Springs Contact: 518-584-6301 | www.fbcsaratoga.org Services: Sunday Noon First Baptist Church of Ballston Spa 202 Milton Avenue, Ballston Spa Contact: 518-885-8361 | bspabaptist.org Services: 10:30 a.m., (9 a.m. in July and August) Sunday School: 9 a.m. (all ages) First Presbyterian Church of Ballston Spa 22 West High Street, Ballston Spa Contact: 518-885-5583 Services: Sunday 10 a.m. Full Gospel Tabernacle 207 Redmond Road, Gansevoort Contact: 518-793-2739 Services: Sunday 10 a.m. Galway United Methodist Church 2056 East Street, Galway Contact: 518-882-6520 galway-united-methodist-church.com Services: Sunday 9:30 a.m. (9 a.m. in July and August)

Grace Fellowship Saratoga* 165 High Rock Avenue, Saratoga Springs Contact: 518-691-0301 | saratoga.gracefellowship.com Pastor: Mike Adams Services: Sundays 9 and 11 a.m. Greater Grace Community Church 100 Saratoga Village, Building 17, Ballston Spa Pastor David Moore | 518-899-7777 thechurch@ggccmalta.org Services: Sunday 10 a.m. Greenfield Center Baptist Church 30 Wilton Road, Greenfield Center Contact: 518-893-7429 Services: 11 a.m. Sunday School: 9:45 a.m. (all ages) Highway Tabernacle Church 235 Hudson Avenue, Mechanicville Contact: 518-664-4442 Services: Sunday: 10:30 a.m. Sunday School: 9:30 a.m. Hope Church 206 Greenfield Avenue, Ballston Spa Contact: 518-885-7442 Services: Sunday: 10 a.m. Sunday School: 9 a.m. Jonesville United Methodist 963 Main Street, Clifton Park Contact: 518-877-7332 Services: Sunday: 8:30 and 10:30 a.m. Sunday School: 10:30 a.m. Living Springs Free Methodist Church 59 Pine Road, Saratoga Springs Contact: 518-584-1003 Services: Sunday 10:30 a.m. Living Waters Church of God 4330 State Route 50, Saratoga Springs Contact: 518-587-0484 | livingwaterscog.us Services: Sunday 10 a.m. Malta Presbyterian Church 118 Dunning Street, Malta Contact: 518-899-5992 Services: Sunday 10 a.m. Malta Ridge United Methodist Church 729 Malta Avenue Extension, Malta Contact: 518-581-0210 Services: Sunday 10:30 a.m. Middle Grove United Methodist Church* 429 Middle Grove Rd, Middle Grove Contact: 518-581-2973 | Pastor Bonnie Bates Services: Sunday 9 a.m. Mt. Olivet Baptist Church 100 Cresent Street, Saratoga Springs Contact: 518-584-9441 Rev. Dr. Victor L. Collier Services: 10 a.m. Perry Road Baptist Church* 150 Perry Road, Saratoga Springs Contact: 518-587-0711 Pastor Thomas Van McClain Services: Sunday 10 a.m. New Life Fellowship* 51 Old Gick Road, Saratoga Springs Contact: 518-580-1810 | newlifeinsaratoga.org. Services: Sunday 10 a.m.

December 22 – January 4, 2018 RELIGION

PLACES OF WORSHIP NorthStar Church 970 Rt. 146, Clifton Park Contact: 518-371-2811 | northstarchurch.com Services: Sunday 9:30 a.m. and 11:15 a.m. Northway Church 770 Pierce Rd. Clifton Park Contact: 518-899-1200 | northwaychurch.tv Services: 9:30 a.m. and 11a.m. Old Saratoga Reformed Church* 48 Pearl Street, Schuylerville Contact: oldsaratogareformedchurch.org Services: Sunday 10 a.m. Old Stone Church (American Baptist) 159 Stone Church Road, Ballston Spa Contact: 518-583-1002 Services: 10:30 a.m. Olde Liberty Baptist 600 Route 67 Malta Contact: Oldelibertybaptist.com Services: Sunday: 10, 11 a.m., and 2 p.m. Wednesday: 7 p.m. Our Lady of Grace Roman Catholic Church* 73 Midline Road, Ballston Lake Contact: 518-399-5713 Services: Saturday: 5:30 p.m. Sunday: 8:30 and 10:30 a.m. Porter Corners United Methodist Church* 512 Allen Road, Porter Corners Service: Sunday 8:45 a.m. Followed by Fellowship Arlene Schmidt, CLM Presbyterian-NE Congregational Church 24 Circular St, Saratoga Springs Contact: 518-584-6091 | pnecchurch.org Services: Sunday 10:45 a.m. Quaker Springs United Methodist Church* 466 Route 32, Schylerville Contact: 518-695-3101 | qsumc.com Pastor Ben Lalka Services: Sunday 9 a.m. River of Hope Fellowship 100 Saratoga Village Boulevard Malta Commons, Ste. 3 Contact: riverofhopefellowship.com Services: Sunday 10 a.m. Roman Catholic Church of St. Peter 241 Broadway, Saratoga Springs Contact: 518-584-2375 Services: Saturday: 5 p.m. Sunday: 7:30, 9 and 11 a.m. St. Clement’s Roman Catholic Church* 231 Lake Avenue, Saratoga Springs Contact: 518-584-6122 Services: Saturday: 4 p.m. Sunday: 8, 9:30, 11:15 a.m. and 5 p.m. Spanish Service:1 p.m. St. George’s Episcopal Church 912 Route 146, Clifton Park Contact: 518-371-6351 | stgeorge@csdsl.net Services: Saturday: 4:30 p.m. Sunday: 7:30 , 9, and 11:30 a.m. St. Joseph’s Roman Catholic Church* 3159 Route 9N, Greenfield Center Contact: 518-893-7680 stjosephschurchgreenfieldcenter.org Services: Saturday: 4 p.m. Sunday: 8:30 and 10:30 a.m.

St. Mary’s Roman Catholic Church* 167 Milton Avenue, Ballston Spa Contact: 518-885-7411 | stmarysbsta.org Services: Saturday: 4 p.m. Sunday: 8:30, 10:30 a.m., Noon St. Paul’s Roman Catholic Church* 771 Route 29, Rock City Falls Contact: 518-885-4677 | sjoegctr@nycap.rr.com Services: Saturday: 10:30 a.m. and 4 p.m. Sunday: 8:30 am. St. Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran Church 149 Lake Avenue, Saratoga Springs Contact: 518-584-0904 | www.Spelcss.com Services: Saturday: 5 p.m. Sunday: 8:30 and 11 a.m. St. Peter Lutheran Church 2776 Route 9, Malta Contact: 518-583-4153 Services: Sunday: 8:30 and 10:30 a.m. Sunday School: 9:15 a.m. St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church 1 Grove Street, Schuylerville Contact: 518-695-3918 Rev. Donna J. Arnold Services: Sunday 8 and 9 a.m. St. Thomas of Canterbury 242 Grooms Road, Halfmoon Contact: 518-348-0842 | st-thomas-of-canterbury.org Services: Sunday 10 a.m. Saratoga Abundant Life Church 2 Hutchins Road, Saratoga Springs Contact: 518-885-5456 | SALChurch.org Services: Sunday 8:20 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. Saratoga Chabad 130 Circular Street, Saratoga Springs Contact: 518-526-0773 | saratogachabad.com Saratoga Friends Meeting (Quaker) 571 Rt32, Quaker Springs Contact: 518-587-7477 | 518-399-5013 Services: Sunday 10 a.m. Saratoga United Methodist Church* 175 Fifth Avenue, Saratoga Springs Contact: 518-584-3720 | saratogaumc.com Services: Sunday 9 a.m. and 10:45 a.m. Saratoga Seventh-Day Adventist Church 399 Union Avenue, Saratoga Springs Contact: 518-587-6951 | saratogasda.org Services: Sabbath School: 10 a.m. Worship Service: 11 a.m. Schuylerville United Methodist Church 51 Church Street, Schuylerville Contact: 518-695-3101 | Sumethodist.org Services: Sunday 11 a.m. Shenendehowa United Methodist 971 Route 146, Clifton Park Contact: 518-371-7964 Services: Sunday 9 and 10:45 a.m. Simpson United Methodist Church 1089 Rock City Road, Rock City Falls Contact: 518-85-4794 Services: Sunday 10:45 a.m.

Soul Saving Station for Every Nation Christ Crusaders of America 62 Henry Street, Saratoga Springs Contact: 518-584-3122 | SoulSavingStationChurch.com Services: Sunday 10 a.m. Stillwater Christian Fellowship Meeting at Liberty Ridge Farm 29 Bevis Road, Schaghticoke Contact: 518-288-8802 Services: 10 a.m. Stillwater United Church (Presbyterian U.S.A.) 135 Hudson Avenue, Stillwater Contact: 518-664-7984 | stillwaterunitedchurch.org Services: Sunday 10:30 a.m. Temple Sinai* 509 Broadway, Saratoga Springs Contact: 518-584-8730 | saratogasinai.org Shabbat Services: Friday: 6 p.m. or 8 p.m. (rotating schedule); Saturday: 10:30 a.m. Terra Nova Church* 45 Washington Street, Saratoga Springs Contact: 518-833-0504 | terranovachurch.org Services: Sunday 9 a.m. The Salvation Army/ Worship, Service & Community Center 27 Woodlawn Avenue, Saratoga Springs Contact: 518-584-1640 Services: Praise & Worship 11 a.m. Sunday School: 10 a.m. Trinity United Methodist Church 155 Ballard Road, Gansevoort Contact: 518-584-9107 | tumcwilton.com Rev. Keith Mann Services: Sunday 10 a.m. Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Saratoga Springs 624 North Broadway, Saratoga Springs Contact: 518-584-1555 | uusaratoga.org Services: Sunday 10 a.m. Unity Church in Albany 21 King Avenue, Albany Contact: 518-453-3603 Services: Sunday 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. Sunday School: 11 a.m. West Charlton United Presbyterian Church 1331 Sacandaga Road, West Charlton Contact: 518-882-9874 | westcharltonupc.org Rev. Thomas Gregg Services: Sunday 10:30 a.m. Sunday School: 10:30 a.m. Wilton Baptist Church 755 Saratoga Road, Wilton Contact: 518-583-2736 | wiltonbaptistchurch.com Services: Sunday 11 a.m. and 6 p.m.

*Wheelchair Accessible

Food

December 22 – January 4, 2018

STUFFING STOCKINGS WITH Headline Headline THE LOCAL AND GOOD

Saturdays, 9 to 1 Lincoln Baths Building at the Spa State Park

by Himanee Gupta-Carlson for Saratoga TODAY Photos by Pattie Garrett. A monk, Nicholas, learned of a man who was broke. Late in the night, Nicholas crept by the man’s home and threw through the window a sock loaded with gold. He did this three times, which helped make Nicholas a saint and

let the man support himself and his daughters. We fill stockings today in honor of that generous act. And with Christmas Eve approaching, we invite you to fill them at the Saratoga Farmers’ Market with sweets, treats, and gifts grown, raised, and made by our farmers and other vendors. Need ideas? Here’s a few, based on some shopping that market photographer Pattie Garrett and I did at the market last week: Children: For those who believe in Santa – as well as those who might have some doubts – one must start with cookies. Marcie Place of the Chocolate Spoon has everything from gingerbread men to decorate-your-own sugar cookies. Try her chocolate dipped candied citrus strips, which evoke the oranges said to symbolize the gold that Nicholas left. After cookies, think future farmers, and connecting them

with our farms. We added a Saratoga Apple Cortland, honey from Ballston Lake Apiaries, sweet Greek yogurt from Argyle Cheese Farmer and a hedgehog shaped soap from Saratoga Suds. Pets (and pet lovers): A walk in the park accompanied by pets is part of many market regulars’ Saturday ritual. For them, we found a Saratoga Farmers’ Market water bottle and a packet of dog treats from Something’s Brewing. We added a Kokinda Farms catnip pillow, a Feathered Antler pet portrait, and from our special holiday market,

a dog collar and leash from Meg Kennen’s Spot On Soaps & Collars. Newlyweds: Just about everything at the market is also a gift of romance. We chose wine from Northern Star Vineyard paired with a wine holder made by holiday vendor William Herrington. In the holiday market we also found hot chocolate from Saratoga Chocolate, a ring holder by ceramicist Zoe Burghard, and a dressing from Momma’s Secret Salad Dressing that features sea salt, maple syrup and chocolate. Owl Wood kale and Puckers’ Gourmet olives created our final flourish, along with a Gomez Veggie Ville brussels sprouts stalk.

Visit the Saratoga Farmers’ Market 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturdays at the Lincoln Baths Building in Saratoga Spa State Park; follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram; and contact friends@saratogafarmersmarket.org for volunteer opportunities.

Cranberry & Jam Bars INGREDIENTS Serves: 15 to 18 * Find these Ingredients at the Farmers’ Market!

• 1 cup unsalted butter • ½ cup granulated sugar • 1 Tablespoon orange zest • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract • ½ teaspoon kosher salt • 2 cups flour • 1½ cups strawberry preserves*

• 1 cup fresh cranberries, chopped FOR STREUSEL: • 1½ cups old fashioned oats • ½ cup flour • ¼ cup brown sugar • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon • ½ cup cold unsalted butter, cubed

INSTRUCTIONS 1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Line a 13x9 inch baking pan with parchment paper, letting excess extend over sides of pan. 2. In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Cook, swirling pan occasionally, until butter turns a medium brown color and has a nutty aroma, about 5 minutes. Pour browned butter into a bowl. Set aside. 3. In a small bowl, rub together granulated sugar and zest until fragrant. 4. In a bowl, beat browned butter, sugar mixture, vanilla, and salt at medium speed until combined. With mixer on low speed, gradually add flour, beating until combined. Press mixture into bottom of prepared pan. 5. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven. Increase oven temperature to 350 degrees. 6. Bake until streusel is golden brown and filling is bubbly, about 35 minutes more. Let cool at room temperature for at least 20 minutes. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour. 7. Using excess parchment as handles, remove from pan and cut into bars. Dust with confectioners’ sugar if desired. TO MAKE STREUSEL: In a medium bowl, whisk together oats, flour, brown sugar and cinnamon. Cut in butter until mixture is crumbly. Adapted from recipe by Bake from Scratch, shared by My Saratoga Kitchen Table.

Food

December 22 – January 4, 2018

The Christmas Eve Feast...

by John Reardon for Saratoga TODAY

Hello

my Foodie Friends! Our most relished Christmas treasures come with the decorations, the scents of pine, the sounds of music and jingles, and for many, what happens in the kitchen! As I reflect on the Christmas traditions of mine and Paula’s Italian families, the Christmas Eve Feast cannot be overlooked. Coming together to celebrate the holidays becomes a time of giving. It is a time to be with your family and show your gratitude and appreciation of what you have. Cultures all over the world celebrate holiday seasons. In meeting my wife over several decades ago, our first Christmas Eve together was spent at her parents’ home celebrating the Feast of Seven Fishes with all of the fish dishes presented that evening. Paula’s family was more traditional than mine,

probably because my Dad was Irish so we had a little of each. I watched with a calm expression as my wife ate and relished the marinated fresh anchovies as part of the antipasto. Jumbo shrimp, baked clams, and fried calamari were also part of the first course, which, I ate too much of. Next an array of dishes began to come out of the kitchen. These included: the seafood salad, which is a combination of crab, shrimp, calamari, and lobster with celery, olive, and parsley in citronette, the Baccala salad with salted cod tossed with sweet cherry peppers, capers, and olives in a lemon dressing, and then the octopus salad, also known as Inslata di Polipi. This is where I stopped and stared at the cut up octopus tentacles sitting in front of me and I loudly proclaimed that, well, “I love Fried Baccala” and politely said I must have some. Christmas Eve is about getting together and having a good time. Meanwhile, back at my house, my Mom was cooking an Irish feast for my Dad of Roast turkey and stuffing, clove-studded baked ham, crispy goose fat potatoes, steamed Brussels sprouts, buttery sweet carrots, crispy parsnips, cranberry sauce, bread sauce and gravy. It is about enjoying yourself and the people you are with. Cooking for the people you love is a gift in itself. Enjoy your holiday season and we would like to thank all of our Foodie Friends for

MONDAY

• Smothered • Closed for Chopped Steak the Holiday • Oven Browned Potatoes • Spinach • Cantaloupe

Merry Christmas!

INGREDIENTS

Serves: 6 - 8

• 1¼ ounce packet dry yeast • 1 cup warm water

NOTE: Prepare and soak your baccalà at least three days prior. 1. In a large mixing bowl, beat the eggs together with yeast and water. Add the flour and mix the batter with a fork by hand until it looks like the consistency of a thick pancake batter. If needed, add a couple more tablespoons of flour, one at a time. The batter should be thick enough to coat the fish. 2. Cover the mixing bowl with plastic wrap and leave to rise in a warm place for about 1 to 2 hours, or until small air bubbles form on the top of the batter. This batter takes longer to rise than most recipes that use dry active yeast because of the addition of the eggs, which weighs the batter down. sticking with us on the store’s latest move to 33 Railroad Place. We hope that 2018 brings many blessings, laughter, health, and happiness to you and your families. Remember my Foodie Friends; “Life Happens in the Kitchen.”

Take Care & Merry Christmas, - John and Paula

Served at the Saratoga Senior Center TUESDAY

• 4 jumbo eggs • 2 ¾ cup all-purpose flour

• 1¾ pounds prepared baccalà • Pure Olive Oil, for frying

INSTRUCTIONS

Office for the Aging Lunch Program

h c n Lu FRIDAY

FRIED BACCALA

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

• Five-Spice Chicken • Baked Sweet Potatoes • Beets • Pears

• Fish Florentine • Open-face Hot Roast Beef • Brown Rice Sandwich • Corn • Oven Browned • Warm Berry Potatoes Crunch • Vegetable Trio • Chocolate Chip Cookies

Menu Subject to Change. Coffee, tea and butter are served daily. The suggested contribution is $2/meal. There is a $6 fee for guests under the age of 60. Please make checks payable to: Northeast Dining and Lodging, c/o Saratoga County Office for the Aging, 152 West High Street, Ballston Spa, NY 12020

3. Rinse the cod for a last time; dry it well and cut into small pieces. The batter will expand and puff up when fried, so keep the baccalà pieces small, about ¾ inch. 4. In a deep frying pan filled with Pure Olive Oil, heat oil to 375˚F. 5. Drop a handful at a time of baccalà pieces into the batter, allowing the excess to drip off just slightly remove them from the batter and gently drop the pieces in the oil and cook until golden brown and crisp, about 5 minutes. 6. Remove the fish from the oil; briefly drain on a plate lined with paper towels. Serve with warmed marinara sauce, lemon wedges, or cocktail sauce.

LOCAL BRIEFS

Eighth Annual Birthday Party for the Horses Old Friends at Cabin Creek’s Eighth Annual Birthday Party for the Horses will be held on Saturday, December 30 from noon to 3 p.m. Visitors can taste delicious hot soups from local restaurants, visit with the 15 retired Thoroughbred racehorses, and of course, enjoy cake, to help celebrate. This is a family-friendly afternoon outdoors. Suggested donation is $10, and all proceeds go to benefit the horses. The Gift Shop, offering photographs, art, jewelry and books will also be open. Old Friends at Cabin Creek is a non-profit, 501 c (3) farm that is committed to providing a dignified retirement for former racehorses. The address is 483 Sand Hill Road, Greenfield Center, NY 12833. Please visit oldfriendsatcabincreek.com and like us on Facebook. For more information, call 518-698-2377.

have been drinking, on a “noquestions asked” basis. Free Cab Ride Home Areas: Albany, Schenectady, Troy, Saratoga Springs, Amsterdam, Fulton and Montgomery County, Utica, Plattsburgh, NY, Burlington, VT and Springfield, MA. This service has provided thousands of safe rides home since its inception and will continue to keep our communities safe this New Year’s Eve. To get your free cab ride home simply call our tollfree number 1800LAW1010 or 1.800.529.1010. Rifle Competition Fish Creek Rod and Gun Club will start a 22-caliber rifle competition at the club house. You will need to bring your own rifle and ammunition. First shoot will be Tuesday, January 2, 2018, starting at 7 p.m. and will continue every Tuesday for the month of January. For information contact the club house at 518-695-3917.

Skating Exhibition The Saratoga Springs Figure Skating Club will be hosting their annual Winter exhibition on Sunday, December 31 from 3 – 6 p.m. Come and join us to see individual and pair figure skating as well as regional synchronized skating teams. Admission $5 for teens/adults. Kids under 11 are free. Concessions and 50/50 raffle will be held. Let’s ring in the new year together. Event will be held at Saratoga Springs Rink, located at 30 Weible Ave., Saratoga Springs. We look forward to seeing you there. Please email keziaharm@ yahoo.com for more information.

Call for Local Folk or Irish Performers Come audition for an opportunity to showcase your talent during our annual “Café Malta”, an intimate coffee house at the Malta Community Center on Saturday evening, March 10, 2018. We are looking for talented musicians, vocalists, small acoustic bands, storytellers and/or dancers. Each acoustic act selected will play a short 10-15-minute set. Auditions are by appointment only the week of January 2-7, 2018. Contact Elyse Young, Artistic Director, at 518-899-4411 x 305 or theater@ malta-town.org for more details or to schedule an audition. We are also looking for 3-4 talented teen or adult singing waiters or waitresses to help serve dessert and coffee and perform an opening number.

New Year’s Eve Free Cab Rides Free Cab Ride Home program is a service that has been provided for over a decade in an effort to reduce the incidents of drinking and driving in the communities they serve, especially during celebratory times. Martin, Harding & Mazzotti, LLP provides free cab rides home to those who

2018 Winter Storytellers Series Begins The Academy for Lifelong Learning presents the tenth annual storytellers series every Wednesday through February 21. It begins Wednesday, January 3 the at SUNY Empire State College, 2 Union Ave., Room 126, Saratoga Springs, Noon – 1 p.m. January 3 features storytellers Carol and Kent Gregson with “Adirondack

Living.” Sponsored by Prestwick Chase at Saratoga. Free and open to the public. Postponed if Saratoga Springs city schools are closed. For more information, call the Academy at 518-587-2100 ext. 2415. www.esc.edu/all Donations for Community Winter Warmth Project In collaboration with the Red Cross, we are collecting fleece on January 4, all day at the Saratoga Springs Public Library, located at 49 Henry St., in Saratoga Springs, for the First Annual Community Project to create blankets for Veterans in our area. Any type of unused fleece is accepted. Blanket making will be September 22, 2018. Please be generous and bring your donations to the Children’s Department. Sizes needed are: 54”x54” for square blankets, 45”x80” for twin blankets. You are welcome to register for the blanket making event held on September 22. Artist in Action Join us on January 4 from noon – 1 p.m. at the Saratoga Springs Public Library, in the H. Dutcher Community Room for our monthly Artists in Action series, this month featuring Jim Schreiner of Great Sacandaga Designs who will demonstrate rustic furniture making. Jim has been building Adirondack rustic and traditional furniture professionally since the early 90’s. His unique designs are hand-crafted using sustainably harvested local forest materials such as figured woods, bark, twig, and log species, along with wood carving. No registration required. For more events at the Library visit, www.sspl.org. Korean War Veteran’s Association Meeting The January meeting of the Adirondack Ch. 60, Korean War Veterans Association., will be held at 1:30 p.m., on Thursday, January 4, at the VFW home on Veterans’ Way. This is located off the arterial, just North of Saratoga Springs. Veterans who served anywhere during the Korean War or in Korea at any time, spouses, widows, friends and relatives are all invited to attend. For further information or for an application to join the organization, please contact

December 22 – January 4, 2018 Comm. Roger Calkins at 518584-3037. Annual dues for Veterans are $10 and all others are $5. New members are always welcome. Hattie’s 18th Annual Mardi Gras Benefit Hattie’s 18th Annual Mardi Gras Soiree to benefit AIM Services, Inc. On Saturday, January 13 from 6 – 10 p.m., get ready to dance along to music by Soul Sessions and Garland Nelson, enjoy delicious treats by Chef Jasper Alexander, and experience the “New Orleans of the north” with us! $100 per person. For details and to attend this event visit AIM Services, Inc.’s website and scroll down to Upcoming Events. AIM Services, Inc. is dedicated to supporting the “power of potential” in people of diverse abilities. Through community based services, advocacy, and education, dedicated professionals focus on supporting people in achieving their personal goals, while promoting a sense of selfconfidence and independence. The event will be held at the Canfield Casino, 25 E. Congress St., Saratoga Springs. Cost is $100 per person. To register, visit www.formsmarts.com/ form/1wm2?mode=h5. Benefit Spaghetti Dinner Danny MacMillan, a 12-year-old from Schuylerville, was diagnosed with E-Wing Sarcoma Cancer. Danny started chemotherapy and underwent surgery to remove the mass. After further testing they discovered cancer cells in the muscle tissue and it was decided that it would be best to amputate the leg. The surgery is scheduled for January 2, followed by more chemotherapy and eventually a prosthetic leg. This has taken a big toll on the family emotionally and financially. The dinner will be held on January 19, from 5 – 8 p.m. at Schuylerville Elementary School cafeteria. Tickets are $10 per adult, $5 for children 4-13 years old and children under 4 free. Dinner will include spaghetti, salad, bread, drinks and desserts, take out also available. We will also have raffles and a 50/50 drawing. If you are unable to make the dinner but would like to donate to the MacMillan Family, they have an account set up at Glens Falls National Bank, set up

under the name “Team DanDan Benefit”. This is the only legitimate account for Danny MacMillan. 2018 Cabin Fever Luncheon Soroptimist International of Saratoga County (SISC) is excited about our 2018 Cabin Fever event, themed, ‘Talk About It’, as we narrow our focus on human trafficking. A $32 billion annual industry, modern day trafficking is a type of slavery that involves the transport or trade of people, for work. The luncheon will be held on Saturday, January 20 at 11 a.m. at the Saratoga National Golf Club, located at 458 Union Ave., in Saratoga Springs. Cost is $75. For more information or to register visit www.soroptimistsaratoga.org/ events/cabin-fever. Annual Sweetheart Dinner Dance The Saratoga/Wilton Ladies Auxiliary #161, is holding their annual Sweetheart Dance on Saturday, February 10; at the Elks Lodge, 1 Elk Lane in Saratoga Springs. By popular demand, the Band Gravity will be our entertainment for the night. The evening begins with cocktails/ appetizers from 6-7 p.m., dinner 7-9 p.m., and entertainment and dancing from 9 p.m. to midnight. This year’s Valentine raffles will again benefit the local Code Blue Shelter initiative. We will have several raffle baskets with different themes and gifts offered; included will be our very popular Lottery Basket. Cocktail hour will feature a specialty drink surprise. Entrée choices are Prime Rib, Pork Loin with stuffing and gravy, or Vegetarian Risotto with eggplant, sun-dried tomatoes and zucchini; all served with salad, potatoes, rolls and vegetable. Buffet style dessert of Strawberry Shortcake will complete the menu. You and your special Valentine will have a great evening with an outstanding band and dinner for the reasonable price of $34.00 per person. Seating is limited; reservations opened to the public on January 12, 2018. Checks, cash or credit card will be accepted as payment. Ensure a “special evening” and give Penny a call now at 518-587-7597 to make your reservation and payment. Deadline is February 4 for reservations, if we still have seating available.

Send your local briefs to calendar@saratogapublishing.com two weeks prior to the event.

December 22 – January 4, 2018

Sunday, December 24 Pay as You Wish

Family Friendly Event

Friday, December 22 A Very Leonard Christmas with Let’s Be Leonard Caffé Lena, 47 Phila St., Saratoga Springs, 8 p.m. Let’s Be Leonard, will be spreading the holiday cheer with A Very Leonard Christmas two-night show, Friday and Saturday. Expect to hear the holiday classics sprinkled with the signature Leonard flavor.

Saturday, December 23 Holiday Lights in the Park Washington Park, Albany 6 p.m. The 21st Annual Price Chopper/Market 32 Capital Holiday Lights in the Park drive-through runs until January 2, 2018. The 2017 edition is an all-new, drivethrough spectacular with more than 125 displays and scenes in Albany’s Washington Park. At the end of your drive through the Lights, the Washington Park Lake House comes alive with the holiday season as everyone enjoys crafts and refreshments. Santa will be there through Dec. 23 to hear the holiday wishes of the little ones. Hours are Sundays through Thursdays from 6 to 9 p.m. and Fridays and Saturdays from 6 to 10 p.m. Admission prices are $20.00 per car, $25.00 for 1018 passenger vehicle, $50.00 for vehicles containing 1928 passengers, $100.00 for school buses and $125.00 for commercial coaches, with all proceeds benefiting the youth programming of Albany PAL.

The Hyde Museum, 161 Warren St., Glens Falls, Noon – 5 p.m. The holidays are about celebrating with those we love, and this year, The Hyde Collection wants to help you do just that. Each December, the Museum offers its Pay as You Wish program, with free admission in exchange for feedback on the Museum experience and, if visitors are able, a donation based on their visit. Bring family and friends to enjoy your Museum this holiday season. For more information visit www.hydecollection.org.

Monday, December 25

Santa Claus Comes to Town! Tuesday, December 26 Empire “Skate’’ Plaza Empire State Plaza Ice Rink, Albany, 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. and 4 p.m. – 8 p.m. Open daily through March 11, 2018. Skating is free. Located in the shadow of Albany’s majestic State Capitol, amenities include a full-service snack bar on Friday nights and weekends and a skate lounge with lockers. Rentals are available whenever the rink is open and cost $3 for children 12 and under and $4 for adults. A photo ID is required to rent skates. Every Friday is Free Skate Rental Day courtesy of Hannaford Supermarkets.

March of the Wooden Soldiers Cohoes Music Hall 58 Remsen St., Cohoes, 7 p.m. Stannie Dum (Stan Laurel) and Ollie Dee (Oliver Hardy) rent rooms in Mother Peep’s shoe in Toyland. When Mother Peep can’t make her mortgage payment to evil Silas Barnaby (Harry Kleinbach), he attempts to blackmail her into having Little Bo-Peep (Charlotte Henry) marry him, despite the girl’s attachment to Tom-

CALENDAR 31 Tom Piper. Stannie and Ollie offer their assistance to Mother Peep, Bo-Peep and Piper, and later enlist an army of wooden soldiers to battle Barnaby’s cavedwelling bogeymen. $5.

Thursday, December 28

Wednesday, December 27

Saratoga Springs Public Library, H. Dutcher Community Room, 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. A Charles Dickens holiday classic,

Build a Fairy Garden Workshop The Children’s Museum, 69 Caroline St., Saratoga Springs, 10 a.m. Join Sue DuBois from Garden Goddess to learn about the flower fairies, dance like a flower fairy, and create your own Fairy Garden to take the magic and good luck home. Children will receive and take home with them a starter container with soil, 2 plants, stone and a fairy or gnome to live in their Garden. For ages 4 and up. Per class fee of $35 for members, $40 for future members. Preregistration is required no later than Tuesday, December 26.

Roast Beef Dinner Saratoga-Wilton Elks 1 Elks Lane, Rt. 9, Saratoga Springs, 4:30 – 6:30 p.m. Tossed salad, soup, roast beef, mashed potatoes, seasonal vegetables, dessert, rolls and butter, dessert, coffee and tea. Donation Requested: $12 adults, $11. Seniors (62 years) and Military (Active or Retired) with ID Card, $8 Children 5-12. Children under 5 Free, $12 All Takeouts. Cash Bar Available. Call 518-584-2585 for more information.

Acoustic Blues Open Mic & Jam Café Lena, 33 Phila St., Saratoga Springs, Sign up 7 p.m. Hosted by: NYS Blues Hall of Fame inductee Sonny Speed for SABS. This months featured artist is our very own Sonny Speed, who will be jamming some hot Blues with a few fine players. Acoustic Jam to follow - All levels of playing are welcome. 4th Wednesday of the month. Come on down to listen and play the Blues. Admission: $5. For more information call 518-587-6433 or visit, www.Caffelena.org

The Puppet People Present: “A Christmas Carol”

this show features beautiful handcrafted marionettes, shadow puppets, gorgeous masks, lavish costumes, vivid sets, a professional soundtrack that includes many holiday favorites, and a giant 9-foot parade puppet. Pick up free tickets in the children’s room. For children ages 5 and up. For more information and other events at the library, visit www.sspl.org.

Christmas Eve Services SARATOGA ABUNDANT LIFE CHURCH will be having a Christmas Eve Service on December 24 at 6 – 7:15 p.m. There will be no morning services that day. The church is located at 2 Hutchins Rd., Saratoga Springs. ROUND LAKE UNITED METHODIST CHURCH, located at 34 George Ave., Round Lake, will be having a Christmas Eve Candle Light Service, Sunday, December 24, at 5 p.m. There will be lots of special music. Come join the celebration of Jesus' birthday. THE MALTA RIDGE UNITED METHODIST CHURCH will hold its annual Christmas Eve service on Sunday, December 24 at 7 p.m. at the church located at 729 Malta Avenue Extension in Malta Ridge. All are welcome. There will be no service Sunday morning on the 24th. CHARLTON FREEHOLD PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, located at 768 Charlton Rd., Charlton invites the community to the 5:00 p.m. Christmas Eve Service. The Celebration Brass, a quartet of musicians, will be the guest musicians for this special evening. Come celebrate Jesus’ birth on this holy night with candles, a godly message and excellent music.

Send your calendar events to calendar@saratogapublishing.com two weeks prior to the event.

32 ARTS &

December 22 – January 4, 2018

Entertainment

Sawyer Fredericks performing at Saratoga Performing Arts Center in 2015. Photo by Thomas Dimopoulos.

Sirsy performing at First Night Saratoga 2015. Photo by Thomas Dimopoulos.

First Night Saratoga

SET TO KICK OFF ON NEW YEAR’S EVE

Rambling Jug Stompers, performing at First Night Saratoga in 2015. Photo by Thomas Dimopoulos.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — More than 15,000 revelers are expected to take part in the city’s New Year’s Eve festival featuring more than 70 regional and touring groups performing in 30 venues throughout downtown Saratoga Springs. First Night Saratoga, hosted by Saratoga Arts, includes appearances at the Saratoga Springs City Center by Sawyer Fredericks – who will perform at 10 p.m. on the main stage, and Sirsy – who will perform three shows at the City Center’s upperlevel meeting room. Additional venues will feature popular regional music favorites Harold Ford, The Ramblin Jug Stompers and Hot Club of Saratoga; jazz trio Hetko, Seigel and Syracuse, folkrock quartet Darling Valley, the American Roots ensemble Three

Quarter North, Robanic with the Caribbean Sound, and a variety of comedians, comic hypnotists, kids events and performances from the worlds of theater and film. Admission buttons are $20 and provide access to all First Night venues all night long, as well as free CDTA bus service downtown. They are available at area Price Chopper stores, Stewarts Shops and at Adirondack Trust. Saratoga Arts will be selling buttons at their 320 Broadway location and online up until Dec. 25 for $15, after which they will be available at $20. A 5k roadrace steps off at Skidmore College at 5:30 p.m. on Dec. 31. Performances at 30 different venues take place 6 p.m. to midnight. The evening culminates with a midnight firework show in Congress Park to ring in the new year.

December 22 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; January 4, 2018

& ARTS 33

Entertainment

December 22 – January 4, 2018

Man on the Street

“Christmas Trees... Real or Artifical?” Compiled by Lori Mahan

Renee Layle

Matt (Santa’s Helper)

Santa Claus

WILTON — Fake because it doesn’t leave a mess.

WILTON — Real because who wants fake? You don’t have a fake Santa, why would you have a fake tree!

Amanda Sherry SARATOGA SPRINGS — Real, because I like the smell of it.

Hugh Flynn SARATOGA SPRINGS — Real, because we always have. We like to go out and get it ourselves.

WILTON — Real, because I like the smell. I think it’s more authentic I guess. We put the tree up the first week in December.

WILTON — Fake, because my husband and I have a two-story family room, so we were able to find a tree that was large enough to fit. Growing up as kids we always had real trees and I loved the smell of the balsam fur but for the last 13 years we’ve had the artificial tree.

Kathleen Hall

Darlene Pierceall

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Real, we’ve never had a fake. I’m a fan of tradition and we have always had a real tree.

Fake tree, it’s too much work to be bothered with the real tree. I can get the fake one up earlier, right after Thanksgiving. I don’t miss the smell.

Brandon Moseman

December 22 – January 4, 2018

& ARTS 35

Entertainment

Concert Announcement:

Charlie Puth at SPAC

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Charlie Puth, with special guest Hailee Steinfeld, will appear at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center July 22. Puth will be touring in support of his upcoming album, “Voicenotes,”

slated for release in 2018. The official video of Puth’s “How Long” has been viewed on YouTube more than 168 million times. Watch him lip-synching atop the sidewalk here: www.youtube. com/watch?v=CwfoyVa980U.

and choreographed by David Bushman. Walter Bobbie is the director of the original New York Production and Ann Reinking was the original choreographer in the style of Bob Fosse. Produced by Barry and Fran Weissler, “Chicago” is the winner of six 1997 Tony Awards, including Best Musical

to Perform at Palace Theatre

Tickets are $69, $59, and $40 inside; Lawn: $25. Tickets are available online at Livenation.com, Ticketmaster. com, or Charge-By-Phone at 1-800-745-3000.

“CHICAGO” - Winner of Six 1997 Tony Awards Staging Four Shows at Proctors SCHENECTADY — The razzle-dazzle decadence of the 1920s comes to Proctors in January for a three-day run. “Chicago” — the #1 longestrunning American musical in Broadway history — is at Proctors, Jan. 5 -7. The national tour is directed by David Hyslop

Sara Evans

Revival and the Grammy Award for Best Musical Cast Recording. Show times are 8 p.m. Friday, Jan. 5 and Saturday, Jan. 6; 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Jan. 7. Tickets, starting at $20, are available at the box office at Proctors, 432 State St.; by phone at 518-346-6204, and online at proctors.org.

Photo provided.

ALBANY — Sara Evans and her “All The Love Tour,” featuring RaeLynn and Kalie Shorr, will stage a show at the Palace Theatre on Feb. 15. Tickets are $69.50, $59.50,

$49.50, $39.50, $34.50 and on sale at the Palace Theatre Box Office, located at 19 Clinton Ave., via Ticketmaster Chargeby-Phone at 800-745-3000 or online at ticketmaster.com.

36 ARTS &

December 22 – January 4, 2018

Entertainment

Birth of a Champion:

Racing Museum Launches Innovative Live Stream Project by Thomas Dimopoulos Saratoga TODAY SARATOGA SPRINGS — Making a rare off-season local appearance, John Hendrickson and Marylou Whitney took center stage at the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame Tuesday to publicly announce the launch of a project called “Foal Patrol” – aimed at providing previously unprecedented public access to a day in the life of a mare in foal. “Welcome to this hallowed institution. Today, we are launching a project that is not ordinary for a museum or a hall of fame,” Hendrickson offered, greeting horse-owners, local politicians and members of the media Tuesday to the racing museum, which stands opposite the Saratoga Race Course. The new project is called Foal Patrol. In addition to creating the concept of Foal Patrol, Hendrickson and wife Marylou Whitney are underwriting most of the project. “Foal Patrol will eventually be a collection of eight live webcams from around the country that will stream in-foal mares during their pregnancy, and through the actual foaling,” Hendrickson said. “Yes, you will see high-quality mares giving birth to possible champions, live.” The live camera feeds are available 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, local time, with extended hours as the expected foaling date approaches. The live cameras can be accessed free at: www. foalpatrol.com. The website is optimized for viewing across all media platforms, including tablets and smart phones. The project will debut with five mares: Sabbatical at Claiborne

Farm (in foal to War Front with an expected foaling date of Jan. 28, 2018); Stopchargingmaria at Three Chimneys Farm (in foal to Pioneer of the Nile with an expected foaling date of Feb. 2, 2018); Centre Court at Shawnee (in foal to Medaglia d’Oro with an expected foaling date of Feb. 19, 2018) - all in Kentucky; La Verdad at Edition Farm in Hyde Park, N.Y. (in foal to Tapit with an expected foaling date of March 15, 2018); and Memento d’Oro at Old Tavern Farm in Saratoga Springs (in foal to Bodemeister with an expected foaling date of March 31, 2018). Three additional mares are scheduled to be added to the Foal Patrol roster in March 2018. They are: Via Veneto at Double Diamond Farm in Ocala, Florida (in foal to Bodemeister with an expected foaling date of April 25, 2018); Bird Town at Gainesway Farm in Lexington, Kentucky (in foal to Empire Maker with an expected foaling date of April 26, 2018); and Arravale at Chanteclair Farm in Versailles, Kentucky (in foal to American Pharoah with an expected foaling date of May 24, 2018). Each individual mare page will feature updates on the horse and extensive educational content, including information on breeding, nutrition, information about the stallion the mare was bred to and fun facts. There will also be a comprehensive background of each mare that includes its racing history, video and image galleries. Regular blogging, video content and audio interviews will keep fans of the horses updated on daily activities. Following the foaling, there will be updates on

Marylou Whitney and miniature horse, Upset, handled by Marianne Barker and Maddy Zanetti at the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame on Dec. 19, 2017.

the development of the foal. Fans following Foal Patrol can sign up for various contests, including opportunities to name some of the foals once they are born. Several prize packages will be announced throughout the duration of Foal Patrol. Whitney

and Hendrickson have donated their box seats for the 2018 Kentucky Derby and Kentucky

Oaks as the grand prize. The box seats six and is located at the finish line at Churchill Downs.

December 22 – January 4, 2018

& ARTS 37

Entertainment

Suggested Reads FOR MUSIC FANS “The Mudd Club,” by Richard Boch. ($24.95. Feral House. 445 pages). For 21 months Richard Boch served as the gatekeeper at the Mudd Club, a legendary club located at 77 White St. in downtown Manhattan in the late 1970s and early ‘80s which staged performances by everyone from Marianne Faithful and The Cramps to John Cale and Nico, the B-52’s and William S. Burroughs – the latter reading behind a steel desk from his classic works, as Allen Ginsberg sat stage left, looking on. “By early spring of 1979, I felt the whole world was headed for White Street – and that working the door was a big deal,” writes Boch, whose job manning the door made him akin to a modern-day St. Peter at the Pearly Gates, deciding who would gain entry and who would be denied to the never-ending

mayhem that awaited inside. The door policy: no beards, no fat people, no pre-packaged punk outfits bought by suburbanites at boutiques and no tourists queuing up to gaze at the freaks. More than a concert space – the building’s first floor had a legal capacity of 300, the exclusive second floor offered 2,500 square feet of space, with beer on ice served from a claw-foot tub, and a black steel cage – the club served as a link between the generations where music, art and fashion collided. Fortified by hot dogs and vanilla egg creams at Dave’s Luncheonette – “a twenty-fourhour dive that specialized in extra grease and lousy coffee,” Boch, a Long Island kid who grew up listening to the Jefferson Airplane, scribes a downtown world of night-stalkers that included David Bowie and Mick Jagger, Andy Warhol, Frank

Zappa, and members of the Sex Pistols and The Clash. “I met everyone and the job quickly defined me,” he writes in this memoir of the cobbled streets of Lower Manhattan, as the seventies spilled into the eighties during a fiery time of creativity long before the realtors and hipsters would invade and conquer, their hyper-gentrified sensibilities resulting in the blandness that exists today. “Cover Me: the stories behind the greatest cover songs of all time,” by Rod Padgett. ($22.95, Sterling Publishing Co., 232 pages). Rod Padgett, who a decade ago founded the popular blog

2017 Top 10 continued from pg 13...

The view from atop the SPAC stage on Aug. 7, 2017, prior to the start of a new concert series that places audience members on the stage of the historic venue for special events. Photo by Thomas Dimopoulos.

MEET THE NEW BOSS: IN HER FIRST YEAR, SPAC PRESIDENT REVIVES SOMETHING OLD, BRINGS SOMETHING NEW

A few months into her tenure at the helm of the Saratoga Performing Arts Center, Elizabeth Sobol explored the venue’s historic stage, the jigsaw pieces of a unique concept formulating in her mind. “One day I was standing out in the amphitheater and looked up at this massive stage while

thinking about this crazy idea,” recalled SPAC’s president and CEO. “I wondered: How many people we can seat up there? As it turns out, it’s 300.” That “crazy idea” went on full display when the venue hosted a series of SPAC On Stage events, which spins the performers’ podium 180 degrees and places audience members at the back of the stage to face the musicians, a panoramic view of the setting sun and the columned architecture of the Hall of Springs lazily reclining in the distance. The series was staged Monday nights and deemed a success.

The 2017 season also featured a new partnership with Caffè Lena that presented a monthly series of free concerts atop SPAC’s new Charles R. Wood Gazebo stage, as well as a trio of sold-out SPAC at Caffè Lena shows during the spring. Additionally, the “Live at the Jazz Bar” series was initiated in the Hall of Springs – and brought 300 to 400 people to each of the seven events to hear live jazz following performances by the ballet and orchestra. SPAC on Stage, Live at the Jazz Bar and the Caffè Lena at SPAC series will all be back for the 2018 season.

Cover Me, details the stories behind nearly two-dozen original songs popularized by later day “cover” versions. In each of the tunes - which includes Elvis Presley’s rendition of “Hound Dog,” Johnny Cash’s “Hurt,” The Beatles’ “Twist and Shout,” and Jimi Hendrix’s “All Along the Watchtower,” Padgett describes how these artists have a way of making the songs all their own, how those revised versions came to be, and offers a significant historical nod to their original creators, while displaying the artwork of record jackets and context from previously published interviews. “Stranded in the Jungle: Jerry Nolan’s Wild Ride,” by Curt Weiss. ($24.99, Backbeat Books, 310 pages). Jerry Nolan, one of the 20th century’s most overlooked drummers, finally gets his story told – and who better to tell it than fellow drummer Curt Weiss. Nolan most famously played

drums in the 1970s and ‘80s with the New York Dolls and the Heartbreakers, two bands that inspired music and fashion on both sides of the Atlantic. “They sounded close to what punk rock would sound like a few years later: a steamroller of exuberant, take-no-prisoners rock ‘n’ roll, teetering on the edge of collapse…bum notes be damned,” Weiss writes. “And Jerry…he drove the band like a locomotive.” Weiss’ biography traces a timeline from Nolan’s Brooklyn upbringing – where he was childhood friends with Peter Criss, later the drummer of Kiss – his earliest inspirations from 1950s rock and roll, and his study of legendary jazz drummer Gene Krupa: “blasting out a snare drum roll, bobbing his head, chin extended, deeply entranced by the music.” The Jerry Nolan story has been a long time coming, and Weiss has done a great service to music fans by sharing that story.

38 ARTS & CRITERION CRITERION 19 RAILROAD PLACE, SARATOGA SPRINGS 19 RAILROAD PLACE, SARATOGA SPRINGS

December 22 – January 4, 2018

Entertainment (518) 306-4205

(518) 306-4205 12/22/17-12/28/17 12/22/17-12/28/17

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Wilton, NY 12866 Wilton, NY 12866 3065 Route 50, Wilton 3065 Route 50, Wilton

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(518) 306-4707 (518) 306-4707 12/22/17-12/28/17 12/22/17-12/28/17 Mon: 1:40, 4:30, 7:30, 10:30 on: 1:40, tue - thu: 10:50MAM, 1:40, 4:30, 4:30, 7:30, 7:30, 10:30 10:30 tue - thu: 10:50 AM, 1:40, 4:30, 7:30, 10:30 Fri & sAt: 11:00 AM, 1:50, 4:50, 7:50, 10:40 Fri & sAt: 11:00 1:50, sun:AM, 11:00 AM,4:50, 1:50,7:50, 4:50,10:40 7:50 sunM : 11:00 AM,4:50, 1:50,7:50, 4:50,10:40 7:50 on: 1:50, M on : 1:50, 4:50, 7:50, 10:40 tue - thu: 11:00 AM, 1:50, 4:50, 7:50, 10:40 tue - thu: 11:00 AM, 1:50, 4:50, 7:50, 10:40 Fri & sAt: 10:30 AM, 1:20, 4:10, 7:00, 9:50 Fri & sAt: 10:30 AM, 1:20, 4:10, 4:10, 7:00, 7:00 9:50 sun: 10:30 AM, 1:20, sun: M 10:30 AM, 4:10, 1:20, 7:00, 4:10, 9:50 7:00 on: 1:20, on: 1:20, tue - thu: 10:30MAM, 1:20, 4:10, 4:10, 7:00, 7:00, 9:50 9:50 tue - thu: 10:30 AM, 1:20, 4:10, 7:00, 9:50 Fri & sAt: 9:50 AM, 12:40, 3:40, 7:20, 10:10 Fri & sAt: 9:50 12:40, 3:40, 7:20, sunAM, : 9:50 AM, 12:40, 3:40,10:10 7:20 sun AM, 3:40, 12:40,7:20, 3:40,10:10 7:20 M:on9:50 : 12:40, on: 12:40, tue - thu: 9:50MAM, 12:40, 3:40, 3:40, 7:20, 7:20, 10:10 10:10 tue - thu: 9:50 AM, 12:40, 3:40, 7:20, 10:10 Fri: 10:10 AM, 12:50, 4:00, 6:50, 9:40 Fri: 10:10 AM, 12:50, 4:00, 4:00, 6:50, 6:50, 9:40 9:40 sAt: 12:50, sAt: 12:50, 4:00, 6:50, sun: 10:10 AM, 12:50, 4:00, 9:40 6:50 sun: M 10:10 AM, 12:50, 4:00, 9:40 6:50 on: 12:50, 4:00, 6:50, on: 12:50, tue - thu: 10:10MAM, 12:50, 4:00, 4:00, 6:50, 6:50, 9:40 9:40 tue - thu: 10:10 AM, 12:50, 4:00, 6:50, 9:40 Fri & sAt: 10:40 AM, 2:10, 5:40, 9:10, 10:00 Fri & sAt: 10:40 2:10, sun:AM, 10:40 AM,5:40, 2:10,9:10, 3:10,10:00 5:40 : 10:40 AM,5:40, 2:10,9:00, 3:10,10:00 5:40 Monsun : 2:10, 3:10, on: 2:10, tue: M 10:40 AM, 3:10, 2:10, 5:40, 5:40, 9:00, 9:10, 10:00 10:00 tue: 10:40 AM, 2:10, Wed: 10:40 AM, 2:10, 3:10, 5:40, 5:40, 9:10, 9:10, 10:00 10:00 Wed: 10:40 AM, 2:10, 3:10, 5:40, 5:40, 9:10, 9:10, 10:00 10:00 thu: 10:40 AM, 2:10, thu: 10:40 AM, 2:10, 5:40, 9:10, 10:00

week of 12/22-12/28 friday, 12/22:

tuesday, 12/26:

Rich Ortiz, 8 p.m. @ Bailey’s — 583.6060

Raquette River Rounders, 7 p.m. @ Caffè Lena — 583-0022

Let’s Be Leonard: A Very Leonard Christmas, 8 p.m. @ Caffè Lena — 583-0022

Drank the Gold Traditional Irish Folk, 7 p.m. @ Inn at Saratoga — 583-1890

Mike O’Donnell, 7 p.m. @ Inn at Saratoga — 583-1890

Snails – The Shell Tour, 8 p.m. @ Upstate Concert Hall — 371-0012

Steve Lambert Quartet, 9 p.m. @ 9 Maple Avenue — 583-2582 Super Dark Collective Presents: Blanka w/Eternal Crimes, 9 p.m. @ One Caroline — 587-2026 McKrells Xmas Show, 7 p.m. @ Parting Glass — 583-1916 The Shames, 7 p.m. @ The End Zone/Ballston Ave. Bowling Lanes — 584-6460

wednesday, 12/27: Acoustic Blues Open Mic & Jam, 7 p.m. @ Caffè Lena — 583-0022 Tim Wechgelaer & Chris Carey Acoustic Duo, 7:30 p.m. @ Inn at Saratoga — 583-1890

saturday, 12/23:

Clutch Psychic Warfare World Tour, 6:30 p.m. @ Upstate Concert Hall — 371-0012

The Schmooze, 8 p.m. @ Bailey’s — 583-6060

thursday, 12/28:

Let’s Be Leonard: A Very Leonard Christmas, 8 p.m. @ Caffè Lena — 583-0022 Local 11, 10 p.m. @ Caroline St. Pub — 583-9400 Becky Walton & Mike Steiner Acoustic Duo, 7 p.m. @ Inn at Saratoga — 583-1890 Pat Attanasio, 9 p.m. @ 9 Maple Avenue — 583-2582 Kaitlyn Fay Trio Holiday Jazz Show, 9 p.m. @ One Caroline — 587-2026 McKrells Xmas Show, 7 p.m. @ Parting Glass — 583-1916 Steal Your Peach Band, 9 p.m. @ Putnam Den — 584-8066

Amy Helm, 7 p.m. @ Caffè Lena — 583-0022 Jeff Walton Acoustic Folk-Rock, 6 p.m. @ Inn at Saratoga — 583-1890

December 22 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; January 4, 2018

TOWN OF BALLSTON

PROPERTY TRANSACTIONS

MILTON

50 Sycamore St. $312,060. Heritage Builders Group LLC sold property to Hui Ran.

57 Malta Ave., $118,000. Anthony and Debra Bondi sold property to Tri City Holdings Inc.

10 Stonebridge Dr., $303,000. Todd Chittenden sold property to Stephanie Pesez.

123 Malta Ave., $106,000. Margaret Danison (as Trustee) sold property to Sean Irwin.

GALWAY 6008 Greens Corner Rd., $195,000. Wayne Podbielski sold property to Maxwell Stalvey.

413 Stone Church Rd., $209,000. Patricia Carbonelli and Karen Fitzgerald sold property to Tina Myers.

TOWN OF SARATOGA

9020 Hart Rd., $240,000. Linda Caughman, Terry Topka, Kenneth Topka and David Topka sold property to Terry Topka.

NYS Route 32, $90,000. Michael and Melissa Kupfer sold property to Kelly Pickrell and Steve Ward.

2008 West St., $180,598. James and Christy Albertin sold property to William McHale.

1438 Route 9P, $525,000. BJB Enterprises LLC sold property to Saratoga Lakeview MHP LLC.

GREENFIELD 34 Old Stone Ridge Rd., $170,000. Middlegrove LLC sold property to Barry and Linda Improte. 413 North Creed Rd., $104,500. Gayle Girvin sold property to Andrew and Danielle Pettit. 65 Wilton Rd., $296,907. James and Dorothy Major (Ind and as Trustees) sold property to Erin Bennett. 42 Greene Rd., $660,000. LPC Properties LLC sold property to Jennifer and Kurt Zeisler. 20 Copperfield Rd., $152,500. Brian Parenteau (by Exec) sold property to Skyfield LLC.

MALTA 224 VanAernem Rd., $180,000. Michelle Palladino sold property to Jerrod Therrien. 78 Riley Cove Rd., $785,000. David Dussault and Lawrence Pigliavento sold property to David and Jennifer Olsen. 270 Old Post Rd., $323,000. Evelyn Carella (by Atty) sold property to Mark and Pamela Baldwin. 6 Settlers Ridge North, $580,000. Elm Lansing Realty Corp (as Trustee) sold property to Sergio and Veronica Lema. 132 VanAernem Rd., $235,000. Jean Varley (Ind and as Agent) and William Varley (by Agent) sold property to Kurt and Elizabeth Mausert.

117 Chelsea Dr., $379,000. Lisa and Robert Breen sold property to David and Jammie Krylowicz. 30 Condon Rd., $257,500. Christopher Dooley sold property to Matthew Butler.

Springs sold property to Amit Gupta and Soumya Poduri. 25 Waterbury St., $363,300. John Hudak sold property to Francine and Raymond Apy, Jr. 2 Blueberry Way, $692,500. Keith Flike (as Trustee) sold property to William and Amoreena Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Bryon. 14 Ellis Ave., Unit D-1, $290,000. John Esposito (by Atty) sold property to Brian Lynch. 40 Lefferts St., $755,000. Robert Borchers and Arkley Mastro (Co-Trustees) sold property to Ryan and Sonja McFadden. 63 Belmont Dr., $214,500. Joe and Erik Harrington sold property to Jerry Wu. 57 Ballston Ave., $18,172,400. SNS Development Company LP sold property to RW Housing Development Fund Company.

STILLWATER

SARATOGA SPRINGS

6 Country Route 76, $178,000. Scott and Judi Bloomingdale sold property to Timothy and Krista Illenberg.

11 Rolling Brook Dr., $850,000. David Aronson sold property to Hans and Stephanie Klein.

24 Walden Circle, $477,000. Irene Grey and Lisa Baum sold property to Linda Navarra.

16 Oak Ridge Blvd. (lot 37) $170,000. Oak Ridge Development LLC sold property to Paul Fallati.

53 Whitney Rd., South, $275,000. Stephen Miller sold property to Christopher Pidgeon.

55 Phila St., Unit 302, $699,900. 55 Phila LLC sold property to Brooke Spraragen. 4 Chloes Way, $592,940. McKenzie Estates of Saratoga

WILTON 19 Donegal Way, $385,000. Christa Duggal sold property to Dale Sitler.

15 Traver Rd., $135,000. Martha Kilburn sold property to Andrew Corona.

16 Hearthstone Dr., $375,000. William and Susan Mulvey sold property to Sophia Cicchetti.

15 Traver Rd., $135,000. Andrew Corona sold property to Saratoga Prime Properties LLC.

129 Ruggles Rd., $200,000. Harold Conley, Jr. sold property to Kenneth Jackson.

3 Waverly Place, $440,000. Thomas J. Farone Homebuilders Inc. sold property to Serena and Ronald Tortorella.

14 Tawney Terrace, $309,900. Jill Deppe- Barilli sold property to Christopher and Cara Hanhurst.

5 Ushu Court, $352,863. DeGraff Bloom Custom Builders Inc. sold property to Gerette Verbanic. 4 Conklin Court, $100,000. William and Judy Morris sold property to McPadden Builders LLC. 22 Tom Sawyer Dr., $270,000. Deborah and Gordon Murtagh sold property to Suzanne Melter.

44 Cider Mill Way, $506,874. Smith Bridge LLC sold property to George and Brooke Gifford. 12 Northern Pines Rd., $218,000. Ralph and Megan Balsamo sold property to Carol Doyle. 19 Tom Sawyer Dr., $69,000. MTGLQ Investors LP (by Atty) sold property to Christopher Gomoka and Jacob Beaudet.

It’s where NEED to be.

YOU

Space Reservation Due: MONDAY, 5 P.M.

Publication Day: FRIDAY

Ad Copy Due:

WEDNESDAY, NOON

December 22 – January 4, 2018

CLASSIFIED MARKETPLACE

classified@saratogapublishing.com

Call (518) 581-2480 x204

DIVORCE DIVORCE $349 - Uncontested divorce papers prepared. Only one signature required. Poor person Application included if applicable. Separation agreements. Custody and support petitions. - 518-274-0380

AUTO DONATIONS Donate your car to Wheels For Wishes, benefiting Make-A-Wish. We offer free towing and your donation is 100% tax deductible. Call 518-650-1110 Today!

MOBILE HOME FOR SALE 2 Mfg homes for sale. Free Dec. 2017 rent. Pyramid Pines. 2 bdrm, 2 baths, new rugs and paint. Deck/sheds. Great lots. Many extras. Imm. Occupancy. 518-477-0420/321-9492.

FARMING

DONATE YOUR CAR

Wheels For Wishes

Make-A-Wish® Northeast New York WheelsForWishes.org Call: (518) 650-1110 * Car Donation Foundation d/b/a Wheels For Wishes. To learn more about our programs or financial information, visit www.wheelsforwishes.org.

GOT LAND? Our Hunters will Pay Top $$$ To hunt your land. Call for a FREE info packet & Quote. 1-866-309-1507 www.BaseCampLeasing.com

REAL ESTATE Danby, VT Home on 3± Acres. Exclusive: $184,000. 3BR, 1.75BA in private setting. Vaulted ceilings, full, walkout basement, wraparound deck, THCAuction.com. 800-634-7653

MISCELLANEOUS SAWMILLS from only $4397.00MAKE & SAVE MONEY with your own bandmill- Cut lumber any dimension. In stock ready to ship! FREE Info/DVD: www.NorwoodSawmills.com 1-800-578-1363 Ext.300N

HELP WANTED AIRLINE CAREERS Start Here -Get trained as FAA certified Aviation Technician. Financial aid for qualified students. Job placement assistance. Call AIM for free information 866-296-7094

FOR RENT

December 22 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; January 4, 2018

December 22 – January 4, 2018

Puzzles Across 1 “I Love Lucy” airer 4 Search, in a way 9 “I Love Lucy” role 14 Caucasian native 15 Havens 16 __ football 17 Detergent in a red container 18 Kind of curl 19 More miffed 20 O 23 Inca __: Peruvian soft drink 24 Taxing people? 25 Meet at the poker table 26 Twitter follower, usually 28 Horseshoe-shaped boat part 32 O 37 Garden pond fish 38 Crook’s invention 39 Meteor tail? 40 Ancient Greek physician 42 Author Deighton 43 O 46 Angles for iron users 48 Course for newcomers: Abbr. 49 “... __ the set of sun”: “Macbeth” 50 Seven-film franchise 52 Smooth over 56 Site of confused activity, and a hint to 20-, 32- and 43-Across 61 Stockpile 62 Sportscast analysis 63 “Rumour __ It”: 2011 Adele hit 64 First sign 65 In need of change? 66 Spacewalk initials 67 Brief copy? 68 Spoke Abyssinian? 69 “L.A. Law” actress Down 1 It’s always dated 2 Grand Canyon animal 3 Spiral-shelled creature 4 View from the Qilian Mountains 5 Coming down 6 Muppet in a can 7 Strips off 8 “Outside the Lines” airer

See puzzle solutions on page 44

See puzzle solution on page 44 9 Hidden DVD features 10 Garden tool 11 Sub 12 U.S. dept. with a windmill on its seal 13 Escapade 21 Classic 20-Across 22 Genesis name 27 Was supervised by 28 R.E.M.’s “The __ Love” 29 St. with a panhandle 30 “Fargo” director 31 Warmhearted 32 Undisguised 33 Toast topping 34 Word seen under a deer silhouette 35 YouTube clips, for short 36 RR schedule listing

41 More capable 44 Hungarian wine region 45 Widely criticized 1985 product introduction 47 Rude sort 50 Bedroom noise 51 Warmly lit 53 Yearned 54 Polished 55 SAT part that’s judged 56 Wielder of Mjölnir 57 Perfect 58 Grating sound 59 SALT topic 60 More than annoyed

Writing the Right Word by Dave Dowling

Accuracy in word choice is a key to effective communication. In your daily writing and speaking, try to make sure you use the right word in the right place with the right spelling. By doing so, its effect will affect your communication in a positive way. This quick weekly tip will help you filter the confusion in some of our daily word choices. This Week: Historic, Historical Historic refers to something important or memorable. The opening of the wing is a historic occasion for the hospital. Historical means concerned with or relating to history. Margaret Mitchell’s “Gone with the Wind” is a historical novel. Dave Dowling is the author of The Wrong Word Dictionary and The Dictionary of Worthless Words. Both books are available from many book retailers, and signed copies can be obtained by contacting Dave at dave.dowling65@gmail.com

December 22 – January 4, 2018

SPORTS

Saratoga Athletes Ring the Bell for The Salvation Army Photos provided.

by Lori Mahan Saratoga TODAY SARATOGA SPRINGS — On Saturday, Dec. 16 students from the Saratoga Springs athletic department rang the bells for The Salvation Army at six stands in Saratoga Springs including Fingerpaint, Adirondack Trust, and Uncommon Ground on Broadway, Market 32 in Wilton, and the Wilton Mall. Lieutenant Bree Barker from The Salvation Army contacted all Saratoga County High Schools to seek help for the bell ringing. “Collections are almost down $10,000 this year, mostly due to illness of our faithful, yearly volunteers and also from donor fatigue from the hurricane season. Saratoga Springs High School Athletics have stepped up to the plate to help us make it to the goal line,” Barker said. Athletic Director Peter Sheehan and varsity girls’ lacrosse coach Elaine Anton-Lotruglio “quickly and enthusiastically responded and organized for their students to cover 60 hours of bell ringing,” Barker explained. The students who signed up first were lacrosse players and the signup sheet quickly snowballed into the entirety of the athletic

department; students from all the teams signed up and every spot on the sheet was filled, resulting in roughly 80 students volunteering their time. Some Maple Avenue Middle School students signed up as well, and were paired with high schoolers when they rang the bell. “Even parents jumped in if they had a younger child in seventh or eighth grade,” AntonLotruglio said. From 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., three to four students monitored the bell in each location per two-hour shift. “It was cold! They’re athletes though, so some of them even play in that weather sometimes. The ice hockey players were used to it,” Anton-Lotruglio laughed. “We rely on this money to carry us through the year in order to help those who need us. All of the money raised stays in our area, so when you make a donation this Christmas, you are really making change happen for your neighbors,” said Lieutenant Trish Smouse, Corps Officer. “It was fun! Who doesn’t like to ring that bell? It gives you a good holiday feeling, that’s for sure,” said Anton-Lotruglio. If you would like to donate to The Salvation Army or are interested in being a bell ringer, visit www. salvationarmyempirestate.org.

SPORTS

December 22 – January 4, 2018

COMMUNITY SPORTS BULLETIN Saratoga Field Hockey Booster Club Program SARATOGA SPRINGS — The Saratoga Springs Booster Club will be hosting a winter field hockey clinic Saturdays beginning on Jan 6 and ending on Jan 27 from 8:30–10 a.m. at Maple Avenue School. The program is open to grades third through tenth. No experience needed. The program features work on fundamental skills and small type games. The winter clinic program brochure can be downloaded from the Booster Club’s website at www.eteamz.com/ Saratogafieldhockey1. Registration is now open and the cost is $50 per player or $75 for two per family. For more information please contact Jo-Anne Hostig, Saratoga head field hockey coach at Togafieldhockey@gmail.com.

Saratoga Winterfest 5K and Camp Saratoga 8K SARATOGA SPRINGS — The Saratoga Winterfest 5K Snowshoe Run/Walk will be held on Sunday, Feb. 4 at 11 a.m. in the Saratoga Spa State Park. Camp Saratoga 8K Snowshoe Race will be held on Saturday, Feb. 10 at the Wilton Wildlife Preserve and Park at 10:30 a.m. Applications for both races can be found at www.saratogastryders. org. A limited supply of snowshoes are available to rent for $5, email Laura Clark at laura@saratogastryders.org or 518-581-1278 to reserve a pair.

SSFSC New Year’s Event Skating Exhibition SARATOGA SPRINGS — The Saratoga Springs Figure Skating Club will be hosting their annual winter

exhibition from 3–6 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 31. Individual and pair figure skating as well as regional synchronized skating teams will be performing. Admission is $5 for teens and adults, kinds under 11 are free. Concessions and a 50/50 raffle will be held. Event will take place at the Saratoga Springs rink. Email keziaharm@yahoo.com for more information.

Learn to Skate Winter Session #1 SARATOGA SPRINGS — The Learn to Skate (LTS) Winter Session begins January 7. LTS is held from 4:30– 6 p.m. on Sundays. Coaches will teach basic and advanced skills as well as Learn to Dance and Learn to Synchro lessons. Contact Rachel at rachel@ saratogalearntoskate.com for more information. Applications can be found online at www.saratogalearntoskate.com.

Second Annual Winter Saratoga Wilton Soccer Club Academy WILTON — Beginning Sunday, Jan. 14 through March 18, 2018 the Saratoga Wilton Soccer Club’s second annual academy for boys and girls ages pre-k through second grade. Pre-k and kindergarten will be from 11:15 a.m. until 12:15 p.m. and first and second grade will be from 12:15–1:15 p.m. at the Gavin Park Gymnasium at 10 Lewis Dr., Wilton. It is $145 per player for 10 sessions. To register visit www.saratogayouthsoccerclub. siplay.com/site or contact Juan Garzon at jdgarzon@hotmail.com or 731-293-8305 for more information.

Puzzle solutions from pg. 42 Send your sports stories or briefs to Sports@Saratoga Publishing.com

First Night Saratoga 5K Run SARATOGA SPRINGS — The 20th Annual First Night Saratoga 5K Run, presented by the Saratoga Arts, will take place on Sunday, Dec. 31 at 5:30 p.m. This run is limited to the first 1,500 registrants and there will be no day of race registration. Registration is strongly suggested as the race has sold out for the last 16 years. Registration fee of $25 and a longsleeved shirt. After Nov. 24, registration is $30. Save time by registering online at www.saratoga-arts.org. A ChronoTrack B-Tag computerized scoring system will be used in the race. The USA Track and Field certified course starts and finishes on the Skidmore College Campus. Awards will be given to the top three overall male and female finishers in five-year age categories. All finishers receive a First Night Commemorative Medal. There will be refreshments after the race along with showers and restrooms available in the athletic complex. For more information, call First Night Saratoga at 518-584-4132. Registration online is available at www. saratoga-arts.org.

Harlem Globetrotters Tour to Albany and Glens Falls CAPITAL REGION — Having just recently celebrated their second annual World Trick Shot Day last week, the Harlem Globetrotters announced their new tour to Albany and Glens Falls. At 7 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 5, 2018 the team will go to Cool Insuring Arena (previously the Civic Center) and at 3 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 11 they will be playing at the Times Union Center in Albany. Tickets are can be purchased for the Glens Falls show at www.harlemglobetrotters.com or www.coolinsuringarena.com, and for the Albany show at www.ticketmaster.com.

Saratoga Springs Rec Intro to Ice Skating SARATOGA SPRINGS — Sign up at the Saratoga Springs Recreation Center at 15 Vanderbilt Avenue Monday – Friday from 9 a.m. – 8 p.m., Saturday from 9 a.m. – 7 p.m., or Sunday from 12– 6 p.m. Email recreservations@saratogasprings.org for pricing.

Saratoga Rec Drop-In Sessions SARATOGA SPRINGS — Drop-in sessions for adult basketball, pickleball, racquetball, and wallyball are now happening at the Saratoga Recreation Department. Visit www. SaratogaRec.com for the latest schedule.

Saratoga Rec Winter Program Registration SARATOGA SPRINGS — Early bird registration for winter programming ends Tuesday, Dec. 26. Youth boxing and volleyball will be offered. Email recreservations@saratogasprings.org for additional information.

Saratoga Springs Rec Basketball Registration SARATOGA SPRINGS — This league includes Tiny B’Ball, Intro, Boys and Girls Leagues. Sign up at the rec center at 15 Vanderbilt Avenue Monday – Friday from 9 a.m. – 8 p.m., Saturday 9 a.m. – 7 p.m., and Sunday from 12 – 6 p.m. Email recreservations@saratogasprings.org for pricing.

December 22 – January 4, 2018

SPORTS

Photos provided.

Saratoga Blue Streaks vs. Adirondack Rivermen Hockey SARATOGA SPRINGS — The Saratoga Blue Streaks played the Adirondack Rivermen in the Blue Streaks’ first sectional game at 6:45 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 13 at the Weibel Ice Rink. Saratoga took the win, 4-1. All goals were made at full strength. In the first period, Saratoga’s Nick Larrabee scored the first goal with assists from Ryan Jones and Devon Wormley. In the second period, Ryan Jones scored with an assist from Matt Shamberger and Will Detora scored with assists from Charlie Leary and Ryan Jones. For the Rivermen, Andrew Rizzo scored with the help of Jordan Willis and Cullen Krug. In the third period, Matt Shamberger scored the final goal with an assist from Gary Blanchard. Saratoga’s goalie Brad Hipsley had 12 saves and Adirondack’s goalie Ben DiFiore had 18 saves.

Saratoga Central Catholic Bowling SARATOGA SPRINGS — On Thursday, Dec. 14 Saratoga Central Catholic played a match against Waterford, winning each game with an overall score of 3261-2092. For the Saints, Micaela Barbolt had the highest average, 194, and Tim Barrett with an average of 189. For Waterford, Mackenzie Fletcher had an average of 132 and Elias Martin had an average of 125. On Monday, Dec. 18 Saratoga Central Catholic played a match against Whitehall. The Saints won all matches and overall defeated Whitehall, 2855-2040. Zac Niles

had the highest average for the Saints with 169 and Micaela Barbolt followed closely behind with an average of 164. For Whitehall, Abby Melvin led the team with an average of 152 and Zac Hollister with 131.

Saratoga Central Catholic Boys Varsity Basketball SARATOGA SPRINGS — Overall, the Saints are 4-1 and 2-0 in the league. On Tuesday, Dec. 12 the Saints played Hoosic Valley and won, 53-45. On Friday, Dec. 15 the Saints defeated Stillwater, 71-55. On Tuesday, Dec. 19 the Saints beat Waterford 59-44 in a Wassern League matchup. Leading the way for the Saints, Tyler Haraden had 19 points, Terel Tillman and Aiden Dagostino each had 10 points.

Saratoga Springs Gymnastics Team SARATOGA SPRINGS — Saratoga Gymnastics, the 16-time defending Section II champions, opened their dual meet season with a convincing win over Shaker on Monday night, 166.95-150.35. Saratoga secured four out of the top five all-around scores led by Ava Dallas (1st all-around; 35.10), followed by Sophia Damiano (2nd all-around; 34.05), Kate Dellaratta (3rd all-around; 32.00) and Megan Wishart (5th all-around; 31.00). Shaker’s top all-around finisher was Brianna Morris (4th allaround; 31.95). Saratoga gymnasts captured the top spot in each of the four individual events, with Ava Dallas winning the vault (9.00), the floor exercise (8.90) and the bars (8.70), and with Emily Ward winning the beam (8.90).

Saratoga Regional YMCA Youth Basketball League ROTARY JUNIOR DIVISION: Saratoga Financial Services 31 — Mexican Connection Restaurant 25 In a nip and tuck game, Saratoga Financial outlasted Mexican Connection by a score of 31 to 25. Alex Cutler dropped in 12 points and teammate Ryan Boyle added another 8 points in the victory. Nick Scalo led his team in scoring with 11 points along with 7 points from Yankiel Bracero in the loss.

Saratoga PBA 30 — PJ BARB-QSA 19 In a defensive battle, PBA got 9 points apiece from Steve Bebee and Emylyn Tineo and Jack Foster added another 8 points and defeated PJ’s BBQ 30 to 19. PJ’s was led by Caleb Beverly with 7 points and 5 points apiece by Jacob Armer and Jordon Cousar.

SENIOR DIVISION: Saratoga Firefighters 54 — Berkshire Hathaway Blake, Realtors 36 In a very physical game, the Firefighters got off to an 18-point first half lead over BHHS, Blake Realtors and went on to a 54 to 36 victory. Noah Rourke exploded

for a team high 21 points and Enyer Tineo scored 13 points while Curtis Bennifield added 12 points for the Firefighters. Ian Fisk had a game high 27 points with Jake Graham and Tim Leary each contributing 5 points in the defeat. Village Photo 55 — Cudney’s Launderers 34 The game was even through the first half but in the second half, Village Photo used a smothering pressure defense to get a win over Cudney’s 55 to 34. The victors got 19 points from Jose Garcia along with 12 points apiece from Donald Steves and Patrick Deschaine. Cudney’s got 13 points from Hunter Regels and Lydia Green added 7 points, Tom Leary had 6 points in the loss.

SPORTS

Jr. NBA Scores

December 22 – January 4, 2018

AT A GLANCE WINTER SPORTS SEASON HAS BEGUN!

SPORTS

League games and matches begin this week and are as follows: All information subject to change due to inclement weather.

TOWN OF WILTON RECREATION SATURDAY, DEC. 16, 2017 DIVISION 1 HAWKS-25: Chase Palmer - 10, Carter Reardon - 4 WARRIORS-21: Grady Ostrander - 7, Max Sawicz - 4 CAVS-27: Cole Whitman - 14, Max Britten - 7 HEAT-16: Brady Girard, Franklin Horn, Damon Kelly - 4 KNICKS-26: Bobby Morris - 20, Jackson Dunbar - 6 CELTICS-21: Landon Lockrow - 8, Sammy Bagan - 5 LAKERS-19: James Voorhies - 12, Andrew Wells - 4 THUNDER-12: Reese Lemos - 6, Mason Sleicher - 4

DIVISION 2 LAKERS-22: Micah Poag - 8, Kaden Wright - 8 CAVS-17: Danny Larkin - 14, Morgan Guilder - 1 THUNDER-40: Owen Mongan - 14, Jackson Howell - 13 BLAZERS-37: Rowan Armstrong - 18, Ronan Rowe - 12 WARRIORS-20: Aidan Faulkner - 8, Noah Rosettie - 5 MAGIC-7: Jack Doyle - 4, Joseph Krason - 2 KNICKS-27: Tyler Weygand - 21, Ben Slavett - 5 CELTICS-14: Jack Gutowski - 9, Sean Kelleher - 2

DIVISION 3 KNICKS-30: Hunter Ingram - 11, Jacob Durkee - 9 TIMBERWOLVES-29: Nick Scalo - 7, Thomas Maurer - 7 CELTICS-41: Arieon Rose - 15, Braden Crowley - 7 HAWKS-28: Bryant Savage - 16, Zach Delaney - 4 ROCKETS-29: Drew Crossett - 10, Carter Wood - 8 LAKERS-19: Alex Cutler - 6, Riley McGlynn - 4

DIVISION 4 TIMBERWOLVES-47: Josh Foley - 12, Clayton Wilhelm - 11 WARRIORS-25: Ben Hull - 7, Caleb Carpenter - 6 CAVS-43: Jacob Aday - 18, Chase Corbett - 10 CELTICS-19: Zane Burnett - 8, Christian McGrath - 4 HAWKS-40: Charles DeRizzo - 11, Frankie Laniewski - 8 TRAILBLAZERS-32: Jason Viger - 10, Julian Silva-Forbes - 9

Basketball

Wednesday, 12/27 ■ Saratoga Springs (Girls) vs. Glens Falls at 5:30 p.m. at Glens Falls High School ■ Saratoga Central Catholic (Boys) vs. Cambridge at 6 p.m. at Saratoga Central Catholic High School ■ Saratoga Central Catholic (Girls) vs. North Warren at 4:30 p.m. at North Warren High School Thursday, 12/28 ■ Saratoga Springs (Girls) vs. Lake George at 2:30 p.m. at Glens Falls High School Friday, 12/29 ■ Ballston Spa (Boys) vs. South Glens Falls at 7 p.m. at Ballston Spa High School ■ Ballston Spa (Girls) vs. Stillwater at 5:30 p.m. at Ballston Spa High School ■ Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake (Girls) vs. Ravena-Coeymans-Selkirk at 7 p.m. at Ravena Coeymans CSD Saturday, 12/30 ■ Ballston Spa (Boys) vs. Multiple Schools – Tournament at 4 p.m. at Ballston Spa High School ■ Ballston Spa (Girls) vs. Queensbury at 5:30 p.m. at Ballston Spa High School ■ Ballston Spa (Boys) vs. Multiple Schools – Tournament at 7 p.m. at Ballston Spa High School Tuesday, 1/2 ■ Schuylerville (Boys) vs. Greenwich at 7:30 p.m. at Schuylerville High School Wednesday, 1/3 ■ Saratoga Springs (Girls) vs. Colonie Central at 7 p.m. at Saratoga Springs High School ■ Schuylerville (Girls) vs. Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake at 7 p.m. at Schuylerville High School Thursday, 1/4 ■ Schuylerville (Girls) vs. Glens Falls at 7 p.m. at Glens Falls High School Friday, 1/5 ■ Saratoga Springs (Boys) vs. Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake at 7 p.m. at Saratoga Springs High School ■ Saratoga Springs (Girls) vs. Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake at 7 p.m. at Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake High School ■ Ballston Spa (Girls) vs. Niskayuna at 6 p.m. at Ballston Spa High School ■ Schuylerville (Boys) vs. Glens Falls at 7:30 p.m. at Schuylerville High School ■ Saratoga Central Catholic (Boys) vs. Berlin Central at 7:30 p.m. at Berlin Central High School ■ Saratoga Central Catholic (Girls) vs. Berlin Central at 7:30 p.m. at Saratoga Central Catholic High School

Bowling

Tuesday, 1/2 ■ Saratoga Central Catholic vs. Lake George at 4:15 p.m. at Saratoga Strike Zone Wednesday, 1/3 ■ Saratoga Central Catholic vs. Granville at 4:15 p.m. at Slate Valley Lanes Thursday, 1/4 ■ Ballston Spa vs. Saratoga Springs at 4 p.m. at Saratoga Strike Zone ■ Schuylerville vs. Amsterdam at 4:15 p.m. at Imperial Lanes

Wrestling

Wednesday, 12/27 ■ Schuylerville vs. Queensbury at 10 a.m. at Queensbury High School Thursday, 12/28 ■ Saratoga Springs vs. Windsor Central at 12 p.m. at TBD Friday, 12/29 ■ Saratoga Springs vs. Windsor Central at 9 a.m. at TBD Wednesday, 1/3 ■ Schuylerville vs. Queensbury at 6:30 p.m. at Queensbury High School

Ice Hockey

Wednesday, 12/27 ■ Saratoga Springs vs. Multiple Schools – Tournament at 4:30 p.m. at TBD

GYMNASTICS

Thursday, 12/28 ■ Saratoga Springs vs. Guilderland at 4:30 p.m. at Guilderland High School Wednesday, 1/3 ■ Saratoga Springs vs. Bethlehem at 6 p.m. at Bethlehem High School

December 22 – January 4, 2018

SPORTS

No Excuses Clinic Saratoga-Wilton for Local Veterans Elks Hoop Shoot by Lori Mahan Saratoga TODAY SARATOGA COUNTY — “Every day can be Veteran’s Day with veterans, community members, and companies working together.” That is the slogan for The Learning League and Project Transition’s No Excuses Clinic, which is a clinic designed to help a broad spectrum of people, from the morbidly obese to autistic people, to veterans trying to get back on their feet. At the No Excuses Clinic, taking place starting in January 2018 at the Hudson Valley Community College in Troy, veterans will participate in sporting events tailored to their skills. “It will not take an act of Congress to help returning veterans

overcome PTSD and spinal cord injuries. It will take an act of kindness from local employers and the sports therapies of Second Chance Sports,” said Billy Yaiser, founder of The Learning League and Second Chance Sports. “Given the tools and opportunity, returning vets and active military families can do more for themselves than most doctors or insurance plans can. We need companies and community members to simply sponsor a family for as little as $35 per week,” said the official statement. For companies looking to sponsor, The Learning League will tailor a plan that works best for you. “Let’s start this New Year by working together to help veterans and active duty families reclaim their lives. In addition, you can jumpstart your own health and

wellness and thank our veterans and active military and their families every day for their service by your sponsorship,” the official press release stated. For more information, visit www.secondchancesports.org or call 518-491-0556. To sponsor, make the check payable to: The Learning League, P.O. Box 3031 Ballston Ave., Saratoga Springs, NY 12866.

Awards Ceremony

L-R: (Back Row) Hoop Shoot Director Steve Dorsey; Connor Acton; Tommy Maurer; Morgan Brooking; Deborah McCabe; (Front Row) Kihl Kelly; Sophia Ryan; Shea Canavan. Photo provided.

Billy Yaiser, founder of The Learning League and Second Chance Sports. Photo provided.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — On Saturday, Dec. 2 the SaratogaWilton Elks Lodge No. 161 held its’ annual basketball Hoop Shoot free throw shooting competition. Throughout the hours of 9 a.m.

and noon, six youths came out to shoot free throws. On Thursday, Dec. 14 at the Elks Lodge, an awards ceremony was held for all the winners from the Hoop Shoot competition.

Volume 11 • Issue 50

See “A Year in Review” pg. 14, 15

FREE

December 22 – January 4, 2018

ARTS

Entertainment

See “Birth of a Champion” pg. 36

LIVE AT SPAC 2017 CYNDI LAUPER

STING

CHEAP TRICK ROD STEWART

PHOTOS BY: PhotoAndGraphic.com

Live at SPAC 2017 included appearances by Sting – who performed a 22-song set that including rollicking retrorenditions of Police classics like “Message in a Bottle,” “So Lonely,” and “Roxanne”; Rod Stewart – whose show was highlighted by renditions of The Faces’ “Stay With Me,” Tim Hardin’s “Reason To Believe” and Cat Stevens’ “The First Cut Is The Deepest”; Cyndi Lauper – serenading like a chanteuse during a passionate showcase that alternated between righteous song and stand-up shtick; and Cheap Trick, who performed as part of a triple-barrel bill of ‘70s rock, sharing the stage with Foreigner, and Jason Bonham – the latter the son of late Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham – and who performed a nine-song set consisting of tunes his daddy played a generation ago.