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Production Down, Turnout Up

by Colette Linton Saratoga TODAY

SARATOGA SPRINGS—The frigid weather failed to deter many folks from enjoying the sweet smells, sugar house tours and free syrup tastings that kicked off Maple Weekend and a sulking start to the spring season.

Each year there are just two weekends to satisfy a sweet tooth at a sugar house amongst the Maple trees with a plate of flapjacks in hand, and March 29 and 30 are the last two days when sugar houses are open to the public.

Several sugar houses in and neighboring Saratoga County said that while production has been noticeably slower this year because of the low temperatures, attendance for Maple Weekend was higher than it has ever been.

“There’s no shortage yet, and if we don’t make more before summer, then we will be lost,” said Mary Jeanne Packer, New York State Maple Producers Association executive director and marketing manager at Mapleland Farms. “It’s not like the sap isn’t running at all, it’s just running slower. We’re looking forward

I n d e p e n d e n t

Heroin:

Volume 9 • Issue 12 • March 28 – April 3, 2014

Maple Weekend

•

No Community Has Immunity

Saratoga Springs Police Sergeant Tim Sicko holds a 19-gram evidence bag of heroin with an estimated value of just under $4,000.

Photo By MarkBolles.com

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F r e e saratogaTODAYnewspaper.com • (518) 581-2480

by Arthur Gonick Saratoga TODAY SARATOGA SPRINGS— We tend to wax romantic about our community. And in truth, compared to other communities, we are relatively safe. As such, we sometimes fall into an illusion that we are insulated from the worst of society’s ills.

But at street level, there’s no such illusion. This is the reality Sergeant Tim Sicko and the Saratoga Springs Police Investigation Division sees: “Just in the last four to five months, we’ve seen over a halfdozen overdoses from heroin.” he said. Moreover, “the number of heroin buys my (undercover) officers make have risen significantly over the past two and a half years I’ve been in charge of the division.” The Investigation Division oversees both the drug See Heroin pg. 14

A Fashionable Move See Story pg. 16

Featured Stories

See pgs. 20-22

Baby Expo See Story pg. 12

Inside TODAY Blotter 5 Obituaries 6,7 Business

Education 12,13 Pulse 28-32 Sports

36-40

Weekend Forecast FRIDAY

48|36 SATURDAY

46|34 SUNDAY See Maple Weekend pg. 17

8,9

2014 Electric City Couture Designer Showcase will be at Universal Preservation Hall in April. Photo by James Pickett

45|28

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Week of March 28 – April 3, 2014

A Sure Sign Of Spring: Tiny T-Ball!

SARATOGA SPRINGS – Some people look for robins, crocuses or daffodils, but for us the

surest sign that winter might finally end someday is when kids dust off their baseball gloves and bats and

work on their base running. It’s tiny T-ball time!

We visited coordinator Joe

McLaughlin at the Saratoga Springs Rec Center as he was putting some 3 and 4 year- old future all-stars through some base running and throwing drills. “We’ll get to batting

soon. We like to bring these prospects along slowly,” he said with a smile.

Tiny T-ball will be held every Wednesday afternoon through April 30. For more information on this and other programs, visit SaratogaRec.com -Arthur Gonick

Photos by Deborah Neary

Week of March 28 – April 3, 2014

Eleanor R. “Tootie” Worth SARATOGA SPRINGS — Eleanor R. “Tootie” Worth, 72, of Worth Road, died Wednesday morning, March 26, at Saratoga Hospital.

Born on December 28, 1941 in Saratoga Springs, she was the daughter of Harry and Eleanor (Crooks) Jackson. She was a graduate of St. Clement’s School and Saratoga High School.

She married Gerald A. Worth on September 1, 1963 at St. Clement’s Church.

Tootie worked for 20 years as a teacher’s aide at Dorothy Nolan Elementary School prior to her retirement on December 31, 2001.

She enjoyed gardening, jigsaw puzzles, crossword puzzles, word search puzzles, camping, family picnics and parties. She was a member of Brookhaven Golf Club and McGregor Country Club and had two holesin-one, the first at McGregor and later in Wisconsin while visiting family.

Tootie was a member of the CSEA and the Moreau Senior Center.

She was predeceased by her parents; two sisters, Rachel Jackson and Sally Freebern; three brothers, William Jackson, Joseph Jackson and James Jackson.

Survivors include her loving husband of 50 years, Hon. Gerald A. Worth; three daughters, Shari Holden and her husband Frank of Wilton, Amy Worth and her fiancé John Cuff of South Glens Falls, Tracy Bump and her companion Jim Orapello, Sr. of Wilton; eight grandchildren, Megan Badger and her husband Jason, Kayla Moore, Derek Holden, Neftaly Holden, Matthew Salvato, Stephanie Salvato and Sarah Salvato, Alex Bump; three great-grandchildren, Cody Badger, Brett Badger and Zoe Finning; three sisters, Fran Burns of Saratoga Springs, Emily Keech of Wilton, Hazel Premo and her husband Jay of Pardeeville, Wisconsin; three sisters-in-law, Marie Jackson, Joan Jackson and Elsie Jackson both of Saratoga Springs; many nieces and nephews.

Friends may call Friday, March 28, from 2-4 p.m. and 7-9 p.m. at Our Lady’s Chapel at St. Clement’s Church, Lake Ave., Saratoga Springs.

A Funeral Mass will be celebrated 9:30 a.m. Saturday at St. Clement’s Church.

A private burial will be in Gurn Springs Cemetery, Wilton.

In lieu of flowers, contributions in Tootie’s memory may be directed to the Wilton Emergency Squad, 1 Harran Lane, Saratoga Springs, NY

NEWS

campuses and international boarders as key in her appointment to the position.

Led by bagpipers and dressed in full academic regalia, members of the SUNY and Empire State College communities, as well as guests from across

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MOOC Symposium Coming To Saratoga Springs

SARATOGA SPRINGS— From April 2 to 4, The MASIE Center is holding the first global symposium on “Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) and Corporate Learning” at the Saratoga Springs City Center.

Imagine if a major retailer wanted to update 100,000 employees on a new product line. There aren’t enough classrooms or instructors to make that course fast and massive. MOOCs may provide an expandable and scalable alternative – allowing the employee to personalize the timing for his or her convenience.

“We will have over 70 education and corporate leaders from the United States, Netherlands, United Kingdom, Russia, Malaysia and Canada exploring how and if MOOCs can be used to educate and train employees. We are honored to have senior representatives of organizations like Microsoft, UPS, Liberty Mutual, Corning, LL Bean, McKinsey, PwC, GE, Ernst & Young, Saudi Aramco, Amway, Dept. of Defense and others at this event,” said Elliott Masie, CEO of The MASIE Center.

MOOCs are a new model of education and learning where thousands of learners can participate in a single course from anywhere, at anytime, using online content and collaboration.

“We are honored to host

SUNY Empire State College Inaugurates New College President

SARATOGA SPRINGS— The inauguration of Merodie Hancock, Ph.D., as the fourth president in the 42-year history of SUNY Empire State College commenced on Thursday.

The theme of the inaugural celebration was “re-emergence,” which highlighted Hancock’s career of advocacy for the re-emergence of nontraditional students. Further, the inauguration event was part of the reemergence of the college as the exemplar of open, public and innovative education.

Hancock assumed the role in July 2013 with unanimous support from the State University of New York Board of Trustees and Chancellor Nancy Zimpher.

The chancellor cited Hancock’s leadership experience in higher learning in the delivery of online programs across

the country and around the world, processed from the robing area at Saratoga Springs City Hall, down Broadway, to The Saratoga Hilton for the investiture ceremony and installation of the new president.

this MOOC event in Saratoga Springs, which was also the site of the very first corporate event on eLearning that The MASIE Center hosted in the mid-1990s,”

Masie said. “With Empire State College and Skidmore College based in Saratoga Springs, it is a perfect setting to explore the future of learning.”

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week in Review New York State Begins Trial Common Core Exams

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ALBANY— New York along with 36 other states and Washington D.C. were scheduled to implement testing for new Common Core learning standards for over 4 million U.S. students this week.

These trial examination procedures, which will run through June, are meant to give education officials an understanding of the quality of the tests as well as the ability of

schools to administer them.

The scores from this week’s tests, however, will not count as the actual tests will be administered next year.

The highly debated Common Core standards were implemented in order to ensure that students were focused on developing better critical thinking skills in subjects such as math or English.

ALBANY—In the County Healthy Rankings & Roadmaps program, which compares the health between the counties in New York state, Saratoga County, the state’s fastest growing county, ranks highly as one of the healthiest.

The counties were ranked by health outcomes - the measurement of the county’s health as a whole, and by health factors, which views the future health of the county based on data such as services available and resident behaviors.

Saratoga ranked fifth in health

outcomes and third in health factors while Fulton and Hamilton are ranked No. 56 and No. 56 for health outcomes and No. 50 and No. 22 in health factors, respectively.

Albany County and Schenectady County ranked No. 30 and No. 39 in health outcomes, but both are expected to improve as they ranked No. 10 and No. 15, respectively, in health factors.

The County Healthy Rankings & Roadmaps program is a collaboration between the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute.

Saratoga Ranked Among New York’s Healthiest Counties

Week of March 28 – April 3, 2014

Rate Of ‘Major’ Crime Declines In The City SARATOGA SPRINGS— The number of arrests increased 15 percent in 2013 on the year, according to the city’s Public Safety Department’s annual report; although, officials assure that the crime rate is still low.

There were 152 more arrests last year than in 2012, pushing the total number up to 1,199 arrests in 2013.

Overall, the amount of major crimes the department is required to report to the FBI is actually in decline.

There were fewer reported forcible rapes, fewer felony assaults, and fewer burglaries, larcenies and motor vehicle thefts.

Reviewing the previous 14 years of arrest data reported to the Department of Justice, the crime rate has remained relatively stable.

Saratoga Eagle Sales & Service Expands Horizons To Amsterdam,NY Exterior of Saratoga Eagle Sales & Service. Photo provided.

Harper Resigns GOP Chair To Run For County DA

SARATOGA SPRINGS—On Friday, March 21, Saratoga Springs City GOP Committee Chairman Dave Harper stepped down from his seat in order to pursue the district attorney’s office.

Saratoga County’s District Attorney, James A. Murphy III, announced on February 14 that he would be pursuing a seat on the bench in Saratoga County Court to replace retiring Judge Jerry Scarano.

“I wanted to give the committee time to select a new chairman

before this year’s elections, as I focus my effort on running for district attorney,” said Harper in a release announcing his abdication of his chairmanship. He also stated that he was not required to resign in order to pursue the spot but did because he thought “it was the right thing to do.”

Harper will be running against three other candidates: First Assistant District Attorney Karen Heggen, Assistant District Attorney Debra Kaelin and Assistant District Attorney James Davis.

Violent crimes have decreased but they usually remain low, while property crimes have seen fluctuations which may be due to individuals on crime sprees. For example there were 25 more burglaries in 2012 than in 2013, but it could have been due to single burglar who may have robbed several homes.

Arrests made for driving while intoxicated spiked to 107 more arrests in 2013 than in the previous 14 years even with the increased enforcement efforts that included eight DWI checkpoints five “high intensity enforcement periods” as well as two seatbelt checkpoints.

The traffic division also issued 10,650 parking tickets in 2013 resulting in a total of $388,785 in fines.

SARATOGA SPRINGS— The local Saratoga based beverage company, Saratoga Eagle Sales & Service, recently announced their purchase of Bartyzel Inc. in Amsterdam.

Bartyzel was established in 1933 by the late William Bartyzel. Up until

the acquisition, Chris Bartyzel and Margaret Bartyzel had been running the company. Bartyzel services Fulton, Montgomery and Schoharie counties as well as the large rural areas west of Albany. The company services a total of 12 counties in eastern New York.

The addition of Bartyzel increased the employee count to over 200, according to Saratoga Eagle.

Saratoga Eagle Sales & Service is a subsidiary of western New York based Try-It Distributing Co. Inc. A few of the brands it distributes includes Anheuser-Busch-Inbev, Labatt, Davidson Brothers, Poland Springs and Perrier. The company also distributes a full list of wines and spirits.

Week of March 28 – April 3, 2014 Colin F. O’Neill, 49, of Grand Avenue in Saratoga Springs, was arrested on March 17 and charged with aggravated unlicensed operation of a vehicle. O’Neill was arrested at 7:09 p.m. following a traffic stop.

Michael J. Cole, 28, of Jones Road in Saratoga Springs, was arrested March 17 and charged with criminal contempt, aggravated harassment, criminal possession of a controlled substance, criminal possession of a hypodermic instrument, reckless endangerment, assault, unlawful fleeing from a police officer in a motor vehicle, unlawful possession of marijuana, failure to signal a turn, speeding, passing through a red light, failure to keep right, a registration plate display violation, failure to comply with the lawful order of the police, reckless driving, aggravated unlicensed operation of a vehicle and resisting arrest. On Monday evening, at about 9:40 p.m., officers on patrol observed a 1994 Ford Ranger pick-up (operated by Cole).

Operating on Union Avenue, Cole’s vehicle committed several traffic violations that the officers observed. Cole turned onto East Avenue from Union Avenue and officers, who were in a marked patrol car, attempted to conduct a traffic stop. Cole then allegedly accelerated down East Avenue, across Lake Avenue, and then across the Arterial. Cole allegedly committed several of the listed offenses during that time. Once crossing the Arterial, Cole allegedly attempted to take a left turn onto Catherine Street. Cole failed to negotiate the turn and crashed the Ford into a snowbank. After the crash, Cole allegedly fled on foot.

He was apprehended shortly thereafter in the backyard of a nearby house. Cole was charged with the “incident offenses” based upon the alleged incident itself. Cole was remanded to County Jail upon arraignment.

Kevin M. Harrington, 33, of Murray Road in Middle Grove, was arrested on March 17 and charged with aggravated unlicensed operation of a vehicle, no/ expired inspection certificate and passing a red light.

Harrington was arrested at 4:11 p.m. following a traffic stop.

BLOTTER possession of a controlled substance and unlawfully dealing with fireworks.

Michael A. Schiher, 18, of Catherine Street in Saratoga Springs, was arrested March 21 and charged with unlawful possession of marijuana, failure to signal and ability impaired by drugs Isaac W. Greco, 18, of Vanderbilt Terrace in Saratoga Springs, was arrested March 21 and charged with unlawful possession of marijuana.

Schiher and Greco were arrested at 5:07 p.m. following a traffic stop.

Alexander Sawyer, 22, of Quiet Harbor Drive in Saratoga Springs, was arrested on March 18 and charged with aggravated unlicensed operation of a vehicle.

Xavier C. Rodriguez, 20, of Kelton Avenue in Schenectady, was arrested March 21 and charged with unlawful possession of marijuana.

Jamie W. Harrington, 33, of Excelsior Avenue in Saratoga Springs, was arrested March 18 and charged with aggravated harassment.

Harrington was arrested on a warrant at 9:47 a.m.

Caitlin M. Lewis, 26, of New Britain Drive in Wilton, was arrested March 21 and charged with petit larceny.

Craig R. DeRusso, 22, of Northwood Drive in Ballston Spa, was arrested March 20 and charged with assault. DeRusso was arrested on a warrant at 9 p.m. The allegation is that while at Saratoga Hospital on March 12, he assaulted two hospital safety officers.

Patricia K. Snow, 48, of Libby Avenue in Schenectady, was arrested March 20 and charged with criminal impersonation. Snow was arrested at 8:35 p.m. Snow allegedly used the identity of another person in an attempt to obtain a controlled substance.

Amy M. Johnson, 40, of Mokasha Square in Saratoga Springs, was arrested March 20 and charged with petit larceny. Johnson was arrested on a warrant at 6:25 p.m.

Franklin T. Gibbs, 22, of East Avenue in Saratoga Springs, was arrested March 20 and charged with criminal

Colette C. Blackington, 52, of State Street in Saratoga Springs, was arrested March 22 for DWI, BAC more than .08 percent and aggravated driving while intoxicated.

Benjamin T. Fedd, 35, of Kirby Road in Saratoga Springs, was arrested March 22 and charged with fugitive from justice. Fedd was arrested at 3:30 p.m. He is allegedly wanted out of Harford, Connecticut.

Angelo R. McCloud, 32, of Andrea Court in Clifton Park, was arrested March 22 and charged with making a punishable false written statement.

Bruce C. Albert, 59, of Zephyr Lane in Saratoga Springs, was arrested March 23 and charged with assault.

Lavon C. Dancey, 20, of Avenue B in Schenectady, was arrested March 23 and charged with disorderly conduct.

John J. Koch, 26, of South Country Club in Saratoga Springs, was arrested March 23 and charged with

disorderly conduct resisting arrest.

and

Francis P. Galerie, 27, of Collamer Drive in Ballston Spa, was arrested March 23 and charged with disorderly conduct.

Stephen C. Morgan, 34, of South 2nd Avenue of Mechanicville, was arrested March 23 and charged with harassment. Morgan was arrested on a warrant at 1:52 a.m.

Michael D. Vrooman, 24, of Sacandaga Road in Scotia, was arrested March 23 and charged with DWI, BAC

5

more than .08 percent and unlawfully driving on the sidewalk. Vrooman was arrested at 1:29 a.m. following a traffic stop.

Kim M. Grey, 54, of Jefferson Terrace in Saratoga Springs, was arrested March 23 and charged with assault.

Matthew C. Kelly, 39, of Route 9N in Saratoga Springs, was arrested March 23 and charged with fugitive from justice. Kelly was arrested at 12:43 a.m. He was allegedly wanted out of Kentucky on a warrant for “Military Desertion” issued by the U.S. Army.

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obituaries

Michael Thomas Meers WILTON — Michael Thomas Meers, 55, passed away, surrounded by his family on Thursday, March 6.

Born in New Haven, Connecticut on June 23, 1958, he was the son of Thomas H. Meers and the late Nancy A. Butler. He was married to Donna M. Graska for 36 years.

Michael was employed by the City of Saratoga Springs DPW for 26 years. He was an avid boater, loved to tinker with small engines and spend his free time up at his family’s camp on Lake Champlain

relaxing and fishing.

Survivors include his wife, Donna; daughter, Shannon of Wilton and his son, Nicholas (fiancée Felicia DeFelice) of West Milton. He is also survived by two brothers and one half sister.

A private memorial service was held at his home in Wilton for immediate family members.

The family wishes to thank the hospice nurses; the city workers of the Saratoga Springs DPW and all other friends who have helped the family in this time of sorrow.

Week of March 28 – April 3, 2014

See Dominic Galluscio obituary on page 38 Marion Motyka BALLSTON SPA — Marion Motyka passed away Tuesday, March 4, 2014 at Maplewood Manor. She was 99.

Born on May 30, 1914 in Utica, she was the daughter of the late John and Tekla (Wajda) Motyka.

In addition to her parents, Marion was predeceased by her sister, Marie Corrigan and two brothers, Philip

Karen Bradshaw Leone

Albert (Al) Reynolds Lounsbury SARATOGA SPRINGS — Albert (Al) Reynolds Lounsbury, 92, of Saratoga Springs, and most recently a resident of Westmere Home for Adults in Guilderland, died peacefully on March 7, surrounded by family members at Albany Medical Center.

Al was born July 17, 1921 in Hurleyville, Sullivan County to the late Grace E. Reynolds and Daniel W. Lounsbury.

Al married the late Dorothy E. Elmore in 1948.

He graduated from Hurleyville High School, received a Bachelor’s degree from the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Cornell University, and a Master’s degree from North Carolina State University. He was a past president of the Alumni Association of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Cornell.

Al assisted his parents with dairy and poultry farming in Hurleyville until he enlisted in 1946, serving with the Army of Occupation in Korea as an assistant chaplain.

Al was president of the Saratoga Springs Kiwanis club twice and in 1980 assisted in organizing the Golden K Kiwanis club for

seniors.

Al was predeceased by his beloved wife of over 40 years, Dorothy, in 1989; infant son Lynn Al, and his brother, H. James Lounsbury in 2013.

He is survived by a son, David of Kerhonkson; two daughters, Lee A. (John Bailly) of Albany, and Cathy of Saratoga Springs; and a foster son, Richard H. Harrison of Saratoga Springs. He is also survived by two sisters, Alida Brinckerhoff of Middletown and Joan Dunn-Lindsay of Wurtsboro. Surviving brothers in his wife’s family are Russell Elmore of Lennox, Massachusetts, I. James (Ruth) Elmore of Orange City, Florida, and Walter (Mary) Elmore of High Falls.

Al has two grandchildren, Amanda and Nicholas Bailly; a foster grandson, Richard L. Harrison; and two stepgrandchildren, Timothy (Amanda) Coalla and Katie Coalla. He has many beloved nieces, nephews, grandnieces, grand-nephews and others in his extended family.

To view the full version of the obituaries visit the archive section of SaratogaTODAYonline.com It is the policy of Saratoga Today to publish Obituarires as a service to our readers.

Please send your obituaries to obits@saratogapublishing.com

and Walter Motyka.

Survivors include her brother, Edward Motyka of Ballston Spa and one nephew, Dr. Gregg Corrigan of Bettendorf, Iowa.

Burial will be in the family plot at Forest Hill Cemetery in Utica.

QUEENSBURY— Karen Bradshaw Leone, formerly of Saratoga Springs, passed away mid-March, after a long courageous battle with cancer.

Karen graduated from St. Peter’s Academy and attended Empire State College. She started her career as a secretary at Empire State College and then went to work for the NYS Office of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities (OMDD). She was a member of several organizations including treasurer of the Tupper Lake Business and Professional Women’s Club

and was on the board of directors of the Sunmount Federal Credit Union while working in Tupper Lake.

Karen retired as the Business Officer at the Valley Ridge Center in Norwich, NY in 2006.

Survivors include her son, Tanner, who was her pride and joy; her beloved feline companion, Mookie; her brother, Shawn Bradshaw of Greenfield Center and his partner Kathy Fasoli; her mother, Teresa Bradshaw of Saratoga Springs; and her dear and best friend George Baber of Clifton Park.

She was predeceased by several aunts and uncles.

The family wishes to thank the Glens Falls Hospital, especially the doctors from CW Wood Cancer Center, Hospice, and is extremely grateful for the wonderful care given by the staff at the House of Grace.

There will be no calling hours and a private oceanside ceremony will be held at the convenience of the family.

Memorial may be made in Karen’s name to the House of Grace, 33 Henry St., Glens Falls, NY 12801.

Ronald Coltey Bishop

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Ronald Coltey Bishop, “Pete,” passed away Wednesday, March 19 at Wesley Health Care Center. He was 88.

Born on June 21, 1925 in Hortonville, Hubbardton, Rutland, Vermont, he was the son of the late John Edgar Bishop and Bertha Belle Coltey.

After a childhood in rural Vermont, Ronald entered the U.S. Army to serve in the European Theatre during World War II. Upon returning home after the war, he married Shirley McKirryher on September 7, 1947. Together

they raised a family of three children.

Moving to Saratoga Springs in 1949, he began a career in construction. Pete built several homes for his family and homes for his children when they had families of their own. Together with Shirley, he started up Shirley’s Drive-In, Humpty Dumpty Ice Cream, the Yankee Kettle and Mom and Pop’s Country Store.

He had a lifelong love of music and played the fiddle in numerous groups and sponsored Bluegrass Festivals on his farm in Porter Corners.

In addition to his parents, he was predeceased by his wife Shirley, one son, nine brothers and three sisters.

He is survived by his daughter, Deborah Pixley and her husband Wilbur; two sons, Ronald Bishop and his wife Jean, Lee Bishop and his wife Charlene; seven grandchildren, 15 greatgrandchildren, one great-great-grandchild and several nieces and nephews.

Week of March 28 – April 3, 2014

Frances Jordan SARATOGA SPRINGS — Frances Jordan, 89, of Saratoga Springs, passed away peacefully on March 18 at Saratoga Hospital, surrounded by her loved ones.

Born on May 15, 1924, Frances was the daughter of the late Frank and Mary DeVivo. She was a lifelong resident of Saratoga Springs, graduated from St. Peter’s Academy and was married to the late Francis Jordan.

She worked for her uncle, who was a tailor, and was employed at Skidmore College and at General Electric. A stay-at-home mom for several years, she later became a billing clerk at Saratoga Hospital, in which she took great pride.

A lifelong member of St.

Peter’s Catholic Church, she also had volunteered at the former St. Peter’s Academy on Broadway.

She is survived by two of her four sisters; Antoinette Van Wie and Carmel Parisi, both of Saratoga Springs.

She is joining her two other sisters, Rose LaPlante and Marie Grolley, who both passed away before her. Other survivors include her son, James Jordan and his wife Kelly Jordan and her daughter, Mary Jordan and her husband, Dennis Grolley; four grandchildren, Benjamin Jordan, Andrea Burton, Katie Grolley and Roxanne Grolley; and one great-granddaughter, Emma Rose Burton, all of whom she adored.

Obituaries 7 Lawrence J. Brooks

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Lawrence J. Brooks, 62, of Lamplighter Lane, passed away in his sleep late Tuesday evening, March 18.

He had a terrible and unforgiving disease known as ALS. Even when the disease took way

Col. Walter J. Kmen

Marietta Edna Train SARATOGA SPRINGS — Marietta Edna Train, 92, a lifelong resident of Saratoga Springs and recently of The Home of the Good Shepard in Wilton, died peacefully at Wesley Health Care Center on Sunday, March 23.

Born on September 13, 1921, in Saratoga Springs, she was the daughter of the late Edwin Eugene Garant and Laura Melinda Downing Garant.

Mrs. Train was a graduate of Saratoga High School Class of 1940. She met her soon to be husband (Frank Train) at the Ashgrove Inn in Saratoga where she was a waitress and he was a bus boy. The two married on September 20, 1942.

He passed away in February of

2003 after 61 years of marriage.

She is predeceased by a grandson Eric Train who died in 1995, a son in-law James Patton and two brothers John and Donald Garant Survivors include a son, Paul Edwin Train and his wife Shirley of Ohio; two daughters, Dixie Patton of Brockton, Massachusetts and Maxine Marie Marquis and her husband Jamie of Belgrade, Maine; four grandchildren, Jodi Gebhart, Polly Train and Brian and Charles Patton; five great-grandchildren, Madison, Jackson and Johnathan Gebhart and Brian, Anthony and Matthew Patton; as well as several nieces, nephews and cousins.

John (Jack) Edward Jennings Jr. HERTFORD, N.C. —John (Jack) Edward Jennings Jr., 68, of Hertford, North Carolina died peacefully surrounded by his family on Friday, March 14at his home.

Born on February 14, 1946, in Queens, he was the son of the late John E. Jennings Sr. and Frances Jennings. Mr. Jennings proudly served his country in the U.S. Air Force during the Vietnam War from 1964 to 1968. Jack worked as a customer engineer with Hewlett Packard until his retirement in 1991.In his

leisure he enjoyed building and flying radio controlled air planes.

Survivors include his wife Barbara Lemay of Hertford, North Carolina, two daughters, Jennifer Esposito of Coconut Creek, Florida and Melissa Newell of Florida, New York, a sister Carol Duerst of Netcong, New Jersey and seven grandchildren.

almost all of his mobility, he still managed to make friends and could bring a smile to someone’s face with just his smile. He had a “never give up” attitude and even though he is gone, his love and memories will continue on in the lives of those who knew him forever.

Larry retired from the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance in 2008.

He leaves behind his loving wife, Mary (Lloyd) Brooks; son, Richard and grandson, Nickolas; sisters, Sharon Gendron (Henry) and Darlene Bourassa, and brothers, George Riley (Patricia) and Timothy Riley (Gail); many bothers-in-law, sisters-in-law, nephews and nieces.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Col. Walter J. Kmen passed away Sunday, March 23 at the age of 90.

He was born in Saratoga Springs on November 6, 1923 and graduated from Saratoga High in 1941 while lettering in varsity football. After high school he enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps as an aviation cadet in 1942.

He graduated from advanced flight training in 1944 and received his pilot wings. As a 1st lieutenant for the 15th AAF, he flew 50 missions during World War II while stationed in Italy, including two missions to the Ploesti oil fields as well as missions to Munich, Vienna, Bucharest and Budapest.

He earned the Air Medal for completed combat missions and the Distinguished Flying Cross for landing his B-24 (four-engine) bomber on only two engines.

Upon returning home from the war, Walter attended Skidmore College from 1946-48 and completed his DDS degree from the University of Buffalo Dental School in 1952. He spent 27 years working at the VA Hospital in Albany, while at the same time spending 27 years in the Army Reserves 364th General Hospital based in Albany. All told, he had 40 years of military time and earned the rank of full Colonel.

Survivors include his wife of 43 years, Susan Kmen; his children, Walter R. Kmen, Nancy Kmen Valencourt, Mark Kmen and his wife Christine, Stephen Pincher and his wife Maryfran, and Jennifer Kmen Chaloupka and her husband Scott. He is also survived by four grandchildren, Morgaine, Sedona, Braeden, and Maksm.

Relatives and friends may call from 4-7 p.m. Friday, March 28 at the William J. Burke & Sons/Bussing & Cunniff Funeral Homes.

The Requiem Eucharist will be celebrated at 10 a.m.

Saturday, March 29 in Bethesda Episcopal Church, 41 Washington Street by the Very Rev’d Marshall J. Vang.

Burial with military honors will follow in the family plot at Greenridge Cemetery, Lincoln Ave.

Francis “Red” Bessette CLIFTON PARK — Francis “Red” Bessette, 73, formerly of Saratoga Springs, entered into the arms of the Lord on Monday, March 17, after a brief illness, surrounded by family and friends at Albany Medical Center.

Born on June 15, 1940 in Whitehall, he was the son of the late Margaret V. Bessette and Francis Rouse. Francis proudly served in the U.S. Marines from 1960-1967. While serving in the Marines he did active duty in Vietnam.

He was employed by Saratoga Springs DPW before retiring in 2000. He also worked at Saratoga Harness

Track doing security.

In addition to his mother and father, Red is predeceased by a brother, Francis “Jake” O’Melia, and a sister, Peggy Roarick.

Survivors include his wife, Penny L. Bessette of Clifton Park; his children, Chris L. Shipley of Glens Falls, Anthony T. Bessette of Saratoga Springs, Jocelyn J. (Johnson) Milne of Anchorage, Alaska, Jamie L. and CJ Bessette of Saratoga Springs; 11 grandchildren and another one expected in August; one great-granddaughter and another one expected in July. He is also survived by a brother George E. Woodard of Albuquerque, New Mexico and many nieces and nephews located in New York, New Mexico, Colorado, Virginia and Texas.

Online remembrances may be made at www.burkefuneralhome.com

8

BUSINESS

Week of March 28 – April 3, 2014

Entrepreneurs, Freelancers, Small Businesses Find “Synergy of Space” At HUB@63 Putnam

by Colette Linton Saratoga TODAY SARATOGA SPRINGS — James Lee, owner of Lee Investment Management, began his business from his home in Greenfield, NY. It was a suitable situation for his professional upstart; however, commuting to his clients’ homes or meeting with them at restaurants eventually called for a change.

“It was working to work out of the house, but I think that I was looking for a space,” Lee said. “I needed a conference room and a professional meeting space for clients.”

He found the space he was looking for in Saratoga Springs.

Along the Putnam backstretch of businesses tucked in a small enclave of the Diamond Brady Plaza, the wheels inside HUB@63 Putnam are turning.

Some businesses; some larger, smaller, others in-between, and working individuals who were looking for professional setting, have found that the HUB@63 molds affordability with official accommodation and resources.

Each office within the HUB is a spoke in the wheel, rotating around the theme of a professional individual space with shared conference rooms and an environment to allow for networking and collaboration between the diverse clientele that rent its offices.

“One of the nice benefits is that there’s certainly an energy from being around other business people, and it was an unexpected benefit from moving out here,” Lee said.

Down the hallways of the HUB@63 Putnam are offices of CEOs, founders and owners of companies such as iNovum,

specializing in predictive analytics; energy solutions provider Dynamic Energy; dealsipick.com, coupon or ‘deals’ aggregator; and technology-based marketing company Marketing Wiz as well as an office of law firm Cooper Erving & Savage LLP. “The synergy of the space, it allows for the collaboration of people that work in it,” Elizabeth Burke, Hub Coordination Manager, said.

“I’m part of their company,” Burke said as she outlined her duties of assisting with lobby services, meetings and managing incoming phone calls for the HUB’s clients. “The HUB works because it’s professionally provided to each individual person, but it’s bigger than that.”

The open-closed door policy combined with the community convening spaces allows for

discussion, sometimes collaboration and business opportunities between companies. While most of the businesses are very different in scope, service and products they offer, they find common ground on age-old questions of how to better serve customers and increase business.

“The interface is that every business, while we may have a different product, service, or our ideas may be different, we still have issues that have to do with leadership, issues that have to do with client services, or issues that have to do with communication,” Founding Partner of iNovum Ken Rotondo said. “So, you have all these smart people hanging around and talking with each other.”

The HUB@63 Putnam recently completed an expansion and added a day-work counter to its previously existing 24 offices, conference

rooms, and day-use office.

The downtown location offers fully furnished office suites that include internet, and shared stateof-the-art conference rooms all of which can be rented out for a day, a month or year at a time without the commitment of a long-term lease, purchasing office equipment or hiring staff. There are also has casual lounge areas, cubicles and private phone booths for people who prefer a less formal office space.

The HUB@63 Putnam first opened its doors in October 2013, and its open house is scheduled for early May. There are plans to acquire a second location in Glens Falls could have about 15 offices and provide more shared space geared toward teleworkers.

More information can be found at 63putnam.com and for details on discounts toward current rates call (518) 631-2347.

World-renowned Leaders To Speak At ‘Leadercast’ Saratoga Springs SARATOGA SPRINGS — Community business leaders can learn from the experiences of world-renowned leaders live by attending “Leadercast” at the Davis Auditorium at Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs on Friday, May 9, 2014.

The event is broadcast live from Atlanta, Ga. to hundreds of sites around the world, including Saratoga Springs. This year’s speaker lineup includes: • Andy Stanley, leadership author and communicator • Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Nobel laureate and human rights activist from Cape Town, South Africa • Malcolm Gladwell, journalist and author of “The Tipping Point”

and “Outliers” • Randall Wallace, screenwriter, director, producer and songwriter (“Braveheart”, “Secretariat”) • Bill McDermott, CEO of multinational software corporation SAP • Laura Schroff, former ad sale executive and best-selling author of “An Invisible Thread” • Dr. Henry Cloud, clinical psychologist and leadership consultant • Simon Sinek, best-selling author of “Start with Why” and leadership expert • Laura Bush, first lady of the United States (2001-2009) via exclusive video interview “It is one of the single most consolidated sources of leadership that I know of,” said Tom Roohan, President of Roohan Realty. “But it

goes beyond that. I think this conference, although very focused on leadership, transcends the topic and really shows you how to lead in life.”

Sponsored by Roohan Realty and Leadership Saratoga, Leadercast exists to positively change the way the world thinks about leadership. Leadercast is scheduled from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Friday, May 9, 2014.

Tickets for this premiere event are $99 each which includes the webcast, supporting materials, continental breakfast, lunch and snacks during the day. Seating is limited to 100 people. For more information about “Leadercast,” visit www.leadercast.com and for local details and ticket ordering, please go to www. leadershipsaratoga.org.

Sutton and Tarantino Insurance Offering “Full Suite” of Employee Benefits SARATOGA SPRINGS — Sutton and Tarantino Insurance Agency has announced that it is now offering a “full suite” of employee benefits.

Diane Jorgensen, senior vice president of the employee benefits division, joined the company

with almost 20 years of experience in the industry. Her expertise can assist businesses in navigating through healthcare reform by exploring options in medical, dental, vision, life and disability, long-term care and voluntary services.

Sutton and Tarantino Insurance Agency has offered commercial and personal lines of insurance for over 50 years. For more information, contact Diane Jorgensen or Rod Sutton at (518)584-7600, or email them at dianej@suttoninsuranceagency.com or rods@suttoninsuranceagency.com.

Week of March 28 – April 3, 2014

BUSINESS 9

Running, Walking Specialty Store to Celebrate Grand Opening in Downtown Saratoga Springs

Photo Provided

SARATOGA SPRINGS — iRun LOCAL announced that it will celebrate its grand opening of a running and walking specialty store in downtown Saratoga Springs at 18 Congress Street on Saturday, March 29, 2014 at

10 a.m. iRun LOCAL offers quality running and walking shoes, seasonal fitness apparel, and other running and walking accessories.

The store provides runners and walkers with educated direction on

the proper gear for their unique styles.

“Saratoga Springs boasts a rich running tradition with the state champion Blue Streaks, the Saratoga Stryders running club, and weekly organized races. This city deserves a running specialty store,” said Jamie Mastroianni, owner and founder. “We believe that by providing gear that looks great, feels great, maximizes performance, and helps prevent injuries, we’ll encourage runners and walkers to increase their activity, resulting in better health.” iRun LOCAL creates a welcoming atmosphere for all athletes, with an emphasis on the local community. The store features a “Community Wall,” that details outreach events and opportunities, highlighting local organizations that provide relief and restoration for the community, such as the

“The Games Begin April 1”: Youth2 to Launch Philanthropic Web-Based Game

Youth2 Advisory Board Members. Photo provided.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — To celebrate National Volunteer Month, local non-profit, Youth2 will launch a web-based game called the Humanitarian Games.

During the month of April, players will travel from nonprofit to nonprofit completing community service challenges, receiving special prices and fulfilling school community service requirements.

The game play is simple. Players are presented with a challenge to complete. For example, one challenge is to prepare soup in Shelters of Saratoga’s kitchen using ingredients donated by Esperanto. The soup is then offered to those at the shelter. After completing the challenge, players will be provided with a QR code to scan using their

smart phones or a code to input into a home or library computer. Once the code is inputted more challenges will

be unlocked. Some challenges will also unlock special prizes.

Youth2’s mission is to inspire volunteer work and advocacy at a young age. The board, which is comprised mostly of youth, spends most of the year going over grant requests. This idea for the Humanitarian Games was hatched from a meeting last year when discussing ways to better reach peers.

“We’ve put a lot into making this happen,” said Sami Friedman, Saratoga High School senior and Youth2 Board Member. “We’ve reached out to dozens of local non-profits to participate. And now we are focusing on marketing and reaching all Saratoga County schools.

We have each contacted teachers and club advisers for their support.”

Register for the Games at www. saratogawire.com/humanitarian-games.

Franklin Community Center and The Wilton Food Pantry. The store also uses the latest technology to improve runners’ form through video analysis

of running technique, and provides access to expert advice and training programs from high school and division I coaches.

10

SUMMER CAMPS

Week of March 28 – April 3, 2014

This Week’s SPOLIGHT Cutting Edge Martial Arts and The Soul Center Cutting Edge Martial Art’s A+ After School and Summer Camp Program is a year-round child care solution that provides a positive, structured environment for children after school and during the day in the summer. During the school year, we pick children up directly from the local elementary and middle schools with our 30 passenger bus and 15 passenger van. We provide an hour lesson each day that starts with our “Mat Chat,” a ten minute character education lesson, followed by a full 50-minute martial arts class. Once our warmups and stretching are completed,

northwoods Camp

Is it summer yet?

One and two-week sessions for 1st – 6th graders

June 30 – August 15

Skidmore.edu/camp_northwoods • 518-580-5596

we split our class into two rooms, based on age and rank, so that students get a more individualized lesson. Once class ends at 5 pm, parents have a 30-40 minute window to pick up their children while children have the opportunity after class to get their homework started.

During the summer, children get all the benefits of our A+ Program, but on a grander scale. We offer seven weeks of full day camps (As well as Winter and Spring Break) and have no minimum or maximum number of days per week or number of weeks that a student can attend. Each week of camp,

we have a curriculum of character education lessons, fun games, a Recreation Room with Ping Pong, Foosball, Air Hockey and more and a one hour martial arts class four days a week. We watch a movie in the afternoons twice a week with our high def. projector, have a video game/recreation morning on Fridays and take all our campers on an educational outing on Wednesdays to local museums and a fun and exciting outing every Friday. We also try to find time every couple of weeks to go swimming at the State Park. Our average camp size is 25-40 students, and

we have three full time staff working with our campers. Our goal is to provide a family-friendly and fun environment that feels like a home away from home. Our students have fun learning skills that can be used every day of their lives, and we try to provide memories that will last a lifetime. For many, our summer camps are a wonderful introduction to the martial arts.

One of our goals from our inception was to create a center for the development of the mind, body and spirit. Our goals became a reality in 2013 with the start of The Soul Center: A Center for Fitness,

Wellness, Sports and Arts under one roof! The Soul Center is now home not only to Cutting Edge Martial Arts, but also Slugger’s Den, an indoor baseball training facility, and CAMP: The Capital Area Music Project, a music studio for group music lessons. We offer Piano, Voice, Guitar and Percussion to start. For the first time, campers can opt to add baseball and/or music lessons to their camps this summer.

For more information visit www.

SaratogaMartialArts.com and www.

SoulCenterSaratoga.com or call (518) 587-5501.

Week of March 28 – April 3, 2014

SUMMER CAMPS

Summer Camp Guide 2014 To Advertise in the Summer Camp Guide

Call (518) 581-2480

INCREDIBLE THEMED SESSIONS FOR KIDS AGED 3-8 AFTERNOON ENRICHMENT CLASSES CHILDCARE PROGRAM AVAILABLE FROM 12PM—5PM 

Music and Dance



Arts and Crafts



Sports and Outdoor Recreation



Science and Exploration

For more information visit www.siskids.org or call (518)-583-0841

n o t il W Rec DAY

JULY 1 AUGUST 15

CAMP

9 am - 3 pm

GR ESCAPEEATT RIP TH IS

See RegistraYEAR tio for detailsn Form

• Seven weeks – Entering grades 1-9 • On-site activities/crafts • Daily trips available • Swimming/Sports/Games • Resident and Non-resident rates

• Morning care 8:00 - 9:00 am • Extended afternoon care 3-5:30 pm • Busing available for residents

Registration March 17

June 1 3 • 51 8 .5 8 4.9455

through

FULL CAMP DETAILS AT WWW.TOWNOFWILTON.COM/GAVIN-PARK

11

12

Education

Week of March 28 – April 3, 2014

Saratoga Baby and Toddler Expo To Deliver Info, Deals, Family Atmosphere

by Colette Linton Saratoga TODAY SARATOGA SPRINGS — Just starting a family or raising one and wish that all the options in town would gather to make sorting through the childcare, décor, learning materials and toys more convenient for just a day. It’s not a fairy tale, the third annual Saratoga Baby And Toddler Expo aims to accommodate the interests and needs of the Saratoga family.

The expo will be held Saturday, April 5, from 10 a.m to 2 p.m. at Saratoga Independent School.

“What I think makes this event really special is that there are no other expos in the area focused on babies and toddlers, or focused on parents and parents to-be,” Expo Founder and Owner of SaratogaMama Colleen Pierre said. “And it’s free to attendees; so, it’s really nice to be a new mom and new to the area and see a bunch of smiling faces.”

Saratoga Baby and Toddler Expo started as a way to connect businesses and young families in a way that had never been done before as well as focus on a part of the population that is often overlooked, Pierre said.

“The expo piggy backs off the mission of SaratogaMama to connect the people to the things they need, and there are so many new people here

that they may not know the options for the day programs or mommy exercise,” she said.

This year there will be vendors with information about childcare options, child photography, nursery décor, handmade jewelry and crafts.

Eenie Meenie Music with music teacher Sylvia Bloom will be hosting a free drop-in for children in one of the classrooms at the school.

Saratoga Springs Police Department will be available again this year providing parents with SAFE Child ID cards free of charge.

Pierre also encourages attendees to come hungry: new to this year will be the Wandering Dago food truck which will be preparing some childhood favorites. They will also be giving food preparation demonstrations.

Also new are this year’s sponsors, Healthy Living Market and Café and Northshire Bookstore. “We’re so happy that they are sponsors this year as they serve the family community so well so it’s a great fit for them to be at this expo,” Pierre said.

“We feel that this is a part of our community that we want to

encourage to come into the bookstore,” Northshire Bookstore’s General Manager Nancy Scheemaker said.

“We have a full floor of children’s toys and books and the clothing line is not to be believed. So it’s a good way for us to meet people. We’re just so excited to have the opportunity.”

“We are excited to be part of the Baby and Toddler expo,” said Richie Snyder, community outreach/marketing team member of Healthy Living Market. “It’s another opportunity for Healthy Living Market and Cafe to connect with the community to show them what we are all about.”

Admission to the Saratoga Baby And Toddler Expo is free to attendees.

The first 200 attendees will receive a reusable gift bag as a door prize with information and special offers from the event’s vendors.

Saratoga Independent School is located at 459 Lake Avenue, Saratoga Springs. Additional information about the expo and the expected vendors can be found at www.saratogababyexpo.com or at the event’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/ saratogababyexpo.

Skidmore’s Drastic Measures to Sing at Spring Benefit Concert for Saratoga Sponsor-A-Scholar

SARATOGA SPRINGS — The Skidmore College Drastic Measures, a co-ed a cappella music group, will headline its annual benefit concert at 8 p.m. Friday, March 28, in the college’s Filene Recital Hall.

The program will feature music

by Drastic Measures along with performances by Skidmore a cappella music groups the Dynamics, the Sonneteers, the Accents and the Treblemakers. The Racing City Chorus, always a crowd-pleaser, also will perform. Suggested donation for admission is $5 per person.

Skidmore’s Drastic Measures has a tradition of singing to support community organizations.

This year’s concert beneficiary is Saratoga Sponsor-A-Scholar, which

Photo Provided

assists economically disadvantaged young men and women with completing high school and graduating from college.

The mission of the Saratoga Sponsor-A-Scholar program is to increase access to higher educational by offering support in the form of

time, mentors and financial assistance. The direct beneficiaries of the program include students and their families, but the community at large will also benefit from Sponsor-AScholar students returning with college degrees improving the overall culture of the community.

Week of March 28 – April 3, 2014

Education

13

Saratoga Casino and Raceway Hosts Circus Smirkus ‘Big Top Tour’

All Proceeds Go To Waldorf School of Saratoga Springs SARATOGA SPRINGS — In conjunction with the Waldorf School of Saratoga Springs, Saratoga Casino and Raceway announced that it will host the international youth circus troupe, ‘Circus Smirkus,’ on their outdoor polo field July 12 and 13 with a show scheduled for each day at 1 p.m and 7 p.m.

All proceeds raised by the “Big Top Tour” at the casino will go directly to the Waldorf School of Saratoga Springs.

This year’s theme, “Anchors Away For Atlantis,” will bring thirty youth circus stars ages 10 to 18 and the over 5,000 square foot ‘Big Top Tent’ to the polo fields at Saratoga Casino and Raceway.

Joining Smirkus for his third summer on the tour is Saratoga Springs’ own Keenan WrightSanson, who is a junior at the Waldorf High School. Keenan specializes in the slack line, balance acts, and will also show

Smirkus, from 2006 to 2010.

“The Waldorf School is excited to be presenting Circus Smirkus for the eighth year in a row. It’s a wonderful event for the entire Saratoga community, and we are pleased to partner with Saratoga Casino and Raceway,” said Katherine Scharff, the school’s administrator. “We are also so proud of Keenan for being accepted into the Smirkus troupe, again. It will be fun to see what tricks he’ll try this year.”

This summer’s tour marks the first time the event will be held at

From left: Rita Cox, senior vice president of marketing and external affairs; Taylor Wright-Sanson; Keenan Wright-Sanson, Circus Smirkus performer; Skip Carlson, vice president of external affairs and signature service; Katherine Scharff, Waldorf School of Saratoga administrator; Rich Valmore, IT manager at Saratoga Casino and Raceway. Photo provided.

off his clowning abilities. He is the younger brother of Taylor

Wright-Sanson, a Waldorf School alumnus who also toured with

Bridging People and Places Offers Scholarship For Students Who Have Faced Serious Illness or Serious Life Crisis SCUYLERVILLE— Bridging People and Places, a nonprofit corporation, offers an annual scholarship for a young person who has faced a serious illness or a serious life crisis.

The $500 scholarship, in memory of David J. Vanderzee, founder of Willard Mountain Ski Area, is offered for the purpose of pursuing post-secondary education. Applicants must be accepted by or enrolled in a certified technical or vocational

training program or an undergraduate or graduate program for the semester following the application.

Previous recipients of this scholarship may apply again, provided that they are in good standing with their educational institution. Each applicant is asked to provide a statement of goals, a personal essay, three letters of recommendation and financial information demonstrating their need for financial

assistance. Awards will be made to promising students with significant financial need. Completed applications must be postmarked

by April 30, 2014 in order to be considered. The scholarship application can be downloaded from the website, www.bridgingpeople.org or obtained by contacting Lorraine Thompson, Scholarship Chairperson at (518) 695-3349.

Saratoga Casino and Raceway.

Tickets will be available starting May 1, by calling toll-free 1-877-SMIRKUS or by visiting smirkus.org.

Circus Smirkus is a nonprofit, award-winning, international youth circus founded with the mission of promoting the skills, culture and traditions of the traveling circus arts. Now in its 27th year, the Vermont-based organization has helped raise over $2.5 million for nonprofit partners.

14

Heroin and criminal units.

When asked to estimate the percentage, Sergeant Sicko commented. “Undercover buys of heroin were maybe two out of 100 just a couple of years ago, when we saw mostly crack cocaine and pills on the street. Today, I would estimate it’s closer to 50 percent.”

He said.

The Prevention Council of Saratoga confirms that a significant uptick in heroin usage in this community has occurred, as part of a nationwide trend. Executive Director Janine Stuchin noted: “No one starts off on heroin.

National and local studies have shown that the recent upsurge in heroin use is directly connected with prescription pain killer (opiate) abuse.”

The purpose of this article is not to sensationalize or unduly alarm, but to educate and advocate that if your head is in the sand about heroin in Saratoga County and you are thinking “it can’t happen here,” take a look around.

“It” already is happening.

And while no one will

purport that Saratoga County has as bad a problem as some of the larger and more urban cities, to deny the insidious presence of this most insidious of drugs would be irresponsible.

Both Ms. Stuchin and Sgt. Sicko cite the relative inexpensiveness of heroin as a factor in its recent rise in usage. “Heroin is less expensive than illicit prescription pain killers such as oxycodone, explaining the trend toward increased heroin use.”

Ms. Stuchin noted. Sgt. Sicko also noted the “difficult, painful withdrawal process” that is involved from heroin once addicted that will naturally keep people looking for their next fix.

Compounding this is the phenomenon of the “chase after the initial high,” as Sgt. Sicko put it, which would lead a user who might have started snorting heroin to graduate to a needle for a greater effect.

Finally, you have the factor that, according to any study, the profile of the heroin user is younger than ever. “One of the recent overdoses we had was

Week of March 28 – April 3, 2014

continued from page 1 L to R: Game Over: Individual dealers mark their nickel and dime bags with their “brand” so that users think they know what they are getting – yet the reality is often otherwise; Sgt. Sicko shows off an array of evidence from several recent heroin-related arrests; hypodermic needles from a recent arrest in the city, indicating intravenous use. Photos by Mark Bolles

someone in their 20s,” Sgt. Sicko noted, “Fortunately, he was not a fatality.”

For the user, Sgt. Sicko noted that a factor compounding the danger of heroin are the other substances that are lacing it; substances which can be even more lethal than the heroin itself. “You don’t know what you are accepting or where it came from.” Sgt. Sicko noted. “In contrast, you can look at a given pill and if you are savvy, recognize the manufacturer – although this is not foolproof.”

Heroin dealers attempt to mitigate this by engaging in a “branding” exercise: Labeling their nickel or dime bags with a logo or markings that would tend to inspire a false sense of confidence – I’ve bought this before, it’s OK – yet, Sargent Sicko rightly points out that the street dealer has little knowledge of where today’s batch came from, if they were inclined to care in the first place.

He spread an array of evidence bags before us and my eyes kept going to one dealer’s mark.

How desperate would you have to be to shoot up from a bag that is marked “Game Over.”?

But is the game over? Hardly.

“We have a number of fulltime people who are on top of this daily,” Sgt. Sicko noted, “you’re seeing a significant increase in heroin arrests because our people, working with other law enforcement divisions such as the State Police, as well as a network of informants, are battling this daily and we have no intention of pulling back.”

“It’s a matter of constant vigilance.”

-Sergeant Tim Sicko

“We are nowhere near the level of activity of other cities precisely because we are fortunate to have a group of young officers who are dedicated and on top of things… when a dealer comes to town to set up shop, we usually know who that person is already,” he continued. “But it’s a matter of constant vigilance.”

In that connection, Sgt. Sicko noted that while the profile of the heroin user has gotten younger, this is not a major problem at either the High School (where he lauded the work of Officer Lloyd Davis who is stationed there), or on the Skidmore campus at this point.

The Prevention Council confirms this, to some extent.

“Our data from student surveys in Saratoga County show about eight percent of high school students are involved in prescription drug abuse and one percent reporting using heroin,” noted Janine Stuchin.

Any law enforcement officer would acknowledge that even with a consistent focus on interdicting heroin supply, long-term effectiveness of any effort is dependent upon programs that educate and impact

on demand. Sgt. Sicko, while acknowledging that the restoration of D.A.R.E. (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) funding in the city is something on his “wish list,” cites that the education programs provided by the Prevention Council are invaluable.

“The role of the Prevention Council in addressing the scourge of heroin in our community is to be preventive rather than reactive.” Ms. Stuchin said.

We do this through programs, like Too Good for Drugs, taught in many local school districts, which educate children on the inherent dangers.”

“We regularly collaborate with law enforcement with drug take-back days. For instance, the next National Prescription Take-Back Day will be Saturday, April 26 and we will be announcing local sites that will be participating.”

But both the police and Prevention Council note that the real education and greatest impact is an outgrowth of effective parenting. “Parents should not be afraid to talk to their kids and find out ‘what do you know about this stuff ?’ Look at who they are hanging out with and take note of changes in behavior and appearance, for instance.”

Sgt. Sicko said.

While it would be nice to have an ending here, in fact this is a story about the process of progress, the ebb and flow of societal struggles and responses; perhaps a battle that will never be won, but nonetheless a battle worth undertaking daily.

Week of March 28 – April 3, 2014

Reporter’s View

15

A Facebook Feelgood Story

by Arthur Gonick Saratoga TODAY SARATOGA SPRINGS – This is a story about two local ladies who happened to be conversing on Facebook.

Neither of them wanted this story to be about them, although their good intentions (and even better actions) are highly notable, particularly when contrasted against the typical narcissistic drivel and/or selfies for attention that seem to dominate my “news feed.” But they are real, and your neighbors.

The first is Kathy Frank, an entrepreneur I have known for years. A caring wife and mother, she’s the type who is always there to support everyone. You know the kind, or at least I hope you do. The other is Laurie Coppola. She’s a nurse in a pediatric intensive care unit of a major regional medical center. Both make their homes in Saratoga Springs.

Kathy had posted something that had inspired her based on a news segment she had seen. It was very simple, yet generated an outpouring of responses: “So many children are confined to a cancer ward for months to receive chemo/radiation yet can’t afford things as like an iPad... or simple technology that some of us have more than we know what to do with…Wouldn’t it be nice to start a collection of used iPads sitting around our homes and donate them to Capital District Hospitals to give to those children that don’t have access to these?”

One of the many who responded was her friend Laurie, who in addition to supporting an ongoing need for these types of items, also noted that her facility had recently lost several things that the children used due to a variety of circumstances. She posted: “Almost all of the most popular games …are a great tool at the time of need for the sickest of our kids. If you have any games for

any kind of platform (PS, Wii or XBOX) and you don’t mind parting with them…”

That was all that Kathy and her friends needed to hear. The “likes” exploded, the shares and comments went crazy, and most importantly, donations and pledges starting coming in from all over.

“It was gratifying to see the response,” Laurie said. “I’m really proud to be part of this community.”

As the items started streaming towards Kathy’s home, she posted again saying why she was doing this. Mind you, this is a woman with a pretty full boat to begin with: “…children and parents spend a long and often unbearable time with little family support because the family lives hours away and can’t afford to come visit very often… cancer doesn’t discriminate/neither does tragedy.

We would like you to help these kids in a small way make their stay bearable.”

Kathy and Laurie together identified a list of things that the pediatric unit could use to make their client patients and families stay more comfortable.

• Leap Pads/V-Tech Games for toddlers • iPads/iPods/Tablets • Picture Books for toddlers/books for all ages • DVD’s for all age groups • Games for Xbox/Wii/PlayStation • Arts and Crafts • Board games (with all pieces included) • Card Games i.e.: UNO • Any used game system that you have upgraded.

As the last item on the list indicates, even gently used pieces will be appreciated. While Kathy and Laurie’s friends have been dropping off items to their respective homes, this is a need that is ongoing. A little phone research revealed that several pediatric units throughout the country are sharing this need.

So, we invite you to

participate. If you wish, please bring any items that are in good working order and are no longer needed, those that are perhaps just gathering dust in your basement, to our office at 5 Case Street. We will make sure that these items get to Kathy and Laurie, and then to the patients and families that truly need it.

Call it spring cleaning with a a purpose.

16

Week of March 28 – April 3, 2014

A Fashionable Move!

Fifth Annual Electric City Couture Fashion Show To Highlight Regional Designers

Designer: Kim Vanyo.

Photo by Cindy Shultz

by Arthur Gonick Saratoga TODAY

Designers participating in the show include:

SARATOGA SPRINGS — A major Capital Region original juried runway fashion extravaganza will be moving this April 26 to the Spa City.

Electric City Couture and Universal Preservation Hall will co-present the “5th Annual Electric City Couture Fashion Show — Saratoga Edition,” featuring both established and upand-coming regional fashion designers in a juried, pure runway experience.

The evening will showcase signature collections of six regional designers and will include roughly 55 male and female models on the runway. Targeted proceeds from this year’s show will go to the ongoing restoration work of Historic Universal Preservation Hall, a year-round arts and community events venue located at 25 Washington Street in Saratoga Springs.

“Universal Preservation Hall is a beautiful venue to showcase Upstate New York’s burgeoning fashion scene,” said Dorothy ‘Teddy’ Foster, Director of Universal Preservation Hall.

The Electric City Couture mission is to provide a platform to increase awareness for regional fashion designers and fashion support industries to stimulate a regional fashion based economy.

“It is crucial that our communities show support for small business in all industries, including the arts and fashion,” said F. Michael Tucker, president and CEO of the Center for Economic Growth (CEG). “We support Electric City Couture’s goal of connecting local retailers with local designers to contribute to the creative economy of our region; which also supports these small business owners.”

• Kim Vanyo of Khymanyo Studios (Saratoga Springs) • ‘eko logic (Troy), • Jane Wilson Marquis (Putnam Valley) • Behida Millinery (Hudson) • Kristina Collins Clothing (Saratoga Springs) • Gamakache Black by Margaret Persaud (Brooklyn) A new edition to this year’s show format will be the ability to “buy it off the runway” in a retail sales area that will be available both after the show on Saturday for show attendees and on Sunday, April 27, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. for the general public. This year’s show will be a partnership between Proctors Theater of Schenectady, N.Y., Universal Preservation Hall and Electric City Couture. It is designed to highlight the strengths of the regional creative economy.

The Honorary Chair for the event is Julie Bonacio.

Live DJ music will be provided

by Albany-based, Nate da Great. A special entertainment segment is yet to be announced.

Event tickets can be purchased in advance through the Proctors Theatre Box Office starting April 1 at 432 State Street, by calling (518) 346-6204 or online at electriccitycouture.com.

Proctors Theater is a founding partner.

Special seating is available to media and fashion industry professionals including independent boutique owners with RSVP. Contact: info@electriccitycouture.com This year’s show is also sponsored in part through contributions of Sonny and Julie Bonacio, Keeler Mercedes, Skinny Girl Vodka and Lifestyles of Saratoga.

For more information, contact Corey Aldrich at (518) 928-4622 or corey@2440designstudio.com.

NEWS

Week of March 28 – April 3, 2014

17

A Voice For Veterans: Spring Into Action

by Jackie Kingsland Saratoga TODAY

After a lengthy and monotonous winter season, not only is the meteorological winter behind us, our calendars also insist the first day of spring arrived on March 20.

A good time for moving items into storage for the next several months and planning for future trips and upcoming events. It’s also an opportunity for organizing and planning for a mission.

With that said, listed below is a list summarizing military organizations, veteran services and resources and general information for our military men and women and their families. You may recognize many of these— they have all been mentioned previously in the column: SUNY Empire State College (www.esc.edu), located on Union Avenue in Saratoga Springs, is a Service members Opportunity College (SOC). SOC is an alliance of higher education facilities and participating institutions partnering with the Department of Defense (DoD) and the branches of service to help meet the needs of service members and their families.

Within the college commitment to our veterans is the Director of the Office of Veterans and Military Education (OVME). The OVME not only provides information to veteran and military students, they also offer web-based material for students, staff and the public on a variety of veteran topics (www.

Esc.edu/mil). For details, contact (518) 587-2100.

Operation Adopt a Soldier, a long standing non-profit organization located in Wilton, forwards care packages to our troops. With the help of community volunteers and Board members, the organization offers reinforcement to military families, as well as maintains a volunteer staff for home repairs, financial planning and support group referrals. Feel free to browse their website at w w w.op erationadoptas oldier.org for further information, to read soldier’s letters and for fundraising events and useful links.

Service members once walking in stride, dressed in uniform, focused, now finding themselves homeless with no place to call their own can contact the Saratoga County

Rural Preservation Company (SRPC), located in Ballston Spa at (518) 885-0091 or visit www.

Saratogarpc.org. The dedicated staff of funding and volunteers will help with the needs of veterans—transition housing, longterm employment services, training assistance and life-skills programs.

If you are a veteran and would enjoy the camaraderie of other veterans and families, as well as participating in one of the oldest military organizations, contact VFW Post 420 located on Excelsior Springs Avenue, in Saratoga. There are eligibility requirements for membership.

Please contact www.vfrpost420. com for additional information and further details for support of veterans and their family members.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a highly common dilemma for many returning service members. Its effects are those military combat or war-related issues and are witnessed by family members, children, spouses, neighbors and co-workers. One great resource for a complete understanding and accurate description, as well as examples of this concern,

can be found in the book “After the Trauma the Battle Begins: Post Trauma Healing,” written by a former Corporal and Drill Instructor of the Royal Marines Commandoes (England) and currently a priest, Reverend Nigel Mumford.

The Veteran’s Business Council, a newer endeavor of the Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce (www.saratoga.org), assists veterans with their search for work in collaboration with the Saratoga County Veteran Service Agency (www.saratogacounty.ny.gov). With the 25 Chamber members, mostly veterans, the Council connects veterans with the business community, facilitating events and matching the veteran employee with the ideal employer in the area. For further details, contact Denise Romeo at the Saratoga County Chamber (518) 5843255 or email directly: dromeo@ saratoga.org.

Additional veteran resources are as follows: Association of the U.S. Army, Capital District of New York Chapter (www.ausacdny.com) Excelsior College, Center for Military Education Office

(888) 647-2388, ext. 1352 (www.escelsior.edu) Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) (www.va.gov) A Notable Mention: On Saturday, March 29, from 1-3 p.m., a Vietnam War Commemoration and panel discussion, sponsored by the Association of the U.S. Army Capital District of New York Chapter, will be held at the NYS Military Museum on Lake Avenue in Saratoga.

Second Notable Mention: A newly created website, by Mark Brockway of Fort Edward, is for all veterans who have served and have an honorable discharge and are interested in providing a service to fellow comrades. Visit www.SNCHGA.com to become a member of The Saratoga National Cemetery Honor Huard Association. You many also contact Adjutant: Al Ernst, 10 Liberty Street, Schuylerville, NY 12871 or email image347@verizon.net or contact Mark Brockway at brockway18@hvwisp.net.

Thank you as always to all of our veterans and their loved ones for all that you do. See you next month here in Saratoga TODAY.

Last Weekend For Maple Weekend continued from page 1

Plenty Of Pancakes, Syrup To Go Around

to another high-packed weekend this weekend.”

Mapleland Farms is about 1,000 gallons behind for the midterm season, but it’s not until the leaves of the trees start to sprout that brings the syrup harvest season to a “not-so-sweet” close.

“I’ll start worrying once the leaves come out. When the leaves come out, the sap still flows but it becomes bitter,” she said. “We’ll hold out to the ‘bitter end’.”

Harvesting sap from the Maple trees could go well into May because of the snow that is still on the ground, Packer said.

Despite the slower than usual pace of sap flow in the trees, the product produced thus far is worth the work and wait.

“What we’ve made so far is fantastic,” Packer said. “It’s a light color. We’re making all Grade-A to medium now.”

This weekend will conclude Maple Weekend at many area sugar houses. However, some sugar houses have restaurants and stores that are open year round.

For more information on the sugar houses participating in Maple Weekend and the area sugar houses participating, visit mapleweekend.com.

Dry Brook Sugar House 432 Chambers Road Salem, NY 12865 (518) 854-3955 Dry Brook Sugar House is serving pancake breakfasts from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. and is hosting horse-drawn sleigh/ wagon rides – weather permitting.

Mapleland Farms 647 Bunkerhill Road Salem, NY (518) 854-7669 Serving breakfast from 9 a.m. to 1

p.m., and open until 4 p.m. There will be tours of the sugar house, pancake breakfast, and maple cotton candy.

Nightingale’s Maple Farm 4888 Jersey Hill Road Amsterdam, NY 12010 (518) 882-9334 At Nightingale’s Maple Farm there will be sap collection demonstrations, syrup taste testing and hot apple and corn fritters. Open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

Rathbun’s Maple Sugar House 1208 Hatch Hill Road Whitehall, NY 12887 (518) 642-1799 Rathbun’s Maple Sugar House will be serving breakfast from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. and hosting horse-drawn wagon rides (weather permitting).

Rathbun’s open house will continue until Easter Sunday, but its restaurant

Cyndie and Abby were all smiles at Nightingale’s Maplefarm. Photos by MarkBolles.com

is open year round. They’ll be boiling at their sugar house and will have free tastings this weekend.

Sugar Oak Farms 50 Atkins Road Malta, NY 12020 (518) 288-8653

Participating 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, March 30 only. This will be Sugar Oak Farm’s first year in their new sugar house. They will be giving interactive tours of the sugaring operation, and there will be free maple coffee.

18

Week of March 28 – April 3, 2014

Reshaping Mind, Body and Soul

Local Businesses Give Back To The Community

by Monique Boulet For Saratoga TODAY

I recently became a member of Reform, a True Pilates Studio at 18 Division Street, Saratoga Springs. Entering the studio, you cannot help but be impressed with the charm of the rooms, the soothing colors and lights, the cleanliness and the overall way everything flowed so freely.

We began with few private lessons with Pilates instructors Arielle and Cindy. They both were very well trained and well

versed in their teachings.

After connecting my mind and body to the work and appreciating the lengthening and strengthening of engaging my core with the rest of my body, I realized that this was a completely different type of workout than I had done in a while and it felt good to mix up my routine.

I also had an opportunity to sit and chat with owner, Meghan Del Prete. Meghan started her

Photos By Tracey Buyce Photography

practice on Broadway but found a space on Division Street for her expansive and growing business.

I was interested in learning more about a new program she has implemented this year called “Pilates for a Purpose.”

“I honestly believe that I have the best job in the world.

It is a privilege to work with so many great clients and staff every day teaching Pilates, and it is exciting how the studio has grown over the last few years,” Meghan Del Prete said. “I am happy to have a way to give back to the community that has done so much to supports us.”

It’s easy to have a true appreciation for Meghan’s mission, and her desire to help give back to the community. “Pilates for a Purpose” is part of Meghan’s Community Outreach Program.

It is an hour Pilates mat class suitable for all levels. There is no fee for the class. Donations are accepted for a different nonprofit organization each week, and 100 percent of the donations are given to a non-profit group.

Donations should be in the form of cash or check written out to the non-profit. Each Saturday schedule for these classes and the non-profit group who the proceeds will go to are at reformyourbody.com.

Some notes to those taking one of these free classes: If this is your first time visiting the studio, please plan to arrive 15 minutes early to fill out paperwork and settle in. Please wear comfortable clothing and socks.

If you own a yoga mat, please bring it. Please discuss any injuries or physical limitations with the instructor before the class begins.

If you are a business, corporation, food establishment or non-profit organization and have some news you would like to share on your healthy initiatives, I welcome the information. We are, after all, working together to create one of the healthiest areas in the world!

Monique Boulet RD, CDN, CPT OrganiqueByMonique.com (518) 312-6309 moniqueboulet@hotmail.com

Week of March 28 – April 3, 2014

‘Making The World A Better Place’ Take a look at this week’s newest club members!

Abigal

Andrew

Gabriella

Jared

Gavin

Joshua

As part of their efforts to “make the world a better place,” the girls from Dorothy Nolan Daisy Troop 3119 donated boxes of Girl Scout cookies to the houseguests of Shelters of Saratoga (SOS) to be delivered by SOS Volunteer Amy Hughes.

Ballston Spa Troupe Presents ‘Footloose The Musical’ BALLSTON SPA — A Talented Ensemble cast of 42 Ballston Spa High School Students is proud to present “Footloose the Musical,” March 28-29 and April 4-5 at 7:30 p.m. as well as a special Matinee Performance on March 29 at 1:30 p.m.

The show will be presented at the Ballston Spa High School Auditorium. Tickets will be available at the door for $10 for adults and $5 for students/ seniors.

The musical tells the story of the lively city boy, Ren (Played by Keenon McCollum), who moves to a small town called Bomont,

where the memory of a tragedy has caused a ban on dancing. Ren quickly finds himself at odds with the community lead by the Reverend Shaw Moore (played by Tyler Loewenstein).

The Reverends daughter, Ariel is played by Krysta Prehoda.

Other cast members are Melissa Ferlo, Emily Ventriello, Marley Amico, Zach Hall, Rachael Charette, Brian Cecala, Jade Charland, Kim Phillips, Danielle Phillips, Zach Garner, Anthony Seyboth, Stephan Washburn, Zach Pinto, Kevin Miller, Jacob Block, Brielle Wheeler, Mark Camilli, Will

Seifert, Jonah Windus, Mason Webster, Gillian Flannery, Andrea Killian, Olivia Sanders, Caitlyn Shanley, Frankie Gardner, Kiersta Pino, Emma Alteri, Katie Martino, Milissa Dame, Ellie Frantz, Madeline McIntyre, Delaney Andersen, Kelly Collins, Dana Drosdick, Lauren Bell, Olivia DeRagon.

The Creative team includes Laurie Larson (Director), Brian Retersdorf (Musical Director), Patrick Ferlo (Set and Lighting Design), Patti Mullin (Producer), Laurie and Olivia Larson (Choreographers), and Michaela Wilson (Costumes).

Tooth Fairy Club is sponsored by:

Nicole M. Byrne, D.M.D Pediatric Dentistry 659 Saratoga Road Gansevoort, New York 12831 (518) 226-6010

19

20

Best Of Saratoga

Week of March 28 – April 3, 2014

Week of March 28 – April 3, 2014

Best Of saratoga

21

22

Best of saratoga

Week of March 28 – April 3, 2014

Week of March 28 – April 3, 2014

fun and games

Puzzles Across 1 Ancient Egyptian pictograph, e.g.

6 Game, __, match 9 Signs 14 Tiny South Pacific nation 15 High-tech film effects, for short 16 Spreading like wildfire, as online videos 17 Place for a Hold ‘em game 19 Breathing 20 Missouri tributary 21 Approved of, on Facebook 22 Golf club part 25 Some evergreens 26 Visualize 27 Hindu royal 28 Feels poorly 30 Lith. and Ukr. were part of it 33 Swear (to) 36 See 38-Across 38 With 36-Across, needy people 39 Located in that place, in legalese 41 Arctic wastelands 43 Slippery fish 44 Baby bed 46 Veterans Day tradition 47 Trace amount 49 Afternoon socials 51 Garden locale 52 __ de plume 54 Onetime Russian monarch 56 DUI-fighting gp.

57 Social division 59 Trojan War hero 61 Some highway ramps 62 Nabisco cookies ... and what you might cry upon solving this puzzle’s three other longest answers?

66 Long-extinct birds 67 Assembly aid 68 Open-mouthed 69 Opposition 70 Sloppy farm area 71 Bedbugs, e.g.

Down 1 Treasury Dept. variable 2 Mekong River language 3 Relative of har

23

See puzzle solutions on page 37

Level: 1

2

3

4

Complete the grid so each row, column and 3-by-3 box (in bold borders) contains every digit, 1 to 9. For strategies on how to solve Sudoku, visit www.sudoku.org.uk SOLUTION TO SATURDAY’S PUZZLE

3/24/14

© 2014 The Mepham Group. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency. All rights reserved.

See puzzle solution on page 37 4 Dressed more like an Exeter student 5 Fling 6 Nova __ 7 Self-serving activity 8 Broadcaster’s scheduling unit 9 Racetracks 10 Surroundings 11 Officer Frank Poncherello portrayer of ‘70s-’80s TV 12 Congregation area 13 Snowy day toy 18 U.K. flying squad 22 Like Parmesan, commonly 23 Newsman Dan 24 Slogan seen on computer stickers 29 Salad go-with 31 Treelined 32 Email again

34 Wall Street watchdog org.

35 Tangy 37 Genetic info transmitter 40 Dapper pins 42 Equestrian competition 45 Single or double, say 48 Deepest part 50 Rational state 53 Complicated, as a breakup 55 Sales staff member 57 Give up, as territory 58 Nervous system transmitter 60 With all haste, in memos 63 Owns 64 Get off the fence 65 Hoped-for answer to a certain proposal

Writing the Right Word by Dave Dowling Accuracy in word choice is a key to effective communication. This quick weekly tip will help you filter the confusion in some of our daily word choices.

Baited, Bated Baited means to entice or lure something.

We baited the mousetrap with peanut butter.

Bated means to lessen the force or intensity of something.

The team waited with bated breath to see who won the game.

Dave Dowling is the author of the The Wrong Word Dictionary and The Dictionary of Worthless Words. Signed copies are available for purchase at the gifts and home goods store, Homessence on Broadway in Saratoga Springs.

24 Adirondack Christian Fellowship 8 Mountain Ledge, Wilton 587-0623; acfsaratoga.com Services: Sunday 8 a.m. & 10 a.m.

Adirondack Friends Meeting 27 Saratoga Ave., S. Glens Falls 793-3755; AdirondackFM@ nycap.rr.com; www.adirondackfriendsmeeting.org Regina Baird Haag, pastoral minister Services: 10:30 a.m. Sunday The Alliance Church 257 Rowland St., Ballston Spa 885-6524 Services: Morn. Worship 10:30 a.m.

Assembly of God Faith Chapel 6 Burgoyne St., Schuylerville 695-6069 Rev. Jason Proctor Services: Sunday 10:45 a.m.

Assembly of God Saratoga 118 Woodlawn Ave., Saratoga Springs 584-6081 Services: Sunday Worship 10 a.m., coffee served at 9:45 a.m.

Bacon Hill Reformed Church 560 Route 32N, Bacon Hill 695-3074 Rev. Janet Vincent Services: Worship service 10 a.m.

Sunday School 10 a.m.

All are welcome.

Handicapped accessible.

Baha’i Community of Saratoga Springs 584-9679; 692-7694; usbnc.org.

Ballston Center Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church

RELIGION 58 Charlton Road, Ballston Spa 885-7312; ballstoncenterarpchurch.org Services: Sunday Worship Service, 10:30 a.m.

Ballston Spa United Methodist Church 101 Milton Ave., Ballston Spa 885-6886 Services: Sunday 10 a.m.

Bethesda Episcopal Church 41 Washington St., Saratoga Springs 584-5980 Services: Sunday 6:30, 8 & 10 a.m.

Church of Christ at Clifton Park 7 Old Route 146, Clifton Park 371-6611; cliftonparkchurchofchrist. com Services: Sunday 10:30 a.m.

Christ Community Reformed Church 1010 Route 146, Clifton Park 371-7654; ccrc-cpny.org.

Services: Sundays 10 a.m.

Christ Episcopal Church Routes 50 & 67, Ballston Spa 885-1031 Services: Sunday 8 & 10 a.m.

Christian Restoration Ministries Saratoga Senior Center 5 Williams St., Saratoga Springs 796-4323 Pastor Pat Roach Services: Sunday 10 a.m.; 6:30 p.m.

Congregation Shaara Tfille 84 Weibel Avenue, Saratoga Springs 584-2370;

saratogasynagogue.org Services: Saturday 9:30 a.m., Monday & Thursday 7:30 a.m., third Friday each month 7:30 p.m. Handicapped Accessible Corinth Free Methodist Church 20 Hamilton Ave., Corinth 654-9255; 792-0271 Services: Sunday at 10 a.m.

Corinth United Methodist Church 243 Main Street, Corinth 654-2521 cfumc@cnyconnect.net Services: Sunday 10:30 a.m.

Cornerstone Community Church 516 Park Ave., Mechanicville 664-5204 Pastor Frank Galerie mycornerstonechurch.org Services: Sundays at 10:30 a.m.

Corpus Christi Roman Catholic Community 2001 Route 9, Round Lake 877-8506, ccorpusc@nycap. rr.com Services: Saturday 4 p.m.; Sunday 8:30 & 10:30 a.m.; Weekday Masses: MondayFriday 9 a.m.

Eastern Orthodox— Christ the Savior 349 Eastline Road, Ballston Spa 786-3100; xcsavior@yahoo.com.

Services: Sunday: 9:30 a.m.

First Baptist Church of Saratoga Springs 45 Washington St., Saratoga Springs 584-6301 Services: Sunday: 11 a.m.

First Baptist Church of Ballston Spa 202 Milton Ave., Ballston Spa 885-8361;

Week of March 28 – April 3, 2014 bspabaptist.org Services: 10:30 a.m. worship 9 a.m. Sunday School (all ages) First Presbyterian Church of Ballston Spa 22 West High St., Ballston Spa 885-5583 Services: Sunday at 10 a.m.

Full Gospel Tabernacle 207 Redmond Road, Gansevoort 793-2739 Services: Sunday 10 a.m.; Bible Study: Thursday 6:30 p.m.

Galway United Methodist Church 2056 East Street (at intersection of Route 147), Galway 882-6520 www.galway-unitedmethodist-church.com Services: Sunday 9:30 a.m.

(9 a.m. in July and August) Grace Brethren Church 137 W. Milton Road, Ballston Spa 587-0649 Rev. Dan Pierce Services: Sunday 10 a.m.

Handicapped accessible.

Greater Grace Community Church Pastor David Moore 899-7777; thechurch@ggccmalta.org Services: Wednesday 7:30 p.m. - Friday 7:00 p.m.

Sunday 10 a.m.

Greenfield Center Baptist Church 30 Wilton Road, Greenfield Center 893-7429 Services: Sunday School for all ages - 9:45 a.m.

Church Service - 11 a.m.

Prayer Meeting - Wednesday 6:30 p.m.

Highway Tabernacle Church 90 River Road, Mechanicville 664-4442 Services: Sunday 10:30 a.m.

Hope Church 206 Greenfield Ave., Ballston Spa 885-7442 Services: Sunday 10 a.m.

Jonesville United Methodist 963 Main St., Clifton Park 877-7332 Services: Sunday 8:30 & 10:30 a.m. Sunday School 9:30 a.m.

Living Springs Community Church 59 Pine Road, Saratoga Springs 584-9112 Services: Sunday 10:30 a.m.

Living Waters Church of God 4330 State Rt. 50, Saratoga Springs 587-0484; livingwaterscog.us Services: Sundays 10 a.m.

Malta Presbyterian Church Dunning Street, Malta 899-5992 Services: Sunday 10 a.m.

Malta Ridge United Methodist Church 729 Malta Ave., Ext., Malta 581-0210 Services: Sunday 10:30 a.m.

Middle Grove United Methodist Church 581-2973 Pastor Bonnie Bates Services: Sunday 9 a.m.

Handicapped accessible New Horizon Church 150 Perry Road, Saratoga Springs 587-0711 Services: Sunday 9:30 a.m.

RELIGION

Week of March 28 – April 3, 2014 New Life Fellowship 51 Old Gick Road, ­­ Saratoga Springs 580-1810; newlifeinsaratoga.org.

Services: Sunday 10:30 a.m.

Childcare is available at all services.

NorthStar Church Gowana Middle School, Clifton Park 371-2811; northstarchurch.com Services: Sunday 9:30 a.m. & 11:15 a.m.

Old Saratoga Reformed Church 48 Pearl St., Schuylerville oldsaratogareformedchurch. org Services: Sunday 10:30 a.m.

Handicapped accessible.

Old Stone Church (American Baptist) 159 Stone Church Road, Ballston Spa 583-1002 Services: Sunday 9 a.m.; Adult Sunday School 9 a.m.; Service 10:30 a.m.

Coffee and Fellowship in Living Stone Hall; Wednesday: Noon potluck luncheon; 1 p.m. choir rehearsal; 2 p.m. Bible Study Group Our Lady of Grace Roman Catholic Church 73 Midline Road, Ballston Lake 399-5713 Services: Saturday 5 p.m.

Sunday 8:15 & 10:15 a.m.

Handicapped accessible.

Presbyterian-NE Congregational Church 24 Circular St., Saratoga Springs 584-6091; pnecchurch.org Services: Sunday 10:45 a.m.

Quaker Springs United Methodist Church 466 Route 32 South, Quaker Springs 695-3101; qsumc.com Pastor Al Johnson Services: Sunday 9 a.m.

Handicapped accessible.

River of Hope Fellowship

100 Saratoga Village Blvd.

Malta Cmns., Ste. 3 881-1505; riverofhopefellowship.com Services: Sunday 10 a.m.

Roman Catholic Church of St. Peter 241 Broadway, Saratoga Springs 584-2375 Services: Eucharistic Celebrations: Saturday 5 p.m.; Sunday 7:30, 9 and 11 a.m.

St. Clement’s Roman Catholic Church 231 Lake Ave., Saratoga Springs, 584-6122 Services: Saturday 4 p.m.; Sunday 8, 9:30, 11:15 a.m. and 5 p.m., 1 p.m. Spanish Service St. George’s Episcopal Church 912 Route 146, Clifton Park 371-6351; stgeorge@csdsl.net Services: Saturday 4:30 p.m.; Sunday 8 & 9:30 a.m.

St. Joseph’s Roman Catholic Church 3159 Route 9N, Greenfield Center 893-7680; sjoegctr@nycap.rr.com; www.stjosephschurchgreenfieldcenter.org Services: Saturday 4 p.m.; Sunday 10:30 a.m.

Handicapped accessible St. Mary’s Roman Catholic Church 167 Milton Ave., Ballston Spa 885-7411; stmarysbsta.org Services: Saturday 4 p.m., Sunday 8:30 a.m., 10:30 a.m., Noon.

Handicapped accessible St. Paul’s Roman Catholic Church 771 Route 29, a Rock City Falls 893-7680; sjoegctr@nycap.rr.com Services: Sunday 8:30 am.

Handicapped accessible.

St. Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran Church 149 Lake Ave., Saratoga Springs

584-0904 Services: Saturday 5 p.m. with Holy Communion. Sundays 8:30 & 11 a.m. with Holy Communion.

Church Rock City Road, Rock City Falls 885-4794 Services: Sunday 10:45 a.m.

St. Peter Lutheran Church 2776 Route 9, Malta 583-4153 Services: Sunday 8:30 & 10:30 a.m.

Sunday School at 9:15 a.m.

Soul Saving Station for Every Nation Christ Crusaders of America 62 Henry St., Saratoga Springs 584-3122 Services: Sunday 10 a.m. & 6:30 p.m.

St. Thomas of Canterbury 242 Grooms Road, Halfmoon st-thomas-of-canterbury.org Services: Sunday 10 a.m.

Temple Sinai 509 Broadway, Saratoga Springs 584-8730 www.saratogasinai.org Shabbat Services: Friday 6 p.m.

Preceded by 5:30 p.m. Oneg.

Handicapped Accessible.

Saratoga Abundant Life Church 2325 Route 50 South, Saratoga Springs 885-5456; saratogaabundantlife.org Services: Sunday 9:30 a.m.

Saratoga Chabad 130 Circular St., Saratoga Springs 526-0773; saratora@aol.com; saratogachabad.com Saratoga Friends Meeting (Quaker) Rts. 32 and 71, Quaker Springs 587-7477; 399-5013 Services: Sunday 10 a.m.

Saratoga United Methodist Church Henning Road, Saratoga Springs 584-3720; saratogaumc.com.

Services: Sunday 9 & 10:45 a.m.

Handicapped accessible.

Saratoga Seventh-Day Adventist Church 399 Union Ave., Saratoga Springs 882-9384; saratogasda.org Services: Sabbath School: 10 a.m. Worship Service: 11:30 a.m.

Shenendehowa United Methodist 971 Route 146, Clifton Park 371-7964 Services: Sunday 9 & 10:30 a.m.

Simpson United Methodist

Terra Nova Church 45 Washington St., Saratoga Springs 833-0504; terranovachurch.org saratogaquestions@ terranovachurch.org Services: Sunday 5:30 p.m.

Childcare: 6 months–4 years and expanding Handicapped accessible.

The Salvation Army/ Worship, Service & Community Center 27 Woodlawn Ave., Saratoga Springs 584-1640; Mail-P.O. Box 652 Captain Aaron A. Boone,

25

Sr.; Captain Amber S. Boone Commanding Officers/ Ministers Services: Sunday School 10 a.m.; Praise & Worship 11 a.m.

Trinity United Methodist Church 155 Ballard Road, Gansevoort 584-9107; tumcwilton.com Rev. Patti Molik-Pastor Services: Sunday 9 a.m.

Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Saratoga Springs 624 North Broadway, Saratoga Springs 584-1555; uusaratoga.org Services, Nursery Care, and Religious Education: Sundays 10 a.m.; Youth Group: Sundays 11:30 a.m.

Unity Church in Albany 21 King Ave., Albany 453-3603; Services: Sunday 9 a.m. & 11 a.m.

West Charlton United Presbyterian Church 1331 Sacandaga Road, West Charlton 882-9874 westcharltonupc.org Rev. Thomas Gregg, Pastor Services: Sunday 10:30 a.m.

Wilton Baptist Church 755 Saratoga Road, Wilton 583-2736; wiltonbaptist@ gmail.com; wiltonbaptistchurch.com; Services: Sunday Service 11 a.m.

Local Mega Church Arrives In Saratoga

SARATOGA SPRINGS— Grace Fellowship Church has expanded to its fourth church in the Capital Region that had opened its doors last Sunday, March 16 for its first service at 165 High Rock Avenue in Saratoga Springs.

The 16,500 square foot facility had recently undergone $500,000 in renovations to prepare for the hundreds of patrons at its first public service.

The Saratoga Lead Pastor, Mike Adams shared the goals for Grace Fellowship Saratoga to be like those in the preceding churches that have defined them for over 20 years. He hoped that

they would be able to become an active member of the community by focusing on community involvement, serving Saratoga in such a way that they will be able to have a positive impact within the city.

Under the founding and senior pastor, Dr. Rex Keener, Grace Fellowship Church has been ministering in New York State since 1993 and currently has an average combined weekly attendance of 3,000 patrons. The non-denominational Christian church already has locations in Latham, Halfmoon and East Greenbush before it arrived in the Spa City.

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Milton Grange Garage Sale The Milton Grange will hold their annual Garage Sale on Saturday April 5 from 8 a.m.-3 p.m. on Rock City Road in Ballston Spa. All proceeds from the garage sale are used to support community programs. Please call Sam at (518) 885-6606 to make donation arrangements.

A Night Remembering Sinatra Dinner Show The Clifton Park Elks Ladies Auxiliary presents “A Night Remembering the Music of ‘The Chairman of the Board,’” a dinner show featuring the music of Sinatra performed by Chris Jason. The event will be held at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, April 11 at the Clifton Park Elks Lodge, 695 MacElroy Road in Ballston Lake. Dinner is a choice of Sirloin Steak or Crab Stuffed Haddock. Tickets are $35 per person. Seating is limited, only pre-paid reservations accepted.

Reservations and payment must be received by April 4. To reserve tickets, send a check payable to Clifton Park Elks Ladies’ Auxiliary, P.O. Box 872, Clifton Park, NY 12065. For additional information, contact Johanna Mrochko at (518) 371-1451.

Day With The Bunny Easter egg hunts at the Henry Cornell American Legion in Ballston Spa will take place April 5 from 11 a.m.-2p.m (toddlers to age 5, 11 a.m.; ages 6-8, 12:30 p.m., ages 8-11, 1:30 p.m.)

Lasagna Dinner Old Saratoga Reform Church, 48 Pearl Street in Schuylerville, is hosting lasagna dinner April 5 from 4:30–6:30 p.m. The menu will feature lasagna (meat or vegetarian) or baked ziti, tossed salad, Italian bread, choice of desserts and beverages. The cost is $10 for adults and $5 for children 5-10. Children under 5 free. For reservations call (518) 695-6638.

Take-out available. For more information call (518) 695-3479.

Donate to Simpson UMC’s Annual Flea Market Consider putting aside your unneeded and usable housewares, tools, toys, crafts, puzzles and antiques (no clothing, electronics, computers or TVs) to donate

LOCAL BRIEFS to Simpson United Methodist Church, 1089 Rock City Road, Rock City Falls, for the annual Flea Market and Bake Sale on Saturday, April 5 from 8 a.m.-3 p.m. Donations are currently being accepted every Wednesday and daily beginning Sunday, March 23.

Leave items on the side porch if needed. Any questions call Laura at (518) 288-5922 or Welna at (518) 885-9316.

‘Dance +24’ The Dance Alliance and Skidmore College are sponsoring “Dance +24” on Sunday, April 6 from 10 a.m.5:15 p.m. Hosted by The National Museum of Dance and the School of the Arts, Dance +24 is a one day dance festival for all ages and abilities. Pre-registration for the full day is $35 ($30 for DA members) or $45 ($35 DA members) at the door. Registration at the door begins at9:30 a.m. For more info visit www. dancealliance.org.

Wonderland! Auditions Announced Malta’s Spotlighter’s Theatre Troupe, celebrating 25 years of Community Theatre in 2014, announces the first show of the anniversary season.

Wonderland!, a silly, adaptation of Lewis Carroll’s “Through the Looking Glass” will wow audiences with its upbeat music and interesting set of characters. Dozens of actors, actresses, singers and dancers ages 8 through adult are being sought for June 14 and 15 performances. Auditions are by appointment and by age group on Sunday, April 6 and Monday April 7.

Please contact Artistic Director Elyse Young at (518) 899-4411, ext. 305 or email theater@malta-town.org for an appointment.

Catholic Daughters of the Americas Fundraiser The Catholic Daughters of the Americas, Court McLaughlin No. 422, will be hosting a fundraiser by presenting “The Donny Elvis Show.” The show will take place on Saturday, April 12 at the Knights of Columbus Hall, 50 Pine Road, Saratoga Springs. Admission is $15 and tickets will be sold at the door. Doors open at 5 p.m. and the show begins at 6:30 p.m. For further information contact Anne at (518) 885-0663, Shirley at (518) 584-7627 or June at (518) 584-9045.

Annual Polka Benefit The Annual Polka Benefit at the Saratoga Knights of Columbus, 50 Pine Road will be April 13 from Noon to 6 p.m. The 25th

Anniversary Palm Sunday Polka Benefit will feature all-star polka musicians from the past 25 years, alternating with polka country musicians. For reservations contact Steve or Cathy Coblish by calling (518) 899-3061 or emailing scoblish@nycap.rr.com. Tickets are $15. Seating is limited.

Craft/Vendor Fair Benefiting Relay For Life On Saturday, April 19 from 9 a.m.-4 p.m., there will be a craft and vendor fair at the Holiday Inn (232 Broadway) in Saratoga. All proceeds will benefit the American Cancer Society through the Saratoga Relay For Life, which is taking place June 6-7 at the Eastside Recreation Field in Saratoga.

At the fair there will be free admission, pictures with the Easter Bunny, raffle prizes and over 40 vendors and crafters.

More information is available at www.relayforlife.org/ saratogaspringsny or by calling Jillian at (518) 792-5477.

Third Annual Autism Awareness Information Fair The third annual Autism Information Fair will be April 27 at the Saratoga Springs City Center from noon to 3 p.m. Exhibitors include recreational programs, camps, technological apps for autism, school programs (pre-K through college) and therapeutic programs. Art exhibit, games, crafts and a bounce house will also be on site.

Tour of West Point The Friends of the NY State Military Museum, Saratoga Springs are sponsoring a day trip to the West Point Military Academy and Museum on Monday, May 19. A Yankee Trails chartered bus will leave the military museum on Lake Avenue at 8 a.m. and return at approximately 6:30 p.m. Cost of the trip is $41 per person, which includes transportation and admission to the museum and Academy. Lunch not provided, gratuities are extra. For further info or reservations contact the museum at 61 Lake Avenue, or call the gift store at (518) 226-0490, Tuesdays through Saturdays from 11 a.m.-4 p.m.

Saratoga County Office for the Aging The Saratoga County Office for the Aging is in urgent need of volunteers to help deliver meals to homebound seniors in the City of Saratoga Springs. This program helps many seniors remain independent in their own homes.

Week of March 28 – April 3, 2014 Nutritious meals are prepared, packed and ready for transport.

Delivery takes between 30 minutes and one hour. Call Billie Jo or Denise at The Office for the Aging at (518) 363-4020 or (518) 8844100 for more information.

Saratoga County Chamber Workshop The Saratoga County Chamber will host a three part workshop with Ray Patterson of the Stakeholders, Inc. to provide additional information to nonprofits about recruiting, training, supporting evaluating and celebrating their volunteers. This training series is in addition to the many workshops, seminars and collaborative meetings regularly held for area nonprofit management staff and will be brought to the Chamber members free of charge. The sessions will be held on the second Thursday in February and April from 8–10 a.m. at Saratoga Bridges.

Reservations can be made directly through the Chamber at www. saratoga.org.

Treasure or Trash? Spring Antique Appraisal Show Join the Malta Community Center for a fun and informative event featuring Mark Lawson of Mark Lawson Antiques as he educates on the world of antiques and performs appraisals. This special event will take place on Saturday, May 3 from 10 a.m. to noon. Admission for Malta residents with one appraisal item is $15/non-residents, $17.

General admission for Malta Residents is $2/non-residents, $3.

Pre-registration by April 4. Don’t wait as space is limited. Call (518) 899-4411 for more information.

Farmers’ Market Accepting Vendor Applications The Ballston Spa Farmers’ Market is currently accepting applications for vendors for the 2014 season.

This year’s market will take place in Wiswall Park in downtown Ballston Spa from June 12 to October 18. The market will once again take place twice a week, Thursdays from 3-6 p.m. and Saturdays 9 a.m.–noon. All products sold must be grown, raised or created by the vendor. No resale items or fundraisers. For an application email farmersmarket@ ballston.org or call (518) 885-2559.

Youth Center Seeking Junior Mentors The Youth Center is seeking Volunteer Junior Mentors (grades nine through 12) to work with the tween program. Some of these volunteer positions may grow

into summer jobs. All volunteers will be required to complete a training course that is currently under development. Training is tentatively planned to begin in March. Contact the Youth Center at (518) 695-6100 and leave your contact information and the best time to call you.

Seeking Grant Applicants The Karen & Gary Dake Foundation for Children has announced their pledge to issue over $30,000 in grants for local children with disabilities in 2014.

Members of the community who know or provide care for a child or children with disabilities are encouraged to apply for funding on their behalf. Applicants/ providers should reside within a 50-mile radius of Saratoga Springs.

Applications and additional instructions for funding are available on the Foundation’s website at www.dakefoundation. org or by calling the Foundation at (518) 226-0252.

Seeking Tax Assistance Volunteers TaxAide is seeking volunteers for the coming tax season. TaxAide volunteers answer questions and prepare and file returns for low to moderate income taxpayers and seniors from February 1 to April 15 at various sites in Saratoga County.

No experience is required. For further information, visit www.aarp. org/taxaide or call (518) 373-1076.

Substance Abuse Prevention Council Seeks Volunteer Speakers The Alcohol and Substance Abuse Prevention Council is looking for volunteer speakers for its monthly Victim Impact Panel. The purpose of the panel is to put those convicted of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs face to face with those who have experienced this tragedy first hand. Speakers include: crash victims or their family members, first responders and others. If you are interested in learning more about this volunteer opportunity please contact Robin Lyle at (518) 581-1230, ext. 3610 or robinlyle@preventioncouncil.org.

Schuylerville Youth Program The Youth Center is seeking Volunteer Junior Mentors to work with the tween program. All volunteers will be required to complete a training course that is currently under development.

Training is tentatively planned to begin in March. Contact the Youth Center at (518) 695-6100 and leave your contact information and the best time to call you. Visit www.facebook.com/ greaterschuylervilleyouthprogram for more information.

Send your local briefs to calendar@saratogapublishing.com before Monday at 5 p.m. for Friday publication.

Week of March 28 – April 3, 2014 The highly successful program, now in its 17th year, touches the hearts of all the volunteers who participate. Ice Stars offers volunteers the opportunity to see the results of their volunteerism, usually the smiling faces of excited kids. Admission is free. For more information call (518) 212-7752.

Family Friendly Event

Friday, March 28 Benefit for Connor LaFrance

Saratoga Olive Oil, 484 Broadway, Saratoga Springs, 3–7 p.m.

In honor of Connor’s racing number 767, 76.7 percent of sales between 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. at Saratoga Olive Oil will go to the Connor LaFrance Organization, providing assistance to student athletes in need. Honor Connor through giving back to the community. Desserts and hot chocolate available for all to enjoy. The Connor LaFrance Memorial Foundation has awarded over $60,000 to student athletes in the capital region. For more information, go to www.connorlafrance. org or Connor LaFrance Memorial Foundation on Facebook.

Meet and Greet at the Museum The Children’s Museum, 69 Caroline St., Saratoga Springs, 5:30–8 p.m.

Newmeadow, a preeminent preschool, preparing children for kindergarten, will be on hand with board members, families, and staff to answer questions and provide information. Admission to the museum is free. This event is sponsored by the Children’s Museum at Saratoga and Leadership Saratoga, to benefit families of preschoolers interested in discovering the unique programs at Newmeadow while enjoying the many wonders that the museum has to offer. Open to the public. Newmeadow, Inc., emphasizes Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) with its preschool curriculum and offers preschool education to children of all abilities, with a specialty in serving children with autism. For more information call (518) 899-9235.

Saturday, March 29 Tang Museum Family Saturday Tang Museum, Skidmore College, 2–3:30 p.m. Suitable for children ages 5 and up with their adult companions.

The program includes a brief tour of a current Tang exhibition, followed by a hands-on art activity. Free and open to the public. Reservations strongly suggested (518) 580-8080.

Saratoga Ice Star Show Weibel Ice Rink, Saratoga Springs, 3 p.m. Saratoga Ice Stars brings together physically challenged kids, youth volunteers and members of The Saratoga Springs Lions Club in an inspirational program that helps physically challenged kids to ice skate.

Pasta Dinner The Church of St. Peter, Parish Center, 64 Hamilton Street, Saratoga Springs, 6–8 p.m. Hosted by the Youth Ministry Programs. Homemade spaghetti with meat sauce, (Prepared by Chef Allen) tossed salad, bread, beverage and dessert. Adults $8, seniors and children 12 and under $6. The proceeds from this dinner will be used in our efforts to upgrade our technology equipment.

For more information or tickets call (518) 584-2375.

The Loudest Voice in the Room Northshire Bookstore, 424 Broadway, Saratoga Springs, 7 p.m. Gabriel Sherman “The Loudest Voice in the Room: How the Brilliant Bombastic Roger Ailes Built Fox News-and Divided a Country,” a deeply reported journey inside the secretive world of Fox News and the life of its combative, visionary founder. For more information and other events visit, www.northshire.com or call (518) 682-4200.

Sunday, March 30 Spa Catholic Brooks House BBQ Saratoga Central Catholic High School, 247 Broadway, Saratoga Springs, 2–5 p.m. The Saratoga Central Catholic Athletic Booster Club is sponsoring the 4th Annual Brooks House of BBQ. The BBQ will be held at rain or shine.

BBQ chicken for $10 or BBQ ribs for $12. All dinners include a baked potato, coleslaw, roll and cookie and are packed for take-out or dine in. All pre-purchased dinners will need to be picked up by 4 p.m. To purchase tickets call (518) 587-7070, ext. 102.

calendar Students learn about tablet computers and explore this newer technology by interacting with other members of the class. Feel free to bring your own tablet computer if you have one, but if you do not, you will still learn from the discussion and presentation. For more information contact Kathy Handy at (518) 584-7860, ext. 257 or visit www. sspl.org.

Tuesday, April 1 Saratoga’s Job Fair: A Career Building Expo Saratoga Springs City Center, 522 Broadway, Saratoga Springs, 10 a.m.–4 p.m. Saratoga’s Job Fair is sponsored by the Capital Job Development Group.

Positions will be available in insurance, National Guard, media, hospital services and health and beauty, among many others. Resume critiquing and seminars. Get the skills and tips you need. For more information, visit www.capitaljobdevelopmentgroup.org.

Lenten Luncheon Series Old Saratoga Reformed Church, 48 Pearl St., Schuylerville, Noon–1 p.m.

Session 4 of 4, DVD study of the Life and Writings of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Lutheran pastor and theologian, committed to following Jesus Christ. The sessions will go through April 1. Please bring your own bag lunch, beverages will be provided.

Handicapped accessible. For more information call Pastor Joyce deVelder at (518) 695-3260.

On My Path to Forgiveness Class 2 Imperial Lane, Charlton, 6:30 p.m.

New Thought New York Center for Spiritual Living is offering this class in practical spiritualitys, designed to help students explore the issue of forgiveness and experience its healing power in their lives. Offered on a donation basis. For more information, call (518) 423-3569 or visit www. newthoughtnewyork.org.

Airborne Jugglers

Wednesday, April 2

Saratoga Springs Public Library, H. Dutcher Community Room, 2–2:45 p.m.The airborne jugglers present a high energy show combining both juggling and comedy. Fun for all ages.

For more information and other events at the library visit, www.sspl.org.

Meditation with Pierre

String Festival Ensemble Concert Arthur Zankel Music Center, Skidmore College, 2–4 p.m.

The String Festival Finale will include all festival quartets, with Skidmore Faculty and the Ying Quartet joining onstage for a group performance. For more information call (518) 580-5321.

Monday, March 31 Intro to Tablet Computers Saratoga Springs Public Library, Henry St., Saratoga Springs, 6:30–8:30 p.m.

One Big Roof, 433 Broadway, Suite 302, Saratoga Springs, 5:45–6:45 This is a wonderful way to continue and strengthen your commitment to a personal wellness routine. There is no fee for this class, however, please consider making a donation to our studio. For more information, visit www.oneroofsaratoga.com.

Celiac-Sprue Support Group and Gluten Free Buffet O’Toole’s Restaurant, 118 Quaker Rd., Queensbury, 6 p.m.The menu includes appetizer, entrée, sides, and soda, coffee, or tea for a cost of $19.99. Gratuity is included.

Dessert or alcoholic beverages will be available for an additional cost.

For more information or to RSVP

for the dinner, call O’Toole’s directly at (518) 793-3389 or by email at glutenfreersvp@gmail.com. Please respond by March 30.

Poetry Readings by Catherine Norr and Susan Riback Caffè Lena, 47 Phila St., Saratoga Springs, 7:30 p.m. An open reading will follow. Doors open for sign-ups at 7 p.m. The host for the event will be Carol Graser and co-sponsor Saratoga Reads, a community reading program celebrating its 10th anniversary with And the Mountains Echoed, by Khaled Hosseini. Poetry has a strong presence in the book and Saratoga Reads is proud to celebrate National Poetry Month at Lena’s Poetry Open Mic. Cost is $5. For more information call (518) 583-0022 or visit www.cafeelena. org.

Thursday, April 3 Shelters of Saratoga Gala Longfellows Restaurant, 500 Union Ave., Saratoga Springs, 6–9 p.m.

Celebrate the achievements of Shelters of Saratoga at the Helping Hope Take Flight Gala. Reservations available at $100 per person. To make a reservation call (518) 581-1097 or email sosdevelopment@nycap.rr.com.​

Address Hunger in our Community

Upcoming Town Meetings Town of Ballston: Ballston Town Hall 323 Charlton Road (518) 885-8502 www.townofballstonny.org 4/2: Zoning Board, 7 p.m.

Village of Ballston Spa: 66 Front Street (518) 885-5711 www.ballstonspany.org 4/14: Board of Trustees, 7:30 p.m.

Town of Greenfield: 7 Wilton Road (518) 893-7432 www.townofgreenfield.com 4/8: Planning Board, 7 p.m.

Town of Malta: 2540 Route 9 (518) 899-2818 www.malta-town.org 4/7: Town Board, 7 p.m.

Town of Milton: 503 Geyser Road (518) 885-9220 www.townofmiltonny.org 4/2: Zoning Board, 7 p.m.

Irish Times, Phila St., Saratoga Springs, 7 p.m. The Saratoga Ancient Order of Hiberians will have celebrity bartenders with proceeds going to address famine in our community and to promote awareness of An Gorta Mor (The Great Hunger). This great famine ravaged Ireland between 1845-1850, brought horrific suffering and loss to Ireland’s 8.5 million people. The recipients of this event will be Saratoga EOC, The Open Door Mission and The Mechanicville Area Community Services Center.

City of Saratoga Springs:

Little Shop of Horrors

Village of Schuylerville:

Filene Recital Hall, Skidmore College, 7:30 p.m. Skidmore Cabaret Troupe Presents: “Little Shop of Horrors”, an upbeat spoof of 1950’s science fiction.

Showing April 3–5 at 7:30 p.m. Free and open to the public. For more information call (518) 580-5000.

35 Spring Street (518) 695-3881 www.villageofschuylerville.org 4/9: Board Of Trustees, 7 p.m.

474 Broadway (518) 587-3550 www.saratoga-springs.org 4/1: City Council, 7 p.m.

4/9: Planning Board, 7:30 p.m.

Town of Saratoga: 12 Spring Street, Schuylerville (518) 695-3644 www.townofsaratoga.com 4/14: Town Board, 7 p.m.

4/23: Planning Board, 7:30 p.m.

Town of Stillwater: 881 N. Hudson Avenue Stillwater, NY 12170 (518) 664-6148 www.stillwaterny.org 3/31:Planning Board, 7 p.m.

4/15: Board of Trustees, 7 p.m.

Town of Wilton:

Blood Drives March 31, 1 p.m. - 6 p.m.

Jewish Community Center 84 Weibel Rd, Saratoga Springs April 2, 9 a.m. - 2 p.m.

Empire State College 113 West Ave, Saratoga Springs

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22 Traver Road (518) 587-1939 www.townofwilton.com 4/3: Town Board, 6:30 p.m.

Saratoga County Board of

Supervisors: 40 McMaster St, #1 Ballston Spa, NY 12020 (518) 885-2240 www.saratogacountyny.gov

Send your local briefs to calendar@saratogapublishing.com before Monday at 5 p.m. for Friday publication.

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Week of March 28 – April 3, 2014

week of 3/28-4/3 friday, 3/28:

Karaoke, 9 pm

Michael Benedict Trio, 9 pm

Legendary Losers, 9 pm

@ 9 Maple Avenue - 583.2582

Ubuntu, 9 pm @ Bailey’s - 583.6060

Just Nate, 8 pm @ Ravenswood - 371.8771

The Band Awesome, 9 pm @ Bentley’s - 899.4300

Dirt Cheap, 8 pm @ Caroline St. Pub - 583.9400

Mist Covered Mtns/Eli August & Abandoned Bldgs., 8 pm @ Caffè Lena - 583.0022

Jeff Brisbin, 7 pm @ Maestros - 580.0312

Megan + The Brats, 9 pm @ Gaffney’s - 587.7359

Jimmy Kelly, 8:30 pm @ Irish Times - 583.0003

Jeff Brisbin, 7 pm @ Maestros - 580.0312

Radio Junkies (5:30)/The Get Down, 10:30 pm @ JP Bruno’s - 745.1180

Brian Patenude Trio, 7 pm @ Nanola - 587.1300

On Your Mark, 9 pm @ The Mill - 899.5253

White Party w/Soul Session, 9 pm @ Primelive Ultra Lounge - 583.4563

Mike Deangles, 9 pm

@ The Rusty Nail - 371.9875 @ Bailey’s - 583.6060

Tailspin, 10 pm

@ Caroline St. Pub - 583.9400

Hot Club Of Saratoga, 8 pm @ Caffè Lena - 583.0022

Jazz Night, 10 pm @ Circus Cafe’ - 583.1106

Toga Boys, 9 pm @ Gaffney’s - 587.7359

Megan Houde, 9 pm @ Cantina - 587.5577

Annie In the Water, 9 pm @ Nanola - 587.1300

Betsy + The Byegons, 8 pm @ Ravenswood - 371.8771

Capital Zen, 10:30 pm @ JP Bruno’s - 745.1180

Dan Sherwin, 9 pm

wednesday, 4/2:

@ The Parting Glass - 583.1916

@ Maestros - 580.0312

Hey Jude, 9 pm

Jeff Walton, 7 pm

SuperSizedSirsy/Citizen’s Treasure, 8 pm

Poetry Open Mic, 7 pm

@ Putnam Den - 584.8066

Jonathan Newell Band, 9 pm @ The Mill - 899.5253

sunday, 3/30:

Al Bruno, 8 pm

@ Seven Horse Pub - 581.0777

@ Brook Tavern - 871.1473

@ One Caroline - 587.2026

@ The Rusty Nail - 371.9875

tuesday, 4/1:

@ Vapor - 792.8282

Rich Ortiz, 10pm

@ 9 Maple Avenue - 583.2582

@ The Parting Glass - 583.1916

@ Nanola - 587.1300

Chris Carey/Tim wechgelaer, 7 pm

Arch Stanton Quartet, 9 pm

Celtic Session, 7 pm

Pat Giola Project, 9 pm

@ Putnam Den - 584.8066

saturday, 3/29:

@ One Caroline - 587.2026

thursday, 4/3:

Jeff Walton, 6:30 pm

Grand Central Station, 8 pm

Masters Of Nostalgia, 9 pm

@ Caffè Lena - 583.0022

@ The Saratoga Winery - 584.9463

Colette + The Mudcats, 6 pm

@ Caffè Lena - 583.0022

Brother Sun, 7 pm

monday, 3/31:

Spiritual Rez w/Formula 5, 9 pm

Bleach Blanket Bingo! Hard to look past the White Party with Soul Session!

Friday at Primetime Ultra Lounge

@ Primelive Ultra Lounge - 583.4563

@ The Parting Glass - 583.1916

Skylers Dream Team, 6 pm

SPOTLIGHT

@ Caroline St. Pub - 583.9400

Open Mic With Rick Bolton, 9 pm @ Gaffney’s - 587.7359

Jeff Brisbin, 7 pm @ Maestros - 580.0312

Open Mic, 8 pm @ Caffè Lena - 583.0022

Open Mic, 10 pm @ Circus Cafe’ - 583.1106

Lovely Ladies Sing, 8 pm @ Gaffney’s - 587.7359

Jeff Brisbin, 7 pm @ Crown Grill - 583.1105

Steve Candlen, 7 pm @ Maestros - 580.0312

Evac Protocol/Menntally ILL/Dj Blend, 9:30 pm @ Putnam Den - 584.8066

Celtic Session, 7 pm @ The Parting Glass - 583.1916

Austin Barosi, 8 pm @ Cantina - 587.5577

Week of March 28 – April 3, 2014

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Mom Prom II: Bigger And Better Ladies Night Out Benefits Saratoga County Children’s Committee

2nd annual saratoga mom prom Photos by Mandy Dennis

by Arthur Gonick Saratoga TODAY SARATOGA SPRINGS— One of the biggest hits of last spring’s social season is back for another go-round. It’s the Saratoga Mom Prom, ladies and despite a much larger venue this year, you are well advised to make reservations with extreme haste, lest you get shut out.

“We moved to the Saratoga Hilton so that we can accommodate a larger group of attendees,” noted one of the organizers, Ms. Suzi Ingmire, “but everyone had so much fun, I think they are all coming back plus bringing their friends.”

The key to all this Mom PromMania is simple: a great time for the ladies (note well that while ‘mom-ness’ is not required to attend, having estrogen certainly

is) with great food and drink, a chance to dust off that old prom or bridesmaid outfit and compete in categories from “prom queen” to “tackiest” with dance contests, interestingly-themed raffle baskets (such as the “baby it’s cold outside”: complete with handmade afghan, hat and scarf set and socks, Isotoner gloves, a tin of Bentley Teas, Starbucks hot chocolate, books, a bottle of wine, coffee mug, candle and body lotion).

“We tried to keep the admission price affordable,” noted organizer Jan Perrotta, “so that as many ladies as possible can attend.”

It goes without saying that a great event needs to help a great cause and with the proceeds benefitting the Saratoga County Children’s Committee, several worthy organizations, such as the Center for the Family, EOC and Domestic Violence Services, will benefit.

So here’s a great idea, guys: think early Mothers Day present.

Your mom (or maybe your children’s mom) will be so proud of you.

(Not to mention, you can go on that fishing trip with the guys and be guilt-free… but that’s just between us!)

The Saratoga Hilton Saturday, April 26, 7 p.m.

534 Broadway, Saratoga Springs 55$ per person / ladies only saratogamomprom.com (518) 587 - 5392

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Week of March 28 – April 3, 2014

MOMIX reMIX To Illuminate SPAC’s Dance Season

SARATOGA SPRINGS — The stunning, multi-media artistry of MOMIX, the celebrated troupe of dancer illusionists led by choreographer Moses Pendleton, returns to Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC) on Thursday, July 22 at 8 p.m.

The company will present reMIX, a snapshot of MOMIX’s most striking images from the past 30 years, created through MOMIX’s signature fusion of dance, theater and cinema.

Famed company founder and choreographer Moses Pendleton will kick off the evening by presenting a pre-performance talk at 7 p.m. in the Hall of Springs Gold Room.

“MOMIX’s presentation of Botanica was a highlight of last season, hailed by SPAC audiences and critics alike for its breathtaking beauty, innovation,

and fantastical feats,” said Marcia J. White, SPAC’s President & Executive Director.

Under Moses Pendleton’s direction, MOMIX is known for conjuring worlds that are a fascinating mixture of muscular acrobatics, clever illusionistic puppetry and a humorous play of shadow and light. reMIX is a compilation of 13 works including the Baths of Caracalla, an ensemble piece, set to David and Steve Gordon’s music; Table Talk, with a riveting soloist, who balances, suspends and floats on a table in a series of supercharged gymnastic moves; and If You Need Some Body, an ensemble work to Johann Sebastian Bach. reMIX also includes excerpts from MOMIX’s blockbuster fulllength works.

Tickets for the company’s

performance of reMIX are offered at a special rate of $30 for inside seats and $15 for children 12 and under. Tickets for

students of all ages are $15 on the night of the performance.

Tickets to the pre- talk with Moses Pendleton are $5 with any

performance ticket.

This is an amphitheater only performance. Tickets are on sale online at spac.org.

South Glens Falls HS Presents Once Upon A Mattress

Princess Winnifred Woebegone played

by Jamie Daley

SOUTH GLENS FALLS— South Glens Falls High School’s theatre troupe will present its spring musical, Once Upon a Mattress on Friday, April 4 at 7 p.m. and Saturday, April 5 at 2 and 7p.m. All performances will be held at in the High School auditorium at 42 Merritt Road in South Glens Falls.

The Broadway classic Once Upon a Mattress is a hilarious version of the fairytale Princess and the Pea. With its wonderful songs and hilarious and raucous humor, this romantic tale puts a rollicking spin on the familiar classic tale of royal courtship.

Chances are you’ll never look at the Princess and the Pea fairy tale quite the same way again.

Tickets are $10 for adults, $8 for students and seniors. Tickets may be purchased in the High School Main Office or at the door.

Week of March 28 – April 3, 2014

PULSE

31

“A Night At The Movies”: 31st Annual Capital Region Heart Ball

Photos By Mark Bolles.com

Erin Eldeen, Kurt Kozik

Amy Raino, Wayne Flores

Kevin Spaeth, Katherine McCarthy

NY State Commissioner of Health Dr. Nirav Shah, Nidhi Shah

Meredith Cohn, Director of Heart Ball with Heart Ball Chairs Neil and Jane Golub, American Heart Association Executive Director John Guastella

Michelle Smith, Sandra Fox, Travis Gil, Meghan and Ormar Usmani, Sarah Drum

Skidmore volunteers: Nicole (Class of ’16), Daniela ’16, Nathaniel ’15, Natalya ’16, Laura ‘14

John Nigro, Karen Writer, Jessica and Joseph Nicolla

Imranshah and Dr. Andalib Nawab

32

food

Week of March 28 – April 3, 2014

Sneak Peek: Stadium Weekend Brunch Starts Saturday

by Arthur Gonick Saratoga TODAY

SARATOGA SPRINGS – An idea whose time has come.

Beginning this weekend, a brandnew menu of brunch and breakfast items will debut at both Stadium

Cafés in town (389 Broadway and 112 Congress Street, Saratoga Springs).

Brunch will be served on both Saturday and Sunday, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. In addition to breakfast items, the Stadium will offer drink specials including $5 Bloody Mary’s and Mimosa’s.

It’s a perfect way to watch your (probably) busted Sweet 16 get whittled down to The Final Four.

But I’m looking ahead to the fall.

There’s something about showing up to the breakfast table just in time for the 4 p.m. NFL game that says Sunday Funday to me. Enjoy!

SARATOGA SPRINGS— Saratoga Olive Oil Company, 484 Broadway, Saratoga Springs, will be holding a benefit evening on Friday, March 28 that is dedicated to memory of Connor LaFrance.

In honor of Connor’s racing number 767, 76.7 percent of their sales between 3 and 7 p.m. will go to the Connor LaFrance

Organization, providing assistance to student athletes in need.

Desserts and hot chocolate will be provided.

The Connor LaFrance Memorial Foundation has awarded over $60,000 to student athletes in the Capital Region.

For more information visit connorlafrance.org.

Benefit For Connor LaFrance At Saratoga Olive Oil

Gaffney’s Wine Pairing Dinner This Saturday

SARATOGA SPRINGS – A few select reservations still remain for one of the most popular events at one of Saratoga Springs’ most popular venues.

Gaffney’s Restaurant, 16 Caroline Street, Saratoga Springs will be hosting a specialty themed wine pairing dinner featuring wines of Oregon and Washington State on Saturday, March 29 from 5:30 to 9 p.m. Dan Russell of Southern Wine and Spirits will be on hand to explain each wine and it’s characteristics that pair with each course.

If you have not experienced Gaffney’s new enclosed patio room this is a great opportunity. This will also be their last wine pairing dinner until after Labor Day. The cost is $60 per person plus 7 percent sales tax and 18 percent gratuity.

For reservations, phone (518) 587-7359.

APPETIZER Peasant Stew with duck, pork & white beans Red Diamond Shiraz

SALAD Arborio Rice Salad with tomato, asparagus, white onion, celery & sour cream dressing Columbia Crest H3 Horse Heaven Hills Pinot Gris

WINE PAIRING MENU

ENTREES Seared Sea Scallops with cauliflower, brown butter & basil served with rice and ratatouille Chateau Ste. Michelle Cold Creek Vineyards Chardonnay Braised Short Ribs with olives, garlic & rosemary served with potato and fresh vegetable Chateau Ste. Michelle Indian Wells Cabernet Sauvignon

COCKTAIL HOUR WINE FEATURES A variety of Hors D’oeuvres served with House choice of wines

DESSERT Chocolate Timber with raspberry sauce and a Chambord milkshake Col de’Salici NV Rose de’Salici

Week of March 28 – April 3, 2014

food

33

Potpies And Perogies By Chris’s Kitchen

SARATOGA SPRINGS – Chris’s Kitchen is one of the newest vendors at Saratoga Farmers’ Market, joining earlier this winter to sell ready-to-heat “comfort foods” like perogies and potpies.

Owner Christine Levy is a Saratoga Springs resident who has a passion for healthy delicious home cooked meals. Her prepared foods are made from scratch.

“Everyone is so busy these days, people really enjoy having a night with no cooking, dishes, or clean up. We offer a great meal made from healthy, fresh ingredients that people can enjoy in the comfort of their own homes,” says Levy.

Potpies come as a single serving portion, loaded with vegetables and either chicken, beef or turkey, with a top crust and savory filling.

“In the potpies, I use almond

milk combined with Greek yogurt, instead of heavy cream, and put on a top crust only, to keep the fat content lower,” she says.

Homemade perogies are available in several flavorful combinations: Potato cheddar, butternut squash, sweet potato pecan and sauerkraut onion.

“I make all the entrees with many local or organic products, with no preservatives or fillers, so people can avoid the fat, salt and sugar that are frequently added to supermarket versions of these products,” notes Levy.

“It’s a healthy choice people can feel good about.”

Levy attributes her interest in cooking to growing up in a large Ukrainian-American family. “Growing up, something was always cooking and there were always hungry people to feed, so it was a great environment for future cooks. One of my happy memories was harvesting things from our own garden and creating delicious meals from the simplest of ingredients. In our home, you could create a gourmet treat from a potato and an onion! We try to follow that principle in our farmers’ market recipes.”

Chris’s Kitchen will also be a vendor on Saturdays at the outdoor market beginning in May at High Rock Park.

Fruity Salad This salad is one of Christine Levy’s favorites to serve alongside her main entrees.

Ingredients

4 cups mixed greens*, such as baby spinach, arugula, lettuce 1 ripe pear or apple* diced into small chunks Crumbled goat cheese* 1/2 cup dried fruit (cranberries, cherries, or raisins) 1/2 cup chopped nuts (walnuts, pecans, or hazelnuts)

Directions

Toss all ingredients together. Dress salad with balsamic vinegar and olive oil.

Tagine Cuisine

by John Reardon for Saratoga TODAY Hello my foodie friends! We are going to talk about the Morroccan Tagine this week. Many moons ago when my daughter was 8 and my son was 10 my wife and I toke them to Disney World where we had dinner at Restaurant Marrakesh in the Morroccan Pavilion.

The kids had couscous (they wanted hot dogs) and Paula and I shared Lamb Tagine. I think they are serving Mogador fish tagine right now.

Anyway it was delicious! We were so impressed with this meal – it was so full of flavor and melted in your mouth. Well wouldn’t you know it, shortly thereafter I was selling Tagines in my store! The word Tagine refers to both the contents and the container. A Tagine is a dish made from glazed clay, which has a lid like a painted hat, allowing the steam to circulate inside, creating a fall of the bone moist dish.

All recipes cooked inside this type of dish are also called Tagine. There are a great number of recipes; the most prestigious is the Lamb Tagine with

dried prunes and almonds. It is representative of Morroccan cooking with its mix of sweet and sour. But you also find Tagines with figs or dried apricots, onions and almonds, sweet potatoes and dried raisins. You can find Tagines made with lamb, chicken, beef, pigeon or even fish. Many herbs and spices are used in the Tagine; ginger, cinnamon, parsley, as well as coriander/ cilantro or Arabic parsley, the fresh leaves being added at the end of the cooking in order to keep the full flavor of aniseed.

There are many Tagine recipes, but as Morroccan cooking leaves a lot to instinct, let your imagination guide you and create your own Tagine! By the way Johnny and Aubrey still love couscous to this day! My favorite Tagine is made by Emile Henry it can be used on the stovetop or oven.

Remember “Life Happens in the Kitchen”

Lamb Tangine Ingredients

olive oil 1 large onion, diced 8 potatoes, peeled and sliced into 1/2” pieces 3 carrots, peeled and cut into 1” pieces 8 garlic cloves, peeled, roughly chopped 2 turnips, peeled and cut into 1” pieces 6 lamb shoulder chops 1 tsp paprika 1 tsp turmeric 1 tsp ground cumin 1 tsp salt 1 tsp cayenne pepper Temperature: 295 ° F

Directions

• In a large pan, sauté the onions and garlic until slightly browned and translucent.

• Transfer to the Emile Henry Tagine.

• To the pan add a little more oil and then the turnips, carrots and potatoes. Sauté for about 5 minutes. Sprinkle with salt and transfer to tagine. Mix together with onions and garlic.

• Brown chops in the pan, about 3-5 minutes per side.

• Place the chops on top of the vegetables in the tagine.

• Mix the spices together with one half cup of water and pour over the chops. Put the lid on the tagine and place in the oven at 295 degrees F for 4-5 hours or until the chops are tender and fall off the bone. Half way through you may want to mix the lamb around with the vegetables.

• Serve over rice or any grain of choice.

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SPORTS

Week of March 28 – April 3, 2014

Abdellatif To Be Force In 2014

BALLSTON SPA — The Ballston Spa lacrosse program has come a long way since head coach Joe Pollicino took over the helm five years ago.

In that first season, the Scotties finished 5-13. The following year, in 2011, the program made it to its first Class A Section II Final Four. Last season, after being moved to Class B, the Scotties advanced to their first ever sectional final.

“It’s been a nice rise,” Pollicino said. “I don’t care how good of a coach you are, if you don’t have good players, you’re not going to be successful. I’ve been the beneficiary of having a great youth program.”

Now, one season after losing to No. 1 seeded Niskayuna, 20-4, at John Fallon Field at UAlbany in the final, the Scotties bring back 15 returning upperclassmen to the challenging Suburban Council.

“At practice (Tuesday) night, I was saying, ‘This is probably the deepest, most complete team we’ve ever had,’” Pollicino said.

We’ve had good teams in the past that have competed with some of the better teams in the section, but I think this is the first year when we’ve had a group of kids who have a lot of varsity experience…I can go four deep at attack right now with all these kids having at least one, two or three years of varsity experience. At the midfield, I’ve got four or five kids

with varsity experience and on defense I have six kids who have had at least a year of varsity experience. And our goalie is a four year player and three-year starter.

I think that’s huge. It’s definitely a great thing to have.”

One of those returning players is senior defender Kyle Abdellatif. One of Section II’s most disruptive forces in the middle of the field with a long pole, Abdellatif brings speed and length to the Scotties’ defensive core.

In the fall, he committed to play lacrosse at SUNY Stony Brook.

“Last year he was hands down the best long pole in the section as a junior,” Pollicino said of the First-Team All-Suburban Council standout.

Then, there’s senior midfielder John McDonald (SecondTeam All-Suburban).

The three-year starter burst onto the varsity scene in his first game as a sophomore when he scored five goals against Shen.

“Since then, [McDonald]’s been a marked man,” Pollicino said. “Still, I think he’s climbed the charts. He’s somewhere in the top 10 in scoring in Ballston Spa history. As a midfielder, he’s got almost as many assists as goals.

He’s just a tremendous playmaker.

The biggest thing I’m trying to get Johnny to realize is to let the game come to him—I think sometimes he tries to force it on himself a little bit too much and try to do a little too much on his own— and realize that when he has his

teammates around him he can do even better things. But he’s just grown so much.”

After one year of being classified as a B program, both Ballston Spa and Niskayuna are back in Class A—a class that could very well be the deepest it has been in the last seven years, since Pollicino was an assistant coach at Shaker.

“I think you’re going to see some scores in the Suburban that are somewhat surprising on any given day,” Pollicino said. “I think the top five or six teams can knock each other off.”

Starting with the two programs Ballston Spa has never beaten at the varsity level, Shenendehowa and Niskayuna will again be at the top of the conversation to make a run to the sectional final. Also, keep an eye out for teams like Shaker, Colonie and Saratoga Springs as well.

Ballston Spa scrimmaged Shen and Saratoga Springs the weekend of March 22.

The Scotties will start the regular season at Shen this Tuesday, April 1 at 7 p.m. Last season, the Scotties played the Plainsmen tight in the beginning of both games before “the wheels fell off at different times.”

Just a season after losing a pair of one-goal games to Shen, Pollicino said last year’s team lost the belief that they could run with the Plainsmen.

That mindset will be different this season.

“The focus this year has been having the confidence in believing

ALBANY — The Saints made a statement from the opening minutes of Wednesday night’s win over Illinois State to advance to the College Basketball Invitational finals.

Siena scored the first nine points of the matchup and never lost the lead before taking the 61-49 victory at the Times Union Center to advance to next week’s best-of-three championship round against Fresno State.

The Saints will go on the road Monday night to Fresno, California for the first game, which will start at 10 p.m. eastern time. They will then host the second game on Wednesday,

April 2. If necessary, the rubber match will be April 4.

The Saints’ Brett Bisping, an Illinois native, led all scorers in Wednesdays semifinal with 20 points en route to a double-double (13 rebounds).

Rob Poole added 14 points for the Saints, while Ran Oliver dropped 11 and Evan Hymes added 10.

For the first time in the program’s Division I history, the Saints (18-6) will play for a national postseason title and play basketball in the month of April. The 2013-14 season is officially the longest season in the program’s history.

The Saints’ Brett Bisping (31), an Illinois native, was not recruited by Illinois State. In Wednesday’s semifinals, he showed why he should have been. Photo by SportsThroughTheLens.com

by Brian Cremo Saratoga TODAY

The Scotties’ John McDonald gets a shot off while surrounded by Niskayuna Silver Warriors in last season’s loss in the Section II Class B finals. The finals appearance was the first sectional championship appearance for the program. Photo by MarkBolles.com

in yourself,” Pollicino said. “I think that was one of the things the team struggled with last year.

Even though we had a pretty good strong senior group and good returning group of juniors, sometimes, mentally, the kids just aren’t ready for that.”

After Shen, the Scotties will also be on the road against Niskayuna and Bethlehem as well.

The Niskayuna game will also be held on Shen’s turf at 7 p.m. the following Thursday, April 3.

“I think starting with Shen and Nisky is going to be great,” Pollicino said. “The section isn’t won in March or April. It’s won in late May…It’s a long season. Seeding is going to be very important. You don’t want to have to play the quarterfinal round game against one of the top dogs because it’s going to be tough to

get to that final. It’s going to be a long haul and we have a tough non-league schedule as well.”

The Scotties are set to play teams from Syracuse and Maryland in that non-league schedule. The program from Maryland, Bullis High School, is coached by Pollicino’s brother, Bobby.

Hopes are high heading into this season for Pollicino. Getting knocked out in last year’s final has only made the Scotties want it more.

“They’re a really good group of kids,” said Pollicino, who noted his team’s high maturity level. “A lot of smart kids and very good academically. Getting a taste of getting to a sectional final last year has really made them hungry to try and get back again this year.”

Bisping Leads Saints To CBI Finals

SPORTS

Week of March 28 – April 3, 2014

Community Sports Bulletin Tartans Become 3rd Team From Area To UAlbany Women Fall Win Federation Tourney Short In March Madness

ALBANY — ScotiaGlenville completed the perfect season.

A 68-52 win over Holy Trinity at the Times Union Center gave the Tartans (27-0) another piece of hardware, as they become the third Section II team to win the Class A Federation Tournament of Champions (Albany Academy in 2013, Watervliet in 1991).

After taking down Academy Friday night, in a game that ended just shy of midnight, the Tartans showed just why they have been ranked the No. 1 team in the state since January.

Scotia never relinquished their early lead against Holy Trinity (25-5).

Scotia junior Joe Cremo ended the game with 24 points, 10

rebounds and four assists, while senior Dom LeMorta had 15 points and 10 rebounds and senior Alex Sausville added 12 points of his own. Junior Mike Palleschi snagged 11 boards and had four blocks on the defensive end.

Another Foothills Council title, a third straight Section II crown, and the program’s first regional, state and Federation championships have helped etch the 2013-14 Tartans into the record books.

Cremo was awarded the Federation Tournament Most Valuable Player, while Sausville and LeMorta both earned spots on the All-Tournament team.

UAlbany sophomore Shereesha Richards. Photo by SportsThroughTheLens.com

Scotia-Glenville junior Joe Cremo (24) garnered the Most Valuable Player Award for the Class A Federation Tournament of Champions, after the Tartans defeated Holy Trinity, 68-52, March 22. Photo by Patricia Bowes.

BATON ROUGE, La. — The University at Albany women’s basketball team’s season came to an end in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

Saratoga PLAN To Host Guided Walk

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Saratoga PLAN will host a guided walk at its Rowland Hollow Creek Preserve Saturday, April 5 from 10-11:30 a.m.

The hikes are designed to introduce people to the landscape of Saratoga County and to help them learn about the network of outdoor resources that are publically accessible.

Send your sports stories or briefs to Brian Cremo, Sports Editor at brian@saratoga publishing.com

Opened to the public in 2012, the Rowland Hollow Creek Preserve consists of 45 acres of woods, trails and wetlands buffering Rowland Hollow Creek. This Preserve is part of an innovative conservation subdivision project in conjunction with the Meadow Vista Estates development off Grand Avenue in the western part of the City of Saratoga Springs.

Participants will hike the trail system of the Preserve, covering

approximately 1 mile on relatively even terrain. Participants will experience the beautiful stands of pines and hickories, take part in bark identification activities and view the meandering clear waters of the Rowland Hollow Creek.

This nature walk is for people of all ages. Good footwear is advised, and crampons are suggested if temperatures allow for ice. This event will be led by Saratoga PLAN intern, Andrew

Puzzle solutions from pg. 23

The No. 15 Great Danes lost to No. 2 West Virginia, 76-71, Sunday, March 23.

For UAlbany, it was the program’s third consecutive appearance, as the team put together a 28-5 record this season.

UAlbany junior Megan Craig scored a team-high 23 points in the loss.

Shereesha Richards, who led the Great Danes with 20 points per game this year, ran into early foul trouble and ended with nine points and six rebounds.

Richards, a sophomore, also led the America East champions in steals (67) and field goal percentage (62.4 percent).

Bowling For Scholars

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Saratoga Sponsor A Scholar Gillcrist. Gillcrist graduated (SSAS) announced the fourth from SUNY Potsdam with a annual Bowling-For-Scholars degree in Environmental Studies event to be held at the Saratoga in 2013, has a passion and love Strike Zone in Saratoga Springs for the outdoors, and is an expe- on Saturday, May 10.

Bowling will be half price all rienced environmental educator. day, with all proceeds donated by This event is limited to 15 particSaratoga Strike Zone to SSAS. ipants so RSVP with your name, Bowling will be followed at 7 phone number, and address to p.m. by the Gutterball Bash, feaAg i l l c r i s t @ s ar at o g ap l an . org . turing music by FreePlay, food The event is open to the public from Hattie’s, cash bar and a silent and free, although donations are auction. Tickets are $75 with all greatly appreciated. proceeds benefitting SSAS.

37

38

SPORTS

Week of March 28 – April 3, 2014

The Shockers Of March Madness

by Damian Fantauzzi for Saratoga TODAY It was the end of a record breaking season for Wichita State when they suffered their first and last loss of the college basketball season to Kentucky, 78-76.

It was a bittersweet game.

In my heart, I was rooting for the Shockers, but knowing the Kentucky Wildcats would play Louisville Cardinals in Indianapolis in the Sweet Sixteen had me licking my chops.

Well, it’s coming this weekend and the Wildcats are going to meet the Cardinals in Indiana.

Not only are these two Kentucky schools rivals, but Calipari and Pitino have a historical connection that dates back two decades. When Calipari was hired at the University of Massachusetts, Pitino recommended him for the

job. But, since then, there has been plenty of friction between the two for various reasons. Maybe their two Type A personalities has something to do with it.

Before this Indy matchup, Pitino’s No. 4 tournament seeded Cardinals, last year’s national champs, played against No. 13 seed Manhattan, coached by Pitino’s former assistant and protégé Steve Masiello.

Coach Pitino did not like the way the stage was set by the NCAA Committee because Masiello was not only his assistant at Kentucky for six years, but he also played for his mentor. To make things worse, Masiello was the Knicks ball boy during one of Pitino’s stints as an NBA coach.

Now it’s a whole different situation for Louisville’s coach. Not only is there a megarivalry between the two Kentucky schools, but the coaches have been accused of disliking one another.

Excuse my sarcasm…really?

In the past two years, the rivalry between them has sort of died out, but will this game rekindle the feud? Any bets?

Understand that in Kentucky this is even bigger than the national championship game— for Kentuckians, I do mean bigger!

I’m very familiar with how hoop crazy these basketball states like Kentucky and Indiana are.

When I played at New Mexico, my coach, the late John Givens, was from Kentucky (his fellow coaches called him “Kentuck”).

Later in his career, he moved on to coach the Kentucky Colonels of the now defunct ABA, so he mainly recruited about 70 percent of our team from both states. Plus my connection to my friend and former Indiana University legend, Bobby Knight, made me even more aware of the basketball craze of the two states.

So, I do really understand the magnitude of how big this game is and that the arena in Indianapolis might not be large enough to house the crowd that wants to be there. I bet the NCAA could charge $2,000 a ticket and they would still pack the place, despite the cost.

I can feel the tension that has been growing all week between Lexington and Louisville. Those tremors you might be feeling are not from an earthquake. They’re coming from the Bluegrass State.

Kentuckians take their teams seriously. Every year there are two big high school basketball all-star games, one between the Southern part of Kentucky against the Northern part of the state and the other is nationally known as the biggest of all high school all-star basketball games, between the Indiana High School All-Stars and

the Kentucky All-Stars. Practically every college coach in the country attends that game. To top it off, these two universities in Kentucky are only 76 miles apart, but they both have to travel to the middle of Indiana for the big game.

The traffic on Interstate 65 will be unreal.

There are some other big games that resulted from a wild first round of the tournament, which has had more than one “Shocker” that went down in defeat. It was a record for the number of low seeded teams being victorious over higher seeded opponents, and there were four overtime games on day one and another on day two— an NCAA record.

The Dayton Flyers, a No. 11 seed, are in the Sweet 16 in the South’s bracket, and they upset No. 6 seed, and rival Ohio State before going on to upset No. 3 Syracuse. Stanford, a 10 seed, beat No. 7 New Mexico in the first round and then moved on to upset No. 2 Kansas to become a Sweet 16 team.

One of the biggest upsets, in the first round in the Midwest bracket, was No. 14 Mercer College defeating No. 3 Duke. No one saw that one coming, but then Mercer lost to No. 11 Tennessee.

Twelve seed Harvard defeated No. 5 Cincinnati, and No. 12 Steven

F. Austin knocked off No. 5 VCU in the fifth overtime of the first round.

If you look at some of these upsets, you’ll see that these low seeded teams had great records, and, in some cases, the determination of how they were seeded was because of the so called weakness of their league. S.F. Austin is a school from a town in Texas with the crazy name of Nacogdoches.

The team had a 31-2 record and went on to lose to No. 4 UCLA in the second game.

The big game of Louisville and Kentucky isn’t the only headliner this week. Michigan State will meet Virginia in the East, No. 4 against No. 1, and in the same bracket No. 7 UConn plays No. 3 Iowa State. I suspect that all these games will be close.

Let’s face it. All of these games are headliners. It’s the madness of college basketball in March, but I feel that the biggest hype will come from the PitinoCalipari matchup.

I’m leaning in Rick Pitino’s favor, on that one!

As some people might know, Coach Pitino has a connection to Saratoga. He has a share in some Thoroughbred horses. He and his expensive pets, they come here every year during August for the track.

Saddle up and here we go!

Thoroughbred Trainer Passes Away At 55 Dominic Galluscio

GARDEN CITY — Thoroughbred Race Horse Trainer Dominic Galluscio, 55, of Garden City, passed away March 17 from pancreatic cancer.

Born October 6, 1958, Galluscio went on to attend St.

Dominic Elementary School and Germantown Central School where he graduated Class of 1976.

He began his career while in Germantown Central School, working at Clermont Farms under trainer Mike Hernandez. Upon graduation, he moved to Long Island where he eventually established his own professional racing stable.

His 34-year career at the NYRA tracks included winning 1,047 races and becoming one of the Top 100 Horse Trainers in the nation.

At the age of 18, Galluscio moved to Belmont Park where he started his career and began his rise to become one of the Top 10 Trainers in New York for the past decade. He became a champion for the backstretch workers and for the less privileged.

Although known mainly as a shrewd claiming trainer, he was great with developing young horses and conditioned many to win major stakes including the Empire classic with Organizer in 2006 and Dr. V’s Magic in 2007.

Galluscio rewarded his horses’ owners with more than $31.3 million in earnings. His best runner was the

Virginia-bred Lord of the Night, who in 1989 swept the Aqueduct Handicap, the Toboggan and the Westchester Handicap. He defeated the regally bred Dancing Spree, who would take the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Sprint that fall.

Galluscio was predeceased by his mother, Dolores, and father, Dominic Galluscio.

He is survived by his daughter, Dominique Galluscio; brothers Robert (Denise) Galluscio, Raymond (Kate) Galluscio, Joseph Galluscio and Gerald (Joanne) Galluscio; sisters, Marie (Larry) Britt and Denise (Lloyd) cote; nieces and newphews, Robie, Steven and Lynn Galluscio, Tiffany and Elise Britt, Gerard and Michelle Beebe, Grasie Mercedes, Jolee Sabella, Genna and Dominic Galluscio and Katie Bella Galluscio.

He is also remembered by his dear friends Gary and Gina Gullo, and Linda Rice.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in the name of: Dominic Galluscio to NYTHA through The Best Program Backstretch Employee Service Team Belmont Park—Gate 6 2150 Hempstead Turnpike—Cottage 28B Elmont, New York 11003.

Week of March 28 – April 3, 2014

Trainer Asmussen Removed From Hall Of Fame Ballot

Photo courtesey of NYRA.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — The National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame released a statement in regards to allegations against trainer Steve Asmussen Friday, March 21.

“Based on pending investigations by the New York State Gaming Commission and the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission into allegations made by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) and reported by various media outlets, the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame has decided it is in the best interests of the institution and the sport of thoroughbred racing in general to table the 2014 Hall of Fame nomination of trainer Steve Asmussen,” said the Hall of Fame statement.

PETA filed 10 complaints against Asmussen, as well as his top assistant, Scott Blasi. The complaints were filed both in the state of New York and Kentucky for multiple alleged violations concerning animal cruelty for misuse of therapeutic medications.

The complaints stirred from a four-month undercover operation by PETA and come after Asmussen’s first year on the ballot.

Announced as a finalist March 7, Asmussen had previously been considered a sure Hall of Famer. He’s ranked second in career victories with over 6,700 wins and is fifth all-time with purse earnings of $214,030,552 in a career that began in 1986.

Asmussen won the Eclipse Award for Outstanding Trainer in 2008 and 2009 and has led all North American trainers in wins nine times

and earnings three times. He has won 164 graded stakes and 752 overall stakes. In 2004, Asmussen won 555 races to surpass the single-year record of 496 that had been held by Jack Van Berg since 1976. Asmussen broke his own record in 2008 with 621 wins and topped it once again with 650 wins in 2009.

The four-time Breeders’ Cup victor is known for being the trainer of Curlin, who garnered Horse of the Year honors in 2007 and 2008, and Rachel Alexandra to the Horse of the Year title in 2009. With Curlin, Asmussen won the Preakness, Breeders’ Cup Classic, Woodward, Stephen Foster, Arkansas Derby, Rebel and two editions of the Jockey Club Gold Cup. He also trained Rachel Alexandra to wins in the Preakness, Woodward, Haskell and Mother Goose.

Asmussen’s success in the field is now under scrutiny with allegations that include using the drug Lasix on Thoroughbreds as a performance enhancer, as well as jockeys using concealed shocking devices on horses trained by Asmussen.

Back in 2006, he served a sixmonth suspension after a filly he trained tested over the legal limit for a local anesthetic used to deaden pain in a horse’s legs, so it will keep running.

The amount was over 750 times the legal limit. Asmussen then turned the operation over to Blasi at that time.

The New York Gaming Commission and the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission announced they will also investigate the allegations.

SPORTS

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Volume 9 • Issue 12

See Asmussen Taken Off Hall Of Fame Ballot pg. 39

FREE

Week of March 28 – April 3, 2014

SPORTS

See Siena Advances To CBI Final pg. 36

Scotties Bring Experience In 2014

Ballston Spa defender Kyle Abdellatif (14) and the Scotties made a run all the way to the Section II Class B finals before falling to powerhouse Niskayuna, who was undefeated last year, 20-4. A year after finishing 11-8 and making it to the program’s first ever sectional championship game, the Scotties return eight seniors and are back for more in 2014. Photo by MarkBolles.com. See pg.36