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Author: Aidan Clark

Burnt Hills’ Daniel Jones Claims Double All-American Honors at Fargo National Championships

Written by Aidan Clark on . Posted in Featured, Sports.


(Daniel Jones Competing at the USA U16 National Championship in Fargo)

Section 2 has a new double All-American in its ranks, Daniel Jones, a rising sophomore of Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake High School. Jones competed at the USA U16 National Championship in Fargo, North Dakota from July 10th through the 18th where he earned sixth place in both the Greco-Roman and Freestyle events. 

Jones qualified for the National Championships through the US Open in Las Vegas in April where he placed sixth place in both the U15 Greco-Roman and Freestyle events. 

Jones seemed destined for the backside of the Freestyle bracket in his quarter-final bout against Kaden Clark of Alabama. 

Down 2-0, Jones completed a takedown against Clark to even the score. Then Jones administered a step out penalty, putting him down 3-2 in the match. With 20 seconds left, Jones threw a lat-drop take down to win the match that sent him into the semi-finals. 

“I’ve never had a win like that before,” Jones reflected. 

Jones has been training with Dominick Moyer with Journeymen Wrestling since he was 7 years old. 

“Coach Moyer is there whenever you need him; he’s 110% into it,” Jones said.

That commitment has seemingly been passed down into Jones. 

“A month leading up to the [Fargo National Championship] we would have one day off with two sessions every day,” Jones said. “But even before that, I’m a year-round wrestler so I go six times a week. I usually get two workouts in a day, like a practice and then weightlifting, just always committed.”

Danny was born into a wrestling family. His father, Steve Jones wrestled at SUNY Cortland where he boasted 82 career wins and earned an All-American honor during his college career. 

“I’m in a dual role, I’m his dad but also his high school coach,” Steve Jones told Saratoga TODAY. “He did an amazing job on focus and commitment through this training cycle, and he had to go out and earn it. I’m just proud of his effort and dedication and it’s a great steppingstone towards his future.”

Jones, who hasn’t even started his sophomore year of high school yet, has high aspirations for his future in wrestling. 

“I definitely want to get back to the semifinals in Fargo, to feel that again. And to be a state champ next year.”

Brookside Nursery: 50 Years of Growing with the Community

Written by Aidan Clark on . Posted in Business, Featured.


Ian and Margaret Murray in the Original Greenhouse (Aissa Murray)

Brookside Nursery is celebrating 50 years of their family-owned business by opening a brand-new retail space and greenhouse. A ribbon cutting at 10 a.m. on August 15th will mark the next chapter in the storied history of Brookside Nursery. 

To accompany the ribbon cutting, Bars without Boundaries will provide seasonal drinks. Then at 10:30 a.m. Little Wild Poppy will provide a bloom bar, and Happy Little Faces will be painting faces. At 11:00 a.m. Adirondack BBQ Smokehouse and JJ’s Snack Bar’s ice cream will be available. Finally, at 2 p.m. patrons can participate in a fall planter make and take.  

Five decades ago, Brookside Nursery started as a one-room store centered around a wood fire stove. Ed Murray steadily expanded the blueprint of the nursery, building offices, and the original greenhouse in 1993, which is being replaced this year. 

Margaret Murray supplied memories from her home country, selling Scottish kilts, treats, and even dog houses. 


The Original Brookside Nursery (Aissa Murray)

Ian Murray, the son of Ed and Margaret, took over the business from his parents and continued their legacy. 

Aissa Murray is the third generation of her family to continue the business and currently is raising the fourth generation, Henry and Harper.

“I went away for a while and came back here when my daughter was young. I remembered why I loved it so much,” Aissa told Saratoga TODAY. “I grew up here and loved it. I remember fondly many, many times just planting in the greenhouse and watering and all the time spent here.”

Murray says she now sees herself in her children. 

“My daughter is dying to get on the register and help customers. My son loves the equipment. He wants to drive all of it.”

And the parallels continue further:

“My son was here a couple days ago out watering the trees. My dad drove by and he called to him as he pulled in: “Hey, are you going to own this someday?” Henry hollered back, “Well, yea.”


The New Addition to Brookside Nursery (Aissa Murray)

“It has been the joy of my life to see my kids grow up in the business I grew up in,” Aissa said. “It would not have been possible without the hard work and dedication of my father and my grandparents before him as well as the team of people we work with each day. We wouldn’t be successful if not for the amazing team that works with us each day and the amazing community who chooses to support small businesses.”

Brookside Nursery provides residential and commercial landscaping, and has even done work at the Saratoga Race Course. They also offer their expertise to home gardeners on what will grow in the inclement northeast climate and how to care for the plants.

Brookside Nursery will continue to host community events in their newly renovated greenhouse. Looking ahead, Wild for Life is bringing in a beaver on October 3rd and will do a presentation on how to rehabilitate animal habitats in the area. Also coming is monthly plant bingo, a goat milk soap workshop, and a bonsai workshop. 

To learn more about these events and to register, follow Brookside Nursery on Facebook. 

More Than a Workout: Winner’s Circle 518 Builds Community Through Fitness

Written by Aidan Clark on . Posted in Featured, Sports.

Winner’s Circle 518 group at the Kiyak Shack
(Aidan Clark)

A new fitness club has taken hold in Saratoga Springs, Winners Circle 518, an Instagram page that looks to get people together for a run, workouts, and social events. Behind the page are three high school friends, Alec Lind, Chris Serafini, and Gordy Adams who rekindled their friendship after college with an aspiration to build a community of likeminded people. 

Their first post dates back to March 9th, 2026 which was a short form video featuring the trio going for an early morning run with a caption reading “POV: you woke up for morning miles.” Their enthusiasm is palpable through the phone and proved to be contagious.

The group had their first run on March 30th in which four people showed up. Never discouraged, Serafini said, “One day, or day one,” in the Instagram video. 

“It’s always been a running idea, kind of talking about it, talking about it,” Lind said. “Finally, we’re like, all right let’s make this happen. So, one weekend, we’re like: all right we’ll start with a run, and it’s gone from there.”

On April 12, the group organized a run through downtown Saratoga where dozens of runners showed up. The video, subsequentially uploaded to Instagram, reached over 90,000 views, proving to the group that there is a desire in the Saratoga community for a fitness group. 

This past weekend on July 11, Winner’s Circle 518 held a paddleboard swim meet on Saratoga Lake at the Kayak Shack where over 70 people showed up at 9 a.m. 

Haley Richter and Sarah Devincezo attended the paddleboarding event after seeing the Winner’s Circle 518 post on Instagram.

“I wanted to go paddleboarding, and then I was scrolling on Instagram, and I came across the 518 Winner’s Circle,” Richter told Saratoga TODAY. “I was like oh, you can go paddleboarding, we’ll do it.”

“I feel like it’s all the rage to do groups like this. This area doesn’t really have one, and now it does, so that’s cool,” DiVincenzo said.

The group is looking to continue to grow a fitness community centered around Saratoga Springs. New members are always welcome; to keep up to date with the latest Winner’s Circle 518 events, follow them on Instagram at winnerscircle518. 

Saratoga Hidden Horseshoe 

Written by Aidan Clark on . Posted in Entertainment, Featured.


(Courtesy of Saratoga Hidden Horseshoe Facebook)

Jennifer Claeson has spent the last four summers hiding 300 used horseshoes around Saratoga Springs as a scavenger hunt. Claeson is an outdoor enthusiast; she founded Saratoga Hidden Horseshoe in 2023 to give people an excuse to get off their phones and around different areas of the town.

Saratoga Hidden Horseshoes is modeled after the Glass Float Project in Block Island, Rhode Island. Eben Horton is a local glass blower in Block Island, since 2011 he has been hiding glass bulbs resembling Japanese fish net floats around Block Island.  

Claeson was visiting a friend on Block Island in 2021 where she discovered the project and was inspired to start a similar project in Saratoga Springs.

Claeson’s husband, Andy Claeson, is a racing syndicate which gives Claeson access to the back stretch to acquire the horseshoes. 

Claeson hides the horseshoes around Congress Park, Waterfront Park, Beekman Avenue, Spring Run Trail, and Railroad Run. She hides the horseshoes from May through September, but not all the horseshoes are found every summer. There are still horseshoes scattered across the spa city from their first year in 2023. 

“What I love about the project is it’s getting people out in nature. It’s getting people off their phones; walking, exploring parts of the city that they have never seen,’ said Claeson. 

The scavenger hunt has an air of competitiveness within the community.

“It’s the thrill of the hunt, and you may never find one, and you may just go for your first hunt and find one,” Claeson said. 

One local wrote on Facebook, “I was so excited to find one tonight! Since moving to Saratoga finding a hidden horseshoe has been a dream of mine. I have been searching a lot lately as I’m moving away in just a few days and thought I’d never get a chance again! – Olivia”

Each horseshoe has a QR code that allows the person who found it to send in a picture and a comment about their adventure. Follow Saratoga Hidden Horseshoes on Facebook and Instagram to keep up to date with the latest finds. 

Each year, 30 of the 300 horseshoes are decorated by local artists. For two out of the four years so far, the artists have been paid through a grant provided by Saratoga Arts. Claeson hopes that the grant will continue to support local artists. 

Claeson is looking for help from the community to aid in cleaning the horseshoes, the most time-consuming part about the project. The National Honor’s Society of Saratoga Springs High School previously helped her with cleaning the horseshoes, but since that partnership fell through last year, Claeson has been cleaning all 300 horseshoes by herself.

Claeson is also perpetually looking for sponsorship opportunities with local Saratoga Brands. Previously Roohan Realty, Crossford Chase, and Pannell’s Resturant have previously sponsored the project, which helps Claeson pay for expensed required to keep the project going.

Anyone interested helping Claeson clean the horseshoes or for sponsorship opportunities, email saratogahiddenhorseshoes@gmail.com. 

Saratoga Senior Center Partners with West Point Thoroughbreds for Racehorse Ownership Raffle

Written by Aidan Clark on . Posted in Business.

Decorated Belle
(West Point Thoroughbreds)

The Saratoga Senior Center (SSC) and West Point Thoroughbreds are teaming up to provide a unique opportunity for people to support their local seniors, while getting a chance to win a percent ownership of a racehorse. 

Raffle tickets are $100; SSC members will receive 2 entries for every $100 ticket purchased. The winning ticket will be drawn on July 30, at the Horseshoe Inn Bar & Grill following the horse races. 

The winner of the raffle will gain a 2.5% ownership of “Decorated Belle,” a promising 2-year-old New York-bred filly trained by Miguel Clement. The winner will not be liable for the cost of raising and training the racehorse. The winner will receive ownership distribution of any purse money, barn and backstretch access, and race day ownership experiences. 

“West Point Thoroughbreds has always been deeply connected to the Saratoga community, making this partnership with the Saratoga Senior Center a natural fit,” said Tom Bellhouse, Executive Vice President of West Point Thoroughbreds. “One of the things we love most about this raffle is that it gives anyone the opportunity to experience the excitement of racehorse ownership while supporting an amazing cause right here in Saratoga.”

To buy a raffle ticket to win a share of “Decorated Belle,” go to https://saratogaseniorcenter.org/West-Point-Thoroughbreds-Ownership-Experience-Raffle/ 

All proceeds from the raffle will support the SCC’s efforts to provide local seniors with social events, transportation, wellness programs, educational opportunities, caregiver support, Alzheimer’s and memory support, food assistance, palliative care support, and other services that help older adults throughout Saratoga County remain active, independent, and connected.

Volunteers play an incredibly important role in expanding and strengthening programs like transportation, friendly visiting, grocery shopping, and technology assistance. Email Danielle at DanielleL@saratogaseniorcenter.org to donate your time. 

Plaza Wine & Spirits Celebrates 30 Years in Business 

Written by Aidan Clark on . Posted in Business.

Raffle Basket Giveaway in Celebration of 30 Years in Business
(Thomas Beaury)

Andrea Green and her husband Tom opened Plaza Wine & Spirits in 1996, after returning home from serving in the Navy. This year, they are celebrating 30 years of their family-owned business in Milton.

Andrea and Tom both graduated from Saratoga Springs High School and joined the Navy after graduation. They served for 5 years and were deployed together in Spain. Following their return home, they opened Plaza Wine & Spirits originally located off Geyser Road.

Next weekend on July 25, in celebration of 30 years of business, Plaza Wine & Spirits are sponsoring a raffle giveaway and wine and spirit tasting. Raffel items include a cooler bag, and assorted wines and spirits.

Participants can sign up for the raffle by stopping into the store at 404 Rowland Street, Ballston Spa. There is no required purchase to sign up for the giveaway, simply provide a name and phone number, and Andrea will call to let you know if you are a winner.

The Greens moved into their current location in 2003; at the time there were three other businesses in their store. There was a hair salon, a women’s fitness location, and a guitar store. As the other businesses moved on, Plaza Wine & Spirits expanded into extra retail space. 

Jamie Fitzpatrick purchased the family business in 2021, keeping the business in the family. 

“The Greens put a lot of hard work into this place to grow it where it is today, and I just want to continue their legacy,” Fitzpatrick said. “I have had somebody inquire about buying this place, but I said absolutely not. We’re going to keep it going, and then maybe someday my kids will want to take it over.”

“A lot of times when people have a family business, the children don’t want it. We’re really grateful that we were able to keep it in the family,” said Ms. Green.

World Cup Watch Party in Wiswall Park

Written by Aidan Clark on . Posted in Sports.

Locals Dressed Up for the USMNT Round of 16 Game (Aidan Clark)
Mayor Frank Rossi Addressing the Community (Aidan Clark)

Ballston Spa— On Monday, July 6, the Ballston Spa community came together in support of the United States Men’s National Team (USMNT) in their round of 16 tie against Belgium in Wiswall Park.

Mayor Frank Rossi gauged interest for a watch party following the USMNT’s win against Bosnia and Herzegovina in the round of 32 on Facebook. 

“Who wants a Village of Ballston Spa watch party Monday night in Wiswall Park for Belgium/USA?” the mayor wrote on Facebook. 

The post reached over 200 likes and 60 comments and the next day, Mayor Rossi announced a watch party at Wiswall Park Monday night.

The mayor worked diligently over the weekend to get local vendors to set up shop at the game. JJ’s Snack Bar and Mike’s Hot Dogs turned up at the event despite the short notice.

“I actually went there (Mike’s Hot Dogs) on Thursday, I go there whenever I’m in Schenectady, it’s one of my guilty pleasures,” said Mayor Rossi. “And I saw their owner who I’ve known for years. I’m like, “John, you still have that food truck? We’ve got an event.” And he said, “I’ll be there.”

Despite losing 4-1 and being knocked out of the World Cup, enthusiasm for the game was high. After Malik Tillman scored his second free kick goal of his tournament, USA chants erupted in the park. 

“I think that the community coming together like this for a World Cup is something that I’ve been hoping for a long time with this sport,” said Raffaele Rispo, owner of Ballston Spa Barber Club. “You don’t see people coming to the park for the Olympics, or the NBA finals, or the Super Bowl, but you see this because this really is the world’s game and it’s catching on here big time.”

60th Annual New York City Ballet Residency at SPAC

Written by Aidan Clark on . Posted in Entertainment, Featured.

SARATOGA SPRINGS— The New York City Ballet (NYCB) returns to Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC) on July 8–11 for its landmark 60th anniversary season in Saratoga. The residency features six performances, artist conversations, workshops, family programming, special anniversary events and community activities honoring six decades of one of the nation’s most celebrated artistic partnerships.

The anniversary season includes the return of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” the first ballet ever performed on the SPAC stage, on July 9, 1966. The “Innovators & Icons” program features Jerome Robbins’ “Opus 19/The Dreamer,” George Balanchine’s “Serenade,” and the SPAC premiere of Tiler Peck’s “Symphonie Espagnole.”

Joining the Ballet for the four performances of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” are 26 children from the Capital Region, who have been rehearsing with the NYCB in preparation for the show. 

Thursday, July 9 is SPAC’s Anniversary Night. At 5:30 p.m. celebrate SPAC’s 60th birthday before the performance with complimentary beer, wine and sparkling beverage tastings, sweet treats, commemorative photo opportunities, and “The I Love You Kiosk,” a 10-foot interactive multimedia installation exploring human connection through sound, video and community-created art. The first 400 guests through the gates will receive a complimentary 2005 NYCB “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” poster from the SPAC archives. Guests can also visit the 99.5 The River tent to enter to win a seat upgrade. 

Friday, July 10 is SPAC’s Family Night. At 5:30 p.m. families are invited to arrive early for lawn games, arts and crafts, face painting, complimentary Stewart’s ice cream (including SPAC’s Fireworks on the Lawn flavor) and other family-friendly activities. Guests can also experience “The I Love You Kiosk” interactive installation.

All events before the show are free for all ticket holders. For more information on the NYCB’s performances go to www.spac.org for more information. 

Awesome Elijah Book Reading

Written by Aidan Clark on . Posted in Entertainment.

Cover of Awesome Elijah (Martha Raleigh Winsten)
Elijah (Steer) running with Reggie (Horse) (Martha Raleigh Winsten)

Local author, illustrator, and art teacher, Martha Raleigh Winsten, is hosting a reading of her book Awesome Elijah along with an illustration demonstration at Greenwich Library on July 13, from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. at Ballston Spa Library on July 29, from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Awesome Elijah is a true story about Jackie Pierce, a teacher’s aide at Division Street who along with her daughter, Andrea, adopted a three-day-old calf who was set to be sold to slaughter. The story follows Elijah growing up alongside various farm animals and eventually becoming the only steer to ride at the Horse Expo at Saratoga Race Course.

The book was originally published in 2007, but through a grant provided by Saratoga Arts, Awesome Elijah was republished as a hardcover. Also included in the book is a QR code for three songs recorded by Winsten that go along with the story. 

Winsten comes from a storied family in the illustration landscape; her grandfather was Henry Raleigh, who is in the Illustrators Hall of Fame. He was F. Scott Fitzgerald’s favorite illustrator, and one of his WWI war posters can be seen at the Saratoga Military Museum on Lake Ave.

Her mother and father, Sheila Raleigh and movie critic, Archer Winsten, were part of the Harlem Renaissance. They would go with John Hammond to listen to singers Billie Holiday and Ella Fitzgerald and others at the Savoy in Harlem. 

Frances Day at the Tang Teaching Museum and Art Gallery

Written by Aidan Clark on . Posted in Entertainment.

Skidmore Students Testing the Frances Day Activities (Aidan Clark)

Saratoga Springs— On Saturday, June 18, the Tang Teaching Museum and Art Gallery will host its annual Frances Day, open to the public from 2 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Located on Skidmore’s campus, there will be family friendly activities, museum tours, and live music. 

From 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. activities will include pinch pots with Saratoga Clay, mosaics, glass decorating, bandana stamping, felt vases and flowers, and a photo booth. Scheduled tours will be held at 2:15, 3:15, and 4:15 exploring exhibits “All These Growing Things” with Rachel Seligman, Assistant Director for Curatorial Affairs, and Malloy Curator; “Kathy Butterly: Assume Yes” with Dayton Director Ian Berry; and Collections Tour with Collections Registrar Nora Riccio and Exhibitions Registrar Katrina Dumas respectively. 

At 5 p.m. there will be a community barbeque and a concert by Great Mutations, a local band based in Troy. 

Frances Tang graduated from Skidmore College in 1961, after having immigrated from China. In 1992, the same year her daughter Kristen graduated from Skidmore College, Tang passed away from cancer. To honor his late wife, Oscar Tang made a substantial contribution to help the museum come to fruition in 2000. The inaugural Frances Day was in 2014 which honors her legacy of creativity and philanthropy with a day of free activities for the whole community.