Local Brass Players Performing with Musicians from the Philadelphia Orchestra at SPAC (Courtesy of Aidan Clark)
On Thursday, Aug 20, local brass musicians performed on Saratoga Performing Arts Center’s (SPAC) amphitheater stage with musicians from the Philadelphia Orchestra as part of their annual PlayIn series.
The PlayIn series is native to Philadelphia and was transplanted to Saratoga nine years ago after Dennis Moench, the vice president of education at SPAC caught wind of the event.
“I approached them and said, ‘could you bring this to SPAC?’ So, we started doing it and it was such a nice success, we just kept doing it year after year. It’s kind of baked into their residency now,” Moench told Saratoga TODAY.
The Philadelphia Orchestra has a three-week residency at SPAC every year and is tied for the most tenured residency at SPAC with the New York City Ballet.
It’s “just an opportunity you don’t see too often. Especially in an area near you where travel isn’t really an issue at all. The fact that they’re available and willing to do these types of opportunities for creative communities is awesome,” said Andrew Gorman, a local trombone player.
The Inaugural MircoMoCA Art Exhibit at the Sobro Conservancy (Courtesy of Aidan Clark)
A new community art project, MicroMoCa, has installed its first project at the Sobro Conservancy located at 209 South Broadway.
70 years ago, the land of Sobro Conservancy was a gas station at the busy intersection of South Broadway, Ballston Avenue, Circular and West Circular streets. When the gas station closed a few decades ago, the lot was cleaned up by the state Department of Environmental Conservation. The lot sat vacant for another couple of decades until 2022 when the land ownership was transferred to Sobro Conservancy.
“The principal clientele is these little things that float around and buzz and pollinate, and the birds that like to eat their caterpillars,” said Tom Denny, president of Sobro Conservacy. “In other words, at some level, this is primarily an ecological habitat. But the other clientele is the citizens and visitors to Saratoga.”
Emily Tironi is a resident of the Stonequist Apartments near the Sobro Conservancy. She founded MicroMoCA to give artisan builders the chance to create “micro” art galleries.
The inaugural art installation is titled “Once Upon a Time,” featuring works by Brenda Verardi. Her exhibit features six watercolor landscapes, demonstrating her love of Northeastern nature with bold shapes and intense, vibrant colors. Verardi is a retired anthropology teacher and long-term resident of Saratoga Springs, started painting and drawing as a child, encouraged and inspired by her mother, who also painted.
Chris Jacobs built the art display at Main Street Studio in Charlton.
“The idea is the light will be able to filter into the back when the sun is moving around,” said Jacobs.
The exhibit will rotate collections from artists in the community inspired by nature and the environment.
A second microMoCA gallery will be coming soon to Stonequist Apartments, followed by a third at another location later this fall.
Left to Right – Frank Scirocco, Chris Wagner, Dillon Murphy, and Frank’s granddaughter, Chloe (Courtesy of Chris Wagner)
On Saturday, September 5, lifetime Saratoga band, Skippy and the Pistons will perform their final show at a Tunnels to Towers fundraiser by Chris Wagner and Dillon Murphy. The fundraiser will be hosted at 2117 Barrett Road, Ballston Spa from 6 to 11 p.m.
Earlier this year, founding band member, Frank Scirocco, passed away. The band’s last performance will be a tribute to the band’s leader.
Last year the band performed at the Tunnels to Towers fundraiser for their 50th anniversary and raised over 2,500 dollars for the foundation which provides homes for injured veterans and their families.
Raffel tickets will be sold for $20 each and 3 for $50. Prizes include gift certificates and products from local businesses. All proceeds will be donated to Tunnels to Towers.
Anyone interested in donating but cannot attend can do so by going to dogood.t2t.org/saratogafundraiser26
The Gateway House of Peace has been providing dignified end of life care in Ballston Spa since 2014. The house can care for two terminally ill people and their families at a time in the last three months of life.
On September 26, from 1 to 6 p.m., the Gateway house will host a family-friendly fundraising event on their grounds at 479 Rowland Street, Ballston Spa. The event is $5 admission and will feature yard and carnival games, live music, food trucks from Ted’s Fish Fry, Spring Street Deli, Thorn and Roots, Stewart’s ice cream, and a silent auction.
Funds raised from this event allow the Gateway House of Peace to operate year-round at no charge to the families.
Another way to support the Gateway house is through the Gateway Thrift Shop, 404 Geyser Road, which sells donated items; all proceeds benefit the Gateway House of Peace.
Owners of Lake Ridge Restaurant, Chef Scott Ringwood and Bob McKenna (Courtesy of Lake Ridge Restaurant)
Lake Ridge Restaurant is celebrating 25 years in business this year, but they almost didn’t make it one month. Bob McKenna and Chef Scott Ringwood opened the restaurant in September 2001, the same month of the devastating terrorist attacks on the Twin Towers.
“We got the approval to open on September 26, and nobody showed up,” McKenna recalled. “Nobody was doing anything at that point. Nobody was coming out to dinner. It was a scary time.”
Eventually the shock of the attack began to fade, and people emerged from their sanctuaries to begin a return to normality.
Ringwood was leaving Dater Tavern in Clifton Park in aspiration to open his own restaurant a year before the attacks. He approached his friend about partnering with him. McKenna, who had been in the car business for 32 years, didn’t hesitate.
The pair bought the property at 35 Burlington Ave, Round Lake and spent seven months renovating the building.
The key to their success? Well, it’s very similar to the car industry, according to Bob McKenna.
“It’s all about a customer experience, and you have to have good staff to give a good experience, and with that you get retention. That customer retention is great staff, great product, great experience; and from there you should be able to do a great business,” McKenna says.
The great product comes from a lifetime of experience from Chef Scott and a tight menu that allows for the highest quality ingredients.
The restaurant creates a cozy and intimate ambiance through its three dining rooms, two fireplaces, and a mahogany bar stocked with dozens of scotches and bourbons and a curated wine list.
Whether you’re in town for the horse racing, have never ventured to Round Lake, or are a regular, Bob and Chef Scott invite you to Lake Ridge Restaurant, open Tuesday through Saturday, 4 to 8:30 p.m.
Fifty-four years after graduating from SUNY Potsdam, Rich Johns is recognized by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) as a Legacy All-American for his achievements on and off the court. Johns coached both the Saratoga boys’ and girls’ tennis programs for a combined 38 years before retiring in 2010.
During his tenure as head coach, Johns led the Girl’s Varsity program to 17 league titles, nine section two team titles, and a record 85 game win streak for Class AA.
A Legacy All-American adds to his long list of accolades. Johns is the recipient of the highest honors given to alumnus from SUNY Potsdam and SUNY Adirondack, the Minerva Award (1997) and the Trailblazer Society (2018) respectively. Also, the USTA National Starfish Award (2009), given in recognition of his “no-cut” tennis program, Racquet Sports Industry as their National High School Coach of the Year (2010), and the Saratoga Springs Rotary Education Foundation Award (2010) for his distinguished-exceptional leadership and commitment to education and community service.
As a freshman at SUNY Adirondack in 1968 (Named Adirondack Community College in his day), Johns was the Northeast Collegiate College Singles Champion, secured the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Region 3 Championship, and got to the third round of the NJCAA National Championship.
He transferred to SUNY Potsdam after one year at SUNY Adirondack, and his on-court success followed.
Johns was runner-up at the State University of New York Athletic Association (SUNYAC) Conference Tennis Title in 1971. He captured the SUNYAC Singles Championship in his final year of college, the first and only Tennis player from SUNY Potsdam to achieve a State Championship.
Johns never lost a conference match in his collegiate career.
Despite earning a spot in the NCAA Tennis Championships in 1972, fiscal irresponsibility and a subsequent budget freeze from Governor Rockefeller prevented him from traveling to California for the competition.
Johns spends his days in retirement spreading his message, Act with Respect Always, a pay it forward movement. He travels around the region preaching 8 core character traits: Responsibility, honesty and fairness, civility, self-discipline, no excuses, courage, and respect.
Memorial Hospital Oncology Department Honors Bryce Terry (Courtesy of Bryce Terry)
Bryce Terry with his Parents (Courtesy of Bryce Terry)
Rising Skidmore Sophomore, Bryce Terry is leading his second annual Beyond the Summit Triathlon in support of his hometown oncology department at Memorial Hospital in North Conoway, NH on Aug. 21. This year four of his Hockey teammates, Shane Baker, Coleman Jenkins, Christian Day, Theo Angelopoulos, are joining him.
The triathlon includes a 1-mile swim in Echo Lake, a 52-mile bike ride through Crawford Notch, and a 5.2-mile hike up Mount Washington. Last year Terry raised over $12,000 and was honored with a plaque in the department’s lobby recognizing his efforts.
When Terry was a senior in high school, his left leg swelled up to where he could not participate in daily activities. He was diagnosed with May-Thurner Syndrome at Memorial Hospital, a rare condition where the right pelvic artery crosses over the left pelvic artery, constricting blood flow to the lower extremities.
“There were a lot of scary things that were said over the stretch of those 3 months,” Terry recalls. “But I’m able to live a happy, healthy, long life. “I’m so grateful for that experience, it changed my perspective on life, and I realized the beauty of life it its fragility.”
This experience motivated him to volunteer in Memorial Hospital’s Oncology Department.
So, when Skidmore men’s Hockey coach, Rob Hutchison challenged his athletes to partake in an athletic challenge, Terry was inspired to give back to the people who gave him a new lease on life.
“Being around the patients and seeing their strength and coming in every day with smiles on their face while facing some of the hardest days of their life deepened my motivation to serve them,” Terry said. “That’s where the vision of this triathlon came. To raise money for these strong patients to continue their fight.”
Terry is living in Saratoga Springs over the summer while doing an internship with the County Chamber of Commerce and is asking the Saratoga Community to support his efforts.
To donate to the fundraiser, scan the QR code attached to the article.
Spa Catholic Baseball Team Presenting Trophy to Dylan Davis (Courtesy of Adam Coglianese / NYRA)
The back-to-back baseball State Champions, Spa Catholic, were honored last Thursday at Saratoga Race Course. The team posed for pictures in the paddock before heading to the Winner’s Circle for the third race of the day. Three-year-old thoroughbred, “How Much is Enough” mounted by Dylan Davis was presented his trophy by the team and coaches Alphonse Lambert and Dave Long.
“Winning it two years in a row is a special thing, so it’s great that the community celebrates it,” said Pierce Byrne, who will be attending Siena to continue his baseball career in the fall.
Four-time all-star Paul Lo Duca met up with the champions at the trophy presentation to commemorate their achievement.
Only four teams in New York State Section 2 history have won consecutive State Championships. For captain Carson Moser, it was about winning with the same friends he grew up playing with. “We’ve all been playing together since we’ve been super young, so I think it’s more of an accomplishment than anything for all of us. We’re all super happy and proud of it.” Moser will be playing for Duke in the fall.
Sugar Plum Farm Foundation in the Paddock at Saratoga Race Course (Courtesy of Aidan Clark)
Students from the Albany Roots Academy attended the inaugural summer camp at Sugar Plum Farm last week. Founder Robin Malatino exposed the kids to animal care, entrepreneurship, and public speaking skills; the latter she says was integral to her late husband’s success.
Robin and Tony Malatino purchased the land to Sugar Plum Farm off Union Ave in 2005. When Tony passed away in March last year, Robin created the Sugar Plum Farm Foundation in his honor. Tony immigrated to the United States in 1949 aboard the USS LaGuardia and attended the Roots Academy. In his professional life he would serve as a U.S. Navy officer before going onto a career in finance.
Albany Roots Academy is a Title 1 school and most of its students, like Tony, are first-generation Americans. Robin says the foundation provides the children with opportunities beyond the classroom.
These kids come from “underserved communities, so I thought, what a perfect backdrop, our farm, to be a place for them to come and not only experience animal husbandry, but also to learn how to be an entrepreneur,” said Robin.
Over the week each camper developed a business idea and pitched it to investors. The camp concluded with a trip to Saratoga Race Course where the kids explored the backstretch, met announcer Frank Mirahmadi, and visited the Winner’s Circle.
“This is the first year, but I think it’ll be an annual trip for them,” said NYRA Community Affairs Manager, Robert Hines.
Team USA’s Mixed 8 Rowing Team (Courtesy of USA Rowing)
Olivia Lill and Parker Mansfield at the Olympic training center in Chula Vista, California (Courtesy of Christy Lill)
Team USA Men’s 8 Rowing Team (Courtesy of USA Rowing)
Plovdiv, Bulgaria— Two local Saratoga rowing athletes, Olivia Lill and Parker Mansfield, won silverware at the under 19 World Rowing Championship this past weekend for team USA. Both rowers train with Saratoga Rowing Association.
Olivia Lill won the bronze medal in the inaugural mixed 8 competition. Her boat completed the 2,000 meters race in 6 minutes and 02.64 seconds, earning them a spot on the podium.
This new competition combined the men’s and women’s four teams.
“I am so grateful for the opportunity to compete with my crew against the best in the world. It is so cool to line up against other crews who speak different languages and come from different countries, but we all have one thing in common, a passion for rowing and racing,” said Lill.
Lill will be attending the University of Central Florida in the fall.
“I couldn’t have gotten here without the support of my friends and family, especially my home program, SRA, for always pushing me to be the best version of myself. I also want to give a shoutout to our phenomenal coach, Caitlin McClain at USRowing, who developed our four this summer. Hard work truly pays off!”
Mansfield participated in the Men’s 8 A Final and helped team USA win second place with a final time of 5 minutes and 36.46 seconds.
It was an exhilarating race as after 1,500 meters, team USA’s boat was down over half a second to eventual third place Germany with 500 meter to go.
Mansfield attributes their final sprint to the adjustment the team made after the heat the day prior.
“We worked a lot on our timing, we shortened our stroke,” Mansfield said.
Program director for Saratoga Rowing Association, Mike MacMinn underscored the feat.
“In the 8s it’s very difficult to overcome a deficit like that,” MacMinn said. But “that matches up with our race plan and the way we train. We stress the concept that we are a second half team; we close really well when other teams often have emptied the tank too early.”
Mansfield is entering his senior year at Saratoga Springs High School and is excited to see where Rowing will take him in the future.
“It was truly amazing representing the country,” Mansfield said.
