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Author: Jonathon Norcross

Airport Updates: Saratoga Nearly Finished, Albany Makes Progress

Written by Jonathon Norcross on . Posted in Business.


Photo of the Saratoga County Airport exterior via LeChase Construction. 

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Two local airports are in the midst of renovations, with work on the Saratoga County Airport due to be finished as soon as this week, and the Albany International Airport repaving its main runway, installing new escalators, and launching a partnership with Breeze Airways.

Saratoga County Airport Nearly Done

The private airport’s $35.2 million construction project, which was officially announced in May of last year, is nearing completion. Supervisor Matthew Veitch had announced at the Saratoga Springs Preliminary City Council Meeting a ribbon cutting ceremony that took place on Thursday, June 26 at 10 a.m.

The airport is getting a new terminal building, restaurant, 20,000-square-foot hangar, and various interior spaces for concessions and rental car facilities.

To fund the project, Saratoga County was awarded $27 million by the state, with an additional $2 million coming via federal funds. The remaining balance of the project was provided by Saratoga County itself.

According to Saratoga County Board of Supervisors Chairman Phil Barrett, the airport has an overall economic impact of more than $10 million.

Albany Coming Along

Meanwhile, the Albany International Airport continues its $100 million construction project, which will include the expansion of the airport’s terminal, the modernization of its entranceways, the expansion and relocation of the security area, the addition of seating and waiting areas, updated conference facilities, an expanded airside marketplace, a public arts area, and a children’s play zone.

Work on the project was initially expected to be completed early this year, but is still ongoing.

Earlier this month, the airport’s 8,500-foot-long, 150-foot-wide main runway was repaved, and the first of four new escalators was installed. Last month, two brand-new jet bridges arrived. In April, Uncommon Grounds—a coffee shop chain that first opened in Saratoga Springs in 1992—opened its newest location in the airport just past security.

Albany International also recently announced a new partnership with Breeze Airways, which includes the launch of non-stop service from Albany to both the Raleigh-Durham International Airport and the Charleston International Airport. The airline also offers connections to Fort Myers, Florida via Raleigh-Durham.


A new escalator is installed at the Albany International Airport. Photo via the airport.

Ballston Spa Native Shines in Pro Softball Inaugural Season

Written by Jonathon Norcross on . Posted in Sports.


Ana Gold high fives a teammate during an Athletes Unlimited Softball League game. Photo via the AUSL’s Blaze.

BALLSTON SPA — Six games into the debut season of the Athletes Unlimited Softball League (AUSL), Ballston Spa native Ana Gold was among her team’s leaders in a number of offensive stats, including hits, batting average, and OPS. The numbers tell a tale familiar to those who have followed Gold’s exceptional career at the high school, college, and now professional levels.

With the AUSL’s Blaze, Gold has thus far earned a .444 batting average and 1.085 OPS in 18 at-bats. On June 7, she smacked a double and drove in her team’s lone run. On June 14, the Duke University grad hit a triple, earning 2 RBI. Her fielding, meanwhile, has been flawless, with no errors recorded across all six games.

Despite the rookie’s best efforts, the Blaze have struggled collectively in the early going, ranking last among the league’s four teams with a 1-5 record.

Since April, when Gold was one of a handful of the top college softball players in the nation to be awarded a golden draft ticket by the AUSL, the nascent league has received the backing of Major League Baseball (MLB), which made a first-of-its-kind “strategic investment” in the organization. The AUSL also landed an impressive broadcasting deal, which includes televised games on ESPN2, ESPNU, MLB.com, and the MLB Network. Kim Ng, the former general manager of the Miami Marlins and a former assistant general manager for the New York Yankees, was also named commissioner of the AUSL shortly after presenting Gold with a golden ticket.

Gold was drafted 9th overall by the Blaze after an impressive college career at Duke, where she had a career slash line of .306/.408/.614. She hit 54 homers, 7 triples, and 29 doubles for the Blue Devils. She also stole 53 bases and totaled more than 200 hits in 666 at-bats. 

In 2024, she set a number of Duke softball records, including smashing two grand slams in one game and knocking in 8 runs in a single game. She also set the program’s all-time career home run record while helping to lead her squad to the NCAA Women’s College World Series.

At Ballston Spa High School, she was ranked the No. 39 prospect in the country (according to Extra Innings Softball), was named three times to the Suburban Council’s First Team, and was a two-time Second Team All-Stater. She batted .411 with 12 home runs and 33 RBI as a freshman before improving to .418 with nine home runs and 34 RBI as a sophomore.

Gold’s older brother Luke was an All-ACC baseball infielder at Boston College before being selected in the fifth round of the 2022 MLB Draft by the Detroit Tigers. Another brother, Joe, currently pitches for the Amsterdam Mohawks.

UNPRECEDENTED: Saratoga Springs and Spa Catholic Win State Championships

Written by Jonathon Norcross on . Posted in Featured, Sports.


The Saratoga Central Catholic baseball team celebrates after winning their first-ever state title. Photo by Holden Goodridge, 8th grade student photographer at SCC. 

Photo of the Saratoga Springs varsity baseball team celebrating its state title win via the Saratoga Springs City School District.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — In a remarkable moment in the city’s history, two Saratoga Springs-based high school baseball teams won their respective class state championships last weekend. Both title victories were the first in each program’s history.

“We may need to change the City of Saratoga Springs’ slogan from ‘Health, History, and Horses’ to ‘Health, History, Horses, and Baseball,’” wrote Mayor John Safford.

According to the latest Saratoga Springs City Council meeting, plans are currently in the works for a celebratory parade on June 25 that would run on Broadway from Congress Park to City Hall.

Saints Make History

The Saratoga Central Catholic varsity baseball team won the Section 2 Class C Championship last Saturday, defeating Deposit-Hancock 4 to 0 at the SUNY Binghamton Stadium.

It was the first baseball title in the school’s history, and only the second state championship for any sport in school history.

In the state title game, junior Pierce Byrne (who has already committed to Siena College) had a stellar performance on the mound, racking up 11 strikeouts and allowing only one hit in 7 innings of work. At the plate, Spa Catholic took an early lead after Ryan Gillis socked a three-run homer in the first inning. Brian Selig Jr. and Ronan Rowe each contributed two hits in the victory.

“I’m proud, humbled, grateful, and blessed to coach these guys,” said Coach Alphonse Lambert in a message posted to social media. “They are a resilient group who I [love] so much.”

“This victory is a testament to the hard work, dedication, and teamwork of our student-athletes and coaching staff,” Saratoga Central Catholic said in a statement. “We are incredibly proud of their performance and the way they represented SCC on and off the field.”

In the state semifinal game, also in Binghamton, the Saints defeated Section 9 champion Burke Catholic, 5 to 2. In that contest, Rowe hit a triple and an RBI single, while Max Britten drove in two additional runs with his own single. On the mound, Carson Moser allowed just one earned run, striking out 5 and allowing 2 hits in 4 innings. Luke Dejnozka pitched 3 additional innings in relief, earning the win and allowing no runs.

When leaving for their pair of games in Binghamton, the baseball squad was treated to a police and fire-escorted farewell that saw a packed crowd of students, teachers, and parents cheering outside the high school on Broadway. 

Prior to their victories in the state final four, Spa Catholic captured their sixth sectional championship by beating Granville 5 to 2 at the Joe Bruno Stadium in Troy.

The Saints finished 27-1 on the year, tying the school record for most wins in a season.

Offensive statistical standouts this season included Britten (slash line: .386/.463/.421), Byrne (.395/.489/.645), Kihl Kelly (.405/.520/.544), Jason Pescetti (.471/.553/.571), Rowe (.474/.550/.645), and Selig Jr. (.382/.560/.500).

Pitchers Byrne (1.33 ERA in 42 innings), Dejnozka (0.51 ERA in 27.1 innings), Selig Jr. (0.41 ERA in 34 innings), and Tyler Weygand (1.14 ERA in 24.2 innings) shut down the Saints’ foes all season.

Four members of the Saints’ historic 2025 baseball team will soon graduate: Rowe (Oswego State commit), Hunter Fales (St. John Fisher University), Gillis (SUNY Adirondack), and Weygand (Barton College). But in a news release, the school said that a “talented underclassman group stands ready to carry the torch.”

Blue Streaks Stun Ketcham

The Saratoga Springs High School varsity baseball team capped off a successful 21-6 season with its first-ever Section 2 Class AAA state championship last Saturday, vanquishing Ketcham 8 to 5.

Jack Rigabar got the Blue Streaks’ party started with a triple in the first inning before being brought home off a single by Alex Landau. Brady Mills later added an RBI hit of his own, again driving in Rigbar. Cooper Villiere added a sac-fly in the third before Saratoga was able to capture the lead, 6 to 5, following a few wild pitches by Ketcham. From there, the Blue Streaks squeezed and didn’t let go, crossing home plate twice more to secure the W.

The victory was far from assured heading into Saturday’s game. Ketcham was appearing in its third-straight state final, having captured a title of their own in 2023. 

Prior to the historic victory, Saratoga earned its spot in the title game after a 2 to 1, extra-innings win in the semifinals against Niagara Falls.

The state title victory came after an unusual season that saw Saratoga lose 6 of its first 12 games before then winning 15 straight. Although some may have counted them out, the Blue Streaks never stopped battling.


Photo of the Blue Streaks departing for the state championship game in Binghamton via
the school district.

Students, teachers, and parents gather outside the Spa Catholic High School to cheer on the baseball team en route to the state championship game in Binghamton.
Photo provided by Aiden Lambert.

Jontavious Willis Brings the Blues Back to Caffe Lena

Written by Jonathon Norcross on . Posted in Entertainment.


Jontavious Willis takes the stage at Caffe Lena on June 15.
Photo by Jonathon Norcross.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Grammy-nominated bluesman Jontavious Willis seemed amused with himself as he used a glass Saratoga Water bottle to play slide guitar during his set at Caffe Lena last Sunday night.

The fingerpicking traditionalist interspersed comedic moments like this one with more sincere songs about our “tangled” world, delivering an always-entertaining performance that made it easy to understand why legendary musician Taj Mahal once called him a “wonderboy.”

Willis, who was mentored by both Mahal and Keb’ Mo’, regaled the Spa City crowd with stories about growing up in rural Georgia, where his younger self sang gospel music at a Baptist church before falling in love with the blues.

“To me, the blues is the most important musical genre and the roots of many others,” Willis says on his website. “Deeper than that, it is a cultural thing for me and my heritage. I feel when I play the blues I am connecting with those before me and presenting it to others, a spiritual type thing.”

Willis’ stripped-back playing style keeps it simple: his voice, a guitar, a harmonica, and the occasional tapping foot. It’s a modus operandi that cuts through spectacle and allows the audience to focus on the words, stories, and sentiments Willis expresses.

“When you start focusing on your instrument more than vocals, you are forgetting the purpose of the blues, which is to tell a story,” Willis says.

Not yet 40, Willis has already released three studio albums: “Blue Metamorphosis” (2017), “Spectacular Class” (2019), and “West Georgia Blues” (2024). Upon its release, “Class” appeared at No. 12 on the Billboard Blues Albums chart before being nominated for Best Traditional Blues Album at the 2020 Grammy Awards. His original composition, “Rough Time Blues,” appears as the last track on “Room on the Porch,” an album by Taj Mahal and Keb’ Mo’ that was released on May 23 to rave reviews.

Prior to Sunday, Willis had appeared at Lena in Feb. 2019 as part of the “Bright” series, alongside Blind Boy Paxton in Nov. 2019, and once again as a headliner in April 2020. 

Mission Accomplished: Local Pinball Player Opens Interactive Museum

Written by Jonathon Norcross on . Posted in Business, Featured.


Arcade Archaeology logo and pinball machines photo provided by
Lonnie Linen.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Eight months ago, Saratoga TODAY chronicled the efforts of one local pinball enthusiast to open an interactive museum where guests could play the silver ball on dozens of collectible machines. On Friday, Lonnie Linen’s plans will come to fruition.

June 20 is the soft opening of Arcade Archaeology, an interactive pinball museum at the Aviation Mall in Queensbury. The opening coincides with Saratoga Silverball’s 5th annual pinball show.

Linen picked the location due to its proximity to both Saratoga Springs and Lake George, hoping to reel in the summer crowds. He was also impressed with the mall’s foot traffic; and a generous offer from the mall’s manager helped seal the deal.

Now, Linen is working tirelessly with a small band of collaborators to get the museum up and running. But it’s no easy feat. The 3,600-square-foot space is set to include around 50 different pinball games (with at least 40 of them being playable), including new additions to Linen’s collection: “Indiana Jones,” “Addams Family,” and “Space Jam” machines. Linen said the first two would become “crown jewel” centerpieces of the museum.

“Having an Indiana Jones and an Addams Family really takes us to the next level,” Linen said.

A pre-owned Indiana Jones machine costs somewhere in the range of $17,000. The game includes 12 different modes that are based on scenes from the original film trilogy. Parts of John Williams’ score accompany the action, as does original voicework performed by actor John Rhys-Davies, who played the character Sallah in the Steven Spielberg-directed movies.

The Addams Family is considered the most commercially successful pinball machine of all time, selling more than 20,000 units across the globe. The gameplay includes “exploring” the ghoulish family’s mansion while trying to open a bookcase that exposes a vault entrance.

Linen’s sizable collection also includes the 1980s medieval fantasy-themed “Sorcerer,” the rare “Deadly Weapon,” the classic “Fish Tales,” “Spectra IV” (a square-shaped cocktail game that spins around), “Caveman” (a pinball machine with a video game inside it), and the ultra-rare “Safety Zone.”

“We’ll feature stuff from basically the entire history of pinball,” Linen said. “All the way from 1934 to 2024. 90 years of pinball.”

When museum visitors arrive to play some of these games, Linen plans to offer them $5 worth of tokens included with their $10 admission fee. These tokens will allow guests to play games priced around .25¢ or .50¢ a pop.

“For the $5, you could probably spend about an hour or two there,” Linen said. “I think that would be the perfect balance.”

The aim of the new museum, beyond allowing visitors to admire and play pinball machines, is to capture the “joyful essence” and bring back the “retro nostalgia” that Linen said is lacking at many arcades and entertainment centers around the country.

“I just want people to be able to play classic games and enjoy them with their kids and their families,” he said.

Arcade Archaeology has its soft opening on Friday, June 20, with an official grand opening likely occurring sometime in July. For now, the museum will be open on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.

Ballston Spa Student-Athletes, Wrestling Champ Celebrated 

Written by Jonathon Norcross on . Posted in Featured, Sports.


Ballston Spa High School student-athletes were honored during the school’s annual college athlete recognition ceremony on June 3. Photo by Jonathon Norcross.

BALLSTON SPA — Dozens of Ballston Spa High School student-athletes were honored during an annual college athlete recognition ceremony on June 3, including state wrestling champion Mia Collins. 

34 students were recognized in total, including athletes headed to Division I, II, and III schools. Six of them were three-sport athletes and 13 were two-sport athletes. Collectively, the group had a cumulative grade point average of 92%.

During the ceremony, State Senator Jim Tedisco and Assemblywoman Mary Beth Walsh honored Collins, the New York State 132-pound division wrestling champ. Collins is currently ranked eighth nationally in her weight class.

“Mia Collins is a trailblazer and a tremendous student scholar athlete whose state championship victory capped off an undefeated regular season record of 10-0, along with being the first New York State Girls Wrestling Champion from Ballston Spa High School,” Tedisco said. “With Mia being only a junior, I have a feeling her already incredible athletic career is just getting started.”

“I’m incredibly proud to see Mia reach yet another milestone in her athletic career,” added Walsh. “Maintaining a 98 grade point average as a senior and excelling at a sport as she has is an amazing accomplishment. I can’t wait to see what other glass ceilings Mia will shatter as she furthers her education at Columbia over the next four years. Who knows, maybe we’ll see her on ESPN or at the Olympics before her college career is done.”

Below is a list of the student-athletes honored at the ceremony, as well as the higher education institutions they’ll be attending:

Declan Bain — SUNY New Paltz, soccer

Jessica Bowens — Hartwick College, basketball

Gabrielle Bozeth — Marist College, track & field

Kaleigh Capasso — Vermont State University at Castleton,         volleyball

Mia Collins — Columbia University, wrestling

Nicholas Commisso — Hudson Valley Community College,                           
        baseball

Matthew Cook — SUNY Brockport, lacrosse

Brayson Cornick — Southern Connecticut State University,
        football

Emily Dierna — Loyola University of Maryland, crew

Kyle Fives — Mount St. Mary College, baseball

Kate Fletcher — Westfield State University, lacrosse

Ayla Hathaway — Lasell University, soccer

James Haughton — University of Rhode Island, baseball

Devin Hemraj — University of Buffalo, track & field

Nathan Hill — Stevens Institute of Technology, baseball

Kala’i Leahey-Makanani — University of Buffalo, track & field

Mariana Lefco — Massachusetts Maritime Academy, soccer

Nicholas Leonard — Pace University, football

Matthew Meerdink — Worcester Polytech Institute,
        track/cross country

Mariah Nowicki — SUNY Plattsburgh, soccer

William O’Connor — Hartwick College, football

Anthony O’Leary — SUNY Brockport, swimming

Isabella O’Leary — SUNY Oneonta, lacrosse

Madelyn Perrone — Mercy University, softball

Caleigh Richards — Hartwick College, basketball

Aidan Ryan — Utica College, football

Nicholas Sorbera — Barton College, baseball

Mallory Sprissler — Alfred State College, basketball

McKenna Szmarz — Fredonia State University, soccer

Ally Teitsch — Norwich University, cross country

Livia Wiltsie — Marist College, softball

Petrina Zborovszky — University of Buffalo, track & field

Anna Zito — Endicott College, soccer

Bye-Bye Belmont: Sovereignty Reigns Supreme, Saturday Generates $102 Million Handle

Written by Jonathon Norcross on . Posted in Sports.


The August Belmont Trophy is hoisted in the winner’s circle after Sovereignty’s victory in the 157th running of the Belmont Stakes at the Saratoga Race Course. Photo by Jonathon Norcross.

ARATOGA SPRINGS — A cascade of rain dampened the track, but not the spirits of attendees of the 157th Belmont Stakes Racing Festival in Saratoga last weekend, when Kentucky Derby winner Sovereignty once again outran his top foe and the morning-line favorite Journalism to claim a second leg of the Triple Crown.

“I feel we beat a good field of horses,” Sovereignty’s trainer Bill Mott told the New York Racing Association (NYRA). “Journalism is a really good horse. I’ve watched him here this last week and I’ve looked at him – he’s in good form, he looks great, his hair is good and his weight is good. I think he was ready to run today and he ran a good race, you know…Sovereignty was good enough to run him down and get the job done.”

Mott also indicated after the race that he’s interested in running Sovereignty in the Travers Stakes, which will be held at the Saratoga Race Course on August 23.

Belmont Stakes Day, June 8, was hindered by an onslaught of morning rain that finally cleared in the early afternoon. Races 9 and 12—the Grade 1 Jaipur and the Grade 1 Resorts World Casino Manhattan—were both rescheduled for the following day due to the weather. As a result, the all-sources handle for Belmont Stakes Day suffered, falling from $125.7 million in 2024 to $101.8 million this year. Attendance also declined slightly, from 50,000 last year to 46,243 on Saturday.

Vampire Weekend Makes Its Saratoga Debut

Written by Jonathon Norcross on . Posted in Entertainment.


Image via LiveNation/the Saratoga Performing Arts Center.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — When a local woman won $500 on stage by playing cornhole during an extended medley dubbed “Cocaine Cowboys,” it was clear this wasn’t a typical concert.

Vampire Weekend, a band that was once practically synonymous with the Brooklyn hipster scene of the 2000s, made its Spa City debut last Wednesday night at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC), on a night when thousands swarmed downtown for Belmont on Broadway. Without throwing shade at Gin Blossoms, it’s hard to imagine that their free concert was a more unique experience than what Ezra Koenig and company brought to the Spa State Park.

Vampire Weekend’s live performances have become increasingly odd in a way that might be polarizing but feels like a welcomed respite from watching old musical acts drag themselves up on stage to play the same songs the same way they’ve been playing them for decades. Vampire Weekend instead embraces the improvised and the unexpected, while stopping just short of venturing into jam band territory a la Dave Matthews or Phish. “Cocaine Cowboys” is a ten-plus minute medley typically comprised of the band’s original tune “Married in a Gold Rush,” blended with “Possum” by Phish, “All the Gold in California” by Larry Gatlin & the Gatlin Brothers, “Sin City” by the Flying Burrito Brothers, and “Cumberland Blues” by the Grateful Dead.

As if that wasn’t unique enough, Vampire Weekend also spends almost the entirety of its encores taking requests from the audience, which at SPAC included renditions of “Shakedown Street” by the Grateful Dead, “Teenage Dirtbag” by Wheatus, “Break Stuff” by Limp Bizkit, “Them Changes” by Thundercat, “Beast of Burden” by the Rolling Stones, and “Basket Case” by Green Day.

The band’s stage design was exceptional, with a giant “Vampire Weekend” banner plummeting dramatically to reveal an ensemble of drums, saxophones, violins, keyboards, and guitars. Looming behind the group was a large tunnel, somewhat reminiscent of a New York subway passage. As the band wrapped up their set, each member exited behind the stage through the opening. The use of stage lighting was also impressive, with Koenig himself at one point illuminating band members with something akin to a large fluorescent bulb.

For some, this may all be a bit too unorthodox. But Vampire Weekend has never been a predictable musical project. The group always seems to be searching for something new to do, and it has helped ensure their legacy as one of the 21st century’s greatest acts. 

Old World Gourmet Market Opens in Wilton

Written by Jonathon Norcross on . Posted in Business, Featured.


The Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce hosted a ribbon cutting to celebrate the grand opening of Old World Gourmet Market in Wilton on June 11. Photo by Jonathon Norcross.

WILTON — Just hours after its doors first opened, the Old World Gourmet Market in Wilton was packed with customers hoping to get first dibs on the specialty grocery store’s extensive selections of pastas, tomato sauces, olive oils, steaks, sandwiches, and store-made ravioli.

The space on Route 50, formerly occupied by Pier 1, has a distinct Italian-American feel but also offers culinary products familiar to Ireland, Greece, and Spain, among other European and Middle Eastern destinations (not to mention some products closer to home, such as New York and Vermont).

“There’s not a lick of Italian in me, but I’ve been waiting for this to open,” Andrea Mulholland of the Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce told Old World’s owners Maria and John Biagini at the grand opening on Wednesday morning. “This has great potential here in the Town of Wilton and I’m very excited for you.”

The Biaginis were New York City-based horse racing fans who frequented the Spa City before deciding to relocate here. Eager to bring the tastes of downstate to upstate, they are making their dough with New York City water, an ingredient many say is crucial in creating New York-tasting bagels and breads.

Old World Gourmet Market is now open for business at 3078 Route 50 in Wilton.

Dunning Street Station Closes, Sale Pending

Written by Jonathon Norcross on . Posted in Business.

MALTA — After a series of temporary closures last month, the Dunning Street Station restaurant on Route 9 is now permanently closed, with a sale pending on the 1950s-era Fodero Dining Car building.

In an interview with the Times Union, Dunning Street co-owner Scott Ringwood said that his Malta eatery faced kitchen staffing shortages, and that he could no longer continue running both Dunning Street and his Lake Ridge Restaurant in Round Lake.

Dunning Street Station had previously closed its doors the weekend of May 17-18 and the week of May 12, leading to speculation that the restaurant would soon close for good.

The diner on Route 9 has a long history of prior owners stretching back to the early 1950s, when it first opened as the Malta Ridge Diner. In the 1970s, it was a filming location for “My Old Man,” a made-for-TV drama about a horse trainer that was based on a short story by Ernest Hemingway.

The Fodero Dining Car Company manufactured many of the stainless steel, art deco-inspired diners scattered throughout the country, including the famous Empire Diner on 10th Avenue in Manhattan.