ATLANTA, GEORGIA — Lucille Murphy, a Saratoga Springs High School grad and district treasurer, was crowned a women’s weightlifting champion at the 2025 Masters National Championships in Atlanta, Georgia last weekend.
Murphy earned a silver medal in the 72kg snatch, and she won a gold medal in the 89kg clean and jerk. Her total of 161kg earned her the title of 76kg 40-44 age group national champion.
Murphy was previously district treasurer for the Galway Central School District. For 11 years, she was also a youth rowing coach for the Saratoga Rowing Association.
MALTA — The Albany-Saratoga Speedway is celebrating its 60th anniversary with a season-opening Super DIRTcar Series event on Friday, April 18.
Drivers will duke it out over 60 laps with $7,500 to win. Pits open at 3 p.m., the grandstands open at 5, hot laps start at 6 p.m., and the race itself will follow soon after.
“The best drivers in the Northeast will meet a stout group of Albany-Saratoga regulars for a battle that will likely take all 60 laps to decide,” said Super DIRTcar Series Announcer Mike Warren in a Q&A on the series’ website. “There is no place in the Capital Region where you’ll see better racing, and it’s normal to see a driver win from outside the top 10 every week.”
In addition to celebrating 60 years in business, this season is an especially notable one for the speedway. Late last year, plans to replace the racetrack with a 700-unit residential development were derailed by the Malta Town Board. The speedway’s current owner, Howard Commander, said via a real estate agent who spoke at a December town board meeting on his behalf, that he “fully” supported the proposed project. Commander decided to try to sell the speedway due, in part, to the financial challenges of maintaining and operating the track.
The speedway sits on valuable real estate: a 50-acre parcel along Route 9 North. The track originally opened in 1965 and features racing on Friday nights from April through September. The track’s future after the 2025 season is uncertain.
Riley Gaines Center Ambassador Kaitlynn Wheeler speaks at the April 10 Saratoga Springs School District board meeting. Photo via the district’s livestream.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — The Saratoga Springs High School auditorium was packed last Thursday night with a divided crowd of attendees that debated a recent resolution passed by the school board that reaffirmed the district’s support for, among other things, transgender students’ ability to participate in sports consistent with their gender identity.
The resolution did not change any of the district’s existing policies, but it did attract the attention of many locals and even national political activists such as the conservative X account “Libs of TikTok,” which accused the Saratoga Springs School District of supporting “radical gender ideology” in a post that garnered hundreds of thousands of views.
It also attracted the attention of the Riley Gaines Center, which sent its Ambassador Kaitlynn Wheeler to the April 10 Saratoga school board meeting. Wheeler, who advocates for “fairness and the protection of female athletes,” said in a press release that the board had departed from federal protections designed to ensure fairness in women’s sports.
“As someone who has experienced firsthand the importance of fair competition, I am deeply concerned about policies that undermine opportunities for female athletes,” Wheeler said.
Wheeler is a graduate of the University of Kentucky and a former member of the women’s swim team alongside Riley Gaines. According to Wheeler, she was “violated” when a transgender athlete was allowed to undress with her and her teammates at the 2022 NCAA championships. The incident was partly what inspired Wheeler to become “a fierce advocate for upholding our freedoms and rights to privacy, safety, and equal opportunity.”
Wheeler’s visit caused community members on both sides of the trans athletes debate to attend the April 10 meeting, where they offered their often passionate opinions during public comment periods.
“Boys do not belong in girls’ bathrooms, locker rooms, or sports, period,” Wheeler said at the meeting. “No resolution, no board has the right to rewrite federal law. No state is absolved from following federal law.”
Wheeler continued speaking after her allotted time, causing the auditorium to erupt in commotion as School Board President Anjeanette Emeka repeatedly told Wheeler that her time had expired. Many attendees cheered when Wheeler concluded her remarks.
Saratoga Springs High School student Sarah Pipino thanked the board for passing the resolution.
“There are a lot of people who are very scared to speak at meetings and I’m friends with a lot of those people and we’ve been talking a lot and they feel more safe and accepted and loved in the community and they are so grateful, so I am saying ‘thank you’ from all of them who have talked to me,” Pipino said to a round of applause.
Dr. Emanuel Cirenza, the district’s physician advisor, said that “to a large extent, this is very much a manufactured controversy…I’ve been here for coming up on 28 years and this issue has come up one time to my knowledge. I did a little investigating, and it was a track athlete essentially trying to get onto a team where nobody was pushed out and nobody was made to feel uncomfortable. These issues have always been handled, I can reassure everybody in this room, with the greatest amount of sensitivity to everybody’s needs.”
The controversial resolution at the center of the debate, titled “Affirming Our Support for Every Student,” states, among other things, that the Board of Education would:
reaffirm its support for the district’s policy and regulation 0105 titled “Equity, Inclusivity, and Diversity in Education”
uphold New York State laws safeguarding vulnerable populations and not comply with directives that violate civil rights protections;
affirm that every student has a right to an education regardless of immigration status, and that law enforcement officers may not question students on school property except under very specific conditions;
respect students’ chosen names and pronouns while also ensuring their right to use facilities and participate in activities and sports consistent with their gender identity.
The resolution appeared to be a clear attempt to combat several Trump administration policies that threaten to rescind federal funds from educational institutions that don’t comply with the president’s orders. According to Board Vice President Tony Krackeler, $3.1 million of the district’s 2024-25 budget came from the federal government. All of those funds, Krackeler said, are only amendable by an act of Congress.
James and Sons Tobacconists on Broadway in downtown Saratoga Springs. Photo by Jonathon Norcross.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — Stroll through the grounds of the Saratoga Race Course on a balmy summer afternoon, and amidst the ballyhoo and thundering of hooves, your nose will likely catch the scent of floating, dissipating cigar smoke.
The enjoyment of premium cigars (handcrafted, artisanal cigars as opposed to mass-produced products) has long been a staple of horse racing. That’s partly why the Saratoga area has more than a few cigar lounges with stocked humidors offering celebrated brands like Arturo Fuente, Davidoff, and Rocky Patel.
Of course, no matter how elegant or meticulously rolled these sticks might be, they are still tobacco products that pose potential risks to smokers (The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warn that “cigar smoke contains toxic compounds and chemicals that can cause cancer”). Thus, New York State slapped a 75% tax on the wholesale price of cigars and other tobacco products in an attempt to discourage their use. This tax is the second-highest in the country (after Utah), and local cigar shop owners say it’s hurting their mom-and-pop businesses.
Kathleen Kelly, the president of the New York Cigar Association and the owner for more than three decades of Queensbury Cigar and Pipe, said this tax burden has made it difficult for new shops to open, especially because cigar aficionados can purchase less expensive products online or in a neighboring state with lower tax rates (Pennsylvania doesn’t have a tax on cigars, New Jersey’s rate is 30%, and Connecticut has a 50-cent cap).
“Cigars are more than just cigars,” Kelly said, referring to the economic impact of the hundreds of premium cigar shops in New York.
“We can’t compete with the online [stores] because of that 75% tax,” said James and Sons Tobacconists’ Kyle “Moe” Kommer, who has both a store in downtown Saratoga Springs and a booth at the racetrack. “Especially as manufacturers increase their prices, that just puts us further and further away.”
Kelly said her organization has spoken with a number of state legislators, such as Senator Jessica Ramos, who represents parts of Queens and is currently running for Mayor of New York City. Ramos is the sponsor of the bipartisan Senate Bill S4413A, which would create a flat tax cap of 50 cents on premium cigars. A similar bill in the Assembly (A3376A) was sponsored by Carrie Woerner, who represents Saratoga Springs. A 50-cent tax cap, Kelly said, would help increase “fairness” and “level the playing field.”
“Losing a small business, any small business, is a tragedy, given how important they are to their respective communities and to the [state] economy,” the New York Cigar Association says on its website. “Our members all want to pay their fair share, but a 75% tax rate is not fair and if we can’t make a change, more shops will close.”
Another piece of legislation, sponsored by Assemblyman Philip Ramos (no relation to Jessica) would allow cigar lounges to serve alcohol.
In total, the bills are designed to help support struggling small businesses that, in addition to selling their wares, also have a strong social component.
“You create a family in a cigar lounge,” Kelly said. “It means a lot to people.”
Stop by the family-owned James and Sons on Broadway, and you’ll likely see what Kelly means: friends, strangers, and solo smokers all enjoying each other’s company in a laid-back setting.
“Guys go out on their boats together, vacations, have dinner together all the time,” Kommer said. “That’s what’s nice about it. That sense of community, everyone just kind of takes care of each other and hangs out and becomes lifelong friends.”
A short walk from James and Sons is the former home of the Adirondack Cigar Shoppe on Putnam Street, where locals used to pass the time together enjoying cigars and watching football. The now-empty store could be a sign of what’s to come.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — The Saratoga Springs City School District’s annual Bike Rodeo event will return on Thursday, May 8 from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m.
Kids are encouraged to bring their bicycles to the East Side Recreation Field’s track and in-field off of Caroline Street for an obstacle course, minor bike maintenance, safety course, helmet fitting station, games, and a relay race contest.
All kids participating in the event can fill out a raffle ticket for a chance to win a new bike from Trek Saratoga Bicycles. Free hot dogs and hamburgers will also be provided by the Saratoga Springs Police Department.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — A baseball league that emphasizes good vibes over competitive play will soon have a presence in Saratoga County.
Sandlot baseball welcomes players of all skill levels, genders, and backgrounds. As long as you’re 25 or older and have your own glove, you’re eligible to participate. The league’s season runs from June until November, with weekly practices and biweekly games. Only wood bats are allowed.
“We care more about building the community around the game,” says the New York Sandlot Collective on its website. “We play games and do our best, but oftentimes you’ll hear people on the bench racking their brains trying to figure out what the inning is or what the score is…
That’s because the score and the 27 outs take a back seat to ensuring we’re all having fun playing this game that we love.”
The creation of the league was inspired by Jack Sanders, a Texan who authored the “Sandlot Manifesto.”
“If sandlot is to baseball what punk is to rock ‘n’ roll, then Jack Sanders is our Joey Ramone,” said former U.S. Representative and 2020 presidential candidate Beto O’Rourke in a blurb for the book.
For more information on the sandlot baseball league, visit nysandlot.org. To get in touch with the league, email info@nysandlot.org.
Ewen Donald broke a Skidmore College record by earning at least one hit in 22 straight games. Photo via Kyle Lancto/Skidmore Athletics.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — With the Liberty League Tournament only a month away, Skidmore College’s baseball team has established themselves as serious postseason contenders. The Thoroughbreds won their latest series against fellow Liberty Leaguers Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, 2 games to 1. The pair of victories improved Skidmore’s conference record to 8-1 and their overall record to 15-6-2.
Meanwhile, senior Ewen Donald broke his school’s hitting streak record by earning at least one hit in 22 straight games. His streak was still ongoing as of last Sunday, when he smacked a single against Rensselaer. His record now stands at 25 games.
Donald’s 2025 slash line of .394/.429/.515 is a career high for the outfielder. He’s also hit 13 doubles, 2 homers, and 1 triple this season.
Other Skidmore standouts this season include 6’6” senior Sam Kornet (.398/.518/.773, 8 home runs), freshman EJ Stefanelli (.375/.481/.563), sophomore infielder Quinn McDonald (.351/.500/.456), senior Trey Bourque (.327/.419/.449), and senior infielder Zachary Leiderman (.307/.443/.480).
On the mound, the Thoroughbreds have been led by sophomore Chase Siegel (3.67 ERA, 1.25 WHIP in 34.1 innings), Charles Modlin (1.50 ERA, .67 WHIP in 12 innings), and Cal Champeau (3.86 ERA, 1.91 WHIP in 14 innings).
Skidmore is scheduled to play two doubleheaders this weekend at home: one against Ithaca College on Saturday, and another against Hobart College on Sunday. Both doubleheaders begin at noon.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — Netflix announced last week that it will premiere a new, six-episode documentary series about thoroughbred horse racing later this month.
Race for the Crown follows horse owners and jockeys over the course of a Grade I stakes racing season, with a number of scenes likely featuring the Saratoga Race Course (the track could be seen several times in the show’s trailer).
The series is produced by Box to Box Films, the company responsible for the Netflix sports docuseries Formula 1: Drive to Survive, Break Point, and Full Swing. Box to Box’s signature style includes dramatic, behind-the-scenes looks at sports that are somewhat off the radar of mainstream culture (at least compared to football, baseball, and basketball). Its series about Formula 1 autoracing, Drive to Survive, has been widely credited with increasing the sport’s popularity in the United States. Perhaps Race for the Crown will provide a similar boost to horse racing.
A number of jockeys well-known to Saratoga Race Course regulars will be featured in the docuseries, including Johnny Velazquez (who is the all-time leading rider at Saratoga), Brian Hernandez Jr., Irad Ortiz Jr., Flavien Prat, José Ortiz, and Katie Davis.
MacKenzie Zarzycki, Discover Saratoga’s vice president of marketing and communications, told Saratoga TODAY that she’d heard a Netflix crew was in town last summer but wasn’t sure exactly what was filmed.
“It’s very cool because a lot of the people in the series, the trainers, the jockeys, the owners, they come to Saratoga. So in one way or another, I feel like this is huge for us,” Zarzycki said.
According to a Netflix press release, the show will also feature “colorful and controversial characters — including billionaire business tycoons and horse-doping trainers — which leads to plenty of intense rivalries fueled by million-dollar investments and insatiable appetites for glory.”
All six episodes of Race for the Crown will be released on April 22.
St. Mary’s School Principal Katie Fleming. Photo by Jonathon Norcross.
BALLSTON SPA — St. Mary’s School in Ballston Spa has a new principal with a long history in education.
Katie Fleming, who took over the position in January, was previously the principal of a private school in Clifton Park. She also taught 4th grade at St. Mary’s while earning a master’s degree. She then worked for an education-related consulting firm for four years. She’s also been a St. Mary’s parishioner for 18 years.
“It’s a dream job,” Fleming said. “I’m really excited to be here.”
Fleming called herself kid-centered and said she’s regularly in and out of classrooms. Among her top priorities are ensuring that the parish and school work well together, and being ahead of the curve on early literacy standards.
“Governor Hochul has lots of things that are happening, early literacy wise and just literacy in general wise, and we are meeting all those standards ahead of time which I’m excited about,” Fleming said.
Fleming said she wants her students to have “a really balanced day; some good social and emotional learning, lots of educational opportunities, lots of curiosity—those are certainly things that are really important to me as an educator.”
After three months on the job, Fleming said the position is “a lot of work but a lot fun. Seeing those little faces makes it worth it every day.”
St. Mary’s School is a small, private, Catholic, co-ed Pre-K through fifth grade school located in downtown Ballston Spa. For more information on the school, visit www.smsbspa.org.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — Purdy’s Discount Wine & Liquor in Saratoga Springs recently announced on social media that it would be expanding with a new wine-tasting area and an “even bigger selection of wines.”
“Stay tuned for more details, and stop by soon to check out the progress,” the company said.
Purdy’s has had a presence in the Spa City since 1960. The 15,000-square-foot space includes 9,000 products. The store also sponsors the summer music stage at the Saratoga Race Course.
