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Author: Jonathon Norcross

Saratoga Native Leads Teamin March Madness Game

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


Dolly Cairns with her family following the championship victory.
From left to right: Cairns’ brother Jack, Dolly Cairns, Cairns’ mother Kay, Cairns’ father Don, Cairns’ aunt Barb, and Cairns’ uncle Pat. Photos via Coach Rich Johns & Dolly Cairns.

NORMAN, OKLAHOMA — At Saratoga Springs High School, Dolly Cairns sank hundreds of buckets to become the school’s all-time points leader. On Saturday, she brought her sharpshooting skills to the NCAA March Madness tournament, leading all Florida Gulf Coast University players in points (15 total, 12 from beyond the arc) and minutes played (36).

Despite Cairns’ show-stopping performance, the No. 14 seed Eagles fell to the No. 3 Oklahoma Sooners, 81 to 58.

The game was within reach at the start of the final quarter, with Florida trailing by only 7. But the  Sooners had an advantage that was difficult to overcome: height. The Eagles’ tallest player was 5’9”, and Oklahoma’s 6’4” center loomed large over her would-be defenders. Although the Eagles hoped to best the Sooners from long range, the team collectively only made 8 of 41 three-point attempts, half of which were made by Cairns. In the fourth quarter, Oklahoma was able to use its considerable size advantage to outscore Florida 26 to 10, solidifying their victory and advancing to the second round to face No. 6 Iowa.


Dolly Cairns cuts down the net after her Florida Gulf Coast University Eagles won the 2025 Atlantic Sun Conference Women’s Basketball Championship.

In a news release, Cairns credited her teammates for getting her the ball when she was open.  “I wish a couple more went down, but just credit to my teammates for setting screens for me, looking for me, and getting the ball to me when I was open,” she said.

“They are just a resilient bunch,” said the Eagles’ first-year Head Coach Chelsea Lyles. “They don’t back down from a challenge, and they don’t play to the scoreboard. So, they continued to play hard and continued to attack. We just had a few lapses going into the fourth, and we couldn’t come back from that. But there was never a doubt in my mind that we would come out and compete.”

In addition to netting 15 points, Cairns also grabbed 4 rebounds and blocked a shot in the tough loss. It was the second time in as many years that the Eagles were knocked out of the March Madness tournament by the Sooners. Last season, the game came down to the final shot, with Oklahoma barely eking out a 73 to 70 victory.

Earlier this month, Cairns and the Eagles won their 12th Atlantic Sun Conference Women’s Basketball Tournament Championship, which allowed them to qualify for the March Madness tournament. Cairns scored 10 points in that contest.

Overall, Cairns finished the 2024-25 season averaging 9 points per game on 45% shooting from beyond the arc. Her accuracy was good enough to make her one of the best three-point shooters in all of women’s college basketball. At the end of the season, she ranked 10th in three-point percentage at the Division 1 level. On Nov. 29, she scored a season-high 21 points against California Baptist. 

Cairns played for the Saratoga Springs Blue Streaks girls basketball team, scoring more than 2,000 points to set the school’s all-time scoring record. She also captained the team in her senior year. In 2019, she committed to the University of Rhode Island, where she played for two seasons before transferring to Florida Gulf Coast.

At the end of last season, Cairns told Saratoga TODAY that she intended to pursue a career in healthcare after graduating from Florida Gulf Coast.

Ballston Spa School District Planning to Buy First Electric Bus

Written by Jonathon Norcross on . Posted in Education.

BALLSTON SPA — The Ballston Spa School District may soon purchase its first electric school bus.

The district’s school board is set to vote on a proposition at their next meeting on April 2 that would allow the district to buy a zero-emission bus to the tune of $273,000. 

The actual cost of the vehicle is $481,000, but grant money provided by New York State would pay for roughly half that amount. Despite the state-provided funds, the cost of the electric bus would still be about $100,000 more than a traditional bus, Clerk of the Board and Records Access Officer Brian Sirianni said during the board’s March 19 meeting.

Sirianni also said he would be “surprised” if the state has enough money to continue to pay for a portion of all the electric buses required to transition all fleets in the state to zero-emission by 2035. 

The lone electric bus purchased by Ballston Spa would be used as a sort of pilot program to allow mechanics, drivers, and other staffers to become accustomed to EVs. Acquiring a bus would also allow the district to test out its range once fully charged.

“The bus companies will say, just like the car companies will say, ‘this has a range of 300 miles.’ But does it really? The answer is generally no it does not,” Sirianni said. “It’s significantly less than that, and it’s more significantly less than that when it’s cold.”

The district still hopes that the state government will delay the 2027 deadline, when all school districts are required to begin transitioning their fleets to electric vehicles.

“The longer it gets delayed, the better the buses will be,” Sirianni said. “And hopefully they won’t cost as much.” 

Sirianni estimated that it could cost more than $2 million to acquire bus chargers. Overall, the district has around 80 buses that would need to be replaced by EVs.

According to the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), although electric buses cost more to purchase, they are cheaper to operate and maintain.  

“The initial cost of an [electric school bus] may be offset by state and federal assistance, and by lower fueling costs and less maintenance requirements over the bus’s useful life,” NYSERDA says. “Annual maintenance and operations savings vary but can range from a few thousand dollars to more than $10,000 per bus, per year.”

According to New York State’s Electric School Bus Roadmap report, “the total cost of [zero-emission school bus] ownership is expected to reach parity by 2027 due to advances in battery technology, increased supply chain outputs, as well as lower fuel and maintenance expenses.”

Saratoga School District Increasing Bus Driver Pay Amid Ongoing Shortage

Written by Jonathon Norcross on . Posted in Education.


The Saratoga Springs City School District advertised its increased bus driver rates via a flyer image posted to social media. 

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Amidst the ongoing turmoil created by the nationwide school bus driver shortage, the Saratoga Springs City School District has increased its driver rates from $22.15 per hour to $25.15 per hour. The new rate will be effective starting July 1, per the approved CSEA contract.

According to the district, its bus driver positions come with guaranteed annual increases through 2030, full health insurance (or a $4,000 annual buyout), a New York State retirement pension, and paid training.

School bus driver shortages have been an issue both locally and across the country. Data from the Economic Policy Institute (EPI) indicates that from September 2019 to September 2023, there was a 15.1% decrease in the total number of K-12 bus drivers nationwide. 

According to the EPI, school bus driver wages are typically lower than most other workers. Drivers earned an average of $20 per hour in 2022, which is nearly 17% less than the median wage for all workers. Drivers only work an average of around 32 hours per week, which means their weekly wages are also below average. Many drivers also don’t work during summers, which further decreases their yearly income.

At a Saratoga Springs Board of Education meeting in December, Paul Overbaugh, a former state director of pupil transportation for the New York State Education Department, pushed back against the idea that higher wages would solve the driver shortage. 

“If someone was going to be motivated by a salary increase, it’s only going to be temporary,” Overbaugh said at the meeting. “I mean, it helps, don’t get me wrong…but it’s not going to be the end all, be all. Really, there needs to be a paradigm shift in our communities to want to do something for the good of our district.”

School Board Vice President Tony Krackeler said he respectfully disagreed with Overbaugh. 

“If we’re not paying enough, we ought to pay more,” Krackeler said. “More money will work better than platitudes about getting butts in the seat, I think.”

Saratoga Water Goes Viralin “Morning Routine” Video

Written by Jonathon Norcross on . Posted in Business.


Screenshot of fitness influencer Ashton Hall (Instagram handle @ashtonhallofficial) showcasing Saratoga water during his “morning routine” viral video.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — If you have the misfortune of being terminally online, you probably noticed the countless memes posted to X and other social media sites last weekend that featured Saratoga water and bananas.

The inside jokes were a reference to a “morning routine” Instagram video created by fitness influencer Ashton Hall. In the short video, Hall repeatedly dunks his face into a large bowl filled with ice and (you guessed it) Saratoga water. The brand is seen several times throughout the video, as Hall watches a sermon, does pushups, and eats meals all with the aid of Saratoga water. (Hall can also be seen eating a banana and then rubbing the peel on his face, hence the banana references).

Although the video was widely mocked, it’s nonetheless another example of Saratoga water making notable pop culture appearances. The brand was also featured at the 2025 Golden Globe Awards and is regularly seen on Bravo’s “Top Chef” TV series.

Wilton Mall Being Sold for $25 Million

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


Photo via the Wilton Mall. 

WILTON — The Wilton Mall is being sold for $25 million by its owner, The Macerich Company.

The news was announced during the Q4 2024 Macerich earnings conference call on Feb. 27.

“We are currently under contract to sell the Wilton Mall for $25 million, which is expected to close in the first half of 2025, subject to customary closing conditions,” said Macerich’s new Chief Financial Officer Daniel E. Swanstrom II. 

Swanstrom added that the sale of the mall, along with Macerich’s other recent sales and transactions, was consistent with the company’s “stated disposition plan to improve the balance sheet and refine our portfolio.”

The sale comes in the midst of plans to create hundreds of apartments at the mall that could be occupied as soon as the summer of 2026. As previously reported by Saratoga TODAY, the residential project was allowed to move forward thanks to the Wilton Town Board’s approval last year of a Planned Unit Development District (PUDD).

Wilton Town Board Supervisor John Lant, who cast the lone vote against the creation of a PUDD, told Saratoga TODAY that the board will consider news of the sale “once we have all the information via confirmed sources.”

Ballston Spa Student Participates in U.S. Senate Youth Program

Written by Jonathon Norcross on . Posted in Neighborhood Buzz.


Participants in the United States Senate Youth Program pose outside the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. in early March. Photo via the United States Senate Youth Program/Erin Lubin and Jakub Mosur.

BALLSTON SPA — Ben Skillings, a senior at Ballston Spa High School, was one of only two students in New York State to be a delegate at the 63rd annual United States Senate Youth Program, Superintendent of Schools Dr. Gianleo Duca said during the district’s Mar. 19 school board meeting.

Duca said that Skillings met Senator Chuck Schumer, Secretary of State Marco Rubio,  Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, and several astronauts.  

“It was a fantastic learning experience for Ben,” Duca said. “We’re very proud of him. I just wanted to recognize and congratulate him on that wonderful achievement.”

The U.S. Senate’s Youth Program is described as a week-long educational experience and scholarship for outstanding high school students who are interested in pursuing careers in public service.

According to the program’s Facebook page, this year’s schedule included stops at George Washington’s home Mount Vernon, the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery, the Library of Congress, Capitol Hill, the National Archives, the State Department, NASA Headquarters, and the White House.

Saratoga Swimmers Sensational at State Championship

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


Saratoga Springs swimmers Anderson Baird, John Gregory, Anthony Sanchez, and Preston Arnold pose with their medals after the New York State Federation Championship event in Ithaca. Photo via Elizabeth Baird.

ITHACA — School records were broken and medals were brought home after the Saratoga Springs varsity boys swim team competed in the New York State Federation Championships in Ithaca earlier this month.

Blue Streak Anderson Baird placed 4th in the 200 IM A Final with a school record-breaking time of 1:50:72. He also placed 7th in the 500 freestyle with another school record-breaking time of 4:38:70.

The 200 Medley Relay team of Baird, John Gregory, Anthony Sanchez, and Preston Arnold finished 7th in the A Final with a time of 1:35:75, good enough to smash yet another school record. Then in the 400 Free Relay, the same team finished 5th in the finals with (you guessed it) a school record-breaking time of 3:12:72.

As a team, Saratoga placed 9th overall with a score of 105.

Skidmore Baseball Launches Into Season with 32 Runs in One Day

Written by Jonathon Norcross on . Posted in Sports.


Members of the Skidmore College baseball team celebrate junior Eddie Galvao’s two-run homer in a Mar. 14 game against Otterbein in Florida. Photo via Kyle Lancto/Skidmore Athletics.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — There are many factors that can determine the outcome of a baseball game, from a well-balanced lineup to a lights-out bullpen. But there’s one strategy that’s almost always guaranteed to work: score a crap ton of runs.

Skidmore College did just that while on an extended road trip to Fort Myers, Florida that helped kick off their 2025 season. On Mar. 14, the Thoroughbreds played two games: one against Dean College in the morning and the other against Otterbein University in the afternoon. Skidmore won both, by scores of 17 to 3 and 15 to 5 respectively, resulting in the total accumulation of 32 runs in one day. 

Against Dean, the Thoroughbreds put up 5 runs in the first inning and 8 runs in the sixth. Offensively, Skidmore was led by two-run doubles by Zachary Leiderman and Ewen Donald. On the mound, starter Ethan Barnett allowed only 2 runs in 6 innings, striking out 3 batters in the process.

In the game against Otterbein, Skidmore was tied at the top of the eighth inning, when Eddie Galvao smacked a two-run, go-ahead dinger that sparked a whopping 13-run rally. In that same inning, Trey Bourque cranked out a bases-clearing triple to help give the Thoroughbreds an insurmountable lead.

The victories served as needed rebounds after the Thoroughbreds were handed a pair of back-to-back losses earlier in the week against Illinois Wesleyan and Haverford.

Overall, Skidmore exited their nine-game appearance at the Gene Cusic Classic in the Sunshine State with 6 wins and 3 loses. Another loss at McDaniel to open the season gave them a 6-4 overall record prior to their home opener against Vassar on Mar. 21. That game is scheduled to be played at the David Alexander Castle Diamond at Ingram Park while the school’s new turf field on Daniels Road finishes construction.

Saratoga School District Debates Merits of Proposed Resolution; Vote Set for Mar. 27

Written by Jonathon Norcross on . Posted in Education.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — A proposed resolution reaffirming the Saratoga Springs School District’s support for DEI policies and transgender students’ ability to participate in sports consistent with their gender identity will be put to a vote at the next Board of Education meeting on Mar. 27.

Prior to deciding to put the item on the next meeting’s agenda, both board members and parents discussed the merits of the resolution at a Mar. 13 meeting.

At least six board members (Dr. Deborah Amory, Matthew Kopans, Natalya Lakhtakia, Beth Braxton, President Anjeanette Emeka, and Vice President Tony Krackeler) have indicated that they support the resolution. Two (Dr. Connie Woytowich and Dean A. Kolligian Jr.) expressed concerns with it.

Dr. Woytowich questioned the political intent of the statement.

“If we are going to be a political body and act like a political body, I’m definitely out,” Woytowich said. “I don’t want to wade in those waters. I don’t think it’s what we’re supposed to do and what we’re charged to do. I understand why this was brought forth, I just don’t know if it’s aligned with what we’re supposed to be doing at the table.”

Kolligian Jr. agreed with Woytowich’s belief that the resolution is political and requested that legal counsel review the statement before it’s voted upon. (President Emeka said that an attorney would look at the text).

The resolution, 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 appears 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 executive orders.

Board Vice President Krackeler said that $3.1 million of the district’s 2024-25 budget came from the federal government. He also said that 100% of those funds are only amendable by an act of Congress. Krackeler’s budget assessment cast doubt on popular Facebook posts from a local political blog that suggested the number could be as high as $15 million.

Although Board Member Amory said the resolution poses “no financial risk,” Kolligian Jr. contended that federal funding numbers “could change tomorrow.”

During public comment periods, several district residents, parents, and at least one student said they supported the resolution. Jack Millis, a senior at Saratoga Springs High School, said he was “honored to be a student under a school board that does not dare weigh a budget against the needs of my peers.” Terry Diggory, a parent of two graduates and the co-coordinator of the Saratoga Immigration Coalition, also urged the board to adopt the resolution.

Kimberly Barfuss, a parent of four district students, opposed the resolution, saying that “many parents in this area are not interested in compromising the district’s federal funding to further what could be construed as a political statement.”

The board will vote on the resolution at the next Board of Education meeting on Mar. 27.

How Malta’s Rapid Growth Impacts Its EMS

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


Malta-Stillwater EMS Director of Operations Michael Evans poses with Executive Director Scott Skinner in front of an open ambulance. Photos by Jonathon Norcross

MALTA — Malta has been growing so rapidly that some town board members have recently called for a development moratorium.

There’s the massive GlobalFoundries campus, which will soon grow even larger when a new $575 million center is built. Around 100 full-time jobs are expected to materialize over the next five years thanks to the expansion.

There’s a 293-unit development planned for Route 9 that could add hundreds of new residents and another 40,000 square feet of commercial space to the town.

There was also an attempt made late last year to replace the Albany-Saratoga Speedway with a 700-unit development, though that plan hit a dead end. Next to the speedway, however, is a new, 13,000-square-foot, $3 million office for a solar company. 

All of this new infrastructure and population growth has created some challenges for the Malta-Stillwater Emergency Medical Services (EMS) team, including higher call volumes (they’ve already received more than 1,000 in 2025), harder-to-retain employees, a decline in volunteers, and newly built elevators that are too small to accommodate nine-foot-long ambulance stretchers. 

“A lot of times, that’s a problem; trying to maneuver, trying to get a patient out of their apartment to get them to the hospital and you have to try to manipulate the stretcher to get them out of there,” said Lenore Norris, a member of the Malta-Stillwater EMS board of directors.

“New York State code doesn’t necessarily consider EMS stretchers as an important item because they do allow for smaller elevators,” said Executive Director Scott Skinner.

New York also doesn’t formally recognize EMS as an essential service, though attempts have been made in the state legislature to change that. An essential service designation would have a significant impact on funding, which has been a persistent issue for many EMS agencies, including the one in Malta. EMS agencies are dependent on revenue from Medicare and Medicaid, both of which can reimburse below the cost of care. Private insurers also often deny emergency claims.

“Insurance companies are holding onto their money, not paying. They’re making copays higher. They’re making the cost to the customer more and it’s hard to collect. So we have to go to the towns for funding,” Skinner said. “There are no good solutions, other than making it an essential service.”

EMS agencies seem to be in a state of peril. According to the EMS Leadership Academy, the number of active EMS responders in New York State declined by 17.5% between 2019 and 2022. Additionally, over the past decade, the number of ambulance services in New York State has decreased by 9%, from 1,078 to 982. Nationwide, nearly 60% of EMS agencies report insufficient staffing to meet 911 call demands. 

“We have to keep people employed,” Skinner said. “If we don’t have people, that’s our biggest asset. We can have all the nice ambulances and equipment in the world but if we don’t have people that deliver a service, if we don’t have two people in every rig, we can’t run those rigs. There’s a real problem nationwide with getting people to do EMS.”

Despite its challenges, the Malta-Stillwater EMS has been serving the community since 1961, responding to tens of thousands of 911 calls with what Skinner called “emergency rooms on wheels” equipped with ventilators, CPR devices, and cardiac monitors.

“People in EMS, especially our agency, these are people with a heart and they do it because they have a heart,” Norris said. “They enjoy doing patient care and that’s the priority.”

“I’ve been in fire and EMS since I was 18,” Skinner said. “I’ve always liked to help people…My whole adult life, it’s kind of the only thing I know.”

For more information on employment and volunteer opportunities at the Malta-Stillwater EMS, visit https://maltaems.org/volunteer-careers/.