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Author: Jonathon Norcross

New School Year, New Teachers, New Facilities, New Dog

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


Photo of an under-construction St. Mary’s School playground by Jonathon Norcross.

Photo of Charlie the therapy dog via Saratoga Central Catholic School. 

Photo of the newest Saratoga Springs School District educators attending New Teacher Orientation last month via the district. 

SARATOGA SPRINGS — By the time you’re reading this, the 2024-2025 school year will have already begun. Saratoga Springs, Ballston Spa, and Schuylerville School Districts are all holding their first day of classes on Thursday, September 5. Although the summer may have been rejuvenating for the students of Saratoga County, local schools have been busy hiring new teachers, renovating their facilities, and securing the services of a Golden Retriever.

St. Mary’s School Renovations

St. Mary’s, a pre-K through 5th grade Catholic school in Ballston Spa, upgraded its playgrounds, enhanced its security, and revamped some of its facilities during the summer break. 

According to Principal Allen Hills, a larger window has been added to the vestibule area so that visitors can show their identification and sign in before being allowed inside. This added layer of security is in addition to the cameras installed last year. Principal Hills said that St. Mary’s is the only private school with a full-time School Resource Officer in the Capital District. 

Improvements have also been made to the school’s playgrounds. Both the main playground and the smaller preschool playground had their pavement replaced with softer surfaces. White fences were added around the playgrounds for privacy and safety.

The school also added new flooring to its entire first floor.

“The money that was raised during our gala has covered most of the [renovation] costs,” said Principal Hills. “Parents, their involvement and their hard work raising that money, has manifested itself in these beautiful improvements.”

Saratoga Springs Welcomes New Assistant Principals

The Saratoga Springs City School District appointed three new assistant principals last month. 

Katie Ehmann was named Assistant Principal at Dorothy Nolan Elementary School, and Kara Likar and Christine Vilardo both joined Maple Avenue Middle School as Assistant Principals.

Ehmann is returning to the district after serving as the Assistant Principal at Stillwater Elementary School. She began her career as an elementary teacher at Dorothy Nolan.

Likar most recently served as the Assistant Principal of Castleton Elementary School. Prior to that, she worked as a social studies teacher and administrative intern at Shenendehowa’s Acadia Middle School.

Vilardo joins the middle school after serving as both an English teacher and a conduct and restorative instructional coach at Saratoga Springs High School. Prior to that, she worked as an English teacher at Queensbury Middle School.

Spa Catholic Adds New Teachers and Therapy Dog

The Saratoga Central Catholic School added a number of new educators over the summer, including Ann Costantino (Interim School Counselor and Health teacher), Jennifer Isele (6th Grade English Language Arts and 6th Grade Writer’s Workshop teacher), Patrick Gormley (Art Teacher and Girls Golf Coach), Thomas J. Horn Jr. (part-time Theology Teacher), and, last but certainly not least, a 3-year-old Golden Retriever therapy dog named Charlie. 

Costantino has been teaching a range of subjects at Spa Catholic for the past six years. In her new position, she’ll focus on supporting students both socially and emotionally, as well as assisting them with academic guidance and preparation for their future endeavors, whether that involves college or entering the workforce.

Isele holds a Master’s Degree in Education from The College of Saint Rose and a Bachelor of Arts in English from Fairfield University. She previously taught English at Queensbury High School from 2008 to 2016. Prior to her teaching career, Isele worked in the publishing industry at Thomson Delmar Learning.

Gormley’s experience includes 25 years as a tenured teacher at Queensbury High School, along with positions at Averill Park and Williamsville South High Schools. He also served as Principal of St. Mary’s-St. Alphonsus School during the last academic year. He is an alumnus of the Spa Catholic Class of 1985.

Horn Jr. will be teaching Theology 10, Theology 11, and Theology 12. He began his teaching career at Mohonasen High School, where he taught for two years. He then spent 28 years at Fort Edward School. Most recently, Horn Jr. served at Catholic Central High School for 11 years, where he taught Theology.

Charlie is a therapy dog certified through Therapy Dogs International. He will be joining the Guidance Office most Mondays from 1 p.m. until the end of the school day. 

New Family Outreach Coordinators

The Franklin Community Center in Saratoga Springs added Isabella Ronda and Erica Riekert as Family Outreach Coordinators. Both will contribute to the center’s prevention-based afterschool program, Project Lift.

Riekert’s previous roles include Education/Curriculum Coordinator at Saratoga Independent School and Education Director at the Children’s Museum at Saratoga. Ronda was previously a substitute teacher at Van Schaick Grade School in Troy.

Ronda will be overseeing the Project Lift program at Division Street and Dorothy Nolan Elementary Schools, while Riekert will manage the program at Caroline Street and Lake Avenue Elementary Schools.

National Grid Addressing Power Outages in Ballston Spa and Malta

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

BALLSTON SPA — A post in a local Facebook group has sparked awareness of ongoing power outages occurring in the area of Ballston Spa and Malta. 

The outages, while brief, have been impacting homes and businesses. Residents reported that air conditioning units turned off, lights flickered, and appliances needed to be reset. 

One business owner said the outages disrupt her company’s credit card machine.

It’s unclear exactly how long the outages have been occurring, but some residents said it’s been an ongoing issue for at least the past few months, if not longer.

Patrick Stella, the National Grid Communications Manager for Eastern New York, told Saratoga TODAY that National Grid would be “installing monitoring equipment in the area to better diagnose the root cause of these shorter outages. We will use this information in the coming weeks to come up with a more permanent fix.” Stella also said that the outages appear to be contained to the area of Ballston Spa and Malta.

Ballston Spa Mayor Frank Rossi said he’s previously reached out to his municipal contact at National Grid regarding an outage in Malta and another one at the Village Green Apartments in Ballston Spa. On Monday, he created a Google Form asking Ballston Spa residents to share details about any outages they’ve experienced. The form can be found on his Facebook page.

“While it is not in the Village’s abilities to resolve such issues,” Rossi wrote, “we have a good working relationship with National Grid — and they have historically worked with us to try to identify issues and resolve them.”

Malta Town Supervisor Cynthia Young also said she had contacted National Grid. She requested that Malta residents email supervisor@malta-town.org with their address and the exact time and duration of any outages.

Second Saratoga Springs Cannabis Dispensary Opens

Written by Jonathon Norcross on . Posted in Business.


The interior of High Peaks Canna, Saratoga Springs’ second cannabis dispensary. Photo by Jonathon Norcross.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — A new cannabis dispensary, High Peaks Canna, held its grand opening last Friday morning at 137 Maple Ave, the former site of the Towne Law Firm. The pot shop became the second dispensary to open in Saratoga Springs after Silver Therapeutics opened its doors at 75 Weibel Ave in July.

High Peaks is open seven days a week; from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, and from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sundays. The store offers a wide variety of products from popular brands, including Jaunty, Off Hours, and Ayrloom.

The first application for a dispensary in the Spa City was filed with the city’s planning board in July 2023. That proposed location at 95 West Ave has yet to open. Last month, an application to open the first pot shop in Ballston Spa was withdrawn due to concerns over parking, increased traffic, and possible on-site consumption.

Therapeutic Horses of Saratoga Expands With New Indoor Arena

Written by Jonathon Norcross on . Posted in Business.


A therapy horse enjoys the company of humans inside a paddock near the new arena. Photos by Jonathon Norcross

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Therapeutic Horses of Saratoga (THS), a nonprofit that provides equine-assisted psychotherapy, unveiled its new, year-round indoor arena and group therapy space on Wednesday morning. The facility will allow THS to increase the number of annual clients from 60 to 100, and expand its total number of annual therapy sessions from 680 to 1,200.

Construction of the new arena began in mid-June, and finishing touches were completed in early September. The facility was funded by the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York (DASNY) through the Nonprofit Infrastructure Capital Investment Program (NICIP). THS was selected as an awardee of a NICIP investment in April. 

“The innovative programs of Therapeutic Horses are a perfect fit for the Saratoga community, and I am pleased that our organization is able to play a part in supporting their important work,” said Robert J. Rodriguez, President of DASNY, in a statement.

A number of local elected officials attended the unveiling. Saratoga Springs Mayor John Safford and State Senator James Tedisco both praised the organization for assisting veterans. Assemblymember Carrie Woerner thanked THS for aiding survivors of trauma. Congresswoman Elise Stefanik was slated to appear but did not attend.

THS is located on a 27-acre horse farm on Lake Avenue, which is currently home to 29 horses (plus two Saratoga Springs police horses). On the same property is an office for ECS Psychological Services, a practice that oversees therapy sessions between patients and horses. THS also allows any individual or group to book “horseplay” sessions, which are not necessarily considered a form of therapy but nonetheless allow both adults and children to enjoy the company of a horse in a tranquil setting.

“When somebody walks [into a paddock] with anger, with fear, with anxiety, which is the number one diagnosis of people that come here, the horses sense it and they are completely unnerved. They don’t attack, they just disappear,” said Kim Weir, THS’ director of strategic growth. “This is the magic of horses generally. Horses trust humans. If we are confident, then they’re completely confident. That’s why they fought our wars and dug our ditches and built our civilizations.”

In order for the horses to help humans feel more confident and less anxious or fearful, the horses themselves need to be well taken care of, Weir said. “We need them to feel safe

Empire State University Alum Stars in Hit Show “The Bear”

Written by Jonathon Norcross on . Posted in Neighborhood Buzz.


Photo of “The Bear” actor Edwin Lee Gibson via Empire State University.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Actor Edwin Lee Gibson, a 2012 graduate of the Saratoga Springs-based Empire State University, has hit it big thanks to a recurring role in the Hulu series “The Bear.”

The show, which revolves around the staff of a fictional restaurant in Chicago, features Gibson in the role of Ebraheim, an East African war veteran line cook.

Gibson earned a B.A. from Empire State University in the arts and social theory while simultaneously pursuing an acting career. “The flexibility that SUNY Empire allows people at whatever juncture they’re at in their life is really wonderful,” he said in a statement.

Gibson has also starred in a number of other acclaimed shows, including “Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty,” “Fargo,” “Shameless,” and “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.” At one point, he also ran the Musical Theater Workshop at the Rye Arts Center in Westchester County. 

Anne’s Washington Inn: 80 Years of Family and Hospitality

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


Joe Bokan Jr. and his wife Kathleen pose with their three children in front of Anne’s Washington Inn in Saratoga Springs. Photo by Lawrence White. 

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Many businesses advertise themselves as “family owned and operated,” but Anne’s Washington Inn takes the concept to another level.

In 1943, hotelier Charles Russell purchased what was then the McCarty Hospital in Saratoga Springs for $7,500 and transformed it into the The Washington Inn. His daughter, Anne (Russell) Bokan ran the place for more than forty years. In 1985, Anne’s son and daughter-in-law, Joe Jr. and Kathleen Bokan, took over operations. Today, the couple’s oldest daughter Madeleine oversees the inn’s wedding and events operations with her toddler in tow. That’s five generations of family members who have sat on the inn’s famous front porch across 80 years of busy Saratoga summers.

If Anne’s Washington Inn feels more like a family residence than a resort, that’s probably because it was. Joe Jr., the current owner/operator, spent his childhood there with his five sisters.

“All of us ran the front desk, all of us made beds, all of us cleaned bathrooms; whatever it took,” Joe Jr. said. “As kids, we all grew up doing it.”

As the decades have gone by, not much has changed in the way the Bokans do business.  

“We all pitch in,” said Joe Jr.’s daughter Madeleine. “One day we’ll be in the rooms. One day we’ll be in the dining room, doing events, checking people in. It’s kind of all-hands-on-deck.”

Originally called The Washington Inn, the business was renamed in honor of Anne (Russell) Bokan in 2007. “It’s amazing to hear from longtime Saratogians. They’ll say, ‘Your mom was one of the first women to have a business in Saratoga.’ She really ran it. She’d always done it, but it never hit me. Back in the 50s, women were not running businesses,” Joe Jr. said.

There were a couple other reasons for the name change as well. Adding “Anne’s” made the inn easier to find in web searches. It also moved the business up the Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce’s list of lodging establishments, which resulted in more referrals. In the first year following the name change, Joe Jr. said his sales went up 30%.

Nowadays, Joe Jr. said he leaves much of the marketing and public relations work to Madeleine. Although an heir to the inn has not been officially proclaimed, Joe Jr. said that his daughter may one day emerge as his successor. “She loves the hotel. She loves the people. She gets it,” he said.

“But he’s not allowed to retire anytime soon,” said Madeleine. “This place runs because of him.”

“I’m having too much fun [to retire],” said Joe Jr.

Anne’s Washington Inn, currently celebrating its 80th year in business, is open April through October. Events are offered year-round. Located on four acres of land off South Broadway, the inn is within walking distance of the Saratoga Spa State Park and the Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC). For more information, visit www.anneswi.com.

Adelphi Hotel Residences Officially Open

Written by Jonathon Norcross on . Posted in Business.


Photo via the Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce. 

SARATOGA SPRINGS — The Adelphi Hotel held a ribbon cutting ceremony last week to celebrate the opening of the hotel’s new luxury residences. State Senator Jim Tedisco, Saratoga Springs Finance Commissioner Minita Sanghvi, Mayor John Safford, and members of the Shannon McCarthy Realty Team were on hand to mark the occasion.

Some of the 79 units, priced from $800,000 to $4 million, began selling at the beginning of the year. Some buyers were able to move in as early as June. The condos range from 800 to 2,500 square feet.

Ballston Spa School Resource Officer Departs

Written by Jonathon Norcross on . Posted in Education.

Ballston Spa School Resource Officer Deputy Jenae Heflin is leaving the district to further her policing career in Florida. Photo via the Ballston Spa Central School District. 

BALLSTON SPA — Ballston Spa’s School Resource Officer, Deputy Jenae Heflin, will be leaving the district at the end of August to continue her law enforcement career in Florida.

In recognition of her service, Heflin was formally honored by the district’s Board of Education at a meeting on August 21. 

“She has become such an integral part of our school community,” said Superintendent of Schools Gianleo Duca. “She represents everything the district needs in an on-site officer.”

Heflin is currently training her replacement.

Back to School: The Time is Nigh

Written by Jonathon Norcross on . Posted in Education.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — It’s time for parents to gird their loins and for kids to enjoy their final days of freedom. Thursday, September 5 is the first day of the 2024-2025 school year for the Saratoga Springs, Ballston Spa, and Schuylerville School Districts.

Ballston Spa will also be hosting a series of back-to-school events next week:

9/3 — Gordon Creek, Kindergarten Orientation, 2:00pm – 3:00pm

9/3 — Gordon Creek, Welcome Back BBQ, 3:00pm – 5:00pm

9/4—BSHS 9th Grade and New Student Orientation, 8:00am – 11:00am

9/4 — Milton Terrace Kindergarten Orientation, 9:00am – 10:00am

9/4 — Malta Ave Kindergarten Orientation, 10:00am – 11:00am

9/4 — Wood Road Kindergarten Orientation, 11:30am – 1:00pm

9/4 — Wood Road Grades 1-5 Open House, 1:00pm – 2:00pm

9/4 — Milton Terrace, Grades 1-5 Open House, 2:00pm – 3:00pm

9/4 — Malta Ave, Welcome Back Ice Cream Social, 3:30pm – 5:00pm

Secretariat’s Saratoga Legacy

Written by Jonathon Norcross on . Posted in Sports.


Author Patricia McQueen delivers a presentation on her book “Secretariat’s Legacy” at the Saratoga Springs History Museum on August 21. Photo by Jonathon Norcross.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Few places in Saratoga Springs invoke the city’s grand history like the Canfield Casino, which was an appropriate setting for Patricia McQueen’s presentation last week, “Secretariat’s Legacy: The Greatest Racehorse and His Enduring Impact on Saratoga Springs.”

McQueen, a longtime thoroughbred photographer, is the author of the book “Secretariat’s Legacy,” which explores the lasting impact of both Secretariat himself and his many successful offspring. In her presentation, McQueen also explored the Triple Crown-winner’s history at the Saratoga Race Course.

“I basically saw him race on TV when I was ten,” McQueen said. “I was hooked and so I followed his racing career, and when he retired, I followed his offspring. I’ve been doing it for fifty years.”

Secretariat at Saratoga

Secretariat’s most successful year at the Spa was probably 1972, when he won all three starts as a two-year-old. That year’s Sanford Stakes was the only race in Big Red’s career in which he was not the betting favorite. Nonetheless, he easily defeated the favorite, Linda’s Chief. Ten days later, he notched another dominant victory in the Hopeful Stakes. 

“He loved Saratoga,” McQueen said.

But the 1973 Saratoga summer meet would prove to be a frustrating one. Secretariat was set to compete in both the Whitney and the Travers. But in the Whitney, he was famously upset by Onion. Following the race, he came down with a fever and was sidelined for the rest of the meet.

The Next Generations

Secretariat’s son General Assembly would avenge his father at the Travers in 1979, a year in which he went undefeated in four starts at the Spa. Perhaps just to place an exclamation point on his success, Assembly also set a new track record in the ‘79 Travers that remained unbroken for 37 years.

In 1986, it would be Secretariat’s daughter Lady’s Secret who avenged her father’s loss to Onion in the Whitney by becoming the first female horse to win the race since 1948. Lady’s Secret previously won two races as a three-year-old at the 1985 Saratoga meet.

Over the decades, Secretariat’s lineage has continued to impress in the Spa City. Weekend Surprise won the 1982 Schuylerville Stakes. Summer Squall won the Saratoga Special and the Hopeful in 1989. Chief’s Crown won the Travers in 1985. The list goes on.

All told, six of the last seven Travers winners (prior to the 2024 race) were Secretariat descendants. Ten of the last eleven Whitney winners came from the Big Red genealogical tree. Fourteen of the last sixteen Alabama champions are descended from Secretariat. Perhaps most impressive of all, the eight competitors in the 2024 Travers are all related in some way to Secretariat.

“To me, and to many people, [Secretariat] was the greatest racehorse who ever lived,” McQueen said.

With a legacy like this, it’s hard to disagree.