The Western Sun Foundation announced this week that Therapeutic Horses of Saratoga would be the beneficiary of its upcoming fundraising efforts in Saratoga Springs. Image via Western Sun.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — The Western Sun Foundation, a charity created by fans of the jam band Goose, has selected Therapeutic Horses of Saratoga as the beneficiary of its upcoming fundraising efforts during Goose’s two-night run at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC) on September 6 and 7. Western Sun is also raising funds via “Goose on the Green,” a sold-out golf charity event being held at the Saratoga Spa Golf Course on September 7.
Therapeutic Horses of Saratoga is a nonprofit that rescues and retrains retired racehorses for therapeutic programming designed to support the mental and emotional well-being of children and adults.
Western Sun announced its selection of Therapeutic Horses on Monday after putting out a call for local beneficiaries earlier this month.
The GameStop location near the Wilton Mall in Saratoga Springs sits vacant, with signage removed. Photo by Jonathon Norcross.
WILTON — The GameStop location at the Wilton Square shopping complex in Saratoga Springs has closed. The store is currently vacant, with the GameStop signage removed, and the GameStop website lists the location as indefinitely closed. A small sign in the store’s window encourages potential patrons to visit Insane Game inside the nearby Wilton Mall.
GameStop still has a number of locations open in the Capital Region, including stores in Clifton Park, Rotterdam, Amsterdam, Latham, and Queensbury.
GameStop locations across the country have been closing in recent years, largely thanks to online video game sales. In 2016, the company had 5,466 stores in the United States. As of January 2023, that number had declined to 2,949.
ALBANY — Two Buttons Deep, a company that creates social media content chronicling life in the Capital Region, announced this week that it had raised more than $10,000 for local teachers. The company said that the funds will pay for the “wish lists” of teachers who would otherwise have to pay out-of-pocket for classroom supplies not covered in school budgets.
Some of the biggest donors who took part in the “Big Tip Energy: Back to School Edition” fundraiser included Saratoga Eagle, Stella’s Creamery & Cakes, The Shaker and Vine, and Concord Pools & Spas.
Two Buttons Deep said that more than 100 local teachers submitted nominations hoping to have their classroom wish lists paid for. The fundraiser concluded on August 19.
Miami Dolphins Defensive Coordinator Anthony Weaver. Photo via the team’s website.
MIAMI, FLORIDA — “He does a great job.” “A good person.” “Super dope.” “An exciting culture.” “I love where we are.”
These are just some of the flattering quotes from Miami Dolphins players and personnel about the team’s new Defensive Coordinator Anthony Weaver, a Saratoga Springs native and member of the Blue Streaks Hall of Fame.
Weaver, who interviewed with both the Atlanta Falcons and Washington Commanders for their head coaching positions in January, was named Miami’s new defensive coordinator the following month. Since then, early feedback on his tenure has been resoundingly positive.
“Bringing in [Weaver], too, from Baltimore, watching the defense in [organized team activities] and minicamp was spooky. The looks, the disguises, the weapons that he has, and the way that he’s using those guys, I love where we are,” Dolphins left tackle Terron Armstead told Kay Adams on the “Up & Adams Show” last month.
“It’s been really cool getting to know him,” defensive tackle Zach Sieler said about Weaver in an interview with CBS 12 News in June. “Obviously being a former player and also him coming from [the Baltimore Ravens], I see a lot of crossover from that and that Baltimore mindset. It’s been cool circling back to that and kind of feeling him out and just again how he views football and how he is off the field, on the field. Building that rapport with him has been really fun.”
“What I like about Weaver, he doesn’t force it,” linebacker Jordyn Brooks told ESPN earlier this month. “You can tell when somebody is kind of forcing a relationship or trying to just do things. He’s kind of really natural and organic, just literally, you might be standing off and he might tap you on the shoulder and talk about whatever. Little moments, like I said, they go a long way. It’s like, ‘Oh, I thought you were going to talk to me about ball,’ and he asked me something personal. That just goes a long way, and I think he does a great job of just doing that, just being who he is, and I don’t think it’s forced at all. So I think in the long run, you’ll see a lot of guys playing hard for him just because he’s able to reach guys on a personal level.”
The kind words about Weaver are probably no surprise to those familiar with his reputation in Saratoga Springs, where he started playing football for the Blue Streaks as a 9th grader in 1995.
“Anthony is one of the nicest people you will ever meet,” Saratoga Springs varsity football coach Eric Hayden told Saratoga TODAY in February. “His Athletic achievements are amazing, but his personality is what separates him.”
“One of the biggest qualities that you notice about him is his adaptability to people and his love for people,” said Blaise Juliano, Weaver’s high school football coach. “He’s really a great person.”
Despite all the praise, Weaver still has a daunting task in front of him. Miami’s offense last year was stellar, leading the league in both total offensive yards per game (401.3) and passing yards per game (265.5), while ranking sixth in rushing yards per game (135.8). But the Dolphins’ defense was generally good-but-not-great, ranking 10th in yards allowed per game, 14th in turnover ratio, and 14th in allowing opponents to convert to a new set of downs.
How much Weaver is able to bolster Miami’s defense will begin to become clear when the Dolphins take the field against the Jacksonville Jaguars in their first game of the regular season on Sunday, September 8.
The post positions for the 2024 Grade 1 Travers Stakes. Image via the New York Racing Association (NYRA).
SARATOGA SPRINGS — Thorpedo Anna, a 3-year-old filly trained by part-time Saratoga resident Kenny McPeek, will compete against the boys in the 155th running of the Travers Stakes on Saturday at the Saratoga Race Course. Should Anna prevail, she would become the first filly to win the Travers in more than a century.
Anna is undefeated thus far in 2024, earning $1.8 million in four starts. In her career, she’s won 6 of 7 starts, placing second only once. But she’ll be up against some tough competitors, including 2024 Belmont Stakes winner Dornoch.
The last filly to take the Travers was Lady Rotha in 1915, who was declared the winner when Trial by Jury was controversially disqualified.
The Travers Stakes is scheduled for 6:10 p.m. on Saturday, August 24. Those not in attendance can catch the race at home on FOX.
Aerial photo of Snake Hill via Saratoga PLAN/Ryan C. of Saratoga Drone.
STILLWATER — Saratoga PLAN (Preserving Land and Nature), a nonprofit land trust, held an open house event at Dock Brown’s Lakeside Tavern on Tuesday to share three potential site options for Snake Hill, a 32-acre forested dome on the eastern shore of Saratoga Lake.
The hill, located in Stillwater, was purchased in December by Saratoga PLAN from Stewart’s Shops for $1 million. Now the nonprofit must decide what to do with their acquisition.
The first of the three options would be to simply preserve the land, allowing no public access. Staff would work to maintain and improve native species and biodiversity, minimize invasive species, and protect the water quality. The only human imprint would be a small parking lot that would allow staffers to access the hill.
The second option would allow limited public access to the property via pedestrian trails. Only small groups participating in Saratoga PLAN or partner programs or volunteer initiatives would be granted access to the hill. These group activities would be focused on environmental education. In addition to a small parking lot, picnic tables and a loop trail would be added to the land. This second option is the one preferred by Saratoga PLAN.
The third option would open Snake Hill to visitors during daylight hours. Added to the property would be a parking lot, picnic tables and benches, and a loop trail. This option would result in staff being focused primarily on visitor safety and minimizing any visitor impact on the land’s species and biodiversity. Should Snake Hill become a popular destination, increased traffic and parking could become a problem, along with potential damage to the habitat caused by visitors.
“A lot of you know Snake Hill better than any of us,” said Saratoga PLAN Executive Director Rob Davies at the open house event. “You know details about this land that we don’t, and that’s why we’re here. We want to hear from you.” Regardless of what ultimately happens to Snake Hill, Davies said that the land would be protected “forever.”
Snake Hill, currently closed to the public, rises 200 feet over Saratoga Lake. It is the site of Saratoga County’s only documented rattlesnake hibernacula, hence its name. The snakes are believed to have been hunted to extinction more than 150 years ago. Snake Hill’s native name, Torwarloonda, means “hill of storm.” According to Michael Gaige, a consulting ecologist and Saratoga PLAN advisory council member, the hill’s “abundant fossils, folded layers, and relative isolation from other similar structures make it a geological anomaly.”
Additional information about the three site options is available at SaratogaPLAN.org/snakehill. The community can also share their feedback via this web address. The deadline for submitting feedback is Friday, September 13. Saratoga PLAN said it would hold another community event in the fall once plans for Snake Hill had been further solidified.
BALLSTON SPA — The Ballston Spa Central School District’s transportation department is hoping to make its bus routes more efficient by reducing the number of stops along some routes.
According to a presentation delivered by Superintendent Gianleo Duca at an August 7 Board of Education meeting, the proposed changes for the 2024-2025 school year would reduce the number of stops on 15 to 20 routes. These reductions would result in easier routes for substitute drivers, less time spent on buses for students, and a decrease in the amount of overtime pay for mechanics who drive buses when necessary.
The reduced number of stops will result in some students having a longer walk from the bus stop to their home, but the distances will be “well within New York State regulations,” Duca said.
BALLSTON LAKE — Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake High School will be implementing a new cell phone policy this year.
When students return to school at the end of the summer, they’ll be required to place their phones in a “rack” or cubby near the door of each classroom. Students won’t be able to access their phones during class, but they can still use their phones during lunch and in the hallway between classes.
Additionally, students will no longer be allowed to take their phones with them when they go to the bathroom. Principal Tim Brunson said that students sometimes go to the bathroom just to use their phones. He called this a “huge issue” that distracts students and decreases attendance.
“I anticipate that there will be some blowback at the start, but I think the positives far outweigh the negatives,” Brunson said of the new policy at an August 5 board of education meeting. “It shows that we trust the students to use [phones] appropriately but also shows how serious we are about eliminating distractions in the classroom.”
In the event of a home or family emergency, parents are advised to call the school so that they can reach their kids during class. Brunson said that the high school’s office is always manned. In non-emergency situations, parents can use email to contact their kids.
For now, the school will allow students to wear Apple Watches during class. Brunson said that teachers will monitor students to see if these watches also become distractions.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — The Saratoga Springs City School District was criticized for rehiring cross-country and track coaches Art and Linda Kranick in a letter written on behalf of S.A.F.E. (Safe Athletics For Everyone), a group of athletes and parents concerned about their experiences with Saratoga Springs athletics programs.
“We are very disappointed in the actions of the Saratoga Springs School District’s decision to continue the employment of the Kranicks and hope that at some point the inevitable turnover of administrators will end the cycle that has supported and encouraged their behavior for 30 years,” the letter said. “Letters of support do not negate the alleged damage that has been done to other athletes, some of whom continue to suffer medical issues to this day related to their training.”
The letter, dated August 7, was written by attorney Martin J. Greenberg and addressed to Superintendent Dr. Michael Patton. Governor Kathy Hochul and Attorney General Leticia James were cc’d.
“A school district holds the trust of the community,” the letter continued. “As such, we believe there is an implied agreement with that community to ensure the wellbeing and safety of the children which attend their schools. We believe that the Saratoga Springs School District has breached that implied agreement through its failure to provide proper oversight of its coaches in this instance. As the school district has insisted on renewing the Kranicks term as coaches once again, we hope that the school district does better with respect to oversight and holds the coaches’ feet to the fire with respect to proper coaching methods and behavior.”
Superintendent Patton told Saratoga TODAY that he does not have any concerns about the Kranicks moving forward. “I’ve been here for seven years and have gotten to know the Kranicks very well,” Patton said. He added that, in the past year, the Kranicks have met all of the athletic department’s expectations.
In March, the results of an independent investigation stemming from claims of “a toxic culture of alleged abusive coaching” determined that the Saratoga Springs School District investigated “most, but not all” complaints made about the school’s cross-country and track and field program.
The report from the Harris Beach law firm also seemed to question the district’s decision to rehire the Kranicks, stating that “while the District received complaints regarding student athletes across multiple years concerning alleged improper conduct of the Kranicks, the District continued their annual appointment as coaches, even after they had no rights under the CBA to those appointments due to their retirements from teaching.”
When the report was released in March, Superintendent Patton said the district would conduct a second review of its athletic programs with assistance from the Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference, review its coaches’ policies and practices, and possibly revise its Coaches Handbook. Dr. Patton also said he would recommend policy changes regarding corrective actions taken against coaches.
As both the Harris Beach report and Greenberg’s August 7 letter noted, many student-athletes and parents have spoken out in defense of the Kranicks, arguing that the coaches’ program is demanding and successful, not abusive. Dr. Patton also said that he’s received a number of messages in support of rehiring the Kranicks.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — The Saratoga Springs High School varsity football schedule was released this week.
All games will be played on Fridays at 7 p.m., except for the Thursday, October 10 game at Albany, which will be played at 6 p.m.
September 6 – Christian Brothers Academy (away) September 13 – Schenectady (home) September 20 – Queensbury (home) September 27 – Niskayuna (home) October 4 – Colonie (home) October 10 – Albany (away) October 18 – Guilderland (away) October 25 – Shaker (home) November 1 – Shen (away)
