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Author: Jonathon Norcross

Weaver Returns to Ravens

Written by Jonathon Norcross on . Posted in Sports.

Anthony Weaver (top row, middle) in a 1990s Saratoga Springs City School District yearbook photo. Image via the Saratoga Springs Public Library.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Saratoga Springs native and Blue Streak Hall of Famer Anthony Weaver will become the Baltimore Ravens’ next defensive coordinator.

News of the hire broke on Monday.

Weaver had been a hot commodity this offseason, interviewing with the Buffalo Bills, Pittsburgh Steelers, and Arizona Cardinals for their head coaching positions. Ultimately, though, he’ll return to Baltimore, where he played as a defensive end from 2002 to 2005. 

In 2021, the Ravens named Weaver their defensive line coach and run game coordinator. In 2022, they promoted him to assistant coach.

Weaver spent the 2024 and 2025 seasons as the Miami Dolphins’ defensive coordinator.

“Myself and my entire family [are] ecstatic,” Weaver told WNYT’s Rodger Wyland on Tuesday. “If there’s a coordinator job you want in the National Football League, it’s to be the coordinator for the Baltimore Ravens. It means a little bit more there, in my eyes.”

Weaver began his football career with the Saratoga Springs Blue Streaks in 1995, when he was in 9th grade. The next year, he was brought up to the varsity team, where he played offensive guard. By the time he was a senior, he was being actively recruited by colleges with elite football programs.

Saints Basketball Teams Battle as Season Nears End

Written by Jonathon Norcross on . Posted in Sports.

Photo of Spa Catholic Saints basketball standout Sophia Ryan via SCC Athletics.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — With just a couple games left in their regular seasons, the Saratoga Central Catholic boys and girls basketball teams hope to end things on a high note with the postseason in view. As of Feb. 4, the boys’ record stood at 11-5, bolstered by a 7-game winning streak that stretched nearly the entire month of January. The girls’ record stood at 9-8 as the squad split about half their games following a tough 4-game losing streak.

On Feb. 2, the girl dispatched Duanesburg 50-28. In that contest, standout Sophia Ryan led the Lady Saints with 21 points, while Addison Whitbeck added 12. The victory followed a rough 77-37 loss to Greenwich on Jan. 29. Before that, the Saints cruised to a 59-29 win against Cambridge on Jan. 24. Ryan again led with 25 points, and nearly secured a triple-double with 9 rebounds and 6 assists. Whitbeck secured a convincing double-double with 19 points and 14 rebounds.

On Jan. 30, the boys’ win streak was snapped with a brutal 82-51 loss to Stillwater. But prior to that, they nabbed a 57-38 victory against Stillwater on Jan. 27. In that game, Jasyn Thompson led the Saints with 15 points, while David Redgrave Jr. added 13 and Kihl Kelly reached double digits with 10. On Jan. 24, the boys mounted a comeback victory, 55-53 over Burke Catholic. In that close contest, Thompson led his squad 13 points, Kelly added 12, and Redgrave posted a double-double with 10 points and 10 assists.

Next up for the boys: Two road games on Feb. 8 and 10 against Berne-Knox-Westerlo and Greenwich, respectively. The girls hope to add a couple more W’s to the win column when they face Stillwater at home on Feb. 5 and Hoosick Falls on the road on Feb. 9.

Local Author Explores Trad Wife Trend in New Horror Novel

Written by Jonathon Norcross on . Posted in Entertainment.

Cover of “Trad Wife” via Crooked Land Books.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Is social media more terrifying than a monster?

In “Trad Wife,” the latest horror novel from author Saratoga Schaefer, that question lurks beneath the story’s surface. 

Camille, the novel’s main character, incessantly seeks validation from social media as she tries to manifest the “perfect” homemaker lifestyle. But when she struggles to get pregnant, she calls upon sinister forces for aid.

“I think one of the fun things about this book is that there’s the obvious horror,” Schaefer told Saratoga TODAY, “But the real horror is the social horror that comes through the relationship and the power imbalance [Camille] has with her husband, and then also the obsession she has with social media and needing to present a certain way online and needing people to like her. That, I think, is more frightening than the overt horror.”

A traditional wife or “trad” wife is a recent phenomenon that has seen young women reject much of the modern world to revert back to a simpler and, they contend, happier existence. Instead of spending all day in an office hunched over a keyboard, they spend the day cooking, taking care of kids, and maintaining an impeccably designed home—all for the benefit of their social media followers.

A number of studies have been conducted in an effort to better understand this trend. According to researchers at King’s College London, “the glamorization of domesticated roles for women is less a genuine embrace of tradition and more a plea from younger generations, reflecting what they describe as the impossible balance demanded by modern work and family life.” Two researchers at the University of Pennsylvania posit that mainstream feminists and trad wives are both “responding to the same broken system, but in very different ways. While each is rooted in women’s rage, the direction and consequences of that rage diverge sharply.”

Schaefer’s portrayal of Camille is complex. In some ways, Camille is sympathetic. In other ways, she’s profoundly unlikeable. But for much of the story, she seems to be under the spell of social media, which results in Camille doing things she knows are wrong.

“She is actively deluding herself for a good portion of the book,” Schaefer said. “I really wanted to get into the mindset of somebody who is a younger person who is attracted to this lifestyle.”

Camille chooses to discard facts and critical thinking in favor of agreeing with social media personalities who can bestow upon her more followers and fame. Camille’s obsession with portraying herself as the perfect influencer leads to horrendous consequences, some real and others supernatural. Trapped in a “Rosemary’s Baby” scenario in which she is pregnant with a creature that is less than human, Camille continues to post through the pain, pretending that her life is perfect when, in fact, it’s spiraling towards disaster.

To reveal more of the plot would spoil the fun. Though “Trad Wife” explores real issues, it’s also a spooky story with elements reminiscent of “Midsommar,” “The Witch,” and, of course, “Rosemary’s Baby.”

Schaefer’s new novel will be released on Feb. 10. Two days later, they’ll be in person at the Northshire Bookstore for a conversation with fellow author Dennis Mahoney. It’ll be an event in Saratoga featuring a person named Saratoga. Yes, it’s a bit unusual, and yes, Schaefer was named after the Spa City.

“I love my name,” Schaefer said. “I understand that people do a little bit of a double take when I say it.”

They’ll be doing a double take when they read the shocking yet thoughtful “Trad Wife” too. 

Saratogian Battles the Elements in FOX Survival Competition Show

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

Photo of Katie Kratovil (center) with her sisters Carly (left) and Emily (right) provided by FOX.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — In everyday life, Katie Kratovil is a 29-year-old administrative assistant who lives in Saratoga Springs. But on TV, she’s a rugged survivalist building shelters, rationing food, and keeping an eye out for bears—all while competing for a grand prize of $250,000.

On season two of “Extracted,” a FOX reality series currently airing on Monday nights, Kratovil is tasked with braving the elements while her two sisters, Carly and Emily, observe her via 24-hour camera feeds and try to send her provisions delivered by drones. 

For Kratovil, who said she’s “definitely not a survivalist type person,” some training and preparation was necessary.

“I definitely trained more physically than mentally,” Kratovil told Saratoga TODAY. “I built a shelter in my backyard. I practiced my firemaking. I watched a lot of YouTube videos, specifically Luke from the Outdoor Boys. I upped my step count to 15,000 steps a day. I knew I was going to be walking around in the woods, so I wanted to make sure that my body was used to taking that many steps. Really, [I did] as much research as humanly possible that I could to figure out the best way to live out in the wild.”

Kratovil’s sisters also had their own preparations to make before appearing on the show. From the (relative) comfort of an indoor studio, Carly and Emily competed against the family and friends of other survivalists to secure valuable supplies. Some family and friends chose to take a more cutthroat approach to the competition, while others utilized their diplomatic skills. Kratovil and her siblings prepared by expecting the unexpected.

“Our main strategy was to be really strong,” Kratovil said. “We wanted to be really strong competitors, but we’re kind of limited in how much we can talk about because you don’t really know what to expect. You think you know what to expect from watching season one, but at the same time, you know you have no idea what’s going to happen. So you kind of have to strategize for everything and plan for everything.”

While Kratovil slept outside, hoping to avoid any encounters with rats or snakes, her sisters were forced to keep an eye on her via the camera feeds. Unable to directly communicate with their sister, Carly and Emily at times feared for their sibling’s wellbeing.

“I was afraid to watch [Katie] struggle because she can’t talk to us or see us, so I was scared that she really needed help,” Carly said.

But despite some intense moments, the sisters all agreed that appearing on “Extracted” served as a familial bonding experience

“We’ve never experienced anything like this,” Emily said. “It brought us a lot closer, not just the three of us, but our entire family and our friends.”

“It’s really such a once-in-a-lifetime experience,” Carly said.

“One of my personal hopes, coming out of this whole experience, is inspiring people to put themselves out there and just apply for it and do it,” Katie said. “I mean, we’re three relatively normal people. I just stumbled upon an Instagram ad and thought, ‘You know what, I might as well apply. I have nothing to lose.’ So, I think anyone could do it if they really put their mind to it. I totally would recommend it. I hope they call us again.”

“Extracted” season two airs on Mondays at 8 p.m., with episodes available for streaming the following day on Hulu.

Saratoga Jazz Festival Returns: Lineup, Info, Headliners, Under-the-Radar Acts

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

Photos of Patti LaBelle and The Revivalists provided by SPAC.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — The annual Saratoga Jazz Festival will hold its 49th iteration at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC) on Saturday, June 27 and Sunday, June 28.

Overall, the fest will feature 22 musical acts (13 of whom will make their Saratoga Jazz Festival debuts), headlined by the “Godmother of Soul” Patti Labelle and multi-platinum rock collective The Revivalists. Labelle last performed at the festival in 2009. The Revivalists will make their Saratoga debut this summer. 

“We have been thinking about [Labelle] on and off over the last couple of years,” festival producer Danny Melnick told Saratoga TODAY. “Last year, she did this really big arena tour with Gladys Knight and Chaka Khan, and she closed all those shows. The reports were amazing and the videos that I saw online were amazing. When thinking about this year and the fact that we’re at the 49th festival, we really wanted to have a legendary artist who has a history with the festival.”

Labelle sharing headlining duties with The Revivalists speaks to the festival’s ability to reach across generations and genres. 

“The Revivalists are a new, really hot band right now that have been growing and growing, particularly coming out of the pandemic, becoming bigger and bigger, playing much bigger places and selling tickets,” Malnick said. “We really wanted to get a band that we felt would be exciting for the audience and new to the festival.”

Saratoga Jazz Fest’s roster of performers is diverse and deep, with acts performing everything from soul to funk to roots rock to, of course, jazz. A few highlights include blues guitar virtuoso Christone “Kingfish” Ingram; Afro-Cuban funk group Cimafunk; soul-inflected rhythm and blues band The Dip; jazz vocalists Dianne Reeves and Cécile McLorin Salvant; contemporary jazz leaders Terri Lyne Carrington and Lakecia Benjamin; and Cuban piano master Gonzalo Rubalcaba with his First Meeting Quartet featuring Chris Potter, Larry Grenadier, and Eric Harland.

The festival will also commemorate two musical milestones. The Miles Electric Band, making their SPAC debut, will celebrate Miles Davis’ centennial. And the returning Skidmore Jazz Institute Faculty All-Stars will salute the centennial of John Coltrane.

“As we approach nearly 50 years of this storied festival, we remain committed to presenting a vibrant, wide-ranging line-up that honors jazz traditions while amplifying bold new voices,” said Elizabeth Sobol, the CEO of SPAC. “From legendary performers and centennial celebrations to festival debuts and cutting-edge artists, this year’s Saratoga Jazz Festival offers so much to discover.”

Two of Melnick’s picks for under-the-radar acts and up-and-comers include Eddie 9V (“He could be the next Tom Petty”) and Tyreek McDole (“I think the audience is going to be super surprised and knocked out to hear this young guy sing the way he does”). Both will perform on the Charles R. Wood “Discovery” Stage.

In addition to two non-stop days of music across two stages, festival attendees can also enjoy a host of amenities including new and diverse food offerings, a fine arts and crafts fair, and artist merchandise signings. Guests are welcome to bring in their own food and beverages, as well as lawn chairs, blankets, tents, and lawn umbrellas. Parking for the event is free. Performances will begin at 11 a.m. on Saturday, June 27 and at 11:45 a.m. on Sunday, June 28.

Tickets go on sale beginning on Feb. 6 at 10 a.m. to SPAC members (tiered by level) and on Feb. 13 at 10 a.m. to the general public. Tickets start at $89 and will be available online at www.spac.org.

2026 SARATOGA JAZZ FESTIVAL LINEUP: 

SATURDAY, JUNE 27

Amphitheater:

Patti LaBelle

Miles Electric Band: Celebrating Miles Davis’s Centennial

Cécile McLorin Salvant

The Dip 

Gonzalo Rubalcaba First Meeting Quartet with Chris Potter, Larry Grenadier & Eric Harland

Terri Lyne Carrington + Social Science

Charles R. Wood “Discovery” Stage:

Bill Frisell Trio featuring Thomas Morgan & Rudy Royston with special guest Gregory Tardy

Orrin Evans Trio featuring Luques Curtis & Mark Whitfield, Jr.

Tyreek McDole

Ana Popovic

Avishai Cohen Big Vicious

Brass Queens

SUNDAY, JUNE 28

Amphitheater:

The Revivalists

Dianne Reeves

Christone “Kingfish” Ingram

Cimafunk

Lakecia Benjamin

Charles R. Wood “Discovery” Stage:

Eddie 9V

Alexa Tarantino Quartet

Kyle Roussel

Sasha Dobson

Skidmore Jazz Institute Faculty All-Stars 

Celebrate John Coltrane’s Centennial featuring Jimmy Greene, Clay Jenkins, Steve Davis, Dave Stryker, Miki Yamanaka, Todd Coolman & Quincy Davis 

Grammy Awards Honor Caffe Lena Fixture

Written by Jonathon Norcross on . Posted in Entertainment.

Photo of Joel Moss via Caffe Lena.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Joel Moss, the Caffe Lena broadcast and sound technician who passed away last year, was honored during the Grammy Awards’ “In Memoriam” segment on Sunday night. 

Moss’ long and illustrious career in the music business earned him 6 Grammy wins and 11 nominations. 

“From working with music legends to championing artists and music education close to home, Joel’s impact reached far beyond any single stage,” said Caffe Lena in a social media post. “We are grateful for all he gave to our community and to the world of music.”

Moss’ final award at the Grammys came in 2015, when he won Best Musical Theater Album for “Beautiful: The Carole King Musical.” His previous wins also included Best Musical Show Album for “In The Heights” in 2009, and Album Of The Year for “Genius Loves Company” in 2005.

Moss was a record producer, sound engineer, and mixer who recorded albums for artists such as Ray Charles, The Beach Boys, Little Richard, and Joe Cocker. His life and career began in Detroit, where he led a Hebrew folk quintet called The Hi-Liters that played at Lena in 1963. In the Saratoga area, he recorded and produced several albums for charity, including “A Saratoga Christmas Wish,” which raised $70,000 for Make-A-Wish Northeast New York.

Business Leaders Optimistic About Saratoga’s Economic Future, Cite Affordability as a Concern

Written by Jonathon Norcross on . Posted in Business.

2026 Saratoga County Economic Outlook panelists David DeMarco, Martin Shields, Benjamin Chuckrow, and Charlie Wait, Jr. Photo by Jonathon Norcross.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Four executives representing the local institutions Arrow Bank, Adirondack Trust Company, Bouchey Financial Group, and Stifel convened last Thursday at the Excelsior Springs Event Center for an economic outlook panel.

Hosted by the Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce, the event aimed to provide timely analysis and projections on economic conditions affecting local businesses and stakeholders, including perspectives on national and global trends and their implications for Saratoga County’s economic climate.

“I’m bullish on our local economy,” said Charlie Wait, Jr., the president and CEO of Adirondack Trust. “I think we have a lot of resilience here, more resilience than we used to have. I think we’re not just a tourist economy anymore. I think we have some light manufacturing. We have GlobalFoundries, so we have the technology piece, and I think that bodes well for the economy.”

“I can’t see how this area can’t grow, but also grow its tax base because the [GlobalFoundries] employees that are going to be coming to this area are going to be higher salaried employees,” noted Ben Chuckrow, a senior vice president at Stifel. “The other good thing is we’re going to have lots of jobs for these kids who are graduating from our great local community colleges. So I couldn’t be more optimistic about the growth of Saratoga.”

David DeMarco, president and CEO of Arrow Bank, said he agreed with the panel’s optimistic assessment but also had concerns about housing costs. 

“Not to get political, I’m not going to talk about affordability, but it’s a big impact,” DeMarco said. “It’s having an impact on our communities. The cost of housing rates are coming down, but…the 10-year yield curve, the longer end, is going up. We’re never going to see the 3% interest rates we saw in mortgages…and that’s going to have a negative impact.”

“I wish there was a little bit more transportation up here so people weren’t so worried about having to buy a house so close to downtown Saratoga; that they could go out and move to areas where the houses were much cheaper,” said Chuckrow. “But people aren’t able to buy those houses because they don’t know how they’re going to get to work because they have to have a car and everything else. Growth is a very good thing, but growth is only really good if it’s anticipated and handled properly.”

Martin Shields, chief wealth advisor of the Bouchey Financial Group, said the topic of affordability was a real concern among his clients, but he also noted that median house prices in the Capital Region were significantly lower than median prices nationally and downstate. 

“I think even from an affordability perspective, we’re in a good spot,” Shields said. “We do have one of the highest levels of college graduates compared to other upstate cities and even across the U.S. and New York State. So, [with] all these factors, it’s really hard not to be positive about this area. I think the big element too, is we don’t see the low lows and we don’t see the high highs. Living in that spot, it’s really beneficial.”

“I worry about the affordability that’s happening right now,” Wait said. “I worry about money coming out of the banking system, going to places like private credit, because that credit is opaque and so there could be a crisis building in there… But even in 2008, this area fared much better than other areas. I think because we don’t experience the high highs, but we also don’t experience the low lows. I think just keeping that steady growth is one of the benefits that we have in this area, and that’s what makes it such a great place to be.”

Three Saratoga Brothers Playing Together on One College Volleyball Team

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

Photo of SUNY Potsdam volleyball player Matt Kilinski by Sophia Pleat/SUNY Potsdam Athletics.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — At SUNY Potsdam, one name dominates the men’s volleyball roster: Kilinski.

Brothers and Saratoga Springs High School grads Matt, Mike, and Brayden Kilinski all play for the Division 3 Potsdam Bears.

Matt is a middle hitter and graduate student competing with the Bears for his fourth season. Mike, a middle hitter senior, is in the midst of his second season at Potsdam after transferring from New Paltz. Brayden, a freshman right side/outside hitter, made his debut this year. Matt and Mike both tower above many competitors at 6’ 7”, and all three bros are poised to make significant contributions to their squad this year.

In a victorious 3-1 season opener against Regis College on Jan. 24, Matt recorded 24 kills, falling just short of his career high, and added 10 digs and 2 blocks while hitting .514. Brayden’s Bears debut included 9 kills and 2 aces. Mike recorded a match-best 5 blocks.

In a 3-1 loss to Buffalo State on the same day, Matt finished with a match-high 21 kills and 7 digs, while Mike contributed 9 kills and 1 block.

Although the season just began, Matt has already received the accolade of SUNY Potsdam’s Athlete of the Week for the week ending Jan. 24.

Potsdam’s men’s volleyball team launched their sixth season last weekend after concluding their best campaign in program history last year, when they finished with program records in overall and conference wins (18-8, 5-1), and wrapped up the regular season on a 12-match win streak to claim the No. 2 seed in the playoffs.

Matt earned the 2025 New England Volleyball Conference (NEVC) Athlete of the Year Award, and he was also named first team All-NEVC. He led his team with 249 total kills. He also garnered 23 blocks, 20 service aces, and 126 digs. He is currently the school’s all-time record holder for career solo blocks, block assists, and total blocks.

Mike, in his first season with the Bears, led the conference and set the program’s single-season record with a .380 hitting percentage. He also ranked third on the team with 134 kills, and second with 48 blocks.

After graduating from Saratoga Springs High School last year, Brayden decided to join his brothers in Potsdam, adding a third member to the team’s sibling faction.

Next up for the trio: three games at home on Feb. 7 against Bard, Houghton, and Elmira.

Woerner Seeks to Prohibit All Prop Bets in New York

Written by Jonathon Norcross on . Posted in Sports.

Photo of Assemblywoman Carrie Woerner via her website.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — New York State Assemblywoman Carrie Woerner, whose district includes the Saratoga Race Course, recently sponsored bill A09636, which would limit sports wagering to “wagers on the final outcome, score, or winner of a sporting event or contest,” thus banning proposition (or “prop”) bets.

Prop bets include player, game, and team props, such as the number of touchdowns scored by a football player in a game or the first team to score a touchdown in a game. Prop bets have recently come under scrutiny, in part due to federal betting investigations involving both current and former members of the NBA. Earlier this month, the NCAA sent a letter to state gambling commissions requesting the elimination of prop bets.

Woerner’s bill states that proposition bets “present heightened risks to the integrity of sports, increase the potential for insider information misuse, increase the harassment and abuse of athletes and coaches, and exacerbate risks of problem gambling due to their rapid and repetitive nature.” Banning prop bets will “promote consumer protection, safeguard the integrity of sporting events, and align sports wagering with responsible gambling principles,” the bill argues.

Any betting operator that knowingly or negligently offers or accepts a prop bet in violation of the proposed law would be subject to civil penalties imposed by the gaming commission, including fines of up to $100,000 per violation, as well as suspension or revocation of licensure.

On Jan. 21, Woerner’s bill was referred to the racing and wagering committee. About a year ago, Woerner was appointed the chair of the committee.

Woerner isn’t the first Saratoga politician to take aim at sports betting. Congressman Paul Tonko, who represents Saratoga County, renewed his push for the SAFE Bet Act in October following a gambling scandal that rocked the NBA and allegedly involved members of the Mafia. Tonko introduced the SAFE Bet Act in 2024. Among other things, the legislation would prohibit all proposition bets featuring college and amateur athletes.

“The constant, unfettered access to sports gambling destroys public trust in the game, while having dire consequences for countless persons across our nation struggling with problem gambling,” Tonko said in a statement issued on Oct. 23, 2025.

A 2024 poll conducted by Quinnipiac University found that 67% of Americans think prop betting should not be permitted.

Artist Spotlight: Tony Serrano

Written by Jonathon Norcross on . Posted in Entertainment.

Photo of Tony Serrano provided.

Tony Serrano is a local writer who runs the poetry platform “Love•Hate•Heal,” which highlights and promotes some of his work. Serrano shared with Saratoga TODAY his thoughts on all things poetry, as well as how his day job in Ballston Spa helps to keep his creative juices flowing. 

Q: When did you create “Love•Hate•Heal” and why did you create it?

A: I’ve been writing poetry for as long as I can remember, from marble notebooks in middle school to Tumblr in high school. In 2019, “Love•Hate•Heal” was born as a way to give my emotions somewhere honest to live. The name reflects the cycle at the heart of the work: we experience love, we experience pain, and through both we learn how to heal.

Q: How does writing poetry benefit you personally, and how do you think an appreciation for poetry can benefit others?

A: Personally, poetry helps me slow down and understand what I’m feeling rather than pushing it aside. For others, poetry can act as a mirror, reminding them that even if a poem isn’t about their exact experience, their emotions are still valid.

Q: What is your day job, and does it help to support your poetry?

A: I’m a screen printer and manager at T-Shirt Graphics in Ballston Spa, where I’ve worked for nearly 13 years. The hands-on, creative nature of screen-printing—turning ideas into something physical—naturally supports my creativity and keeps me connected to the local community.

Q: Can you tell me about how your poetry is building a community?

A: Although “Love•Hate•Heal” only features my own work, it has created connection through shared emotion. Readers often reach out to say a poem resonated with them or put feelings into words they couldn’t express themselves. That exchange between writer and reader becomes its own kind of community, built on vulnerability, empathy, and understanding.

Q: What are some of your future plans or ambitions with poetry?

A: My main goal is to release a poetry book that brings the work from “Love•Hate•Heal” into a physical form. And given my background in screen-printing, I wouldn’t be surprised if a little poetry-themed merchandise finds its way into the mix as well.