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Author: Kacie Cotter-Harrigan

Things Boys Hate

Written by Kacie Cotter-Harrigan on . Posted in Families Today.

I was talking with someone recently about what my boy house is like, and I was laughing at the ways that my boys consistently think about things differently than how I do now, or how I did when I was their ages. For example, there are some things that they, as a group, really seem to hate, like:

PRINCESS MOVIES, AND DOLLS
My boys have zero interest in any of the Barbie-type movies and other princess-y shows that I see listed on Netflix in the kid section, which I get, but the movies and shows they do watch sometimes get a little close to the “princess movie” line than they like, especially when it comes to romance. 

Even in their Star Wars and superhero movies, there’s often a romantic subplot and any time they catch a whiff of it they start yelling, “Don’t even think about kissing!” I put “The Little Mermaid” on recently for the little ones, which I know is the kind of movie that tests their patience, but we hadn’t seen it in a while, and I wanted to watch it with them. I thought my seven-year-old actually enjoyed it, as he watched it quietly all the way through, but when Ariel and Eric shared their final kiss, he said, “If this movie was the exact opposite, it would be a lot better.”

They also hate dolls. I’ll never forget how one of my boys had nightmares after seeing my niece’s baby doll with eyes that open and close.

CLEAN CLOTHES, AND BEING WARM
When I do the boys’ laundry, I fold it and put it in piles on their desks — this is the signal that they are to put their clothes away. Our laundry set-up is unconventional in that no one has a dresser (there isn’t enough space in their bedrooms); rather, they each have shelves or drawers of their own in the laundry/mudroom. Despite the fact that a couple of them are fairly particular about wanting to have a supply of clean clothes, which would seem to negate the idea that they hate clean clothes, they all are terrible about putting their clothes away in a manner that preserves the clothes’ cleanliness. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve found remnants of their pile of clean clothes toppled off their desks onto the floor and then apparently walked on and kicked around for a couple of days. Most of them shove the neatly folded piles onto their shelves or into their drawers, which, as you all know, is not the way to keep things neat and unwrinkled. We had family pictures taken recently and I’d washed everyone’s chosen outfits the night before — it was a special thrill for me that everyone was wearing clean clothes, which isn’t something that could be counted on when everyone was little — and the first thing one of them did when we arrived at the place for the pictures was roll around on the ground. So he’s in our photos with muddy knees. 

They also hate being warm. Every day during the winter they argued with me when I told them that, yes, they need to wear winter coats and pants when they leave the house when it’s colder than 30 degrees.

PLEASANT FAMILY RIDES, AND QUIET OF ANY KIND
Ever since we started having kids, my husband and I have used car rides as a way of maintaining (or restoring!) our sanity. It’s always been a relief to buckle the kids into the van, especially after a long day of misbehaving — they’re safe and restrained and I have them seated in such a way that I’ve tried to keep apart the boys who cause trouble together. When they were all little, it was heaven. But as they’ve gotten older, it’s become less and less peaceful to have them all in the van together. They constantly bother each other by pulling on each other’s seat belts, pulling each other’s hair (they all have short hair, but when they’re determined to torment each other, they find a way), throwing things at each other, putting their feet on each other’s seats, sitting too close, sitting too far, having private conversations that they yell at other brothers about wanting to hear … any time all the boys are in the van, I spend a good amount of time yelling at everyone to, “Turn around! Quiet down! Stop bothering your brother!” 

They really just seem to hate quiet of any kind. I’ve been marveling recently at how loud our house is — the noise has increased exponentially as the boys have gotten older, and I myself have reached decibels I didn’t know I was capable of in trying to have myself heard over the din.

It could be as much a pack mentality as anything else — each of them on their own can be quiet (I’ve seen it!), and on their own they might not mind a love story every now and again (especially if there are also weapons), and I know some of them have tendencies toward order and cleanliness, but the opinions presented above seem to be ones they can all agree on when they’re together. Or at least when they’re within earshot of me, and that might be part of it too — they definitely love to drive their mother crazy! I’ll tell you what, though: when I’m not yelling, I’m often laughing — what personalities these kids have! It’s such a privilege to watch them grow up.

Kate and her husband have seven sons ages 16, 14, 12, 11, 9, 7, and 2. Follow her at www.facebook.com/kmtowne23, or email her at kmtowne23@gmail.com.

6 Questions to Ask a Financial Advisor

Written by Kacie Cotter-Harrigan on . Posted in Families Today.

When you’re thinking about hiring a financial advisor, it’s important that you do your due diligence to help make sure you and your advisor are well matched. Ideally, you and your advisor are both looking to establish a very long-term relationship, and part of that involves being very open and honest about your expectations, and asking probing questions. It’s also very important that your advisor be forthcoming with their expectations. Here is a shortlist of questions to ask.

1. Are you a fiduciary? 
An advisor who is a fiduciary is legally required to put your interests ahead of their own, and ahead of the interests of their employer. 

2. Are you independent?
It’s important to consider whether the advisor works for a company with proprietary products to sell. Generally this will be common with insurance and mutual fund companies. Even with the best intentions, if your advisor is limited to, or incentivized for using, their employer’s products, you might not get the result you’re looking for. 

When the only tool in your toolbelt is a hammer, every problem starts to look like a nail. An independent advisor will generally have access to a universe of products, and be beholden only to you. 

3. How are you compensated?
There are a few compensation models in the industry, and it’s important for you to know how you will be paying for the services you will receive. 

Commission Based – This “eat what you kill” compensation model means that your advisor only gets paid when a transaction takes place, and it had been the traditional model for decades. 

It has fallen out of favor with both clients and advisors because of the inherent conflict of interest it presents. 

Fee Based – Most advisors now operate under a fee-based structure. What this means is that they charge a stated fee for providing advice, as opposed to earning a sales commission. This fee is often a percentage of the assets they manage, but could also be hourly depending on the scope of work. Since the fee is assessed as a percentage of your balance, it changes as your accounts grow or shrink, and you and your advisor now have the same goal; to be careful stewards of your assets over time. 

Because certain important products, like life insurance, are inherently commission-based, a fee-based advisor has the latitude to provide these solutions as well. Here, again, it is important to understand if the advisor is an independent fiduciary.

4. How much education can I expect from you?
The financial industry is full of jargon and acronyms. Every client has a different level of financial literacy, and a good advisor will act as an educator to make sure you understand their recommendations. Most advisors don’t intend to talk over your head, but if you find them using language you’re not familiar with, don’t be shy about asking for terms to be defined or strategies to be better explained. 

Good communication is the cornerstone of any relationship, and it’s crucial that you and your advisor are speaking the same language. 

5. How long have you been in practice?
There is no substitute for experience. Every advisor can look like a rock star during good times, but it’s important to know that they have been battle-tested and have the temperament to keep their head even if you’re losing yours, when volatility strikes.  In order to help shepherd you through the inevitable periods of uncertainty, they need to have been there before, and know the way through. 

6. Are you, or members of your team, a CFP®?
A Certified Financial Planner® professional is an advisor who has been through a rigorous education and examination process beyond the regular licensing requirements for the industry. A CFP® has demonstrated a level of proficiency across a wide range of planning topics, and has committed to a higher code of ethics. If your advisor is not a CFP® it could be beneficial to you that they are, at least, working directly with one in formulating their recommendations.

Depending on your needs, there are many other questions you should consider asking. The bottom line, though, is that you feel comfortable asking your advisor anything that you feel is important. Your advisor will be better suited to meet your expectations if you are clear about what they are, and you won’t be blindsided by any surprises down the line if you are thorough in your interview process. 

Stephen Kyne, CFP® is a Partner at Sterling Manor Financial in Saratoga Springs and Rhinebeck.

Securities offered through Cadaret, Grant & Co., Inc. Member FINRA/SIPC. Advisory services offered through Sterling Manor Financial, LLC, an SEC registered investment advisor or Cadaret Grant & Co., Inc. Sterling Manor Financial and Cadaret, Grant are separate entities.

Running (or Walking) Towards Spring

Written by Kacie Cotter-Harrigan on . Posted in Families Today.

I’m a little nervous to say this…but I think Spring is here! 

If you are like me then you are itching to get back on the road or back on the trails and resume running. If your running days are over or you prefer walking, then this article is for you too. Today I would like to talk about Plantar fasciitis, how to treat it and what you can do to minimize your risks of developing it.

The plantar fascia is a thick band of tissue that runs along the arch of the foot from the heel to the base of the big toe. The plantar fascia is a continuation of the calf muscle along the achilles tendon into the heel and bottom of the foot.

Plantar fasciitis accounts for around 8% of all running injuries and is common among runners of all ability levels. It is the most common cause of pain on the bottom of the heel and approximately 2 million people are treated each year for this condition. Plantar fasciitis is often diagnosed as an “inflammation” of the plantar fascia, but it may in fact be a degenerative process without inflammation.

The most common risk factors are: 

1. Excess Body Mass (i.e. obesity)
2. Prolonged Standing (occupational)
3. Increased running (walking)
4. Lack of ankle dorsiflexion motion (related to excessive heels on sneakers/shoes)
5. Lack of great toe (i.e. big toe) extension motion 

There are a variety of treatment options recommended but unfortunately there is no clear choice for everyone. Every case is unique. This is a point I would like to make sure is emphasized because unfortunately we make assumptions that the treatment that works best is one that works for everyone. Sure there are similarities, but identifying your specific issue is often the difference of a reasonable outcome with a prolonged agonizing outcome. 

Physical therapy is one of the most effective (consistently effective) for those suffering from plantar fasciitis. There are other common treatments, but when I did research and reviewed the actual scientific studies there were only a few consistently effective solutions.

1. Inserts (i.e. orthotics) for 2-12 months (Inserts should be a TEMPORARY SOLUTION…not a long term plan) This can be off the shelf OR custom orthotics. 
2. Heavy loading/strength training (foot/calf)
3. Manual therapy (specifically trigger point release techniques) 
4. Stretching has only a mild effectiveness at best. 

For those of you that know me or have heard me talk, you will know that I advocate for strengthening the foot. This is especially important for plantar fascia health. I prefer to avoid long-term use of inserts because joints that don’t move leads to the muscles that cross them to get weaker. Recent studies have shown that shoes that limit or prevent motion lead to weakness in the muscles of the foot. The same authors have also found that people that use “barefoot” style shoes (no support at all) will see improvement in strength of the foot in a matter of weeks. 

Inserts are incredibly helpful at times and similar to how we use splints and casts to protect our bones and joints when they are injured, inserts can serve a similar function. But when we are in a cast for weeks allowing the bone to heal, our muscles atrophy and our joints stiffen. For some people, wearing inserts can have the same effect. 

The bottom line:
STIFF FEET= WEAK FEET 

On the other end of the spectrum you will see a lot of runners wearing shoes with extra cushion. The idea is that more cushion will absorb forces and “protect” us somehow. Unfortunately this is not the case.

The Orthopaedic Journal of Sports Medicine published a study that concluded,  “runners experienced a higher impact peak and increased loading rate with the “maximal” shoes.” They calculated that the “Vertical force impact peak (VFIP) was significantly longer in the soft shoe,” resulting in MORE IMPACT, not less!!

These discoveries may explain why shoes with more cushioning do not protect against impact-related running injuries.

Modern shoes try to manipulate the “natural foot” movements by one of two ways:

1. Controlling motion (i.e. inserts)
2. Controlling shock absorption (i.e. more cushion)

Trying to control your feet or use them in an unnatural way may be part of the problem. What we do know is that in the last 50 plus years of trying to manipulate our shoes, there is no evidence of these technologies actually reducing injuries. 

Let me direct you back to the main risk factors that are associated with plantar fasciitis that can be addressed with exercise, specifically strengthening of the foot and calf muscles. Physical therapy can help by providing you with exercises to strengthen the muscles that are unique to you and can ensure you progress safely. 

If you are experiencing pain at this moment, my therapists and I recommend a full body assessment to ensure you are addressing where you are weak, or where you may have mobility “cheats” that are contributing to your issues. At Goodemote PT, we also perform manual therapy to improve blood flow and reduce pain and allow for a safe progression back to activity. 

There are a variety of treatment options but unfortunately there is no clear choice for everyone, find a guide because every case is unique!

Thanks for reading my articles. If you want to contact my office, please call 518-306-6894, email me at goodemotept@gmail.com, or at www.Goodemotept.com.

Joe Bettys – Patriot and Traitor

Written by Kacie Cotter-Harrigan on . Posted in History.

April Fool’s Day, April 1, 1782, Joe Bettys was hanged. It was, as was the custom, a public spectacle, not in Ballston but in Albany where the notorious traitor had been taken for his trial and sentencing.  As he got to the top of the scaffolding to meet his maker and a noose was tied around his neck, he jumped—yes, he jumped to his death, ensuring that he would break his neck and ensuring that HE killed himself. No one else killed him. A fitting ending to a sad story.

Today, on Route 50 about a mile north of the Lakehill Road and Route 50 intersection, sits an old stone house, one that dates back into the 1700’s.  It is a striking house today, with its cement walls and a very short upper story.  But it was even more striking back in the 1700’s– and not for its looks.

Living in that house, which also doubled as a local tavern, was the Bettys family.  The father and husband of the household was a Loyalist, supporting the British side in the Great Revolutionary War against England.  Son Joe, however, was on the opposite side: he was a rebel.  One can only imagine the arguments that must have occurred between father and son.

Finally, Joe decided to take some action for his preferred side. He left home and joined the Rebel forces. He traveled into northern New York, joined up with the later-to-be infamous Benedict Arnold in the Lake Champlain area and fought with incredible bravery and skill. In one military engagement, he fought while every one of the rebel commissioned officers had been killed or wounded; then took charge himself and continued to fight on.

Because of all he had done in numerous battles, he felt he should be commended for his service and given an advancement in rank. Angered that he was not, he deserted the rebel forces, went to Canada and joined the British side. He then started carrying spy messages behind the lines from one side to the other.

Yes, for many of the same reasons that Arnold later became a traitor, so did Ballston’s Joe Bettys. And, for many years, he delivered much information to the British side until finally he got caught.  He was sentenced to die but, because of his aged parents and Commander-in-Chief George Washington’s compassion, he was pardoned for his crimes and was told to cease all previous treasonous activities.

After that, he truly seemed to take delight in harassing those who had previously helped him! He continued his treasonous activities all over the area. A few years later, he was seen lurking in the woods in present-day Clifton Park and, when questioned, he quickly threw a paper in a fire—a paper which turned out to be more secret information he was trying to deliver. He was taken to Albany, tried, convicted, and hanged.

One can only imagine the horror of his family and their reaction to what their family member had done. Because of that, the town of Ballston in conjunction with the Pomeroy Foundation, erected a marker in Hillside Cemetery in Burnt Hills to the memory of Joe Betty’s family. The marker is inscribed: “Bettys Family. Joseph died 1804 and Abigail died 1791.  Local innkeepers and unfortunate parents of Joseph, convicted traitor and spy who was hung in 1782.”

Rick Reynolds has been the Ballston Town Historian since 2004. He is a retired social studies teacher at Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake Middle School and is the author of the book “From Wilderness to Community: The Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake Central School District. Rick can be reached at rreynolds@townofballstonny.org

Your Best Easter Dinner

Written by Kacie Cotter-Harrigan on . Posted in Food.

At the Saratoga Farmers’ Market this Saturday, April 3, you can select excellent products for your Easter Dinner. 

When you enter the Wilton Mall at the Food Court, you’ll first see Something’s Brewing. Beth Trattel has small packs of Battenkill River Coffee One Pot Minis and full pounds of whole bean or ground coffee. As you get started in the morning, enjoy her new flavors such as chocolate fudge or chocolate coconut, along with Mrs. London’s Easter Hot Cross buns. 

The Farmers’ Market has excellent cheese for appetizers, such as Nettle Meadow’s new Prospect Mountain cow’s milk cheese which contains blackberry leaf, rose petals, red clover, sumac, and sarsaparilla root. R&G Cheesemakers use goat, sheep, or cows’ milk. Argyle Cheese Farmer has their award-winning Amazing Grace and other aged varieties.

To start your dinner with a salad, Gomez Veggie Ville has packages of mixed greens, and Underwood’s Shushan Valley Hydro Farm is returning with tomatoes, herbs, and veggies. To accompany your salad, serve Mrs. London’s French bread. Or Kokinda Farm’s Pasaka bread, a traditional Polish holiday bread made with raisins. 

You can use poultry, beef, veal, pork, fish, goat, or lamb for your main course.  Longlesson Farm is bringing many cuts of beef and pork. Ramble Creek offers chicken. Squash Villa Farm is bringing goat. Pura Vida has fresh-caught fish and seafood, including huge scallops.

Elihu Farm is bringing fresh (never frozen) lamb cuts, including legs, chops, shoulders, and shanks. Hebron Valley Veal raises their calves humanely for six months to produce rosé veal. The calves eat fresh milk from their dairy herd and have free choice hay and water. 

You can spice up any main course with spice mixes from Muddy Trail Jerky Co. And accompany your meal with wine from Fossil Stone Vineyards, made from grapes grown on their farm.

For dessert, The Chocolate Spoon is making fresh cakes, including carrot cake, fruit pies, and homemade marshmallows. Goodway Gourmet will have rum cakes. Euro Delicacies makes Baklava, a Turkish pastry made with layers of filo, filled with chopped nuts and syrup. Saratoga Chocolate has Easter baskets full of candy, even for adults to nibble.

The Saratoga Farmers’ Market is open Saturdays from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Find us online at saratogafarmersmarket.org and follow us on Facebook and Instagram. For online pre-ordering and curbside pickup, visit localline.ca/saratoga-farmers-market.

Fm EasterBasket

Blending It All Together

Written by Kacie Cotter-Harrigan on . Posted in Food.

Hello my Foodie Friends! 

Meal time is family time. As we know, family life is busy and preparing and sharing family meals together takes time. But when you can manage it, regular family meals are worth the effort. Whether it is nightly dinners or a special Sunday lunch, family meals are perfect times to catch up, connect and communicate with each other. This can be especially important for busy children and teenagers. Your child can also learn a lot about food, eating and family traditions by watching what you do at mealtimes. For example, eating with the rest of the family helps younger children learn to eat the same healthy food as everyone else. Throughout the years at Compliments to the Chef, we have had many young foodies come into the store and share their love of cooking. Young children learn best when they get to explore with their senses. Meal preparation is an important aspect of practical life. As children prepare food, they get to observe, touch, smell, taste and listen. This activity also provides an opportunity for them to learn about healthy eating and develop a variety of skills from early childhood. One of the best traditions we can hand down to our children is cooking special foods. And if you don’t share your own family recipes with your children, how will these memories and traditions stay alive? I’m a huge advocate for establishing your own food traditions in your kitchen, and passing them along to the next generation. After all, food is so much more than nutrients—it’s sustenance and love. 

During my childhood, my mother would try to keep five children “busy” by including us in the food prep activities (as long as she could tolerate us). A favorite food we all loved was pancakes. I would be in charge of mixing the pancake batter together (which was always an event since the mix would land all over the kitchen). A cool tool I wish I had back then is the immersion blender. 

Immersion blenders, also called handheld blenders, can be used for a variety of everyday kitchen tasks like mixing pancake batter, whisking eggs, whipping cream, pureeing smoothies and baby food, and it’s an essential tool for blending creamy vegetable soups, like butternut squash soup, right in the pot. A handheld blender can be a useful and space-saving alternative to a full-size blender since it can be tucked into a drawer or cabinet. One of our favorite immersion blenders is the Control Grip blender from Breville. Gain total control with the Control Grip. The Control Grip’s unique anti-suction technology means less liquid spilling out of your bowl and the ergonomic trigger grip gives your hand a natural position making use easier. A 42oz jug and whisk attachment is included. The immersion blender produces smoother textures, and has a design that is comfortable to use. It comes with whipping and chopping attachments as well. 

Stop by Compliments to the Chef, your Neighborhood Kitchen and Cutlery store to get those tools that make cooking fun. Spend time as a family cooking and making the traditions that your children will carry with them. Share the family recipes or create new ones! Remember my Foodie Friends: “Life Happens in the Kitchen!”

 Take Care,
John & PaulaREARDON BananasChocPancakes

Spring Feeding for the Best Season

Written by Kacie Cotter-Harrigan on . Posted in Home & Garden.

Spring is finally edging the last of winter aside. After being cooped up all winter, it is a joy getting outside in the sunshine and digging into our garden projects.

The first order of business will be to rake the lawn.  Obviously raking removes all the twigs, branches and pinecones from the lawn but there are other benefits.  Raking will fluff up the matted blades of grass.  This allows air to dry the old blades of grass, which lessen the chances of a fungal disease taking hold.  A raked lawn will also warm up quicker and get the grass growing sooner. 

Another benefit of spring raking is the chance to get reacquainted with our yard and take note of areas that are thin and might need extra attention.  I like to rough up thin areas and put down grass right away.  It’s too cold for the seed to germinate but the cold won’t hurt the seed.  By putting the seed down now, it will have a chance to get all pumped up with moisture so it will germinate as soon as temperatures are right.  This will give the young grass as much time as possible to establish a root system before hot summer weather arrives (now there’s a nice thought).

Another project that I like to tackle early is feeding all the permanent members of my garden community: the trees, shrubs and perennials.  You might be thinking, “Nothing out there is really growing yet!  Why should I feed plants that show no signs of life?” A valid question.  The reason I like to get these woody and perennial plants fed early is this: the granular fertilizers and tree food spikes that I’ll use take some time to dissolve and permeate the soil.  When you get the food into the soil early, it will have plenty of time and spring rain to dissolve and soak into the soil.  When the plants get the warmth they need to spring into growth, the nutrients they need will already be there waiting for them.  Since our garden plants have depleted a great deal of their reserve energy just surviving the winter, they need nutrients more in the early spring than at any other time of year.    

For trees and large shrubs, an easy way to apply nutrients is by pounding in some of those tree food spikes that are made of compressed fertilizer.  When you go to the garden center, you’ll notice that there are different formulas for different plants.  The spikes for evergreens and shade trees are higher in nitrogen and those for fruit tree are higher in phosphorus to enhance fruit production.  You may have large, flowering shrubs like lilacs that you want to feed with spikes.  The fruit tree spikes, with their higher phosphorus formula would make them appropriate for use on flowering shrubs as well.  Be careful to follow the directions when using fertilizer spikes.  They should be driven into the ground AWAY from the trunk or stem of the plant you’re feeding.  The tiny roots that take up the nutrients are about the same distance from the trunk as the outermost branch tips.  For trees, it’s easy to figure out where to place the spikes.  Simply walk away from the trunk until you are standing under the outermost branch tips and pound in the spikes at that circumference.  How many spikes you’ll need to use is determined by the diameter of the trunk.  There are directions on the package. Follow them.  More isn’t necessarily better.  If you use too many spikes or place them too close to the trunk, you may do more harm than good. 

For smaller shrubs and perennials, you’ll want to use a gentle, granular food.  I like the Espoma products.  You can pound holes around small shrubs (under the outermost branch tips) and pour the appropriate amount of plant food into them.  When in doubt, less is best.  On the perennials, I’ll dig a shallow trench well away from the crown of the plant and apply a modest amount of  gentle Espoma Flower-tone plant food.  Follow the recommendations on the package and, again, when in doubt, less is best. 

If you can get out there at the first opportunity and get your nutrients into the soil early, your landscape plants will be able to take advantage of them and have the best season possible.   

THANKS FOR THE READ!

How Ballston Spa Became the County Seat

Written by Kacie Cotter-Harrigan on . Posted in History.

In 1791, the newly formed Saratoga County Board of Supervisors met for the first time at Mead’s Tavern in Stillwater. It was common for elected officials or committees to meet at a public house before the building of a dedicated government facility. However, within the next few years it was decided that a courthouse building and jail should be erected, and the Town of Ballston was chosen as a central location. Captain Edward A. Watrous donated a site on his farm for the courthouse on Middleline Road and construction began in 1795. Court was first held there in the spring of 1796. A small hamlet grew up around this area which became known as “Courthouse Hill” complete with taverns, hotels and law offices. The county seat seemed to be firmly cemented at that location, but that all changed in 1816.

Fire broke out in the courthouse in the middle of the night on March 23. Two prisoners, Fones Cole of Northampton (held on a forgery charge) and Peter Drapoo (a horse thief) used a candle they purchased from the jailor (reportedly for playing cards) to set fire to their cell and escape. Two other prisoners also escaped during the fire but a fifth prisoner, George Billings, was chained to the floor and perished in the flames.

Before the smoke cleared several towns clamored to gain control of the county seat including Waterford, Malta and Galway but two front runners quickly emerged.  Saratoga Springs and Ballston Spa pitted themselves against each other to win the prize.

Ballston Spa (sometimes called Ballston Springs) was well known because of its mineral springs which were supposed to contain healing qualities. The powerful, land-rich Nicholas Low established the village, which was located on land he was granted through the Kayaderosseras Patent. Noting the influx of health-seeking travelers, Low built a monstrous hotel, the San Souci, carved out lots and laid streets in his flourishing village.

By the early 1800s Saratoga Springs was also an up-and-coming village built around attracting visitors to their mineral springs and was starting to overtake Ballston Spa in popularity. Since both of these villages were vying to attract visitors as well as expand their political influence they were in a desperate fight to convince the New York State Legislature to choose them as the new seat of government for Saratoga County. Each village put together a group of prominent citizens who tried to show the legislature that they were the best location.

When the Ballston Spa committee heard rumors about what the Saratoga Springs committee was proposing, they retaliated. In a letter written by Thomas Palmer to Nicholas Low on October 31 1816 he advised:

“As the time approaches when the Legislature will fix the site of the courthouse and gaol in this county and every exertion made by our opponents to defeat us. We are desirous that nothing should be left undone that can have a bearing in our favor or counteract the efforts of our enemies to defeat us. It is suggested that one argument intended to be urged by our opponents is that a lot will be given the County at Saratoga Springs for the courthouse and gaol. Should that be the case we must be prepared for them. Will you be pleased to write to …our committee assuring them that a lot will be given the county at the village of Ballston Spa for the courthouse and gaol…”

Nicholas Low heeded the advice of Palmer and did just that, using his influence to tip the committee in favor of Ballston Spa as the County seat. On March 14 1817, after a long debate, the New York State Legislature passed a law stating that the seat of Saratoga County would be located in Ballston Spa.

Following through on his promise, on July 5th, 1817 Low filed a deed with the County Clerk giving the Supervisors of Saratoga County a lot on High Street for the purpose of building a courthouse and jail. Construction commenced later that year and was finally ready to hold court by 1819. The style of the building was essentially the same as the original building on Courthouse Hill, though they built this one out of brick. This two-story building served as the county courthouse until a new one was erected on the same spot in 1889. In 1968, the courthouse moved across the street to its present location.

Ballston Spa has proven itself as a well suited, central location for our county seat over the past two centuries. History leads a winding path and who knows, were it not for a fateful candle and two scheming jailbirds, the county seat may still have been at Courthouse Hill today!

Lauren Roberts is the Saratoga County Historian. She is co-host of the WAMC podcast A New York Minute in History, along with NYS Historian Devin Lander. Roberts co-produced the recently released documentary Harnessing Nature: Building the Great Sacandaga, which chronicles the creation of the Sacandaga Reservoir. You can reach Lauren at lroberts@saratogacountyny.gov