Skip to main content

Author: Kacie Cotter-Harrigan

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

Local Bakers Continue to Offer Quality Goods

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

Chocolate croissants, cinnamon rolls, coconut rum cakes, and blueberry scones are just a handful of the freshly made baked goods you can find at the Saratoga Farmers’ Market every Saturday. With choices like these, you can’t go wrong picking a treat to enjoy throughout the week, if it even lasts that long. 

The farmers’ market has many talented bakers that bring their ‘from scratch’ goods to sell you each week. There is something for everyone’s taste and necessity, from decadent desserts like triple chocolate teacake from The Chocolate Spoon to wholesome bread like fresh honey oat bread from Kokinda Farm.

Mrs. London’s bakery offers fresh croissants, pastries, bread, and scones at the farmers’ market. Their recipes are rooted in the French culinary tradition and have been perfected over decades to bring you authentic and traditional baked creations from scratch using high-quality ingredients.

The Chocolate Spoon has irresistible baked goods with distinct flavors and unique combinations. Owner Marcie Place has spent years perfecting her classic recipes like banana chocolate chip muffins and chocolate chip cookies, but she never stops experimenting with her baking. Try something new like a sour cream coffee cake with maple glaze or chocolate-orange chocolate chip cookies.

Goodway Gourmet is famous for its Caribbean rum cakes but has other baked options like cinnamon rolls, cookies, macaroons, and pound cakes. The best part about buying their sweet treats is that each purchase contributes to educational opportunities for teens. 

The Food Florist is well known for their prepared frozen meals like pot pie and lasagna, but they also make various traditional sweet pies. Pie varieties include classic apple, cherry, blueberry crumb, and quadberry (a mix of blueberry, cherry, strawberry, and red raspberry).

You may be surprised to find baked goods from vendors like the Argyle Cheese Farmer and Kokinda Farm. Argyle Cheese Farmer, known for their prize-winning yogurts and cheese, also makes fresh cinnamon rolls, donuts, finger rolls, and bread. And Kokinda Farm sells a variety of baked bread like honey oat, cinnamon raisin, and honey wheat with pumpkin seeds.

The next time you need fresh bread, sweet rolls, cookies, cakes, or something fresh from the oven, stop by the farmers’ market or preorder online for pickup on Saturdays. 

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 AppleKuchen

What a Grate Plate!

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

Hello my Foodie Friends! 

Over the holiday season, a very dear friend Laurie, shared with me a wonderful gift her daughter (who lives in Oregon) had purchased for her. Laurie was raving about how this item, a grate plate, was such a “great plate” that she used for so many items to grate nutmeg, ginger, garlic, cheese (to name a few) and how beautiful the stoneware colors are. This “cool tool” has now become available for us to offer in our store.  The grate plate is a gadget that is made in the state of Oregon. The plate is a ceramic grating plate used to easily grate garlic, ginger, peppers, nutmeg, chocolate, pickles for relish, hard cheeses, and so much more into a fine puree unlocking all of the flavor. It is perfect for making and serving variety of sauces, dips, marinades and gravies! The graters are handmade with stoneware ceramic using food safe clay and glazes. Stoneware is extremely durable, easy to clean and is also dishwasher safe. 

The grate plate’s grating surface is softer on your hands so you won’t cut your fingers or knuckles like you could on a traditional metal grater. The plate is made of durable, dishwasher safe stoneware ceramic so it’s easy to clean. The hexagonal shape is intended to fit comfortably in your hand while grating your food of choice.

The Grate Plate is easy to use. Just moisten the grate plate with water or oil. Hold the root of garlic clove and move in any direction to generate a fine garlic paste. Grate your garlic, mix with olive oil, and serve with fresh bread for an easy crowd-pleasing dip. 

This 3-piece set includes: one handmade ceramic Grater Plate (4.5” diameter), one silicone garlic peeler, and one wooden handled gathering brush to easily transfer grated foods to your recipe. 

Beauty meets function. The presentation-worthy plate combines functionality with a polished finish, making it a perfect gift for hosts, home cooks, or anyone who appreciates a beautifully made and useful kitchen tool. Stop by Compliments to the Chef, your Neighborhood Kitchen and Cutlery store to get those “cool tools” for cooks.  Remember my foodie friends, “Life Happens in the Kitchen.” 

 Take Care,
John & PaulaREARDON Tzatziki

Risk vs. Reward: Lessons Learned

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

In the crucible that is COVID-19, there are lessons to be learned. We have collectively faced many challenges over the last 12 months, but the focus of this piece will be using the pandemic as an opportunity to reevaluate one’s finances. Risk takes on many forms in the investment world. The most visible and easiest to understand is the volatility that occurs on the bottom line of one’s account statement. We all like to see our account values go up, and we don’t necessarily think about the risk it took to get there; in fact, sometimes we don’t care.  That is until the other side of the coin presents itself and your portfolio takes a hit. This past year has us re-evaluating many things in our life.  For the sake of your financial future, the following considerations should be made with regards to your finances.

First, an evaluation should be done of your entire financial picture. Don’t stop at your investments. Assess insurance coverage. Quantify debt to equity. Run some retirement projections. Identify opportunities for improvement. If you are already retired, look at your budget and withdrawal rates. It is easy to get caught in the hysteria of daily fluctuations in the stock market but viewing the entire picture can provide peace of mind or a better idea of where to focus efforts moving forward. 

Next, examine the risk in your portfolio. Ask what types of risk you are taking. Are you concentrated in a certain style, sector, or region? Is there enough diversification in your portfolio? While markets are green, it is easy to say that a certain level of risk is appropriate. What happens during events like March 2020 gives a taste of what true risk tolerance is. We have all heard the axiom that more risk equals more reward. A slight, but necessary, adjustment to that statement is that more risk equals the potential for more reward. That’s the nature of risk. If it were guaranteed, it would be a CD at a bank. History was written in such a way that markets immediately bounced back, but there is no guarantee of that occurring in the future. 

Finally, focus on things within your control. Unfortunately, we have no way of controlling what happens in the stock market. We can, however, control how much we save on a regular basis. Investment returns are the sizzle, savings rates are the steak. For those still in the accumulation phase of their career, savings rate is much more important than rate of return. For those already in retirement, spending rate is where to focus. A financial journey is a never-ending process and having an objective second set of eyes can help with all the above.