WILTON – Gary Masten passed away peacefully after a long illness on September 11, 2025, just days shy of his 84th birthday. A memorial service celebrating Gary’s life will be held at Malta Ridge Methodist Church, Malta, NY on Saturday September 20, at 11 a.m. Online condolences, visit www.compassionatefuneralcare.com.
BALLSTON SPA – Craig Allen Tunwall was born February 12, 1955, in Iowa. He passed September 13, 2025. Memorials may be made to Saratoga Springs Public Library, Mohawk Hudson Humane Society, or a charity of your choice. A memorial service may be held at a future date. Online condolences, visit www.compassionatefuneralcare.com.
KINGSBURY – Norma O. Saville passed away September 12, 2025. Calling hours will be held September 26, from 4:00 – 7:00 p.m. at Vantage Point Church, 543 Ridge Road, Queensbury, NY. A Memorial Service will be held the following day, September 27, at 11:00 a.m. at the church. Online condolences, visit www.compassionatefuneralcare.com.
SARATOGA SPRINGS – Robert Gratton, 78, passed away Monday, September 15, 2025. Calling hours are 1 – 4 p.m., Sunday, September 21, at William J. Burke & Sons Funeral Home. Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10 a.m., Monday, September 22, at the Church of St. Peter. Burial will be private. Please visit www.burkefuneralhome.com.
A staple of life in the Upstate New York, Ballston Spa’s own Stewart’s Shops is known for its milk and ice cream.
While this complete and udder excellence is common knowledge for residents, it’s now been recognized as being in the top 3 best dairy products 17 times — including top honors for sherbert, gelato, lactose free milk, open class flavored milk and strawberry milk — at the World Dairy Expo in Madison, Wisconsin.
“These awards are a testament to the skill and dedication of the 21 family farms, who supply our milk, and the partners, who are committed to producing the highest quality milk and ice cream at our plant in Greenfield, New York,” the company said in a press release.
For frozen treats, Stewart’s rainbow sherbert took home top honors in the category, while mango dragon fruit came in second. For Gelato, the top three was all Stewart’s with Pistachio coming in first while salty caramel and milk chocolate followed behind. In addition, Stewart’s French vanilla came in second place in the French vanilla category while their chocolate came in second for that category, Bark in the Dark came in third for dark chocolate, maple walnut came in second for ice cream with nuts, peanut butter pandemonium came in third for peanut butter ice cream and dirt cake came in third for open class.
In addition to Stewart’s, Schuylerville’s King Brothers Dairy came in second for the open class ice cream with caramel for their just take my money ice cream and second for peanut butter with their PBOMG! ice cream.
The World Dairy Expo will be held in Madison Wisconsin from Sept. 30 – Oct. 3.
September 22 marks the official start of fall, and Rosh Hashanah starts in the evening.
It also marks the start of a week that will see road closures for the benefit of better streets in Saratoga Springs. Here is the paving update for the week of September 22.
• On Monday Sept. 22 Lincoln Ave from Broadway to Nelson Ave will be milled.
• On Tuesday Sept. 23 Broadway from Division Street to Congress Street will be milled.
• On Wednesday Sept. 24, Broadway from Division Street to Division Street will be paved.
• On Thursday Sept. 25, Lincoln Ave from Broadway to Nelson Ave will be paved.
The park at Franklin Square will have a new name this Saturday Sept. 20 as a naming ceremony for the McTygue family.
The name of the small park was first approved in December 2024, at a Saratoga Springs City Council meeting. The park honors four members of the family who served in various capacities throughout the Spa City’s 110-year history.
The bill to name the small park after the family passed unanimously.
The McTygue family’s impact on the city began almost from the point of incorporation in 1915. It started with Michael E. McTygue who served as a city court judge from 1918-1924 and continued with a series of McTygues serving as Commissioner of Public Works.
Charles McTygue served as the Commissioner of Public Works from 1947-1965, Thomas McTygue served as Commissioner of Public Works from 1972-1978 and 1982-2008 and William McTygue served as Deputy Commissioner of Public Works and Director from 1999-2010.
“Among their notable achievements are: restoration of the historic Canfield Casino and Congress Park; acquisition and preservation of the historic Congress Park Carousel; and the creation of the Franklin Square neighborhood park,” the legislation creating the park said.
The park is a historic part of the city, Victorian and Greek Revival Style buildings all around. It is where the former rail station stood and was an important part of the Saratoga Springs social scene, Saratoga Today previously reported.
The park which will now bear the McTygue name was a project of Thomas McTygue. McTygue worked with developer and lawyer Robert Israel to create the park after Israel renovated several buildings in the area. Robert Israel’s family and the Bonacio family donated the money to fund a park plaque honoring the McTygue’s.
The ceremony to rename the park is open to the public and will start at 11:30.
Football season officially began last weekend when the Saratoga Springs, Schuylerville, and Ballston Spa varsity squads all earned impressive week one victories. In other high school sports news, the Saratoga girls golf team defeated Queensbury, the Schuylerville boys soccer team tied Mechanicville, and the Spa Catholic girls soccer team tied Mekeel Christian Academy. At the collegiate level, Skidmore freshman soccer player Mara Grace earned her first-ever goal and the Skidmore volleyball team swept Johnson & Wales.
Schuylerville Annihilates Broadalbin-Perth
The 2024 state champion Schuylerville Black Horses galloped into the 2025 season with a dominant 57 to 0 victory over Broadlbin-Perth last Friday. The lopsided affair produced a series of impressive performances for the Horses:
• Senior quarterback Ben VanVegthen threw for 2 touchdowns and completed a 45-yard pass.
• Max Montgomery and Levi Michaud both ran for nearly 100 yards apiece, with Michaud netting 93 yards in just two carries.
• Junior Blake Cumm averaged 16 yards per carry, reaching the endzone twice.
• Sophomore Ernie DaCoasta caught 2 TDs and earned a sack on defense (one of three for the Horses).
Schuylerville will next play at Johnstown on Friday, Sept. 12.
Ballston Spa’s Shocking Come-from-Behind Victory
The Buffalo Bills weren’t the only Upstate football team to earn an almost surreal comeback last weekend. The Ballston Spa Scotties managed to defeat the Eastchester Eagles 21 to 20, despite trailing 20-0 at halftime. The scoring rampage began in the third quarter with a rushing touchdown that put 6 on the board for the Scotties. A two-point conversion attempt failed, leaving things at 20-6 heading into the final quarter. Then B-Spa blew up. A passing touchdown with 8 minutes to go was followed by a successful two-point conversion, putting the Scotties within 6. With 5 minutes on the clock, a colossal 74-yard TD reception evened the score at 20 apiece before the extra point kick sealed the deal.
The 1-0 Scotties will take on Shaker at home on Friday night.
Blue Streaks Beat Monroe-Woodbury
The Saratoga Springs varsity football squad defeated Monroe-Woodbury last Saturday in a non-conference game. Field conditions were wet with hundreds of fans reportedly in attendance. The first quarter was evenly matched, with neither team putting points on the board. Monroe nabbed an interception but couldn’t capitalize on the turnover. In the second quarter, Monroe blocked a Saratoga punt before earning a rushing touchdown to put them ahead, 7-0. Saratoga responded minutes later with a short passing TD to even the score. But Monroe took the lead heading into halftime after a 23-yard field goal. 10-7 at the half. In the third, the Blue Streaks offense gave up two more turnovers with a fumble and interception. Monroe couldn’t convert on offense, however, and the tally remained 10-7 heading into the fourth. Both teams elevated their play in the final stanza. The decisive quarter began with a Saratoga passing touchdown that put them ahead by 3. The extra point attempt was no good. Monroe quickly responded with a massive, 54-yard rushing TD. An extra point put them ahead 17 to 13. With just three minutes left in the contest, Saratoga closed out the game with a rushing touchdown and extra point. Final score: Saratoga 20, Monroe-Woodbury 17.
The Blue Streaks will face off against Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake at home on Friday night, Sept. 12.
Saratoga Catholic-Stillwater Falls to Mechanicville
The Saratoga Catholic-Stillwater varsity football team fell to Mechanicville, 29 to 21 last Friday. Stillwater held the Red Raiders in check in the first half, entering the break with just a one-point deficit. But Mechanicville exploded in the second half with 16 points. For the Warriors, senior quarterback Aidan Callanan threw for 169 yards with 2 touchdowns and 1 interception. He also led his team in rushing yards, with a total 70 in 22 carries (one of which earned him a trip to the endzone). Callanan’s receiving targets were varied, with four players netting around 40 yards apiece (seniors Caleb Vacula and Bryce Peterson each caught a TD). On the defensive end, senior John Williams grabbed an interception.
Spa Catholic-Stillwater will play Cambridge/Salem on Friday at home.
Spa Catholic Soccer Squad Ties Mekeel in OT Rivalry Game
The Saratoga Catholic girls soccer team, which was the subject of a feature story in last week’s edition of Saratoga TODAY, tied Mekeel Christian Academy last Friday in overtime, 1-1. Sophomore Julia Dejnozka scored the Saints’ lone goal. Spa Catholic and Mekeel have developed a healthy rivalry thanks to their close games last season, all three of which ended in Saints losses.
Saratoga Girls Golf Defeats Queensbury
The Saratoga Springs girls golf team defeated Queensbury in a non-league contest on Sept. 3 at the Hiland Park Country Club, 95 to 117. For the Blue Streaks, Sophia Jackson shot a 44 and Emma Kraszewski a 51.
Schuylerville Ties Mechanicville in Boys Soccer Showdown
Schuylerville hosted Mechanicville on Sept. 3 in an early season match. The Red Raiders came out and immediately applied pressure. 3 minutes in, they were rewarded when David DiSiena found the back of the net. Mechanicville continued to press, but eventually Schuylerville began to equalize the play. With 10 seconds remaining in the half, Mechanicville’s Graham Murphy finished an uncleared corner to make it 2-0. The majority of the second half belonged to the Horses as Thomas Tyler and Dean Barraclough scored to even it up midway through the half. Schuylerville would continue to press the back line but could not get the game winner. Final score: 2-2.
Freshman Thoroughbred Earns First Career Goal
Freshman Mara Grace scored her first collegiate goal in just the 2nd minute as the Skidmore College women’s soccer team battled Hartwick to a 1-1 tie on the road last Sunday afternoon. The Thoroughbreds (0-1-2) outshot the home team by a double-digit margin, 14-to-4, after taking the lead from seemingly the opening touch. However, it proved not enough as the Hawks (2-0-2) strung together just enough offense in the 14th minute to ultimately force the tie. The Thoroughbreds quickly took the lead 2 minutes into the match after Grace drilled a high-arching shot attempt from just outside the box that sailed past the arms of Hartwick’s goalie and through the top left of the net. In the 14th minute, the Hawks capitalized on a free kick sequence that saw the pass from Jenna Mierek initially ricochet off the head of Ella Grupe before ultimately finding an uncontested Millie Caldon in the left side of the goal for the shoot and score and tying the match at 1-1. At halftime, Skidmore again made a goalie change with sophomore Sophia Sayers taking over for senior Avery Rogers, who recorded a pair of saves through the first 45 minutes at goal. Skidmore outshot Hartwick by an 8-to-1 margin in the second half after largely dominating possession of the ball on the offensive third, however the Thoroughbreds failed to break through Hartwick for the go-ahead goal as time ran out. Grace led the offense with four shots in addition to her first career goal.
Skidmore Volleyball Squad Sweeps
The Skidmore College volleyball team swept Johnson & Wales (25-19, 25-16, 25-17) and lost 3-1 to SUNY Geneseo (19-25, 27-25, 25-15, 25-19) last Saturday at the Williamson Sports Center to finish the 2025 Skidmore Classic with a 2-1 record. First-year Chloe Heitman was Skidmore’s representative on the All-Tournament Team. She registered 30 kills and 24 digs with four blocks across three matches this weekend. Skidmore will next head to the Phoenix Invitational at Swarthmore College, Sept. 12–13. The Thoroughbreds will face a competitive field that includes nationally recognized opponents.
MALTA — The official tally was still being counted earlier this week as the 4th annual Upstate Chevy Dealers Autism Acceptance Race surpassed last year’s fundraising total of $13,700.
The 2025 event at the Albany-Saratoga Speedway was hosted by local nonprofit Racers 4 Autism and raised funds for two organizations: The Autism Society of the Greater Hudson Region and Bring on the Spectrum. These organizations deliver hands-on programs, sensory-friendly spaces, and advocate for individuals and families navigating life on the spectrum.
WILTON — Vincent Sablich, a Wilton resident and Saratoga Springs High School grad, has set his sights on an ambitious feat: to climb the Seven Summits (the highest mountains on each of the seven continents). He is climbing for awareness of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), an illness he’s suffered from.
In January, he will head to Argentina to scale his first summit: Aconcagua, which stands at 22,837 feet tall.
Sablich said it’s been his dream to climb the Seven Summits ever since he was a boy hiking in the Adirondacks.
“As a seven-year-old kid, I used to climb the snow banks around my driveway, pretending as if I was summiting the highest peak on each of the seven continents,” Sablich wrote in an Instagram post.
Sablich grew up as a competitive rock climber and spent the last year in Nepal doing a variety of volunteer work, in addition to studying at a Buddhist monastery. He is currently working as a paralegal at the Albany-based law firm of Alex Dell and hopes to attend law school next year.
Sablich wrote that he hopes to “uplift those [with OCD] who feel that they have no place to go. I know how life-threatening that feeling is, and I want to make a change.”
To support his efforts, an event on Thursday, Oct. 16 (5 to 8 p.m.) at Common Roots Brewery in South Glens Falls will donate all proceeds in support of the upcoming Aconcagua climb. The evening will highlight Sablich’s Seven Summits journey, his personal story of living with OCD, and spotlight ways the community can join the movement to raise awareness and support for those affected. Guests can enjoy an Argentinian-style buffet and craft beer with their ticket.
For more information on Sablich and his journey, visit www.ofmountainsandminds.com.
