SARATOGA SPRINGS — The city’s Department of Public Works announced paving will take place this week in Saratoga Springs on South Broadway.
Work is scheduled to take place from 129 South Broadway to NYS Park entrance, just before Avenue of the Pines from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday, May 12 through Thursday, May 15, inclusively.
There is no parking of cars on the street during these hours and driveway access/egress will be limited with potentially lengthy delays.
On the day of paving, the road will be closed to all through-traffic until mid-afternoon.
BALLSTON SPA — The Saratoga County History Center at Brookside Museum is pleased to announce an upcoming presentation on the fascinating archeological and environmental history of the region on May 15 at 7:00 P.M. at Brookside Museum. The discussion will be led by Ph.D. candidate and Hartgen Archaeological Associates researcher John Garbellano. Mr. Garbellano will also discuss two projects completed in Malta and Cambridge that have given a fascinating insight into the local and larger regional archeological and historical contexts. Both sites are located within what was once Glacial Lake Albany and fit into a larger story, helping to expand our understanding of Indigenous people’s movements from the end of the last ice age up to European Contact. This event is free and open to the public however registration is required to attend. Registration is now open on our website at www.brooksidemuseum.org.
In addition to his Ph.D. candidacy at SUNY Albany Mr. Garbellano is a Dissertation Research Fellow at the New York State Museum, researching cultural and environmental evidence for the earliest occupations and use of shellfish and other resources along the Hudson River Estuary. He has also worked part-time at Hartgen Archaeological Associates as an archaeological monitor and researcher for the last year.
Brookside Museum is located at 21 Fairground Ave. in Ballston Spa.
Erie Canal Lock 44 Grocery Store of John Brizolara Photo provided by The Saratoga County History Roundtable.
Thousands of immigrants poured into the United States during the mid nineteenth century. Coming mostly from northern Europe, many arrived in New York City and from there spread out to every region of our country. One such immigrant who eventually found his way to Clifton Park was a restless Italian by the name of John C. Brizolara.
Brizolara was born January 1, 1822, in the village of Magniasco, Town of St. Stefano, County of Chiavery, Sardinia. At age 15, after two years of public school and further education at Bobbio Seminary, he was engaged in hotel keeping. At age eighteen he became a clerk in the city of Milan, and in 1845 when he was twenty-three, Brizolara, embarked at Genoa for New York on the sailing vessel “Constantino”. After a stormy and rather perilous voyage of eighty-eight days the “Constantino” entered New York harbor, and landed her passengers on July 31.
Brizolara could not speak English and was unable to find employment in New York, so he remained there for only a short time. He went to Boston and shortly after to Bangor, Maine where he eventually found a job. The harshness of the climate, however, impelled him to move to Albany about 1848, and then to Fonda’s Basin here in the Town of Clifton Park.
Fonda’s or Fundy’s (as the locals pronounced it) Basin no longer exists today, but in the mid nineteenth century it was a small canal side settlement near Lock 20 between Vischer Ferry and Rexford. If Droms Road extended past Riverview Road to the Mohawk River you would be at the site of Fonda’s Basin. This area is now under water due to the damming of the river in 1907 to create Lock 7 of the Barge Canal. It was here that Brizolara worked for three years as a clerk for the Fonda family, probably at a small canal side store that existed at this site.
Brizolara next moved several miles east along the canal to Willow Spring. This small canal side settlement was located about one mile east of Vischer Ferry and centered around the present-day home of Jim and Nancy Douglass. Their home was built in 1832 by John Clute, and during the canal era there was a station barn where fresh mules were available to canallers to pull their boats. There was also a small canal store, now a garage on the neighboring property, and a spring from which canallers could get fresh water. Above this spring was a willow tree from which the settlement derived its name. Today a small development across Riverview Road has assumed this identity.
Brizolara engaged in business for a time at Willow Spring, probably working in the canal store. It was while working here that he met Elizabeth Vandenburgh, born August 15, 1824, whom he married. In the spring of 1853, he moved west to Rexford Flats where he found employment at another canal store. This store was larger than the stores at Fonda’s Basin and Willow Spring and Brizolara actually operated the store rather than just clerking. Here he engaged in the business of a butcher, grocer and gardener. The store was located near Lock 22.
After four years at Rexford Flats, Brizolara, his wife Elizabeth and two young children, Kate and Albert, left the Town of Clifton Park for East Frankfort in Herkimer County. Here he purchased in 1857 the canal store and hotel at Lock 44 from George Folts. He was still engaged in selling canal supplies at this location in 1879 when the History of Herkimer County was published by F. W. Beers. An engraving of J. C. Brizolara’s store and hotel appears in that publication. It was his restlessness – the three years with the Fondas at Fonda’s Basin, further clerking at Willow Spring, and the four years running the Rexford store – that gave him the experience necessary to make his own store successful. Brizolara died in 1900 and is buried in the Oakwood Cemetery in Frankfort.
On Saturday, May 3 at 10 AM, the Town of Clifton Park will dedicate a new historic marker at the site of Willow Spring, the canalside settlement where J. C. Brizolara once worked. The home of John Clute that once served as a canal inn and the remains of the canal store still exist. The unveiling of the marker will be followed by a walking tour to Lock 19 led by Historian John Scherer.
This event will kick off Clifton Park’s bicentennial celebration of the Erie Canal. A series of events are planned, including lectures, an Erie Canal exhibit at the Historic Grooms Tavern, a bike tour along the towpath, and a talk on clothing of the 1820s. A bus trip will feature a canal boat ride on a restored section of the Erie Canal and aqueduct at Camillus and a stop at the Dry Dock Museum at Chittenango. The Clifton Park Halfmoon Library, also participating in the celebration, will host an exhibit from the Erie Canal Museum in Syracuse and a series of talks on the canal. These commemorative programs will culminate in a weekend long event in Vischer Ferry on October 11 and 12 featuring antique cars, re-enactors, musicians, a parade, hay wagon ride tours to Lock 19, exhibits, food vendors and a play involving life on the Erie Canal. Check the web sites for the Town of Clifton Park and the Clifton Park Halfmoon Library for further information.
Smarty Jones at the 2004 Preakness Stakes. Photo by Jim McCue/Maryland Jockey Club. Photo provided by the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — The National Museum of Racing in Saratoga Springs added seven inductees to its Hall of Fame last week.
Racehorse Smarty Jones, a finalist for the first time, was the lone selection in the contemporary category
Racehorses Decathlon and Hermis, as well as trainer George H. Conway, were chosen by the 1900-1959 Historic Review Committee
Edward L. Bowen, Arthur B. Hancock III, and Richard Ten Broeck were elected by the Pillars of the Turf Committee
The 2025 Hall of Fame class will be enshrined on Friday, Aug. 1, at the Fasig-Tipton Sales Pavilion in Saratoga Springs at 10:30 a.m. The ceremony will be broadcast live on the museum’s website. The event is open to the public and free to attend. Tom Durkin will serve as the master of ceremonies.
Smarty Jones
Bred in Pennsylvania by Someday Farm, Smarty Jones (Elusive Quality—I’ll Get Along, by Smile) raced from 2003 through 2004, winning eight of his nine career starts, including the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes in his sophomore season, and he won the Eclipse Award for Champion 3-Year-Old Male in 2004. Owned by Roy and Pat Chapman under their Someday Farm banner, Smarty Jones was trained by John C. Servis and ridden exclusively by Stewart Elliott. On May 1, 2004, Smarty Jones became the first undefeated Kentucky Derby winner since Seattle Slew in 1977, with a 2¾-length victory over Lion Heart before a crowd of 140,054 at Churchill Downs. Two weeks after his Derby victory, Smarty Jones romped by a record margin of 11½ lengths in the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Course with 124,351 in attendance. He earned a career-best 118 Beyer Speed Figure for the effort, the fifth of six times he achieved a Beyer of 100 or higher. Smarty Jones was retired after a failed attempt at a Triple Crown sweep in the 2004 Belmont Stakes. He earned a record of 8-1-0 from nine starts and earnings of $7,613,155. He won his eight races by a combined 47½ lengths.
Decathlon
Bred in Kentucky by the Nuckols Brothers, Decathlon (Olympia—Dog Blessed, by Bull Dog) raced from 1955 through 1957, compiling a record of 25-8-1 from 42 starts and earnings of $269,530. Purchased at Keeneland in 1954 for $15,500 by Robert J. Dienst (the president of Ohio’s Beulah Park) and campaigned under his River Divide Farm banner, Decathlon was trained by Rollie Shepp. In his three years of racing, the bay colt won 18 stakes and was twice named Champion Sprint Horse (1956, 1957). He set track records at Monmouth Park, Suffolk Downs, and Tropical Park, equaled two track standards at Tropical, and matched the world record for 5½ furlongs (1:031/5) at Tropical in the first division of the Inaugural Handicap in 1956. Following his racing career, Decathlon stood at Darby Dan Farm in Kentucky, where he sired 165 winners from 253 foals, including 12 stakes winners. Decathlon died in 1972 at the age of 19.
Hermis
Bred in Kentucky by Hiram Berry, Hermis (Hermence—Katy of the West, by Spendrift) raced from 1901 through 1905 with a record of 28-8-6 from 55 starts and earnings of $84,155. A chestnut colt, Hermis was trained by Charles Hughes (July 1901 through August 1902), Jack McCormick (August 1902 through October 1902), and Alexander Shields (June 1903 through July 1905). He raced for a variety of owners, including H. M. Ziegler, L. V. Bell, and Edward R. Thomas (who paid a record $60,000 for the horse), among others. Hermis was retrospectively recognized by The BloodHorse-published book “The Great Ones” as Horse of the Year in 1902 and 1903; Champion 3-Year-Old Male in 1902; and Champion Older Male in 1903 and 1904. Overall, he won 14 stakes, earned victories at eight tracks (Aqueduct, Brighton Beach, Gravesend, Hawthorne, Latonia, Morris Park, Saratoga, Sheepshead Bay), and carried 132 pounds or more in four of his wins. He was exported to France in 1910 and was sent to Belgium three years later. What became of Hermis is a mystery, as all knowledge of the horse’s whereabouts were lost during World War I.
George H. Conway
Conway (1873-1939) is best known for training Hall of Famer War Admiral to a sweep of the 1937 Triple Crown and to an overall record of 21-3-1 from 26 starts and earnings of $273,240 from 1936 through 1938. A native of Oceanport, N.J., Conway also conditioned Hall of Fame member Crusader, as well as standouts Speed Boat, War Glory, and War Hero, among others. In addition to the Triple Crown, Conway trained War Admiral to victories in the Eastern Shore Handicap, Chesapeake Stakes, Washington Handicap, Pimlico Special, Widener Handicap, Queens County Handicap, Wilson Stakes, Saratoga Handicap, Whitney Handicap, Saratoga Cup, Jockey Club Gold Cup, and Rhode Island Handicap. Suffering from heart trouble, Conway announced his retirement a week after War Admiral was retired to stud in 1938. Conway died on June 20, 1939, at his sister’s home in Oceanport.
Edward L. Bowen
Bowen (1942-2025) was a prolific racing journalist and historian for more than 60 years and served the sport in various other capacities, including 24 years as president of the Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation. A native of Welch, W. Va., Bowen was an Eclipse Award-winning journalist, editor in chief of The BloodHorse, author of 22 books about horse racing, and chairman of the National Museum of Racing’s Hall of Fame Nominating Committee from 1987 through 2024. He was the inaugural recipient of the Cornelius Vanderbilt Whitney Award for meritorious contributions to the Museum in 2023. The prior year, Bowen was the Thoroughbred Club of America’s Honor Guest.
Arthur B. Hancock III
Hancock III was born in Nashville, Tenn., and for six decades has been a significant presence in American racing and breeding through his establishment of Stone Farm in 1970 near Paris, Ky. A member of one of the sport’s most distinguished families, Hancock’s grandfather, Arthur B. Hancock, Sr., founded Claiborne Farm, while his father, Arthur B. “Bull” Hancock, Jr., expanded the business to where it became arguably the most important breeding farm in the U.S. during the 20th century. In his capacity as an industry leader, Hancock has served on the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission, as a director of Keeneland Association and Fasig-Tipton Company, and as a member of The Jockey Club. He co-founded the Water Hay Oats Alliance (WHOA), a group dedicated to eliminating performance-enhancing drugs in racing. Hancock is also a devotee of bluegrass music and has written songs that have been recorded by artists such as Grandpa Jones, Willie Nelson, and Ray Price. He released an autobiography in 2024 titled, “Dark Horses: A Memoir of Redemption.”
Richard Ten Broeck
Ten Broeck (1811-1892) was one of American racing’s most prominent and accomplished figures in the 19th century, enjoying success as a racehorse and racetrack owner, thoroughbred breeder, and international racing pioneer. During the 1830s, Ten Broeck became associated with Col. William R. Johnson, one of America’s most renowned racing figures. By 1840, Ten Broeck was racing horses in his own colors in St. Louis, New Orleans, and New York. Ten Broeck’s stable began to rise to prominence and he was known as a leading turfman in the South when he took over management of the Bingaman (Louisiana) and Bascombe (Alabama) courses in 1847. In 1851, he purchased Metairie Race Course in New Orleans for $27,000. Under his management, Metairie became the premier track in the country in the decade prior to the Civil War. Ten Broeck later purchased Lecomte, Prioress, and Starke to race in England and became the first American owner to win an important race in that country. Ten Broeck raced in England for around 30 years. He became the first American member in the English Jockey Club. Ten Broeck regularly returned to America between English racing seasons and purchased 525 acres near Louisville, Ky., naming it Hurstbourne Stud in honor of the Duke of Portland’s estate in England. He eventually sold Hurstbourne and moved to Oakland, Calif., where he died a recluse in a small cottage.
On tour: blink-182 will stage a show at SPAC in September.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — Following a blockbuster 2024 tour that saw them headline stadiums across the globe, blink-182 returns to the Capital Region with a show at Saratoga Performing Arts Center on Sept. 7.
Mark Hoppus, Tom DeLonge, and Travis Barker’s Missionary Impossible Tour follows the release of their latest album “One More Time,” the first album in over a decade with the original trio back in the studio.
Special guests Alkaline Trio will play in a supporting role.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — Little Big Town is hitting the road in 2025 with their Summer Tour ’25, bringing their signature harmonies and live show to amphitheaters across North America.
Produced by Live Nation, the 22-city tour includes a stop at Broadview Stage at Saratoga Performing Arts Center, on July 31, with special guests Wynonna Judd and Shelby Lynne.
Little Big Town – consisting of members Karen Fairchild, Phillip Sweet, Kimberly Schlapman, and Jimi Westbrook – burst onto the music scene 25 years ago with smash hits “Boondocks,” “Bring It on Home,” “Good as Gone” and “Little White Church.” The band’s breakthrough albums Tornado and Pain Killer produced multiple No. 1 singles, including “Pontoon,” “Tornado,” and “Day Drinking,” as well as the history-making, best-selling country single “Girl Crush.”
The tour follows Little Big Town’s celebrated 2024 performances and marks the band’s first full summer headline run since 2019.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — Jerry Crouth, Saratoga Lake FM DJ, will presents his new book, “Thank You, Mom: My Life’s Stories Growing Up in the Forties,” at the Saratoga Senior Center May 6.
The book pays tribute to Crouth’s mother, who brought up young Jerry and his five siblings, after his father was permanently institutionalized in Marcy Mental Hospital, one month before Jerry’s birth.
“We didn’t just survive,” Crouth said. “We had very happy formative years living together. It was all because of our mother.”
The book acts as a testament to the strength the family found in each other, and includes memoirs written by the author’s mother.
Crouth will provide a book overview at the event at the Saratoga Senior Center, which takes place 10 a.m. Tuesday. The event, free and open to the public, will include an author signing as well as the 244-page book available for purchase. Those unable to attend may learn more about the book at: store.bookbaby.com/book/thank-you-mom and on Amazon.com
SARATOGA SPRINGS — Saratoga Voices kicks off its 55th anniversary year with a performance at Arthur Zankel Music Hall, at 7 p.m. on Saturday, May 10.
Zankel Hall is located on the campus of Skidmore College.
The masterworks concert features a full orchestra and professional soloists. The program consists of Mozart’s Ave Verum Corpus, Haydn’s Missa Cellensis, Vaughan Williams’ Five Mystical Songs, and Fauré’s Cantique de Jean Racine.
Tickets are available at saratogavoices.org.
In June, members of Saratoga Voices will be performing Fauré’s Cantique de Jean Racine at Carnegie Hall, featuring Saratoga Voices Artistic Director Noah Palmer conducting in his Carnegie Hall debut.
HMT presents Oklahoma. From left to right – Tricia Reilly as Ado Annie, Scott Brown as Will Parker, Lauren Schirnhofer as Laurey, Ken Kashe as Curly, and Sharon Piegaro as Aunt Eller. Photo: Anne-Marie Baker.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — Home Made Theater will present the American Classic musical, Oklahoma across two weekends starting on Friday, May 9 at the Pitney Meadows Community Farm in Saratoga Springs. First debuting in 1943, Oklahoma is considered to be the musical that pioneered the combination of music, lyrics, plot, and dancing to tell a cohesive story, launching a golden age in American theater.
The story of this musical surrounds the rivalry between local farmers and cowboys in a western territory just past the turn of the 20th century. This rivalry then creates the pathway for the love story between the charming cowboy Curly and the feisty farm girl Laurey, while also opening the audience up for the contrasting comedy of Ado Annie and Will Parker.
Performances will take place Friday May 9 and 16 at 7 p.m., Saturday May 10 and 17 at 2 and 7 p.m., and Sunday May 11 and 18 at 2 p.m. There will also be a performance on Thursday May 15 at 7 p.m.
General admission tickets for the performances will be $25. Students with ID can purchase tickets for $20.
Pitney Meadows Community Farm is located at 223 West Ave. in Saratoga Springs. Visit www.homemadetheater.org or call 518-587-4427 for tickets and other information.
CORINTH — Donna M. Schneider, 88, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, April 29, 2025. Donna will be laid to rest with her husband on Wednesday, May 7, 2025 at 2:30 p.m. at the Gerald B.H. Solomon Saratoga National Cemetery, 200 Duell Road, Schuylerville, NY. Online remembrances may be made at www.burkefuneralhome.com.
