Skip to main content

Author: Saratoga TODAY

Under Sheriff Jeffrey Brown Formally Announces Campaign for Saratoga County Sheriff

Written by Saratoga TODAY on . Posted in News.


Saratoga County Under sheriff Jeffrey Brown, at left, joined by county Sheriff Mike Zurlo on March 6, 2025. Photo provided.

CLIFTON PARK — Saratoga County Undersheriff Jeffrey Brown formally announced his campaign for Saratoga County Sheriff on March 6.  

“Throughout my two decades of service to Saratoga County, I have learned, beyond a shadow of a doubt, what it means to lead and represent a Sheriff’s Office that operates with integrity, professionalism, and an unwavering commitment to the safety and well-being of our residents,” said Brown, who has garnered endorsements from county Sheriff Mike Zurlo, Saratoga Springs’ Commissioner of Public Safety Tim Coll, state Sen. James Tedisco and Congresswoman Elise Stefanik in his campaign for the November election.  

“Under my leadership, Saratoga County will have a Sheriff’s Office that you can trust, today and for the future,” Brown said. 

A lifelong Saratoga County resident, Brown grew up in Malta, graduating from Shenendehowa High School, and graduated Hudson Valley Community College with an Associate’s Degree in Criminal Justice. As undersheriff, Brown said he is responsible for all five Divisions of the Sheriff’s Office, along with over 300 employees and a $40-million-dollar budget.

Mechanicville District Public Library, Saratoga SpringsPublic Library Designated as Blue Envelope Pickup Locations for Drivers on the Autism Spectrum

Written by Saratoga TODAY on . Posted in News.

BALLSTON SPA — The Mechanicville District Public Library has joined the Saratoga Springs Library to partner with the Saratoga County Sheriff’s Office and become a pickup location for the Blue Envelope program for drivers on the autism spectrum.

The program, which was started in November 2024, aims to make traffic stops and other police interactions more streamlined, less stressful, and safer for drivers on the autism spectrum and by extension, police as well. 

It allows a driver on the spectrum to have their relevant information in a centrally located area and lets the police officer know that the driver may respond differently to things like lights and sirens than they may be used to.

Aside from the library and the Sheriff’s Office, the Saratoga Springs Public Library is also a designated pickup location for the envelopes. 

They may also be acquired by emailing the Sheriff’s Office at sheriff@saratogacountyny.gov and putting “Blue Envelope” in the subject line.

Catherine “Cathy” M. Ondreyko (née Dwyer)

Written by Saratoga TODAY on . Posted in Obituaries.


SARATOGA SPRINGS — Catherine “Cathy” M. Ondreyko (née Dwyer), 76, passed, March 4, 2025, at her home surrounded by her family. Calling hours and service were held on March 8 at Burke Funeral Home, followed by burial in St. Peter’s Cemetery. Memorial donations can be made to: Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in Utah (https://bestfriends.org/donate). Please visit www.burkefuneralhome.com.

Angela Marie Buckley (née Felice) 

Written by Saratoga TODAY on . Posted in Obituaries.


SARATOGA SPRINGS —Angela Marie Buckley (née Felice) died on January 27, 2025. A memorial service for Angela and her husband Daniel was held on March 10 at the Gerald B.H. Solomon Saratoga National Cemetery, Duell Road, Schuylerville, NY. Online remembrances may be made at www.burkefuneralhome.com

Philip (Dave) Stacey

Written by Saratoga TODAY on . Posted in Obituaries.

SARATOGA SPRINGS —Philip (Dave) Stacey passed peacefully on Friday, March 7, 2025.   He was born February 7, 1943, in Ossining, NY to Philip H Stacey and Ruth Stacey.

Dave attended Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas where he earned a BA degree in Biochemistry in 1967.   He owned several successful businesses and worked for the Vt State Dept. of Health before joining State Farm Insurance Companies in 1981 as an agent in Montpelier, VT.   After 1 ½ years, State Farm recognized his potential and recruited him to join the agency management team.  He found his niche in developing others and helping them start and succeed in their independent agencies.   He was fortunate to qualify and travel all over the world.   His favorite places to travel were Playa del Carmen, Mexico and sailing in the Virgin Islands.

He enjoyed fishing, especially with the guys on their annual trip to Bradford Camps in Ashland, ME, golfing with the Tuesday morning Methodist league at Windy Hills, relaxing on the beach in the sun reading.  He had a passion for history (especially Winston Churchill) and Genealogy.  After retiring from State Farm in 2005, one of his favorite pastimes was researching everyone’s ancestry. And of course, he enjoyed a good meal, fine wine and a good Manhattan.

He married Judy Brown in 1971, and they had two daughters, Kathleen and Sarah, whom he was very proud of.  In his many trips to the hospital in the last few years, first thing he would do, was tell everyone that his daughter, Sarah was a Nurse Practitioner and that would start the conversation.

Later in his life, he married Sherry Hoffman, which grew his family to what he called “The Brady Brunch”.   He considered her children, Joseph, Clinton and Adriane as his own.

He will be greatly missed by his wife, Sherry Hoffman, his daughters, Kathleen (Andrew) Fyfe of Albany, NY, and Sarah Stacey of Gansevoort, NY, his stepchildren, Dr. Joseph (Diana) Juracka of Greenfield Center, NY, Clinton (Gabriella) Juracka of Latham, NY and Adriane (Maxwell) Lienau of Ballston Lake, NY.   He was known as PaPa to Joy and Stian Lofstad, and Opa to Amelia, Carolyn and Isla Juracka.  He will be missed by a younger brother, Timothy (Deborah) Stacey of Willis, Texas and the many friends and colleagues he made over the years – his executive assistant Donna Noel, the Grillos, the Doughtys, the Noels, Robin Thurston, the Bairds, the Varys, the Hedricks, the Mulveys and many, many more.

The family would like to express their gratitude for the care and love provided by the Shahbazes and Nurses at House 14 in the Eddy Village Green in Cohoes.

We invite you to join us as we celebrate Dave on Sunday, March 23, at the Holiday Inn Saratoga Springs. There will be time to share with the family beginning at 2:00 p.m., followed by a reflection service starting at 4:00 p.m.  Refreshments will be provided.

In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to the Davis Phinney Foundation, PO Box 270948 Louisville, CO 80027, which provides support to people and families affected by Parkinson’s or to the Summer Lunch Program at First Baptist Church of Ballston Spa, 202 Milton Ave, Ballston Spa NY  12020, where he was a member and volunteered for many summers.

For online condolences, visit www.compassionatefuneralcare.com

Marie G. Farone

Written by Saratoga TODAY on . Posted in Obituaries.

WILTON — Marie G. Farone, 88, of Northern Pines Rd., passed away at Saratoga Hospital Tuesday morning, March 4, 2025 after battling Alzheimer’s Disease. 

Born on October 21, 1936, in Saratoga Springs, she was the daughter of the late Gennaro and Margaret (Scuderi) Sansiveri.  She was a 1954 graduate of Saratoga High School and Miss Saratoga 1954. She attended Albany Business College.

She married Anthony P. Farone on November 6, 1955, at the Church of St. Peter, Saratoga Springs.  Anthony passed away on October 26, 2009.  Together, they shared 54 years of marriage.

Marie owned and operated the Spirit of ’76 store in Wilton for several years. She was a dealer and collector of antiques.   

She enjoyed playing golf, her flower gardens, and hosting numerous family gatherings.  In later years, Marie and Anthony enjoyed spending winters in South Fort Myers, FL.

She was a past member of MacGregor Links Country Club where she had been past club champion and had a hole in one on number 18.  She was a volunteer for the Saratoga Hospital Guild.  She was the first woman assistant little league coach in Saratoga Springs and assisted Coach Joe Vernon with the Saratoga Youth Hockey Mites.  She had also served for 24 years on the Town of Wilton Assessment Review Board.

She was predeceased by her parents, her husband, Anthony P. Farone, Sr.; a brother, Anthony Sansiveri; two sons-in-law, Donald Scavone and Bill Gagnon and a grandson, Marc Faulhammer.

Survivors include her seven children: Denise (Kurt) Faulhammer of Wilton, Catherine Gagnon of Saratoga Springs, Gina Scavone of Saratoga Springs, Alfred J. Farone III of Greenfield Center, Anthony P. Farone, Jr. of Wilton, Christian (Shelley) Farone of Porter Corners and Marcus (Jaime) Farone of Saratoga Springs; grandchildren: Lisa (Michael) Theocharis, Kurt (Allyson) Faulhammer, Monika (Charlie) Faulhammer, Noah (Leighann) Gagnon, Nathan (Kelly) Gagnon, Niles (Sarah) Gagnon, Lucas Scavone, Clayton (Angelica) Scavone, Gennaro (Aisha) Farone, Allie Farone; sisters: Carmella Mayette of Saratoga Springs, Margaret Farone of Saratoga Springs; 7 great grandchildren, many nieces, nephews and her kind and loving caregiver, Crystel Hontz.

Funeral services were held privately.

Burial was in St. Peter’s Cemetery.

Contributions in Marie’s memory may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association at www.alz.org

To express online condolences, please visit www.brewermillerfuneralhomes.com

Community Gardens at Wesley 

Written by Saratoga TODAY on . Posted in News.


Community gardens. Photo provided.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — It’s time for spring planting. If you love to garden but don’t have your own space join the Wesley campus community gardens.

Rent is $50 for a raised 4×8 foot box. For an application, contact: Susanbokan@gmail.com.

Spring Equinox Walk at Wilton Wildlife Preserve & Park

Written by Saratoga TODAY on . Posted in News.

WILTON — Twice a year, equal hours of daytime and nighttime occur. After the spring equinox, the days get longer and longer until the summer solstice, the longest day of the year! 

From 10 – 11 a.m. on Thursday, March 20, Wilton Wildlife Preserve & Park will host a Spring Equinox Walk, where participants will learn about the celestial movements that impact the natural world. The walk will take place at Camp Saratoga on Scout Road in Wilton and will cover about one mile on a trail that meanders through the forest and meadow.

Registration is required at least one business day in advance. To register visit the website at www.wiltonpreserve.org, call the Wilton Wildlife office at 518-450-0321, or email info@wiltonpreserve.org. 

Submissions Due March 20 – “Immersion, Professional Visual Artist Development Program” 

Written by Saratoga TODAY on . Posted in News.

SARATOGA SPRINGS —Spring Street Gallery invites the artists to apply for Immersion, a professional visual artist development program. The Immersion program is designed to provide emerging and mid-career visual artists with professional opportunities for open dialogue and critical conversations with peers, regional curators, and gallery owners.

The combination of critiques, gallery/residency visits, and professional development enhances learning. Critiques focus on individual improvement, while group experiences and professional development provide exposure, contextual understanding, and valuable tools. Together, they create a comprehensive framework for artistic growth.

Applicants must apply to the program and will be selected by a jury of arts administrators. Eight artists will be chosen to participate in this eight-month program. Deadline for submissions is March 20. 

The program will take place from April through December of 2025 and consist of seven monthly critiques, a tour of various arts institutions, three professional development programs, and a group exhibition. This is not an introductory program. 

A 50-mile radius is suggested for Capital Region Artists. Applicants must be able to provide their travel to Spring Street Gallery in Saratoga Springs and Collar Works in Troy, for the program meetings. Immersion is a program of The Art Sheet, co-sponsored and produced in equal partnership with Collar Works and Spring Street Gallery.

 For more information and to apply, go to the program’s website at https://theartsheet.org/immersion/

A West Side Story

Written by Saratoga TODAY on . Posted in History.

This is a story about growing up on the West Side of Saratoga Springs as a member of the post-World War II “Baby Boom” generation. Which side was the East Side or the West Side of Saratoga Springs was determined by the railroad tracks until the late 1950s, but today Broadway is considered the dividing line.

Our neighborhood was centered on the intersection of Waterbury and Lawrence Streets and was very similar to other neighborhoods in Saratoga Springs. Kids were everywhere. The west end of Waterbury Street was the site of The G.F. Harvey Company, maker of Saratoga Ointment.  Every household in town had a jar of the ointment. The 15 households around the intersection were home to 45 children born between 1946 and 1962.

During our growing up years Lawrence Street was a dead-end street, terminating at what we called the “Oval” or the Woodlawn Oval, a reference to the  trotting track on the Hilton Estate. Our Oval was an “in the woods” type of playground for all the children living on or near that section of town, This section of town was referred to as “the rocks” due to granite bedrock’s proximity to the surface, in some areas mere inches below ground.  Primary features of “The Oval” were a “Big Pond” and a “Little Pond” each pond 18 inches, or so, deep, and two “Ash Roads” (The First and Second). The First Ash Road connected Clinton Street with Waterbury, the Second Ash Road connected Clinton with Greenfield Avenue.

A large field, of five or more acres, was also part of the Oval, and miraculously the hay and straw were mowed a couple of times each summer! The Oval was the edge of town in those days and contained wildlife and was a wonderful area to explore, build “forts”, play hide and seek and just have adventures. The Oval is now home to the Embury Complex.

As we got older (7 or 8) we dared to wander a bit farther. We didn’t have restrictions placed on our movements, just be home for supper! The vast Woodlawn (Hilton) Estate and what remained of the Woodlawn Mansion were close by. Following the old Adirondack Railroad tracks north parallel to Seward Street there was a freshwater spring bubbling out of the rock. “Hobo Springs” was a resting spot where a drink of fresh, cold water was available.

Ash Grove Farms was next to the Crusher property (The Crusher may in fact have been part of Ash Grove Farms) and the farm had plenty of cows and horses for us to annoy. The grounds of The Saratoga Golf and Polo Club were and still are near the Ash Grove fields. Many of us received our initial taste of golf at “The Little Club” either via caddying or “jumping on” and playing without permission or paying.

The grounds of “The Little Club” were also a mecca for sleds and toboggans in the winter months. Many winter weekends were spent flying down the various hills of the golf course, then, taking turns, hauling the toboggan back up to do it again. Adjacent to “The Little Club” was the estate of Warren Wright owner of the Calumet Stable and Kentucky horse farm. Between the Wright property and the railroad tracks were the grounds of The Iceland Hotel, which always seemed vacant. The “Hotel” was large, empty, and could be very scary. The hotel burned to the ground sometime in the 1970s and is now Birch Run development.

Around the time we reached the fourth grade, we became fascinated with the Soapbox Derby. The Clinton Street Hill was a perfect spot to “test” our creations for the derby. The parts for our “racer” were either scavenged from neighborhood backyards or “purchased” from “Pop” Ballou. “Pop Blu” was a junk dealer who circulated the streets with his horse and wagon picking up discarded items.We refined our “racers” designs to the point they didn’t fall apart but failed to advance to actually enter The Soap Box Derby.

Beyond the bottom of the Clinton Street hill, on the Woodlawn Estate, was the “Vly”. The Vly was a lake surrounded by woods and was full of fish. A wonderful spot for skinny dipping, fishing, catching frogs, enjoying wilderness. The Vly contained mostly bullheads and the area in and around the Vly had a large population of snakes of many sizes  and varieties. It was drained and excavated for the railroad when the tracks were relocated out of downtown Saratoga Springs in the late 1950s.

We continued to expand the horizons of our world, roving on Daniels Road. In our day the roads beginning with Clinton Street hill and beyond, were dirt roads. Daniels Road paralleled the Adirondack Railroad tracks past Locust Grove Road to route 9N. There was a large brick farmhouse at the intersection of Braim Road and Daniels. Still there. This farm grew some amazing “disappearing “sweet corn”. The farmer would get quite upset (I am sure he did not aim at us, but he did discharge his shotgun) over his vanishing sweet corn, brandishing his shotgun to scare us off.

Near this juncture was a bridge over what we called “The Third Brook”. We thought of this as the third of what we believed were three separate brooks. “First Brook” crossed Denton Road, and “Second Brook” was lost in the woods of Ash Grove farm fields. From Braim’s farm, Mr. Braim paid us for our “irregular help” in his greenhouse and fields with tomato or pepper plants. Many sunfish were caught and released, since none of us wanted to eat the sunfish we caught in Braim’s Pond.

Our bicycles opened new vistas for our exploration, but that’s another story.