SARATOGA — Rita Marie Lashway passed June 3, 2024. Calling hours were June 12 at Burkes. Mass was June 13 at St. Clement’s. Memorial donations to ESSAE R.M. Lashway Scholarship Fund: 1A Pine West Plaza, Albany NY 12205 and/or Chatham Central School Class of 1965 Scholarship Fund: 50 Woodbridge Ave, Chatham NY 12037. www.burkefuneralhome.com
SARATOGA SPRINGS —Audré A. Katz, 66, wife of Barry, passed away in the comfort of her Saratoga Lake home on Tuesday, June 4, 2024, where she had been under the care of her husband and Community Hospice.
Audré was born on November 30, 1957 in Fayetteville, NC, a daughter of Joseph and Rose Thomas Hough. Being born into a military family, Audré grew up in various locations around the world including Germany and Panama. She was very proud of her travels and experiences during her upbringing. Audré graduated from Westmoreland High School with the Class of 1976. On June 18, 1988, Audré was united in marriage with Barry Katz at their home on Saratoga Lake.
Through the years Audre has been employed in various retail outlets, most recently at BJ’s Wholesale of Wilton, NY. Crafting brought Audré great enjoyment; she operated her own small business traveling around to various craft shows with her wares. She created “wearable art” and also made custom ordered clothing for her customers. She also liked craft journaling and quilting. Cottage gardening was perhaps her greatest love, and one that allowed her to adorn the Saratoga Lake home she and Barry so much loved.
Besides her husband Barry, she is survived by her beloved daughter Marie Rose (Eugene) Chance, and granddaughter Rose Marie Chance, of Schenectady, siblings: Joseph (Ellen) Hough, III, North Carolina, Cindy Lou (Brian) Solan, Madison, NY, Barbara Susan Carey, Rome, NY, several nieces, nephews and cousins.
Funeral services will be held on Monday, June 17, at 1 p.m. at Trainor Funeral Home, Inc., 143 Schuyler St. Boonville. Interment will follow in Beechwood Cemetery, Forestport. There will be a visitation at the funeral home on Monday from 11 a.m. until the service.
For an online message of sympathy, please go to www.trainorfuneralhome.com.
WILTON — Town of Wilton Community Day will be held 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. on Saturday, June 22.
The event takes place at Wilton Recreation, located in Gavin Park 10 Lewis Drive, and will include food trucks, bounce houses, contests, beer & wine tasting, and live entertainment.
Taking place now is a presale of Brooks BBQ for $15 per dinner at Gavin Park or Town Hall. For more information, go to: https://townofwilton.com/.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — Eleven unique gardens in Saratoga Springs and Ballston Spa and Wilton are featured on the 29th annual Saratoga Soroptimist Secret Gardens Tour from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, July 14.
Purchase $25 advance tickets at www.soroptimistsaratoga.org or at Northshire Bookstore, Cudney’s Cleaners, Faddegon’s Nursery or Adirondack Trust Co. branches.
Day-of tickets for $30 will be sold while supplies last from 9:30 a.m. to noon outside the Saratoga Springs Visitor Center, 297 Broadway.
Garden descriptions and suggested driving directions are provided with purchase. The tour supports programs and individuals benefiting women and girls, including Wellspring.
Questions? Email secretgardensinfo@gmail.com.
A historic marker along the Waterford Road denotes “Leland House: Raided by French and Indians in 1748, rebuilt in 1749, later the home of revolutionary patriot John Ten Broeck 1740-1822.”
The beautiful house that stands a short distance from the marker is indeed the one that was rebuilt 275 years ago. It was built from lumber cut right there on the farm, with bricks made from clay obtained from the soil thereon.
But just what happened and why did it happen to the family that lived on that spot and farmed what has for many years been known as the Leland Farm back in 1748? It was a sad occurrence, but by no means an isolated incident back in the 18th century here in our area.
As settlement by countries of Western Europe grew in this so-called New World, the English and Dutch were predominant in the areas along the Atlantic Coast, but France controlled Canada to the north and the wilderness lands to the west of the English territories. Along with the English were colonists from the Netherlands, Scotland and Ireland. The French befriended the native peoples, and worked with them to drive the encroaching settlers from their ancestral lands.
The first recorded claimants to the lands of the Mechanicville/Stillwater/Schaghticoke area were the Mohican Indians, ruled by Uncas, who claimed ownership of the entire upper Hudson Valley starting at a point near Cohoes. This was Uncas’ very special hunting grounds, beginning near Waterford and running all the way to Schuylerville. While Uncas may not have actually lived right here, history does place him at Schaghticoke. But his warriors did come this way as did those of other tribes. All the Indian trails coming out of the St. Lawrence Valley crossed here for this was known as the dark and bloody neutral grounds that separated the Iroquois Confederacy of central New York from the territory of their ancient and hereditary enemies, the Algonquins of Canada. Throughout time, there were many savage encounters among these tribes.
Indians had planted, hunted and fished on these lands for centuries, leaving behind stone implements and arrowheads which chronicled over 1,000 years of their civilization. The first Dutch settlers came into the Upper Hudson River valley in 1714. The newcomers hewed out a half dozen log huts in a forestland near Waterford north of the river’s confluence with the Mohawk and called it Half Moon. Within a year, 101 people had settled here.
Situated in a flat river valley, with a major north/south route passing by it, on a road that would be called the King’s Highway, or eventually the Waterford to Whitehall Turnpike, what would become known in later years as the Leland House was part of that pioneer settlement.
Major Dirk Wessels (Ten Broeck) was commissioner of Indian affairs, a mayor of Albany and a trader and merchant. He owned a one-seventh share of the Saratoga Patent. From this patent, the Ten Broeck family had obtained 700 acres of land along the river. The substantial house was built on that property by 1732. Land was cleared and farmed by not just the family occupying the house, but by the black slaves they owned. At that time, the Albany Dutch community owned many slaves.
What is now Mechanicville sat smack on the edge of “the Paradise of Hunting Grounds” known as Sa-ra-gh-to-ga. The southern boundary of the hunting grounds was a creek that ran from Round Lake to the river and was known as Tien-en-da-ho. Eventually the Mohawks, the most powerful tribe of the Iroquois confederacy, drove out the Mohicans and took over this area.
Early settlers in Mechanicville in the area of Ensign Avenue unearthed evidence of a Mohawk village along the flatlands of the river. Another encampment was located near the powerhouse where fish were plentiful. What would become known as the French and Indian War, which would ultimately secure this part of North America as a British colony, would not begin until 1755, but raids, killings and burnings by the French and their Indian allies were commonplace throughout this area in the early to middle years of the 18th century as they attempted to drive out the encroaching trappers and settlers from Britain and the Netherlands.
So it was that in 1748, the family that was living in the house and farming the land then owned by the Ten Broecks alongside the Hudson River was attacked in the night by a band of Mohawk Indians and their French allies. The farmer, his wife and five children were killed and scalped. Also murdered in the raid were their five black slaves. The house was burned.
Since that fateful day, this historic house, which was rebuilt in 1749, and its accompanying farm have seen many changes. Originally belonging to the Ten Broecks, it was then occupied by Daniel Fort, sold to Scotsman John Strachan and then passed on through marriage or inheritance to the Lelands, the Leyerles and the Stevensons. The original Ten Broeck grant comprised 700 acres, but several hundred more acres were added by Strachan, so that the farm then occupied nearly two square miles of land. Occupants of the house that was rebuilt after the massacre, in its more than 272 years of existence, have included lawyers, government officials, educators, engineers, farmers, horticulturists and caregivers.
The land itself has over the years been much diminished as with its prime location on a major river and north/south highway, it has been given over by sale or by government claim for two railroads, two major power lines, two canals, a dam, lock and hydroelectric plant and the Saratoga County sewer plant along with a number of homes and several businesses. The house, once known as the mansion, was converted to apartments a half-century ago and several of the barns have been converted to houses.
But some things don’t change. There were stories passed on for many years that the ghost of a headless Dutch woman frequently appeared in a well near the Leland House. Perhaps she was that farmer’s wife, killed and scalped by a raiding party of French and Indians in 1748. So spooked were subsequent occupants of the home by her frequent visitations that they filled in the well. From some reports, however, that has not kept her away.
[An error was made. I put up a map of Saratoga Battlefield rather than the state park. This is the state park.]
Saratoga Springs Planning Board members Bill McTygue and Mark Pingle received major media coverage when in a report, they circulated, they proposed building a truck bypass through the southern end of the state park to remedy the problem of trucks traveling through the residential neighborhood of Van Dam Street.
I was surprised by Bill’s involvement in such a proposal. He was active in the city working for his brother, Public Works Commissioner Tom McTygue, when this bypass was proposed back in the ’90s. The state dismissed the idea for basically the same reasons as the points made in a recent paper written by Sustainable Saratoga.
I have sympathy for the Van Dam neighbors who must contend with the trucks that pass by their homes. It seems unfair, though, to offer them the illusion that the state would finance the huge project of a truck bypass through a state park given not only the cost but all the other issues raised in the Sustainable piece.
The following are excerpts from the Sustainable paper along with the paper itself.
[JK: The Daily Gazette published an editorial on June 1, 2024, in which the editor ranted about the city’s failure to act on the scourge of truck traffic in downtown Saratoga Springs.
“After decades of inaction, it’s time for city, state and federal officials to stop ignoring this problem and come up with an acceptable solution.”
“Elected officials need to end the decades of procrastination and finally do something about it.”
Before denouncing the many concerned people who have struggled to find a solution for truck traffic in our city, the editorialist might have had the courtesy to do a little research. A simple Google search would have been helpful to the editor in writing a more accurate and thoughtful piece. A search might have revealed former County Planner and Public Safety Commissioner Lew Benton’s numerous writings addressing this issue. Lew has documented both the problems with truck traffic and the many attempts over the years to find a solution. It is a frustrating story, but it is not a story of procrastination and inaction, as the Gazette asserts.
Finance Commissioner Sanghvi was so enthusiastic about this editorial that she publicly passed around copies to her colleagues at the June 4, 2024, City Council meeting. She promised to bring the issue up at the next meeting. She, too, might have benefited from a similar Google search.
Commissioner Sanghvi would have better served the people who are currently expressing frustration about truck traffic by handing out Lew Benton’s two thoughtful analyses of the history of truck issues and some actions that the city could take and is taking to mitigate the truck problems.
The following are additional thoughts by Lew.]
ADDENDUM TO APRIL 2024 REPORT “TRUCK TRAFFIC IN SARATOGA SPRINGS: A Brief History of Problems, Possibilities and Progress”
In April, I completed and shared with the city council and other interest groups a report titled Truck Traffic in Saratoga Springs: Brief History of Problems, Possibilities and Progress (hereinafter the Report).
That Report included a summary of the several traffic studies conducted over the past 40 years, a look at the truck bypass initiatives during the same period and a brief discussion of Vehicle and Traffic Law enforcement before and after the establishment the city’s Traffic Safety Division (TSD) in 1988.
This Addendum to the April Report expands on its Enforcement History and Alternate Routing Proposal sections. The Addendum’s intent is threefold: (1) promotion of a re-established Traffic Safety Division within the Police Department, (2) re-visiting previously approved and established weight limited streets that are still not appropriately signed and policed, and (3) to encourage a strategic approach to identifying potential alternate Church Street/VanDam Street and Washington Street routings, finalize the approved Lake Avenue (Route 29) alternate route and examine the several previously considered “bypass” alignments and access their current feasibility. Perhaps such tasks could be performed by a city council appointed “working group.”
1. Re-establish Traffic Safety Division
The April Report also quantified loss of enforcement generated revenue, likely in the range of $2 million to $3 million, since the early 2010’s. Those familiar with the Report may recall that during the years the Traffic Safety Division operated, total traffic and truck safety inspection citation revenue averaged $221,000 annually.
Immediately following the demise of a staffed, trained and disciplined Traffic Safety Division, average annual enforcement revenue fell to under $100,000. Over the last five years average annual revenue has further declined to $31,000.
The lost annual revenue alone would have funded 40% to 60% of a three or four officer TSD, including indirect costs.
Since the TSD’s abolition, V and T Law enforcement revenue fell to a low of $26,000 in 2022. The city’s 2024 Revenue Budget anticipates an anemic $30,000. Clearly, the city’s once muscular traffic safety and Vehicle and Traffic Law enforcement program has been abandoned.
By 2013 Traffic Safety Division had fallen victim to budget cuts, subsequent police layoffs and a policy decision to transfer TSD staff to the Patrol Division. However, as it became clear that the FY 2010 budget cuts had been largely unnecessary and the city entered a multi-year period of large general fund balances, no action was taken to restore the TSD.
Enforcement must be seen as an integral part of any renewed effort to reduce heavy and Special Dimension Vehicle (SDV) through traffic and as a disincentive to running overweight and unsafe trucks on city streets, including designated “Access” roads.
Even if the city is ultimately successful in re-routing heavy trucks and SDVs from Church Street, Van Dam and other residential and historic district streets, enforcement of posted limitations must be enforced. Lake Avenue, for instance, has been posted against vehicles over 5 tons since October 1993 but lack of enforcement now allows SDVs and heavy construction vehicles to ignore with impunity the posted limits, even though an alternate route has long been established.
During the early years of the TSD’s targeted commercial vehicle inspection program (see Chart 1 below) over 36% were removed from service. The dearth of commercial vehicle inspections during the last several years does not allow a measure of the condition of the heavy truck fleet using city streets. However, if a valid correlation exists, then 1 in every 3 heavy commercial vehicles traveling through the city is in violation of safety, size, weight, or other standards.
Chart 1:
Truck Tickets Issued by TSD & Vehicles Removed from Service, 1991 – 1994
This data was presented by specific Vehicle and Traffic Law violations: for example, log book violations, unsecured loads, overweight, over length, over width, and out-of-service violations. Annual tabular summaries included number and type of citation by month. (See tabular summary below).
Of course the end of a dedicated and disciplined traffic safety program in 2013 did not negatively impact on the city’s ability to police commercial and SDV traffic alone, but rather all vehicular movements.
Chart 2 grafts the dramatic increase in Vehicle and Traffic Law enforcement following the establishment of the TSD and the precipitous decline after its dismantling. In fact, Chart 2 clearly shows that recent enforcement as measured by citation output, is significantly less than in the years prior to TSD creation.
The most recent Saratoga Springs Police Department’s Annual Report includes four 2024 Department Goals. The first is “Create a Traffic Safety Unit to enhance vehicular and pedestrian safety in the city.”
Now – in anticipation of FY 2025 budget preparation – is the time to give definition to the role and function, and the equipment, training, staffing and budgetary needs necessary to re-establish a strong TSD. A rededicated, disciplined commitment to Vehicle and Traffic Law enforcement is the single most immediate step that can be taken to address the very legitimate truck traffic safety concerns and the running of SDVs and heavy trucks on posted city streets.
Define the Status of Previously Approved and Codified Alternate Routes
The April Report also found that certain alternate heavy commercial traffic re-routings, previously approved by NYS Department of Transportation and codified by City Council action, are no longer enforced. Lake Avenue, for example, has been posted against vehicles over 5 ton since October 18, 1993, For many years now heavy truck and Special Dimension Vehicles well in excess of 5 tons run free, both east and west bound, without fear of interdiction.
Table 1 below lists all city street segments off limits to all trucks in excess of 5 tons but there is no evidence (truck fines or truck tickets) that these restrictions have been routinely enforced in recent time.
Table 1: City Charter § 225-79 Schedule XIV, Trucks Over Certain Weights Excluded.
In accordance with the provisions of § 225-22, trucks in excess of the weights indicated are hereby excluded from the following streets or parts of streets, except for the pickup and delivery of materials on such streets:
Street Weight Limit (Tons) Location
Adams Road [Added 2-16-2016] 5 Cady Hill Boulevard to City limit
Buff Road 5 Between Church St. & Washington Street
Circular Street 5 Between Broadway & High Rock Avenue
Circular Street 5 Between Spring Street & Broadway
Congress Avenue 5 Between West Avenue & New Street
Congress Street 5 Between Franklin Street & Federal Street
Denton Road 5 Between Seward Street & Locust Grove Road
Empire Avenue 5 Between Congress Avenue & Joseph Street
Excelsior Springs Avenue 5 Between Lake Avenue & Excelsior Avenue
Table 1: Continued
Street Weight Limit (Tons) Location
Gilbert Road 5 Between Lake Avenue & Union Avenue
Glenmore Avenue 5 Between West Circular Street & Grand Avenue
Grand Avenue 5 Between Franklin Street & City Line
Grand Avenue 5 Between West Avenue &Franklin Street
Joseph Street 5 Between West Circular Street & Empire Avenue
Kirby Road 5 Between Church Street & Washington Street
Lake Avenue [Added 10-18-1993] 5 Broadway to Weibel Avenue
Lincoln Avenue 5 Between Broadway & Ballston Avenue
Lincoln Avenue 5 Between Broadway & Nelson Avenue
Locust Grove Road 5 Between Church Street & City line
Pine Road 5 Between Washington Street & Grand Avenue
Seward Street 5 Between Church Street & City line
Slade Road 5 Between Washington Street & Grand Avenue
Spring Street 5 Between Circular Street & Broadway
Union Avenue 5 Between Henning Road & Circular Street
West Circular Street 5 Between Broadway & Glenmore Avenue
The Weible Avenue alternate truck route must be finally addressed. I am of the view that the city can unilaterally act to direct heavy west bound Lake Avenue truck traffic to Weibel Avenue because all of Weibel is a NYS DOT designated “Access” highway. To deny its use as the alternate route defies the very reason that Weibel was improved and extended as part of the original Northway construction and subsequently designated an “Access” highway by DOT.
A July 29, 1993, letter (following page) from then DOT Regional Director Richard A. Maitino to the then city public safety commissioner, attests to what was then thought to be final step necessary to designate Weibel as the alternative westbound route and the posting of Lake: i. e., review by DOT’s Office of Legal Affairs. No final DOT legal opinion is found in the record.
Not to allow commercial traffic to run on a designated “Access” highway (Weibel Avenue) turns reason on its head. The burden falls on the commissioner of transportation to explain and justify why a local roadway, long designated as an “Access” highway pursuant to state law (V & T Law, Section 1627, p. 7)), rule and regulation, cannot serve as an alternate truck route simply because it spills into an adjacent municipality.
Presumably, the adjacent community in this case (the Town of Wilton) did not exercise its statutory right (see V & T Law, Sec. 1627, p. 7) to object to the original “Access” designation.
Conversely, Lake Avenue is NOT an access road. Dominate land uses along the two mile corridor include single and multi-family residential uses, two elementary schools, a nursery school, churches, the city’s largest recreation field and related facilities. Additionally, the city has installed and signed designated east and westbound bicycle lanes on Lake which further argues against SDVs and other heavy commercial traffic on the corridor.
Vehicle & Traffic Law Section 1627
Designation of qualifying highways and access highways
(a) The commissioner of transportation shall, for the purposes of this chapter, by rule or regulation, designate qualifying highways which shall be highways on the national system of interstate and defense highways or federal-aid primary highways.
(b) The department of transportation, for the purposes of this chapter, shall develop criteria to determine a highway providing access between qualifying highways and terminals, facilities for food, fuel, repairs, and rest and, in addition, for points of loading and unloading for household goods carriers. The department may, by order, rule or regulation, designate public highways within the state as access highways. The department of transportation, upon the request of the legislative body of any city or village, or of a county superintendent of highways, or of a town board may, by order, rule or regulation, designate other city or village streets, or county roads, or town highways, respectively, as access highways. Before designating any county, town, city or village, street or highway as an access highway, the commissioner of transportation shall notify the municipality having jurisdiction over such street or highway of the need for such local access road and solicit comments thereon. If objections to the designation are filed by the municipality having jurisdiction over a particular street or highway, the commissioner of transportation shall set, as soon as practicable, a public informational meeting. If the commissioner of transportation finds, after holding a public informational meeting, that his proposed designation is proper and reasonable, prior to filing a notice of agency action he shall so notify the municipality in writing setting forth his findings and justifications for such designation. The municipality shall have the right of judicial review pursuant to article seventy-eight of the civil practice law and rules.
(c) In order to implement the provisions of this section, the commissioner of transportation may issue a permit pursuant to subdivision fifteen of § 385 (Dimensions and weights of vehicles) or may sign such public highways.
Indoor and Outdoor Yard Sale and Bake Sale
The sale will be held on Friday, June 14 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturday, June 15 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., at the Malta Ridge Methodist Church, located at 729 Malta Avenue Extension, Malta. For additional information or directions please call the Church 518-581-0210.
Ladies of Charity Annual Garage and Bake Sale
Saturday, June 15 from 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. at the Italian American War Vewwterans, 247 Grand Avenue, Saratoga Springs. Rain or Shine. The bake sale will include cakes, breads, cookies, cupcakes, brownies, pies, muffins and other specialties. For more information call Sharon at 518-365-0004 or Claudette at 518-584-7592.
Annual Kids Free Fishing Derby
Sunday June 16, 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. at Lake Lonely, located at 373 Crescent Ave. (Eagles Parking Lot), Saratoga Springs. Open to All Children 14 years and under and must be accompanied by an adult guardian. Worms supplied but bring your own poles and tackle. There will be free hotdogs, chips and sodas for the kids as well as prizes for fish caught in each category. The sponsors are NYS DEC, Fraternal Order of the Eagles, SSPD, Saratoga Wilton Elks, Dick’s, Wiggly Worm, Saratoga Boat Care, Stewart’s Shops and Basspointers Fishing Club. Come enjoy this family friendly free event.
Strawberry Shortcake Social
The Wilton Heritage Society 5 Parkhurst Rd., Wilton, will have its annual Strawberry Shortcake Social on Father’s Day, June 16, from 1 – 4 p.m. or until sold-out. We will have curb-side pick-up and limited indoor and outdoor seating. Same great strawberries, homemade biscuits, and freshly whipped cream. Suggested donation is $7 per generous serving. Exact change is appreciated.
SAIL Fundraiser Garage Sale
Donations wanted for the annual Southern Adirondack Independent Living Garage Sale (SAIL). The sale will be held at the Queensbury location at 71 Glenwood Ave., June 13 – 15. This is a vital fundraiser, filling the gaps left by grant funding and allowing us to continue our mission of helping people live more independently. We’ll be eagerly accepting donations from community members starting Wednesday, May 1 at 8 a.m. at both our Wilton and Queensbury offices, Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. for further inquiries call 518-792-3537, email at sail@sailhelps.org or visit sailhelps.org.
Saratoga Naturally Photography Exhibit
The exhibition, displayed at Thirsty Owl Bistro, located at 184 S. Broadway, Saratoga Springs, features stunning nature photographs that capture both the unique beauty and the spirit of Saratoga’s natural wonders – parks and preserves, breathtaking landscapes, trails, wildflowers, trees, rare plants, and many of its most popular inhabitants. For more information, visit LouisdValentiPhotography.com. The exhibit will be on display until June 15.
NYS Parks Centennial Community Day Celebration
Saturday, June 15, 10 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Join us to Celebrate NYS Parks’ 100th Birthday with a full day of free family fun including pony rides, face painting, music, reenactors, and so much more! No registration needed. For more information, visit www.grantcottage.org/events/2024communityday
Charity Golf Tournament
Benefiting the Capital Region’s American Cancer Society, Saturday, July 20, 9 a.m. at Fox Run Golf Club, Johnstown. Hosted by Total Tech Solutions, Saratoga. Inviting local businesses and golfers to participate in this fun-filled day while supporting a worthy cause. The tournament will feature a scramble format, prizes, contests, and refreshments. The cost is $125 per player includes golf, cart, breakfast, and lunch. 4 person Teams (scramble). Register before June 1 and save $10 per player. Register online at: totaltechsolutions.org/tournament. This fundraising event aims to raise critical funds for the American Cancer Society that are used for treatment, transportation to treatment and research in the area. All proceeds from the tournament will be directly donated to the organization.
9 Hole Golf Tournament
Join us for a fantastic day of networking and golf at our upcoming Annual Chamber Golf Tournament on Thursday, June 20 at Van Patten Golf Club! Our shotgun starts at Noon for our 9 Hole Outing. Tickets are $150 per golfer and are on sale now. This exclusive event is perfect for business professionals looking to connect and unwind on the greens. Are you not a golfer but would still like to take part in this networking event? We will be hosting a Networking on the Greens Mixer after the outing. Sponsorships are available for all different levels. Email Andrea Cole at ACole@Saratoga.Org for more details!
Greenfield Farmers’ Market
The Town of Greenfield Recreation Department has revamped its Greenfield Farmers’ Market, which will be held Thursday evenings, 4 – 7 p.m. at Middle Grove Park, 428 Middle Grove Rd. It will feature more than 20 vendors, rotating food trucks and weekly entertainment throughout its season from June 20-September 19. (Please note there will be no market on July 4.)
Craft Fair at Brookside Museum – Vendors Wanted!
The Saratoga County History Center is seeking vendors of handmade crafts, antiques, and farm products for the annual craft fair on Saturday, June 22, from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. No mass-produced or commercially made items will be permitted. Spaces are available outdoors, with limited spaces available indoors. This is a rain or shine event. Visit https://brooksidemuseum.org/event/2024-craft-antique-fair/ for more information, or contact Beth Silvestri at bsilvestri@brooksidemuseum.org.
Town of Wilton Community Day
Held on Saturday, June 22, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Wilton Recreation – Gavin Park 10 Lewis Drive, Saratoga Springs. There will be food trucks, bounce houses, contests, Beer & Wine tasting, Live Entertainment and much more! We are having a presale of Brooks BBQ for only $15 per dinner at Gavin Park or Town Hall. Buy them now while they last!
Saratoga Springs Booster Club Field Hockey Camp
The Saratoga Springs Booster Club will be hosting its annual field hockey camp beginning on June 24 and ending on June 28 at Saratoga High School from 8 – 11 a.m. each day (except Monday- 5 -8 p.m.) on the turf. The program is open to grades third through twelfth. No experience needed. The camp includes extensive individual instruction along with daily participation in game situations. The goal is to teach the fundamentals of field hockey, while ensuring that each player leaves the camp with a new appreciation for the game. The camp brochure can be downloaded from the Booster Club’s website at www. Saratogafieldhockey.teampages.com. Registration is now open and the cost is $80. For more information, please contact Jo-Anne Hostig, Saratoga head field hockey coach at togafieldhockey@gmail.com.
6 Hour Live Defensive Driving
Saturday, June 29, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m., Saratoga Springs United Methodist Church, 175 Fifth Avenue, Saratoga Springs. Save 10% on Auto Insurance for 3 years and reduce 4 points off record. 10-minute morning break and ½ hour for lunch – bring your own or step out. No formal testing. Cost: $40 prepaid or $45 at door. Limited seating, please pre-register. Donation given to the church. Call: 518-784-5009 or register online: www.facetofacecourses.com. Instructors: Victor Bujanow and Deborah Harpine.
Town of Milton’s 250th Revolutionary War Committee Ceremony
This event, taking place on June 29 at 11a.m., is to commemorate a sign honoring veterans of the Revolutionary War at Grenell Cemetery on Grenell Road. The color guard of the Saratoga Battle Chapter Sons of the American Revolution will execute a musket fire salute in period uniforms. The purpose of this committee is to draw attention to, and educate the public about important people, places, and events of the Town of Milton as they relate to the American Revolution. For more information contact Michael Golden at mgolden1775@gmail.com
Capital District Chevrolet Club 41st Annual Car, Street Rod, and Truck Show 2024
Sunday, June 30, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. at Cook’s Park on Sham Brook Pkw’y in the Village of Colonie. Rain or shine. Registration 9 a.m. -12:30 p.m., $20 per show vehicle (Cash Only). Spectators and parking free. (No dogs unless they are service dogs). Food and beverages available for purchase. DJ music, 50/50 and door prizes. A portion of the proceeds will be forwarded to the “North East Regional Food Bank”, ” The Patriot Flight” to Washington for our Veterans and the “Double H Hole in the Wall Ranch”. No preregistration. General Information: Phil 518-429-023
Makers Revolution and Sustainable Food Movement
August 10 and 11, Saturday 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. and Sunday 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. We will be showcasing over 75 of the best and brightest Artisans in the local and regional Maker and Artisanal Specialty Food community. These Makers, who have been selectively juried, will converge within an eclectic village bringing forth the latest talent and hottest trends. Also, enjoy a Food Market including food trucks and prepackaged foods, a Book Market, a Tiny Bookmaking Workshop, and live music! For more Information – including a full list of vendors is available at www.MarketsAtRoundLake.com. This is a free event and a fundraiser for the Round Lake Libraries.
Looking for Unique Vendors and Artisans
Ballston Area Seniors are gearing up for their Annual Bazaar Saturday, November 9, at the Town of Milton Community Center, located at 310 Northline Rd. Ballston Spa. What is your specialty? Pickles, Relishes, jams and jellies, or any handmade crafts are appreciated and welcome. We are looking for you to join us. Indoor spaces 8’Wx7’D are $ 30. indoor only are (first come, first serve basis and electrical outlets indoor are limited.) Outdoor spaces 12’Wx10’D are $ 25. To receive an Exhibit Contract and a Town of Milton agreement contact the Bazaar Vendor Coordinator Sue Heimburg we can e-mail out contracts. Sheim381@aol.com or Call—518-885-8037 / text message.
Tuscan Treasures: Art, Food and Wine from Lucca to Florence
Academy for Lifelong Learning Announces Tour to Tuscany, November 10 – 18, 2024, is an enchanting medley of Renaissance cities, rolling hills and terraced vineyards. This very special region offers a quintessential Italian experience. From olive groves and cypress alleys to the romantic villages perched on rocky outcrops, the landscape here has become a symbol of the country as a whole. We will spend three nights in Lucca and four in Florence. Special features include wine tastings, lunch at a Tuscan farm, a cooking class preparing a three-course dinner, guided tour of the Uffizi Gallery and visit to the Accademia to view the renowned David. The double occupancy price for air and land is $5775. For additional information, contact goedventures@gmail.com.
Ballston Spa wrestling champion Mia Collins poses with State Senator Jim Tedisco and Assemblywoman Mary Beth Walsh. Photo provided by Adam Kramer.
ALBANY — State Senator Jim Tedisco and Assemblywoman Mary Beth Walsh celebrated Mia Collins, a girls wrestling state champion from Ballston Spa High School, earlier this week at the State Capitol in Albany. Collins was presented with a copy of a legislative resolution that honored her championship season.
Collins, a junior, captured the 2024 New York State Public High School Athletic Association Girls Wrestling Championship title in the 132-pound Division over top-seeded Alexa Doxey of Newfane High School at the Syracuse Research Corporation Arena and Events Center in January.
Prior to the final match, Mia recorded a 38-second pin in her first match; a reversal with 17 seconds remaining to win a 6-4 decision in her quarterfinal bout, and then put together a second-period pin in the semifinals.
Mia’s victory capped off an undefeated regular season record of 10-0. She was the first New York State Girls Wrestling Champion from Ballston Spa High School.
In light of her recent accomplishments, Mia Collins has garnered a National ranking of eighth in her weight class.
