Author: Saratoga TODAY

SARATOGA SPRINGS —Saratoga Jewish Community Arts, supported by a generous grant from the Jewish Federation of Northeastern NY and sponsored by Temple Sinai of Saratoga Springs, presents a panel discussion of the 2015 documentary Colliding Dreams by American filmmakers Joseph Dorman and Oren Rudavsky on April 28 at 7 pm on Zoom.

 Few ideas in the modern era have had as much impact on the world as Zionism. Colliding Dreams recounts the movement’s dramatic history, one of the most controversial and urgently relevant political ideologies of today. 

 “What does the future hold – what’s the solution?” SAID Phyllis Wang, Coordinator of SJCA, in a statement “We hear all the time, ‘it’s complicated.’ That perspective shows an inciteful awareness of the countless interlocking pieces in this history — and offers little guidance or a route to resolution.”

 Colliding Dreams can be viewed free of charge on Kanopy (registration with a library card required). It can also be rented from Apple, Google Play and You Tube. 

 The panel discussion will be held on Zoom on April 28 at 7 p.m. To register go to the SJCA Home Page www.saratogajewishculturalfestival.org. 

SARATOGA SPRINGS — City Mayor John Safford on April 16 proclaimed Hayden Shields and Sophie O’Donnell Day, and honored the Saratoga Springs High School seniors with the keys to the city for saving a life of a car accident victim one year ago in Saratoga Springs.

On the afternoon of April 13, 2023, Shields and O’Donnell were driving south on West Avenue when another car traveling in the opposite direction suddenly swerved into their path and crashed into a utility pole. 

“Fortunately Mr. Shields and Ms. O’Donnell suffered no injuries, and they might have chosen at that moment to drive on just as many other nearby vehicles were doing. They chose instead to do something very different,” reads the proclamation. “They parked their vehicle, dialed 911 to immediately report the accident, and then rushed to the scene of the accident to see if there was anything they could do to help.” 

Following the reading of the proclamation, Shields and O’Donnell received a standing ovation at City Hall. 

SARATOGA SPRINGS — City Mayor John Safford on April 16 proclaimed Hayden Shields and Sophie O’Donnell Day, and honored the Saratoga Springs High School seniors with the keys to the city for saving a life of a car accident victim one year ago in Saratoga Springs.

On the afternoon of April 13, 2023, Shields and O’Donnell were driving south on West Avenue when another car traveling in the opposite direction suddenly swerved into their path and crashed into a utility pole. 

“Fortunately Mr. Shields and Ms. O’Donnell suffered no injuries, and they might have chosen at that moment to drive on just as many other nearby vehicles were doing. They chose instead to do something very different,” reads the proclamation. “They parked their vehicle, dialed 911 to immediately report the accident, and then rushed to the scene of the accident to see if there was anything they could do to help.” 

Following the reading of the proclamation, Shields and O’Donnell received a standing ovation at City Hall. 

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Albany— Sen. Jim Tedisco (R,C-Ballston Lake) earlier this month emceed the 21st annual Missing Persons Day Ceremony at the NYS Museum and Cultural Education Center, which is sponsored by the Center for Hope. 

The event brings together family members of missing persons from across the state to share ways of coping and keeping hope alive, to prevent abductions and share information to find those who are missing. 

Missing Persons Day is organized by Mary Lyall of the Center for Hope in Ballston Spa, whose daughter, Suzanne, went missing from the University at Albany in 1998. 

The Center for Hope, started by Mary and Doug Lyall, has been a national leader in efforts to help find missing persons and advocating for legislation and innovative programs on the state and federal levels. 

“The commemoration of Missing Persons Day has been led by a hero of mine, Mary Lyall, the mother of Suzanne Lyall,” Sen. Tedisco said in a statement. “Mary, and her late husband Doug, founded the Center for Hope in Ballston Spa to advocate for missing persons and for legislation and policies to help families of missing persons and ensure what happened to them did not happen to other families. Through this event, we continue to get the message out about the need to keep remembering those who are missing and to keep hope alive.”

SARATOGA COUNTY — Congressman Paul Tonko (NY-20) introduced his Cultural Resources Challenges Act, new legislation that would support and protect the nation’s cultural resources by empowering the National Park Service (NPS) to expand historic preservation efforts.

Tonko’s legislation came days after the National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA) released their Cultural Resources Challenge for the National Parks Service report, which called upon Congress to better support and fund NPS to restore and protect the nation’s resources.

“Our national parks are powerful, awe-inspiring records of our rich heritage and history,” Congressman Tonko said in a statement. “Despite their vital historic and economic benefits, our cultural resources are continuously underfunded and facing dire threats through natural disasters and climate change. My Cultural Resources Challenge Act seeks to address these threats. By addressing staff shortages with the National Park Service, confronting the role of climate change, and improving resiliency and accessibility of cultural resources, my bill will help ensure our cultural resources can continue to connect individuals and communities with the stories of our shared past and inspire future generations.”

The Cultural Resources Challenge Act of 2024 would: Require NPS to enhance cultural resources stewardship including by addressing staff shortages, update NPS guidance on cultural resources research and engagement, advance resource preservation and interpretation, provide technical assistance, and encourage interdisciplinary work and skills sharing. 

Additionally, it would direct NPS to develop curriculum to provide training to all park managers and staff, and establish a competitive NPS grant program focused on the resiliency and accessibility of cultural resources that prioritizes projects which address the role of climate change, involve underrepresented groups in historical preservation, engage with storytelling, and empower future generations to engage in historic preservation.

SARATOGA SPRINGS —The family of Sheila Shepherd is offering a $50,000 reward to anyone that can provide credible evidence that leads to the positive identification, and/or arrest of the individual(s) responsible for her murder, according to a press release and image released by the Saratoga Springs Police Department April 19. 

The information provided can remain anonymous if desired. 

Case Information: On Nov. 25, 1980 Sheila Shepherd, a 22-year-old woman, was found deceased in her apartment on Church Street at approximately 10 a.m. She was was last seen Nov. 23 in the downtown area of Saratoga Springs. After failing to appear at her school for several days, her family was contacted and Shepherd was located at her apartment. 

Numerous interviews and pieces of evidence processed in the investigation have yielded few leads, police said, adding that the investigation has led to a theory that the individual(s) responsible for this crime were known to the victim. 

If you have any information that could lead to the identification and/or arrest call 518-584-TIPS (8477), or email: tips@saratogapolice.org.