MALTA — Michael F. Marko died July 12, 2023. Calling hours were held Monday, July 17 at Compassionate Funeral Care. A mass service was held Tuesday, July 18 at St. Clement’s Church followed by interment at Gerald B.H. Solomon Saratoga National Cemetery. Condolences may be shared at compassionatefuneralcare.com
SARATOGA SPRINGS — The Saratoga Springs History Museum will host a discussion of the many fascinating symbols found in historic Greenridge Cemetery, as well as early burial, mourning and funeral customs.
This illustrated talk takes place at 7 p.m. Thursday, July 27, 2023, and is presented by Jacqueline Bunge, the History Museum’s Education Director.
Consecrated on June 8, 1844, Greenridge was influenced by the Rural Cemetery Movement popular in the first half of the 19th century. Laid out in park-like fashion, paths and roadways meander through forested rolling hills, creating pleasant vistas. The idea was to create a place of beauty to help ease the pain of mourning.
Symbols such as weeping willows, inverted torches and broken columns tell unique stories when found on gravestones, mausoleums and other memorials. Notable grave markers to be discussed include: locomotive engineer Willoby McMillan, pianist Obed Coleman, poet sisters Lucretia and Margaret Davidson, the Batcheller family and inventor Ransom Cook.
Also to be explored in the talk: Unique areas of the cemetery including the Mary L. Sackett Memorial Gates, the Civil War Memorial and “The Hiker” Spanish–American War Memorial.
The live program takes place in the parlor of the historic Canfield Casino. Admission is free for History Museum Members, and $10 for non-Members. Tickets and more details at www.saratogahistory.org/events.
SARATOGA COUNTY — A pair of Revolution Along the Hudson River programs are scheduled to take place July 25 at Stillwater’s Riverfront Park and Aug. 1 at Hudson Crossing Park in Schuylerville.
The summer speaker series, Revolution on the Hudson, is an event series created and presented by America’s Turning Point, that will engage the community and honor the rich history of the region.
The programs were announced during a recent meeting of the towns of Saratoga and Stillwater 250th American Revolution Committee. During the meeting, the committee discussed recent accomplishments and future plans for commemorative events.
America’s Turning Point Pathways through History weekend, slated for Oct. 7-8, will take place at the Stillwater Blockhouse, Saratoga Battlefield, and Schuyler House, providing visitors with a unique glimpse into the struggles and triumphs of the American Revolution in the local area. This is part of the Town’s partnership with the Saratoga County 250th Commission, America’s Turning Point, and the Saratoga National Historical Park.
The meeting also addressed the need to identify an appropriate location for the 2027 Battles Commemorations and a smaller event planned for 2024.
The next committee meeting is scheduled to take place Sept. 13. For more information about the upcoming events, contact the Towns of Saratoga and Stillwater 250th American Revolution Committee through Mackenzie Macey, Historian Town of Stillwater mmacey@stillwaterny.org.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — The 2023 summer meet at Saratoga Race Course is underway and will continue through Monday, September 4. Racing will be conducted five days a week, Wednesdays through Sundays, apart from the final week, when the meet will conclude on Labor Day. Admission gates will open for live racing at 11 a.m. First post time is 1:10 p.m. (with exceptions for Whitney and Travers Days and closing weekend; Travers Day gates will open at 7 a.m.) The 2023 summer meet will feature the following events:
Week 2 Stake Races
*Mondays and Tuesdays = Dark Days. No racing.
Saratoga Live presents daily coverage of the summer meet at Saratoga Race Course on FOX Sports. For the complete Saratoga Live broadcast schedule, and additional programming information, visit NYRA.com/SaratogaLive.
Friday, July 21 Curlin (R): 3YO, 1 1/8 – Dirt, Purse $135,000
GIII Lake George: F3YO, 1 Mile – Turf, Purse $175,000
Saturday, July 22
GIII Caress: F&M 4&UP, 5 1/2 Furlongs – Turf, Purse $200,000
GI Coaching Club American Oaks: F3YO, 1 1/8 – Dirt, Purse $500,000
Sunday, July 23
GII Shuvee: F&M 4&UP, 1 1/8 – Dirt, Purse $200,000
Wednesday, July 26
GII Honorable Miss Handicap: F&M 3&UP, 6 Furlongs – Dirt, Purse $200,000
Thursday, July 27
Birdstone: 4&UP, 1 3/4 – Dirt, Purse $150,000
Premium Giveaways
Friday, July 21
COOLER JUG PRESENTED BY NYRA BETS
The first giveaway of the season is a Saratoga branded, 64-ounce, red and white cooler jug, presented by NYRA Bets.
Community Outreach Booth
As part of NYRA’s season-long commitment to spreading awareness of local non-profits, NYRA will again host one organization each day in the Community Outreach Booth, located adjacent to the Jockey Silks Room, inside Gate B. On Opening Day, NYRA will host Jewish War Veterans Post 36 – Saratoga Springs, a leading Veterans Service Organization that supports and advocates for all uniformed service members, veterans and their families.
Friday, July 21: Saratoga Bridges
Saturday, July 22: After the Fire
Sunday, July 23: Amplify Horse Racing
Wednesday, July 26: Ávila Independent Retirement Community
Thursday, July 27: Saratoga Springs Fire Department
Purdy’s Summer Concert Stage
The Purdy’s Summer Concert Stage will host live musical performances each afternoon of the season from popular local and regional bands. This year’s summer music stage is presented by Purdy’s Discount Wine & Liquor in Saratoga Springs.
Friday, July 21: Mark and Jill Blues
Saturday, July 22: IMI
Sunday, July 23: The Hawthornes
Wednesday, July 26: Bluebillies
Thursday, July 27: Fenimore Blues
HANDICAPPING SEMINAR AND MEET-AND-GREET
Every Sunday beginning July 23
Enjoy your Sunday at the races in the Spa’s newest hospitality venue, the climate-controlled Paddock Suite, learning betting strategies and tips from expert handicappers. Guests will also be treated to a meet-and-greet with Saratoga Race Course’s new track announcer Frank Mirahmadi, along with a rotating cast of on-track talent, personalities and VIPs. Tickets can be purchased through Fevo.
Berkshire Bank Family ZONE
Fans will enjoy 40 days of the Berkshire Bank Family Zone, an interactive play area for children located near Gate A, which will be supplemented by Berkshire Bank Family Sundays.
Berkshire Bank Family Sundays – Every Sunday:
The popular family-friendly weekly event features a wide variety of free activities, games, attractions and educational experiences from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Berkshire Bank Family Zone, located inside Gate A near the Saratoga Race Course Box Office. For July 23, the theme is Christmas in July and will feature a holiday DIY craft station, giant snow globe, carnival booth and photo opportunities with Santa Claus.
First Responders Day
Thursday, July 27
First Responders Day pays tribute to first responders with free general admission (proper ID required). Special events will include a Police K-9 infield show, performances by the New York State Trooper Pipes and Drums, and demonstrations by several first responder agencies.
SARATOGA LOW ROLLER CONTEST
Every Thursday And Sunday
Horseplayers can enjoy the Saratoga Low Roller Contest held exclusively on-track every Thursday and Sunday at Saratoga Race Course. Fans can pre-register on contest days outside the Miller Time Fourstardave Sports Bar. There is a $40 buy-in, of which $30 will go to the player’s bankroll and $10 to the prize pool. The winner will receive a Saratoga Low Roller championship T-shirt in addition to the cash prize.
Taste NY Pavilion
Every Thursday – Sunday
New York-made food and beverages will be available for sample and purchase at the Taste NY Pavilion, located inside Gate A at the Top of the Stretch, where fans can enjoy New York craft beer, cider, wine, spirits, cheese, chocolate and gelato. This year marks a decade since the launch of the Taste NY program.
SARATOGA Breakfast and Breeding Farm Tours
Every Wednesday – Friday
Expanded for its second year, NYRA is continuing the Saratoga Breakfast and Breeding Farm Tour. Tours this year will be offered Wednesday through Friday throughout the meet. Wednesday tours will travel to Song Hill Thoroughbreds, while Thursday and Friday tours will visit Old Tavern Farm.
Guests will enjoy a buffet breakfast at Saratoga Race Course before taking a CDTA trolley to the designated farm, where they will participate in a 60- to 90-minute guided walking tour of a working thoroughbred breeding farm. Admission to the races in the afternoon is included in the package. Tickets, which are $85 for adults and $35 for children 12 and under, must be reserved in advance at NYRA.com.
SUNDAY BRUNCH AT THE RAIL OF THE 1863 CLUB
Every Sunday
Fans are invited to enjoy a brunch buffet while experiencing The Rail at the 1863 Club, the first-floor banquet space at the 1863 Club. Tickets start at $100 and include admission, a table seat for the day, brunch buffet, soft drinks, two mimosa or Bloody Mary drink tickets per person, Post Parade program book, tax and gratuity. Reservations are available by calling the NYRA Box Office at 844-NYRA-TIX or online at Ticketmaster.com.
Breakfast at Saratoga
Breakfast at Saratoga welcomes guests to enjoy a morning buffet at The Porch with a view of the thoroughbreds training on the main track. Breakfast is available every live racing day from 7 to 9:30 a.m., excluding Travers Day and Labor Day.
Fans can also go behind the scenes with a free, guided backstretch tram tour, driven by CDTA. Tram tours run from 7:30 to 9 a.m. and depart from the clubhouse entrance approximately every 15 minutes. Tours are available on a first-come, first-served basis and are 45 minutes in length. Tours are available every live racing day with the exception of Travers Day and Labor Day.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — Green Mountain Electric Supply is looking to purchase a building in the W.J. Grande Industrial Park to serve as its New York headquarters, according to an application filed with the Saratoga County Industrial Development Agency.
The company is seeking to acquire 10 Skyward Drive, which is currently home to SKS Bottle and Packaging, to serve as its headquarters for the company’s New York management and finance team, and a warehouse for electrical materials and supplies, according to a submitted project description. The building is 143,000 square feet, the documents state.
Green Mountain Electric Supply is a “wholesale supplier of electrical supplies” and has 16 branch locations and two distribution locations in New York, the documents state. Based in Colchester, Vermont, they currently have Capital Region locations in Albany and Queensbury, according to their website.
Green Mountain is seeking tax exemptions from SCIDA for sales, real property, and mortgage recording taxes. Over a five-year span, the company would receive an estimated $91,000 sales tax exemption, an estimated $105,000 mortgage recording tax exemption, and an estimated $1,366,408 real property tax exemption, according to the documents.
The company is being represented by Jeremy H. Speich of Harris Beach PLLC in Albany. Green Mountain would pay $14 million to acquire the building, and approximately $18.2 million in total, the documents state.
At their meeting on July 11, the industrial development agency voted unanimously to move the application to a public hearing.
WHITE PLAINS — Trailways of New York announced on July 5 the immediate addition of new service to and from Montreal, PQ, in the wake of Amtrak’s suspension of service.
“With air travel snarled by equipment, weather and personnel issues and Amtrak suspending service – we felt the right thing to do was to add service effective immediately,” said Nick Crist, Trailways of New York Vice President of Operations and Safety, in a press release.
The additional service brings Trailways of New York’s total number of daily trips to and from Montreal, PQ to ten. Six daily trips will allow travelers direct service leaving Montreal, PQ to:
• Plattsburgh
• Glens Falls
• Saratoga Springs
• Albany Airport
• Albany Downtown
• SUNY Albany
• Catskill
• Kingston
• New Paltz
• New York
• Ridgewood, New Jersey
MILTON — A new restaurant in Milton, Neighborhood Kitchen, opened in March, offering a variety of Italian-American takeout options and emphasizing a “neighborhood feel.”
Neighborhood Kitchen offers takeout and delivery, with customers ordering by phone, in person, or online. The restaurant opened in March at 312 Rowland St, and is operated by partners Chip and Wendy Lawrence, and Brian Donaldson, who is also the head chef.
Chip Lawrence said he and his wife Wendy grew up in Milton, and have “fond memories” of visiting Mary’s Country Store, which formerly operated at the location.
“It was this iconic little country market, before the big supermarkets, and certainly before Milton was developed,” said Lawrence. “We have fond memories of penny candy, and Hershey’s ice cream. Just going there for market stuff.”
Neighborhood Kitchen is open seven days a week, offering breakfast, lunch, and dinner options. The restaurant offers a variety of breakfast sandwiches, and serves sandwiches, salads, and smaller portions of pastas and main dishes at lunch, Lawrence said.
The main dishes include a variety of offerings such as chicken parmigiana, chicken and filet involtinis, pork pinwheel, and more. One dish, Chicken Luisa, is named in honor of Luisa Cirelli, the former owner of Villa Luisa, who Donaldson had worked for.
“Brian worked for her 20 years ago, and learned a lot of his culinary skills from her,” said Lawrence. “That dish is paying homage to Luisa and her family.”
The restaurant also features a variety of pastas, such as gnocchi bolognese and short rib ravioli, as well as additional offerings such as a crispy chicken sandwich and a variety of salads. The restaurant offers family-style meals and catering, with Lawrence saying they have catered “a lot” of graduation parties, and will cater a wedding next month.
The restaurant does not have indoor seating, but has set up several picnic tables outside. Neighborhood Kitchen is also working on putting together ‘track packs,’ picnic-style lunches customers could bring along during a visit to the Saratoga Race Course, said Wendy Lawrence.
The restaurant delivers to a roughly five-mile radius, Chip Lawrence said, stretching into downtown Saratoga Springs, Ballston Spa, and into Galway and Greenfield. They also feature a small market section, which offers selections of candy and market items in a nod to Mary’s Country Store.
“We were bringing that Mary’s Country Store piece back from when we were kids,” Lawrence said. “The kids would ride their bikes there. … That’s bringing back that neighborhood experience.”
The Lawrences own The Basin Grill in Schuylerville, and formerly ran Circa ‘21 at McGregor Links Country Club in Wilton. Donaldson had worked for the Lawrences at The Basin Grill, and had partnered with the pair to run Circa ‘21, Lawrence said.
Donaldson had the concept for Neighborhood Kitchen, described by Lawrence as “higher-end Italian-American takeout,” in the works for roughly a decade, and eventually found the former Mary’s Country Store location on Rowland St.
“We’ve done restaurants for 30 years, but this is a whole new concept,” said Lawrence.
The building had sat vacant for a number of years following the closure of Bongiorno’s Pizzeria. The Lawrences and Donaldson purchased the building in April 2022, and after renovating the space, officially opened in March of this year.
Lawrence gave credit to Town of Milton officials, saying they were “such great partners” throughout the process.
“The Town of Milton, from the supervisor to the building department, they were so supportive,” Lawrence said. “Now we’re open, it’s been very well-received. It’s just nice seeing Brian’s passion bleed right through.”
Four months in, Lawrence said the restaurant has already begun to receive regular customers, and emphasized the goal of providing a “neighborhood vibe.”
“We’ve got so many regulars,” said Lawrence. “We’ve got a ton of support from customers who visit. … That’s what we want, that whole neighborhood vibe.”
Lawrence said Neighborhood Kitchen is working to carry produce and products from local farmers, noting that eggs for their breakfast sandwiches are from Thomas Poultry Farm in Schuylerville.
In the future, Lawrence said the group would consider potentially opening additional locations in other Saratoga County communities.
“We want it to have that neighborhood feel,” Lawrence said. “It’s been very well-received. … It’s so rewarding to see.”
BALLSTON
Ellen Dwyer sold property at 146 Round Lake Rd to Shannon Fitzgerald for $355,000
Traditional Home Builders and Developers sold property at 50 Mallory Way to Charlie Twiss for $646,513
GALWAY
James Otto sold property at 1277 Point Rd to David Thompson for $185,000
GREENFIELD
Steven Weaver sold property at 73 Daketown Rd to Casandra Campion for $412,000
Stewarts Shops Corp sold property at 26 Locust Grove Rd to William Bohrer for $200,000
MALTA
Kevin Mastroianni sold property at 3 Morning Glory Dr to Robert Dichiaro for $520,000
Michelle Allen sold property at 26 Cedarwood Dr to John Mabeus for $275,000
Charles Delong sold property at 22 Lake Ave to Donald Nerf for $262,000
Belmonte Properties LLC sold property at 13 West Ave to Philip Somersall for $628,212
SARATOGA SPRINGS
Alyson Johns sold property at 93 5th Ave to Richard Bechguenturian for $1,200,000
David Crenshaw sold property at 64 North Lane Unit 3A to Jorge Casal for $1,075,000
46 Curt Blvd Land Trust sold property at 46 Curt Blvd to Matthew Geandreau for $309,900.
Oklahoma Dreaming LLC sold property at 211 Union Ave to Amanda Troutman for $750,000
West Ave Development LLC sold property at 116 West Ave Unit 307 to Juliana Nussbickel for $630,000
Jeffrey Olesko sold property at 18 Division St to Renato Belleti for $1,100,000
WILTON
Jeremy Van Wormer sold property at 15 Challedon Dr to Robert Clark for $435,000.
Frederick Lewis sold property at 11 Rolling Green Dr to Ronald Bentley for $800,000
Jacquelyn Perillat sold property at 49 Woodard Rd to Jay King for $215,000.
Babson Homes LLC sold property at Ruggles Rd to Monsour Enterprises LLC for $150,000
James Reger sold property at 5 Santee Dr to Matthew Powers for $375,000.
John Biss sold property at 4248 Route 50 to Native Partners LLC for $361,500
Julia Tuczynski sold property at 7 Oldham Pl to Robert Sciulli for $725,000.
