SARATOGA SPRINGS — Dr. James V. Miller, 81, passed away on May 15, 2023 at Albany Medical Center. Funeral home service and calling hours were 5/24/2023 at Burke Funeral Home. Memorial donations to the Myotonic Dystrophy Foundation 663 Thirteenth Street, Suite 100, Oakland, CA 94612. (www.myotonic.org). Visit burkefuneralhome.com
SARATOGA SPRINGS — Joseph R. Brodell, 79, passed away Thursday, May 20, at home after a brief illness. Calling hours were 5/25/23. Mass 5/26/2026, 11 a.m. at St. Clement’s, burial with military honors following in St. Peter’s Cemetery. Memorial donations to St. Clement’s Church. Please visit burkefuneralhome.com
BALLSTON SPA — Julia T. Ballestero, 94, peacefully passed 5/17/2023. Memorial donations to Our Lady of Grace Roman Catholic Church, 73 Midline Rd, Ballston Lake, NY 12019. Calling hours were 5/21 at Burkes. Mass was 5/22 at Our Lady of Grace Roman Catholic Church, burial in St. Peter’s Cemetery. www.burkefuneralhome.com
MECHANICVILLE — Frederick W. Anderson, Jr. 85, passed May 20, 2023. Memorial donations to The Community Hospice of Saratoga or St. Luke’s on the Hill, Mechanicville. Calling hours 5/26/23, 10-12 followed by Mass at Luke’s on the Hill, Mechanicville, and interment at St. Peter’s Cemetery in Stillwater. www.burkefuneralhome.com
SARATOGA SPRINGS — This year marks the 85th anniversary and celebration of National Donut Day. Established in 1938 by The Salvation Army, National Donut Day is a reminder of the bravery of The “Donut Lassies” who joined soldiers’ on the front lines during World War I.
In 1917, The Salvation Army volunteers traveled to France and set up makeshift huts to provide soldiers with essential supplies, emotional and spiritual support, and fresh baked donuts. The sweet treat did more than raise spirits; it brought comfort and a taste of home to those who risked their lives.
Today, The Salvation Army continues serving on the front lines of our local communities by providing a wide range of programs and services to vulnerable individuals and families in need.
On Friday, June 2, in honor of National Donut Day, The Salvation Army of Saratoga Springs has partnered with Dunkin Donuts and will be handing out free donuts at corner of Broadway and Church, right outside Adirondack Trust.
For more information about National Donut Day or to download the Donut Lassies’ original recipe, visit easternusa.salvationarmy.org/eastern-territory/donut-day.
Halfmoon — The Town of Halfmoon Spray Park will be open for the summer season starting this Memorial Day weekend on Saturday, May 27 and Sunday, May 28. The Spray Park is a fun and refreshing attraction for children of all ages and a great way to enjoy the warmer weather.
The park will be open daily from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., except for weekdays from June 26 to August 4, when it will be reserved for the Halfmoon Summer Recreation program from 10 a.m. to Noon. The rest of the time, the spray park will be available for all Town residents to use. The spray park has a closing date of October 1.
Halfmoon Town Supervisor Kevin Tollisen said, “The spray park is one of our most popular amenities and a sign that summer has arrived in Halfmoon. We invite families to come and experience the joy of playing in the water and cooling off on a hot day. Our Town is proud to offer this wonderful facility for our community to enjoy.”
For more information about the Town of Halfmoon Spray Park and its hours of operation, call 518-371-7410, extension 2200.
Ballston Spa Annual Memorial Day Parade
Saturday, May 27 | 9 a.m.
Come out and honor the memory of U.S. servicemen and servicewomen. The Grand Marshal will be escorted by “Ballston’s Finest” along Doubleday Avenue across from Carousel Village and continue with a pause for a ceremony at the Kayderosseras Creek bridge then continue along Milton Avenue to Front Street where the parade proceeds to the Civil War Monument, turning onto Low Street to Veterans Park.
Hosted by the Village of Ballston Spa, Henry Cornell American Legion Post #234 and the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post #358, the schedule of events includes the Placing of Wreaths, a rifle salute by the combined veterans’ Honor Guard Rifle Squad, Invocation by Chaplain, Memorial Day address by our Officer Of the Day (OOD), Remarks from Grand Marshal, a reading of the Gettysburg Address by local Scouts of Troop 1, Flag Raising at Veterans Park, TAPS, Closing Benediction, followed by a reception in Wiswall Park.
Gerald B. H. Solomon Saratoga National Cemetery’s Memorial Day Ceremony
Saturday, May 27 | 11 a.m.
The Department of Veterans Affairs Gerald B.H. Solomon Saratoga National Cemetery will host a Memorial Day Ceremony, accompanied by remarks, keynote speaker, the firing of a military rifle volley, a cannon salute and the playing of Taps.The event is open to the public and will start promptly at 11 a.m. on Saturday, May 27 in the Assembly Area at the cemetery. Gerald B.H. Solomon Saratoga National Cemetery is located at 200 Duell Rd., Schuylerville.
Memorial Duathlon & 5K
Sunday, May 28 | 8 a.m.
On Sunday, May 28 the Saratoga Lions Club will sponsor their Memorial Duathlon and 5K. The race will begin at 8 a.m. at the Saratoga Casino Hotel. This community event brings families, friends and businesses together for a challenging and fun athletic event while acknowledging our fallen troops and veteran population. All event proceeds enhance the Saratoga Springs Lions Club efforts in helping individuals with sight and hearing disabilities, funding diabetes research and supporting other youth and community initiatives. To register, visit www.thememorialduathlon5k.com.
Corinth Memorial Day Parade
Tuesday, May 30 | 6 p.m.
The Corinth Memorial Day Parade will start at the corner of 4th and Palmer Ave. The Parade route will exit Palmer Ave and turn on West Mechanic St. and all will end at the Fire Station. There will be a short memorial and wreath laying at both Catholic & Protestant Cemeteries at 12 p.m. followed by a wreath laying ceremony at the bridge on West Mechanic St. These Ceremonies are open to the public. There will also be a ceremony at the bottom of school hill during the parade. People that watched the parade in the past downtown are encouraged to use the school hill. Parade Line up is 5 p.m., step off 6 p.m. Rain Date Wednesday, May 31.
SCHUYLERVILLE —Carly Wise opened the scoring just seconds into the game, and the Saratoga Springs varsity girls’ lacrosse team never looked back en route to a 8-5 victory over Shaker in the Section 2 Class A Championship on Wednesday.
Wise scored three goals to lead the Blue Streaks, with Faith Britton scoring twice. Allie Shamberger had a goal and two assists, with Janie Baringer adding a goal and an assist. Emery Judge also scored a goal for Saratoga, while goaltender Jenna Amodio made 10 saves.
Shaker hung with Saratoga early on, tying the game at 2-2 with 16:41 left in the first half on a goal by Ava Scattareggia, but back-to-back Blue Streak goals by Britton gave Saratoga a 4-2 lead entering halftime.
Wise scored early in the second half to extend the lead to 5-2 before Emery Judge quickly followed with a goal of her own, giving Saratoga a 6-2 advantage.
Shaker was able to get within two goals, with tallies by Sarah Bette and Kacie Pilla cutting the lead to 6-4 with 14 minutes left, but the Blue Streaks held strong defensively before pulling away in the final minutes.
Wise scored her third goal with 6:11 left to extend the lead to 7-4, and Shamberger followed with a goal to make it 8-4 with four minutes remaining. Lauren O’Hagan scored for Shaker with 1:03 left, but the Bison were unable to mount a rally further, with Saratoga sealing an 8-5 victory.
It is the first Section 2 title for Blue Streaks’ head coach Jennifer Furze, in her first season leading the varsity team, and the first for the Saratoga girls’ team since 2018.
Saratoga (14-5) will play the Section 1 Class A Champion in the NYSPHSAA Sub-Regionals at 7:30 p.m. on May 30 at Schuylerville High School.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — The Saratoga Regional YMCA (SRYMCA) launched the public phase of their Capital Campaign on Friday, May 5, at their Saratoga Springs branch located on West Avenue. YMCA staff, members, major donors, volunteers and community partners gathered for a morning kick-off celebration, followed by a tour of the project’s construction site.
This project officially broke ground last June, and attendees of Friday’s public kickoff event were able to tour the construction site to envision a renewed, vibrant and connected intergenerational wellness hub. The Y’s expanded facilities will include a new Wellness Center, housing several spaces for weight training, group exercise classes, athletic training and chronic disease prevention programming.
A new Gymnasium will help accommodate the growing demand for pickleball leagues, summer day camp, youth sports and before and after school programming. The new space will also include a new Youth Adventure Center; an indoor play space with a Saratoga/horse racing theme. Parents may use this space for supervised play for children 6 weeks to 10 years, enabling more families to take advantage of the Y.
The idea to expand its services through a capital campaign developed last year when the Saratoga Regional Y and the Saratoga Senior Center partnered up for the project’s first phase.
The Senior Center, in need of a larger space to provide for its ever-growing senior population, will move onto the Saratoga Springs YMCA’s West Avenue campus into a new 14,500 square-foot home. The campus’ new Shared Intergenerational Lobby will connect the Y and the Senior Center, creating a central meeting space for active older adults to easily access the valuable resources that both nonprofits offer.
To begin development on this capital project, a generous lead gift of $3M was donated last year by Bill and Susan Dake and Stewart’s Shops. The Charles R. Wood Foundation has also challenged the community and made a matching grant of $300,000 to support this endeavor. This grant’s purpose is to encourage local community members to join their support of this capital project and uplift the YMCA’s mission to be a community space for all ages to build healthy minds, bodies and spirits.
These private dollars have made a significant impact on the campaign; to date, the Saratoga Regional Y has raised 76% towards its $8.9M goal. Now, the Y is asking its community for support, and to consider donating towards the remaining $2M. Gifts of any amount make an impact and will help ensure that the YMCA will have the space and resources to answer the needs of the Saratoga and surrounding community for another 150 years.
To be a part of the Y’s transformation, please contact Scott Clark, CEO, at 518-583-9622, ext. 106 or at scott.clark@srymca.org, or visit srymca.org/main/capital-campaign to learn more.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — Families will return to Congress Park June 4 for the annual Cantina Kids Fun Run to support children’s health care at Saratoga Hospital.
The Fun Run made its debut in 2008 and has become a family favorite, attracting hundreds of children and parents, rain or shine. Together, they’ve raised over $756,000 to help provide equipment, education and other services that enhance pediatric care at Saratoga Hospital.
The Fun Run was the brainchild of Cantina restaurant owners Jeff and Heath Ames, who teamed up with Saratoga Hospital Foundation to give back in appreciation for the lifesaving care their daughter has received at the hospital. The event brings families and organizations together for a healthy outdoor activity, and a worthy cause. This year’s presenting sponsor is New Country Motor Car Group.
The race starts at 9 a.m. Early-bird registration is $15 through May 18. Pre-registration, for $20, will continue through May 31. Race-day registration is $25.
Event details:
June 4 at 9 a.m. in Congress Park, near the Carousel.
• Run as a family: Strollers are welcome.
• Pre-registration: Online now through May 31 at 12 p.m. Pre-registered runners can pick up race packets in advance on June 3, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. in Congress Park, near the Carousel.
• Race-day registration: June 4, 8-8:30 a.m. in Congress Park, near the Carousel.
• Two courses: Quarter mile recommended for kids seven and under or one mile recommended for kids 8-12.
• Medals: For all runners up to age 12. Trophies to the top three boys and girls on each course. “Healthiest School” award to the school with the highest participation.
For more information, go to www.cantinakidsfunrun.org or call 518-583-8663.
