SARATOGA SPRINGS — Joyce Dominick-Schaefer, 81, passed away Friday, May 12, 2023. Calling hours are 3-6 p.m., Monday 5/22/2023 at Burke Funeral Home. Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10 a.m. Tuesday, 5/23 at Church of St. Peter, Saratoga Springs. Online remembrances may be made at www.burkefuneralhome.com
SARATOGA SPRINGS — Veronica Julia King Stevens passed 5/10/2023. The family would like to extend a thank you to everyone who had a hand in helping her until the end. Calling hours are 2 – 4 p.m., Saturday 5/20/2023 at Burke Funeral Home. Funeral home service 4 p.m. Burial is private. Please visit www.burkefuneralhome.com
SARATOGA SPRINGS — AnnMarie Powers Kenyon passed away unexpectedly March 15, 2023. Born in Saratoga Springs on December 12, 1946, she lived here her entire life. Calling hours are 10-12 p.m., Thursday, 5/25/2023 at Burke Funeral Home. Graveside service to follow at 12:30 at St. Mary’s Cemetery in Corinth. www.burkefuneralhome.com
BALLSTON SPA — Martin A. Kondenar Jr., 69, passed away on May 14, 2023 at his residence. Calling hours were 5/17/23 with a funeral service 5/18 at Burke Funeral Home followed by burial in North Milton Cemetery. Memorial donations to Friends of The Saratoga County Animal Shelter. Please visit www.burkefuneralhome.com
BALLSTON SPA — The Saratoga County History Center presents Fridays in the Herb Garden program “Pungent Perfection: Garlic and Rosemary” on May 19 at 2 p.m.
Kathleen Royka and Marilyn Stephenson will talk about types of garlic and rosemary. This program will take place outside, in the beautiful gardens of Brookside Museum, weather permitting. As always, questions and discussions about any aspect of gardening, historic or otherwise, will be welcome. Programs are free, and open, though registration and donations are appreciated. Visit www.brooksidemuseum.networkforgood.com/events/56551-herb-garden-garlic-and-rosemary.
Fridays in the Herb Garden will continue with two programs next month: “Hear the Buzz – Launching a Pollinator Garden” on June 9 and “Step into a Colonial Door Garden” on June 16. Both events will take place from 2:30 – 4 p.m.
Brookside Museum is located at 21 Fairground Ave., Ballston Spa. Visit www.brooksidemuseum.org for more information.
BALLSTON SPA — The Saratoga County History Center at Brookside Museum hosts “A Call to Duty: Saratoga County Veterans in WWII,” a free talk presented by Chris Carola at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, May 24.
As a history buff and former Albany-based AP reporter, Carola tells the stories of the many Saratoga County residents who served in the military during the Second World War.
He was inspired to research and document the experiences of Saratoga County veterans after coming across a scrapbook in the Saratoga Room of the Saratoga Springs Public Library that underscored how many local men were stationed all over the world during the war.
During the hour-long talk, Carola will use local archives, wartime articles from the Saratogian and his own interviews with WWII veterans, to share the experiences of dozens of men and women who answered their nation’s call to duty. The talk will be followed by a question & answer period with Carola.
Registration for the talk is at www.brooksidemuseum.org. For more information, contact the Saratoga County History Center at 518-885-4000 or info@brooksidemuseum.org.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — The Friends of the Ulysses S. Grant Cottage Board of Trustees will discuss the plans for the future of Ulysses S. Grant Cottage State Historic Site & National Historic Landmark.
The public is invited to the event, which will take place 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 23 in the Gideon Putnam Room (Saratoga Regional Offices) at Saratoga Spa State Park.
Mt. McGregor and Grant Cottage Historic Site have seen dramatic changes over the last 136 years since the Grant family lived here.
The organization is embarking on the next phase in that journey crafting a new vision for the future of the Historic Site – a vision that allows everyone to access and enjoy the site in new and meaningful ways while striving for historical integrity.
SCHUYLERVILLE — Residents of Schuylerville Central School District voted Tuesday to approve the district’s budget for the 2023-24 school year by a vote of 515 in favor and 102 against.
The budget totals $38.4 million, and carries a 0.63% spending decrease with an estimated tax levy increase of 1.98%.
“On behalf of the Board of Education and administration, I’d like to thank the community for their support,” said superintendent Gregg Barthelmas in a statement released by the district. “The 2023-24 budget is one that maintains the district’s strong level of academic opportunities for all students, with a focus on mental health prioritization. It is our goal to present taxpayers with a fair and balanced budget. Schuylerville CSD has always been known for its high-quality education and the passage of this budget continues to preserve that for our students.”
District residents also elected three candidates to the SCSD Board of Education. Jamie Martin (514 votes) and Michele Renner (426 votes) were each elected to serve five-year terms, while Shaun Cumm (320 votes) was elected to a one-year term.
Martin is a graduate of Schuylerville High School. She earned a bachelor’s degree at Villanova University and a postgraduate certificate at Russell Sage College, and currently works as a registered dietitian at Hudson Headwaters Health Network.
Renner is a resident of Schuylerville and has a son in the high school, as well as two older sons who graduated from the district. She has worked as an elementary teacher for 28 years, and currently works at Geyser Road Elementary School in the Saratoga Springs City School District.
Cumm is a resident of Gansevoort and graduated from South Glens Falls High School. He works as a physician’s assistant at Glens Falls Hospital for Adirondack Cardiology. Cumm has been a volunteer for the South High Marathon Dance for over 20 years, and has coached a variety of youth sports.
BALLSTON SPA — Ballston Spa Central School District residents voted Tuesday to approve the district’s budget for the 2023-24 school year, and also voted to approve two propositions.
The proposed budget is $104,232,811, and was approved by an unofficial vote of 941 in favor to 348 against. The school vehicle replacement proposition (Proposition II) passed by an unofficial vote of 970 in favor to 316 against, and the Ballston Spa Public Library proposition (Proposition III) passed by an unofficial vote of 1,043 in favor to 245 against, according to results made available by the district.
The 2023-24 budget contains a 5.7% increase in expenditures from 2022-23, and a tax levy of $58,016,479, a 3.1% increase from 2022-23.
The school vehicle replacement proposition (Proposition II) will allow the district to spend up to $965,000 to purchase and replace school buses and vehicles. The Ballston Spa Public Library proposition (Proposition III) will allow the district to collect and contribute $62,102 to the public library for expenses of operation.
District residents also elected three candidates to three available seats on the BSCSD Board of Education on Tuesday. Matt Dreher (929 votes), Katie Whittemore (893 votes), and Julia Routbort Baskin (826 votes) each were elected to the BSCSD Board of Education.
Each candidate will serve a three-year term.
Whittemore was re-elected to the board for a second term, having first been elected in 2020. She has twice been elected vice president of the board. Whittemore has two children in the district, and has worked as a mathematics teacher at Shenendehowa High School since 2006.
Baskin was elected for her first full term, having been appointed to the board in September 2022 following the resignation of Wayne Evans Jr. She works as Associate Dean of Student Affairs for Health and Wellness at Skidmore College, and has two children who attended the district. She has lived in Ballston Spa for 19 years.
Dreher was re-elected for his second term on the board, having first been elected in 2020. He is a graduate of Ballston Spa, and has two children who attended the district. Dreher works as a Senior Caseworker for Adult Protective Services at the Saratoga County Department of Social Services, and is a board member at the Christian Childhood Center at St. Paul’s.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — Saratoga Springs City School District residents voted Tuesday to approve the district’s budget for the 2023-24 school year, and voted to pass the district’s bus bond proposition.
The proposed budget totals $142,718,530, and was approved by an unofficial vote of 4,213 to 1,204. The bus bond proposition was approved by an unofficial vote of 3,971 to 1,009, according to the district. The Board of Education voted unanimously to approve the results of the budget vote and election at its meeting on Wednesday.
The budget features a tax levy change of 2.75%, below the local tax cap of 2.77%.
The bus bond proposition authorizes the district to spend an estimated $1,525,000 for the purchase of six 66-passenger school buses, four 30-passenger buses, and a 25-passenger bus with wheelchair lift. 40% of the purchase would be reimbursed by aid from New York State.
Residents also voted to appoint three candidates to the district’s Board of Education to serve three-year terms.
Beth Fogarty Braxton (3,679 votes), Tony Krackeler (3,581 votes), and Anjeanette Emeka (3,412 votes) each were elected to serve on the SSCSD Board of Education.
Krackeler is the current president of the Board, which he has served on since 2020. The CEO of Krackeler Scientific, he has three children in the district.
Emeka was elected for her third term on the Board, having served since 2017. She works as Director of Academic Review at SUNY Empire. Emeka has been elected president of the Board twice, and vice president once.
Braxton was elected to her first term on the Board. She works as Associate Professor of Counseling and Division Chair at SUNY Adirondack. Braxton is a native of Saratoga Springs, and her mother taught in the district for over 30 years. She has three children in the district.
