SARATOGA SPRINGS — Betty Ballou, age 74, passed away on Wednesday, March 22, 2023 at home. A graveside service was held on Monday, March 27, 2023 at Greenridge Cemetery in Saratoga Springs. For online condolences, visit compassionatefuneralcare.com
SARATOGA SPRINGS — The annual Saratoga Northeast Woodworkers Showcase celebrated it’s 30th anniversary this past weekend on March 25 and 26 at the Saratoga Springs City Center.
What started 30 years ago, with the humble beginning of being held at a high school – put on by a few dedicated woodworkers – now has over 600 members with a show occupying over 15,000 square feet.
The Northeast Woodworkers Showcase highlights all areas of the art of woodworking in a dedicated exhibit room featuring over 500 exhibits of original designed fine furniture, wood sculpture, carvings, intarsia, musical instruments, exquisite turnings, toys, accessories, and all other things crafted of wood.
Exhibits, both amateur and professional, were judged, in multiple categories, including Best of Show and Peoples Choice.
Pictured is a popular piece of the Showcase and first place winner in the Adirondack category by Alan Adler “Child’s Adirondack chair for Granddaughter, Tabitha.”
In addition to the exhibits, there were numerous national and regional trade vendors offering wide varieties of wood and woodworking related tools for all skill levels. Master craftsmen presented lectures and demonstrations on a wide range of woodworking topics.
For more information about the Northeastern Woodworkers Association and to see a list of showcase winners go online to woodworker.org
SARATOGA SPRINGS — Saratoga Springs History Museum presents its first evening program of 2023: “George Washington & Saratoga: It’s Complicated: A Talk by Local Writer John Oliver” on Thursday, April 27 from 7–8:30 p.m. at Saratoga Springs History Museum in the Canfield Casino, 1 E. Congress St, Saratoga Springs.
Saratoga and Washington bumped into each other twice: once when the city almost cost him his job as commander of the Continental Army and the other time when he visited the village on a secret real estate mission. On both occasions, he wasn’t at all happy with Saratoga. In this special presentation, local writer John Oliver reveals a Washington you didn’t learn about in school, discusses what drove him so relentlessly and shows why, as one historian says, GW’s in our wallets, but not in our hearts. Join us for an astonishing look at the Father of Our Nation.
John Oliver, pen name JPV Oliver, Gent, is a former docent at the Saratoga Springs History Museum and an amateur historian focusing on the American experiment.
Tickets for the presentation are free for museum members, $10 for the general public: www.simpletix.com/e/george-washington-saratoga-its-complicated-tickets-128957
For more information, call 518-584-6920 or visit www.saratogahistory.org
MILTON — The town of Milton and the village of Ballston Spa continue to discuss an agreement for Milton to purchase the Woods Hollow Nature Preserve from the Village.
The nature preserve is located in the town of Milton but is currently owned by the village of Ballston Spa. Milton Town Supervisor Scott Ostrander said the town has been paying for maintenance of the preserve for “probably the last 30 years,” at a cost of roughly $8,000 to $10,000 per year.
A memorandum of agreement was signed between the municipalities on March 17. The agreement is not a formal contract nor legally binding but is a mutual understanding between the two parties to work toward the listed terms.
The memorandum states the sale price would be $360,000, and that the preserve would receive a conservation easement designating it as ‘forever wild,’ with minor exceptions.
Exceptions would be for maintenance and emergency response vehicles, for forest management work, and construction of minor unenclosed structures and benches, Ballston Spa Mayor Frank Rossi, Jr. said in a Facebook post.
The deal would also ensure that the Village of Ballston Spa does not face any liability for the cancellation of its contract with the Saratoga Land Management Corporation (LUMAC), who the Village had hired to conduct tree-cutting on dead or dying trees in the preserve. Rossi said that no trees in the preserve were taken down under the contract.
Milton has raised funds for the purchase through “the sale of land to the Community Emergency Corps, monies paid in lieu of parklands by our development committee, and through the Saratoga County Open Space Preservation Grant Program,” according to a statement released on the town’s Facebook page.
As part of the agreement, Milton would establish water districts within four to six months of the sale, and handle snow removal, treatment, and brush pickup in the Colonial Hills neighborhood for the next five years. The town would also recognize the need to increase its annual support for the Ballston Spa Public Library and the Ballston Spa Village Pool, according to the memorandum.
The Town of Milton would plan to make some improvements to the preserve, but Ostrander said they are mainly looking at “preserving it the way it is.”
“We basically want to keep it forever wild, like it looks now,” Ostrander told Saratoga Today on March 22.
He said the town would look to pave the main parking lot off Northline Road and pull-in entrances off Rowland Street, add more benches throughout the preserve, and clean up trails and surrounding areas.
The Town of Milton voted to approve the terms of the memorandum at their Town Board meeting on March 22.
Ballston Spa held a Board of Trustees meeting on March 27, where the Board voted against placing Woods Hollow into the village surplus. Some trustees at the meeting raised concerns over proper publicization of the agreement, as well as rights to water in the preserve.
The memorandum states, “The Village retains any and all water and mineral rights but neither party can mine.” Rossi said that while some Village trustees spoke of concerns over potentially signing away future water rights in the preserve, he felt it was “resolved” based on feedback from the audience at Monday’s meeting.
Declaring surplus is a needed step to move forward in the sale process, Rossi said.
“That was disappointing that we weren’t able to get there, but we’ll see where it goes,” said Rossi.
Ostrander also said it was “disappointing” that the Village was unable to move forward.
“At this point, the attorneys are trying to work out the details,” Ostrander said on Wednesday. “Like I said, we signed the memorandum. The Town of Milton’s all set on their end.”
The Ballston Spa Village Board of Trustees will hold a special meeting on April 6 to discuss sidewalk and ethics codes, Rossi said. The next Board of Trustees regular meeting will be 7 p.m. on April 10. Rossi said on Wednesday he was unsure of which meeting the topic will be brought up again, saying the Village has to advertise the terms of the agreement.
“I’m just not sure what the timing will be on that,” said Rossi.
GLENS FALLS — The Adirondack Thunder will “Stick it to Cancer” with its annual fundraiser for the C.R. Wood Cancer Center on Friday, March 24 and Saturday, March 25. The Capital Region’s professional hockey team will host a series of events supporting those impacted by the disease as they take on the Worcester Railers at the Cool Insuring Arena. The puck drops for both games at 7 p.m.
Since its inception in 2015, the Thunder’s “Stick it to Cancer” program has raised awareness and tens of thousands of dollars for local cancer programs. Through contributions from last year’s event alone, the team donated more than $31,000 to the Glens Falls Hospital’s cancer treatment facility.
“We’re proud to support the vital work of the C.R. Wood Cancer Center with these events,” said Adirondack Thunder President Jeff Mead. “Together with our incredible fans, we hope to top last year’s record fundraising total while honoring the lives and legacies of our neighbors and loved ones. The competition on the ice will be as fierce as ever, but this weekend is about much more than hockey as we gather as a community to stand up to this disease.”
Following Friday’s game, the Thunder invites fans to Paint the Ice Night, presented by Colorize. With a $10 donation to the C.R. Wood Cancer Center, guests can write a personal message or the name of a loved one affected by cancer on the ice. The messages will be sealed into the surface for Saturday evening’s contest.
At Saturday’s game, the first 1,000 fans will receive an exclusive Adirondack Thunder “Stick it to Cancer” t-shirt.
The Thunder will wear special purple “Stick it to Cancer” awareness jerseys throughout the weekend. After Saturday’s match-up, fans will have the opportunity to bid on the jerseys during a live auction, with all proceeds benefiting the C.R. Wood Cancer Center. Thunder players will be accompanied on the ice by local cancer survivors during this event.
Cancer prevention, support and fundraising activities will take place throughout the weekend, beginning in the Cool Insuring Arena lobby prior to both games as the New York State Dental Association offers free oral cancer screenings. Fans who participate in a screening will be automatically entered into a raffle to win special Adirondack Thunder merchandise.
Tickets for “Stick it to Cancer” weekend or future home games can be purchased at ECHLthunder.com.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) has announced the stakes schedule for the 2023 summer meet at the historic Saratoga Race Course, which will include 71 stakes worth $20.8 million in total purses.
Highlighted by the 154th renewal of the Grade 1, $1.25 million Travers on August 26 and the Grade 1, $1 million Whitney on August 5, the 40-day summer meet will open on Thursday, July 13 and continue through Monday, Sept. 4.
Following the four-day opening weekend, racing will be conducted five days a week, Wednesdays through Sundays, apart from closing week, when the 2023 summer meet will conclude on Labor Day.
Saratoga Live, the acclaimed television show produced by NYRA in partnership with FOX Sports, will return for its eighth season to provide expansive on-site daily coverage of the summer meet to a nationwide audience on the networks of FOX Sports.
Opening Day, Thursday, July 13, kicks off the season with the Grade 3, $175,000 Schuylerville for 2-year-old fillies with the following day to feature the $135,000 Wilton for sophomore fillies to be contested out of the Wilson Chute and the $150,000 Coronation Cup, a turf sprint for sophomore fillies.
Opening Weekend is highlighted by the first Grade 1 of the Saratoga season in the $500,000 Diana for turf fillies and mares on July 15. That day’s card will include the Grade 3, $175,000 Sanford for juveniles on dirt; and the Grade 3, $175,000 Kelso, formerly the Forbidden Apple, at one mile on turf for older horses.
Whitney Day on Saturday, August 5, provides a trio of Grade 1 events, led by the Whitney at 1 1/8 miles for older horses offering an automatic berth to the Breeders’ Cup Classic on November 4 at Santa Anita.
Completing the Grade 1s on Whitney Day will be the seven-furlong $500,000 Test for sophomore fillies and the $600,000 Saratoga Derby Invitational, at 1 3/16-miles on turf for sophomores. Whitney Day will also include the Grade 3, $300,000 Troy for older turf sprinters, and the restricted $135,000 Lure at 1 1/16-miles on turf for older horses.
The Travers Festival, which offers nine stakes including six Grade 1s from Wednesday, August 23 through Saturday, August 26, is headlined by the 154th edition of the 1 1/4-mile Travers on Saturday, August 26.
The lucrative Travers Day card features five Grade 1 stakes and an automatic berth in the Breeders’ Cup to the winner of the Grade 1, $750,000 Resorts World Casino Sword Dancer [Turf] and Grade 1, $500,000 Ballerina Handicap [Filly and Mare Sprint.]
The complete stakes schedule for the 2023 summer meet is available at www.nyra.com/saratoga/racing/stakes-schedule.
BALLSTON SPA — The sixth annual Yellow Ribbon Day Donation Drive to support the efforts of the Blue Star Mothers of America local chapter is underway.
The collection of personal care and food items will run through April 6 and will be donated to the local chapter of the Blue Star Mothers of America, which will use the goods to put together “Freedom Boxes” and ship them to deployed military members who call the Capital Region home. The donation drive is held in conjunction with the annual celebration of New York State’s Yellow Ribbon Day, which takes place April 9 and is designated as a day to honor active-duty troops and their families.
Donations can include items like cookie and cracker snack packages, microwavable soup cups, fruit snacks, granola bars, and beef jerky, as well as personal care items such as insect repellent wipes, toothbrushes, body wash (small), deodorant, lip balm, puzzle books, and more.
Donated goods can be dropped off at the following locations during regular business hours: Saratoga, Albany and Rensselaer County Clerk’s Offices; DMV locations in Saratoga and Rensselaer counties; Saratoga County Hannaford stores, and various town and village offices in Saratoga County (call to see if your local municipality has a collection box.)
Monetary donations are also accepted. As a reference, it costs $18 postage to send each “Freedom Box.” The cost to fill one box is about $32, so a $50 donation covers the cost of filling and sending one box. Checks can be made payable to Blue Star Mothers of America-NY 2 and sent to PO Box 243, Delmar, NY 12054. Please write “In honor of Yellow Ribbon Day” in the memo section. To donate through PayPal, go to www.paypal.com/fundraiser/hub and search “Blue Star Mothers of America-NY2”.
All items collected will be presented to the Blue Star Mothers during a Yellow Ribbon Day Ceremony at 11 a.m. Monday, April 10, at the Veterans Memorial, 162 Route 236, Halfmoon. The public is welcome to attend, and donations also can be brought to this event.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — The New York Racing Association, Inc. announced that Saratoga Race Course will feature one admission price for all fans beginning with the 2023 summer meet, thereby eliminating the traditional two-tiered structure of Clubhouse and Grandstand admission. For the first time, a single admission rate will provide fans with access to both the Clubhouse and Grandstand.
Admission will be $7 daily when purchased at least 24-hours in advance, a savings from last season’s Clubhouse price of $10. Admission to Saratoga Race Course on the day of the event will be $10. Admission does not include reserved seating. Since 2019, daily Clubhouse admission has stood at $10 and Grandstand admission at $7.
Fans will be able to purchase their daily admission to Saratoga Race Course beginning Thursday, June 1, at NYRA.com/Saratoga.
Season admission passes, which provide admission at a discount for all 40 days of the summer meet, will go on sale in April.
Travers Day general admission will be available for $25 in advance and $30 day-of, while supplies last.
Opening Day of the 2023 summer meet at historic Saratoga Race Course is Thursday, July 13. Live racing will be conducted five days per week, Wednesdays through Sundays, with the exception of Opening Week and Closing Week which will conclude on Labor Day, Monday, Sept. 4. The 154th edition of the Travers will take place on Saturday, Aug. 26 and the 96th renewal of the Whitney will be run on Saturday, Aug. 5.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — The Giving Circle, a small, local charity that does big work in Saratoga Springs while also operating schools and medical clinics in rural Uganda, will honor founders Mark and Kelly Bertrand at a special gala at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 30 at Canfield Casino in Congress Park.
The Giving Circle’s annual Compassion Awards, chaired by Business for Good leaders Lisa and Ed Mitzen, will formally honor and recognize the Bertrands, who founded The Giving Circle after Hurricane Katrina and led the charity’s response to numerous natural disasters in the United States before expanding its work to Uganda.
The Giving Circle’s current projects include aiding three families of Ukrainian refugees. In the past year, volunteers also performed yard cleanups and led holiday caroling through its partnership with the Saratoga Senior Center; served regular meals to the homeless near Congress Park; and sent skilled tradesmen to perform home repairs for the economically disadvantaged.
For more information about the March 30 “Celebrating Compassion” event, go to: thegivingcircle.org.
