The Dance Department at Skidmore College and the Department of Theatre and Dance at Union College have joined forces to host a two-day residency by Baye & Asa on October 29 and 30, 2025. The guest artists will spend one day teaching students on each campus and there will be two events open to the public.

“The Skidmore Dance Department is excited to be partnering with Union College in bringing Baye & Asa to the Capital Region,” says Jason Ohlberg, Chair of the Department. “This residency promises to be an immersive experience for students as they delve into the thought provoking and engaging work of these incredible artists.”

Recently awarded a 2025 fellowship in choreography from the New York State Foundation for the Arts (NYFA), Baye & Asa is a company creating movement art projects directed and choreographed by Amadi ‘Baye’ Washington and Sam ‘Asa’ Pratt.  The two grew up together in New York City. Their shared educational history is the mother of their work with Hip Hop and African dance languages as the foundation of their technique and informing the way they confront contemporary dance, theater and film. Baye & Asa were selected as one of Dance Magazine’s “25 to Watch” in 2022 and were recipients of that magazine’s Harkness Promise Award the following year. They have been commissioned to create work for the Martha Graham Dance Company, BODYTRAFFIC and Alvin Ailey II. Their films have won numerous awards and been presented internationally.   

Baye & Asa’s work has been performed at The Joyce Theater, Metropolitan Museum of Art, La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club, Pioneer Works, 92nd Street Y, Baryshnikov Arts Center, Jacob’s Pillow, Guggenheim Works & Process, American Dance Festival, Quick Center for the Arts, New Brunswick Performing Arts Center, Yale University, ODC, b12 Berlin Workshop Festival, Florence Dance Festival, Dance Days Chania, University of Maryland, Blacklight Summit, Southampton Arts Center, Bard College, Vassar College and Battery Dance Festival.  This residency will mark Baye & Asa’s first Capital Region appearance.

“Union students were introduced to Baye & Asa this past April when they witnessed their work Cortège, performed by the Martha Graham Dance Company at the Joyce Theater,” said Laurie Zabele Cawley, Union’s Gustave L. Davis ’59 and Susan S. Davis Director of Dance. “They were transformed by the choreography—the work spoke powerfully to this generation and resonated deeply with everyone in the room.”

On Wednesday, October 29, Baye & Asa will be at Union College.  They will teach two classes for theatre and dance students and participate in a film screening with discussion.  At Skidmore on Thursday, October 30, the pair will teach three classes as well as engage in dialogue with the institution’s Miranda Fellows, a program intended to create access for students to education and long-term support that helps to advance careers in theater, dance, music and arts administration.

Offerings open to the public include an Advanced Beginner/Intermediate dance technique class in the Henle Dance Pavilion at Union College on Wednesday, October 29, 2025 from 5pm to 6:30pm. No registration or fees are required for participating. 

On that same day, the second public offering will take place from 7:30 to 8:30pm in Old Chapel on the Union campus.  In collaboration with Union’s Film Studies Program, Baye & Asa’s film Second Seed will be screened.  In this and an ongoing body of work, Pratt and Washington respond choreographically to D.W. Griffith’s 1915 silent film The Birth of a Nation based on Thomas Dixon’s novel “The Clansman.”  According to the artists, “Second Seed is our collision with this American artifact.”

The screening will be followed by a discussion with the guest artists. It will be moderated by James A. de Sève, Artist-in-Residence and Co-Director of the Film Studies Program at Union College.  No registration or fees are required for participating

Saratoga 250 and Saratoga County officials present Saratoga Siege Weekend, Saturday, October 11 and Sunday, October 12, a free family-friendly event celebrating America’s Turning Point & Saratoga County’s revolutionary past. 

Experience the revolutionary history of the Saratoga region with living historians and Revolutionary War reenactors at Fort Hardy Park in Schuylerville from 10AM to 4PM each day. Events previously scheduled at the National Saratoga Historical Park have been moved to Fort Hardy Park, which is the site of the British Surrender in 1777. 

This 18th century encampment brings the past to life, providing visitors with a unique window into the American Revolution through engaging demonstrations, historical reenactments, and immersive experiences that celebrate the Patriots’ victory at the Battles of Saratoga! 

Be a revolutionary recruit, take a draft horse ride, chat with Patriot and British soldiers and civilians, hear the blast of a cannon, see a traveling forge and watch a blacksmith fix the army’s tools, meet an author, check out replica 18th century sleds made by WSWHE BOCES students to commemorate Henry Knox’s Noble Train of Artillery 250th anniversary, play 18th century games, eat some ice cream (provided by Stewart’s shops on Saturday) and more! 

Please visit www.saratoga250.com for the schedule of events.  The event will go on rain or shine!

We are thrilled to announce that Division Street Elementary School has been named a 2024–2026 National PTA School of Excellence, one of only 330 PTAs and schools nationwide to receive this prestigious designation. Division Street Elementary School PTA previously earned this recognition in 2018 and 2021. 

Through the National PTA’s School of Excellence program, PTAs and schools commit to a year-long partnership to strengthen family-school connections. During the 2024–2025 school year, Division Street Elementary School made significant strides in welcoming all families, communicating effectively, supporting student success, advocating for every child, sharing decision-making power, and collaborating with the community.

“We are proud that Division Street Elementary has once again been recognized as a National PTA School of Excellence,” said former PTA Co-President Sarah Nolan-Tice. “We are one of only 24 schools in New York—and just 330 schools across the entire country—to earn this honor. This past year, we placed a strong focus on strengthening communication with our families—sharing updates on activities, educational opportunities, and community events that support our students both and outside of just Division Street. We could not have achieved this without the help of our families and staff. Together, we will continue to make Division Street a place where every student and family feels they belong.” 

Congratulations to Division Street Elementary School PTA on this great achievement. For more information about the National PTA School of Excellence program, visit PTA.org/Excellence. 

Schoharie Crossing State Historic Site will host Assistant Saratoga County Historian, Anne Clothier for a presentation as part of the 10th Annual NYS History Month “Tuesday Talk” series. The program starts at 7 pm inside the Enders House, adjacent to the Visitor Center and Museum, 129 Schoharie Street, on Tuesday, October 14th. Clothier will speak about Women of the Saratoga Campaign, 1777.

We look forward to the commemoration of the 250th Anniversary of the American Revolution. Many know the story of British General John Burgoyne’s Surrender to the Americans after the Battles of Saratoga in 1777, commonly referred to as the Turning Point of the American Revolution. Familiar names such as Benedict Arnold and Philip Schuyler are often associated with this history, but what about the women who were also involved in this crucial campaign? Whether actively traveling with the armies, or local residents who had the revolution brought to their doorsteps, this presentation tells lesser-known stories of women on both sides of the conflict and shares their perspectives on the ways their lives were forever changed by these events.

Anne Clothier grew up immersed in history on her family’s 200-year-old farm in northern Saratoga County. Her particular interests include women’s history, textiles, and medical history. She earned her Bachelor of Science degree in History from SUNY College at Oneonta. While attending the Cooperstown Graduate Program in Museum Studies, she gained experience working on projects at the Farmers’ Museum, Fenimore Art Museum, and the New York State Historical Association. She worked as Director of Education at the Saratoga County History Center at Brookside Museum for over a decade before becoming Assistant to the Saratoga County Historian in 2024.

The series continues on October 21st with Dr. Kozakiewicz who will take to the podium to discuss “Upstate Women Legislators of NYS: a History and Legacy” which is a look at the lives and contributions of key women leaders who hailed from upstate regions including the Mohawk Valley. The focus will be on the era between 1919 and the late 20th century. Kozakiewicz is a Lecturer in the Department of History and a Liaison for UAlbany in the High School, University at Albany SUNY.

The series conclusion on October 28th will feature Dr. Sherri Cash speaking on slavery in what is now Montgomery County during the immediate post-Revolutionary years. Dr. Cash is a Professor of History and Chair, Department of Liberal Studies and World Languages at Utica University, Utica, New York.

In addition to these presentations, the site will host Cosby Gibson and Tom Staudle on Sunday, October 26th at 1pm to perform Erie Canal songs in celebration of the Bicentennial of the Canal during History Month. 

These programs are free and open to the public. For more information, please call the Visitor Center: (518) 829-7516, email SchoharieCrossing@parks.ny.gov or find Schoharie Crossing on Facebook.

Saratoga Jewish Community Arts, with a generous grant from the Jewish Federation of Northeastern New York and the sponsorship of Temple Sinai of Saratoga Springs, presents a panel discussion on Zoom of the ground-breaking film A Raisin in the Sun. The panel discussion, part of SJCA’s Social Justice series, will take place on Zoom on Thursday, October 9 at 7 pm.

The film is available to rent or buy from Amazon Prime Video. 

The film A Raisin in the Sun is based on a play by Lorraine Hansberry that debuted on Broadway in 1959. It was the first play by a black woman to be performed on Broadway.

“In the late 1950’s, it was a risky investment to launch a show in which all the characters but one were black,” says SJCA Coordinator Phyllis Wang. “It took some eighteen months for the producer, Philip Rose, to raise enough money to commence production.”  

The 1961 film version was directed by Daniel Petrie and stars Sidney Poitier, Ruby Dee, and Louis Gossett, Jr. It was selected for preservation in the U.S. National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being culturally, historically or aesthetically significant.

The film examines generational conflict and housing discrimination and captures the high stakes, shifting currents, and varieties of experience within black life in midcentury America.  

In a cramped and decaying apartment situated in Chicago’s South Side, the Younger family grapples with financial pressures. As the narrative unfolds, the Youngers also are reeling from the recent loss of their patriarch.

Tensions escalate between Mama’s values, deeply rooted in faith, and a son’s material ambitions as the family debates how to divide an expected life insurance payout. The story ends with a stark reminder that true freedom is only attainable through collective bravery, unwavering resolve, and an embrace of family values.  

Our discussion panel will share their insights on how relevant the film remains for America’s racial climate today – and for all families facing similar challenges.  Pre-registration is required.

To register enter the URL in your browser: https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/sl/uvTaVZu/Raisin

If you love the outdoors and have a passion for writing, Wilton Wildlife Preserve & Park invites you to immerse yourself in both on Wednesdays, October 1, 8, & 15, and Saturdays, October 25 & November 1, at 1:00 p.m. 

This workshop will explore how keen observation of the natural world can inspire writing, from non-fiction to poetry. Michael Steven Marx, Professor of English at Skidmore College, aided by a Wilton Wildlife environmental Educator, will lead a 90-minute workshop, discussing the elements of good writing and short samples of work by some of the best nature writers followed by a short walk through the preserve, sharpening observation skills, and exploring its unique habitat, ending with a free-write session by participants inspired by their outdoor experience. Participants will be encouraged to share their writing with others for discussion.

 This program will be suitable for ages 10 years old and up. All supplies will be provided. Saratoga Arts made this program possible through the Community Arts Regrant Program, funded by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.

Registration is required at least one day in advance as space is limited. To register, please visit the website at www.wiltonpreserve.org. For more information, call the Wilton Wildlife office at 518-450-0321 or email info@wiltonpreserve.org. For up-to-date trail conditions or program information, visit the website or follow on Facebook or Instagram @wiltonpreserve. Wilton Wildlife Preserve & Park’s mission is to provide environmental education and opportunities for outdoor recreation while supporting conservation of ecological systems and natural settings.

Saratoga Central Catholic School is excited to announce the addition of the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Program for students enrolled in our accounting classes. Led by new faculty member Mr. George Hannah, this brand-new initiative brings incredible real-world experience right into the classroom and serves as an amazing resume builder for our business students.

Through the VITA Program, Accounting students will have the opportunity to complete tax returns for community members under IRS guidelines. Participation in VITA is a major component of the accounting course at SCC, and students will begin in-class training in the coming months. In January, students will take both a tax law exam and an ethics exam, and an IRS-certified VITA trainer will join the class to support their preparation.

Saratoga Central Catholic is proud to be one of just 25 high schools in New York State — and only 121 nationwide — according to the IRS to participate in this program. 

Stay tuned to our social media pages as we document the amazing things happening in class this year!

Women who are providing the primary source of financial support for their families while pursuing their education are encouraged to apply for the Soroptimist “Live Your Dream” award. 

Soroptimist International of Saratoga County, a volunteer organization for business and professional women, is offering grants up to $5,000 for any costs related to pursuing an education. The first-place award recipient is also eligible for additional awards at the regional and international Soroptimist levels. 

Eligible applicants must:

· Demonstrate financial need

· Be accepted or enrolled in an undergraduate or vocational skills training program

· Live in or near Saratoga County  

Applications must be submitted by Nov. 15, 2025. For more information and a link to the online application go to: https://www.soroptimist.org/our-work/live-your-dream-awards/apply-for-the-live-your-dream-awards.html.  

For assistance with the application process, e-mail liveyourdreamsaratoga@gmail.com with questions or to request a mentor.

Research on the impact of the “Live Your Dream” Award has shown that investing in educational opportunities for women results in a “multiplier” effect for their families and communities. Not only does this program enable women to secure higher paying employment and a raised standard of living, it increases the likelihood that their children will obtain an education and secure a future of economic independence and success. 

Soroptimist International of Saratoga County is part of an international volunteer women’s organization with 72,000 members in 121 countries and territories. The group provides both hands-on and financial support for programs and people in keeping with the Soroptimist mission to empower and improve the lives of women, girls and the community, locally and globally. Soroptimist uses its international voice and official status with the United Nations to advocate on behalf of women’s issues. For more information: www.soroptimistsaratoga.org.