SOUTH GLENS FALLS — The South Glens Falls High School’s annual musical production for the 2022-23 school year, “Tuck Everlasting,” will be held on Friday, March 31 and Saturday, April 1.
Performed in the South Glens Falls High School auditorium, the show will begin at 7:00 p.m. on both Friday and Saturday. A 2:00 p.m. Matinee is also scheduled for Saturday.
“Tuck Everlasting” is based on the children’s novel of the same title written by Natalie Babbitt and features music by Chris Miller, lyrics by Nathan Tysen, and a book by Claudia Shear and Tim Federle. This production is presented through special arrangements with Concord Theatricals.
Student troupe members traveled to New York City on two occasions during the rehearsal process to workshop with original Broadway cast member Heather Parcells and lyricist Nathan Tysen.
Featuring the on- and off-stage talents of 52 South Glens Falls students, including Eva Reece (Winnie Foster), Daniel Cormie (Jesse Tuck), Nathan Burrell (Miles Tuck), Seth Shortte (Hugo), Sophia Belden (Mae Tuck), and Lily Carpenter (Man in the Yellow Suit). Directed by Mrs. Betsy Stambach-Fuller and assisted by Mrs. Tina Hayes and Mr. Avi Stark. Music Direction by Mr. John Benware with Choreography by Ms. Elisabeth Hutter.
Tickets are $10 and may be purchased at the door or online at sgfstage42.ludus.com. The Box Office will open one hour prior to curtain. Seating will be assigned. Concessions will be available to purchase during a fifteen minute intermission.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — A love of reading and books will be on full display on March 13 when over 475 students on 65 teams from 18 local school districts compete in the 2023 “Battle of the Books.”
This event, which is coordinated by the WSWHE BOCES School Library System, begins with the first rounds at 8:45 a.m. at SUNY Adirondack in Queensbury. The snow date is March 14. Finals for each grade will be in the Scoville Learning Center starting at 11:00 a.m.
Students in grades 3-6 prepared for the Battle of the Books for many months by reading a total of 10 fiction and non-fiction books. The teams, which consist of 15 or fewer students each on the day of the competitions, have tested themselves on every kind of detail imaginable, from the plot to the dedication. During the competition, five students on the team will have 20 seconds to answer a recall question, responding with the title and author of the book. Teams may switch players mid-way through the battle if they so choose. There are 31 questions per round for each battle.
“After two years of virtual events, we are happy to be back in-person. The competition engages students, encourages them to choose books they might not read on their own, and opens up a whole new side of reading for them,” says WSWHE BOCES School Library System Coordinator, Kerrie Burch. “Students who participate love it. They make new friends and connections with their peers.”
For all competitions, there are volunteer “readers” who ask the students’ questions and make the decisions on accepting challenges. Each grade level competition is set up in a bracket system where a first, second, and third place team is determined in the end. Each of the winning teams is awarded a banner to bring back to their schools that can be displayed.
Photos provided by South Glens Falls Central School District.
SOUTH GLENS FALLS — The 46th annual South High Marathon Dance, held at South Glens Falls High School from March 3 to 4, has once again raised a significant amount of money for local families and charities.
The total amount, $630,111.07, was announced during the marathon’s closing ceremony on Saturday, March 4. Over the course of the 46-year history of the dance, the students and community have raised more than $10 million.
The funds will benefit 28 recipients – both individuals and organizations from South Glens Falls and neighboring areas.
“Each year, I am amazed by the hard work and dedication of our students, staff, and the South High Marathon Dance volunteers to put on this amazing event. I can’t say enough about how incredibly proud I am of each and every person who contributed. Knowing we can help families and community organizations is an amazing experience for our students,” said South Glens Falls Central School District superintendent Kristine Orr. “We truly have an incredible community here in South Glens Falls.”
This year, Logan Mahoney was the top student fundraiser, raising $8,326.85, among many other students – both in the high school and in the middle and elementary schools – who raised thousands of dollars. In addition to the student fundraiser, scores of local businesses held fundraisers for the community, which added thousands to the total amount raised.
This year’s recipients include the families of: Tayton Bowen, Donald Crandall, Crue Duswalt, Kathleen Evarts, Hunter George, Christopher Goodness, Grace Netti, Gabrielle Potter, Aiden Rodriguez, Randy Strong, Shane Walsh, and Megan Willis.
Community organizations receiving donations include: Adirondack Vets House, Alzheimer’s Association of Northeastern New York, Ben Osborn Memorial Fund, Cancer Center Community Crusaders, CAPTAIN Community Human Services, Food For Thought, Kelly’s Angels, Inc., Moreau Community Center, Rebuilding Together Saratoga County, and Southern Adirondack Independent Living.
The dance itself, which was streamed live at shmdlive.org, began in 1978. The event has progressed from a small dance in the high school gym to an event that brings the entire community together. After two years at Six Flags Great Escape, the dance returned to the high school this year.
“We can’t thank our community enough for their generosity. This marathon would not be possible without the support of countless businesses, organizations, and individuals who donate not only monetarily but their time and effort to make this the best possible experience for our students,” Orr said.
GREENWICH —The Agricultural Stewardship Association (ASA) is offering one paid summer internship opportunity designed for an undergraduate student to gain hands-on experience.
ASA is a community-supported, nonprofit conservation organization that endeavors to protect our community’s working farms and forests, connect people to the land, and promote a vibrant future for agriculture and forestry in our region.
The Outreach Coordinator Internship will assist with projects and programs focusing on community engagement in Rensselaer and Washington counties. This may include coordinating outreach programming to implement ASA’s strategic community engagement plan, assisting with outreach and fundraising efforts for community lands projects, and working on summer events, including our Forever Farmland Supper. The summer intern will be supervised by ASA’s Communication and Outreach Manager and spend the majority of his or her time working at ASA’s office with periodic site visits and fieldwork.
To learn more about this opportunity or apply, please visit the “Join our Team” page on the ASA’s website, www.agstewardship.org.
BALLSTON SPA —The start of the fifth annual Ballston Spa Birdhouse Program has begun. This year, there are over 1,000 birdhouses decorated to adorn the streets of Ballston Spa. Along with a sculptural display in Wiswall Park and newly-created street banners, the overall display is a celebration of community spirit.
To request a free birdhouse, go to www.askbspa.com and fill out a request form. The birdhouses are picked up in a safe, no-contact procedure and need to be returned by April 1 to be hung in time for spring.
The Birdhouse program is the centerpiece of the yearly arts initiative for the Village of Ballston Spa and is a favorite of the children, families, seniors, special needs/intellectually-diverse community living in and around the village.
“The birdhouse program is truly an amazing and unique experience,” said Mayor Frank Rossi, Jr. “It’s the essence of what our Village stands for; we’re a Village of Friends working together to make this a great place to live.”
Doug Ford, Vice President of Curtis Lumber, remarked, “Curtis Lumber is proud to donate the wood for the Ballston Spa Birdhouse Program, as it’s an incredible chance for the community to come together and support everyone who lives and works in Ballston Spa.”
This year, the Birdhouse Program has partnered with Curtis Lumber and the Workforce Development Coalition to support trades in the schools to show students that the trades are a viable career opportunity once they finish their education.
Ballston Spa Middle School, Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake Middle School, and Schuylerville Middle School all participated in building the 1,000-plus birdhouses, giving the students a unique opportunity in learning production and woodworking skills, while giving back to the community.
The program is organized by the non-profit, Arts and Science Creating Community, Inc. (ASK). The Ballston Spa Birdhouse Program is funded by generous donations and grants by: Curtis Lumber, the Alfred Z. Solomon Charitable Trust, Saratoga County, the Town of Milton, and the Village of Ballston Spa.
CLIFTON PARK — Frank Gratton has always let his imagination run wild. Now, through his books, he hopes to inspire kids to do the same.
Gratton, a Saratoga Springs native, has published two books, ‘Billbet’s Space Adventure,’ in 2020, and ‘Nula,’ in 2022. His third book, ‘Nula: Second Generation’ is planned to be released sometime next year.
The series details a group of children who become entangled in space adventures, traveling across the universe to save planets in distress. Gratton said the story begins in the first book, when the young Billbet, one of the main characters, accidentally lands on Earth. He befriends two human kids, Theresa and Kevin, who attempt to help him return to his home planet.
The second book, ‘Nula’, follows Theresa (now known as Nula) and Kevin (now known as Dauntless) as they travel across the universe on a ship they constructed with the help of Billbet.
“Of course, Nula is the star,” said Gratton. “She’s a young earthling who started off when she was 10 years old, and she became a hero. Not because she wanted to, she just kind of fell into it. The new book, she’s going on some real dangerous missions.”
Gratton said he is a science fiction fan who is particularly interested in space, and wants kids to simply have fun reading his books.
“I want it to be fun,” said Gratton. “I don’t want the reader to get scared, or anything like that. I just want them to have fun. I remember when I was reading Huckleberry Finn and Tom Sawyer, I just had a lot of fun.”
Gratton said his main goal is for kids to become excited about using their imaginations.
“My main hope is that I can get them to get excited about their imagination,” Gratton said. “Everybody’s got one. Most people just don’t do anything with it. … Imagination is what starts anything.”
The first book in the series was a long time in the making, Gratton said, with his first inspiration coming while he was serving in the U.S. Navy.
“I was in the Navy in the 1960s, and I was passing through the Mediterranean Sea, and I was on the midnight watch,” said Gratton. “It was a clear night, and there were a billion stars up there. I just started fantasizing, my imagination started running wild.”
Years later, while employed at G&H Hardware in Schenectady, Gratton said he began work on the book.
“There was a Stewart’s ice cream store right down the road. I went to work early every day, and I sat in that shop, and I wrote my first book,” Gratton said.
Gratton said he began writing the book during his time at the store, which came after a stint working at his father’s hardware store in Saratoga Springs. He eventually worked at Saratoga Casino Hotel from a year before its opening until he retired in 2016.
Four years later, in 2020, ‘Billbet’s Space Adventure’ was published, almost 25 years after Gratton began writing it.
“When I wrote the book, I wrote it by hand,” said Gratton. “Then I hired a guy to put it on a word processor. … He put it on the word processor, printed it out. I had the pages bound, and it laid in my closet. Then my daughter self-published it, which was a challenge all by itself.”
Theresa Gratton, Frank’s daughter and the namesake of the series’ main character, published the first book through Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing, she said. While she admitted it was a “learning process”, the book is currently available on Amazon and can be ordered by request at bookstores.
Gratton said after reading ‘Billbet’s Space Adventure’, he wanted to continue writing about the characters. The second book in the series, ‘Nula’, was published by Olympia Publishers, a London-based publishing company.
“After I read ‘Billbet’ when it was in cover, I really got choked up about the characters,” Gratton said. “I liked the characters, and I wanted to make them go further. So that’s really the reason why I did it.”
And now, Gratton is working on the third book in the series, ‘Nula: Second Generation.’ He has no plans to stop in the future, saying, “As long as I can write, I’ll write.”
“Right now, I’m content with just writing and hopefully somebody reading,” said Gratton. “I want people to read it. I don’t even care about making any money, I just want people to read it.”
And ultimately, Gratton said he hopes the books can help kids “dare to imagine.”
“That’s the beauty of books. They can take you wherever you want to go,” Gratton said. “That’s what I’m hoping to do.”
Photo provided by Schuylerville Central School District.
SCHUYLERVILLE — Schuylerville Elementary School Life Skills students raised $1,000 for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital through a Valentine’s Day community project. On Feb. 14, students delivered 500 stuffed red roses to students throughout the elementary school. Not only did Mrs. Jordan’s students intake and organize money and orders, they also packaged the roses in beautiful florist sleeves and sorted them by classroom.
“My class feels so special knowing they are helping families in need,” said Amy Jordan. “‘We’re all here to help one another…when we work together, we can make things happen’ is a quote from a child at the children’s hospital that truly inspired my students. We thank everyone who bought flowers to support this endeavor.”
BALLSTON SPA — The Ballston Spa Central School District will begin enrolling students for its Universal Prekindergarten Program for the 2023-2024 school year on March 1, 2023. An eligible child is a child who resides within the school district and who is four years of age on or before December 1, 2023. A child who is age-eligible to attend kindergarten is not eligible for the UPK program.
For the 2023-2024 school year, agencies that will partner with the district to provide full-day Universal Prekindergarten classrooms are Ballston Area Community Center, LifeWorks Head Start, and Little Achievers Child Care and Learning Center. The enrollment form will be available on the BSCSD website beginning on March 1. The application deadline is March 31.
Ballston Area Community Center will host a UPK Open House at 20 Malta Avenue on March 1 from 6:30 p.m. until 7:30 p.m. Prospective UPK families will be able to meet the teachers, visit classrooms, and learn about the program.
In the event that there are more applicants than available spaces, a random lottery will be conducted at the close of the enrollment period. Those not selected in the lottery will be placed on a waiting list. All families who submit a timely application will be mailed acceptance/declination letters by April 10. Applications received after the March 31 deadline will be placed on a waiting list.
If your child is age-eligible to attend kindergarten for the 2023-2024 school year, please contact registration@bscsd.org for information on registering.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — Beginning Feb. 1, high school seniors attending private or public school within the Saratoga Springs City School District can apply for scholarships ranging from $2,500 to $20,000 from the Saratoga Springs Rotary Education Foundation.
Applicants must pursue a degree at an accredited 2- or 4-year college or postsecondary vocational educational institution. Students’ academic performance, extracurricular and work activities, community service and financial need are all considered when reviewing applications.
In 2022, the Foundation awarded scholarships totaling $85,000 to fifteen students.
Scholarship applications must be uploaded to the Foundation’s website (rotaryscholarships.org) by the postmark deadline of April 1. Finalists will then be invited to interview with the Foundation’s scholarship committee.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — The Saratoga Builders Association, Inc. has announced they will be awarding two student scholarships in 2023. One is the SBA $1,000 Scholarship award, and the other is the $1,000 “Bob Best” Memorial Scholarship award.
The organization makes these cash scholarships available annually to students who are planning to pursue a construction industry education.
These scholarships are open to any high school senior or college undergraduate in Saratoga County who is planning to pursue a construction education at a 2 or 4-year accredited college or university or to students who would like to purchase tools and/or equipment for employment/career or to start a business in the construction industry.
Students must have a GPA of 3.0 or higher. They must demonstrate current or past involvement in the construction field, including classes taken in high school or college, to be eligible for these awards. Each applicant must also submit a high school or college transcript or list of construction classes taken, plus a short essay describing why they are interested in a construction industry career and what events led to this decision.
Applications for the Saratoga Builders Association Scholarship program must be postmarked on or before April 1. Only the first 25 completed applications will be accepted. The winner and their school will be notified by June 1. To receive a scholarship application, please contact Barry Potoker, Executive Director at 518-366-0946 or bpotoker@saratogabuilders.org.
