Photo of Old Saratoga Mercantile & Farm via the business.
SCHUYLERVILLE — The Saratoga County Soil and Water Conservation District has named The Farm at Old Saratoga Mercantile the 2025 Saratoga County Agricultural Environmental Management Farm of the Year.
The award honors farmers who have gone above and beyond in the management of soil health, water quality, and wildlife habitat on working land.
The husband and wife team of Tim and Christina Myers have operated the farm since 2017, growing vegetables year-round. They use organic methods with a focus on winter greens and offer their produce at their grocery store on the farm.
The Myers are also licensed growers of cannabis and opened a dispensary on site on Sept. 26. Called the Roots Farm Dispensary, the business says it grows cannabis “with the same care and dedication we bring to vegetable growing, organic methods, sustainable practices, and nothing but good vibes.”
The MTA’s Metro North Line will be extending up to Albany as the state looks to strengthen the rail link between the Capital Region and Big Apple
The question of where Upstate New York begins just got a little harder as the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) extends to Albany.
The extension of the MTA’s Metro North Line comes after three daily trips on the Empire Service were cut due to track repairs. In addition to the MTA extension, Amtrak is bringing back one of the round trips cut and capping costs to riders.
The new changes were announced Oct. 20 by New York State, Amtrak and the MTA. Starting Dec. 1, 2025, Amtrak trains 235 and 238 will restart service with the MTA service starting in spring 2026 following non-passenger tests in late 2025.
The MTA line will run a round-trip service that will connect Grand Central Terminal in Manhattan and Albany-Rensselaer Station in Rensselaer. While the Metro-North Line has never extended to the Capital Region, its predecessor, the New York Central Railroad’s Hudson line, ran service between Grand Central and Albany until 1967.
“Restoring Amtrak service and debuting Metro-North service to Albany is a huge win for riders,” Governor Cathy Hochul said. “While Amtrak’s repairs to the East River Tunnels are necessary, riders from Albany to New York City have had to endure sold out trains and higher fares for the past five months. I’ve been clear from the moment this plan was proposed that New Yorkers deserve better. This new plan will provide more travel options and lower fares for over two million annual riders, saving them time and putting money back in their pockets.”
The service changes come after Amtrak had to cut service in order to repair the East River Tunnels that were damaged by Hurricane Sandy. The reduced service started in May — leading to increased ticket prices and crowded trains. To combat this, Amtrak is also set to cap economy service between Albany and NYC at $99.
Beyond just increasing service to NYC, service to Boston will improve as starting Dec. 1 direct rail service between Boston and Albany will be restored after having to run using a connecting bus.
“New York State residents’ and visitors’ passion and patience are paying off, as additional, affordable, and improved train service between New York City and Albany is on its way,” Amtrak President Roger Harris said. “Thanks to Governor Hochul for her leadership and commitment to New York State, and NYSDOT and MTA for their partnership in helping meet the high demand of train service we have throughout the state.”
As to whether this change will impact the definition of where Upstate New York begins, the Governor’s Office was quick to dispel any discussion of it.
“UPSTATE BEGINS NORTH OF WESTCHESTER COUNTY AS IT ALWAYS HAS,” the Governor’s Press Office posted on X in response to a post by a reporter discussing the matter.
The K-9 identified as “J” reportedly found 18 pounds of drugs in Saratoga Springs ( New York State Police)
The New York State Police have announced a major drug bust in Saratoga Springs.
Joseph Warren, 43, of Playa Del Carmen, Mexico was arrested for criminal possession of a controlled substance in the first, second and third degree as well as traffic violations.
Warren was allegedly stopped on Interstate 87 in Saratoga Springs for traffic violations; during the stop, several vacuum sealed packages were located in the vehicle by a State Police K-9 named “J.”
In total, 18 pounds were found by the Troopers with 16 of them being comprised of Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) also known as Molly or Ecstasy. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, MDMA is a synthetic drug similar to methamphetamine that is sometimes considered a psychedelic drug as it can mildly alter perception of time and vision.
The other two pounds were Fluorofentanyl (fentanyl). Fentanyl is powerful synthetic opioid used in treatment of severe chronic pain — like that which comes from cancer treatments, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse. It is highly dangerous with mere milligrams potentially causing an overdose and is sometimes mixed with other illicit drugs without the user’s knowledge.
Warren was processed at the State Police Station in Saratoga and arranged at the Saratoga Springs City Court. He is currently being held without bail at the County Correctional Facility. According to State Police, the investigation is ongoing.
Hess was arrested by U.S. Marshalls in a hotel in Pennsylvania (Courtesy of U.S. Marshalls)
A Frankfort man who stole a purse and ran over 76-year-old woman in Ballston Spa has been captured in Pennsylvania.
Joseph Hess, 32, of Frankfort NY allegedly stole a pocketbook from the back seat of a car at McDonalds on Church Street in the Town of Ballston. When confronted by the robbery victim — a 76-year-old woman — he ran back to his vehicle and attempted to flee the scene, hitting the woman in the process.
The incident occurred on Oct. 16 at around 6:45 p.m. The victim was transported to Albany Medical Center and treated for compound leg fractures where she has remained since the incident.
After a five-day manhunt, Hess was located on the morning of Oct. 21 in a hotel in Tinicum Township, PA — a small town southwest of Philadelphia next to the airport. He was arrested by U.S. Marshalls and is currently being held in Delaware County awaiting extradition back to Saratoga.
“I am incredibly proud of our investigators who worked tirelessly to locate Hess,” said Sheriff Michael H. Zurlo. “I am grateful and relieved that he is off the streets and pray that justice will be served for the innocent victim.”
At the time of the incident, Hess’s vehicle had been reported stolen from Colonie. It was subsequently abandoned behind Mabey’s Moving and Storage on Route 67 with Hess seen fleeing into the woods, according to the Sherriff’s Office.
Hess was also wanted in Frankfurt on weapons charges.
The incident and subsequent manhunt caused concerns for the nearby Ballston Spa Central School District. Prior to the start of school, the Saratoga County Sherriff’s Office searched school buildings to ensure Hess wasn’t inside, according to Ballston Spa Mayor Frank Rossi. In addition to the search, the school was also placed on a state of “Secure Lockdown.”
These concerns didn’t extend to that night’s homecoming football game as it went off without a hitch and resulted in Ballston Spa beating Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake 20-13.
As for Hess, he currently faces charges of assault in the 1st degree and robbery in the 1st degree — both of them class B felonies.
While working a second job is usually a good way to earn extra money, it’s not a good idea when you’re supposed to be on the clock for the State of New York.
This is according to the Saratoga County Sheriff’s Office who arrested Mehul Goswami, 39 or Latham who was arrested on charges of grand larceny after he allegedly stole $50,000 by working a second job when he was supposed to be working remotely for the state.
According to the Sherriff’s Office, Goswami was working in the town of Malta at the same time he was clocked in for the New York State Office of Information Technology Services. The investigation was conducted by both the New York Inspector General’s Office and Sherrif’s Office.
“Public employees are entrusted with the responsibility to serve with integrity, and Mr. Goswami’s alleged conduct represents a serious breach of that trust,” said New York State Inspector General Lucy Lang. “Working a second, full-time job while claiming to be working for the State is an abuse of public resources, including taxpayer dollars. My office will continue to work closely with our law enforcement partners to hold anyone accountable who would undermine the integrity of public service in New York State.”
Goswami was arranged in Malta Town Court and released pending further legal proceedings.
Spa Catholic 8th grade volleyball player Brooke Nucera earned 15 assists and 6 aces against Waterford-Halfmoon on Oct. 3. The performance helped the Saints earn one of 10 straight victories. Image via SCC Saints Athletics.
The Schuylerville varsity boys’ soccer team participates in a “pink game” against Glens Falls on Oct. 1. Photo via the Schuylerville Black Horses Varsity Club.
BLACK HORSES END REGULAR SEASON WITH 6-GAME WIN STREAK
The Schuylerville boys’ varsity soccer team ended their regular season with a bang, securing six straight wins to finish the year with an 8-4-2 overall record and an undefeated 8-0 league record, allowing them to enter the Foothills Council Tournament as the top seed.
On Oct. 3 against Amsterdam, Schuylerville nabbed a 4-1 win. Dean Barraclough led the Horses with 2 goals and an assist, while Colden Harrison scored and tallied an assist.
On Oct. 6, the Horses shut out Queensbury 2-0. Both of Schuylerville’s goals were scored in the second half as Brodie Janik and Thomas Tyler found the net, with William Brandt picking up an assist. The back line of Janik, Seth Frydel, Ryder Winchell, Shane Barraclough, and Hayden Peck played well for Schuylerville.
To close out the regular season, Schuylerville dominated Hudson Falls 8-0 on Oct. 8. In that contest, Marvin Aguilar recorded a hat trick and Dean Barraclough notched a brace and 2 assists.
Foothills Tournament action was scheduled to get underway on Tuesday, Oct. 14.
SENSATIONAL SAINTS EXTEND WIN STREAK TO 10
The Saratoga Central Catholic varsity volleyball team extended its win streak to 10 straight games last week after a 3-1 victory over Hoosic Valley. Prior to that contest, the Saints had back-to-back 3-0 shutout wins against Cambridge (on Oct. 6) and Waterford-Halfmoon (Oct. 3).
Standout 8th grader Brooke Nucera earned 15 assists and 6 aces against Waterford-Halfmoon, bringing her season total to 41 assists. Against Cambridge, Gia Roche had 9 kills and 5 aces, Andi Brown had 10 digs and 3 aces, and Emery Moser had 11 assists and 3 blocks for Spa Catholic.
The team also held its annual Pink Day on Oct. 14, hosting a match against Stillwater to help raise awareness for breast cancer.
B-SPA GIRLS SOCCER SQUAD IMPRESSES WITH 3 SHUTOUTS IN A ROW
The Ballston Spa girls’ varsity soccer team won three straight games this month, shutting out Columbia 3-0 on Oct. 11, Niskayuna 1-0 on Oct. 9, and Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake 3-0 on Oct. 7.
Against Columbia, the Scotties’ Haley Wiltsie earned 2 goals and Liv Wheaton chipped in the third; Leah Szmarz had the lone goal against Niskayuna; and Szmarz, Wiltsie, and Riley Froschauer each earned one goal apiece against Burnt Hills.
The team’s overall record stood at 9-4-1 prior to an Oct. 15 game against Averill Park.
SPA CATHOLIC GIRLS’ SOCCER RESULTS
The Saints girls’ varsity soccer team has had ups and downs this season, beginning sluggishly with 5 losses and a tie before then going on a hot streak with 4-straight victories in mid-to-late September. Since then, it’s been a mixed bag, with 4 losses and 2 wins.
On Oct. 3, the squad shut out Watervliet 2-0, with Alison Fuller scoring both goals for Spa Catholic. Goalie Grace Shaefer earned 6 saves. On Oct. 2, the team failed to score a goal, falling to Whitehall 1-0 in a double overtime contest. On Sept. 30, the Saints again couldn’t put points on the board, losing 3-0 to Corinth.
SARATOGA FIELD HOCKEY FALLS TWICE
The Saratoga Springs field hockey team lost to Bethlehem Central 1-0 on Oct. 8 before falling to Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake 5-0 on Oct. 10. Despite the pair of losses, the Blue Streaks had a 11-4 record heading into a Friday contest against Guilderland. The team also had a five-game win streak from Sept. 19 to Oct. 3.
A New Orleans-style “second line” celebratory funeral procession streams through Congress Park in Saratoga Springs on Tuesday afternoon, honoring the life of Joel Moss.
The procession gathers in front of Caffe Lena on Phila Street prior to several hours of performances and tributes to Moss. Photos by Jonathon Norcross.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — It was a rare, perhaps unprecedented sight in the City of Saratoga Springs: A New Orleans-style jazz funeral procession winding through the lovely Congress Park, marching, twirling, and clapping in rhythm towards Caffe Lena.
Tuesday’s celebratory spectacle was in honor of Joel Moss, a six-time Grammy Award winner who served as the famed venue’s broadcast and sound technician. Moss passed away last month at the age of 79.
“That was so beautiful,” said Sarah Craig, Lena’s executive director, once the second line had reached the caffe. “This is a snapshot of what could’ve been one of a thousand celebrations for Joel in so many different communities that he’s touched. But since he got here to Saratoga, these are the friends that he’s made,” Craig said, gesturing towards the large gathering on Phila Street, “which is just mind blowing.”
For hours, a seemingly endless lineup of musicians and artists then performed both inside and outside of Lena, with many offering odes to Moss.
“Joel Moss was indeed a giant,” said his friend James Mastrianni. “Not in a loud or self-important way and not in the trophies. But in the generous way he lived. How he embodied the very best qualities of friendship, which is the very best that humanity has to offer.”
“Joel was literally incapable of phoning it in,” said John Wager, who shared a studio space with Moss for a decade. “He could never go halfway with anything. It was either all-in or not at all. That’s how I knew Joel was doing exactly what he wanted to do. One of the many things Joel inspired in me and taught me was to live a full life and do what you love and keep finding ways to stretch yourself.”
“When my dad left Los Angeles officially and fully, and moved to Saratoga, he was so excited,” said Rachael Moss, Joel’s daughter. “He wanted us to move here so badly. He said, ‘I have found the best place with the best people,’ and I think he was right. It took us a little longer to get here. We’ve only been here for five years, but we got five years with him in Saratoga. Growing up, I was either in a recording studio or a sound truck or backstage somewhere. I didn’t know where I was half the time, but I knew I was with my dad, so I was safe… Now, I think about the fact that papa’s not going to make any more music and so all of those moments are going to be memories. I’m so proud of all of you and all of the people that he’s met here, and all of the musicians who are going to carry on his legacy and the music that he loves and his memory.”
Moss had a long and celebrated career in the music world, recording albums for artists such as Ray Charles, The Beach Boys, Little Richard, and Joe Cocker. For his efforts, he was awarded multiple Grammys, an Academy Award, and two Emmy nominations. His life and career began in Detroit, where he led a Hebrew folk quintet called The Hi-Liters that played at Lena in 1963. In the Saratoga area, he recorded and produced several albums for charity, including “A Saratoga Christmas Wish,” which raised $70,000 for Make-A-Wish Northeast New York.
“It never failed to amaze us that a man who produced records for Johnny Cash, Tony Bennett, The Talking Heads, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and hundreds of others, believed so much in the community of Saratoga Springs and the value of Caffe Lena, that he spent his evenings running our livestream cameras and recording our shows,” the venue said in a statement shortly after Moss’ passing. “He was passionately committed to recording every show that happened at Caffe Lena because he felt that Lena’s stage is a national treasure and what happens on it is important. You never know when you’ll capture lightning in a bottle. When he saw that special spark in an artist, he told everyone–whether the artist was 10 years old, was playing their first show, or was an under-appreciated treasure who had put in decades on the road. Joel’s presence and faith elevated the Caffe in the eyes of many, and we are forever richer because of our time with him.”
The Ribbon is cut on the new outdoor learning center built over the summer at the elementary school (Aidan Cahill)
The Saratoga Springs School Central School District has unveiled a new Outdoor Learning Center at Geyser Road Elementary School.
The new structure was built as part of the city’s participatory budget project where the city solicits ideas for projects that need funding and helps see them through. The new Outdoor Learning Center consists of an outdoor pavilion on a concrete pad surrounded by the existing orchard.
An official ribbon cutting was held on Friday, Oct. 10. The existing area includes apple and pear trees, benches and a friendship rock garden. The area started its life in 2014 when Albert Pickens, a music teacher at the school, came up with the idea of having a space where students could learn about the natural world and where their food comes from.
During his remarks at the ribbon cutting, Pickens talked about how the idea grew from a few fruit trees to a fully fenced orchard with benches for learning. The orchard wasn’t without its challenges, however, as the pandemic brought about many challenges which threatened the orchard’s future.
“Five years ago, the pandemic hit and the orchard that was helping us, our partner orchard, closed down, and the future of the Geyser Road orchard seemed uncertain,” Pickens said. “That’s when I learned something powerful: A good idea, when rooted in a caring community, will grow beyond the seedlings of any one person’s imagination.”
Pickens also highlighted the continued work of staff members to preserve and expand the outdoor space. He specifically highlighted the work of Alex Fralish, the head custodian of Geyser Road Elementary School who keeps the fruit trees pruned and watered.
He also highlighted the work of Brooke Cannie, a speech and hearing teacher at the school, whose idea for a dedicated outdoor learning space inspired the new learning space.
Cannie said in her remarks that the idea for the learning center came while teaching a student outside near the playground. She said that the thought came to her that it would be amazing to have a quiet space in nature for outdoor learning without distraction. Cannie said the work of Pickens with the orchard inspired her to pursue the funding needed for the project.
She also highlighted the community’s effort to develop the outdoor space.
“This outdoor classroom is more than just a structure,” Cannie said. “It’s a symbol of community, of shared vision and what we can accomplish when we all come together for our students.”
Funding for the project came from the city’s participatory budget process. Under the process, proposals for improvements were sought by the city from citizens. After review, those proposals were voted on with the winners receiving the funds to complete the project.
The Geyser Road Elementary School Project was one of six projects to receive funding under the 2024 vote. Jeff Altamari said he was impressed by the work that went into the project and the care of those involved.
“I was just awed by the enthusiasm and passion that they had for converting this empty space out here into something beautiful for all of you to really use, for the community to use,” Altamari said.
Altamari said that the project showed that if you have an idea and are smart about it, you can accomplish anything.
A photo of the award received by Barss (Courtesy of Schuylerville School District).
Schuylerville Central School District Transportation Supervisor Chuck Barss was recognized by the U.S. Department of Defense with the Patriotic Employer Award, presented through the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) program.
The distinction honors employers who show exceptional support for employees serving in the National Guard and Reserve. Barss was nominated by Erin Bryant, a Schuylerville Class of 2018 graduate and former bus driver, who is currently a crew chief for LC-130H and C-130H aircraft in the Air National Guard.
Bryant said she nominated Barss for his outstanding encouragement and understanding as she pursued her goal of joining the military — a journey he supported long before she ever left for training.
“Chuck understood that I wasn’t going to be there forever — that the military was my goal — but he still took the time to train me, employ me, and encourage me,” said Bryant. “He listened to me talk about joining for months and was genuinely excited for me.”
When Bryant left for basic military training, Barss stayed in contact with Bryant’s family, regularly checking in with her mother, a retired Schuylerville bus driver. He also ensured Bryant had a place to return to when her training ended.
“He kept me as a substitute driver so I would have a job waiting if I didn’t go on active duty orders,” Bryant explained. “When I was activated for a DOCCS [Department of Corrections] mission, he texted to make sure I was doing okay. That meant a lot.”
Bryant credits Barss for helping her take her first steps toward a military career — both by helping her earn her CDL Class B license and by giving her valuable mechanical training.
“Because of the CDL training Chuck helped me get, I was able to support my mission by driving transportation for airmen and soldiers to bring them home for a couple weeks,” she said. “He also gave me some mechanical background that helped me excel in my current career field.”
The Patriotic Employer Award recognizes Barss and the Schuylerville Central School Transportation Department for their ongoing commitment to supporting employees who serve.
The accompanying Statement of Support for the Guard and Reserve, signed by the Department of Defense, reaffirms the district’s pledge to uphold the rights and well-being of service members, veterans, and their families.
“Overall, Chuck went above and beyond as a boss to make sure I was taken care of while serving our country,” said Bryant. “He truly deserves this recognition.”
Barss will be recognized by the Board of Education during its Oct. 20th meeting.
