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Talk of The Town: City Speaks on Public Comment 

Written by Thomas Dimopoulos on . Posted in Featured, News.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Verbal clashes and public threats. Sudden shutdowns. A head-butting incident. Warnings of police intervention and events highlighted for inclusion in political campaigns. 

For several decades, Public Comment periods at City Council meetings in Saratoga Springs have brought a boisterous medley of all the above. The question raised time and again:  Who can speak, when may they speak and how long are they allowed do so? 

Recently, the council was presented with a potential new wrinkle to its Rules of Decorum and Order when a member of a local group opposed to a measure under council consideration was invited to expand on those opinions for an extended time.  

Last year, John Safford was elected city mayor based, at least partially, on a platform that promised  to “return civility to City Hall,”  and pointed directly to activities during the council’s twice-a-month meetings.

“Public Comment has been a subject that was very much a part of this last election,” Mayor Safford said shortly after taking office on Jan. 1, 2024, when bringing new Rules of Decorum and Order to the table. The new council – comprised of two new council members and three returning ones – voted 4-1 to adopt the measure.  

The new rules instructed 30 minutes be set aside at each meeting for public input, with each speaker limited to three minutes to address the council as a whole. A digital clock with backwards-running time has since been stationed in front of the speakers’ microphone, its numbers changing colors while winding down to depict a growing time-sensitive urgency, ultimately concluding with a clamor of noise at zero.

“The three minutes is very important,” explained Mayor Safford. “Once that clock goes off, you must stop. Even if you’re in the middle of the sentence.”  

Similarly, the NY State Committee on Open Government advises that during an open meeting when a public body chooses to permit public participation, it must treat all persons in a like manner.

There have, however, been variances. While some speakers who extend beyond their allotted time have been verbally halted, others have been granted extra talking time to reach their conclusion. The discrepancy, and its resulting appearance of a potential lack of fairness, has initiated a new conversation at the council table. 

During the most recent preliminary agenda meeting, former city Mayor Mike Lenz spoke as a public commentator within the allowable three-minute segment. Following the move from the public comment session to departmental agenda items some time later, the council engaged one another in a five-minute discussion regarding the proposal when Lenz raised a question from the audience. 

“I’ll entertain your question former mayor, come on up,” offered council member Dillon Moran. “It’s important that you guys feel that you’ve been heard.” Lenz returned to the mic where he discussed the matter with the council for an additional 12 minutes.

Council member Minita Sanghvi raised a question about whether fairness to all was being exhibited, pointing to one speaker, but not other speakers, being invited to elaborate on a topic up-for-vote. “I have a process question. This is great that people get answers, I’m not opposed to this, but if we are doing X for someone and not X for someone else, that’s where we get into problems,” Sanghvi said. “We want all our constituents to feel that they can be heard, not just some.” 

“Sometimes there are exceptions that we have to honor,” Mayor Safford said.  “I am very sympathetic to their concerns and just want to make sure we are all very clear about what is going to be in that lease,” Mayor Safford said, regarding the proposal the council was considering. “We definitely want the people from the school to know we hear them.”

Sanghvi elaborated during the council’s full agenda meeting a day later about what she called “exceptions” being made allowing “some people to talk more than others,” while “some are shushed…Rules have consistently been broken. “

Commissioner Moran, who had entertained the returning discussion a day earlier, added: “I will take personal ownership for what occurred during the pre-agenda meeting, but I think the point the commissioner (Sanghvi) brings up is a valid one, because it’s a lot more than just this meeting she’s referring to,” he said. 

During the meeting, a person representing the group in favor of the proposal was cut-off after three minutes during the public comment session, then allowed to return for another 90 seconds to continue their thoughts later during that same session, although no dialogue with the council was entertained.  

A council or board has the prerogative to seek someone’s testimony to provide further board consideration on a topic it lacks clarity on, but there is a fine line to toe in terms of fairness or a potentially perceived favoritism in the matter. Presumably the council will need to define where that line is in the future.     

“There is a difference between providing comment during an open mic session, and being invited by a board to answer further questions regarding a matter they need clarity on – that is sort of more of an invited speaker status,” said Shoshanah Bewlay, Executive Director of the New York State Committee on Open Government. 

“There are obviously situations where any process can be abused,” she added, speaking in general terms, “if there is some kind of favoritism being shown to one commentor because the board was somehow sympathetic and wanted to get more information because it suited them in some partisan type of way.”   

“If we are allowing members of the public to talk for an extended discussion in the middle of the meeting, we need to have a defined process of when this is permitted,” Sanghvi said. “You can’t just keep making exceptions for people you like, and not for people you don’t like. That’s not how you can run a meeting fairly or civilly.”

“I hear what you’re saying,” Mayor Safford responded.  “Give us some time to think about it.” 

It is not known if or when the discussion will be revisited at the council table. The council next meets on Tuesday, Aug. 20.   

Nick DiMatteo: Longtime Saratoga Springs Tailor to Celebrate A Big Day

Written by Thomas Dimopoulos on . Posted in Featured, News.

Nick DiMatteo as a young boy, learning the craft and art of the tailoring business in his hometown in Italy. 

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Nick DiMatteo grew up in the 1940s in a little town by Naples, Italy and made his way across the Great Pond to America while in his twenties. He set up his first shop in Saratoga Springs the late 1970s, more than half-a-lifetime ago.  

“I got to Ellis Island September first in ’68,” DiMatteo says, seated in his shop at number 119 Church Street, where accompanied by various scissors, measuring tools, pins, pincushions, and needles and thread, he has served his clientele for more than 40 years. 

His first location in the Spa City, which also served as the first time he ran his own business, stood west of Circular Street across from the Holiday Inn. 

“January 2, 1979,” he says. “I remember the day.”

In May 1981, he relocated to number 119 Church Street, a shop he has occupied for more than half his life, and one in which he continues to work in. He is exceptional at recalling dates, and a big one is fast approaching. 

On Aug. 23, DiMatteo will celebrate his 80th birthday. 

What does he want people to know?

 “To know that I’m on Church Street!” says the longtime tailor, whose shop sits on a tree-lined street accompanied by residential homes and a few blocks west of Broadway. Its existence is simply pronounced by a brick entryway, a trio of stone steps and a subtle flash of neon that reads: Tailoring.  

For the past 40 years DiMatteo’s custom tailoring work has well placed him within the community, his days often dotted by people coming in for a chat. 

“People call, people come in. When they call, they ask a lot of questions,” he says with a laugh. “Come in!” He is open five days a week: 9-5 Tuesday through Friday, and Saturday 10 to 1, so there is the invitation.   

“I have a wonderful clientele, beautiful people,” DiMatteo says. “I enjoy working for them.” 

He grew up in a little Italian town with a population of about 5,000 people and started learning the business of tailoring at a young age.   

“I was very young, maybe 8?  “My mama said: if you don’t want to follow in your dad’s footsteps and go to the farm, you better learn a trade.  I didn’t want to be a mechanic. I was going to elementary school and after school I went to the shop,” says DiMatteo, gesturing to vintage photographs on the walls depicting the young apprentice in his hometown in Italy. 

“I learned how to use a needle and thread, a thimble on a piece of cloth,” he says. “It kept me off the street, because my parents didn’t want me to not have supervision after school. They were on the farm –  so either I had to go there, or somewhere like this, to stay off the street.” 

He relocated to America in the late 1960s and lived in upstate New York where he had family. 

“I went to an apprentice shop in Italy so I learned to sew over there. When I came here I worked for somebody in Schenectady for 9-1/2 years, then decided to open my own,” DiMatteo says. 

“When I decided to open up my own place I was searching for a spot. Schenectady already had tailors,” he says. He found an initial location in Saratoga Springs – “a very small room, 10-by-10 maybe,” and soon relocated to the space where he currently continues his work, on Church Street.   

“1981 – Saratoga was different then,” says DiMatteo, whose early work consisted largely of men’s custom-made suits, and added the work of making alterations to already existing outfits. “With a custom-made suit – you buy the material and it’s made to fit you. It takes over a week and you satisfy only one customer. With alterations you satisfy 50 people,” he says, explaining the difference.     

“Today, I have new customers every day, and I have folks who I have known for 40 years,” says DiMatteo. “There are not a lot of tailors now compared to 40 years ago when there were many, but there are a few of us still around.”

This month he celebrates birthday number 80, more than 40 years as owner of his custom tailoring shop on Church Street and a lifetime of working in the craft and art of helping people to look their best. 

What Will Happen to Snake Hill? Nonprofit Seeks Community Input

Written by Jonathon Norcross on . Posted in Business, Featured.

Aerial photo of Snake Hill via Saratoga PLAN/Ryan C. of Saratoga Drone.

STILLWATER — Saratoga PLAN (Preserving Land and Nature), a nonprofit land trust, held an open house event at Dock Brown’s Lakeside Tavern on Tuesday to share three potential site options for Snake Hill, a 32-acre forested dome on the eastern shore of Saratoga Lake.

The hill, located in Stillwater, was purchased in December by Saratoga PLAN from Stewart’s Shops for $1 million. Now the nonprofit must decide what to do with their acquisition.

The first of the three options would be to simply preserve the land, allowing no public access. Staff would work to maintain and improve native species and biodiversity, minimize invasive species, and protect the water quality. The only human imprint would be a small parking lot that would allow staffers to access the hill.

The second option would allow limited public access to the property via pedestrian trails. Only small groups participating in Saratoga PLAN or partner programs or volunteer initiatives would be granted access to the hill. These group activities would be focused on environmental education. In addition to a small parking lot, picnic tables and a loop trail would be added to the land. This second option is the one preferred by Saratoga PLAN. 

The third option would open Snake Hill to visitors during daylight hours. Added to the property would be a parking lot, picnic tables and benches, and a loop trail. This option would result in staff being focused primarily on visitor safety and minimizing any visitor impact on the land’s species and biodiversity. Should Snake Hill become a popular destination, increased traffic and parking could become a problem, along with potential damage to the habitat caused by visitors.

“A lot of you know Snake Hill better than any of us,” said Saratoga PLAN Executive Director Rob Davies at the open house event. “You know details about this land that we don’t, and that’s why we’re here. We want to hear from you.” Regardless of what ultimately happens to Snake Hill, Davies said that the land would be protected “forever.”

Snake Hill, currently closed to the public, rises 200 feet over Saratoga Lake. It is the site of Saratoga County’s only documented rattlesnake hibernacula, hence its name. The snakes are believed to have been hunted to extinction more than 150 years ago. Snake Hill’s native name, Torwarloonda, means “hill of storm.” According to Michael Gaige, a consulting ecologist and Saratoga PLAN advisory council member, the hill’s “abundant fossils, folded layers, and relative isolation from other similar structures make it a geological anomaly.” 

Additional information about the three site options is available at SaratogaPLAN.org/snakehill. The community can also share their feedback via this web address. The deadline for submitting feedback is Friday, September 13. Saratoga PLAN said it would hold another community event in the fall once plans for Snake Hill had been further solidified.

Local High School Implementing New Cell Phone Policy

Written by Jonathon Norcross on . Posted in Education, Featured.

BALLSTON LAKE — Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake High School will be implementing a new cell phone policy this year.

When students return to school at the end of the summer, they’ll be required to place their phones in a “rack” or cubby near the door of each classroom. Students won’t be able to access their phones during class, but they can still use their phones during lunch and in the hallway between classes.

Additionally, students will no longer be allowed to take their phones with them when they go to the bathroom. Principal Tim Brunson said that students sometimes go to the bathroom just to use their phones. He called this a “huge issue” that distracts students and decreases attendance.

“I anticipate that there will be some blowback at the start, but I think the positives far outweigh the negatives,” Brunson said of the new policy at an August 5 board of education meeting. “It shows that we trust the students to use [phones] appropriately but also shows how serious we are about eliminating distractions in the classroom.”

In the event of a home or family emergency, parents are advised to call the school so that they can reach their kids during class. Brunson said that the high school’s office is always manned. In non-emergency situations, parents can use email to contact their kids.

For now, the school will allow students to wear Apple Watches during class. Brunson said that teachers will monitor students to see if these watches also become distractions.

103rd Fasig-TiptonSaratoga Sale Shatters Records

Written by Saratoga TODAY on . Posted in Featured, Sports.


A Not This Time colt was sold for $3.4 million during the first session of the 103rd Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Sale
on August 5. Photo via Fasig-Tipton. 

SARATOGA SPRINGS — The 103rd edition of the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Sale set new records for gross, average, and median, the company announced on Wednesday. 

The two-session horse sale was held at the Humphrey S. Finney Pavilion in Saratoga Springs on August 5 and 6, resulting in 154 yearlings sold for a record gross of $82,160,000. This broke the $75,055,000 record set last year. 

The average and median figures also surpassed 2023 records. The average rose from $487,370 to $533,506, and the median climbed from $375,000 to $425,000. The sale also posted an 18.5% reserve-not-attained (RNA) rate, the lowest since 2015.

“It’s been a remarkable two nights of selling horses,” said Fasig-Tipton President Boyd Browning in a statement. “We felt very confident coming here this year that the quality of horses in this catalog is the best we’ve ever had. I think the buyers proved us right.”

The highest individual sale was $3.4 million for a Not This Time colt, which was the fifth most expensive colt offered in the history of the Saratoga Sale. The colt was sold to Donato Lanni, an agent for Zedan Racing.

The second-highest sale was $2.4 million for an Into Mischief colt. Lane’s End, agent for Pamela Wygod and The Wygod Family Revocable Trust, consigned the bay colt.

Other notable sales included:

A Gun Runner colt out of Secret Sigh, sold for $1,900,000 to M.V. Magnier/White Birch from the consignment of Lane’s End, agent for Summer Wind Equine.

A filly by Curlin sold for $1,900,000 to West Bloodstock, agent for Robert & Lawana Low, from the consignment of Gainesway, agent for Don Alberto Corporation.

A colt by Gun Runner sold for $1,700,000 to Resolute Bloodstock from the consignment of Bluewater Sales, agent.  

A Gun Runner filly out of multiple Grade 1 winner Pure Clan, sold for $1,500,000 to Whisper Hill Farm from the consignment of Gainesway, agent.

A colt by Tapit sold for $1,500,000 to Flying Dutchmen from the consignment of Lane’s End, agent for Don Alberto Corporation.

A colt from the first crop of multiple Grade 1 winner Charlatan sold for $1,500,000 to Resolute Bloodstock from the consignment of Warrendale Sales, agent for Stonestreet Bred & Raised.   

A Ghostzapper filly out of Seeking the Blue, sold for $1,200,000 to Resolute Bloodstock from the consignment of Gainesway, agent.

Augmented Reality Makes Saratoga History Come Alive

Written by Jonathon Norcross on . Posted in Business, Featured.


A screenshot from the Saratoga 250 augmented reality preview app shows Benedict Arnold standing inside the Saratoga TODAY newsroom. 

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Benedict Arnold stood tall next to the water cooler in the Saratoga TODAY newsroom as he expressed his eagerness to repel British advances at the upcoming Battles of Saratoga. Or at least that’s how it looked on one reporter’s cell phone.

The Saratoga 250 Commission is using augmented reality and 3D animations of historic figures to help bring the “turning point” of the American Revolution to life. Upon downloading an app, cell phone users can “see” these animated characters standing in front of them via their phone’s camera. The characters then deliver first-person testimonies of their roles in the Battles of Saratoga, presenting history in an entertaining and technologically advanced fashion.

“You can stand next to an animation of Benedict Arnold and take your picture,” said Lauren Roberts, Saratoga County Historian and chairperson of the Saratoga 250 Commission.

360XR, a digital storytelling company, is responsible for creating these augmented reality experiences. The company previously created similar animations for various historic sites on Long Island. One in particular, a driving tour of the Culper Spy Ring, caught Roberts’ attention.

“We liked all the different ways that they were telling the story and we decided that this is something that we would really like to have in Saratoga County,” Roberts said. “Not every place is a historic site where you can have staffing and signage and installations, so the idea of using technology was really great for us.”

After the second battle of Saratoga, when British General John Burgoyne was outnumbered and on the run, he headed about ten miles north to what is now Schuylerville. With the use of augmented reality, this trail of the British retreat would come alive at various sites where visitors could hear stories told by animated, historic characters.

Some of the characters being brought to life by 360XR and Saratoga 250 are Benedict Arnold, John Burgoyne, and Lady Frederika Riedesel, who wrote memoirs of her experiences in the war.

“We know a lot about what was going on during the siege because of her writings,” Roberts said. “She gives some wonderful perspectives; ones that we wouldn’t necessarily hear from a military perspective.”

Riedesel, the wife of the commander of German forces at Saratoga, took shelter in the Marshall House in present-day Schuylerville. In the house’s cellar, she helped care for women and wounded soldiers.

“Here, I stand, thousands of miles from home with my three young daughters,” says an animated version of Riedesel in a donor preview video created by 360XR. “We live amidst a paradox. Nature’s beauty surrounds us, yet the harsh realities of wilderness travel and the brutal truths of war shape our days.”

These words, spoken by an actress portraying Riedesel, come directly from the actual writings of Lady Frederika. But when it comes to other historic characters who didn’t always leave behind written records of their thoughts, a certain amount of creativity is required to, quite literally, put words in their mouths.

“We’re interpreting their position or perspective, but we’re trying to be as accurate as you can be in a process like this,” Roberts said.

As of now, a few demos of these historic characters have been created. But Saratoga 250 hopes to make more of them.

“Technology is not cheap, so [Campaign for Saratoga 250] is working on funding so that we can include more stories and implement what we have,” Roberts said.

The hope is to have all of these augmented reality experiences ready in time for the 250th anniversary of the Battles of Saratoga, which will be celebrated in 2027.

“I hope that using a new way to tell stories will interest a larger audience,” Roberts said. “We’re really just trying to reach more people and tell the story in an informative and entertaining way.”

City Police: A Warning for Unlicensed Taxi Drivers, Ride-Share Safety Initiatives for Riders

Written by Thomas Dimopoulos on . Posted in Featured, News.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — The Saratoga Springs Police Department this week issued a public reminder for those using rideshare companies to keep safety in mind when they are using the apps and to follow the safety protocols of each company. 

Recommendations include visiting the specific rideshare platform in use to review safety guidelines in place, using only the agreed upon driver, confirming that the ride was ordered through the app, and warnings to not enter a vehicle unless it has been verified as your ride. 

Last August, the city under the previous council, issued a detailed warning for summer visitors and year-round visitors alike after becoming aware of unlicensed, fake Uber and Lyft drivers picking up passengers from popular locations around Saratoga Springs. 

More recently, Saratoga Springs Public Safety Commissioner Tim Coll said the city had received complaints made about rideshare drivers concerning issues with fares being taken without using the rideshare app, as well as receiving reports that individuals were falsely posing as rideshare operators. The reports made were specific to the Saratoga Racetrack area and the downtown area. 

In response, a targeted enforcement detail took place on Aug. 1, when the Investigations Division and the Patrol Division focused on the area of the racetrack.

“Based on complaints from the public, we ran a detail in the vicinity of Frank Sullivan Place and Siro’s Restaurant to address this unlawful activity,” Coll said. “Two individuals were cited for operating unlicensed taxis.” 

The enforcement action resulted in the following charges:  

-Najeebullah Afghan, 32, of Schenectady, was charged with Criminal Impersonation in the second-degree, a class A Misdemeanor and the City Code violation of Chapter 215 Taxis (215-2 Licensing). It is alleged Afghan is not an operator for Uber or Lyft and agreed to take a fare as a taxi without a proper Hack License as defined in the city code. 

-Francis Egan, 65, of Saratoga Springs, was issued an appearance ticket for the violation of the City Code of Saratoga Springs Chapter 215 Taxis (215-2 Licensing). It is alleged that Egan agreed to take a fare without having a proper Hack License as defined in the city code. 

Commissioner Coll added that new cameras have been installed in the area near the racecourse and that signs will soon be placed near the racecourse areas well as on Caroline Street that will read: Area Under Surveillance – Unregulated Taxi Operations Will be Prosecuted. 

Johnny Mancini: Hero of Ballston Lake

Written by Rick Reynolds on . Posted in Featured, History.

Have you seen the Grotto of the Redemption in West Bend, Iowa? It is a series of nine grottos depicting scenes in the life of Jesus and is believed to be the largest grotto in the world. The value of the rocks and minerals contained in this grotto is estimated to top $4 million.

A grotto is a shrine, usually Catholic, that is built into and/or made from rocks. Grottos can be natural or man-made.

But, do you know that there’s a grotto in Ballston Lake in upstate New York?  Man-made; totally made from rocks; but certainly not at such a grand scale as the Iowa grotto.  The story of this man-made masterpiece is a complicated one, it is the story of a boy’s sickly childhood, a compassionate priest, a grateful man, and a tragic death.  Johnny Mancini was born on April 23,1919 in Ballston Lake NY, one of 3 children. He suffered from tuberculosis at an early age and the residual effects of that illness left him far weaker than a normal boy growing up.  His parents must have realized that he needed help and, when he was 11 years old, decided to have him move into the home of the neighborhood parish priest, Father Daniel Hogan.

Father Hogan was a unique man who had founded the Our Lady of Grace Catholic parish, offering masses for the first couple of years at a nearby amusement park and in a local Ballston Lake home. By 1923, he had worked to build a church building in which to create a permanent Catholic community in Ballston Lake.

Before being ordained and while in school, Father Hogan starred in numerous sports and probably would have been offered a slot in major league baseball had he not decided to become a priest.  But, his greatest love in sports was boxing and, in the basement of his new church, he started a boxing school to help wayward and sickly boys as they tried to find their way in a tough world. Johnny Mancini was one of those boys.

Father Hogan worked his boys hard.  He trained them. He followed their academic progress. He taught them proper behaviors.  He took them on trips to see the great boxers of the day.  He had them perform their boxing skills in shows for the public.  He also taught them to sing, something the boys did as part of their travelling boxing performances.  It must have been an incredible experience, not only for Johnny, but for all the boys.

Johnny excelled at boxing.  And he excelled in school.  He was President of his class in both Junior and Senior years at the Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake School. Upon graduation, he entered Siena and there spent two years.

While living with Father Hogan, he began a project that, unwittingly, has become a lasting legacy to himself. At age 14, he started collecting cobblestones which he planned to fashion into a grotto on the church property.  He worked on the project for three months, all under a tent, refusing to let anyone see it until it was complete. When finished and uncovered, there was a grotto on the grounds of the church, a grotto dedicated to Father Hogan, the man who had helped him recover.  When asked about it years later, Father Hogan merely regretted having had the grotto built in a distant location from the church.  If he had known that it would be such a work of art, he would have chosen a more prominent location on the grounds!

After building the grotto and while at Siena, Johnny developed an intense interest in flying.  In 1939, the Siena Aviation Club created a Civil Aeronautics Training School and the boys in it began to learn all about flying. In the course of two years in which 5000 boys across the country took part in programs to learn to fly, 77 boys were trained at Siena.  These boys, including Mancini, got their first learn-to-fly experiences at Albany Airport. (By the way, everyone participating in the program had to wear a parachute—just in case.) They all awaited the day when they were told to “take it up alone.”

Also, while at school, he inherited a sporty convertible, a 1927 Model T, from an elderly couple and he would drive it 45 minutes to and from school each day. People knew him because of the car he drove. When asked what’s the difference between his car and an airplane, his answer: “Very little.  They both get me where I want to go.”  A car and a plane, equal in his eyes.

On October 31, 1941, he, like so many others who were watching the world consumed by a major war, joined the Army Air Forces.  Almost immediately, he started training to become a pilot and, by the next year, he was a pilot.

His task was to do photographic and visual searches in the Pacific region during the war and, by all accounts, he did them well.  His flying abilities were exemplified by the fact that he was entrusted to fly Elliott Roosevelt, father of Eleanor and brother of Teddy, at times.

On April 22, 1943, one day before his 24th birthday, he took off from Guadalcanal in the Pacific Ocean during a time of thunderheads and squall lines in the area. He was piloting a Lockheed F5 Lightning plane, typically used for reconnaissance missions at the time.  Unfortunately, he was never heard from again, listed as “missing in action,” and declared officially dead December 17, 1945.

Posthumously, he was awarded the Air Medal, bestowed on an individual for single acts of heroism, and the Purple Heart, presented in the name of the President for heroic acts during wartime.

His legacy:  grit, determination, willingness to work for what he wanted.  And desire to give back to those who helped him.  Johnny advocated on behalf of Father Hogan and, in time,  the Army named Hogan an “Honorary Member, Aviation Cadet Detachment” at the Army Flying School in Moore, Texas.  Johnny thus honored his mentor. And, of course, Johnny also left us with the grotto which still stands proudly on the property adjacent to the current Ballston Lake Baptist Church, Ballston Lake, New York.  The grotto is truly a tribute to Father Hogan and to Johnny Mancini himself.

Saratoga Race Course Announcer Joins Spa Catholic Staff

Written by Saratoga TODAY on . Posted in Education, Featured.


Image of  Tom Durkin via the Saratoga Central Catholic School.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Saratoga Central Catholic School announced last week that Tom Durkin, an award-winning Saratoga Race Course announcer, will be joining its faculty as the Public Speaking Basics teacher. The class is a new elective offered by the school’s business department.

Durkin was a track announcer at the Saratoga Race Course from 1990 to 2014. He also worked as a sports commentator for ESPN and NBC Sports from 1984 to 2010. Durkin’s career has earned him numerous accolades, including the Jockey Club Gold Medal and the Eclipse Award of Merit. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Communication Arts from St. Norbert College.

The Public Speaking Basics course aims to equip students with essential skills such as structuring and delivering speeches, overcoming stage fright, and engaging with audiences effectively. Through practical exercises and real-world applications, students will gain confidence and proficiency in public speaking, preparing them for future academic and professional success.