Bug’s 13th Boston Terrier Parade will commence at 11am on Sunday, September 21 from the Spirit of Life statue in Congress Park with a stroll down Broadway and a pup after party at Bailey’s! Donations are requested to help support Northeast Boston Terrier Rescue. Sign up will begin at 10:15 and all dogs are welcome!
All They Do is Win: Blue Streaks Football Team Starts Season 2-0
The Saratoga Springs football squad dominated Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake last Friday, 41 to 7. The team scored at least one touchdown per quarter, putting the squeeze on Burnt Hills and never loosening the grip. For the Blue Streaks, quarterback Bobby Morris threw for 183 yards and 2 touchdowns; running back Benjamin Coryea rushed for 115 yards in 19 carries, reaching the endzone 3 times; wideout Gavin Lafrance caught 3 balls for 121 yards and a touchdown; and receiver Jaden Lockrow caught two passes for 40 yards and a TD. On the defensive end, free safety Hayden Passaretti shut down Burnt Hills with 1 sack and 8 total tackles, while Brady Varian, Caleb Brilling, and Tasiah LaDore each added 6 tackles apiece. With a 2-0 record, Saratoga will now host the Christian Brothers Academy at home on Friday, Sept. 19.
Black Horses Win Close Contest
After annihilating Broadalbin-Perth 57 to 0 in their first game, the Schuylerville varsity football team faced closer competition in week two, managing to defeat Johnstown 27 to 21. For the Horses, quarterback Ben VanVegthen had a slow night, completing half of his passes for 20 yards. But the rushing game was utterly dominant, with Ernie DaCosta running for 189 yards at a whopping 12.6 yards per carry. His longest carry of the night was 57 yards and he reached the endzone 3 times. Blake Cumm also scored a touchdown and netted 40 rushing yards. Sophomore Ethan Lavender impressed on defense, earning 1 sack and 5 tackles. Schuylerville will hope to keep their early success rolling when they face Hudson on Friday at home.
Saratoga Field Hockey Team Undefeated
On Sept. 8, the Saratoga Springs varsity field hockey team earned its third win of the season, beating Shaker 5-0. For the Blue Streaks, Mia Khazin had 3 goals and 1 assist; Madison Finn and Esther Lodico each earned 1 goal; Ryann Ginley contributed 1 assist; and Alexis Georgeadis had 1 save. Saratoga took 36 shots while Shaker had none.
On Sept. 10, the squad remained undefeated, earning their fourth win of the year by defeating Niskayuna 5-0. In that contest, Mia Khazin had 3 goals and 1 assist; Madison Finn, Esther Lodico, and Andi Schiffer each added 1 goal apiece; and Emilia Hall added 1 assist. The Blue Streaks had 34 shots in the game, while Niskayuna had none.
The Blue Streaks then kept their streak alive after besting Greene 4 to 1 last Saturday. For Saratoga, Mia Khazin had 3 goals and 1 assist; Cece Carroll earned 1 goal; Esther Lodico and Andi Schiffer both contributed 1 assist each; and Alexis Georgeadis had 1 save. Saratoga had 26 shots overall, while Greene had just 6. With the victory, Saratoga improved to 5-0 on the season.
Schuylerville Boys Soccer Beats South Glens Falls
Schuylerville and South High opened up their Foothills Council play last Friday. The Horses got on the board 3 minutes in on a Dean Barraclough goal assisted by Colden Harrison. Schuylerville scored their second as Thomas Tyler would find the net midway through the first half. South would begin to gain some momentum and press the back line for the final few minutes of the half. The second half saw things tighten up as Schuylerville would find their own goal to make it 2-1. Anthony Cooper and Jack Doyle were dangerous all night but the Horses would continue to string some passes together and finally broke through as Barraclough’s direct kick was initially saved but Tyler was there to finish it for the 3-1 final score.
Scotties Trounced by Shaker
The Ballston Spa football team lost badly to Shaker, 44 to 8, last Friday. The Scotties put all of their points on the board in the third quarter, when they completed a 25-yard pass for a touchdown and then rushed for the two-point conversion. B-Spa will hope to have better odds when they travel to Amsterdam for their next game on Friday night.
Spa Catholic Volleyball Falls to Hoosic Valley
On Sept. 10, the Saratoga Central Catholic volleyball team lost to Hoosic Valley 3-0. For the Saints, Catharine Crowe earned 13 assists while Emery Moser had 8 kills and 6 aces.
Skidmore Women’s Tennis Team Launches Season
The Skidmore College women’s tennis team kicked off the fall 2025 season with a solid opening weekend of competition at the Middlebury Panther Challenge from Friday to Sunday. The Thoroughbreds picked up a pair of singles victories against Colby on Saturday, with freshman Ginevra Muratori defeating the Mules’ Kat Lowry and sophomore Maggie English defeating Colby’s Abby Hess. During Sunday’s competition, the Skidmore doubles duo of Amelie Gonzalez and Muratori defeated Colby’s Isabella Suk and Lowy, 7-5. The Thoroughbreds also took home a doubles victory against Middlebury, with Gonzalez and Muratori defeating the Panthers’ Gusty Beveridge and Elizabeth Doak, 6-2. Up next, the Thoroughbreds will host the 2025 ITA Regionals in two weekends, Sept. 26 to 28, at the McCaffery-Wagman Tennis and Wellness Center.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — The Ambler Hotel will celebrate its grand opening early next month, according to the Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce.
The Ambler is the renamed, renovated, redesigned, and rebranded structure at 188 South Broadway that formerly housed the St. Charles Motel.
Keir Weimer, the founder and CEO of Weekender, told Saratoga TODAY last year that the creative concept of The Ambler was “Palm Springs meets an urban New York market.” The brick exterior has been painted white and the rooms will feature some bold pops of color. The hotel will also be a smart one, meaning it’ll offer WiFi-enabled keyless doors that allow guests to check in at any hour, large-screen TVs loaded with apps, and WiFi thermostats.
As a brand, Weekender prides itself on creating rooms that function as basecamps for adventurers. The Ambler will be within walking distance of downtown Saratoga Springs, allowing its guests to explore the vibrant Spa City on foot.
At the most recent Board of Supervisors meeting, Saratoga County passed legislation that would create a county wide animal abuse registry.
Under the law, someone would have to register with the District Attorney if they are convicted of one of 17 offenses related to animal abuse within 10 days of conviction or release from incarceration. Those convicted are required to provide a head shot, name, alias and address to the registry.
For first time offenders, their name will be on the registry for 15 years while any subsequent offenses will result in permanent admission to the registry. If someone is on the registry, then they are barred from purchasing or adopting any animals in Saratoga County. Failure to follow the law can result in a $1000 fine for both the abuser and those who sell animals to them.
The bill was passed unanimously by the Saratoga County Board of Supervisors. In his remarks, Chairman of the Board, Phillip Barrett from Clifton Park called the move a “critical first step” in addressing the issue of animal abuse and encouraged the state and other counties to adopt similar legislation.
The registry also received heavy support from Republican District Attorney Candidate Brett Eby, one of three people who spoke during a Sept. 10 public hearing on the bill. He, alongside Mechanicville Animal Control Officer Lynn Meager spoke in favor of the legislation and talked about the issue of animal abuse.
Meager told a heart-breaking story about finding a great dane in a moving truck that only weighed 30 pounds — far below the normal weight of between 110-175 pounds.
The legislation comes after several high-profile incidents in Saratoga County. This year alone there have been at least seven incidents of animal abuse in the county resulting in Saratoga County residents being charged with over 200 counts of abuse.
Saratoga County isn’t the first county to implement an animal abuse registry. 20 counties —including Albany and Rensselaer — plus New York City all maintain registries of animal abusers.
On the state level, there is currently a bill introduced that would create a state registry of animal abusers. The bill is sponsored by Senators Pete Harckham (D, WF- 40) of South Salem and Anthony Palumbo (R- 1) of New Suffolk and was referred to committee in May.
In addition, Sen. James Tedisco — who represents Saratoga County — also proposed several bills in January which would strengthen New York’s animal abuse law known as “Buster’s Law.” All of those bills have been referred to committee with no action taken since January.
A staple of life in the Upstate New York, Ballston Spa’s own Stewart’s Shops is known for its milk and ice cream.
While this complete and udder excellence is common knowledge for residents, it’s now been recognized as being in the top 3 best dairy products 17 times — including top honors for sherbert, gelato, lactose free milk, open class flavored milk and strawberry milk — at the World Dairy Expo in Madison, Wisconsin.
“These awards are a testament to the skill and dedication of the 21 family farms, who supply our milk, and the partners, who are committed to producing the highest quality milk and ice cream at our plant in Greenfield, New York,” the company said in a press release.
For frozen treats, Stewart’s rainbow sherbert took home top honors in the category, while mango dragon fruit came in second. For Gelato, the top three was all Stewart’s with Pistachio coming in first while salty caramel and milk chocolate followed behind. In addition, Stewart’s French vanilla came in second place in the French vanilla category while their chocolate came in second for that category, Bark in the Dark came in third for dark chocolate, maple walnut came in second for ice cream with nuts, peanut butter pandemonium came in third for peanut butter ice cream and dirt cake came in third for open class.
In addition to Stewart’s, Schuylerville’s King Brothers Dairy came in second for the open class ice cream with caramel for their just take my money ice cream and second for peanut butter with their PBOMG! ice cream.
The World Dairy Expo will be held in Madison Wisconsin from Sept. 30 – Oct. 3.
Football season officially began last weekend when the Saratoga Springs, Schuylerville, and Ballston Spa varsity squads all earned impressive week one victories. In other high school sports news, the Saratoga girls golf team defeated Queensbury, the Schuylerville boys soccer team tied Mechanicville, and the Spa Catholic girls soccer team tied Mekeel Christian Academy. At the collegiate level, Skidmore freshman soccer player Mara Grace earned her first-ever goal and the Skidmore volleyball team swept Johnson & Wales.
Schuylerville Annihilates Broadalbin-Perth
The 2024 state champion Schuylerville Black Horses galloped into the 2025 season with a dominant 57 to 0 victory over Broadlbin-Perth last Friday. The lopsided affair produced a series of impressive performances for the Horses:
• Senior quarterback Ben VanVegthen threw for 2 touchdowns and completed a 45-yard pass.
• Max Montgomery and Levi Michaud both ran for nearly 100 yards apiece, with Michaud netting 93 yards in just two carries.
• Junior Blake Cumm averaged 16 yards per carry, reaching the endzone twice.
• Sophomore Ernie DaCoasta caught 2 TDs and earned a sack on defense (one of three for the Horses).
Schuylerville will next play at Johnstown on Friday, Sept. 12.
Ballston Spa’s Shocking Come-from-Behind Victory
The Buffalo Bills weren’t the only Upstate football team to earn an almost surreal comeback last weekend. The Ballston Spa Scotties managed to defeat the Eastchester Eagles 21 to 20, despite trailing 20-0 at halftime. The scoring rampage began in the third quarter with a rushing touchdown that put 6 on the board for the Scotties. A two-point conversion attempt failed, leaving things at 20-6 heading into the final quarter. Then B-Spa blew up. A passing touchdown with 8 minutes to go was followed by a successful two-point conversion, putting the Scotties within 6. With 5 minutes on the clock, a colossal 74-yard TD reception evened the score at 20 apiece before the extra point kick sealed the deal.
The 1-0 Scotties will take on Shaker at home on Friday night.
Blue Streaks Beat Monroe-Woodbury
The Saratoga Springs varsity football squad defeated Monroe-Woodbury last Saturday in a non-conference game. Field conditions were wet with hundreds of fans reportedly in attendance. The first quarter was evenly matched, with neither team putting points on the board. Monroe nabbed an interception but couldn’t capitalize on the turnover. In the second quarter, Monroe blocked a Saratoga punt before earning a rushing touchdown to put them ahead, 7-0. Saratoga responded minutes later with a short passing TD to even the score. But Monroe took the lead heading into halftime after a 23-yard field goal. 10-7 at the half. In the third, the Blue Streaks offense gave up two more turnovers with a fumble and interception. Monroe couldn’t convert on offense, however, and the tally remained 10-7 heading into the fourth. Both teams elevated their play in the final stanza. The decisive quarter began with a Saratoga passing touchdown that put them ahead by 3. The extra point attempt was no good. Monroe quickly responded with a massive, 54-yard rushing TD. An extra point put them ahead 17 to 13. With just three minutes left in the contest, Saratoga closed out the game with a rushing touchdown and extra point. Final score: Saratoga 20, Monroe-Woodbury 17.
The Blue Streaks will face off against Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake at home on Friday night, Sept. 12.
Saratoga Catholic-Stillwater Falls to Mechanicville
The Saratoga Catholic-Stillwater varsity football team fell to Mechanicville, 29 to 21 last Friday. Stillwater held the Red Raiders in check in the first half, entering the break with just a one-point deficit. But Mechanicville exploded in the second half with 16 points. For the Warriors, senior quarterback Aidan Callanan threw for 169 yards with 2 touchdowns and 1 interception. He also led his team in rushing yards, with a total 70 in 22 carries (one of which earned him a trip to the endzone). Callanan’s receiving targets were varied, with four players netting around 40 yards apiece (seniors Caleb Vacula and Bryce Peterson each caught a TD). On the defensive end, senior John Williams grabbed an interception.
Spa Catholic-Stillwater will play Cambridge/Salem on Friday at home.
Spa Catholic Soccer Squad Ties Mekeel in OT Rivalry Game
The Saratoga Catholic girls soccer team, which was the subject of a feature story in last week’s edition of Saratoga TODAY, tied Mekeel Christian Academy last Friday in overtime, 1-1. Sophomore Julia Dejnozka scored the Saints’ lone goal. Spa Catholic and Mekeel have developed a healthy rivalry thanks to their close games last season, all three of which ended in Saints losses.
Saratoga Girls Golf Defeats Queensbury
The Saratoga Springs girls golf team defeated Queensbury in a non-league contest on Sept. 3 at the Hiland Park Country Club, 95 to 117. For the Blue Streaks, Sophia Jackson shot a 44 and Emma Kraszewski a 51.
Schuylerville Ties Mechanicville in Boys Soccer Showdown
Schuylerville hosted Mechanicville on Sept. 3 in an early season match. The Red Raiders came out and immediately applied pressure. 3 minutes in, they were rewarded when David DiSiena found the back of the net. Mechanicville continued to press, but eventually Schuylerville began to equalize the play. With 10 seconds remaining in the half, Mechanicville’s Graham Murphy finished an uncleared corner to make it 2-0. The majority of the second half belonged to the Horses as Thomas Tyler and Dean Barraclough scored to even it up midway through the half. Schuylerville would continue to press the back line but could not get the game winner. Final score: 2-2.
Freshman Thoroughbred Earns First Career Goal
Freshman Mara Grace scored her first collegiate goal in just the 2nd minute as the Skidmore College women’s soccer team battled Hartwick to a 1-1 tie on the road last Sunday afternoon. The Thoroughbreds (0-1-2) outshot the home team by a double-digit margin, 14-to-4, after taking the lead from seemingly the opening touch. However, it proved not enough as the Hawks (2-0-2) strung together just enough offense in the 14th minute to ultimately force the tie. The Thoroughbreds quickly took the lead 2 minutes into the match after Grace drilled a high-arching shot attempt from just outside the box that sailed past the arms of Hartwick’s goalie and through the top left of the net. In the 14th minute, the Hawks capitalized on a free kick sequence that saw the pass from Jenna Mierek initially ricochet off the head of Ella Grupe before ultimately finding an uncontested Millie Caldon in the left side of the goal for the shoot and score and tying the match at 1-1. At halftime, Skidmore again made a goalie change with sophomore Sophia Sayers taking over for senior Avery Rogers, who recorded a pair of saves through the first 45 minutes at goal. Skidmore outshot Hartwick by an 8-to-1 margin in the second half after largely dominating possession of the ball on the offensive third, however the Thoroughbreds failed to break through Hartwick for the go-ahead goal as time ran out. Grace led the offense with four shots in addition to her first career goal.
Skidmore Volleyball Squad Sweeps
The Skidmore College volleyball team swept Johnson & Wales (25-19, 25-16, 25-17) and lost 3-1 to SUNY Geneseo (19-25, 27-25, 25-15, 25-19) last Saturday at the Williamson Sports Center to finish the 2025 Skidmore Classic with a 2-1 record. First-year Chloe Heitman was Skidmore’s representative on the All-Tournament Team. She registered 30 kills and 24 digs with four blocks across three matches this weekend. Skidmore will next head to the Phoenix Invitational at Swarthmore College, Sept. 12–13. The Thoroughbreds will face a competitive field that includes nationally recognized opponents.
A Ballston Spa Man has been charged with a crime after attacking a vehicle with a hammer.
Christopher Brothers was arrested Sept. 7 in the Blue Herron Trail Apartment Complex in the Town of Ballston after deputies from the Saratoga County Sherriff’s Office were dispatched there around 2 pm for domestic disturbance.
According to the Sherriff’s Office, Brothers allegedly jumped on the vehicle and struck it with a hammer causing more than $1,500 in damage. Brothers allegedly selected the victim — who the Sherriff’s Office said is Black — based on perceived race.
Brothers has been arrested for criminal mischief in the second degree as a hate crime, a class C felony and first-degree criminal contempt, a class E felony. The Sherriff’s Office said that in carrying out the attack, Brothers Violated an order of protection. Brothers was arraigned and released to pre trial services.
Two Separate incidents in Malta have brought the total number of animal abuse incidents up to seven.
Eugene Willis, 69, of Malta was arrested by the Saratoga County Sheriff’s Office on Aug. 28 after deputies received a complaint of animal abuse that morning. Willis wasn’t the only one arrested recently as on Sept. 2, the Sheriff’s Office arrested Ashley Ross for animal abuse and falsifying business records.
According to the Sheriff’s Office, Willis allegedly kicked a black lab causing bruising and digestive issues. The dog and a brown lab found at the residence were seized by the Malta animal control officer. They were transported to the Saratoga County Animal Shelter and received medical treatment.
Ross’s case, meanwhile, stems from an incident that occurred Aug. 16 when she surrendered a pit bull to the Malta animal control officer. At the time of the surrender, Ross claimed the dog hadn’t bit anyone in the last 10 days, however the Sheriff’s Office said that the dog had bitten someone the previous day. In addition, the dog had bitten another pit bull at the residence causing an injury for which Ross failed to get treated. That dog has been transported to the Saratoga County Animal Shelter and is receiving treatment.
Both Willis and Ross were released on appearance tickets for their respective offenses.
Willis and Ross’ cases represent the sixth and seventh cases of animal abuse this year in Saratoga County. Last month, two people were arrested in Malta for abusing three dogs while there have been several high-profile cases across the county. Their charges bring the total 203rd misdemeanor count brought against residents by Sheriff’s Office.
In response to these incidents, The Saratoga County Board of Supervisors proposed legislation to create a registry of animal abusers and held a public hearing on the bill Sept. 10 — coverage of which can be found at saratogatodaynewspaper.com.
