SARATOGA SPRINGS – On the invitation of Saratoga Springs Athletic Director Nick McPartland, Coach Rich Johns recently met with the High School’s Athletic Leadership Group. Coach shared elements of his Act With Respect Always mission and his experiences as a teacher and coach at Saratoga. At the end of his presentation, Coach had a chance to meet and greet many of the students and have a photo taken with them. To learn more about AWRA, please go to the foundation’s website: www.actwithrespectalways.com 

OZONE PARK, NY – FOX Sports and the New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) has announced a historic deal in which FOX Sports acquires the exclusive media rights for the Belmont Stakes, the final jewel of thoroughbred racing’s Triple Crown series. 

The eight-year agreement, which starts in 2023, is inclusive of the entire Belmont Stakes Racing Festival, the multi-day event preceding the Belmont Stakes comprised of dozens of elite thoroughbred races. 

Additionally, the new deal grants NYRA Bets the title sponsorship to the Belmont Stakes. With this deal, the NYRA Bets Belmont Stakes becomes the most prestigious American sports event to be sponsored by a gaming brand. 

NYRA and FOX Sports began their collaboration with Saratoga Live in 2016 at the historic Saratoga Race Course. FOX Sports’ total coverage of horse racing has grown every year since the partnership began, eclipsing 700 hours in 2020. 

In 2019, FOX Sports became the national television home for Belmont Park, airing live coverage of nearly every race day throughout the fall and spring/summer racing seasons. That same year, the brand furthered its commitment to the sport by televising the Runhappy Travers to a national audience on the FOX broadcast network (FOX) for the first time in network history. Following its successful presentation, the Travers returned to FOX in 2020 and 2021. 

In March of 2021, NYRA and FOX Sports expanded their partnership through a landmark media rights agreement. That agreement extended FOX Sports’ television rights with NYRA through 2030 and further expanded exclusivity for daily racing at Belmont Park and Saratoga Race Course. It also ensured that the Travers will remain on FOX through 2030. 

The agreement announced in March provides a FOX Sports subsidiary with a future opportunity to increase its current 25% equity interest in NYRA Bets. Driven by a dramatic expansion in live television coverage on FOX Sports, NYRA Bets generated $250 million in wagering handle in 2021 and $225 million in wagering handle in 2020, a more than 100% increase compared to 2019. 

BALLSTON SPA – The Shuster Series of play readings is once again being presented by Home Made Theater. A “round table” play reading will feature participants dissecting and discussing some of theater’s great literature as a group. Roles are assigned so all who attend will have “performance” time. Audience members (non-readers) also welcome.

The first play in the series is at 10:15 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 22. Participants will be reading Our Country’s Good by Timberlake Wertenbaker. Based on true events, Our Country’s Good is set in Sydney, Australia in the early days of the settlement of Australia as a penal Colony. The play is about another play, a comedy called The Recruiting Officer, being performed using convicts as the actors, and directed by a very earnest young officer.

The Shuster Series play readings will be held at the Ballston Spa Public Library at 21 Milton Ave., Ballston Spa. Other dates in this season are Feb. 19, March 19, April 16, and May 21. All readings will be from 10:15 a.m. -1:15 p.m. 

Participation is free, though there is a suggested donation of $5 to cover the cost of printing. You can sign up to participate in The Shuster Series at Home Made Theater’s website: www.homemadetheater.org/get-involved/shuster-series-staged-readings/.

Per CDC’s new guidance and the Village of Ballston Spa mandate, masks must be worn at all times in the library regardless of vaccination status. In addition, Home Made Theater’s policy requires proof of vaccination, or a recent negative Covid-19 test.

CAMBRIDGE – A series of free discussions about the state of the arts in 2022 will take place via Webinair on four Wednesdays, starting Jan. 26. 

The discussions include issues of equity, programming, audience engagement, funding, and working as independent artists, and are facilitated by David Andrew Snider. Snider is a lecturer in the arts administration program at Skidmore College, executive & artistic director of Hubbard Hall, and author of the new professional playbook Managing Arts Organizations.

The talks feature arts leaders from a variety of arts disciplines throughout the United States, including Donna Walker-Kuhne, Walker International Communications Group, Inc.; Patrick Torres, Raleigh Little Theatre; Chad Bauman, Milwaukee Rep; Karen Zacarías, playwright; Mei Ann Teo, Oregon Shakespeare Festival; Melissa Crespo, Syracuse Stage; Nancy Yao Maasbach, Museum of Chinese in America; Lisa Richards Toney, Association of Performing Arts Professionals; Ben Cameron, The Jerome Foundation; Sarah Craig, Caffé Lena; Robert Barry Fleming, Actors Theatre of Louisville; C. Brian Williams, Step Afrika!; Anna Glass, Dance Theatre of Harlem. 

The discussion take place 7 p.m. Wednesdays, Jan. 26, February 16, March 23, and April 6, and are free.  Closed Captioning and ASL Interpretation will be provided. Sponsored by the Arts Administration Program of Skidmore College and the Hubbard Hall Center for the Arts and Education.

For information about specific themes and to register for the free events, see: www.hubbardhall.org. 

SARATOGA SPRINGS -The Hawley Foundation for Children is accepting funding requests for its Community Grants and Camp Awards. Local organizations that assist youth in our community and best realize the Foundation’s mission of promoting the health, welfare and education of children in Saratoga County are invited to apply no later than March 1, 2022, at www.HawleyFoundation.org. 

Funding criteria includes but is not limited to:

• Organizations must serve disadvantaged children in Saratoga County 
• Organizations must have a 501(c)(3) non-profit status 
• Programs to be funded must demonstrate the ability and commitment to benefit, enhance and enrich the quality of life and well-being of children.

Applicants will be notified in early April and funds distributed at an Award Ceremony in May.  For more information, please contact info@hawleyfoundation.org. 

In 2021, The Hawley Foundation awarded over $150,000 to the Saratoga County community towards Community Grants, Camp Awards, and College Grants to high school seniors who are college-bound or vocational-oriented, as well as returning college students, and as discretionary funds to assist children on a case-by-case basis who are in financial need and reside in Saratoga County. 

About The Hawley Foundation

The Hawley Foundation for Children has a tradition of assisting the neediest youth in our community.  In 1888, Augusta P. Wiggins began caring for a few children who were orphaned, from families with limited income, or were not well-cared for at home. She enticed several Saratogians to support her project and in 1891, the institution was incorporated, electing Methodist Minister Rev. Bostwick Hawley as their first President. For 16 years, the children lived in different locations throughout Saratoga Springs. In 1904, the Hawley Home opened its doors on Ludlow Street — eventually housing 34 children from Saratoga and Warren Counties. It operated for 61 years until 1965, when increasingly complex state regulations forced its closure.  The home was sold, an endowment was created, and The Hawley Foundation for Children was established. Since then, the mission has been to promote the health, welfare and education of children in Saratoga County. The dedicated Board of Directors carries on this tradition to this day. 

SARATOGA SPRINGS -Saratoga Jewish Community Arts, with a generous grant from the Jewish Federation of Northeastern NY and sponsored by Temple Sinai, presents a zoom discussion of Taika Waititi’s 2019 film JoJo Rabbit at 7 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 30. 

The film is about 10-year-old JoJo Betzler, growing up in a perilous environment seasoned with shameless propaganda. The film takes place late war Nazi Germany where JoJo is living with his mom; his dad is out of the picture in service. 

It is a satirical drama with a heavy dose of pathos. While containing explosive moments that find us chuckling, if not outright laughing, it delivers a jolt along with a jeer. JoJo Rabbit makes us uncomfortable. It makes us remember the good and the bad, the cold truths, and the fairy tales of childish imagining.  And it converges comedy and sobering sincerity to produce a story that condemns hate and, by extension, antisemitism. 

It is available to see on a wide variety of streaming services including Amazon Prime, You Tube, Apple iTunes, and Redbox. Registration is required and is accessible by emailing sjca.sjcf@gmail.com   www.saratogajewishculturalfestival.org   www.saratogasinai.org 

CAPITAL REGION -The Arc Lexington is partnering with Warren-Washington-Albany ARC (WWAARC) to expand its Transitions program into the Capital Region. WWAARC will offer employment supports to Transitions students at businesses in the Capital District and on the Albany campus. Such support includes internships, career counseling, on-the-job coaching services, job training, and more. 

Based in Mayfield, NY, the Transitions program focuses on building academic and life skills and general independence for teens and young adults with autism and other learning differences. Through partnerships with local colleges, internships, and supported living opportunities, Transitions helps young people on the autism spectrum or with learning differences make successful transitions from adolescence to young adulthood. 

“We are very pleased to be able to form this partnership with WWAARC,” said Shaloni Winston, Founder of Transitions and CEO of The Arc Lexington. “This partnership will allow us to bring truly innovative approaches to address the critical need that exists among so many individuals and families that currently fear how they will face the challenges of life after high school.” 

To learn more about Transitions, visit www.transitionsusa.org. 

ALBANY – CanCode Communities, a nonprofit organization training non-traditional talent for software career opportunities, has announced its largest-ever course schedule, with six popular classes being offered for Spring 2022 through four affiliates across upstate New York. 

Registration is now open for spring courses, which start in February and will be provided virtually in small classroom settings, with real-time instruction and hands-on learning. Classes include Virtual Digital Literacy, the initial course to be offered through HerkimerCanCode; Front-End Web Development through KingstonCanCode; Python for Data Analytics through Saratoga CanCode; and Virtual Digital Literacy, Front-End Web Development. JavaScript Frameworks, and SQL/ETL through AlbanyCanCode. 

Spring 2022 courses are as follows: 

Virtual Digital Literacy: This course teaches basic computer usage skills, including Google Docs and Microsoft Office; use and management of email and calendars; word processing and spreadsheet use; and using the web to conduct safe and productive internet job searches. Presented by HerkimerCanCode in partnership with Herkimer College, Herkimer County, Herkimer Working Solutions, and the Community Foundation of Herkimer and Oneida Counties, and open to all residents of the Mohawk Valley region. 

Class info: Feb. 1 – April 5 (10 weeks), Tuesday & Thursday, 6-8 p.m. 

Digital Literacy and Front-End Web Development: This program develops the skills covered in the digital literacy curriculum, but with a specific focus on building strong foundations for web programming. Presented by AlbanyCanCode in partnership with the Schenectady Foundation, and open to women residing in Schenectady County. 

Class info: Feb. 1 – May 24 (16 weeks), 2 nights/week for 3 hours (dates/times TBD) 

Front-End Web Development: This course establishes solid foundations in key tools of front-end developers: HTML, CSS, Bootstrap, JavaScript, and collaborative workplace/version control tools Git and GitHub. Presented by KingstonCanCode in partnership with SUNY Ulster. 

Class info: Feb. 14 – May 4 (12 weeks), Monday & Wednesday, 5:45-8 p.m. 

Python for Data Analytics: This class teaches fundamental programming concepts, using the programming language Python, specifically as a tool for collecting, analyzing, and visualizing data. Presented by SaratogaCanCode in partnership with SUNY Adirondack. 

Class info: Feb. 14 – May 5 (12 weeks), Monday & Wednesday, 5:45-8 p.m. 

JavaScript Frameworks: This course is an intermediate class suitable for students who have a strong foundation in JavaScript. Presented by AlbanyCanCode in partnership with Capital Region BOCES. 

Class info: Feb. 14 – May 4 (12 weeks), Monday & Wednesday, 5:45-8 p.m. 

SQL/ETL: This course gives students hands-on practice utilizing SQL and ETL to manage and manipulate data, including generating reports. Presented by AlbanyCanCode in partnership with SUNY Schenectady. 

Class info: Feb 15 – May 5 (12 weeks), Tuesday & Thursday, 5:45-8 p.m. 

For more information and to register for Spring 2022 classes, visit www.cancode.org/courses. 

In last week’s issue (Jan. 7-13, 2022), in the “BSCSD Board of Education Meeting: Updates as of Jan. 5,” under the Updates on High School Initiatives, it was stated that the BSCSD was proposing five new courses for Spa Academy. The five new courses for the 2022-2023 school year are actually being proposed for the Ballston Spa High School. These courses are Multicultural Literature; Physical Science – Physics; Physical Science – Chemistry; Video Production & Broadcasting; Advanced Video Editing, Animation, and Visual Effects. 

Additionally, the Early College information night for 8th graders will be at the TEC-SMART campus, which was spelled incorrectly as TECH-SMART in last week’s issue. 

SARATOGA SPRINGS – Stewart’s Shops first grand opening of 2022 is in a completely new shop location in Colonie. 

The new shop, located at 1560 Central Ave, has a large footprint, inside and out. Outside you’ll find plenty of parking, outdoor seating, and gas pumps, while the interior of the shop has a spacious food bar, a beer cave, extra seating, and a cone counter. 

Stewart’s will be holding a grand opening celebration at this new shop in Colonie on Friday, Jan. 14 from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. There will a ribbon cutting, as well as food, drink, and gas specials all day, including: 50¢ single scoop ice cream cones, 99¢ Stewart’s Shops 20 oz. sodas and 16 & 20 oz. Refreshers, 99¢ Make Your Own hot dogs and roller grill items, any 16″ pizza for $7.99, and 10¢ off gas, including diesel. 

In honor of the event, Stewart’s Shops will be donating $2,000 to the Warrior Will Foundation. The foundation helps newborns with life-threatening illnesses and their families who are enduring a crisis. 

In 2022, Stewart’s Shops is planning on opening 20 new shops in total – 13 new rebuilds and 7 new-to-market shops. The new shop in Colonie is part of their continuous commitment to invest in their communities and meet the growing needs of their customers, offering a wider variety of food and beverage options, and making life easier.