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BlacKkKlansman Film Discussion Scheduled for May 1 for Saratoga Jewish Community Arts

Written by Saratoga TODAY on . Posted in News.

SARATOGA SPRINGS —Saratoga Jewish Community Arts, presents the next discussion of its social justice series at 7 p.m. on Monday, May 1.  

The Zoom panel discussion will discuss BlacKkKlansman, a 2018 film produced and co-written by Spike Lee. 

“Spike Lee, who never cared about what anyone thought of his politics,” said Phyllis Wang, Coordinator of SJCA, “is bold in speaking truth to power and dedicated the film to Heather Heyer who lost her life in the Charlotteville confrontation with an epitaph of ‘rest in Power’ under her picture in the closing of the film.”

Registration is required for the panel discussion at sjca.sjcf@gmail.com  

Saratoga Community Garden at Wesley

Written by Saratoga TODAY on . Posted in News.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Need a raised bed to garden in? Saratoga Springs Community Garden at Wesley has planting beds that folks from the Saratoga community can come to garden in the space. 

Make new friends in the garden and at monthly socials, grow healthy organic food and enjoy beautiful flowers.

If you are interested in applying for gardening space, please contact Susan Bokan for an application at susanbokan@gmail.com or 518-221-8142. For more information visit thewesleycommunity.org/about-wesley/extended-neighborhood/community-garden/

No Mow May: Give Up Your Lawnmower & Give Bees A Chance

Written by Saratoga TODAY on . Posted in News.


No Mow May, for the bees

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Put your lawnmower aside for the month of May to help save our bees and the planet.

The City of Saratoga Springs is joining with Sustainable Saratoga to launch No Mow May, a national movement to help highly at-risk Pollinators transition from barren winter to blooming spring.

Action Plan:  Take No Action!

During the critical month of May, the city of Saratoga Springs will encourage all to keep your mowers at rest and let lawns go natural in May. This critical transition month allows the Bees, Moths, Butterflies, and all other Pollinators to safely exit their winter ground homes and find nectar nourishment available during May…nectar from beautiful Clover (great nitrogen source for spring lawns), cheerful Dandelions, native lovely violets and the few other Wildflowers that bloom and go to seed in May prior to mowing.

Appleton, Wisconsin was the first U.S. community to adopt No Mow May, in 2020. It proved exceptionally successful in supporting pollinators: No Mow May lawns had 5x as many bees and 3x as many bee species as lawns that were mown, according to scientists in Wisconsin.

Sustainable Saratoga has NO MOW MAY Bee Lawn Signs announcing you’ve signed up to help “Save The Bees.”  Get a sign by emailing pollinators@sustainablesaratoga.org. The organization requests a $10 donation to Sustainable Saratoga to cover the cost of the sign. The signs can be re-used each May for at least 10 years.

Voters Approve Saratoga Springs Public Library Budget: 174 to 10 

Written by Saratoga TODAY on . Posted in News.

Photo provided.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Saratoga Springs School District residents have approved a tax levy of $5,283,757 to operate the Saratoga Springs Public Library in FY 2023-24.  Katie Capelli of Saratoga Springs was re-elected to the Library’s Board of Trustees. She ran unopposed.

 The library serves the residents of the Saratoga Springs City School District, and funds for the library are collected when school taxes are collected.  The proposed FY 23-24 contains a 1.5% increase over the amount levied in FY 22-23. The most recent increase was approved in 2019.  An estimated $774,103 will be available from sources other than FY 23-24 property taxes. The tax amount for public library purposes appears as a separate item on school district tax bills.

“We thank all those who came out to vote.” said Library Board President Katie Capelli, in a statement.  “We’ve just completed another busy year, including making progress toward the goals set out in our long-range service plan, and we continue to adapt to new modes of delivering library services introduced in the midst of a public health crisis. We are delighted by the public’s ongoing support, and look forward to continuing to serve the community as it recovers from the pandemic.”

Saratoga Springs to Receive $300,000 for Crescent Avenue Connector Project

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SARATOGA SPRINGS — Congressman Paul Tonko has selected the city of Saratoga Springs’ Crescent Avenue Connector project to receive $300,000 in funding under the Fiscal Year 2024 Community Project Funding process, supporting Mayor Ron Kim’s Complete Streets initiatives.

With this opportunity, the city will be able to design a one mile long, eight-to-ten-foot-wide asphalt path parallel to Crescent Avenue, between Route 9 and Nelson Avenue. 

The multi-use trail will have lanes for both cyclists and pedestrians, increasing safety from car collisions for the community, according to a statement on April 20 released by the city. 

Day In Court: Three Men Plead Not Guilty

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

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Three men accused of being involved in a downtown incident last fall with a sheriff’s deputy made their first public appearance in court on April 25.  

The three men – Alexander Colon, 28, Darius A. Wright, 29, and Christopher (AKA Christian) E. Castillo, 28 were each charged with one count attempted assault in the third-degree, a misdemeanor, in connection with the incident. According to the prosecutor’s filings, the charge specifies each of the defendants “attempted to cause an injury to a person by repeatedly punching him.” 

Each of the men pleaded not guilty and were released on their own recognizance under the condition that they remain free of future arrest and do not miss any upcoming court dates.  All three are currently slated to return to city court June 6.  

The Nov. 20 incident allegedly involved an altercation with off-duty sheriff’s deputy Vito Caselnova of Glens Falls and took place in the Caroline Street-Broadway area, with a subsequent police response that resulted in about 20 bullets raining down on Broadway overall in the pre-dawn hours. 

The three men who appeared at Saratoga Springs City Court this week are believed to be from the Utica area according to initial reports, although court documents specify only one of the men being from Utica, with addresses unspecified regarding the two other men, according to court documents.

Caselnova was arraigned last month in Saratoga County Court and is facing eight charges, including attempted murder. An order of protection was also issued that advises Caselnova not have any contact, directly or indirectly, with Alexander Colon. Caselnova pleaded not guilty to all charges and is due back in county court May 2. 

This week in city court, a request for an order of protection – advising the men to not have any contact with Caselnova – was denied by city court Judge Jeffrey Wait. 

Colon, dressed in a brown suit and tie, was represented by Utica based attorney Anthony Lafache. Wright and Castillo were represented by public defender Andrew Blumenberg. Lafache did not respond to a request for comment.    

According to statements by Saratoga Springs Public Safety Commissioner Jim Montagnino shortly after the Nov. 20 incident occurred, an altercation allegedly involving Caselnova – who was off-duty at the time – and “a group of individuals from the Utica area” was initiated on or around a Caroline Street bar before accelerating west and onto Broadway with approximately eight shots being fired. Five months after the incident occurred, specific details regarding the altercation still remain unclear.  

City police officers subsequently responding to the incident fired approximately 11 shots after the off-duty deputy allegedly ignored calls to drop his weapon. The incident marked the first discharge of a weapon in the line of duty by a Saratoga Springs officer in more than a quarter-century. A Grand Jury found responding city police officers acted “appropriately and justifiably” for their part, according to a statement issued by PBA President Paul Veitch. 

Caselnova suffered a number of wounds as a result of the incident and a woman believed to be his girlfriend was “nicked by one of the bullets in her upper arm,” Montagnino said. The woman, Glens Falls resident Cali Brown, reportedly filed the notice of claim against the city and police department signifying her intent to sue. 

Coming Home: Captured Cannon Returns to Saratoga

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

Cannon with a story. Photo provided.

STILLWATER — A cannon captured by the Continental Army in October 1777 after they defeated the British Army at the Battles and Siege of Saratoga will be permanently preserved as a part of the museum collection at Saratoga National Historical Park.

The light six-pound British cannon (Cannon #102) was donated from the Department of the Army to the National Park Service (NPS).  

This British Cannon was crafted from bronze in 1756. The brass light six-pounder cannons were the most desired type of artillery used by the British and Americans during the War for Independence.  British General Burgoyne had 18 light six-pounders captured by the Continental Army, among other weapons. Throughout the war, the Continental Army continued to use the light six-pounders captured at Saratoga.   

Only three of the original 18 light six-pounders captured at Saratoga are known to remain in existence today.  It was engraved with trophy honors marking the cannon as Surrender Cannon from Saratoga at West Point in 1783. 

In 1934, the Town of Saratoga secured a loan of Cannon #102 from New York City Department of Parks and Recreation who were its stewards at that time.  However, rather than being displayed, it remained in storage in a Schuylerville barn until 1961. It was then taken to Saratoga Springs, where it was allegedly illegally sold to a collector of militaria. Despite attempts to track down its location over the years and return it to Saratoga, it was essentially lost.   

 In 2009, a visitor to Saratoga National Historical Park commented to park staff that he had just seen a cannon with Saratoga trophy engravings at a museum in Alabama. An NPS team visited the museum in Tuscaloosa and confirmed its identity as the missing Cannon.  

 In 2011, the NPS and the U.S. Army Center for Military History agreed to pursue the case for the retrieval of the Cannon #102 on behalf of the U.S. Army. In 2013, the Westervelt Company and the Tuscaloosa Museum of Art returned it to the Department of the Army. Later that year, the Center officially loaned the cannon to the park, where it has been ever since.

Lane Reductions, Closures Leading Up to Racing Season 

Written by Saratoga TODAY on . Posted in News.

Photo: Road work along Broadway in Saratoga Springs earlier this week. Photo by Thomas Dimopoulos.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — The New York State Department of Transportation is advising motorists that westbound Union Avenue (State Route 9P) in Saratoga Springs will be closed through Friday at 5:30 p.m. for work on an ongoing Complete Streets project. Following the closures, westbound Union Avenue will reopen to one lane.  

During the closure, westbound motorists will be detoured to northbound Henning Road, westbound Lake Ave (State Route 29), then southbound East Avenue to reconnect to Union Avenue. Eastbound Union Avenue remains open with one lane. 

Motorists should continue to watch for lane reductions and closures on Union Avenue as work progresses until the start of the summer racing season. 

 For up-to-date travel information, call 511, visit www.511NY.org or download the free 511NY mobile app. 

American Legion National Commander Visits Saratoga

Written by Saratoga TODAY on . Posted in News.

American Legion National Commander Vincent J “Jim” Troiola visiting Saratoga Springs American Legion on April 13, 2023. Photo: Super Source Media Studios.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — American Legion National Commander Vincent J “Jim” Troiola visited Saratoga Springs last week, which featured a scheduled gathering at the Holiday Inn, and a visit to Therapeutic Horses of Saratoga. 

Therapeutic Horses of Saratoga Equine Therapy Program “Freedom Rein Project” is a free of charge program for veterans and service members designed to help with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other mental health issues. 

“We are honored to partner with Commander Troiola and the Saratoga Springs and Schuylerville American Legions to help in making a real difference in the lives of our nation’s veterans,” Therapeutic Horses of Saratoga co-founder Dr. Erin Sisk said in a statement, in advance of the visit. “We will continue to work tirelessly to ensure that all veterans have access to the care and support they deserve.” 

For more information on Therapeutic Horse of Saratoga, visit thsaratoga.org. 

Tonko Selects 15 Capital Region Projects for Community Funding Push 

Written by Saratoga TODAY on . Posted in News.

ALBANY/ Saratoga County — Congressman Paul Tonko this week announced 15 community development and improvement projects across New York’s 20th Congressional District that he submitted to the House Committee on Appropriations in a bid to bring direct federal investment to the region under the Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 Community Project Funding process.

A number of the selected projects are in Saratoga County.

Under guidelines issued by the Appropriations Committee, each Representative may request funding for up to 15 projects in their community for Fiscal Year 2024—although not all projects are guaranteed to receive funding. Projects are restricted to a limited number of federal funding streams, and only state and local governments and eligible non-profit entities are permitted to receive funding.

“Each of these 15 projects was chosen from many dozens of stellar applications and put through a rigorous, thorough selection process by my staff and myself,” Tonko said, in a statement. 

Projects submitted by Rep. Tonko include:

• Crescent Ave. Connector, 474 Broadway, 1st Floor, Suite 11, Saratoga Springs. Amount Requested: $300,000. 

• Moreau Emergency Squad Building Expansion, Moreau Emergency Squad, Inc. Amount Requested: $2 million.

• Schuylerville and Victory Water Main Replacement, Schuylerville/Victory Board of Water Management Amount Requested: $641,250.

• Southern Saratoga YMCA Capital Improvements, Young Men’s Christian Association of the Capital District. Amount Requested: $2 million.

• Town of Galway Community Building, Town of Galway. Amount Requested: $675,000.

• Watervliet Youth Center Capital Improvements, Watervliet Civic Chest, Inc. Amount Requested: $800,000.