SARATOGA SPRINGS — A new cafe and corner market is set to open in downtown Saratoga Springs early next year, according to owner Stephen Mittler. The establishment will replace the closed Tailgate and Party shop at 33 Phila St.

The market will serve “the best breakfast sandwiches in town, yogurt parfaits, fruit cups, salads, soups, and a solid selection of grab and go craving solutions,” said Mittler in a Facebook post announcement. Convenience store items and candy will also be for sale.

The cafe portion of the business will feature an appetizer-only menu, along with alcoholic beverages.

BALLSTON SPA — The Ballston Spa Central School District will host a series of free winter concerts featuring local students in December and January.

Two upcoming performances will be held at the High School Auditorium at 220 Ballston Ave: the JV Winter Concert on Dec. 11 at 7:30 p.m. (featuring choir, orchestra, and jazz band), as well as the 6th Grade Middle School Winter Concert on Dec. 19 at 7 p.m.

The district’s elementary schools will host their own concerts. The performances will occur at the follow locations and times:

• Milton Terrace Elementary School — December 12 at 7 p.m. in the Cafetorium at 200 Wood Rd.

• Gordon Creek Elementary School — December 14 at 7 p.m. in the Gymatorium at 50 Wood Rd.

• Wood Road Elementary School — January 9 at 7 p.m. in the Cafetorium at 300 Wood Rd.

• Malta Avenue Elementary School — January 11 at 7 p.m. in the Auditorium at 70 Malta Ave. 

For additional information, check the events calendar at www.bscsd.org or call the school hosting the performance.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Skidmore College will host its annual one-day-only Tang Bazaar on Friday, December 8 from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m.

The market will feature student-made goods including clothing, jewelry, art, and pottery. Most vendors will accept payment via Venmo.

For additional information, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call 518-580-8080. 

SARATOGA SPRINGS — $30,000 in scholarships is up for grabs, thanks to the Saratoga Springs Lions Club.

Applications for the 2024 Scholarship Program are available from the guidance counselors at Saratoga Springs High School and Saratoga Catholic High School. All graduating high school students in the Saratoga school district are eligible to apply. 

There are several different categories of scholarships:

• $10,000 Lions Foundation Jack Berkowitz Memorial Award

• $5,000 and $2,500 Four-Year Academic Program Awards

• $2,500 Leos Club Member Scholarship Award

• $2,500 Two-Year Academic Program Award

• $2,500 Career Technology Education Award

Most of the scholarships pay out a portion of the award money on a yearly basis. The scholarships will be granted to students attending a two or four-year accredited institution or career technology education school. Applications are due by April 15, 2024.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Skidmore College has unveiled a newly-expanded locker room at the Saratoga Springs Ice Rink. The 3,200-foot facility includes a changing area, training room, and coaches’ office. 

“The new locker room provides a much more professional space for our team to get ready for games and practices,” said goalie Tate Brandon in a statement. “The locker room is a microcosm of how far our program has come, and just how far it will go.”

This season, the Skidmore Thoroughbreds are off to one of their best starts in decades. The team is currently ranked 13th nationally in NCAA Division III.

The city also plans to make additional improvements to its ice rink on Weibel Ave. Earlier this year, new LED lights and automatic sliding doors were installed.

SARATOGA SPRINGS —A new dormitory currently under construction near the Oklahoma Training Track at the Saratoga Race Course will open this spring, according to Patrick McKenna, Vice President of Communications for the New York Racing Association (NYRA).

“At Saratoga Race Course, the first of three new dorms is taking shape on the Oklahoma side and will be open this spring,” McKenna wrote in a Tweet. “In addition, [the NYRA] will be renovating more than 40 backstretch residences in the coming years.”

The plan to build three new dorms at the track was announced last year. The buildings will add 204 beds and are the first housing units built at Saratoga since the early 1960s, according to the NYRA. Each dorm costs around $2 million to build.

GLENS FALLS — “I don’t think anyone’s going to be satisfied unless we win a state title,” said Adirondack United Head Coach Jeff Willis. “I think that’s a pretty bold statement to make, but I know for the girls, that’s the target for them.”

The team’s goal is certainly not unrealistic. Last season, the United fell to Clinton 2-1 in the state championship game. On the whole, the girls’ hockey squad finished its season with a 19-2-0 record. All this despite it being United’s inaugural season.

“Being a first-year program, you’re hoping you can compete,” Willis said. “I could never have expected that we would reach all the way to the state championship final game. We far exceeded any expectations we had in year one.”

Much of the United’s core group will be back this season, including leading scorer Bayley Duffy. “She’s probably the best high school hockey player in New York State,” Willis said. “She had a tremendous year.” 

Also returning are forward Lillian Willis (the coach’s daughter), and goalie Ava Reynolds. “She was our number one goaltender last year,” Coach Willis said. “She was the one that got the majority of the starts when we got down to the state playoffs.”

Before competing for this year’s state title, the United will have two opportunities to avenge last year’s loss against Clinton. The rivals will face off on December 22 at the Glens Falls Recreation Ice Center, and then again on January 6 at the Nexus Center.

The team’s first game is on Saturday, December 9 against Beekmantown.

The Adirondack United girls’ hockey team is comprised of players from the Saratoga Springs, Glens Falls, South Glens Falls, Hudson Falls, Queensbury, and Corinth High Schools.

SARATOGA SPRINGS —The Saratoga Springs Preservation Foundation has added four new members to its Board of Directors: Chris Armer, Jim Gold, Michelle Paquette-Deuel, and Roger Woody.

• Armer is a Saratoga native and realtor for Berkshire Hathaway. His family ran a retail store at the historic Old Firehouse on Broadway. He previously served as a board member from 2009 to 2015.

• Gold is a long-time Saratoga resident and was, for 29 years, Director of the Bureau of Historic Sites for the New York State Office of Parks.

• Paquette-Deuel is director of the Pre-College Program at Skidmore and was a committee member for SaratogaArtsFest and the Saratoga Regional YMCA.

• Woody is a frequent visitor to the Spa City, and a Vice President at AmTrust Financial Services in New York City.

The Preservation Foundation was established in 1977 to “protect and preserve the architectural, cultural, and landscape heritage” of the city, according to a statement released by the foundation

SARATOGA SPRINGS — The Saratoga Arms Hotel celebrated its 25th year in business on Thursday night with a lavish party replete with cocktails and hors d’oeuvres. At the event, General Manager Rachel Boggan unveiled a new marketing strategy designed to attract local residents.

“As a thank you to the community that has really made Saratoga such an amazing small city,” Boggan said, “we are launching a locals rate starting in January of 2024.”

The rate will apply to anyone who lives within 50 miles of downtown Saratoga. It’s available during the off-season and on select dates during the busy season. Bookings at this discounted rate will open next week.

Boggan announced that breakfast will soon be open to local reservations on select days. Some of the hotel’s signature morning dishes include cinnamon breakfast bread, lemon ricotta pancakes, and homemade buttermilk biscuits. A breakfast speaker series that will feature community leaders is also in the works.

“We’re thrilled to start our next 25 years with a focus on our community, and allowing our hotel guests to experience that community in the most immersive way possible,” Boggan said.

The building that houses the hotel was originally built in 1870 by Gideon Putnam’s grandson Loren. In February of 1999, it reopened as the Saratoga Arms after extensive renovations. Last month, the Saratoga Arms was ranked one of the best hotels in the Mid-Atlantic in the 2023 Condé Nast Traveler Readers’ Choice Awards.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — A free Alzheimer’s caregiver conference will be held at the Saratoga Springs City Center on Tuesday, November 28 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The event will honor and support people who provide unpaid care to loved ones with dementia, according to a statement by the Alzheimer’s Association. 

“This conference is one of our most popular offerings for new and returning families,” said Gwen Rowland, the outreach and program manager at the Alzheimer’s Association Northeastern New York chapter. “Knowing you are not alone and receiving support from others can be very cathartic.”

The event will include a variety of presentations and discussions, as well as lunch served courtesy of the CDPHP health insurance company.

To register for the conference, visit alz.org/crf or call 518-675-7214. To learn more about the Alzheimer’s Association, visit alz.org or call 800-272-3900.