How to resolve AdBlock issue? 
Jonathon Norcross
Saratoga Casino Hotel Celebrates 20th Anniversary
SARATOGA SPRINGS — The Saratoga Casino Hotel is celebrating its 20th anniversary this month. Upon opening on January 28, 2004, it became the first video gaming facility in New York. Since then, the facility has expanded to include table games, live entertainment, a steakhouse, and a 117-room hotel.
“We have been committed to providing exceptional entertainment experiences for our guests since we opened,” said Alex Tucker, Chief Operating Officer of Saratoga Casino Hotel, in a statement. “As we reflect on the past 20 years, I believe it’s this core mission that has made us successful. We are grateful to our guests, and we are proud to be one of many factors that make Saratoga Springs such a prosperous and thriving community,” said Tucker.
A study released by the Saratoga County Industrial Development Agency said that the Saratoga Casino Hotel receives an average of 1.5 million visitors per year. The property hosts harness racing, concerts, and corporate events.
For more information on the 20-year anniversary celebrations, visit saratogacasino.com.
The State of Saratoga Real Estate: A Seller’s Market
SARATOGA SPRINGS — If you’re considering selling your home, now may be the time to do it. According to Lisa McTygue, a top realtor at Julie & Co. in Saratoga Springs, “from a seller’s standpoint, this time of year is really the best to get ahead of your competition.”
“Everyone waits until April or May, when their grass is greenest, to list,” McTygue said. But during the warmer months, “competition for a seller greatly increases because the inventory goes up.” For sellers, listing their homes in the offseason can be beneficial because there isn’t as much competition.
Of course, it’s been a seller’s market in Saratoga for some time now. Inventory is still low, at around 2.2 months’ supply, which according to McTygue, is up slightly compared to this time last year. But “a normal market for buyers and sellers is 6 months’ supply of inventory, so we are way below, and this has been going on for a few years,” McTygue said.
All of this is good news for sellers, as is the steady increase of property values in Saratoga Springs. “I’ve been doing this almost 20 years, property values just keep going up and up,” McTygue said. “Saratoga County has been an insulated area as far as being protected on values and being a very strong market for sellers, time and time again.”
But the market is far more complex for buyers. “As far as the market goes for buyers, it revolves around interest rates and inventory. So right now we have high interest rates and low inventory,” McTygue said.
So what’s a buyer to do given this scenario? Waiting for interest rates to decline may not be as advantageous as it first seems. “If you keep waiting, prices go up, inventory goes up,” McTygue said. “In my opinion, it boils down to what’s the perfect time for the buyer. Are you qualified now? Do you have the funds to do it now? Don’t wait. You can always refinance if the rates go down a couple percent down the road. Don’t wait, because renting is 100% interest. Owning a home, you’re building equity and you’re building your wealth.”
McTygue said that in April and May, there will likely be an increase in inventory, but nothing “drastic.” She hopes that interest traits will fall to under 6% by the end of the first quarter or beginning of the second quarter. For buyers, the future might be a little brighter, but it’s still decidedly a seller’s market in Saratoga Springs.
Quad Graphics Closing Saratoga Facility: 400+ Jobs Lost; Community Steps Up
SARATOGA SPRINGS — Quad Graphics, a magazine printing company, is closing its Saratoga Springs facility by May 4 of this year, according to multiple reports. A Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification filed with the New York State Department of Labor last Friday stated that all 406 employees at the site would be affected by the closure. Layoffs are expected to begin on March 2 and end by May 4, according to the notice.
Multiple local organizations issued responses to news of the facility’s closure.
Phil Barrett, Saratoga County Chairman of the Board, said that “as the lowest taxed county in New York State, Saratoga County does everything possible at the local government level to maintain positive policies that keep the cost of doing business low here. The Saratoga County Department of Workforce Development will work to identify new career opportunities for displaced employees and the County will continue to work closely with Saratoga County Economic Development Corporation and our local Chamber of Commerce to attract new private sector business investments in Saratoga County.”
Greg Connors of the Saratoga Economic Development Corporation said it was “a blow to lose the company as an employer, but we understand that industry conditions have changed, and Quad must adapt as they see fit. In the coming weeks, I will convene meetings with members of the business community and local elected officials to address with our partners the important issue of finding new opportunities in the Saratoga/Capital Region for the 450 displaced employees. I believe the future remains bright across many sectors in our local economy. SEDC is working doggedly to expand business in Saratoga County and bring new employers to our region.”
The Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce stated in an X post that “assisting those employees must be priority number one, and we are already hearing from area employers with job openings.” The post then linked to www.saratoga.org/find-saratoga-area-jobs/.
As of press time, Quad Graphics had not responded to multiple requests for comment.
Ballston Spa High School Expands Offerings for 2024/25
BALLSTON SPA — Are you ready to rock? At the January 17 Board of Education meeting, Ballston Spa High School Principal Matthew Robinson discussed upcoming courses that will be offered for the 2024-2025 school year, including one called History of Rock. The course, along with several others that resulted from conversations with teachers and students, is designed to achieve the school’s goal of delivering “a meaningful diploma for all students.”
According to Robinson, the music department will be offering a rock history course in which “students will study rock music through performance and composition.” Enrollees will be required to play the guitar, bass, and drums. Robinson said that the “fun, engaging” course could appeal to students who are interested in music but don’t want to participate in band, chorus, or orchestra.
As part of the school’s efforts to combat the decline in physical education participation that began during the COVID-19 pandemic, the PE department will offer Lifetime Yoga and Strength in Motion classes. In Lifetime Yoga, “students will learn the history of yoga, stances, poses, and the many aspects of yoga as a practice.” Students will also be expected to create and demonstrate their own yoga routines. The Strength in Motion course is “essentially a weightlifting course for athletes,” according to Robinson, but any student can participate if interested.
The English Language Arts department will be offering the senior elective Today’s Issues: Fiction and Nonfiction. Students will read and analyze current events and “actively participate in civic discourse,” according to Robinson.
Additionally, the school will offer a CHS Intermediate Algebra course that will act as a college prep math course for students desirous of something more rigorous than Math Applications. Robinson also said that the 2024-2025 school year will be a pilot year for an Advanced Science designation.
Skidmore Dining Team Wins Gold Medal
SARATOGA SPRINGS — The Skidmore College dining team has won its eighth gold medal at the American Culinary Federation Conference and Competition. Nine teams, including Princeton University, Cornell University, and the Rochester Institute of Technology, participated in the event. Chefs were required to prepare three-course menus and buffet platters using ingredients from a “market basket.” A panel of chefs judged the results.
The competition will be the last for executive chef Jim Rose, who is retiring this year after nearly two decades at Skidmore. “Chef Rose is one of the driving forces behind organizing this event and in helping us train for it, so we’re really glad to have this win in his honor,” said Director of Dining Services Mark Miller in a statement. “I’m proud of our Skidmore team and this achievement. But it’s not just about winning — I’m proud of the work that we do and meals we serve every day to our students,” Miller said.
Section 2 Champions: Saratoga Wrestlers Off to States
SARATOGA SPRINGS — The Saratoga Springs varsity wrestling team was crowned Section 2 champions last Thursday, defeating Averill Park in the semifinals, and then Burnt Hills in the finals. The Blue Streaks will now head to Syracuse this weekend to compete in the dual meet state championships.
Coach Jake Zanetti said the title win was “not the type of thing you just flash-in-the-pan win randomly one year. That was a total program effort for years in the making; youth to modified to JV to varsity.” Zanetti credited assistant coach and youth head coach Brendon Polcare with developing young talent. “We’ve got solid coaching at every single level and the kids are taking advantage of it,” Zanetti said.
In the matchups against Averill Park and Burnt Hills, Zanetti said the team’s “studs did their job; they went out there and they took care of business.” In the first match of the night, Hayden Passaretti struggled early but came back in the final seconds to score a victory. Taylor Beaury, who was sidelined with an injury earlier this season, has been undefeated since returning to action. The Blue Streaks defeated Averill Park 50-10, and then beat Burnt Hills 40-26.
“I don’t think we knew we were going to win as much as we did, especially in the semifinals,” Zanetti said. “We really brought it against Averill Park and then just kind of kept the momentum going through the Burnt Hills match in the finals.”
As the team prepares for its trip to Syracuse, a balance is being struck between having realistic expectations but also being ready to compete. “We’re not going to go in on a victory cruise, just happy to be there, just content to be there,” Zanetti said. “We want to go to compete, and we know we can hang with the best teams, but we’re not putting too much pressure on the boys.”
The dual meet state championships are on Saturday at Onondaga Community College in Syracuse.
Schuylerville’s Sherman Shatters School Scoring Record
HUDSON FALLS — Schuylerville star Luke Sherman shattered his school’s all-time boys basketball scoring record with 22 points against Hudson Falls on Tuesday. With a long three-pointer in the third quarter, Sherman reached 1,318 points, surpassing Eric Stover’s 1,317-point record set in 1978. The Schuylerville Black Horses went on to win the game, 46 to 43.
The all-time scoring record for both boys and girls basketball stands at 1,566, set by Carol Cheney in 1986.
Adirondack United Continue Undefeated Streak
GLENS FALLS — The Adirondack United girls hockey team continued its undefeated streak with a pair of shutout victories against Malone and Saranac Lake/Lake Placid this month. Then the squad added two more wins in Syracuse last weekend. The team is now 12-0 on the season.
Against Malone, Bayley Duffy reached the 100 career point mark after less than two full seasons of play. Duffy and Lillian Willis both finished with a hat trick and three assists, while Tekla Fine-Lease added two goals. Lucy Plifscofsky also earned her first varsity goal.
The 10-0 victory against Saranac Lake/Lake Placid featured a hat trick from Aubrey Lozier, 4 assists by Gianna Marcantonio, and Emma Lemery’s first varsity goal. Goaltenders Katelin Archer and Aurora Graham-Hayes combined to stop 10 shots for yet another shutout.
Last weekend, the United won two more games in Syracuse, a 6-0 victory against the Skaneateles Lakers on Friday, and an 8-1 win against Oswego on Saturday. Aubrey Lozier and Bayley Duffy both recorded hat tricks against Skaneateles. Against Oswego, goaltender Katelin Archer stopped 10 shots.
Adirondack Thunder Win 11 Straight
GLENS FALLS —The Adirondack Thunder have won 11 straight games, starting with a 5-4 victory against the Newfoundland Growlers on December 30 and culminating with a 5-2 win against the Trois-Rivières Lions on January 20. The team will have an opportunity to continue its streak this weekend with three home games at the Cool Insuring Arena in Glens Falls.
The Adirondack Thunder are in the midst of one of their most successful seasons in years. The team is atop the ECHL North Division for the first time since November 2019. Their winning percentage currently stands at 0.750.
Saratoga Cross-Country Champions Celebrated by Education Board
SARATOGA SPRINGS — The Saratoga Springs High School girls’ and boys’ cross-country teams were formally recognized and celebrated by the Board of Education at a meeting on January 11.
Dr. Michael Patton, Superintendent of Schools, said that “the teamwork and comradery and really the year-round effort that our student-athletes put into our running program is just an incredible accomplishment.” Patton said that the board meeting was “truly a special night to have both our boys and girls here together to be celebrated for this wonderful accomplishment.”
The state champion girls’ team was introduced by their coach, Linda Kranick. “This team went on to win the Federation meet, which is yet another state championship and that’s the best of the best in New York State and [the team] finished number six in the United States this year at Nike Cross-Country National Championship,” Kranick said. “I personally want to thank all the parents, both boys’ and girls’ cross-country teams, because you’re out there in the roughest weather supporting your sons and daughters and we really appreciate it.”
Boys’ coach Shane Zanetti introduced his team and praised them for setting “a culture and tradition that’s going to continue for the next few years.”
At the NYSPHSAA Class A championship in November, the girls’ team captured the team title for the fifth straight year, and senior Emily Bush won the Section 2 individual title. A week later, the girls’ team won the Federation Cross Country Championships.
The boys’ team won the Class A championship in a tiebreaker, marking their first team title since 2012. They finished third at the Nike Cross Country Regional Qualifier, just one spot away from a trip to the national championship.
