GLENS FALLS — Adirondack Thunder All-Star Patrick Grasso has set the record for the most goals scored in team history. Grasso broke Brian Ward’s old record of 77 with his 78th goal against the Maine Mariners on January 6. 

Grasso also competed in the 2024 Warrior/ECHL All-Star Classic on January 15. Grasso scored a goal in the third period to give the ECHL All-Stars a five-point lead. The All-Stars won the game 18 to 11.

For more about Adirondack Thunder visit echlthunder.com

Tara Sweeney is a student and teaching assistant at the Saratoga Springs Youth Ballet who performed with the New York City Ballet at SPAC in productions of “Coppélia” and “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” Currently a senior at Johnstown High School, Sweeney will attend Vassar College this fall to study English and Dance. 

Saratoga TODAY asked Sweeney about her many accomplishments, as well as her future plans.

Q: What was it like performing with the New York City Ballet (NYCB)?

A: Performing with the NYCB was one of the greatest experiences of my life. Not only were the instructors kind and considerate but so were the dancers. I was expecting them to ignore us children in the ballet but they talked and welcomed us and it made the experience memorable. It was a new experience dancing for four or more hours a day, every day, and it heightened my love for ballet.

What are some things about ballet that the general public might not understand?

A: Most people in the general public do not understand how much of a commitment dance is. I dance every single day after school and on Saturdays and it is extremely time consuming, if not more than a school sport. I dedicate my time to coming to dance class every week and preparing for my numerous performances throughout the year. Something people may also not know is that dance is not just during the school year. In order to maintain your ballet technique over the summer break, dancers attend summer intensives where we dance all day long for at least 5-6 weeks of the summer.

What are your future career plans/goals? 

A: In my future, I plan to have a writing career of some sort in the form of journalism, article writing, publishing and editing, or novel writing. I also enjoy literature and could imagine a career in library studies or museum work. My passion for dance persists and I will be dancing in college and I hope to either continue dancing in my future or become a dance teacher. 

SARATOGA SPRINGS — The Saratoga Springs City School District needs your help naming honorees for its ninth annual Hall of Distinction. In a statement, the district called it a “wonderful opportunity to honor and celebrate the outstanding accomplishments of the graduates of our school district.”

Potential candidates must have graduated from the Saratoga Springs High School at least ten years ago. The district said nominees should “exemplify our District’s educational philosophy through an outstanding social contribution to the broader community, by making a difference in the lives of others; and/or outstanding professional contribution to, or achievement in, their field of endeavor.”

Past Hall of Distinction recipients include actor David Hyde Pierce, golfer Dottie Pepper, writer Joseph Bruchac, and aviator Margaret Stoddard Perkins.

Nominations will be accepted through Jan. 31. To learn more or to nominate an alumni, visit saratogaschools.org/about-us/hall-of-distinction/.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — After two years of negotiations, the Saratoga Springs City School District and the Saratoga Springs Teachers Association (SSTA) have reached a new, five-year contract agreement. 

The SSTA ratified the agreement on January 4, and the district’s Board of Education (BOE) approved it at a meeting on January 11. The contract will last until June 2027 and cover nearly 600 teachers.

The agreement includes annual salary increases of 4.5% inclusive of step increments, as well as employee health insurance contribution increases. The contributions will increase by 2% in 2024, 1% in 2025, and 1% again in 2027.

“Our membership has always been committed to providing the best education it can for the students in our community, and it has been a priority of ours to be able to recruit and retain the best teachers as they are the cornerstone of learning,” said Tim McGuiggan, president of the Saratoga Springs Teachers Association, in a statement. “We think this agreement will help the Saratoga Springs City Schools live up to that commitment.”

At the BOE meeting on Jan. 11, Superintendent of Schools Dr. Michael Patton said that “it took us a little longer than anticipated, but in the end, we got to a spot that was mutually beneficial to both parties. This new contract supports our current faculty members and continues to help our school district remain highly competitive in our recruitment and retention efforts.”

Tony Krackeler, president of the BOE, said that the agreement “really acknowledges the incredible commitment and devotion of the teachers to the students of this district while also recognizing the fiscal reality of budgetary stress that’s pretty much prevalent everywhere in every institution right now. So I think we came to an agreement that works for all sides.”

Last year, SSTA members called upon the district to increase both salaries and healthcare contributions. Dozens of supporters marched from the Caroline Street Elementary School to downtown Saratoga in protest of failed contract negotiations.

ALBANY — Hattie’s, the Southern cuisine restaurant based in Saratoga Springs, needs new employees for its upcoming location in Albany.

A six-day job fair is currently being hosted at 121 Madison Ave in Albany until Sunday, January 21. The fair is open from 10am to 5pm. Some of the full-time and part-time openings include dining room supervisors, prep cooks, line cooks, servers, bartenders, barbacks, and dishwashers. Prospective employees can begin their applications online at BFG.org/careers.

“As we move toward the grand opening of Hattie’s Albany, building our team is an extremely exciting step!” said Chief Operations Officer of Hospitality, Richard DeJesus in a statement. “Being hired at Hattie’s is an opportunity to work for a beloved brand in an awesome environment. We look forward to continuing to provide delicious chicken in another Hattie’s location, all while staying true to the roots of Miss Hattie Moseley Austin’s vision.”

Hattie’s restaurant is located at 45 Phila Street in downtown Saratoga. Additional locations have subsequently opened in the Wilton Plaza and at the Saratoga Race Course. The new Albany restaurant is scheduled to open this year. 

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Despite the closure of its shop on Congress Street in December, Snider Fashion is still in business. The company’s products are available on its website, and additional trunk show events will soon be announced. Designer Staci Snider’s garments are also distributed to boutiques around the country. The company’s headquarters are now located in Raleigh, NC.

www.stacisnider.com

TROY — Classical music radio station WMHT-FM has added a new host/producer to its lineup: Charlotte Evelyn Wilson.

Wilson previously worked at Radio New Zealand, where, according to WMHT, she managed a nationwide campaign protesting the government’s decision to “axe” the country’s only classical music station. The campaign resulted in an apology from New Zealand’s deputy prime minister, and the station stayed on the air. Wilson was also a public radio host at KBAQ classical radio in Phoenix, AZ and at NPR member station WUOT in Knoxville, TN.

“I am gratified to be joining the team at Classical WMHT-FM,” Wilson said in a statement. “I am a music and art fiend who fell in love with the diversity, opportunity, culture and friendliness of the US, and can’t wait to connect with our audience.”

Wilson began her hosting duties on Tuesday, and can be heard on WMHT-FM from 4 to 8 p.m. Monday-Friday, and from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — The New York Racing Association (NYRA) revealed its 2024 Belmont Stakes logo on Wednesday. This year’s event will be hosted at the Saratoga Race Course while Belmont Park undergoes renovations. The new logo features the Saratoga grandstand and pays tribute to the track’s storied past. The image will be displayed during the event and on official merchandise.

The Saratoga grandstand’s spired roofline was designed by architect Herbert Langford Warren. According to NYRA, the grandstand is the oldest continuously used stand of any professional sport in the country.

 The 2024 Belmont Stakes will begin on Thursday, June 6 and end on Sunday, June 9. Tickets go on sale next month.

GREENFIELD — The Town of Greenfield is hosting a Winterfest Celebration on Sunday, January 21 from 10am to 1pm at the Brookhaven Winter Park. The festivities will kick off with 2.5K and 5K snowshoe races. Then free snowshoe and cross-country skiing equipment will be available, along with instructors to guide newbies. Younger attendees can participate in a snowman-building contest. Race registrations will cost $25, but the rest of the celebration is free.

“Our residents are passionate about our remote location and our proximity to all that Saratoga Springs offers,” said Town Supervisor Kevin Veitch in a statement. “We work hard to build a sense of community pride among all of us who choose to reside here. Brookhaven Winter Park is a jewel, and in recent years the word has been getting out.”

The Brookhaven Winter Park is located at 333 Alpine Meadows Rd in Porter Corners, about 11 miles northwest of downtown Saratoga. To learn more or to register for a snowshoe race, visit greenfieldny.org.