Displaying items by tag: saratoga

COURT

Christian D. Roldan, 26, of Northumberland, pleaded Oct. 18 to attempted assault in the second-degree, a felony. Sentencing scheduled for Jan. 6, 2020. 

Collin A. Morency, 20, of Greenwich, was sentenced Oct. 17 to six months jail, after pleading to attempted criminal sale of a controlled substance, in Saratoga. 

William M. Allen, 25, of Greenfield, was sentenced Oct. 17 to five years in state prison, after pleading to second degree assault, to run concurrently with a six-year sentence for the charge criminal possession of a weapon. 

Briana M. Slurff, 34, of Delanson, was sentenced Oct. 17 to 2 to 6 years in state prison, after pleading to aggravated vehicular assault in the first-degree, in Ballston. 

Kathryn A. Fasano, 45, of Saratoga Springs, pleaded Oct. 17 to criminal contempt in the first-degree, Sentencing Jan. 15, 2020.  

POLICE

Anthony Pellegrini, 52, of Mechanicville, was charged Oct. 14 in Saratoga Springs with operating a motor vehicle impaired by drugs, a misdemeanor, and three driving related violations: driving on shoulders or slopes of controlled-access highway; moving from lane unsafely, and failing to yield right of way to an emergency vehicle. 

Cory Greene, 36, of Saratoga Springs, was charged Oct. 15 with criminal possession of a controlled substance in the seventh-degree, a misdemeanor. 

John Swantak, 39, of Ballston Spa, was charged Oct. 15 in Saratoga Springs with aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle, driving with a suspended registration, operating a motor vehicle without insurance, and criminal possession of a controlled substance in the seventh-degree, a misdemeanor. 

Cameron Hendrix, 25, of Saratoga Springs, was charged Oct. 16 with criminal possession of a controlled substance, suspected to be cocaine. The charge is a felony. 

Andrew Walsh, 61, of Oyster Bay, was charged Oct. 17 in Saratoga Springs with criminal contempt in the second-degree, and unauthorized use of a vehicle. Both charges are misdemeanors. 

Tami Elston, 56, of Saratoga Springs, was charged Oct. 18 with welfare fraud in the fourth-degree, and offering a false instrument for filing in the first-degree. Both charges are felonies. 

Erik Teresko, 29, of Ballston Spa, was charged Oct. 18 in Saratoga Springs with aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle, a misdemeanor. 

Steven McCormick, 65, of Saratoga Springs, was charged Oct. 18 with misdemeanor DWI, refusing to take a breath test, and a vehicle violation. 

Edward DiPaolo, 29, of Rensselaer, was charged Oct. 18 in Saratoga Springs with aggravated harassment, a misdemeanor. 

Michelle Tetlak, 50, of Clifton Park, was charged Oct. 19 in Saratoga Springs with misdemeanor DWI, refusing to take a breath test, driving the wrong way on a one-way street, and failure to stop at a stop sign. 

Allen Chrysler, 25, of Gansevoort, was charged Oct. 20 in Saratoga Springs with criminal possession of a controlled substance. 

Nicholas Perilli, 25, of Saratoga Springs, was charged Oct. 20 with criminal mischief, and attempted burglary. Both charges are felonies. 

Alexander Stead, 26, of Saratoga Lake, was charged Oct. 20 in Saratoga Springs with misdemeanor DWI, and failure to stop at a stop sign. 

Dustin Cleveland, 22, of Hudson Falls, was charged Oct. 20 in Saratoga Springs with stalking in the fourth-degree, a misdemeanor.   

Saratoga County Sheriff’s Office 

A 13-year-old boy suspected of making a threat against the Schuylerville Central School District Oct. 22 was charged with making a terroristic threat. The Saratoga County Sheriff's Office said the alleged threat was made via Snapchat. The boy was released to the custody of a parent and was referred to Family Court for additional action. The Sheriff's Office did not elaborate on the specific method of the threat, or whether the boy was a student at the school.

On Oct. 18, officers responded to the area of Walnut St. and Fifth St. in the Village of Corinth for a reported robbery. It was reported that two subjects attacked a male victim in the alley which runs between Fourth and Fifth Streets and stole money from him. The victim suffered non - life threatening injuries. There were no weapons involved. Three men were charged in connection with the incident: Renick A. Blanchard, 19 – felony robbery, and Alec S. Blanchard, 20 – conspiracy, both of Greenfield, and Chauncey E, Musco, 21, of Hadley, who was charged with conspiracy. 

COURT

Maverick J. Bush, 31, of Ballston Spa, was sentenced Oct. 10 to 3 years in state prison, after pleading to attempted burglary in the second-degree. 

Gerald J. Rogers, 49, of Porter Corners, pleaded Oct. 10 to felony DWI, in Milton. Sentencing Dec. 10. 

Maximilian J. Bruno, 27, of Ballston Spa, was sentenced Oct. 10 to five years of probation, after pleading to felony burglary, in Milton. 

Melissa S. Goodhue, 25, of Milton, was sentenced to five years of probation, after pleading to felony grand larceny. 

Dillon J. Sears, 24, of Glenville, pleaded Oct. 11 to attempted disseminating indecent material, a felony, in Ballston. Sentencing Dec. 6. 

Sean M. Halper, 30, of Oxford, Alabama, was sentenced Oct. 11 to five years of probation, after pleading to attempted criminal sale of a controlled substance, in the town of Saratoga. 

Fred F. Albright, III, was sentenced Oct. 11 to six months in jail, after pleading to felony DWI. 

Justin N. Ware, 27, of Troy, was sentenced Oct. 15 to five years of probation, after pleading to criminal contempt in the first-degree, in Saratoga Springs. 

POLICE

Tharman Griffin, 40, of Saratoga Springs, was charged Oct. 8 with misdemeanor DWI, and the felonies: criminal possession of a controlled substance, and tampering with physical evidence. 

Kevin Saxton, 31, of Queensbury, was charged Oct. 8 with aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle in the third-degree, after being involved in a motor vehicle accident on State Route 50. 

Kathryn Fasano, 45, of Saratoga Springs, was charged Oct. 10 with criminal contempt/violating order of protection, a felony. 

Forrest Jenkins, 24, of Saratoga Springs, was charged Oct. 10 with criminal mischief/ damaging another person’s property, a felony. 

Robert Faith, 34, of Greenfield Center, was charged Oct. 10 with aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle, unlawful possession of marijuana, and criminal possession of a controlled substance. 

David Bodenstab, 59, of Corinth, was charged Oct. 11 in Saratoga Springs with misdemeanor DWI, and aggravated DWI, as well as a driving violation. 

Diheiry Lopez-Lanzo, 34, of Saratoga Springs, was charged Oct. 11 with welfare fraud in the third-degree, and offering a false instrument for filing in the first-degree. Both charges are felonies. 

Naquwan Williamson, 30, of Cohoes, was charged Oct. 13 in Saratoga Springs with misdemeanor DWI , operating a motor vehicle while using a portable device, and a driving violation. 

Jose Lopez, 27, of Amsterdam, was charged Oct. 13 in Saratoga Springs with misdemeanor DWI, and two vehicle equipment violations.

SARATOGA SPRINGS – A battle between toy soldiers and mischievous mice, a blizzard of ballerinas, and a wonderful world of confection will come alive at SPAC’s popular “Nutcracker Tea,” slated for Sunday, Nov.

A Capital Region holiday tradition for families, both performances - at 11 a.m. and at 3 p.m. - feature excerpts from The Nutcracker by Northeast Ballet Company, a traditional English Christmas Tea, American Girl doll giveaways, boutique shopping, and a visit from Santa Claus.

Held at the Hall of Springs, tickets are $75 for adults and $35 for children 15 and under. Proceeds benefit arts education programs at SPAC.

The Nutcracker, composed in 1891 by Tchaikovsky, is a fairy tale ballet that tells the story of a little girl’s journey through a fantasy world of fairies, princes, toy soldiers and an army of mice. First performed in 1892 in St. Petersburg, Russia, it has become an American classic since choreographer George Balanchine introduced his production in 1954 in New York City.

 Features of the event include: ballet excerpts from The Nutcracker performed by Northeast Ballet Company; a raffle for an American Girl Doll; tea, mini sandwiches, cookies and light edibles; a visit from Santa Claus, and more.

Tickets for the Nutcracker Tea will go on sale at 10 a.m. on Oct. 23. and are available at spac.org or by calling 518-584-9330 ext.101.

SARATOGA SPRINGS - The Frances Young Tang Teaching Museum and Art Gallery at Skidmore College has been honored with three awards in the 2019 American Alliance of Museums Publications Design Competition.

The Museum won:

- First Prize in the Posters category for a poster created for the exhibition Rose Ocean: Living with Duchamp, designed by Jean Tschanz-Egger, Head of Design at the Tang Museum. The 2- by 3-foot poster features screen-printed text on clear mylar with the letters of the exhibition title made of orange circles with white dots in homage to the typography on a 1934 artist book by the legendary Dada artist Marcel Duchamp.

- Second Prize in the Exhibition Collateral Materials category for an interactive project produced in conjunction with the Tang exhibition Give a damn. Also designed by Tschanz-Egger, the project includes four 6- by 10-foot banners that announced the project and invited visitors to write to their federal, state and local elected representatives about a variety of topics on specially-designed postcards that were mailed by the museum during the run of the show.

- Innovations in Print for the exhibition catalogue Sixfold Symmetry: Pattern in Art & Science, designed by Barbara Glauber, principal of the New York City design firm Heavy Meta. The 128-page catalogue features new scholarship by Skidmore faculty members, contributions from Skidmore students, and a translucent dust jacket and open binding.

Also announced: Important works at the Tang by acclaimed contemporary artists Nayland Blake and Lari Pittman have hit the road and are now on view as central works in career-spanning surveys at two prestigious Los Angeles museums.

 No Wrong Holes: Thirty Years of Nayland Blake is at the Institute for Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, and will be on view through Jan. 26, 2020. Lari Pittman: Declaration of Independence will be on view through Jan. 5, 2020, at the Hammer Museum at UCLA.

 “We are honored to have Tang works included in these important exhibitions,” said Dayton Director Ian Berry, in a statement. “Blake’s monumental Feeder and Pittman’s epic history painting represent key periods in each artist’s body of work.  As stewards of these important late-twentieth-century artworks, and as the Tang collection grows and deepens, we are gratified to share them with new audiences and to see that they resonate with today’s art historians, who are inspired to write new art histories. These new contexts for the collection teach us all a great deal.”

 The Tang collection includes more than 16,500 objects, and the works by Blake and Pittman exemplify part of the Museum’s mission of acquiring important work by artists from underrepresented identities and that reflect the museum’s exhibition history: Pittman was born in Los Angeles from an American father and a Columbian mother, and his work often addresses issues of inequality and sexual identity. Blake’s work addresses his own queer and biracial identity, as both African American and white. Both of their works are fueled by history and biography and deftly combine narrative and form.

 Located on the campus of Skidmore college, admission to the museum is free (donation suggested). Hours are Tuesday through Sunday, noon to 5 p.m., with extended hours until 9 p.m. Thursday. http://tang.skidmore.edu.

BALLSTON SPA – A 25-year-old Clifton Park man was charged in connection with multiple burglaries and thefts in residential neighborhoods in the Crescent Road, Moe Road, Lapp Road and Grooms Road areas of Clifton Park.   

The Saratoga County Sheriff’s Office has investigated the incidents since Oct. 4 during which residents have reported that their homes have been entered during the overnight hours while they were sleeping and items, including purses and wallets, have been stolen. Other residents reported that items were stolen from their vehicles and/or they saw a suspicious subject near their home on their home security systems, according to authorities. Most of the stolen items, excluding the cash, were located discarded in the area after the thefts.

In the early morning hours of Oc. 15, the Sheriff’s Office responded to several residences in the Moe Road area of Clifton Park who reported burglaries and thefts. An alert deputy sheriff in the area spotted a man walking on Moe Road and stopped to speak to him. Sheriff’s Office investigators also responded and resulted in Tyler E. Lester being charged with 8 counts of Burglary in the Second-Degree, 3 counts of Attempted Burglary in the Second-Degree, 1 count of Grand Larceny in the Fourth-Degree, 1 count of Petit Larceny and 1 count of Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the Seventh-Degree.

Lester was arraigned by Judge Hughes in Clifton Park Town Court and is currently being held in the Saratoga County Jail on no bail. NYS Parole has also lodged a parole warrant for Lester for violating his parole. Lester is currently on parole for burglary.

The Sheriff’s Office issued a public thank you to the residents of the Town of Clifton Park for assisting with this investigation by reporting the suspicious circumstances.

SARATOGA SPRINGS – In less than one month, voters will head to the polls to choose from a pool of 11 candidates who are vying for seven city positions.  Election Day is Nov. 5. The seven seats each carry two-year terms and begin in January 2020.

The two candidates seeking the office of public safety commissioner - Robin Dalton (R,C,I), and Kendall Hicks (D) - met face-to-face this week, engaging in a discussion forum at the Presbyterian-New England Congregational Church on Oct. 7

The focus topic: “Immigration, Public Safety and Community.” Terry Diggory, of the Saratoga Immigration Coalition, acted as event moderator. “Although immigration is currently debated as an issue of national security, public safety at the local level requires fostering a community where everyone, including immigrants, can feel safe and welcome,” Diggory said.

Both candidates were basically in agreement regarding the safety of all city residents, regardless of status, and each praised a recent document documented by former Chief of Police Greg Veitch that essentially said local police would not stop people on the street to ask their immigration status.

“If ICE comes to our town and asks for our cooperation, we are obliged to cooperate with them…but aside from that, immigration (status) will not be the priority of Saratoga Springs Police Department,” said Dalton.

“Being black in America, I can remember when stop-and-search was a rampant thing, and I’ve been stopped many times just because of the color of my skin, so I can relate to what undocumented citizens are going through,” said Hicks, a Democrat who retired from the U.S. military after 30 years of active duty service with the National Guard. “We need to make sure our citizens - whether they’re documented or not – don’t have to live through that. We need to stand up and speak for those who can’t speak for themselves.”

“I have from day one been very pro-immigrant,” Dalton, a Republican, told the crowd of approximately 40 people. “Back in 2017, when we had ICE in our community it was one of the most profoundly disturbing experiences I had as an American…they were stopping people on the street on their way to work, based on the color of their skin, and rounding them up. It really created an atmosphere of fear and terror for people that I know, who I love, who I work with, who I see every day.”

In response to her stated position, one of the attendees of the forum loudly bellowed from the back of the church at Dalton: “You are an embarrassment to the Republican Party,” and promptly exited the room.

“There are some areas where I’m not going to toe a party line, and one of those areas is immigration,” Dalton said.

There was a brief discussion regarding a 2013 Gloversville police department report charging Hicks with assault following an alleged altercation with his girlfriend.

“What you see in the police report is the beginning of an investigation. It doesn’t tell the whole story,” Hicks said. “I was investigated, I was charged, I had a court hearing and the charges were dismissed. Not only that, I was in uniform at the time, so I was investigated by the military authorities as well and there were no charges pressed or filed in that respect as well. So, I finished a full 30-year career decorated career because I carried the bronze star. I don’t know of any soldier who has been under those type of serious charges and can retire with the bronze star.”

 “Those documents raised a lot of questions, and to date those questions have not been answered,” Dalton responded. “I hear him say now that he was cleared of the charges, that he was cleared by the military of these charges, but I have yet to see any documents that supports that narrative.”

Hicks was not endorsed by the Saratoga Springs Democratic Committee, and after news of the 2013 report became known, previous endorsements of Hicks by local Democrats Carrie Woerner, Tara Gaston, and Dillon Moran were retracted. 

“I would love to put these questions to bed, but the only way to do that, in my mind, is to see some documentation from the military, and some documentation from the Gloversville Police Department, or the court, that he was indeed cleared,” Dalton said.   

Hicks responded that he is willing to share the documents from Gloversville court dismissing the charges against him. “I have them. I carry them with me in my car at all times and I’d be happy to sit down and show them to you,” Hicks said. “As for the military, They did an investigation and I even had to redo my security clearance. Those documents are not privy to the public – I can’t go get them and show them to everyone – but me having a fully decorated retirement with the bronze star from Afghanistan – I think that should stand for itself.” 

Current Public Safety Commissioner - Democrat Peter Martin, is not seeking re-election. Among the responsibilities of the post is the overall operation of the Police Department, the Fire Department, Code Administration, Animal Control, and Parking Enforcement. The Commissioner of Public Safety is also responsible for emergency planning.

Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 5. Up for vote are all five City Council positions – mayor, and commissioners of Accounts, Finance, Public Works, and Public Safety – in addition to two city Supervisor seats, whose elected officials will represent the city’s interests at the county level. 

Voter registration deadline is Friday, Oct. 11. Applications must be postmarked no later than October 11, 2019 and received by a board of elections no later than October 16, 2019 to be eligible to vote in the General Election. For information, go to: https://www.elections.ny.gov/VotingDeadlines.html.

The League of Women Voters of Saratoga County has announced they are hosting two Saratoga Springs “Meet the Candidates” nights – to be held Oct. 21-22.
 

COURT 

Lee R. Newhall, 33, of Lynn, Massachusetts, pleaded Oct. 8 to attempted criminal possession of a controlled substance, felony, in Saratoga Springs. Sentencing Dec. 3. 

Elijah R. Tripp, 27, of Milton. pleaded Oct. 8 to aggravated harassment of an employee by an inmate, a felony, in Milton. Sentencing Dec. 3. 

Travis J. Varney, 31, of South Glens Falls was sentenced Oct. 7 to five years of probation, after pleading to aggravated DWI with child, a felony, in Saratoga Springs.

POLICE

Robert L. Salisbury, 30, of Schenectady, was charged Oct. 7 with felony DWI, felony aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle, and operation of a motor vehicle without a required interlock device – a misdemeanor. Salisbury was charged in connection with an alleged hit-and-run crash with a utility pole on West High Street in Ballston Spa, after which he is suspected of fleeing the scene. 

Jamie Waters, 29, of Saratoga Springs, was charged Oct. 4 with endangering the welfare of a child, and violating agriculture and market law – both misdemeanors. 

Angelica Prisco, 23, of Saratoga Springs, was similarly charged Oct. 4 with endangering the welfare of a child, and violating agriculture and market law – both misdemeanors. 

Christopher Rodden, 31, of Schuylerville, was charged Oct. 6 with misdemeanor DWI, and a motor vehicle equipment violation following a traffic stop on Union Avenue. 

Rachel Cristie, 23, of Schuylerville, was charged Oct. 6 with misdemeanor DWI, and a motor vehicle equipment violation, and operating a motor vehicle without an inspection certificate following a traffic stop on Lake Avenue. 

Kenneth Dooley, 57, of Saratoga Springs, was charged Oct. 6 with assault in the third-degree, and aggravated criminal contempt – a felony violating an order of protection. 

Tracy Wilcox, 39, of Saratoga Springs, was charged Sept. 30 with criminal contempt, a misdemeanor. 

Bonnie Hammond, 57, of Saratoga Springs, was charged Oct. 1 with criminal trespass misdemeanor. 

Dane Jones, 47, of Troy, was charged in Saratoga Springs Oct. 1 with criminal trespass misdemeanor. 

Erika Stewart, 32, of Wilton, was charged Oct. 2 in Saratoga Springs with aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle – a misdemeanor, and operating an unregistered vehicle, a violation. 

Jasmine Hill-Davis, 18, of Gansevoort, was charged Oct. 2 in Saratoga Springs with second degree menacing, criminal mischief, and criminal possession of a weapon. All three charges are misdemeanors. 

Johntay Jones, 31, of Schenectady, was charged Oct. 4 in Saratoga Springs with resisting arrest, and unlawful possession of marijuana.

COURT

Eric D. Weinstein, 25, of Vorheesville, was sentenced Sept. 30 to 1-1/3 to 4 years in state prison, in connection with a felony assault charge that occurred in Saratoga Springs in March 2019. 

Brent L. Pecor, 51, of Galway, was sentenced to 1 year in jail, after pleading to felony DWI, in Milton. 

Nicholas E. Katz, 40, of Malta, pleaded Sept. 30 to aggravated DWI, a felony, in Ballston. Sentencing Nov. 18. 

Mark W. Conley, 68, of Clifton Park, pleaded Sept. 26 to felony DWI in Saratoga Springs. Sentencing Nov. 5. 

Lawrence T. Williams, 33, of Accord, was sentenced Sept. 26 to 2 years in state prison, after pleading to attempted sexual abuse in the first-degree, a felony, in the town of Saratoga.

Keith C. Owen, 42, of Saratoga Springs, pleaded Sept. 25 to criminal contempt in the first-degree, a felony. Sentencing Jan. 8, 2020. 

POLICE

Liston Delifus, 38, of Schenectady, was charged Sept. 28 in Saratoga Springs with misdemeanor DWI, speeding, and operating an unregistered vehicle. 

Francisco Caamano, 24, of Mechanicville, was charged Sept. 28 in Saratoga Springs with misdemeanor DWI, refusing to take a breath test, and speeding. 

Harry Pozefsky, 32, of Saratoga Springs, was charged Sept. 28 with felony burglary, and the misdemeanors: assault, and criminal mischief. 

Travis Smith, 19, of Milton, was charged Sept. 28 following an investigation into a traffic accident in Saratoga Springs with aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle, leaving the scene of a property damage accident, and multiple license, registration, and driving violations. 

Christopher Barry, 37, of Saratoga Springs, was charged Sept. 28 with assault, and criminal mischief. 

Tinashe Gwakuka, 22, of Saratoga Springs, was charged Sept. 29 with disorderly conduct, and resisting arrest. 

Mona Nordstrom, 50, of Saratoga Springs, was charged Sept. 24 with third-degree assault. 

Fatimah Mason, 30, of Saratoga Springs, was charged Sept. 25 with petit larceny, and criminal possession of stolen property. 

Matthew Campbell, 34, of Schuylerville, was charged Sept. 26 in Saratoga Springs with criminal mischief/ intent to damage property.

COURT

John C. Rakstis, 43, of Ballston Spa, was sentenced Sept. 23 to 1 year jail, after pleading to felony DWI in the town of Ballston. 

Albert B. Mercer, 64, of Saratoga Springs, was sentenced Sept. 24 to 1 to 3 years state priosn, after pleading to criminal contempt in the first-degree, a felony. 

Richard F. Kelleher, 29, of Saratoga Springs, was sentenced to 1.5 years state prison, after pleading to attempted criminal sale of a controlled substance, a felony. 

POLICE 

Carmen Young, 45, of Saratoga Springs, was charged Sept. 17 with third degree assault – two counts; obstruct governmental administration, and criminal possession of a controlled substance. 

Shawn Whitman, 18, of Ballston Spa, was charged Sept. 17 in Saratoga Springs with criminal mischief in the fourth-degree. 

Christopher Martindale, 40, of Glens Falls, was charged Sept. 19 in Saratoga Springs with aggravated harassment, stalking, and coercion. The latter charge is a felony. 

Bridget Stockwell, 36, of Ballston Spa, was charged Sept. 20 with aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle, and following too closely, after being involved in a property damage accident on Washington Street. 

Merritt Westfall, 33, of Saratoga Springs, was charged Sept. 20 with criminal possession of a controlled substance. 

Brendly Gallardo-Gonzalez, 23, of Saratoga Springs, was charged Sept. 20 with aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle. 

Daniel Catone, 19, of Ballston Spa, was charged Sept. 20 in Saratoga Springs with third degree assault, criminal mischief, and aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle.

Aaron Malmgren, 25, of Ballston Spa, was charged Sept. 21 with two counts of criminal mischief – one misdemeanor and one felony; unlawful imprisonment, endangering the welfare of a child, 

Fausto Hernandez, 34, of Schenectady, was charged Sept. 22 in Saratoga Springs with misdemeanor DWI and several driving related violations. 

Meghan Deguire, 24, of Saratoga Springs, was charged Sept. 22 with misdemeanor DWI, aggravated DWI, operating a motor vehicle while using a mobile phone, and unsafe moving from lane, after being involved in a property damage accident on Lincoln Avenue. 

Adara P. Martinez, 22, of Malta, was charged Sept. 24 with aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle in the first-degree – a felony; misdemeanor DWI, and two driving related infractions, following an alleged incident that occurred in Round Lake. 

SARATOGA SPRINGS – Congress Park will serve as the staging grounds for this weekend’s Native American Festival. The significance of the location is not lost on Joseph Bruchac, whose family was involved in the founding of the festival at the Spa State Park a decade or so ago.

“Congress Park is where the original Indian encampment took place a century ago. And that was the original idea years ago, before the state park approached us,” said Bruchac, whose Native American heritage comes from his mother’s side of the family, the Nulhegan Band of the Abenaki Nation. “And the thing about Congress Park is it’s an incredible venue. I think it’s one of the most beautiful parks in the country and designed by (Frederick Law) Olmsted – who designed Central Park. “

Historic maps presented in the 1970s to the city’s Community Development offices place the “Indian Encampment,” in an area adjacent to the so-called “Devil’s Chair” in the northeast section of the park close to Circular Street and Spring streets. The encampments were sited in Congress Park up until just before the start of the 20th century, when they were relocated to an area close to Ballston Avenue. In July 1883, the Saratoga Journal reported on a festival in the “picturesque Indian village,” which “delighted children” and “many well-known citizens and guests” alike, and was highlighted by an Indian medicine ceremony and “fancy rifle shooting by Texas Charley.”

Richard Canfield purchased the encampment grounds in May 1902, according to newspaper accounts of the time. Two decades earlier, Canfield purchased the Saratoga Clubhouse and spent a considerable amount of money during the late 1800s enhancing the building and the surrounding Congress Park grounds. That building – today known as The Canfield Casino houses the Saratoga Springs History Museum and will be used as a staging area for some of Sunday’s events during the Native American Festival.

Sunday’s festival is an important one, Bruchac says. “One of the traditions in our native culture is that we tell stories, and we do this for two reasons: one is to entertain; the other to educate. Sharing culture is one of the best ways to teach people things that they may not have ever thought of before,” he says. “So, our festival will, first of all, let people see contemporary Native Americans. We’re not all existing in the teepees on the Great Plains of a hundred years ago but are part of the continuing community of peoples here in the northeast. And secondly, what they’ll get to see is more than 34 different artists offering their works – from baskets and jewelry, to woodcarvings and stone carvings. Pretty amazing stuff. They’ll get to see the continuing strength of our artistry that is so much a part of Native American culture.”

Three years ago, the festival relocated to the National Museum of Dance. In search of an appropriate venue this year, a conversation with Saratoga Arts Executive Director Joel Reed led to Sunday’s festival staging at Congress Park and at the Canfield Casino. The first Saratoga Native American Festival was a two-day event.

“That first day we had 5,000 people, but the second day we got totally rained out. That happened to us the second year as well, where we had one good day and one really bad rain day,” Bruchac says. “So now, we thought we’d pick the one good weather day, rather than going with one day that’s good and one day that’s bad,” he joked, looking over the predicted sun-filled forecast for the Sunday.

The Saratoga Native American Festival takes place 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sunday, Sept. 22 in Congress Park. The event is free and open to the public. 10 a.m.: Vendors Open. Flute and Drum Music by James, Jesse and Joseph Bruchac. 11 a.m.: Tom Porter‘s Opening Address. The festival will begin with a traditional opening address, delivered in Mohawk and English by Tom Sakokwenionkwas Porter, who positions with the Mohawk Nation Council of Chiefs and is the spokesman and spiritual leader of the Mohawk community of Kanatsiohareke. Noon: Grand Entry. Black River Drum, Old Soul Drum, Nulhegan Drum. 12:45 p.m.: Honoring of Chief Don Stevens. 1 p.m.: Haudenosaunee Singers and Dancers. 1:45 p.m. and 3 p.m.: Smoke Dance Competition. 2 p.m.: Brian Blanchett on Canfield Stage. 2:10 p.m.: Joanne Shenandoah on Canfield Stage. Shenandoah, a Grammy Award winner, is one of Native America’s most celebrated musicians. 3 p.m.: Perry Ground storytelling on Canfield Stage. Perry Ground is a Turtle Clan member of the Onondaga Nation of the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy. He has been telling stories for over 20 years as a means of educating people about the culture, beliefs and history of the Haudenosaunee. Perry learned most of the stories he shares from the elders of various Native American communities and feels practicing and perpetuating the oral traditions of Native people is an important responsibility. 4:15 p.m.: Kay Olan Storytelling on Canfield Stage. Kay Clan is a Wolf Clan Mohawk storyteller and educator. After teaching for 33 years, she relocated to the Traditional Mohawk Community at Kanatsiohareke where she worked as director. 5 p.m.: Vendors close. Closing Address by Tom Porter