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LO C A L

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I N D E P E N D E N T

Volume 10 • Issue 26 • July 3 – July 9, 2015

Flying High

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F R E E saratogaTODAYnewspaper.com • (518) 581-2480

Calling All Builders

Local Wins National Skydiving Events

Featured Stories

See pg. 34

First prize for 13 to 15 year olds in last year’s competition. Photo provided.

by Rebecca Davis Saratoga TODAY

Photo by Aaron Figel

See Local Wins pg. 8

BALLSTON SPA — Lego building blocks have transcended generations as a toy that allows kids of all ages to express their creativity, imagination, and innovation. These skills can be

put to use at the 174th Saratoga County Fair in its third annual Lego contest.

The theme for the contest is “A Day at the Fair.” Participants are encouraged to build animals, buildings, farming equipment, fair rides and games or whatever vision they See Lego Contest pg. 9

Making the Case SARATOGA SPRINGS — Former construction worker Don Petersimes, 54, relaxed his lanky form into the Shelters of Saratoga couch with a contradictory air of confidence and nervousness. This was a man who had proven he could survive anything life threw at him, but could not be sure that life had stopped throwing.

Inside TODAY Blotter 5 Business 12-13 Education 16 Pulse 26-29

Petersimes told his story without rancour or self-pity, accepting the results of the economic downturn with a shrug, and acknowledging his own mistakes in a straightforward manner. His only sign of frustration was with the inconsistency of support systems for people trying to rebuild after losing their homes and livelihoods.

“They make it so hard that you give up,” Petersimes said. “If

See Making the Case pg. 10

See pg. 3

Obituaries 6

Homeless Solutions within Reach

by Norra Reyes Saratoga TODAY

Where to See Fireworks

Sports 34-39

Weekend Forecast FRIDAY

78|51 SATURDAY

81|55 SUNDAY Don Petersimes finds work and hope at SOS. Photo by Francesco D’Amico.

83|55

2

Week of July 3 – July 9, 2015

Saratoga’s All-American Celebration Photos by Dave Bigler

Friday, July 3, 2015

12pm: Children’s Program with Ben Franklin @ The Children’s Museum, 69 Caroline St.

3pm: Historic City Tour: A Madame, A Batchellor, and the Devil @ Canfield Casino 7pm: Fireside Chat with ‘General Burgoyne’ @ Fireplace Lounge, Holiday Inn

Saturday, July 4, 2015

9am: Firecracker4 Road Race @ City Center

11am: All-American Parade @ Broadway from Van Dam St. to Spring St. 11am – 3pm: Family Day in Congress Park Re-enactors, carousel rides, food, games, & more 11:30am: Parade Characters Family Photo-Op @ Congress Park 11:30am – 3:30pm: BBQ & Dessert Fest @ Participating locations downtown & Fingerpaint Parking Lot, Division St. 12noon – 4pm: All-American Classic Car Show @ Fingerpaint Parking Lot, Division Street 12noon: “Battle of Hubbardton” book signing by Bruce Venter @ Northshire Bookstore 1pm – 2:30pm: Historic City Tour: Saratoga 1915: A Centennial Tour @ Congress Park 4pm – 7pm: Mom & Pop Amateur BBQ Competition @ Fingerpaint Parking Lot, Division Street 6:30pm – 9:30pm: Party in the Parking Lot featuring The AUDIOSTARS @ Spring St. Surface Lot 9:15pm: Live Reading of the Declaration of Independence @ Spring St. Surface Lot 9:30pm: * * * F I R E W O R K S * * * @ Spring St. Surface Lot Attendance to all these events is free to the public.

For a full schedule and more information please visit Saratogajuly4th.com.

3

Week of July 3 – July 9, 2015

Where to See Fireworks This Independence Day Weekend!

Friday, July 3

Saratoga Lake Fireworks 2015 Saratoga Lake Watch the fireworks at the North and South ends of the lake! The annual Saratoga Lake Fireworks show will take place at two locations this year on the same date in celebration of Independence Day. The Glens Falls Symphony Orchestra announces the 14th Annual Summer Pops Concert at Crandall Park (7:30 PM) Crandall Park, 598 Glen St., Glens Falls, NY 12801 Celebrate Independence Day with patriotic favorites and more under the direction of Maestro Charles Peltz. The symphony also organizes a wide variety of food and drink vendors. So come celebrate the 4th of July (on the 3rd of July) with family and friends, fine tunes and fireworks!

Saturday, July 4

Saratoga Springs - All-American Celebration – (6:30 PM – 9:30 PM) Spring St. Surface Lot 6:30pm Party in the Parking Lot featuring The AUDIOSTARS, 9:15pm: Live Reading of the Declaration of Independence, 9:30pm: F I R E W O R K S FREE ADMISSION Independence Day Celebration - Corinth, NY (7:30 AM - 9:45 PM) Corinth Public Beach Join us for fun, food & fireworks during our Annual Independence Day Celebration in Corinth, NY! FREE ADMISSION Greenwich Elks Lodge Fireworks - Greenwich, NY (8:00 AM - 10:30 PM) Elks Lodge, Rte. 40S, Greenwich, NY Food & Beverages will be available to purchase.

Professional fireworks that are second to none. Bring your blanket. NO COOLERS PLEASE The New York State’s 4th of July Celebration presented by Price Chopper at the Empire State Plaza (3:00 PM - 10:00 PM) Empire State Plaza 240 State Street, Albany, NY The Village of Lake George (9:30 PM) Shepards Park, Canada Street, Lake George, NY The Village of Lake George puts on a July 4th fireworks display that can be viewed all along the waterfront. Time is approximate. They will go off immediately following sundown.

Lake George also has fireworks at dusk every Thursday during the summer months of July and August.

Photo by Dave Bigler

Celebration at Clifton Common (12:00 PM to 10:00 PM) Clifton Park, NY This Independence Day will be full of fun for the entire family with live music including Sirsy and New York Players, great food and so much more!

The day kicks off with the annual Fourth of July parade at 12:00 noon. The parade route begins at Shenendehowa campus on Route 146 and finishes at the Clifton Common. Events will be going on all day starting with the opening ceremony at 1:00 P.M. followed with Rides, Games, Food, Craft Vendors & Entertainment. Topping the night off at 9:30 with a spectacular fireworks show.

4

WEEK IN REVIEW

Week of July 3 – July 9, 2015

SSHS Graduation Annese & Associates Receives CEG Award Dress Code Changes “To me, it means we’re doing the right thing,” said Apy. “We’re first and foremost taking great care of our people, who in turn take care of our customers.

We hit all the high marks for this award, the business growth, consistent local hiring, and profitability, but I also have to attribute this award to the family culture we maintain.”

His wife, Francine, is one of the company’s four owners and runs the HR department, but that is Annese and Associates CEO Ray Apy receives technology award on atypical for the company. behalf of his firm from the Center for Economic Growth.

Photo provided by CEG. Apy said that nearly 85 percent of the management SARATOGA SPRINGS — Saratoga Springs team is made up of non-family members. resident Ray Apy, CEO of local IT company “We reward people who deserve it,” he Annese and Associates, Inc., said he was said. “We have a rich benefit package and honored for his company to be one of the profit sharing and we’re always hiring and recipients of the Center for Economic giving opportunities in management.”

Growth’s 19th Annual Technology Awards in Apy believes that translates into the Capital Region on Friday, June 26. innovation, and he foresees a continued bright “I was especially moved by the very warm future for the company, including in Saratoga. and touching presentation and remarks about “We put a stake in the sand when the late Jeffrey Lawrence,” Apy added. “The we moved to Saratoga,” he said. “We’ve Capitol Region lost a very bright, kind and invested in the community, such as the generous man this year, and he will be missed senior center, and we continue to try to by all. My heart goes out to his family.” recruit and hire people in the area. We Apy recently appeared on LookTV in expect to have an office in Saratoga as the “Look at Technology” series; in the past well at some point. We are constantly year launched an integrated cloud solutions finding new customers here. It’s really practice; and, for the first time, Annese important to us.” Apy and his wife have and Associates achieved annual revenues three children attending local schools St. exceeding $100 million.

Clements and Spa Catholic.

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EDITORIAL Norra Reyes 581-2480 x 203 Newsroom Manager, Business and Education Editor, Saratoga City norra@saratogapublishing.com Neil Benjamin 581-2480 x 206 Sports Editor, Saratoga County neil@saratogapublishing.com Rebecca Davis 581-2480 x 214 Malta, Pulse, Food, News rebecca@saratogapublishing.com

SARATOGA SPRINGS — For the first time this year, Saratoga Springs graduating seniors who received recognition by the National Technical Honor Society for exemplary scholarship at BOCES were able to wear the ceremonial sash signifying the honor during commencement on June 25.

“Our students can wear academic recognitions of school-affiliated academic achievements,” said Brett Miller, principal of Saratoga Springs High School. “My understanding is that this policy has been a long-standing tradition here at Saratoga.”

That said, Miller explained that clubs and organizations wishing to make a change to that policy are welcome to set up a meeting with him and other administrators to discuss the idea. “We meet and hear them out and give full consideration to them,” said Miller.

“Sometimes the result is we change what we do, like we did this year for

the National Technical Honor Society students at BOCES.” On the day of the Saratoga Springs High School commencement last week, some students asked an assistant principal if they could wear their Marine Corps sashes, but were refused.

“There wasn’t enough time to discuss it that day,” said Miller. “The policy is to make these requests in advance. So the next day I called the staff sergeant at the local Marines Recruiting office, who was very nice, and we’ll meet, hear them out, and take a look at the polices.”

“It was a misunderstanding,” said Sergeant Jacob Pawlikowski of the U.S. Marine Corp Recruiting office in Saratoga Springs. He said that he and his boss, Staff Sergeant Kelly Brodmerkel, would be sitting down with Miller next week to discuss the graduation dress code policy regarding Marine Corps recognition for the future.

The Hunt is Over

ALBANY — At approximately 3:20 p.m. on June 28, Sergeant Jay Cook of the New York State Police spotted a suspicious man walking down a roadway in the Town of Constable. A chase ensued, and Sergeant Cook shot and injured Clinton Correctional Facility escapee David Sweat. Sweat was taken into police custody alive, then taken to a local hospital for treatment of his injuries.

He has since been taken to Albany Medical Center and is expected to be taken

to a maximum security prison before long.

He is speaking with law enforcement, providing details of the escape and the run. His escape partner, Richard Matt, was shot and killed by law enforcement on Friday, June 26.

Three members of Clinton Correctional Facility’s executive team, along with nine security staff employees, have been placed on paid administrative leave. The FBI is investigating further.

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BLOTTER 5

Week of July 3 – July 9, 2015 Damon M. Beckerman, 20, of Saratoga Springs, was arrested June 28 and charged with obstruction of breathing or blood circulation.

Damon M. Beckerman, 20, of Saratoga Springs, was arrested June 26 and charged with harassment with physical contact.

Jeffrey R. Matrazzo, 21, of Ballston Lake, was arrested June 28 and charged with petit larceny and criminal mischief with intent to damage property.

David L. Sparks, 37, of Schenectady, was arrested June 26 and charged with three counts of felony criminal sale of a controlled substance and three counts of felony criminal possession of a controlled substance. The arrest was the result of a lengthy investigation into Sparks allegedly selling crack cocaine.

Evan B. Crabbe, 22, of Ballston Lake, was arrested June 28 and charged with petit larceny and criminal mischief with intent to damage property.

Juan J. Munguia, 26, of Saratoga Springs, was arrested June 28 and charged with felony grand larceny and criminal possession of stolen property.

Jordan R. Vanbuskirk, 24, of Grand Rapids, Mi., was arrested June 28 and charged with felony criminal possession of stolen property.

Miles W. Bailey, 50, of Menands, was arrested June 27 and charged with aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle.

Devin D. Verdoni, 23, of Albany, was arrested June 27 and charged with disorderly conduct and resisting arrest.

Joseph J. Casertino, 48, of Ballston Spa, was arrested June 27 and charged with DWI, driving with a BAC greater than .08, operating a motor vehicle by an unlicensed driver and ticketed for speeding.

Ronald L. Brightbill, 56, of Saratoga Springs, was arrested June 26 and charged with felony DWI, refusal of a prescreen test and failure to keep right.

Glen D. Clark, 20, Saratoga Springs, was arrested June 24 and charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance, possession of alcohol by a minor, unlawful possession of marijuana and consumption of alcoholic beverages. He was arrested again on June 25 and charged with one count each of felony and misdemeanor criminal sale of marijuana.

Corey E. Palmatier, 38, of Ballston Spa, was arrested June 25 and charged with criminal mischief with intent to damage property and criminal mischief and preventing assistance.

Steven A. Poe, 25, of Saratoga Springs, was arrested June 24 and charged with aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle and ticketed for no seatbelt.

Edinburg Man Shot, Killed by State Police BALLSTON SPA — On June 29, at approximately 10 p.m., the Saratoga County Sheriff ’s Office received a call from Richard Laport, 51, of 96 Foxhill Road, in the Town of Edinburg, stating he wanted to harm himself. Members of the Saratoga County Sheriff ’s Office and the New York State Police responded and upon arrival were met with gunfire from within the residence.

Responding members took cover and secured a perimeter around the residence and attempted to make verbal contact with Laport. Laport could be seen inside of the home with a long gun and on several occasions over the next 40 minutes members of the Sheriff ’s Office attempted to negotiate with Laport as he repeatedly entered and exited the residence

carrying the long gun and on several occasions discharged the weapon.

Finally at approximately 11:41 p.m., Laport exited the residence onto the front porch and leveled the long gun towards members of the Sheriff ’s Office and New York State Police who were positioned in front of the residence. Two members of the Sheriff ’s Office and one State Trooper fired upon Laport striking him at least once in the torso. Members immediately moved in and secured Laport and cleared the home.

Laport was declared deceased on the scene. The Saratoga County Coroner Daniel Kuhn responded to the scene and ordered the body removed to the Albany Medical Center Morgue for autopsy.

Kristina L. Crotty, 26, of South Glens Falls, was arrested June 24 and charged with DWI, aggravated DWI, driving with a BAC greater than .08 and ticketed for failure to stop on a right turn on red, speeding, failure to keep right and failure to signal a turn.

Patrick Thomas Maney, 46, of Miami, Fla., was arrested June 24 and charged with DWI and ticketed for speeding.

Scott F. Parillo, 42, of Saratoga Springs, was arrested June 24 and charged with criminal contempt from a court mandate.

Bradley J. Vandusen, 51, of Saratoga Springs, was arrested June 23 and charged with criminal trespassing on a building or property.

SENTENCING

Andrew J. Foster, 36, of Whitesboro, was sentenced to time served and 5 years’ probation for felony DWI. Christopher M. Collins, 26, of Halfmoon, was sentenced to 1 ½-to-4 ½ years in jail for

felony grand larceny in the third degree. He was also ordered to pay $4,581.24 in restitution.

Devon M. Smith, 35, of Moreau, was sentenced to 6 months in jail and 5 years’ probation, to be served concurrent with his sentence in Warren County, for felony criminal possession of a controlled substance in the fifth degree.

Austin M. Demarco, 19, of Saratoga Springs, was sentenced to 1 year in jail, to run consecutively with his sentence in Wilton, and ordered to pay restitution. The amount is not known.

6

Week of July 3 – July 9, 2015

Struggle with Alcohol Led to Priest’s Legacy of Healing for Hundreds

Rev. William Tracy Celebrating 60th Anniversary as a Redemptorist

SARATOGA SPRINGS — When the Rev. William Tracy was ordained as a Redemptorist priest 60 years ago, he never imagined his legacy would include saving the lives of legions of priests and others who – like himself – had become addicted to alcohol.

But that is exactly what the 86-year-old padre, who will be honored at a benefit dinner hosted by the Saratoga Knights of Columbus on Sunday, July 19, achieved in the nearly four decades since he established a pioneering treatment facility and halfway house in Brazil.

In the early days, Tracy was shy about discussing the journey that led him to establish New Life Community – or Associacao Communidad Vida Nova – in Curitiba, Brazil. That changed when the priest realized he could not expect people in his American hometown to care about his foreign mission unless he came clean about the reasons he decided to make it his life’s work. Tracy, who took the first steps to sobriety in 1978 following

an intervention by the Rev. Francis Sullivan, CSR, now a retired Associate Pastor of St. Clement’s Church in Saratoga Springs, said the New Life Community has thus far helped more than 500 members of the clergy (seminarians and nuns as well as priests) plus about 500 lay individuals.

“The greatest proof in my life that God really loves me is that I am sober today and free from the living death of active alcoholism. I am grateful that what for 20 years had been my greatest shame has been transformed into the precious gift of helping other alcoholics on the road to recovery,” said Tracy.

Past Grand Knight Stephen R. Toussaint said Father Tracy, a Ballston Spa native who graduated from Ballston Spa High School in 1946, “has long been an inspiration and support to others, not only in his priestly ministry, but also in his founding and sustained direction of a recovery program for priests and other religious persons in their fight against substance addiction

Robert Brown SARATOGA SPRINGS — Robert A. Brown went to be with the Lord on Saturday, June 27, 2015.

Born in Ashland, ME in 1932, he was the son of the late Chester and Sadie Brown. He came to Speculator, NY in the late 1950’s to live with his aunt and uncle, Bob and Mable McNally.

Bob went into the Army and received an honorable discharge on April 30, 1961. While living in Speculator, he met Jane Haak who became his wife on August 26, 1956. They were blessed with four children, Debra, David and twin boys James and Timothy. He spent most of his life working in sawmills and started Brown & Sons Lumber Co. in Pottersville, NY in 1978. In 2000 Bob retired and his son Jimmy took over running the sawmill. In 2002 he moved to Saratoga at which time his son David built him a house. Bob attended Wilton Baptist Church and taught Adult Sunday School. From 2008 to 2012 he served as a deacon in the church.

In addition to his wife Jane and his four children, Debra (Kevin) Porter, David (Mary Jo) Brown, James (Patty)

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in Brazil. Father Bill is a special priest to the Knights of Columbus Council 246 for the untiring efforts he has made but also because he is a Ballston Spa native and member of the Redemptorist (CSsR) Order which provides staff for St. Clement’s Parish.”

The multi-tiered treatment center overseen by Tracy in conjunction with Sister Irma Terezinha de Jesus Dias, DM, includes a chapel with a view of the city park, an office, a dining room, and six spacious dormitories with five beds each. Assisting the American priest and South American nun are additional psychologists, physicians, some former patients and volunteers from Alcoholic Anonymous.

Added Toussaint: “Father Bill is a role model to us all. His personal brand of kindness, sense of humor, positive outlook and most importantly his faith provide all with a sense of the importance of caring for the well-being of others.

We are encouraged by his determination and his spirit of hope in the

Rev. William Tracy circa 1955 on left, and today on right. Photos provided.

face of many obstacles of daily life.

We consider it an honor to give him our support.”

The fundraiser will take place at Knights of Columbus Council 246’s headquarters at 50 Pine Road in Saratoga Springs commencing with cocktails and hors d’oeuvres at 5 p.m. followed by an Italian buffet

Brown, and Timothy (Cindy) Brown, he is survived by a sister, Jane Dillon; ten grandchildren: Jason (Jennifer), Sarah, and Kyle (Amy) Porter, Rebecca and Michael Brown, James Jr. (Shirley), Joshua (Rae-anna), and Amanda Brown, and twins Jonathan (Lindsey) and Jeremiah (Christin) Brown.

He was also blessed with five great-grandchildren: Mckenna, Nathan, Hadley, Baird and Quinn.

Relatives and friends gathered to remember Bob Thursday, July 2, 2015 at the William J. Burke & Sons/Bussing & Cunniff Funeral Homes of Saratoga Springs.

Funeral services will be conducted at 10 a.m. Friday, July 3, 2015 at the Wilton Baptist Church, 755 Saratoga Rd., Wilton.

Burial with military honors will be at 12:30 p.m. Monday, July 6, 2015 at the Gerald B.H. Solomon Saratoga National Cemetery, Duell Rd., Schuylerville.

Donations may be made in his memory to the Wilton Baptist Church, 755 Saratoga Rd., Wilton, NY, 12831.

Online remembrances may be made at www.burkefuneralhome.com.

Mary (Jones) McCarthy FARMINGTON, CT — Mary Patricia (Jones) McCarthy, 78, beloved wife of the late Denis McCarthy, passed away peacefully on Friday, June 19, 2015 at Hartford Hospital, surrounded by her family.

Born on September 8, 1936, she was the daughter of the late William and Annie (McCarthy) Jones. She grew up on Horse Island off the coast in the west of County Cork, Ireland. In the early 1950s, Mary left the island to work on the mainland in Cork, where she would eventually meet her future husband, Denis. In October 1958, Denis and Mary immigrated to the United States. Mary initially resided in Saratoga Springs where her sister Kitty, who had emigrated earlier lived. Mary then briefly moved to Chicago to be with Denis.

They soon returned to Saratoga Springs and were married on January 30, 1960. Mary was a proud life member of the Irish American Home Society and was a communicant of St.

at 6 p.m. Tickets are $20 each and may be purchased at the door or after Masses at several area Roman Catholic churches including those in Ballston Spa and Saratoga Springs. Reservations may also be secured by calling Sir Knight Rich Gorman at 885-3810 or Sir Knight Vern Utter at 584-0034.

Helena’s Church in West Hartford. During the 70’s through the 90’s, she was an avid Dart player, winning numerous tournaments and at one point was considered the best female dart player in Connecticut. In addition, Mary had a passion for golf, especially loving to play with her regular ladies foursome, as well as with her grandsons. Denis and Mary also frequently traveled for years that included many trips back home to Ireland and taking cruises to a number of places.

In addition to her husband and parents, Mary was predeceased by her brother Sean Jones in Ireland Mary is survived by her children; Ann McCarthy of Morristown, NJ, Patrick and his wife Erin of Simsbury, CT, Eileen McCarthy of New Britain, CT, grandsons William, Sean, and Denis McCarthy of Simsbury, her sister Kitty Macica of Saratoga Springs, one brother, Patrick “Joe” Jones of County Cork, Ireland, many nieces and nephews in the U.S. and Ireland and a special cousin, Rita Downes and her husband Tom of Manchester, Ireland.

A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated June 25, 2015 at the Church of St. Helena, Echo Lane, West Hartford. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations in Mary’s name may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association at www.alz.org.

Maria Neacsu SARATOGA SPRINGS — Maria Neacsu of Saratoga Springs passed away peacefully on May 19, 2015 at Saratoga Hospital.

She was 79 years old. Born on October 24, 1935 in Romania, she was the daughter of the late Nicolae and Ioana Neacsu.

Mrs. Neacsu worked as a judge and a lawyer in Romania, until she immigrated to the United States. Maria moved to the Saratoga Springs area with her family in 2011. She was a strong and loving mother and grandmother.

Survivors include her son Bogdan Mihai Sandu and his wife Diana of Saratoga Springs, and their children, Ana, Gabriela and Alexandru. Services and burial were in Bucharest, Romania on May 26, 2015, at her family plot.

NEWS 7

Week of July 3 – July 9, 2015

From the Farm to the Fork SARATOGA SPRINGS — First Harvest, an all-local food and beverage tasting, will be held on Thursday, July 16 from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. at 112 Spring Street in Saratoga.

Proceeds from the event will go to the Regional Farm and Food Project, a non-profit whose mission is to provide a better return on the investment of food and tax dollars by building supply and demand for local foods. It seeks to connect consumers to local food through accessibility, education, and emergency relief. The RFFP has a special focus on small, local farms and their multitude of benefits to the community. Other supporters of the event include the American Farmland Trust, Saratoga PLAN, Land Trust Alliance and Sustainable Saratoga.

All food and beverages at the event will be from local farms, vineyards, breweries, chefs and restaurants including:

Beverages Victory View Vineyards, Oliva Vineyard, Moon Garden Teas, Druthers

WILTON — This weekend, a local Civil War arms collector, who prefers to remain unnamed, will display and discuss his large personal collection at Grant Cottage in Wilton, as part of an Independence Day celebration. The discussion will begin at 3 p.m. on Sunday, July 5.

Grant Cottage is known for being the house where General Ulysses S. Grant died 130 years ago this month. The cottage remains fundamentally the same as it did during the Grant family’s stay there, with original furnishings, decorations, and personal items.

On the porch of the cottage, where the arms will be displayed, there will be sabers, swords, Whitney percussion pistols, and bayonets. During the discussion, the collector will discuss the Confederate Richmond musket and the Springfield rifle. He will also tell the story of when Confederates captured the Harper’s Ferry Arsenal, which allowed them to model their own weaponry after what they found.

This exhibit will be present at the Grant Cottage Visitor Center for the season.

Grant Cottage is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Wednesday through Sunday through Labor Day and on weekends through Columbus Day.

Restaurants 9 Miles East, Zest, DZ Group, Comfort Kitchen, Mouzon House, 50 South, Pura Vida, Fior D” Italia, Longfellows, Healthy Living Market Farms Longlesson, Argyle Cheese, Longview Farm, Pleasant Valley, Squashville, Macbrook, Dancing Ewe, Malta Ridge, Echo Creek, Gomez Veggie Ville, Saratoga Apple, Stevens Others Saratoga Crackers, Puckers Gourmet, Dawn Foglia, Murray Hollow Tickets are $30 per person, $50 for couples and $25 for RFFP members. For questions or ticket information contact info@farmandfood.org or call 518-482-8868.

Grant Cottage Displays Civil War Arms

Dancing Ewe Farm shows off their selection of cheeses. Photo provided.

Colt. 58, one of the most commonly used Union army weapons. Photo provided.

8

NEWS

Week of July 3 – July 9, 2015

Local Wins National Skydiving Events

by Neil Benjamin Jr. Saratoga TODAY SARATOGA SPRINGS — It’s certainly not for the faint of heart.

Picture yourself 13,500 feet in the air with the door of a small airplane wide open. You’re decked out with big goggles, something that resembles a jumpsuit and a backpack containing the only thing that can save your life on the journey you’re about to embark on: A parachute.

Forget butterflies in your stomach – it’s more like there’s a swarm of cicadas deep in your gut. As you wipe away a bead of sweat glistening on your brow, you’re told, “it’s time.”

You look down and see the earth from what might as well be outer space. Three … two … one … and you’re off.

As you drop and the atmospheric pressure lessens with each passing foot, you’re relieved that your first skydive is going so well.

As you deploy your parachute, you start to think: “Hey, I can do this again. That was fun!”

You just jumped out of a plane and landed successfully on the ground. Are you insane or what?

For Saratoga Springs resident Matt Leonard, it’s all in a day’s work. Leonard, 24, has been skydiving since 2010, when he

was a student at the University at Massachusetts-Amherst and has turned a passion into a championship-winning pedigree.

Two weeks ago, Leonard went down to Raeford, N.C., to compete in the US Parachute Association National Parachuting Championships and returned home with two gold medals, a silver and a bronze. Not a bad haul for Leonard, who practices and prepares for these events when he’s not working as a chemical engineer at GLOBALFOUNDRIES. “Mentally, you’re competing with others, so it’s a mind thing,” Leonard said. “You can’t second guess when you’re about to jump.

Your biggest competitor is yourself, and if you think too much, you’ll end up penalizing yourself.”

He took home gold in the advanced category and also zone accuracy. He won silver in speed and bronze in distance.

The USPA is a non-profit founded in 1946 and is dedicated to the promotion of safe skydiving nationwide. It has established strict safety standards and training policies at more than 240 USPA-affiliated schools and centers throughout the country. The 37,000-plus member group makes more than 3.2 million jumps each year.

Photo by Brian Festi

Leonard grew up just outside of Boston and moved to Saratoga Springs in May of 2014 to start his new job. But it was March 19, 2010, that would change his life in an adventurous way.

His father had been a skydiver from 1994 through 2005, and his brother got involved in 2005. So, with a familial background in the sport, Leonard decided to give it a go in Florida, where he was visiting on Spring Break.

“I didn’t plan it until I got down there,” he said. “But it was really

cool. I had my rig, and my first jump was by myself, not a tandem jump.

Shortly after, I got certified to skydive and now I have a USPA license.”

Since that jump, skydiving has become an obsession of sorts for Leonard, who talked about what it feels like to prepare for a nearly three-mile free fall.

“For me, it’s really just a little nerves or anxiety,” he said. “You get excited about entering a world you’re not familiar with. Sitting in a plane with the door open, 13,500-feet up in the air, your body just kind of takes over. The only thing you really need to know is to remember what the instructors taught you, and do that. There are tasks you need to complete and you’ll be fine.”

Leonard explained that after taking eight jumps, you become certified as a jumper. Beyond that, there are all sorts of different criteria to make it to other levels.

Leonard is certified as an instructor, and spends a lot of his time taking others on jumps.

He’s even earned a high enough rating to be considered a coach.

Earning that level in such a short

Photo by Aaron Figel

period of time is a testament to Leonard’s passion for the sport.

Leonard joined his college’s Sport Parachuting Club, eventually becoming president in 2011.

He has competed in the USPA championships a few times, but this was his most successful trip to date.

This year, there were a total of 59 competitors, and Leonard beat out 23 in the advanced category.

A second jumper leaves at the same time, equipped with a camera.

He or she will snap photographs on the way down, making for some entertaining shots.

“Saying I love skydiving would be an understatement,” Leonard added.

Leonard said he’s a simple man, spending his free time skiing at Stratton or Mount Snow when he’s not jumping out of planes. But during the warm weather months, he said he doesn’t do much outside of work and skydiving.

“People often ask what it’s like to skydive, and I tell them they have to go try it for themselves,” he said.

“It’s not really something that an explanation would do justice.”

NEWS 9

Week of July 3 – July 9, 2015

Saratoga County Fair Hosts Third Annual Lego Contest This year, the prizes are family four-packs to the Museum of Innovation and Science in Schenectady and cash prizes from ITT Technical Institute. The total value of the prizes is $500, with prizes being awarded to first, second, and third place winners.

Lego creations should be brought to the Saratoga County Fair Talent Pavilion/Family Center between 10 a.m. and noon on

Wednesday, July 22. Kids and their families will then have a chance to set up their display how they want it to look and put on the finishing touches to get ready for judging.

The entries will be judged based on how age-appropriate the displays are and how well they match the fair theme. No pre-made Lego kits are allowed to be used so the creations have to come from their own imaginations.

Judging will begin at 2 p.m. and the Saratoga County Fair Education Committee will have the Legos on display until 4 p.m., when the Legos can then be taken home.

Entry forms for the contest are available at the Fair Office at 162 Prospect Street in Ballston Spa or at Saratogacountyfair.com under “fair forms.”

The Saratoga County Fair will run from July 21 to 26.

Dashboard Cameras for SSPD Lego display entered in competition. Photo provided.

Continued from front page have that has to do with the county fair. Popular entries from previous years include demolition derbies, barns, and even a Ferris wheel.

Susan Leahey, who is on the fair’s board of directors and runs its education department, came up with the idea for the contest with her daughter, Kimberly. After seeing her grandchildren participate in a Lego contest at Saratoga Elementary, she knew it would be a great addition to the fair.

“My grandchildren just love Legos, so I thought this would be a good idea. We thought we’d try it out,” Leahey said. “But it’s become very popular. It’s a challenge for the kids; they get so excited about it. It’s also just amazing what the children can build.”

The age categories are 4 to 6 years old, 7 to 9 years old, 10 to 12 years old, 13 to 15 years old and family. There is no entry fee with a paid admission to the fair. All entries must be labeled with name, age, and title of their Lego design.

A Letter to the Editor

I thought that you did a great job on the piece regarding the Officer Baker/Adam Rupeka incident. [See June 26 edition, Traffic Stops, page 14] It was an informative and well-balanced story.

The SSPD has been one of the first in the area to buy body cameras. We also are in the process of incorporating dashboard cameras for the patrol cars and, of course, we have a series of video surveillance cameras in our downtown that has been in place for two years. There are now enough body cameras for use by all officers on duty.

Chris Mathiesen

Saratoga Springs Commissioner of Public Safety

10

NEWS

Week of July 3 – July 9, 2015

Addressing Homelessness in Saratoga Springs Continued from front page you’re getting $186 a month in food stamps, then go get a part-time job for 20 hours a week, they cut you back to $46. You get penalized for doing better instead of helping you to keep going up.”

A construction worker who was battling alcholism, he began working part-time so he could take care of his ailing mother.

“She had cancer, and I wanted her to see a sober son,” Petersimes said. And he did it. When she died, he had nowhere to go. The owner of the small company he worked for decided to get out of the construction business, so with no home and no job, he fell off the wagon.

“I stayed out on the streets for seven years,” he said. During that time, he witnessed both the best and worst of humanity play out in real time as government, businesses, service providers and citizenry tried to figure out what to do with him and others experiencing homelessness.

“We’d get blankets from the shelters and have to hide them during the day,” Petersimes said. He described how homeless people have to hide their belongings such as idetification, marriage and birth certificates, toothbrushes and old photographs, while they are out looking for work or housing or help. He has seen those things get stolen or found and thrown away.

“I’ve seen police officers laughing while taking a knife and cutting

up tents behind the bank near Price Chopper in the woods,” Petersimes said. “They told us to leave, and we did, but they didn’t give the folks who had tents the chance to take them down.” He cleared his throat and sat back, silent for a moment in the memory of seeing one person laugh while another’s few worldly goods were being taken before their eyes.

Michael A. Finocchi is the executive director of Shelters of Saratoga, Inc. (SOS). When he met Petersimes, it had been three years since the homeless man had been sober.

“He had been given so much misinformation that he didn’t have any incentive left to get sober,” said Finocchi. So they talked, not about alcoholism or way to go for help, but about music.

“I am not my disease,” said Petersimes. “Mike was the first person who seemed to realize that.”

Petersimes plays the guitar, and has earned money as a street performer. Finocchi was able to draw him out and get to talking about his love for music, and before long Petersimes was confiding in him.

“Don wants to be sober,” said Finocchi. “He doesn’t want to be homeless. He just needed someone to believe in him and help him navigate the system.”

Finocchi has a clear view of the successes and failings of governmental and charitable institutions in the effort to help the homeless. SOS is the only shelter serving three counties, so he knows it is

imperative that the shelter help its guests utilize all available resources so they can get back into jobs and housing as soon as possible, even if the system sometimes feels like one step forward and two steps back.

“You know you can only get cold food with food stamps,” Petersimes said. No home means no stove, so he could not buy meat or pasta or rice or most of the foods allowed with food stamps. “There’s hot food at the soup kitchen, but then you have to deal with all the others. Some are crazy.”

Petersimes is representative of any intelligent adult whose paycheck-to-paycheck life could turn into homelessness with a single misstep or sudden life change, like illness or job loss.

Finocchi said, “You’d be surprised how many people have come through here who have said they had a house, a job for fifteen years, and lost everything when they were laid off. Family trouble came right after losing the house, and it spirals. We assisted more than 400 people here last year.” The facility is a home, with a comfortable living room and fireplace, books, a large kitchen where Petersimes cooks for his new extended family, bedrooms reminicscient of college dorms, dedicated case workers and a household filled with guests seeking to build a new life.

Finocchi said he walks alone or sometimes with members of the police department downtown, talking to the homeless and letting them know what help is available to them.

“There’s nothing for them to do during the day,” he said. Once in awhile someone will get into trouble with the law, but it is rare that it is ever anything serious.

According to Lieutenant Robert H. Jillson, Investigations’ Division Commander and Public Information Officer of the Saratoga Springs Police Department,

typically arrests of homeless individuals revolve around quality of life offences, not assaults or robberies.

“We’ll see open container violations, disorderly conduct such as public urination, or trespassing,” said Jillson. “We’ll get calls for lingering, but that’s not illegal. When we get those calls, we’ll go assess the situation, but usually they are not doing anything wrong.”

Finocchi said a drop-in center would make a big difference. “It could provide case management, clothes, toothbrushes, and basic daily needs,” he said. He has seen very successful ones and, as a member of the Mayor’s Housing Task Force, hopes to work with the City to have one created downtown.

“With the combined forces of the Code Blue Steering Committee and the Mayor’s Housing Task Force, we’re working on a continuum of care from emergency shelter to permanent housing,” said Mayor Joanne Yepsen. “I really appreciate the partnership I have with the local service agencies. We’ve had some great successes already, and have accomplished an end to Veterans’ homelessness. A drop-in center is one of the ideas being considered for future, but staffing is a real issue.”

The Mayor’s Housing Task Force meets once a month and is made up of ten government, private, and nonprofit representatives assessing current and considering future housing needs in Saratoga.

The Task Force is considering the needs of artists, young professionals, and other populations as well as homeless individuals.

The Saratoga Springs community as a whole has been working very hard to help eradicate homelessness, and the local service providers express their gratitude in every conversation. That said, there is an overwhelming amount of work yet to be done, and government, citizens, and providers are all being asked to step up to the challenge.

SOS has developed a capital improvement plan to address these pressing needs. More information about the project and

Petersimes became homeless after caring for his elderly mother.

Photo by Francesco D’Amico.

how to support it is located at w w w. s h e l t e r s o f s a r a t o g a . o r g /help-us/expansion/.

Franklin Center just completed a capital campaign and is holding a celebration of its new food pantry on July 14 from 6 to 7 p.m. For more information about Franklin Community Center visit the website www.franklincommunitycenter.org.

The efforts of these organizations and others in the area are a bright spot in the complicated road out of homelessness, and Petersimes is more than grateful.

“My sobriety is my first success,” Petersimes said. He is 62 days sober.

“Then, in the wonderful friends I’ve made through my sobriety. I have hope again that I can have a life, that I can support myself on my own. I may need a little help getting there, but I have that here. I have help getting to doctor’s appointments and meetings and job searches. The most support I’ve ever had is right here, at Shelters of Saratoga.”

He paused thoughtfully for a moment, then said, “There’s this quote that I read once, but it’s always stuck with me. That faith is in the presence of things unseen, but hope is faith in the prescence of things seen. What they have done here is hope because I can see it. They showed it to me here – between Code Blue and the counselors and Mike – they showed me that there is hope.”

NEWS 11

Week of July 3 – July 9, 2015

Preschool Graduation Remembers Teacher SARATOGA SPRINGS — St. Paul’s Christian Childhood Center’s preschool recently held a graduation ceremony for children in its Kindergarten Bound program. The event was a special one this year, as it honored a beloved preschool teacher and Girl Scout leader, Kimberlee Billok, who lost her battle with cancer this past winter at age 42.

The CCC created an Outstanding Teacher award in Billok’s memory, and Jennifer Oliphant Rooney was named the first recipient of this award.

Jennifer Rooney is named the first recipient of the Kimberlee Billok Outstanding Teacher Award. Left to right: Roberta Boone, President of CCC Board; Linda Snyder, CCC Board Member; Rooney; Michael Billok; and Pastor Adam Wiegand.

Kindergarten Bound graduates and staff. Adults pictured left to right: Carrie Richmond; Donna Wooidcock; Lisa Stanco, Lead Teacher; Christy Albertin, CCC School Director; and Pastor Adam C Wiegand, Senior Pastor at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church.

Kirk and George Moline designed and built the Memorial Plaque.

12

BUSINESS

Week of July 3 – July 9, 2015

DBA Q & A with DPW Commish

by Norra Reyes Saratoga TODAY SARATOGA SPRINGS — The Downtown Business Association (DBA) invited Department of Public Works (DPW) Commissioner Anthony “Skip” Scirocco for a prepared question-and-answer session at its June 17 meeting at the Embassy Suites in Congress Plaza.

DBA members submitted five questions exploring issues of concern to businesses located in downtown Saratoga Springs.

Scirocco spent time on each one, and answered follow-up questions from the group. He said he was open to suggestions, but could not take more questions because he did not have staff there to take notes.

He spoke on issues ranging from homelessness to snow removal.

Regarding the impact of the homeless population on downtown, Scirocco said he believed the new busker ordinance would help

but reminded everyone that it is a complicated issue and the homeless have rights.

“I think we need a summit,” Scirocco said. “We should sit down with service providers, businesses, mental health and community health providers. We are a community with a heart, but now we’ve created a problem we’ll have to solve.

Build it and they will come, and they have. We’ll have to get a bunch of people to sit down and discuss how to solve it.”

He acknowledged that there have been concerns about the homeless in parking decks, public restrooms, and the street. He said he had been speaking with public safety and researching what other cities are doing.

“I have looked at a meter idea, where instead of handing money to a panhandler, people could put money in a meter on the street, and that money would go to a local service agency,” Scirocco said. “You

give a guy a dollar and he’s going to go out and buy alcohol or something. I think a summit will give people who know this stuff a chance to come up with some good ideas.”

Scirocco also addressed downtown cleanliness in parking garages and restrooms.

“I’ve got people going in there on a daily basis, especially public facilities that are 24/7,” he said.

“There was no public bathroom until I was elected, and that made no sense for tourism. We built it to be as easy to clean as possible, but there were the layoffs in 2010 and now people working the Casino go in to open them in the mornings and there’s a night cleaning crew, too. I do think we need another one in the area – one is not enough.”

Some DBA members had questions about trashcans and benches in front of their stores. “Feel free to give us a call. And it’s not a problem to flip the bench,” said Scirocco.

“Just call Joette Delaney.”

When it comes to downtown parking, Scirocco said he supports building an additional parking deck.

“It’s important for the City Center and important to businesses on Broadway,” he said. “When they have a function, you can’t find parking, which is not good for the City or businesses. I’m all for the City Center parking lot, but they can’t get there with the solar ordinance the way it is now.”

He said he is not sure that setting up two-hour parking limits

would help, because people need more time than that to eat and shop and take in the City’s entertainment. He also said paid parking is on the table.

“It’s going to happen,” said Scirocco. “Paid parking supports the garage costs and is helpful to businesses. I’m not advocating for it, I’m just saying you need to think about it. When I go on vacation, I don’t think anything about paying five, ten bucks for a day of parking.”

Scirocco said he would not be opposed to a mixed-use building as long as it had parking. He also said the parking decks at Woodlawn and by the movie building are both being serviced this year because the steps are not galvanized steel, so they are rotting and in need of repair.

Regarding snow removal, Scirocco encouraged downtown businesses to send him an email asking when Broadway would be cleaned. “It takes three days to do it each time, including the side streets,” said Scirocco, “so with all the snow last year, we’d no sooner clean it then it had to be done again.” He said increased communication between DPW and businesses would help.

The DBA members also asked Scirocco about his stance on development in the downtown corridor.

“We shouldn’t be encroaching on green space,” he said. “Once you open that door, you could end up with a Wal-Mart out there. Same with the casino thing. It would have competed

Anthony “Skip” Scirocco, commissioner of Saratoga Springs DPW.

with the City Center, which would mean lost business for downtown.”

In future, Scirocco is interested in a downtown beautification project. “I’d work with everyone here to sit down and figure out what we could do,” he said. “You generate the sales tax, we should put a piece of that back into Broadway so you get a return on your good work.”

He mentioned ideas such as LED lighting, sidewalks, and curbs.

“To your credit, you are making Broadway what it is,” said Scirocco. “It’s a show piece, an award-winning Broadway because of all of you.”

The Saratoga Springs Downtown Business Association is a membership organization that cooperates with the Convention and Tourism Bureau, the City Center, Chamber of Commerce, Special Assessment District, local government, police force, Preservation Foundation, and the Historical Society to help pave the way for the city and its future.

Shuttle Service Addresses Parking Challenge SARATOGA SPRINGS — Saratoga Botanicals Organic Spa and Store has taken downtown parking issues into their own hands by launching a complimentary shuttle service for its spa guests, which will be offered beginning Monday, July 6.

The spa and store, which is owned and operated by Franesa Pyle and Bill Pyle, M.D., took this approach, after receiving feedback from numerous clients, who had given feedback about the lack of downtown parking.

“Downtown service businesses like ours are being directly impacted by the parking crisis. We couldn’t wait for more lots or additional parking garages to be constructed, so we had to think outside

of the box, to keep our guests happy,” Franesa Pyle said.

The shuttle service will run daily Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Pick up locations will include hotels, homes, and parking lots within a two-mile radius of the Saratoga-based spa.

“We have regular guests who live in or outside of Saratoga, who never come to Saratoga in the late spring and summer due to the issues with parking,” added Franesa Pyle.

The new shuttle service will be offered free of charge only to spa guests who have membership or pay for full priced appointments. The shuttle is only provided for the date guests need the ride and includes pick up and drop off.

Space will be limited and reservations are required at least 48 hours in advance and it is suggested at least a week out.

The spa, which recently expanded to include an additional 1500 square feet in its current location at 80 Henry Street in Saratoga Springs, offers a unique boutique spa concept that includes traditional spa services to medical and nutritional consultation. All products used in the spa services and sold in the retail end of the spa are organic and handmade by the owners.

For more information about Saratoga Botanicals Organic Spa and Store visit: www.saratogabotanicals.com or www.facebook.com/ saratogabotanicals

BUSINESS BRIEFS 13

Week of July 3 – July 9, 2015

Dawgdom Moves to Online Only SARATOGA SPRINGS — This week, owner Sara Ellis announced that Dawgdom at 35 Van Dam Street will be closing its doors in August, transitioning to all online sales and rededicating the brand and expanding it at Dawgdom.com.

“After eight years of happily serving Saratoga’s dog community,” Ellis said in a written statement, “I must put my health ahead of the business. I hope to continue my philanthropy with rescue organizations and the Heather Bohm-Tallman Doggy Booth in new locations and more.

Many people know that I have struggled with my health for quite some time. A seizure-inducing brain lesion from a prior surgery will be addressed this fall. I look forward to the time this transition may afford my family and me – Dave, Fred, May, Lilly and Goose. Thank you all for being the amazing dog community you are!”

The day before the brick-andmortar portion of the business closes, there will be a celebration party, Sunday July 26 from 4 to 8 p.m. There will be food, raffles and donations to benefit the Friends of Saratoga County Animal Shelter.

GLOBALFOUNDRIES Completes Acquisition of IBM Microelectronics Business MALTA — GLOBALFOUNDRIES announced that it has

completed its acquisition of IBM’s Microelectronics business.

With the acquisition, GLOBALFOUNDRIES gains differentiated technologies to enhance its product offerings in key growth markets, from mobility and Internet of Things (IoT) to Big Data and high-performance computing. The deal strengthens the company’s workforce, adding decades of experience and expertise in semiconductor development, device expertise, design, and manufacturing. And the addition of more than 16,000 patents and applications makes GLOBALFOUNDRIES the holder of one of the largest semiconductor patent portfolios in the world.

“Today we have significantly enhanced our technology development capabilities and reinforced our long-term commitment to investing in R and D for technology leadership,” said Sanjay Jha, chief executive officer of GLOBALFOUNDRIES. “We have added world-class technologists and differentiated technologies, such as RF and ASIC, to meet our customers’ needs and accelerate our progress toward becoming a foundry powerhouse.”

Through the addition of some of the brightest and most innovative scientists and engineers in the semiconductor industry, GLOBALFOUNDRIES solidifies its path to advanced process technologies at 10nm, 7nm, and beyond.

Moreover, the transaction builds on significant investments in the burgeoning Northeast

Technology Corridor, which includes GLOBALFOUNDRIES’ leading-edge Fab 8 facility in Saratoga County, NY and joint R&D activities at SUNY Polytechnic Institute’s College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering in Albany, NY. The company’s presence in the northeast now exceeds 8,000 direct employees.

$1.9 Million Renovation for GF Hospital GLENS FALLS — Glens Falls Hospital is embarking on a major renovation of its West Lobby to improve the flow of patients registering for outpatient laboratory and medical imaging services, and provide an overall more welcoming experience for patients and visitors.

The $1.9 million project, scheduled to begin the week of July 6, is part of the $25 million in technology and facility investments being made at the hospital in 2015. The work is expected to be completed by the end of the year, and the lobby will remain open throughout most of the construction.

“The renovation of the West Lobby is the latest of our continuous investments to ensure that our technology, facilities and services deliver the best possible experience for patients and visitors,” said President and CEO Dianne Shugrue. “This is an extremely

busy area for patient registrations, and a major entryway to key parts of the hospital. We’re going to improve the flow of traffic through the area, and give it a nicer, more inviting look at the same time.”

The registration area and employee offices that are now on the left side of the West Lobby when entering from the street, will be relocated to the opposite side. The left side of the lobby will be converted to a more spacious and comfortable waiting area.

Farther down the West corridor, the reception area for Medical Imaging and The Breast Center will also be renovated.

In addition to the interior renovations, the West Entrance will receive a new exterior canopy to help protect visitors from bad weather.

Camp TLC Kicks Off 5th Anniversary with Camp at SIS SARATOGA SPRINGS — Camp TLC (Together Living a Challenge) has teamed up with the Saratoga Independent School and the Upstate New York Austism Alliance to provide a week of summer camp for children who have a variety of special needs.

Regardless of whether the child is on the spectrum, has a developmental delay or has experienced a

medical or life trauma, Camp TLC provides each camper with programming that meets the needs of each camper.

“We are honored and grateful that the Saratoga Independent School has once again allowed us into their home. Our campers love the warm and encouraging atmosphere that the Saratoga Independent School provides us throughout the week. Our relationship with the Upstate New York Autism Alliance is now in its third year and allows us to develop programming that meets the needs of all children on the spectrum, which would not be possible without their support,” said Founder and Executive Director Caroline Baumis.

On Wednesday July 1st, our Super Hero Program visited Camp TLC, and sent our Campers off to their Camp TLC Annual Field Day. Campers were allowed to obtain autographs and have their pictures taken with our Super Heroes and ask them a series of questions about what it takes to be a Super Hero. Other theme days include Carnival, Showcase of Talents, and Water Day. For more information on Camp TLC or to schedule a visit to the camp, please contact the Executive Director at (917) 3635154 or visit www.thecamptlc.org.

PROPERTY TRANSACTIONS

Week of July 3 – July 9, 2015

BALLSTON 88 Westside Dr., $225,000.

David and Sandra Snyder sold property to Amanda Lansburg.

801 Route 50, $295,000.

Thomas and Donna Funicello sold property to Verdilone Associates LLC. 12 Pine Grove Ave., $112,000.

Gerald Sherwood sold property to Donna Gelina.

185 Lake Rd., $195,000. Allan Raney, Judith Harmon, Richard Raney, Debra Warden and Elizabeth Brumagin sold property to Stefanie Casper and Garret Bloomer.

CHARLTON 1222 Eastern Ave., $425,500.

Karen Gibbons sold property to Fred and Brenda Crudele.

1044 Peaceable St., $507,000. Michael and April Driver sold property to Scott and Heather Kosnick.

CLIFTON PARK 53 Walnut Dr., $237,500. Arslan and Jamila Basharat sold property to Lindsey Farr and Jared Amadon.

54 Dorsman Rd., $345,000. Donald and Debra Dorn sold property to John and Kimberly McDonough.

13 Wishing Well Lane, $537,500.

Christopher and Ann Marie Titterton sold property to Xintuo Dai and Jiong Li. 71 Chatsworth Way, $425,111.

Michael and Deborah Chambers sold property to Shourya Otta and Yashaswi Mishra.

34 Ashdown Rd., $383,399.

Ryan Phillips sold property to Pennymac Corp.

CORINTH 223 Walnut St., $98,500. Elanor Holland (by Exec) sold property to Michelle and Cody Mabb.

GALWAY 5119 Armer Rd., $219,900. Robert DeFrancisco sold property to Bruce and Lillian Stiles.

GREENFIELD 263 Daniels Rd., $550,000. Ryen VanHall sold property to Jared Klein and Susan Kessler.

395 Wilton Rd., $412,000. Carmela Fitzsimmons sold property to Gary and Colleen Chmiel.

MALTA 43 Admirals Way, $580,324.

Malta Land Company LLC sold property to Joseph and Jill Schmitt.

20 Riley Cove, $420,000. Mary Dyer (Life Use), Janice Cirella, Mary Beth Onyon, William Dyer, Vanessa Senglaub sold property to Louis and Kimberly Montella.

4 Luoine Dr., $330,000. Michelle Blair (as Trustee) sold property to Kurt and Juliann Woodward.

MILTON

property to Gregory and Rebecca Lockwood.

SARATOGA 118 Gates Ave., $166,000. Susan Weatherwax sold property to Alexander Artale.

26 Chestnut St., $182,000. Dennis and Laura Knorowski sold property to Jennifer Colose.

SARATOGA SPRINGS 4 Gick Rd., $245,000. Gabriel Shami and Peter Master sold property to Charles Rosenberg.

491 Rowland St., $175,000. Alice and Irving Goldsmith sold property to Carey Barber.

119 Hathorn Blvd., $244,900.

Michael and Betty Connell sold property to Patrick and Gerald Graham.

657 Acland Blvd., $416,000.

Dennis and Teresa Ford sold property to Christopher Vecsey and Lisa Glazer.

54 Ash St., $290,000. Rachel McCracken sold property to Eric and Jenny Huss.

6 Meadow Lane, $137,800.

Carl Englehart (by Exec) sold property to Joseph and Nicollette Andrews.

3774 Lewis Rd., $36,000. David and Lisa Reed sold property to Signature Home Buyers.

3774 Lewis Rd., $48,500. Signature Home Buyers sold property to Ronald and Joyce Bormann.

86 Court St., $1,270,000. Louise Harris and Russell Denea sold property to Phillip and Andrea Lodico.

129 Adams St., $600,000. James Doyle sold property to John Burke, Jr. 28 Tyler Dr., $590,000. Joseph and Mary Stine sold property to Garrett Potter.

116 Prospect St., $337,521.

Marie Franzese (by Ref) sold property to US Bank National Association (as Trustee).

20 and 22 Lincoln Ave., $40,000. Kevin Sandford (by Ref) sold property to Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB (as Trustee).

903 Macarthur Dr., $389,500.

Katherine Tobin and Jonathan Soderman sold property to Michaelo Goffioul and Isabelle Ferain.

25 Clinton St., $755,000. Darlene Landry sold property to Michael Fox, Brian Fox, John Fox, Deanne Gabriel-Fox.

MOREAU 12 Jamaica Ave., $118,902. Cheryl Rivers (by Ref) sold property to Pennymac Corp.

124 Butler Rd., $200,000.

Cheryl Mackey sold property to Jordan Hadden.

32 Stewart Ave., $209,950.

Eileen Jensen sold property to Stephen and Maggie Schiebel.

2 Washburn St., $200,000. Lucy Knowlton (by Exec) sold property to Dan and Janet Vanwie and Randall and Wendy Gallagher.

Edgewood Dr., $149,000. Carol Weaver sold property to Robert King and Naomi Mitchell.

NORTHUMBERLAND 82 Brampton Lane, $324,450.

Joseph and Holley Hahn sold

37 Park Place, $429,000. Marne Onderdonk sold property to Marketa and Pierre Wolfe.

STILLWATER 35 Lake St., $162,000. Harry Posporelis (by Ref) sold property to Wells Fargo Bank.

544 NY Route 9P, $260,000.

Frederick Decker (by Exec) sold property to Thomas Lill.

WILTON 65 Fieldstone Dr., $330,000.

Kimberley Briggs and Dean Waters sold property to John and Megan Brenenstuhl.

16 Ridge View Rd., $85,000.

Thomas Roohan sold property to Brian K. Smith Inc. 28 Sweetbriar Dr., $550,000.

Thomas Neilen (as Trustee)

sold property to James and Kathleen Macarevey.

19 Worth Rd., $215,000. Joseph Zurliene sold property to Stone Financing LLC. 19 Worth Rd., $215,000. Stone Financing sold property to Taras Yakymiv.

19 Rose Terrace, $225,000. Pine Brook Landing LLC sold property to Janet and Patrick Enright, Jr.

15

12 Rolling Green Dr., $566,319.

Bella Home Builders sold property to Christopher and Blair Kesting.

15 Mt. McGregor Rd., $179,500.

Andrew Putney sold property to Robert Royer.

82 Claire Pass, $380,000. Robert and Elizabeth Dolan sold property to James and Judith MacCrate.

16

EDUCATION

Week of July 3 – July 9, 2015

Saratoga Springs High School Commencement Valedictorian Speaks of Making Lasting Memories Photos by Francesco D’Amico

Valedictorian Erinn Mangona is planning on a career in pharmacology.

Class president Davawn Hartz provides welcoming remarks to graduating seniors.

by Norra Reyes Saratoga TODAY SARATOGA SPRINGS — The Saratoga Springs High School Class of 2015 held its graduation commencement on Thursday morning, June 25, at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center. There were 451 graduates, five of whom graduated from the Early College High School Advanced Manufacturing Program this year, earning 27 college credits or more.

Superintendent of Schools Michael M. Piccirillo presented the Yaddo Medal for academic achievement and personal character, which has been awarded to two Saratoga Springs graduates every year since 1912, to Elizabeth DeLorenzo and Davawn Hartz.

Additional awards were presented by High School Principal Brett M. Miller, who also gave a moving tribute to Coach Brenda Adams, a beloved teacher who lost her battle with cancer during the school year.

The graduates also heard from Class of 2015 President Davawn Hartz, Salutatorian Theresa Starnes, and Valedictorian Erinn Mangona.

Mangona spoke about fleeting time in her address during the ceremony. “Right now, a year is just oneeighteenth of our lives, so time seems slower,” she said. “I was trying to convey the message that it’s important to make the most of the time you have, so when you look back when time is going quicker, you’ll be grateful for the memories you’ve made.”

Mangona has built quite a few memories in her academic career.

She has received numerous awards and recognition, including the John Morrissey Memorial Mathematics Award, Excellence in Science Award, and the Academic Recognition Award For Excellence in Education.

Mangona is an athlete as well as a scholar, playing third base in softball for which she won an outstanding player award. Mangona is a New York State Scholar Athlete; a

Top Blue Streak Scholar Athlete; and received the Top Ten Student Athlete Award. She also received a US Army Reserve National Scholar Athlete Award and the Italian American Veterans Award in Memory of Carl Mangona, her great-uncle.

Mangona, who graduated with a 98.44 GPA, will be attending the University of Rhode Island College of Pharmacy in the fall. She said she has always been interested in the medical field, but wanted to choose something that was the best fit for her interests, too.

“I knew I didn’t want to be a doctor or surgeon,” she said. “I considered being a physician assistant or nurse, but I enjoy chemistry and pharmacy is a lot of chemistry, so it was the best option because it would suit me well.”

Mangona was president of Generation Outreach Music and Memory Club, which raises money to help seniors with memory loss.

“Research has found that listening to music helps lessen certain symptoms of Alzheimer’s and dementia,” said Mangona. “My grandmother has mild dementia and it was cool to help the program at Saratoga Hospital, where she is, to set up the

Class president Davawn Hartz, Ethan Daly, Evan Dungate, and Nicholas Enzien.

iPods and headphones and stuff.

She’s part of the reason I wanted to get into the medical field, too.”

Looking back at her own memories, Mangona said that – in spite of her love for math and science – her favorite class at Saratoga Springs High School was U.S. History because she felt it was so relevant to everyday life.

“Civil rights grabbed me the most,” she said. “It’s almost mindblowing the way our society thought just fifty years ago. Plus, I really appreciated how my teacher, David Brown, really wanted his students to succeed and was willing to stay after school and help me be fully prepared for the course and the AP exam.”

Brown’s uncle, Duane Brown, also works at the school and is Mangona’s guidance counselor. “I was trying to decide whether to drop a class, and he helped give me all my options so I could make the right choice. He helped me out a lot over the years I was in school.”

Like many graduates, she says the last few weeks have been both exciting and bittersweet. “I am kind of sad about it, because I really enjoyed high school and had a really good experience,” said Mangona. “I made a lot of friends, but I’m more excited to be going to college and to go out on my own.” She says she feels ready for college and building new memories.

17

Week of July 3 – July 9, 2015

Summer Sowing

by Peter Bowden for Saratoga TODAY Gardeners tend to be an optimistic lot. When spring weather throws us a curve, we look to our second round of crops to redeem the season. We have a second chance to sow seeds and harvest lots of wonderful things. Here’s a look at my handy Vegetable Schedule (you can get your own copy at Hewitt’s) with July highlighted to show some of the planting opportunities. Remember, many late crops aren’t damaged by a little frost...indeed frost makes some of them taste even better!

Below is a list of some, but by no means all, of the vegetables that you can plant in the space left open when you harvest spring crops. There are about 100-120 days left to our growing season at this point. Read the back of the seed pack to find out how many days it takes for the seeds to mature for harvest. There are a lot of crops that can still be easily grown from seeds.

Basil Beans

We’ve been enjoying our spring-planted mix of lettuces but prefer the spicy blend, so I’m going to plant more of that. These hot days will help the seeds sprout in record time, but they will be maturing during the cooler, shorter days of late summer/early fall. This will make them produce larger leaves

and better flavor than the spring crop. Between the narrow rows I planted in spring, there are wide spaces. Instead of planting in rows I’m going to scatter the seeds to fill the entire space between the established plants. Since the lettuce seeds in the mesclun mix are small and only get planted 1/4” deep, I’ll need

Sow seeds late June through late July Sow seeds of quick varieties (generally bush types) until 3rd week of July

Broccoli and Brocolini

Sow seeds until mid July

Brussels Sprouts

Sow seeds until mid July

Carrots

Sow seeds through mid July

Kale

Sow seeds through first week of August

Kohlrabi

Sow seeds through first week of August

Lettuce

Sow in groups two weeks apart from mid July through September 1st

Parsley

Sow seeds mid June through mid August

Peas Radish Spinach and Swiss chard Summer squash

Sow seeds in early to mid July Sow seeds mid July to early September at two week intervals Sow seeds late July to early August Sow seeds until mid July

to make sure I keep the area moist or the seeds won’t germinate. I used a lot of seed so I’ll have to thin out the seedlings in a couple of weeks.

This small area will really pump out fresh greens in abundance up until frost and beyond.

You can also take advantage of the free summer heat in your garden to start perennials from seed.

Most perennials are mature enough to flower during their second year.

If you can find some space to spare, you can sow perennials’ seeds

directly into the soil right now.

They’ll sprout and grow into a small plant during the rest of this growing season. Next spring, they will be starting their second year of growth and will be all set for their first flowering cycle. Warm soil, sunshine, and water are all you need to start your own perennials. You can do it right in your flowerbeds or in a small space in the vegetable garden.

Next spring, you can transplant them and share extras with friends.

There are also lots of perennial herbs as well. Just as with perennial flowers, perennial herbs can be started with little effort by sowing seeds directly into the soil during July. By simply scratching seeds into the soil and keeping them moist while they germinate, you can have an abundance of sage and thyme to spice up your cooking for many years to come. There are plenty of other perennial herbs you can grow from seed. You can easily grow a bumper crop of catnip to keep your feline friends happy too.

To really get the most you can from your vegetable garden and even your flowerbeds, try out summer seed sowing. It is a lot of fun and can save you money as well.

Thanks for the read.

18

FOOD

Week of July 3 – July 9, 2015

A Time To Celebrate Our “Independents” Cucumber-Dill Deviled Eggs Saturdays, 9 to 1 Wednesdays, 3 to 6 High Rock Park Every year, the 4th of July marks our nation’s birth – a time when we get together with family and friends to celebrate our freedom and give thanks for our liberties and the many opportunities this nation provides. In the spirit of Independence Day, I feel it’s equally important to celebrate the numerous locally-owned independent businesses that help contribute to the spirit and individuality of our wonderful local community.

Local independent businesses help to define a sense of place.

Think about it, whenever someone is asked to name their favorite restaurant or shop, it’s invariably a unique local business – The annual Saratoga TODAY “Best of ” poll is proof of that. However, we often forget that the survival and success of these local businesses depends on our continued patronage. Simply shifting a fraction of our shopping dollars to local independent businesses can also have a huge cumulative

impact on our community. In fact, more than a dozen studies over the past decade show that local independent businesses re-invest between two and three times per dollar of revenue back into their local economies.

Many people don’t realize it, but the Saratoga Farmers’ Market is a proud cooperative of more than 65 local independent businesses. By supporting them you play an important role in ensuring that our area farmers and producers can continue doing what they love.

Shopping at the Farmers’ Market not only helps to build our local economy, but directly supports the people that worked to grow and prepare your food instead of supporting large corporations based in other cities, states or countries.

Most of the food found in grocery stores travels an average of 15,000 miles to get to your plate. This requires large amounts of natural resources, contributes to pollution and generates trash with excessive packaging. Local independent farms transport their food over shorter distances and generally grow with methods that minimize any impact on the environment. There is no long-distance shipping, no chemicals to simulate the ripening process and no sitting for weeks in storage. The food available at the Farmers’ Market is some of the freshest and tastiest available — sometimes harvested

Ingredients

Directions

* Ingredients can be found at the market

Place eggs in a saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil. Turn off heat, cover and let sit in the hot water for 15 minutes.

8 eggs* 4 tbsp mayonnaise 1 ½ tsp white vinegar

Run under cold water and peel under running water.

½ tsp fresh dill; finely chopped (plus more for garnish)*

Halve the hard-boiled eggs lengthwise and gently remove the yolks.

¼ tsp garlic powder

Transfer 6 yolks to a medium-sized bowl.

Stir in the mayonnaise, vinegar, dill, garlic powder and cayenne. Gently fold in the diced cucumber, and season with salt and pepper.

A pinch of cayenne pepper (plus more for garnish) ⅓ cup English cucumbers; peeled, seeded and finely diced* ¼ tsp salt ¹⁄₈ tsp pepper

as recently as that day. Shopping with independent farmers ensures that you are providing your family with food that is seasonally fresh, naturally ripe and minimally processed, with perfectly-created nutrients for our specific climate and region.

Arrange the egg halves on a platter and fill the cavities with the yolk mixture. Top each with a bit of reserved dill and a sprinkle of cayenne for garnish. Serve and enjoy.

Supporting businesses at the Farmers’ Market is by far the best way to connect with where your food comes from. Meeting and talking to our local food producers and farmers is a rare opportunity to learn more about how your food is grown and prepared. You’re also

likely to learn different cooking tips and new recipes since many of the farmers at our Market are passionate cooks of the food they produce.

Another benefit to shopping at the Farmers’ Market is the amazing variety of produce you won’t find in a conventional supermarket. Choosing locally grown purple carrots, pioppino mushrooms, and heirloom tomatoes gives you a chance to enjoy the biodiversity of our region. You will also find nutrient dense meats, cheeses and eggs from animals who have grazed in green pastures, enjoyed natural lives, and have lived free from unnatural living conditions characteristic of large scale agriculture.

Barbeque-fixins, decadent desserts, and tantalizing local libations... consider visiting the Farmers’ Market for your 4th of July needs this year; and help to celebrate and support over 65 independent businesses that make our community special!

Here’s a great easy recipe to get you started… It’s a fresh twist on a summertime favorite. Enjoy!

FOOD 19

Week of July 3 – July 9, 2015

Pass the Salt

by John Reardon for Saratoga TODAY Hello our Foodie Friends. This time of year gives us the time to stay outdoors and to cook. We love to cook with the use of Himalayan Pink salt.

The use of Himalayan Pink salt while cooking has emerged as a method of adding depth of flavor to foods while add nutritional benefits. Himalayan pink salt is considered one of the purest salts used for culinary uses. The history of the mineral compounds of salt stretch back over a millennia with evidence of its use as currency during prehistoric times. Over the years, salt has been used preserve and cure foods before the use of refrigeration.

Salt has been the cause of numerous wars, served as symbol of political power, and has played an important role in determining the development of a cities and civilizations around the world.

Happy Birthday Park Side Eatery!

Michael and Heidi Hoyt, owners of Park Side Eatery. Photo by MarkBolles.com.

Come Celebrate Park Side Eatery’s Second Birthday Bash this Fourth of July Weekend

Entertainment: Saturday 7/4 — Seth Rosan bagpiping to celebrate the Fourth of July. Outside on Phila Street (11 a.m. to 2 p.m.)

Saturday 7/4 — Balloon Gal Jenny—Balloon art for everyone

Sampling: Saturday 7/4 — Saratoga Chips “Old Glory Limited Production” Saturday 7/4 — Chatham Brewery — Draft samples

Food specials: Saturday 7/4 — $1 Doughnuts Saturday 7/4 — $1 BBQ Pork Ribs (Grilled outside 11-3:30) Brisket Dinners Rib Dinners Smoked Chicken Dinners And much more!

Free: A mini cupcake for every person through the door.

Come and celebrate with us at 42 Phila Street. Monday-Saturday 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sundays. You will also be able to pick up a copy of our new menu that is being launched on July 1st!

Fresh Mozzarella with Himalayan Salt Ingredients Fresh Organic Mozzarella Ground Himalayan pink salt Pepper Blend Basil Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Himalayan pink salt is handmined having been derived from sea salt deposits that result from millions of years in the making.

The ancient salt mines are in the far reaches of the Himalayas. The salt boulders are handcrafted into blocks to be used for a range of uses including the emerging tool of modern cooking – the salt plate.

It is also used much more as an ordinary salt to add while pickling brines, salt-roasting fish or chicken, or used as for flavoring.

Consuming Himalayan Pink Salt on a regular basis provides essential minerals, trace elements balance electrolytes, eliminates toxins, balances the body’s pH, and can help increase circulation. The possibilities of cooking with Himalayan salt are endless. The salt is offered as crushed crystals and chunks that can be shaved or grated, or as a slab. The pink salt slab can be heated to high temperatures to sear thinly sliced

Fresh finely minced garlic Fresh sliced tomatoes Favorite crusty artisan bread

Directions Slice bread and rub with olive oil and garlic, and sprinkle Himalayan salt, and grill under broiler, you can also grill stovetop in a cast iron skillet so you can get the grill marks/toasted edges just right.

While the crostini is making, grind several tablespoons of the Pepper Blend on a plate, pull or cut mozzarella into pieces to fit crostini, then roll in the ground pepper blend.

Place first, the tomatoes, then the peppered cheese on top of crostini, garnish with fresh basil, either whole, or finely minced and sprinkled.

Time: about 12 minutes. meats, fish, vegetables, seafood, and other quick-cooking foods.

At Compliments to the Chef on 46 Marion Avenue in Saratoga Springs, we offer Himalayan Pink salt in crystals, chunks, and slabs.

We have grinders, shavers, and holders for the slab salt. We also carry salt boxes from Epicurean.

A pinch of salt is always easier from a salt box. Epicurean offers a new salt box made from signature wood composite and detailed with a natural wood grain. The cover

inset allows for a precise fit. Wood salt boxes give salt the ability to “breathe” while enhancing the quality and taste of the salt.

Above is a yummy Summer recipe to use with a pink salt.

Stop by Compliments to the Chef at our new location on 46 Marion Avenue in Saratoga Springs to get your Himalayan sea salt and accessories. Have a fun summer and remember: “Life Happens in the Kitchen.”

Take care, John and Paula

20

LOCAL BRIEFS entertainment, and support After the Fire. For information on how you can help your neighbors in need, leave a message at (518) 435-4571 or visit www.afterthefire.org.

Secret Gardens Tickets On Sale Now Beautiful private gardens in and around Saratoga Springs – plus remarkable public spaces celebrating the city’s centennial – combine for a special 21st Annual Secret Gardens Tour set for Sunday, July 12.

Tickets are available now at soroptimistsaratoga.org and at all four Cudney’s Cleaners; visit cudneys.com for locations and hours. Tickets are $20 in advance and $25 on the day of the tour, if still available.

The self-guided tour is a popular tradition for garden lovers seeking inspiration and ideas. This year, in addition to urban and suburban residential gardens, the tour joins in the city’s centennial celebration with remarkable public gardens designed and maintained by the Heritage Garden Club, the city and the state. The Secret Gardens Tour is a major fundraiser presented by Soroptimist International of Saratoga County, the local branch of a public service organization whose mission is to improve the lives of women and girls locally and around the world. The Saratoga club last year provided more than $30,000 in grants and awards for a number of local programs, such as helping domestic violence victims achieve financial independence, as well as initiatives to provide health care, clean water and education in the third world.

Questions? Call (518) 5811201 ext. 4184 or email secretgardensinfo@gmail.com.

For more information about Soroptimists or the garden tour, visit www.SoroptimistSaratoga.org.

After the Fire Fundraiser Giovano’s Pizzeria will sponsor a fundraiser for After the Fire on Friday, July 10, from 6-9 p.m.

There will be “Music and Laughs” - Music by Simpleshapes, and Laughs by Improv Status. The show will be free, and donations, which will benefit After the Fire, will be greatly appreciated. Stop by 2421 Rt. 9 in Malta, have some delicious food, enjoy the

General Grant and the Rewriting of History: Presentation and Book Signing Author Frank Varney will be presenting and signing copies of his book, General Grant and the Rewriting of History: How the Destruction of General William S. Rosecrans Influenced Our Understanding of the Civil War. The presentation and book signing is at 1 p.m. on Sunday, July 12 at the Friends of Ulysses S. Grant Cottage (1000 Mt. Mcgregor Rd, Wilton). For more information, visit www.GrantCottage.org.

July Salsa Dance Party Hubbard Hall Center for the Arts and Education in Cambridge, New York, announces its July Salsa Dance Party…on the Yellow Brick Road on Sunday, July 12 from 6 8:30 p.m. (Class and demo start at 6:15 p.m.) at the Freight Yard Park behind Hubbard Hall. Cost is $15. Johnny Martinez and Diane Lachtrupp Martinez of Saratoga’s Tango Fusion Dance Company bring the Salsa dance party to Cambridge. Gather in the Freight Yard Park behind Hubbard Hall.

In case of rain, this event will take place in the Dance Studio. No partner or experience necessary.

Refreshments will be available and a portion of the proceeds will benefit the Hubbard Hall Scholarship Fund.

Veteran Volunteers Needed The Saratoga National Cemetery Honor Guard Association provides military burial ceremonies for all branches of service at the Saratoga National Cemetery. We are always looking for veterans to join us, no matter what branch you served in (male or female); you must have been honorably discharged. You can choose which day of the week (Monday-Friday) that you want to volunteer. For information go to our web site www.snchga. com or contact Mark Brockway at

brockway18@hvwisp.net , phone (518) 260-9933 or contact the Cemetery Administration Office 200 Duell Road, Schuylerville, NY 12871, Phone (518)-581-9128.

Defensive Driving Class A New York State approved Defensive Driving Class will be offered on July 11 at the First Baptist Church, 45 Washington St., Saratoga Springs, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. Save 10 percent on your base auto insurance for the next three years and receive up to 4 points off your driving record according to New York State Department of Motor Vehicle guidelines. Fee $35.00. Bring a friend and fee is $30.00 each. A portion of the fee goes to First Baptist Church.

Registration required and can be made by calling Ray Frankoski at (518) 286-3788.

Elderly Nutrition Program The Saratoga County Office of the Aging Elderly Nutrition Program is currently distributing the Farmers’ Markets Coupons to those who qualify. Coupons can be picked up at the Office for the Aging at 152 West High Street in Ballston Spa from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m., Monday – Friday. Coupons will also be available at the Office for the Aging information events throughout the county at various meal sites.

For more information call (518) 884-4100.

$3.00 Bag Sale Newly renovated Shop. Second Hand Rose Thrift Shop, 116 Broad St., Schuylerville will have a special on all purses and shoes and a $3.00 Bag Sale, with some exceptions, during the month of July. The Shop has continuous indoor sales of First Class bargains with new items arriving daily.

Our proceeds, after expenses, are given back to Community Service Organizations. Volunteers are always appreciated and very welcomed. For more information, please call Second Hand Rose Thrift Shop at (518) 695-4640.

Calling All Crafters Gavin Park in Wilton is hosting its 9th annual ParkFest on Saturday, July 11. This fantastic family event will have rides, games, shows, live music, a car show and a vendor/

Week of July 3 – July 9, 2015 crafter area. We still have space for crafters and would love to get some new folks in! Vendor spaces are 10x10 for $65, and the event runs all day. For more information and registration forms, visit www. wiltonparkfest.com or email mducrot@townofwilton.com.

SCCHS Class of 1980 reunion The Saratoga Central Catholic High School class of 1980 will celebrate its 35th reunion on Saturday, July 25, 2015. The reunion committee is planning a gathering at the home of a classmate. They are looking to connect with as many classmates as possible. If you were a member of the class, or know someone who was, please get in touch via email: spacatholic1980@gmail. com. The class also has a facebook group: Saratoga Central Catholic Class of 1980 Reunion. For more information on the reunion email: spacatholic1980@gmail.com.

Malta Drama Camps Announced Have fun while exploring your creative side this summer at the Malta Community Center! Elyse Young, Malta’s Artistic Director will guide the campers through acting exercises, theater games, rehearsals and performance. Mini drama camps will run Monday through Friday from 1:30 -3:00 p.m. “Fairytales and Fantasies” runs July 13-July 17 for 4-6 year olds. “Broadway Stars” will run August 24-August 28 for ages 6 and up. Acting Academy Drama Camps will run 1:30-4:30 p.m.

Monday through Friday, July 27 through July 31 for ages 7-10 and August 3 through August 7 for ages 11 through 16. Please contact the Malta Community Center for additional details at (518) 899-4411 or email Elyse Young at theater@malta-town.org. You can also register online at www. maltaparksrec.com.

Seeking Experienced Singers The Saratoga Choral Festival seeks experienced singers with good sight-reading and vocal abilities for its fifteenth season.

Singers will meet for rehearsals over a three-week period in Saratoga Springs beginning

Tuesday, July 14 and will perform in a concert at the Spa Little Theater on Sunday, August 2, at 3:00 p.m. As part of the city’s centennial celebration, this summer’s concert will feature music by world-renowned Yaddo composers Aaron Copland, Leonard Bernstein, Pulitzer Prize-winning composer David Del Tredici, and spiritual and sacred choral works by Nathaniel Dett, one of the few African American composers invited to Yaddo in the early years.

Havurah Vatik July Event Professor Juan Navea, Skidmore Chemistry Professor, will discuss Atmospheric Science: Status and Challenges of Climate Research.” Professor Navea joined Skidmore College’s Department of Chemistry in 2013. He is Director of the Laboratory of Atmospheric Physical Chemistry.

He researches particulates in the air and their effect on climate. This event will be held at Congregation Shaara Tfille on Tuesday, July 21, at 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. A catered lunch will be served. Please contact Temple Sinai at (518) 584-8730, mailbox 4, or email havurahvatik@ hotmail.com by July 16 if you are planning to attend, need to cancel your reservation, or if you need transportation. All Saratoga area seniors 55 plus are welcome.

Operation Adopt A Soldier, Inc. Fundraiser On Saturday, August 1, Operation Adopt A Soldier, Inc. is having a Golf Tournament Fundraiser at the Airway Meadows Golf Club, 262 Brownville Road, Gansevoort.

Registration is $100 per golfer; check-in at 12:30 p.m. OAAS is an all-volunteer, 501(c) (3) charitable organization whose mission is to send care packages to deployed soldiers and help veterans here at home. Registration includes 18 holes of golf with cart and Boars Head picnic of meat/ cheese platter, hot dogs, burgers, salads, dessert and coffee.

There will be prizes, 50/50 drawing, basket raffles, and silent auction. Call Tim at (518) 791-5270 to register or email: operationadoptasoldier2003@ yahoo.com.

Send your local briefs to calendar@saratogapublishing.com two weeks prior to the event.

CALENDAR 21

Week of July 3 – July 9, 2015

Family Friendly Event

Friday, July 3 Saratoga Lake Fireworks 2015 Watch the fireworks at Saratoga Lake. Watching fireworks over Saratoga Lake is not only beautiful but a family tradition for many.

Grab a blanket or some chairs, and prepare for a spectacular show.

Saturday, July 4 Free Cab Ride Home Martin, Harding & Mazzotti, LLP’s Free Cab Ride Home program is a service that provides free cab rides on many holidays. To get your free cab ride home simply call our tollfree number 1-800-LAW-1010 or 1-800-529-1010. Let the operator know where you are and we’ll get a cab right out to you - always free of charge and no questions asked.

Glens Falls Symphony Orchestra Concert and Fireworks

Ellen Steinberger will tour “The Gut,” once home to many working class family businesses and important contributions from Saratoga’s Jewish community.

Saratoga Springs Preservation Foundation Tours are rain or shine. Allow 90 minutes. Requires walking & standing and covers varied terrain. Pre-registration preferred. For more information call (518)587-5030.

to add 10-20 percent to your best 5K road course time. There are no water stops on the course. Water is available at the finish. Proceeds benefit the Wilton Wildlife Preserve & Park, Jake Fund and other local non-profits. For more information contact Laura Clark at races@saratogastryders.org or call (518) 581-1278.

Circus Smirkus

Saratoga Tuesdays

Saratoga Casino and Raceway, 342 Jefferson St., Saratoga Springs, 1 – 7 p.m.

Circus Smirkus, the acclaimed international youth circus, returns to the outdoor polo field at Saratoga Casino and Raceway for four performances this summer.

The Waldorf School of Saratoga Springs proudly presents the Circus Smirkus 2015 ‘Big Top Tour.’ Kids – ages 10 to 18 – are stars, on high wire and trapeze, with clowns, jugglers, acrobats and more. Tickets are now on sale and can be purchased at Crafters Gallery, 427 Broadway and the Children’s Museum at Saratoga, 69 Caroline St. For more information call 1-877-SMIRKUS.

Monday, July 6 Fantastic Four-igami!

Superhero Origami

Sunday, July 5

Saratoga Springs Public Library, 49 Henry St. Saratoga Springs, 10 – 11 a.m.

Create your own legion of super heroes out of simple squares of paper. You’ll learn how to make Origami Hulk, Origami The Thing, and other comic-inspired folded paper designs. Open to grades 6-12. Please visit the Teen Room or call (518) 584-7860, ext. 268 to register.

Dharma Meditation with Pierre Zimmerman

Saratoga Stryders’ 5K Trail Fun Runs

One Big Roof, Center for Mindful Practices, 538 Maple Avenue, Saratoga Health & Wellness Building, Saratoga Springs, 9 - 10:15 a.m.

Weekly meditation followed by short discussion. All contemplative traditions honored. By donation. For more information call (413)992-7012 or visit www.oneroofsaratoga.com.

Camp Saratoga, Wilton Wildlife Preserve & Park, 80 Scout Road, Gansevoort, 6:15 – 7:30 p.m.

The Saratoga Stryders host this series of five fun runs on wooded trails at the beautiful 310 acre parcel. The race series is open to all ages and abilities, run one race or all five. Registration is $5 per race at the door starting at 5:30 p.m.

Races begin at 6:15 p.m. sharp, rain or shine. A raffle is held at the end of each race with many prizes awarded. This is a fun but challenging trail course: expect

Crandall Park, Glens Falls, 7:30 p.m.

Celebrating Independence Day enjoy patriotic favorites and more under the direction of Maestro Charles Peltz. Free. For more information call (518) 793-1348; theglensfallssymphony.org.

Summer Stroll: Down In The Valley: Exploring The Gut Southeast Corner of Phila & Putnam Streets (Ben & Jerry’s), 10:30 a.m. – Noon.

Tuesday, July 7 First Baptist Church, 45 Washington Street, Saratoga Springs. 10 a.m. – 9 p.m.

Saratoga Tuesdays is a community event for the whole family. If you are looking for something to do on Tuesday, when the track is closed, check out all the fun activities. From 10 a.m. – Noon cooking classes will be offered ($5 for supplies); noon to 1 p.m. we’ll have lunch; 1 – 3 p.m. we will offer a variety of workshops; 3 – 5 p.m. dance classes for all ages; 5:30 – 7 p.m.

Canaan Hymns and Chinese Culture and 7 – 9 p.m. we will be singing a variety of traditional and modern gospel songs. For more information about the schedule of events and to sign up, please call the church office at (518) 584-6301 (walk-ins are always welcome). Come to any and all of the classes that fit your schedule and interest.

Wednesday, July 8 Kundalini Yoga in the Park Lincoln Bath House, Route 9, Saratoga Springs, 9:30 – 11 a.m.

Kundalini Yoga is the science of changing and strengthening the radiance to give expanded life and capacity. Kindalini Yoga as taught by Yogi Bhajan with Kim Rossi every Wednesday. Classes are on-going. This class is open to everyone with or without yoga experience. Class cost for local guests is ‘by donation,’ what you feel like giving. For more information call (518) 226-4790.

Fun, Fitness and Friendship Start point -Saratoga Springs United Methodist Church, 175 5th Ave., Saratoga Springs, 9 a.m. and 6 p.m.

Join the Empire State Capital Volkssporters for Fun, Fitness and Friendship. The next Volkswalk will be Saratoga - Yaddo. Register 30 minutes before start. The A ‘volkswalk’ is a leisurely walk

(typically 10k or 6.2 miles; 3 mile route is also offered) through a scenic and/or historic area over a pre-marked trail. More information is available at www. ava.org or www.walkescv.org.

Turkey Dinner in July Saratoga Wilton Elks, 1 Elks Lane, Saratoga Springs, 4:30 – 7 p.m.

Roast turkey, bread stuffing, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, vegetable, tossed salad, bread and butter, dessert, coffee and tea.

Donation Requested: $10 Adults, $9 Seniors (62 yrs) & Military (Active or Retired) with ID Card, $6 Children 5-12, Children Under 5 Free, $10 All take-outs. Cash Bar Available. For more information call (518) 584-2585.

Forgiveness Workshop 2 Imperial Lane, Charlton . 6:30 p.m.

Albany-Saratoga Spiritual Adventures is hosting a Forgiveness Workshop. Spiritual teacher Ernest Holmes taught that no real spiritual growth can take place without forgiveness.

Here’s your chance to start the process. Suggested donation: $20.

For more information, visit www. newthoughtnewyork.org or call (518) 423-3569.

Thursday, July 9 Interfaith Prayer Meeting Courtyard of Longfellows Restaurant, 500 Union Ave., Saratoga Springs, 7:30 a.m.

The meeting begins at 7:30 a.m. and concludes no later than 8:30.

Sign-in and continental breakfast begins at 7:15 a.m. There are no charges or donations. All are welcome. For more information call (518) 450-1615.

Tribute to Deceased Members

Local Town Websites Town of Ballston: Ballston Town Hall 323 Charlton Road (518) 885-8502 www.townofballstonny.org Village of Ballston Spa: 66 Front Street (518) 885-5711 www.ballstonspany.org Town of Greenfield: 7 Wilton Road (518) 893-7432 www.townofgreenfield.com Town of Malta: 2540 Route 9 (518) 899-2818 www.malta-town.org Town of Milton: 503 Geyser Road (518) 885-9220 www.townofmiltonny.org City of Saratoga Springs: 474 Broadway (518) 587-3550 www.saratoga-springs.org Town of Saratoga: 12 Spring Street, Schuylerville (518) 695-3644 www.townofsaratoga.com Village of Schuylerville: 35 Spring Street (518) 695-3881 www.villageofschuylerville.org Town of Stillwater:

Saratoga National Cemetery, 200 Duell Rd., Schuylerville, 3 p.m.

The Saratoga National Cemetery Honor Guard association will have a tribute for deceased members.

All family members and friends of deceased members are encouraged to attend. The tribute is open for everyone. For information call (518) 581-9128.

881 N. Hudson Avenue Stillwater, NY 12170 (518) 664-6148 www.stillwaterny.org

Free Concerts in the Park

Saratoga County Board of Supervisors:

Wiswall Park, Front St. Ballston Spa, 6 – 8 p.m.

This week’s concert features High Peaks Band (Alternative Rock/Jam).

Town of Wilton: 22 Traver Road (518) 587-1939 www.townofwilton.com

40 McMaster St, #1 Ballston Spa, NY 12020 (518) 885-2240 www.saratogacountyny.gov

Send your calendar events to calendar@saratogapublishing.com two weeks prior to the event.

22 Adirondack Christian Fellowship 8 Mountain Ledge, Wilton 587-0623 | acfsaratoga.com Services: Sunday 8 a.m. & 10 a.m.

Adirondack Friends Meeting 27 Saratoga Ave, South Glens Falls 793-3755 | adirondackfriendsmeeting.org Regina Baird Haag, Pastor Services: Sunday 10:30 a.m.

The Alliance Church 257 Rowland St, Ballston Spa 885-6524 | Services: Morning Worship 10:30 a.m.

Assembly of God Faith Chapel 6 Burgoyne St, Schuylerville 695-6069 | Rev. Jason Proctor Services: Sunday 10:45 a.m.

Assembly of God Saratoga 118 Woodlawn Ave, Saratoga Springs 584-6081 | Services: Sunday Worship 10 a.m.

Bacon Hill Reformed Church* 560 Route 32N, Bacon Hill | 695-3074 Rev. Janet Vincent | Services: Worship service 10 a.m.; Sunday School 10 a.m.

Baha’i Community of Saratoga Springs 584-9679; 692-7694 | usbnc.org Ballston Center Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church 58 Charlton Road, Ballston Spa | 885-7312 ballstoncenterarpchurch.org Services: Sunday Worship, 10:30 a.m.

Ballston Spa United Methodist Church 101 Milton Ave, Ballston Spa 885-6886 | Services: Sunday 10 a.m.

Bethesda Episcopal Church 41 Washington St, Saratoga Springs 584-5980 | Services: Sunday 8 & 10 a.m.

Church of Christ at Clifton Park 7 Old Route 146, Clifton Park 371-6611 | cliftonparkchurchofchrist.com Services: Sunday 10:30 a.m.

Christ Community Reformed Church 1010 Route 146, Clifton Park | 371-7654 ccrc-cpny.org | Services: Sunday 10 a.m.

Christ Episcopal Church Routes 50 & 67, Ballston Spa | 885-1031 Services: Sunday 8 & 10 a.m.

Christian Restoration Ministries Saratoga Senior Center 5 Williams St, Saratoga Springs 796-4323 | Pastor Pat Roach Services: Sunday 10 a.m.; 6:30 p.m.

Christian Science Church 107 Circular St, Saratoga Springs 584-0221 | Services: Sunday 10 a.m.

Congregation Shaara Tfille* 84 Weibel Avenue, Saratoga Springs 584-2370 | saratogasynagogue.org Services: Saturday 10 a.m.

Corinth Free Methodist Church 20 Hamilton Ave, Corinth | 654-9255; 792-0271 Services: Sunday 10 a.m.

Corinth United Methodist Church 243 Main Street, Corinth 654-2521 | cfumc@cnyconnect.net Services: Sunday 10:30 a.m.

Cornerstone Community Church 516 Park Ave., Mechanicville | 664-5204 mycornerstonechurch.org | Pastor Frank Galerie Services: Sunday 10:30 a.m.

Corpus Christi Roman Catholic Community 2001 Route 9, Round Lake 877-8506 | ccorpusc@nycap.rr.com Services: Saturday 4 p.m.; Sunday 8:30 & 10:30 a.m.; Eastern Orthodox — Christ the Savior 349 Eastline Road, Ballston Spa 786-3100 | xcsavior@yahoo.com.

Services: Sunday 9:30 a.m.

RELIGION First Baptist Church of Saratoga Springs 45 Washington St, Saratoga Springs 584-6301 | Services: Sunday 11 a.m.

First Baptist Church of Ballston Spa 202 Milton Ave, Ballston Spa 885-8361 | bspabaptist.org Services: 10:30 a.m. worship, 9 a.m. Sunday School (all ages) First Presbyterian Church of Ballston Spa 22 West High St, Ballston Spa 885-5583 | Services: Sunday 10 a.m.

Full Gospel Tabernacle 207 Redmond Road, Gansevoort 793-2739 | Services: Sunday 10 a.m.

Galway United Methodist Church 2056 East St, Galway | 882-6520 galway-united-methodist-church.com Services: Sunday 9:30 a.m.

(9 a.m. in July and August) Grace Fellowship Saratoga 165 High Rock Ave, Saratoga | 691-0301 saratoga.gracefellowship.com Pastor: Mike Adams Services: Sundays 9 & 11 a.m.

Grace Brethren Church* 137 W. Milton Road, Ballston Spa 587-0649 | Rev. Dan Pierce Services: Sunday 10 a.m.

Greater Grace Community Church Pastor David Moore | 899-7777 thechurch@ggccmalta.org Services: Sunday 10 a.m.

Greenfield Center Baptist Church 30 Wilton Road, Greenfield Center | 893-7429 Services: Sunday School for all ages - 9:45 a.m.; Church Service - 11 a.m.

Highway Tabernacle Church 90 River Road, Mechanicville | 664-4442 Services: Sunday 10:30 a.m.

Hope Church 206 Greenfield Ave, Ballston Spa 885-7442 | Services: Sunday 10 a.m.

Jonesville United Methodist 963 Main St, Clifton Park 877-7332 | Services: Sunday 8:30 & 10:30 a.m.

Sunday School 9:30 a.m.

Living Springs Community Church 59 Pine Road, Saratoga Springs 584-9112 | Services: Sunday 10:30 a.m.

Living Waters Church of God 4330 State Rt. 50, Saratoga Springs 587-0484 | livingwaterscog.us Services: Sundays 10 a.m.

Malta Presbyterian Church Dunning Street, Malta 899-5992 | Services: Sunday 10 a.m.

Malta Ridge United Methodist Church 729 Malta Ave. Ext, Malta 581-0210 | Services: Sunday 10:30 a.m.

Middle Grove United Methodist Church* 581-2973 | Pastor Bonnie Bates Services: Sunday 9 a.m.

Mt. Olivet Baptist Church Corner of Jefferson St. & Crescent St. Saratoga Springs | 584-9441 Rev. Dr. Victor L. Collier, Pastor New Horizon Church 150 Perry Road, Saratoga Springs 587-0711 | Services: Sunday 9:30 a.m.

New Life Fellowship 51 Old Gick Road, ­­Saratoga Springs 580-1810 | newlifeinsaratoga.org.

Services: Sunday 10:30 a.m.

NorthStar Church Gowana Middle School, Clifton Park 371-2811 | northstarchurch.com Services: Sunday 9:30 a.m. & 11:15 a.m.

Old Saratoga Reformed Church* 48 Pearl St., Schuylerville oldsaratogareformedchurch.org Services: Sunday 10:30 a.m.

Old Stone Church (American Baptist) 159 Stone Church Road, Ballston Spa 583-1002 | Services: Sunday 9 a.m.; Adult Sunday School 9 a.m.; Service 10:30 a.m.

Our Lady of Grace Roman Catholic Church* 73 Midline Road, Ballston Lake 399-5713 | Services: Saturday 5 p.m.

Sunday 8:15 & 10:15 a.m.

Presbyterian-NE Congregational Church 24 Circular St, Saratoga Springs 584-6091 | pnecchurch.org Services: Sunday 10:45 a.m.

Quaker Springs United Methodist Church* 466 Route 32 South, Quaker Springs 695-3101 | qsumc.com Pastor Al Johnson Services: Sunday 9 a.m.

River of Hope Fellowship 100 Saratoga Village Blvd, Malta Cmns, Ste. 3 | 881-1505 riverofhopefellowship.com Services: Sunday 10 a.m.

Roman Catholic Church of St. Peter 241 Broadway, Saratoga Springs 584-2375 | Services: Saturday 5 p.m.; Sunday 7:30, 9 and 11 a.m.

St. Clement’s Roman Catholic Church 231 Lake Ave, Saratoga Springs 584-6122 | Services: Saturday 4 p.m.; Sunday 8, 9:30, 11:15 a.m. and 5 p.m., 1 p.m. Spanish Service St. George’s Episcopal Church 912 Route 146, Clifton Park 371-6351 | stgeorge@csdsl.net Services: Saturday 4:30 p.m.; Sunday 8 & 9:30 a.m.

St. Joseph’s Roman Catholic Church* 3159 Route 9N, Greenfield Center 893-7680 stjosephschurchgreenfieldcenter.org Services: Saturday 4 p.m.; Sunday 10:30 a.m.

St. Mary’s Roman Catholic Church* 167 Milton Ave, Ballston Spa 885-7411 | stmarysbsta.org Services: Saturday 4 p.m., Sunday 8:30 a.m., 10:30 a.m., Noon.

St. Paul’s Roman Catholic Church* 771 Route 29, Rock City Falls 893-7680 | sjoegctr@nycap.rr.com Services: Sunday 8:30 am.

St. Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran Church 149 Lake Ave, Saratoga Springs 584-0904 | Services: Saturday 5 p.m.; Sundays 8:30 & 11 a.m.

St. Peter Lutheran Church 2776 Route 9, Malta | 583-4153 Services: Sunday 8:30 & 10:30 a.m.; Sunday School at 9:15 a.m.

St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church 1 Grove Street, Schuylerville 695-3918 | Rev. Donna J. Arnold Services: Sunday 8 & 9 a.m.

St. Thomas of Canterbury 242 Grooms Road, Halfmoon st-thomas-of-canterbury.org Services: Sunday 10 a.m.

Saratoga Abundant Life Church 2325 Route 50 South, Saratoga Springs 885-5456 | SALChurch.org Services: Sunday 9:30 a.m.

Week of July 3 – July 9, 2015 Saratoga Friends Meeting (Quaker) Rts. 32 and 71, Quaker Springs 587-7477; 399-5013 Services: Sunday 10 a.m.

Saratoga United Methodist Church* Henning Road, Saratoga Springs 584-3720 | saratogaumc.com Services: Sunday 9 & 10:45 a.m.

Saratoga Seventh-Day Adventist Church 399 Union Ave, Saratoga Springs 882-9384 | saratogasda.org Services: Sabbath School: 10 a.m. Worship Service: 11:30 a.m.

Schuylerville United Methodist Church* 51 Church St, Schuylerville 695-3101 | sumethodist.org Services: Worship at 11am Shenendehowa United Methodist 971 Route 146, Clifton Park 371-7964 Services: Sunday 9 & 10:30 a.m.

Simpson United Methodist Church Rock City Road, Rock City Falls 885-4794 Services: Sunday 10:45 a.m.

Soul Saving Station for Every Nation Christ Crusaders of America 62 Henry St, Saratoga Springs 584-3122 Services: Sunday 10 a.m. & 6:30 p.m.

Stillwater United Church* 747 Hudson Ave, Stillwater 664-7984 | stillwaterunitedchurch.org Summer Sunday Service 9:30 a.m.

Temple Sinai* 509 Broadway, Saratoga Springs 584-8730 | saratogasinai.org Shabbat Services: Friday 6 p.m.

Terra Nova Church* 45 Washington St, Saratoga Springs 833-0504 | terranovachurch.org Services: Sunday 5:30 p.m.

The Salvation Army/ Worship, Service & Community Center 27 Woodlawn Ave, Saratoga Springs 584-1640 Services: Sunday School 10 a.m.; Praise & Worship 11 a.m.

Trinity United Methodist Church 155 Ballard Road, Gansevoort 584-9107 | tumcwilton.com Rev. Robert Kersten Services: Sunday 11 a.m.

Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Saratoga Springs 624 North Broadway, Saratoga Springs 584-1555 | uusaratoga.org Services: Sunday 10 a.m.

Unity Church in Albany 21 King Ave., Albany 453-3603 Services: Sunday 9 a.m. & 11 a.m.

West Charlton United Presbyterian Church 1331 Sacandaga Road, West Charlton 882-9874 | westcharltonupc.org Rev. Thomas Gregg, Pastor Services: Sunday 10:30 a.m.

Wilton Baptist Church 755 Saratoga Road, Wilton 583-2736 wiltonbaptistchurch.com Services: Sunday 11 a.m.

Saratoga Chabad 130 Circular St, Saratoga Springs 526-0773 | saratogachabad.com

* — Handicap Accessible

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Week of July 3 – July 9, 2015

Spirit of Life Centennial Re-dedication Ceremony SARATOGA SPRINGS — The Centennial Re-dedication Ceremony for the Spirit of Life and Spencer Trask Memorial was held on Friday, June 26 in front of the statue in Congress Park, commemorating its 100th birthday.

The Saratoga Springs Preservation Foundation and the City of Saratoga

Springs marked this special occasion with a program including Mayor Joanne Yepsen, other city officials and dignitaries, as well as Honorary Co-Chairs Kathleen Fyfe and Barbara Glaser and ice cream provided by Stewart’s.

The event showcased the four-year restoration effort, which

follows a partnership between the Foundation and the City in the early 1980s that conserved the sculpture and restored the masonry architectural surround and select landscape elements.

For more information please visit www.saratogapreservation.org.

Congressman Paul Tonko and other officials at the re-dedication ceremony.

Photo © 2015 SaratogaPhotographer.com

Lake Avenue School has great success with Therapy Dog Program

Wilton Rotary Club presents sizeable check to Saratoga Senior Center SARATOGA SPRINGS — The Annual Reader’s Celebration at Lake Avenue School took place recently with second grade students and dogs from the Dog Therapy International Program. “The success of the program and the positive impact that it has had on the students, and the improvement it has made with their reading skills and building their confidence level is remarkable,” said Ms. Lynn O’Rourke, Reading Specialist at the school. Ms. O’Rourke also said that she is always looking to add more dogs to the program. For more information, please call (518) 331-3598.

The Wilton Rotary Club presented a check for $2,650 to the Saratoga Senior Center on June 20, 2015 at the 10th Annual Wilton Rotary Golf Classic sponsored by Turbine Services, LTD. The money was raised by the Golf Ball Drop sponsored by Saratoga Veterinary Hospital PC. More than $14,000 was raised in total and will be given to charitable organizations helping those in need throughout our communities, country, and world. Pictured, from left to right are: Dr. Chris Brockett (Rotarian), Debra Obenhoff (Rotarian and SSC board member), Lisa Stratton (Vice President SSC board of directors), and Lois Celeste (Executive Director, SSC).

Week of July 3 – July 9, 2015

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PULSE

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Week of July 3 – July 9, 2015

Dave Matthews Band Returns to SPAC Once Again

by Rebecca Davis Saratoga TODAY SARATOGA SPRINGS — The Dave Matthews Band will be returning to Saratoga Performing Arts Center for a very special Fourth of July weekend. Friday, July 3 and Saturday, July 4, the much loved band will be lighting up the SPAC stage at 7 p.m. and playing two full sets each evening.

Dave Matthews Band has a distinctive relationship with SPAC, having performed at the venue 30 times since 1994. The band holds the record for sold-out performances with 10 sold-out shows under their belt.

With more than 30 million records sold worldwide, Dave Matthews Band has been a staple in the rock genre for nearly 25 years. Beginning in 1991, the band currently includes vocalist/guitarist Dave Matthews, drummer Carter Beauford, bassist Stefan Lessard, keyboardist Peter Griesar and violinist Boyd Tinsley. The group won the 1997 Grammy Award for Best Rock Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group and 13 Grammy nominations overall.

Dave Matthews Band is known for their distinguished live performances,

where they sample from any of their eight studio albums and play popular covers.

Adding to the performances this year will be banjo virtuoso Béla Fleck, who will be playing several songs with the band both nights.

Those who attend the SPAC show this weekend can also look forward to the typical “party” atmosphere Dave Matthews Band brings, mostly in the twenty-something demographic. With two nights full of music, attendees can chill out, relax and listen to their favorite Dave Matthews songs along with unique, collaborative performances the band is known for.

As usual, fans are encouraged to record and distribute audio for free from the two-night event, a practice that has bolstered the band’s popularity and contributed to the diversity of their archive of performances. You can purchase a ticket to see the show from the Taper Section, which allows you to set up your recording rig and tape the show.

For any local Dave Matthews Band fans, this is a weekend event that cannot be missed and will only add to the band’s vast history at SPAC. Tickets are still available at SPAC.org and through Ticketmaster.

Photo by MarkBolles.com

Vocalist/Guitarist Dave Matthews and Violinist Boyd Tinsley performing.

Caffè Lena Welcomes Back Harpeth Rising

Harpeth Rising will be performing at Caffè Lena July 15. Photo provided.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Harpeth Rising, a Louisville, Kentucky-based folk band, is touring this summer to promote their new album, “Live at the Dreaming Tree.” At 7 p.m. on Wednesday, July 15, the band will be returning to perform at Caffè Lena in Saratoga Springs.

Graduates of the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, where they met, this all-female trio is influenced by rock, folk, roots and bluegrass. They have been together six years, touring both nationally and internationally. Combining banjo, violin, cello

and foot percussion, along with impressive three-part vocals, their performance at Caffè Lena is sure to be an exhilarating one. Not only do they play their own original music but they give popular covers, including songs by Led Zeppelin and Pete Seeger, an exceptional and original sound.

Caffè Lena is located at 47 Phila Street in Saratoga Springs. Tickets to the July 15 show at 7 p.m. are $16 for general admission, $14 for members and $8 for students and children. For tickets please call 1-800-838-3006 or go to caffelena.org.

27 PULSE

Week of July 3 – July 9, 2015

Grateful Dead’s Fare Thee Well to Stream at Putnam Den

by Neil Benjamin Jr. Saratoga TODAY

If you didn’t score tickets to see the Fare Thee Well shows celebrating the Grateful Dead’s 50th anniversary, there are still many ways you can get in on the action.

Locally, you can head over to the Putnam Den on Sunday, July 5, for a streaming party, where a video projection of the live concert will be shown outside the venue. The event is free and open to anyone ages 21 and up. It is set for an 8 p.m. start time.

In 1965, Jerry Garcia, Bob Weir, Ron “Pigpen” McKernan, Phil Lesh and Bill Kreutzmann set out on a musical exploration that would go on to span 30 years and is clearly still alive and kicking today. Today, Lesh, Weir, Kreutzmann and Mickey Hart are known as the Dead’s Core Four, and they’re playing a total of five concerts (two in California last weekend, three

in Chicago this weekend) with an all-star cast of supporting musicians.

Phish guitarist Trey Anastasio is taking on the hefty lead guitar duties, while Bruce Hornsby and Jeff Chimenti are handling piano and keyboard.

The Grateful Dead have a long history with the greater Capital Region, as they have played in Albany many times. On June 27, 1985, the Dead brought the largest crowd in SPAC’s history, when 40,231 people packed the venue. Because of that concert, SPAC was forced to institute a capacity limit of 25,100. Fans of the Dead were and are notorious for seeing many nights in a row of the band.

If the first two shows from California were any indication, those heading to Chicago are in for a massive treat. On June 27, the band took the stage to a huge roar, settling into a short jam on Weir’s jam vehicle “The Other One,” before the familiar opening lick to the timeless

“Truckin’” started. And with that, the end of a long, strange trip began in grand fashion, with Anastasio dutifully nailing every note, from the poignant sounds of “Morning Dew” on through the next night’s rollicking set two closer, “Sugar Magnolia.”

If you’re a fan of music in general, you should witness this history. It’s also highly symbolic that two of the biggest touring bands in the history of rock and roll have merged to pay homage to the Dead and their larger-than-life front man, Garcia. For jam band fans, and music lovers in general, these are the biggest events in years.

But if you cannot make it, go to the Putnam Den and shake your bones with all of your like-minded friends, have a few beers and enjoy the same atmosphere that lingered in the air for 30 years of Grateful Dead concerts.

If there’s one thing this band has taught us, it’s that the music really never stops.

PULSE

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“Helen and Friends” Host an Evening with Elvis

Donny “Elvis” Romines. Photo provided.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — The annual “Helen and Friends” Elvis fundraiser to benefit the American Cancer Society Making Strides Against Breast Cancer will be held Friday, July 17 from 7 to 10 p.m. at the Saratoga-Wilton Elks Lodge #161, 1 Elks Lane (Rt. 9) in Saratoga Springs.

Helen Levendos has been dedicated to raising money for the American Cancer Society ever since her mother was diagnosed with Stage IV breast cancer almost seven years ago.

“ACS helped my mother and me so much that I decided to give back to them what they gave to us,” said Levendos. “I had been to another fundraiser where Donny “Elvis” Romines was performing and asked him if he would team up with me to raise money for the American Cancer Society. He agreed, and seven years later we are still raising money.”

The Elvis fundraiser has become a much-anticipated event

over the years, with the venues kindly donating their space.

Participants can enjoy food and a cash bar, raffles with items donated by various local businesses, as well as the featured Elvis impersonator entertainment. “He really gets the crowd moving,” said Levendos.

“Helen Levendos is one of those incredible women who truly embodies a passion for finishing the fight against breast cancer,” said Hillary Weiss, senior manager for community events for the American Cancer Society. “Without her and her amazing family and friends, this Elvis Fundraiser would not happen.

The American Cancer Society is so lucky to have her as a partner in the fight. The funds raised at this event help women facing a breast cancer diagnosis as well as funding critical research being done to put an end to this terrible disease.”

Tickets are $15.00 at the door.

For more information call Helen Levendos at (518) 745-7821.

Week of July 3 – July 9, 2015

This Weekend: Adirondack Independence Music Festival The Adirondack Independence Music Festival takes place this weekend, July 3 and 4, from 3 to 11 p.m. at the Charles R. Wood Park Festival Commons on Beach Road in Lake George. Friday features national touring tribute band The Idol Kings, performing the great hits of Journey, Tom Petty and John Mellencamp, followed by “Groovin .. .the 70s Musical Journey.” Comprising the best regional musicians, the show recreates amazing performances by Billy Joel, Elton John, Heart, Stevie Nicks and others.

On July 4, the #2 Band, composed of Albany-based high school students will open the show. What better way to celebrate summer and July 4 than with the Beach Party Boys tribute to the “fun in the sun” All-American music of the Beach Boys? Headlining the show will be The Sixties Rock Experience.

The region’s premier musicians and singers will recreate the great British Invasion legends and American rock icons of the 1960s in keeping with the British vs. American July 4 Independence theme. This show has performed the past three years at Proctors Theatre, the Golden Nugget Showroom in Atlantic City, city sponsored park summer festivals and other prestigious venues.

In addition, there will be an impressive array of food and craft vendors, wine garden and craft beers, a huge Adventure Play zone for the kids, and the biggest fireworks display in Lake George history clearly visible from the festival site.

American Rock Bands Felix Cavaliere (The Young Rascals) Melanie Carlos Santana (Santana) Grace Slick (Jefferson Airplane) Neil Diamond Linda Ronstadt Jim Morrison (The Doors)

British Invaders Mick Jagger (The Rolling Stones) Colin Blunstone (The Zombies) Justin Hayworth (The Moody Blues) Ian Anderson (Jethro Tull) Van Morrison Advance tickets are $20 per day or $30 for a weekend pass and are

available at the www.adkmusicfest. com. Kids under 10 are free. Lawn chairs and blankets are welcome; coolers are not permitted.

For more information or to arrange interviews with the performers, please contact Jim Anderson at 518-274-0316.

Week of July 3 – July 9, 2015

29 PULSE

week of 7/3-7/9 friday, 7/3: Rich Ortiz, 8 pm @ Bailey’s — 583.6060 GX3+, 8 pm @ Caffè Lena — 583.0022 Rich Thomas, 7 pm @ Carney’s Tavern — 952.7177 In Spite of Ourselves, 7 pm @ Carson’s Woodside Tavern — 584.9791 The Heaters, 10 pm @ Caroline St. Pub — 583.9400 Jeanine Marie Jazz Trio, 7 pm @ Crown Grill — 583.1105 Rick Bolton + Jeff Walton, 5 pm @ Gaffney’s — 587.7359 High Peaks Band, 9 pm @ Gaffney’s — 587.7359 The Wallies, 9 pm @ Harvey’s — 583.0003 Blue Hand Luke, 9 pm @ Nanola — 587.1300 Rick Rosoff Quartet, 9 pm @ 9 Maple Avenue — 583.2582 Chris Dollard, 6:30 pm @ Primetime Ultra Lounge — 583.4563 J.C. + the Hallucinogenic All Stars, 9 pm @ Putnam Den — 584.8066 Jess Marcotte Band, 7 pm @ The Mill — 899.5253 Third Rael, 6 pm @ The Saratoga Winery — 584.9463 Audiostars, 8 pm @ Vapor — 581.5775 Mike Purcell, 7 pm @ Wishing Well — 584.7640

saturday, 7/4: High Peaks Band, 8 pm @ Bailey’s — 583.6060 Jeff Brisbin, 7 pm @ Carney’s Tavern — 952.7177 Chuck Kelsey, 7 pm @ Carson’s Woodside Tavern — 584.9791 Karaoke, 10 pm @ Circus Café — 583.1106 North + South Dakotas, 9 pm @ Gaffney’s — 587.7359 Rich Clements Band, 10 pm @ Harvey’s — 583.0003 Grateful Dead Live Stream from Chicago, 8 pm @ Nanola — 587.1300 Steve Lambert Quartet, 9 pm @ 9 Maple Avenue — 583.2582 George Giroux, 6:30 pm @ Primetime Ultra Lounge — 583.4563 Candy Ambulance / Fern Mayo / Hannah Hoffman / Derider, 9:30 pm @ Putnam Den — 584.8066 Mike Thomas, 7 pm @ The Mill — 899.5253 Karaoke, 9:30 pm @ The Rusty Nail — 371.9875 Kip Chapman + NPG, 8 pm @ Vapor — 581.5775 Rob Aronstein, 7 pm @ Wishing Well — 584.7640 Audiostars, 6:30 pm @ Congress Park

sunday, 7/5: Austin Barosi, 8 pm @ Bailey’s — 583.6060

Darlingside / Kyle Morgan, 7 pm @ Caffè Lena — 583.0022 Al Bruno, 9 pm @ Crown Grill — 583.1105 Steve Candlen, noon @ Harvey’s — 583.0003 Dan Mellon, 3 pm @ The Saratoga Winery — 584.9463 Live Jazz Brunch, 10 am @ Primetime Ultra Lounge — 583.4563 Grateful Dead Live Stream from Chicago, 8 pm @ Putnam Den — 584.8066 Russ Kennedy, 3 pm @ The Mill — 899.5253

monday, 7/6: Chris Carey/ Tim Wechgelaer, 7 pm @ One Caroline — 587.2026

tuesday, 7/7: Rich Ortiz, 10 pm @ Caroline St. Pub — 583.9400 Two Step Tuesdays, 8 pm @ Crown Grill — 583.1105 Open Mic with Rick Bolton, 8 pm @ Gaffney’s — 587.7359 Mark Pratt, 5:30 pm @ Three Vines Bistro — 306.5881

wednesday, 7/8: Woodstone, 8 pm @ Gaffney’s — 587.7359 Naughty Professor, 8 pm @ Nanola — 587.1300 Rich Ortiz, 6:30 pm @ Primetime Ultra Lounge — 583.4563 Celtic Session, 7 pm @ The Parting Glass — 583.1916 Karaoke, 9 pm @ The Rusty Nail — 371.9875

thursday, 7/9: High Peaks Band, 6 pm @ Ballston Spa — Wiswall Pk. Open Mic, 7 pm @ Caffè Lena — 583.0022 Matty Finn, 6 pm @ Carney’s Tavern — 952.7177 Open Mic, 10 pm @ Circus Café — 583.1106 Sirsy, 8 pm @ Gaffney’s — 587.7359 Jeff Walton, 6 pm @ Inn at Saratoga — 583.1890 Hot Club of Saratoga, 7 pm @ Mouzon House — 226.0014 Rich Ortiz, 6:30 pm @ Primetime Ultra Lounge — 583.4563 Capital Zen, 9:30 pm @ Putnam Den — 584.8066 Al Bruno, 8 pm @ Seven Horse Pub — 581.0777 Erin Harkes, 7 pm @ The Mill — 899.5253 Celtic Session, 7 pm @ The Parting Glass — 583.1916 Mark Pratt, 5:30 pm @ Three Vines Bistro — 306.5881

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FUN AND GAMES Week of July 3 – July 9, 2015

Puzzles

Across 1 Jab 5 Ran, as dye 9 Cola choice 14 Work with words 15 Pervasive glow 16 Secluded valleys 17 Easy orchard pickings 20 Test run 21 Char 22 Little tricksters 23 “Fat chance!”

25 “__ the picture” 27 Bankrupt Best Buy competitor 33 Approves 36 Small Chevy model 37 Deserve 38 Copy in fun 40 “__ That Tune”: classic game show 41 Mild oaths 43 Full-grown filly 44 Without a break 46 Sign that might bode ill 47 Heavy amount, as of homework 48 “Platoon” war zone 49 Best-selling 2006 memoir subtitled “One Woman’s Search for Everything Across Italy, India, and Indonesia” 52 Gunshot sound 54 Toothpaste option 55 Stand watch for, say 57 Lira replacement 7 The “E” in HOMES 61 Is in first place 8 Comic Carvey 65 Groundbreaking 1956 sci-fi film ... or where you might find the ends 9 Adobe document suffix 10 Bone-chilling of 17-, 27- and 49-Across?

11 Spaghetti sauce ingredient 68 Caesar or Brutus 12 Lose one’s footing 69 Dedicated poems 13 Believers: Suff.

70 Part in a play 18 Felipe of baseball 71 Follows orders 19 “True __”: Wayne film 72 Overly inquisitive 24 In a dead heat 73 Barbershop sound 26 Athletic center Down 27 Popular Pachelbel work 1 Animal’s hide 28 The first Mrs. Trump 2 Scent 29 “Isn’t my face familiar?”

3 New Zealand bird 30 Futurist’s deck 4 One of two directing brothers 31 Calf muscle malady 5 Prohibit 32 Entomb 6 Hauls with effort 34 Big name in Russian ballet

See puzzle solutions on page 38

See puzzle solution on page 38 35 Drama division 39 “Please tell me” 42 Stocking tear 45 Bear’s home 50 Like much wine and cheese 51 Holler 53 Cornered 55 Jackson 5 hairstyle 56 __ tube: TV 58 Japanese noodle 59 Make over 60 Snake eyes pair 62 Soon, to a bard 63 Supermarket section 64 Dance movement 66 __ and outs: particulars 67 Aspiring therapist’s maj.

Writing the Right Word by Dave Dowling

Accuracy in word choice is a key to effective communication. In your daily writing and speaking, try to make sure you use the right word in the right place with the right spelling. By doing so, its effect will affect your communication in a positive way. This quick weekly tip will help you filter the confusion in some of our daily word choices.

This Week: Damage, Damages Damage refers to destruction of some kind.

The sun’s UVA and UVB rays can permanently damage the skin.

Damages refer to compensation awarded by a court of law.

The court awarded substantial damages to the affected families.

Dave Dowling is the author of The Wrong Word Dictionary and The Dictionary of Worthless Words. Both books are available from many book retailers, and signed copies can be obtained by contacting Dave at davedowling59@yahoo.com

Week of July 3 – July 9, 2015

31

32 It’s where NEED to be.

YOU

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DIVORCE

Week of July 3 – July 9, 2015

33

Week of July 3 – July 9, 2015

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Full/ partial weeks. Call for FREE brochure. Open daily. Holiday Resort Services. 1-800-6382102. Online reservations: www. holidayoc.com

AUTO DONATIONS Donate your car to Wheels For Wishes, benefiting Make-A-Wish.

We offer free towing and your donation is 100% tax deductible.

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Call Joy toll free 1-866-922-3678 or confidential email:Adopt@ ForeverFamiliesThroughAdoption.org

34

SPORTS

Week of July 3 – July 9, 2015

Firecracker 4 Expected to Draw 4,000 Runners — The first 4,000 registered runners will receive an Asics “Ready Set” textured mesh running shirt, courtesy of Asics and Fleet Feet Sports — Over 20 bands and musical venues along the race course, with the local modern country band Grit n Whisky at the finish line — $6,000 in monetary prizes to the top individual and team finishers and 174 award categories and prizes for runners of all ages

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Race organizers for Saratoga’s popular four-mile Firecracker 4 road race on July 4 expect to crest the 4,000 runner mark this year, as the race known for supporting active community causes holds its ninth annual competition.

“The growth of this race and the numerous businesses and individuals who support it through their running, appearances in our vendor village, and sponsorships demonstrate the importance of healthy lifestyles and running solidarity here in Saratoga Springs,” notes race co-director Bob Vanderminden.

“Fleet Feet Sports, locallyowned running shops in Malta and Albany, has returned this year as the race’s Presenting Sponsor, because they share our passion for wellness and building stronger communities through running. We welcome additional sponsors to support us with cash or in-kind donations, or by purchasing race registrations to distribute to their employees,” said race co-director Peter Goutos.

As part of the lead-up to the race, Firecracker 4 organizers, Fleet Feet Sports, and ASICS have joined together to support the Galway family of ultra-marathoner Shaun Evans, who with his wife and their two young boys will run more than 3,000 miles across the USA this summer, traveling east from Seattle back to New York in a journey they call the “Power2Push.” Starting July 4th, Shaun Evans will push his 9-year-old son Shamus, whose cerebral palsy limits the use of his legs, in a special running chariot.

Speaking about his decision to sponsor the trip, Charles Woodruff, co-owner of Fleet Feet Sports in Malta and Albany, notes, “In the running community, we

love stories that inspire runners of all abilities to run farther, race faster, or train harder. We are excited to support the Evans family as they pursue their dream of sharing the thrill of mobility with others. We are outfitting Shaun and his family in ASICS gear because their dream aligns with the current ASICS inspirational theme: ‘It’s a big world. Go run it.’ ” FC4, Inc., the non-profit organization that manages the race, will donate proceeds from the event to several organizations this year: — Saratoga Camp Abilities program, a Saratoga Springs Lions Club sports camp for blind/ visually impaired youth — Veterans Business Council of the Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce, facilitating opportunities for Saratoga County veterans — Saratoga Regional YMCA West Avenue facility expansion — Saratoga Greenbelt Trail, an initiative seeking to connect trails around Saratoga Springs into a 9-mile loop for multiple recreational uses — Saratoga Springs High School Running Programs (crosscountry/track & field), offering competitive opportunities open to all abilities — Power2Push Cross-USA Run, supporting Ainsley’s Angels and promoting inclusion and active lifestyles for children with disabilities “It’s very important to us to help move the wellness and fitness movement ahead in our region,” states Goutos. “We give the proceeds of

this race to organizations that are forward-thinking and supportive of athletes of all ages, abilities, and backgrounds. We also want to help build infrastructure here that will be used for many generations to come.”

Video highlights of last year’s race, from a segment of the nationally-watched RUNNING show on FOX regional networks, are viewable at Firecracker4.com on the Photos/Videos page.

SPECIAL FEATURES OF 2015 RACE The 2015 event includes these special features: — NEW: Three largest teams of runners in the “Run Your Colors” program will win $1,000, $500, or $250 donations to the charities of their choice — NEW: Expanded runners villages for school teams, USATF Teams, and military/veterans teams to set up pop-up tents where they can gather before and after the race — NEW: Food-raiser for the Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York, whereby runners and spectators are invited to donate shelf-stable food at Fleet Feet Sports stores and at the race registration/ packet pick-up area — NEW: Announcement of “It’s a big world. Go run it” travel prize winner to receive two round-trip airfares (maximum value $1,500) courtesy of Asics/Fleet Feet Sports, enabling travel for a runner and companion to attend a dream running event

— Special recognition of Military and Public Safety (Police/Fire/ EMS) competitors including team competitions — Saratoga Stryders Grand Prix event, USATF Adirondack 4 Mile Grand Prix Event and USATF Team Championship Race “As of the first week of June, twenty-two teams have already registered for the 2015 Run Your Colors event. It’s simple to win: gather your friends, family, neighbors, or co-workers and be the group with the most registered runners,” Goutos explained. “In addition to the prize money for charity, the winning team has a nice story to share about giving back. Last year, the Rock Your Fitness team out of Malta awarded its $1,000 winnings to the Pat Tillman Foundation, which supports military veteran scholars.”

“Over the past nine years, this race has helped to define a Saratoga July 4th tradition. We are excited this year to make the race more inclusive and inviting to local military veterans,” notes Vanderminden.

DISCOUNTED REGISTRATION UNTIL JULY 2 Online race registration costs $31 through July 2 and is now open at www.firecracker4.com and at Fleet Feet Sports in both Albany and Malta. Registration goes up to $35 at on-site registration, held at the Saratoga Springs City Center from 4 to 8 p.m. on July 3 and on the day of the race beginning at 7 a.m. Anyone registering the day of the race is urged to arrive to the Saratoga Springs City Center no later than 8:15 a.m. to ensure an ontime start.

RACE PARTICIPATION HAS EXPANDED OVER NINE YEARS Event Co-Directors Peter Goutos and Bob Vanderminden Jr. have championed the race since its 2007 inception, when just 142 runners competed. That number has grown tremendously to roughly 3,600 in 2014. The runners range in ability from elite athletes, who complete the four miles in times under 20 minutes, to everyday families and individuals who are trying to become more healthy through running or walking.

RACE KICKS OFF SARATOGA’S JULY 4th FESTIVITIES The ninth annual event kicks off Saratoga’s July Fourth celebration. The race starts at 9 a.m. at the Saratoga Springs City Center, traverses Broadway through the downtown shopping district, and then winds through the historic streets of Saratoga’s East Side neighborhood, where more than 20 bands play on street corners and local residents cheer and set up garden-hose misting stations to benefit the runners.

Runners and their families are treated to music and activities at the start/finish. A Vendor Village—with local businesses, notfor-profit groups, food tents, sports massage therapists, and other displays—is set up adjacent to the finish line. Through the generosity of the Saratoga Springs Department of Public Safety, runners finish this Independence Day race under a giant American flag hoisted by the Saratoga Springs and Maple Avenue Fire Departments.

The Firecracker 4 provides an impressive start to the AllAmerican Celebration in Saratoga Springs (www.saratogajuly4th. com), which includes a grand parade directly after the race, barbeque and dessert festival, classic car show, live music, city tours, face painting and fireworks at dusk.

BACKGROUND The Firecracker 4 race is managed

by FC4, Inc., a 501(c) (3) not-forprofit organization committed to supporting healthy lifestyle choices.

Event profits are donated each year to local not for profit organizations that embody these principles.

SPORTS 35

Week of July 3 – July 9, 2015

Saratoga Polo Readies for New Season

Bouchard has Made his Mark at Saratoga

by Neil Benjamin Jr. Saratoga TODAY

Photo courtesy of Saratoga Polo Association

For the 117 years that Saratoga Polo Association has been bringing world-class polo matches to the iconic destination of Saratoga Springs, it has always been a gathering spot for the famous and infamous to see and be seen. More recently, in the modern era, more and more guests ranging from young families to out-on-thetown singles and business people entertaining clients are enjoying the tranquil confines of Whitney Field to spend the day or whole summer. The owners of Saratoga Polo, Mike Bucci and Jim Rossi, couldn’t be happier.

“In the last ten years, Saratoga Polo has really blossomed not only as one of the premier Polo Clubs in the United States, being featured in National and International ad campaigns for the US POLO ASSN apparel brand, and most recently in National Geographic Traveler Magazine,” said Rossi, who is also a Lieutenant Governor for The United States Polo Association.

“And the audiences at the matches have grown exponentially with ticket deals for everything from date night, to family night, to corporate celebrations.”

The matches at Whitney Field have always featured storied names like Rockefeller, Whitney and Vanderbilt, and now, Saratoga Polo has become the battlefield for the modern polo athletes. Sunny Hale, the highest rated women’s player in history as well as up and coming superstar Tiffany Busch, Team USA Polo star player Ulysses Escapite, and even TV’s John Walsh tough it out during the Saratoga Tournament Season. Being one of the most progressive sports in the world, you’ll often see men and women competing at the same match – in fact, Sunny Hale was on

one of the US Polo Open’s National Championship teams.

If you have never been to a polo match before, the parties and activities off the field are just as exciting as the heart-stopping action on the field, and much of it has to do with the corporate partnerships that help bring the fun to Whitney Field.

“Where else,” said Alan Edstrom, Director of Events and Sponsorships, “ can you dress up in your finest outfits, have a fine dining experience and open a bottle of Veuve Clicquot Champagne with a sword, shop, help repair the field at halftime, see a parade of cars and ponies, and meet those players and horses in this beautiful icon that exemplifies summer at Saratoga, -and still be done in time for the ballet or a night out on the town? It’s magic … absolute magic.”

There are 18 Matches and it kicks off with an Army vs. Navy match on July 10. Gates open at 4 p.m. and matches begin at 5:30 p.m. every Friday and Sunday, July 10 through September 6. Go to saratogapolo. com for tickets and more details.

Live Auction On July 10 from 4:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Saratoga Warhorse Foundation, a live auction of a Curlin-bred colt will take place. It is in advance of the Battle of Saratoga Polo Match and Equestrian Exhibition.

The colt, regally bred, will be sold to the highest bidder, with five percent benefitting the Warhorse Foundation. Its parents are Curlin and Spa City Princess.

Spa City Princess is a multiple stakes winner containing Storm Cat and Secretariat in her lineage.

Lanes End, a Kentucky breeding farm, rated the horse five out of five stars.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — On April 27 of last year, Stephane Bouchard crossed the finish line at Saratoga Casino and Raceway to more fanfare than usual.

And there was good reason: Bouchard, born and raised in Canada, had just notched his 8,000th professional harness racing victory, a gigantic feat in a sport that has been waning in popularity over recent decades.

On top of all the accolades he’s earned as a driver, he and his wife, Sue Bergeron, have a small stable at the track consisting of four horses that the couple trains and races.

“You really have to focus in this sport,” Bouchard said outside of his stable on Monday. “You have to work really hard, otherwise you’ll get left behind.”

Bouchard has grown into one of the top drivers in the sport, coupling all those wins with more than $70 million in purses over his career. It was in the summer of 1999 when Bouchard moved from Quebec down to the New York City area to ride full time at Yonkers Raceway and Monticello, where he won multiple riding titles at both places. He occasionally raced at Saratoga over the years, before moving his family to the city in 2013 for good.

Spanning the years 2000 to 2008, Bouchard notched at least 489 wins each year, topping out at 814 victories in 2007 with $7.7 million in purses. Simply put, Bouchard is one of the top drivers in the sport.

He won’t, however, downplay the importance of hard work.

“It’s not easy,” he said. “You have to hook up with the right people so you can get as many starts as possible. There’s a lot more to being successful in racing than just having talent and being the right size.”

Bouchard rode his first horse in 1989. He is the son of a barrel racer, and said he spent a lot of time around horses and other animals when his father was working. He enjoyed it so much that he dropped out of college to get himself in the industry, starting off as a groomer.

From there, he earned his trainer’s license before eventually landing his driver’s license. The rest, as they say, is history.

Photo by Melissa Simser/Saratoga Casino and Raceway

The 48-year-old knows his way around a horse, but said the main thing when racing a new horse is to listen to what the owner and trainer tells him.

“It may be the first time the horse has ever raced, so not everyone knows about him,” he said. “The horse might not like to be touched, or may have some bad habits.

Sometimes, an owner will even tell me that I shouldn’t touch the horse at all. But no matter what I am told, that information only works 25 percent of the time. There’s a lot of improvisation involved.”

Even though he’s won so many races, Bouchard said that after a victory, he starts preparing for the next race. He added that he can enjoy it when the night has completed.

“I have to get ready for the next race in 20 minutes, so I don’t think too much about it right away,” he said. “Sometimes after the night is

over we will go out to dinner, but it’s really the owners who get the most excited to see their horse in the winner’s circle.”

Since he has moved to Saratoga, Bouchard said he has grown to thoroughly love the area. While he said it was nice to live near New York and have such a gigantic city at his fingertips, he likes that there’s nowhere near the hustle and bustle up here.

“It’s not a big city here, no, but everything is really close, so it’s not a big deal,” he said. “My son likes to ski and so do I and we are very close to a lot of great skiing.”

At the end of the interview, he spoke about being a trainer and a driver.

“We are all self-employed,” he said. “You always have to hustle, always. It’s always changing in this sport. You have to get out there and get your horses because nothing is free or given to you.”

36

SPORTS

Week of July 3 – July 9, 2015

Some Fun! All Outdoors

by Tim Blodgett for Saratoga TODAY Earlier this week, I towed my boat to work so I could go fishing on Saratoga Lake after I finished my shift. I called my friend, Nick and invited him along. A true fisherman, Nick showed up early and was prepared to fish so there was no delay in getting on the water.

After launching the boat, we discussed where we wanted to go and how we were going to fish. We ended up deciding on Stony Point as a starting point and then let the

fish dictate our course thereafter.

As we were idling out to the lake, Nick looked down into the floor drain and said, “why is there so much water in the bilge?” My lame response was “I don’t know, I put the plug in.” I immediately turned on the bilge pump, put the motor in neutral, opened the deck lid and saw why the lake was in the boat where it didn’t belong. The livewell pump that I had replaced earlier in the day had mysteriously detached itself from its base. I quickly reattached the pump to the base, told it to “STAY!” and continued on while the bilge emptied.

With the problem solved, we motored to the south end of the lake and started fishing in 15 feet of water. I had gotten a report that Walleye were biting at that depth earlier in the day and wanted to see if we could catch a few ourselves.

Half an hour later, we decided that we were in the right place but at the wrong time so we moved into the weeds and started fishing for Bass. That proved to be a wise move because the Bass were cooperative.

They weren’t picky either.

SWSC Juventus Finishes Strong with Win over Alleycats The SWSC U10 boys’ team Juventus scored nine goals in their final victory of the 2015 outdoor travel soccer season, which saw them lose just two games all year. The 9-4 victory over the Alleycats on June 21 was their final game at Chaz Dake Field on Daniels Road. The team has been together for more than two years and is excited to be moving up to U12 next year and playing home games at Gavin Park. Forwards/

halfbacks Nico LaRosa, Evan Hallett, Charlie Fox, Davis OliverGoodwin and Flagg Taylor, wingers Tyler Gordon, Evan Weatherwax and Kaelen Leak, and stopper Evan Griffiths supported goalkeepers Dixon Boggs and Lucas Henderson throughout the season, scoring goals and making strong defensive plays and saves while learning “the beautiful game” and exemplifying good sportsmanship.

Nick and I would catch a fish on one bait and then throw a different bait just because. This is what we call “junk fishing.” “Junk fishing” is a fun way to experiment with different colors and styles of lures to see what’s working best. It’s also a great way to use up partial bags of plastic worms and clean out your tackle box. Instead of putting on a Senko, which I knew would catch fish, I started “dropshotting” with French fry style worm that were kicking around in my boat.

It worked. Meanwhile, Nick was using a different kind of worm and catching fish on that. When he lost that worm, he tied on a spinnerbait that he cobbled together from the remains of others and started catching fish on that. Not to be outdone, I found an old chatterbait with a ratty skirt, attached a used swimbait and caught fish on that until the skirt fell off. I stole a skirt from a jig to replace what was lost and caught more fish. I even used a bloated old waterlogged seven-inch Senko we found in the bilge and caught fish.

Nick and I fished this way until sundown and never had a break in the

action. We boated Largemouth and Smallmouth Bass, Chain Pickerel, Rock Bass, Yellow Perch and a Pumpkinseed that afternoon.

I’m not telling this story to brag about our fishing prowess but to illustrate a point. There is no single best lure or color or technique or even a best spot to fish because we covered about a mile of weed bed and used a tackle box full of lures that trip. You don’t need to get caught up in the hype surrounding fishing, you just need to get on the water and put a lure in front of the fish. Not every trip will turn out like the one we had, but every trip you take has the potential to be great.

Don’t be reluctant to experiment, you just may learn something.

Lake Survey The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation is conducting a creel survey of Saratoga Lake this year.

The purpose is to check the overall health of Saratoga Lake’s fish populations. NYSDEC will be conducting on-the-water interviews with

anglers to see what they are catching, their concerns and their overall satisfaction of the fishery. If you are approached while fishing, let them know how you’re doing. DEC will also be electrofishing at night to capture fish, which will be released once they are measured. Later this summer, DEC will set nets deep in the water to capture Walleye, some that will be sent to their lab for health department testing. The survey will continue through the coming winter and once it is over, all the information gathered will be collated, condensed, analyzed and written up in a report. The conclusions reached will provide us with a better understanding of the lake and may result in regulation changes that will improve the quality of the fishing in Saratoga Lake and help to conserve the resource for future generations.

Tim Blodgett, owner of Saratoga Tackle & Archery, can be reached at (518) 584-3952. His store is located on Route 9P, Saratoga Lake next to the state boat launch. For further information, visit Saratogatackle.com or find Saratoga Tackle on Facebook.

Adirondack Heat Compete in Florida The Adirondack Heat 14U travel baseball team is competing in the Perfect Game Super25 National Championship Tournament at JetBlue Player Development Complex in Fort Myers, Fla., through July 7.

The Heat won the Perfect Game Mid-Atlantic Regional Tournament in Cumberland County, N.J., on June 14 to earn the berth in the national championship tournament. The Perfect Game Super25 National Championship is a tournament of the top 25 travel baseball teams throughout the United States and Puerto Rico.

Built in 2012, the Jet Blue Player Development Complex is the spring training facility of the Boston Red Sox. The facility consists of six minor league fields, as well as JetBlue Park at Fenway South, which has the exact same dimensions as Fenway Park in Boston, including the famed Green Monster.

The Adirondack Heat Travel Baseball Program

FRONT (L-R): Luke Gold (Ballston Spa), David Yankowski (Ichabod Crane), Carson Dunkel (Schuylerville), Cole Paquin (Shen), Lewie Clarke (Saratoga) BACK (L-R): Bill Gold, Eric Gold, Ben Voce (Shen), Landon Fagle (Shen), Jaelin Robin (Shaker), David Judge, Jr. (Troy), Jason Rubilotta (Shen), David Judge, Sr., Steve Dunkel

consists of 5 teams ranging from age 10 to 15. The Heat is one of the premiere travel baseball programs in Section 2. The Adirondack Heat 14U

(Black) team consists of players from Saratoga, Ballston Spa, Schuylerville, Shenendahowa, Ichabod Crane, Troy, Shaker and Greenville High Schools.

SPORTS 37

Week of July 3 – July 9, 2015

James Plays the Contract Game Like a Genius

by Damian Fantauzzi for Saratoga TODAY Now we see LeBron James opting out of his final year of his contract and the sports media is right on top of this move. What it means is that his rights are part of the NBA clause that all players have this option to move on to become free agents. This has nothing to do with the Cleveland Cavaliers; it would be an oversight by him and his agent if they don’t exercise that clause and the right to use it. So let’s not jump to conclusions that James is looking to move out of Cleveland’s lineup.

Here’s some of the info that explains this move. One, James will end up increasing his salary

another $1.5 million for next season. Two, part of the option means that at the end of next season, he again becomes a free agent. Why? It’s in his contract, and the deal with the NBA for next season is that the salary cap moves up from $63.065 million to $67.1 million.

What does the salary cap mean? The actual amount of the salary cap varies on a year-to-year basis, and is calculated as a percentage of the league’s revenue from the previous season; for instance, in 2007-08, the NBA’s salary cap was approximately $55.6 million per team, and for the 2008-09 season it was $58.68 million. So a bigger raise in 2016-17 will have to do with the fact that there will be new TV money kicking in, and it is projected that the cap will exceed $90 million and possibly to $108 million the following year.

So James’ move has nothing to do with his wanting to hold the Cavilers hostage, because he and his agent are not seeking a new team, they are playing by the rules of the contract and have the intention to sign for next season with a $1.5 million bump. But, because of what is expected to happen in 2016-17 with an inflation rate of the future TV money, the negotiations will start moving in

a different direction. Understand this, you’ll see King James go from year-to-year with his future contracts because the money will get bigger with each season as the pot becomes more enticing in the commercialization of his ability to play professional basketball.

There will always be the critics who will ask the question: When is enough, enough? But, let me ask them this question: Wouldn’t you make the same choices given the opportunity? I know the answer to that: Of course we would, with few exceptions to look for more money.

We are a nation that has been labeled the land of opportunity, and in most circumstances our republic is all of that.

I can remember, when I was a kid in the late 1950s, when the late-great center fielder for the New York Yankees, Mickey Mantle, and for the NY Giants, Willie Mays, who is still around, signed $100,000 contracts. This became a huge story across the country that some people were critical of but most were amazed that a professional athlete could make that much money to play a sport, as more players became $100 thousand dollar stars. Oh how times have changed, I guess it can be called crazy. Now it has become

a given for these anomalies in the world of professional athletics to make millions of dollar a year.

Back to James, he is also concerned that his teammates get what they deserve for their financial needs as part of his snail’s pace to re-sign to his next season’s contract. He will sign as soon as his colleagues get their piece of the pie. Also, Kevin Love has become a free agent, and he was absent from the finals because of an injury that put him on the sidelines. Rumor is that he and James are far from being best buddies, but it seems that Love won’t be going too far, even though it’s rumored that he will become a Los Angeles Laker, but I actually think he is expected to be with Cleveland next season.

All in all, going year-to-year allows James to avoid being locked into a long-term contract as the NBA and the Players Association prepare for the next round of collective bargaining. It is an ongoing process that has become the new nature of professional athletics.

As the colloquial saying goes: “It is what it is.” As the king of professional basketball, James is going to do what he has to do, while he can, to get what he’s worth. The professional life of a pro athlete, as glorious at it might seem, is a short one.

I know I don’t grudgingly feel that James as one who is overzealous in the greediness of sports contracts, because if I was one of the fortunate ones with the gift to play at that level, I too would feel the need to get my worth.

Britten Continues to Show his Potential MALTA — On a busy Friday night at the Albany-Saratoga Speedway, Peter Britten once again showed the packed grandstands just why he is the future of DIRTcar Modified racing on June 25. The man known as Batman parked his Troyer Chassis machine in victory lane during the nights 35 lap Upstate GMC DIRTcar Modified feature event.

Britten shared the spotlight with fellow Troyer Campaigner Connor Cleveland who picked up the second leg of the Basement Systems King of Dirt Sportsman Series presented by Dodson Construction, Kevin Koval’s Adirondack Basement Systems and driven by Hoosier Racing Tire.

Joey Scarborough crossed the finish line first in the Friday Night Lights event; however, he was disqualified after coming up light on the scales.

In other action Byron Wescott won the held over DIRTcar Pro Stock feature event while Brandon Emigh won the regularly scheduled event. Andrew Buff won the Limited Sportsman 15-lap feature

while Josh Coonradt claimed the Street Stock event.

Rich Ronca and Justin Barber led the field to the green with third place starter Brian Gleason taking the early lead over Barber, Kris Vernold, Mike Perrotte and Alex Bell. The first caution of the event slowed the field on lap three when Mark Kislowski spun in turn four.

Gleason again held the lead on the restart with Perrotte moving to second, Barber falling back to third, 13th place starter Kenny Tremont, Jr. fourth and Keith Flach fifth.

Following four caution flags for minor incidents, racing resumed with the BBL Companies number 14g of Gleason out front.

Tremont had moved into second with Perrotte, Flach and 15th place starter Peter Britten rounding out the top five. Tremont moved his familiar number 115 into the lead on lap 11 and started to pull away.

Matt Delorenzo brought out the caution flag on lap 12 when he slowed in turn two. The restart would see Britten move to third

and Perrotte drop to fifth. Britten though was charging hard. The Australia native took over the second position on lap 22 and within four laps had caught Tremont. The duo battled side by side for two laps before Britten took over.

The final caution period occurred on lap 31 when Jesse Mueller spun in turn two. During the caution period points leader Brett Hearn took the Madsen Motorsports number 20 to the pit area and did not return. Earlier in the evening, Hearn had rolled in hot laps and had to start the feature from the 25th position. He was running seventh when he broke.

Britten controlled the restart and pulled away from the field.

He would lead to the end with Tremont finishing second, Flach third, Ronnie Johnson fourth and Gleason fifth. Heat races for the 29-car field were won by Johnson, Perrotte and Gleason. Hearn came into the evening with a 21 point lead over Tremont; he is now trailing the 12 time track champion by

eight points. Britten is third, 22 points back.

Connor Cleveland won the second leg of the six-event King of Dirt Sportsman Series. The event was the first event for the series at the Great Race Place, with the inaugural event being held at the Fonda Speedway in April.

Rocky Warner and Jack Swinton led the field to the drop of the green with Warner taking command early over Adam Pierson, Tim Hartman, Jr., Jack Gentile and Cleveland. Following a pair of cautions for minor spins, racing resumed with Warner being followed by Pierson and Hartman.

Hartman, who has looked strong in the big events this season, moved into second on lap seven and set his sights on Warner.

Over the next nine laps a pair of restarts jumbled the field with Warner still leading Hartman and New England’s Pierson. Dave Baranowski came to a stop on lap 16 forcing another restart. Warner and Hartman again ran one-two;

however, Cleveland moved into third with Joey Scarborough and Jason Gray rounding out the top five. Five laps later following a caution for Ricky Quick, Hartman would take over the lead and Scarborough would regain the third position.

The complexion of the race changed on a lap 25 restart.

Hartman and Warner led the field on the restart with Hartman taking the advantage into turn one. The duo battled side by side through turn four with slight contact being made. Warner led lap 25 and then as the duo entered turn one, Warner was ahead. Contact was made and Warner clipped the inside implement tire and the field, including Hartman, stacked up behind him.

Both Warner and Hartman were done for the night.

This gave the lead to Scarborough. The second-generation driver out of Vermont led the remainder of the distance to cross the finish line first. He came up light on the scales and was disqualified.

38

SPORTS

Week of July 3 – July 9, 2015

COMMUNITY SPORTS BULLETIN 1k and 5k Run at Gavin Park Come join Friends of Wilton Recreation for a 1k or 5k walk/run at the Town of Wilton’s ParkFest 2015 on Saturday, July 11. The 1k begins at 9:15 a.m. for kids 10 and under, with prizes for all participants. The 5k begins at 8 a.m. for ages 11 and up, with t-shirts for all participants and prizes for top finishers in each age group. Cost to participate is $5 for the 1k or $20 for the 5k. For more information and to register, visit www.friendsofwiltonrec.com.

Springettes Fare Well at Gymnastics Championships Five of the Saratoga Regional YMCA Springettes gymnastics team members traveled to Wichita, KS., for the YMCA Gymnastics Championships from Wednesday, June 24 to Saturday, June 27. There were approximately 1,300 YMCA gymnasts there from all across the country representing their teams.

Kalli Hewitt, Katy Hawthorne, Ava Dallas, and Sophia Sperling represented Saratoga in Level 4 on Thursday in the first session of Level 4 competition.

Overall the team placed third out of 55 gymnastics teams in the country.

Saratoga swept the junior division, having three of the girls take the 1-2-3 win. Ava Dallas led the juniors, placing first with a 36.15 allaround. Sophia Sperling took second place all-around with a 36.075, and Katy Hawthorne took third place in the junior age division with a 35.475.

Send your sports stories or briefs to Neil Benjamin, Sports Editor at neil@saratoga publishing.com

Ava was also first on vault and floor, and third on the balance beam. Sophia placed first on the bars and beam, second on the vault, and sixth on the floor. Katy placed second on the beam, and third on the bars and floor.

In the senior Level 4 age division, Kalli Hewitt took fourth place allaround. She also placed first on the floor, fifth on the vault, and eighth on the bars.

Marissa Verro represented Saratoga in the Level 8 competition, senior age division. On the first day she placed third in the all-around in her session, taking home second on vault with a 9.0, second on bars with a 9.2, and fifth on the floor with a 9.0.

Marissa placed eighth out of all of the Level 8 senior age competitors in the competition, moving her on to the level 8 finals on Saturday. In the allaround final, she finished eighth out of 67 girls in the country.

Puzzle solutions from pg. 30

7th Annual Fun Fly Come on out to the 7th Annual Fun Fly air show, presented by the North Country Flying Tigers, on Saturday, July 11, from 9 a.m. until the sky goes dark. This is a benefit for Operation Comfort Warriors. AMA members and everyone from the public is welcome to attend. You can enter gas, glow or electric aircrafts on the 600-feet grass runway. There will be a club furnished cookout for a small fee, 50/50 raffles, airplane raffles and a silent auction, as well as giant scale flying demonstrations. As a bonus, there will be full-scale flyovers, flight simulators and flying contests. Pilot landing fee is $10.

Location is NC Flying Tigers Field, 1933 CR 43, Adamsville Falls. GPS coordinates: N43 18.261 – W073 28.555. rwhiteman80070@roadrunner.com for more information.

Blue Streak Boys Basketball Camp The camp, held July 13 to 17 at Maple Avenue Middle School, will focus on fundamentals and work to develop shooting skills, defense and other fundamentals of the game. Cost is $125 per player.

Session 1, for boys in grades 3 through 6, will be from 8 to 11 a.m., while grades 7 through 10 will go from noon to 3 p.m.

For more information, contact m_usher@saratogaschools.org

TogaHockey Camp TogaHockey Camp 2015 will be held from Wednesday, July 22, through Friday, July 24, at the Weibel Avenue Ice Rink from 10 a.m. to noon each day. The camp is open to anyone entering grades 8 through 12. Cost is $175 per player, $125 for goalies. For more information, contact Coach Torres at david. truant@gmail.com or call at 518-583-1198.

SPORTS 39

Week of July 3 – July 9, 2015

Second Chance Sports Offers Help to Vets repaired or replaced,” Yaiser said, “the golf carts we use for Wounded Warriors or disabled community members are too expensive to just go out and replace.”

The golf carts used to get the people out and playing cost at least $8,000 apiece, and Yaiser said he has eight that need repair. He estimates that all of the repairs will cost in excess of $28,000, and he’s asking for help from the community.

“It won’t take an act of Congress, but an act of kindness is the Healthy Saratoga and the Thank You Project where you help us take care of the active military and their

by Neil Benjamin Jr. Saratoga TODAY SARATOGA SPRINGS — Billy Yaiser is a Vietnam War veteran dedicated to helping other veterans who have either physical or psychological issues in any way he can.

He started the National Learning League Training Center, located on the Hudson Valley Community College campus, many years ago to help achieve low-cost, common sense solutions to serious health problems facing many members of the community.

He started it 30 years ago to allow people to easily begin playing sports without regard to their physical condition, hosting golf outings and tennis matches for the disabled.

He also founded Second Chance Sports with the goal of teaching disabled veterans how to play golf and tennis despite their disabilities.

“My goal is to help people get good enough so that they don’t have to take lessons anymore,” Yaiser said.

“Everybody should be able to get out and do things, especially our veterans.

For those with PTSD, it’s way more than just getting out and swinging

a club or racquet. They get to meet and interact with people, which helps with their feeling of seclusion.”

Yaiser said aging equipment and rising costs are making running his foundation a bit difficult.

“Like anything else, after years of use, just like cars that need to be

families,” he said. “Now, when they need it most. All we ask is that you take care of yourself and family and friends by learning something fun and healthy like a lifetime sport.”

Golf, tennis and racquetball are the main activities at Second Chance.

Cost is $80 per four-week session.

If you sign up now, you will get free passes to other programs, which can be discussed with Yaiser in private.

“You don’t stop playing when you grow old, you grow old when you stop playing,” Yaiser said.

For more information on all of this, please call Yaiser at 518-491-0556.

Volume 10 • Issue 26

See Grateful Dead’s Fare Thee Well pg. 27

FREE

Week of July 3 – July 9, 2015

PULSE

See Dave Matthews Band pg. 26

Local Trouper’s Final Year with Circus Smirkus

Keenan Wright-Sanson performing with Circus Smirkus. Photo provided.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Saratoga Springs’ own Keenan WrightSanson, senior at the Waldorf High School, will be touring for the last time with Circus Smirkus this summer. His mom, Cynthia, says, “I would say that it has been an extraordinary journey for our entire family... At the top of the list is the life changing experience for both of our boys. They grew into young men surrounded by people who understand dreams and challenge and laughter and movement as an art form. We have spent the last ten years working with wonderful people to make Smirkus in Saratoga a reality and we celebrate the joy and positivity of the community gathered for fun and unified in laughter” Circus Smirkus will perform July 5 and 6 with a 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. show each day. Tickets are $25 for adults 13 and over, $22 for children 2 to 12.

Children under 2 are free. Tickets are available locally at the Children’s Museum at Saratoga and Crafters Gallery, by calling 1-877-SMIRKUS toll-free or by visiting smirkus.org.