Saratoga Family Fall/Winter 2022

S A R AT O G A

Family

Complimentary

FALL/WINTER 2022

Brought to you Brought tobyyou

by

contents FA L L / W I N T E R 2 0 2 2

SARATOGA Family Owner/Publisher Chad Beatty Creative Director / Managing Editor Chris Vallone Bushee Magazine Designer Kacie Cotter-Sacala Advertising & Web Designer Kelly Schoonbeck Advertising Sales Jim Daley Cindy Durfey

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Contributing Writers Zane Carson Carruth Rick Cobello Jodie Fitz John Greenwood Himanee Gupta Ann Hauprich Wendy Hobday Haugh Megin Potter Ginny Smith Theresa St. John Jordana Turcotte Ralph Vincent Diane Whitten Photographers Susan Blackburn Photography Gittings Ann Hauprich Theresa St. John Super Source Media Studios

Published by

COVER PHOTO BY

SUPER SOURCE MEDIA STUDIOS

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On the Kids Menu…

The Olde Bryan Inn

26

What Organizational Type Are You?

10

The Canoe Trail

27

To Venmo, or not…

12

Meet… Riley Santiago

28

Meet… Lydia Yaiser

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The Essex Farm

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16

Becoming a Family

Jodie Plante…

Leading by Example

20

Try Something New!

32

Road Trip!

22

Weeknights with Jodie Fitz

37

Books, Books, Books

24

Dinner Time!

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26

Traffic Light Eating

Nothing’s Sweeter than a Thank You!

Saratoga TODAY Newspaper 2254 Route 50 South Saratoga Springs, NY 12866 518-581-2480 saratogaTODAYnewspaper.com Saratoga Family is brought to you by Saratoga TODAY Newspaper, Saratoga Publishing, LLC. Saratoga Publishing shall make every effort to avoid errors and omissions but disclaims any responsibility should they occur.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means without prior written consent of the publisher. Copyright © 2022, Saratoga TODAY Newspaper

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Inside the

Olde Bryan Inn WRITTEN BY MEGIN POTTER | PHOTOS BY SUPER SOURCE MEDIA STUDIOS

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O

Once again, on a sunny day this spring, Lake Avenue second graders marched the short distance from their school to one of the oldest structures in Saratoga Springs, the Olde Bryan Inn on Maple Avenue.

Awaiting their arrival is John Kosek, who worked in the building for 20 years. In late 1979, the Olde Bryan Inn restaurant opened at the site, and by January 1980, Kosek started as a line cook, later becoming their General Manager.

Although he’s now worked at Longfellows Restaurant for a decade, and is currently General Manager there, for the past thirty years he has returned to the Olde Bryan Inn as a volunteer, hosting tours of the property for students in the Saratoga and Schuylerville school districts.

“I grew up in a family of historians and I’ve always enjoyed history,” said Kosek. “I think it’s important for young students to get a feel for their local history and an appreciation for the people who came before us that built our city into what it is today.”

STARTING AT THE BEGINNING Guide John Kosek’s enthusiasm is visible as he begins an hour-long tour of the Olde Bryan Inn. The children respond to it immediately.

They eagerly answer questions about the wording used on the historical marker in front of the building before hearing how, in the 1770s, colonists and Native Americans both had dwellings located near what was then called the “Medicine Spring of the Great Spirit,” the rocky cone in the valley below that spouted mineral water (now known as High Rock Spring).

Even at such a young age, the students recognize the names of George Washington, General Phillip Schuyler, and his son-in-law Alexander Hamilton, who would come to be counted among the spring’s many visitors.

“Saratoga was the summer place to be even when the Native Americans were here,” said Kosek. saratogaTODAYnewspaper.com

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A PEEK INTO THE PAST The group learns that previously, a log tavern and inn stood on this spot, built by Revolutionary War hero Alexander Bryan. Alexander’s son, John Bryan, built the stone structure that stands there today.

While explaining some of the features of the federal style architecture, Kosek shows them a photo of the covered porch once attached to the building. When he points out the expressive oval “eyebrow windows” that look out onto Rock Street, it brings the house to life for the children.

He also explains the patriotic symbolism painted by artist Frankie Flores on the “Saratoga Stripes” fiberglass horse sculpture perched by its main entrance.

THE FAMILIES WHO LIVED HERE Once inside, the children learn more about the Bryan family, as well as the Burnham Family, who built a brick addition onto the home and founded Burnham’s Hand Laundry there. Wealthy summer guests (including the Vanderbilt and the Whitney families) joined the local clientele in trusting the Burnhams to launder their finest things.

The building was passed down to the Burnham’s daughter, Mrs. Pearl LaMontain, and then to her daughter, Mrs. Beatrice Veitch, who continued to operate the laundry with her husband until her death in 1953. The business closed the following year.

The Veitch family remained at the residence until 1979. In 1981, the Olde Bryan Inn as we know it today was born when Steve Sullivan joined the building’s new owners, Dave Powers and Joe Wilkinson. Today, Sullivan and Powers also own Longfellows Inn and Restaurant on Union Avenue.

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“It gives it a whole other layer,” she said. “Learning about history is more important than ever for children. Learning about past mistakes and not making the same again is so important.

In today’s fast-paced society, we need to make sure kids have the time to reflect on things rather than just act.”

Learn more about the history of the Olde Bryan Inn, 123 Maple Ave, Saratoga Springs, on Facebook @OldeBryanInn@40 SF

STORIES OF STRANGE HAPPENINGS

HISTORY FOR THE FUTURE

While sitting in the front bar area, the children are told how this space was originally the home’s kitchen. The large fireplace and its two side toasting ovens were later sealed over, then found again during renovations.

To conclude the tour, visitors peruse a table of artifacts discovered at the site over the years, including; oyster and clam shells that were likely ground up to use as mortar, a clay pipe, coins, ceramic plate shards, weathered nails, animal bones, and more.

Moving into the front dining room, Kosek asks the students to imagine the house as it once was - heated by fireplaces that are still there; people coming and going through the front door (which is now blocked by a dining table), along the hallway and staircase that no longer remain.

Over a lunch of grilled cheese sandwiches, students Wesley George and Brodie Macejka agree with many of their classmates - hearing ghost stories and seeing through the eyebrow windows was their favorite part of the tour.

He then shares ghostly stories of furniture moving on its own, visions of a wandering woman in green, and other strange encounters that are said to have occurred since.

Upstairs, they learn that where once there were bedrooms, now is office space and restrooms. They take turns looking down to the dining area below before venturing further up the building’s winding staircase into the former attic area to peek through those interesting eyebrow windows they saw from outside. saratogaTODAYnewspaper.com

“Seeing upstairs made me feel like it was an actual house and that I’m in it with the people that lived here,” added Georgia Zansie.

Their teacher, Polly O’Connell has been bringing her students on the field trip for more than 15 years.

“They enjoy the ghost lore,” she said, adding, “It’s important children know how the country formed and about the hard work and bravery of our founding fathers and the colonists to gain independence.”

Parent chaperone Nora Pellegrino and her son, Jack, already enjoy dining at the Old Bryan Inn and were curious about its history.

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canoe reincarnation WRITTEN BY JOHN GREENWOOD | PHOTOS PROVIDED Reincarnation is a word usually associated with people coming back in another life form after their physical death. But... it can also describe inanimate objects being repurposed into another form.

Canoe Reincarnation is about celebrating an army of volunteers coming together to take a pile of leaky canoes destined for the landfill and transforming them into works of art brimming with plants and flowers.

My role in the project was microscopic in comparison to the time and effort of my Friends of Moreau Lake State Park counterparts, but my appreciation for the outcome is larger than the park itself. This piece focuses on the collaboration between the Moreau Lake State Park Manager Alan LaFountain and his staff, the Friends of Moreau Lake State Park volunteers, the financial support of local corporations, and most importantly, the talented young artists. Those artists took a stack of decrepit canoes from rags to riches with paint, imagination, and teamwork. Local youth ranging from Cub Scouts to high school seniors, put their creative juices into the Canoe Trail Project at the Moreau Lake State Park.

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This project emphasizes what can be accomplished when optimism and open minds are combined with rolled-up sleeves and elbow grease. I believe nothing is more critical for our future than finding ways to solve problems with compromise and cooperation.

The Canoe Planter Trail Project at Moreau Lake State Park began in the spring of 2022 with the idea of repurposing seven leaky canoes and one rowboat into art-covered planters and placing them strategically throughout the park to form a Canoe Trail. A Stewart’s Holiday Match Grant provided the money for paint and material. Participating youth groups from throughout the area designed and painted the canoes: • • • • • • • •

Saratoga Springs High School Cub Scout Pack #2024 Fort Edward Union Free School Fort Edward Union Free School - Life Skills Class Moreau Community Center St Mary’s Alphonsus of Glens Falls - Fourth Grade United Sisters of New York, Inc. Scout Troop #2024 and #2024G - Wilton

Each group adopted a canoe and came up with a theme. Volunteers delivered the canoes and materials, picked up the finished art projects then returned them to the park. The Moreau Lake Friends Group’s “Green Team” and Park Staff designed a Canoe Trail within the park based on access and visibility.

To see photos of all the canoes and learn more about the Friends of Moreau Lake State Park and the Canoe Trail Project, please visit their website at friendsofmoreaulake.org. You will find an excellent video and a compilation of the stories from each contributing youth group.

SF

The completed canoes were filled using Hugelkultur and topped off with various flowers and vegetables appropriate for the final locations.

The collaboration of people varying in age from pre-teen to retired, impressed and inspired me the most. My observation is not simply about this project but the abundance of volunteer opportunities our local communities provide. As a lifelong resident, I am grateful for everyone who gives of themselves to better the parks, historical resources, museums, and countless service organizations, all within shouting distance. The Moreau Lake Canoe Trail was but one of the numerous volunteer projects that took place this summer. Regardless of your interests or availability, there is an organization out there in need of a helping hand. There is nothing more fulfilling than being part of the solution when it comes to issues that will affect the generations behind us. saratogaTODAYnewspaper.com

for a video highlighting the Moreau Lake State Park Canoe Planter Project!

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This Kid’s All

heart

A Day at the Track Kicks-off Three Years of Giving Back WRITTEN BY MEGIN POTTER | PHOTOS BY SUPER SOURCE MEDIA STUDIOS UNLESS NOTED

In 2019, Riley Santiago, who was 7-years-old at the time, went to the track with her grandmother, Maureen Smith. They didn’t go to see the horses.

They were in a race of another kind – the one to help Saratoga County victims of fire.

As the Vice President of After the Fire, Maureen Smith helps to raise funds for the nonprofit organization that provides local families with a place to stay, personal care items, clothing, food, and emotional support.

“Victims can always use extra help after a fire,” said Jessica Santiago, Smith’s daughter and Riley’s mom. Although it was the first time Riley had

done any fundraising, she took charge of attracting people to After the Fire’s table and promoting their cause.

“I am shy during the first part and not wanting to talk but when I’m in the middle of it, I feel more comfortable talking to them,” explains Riley, now 10. “I just push myself.”

Riley’s enthusiasm helped After the Fire to raise twice as much money that day as had previously been collected.

“She was just so cute, people couldn’t say ‘no’,” added Jessica.

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After a brief hiatus because of the pandemic, Riley continued her philanthropic pursuits. During their two-day neighborhood garage sales, Riley raised another $265 for After the Fire.

“My mom was super suprised and everybody was so grateful,” said Jessica.

Between September and December that year, Riley raised another $392 by collecting can and bottle donations. The funds and items purchased with them were also sent to Operation Adopt-a-Soldier and the Mohawk Hudson Humane Society.

Photo provided.

ONE GOOD TURN

SPREADING HOPE An active fifth-grader at Schuylerville Central School, Riley participates in chorus, plays the saxophone, is in art club and is taking tap, jazz, and hiphop dance classes afterschool at The Dance Lab. No matter how busy she is however, helping others is never far from her mind.

“I really love helping people. It feels good doing it,” she said. Riley empathizes with the difficulties that the people she helps are going through, and with animals who don’t have toys, or a home to go to.

Before collecting candy for herself at Halloween, Riley trick-or-treats for the troops (the candy is tucked into care packages to fill up the space in between essential items). When the war in the Ukraine started, Riley collected donations to be sent over, and this year, she is collecting funds to support three more charities; the American Cancer Society, the Franklin Community Center, and H.O.P.E. Animal Rescue.

REAPING THE REWARDS Each month, Riley posts a video on the Terrel Hills Facebook page telling neighbors of her cause. She then rides along with her parents as they drive around to collect bags of returnable items and to leave a ‘Thank You’ note.

While she appreciates anything that people are able to give and said that no donation is ever too small, Riley said she really loves seeing lots of bags of bottles and cans stacked up waiting for her.

“It makes me excited. It’s like, WOW! they care.”

The number of bags has gotten so large in fact, that when they won’t fit inside the family’s SUV they hook up a dump trailer to haul them all to the Nickleback Bottle & Can Retrieval Center in South Glens Falls.

“They just fell in love with Riley there because she is so young and doing it for a good cause,” said Jessica.

Photo provided.

During her last drop-off, Riley returned 7,700 cans and bottles (totaling $385!!).

“She’s just somebody with a big heart,” continued Jessica. “If she wants to take a break from it, we definitely will, but she likes to give and be helpful and when someone is like that, no matter what age they are, it’s great.”

Mark Your Calendar:

Riley’s next large bottle and can collection event will be held November 5th in Gansevoort’s Terrel Hills neighborhood. SF saratogaTODAYnewspaper.com

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Growing a Sustainable Future IN THE ADIRONDACKS

WRITTEN & PHOTOGRAPHED BY HIMANEE GUPTA

M

ark and Kristin Kimball are farmers who envision a time when most, if not all, the food a community needs for a healthy, delicious, sustainable diet can come from a single piece of land. Since 2003, they have been working to make that dream a reality at Essex Farm.

Kristin chronicles their story in two books: The Dirty Life (2010) and Good Husbandry (2019). I read The Dirty Life in 2021 during my farm’s first growing season at our new site in Schaghticoke. Soon after, I began meeting people who had been to Essex Farm, located by Lake Champlain, minutes from the ferry to Vermont. I was in the area this fall for a few weeks and visited the farm out of curiosity and in hopes of procuring fresh butter.

I arrived on a sunny Saturday and parked by a set of tents. As I looked out at the storage bins under the tents, a man driving a pickup truck with wagon hitch pulled in behind me, blocking my path out.

He began chatting with a lanky bald-headed man in overalls and no shoes who was sitting at a picnic table. Mildly irritated, I stepped out and prepared to head for the store. But then the bald-headed man hailed me. He turned out to be Mark.

Mark began to envision his future sustainable farm in the 1990s, well before farm-to-fork had become a movement. He and his then fiancé Kristin poured their life savings into a down payment on a farm and started a community farm-share program or CSA that Kristin recalls was unheard of for a small town seeped in economic depression. For the price of what a family of four might spend on processed grocery store foods in a year, they would offer the equivalent and more straight from the farm. It was an enormous gamble, but a handful of residents signed on.

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Photo provided.

One week later, I went back to pick up sourdough starter and another jar of the farm’s sweet butter. A hard frost had hit the area a couple nights earlier, and the raspberries and corn were gone. I thought of the one fresh ear of corn I still had left and of the value of timing. Abundance allowed for generosity. I was happy to have been able to accept it and perhaps reciprocate in some way into the future. SF

sourdough starter

Nearly two decades later, Essex Farm is thriving. Several young farmers I met at a Keene Valley farmers' market the next day told me they got their start working at that farm.

I asked what I owed for the butter, raspberries, and corn. She told me I could make a donation, but these items were not actually for sale.

Mark speaks fast. In about two minutes, he told me where to find butter, how to pay for anything I bought in the store, and how to get in touch with him next week for sourdough starter. He also invited me to pick raspberries and corn.

In the store, I picked up a copy of Good Husbandry and a jar of jam. I logged my purchases and my donation in a notebook and headed out.

“Feel free to take all you want,” he said.

I thought of my full refrigerator. But Mark’s energy was infectious. I began picking berries, and on an impulse reached for some corn.

I peeled back the leaves of one ear fresh off the stalk. A cream-colored worm tumbled out. Back when Mark was dreaming of his farm, I would have found such a discovery repulsive. Now, I took this to be a sign of the farm’s pesticide-free practices.

A friendly cat approached me as I was exiting a storage unit with a jar of butter. She wanted to go in, so I let her sniff my jar as I bolted the unit shut. As I walked toward the store, a woman in jeans approached me.

“Are you Kristin?” I asked.

“I am,” she said with a smile. saratogaTODAYnewspaper.com

The pickup truck was long gone, as was my irritation. I had spent less than an hour at Essex Farm and had seen only a fraction of its 500-acre operation. In this time, I gained a new sense of what it meant to build community through farming. It was all about being open, trusting, and sharing the fruits of one’s harvest.

That night, I husked the corn. I sliced off the kernels and put them in a saucepan.

I added just enough water to cover them and brought them to a boil. After lowering the heat, I let the kernels simmer until soft. I mashed them lightly and strained them into a bowl. I grated cheese and sat down to eat polenta made with fresh corn. It was sweet and crunchy, and made me think of Essex Farm’s goal: All the food one might need straight from the farm. It works in Essex; it can work in Saratoga.

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Julia Dunn & Erin Leavey on

becoming a

Family

in Saratoga Springs!

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WRITTEN BY RALPH VINCENT | PHOTOS BY SUSAN BLACKBURN PHOTOGRAPHY

R

ecently I had the pleasure of visiting CBS News 6 Anchor Julia Dunn and her spouse Erin Leavey in their inviting Saratoga Springs home. The couple became parents this past summer when Julia gave birth to their son Kevin Thomas Dunn in June.

While baby Kevin slept, we talked about their experience becoming parents, and why they feel the “Spa City” is an ideal place to raise a family.

Julia, and Erin, a successful local realtor, shared with me that the welcoming atmosphere, friendly neighbors, and

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sense of community, as some of the qualities that make the city a great place to call home.

Julia, who grew up outside of Boston, and Erin, a southern California native, first met briefly at a writer’s conference while Julia was in college. More than a decade later, they reconnected and eventually made their home together in Saratoga Springs. On June 23rd 2018 the couple wed in a ceremony at the Historic Barns of Nipmoose in Buskirk New York. They celebrated this important milestone with a honeymoon sailing in Greece.

This year the couple celebrated another milestone in the month of June when Julia gave birth to their son Kevin.

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Julia Dunn with the late Ed O'Brien at CBS News 6. Photo provided.

Parenthood is an important and attainable goal for many same sex couples, or any couple, and they have a number of options to choose from when starting a family. As our conversation continued, Erin and Julia shared that in vitro fertilization was the choice for their path to parenthood. In vitro fertilization or IVF is a multi-step process including medications to stimulate ovulation, egg retrieval, in vitro fertilization, and uterine implantation of the in vitro fertilized eggs. They credit the Boston IVF fertility clinic in Loudonville New York with guiding them through each step in the IVF process and speak highly of the care provided. Not only did the IVF experience produce their beautiful baby boy, but also as Julia said, “gives you a healthy respect for science.”

Baby Kevin was welcomed by his parents and their families as well, especially his namesake and grandfather, Julia’s dad Kevin Dunn. Erin and Julia shared their delightful means to denote one Kevin Dunn from the other, having nicknamed Mr. Dunn “K1” and baby Kevin as “K2”! Baby’ Kevin’s middle name, Thomas, pays tribute to Erin’s late father, Thomas Leavey.

Julia and Erin appreciate Saratoga’s walkability, especially when they take Kevin for rides in his stroller around their neighborhood, and to Congress Park and along Broadway. They enjoy running into the friends and neighbors they have come to know in this city Erin describes as “family friendly and welcoming.”

The wide range of activities to pursue in Saratoga and the surrounding area - and proximity to the Adirondacks! - appeals to the active couple. They enjoy a range of activities including skiing, hiking, sailing and horseback riding, which they plan to share with Kevin as well as other interests as he grows up.

Julia and Erin “absolutely fell in love” with Saratoga Springs. The Spa City has been the perfect place for them to start their life together, and their new journey together into parenthood. SF

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Photo provided.

Photo provided.

A Different Kind of TRY-OUT WRITTEN BY MEGIN POTTER | PHOTO BY SUPER SOURCE MEDIA STUDIOS UNLESS NOTED

Two industrious women prove that the kind of testing kids want is a chance to test the waters.

Rebecca Carulli and Tammy Haarman.

The name, BeTa Community Programs, is derived by combining the first two letters of its co-founder’s first names: Rebecca (Becky) Carulli and Tammy Haarman. It also spells out what their company, which was founded in January, organizes– a variety of enrichment activities for everyone to try out.

“We’re new and forever changing but we’re always guided by what the community wants and needs,” said Tammy.

FUSION ENERGY While BeTa offers programs for everyone – from preschool-aged to seniors, they are especially skilled at providing a variety of activities for school-age children. It’s a group these two women have proven they can make things happen for.

When Rebecca Carulli, an environmental engineer, moved to Saratoga in 2014, she was looking for a chance to get involved at her kids’ school, so she joined the Lake Avenue Elementary School Parent Teacher Association (PTA). Since then, she’s served two years as Treasurer and has been PTA CoPresident for four within Saratoga Springs City School District.

Tammy Haarman, whose background is in healthcare and business administration, has three daughters the same age as Becky’s three children. She worked at the Saratoga Regional YMCA as a preschool teacher for a decade and served as the Lake Avenue PTA Co-President for six non-consecutive years.

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Under their direction, the PTA flourished and expanded. They managed more than 30 various committees, brought new and exciting programs to their school, expanded communication, and went completely digital. During their terms, Lake Avenue was designated a National PTA School of Excellence twice, and they also introduced the National PTA Reflections Arts Program to the school.

At the height of the pandemic, Becky’s and Tammy’s resourcefulness made it possible for beloved school traditions to continue and new ones to emerge.

By transforming the 5th-graders’ annual pasta dinner into a take-home kit, they kept it accessible while social-distancing. Similarly, they reimagined the Halloween Fun Fair to be held at an outdoor venue and started a monthly “Restaurant Night” to give back to businesses that had always supported them in the past.

It’s the same foundation that BeTa’s business model is based on. Supporting local and going beyond the win-win scenario, it’s a fullfledged “Winner’s Circle.”

WIDENING THE “WINNER’S CIRCLE” BeTa’s unique business model creates benefits for all involved including local schools, parent associations, businesses, private instructors, caregivers, and students of all ages.

When BeTa works with local elementary schools to provide before and after school programs on the premises, the parent association receives a percentage of class registration fees to help support the student and teacher community. In addition, parents struggling to manage childcare appreciate the opportunity for extending the school day with quality enrichment options for their children.

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The talented instructors, who partner with BeTa, whether local business owners or individuals, are able to enjoy doing what they love without the hassle of coordinating class schedules, registration and payment collection details.

“We have so many resources in our community and BeTa is a great conduit for bringing them together,” said Tammy.

“People have been coming out of the woodwork because they want to be involved,” added Becky. “There is a lot of talent in our community that can be shared with others.”

THE TEST RESULTS BeTa Community Programs has already offered kids in both Saratoga and South Glens Falls a variety of classes including foreign language, sports, dance, yoga, chess, book clubs, fitness and more.

For adults there have been line and swing dancing, introduction to beekeeping, landscaping and many more planned for the near future. BeTa is currently scheduling classes for the fall, winter and spring and actively looking for partners and locations to expand their programming. BeTa is also pursuing opportunities for older kids including intramural middle school sports.

Because of their partnership with local schools, BeTa’s before and after school enrichment classes give parents the knowledge that their kids are getting the chance to fill that often otherwise underutilized time with something unique, taught by a trusted instructor.

That’s a formula for success!

To find out more about BeTa Community Programs follow them on Facebook and online at www.betacommunityprograms.com. SF

FALL/WINTER 2022 | SARATOGA FAMILY | 21

Let's Get

cooking!

Recipes by

Do your kids love chicken nuggets? Or do you?

Looking for a delicious but crispy recipe to make these delicious bites? I've got you covered with this yummy combo. It's not hard, but yes, there's a little time involved.

However, that being said... you can make these ahead (see below), freeze them and make your life a whole lot easier in the future. Your future self will thank you for thinking ahead; just sayin'.

I love doubling, sometimes tripling certain recipes. It can be labor intensive, but then I'm covered for a while and my freezer is full and my dinnertime is not so rushed and I don't have to think and wonder, what's for dinner? And typically, I'm the only one who answers that question at my house.

These crispy homemade chicken nuggets go with a whole lot of different side dishes; salads, my easy roasted broccoli or my cinnamon sweet potatoes.

Dinner can be delicious and nutritious!

My Easy Roasted Broccoli • Broccoli, 3 buds

• Onion powder

• Olive oil

• Garlic Powder

• Sea salt

• Red Pepper Flakes

INSTRUCTIONS: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Wash the broccoli buds and cut them into florets. Toss them in a bowl with a light layer of olive oil, until they are coated.

Spread them onto a nonstick baking sheet.Sprinkle them with a generous coating of sea salt and onion powder along with a light coating of garlic powder and red pepper flakes.Roast the broccoli for 25 - 30 minutes.

Serve 'AS IS' or Add Cheese Sauce: • 2 tablespoons butter

• 4 oz. cream cheese

• 3 tablespoons milk

About 10 - 15 minutes before the broccoli is finished roasting, melt the butter over low heat in a pan small saucepan. Add the 4 ounces of cream cheese and stir until that begins to melt. Add in the milk, continuing to stir as the mixture becomes creamy and all comes together into a thick cheese sauce.

Add to the top of the broccoli before serving.

Cinnamon Sweet Potatoes • 2 large sweet potatoes

• 1 teaspoon onion powder

• 2-3 tablespoons canola oil

• 1 teaspoon sea salt

• 1 tablespoon cinnamon INSTRUCTIONS: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Wash and peel the sweet potatoes. Slice and dice them. Place the dice potatoes into a bowl.

Coat them with the canola oil. Stir the cinnamon, onion powder and sea salt together. Sprinkle it into the oil coated potatoes and stir until they are evenly covered with the spiced mixture. Bake for 30 minutes; until the potatoes are tender and start to crisp along the edges.

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Crispy Chicken Nuggets • 1 - 11/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken strips • 2 cups buttermilk • 2 cups Panko breadcrumbs • 1 tablespoon onion powder • 1 teaspoon paprika • 1 teaspoon garlic powder • 3/4 teaspoon salt • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper • 2 eggs • 1/4 cup flour • 2 tablespoons mayonnaise INSTRUCTIONS: Cut the chicken into nugget size.

Place the chicken in a glass bowl and cover it with the buttermilk. Place saran wrap over the top and let it set on the counter while preparing the rest of the ingredients.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Spread the Panko breadcrumbs onto a baking sheet that's been generous coated with nonstick canola cooking spray. Spray the top of the Panko and toast them until they are lightly golden in the oven for approximately 5-8 minutes. Remove and let them cool.

Stir the spices together in a small bowl: onion powder, paprika, garlic powder, salt, and cayenne pepper.

Once the toasted Panko has cooled, stir the spices into it until evenly distributed.

Whip the eggs and together with the mayo using a fork or small whisk.

Stir in the flour until it's a smooth.

Drain the excess buttermilk from the chicken, stir in the batter.

Dredge the coated chicken in the seasoned Panko being careful to not bring extra batter over into the breadcrumbs. Push the panko onto the chicken firmly.

Place the coated chicken pieces on a baking sheet generously coated with nonstick canola cooking spray. Coat the top of the nuggets with the spray.

Bake for approximately 20 minutes; until crispy and fully cooked!  MAKE AHEAD: You can actually make these ahead and cook them. Let them cool completely. Once they are cooled simply put them into a freezer bag or other airtight freezer container and then simply heat them up on a busy weeknights for an easy dinner.  HONEY MUSTARD DIPPING SAUCE: My favorite way to serve these chicken nuggets is with a homemade honey mustard dipping sauce. Stir 3 tablespoons of mayonnaise together with 1 tablespoon of milk, 1 tablespoon of mustard and 1 tablespoon of honey - you're welcome!

Kids in the Kitchen!

Every recipe, even the simple ones, are filled with kitchen lessons for kids. Here are a few to focus on when making your own homemade crispy chicken nuggets.

• cutting • knife safety • marinating • dredging saratogaTODAYnewspaper.com

• baking and oven safety • measuring ingredients • following directions

You can always catch what’s going on in our lives at www.JodieFitz.com and facebook.com/jodiefitzcooks, or check out my cook books available on my website!

FALL/WINTER 2022 | SARATOGA FAMILY | 23

Gather

Around the Table WRITTEN BY DIANE WHITTEN, MS, NUTRITION EDUCATOR,

CORNELL COOPERATIVE EXTENSION SARATOGA COUNTY

T

he change of seasons is a great time to change some habits. After a busy, hectic summer, fall is a time to gather family indoors around the table to reap the benefits of family meals. Researchers at Cornell University, College of Human Ecology studied whether eating together as a family makes a difference and came away with some insights and recommendations for families. The most reliable benefit of family meals is lower depression in youth, a mental health condition that rose significantly during the COVID-19 pandemic. One of the most important things you as a parent can do is keep lines of communication open with your child; having meals together is a great opportunity to talk.

24 | SARATOGA FAMILY | FALL/WINTER 2022 saratogaTODAYnewspaper.com

Below are some practical steps for families from the Cornell research.

SET A GOAL: Try to have family gather for a meal at least three times a week. Ideally, families would eat every meal together, but in the real world today that’s often a lofty goal. Luckily, research shows that having just three meals together as a family each week is beneficial. A meal doesn’t have to be dinner, it can include breakfast or lunch.

KEEP IT SIMPLE: A family meal can be messy and hectic; it doesn’t have to be your picture of the perfect family meal. Simply sitting together for a meal can provide a child with stability. A family meal can be at home, at a restaurant, in a park, or near the playing field.

ENCOURAGE CONVERSATION: Mealtimes are the most common times children talk with parents, so guard your mealtimes from outside distractions. Turn the TV off and put the cell phones on mute. Ask questions about school, work, friends, plans for the future, or simply about the food you’re eating together. Give everyone a chance to talk and be heard.

Other possible benefits of eating meals together as a family include lower rates of eating disorders in children, a healthier diet, and less likely to be overweight.

Ideas for Conversation Starters Ages 2-7: • What is your favorite food and why?

• If you could be a color what would it be and why?

• Where do the foods we eat come from?

Ages 8-13 • If you could be any animal, what would it be and why?

• What 3 words would you use to describe our family?

• What is one place that you’d like to visit?

Ages 14+ • Finish this sentence: “Everyone knows that my worst habit is…”

• If you could make money doing whatever you love to do, what would you want to do for a living?

• Can you tell me one thing that you learned today that you think I might not know?

GATHER MORE IDEAS If you want to get children more interested in meals consider including them in meal planning.

Make it a game to see how many meal ideas you can come up with in ten minutes. Come up with some themes for dinner, like Taco Tuesdays or Breakfast for Dinner.

Bring children to the grocery store to learn about shopping and pick out a new food to try. Kids are more likely to try something new when they picked it out themselves.

Involve children in preparing the meal and setting the table. Depending on the age of your child they can be given tasks, such as stirring, chopping, cooking, pouring or serving. Make it fun by having kids take turns being waiters for everyone at the table.

Family meals do more than just nourish the body, they nourish the mind and soul as well, leading to shared learning, stronger family bonds, and better communication. SF

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FALL/WINTER 2022 | SARATOGA FAMILY | 25

Family Differences in Organizational Types WRITTEN BY JORDANA TURCOTTE

OF SIMPLY YOU

We all have our own systems, preferences in how we put things away; likes and dislikes in managing stuff. There really is no “right” way to organize as long as you can find what you want when you need it and each room or area functions as intended.

What causes problems within homes is the clash of organizational styles. Someone in the family may like piles out and things accessible, and another may like stuff in drawers with clean surfaces. I find this to be the biggest battle in families; varying styles in how they organize.

Battles can be over things not “cleaned up” to the standards of the other or one person moving the other’s items because they want it out of the way.

The timing of when things are dealt with may also not be fast enough for the other person. Poor communication and unequal expectations are the main reasons for these household issues.

The first solution is to identify how you like to organize and how you like to keep things. Each family member should do the same. Then, a household meeting should take place. Communication and understanding can solve most problems. One example is placement of the new mail. Just saying why you want it placed in a different spot may be all is needed for the person bringing it in to change where they drop it. Really.

Varying organization levels can and do work fine in many homes. The key is to plan for the differences. Accommodating versus trying to force someone to do something they really can’t do is a futile battle. Some great examples of how you can make differences work is giving each person their own drop zone, in-box or the like. If someone is a “stuffer,” give them a drawer! If someone is a pile person, give them a flat surface that is an ok place for those piles (indefinitely.)

Keeping area’s “up” to house standards may fall more on one person than others, but it’s always best to assign jobs to all. Establishing the rule that if an item is left in the wrong spot, it will be placed in that person’s bin can help a lot. If a family member doesn’t see it where they left it, they should check their bin first. This becomes a maintenance system. How the bin is maintained by the owner is their prerogative. This highlights how clear communication can navigate things that may strain relationships in varying styles of organization.

Now, it is fair to say that there may be no organization going on at all. It may be a free-for-all for many family members and many things. Only 15% of people are born with the organizing gene, everyone else must work at it!

So, whether or not you are a piler, a stuffer or a lucky type A – just remember, everything must have a home, and it must live there. SF

The Secret to

Eating Controlled & Healthier WRITTEN BY MEGIN POTTER When you’re trying to maintain a healthy lifestyle, the fall and winter months feel like one big conspiracy conjured up as a cruel trick just to sabotage our diets.

Every few weeks, from Halloween until Easter, there’s another holiday centered around food. It’s a vicious cycle of temptations, followed by weight gain and regrets.

Want to get off the treadmill, get into the fast lane, and put it in cruise control?

WELCOME TO TRAFFIC LIGHT EATING Traffic light eating is a simple, straightforward way to approach food that is easy to remember and can help you stick to a healthy diet forever. It’s a way of classifying foods that’s devoid of fads or gimmicks and that even young children will understand.

Green Means Go: Green light foods are ones that grow (including all fruits and vegetables). Eat as much as you’d like. They are high in nutrients and lower in calories.

Yellow – Use Caution: Ok to eat everyday in moderation, yellow light foods include chicken, fish, low fat dairy, eggs and whole grains.

Red – Stop and Think: Red light foods include red meats, processed meats (bacon, sausage, etc.) cakes, pies, candy, chips, and white bread. These foods are usually high in calories, fat, or sugar. They pack on the pounds but leave us hungry for more.

HOW TO CHOOSE WISELY When it comes to healthy eating, start by answering the question, “Why is this important to me?” said Sherri Rose, owner of Health Harmony Coaching and a health and wellness practitioner at a primary healthcare office in Clifton Park.

Next, come up with a plan.

“It’s not about being perfect, it’s about making informed decisions,” she said.

Learn how to read food labels and about the startling amount of sugar in foods.

“Most people are willing to give themselves permission to indulge, but then it’s the getting back on track that’s the problem,” continued Sherri.

Have two parties planned for the week? If you go in and wing it, regrets and weight gain are likely close behind.

“Decide where your calories are going to come from.”

Don’t deny yourself, come up with a plan that balances an indulgence with healthier options at breakfast and lunch, and getting in an extra workout.

Recognizing why you’re eating is also important. During the holidays, we’re prone to stress and emotional eating, so if this happens to you, remove yourself from the trigger and have a list of healthy food swaps or activities ready that you can do instead so you won’t abandon your healthy eating goals.

“You’re in the driver’s seat, it’s your journey,” said Sherri.

A health coach can help get you from Point A to Point B and hold you accountable for your decisions along the way.

For more information, you can find Sherri at Circulo Health at 1714 Rte. 9 in Clifton Park, NY, reach her by phone at 518-900-1115 or online at www. circulohealth.com/huddle. SF

26 | SARATOGA FAMILY | FALL/WINTER 2022 saratogaTODAYnewspaper.com

TO VENMO OR NOT VENMO...

WRITTEN BY

RICK COBELLO Rick Cobello, a professor of Supply Chains and Cyber Security programs at Albany Law has over 30 years of experience in enterprise technology and security solutions. His career has spanned from local and state government to Fortune 5 companies, including General Electric. He has global experience in health care, a Master Black Belt in Six Sigma and Security certifications in CEH, CISSP, and CHFI. He currently is President of Global Cybersecurity Solutions.

that is the Question.

Well, it is a little more complicated than this…

Do you Venmo, Zelle, or PayPal your son or daughter, or buy groceries online?

If yes, then you used an E-payment system.

How does it work? Is it Safe? Is it for You? Let’s investigate a bit, and see how it works…

E- payments are transactions of money electronically transferred from one account to another. E-payments are intangible assets where no actual cash exchanges hands.

Do you need to pay your friend for the pizza you purchased together or buy books for your college student… it’s easy to Venmo! Did you order online groceries during the pandemic? You probably used your Digital Wallet to pay.

Using E-payment systems, means that no cash, credit or debit cards, or checks are needed. These transactions are processed using a phone or computer through a processing center.  IS IT SAFE? The E-Payments are not like credit cards as there is no physical card or cash.

When you set up your account, the procedures are similar.

• Download the App • Connect to a bank account • Set up recipients from importing contacts This is the easy part. Security and privacy are the most important aspects of the E-payment process.

You cannot use the app unless it is connected to a bank account or sometimes a credit card. This is where you need to practice maximum personal security. saratogaTODAYnewspaper.com

Do not divulge to anyone the connected bank account as this is a “live” connection to your account.

Know your contacts. If John Williams requests money from you through Venmo and you do not know John Williams, do not send money. If there is someone I am sending money to for a purchase, I ask them for their phone number. Why? There are many people named, John Williams, so make sure it is the right one! When you look at Rick Cobello on Venmo, it is my picture. This is a security safeguard preventing the wrong person from getting the money.

Now, this is the tough one. The payment systems are secure and encrypted… but remember I am the cybersecurity guy. I never connect ANY of my E-payment accounts to my everyday checking account. I have a secondary account I set up that has a minimal amount of money available. It can be used for E-Gas apps, payments for Facebook Marketplace, or rent payments. If someone hacked my account, there is a small amount of money in the account that could be taken.

There are multiple ways to accept money, but this is best explained by the app you are using.  IS IT FOR YOU? I rarely write a check unless it is for a ski trip due to the high credit card cost and not being able to use E-payments yet. I do use Venmo but primarily use PayPal as it is set up well for secure online transactions. Venmo is still the app of choice for personal finance transactions. It is easy, quick, and very efficient. It does require a bit more attention to security details but offers an easy way to pay for the pizza your college student purchased on Friday night.

Be wise and vigilant in using E-payments. It is a part of our cashless society.

Global Cybersecurity Solutions, Keeping an Eye on Security

SF

FALL/WINTER 2022 | SARATOGA FAMILY | 27

Meet Lydia Yaiser A Student Who Stuttered WRITTEN BY MEGIN POTTER | PHOTOS PROVIDED As a child, Lydia’s life was flipped upside down because of her stutter and the medical professionals who were woefully uninformed in their knowledge of this speech impediment. Now, she’s helping to make sure others who have a stutter suffer less than she did.

By age four, Lydia Yaiser spoke with a stutter. Although stuttering is caused by a combination of factors including genetics, language development, environment, and brain structure, one thing that does not cause a stutter is stress.

Why stress has become a diagnosis frontrunner for everyone from the casual observer to trained professionals is unclear, but the wrongly perpetuated misconception and discrimination that results from this narrow view of stuttering is undeniable.

The faulty assumption that anxiety (springing forth from some nefarious source) was the cause of Lydia’s stuttering ultimately transformed her life.

STUTTERING IN SCHOOL It is estimated that stuttering affects three million Americans, yet it remains a disability that is very much misunderstood.

While a student in the Saratoga Springs School District, a teacher isolated Lydia from other children in the classroom because of her stuttering.

“She believed they were starting to develop a stutter from watching me speak. This is not possible. Stuttering is not contagious. The kids were merely copying my stutter because they thought it was cool and an interesting way to speak,” remembers Lydia.

Lydia Yaiser

DANGEROUS ASSUMPTIONS Far from being harmless, the prevailing misconception that stuttering is a manifestation of nervousness perpetuates in both subtle and totally blatant forms of discrimination. As a result, someone who stutters will often feel shame when they speak and may avoid certain words, or speaking altogether.

“The most drastic experience I have had growing up in Saratoga was with my pediatrician who was so uninformed on stuttering that I would call it pure negligence,” explained Lydia.

When she was eight, Lydia went to the doctor for persistent cold symptoms that her mother suspected could be allergy related.

At the busy office, Lydia and her aunt were paired with a doctor they’d rarely seen before. He falsely concluded that Lydia’s symptoms “indicated extreme stress” caused by abuse. This resulted in what Lydia calls a “horrible ordeal” that lasted nearly a year and a half, during which Child Protective Services (CPS) removed Lydia from her home.

“To put a very complicated situation into a nutshell... The destruction caused by CPS was so traumatic that I have tried to block out as much of the memories of it as possible,” Lydia said.

“Only those who have been through such severe trauma understand the pain and desire to forget the events. It’s a feeling that never leaves your body. It’s perpetual trauma.”

28 | SARATOGA FAMILY | FALL/WINTER 2022 saratogaTODAYnewspaper.com

Nathan Mallipeddi

A PRESIDENTIAL COMMENDATION

IN THE FACE OF PAIN Regardless of the lifelong traumatic experiences and discrimination, Lydia persevered to become an exceptional student. While attending acting classes in Los Angeles, CA, she met two Disney Channel actors who referred her to an online high school based in Dana Point, CA that they were attending designed for high-achieving students in the entertainment industry. Lydia welcomed the change and the challenge.

This year, Lydia received a full scholarship to Stanford’s Summer Program and studied immunology at Harvard’s Summer School. This fall, she became a Skidmore pre-med student and will also be shadowing a Saratoga Springs orthopedic surgeon.

“As an aspiring physician, I believe that no aspect of the human experience should be foreign to us or be only superficially understood. This is why, as a pre-med student, I make every effort to seek out opportunities that expand my experiences and feed my intellectual curiosity. I am fascinated by “the human experience” that we are all here together for a reason, and as a physician I will strive to make inroads ensuring everyone is represented, heard, and understood,” said Lydia. saratogaTODAYnewspaper.com

In May, Lydia’s friend, Harvard student Nathan Mallipeddi was the $75,000 grand prize winner of the Harvard President’s Innovation Challenge for his startup company MySpeech, a tech platform enabling access to high-quality speech therapy.

President Joe Biden sent a letter of congratulations to the award winners, recognizing MySpeech specifically and describing his own experience with stuttering.

“I remember the pain, dread, and fear of speaking in front of a group or even to another person. But I also learned that when you persevere in the face of struggle, you will be stronger for it. And the efforts of MySpeech will help so many people persevere.

You will help change people’s lives for the better.

Lydia is looking forward to a year of growth and worldwide impact in her own startup company but she happily finds time to help scale MySpeech by working on the UX development and writing grant proposals.

BECOMING A VOICE FOR OTHERS On their website, MySpeech states that there is only one specialist for every 30,000 people who stutter, explaining the lack of knowledge and treatment surrounding the disability.

“The lack of medical education on speech issues should scare us all,” said Lydia. “Any child, any

person, anywhere, can be affected by these speech issues and they are completely normal! The lack of understanding isn’t just concerning, it’s dangerous.”

By persevering through his own struggles with speech, Nathan Mallipeddi has led efforts helping more than 20,000 people in 25+ countries. The MySpeech app, currently being beta-tested with approximately 200 users, continues this work by facilitating scholarships for speech therapy and speech therapists, providing educational videos and a community network.

Today, Lydia’s stuttering is much improved and she is grateful for the opportunity to help Nathan grow MySpeech.

“I never used to speak about stuttering, but I realized that if I don’t, then I’m missing a valuable opportunity to help someone. If I can be of help to spread the word on how to get a therapist who specializes in stuttering, by simply going to the MySpeech app or website, I gladly step up to the plate,” she said.

“I am so glad to be where I am today, pursuing my medical career and being a voice for those who aren’t heard. That doesn’t just stop at stuttering.

Being a doctor is committing to being a lifelong learner and I’m here for every second of it. As doctors, it is our duty to understand the human journey, and no one should be left behind.”

For more information about MySpeech, go to myspeechapp.org SF FALL/WINTER 2022 | SARATOGA FAMILY | 29

NO LIMITS Her mettle has been tested repeatedly, but Jodi Plante has moxie, and medals to match.

I

WRITTEN BY MEGIN POTTER | PHOTOS PROVIDED

t was a desert of extremes in St. George, Utah when Jodi competed in the Ironman 70.3 World Championships last September.

As the waves picked up, an unfortunate situation turned into a dangerous one. Drowning was an eminent possibility so boats were deployed to rescue the athletes.

“The weather was a bit of a mess. It was not the race I wanted,” she said.

“I felt relief when I was pulled into the boat but I was worried about the other competitors still in the water,” recalls Jodi. “When everyone was out of the water, the race was able to continue, but it really became about survival now and how I was going to get myself to the finish line.”

COME RAIN AND SHINE

A storm rolled through while Jodi was in the water during the first leg of the half-day competition that included swimming, biking, and running components. During the 1.2-mile swim, the temperature dropped into the 60s, the wind started whipping and the hail poured down.

Jodi’s body temperature had plummeted, she was shivering and turning blue. Still storming and with lightning cracking overhead, the wind pushed tumbleweeds across her path. Jodi wrapped

a space blanket around her core and slowly completed the hilly biking portion.

After riding 56 miles, the sun came out and along with it, the heat. With no shade, Jodi found it exhausting to complete the final leg of the race, a 13.1-mile run. Focused on staying hydrated and cool, she stuffed ice down her shirt, and refused to run out of steam until after crossing the finish line.

In July, Jodi competed in the Ironman Musselman 70.3 in Geneva and qualified to compete in the Ironman 70.3 World Championships, where she’ll be heading again this year.

“I’m concerned about the weather but I’m hoping that can’t happen two years in a row,” she said.

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LOCAL PATHS AND LONG ADVENTURES This is Jodi Plante’s 18th season competing in triathlons, a sport her sister introduced her to when she was 30 years old and that Jodi’s been in love with ever since she crossed that first finish line, she said.

Completing an average of five to seven races each year, she enjoys testing her spirit, tenacity, and courage in a continuous pursuit of excellence.

“I like seeing how much I can push myself and empowering other women by doing it. I’m leading by example,” she said.

Despite a harrowing fall from her bike during the Lake George Triathlon in 2017 that left her with an angular collarbone break, today, Jodi is at the top of her game.

BETTER THAN YESTERDAY Whether you’re competing at elite level or it’s still the first steps on your personal fitness journey, Jodi loves to share with you what she knows and mentoring others.

“Whatever you want to do, if you put your mind to it, you can accomplish it,” she said. “You can do it at any point in life. Just go do it. Start with one step.”

As a member of the Saratoga Triathlon Club, the Plush Global Team, the Eliel Cycling Factory Team, and the League of Garmin Jodi receives perks, discounts on gear, and the additional power that comes from an electrifying amount of spectator support.

“When you go to bigger races, you can meet up with other teammates and have an automatic family

(because you’re all wearing the same team kit) and cheer each other on even though you just met.”

For more inspiration and updates on Jodi Plante’s October 28th Ironman World Championship race, follow her on Facebook. SF

“Since then, I have wanted to come back stronger, so I have been pushing myself harder,” she said. In addition to competing in regional triathlons, she races in the events that attract the best in the sport, including the Lake Placid Ironman in 2014, 2019, and 2022.

Jodi lives locally and has been an architectural assistant for the Saratoga-based Olsen Associates since 1997, but travels all over to compete, often accompanied by her husband, Jim Jordan (they’ve been together for 17 years).

It’s a pursuit they’ve participated in as far away as Hong Kong. Always on the lookout for races when they travel, the couple ran a half marathon when last there.

“It was great. We loved it.” saratogaTODAYnewspaper.com

FALL/WINTER 2022 | SARATOGA FAMILY | 31

day trippin' with Just2FeetandaCamera.com

Statue of Liberty replica at Oatka Creek.

NEW YORK'S

BEST PLACES TO TRAVEL with e t i r o v a F r u O ! y l i am F – People WRITTEN & PHOTOGRAPHED (UNLESS NOTED) BY THERESA ST. JOHN

A

few months ago, I traveled through parts of New York state looking for stories about girlfriend/couples’ travel. And while I found plenty of great places to visit with a group of friends or a significant other, I was impressed with how many family-oriented places there were in and around Batavia.

Can I tell you how happy I am to see the world opening up again, to hear the sound of laughter, and to know how grateful folks seem to be traveling once more?

32 | SARATOGA FAMILY | FALL/WINTER 2022 saratogaTODAYnewspaper.com

❝

WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE PLACE?”

“I don't have a favorite place.

I have my favorite people.

And, whenever I'm with my favorite people, it becomes my favorite place.”

- Late-night Tales, Nivaz Ahmed

'Play Me a Tune' Music Garden at Go Art

Everyone I know loves a theme park, and when it comes with the name 'Six Flags,' even better! The 1,200-acre amusement park and resort in Corfu, New York, is no exception. It features an adventure park, water park, campground, and lodging, making it the perfect place to call 'home' for a few days while experiencing all the area has to offer.

Six Flags in Corfu, NY. Photo provided

Go Art has been developing the cultural life in Genesee and Orleans counties since 1962. I've visited a few times over the past several years and was pleased to see what they've been up to recently. They believe that art, music, and performance classes are a large part of our daily lives, and I agree. They have a curriculum specifically tailored to children, a teen center that runs various classes – and they even offer events geared toward adults.

I was most fascinated with a 'play me a tune' music garden, the staff members created in the alleyway. The space is filled with various instruments that children and others passing by can use to play a melody.

While there, a group of kids happened to be outside and treated me to a few minutes of inspirational songs.

Settler's Family Restaurant is a great place to try when you're in the area and crave a great breakfast. It's a family-owned business, and when I was there, construction workers, girlfriends, couples, and families filled the booths and tables in the spacious dining room.

I looked over the menu intently. I'm an eggs-over-medium kind of girl, but I decided to try a dish I'd never even heard of before - it was delicious! Eggs in a nest consisted of crispy hash browns, with two fried eggs in the center, topped with melted cheddar cheese and crumbled bacon. The serving was enormous - I couldn't even eat it all. As they say, I left a happy camper.

saratogaTODAYnewspaper.com

Settler's Family Restaurant - Eggs in a Nest FALL/WINTER 2022 | SARATOGA FAMILY | 33

Do you like Jell-O? I love Jell-O! I remember the jiggly-sweet treat from when I was a kid. My mom would make it from so many fruity flavors, and my sisters and I would top it off with whipped cream, enjoying each squishy mouthful. I had no idea there was a Jell-O Museum – and it's filled with all kinds of fun facts about the dessert my generation grew up with. After roaming around in the upstairs section of the building, wander downstairs where you can view all kinds of old wagons and carriages in the museum's transportation exhibit.

Jell- O Museum Right around the corner, I found another attraction well worth the visit. There's a pretty little gazebo, manicured lawn, and a Statue of Liberty – although a much smaller version, at the edge of Oatka Creek.

The Boy Scouts of America donated this replica, and it's cool to see. I bet the kids would love a photo standing in front of it. Can you say 'selfie-op'?

Adam Miller Toys & Bicycle Store

Batavia Bootery

I grew up in a small town called Franklin, Massachusetts.

It was walkable, and my family and I often wandered in and out of stores along the main roads on a Saturday afternoon. Downtown Batavia is the same – with plenty of stores for both children and adults to enjoy.

There are men's clothing shops, women's clothing shops, and even Adam Miller Toys and Bicycle Store that offers everything BUT a battery-operated toy for the kids in our lives. (Say What??) The Batavia Bootery has provided a fantastic family selection of shoes and boots at reasonable prices for the past several years. What I loved most was seeing how they still measure feet like the shoe stores of yesterday. There's a theatre, a Hemp CBD store, coffee shops, and more than a handful of great places to grab a meal while you're in town over the weekend.

A brother-sister team owns and runs an upscale jewelry store called Vallee Jewelers, and they've filled each case with a stunning selection of rings, watches, necklaces, bracelets, earrings, and more. With two full-time professional bench jewelers on site, you can even have your dream piece designed and made by them.

Vallee Jewelers

34 | SARATOGA FAMILY | FALL/WINTER 2022 saratogaTODAYnewspaper.com

A few minutes down the road, I found a historical museum with groups of families and students on supervised tours. I was there by myself and joined one that was in progress. The Holland Land Office Museum offers a plethora of information and artifacts covering Genesee County and insight into how critical players of the time surveyed and developed the land, which affected everyone around them – including the Native Americans.

Directly beside the museum, you can view and walk along Batavia's Honorary International Peace Garden – a beautiful demonstration of peace with partners worldwide promoting the sentiment. Volunteers do the upkeep, and the team is opening another section as we speak. I visited Dublin's Peace Garden a few years ago and was surprised to learn they are part of the same group! I'm impressed with how beautiful and peaceful this garden is, and I intend to learn more about the organization.

Holland Land Office Museum A great candy shop in the area is called Oliver's. OMG, I could smell the chocolate from the parking lot! Not only did I try French Creams for the first time, but I also sampled sponge candy. They're both delicious!

It's a family-owned business, and it was fun to watch children walking around, pointing out this, that, and the other thing they wanted mom and dad to buy and bring home.

Batavia's Honorary International Peace Garden

An excellent place to stop for lunch is Sweet Betty's. It reminds me of the '50s restaurants, with a black-and-white checkerboard floor, several well-spaced tables, and a long white counter for belly-up-to-the-kitchen options. They offer popcorn while you wait, and several people happily munched away on the treat while chefs worked on their menu choices.

Although the menu listed many tempting items, I went with the 3-cheese toasted sandwich with chips on the side. Don't pass on it if you love cheese like I love cheese – it's fabulous!

For dinner, I visited an old railroad station, which has since become a charming eatery named the D&R Depot Restaurant. It seemed to be a favorite of local families. When I asked what the waitress would recommend, she was spot-on in suggesting the chicken pot pie. I hadn't had one in ages, and it was one my mom would have been proud to call her own. They didn't skimp on anything either; vegetables, chunks of chicken, and creamy sauce were simmering when the dish arrived at my table.

Stop by Northwoods Alpacas before jumping on the highway when you leave town. According to their owner's website, 'these World-Class Alpacas have outstanding conformation, easy-to-handle temperaments, and high-quality elite fleece.' The animals are so stinkin' adorable; the kids will love petting them for a few minutes while you shop for Alpaca items in the little store at the end of the driveway. Shopping here is by appointment only, so call and arrange a visit — you'll be glad you did.

Oliver's Candy Shop saratogaTODAYnewspaper.com

Northwoods Alpacas

Listen, weekends with family are important. God knows we need more of them. Planning a road trip takes some effort – but New York State is more than willing to help with the task, filling a few days with time well-spent surrounded by the people we enjoy most, loved ones. SF FALL/WINTER 2022 | SARATOGA FAMILY | 35

Books Books Books REBEL MAMA: TELLING IT LIKE IT IS Book chronicles one local woman’s transition from rule-follower to Rebel Mama WRITTEN BY MEGIN POTTER | PHOTOS PROVIDED Laura Rafferty is a self-proclaimed “recovering rule-a- holic”.

“I feel like I’ve always thrived with structure, plans, and spreadsheets,” said Laura, a Ballston Lake resident who has, for the past 15 years, worked in Human Resources for General Electric.

When she became pregnant with her first child, Laura prepared for her baby’s arrival how she always had for everything else in her life.

“I dove into all the literature and put an organized plan together. I was all set,” she said.

Then reality messed with her plans, and a rebel was born.

Rebel Mama: Breaking Free from Motherhood Norms and Parenting from Within

by Laura Rafferty

BREAKING FREE Laura and her husband, Justin, had their son, Jack, in 2019. From the onset, they were determined to raise him by doing what they considered to be the “right” thing.

For Laura, that meant following her gut, even it flew in the face of societal norms.

“I wanted what was in the best interest of my child but there was lots of internal conflict because I was breaking rules,” she said.

Rebel Mama: Breaking Free from Motherhood Norms and Parenting from Within, released last September, describes with humor and heart, what happens when Laura defies the unwritten rules of raising a child.

THE WORST ADVICE EVER Rebel Mama tackles topics including circumcision, co-sleeping, extended nursing, mom guilt, and more.

While writing Rebel Mama, Laura found the advice from well-renowned professionals was not in sync with her own experiences as a parent.

One of the most extreme examples came from a respected expert who stated that at four months old a child should be put down to sleep at 7 pm and rest uninterrupted until 7 am the next morning. Should he awaken, letting baby cry it out will teach him to self-soothe.

“I hate the blanket advice that’s out there. It scares already exhausted and struggling mothers,” said Laura. “The way I wrote Rebel Mama, if you’re tired, sleep-deprived, and overwhelmed, you can still get something from it.” saratogaTODAYnewspaper.com

MOTHERING LIKE NO ONE’S WATCHING The unique experience of having her first child’s first year happen during the pandemic cemented Laura’s approach.

“I would not have had the experience I did if I hadn’t had the opportunity to self-isolate,” she said.

Exposed almost exclusively to her immediate family during this time, Laura was surrounded by people who were witnessing the benefits of bucking the system, and supportive of her decisions.

This year, the Rafferty’s had their second child, Benjamin, and Laura’s found herself in a different place – mentally and emotionally.

“If I’d had my children in reverse, there likely never would be such a thing as a rebel mama,” said Laura.

Now, she’s going full throttle, raising a baby while also tackling toddlerhood and, along the way, collecting stories from other mothers for her upcoming books.

Find Rebel Mama on Amazon and at Open Door Bookstore.

SF

FALL/WINTER 2022 | SARATOGA FAMILY | 37

2

Takes on Illustrator

Jody Wheeler

The BSHS Class of 1970 alum next embarks upon a quest that includes drawing inspiration from real life faces and places. Creating renderings based upon people and locations dear to her heart further assists Wheeler in bringing editorial suggestions to life.

“Since I worked on Corduroy’s Neighborhood while in Ballston Spa, it seemed a great idea to use our library where Andrea Simmons does such an outstanding job at the helm as the setting for the library spread. Andrea and her staff have created a great children’s book area there. It’s a wonderful environment and resource for the whole community. The fun part of the creative process was capturing Andrea’s joyful spirit,” notes Wheeler, whose portfolio includes illustrations in more than 80 additional books for young readers.

Simmons, a second generation librarian who next year will celebrate her 20th anniversary directing the Ballston Spa Public Library, said it was an honor to be chosen as a model for one of the smiling faces inside the covers of Corduroy’s Neighborhood.

“I wasn’t sure just what to expect when Jody asked me to share a photo of myself to be used in conjunction with this literary project, but I’ve long been a fan of her artwork as well as being grateful for the many books Jody has donated to our library system so wanted to help in any way possible,” recalls Simmons, who was just 16 when she began working in a library in the early 1990s. (At the time her now retired mother Lynn Berman was a librarian in Syracuse.)

“Like my mom, I absolutely love being a librarian and I'm so glad that how I feel about my profession comes through in Jody's artistic renderings of me,” says Simmons.

1. EXTRA! EXTRA!

Read all about how village librarian became part of a Corduroy book for young readers WRITTEN AND PHOTOGRAPHED BY ANN HAUPRICH Nationally acclaimed children’s book illustrator Jody Wheeler’s lifetime love of literature can be traced back to her girlhood in Ballston Spa where she spent countless hours exploring titles found on the shelves of her hometown’s public library.

So it wasn’t surprising that when it came to choosing a “model” librarian for Corduroy’s Neighborhood (based on the beloved Teddy

bear character created by the late Don Freeman), Wheeler chose the village’s longtime Chief Librarian Andrea Simmons.

A self-proclaimed City Mouse, Country Mouse who divides her time between home-based studios in Ballston Spa and Manhattan, Wheeler begins each new project in the Corduroy the Bear series by receiving artwork suggestions for each page from her editors at Viking.

If the face of another character inside the covers of Corduroy’s Neighborhood also looks familiar to some readers, it’s because the renderings were made from photos of a firefighter whom Wheeler admired during her formative years in Ballston Spa. “I grew up next door to the Groom family on Pinewood Lane, near Rowland Street. Bud’s grandfather founded the Star Fire Co. in 1901 that later became the Union Fire Company. Bud’s father as well as Bud and his brother Bill ultimately also served with distinction as full-time members of the Union Volunteer Fire Co. It was great to see Bud in his uniform and exciting to see the trucks zooming by as we young adventure-loving Pinewood Lane Gang members ran to the top of the street to watch them respond to nearby fire calls,” remembers Wheeler.

Thanks to generous donations by Wheeler, copies of Corduroy’s Neighborhood as well as a diversity of other titles she illustrated are available on loan for free from the Southern Adirondack Library System. Those wishing to own copies for personal libraries may purchase them from Northshire Books in Saratoga Springs as well as via Amazon.com. To learn more about Jody Wheeler, please visit wheelerillustration.com and visit her store at Zazzle: zazzle.com/wheelerart. SF

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2. The Magic is Real WRITTEN BY MEGIN POTTER Arriving unexpectedly from a far-off world, something supernatural lands in suburbia.

Amid this quiet neighborhood, magic is happening, and an adventure is unfolding.

The year is 1982 and Steven Spielberg’s masterpiece, “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial,” is landing in theaters. Capturing the hearts and imaginations of young and old alike, the world is captivated by the friendship between the film’s gentle alien, and Elliott, a boy who finds the courage to help him return home.

THE BEGINNING Unexpectedly, that same year, Jody Wheeler is asked to submit a sample painting for consideration to Spielberg and Universal Studios. They’re looking for an illustrator to replicate the movie’s licensed characters for a series of children’s books.

At the time, Jody is living in New York City, working as a production assistant, and trying to get her career off the ground.

Creating paste up mechanicals from the art department of Simon & Schuster’s Young Readers division and taking classes at the School of Visual Arts to build up her portfolio, Jody’s published work consists only of illustrations for a Kindergarten-level math workbook and a coloring book.

“I put everything into that,” says Jody about the watercolor image she submitted featuring E.T. in a misty forest, his heart glowing with love.

THE ACCEPTANCE Jody’s illustration was their second favorite but because she’d earned the reputation of being a good person to work with, she was selected.

“At a certain point they said, ‘you got the job’ and I was in total shock. I was so excited.”

“When a movie came out these books were put out as inexpensively as possible to go along with it,” she continues. “Then the movies and books would disappear, but in this case, that’s certainly not what happened.” saratogaTODAYnewspaper.com

THE GLITCH Working from movie stills and slides, Jody spent a year in her apartment painting pictures for what would eventually become six Learn with E.T. paperbacks, the Look at Plants with E.T. and Meet Baby Animals with E.T. board books, and an activity book.

“I drew Elliot so many times that I could tell he was growing up over the course of the movie by the slant of his shoulders,” Jody remembers, “but it was my big break and I loved it.”

Both she and Simon and Schuster were very happy with how the work was progressing, then a package arrived and along with it, an unexpected glitch.

To appear consistent across platforms, the character of E.T. was a specific Pantone shade of brown and Jody’s version was a bit too dark. Because Photoshop had not yet been invented, she meticulously repainted each image of E.T., cut them out and pasted the lighter version with rubber cement on the original artwork. Then the illustrations were reshot. Going forward, Jody was sure to paint E.T. in the lighter tone, she said.

The first “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial” illustration Jody Wheeler created was selected as the cover for Look at Plants with E.T. and remains her favorite 40 years later.

THE AMAZEMENT Today, Jody has illustrated 75+ books and her images can be reproduced on a large array of merchandise. She’s gone on to paint beloved children’s characters including Max and Ruby, Madeline, and Corduroy the Bear but it was through her work with E.T. that she discovered something magical.

“For the most part I have been able to keep going in my career in illustration through all the stylistic changes and trends in children’s books because I’m able to recreate the style of other illustrators. E.T. was the first licensed character.”

For E.T.’s 40th Anniversary, see 40 of Jody Wheeler’s illustrations by going to www.wheelerillustration.com and @WheelerIllustration on Facebook. SF FALL/WINTER 2022 | SARATOGA FAMILY | 39

“Water Sprites!”

A treasured photo of Buzzy and Sue.

Buzzy and his family in their Sunday best.

A Young Boy’s Autobiography Eases His Family’s Grief, Bringing Healing & Joy to Many

R

WRITTEN BY WENDY HOBDAY HAUGH | PHOTOS PROVIDED BY SUE VAN HOOK

obert “Buzzy” Sweet was a seemingly healthy, adventurous 13-year-old boy when he passed away suddenly from acute leukemia in January of 1957. His unexpected death left friends and family grappling with grief and a thousand unanswered questions. There were no warning signs, no visible symptoms of illness. Nothing had prepared the boy’s loved ones for this tragic loss.

“While cleaning out my mother’s attic, I found an autobiography assignment that Buzzy had written at age 13, just two weeks before he died,” she recalls. “After finding it, I Xeroxed copies of Buzzy’s handwritten story, made decorative covers, and gave copies to family members at Christmas. We all found it immensely valuable as we continued to heal from the loss of our brother, son, cousin, nephew, and grandson.”

“Back then, death wasn’t discussed openly as it is now,” recalls Buzzy’s sister, Sue Van Hook of Cambridge. “We were clearly told not to talk about it, ever.” For over thirty years, Buzzy’s mother and father, two brothers, and two younger sisters carried the heavy burden of repressed grief—until one day, Sue made an unexpected and joyful discovery.

Three years ago, after rereading Buzzy’s story, Sue realized that her brother’s autobiography could offer perspective, inspiration, and healing to other families struggling with the devastating loss of a child. “Buzzy’s story has legs,” Sue says.

“When I reread it, I realized that its relevance and importance extended far beyond our own family.”

Buzzy: My Adventurous Short Life, published in 2022 by Balboa Press, tells the tale of an all too brief but exuberant life filled with curiosity, wonder, love, and laughter. “I was born June 15, 1943, about 12 o’clock,” Buzzy begins. “The hospital was Waterbury Hospital in Conn. My parents had wanted a girl, after 2 boys, but they had to be satisfied with what they got. My mother said that I weighed about 9 lb. 4 oz. My mother must have had a lot of fun totin’ me around with her.”

In an era when kids happily raced outdoors after breakfast, returning home only for meals, Buzzy explored his world voraciously. Pennies left on railroad tracks. Wagons careening downhill, colliding with telephone poles. Summers spent investigating every inch of North Haven Island in Penobscot Bay, Maine, where his maternal grandparents lived.

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Sue Van Hook of Cambridge has published her brother Buzzy’s inspiring autobiography.

“Buzzy describes most of the activities we all grew up doing,” Sue Van Hook writes. “Fishing for flounder, cod, and mackerel, clamming, lobstering, berry-picking, gardening, whole days spent beachcombing and exploring the woods and shoreline. It was a life of complete freedom—ideally, what every child should be able to experience. That’s one reason why I’m sharing Buzzy’s story—so children today may vicariously sense what that freedom feels like; so they can learn what their parents and grandparents did for fun before the arrival of technology and screen-based activities.”

Ever imaginative, Buzzy and his best friend, Andy, made giant slingshots out of old inner tubes and built airplanes, boats, birdhouses, even bunk beds, out of scraps of wood. Buzzy wrote candidly about their sneakier endeavors, too, like throwing water balloons at people they didn’t like or washing the blackboard poorly when punished at school—so they wouldn’t be asked to do it again! Crazy chemistry set experiments, baking adventures gone wrong, chipmunks eating from his hand, playing on school basketball and football teams . . . fascinated by the world around him, Buzzy Sweet truly found delight in everything.

To illustrate Buzzy’s story, Sue drew coloredpencil drawings in a purposefully childlike manner in an attempt to depict scenes as her brother might have drawn them. “Although, truthfully, that’s the best I could manage,” she adds with a laugh. But the simple illustrations work beautifully, readily transporting the reader from one Buzzy escapade to the next. saratogaTODAYnewspaper.com

No stranger to adventure herself, Sue Van Hook continues the Sweet tradition of joyful exploration through her work as a naturalist, a mycologist (a branch of biology dealing with fungi), and a Healing Touch practitioner. “During the course of my training in Healing Touch Therapy, my mentor told me that a child’s death carries away some of the dysfunctional pain of family dynamics, bringing family members closer together forever. This is certainly true for our branch of the Sweet family.

“Whether dealing with siblings, parents, grandparents, neighbors, friends, or strangers, honor these connections and treat others accordingly. Make memories that last, celebrate joy every day, keep smiling, and be grateful every day for all that you have. Let Buzzy’s legacy of joyful adventures remind you to laugh it off, to take risks, and to challenge yourself.”

For more information, or to purchase Buzzy: My Adventurous Short Life, contact Sue Van Hook at 518-788-7388 or visit suevanhook.com SF

“We have an extraordinarily adventurous extended family. My parents had three boys, then eleven years of miscarriage, followed by two girls,” Sue explains. “As a result, we’re a half-generational family with close friendships and adoration between siblings, cousins, nephews, nieces. We all share a deep love for the magic of North Haven Island, and many of us—including my husband and I and our three daughters and their families—return to the island every summer. Our entire extended family gets together every five years. We’re very close. Numbering 48 folks now, from a newborn to the eldest at 83, we support one another daily in life’s simple joys, pleasures and heartaches.”

Sue Van Hook dedicates her brother’s book: “To all the families who have lost children. To my brother Buzzy, who lived fully until he died suddenly. Finding your autobiography has brought immeasurable healing to the family.”

She hopes that her brother’s autobiography will inspire children “to find simple pleasures in the small things, like encounters with animals, plants, adverse weather, classmates, recess, marbles, fishing . . . . Adventures can be low-cost or no-cost if you use your imagination and available, discarded materials.” Sue also hopes kids will see that their relationships with others matter greatly.

FALL/WINTER 2022 | SARATOGA FAMILY | 41

WRITTEN BY

ZANE CARSON CARRUTH

The Honorable Thank You Note

Zane Carson Carruth, President, Carson Marketing and Vice President Carruth Foundation, is a certified business protocol & etiquette professional, author of The World’s First Tooth Fairy... Ever, Copyright First Animated Tooth Fairy Influencer. Board of Directors: Discovery Green Conservancy, Houston SPCA and TUTS; First Lady of the Rodeo; Honored; ABC’S 13 Women of Distinction, Women Who Mean Business, Top Impact Maker and St Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital Woman of Philanthropy.

Headshot photo by Gittings.

One way to get the child engaged with writing thank you notes, is to create an activity box with them. Go shopping together and let them select stickers, colored pencils, ribbons. When they get a little older, you can add wax seals to their correspondence supply box.

The parental goal in this of course, is to train them to write thank you notes as a way of life. It needs to become a habit to acknowledge the act of kindness, or gift someone has done for you. Shopping for the perfect gift to send the graduate, birthday person, or newlywed takes a lot of time and expense.

Thank you notes are a way to show gratitude, appreciation, and acknowledgement for a gift or favor someone did for you. They are a joy to receive and I believe an honor to write.

It’s very important to teach your children the art of writing thank you notes at a very young age.

Beginning early and making the process fun will help ensure they continue the process throughout their life.

Stationary stores sell thank you notes for very young children that are pre-written with fill in the blanks for children learning to write. Some come complete with stickers or ones they can color themselves.

Introducing your children to a fun activity using stickers, crayons and drawing is the prefect launch for their lifelong commitment to writing thank you notes.

I am always excited to mail someone a gift and can’t wait to hear if they loved it, if it fit, was the color just right. And if I don’t receive any form of acknowledgement or thanks, I wonder if they even received it, and that makes me sad. The idea of writing thank you notes is to let the giver know you received it, and appreciated their time and effort associated with the special gift. Even if you receive a gift and go “what in the world were they thinking?” a thank you note is expected. You can always sincerely thank them for the effort and thought.

There is nothing as personal as a sincere handwritten thank you note. It’s a lovely gesture to express your appreciation and gratitude for the gift or support someone has provided you. Every summer, my daughter sends my husband and me a handwritten note thanking us for the wonderful time they had staying in our home for a few weeks. I was very touched when I discovered my husband saves them all. Having the opportunity to make someone feel appreciated is a powerful gesture.

The very act of writing thank you notes lends itself to a gracious way of life. It is an honor to write a thank you note and a joy to receive one. SF

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Adventures with Moose Ever since I was a Puppy…

PHOTOS PROVIDED Nothing is more fun than family time, except maybe family time out in nature. I was so excited to explore the Wilton Wildlife Preserve & Park for the first time with Papa (Joe) and Mama (Nicole). As we roamed around the Preserve, I discovered there’s a bunch of awesome stuff here.

There are more than 2,500 acres of land and eight miles of trails for dogs and their humans to enjoy. The area we wandered on was a Boy Scout camp a long time ago. A much longer time ago, this area was homeland of the Mohican, Mohawk, and Abenaki people. It is also home to many kinds of animals.

Some of the creatures here need help and protection to survive; like the Karner blue butterfly and Blanding’s turtle. These creatures are important to our environment.

Seeing them, along with deer, woodchucks, geese, ducks, porcupines, and racoons is exciting!

There are lots of other fun things to see and do here. The Cornell Hill Fire Tower is amazing. It can be a little scary to climb, but you will love the view from the top. The Delegan Pond is a cool place to hang out with your family. Kids can go fishing and see lots of critters like frogs, tadpoles, and snakes. I saw Uncle Ray and my friends Jack and Emma there. Hiking and biking on the trails is great exercise and the fun continues during the winter too. Humans can snowshoe or cross-country ski on the trails!

The staff and volunteers at the Wilton Wildlife Preserve & Park have all kinds of fun activities for kids and grownups. Art in Nature, Pond Explorations, Karner Blue Butterfly Walks and Preschool Nature Hours are just a few of the exciting programs.

An important lesson I’ve learned from my adventures out in nature is, grownups and kids don’t need more stuff. What they really need are more adventures together.

Please come on out to visit the Preserve and if you see me on the trails, please say hi and pet me!

Written by Moose Murphy, with a little help from Papa Joe (Murphy) and Uncle Ray (O’Conor). SF

saratogaTODAYnewspaper.com

FALL/WINTER 2022 | SARATOGA FAMILY | 43

Age is not a Disease

How one dog’s death saved the lives of a thousand others.

WRITTEN BY MEGIN POTTER | PHOTOS BY SUPER SOURCE MEDIA STUDIOS “Moses” was an extraordinary dog.

On Valentine’s Day, when he was 12 years old, his owners Chris and Mariesa Hughes, saw Moses was having trouble walking and took him to see a veterinarian. He was diagnosed as having canine vestibular disease (also known as ‘Old dog syndrome'), a balance disorder affecting senior dogs that usually resolves itself.

The Hughes wanted a second opinion so brought Moses to the Cornell University Hospital for Animals emergency center where he was diagnosed with an inoperable spinal chord tumor. He died five weeks later.

THE BEST FOR THE REST Even before they moved to New York in 2013, the Hughes were dog people.

In 2010, Chris started Rowdy to the Rescue in Ohio, dedicated to helping

save shelter dogs. After Moses’ death, the Hughes developed the Mr. Mo Project in 2014 in his honor. The nonprofit specifically focuses on rescuing and caring for older dogs.

“It’s very clear when you go into a shelter that you’re much more likely to see senior dogs in need of care,” said Chris.

The dogs’ advanced age and often costly medical conditions make them less appealing for adoption but these dogs are still worth saving, argue the Hughes. Rather than neglecting senior dogs, it’s worthwhile to give them the best life possible for the rest of their time here on earth – however long that happens to be.

“Senior dogs are no different than any other dog in the amount of love and gratitude they give,” said Mariesa.

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THE ULTIMATE GIFT On Easter Day during their first year in operation, the Mr. Mo Project paired up “Macy,” a Pitbull from New York City, with Vicki, who was suffering with grief from a recent loss in the family. They’ve been together ever since.

“I can tell you, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that Macy saved Vicki’s life. I don’t know what Vicki’s life would’ve looked like without Macy in it,” said Mariesa.

The Hughes care for 16 dogs within their own speciallyoutfitted Clifton Park home and see what they do with the Mr. Mo Project as fulfilling a promise to all the others.

“We don’t have kids but I’m a mom through and through.

I know the needs of these dogs before they do. When one dies, I feel the loss and allow it. I recognize that grief is a sign of love,” said Mariesa.

She added that it is important for prospective pet owners to commit to caring for their dogs, even as they age.

“Be 100% committed to your dog, just like you would be with your spouse or child.”

For more information about fostering an older dog, go to www.mrmoproject.com SF

GETTING THE BILLS PAID

A POODLE BECOMES A POWERHOUSE

Since its inception, the Mr. Mo Project has saved a thousand dogs. Not only rescuing dogs from shelters nationwide and pairing them with foster families, the Mr. Mo Project also pays for the dogs’ medical bills for the rest of their lives (an average cost of more than $40,000/month).

Each dog that is saved by the Mr. Mo Project has an incredibly moving story, but even after helping so many, certain dogs still stand out in Chris’ memory. One such case was that of “Delilah,” a miniature poodle, about 12 years old, who was surrendered to the SPCA in Philadelphia, PA.

Mariesa, an occupational therapist, and Chris, the Special Olympics Director of Development and Impact, take no salary for the work they do and rely on the Mr. Mo Project’s loyal supporters to raise the money it takes to care for these dogs. There are collection bins at Benson’s Pet Center and with Amazon Smiles, when you chose the Mr. Mo Project as your charity of choice they receive a portion of every transaction you make. In addition to private donations, there are also fundraising campaigns on Facebook and Instagram.

“It was the worst case they’d ever have come in. I’ll never forget when I went in there –the smell,” remembers Chris. Delilah had a broken jaw and a severe infection in her front leg that was cutting off blood supply and killing the limb.

“If you see something that moves you, share it,” suggests Mariesa. saratogaTODAYnewspaper.com

“She was so scared of the world. She was such a mess, but then the transformation happened. Once her leg was amputated, it was like everything that happened in her past went with that leg. She became so energetic and excited.”

She even got a pink mohawk to reflect her new attitude toward life.

FALL/WINTER 2022 | SARATOGA FAMILY | 45

SARATOGA with Kids

SARATOGA SEASONAL FUN LIST WRITTEN BY GINNY SMITH | PHOTO PROVIDED

F

amilies who make time to do activities together during the fall and winter holidays make lasting memories. Whether you're just beginning to create family traditions or looking to add some new ones, we’ve put together a list of forty ideas for your Saratoga Seasonal Fun List.

• Go apple picking at a local orchard

• Go to a trunk or treat

• Attend a holiday event or festival

• Drink cider and eat apple cider doughnuts

• Attend a harvest festival

• Bake cookies

• Visit the pumpkin display at the Avenue of the Pines

• Carve pumpkins

• Visit shops on Broadway to see the decorated windows

• Go on a nature walk

• Boo your neighbors

• Go on a spooky walk to haunted places in town

• Pick pumpkins

• Decorate your porch and yard for Halloween

• Walk through a corn maze • Take a scenic drive to see fall foliage • Schedule a fall family photoshoot • Bake or buy a pumpkin flavored treat • Go on a hayride • Play at a fall fun farm • Make s’mores • Visit the Farmers’ Market

• Go trick-or-treating • Order a local turkey for Thanksgiving • Buy a locally made pie or bake your own • Bring food to a food bank • Read holiday books together • Make a gingerbread house • Have a tree decorating day • Visit Santa's Cottage on Broadway

• Drive around to look at holiday lights • Celebrate New Year’s • Go ice skating (indoors or outdoors) • Have a movie marathon day • Try hot chocolate from different restaurants • Go snowshoeing at a local park • Play in the snow • Put a bird feeder near a window • Go on a snowy walk down Broadway • Visit a local museum

For a printable version of this list, please visit exploresaratogaspringsny.com.

Tag me in your seasonal adventures @exploresaratogasprings on Instagram and let me know if you have any traditions to add to this list.

SF

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contributors S A R AT O G A F A M I LY | F A L L / W I N T E R 2 0 2 2 ZANE CARSON CARRUTH Zane Carson Carruth, President, Carson Marketing and Vice President Carruth Foundation, a Certified Business Protocol & Etiquette Professional, Author; The World’s First Tooth Fairy…Ever, Copyright First Animated Tooth Fairy Influencer. Board of Directors; Discovery Green Conservancy, Houston SPCA and TUTS; First Lady of the Rodeo; Honored; ABC’S 13 Women of Distinction, Women Who Mean Business, Top Impact Maker and St Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital Woman of Philanthropy.

RICK COBELLO Rick Cobello, a professor of Supply Chains and Cyber Security programs at Albany Law has over 30 years of experience in enterprise technology and security solutions. His career has spanned from local and state government to Fortune 5 companies, including General Electric. He has global experience in health care, a Master Black Belt in Six Sigma and Security certifications in CEH, CISSP, and CHFI. He currently is President of Global Cybersecurity Solutions ...and he owns a small apiary and studies bees and harvests honey!

JODIE FITZ Jodie Fitz is a wife, working mother of three and the creator of the Price Chopper Kids Cooking Club. She is the author of two cookbooks (The Chaotic Kitchen and Cooking Up Fun) as well as a children's book (Fidget Grows a Pizza Garden). You will find her on WNYT with her Real Food Fast Segments and at www.jodiefitz.com sharing her delicious recipes and brand programs.

ANN HAUPRICH When not writing articles that warm hearts, lift spirits and tickle funny bones, Ann Hauprich keeps busy preserving the past and present for future generations at LegaciesUnlimited.com. The historic Saratoga County community where the seasoned journalist’s family settled half a century ago was most recently commemorated in a literary Time Capsule titled Ballston Spa REIMAGINED: Slices of village life at the dawn of the 2020s. To learn more, visit BallstonSpaLiving.com.

MEGIN POTTER Megin is an expressive writer and artist with work published in books, newspapers, corporate communications, and online. A resident of the region for over 20 years, she continues to discover anew the interesting people, places, and products it has to offer. As a mother to her active young son, she is inspired to explore even more.

GINNY SMITH Ginny Smith is a mother to three wonderful kids in Saratoga Springs.

Following her enthusiasm for finding meaningful things to do with her kids, she began sharing their local family adventures on Instagram @ saratogawithkids. Follow Ginny for their latest local outing. Let her know what you love about living in Saratoga by tagging @saratogawithkids and @saratogafamily or by using #saratogawithkids.

THERESA ST. JOHN Theresa is a freelance travel writer and photographer based in Saratoga Springs. Even though history was not on her radar while in high school, she has a deep interest in all things historical now. She has been on assignment for several magazines and is published in both print and online venues.

Last year she traveled to Ireland on assignment, which, she states "was a trip of a lifetime." She is the proud mom to two young men and Nonnie to six rescued dogs, two chinchillas, and a bird. Life is good, she says.

JOHN GREENWOOD

JORDANNA TURCOTTE

John Greenwood is a leftover Saratoga Springs milkman who loves capturing stories about the people and places that surround him. John and his wife Patricia have been holding hands since high school. The couple recently retired and are looking forward to having more time to enjoy the nooks and crannies of the surrounding area. You can explore more of John’s writing at rainingiguanas.com, where you will find the glass half full and the weather mostly sunny.

Jordana Turcotte is a lifelong New Yorker and a Saratoga County resident since graduating from RPI. After staying at home for a bit with her children (now 10 and 8), she decided on the “rest of her life job” as Professional Organizer. Starting Simply You in 2008 fulfills a passion for organizing.

When she isn’t organizing, you’ll find her volunteering at her kids’ school, being Mommy chauffeur or hanging out with her two rescue dogs.

HIMANNEE GUPTA

RALPH VINCENT

Himanee Gupta is a writer, farmer, avid fan of locally grown and raised foods, and a professor of Historical Studies at Empire State College.

She is the author of Muncie, India(na): Middletown and Asian America, a book on the experiences of growing up as the daughter of Indian immigrants in middle America. She is working on a new book on the connections between Hip Hop, small scale sustainable farming, and community building in 21st century America.

Ralph Vincent is a creative writer enamored with the Spa City. As an enthusiastic contributor to Simply Saratoga Magazine, he enjoys writing about a variety of topics including home entertaining, cooking, and cocktail crafting. His body of work also includes articles on subjects of special significance to him such as his experiences as a pet parent, gardening, and Yaddo. He resides locally with his partner Steven and their adorable Cavalier King Charles Spaniels.

WENDY HOBDAY HAUGH Northville freelancer Wendy Hobday Haugh’s short stories, articles, and poetry have appeared in dozens of national and regional publications, including Woman’s World Weekly, Highlights for Children, and WritersWeekly.com. Her stories have appeared in 15 different Chicken Soup for the Soul anthologies. To learn more, visit www.wendyhobdayhaugh.com. saratogaTODAYnewspaper.com

DIANE WHITTEN MS Diane Whitten is a food and nutrition educator for Cornell Cooperative Extension of Saratoga County where she’s worked for the past 17 years. Her classes focus on healthy eating and cooking, plus food preservation methods. Her nutrition radio spots can be heard on WJKE the Jockey and WABY Moon Radio. Her bi-monthly column, Know Your Farmer Know Your Food, is published in the Saratogian and Troy Record. Diane has a bachelor’s degree from Cornell University in Nutritional Sciences, and a masters’ degree in Education from the College of St. Rose.

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