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Volume 9 • Issue 48 • December 5 – December 11, 2014

Bringing Mike Home for Christmas

I n d e p e n d e n t

10th Annual Restaurant Week More Delicious Than Ever!

by Stephanie Hale-Lopez Saratoga TODAY

See Home for Christmas pg. 12

by Arthur Gonick Saratoga TODAY

Mike Shpur of Saratoga Springs.

Photo provided.

F r e e saratogaTODAYnewspaper.com • (518) 581-2480

Rebuilding Together Modifies Saratoga Home for Beloved Neighbor SARATOGA SPRINGS — It’s the season of giving and the Saratoga Springs community is giving one of its neighbors the gift of a lifetime – a newly modified home.

Mike Shpur, of Saratoga Springs, suffered a severe spinal cord injury in late June. He is now a quadriplegic. After five weeks in the Intensive Care Unit at Albany Medical Center, Shpur was moved

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SARATOGA SPRINGS — This is the week that foodies and dining devotees have circled on their calendar for quite some time.

Throughout Saratoga County, over 50 restaurants are saving a place for you at their table – and can’t wait to strut their stuff.

Yes, from Dec. 5 – 11, it’s time to ring the (lunch or) dinner bell – Saratoga County Winter Restaurant Week has begun! Presented by the Saratoga Convention & Tourism Bureau, this event has grown in both scope and stature, as diners take advantage of a number of great prix fixe meal deals and use this opportunity to discover a new favorite, or re-discover an old one, or both.

This seven-day celebration gives patrons an opportunity to See 10th Annual pg. 11

Inside TODAY

2014-15 Season Underway

Blotter 5 Obituaries

by Brian Cremo Saratoga TODAY

Four local teams are in the midst of finding their identity in their perspective leagues. After losing their No. 1 scorer, Saratoga Springs looks to have a more balanced offensive attack this season, while Ballston Spa is regrouping after graduating a majority of its firepower. The Black Horses are making the transition to the Foothills Council as a Class B school competing with mostly Class A programs, and Saratoga Central Catholic aims to make another run into sectionals like they did last season.

Saratoga Springs senior guard Chris Byno.

Photo by Sharon Castro.

Schuylerville...................................................pg. 44 Saratoga Central Catholic..........................pg. 44 Ballston Spa....................................................pg. 45 Saratoga Springs..........................................pg. 47

6, 7

Business

14, 15

Education

16, 17

Holiday Gift Guide

18, 19

Families Today

20-31

Pulse 37-40 Sports 44-47

Weekend Forecast SATURDAY

40|26 SUNDAY Schuylerville senior forward Dante Langley.

Photo by MarkBolles.com

28|19

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Week of December 5 – December 11, 2014

Gavin Park To Light and Delight Families Annual Tree Lighting Ceremony on Friday, Dec. 5

WILTON — The Town of Wilton will officially kick off the Holiday season with a tree lighting ceremony and reception at Gavin Park this Friday, Dec. 5.

The event is free and the public is invited to meet and greet Santa and his elves, along with Rudolph, Frosty and, of course, your

neighbors! The event will take place rain or shine. Here is the schedule of events: • 6 – 8:45 p.m. - Costumed characters stroll the park • 6 – 6:45 p.m. - Glenn Dorman at the piano, playing and singing holiday songs. Wilton Baptist Church choir sings.

• 6:30 – 6:45 p.m. - Tree Lighting Ceremony • 6:45 – 7 p.m. - Santa Arrives • 6:45 – 8:45 p.m. - Santa meets and greets (candy, treats and gifts for children) in the Dailey Gymnasium.

• 6:45 – 8:45 p.m. - Holiday movies/ music in the Dailey Gymnasium.

• 7 – 8 p.m. – Glenn Dorman plays holiday music in the Dailey Gymnasium.

• 7 – 8:30 p.m. - Refreshments in the Dailey Gymnasium.

For more information, contact Gavin Park, Monday – Friday, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m., at (518) 584-9455.

Photos Provided.

Week of December 5 – December 11, 2014

NEWS 3

Informz Contributes Over $20,000 to Local Charities on #GivingTuesday

Curtain Up for “Art After Dark”

Photo by Sharon Castro

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Artist Sharon Bolton stands next to her latest – the 19th annual First Night Saratoga poster, which was

Franklin Community Center’s Associate Director Jaime Williams accepts check from (L) Informz President and CEO Joe Tyler and (R) Vice President, Business Administration John Luttmer. Photo Provided.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Informz, Inc., a Saratoga Springs provider of digital marketing solutions for the association and nonprofit markets, announced that they will donate a total of $22,000 to the Franklin Community Center and the Saratoga County Children’s Committee, two locally-based charities, on #GivingTuesday.

“The definition of #GivingTuesday is a global day dedicated to giving back. Charities, families, businesses, community centers and students around the

world will come together for one common purpose: to celebrate generosity and to give. We are very fortunate that Informz embraces this belief whole-heartedly and is an avid supporter of Franklin Community Center,” said Jaime Williams, Franklin Community Center’s Associate Director.

Informz will also participate in Franklin Community Center’s Adopt-a-Family Program and provide six local children with gifts for the holiday season.

Informz employees are collecting

gifts to deliver next week.

“We are committed to corporate philanthropy and giving back to the community,” said Joe Tyler, President and CEO of Informz. “We’re proud to support these organizations that are doing such great work for those less fortunate.”

The #GivingTuesday movement inspires people to take action to improve their local communities, culminating with a global day of giving on Tuesday, December 2.

revealed at a press conference on Monday, December 1. This year’s theme is “Art After Dark” and the lineup continues a tradition of being the best New Year’s Eve party in upstate New York, with 70 performers scheduled. A preview of some of the First Night acts that should especially appeal to families with children begins on page 20.

4

week in Review

David Skorton Announces Departure from NYRA

SARATOGA SPRINGS – Chairman of the New York Racing Association, Dr. David Skorton, announced Wednesday that he will leave his position effective Wednesday, Dec. 31.

Skorton was chosen by Gov. Andrew Cuomo to chair the NYRA Reorganization Board in

October 2012. There is no word yet on who might succeed him as NYRA chairman.

Skorton is scheduled to leave his current position as Cornell University president in June 2015 to lead the Smithsonian Institution, the world’s largest museum and research complex.

Mayor Makes Appointments to Housing Authority, Arts Commission SARATOGA SPRINGS – At the Saratoga Springs City Council meeting on Tuesday, Dec. 2, Mayor Joanne Yepsen made three appointments to the Saratoga Springs Housing Authority: Kenneth Ivins, Joy King and Ann Bullock.

Yepsen also announced the

formation of a new Saratoga Springs Commission on the Arts. Four core planners were chosen for the commission’s early phase including: Ardie Russell, Meg Kelly, Susan Rivers and William Finlay, whose credentials run the gamut in the visual and performing arts disciplines.

Saratoga Foundation Announces Gifts Totaling $55K to 6 Charities SARATOGA SPRINGS – The Saratoga Foundation donated $55,000 to 6 local charities including: the Saratoga Y; Captain Youth and Family Services; the Caroline Street PTSO Playground Fund; the Spirit of Life renovation; Grant’s Cottage; and the Code Blue Shelter at the Salvation Army.

The Saratoga Y will use the gift for the LIVESTRONG program, which serves adult cancer survivors with a membership and specialized, individualized programs.

Publisher/Editor Chad Beatty 581-2480 x 212

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The Captain program will focus on a program called, “Getting Ahead in a Just ‘Getting By’ World,” helping people overcome poverty and achieve financial stability and selfreliance. The playground fund will purchase a new climber. The Spirit of Life is looking to complete its ongoing renovations.

Grant’s Cottage will utilize the funds for operating shortfall due to the prison’s closing; and the Code Blue Shelter will be housed at the Salvation Army, their new home.

Week of December 5 – December 11, 2014

Michael T. Dennis

NORTHUMBERLAND — Michael T. Dennis, 68, passed away peacefully at home on Tuesday, Dec. 2, after a long and valiant battle with Alzheimer’s disease.

Born on Sept.22, 1946 in Menands, Mike was the son of two parents who also battled Alzheimer’s, the late George and Catherine Dennis.

He graduated from Shaker High School in 1965 and went on to graduate in 1969 from the University of South Carolina with a degree in Business Economics. Mike served in the U.S. Army from 1969-70 and then for the 247 Medical Company New York State Air National Guard from 1970-75. He considered his service a privilege.

Mike began his career in business in 1971 as owner and President of Dennis Land Development Co., Inc., McGregor Links Country Club and Wilton Water Supply Company.

Passionate about cultivating community and enterprise, he spent his time and energy in pursuit of those ideals. Mike’s volunteerism in the 1970s was marked by community planning efforts on

the Wilton Planning and Zoning Boards as well as with the Saratoga County Sewer District. In the 1980s and early 1990s, Mike worked to support responsible economic development through his leadership with the Saratoga Springs Chamber of Commerce, the Saratoga Builders Association, the Center for Economic Growth and Saratoga Economic Development Corporation.

Mike’s commitment to bring jobs and commerce to Saratoga County was realized through collaborative efforts with local business leaders on numerous occasions, most notably in bringing GlobalFoundries to the Capital District. In the 1990s and through the 2000s, Mike enjoyed applying his business experiences to support programs, businesses and initiatives he found valuable.

He served on the Adirondack Community College Foundation Board of Directors and took great enjoyment from his role on the Board of the Adirondack Trust Company. Governor George Pataki appointed him Commissioner to New York State Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation as well as to the Empire State College Council.

Survivors include his wife of 43 years, JeanAnn Parish Dennis; two children, Ryan Michael Dennis (Mandy) of Moreau and Erinn Catherine Kolligian (Dean) of Wilton; six grandchildren, Cole Christopher Dennis and Brady Michael Dennis, both of Moreau

and Madyson Lindy Kolligian, Payton Lynn Kolligian, Cathryn Jean Kolligian and Karsen Michael Paul Kolligian, all of Wilton; three siblings, Cathy Marino of Charleston, South Carolina, Diane Fallon of Irvine, California and John Dennis of Menands.

He is predeceased by his parents and one brother, George Dennis, also a victim of Alzheimer’s.

He leaves behind many laughs, enduring memories, “Mike-isms,” loved ones and close friendships.

The family would like to thank Ahmad, Bernard and Christina from Home Helpers and Tammy, Karen and Mary from Community Hospice for their exceptional professionalism, support and care.

Relatives and friends may call from 3-7 p.m. Friday, Dec. 5 at the William J. Burke & Sons/Bussing and Cunniff Funeral Homes. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 6 in St. Clement’s Roman Catholic Church, followed by military honors. Burial will be private. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Goldberg Alzheimer’s Resource Center, New Scotland Ave., MC 65, Albany, NY 12208 or Community Hospice of Saratoga, 179 Lawrence St., Saratoga Springs, NY 12866.

Editorial Arthur Gonick 581-2480 x 214 Saratoga Springs, Malta and County News; ‘Pulse’ Editor art@saratogapublishing.com

Brian Cremo 581-2480 x 206 Wilton, Sports Editor, Obituaries, Briefs, Calendar brian@saratogapublishing.com

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Next Deadline: Simply Saratoga 12/29

Week of December 5 – December 11, 2014 Nicholas W. Smith, 23, of Johnstown, was arrested Nov. 24 and charged with false impersonation.

Amy L. Brower, 37, of Saratoga Springs, was arrested Nov. 24 and charged with aggravated unlicensed operation of a vehicle and improper rear headlight equipment.

Nicholas D. Capone, 52, of Saratoga Springs, was arrested Nov. 24 and charged with petit larceny.

Louise Loika, 39, of Saratoga Springs, was arrested Nov. 24 and charged with aggravated unlicensed operation of a vehicle and driving with an expired inspection.

Joseph J. Loehle, 19, of Ballston Spa, was arrested Nov. 25 and charged with making graffiti and possession of graffiti instruments.

Anna R. Saunders, 18, of Wilton, was arrested Nov. 25 and charged with making graffiti and possession of graffiti instruments.

auto accident, aggravated DWI and BAC more than .08 percent.

Kari M. Bruce, 45, of Ticonderoga, was arrested Nov. 27 and charged with resisting arrest, obstructing governmental administration and disorderly conduct.

Kenneth R. Collamer, 65, of Williamstown, Massachusetts, was arrested Nov. 27 and charged with petit larceny.

Robert J. Arnold, 23, of Clifton Park, was arrested Nov. 27 and charged with speeding, an unsafe lane change, DWI, aggravated unlicensed operation of a vehicle and operating a motor vehicle without a license.

Eric M. Leone, 27, of Schenectady, was arrested Nov. 27 and charged with assault, resisting arrest and disorderly conduct.

Amanda L. Malone, 22, of Burnt Hills, was arrested Nov. 27 and charged with resisting arrest.

Shannon M. Fontes-Page, 44, of Saratoga Springs, was arrested Nov. 25 and charged with criminal mischief, assault and aggravated criminal contempt.

Kyle L. Thompson, 21, of Schuylerville, was arrested Nov. 27 and charged with failure to stop at a stop sign, DWI and BAC more than .08 percent.

Kristin Lynn White, 26, of Albany, was arrested Nov. 25 and charged with aggravated unlicensed operation of a vehicle and improper lighted head lamp equipment.

Tyrone Banks, 53, of Albany, was arrested Nov. 27 and charged with aggravated unlicensed operation of a vehicle and passing a red traffic signal.

Patty Hempstead, 47, of Ballston Spa, was arrested Nov. 26 and charged with aggravated unlicensed operation of a vehicle, following a motor vehicle too closely, leaving the scene of an

Shawna M. Green, 40, of Saratoga Springs, was arrested Nov. 28 and charged with improper rear headlight equipment and aggravated unlicensed operation of a vehicle.

Shae L. Shattuck, 33, of Galway, was arrested Nov. 28 and charged

BLOTTER with grand larceny.

Mark G. Cornell, 57, of Saratoga Springs, was arrested Nov. 28 and charged with aggravated unlicensed operation of a vehicle and an unsafe backing.

David D. Farr, 33, of Saratoga Springs, was arrested Nov. 28 and charged with attempted petit larceny.

Kenneth D. Sephas, 56, of Middle Grove, was arrested Nov. 28 and charged with unlicensed operation of a vehicle and speeding.

Raymond J. Arquette, 22, of Duanesburg, was arrested Nov. 29 and charged with speeding and aggravated unlicensed operation of a vehicle.

Casey A. Robinson, 25, of Ballston Lake, was arrested Nov. 29 and charged with DWI, failure to keep right, unlawful possession of marijuana and BAC more than .08 percent.

Eric F. Patton, 33, of Troy, was arrested Nov. 29 and charged with improper lane use, operating a motor vehicle with a restriction, BAC more than .08 percent, aggravated DWI, an unsafe lane change, DWI and aggravated unlicensed operation of a vehicle.

Joshua Paul Swanda, 22, of Saratoga Springs, was arrested Nov. 29 and charged with driving the wrong way down a one way street, DWI, BAC more than .08 percent, failure to keep right and unlawful possession of marijuana.

Calvin L. Morett, 25, of Saratoga Springs, was arrested Nov. 29 and charged with DWI, improper equipment, failure to signal a turn and BAC more than .08 percent.

Shane E. Collery, 26, of Greenwich, was arrested Nov. 29 and charged with failure to stop at a stop sign, an expired inspection, BAC more than .08 percent and DWI. Donald J. Clute, 23, of Saratoga Springs, was arrested Nov. 30 and charged with speeding, reckless driving and unlawful possession of marijuana.

Caleb R. Staudinger, 27, of Niskayuna, was arrested Nov. 30 and charged with BAC more than

5

.08 percent, DWI and passing a red traffic signal.

Ashley N. White, 29, of Stillwater, was arrested Nov. 30 and charged with DWI, failure to keep right, an unsafe lane change and BAC more than .08 percent.

Lindsay M. Nantista, 31, of Clifton Park, was arrested Nov. 30 and charged with failure to signal a turn, improper lane use, DWI and BAC more than .08 percent.

Leah P. Salls, 23, of Clifton Park, was arrested Nov. 30 and charged with DWI, following a motor vehicle too closely, an unsafe lane change, consumption of alcoholic beverages and BAC more than .08 percent.

6

obituaries

Harriet Watkins Nichols

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Harriet Watkins Nichols died peacefully on Thanksgiving Day. Harriet had a zest for life and lived every moment to the fullest. She loved music, entertaining and playing cards. She always had a smile on her face and will be deeply missed by her family and her many friends.

We can hear her laughing as we write these words.

Harriet was born on Sept. 4, 1929 in Terre Haute, Indiana.

She was a graduate of Wiley High School and earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in English and a Masters in Music from Indiana State University.

After college, she moved to Denver, Colorado where she taught music for several years.

In 1956, she met Jonathan P. Nichols III while singing together in a church choir. They married, moved to Martinsville,

Virginia and had three babies in one year.

In 1965, they moved to Wilmington, Delaware and later, to Newark, Delaware, where they were active in the Methodist Church. Harriet taught music for the Christiana School District for over 15 years.

In 1984, Harriet and John retired to Anna Maria, Florida and spent many years enjoying the island community. The last years of her life were spent at the Prestwick Chase Retirement Community where she played bridge, socialized with her friends, and played the piano at the Friday night wine socials.

She is survived by a daughter, Beth (Alex Tustian) of Mukilteo, Washington, and twin sons, Kent of Chicago, and Kirk (Alinda) and Kirk’s partner Katherine Raymond of Saratoga Springs; a sister, Judy Fox (Harold); a brother, Jim Watkins (Charlotte) of Terre Haute, Indiana; and many nieces and nephews.

A celebration of Harriet’s life will be held at Prestwick Chase (100 Saratoga Blvd., Saratoga Springs, NY 12866) Dec. 6 at 1 p.m. In May 2015, the family will hold a memorial on Anna Maria Island where Harriet will be laid to rest with her late husband John at Roser Church.

Daniel Joseph Gailor Sr.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Daniel Joseph Gailor Sr., 74, passed away Nov. 27, peacefully at home.

Daniel was born in Saratoga Springs on Dec. 17, 1939 to his parents, the late Wallace and Catherine Hogan Gailor Sr. He worked for 42 years at many of the area Grand Union Grocery stores until his retirement.

In addition to his parents,

Daniel was predeceased by his siblings, Wallace, Earl, Jim, Charles, John, Helen, Catherine (Cookie), Arlene Riddle and Mary Allen.

Daniel is survived by his wife of 53 years, Mae (Bump); three sons, Daniel (Mary Jane), Dennis (Cherie), Charlie (Gina); five grandchildren, Danielle (Shawn) Willard, Courtnianne, Brittany(Tom)Clark, Amber, Abbi; three step-grandchildren, Justin Staigar, Erika Staigar, RJ Furey; three greatgrandchildren Matthew, Kaitlyn, Hailee; two step great-grandchildren, Taylor and Tori; six siblings, Harvey, Fred, Francis, Margaret Grant, Maude (George) Malloney, Charolette (Richard) Collins and many nieces and nephews.

Week of December 5 – December 11, 2014

Robert J. Izykowski GREENFIELD CENTER — Robert J. Izykowski, 66, passed away suddenly on Friday, Nov. 28 at his residence.

Born in Newark, New Jersey on June 28, 1948, he was the son of the late John and Mary (Yakush) Izykowski. He resided in Greenfield Center from a very early age. He was a 1966 graduate of Saratoga Springs High School. Robert was inducted in the U.S. Army in 1968 and proudly served in Vietnam from 1969-70.

Robert was a long time employee of General Foods/Universal Packaging in Saratoga Springs, where he rose to the position of Department Supervisor. He recently retired from J.E. Sawyer Company in Glens Falls.

Survivors include five brothers, John (Susan

Weedmark) of Longs, South Carolina, Richard (Linda) of Corinth, James (Debbie) and Joseph of Greenfield Center and Thomas (Denise) of Rexford. He is also survived by his son, Timothy (Jennifer), and grandsons, Timothy and Grady, all of Hudson Falls; several aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces and nephews.

Lastly, Robert was extremely happy to have the love of his life, Claire Johnson of Glenville. Robert was happiest to be on his Harley, riding with his brothers, driving his dune buggy “Bugsley” and being with the one true lady in his life, Claire.

The family would like to extend special thanks to the Greenfield Fire Company, Wilton/Greenfield EMS and staff of Saratoga Hospital.

William Campbell Young S A R AT O G A SPRINGS — William “Bill” Campbell Young died peacefully at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Hospital in New York City on Nov. 17, following a long battle with brain cancer.

He was 70.

Bill was born on Nov. 22, 1943 in Paterson, New Jersey to his parents, the late Kenneth and Olga Mantei Young. He was a graduate of Burnt HillsBallston Lake High School, class of 1961, and SUNY Oneonta in 1965. He married his college sweetheart, Barbara Soper Young, in 1965.

Following graduation, Bill taught math and science in Schalmont Central School District. In July 1968, he began his 36-year career with General Electric in Schenectady, before moving to Virginia and Connecticut. He eventually returned to the Capital District in 1990 where he managed General Electric’s Corporate Data Centers until his retirement in 2004.

Bill loved to play with his grandchildren, travel

with family and friends, watch the New York Giants, work in the yard, and exercise at the Saratoga Springs YMCA. He volunteered for both Rebuilding Together and First Night, and enjoyed being an active member of the Saratoga Springs United Methodist Church and the Saratoga Springs Rotary, where he served as Director of the Rotary International Foundation, co-chaired the Rotary Education Foundation Brunch, and was twice awarded the Paul Harris Fellowship for outstanding service.

Bill is survived by his wife of 49 years, Barbara; son and daughter-in-law, William and Bethany Young of Mount Pleasant, South Carolina; son and daughter-in-law, Robert and Tracy Young of Port Washington; daughter and son-in-law, Jennifer and Michael Corrigan of Saratoga Springs; brother and sister-in-law, Kenneth and Judy Young of Newnan, Georgia; brother-in-law and sister-in-law, George and Patricia Soper of Amityville; nine grandchildren, Nathan, Madelyn, Andrew, James, Sean, Lauren, Jacob, Samantha, and Elizabeth; several cousins, nieces, and nephews; and his 21-year-old cat, Gaston.

In addition to his parents, Bill was predeceased by his sister, Kathleen Glowacki, and his brother, Douglas Young.

Janet Armstrong ARGYLE — Janet Armstrong, 68, of Cramer Road, passed away peacefully, surrounded by family, on Saturday, Nov. 22.

Born on Dec. 16, 1945 in Irvington, New Jersey, she was the daughter of Edward and Martha (Krosky) Mikolajczyk. Janet married Donald Armstrong Jr. on July 13, 1968.

She enjoyed garage sales, watching ice skating, playing bingo and would never miss the opportunity to get to a book or craft sale. She loved a good foot

soak in the Ausable River and, most of all, spending time with her grandsons.

Janet was predeceased by her parents. Survivors include her husband of 46 years, Donald; son Michael and his fiancé, Tamie, of Pulaski; daughter Patricia Parisi and her husband, George, of Whitehall; two grandsons, John and Zack Parisi, also of Whitehall; brother Robert Mikolajczyk of Manchester, New Jersey; nieces and nephews on both sides of the family and many cherished friends she loved as family.

obituaries 7

Week of December 5 – December 11, 2014

Arthur Caprara SARATOGA SPRINGS — Arthur Caprara, 81, a beloved husband, father, brother, grandfather and uncle, passed away on Saturday, Nov. 29 peacefully, with his loving family at his side.

He was born on April 12, 1933 in Fort Johnson to Antonette Spelta and Arthur Caprara Sr. Arthur grew up in Fort Johnson, graduating from William H. Lynch High School in Amsterdam and thereafter served his country in the Korean War. He was an employee of General Electric and Associated Textile. Both were located in Schenectady.

Arthur married the love of his life, Madeline Arpei, in 1957. Art and Madeline were inseparable and enjoyed their travels to Italy, San Francisco, Hawaii, Maine and just about any other place that caught their interest. They were especially fond of the ocean and their time in Maine and Florida, settling in Cocoa Beach, Florida in the wintertime.

First and foremost, Art was devoted to his family, in which he took great pride. An intelligent, wise, humble man, Art always had a quick wit and a smile that was contagious.

He was adored by his family, especially his grandchildren, and he enjoyed antiquing, history, woodworking, carpentry, art and travelling. Art especially enjoyed a good garage sale and collecting old Saratoga bottles. He was a member of the YMCA for many years where he made many friends in the morning aqua jogging classes.

Arthur is survived by his loving wife, Madeline Caprara; daughters, Cathy LaMay (Brian Wright) and Joanne Hughes (Kevin) of Saratoga Springs; granddaughters Karen and Christa LaMay of Saratoga

Springs; Albert (Marjorie) Caprara of Amsterdam; sisters-in-law Joan Rodgers of Cocoa Beach, Florida and Theresa Arpei of Saratoga Springs; a brother-inlaw Malcolm (Virginia) Arpei of Saratoga Springs and many nieces and nephews.

He is preceded in death by his parents; beloved daughter, Karen Ann Caprara; infant son, John Michael Caprara; and brothers, Dante, Gino and Anthony Caprara.

A funeral service in memory of Arthur will be held at 12.30 p.m., on Saturday, Dec. 6 at Compassionate Funeral Care, 402 Maple Ave. (Rte. 9 and or Marion Ave.), Saratoga Springs.

Friends and family may call from 10:30 a.m.

–12:15 p.m. prior to the service on Saturday at the Funeral Home.

Interment following services will be held at St. Peter’s Cemetery.

The family would like to extend a special thanks to the dedicated staff at Saratoga Hospital, especially the staff of the ICU, D1, A3 and the care given

by Dr. Iannuccillo.

Joan Napiorski

MALTA — Joan Napiorski, 50, of Malta, passed away peacefully on Monday, Dec. 1 at her home.

Born on Dec. 27, 1963 in Plainfield, New Jersey, she was the daughter of Marilyn Dacey of Colonia, New Jersey and the late William Dacey.

Joan earned a bachelor’s degree in early childhood education from Kean College in New Jersey and a master’s degree from SUNY Albany. She was a preschool special education teacher at the New Meadow Preschool in Malta for 20 years. Her specialty was working with children on the autism spectrum. She truly enjoyed her job and

Delaphine Haynes Farenell

was admired by all of her students and coworkers. She was an avid New York Giants and Ohio State football fan.

She loved taking long walks, hiking in the Adirondacks and “rocking out” to Bruce Springsteen. Joan was most in her element when surrounded by family and friends and had an incredibly positive outlook on life. Her infectious smile and personality cast the brightest of lights in every room she entered. Joan welcomed any challenge, including her illness, with remarkable courage, determination, humor and grace inspiring everyone who knew her. She was loved by all and made a better person of anyone she’s ever touched.

She is survived by her husband, Stephen Napiorski; daughters Alyson Marie and Jennifer Lee Napiorski; siblings Maureen Lugo, Elizabeth “Pixie” Goetz, William Dacey, Anne Fahey, Michael Dacey, Colleen Dacey, Patrick Dacey; and many nieces and nephews.

It was Joan’s wish in lieu of flowers, donations be made in her memory to the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute Stem Cell Transplantation Program, 450 Brookline Avenue, Boston, MA 02215-5450

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Delaphine Haynes Farenell, 84, passed away Nov. 24, at Wesley Health Care Center.

Born in Syracuse on May 21, 1930, she was the daughter of Earl and Hazel DeGroat Haynes.

Upon graduating from Saratoga Springs High School, she began a career as an operator with the New York Telephone Company. She married Mellio “Buck” Farenell in 1951. After taking time to raise her family, she became an Avon Representative, attaining President’s Club and Honor Society status over her 35 years with that company. She was also active in the community as a member of the Junior

Civic League, Saratoga Springs Historical Society, Heritage Garden Club, Wilton Heritage Society and Friends of Grant Cottage. She’ll best be remembered for her loving and active role in her children’s and grandchildren’s lives.

Delaphine was predeceased by her parents, husband and baby daughter Susan.

She is survived by her children, Larry Farenell (Julia) of Queensbury, Lynn Farenell of Milton, and Stephen Farenell of Saratoga Springs, grandchildren Paul (Charlotte) Todd of Schenectady, Sheree (Mark) Allen of Queensbury, Daniel (Brooke) Todd of Clifton Park, Andrew Farenell of Queensbury, and Erika OlssonFarenell of Wilmington, North Carolina, and great-grandchildren Skyler and Kyan Allen and Zachary Todd, and her three siblings, Joyce DiVesto and Thomas (Cathy) Haynes of Fort Pierce, Florida and David (Lou) Haynes of Texas.

The family wishes to thank the staff of 2 Victoria and 4 Springs at Wesley Health Care Center for their kindness and care.

Yves Gregoire Casabonne

SARATOGA — Yves Gregoire Casabonne, 78, died peacefully in San Francisco on Nov. 21. Yves was the beloved husband of Annette and very proud father of Daniel. He did it his way. He was dancing the polka on Sunday night, he worked in the yard on Monday and Tuesday, and that night he had a massive stroke. Two days later he was gone.

A native of Arette (Pyrenees Atlantique) France, he arrived in San Francisco in 1959 to pursue the American Dream. Never afraid of hard work, long hours, and taking chances by looking forward with different ideas, he achieved all of his goals. Yves started four different successful businesses

from scratch in San Francisco, Redwood City, and Saratoga.

After retiring from the retail business that Annette and Yves ran together for 20 years in Saratoga, he felt like he was too young to really retire. That is when he got the idea to purchase his favorite dance hall, Little Switzerland in Sonoma. That was the beginning of another chapter in his life and perhaps some of his happiest times.

Yves and Annette celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary earlier this year and were planning a trip to France to visit family and friends.

He had a love of cars, polka dancing (Little Switzerland-Sonoma), and he was always willing to try new things. Last year while on vacation in Mexico, he went parasailing along the coast, did the zip cord through the jungle, swam with the dolphins, and pet sting rays. He loved wheeling and dealing. Three days a week he would be found at various flea markets from San Jose, Santa Cruz to Concord buying things that he didn’t need but he just couldn’t pass up because he was able to get a good deal.

He is survived by sisters Rosette (Pierre), Jacqueline (Jean Louis) and brother-in-law Emile Bourdet (Sandra) and many nieces, nephews, and cousins in France and in the San Francisco Bay Area.

8

NEWS

Week of December 5 – December 11, 2014

Saratoga Casino and Raceway Foundation Awards Annual Grants BALLSTON SPA – The Saratoga Casino and Raceway Foundation awarded 26 grants to local not-for-profit organizations at the Nov. 18 meeting of the Saratoga County Board of Supervisors.

Board Chairman Paul Sausville presented grants totaling $29,060 to representatives of the various organizations. Over the ten years the Foundation has been in existence, 178 organizations in Saratoga County have received $300,000 in grants.

The Foundation is funded entirely by donations from Saratoga Casino and Raceway and the Saratoga Harness Horsepersons Association. The purpose of the Foundation is for the support of charitable and public benefit organizations whose mission is the betterment of the quality of life, health and welfare of the residents of Saratoga County.

Chairman Sausville thanked the members of the Saratoga Casino and Raceway Foundation Board for their work in utilizing the financial resources wisely based on the large number of requests received each year.

Other members of the Board are Joanne Yepsen, mayor of the City of Saratoga Springs; City of Saratoga Springs Supervisor Matt Veitch; Saratoga Casino and Raceway Vice President of External Affairs, Skip Carlson; Treasurer of the Saratoga Harness Horsepersons Association Tom McTygue; and Diane Armer from the Saratoga County Attorney’s office who serves as secretary to the Foundation.

The organizations that received grants are: - Ballston Spa Partnership for Innovation in Education Fund - $1,000 for the Ballston Spa High School’s Sponsor-AScholar program.

- Best Buddies New York $1,000 to provide a program for adolescents with disabilities to give them the skills necessary to succeed in the community and the workplace.

- Black Horses Booster Club - $1,000 to purchase two EZ Up canopies to be used at their outdoor competitions.

- The Children’s Museum at Saratoga - $1,000 for educational supplies and materials for their new hands-on, interactive Pet Vet Exhibit.

- Code Blue Saratoga - $1,500 for locking cabinets for storage of donated goods and other supplies used at the shelter.

- Franklin Community Center, Inc. - $1,000 to support Franklin Community Center’s Project Lift.

- Gateway House of Peace, Inc. - $500 to help provide dignified, home-like surroundings to terminally ill residents of Saratoga County.

- Helping Hands School - $1,000 for their new family welcome center.

- Martin Luther King, Jr. Day 2015 Planning Committee - $750 for Martin Luther King Day events and activities in Saratoga Springs from

Jan. 15 to 19.

Mechanicville Area Community Services Center, Inc. $1,500 for the continuation of afterschool and evening programming for Mechanicville junior and senior high school students.

- Opera Saratoga - $500 for a free public performance of a children’s opera at the Saratoga Springs Public Library.

- Race Track Chaplaincy of America Metropolitan New York Division - $750 to add more variety to the summer camp experience for the children of backstretch workers at Saratoga Racecourse.

Rebuilding Together Saratoga County, Inc. - $1,500 to buy building materials to be used on two to three projects that will occur next Spring.

- Round Lake House Company - $1,000 towards the purchase of a 911-call simulator.

- Saratoga Center for the Family - $1,110 to provide a support group for children whose parents are currently going through a separation or divorce.

- Saratoga Community Health Center/Saratoga Hospital - $2,500 for the CHC patient prescription relief fund.

Week of December 5 – December 11, 2014

Town of Wilton Begins Comprehensive Plan Update WILTON – Town of Wilton Supervisor Arthur Johnson announced that the Town is kickingoff an update to its Comprehensive Plan. A volunteer Comprehensive Plan Committee has been tasked with guiding the update process and providing a draft updated comprehensive plan to the Town Board for consideration.

The Town’s current comprehensive plan was adopted in 2004.

The comprehensive planning process provides the community with the opportunity to guide land use and development to meet the current and future needs of its residents with respect to public health, safety and welfare. The updated plan will update and refine the community vision, goals and recommendations to maintain and enhance the Town’s high quality of life.

The Town Board has appointed the following individuals to the Comprehensive Plan Committee: Bob Barrett, Zoning Board Michael Dobis, Planning Board Joanne Klepetar, Town Board Chris Ramsdill, Zoning Board Ron Slone, Planning Board

Steven Streicher, Town Board The following Town staff members are assisting in the update process: Lucy Harlow, Secretary Mark Mykins, Building Code Enforcement Ryan K. Riper, PE, Director of Planning and Engineering Assisting the Committee and Town as professional resources throughout the update process will be Town Attorney Mark Schachner, Esq. of Miller, Mannix, Schachner & Hafner, LLC and Jaclyn Hakes, AICP, Director of Planning Services with MJ Engineering and Land Surveying, P.C. “The Town of Wilton is a safe, family friendly community that offers a variety of housing, commercial and recreation opportunities for its residents. It is important to evaluate and update our current comprehensive plan to ensure the high quality of life we all enjoy remains into the future,” stated Supervisor Johnson.

There will be opportunities for the public to provide input throughout the process via written comments, public hearings and the Town website. Additional information and a meeting schedule can be found on the Town website at townofwilton.com

NEWS 9

Permanent Prescription Drug Drop Box at SSPD

SARATOGA SPRINGS – The Saratoga Springs Police Department (SSPD) has installed a secure prescription drug dropoff box in the lobby of the police station. It is located just inside the SSPD entrance on Lake Avenue at City Hall.

The Police Department and the Prevention Council have worked together for the past several years on bi-annual Drug Take Back Days. This permanent installation of the drop box is an

extension of those efforts.

The SSPD has received concerns from citizens on an ongoing basis as to what to do with unused, unwanted, or expired prescription drugs. In a release, SSPD Investigations Lieutenant Bob Jillson noted: “It often seems these prescription drugs end up in the wrong place when not dealt with in a timely manner. This may be in the hands of criminals or, in other cases, in the hands of abusers. Too often these abusers are teens, family members or friends.”

“While the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) sponsors a twice-a-year prescription drug take back, our hope is that the drop-off box will give our community another option should the need arise.

The Saratoga Springs Police Department has participated in the DEA events for numerous years and will continue to participate in the future.”

Saratoga Springs Chief of Police Greg Veitch said, “We are happy to partner with the Prevention Council on the

installation of the prescription drug drop off box. The drop-off box allows anyone to dispose of his or her unwanted, unused or expired medications without having to wait for a drug takeback event. Unwanted, unused and expired medications may be dropped off at the police department twenty four hours a day, seven days per week, no questions asked.”

The secure drop-box will be available 24 hours a day and members of the police department will ensure the discarded drugs are properly destroyed.

The drop box is not intended for dangerous or toxic liquids, needles or illegal drugs. For further information or questions as to what can or cannot be dropped off, call SSPD at (518) 584-1800.

10

NEWS

Week of December 5 – December 11, 2014

Council: No PUD’s In Greenbelt

by Arthur Gonick Saratoga TODAY SARATOGA SPRINGS — By a unanimous 5-0 vote and before a packed room, The Saratoga Springs City Council approved a resolution that would ban the possibility of Planned Unit Developments (PUD) in areas that surround the city that had been designated as a Greenbelt area since the adoption of the 2001 Comprehensive Plan.

Commissioner of Public Safety Chris Mathiesen added the resolution to his agenda after the committee that is currently reviewing the Comprehensive Plan narrowly approved (7-6) a provision that could modify the development restrictions on a case-by-case basis. Supporters of

this provision had stated that this would add flexibility to allow for what they characterized as smart growth and increased options for the future.

However, over a dozen citizens spoke with fervor during the public comment period about how this provision could compromise two of the core principles upon how Saratoga Springs has flourished in recent history: “the city in the country” concept and the primacy of downtown core development.

In conjunction with the Greenbelt concept, these were essential tenets that came out of the 2001 Comprehensive Plan and were reaffirmed strongly by the Council: “The 2001 Comprehensive Plan has served the city very well,” Mathiesen said. And each Commissioner and

the Mayor basically took turns affirming that concept and praising the City residents’ active community involvement before saying they would vote for the resolution.

The City’s charter requires that the Council appoint members to a review commission to re-examine the Comprehensive Plan every five years. This is a long process in which, after the Comprehensive Plan Committee proposes an updated document to the City Council, the council has the ultimate legislative authority to accept, reject, or not act upon it. This applies to individual portions as well as the

entire document itself. The city is still operating with the 2001 Comprehensive Plan at this time.

The current committee is approaching the end of this review.

There will be a series of public hearings that follow before anything comes to a vote.

In other council news: • Margie Shepard and Ann Samuelson, members of the group Sustainable Saratoga, delivered a presentation about the economic and ecological impact of a citywide ban on single-use plastic bags in grocery stores and other merchants. There are over 10 million of these bags in the city

that are thrown away each year, according to the group. Mayor Joanne Yepsen indicated that there had been discussions with Price Chopper and Hannaford, among other companies, some of whom had gone through a similar bag ban in other cities. She indicated that the process was moving forward although there was no timetable to introduce a local law about banning bags at this time.

The show was stolen, however, by seventh-grader Liam Epstein, who introduced a video project explaining why a bag ban was important from a middle-school student’s perspective.

Week of December 5 – December 11, 2014

NEWS

11

Tenth Annual Restaurant Week Continued from pg. 1

enjoy an appetizer or salad, a dinner entrée and a dessert from a preset menu priced at $10, $20 or $30 (plus tax and tip). Some of the restaurants offer more than one dinner option (see list below).

Also, many are offering lunch special meals as well through the week, some for as low as $5, many for $10 (plus tax and tip).

Saratoga Convention & Tourism Bureau President Todd Garofano said, “The Saratoga County Winter Restaurant Week has grown tremendously in the last five years. In what used to be a local, downtown Saratoga Springs event now showcases restaurants throughout the entire county and draws overnight visitors from all over the Northeast.

With such a wide and diverse dining experience available, visitors and locals alike can choose from over 50 participating restaurants this year.”

If you are visiting and need overnight accommodations, the Bureau has compiled a list of local hotels and motels that are offering special rates this week to extend your culinary adventure. Visit discoversaratoga.org/restaurantweek for details.

This is an event with a cause as well, and for the second year many of the restaurants are also participating as a drop-off destination for the “Toys for Toga” campaign. This campaign generated such a good response they began it several weeks earlier this year. At a “Toys for Toga” location, you can drop off a new, unwrapped toy. The collected toys received through Dec. 11 will be going to three non-profit organizations: Franklin Community Center, CAPTAIN Youth and Family Services and Mechanicville Area Community Services Center in time for kids to receive holiday cheer.

So in it’s tenth year, the Saratoga County Winter Restaurant Week has hit its stride, offering a tried and true formula for doing good while eating well.

And that’s delicious!

Participating Restaurants as of Press Time: Lunch Specials: $5.00 Circus Cafe

More Delicious Than Ever!

Lillian’s Restaurant Limoncello Ristorante Local Pub & Teahouse Longfellows Restaurant Maestro’s at the Van Dam Max London’s Restaurant & Bar Mouzon House Nove Italian Restaurant Olde Bryan Inn One Caroline Street Bistro Pasta Pane PJ’s BAR-B-QSA Putnam’s at Gideon Putnam Resort Ravenous Scallions Restaurant

Izumi Asian Bistro & Lounge Local Pub & Teahouse $10.00 The Barrelhouse Comfort Kitchen Dock Brown’s Lakeside Tavern Druthers Gaffney’s Restaurant Harvey’s Irish Pub & Restaurant Jacob & Anthony’s American Grille Mingle on the Avenue Lillian’s Restaurant Lucky Joe’s at Saratoga Casino & Raceway Maestro’s at the Van Dam PJ’s BAR-B-QSA Ravenous Scallions Restaurant Sweet Mimi’s Cafe Thirsty Owl Bistro

Three-Course Dinner: $10.00 Dango’s $20.00 Alaturco Mediterranean Grill The BarrelHouse Boca Bistro The Brook Tavern Cantina Capriccio Saratoga Chianti Ristorante Crown Grill Dango’s Dock Brown’s Lakeside Tavern Forno Bistro Gaffney’s Restaurant Hattie’s Restaurant The Inn at Saratoga Jacob & Anthony’s American Grille Karavalli Regional Cuisine of India

$30.00 Capriccio Saratoga Druthers Fifty South Jacob & Anthony’s American Grille Lillian’s Restaurant Mingle on the Avenue Mouzon House

One Caroline Street Bistro Prime at Saratoga National

Golf Club Sperry’s Restaurant Thirsty Owl Bistro Three Vines Bistro The Wine Bar Wishing Well For a complete list of restaurants and links to their menus, visit discoversaratoga.org/restaurantweek

12

NEWS

Week of December 5 – December 11, 2014

Rebuilding Together Modifies Neighbor’s Home Continued from pg. 1

to Sunnyview Rehabilitation Hospital, where he is receiving intensive therapy. While Shpur’s family and friends say he’s receiving excellent care, there truly is no place like home.

Rebuilding Together Saratoga County joined forces with Shpur’s family, friends and neighbors to completely modify the home he shares with his wife, Cindy. The home is now ready and equipped to welcome him just in time for Christmas.

“The goal was to get him home,

but he needed to have modifications to his home,” said Michelle Larkin, executive director of Rebuilding Together Saratoga County. “He’s going to be in a large chair, so he needed a wide, roll-in shower.”

But the modifications didn’t stop there. Crews also remodeled toilets and sinks, widened doorways, installed new flooring and constructed ramps to get Shpur in and out of the house.

“Mike was part of the golfing community and it was interesting because I had a lot of

A group of volunteers help modify Shpur’s home. Photo provided.

Three volunteers work on the floor.

Photo provided.

A volunteer hangs Sheetrock. Photo provided.

people calling me about him,” said Larkin. “People immediately reached out to Rebuilding Together Saratoga County to try to do something for him, which I thought was pretty cool.”

Rebuilding Together heard of Shpur’s story in early October and was able to gather enough volunteers, donors and contractors to assist with the project, despite the hustle and bustle of the holiday season.

“Being that it was the end of

the year, budgets were already made; but everybody was on the same page and everybody wanted to do something,” said Larkin.

“We also had help from a family who cares a lot about their community and felt particularly touched by this story.”

Shpur’s home remodel was one of the many projects Rebuilding Together Saratoga County completed throughout the year. The group assisted over 107 households and non-profit organizations in

2014 with help from over 1,000 volunteers. Larkin says Shpur’s project is an example of the good work that can be done when the community comes together.

“The community did rally to help this family,” said Larkin.

“It’s a story that touches everybody because it was so out of the blue; it could happen to anybody.

The folks who volunteer and work with us are amazing people because they’re helping strangers.

One of our homeowners once said to me, ‘They came as strangers and left as friends,’ and that’s what we’re all about.”

To volunteer or to donate to Shpur’s project or any other project Rebuilding Together Saratoga County is working on, visit their website at www.rtsaratoga.org.

Week of December 5 – December 11, 2014

Property Transactions

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Property Transactions BALLSTON SPA 55 Westside Dr., $205,000. Patricia Priest, Raymond Lupe, Douglas Lupe and Michael Lupe sold property to Nicholas Trotta and Christine Elliot.

18 Lawnar Lane, $228,000. David and Ruth Felano sold property to Dee Dee Bernson.

31 Midline Rd., $255,000. Bridget Zosh-Crouch and David Crouch sold property to Thomas and Amanda Vickerson.

GALWAY 6175 Fish House Rd., $200,000.

Jesse Lena sold property to Charity Hotaling.

GREENFIELD 3550 Boy Haven Rd., $329,500.

Paul and Patricia Baker sold property to Donald Wilock.

50 Squashville Rd., $52,000. Sean MacFarland sold property to Jason and Cara Musits.

3 Larkspur Court, $735,000.

Nicholas and Kim Nachbur sold property to Justin and Heather Miller.

4372 Route 9N, $99,000. Carol and Mark Stutzenstein sold property to Jason Frohnhoefer.

409-411 North Creek Rd., $180,000.

Clinton Germond sold property to Bruce and Sara Johnsen.

11 Moss Creek, $565,000. Gerald Goff (by Atty) sold property to Eric and Elaine Powell.

13 Medbury Rd., $180,000. Aaron Bovee sold property to Leland and Victoria Shippee.

38 Locust Grove Rd., $311,000.

Thomas Merrills sold property to Lacy Stirling and Danilo Dinardo.

MALTA 272 Thimbleberry Rd., $145,000.

Tom and Kathleen Foster sold property to Lance and Barbara Sandler.

11 Magnolia Way, $374,500.

Brian Mauro sold property to Jeffrey and Jenneane Klahr.

181 Arrow Wood Place, $150,000.

Kimberly Bryden sold property to Stephanie Arthur.

MILTON

176 Broad St., $150,000. MYRMAR Inc. sold property to Scott Averill (as Trustee) and Maryanna O’Donnell (as Trustee).

SARATOGA SPRINGS 129 Lincoln Ave., $261,450.

Erik Smith and Lisa Fitts sold property to Eric and Emma Brodwin.

113 Kaydeross Park Rd., $477,000. Maureen Kelly sold property to Anthony and Marsha Malanga.

191 Beekman St., $325,500.

Janice Mark sold property to David and Jacqueline Ingalls.

268 Broadway, Unit 407, $660,000. 262 Broadway LLC sold property to Salma Shadi.

3 Furlong St., $425,000. Luke and Kathryn Roden sold property to Bryan Walls and Tracy Attfield.

115 Catherine St., $389,000.

Christopher Hewitt and Sara Schneider-Hewitt sold property to Qi Ge. 34 Warren St., $368,000. Colleen Carroll sold property to David Witte and Marie Fabrizio-Witte.

STILLWATER 7 West St., $187,000. Joshua and Noel Gibeault sold property to Bryan Culver.

19 Ferry Lane, $55,000. Ann Herrick sold property to George Le Blanc and Ann Herrick Life Estate.

112 Saratoga Ave., $169,000. Melissa O’Brien (by Agent) sold property to Daniel Baumann.

12 Tamarack Trail, $72,000.

Thomas Fosmire (by Exec) sold property to Halen LLC.

36 Blizzard Rd., $30,000. John Kushner III sold property to Thomas and Anita Moldenhouer.

57 Chapman St., $5,000. Robert Griffin (by Exec) sold property to Lawrence and Margaret Woolbright.

181 Circular St., $550,000. Nicholas and Madeline Palmetto sold property to Kenneth and Debra Schooley.

24 Walden Circle, $376,900. Amedore Homes Inc. sold property to George and Irene Grace.

SARATOGA 1235A Route 9P, $814,000.

Mohamaed Sharifipour sold property to Filippo and Lori Stocchetti.

4 Avenue A, $150,000. Vivian Anderson (by Agent), Jean Spencer (Ind and as Agent) sold property to Michael and Margaret Roohan.

19 Lake St., $90,000. David Wolff sold property to Jean Maloney.

5 Battle Ridge Place, $506,021.

VanVeghten Construction, LLC sold property to Thomas and Linda Peters.

WILTON Cardiff Circle, $331,818. Tra Tom Development Inc. sold property to Andrew Rubino (Ind and as Atty) and Kimberly Rubino (by Atty).

20 Dakota Dr., $330,000. Sean and Stacey Lajeunesse sold property to Robert and Cynthia Timm.

78 Claire Pass, $291,100. Karen Strack-James sold property to Kimberly Pieratt.

106 Ballard Rd., $205,000.

Leslie Sutliff and Hilda Ryle sold property to Victoria Hyde, James Murchy and Denise Murphy.

14

BUSINESS

Week of December 5 – December 11, 2014

American Trade & Goods Prepares for Holiday Season Store Offers Shoppers Top Line Apparel, Footwear, Archery and Firearms

by Stephanie Hale-Lopez Saratoga TODAY COHOES — The Capital District’s premier outdoor outfitters, American Trade & Goods, is offering shoppers 20 percent off select products in the store until Christmas. Located at 1213 Loudon Road in Cohoes, the store carries the best selection of top line apparel, western wear, footwear, eyewear, archery and firearms.

There are eight American Trade & Goods stores, with the Cohoes location being the first “concept store” with clothing, firearms and archery. Owned by the Capital Gun Group, American Trade & Goods will celebrate its first anniversary this month as well.

From brands such as Lucchese, Remington, Ariat, Pendleton and Woolrich, to name a few, employees say there’s something for everyone at American Trade & Goods. Most importantly, the store prides itself on delivering quality pieces without compromise. Roughly 50 to 60 percent of all products in the store are made in the United States.

“Our concept is to marry the outdoor sportsman with the classic outfitter, Adirondack-wearer, quality clothing without compromise,” said David La Mar, retail guru for American Trade & Goods.

The locally-owned store saw a myriad of customers over the weekend for Black Friday and Small Business Saturday. La Mar says a popular trend this winter is wool.

“There are wonderful trends with wool and better-grade fabrics,” said La Mar. “Lots of wool, lots of Pendleton.”

American Trade & Goods carries a variety of Pendleton products, from blankets, shirts and even bags.

Under Armour has also been a popular vendor with shoppers.

“We’re also seeing a lot of belts and buckles – things that are unique,” said La Mar. “Lucchese snip toe boots have also been popular. We’re also seeing a lot of color in our Buck Knives case; they have pink camo, white camo, snakeskin…so they become gifts for women as well.”

When buying items for the store, La Mar says he keeps in mind colorations, pattern, fabric, feel and quality. He says shoppers should feel comfortable knowing each piece is timeless and can be passed down through generations.

“The devil is in the details,” said La Mar. “That’s my favorite saying.

When you’re buying clothing, does the zipper work easily? On jeans, is the stitching on the pocket unique?

Water-repellant clothing that doesn’t feel like plastic…silk lining…virgin wool, which means the

Photos by MarkBolles.com

The staff at American Trade & Goods is ready to help you shop!

The store is located at 1213 Loudon Road in Cohoes.

Lucchese boots have been popular among holiday shoppers.

From clothing to accessories and footwear, there’s something for everyone.

first cutting of the lamb or sheep.

We look for unique designs that are outstanding. They’re pieces that hand down from father to son.”

Aside from clothing, footwear

and accessories, the store also carries a wide variety of firearms, archery equipment, knives and even eyewear. In addition, American Trade & Goods also offers educational/safety

classes for gun and archery purchasers. The retail staff is also knowledgeable on all products in the store.

American Trade & Goods also caters to female clients and offers plenty of items for women. The store is hosting a “Ladies Shopping Night Out” from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 18.

American Trade & Goods is open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; and Sunday from noon to 4 p.m.

Week of December 5 – December 11, 2014

Friendly’s in Saratoga Celebrates New Look, Refreshed Menu SARATOGA SPRINGS — To celebrate the re-opening of Friendly’s restaurant, located at 3075 Route 50 in Saratoga Springs, the restaurant will welcome back guests with a $2 original burger and 10 oz. junior Fribble combo, available Tuesday, Dec. 9 through Sunday, Dec. 14.

This location, which originally opened its doors in 2003, is one of the many locations to take part in the company’s ongoing initiative to reposition the brand and bring it back to its roots by offering a refreshed, iconic dining and ice cream experience.

Dollar General Opens New Ballston Spa Store BALLSTON SPA — Dollar General will celebrate the opening of its new location at 1 Dominic Drive in Ballston Spa on Saturday, Dec. 6 at 8 a.m. with free prizes and special deals.

“Dollar General is committed to delivering a pleasant shopping experience that includes a convenient location, a wide assortment of merchandise and great prices on quality products,” said Dan Nieser, Dollar General’s senior vice president of real estate and

BUSINESS

store development. “We hope our Ballston Spa customers will enjoy shopping at Dollar General’s new location.”

Additionally, the first 50 adult shoppers at the store will receive a $10 Dollar General gift card and the first 200 shoppers will receive a Dollar General tote bag, among other giveaways.

of cleanses. Pre-ordered cleanses can be picked up at the Saratoga Juice Bar any Monday, Wednesday or Friday. Green Tickets can be purchased at the Saratoga Juice Bar store or by phone at 583-1108.

Saratoga Juice Bar Introduces “The Green Ticket”

BALLSTON SPA — The Saratoga County Board of Supervisors is hosting a Startup Saratoga Workshop Wednesday, Dec. 10 at 2 p.m. in the County Board Room, located at 40 McMasters Street in Ballston Spa. The public is invited to view presentations on the economic development opportunities in Saratoga County. Speakers include: Jack Lawler from Saratoga’s Prosperity Partnership; Leslie Whatley from the Startup NY program; Penny Hill from Hudson Valley Community College Startup Plan; and Tressie LaFay from SUNY Adirondack.

Reservations are required.

Contact Pam Wright at 885-2240 or pwright@saratogacountyny.gov.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — With the holiday season in full swing, Saratoga Juice Bar recently announced the launch of its new “Green Ticket” gift certificate sold at the store, located at 382 Broadway. The Green Ticket is advertised as a “gift of health” intended for friends and family.

The Green Ticket can be used at Saratoga Juice Bar to purchase their juice cleanses, available in one and three-day increments with no expiration date. Juices for cleanses (per day) include: one Spirit of Life, one Saratoga Detox, two Going Greens, one Heart Beets and one Hot Shot. One-day cleanse retail value is $49 and includes a neon green insulated juice caddy.

Saratoga Juice Bar requires a notice of 48 hours before pick-up

Saratoga County Hosts Startup Saratoga Workshop

Local Startup, Twill, Partners with Coming Together for Kaitlin SARATOGA COUNTY — Twill,

an Albany-based startup that provides a child in need with a blanket for every one purchased, is working with Coming Together for Kaitlin as partner organizations.

Twill’s two from one program provides a free blanket to a child who is experiencing homelessness, life-threatening diseases or temporary hardships when one is purchased.

“We have a passion for giving back to the community and have seen firsthand how much good providing a child with a blanket can do,” said Zac Halloran, co-founder of Twill. “For us, it’s more than giving a blanket.

It’s providing love and motivation, letting that child know that they’re far from alone and that they have a strong support system behind them.”

Twill was founded in September 2013 by Halloran, who was inspired to help the community after seeing how his family has banded together to positively impact his brother’s life. Halloran’s younger brother, Casey fights a complex mental illness, where every day is a struggle. Over the years, his family has provided a sense of warmth, love, and motivation; they were Casey’s security blanket. With help from his older brother, Jeremy, and childhood friend, Jackie, Halloran took the idea of this symbolic blanket and

15

developed Twill. The organization’s overall mission is to give the same support Casey has from his family to less fortunate children with the gift of a comforting blanket.

Through Twill’s Blanket Buddies program, over 200 blankets have been donated to children throughout the Capital Region since August 2014. The blankets are hand delivered by Twill’s volunteers and the kids’ faces immediately light up. When customers purchase a blanket, they have the choice to send their donated gift to any of Twill’s partner organizations, including: Coming Together for Kaitlin; Albany Medical Center; Maddie’s Mark; American Red Cross; St. Catherine’s Center for Children; American Cancer Society; National Kidney Foundation; Prospect Center; “Future. Family.

Friends.” and TSL Adventures.

To purchase a blanket, visit www.mytwill.com.

16 Wood Road Students Donate Thanksgiving Baskets

Education Kevin Dayton and the Wood Road staff. They collected enough food to provide 14 families with a complete Thanksgiving dinner including a turkey donated by Hannaford.

Over 60 kids from grades K-5 and about 50 parents participated in this annual event.

Schuylerville Fourth Graders Organize Donation Drive for SAFER

Principal Dave Blanchard takes a shot at the basket with the fifth graders as they participate in the annual Wood Road Elementary School Turkey Shoot.

Photo provided.

BALLSTON SPA — The annual Wood Road Elementary School Turkey Shoot was held recently for students and families. They played a variety of basketball contests and ended with a parent/ staff “knockout.”

Free ice cream cone coupons were provided by Stewart’s Shops to the winners. The event is organized by physical education instructor

SCHUYLERVILLE — Schuylerville fourth graders are organizing a donation drive for the Schuylerville Area Food and Emergency Relief (SAFER).

The students collected food items in November and delivered the donations to the food pantry early this week. Members of the SAFER Board of Directors were on hand to take the donations and give the students a tour of the pantry.

“This is a wonderful learning experience for our students and allows them the opportunity to see how their kindness and compassion impacts our community,” said Jennifer Moreau, fourth grade teacher.

SAFER will take any non-perishable food item, but the pantry is in need of packages that contain single serving items. The food pantry is located at 12 Spring Street and is open Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 9 a.m. to noon, for use by residents of the Schuylerville Central School District.

Grandparents Join Students for Breakfast

Continuing an annual tradition, grandparents bond with their Schuylerville “grandstudents” over breakfast.

Photo provided.

SCHUYLERVILLE — Dozens of grandparents joined their grandchildren for breakfast at Schuylerville Elementary School

Week of December 5 – December 11, 2014 on Friday, Nov. 21 and Tuesday, Nov. 25.

Continuing an annual tradition, grandparents bond with their Schuylerville “grandstudents” over breakfast. The breakfast event is one of Schuylerville Elementary School’s many intergenerational projects.

Two Clubs Receive Grants from Saratoga Casino and Raceway Foundation SCHUYLERVILLE — Two Schuylerville Central School District Clubs each received a $1,000 grant from the Saratoga Casino and Raceway Foundation on Tuesday, Nov. 18.

The Schuylerville Robotics Team plans to use the grant toward the team’s $5,000 entry fee to compete at the second annual Tech Valley Regional Robotics Competition at RPI, March 18-21.

The team hopes to secure additional funding to allow it to compete in the Finger Lakes Regional at RIT two weeks after the RPI competition.

The Black Horses Booster club also received a $1,000 grant from the foundation. The money will be used to purchase two E-Z UP tents

with Schuylerville’s school logo.

The tents will be used at all outdoor sporting events.

Division Street Hosts 2nd Annual Cultural Fair SARATOGA SPRINGS — Division Street Elementary School in Saratoga Springs will host its second annual Cultural Fair on Friday, Dec. 5 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the school.

Musical, dance, and show performances will include international performances by students in kindergarten through fifth grade; Skidmore College international fashion show; Skidmore College Japanese drummers; Adirondack Pipes and Drums; Asian culture Chinese dancers; and Wild Irish Acres Dancers.

Division Street students’ international and cultural artwork will be on display as well. In addition, countries showcasing cultural artifacts and/or food samples, crafts include: Czech Republic, China, France, Germany, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Palestine, Poland, Rwanda, Scotland, Slovakia, and South Korea.

Week of December 5 – December 11, 2014

Education

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Señora Gloria’s Spanish Story Time a Success

Northshire Bookstore, CRLC Partner to Offer Bilingual Educational Experience

by Stephanie Hale-Lopez Saratoga TODAY SARATOGA SPRINGS – On the third Friday of every month, children gather in a circle at Saratoga’s Northshire Bookstore and anxiously await story time; but it’s not your average story time…books are read entirely in Spanish.

“Spanish Language Story Time with Señora Gloria” is a collaborative program between Northshire Bookstore and the Capital Region Language Center.

Gloria Batista, an educator at CRLC, reads and speaks to the children only in Spanish.

“We have regular story time here at Northshire on Fridays at 10:30 a.m. and we discussed [with CRLC] having a foreign language story time where teachers from CRLC could come in, teach and have some fun,” said Rachel Person, event and community outreach coordinator with Northshire Bookstore. “It’s a way to promote the amazing programs they have and bring some new people into the store for us.”

Throughout story time, the children seem hooked and completely engaged with Batista, even repeating words when she asks them to -- in Spanish, of course.

One word to describe the educational atmosphere: inviting.

“Gloria is very warm and

outgoing and she just draws in kids,” said Vicki Tremper, children’s program coordinator at CRLC. “That really symbolizes our language program as well. We know we can only be effective language teachers for children if the children want to be there, so we focus on fun and keeping them engaged using music and games and crafts.”

Señora Gloria’s animated story telling skills definitely keep the children engaged. As a child, she says her mother and grandmother told her stories and brought the characters to life, so that’s something she enjoys doing for her students during story time as well.

“One of my favorite things to do is read to children because I get to be part of the story and I get to be part of their memory,” said Batista.

“It allows them to associate me with the language as well, so they know when they see me, they’re going to experience something different – like another language.”

Teaching children Spanish is what Batista does every day.

She has been an instructor with CRLC since 2006, teaching the pre-school and elementary Spanish classes.

“I love where I work and I love the people I teach,” said Batista. “It’s a wonderful center, geared toward the development of the child. We

also cater to the parents’ needs as well, regarding their schedules. We do a lot for our community in that we want the language concept to get out there because it’s important. Language is very important in our changing world.”

While Capital Region Language Center is headquartered in Albany, it has recently relocated to Saratoga Springs. CRLC opened its doors in Saratoga on Monday, Dec. 1 and is located at 77 Van Dam Street. Registration is open for new students.

Spanish Language Story Time with Señora Gloria at Northshire will resume in January. Northshire Bookstore and CRLC hope to add more languages to story time in the future, including French, Chinese and German.

For a full list of events at Northshire, visit www.northshire. com and for more information on Capital Region Language Center, visit www.crlcalbany.org.

Left: Gloria Batista, a Spanish teacher at CRLC, gives the children a thumb’s up during story time on Friday, Nov. 21. Right: Maeve with dad, Jamin, and Edgar with mom, Peggy.

Photos by MarkBolles.com

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First Night Saratoga: Family First and Foremost With children in tow - here’s where you should go!

by Arthur Gonick Saratoga TODAY SARATOGA SPRINGS — Let the pre-revelry period begin! The formal announcement of the First Night Saratoga 2015 schedule (this year’s theme is ‘Art After Dark’) on Monday, Dec. 1 revealed the usual eclectic balance of genres, old favorites and new arrivals to the program.

When seeking family-friendly activities, you truly can’t go wrong with anything on the schedule – that’s as core a value as anything First Night stands for.

But what if you are giving the young ones a treat – bundling up your children, maybe grandchildren and giving them a chance to stay up with the ‘grown-ups’ and (hopefully) get them and you to see the fireworks at midnight? In this case, keeping the fledglings in the family amused and stimulated is Priority Number One. While the entire spectacle of First Night, by its nature, will do much to hold a child’s attention, the First Night staff recommends you

consider exposing your little ones to any or all of these acts, whose target audiences are children (not that you will be bored, either): 1) Airborne Comedians are a sure bet to make you laugh, whether balanced atop seven foot unicycles or frantically flinging objects at each other. Over the past 15 years, this duo has entertained audiences of all ages and backgrounds. They juggle a cornucopia of objects including (but not limited to) baseball bats, lawn chairs, children, hats, clubs, balls, rings, electric guitars, machetes, flaming lawn chairs, fruits and random objects from the crowd.

Site: Lake Avenue School Gym # 2: 6, 8 and 10 p.m.

2) Alpacas of Breezy Hill Ranch, of Salem, NY will bring two docile alpacas to First Night to pet and feed. Owners Lisa and David Proulx will explain fiber processing from shearing to retail products and bring alpaca hats, gloves, mittens, scarves and socks to purchase. Alpacas are very gentle creatures and they hope love it when kids come by to wish them a Happy New Year!

Site: NBT Bank Parking Lot: All evening starting at 6 p.m.

3) Ballston Spa Film Fest, Inc. (BSFF) is an independent nonprofit whose mission is to promote an appreciation of films and filmmaking in the Ballston Spa and Greater Capital District communities. They will present “Best of the Fest:” a selection of the best short films from this year’s BSFF featuring animated and live action films from one to fifteen minutes from around the world... and the neighborhood.

Site: Saratoga Arts’ Dee Sarno Theater: 6 – 8 pm 4) Buckaroo Bindlestiff ’s Wild West Jamboree- My personal choice for the extra hyperactive ones in your clan. This Jamboree has it all: Classic Wild West skills like lasso tricks, target bullwhip cracking and a comedy knife-throwing act. But that’s not all! It also includes a “pony” race for young audience volunteers, a cowboy sing-along, juggling, a six-gun spinning safety talk and a comedic look at America’s Old West.

Site: Lake Avenue School Auditorium: 6 – 9 p.m.

5) Jojo’s Fabulous Faces

Week of December 5 – December 11, 2014

Families

TODAY

And the Best News of All… Kids Get In Free!

First Night Saratoga, the largest New Year’s Eve celebration in the region, is a GE Kids in Free event. One child aged 12 and under will be admitted free with each paid adult.

Here’s how it works: Detach the coupon on your First Night buttoncard and redeem it on New Year’s Eve at one of the following locations between 6 to 9 p.m.: • Saratoga Arts (320 Broadway) • Saratoga City Center (522 Broadway) • Lake Avenue School (126 Lake Ave) Participants will receive a wristband that allows one admission for a child 12 years old and under to all First Night venues.

More than 7,000 Capital Region youngsters attended a wide array of cultural, educational and sports events at no charge last year through GE Kids in Free Days. For more information, visit GEKidsinFreeDays.com.

- add a bit of color and sparkle to First Night. They create beautiful, unique designs fast, using professional quality paint and glitter designed to be safe on the skin.

Site: Lake Avenue School Cafeteria: 6 – 11 p.m.

6) The Mop and Bucket Company is the region’s favorite improvisational comedy troupe and a long-time First Night Saratoga favorite. MOPCO brings your suggestions in story, song and games to life.

Sites: Lake Avenue School gym #1: 6, 9 and 10 p.m.

7) Pete and Chris Amusements are the Northeast’s only two-person kid’s comedy magic show. Presto Pete and Incredulous Chris are a highenergy, frenetic duo that uses lots of kid-friendly slapstick.

Site: Lake Avenue School gym #1: 7 and 9 p.m.

8) Saratoga Youth Symphony - The SYS provides an orchestral experience for talented student musicians ages 18 and under and represents more than two-dozen schools throughout the Capital District.

Site: The Church of St. Peter: 6 and 7 p.m.

9) S c h u y l e r v i l l e Community Theater - summer camp kids will represent the hippies and flower children of the 1960s with some songs from the retro play they performed last July.

Site: Children’s Museum Community Room: 6, 7 and 8 p.m.

10) Silent Wings Raptors bring birds of prey up close courtesy of the Wildlife Institute of Eastern New York. Owls, hawks, eagles and falcons; all have remarkable adaptations and skills for survival in the wild and are breathtakingly beautiful and fascinating to watch!

Site: Lake Avenue School Cafeteria: 6 – 11 p.m.

11) The Zucchini Brothers From Saratoga Springs, Zucchini Brothers Jack, Steve and Sam are renowned for their concerts in schools, theaters and festivals throughout the country, as well as their internationally syndicated weekly radio show “The Zucchini Brothers, Live! at the Clubhouse.”

Site: Lake Avenue School Gym #1: 7 and 8 p.m.

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22 Families TODAY

Week of December 5 – December 11, 2014

Everyday Trash to Christmas Treasure

by Kate Towne Sherwin for Saratoga TODAY I know you all probably let your kids make crafts and inventions out of things they find around the house, which is really, really great, but I just have to say: I am not one of those moms.

For one thing, it makes a mess.

Keeping a clean house is enough of a challenge for me with its normal day-to-day messes without adding to it through craft time and PlayDoh and cooking with kids and all those other things patient, energetic parents do.

For another, where is this craftiness supposed to happen?

Cleaning off a cluttered table is sometimes just beyond my energy level. Leaving it to the children to find an appropriate spot is risky with such little ones in the house— what might be forgotten at the end of craft time that the baby might put in his mouth in the fraction of a second I’m not looking?

Finally, what materials might be needed for all this creativity? I’m determined to always have pencils, crayons and paper available to them (and sometimes scissors and tape when I’m up to supervising), but no glue, no glitter, not even markers, and definitely no paint (for my family, those are things that are used only at school or someone else’s house).

My boys make do. They’re constantly drawing and writing, and they get excited when they’re allowed time for cutting and taping, and you’d be amazed by the things they’ve constructed out of just what they’re allowed. It is true that they’re always clamoring for this empty box or that empty toilet paper tube, and while I’m okay with the toilet paper tubes, since they’re easy and ubiquitous and don’t require cleaning out, I dig my heels in about most other things for various reasons but

mostly because I don’t want garbage all over my house.

There was one exception to this, though, and it happened three Christmases ago. One of my sons in particular has always had a tendency to see great things in every little piece of garbage.

That year, he was deep in a phase where he was bugging me all the time to be able to keep the garbage. Empty boxes, lids and bottle caps, bottles, canisters—basically anything we wanted to throw away was something he needed for his inventions. Finding garbage all over the house, even as part of the Next Great Invention, was really wearing on me.

So I cracked down and said, “No more.” For my sanity, even if it meant stifling his creativity, no longer would I let my son have our garbage.

Or so I told him. I think it was late summer when I issued that decree, but already I had Christmas in mind. For the next couple of months, I squirreled away, in an old cardboard diaper box, bits of garbage that I knew my son would love.

There were plastic toothpick jars and spice jars with their screwoff caps, orange juice bottle lids and lids from peanut butter and jelly jars, long tubes from aluminum foil rolls, egg cartons, those threepronged white things that keep the pizza box top from touching the pizza, empty snack boxes, empty bread crumb and oatmeal canisters, those squarish plastic things that keep the bread bags closed, salvaged wrapping paper folded up neatly, pieces of cardboard from packaging materials, and bits of string that had tied up bakery boxes and ribbons that had decorated baked Christmas goodies received in the weeks beforehand from friends.

I bought some new things to

put in there too—a package each of pipe cleaners, drinking straws, and Popsicle sticks, as well as some new Scotch tape and a book about recycling garbage into new crafty things.

“A box of garbage” was not, of course, something my son would have ever thought to put on his Christmas list, so I knew this was a little risky. Santa is generous but restrained in our house and has a pretty strict limit about how many gifts each person is given; having a box of garbage take the place of a much-hoped-for, asked-for gift could have been a disaster. But the biggest risks can yield the biggest rewards, and I was pretty confident about how well I knew my boy.

When Christmas morning dawned, I was excited to see his reaction.

Before he opened his wrapped diaper box-shaped gift, we explained to him that Santa had needed our help to put this gift together, which just increased our coolness in his eyes (Mom and Dad can talk to Santa!).

And when he opened it—oh my. My little crafty inventor was agog at all the new materials he had to work with, and not only that but also having Mom and Dad’s blessing (since we helped Santa put this gift together after all) to build and create and make a masterful creative mess to his heart’s content. And he did: non-mechanical robots, simple machines, abstract sculptures and other 3D pieces of art were displayed all over the house for months afterward.

That box of garbage remains in all our memories as one of the crowning glories of Christmas presents in our family’s history. My other boys said for months afterward that they too wanted a box of garbage the next Christmas, and I

just saw the other day that one of them has put it on his list to Santa this year.

So if any of you are out of ideas for a child in your life who is creative and inventive and whose mom is stingy about letting him or her use household items in their quest to become a famous artist or inventor, use these three weeks until Christmas wisely: start hoarding your garbage. Merry Christmas!

Kate Towne Sherwin lives in Saratoga Springs with her husband and their sons ages 10, 8, 6, 4, 2, and 8 months. She can be reached at sksherwin@hotmail.com.

Acting:

It’s Not Just For Kids!

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Home Made Theater is taking reservations for a new acting class geared to adults called Scene Study for Adults starting in January. The class will held at the Spa Little Theater in the Saratoga Spa State Park and is taught by Devra Cohen-Tigör.

An actor’s skills, at any level of experience, need constant refreshing and practicing throughout their career. Classes will include script analysis, scene work, improvisation and useful audition techniques.

Actors will receive expert feedback as well as learn how to have a discerning eye and provide useful feedback for classmates. Actors may either bring in a scene or monologue that they want to work on, or one will be assigned with or without a partner. Some weekly preparation work outside of class will be expected.

All levels of experience are accepted as actors work at their own levels to improve their skills.

Scene Study begins January 7 and is taught from 7-8:30 p.m., running for six consecutive Wednesdays. The cost is $150. Visit homemadetheater. org to obtain the winter 2015 class flyer and registration form.

Call (518) 587-4427 for further information or to receive a flyer by mail.

Week of December 5 – December 11, 2014

Families

TODAY

Staying Present:

Learning to In-Joy the Holiday Season

The holiday season represents light in the midst of darkness, peace, redemption, forgiveness, community and gratitude. It is a time of year meant to inspire us to get back to center, spend time with our loved ones and show our appreciation

“

Let the gifts of the season remind you of what is truly important in life—the relationships we have with each other, our communities and our world.

through gift giving and celebration.

While this is all warm and cozy in theory, the truth is, most people feel stressed, overwhelmed, irritated and burdened during the holidays.

A season in which we are called to presence, becomes, instead, about the presents.

This year, I encourage you to do something different. Tune in to the gifts of the season and allow yourself to actually IN-JOY the experience of the holidays fully present and engaged in the moment.

I know you just groaned and secretly sent me your to-do list that is miles long and includes buying gifts for dozens of people and hosting the annual holiday party and cooking a gourmet meal for your family.

The fact is, life is ALWAYS going to be busy. We will always have bills to pay, houses to organize, jobs to show up for and relationships to nurture. The problem is, however, that if we let

“

by Meghan Lemery Fritz LCSW-R for Saratoga TODAY

all of the responsibilities of life weigh us down; we stop having fun and become miserable, negative and dull.

Our focus is constantly future focused and we miss out on the gift of the present moment. Everything becomes about a schedule and making sure we are on time and ready for tomorrow.

A season of celebration soon becomes centered around material possessions and over-committing yourself to attend every party on the block.

Let’s get back to what really matters, and the simple truth of the season: PRESCENCE. Living a life with presence means that you are tuned in, listening, feeling and enjoying the moment. You are completely immersed in the NOW—no past, no future, simply the NOW. Most people experience presence in

highly emotional events such as your wedding day, completing a marathon, birth of a child or death of a loved one.

In these highly emotional

scenarios, we are completely present in the moment feeling every emotion and allowing the present to simply BE what it is.

It is as if time stops and the constant chatter in our neurotic minds ceases. The very experience of living in the present moment and allowing it to simply BE, leaves us feeling refreshed, connected, warm and highly tuned in to ourselves and others. People often describe these experiences as spiritual in nature and we are left with a sense of deeper meaning and purpose to life. We feel more joy and compassion for ourselves and others.

Why wait for the mountain top moments to experience the power of presence in your life? Let’s live in this power NOW. This season, rather than stress yourself out with the tasks at hand, STOP. Take a minute to smell the pine needles of your tree or admire the beautiful lights around the community. Instead of going to parties with people you don’t feel connected to, spend time with your family recalling funny stories and good times together.

Allow yourself to experience each moment with gratitude and joy rather than stress and craziness.

Let the gifts of the season remind you of what is truly important in life—the relationships we have with each other, our communities and our world.

Let this season be rich with depth and presence. Allow the

simplicity of living in the present moment revive you and add more color and sparkle to your life.

Wishing you the gift of PRESCENCE today and always!

Happy Holidays!

Meghan Lemery Fritz is a psychotherapist practicing at Sunpointe Health in State College, PA. For more information email meghanlemery@yahoo.com.

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24 Families TODAY

Week of December 5 – December 11, 2014

Senior Calendar Adult & Senior Center of Saratoga

5 Williams St. Saratoga Springs, NY 12866 (518) 584-1621 www.saratogaseniorcenter.org The Saratoga Senior Center is hosting the following events in December. All events take place at The Adult and Senior Center unless otherwise noted.

Holiday Happy Hour!

Join us on Thursday, Dec. 18 from 3:30 – 5 p.m. to Mix & Mingle and celebrate the holidays. Holiday photo booth, lite fare, music and free raffle gifts! Sponsored by Walgreens. Please call 584-1621 or stop by the Center to sign up.

Elves in the House!

Wednesday, Dec. 10 from noon – 4. We will have computer assistance, free Facebook help and cookie decorating for all!

While you are there, sign up for a 2015 Membership - only $20 for the entire year. Give the gift of membership or a class to a senior in need this holiday season.

Spain Trip Slide Show Monday, Dec. 15 at 2 p.m.

Visit Madrid, Toledo, The Alhambra, Seville, Barcelona and more! Get $50 off your trip if you attend slide show and book your trip.

Wednesday Meditation 8:30 - 9:30 a.m.

Come explore the calming effects

of mediation and mindfulness to help lower stress and blood pressure, decrease anxiety and bring balance to your life.

Friday Movies!

Friday, 12/5 “Million Dollar Arm.” Friday, 12/19 “Mom’s Night Out.” Popcorn and lemonade served. $2 members, $4 non-members.

Book Club Tuesday Dec. 30, 3 p.m.: Discusses “The Awakening” by Kate Chopin.

Senior Resource Headquarters: The following programs are free and open to the public. Please call 584-1621 or stop by the Center to sign up.

Managing Medications

• Tuesday Dec. 9, 12:30 - 1:30 p.m.

Join Wesley Pharmacist Cliff Van Wagner to learn strategies for managing your medications.

Blood Pressure Clinic from Saratoga County Public Health • Tuesday Dec. 9 & Tuesday Dec. 23, 11 – noon

Zieker Eye Vision Screening • Thursday Dec. 11, noon – 2 p.m.

Get a second opinion on Cataracts and other vision concerns.

Legal Services • Thursday Dec. 11, 1:30 p.m.

Call The Office for the Aging

(884-4100) for an appt.

Financial Advice • Tuesday Dec. 16, 11 a.m. – 1 p.m.: Free Need help with retirement or other financial concerns? Come see the experts at WP Wealth for assistance.

Nutrition and Dehydration

• Wednesday Dec. 17, 12:30 – 1:30 p.m.

Learn how to stay healthy and hydrated over the holiday season from Home Helpers.

Computer Assistance

• Wednesdays; Please call 5841621 or stop by the Center to sign up.

2015 Excursions: Join us for the following 2015 Excursions and travel without the hassle! Call the Senior Center 5841621 for more information.

April 13-23

Netherlands, Belgium, Paris: Visit Amsterdam, Brussels, Historic Bruges, Paris, Giverny and the beautiful Seine.

May 10-17

New Orleans, Memphis & Nashville: See America’s greatest “Music Cities” and historic sites including The French Quarter of New Orleans, Graceland and the Grand Ol’ Opry!

September 6-17

Natinal Parks of America: The Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, Mount Rushmore, Bryce Canyon and Crazy Horse are just a few of the breathtaking sites on this adventure. Trip Slide Show Thursday, Nov. 13 at 3:00 p.m.

Please call 584-1621 to sign up.

October 10-20, 2015

Spain’s Classics: Visit Madrid, Toledo, Seville, The Alhambra, Barcelona and more. Trip Slide Show Monday, December 15th at 2:00. Please call 584-1621 to sign up. $50 OFF TOUR TRIP IF YOU ATTEND THE SLIDE SHOW AND BOOK YOUR TRIP!

Coming in January Volunteers Needed

In 2015, the Saratoga Senior Center will be starting a Volunteer Match program to meet the needs of seniors in our community, including respite checks, transportation, pet walking, grocery shopping and more. If you are interested in volunteering, please contact Chris at (518) 584-1621.

Quilting

Starting on Fri. 1/9, Betsy Chung leads a quilting class! Learn how to quilt or come and quilt with friends. Must know how to sew.

Stay tuned for more details in our January newsletter! Fridays from 1-3, starting 1/9.

Polish Art, History and Culture Tue., 1/13 at 1:00. Jan Trypaluk & Stan Billok invite you to share your stories, histories & love of Polish art & culture. Free & open to the public.

Conscious Aging Discussion Group

Aging is a time when seniors can not only survive, but thrive. It is an opportunity for spiritual & emotional growth. If you are a senior who wants to engage in a dialogue on these issues, start the

New Year for an exciting 8-week program to explore the gifts of “Conscious Aging”. The program will start Tues. Jan. 13 from 121:30pm. Cost is $10.

About The Adult and Senior Center of Saratoga

The Adult and Senior Center of Saratoga is a non-profit, nonresidential community center located in the heart of downtown Saratoga Springs. Adults age 50 and over can join for only $20 a year and participate in programs, trips& social activities tailored to adults and seniors. Since 1955, the Center’s mission is to empower seniors to achieve and maintain personal independence and well-being.

Membership runs from January to December and benefits include affordable programs such as monthly dinners, classes, presentations and games as well as use of the Center’s computers, pool table and advocacy programs. For more information on how to join or volunteer call (518) 584-1621 or visit us at www. saratogaseniorcenter.org.

It’s Pickins’ Time – Get Ready for a Great Evening of Music On Wednesday, December 10, from 7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., the popular Ballston Area Seniors Pickins’ Session will be held at the Milton Community Center, 310 Northline Road, Ballston Spa. Admission is free and there is ample free parking. We expect that a few holiday songs will be included in the group’s repertoire. Please bring finger foods to share – can’t have music without some munchies.

Please check out our new website at ballstonareaseniors.com. The Ballston Area Senior Citizens, Inc., 265 Hop City Road, Ballston Spa, New York, 12020, Telephone: (518) 885-9679.

We are having a fun season with extemporaneous, off-thecuff musical jamming by local talented musicians. The Sessions could use fiddlers, base players…even a harmonica, to make the evening more diversified and entertaining. Musicians are invited to play solo, background or join up with a group. Amateur musicians to professionals, members or non- members, young or not-so-young, are invited to come and recapture the joy of playing.

Some folks from the audience come up and sing along with the group as well. Snacks and beverages are available to all. So, bring your guitar, banjo, fiddle, harmonica or whatever you use to make music – or just come.

Week of December 5 – December 11, 2014

Families

TODAY

25

Our Elders — Our Actions

Home for the Holidays…What Will You Find?

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• •

by Clare Colamaria for Saratoga TODAY Now that we have entered the holiday season, many of us travel back home to visit our elderly loved ones.

After a phone call to them, have you often wondered exactly what is going on in your loved one’s home lifestyle? Were there topics of conversation that they dismissed or became anxious over? Do you begin to wonder what you will be walking into upon your arrival?

Well, for many families this holiday season is a real eye opener to your loved one’s decline. It will also bring on anxieties of your own, wondering what changes will need to be made and how you will orchestrate these changes while managing your own family and lifestyle.

If you are questioning whether or not your concerns are legitimate, you will want to review the holiday checklist below provided by my friends at Brookdale Senior Living.

• Senior has consistently lost weight but there are no underlying medical conditions • When you visit, you find the stove on and unattended • Make repeated errors in self-medication • EMS has been called to their home on more than one occasion • Too confused to call for help.

• Increased incidents of illnesses or recent hospitalizations • Diagnosis of dehydration or malnutrition • Refuses visits from family members in order to conceal deterioration • Insufficient finances to cover the cost of private

“ • •

• • • • •

signs that trigger your gut intuitions of changes, which need to be addressed sooner than later.

Remember, safety is always and should be the No. 1 concern. If safety is jeopardized in any area of their lifestyle, whether medically, emotionally or physically, a crisis is inevitable and you will then have a genuine juggling act on your hands to deal with. Decisions and changes will need to be made at a very quick momentum. Are you ready? Are

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•

help required Medicine cabinet contains many bottles of expired medications No longer able to prepare nutritious meals for themselves One who is normally social becomes socially withdrawn Drives and doesn’t recall how they arrived at their destination Automobile is in disrepair Neighbors report loved

Please look out for one another and work together as a family.

It takes a village to care for your aging family members. It is not a one-person assignment.

one loved one wandering aimlessly Thermostat is set at extreme temperatures Remains in pajamas most of the day Deterioration in hygiene Stacks of bills are left unpaid Frequently loses items

Of course every situation is unique and you may see different

you prepared? Are all their legal documents in order in case they are unable to speak for themselves? Here is a short checklist of the legal documents I would highly encourage you to have in order should the crisis occur before the changes are made. A trusted attorney who knows elder law and estate planning can assist you with these formalities.

• POA (power of attorney)

• Health Care Proxy • Living Will or Advanced Directives • DNR (do not resuscitate ) Please look out for one another and work together as a family. It takes a village to care for your aging family members. It is not a oneperson assignment. I wish you all a

safe and joyous holiday season with your loved ones.

Clare Colamaria is the founder of A Senior’s Choice, an eldercare consultant and family advocate. For more information or questions on related topics, please call Clare at (518) 424-2527 or go to her website www.aseniorschoiceonline.com

26 Families TODAY

Week of December 5 – December 11, 2014

Q: When is a good time to begin investing for my child’s college education?

A: If you have the money, the best time to start is today.

by George B. Chelius, III The writer is a Principal at Fenimore Asset Management in Cobleskill.

Saving for your child’s college education can be a daunting task if you only focus on the overall costs for either a public or private school. While most parents think their children will attend college, research shows that only one-third expect to be prepared to pay for their education. Perhaps it’s because most people are overwhelmed with the price tag and think they can’t save enough—so they don’t try. However, if you start early and are disciplined in your investment approach, you may reach your goal by saving even small amounts regularly over the long term.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, people with a bachelor’s

degree earn, on average, over eighty percent more than those with just a high school diploma. This can mean a difference of $1,000,000 in potential earning power over the course of a career. So when you start saving for your child’s college education, remember that it’s actually an investment in their future.

Account Types There are specific Qualified Tuition Programs (529s), Coverdell Education Savings Accounts (ESAs), Uniform Gifts to Minors Act (UGMA) Accounts, and Uniform Transfers to Minors Act (UTMA) Accounts, that offer some tax advantages. Many investors also use IRAs and regular savings accounts to save for education. There are several considerations when deciding what type of account is best for you.

There are many good websites that explain account types in detail and I also recommend speaking with an investment or financial professional to review your options.

The Key to Saving for College Regardless of the account type, the main point is to start as early as possible. Invest regularly, ideally at least monthly, with fixed

amounts of money so that your child’s college fund can continue to grow and compound over time— this is called dollar-cost averaging (DCA). DCA is a long-term investment strategy that involves investing a fixed dollar amount into a particular investment or portfolio at regular intervals. Since you always invest the same amount, you will purchase more shares when the price is low and fewer shares when the price is high.

Instead of investing lump sums, the idea is to average out the highs and lows to help you avoid market timing (trying to determine when is a good time to invest).

It takes advantage of the cyclical nature of the market and allows you to focus on long-term growth and ignore short-term market conditions. While this technique does not eliminate the possibility of losing money on an investment, losses can be lessened during periods of declining stock prices and profits may be enhanced when share prices rise over time.

DCA is a plan of continuous investment in stocks regardless of their inconsistent prices. Of course,

you must consider your financial ability to continually purchase shares. Additionally, I only recommend DCA when you are not charged a transaction fee. As with all investment methods there is no performance guarantee, but DCA is a hassle-free approach.

Saving for College – A Real Life Success Story Before education savings accounts were introduced to the investment world, I had the idea to show our shareholders how DCA could work for them—and me.

Seven days after my daughter Anna was born on May 23, 1989, I opened a FAM Value Fund account for her with $2,000.

Subsequently, I collected loose change and dollar bills that were in my pocket each day and placed them in the cigar box that was originally filled with cigars to celebrate Anna’s birth. I was amazed that each month the amount I saved was about $100; so I added $100 to her account monthly and I did so for 18 years. Upon high school graduation in April 2007, Anna’s account value had grown to $89,348.42 from the investment amount of $23,600!

Anna’s account was then used to help pay for college.

When speaking with others I underscore that regardless of whether it’s a Bull or Bear Market, the best time to invest in your child’s future is today. Remember, if you invest even small amounts methodically over the long term, you may save enough so that your most important asset, your child, is a step ahead.

Dollar-cost averaging is a plan of continuous investment in securities regardless of their inconsistent prices. Of course, you must consider your financial ability to continually purchase shares. As with all investment methods, there is no performance guarantee.

Fenimore Asset Management is an independent investment advisory firm located in Cobleskill since 1974.

Fenimore’s affiliates are the Fenimore Private Client Group & FAM Funds – offering separately managed accounts and mutual funds. In-depth research. Insightful investing.

Week of December 5 – December 11, 2014

Families

TODAY

27

Winter Workout Blues

by James Markwica, MS PT for Saratoga TODAY It is that time of year again when we do all we can to prepare for the intense holiday bustle while battling the elements and often times damaging our bodies in the process. In a losing effort against the clock we are typically guilty of performing physically difficult tasks such as shoveling snow, moving heavy boxes, setting up awkward trees and decorating the house beyond even Clark Griswold’s wildest dreams. And it all needed to be done yesterday!

Each year these tasks become more and more difficult as the snow, the boxes, the tree, and even the little decorations, are seemingly becoming heavier and harder to handle. Finding that we are out of time and unable to perform simple exercise seems to be the rule and not the exception.

Not to mention you may have spent the entire spring, summer and fall getting fit and now that the cold temps are here you are stuck inside doing fewer physically active tasks.

This doesn’t have to be the case at all. In fact, the daily maintenance of our bodies, physically via simple exercise, enables us to accomplish these tasks with increased ease and without injury.

It makes sense.

The muscles and tendons in our bodies are “elastic” in nature, but become increasingly “plastic” and more likely to be damaged as we venture further from our early adult years.

The more we…”mature.”

So what can we do to maintain that flexibility, strength and

overall health of these components that make up our bodies?

The answer is simple: maintain your level of fitness throughout the entire year with focus given to both the strength and flexibility of our bodies.

If you are a gym person, simply put, go to the gym. If you are a class person, like yoga or pilates, go to your classes and go consistently. Use good form, use your head and progress your programs safely; however, if you are neither, than really this article is precisely for someone like you because you are probably the person who is more active in the summer and very much less active in the winter.

This poses a problem because your body is on an annual rollercoaster of activity and health, putting you at a greater risk of injury.

You are at a greater risk as time moves forward and you get tighter and weaker.

So you have “bought in” and realize you want to do something, but you aren’t interested in activity outside like snow shoeing or crosscountry skiing. No problem!

These simple tips for stretches/ warm-ups and gentle exercises, as recommended by the American Physical Therapy Association, can help you maintain your flexibility and strength, sustaining your daily routine without injury.

A Few Rules: 1. Don’t stretch too hard, too fast. You’ll pay for it later with muscle pain.

2. Avoid bouncing. Maintain a gradual gentle pressure when stretching. Five reps of 10 to 30 seconds is sufficient for most people.

3. Move through a pain-free ROM (range of motion) at a slow and stable speed.

4. Don’t over-do it. Typically two to three sets of 10 reps are a good start when strengthening.

5. Breathe! Exhale when straining, inhale when returning to resting position.

Stretches: 1. “V” Exercise: Sitting in good posture begins with your arms crossed across your lap and thumbs pointing towards your hips. Then raise your arms up to assume the “V” shape. Hold and repeat again.

2. Calf Stretch: Standing up straight at the kitchen sink, begin

with one leg behind and one forward. Keeping the rear leg straight and locked, move your hips forward, bending the front knee while keeping the rear foot flat on the floor. Feel a gentle stretch up the back of the leg.

3. F o r w a r d / B a c k w a r d Bends: Standing with feet apart and secure balance, slowly lower your hands down along your thighs reaching for the floor. Pause and return to standing erect. Then, with hands on the back of your hips slowly bend backwards a comfortable distance. Pause and then return to standing erect.

Strengthening: 1. Punches: Holding onto a light weight, or even a can of canned vegetables, punch forward alternating arms while sitting or standing in good posture.

2. Sink Squats: Stand at the kitchen sink and hold on. Place a chair behind you for safety. Squat down touching your rear to the chair and raise back up.

3. Calf/Toe Raises: Again at the sink, hold on while advancing up onto your toes, and then back onto your heels.

4. Stairs: Walk up and down your stairs. Or even just go up and down your lowest step to minimize the risk of taking a tumble.

5. Walk the hall, or get on that treadmill that’s covered with clothes. Treadmills are probably the most expensive hangers people buy.

Plug it in and get on it.

Keeping your workouts short, sweet and intense will likely keep you going and minimizes time as being a factor or an excuse as to why you cannot get to it. Spend anywhere from 15-30 minutes to start and pick a few stretches and strengthening exercises you like and then add on as you wish. Think safe and smart.

By maintaining your strength and flexibility you can absolutely

avoid injuries to your spine and extremities throughout the holidays and all year long.

Try to do these simple exercises each day in an effort to maintain and avoid problems down the road.

Slowly progress your repetitions or weights for increased intensity if you desire. If you are unable to perform any or all of these due to pain, weakness or tightness, don’t hesitate to consult with your physician to

confirm that exercise is safe for you.

Now get moving. Motion is lotion!

James Markwica, MS PT is a New York State Licensed Physical Therapist at LaMarco Physical Therapy, 417 Geyser Road in Ballston Spa and 30 Gick Road in Saratoga Springs. For questions of follow-up, contact James at (518) 587-3256 or online at www.lamarcopt.com.

28 Families TODAY

Week of December 5 – December 11, 2014

Ahhh… The Aroma Of Bread!

by John Reardon for Saratoga TODAY Hello my Foodie Friends!

We’re baaaaack! It’s the season of great baked goods and my personal favorite is bread. My mother was baking every day at this time of year and my brothers and sisters and I were hypnotized by her abilities.

If you have ever baked your own or been around someone who could bake bread then you can probably sit back right now and breathe in the aroma of that food.

As I have discussed with you in the past, my mother had a lot of secret weapons to tame the 5 wild children she was raising almost by herself. My father worked two jobs so he was gone before we woke up and returned home after we were in bed.

The bread baking worked every time and we would behave just to get a chance to help her and get a piece of hot bread with butter when

she was done.

Of course being the second oldest I was at the beginning of the line. After all, as everyone from a big family knows, is that age means everything! Paula has carried on the tradition and is a great baker also.

She has just made this delicious recipe from LeCreuset and we wanted to pass it on to our Foodie Friends!

Fill your home with the aromas of love and enjoy this holiday season!

Please remember to stop into our new location at 46 Marion Ave. and let me know how it came out. Better yet bring me a sample for a 10 percent discount on a new LeCrueset 5.5 qt. French Oven! Remember my Foodie Friends: “Life Happens in the Kitchen!”

Take Care, John and Paula

Olive Parmesan Bread Created for a 5 1/2 qt. round French oven

Ingredients • 4 cups flour • 1 teaspoon dry active yeast • 1 teaspoon salt • 1 1/2 cups warm water

• 1 cup grated Parmesan, plus 1/4 cup finely grated, divided • 7 ounces Kalamata olives, halved • Olive oil

Directions • Preheat oven to 450°F.

touched, about 3 – 4 hours.

• In a stand mixer fitted with the bread hook attachment, combine flour, yeast, salt and 1 cup water.

Mix briefly. Once combined, add remaining water, 1 cup grated Parmesan and olives. Mix until dough is thoroughly combined. It should not be sticky.

• Form the dough into a round shape with your hands and place in a bowl that has been brushed with olive oil and dusted with flour. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until tripled in size and dough springs back when

• Brush the French oven with olive oil or butter.

Place the dough round in the center. Brush the top with olive oil and sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan. Cover and bake 30 minutes.

• Reduce heat to 375°F. Bake until golden brown and internal temperature is 200°F. • Allow the bread to rest in the French oven for 20 minutes. Remove to a cooling rack before slicing.

• Serves ten or more people

West Side Sports Bar & Grill have been designated benRai$es Dough! which eficiaries for West Side’s monthly SARATOGA SPRINGS — The West Side Sports Bar & Grill (112 Congress Street, Saratoga Springs) has several donation programs scheduled through the Holiday Season and has announced the charitable recipients for it’s monthly “Rai$ing Dough” program for the first six months of 2015.

West Side is currently conducting a “Toys for Tots” drive. New, unwrapped toys are being accepted.

From Dec. 17-24, they will “wrap for a cause” – your holiday presents will be wrapped while you dine, with donations benefitting Old Friends at Cabin Creek.

Here are the local charities

“Rai$ing Dough” program in 2015. A portion of food and beverage bought during the evening is donated; there are also silent auction items available: • Wednesday, Jan. 14 – Saratoga Central Catholic Sports Program - 5 p.m.

• Monday, Feb. 9 – Friends of Phoebie Animal Rescue, Inc. (Queensbury) - 6 p.m.

• Tuesday, Mar. 3 – Old Friends at Cabin Creek - 6 p.m.

• Wednesday, Apr. 15 – Division Street School PTA - 5 p.m.

• Tuesday, May 19 – Saratoga Gymnastics at YMCA • Monday, Jun. 15 – Guardian House and Vet House of Saratoga County For more information, contact the West Side Sports Bar & Grill at (518) 691-0193.

Week of December 5 – December 11, 2014

Families

TODAY

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Gift Ideas for Cooks from Saratoga Farmers’ Market centerpieces and pottery are handcrafted

by Balet Flowers & Design. Scotch Ridge Berry Farm brings Christmas trees, greens, and hanging “kissing balls” at this time of year. Both vendors are located just outside the entrance to the Lincoln Baths building.

For people who like to cook with market ingredients, Saratoga Farmers’ Market carries the “Farmers’ Market: Favorite Recipes” cookbook authored by nutrition educator Diane Whitten of Cornell Cooperative Extension. The book

Saturdays, 9 to 1 Lincoln Baths, 65 So. Broadway Saratoga Spa State Park SARATOGA SPRINGS — There’s a good chance that there’s someone on your holiday gift list that can be described as the family’s cook or amateur chef. Saratoga Farmers’ Market offers a variety of

includes 125 of her favorite recipes featuring items from the market.

This is a gift of good taste that your favorite home chef will enjoy well into the New Year.

Local gifts from small businesses that support the area’s economy are very popular this season.

Saratoga Farmers’ Market has products from roughly 40 farms and vendors located in Saratoga, Schenectady, Washington and Rensselaer counties.

A purchase at the market— where products are sold directly by the producer, without any “middlemen” in the distribution chain—exemplifies the “Buy Local” tradition. You will feel good knowing that you’ve had a direct positive impact on a local family business.

Pumpkin-Cranberry Cookies

From Farmers’ Market: Favorite Recipes. Used with permission. * These items can be purchased at the market Ingredients 1/2 cup softened butter 1 cup sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 egg* 1 cup pureed cooked pumpkin* (or butternut squash*) 2 1/4 cups flour 2 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1 cup cranberries Grated peel from one orange 1/2 cup chopped walnuts Directions Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in vanilla, egg and pumpkin. items to please anyone with culinary interests.

Of course, the farm-fresh items at the market are a key attraction, and if you are delivering your gift in person, an assortment of the market’s fine cheeses and cured meat, or a gift of grass-fed meat, poultry, fresh fish or seafood, baked goods and a rainbow of fresh produce is ideal for the home cook.

Need something less perishable? This season, two vineyards have joined the winter market— try a sample of the fine local wine from Northern Star Vineyard or Oliva Vineyards.

Also popular as gifts are homemade jams, maple syrup, honey and locally made peanut butter.

Combine all four for a tasty “breakfast basket.”

Having a hard time deciding what to buy? If your gift recipient is local, tuck any amount

of the market’s wooden tokens (accepted like money by all vendors) into a decorative pouch, and wrap them up with a Saratoga Farmers’ Market apron and potholders. The tokens work just like a gift certificate, but are easier to carry in a purse or pocket and spend in small increments; and the best news is that they never expire. You can purchase tokens, aprons and other market items at the market’s information table on the second floor of the Lincoln Baths building.

If you need to ship a gift to a cook or frequent party host across the country, consider something lightweight and pre-packaged that does not require refrigeration, such as an assortment of Saratoga Crackers (choose from over ten flavors) or cookies by The Chocolate Spoon. Tuck in some beeswax candles from Ballston Lake Apiaries,

and all-natural soap from Saratoga Suds n Stuff or Joy of the Journey, and your gift will be both festive and practical.

Most cooks also like to set a beautiful table and decorate for the holidays. Dried floral arrangements, evergreen wreaths and

Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.

Beat flour mixture into pumpkin mixture.

Stir cranberries into mixture along with orange peel, and nuts. Drop rounded teaspoon-size balls onto a greased cookie sheet.

Bake in a preheated 375°F oven for 10-12 minutes. This will make a soft, cake-like cookie. Makes three-dozen cookies.

30 Families TODAY

Week of December 5 – December 11, 2014

Rebuilding Mind, Body and Soul

Give the Gift that Keeps on Giving this Holiday Season

by Monique Boulet

for Saratoga TODAY

Want to give a gift that can literally transform how a loved one feels based on the ability to create a mood altering experience? If so, you may want to contact a Young Living consultant such as Maria Billis in Saratoga Springs. First, if you have never tried Young Living products, that’s reason enough, in my opinion, to get a consultation from her on the large variety of oils, supplements, household cleaners, bath and body products and skin care solutions.

Maria explained some of the many reasons she started working with Young Living Essential Oils, and why she was hooked on their products from day one. “Health and wellness have always been an integral part of my life. However, in 2005 I was introduced to a new business venture that quickly became my true life’s passion. A dear friend of mine gave me the Young Living Premium Starter Kit as a birthday gift and I fell in love with them.

After learning more about financial wellness with Young Living and the freedom and residual incomes it provides I decided to pursue Young Living as a business! Young Living Essential Oils can change someone’s life and the business can change their financial future.”

What is Young Living?

Young Living is a 20-yearold company and the producer of the world’s highest quality essential oils and natural products. It is a community of people pursuing better health, better living and greater abundance guided by a respect for nature and the endless gifts it provides.

The reason Young Living Essential Oils are so effective is their ‘seed to seal’ process that

yields unmatched quality and therapeutic potency.

Maria hosts some pretty cool Young Living events that are fun and lively - they educate people on how to use Young Living products as well as allow people the opportunity to see the many products. Young Living carries blends such as the Thieves line, Children’s Products, Pet Products, Nutrition, Household Products and Diffusers!

Her events are held at One Big Roof in Saratoga Springs. She also hosts events at various locations throughout the Capital District for Young Living members and their guests.

Contact her personally (see below) for an invitation.

Here are some quotes Maria provided from satisfied users: “I could not live without Young Living Essential Oils – they make me feel so full of life, energy, vibrancy and vitality.”

“I wake up with massive

amounts of energy, zest and passion.”

“People are always telling me that I smell amazing and they want to know what it is.”

“I love to apply my oils before I work out, during the work day, before bed and literally any time I feel I want to support my body systems.”

My personal favorite is the Thieves line, which has antibacterial properties that boost the immune system. That and the fact that it makes me smell yummy, like a slice of holiday pie!

For more information, contact Maria at mbillis@nycap.rr.com or (518) 879-6360. Her website is www.mariabillis.vibrantscents.com If you are a business, corporation, food establishment or non-profit organization and have some news you would like to share on your healthy initiatives, I welcome the information. We are, after all, working together to create one of the healthiest areas in the world!

Monique Boulet RD, CDN, CPT organiquebymonique.com (518) 312-6309 moniqueboulet@hotmail.com

Week of December 5 – December 11, 2014

Families

TODAY

Poinsettia Paranoia

by Peter Bowden

for Saratoga TODAY Every year I encounter someone visiting the garden center who will not consider purchasing a poinsettia because they believe that their cat or dog is going to eat it and die. This belief is so ingrained that there is no convincing them otherwise. I’ve come to believe that some people always love to believe the worst. Naturally, there are some plants that are toxic to animals but poinsettias aren’t one of them. I visited the ASPCA website to see if they list poinsettias among plants that are harmful to animals. Poinsettias weren’t to be found but there are plenty of plants that are commonly found in and around the home that are.

I’ve had cats and dogs my entire life and they’ve all been exposed to poinsettia plants at Christmas time.

I think the animals, which have a much better sense of smell than we do, can tell that some plants should be avoided. If this weren’t the case, there’d be dogs and cats dropping dead every day. Clearly they aren’t so we have to assume that animals aren’t stupid and have a way of knowing what can be and what shouldn’t be eaten.

It is amazing and amusing what people choose to believe. A survey a couple of years ago revealed that about 70 percent of the population still believes that poinsettias are poisonous. I’m sure it doesn’t help that the word poinsettia resembles the word poison. How did the poor poinsettia become the focus of all this angst?

It all started in Hawaii in 1919 when the 2-year-old toddler son of an army officer was found dead.

Some reports indicate that the child was found near a poinsettia bush, which is a common garden plant

in Hawaii. It was supposed that the child had eaten some of the poinsettia and died. There was no proof of this...no autopsy or toxicology test...it was simply assumed that the poinsettia was to blame.

The rumor spread throughout the islands and it became common knowledge that “poinsettias are poisonous” and will kill if eaten.

Twenty five years later the rumor was so well-entrenched that it was published as fact in a book called “Poisonous Plants of Hawaii.” At that point there was no stopping the rumor and it went viral. Soon poinsettias were being incorrectly listed as poisonous plants by even such illustrious institutions as the USDA. All this without one shred of evidence of any person or animal ever being harmed let alone killed by eating poinsettias. Eventually tests were conducted and it was found that poinsettias aren’t toxic at all. If eaten it is a gastrointestinal irritant and can cause intense salivation and vomiting. Even with this evidence the toxic legend of the poinsettia didn’t die and, almost 100 years after the rumor began, most people still believe that poinsettias are killers.

Naturally the poinsettia growers have done everything they can to try and dispel this gross bit of misinformation. I still remember watching Paul Ecke of the Ecke Poinsettia Ranch munching on poinsettia leaves on the Tonight

Show with Johnny Carson. It didn’t do much to dispel the rumor though.

There was a time when the poinsettia wasn’t found among our holiday plants. They’ve only recently arrived on the holiday scene. The poinsettia was cultivated by the Aztecs in Mexico. Called Cuetlaxochitl, it was a symbol of purity and was highly prized by the Aztecs. Later, the flowers were used by Franciscan priests in nativity processions in colonial Mexico.

Mexican folklore holds that the poinsettia or ‘flower of the Holy Night’ appeared during a miracle that occurred on Christmas.

A boy who came to the church on Christmas was so poor that he had nothing to offer the Christ child.

In shame, he fell to his knees and prayerfully asked God to forgive him. When he stood up, the first “flower of the Holy Night” appeared from the soil at his feet so he would have a gift to offer.

Around 1830, the first U.S. Ambassador to Mexico, Joel Poinsett, saw the plants and sent some home to South Carolina.

Poinsett, like so many early Americans, was a respected amateur botanist. He propagated his plants and shared them with friends and botanical gardens throughout the U.S. From that time, English speaking countries have known the poinsettia.

Thanks for the read!

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

Adirondack Friends Meeting 27 Saratoga Ave., South Glens Falls 793-3755 AdirondackFM@nycap.rr.com; www.adirondackfriendsmeeting.org Regina Baird Haag, pastoral minister Services: Sunday 10:30 a.m.

All Saints Episcopal Church 3 Simpson Ave, Round Lake 518-899-5510 www.allsaintsroundlake.com Rev. Dr. Scott Evans, Priest in Charge Service: Holy Eucharist Sunday at 9:30am followed by coffee hour.

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

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

Assembly of God Saratoga 118 Woodlawn Ave., Saratoga Springs 584-6081 Services: Sunday Worship 10 a.m., coffee served at 9:45 a.m.

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

Handicapped accessible.

Baha’i Community of Saratoga Springs 584-9679; 692-7694 usbnc.org

Ballston Center Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church 58 Charlton Road, Ballston Spa 885-7312 ballstoncenterarpchurch.org Services: Sunday Worship Service, 10:30 a.m.

Ballston Spa United Methodist Church 101 Milton Ave., Ballston Spa

RELIGION 885-6886 Services: Sunday 10 a.m.

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

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

Christ Community Reformed Church 1010 Route 146, Clifton Park 371-7654; ccrc-cpny.org.

Services: Sunday 10 a.m.

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

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

Congregation Shaara Tfille 84 Weibel Avenue, Saratoga Springs 584-2370 saratogasynagogue.org Services: Saturday 9:30 a.m., (1st & 3rd Sat. also 10:30) Monday & Thursday 7:30 a.m., third Friday each month 7:30 p.m.

Handicapped Accessible

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

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

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

Corpus Christi Roman Catholic Community

2001 Route 9, Round Lake 877-8506 ccorpusc@nycap.rr.com Services: Saturday 4 p.m.; Sunday 8:30 & 10:30 a.m.; Weekday Masses: Monday-Friday 9 a.m.

Eastern Orthodox— Christ the Savior 349 Eastline Road, Ballston Spa 786-3100 xcsavior@yahoo.com.

Services: Sunday 9:30 a.m.

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

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

First Presbyterian Church of Ballston Spa 22 West High St., Ballston Spa 885-5583 Services: Sunday 10 a.m.

Full Gospel Tabernacle 207 Redmond Road, Gansevoort 793-2739 Services: Sunday 10 a.m.; Bible Study: Thursday 6:30 p.m.

Galway United Methodist Church 2056 East Street (at intersection of Route 147), Galway 882-6520 www.galway-unitedmethodist-church.com Services: Sunday 9:30 a.m.

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

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

Handicapped accessible.

Greater Grace Community Church Pastor David Moore 899-7777

Week of December 5 – December 11, 2014 thechurch@ggccmalta.org Services: Wednesday 7:30 p.m.

Friday 7:00 p.m., Sunday 10 a.m.

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

Church Service - 11 a.m.

Prayer Meeting - Wednesday 6:30 p.m.

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

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

Jonesville United Methodist 963 Main St., Clifton Park 877-7332 Services: Sunday 8:30 & 10:30 a.m. Sunday School 9:30 a.m.

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

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

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

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

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

Handicapped accessible

Mount Olivet Baptist Church Corner of Jefferson & Crescent Streets Saratoga Springs 584-9441 Rev. Dr. Victor Collier Services: Sunday 10 a.m.

All are welcome Handicapped accessible

New Horizon Church 150 Perry Road, Saratoga Springs 587-0711 Services: Sunday 9:30 a.m.

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

Services: Sunday 10:30 a.m.

Childcare is available at all services.

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

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

Handicapped accessible.

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

Coffee and Fellowship in Living Stone Hall; Wednesday: Noon potluck luncheon; 1 p.m. choir rehearsal; 2 p.m. Bible Study Group

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

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

Handicapped accessible.

Porter Corners United Methodist Church 512 Allen Road, Porter Corners 893-2190 Pastor Al Johnson Services: Sunday evening 6 p.m.

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

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

Handicapped accessible.

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

Roman Catholic Church of

Week of December 5 – December 11, 2014 St. Peter 241 Broadway, Saratoga Springs 584-2375 Services: Eucharistic Celebrations: Saturday 5 p.m.; Sunday 7:30, 9 and 11 a.m.

St. Clement’s Roman Catholic Church 231 Lake Ave., Saratoga Springs 584-6122 Services: Saturday 4 p.m.; Sunday 8, 9:30, 11:15 a.m. and 5 p.m., 1 p.m.

Spanish Service

St. George’s Episcopal Church 912 Route 146, Clifton Park 371-6351 stgeorge@csdsl.net Services: Saturday 4:30 p.m. & Sunday 8 & 9:30 a.m.

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

Handicapped accessible

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

Handicapped accessible

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

Handicapped accessible.

St. Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran Church 149 Lake Ave., Saratoga Springs 584-0904 Services: Saturday 5 p.m. with Holy Communion.

Sundays 8:30 & 11 a.m. with Holy Communion.

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

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

Saratoga Abundant Life Church 2325 Route 50 South,

Saratoga Springs 885-5456; SALChurch.org Services: Sunday 9:30 a.m.

Saratoga Chabad 130 Circular St., Saratoga Springs 526-0773 saratora@aol.com saratogachabad.com

Saratoga Friends Meeting (Quaker) Rts. 32 and 71, Quaker Springs 587-7477; 399-5013 Services: Sunday 10 a.m.

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

Handicapped accessible.

Saratoga Seventh-Day Adventist Church 399 Union Ave., Saratoga Springs 882-9384; saratogasda.org Services: Sabbath School: 10 a.m.

Worship Service: 11:30 a.m.

Schuylerville United Methodist Church

RELIGION terranovachurch.org saratogaquestions@ terranovachurch.org Services: Sunday 5:30 p.m.

Childcare: 6 months–4 years and expanding Handicapped accessible.

The Salvation Army/ Worship, Service & Community Center 27 Woodlawn Ave., Saratoga Springs 584-1640; Mail-P.O. Box 652 Captain Aaron A. Boone, Sr.; Captain Amber S. Boone Commanding Officers/Ministers Services: Sunday School 10 a.m.; Praise & Worship 11 a.m.

Book Fair

971 Route 146, Clifton Park 371-7964 Services: Sunday 9 & 10:30 a.m.

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

Temple Sinai 509 Broadway, Saratoga Springs 584-8730 www.saratogasinai.org Shabbat Services: Friday 6 p.m. preceded by an oneg at 5:30 p.m., & 8 p.m. followed by an oneg after service (two early services/ month)Saturdays 10:30 a.m.

Preceded by 5:30 p.m. Oneg.

Handicapped Accessible.

Terra Nova Church 45 Washington St., Saratoga Springs 833-0504

624 North Broadway, Saratoga Springs 584-1555, uusaratoga.org Services: Sunday 10 a.m.

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

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

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

REligion Briefs Hosts Dinah Berland

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

Shenendehowa United Methodist

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

Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Saratoga Springs

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Trinity United Methodist Church

51 Church St, Schuylerville 695-3101; www.sumethodist.org 11 a.m. Sunday worship Pastor Al Johnson

Simpson United Methodist Church

Congregation Shaara Tfille and The Jewish Community Center of Saratoga Springs, located at 84 Weibel Avenue in Saratoga Springs, will have a Jewish Book Fair on December 7th from 9:30am – 5pm at their site. The books, provided by Northshire Bookstore of Saratoga Springs, include a full range of Non-fiction, Fiction, Romance, Cookbooks, Children and Holiday titles that are only available locally at this event. 20% of the proceeds will go to their Sisterhood. For more information, please contact 584-2370 or saratogajcc@verizon.net.

Free Home Bible Study Great way to study through the Bible at your convenience. Exciting and informative study that could change your life. Compliments of Free Spirit Fellowship. For more information call (518) 885-3149.

Congregation Shaara Tfille and The Jewish Community Center of Saratoga Springs, located at 84 Weibel Avenue in Saratoga Springs, invites the community to join them on Sunday, December 7 at 12pm for an incredible program in which Dinah Berland, senior editor at Getty Publications, will be discussing the translation she wrote from Fanny Neuda’s Book of Prayers for Jewish Women entitled, “Hours of Devotion”. Her book is a verse adaptation of the first book of prayers by a Jewish woman for women. Dinah

has worked in art, scholarly, and trade publishing for more than twentyfive years. Sponsored by a generous grant from Jewish Federation of Northeast N Y, Ms. Berland will be presenting a very interesting program followed by a Question & Answer period and Book Signing.

The fee of $10 includes a Deli Lunch.

Please RSVP by Tuesday, December 2nd at 584-0366 or saratogajcc@verizon.net.

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Second Hand Rose Thrift Shop Second Hand Rose Thrift Shop, 116 Broad St. in Schuylerville, extends its store hours for the Holiday Season. The Thrift Shop Holiday hours are Tuesday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. with in-store sales. Special sale items are picture frames, wine & cocktail glasses, Christmas cards and stockings. Snow days policy: when Schuylerville District Schools are closed because of inclement weather, Second Hand Rose Thrift Shop is closed as well. For further information, please call the Thrift Shop at (518) 695-4640.

Breakfast with Santa Claus Breakfast with Santa Claus will be Saturday, Dec. 13 from 8-10:30 a.m. at 23 Pleasant St. in Ballston Spa. Come join us for a hot breakfast with Santa Claus hosted by the American Legion Auxiliary Unit No. 234.

Children ages 12 and under are welcome. This event is open to the community. There will be a Holiday wreath raffle for parents.

Over-30 Basketball at Gavin Grab your sneakers and get ready for Over-30 Basketball! Designed with the mature, basketballplaying crowd in mind, the Over-30 Basketball Program is for adults, ages 30 and over.

This is a drop-in activity which runs Mondays, 8-10 p.m. now through May 19. The weekly fee is $5 per person (cash only), and a maximum of 20 players can participate on any given night.

Any questions, please contact the park office at (518) 584-9455.

First Night Saratoga 5K Run The 17th annual First Night Saratoga 5K Run, presented by the Saratoga Arts, will be held on Wednesday, Dec. 31 at 5:30 p.m. The run is limited to the first 1,500 registrants. There is no day of race registration. The race has sold out for the past 13 years. A ChronoTrack B-Tag computerized scoring system will be used. The USA Track and Field certified

LOCAL BRIEFS course starts and finishes on the Skidmore College Campus. Awards will be given to the top three overall male and female finishers as well as the top three male and female finishers in five-year age categories. All finishers will receive a First Night commemorative medal. Registration is $30.

Refreshments following the race.

Showers and restrooms available in the athletic complex. Save time by registering online or download an application and map at www.saratoga-arts.org. There is no additional fee for registering online. For further information contact First Night Saratoga at (518) 584-4132.

Annual Coat Drive Donations for the eighth annual coat drive are being accepted now through Jan. 7, the Saratoga National Bank and Trust Company (4208 Route 50 and 227 Ballard Road, Wilton) is hosting their annual Coat Drive.

The Jones Road and Ballard Road offices of Saratoga National Bank and Trust Company are collecting winter coats and other coldweather clothing items to benefit the Adirondack Vets House.

Items can be dropped off during regular business hours. For more information about the coat drive, call the Jones Road branch at (518) 587-8484.

Polar Express Comes to Saratoga The Polar Express comes to the Saratoga North Creek Railway (26 Station Lane, Saratoga Springs). Take your child to experience the magic of the season on a mystical round-trip journey to an extravagantly built North Pole. Read along with the story as the train makes its magical round trip journey to the North Pole. Meet Santa and enjoy caroling, hot cocoa, a treat, and a special gift for each child.

Kids are encouraged to wear their pajamas, just like in the story.

Trips remaining are December (9-14, 16-23, 26-28). Ticket prices vary by class and availability.

‘A Night of Inclusion’ “A Night of Inclusion” at Saratoga Springs High School is designed to bring community members into the school, see many of the amazing things students, faculty and staff do on a daily basis, and raise awareness and funds for the Best Buddies Club, an organization

created to encourage one-to-one peer relationships between general education students and students with disabilities. The event is scheduled for Dec. 18, 5:30-7 p.m. in the high school cafeteria. There will be many different displays from a variety of classes, clubs, teams and committees, as well as refreshments and silent auction items donated by local businesses.

Annual Members’ Art Show The ever-popular, year-end show is a great opportunity for established and emerging member artists to display their best works in a professional exhibition at The Arts Center Gallery and celebrate their many talents with fellow artists and the community. The show goes from now to Dec. 31. Annually, with over 150 artists exhibiting artworks ranging from painting, drawing and printmaking to sculpture, functional fine art and photography, the annual Members’ Show promises to be a real treat. For more information call (518) 584-4132.

Authors at Northshire to Celebrate Newest Books Two mystery/suspense authors are coming to Saratoga Springs in December to celebrate their newest books. Writers Charles Salzberg (“Swann’s Lake of Despair”) and Jenny Milchman (“Ruin Falls”) will be at Northshire Bookstore (424 Broadway in Saratoga Springs) Dec. 12 at 7 p.m. “Ruin Falls” by Jenny Milchman is actually set right in your backyard.

In the book, two children are kidnapped during a family vacation after leaving their home in the Adirondack Mountains, and it’s up to their mother to save them. “Swann’s Lake of Despair”

by Charles Salzberg is a crime fiction story that follows an offbeat detective who finds mystery hiding behind every door. Charles is a New York journalist, author and writing instructor.

Volkswalk: Saratoga Springs Join the Empire State Capital Volkssporters for Fun, Fitness and Friendship on Saturday, Dec. 13, starting at 10:11 a.m. Registration will be 30 minutes before start time. The start point will be on the third level of the parking garage at 30 Woodlawn Ave. in Saratoga Springs. A volkswalk is a leisurely

Week of December 5 – December 11, 2014 walk (typically 10k or 6.2 miles. A 3-mile route is also offered). More information is available at www.ava. org and www.walkescv.org.

Christmas Cookie Walk Friends and Members of the church will bake fancy homemade Christmas Cookies to be sold Dec. 13 by the pound at the Christmas Cookie Walk at the Malta Presbyterian Church, 118 Dunning Street in Malta at 10 a.m.

The Cookies are displayed on tables and our customers are given a bakery box and disposable glove to walk around the tables and choose cookies they want to buy. The boxes are weighed and sold by the pound.

Gavin Park Pickleball Come on down to Gavin Park and join the fun playing the net court game of pickleball. This game is played by 2 or 4 people on a badminton-sized court using wood, or composite paddle racquets and a plastic, poly baseball with or without holes. No commitment required. Drop-in registration takes place in the park office, Mondays- Friday, beginning Dec. 9 and going through April.

Session fee is $3 per person, per visit, 9:15-11:15 a.m. Any questions, contact the park office at (518) 584-9455.

Yoga at Gavin Park Gavin Park is now offering Yoga on Sunday mornings, 8-9 a.m. beginning Jan. 11. This class is designed to help you become familiar with basic yoga postures, breathing and healthy alignment.

Focus will be on standing poses and key principles of alignment to increase strength, balance, stamina, and flexibility. Pre-registration is required. No drop-ins will be allowed. A minimum of eight people must register for a session to run. Cost for Wilton Residents is $45, Saratoga Springs School District Residents is $55, and all others is $60. Registration ends Jan. 9. You can register in person at Gavin Park, or visit online at www. townofwilton.com/departments/ parks-and-recreation. Questions may be answered by calling the park office at (518) 584-9455.

Breakfast and Photos with Santa!

You and your family are invited to join us for a scrumptious and fun breakfast with Santa and friends, benefiting the WGY Christmas

Wish, at Curtis Lumber (885 Rt. 67, Ballston Spa, 7-10 a.m.). Each breakfast is just a $5 donation to the WGY Christmas Wish. 810 WGY on-air personalities Joe Gallagher, along with Chuck and Kelly, will be holding a live radio show. There will also be pictures with Santa for the kids and the young at heart. Do not miss this fun yearly tradition! Breakfast is sponsored by Panza’s Restaurant. For more info visit www.wgy.com or call Curtis Lumber at (518) 885-5311.

Saratoga Film Forum December Films Saratoga Film Forum film presentations are screened at the Saratoga Arts Center, 320 Broadway, on Thursday and Friday nights at 7:30 p.m. and at 3 p.m. on Sundays, with the exception of the free Spring Street Classics series presented at 110 Spring Street, Saratoga Springs. Refreshments are available. General admission is $7; $5 for Film Forum members and students; some levels of membership include admission. New members, sponsors, volunteers and advertisers are always welcome.

For more information, go to www.saratogafilmforum.org, call (518)584-FILM or email films@ saratogafilmforum.org.

Capital Holiday Lights in the Park The 18th Annual Capital Holiday Lights in the Park is an aweinspiring show with over 125 light displays and scenes from now until Jan. 3 at Washington Park in Albany. It’s open every day from 6-10 p.m. Cost is $15-$75 depending on the size of the group.

Drive through the park and admire the beautiful sights!

The Puppet People Present Charles Dickens’ ‘A Christmas Carol’ A Charles Dickens holiday classic will take place at the Saratoga Springs Public Library from 1-2 p.m. on Dec. 29. This show features beautiful handcrafted marionettes, shadow puppets, gorgeous masks, lavish costumes, vivid sets, a professional soundtrack that includes many holiday favorites, and a giant 9-foot parade puppet.

This program is for ages five and older. Free tickets can be picked up at the library. Shows will be at 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. For more information call (518) 584-7860.

Send your local briefs to calendar@saratogapublishing.com before Monday at 5 p.m. for Friday publication.

Week of December 5 – December 11, 2014

calendar

Saturday, December 6 Holiday Market Breakfast with Santa

Family Friendly Event Friday, December 5 Saratoga Festival of Trees Saratoga City Center, 522 Broadway, Saratoga Springs Don’t miss this awe-inspiring holiday festival in Saratoga, running through Sunday, December 7, 2014.

The Saratoga Springs Festival of Trees is a fun-filled event and craft fair that is great for kids and adults alike, putting the spirit of Christmas in everyone’s heart. Walk amid over 250 beautifully twinkling trees, wreaths, centerpieces and other holiday items on display for visitors to purchase or simply admire. Santa himself will also be stopping by from time to time for pictures.

Annual Holiday Parade Downtown Ballston Spa, 6:30 p.m.

The parade has become a small town-style holiday tradition, with fire trucks, floats, kids and Santa parading down the main street of the village. Before and after the parade, there will be carolers and musicians on the street corners and many village shops, restaurants and museums will be open with music, demonstrations and displays as part of First Friday, which also falls on this festive evening. Churches and community organizations will have activities during the weekend as well.

Saratoga Springs History Museum Holiday Gala Canfield Casino, Congress Park, Saratoga Springs, 6:30 – 11 p.m.

The History Museum, Saratoga Springs’ only organization devoted exclusively to all aspects of preserving the history of the Spa City, is hosting this annual holiday fundraiser, featuring great music, great food and great shopping. All proceeds will support the museum’s ongoing educational projects, materials and events. Tickets are $65.00 in advance, $55.00 for museum members, $55.00 for those 40 and under, and $70.00 at the door. Tickets can be purchased by calling (518) 584-6920 or online at www.saratogahistory.org.

St. Mary’s School, 40 Thompson St, Ballston Spa, 8 – 11 a.m.

Children and their families will enjoy activities, live performances and a chance to chat with Santa and Mrs. Claus. Cost for the breakfast is $5 per person and reservations are not necessary.

Family activities at the breakfast include a craft table, a reading corner with a free book for each child and face painting. Proceeds will go to support community events, village beautification and a portion to the youth programs at St. Mary’s Parish. We will also be collecting non-perishable items for the local food pantries.

Holiday Sale Old Saratoga Reformed Church, Pearl and Burgoyne Streets in Schuylerville, 8 a.m. – 2 p.m.

New and gently used Christmas items will be available, including decorations and collectables. There will also be a raffle, a bake sale, and much more at bargain prices. For more information call the church office at (518) 695-3479, 9 a.m. to noon Monday – Friday.

New York State Approved Defensive Driving Class First Baptist Church, 45 Washington St., Saratoga Springs, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.

Save 10% on your base auto insurance for the next three years and receive up to 4 points off your driving record according to New York State Department of Motor Vehicle guidelines. Fee $35.00. Bring a friend and the fee is $30.00 each.

Registration is required. Call Ray Frankoski at (518) 286-3788.

Christmas Cookie and Candy Sale Charlton Freehold Presbyterian Church, 768 Charlton Rd., Charlton, 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.

Let us do the baking. Call the church at (518) 399-4831 for additional information.

Festival of Trees and Craft Fair Schuylerville Town Hall, Routes 4 and 29, Schuylerville, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Decorated trees, wreaths, centerpieces and trees, crafts and unique gifts available for purchase. At 4:30 St. Nicholas will arrive in the village of Schuylerville and parade south down Broadway to the Village Park to meet the children.

Olde Flax Mill Gallery Shoppe, 88 Broad St., Schuylerville, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.

The annual marketplace is the ideal place to find unique, affordable, one-of-a-kind crafted works for Christmas, hostess and New Year’s gifts. Watch skilled artisans work their fine crafts. Three weekends beginning December 6. For more information call (518) 695-5534.

11th Annual Center Craft Show Saratoga Arts Council Center, 320 Broadway, in Saratoga Springs, 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.

The Center Crafts show is a juried fine arts and fine crafts featuring a unique selection of more than 15 invited artists exhibiting handmade Gift-able Works of Art for this annual holiday showcase. Admission is free and refreshments will be served. In the spirit of Holiday giving, donations of non-perishable food will be collected for the local food pantry.

Christmas Party for Relatives of Veterans and American Legion Post 70 Members American Legion, 34 West Avenue, Saratoga Springs, 4 – 6 p.m.

Ages 12 and under are invited to attend. Join us for pizza, desserts, crafts & gifts from Santa. Reservations required. Include name of Veteran and name and age of child(ren) who will be in attendance. For more information call (518) 587-0236.

North Country Festival of Trees Queensbury Hotel, 88 Ridge Street, Glens Falls, 5 – 9 p.m.

The festive holiday event is a benefit for Prospect Center, a division of the Center for Disability Services.

Hundreds of exquisitely decorated trees, wreaths, centerpieces, fireplace mantle decorations, stockings and gingerbread houses. Admission is $7 for adults, $5 for senior citizens and $3 for children 12 years of age and under. For more information, visit prospectcenter.com; cfdsny.org; or contact Tina Kelly at (518) 832-6124.

Sunday, December 7 A Community Christmas Music Festival Old Saratoga Reformed Church, corner of Pearl and Burgoyne Streets, Schuylerville, 3 p.m.

Featured will be area choirs, and a combined choir under the direction of Christopher Tucker, other local musicians, an orchestra, and audience carol singing. A free will

offering will be taken, benefitting the Caring and Sharing Program of Schuylerville Central School.

Refreshments will follow the concert. The church is handicapped accessible. All are welcome. For more information call (518) 695-3479.

Local Town Websites

Monday, December 8

Town of Ballston:

BSPA Annual Holiday Mixer

Ballston Town Hall 323 Charlton Road (518) 885-8502 www.townofballstonny.org

The Brickyard Tavern, 70 Milton Ave., Ballston Spa, 5:30 p.m.

Enjoy light fare buffet and cash bar, door prizes and 50/50 raffle. Cost is $20.00. Order your tickets online at www.ballston.org and we will have them at the door when you arrive.

Pre-sale tickets are available at Coffee Planet, 100 Milton Ave., Ballston Spa.

Tuesday, December 9 Piroghi Sale Christ the Savior Parish, 349 Eastline Rd., Ballston Lake, Pick up time:11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Potato/ cheese, sauerkraut, prune (limited) and Farmer’s cheese piroghis. To place your order, please call as soon as possible (518) 363-0001.

Wednesday, December 10 Storytelling Open Mic Woodlawn Commons, Community Room, 2nd floor, Harness Building, Saratoga Springs, 7 p.m. Come listen to a fine evening of stories performed by local tellers. Or sign-up to tell a story of your own: new storytellers are always welcome. Sign-ups are at 6:45. For more information call (518) 587-4536. Admission is free.

Thursday, December 11 Brown Bag Lunch Lecture: Lost Ski Areas in (and near) Saratoga Springs Saratoga Springs Public Library, H. Dutcher Community Room, Noon – 1 p.m.

The Southern Adirondacks were once home to dozens of small ski areas that no longer exist today. In this presentation based on his book, “Lost Ski Areas of the Southern Adirondacks,” ski historian Jeremy Davis chronicles the history of these vanished ski areas with photographs and memories from those who enjoyed them, while also paying homage to restored and classic skiing opportunities still available in the region. This free program is open to the public. Tea and coffee are provided. For more information please contact the Visitor Center at (518) 587-3241.

Village of Ballston Spa: 66 Front Street (518) 885-5711 www.ballstonspany.org Town of Greenfield: 7 Wilton Road (518) 893-7432 www.townofgreenfield.com Town of Malta: 2540 Route 9 (518) 899-2818 www.malta-town.org Town of Milton: 503 Geyser Road (518) 885-9220 www.townofmiltonny.org City of Saratoga Springs: 474 Broadway (518) 587-3550 www.saratoga-springs.org Town of Saratoga: 12 Spring Street, Schuylerville (518) 695-3644 www.townofsaratoga.com Village of Schuylerville: 35 Spring Street (518) 695-3881 www.villageofschuylerville.org Town of Stillwater: 881 N. Hudson Avenue Stillwater, NY 12170 (518) 664-6148 www.stillwaterny.org Town of Wilton: 22 Traver Road (518) 587-1939 www.townofwilton.com Saratoga County Board of Supervisors: 40 McMaster St, #1 Ballston Spa, NY 12020 (518) 885-2240 www.saratogacountyny.gov

Send your local briefs to calendar@saratogapublishing.com before Monday at 5 p.m. for Friday publication.

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Week of December 5 – December 11, 2014

Coming Together For A More Beautiful Community!

BALLSTON SPA — The Ballston Spa Business & Professional Association (BSBPA), in partnership with Curtis Lumber, honored business owners, residents and non-profit organizations whose renovations, restoration, and beautification efforts have enhanced the Ballston Spa community over the past year. The winners were chosen from nominations submitted by others in the community.

At a reception on Nov. 17 at the First Presbyterian Church, each award recipient was given a framed certificate along with a Curtis Lumber gift card in recognition of his or her efforts. Congratulations to the following winners: Residential Best Residential Renovation: • 79 Knickerbocker Street Christopher Jennings and Melissa Kalvestrand Best New Build: • 89 Hyde Blvd - Elizabeth Antonia Kormos and Sander Bonvell Best Investment Property Renovation: • 9 Mechanic Street - Steve Springer, Springer Holdings, LLC Commercial Best Complete Renovation: • M & R Mart - Matt Akari

Best Complete Renovation Honorable Mentions: • 207 Milton Ave - Ron Murphy • The Drapery Workroom Linda Wood Best Exterior Renovation: • Capital Construction Frank Laskey Best Interior Renovation: • Next Door Kitchen and Bar Matt Hall and Chris Fignar Best Interior Renovation Honorable Mention: • Corina’s Contemporary Jewelry, Corina Oberai Municipal Best Community Beautification Project: • Ballston Spa Public Library Ballston Spa Garden Club Best Public Building Restoration: • Malta Avenue School Complex Ballston Spa Central School District The BSBPA would like to thank all of our recipients for their hard work to improve our community, as well as the many community members who submitted nominations. Photos of each renovated project can be found on the BSBPA Facebook page (fb. com/BSBPA).For more information visit ballston.org.

2014 Recipients of the Ballston Spa Beautification Awards

Holiday Open House at Saratoga National Historical Park Route 32, just north of the Village of Stillwater.

The Visitor Center will be dressed up with holiday decorations, old fashioned hot chocolate, a bonfire, unique gifts and a special 20 percent discount on purchases that day in the Eastern National Bookstore.

Everyone will receive free copies of a variety of 18th­century recipes, and at 1:30 p.m. a special ranger program will be conducted.

For more information about this or other events, call the Visitor Center at (518) 670-2985 or visit www. nps.gov/sara Saratoga National Historical Park Visitor Center

STILLWATER — Saratoga National Historical Park invites the public to their annual Holiday Open House on Saturday, Dec. 13 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. This family-friendly event is perfect for anyone looking for unique, history-inspired gift-giving ideas and a friendly, festive holiday atmosphere.

The open house activities will be centered at the Historical Park’s Visitor Center, located between US Route 4 and NYS The Eastern National bookstore dressed for the holidays

Week of December 5 – December 11, 2014

37 PULSE

25th Anniversary Candlelight House Tour Features Historic North Broadway

SARATOGA SPRINGS — On Friday, Dec. 12 the Saratoga Springs Preservation Foundation will ring in the holiday season and celebrate Saratoga Springs’ unique architecture by touring some selected festively decorated homes in the historic North Broadway neighborhood. This highly anticipated event has been a holiday tradition in Saratoga Springs and is attended by hundreds of people each year.

The Candlelight House Tour begins at 5 p.m. and will continue until 9 p.m. While touring the homes, participants are encouraged to join in the Peppermint Pig Hunt by spotting the candy pig in each home and be entered to win a gift basket from Saratoga Sweets.

The homes on this year’s Candlelight House Tour are located at: • 605 North Broadway • 649 North Broadway • 688 North Broadway • 722 North Broadway • 779 North Broadway • 101 Bryan Street • 45 Greenfield Avenue – this is the Former Home of the Good Shepherd. Those who attend the tour can share their memories of the Home of the Good Shepherd from 5-7 p.m.

Interviews will be recorded. At 45 Greenfield Avenue, three of the nine condos will be featured on the tour.

Each of the homes on the tour has a vibrant history. One stop that is sure to be notable is at 722 N. Broadway.

Current owners William and Patricia Snyder discovered several connections and associations with the work of Tiffany Studios. For instance, a set of nine Tiffany style stained glass windows face North Broadway.

In the early 1970s, one of the caretakers of the property told the present owners that the parlor décor

had been commissioned from the Tiffany Workshop after the house was built, but that piece of oral history couldn’t be confirmed.

Recently, Paul Tucker, an aficionado of Moorish Fretwork, found the Snyders through an Internet real estate posting. Tucker wanted to examine 722 N. Broadway’s oneof-a-kind parlor room in person.

The parlor’s signature design elements are panels of intertwined oak dowels and scrolls that cover all of the walls in the room – a design that is rare, if not absolutely unique.

After his visit, Tucker said the parlor fretwork was manufactured by the Ransome woodworking company in Cleveland, Ohio, and was patented in 1885, just 2 years before the house was built. And yet, Louis Comfort Tiffany recruited Clara Driscoll, a talented woman who worked for Ransome at that time, as a designer in 1888.

Such is the stuff that makes for a great debate. Yet there can be no debate that the Candlelight House Tour will be loaded with historic nuggets like these at every stop.

For those purchasing tickets, the Candlelight tour will be followed by an after-party at the Saratoga Golf and Polo Club, located at 301 Church Street. The after-party begins at 7:30 p.m. and will feature a silent auction, food, holiday music and cash bar.

This year’s auction will include many unique holiday gift ideas including: a box seat and the naming of a race during the 2015 Saratoga Race Course Season, $500 spa gift certificate from Spa City Spa and two hours of genealogy research, a $300 value by Capital Genealogy, two tickets to the New York City Ballet compliments of SPAC and a one-night stay at the Holiday Inn with two passes to the National Museum of Racing and

Hall of Fame and gift certificates to local restaurants.

F o u n d e d in 1977, the Saratoga Springs Preservation Foundation (SSPF) is a not-for-profit membershipbased organization that promotes preservation and enhancement of

Photos by Paul Tucker

Moorish Fretwork design covers all of the walls in the parlor of 722 N. Broadway.

non-members. Tour and reception tickets are limited, so you are urged to order soon. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit saratogapreservation.org or call (518) 587-5030.

Tour only tickets will also be available the evening of the event from 5 - 7:30 p.m. at 1 N. Circular Street (off of N. Broadway).

The exterior of 722 N. Broadway has a set of nine Tiffany style stained glass windows.

the architectural, cultural and landscaped heritage of Saratoga Springs.

Tour-only Tickets are $40 for

SSPF members and $50 non-members. Tour and Reception Tickets are $75 for SSPF members and $85

PULSE

38

Week of December 5 – December 11, 2014

December 5–7, 2014 Sponsored By

ballston.org

Friday, December 5th Festivities Christmas Music 5-6 p.m.

Ballston Spa United Methodist Church, 101 Milton Avenue BSHS Orchestra will be playing holiday music in the fellowship room at 5pm, refreshments and crafts upstairs starting at 5:30.

Holiday Choral & Instrumental Music 5:30-6:30 p.m.

Ballston Spa High School Show Choir performs traditional carols in Wiswall Park while groups of instrumentalists from the BSHS Band will play holiday tunes on the street corners around the downtown area.

Ballston Spa Holiday Parade 6:30 p.m.

Join us for a “hometown” holiday tradition!

Holiday floats, fire trucks and much more.

Our grand marshals represent the businesses, residents and non-profit members of the BSBPA. Dress warmly and bring the kids.

Parade Route: 6:30 step off at old South Street School proceeding down Milton Avenue (Rt. 50) to Wiswall Park. Sponsored by Ballston Spa National Bank, Curtis Lumber, Ballston Spa Veterinary Clinic and Brookside Museum.

Tree Lighting in Wiswall Park, Front & Low Streets Approx.

7:45-8:00 p.m.

Be there as Santa officially lights up the Village Christmas tree.

Visit with Santa Following Tree Lighting Ballston Spa National Bank, 87 Front Street Come get your picture taken with Santa after the parade. In addition to your free photo, each child will receive a new one dollar bill and a candy cane.

Joseph’s Journey 7:35 pm First Baptist Church, 202 Milton Avenue After the Christmas parade, come and experience the story of the Nativity like you have never heard it before! Through powerful music, featuring the choir and Men of Faith Quartet, and compelling drama, journey with Joseph as he receives the news that he would be the father of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, through an immaculate conception.

Joseph is often the forgotten character of the Nativity story, but experiences God’s revelation through powerful events. Join us and be propelled back in time to experience the greatest story ever told.

Toys for Tots Collection Community Emergency Corps & Saratoga County Sheriffs Low Street Our EMS personnel and Saratoga County Sheriffs will be on hand on Low Street after the parade, accepting unwrapped toys for “Toys for Tots.” Community Emergency Corps will also be accepting toys at their station on Thompson St. through Dec. 15th.

Friday Night, December 5th First Friday Events Open House/Artisan Market 6-9 p.m.

Brookside Museum, 6 Charlton Street New Exhibit “Through the Lens of Time: Treasures from the Brookside Photograph Collection.” Visit the newly launched Artisan’s Market, featuring handmade pens, wooden cutting boards and decorative items, gourmet foods, jewelry, photography, books, aprons, holiday ornaments, and more! All purchases will benefit Brookside Museum’s collections and education programs.

Canvas Hair Salon 5-10 p.m.

90 Front Street Grand Opening/Open House. Refreshments and cookies, along with a meet and greet!

Bring in a toy for “Toys for Tots” that evening and receive 10% off your scheduled hair service.

Ye Olde Wishin’ Shoppe 6-9 p.m.

76 Front Street Free Holiday Photo Booth this weekend! Festive props will be available for everyone, and pets are welcome too. Hot cocoa, Christmas cookies and coffee. 20% store-wide sale!

Medbery Inn & Spa 6-8 p.m.

48 Front Street Free 5 minute chair massage and five minute facials! Holiday cookies and hot chocolate.

A Bead Just So 6-9 p.m.

49 Front Street Join us for a $5 kids craft-snowflake ornaments! 15% of all handcrafted jewelry. Huge selection of stocking stuffers. Enjoy hot cocoa and carrot cupcakes!

Creative Endeavors Gift Shop and Art Center 6-9 p.m.

49 Front Street A great selection of holiday items and original artwork. Free holiday refreshments!

Daisy Dry Goods 6-9 p.m.

28 Front Street 20% storewide sale. $50 gift certificate drawing. Delicious treats and holiday music!

Elliott Property Services 6-9 p.m.

30 Front Street Stop in for complimentary cookies and hot cocoa during the parade while supplies last!

Corina Contemporary Jewelry and Fine Crafts 6-9 p.m.

89 Milton Ave Join us before, during or after the parade for hot cider, lots of cookies and some mighty fine jewelry made right here in the shop.

Two if by Sea 6-9 p.m.

91 Milton Avenue Hot cider and refreshments. Stroll through

our beautiful shop and find just the right gift!

Coffee Planet 6-9 p.m.

100 Milton Avenue “Art on the Walls” by Mill Rock Photography.

Freshly brewed Fair Trade Coffee.

Whitehouse Restaurant 5-9 p.m.

93-95 Milton Avenue Enjoy our famous Whitehouse Pizza, only available on First Fridays. Eat In or Take Out. Lynne’s Candles & Inspirations 6-9 p.m.

102 Milton Ave We’ve got a great selection of unique gifts and seasonal décor to help you deck the halls! Check out our First Friday Specials!

Bella Nani Salon & Spa 6-9 p.m.

133 Milton Ave Mary Kay Cosmetics consultant Margaret Bushee. Live music by Agape Blues Company.

The Drapery Workroom 223 Milton Avenue Holiday Open House

5-9 p.m.

Crystal Cuts Hair Salon 3-7 p.m.

15 Malta Avenue $50 color from 3-7 with Amy for new clients.

Complimentary waxing with any hair cut.

Call 884-8538 for appointment.

Almost 1 of a Kind Quilt Shop 6-9 p.m.

22 Washington St. Come make an ornament with the Handy Hands Ladies. Debbie Winkle will also be here with some custom purses.

Strolling Village Artisans 6-9 p.m.

20 Washington St. Iron Spring Gallery Opening Reception: Winter Festival. Celebrate the holidays with artwork and lots of cheer!

Saturday, December 6th Community Events Breakfast with Santa 8-11 a.m.

Breakfast courtesy of Union & Eagle Matt Lee Fire Companies. Visit with Santa & Mrs. Claus. Children’s activities, sponsored by McDonald’s of Ballston Spa, Red Dragon Karate School and A Bead Just So, including craft table, face painting, reading corner with a free book for each child. Performances by BSMS Launching Pad, Capital Region Language Center Carolers, Red Dragon Karate School.

Reservations are not necessary. Cost: $5 per person. Proceeds go towards community events and beautification. Partial proceeds go to support St. Mary’s youth programs.

Stone Soup Antiques Gallery 19 Low Street 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Holiday Open House. Serving complimentary refreshments. Hosted by our outstanding antiques dealers. Special holiday sale pricing.

39 PULSE

Week of December 5 – December 11, 2014

Daisy Dry Goods 28 Front Street Do some Christmas shopping—20% storewide sale. New jewelry pieces, bees wax and scented candles, lavender and gift items! $50 gift certificate drawing. Delicious treats and holiday music!

Artisan Market 12-4 p.m.

Brookside Museum, 6 Charlton Street The newly launched Artisan’s Market at Brookside Museum features handmade pens, wooden cutting boards and decorative items, gourmet foods, jewelry, photography, books, aprons, holiday ornaments, and more! All purchases will benefit Brookside Museum’s collections and education programs. The Artisan’s Market at Brookside is the perfect place to find that special something for everyone on your list!

Roast Beef Dinner and Bake Sale 4-6:30 p.m.

Ballston Spa United Methodist Church, 101 Milton Avenue The family-style dinner consists of roast beef, mashed potatoes with gravy, green beans, butternut squash, rolls, pie and a beverage. Cost: Adults $12, Children (4-12) $5 and under 4 years free. Take-outs available. There will also be a bake sale of homemade goodies. Come and enjoy the food and hospitality!

Sunday, December 7th Stone Soup Antiques Gallery 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

19 Low Street Holiday Open House. Serving complimentary refreshments.

Hosted by our outstanding antiques dealers. Special holiday

HyperLocal!

SARATOGA SPRINGS — The Local Actors Guild of Saratoga (LAGS) will be presenting its first ever New Play Festival on Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 13-14, and 20-21 at the Dee Sarno Theater at the Saratoga Arts Center, 320 Broadway in Saratoga Springs.

Sporting a cast and crew of all shows of approximately twodozen local actors and theater buffs, LAGS will produce three full-length original plays. Each are notable for their subject matter that tackles serious issues.

Last summer, the LAGS issued a call for original plays from local playwrights. These three were chosen out of 30 submitted scripts: Chasing Charles Written by JJ Beuchner, who also serves as Artistic Director and Producer for the Guild, Chasing Charles is a Drama/Comedy based on true-life events of Charles Elsen,

a professional make up and wig designer. It is set against the backdrop of Manhattan from the late 70s to the early 80s.

The show follows Charles and his longtime business partner Dennis’ friendship and how it stood the test of time through the AIDS crisis.

Chasing Charles will be performed on Dec. 13 at 8 p.m. and on Dec. 21st at 7:30 p.m.

Welcome Home Jimmy Brian Sheldon authored Welcome Home Jimmy. After a tour in Afghanistan, Jimmy is returning to his loving, conservative family. The house has been cleaned and decorated; all that’s needed now is Jimmy. As the family arrives and awaits the return of the prodigal son, they agree to keep secret the one thing that could ruin Jimmy’s homecoming and in doing so, begin unearthing other secrets that

sale pricing.

Daisy Dry Goods 28 Front Street Do some Christmas shopping—20% storewide sale. New jewelry pieces, bees wax and scented candles, lavender and gift items! $50 gift certificate drawing. Delicious treats and holiday music!

Be sure to stroll the village this weekend to find unique holiday gifts in shops, museums and galleries and enjoy delicious breakfast, lunch and dinner in many fine restaurants.

Local Plays by Local Authors to be Performed By Local Actors start tearing at the seams and begin to crush everything these people know and value about family.

Welcome Home Jimmy will be performed on Dec. 13 at 2 p.m. and Dec. 20 at 8 p.m.

Life in 3-D A veteran LAGS stage manager, Christina Asselin, wrote and will direct Life in 3-D, the story of Ally and her friends, many of whom live on the third floor of her apartment building. The show primarily takes place in Ally’s apartment as she and her friends navigate dating and friendships at this juncture of their lives.

Ally is a self-identified Lesbian.

She came out in her early 20’s but has only really ever dated one woman. Six months earlier Ally’s live-in girlfriend, Jamie, left her without an explanation.

A major subplot of the story is the interplay between Ally and her

mother who is still coming to terms with her daughter’s sexuality. Life in 3-D will run on Dec. 14 at 7:30 p.m. and Dec. 20 at 2 p.m.

Full list of Cast and Crew Members: Chasing Charles Written by: JJ Buechner Directed by: Hollie Miller Stage Manager: Steven Moulton Charles - Matt DeMarco Dennis - JJ Buechner Angela - Ann Milliken Brian - Nathan Hoffmann Edward - Oliver Ord Carol - Elizabeth Sterling Richard/Nurse - Chad Radock Welcome Home Jimmy Written by: Brian Sheldon Directed by: Patrick White

Stage Manager: Nick Himmelwright Harriet - Patricia Keister Samantha - Alyssa Stephan Phil - Kevin Barhydt Ben - John Massaroni Kate - Cori Irwin EMT - Kara DiCaterino EMT - Ralph Politano Life in 3D Written and Directed by:

Christina Asselin Stage Manager: Katherine MacLellan Ally - Christina Asselin Dani - Elizabeth Sterling Ally¹s Mom - Darlene Kelly Elliot - JJ Buechner Jo - Sheila O’Shea Reggie - Suzy Chhim-Parisi

PULSE

40

Week of December 5 – December 11, 2014

S P OT L I G H T Big Fez + The Surfmatics Saturday, 12/06 8 p.m. at The Parting Glass

week of 12/05-12/11 friday, 12/05: Alicia Bautista, 7 pm @ Bailey’s - 583.6060 Vivid Duo, 9 pm @ Bentley’s - 899.4300 Tim Ortiz, 9 pm @ Cantina - 587.5577 Holiday Folk Show, 8 pm @ Caffè Lena - 583.0022 Charlie Morris, 7 pm @ Carney’s Tavern - 952-7177 Jukebox Night, 10 pm @ Caroline Street Pub - 583.9400 Jeanine Marie Jazz Trio, 7 pm @ Crown Grill - 583.1105 Acoustic Circus, 9 pm @ Gaffney’s - 587.7359 Let’s Be Leonard, 9:30 pm @ Harvey’s - 583.0003 The Schmooze, 9 pm @ Nanola - 587.1300 The Orwells w/The McLovins, 9 pm @ Putnam Den - 584.8066 Slow Burn, 5:30 pm @ JP Brunos - 745.1180 Sugar Pill, 8 pm @ Ravenswood - 371.8771 Jess Marcotte Band, 9 pm @ The Mill - 899.5253 Seth Warden Trio, 6 pm @ The Saratoga Winery - 584.9463 Mike DeAngelis, 8:30 pm @ The Rusty Nail - 371.9875 Roger Held, 7 pm @ Wishing Well - 584.7640

Big Fez Christmas Show, 8 pm @ The Parting Glass - 583.1916 Ubuntu, 3 pm @ The Saratoga Winery - 584.9463 Funk Evolution, 9 pm @ Vapor - 792.8282 Rob Aronstein, 7 pm @ Wishing Well - 584.7640

sunday, 12/07: Floodwood, 6 pm @ Nanola - 587.1300 Jazz Brunch, 11 am @ Primetime Ultra Lounge - 583.4563

monday, 12/08: Chris Carey / Tim Wechgelaer, 7 pm @ One Caroline - 587.2026 Frankie Lessard, 6:30 pm @ Brook Tavern - 871-1473

tuesday, 12/09: Rich Ortiz, 10 pm @ Caroline Street Pub - 583.9400 Two Step Tuesdays, 8 pm @ Crown Grill - 583.1105 Open Mic with Rick Bolton, 9 pm @ Gaffney’s - 587.7359

wednesday, 12/10: Heather Maloney, 7 pm @ Caffè Lena - 583.0022

saturday, 12/06:

Masters of Nostalgia, 9 pm @ One Caroline - 587.2026

Just Nate, 9 pm @ Bentley’s - 899.4300

Celtic Session, 7 pm @ The Parting Glass - 583.1916

Dan Berggren + Ed Lowman, 8 pm @ Caffè Lena - 583.0022

thursday, 12/11:

Jeff Brisbin, 7 pm @ Carney’s Tavern - 952.7177 Kings English, 10 pm @ Caroline Street Pub - 583.9400 Karaoke, 10 pm @ Circus Café - 583.1106 Cole Broderick, 6:30 pm @ Fifty South - 884.2926

Vivid Duo, 8 pm @ Cantina - 587.5577 Matty Finn, 6 pm @ Carney’s Tavern - 952.7177 Open Mic, 10 pm @ Circus Café - 583.1106

Headroom, 9:30 pm @ Harvey’s - 583.0003

Erin Harkes, 8 pm @ Gaffney’s - 587.7359 Harmonic Duo, 7 pm @ Harvey’s - 583.0003 Jeff Walton, 6 pm @ Inn at Saratoga - 583.1890

Wonderbeards, 9 pm @ Nanola - 587.1300

High Peaks Band, 9 pm @ Nanola - 587.1300

Sam Kininger w/Suitable Groove, 9 pm @ Putnam Den - 584.8066

Rich Ortiz, 6:30 pm @ Primetime Ultra Lounge - 583.4563

Knights Revival, 8 pm @ Ravenswood - 371.8771

Celtic Session, 7 pm @ The Parting Glass - 583.1916

Megan + The Brats, 9 pm @ The Mill - 899.5253

Country Band Showcase, 7 pm @ Vapor - 792.8282

Frankie Lessard + Trevor English, 9 pm @ Gaffney’s - 587.7359

Week of December 5 – December 11, 2014

fun and games

Puzzles

Across 1 Dinner for Mister Ed 5 On-the-job extras 10 Cave feedback 14 Snow remover 15 Ice show site 16 D’back or Met 17 “East of Eden” director Kazan 18 Popular half of a 45, usually 19 Time division on a map 20 Five-time Super Bowl winners 23 Do a librarian’s chore 24 Last Greek letter 27 Pipeline product 28 “It’s all about the beer” Dutch brewer 31 Tweezer targets 34 Club for the supersmart 35 Soccer goal 36 Weight training units 37 “Miracle on 34th Street” store 38 Stand up 39 Make the most of 40 Obama daughter whose Secret Service code name is “Rosebud” 41 Parcels (out) 42 Big name in sneakers 44 Droop in the middle 45 Ford flop 46 Insurance filings 50 Standard flown in Ho Chi Minh City 55 Thug’s knife 57 Snow-block home 58 Prefix with cast 59 Not contaminated 60 34-Across member 61 Soprano’s solo 62 Shoe inserts 63 Road curves 64 Headliner, or symbol associated with 20-, 28-, 37-, 42- and 50-Across

6 Guitarist Clapton 7 Start all over 8 Felt in one’s bones 9 Swedish automaker 10 Digestive protein 11 Tight, as families 12 Lady lobster 13 Find at the mine 21 “We Try Harder” car rental chain 22 Chaplin granddaughter named for her grandmother Down 25 V-formation birds 1 Opinion pieces 26 Gets in the poker game 2 God of Islam 28 Anne of “Donnie Brasco” 3 Fabric often decorated with pastoral 29 One-named “Orinoco Flow” singer scenes 30 Mag. edition 4 Gulps down 31 Groundbreaking comic Lenny 5 Whole bunch 32 Put down new grass sections

41

See puzzle solutions on page 46

See puzzle solution on page 46 33 Starts to shoot 34 The “m” in E = mc2 37 Make a dent in, say 38 Rowing races 40 Actress Ward 41 Gander or gobbler 43 Soft-pile fabric 44 Offshoots 47 Like neon and xenon 48 Obama daughter whose Secret Service code name is “Radiance” 49 Mascara mishap 51 The Bee Gees’ “Gee” 52 Beast of fables 53 Spanish dessert 54 Partner of null 55 Coppertone letters 56 Shade of color

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

This Week: Inapt, Inept Inapt means inappropriate or unsuitable.

The only flaw in the film is an inapt and annoying soundtrack.

Inept means awkward, clumsy, or uncoordinated.

His inept words during the speech made him look incompetent.

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

42 It’s where NEED to be.

YOU

Publication Day: Friday

Ad Copy Due: Wednesday, noon

Space Reservation Due: Monday, 5 p.m.

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Week of December 5 – December 11, 2014

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HOME IMPROVEMENT HAS YOUR BUILDING SHIFTED OR SETTLED? Contact Woodford Brothers Inc, for straightening, leveling, foundation and wood frame repairs at (800) OLD-BARN. www. woodfordbros.com. “Not applicable in Queens county” Large 2 bdrm, quiet, Eastside Saratoga. Porch, parking, a/c, gas heat,. No smoking, no pets, $1220+ util. Avail. January. (518) 587-7812.

LAND FOR SALE CATSKILL MTN SHORT SALE! 108 acres ‐ $189,900 Mtn views, new well, fields, woods, subdividable! Town rd, utils! $200K under market! Fin avail! (888) 479‐3394 Newyorklandandlakes.com LENDER ORDERED SALE! 10 acres ‐ $29,900 Trout stream, woods, apple trees, town rd, utils, EZ terms! Priced $30K below market! 888‐905‐8847 or newyorklandandlakes.com

BUYING/SELLING SAWMILLS from only $4397.00‐ MAKE & SAVE MONEY with your own bandmill‐ Cut lumber any dimension. In stock ready to ship.

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Financial aid for qualified students – Housing available. Job placement assistance. Call AIM (866) 296-7093

Week of December 5 – December 11, 2014

AUTOS FOR SALE

43

MISCELLANEOUS Donate your car to Wheels For Wishes, benefiting Make‐A‐Wish.

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

Call (518) 650‐1110 Today!

DIVORCE $349 - Uncontested divorce papers prepared. Includes poor person application/waives government fees, if approved. One signature required. Separation agreements available. Make Divorce Easy- (518) 274-0380

IF YOU USED THE BLOOD THINNER XARELTO

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Call Attorney Charles H. Johnson 1-800-535-5727

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ADOPTION A childless young married couple (she‐30/he‐37) seeks to adopt.

Will be hands‐on mom/devoted dad. Financial security. Expenses paid. Call/text. Mary & Adam.

(800) 790‐5260.

PET ADOPTION: HOPE is continuously getting calls for placement help. If you can help, please contact Wendy at 518.428.2994 or Foster@ HopeAnimalRescue.org. To fill out an online Adoption Application and see our H.O.P.E. pets visit us online @ www.hopeanimalrescue.org. All H.O.P.E. pets are seen by a local veterinarian prior to adoption. All animals are given appropriate medical care, including de-worming, spaying/neutering, and vaccinations, and our veterinarians will provide additional medical treatment if needed.

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Guided by Lexington’s commitment of over 60 years to support individuals with developmental disabilities achieve their dreams and desires in a safe and nurturing environment, Transitions will provide unique and innovative programs in picturesque Southern Adirondacks that will support students in developing college, career and life management skills, improve computer literacy, improve social skills/social competency, and learn best-practices related to healthy living while emphasizing the importance of self-advocacy and self-monitoring. Crafted from evidence-based programs in collaboration with elite institutions and universities, our curriculum is grounded in internationally-recognized approaches that will set students on the path toward college and career success.

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44

SPORTS

Week of December 5 – December 11, 2014

Langley Leading Black Horses in 2014-15

by Brian Cremo Saratoga TODAY

Schuylerville’s Will Griffin takes on the Bishop Gibbons defense in the Black Horses’ opening game and convincing win last Friday, 84-31. Photo by MarkBolles.com

SCHUYLERVILLE — The Black Horses have made a statement in their first two games of the season.

Starting off by winning Spa Catholic’s opening tournament, against two Class A teams, the Black Horses have since extended their winning streak to three games to begin the year. On Tuesday, the Black Horses handed old-conference rival Stillwater a 64-43 loss defined by a 19-3 run by Schuylerville in the second quarter.

Making the transition from the Wasaren League to the Foothills this year, Schuylerville head coach Matt Steinfort has some mixed emotions.

“Both leagues are great,” Steinfort said. “The Wasaren is a real tough league and the same holds true for the Foothills. We’re excited by the move, but it’s bittersweet.

There’s such great rivalries that exist within the Wasaren League and you miss that. We’re still going to try to have non-league games with Wasaren teams, but there’s a lot of history with that. At the same time

it’s a neat opportunity to move into the Foothills. Some really good programs and we’re playing against some larger schools, which can present a challenge within itself, but we’re excited and we’re looking forward to it.”

One of those schools in the Foothills is Scotia-Glenville, the defending Class A state and federation champions. But this year the Foothills will be broken up into two divisions—five teams in the North and five in the South.

Schuylerville will only play Scotia (South) once, while they will be up against Glens Falls, South Glens Falls, Queensbury and Hudson Falls twice. All are Class A schools.

But the change in conference is just one change.

“There are plenty of differences this year,” said Steinfort in regards to coming into his second year at the helm of the Black Horses.

“Moving forward, we lost some key seniors, but it’s nice to shift forward with this relatively young group.

Being able to grow together has

been a nice ordeal. Getting used to outstanding character, great work each other and players getting used ethic and intelligence.” to the system and my style of coachLangley poured in a career ing sort of goes together.” high 33 points in the first game of One of the leaders of this year’s the season against Notre Damegroup, and perhaps one of the top Bishop Gibbons and has since hit players in Class B, is senior Dante double figures in each of the last Langley. Langley was on the team two games as well (11 against South two seasons ago when the Black Glens Falls, 18 against Stillwater).

Horses lost to Watervliet in the After coming off a year when Section II Class B finals and were the Black Horses were the No. 11 ranked No. 5 in the state. seed in sectionals and suffered a Now, as a senior, his presence loss to Broadalbin Perth in the first has been felt and is a big reason round of the post-season, Steinfort why the Black Horses are 3-0 head- has confidence in the depth of his ing into Saturday’s game against junior class and the rest of the team Mechanicville at Troy High School. as they move forward.

“He’s a returning player and In addition to Langley, look senior who has been an important for Will Griffin, Zack Pierce and part of the program for years now,” Clay Patrick to be a presence for Steinfort said. “He’s our leader Schuylerville this season. both on and off the court. He fits the Schuylerville role so well. He’s Foothills Council (North) just a great kid. A lot Class B of coaches will say Head Coach: Matt Steinfort stuff like that, but Last Year’s Record: 10-9 he really is a great Last Sectional Title: None kid—just downright

Mantia: ‘To Be Great, Saints Must Trust Each Other’

by Brian Cremo Saratoga TODAY SARATOGA SPRINGS — Saratoga Central Catholic is fresh off of one of the program’s best seasons ever.

After an undefeated Western Athletic Conference Northern Division season and taking down Section II leading scorer Joel Wincowski and Lake George in the Section II Class C semifinals, the Saints marched on to the finals, where they lost to future state champion Hoosic Valley, 51-49.

“The great thing about last year for this group is several of our key returning players competed on a daily basis in very high paced scrimmages against that undefeated team,” said Saints head coach Ken Mantia. “We graduated some outstanding guards in Luke Spicer and Brian Hall, along with two very versatile front line players in Keegan Murphy and Michael Naughton. Naughton is

Saints junior forward Evan Pescetti handles the ball, during Spa Catholic’s opening Mike Beson Memorial Tournament. Photo by MarkBolles.com.

the best defensive rebounder I have coached in 26 years and boxing him out was a chore in practice for all of our guys. It made them tougher. We have some solid Saratoga Central Catholic players returnWestern Athletic Conference (North) ing including Evan Class C Pescetti (All-WAC), Head Coach: Ken Mantia Ryan Czarnecki Last Year’s Record: 18-4 (three year varsity Last Sectional Title: 1989 starter), Pat Clare,

Will Mann, Jake Van Patten, Dylan Seeber and Jake Schneider. Add to this the addition of some solid JV players and we have a chance to become a good team as the year goes along.”

Two of those upcoming players are junior swingman Colin Bradley and sophomore point guard Max Layden.

Both Pescetti and Czarnecki are expected to take on leadership roles, as the two returning players with the most varsity experience.

“Evan is a complete player,” Mantia said. “He defends at a high level, rebounds and is an outstanding passer. Evan has improved his outside touch and has taken on more of a load as far as ball handling goes. It will be natural for anyone in his position at times to try to do too much to help his team, and when that happens it is up to the coaching staff to reel him in a little. Even when Evan makes mistakes it usually is when he is trying to create for his teammates and not worrying about his own statistics. You consistently hear the same names with Carruthers, Wincowski and Rooney being considered the top class C players, and all three are tremendous for sure; however, in my view, Pescetti is an all-around basketball player and is as good as all three.”

In addition to Seeber and Clare, Czarnecki is one of this year’s captains who has been an intricate piece of the Saints varsity puzzle for four years now.

“We love the leadership of Ryan Czarnecki, Mantia said. “This is Ryan’s third year as a starter and last year he unselfishly accepted the role of sixth man. He has been working hard and this rubs off on his teammates.”

Starting with the second annual Mike Beson Memorial Tournament, the Saints opened with a non-league game against the Foothills Council’s South Glens Falls. The 53-38 opening loss showed to Mantia a lack of offensive execution.

“We can defend and rebound with anyone due to the commitment and leadership we have with Clare, Seeber and Czarnecki,” Mantia said. “However, our offense on a scale of 1-10 is a 1.5 at this point. We are much too stagnant and have to remember good offense comes down to two things, spacing and trust. In our first tourney we had neither and struggled. We will get significantly better.”

The offense improved slightly in the following consolation game against another Class A team, Bishop Gibbons, as Pescetti led the team with 16 points, followed by Layden’s 14.

“The JV additions have been a

big lift,” Mantia said. “Max Layden has already given us a nice boost in the backcourt as a sophomore and Colin Bradley plays with the same intensity Van Patten and Mann do, and he has a much improved overall game. Drew Welcome is a legit guard. He shoots with range and can handle the ball fine for a wing player. Lane Gannon and Jerrid Lynette are juniors who work extremely hard in practice, which makes everyone else a better player.”

A year after going undefeated in the regular season, Mantia said his goals, regardless of record, remain the same every year.

“We want to be much better in January than we are in November. By doing that, we hope to always contend for a WAC title and have a legitimate chance to get to the Civic Center. We have a lot of work to do, but our guys understand that no one hands you anything in life, you have to go get it.”

To have a shot to get back to where the team left off last year, Mantia stressed the importance of defending at a high level with strong communication and shot challenges.

Offensively, it’s a matter of ball movement and “trusting” one another.

The Saints open up their regular season conference schedule at Oppenheim-Ephratah/St. Johnsville next Tuesday.

Week of December 5 – December 11, 2014

SPORTS

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The Monopoly Game for Pro Athletes: Paying Taxes

by Damian Fantauzzi for Saratoga TODAY There is a lot of prestige and ego building in professional athletics.

It seems that money is no object when reading about these multimillion dollar contracts for baseball. Millions of dollars!

You might say, when reading about these exuberant contracts in Major League Baseball, “will this ever get under control?”

But there is something you may not know.

The players need tax advisors for a complicated system, a system that is called the “Jock Tax.” I’m sorry if you don’t like the term because of the way that sounds, but that’s exactly what it’s called. What is it? Well, let me try to keep this as simple as I can without

too much confusion.

Take a player like a pitcher, who becomes a source of revenue for local and state tax people of the many cities and states where they play, not to mention the IRS. I use Major League Baseball as an example because they play such a lengthy schedule with so many games played in their season in numerous cities and states. Roughly, they’re involved with 81 home games and 81 road games, excluding post-season play. Compared to those in the world of business, who travel from city to city, and state to state, who sell and promote the company they represent, they are free to go in and out of these areas and literally go unnoticed and untaxed.

The jock tax is a method of calculating the number of days, called “duty days,” that a player spends with the team, whether he has a game, practice, training or meetings, from the first day the season begins until the last day of the season. This includes any injured player who travels with the team whether they play or not.

In 2012, Major League Baseball’s average salary, per player, had risen to $3.2 million for approximately 750 players with 30 teams, which adds up to about $2.4 billion of taxable income.

The actual number of duty days can vary with positions. A catcher and pitcher start earlier for

spring training and end up with more duty days.

Here’s some math. There are 17 states that have MLB teams.

California has five. Fourteen of the 17 states charge state income taxes and California is one of the 14. Canada has no tax that’s implemented on the players, mainly because of treaty protection (the Toronto Blue Jays).

Note that not every player will play in every state, so the jock tax would not apply for those players.

The worst thing that could happen to a player who lives in one state and plays for a team in another state could be ending up filing one federal return, 14 or 15 state returns, along with several city tax returns.

Now let’s take California. Its five teams are the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, the Oakland Athletics, the San Francisco Giants and the San Diego Padres.

Players who live in Cali paid $29 million to their own state with another $31 million of jock tax to the state coming from players of the opposition. Add in all other professional sports teams, California collected $171 million in tax revenue— and $70 million comes from the jock tax. These figures and information I picked up from the article Tax Man to MLB: “Take Me out to the Ball Game!” by Terri Eyden in 2013.

In the article, CPA Robert A. Raiola sees it this way: “It’s a matter of assembling the tax puzzle to figure which share each state gets and making sure the athlete gets the credits due.”

Raiola heads the Sports & Entertainment Group for the New Jersey-based accounting firm of Fazio, Mannuzza, Roche, Tankel, LaPilusa, LLC. “Figuring out the jock tax is a complex job that should be left to professionals,” said Raiola.

In other words, don’t expect those online tax prep sites to guide these professional athletes, stepby-step, through the process of filing taxes. It could be a real mess.

I can see papers all over the desk and floor!

I guess this might take away the shock from when we hear that some of these pro athletes go broke?

Basically most professional athletes have short careers, especially in the NFL, and then there are the people who have their hands in the pot.

Some of the investment advice the athletes receive from the “helpers” is not always good.

The math for the players is that they’re paying half of their salaries to the Federal Government. Then, to compound their responsibilities, as I mentioned earlier, many athletes have 14 to 15 state and municipal taxes that they’re expected to pay, especially in baseball.

OK, more salary reduction and

adjustments come when the people, who I labeled as the “helpers,” get their cut as the pie gets smaller: the agent, financial manager and/or advisor, personal trainer and whoever else sits at the table— maybe an ex-wife. It’s like playing the board game of Monopoly, for the people at the table, who are in the advisory department. They are not going to lose because the game that’s played is with the pro star’s money!

Note: Every meal these pro athletes eat becomes their responsibility. Save the receipts because it’s not like college athletics where the school/team picks up the tab.

So when you read about some super star athlete signing a multimillion dollar contract, start subtracting, but begin by dividing the pot down the middle because the other half belongs to the IRS. I’m not feeling sorry for the majority of pro athletes, but I do see their financial responsibilities more clearly now and I have a little more empathy for what they earn as part of the upper 2 percenters of our country’s tax roles as professional athletics. If these athletes don’t have a good financial manager, or advisor, they could get into some bad debt.

When these guys started their careers as kids, what did they really know about handling millions of dollars? Not much, but, in general, they’re still living the dream.

Returning Scotties Have Big Shoes to Fill

by Brian Cremo Saratoga TODAY

Two big contributors to raising the bar have since graduated—leading scorer and guard BALLSTON SPA — Ballston Jeremy Mendrick and big man Spa basketball may have lost to Andre Edgerton.

Christian Brothers Academy in the But the Scotties (0-1) have a first round of the Section II Class few returning players who gained AA playoffs in each of the past two experience along with a mix of years, but head coach John Lea rec- young guys who Lea described as ognized that that group raised the guys who bring intensity. bar for the program.

“I’m scratching my head here With one of the smaller schools because we lost a lot last year,” Lea in the Suburban Council, Lea has said. “It’s almost like we’re starttaken a program from four wins in ing over, but I’m very happy about 2011-12, eight wins in 2012-13 and this team so far. I love the intento 11 wins in 2013-14. sity. I love their hustle. It’s gritty. I can really push them a lot harder and I Ballston Spa like that in them.

Although it looks Suburban Council (North) like it might be a Class AA tough year, I’m very Head Coach: John Lea happy about where Last Year’s Record: 11-8 we are so far and I Last Sectional Title: None think we’re going to

surprise some people.”

One of the team’s four returning seniors is guard Sean Walsh.

“We’re going to rely on Sean Walsh a lot,” Lea said. “He played a lot last year and I think he’s going to take over that leadership role this year. He learned a lot.”

In addition to Walsh, Josh Moseman will be in the backcourt, along with junior forward Jack Fitzgerald. Fitzgerald earned minutes last year as a sophomore and will be called upon to play all positions on the floor this year.

The combination of Walsh, Moseman and Fitzgerald will be needed heavily on the offensive end. “[Fitzgerald] really improved tremendously from last year,” Lea said. He’s really stepped up. The team voted him in as one of our captains. I think he’s going to do some things very well this year. He’s tough. He can play it all. He can play

Scotties sophomore Christian Leva looks to drive baseline in Ballston Spa’s opening night matchup against Shenendehowa, Tuesday. Photo by MarkBolles.com

everywhere on the floor.”

Rounding out the starting five will be 6-foot-5-inch big man Logan Prichard and sophomore Christian Leva.

“Another guy—who I just really love his defensive intensity—is Christian Leva,” Lea said. “He’s a heady kid, very aggressive, defensively sound. He’s going to be starting in that four spot.”

Ballston Spa’s opening night matchup pinned them at Suburban Council favorite Shenendehowa and Division I prospect Kevin Huerter. A long and aggressive 3-2 zone stopped Ballston Spa in its tracks as they fell 49-26.

The Scotties look to pick it back up tonight as they go on the road to play Niskayuna.

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Week of December 5 – December 11, 2014

Community Sports Bulletin Town of Wilton Recreation - Jr. NBA Scores (Weekend of Nov. 22) Division 1 Warriors 17, Bulls 14 Warriors: Connor Basile-7, Tobey Diulio-4 Bulls: Andrew Austin-8, Sophie Bodner-2 Heat 26, Mavs 10 Heat: Ryan Farr-16, Carter Sica-5 Mavs: Braylon DuMortier-6, Mason Curtis-2 Sixers 15, Nets 6 Sixers: Brayden Elliot-4, Tyler Weygand-4 Nets: Camden Rhude-4, Mathew Rogers-2 Division 2 Bulls 38, Celtics 21 Bulls: Jackson Reynolds-12,

Noah Karam-6 Celtics: Jake Doherty-11, Zane Burnett-4 Knicks 27, Spurs 6 Knicks: Kyle Holmes-11, Cyrus Kelly-4 Spurs: Brendon Young-4, Kiersten Holub-2 Heat 25, Blazers 24 Heat: Brandon Stimpson-9, Zachary Carpenter-6 Blazers: Frankie Laniewski-13, Charles DeRizzo-7 Mavs 22, Thunder 20 Mavs: Elijah Woods-12, Jaxon Young-9 Thunder: Jesse Kuzmich-13, Max Hamilton-Jones-6

Division 3 Nets 40, Thunder 19 Nets: Grayson DuMortier-18, Max Ott-12 Thunder: Alexander Curtis-6, Chase Corbett-5 Heat 17, Rockets 16 Heat: Luke Casey-7, Derek Bushman-6 Rockets: Hunter Clark-6, Sam Munro-6 Knicks 38, Clippers 28 Knicks: Bryce Emery-15, Joshua Foley-8 Clippers: Cameron Woodard-13, Benjamin Hull-4 Celtics 47, Wolves 9 Celtics: Garrett Myers-11, Chris Yasko-8

St. Clements/St. Peters CYO Teams Take Thanksgiving Tourneys HALFMOON — Both the sixth and eighth grade St. Clements/ St. Peters CYO basketball teams won their perspective Halfmoon Thanksgiving tournaments.

The eighth grade team includes (front row l-r) Brett Morse, Kyle Deblasiis, Nick Condry, Tyler McAlinden, Drew Patnode, Marcus Davis, Aidan

6th Grade CYO

Send your sports stories or briefs to Brian Cremo, Sports Editor at brian@saratoga publishing.com

Arciero and Jake Welcome. (second row l-r) Coach Myah Ondreyko, Tim Barrett, Zach O’Connor, Joseph Kumlander, coach Dan Kumlander and Dan Signor. Missing: Aidan Waite and coaches Randy Rivers, Pat Patnode and Harris King.

The sixth grade St. Clements/St. Peters CYO team

includes (front row l-r) Reagan Buhrmaster, Aiden Lambert, Ryan Evans and John Gleason. (back row l-r) Julian Silva-Forbes, Daniel Vitiello, Carl O’Callaghan, Michael Rogan, Chase Corbett and Ryan Ash. Missing: coaches Phonsey Lambert and Damian Fantauzzi. Players Sam Koppi, Stefanos Tsitos.

8th Grade CYO

Puzzle solutions from pg. 41

Wolves: Quentin Grieco-2, Garrett Hedge-2 Division 4 Thunder 43, Rockets 25 Thunder: Max Jackson-11, Graham Patton-11 Rockets: Killian Munro-8, Jack Young-5 Bulls 35, Wolves 26 Bulls: Dion Williams-12, Connor Mulholland-7 Wolves: Jamison Friauf-9, Adam Basile-7 Knicks 31, Spurs 26 Knicks- 31: Warren Falk-8, Timothy Barrett-6 Spurs- Jack Rothstein-14, Jakob Wiegand-6

Learn-to-Skate This Winter Sign Up for Saratoga Figure Skating Club

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Saratoga Springs Figure Skating Club’s (SSFSC) Learn-to-Skate winter session begins January 4.

Two six-week sessions will be offered winter and spring.

This popular skating program uses the U.S. Figure Skating Basic Skills framework and was created to be the best beginning ice-skating program in the world. It is designed to serve the needs of both recreational and competitive skaters.

Participants will work on skills appropriate to their level and may prepare for performances at the spring exhibition held March 29. The theatre-onice style exhibition is fun and exciting for skaters of all levels.

Anyone interested in learning more about the Learnto-Skate program should visit

the SSFSC’s website at www. ssfsc.wordpress.com or contact Mary Ellen O’Loughlin at oloughlinssfsc@aol.com.

Saratoga Springs Figure Skating Club (SSFSC) is one of the largest clubs in the Capital-Saratoga Region of New York State and has been promoting the sport of figure skating in both recreational and competitive avenues for over 30 years. SSFSC offers a variety of programs for both children and adults including Learn-to-Skate, Synchronized Skating, Group Dance, Basic Skills, Bridge Program, and USFS Test Sessions.

Saratoga Springs Figure Skating Club is dually affiliated with the United States Figure Skating Association (USFS) and the Ice Skating Institute (ISI).

Week of December 5 – December 11, 2014

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Usher Hopeful That Last Season Raised Expectations

by Brian Cremo for Saratoga TODAY SARATOGA SPRINGS — The Saratoga Springs basketball program is coming off a season partly defined by its first sectional win in seven years. Last year’s team went into Schenectady as the No. 5 seed in the Class AA tournament and walked out with the victory and arguably their most well-played game of the season.

Second year head coach Matt Usher is hopeful that the Section II tournament experience has altered the outlook for Blue Streaks post-season basketball compared to recent years and has shown his players how clicking at the right time is more important than anything.

“Hopefully, expectations have changed,” Usher said.

“Some of these kids got a taste of what it’s like to get a sectional win and go down and play in a hostile environment.”

Last year’s team also had the experience of playing at Hudson Valley, where the Streaks lost to Shenendehowa in the quarterfinals.

The Streaks (0-1) have nine seniors, many of whom will be getting court time.

“I’m really excited about [the seniors’] approach to practice day in and day out,” Usher said.

“They’re work ethic and their attitudes are going to help us get better through the course of this season and that’s something that, in the big scheme of things, that’s what it’s all about—getting better in December through February, so that come sectional time, that’s when we’re peaking and playing our best ball. That’s something, with this group, I feel confident

in because of their work ethic and their attitude and ability to be coached.”

That group includes guard Chris Byno, who was the No. 2 scoring option after Noah Arciero for most of last year.

With Arciero, an All-Suburban dynamic scorer, gone, Byno will have to be one of the players to step up this season.

Also in that mix are seniors Sean Grecco, Jordan Buchas and 6-foot-4-inch Liam Stewart.

“It’s going to be an adjustment that the players have to make,” said Usher in regards to the team’s offensive identity.

“We’re still trying to learn our new roles and figure out where we’re going to get our points from on a consistent basis. I think we’re going to have three or four guys who could lead us in scoring every night. We’re not going to have one guy we can count on for 15-20 every night he steps on the floor. It’s a good thing in some ways because it can be tough to key in on us.”

Look for seniors Zach Kircher and Jack Herman to make contributions this season as well as junior Alex Skaine.

“This group is a fun group of kids,” Usher said. “They work hard and they’re very tight.

They’re not scared. They’re not the kind of group that is worried about who they’re squaring off against, whether it’s Shaker or Shen. So that’s fun. It’s nice to know that they’re going to come out and fight, scrap and claw the whole way like we did Tuesday.

We just came up short.”

In Tuesday’s season opener, Saratoga Springs fell behind

Niskayuna early and could not close the gap, as they ended up losing by three, 45-42. Now, the Blue Streaks have a crucial three-game homestand against Shaker, Shenendehowa and Averill Park, starting tonight against the Blue Bison (1-0), who beat down Burnt Hills 60-28 Tuesday.

“Any given night in our league you can beat anybody or lose to anybody,” Usher said. “If you don’t show up and take care of business, and you don’t win the games that you have an opportunity to win, you’re going to have a tough season. We’re going to have to defend our home floor and come out and play our best. Hopefully we’ll come out with some W’s.”

Working aggressively on the boards will have to be another conscious effort, said Usher, as the Blue Streaks play bigger teams like the Shen’s in the Suburban.

“With this group and our lack of size, defense and rebounding are two things that we need to do,” Usher said. “We’re going to be playing against teams where we’re giving up height and size and we’re

Blue Streaks Hockey Starts Season 1-0 SARATOGA SPRINGS — The Saratoga Blue Streaks hockey team won their season-opening game against Glens Falls/ Hudson Falls/South Glens Falls on Dec. 3 at the Weibel Ave Rink in Saratoga Springs.

Saratoga won the Section II CDHSHL matchup, 7-3.

Jonathan Luse had two goals for Saratoga Springs, while Colin Paton, Josh Dagle, Jake Fauler, Matt Russell and J.T. Rafferty all got in on the action with one goal apiece in the spread out victory.

Dagle and Ian Frey also added two assists each.

Team 1st 2nd 3rd Final GF-HF-SGF 1 1 1 3 Saratoga 2 4 1 7 Blue Streaks goalie Danny Hobbs had 15 saves in the victory.

Look for Saratoga Springs ice hockey in next week’s edition of Saratoga TODAY as the team gears up for the Don Kauth Memorial Tournament Friday, Dec. 12.

Before then, the Blue Streaks play Shaker/Colonie on Saturday at the Albany County Hockey Training Facility.

Saratoga Springs’ Sean Grecco finishes strong at the rim after driving baseline in a scrimmage against Schuylerville.

Photo by Sharon Castro.

Saratoga Springs Suburban Council (North) Class AA Head Coach: Matt Usher Last Year’s Record: 12-8 Last Sectional Title: 1988

going to have to neutralize that with our team defense and our attention to boxing out and getting rebounds every possession. We can’t afford to give up put-backs and easy buckets.

Otherwise we’re going to be on the short end of the stick.”

Tonight’s game against Shaker is set to tip off at 7 p.m., as the Blue Streaks look to get their first tally in the win column.

Saratoga Chamber 1x2