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Officials and Community Struggleto Save County Nursing Home

Inside TODAY...

by Emily FowlerSaratoga TODAY

Obituariespg 5

City Councilpg 7

Educationpg 11

Saratoga Chamberpg 13

Seniorspgs 14-15

Pulsepgs 22-25

F R E E Volume 7 • Issue 16 saratogatodaynewspaper.com

Parrot HeadParadise

See page 23

by Emily FowlerSaratoga TODAY

Planting Seeds of Hope

BALLSTON SPA - Record debtlevels at Maplewood Manor arestretching the city’s treasury thinnerthan ever before, sending waves ofworry and warning throughout ourcommunity. As one of the biggestdrains on county finances, officialsare racing to find solutions and save

the county nursing home.“We have to determine what our

priorities are. We’re running out ofmoney. We have to do somethingnow, and make changes that are thebest possible scenario for countyresidents,” warned Saratoga CountySupervisor, Joanne Yepsen.

BALLSTON SPA - This Saturday,April 21, volunteers will be hard atwork when some of our community’s

most caring members come togetheronce again at the Guardian House, fora full day of gardening and givingback.

See Guardian page 6by Daniel SchechtmanSaratoga TODAY

Sharing the Road

SARATOGA SPRINGS –Dozens of private citizens and localcivic groups are urging theSaratoga Springs City Council toadopt a new Complete Streets poli-cy, a proposal that encouragesmulti-modal transportation andshared access for automobiles,

cyclists and pedestrians in the cityof Saratoga.

“[With this proposal], we hopethat all uses are accommodated foras best as possible, from the plan-ning and design stage forward,”said Tobin Alexandra-Young ofShared Access Saratoga, who pre-sented the proposal to the CityCouncil during their Tuesday, April

See Complete page 9

Complete Streets StrengthenSaratoga’s World Class Appeal

Volunteers pitch in at the Guardian House • Photo by MarkBolles.com

Maplewood Tapped

See Community page 15 Photo by Daniel Schechtman

SARATOGA

TODAYFriday, April 20, 20122

Magic was in the air at Hogwarts the Children's Museum at Saratoga April 13 where aspiring wizards and wizardettes took part in a

“Wizarding Workshop.” There were secret maps, potions and magic wands crafted by the young spellbinders. Perhaps the next Harry

Potter could be among us here in the Spa City. The popular Wizarding Workshop is just one of many fun and educational activities

hosted by The Children's Museum at Saratoga Springs.

Photos provided by MarkBolles.com

Children’s Museum Hosts Wizarding Workshop

SARATOGA

TODAY Friday, April 20, 2012 BLOTTERDenny Hunter, 58, of 279

Wilbur Rd., Schuylerville, pleaded

guilty to a charge of driving while

intoxicated, a class E-felony.

Hunter was arrested October 28 in

Mechanicville and has been placed

on interim probation including

drug treatment court. He is sched-

uled to return to court for sentenc-

ing June 13.

Staci Billings, 39, of 4612

Foxwood Drive South, Clifton

Park, was resentenced April 12 by

Judge Jerry Scarano to probation

terminated and to make a restitu-

tion payment of $9,079.00. Billings

was originally convicted March 4,

2009 of third-degree grand larceny,

a class-D felony, for which she was

sentenced to 84 days in jail and 5

years of probation.

Sylvester L. Jackson, 46, of 314

Louden Rd. Saratoga Springs,

pleaded guilty to a charge of third-

degree attempted criminal sale of a

controlled substance, a class-C

felony. Jackson was arrested

September 12 in Saratoga Springs

and is scheduled to return to court

for sentencing June 15.

Susan G. Hinds, 50, of 101

Union Ave., Saratoga Springs, was

resentenced April 13 by Judge

Jerry Scarano to four weekends in

Saratoga County Jail. Hinds was

originally convicted May 19 of

driving while intoxicated, a class-E

felony, for which she was sen-

tenced to five years of probation.

Matthew L. Rodden, 22, of 174

Maple Ave., Ballston Spa, was

resentenced April 13 by Judge

Jerry Scarano to time served and

continued probation to include

drug treatment court. Rodden was

originally convicted March 22,

2010, of third-degree criminal pos-

session of stolen property, a class-

D felony, for which he was sen-

tenced to six months in Saratoga

County Jail and five years of pro-

bation.

Justin A. Peters, 21, of 161

Maple Ave., Ballston Spa, pleaded

guilty to a charge of third-degree

burglary, a class-D felony. Peters

was arrested September 17 in

Wilton and is scheduled to return to

court for sentencing June 8.

Tyler S. Moon, 26, of 8a

Carmella Drive, Ganesvoort,

pleaded guilty to charges of driving

while intoxicated and fourth-

degree criminal possession of

stolen property, both class E-

felonies. Moon was arrested

October 20 in Moreau for an inci-

dent that occurred October 15 and

is scheduled to return to court for

sentencing June 8.

Raymond E. Pillow, 44, of 15

Ballston Ave., Saratoga Springs,

pleaded guilty to a charge of fifth-

degree criminal possession of a

controlled substance, a class-D

felony. Pillow was arrested May 12

in Saratoga Springs and is sched-

uled to return to court for sentenc-

ing June 15.

Alfred Evans, 23, residing at the

Budget Inn of 2865 Route 9,

Ballston Spa, pleaded guilty to a

charge of third-degree rape, a class-

E felony. Evans was arrested in

December 1 in Saratoga Springs

and is scheduled to return to court

for sentencing June 11.

Charles Morine, 42, of 153

Cooper St., Lake George, pleaded

guilty to a charge of second-degree

burglary, a class-C violent felony.

Morine was arrested October 4 in

Saratoga Springs and is scheduled

to return to court for sentencing

June 11.

Karen T. Buss, 54, of 33 Ginger

Terrace, Clifton Park, pleaded

guilty to a charge of driving while

intoxicated, a class-E felony. Buss

was arrested May 21 in Ballston

and is scheduled to return to court

for sentencing May 4.

Russell L. Palmateer, III, 35, of

248 Broadway, Community Court,

Apt. 211, Saratoga Springs, plead-

ed guilty to charges of third-degree

burglary and third-degree grand

larceny, both class-D felonies.

Palmateer was arrested March 23

in Saratoga Springs for an incident

that occurred March 2 and is sched-

uled to return to court for sentenc-

ing June 11.

Chester C. Jones, aka “X,” 34,

pleaded guilty to a charge of third-

degree attempted criminal sale of a

controlled substance, a class-C

felony. Jones was arrested February

9, 2011 in Saratoga Springs in and

is scheduled to return to court for

sentencing June 11.

Donald E. Fish, Sr., 52, of 99

Pearl St., Schuylerville, was resen-

tenced April 17 by Judge Jerry

Scarano to continued probation

with a modified restitution order.

Fish was originally convicted

November 5, 2010, of third-degree

grand larceny, a class-D felony, for

which he was sentenced to five

years of probation.

3Other Police News the Appellate Division. Saxton then proceeded

to request the Court of Appeals for permissionto appeal which was denied last week.

The Court of Appeals rejected his applica-tion to appeal from the Appellate Division’sorder which leaves him no further avenue tocontest the jury verdict of guilty.

BALLSTON SPA – Saratoga County DistrictAttorney James A. Murphy, III announcedtoday that the Court of Appeals of the Stateof New York rejected the application ofRichard T. Saxton, a former officer of WurldMedia, Inc. for leave to appeal from his juryverdict, convicting him of first-degree falsify-ing business records, a class-E felony.

As a result of the high court’s action,Acting County Court Judge Kelly McKeighanordered the former Wurld Media Officer, toserve his sentence of six months in theSaratoga County Jail together with fiveyears of probationary supervision and pay-ment of a $5,000 fine to the court.

The defendant was convicted in 2008 ofcharges related to the company havingimproperly listed payroll advances paid toemployees as loans and not payroll. Saxtonfiled an appeal from the judgment of convic-tion, which was affirmed, and then filed asecond challenge to his conviction with theCounty Court. The County Court denied hisappeal, and the decision was affirmed by

SARATOGA

TODAYFriday, April 20, 20124 WEEK IN REVIEWBody of Missing WomanRecovered from MohawkRiver

WATERFORD – A body foundApril 15 in the Mohawk River hasbeen confirmed to be CynthiaGavitt, a Saratoga Springs womanwho has been missing since October29, 2011. According to a statementissued by the New York State Police,the 48-year-old woman drowned inthe river. It is being ruled as a sui-cide. Gavitt was the wife of a statepolice captain and a mother of two.According to police, she had beendealing with major medical prob-lems for almost a year before herdisappearance. Her car was locatedon Canal Road near the CrescentBridge in Halfmoon, which led to anunsuccessful search of the MohawkRiver that lasted several days. Herbody was discovered by campers

near Cohoes Falls.

Man Arrested after firingshots at Malta Drive-In

MALTA – Here’s a tip for all thefamilies and friends making the tripto the drive-in theater this summer:leave your gun at home. A CliftonPark man was arrested April 14 afterhe allegedly fired two shots at theground in an attempt to break up afight. According to New York StatePolice, there was a fight that brokeout between the occupants of twocars at the drive-in. It was then thatChristopher Abaire, 22, decided tograb his .410 caliber shotgun fromhis trunk, and discharge the weaponin an attempt to stop the fight.Abaire was later stopped by policeand was eventually charged withtwo misdemeanor charges of fourth-degree criminal possession of aweapon, and second-degree menac-

ing. No one was reported injured.

Empty Bowls benefit raisesover $13,500 for WiltonFood Pantry

WILTON - More than $13,500was raised at Saratoga County's firstofficial Empty Bowls event, held tobenefit the Wilton Food Pantry.Nearly 250 people attended theApril 15 event at the Saratoga-Wilton Elks Lodge 161. All whoattended chose a unique ceramicbowl, created and donated bySkidmore College’s ceramics stu-dents working under the direction ofprofessor Leslie Ferst.

"Participating in Empty Bowls isa unique opportunity for my stu-dents to start the semester with aconcrete goal and deadline. Theirparticipation helps them understandhow their actions and skills canextend beyond academic require-ments to benefit the greater commu-nity. I welcome this opportunity toinvolve the students in such a bene-ficial event," said Ferst.

Attendees used their bowls toenjoy vegetable soup, chili and rollsprepared by Skidmore’s DiningServices chef Ben Niese and hisstaff. Bowls were cleaned and redis-tributed to guests courtesy of BoyScout Troop 24. The bowls wenthome with guests as a memento ofthe event and the importance ofmaking food available to those inneed.

Wilton Branch of SaratogaRegional YMCA to closeApril 24 for construction

WILTON – The Wilton YMCAbranch at 20 Old Gick Road will beclosing this coming Tuesday, April

24, from 7:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.while they begin construction toconnect to the city water lines. Allprograms are cancelled, includingany preschool or gymnastics pro-grams. All four of the other branch-es of Saratoga Regional YMCA –Saratoga Springs, Malta, Corinth,and Battenkill – will still be open forbusiness. The Malta branch willhave their own repairs take placeApril 25-27, as they upgrade theirweight room facilities. The weightroom will be closed during that time.

Milton Highway superin-tendent pleads guilty tolesser charge

MILTON – Current MiltonHighway Superintendent David C.Forbes has pled guilty to misde-meanor sixth-degree conspiracy, andfaces up to one year of probation.Forbes was originally charged withfelony fourth-degree conspiracy,after police investigators said heconspired to sell cocaine on BallstonAvenue December 7. His attorneyJeff Bagnoli says his client isexpected to be sentenced June 7.Forbes was re-elected last fall, run-ning unopposed. Had he been con-victed of the more severe charge, itwould have meant leaving his postas an elected official. Milton TownSupervisor Dan Lewza says thetown board is discussing new legis-lation that would require randomdrug testing for anyone who usestown vehicles. Forbes was one of adozen people arrested during thefive-month joint investigationbetween the Saratoga Springs PoliceDepartment and the DrugEnforcement Administration.

Builder Appears in CityCourt

SARATOGA SPRINGS – DavidJelenik, owner of JelenikConstruction Co., was in city courtApril 19 asking for a resolution tothe charges of failing to pay $61,600in income taxes from 2005 and

2008. He was arrested in Januaryand charged with nine separatefelonies, including criminal taxfraud, repeated failure to file taxreturns and offering a false instru-ment for filing. Jelenik’s lawyer toldJudge Jeffrey Wait that he had hiredexperts to review the cases and isseeking a resolution to the charges.Jelenik is also accused of takingmoney from homeowners forincomplete projects and not payingsubcontractors for goods and servic-es provided.

Saratoga Springs PublicLibrary Budget Passes

SARATOGA SPRINGS – Theproposed $5.5 million budget for theSaratoga Springs Public Library wasapproved April 13. The final tallywas 200 in favor, to 39 opposed.This now authorizes a 1.5 percentincrease in the library’s tax levy,which now sits at $4.95 million.Saratoga Springs resident JanetLindner will now sit on the library’sboard of trustees after she ran unop-posed for the seat. It’s not clear as tohow much this will affect taxpayers,but library officials expect thatinformation will be available in thenear future, when assessment figuresare available.

Motorcycle Crash ClaimsLife of Teenager

HALFMOON – A 19-year-oldman from Clifton Park was killedApril 15 after he crashed his 2006Suzuki motorcycle into three vehi-cles at Route 9 and Watkins Plazaaccording to the Saratoga CountySheriff’s Office. Sean C. Obernesserwas headed north on Route 9 around11 a.m. when he struck the vehicleof Henry Kurland of Clifton Park ashe was making a left turn. Themotorcycle then struck two morevehicles before stopping.Obernesser was transported toAlbany Medical Center where hewas pronounced dead. No otherinjuries were reported.

To view the full-text version of the obituariesprinted on this page, visit the

archive section ofwww.SaratogaTodayNewspaper.com. It isthe policy of Saratoga TODAY to publishobituaries as a service to our readers.

Please send your obituaries to Christina James at

cjames@saratogapublishing.com.

Mary Margaret Colson Ballston Spa, NY- Mary

Margaret Colson 72, died Saturday,

March 24, 2012.

Mary was born March 13, 1940,

in Bristol, Vemont. She was the

daughter of the late Lyle and

Margaret Irish Rockwood.

In addition to her parents, Mary

was predeceased by her husband,

Archerball Colson, and sister,

Waneta Mabb.

Mary was a member of the

Providence Baptist Church, in

Galway.

She is survived by two brothers,

Wilbur Rockwood and Norman

Atherton; and two sisters, Charlene

Biggie and Elaine Norton.

Memorial services under the

direction of Compassionate Funeral

Care. Internment will be at

Greenridge Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, donations be

made to Saratoga Community

Hospice, 179 Lawrence St.,

Saratoga Springs, NY 12866

George A. Morris SCHUYLERVILLE- A memori-

al service with full military honors

will be held for George A. Morris at

2 p.m. Friday, April 20, 2012, at

Saratoga National Cemetery in

Schuylerville.

Those wishing to attend should

arrive early at the Information

Center to be escorted to the commit-

tal shelter.

Mary MarinoSaratoga Springs, NY - Mary

Marino, 88, went peacefully to be

with the Lord Saturday, April 14,

2012.

Born May 22, 1923, in Corinth,

NY, she was the daughter of the late

Louis and Jenny Capocci Marino.

She was predeceased by her life-

long partner, Raymond DeGrechie;

her brother, Dr. Cecil J. Marino; and

her sisters, Theresa Shippey and

Josie Spinelli.

She is survived by her sister,

Rose Marino Peck; niece, Jo-An

Simone; three nephews, David

Spinelli, Anthony (Vicki May)

Spinelli and John Marino; two

great-nieces, Jenny (Paul Straney)

Spinelli and Victoria Marino; and a

great nephew, Haig Marino.

A Mass of Christian Burial was

celebrated Wednesday, April 18,

2012.

Burial will be in the family plot at

Greenridge Cemetery, Lincoln

Ave., Saratoga Springs.

Online memorials may be made

at www.burkefuneralhome.com.

John O. HamiltonBallston Spa, NY – John O. Hamilton, 53, passed

away Monday, April 16, 2012.

John was born January 20, 1959, in Pawtucket, RI.

John worked for over 25 years for Federal Express in

Menands.

John is predeceased by his father, Clyde Hamilton

Sr.; mother, Rita (LaBelle) Hamilton; and brother,

Clyde Hamilton, Jr.

Survivors include his loving wife, Joanne (Filipow)

Hamilton; their “children” Missy, Finster, Oreo and

Angel K; siblings, Linda Nolan, Ronald, Edward, Alan

and Donald Hamilton; mother-in-law, Mary Filipow;

brother-in-law, Gerard (Barbara) Filipow; sister-in-law,

Kathryn (Basil) Nakonechny; and many nieces and

nephews.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 11

a.m. Friday, April 20, 2012, at St. Clement’s Church

231 Lake Ave., Saratoga Springs.

Memorial Service and burial will be held at a later

date in New Jersey.

Donations may be made to Rock City Falls Volunteer

Fire Department at 1119 Rock City Rd., Rock City

Falls, NY 12863.

Online remembrances may be made at www.burke-

funeralhome.com.

Catherine “Mickey” RehmSaratoga Springs, NY - Catherine

“Mickey” Rehm, 88, a resident of

Saratoga Springs, passed away April

8, 2012.

Catherine was born November 25,

1923, in Staten Island, New York,

and was the daughter of the late

Thomas and Hattie Finneran.

Survivors include her son, Robert

(Deborah Prior) Rehm; daughter,

Judy (Robert Nielson) Cocke; her

twin brother, Thomas Finneran; four

grandchildren, Aimee (Michael)

Herring, Andrew (Laura Chlopecki)

Rehm, Stacey (Brian Backhaus) and

Harris Timothy Rehm; great-grand-

daughter, Caitlin Grace Herring;

family members, Christine Rehm

and Edward Cocke; and several

nieces and nephews.

Memorials can be made in her

memory to The Saratoga Hospital

Foundation for Saratoga Care

Nursing Home; 211 Church St.,

Saratoga Springs, New York 12866.

Online remembrances can be

made at

www.tunisonfuneralhome.com.

Lena Amelia RobinsonSaratoga Springs, NY – Lena Amelia

Robinson, hand-in-hand with her hus-

band, Leon, Saturday, April 14, 2012.

Born April 8, 1927, on the family farm

at Stafford Bridge, she was the daughter

of the late Irving F. Sr. and Lena M.

Ruhle.

In addition to her parents, she was pre-

deceased by her loving husband, Leon;

her sister, Ellen Ruhle; two brothers,

Irving F., Jr. and Floyd (Jake) Ruhle; a

great- granddaughter, Lyla Simone; and a

great-niece, Maya Lamondi.

Survivors include her son, Charles (Sherry) Robinson;

daughters, Linda (Leslie) King, Diane Robinson and

Donna (Terry) DeLuca; nine grandchildren, John

Robinson, Camey Pulver, AnnMarie, Robert and

Christopher Diehl, Peter King, Meghan Covell, Jeremy

DeLuca and Morgan Simone; 18 great-grandchildren;

two great-great-grandchildren; brother, James Ruhle; sis-

ters, Marion Ruhle, Frances Turney and

Shirley Clark as well as numerous

nieces and nephews.

There will be no public calling hours.

Funeral services will be held at 10

a.m. Friday, April 20, 2012, at St. Paul’s

Lutheran Church, Lake Ave., Saratoga

Springs.

Burial will be at the convenience of

the family.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be

made to General Schuyler Emergency

Squad, 51 Ferry St., Schuylerville, NY

12871 or a charity of one’s choice.

Arrangements are under the direction of the William J.

Burke & Sons/Bussing & Cunniff Funeral Homes, 628

North Broadway, Saratoga Springs (518) 584-5373.

Online remembrances may be made at www.burkefu-

neralhome.com.

Schuylerville, NY - Margaret "Peg"

C. Deyoe, 71, passed away

Wednesday, April 11, 2012, at

Saratoga Hospital.

Born January 11, 1941, in Fort

Edward, NY, she was the daughter of

the late William P. and Doris Obie

Murphy.

In addition to her parents, Peg was

predeceased by a grandson, Kevin,

and a daughter-in-law, Ruth.

Survivors include her husband of

53 years, William; children, David

(Martine) Deyoe, Donald Deyoe,

Dennis (Robin Cowley) Deyoe, William Deyoe,

Timothy (Tina) Deyoe and Deborah (Jeff) Dooley;

grandchildren, David Patrick, Tayler, Kaitlin, Jacob,

Kelci and Jenna; sisters, Joan (Randy)

Randall and Patricia (John) Murphy;

and many nieces and nephews.

A Mass of Christian Burial was

held Saturday, April 14, 2012, at the

Notre Dame-Visitation Church, Pearl

St., Schuylerville.

Burial will be in the family plot at

Bacon Hill Cemetery,

Northumberland.

Donations may be made to the

General Schuyler Emergency Squad,

51 Ferry St., Schuylerville, NY

12871.

Online remembrances may be made at www.burkefu-

neralhome.com.

Margaret "Peg" C. Deyoe

SARATOGA

TODAY Friday, April 20, 2012 OBITUARIES 5

SARATOGA

TODAYFriday, April 20, 20126

continued from Page 1

Guardian House“I’m really amazed. I love Ballston

Spa. It is the most giving town,” saidDarcy, a current resident at the femaleveterans’ home.

Guardian House is a division of theSaratoga County Rural PreservationCompany, which manages it. Locatedon Church Avenue in Ballston Spa,the 10-bed, shared-room transitionalhousing facility is dedicated to help-ing female veterans returning fromactive duty. The Guardian House isthe first fully-operating house of itskind, and only one of two in NewYork State dedicated to women veterans.

Saturday’s project is the culmina-tion of a long partnership between

Chip’s Landscaping owners, husbandand wife Sue and Chip DuBois, andSaratoga Kohl’s manager, SuzanneTrudell, leading this project togetheras they have done for the past threeyears at other sites. Give-back proj-ects are an annual contribution ofKohl’s Cares Associates in theirAction National Go Green Event,combining Earth Day with nationalvolunteer week. This year, otherKohl’s stores including Clifton Park,Colonie and Amsterdam are joiningthe Saratoga store in its efforts andadding their allotted $1,500 each ofcorporate contributions. Kohl’s andChip’s Landscaping projects continueto grow every year, with Saturday’sproject hosting 35 volunteers, includ-ing 20 from Kohl’s.

“Kohl’s is really excited for theirthird year in a row partnering withChip’s Landscaping. It’s prettyincredible to be directly part of some-thing that actually gives back to thecommunity,” remarked Trudell.

When DuBois was contemplatingher choice of project to lead this year,the idea of helping local veteranscame to her immediately.

“In light of everything that is goingon in our country and abroad, com-bined with the fact that my dad is aveteran, in my heart of hearts I knewI wanted to do something for veter-ans. But I also wanted to involveyouths, so I had to rethink that and tieall of that in.”

She turned to the Girl Scouts,specifically high school junior andsenior girls, who have committedtheir time and will be on hand the dayof the build.

“That is our youth connection.Also, our project happens to combinewith the Girl Scouts’ 100th yearanniversary, and their current com-mitment to “go green,” DuBoisremarked.

The extensive sustainable projectplanned for Saturday is not your aver-age flower bed. Chip’s is incorporat-ing cutting edge sustainable technolo-gy, flowers and an edible garden.

The “build” is actually a three-dayproject. Sue and Chip will be on-sitetwo days prior to the build day toaccept deliveries and do work likepulling weeds and cutting out oldplant material to prepare the site forvolunteers.

“Our definition of sustainability isto have an outdoor environment pro-duce more than it uses, combiningplants, wild life, collected and reusedrainwater. As opposed to an area thatmerely uses our resources this onewill produce,” said DuBois.

Saturday’s project will incorporateAquascape, an installed drip irriga-tion system, which is a water savingfeature that DuBois was first intro-duced to at a past HospiceCommunity build project.

From then on she and Chip werehooked on the remarkable systemsthey saw, received their certificationsthrough Aquascape to installRainXChange systems, and restruc-tured their entire company aroundbringing these features to customers.The systems harvest hundreds of gal-lons of water, and store it in filtersunderground, where it is filteredtwice before used to water land-scapes. Chip’s estimates 33,000 gal-lons of water per year can be accumu-lated from just the Guardian House’sback roof.

The water feature of the gardenwill be a very calming presence, andthe ladies are excited about and look-ing forward to helping installSaturday. They have been saving adonated patio set and gazebo to set upafter the garden is installed.

But DuBois won’t be finishedthere. She has planned follow-upactivities for the near future includinga youth planting day and workshopsfor veterans on how to keep theinstalled project going.

“That’s our commitment to theproject after this one ‘day of build’ isover,” she said.

Some of the female veterans cur-rently residing at Guardian Househave children and grandchildren theywill be reconnecting with and work-ing side by side with their familiescome Saturday. Albany-SaratogaSubmarine Veterans will also be help-ing out by welcoming everyone andproviding refreshments.

“Veterans should know they have aplace to turn here,” said Marge

Brahm, administrative manager ofGuardian House. Once a member ofthe Women’s Army Corps (WAC),herself, Brahm understands the par-ticular needs female veterans have.

“There are veterans who could besleeping on a friend’s couch thatwould still be technically consideredhomeless. Veterans could be turnedoff by the idea of dormitory-style liv-ing, but here veterans all work togeth-er, make dinner every night and sharechores,” she explained.

Darcy, a Granville native and resi-dent here since January and also a for-mer member of WAC, learned aboutthe Guardian House through VeteransAffairs, whose members directed herthere.

“There’s a small town atmosphere,but there’s also a lot to offer both inthis town and the surrounding area.Coming here is the best decision I’veever made. I love it because of thepeople and the programs we’reoffered here,” she said.

The Guardian House providescombined resources in health,employment and creative expressionall geared toward helping veteransback into mainstream society.

“The goal is to stay here temporar-ily. I’m really excited about my re-education here. They really give youa good base. Everybody workstogether to make it a good place.Different girls land here for differentreasons; it’s a mix. I’m very thankfulto be here. I still can’t get over thegenerosity,” said Darcy.

Maggie Kenworthy, another resi-dent and manager of the houseagreed. “I am so grateful for this com-munity, the outpour of help and loveis overwhelming. As a recoveringalcoholic, the water feature (of thenew garden) will be a wonderfulplace for me to meditate,” she said.

Many donations have comethrough countless organizations andsources, not only for the day of thebuild, but that actually made thehome’s opening last year possible.Besides Chip’s Landscaping andKohl’s, 10 other local businesses par-ticipating asked to help in Saturday’sevent including: Allerdice PartyRental; Kerl’s Electric; Dehn’sFlowers; Jerry and Lisa Burke, own-ers of local Dunkin’ Donuts franchis-es; Mulholland Enterprises; SteveSullivan of Olde Bryan Inn andLongfellows Restaurants; BacigalupoTrucking & Excavation; AtlanticIrrigation; and Aquascape.

If you’d like to make a contribu-tion, Guardian House is presently inneed of various gardening equipmentincluding rakes, hoes, gardeninggloves and other tools. Call MargeBrahm at (518) 885-0091, ext. 1080to learn how you can help.

SARATOGA

TODAY Friday, April 20, 2012 7

Date Set for Hearing on Charter Changethat a number of signatures werealleged to be unusable. SaratogaCitizen sued the city following therejection, and won, which led thecity to immediately appeal the deci-sion. The appellate court upheld thedecision in favor of SaratogaCitizen earlier this month.

Mayor Johnson expressed that hewasn’t sure if the petition could stillbe implemented since the docu-ments were drafted back in 2010,and the dates outlined in theSaratoga Citizen proposal have allpassed.

“The timeline for this has comeand gone, and we have to addressthat as a city,” said Johnson.

Johnson will seek a legal opinionfrom the New York Conference ofMayors, an organization that’smaintained support for the commis-sion throughout its legal battleagainst the petitions.

Saratoga Springs Housing Authority

In other city council news, it wasa busy night for CommissionerJohn Franck, as he also suggestedthat a corrective action be initiatedregarding the Saratoga SpringsHousing Authority (SSHA), whichwould contain the outlined stepsrequired to once again be in accor-

dance with city law. The SSHA’semployees are required to havetheir salaries approved by the citycouncil but stopped submitting forapproval back in 2000.

This led to the discovery that theorganization’s executive directorEd Spychalski’s salary had bal-looned to over $150,000 annually,or double what he made when hetook the job in 2007. A legal opin-ion sought by the city revealed therewas little recourse should the SSHAfail to comply with the city’srequests. This was challengedrecently as a letter sent by theDepartment of U.S. Housing andDevelopment said that the city has“primary oversight responsibility”over the SSHA.

Commissioner Franck expressed

his confidence that there was noway the council would haveapproved such a dramatic increasein salary, and proposed the SSHAbring their current salaries to thecouncil for approval. Franck hasalso stated he would submit arequest under the Freedom ofInformation act, asking for moreinformation about the HousingAuthority, as well as addressing hisconcerns with a nonprofit createdby the SSHA called the SaratogaAffordable Housing Group.Spychalski and Gerald Hawthornehave since left the affiliate group.

Commissioner ordersanother round of last callworkshop

Public Safety Commissioner

Chris Mathiesen has scheduledanother public hearing regardingthe proposed change to the city’slast call hour for 6:15 p.m. May 1,prior to their city council meeting.This is the second chance in a lessthan a month residents of SaratogaSprings will be allowed the chanceto voice their opinions aboutwhether bars and night clubs shouldbe allowed to serve alcohol until thecurrent time of 4 a.m. or have itrolled back to 3 a.m. or possiblyearlier. Commissioner Franck hadsuggested Mathiesen wait until theState Liquor Authority wouldrequire the change to be county-wide, or would only apply to thecity. Franck attempted a similarmeasure in 2010, but was unsuccessful.

by Andrew MarshallSaratoga TODAY

SARATOGA SPRINGS –Commissioner of Accounts JohnFranck has scheduled a public hear-ing to be held prior to the May 1City Council meeting, in an effort toplace Saratoga Citizen’s proposedchange to the city’s charter on theNovember ballot. The hearing isscheduled for 6:45 p.m. May 1 atthe Saratoga Springs City Councilchambers prior to their next meet-ing. The council may vote on thematter that evening, but will likelywait to hear various solicited legalopinions regarding the proposal’svalidity after it was proposed twoyears ago.

The group had presented a peti-tion to the city back in 2010 askingfor the chance to allow voters tochoose whether the city wouldremain in its current commissionformat or change to a council-man-ager form. The change would resultin the hiring of a professionally-trained city manager, who would beput in charge of the city’s day-to-day operations.

The group’s petition was initiallyrejected back in 2010 when amongother issues, it was indicated that afiscal note was not included and

America’s Greatest Main Streets

Photo by ©stockstudiosphotography.comTravel + Leisure magazine honored Saratoga Springs as one ofAmerica’s Greatest Main Streets in the May 2012 edition.

SARATOGA

TODAYFriday, April 20, 20128 BUSINESS

by Daniel SchechtmanSaratoga TODAY

BALLSTON SPA - The Ballston

Spa National Bank (BSNB) was

awarded the Education and

Business Partnership award from

the Chamber of Southern Saratoga

County for promoting educational

excellence for students in grades K-

12 and for contributions to the qual-

ity of life in the Southern Saratoga

County Region. The Ballston Spa

Central School District and Mother

Teresa Academy nominated the

bank for the award, which was pre-

sented at the Chamber’s 45th

Anniversary Awards Dinner.

“On behalf of everyone at BSNB,

I would like to thank the Ballston

Spa Central School District and

Mother Teresa Academy for the

generous comments in their nomi-

nation for this award,” said

Christopher R. Dowd, president and

chief executive officer. “We have

been fortunate to have the opportu-

nity to partner with both of these

schools in helping to develop the

workforce of tomorrow. By working

together, we are confident that we

can continue to make a positive dif-

ference in the lives of those in our

community.”

BSNB was nominated for the

award because of their involvement

with both schools, including sup-

porting the Ballston Spa High

School Robotics Team and for men-

toring students in the Sponsor-A-

Scholar program.

“BSNB has been a critical busi-

ness partner in driving innovation

and educational excellence for stu-

dents in Saratoga County,” said

Joseph P. Dragone, the superintend-

ent of schools for the Ballston Spa

Central School District. “At

BSNB…they believe that through

financial support and volunteer

efforts, they can make a positive dif-

ference and help strengthen the local

community.”

Ballston Spa National Bank Receives

Education & Business Partnership Award

Christopher R. Dowd, president and CEO of Ballston Spa National Bank,accepts the Education & Business Partnership Award from Fern Hurley,chair of the Chamber Education & Business Partnership Committee.

photo provided

Local Brothers’ New Business Delivers

Fresh Organic Produce Right to Your Door

SARATOGA SPRINGS -

Brothers Kyle and Brandon

Kommer are combining the pub-

lic’s growing desire for fresh,

organic and all-natural produce

with the convenience of the

Internet, delivering their goods

right to your doorstep. Named in

memory of their third brother, they

call their new business Cody’s

Fresh Foods.

“For a number of years, I’ve

been interested in staying healthy,”

said Brandon Kommer, co-founder

of Cody’s Fresh Foods. “Talking

with different people, we began to

realize all the different things big-

ger companies put into food, like

chemicals and pesticides. So we

wanted to come up with a business

that offers something that big cor-

porate companies that mass pro-

duce their products don’t.”

Through the company’s website,

www.codysfreshfoods.com, cus-

tomers can sign up for weekly

deliveries, which can include a box

of all vegetables, all fruits, or a

mixture of fruits and vegetables.

Customers can also add on other

organic or all-natural products to

their delivery, including fresh farm

eggs, cheese, hummus, local breads

and more.

Regardless of what you decide to

sign up for, part of the fun with

Cody’s Fresh Foods is that no two

boxes are ever the same.

“Every week the boxes change,”

said Kommer. “We’re trying to

continuously change what we have

to offer, and give our customers an

opportunity to try different foods.

It’s a good way to try new products

and expand your palate.”

The Kommer brothers of Cody’s

Fresh Foods operate under a few

guiding principles. First, they

believe fresh produce is not a luxu-

ry but a right - and should be made

available at a reasonable price.

They also promise produce that is

only three or four days off the vine,

instead of the typical eight to 10

days at a typical supermarket.

Third, they believe in listening to

their customers and will strive to

accommodate tastes, dietary needs

and produce requests based on cus-

tomer feedback.

“Our main thing is that we’re

100 percent for the customers, so

we like to hear what they have to

say,” said Kommer. “If there are

items you want to see more of, or

less of, we like to hear that.”

To sign up for deliveries, visit

www.codysfreshfoods.com, select

your produce and type in your zip

code. If your zip code isn’t current-

ly listed, Kommer urges customers

to contact them directly. Although

they are based in Saratoga Springs,

Cody’s Fresh Foods are serving

customers as far north as

Queensbury and Kingsbury and as

south as Cohoes.

SARATOGA

TODAY Friday, April 20, 2012 9

continued from Page 1

Complete Streets Policy Encourages Multi-Modal Transportation

17 meeting. “This policy creates aframework for a culture change totake place in Saratoga.”

The Complete Streets policywould ask future building projectsaffecting roadways within the cityof Saratoga Springs to consideraccommodating as many modes oftransportation as possible, fromcreating a dedicated bike lane toadding shared roadway signage,crosswalks, lane striping, side-walks, bus pull outs and more. Thepolicy hopes to foster a safe envi-ronment for motorists, pedestrians,bicyclists and public transit usersalike.

The proposal builds upon a simi-lar policy signed into statewide lawin August 2011 by GovernorAndrew Cuomo, which requiresComplete Street design guidelinesbe considered for projects fundedby state or federal dollars.Alexandra-Young and other like-minded individuals are hoping to

extend this policy to include pri-vately funded projects as well.

“This does not require any roadsto be dug up, and this should notstop any projects,” explainedAlexandra-Young.

What the policy does ask, saidAlexandra-Young, is that new proj-ects consider accommodating mul-tiple modes of transportation intheir planning and design phase byusing a Complete Streets Checklist.

“This [checklist] shall listComplete Streets’ basic practicesthat have been integrated into theproject design and how usergroups, including pedestrians,bicyclists, motorists and transit rid-ers are accommodated. It will also

list if any user groups were notaccommodated and the reasonswhy,” reads the proposal.

Over 20 different civic groups,organizations and businessesassisted Shared Access Saratoga indrafting the Complete Streets poli-cy, including the Saratoga SpringsPolice Department, Saratoga’sPubic Safety and Engineeringoffices, the Saratoga CountyChamber of Commerce, theDowntown Special AssessmentDistrict, Bonacio Construction,Sustainable Saratoga, SaratogaHealthy Transportation Network,Saratoga Hosptial, AARP,Sustainable Skidmore, CapitalDistrict Transportation Authority,Cool Cities, Safe Routes to School,Elan Planning Design andLandscape Architecture, the Tri-State Transportation Campaign andmore.

“The Complete Streets adoptionwill become part of who we are asa city,” said Jim Letts, CEO of theSaratoga Regional YMCA at the

Tuesday meeting. “It will help keepus competitive as a world class des-tination with other communities.”

Others, including Erin Mitchell,associate state director at AARP,voiced their support at the meeting.

“Complete Streets only enhancesand encourages people to come andlive, work and visit SaratogaSprings,” added Mitchell. “It willmake the roadways and downtowna more attractive place to be.”

Other organizations, includingSustainable Skidmore andSustainable Saratoga, laud theComplete Streets program for itspositive effects on the environment.

“This proposed policy is on tar-get with the city’s Climate SmartCommunity efforts for reducingemissions,” said Mayor ScottJohnson. “It also brings attention toour existing shared access opportu-nities downtown and outlines anapproach for an improved, trans-parent process to promoting sharedaccess citywide.”

While the proposal seemed togarner widespread support fromthose in attendance, including sev-eral City Council members (therewere no voices of dissent), the pol-icy will have to wait until nextmonth’s meeting before it is offi-cially voted on. If approved, aseven-member advisory committeewill be created to review projectproposals and zoning codes, as wellas to assist builders in accommo-dating Complete Street guidelinesand objectives.

“We believe the city will becomenationally-known for cycling,” saidDan Lynch of the Saratoga HealthyTransportation Network. “[Thepolicy] will help make the streetssafer for cyclists and pedestrians,and the Saratoga HealthTransportation network is all forthis proposal.”

To view a full draft of theComplete Streets policy, visitwww.saratoga-springs.org andclick on “Draft Complete StreetsPolicy” on the upper right sectionof the page.

“[Complete Streets] willhelp keep us competitive asa world class destination.”

Jim LettsCEO of Saratoga Regional YMCA

SARATOGA

TODAYFriday, April 20, 2012 10

This Week’sSpotlightNorth

CountryHorses

Horses, horses, horses!

That’s what you get at North

Country Horses Summer

Horsemanship Camp.

North Country Horses offers a

full-day summer camp program for

children ages 6-16. Pre and post-

camp care is available for working

parents to ensure that children are

in a safe, fun-filled environment

before and after the camp’s regular

9 a.m. - 4 p.m. hours.

From the first feeding in the

morning until it’s time to go home

in the afternoon, the focus is on

horses. Campers will enjoy riding

time, group and individual lessons,

and many other horse related activ-

ities. They will be introduced to all

aspects of horse care and handling.

Our 2012 camp dates are the

weeks of July 16 -July 20, July 23

- July 27, July 30 - August 3,

August 6 - August 10, and August

20 - August 24. Sign up early!

Spots are limited and filling quick-

ly. More information is available

by emailing NorthCountryHorse

@Yahoo.com or calling Amanda at

(518)-441-5959.

Summer Camp Directory

SARATOGA

TODAY Friday, April 20, 2012 EDUCATION 11

GREENFIELD- 2011-2012 marks

Greenfield Elementary School’s 50th

school year, and to celebrate, princi-

pal Tina Davis has announced that

the school is making what many

community members feel is a bitter-

sweet change.

“We explored our options and

decided it was time to replace our

current playground with one that still

has a lot of charm, but has updated

equipment and features that meet our

students’ needs,” said Davis.

The current 25-year-old wooden

structure is in remarkable shape for

its age, but is not without its share of

problems. Some of the more major

issues began last fall, but since it was

hand-built by the community, tearing

it down has been put off as long as

possible.

“Every year there’s an inspection,”

said Davis. “Last fall, it was decided

that the monkey bars over a wooden

walkway would be taken out. The

tires that make up the dragon’s body

were removed… it was painful for

the children to see pieces keep being

taken away. It has come to the point

where [the playground] looks much

different than it did even five years

ago - it loses one piece at a time, and

the younger kids have nothing to do

besides run around.”

To address the problem of the rap-

idly-shrinking playground, a shared

decision-making team was created.

Consisting of three parents, three

teachers and a representative sam-

pling from the school community, the

team met to explore the possible

options for the replacement of the

playground and the task of finding a

builder the community could get

behind.

Fundraising chair and shared deci-

sion-making team member Julie

Getty spearheaded the playground

vendor selection process.

“Julie went through and

researched all the playgrounds she

could find,” said Davis. “One of the

ones we liked ended up being built

by our current playground’s original

builders, Leathers & Associates.

They can make a very similar struc-

ture that the community designs,

with improvements.”

Leathers & Associates oversees

the technical aspects of the design,

safety, accessibility and the construc-

tion of the playground, while utiliz-

ing community manpower and vol-

unteers for the bulk of its funding and

assembly.

“There are so many other working

parts of this that will fall on the com-

munity’s shoulders,” said fundraising

chair Julie Getty. “Not only the stu-

dents, parents and teachers are con-

cerned with this issue- people who

use the playground, the Greenfield

community, are passionate about it.”

The school is hoping to use this

passion to rally the community

behind their cause and take their

$150,000 budget and turn it into a

$400,000 playground. The commu-

nity-based build will help Greenfield

obtain a playground not otherwise

possible without its support. The

school is counting on local business-

es’ donations and a volunteer work-

force to make the new playground a

reality.

“Corporate sponsorship is how this

is going to be built,” said Getty. “We

have a projected build date of spring

of next year. [We] have to build on

the momentum, the excitement of

this.”

On June 6, a birthday celebration

and design day kick-off party will

give local kids an opportunity to pro-

vide insight into how the playground

should look and ignite some of that

needed community excitement.

“Children in the community will

have the chance to feel as if they’re

inspiring the initial design,” said

Davis. “[They’re] going to draw pic-

tures of what they see as the very best

playground and design it all

together.”

At the end of the day’s festivities, a

first-draft schematic incorporating

some of the prominent themes from

the children’s drawings will be

revealed.

In the meantime, Greenfield

Elementary is asking for any interest-

ed community members to get

involved.

The school is in the process of

establishing a playground committee

and needs volunteers to help with

everything from providing food and

child care during the build to secur-

ing funds and materials.

If you are interested in being on

the committee or would just like

more information, visit the new play-

ground’s website at www.greenfield-

playground.com or attend the first

playground committee meeting April

30 at 6:30 p.m. at Greenfield

Elementary.

Greenfield To Say Goodbye to Wooden Playground

by Christina JamesSaratoga TODAY

The 25-year-old structure will be replaced by spring of 2013

SARATOGA

TODAYFriday, April 20, 201212 FOODA New Local Marinade that Makes Perfect Teriyaki

I have just discovered my new

favorite marinade sauce. Rick

Green, of Ballston Lake Apiaries,

has outdone himself with his new

Saratoga Honey-Teriyaki

Concentrate. Used as a marinade,

the flavor is sweet, tangy, fresh and

light. The taste of ginger comes

through nicely and there is a mild

garlic twist to it. Most of all, it is

light in salt and absent of the bitter

aftertaste that one sometimes gets

with low-quality soy and teriyaki

sauces. There is no one dominating

flavor, just a beautiful blend of all

the ingredients: soy sauce, honey,

wine vinegar, orange juice, sesame

seeds, ginger and garlic. Rick has

put together everything needed in

wonderful proportions for a superb

teriyaki marinade.

Since buying my first jar, I have

tried it with great success on grilled

shrimp, steak and vegetable stir-fry.

I suspect it will be just as delicious

on chicken or salmon. I am dying to

try it as a salad dressing (diluted

with oil) over cabbage slaw when

the summer crop arrives. Its uses

seem endless. If you love teriyaki,

you will love this stuff! Hurry to the

Saratoga Farmers’ Market for your

jar of Saratoga Honey-Teriyaki

Concentrate, as supplies are limited.

Honey-Teriyaki TenderloinBeef Kabobs

Ingredients

¾ cup Saratoga Honey-Teriyaki

Concentrate

½ cup sherry

3 tbsp. sake (optional, for those

who like a strong oriental flavor)

1 scallion, sliced (or 1 tsp. of

minced onion)

1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

(if you like a little “kick”)

1 ½ lbs. tenderloin tips or

boneless strip steaks, cut into 1 to

2-inch cubes

(Choose sustainably-raised local-

beef from one of the three market

meat vendors.)

DirectionsPlace all ingredients, except beef,

in a saucepan and heat through. Set

aside to cool. Transfer to a mixing

bowl; add the beef cubes, stirring to

thoroughly coat beef. Marinate in

the refrigerator for minimum of two

hours, stirring a few times.

When desired marinating is com-

pleted, thread onto skewer, saving

the marinade. (Using two parallel

skewers instead of one prevents

meat from spinning and cooking

unevenly.)

Pour the marinade into saucepan

and bring to boil and cook until

reduced to a syrupy consistency.

Grill the kabobs over direct heat

for 8–10 minutes, turning occasion-

ally, brushing meat with the mari-

nade glaze with each turn.

When done (don’t overcook or

they will be tough), serve immedi-

ately. (I like to have the kabobs with

sticky rice and a green vegetable of

choice.)

Suzanne VoigtFarmers’ Market

Greetings my Foodie Friends!

Today we are taking on the

pizza stone. A new favorite in our

store is the Emile Henry pizza

stone. When we head over to

Kevin and Elizabeth

Chimungbay’s house, we always

wait patiently for Elizabeth’s

great pizza made on the red Emile

Henry pizza stone. Now, they

have four kids, so you have to

fight for your piece because as

Kevin says: “You snooze; you

lose.” Not to be outdone, my

other friends Dave and Laurie

Lowendehale, who also have four

kids, got two stones, so there is a

little less pushing and shoving. I

bet you are asking yourself whose

pizza is better, John? If I reveal

that then I would be denied my

favorite food from one of my

good friends, so I cannot eat pizza

and tell. They are both great!

The pizza stone is made of all

natural materials and is manufac-

tured using Emile Henry's propri-

etary Flame technology. It can

withstand high oven temperatures

and its glaze is micro-crazed,

which contributes to crispy, well-

baked crusts, just like a pizza

oven.

The pizza stone is not recom-

mended for use on the stovetop.

You can cut directly on the glazed

pizza stone without damaging or

scratching the surface, it’s easy to

clean with soap and water, and is

dishwasher safe.

It is designed for use in ovens

(conventional and convection),

grills (gas, charcoal and natural

wood) and can also be used under

the broiler. The pizza stone turns

a grill into an outdoor pizza oven.

In summation, this fantastic

kitchen necessity heats up in 15

minutes, cleans easily, is light-

weight and made in France. It

also comes in four colors: figue

(purple), rouge (red), noir (black)

and olive (green)! Are you crav-

ing a slice of heaven yet?

Remember my friends: “Life

happens in the kitchen.”

Dave, Kevin, when are Paula

and I invited over again?

Take care,

John

A Little Slice of Heaven!

John ReardonCompliments to the Chef

SARATOGA

TODAY Friday, April 20, 2012 15

continued from Page 1

Community Speaks Out In Support of Nursing Home

2011 year-end figures are antici-pated to show a record loss of $8.5million dollars, according to aTimes Union article last week.

Both Yepsen and AssemblymanTony Jordan agree that the on goingbattle to control costs at MaplewoodManor is presently being lost, coststhat place the future of the home inlimbo status. The biggest area ofconcern for all officials is the issueof declining Medicaid reimburse-ments, which have decreased steadi-ly from the state since 2000.

“Nursing homes are underwateralready. Counties are faced withdilemmas. We need to make deci-sions,” said Jordan. “First, can thesecounties handle the costs of thesehomes? Secondly, what will thequality of care be if they do sell?This is hard to measure in terms ofcost. I’m fighting with the state toremove the cost of mandates when itis cheaper to run homes in otherstates,” said Jordan.

“The cost of doing business is upwhile Medicaid reimbursements aregoing down,” added Yepsen. “Thecounty is asked to determine how tokeep it open, how to keep costsdown, and how to bring in revenue,but Maplewood Manor can’t pro-vide services much longer at currentcosts,” she continued.

Other counties locally are facingthe same struggles with their nurs-ing homes.

“No wonder why county nursinghomes are in this [condition],” saidYepsen. “The reason for the wave ofcounty nursing homes facing clo-sure is that the state continues topass the burden of Medicaid costs tocounties unlike all other states,besides California. There is only somuch money available. We can’tafford raised taxes right now either.There’s a defined pool of money towork with,” she added.

Solutions not only forMaplewood Manor, but for afford-able elderly care and housing ingeneral, are what citizens have beenlooking for and asking about.Maplewood Manor is tightening itsadmission process to ensure thatthose being admitted do, in fact,qualify for Medicaid, in order forthe facility to at least receive a par-tial reimbursement for the care theyprovide to residents. This is accord-ing to Diane Brown, administratorof Maplewood Manor.

“If people aren’t on Medicaid andcan’t pay privately, it really costsus,” Brown explained.

But those who don’t qualify forMedicaid are left worried as well.

“My wife has been in severalnursing homes. We weren’t accept-ed into one because we aren’t [eligi-ble for] Medicaid. Now I’ll have topay $45 per day for her care, thisdespite the fact that I have the bestinsurance (Blue Shield’s SeniorBlue) available,” said one area resi-

dent at a Malta town meeting April 12.

Area officials are working to con-trive solutions. The county has hiredthe law firm Harris Beach to assistin consulting and to review thehome’s status comprehensively,using money ear-marked for thesepurposes. It will begin conductingan extensive analysis of the home’sexact running costs in order todetermine what the specific complications are while offering

recommendations for change. “It’s early. It’ll be interesting to

see Harris Beach’s complete analy-sis,” Brown said. “We’re trying tocome up with ways to bring in addi-tional revenue. We’ve already ana-lyzed our supply costs and they arelow in relation to other homes. Weare encouraging and looking at anyand all ideas,” she explained.

Privitization is one option on thetable proposed for the 277-bedBallston Spa facility.

“Meaningful mandate relief is acritical component of the remainingsession. We need it. This is a mostimportant issue because problemscome from [state] mandates,” said Jordan.

Many agree the decision that liesahead is beyond difficult.

“My position is that the decisionis a very local decision and issue.Every county has commonality inthat they are passionate about theresidents of their county’s facility,”offered Jordan.

“The board will make the deci-sion based on all the informationthat has been gathered. They have avery difficult decision to makebecause they have to consider notonly the fiscal issues but the socialissues regarding residents and con-cern for our employees, too,” saidBrown. “It is concerning for every-one, especially employees if theylike where they work.”

The facility maintains the equiva-lent of 315 mostly full-time employ-ees, according to Brown.

“If something does happen in theremaining [legislative] session, ithas to be immediate and significant.Specific steps must be taken now,”urged Yepsen. “I know employeesthere feel weary about the future,I’m sure the residents do as well.Taxpayers and county nursinghomes are losing out,” she said.

Photo by Daniel Schechtman

SARATOGA

TODAYFriday, April 20, 201216

SARATOGA

TODAY Friday, April 20, 2012 17

Spring Fundraising

Walk for H.O.P.E.Homes for Orphan Pets Exist

(H.O.P.E.) is holding a tail-

wagging, fundraising walk

Saturday, April 28. Registration

is $20 and begins at 10 a.m. in

Congress Park. All registered

walkers receive a free tote-bag.

Do your homework-collect

some pledges before you arrive.

Collect $50 in pledges and

receive a free T-shirt; collect

$100 and get a sweatshirt.

Refreshments will be served

and a free professional photo of

you and your pet will be taken!

Great prizes for most

pledges, best wagging tail,

friendliest dog, pet/owner look-

a-like, best smile and best

dressed dog will be awarded.

The walk begins at 11 a.m. rain

or shine, and you do not need a

dog to participate. To download

a pledge form, visit

www.hopeanimalrescue.com.

All money raised helps

H.O.P.E. rescue more animals

facing euthanasia and funds

their vital spay/neuter

programs.

SARATOGA

TODAYFriday, April 20, 201218 HELPING HANDSSpringtime is Rebuilding

Together TimeIf it’s springtime, it’s time for hundreds of vol-

unteers to assist their neighbors in need. Rebuilding Together Saratoga

County is busy planning for National Rebuilding Day along with its

other workdays and wants your support.

National Rebuilding Day is the annual signature event of Rebuilding

Together, the leading national nonprofit working to preserve affordable

homeownership by bringing volunteers and communities together to

rehabilitate the homes of low-income homeowners. National

Rebuilding Day is April 28 and is the day when affiliates from all parts

of the country plan projects to celebrate the organization’s mission and

to bring national attention to the plight of America’s low-income home-

owners and the communities in which they live. National Rebuilding

Day is the culmination of a year of planning, evaluating, training,

organizing and mobilizing hundreds of thousands of community volun-

teers. It is embraced by community leaders and national corporate

sponsors as a way of bringing immediate impact to America’s commu-

nities in a single day.

Locally, Rebuilding together Saratoga County will be working on 38

projects throughout the county this spring, which will include 32 home-

owners, five community centers and one park. RTSC Executive

Director Michelle Larkin expects 400-500 volunteers this spring. “It’s

humbling to have so many volunteers come back for their ninth year in

a row and help their neighbors in need, and they do it with a smile! This

community is blessed to have so many willing to be involved.”

Locally, spring work dates are April 21, 22, 28, 29 or May 5, 6. You

can call the office at (518) 587-3315 or email michelle@rtsaratoga.org

with the day you’d like to help. If you are not handy with a hammer

you can donate $25 via RTSC’s website to pay for a work crew lunch.

Flower and Fruit Mission’s Spring

Luncheon108 Avenue of the Pines, Saratoga SpringsThe Flower and Fruit Mission of Saratoga Hospital will be hosting

their annual Spring Luncheon Tuesday, May 15 at the Hall of Springs.

This year’s theme is "The Madhatter Spring Luncheon" and guests are

encouraged to wear their favorite hats. Social hour begins at 11:30 a.m.,

with time to mingle and enjoy the display of silent auction and raffle

items, followed by a seated lunch catered by Glen Sanders Mansion.

Tickets are $50 and reservations may be made by contacting Heather

Mabee at (518) 225-2216 prior to May 5.

Pictured are the event coordinators from left to right: Julie Johnson, Patti O'Toole and Michele Funiciello.

Autism Information Fair and CarnivalSkidmore College Gymnasium, 815 N. Broadway, Saratoga SpringsASPIRe N.Y., inc., Skidmore College Psychology Department, The

Parent Network of the Capital Region and Saratoga Bridges are happy to

present the 1st Annual Autism Information Fair and Carnival April 29.

The event will take place from noon- 4 p.m.

The fair will have fun for the whole family; there will be a bounce

house, arts and crafts, carnival games and a quiet area. Over 40

exhibitors will be in attendance, including camp, therapeutic and pre-

kindergarten to college-level school programs, technological applica-

tions and more.

Community CoffeeSaratoga Coffee Traders is

selling “The Giving Bean,” an

organic, fair trade coffee that can

be purchased at the store by the

bag, with part of the proceeds

going to the Franklin

Community Center! Stop by

Saratoga Coffee Traders and

pick up a morning perk-up and

help the center.

Luminaries for

Relay for LifeAt the June 8-9 Relay for Life

in Saratoga, decorated luminary

bags bought in memory of a

loved one or in honor of a loved

one who has survived cancer

will line the track through the

night for the walkers.

These special bags are avail-

able for only a $5 donation to

the American Cancer Society

and can be bought at the Elks

monthly flea market/garage sale

this Sunday, April 22, 2012,

from 11-3:30 p.m. at the Relay

for Life table. Admission to the

market is free and every dollar

raised helps find a cure. For

more information, call Debbie

at (518) 885-6506.

American Legion

Donny Elvis

ConcertAmerican Legion, Clancy St.,

SchuylervilleOn Saturday, April 21, at 7

p.m., a two-hour Donny Elvis

concert, sponsored by the

Knights of Columbus and the

Catholic Daughters of the

Americas Court 396, will take

place. Tickets are $15 per per-

son. Doors open at 5 p.m. Door

prizes and a 50/50 drawing will

be held. Sale of beverages and

snacks will benefit the

American Legion. For more

information, call Marie Foster

at (518) 695-5609.

Crossword

Scrabblegram See puzzle solution on page 29

See puzzle solution onpage 29

ACROSS1 Hidden drawback6 “Hold your horses!”10 Clean, as erasers14 Like Cirque du Soleil performers15 Takes outside16 First name in country17 Starting pitcher?19 “__ Almighty”: Steve Carell sequel20 Clothes line21 CIO partner22 Antioxidant-rich veggies23 Strike zone?27 __ Schwarz30 Wahine’s strings31 Ballot abbr.32 Dispense in shares34 Like some brides39 Short stop?42 Line through the middle43 Matter makers44 NL East city, on scoreboards45 New Deal fig.47 Eastern theater genre48 Left field?54 Crammer’s concerns55 Over there, quaintly56 Chianti, in Chianti60 Year in Trajan’s reign?61 Batter?64 Go off65 Fanny __66 Worth of the theater67 CNBC topic68 Easter celebration69 When brunch may begin

DOWN1 Musical with Mungojerrie2 Flu symptom3 “Bossypants” writer Fey4 Move up5 Mother __6 Shilly-shally7 Garlicky mayo8 Like the vb. “go,” e.g.9 Cluck of reproach10 Fish hamper11 Rank

12 Peter out13 Cultivated violet18 Goggle22 Getting up on the wrong side of bed,

say24 Lasts longer than25 Lake Nasser feeder26 Migratory antelopes27 Saudi royal name28 Et __: and others29 Gold medalist Korbut33 Omega, to a physicist34 “I’m c-c-cold!”35 Noodle topper?36 Monopoly token37 Sought-after clownfish38 Nasty cut

Your children need your presence morethan your presents.

Jessie Louis Jackson

Words to know:quantum - n, A specified amount.

Sudoku

40 “__ girl!”41 Use one’s outside voice45 Rushes (to)46 Delany of “China Beach”48 Get the hang of49 “Negatory!”50 Premarital posting51 Hog the spotlight52 Does a film editing job53 Six-time U.S. Open winner57 “How __ Your Mother”: CBS sitcom58 Half a round59 The yoke’s on them61 EPA meas.62 Top bond

rating63 Optima maker

Broom Hilda

Animal Crackers

See puzzle solutions on page 29

Gasoline Alley

Mirror MirrorImagine the oldest fairy tale there is. Have you got it? No, not

that one. Have you got it now? Yeah, that’s it. Now ask yourself if itcan be made into a movie, again? The brain trust at Relativity Media asked themselves thatquestion and came back with a resounding yes.

Snow White (played by Lily Collins) is the only child of a benevolent king, referred to onlyas the King (played by Sean Bean) and his late wife who, except for the detail that she diedwhile giving birth to Snow (Collins), is not referred to at all. The King was raising Snow sothat she might one day rule over the kingdom, but he was consumed by a beast known toinhabit the woods long before that could happen. With the King gone and Snow not yetready to take the throne, the duty passed to his wife Clementianna (played by Julia Roberts).With her husband gone, Snow is the only threat to the Queen’s rule, so she keeps her con-

fined to the castle. When speaking to Snow, she claims it’s for safety reasons, but when her subjects inquire about the mat-ter, she makes it appear as though the princess they’ve never seen is in a fragile state as a result of either physical or men-tal illness. All the while, her excesses have caused a once happy, wealthy kingdom to turn into a fiefdom in dire financialstraits populated by overtaxed miserable subjects. Her closest advisor, Brighton (played as an obsequious toady by the tal-ented Nathan Lane), informs her that her best hope is to marry a Baron who has made numerous overtures in the past. Butwhile the Baron possesses the wealth she desires, he is older and not particularly attractive. Then, as luck and uncreativestorytelling would have it, a Prince from a wealthy, faraway kingdom (played by Armie Hammer) is robbed, bound andgagged by bandits inhabiting the woods, freed by Snow White, who has left the castle without the Queen’s permission, and

Movie Review

At The MoviesWith

Trey Roohan

PUZZLESPUZZLESPUZZLES

SARATOGA

TODAY Friday, April 20, 2012 19

then brought to the castle by the royal guard so that she might offer an apology and, of course, the King’s vacant seat in the throne.Now, of course, there have been numerous successful films based on fairy tales. Tangled (based on Rapunzel), Beauty and the

Beast, and the original Disney version of Cinderella in a film simply titled Cinderella. While the two older films may not have the sameappeal with the youth audience that Tangled does, they have greater appeal with older audiences, not just because of nostalgia, butbecause they are quality films. So, if you’re a parent and your children have been begging you to take them to this film, make what-ever effort you can to convince them to watch the older classic film or the more recent Disney features based on other fairy tales. Thisone just doesn’t hold up. (5.6/10) For comments and questions, contact me at movies@roohanrealty.com .

Local GigsWeek of 4/20-4/26: Send listings to

entertainment@saratogapublishing.com

Open Mics:•Tue. w/Rick Bolton, 8 pm

@ gaffney’s - 587.7359

•Wed. Open Mic, 8 pm@ putnam den - 584.8066

•Thur. Open Mic, 7 pm@ caffè lena - 583.0022

•Thur. Open Mic, 10 pm@ circus café - 583.1106

SARATOGA

TODAYFriday, April 20, 201222 PULSE

Friday, 4.20:•Blue Angel, 9 pm

@ 9 maple avenue - 587.7759

•Justin Joyner, 9 pm@ bailey’s - 583.6060

•The Schmooze, 9 pm@ bentley’s - 899.4300

•Del Rey, 8 pm@ caffè lena - 583.0022

•Mikki Bakken, 9 pm@ gaffney’s - 587.7359

•Rich Ortiz, 8:30 pm@ irish times - 583.0003

•Forgetting Mikey, 6 pm•Funk Evolution, 10:30 pm

@ jp bruno’s - 745.1180

•John Eisenhart, 9 pm@ the mill - 899.5253

•Black Abbey, 9 pm@ the parting glass - 583.1916

•Just Nate, 6:30 pm@ primelive ultra lounge - 583.4563

•Ryan Montbleau Band, 9 pm@ putnam den - 584.8066

•2096, 9 pm@ van dyck - 348.7999

•New York Players, 8 pm@ vapor - 581.5772

•Tony Jenkins Jazz Trip, 8:30 pm@ wallabee’s jazz bar - 792.8282

Saturday, 4.21:•Marcus Benoit Band, 9 pm

@ 9 maple avenue - 587.7759

•Joe and Travis, 9 pm@ bailey’s - 583.6060

•Even the Odd, 9 pm@ bentley’s - 899.4300

•King’s English @ bullpen - 583.9400

•Pesky J. Nixon & Spuyten Duyvil, 8 pm@ caffè lena - 583.0022

•Acoustic Circus, 9 pm@ gaffney’s - 587.7359

•Hot Cousin, 9:30 pm@ irish times - 583.0003

•Vivid, 10:30 pm@ jp bruno’s - 745.1180

•Kevin & Kate McKrell, 8 pm@ the local - 587.7256

•Hair of the Dog, 8 pm@ the parting glass - 583.1916

•George Giroux, 6:30 pm@ primelive ultra lounge - 583.4563

•Banooba w/High Peaks Band, 9 pm@ putnam den - 584.8066

•DVDJ's Fashion & Fame, 9 pm@ vapor - 581.5772

•Blues Noir, 9 pm@ wallabee’s jazz bar - 792.8282

Sunday, 4.22:•Billy Jonas, 3 pm•Kim Richey, 7 pm

@ caffè lena - 583.0022

Thursday, 4.26:•Becky Walton & Mike Steiner, 9 pm

@ gaffney’s - 587.7359

•Jeff Walton, 6 pm@ horseshoe inn - 587.4909

•Irish Celtic Session, 7 pm@ the parting glass - 583.1916

•Soul Session Duo, 6:30 pm@ primelive ultra lounge - 583.4563

•Buzzard, Sime Geezus, Cryptic, 9 pm@ putnam den - 584.8066

•Tim Pohl, 9 pm@ wallabee’s jazz bar - 792.8282

‘See the Future’

at Caffè LenaSARATOGA SPRINGS -

Come see both Pesky J. Nixon

and Spuyten Duyvil at Caffè

Lena Saturday, April 21 - two of

the country’s hottest folk acts

playing together at the venue’s

“See the Future! Saturday Night

Sampler” show.

Pictured right: Spuyten Duyvil

SARATOGA

TODAY Friday, April 20, 2012 PULSE 23

FIRST ANNUAL PARROT HEAD FESTIVAL COMESTO SARATOGA COUNTY FAIRGROUNDS

by Daniel SchechtmanSaratoga TODAY

B A L L S TO N S PA / M A R -GARITAVILLAGE - Do youlike Pina Coladas? How aboutgetting caught in the rain? Ifyes, then lucky residents canbegin planning their escape toMargaritavillage June 22-23,when Ballston Spa and theSaratoga County Fairgroundswill host the first annual ParrotHead Festival in honor of theone, and only, Jimmy Buffet.

Marking the official start of

summer in the Capital Region,the Parrot Head Festival will fea-ture a few of the best JimmyBuffet tribute acts in the nation,including the Jimmy BuffettTribute Band. Other musical acts,including local band Robonic,the John Frinzi and John PattiDuo, Changes in Latitudes andmore will take the stage as theday unfolds.

If you like the taste of cham-pagne, or other adult beveragesfor that matter, multiple vendorswill be on hand to help quenchyour thirst.

But the Parrot Head Festivalisn’t exclusive to adults. Theentire family is invited toMargaritavillage (BallstonSpa’s version ofMargaritaville), which willhave a dedicated kids sectionfeaturing live pig races,games, rides, inflatablebounce houses and more.

The Saratoga Fairgroundisn’t the only place to cele-brate all things Buffet. All ofBallston Spa is getting in onthe action, including mini golfat Mill Creek Mini Golf, greatfood and drink specials at theD Line Pub, the island themedLoca Luna with food, drinkand Buffet videos and muchmore. Vote for the best cheese-burger and margarita at the DLine Pub, Loca Luna, SunsetCafe, Factory Eatery andSpirits, the Brickyard andother participating establishments.

Tickets for the festival areon sale now, and can be pur-chased by visiting www.par-rotheadfestival.com, whereyou can also view a completelisting of events, schedulesand vendors.

SARATOGA SPRINGS - TheSaratoga Springs PreservationFoundation is honoring BarbaraGlaser, Randy Martin and NickPalmetto Friday, May 11, fortheir unique contributions to thepreservation and rehabilitation ofSaratoga Springs at the 10thannual Spirit of PreservationCelebration.

The Saratoga AutomobileMuseum will set the stage for the10th Annual Spirit ofPreservation Celebration begin-ning the 11th at 6 p.m. The Spiritof Preservation Awards honorsindividuals who, through theirvision and dedication, fosteredhistoric preservation in SaratogaSprings and contributed to theoverall quality of life. Tickets tothe 2012 10th Annual Spirit ofPreservation Celebration at the

Saratoga Automobile Museumare now available. Tickets are$55 for foundation members/$65non-members or $40 for those 40years or under. Call (518) 587-5030 to reserve your ticket today,or purchase your ticket at thefoundation’s online store atwww.saratogapreservation.org.

The evening will feature acocktail party against the back-drop of the current exhibition atthe Automobile Museum,Porsche: 60 Years of Speed andStyle in North America, as wellas the catering of Kim Kloptock’sThe Lily & The Rose. The cele-bration will also include anawards ceremony for the hon-orees, presented by speakersLinda Toohey and Joseph Dalton,Jr.

This year, Barbara Glaser will

be recognized not only for heradaptive reuse of the chapel, nowSpring Street Gallery and SchoolNo. 4, home to the Foundationand many other nonprofits, butalso for her commitment toretaining a vibrant downtown andpreserving open space inSaratoga Springs. Barbara is afounding member of the OpenSpace Project, now known asSaratoga PLAN, a nonprofitorganization dedicated to pre-serving the "city in the country”through protecting historic, natu-ral and rural spaces as well aslandmarks. Open Space Projectbecame a voice for “smartgrowth,” and an effective advo-cate for preserving the quality oflife of Saratoga.

Nick Palmetto and RandyMartin will be honored for their

30-year business partnership,which allowed them to purchaseand restore many buildings in theheart of Saratoga Springs. Bytaking on less high profile proj-ects, but still rather importantones, Nick and Randy con-tributed to retaining the overallhistoric fabric of downtownSaratoga Springs. Amongst theirlarger projects are: the stabiliza-tion and restoration of theCommunity Theater Building on

Broadway, a building on theNational Register of HistoricPlaces; the adaptive reuse of theBlackmer & Son Building, nowhome to the Saratoga CountyChamber of Commerce and theSaratoga Economic DevelopmentCorporation; and giving TheChildren’s Museum at SaratogaSprings its first home in theirDowntown Marketplace Buildingin 1993.

Spirit of Preservation Award Recipients Honored for Making andProtecting Saratoga Springs History at 10th Annual Gala

SARATOGA

TODAYFriday, April 20, 201224 PULSE

by Daniel SchechtmanSaratoga TODAY

Local Jeweler Jimmy Butts to Compete in Nationwide Challenge

SARATOGA SPRINGS -Local jeweler Jimmy Butts isheaded to Chicago this week-end to compete in the nation-wide Bench PressureChallenge, part of the annualSMART Show that pits the bestjewelers from across the coun-try in a series of head-to-headtime trials. Butts, an employeeat N. Fox Jewelers, was select-ed as one of only four finaliststo compete in the challenge,which will be streamed onlinewith links that can be found atwww.smartjewelryshow.com/contests/bench-challenge.

Butts and the three otherfinalists will be given a seriesof challenges, including carv-ing a wax model ring with an

estate feel; setting stones in apalladium and platinum ring, andhand-engraving another ring onthe last day. Each challenge willbe given a time limit of only twoand a half hours and will bejudged based on the portion completed.

“Judging by what I’ve seen sofar [of the competition], I’m theonly one that actually makes jew-elry by hand,” said Butts, whowill be making his first appear-ance at the challenge. “A few ofthe other guys, what they do isthey render the model in CADCam, and then they have themachine cut the wax for them. Idon’t use CAD Cam at all - Ihand fabricate everything.”

For Butts, who has over 25years of experience as a customgoldsmith, the biggest challengebefore him will be working with-in the set time limit.

“Two and a half hours perproject is really nothing,” saidButts. “It takes a minimum offive to eight hours to makeanything like what they’retalking about that’s worthanything.”

Still, Butts will be up forthe challenge. After all, a for-mer world champion archer,Butts is no stranger to competing.

“I shoot competitivearchery, so I love competitionof any kind,” said Butts. “Anytype of competition - it doesn’t matter. I just love therush.”

Awards will be presentedfor each of the sub-chal-lenges, with an overall winnerbeing picked at the conclusionof the event on Monday.

“I’m looking forward to it,absolutely,” said Butts. “I’vebeen in the business for awhile, but I’ve never been toone of these larger shows.And I love to travel,” headded, “as long as you’re pay-ing for it.”

SARATOGA SPRINGS -The annual SaratogaArtsFestinvites the public to celebrateand support the arts by attend-ing this year’s Prelude event,“Tapas on the Terrace,”Thursday, April 26, from 6-10p.m. at Saratoga National GolfClub.

The Prelude will feature apreview of ArtsFest talent witha chamber music performanceby Duo Sonidos, a striking duoof guitar and violin that willreturn to perform atSaratogaArtsFest in June. Theevening will also offer Spanishdelicacies such tapas, paella,and sangria, as well as a silentauction that highlights the tal-ent of local artists and businesses.

The cost of a standard ticketto the event is $150, while a“junior” admission (age 35 andunder) is available for $75.Tickets include admission tothe Duo Sonidos performanceand an ARTSPASS admissionpackage for theSaratogaArtsFest.

The funds raised throughPrelude directly support themany arts partners that makeSaratogaArtsFest possible andwill help to keep the artsaccessible for everyone in thecommunity.

“Art enriches and enlivensour lives in so many ways. Thefunds raised through Preludehelp to strengthen the vibrantarray of programs offered byour arts partner organizations,”said Mary Ellen O’Loughlin,

executive director of theArtsFest.

Added O’Loughlin, “Inaddition to attending theevent, arts enthusiasts cansupport SaratogaArtsFest on anumber of levels.”

For more information on ways to support the festival, visitwww.SaratogaArtsFest.org/support.

The sixth annualSaratogaArtsFest, June 7-10,will offer a wide variety ofarts experiences, includingmusic, dance, visual art, film,theater and literary art. A $35adult ARTSPASS providesadmission to most events andcultural activities during themultifaceted arts showcase.The pass also provides dis-counts at Saratoga Springsrestaurants and shops duringthe festival, and benefits year-round at area arts organiza-tions. Youth passes, for accessto most festival events, areavailable for $5.

The mission ofSaratogaArtsFest is to pro-mote Saratoga Springs as apremier arts destination. Thefestival is made possible by analliance of community part-ners committed to increasingappreciation and enjoyment ofthe arts, expanding the artsaudience, and strengtheningyear-round cultural tourism inthe Saratoga region.

For more information, emailprelude@saratogaartsfest.orgor call (518) 580-8010.

SaratogaArtsFest Prelude to giveSneak Peak of Summer Festival

photo providedDuo Sonidos will entertain guests at the SaratogaArtsFestPrelude celebration.

SARATOGA

TODAY Friday, April 20, 2012 PULSE 25

BALLSTON SPA - Ballston SpaHigh School’s Theatre club – alsoknown as “Troupe,” will continue atradition started two years ago thisFriday night when it presents itsannual cabaret, “Just Desserts.”With a wealth of talent developed inthe very popular choir, theater andacting classes, Ballston Spa neededan additional opportunity for per-formers to grow, and thus thecabaret was born. This year, Troupeproduced two fully staged musicals(“You’re a Good Man, CharlieBrown” and “Thoroughly ModernMillie”) and will wrap up the seasonwith this showcase of itssinger/actors. Allowing buddingstars to get their moment in the spot-light, this year’s show will featurenew faces alongside more experi-enced cast members.

“Just Desserts” is a cabaret-styleperformance, with an emphasis onsong interpretation delivered by solosingers, small groups and an open-ing ensemble. The show will featurenumbers from contemporary musi-cals and new composers in additionto more familiar songs.

Ballston Spa High School teacherLaurie Larson is in a unique positionto direct this production. In additionto being the choral director for theschool and teaching theater and act-ing classes, she is an experiencedperformer herself. She continues tobe seen on local stages, has

Ballston Spa Troupe PresentsCabaret Evening of ‘Just Desserts’

appeared in cabaret performances inNew York City, and has implement-ed many new performing opportuni-ties for students at Ballston Spa,earning her the district’s Extra MileAward. This year, Larson was castfor “Thoroughly Modern Millie.”But at the heart of it all, she wantsthe students to experience the magicof touching people through song.

“Just Desserts” will be presentedin the high school auditorium at 220Ballston Avenue, Friday, April 20 at

7:30 p.m. The cost for admission is$8 for adults and $5 for students andseniors. Patrons will be able to pur-chase fine desserts at a cost of $4 toadditionally support the fundraisingefforts. All proceeds from the per-formance will support Troupe.

For more information, contactMichaela Wilson at (518) 495-7081or email her atmchaelamom@aol.com.

photo providedJulianne DeGuardi takes the stage during last year’s cabaret perform-ance at Ballston Spa High School.

SARATOGA SPRINGS -The organ and flute ensembleDue Solisti will perform adiverse musical program atSaratoga Springs UnitedMethodist Church Friday, April27, at 7:30 p.m. The programwill include a variety of shortworks, from Richter and J.S.Bach to contemporary com-posers, with some selectionsfeaturing the duo and othershighlighting the instruments insolo form.

Due Solisti brings togetherthe considerable talents ofZofie Vokálková, flutist withthe Czech ChamberPhilharmonic and a facultymember at the PragueConservatory, and KathleenScheide, organist of AllHallows Church, Wyncote, Pa,and a member of the harpsi-chord faculty at WestminsterChoir College in Princeton,N.J. Vokálková is a graduate ofthe Prague Conservatory,where she earned first prizehonors. Dr. Scheide holdsdegrees from the New England

Conservatory and theUniversity of SouthernCalifornia. Both musicians haveplayed extensively in Europe,Asia and the United States andhave made several recordings.

In Saratoga Springs, Ms.Scheide will play the church’sexceptional Frobenius trackerorgan, built in Denmark andinstalled at the church in 1996.The two concerts of theFrobenius Series each year havebeen attracting a growing audi-ence, reflecting both the high-caliber musicians who performas well as the welcoming andrelaxing setting of this contem-porary church. A favorite tradi-tion of these concerts is thefriendly question-and-answersession with musicians duringintermission.

The handicap-accessiblechurch is located off theNorthway Exit 14 at 175 FifthAvenue (corner of HenningRoad, across from BOCES).While there is no admissioncharge for the event, a free-willdonation is encouraged.

United Methodist Church HostsInternational Organ and Flute Ensemble

photo providedDue Solisti, featuring Kathleen Scheide (left) and Zofie Vokálková(right), will perform at the United Methodist Church April 27.

it’s where youneed to be.

classifiedTODAY’s

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SARATOGA

TODAY Friday, April 20, 2012 27

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WILTON McGregor Village Apts.SPRING SPECIAL - 1ST MONTH FREE2 bdrm, 1 bath. Cats only. (A/C avail) 518-886-8013 All 1st flr.units includes features for personsw/disabilities required by the FairHousing Act. Now $775/month.

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Located on a desirable, quiet East side street that is conven-ient to town, East Side Rec, the Wilton Mall and theNorthway. Fantastic 4 bedrooms, 1.5 bath raised ranchoffers spacious rooms, gorgeous hardwoods, breakfast barand neutral paint. Walk in closet in master bedroom couldbe converted to a full bath to create a master suite ifdesired. Taxes reflect Sr. Star exemption.

Jennifer R Johnson588-1392jennj@kw.com

SARATOGA

TODAY Friday, April 20, 2012 SPORTS 29

Send your

sports stories or briefs

to Andrew Marshall,

Sports Editor at

amarshall@saratoga

publishing.com

Puzzle Solutions from p.19

Community Sports Bulletin

Barra wins Liberty League Rookie of the Week Honors

Skidmore College freshman Nick Barra hasbeen named the Liberty League BaseballRookie of the Week after his performanceduring a 4-1 week for the Thoroughbreds.Barra, who hails from Pittsford, New York,moved into the starting lineup and keyed the4-1 week, going 8-for-20 (.400) with nine RBI,six runs scored and two stolen bases.

Photo provided

May Day Soccer Classic at Gavin Park

Kick off your spring with the annual May DaySoccer Classic at Gavin Park in Saratoga SpringsSaturday, April 28 and Sunday, April 29. Come outand cheer for over 100 of the top boys and girlssoccer club teamsfrom the New YorkCapital District,M a s s a c h u s e t t s ,Pennsylvania andVermont as theycompete during thetwo-day event.Catch a game ortwo, or just comeout to enjoy thepark. Admission isfree. So make plansfor a fun-filled day ofexciting soccer! Ifyou have any ques-tions, contact thetournament direc-tor, Christina Slade,at (518) 727-4388.

The Saratoga Springs Horse Show is almost here, but they’re still looking for volun-teers to help make it a success. Formerly known as the Saint Clement’s Horse Show,the two-week event has brought some of the world’s best riders to Saratoga Springsto compete for the last 52 years. The first week runs May 2-6, while the second legruns May 9-13. Each week culminates with a $25,000 Grand Prix event. The show is hopeful that with your help, they can continue to bring this event to theSaratoga Springs area for another 52 years. All types of volunteers are needed fromfood service to cleaning - even set up and break down of the festival, in two to four-hour shifts. For more information about volunteering, or to sign up to help with theshow, visit www.saratogaspringshorseshow.com.

THE SARATOGA SPRINGS HORSE SHOW ISLOOKING FOR VOLUNTEERS

Core Fitness Grand Opening Event This Weekend

Looking to get fit in time for bathing suit season? Well you’re in

luck, as Core Fitness will be opening its new location this coming

April 21 from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. The grand opening event gets started

with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 9:15 a.m. Drop by and meet

the staff, who will be on hand to answer any questions. New class

demonstrations will also be taking place to help you decide

which program is right for you. Sign up for a class and receive a

free giveaway courtesy of Core Fitness. The new location can be

found at 68 West Avenue in Saratoga Springs. For more informa-

tion, call Core Fitness at (518) 583-3488 or visit them online at

www.saratogacorefitness.com.

Damian Fantauzzi

SARATOGA

TODAYFriday, April 20, 201230 SPORTS

Sharing Stories from the Sandlot

How many times have we

asked ourselves "what if”? It’s

likely too numerous to count

but maybe it's time to accept

that when we make a decision,

we need to make it work for

ourselves and those who

might be affected by the

choice we make. My lead is

about the many stories that

you might hear from former

high school or collegiate ath-

letes who always say that if

this happened instead of that,

I would or would not be doing

this.

What do I mean? Take

myself for example: if I was

6’ 8”, I would have played in

the NBA. Since I'm 6' 1", this

particular "what if" never hap-

pened. There are no stories

about how good I would have

been, because I was as good

as I was, and that's the end of

my trip to find the ring! Not

everyone who plays basket-

ball is 6'8" and of course, none

of us are as good as Michael

Jordan or LeBron James. Most

all the high school athletes or

"superstars" should be happy

with the fun they had, the run

they experienced and their suc-

cess as a high school player,

whether it was JV or varsity.

Maybe even the success that

comes from levels like little

league baseball, Pop Warner

football, biddy/CYO basketball

and youth hockey should be

theirs. The memories will live

in the hearts and minds, hope-

fully with the fondness that is

meant to be!

I can remember when I was

in junior high and high school

when some of my buddies and I

would get together and play

those really fun games in some-

one's driveway or at the local

park. In the driveway, we

would have 3-on-3 or 4-on-4

basketball games, and, if there

was a bunch of us, we would

have three or four teams rotat-

ing at once. At the end of a

Saturday afternoon, with the

playing time of maybe three to

four hours, we had had a heck

of a good time. There were no

coaches, no interviews with the

sportswriters and there weren't

many fans to cheer us on. In the

fall, if we had enough people to

play, we arranged to meet at the

park to play tackle football.

Oddly enough, without the

equipment of today's players

nobody ever got hurt, but that's

not to say that we weren't sore

afterward!

In the spring, we’d play

baseball. Sometimes we would

only have 10 players (five on a

team) but we had different

rules such as opposite field hits

were outs and a hit back to the

pitcher, with a man on base was

an automatic double play.

Depending on circumstances

we would sometimes make the

rules up as play progressed!

Monday in school there wasn't

any fanfare about our weekend

games. What happened on

Mondays and during the course

of the week was the planning of

next weekend's games. Teams

weren't chosen beforehand

because it was the best way to

make fair teams! Sometimes,

someone would come late and

it was worked out among the

group where that person would

fit, to keep the teams competi-

tive.

Eventually, some of us kids

became star athletes for our

school and a few even went on

to play at the collegiate level.

For the most part, there weren't

a lot of stories of "what if"

because we had memories of

the fun we had playing togeth-

er in our sandlot games. It was

good clean fun. Some of my

friends did not go on to achieve

greater athletic fame, but what

they experienced was the same

euphoria of participation and

gratification of having played

whatever sport we were all

involved in.

There is no story to tell or

"wannabe" tales about the

"what ifs" that can be fabricat-

ed by anyone. It was the expe-

rience of playing and it was

just plain fun. There is no

one to impress and there isn't

anyone who actually wants to

hear "war stories" about how

good you could have been or

in actuality, wished you

were! There is nothing to be

proven; you are who you are

and you may not have been as

good as others who you

chummed around with in

your youth. That doesn't

make you a lesser person.

Does it really matter how

good you thought you should

have been or wished you

were? What really matters is

that you played and had fun

while doing it, no matter

what level of team or back-

yard player you were! Why

does it have to be a pity

party? Things can happen in

sports where there is no con-

trol of what might happen,

like injuries.

What really matters in the

sports you played, is having

the experience. There is no

need to tell stories to friends,

relatives or people you barely

know of how good you could

have been, if this hadn't

occurred or that had hap-

pened! I would have been a

star in the fantasy world of

"what if" athletics. An adult

question is to ask yourself is:

“When I was younger, was it

fun to play sports, and is

there is nothing but fond

memories from that experi-

ence?" The gratification of

playing with old friends is all

one needs to remember. I

know in my experiences with

all of the sandlot sports and

games that I played before I

graduated into more organ-

ized athletics, the process

was worth everything to me.

It was the achievement from

playing and later the involve-

ment of being on the team

that still lives for me. What if

I was 6' 8"? What if I could

have Jerry West teach me?

Alas, I wasn't and he didn't,

but I still had fun playing my

favorite games! Forget being

an all-star. The best award

that I ever won was, "All-

Backyard.” Which leads me

to this: What if... I had a 3-

foot high trophy for my

bedroom?

Eleven athletes from the Jason

Morris Judo Center (JMJC) in

Glenville will head down to Irving,

Texas, to compete at the U.S. Senior

National Judo Championships being

held April 21-22 at the Irving

Convention Center. Leading the way

will be JMJC's Nick Kossor, 26, and

Natalie Lafon, 31, who will be look-

ing for their third national titles,

respectively. A Burnt Hills High

graduate, Kossor missed the event

last year due to an injury, but took the

60-kilogram title in 2008 and 2010.

Lafon will be defending the 52-kilo-

gram title she won last year. She also

was the 48-kilogram champion in

2008. Burnt Hills High Graduate,

Hannah Martin, 23, will be looking

for her first national title, having

taken two silvers (2007, 2009) and

two bronzes (2008, 2010). Brad

Bolen, 23, will be going in as the

number-one seed and will be seeking

his first 66-kilogram national title,

having taken a silver in 2011 and

bronze in 2009. This will serve as a

warm-up for Bolen as the following

week he will join JMJC teammates

Nick Delpopolo, 23, and Kyle

Vashkulat, 21, at the Pan Am

Championships in Montreal, Quebec.

Bolen and Vashkulat are in a position

to qualify for the London Olympics

this summer with a good perform-

ance. Delpopolo will have a fight-off

with Mike Eldred on May 12 in

Miami to earn a spot on the United

States Olympic team. Cammi Kaichi,

24, was a 52-kilogram bronze medal-

ist last year and will challenge her

JMJC teammate Lafon for the title.

Also competing for the JMJC will be

Tony Sangimino, 21, who will be

seeded number-four at 81-kilogram

and Dave Harris, 26, who is seeded

number-11 at 73-kilograms. Brice

Rudat, 23, will be unseeded at his

second trip to nationals at 90-kilo-

grams. Burnt Hills Junior, Jack

Hatton, 16, and Joe Martinez, 19, will

be competing at their first Nationals.

Hannah Martin

photo by Lou DiGesare

Athletes fromthe Jason Morris

Judo Centerpreparing forU.S. Nationals

SARATOGA

TODAY Friday, April 20, 2012 SPORTS 31

by Andrew MarshallSaratoga TODAY

Rodriguez’s Complete Game Fuels Black HorsesThe senior’s impressive one-hitter was enough to defeat the visiting Greenwich Witches in a Wasaren League matchup.

EVERYBODYLOVES RAYMOND

Senior startingpitcher RayRodriguez turnedin an extremelysolid performancewhen his teamneeded it, to grabtheir first win of theseason, and get onthe board inWasaren LeaguePlay.

Photo by MarkBolles.com

SCHUYLERVILLE – The

Schuylerville Black Horses varsity

baseball team needed a big game

from starting pitcher Ray

Rodriguez against the visiting

Greenwich Witches, who entered

the game batting .330 as a team on

the season. Rodriguez responded

like a true ace, tossing a complete

game one-hitter with five strikeouts

to lead Schuylerville to the 2-1 vic-

tory. Rodriguez delivered at the

plate as well, getting the rally start-

ed in the sixth inning with a one-out

single and scoring the tying run.

This would lead to Austin Cook

providing the pinch-hit two-out

RBI single to put the Black Horses

up for the rest of the day.

For the statistics junkies out

there, Greenwich’s .460 on-base

percentage shows their hitters were

not only making contact this sea-

son, but remaining patient at the

plate and drawing walks.

Greenwich would only manage

three walks against Rodriguez, who

didn’t allow many balls to leave the

infield on the afternoon.

His Greenwich counterpart was

starting pitcher Jason Flynn who

threw five scoreless innings before

the two-run sixth inning. He was

tagged with the loss, scattering

seven hits while striking out three

in six innings of work.

The game started promising

enough for Schuylerville, as

sophomore Patrick Castle would

double to left field, followed by a

Rodriguez single in the bottom of

the first inning. Flynn would work

himself out of the jam, and did not

allow a run to score.

Schuylerville‘s Austin Anderson

and Castle would pull off an

impressive play to run down

Greenwich’s John Barnes attempt-

ing to score after tagging up at

third. Barnes had reached base on

the only base hit allowed by

Rodriguez. The Witches’ lone run

came as a result of two of

Rodriguez’s walks, with Tony

Giroux sacrificing to take a 1-0

lead.

This was the first win for

Schuylerville this season, having

dropped both previous games

they’d played. All three games

were against Wasaren League

opponents. On the other side, this

was Greenwich’s first loss of the

season, falling to 6-1 overall, with a

2-1 record in Wasaren League play.

Schuylerville will prepare for the

upcoming Gloversville Baseball

Tournament, hosted by

Gloversville High School. The

Black Horses take on the host

Huskies at 10 a.m. on April 21.

Fonda-Fultonville will host

Broadalbin-Perth also at 10 a.m. at

Fonda-Fultonville High School.

The losers of the respective games

will play at 1 p.m. at Husky Field,

while the championship game will

take place at 4 p.m. that same

afternoon.

FIST PUMPS ALL AROUND- Ryan Mulligan celebrated afterhe scored the go-ahead run after Austin Cook’s pinch-hit single in the bottom of the sixth inning April 17.

Photo by MarkBolles.com

32Friday,

April 20, 2012sports

Vol. 7 • Issue 16 • FREE • Saratoga TODAY

Volunteers pg. 29Judo in Texas pg. 30

Photos by MarkBolles.com