saratoga today 12-14

10,000 copies distributed weekly • Call To Advertise • (518) 581-2480

F R E E Volume 7 • Issue 50 saratogatodaynewspaper.com

Inside TODAY…

Businesspg 8-9

Obituariespg 11

Holiday Gift Guidepg 15-18

Local Gigs/Pulsepg 22-25

by Andrew MarshallSaratoga TODAY

See Gift page 6

See Wilton page 5

Cooking for a Causeby Chelsea DiSchianoSaratoga TODAY

by Patricia OlderSaratoga TODAY

See Cause page 7

Wilton Residents Come Out in Force

Saratoga’s Historical Gift

SARATOGA SPRINGS -

Imagine that you are in charge of

feeding a minimum of 32 people

three meals a day, every day of the

week. Imagine that you have to

prepare that much food out of a

normal household kitchen with

appliances only meant to feed an

ordinary family, and imagine that

you have to make each of those

meals out of donated foods that are

often only canned goods or enough

ingredients to make a basic meal.

For Bonnie Potter, the house

manager at Shelters of Saratoga,

this scenario is an everyday reality.

So when Chef Maureen Clancy,

instructor of the WSWHE BOCES

culinary arts program, heard that

Potter needed some help creating

new meals, Clancy immediately

decided that helping feed the

houseguests of Shelters of Saratoga

(SOS) would be her culinary arts

students’ community service proj-

ect for the year.

“We have the resources, the

equipment, the manpower and the

bodies to help out and do this

Chef Instructor Maureen Clancy prepares a meal for Shelters of Saratoga with her students.

WILTON – With 118 zoning

changes looming on the horizon

and a sweeping change of the cur-

rent Ethics Board, Wilton town

residents showed up in force at last

week’s town board meeting, argu-

ing the town council and the zon-

ing review committee locked them

out of the process and gave town

residents no voice in the changes.

Residents accused the board and

the committee of supplying little,

if no information to the public, and

of asking only local business own-

ers who had something to gain

from the changes for their help in

SARATOGA SPRINGS – If you

ask local historian and author

Hollis Palmer, he’d tell you

Christmas came early for the city of

Saratoga Springs’ History Museum

located in the Canfield Casino at

Congress Park.

That’s because the museum just

recently received a donation con-

taining written works and photo-

graphs pertaining to one of its most

notable early 20th century figures,

Academy Award-winning screen-

writer and producer Charles

Brackett.

Earlier this month, Palmer

received a phone call from a man

named Ernie Duval, who informed

him he was the last surviving mem-

ber of the Brackett family tree.

Palmer recently published a piece

in the latest edition of Simply

Saratoga Magazine regarding the

history of both Charles Brackett

“I believe that the EthicsCommittee was used by seniorcouncilmen as a tool forrevenge with the ultimate goalof eliminating the current EthicsBoard …”

Dennis TowersWilton Resident

photo by Deb Neary

2 Week of December 14 - December 20, 2012

Don’t Call the Fashion Police!

MILTON – Ugly sweatershave never looked so good.Dozens of runners braved thewet weather December 8 to

participate in the first annualGateway House of Peace UglySweater 5K Run. The name ofthe game was to don the ugli-est, tackiest holiday-themedsweater to keep warm whilerunning to raise money for theGateway House of Peace. Over100 registered runners madegood use of their old sweatersfrom Aunt Phyllis, whichbegan at the MiltonCommunity Center.

27-year-old Shaun Doneganof Saratoga Springs was thefirst sweater across the finishline, posting a time of 17 min-utes, 10 seconds. EmilyBertier, 27, of Gloversvillewas the first woman to finish,with a time of 20 minutes and40 seconds.

The Gateway House of Peaceis a nonprofit charitableHospice care facility in BallstonSpa where patients can receivecare in a comfortable, home-likesetting. For more information,visit www.gatewayhouseof-peace.org.

First annual “Ugly Sweater Run” benefitting local nonprofit hospice care facility boasts over 100 participants.

Photos by Deborah Neary for PhotoandGraphic.com

Above: Runners Eric Gould, Ben Yatt, Kelly Martinet, Jenna Postler and Nikki Cox pose with their, um, lovelysweaters.

Shaun Donegan

Above: Brandy Kelleher and Victoria Rodriguez match in red withgreen bows, while Jen Kuzmich deserves special consideration for hernutcracker-themed threads.

BLOTTER 3Week of December 14 - December 20, 2012

Henry Davis, 49, of Grand

Avenue in Saratoga Springs was

arrested along Congress Street in

Saratoga Springs and charged with

petit larceny, a Class A misdemeanor.

James McWilliams, 60, of

Meditation Way in Saratoga Springs,

was arrested along Lake Avenue and

charged with criminal mischief in

the third degree, a Class E felony.

Joseph W. Hanna, 44, of North

Second Street in Mechanicville,

was sentenced to five days in

Saratoga County Jail, five years of

probation, payment of related fines

and fees and the installation of an

Ignition Interlock device after

pleading guilty to driving while

intoxicated, a Class D felony.

Skyler W. Day, 22, of Route 29

in Rock City Falls, pleaded guilty

December 7 to driving while intox-

icated, a Class E felony. Sentencing

is scheduled for February 28, 2013.

Alexandra M. Waters, 23, of

Washington Street in Saratoga

Springs, was arrested December 8

along Washington Street and

Broadway in Saratoga Springs and

charged with driving while intoxi-

cated, a misdemeanor, and register-

ing a blood-alcohol content over

.08 percent, a misdemeanor.

Michael J. Mercado, 31, of

Middlebrook Avenue in Ballston

Spa, was arrested December 9 along

Washington Street in Saratoga

Springs on charges of driving while

intoxicated and registering a blood-

alcohol content over .08 percent,

both misdemeanors; and failing to

keep right, a violation.

Connor F. Demarco, 19, of

Traver Road in Gansevoort, was

arrested December 9 along

Broadway in Saratoga Springs and

charged with unlawful possession

of marijuana, a violation.

Shawn G. Skidmore, 28, of

Nelson Avenue Extension in

Saratoga Springs, was sentenced

December 10 to time served in

Saratoga County Jail and five years

of probation including the installa-

tion of an Ignition Interlock Device

as a condition of discharge for a

period of three years. The defen-

dant pled to the charge in October.

William A. McDonald, 26, of

Broad Street in Glens Falls, was

sentenced December 10 to time

served in Saratoga County Jail and

five years of probation after plead-

ing guilty to charges of robbery in

the third degree, a Class D felony.

The defendant pled to the charge

in October.

Nicole M. Ohler, 31, of Fifth

Avenue in Troy, pleaded guilty in

Saratoga County Court December

6 to charges of criminal imperson-

ation in the first-degree, a Class E

felony. Sentencing was adjourned

to January 30, 2013.

Tami, M. Deitrich, 38, of Hyde

Boulevard in Ballston Spa, was

resentenced in Saratoga County

Court by Judge Jerry Scarano to

one year in Saratoga County Jail

with credit for time served, termi-

nation of probation and a modified

order of restitution for $633.55 fol-

lowing a violation of the previous-

ly stated probation, according to a

spokesperson at the Saratoga

County District Attorney’s office.

Stephen R. Halliday, 43, of

Shady Lane Park in Fonda, pleaded

guilty in Saratoga County Court to

aggravated driving while intoxicat-

ed, a Class E felony. Sentencing is

scheduled for March 1, 2013.

4 WEEK IN REVIEW Week of December 14 - December 20, 2012

5 Case St., Saratoga Springs, NY 12866Phone: (518) 581-2480Fax: (518) 581-2487www.saratogapublishing.com

Hours of operation8:30 a.m. - 5 p.m. Monday-Friday

Publisher/EditorChad Beatty 581-2480 x [email protected]

General ManagerRobin Mitchell 581-2480 x [email protected]

AdvertisingChris Bushee 581-2480 x [email protected]

Jim Daley 581-2480 x [email protected]

Cindy Durfey 581-2480 x [email protected]

Art DepartmentRichard Hale 581-2480 x 202Production [email protected]

Eric Havens 581-2480 x [email protected]

Jessica Kane 581-2480 x [email protected]

EditorialAndrew Marshall 581-2480 x 206Managing [email protected]

Chelsea DiSchiano 581-2480 x 214Features Editor Pulse, Community [email protected]

Patricia Older 581-2480 x 203Business, Obituaries, [email protected]

CalendarCindy Durfey 581-2480 x [email protected]

PhotographerMark Bolles [email protected]

DistributionKim Beatty 581-2480 x [email protected]

Locally Owned and Operated

Two Surviving ShenStudents Return Home

HALFMOON – The two surviv-

ing students from an accident that

claimed the lives of two of their

friends were both released from the

hospital this week. Bailey Wind, 17,

and Matt Hardy, 17, were hospital-

ized in critical condition following

the crash on December 1. Wind’s

boyfriend, 17-year-old Christopher

Stewart and Hardy’s girlfriend,

Deanna Rivers, 17, died in the

collision.

The accident stunned the students

of the Shenendehowa and Shaker

high schools where the teens had

been students and hundreds turned

out for their memorials and funerals.

Anger turned to the 22-year-old

Clifton Park man who caused the

accident, but so far the police have

not charged him with a crime. Dennis

S. Drue allegedly was driving

aggressively just prior to the accident

and was reported to have been speed-

ing and changing lanes. Eye-witness

accounts tell of Drue’s Volvo first

switching from the far left lane to the

center lane before quickly switching

again to the far right lane and ending

up behind Stewart’s Ford Explorer.

His car struck the SUV from behind

sending both vehicles off the road.

The Ford flipped several times

before coming to rest in the tree line.

Rivers, Stewart, and Hardy were sen-

iors at Shenendehowa High School

and Wind a senior at Shaker High

School. The two couples had been on

a double date attending a basketball

game in Albany.

While Drue tested positive for

alcohol at the scene and police report

his blood test results are in, they have

not charged him with anything.

Police have said they are waiting on

further tests to reveal whether any

drugs were in his system before

releasing his blood alcohol content.

Local Marine Killed in BattleMECHANICVILLE – A local

Marine killed while fighting in

Afghanistan was buried this week in

Stillwater. Lance Cpl. Anthony J.

Denier was buried on Tuesday,

December 11. He had been a rifle-

man assigned to the 3rd Battalion,

9th Marine Regiment, and 2nd

Marine Division out of Camp

Lejeune, N.C. On December 2,

Denier was on patrol with his unit

when they met with enemy fire. He

was killed instantly with a single

gunshot. Denier had been in

Afghanistan less than two months

and was only 26 years old.

Over 200 people attended his

funeral at the American Legion Post

91 in Mechanicville and his mother,

Mary Denier Morgan, was presented

the Purple Heart medal citation

posthumously for her son by Marine

officers participating in the service.

Community Gardens; $5,000 –

Franklin Community Center,

Inc.; $5,000 – Nathan Littauer

Foundation, Inc.; $5,000

Rebuilding Together, Saratoga

County, Inc.; $5,000 – Ronald

McDonald House Charities of

the Capital Region, Inc.; $5,000

– Saratoga P.L.A.N.; $5,000 –

Shelters of Saratoga; $5,000 –

The Wesley Foundation; $5,000

– To Life!; $2,500 – American

Red Cross – Adirondack

Saratoga Chapter – Local

Disaster Relief Fund; $2,500 –

Cornell University Cooperative

Extension – CCE Equine,

Saratoga County; $2,500 –

Domestic Violence and Rape

Crisis Services of Saratoga

County; $2,500 – Jake's Help

From Heaven; $2,500 – National

Center for Missing & Exploited

Children; $2,500 – Operation

Adopt A Soldier, Inc.; $2,500 –

Saratoga Bridges; $2,500 –

Saratoga Center for The

Family; $2,500 – Saratoga

Sponsor-A-Scholar; $2,500 –

Schenectady Community Action

Program, Inc.; $2,500 –

Schoharie Area Long Term

(SALT); $2,500 – The

Prevention Council; and $2,500

– Wildwood Foundation, Inc.

SARATOGA SPRINGS – It

was a big night for 26 local chari-

ties on Tuesday when Saratoga

Casino and Raceway’s held their

8th Annual Make a Difference

event. The charities were present-

ed with monetary donations total-

ing $100,000. Those donations,

combined with others made by the

casino in 2012, brought the

amount to $250,000 donated to

community support.

Since its official inception in

2006, the annual Make a

Difference event has presented

$715,000 to local organizations,

and over $2 million in monetary,

sponsorship and in-kind dona-

tions. The casino opened in 2004.

Host Benita Zahn presented the

checks. Each year the selected

host is given the opportunity to

allocate $2,500 for the organiza-

tion or organizations of their

choice. Zahn chose Building on

Love and the YWCA of the

Greater Capital Region and each

received $1,250.

The other recipients for Tuesday

night’s Make a Difference event

were: $10,000 – Saratoga

County Economic Opportunity

Council, Inc.; $10,000 –

Saratoga Hospital Foundation;

$5,000 – Capital District

Saratoga Casino and RacewayDonates to Local Organizations

5Week of December 14 - December 20, 2012

Wilton Residents Angrycontinued from Page 1 Dear Saratoga TODAY,

The 7th Annual Tom Indiano

Memorial Ride was held again

this year on September 22 and

once again your generosity

assisted us in getting the word

out. I wanted to publicly thank

you and your staff for making it

so easy to accomplish this and to

thank you for publishing the ad

for two weeks at no cost to us.

Each year, we receive numer-

ous donations from local busi-

nesses and individuals too

numerous to mention.

However, I would like to men-

tion that the Italian American

Club each year has allowed us

the use of their facility as our

starting and ending point for

this great ride.

Letter to the EditorA big thanks to all the people

who helped that day selling

shirts and raffle tickets and

cooking and serving the food,

and of course all you riders who

came out and donated and made

it a huge success. I can't thank

everyone enough. For those that

don't know, Tommy was a fire

fighter in Saratoga Springs

prior to his death, so I also want

to thank the members of the

Fire Department for their assis-

tance in helping me keep this

event going.

This year we raised $2,545

for the VETHELP home of

Saratoga County. Thanks again

and see you next year.

Fred Whipple

SSFD (retired)

the revisions of the existing com-

prehensive plan.

In a packed meeting room with

standing room only, residents

spoke out in anger and frustration,

telling the board during the public

hearing for the zoning changes

that they felt left out of the

process. One resident informed the

board that he had the required

number of signatures to file a per-

missive referendum which would

prevent the board from approving

the proposed changes and that he

had every intention of filing the

lawsuit.

“This town went to great lengths

to develop the comprehensive plan

and these zoning changes are in

conflict with it. These are not

minor tweaks,” said resident

Dennis Towers. “I am letting you

know I am filing a permissive ref-

erendum. So far we have 633 sig-

natures and it is the only way to

combat these changes.”

Towers also told the board that

he felt the changes being made to

the ethics law was an “act of retal-

iation” by Councilman Robert

Pulsifer, the subject of the only

ethics investigation by the Board

of Ethics.

“I believe that the Ethics

Committee was used by senior

councilmen as a tool for revenge

with the ultimate goal of eliminat-

ing the current Ethics Board as an

act of retaliation and as a means to

weaken the scope of a future

Ethics Board,” said Towers.

“Councilman Pulsifer, the subject

of Wilton’s only ethics investiga-

tion, provided the outline for the

proposed ethics law.”

Towers then presented an April

2011 newspaper article in which

Pulsifer is quoted as saying the

Ethics Board needed at least four

revisions: The name of the person

making a complaint should be dis-

closed so the accused can address

his or her accuser; Party officers

should not be allowed to serve on

the ethics panel; the Ethics Board

scope of inquiry should be limited

to financial disclosure and con-

flicts of interest, not personal con-

duct apart from town duties; and

that the Ethics Board needs some

oversight to make sure, when

launching an investigation, it does

not go beyond its intended

responsibilities.

Pulsifer was the subject of an

investigation in 2010 when a com-

plaint was filed about his financial

disclosure forms. The ethics

report, while noting the Ethics

Board did not feel it was a viola-

tion, said that Pulsifer failed to dis-

close a source of income which, in

essence, failed to make the public

fully aware of a possible conflict

of interest.

The source of income at the mid-

dle of the controversy was

Pulsifer’s band. Pulsifer has publi-

cally said several times that he

feels the Ethics Board overstepped

their boundaries by looking into

his band and his conduct while

playing venues with the band. At

one 2011 town board meeting, to

make a point, he showed up in his

band outfit – a sleeveless flannel

shirt, jeans, straw cowboy hat and

carrying a guitar case.

The changes in the new ethics

law eliminates all current Ethics

Board members and removes the

confidentiality clause, which gives

a complainant anonymity. It also

states no two members can be from

the same political party. Board

members went forward anyway

and approved the new law.

Towers was not the only resident

upset with the town board. Dave

Gabay spoke up, telling board

members that he had worked with

the town board in 2000 on the

Comprehensive Plan and felt he

had been blindsided by the pro-

posed changes.

“[In] early 2000 I had the pleas-

ure of working with that Master

Plan,” said Gabay. “It was amazing

– it involved hundreds of people.

You dropped the ball on keeping us

informed. It is also my fault

because I didn’t see this coming.”

Continuing, Gabay said he tried

to get up to speed on the proposed

changes and even looked on the

town’s website for the history of

the modifications and what they

were supposed to correct, but that

he could not find anything.

“There are 118 changes,” said

Gabay. “That is more than house-

keeping. I don’t think we have

gone through those changes and

we have not been given the tools

to analyze those changes. You

went only through town officials

and professionals but not town

residents.”

Resident Janet Talley also

expressed frustration, noting that

the process used by the zoning

committee was possibly an ethics

violation. Her comments were met

with applause from the audience.

“The process was not in sync

with the comprehensive plan,”

said Talley. “It has been a waste

of time and money to throw out

the [existing] comprehensive

plan. It appears to me to be an

ethics issue.”

Donald Weller agreed with

Gabay, telling board members that

with the comprehensive plan,

“hundreds of folks got involved.”

He said that Pulsifer’s comment

that the people he consulted during

the review process did not have an

agenda was wrong.

“Mr. Pulsifer is not correct. You

should follow the processes set

out by the plan. Businessmen do

have [agendas.]” said Weller.

“This board wants more develop-

ment in this town at the cost of the

residents.”

Some of the proposed changes

include opening what has been

designated as rural areas, such as

the Parkhurst and Ernst Road

areas, to development which could

include hotels, self-storage facili-

ties and drive through restaurants.

In addition, it will add new uses by

consolidating RB2 zones along

routes 50 into RB1 opening that

area up to commercial develop-

ment and apartment complexes.

Jarod Ginsmore of Woodlake

Drive also expressed anger at the

proposed changes, noting that the

board was eliminating one of the

hamlets in the town.

“You are getting rid of one of

the hamlet zones,” said Ginsmore.

“That is taking away property

rights. The public should be more

involved – you say this has been

going on two-and-a-half, three

years and the public does not

know about it? There is no open

dialogue.”

The proposed change would

affect the hamlet area near Route 9

and Ballard Road.

He ended his comment asking

the town supervisor, Art Johnson,

to not take a vote on the changes.

“Art, please keep this open,”

he said.

Board members did not vote on

the zoning changes.

The next Town of Wilton

Board meeting will be January 4

at 7:30 p.m.


Historical Society ReceivesUnique Donationcontinued from Page 1

and his father, politician Edgar

Brackett and their old home located

at 605 Broadway.

This led to Palmer, Duval and the

museum’s executive director Jamie

Parillo meeting December 11 to

personally donate dozens of books,

newspaper clippings and photo-

graphs including things neither his-

torian had ever seen before.

Standing out among the dona-

tions was a book of caricatures

which left Palmer and Parillo with

more questions than answers.

“I called Jamie yesterday, and

asked him if he’s even heard of

this. He said he hadn’t, and neither

had I and I’ve scavenged a lot of

libraries and everything else,” said

Palmer. “This is a book of carica-

tures of some of the most famous

men in Saratoga throughout the

1890s.”

The leather-bound book of cari-

catures is labeled “JUST FOR

FUN” on the front cover, and while

the binding may have not held up

over time, the drawings are in pris-

tine condition. Both historians

agreed this was the most intriguing

piece among the new collection.

“Le t me put it to you this way, if

there are other copies of this, there

aren’t going to be very many,” said

Palmer. “In all fairness, if someone

bought this back then they would

have cut it up, mounted them indi-

vidually and sold them for $40 to

$50 apiece. Instead we’ve got the

whole collection together.”

Palmer theorizes that these were

likely created in limited numbers

simply for each person caricatured

to have a copy. With only 60 pic-

tures in the collection, the likeli-

hood of other intact copies remain-

ing is dismal.

“These were all the players in the

community poking fun at each

other,” added Parillo.

Since the collection had just

arrived at the museum, Parillo had

yet to pour over it more closely, but

provided a general idea of what

happens when new items are

received.

“I’ve seen this stuff for about

five minutes,” said Parillo with a

laugh, “But what we’ll do is send

these up to the archives and will be

accessible for researchers to use.

Certain pieces will go out immedi-

ately. Other things will be available

for future exhibits.”

Parillo specifically notes the

photo of the Brackett gate dedica-

tion marked with the date of 1914,

adding that he’d “never even seen

that photo before.”

“That’s definitely a rare one,”

added Parillo. “I haven’t seen most

of these books. They’re very

unique pieces. It’s good too that

you can connect it to an actual city

resident, someone who was influ-

ential in the city. It’s really great to

get these pieces.”

One of the biggest questions

surrounding the book of carica-

tures is identifying the illustrator

in question.

“We have no idea who drew

these. What we know now is that

there will forever be at least one

complete copy here,” said Palmer.

As for the collection’s previous

owner, Ernie Duval, he said provid-

ing the city with further glimpses

into its rich history was something

he had always planned to do.

“I’ve always planned to donate

this stuff. I’m 81 now, so I thought

it was time,” said Duval.

Other pieces included books

written by Brackett, a copy of his

wedding announcement and his

memoriam. There was a published

book of poetry from when Charles

was a senior in college.

While Parillo and Palmer will get

to work trying to fill in gaps in the

city’s history, they are simply

grateful for the opportunity to learn

more about the Spa City’s past.

“These are now, proudly, the

possession of the Historical

Museum,” said Palmer.

Kids Denied Gifts

SARATOGA SPRINGS – They

claim it was a “miscommunication,”

but last week a mom of three young

children temporarily living in a hotel

room was told by a Saratoga County

Social Service worker that she could

not have the Christmas gifts pur-

chased for her children until she

moved into an apartment.

“I was told I had to find an apart-

ment by Christmas or else I could-

n’t get the gifts,” said Laken

Murphy, who found herself home-

less within a couple of weeks of her

youngest child’s birth.

Murphy, along with her fiancé,

Jamie Prosser, have three children:

four-year-old Chasity, two-year-old

Trinity, and newborn, Logan. The

young family had been living at her

parents’ home, but shortly after the

birth of the baby three months ago,

the couple was asked to leave.

They turned to social services for

temporary help.

The young mom said she had not

asked to be put on the gift program,

only finding out about it after the fact.

“Social Services signed the kids

up for it,” said Murphy. “Then one

day they asked me what did the

kids want for gifts and what sizes

did they wear.”

Feeling relieved that buying gifts

would not be on their plate or take

away from saving money for the

security deposit an apartment would

require, the couple said they were

thrilled that their children would be

happy on Christmas morning.

Things were beginning to look

brighter for the young family. Both

Prosser and Murphy recently found

employment – she works the night

shift at Dunkin Donuts and he works

the day shift at McDonalds – and

Christmas seemed taken care of.

That is why the news that there

would be no gifts for the kids took

them totally by surprise last Friday.

“I went in for recertification,” said


Murphy. “And I asked if I could bring

the kids gifts home and that is when I

was told that unless we get an apart-

ment, we can’t have them.”

With no solid explanation from

Social Services as to the reasoning

behind the decision to withhold the

gifts, the frustrated young father

called Saratoga TODAY and asked if

there was anything the paper could do

to help them.

“It is all about the kids,” said

Prosser, as he gently rocked the

sleeper seat Logan was dozing in.

“They shouldn’t have to go without

because we have to stay in a hotel

room.”

At first, calls to Social Services

for an explanation went unreturned

and because of client confidentiali-

ty, no one was able to talk about

Murphy’s concerns.

After a release was signed by

Murphy giving the department per-

mission to speak with the paper, it

took two more calls and two faxes of

the release before the director of eligi-

bility, Marissa Albert called and said

there had been a “miscommunica-

tion” with Murphy.

“I think she must have misunder-

stood – there was a miscommunica-

tion between a staff member and

Laken,” said Albert, adding that they

had spoken with Murphy that morn-

ing and were arranging to have the

gifts delivered. “We have never

denied someone their gifts.”

Albert explained that when

Murphy was put in the Christmas

program, gifts for the entire fami-

ly had been purchased and includ-

ed “pots and pans and household

things.”

“We had offered to hold the bigger

things for the apartment rather than

her try and put them in that tiny hotel

room,” said Albert. “She must have

misunderstood us.”

Albert said that they had contacted

Murphy and that she had opted to

take all the gifts at once.

But Murphy said that was not the

case, stating that no one had suggest-

ed she could leave the household

items behind for storage and still take

the children’s gifts on either last

Friday or when they called

Wednesday morning.

“They never said anything about

holding pots and pans for us,” said

Murphy, adding that she had been

called that morning and told the gifts

would be delivered by 2 p.m.

In the end, Murphy said she was

happy her kids would be having a

Christmas.

“They are so excited,” she said.

“This is good.”


BOCES Students Prepare Meals for Less Fortunatecontinued from Page 1

work, so we decided to take on

SOS as our big year-long project,”

Clancy said. “That house has an

average household kitchen, but

[Bonnie] has to feed over 30 peo-

ple every day—it’s like a catering

nightmare. She doesn’t have the

refrigerator or the freezer space,

but she’s doing great. I don’t know

how she does it.”

Since Clancy and Potter’s collab-

oration began about a month ago,

the chef and her students have

turned six cases (about 50 pounds)

of canned corn into a variety of

corn-based meals, including corn

chowder, corn bread and corn

muffins. Several pounds of turkey

were turned into turkey chili,

turkey patties, turkey pot pies and

soup. The students even took

donated chicken meat and cooked

up chicken cacciatore, a meal that

the houseguests had never eaten in

the shelter before.

“Maureen helps me through

when I’m panicking about coming

up with new menu ideas,” Potter

said. “I tell her the excess stuff I

have here—for example, I told her

we had a lot of beans, so they made

vegetarian chili. I didn’t think peo-

ple were going to eat it with all the

beans, but they loved it. They loved

every minute of it.”

Potter said that the meals help

SOS maintain a homey, comfortable

atmosphere for its houseguests.

“Everybody gets together and

they’ll warm up the food or make a

salad to go with it,” Potter said. “It

makes it very homey and they sit

around the table knowing where

[the food] came from, and we

always talk about the kids that are

cooking the meals, and it makes

them very bright and cheery.”

Chef Clancy said that cooking for

SOS has given her students a new

sense of purpose in her program.

“The students are loving it. They

feel good because they are doing

something good,” Clancy said.

“And we’re getting great feedback.

People are saying they loved this

or that, or they’ll ask ‘Can you

make that chili again?’ [The house-

guests] especially thanked us for

the cinnamon buns we made them

for breakfast—that was a huge

treat for them.”

Potter added that the home-

cooked meals have made a positive

impact on the houseguests of SOS.

“They really have something to

look forward to now,” Potter

said. “They are out during the

day, so they come home to this

nice meal and know where it

came from. Even though they

haven’t met the students, there’s

still a connection there.”

To help out SOS even more,

Clancy’s students organized a

schoolwide canned food drive,

which garnered over 1,000 cans of

food. They are also now working

with the school’s Future Farmers of

America and SkillsUSA clubs to

continue canned food drives

throughout the month of December.

Students are also collecting winter

clothes, business suits and dresses

for houseguests who are looking

for jobs.

“The kids are into it,” Clancy

said. “They’re motivated and

they’re learning a good lesson to

give back to the community. It’s

not only to help out this time of

year, but to raise awareness of how

many people in our community

really need this.”

Clancy also said that cooking for

SOS has helped her students realize

that there are many residents of

Saratoga who are in need of help.

“When Bonnie came in and

talked to the group for about an

hour and told them stories and tes-

timonies from other people, the

tears were coming down in the

kids’ eyes thinking that this is hap-

pening in our own backyard,”

Clancy said. “You can go up and

drive all around Saratoga and see

these great, huge beautiful man-

sions—but I’ll tell you what, three

blocks in the opposite direction

there are people standing in line

looking for food, and I think that’s

a big reality check.”

For those who are thinking of

donating food to the shelter this

holiday season, Potter explained

that though canned goods are

always helpful, donating meats to

the shelter is also appreciated due

to the expensiveness of meat.

“Our biggest expense is meat,”

Potter said. “Right now we have a

lot of people doing drives, which

we appreciate very much, but our

biggest expense is meat so if you’re

out shopping and want to donate

and see a ‘buy one turkey, get one

free’ type of deal, pick one up.

We’re open 24/7 so anybody can

drop things off anytime.”

As far as the outlook of the SOS

and BOCES culinary arts collabo-

ration goes, Clancy is optimistic

that their working relationship

will continue for the foreseeable

future.

“I’m proud of my kids,” Clancy

said. “They do a good job and I

hope we can continue to do this,

because it’s definitely worth the

cause.”

For more information on BOCES

programs, visit the website at

www.wswheboces.org. To learn

more about Shelters of Saratoga,

visit the website at www.sheltersof-

saratoga.com. For those interested

in dropping off food, the main SOS

shelter is located at 14 Walworth

Street in Saratoga Springs.

BUSINESS


SARATOGA SPRINGS – It is awin/win situation for local entrepre-neurs Melissa Paquet and MarkStraus.

Paquet, who owned the buildingwhich had housed The Metro, alocal nightclub at 17 Maple Avenue,began toying with the idea of sell-ing it, but knew she would probablywant to buy another downtownproperty.

Straus already owns severalbuildings in the downtown area andhad wanted to buy the Metro build-ing for several years. He had a fewof them up for sale.

So the pair decided, why notswap?

And last week, that is just whatthey did. Straus took over owner-ship of the Metro building andPaquet is the new owner of theSilverado building on Broadway.

“I love the building,” said

Straus of the Metro. “It has a lotof potential.”

Getting there took some time andwork.

“It took a while, but it all fell intoplace,” said Paquet, calling theprocess “pretty much seamless.”

The original Metro was a neigh-borhood nightclub started in the1980s by Paquet’s late husband,Peter, who was an art professor atSkidmore. He had originally pur-chased the building in the 1970sas a studio, but eventually reno-vated it into a highly successfulbar with disco music and dancingin the early 1980s. Later, the frontof the bar became a must-playvenue for local and nationallyknown musicians.

The couple married in 1990 andin 1996, Peter decided to return tohis passion, his art, and leased thenightclub out.

But in 2009, Peter passed awayand Paquet found herself the land-lord of the nightclub.


Send your business briefs to [email protected] before Monday at 5 p.m. for Friday publication

Entrepreneurs Team-up to Swap Buildings“It was not an easy decision for

me,” said Paquet. “My husbandhad had the building a number ofyears and I always considered ithis building.”

Paquet noted that she did notwant to be critical about the formertenants or the nightclub, but as thenightclub’s reputation deteriorated,she found being the landlordincreasingly more challenging.

“I do not want to say anythingnegative about it,” said Paquet. “Itjust became too difficult for me.”

This past year, the nightclubmade the news when it was thescene of several brawls and rowdyincidents. In an attempt to turn theestablishment around, Panza’scame on board and leased therestaurant portion of the club, 28Tables. They brought in a new chef,ramped up the menu and hoped toobtain their own separate liquorlicense. But in August, 28 Tableswas denied their liquor license bythe New York State LiquorAuthority because it does not haveits own separate entrance. Patronshad to enter the restaurant throughthe courtyard, which was part of thenightclub.

28 Tables closed that month andthe nightclub, The Metro, followedsuit in September.

Paquet said that when she recog-nized she was ready to sell TheMetro she also realized she wouldprobably want to buy another

Saratoga Springs building. That is when she remembered

that Straus had expressed an interestin the building and he had otherdowntown buildings for sale.

“Mark had spoken to me in thepast about buying the building,”said Paquet. “But I had to get overthe sense that it was my husband’sbuilding.”

So they got together and decidedto swap properties.

Paquet, owner of Miranda Realty,took over ownership of theSilverado building at 446Broadway and Straus, along withpartner Thomas Gardner, owners ofSaratoga Historic Restoration, tookover the Metro at 17 Maple Avenue.

“We had them appraised and theycame in very similar,” said Straus.

The buildings are assessed atroughly the same amounts – 446Broadway is assessed at $883,500and 17 Maple Avenue is assessed at$853,500.

Straus saw it as a win/win situa-tion as well. He owns TheMarketplace building which backsup to The Metro’s courtyard. He hashad to live with the loud dancemusic and rowdy crowds and saidthat the atmosphere generated bythe nightclub would often cause aquality of use issue with hisMarketplace, especially with theadjoining courtyard where a band-stand had been erected.

“They’d have a nine-piece bandin there,” said Straus of the band-stand that is up against the rear ofThe Marketplace.

Now that he owns the courtyard,Straus said it opens up both placesof business to some interestingoptions.

“I am open to ideas with newfuture tenants,” said Straus. “But I

want it consistent with the needs ofthe neighbors and downtown.”

Calling The Metro “a very beau-tiful building,” Straus said it has alot of potential for a future tenant.The three-story building has severalground floor entrances and is divid-ed into four separate areas. There isthe bar area downstairs with a sepa-rate, glass-enclosed wine cooler, thedance area, the restaurant and baron the second floor with a fullkitchen and an office/apartmentarea on the upper level with highceilings, large skylights and tallwindows.

“I want to do something that is acredit to the neighborhood andSaratoga,” said Straus, who envi-sioned a fine dining restaurant, asteak house, even a Bistro for theuniquely designed space.

“I think it has a lot of poten-tial,” said Straus, who has reno-vated several Saratoga propertiesand has received awards for therenovations.

Paquet said she is very pleasedwith the Silverado building, not-ing that is has undergone extensiverenovations under Straus’s owner-ship including a new heating sys-tem, a new roof and a restoredfaçade.

“It has an awful lot of charm,”she said, noting that she loves thetenants in both the jewelry store andthe upstairs apartments. “I hopeeveryone is comfortable and stay aslong as they want.”

“I think it’s a win/win,” saidStraus.

For more information onSaratoga Historic Restoration or forinformation on leasing The Metro,visit the website www.saratoga-commercialrealestate.com or call(518) 857-2238.

BUSINESS 9Week of December 14 - December 20, 2012

Saratoga Bridges Partners withSaratoga Specialties Company

Teakwood Builders Wins Two National Awards

WILTON – Saratoga Bridges hasexclusively partnered withSaratoga Specialties Company topackage their Original SaratogaChips and flavored dip mixes attheir Alpha Industries programlocated in Malta. Individuals withdevelopmental disabilities gainwork experience, learn responsibil-ity and earn a paycheck throughthis prevocational program. AlphaIndustries serves as a valuable out-source to businesses and local non-profit organizations which allowsthem to boost manpower and helpmeet production deadlines by sub-contracting their packaging needs.

Danny Jameson, President ofSaratoga Specialties Company,states, “Partnering with SaratogaBridges will allow us to growgracefully to meet the dynamicdemands of our expanding busi-ness. At the end of the day, likemost small businesses, we werescrambling looking for a way togrow our business and meet thedemand for our products andSaratoga Bridges does just that.The community is so fortunate tohave such an incredible resource

for small business right here in ourown backyard.”

Saratoga Specialties Company isexcited and honored to havereceived a call from Washington,D.C., asking them to provideOriginal Saratoga Chips for theN.Y. State Inaugural Ball to be heldon January 21, 2013. The OriginalSaratoga Chips provided for thishistoric event have been assembledby people from Saratoga Bridges.

Saratoga Specialties Companywas launched on the 4th of July,2009. The company’s mission wasto reintroduce the OriginalSaratoga Chip to the market. TheSaratoga Chip was invented inSaratoga Springs in 1853 and wassold until the original companyclosed its doors in the early 1920s.Since launching the company in2009, the company has enjoyedrapid, consistent growth and con-tinues to develop innovative prod-ucts to compliment the coreSaratoga Potato Chip line. SaratogaSpecialties Co. is privately held.

Saratoga Bridges has been pro-viding the highest level of programsto people with developmental dis-abilities and their families for morethan 55 years by promoting theirabilities and achievements in everyaspect of community life. As one ofthe largest private non-profit organ-izations in Saratoga County, theyhave been committed to ensuringthat the individuals they serve areable to realize their goals, hopesand dreams as they work, shop,play, and volunteer while leadingfull, productive and contributinglives. This voluntary serviceprovider believes that the care theygive increases immeasurably thequality of life for every citizen.Saratoga Bridges’ philosophy is thatevery day is full of possibilities.

SARATOGA SPRINGS – Areacustom home builder and remodelerTeakwood Builders was awardedtwo National Kitchen and BathAssociation (NKBA) design awardsat the local Tri-State Chapter NKBADesigner Awards in SaratogaSprings. The awards included BestRemodeled Bathroom up to 300square feet and Best New Kitchenup to 300 square feet.

This was the chapter’s firstDesigner Awards Extravaganza andCeremony. The event was held atthe Holiday Inn in downtownSaratoga. Area members entered

their projects in the categories ofBest New Kitchen, Best RemodelKitchen, Best New Bathroom, andBest Remodel Bathroom, forspaces ranging from under 150square feet, 151 – 300 square feetand over 300 square feet.

Present at the ceremony wasTeakwood’s newest team member,interior design consultant EvaAnderson.

“These two awards are really sig-nificant to us right now and do a lotto introduce our new kitchen andbathroom design services in a bigway,” said Jim Sasko, founder and

president of Teakwood Builders.“We’re thrilled to have Eva onboard, and winning these twoawards are proof that Eva’s work isamazing and right in line with thestandards of custom home buildingand remodeling our clients havecome to expect.”

The NKBA is the only tradeassociation dedicated exclusivelyto the kitchen and bath industry andis the leading source of informationand education for professionals inthe industry. Learn more about theNew York Tri-State chapter athttp://www.nytristatenkba.org.

photo provided

photo provided

Tooth fairy club

The tooth fairy club is sponsored by:

Take a look at this week’s

new club members!

Nicole Byrne, D.M.DPediatric Dentistry659 Saratoga Rd.

Gansevoort, NY 12831(518) 226-6010

BEN

the

10 Week of December 14 - December 20, 2012Community Corner

ANYA

JACOBCHLOE

Informz Donates $5,000 to Franklin Community Center

Informz employees stopped bythe Franklin Community Centerwith a surprise donation of $5,000December 10. The email marketingsoftware company is the neighbor ofthe community center and has beensupporting them in various ways foryears. This donation from Informzwas the largest from the companythus far and was in addition to theiremployees sponsoring multiplefamilies for Christmas.

New Country Toyota Donates Second Van to VetHelp

Pictured: Bob McKenna and Terry Clare

The donation of the 2006 Toyota Sienna Van from New Country Toyota isthe second Toyota Van that New Country has provided for Vet Help’s veter-ans. This van has meant the world to Vet Help and our veterans! From some-thing small like a trip to the store or piling in for a trip to the Stratton VAMedical Center, the van has provided the organization the ability to do bothindividual and group transport. Bob McKenna and his staff at New CountryToyota are great supporters of the veteran community. Terry Clare said, “Ihave told Bob many times that if we didn’t have the van, the veterans wouldnot have access to medical attention and other much needed services.”

Pictured Left to Right: JohnLuttmer, Informz HR Manager;Alicia Deering, eMarketing Advisor;and Franklin Community Center’sJaime Williams, Deputy Director.

To view the full-text version of the obituaries printed on this page, visit the archive section of SaratogaTodayNewspaper.com. It is the policy of Saratoga TODAY to publish obituaries as a service to our readers. Please send your obituaries to [email protected].

OBITUARIES 11Week of Decemeber 14 - December 20, 2012

Robert F. HummelSARATOGA SPRINGS –

Robert F. Hummel went home tobe with the Lord on Friday,December 7. He was 67.

Born on May 21, 1945 inBrooklyn, he was the son of thelate Robert and Adele Hummel.

Survivors include two broth-ers, David J. Hummel of Corinthand Mark C. (Sue) Hummel ofCharlotte, NC; five sisters, JanetHayes of Saratoga Springs, AdeleFalardeau of Virginia Beach, VA,Lorraine (Ron) Robinson ofBallston Lake, Marguerite (Jeff)

Lajeunesse of Clifton Park, AnnePetruzzelli of Saratoga Springs;many nieces, nephews andcousins and his faithful Wymie“Blue.”

Funeral services were held onWednesday, December 12 andburial was in the family plot atMaplewood Cemetery.

Donations may be made in hismemory to Mary’s Haven, 35New St., Saratoga Springs, NY12866 or Community Hospice ofSaratoga, 179 Lawrence St.,Saratoga Springs, NY 12866.

John J. Finerty

SARATOGA SPRINGS –John J. Finerty, 92 years old, ofSaratoga Springs passed awayThursday, December 6.

Born on June 13, 1920 inKingston, he was the son of thelate James and Elsie BorgwardtFinerty. A US Army Air Corpsveteran, served during WorldWar II, from 1942 to 1945 as anavigator over Germany aboardB-17s. Mr. Finerty was also aveteran of the Korean War.

He was married to the formerMary Herring in September,1945. In addition to his wife, sur-vivors include five children;

SARATOGA SPRINGS – OnSunday, December 2, Saratoga– Wilton Elks Lodge #161 helda memorial service for brotherswho had passed away in 2011.The service was under the direc-tion of Chairman Mark T.Phillips and Exalted RulerThomas Klotz. During the serv-ice, nine separate eulogistsspoke in remembrance of themembers and their contribu-tions to the Lodge, the commu-nity and their families. As each

Pictured, from left to right, are Mark Phillips, chairman, Thomas Klotz, Exalted Ruler, and Janet Bennett, Chaplain.

eulogist approached the podium,they placed a red rose on the chairof the missing brother and uponreturn, placed a lit candle in honorof them. A bag pipe solo was alsopart of the service.

“It was a very beautiful ceremo-ny,” said Brother Robert C. Lindahl,public relations spokesperson.

Family members and closefriends of the departed brothersattended the ceremony.

The nine absent brothers andtheir eulogists were Benjamin E.

Jane A. MihalekGREENFIELD CENTER –

Jane A. Mihalek passed awayMonday, December 10, at thehome of her son, with him byher side.

Born on June 25, 1925 in theTown of Saratoga, she was thedaughter of the late Florence andJoseph Schultz. Jean, as she wasknown to all, was married to thelate Frank J. Mihalek in 1947.

In addition to her husband andparents, she is predeceased byher siblings, John Schultz, JaySchultz, Ann Richmond, ThelmaLittle, Betty Latham, HelenGreen, and Ruth Bardwell andher grandson Joseph “Joey”Mihalek II.

Survivors include her twosons, Joseph F. (Michelle)

Mihalek and Frank E. Mihalek;her loving grandchildren,Mandee (Travis) Dearborn,Kirkland and John and her great-grandchildren, Aiden andConnor, all of whom will missher greatly. She is also survivedby her siblings, Rita Clark andRobert Schultz as well as manynieces and nephews.

At Jean’s request, there will beno public calling hours.

A Mass of Christian Burial wascelebrated on Wednesday,December 12.

Burial will be private at theconvenience of the family.

In lieu of flowers, donationsmay be made to St. Clement’sSchool, 231 Lake Ave. SaratogaSprings, NY 12866.

John (Carol) of Alexandria, VA,Donald (Patricia) of Las Vegas,NV, Emily (Gary) of Holley,NY, Michael (Andrea) ofPoultney VT and Mary(William) of Ballston Spa, fivegrandchildren and three greatgrandchildren.

Graveside services with mili-tary honors were held onTuesday, December 11 at theGerald B.H. Solomon SaratogaNational Cemetery.

Memorials may be made inhis name to any areaCommunity Hospice or to theWounded Warrior Project.

Beverly “Bev” (Drake) HuntingtonSARATOGA SPRINGS –

Beverly “Bev” (Drake)Huntington, formerly ofSaratoga Springs, passed awayFriday, December 7 at NaplesCommunity Hospital followinga short illness. She was 80.

Born on February 21, 1932in Saratoga Springs, she wasthe daughter of the late Frank

Nickleson, Jr. – Mark T. Phillips;Joseph P. Tarantino, Jr. – ThomasBoehlert, Past Exalted Ruler(PER); George Spieldenner –Michael Cummings, PER; WillisB. White, Jr. – Kenneth Tubbs,PER; Marion J. “Rod” Rodriquez –Patrick Mansfield, PER; Dr.Russell B. Peacock – ThomasCurley, PER; Raymond A. Waldron– Vaughn Woodworth, PER;Edmund F. Wojcicki, Jr. – RollandHoag; and Alfred J. Scavuzzo –Charles Fricano.

and Doris (Martin) Drake. Agraduate of Saratoga SpringsHigh School, she was thewidow of Peter “Pete”Huntington.

Services were held onWednesday, December 12 inBonita Springs, Florida andburial will be conducted at alater date in New York.

House Party

The Eastside was ablaze withholiday color on Friday, December7, when the Saratoga SpringsPreservation Foundation held its23rd annual Candlelight HouseTour, showcasing homes in theMarion Place/Court Street neigh-borhood. Eight historic residencesopened to ticketholders at 5 p.m.,and volunteers greeted 400 toursupporters over the next threehours, providing respite from thedamp evening.

This year’s generous homeown-ers included Lisa Bates, Anna andRobert D eMarco, Shannon andDave Hungerford, Mara King,Beth and Paul Milton, VincePelliccia and Carol Cooney, Dr.Susan Sharp and Dr. John Koellaand Chelsea and Joshua Silver.Chelsea also served as co-chair ofthe event with her mom, CharleneCourtney. The pair ownSilverwood Home & Gallery, theelegant and eclectic décor boutiquelocated on the corner of Carolineand Putnam Streets.

Post-tour festivities took place atthe Union Gables Bed &Breakfast, and despite the weather,many attendees ventured aroundthe corner to Union Avenue for thesold-out ‘after party.’ Warmingnear the parlor fireplace wereChristine and Tom Sands, AnneTrainor and Mark Gelber. Otherslike Joan Walter, Doug Kerr,Cheryl Gold and DeborahJohnson toasted the holidays nearthe bar while noshing on light fareprovided by local restaurants. KenGrey chatted with Sue Hensley-Cushing and Kevin Cushing,revisiting the homes and critiquingthe character of each. When asked,Hensley-Cushing was quick toname her favorite, the Mitchell-Nichols Building.

In addition to participating in thetraditional 50/50 raffle, partyguests could bid on unique silent

auction items. Included were a one-of-a-kind Raku piece by JillFishon-Kovachick, several origi-nal photographs, and a beautifulscarf hand-knit by board secretaryLinda Harvey-Opiteck. Also get-ting high marks were numerousovernights, tickets for performanc-es at Glimmerglass and SPAC, anda box at the Saratoga Racecourse.Rita Forbush, Susan Brooks andDiane Crookes shopped the room,checking their bids frequently.

Displayed on the sweeping frontporch were stunning wreaths andarrangements for auction, fromlocal florists that had provided hol-iday decorations for the tour.Magical creations were designedby Balet Flowers, Dehn’sFlowers, Hidden Gardens, Jan’sFlorist Shop & Gifts, PosiePeddler, Price Chopper, Rena’sFine Flowers and SunnysideGardens.

Naturally, traditions are impor-tant to the Preservation Foundation,so Mike Fitzgerald of SaratogaSweets played a big role in the tour,donating a Peppermint Pig forevery home. The ‘hidden’ pigs cre-ated a scavenger hunt of sorts, andthose who spotted all eight wereentered in a drawing forFitzgerald’s generous sampler bas-ket.

The event was an incredible suc-cess, raising significant funds for

Rita Forbush, Carol Godette and Diane Crookes

by Trina Lucasfor Saratoga TODAY

the Foundation’s ongoing educa-tional programs and advocacyefforts to preserve the architectural,landscaped and cultural heritage ofSaratoga Springs. The post-partycelebration continued well into thenight, proving once again thatthough the weather outside may befrightful, with friends, food andfun, the holidays are so delightful.

Pictured right: Ken Grey, Sue Hensley-Cushing and Kevin Cushing

Pictured below: Anne Trainorand Mark Gelber


Explore the Night

Saratoga Arts welcomed sup-porters to Longfellow’s Restauranton Tuesday, December 4, for a spe-cial soiree honoring the first recipi-ent of their Community ArtsLeadership Award. More than 150friends gathered to toast MarieGlotzbach, founder ofSaratogaArtsFest.

The fundraiser kicked off at 5:30p.m. with conversation, cocktailsand hors d’oeuvres. Event chairsChristianne Smith and DavidHowson mixed, mingled, andthanked guests for attending. SteveSullivan’s outstanding serviceteam set up stations early on, andtempting aromas quickly filled thecourtyard. Among those enjoyingthe specialty entrées were boardmembers Jenny Mirling, LouisHotchkiss, Nedra Stimpfle,Robert Coughlin and CarrieWoerner, with AnnePalamountain, Bob Kimmerle,Dee Sarno and Skidmore presi-dent Phil Glotzbach.

Complementing the food andcheer, blues band Collette & theMudcats entertained the crowd,beckoning to those who weren’tbusy bidding on the silent auction.Packages there included overnightescapes at The London NYC, theWoodstock Inn & Resort, the BocaRaton Resort & Club, The Essex(Vermont’s Culinary Resort & Spa)and the Holiday Inn Saratoga. Agolf outing at Saratoga National,Proctor’s Theater tickets and dinnergift certificates added to the bid-ding excitement.

Shortly after 7 p.m., KathleenFyfe, chair of the Saratoga Arts

Board, gave the band a break toexpress her appreciation to thecrowd. She introduced executivedirector Joel Reed, who spotlight-ed the night’s honoree.

“In creating the Community ArtsLeadership Award, the board ofSaratoga Arts wanted to recognizethe work, vision, and talentrequired to enhance arts access forall,” Reed said. He noted that theaward was established to recognizean individual who has demonstrat-ed the ability to “mobilize artsorganizations, artists, arts patronsand volunteers, and through all thatwork create a stronger Saratoga.”

Reed emphasized MarieGlotzbach’s leadership in launch-ing and guiding Saratoga Reads, aprogram based on community-widereading of a single book, now in itsninth year. And, of course, he laud-ed her founding ofSaratogaArtsFest, the four-day,citywide celebration that will markits seventh year in June 2013.

Accepting the inaugural award,Glotzbach stated, “I stand here onbehalf of the many volunteers andinspirational leaders with whom Ihave had the privilege of working.‘It takes a village’—and I am just asmall part of that backdrop. Noneof us would be able to advance artsin Saratoga without each other.”

The fun continued after her briefremarks as attendees indulged in achocolate fountain, with fruit andtreats for dipping. Spotted with asweet tooth were BrendanFlanigan, who designed and donat-ed the unique centerpieces thatevening, Judy and Doug Smith,Morris and Joanne Todd, and

Susan Brooks and Linda Harvey-Opiteck

Saratoga Arts Executive Director, Joel Reed, and Board President Kathleen Fyfe, withhonoree Marie Glotzbach (middle)

Peggy Lynch, Ken Baer, Cassandra Lyons and Anthony Maney


Christine and Tom Sands

board members Tim Collins,Darryl Leggieri, Chuck Breiner,James Gold and Emily FarnhamMastrianni. Also seen supportingthe arts were Josey Kakaty,Cassandra Lyons, AnthonyManey, Peggy Lynch, Beth Payerand Ken Baer.

The soiree was an outstandingsuccess for Saratoga Arts, thanks togenerous donors and event under-writers like Flanigan, DonnaGagnon, Allerdice Rent-all andDesignsmith Studio. The organi-zation is now busy planning itsnext celebration, First NightSaratoga. For more informationabout the New Year’s Eve revelry,visit saratoga-arts.org/firstnight.

LincolnYou make it your mission to rid your nation of its most shameful

human rights violation. While fighting a war to achieve that goal,you’re simultaneously trying to pass legislation in furtherance of thatgoal. What if you fail?

Abraham Lincoln (played by Daniel Day-Lewis) has brought the south to the edge ofdefeat in The Civil War but has yet to pass the thirteenth amendment, which will outlawslavery and involuntary servitude. He feels that he can’t end the war without first passingthe amendment. His cabinet, in contrast, feels they will not be able to pass the amend-ment if they are not trying to end the war. His Secretary of State, William Seward (playedby David Strathairn) tells him that peace and the amendment are mutually exclusive.Debates among congressmen rage on the floor on a constant basis with arguments in

favor of abolition being voiced by Republican congressman Thaddeus Stevens (played by Tommy Lee Jones) and argu-ments opposing abolition coming from Fernando Wood (played by Lee Pace) and George H. Pendleton (played by PeterMcRobbie). Behind the scenes, operative William N. Bilbo (played by James Spader) is constructing backroom, and insome cases backwoods, deals that will ensure anyone who may vote for the amendment will and anyone who won’twill abstain. As far as any struggles Abraham Lincoln is dealing with in his home life, his son, Robert Todd Lincoln (por-trayed by Joseph Gordon-Leavitt), has abandoned studies at Harvard to join the Union army. His mother, First LadyMary Todd Lincoln (portrayed by Sally Field) is foursquare against the idea of her son going to war, as she is still deal-ing with the loss of two sons. Edward Baker Lincoln who died in 1850 and William Wallace Lincoln who succumbed totyphoid fever one year prior to the Emancipation Proclamation.

PUZZLESPUZZLESPUZZLESCrossword

Scrabblegram See puzzle solution on page 29

Complete the grid soeach row, column and3-by-3 box (in boldborders) containsevery digit, 1 to 9. Forstrategies on how tosolve Sudoku, visitwww.sudoku.org.uk

Level: 1 23 4

© 2012 The Mepham Group. Distributed byTribune Media Services. All rights reserved.

12/11/12

See puzzle solution onpage 29

ACROSS1 *Century maker6 Berlin beef?9 They may be lost or frozen14 Ishikari Bay city15 Before, before16 How holes are rarely made?17 Red Square honoree18 Title in a Shakespeare title20 Chair part21 Karmann __: classic VW23 *Name of eight English kings24 [As written]25 *Engenders27 Pageboys et al.28 Down Under runners30 Banks of Chicago32 Suffragist Julia Ward __34 Michigan, to Mitterand36 Tippler40 Hindu teacher42 Sajak sale43 Arab League founding member44 Carpentry joint component45 History47 Many presidential periods48 Joined a jam50 Business opening52 Kentucky Colonels' org.55 *To whom Hamlet said, "O, I die"57 Glove box item60 *Certain psychic62 Comes together63 One-time link64 Seeing red?66 Hues68 Sombrero wearer69 Sombrero, e.g.70 Mark Twain, for one71 Emotionless72 Poehler of "Parks and Recreation"73 Reason to wear shades (and a word

for which you have to 7-Down to finda word, different in each case, thatcan follow a starred answer)

DOWN1 Hurled weapons2 Development sites3 "Atonement" author4 Champagne shout

5 Panda's skill, in a 2008 film6 Auspices7 See 73-Across8 Egg source9 Carefree quality10 From the top11 Snap12 Janvier, across the Pyrenees13 Elates19 Seagull relative22 It often winds up in a yard26 Some Deco works29 Office joggers31 Alpine peak32 '40s-'50s D.C. initials33 Have a mortgage35 South American forest dweller

“Your children need your presence more thanyour presents.”

Jesse Louis Jackson

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

Sudoku

37 What might involve reminiscing aboutold flames?

38 Place to chill out39 TDs may end them41 Dashing, maybe46 Follow49 Hefty volume51 Attend alone52 Screwy53 "John Brown's Body" poet54 Hersey's "A Bell for __"56 Irritable58 Rose oil59 Outmoded61 Pitching wedge, e.g.65 "Now I get it!"67 Not well

Broom Hilda

Animal Crackers

See puzzle solutions on page 29

Gasoline Alley

I cannot overstate how much I enjoyed this movie. Some actors simply play themselves while answering to differentnames and others disappear into a role. Where Bruce Willis is the former, Daniel Day-Lewis is most definitely the latter.Makeup or no, this is not an actor’s portrayal of Abraham Lincoln, this is a brilliant man transforming himself into the mostcourageous politician this country’s ever known. Likewise, Tommy Lee Jones as Thaddeus Stevens, a man even more devotedto the cause of abolishing slavery but far less concerned with matters such as tact and courtesy steals every scene he is in.There is no justification for foregoing this movie for this long but, if you haven’t seen it yet, you should. It is brilliant. (9.1/10)For comments and questions, contact me at [email protected].

Movie Review

At The MoviesWith

Trey Roohan

Week of December 14 - December 20, 201214


Y o u r L o c a l H o l i d a y G i f t G u i d e

19Week of December 14 - December 20, 2012 EDUCATION

BALLSTON SPA - The BallstonSpa Education Foundation (BSEF)presented its Fall 2012 grantawards to educators in the BallstonSpa School District at theDecember 5 Board of Educationmeeting, held at the Ballston SpaHigh School library.

The grant awards, which totaledover $8,000, included funds for ananti-bullying film production atMalta Avenue Elementary School,technology for a Control AreaNetwork (CAN) and SMART

Saratoga Reads Announces SelectedBooks for Young Readers

Ballston Spa Education FoundationPresents Fall 2012 Grant Awards

BALLSTON SPA - The BallstonSpa Central School District Boardof Education recently selected thename for the district’s newest ele-mentary school, set for completionthis coming summer. The studentsat the current Milton Terrace SouthElementary School had completeda selection process for choosing anew name for the school that theywill occupy in the fall of 2013 andpresented their rankings to theBoard for consideration. TheMilton Terrace South ElementarySchool Student Council represen-tatives led the selection processand presented the names to theBoard of Education at theirDecember 5 meeting. The Board ofEducation members voted for theirchoice and the name “GordonCreek Elementary School” wasunanimously decided to be thename of Ballston Spa’s newestschool. Construction of the newschool continues to be completedon time as the majority of the workhas moved to the interior of thebuilding. The current MiltonTerrace South Elementary Schoolis scheduled to move into thebuilding at the end of the schoolyear. The current Malta AvenueElementary School will then occu-py the vacated space during reno-vations in their building, scheduledto begin during the summer of2013. Please visit the facilitiespages on the district website atwww.bscsd.org for updates and toview a live “video cam” of the con-struction process.

Ballston SpaBoard ofEducationNames NewElementarySchool

slates, both for Ballston Spa HighSchool, reusable atomic modelsand K'Nex Renewable Energy kitsfor Ballston Spa Middle Schooland supplemental non-fictionbooks for Wood Road ElementarySchool's library collection. The lat-ter grant was funded in part by theCornelia Mahar Trust forElementary Literacy.

With these latest grant awards, theBSEF has, since its inception in 1996,funded over $280,000 in enrichmentgrants to the school district.

SARATOGA SPRINGS -Saratoga Reads has announced itschoice of a junior discussion bookand a list of eight other titles foryoung readers, selected to comple-ment the program’s designatedbook for this year—Twelve Years aSlave by Solomon Northup—a har-rowing account from the pre–CivilWar era of the author’s abductioninto slavery and long struggle toregain freedom.

The list of “companion books,”designed to appeal to a wide ofrange of age groups, includes pic-ture books for beginning readersthrough titles for young teens. Thisyear’s list focuses on slavery in theU.S. and related issues such as theabolitionist movement, theUnderground Railroad, and thelegacy of Abraham Lincoln. Someof the books depict daring escapesfrom slavery, both fictional andnonfictional.

For the full list of companiontitles, go towww.SaratogaReads.org.

SARATOGA SPRINGS -Students at Saratoga Springs HighSchool hope to share the gift ofmusic with dementia andAlzheimer’s patients at WesleyHealth Care Center in SaratogaSprings by donating iPods thatwill be loaded with music evokingmemories of younger, happierdays.

Junior Emma Hyatt, founder ofthe school’s new GenerationOutreach Club, along with clubadviser and social studies teacherTim O’Brien and other club mem-bers, are seeking donations that

New Saratoga Springs High SchoolClub Collecting iPods forAlzheimer’s and Dementia Patients

photo provided

Ballston Spa Facilities Improvement Referendum Approved By Voters

BALLSTON SPA - Ballston SpaSchool district voters passed thebudget proposal 69 percent to 31percent. The plan includes signifi-cant renovations and mechanicalwork at the Wood Road ElementarySchool and needed renovations andimprovements to athletic facilities,including the pool, the track and

the tennis courts. The bond referen-dum of $8.9 million includes ascope of work that maximizes stateaid and has a projected net taximpact (on the average homeassessed at $220,000) of an esti-mated average of $3.35 per yearstarting in 2016. Additional infor-mation is at www.bscsd.org.

will equip 100 Wesley patientswith iPods. Donations of bothnew and used iPods, as well asmonetary contributions, arerequested.

The iPod program was prompt-ed by Music & Memory, a non-profit organization which helpsAlzheimer’s and dementiapatients reconnect with the worldthrough memories that are trig-gered by familiar music. Since theprogram began in 2008, it hasbeen implemented in more than60 facilities throughout the U.S.and Canada.

TODAY’s

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LOOK HERE FORYOUR NEXT

CAREER!

Local GigsSend listings to

[email protected] of 12/14-12/20: Send listings to

[email protected]

Friday, 12/14:Dave Fisk Quartet, 8 pm@ 9 Maple Ave - 583.2582

Party Boat, 7 pm@ bailey’s - 583.6060

Frankie Lessard Trio, 8 pm@ bentley’s - 899.4300

Headroom, 10 pm@ bayou cafe - 384.7226

Grainbelt, 8 pm@ caffè lena - 583.0022

Justin Joyner, 7 pm@ druther’s - 306.5275

The Blackouts, 9 pm@ gaffney’s - 587.7359

Jimmy Kelly, 9 pm@ irish times - 583.0003

Kings of Stupid Mt., 5:30 pm@ jp bruno’s - 745.1180

[to be determined], 10:30 pm@ jp bruno’s - 745.1180

Dan Sherwin, 9 pm@ the mill - 899.5253

Triskele X-mas Show, 9 pm@ the parting glass - 583.1916

Rich Ortiz, 9 pm@ primelive ultra lounge - 583.4563

The Refrigerators, 9 pm@ vapor - 792.8282

Saturday, 12/15:Rob Lindquist Group, 8 pm@ 9 Maple Ave - 583.2582

Radio Junkies, 7 pm@ bailey’s - 583.6060

2096, 8 pm@ bayou cafe - 384.7226

Yellow Dog, 7 pm@ bentley’s - 899.4300

Saturday, 12/15:Wholesale Klezmer Band, 8 pm@ caffè lena - 583.0022

Rich Ortiz, 9 pm@ gaffney’s - 587.7359

The Dude Abides, 9 pm@ irish times - 583.0003

Off the Hook, 10:30 pm@ jp bruno’s - 745.1180

Just Nate, 9 pm@ the mill - 899.5253

DJ Playground, 9 pm@ vapor - 792.8282

Out of the Box, 8 pm@ primelive ultra lounge - 583.4563

Sunday, 12/16:Thirteen Feet of Bluegrass. 7 pm@ caffè lena - 583.0022

Thursday, 12/20:Wechgelear & Larry, 9 pm@ gaffney’s - 587.7359

Harmonic Duo, 8 pm@ irish times - 583.0003

A3, 8 pm@ primelive ultra lounge - 583.4563

Open Mic Nights:Sun. Open Mic, 7 pm @ bailey’s - 583.6060

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

Tue. w/Rick Bolton, 8 pm @ gaffney’s - 587.7359

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

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

Photo courtesy of Facebook

22 PULSE Week of December 14 - December 20, 2012

Don’t MissThirteen Feet of Blue Grass

LIVE at Caffe Lena, Sunday, December 16 at 7 p.m.Tickets are on sale now at the Caffe Lena box office.

Adults are $14, and children under 13 are $7.

PULSE 23Week of December 14 - December 20, 2012

The Saratoga Film Forum isclosing 2012 with a schedule ofdiverse films ranging from aninside look at a fashion legend in“Diana Vreeland: The Eye Has toTravel” to the terrifying“Smashed,” about the damagedmarriage of two alcoholics.

Films are screened at theSaratoga Arts Center, located at320 Broadway, on Thursday andFriday nights at 7:30 p.m. and at 3p.m. on Sundays (unless otherwiseindicated). Refreshments areavailable. General admission is$7; $5 for Film Forum membersand students.

“Diana Vreeland: The Eye Hasto Travel,” December 14 and 16

For more than 50 years, the lateDiana Vreeland (1903-1989), the“Empress of Fashion,” wieldedpower in the industry; she launchedthe career of iconic model Twiggy,advised socialite Jackie KennedyOnassis and set unmistakable andinescapable trends. From her 25-year reign as fashion editor ofHarper’s Bazaar and then editor-in-chief of Vogue before moving tothe Metropolitan Museum of Art’sCostume Institute, the ambitiousand unique Vreeland set the barvery high for fashionistas. “DianaVreeland: The Eye Has to Travel”is a close-up view of a vibrant per-sonality who left her distinctiveimprimatur on fashion, beauty,publishing and culture. This docu-mentary airs bits of television inter-views with Dick Cavett, DianeSawyer and Jane Pauley, andthrough them, celebrates the grandedame who embraced both high andlow culture—she championeddenim as heartily as she did silkchiffon.

“Her pure exuberance — not tomention a fierce work ethic — wascontagious,” said The Denver Post.

The film features photos of herwith a broad smile and an ever-present cigarette dangling from herpolished red fingernails.

“Fanny and Alexander,”

Tuesday, December 18, andWednesday, December 19, 7:30p.m., Spring Street Classic Series,110 Spring Street, SaratogaSprings. No charge.

(This film will be shown in twoparts; this is not two separateshowings.)

Said Rovi of this rarely screened,autobiographical film by IngmarBergman, “Bergman recreates sev-eral episodes from his youth, usingas conduits the fictional Ekdahlfamily. Alexander, the director'salter ego, is first seen at age 10 at ajoyous and informal Christmasgathering of relatives and servants.Fanny is Alexander's sister; bothsuffer an emotional shakedownwhen their recently-widowedmother (Ewa Froling) marries acold and distant minister. Strippedof their creature comforts andrelaxed family atmosphere, Fannyand Alexander suddenly find theirchildhood unendurable. The kids'grandmother (Gunn Wallgren)‘kidnaps’ Fanny and Alexander forthe purpose of showering themwith the first kindness and affectionthat they've had since their father'sdeath. This ‘purge’ of the darkerelements of Fanny and Alexander'sexistence is accomplished at theunintentional (but laudable) cost ofthe hated stepfather's life.”

Oscars went to “Fanny andAlexander” for Best Foreign Film,Best Cinematography, BestCostume Design and Best ArtDirection/Set Decoration.

This is the five-hour director’scut.

“Simon & the Oaks,” (Simonoch ekarna) December 20, 21and 23 (in Swedish with Englishsubtitles)

Based on MarianneFredriksson’s bestseller of the samename, this sprawling wartimedrama portrays how fundamentalhuman connections and impulsescan transcend social class, religion,age, national origin and currentevents. In this lush and handsome-

ly crafted film, two boys – one agifted child from a working-classSwedish family and one the moreprivileged son of Jewish immi-grants who escaped the Nazis –bridge and intertwine families andgenerations in a small domesticworld they inhabit away from – butsurrounded by – war, as the boysfind richness in each other’s fami-lies’ uniqueness.

“‘Simon and the Oaks’ branchesout in ways unusual and interestingenough to hold your attention andthen even shake it a bit,” said TheDetroit News.

“Simon & the Oaks” received arecord 13 nominations for the 2012Sweden’s Guldbagge Awards (theequivalent of the Oscars), includingfor best picture, best director, bestactress and best cinematography.

“Smashed,” December 27, 28 and 30

The marriage of two alcoholics,Kate and Charlie, has them out ofcontrol both as individuals and as acouple. But when one decides tostop the downward spiral to saveher job and her life, sobriety pres-ents a whole new set of problems,such as how to deal with her mar-riage and her mother. The flesh-and-blood characters draw a storythat is compassionate withoutbeing melodramatic, and is a thor-oughly gripping 82 minutes thattranscends the stereotype of theaddiction movie.

“The movie offers a no-frillslook at the struggle of sobriety thatemphasizes the challenges of thefraught decision to literally changeyour life,” said amNewYork. “Themovie conveys the fundamentaltruth that some victories don'talways feel so victorious.” In adeparture from her big studionorm, Mary Elizabeth Winstead("Live Free or Die Hard") plays20-something Kate, whose mar-riage to Charlie (Aaron Paul)seems predicated on spendingnight after night getting wastedtogether. In the cold light of day,

though, Kate hates her inebriatedself and sets out to find her waytoward a healthier life.amNewYork concluded, “At theend of the day, ‘Smashed’ standsout because it regards Kate's strug-gle as less that of a broken womanbecoming whole than as a painfulbreak from the past.”

The Saratoga Film Forum is a

nonprofit arts organization dedicat-ed to bringing a wide variety ofquality films to downtownSaratoga Springs. Founded on prin-ciples of community involvement,the Film Forum pursues creativecollaborations with other nonprofitand for-profit groups.

For more information, go towww.saratogafilmforum.org.

Upcoming Screenings from the Saratoga Film Forum

24 PULSE Week of December 14 - December 20, 2012

SARATOGA SPRINGS –Every holiday season, many peo-ple look for different ways thatthey can give back to their com-munities. This year, several ambi-tious teens of three bands havecollaborated by putting together aconcert that will benefit theFranklin Community Center(FCC) in their efforts to give backto those less fortunate this winter.

The show will feature localbands VONTUS, The Dependentsand singer/songwriter BridgetteGuerrette. The idea for the benefitwas arranged with the help ofMichael Brooks, bookingagent/father of two VONTUSband members, and Matt McCabeof Saratoga Guitar, who came upwith the idea to benefit the FCCby having attendees bring cannedgoods to gain entry rather thanmoney for tickets.

“I was involved in a projectwith FCC last fall, and it’s a niceorganization in the middle oftown—it’s one of those unspo-

ken, quiet hero nonprofits in howit works in the community,”McCabe said. “[Mike] wanted todo something to benefit an organ-ization, so it was a real easy callfor us.”

“Each artist in this show hasbeen blessed with some prettyearly success, and we get to dosomething we all love to do,” saidJake Brooks, lead singer andbassist for VONTUS. “We’vehad amazing support from ourparents and our community andwe thought this would be a funway to give back.”

Bo Goliber, coordinator ofdevelopment and volunteers atthe FCC, said she thinks theseteenagers should be applauded fortheir efforts to help out their community.

“I think high school kids don’talways get the recognition theydeserve for wanting to do good,”Goliber said. “We so often hearnegative things about teenagersthese days, but I think it’s awe-some that these groups of kids arereal bands and a real business,selling concert tickets and partic-ipating in Battle of the Bands—I

think it’s awesome.” “People who have heard [these

bands] realize they are competingwith real acts, and all these actsare at the top of their game andserious talent,” said two VON-TUS members’ father, MikeBrooks. “And we love it becausewe are watching them doing whatthey love, and not sitting at homeplaying PlayStation.”

McCabe said people of all agescan come out to see the show,which will mix Christmas musicwith rock and roll, at SaratogaMusic Hall.

“They’re great kids that arevery talented, and it’s nice tohave a facility that kids can go towithout worrying about the barscene,” McCabe said. “Parentstake part with the kids and it’snice to see them with the kids andenjoying each other’s companyand the bands.”

Saratoga Guitar will be on handat the concert to give away a freeguitar to the winner of a drawingthat will take place at the show,and local radio station 100.3 ThePoint will have a van outsidewhere attendees can bring theirnon-perishable food items.

“Our goal is to fill the van fullwith food,” McCabe said. “Youcan bring one can or a whole gro-cery bag full, and before youwalk in you can go to the van anddrop in your food and they’llstamp your hand, so you getaccess to show that way.”

Goliber said the FCC is gratefulfor the community’s efforts toprovide canned goods in a timewhen the pantry is running low onfood.

“We just want people to knowhow thankful we are for the con-tinued support we are gettingfrom our community,” she said.

The concert will take place atSaratoga Music Hall (474Broadway, above City Hall)December 14 from 6:30 p.m. - 10p.m. Bring one or more non-per-ishable food items to gain entry tothe show.

Local Teens Create ‘Jingle Shelves’ Concertto Benefit Franklin Community Centerby Chelsea DiSchianoSaratoga TODAY

Opening Act: The Dependents, won third place at SPAC’s Battle of theBands. Band Members: Jocelyn Arndt, 17, lead singer, keyboardist andis a senior; Evan Searles, 15, drums, freshman; Chris Arndt, lead guitar,vocals, junior. All are students at Fort Plain High School. ValerieHoffman is 16, plays bass and is a junior at Canajoharie High School.

Second Act: 17-year-old Singer/Songwriter, Bridgette Guerrette, ofLatham who is a senior at Shaker High School.

Third Act: Vontus, won second place at SPAC’s Battle of the Bands. BandMembers: Jake Brooks, 17, bassist, lead singer, and junior at SaratogaSprings High School; Johnny Gravitt, 15, lead guitarist and Josh Morris,15, drums and vocals, both of whom are freshmen at Queensbury UnionFree High School. Joining VONTUS, as they do for bigger shows, is a verytalented horn section called The UniqHORNS: featuring Mike Parish, 17,Saxophone; Adam Marino, 15, trumpet; and Charlie McCabe, 17, ontrombone – all of whom attend Saratoga Springs High School.

PULSE 25Week of December 14 - December 20, 2012

All-New Production of ‘A ChorusLine’ Arrives at Proctors Theatre

SCHENECTADY - “A CHO-RUS LINE,” the Pulitzer Prize andTony Award-winning musical foreveryone who’s ever had a dreamand put it all on the line is back ontour with an all-new production. “ACHORUS LINE” plays at Proctorsin Schenectady from December 14through December 16.

The original production of “ACHORUS LINE” opened at thePublic Theater’s Newman Theatreon May 21, 1975 and transferred toBroadway’s Shubert Theatre onJuly 25, opening there on October19 of that year. It won the PulitzerPrize for Drama, nine TonyAwards—including Best Musical,Score and Book—and the NewYork Drama Critics Circle Award.It ran for nearly 15 years, closingon April 28, 1990 after 6,137 per-formances. On September 29,1983, “A CHORUS LINE” becamethe longest-running Americanmusical in Broadway history andheld this title for 28 years from1983 to 2011 (when it was sur-passed by Chicago).

In 2006, “A CHORUS LINE”

reclaimed its place in the heart ofBroadway at the Gerald SchoenfeldTheatre where it opened to ravereviews on October 5, 2006. ElysaGardner of USA Today called it“Exhilarating and endearing, it stillhas a freshness and fervency tooseldom seen in contemporary musi-cals,” while The New York DailyNews exclaimed “There’s nothingbetter! The show thrills from theopening number to the glitteringfinale,” and Jeffrey Lyons ofWNBC TV hailed it “an AmericanMasterpiece. “

This all-new production will bedirected and restaged by BaayorkLee, and will play at Proctors fromFriday, December 14 throughSunday, December 16.

Tickets to “A CHORUS LINE”at Proctors are $20, $35, $50, $55& $65 and are on sale at ProctorsBox Office, 432 State Street inSchenectady, online at proctors.orgor by phone (518) 346-6204. Grouporders for 20 tickets or more maybe placed by calling (518)382-3884, x 139.

The show has Mature Content.

Caffè Lena Presents Musical byDirector, Screenwriter Joss Whedon

SARATOGA SPRINGS -“Doctor Horrible’s Sing-a-longBlog: A Musical” is the hilariousstory of an aspiring super villain,a not-so-heroic superhero, and abeautiful girl.

Dr. Horrible is your typical,underachieving, wannabe supervillain. As a nerdy guy with a fewcool gadgets, he knows he’ll haveto step it up if he wants to impressBad Horse, Thoroughbred of Sin,and gain entry into the exclusiveEvil League of Evil.

Once he’s done that, maybe he’llfinally work up the guts to speak tohis laundromat crush, Penny.

Enter Captain Hammer, preten-

photo provided

tious Savior of the City, getting inthe way of all the Doc’s evil plans.When Hammer starts chatting upDoctor Horrible’s dream girl,Doctor Horrible knows - it’s nowor never!

Will Dr. Horrible ever talk toPenny? Will he get into the Evilleague of Evil? Come see themusical adventure in Caffè Lena'sBlack Box Theater to find out!

Showings will take placeDecember 15 and 16 at 2 p.m. andDecember 17 and 18 at 7 p.m. inCaffè Lena’s Black Box Theater.Tickets are available for purchaseonline for $10 atwww.caffelena.org or at the door.

The running time is 118 minuteswith no intermission, and YMCAParents Time Out will be available.

Proctors in DowntownSchenectady offers more than1,700 events a year to close to600,000 visitors and residents ofNew York State’s Capital Region.

As a charitable, cultural and edu-cational non-profit organization,Proctors depends on membership,donations and grants to bring excit-ing shows and excellent education-al and community events to theCapital Region. Income from ticketsales pays for only 67 percent ofthe cost of running Proctors.

photo provided

FOOD26 Week of December 14 - December 20, 2012

Mini Apple Pies—APerfect “Finger Sweet”

‘Tis the season for friends andfamily to gather for merrimentand festive times. These smallmorsels of flaky crust pocketsfilled with apple bites add asweet touch to a table of fingerfoods. They are quick to prepareand can be made ahead to helpyou during the busy season ofentertaining. Of course, sourcingfresh pie apples from theSaratoga Springs Farmers’Market always will give the bestflavor.

Ingredients: (Makes eight minipies. Double or triple this recipefor larger gatherings.)

1 refrigerated pie pastry or home-made dough for one pie

2 medium apples 2 tsp. lemon juice

¼ cup firmly packed brown sugar1 tsp. cinnamon¼ tsp. ground ginger� tsp. nutmeg2 tbsp. butter1 egg, lightly beaten1-2 tbsp. granulated sugar

Directions:1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Make pie dough or take out pre-pared dough from refrigerator andlet it warm to room temperature.

2. Peel, core and dice the apples.Put apple chunks into a bowl andtoss with lemon juice.

3. In a small bowl mix brownsugar, cinnamon, ginger and nut-meg together and pour over applechunks, thoroughly coating theapples with the sugar mixture.

4. Roll pastry dough onto a solidflowered surface into a rectangleapproximately 8x16 inches. Cutinto eight four-inch squares.

5. Spoon two tablespoons of the

apple mixture onto the center ofeach pastry square. Top the fill-ing with a dab of butter.

6. Brush edges of the doughsquares with the beaten egg.Fold the corners of the doughover the apple filling so the cor-ners meet; pinch to seal closed.Place the filled apple squares onan ungreased baking sheet.

7. Brush the squares with theremaining beaten egg and sprin-kle with granulated sugar. Bakeapproximately 10 minutes oruntil lightly browned. Servewarm, or cool on a wire rack forlater use.

Hints: Don’t overfill. If youhave more filling than squares,save to use as a topping forArgyle Cheese Factory yogurt orBattenkill Valley Creamery icecream; or top the excess appleswith Homestead Artisans crèmefrâiche.

Seasons Eatings!

Hello, my Foodie Friends! I’m so sorry that I have neglect-

ed you! We here at Compliments tothe Chef have been very busy andthere has been no time to write.Now, this is my fun time of yearand it always has been since mychildhood. Mom would be bakingItalian cookies and pastries daily inDecember. They would go so fastthat they didn’t have much time tocool. It was every kid for them-selves! There were five cookiemonsters running around theReardon household. Yes, cookingand baking scents were a dailyoccurrence and the excitement keptbuilding up for the day the manwith the white beard stopped by toget his cookies and leave some-thing for the sweet, angelic littleReardon kids!

Everyone knows that baking ispart of the Christmas holiday.Italian Christmas cookies are awonderful gift for family andfriends. There are many types ofItalian Christmas cookies made by

people worldwide. Secret familyrecipes that have been around forover 50 years are usually deliverednationwide to hand out. Hollywreaths were always my favoriteItalian Christmas cookie to makewith my mother. Using the oldItalian cookie press with the starplate #2, my mother would use:

Ingredients:1 cup butter6 oz. cream cheese½ cup sugar1 tsp. vanilla, 2 cups sifted flour

Creaming the butter and cheesefirst, she would gradually add thesugar, beat in vanilla, and gradual-ly blend in the flour. They arebaked on ungreased baking sheetsat 375 degrees for 8-10 minutesand should make about four dozenyummy holly wreaths.

I love hearing stories of myItalian relatives. Our family reallyvalues certain traditions derivedfrom our Italian culture and her-itage. Both Paula and my grandpar-ents came over from Italy. We try tohand down our Italian heritage toour children. Although we do notspeak the language, we do try tocook some of the dishes we havelearned over the years. Weabsolutely adore Italian cookies.Italian Tutu cookies are anotherpart of Paula’s childhood memoriesof watching her mother and grand-

mother bake holiday cookies. Thekitchen was filled with the wonder-ful aroma as tray after tray of cook-ies came out of the oven. Paula hadto learn how to apply the sprinkleson the cookies and not overloadthem with sugar (which is obvious-ly, the best part.) Today, looking atthe handwritten notes, Paula tries torecreate the recipes she can taste inher memories. The Italian Tutucookie has a distinct taste of a mixof chocolate, cloves, and walnuts.They are not too sweet and areextra yummy dipped in espresso!

Tutu Cookies

For the cookies:1¼ lbs. unbleached flour½ cup cocoa3½ tablespoons baking powder½ teaspoon salt1 teaspoon ground cloves1 teaspoon ground cinnamon1 cup walnuts, roughly chopped½ cup milk3 eggs, beaten1½ cups granulated sugar3/4 cup butter, room temperature

John ReardonCompliments to the Chef

For the glaze:1 tablespoon melted butter1 cup confectioners’ sugar1-2 tablespoons milk

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.Prepare two baking sheets linedwith parchment paper.

2. Combine all the dry ingredi-ents, except the walnuts, in a largebowl. Beat together the eggs, milk,sugar and butter until combinedwell. Add the wet ingredients to thedry. Use a wooden spoon to com-bine the ingredients, add in the wal-nuts. The dough will be very thick;knead the dough with your hands tocombine, adding additional flour iftoo sticky.

3. Break off pieces of the doughand roll into small balls, the size ofa walnut. Place on the parchmentlined baking sheet about 1 inch

apart. Bake for 15 minutes. Cool onrack, and then glaze.

For the glaze:Combine all ingredients and mix

well until smooth and thin. Addmore milk to reach the desired con-sistency. Brush glaze over eachcookie and return to rack to dry.Makes about four dozen cookies.

Enjoy your family baking tradi-tions! It is always important toinclude personal tradition thateveryone can love. Creating simpletraditions makes holiday memoriespriceless. You can almost guaranteethat your family will continue thetradition for generations to come.

Happy Holiday Traditions! Andremember: “Life Happens in theKitchen”

Take care, John and PaulaReardon

Send your local briefs to [email protected] before Monday at 5 p.m. for Friday publication

LOCAL briefs

All You Can Eat DinnerThe Principessa Elena

Society will host theirmonthly All You Can EatDinner on Friday,December 21, 5–7 p.m. at13 Oak Street, SaratogaSprings. Cost for seniors is$8, adults - $9, childrenfive to 12 - $5, and childrenunder five are free. All takeout dinners are $10. Formore information, call(518) 584-4163.

Benefit to Help Local Make-A-Wish

On Friday, December 14,CL Events presents “NewYork, New York,” a highenergy event held from 8p.m.to midnight, at thePaddock Lounge onCaroline Street in SaratogaSprings, with proceeds tobenefit Make-A-WishNortheast New York. Theevent will include a runwayfashion presentation by 5thAve Gowns out of NYC, alive DJ, free food, drinkspecials, 50/50 drawing,giveaways, auction andmore. For more informa-tion or to make reserva-tions, call (518) 514-8490or email [email protected].

Operation Adopt aSoldier Dinner/Dance

Operation Adopt a Soldierwill be holding their 10thAnniversary Dinner/Danceon February 23, at SaratogaHoliday Inn. It will start at

4 p.m. and go to 10 p.m.Please come and join us fora time of fun and reflectionof 10 years of serving ourmilitary services. A dona-tion of $10 is requested perperson. If you would like tocome and enjoy please con-tact me at (518) 587-8010or Terri at (518) 232-4526for more information.Please sign up earlybecause there are only 200seats.

Chocolate Letters Still Available

The Dutch Tradition ofSt. Nicolaas ChocolateLetters is still availablethrough Christmas. Thefirst initial of the person’sfirst name can be ordered inmilk, dark or sugarlesschocolate by callingSchuyler Sweets at (518)695-4171 or [email protected] Part of the proceeds fromthis sale supportSchuylerville AreaChamber’s St NicolaasFestival.

Make your own Christmas tree

Make your own ceramicChristmas tree in the Adult& Senior Center’s CeramicClass. The traditional styletree is 13” tall with a base,colored lights and a star ontop. After cleaning the greenware tree, it is kiln-fired andready to glaze and decorate.The ceramic class meetsevery Wednesday fromNoon–2 p.m. and Fridayfrom 10 a.m. to Noon.Expect to attend about 3–4classes to complete the proj-ect. Members pay a one-time fee of $35 and non-members pay $50. Fee

includes tree, two firings,glazes, bulbs, light kit andinstruction. Sign-up isrequired so trees can beordered in time for the holi-days. Call (518) 584-1621for more information.

Food Addicts in RecoveryMeetings

Are you having troublecontrolling the way youeat? Are you over weight orunderweight, obsessed withfood, weight, or dieting?You are not alone – there isa solution. Food Addicts inRecovery Anonymous (FA)has a weekly meeting at theUnited Methodist Church inthe Adkins Room. Theymeet on Mondays and thereare no dues, fees or weigh-ins. For more information,call John at (518) 605-3090or Helena at (518) 584-8190 or visit the website atwww.foodaddicts.org.

First Night Saratoga 5K Run

The 15th annual FirstNight Saratoga 5K Run,presented by Saratoga Arts,will be held on Monday,December 31, at 5:30 p.m.The race is limited to 1,500registrants. Awards aregiven to the top three maleand female, plus age cate-gory awards. All finisherswill receive a First Nightcommemorative medal.Registration fee is $30.Register online atwww.saratoga-arts.org forfurther information, call(518) 584-4132.

Holidays Schedule for Crafters

The Wednesday Craftersat Simpson UMC, 1089Rock City Road, Rock City

Falls follows the BallstonSpa School District sched-ule and so will not meet onDecember 26 or on schoolclosing days. Meetings willresume on Wednesday,January 9, from 10 a.m. – 3p.m. All crafters and hob-byists are invited to bringtheir latest project and dropin any time. No abilitylevel, attendance, or churchaffiliation required. Bring abag lunch or partake ourlight refreshments. Stay anhour or the day, whateverworks for your schedule.Any questions please con-tact Laura at (518) 885-5286 or email her at [email protected].

Zumba at Gavin ParkTired of the workout?

Looking for fun? Comejoin the Zumba party atGavin Park. Zumba is aLatin inspired dance fitnessprogram that features exot-ic rhythms set to high-ener-gy Latin and internationalbeats which are easy to fol-low. Before you know it,you’re getting fit and yourenergy level is soaring.Classes run for six weeksbeginning with Mondays,5:45–6:45 p.m.; and eachWednesday, 6:15–7:15 p.m.Monday classes beginJanuary 7; Wednesdayclasses begin January 9.Sign up for one or sign upfor both. Pre-registration isrequired, no “drop ins”allowed. Space is partici-pants must be at least 15years of age. Just stop downto Gavin Park, or visitonline atwww.townofwilton.com,Parks & Recreation Dept.For additional information,contact (518) 584-9455.

upcomingtown meetings

Town of Ballston:Ballston Town Hall 323 Charlton Road 885-8502www.townofballstonny.org 12/19: Planning Board, 7:30 p.m.12/27: Tentative Town Board,

7:30 p.m.

Village of Ballston Spa:66 Front Street885-5711www.ballstonspany.org1/14: Village Board, 7:30 p.m.

Town of Greenfield:7 Wilton Road893-7432www.townofgreenfield.com1/01: Zoning Board of Appeals,

7:30 p.m.1/08: Planning Board, 7:00 p.m.1/10: Town Board, 7:30 p.m.

Town of Malta:2540 Route 9899-2818www.malta-town.org1/07: Town Board, 7 p.m.1/15: Planning Board, 6:30 p.m.

Town of Milton:503 Geyser Road885-9220www.townofmiltonny.org12/19: Town Board, 7 p.m.12/27: Zoning Board, 7 p.m.

City of Saratoga Springs:474 Broadway587-3550www.saratoga-springs.org12/17: Zoning Board of Appeals,

7 p.m.12/18: City Council, 7 p.m.

Town of Saratoga:12 Spring Street, Schuylerville695-3644www.townofsaratoga.com

Village of Schuylerville:35 Spring Street695-3881www.villageofschuylerville.org

Town of Stillwater:66 East St., RiversideMechanicville, NY 12118www.stillwaterny.org12/20: Town Board, 7 p.m.

Town of Wilton:22 Traver Road587-1939www.townofwilton.com12/17: Planning Board, 7:30 p.m.

Saratoga County Board of Supervisors:

40 McMaster St, #1Ballston Spa, NY 12020(518) 885-2240www.saratogacountyny.gov12/18: Board of Supervisors,

4 p.m.


Send your calendar items to Emily Fowler at [email protected] before 5 pm on Monday for Friday publication.Send your calendar items to [email protected] before 5 p.m. on Monday for Friday publication.

Farmers’MarketsSaratoga SpringsDivision StreetElementary SchoolSaturdays 9 a.m. - 1 p.m.www.saratogafarm-ersmarket.org

Burnt Hills /Ballston LakeCorner of Lake HillRd. and Route 50Saturdays 9 a.m. - 1 p.m.

Friday,December 14Santa’s Play Land – Quick ResponseFriday 12/14 & Saturday 12/15(Rain Date 12/21)Quick Response, 2077 Route 9,Round Lake5:30 – 9 p.m.Bring your family and friends toour 12th annual holiday light dis-play. Feel the warmth ofChristmas with Santa and his livereindeer, horse drawn carriageride, train rides, carousel &more.Meet Frosty, Rudolph andWinnie the Pooh. Enjoy the freerefreshments. We want to showour appreciation to you, the public,for making Quick Response thenumber one restoration companyin the area. Parking available inthe Corpus Christi Church and inour lot at 21 Wood Rd. For moreinformation call (518) 899-7090.

Fun Nature Film, Craft & SnackWilton Wildlife Preserve & Park Office6 – 8:30 p.m.Do you need more time to finishshopping or wrapping presentsbefore the holidays arrive? Feelfree to bring your school-age kidsto us for a film, craft & snack.Minimum registration for this pro-gram is 5 children and maximumis 20. Pre-registration for allevents at least one business day inadvance of the actual event. Formore information call us at (518)450-0321 or email at [email protected]. If Saratoga SpringsSchool District cancels classes dueto bad weather, our programs willalso be cancelled.

Jingle Shelves Presentedby Saratoga Guitar and100.3 The PointSaratoga Music Hall, 474Broadway, Saratoga Springs(above City Hall)6:30–10 p.m.The musicians are donating theirtime for this event because theywanted to do something for thecommunity that would get theirpeers involved in giving back.Instead of charging admission tothe show, concert-goers can bringa non-perishable food items for theFranklin Community Center’sbusy pantry to get them in thedoor. Plus, one lucky audiencemember will win a guitar courtesyof Saratoga Guitar.

Saturday,December 15Christmas Cookie SaleChrist the Savior OrthodoxChurch, 349 Eastline Rd. Ballston Lake11 a.m. – 4 p.m.Choose from a delicious assort-ment of Christmas cookies, homemade with love by the ladies ofChrist the Savior OrthodoxChurch. $10.00 per box, tied witha ribbon. Perfect for gift-giving ortake home and enjoy. For moreinformation call (518) 885-4681.

“I Love You Daddy, I Love You More” - Book Signing by Author Vicki Addesso DoddImpressions of Saratoga Springs,368 Broadway 3 – 6 p.m.A heartfelt story of the growingrelationship between a father anddaughter, from infancy to adult-hood. Written through the eyes ofa little girl as she looks at herfather and says, "I love youDaddy, I love you more. I loveyou more than the day before.With you as my Daddy and me asyour girl, anything's possible inthis whole world." This is a musthave book in any little girls collec-tion and the perfect gift for theperfect Daddy! Book signing willbegin at 3 with a story reading bythe author at 4:30. There will betreats for the kids so don't miss it!

Tang Museum FamilySaturdayTang Museum, Skidmore College815 North Broadway, SaratogaSprings2 – 3:30 p.m.Suitable for children ages 5 and upwith their adult companions. Theprogram includes a brief tour ofthe current Tang exhibition, fol-lowed by a hands-on art activity.Free and open to the public.Reservations strongly suggested.For reservations and informationcall (518) 580-8080.

Sunday,December 16Breakfast with SantaSaratoga Wilton Elks Lodge, 1 ElkLane, Rt. 9, Saratoga Springs8:30 – 11 a.m.Fruit Cocktail, Pancakes, FrenchToast, Potatoes, Breakfast Sausageand Ham, Corned Beef Hash,Scrambled Eggs, Eggs Benedict,Juice, Coffee and Tea. Donationrequested: Adults $7, Seniors andMilitary (active/retired w/ID card)$6, Children 5-12 $5, Under 5Free. Takeouts $8.

Winter Classical ConcertSeriesArthur Zankel Music Center, LaddConcert Hall, Skidmore College3 p.m.Presented by the Saratoga SpringsYouth Orchestra and directed byMaestro Gioacchino Lonobard.The orchestra will perform aunique repertoire of classicalmusic selections of Corelli,Porpora, Bach, Handel and otherbaroque and romantic era com-posers. $15 Adults, $10 seniors, $5children and students. For moreinformation call (518) 580-5321 orgo to www.skidmore.edu/Zankel.

The Sunday ClubSaratoga Springs Public LibraryNoon – 3 p.m.An informal weekend club forteens on the Autism spectrum toget together socially and playboard games. No registration fee.For more information call (518) 584-7860 opt. 3.

All On A Winter’s Night:An Afternoon with theAdirondack HarperSaratoga Springs Public Library2 – 4 p.m.A gifted storyteller Martha

Gallagher will weave togethermusic, story and more creating anexperience that goes far beyondone’s usual expectations for a holi-day program. Great for the wholefamily. For more information call(518) 584-7860 opt. 3.

Start at the Manger –Christmas MusicalThe First Baptist Church ofBallston Spa, 202 Milton Ave.6 p.m.The church choirs of Ballston Spaunder the direction of EveKenyon, created by David Guthrieand vocal arrangement by DaveWilliamson. The musical is pre-ceeded by hors d’oeuvres at 5pm.For more information call EveKenyon at (518) 885-6515 oremail [email protected]. Free.

Monday,December 17Toga Tots and KidsHoliday PartySaratoga Springs Public Library,Susman Room10 a.m. – 1 p.m.Join Toga Tots in celebrating theholiday spirit by making crafts forothers, watching a holiday movieand enjoying a few snacks. Ages1-10 with an adult. Please bring anitem to donate to the adopt-a-sol-dier program, items include tooth-paste, lotion, sunscreen, etc. Thisevent is sponsored and hosted byToga Tots (we just rent space atthe library). For more informationcontact Janelle [email protected].

Parkinson’s SupportGroup of SaratogaWoodlawn Commons, 156Lawrence St., Saratoga Springs2 p.m.This meeting is open to any onewith Parkinson’s Disease, familymembers and friends. For moreinformation call Joyce Garlock at(518) 885-6427 or Marilyn Merryat (518) 798-8947.

Wednesday,December 19Lego ClubSaratoga Springs Public Library6:30 – 8 p.m.Children grades K-5 welcome toparticipate, parents and caregiverswelcome to attend. We will useour imaginations to create build-

ings, creatures, and other objects.This program does not includeLego Robotics. No registrationrequired. For more informationcall (518) 584-7860 opt. 3.

Thursday,December 20Winter TalesSaratoga Springs Public LibraryNoon – 1 p.m.Local storytellers Margaret Frenchand Betty Cassidy will be here toentertain us with tales inspired bythe season. Come in out of thecold and enjoy some inspiring stories. For more information call(518) 584-7860 opt. 3.

Books & Tea: LibraryReading GroupSaratoga Springs Public Library2:30 – 4:45Books & Tea meets the thirdThursday of every month. For more information visit:www.sspl.org or call (518) 584-7860.

The McKrell’s ChristmasShow at the Parting GlassThe Parting Glass, SaratogaSprings7 p.m. “Snowday” a fresh take on holidaymusical tradition. Great for every-one, especially good for familieswith kids. Expect stunning newrenditions of holiday songs, tradi-tional and lesser-played classicsalong with old favorites from TheMcKrell’s Chirstmas Show. Dec.20 – 23, times vary. Cost $10. Formore information call (518) 583-1916.

events

living

20- Dec14Dec

28 Week of December 14 - December 20, 2012 CALENDAR


SPORTS

Puzzle Solutions from p. 14Send your

sports stories or briefs to

Andrew Marshall, Sports

Editor at

amarshall@saratoga

publishing.com

Skidmore Comes Back to Defeat Lowly Green MountainGreen Mountain led by seven atthe half, 34-27 and then scored thefirst basket of the second half forits biggest lead, 36-27. Skidmoreused a 14-3 run to erase the deficitand took the lead for good, 41-39on a Doolun Anyam lay-up with14:13 to play. Medunjanin had

SARATOGA SPRINGS - TheSkidmore College men's basket-ball team closed out the firstsemester with a 66-53 non-leaguewin over Green Mountain College,December 11 at the WilliamsonCenter.The Thoroughbreds take a 6-2record into the break, while theEagles fall to 1-9.Skidmore freshman guard AldinMedunjanin led all scorers with 14points, 10 rebounds and sixassists. Kevin Dahill added 10points, while Eli Johnston andConnor Merrill had nine each.Merrill also had four blocks andJohnston contributed five assists.Jakerion Ales was the loneGreen Mountain player with 10points. Carnelius Green had ninepoints and a game-high eightassists.

eight of the 14 points in the run.The Eagles out rebounded theThoroughbreds 41-30, butSkidmore scored 18 points off 15GMC turnovers.The Thoroughbreds are off untila December 29 game at StevensonUniversity.

ABOVE: Skidmore’s Eli Johnson steals the ball intended for GreenMountain’s Christopher Strong. BELOW: Skidmore’s Doolun Anyamintercepts an errant Green Mountain pass.

Photo by Greg Fisher

Photo by Greg Fisher


Damian Fantauzzi

SPORTS

After Tragedy, the “518 Nation” RalliesThe recent tragedy of the

deaths of two local teenage ath-letes from Shenendehowa HighSchool has opened the communi-ty up to something that needs tobe nurtured, by all of us.

Children are not supposed todie. It is against the rules of

nature and should not happen.The accident that took the livesof Deanna Rivers and ChrisStewart obviously did not haveto happen and the survivorsBailey Wind of Shaker andMatt Hardy of Shenendehowaare out of the hospital. WithGod's will, they’ll hopefully beon the road to a full recovery.All four of these young adultswere student-athletes atShenendehowa and Shaker.Some inquisitive people haveasked would this display ofmourning be as big, if theseteenagers were non-athletes. Iwould have to guess probablynot. My feelings are not verycomplicated, everyone has ameasure of grief and all shouldrespect whatever method used.Does it really matter? No.

The athletic community inthe “518 area” is quite largeand encompasses all of SectionII sports. This sad story hasreally hit home for many peo-ple, because there is a sort offraternity and sorority connec-tion, which has changed in thepast decade or two. Many ofthe local kids who play sports,not only play for their schools,but they also play for travelteams, AAU teams or whateverother program that can benoted. There can become ablending of the area schoolathletes as members of theseteams and programs.Therefore, new friendships aredeveloped.

This is a great thing for theyoung athletes. It gives them awider scope of acceptance whendealing with each other and inmany cases, can wipe out thefeeling of disdain or animosityin touted high school rivalries.My opinion is that this can beone reason that there was suchan outreach of the local highschool athletes and many oftheir parents by showing theirrespect for Deanna Rivers,Chris Stewart and their families.There were more athletes, otherthan from the Shenendehowacommunity, who might havehad a connection with the twothrough the involvement ofother athletic programs.

There is a deeper and closerreason that the Shenendehowa

environment will never be thesame, at least not for a long time.There will be some thoughts andquestions that their schoolmateswill be asking themselves: “Howdid this happen to one or two ofus, and why?” “I can't believe heor she is gone, I just saw them inthe halls this past week.”

These are normal feelings andthey will obviously be addressedby the local support groups. Somestudents will come together andshare stories and grieve with theirfriends, and some will do it alone.A team member is like a familymember and there will be timeswhen parents miss the signs thattheir child is still grieving fortheir teammate. It is a part of theprocess of not being able to let goof the bond that the athletes haveor once had.

As a former high school athleteand former college athlete, I hadthe misfortune of losing team-mates and friends and it took along time for me to get over thefact that I will never see themagain. The impact is enormousand it is something that has to bedealt with. These teenage peersare going to need help and under-standing to get through it. It'stime to look at a positive situationthat developed because of Deannaand Chris - look at the comingtogether of the Capital Districtcommunity. On the night ofDecember 4, thousands of localhigh school athletes, coaches,parents and other adults met atthe Shenendehowa football stadi-um to honor the two fallenPlainsmen. This ceremony willbe remembered for years and howthese two young adults, who werekilled, became the cohesive bondthat united us all, from CliftonPark and surrounding towns.

There are no words of wisdomthat I have that could soften the

impact of what happened. To thestudents who lost their friends:time heals. To the teammateswho lost a fellow player: keepthem in your memory when youcompete, and if you need do itfor them while doing it for yourselves.

To the community of sup-porters: we need to rememberwhat tribute was paid to theseyoung victims, and mostly,how what happened hasbrought us all together. Isthere a message? Of course,there always is. Whether it bepersonal or communal, it is amessage meant to unify us all,down deep in our hearts. MattHardy and Bailey Wind needto focus on healing both phys-ically and psychologically, andtheir community of friends andteammates will definitely bepart of their support groups.

The event of December 4demonstrated to me that timeshave changed for the good, in aunified way. Maybe becauseof what happened onSeptember 11, 2001 where weall felt the impact of love forcommunity in our despair, aswe grieved as a nation. Wehad a lesson of the true natureof our common interest in ourlocal area. The thousands ofsupporters at theShenendehowa football fieldon that night and with over athousand mourners, at bothfunerals, is an indication thatwe are all in this together as asupport network.

The fact that many local ath-letes came in to pay theirrespects to the fallenShenendehowa athletes is theall the evidence I’d need tosuggest that young adults donot think that they are immuneto death. I think seeing therespect that the thousands oflocal high school students dis-played is one of the most posi-tive signs of the human experi-ence that can be expressed.Yes, there was a big event tohonor the lives of the two ath-letes and young adults, DeannaRivers and Chris Stewart, thebiggest part of the event wasthat it was all in good faith andto show respect for the families.

“The impact is enor-mous and it is some-thing that has to bedealt with. Theseteenage peers aregoing to need helpand understanding toget through it.”

31Week of December 14 - December 20, 2012 SPORTSB’Spa Boys Basketball Notches First Win Versus Nisky

BALLSTON SPA – TheBallston Spa Scotties hosted theNiskayuna Silver Warriors in aSuburban Council clashDecember 11. The game stayedclose throughout, with BallstonSpa holding off a Niskayuna rallyin the fourth quarter to win, 35-32.

Ballston Spa jumped out to anearly lead in the first quarter,which ended with the Scotties upthree, 10-7. Niskayuna wouldkeep the game close, but enteredthe half trailing by six points, 18-12.

The second half was a differentstory, as Niskayuna continued tochip away at the Ballston Spalead. Niskayuna would outscoreBallston Spa in the third andfourth quarters, but could notmake up for the lackluster secondquarter, which would ultimatelybe the difference.

For the Scotties, 6’1” juniorguard Jeremy Mendrick led theway with 19 points. Junior AndreEdgerton added seven points andsenior Jesse Flynt, junior AndrewGentile and senior GeorgeKernochann each had threepoints.

Ballston Spa made the most out

by Andrew MarshallSaratoga TODAY

Scotties hold of second half surge from visiting Silver Warriors to claim first Suburban Council victory.

Send your

sports stories or briefs

to Andrew Marshall,

Sports Editor at

amarshall@saratoga

publishing.com

of their trips to the free throwline, converting nine of twelveshots including five byMendrick.

The Silver Warriors employeda more balanced scoring attack,with five players scoring at leastfour points. Brandon Fine led theteam with nine points whileMichael Sise and Liam Byrneeach added seven. Niskayunashot over 75 percent from thefree throw line, but only man-aged nine attempts.

With the victory, Ballston Spaimproves to 1-1 on the season,with an identical record in theSuburban Council after two earlyseason meetings.

With the loss, the SilverWarriors drop to 0-1 in theSuburban Council. They return toaction Friday, December 14 onthe road against the Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake Spartans.

Ballston Spa will look to makea statement in their next game,which will also be playedDecember 14, as they visit theperennial Suburban Council con-tender, Shenendehowa.

The Scotties also faceColumbia at home on December18 and take the trip to Bethlehem

ABOVE: Ballston Spa’s JeremyMendrick (#1) attempts to throwthe ball into the post near CliffordStevens (#12) among a throng ofSilver Warrior defenders. BallstonSpa would win this SuburbanCouncil clash by a final score of35-32.

on December 21 before theschool breaks for winter recess.

The Scotties first game of 2013will be a home match up againstthe Guilderland Dutchmen onJanuary 4.

Week of December 14 - December 20, 2012

SPORTSVol. 7 • Issue 50 • FREE • Saratoga TODAY

Photos by MarkBolles.com

Damian Fantauzzi pg. 30Skidmore Basketball pg.29

Story on Page 31

Ballston Spa Hangs On to Beat Nisky

saratoga today 12-14

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