Saratoga Today Newspaper March 25th 2011

31
10,000 copies distributed weekly To Advertise Call (518) 581-2480 F R E E Volume 6 • Issue 12 SaratogaPublishing.com Record-BREAKER Inside TODAY... by Yael Goldman Saratoga TODAY See VLT page 7 Rebuilding Together helps homeowners recover from harsh winter by Daniel Schechtman Saratoga TODAY See Rebuilding page 10 Nearly $2 million in state aid returns to region by Daniel Schechtman Saratoga TODAY VLT Money Coming Home Local business woman inspires community See Nicole page 11 Obituaries pg 5 Schuylerville Middle School pg 6 TRF Accusations pg 7 Japan relief efforts pg 11 Local’s Choice pg 16-17 Pulse pg 22-25 SARATOGA COUNTY - It should be no surprise to anyone liv- ing in the Saratoga region that this year's winter has been one of the harshest on record. Already this winter is on the books as being the fifteenth largest accumulation of snow the area has seen since records were first kept back in the late 1800s. And if the weather reports are anything to go by, you can probably expect that number to climb even higher on the charts as the winter winds down. The heavy snow and ice have caused thou- sands upon thousands of dollars of damage - both to residential homes and commercial properties. For some, the expense to repair the damage is manageable. For others, been set in motion to restore nearly $2 million of that funding to Saratoga Springs and Saratoga County. "It was a huge financial hit to the city budget when the state took away 100 percent of the VLT fund- ing overnight," said Saratoga Springs Supervisor Joanne Yepsen, "But all of our work on this for the SARATOGA SPRINGS - Two years ago, New York State with- drew its funding in support of video lottery terminal (VLT) gam- bling machines in Saratoga Springs in the middle of the night, but following talks in Albany Tuesday afternoon, plans have Making Headlines A l l o u r w o r k o n t h i s f o r t h e p a s t t w o y e a r s i s p a y i n g o f f , a n d i t w i l l b e t r e m e n d o u s l y s a t i s f y i n g w h e n a t h r e e - w a y a g r e e m e n t i s r e a c h e d , e v e n f o r p a r t i a l r e s t o r a t i o n . Joanne Yepsen Saratoga Springs Supervisor SARATOGA SPRINGS - You would never guess that Nicole Messier, the woman behind one of the fastest growing companies on Broadway, launched her career on the unemployment line. After being laid off in 2008, the single mom and public rela- tions pro may have been scared to be jobless and uninsured, but her greatest fear was that no job in the area could support the kind of challenge she was craving. Having spent eight years managing PR for major companies in Silicon Valley, Nicole had the experience and rolodex to bring her specialty to the Capital Region - an area cur- rently welcoming a handful of her ideal clients. All it took was a few Facebook posts announcing she was available for freelance consulting and within months the Clifton NYCB Children’s Auditions see pg 23

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Saratoga TODAY newspaper, is the community’s weekly source of local news and information. The colorful, easy-to-read tab format and use of the dynamic headline, combined with our 100 percent local focus, makes Saratoga TODAY a must-have newspaper for homeowners and business people in the greater Saratoga Springs region.

Transcript of Saratoga Today Newspaper March 25th 2011

Page 1: Saratoga Today Newspaper March 25th 2011

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

F R E E Volume 6 • Issue 12 SaratogaPublishing.com

Record-BREAKERInside TODAY...

by Yael Goldman

Saratoga TODAY

See VLT page 7

Rebuilding Together helps homeownersrecover from harsh winter

by Daniel Schechtman

Saratoga TODAY

See Rebuilding page 10

Nearly $2 million in state aid returns to regionby Daniel Schechtman

Saratoga TODAY

VLT Money Coming Home

Local business woman

inspires communitySee Nicole page 11

Obituaries pg 5

Schuylerville Middle School pg 6

TRF Accusationspg 7

Japan relief effortspg 11

Local’s Choicepg 16-17

Pulse pg 22-25

SARATOGA COUNTY - It

should be no surprise to anyone liv-

ing in the Saratoga region that this

year's winter has been one of the

harshest on record. Already this

winter is on the books as being the

fifteenth largest accumulation of

snow the area has seen since

records were first kept back in the

late 1800s. And if the weather

reports are anything to go by, you

can probably expect that number to

climb even higher on the charts as

the winter winds down. The heavy

snow and ice have caused thou-

sands upon thousands of dollars of

damage - both to residential homes

and commercial properties. For

some, the expense to repair the

damage is manageable. For others,

been set in motion to restore nearly

$2 million of that funding to

Saratoga Springs and Saratoga

County.

"It was a huge financial hit to the

city budget when the state took

away 100 percent of the VLT fund-

ing overnight," said Saratoga

Springs Supervisor Joanne Yepsen,

"But all of our work on this for the

SARATOGA SPRINGS - Two

years ago, New York State with-

drew its funding in support of

video lottery terminal (VLT) gam-

bling machines in Saratoga

Springs in the middle of the night,

but following talks in Albany

Tuesday afternoon, plans have

MakingHeadlines

“All our work on thisfor the past two years

is paying off, and itwill be tremendously

satisfying when athree-way agreement

is reached, even forpartial restoration.”

Joanne Yepsen

Saratoga Springs Supervisor SARATOGA SPRINGS - You

would never guess that Nicole

Messier, the woman behind one

of the fastest growing companies

on Broadway, launched her

career on the unemployment

line.

After being laid off in 2008,

the single mom and public rela-

tions pro may have been scared

to be jobless and uninsured, but

her greatest fear was that no job

in the area could support the

kind of challenge she

was craving.

Having spent eight

years managing PR for

major companies in

Silicon Valley, Nicole

had the experience and

rolodex to bring her

specialty to the Capital

Region - an area cur-

rently welcoming a

handful of her ideal

clients.

All it took was a few

Facebook posts

announcing she was

available for freelance

consulting and within

months the Clifton

NYCB Children’s

Auditions see pg 23

Page 2: Saratoga Today Newspaper March 25th 2011

SARATOGA

TODAYFriday, March 25, 20112

photos by MarkBolles.com - Saratoga Today

Left and top: Kids enjoy the many activities at the BACC while bottom: parents

receive healthcare advice from Fidelis representatives.

by Daniel Schechtman

Saratoga TODAY

The healthy

choice for families!

BALLSTON SPA - The Ballston

Area Community Center hosted its

first annual Healthy Families Day

last Saturday, March 19.

Scores of residents flocked to

the community center not only to

enjoy the many games and activi-

ties for children (including a boun-

cy-bounce), but to receive free,

professional advice from physi-

cians, pediatricians, nutritionists,

healthcare providers and more.

For more information on the

BACC and their numerous pro-

grams for adults, teens and chil-

dren, visit them on the web at

www.ballstonareacc.org.

5 Case St.,

Saratoga Springs,NY 12866

Phone: (518) 581-2480

Fax: (518) 581-2487

www.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]

Events, Marketing & WebDevelopementChris Bushee 581-2480 x [email protected]

AdvertisingJim Daley 581-2480 x [email protected]

Cindy Durfey 581-2480 x [email protected]

Art DepartmentTiffany Garland 581-2480 x [email protected]

Katy Holland 581-2480 x 205

[email protected]

EditorialYael Goldman 581-2480 x 214

Newsroom [email protected]

Daniel Schechtman 581-2480 x 203

Sports [email protected]

Arthur Gonick 581-2480 x 206

Entertainment /

Simply Saratoga [email protected]

Obits & Anne’s CornerAnne Proulx 581-2480 x 202

[email protected]

Calendar & BriefsKim Beatty 581-2480 x 215

[email protected]

Contributing WritersMarion E. [email protected]

Meghan D. Lemery [email protected]

Suzanne [email protected]

Jill [email protected]

Kate Towne [email protected]

Kerry [email protected]

Locally Owned

and Operated

Page 3: Saratoga Today Newspaper March 25th 2011

SARATOGA

TODAY Friday, March 25, 2011 BBLLOOTTTTEERR 3

Damon E. Hinchcliff, 35, of 9

Terminal Dr., Clifton Park, plead-

ed guilty to a charge of third-

degree criminal sale of a con-

trolled substance, a class-B felony.

Hinchcliff was arrested March 22,

2010 for incidents that occurred

September 10, October 6 and

October 13 of 2009 in Clifton Park

and Halfmoon. He will return to

court for sentencing May 20.

Vanessa M. Wells, 28, of 13

Century Dr., Ballston Spa, pleaded

guilty to charges including third-

degree criminal sale of a con-

trolled substance, a class-B

felony; third-degree criminal pos-

session of a controlled substance,

a class-B felony; seventh-degree

criminal possession of a controlled

substance, a class-A misdemeanor;

and endangering the welfare of a

child, a class-A misdemeanor.

Wells was arrested March 22,

2010 for incidents that occurred

September 10, October 6 and

October 13 of 2009 in Malta and

Halfmoon. She has been sentenced

to five years of probation.

John P. Chalmers, 33, of 191

Fonda Rd., Waterford, pleaded

guilty to a charge of driving while

intoxicated, a class-E felony.

Chalmers was arrested October 31

in Mechanicville and will return to

court for sentencing May 12.

Daniel B. Eisenberg, 64, of 91

Westchester Dr., Clifton Park,

pleaded guilty to a charge of fail-

ing to register as a sex offender, a

class-E felony. He was arrested

December 2 for an incident that

occurred October 28 in Clifton

Park. Eisenberg, who was convict-

ed of possessing an obscene sexu-

al performance by a child, a class-

E felony, in August of 2003, was at

the time sentenced to ten years of

probation. For violating his proba-

tion, Eisenberg was resentenced

March 16 by Judge Jerry J.

Scarano to one to three years in

state prison with credit for time

served and probation terminated.

Shane T. Hawthorne, 25, of 58

Van Dam St., Saratoga Springs,

pleaded guilty to a charge of fail-

ing to register an internet account

within ten days, a class-E felony.

Hawthorne was arrested

December 23 for an incident that

occurred December 9. He will

return to court for sentencing

May 10.

Steven C. Whitcroft, 27, of 228

County Rt. 70, Stillwater, pleaded

guilty to a charge of fourth-degree

grand larceny, a class-E felony.

Whitcroft was arrested December

24 in Wilton for an incident that

occurred November 30 and will

return to court for sentencing

May 10.

Terry L. Drake, 30, of 74

Stewarts Bridge Rd., Hadley,

pleaded guilty to a charge of fail-

ing to register an internet account

within ten days, a class-E felony.

Drake was arrested January 26 in

Hadley for an incident that

occurred July 1 and will return to

court for sentencing May 9.

Barry R. Guild, 47, of 130

Allen Rd., Porter Corners, pleaded

guilty to a charge of driving while

intoxicated, a class-E felony.

Guild was arrested December 27

in Greenfield and will return to

court for sentencing May 12.

Colleen A. Quinn, 33, of 205

Division St., Rear Apt., Saratoga

Springs, pleaded guilty to a charge

of driving while intoxicated, a

class-E felony. Quinn was arrested

November 19 in Saratoga Springs

and will return to court for

sentencing May 12.

David E. McNelis, 39, of 1608

Lookout Lane, Clifton Park,

pleaded guilty to a charge of driv-

ing while intoxicated, a class-E

felony. McNelis was arrested

August 16 in Halfmoon and has

been sentenced to time served,

five years of probation and

ignition interlock.

Kenneth A. Green, 55, of 40

Friar Tuck Way, Saratoga Springs,

was resentenced by Judge Jerry J.

Scarano to ten months in the

Saratoga County Jail, probation

terminated. Green was originally

convicted of driving while intoxi-

cated, a class-E felony, following

an incident in Saratoga

Springs April 21.

Travis J. Emery, 33, of 35

Woodard Ave., Hadley, was resen-

tenced March 8 by Judge Jerry J.

Scarano to two weekends in the

Saratoga County Jail and contin-

ued probation. Emery was origi-

nally convicted of driving while

intoxicated, a class-D felony, in

March of 2008, when he was sen-

tenced to time served and five

years of probation.

Neil P. Surprenant, 28, of 426

Joseph St., Ballston Spa, pleaded

guilty to a charge of third-degree

attempted criminal sale of a con-

trolled substance, a class-C felony.

Surprenant was arrested

November 18 in Milton for an

incident that occurred November 2

and will return to court for

sentencing May 16.

Samuel M. Yedigaryan, 39, of

29 New Castle Rd., Clifton Park,

pleaded guilty to a charge of third-

degree criminal possession of a

weapon, a class-D felony.

Yedigaryan was arrested April 15

in Halfmoon and will return to

court for sentencing May 16.

Tracy L. Bruce, 38, of 74

Broad St., Schuylerville, was

resentenced March 15 by Judge

Jerry J. Scarano to continued pro-

bation. Bruce was originally con-

victed October 28, 2010 of aggra-

vated driving while intoxicated, a

class-D felony, for which she was

sentenced to time served and five

years of probation.

Page 4: Saratoga Today Newspaper March 25th 2011

SARATOGA

TODAYFriday, March 25, 20114 WWEEEEKK IINN RREEVVIIEEWWCounty sales tax increases

So far, 2011 is looking like a good

year for area municipalities in terms

of tax sales distribution. Saratoga

County Treasurer Samuel J.

Pitcheralle revealed this week that

overall distribution has increased by

more than 3 percent. The majority of

county municipalities will see an

increase, some larger than others,

while decreases are possible for spe-

cific municipalities as well.

Although the final first quarter fig-

ures won't be in until April, the

increased percentage can be a posi-

tive indicator of the months to

come.

South High deals withanother student death

South Glens Falls High School

senior Kyle Silic, 18, a student in

the BOCES construction trades pro-

gram, passed away in his home on

Saturday, March 19. His death,

which is still under investigation,

marks the seventh loss of a South

Glens Falls student in the past two

years. The district has also dealt

with the deaths of a recently retired

principal, a former teacher and an

athletic coach. Beginning Monday,

grief counselors were available for

students coping with the loss of

another high school community

member.

New assistant principal atDorothy Nolan Elementary

Kristy Moore has been appointed

as the new assistant principal at the

Dorothy Nolan Elementary School.

The Saratoga Springs Board of

Education approved the appoint-

ment at the March 22 meeting. Her

employment is effective April 25.

Mrs. Moore will replace Tina

Davis, who was appointed in

January as principal of the

Greenfield Elementary School.

The search for a highly qualified

administrator involved more than 70

candidates and two rounds of inter-

views, according to Thomas Mele,

assistant superintendent for elemen-

tary education.

"Mrs. Moore brings a wealth of

knowledge in the area of literacy

and elementary classroom instruc-

tion to our district," Mele said.

Dr. Janice White, superintendent

of schools, said the district "enthusi-

astically welcomes Mrs. Moore to

our leadership team."

"Her talent, expertise and demon-

strated abilities will contribute to the

continued success at Dorothy Nolan

Elementary School," Dr. White

added.

Mrs. Moore began her profession-

al career in 2004 as a fourth-grade

teacher at the William H. Barton

Intermediate School. After teaching

for six years, she was appointed in

August 2010 to the shared position

as assistant principal at the interme-

diate school and the Queensbury

Middle School. During her years at

Queensbury, she was a leader in

implementing new reading and writ-

ing programs.

Mrs. Moore earned a bachelor's

degree in 2003, followed by a mas-

ter's in education in 2004, both from

Rutgers University in New Jersey.

She holds a certificate in education-

al leadership from SUNY

Plattsburgh, as well as certifications

from New York State in school

building leadership, elementary

education and therapeutic crisis

intervention.

Energy Advisory Councilholds first meeting

Congressman Chris Gibson's

newly formed Energy Advisory

Council gathered for the first time

on Wednesday, March 23 at the

NYSERDA TEC-SMART facility

on Hermes Road in Malta.

The council, which is made up of

a broad range of energy experts,

conservation advocates, organized

labor and government leaders, will

focus on solving energy-related

issues through reviewing existing

legislation and proposing future

solutions.

According to Gibson, the council

has three main objectives: 1.) to

"illuminate the issues" by educating

20th District constituents and busi-

ness owners about the "current state

of play," existing policies and avail-

able incentives; 2.) to look at feder-

al, state and local policies and pro-

pose changes to increase energy-

efficiency, reduce dependence on

foreign oil, and improve the envi-

ronment; 3.) to work cooperatively

with the private sector and secure

capital for supporting renewable

energy-related start-up companies

and existing companies looking to

expand.

The plan is to work for the better-

ment of the community:

"Our panel is not going to super-

impose policy decisions on any

community," Gibson said.

Gibson said the council will meet

quarterly and examine energy from

a comprehensive perspective, inves-

tigating all aspects - everything

from production to transmission,

consumption, conservation and

efficiency.

"We're paying too much for ener-

gy," he said, expressing his own dis-

appointment when filling up his gas

tank at the pump.

He also said that even though the

group will be looking at all energy

sources (including solar, geother-

mal, wind, biofuels, wood and

hydropower, etc.), bringing a

nuclear power plant to the Capital

Region is still a part of his compre-

hensive "21st Century" plan.

Pointing to the current situation in

Japan, he said now is the time to

research new technology and safety

concerns.

Focusing on clean energy sources,

including nuclear, will bring jobs

and protect the environment - "it

will positively impact the communi-

ty," he said.

Malta man arrested for failing to install ignitioninterlock, DWI

A 40 year-old Malta man was

arrested on Saturday and charged

that he failed to install an ignition

interlock system as a condition of a

prior drunken driving arrest and was

driving drunk again.

Police say Stephen J. Cherniske

was supposed to install an ignition

interlock device on any vehicle he

owned as a condition of a 2008

drunken driving conviction, but that

he was found driving without the

device when stopped on Route 9 in

Malta Saturday night.

Cherniske refused to submit to a

blood-alcohol test. An interlock

device has been mandated in all

DWI convictions since August of

2010.

Page 5: Saratoga Today Newspaper March 25th 2011

SARATOGA

TODAY Friday, March 25, 2011

James Bruce Bramhall

Wilton – James Bruce Bramhall

of Chatham Court in Wilton died

peacefully surrounded by his family

on Wednesday March 2, 2011 at his

home.

Services were held Monday,

March 21, 2011 at the Saratoga

Springs United Methodist Church.

175 Fifth Ave. Saratoga Springs.

Family and friends remembered him

prior to the services. ArrangementsMyrtle A. Merrills Middle Grove – Myrtle A.

Merrills of Middle Grove died

peacefully, surrounded by her son

Tom and grandson John, on Friday

March 18, 2011 at Saratoga

Hospital. She was 89.

Born on October 5, 1921, in

Corinth, she was the daughter of

the late Nathan Carleton and Hazel

Young Carleton.

The family would like to thank

the doctors and staff at Saratoga

Hospital who made Myrtle as com-

are under the direction of the

Tunison Funeral Home of Saratoga

Springs.

Burial followed at the Gerald BH

Solomon Saratoga National

Cemetery.

Memorial donations may be made

to the Saratoga Springs United

Methodist Church,

175 Fifth Ave.,

Saratoga Springs,

NY 12866.

Eric M. Haase

Saratoga Lake – Eric M. Haase

of Marshall Ave in Schenectady

and of Saratoga Lake died sudden-

ly on March 14, 2011 at Ellis

Hospital. He was 64.

Born on April 28, 1946, in

Niskayuna, he was the son of

Marcella Cunningham Haase and

the late Eric O. Haase.

A mass of Christian Burial was

held on Friday, March 18, 2011 at

St. Mary’s Church in Ballston Spa.

Arrangements are under the direc-

tion of the Tunison Funeral Home,

105 Lake Avenue in Saratoga

Springs.

Burial followed at the Gerald BH

Solomon Saratoga National

Cemetery in Schuylerville, NY.

Memorial donations can be made

in his memory to

D i s a b l e d

American Veterans

www.dav.org

Jeanne A. Schreiber

Saratoga Springs – Jeanne A.

Schreiber of Prestwick Chase

passed away Friday, March 4, 2011

at Mary’s Haven. She was 85.

A memorial service will be con-

ducted at 2 pm Saturday, March 26,

2011 at the William J. Burke &

Sons/Bussing & Cunniff Funeral

Homes, 628 North Broadway in

Saratoga Springs by the Rev. Dean

Christian.

In lieu of flowers, donations may

be made to the HRC Foundation,

294 Bethel School Road,

Honesdale, PA 18431 or to Mary’s

Haven, 35 New Street, Saratoga

Springs, NY 12866.

Online remembrances may be

made at www.burkefuneral

home.com.

Lois RitunoSaratoga Springs – Lois Rituno of

Wesley Health Care Center in

Saratoga Springs died peacefully

Saturday, March 12, 2011. She was

69.

Born on August 13, 1941 in

Schuylerville, she was the daughter

of the late David Perkins and

Frances Youman Perkins.

Services were held Wednesday,

March 16, 2011, at the Tunison

Funeral Home, 105 Lake Ave., in

Saratoga Springs. Burial will be in

the spring at Greenridge Cemetery.

Patricia Ann WinbauerSaratoga Springs – Our beloved

mom and sister, Patricia Ann

Winbauer, passed away Wednesday,

March 16, 2011 after a brief illness.

Pinki was born in Glens Falls on

December 20, 1956, the fifth and

youngest daughter of Frances and

Hans Winbauer.

Services were private at the con-

venience of the family.

Friends gathered with Pinki’s

family in a celebration of her life on

Monday, March 21, 2011 at the

Eagles Club, 175 County RT. 22

(Crescent Ave.) in Saratoga Springs.

The family wishes to thank all of

Pinki’s friends who stepped up to

help during her illness and all of

those who have loved and supported

her through the good times and the

bad. A special thanks to Jess.

In lieu of flowers, the family sug-

gests that a charitable donation be

made in her name to Saratoga

Hospital, 211 Church Ave., Saratoga

Springs, NY 12866.

To view the full-text version of the obituaries printed on this page, visit the archive section of

www.SaratogaTodayNewspaper.com. It is the policy ofSaratoga TODAY to publish obituaries as a

service to our readers. Please send your obituaries toAnne Proulx at [email protected].

Ronald Carl CarmerGansevoort – Ronald Carl Carmer, 75,

passed away Friday, March 18, 2011 with

his loving wife and family by his side.

Ron was born July 3, 1935 in Sayre, PA,

the son of the late Millard and Vera

(Casselbury) Carmer.

Relatives and friends gathered to remem-

ber him Monday, March 21, 2011 at the

William J. Burke & Sons/Bussing & Cunniff

Funeral Homes of Saratoga Springs.

Funeral services were held Tuesday,

March 22, 2011 at the Bacon Hill Reformed

Church. Burial will be in the spring at the

Bacon Hill Cemetery.

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

fortable as possible. The support of

all is greatly appreciated.

Services were held on

Wednesday, March 23, 2011 at the

Tunison Funeral Home of Saratoga

Springs. Family and friends gath-

ered to remember her prior to the

services.

Memorial donations can be made

in her memory to The American

Red Cross, Adirondack-Saratoga

County Chapter, 74 Warren St.,

Glens Falls, NY 12801.

briefsSSPF announces 2011Spirit of PreservationCelebration

The Saratoga Springs

Preservation Foundation will

honor Jeff Pfeil, Tom Lewis and

the Willard J. Grande Family at

the 2011 Spirit of Preservation

Celebration on Friday, May 20,

2011 at the Saratoga Springs

City Center. The Spirit of

Preservation Award honors indi-

viduals who, through their vision

and dedication, have fostered

historic preservation in Saratoga

Springs and contributed to the

overall quality of life in our city.

Jeff Pfeil and Tom Lewis are

being recognized for their efforts

in preserving a community his-

toric landmark, Universal

Preservation Hall. Through their

dedicated and visionary leader-

ship, the organization Universal

Preservation Hall was formed in

2001 to save from demolition the

1871 Victorian Gothic church

that originally had been home to

the Methodist Church and later

became home to the Universal

Baptist Church. Universal

Preservation Hall is now a

unique venue for cultural, educa-

tional, and community events

and provides a permanent place

of worship for the Universal

Baptist Church.

The Willard J. Grande Family

is being honored for their 75 year

legacy of vision and re-invest-

ment in the community that has

helped to preserve the unique

character of Saratoga Springs.

Through enlightened self-inter-

est, the family has preserved and

maintained historic buildings

throughout our beautiful down-

town, such as the 1902 Arcade

Building, and has been instru-

mental in amassing large plots of

land for both business and chari-

table endeavors ranging from the

W. J. Grande Industrial Park to

the Saratoga Springs YMCA.

The Grande family has made

numerous generous contribu-

tions to various local charities.

Anyone interested in recog-

nizing these individuals for their

contributions to the community

can become a corporate sponsor

of the event. To be included in

the event invitation, please

respond by Monday, March 28.

For more information regarding

Honorary Committee and

Corporate Sponsorship opportu-

nities as well as event updates

visit www.saratogapreserva-

tion.org or call (518) 587-5030.

Kathleen (Hulsizer) BurnsBradenton, Florida – Kathleen

(Hulsizer) Burns, age 71, of

Bradenton, Florida passed away

suddenly Sunday, March 20, 2011 at

her home in Florida. Mrs. Burns was

a former resident of Saratoga

Springs and a graduate of St. Peter’s

Academy, Class of 1957.

Born August 28, 1939 in New

London, Connecticut, she was the

daughter of Nelson and Nan (Blake)

Hulsizer.

Kathleen was a devoted wife, lov-

ing mother, and an awesome grand-

mother.

Family and friends are welcome

at Byles-Groton funeral home 310

Thames Street, Groton, CT from 4

and 6 pm on Sunday, March 27,

2011.

Funeral services will be conduct-

ed at Sacred Heart Church in

Groton, Connecticut at 12:noon,

Monday, March 28, 2011. Father

Greg Schenden S.J. will preside

over the services.

Burial service immediately fol-

lowing at Col. Ledyard Cemetery in

Groton, CT.

OOBBIITTUUAARRIIEESS 5

Page 6: Saratoga Today Newspaper March 25th 2011

SARATOGA

TODAYFriday, March 25, 20116 NNEEWWSS

Schuylerville Central School

District is putting together a task-

force for reconfiguring its middle

school concept for the 2012-2013

school year.

The district currently operates with

an elementary school, housing

kindergarten through sixth grade, and

a junior-senior high school where

seventh and eighth graders learn in a

separate wing but share hallways

with freshmen through senior-age

students.

Administrators say that while the

current setup has "worked well" in

offering segregated classroom and

lunch environments for junior high-

schoolers, the middle school philoso-

phy better accommodates their

unique needs.

"The philosophy focuses on the

social, emotional and academic

development of students between ten

and 14 years old in a very safe and

secure environment," said Assistant

Principal Mary Kate Elsworth. "We

have tried to incorporate those ideals

in the seventh through 12th grade

building, but logistically they're in

the same hallways and mixed right

in."

Plans to address the problem

through grade reconfiguration are

definite; it's just a matter of finding

and implementing a design that's

right for Schuylerville students.

Kim Smithgall, communications

coordinator, said a taskforce of teach-

ers and administrators familiar with

the age group will begin evaluating

traditional middle school approaches

in April by visiting area schools that

implement them.

For districts that offer a unique

environment for middle-schoolers,

the separation addresses the transi-

tion from a self-contained, single-

teacher elementary school curricu-

lum to the departmentalized high

school day.

A team approach is a popular way

to guide students through this in-

between stage.

"It's a stepping stone," Elsworth

said.

She explained that middle-school-

ers are characteristically energetic,

enthusiastic about hands-on learning

and interested in creating peer rela-

tionships, but still need the security

of close connections with their teach-

ers.

"That's why you'll see many of the

middle schools use the teaming

approach, where you have four core

teachers and more hands-on activi-

ties," she said, emphasizing that the

team structure promotes a collabora-

tive curriculum integrating the differ-

ent subjects with combined lesson

plans.

"I think the middle school concept

creates a smaller environment and

maintains a climate that is very

respectful and safe for that level of

student," Elsworth said.

Smithgall, who said the taskforce

is looking into multiple programs

(not just teaming), also noted how

the change would help the district

meet state and federal regulations for

opened in September 2010 and cur-

rently houses grades four through

six.

"That wing would become grades

six through eight, and the fourth and

fifth graders would move back into

the current elementary school,"

Smithgall said.

Contrary to the enrollment jump

projected in the early 2000s, the dis-

trict's current sixth to eighth grade

student population is 596 and is

expected to drop to 450 for the 2012-

2013 school year. A downturn in the

local housing market is the reason for

the anticipated class-size reduction.

The middle school initiative is in

its infancy stages and the taskforce is

yet to be assigned, but district repre-

sentatives are confident a plan will be

unveiled by March 2012.

Although Elsworth said it's too

early to ascertain the greater commu-

nity's response, she has encountered

positive sentiments in casual conver-

sation with district parents.

"Certainly there will be questions

and concerns, and we will address

those as they come forward through

the task force, but overall we are

very, very excited about this process

and are looking forward to what we

think will be in the best interest of

students - and that's the focus of

everything we do," Elsworth said.

by Yael Goldman

Saratoga TODAY

curricula and testing, which is set up

for a middle school-oriented

configuration.

With all of the proven benefits of a

middle school curriculum, it's no sur-

prise the district has been looking

into making this change for a number

of years.

Schuylerville first considered the

concept with the help of an advisory

group that recommended a plan for

building a separate middle school

during the 2005-2006 school year,

which was turned down by public

vote.

In a letter recently sent out to par-

ents, Superintendent Ryan Sherman

explained that the district is utilizing

the previous committee's research

findings to take a "serious look at

creating a sixth, seventh and eighth

grade middle school" using the exist-

ing K-6 facilities.

"We'll be moving around the

resources we currently have, and

shifting grade levels on the same

campus," Elsworth said, building

upon the Superintendent's note. "It's

my understanding there will be no

new hires. We'll just be doing what

we do differently and better."

Schuylerville voted to expand its

elementary building in February

2007 to accommodate an anticipated

increase in enrollment. The addition

Supervisor Patti Southworth will

be running for re-election on

November 8. Southworth is running

for a third term in order to continue

working to secure the economic sta-

bility of the town. She is committed

to continuing to stimulate economic

growth and improving the quality of

life for Ballston's residents while

keeping the town highway tax and

town tax free. Southworth has

worked to bring new businesses to

town (including Sensa) and there are

plans in the pipeline to bring on addi-

tional businesses. Southworth is ded-

icated to seeing through to comple-

tion the work currently in progress

regarding the Farmland Protection

Plan, which will allow active farming

to remain in Ballston, preserving

local businesses and the rural charac-

ter of the town.

Southworth has opened up the lines

of communication between residents

and town officials. She was instru-

mental in the development of the new

town website, a vehicle which allows

residents to be more connected and to

have more input into town business.

From her first day in office,

Southworth has been devoted to mak-

ing herself available to residents at all

times, not just via her town email and

office phone, but by distributing her

personal cell phone number - (518)

441-6548 - so residents can reach her

outside of business hours.

Ballston Supervisor Patti Southworth seeks re-election

Schuylerville Considers Middle School Plan

Page 7: Saratoga Today Newspaper March 25th 2011

SARATOGA

TODAY Friday, March 25, 2011 7

past two years is paying off."

According to the plan, state legis-

lators and Governor Andrew Cuomo

have agreed to restore funding for

VLTs to 17 different municipalities.

Of those 17, the city of Saratoga

Springs is expected to receive

$1,496,000, while Saratoga County

is looking at a figure of $499,000.

Combined, the total comes to an

additional $1,995,000 in state fund-

ing for the area.

"Restoring any funds in this piv-

otal time for New York Sate is quite

surprising," said Yepsen noting that

already "there are so many severe

cuts and shared pain in this year's

proposed budget."

The state funding for VLTs will

be at about 45 percent of the rate the

area last received back in 2008. The

three-way agreement to restore the

funding, which included the State

Assembly, Senate and Executive

Chamber, still requires final

approval in the budget by both hous-

es of the legislature.

"I want to thank Senator Farley

for negotiating this in his joint budg-

et conference committee. I also

want to thank members of the

Assembly and the Governor's

office," said State Senator Roy

McDonald in a written statement.

Senator Hugh Farley, who is co-

chair on the Budget Conference

Committee on General Government

and Local Assistance, proved instru-

mental in the reimplementation of

state funding for VLT facilities. "It

costs money to host a VLT facility,

from plowing the roads to emer-

gency response; this isn't just aid but

an investment in ensuring the con-

tinued success of the Saratoga

Springs VLT location," said

McDonald.

When the funding was first pulled

two years ago, Saratoga Springs

found itself scrambling to make up

the sudden loss in revenue.

"This funding represented 10 per-

cent of the overall city budget," said

Yepsen on the 2008-2009 budget.

"The city handed out pink slips

when the funding was lost."

Now that the money is being at

least partially restored, government

officials are left to decide how best

to use the funding.

Following an article written

by the New York Times late last

week, the Thoroughbred

Retirement Foundation (TRF)

has suffered the loss of one of its

primary financial backers, due

to allegations that many of the

racehorses left in its care are

malnourished and neglected, in

some cases fatally.

TRF, which is based in

Saratoga Springs, is a private

organization tasked with caring

for over 1,000 former racehors-

es once they retire from racing.

But according to the founda-

tion's financial disclosure docu-

ments, the organization has been

running at a deficit for the last

two years, largely due to the

economic downturn felt across

the country.

Randy Paulick, who was

elected to the TRF board of

directors in 2007, responded to

the Times article on his website,

www.paulickreport.com. In his

response, Paulick admits that

TRF has struggled financially

for some time. He states:

"From the time of my first

board meeting until the present,

the TRF has been severely

under-funded, relative to the

number of horses it cares for. It

spends at least 85 percent of its

revenue directly on the care of

horses, using the remaining 15

percent for administration and

fundraising (board members are

neither paid nor reimbursed for

their time or travel expenses)."

Because of its financial trou-

bles, the Times article by Joe

Drape alleged that TRF has been

"slow or delinquent" in sending

funds to the 25 different farms

overseeing the care of the retired

horses. Dr. Stacey Huntington, a

veterinarian who examined over

700 of the foundation’s equines

in Kentucky, Oklahoma,

Virginia and South Carolina,

contended that many of the

horses were in poor condition,

emaciated and neglected. Of the

63 horses assigned to a farm in

Oklahoma, only 47 could be

found. Huntington concluded

that the remaining 16 missing

horses had most likely died from

neglect.

Huntington was fired by the

Thoroughbred Retirement

Foundation on Saturday, follow-

ing Friday's article in the New

York Times.

The TRF has claimed that the

article by Joe Drape and

Huntington's assessment of the

horses are both contentious and

misleading. Tom Ludt, chairman

of the board of the TRF, released

this statement on March 18.

"The TRF disputes many of

the assumptions in [Joe Drape's]

New York Times story," wrote

Lundt. "Statements are mis-

characterized," he continued,

stating that "Dr. T.J. Loafman,

who is an independent veterinar-

ian, supervised the load and

unload of the 4-H Farm herd and

disputes the allegations in the

story."

In response to both

Huntington's report and the

Times article, the estate of Paul

Mellon has pulled its funding

for TRF. The Mellon estate

established a $5 million endow-

ment for the foundation in 2001,

provided TRF with an addition-

al $2 million at a later date, and

has spent over $50,000 for vet-

erinary fees, food and care for

the horses in recent months.

Calls to Executive Director

Diana Pikulski of TRF were not

returned for comment as of

press time.

continued from Page 1

VLT funding returns to regionThoroughbred Retirement

Foundation loses financial

backer following scathing report

by Daniel Schechtman

Saratoga TODAY

"A portion could be used to offset

city expenses incurred as the host to

two race tracks, but those expenses

are hard to measure. Therefore, I

would recommend most of it go into

a reserve fund and be used to offset

potential increased costs as tax

relief," said Yepsen. "Times are

financially tumultuous for families

and for the city; however, raising

taxes should be out of the question."

"We never should have been

denied these funds to begin with,"

stated McDonald. "The opportunity

to reinvest in our local communities

is what will continue to make

Saratoga Springs and Saratoga

County a successful place to live

and raise a family."

R-E-S-P-E-C-T

Mr. Crotty and Mrs. Rushinski's fifth grade class at StillwaterElementary School learns the importance of building characterand strong leadership skills. The class was presented with a ban-ner from Rich Johns’ organization, Act With Respect Always, fortheir participation.

“April Showers” benefit for Estherville Animal ShelterSaturday, April 2, 2011, from noon to 4 pm at Hyatt Place, 20 State

Farm Place in Malta, NY. This event is being catered by Longfellows!

Price is $30 per person and includes 1 Bingo card. After lunch, look

forward to 50/50 raffle, Bingo, raffle baskets and a banana game! For

reservations, contact Barb Kerker at (518) 882-5562 or

[email protected]. Make checks payable to Estherville Animal

Shelter, c/o Barb Kerker, 1556 Division Street, West Charlton, NY

12020. See you there!

Page 8: Saratoga Today Newspaper March 25th 2011

SARATOGA

TODAYFriday, March 25, 20118 BUSINESS

Local Business NewsDUO to celebrate grandopening

DUO, the Asian-fusion restaurant

located at 175 South Broadway in

Saratoga Springs, will host its grand

opening celebration on Tuesday

March 29.

Reinventing the former location of

Shanghei Grill, DUO chef Wilfred

Jung introduces a unique menu and

concept to downtown Saratoga

Springs.

Mixing elements of Japanese,

French and Italian cuisine, the DUO

menu is both varied and exquisite,

featuring delightful dishes like sushi,

sashimi, lobster or mushroom black

risotto, seared pepper tuna, and a vari-

ety of desserts.

"Only the freshest and highest

quality ingredients and wield them to

produce original and edgy dishes that

retain the essence of traditional

Japanese fare."

For more information about this

exciting new addition to the local

restaurant scene, call (518) 580-8881

or visit www.duo-japanese.com.

Mama Mia's bakery opens onRoute 50

After months of anticipation,

Mama Mia's pastry cafe, the sweet

companion to Mama Mia's Pizzeria,

is open for business. Located next-

door to the original Italian eatery in

the Route 50 Price Chopper Plaza in

Saratoga Springs, the new café menu

Local representativereceives industry honor

Wealth Management Advisor

Charles E. Martin, a financial rep-

resentative with Wealth

Management Company of

Northwestern Mutual Financial

Network, qualified for life mem-

bership in the Million Dollar

Roundtable (MDRT), an interna-

tional, independent association of

nearly 19,000 leading life insur-

ance producers.

MDRT is a coveted career mile-

stone that indicates sales and serv-

ice achievement and is a highly

recognized mark of excellence for

life underwriters. Members must

meet strict ethical and production

requirements to qualify. Martin

has been associated with

Northwestern Mutual since 1983.

As Wealth Management Advisor,

he provides expert guidance and

innovative solutions for a variety

of financial needs and goals. He

has also earned the CFP,

CLU,ChFC and CLTC.

Further information can be

found at www.northwesternmutu-

al.com.

Advisor earns philanthropy designation

Charles M. Joseph, financial

advisor with Janney Montgomery

Scott in Saratoga Springs, has

earned the Chartered Advisor in

Philanthropy (CAP) professional

designation.

The CAP program provides pro-

fessionals in the nonprofit and

financial services fields that work

with individuals and families in

the development and implementa-

tion of philanthropic programs

while also helping them meet their

estate planning and wealth man-

agement goals.

CAP graduates are uniquely

qualified to help charitable organi-

zations achieve long-term finan-

cial success. In addition, profes-

sionals that have earned the

Chartered Advisor in Philanthropy

designation help donors improve

their communities by maximizing

the effective application of their

financial resources. Over 500 indi-

viduals have been awarded the

CAP designation since its incep-

tion in 2003.

Throughout his nearly 30-year

career, Charles has helped

investors preserve, manage and

grow their wealth in order to meet

their short and long-term objec-

tives. Charles shows a true pas-

sion for helping his clients succeed

with their investments; he has been

quoted saying "The best part of my

business is my clients."

Saratoga Casino and Raceway honorsteam members with $2,500

Saratoga Casino

and Raceway

recently recog-

nized four staff

members for their

superior perform-

ance during the

annual "team

member and super-

visor of the yearly

dinner.

Rich Valmore,

Joan Cummings,

Donna Walker and

Bill Yund were

awarded a com-

memorative plaque

and a $2,500 check on Tuesday, March 8 at Fortunes Restaurant,

while over 100 guests applauded their accomplishments.

Each year, a winner for "supervisor of the year" and "team member

of the year" is chosen from both the front and back of house.

Photo provided

Donna Walker accepts a $2,500 award forteam member of the year.

Financial professionalsearn industry honors

boasts an array of delicious home-

made treats, including pastries and

treats, along with Italian coffee and

espresso, and bar drinks including

beer and wine. For more information

about the newly opened café, call

Mama Mia's at (518) 583-7783.

AGGIE updateThe downtown landscape is chang-

ing: AGGIE, a well-known upscale

Saratoga Springs boutique, will close

it's doors on Sunday, March 27 and

reopen in a few weeks with a whole

new look.

AGGIE business partners Aggie

Mullaney and Beth Harr, who

stocked and ran the boutique together

at 454 Broadway, have decided (ami-

cably) to part ways and begin two

separate ventures in Saratoga

Springs.

In an e-mail blast sent out last

week, Beth announced that she is

leasing and renovating the "old

Violet's space" at 482 Broadway and

will be opening her new retail

endeavor, Encounter on Friday, April

1. She will continue to carry many of

the upscale designers sold at

AGGIES, but plans to throw new

lines and menswear into the mix.

Aggie, who has owned AGGIE for

more than 27 years, will spend the

next few weeks revamping and

preparing her landmark shop for the

next phase in fashion.

Stay tuned for more information

about AGGIE and Encounter.

Page 9: Saratoga Today Newspaper March 25th 2011

SARATOGA

TODAY Friday, March 25, 2011 9Posie Peddler re-opens on West Ave

MarkBolles.com • Saratoga Today

Gretchen is thrilled about re-opening Posie Peddler on West

Avenue in Saratoga Springs

Posie Peddler is officially open for

business at 92 West Avenue in

Saratoga Springs. The local florist,

which was previously located in

Congress Plaza, celebrated its grand

re-opening on March 14.

Business owners Gretchen Shrade

and Jim Squires are thrilled about

their new location and look forward

to welcoming new customers.

"We love it," Gretchen said. "It's

such a quaint space; it has character

and personality, and the big, open

windows are great."

Although Gretchen and Jim stayed

true to Posie Peddler tradition when

designing their new shop, working

with a space that is 700 square-feet

smaller than their previous location

forced them to be a bit creative.

"The way we're set up now is a lit-

tle different," Gretchen said, explain-

ing how the floor plan integrates

showroom and work space. "Our

customers can actually see and inter-

act with the designers at work;

they're not hiding in the back room."

The owners are also considering

extending their business hours in the

future to better accommodate their

customers, specifically commuters

who make the trek from Saratoga

Springs to places as far away as

Albany. Another possibility is rein-

troducing Sunday hours in the spring

and summer.

In the meantime, Posie Peddler

welcomes the community to stop in

and experience the new shop, which

is open Monday through Saturday

from 8 am to 6 pm at 92 West Ave.

"It was quite a project, but we

accomplished it with lots of help,"

she said. "I want to thank our cus-

tomers for being patient while we got

through it and our friends who

helped us move everything."

For more information about Posie

Peddler, call (518) 587-8273 or visit

www.floristsaratogasprings.com.

Saratoga Hospital ServiceStar of the Year

Saratoga Hospital has named

Marlana Putman, a cashier in

Nutritional Services, as its Service

Star of the Year for 2010. Marlana is a

Saratoga Springs resident who has

been a dedicated employee since

2003. She was selected from the

twelve employees who were Service

Stars in 2010. Other monthly Service

Stars were Ann Bates, Don Clary,

Karen Donworth, Joyce Eichorst,

Debra Daniele, Lisa Foster, Jeremy

Heisey, Erna Hembling, Rabin

Kayastha, Jeanne Leonard and

Deb Price.

Marlana received a framed certifi-

cate, flowers and a check at a recep-

tion at the Golf and Polo Club, at

which time all Service Stars of 2010

were honored. An additional special

treat for Marlana was a limousine ride

to work the morning of a hospital-

wide reception.

Rockabella hosts grand re-opening party!

Rockabella is celebrating five years

in business at its new 10 Lake Avenue

location in downtown Saratoga

Springs.

Customers and community mem-

bers are invited to join the celebration

and enjoy a night of fashion and fun

festivities on Saturday, March 26 from

6 to 8 pm. Guests will receive a com-

plimentary Rockabella tank-top in

either pink or black with any purchase.

The party will feature a fabulous

fashion show featuring designs spe-

cially created for Rockabella by local

designer Katie Pray, plus the latest

prom, social and bridesmaid styles.

Mary Shimp will offer tarot readings

and Anne-Marie Flores will host a

makeup station. The event will also

include delicious treats from Phila

Fusion and cupcakes by Lisette

Flores. A dollar raffle with exciting

prizes from local businesses will add

to the celebration, with all proceeds

going to Domestic Violence and Rape

Crisis Services of Saratoga County.

For more information, visit

www.rockabella-ny.com or call

(518) 581-8386.

IMC celebrates 15th anniversary

Interactive Media Consulting

(IMC), a Saratoga Springs website

development firm, is celebrating its

15th year in business.

"For 15 years, my employees and I

have built this business by serving

hundreds of local and regional organi-

zations, both large and small," said

IMC owner Beth Moeller.

briefs

Taylor C. Wells, an administrator with over

25 years of experience leading art and cultural

institutions, has been appointed Executive

Director of the Saratoga Automobile Museum

in Saratoga Springs. Mr. Wells began his duties

February 1, 2011.

"I'm thrilled to be joining the Saratoga

Automobile Museum and working with our many members and guests to

maximize the potential of this very special Museum," he said. "I look for-

ward to making Saratoga Springs my new professional and personal home."

He succeeds Jean Hoffman, who has served as the SAM's Board Chair and

Executive Director since February 2008. "Jean has done a terrific dual job of

stabilizing the Museum's finances and operating systems in a time of transi-

tion," said Wells. "I am delighted to succeed Jean, and we all are grateful

beneficiaries of her service."

Auto Museum appoints Executive Director

BUSINESS

Page 10: Saratoga Today Newspaper March 25th 2011

SARATOGA

TODAYFriday, March 25, 201110

well - that's where Rebuilding

Together of Saratoga County

comes into play.

"What we do is we offer free

home repairs to homeowners who

are elderly, disabled, low income or

a veteran," said Michelle Larkin,

the executive director for Saratoga

County's Rebuilding Together.

"The average income for the area is

listed as being $75,000. The aver-

age income of the folks we've

helped in 2010 was about $17,000.

They're people who don't have a lot

of wiggle room there."

The non-profit organization has

come a long way since Larkin first

helped to establish the local chapter

back in November of 2003, when

only 35 community volunteers

showed up and agreed to play a role

in Rebuilding Together. In the

spring of 2004, the organization

was able to gather up 100 volun-

teers to complete 6 different proj-

ects. Fast forward six years to

2010, where over 600 volunteers

signed up to work on 75 different

projects. No doubt about it,

Rebuilding Saratoga has grown -

but even still, this winter the organ-

ization has seen a record number of

requests for its services.

"This winter has been exception-

ally nasty and people are struggling

a lot more, so we are getting many

more calls. I know that right now

we're working with a number of

around 120 requests," said Larkin,

which is roughly a 60 percent

increase over the previous year.

"Now, that might not seem huge to

you, but if you were on that list of

120, it would be huge."

Despite dealing with the highest

level of demand the organization

has seen since its inception, Larkin

and crew are boldly moving for-

ward with the help of community

volunteers and in concert with

commercial partnerships to address

the region’s growing need for

assistance.

"To me, it's neighbors helping

neighbors. It's a way to get down

and dirty and to really make a dif-

ference where you're showing the

homeowner that, for one, their

community cares about them. And

corporate sponsors like Allerdice,

Curtis Lumber, Adirondack Trust

and Sears provide their support

because they want their community

to benefit too. They want to be a

part of that," said Larkin.

Finding that sense of community

and purpose for junior board mem-

ber Paul von Schenk was precisely

the reason he joined the organiza-

tion shortly after moving upstate

from New York City.

"One of the reasons I left New

York was to really feel more a part

of a community, and to feel like the

work that I was doing was actually

having an impact and reaching peo-

ple that could feel the difference. I

didn't get that sense being in a big

city like New York," said von

Schenk. "That's what's great about

Rebuilding Together is you literally

use physical materials to rehab a

house, to make something livable

again for someone who doesn't

have the means or the resources to

do it. It seemed like a neat way to

reconnect and to do something

meaningful really in a visible way."

As the organization readies to

take on as many projects as it can

handle, Rebuilding Saratoga is put-

ting out the call to its community.

"We're always looking for bodies

- just having people on the site that

are willing to help and who have a

good attitude," said von Schenk.

"So any and all volunteers are

always appreciated, but especially

ones that have any kind of contrac-

tor or artisan skill sets."

"There's a lot to be done on site,

even for the unskilled folks," rein-

forced Larkin, who stressed that

Rebuilding Saratoga works with all

of its volunteers to find the most

effective use of their time and tal-

ents. "Plumbers, electricians, car-

penters - people with those kinds of

skill sets are also really important,"

she continued.

To learn more about Rebuilding

Together, visit their website at

www.rebuildingtogethersaratoga.or

g, where interested parties can

make a donation to the organiza-

tion, sign up to volunteer their

time, or request assistance for

home repairs. You may also contact

the organization via phone at

(518) 695-3315.

continued from Page 1

Rebuilding Saratoga

RebuildingTogether

www.rebuilding-togethersaratoga.org(518) 695-3315

Spring WorkDays: April 16, 30May 1, 7, 14, 15

photo provided

Volunteers work to rebuild a roof with Rebuilding Together.

Page 11: Saratoga Today Newspaper March 25th 2011

SARATOGA

TODAY Friday, March 25, 2011 11

continued from Page 1

Nicole Messier Locals step up to assistJapan in relief efforts

Park native was receiving requests

from companies in California,

Boston, New York City and the

Capital Region.

What started on a whim, and in

her home office, quickly trans-

formed into Portfolio PR Group - a

national, soon to be international,

operation that has doubled its rev-

enue in the past six months alone.

Headquartered on the lofty third

floor of 360 Broadway, with a full-

time staff of six (and counting), the

public relations agency specializes

in tech companies, covering mar-

kets such as mobile apps, IT

infrastructure, enterprise

software, semiconductors and

nanotechnology.

Nicole and her staff work with

start-up to mid-size enterprises,

including fast-growing local com-

panies like Apprenda, Kitware,

SiGNa Chemistry, Adyen,

TheInfoPro, Operation UpCycle

and ThoughtBus, that are building

the regional climate for supporting

major tech-sector growth.

For Nicole, continuing her suc-

cess is not about how big the firm

becomes, but who Portoflio PR

Group can work with: "Our goal is

to represent the best in tech," she

said.

Portfolio recently began reaching

outside of the tech industry, and

acquired its first consumer client,

Mechanicville's DeCrescente

Distributing Co.

"Tech is the bread and butter, but

I try to have a good, diverse mix,"

she said, pointing to Kogeto, anoth-

er major consumer client.

With repeated success in secur-

ing headlines for her clients in

major publications like the New

York Times and Wall Street

Journal, and hitting an average of

30 national media outlets each

month, Nicole's brand is growing

and so is the spotlight on our

region's tech industry.

"My personal passion is building

awareness for tech [industry] here,"

she said. "I want to help support the

county I grew up in."

Nicole is boosting tech valley

every time Portfolio PR Group is

able to highlight a local company

like Kitware on the national scene

or place an article like Alexander

Hotz's December 2010 Wall Street

Journal piece, "Is Eastern New

York Becoming a Hot Spot for

Tech?"

It certainly doesn't hurt that her

blog www.101to87.com, the lead-

ing Capital Region tech forum, gets

more than 580 hits a week.

"Reaching a wider audience

means introducing new brands and

all of that can trickle down to cre-

ate jobs so young people can stay in

the area," she said - perhaps refer-

ring to Ella, her three-and-a-half-

year-old daughter who is already

quite tech savvy and a stand-out

student at Saratoga Independent

School.

"I live and breathe Saratoga

every day - to be able to work two

miles from home is to have a great

quality of life, and we'll do any-

thing we can as a company to sup-

port that," she said. "The more we

promote the area, the better the

quality of life we can provide for

ourselves."

So how did an unemployed sin-

gle mother worried about forgoing

her daughter's healthcare get to the

point in her career where she can

stop thinking about "getting by"

and focus on bettering her

community?

She was resourceful, tactful and

never once considered giving up.

"It's about having the ability to

realize you can make your own

world happen," she said.

With only a few years in business

under her belt, Nicole is already

looking back on the growing suc-

cess of Portfolio PR Group, seeing

her name in the Business Review's

40 Under 40 and being highlighted

as "PR Person to Watch" in 2009 -

you could say she's made it happen.

So, as the nearly month-long

Saratoga Women's Fest celebration

comes to a close and the calendar

flips away from March (women's

history month), make sure you give

yourself the chance to succeed.

And if what Nicole refers to as

the 'ah-ha' moment never comes,

you're sure to make it as long as

you can "find humor in your mis-

takes and life lessons in your

experiences."

Skip Zimmerman was absolutely

shocked as he watched an 8.9 mag-

nitude earthquake and the subse-

quent tsunami tear through Japan's

countryside on the morning of

March 11.

"I was just as horrified as every-

body else is to watch that," said

Zimmerman, the regional director of

volunteer and community services

for the Red Cross. "When you see

that black, brown water, that 30 feet

of water moving across farm land

carrying a village with it… cars on

top of buildings, buildings moving

down river," Zimmerman paused. "I

mean, we were horrified."

Two weeks later, Japan continues

to sift through the rubble and

destruction, the death toll well above

10,000 and climbing. Meanwhile, a

nuclear power plant damaged by the

disaster teeters on the brink of a

nuclear meltdown.

It is a tragedy that has caught the

attention of the entire world, leaving

many residents in the local region

wondering what they can do to help

the situation.

"I think the major thing at this

point is we're starting to seek finan-

cial contributions from folks in the

community," said Zimmerman. "But

the disaster, quite frankly, is still

unfolding. Body counts are still

being totaled, and the whole nuclear

side of things is unfolding as we

speak. So as people are moving

around and being evacuated, those

needs should become more and

more apparent, and the Red Cross in

Japan will know what its needs are."

Japan and the Japanese Red Cross

is fortunate, said Zimmerman,

because of the excellent resources

and vast experience with disaster

relief the organization has. But even

still, the scope of the disaster is sim-

ply too large for one organization to

tackle.

"The Japanese Red Cross has

indicated to us that they would

appreciate contributions," said

Zimmerman. "What we're asking

people to do now is to consider

making those contributions."

Donations to the Red Cross can

be made in three ways: first, by

visiting their website, www.red-

cross.org, where a contribution of

any size can be made; second, by

calling the organization at 1-800-

RED-CROSS; or by texting

"Redcross" to 90999, which auto-

matically sends a $10 donation to

the organization that will appear on

your phone bill.

On Friday, March 25, Skidmore

College students will be hosting a

candlelight vigil in honor of those

who have suffered or been touched

by the disaster in Japan. The vigil

will take place at 5 pm outside of

the Case Center. Members of the

Asian Cultural Awareness club and

Nihongo (Skidmore's Japanese

club) will be present to help those

attending construct paper cranes

and light candles to mourn the

tragedy.

The community is welcome to

attend the event.

Several community businesses

have also taken to the cause,

including Purdy's Discount Wine

in Saratoga Springs, which well be

donating the proceeds off of cer-

tain bottles of wine to the effort.

by Daniel Schechtman

Saratoga TODAY

Page 12: Saratoga Today Newspaper March 25th 2011

Please contact

Robin Mitchell for any

copy changes:

(518) 581-2480x 208

rmitchell@

saratogapublishing.com

Places of Worship

Adirondack Christian Fellowship

8 Mountain Ledge, Wilton

Contact: (518) 587-0623;

www.acfsaratoga.com

Services: Sunday 8AM & 10 AM

The Alliance Church257 Rowland St.,

Ballston Spa

Contact: 885-6524.

Services: Morning worship 10:30

Assembly of God Faith Chapel

Rev. Jason Proctor

6 Burgoyne St., Schuylerville

Contact: 695-6069

Services: Sunday 10:45 a.m.

Baha’i Community of Saratoga Springs

Contact: 584-9679;

692-7694; www.usbnc.org.

Ballston Center AssociateReformed Presbyterian Church

58 Charlton Road,

Ballston Spa

Contact: 885-7312;

www.ballstoncenter

arpchurch.org

Services: Sunday Worship

service, 10:30am.

Ballston Spa United Methodist Church

101 Milton Ave.

Contact: 885-6886.

Services: Sunday 10:00 a.m.

Bethesda Episcopal Church

41 Washington St.,

Saratoga Springs

Contact: 584-5980.

Services: Sunday, 6:30,

8, 10 a.m.

Church of Christ at Clifton Park

7 Old Route 146, Clifton Park

Contact: 371-6611,

www.cliftonparkchurch

ofchrist.com

Services: Sunday 10:30 a.m.

Christ Community Reformed Church

1010 Route 146, Clifton Park

Contact: 371-7654;

www.ccrc-cpny.org.

Services: Sundays 9:15 & 11 a.m.

Christ Episcopal ChurchCorner of Routes 50 and 67,

Ballston Spa

Contact: 885-1031.

Services: Sunday 8, 10 a.m.

Congregation Shaara Tfille

84 Weibel Avenue,

Saratoga Springs

Contact: 584-2370.

Services: Saturday 9:00 a.m.;

3rd Friday 7:30 pm.

Handicapped Accessible

Corinth Free Methodist Church

8 Mountain Ledge, Wilton

Contact: (518) 587-0623;

www.acfsaratoga.com

Services: Sunday 8AM &

10 AM

Corinth United Methodist Church

243 Main Street, Corinth

Contact: 654-2521;

[email protected]

Services: Sunday 10:30 a.m.

Eastern Orthodox - Christ the Savior

349 Eastline Road,

Ballston Spa

Contact: 786-3100;

[email protected].

Services: Sunday: 9:15 a.m.

First Baptist Church45 Washington St.,

Saratoga Springs

Contact: 584-6301.

Services: Sunday: 11:00 a.m.

First BaptistChurch of Ballston Spa

202 Milton Ave. (Rt. 50),

Ballston Spa

Contact: 885-8361;

www.fbcballstonspa.org

Services: 10:15 a.m.

First Presbyterian Church of Ballston Spa

22 West High Street

Ballston Spa, NY

Contact: 885-5583

Services: Sunday at 10:00 a.m.

Grace Brethren ChurchRev. Dan Pierce

137 W. Milton Road,

Ballston Spa

Contact: 587- 0649

Services: Sunday 10 a.m.

Handicapped accessible.

Greater Grace Community Church

Pastor David Moore

43 Round Lake Rd.

Ballston Lake

(Malta Mall)

Contact: 899-7777;

www.ggcc-malta.org

Services: Sunday 10 a.m.

Highway Tabernacle Church

90 River Road, Mechanicville

Contact: 664- 4442.

Services: Sunday 10:30 a.m.

Hope Church206 Greenfield Avenue,

Ballston Spa

Contact: 885-7442.

Services: Sunday 10 a.m.

Jonesville United Methodist

963 Main St., Clifton Park

Contact: 877-7332.

Services: Sunday 8:30 a.m. &

10:30 a..m. Sunday School 9:30

a.m.

Living Springs Community Church

59 Pine Road, Saratoga Springs

Contact: 584- 9112.

Services: Sunday 10:30 a.m.

Living Waters Church of God

4330 State Rt. 50,

Saratoga Springs

Contact: 587-0484;

www.livingwaterscog.us

Services: Sundays 10 a.m.

Malta Presbyterian Church

Dunning Street, Malta

Contact: 899-5992.

Services: Sunday 10 a.m.

Malta Ridge United Methodist Church

729 Malta Avenue Ext., Malta

Contact: 581-0210.

Services: Sunday 10 a.m.

Middle Grove United MethodistChurch

Pastor Bonnie Bates

429 Middle Grove Rd.,

Middle Grove

Contact: 518-581-2973

Services: Sunday 9:00 a.m.

Handicapped accessible

New Horizon Church150 Perry Road,

Saratoga Springs

Contact: 587-0711.

Services: Sunday 9:30 a.m.

New Life Fellowship51 Old Gick Road,

Saratoga Springs, NY 12866

Contact: 518-580-1810;

http://www.newlifeinsaratoga.org.

Services: Sunday 10:30am -

12:00pm

Childcare is available at all servic-

es.

NorthStar ChurchShenendehowa High School,

West Auditorium,

Clifton Park

Contact: 371-2811;

www.northstarchurch.com.

Services: Sunday: 10 a.m.

Old Saratoga Reformed Church

48 Pearl St., Schuylerville

Contact: www.oldsaratoga-

reformedchurch.org

Services: Sunday at 10:30am.

Handicapped accessable.

Presbyterian- NE Congregational Church

24 Circular St.,

Saratoga Springs

Contact: 584-6091;

www.pnecc.org

Services: Sunday 10:45 a.m.

Quaker Springs United Methodist Church

Pastor Jim Knapp

466 Route 32 South, Quaker

Springs

Contact: 695-3101;

www.qsumc.com

Services: Sundays 9 a.m.

Handicapped accessible.

River of Hope Fellowship100 Saratoga Village Blvd.

Malta Commons, Suite 3

Malta, NY 12020

Contact: 881-1505;

www.riverofhope

fellowship.com

Services: Sunday 10:00 a.m.

Roman Catholic Church of St. Peter

241 Broadway,

Saratoga Springs

Contact: 584-2375.

Services: Eucharistic Celebrations:

Saturday 5 p.m.; Sunday 7:30,

9 and 11 a.m.

St. Clement’s Roman Catholic Church

231 Lake Avenue,

Saratoga Springs

Contact: 584-6122.

Services: Saturday 4 p.m.; Sunday

8, 9:30, 11:15 a.m.

and 5 p.m.

St. George's Episcopal Church

912 Route 146, Clifton Park

Contact: 371-6351;

[email protected]

Services: Saturday at 4:30pm,

Sunday at 8 & 9:30am

St. Joseph's Roman Catholic Church

3159 Route 9N,

Greenfield Center

Contact: (518) 893-7680;

[email protected];

www.rcda.org/churches/

St.JosephsChurch

Services: Saturday 4:00 p.m.;

Sunday 10:30 a.m. Handicapped

accessible.

St. Paul’s Roman Catholic Church

771 Route 29,

Rock City Falls

Contact: (518) 893-7680;

[email protected];

www.rcda.org/churches/

St.JosephsChurch

Services: Sunday Mass

8:30 a.m.

St. Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

149 Lake Avenue,

Saratoga Springs

Contact: 584-0904.

Services: Saturday evening

at 5 p.m. with Holy Communion.

Sundays at 8:30 and 11 a.m.

with Holy Communion.

St. Peter Lutheran Church

2776 Route 9, Malta

Contact: 583-4153

Services: Sunday mornings

8:30 and 10:30.

St. Thomas of Canterbury242 Grooms Road, Halfmoon

Contact: st-thomas-of-

canterbury.org

Service: Sunday at 10am

Saratoga AbundantLife Church

2325 Route 50 South,

Saratoga Springs

Contact: 885-5456;

www.saratogaabundantlife.org

Services: Sunday 9:30 a.m.

Saratoga Chabad130 Circular St.,

Saratoga Springs

Contact: 526-0773;

[email protected]

www.saratogachabad.com

Saratoga Friends Meeting(Quaker)

Corner of Routes 32 and 71,

Quaker Springs

SARATOGA

TODAYFriday, March 25, 201112 RREELLIIGGIIOONN

Page 13: Saratoga Today Newspaper March 25th 2011

SARATOGA

TODAY Friday, March 25, 201113

Contact: 587-7477;

399-5013.

Services: Sunday 10 a.m.

Saratoga Independent Church

New Location:

Knights of Colombus

Pine Rd., Saratoga Springs

Contact: 306-4652;

[email protected].

Services: Sunday 9:30 a.m.

Food Pantry Tuesday 9-11 @ KoC

Saratoga United Methodist Church

Henning Road at Fifth Avenue,

Saratoga Springs

Contact: 584-3720;

www.saratogaumc.com.

Services: Sunday 9 and 10:45 a.m.

Handicapped accessible.

ShenendehowaUnited Methodist

971 Route 146, Clifton Park

Contact: 371-7964.

Services: Sunday 7:45,

9 and 10:45 a.m.; Acts II

Contempory 10:45 a.m.

Simpson United Methodist Church

Rock City Road,

Rock City Falls

Contact: 885-4794.

Services: Sunday 10:45 a.m.

Soul Saving Station for EveryNation Christ Crusaders ofAmerica

62 Henry Street,

Saratoga Springs

Contact: 584-3122

Services: Sunday 10am &

6:30 pm

Temple Sinai509 Broadway,

Saratoga Springs

Contact: 584-8730.

Services: Friday 8 p.m.

Handicapped accessible

Trinity United Methodist Church

Rev. Gail Falsetti-Pastor

155 Ballard Rd., Gansevoort

Contact: 584-9107;

www.tumcwilton.com

Service: Sunday 10:00 a.m.

Unitarian Universalist

Congregation of SaratogaSprings

624 North Broadway,

Saratoga Springs

Contact: 584-1555;

www.saratoga-uu.org

Services: 10 am

Religious education and nursery

care at the 10 am service each

Sunday

Unity Church in Albany21 King Avenue, Albany

Contact: (518) 453-3603:

Services: Sunday, 9 am and 11 am

West Charlton UnitedPresbyterian Church

Rev. Thomas Gregg, Pastor

1331 Sacandaga Rd.,

West Charlton

Contact: 882-9874;

www.westcharltonupc.org

Services: Sunday 10:30

Wilton Baptist Church755 Saratoga Rd, Wilton

Contact: 518-583-2736;

[email protected];

www.wiltonbaptistchurch.com

Services: Sunday Service 11 a.m.

Alcoholics AnonymousSaratoga Springs(518) 587-0407

Alzheimer’s AssociationGlens Falls(518) 793-5863

Gamblers AnonymousSaratoga/Albany(518) 292-0414

Narcotics AnonymousSaratoga/Albany(518) 448-6350

Overeaters AnonymousSaratoga Springs(518) 584-8730

Sexaholics AnonymousSaratoga Springs(518) 964-6292

AIDS Council of Northeastern New YorkGlens Falls(518) 743-0703

Shelters of SaratogaSaratoga Springs(518) 587-1097

Domestic Violence andRape Crisis of SaratogaCountySaratoga Springs(518) 583-0280Hotline 584-8188

Saratoga Center for the FamilyAll aspects of family counselingSaratoga Springs(518) 587-8008

Saratoga CountyAlcoholism ServicesSaratoga Springs(518) 587-8800

St. Peter’s AddictionRecovery CenterBallston Spa(518) 885-6884

Franklin Community Center Food Pantry & Free Furniture Program(518) 587-9826101 Washington Street(Food Pantry Mon-Fri, 8 am- 4 pm; free clothing/furnature Wed, Thurs, & Fri, 11 am-2 pm)

HELPDirectorySelf

RREELLIIGGIIOONN

Page 14: Saratoga Today Newspaper March 25th 2011

SARATOGA

TODAYFriday, March 25, 2011

Classroom Corner-Collision Repair Technology: 3rd

Place, Anthony Gotte, Queensbury

-Cosmetology, Jr.: 2nd Place,

Nathan Nolin, South Glens Falls

-Criminal Justice: 1st Place, Alissa

Mastropietro, Stillwater

-Culinary Arts: 1st Place, Michael

Swift, Saratoga Springs

-Diesel Repair Technology: 2nd

Place, Evan Crabbe, Burnt Hills-

Ballston Lake; 3rd, Dean Pitts,

Galway

-Extemporaneous Speaking: 3rd

Place, Walter Hatz,

Waterford/Halfmoon

-Floral Design: 2nd Place, Sarah

Osborne, Saratoga Springs

-Food and Beverage Service: 1st

Place, Alexandra Tibbatts, Saratoga

Springs; 2nd, Kyle Muller, Saratoga

Springs

-HVAC: 1st Place, Steve Orologio,

Stillwater; 3rd, Alex Lambert,

Hudson Falls

-Job Interview: 2nd Place, Tyler

Couse, Schuylerville

-Job Skills Demonstration: 3rd

Place, Michael Marzello, Corinth

-Networking: 2nd Place, Zach Gill,

Saratoga Springs

-Nurse Assistant: 2nd Place,

Lenaye Gregoire, South Glens Falls;

3rd, Danielle Conley, Schuylerville

-Photography: 2nd Place, Michaela

Cappabinca, Mechanicville

-Prepared Speech: 3rd Place,

Rebecca Strevy, Galway

-Preschool Teaching Assistant: 3rd

Place, Michaela Bowers, Saratoga

Springs

-Promotional Bulletin Board: 2nd

Place, Emily Corbett and Breanna

Toleman, Mechanicville

-Welding: 3rd Place, Jillian

Peacock, Schuylerville

Spanish Night at SaratogaSprings High School

Students will present Spanish

Night, an evening of song, dance and

drama, at Saratoga Springs High

School on Wednesday, April 13 from

7 to 8:30 pm in the auditorium. The

event, also known as "Tradiciones,"

will feature performances of Cha cha,

Salsa, Merengue, Conga, Reggaeton,

Flamenco, Bomba, regional dances,

vocal performances and cultural skits.

All lovers of Hispanic culture and

language, as well as friends and fam-

ilies of Spanish students, are invited

to attend the free program.

Students win at regionalSkillsUSA competition, headto states

A total of 39 students from the F.

Donald Myers Education Center of

the WSWHE BOCES placed in the

regional SkillsUSA competition. The

top competitors will head on to States

in Syracuse on April 14.

The regional competition pitted the

top winners from local competitions

from eight technical schools from

northeastern New York. Here are the

winners from the Myers Center:

-Action Skills/Job Skills: 1st Place:

Joseph Maletestra, Schuylerville;

2nd, Mason Hosier, Ballston Spa

-Auto Mechanics Technology: 1st

Place, Salvatore Lomonaco,

Stillwater

-Basic Vehicle Maintenance (Auto

Service CSE): 2nd Place, Brandon

Salvi, Stillwater

-Carpenter's Assistant (CSE): 3rd

Place, Alberto Biasivcci, Burnt

Hills/Ballston Lake

Photo provided

Front: Bridget Naughton, Peter Francomano, Nico Parisi; Middle: ChloeEthier, Parker Johnson, John Case,Emily Francomano: Back: DennisOstrowski ( Assistant Principal/IT Instructor), Mark McCoy.

Two teams representing

Saratoga Central Catholic's sev-

enth and eighth grade classes

received top awards in the annual

regional Future City Competition

sponsored by the National

Engineer Association.

The students were tasked with

designing a city to scale in

SimCity using urban planning

concepts and recyclable materi-

als. A 1,000-word research essay

was also a requirement.

Both groups presented their

model to two separate panels of

judges at the competition.Nico

Parisi, Peter Francomano, Chloe

Ethier and Bridget Naughton rep-

resented the seventh grade and

won an award for "best urban

design accommodating people

with disabilities."

Emily Francomano, Mark

McCoy, Parker Johnson and John

Case represented the eighth grade

and won an award for "best sus-

tainable mass transit system."

District recognized for signifi-

cant gains in Advanced

Placement Access and student

performance

Ballston Spa Central School

District was selected as one of 388

school districts in the nation being

honored by the College Board.

Ballston Spa was the only district

in the Capital Region awarded a

place on the AP Achievement List

for opening AP classroom doors to

a significantly broader pool of stu-

dents, while maintaining the per-

centage of students earning scores

of 3 or higher.

"We are once again honored to

receive national recognition for the

work we are doing to support stu-

dent achievement," said

Superintendent of Schools Joseph

P. Dragone, Ph.D., pointing to the

district's pending International

Baccalaureate acceptance and new

clean technologies and sustainable

industries course offerings as simi-

lar examples of Ballston Spa's

unparalleled educational programs

for students.

"This award affirms our support

of the AP program and provides

incentive for our continual efforts

to develop the strongest academic

opportunities for our students as we

move forward with district initia-

tives," he said.

The AP Achievement List is

made up of all school districts that

are simultaneously expanding

opportunity and improving per-

formance. The list includes 388

school districts representing 43

states.

"Participation in college-level

AP courses can level the playing

field for underserved students,

give them the confidence needed

to succeed in college, and raise

standards and performance in key

subjects like science and math,"

said College Board President

Gaston Caperton. "The AP

Achievement List districts are

defying expectations by expand-

ing access while enabling their

students to maintain or improve

their AP Exam scores."

"These districts are living proof

that when access to AP is provided

for the range and breadth of pre-

pared and motivated students, dis-

tricts can achieve even higher

learning outcomes for their stu-

dents - and the opportunity for so

many more to earn college credit

and placement - than when AP

opportunities were restricted to a

smaller segment of the high school

population," said Trevor Packer,

vice president of the College

Board's Advanced Placement

Program.

Additional information on the

Ballston Spa Central School

District is available at

www.bscsd.org. The complete AP

Achievement List can be found

online at www.collegeboard.com.

Ballston Spa ranked fornational AP achievement SCC teams present top designs in

Future City Competition

EEDDUUCCAATTIIOONN14

Page 15: Saratoga Today Newspaper March 25th 2011

SARATOGA

TODAY Friday, March 25, 2011 15

This Week’s SpotlightWilton

Recreation

Wilton Recreation offers a

full-day summer camp pro-

gram for children in grades

one through nine. With avail-

able pre-camp and post-camp

care, working parents can

ensure their children are hav-

ing fun in a safe environment

before and after the camp’s

regular 9 am to 3 pm hours.

Parents who register their chil-

dren for before and after camp

care can drop off their children

prior to camp opening at 8:30

am and can pick them up at

5:30 pm Bussing is available

for Wilton residents who regis-

ter for regular camp hours (9

am to 3 pm).

Wilton Recreation Camp

offers a full schedule of daily

onsite activities, themed

events, and exciting trips for

kids who register for off-site

Summer CampDirectory

adventures. Daily on-site activi-

ties include arts and crafts, sports,

playground fun, and other organ-

ized group games. This year’s

scheduled field trips include:

Million Dollar Beach in Lake

George, movie days at Proctors

Theater, Saratoga County Fair,

bowling, white water rafting, and

at least two swimming days per

week at Peerless Pool.

The Summer 2011 camp will

open on June 27 and run until

August 12. Registration begins

March 14 at Gavin Park and will

close on June 3. As there are only

300 spaces available, be sure to

mark your calendar! Camp regis-

tration forms are available online

at www.townofwilton.com, or can

be picked up, weekdays, at Gavin

Park 9 am to 5 pm. For any other

questions, please call the park

office at (518) 584-9455.

Page 17: Saratoga Today Newspaper March 25th 2011

Anne’scorner

FREE

SARATOGA

TODAYFriday, March 25, 201118 ANNE’S CORNER Toothfairy

The tooth fairy club issponsored by:

659 Saratoga Rd.Gansevoort, NY 12831

(518) 226-6010

the

club

Take a look

at this week’s

new club members

Killian

Grace

Riley

Tazrine

Teirnan

Teighan

Landon James Ellis will be cele-

brating his first birthday on Sunday,

March 27, 2011! He is the son of

Katelyn Baker and Ryan Ellis of

Ballston Spa. He is also the grand-

son of Francine Ellis. Hope it’s a fun

birthday, Landon!

Landon’s first birthday!

Sarah Goderie of Galway, NY

recently earned her Girl Scout Gold

Award, the highest award in Girl

Scouting and required Sarah to plan

and complete a project that benefit-

ed the community. While learning

leadership and organizational skills,

she was required to commit 65

hours on the Gold Award project

which was to help the local patients

at the Galway Family Health Clinic.

She did this by giving them activity

baskets which were meant to cheer

them up. Sarah donated 46 gift bas-

kets full of products that were

appropriate for different age

groups.

Sarah completed her project with

support from her community. She

collected donations from local

stores and churches in Galway.

Additionally she organized a bottle

drive to raise money to buy the rest

of the items needed for the gift bas-

kets. A Galway Girl Scout troop

helped wrap the baskets at the

Galway High School prior to deliv-

ery to the clinic.

Sarah Goderie is a member of

Girl Scout Troop #2455. She is a

senior at Galway High School and is

planning to study biology in college

next year. Sarah’s parents are

Michael and Susan Goderie.

Drs. Christopher and Anna Burky

of Middle Grove are proud to

announce the birth of a son, Wyatt

Ewing on Saturday, Feb. 5, 2011 at

Saratoga Hospital. Wyatt weighed 8

pounds 15 ounces and was 21 inches

long. He joins his big brother, 8?-

year-old Cody at home. Wyatt’s

maternal grandparents are Tom and

Lisa Schroder of Bristol, TN; his

paternal grandparents are Kenneth

and Louise Burky of Murrysville, PA.

Congratulations to all of you!

Good job, Sarah!

It’s a boy!

Send all of your LOCAL hometown people news to: SARATOGA

TODAY • 5 Case Street, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866

*Att. Anne or call: 581-2480 • Or email to: aproulx@

saratogapublishing.com. Don’t be left out…contact Anne today

Page 18: Saratoga Today Newspaper March 25th 2011

Crossword

Scrabblegram See puzzle solution on page 28

See puzzle solution on

page 28

ACROSS1 Work on a batter5 Grandly appointed9 Stand for

14 Strong-spined volume15 Forte16 “I __ Piano”: Irving Berlin hit17 61-Across Asian appetizer?19 Class figs.20 Bleak21 61-Across cheer?23 Spine movement25 Code-cracking gp.26 Chatspeak qualifier27 Batter’s supply29 Select, in a way32 “Then again ...”33 Doglike carnivore36 Ballet __37 61-Across musical?39 Ashes, e.g.42 Geometry basic43 Animal’s gullet46 Personally give48 Meadow bloomer in the buttercup

family50 Hamburger’s article51 A.L. rival of N.Y.54 Flashes55 61-Across gag?59 Seed coating60 Inspire profoundly61 Not well thought out64 Great Lakes explorer La __65 Convenient abbr.66 “Pretty Woman” actor67 Fishhook connector68 Disallow69 Highland tongue

DOWN1 Letters at Indy2 Head-scratcher3 Fossil indentation4 Be haunted by, perhaps

5 Square on the table?6 Sports MD’s specialty7 Greet warmly8 Dwells incessantly (on)9 Chow chow

10 Town name ending11 They don’t laugh when they’re tick-

led12 Discredits13 Hardly a head-scratcher18 Purple hue22 Eats23 Code user24 Comedic actress Martha28 1988 self-titled C&W album30 FBI facility since 193231 Nice street34 Disallow35 Diva’s moment37 Daffodils’ digs

If you think your teacher is tough, wait

until you get a boss. He doesn't have

tenure. Bill Gates

Words to know:opprobrium: n. Disgrace arising from shameful

conduct.

Sudoku

38 Bell sound39 1889 work of art deemed unsuit-

able for general display at the1893 Chicago World’s Fair

40 Title savant in a 1988 Oscar-win-ning film

41 Dignify43 Handle44 Pair in a rack45 Horror filmmaker Craven47 Gram. case49 Illusion52 Gasped in delight53 Ray in the sea56 Select57 Sailing stabilizer58 Vigorous style62 Annoying buzzer63 Danish capital?

Broom Hilda

Animal Crackers

Top Video Rentals

PUZZLESPUZZLESPUZZLES

See puzzle solutions on page 28

Raising Hector

SARATOGA

TODAY Friday, March 25, 2011 19

1. The Next Three Days

2. The Fighter

3. Jackass 3

4. Life As We Know It

5. Morning Glory

6. Faster

7. Megamind

8. The Switch

9. Unstoppable

10. You Again

Page 19: Saratoga Today Newspaper March 25th 2011

Friday March 25Donny ElvisTrinity United Methodist Church,

155 Ballard Rd, Wilton

Join us for a wonderful evening of

dinner and entertainment. Doors

open at 5 pm, dinner served at 6

pm and the show begins at 7 pm.

Reserve your tickets by calling

(518) 796-0211 or 792-0494. $20

for reserved tickets and $25 at the

door.

Author M.E. KempStillwater Free Library, 662 South

Hudson Ave. Join us at 7 pm as

local author M.E. Kemp shares her

newest title, Death of a Dancing

Master.

Hi Way CaféHighway Tabernacle Church, 235

Hudson Ave, Mechanicville

Our Christian coffee house pres-

ents 4ever1 in concert at 7 pm.

This is a free evening for all ages.

For more information, call

(518) 664-5367.

Empty Bowls for BicyclesThe Skidmore chapter of Bicycles

Against Poverty (BAP) will host

“Empty Bowls for Bikes,” a dinner

and guest speaker event, on

Friday, March 25 from 5 to 8 pm in

the Spa on the lower level of Case

College Center.

Saturday

March 26

Saratoga Farmers’ MarketDivision St. School

Saratoga’s premier market, featur-

ing meats, local produce, eggs,

soaps, seasonal items and more.

From 9 am to 1 pm. For more infor-

mation, call (518) 638-8530.

Craft FairGalway High School, 5317

Sacandaga Rd.

From 10 am to 4 pm, come browse

and buy at this local fair sponsored

by the Galway Lioness club. Free

admission. For more information,

call Dawn Wood at (518) 882-6951.

Tang Museum family day Children ages 5 and up with an

adult can enjoy a brief tour of a

current Tang exhibition followed

by a hands-on art activity. Free and

open to the public. From 2 to 3:30

p.m. at the Tang Museum,

Skidmore College. For reservations

and information, call

(518) 580-8080.

Saratoga ContradanceFrom 8 to 11 pm, with beginner’s

lesson at 7:30. All dances taught,

newcomers welcome. No need to

bring your own partner. Wear

sneakers or other soft-soled shoes

only, please. Adults $10, students

$7, children under 15, $6. First

Baptist Church, 45 Washington St.,

Saratoga Springs. For more infor-

mation, call (518) 885-4430 or

www.danceflurry.org.

Saturday

and SundayMaple WeekendThe Upper Hudson Maple

Producers Association will be

allowing the public to take a free

tour of area sugarhouses and see

maple syrup made first-hand.

Signs will be placed along road-

sides over the course of the week-

end to direct motorists to the sug-

arhouses. The sugarhouses will be

open from 10 am to 4 pm each

day. The sugarhouses are:

Mapleland Farms, Salem, (518)

854-7669

Dry Brook Sugarhouse, Salem,

(518) 854-3955

Sugar Mill Farm, Greenwich, (518)

692-2486

Grottoli’s Maple, Middle Granville,

(518) 642-2856

Highland Maple Farm, Argyle, (518)

638-8586

Rathbun’s Maple Sugarhouse,

North Granville, (518) 642-1799

Valley Road Maple, Thurman, (518)

623-9783

Adirondack Gold Maple Farm,

Thurman, (518) 623-9718

Toad Hill Maple Farm, Thurman,

(518) 623-4744

Maple Valley Farm, Corinth, (518)

654-9752

Mud Road Sugarhouse, Ephratah,

(518) 863-6313

Frasier’s Sugar Shack, St. Johnsville,

(518) 568-7438

Kent’s Sugarhouse, Berlin, (518)

658-2134

McComb’s Oak Hill Maple Farm,

Speculator, (518) 548-6105

Nightingale’s Maple Farm, Galway,

(518) 882-9334

Peaceful Valley Maple Farms,

Johnstown, (518) 762-0491

Rashcher’s Sugar House, Shushan,

(518) 854-3770

Wild Hill Maple, Salem, (518) 854-

7272

To find more information about

local sugarmaking, go to

www.upperhudsonmaple.com.

20th Annual Fine

Woodworking ShowThe 20th Annual Fine

Woodworking Show presented by

the Northeastern Woodworkers

Association is the place to be on

Saturday, March 26 and Sunday, 27

from 10 am to 5 pm at the

Saratoga Springs City Center locat-

ed at 522 Broadway.

The event will feature over 100

vendor booths, an extensive

woodwork gallery, continuous

demonstrations, and more than

4,000 woodworkers from all over

the US who will come to compete

for the coveted NWA ribbons in

over 20 categories. Guests will

learn about new products, have an

opportunity to buy exotic and

domestic wood, buy the newest

and best machinery and tools, and

attend over 40 free classes from

sharpening tools to making wood-

en cases and turning a vase on a

wood lathe.

Sunday March 27Breakfast buffetSons of ITAM, 247 Grand Ave,

Saratoga Springs

From 8 to 11 am, enjoy this deli-

cious buffet. Adults $7, seniors $6

and children under 5 free. All are

welcome.

Monthly breakfast at

Waldorf SchoolThe Emma Foundation offers a

wonderful breakfast every 4th

Sunday to benefit the Emma

Durrant Foundation. Emma passed

away at the age of 10 and several

fundraisers happen all year to keep

the Foundation producing. The

menu consists of everything you

can think of for breakfast! From

7:30 to 11 am at the Waldorf

School at 122 Regent Street in

Saratoga. Come enjoy a healthy,

friendly breakfast and learn about

Emma.

Worship with Isaiah 6Church of the King. 685 Bay Rd.

Queensbury

Isaiah 6 is coming to celebrate

Jesus Christ at 10 am. Join us for

this love offering event. Contact

Glenn at Impact Promotions (518)

307-7623.

Bowling benefitJoin Rebuilding Together at the

Saratoga Strike Zone from 11 am

to 1 pm. $20 per person will give

you 2 hours of bowling with shoes,

2 slices of pizza, a soda, a bumper

car ride and ballocity usage.

Details can be found at

www.rebuildingtogether

saratoga.org.

Elks Flea Market and

Craft FairSaratoga-Wilton Elks, 1 Elks Lane,

Saratoga Springs

With over 40 different vendors, this

market has free admission and is

held from 11 am to 4 pm.

SVAN and Saratoga ReadsBarnes & Noble, Route 50, Wilton

From 2 to 3:30 pm join this discus-

sion on aging, which will coincide

with the book “The Housekeeper

and the Professor” by Yoko Ogawa.

The book tells the story of a once

brilliant mathematics professor

and baseball enthusiast who is

tended to by his housekeeper and

son. He forms a strong bond with

them, although he forgets them

every day as a result of having

short-term memory loss of

merely 80 minutes.

SARATOGA

TODAYFriday, March 25, 201120 CALENDAR

events

living

2527

marmar

Send your calendar items to Kim Beatty at [email protected] before 5 pm on Monday for Friday publication.

Page 20: Saratoga Today Newspaper March 25th 2011

SARATOGA

TODAY Friday, March 25, 2011 21

Clothing Give Away

Ballston Center Associate

Reformed Church, 58 Charlton

Rd., on the corner of Charlton and

Middleline Rds., Ballston Spa.

Free clothing will be given away

on Saturday, April 16 from 10 am

to 1 pm. Families needing clothing

can come to get clothing and shoes

for men, women, and children. All

are welcome! For more informa-

tion, please call (518) 885-7312.

Equestrian Festival

St. Clement’s Alumni

Association’s Equestrian Festival

takes place on Friday, April 1 from

6 to 10 pm at Canfield Casino.

Open to the public – come with

your friends or come make new

ones! $40 per person with proceeds

benefiting St. Clement’s Catholic

School.

For more information, or to pur-

chase tickets, please call the school

office at (518) 584-7350.

Retired teachers meeting

The Saratoga Springs Retired

Teachers Association will hold its

monthly meeting on Monday, April

4 at 12 noon at Longfellows

Restaurant, 500 Union Avenue in

Saratoga Springs. The group is

open to retired educators who

taught in and/or live in Saratoga

County. For new member informa-

tion and luncheon reservations, call

(518) 587-5356.

Waldorf Mini-Experience

Please join us and experience a

day in our Waldorf School. Sit in

on an abbreviated class and experi-

ence humanities, math, science and

art the Waldorf way. Lunch will be

provided by Four Seasons Natural

Foods at no cost. For 6th to 11th

graders and parents on Saturday,

April 2, from 11 am to 3 pm at The

Waldorf High School, 122 Regent

Street, Saratoga Springs. RSVP

required by calling (518) 587-2224.

Greenwich Elks Boston Trip

On Saturday, May 7, this trip will

leave the Greenwich Elks at 6 am

and drop off at Quincy Market. We

will be back in Greenwich at 11

pm. The cost is $50 until April 1.

Please mail your check to Kim

Strainer, 9 Rabbit Ave., Greenwich,

NY 12834. For more information,

call (518) 361-6994.

NY Yankees bus trip

Saratoga Central Catholic

Booster Club is sponsoring a bus

trip to Yankee Stadium for the

Yankees vs. Toronto Blue Jays on

Sunday, May 1. The bus leaves

Latham Farms parking lot in

Latham at 8 am for the 1 pm game.

The price is only $99 per ticket.

Please phone Paul Hladik at (518)

526-1644 for more information.

Brooks House of BBQFundraiser

Benefitting Saratoga Central

Catholic High School, on April 10

at the high school, 247 Broadway.

$10 for a chicken dinner, $12 for a

Rib dinner. Take-out or eat in. Pre-

order or walk in. For more informa-

tion, call (518) 587-7070.

Free cancer screenings for unin-

sured and underinsured men and

women are available every

Monday and Thursday.

Appointments are required. Call

(518) 580-2132, 8 am to 4 pm at

Wilton Medical Arts, 3040 Route

50, Saratoga Springs.

Caregiver support group

Evergreen Adult Day Services,

357 Milton Avenue, Ballston Spa,

an affiliation of The Wesley

Community in Saratoga Springs,

hosts a Caregiver Support Group

the last Tuesday of each month

from 3 to 4 pm. This month the

group meets on March 29. This

group is designed for caregivers,

families and friends of people with

dementia. For more information,

please contact Trudi Cholewinski,

at (518) 691-1516.

Recreation Programs

Malta Recreation Center

1 Bayberry Dr. Malta

Camp Malta

Registration has begun for the

Malta Community Center’s full

day summer camp – “Camp

Malta.” The camp will run from

July 5 through August 26 weekdays

9 am to 4 pm. The weekly fee is

$120 for Malta residents and $132

for non-residents. Extended morn-

ing and afternoon care is available

for an additional fee. Registration

deadline is June 6. Forms can be

obtained at the Malta Community

Center, One Bayberry Drive, Malta

or on line www.malta-town.org.

Call (518) 899-4411 for further

information.

Community EducationClasses instructor submissions

The Town of Malta Department

of Parks, Recreation & Human

Services Department is now

accepting instructor class proposals

for summer programs. Instructors

are needed for sports, camps, arts,

exercise & fitness, community edu-

cation and children’s classes. The

deadline for submission is April 1.

Please call the Malta Community

Center at (518) 899-4411 for fur-

ther details. Independent

Contractor Handbooks and forms

can be found at www.malta-

town.org.

Spring Fling Dress- Up Dance

Boys, escort your Mom,

Grandma or Aunt, girls, be escorted

by Dad, Grandpa, or Uncle to an

evening of fun music, snacks,

crafts and dance lessons. Kids ages

4 to 10 and adults, dress in your

finest for this fun evening on April

2 from 6 to 7:30 pm. $8 for Malta

residents, and $9 for non-residents.

Registration required by calling

(518) 899-4411.

llooccaall bbrriieeffss

Send your local briefs to Kim Beatty at [email protected] before Monday at 5 pm for Friday publication

Town of Ballston:

Ballston Town Hall

323 Charlton Road

885-8502

www.townofballstonny.org

3/30: Planning Board agenda meeting, 7 pm3/30: Planning Board regular meeting, 7:30 pm

Village of Ballston Spa:

66 Front Street

885-5711

www.ballstonspany.org

3/28: Board of Trustees meeting, 7:30 pm3/30: Zoning Board of Appeals meeting, 7:30 pm

Town of Greenfield:

7 Wilton Road

893-7432

www.townofgreenfield.com

3/29: Planning Board meeting, 7:30 pm

Town of Malta:

2540 Route 9

899-2818

www.malta-town.org

3/28: Town Board workshop, 6:30 pm

Town of Milton:

503 Geyser Road

885-9220

www.townofmiltonny.org

3/30: Board of Ethics meeting, 7 pm

City of Saratoga Springs:

474 Broadway

587-3550

www.saratoga-springs.org

3/28: Zoning Board of Appeals meeting, 7 pm2/29: Design ReviewCommission workshop, 5 pm

Town of Saratoga:

12 Spring Street, Schuylerville

695-3644

www.townofsaratoga.com

3/28: Zoning Board of Appeals meeting, 7 pm

Village of Schuylerville:

35 Spring Street

695-3881

www.villageofschuylerville.org

Town of Stillwater:

66 East St., Riverside

Mechanicville, NY 12118

www.stillwaterny.org

3/28: Zoning Board meeting, 7:30 pm

Town of Wilton:

22 Traver Road

587-1939

www.townofwilton.com

Saratoga County Board of

Supervisors

40 McMaster St.,

# 1 Ballston Spa, NY 12020

(518) 885-2240

www.saratogacountyny.gov

3/29: Trails Committee meeting, 3 pm

upcomingtown meetings

HELPING HANDSHELPING HANDSOrganization

How to Help

Contact

Shelters of Saratoga

Mission

Shelters of Saratoga strives to ensure that every member of our community has safe and affordable

housing. We provide shelter, advocacy and referral services for the homeless and those at risk of home-

lessness. We develop and maintain a range of affordable housing opportunities and resources for low-

to-moderate income families and individuals.

We can be reached by phone at (518) 581-1097 or visit our website at sheltersofsaratoga.com

SOS is in need of qualified and energetic volunteers on a regular basis for a variety of functions. These

include front desk work, answering phones, organizing donations and greeting people as they enter SOS.

Families or organizations are also encouraged to bring in non-perishable and fresh perishable food from

food drives or sizeable quantities of fresh leftovers from a food function. Volunteers can even come in

with food materials and prepare a meal for our 18 clients. Our wish list includes: fresh milk, sugar, but-

ter, coffee, powdered creamer, garbage bags, toilet paper, paper towels, sanitary wipes and cleaning sup-

plies, canned chicken or tuna. We thank you in advance!

Page 21: Saratoga Today Newspaper March 25th 2011

BoomBox is the combination of

Producer / Engineer / DJ / Drummer Russ

Randolph and Producer / DJ / Vocalist /

Guitarist Zion Rock Godchaux. This pair

of dynamic artists uses their rich musical

history and their vision of music and pop-

ular culture to deliver a style distinctly

different from anything heard or seen

today. Godchaux, who grew up with

deeply embedded rock and roll roots,

began playing drums at the age of two,

played guitar and wrote his own songs

as a teen. During the 90s, Godchaux

was a well-received touring DJ based

out of the San Francisco area. Randolph

began as a young drummer, but what

was happening behind the scenes was

what attracted him most.

As much producers as they are musi-

cians, it is the duo's rich ability to impro-

vise live that keeps BoomBox resonat-

ing at higher levels.

Local Gigs

Send listings to [email protected]

SARATOGA

TODAYFriday, March 25, 201122 PULSE BoomBox will be making a stop in Saratoga

Springs on their 'Downriverelectric Tour'on Thursday, March 31 at Putnam Den.

BoomBox Putnam Den63A Putnam Street, Saratoga SpringsThursday, March 31 at 9 pm(518) 584-806618+ $10 advance and students/ $12 day of show

Page 22: Saratoga Today Newspaper March 25th 2011

Skidmore to welcome

eclectic pianistChristopher

O’Riley March 25

SARATOGA SPRINGS –

Pianist Christopher O’Riley,

who is renowned for both his

talented performances of clas-

sical repertoire and recordings

of tunes by contemporary

musicians like Radiohead, will

perform Friday, March 25, at

Skidmore College in Saratoga

Springs.

O’Riley’s Skidmore per-

formance will begin at 8 pm in

the Arthur Zankel Music

Center, Helen Filene Ladd

Concert Hall. General admis-

sion for the event is $12, $5 for

students. Tickets are available

at skidmore.showclix.com.

Also, the Zankel Music Center

box office will sell tickets for

this event from noon to 3 pm

on the day of the concert.

Host of the popular classical

music National Public Radio

show, “From the Top,” O’Riley

established himself as a criti-

cally acclaimed master of clas-

sical repertoire, and went on to

record piano arrangements of

music by contemporary alter-

native rock bands such as

Radiohead, Nirvana and Pink

Floyd.

For his Skidmore recital,

O’Riley will play both classi-

cal pieces and his own arrange-

ments, highlighting music

from his August 2009 release,

“Out of My Hands.”

Saratoga Springs - Gariele Whittle, New York City Ballet (NYCB)

children's ballet mistress, and Dena Abergel, assistant children's ballet

mistress, announce auditions for two NYCB children's ballets to be

performed during SPAC's 2011 Summer Season.

The auditions are hosted by the School of the Arts at the National

Museum of Dance, 99 South Broadway, Saratoga Springs, and will

take place on Sunday, March 27 at noon. The application is available

on the National Museum of Dance website at:

www.dancemuseum.org. Rehearsals begin at the end of June.

- "Circus Polka" will need 48 girls plus understudies: 16 girls ages 7

to 9 with at least one year of training, 16 girls ages 9 to 12 with at least

3 years of training and 16 girls ages 11 to 13 with at least 3 years of

training. The height of these dancers should not exceed 5 feet 2

inches.

- "Magic Flute" will need 18 dancers plus understudies all with at

least 3 years of ballet training: 6 boys ages 10 to 13 who are approxi-

mately 5 feet in height and 12 girls ages 10 to 12 who do not exceed 5

feet in height.

For additional information, contact Raul Martinez, director, School

of the Arts at the National Museum of Dance at (518) 581-0858 or

[email protected].

SARATOGA

TODAY Friday, March 25, 2011 PULSE 23

Photo by Wendy Lynch

Christopher O’Riley

Photo by Paul Kolnik

“Circus Polka”

Children invited to

audition for role in NY City

Ballet SPAC performances

SARATOGA SPRINGS - The

Prevention Council will be the recipient of

proceeds raised at the Saratoga Springs

“Fashion Fling” on Sunday, April 3 from 1

to 4 pm at Saratoga National Golf Club. The

“Fashion Fling” will showcase an eclectic

mix of spring finery presented by a variety

of downtown Saratoga Springs businesses while raising money for a good

cause. WNYT’s Jessica Layton will provide commentary.

Guests will also indulge their taste buds with gourmet hors d’oeuvres and

a 3-course luncheon. Aselect group of specialty retailers have reserved tables

at the event as well, selling everything from jewelry and spa items to fashion

accessories and specialty books. Guests can also consult spiritual advisors

Sandy Menzer and Marci Ross, who will offer Tarot card readings and “angel

messages.” Door prizes will also be awarded.

All funds raised at this event will go to support the Prevention Council,

which has worked for over 25 years to give young people the skills to choose

healthy behaviors, provide families with the tools to foster positive child

development, help communities build family-friendly environments and

help schools build supportive climates for students.

For more information visit www.preventioncouncil.org.

Second annual Saratoga Springs “Fashion Fling!”- Proceeds benefit Prevention Council

The Arts Center Gallery, 320

Broadway, Saratoga Springs

will open its new exhibition,

called “the visual dynamic” on

Saturday, April 2 with an

artist’s discussion at 5 pm and

an opening reception from 6 to

8 pm. The exhibition will be on

display through Saturday, May

28.

The exhibition features the

works of artists Jennifer

Hunold and Jason Paradis. It

explores the dichotomy

between societal relationships

and our perceived environ-

ment. Hunold's sewn images

and Paradis' layered, fabricated

creations invite the viewer to

contemplate the threads of our

existence.

For more information,

contact Elizabeth Dubben,

exhibit coordinator at

[email protected]

or (518) 584-4132.

Image Provided

Summer Sky (Facing North) by Jason Paradis

Explore “the visual dynamic” at Saratoga Arts

Page 23: Saratoga Today Newspaper March 25th 2011

SARATOGA SPRINGS - The

Grammy Award-winning Ying

Quartet will return to Skidmore

College for the second consecutive

year to perform at 8 pm Saturday,

March 26 in the Arthur Zankel Music

Center’s Helen Filene Ladd Concert

Hall. General admission to the con-

SARATOGA

TODAYFriday, March 25, 201124 PULSE Ying Quartet returns

Ph

oto

Pro

vid

ed

cert is $12 or $5 for students. Tickets

may be purchased online at

www.skidmore.show-clix.com, and

will be available at the box office in

Zankel Music Center from noon to 3

pm Friday, March 25.

Also at 1 pm Sunday, March 27,

are performances by Skidmore and

invited quartets, and a group perform-

ance of the finale (Allegro Molto)

from Beethoven’s String Quartet

Op.59, No.3, led by the Ying Quartet.

This finale will be free and open to

the public.

Now in its second decade, the Ying

Quartet has established itself as an

ensemble of the highest musical qual-

ifications in its tours across the

United States and abroad. The quar-

tet's belief that concert music can also

Photo Provided

Chinese Ribbon Dance

Opportunities for all at ‘Dance + 21’ Festival!

Saratoga Springs – On Sunday,

April 3, the annual ‘Dance + 21’

festival has 21 exciting new class-

es including two ballet sessions

taught by former New York City

Ballet dancers (and spouses) Peter

Naumann and Lisa Chalmers.

Classes for children and adults of

all ability levels run from 10 am to

5:45 pm and include a variety of

dance styles; a segment on nutri-

tion for dancers; yoga;

stretching/relaxation; Tai Chi and

Qi Gong. An injury prevention

screening and presentation will be

offered by the Performing Arts

Rehab Program of the Regional

Therapy Center of Saratoga

Hospital.

Prices range from $30 - $45 per

day for the public and Dance

Alliance members. There are rates

per class and reduced fees for

children and their guardians. The

festival will be held at the School

of the Arts studios at the National

Museum of Dance, located at 99

South Broadway, Saratoga

Springs. More information about

the event can be found at

www.dancealliance.org. For addi-

tional questions/information e-

mail Gail Tassarrotti at

[email protected] or

call (518) 573-3631.

Three free opportunities to view

dance performances will be

offered: two dance movies will

play (“Jerome Robbins’ NY

Export: Opus Jazz” and “Michael

Jackson - This is It!”) and Move

Dance will perform live at lunch

time.

Peter Naumann danced with

New York City Ballet from 1970 –

1995. He danced soloist roles and

originated roles while performing

with the company. Lisa Chalmers-

Naumann danced with Houston

Ballet as a soloist for two years

before joining New York City

Ballet where she danced for nine

years with her husband. They now

co-direct New Paltz School of

Ballet and New Paltz Ballet

Theatre.

One of the most unique and popu-

lar features of SaratogaArtsFest has

been the Paint Out, in which visual

artists create paintings outdoors

which capture the charm of

Downtown Saratoga Springs. Artists

are invited to participate in this year’s

Paint Out during SaratogaArtsFest,

which is scheduled for its fifth year

on June 9 through 12.

SaratogaArtsFest “Paint Out” call for artists

be a meaningful part of everyday

life has also drawn the foursome to

perform in settings as diverse as the

workplace, schools, juvenile pris-

ons and the White House.

The Ying Quartet is also known

for its diverse and unusual per-

formance projects. For several

years the quartet presented a series

called "No Boundaries" at

Symphony Space in New York

City that sought to re-imagine the

concert experience. Collaborations

with actors, dancers, electronics, a

host of non-classical musicians, a

magician and even a Chinese noo-

dle chef gave new and thoughtful

context to a wide variety of both

traditional and contemporary string

quartet music.

Artists interested in participating in

the program should fill out the online

application form for visual arts, avail-

able at www.SaratogaArtsFest.org.

The deadline for registration is

May 1.

Participating painters will be sta-

tioned at various points throughout

downtown Saratoga Springs and in

Congress Park. In previous years,

artists have attracted many

fans and passersby as they

paint streetscapes and

local scenes. Artists who

have participated in past

years have enjoyed the

exhilarating and unique

experience of creating art

“on location.”

For more information

on the exhibition, contact

Susan Farnsworth, artist

relations coordinator for

SaratogaArtsFest at

(518) 580-8010, or

[email protected].

Photo by Phil Scalia

The SaratogaArtsFest Paint Out stationsartists in downtown Saratoga Springs todemonstrate their craft.

Page 24: Saratoga Today Newspaper March 25th 2011

The Tang Teaching Museum and Art Gallery at Skidmore

College will present an eclectic mix of artwork by four of its

former students in the museum’s third Alumni Invitational.

The show opens on Saturday, March 26 and runs through

Sunday, August 14.

The artists, whose years at Skidmore span four decades -

from the late 1960s through the late 1990s - bring a range

of approaches and techniques to their work, from large-

scale color photography to recycled furniture design. The

four featured artists are Bradley Castellanos, Josh

Dorman, Johnny Swing and Shellburne Thurber.

The artists were selected by Tang Malloy Curator Ian

Berry for their unique work, without any intent to

illustrate an over-arching theme. The works will be

presented as four solo presentations in the

Wachenheim Gallery at the Tang.

“All of the artists have been on our radar for many years, and

for this show we decided to pick one series or one way of

working for each artist’s display,” said Berry. “For

Castellanos that means showing brand new work, some

finished just last month. For Thurber we picked pieces

from two of her best-known bodies of work, and for

Dorman and Swing we are bringing together works from

different years that show the artists’ individual and

eccentric process.”

The public is invited to an opening reception for the

show Saturday, March 26 from 4 to 5:30 pm

The Tang Museum hours are Tuesday through

Sunday, noon to 5 pm, with evening hours on Thursdays

until 9 pm. For more information, visit

www.skidmore.edu/tang.

The show is part of a year-long 10th anniversary celebra-

tion at the Tang Museum, which opened its doors in

September 2000. The museum draws some 40,000 visi-

tors annually, ranging from local students who visit

through school programs to museum-goers from around

the globe.

SARATOGA

TODAY Friday, March 25, 2011 PULSE 25

Image Courtesy of the Artist

and Mary Ryan Gallery

Josh Dorman, ‘The Tower of Babel,’ 2007

Image Courtesy of the ArtistBradley Castellanos, ‘South Gate,’ 2010

SARATOGA SPRINGS – Even

as we begin to think about spring, it

is time for artists of all types to

begin thinking First Night 2012!

Saratoga Arts is seeking artists to

participate in First Night Saratoga,

the Spa City’s New Year’s Eve

family-oriented celebration of the

arts and of the community. The

theme for the 2012 citywide event

is “Art Unleashed” and artists are

encouraged to break out and let

your unique talents shine!

Saratoga Arts is looking for

musicians of every genre to fill

many venues with an array of

sounds from the traditional to the

cutting edge. The goal is to present

an entertaining and eclectic mix

that will delight, inspire and

enlighten music lovers of every

stripe. Both established and emerg-

ing artists are welcomed.

All facets of the arts are impor-

tant parts of First Night. Dance,

comedy, theater and performance

artists are also encouraged to par-

ticipate. Works of originality,

imagination and expression will be

showcased, highlighting the diver-

sity of talent in our region.

Saratoga Arts is also seeking pro-

posals for fun and thought-provok-

ing participatory arts projects that

can engage hundreds of partici-

pants throughout the evening.

Ephemeral art installations, arts

and crafts items, or other ideas that

will not involve extraordinary pro-

duction costs are most favorable.

An application is available to

download at www.saratoga-

arts.org/firstnight/index.php.

Applications are due by July 16,

and decisions will be communicat-

ed by early autumn.

Artists whose proposals are

accepted will receive a stipend

from Saratoga Arts. Please submit

applications and ideas to Jackie

Marchand, First Night

Coordinator, at jmarchand@sarato-

ga-arts.org, or bring/mail proposals

to Saratoga Arts, 320 Broadway,

Saratoga Springs, NY 12866. Call

(518) 584-4132 for further

information.

Image Courtesy of the Artist

Shellburne Thurber

‘Chesson House: Abandoned bed with dark

window,’ 1998

Tang Museum presents mixed-media exhibition of alumni artwork

For More Information /Reservations

(518) 581-1097www.sheltersofsaratoga.org

Image Courtesy of the Artist

Johnny Swing,‘Lightwing,’ 2006

Saratoga Arts calls for 2012 First Night artists

Page 25: Saratoga Today Newspaper March 25th 2011

SARATOGA

TODAYFriday, March 25, 201126 FOOD

This Saturday at the SaratogaFarmers' Market we are having a bitof yummy fun! It's our winterCookie Bake-off Contest. Anyonecan enter and the one rule is that atleast 2 market ingredients must beused in the recipe and be noted by

product and vendor. We need 2dozen cookies from each entrant.The contest begins at 10 am with thepublic being able to vote for theirfavorite and then at 11am our threejudges will chose their favorite.Winners of the Public's Choice andthe Judge's Choice will beannounced by noon and each winnerwill be awarded Gift Certificates tothe market. It's not hard to come upwith two market ingredients to usein a cookie recipe. The pumpkinyogurt maple glazed cookie recipehere has three fresh market ingredi-ents and a fourth that was frozenfresh last fall (the cooked pumpkin).The cake-like cookies are reallymoist, spicy and sweet and make agreat dessert or super snack with a

glass of milk or apple cider. Key totheir great flavor is the use of therich vanilla yogurt from ArgyleCheese Factory and Sheldon's realmaple syrup in the glaze. Farmfresh eggs can't hurt either! Wehope you can join in the fun thisSaturday, but if you cannot, be sureto get some farm fresh ingredientsand make yourself some yummycookies--they are guaranteed tomake you smile even if spring hasdecided to take a back seat!

Ingredients

3/4 cup fresh cooked pumpkin (or butternut squash)1/2 cup Argyle Cheese FactoryVanilla Whole Milk Yogurt1 cup butter (two sticks)2 fresh local eggs1 tsp vanilla extract2 1/2 cups flour3/4 cup brown sugar

2 tsp cinnamon1 tsp ginger

1/2 tsp baking soda1/4 tsp salt1/2 tsp allspice1/2 tsp nutmeg

3/4cup confectioner's sugar, sifted3 tablespoons Sheldon's Maple Syrup

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 2. Grease baking sheets.3. In a mixing bowl cream 1 stick

of butter with sugar. Add one egg ata time and mix until fluffy mixture.Add pumpkin, yogurt and vanillaand thoroughly blend.

4. In another mixing bowl, com-bine flour, brown sugar, cinnamon,ginger, baking soda, salt, allspice,and nutmeg.

5. Mix wet ingredients with dryingredients until moistened.

6. Drop by tablespoonfuls ontoprepared baking sheet, 1-2 inchesapart.

Bake for 10-15 minutes, until theyseem firm.

7. While cookies are baking, meltthe remaining stick of butter andmix in the confectioner's sugar andmaple syrup until well blended.

8. When the cookies are done, putthem on cooking rack.

9. Spread glaze over each warmcookie (glaze will run off cookiesbefore setting).

Suzanne Voigt

Farmers’Market

Pumpkin Yogurt Maple Glazed CookiesHighlighting fresh local ingredients!

The National Museum of Dance will continue celebrating danceand culture around the world with Italy Day on Sunday, March 27from 1 to 3:30 pm. Italy Day will present the culture, travel, tradi-

tional dance and cuisine of Italy.The afternoon program includes:

• Speaker Guiseppe Faustini, Professor of Italian at Skidmore College• Ashley Turney from liveit-italy.com, a website that designs private trips

and itineraries to Italy• Speaker Father Neil Draves, a third generation Saratogian, speaking on our own historic Italian

neighborhood, businesses, festivals and restaurants.• “A Taste of Italy” cooking demonstration by Fabrizio Bazzani, Executive Chef of Chianti II

Ristorante• Arthur Murray’s tarantella dance team• Refreshments donated by Chianti Il Ristorante and One Reputation• ZONA BAMBINO with Leslie Kettlewell: Children’s activities, dance and art in the Alfred Z.

Solomon Children’s WingThe cost of the event is $5. Museum members are admitted free. For more information about

upcoming events and museum exhibits, visit www.dancemuseum.org or call (518) 584-2225.

Photo ProvidedExecutive Chef Fabrizio Bazzaniof Chianti II Ristorante

National Museum

of Dance hosts

“Italy Day”

Page 26: Saratoga Today Newspaper March 25th 2011

SARATOGA

TODAY Friday, March 25, 2011 CCLLAASSSSIIFFIIEEDD 27

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Page 27: Saratoga Today Newspaper March 25th 2011

SARATOGA

TODAYMarch 25, 201128 SSPPOORRTTSS

Send your

sports stories and

briefs to Daniel

Schechtman,

Sports Editor at

sports@saratoga

publishing.com

Community Sports Bulletin

puzzle solutionsfrom pg. 19

photo provided

Zach Arpey

Registration for co-ed soccer andgirls lacrosse at Saratoga SpringsRecreation Department

SARATOGA SPRINGS - The Saratoga Springs

Recreation Department has extended registration for the

following programs: Co-ed soccer and girls lacrosse.

Soccer:Players ages Pre-K (must be 4 years old by April 1,

2011) through 12th grade and for youth aged 3 may now

register.

Games and practices are held at the Saratoga Casino

and Raceway Soccer Field. The season starts in May

and ends in June.

Must provide own shin guards

Girls Lacrosse grades 2-9Girls will meet on Mondays & Saturdays at the North

Side Recreation Complex. The Season starts in April

and ends in June. The program teaches youth lacrosse

skills, has organized teams and emphasizes having fun

while playing lacrosse.

Must provide own stick and mouth guards.

Volunteer coaches are needed for both programs.

Forms for the volunteers to fill out require a copy of the

coaches’ driver's license.

Fees for both programs:

City Resident - $50.00

(each additional child - $20.00)

Non-city Resident - $75.00

(each additional child - $40.00)

Non-City/Non School District - $100.00 per child

Registration available on line:

www.saratoga-springs.org

In person registration and other program information,

including recreation center and ice rink schedules are

available Monday through Friday, 8am-9pm; Saturday,

8am-8pm; and Sunday 11am-6pm.

Please call (518)-587-3550, ext. 2300 for further

details.

Photo provided

Saratoga Springs Squirt C hockey team

SCHENECTADY - The Saratoga Springs Squirt C hockey team completed their 2010-2011 season

by making it to the Schenectady ECAC Youth Hockey championship tournament held this past week-

end, Friday, March 18 through Sunday, March 20. Teams from the across the state competed in this

weekend-long tournament held at various locations in the capital district.

The Saratoga team had an impressive late season run, starting the tournament with a 4-0 win against

Schenectady. Against Midstate the team continued its dominance, outscoring the competition 4-2 dur-

ing Saturday’s game. Though the team fought hard to defeat a strong Clifton Park team, Saratoga

came up just short, falling 3-0 in their first match up and 2-1 during the championship game. Saratoga

was named the runner-up in the tournament.

The team was led in the tournament by Patrick Yule, Cristina Darby, Zach Bryson and Kyle Grace,

who were each named as a game MVP during the tournament.

Saratoga Springs Squirt C hockey closes 2010-2011 season

SPRINGFIELD, MASS. - Endicott men's tennis freshman standout and former Saratoga

Springs High School graduate Zach Arpey was named this week's The Commonwealth Coast

Conference (TCCC) Rookie of the Week after going 4-0 in singles and 2-2 in doubles play.

The Gulls traveled down to Hilton Head, South Carolina to compete in a spring tourna-

ment where Arpey shined, going 3-0 against his #4 singles opponents. Against Dickinson

College's Kurt Mendelson, Arpey won 6-4, 3-6, 10-4. He followed that performance by win-

ning in straight sets over The College of Wooster's Paul Thomas 6-2, 6-2 and Illinois-

Springfield's Mike Czarny 6-3, 6-2.

In #1 doubles play down in South Carolina, Arpey and teammate Devon Locke (St. Croix,

Virgin Islands) lost to Dickinson and Illinois-Springfield but edged Wooster opponents

Landon Moore and John Schulz 8-6.

Saratoga Springs grad earns Rookie of the Week honors

Page 28: Saratoga Today Newspaper March 25th 2011

SARATOGA

TODAY March 25, 2011 SSPPOORRTTSS 29

by Daniel Schechtman

Saratoga TODAY

DamianFantauzzi

Photo provided

Escape Alive Survival Skills is coming to Albany April 2, 2011.

The little things

I know every once in awhile

you'll hear someone mention or

use that phrase, "it's the little

things that count." As a coach, I

tried to emphasize to my players

the pros and cons of that senti-

ment, and its importance as it

relates to sports.

Turnovers are a part of all

sporting events, as are penalties

for breaking the rules, or errors on

the part of the players. Like in

baseball, where it could be a field-

ing error or misjudgment by a

base runner, or in football, which

has its penalties such as offsides,

pass interference, roughing the

kicker, passer and more. All ath-

letic events have situations that

occur which have an effect on the

end result of a game - and so far in

this year's NCAA championship

games, there have been upsets and

surprise endings because of the

"little things" in sports.

Basketball is a game of minute

detail, and improper execution

that results in turnovers or missed

opportunities can eventually

change the equation of what

should have happened versus

what actually happened. During

the Syracuse vs. Marquette game,

the Orangemen had 18 turnovers,

which enabled the Golden Eagles

to stay within striking distance

throughout the game. Even

though Marquette had 14

turnovers, the Syracuse miscues

resulted in 23 points for their

opponents. In the closing seconds

of the game, there was a costly

error made by Syracuse when

inbounding the ball at mid-court

on the Orange side of the floor.

The receiver, Scoop Jardine, who

caught the inbound pass, commit-

ted the back court violation of

"over-and-back" by stepping on

the half court line. The result was

a Marquette possession and

Johnson-Odom's winning shot

with less than seven seconds left

in the game! Jardine had to get

both feet over the half court line

on the other side before catching

the inbound pass, and it was a

pass that should not have been

made. Call "time-out" and maybe

the game might have ended with a

different result.

There were other circumstances

that kept Marquette in the game;

Syracuse only had four offensive

rebounds, which had been an

asset for them all season; fouls

committed plagued Syracuse from

the tip-off; Marquette made 19 for

23 (83 percent) free throws to

Syracuse's 5 for 7, resulting in a

14 point difference. The

Orangemen were not aggressive

enough on the offensive side of

the floor to only shoot seven foul

shots.

Do the math: 14 more foul shot

points and 23 turnover points - not

such a "little thing" after all! As a

coach, I feel that there were times,

in some situations, that called for

Syracuse to play some man-to-

man defense. The 2-3 zone is

Beoheim's signature defense, but

a change of defense might have

caught Marquette off stride -

enough to change the situation

and even the results. The guys on

the team are very athletic and are

very capable of playing "belly-

up" and "in your face" man-to-

man defense. For example, a

momentum-changing situation in

the Duke vs. Michigan game:

Michigan went into an extended 1

- 3 - 1 zone after playing man to

man for about 80 percent of the

game. The zone (a half court

press) erased a Blue Devil lead of

15 points, within 5 minutes, and

turned the game into a nail biting

Duke victory of 73 to 71.

Enough second guessing - I

hope you all enjoy the rest of the

tournament! Watch for the "little

things" that change the game - it's

great stuff! And don't forget about

the NCAA women's tournament.

It will be just as exciting and there

will be lots of "little things" that

will reflect on the final results.

And, who could forget, what

about Jimmer Fredette of

Brigham Young University, a

Glens Falls native, as a possible

winner for the "Naismith Player

of the Year" award?! A not so "lit-

tle thing," it's "Jimmer Mania!"

Self defense course aims to give women a fighting chance

On September 11, 1993, Donna

Palomba’s life was changed forev-

er. With her husband out of town

for a friend’s wedding, Palomba

and her two children retired to

their home after a school band

concert and a few slices of pizza.

Believing all was well, Palomba

awoke during the early hours of

the morning to a masked intruder

standing over her bed.

What followed is nothing short

of tragic, absolutely horriffic and

all but unthinkable. Palomba

became a victim of sexual assault

in her own home, something she

would struggle with for years to

come. You can read a full account

of the incident and her attempt to

overcome on her website,

www.janedoenomore.org/story.

It took years to finally catch the

man guilty of the crime. But on

Halloween night of 2005, the per-

petrator, John Regan, struck

again, this time in Saratoga

Springs.

“He [was] the same man who

viciously attacked Saratoga

Springs High School track star

Lindsey Ferguson while she was

walking toward her car in the

parking lot at the high school,”

said Saratoga County District

Attorney Jim Murphy in a written

statement. “Thanks to Donna,

Lindsey, law enforcement in

Connecticut and the Saratoga

Springs Police Department, as

well as the track coach Art

Kranick, Regan was apprehended

and is now serving a lengthy peri-

od of incarceration in a state cor-

rectional facility, first in New

York and then in Connecticut.”

But seeing Regan put behind

bars was only the first step along

Palomba’s long road to recovery.

In response to her own brutal

experience, and with a mind to

help other women facing similar

circumstances, Palomba created

Jane Doe No More Inc., a not-for

profit organization which strives

to “shorten the time from crime to

healing for survivors of sexual

assault,” and to “improve the way

society responds to victims of

sexual assault.”

As part of her efforts,

Palomba’s Jane Doe No More has

partnered with East Coast

Training Systems to present the

self defense course known as

Escape Alive Survival Skills.

Geared towards females 16 years

and older, the course will be com-

ing to the Pil-Sung Martial Arts

studio in Albany for a three hour

course Saturday, April 2.

The course is designed for those

with no prior knowledge of self-

defense tactics, and incorporates

training used by security person-

nel, police departments and the

military. Escape Alive Survival

Skills teaches women the most

effective way to overpower their

assailant and to escape an attack

with their lives intact.

Pre-registration for the course is

$30, or $40 at the door. To pre-

register for the event, please visit

www.jdnm.escapealive.net/Regist

er.htm.

Page 29: Saratoga Today Newspaper March 25th 2011

SARATOGA

TODAYMarch 25, 201130 SSPPOORRTTSSAthlete of the week: Brittni Elizabeth Watkinsearns full ride to North Carolina State University

Photo provided

Brittni will be competeing in the state championships over the March 26weekend.

by Daniel Schechtman

Saratoga TODAY

Photo provided

Brittni Watkins impresses the judges with her work on the balance beam.

SARATOGA SPRINGS - Brittni

Elizabeth Watkins was only four-

years-old when she first began gym-

nastics classes at Saratoga Spring's

Stepping Stars.

"First I started ice skating," said

Watkins, now a 16-year-old junior at

Saratoga Springs High School.

Quickly it became apparent to Brittni

and her mother that ice skating was-

n't Watkin's sport, "so she put me in

gymnastics," said Brittni.

Dedication, said Watkins, is the

cornerstone for success in any

endeavor, and after 12 years of gym-

nastics training, it's clear this budding

star has thrown herself head first into

the sport. Six days a week, Watkins

can be seen training at Latham's

World Class Gymnastics Academy,

averaging four hours or more of prac-

tice per session.

But all that practice has paid off in

more ways than one for Watkins. In

2001, she took home first place for

her routine on the uneven bars during

the national competition. Just last

year, she won another first place

honor during the regional champi-

onships; came in ninth during the

Junior Olympic National meet for her

floor exercise in Dallas, TX; and

most recently in February of this year

won first place all-around and first

place for her floor exercise at the

Illinois Gymnastics Institute Chicago

Style meet.

And that's just the tip of the

iceberg.

While training at a gymnastics

camp at the University of Georgia,

Watkins caught the eye of a recruiter

from North Carolina State

University.

"He had met her once when she

went to the University of Georgia

camp this past summer. So he actual-

ly had watched her train, and at the

end of the night he said to the coach-

es, 'tell her I'm offering her a scholar-

ship," said Mary Beth Hynick,

Brittni's mother. "She came running

up the stairs shouting, 'Mommy, he

offered me a scholarship!' I couldn't

believe it."

But the offer was a genuine one - a

full scholarship to NC State. The

offer speaks volumes of Watkin's

skill - it is, after all, extremely rare for

a university of this caliber to offer a

full scholarship to an athlete who is

only 16-years-old.

“Right from day one, Brittni has

been a very dynamic, very brave ath-

lete,” said Erik Quaal, her coach at

World Class Gymnastics. “The first

time I met her was at a level 9 meet,

where she placed near the bottom.

The next year she went to the same

level 9 meet and won first place on

the uneven bars. Her hard work paid

off early on. When she wants to apply

herself, she can be very sucessful.”

For Brittni, the offer from NC

State is her crowning achievement,

one she has worked nearly all her life

for.

"The scholarship is mostly what

I've been working for forever," said

Watkins. "It was awesome. When I

heard him offer me, I was like, you're

offering me what?!"

NC State put forward its offer to

Watkins in early September, but it

wasn't until December, after Watkins

had time to compare the campus with

other universities around the country,

that she made a verbal commitment

to the NACC school in North

Carolina.

"I definitely like the warmth," said

Watkins, speaking of the southern

campus. "It was really clean, really

pretty. And I love the gym. The girls

who do gymnastics there are so nice.

I watched them practice and every-

thing."

Watkins has also had an opportuni-

ty to speak with several of the team's

coaches, who she believes will have a

lot to teach her.

"I definitely want to improve on

my execution," said Watkins. "That's

where the judges always take off.

Yeah, it's impressive to see big skills

done, but if your legs aren't together,

your toes aren't pointed or your legs

aren't straight, then they can just

deduct so many points. So execution

is what I want to work on now."

Academically, Watkins has her

immediate sights set on a 90 GPA,

and once at university she hopes to

pursue a career in sports

management.

"I want to pursue sports manage-

ment and athletic training," said

Watkins, who hopes to become a pro-

fessional physical therapist. "I've

been doing gymnastics since I was

like 4, so I've paid attention to

injuries and health and all that stuff.

So it would be nice to help other peo-

ple with that stuff, like they've helped

me. People have always helped me

with my weaknesses, so it would be

nice to give back to other athletes."

Though Watkins has made a verbal

agreement with NC State, because of

her age she will not be allowed to

officially sign until November. Until

then, Watkins plans to keep on prac-

ticing and sharpening her skills. And

with any luck, she aims to take home

another first place finish during the

state competition this weekend in

Long Island.

Page 30: Saratoga Today Newspaper March 25th 2011

SARATOGA

TODAY March 25, 2011 SPORTS 31

Local judo center nabs 13 medals, 9 goldPROVIDENCE, RI - Athletes

from the Jason Morris Judo Center

(JMJC) hauled in 13 total medals,

including 9 gold at the Ocean State

International Judo Championships in

Providence, RI over the March 19

weekend.

The Ocean States is the third leg of

the Zebra Tour competition, which

was preceded by the Starrett Cup and

Pedro's Challenge. The last stop along

the Zebra Tour is JMJC's own Morris

Cup X at Burnt Hills High School

May 14.

Brad Bolen, Harrison Hatton,

Natalie Lafon, Hannah Martin, Ethan

Stanley, Pete Stanley, Kyle Vashkulat

and Christie Woosley all walked

away with gold medals in their

respective divisions.

Bolen (22) went 4-0 in the 66kg

weight class to capture the title, along

with the $250 first prize. Martin (22)

was sharp all day, winning two golds

and claiming the 57kg and 63kg

weight divisions.

Among Hannah's victories was one

over the #2 ranked Hana Carmichael,

who had won the previous five meet-

ings between the two. Lafon (30)

posted a 3-0 mark on the day winning

all of her matches by ippon to win the

52kg category.

Ethan Stanley (24) was a double

medalist, taking a gold in the +100kg

novice division and picking up a

bronze in the elite +100kg weight

class. Pete Stanley (26) continued to

improve, taking a gold in the 100kg

novice division.

Hatton (17), a Burnt Hills High

School junior, picked up a gold win-

ning the brown belt 66kg division.

Woosley (18) was a double medalist,

taking a gold in 70kg and a bronze in

the 78kg category.

Vashkulat (20) cruised through the

+100kg division, keeping his hopes

alive to capture all the Zebra Tour

events and claim the $1,000 bonus for

doing so. Kyle would be only the sec-

ond athlete to win the Zebra Tour in

its five year history, joining JMJC's

Nick Kossor (25) who accomplished

that feat in 2009.

Jake Stromecki looked very good

in his first tournament back from

reconstructive shoulder surgery and

won a silver medal in the 100kg

weight class. Krystal Defibaugh (16)

from Galway closed out the JMJC

medal count winning a bronze in her

first tournament in the 15-16 age

bracket for the 57kg division.

Photo provided

From left to right, top row: Ethan Stanley, Jake Stromecki, Pete Stanley, Kyle Vashkulat; bottom row: Natalie Lafon, Christie Woosley, Hannah Martin, Brad Bolen

Page 31: Saratoga Today Newspaper March 25th 2011

32Friday,

March 25, 2011

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