April 2009 Archives

It's a sure sign of spring when cars are backed up on Union Avenue for horse crossing. The Oklahoma Track opened last week for spring training - the prerequisite to the annual meet at the Saratoga Race Course.

The city of Glens Falls is close to bringing an American Hockey League team back to the Glens Falls Civic Center next season. The only catch, they have to sell 2,500 partial or full season tickets by April 30 if the goal is to become a reality.

In an effort to reduce costs to customers and develop new "green" technology, National Grid has proposed to launch a program called "Smart Grid" in Saratoga County and the Syracuse area.

Former Saratoga Springs building inspector, Lauritz Rasmussen, who was terminated from his position on Thursday, April 16, appeared before the City Council on Tuesday, April 21 to reveal to city officials and the public that his firing had come because of concerns he had raised over the design of the indoor recreation center.

Kristina Wheeler, 22, of Mechanicville was arrested and charged with falsely reporting an incident following a month-long investigation by the Stillwater Police Station. She reported that in March her estranged husband abandoned their 5-month-old child on the front porch in freezing weather before fleeing. Wheeler alleged that she found the baby after a period of time. Her  complaint led to the arrested of her husband on child endangerment charges. After an investigation police revealed that Wheeler fabricated the allegation out of anger toward her estranged husband. She was arraigned in Stillwater Town Court and transported to Saratoga County Jail in lieu of bail.

Murphy expands congressional lead

Democratic candidate Scott Murphy has inched a littler closer to victory in the 20th Congressional District after he took a 365-vote lead on Wednes-day.
While the lead in the race has gone back and forth between Murphy and
his Republican competitor Jim Tedisco since absentee ballot counting started, it may all come down to 1,800 ballots that are currently being contested. Of the contested votes 810 are from registered Democrats, Green Party and Working Families Party, and 653 votes are from registered Republicans.

Yet another business in Saratoga Springs has made it a goal to make life easier for Saratogians.

Upon entering Green Pea Café, customers can expect to be greeted by name by owner Margaret Jones, or at least that's the atmosphere she is striving to have.

Every day children across the nation try to find excuses not to go to school. They say their stomach hurts or they suddenly have a cough, but parents know that the issue is far deeper than a fleeting aliment.

The city of Saratoga Springs will be alive with the Mardi-Gras spirit on Sunday, April 26 when the city plays host to the third-annual Mardi-Gras Festival.

Local singer/songwriter Forrest Jenkins will host a concert of original songs focused around the 12-steps for recovery from addiction at Caffe Lena on Sunday, May 3.

Carbonara is a classic family standby in the Wolf household of Charlton, NY. Jen Wolf learned its versatility during her many years in Germany, her husband's native land. Since moving to the area and becoming acquainted with the fresh farm products at the Saratoga Farmers' Market, she uses the dish for a tasty dinner that satisfies her entire family. Best of all she can whip it together after a hard day at work. It's a great family pleaser.

After last week's serious topic of Pit Bulls, this week I thought I would go a little lighter by introducing three local families and the pets they adopted from the Saratoga County Animal Shelter. Each of the three adopted pets will tell, in their own words, how they happily found a "forever home" and became an important member of their "forever family." First, we meet Luna, the cat with the most beautiful eyes. She tells us how Scott and Emily Martin brought her home in September of 2007. Next, we hear from Baxter, a beagle that was adopted in 2008 by Deb Hall and her family. Baxter explains why he is not a typical Beagle. Finally, Sparky tells her story of landing a loving home back in 1994, and how she became a sea faring dog with sailing enthusiasts and owners, Alan and Joyce Bartlett.

There are two signs that the golf season is truly upon us. One is that Brookhaven is open (Friday, April 17) and McGregor Links held its annual cleanup day whereby a number of golfers volunteer their services for a Saturday morning. They do those little jobs that help beautify the course: raking leaves, cutting brush, a little touch-up painting, etc. The jobs would not be done by the regular crew until later in the season, if at all.

As the saying goes, "If it isn't broken, don't fix it." Brett Hearn had won the final three races of last season, so he and car owner Vinny Salerno brought back the same car and engine combination and continued their winning streak last Friday night. Hearn, of Sussex, NJ, started fourth in the 35-lap feature but he and third starting Ronnie Johnson spent the early laps searching for a way past front row starters Don Mattison and Todd Stone, who were running side-by-side. Johnson finally slipped past Stone on Lap 8 and Hearn did the same one lap later. Race leader Mattison was rim riding on the outside as Johnson began ducking under him through the turns. On Lap 11, Johnson got a good run coming out of Turn 2 and took the lead going down the back stretch. Hearn, using the same line as Johnson, worked under Mattison but was nearly wrecked as Mattison bounced off the front stretch wall and into the side of Hearn. Hearn survived the contact and was running second when the Caution Flag came out on Lap 14. On the restart, Johnson chose the outside lane, which would prove costly, as Hearn got a great run down the front stretch and took the lead going through the first and second turns. Johnson stayed close to Hearn for the remainder of the race but had to settle for second place as Hearn pulled off his 93rd career win at the track. Last year's Opening Night winner, Matt DeLorenzo, crossed the  line third, followed by Ken Tremont, Todd Stone and Jack Johnson.

Ballston Spa's Derrick McGrew won the 25-lap Budget Sportsman feature. McGrew started sixth but quickly raced his way up to third as Scott Duell led the first six laps. On a Lap 7 restart, 16-year-old rookie Tim Hartman, Jr., a former kart racer making his stock car debut, shot past Duell for the lead. McGrew moved into second on Lap 9 and pressured Hartman for the lead. McGrew took the lead on Lap 16 and cruised to his second career Budget win at the track. Hartman held onto an impressive second place finish ahead of Frank Hoard, III, Dan Peckham and Ricky Quick.

Rob Yetman of Castleton put his new Andy Cannizzaro chassis in the Pro-Stock winner's circle after their 25-lap race. Yetman became a regular at the track late last May and the former Lebanon Valley and Fonda Track Champion finally got his first win at Albany Saratoga. Yetman chased Jimmy Monroe and Chuck Towslee for the first half of the race, taking second on Lap 14 and passing Towslee for the lead on Lap 17. Yetman's Lazzaro Motorsports teammate, Kim Duell, put his #00 into second place on Lap 18 but couldn't get by Yetman in the final laps. Jimmy Monroe held on to finish third followed by Jeremy Pitts and Kevin VanChance.

In the most hotly contested race of the night, Dan Petronis of Mechanicville barely held off Mike Ostrander in the 20-Lap Limited race. The two swapped first and second place several times before Petronis took the lead with one lap to go. Ken Conroy, Mark Lester and Dan Older chased the pair across the line.

This coming Friday night, April 24, the Sportsman will be the featured division as there will be no Modified racing. Joining the Sportsman class will be the Budget Sportsman, Pro-Stocks and Limiteds. Race time is 6:45 p.m.

A couple of my buddies called me last week and asked if I wanted to go up into one of our hunting camps and do a little four-wheeling on our ATV's. It took me all of a nano second to answer that I would love to go.

Trainers Bob Baffert and Janet Elliot, jockey Eddie Maple and the horses Ben Nevis 11, Silverbulletday and Tiznow have been elected to the National Museum of Racing's Hall of Fame.

Burnt Hills, NY - Charles J. Abdalla of VanVorst Road passed away Wednesday, April 22, 2009 at Ellis Hospital in Schenectady. He was 78.

Wilton - Webster D. Paine of Edie Road passed away Saturday, April 18, 2009 at the Wesley Health Care Center. He was 77.

Greenfield Center - Rex N. Miller of Annacrest Drive, died Friday, April 17, 2009 at Saratoga Hospital. He was 75.

Saratoga Springs - Bradley C. Ovitt of Allen Drive passed away Fri-day, April 17, 2009 at his residence. He was 57.

Portsmouth, RI - David J. Burke, a decorated veteran of the Vietnam War, passed away on April 13, 2009 at Stanford Uni-versity Medical Center in Palo Alto, California after a long battle with esophageal cancer. He was 75 and had been a resident of Portsmouth, RI. David is survived by his wife of 44 years, Anne S. Burke; his three children, David C. Burke of Atherton, CA, Thomas C. Burke of San Francisco, CA, and Elizabeth A. Burke of New York, NY; three grandchildren, Aidan, Caroline, and Charlie; his brother, Michael Burke of Saratoga Springs, and sister, Mary Fitzsimmons of Tequesta, FL.

Saratoga Springs - Frances (Crimaldi) Johns of Lincoln Ave., passed away Wednesday, April 15, 2009 at Albany Medical Center. She was 88.

Malta - Caroline B. Kottke, a resident at The Home of the Good Shepherd, passed away Saturday, April 11, 2009 at Saratoga Hospital after a brief illness. She was 91.

Ballston Spa - Donald R. Farmer, 77, passed away peacefully at Saratoga Hospital on Wednesday, April 16, 2009 surrounded by his family after a courageous battle with cancer.

As GlobalFoundries is preparing to close on the purchase of property at Luther Forest Technology Campus, the Town of Malta is clearing the way for new development off-campus.

Solo sailor Donna Lange, a native Saratogian who had her adventures of sailing around the world chronicled in Saratoga TODAY, has once again hit the high seas, only this time she is using her experience as a sailor to undertake marine conservation projects and offer humanitarian aid to coastal communities in developing countries through an organization called OceansWatch.

On Wednesday, April 22, people across the world will celebrate the 40th annual Earth Day, meant to highlight our environment and the challenges it faces. To celebrate our planet and all its wonders, several local groups have put together a myriad of events focused on bettering our community and informing the public on how they can make Saratoga a greener, more environmentally friendly city.

Instead of sleeping in and playing with friends for their spring break, Girl Scouts of Troop #3679 spent their week off beautifying the Saratoga County EOC Head Start Center.

Indoor Rec Center clears legal obstacles
Mayor Scott Johnson announced Monday that construction of the Indoor Recreation Center will proceed im-mediately after it cleared all legal obstacles.

Amanda Morris, 24, of Stillwater was arrested on Apr. 11 and charged with operating a motor vehicle, a misdemeanor; after a mobile plate reader scanned her license plate on Hudson Avenue, Stillwater. She was processed and released on her own recognizance. She will appear at Stillwater Town Court at a later date.

Spring is finally here, and Impressions of Saratoga is showing their spirit with student-made window displays.

Sixty to 80 percent of Americans will experience back pain at some point in their lives. For the most part, the pain will subside within three to five days after an injury. For some however, the pain is chronic and may interfere with day-to-day
activities.

Since childhood, Allen Caruso knew that he wanted to own his own business. After graduating from Adirondack Community College he did just that.

I am away celebrating a daughter's birthday and have asked Skidmore senior and great friend to the Saratoga Farmers' Market, Andrew Plotsky, to do the recipe this week. I discovered Andrew's wit and love of simple fresh vegetarian delights by chance when he submitted a wonderful discourse on making Adirondack Dash mashed potatoes. Feedback from our readers was so positive I am giving Andrew another recipe in this column and you, our readers, another taste of his simple, farm-fresh food sprinkled with humor.

Local clothing designers Cecilia and Richard Lockwood, owners of Frittelli & Lockwood Textiles in Saratoga Springs and Glens Falls, were recently chosen out of 2,000 applicants to take part in the 27th Annual Smithsonian Craft Show set to take place April 23-26 at the National Building Museum in Washington D.C.

A member of the Friends of the Saratoga County Animal Shelter recently asked me if I would devote my column this week to the highly controversial category of dogs commonly called "Pits" or "Pit Bulls." Since a fair number of dogs labeled "pit bull terrier mixes" come through the shelter, it seems appropriate for me to discuss the myths and the realities surrounding these dogs.

When I was a kid and living on a farm, animals were an everyday fact of life. Some of the old timers still worked parts of their farms with horses.  Cows and hogs were not prevalent but were around enough so as not to be strange in any way. Both, on apple farms, considered mainly as a food source and not as a cash crop or income generator. Chickens were a staple both for eggs and for meat. We had about 3,000 of them at one time. Cats were always around the barns mainly to control the mouse population.  

Kentucky Derby contenders are coming into Louisville from a wider geographical scope than ever before, and to make it even more interesting, they are coming off a variety of surfaces.
The West has produced a really strong crop of contenders this year, but some of those colts had to trek to other parts of the country to find their best stride.

It appears (thus far) that Mother Nature is going to take it easy on us this April. Usually in her own fickle way, she lulls us into a false sense of security and then bombards us into a last-minute snowstorm. Not this April.

Gansevoort - John Moore, 70, a resident of Gordon Lane, died unexpectedly on Sunday, April 12, 2009 at his home.

Saratoga Springs - Joseph A. Stimpson, 69, a resident of Route 29, passed away at his home on Tuesday, April 7, 2009.

Greenwich - James L. Dempsey Jr., 62, a resident of Greenwich, passed away Thursday, April 9, 2009 at the Vermont Veterans Home in Bennington, VT.

Gansevoort - Maria C. Boccio, beloved mother and grandmother, died Wednesday, April 8, 2009 at Saratoga Hospital. She was 56.

Family, neighbors and friends of Tracy Purcell of Saratoga Springs and formerly of Gulfport, FL, will celebrate his life at the Greenfield Center Baptist Church on the Wilton-Greenfield Road on Monday, April 27, 2009 at 11 a.m.

Greenfield Center - Gretchen W. Zeh of Wilton Road died unexpectedly in the early morning hours of Thursday, April 9, 2009 at Saratoga Hos-pital with her three sons by her side. She was 72 years old.

Less than one month after GlobalFoundries Inc. received a soil disturbance permit from the town of Malta for their $4.2 billion computer chip factory at Luther Forest Technology Campus, the town has named a longtime local resident as project manager. Stuart Mesinger of Chazen Companies was recently awarded the position after his continued involvement with both the towns of Malta and Stillwater. Mesinger has been with Chazen Cos. for the past 11 years, two of which he's spent closely working with the towns' planning boards providing consulting work regarding planning and engineering on local projects.

Managing a county fair isn't all fun and games and no one would know better than Dick Rowland.

On Tuesday, April 7, the Saratoga Job Fair Board of Directors hosted their fifth and perhaps most widely attended job fair at the City Center in downtown Saratoga Springs.

After the new Saratoga Springs City Center expansion plans garnered opposition from city residents and leaders, members of the City Council voted 5-0 during Tuesday's meeting to send the plans before the Design Review Commission.

Former U.S. Rep. John E. Sweeney was arrested on Apr. 5 and charged with a felony count of driving while intoxicated. This is Sweeney's second DWI arrest in less than 18 months. Getting a second DWI arrest within 10 years results in a felony charge.

Former Congressman John Sweeny arrested on felony DWI charges

Former U.S. Congressman John Sweeney, of Clifton Park, was arrested early Sunday morning and charged with felony driving while intoxicated after receiving his second DWI in less than 18 months.

Eight local teachers will be spending their spring break visiting rural schools in China.
The teachers were invited by the China Institute to participate in the Teach China Program, a study tour that focuses on the issues pertaining to education in rural areas.

While the economy is suffering through a downturn and the housing market hasn't been promising in past months, Saratoga County is the place to be for local agents.

Shoppers at Wilton Mall can get a taste of past fashions as they walk the corridors with a public art installation presented by the Saratoga Springs History Museum and the brand-new Empire Historic Arts.

This year my youngest child set off to attend my alma mater, the University of Colorado in Boulder. I had not returned for many years and the memories came flooding back as my husband and I dropped her off and headed into the mountains for a few days of hiking and fun. On one day's adventure, a wonderful set of recollections surfaced upon finding my uncle's former sheep ranch. As I recall, it was my first trip to my uncle's ranch, where the Spring Creek runs and the sheep graze, that I got to experience fresh farm raised lamb - cooked by my Aunt Pat (and for whom my youngest is named). She cooked rack of lamb and it was good (this recipe in fact was so good that when submitted to the Denver Junior League, it made it into their prize winning cook book: Crème de Colorado). Aunt Pat served the lamb with stir fried squash and Chevre cheese. My Aunt is gone but her tantalizing rack of lamb recipe lives on. I encourage you to visit the Saratoga Farmers' Market where you can find pasture raised lamb, fresh winter squash and Chevre. It still is a special meal for a special time.

This weekend beginning Friday, April 10 through the 11, the Ndakinna Educational Center of Greenfield will be hosting its second annual Saratoga Indigenous Film Festival open to the public.  The festival will be showcasing five different films by contemporary Native filmmakers, three of which are documentaries and two which are works of fiction.

Deciding on the right summer camp for your child can be daunting with so many options to choose from.

When older animals or animals with special needs end up in our county animal shelter, it takes some very special and caring individuals to take them in and give them a forever home. Last week in my column on surrendered pets, I referred to the challenge of finding homes for older pets that, for a myriad of reasons, are left at the shelter. Take for example shelter cats Buddy, Marie, and Ramesea who are all eight years old. As it is soon to be the season for kittens, these older cats will be passed over for the little ones. The adult cats may have served their owners well over the years, but suddenly they find themselves in need of a quiet, secure and loving home.  

Tennyson wrote that in spring, a young man thinks of love, but around here, spring makes young men think, nonstop, about tree houses.

On Saturday, April 25, the Geyser Road Elementary School will be hosting its second annual Health and Wellness Fair, open to all members of the community.

Last night, I attended the first meeting of the year for the Saratoga division of B.E.S.T., Backstretch Employee Service Team of New York Inc. They are not new to me; I attended a few of their meetings last year as well. My hat is off to this organization and to all of the volunteers who give their time and skills to help others. They do a great job of providing many services to the people that care for the Thoroughbred horses.

This time of the year is described in many ways by area golfers. The intellectual golfer calls it a transition period, others call it limbo and I call it the dead zone. No matter what you call it, it's that period of golf from March 20 (when the snow begins to melt) to April 20 (when all the golf courses will be open).

Remember last year when there was so much noise being made over the acquisition of 161,000 acres of Adirondack Mountain land by The Nature Conservancy from Finch Pruyn & Company?

Saratoga Springs, NY - Margaret R. Hofmann passed away Saturday, March 28, 2009 at Wesley Health Care Center. She was 94.

John J. Kelly, 73, passed away peacefully on Friday, April 3, 2009 at his home with his loving family at his side. Born in Troy on May 16, 1935, he was the son of the late Frank and Mildred Baker Kelly. He is the beloved husband of 50 years to Edith Haskins Kelly.

Saratoga Springs, NY - Bertha D. Kievit, previously of Ridgewood, NJ, passed away Saturday, April 4, 2009 at Wesley Health Care Center after a short illness. She was 83.

Mechanicville - Richard Hayden Rose of Riverside died Sunday evening (April 5, 2009) after battling cancer for the past two years. He was 62.

Saratoga Springs, NY - Alice Lucille DeMatteo passed away peacefully Saturday (April 4, 2009) at her home, with her loving family by her side. She was 83.

Meet Hannah Sames. At first glance she is just like any normal five-year-old. She attends pre-school and comes home to a house in Rexford to play with her two older sisters Reagan and Madison. She likes the colors pink and purple and loves to sing and dance.

Spring is on its way, and with it, the kickoff of Saratoga Arts Fest 2009.

If anyone thought the race to fill Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand's vacated 20th Congressional District seat was going to be over after Tuesday, think again. With 100 percent of precincts reporting, Democrat Scott Murphy currently leads the race over Republican Jim Tedisco by a margin of 25 votes, 77,317 to 77,292.

The Saratoga Springs City Council will be busy reworking the city's 2009 budget as Gov. David Paterson plans to cut all video lottery terminal funds from Saratoga Springs' state aid.

Public education has become a widely discussed topic throughout our nation. For some, traditional public schools are fine. For others, however, public schools leave much to be desired - primarily parents who doubt the learning path chosen by these public schools.  In many communities, there is an alternative to the traditional public school system. Since 1991, Saratoga Springs has had that alternative in the Saratoga Independent School.

With the hustle and bustle that goes along with life today, it can be hard to find a relaxing atmosphere that welcomes the whole family.

This time of year many are looking for a nice ham to serve for Easter dinner. Look no further than the Saratoga Farmers' Market and vendors Brookside Farms and M&A Farm. Both vendors have ham cuts to satisfy large or small gatherings. Their ham is from healthy pig stock and is free of preservatives and water that so often degrade the flavor in supermarket variety hams. Add to the ham while cooking a local honey and citrus glazing and you are going to have one delicious Easter Ham.

The Mimosa Gallery recently opened a fundraiser exhibition titled "A Moment... A Memory," which will raise money for the Alzheimer's Association of Northeastern New York.

Most animals that end up in our county animal shelter are labeled either "surrenders" or "strays."  The latter category refers to lost or abandoned animals that are saved by the county animal control officers. Some of the lost animals are claimed and happily reunited with their owners, while others are never claimed and after a period of time, become candidates for adoption.  But what about the first category, "surrenders?" What does it mean for a pet to be surrendered and why does it happen?

One of my favorite books about the world of racing is David Alexander's A Sound of Horses.  It begins, "Horse racing is a peculiar institution and a gracious, exciting way of life. It is also a state of mind, like Greenwich Village, Christmas and schizophrenia."

Have you ever heard the old saying that "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure?" If you haven't, please keep reading and learn what this means.

After weeks spent practicing and training, the Saratoga Springs High School Varsity Softball team is ready to begin their new season, with opening day set for next Wednesday, April 8. Coach Jeff Harrington, who will be leading the team in his seventh year as head coach, has many reasons to be optimistic about his team's performance this season.

Looking to add a bit of life to your home? The Great American Awning and Patio Room located in Ballston Lake can help. Offering homeowners a variety of retractable awnings fit for rain and sun, as well as custom patio and sunroom construction, Great American Awning and Patio Room is there to help you with all your needs and ensure you can take full advantage of the nicer weather on the way.

Located in the rural town of Charlton, New York at 187 Valentine Road is the family owned and operated Emerich Sales and Service Inc., providing customers with all of their outdoor power equipment needs since 1968. First opened over 40 years ago by Anna Mae Emerich and her husband, Emerich Sales and Service has come from a rather humble beginning.


 

Edward Murray had been working as a landscaper since as early as 1955. He shared his love of all things green with his wife, Rita, and together the two purchased an old dairy farm in Saratoga Springs at the beginning of 1970, where he began his own nursery and landscaping business. Six years later, Murray purchased a plot of land along Route 67 in Ballston Spa where he started a retail garden center. He named it Brookside Farms Nursery. For years Edward worked at the nursery, teaching his two sons, Ian and Bruce, all he knew about the trade. Confident that his sons could carry the torch, he passed on his business to them in 1989, when it was renamed, simply, Brookside Nursery.

In any life cycle we often look to the foundation of growth as a barometer for success.  Interestingly, many garden enthusiasts overlook this simple fact. Many folks equate price, size, number of plants and amount of fertilizer as their prime elements for gardening success. I have had the opportunity to visit and work a variety of gardens in the region throughout the years: new developments, redevelopments and historical farms. No matter what the setting the single greatest factor for garden success is SOIL! As you can imagine, the old farm setting has the most abundant and robust plants of all the properties I service. And why, of course the wonderful history of its soil!

Corinth, NY - Alvin Joseph Lieberman passed away on Sunday, March 29, 2009, at the Glens Falls Hospital following a long illness. He was 69.

Saratoga Springs - Josephine M. Gwiazdowski, 93, of Union Ave., died Saturday, March 28, 2009 at Saratoga Hospital.