Jonathon Norcross
Spa Catholic Falls Short in “Undefeated” Game, But Finishes Season With a Win
SARATOGA SPRINGS — The baseball parking lot at Veterans Memorial Park in Saratoga Springs was overflowing as the 17-0 Saratoga Central Catholic Saints varsity baseball team faced the 15-0 Mechanicville Red Raiders on Monday, May 6. The matchup between two undefeated teams could only end one way: someone’s record was about to become blemished.
With the grandstands full, spectators plopped down camping chairs in nearly every available spot with a clear view of the diamond. The sun set slowly beyond the left field wall as the middle innings rolled on and Mechanicville took a 2-0 lead heading into the fourth inning.
The Saints struggled offensively, notching only three hits. Ryan Gillis pushed across the team’s lone run with an RBI in the bottom of the sixth. But the late spur wasn’t enough to overcome the Red Raiders’ four runs, two of which were the result of Saints fielding errors. Mechanicville took the W and ended the Saints’ undefeated streak.
After suffering their first loss of the season, Spa Catholic would have an opportunity for revenge at Mechanicville High School the following afternoon. But they again couldn’t overcome the Red Raiders, losing 5 to 2. Although the Saints limited their fielding errors this time, Mechanicville’s 10 hits were too many to overcome.
With a 17-2 record, the Saints went into their final game of the regular season against Christian Brothers Academy last Saturday night. The game turned into a nailbiter after Spa Catholic erupted with six runs in the bottom of the sixth inning. But then a walk-off single by Jason Pescetti sealed the deal, giving the Saints an 8-7 victory.
In the end, only Mechanicville got the better of Spa Catholic, stealing two games away from a team with an otherwise perfect record. Saratoga finished the season 18-2 overall, and 12-2 in the Wasaren League. The Saints’ .857 winning percentage was second only to Mechanicville.
Saratoga School Data: Chronic Absenteeism Declining, Graduation Rates Steady, Enrollment Down
SARATOGA SPRINGS — At the Saratoga Springs City School District’s Board of Education meeting on May 9, Assistant Superintendent Dr. Lisa Cutting led a presentation that cited 2022-2023 data regarding the district’s chronic absenteeism, graduation rates, and enrollment numbers, among other figures.
Dr. Cutting discussed the data alongside Dr. Danielle Bouton-Wales, Director of K-12 Stem and Secondary Instruction; Dr. Michele Whitley, Director of K-12 Humanities and Elementary Instruction; and Mrs. Abigail Adams-Snell, Director of Assessment, Accountability and Improvement.
Chronic Absenteeism
Chronic absenteeism, defined by the New York State Education Department as students missing at least 10% of the school days for which they are enrolled, declined from 2021-2022 to 2022-2023, according to the data.
After skyrocketing in 21-22 to 17.8%, or 660 students, chronic absenteeism rates among 1st through 8th graders declined to 15.5%, or 571 students, in 22-23, which is about 10% less than the state average. Similarly, 9th through 12th grades hit 28.1% (553 students) in 21-22, but then declined to 25.5% (505 students) in 22-23, which is about 5% below state average.
“For four years, I’ve been talking about chronic absenteeism,” said Board President Tony Krackeler. “It’s a topic that is very important to me. I want to give you congratulations on real progress in combating that. The numbers show it’s a big success story of this district.”
One change in dealing with absenteeism is the district’s use of ParentSquare, a service that sends automated absentee notifications and allows parents to communicate directly with attendance clerks.
Graduation Rates
Graduation rates have remained relatively consistent over the last few years, remaining in the range of 91.9% to 93.8%. These rates are notably higher than the New York State average of 86%.
Student Enrollment
K-12 enrollment decreased from nearly 6,000 in 21-22 to 5,798 in 23-24. When broken down by ethnicity, enrollment has remained relatively steady across all groups. But the district is seeing an increase in economically disadvantaged student enrollment, from 1,435 (or 24% of all students) in 21-22, to 1,687 (29%) in 23-24.
Cosmic Capes Comics Closing Up Shop
SARATOGA SPRINGS — Cosmic Capes Comics, a comic book store located in The Springs apartment complex on Weibel Ave, will be closing soon, owner Mike Miller announced to customers in an email last week.
“For nearly three years, I have had the pleasure of opening and running Cosmic Capes Comics, and meeting so many great people,” Miller wrote. “While this experience has exceeded my expectations — you taught me much about comics, running a retail store, and how to remember names — I will soon be moving back to the midwest and closing the store in its current location. My wife and I have enjoyed our 14 years here in upstate New York, but the pull of family is too strong.”
Miller said he would consider opportunities to re-open the store once he’d completed his move. He also announced that Cosmic Capes would be holding a “20% off everything” moving sale beginning May 8.
“Thank you all for a wonderful run here in Saratoga Springs. You’ve allowed me to pursue my dream of owning and running a comic book store,” Miller wrote.
From the Catskills to Saratoga: Bakery Suzanne Opens Up Shop
SARATOGA SPRINGS — “I love just being able to make people’s toast,” said Wilson Keenan as he sat inside his new bakery in Saratoga Springs. “If you had to tell me, ‘you can only make one thing,’ I’d probably make bread.”
The seemingly simple ambition of supplying Saratogians with their weekly loaf of bread has been an all-encompassing task for Keenan, who has gone through a lot while moving his successful bakery from the Catskills to Saratoga Springs. Working 18-hour days, raising $125,000, spending savings accrued from nearly a decade of working in tech; these are all steps on Keenan’s path towards making people’s toast. And with the opening of Bakery Suzanne in April, Keenan is another step closer.
“I knew I needed to move if [my bakery] was going to grow,” Keenan said. So the baker began searching for a larger market that was still within a few hours of New York City.
“When you look outside of the Catskills, you start to look at maybe Woodstock, Kingston, Hudson; these towns that still rely pretty heavily on seasonal people and weekenders. That wasn’t as exciting to me because I was like, well that’s just an order of magnitude, maybe 40% better than where I was, but it’s not really long-term potential.”
Keenan found what he’d been looking for in Saratoga Springs, in a location that might seem a bit unorthodox but made logistical sense: the Saratoga Motorcycle Center.
“Auto garages make the most sense because we need to be able to move in ovens,” Keenan said. “We brought them up from the Catskills and there’s only so many spaces where you can move something like that in.”
As Keenan opened up shop, construction was still underway inside the garage-turned-bakery, and sparse shelves in the retail area were quickly being filled with Saratoga’s signature blue sparkling water bottles. At the moment, Keenan is running a relatively small operation that includes himself, one other baker, and two people working the retail counter. Keenan said he hoped to have another full-time baker come June or July as his business continues to grow.
“In the Catskills, I was making 400 loaves of bread when I left,” Keenan said. “It would take me quite a long time to sell 400 loaves of bread here, now. But fast forward a year or two, that will happen.”
Bakery Suzanne, named after Keenan’s mother, specializes in sourdough bread and pastries. The menu includes country loaf, baguette, and southern sesame breads; as well as croissants, pain au chocolat, canelé, and a country ham and cheese sandwich, among other items.
The shop is housed in the former location of the Saratoga Motorcycle Club at 4284 NY-50, right next to the X-Files Museum. It’s currently open Friday through Sunday, from 8 a.m. until 2 p.m.
Ballston Spa Education Board Approves Budget; Voters Will Decide Budget’s Fate and Select Education Board Members on May 21
BALLSTON SPA — The Ballston Spa Central School District’s Board of Education approved a proposed 2024-2025 budget of $107,179,996 last week.
There are three Community Budget Presentations being offered for district residents to learn more about the proposed budget. The presentations are scheduled for Monday, May 13 at the Ballston Town Hall; Tuesday, May 14 at the Malta Community Center; and Wednesday, May 15 at the Milton Community Center. All of the presentations will begin at 6:30 p.m.
District residents can vote on the budget on May 21 from 7 a.m. until 9 p.m. Residents of Malta can vote at the Malta Town Hall, while residents of Ballston, Milton and Charlton will vote at the Ballston Spa High School.
Voters will also choose two Board of Education members from three candidates: Jason Fernau, Fabrizia Rodriguez, and Tim Turbiak.
Jason Fernau was elected to the Board of Education in May 2018 to a three-year term and re-elected in May 2021. He was selected as the President in July 2021, 2022, and again in July 2023, after previously serving as the Vice President of the Board. He also currently serves on the WSWHE BOCES Board of Education. He is a Ballston Spa High School (BSHS) graduate and has been a resident in the district for over 45 years. He is the parent of two BSHS graduates, a son and a daughter. In his position statement, Fernau wrote that he was “committed to setting expectations for instructional excellence, safe and welcoming school environments, positive partnerships with our local Town and Village governments, fiscal responsibility to our taxpayers, and making sure that every student is engaged and challenged in their educational journey.”
Fabrizia Rodriguez has more than 13 years experience advocating and representing families as an attorney with a focus on Child Welfare Laws and Immigration Law. Additionally, Rodriguez has experience in grant writing for Capital District BOCES and Centro Civico Inc. She served as a Parent Liaison for the Amsterdam School District and supported initiatives to enhance communication and involvement between school and family. Rodriguez has been residing in the Town of Ballston since 2018, and is the proud mother of two sons, a fifth grader and a third grader at Gordon Creek. She is the current Vice President of Ballston Spa Community Youth Football Inc. In her position statement, Rodriguez wrote that if elected, she would “advocate for modernized resources and tools to best support our staff in developing outstanding Ballston Spa citizens.”
Tim Turbiak was elected to the Board in May 2021 and began his three-year term in July 2021. During his time on the Board, he has served on the Policy Committee for the last two years, and as the liaison to the PTAs over the last 3 years. Tim moved to the area in 2019 from Brooklyn. Over the years he has helped organize a number of fundraisers, helping organizations such as Toys for Tots, Meals On Wheels, the Wounded Warrior Project, and the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. He currently resides in Ballston Spa with his wife Eliana and their two children. In his position statement, Turbiak wrote that if re-elected, he intends “to help build on that progress as well as address the new challenges we face. I will advocate for policies and practices which promote inclusion, limit - if not remove - obstacles which may affect learning, and encourage our students to come to school and want to learn. I will support the district in providing the resources needed so each student has their individual needs met, and accomplish the ultimate goal to obtain a meaningful diploma.”
In addition to the budget vote and education board member elections, there will be three additional propositions on the ballot. Proposition 2 is for School Vehicle Replacement in the amount of up to $1,075,000 to purchase and replace school buses and vehicles. Proposition 3 allows the district to spend up to $595,000 to replace two bus lifts in the district’s Transportation Facility. Proposition 4 is for the Ballston Spa Public Library in the amount of $63,344 towards the expense of operating the public library.
Saratoga Students Win Physical Education Award
ALBANY — Two Saratoga Springs High School seniors were awarded the Capital Zone High School Student Leadership Awards in Physical Education at the Italian American Community Center in Albany last month.
Lira Bonitatibus and Louie Longobardo were recognized for their “high level of physical performance, scholastic achievement, exceptional leadership qualities, and outstanding service to the school or town/city community,” according to the Capital Zone. The students were nominated by Saratoga Springs High School physical education teacher Kelsey Allen.
Bonitatibus will attend Clemson University in the fall to study health sciences in the field of health promotion. Longobardo will attend SUNY Brockport to study physical education.
Former Saratoga Coach Continues “Act with Respect Always” Mission
SARATOGA SPRINGS — Coach Rich Johns, a former tennis coach at Saratoga Springs High School, continued his “Act with Respect Always” program with a series of speaking engagements over the last few months.
In April, Coach Johns spoke at a Saratoga Springs Rotary Club meeting, as well as the New York State Recreation and Park Society’s annual conference at the Queensbury Hotel in Glens Falls. Late last year, he also spoke at Hoosick Falls High School.
According to Johns, “Act With Respect Always” is a pay it forward movement stressing the importance of one’s personal character. In his speeches, Johns introduces several concepts, including:
• The 99% (What’s Your 99) and the 1% (Accept The 1), a personal character assessment plan that aims to bring the concept of mindfulness to everyone
• The Visible Project, which encourages everyone to send notes of gratitude to a friend, relative, teacher, or anyone else that has shown them kindness
• The Solid Five (Who Are Your Solid5), or five people who can be relied upon for non-judgmental physical and emotional support
BSpa Baseball Team Wins Game at Cooperstown, Visits Hall of Fame
COOPERSTOWN — The Ballston Spa varsity baseball team beat the Mohonasen Warriors 8 to 3 at the historic Doubleday Field in Cooperstown, New York on Saturday morning. The team also visited the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum while in town.
Doubleday Field is named after Civil War Major General Abner Doubleday, who was reportedly born in a small house that still stands in downtown Ballston Spa. (The home is now the site of the Real McCoy brewery.) Although Doubleday was once thought to have invented baseball, there’s no substantial evidence that he had anything to do with the creation or popularization of the game.
Skidmore Alum Crushes 3-Run Homer in Pro Game
VANCOUVER — Jackson Hornung, the first Skidmore College alum to be drafted by a professional sports team, cracked a three-run dinger last month for the Vancouver Canadians, the High-A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays.
In a game against the Spokane Indians, Hornung extended his hitting streak to six straight games before crushing the 0-2 pitch over the center field wall. Hornung finished the night with two hits and three RBI.
The former Skidmore Thoroughbred has upped his numbers from last year, when he played for the Low-A Dunedin Blue Jays in Florida. As of May 3, he had a .630 OPS with 12 hits and 6 walks in 51 total at-bats.
Adirondack Thunder Win Playoff Series, Advance to Next Round
GLENS FALLS — The Adirondack Thunder, an ECHL ice hockey team affiliated with the New Jersey Devils, beat the Maine Mariners at home, 2-0, in th decisive game 7 of the Kelly Cup Playoff North Division Semifinals last week. After winning the series, the Thunder advanced to the North Division Finals to take on the Norfolk Admirals.
In game 7, goalie Isaac Poulter stopped 21 shots for the shutout, while Ryan Wheeler and Tristan Ashbrook scored the Thunder’s two goals.
In game 1 against the Admirals last Friday night at Cool Insuring Arena in Glens Falls, the Thunder fell, 7 to 4. Ryan Smith scored two goals in the contest. His second goal came at the end of the second period, putting Adirondack ahead 4-3. But Norfolk erupted offensively in the third, scoring four goals and taking the first game of the series.
Game 2 on Saturday was a closer contest but the Admirals got the better of the Thunder once again, scoring three goals in the final period to take the W, 5 to 2. Yushiroh Hirano and Tristan Ashbrook contributed Adirondack’s two goals.
Down 2-0, the Thunder traveled to Norfolk for game 3 on Wednesday night.
