Please be advised of the following street(s) to be paved according to the schedule below.
Depending on construction circumstances or changing weather conditions this schedule could be revised.
• Monday July 7: Milling will take place on West Circular Court, from W Circular St through cul-de-sac.
• Tuesday July 8: Milling will take place on Aletta Street- South Street from W Circular St to Ballston Ave.
• Tuesday, July 8: Milling will take place on Schrade Lane from Aletta St to Perry St.
• Wednesday, July 9: Paving will take place on Aletta Street- South Street from W Circular St to Ballston Ave.
• Wednesday, July 9: Paving will take place on Schrade Lane from Aletta St to Perry St.
• Thursday July 10: Paving will take place on West Circular Court, from W Circular St through cul-de-sac.
Work is scheduled for the above street on the dates noted. Work will begin at 6:00 a.m. and should be completed by 4:00 p.m.
There is no parking of cars on the street during these hours and driveway access/egress will be limited with potentially lengthy delays. On the day of paving, the road will be closed to all through traffic until midafternoon.
America turns 249 years young this year and Saratoga Springs is celebrating in style.
With events taking place all over the city from sunup to after-sundown, residents can expect a mix of fireworks, live music, races and much more going on around town. Here is a rundown of all the events taking place in the city.
Fireworks
A staple of July 4 celebrations dating back to 1777, Saratoga Springs will have its annual fireworks show at 9 pm launched from the top of the City Center Parking Garage — located on Maple Street behind City Hall and City Center.
Music
Multiple musical acts will be performing around the city this July 4. A family friendly concert will take place at 7 p.m. just outside the City Center on Ellsworth Jones Place. The concert will feature Capitol Region music group “Soul Session.” In addition to the concert, visitors at the City Center can also enjoy Face Painters, Lemonade, Caricatures and Mr. Twisty Balloons from 7-9 p.m.
Elsewhere in the city, Upstate New York based “Jukebox Rebellion” will be performing at the intersection of Caroline Street and Maple Avenue as part of a block party.
Running
For those who enjoy running, they can run in the “Firecracker 4 Road Race,” starting at 9 a.m. The 19th annual event is expected to draw over 2000 runners and will be preceded by the .02 mile “Sparkler Fun Run” for kids. The kids race starts at 8:15 — immediately before the adult one.
Safety
Residents in the area should be aware of road closures and parking restrictions in effect on the 4th — particularly in areas where events are taking place. A full list of road closures and restrictions can be found on the Saratoga Springs Police Department website and social media pages.
In addition, multiple state agencies are advising people to leave the fireworks to the professionals to avoid ending up in the emergency room. On the county level, the Saratoga County Sherrif’s Office is stepping up DWI enforcement — details of which can be found on page 9.
SARATOGA SPRINGS—The Frances Young Tang Teaching Museum and Art Gallery at Skidmore College announces its annual summer open house, Frances Day, will be on Saturday, July 19, beginning at 2 pm. This year’s event is extra special: the Tang is turning 25 in 2025, and Frances Day marks the first celebration of the milestone year.
The birthday celebration features tours and drop-in art-making projects. The exhibition Building Blocks looks back at the architectural history and inaugural programming of the museum. Visitors can take a tour and then create a 3-D Tang Museum out of folded paper.
The exhibition Up to Us: Black Dimensions in Art, 1975–Tomorrow features art and archives in recognition of the 50th anniversary of Black Dimensions in Art Inc. (BDA), a nonprofit community group that supports Black artists and encourages youth participation in the arts. Exhibiting artist and BDA member Francelise Dawkins will lead an art-making project Free to Fly, in which visitors will make their own mobiles.
Yvette Molina: A Promise to the Leaves, the exhibition that has transformed the mezzanine into a museum community space devoted to art and conversation, features a cape-wearing hybrid deity Coywolf Guardian. The sculpture serves as inspiration for a cape-making project led by exhibiting artist Yvette Molina.
At 5 pm, guests are invited to a concert on the lawn with the Albany-based indie-rock band Dan Carr and the Cure for Asthma. A crowd-pleaser from last year’s Upbeat on the Roof concert, the band returns to play their catchy, unstoppable music.
Frances Day honors the museum’s namesake, Frances Young Tang, Skidmore College Class of ’61, and offers multiple ways for visitors to explore the museum’s stellar program of contemporary art exhibitions and events.
All events are free and open to the public. All tours include ASL interpretation. Plenty of free parking is available in lots adjacent to the Museum. In case of inclement weather, activities will be indoors.
If you’ve ever walked through Saratoga Springs and seen the flowers, shrubbery and decorations that dot the city’s streets and parks, then you’ve seen the work of Rob Wheelock and his team.
Wheelock is the working supervisor for the Department of Public Work’s Beautification Crew. They’re tasked with planting flowers, taking care of the trees, mowing, cleaning up the beds and everything else surrounds the flower beds.
While Saratoga residents may be very familiar with Wheelock’s work, it’s now been brought to a national spotlight. The American Federation of State, County & Municipal Employees has awarded Wheelock their “Never Quit Award.” The award is given to employees who “go above and beyond the call of duty to make their communities better.” He was nominated by one of his fellow DPW workers for the award.
During a recent City Council meeting, Wheelock was recognized by the council for receiving this award. DPW Commissioner Chuck Marshall had high praise for Wheelock. He highlighted Wheelock’s over 20 years of service to DPW and his commitment to keeping the city beautiful.
“He’s really a crew of one,” Commissioner Marshall said “Regardless of how he has, I’ve seen the guy sweating through his shirt, on his hands and knees weeding and putting in plants. To me, that’s the type of person you want to work with — let alone have working for you.”
Beyond just being a supervisor, Wheelock is also the vice president of DPW’s unit of the AFSCME/CSEA Local 1000 — the union who represents DPW workers and who’s national organization is giving the award.
After receiving multiple rounds of applause and a standing ovation, Wheelock got a chance to address City Council. In his brief remarks, Wheelock expressed gratitude for the award and pride in making Saratoga Springs beautiful.
“I do love coming to work every day,” Wheelock said “I know that myself and my team are making a difference. We love our city and like to keep it as clean as possible. When people ask you where you’re from and you say Saratoga Springs, they know exactly where you’re talking about and say, ‘That’s a beautiful city to go to.’ I’m proud of that.
BALLSTON SPA — The Saratoga County Department of Aging and Youth Services announced Elderly Nutrition Farmers Market Coupons are available to qualifying seniors. Coupons can be picked up at the Department of Aging and Youth Services at 152 West High Street in Ballston Spa from 9AM-5PM, Monday-Friday.
Coupon booklets include five $5 coupons ($25 value) that are good for fresh fruits and vegetables at local participating Farmers Market vendors.
The Department will also distribute its Elderly Nutrition Farmers Market Coupons to those who qualify at the following locations:
July 8th: 12:30pm-1:30pm Mechanicville Senior Center, 178 N Main St, Mechanicville
July 9th: 11:45am-1:15pm Clifton Park Senior Community Center, 6 Clifton Common Blvd, Clifton Park
July 10th: 12:30pm-1:30pm Greenfield Community Center, 7 Wilton Rd, Greenfield Center
July 15th: 11:00am-12:00pm Wilton Senior Center, 22 Traver Rd, Gansevoort
July 15th: 12:00pm-1:00pm Waterford Senior Center, 125 Second St, Waterford
July 16th: 11:00am-1:00pm Halfmoon Senior Center, 287 Lower Newtown Rd, Waterford
July 17th: 12:30pm-1:30pm Galway Town Hall, 5910 Sacandaga Rd, Galway
July 19th: 9:00am-1:00pm Saratoga Springs Farmer’s Market, 112 High Rock Ave, Saratoga Springs
July 21st: 2:00pm-5:00pm Clifton Park Farmer’s Market, 971 Route 146, Clifton Park
July 22nd: 11:00am-12:00pm Malta Town Hall, 2540 US-9, Malta
July 23rd: 12:00pm-1:00pm Moreau Community Center, 144 Main Street, South Glens Falls
July 24th: 10:00am-11:00am Saratoga Senior Center, 290 West Ave Suite 1, Saratoga Springs
July 29th: 3:00pm-5:00pm Stillwater Farmer’s Market, 662 Hudson Ave, Stillwater
July 30th: 12:00pm-1:00pm Corinth Senior Center, 22 Hamilton Ave, Corinth
July 30th: 3:00pm-5:00pm Saratoga Springs Farmer’s Market, 112 High Rock Ave, Saratoga Springs
July 31st: 11:30am-12:30pm Milton Community Center, 310 Northline Rd, Ballston Spa
A Department of Aging and Youth Services representative will be present at distribution sites to discuss services and resources available for seniors.
Qualifications for Farmers Market Coupons:
Qualified individuals are those who are aged 60 or older and earn a monthly income of no more than $2,413.00 per month for a one-person household or no more than $3261.00 per month for a two-person household. One coupon booklet is available per eligible individual.
For more information, contact the Saratoga County Department of Aging and Youth Services at 518-884-4100.
Families are able to unwind without screens as part of programming put on by Pitney Meadows ( Courtesy of Pitney Meadows Community Farm)
What if you could press pause on your busy week, set down your phone, and step into an evening filled with sunshine, laughter, kites, and fireflies?
This summer, Pitney Meadows Community Farm and Brave Lion Wholehearted Wellness are making that vision a reality with their new weekly series: “Summer Sunset Socials: Unplug to Grow: Curiosity, Community & Joy. “
Launching Wednesday, July 2nd, 2025, and running every Wednesday evening through August 6 from 6:30–8:30 PM at Pitney Meadows Community Farm (223 West Ave., Saratoga Springs, NY 12866), these events offer more than just family fun; they are a gentle rebellion against the frantic pace of modern life. It’s an open invitation to slow down, look up, and truly connect with the people and world around you.
Forget schedules. Forget screens. Forget the impulse to capture and post. At Summer Sunset Socials, the only thing you need to savor is the feeling of warm grass beneath your feet, the sky turning gold as the sun sets beyond the fields, and the company of community.
“Summer Sunset Socials are simply an opportunity to cherish the curiosity, innocence, and wonder of childhood, nourish the senses, and grow meaningful community connections,” says Pitney Meadows Executive Director, Brooke McConnell. “… and to do so without the tug and distraction of our phones! These gatherings are for us grownups too, of many generations, to slow down and see the summer through the lens of the current moment, not our screens.”
Upon arrival, families will be required to check their phones at the “door,” creating a shared agreement to be fully present. From there, the evening unfolds naturally… no set agenda, no loud entertainment, no pressure to do anything but enjoy and to just be. Summer Sunset Social attendees are welcome to:
• Fly a kite across a wide-open sky…
• Play lawn games that make you giggle like you did as a kid…
• Deal out cards at a quiet table and make a new friend…
• Make bubbles as big as your imagination, or draw joy right onto the pavement with sidewalk chalk…
• And so much more!
The best part? These gatherings are for all ages and all kinds of families… parents, grandparents, friends, neighbors, couples, and anyone seeking a rare chance to slow down and savor simple, meaningful connection.
“I keep hearing that everyone wants to be on their phone less, but don’t know how to do it, or feel like they will be the odd one out. Well, we are creating these events to take the pressure off,” says Leah Ferrone, founder of Brave Lion Wholehearted Wellness. “Please join us for one of these savored summer evenings where you feel radically present and full of joy and possibility. I’m pretty sure most of the world’s issues could be solved during an intergenerational card game at a farm picnic table. But you will have to come find out for yourself.”
Rooted in the belief that true growth happens when we unplug and tune into our surroundings, Summer Sunset Socials offer something increasingly rare: space to cultivate joy, curiosity, and real togetherness.
And there’s no need to rush… this is a come-as-you-are, stay-as-long-as-you-like evening, meant to feel like an unhurried summer picnic that you’ll want to linger at.
So set down your phone. Step into the sunset. Come to your Community Farm, and grow everything that truly matters.
Teacher and Air Force veteran Donald Hyman performs during the Juneteenth event at the YMCA
It was standing room only at the YMCA as Saratoga Springs held its annual Juneteenth celebration.
The event took place June 19 and featured vendors, speakers, musical acts, dances and theatrical performances. This year was the fourth annual event in Saratoga Springs. The event wasn’t the only one to take place in the city.
Later in the day, a new historic marker was unveiled on Congress Street to honor a predominantly Black neighborhood which was destroyed as part of urban renewal. Another plaque honoring one of two churches destroyed in the project was dedicated on June 21 behind City Hall on Maple Street.
While Juneteenth has only been a federal holiday since 2021, the holiday’s origins go back to the Civil War. In 1863, the Emancipation Proclamation was issued by the United States which freed all enslaved people in states rebelling in the US, according to the Congressional Research Service.
While the proclamation was issued in 1863, it didn’t reach the last Confederate state — Texas — until 1865. On June 19, 1865, Union forces reached Galveston, Texas and issued an order announcing the end of the war and the freedom of all enslaved people in the state. Celebrations started in 1866, and it became a Texas state holiday in 1980.
The holiday is often referred to as the “second Independence Day” in reference to the idea that many people in the US weren’t fully free until slavery was abolished.
One of the board members behind the celebration, Donald Hyman, said he first heard about the holiday when he was in the Air Force and stationed in Alaska. He said the base commander was an African American man from Louisiana who celebrated the holiday on post. Hyman said he became involved in celebrations as an educator as a part of Schenectady’s celebrations.
During the June 19 ceremony, Hyman performed a piece about famed author Booker T Washington. He was joined by several others who spoke about the holiday, performed songs, and acted out parts of the book “Big Jim and the White Boy.”
Outside of the celebrations at the YMCA, a new historical marker was unveiled near the Embassy Suites on Congress Street. Saratoga Springs Supervisor Matthew Veitch said the marker came as a result of funds allocated to supervisors by the county to improve their municipalities. In creating the marker, Veitch said he worked with the Frederick Allen Lodge on the specific language.
The Congress Street Neighborhood had been a prominent neighborhood for the Black community in Saratoga Springs. It featured not just housing but many Black owned businesses and cultural areas. Much of it was raised in the 1970s during Urban Renewal which also saw two Black churches destroyed and merged with others. Both these churches also received plaques. One of said plaques was dedicated June 21.
Saratoga Springs Mayor John Safford ( John Safford) spoke at the beginning of the event
“This means more than you will ever know,” said Joy King, one of members of the Lodge. “It’s very important that Saratoga recognize and honor everything the Black community has brought to the City of Saratoga Springs. This is a first step to show this is a very diverse community.”
Music was provided by singers from the Community Voices of Praise Choir. All photos by Aidan Cahill
The new therapy room will give a home like environment to those recovering from medical conditions (Courtesy of Wesley Community Health Center)
The Wesley Community, a 37-acre senior living campus with more than 700 residents in Saratoga Springs, recently unveiled an upgraded Therapy Room designed to help rehab clients ease back into a home environment following a hospital stay for planned surgery, an injury or illness.
The Wesley Community Health Care Center provides short-term rehabilitation services for clients diagnosed with dementia or respiratory disorders, who are recovering from a stroke, a planned surgery such as a hip or knee replacement or who had been hospitalized for cardiac care.
“Our primary goal is to get patients back on their feet and help them return home ready and strong for a continued and successful recovery,” said Wesley Director of InPatient Therapy Patrick Dolan. “We provide individual supportive care of the highest caliber, in a friendly and encouraging therapeutic environment by a qualified team of skilled nurses, physicians, occupational therapists, speech pathologists and physical therapists.”
The upgraded therapy room offers a home-like setting with a functional kitchen, bedroom and bathroom. Clients work with staff and practice hands-on, daily living activities to regain their strength and independence. The goal of learning how to safely move throughout their home space is to prevent falls and re-hospitalization.
Following guidance and training by staff, clients are evaluated on self-care skills needed for meal prep; kitchen safety, movement energy conservation and work simplification; showering and tub transfer, bed-making; dynamic navigation for retrieving items from dressers and closets; and navigation of varying floor surfaces.
The upgraded Therapy Room project took several months to complete and has already been utilized by numerous clients. Helping seniors thrive at home and age in place are just a few of the long-term anticipated benefits of the new rehab model.
While some older adults may be more comfortable with the level of assistance offered by senior living communities, nearly 90% of adults 65 years of age or older prefer to remain in their homes as they grow older, according to the AARP. Aging in place preserves independence, helps seniors maintain community connections and can contribute to better health and a higher quality of life.
For more information about The Wesley Community, visit www.thewesleycommunity.org.
Join Brookside Museum for their next meeting of the Brookside Explorers Club, a new history and learning club for kids!
Artwork from the “Artists Inspired by Their Community” program, an exciting collaboration with Ballston Spa Middle School, will be displayed in the History Hunters Hangout from July-September.
In tandem with the display on Saturday July 19, anytime from 10A.M. to Noon, History Scouts can join the fun by learning about some of Saratoga County’s most important landmarks through a learning activity, a craft, and play in this engaging and educational event. Kids of all ages are welcome to join the fun! Parental supervision is required. There is a cost of $5.00 per child and pre-registration is recommended. Visit www.brooksidemuseum.org to register.
An alleyway where late business owner Mark Strauss would illegally park now bears his name (Aidan Cahill)
There wasn’t a dry eye in city hall as friends, family members, business partners and elected officials gathered to honor late business owner Mark Straus with a street named for him.
The ceremony took place June 24 in City Hall — having been moved inside due to dangerous heat. The city renamed part of Maple Street after Straus, who owned and operated several businesses on Broadway.
Straus was remembered as someone who played a huge role in the shaping of Saratoga Springs — particularly Broadway. He opened his first shop in 1971 and quickly became involved in preserving and expanding Saratoga Springs’ businesses.
Many local leaders spoke about his character and impact on the city.
“To speak of Mark is to recognize a true pioneer in our community,” said Deann Devitt from the Downtown Saratoga Springs Business Association “Broadway in the 70s and 80s was a different place. Although it was lined with historic and architecturally beautiful buildings, many stood vacant, neglected and at risk of being lost. While many contributed to the revitalization of downtown Saratoga Springs, Mark had a unique vision, one of a bustling, connected and thriving downtown center.”
Similar comments were made by his son Alexander who said Straus worked hard to help entrepreneurs succeed in Saratoga Springs.
“He would make the time to help them realize their dreams,” Straus said. “He wanted to see people, especially entrepreneurs, find their foothold in this community and to grow and to really foster a city full of rich, vibrant, beautiful restaurants, stores and businesses.”
Straus said his father was proud of the city and his legacy. As for the alley itself, Straus joked that his father used to illegally park in it.
“He would just pull in and he never got towed,” Straus said. “He would follow every rule, but for some reason that alley, he felt like that was his parking spot.”
In 2012, The Saratoga Historic Preservation Society awarded Straus with a lifetime achievement award for his contribution to preserving downtown Saratoga Springs.
