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Back to School:The Time is Nigh

SARATOGA SPRINGS — It’s time for parents to gird their loins and for kids to enjoy their final days of freedom. Thursday, September 5 is the first day of the 2024-2025 school year for the Saratoga Springs, Ballston Spa, and Schuylerville School Districts.

Ballston Spa will also be hosting a series of back-to-school events next week:

9/3 — Gordon Creek, Kindergarten Orientation, 2:00pm – 3:00pm

9/3 — Gordon Creek, Welcome Back BBQ, 3:00pm – 5:00pm

9/4—BSHS 9th Grade and New Student Orientation, 8:00am – 11:00am

9/4 — Milton Terrace Kindergarten Orientation, 9:00am – 10:00am

9/4 — Malta Ave Kindergarten Orientation, 10:00am – 11:00am

9/4 — Wood Road Kindergarten Orientation, 11:30am – 1:00pm

9/4 — Wood Road Grades 1-5 Open House, 1:00pm – 2:00pm

9/4 — Milton Terrace, Grades 1-5 Open House, 2:00pm – 3:00pm

9/4 — Malta Ave, Welcome Back Ice Cream Social, 3:30pm – 5:00pm

One-TimePaul McCartney Wings’ Member Strapping On Guitar at Caffe Lena 

SARATOGA SPRINGS —Solo performer, recording artist, composer and arranger and most famously a one-time lead guitarist in Paul McCartney’s Wings (1978-81), Laurence Juber will perform on solo acoustic guitar at Caffe Lena at 7 p.m. on Aug. 4.

Juber’s playing fuses folk, jazz, blues, pop and classical styles, creating a multi-faceted performance that belies the use of only one instrument.  

Known to his fans as LJ, he has recorded more than two dozen albums which spotlight his unique touch and tone on acoustic guitar. His latest release, “A Day In My Life,” is a collection of a dozen of his celebrated arrangements of Beatles songs, recorded at London’s Abbey Road Studios. 

For more information and tickets, go to: caffelena.org. 

Breeding on the Route 4 Corridor 


Mechanicville breeder Peter Beals and Schuylerviller breeders Dan and Kathy Barraclough work as a team to help create and develop impressive maiden winner Bellacose

Horse racing is a team effort from breeding, sales preparation, training, and racing, regardless of the level. Bellacose proved that last week.

The 2-year-old filly left quite of an impression at Saratoga Race Course on July 17 with her front-running debut victory by 10¾ lengths before jockey Manny Franco eased on the filly until the last 70 yards.

That impressive victory could not happen without a team of people within the 15-mile Route 4 corridor from Schuylerville to Mechanicville: trainer Jeremiah Englehart, breeder Dan and Kathy Barraclough of Saratoga Glen Farm, and breeder Peter Beals of Beals Racing Stable, LLC.

“It makes you feel proud and happy to be friends and partners with good people,” Beals said. “We were optimistic going into the race, but you never know what to expect from a first-time starter. Jeremiah, per usual, had her ready to go.”

“Dan and Kathy do a wonderful job,” Beals added. “There are a few things that can go right in the breeding and racing, and there are a hundred things that can go wrong. It really hits you when you have success like the other day.”

That success started at the breeding farm. The Barracloughs and Beals have been in a breeding partnership over the last few years. During that time, they have produced several horses who have earned six-digit sales in the ring.

Some of these include the following:

• a filly by King for a Day out of the mare Downtown Daria who sold for $130,000 at the 2022 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga fall mixed sale;

• a colt by Audible out of the mare Bears Measure who sold for $200,000 at Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Preferred New York-bred sales in August 2022;

• a colt by Volatile out of the mare Scat’s Lassie who sold for $280,000 as a 2-year-old at the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Sales in Timonium, Maryland in May.

About three years ago, Beals wanted to breed his small mare Little Bullet, whom he bought as an unraced mare for $11,000 from Taylor Made at the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Mixed Sales in February 2020.

Beals took the risk by breeding his mare for the first time to 2017 Jim Dandy winner Good Samaritan. They produced Sox for Daughters, who won her first career race at Finger Lakes last month. After the foaling Sox for Daughters, Beals wanted to breed Little Bullet again, but to a larger stallion.

As part of a breeding package with WinStar Farm, Beals and the Barracloughs pooled five mares to be physically matched with ideal stallions, which included Audible, the New York-bred 3-year-old champion in 2018 after winning the Florida Derby and finishing third in the Kentucky Derby.

Once Little Bullet became in foal to Audible, Beals sent her to the Saratoga Glen Farm, which the Barracloughs converted the deteriorated dairy farm into a well-maintained 77-acre farm with self-made ponds and three barns that hold 42 stalls.

“Primarily, everything happens here.” Kathy Barraclough said. “We do all of the foaling here. We raise the babies here. We do the sales prep here. When we wean, we work with the facilities of our partners.”

When Bellacose was born April 10, 2022, the Barracloughs raised and prepped her for the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Fall Mixed Sales where she sold as a weanling for $33,000. While raising the filly, the Barracloughs had concerns about her small size, which is now 15.1 hands or about 60 inches, but they also satisfied with her physicality.

“She isn’t small, but she is on the small end of average,” Dan Barraclough said. “She is very well-muscled, forward and mature. She just isn’t big. There have been plenty of good horses who have been that size. Northern Dancer was 15.2 hands. Foolish Pleasure wasn’t that big.”

Just over a year later, Englehart purchased her for $82,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Keeneland Yearling Sales.

“We were pretty high on her at the sales. We felt pretty strong about her,” Englehart said. “She has a nice look on her. She had a nice shoulder angle and nice hip. She had a racy look to her. She was our type of horse.”

Englehart also credited the Barracloughs for their prior work with Bellacose.

“They do a great job in following their horses from having a mare, foaling, and raising the yearling,” he said “They do a phenomenal job. They always go above and beyond.”

After breaking and training at the Travis Durr Center in South Carolina during the winter, Bellacose arrived the Englehart’s barn on the Oklahoma Annex around the third week of April, shortly after the Oklahoma Training Track opened.

Coming into the race, Bellacosa posted 11 workouts – four of them at three furlongs in May and the remaining at a half mile. While she was coming into the race in good shape, Englehart knew this would not be any easy outing as he was surprised with the outcome

“I was worried about a few horses in that race. It looked like it was good on paper,” Englehart said. “Manny said when she got to the front, her ears kind of went out and she was looking around. When he asked her, she went. I was a little surprised in how she won. She is very competitive and fiery.”

Englehart indicated there is a likelihood that Bellacose, owned by Christopher T. Dunn, Blue Tarp Racing, Chris Mara, Greyhound Stables, Nicholas Sgroi, Arthur Sgroi, Jonathan M. Sacks, and Corrin Genovese, could be racing again at Saratoga in the Seeking the Ante Stakes for New York-bred juvenile fillies competing at six furlongs on Aug. 25.

While Bellacose’s win pleased the owners and Englehart, it was just as important to both Beals and the Barracloughs since they receive breeding awards that benefit their farms.

“For us, breeders awards are a big deal,” Beals said. “They really keep us going. That race the other day was a big chunk of change for us. It really helps us. That victory does so many things on so many levels.”

“It also gets other trainers and people buying these horses to know that if you get a horse from Beales [Racing] and Saratoga Glen [Farm] bred and raised by Saratoga Glen, you are going to get a horse that is raised properly,” he added. “I think that’s important. That’s why there is a connection that reoccurs.”

Saratoga Grad Headed to Hall of Fame


Kelsey Chmiel poses at Saratoga Springs High School in 2017. Photo by  Photoandgraphic.com.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Kelsey Chmiel, a 2019 Saratoga Springs High School graduate, will be inducted into the Greater Capital Region Track, Field, and Cross Country Hall of Fame. She was selected in her first year of eligibility. 

While running for the Blue Streaks, Chmiel captured state and federation championships, as well as top-five overall finishes in each of her four years at the Nike Cross Nationals. In her junior year, she was the Gatorade New York State Cross Country Runner of the Year. She was a 12-time high school All-American, broke the national outdoor 3,000-meter mark for sophomores, and holds the state record of 16:18.57 in the outdoor 5K. At the age of 16, she won the junior division of the Great Edinburgh International X Country Challenge in Scotland.

After graduating from Saratoga, Chmiel attended North Carolina State, where she continued to accumulate accolades. She was an 11-time All-American. She was crowned the 5,000-meter 2022-20223 ACC Indoor Champion, the 2021 ACC Cross Country Champion, and the 2021 NCAA Southeast Regional Cross Country Champion.

For all these achievements and more, Chmiel will be inducted into the Hall of Fame during an annual banquet ceremony held on Saturday, October 5 at the Albany Marriott in Colonie.

The Milton Jog

Milton/Saratoga Springs boundary – Geils 1856 map. Photo provided by The Saratoga County History Roundtable.

Is it a mistake when everyone accepts the error?

In 1829, in an effort to bring certainty to town boundaries, the state legislature enacted boundary descriptions of all New York State’s towns. Milton’s east line was defined “by the east line of the fourteenth allotment of the Kayaderosseras patent and the same continued to the north line of the sixteenth allotment.” [Revised Statutes of the State of New York, Vol. III, Chapter 11, Title 4, page 52] Milton’s eastern boundary was a straight line, unchanged since Greenfield was cut out of it in 1793.

Until 1856, the few maps drawn of Saratoga County were relatively accurate, and all depicted Milton’s eastern boundary as a straight line, running due north and south. 1856 saw the production of an impressive wall map of the county from actual surveys. 

This map paid attention to detail, laid out roads and lanes, located homes and businesses, and labeled each dwelling with the owner’s name. It was the most accurate map of the county up to that time.

However, Milton’s east line on the map was not straight. Rather, it followed the east line of the Fourteenth allotment only along the bounds of the allotment, when the line reached the boundary between the Fourteenth and the northerly Sixteenth Allotment, the boundary took a right angle to the east until it reached the southeast corner of Lot Nine of the Sixteenth Allotment and then proceeded north along the east bounds of Lot Nine until it met the southern bounds of the Town of Greenfield. According to the legislation of 1829, the easterly quarter of Lot Nine would be in the Town of Saratoga Springs.

With odd exceptions, such as the county map in Sylvester’s 1878 history of Saratoga County, that jog was depicted on succeeding maps down to the county highway map of 1941. 

Town boundaries are subject to modification by the state legislature. Yet, a search of session laws from 1814 through 1856 revealed no such legislation. In 1849, most likely tiring of numerous local requests to change boundaries, the legislature allowed counties to modify town boundaries, so long as the change was filed with the Secretary of State. No change of Milton’s border is found in extent copies of the proceedings of the supervisors. Nor is there any evidence of a change in Milton’s boundaries in the office of Local Government Services, where such county-initiated changes are to be retained.

The offending 1856 map proclaimed that it was “from actual surveys by Samuel Geil.” Geil was not a local personage, but a resident of Bucks County, PA. Map making was his business. Saratoga wasn’t the only county to reap the benefit of Samuel Geil’s work. Niagara County’s map of 1852 was one of his earliest. Between 1852 and 1861, he produced at least 15 county maps. He was engaged between 1863 and 1865 to map the State of Michigan. Samuel and his nephew, John F. Geil were listed as surveyors in French’s New York Gazetteer of 1860. In 1856, maps of Saratoga, Greene, and Cattaraugus Counties were executed.

The amount of work needed to accurately lay out roads, properly locate houses, and place the correct name by each house is mind boggling. Obviously, he did not do the work himself and county-wide surveys were not executed. With such attention to detail in making the maps and the high degree of accuracy achieved, it is hard to envision that Geil and his crew would make such a major error.

An 1857 advertisement for an upcoming Eaton County, Michigan map was published in the Charlotte Michigan Republican provides a clue. The new map was to be prepared from “county records and actual surveys.” It was to contain “all public roads …exact locations of villages. Post offices, places of Worship, Hotels, Stores, Farmhouses, Names of Property Owners,” etc. People who prepaid $5 would have their map delivered.

County records were a primary source for the map. An examination of deeds to properties located in the eastern half of Lot Nine of the Sixteenth Allotment of the Kayaderosseras Patent reveal an interesting pattern. With one, perhaps two exceptions, the deeds began boundary descriptions with the phrase, “All that certain piece of land situate in the town of Milton,” not, “situate in the towns of Milton and Saratoga Springs.”

When the original farm parcels of Lot Nine were sold off in the 1780s and early 90s, Lot Nine would have been divided between the Towns of Ballston and Saratoga. Those early deeds were silent about the town in which the land was located. Also, most of these parcels bordered today’s Rowland Street. Throughout the 19th century and before, that road was part of a main route between the Mohawk River at Scotia and the Hudson River at Corinth. Property owners along the eastern side of Rowland Street would exit their properties on Rowland and travel north or south. They were not oriented to Saratoga Springs and assumed their lands were in Milton. By the early 1800s, most deeds reflected that assumption.

A likely explanation for the error is that Geil’s researchers looked upon the deed descriptions as valid and did not double check with the laws of 1829. They, like the deeds they had read, treated all of Lot Nine as being in Milton, drew the map accordingly, and created a fallacy which was believed for over a century. The map had such power that taxes for land in Saratoga Springs were paid to Milton.

The creation of the City of Saratoga Springs in 1915 did not bring this issue to the fore. While the new city combined the Village and Town of Saratoga Springs, creating the “Inner and Outer Districts,” its western boundary was defined as Milton’s eastern boundary. The Town of Milton continued to collect taxes from owners of land in the jog. The newly minted city of Saratoga Springs did not complain.

Saratoga County’s hiring of professional planning staff in the 1960s resulted in questions over the century old practice, and in 1969, landowners in the jog found Saratoga Springs’ tax bills replacing Milton’s.

John Cromie is the former Ballston Spa Village Historian with a lifelong interest in local history. He has authored an architectural survey of Ballston Spa, and currently serves on the Board of Trustees of the Saratoga County History Center.

October 28 – November 3, 2023

Saratoga County Court

Keenan Washburn, 22, of South Glens Falls, pleaded Oct. 30 to felony robbery, charged June 2022 in Moreau. Sentencing Jan. 9, 2024. 

Tammy Mahan, 53, of Hudson Falls, pleaded Oct. 30 to felony burglary, charged February 2023 in Moreau. Sentencing Jan. 8.  

Quazey N. Robinson, 22, of Clifton Park, was sentenced Oct. 20 to time served and 5 years probation, after pleading to felony attempted burglary.

Abigail L. Dawes, 31, of Mechanicville, pleaded Oct. 20 to aggravated DWI with a child, charged May 2023 in Clifton Park. 

Khalee J. Gooden, 30, of Glens Falls, was sentenced Oct. 19 to 3 years incarceration/ 3 years probation, after pleading to strangulation in the second-degree, charged December 2022 in Moreau. 

Justin Keenan, 39, pleaded Oct. 19 to felony criminal contempt, charged December 2022-January 2023 in the town of Saratoga. Sentencing Jan. 4. 

Jamie M. Guerrera, 47, of Schenectady, was sentenced Oct. 23 to 5 years probation, after pleading to felony DWI, charged December 2012 in Clifton Park. 

Saratoga Springs police

Ashley Vanetten, 32, of Saratoga, was charged Oct. 20 with aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle, and operating without stop lamps.

Najee Moore, 30, of Schenectady, was charged Oct. 20 with aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle, and inadequate lights.

Tarayl Goss, 37, of Saratoga Springs, was charged Oct. 19 with cri8minal mischief, and criminal obstruction of breathing. 

Christopher Freeman, 40, of Saratoga Springs, was charged Oct. 19 with petit larceny. 

Michael Stone, 69, of Ballston Spa, was charged Oct. 19 with criminal trespass.  

NY State Police

On Oct. 18, State Police of Wilton responded to a one-car rollover crash in the area of Brownville Road in Northumberland. The vehicle’s driver was identified as John A. Gates, 57, of Northumberland. Gates was transported to Glens Falls Hospital for medical evaluation, where he was arrested for Driving While Intoxicated and other Vehicle and Traffic Law violations. Further investigation discovered Gates has multiple previous DWI convictions in the last 10 years, according to police. He was issued tickets returnable to the Northumberland on Nov. 14. 

On Oct. 20, State Police of Saratoga stopped a vehicle on Stone Church Road in Milton, for suspected multiple Vehicle and Traffic Law violations. The driver was identified as Christina P. Gross, 38, of Milton.  Gross was arrested for Driving While Intoxicated and other Vehicle and Traffic Law violations. She was transported to SP Saratoga, where she recorded a 0.22% BAC.  Gross was issued tickets returnable to the Milton Town Court on Nov. 7. 

On Oct. 29, the Sheriff’s Office reported it responded to a call of a personal injury motor vehicle crash at 5:01 a.m. on Route 9 south of Sitterly Road in the town of Halfmoon. 

Investigation of the incident revealed a 2023 Ford Econoline box truck traveling northbound on Route 9 and operated by a 41-year-old Saugerties man struck a pedestrian identified as 41-year-old Michael J. Blackburn of Clifton Park. Blackburn was transported to Samaritan Hospital where he succumbed to his injuries. The driver of the box truck was not injured, and the cause of the crash is still under investigation by the Sheriff Office’s Collision Reconstruction Unit.  

Sectional Champs; B-Spa Boys Golf Captures Section 2 Championship; Fumarola to States


Members of the Ballston Spa varsity boys golf team pictured at the
Section 2 Class A Boys’ Golf Championships on Oct. 12. Photo provided.

HALFMOON — Thanks to a balanced effort, the Ballston Spa varsity boys golf team brought home a title on Oct. 12, capturing the 2023 Section 2 Class A Boys’ Golf Championship.

The Scotties were led by eighth-grader Jeffrey Fumarola, junior Sam DiNallo, and senior Chris Desmond, the team’s top three finishers. Gavin Tribley, Alex Wade, and Nate Hill also contributed strong rounds to the sectional victory.

The Scotties’ top five finishers advanced to state qualifiers, where Fumarola was able to earn a spot at the state championships in June. The team’s finish recapped one of the strongest years in program history, including an 11-2 record in Suburban Council matchups.

“The team performed great,” said Fumarola. “We got help from a lot of the boys. Sam (DiNallo) really stepped up, MVP. I can’t wait for states, it’s going to be fun.”

Entering the sectional tournament, head coach Ben Eldridge said his message to the team was to “control what you can control,” saying that while the Scotties’ golfers certainly had championship aspirations, he hoped to focus mainly on the process.

“I didn’t want that to be something they thought about. Because we talk a lot all year, even if it’s not your best round, every one or two fewer (strokes) you can come up with, that helps the whole team,” said Eldridge. “So the message was just more about going out, taking it one shot at a time, three holes at a time, and just play your game, and don’t worry about what everyone else is doing.”

The Scotties’ last team sectional title came in 1990 as a member of Class B, Eldridge said. While junior M.J. Fink added that golf is a “very mental game,” Eldridge credited the team for their ability to remain level and consistent throughout the fall season.

“So many guys that could play well,” Eldridge said. “And in general, we were pretty consistent all year.”

Eldridge made note of several golfers who stepped up at sectionals, including DiNallo, who he said was the team’s MVP at the Section 2 Championships. He also credited the senior trio of Wade, Desmond, and Tribley for finishing their high school golf careers on a strong note.

“To get that their senior year, hopefully they’ll remember it,” said Eldridge. “It was pretty cool. I was proud of them.”

At state qualifiers, Fumarola placed third overall, earning a spot among the top nine finishers on the Section 2 State Championship team. Wade and Tribley each advanced to the final day of qualifiers as well, earning top-20 finishes.

Fumarola qualifying for the state championships marked something of a full-circle moment for head coach Eldridge, who qualified for states as a Ballston Spa golfer three times himself, in 1997, 1999, and 2000.

“It’s so cool,” Eldridge said of Fumarola qualifying. “He’s just a great kid, and he’s fun to play golf with. It’s nice to be good at golf. It’s even cooler that kids like him and Kieran Cummins at Shaker, they’re just great kids. Their state team is pretty solid, a lot of good kids. They’re going to have a ball. Jeffrey’s going to fit right in with them. They’ll do well.”

Eldridge and several players also emphasized that the season was simply an enjoyable experience. Eldridge noted that the team was larger than in years past, with 13 student-athletes listed on the varsity roster.

“At tryouts, it was just a lot of fun. We ended up keeping a bunch of guys,” said Eldridge. “It was a very different feel this year, with having all those other guys on the team. … It was cool.”

“Even when some of us didn’t play well, we had our teammates and the fun environment after the round,” Tribley added.

Eldridge noted Fumarola will continue to work on his game throughout the winter in preparation for states. He added that this fall season was a “win-win” combination, with the Scotties having not only an enjoyable group, but also a successful one.

“They’re awesome. It’s so much fun,” said Eldridge of the team. “It’s what you always hope to get, and rarely do, is that perfect storm of good kids, good season. Feel lucky as a coach.”

Ann Constance Hilger 

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Ann Constance Hilger (née Hunt) passed away September 18 at Wesley Health Care Center. A memorial service will be held at 1 p.m. on Saturday, October 14, 2023 at St. Luke’s on the Hill Episcopal Church, 40 McBride Road, Mechanicville NY. Condolences may be shared at compassionatefuneralcare.com

Cindi L. Cardella 

GANSEVOORT — Cindi L. Cardella of Gansvoort peacefully passed away on Nov. 13, 2022. A memorial service for friends and family will be held at the Gansevoort Firehouse, 1870 State Route 32N, Gansevoort on Friday Nov. 25, 2022 at Noon. Online remembrances may be made at burkefuneralhome.com

Sustainable Saratoga’s 6th Annual Recycles Day

Saratoga Lions Club collected glasses and hearing aids. Photo by Scott Bergmann Photography.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Earlier this month, 379 cars made their way through drop-off stations where local organizations collected donations of items to be redistributed to those in need, and commercial companies accepted tons of materials that will be responsibly recycled. 

“Recycles Day is about keeping items out of landfills and extending their useful life, but the impact is more than environmental,” explained Ann Samuelson, one of the Sustainable Saratoga volunteer event organizers. “It also has a positive effect on the lives of others. Thanks to the participating nonprofit organizations, many items brought to Recycles Day end up in the hands of people who need them.” 

Bikeatoga collected over 30 bicycles that will be refurbished and given out to adults and kids; RISE Housing and Support Services collected 152 pieces of camping gear to help people living with mental health, substance use, and other life challenges to remain safe and healthy in the community; We are Instrumental collected 21 musical instruments which will be used to educate and outfit local band directors with the tools and knowledge necessary to repair them and teach that skill to their students; and, the Saratoga Lions Club received approximately 300 pairs of eyeglasses and sunglasses and 4 pairs of hearing aids, which will be passed on to people who need them.

As in past years, metal, electronics and clothing were popular drop-off stations. Participants dropped off nearly 27,000 pounds of electronics, which will be recycled and kept out of landfills by eLots. American Clothing company received 7,059 pounds of textiles. In keeping with the spirit of giving and reuse, Youth2 happily gave away a reusable bamboo towel to each of the first 100 Recycles Day participants who wanted one. 

It’s never too early to start saving items to recycle next year! To learn where to donate items before then, you can find Sustainable Saratoga’s Recycling and Donating Guidebook at www.sustainablesaratoga.org. To have your organization be considered for inclusion next year, please contact Sustainable Saratoga at info@sustainablesaratoga.org.