GANSEVOORT — Congresswoman Elise Stefanik promoted the Saratoga Flag Company’s Flag Advocacy Challenge in a social media post last week, calling the campaign a “great initiative.” The challenge is designed, in turn, to spread awareness about Stefanik’s Make American Flags in America Act. 

“I’m always inspired by seeing the strong patriotism and values of Upstate NY and the North Country,” Stefanik wrote in an X post. “Thank you @SaratogaFlag!”

The Saratoga Flag Company is a Gansevoort-based business known for its American-made flags. As part of its Flag Advocacy Challenge, it encourages people to take photos of themselves posing with an American-made U.S.A. flag.

The Make American Flags in America Act of 2023 was introduced by Congresswoman Stefanik last year. The bill states that any American flags displayed on taxpayer-funded federal property, and any American flags purchased by the federal government, must be made in America.

Stefanik was recently named one of Time Magazine’s 100 most influential people of 2024. She’s also frequently cited as one of Donald Trump’s potential running mates.

SCHUYLERVILLE — At an April 15 Board of Education meeting, the Schuylerville Central School District formally recognized and celebrated the high school career of star basketball player Luke Sherman, who set the school’s all-time boys scoring record earlier this year.

At the meeting, Varsity Basketball Coach Matthew Steinfort discussed Sherman’s accomplishments as both a player and a person. Sherman, a multi-sport athlete, stood by wearing his baseball uniform. 

“Luke made his first appearance on varsity as an eighth grader,” Steinfort said. “We had a handful of injuries that season and so we decided to bring him up. From that point on, he never looked back.”

In his final season with the Black Horses, Sherman averaged 24.5 points per game. In 20 games, he scored more than 20 points, and in four games he scored more than 30. In a home victory against Queensbury, he netted 38 points.

“Teams are scheming for him,” Steinfort said. “They’re planning for him. He’s the number one variable that they’re trying to take away. Despite that, he’s still able to put up numbers like that.”

Among his many accolades, Sherman was named to both the Foothills Council First Team, and the Section 2 All-Tournament Team for Class B. In his career at Schuylerville, he scored 1,536 total points, making him the school’s all-time boys scoring leader. In a game against Hudson Falls in January, he surpassed Eric Stover’s 1,317-point record set in 1978.

“As impressive as those statistics are, at least for me, it doesn’t define him,” Steinfort said. “He’s a talented young man, a talented student-athlete. But he put the work in. He worked on his body. He worked on his mind. He worked on his game. That came to fruition with the success that he’s had.”

“There’s such a unique balance with Luke,” Steinfort continued. “There’s a real confidence there, and he exudes it, but at the same time, there’s a real humility, which is rare.”

Sherman is still deciding which college he will attend, with SUNY New Paltz and Utica being two options. He plans to continue playing basketball in college and hopes to one day become a special education teacher.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — The Saratoga Central Catholic varsity baseball team annihilated Tamarac High School on April 9 by a score of 13 to 1. Nine Saints players had hits in the game, and their two pitchers commanded the mound.

At the plate, Ronan Rowe went 2 for 3 with 2 RBI and 2 doubles. Hunter Fales and Ryan Gillis each went 2 for 4 with a double. Tyler Weygand, Pierce Byrne, and Carson Moser also chipped in with 2 hits apiece.

Pitcher Aidan Crowther, a senior, allowed no runs and four hits in five innings of work. He also struck out five Tamarac Bengals.

The Saints followed up the lopsided win with a shutout victory against Stillwater on April 10, 2 to 0.

Heading into an April 16 rematch against Stillwater, the Saints were undefeated thus far on the season with a 4-0 record. They previously defeated Tamarac 7 to 1 on April 8, and also beat Broadalbin-Perth 5 to 1 on April 7. 

SARATOGA SPRINGS — James & Sons Tobacconists in downtown Saratoga Springs is hosting an event that will feature Joseph R. Gannascoli, an actor best known for playing Vito Spatafore in the classic HBO series “The Sopranos.” 

According to a social media post shared by the company, Gannascoli will be signing copies of his book, “A Meal to Die For: A Culinary Novel of Crime.” The meet-and-greet event will take place at 5 p.m. on Thursday, June 6, the first day of the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival.

Also attending the event will be Moe ElAraby, the New York/New Jersey sales representative for Tatuaje Cigars, and Dave Peters of LNJ Brands, who will be doing a Rocavaka vodka tasting.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Around 70 kids participated in a three-day Double Dutch event last week that culminated in a competition on Thursday afternoon at the Chris Daley Gym in Gavin Park. Participants were judged on their speed and technique. Certificates and medals were awarded to the “hoppy” youngsters

The competition was run by nationally recognized trainers Ms. K and her Swagga Jumpers. Due to the success of this year’s event, the Saratoga County Department of Aging and Youth Services plans to hold another Double Dutch competition next year as part of its Youth Month activities.

POUGHKEEPSIE — The Skidmore College baseball team won twice in a three-game series against Liberty League rivals Vassar College in Poughkeepsie last weekend. The final game went into extra innings.

GAME ONE

Skidmore - 4

Vassar - 3

In game one on April 5, sophomore infielder Nate Vandersea clinched a Thoroughbred victory with a sacrifice fly ball in the ninth inning. It was his second game-winning sac fly of the season. 

Vandersea has been a major asset to Skidmore this year, improving his batting average from .087 last year to .286 this year. His slugging and on-base percentages have also made steep climbs. Designated hitter Zachary Leiderman had an impressive day at the plate as well, going 2 for 3 with one walk. 

On the mound, Ameer Hasan allowed two runs in seven innings. His ERA stood at a career-best 1.77 on the season. Christian Giresi closed out the game, giving up one run in two innings, but earning the win.

GAME TWO

Skidmore - 14
Vassar - 5

In the first game of a doubleheader on April 7, Skidmore exploded offensively, racking up 14 runs. Outfielder Owen Roy led the effort, going 3 for 4 with 3 RBI. Leiderman had another impressive game, going 3 for 5 with 2 RBI. Seven Thoroughbreds had at least one hit in the contest. 

Freshman starter Chase Siegel struggled, giving up 5 runs in a little over 5 innings, but still earned his third win of the season. Reliever Ethan Caiazza was credited with his first save, allowing no runs and striking out four batters in nearly four innings of work.

GAME THREE

Skidmore - 9
Vassar - 10

The second game of the doubleheader had a thrilling, albeit disappointing (for Skidmore) conclusion. The game went into extra innings; 11 to be exact. After five straight innings with neither team getting across a run, Vassar earned a walk-off victory with an RBI single by first baseman Ty Murray. 

Skidmore was forced to use five pitchers, although three of them (Peter Martin, Grayden Harris, and Cal Champeau) gave up no runs. Offensively, Leiderman and Vandersea again impressed; both went 2 for 4 with 2 RBI apiece.

At the end of the series against Vassar, Skidmore had a 12-9 overall record for the season, and a 5-1 record in the Liberty League. Their .833 winning percentage placed them second among all league teams. 

Skidmore’s next scheduled home game is a doubleheader against Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute on April 20.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Empire State University kicked off its solar eclipse festivities in Saratoga Springs on Monday afternoon with a virtual presentation delivered by Audeliz Matías, Ph.D., the university’s interim dean of the School for Graduate Studies. The lecture detailed not only how eclipses work, but also their significance and influence on cultures across the globe.

In Ireland, the first recorded eclipse was etched into a stone around 3340 BCE. In ancient China, some scribes believed that an eclipse was caused by a hungry, heavenly dog feasting on the sun. The Cherokee in Oklahoma also suspected that a hungry animal might be to blame; a giant frog in the sky who needed to be scared away before it devoured the entire sun.

“Many cultures have seen eclipses in different ways,” Matías said. “Some cultures see it as a moment of change, for bad or good.” 

Matías played video interviews of Native Americans sharing their tribes’ perspectives on eclipses. “The Navajo think this is a time where when [an eclipse] occurs, there needs to be some reverence; there needs to be some time for reflection, some time to think of the future.”

There will be plenty of time to reflect before the next solar eclipse is viewable from the United States, which Matías said won’t happen until 2044. 

The eclipse festivities at Empire State University’s Veteran and Military Resource Center featured solar-themed snacks (such as Capri Sun) and an eclipse viewing party attended by teachers, staff, and students.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — It’s been nearly a century since the last total solar eclipse was visible from New York State. Although Saratoga Springs is outside the path of totality, the city will still feel the impact of visitors flocking to the Adirondacks, where they’ll hope to catch a glimpse of the celestial phenomenon on April 8.

“Our lodging partners are seeing strong transient demand on Sunday, April 7 and Monday April 8, with Sunday being the busiest,” Discover Saratoga President Darryl Leggieri told Saratoga TODAY. “That means we can expect an influx of tourists and eclipse enthusiasts who will be engaging with our destination, spending time and money in our cities and towns, as they travel from all over to experience this rare event.”

Electronic signs stationed on I-87 warn travelers that the Northway could be congested on or around eclipse day. Last week, Governor Kathy Hochul told state officials and law enforcement to prepare for a high volume of traffic the weekend leading up to the eclipse and through April 9.

Those who don’t wish to fight their way through traffic may still be able to enjoy a partial solar eclipse. At least one local business, Speckled Pig Brewing in Ballston Spa, is throwing a rooftop viewing party on Monday afternoon. The Saratoga National Historical Park is also hosting a viewing event.

Discover Saratoga recommends a few public areas from which to view the partial eclipse, including Congress Park, Saratoga Spa State Park, and Moreau Lake State Park.