On January 16^th the Ballston Spa Lions Club held their bi-weekly dinner meeting at the Spa Brauhaus, 200 East High Street, Ballston Spa. 

It was a very busy night for King Lion Harry Petersen, the Club President . With the help from PDG Ed Stano, the Club installed two new members, Eileen and Ralph Melo as Lions. 

Club Lion Hugh Hollowood accepted a grant check of $1900 from the New York State & Bermuda Lions Foundation, Inc. from District Trustees; PDG Joan Scott, PDG Ed Stano and Lion Mary Claire Noakest to be used towards the Club's purchase and installation of a “Special Needs Portable Lift” for the Village of Ballston Spa Swimming Pool.  

PDG Ed Stano inducting new members: Eileen Melo and Ralph Melo With Lion Brenna Uline (their sponsor)

NYS & Bermuda Lions Foundation Inc. Grant Presentation: Lion Mary Claire Noakes,Trustee; PDG Joan Scott, Trustee; King Lion Harry Petersen; PDG Ed Stano,Trustee and Lion Hugh Hollowood, Grant Project Chair

Rebuilding Together Saratoga County (RTSC) is pleased to announce the appointment of four new board members.

“The staff and current board of RTSC are happy to welcome new board members Karen Carling, Environmental Scientist with Aztech Technologies, Ed Larkin, Project Engineer with Chazen Companies, Jason C. Lee, Community Service Rep with Home Instead Senior Care and Ellen Skeele, Business Development Professional, said Michelle Larkin, Executive Director of RTSC. 

New board members always bring new energy, new skills and a new perspective to an organization. We look forward to working with these dynamic new directors.” New officers elected  in January are President, Paula Lomasney, Information Technologies, Vice President, Dave Blair of Schultz Construction Co, Treasurer, Paul von Schenk and Secretary, Michael Tuck of Balzer Tuck Architecture. Rounding out the board of directors is Jesse Boucher, Kodiak Construction, Matt Coseo, Saratoga County DA Office, Jacqui Harris, Saratoga Hospital, Barbara Mitchell, FingerPaint Marketing, Lisa Mitzen, Paragon Home Loans and Deb Van De Mar, SEFCU Bank. 

Rebuilding Together Saratoga County is a non-profit organization with a mission to bring volunteers and communities together to improve the homes and lives of homeowners in need. This ensures that low-income homeowners, particularly older adults, people living with a disability and families with children, live in warmth, safety and independence. An affiliate of the national organization, Rebuilding Together Saratoga County programs provide opportunities for local community involvement. For more information, visit www.RTSaratoga.org or call 587-3315.

Saratoga County genealogy and local history group, Heritage Hunters, announces officers and committees for 2013:

Joan Cady, president; Jane Schwerd, vice president; Kathryn Buckley, secretary; Al Clarke, treasurer; Patricia Peck, newsletter and (ex-officio past president); Carol Waldron, membership; Virginia Humphrey, program; Bill Carr, travel; Joyce Wickizer, publicity; Carol Parillo, surname index.  Lynn Calvin, GenWeb site manager.  Appointed positions; Carolyn Millis, queries and Gail Turi, greeter.  

Heritage Hunters meets the third Saturday of the month, January through November, at 1 pm at the Town of Saratoga Municipal Center, 12 Spring St., Schuylerville.  Meetings are open to the public.  For information: melfrejo@aol.com, 518-587-2978.

 

SARATOGA SPRINGS – The Saratoga Partnership for Prevention would like to invite all parents of 7th-12th grade students in the Saratoga Springs City School District to take a brief online survey about adolescent alcohol, tobacco, and other drug use. Starting today, local parents will be able to visit a link on SurveyMonkey.com to provide their opinions. The process is completely anonymous and takes less than 15 minutes.

The companion survey to the Youth Prevention Needs Assessment administered earlier this fall to all Saratoga 7th - 12th graders, this questionnaire is designed to gauge the attitudes and perceptions of a random sample of parents in the Saratoga Springs City School District. It will also serve as a means to gauge the similarities and differences between parents’ perceptions of teen behavior and the behavior teens actually report. Results of both surveys will be publicized in Spring 2013.

In order to have a representative sample, 350 parents need to complete the online form. It's quick and easy, and parents' answers will be used to help the Partnership plan parenting programs, community events that send consistent messages about underage substance use, and ways to support families as their children progress through the teen years. The survey can be found by following this link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/KDLG8Q3


The Saratoga Partnership for Prevention is a program of the Prevention Council. It is made up of youth, parents, and individuals representing key sectors and organizations concerned about youth in the Saratoga Springs City School District.

Members of Court McLaughlin #422, Catholic Daughters of the Americas, recently presented a check for $1000.00 to Julia Towne of Guardian House in Ballston Spa.  Guardian House is a shelter for women veterans and the funds were raised at a Nov. 10, 2012 Donny Elvis show.  

Towne is shown accepting the check from Vice-Regent Anne Senecal.  Also pictured are committee members June Dorey, Shirley Duell, Sheila Arpei, Mikki Marcuccio and Gina Ponessa.  Catholic Daughters meet the first Tuesday of the month at 6:30 at the Knights of Columbus 50 Pine Rd Saratoga Springs. New members are always welcome.  The next Donny Elvis show will be April 6, 2013.

The Heritage Garden Club of Saratoga Springs has received two grants - a $1,770 Alfred Z. Solomon Charitable Trust Foundation grant and a $200 grant from the Saratoga Springs Rotary. Both will be used to support the club’s spring, summer and fall projects. 

Spearheaded by a group of members led by Lee Nelson, the grants will insure blooms at projects that include the Saratoga Springs Visitor Center Garden, Gideon Putnam Cemetery, Garden of Hope Hospital, Woodlawn Program, and Memorial Plaques. 

Also, a campership identified as the Alfred Z. Solomon Campership will be offered to an 11- or 12-year-old for a week at Camp Colby, just outside Saranac Village, to discover the dynamics of the natural world. Recommendations will come from Saratoga Springs public school teachers. 

The current Heritage Garden Club was founded in 1987 as a chapter of National Garden Clubs Inc. and the Federated Garden Clubs of New York State Inc. Today its objective is to strive to promote tranquility using flowers and plant material and to take part in civic and environmental improvements.

 

Many thanks to the generosity of our Saratoga community for the multitude of thoughtful, beautiful, brand-new donations to the Visitor Center Mitten Tree!  Over 190 items were donated this year, half of which were hand-made. Donated items were delivered to the Franklin Community Center on January 4, 2013 for distribution throughout the winter.   

Thank you all for your kindness and generosity,

From all the staff at the Visitor Center

 

297 Broadway, Saratoga Springs

http://www.saratogaspringsvisitorcenter.com/