Our Towne Ballston Spa

The clients of Wesley Evergreen Adult Day Services in Ballston Spa, an affiliate of The Wesley Community, were entertained Thursday by children in grades three through six from Spa Christian School. An audience of nearly 20 clients enjoyed a variety of Christian songs sung by the children using sign language in addition to spoken lyrics.

For more information about Wesley Evergreen Adult Day Services, contact Diana Martin at 691-1443 or visit Evergreen at 357 Milton Ave., Ballston Spa.

Students from Spa Christian School entertained clients from Wesley Evergreen Adult Day Services with a concert.

On May 5, 126 walkers raised more than $7,800 at the Saratoga County 4-H Walkathon held in the Saratoga Spa State Park. The Walkathon is held annually to raise money to support the Saratoga County 4-H Training Center. Honorary Chairman Bob Kovachick, News Channel 13 meteorologist, greeted the participants and walked the route along with Town of Greenfield Supervisor Dick Rowland.

Honorary Chairman Bob Kovachick and Town of Greenfield Supervisor Dick Rowland cut the ribbon to start the annual 4-H Walkathon held in the Saratoga Spa State Park.

The Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake Rotary, represented by Laura Lee Linder, had pledges totaling $250. Wilton Kiwanis sponsored walkers with pledges totaling $225. The Rotary Club of Ballston Spa, represented by Linda Thomas, had pledges totaling $200. The Ballston Spa Country Club donated $100 and National Income Life, Altamont, supported a walker with a $100 pledge. The Town of Greenfield Lions donated $75. The Schuylerville Lions Club and the Burnt Hills Veterinary Hospital each supported a walker with a $50 pledge. Mr. and Mrs. Christopher Haley, Ballston Spa, supported two walkers with a total pledge of $1,000. Siemens Industry, Inc., of Latham sponsored a walker for $500. The balance of the walkers had support from dozens of private individuals or other businesses or groups.

Walkathon t-shirts were given to all walkers with $50 or more in pledges. Businesses or groups sponsoring the shirts were Crawford Electric, Charlton, The Olde Bryan Inn and Longfellow’s Inn and Restaurant, Saratoga Springs, T-Shirt Graphics, Ballston Spa, the Saratoga County Reality Check Program, the Saratoga County 4-H Teen Council, the Greenfield Community and Business Association, and McDonald’s of Ballston Spa.

Many area businesses contributed food items or water for the event. Volunteers included 4-H leaders and parents, Walkathon Committee members, Gold Wing Road Riders Association members, and 4-H staff.

Congressman Chris Gibson will be the honorary chairman of the
“Lyme Next Forum” – A Forum on Tick Borne Diseases: What’s Next? The forum is 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday, May 21 at the Zankel Music Center at Skidmore College.

Upstate New York has one of the highest incidences of Lyme Disease in the country. The forum will focus on bringing various viewpoints together to improve awareness, prevention, diagnosis, and treatment.

In addition to national experts on the disease, Gibson will be joined by Congressman Paul Tonko, Senator Roy McDonald and Assemblymen Tony Jordan and Steven McLaughlin.

More than 500 have already registered for the free event; pre-registration is recommended by visiting www.lymenext.org. The event will be livestreamed at www.livestream.com\skidmorevideo.

On Saturday, May 19, the Friends of the Kayaderosseras and local 4-H and Girl Scout members invite the public to help them plant 500 trees and 500 shrubs along the Kayaderosseras Creek.

The tree planting will concentrate on Driscoll Road (contact Forman and Zlata Phillips, fphillips6@nycap.rr.com) and the Rock City Falls Park and Boyhaven (contact Blue Neils (brn5@cornell.edu). Volunteers are asked to bring a shovel. Meeting time is 9 a.m.

In cooperation with 4-H and the Girl Scouts, Friends of the Kayaderosseras applied to New York State and received l000 native trees and 1000 native shrubs that need to be planted in May.

On May 12 500 trees and 500 shrubs were planted in Kelley Park and the Burl Trail, Grey’s Crossing area.

Friends of the Kayaderosseras Vice President Blue Neils said the planting program is part of FoK’s long term goal to establish a vegetative buffer all along the Creek. He noted that natural vegetation (trees and shrubs) provide many advantages, including shade to lower water temperatures, roots that prevent bank erosion, habitat for wildlife and energy input into the aquatic food web.

Elementary students enjoyed a special meal with their grandparents, parents or other special friends during annual luncheons held last week in the schools. The district’s food service provider, Aramark, provided a free turkey dinner for the special guests, and the PTAs in the buildings helped host the events, which attract hundreds of guests each spring.

At the Wood Road Special Person’s Luncheon, second-grader Carter Lamport enjoyed dining with his grandmother, Deborah Colliton.

On May 5th the Ballston Spa Middle School drama club, Launching Pad Productions, went to New York City to see Disney’s newest hit, Newsies. Based on the 1992 movie, the Broadway production has been workshopped for the last year. Since taking the Broadway stage it has become a smashing success and was nominated for eight Tony Awards, including Best Musical.

While on the trip, 25 of the students participated in a Camp Broadway dance workshop with actor Aaron J. Albano who plays the role of Finch in the musical. Students learned part of the dance break from the song “Seize the Day.”

Albano has been in many shows on Broadway including The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Mary Poppins, Wicked, A Chorus Line, and Bombay Dreams.

Students thoroughly enjoyed the show and the experience of working with a Broadway actor. Many commented that Newsies was the best show they had ever seen; one said that it was the best day of her life.

Ballston Spa’s Village-Wide Garage Sale weekend is June 9-10, 2012.

Anyone who is having a garage or yard sale or related event in the Ballston Spa area that weekend can be included in the listing that will be posted on the Ballston Spa Business and Professional Association’s website and printed in the Ballston Journal the week before.

The listing will include the location, days and hours.

Membership in the BSBPA is not required. Community groups are encouraged to participate.

Deadline is Thursday, May 31. Call or email Ellen at 885-2772 or email info@ballston.org.

On Saturday, May 12 and Saturday, May 19, Friends of the Kayaderosseras, 4-H and Girl Scout members invite the public to help them plant l000 trees and l000 shrubs along the Kayaderosseras Creek. The three organizations applied cooperatively to New York State and received the native plants, but they must be planted in May.

Meeting time is 9 a.m. at Kelley Park in Ballston Spa. Volunteers are asked to bring shovels. Lunch will be provided at noon at Kelley Park.

The May 12 tree planting will concentrate on Kelley Park and the Grey’s Crossing Burl Trail Area off Northline Road, just off Rt. 50 north of Ballston Spa.

The contact person for Kelley Park is Larry Woolbright, kayadeross@hotmail.com. Richard Bashant, andyrich1@Juno.com, is the contact person for Grey’s Crossing, Burl Trail.

The May l9 tree planting will concentrate on Driscoll Road (contact Forman and Zlata Phillips, fphillips6@nycap.rr.com) and the Rock City Falls Park and Boyhaven (contact Blue Neils, brn5@cornell.edu).

Friends of the Kayaderosseras Vice President Blue Neils said the planting program is part of FoK’s long term goal to establish a vegetative buffer all along the Creek. He noted that natural vegetation (trees and shrubs) provide many advantages, including shade to reduce water temperatures, roots that prevent bank erosion, habitat for wildlife and energy input into the aquatic food web.

Register now for the 5th annual 5k held in memory of Ballston Spa High School graduate Kristen LaVoy who passed away in 2004 from a long struggle with kidney failure.  The race is a community event to help raise awareness and $5,000 for living and non-living organ, eye, and tissue donation. All proceeds benefit Donate Life and the Center for Donation & Transplant NY.

To register for the race:
www.active.com/running/saratoga-springs-ny/klavoy5k

To make a donation:
www.active.com/donate/kLaVoy5k2012

Follow event details on (Facebook logo)
www.facebook.com/kLaVoy5k

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