UPCOMING CALENDAR

EDITOR’S NOTE: This Center and the Mother calendar is being regularly Susan Anderson Women & updated to reflect all event Children’s Emergency Shelter cancellations and postponements. (funded and operated by However, it is the Saratoga Springs Soul recommended that readers Saving Station Church). The contact event organizers initiative supports the City’s before they attend. For invaluable community partners the most updated version in the goal of ensuring of the calendar, please visit that every Saratoga saratogian.com. Springs family has access

DRIVE-THRU FOOD to the food they need. The DRIVE: Under the direction Mayor’s Office requests that of Mayor Kelly, the those who wish to contribute Saratoga Springs Mayor’s items to the food drive Office will host a drive-thru arrive at food drive at the Vanderbilt the Recreation Center Avenue Recreation Center at 15 Vanderbilt Ave. during Feb. 11-13. one of following dropoff

The food drive will benefit times: the Franklin Community 2 – 6 pm on Thursday,

Feb. 11; 2 – 6 pm on Friday, Feb. 12; or 9 am – noon on Saturday, Feb. 13. Visitors should enter the Rec Center parking lot from Vanderbilt Ave., and stop in the traffic circle near the back entrance. They may then exit their vehicle (wearing a face mask!), and place their donation in an available cart. A staff member from the Mayor’s Office will then transport the donation inside. The beneficiary organizations have requested donations of the following items: Toilet paper, paper towels, Feminine hygiene products, Laundry detergent (pods), Dish detergent, Shampoo and conditioner, Canned fruits and vegetables, Canned tuna and chicken, Individually wrapped snacks, Pasta, Mac and cheese, Frozen meat, Fresh produce

Juice/ juice boxes, Peanut butter and jelly, Body wash, Large sized diapers, condiments, pet food (Wet and dry), Coffee, Oatmeal packets, Rice.

BROWN BAG LECTURE SERIES: SUNY Adirondack Continuing Education is pleased to present the Brown Bag Lecture Series. Tuesdays, 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. March 30 to April 20. Remote via Zoom. Price: $25. The lectures will be presented through Zoom by a combination of SUNY Adirondack distinguished faculty members and local experts. Each 45-minute lecture is followed by a 15-minute question-and-answer period. Grab your favorite lunch, and then sit back and enjoy the presentations from the comfort of your own home. March 30 — Value of the Arts, by Diane Bargiel, Humanities Division Chair and Associate Professor of Music at SUNY Adirondack. April 6 — The Gangsters of Saratoga: The True History of Gambling, Crime & the Mafia in the Spa City, by Gregory Veitch, author and retired Saratoga Springs Chief of Police and adjunct faculty of Criminal Justice at SUNY Adirondack. April 13 — Between Two Waters and Many Worlds: A (Re)Introduction to Fort Ticonderoga, by Matthew Keagle, Ph.D, Curator at Fort Ticonderoga. April 20 — Adirondack Geology: A Focus on the Lake George Region, by Rick Landry, Naturalist at Up Yonda Farm Environmental Education Center. Participants can sign up online at https://form.jotform.com/93365150689163, by email at conted@sunyacc.edu, by phone at 518.743.2238 or by faxing a completed registration form to 518.743.2318. Processing occurs during normal business hours.

SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITY: The Ballston Spa Business & Professional Association (BSBPA) is once again offering a $500 scholarship to a Ballston Spa High School graduating senior. High school students who hold jobs in the community, while maintaining good standards in their schoolwork and deportment, should be recognized for their diligence and responsibility. The Ballston Spa Business and Professional Association Scholarship

shall be awarded to a

graduating senior who has demonstrated professionalism in his/her place of employment and

responsibility in their school community. Students can pick up the application information sheet at the Ballston Spa High School guidance office. A printable version is also available on the BSBPA website, www.ballston.org. Completed applications can be submitted to the BSHS guidance office or can be scanned and emailed directly to the BSBPA at info@ ballston.org, or mailed to: BSBPA Scholarship, PO Box 386, Ballston Spa, NY 12020. Submission deadline is Thursday, April 1, 2021. If you are a Ballston Spa area business that has a BSHS senior working for you who fits the bill, please encourage them to apply for the scholarship. The Ballston Spa Business and Professional Association, established in 1983, is a nonprofit organization committed to making the Village of Ballston Spa a great place to live, work and visit. To learn more, visit at www. ballston.org.

SPIRITUAL CLASS: Make Me An Instrument of Your Peace Class – 8 Tuesdays, beginning February 23, 6:30-8:30 p.m. The world needs more peace, and it begins with you. Make this prayer of St. Francis an integral part of your life. Take your reading from theory to practice in this interactive class that explores this prayer through Kent Nerburn’s book, “Make Me an Instrument of Your Peace: Living in the Spirit of the Prayer of St. Francis. Suggested donation: $20 per class session. Hosted by Albany-Saratoga Spiritual Adventures via Zoom. For more information, visit our meetup.com group AlbanySaratoga Spiritual Adventures, call (518) 366-9918, or visit www.newthoughtnewyork.org.

VIRTUAL HORSE SYMPOSIUM: CCE Equine, a division of Cornell Cooperative Extension of Saratoga County, is gearing up to host ist second Virtual Horse Symposium in March. This three-week program is offered for adult horse owners, business owners, and horse enthusiasts in the Capital Region and beyond. This year, classes will be held every Tuesday and Thursday for three weeks starting March 16 and ending April 1. Topics include: Sound Development of Young Horses, An introduction to Liability Risks: New York’s Agricultural Tourism Act and Negligence in the Horse Industry, Equine Law: Legal Issues for Participants in the Horse Industry, and more. Each session will be hosted virtually at 7 p.m. via Zoom. In addition to the virtual classes, there will be an option for participants to receive educational packets with resources for each presentation. New this year, the event will include a Family Fun Equine Trivia Night on April 2 that promises to be a fun and educational experience. Anyone can join this interactive virtual event.

Attendees also have the option to purchase a handcrafted charcuterie box that can be picked up locally in Ballston Spa. More information about the Virtual Horse Symposium is available online at http://ccesaratoga.org/agriculture/ cce-equine/saratoga-horsesymposium, where anyone can follow the link to register for the event. Questions about the event can be directed to Hughes at bh548@cornell.edu or 518885-8995.

VEGETABLE GROWING: Cornell Cooperative Extension of Saratoga County will be hosting a Free Vegetable Growing Series via zoom. All classes in the

series will be held from 12:15pm-1:15pm. On Feb. 9, join Master Gardener Charlie for Seed Starting to learn about the basics of starting vegetables from seed. On Feb. 16, join Susan Beebe, Agriculture Issue Leader, for Soils 101 to learn about which types of soils to use when vegetable gardening. On Feb. 23, join Jessica Holmes, Consumer Horticulture, for Container and Raised Bed Gardening to learn about which vegetables grow best in containers and how to start a raised bed garden. Go to the events page on http://ccesaratoga.org/ for more details and choose one or all of the classes you would like to attend. Upon registration, you will receive a zoom link within 24-hours of the class. If you would like more information, please contact

Jessica Holmes at jmh452@ cornell.edu or 518-885-8995.

‘THINKING OF YOU’ CARD PROJECT: Impressions of Saratoga and The Dark Horse Mercantile, 368 Broadway & 445 Broadway in downtown Saratoga Springs, are spreading love this Valentine’s Day through cards. Looking for a fun way to stay in touch with family and friends? The “Thinking of You” Card Project allows you to write a card right at Impressions or the Dark Horse and they will cover the postage and mail it for you. With over 500 different greeting cards to choose from there is something for everyone.

ART CONTEST: Impressions of Saratoga and The Dark Horse Mercantile, 368 Broadway & 445 Broadway in downtown Saratoga Springs, are hosting a Valentine’s

Day- themes art contest. During these days of home confinement and distancing we are all looking for something engaging and fun to do! We decided to host a first-time artistic creation contest for Valentine’s Day. Everyone is included so make a date with your kids, pets, and families to get creative! Maybe a drawing of your favorite person, scene or pet, a poem, a paper craft, the skies the limit! If it’s too big, send us a picture! Send, email or drop off your Valentine themed creations before February 1st and Impressions will create a window display featuring all of the submissions, in addition they will post them on Facebook as they come in! Passersby and Facebook viewers will vote either in store or on Facebook for the most creative, the most colorful,

the funniest, and the sweetest entry. Winners will be tallied and announced Feb 13th by end of day! Winners will receive a Saratoga Porch Package and gift certificates available on Valentine’s Day!

SARATOGA PORCH PACK AGES: Saratoga Porch Packages by Impressions of Saratoga and The Dark Horse Mercantile are presented in a reusable Saratoga tote and filled with locally made food products and Saratoga items. There are “pre-assembled” Saratoga Porch Packages from $25 to $150 price points that can be viewed at ImpressionsSaratoga.com or you can call and create your own! They have teamed up with other local businesses including the new Hot Chocolate Bombs from Adirondack Bark Eaters, Saratoga Coffee Traders, Angel

Wings BBQ sauce, Saratoga Tea & Honey, Cobble Hill Farms, Mapleland Farms, Dean’s Delicious Dog Treats, Adirondack Candle Co., Bread Basket Bakery, Saratoga Beef Jerky, Healthy Gourmet, Saratoga Garlic, Saratoga Candy Co, Sundaes Best, Lazy Dog, Saratoga Chocolate Co, Decresente, plus some fantastic Valentine gift items! Fun new Saratoga Porch Packages include “BEE my Valentine”, “You’re the Bomb”, “Hugs & Kisses”, as well as packages for dog, cat and horse lovers, and the guys too! Let us know and we can add a Valentines Card too! Stop in, call 518-5870666, or order online at ImpressionsSaratoga.com. Both stores are offering instore shopping, curbside pickup, local delivery, and shipping daily!