April

BALLSTON SPA, NY – Saratoga County will hold free Narcan training and distribution events this week at the Saratoga County Office Complex in Ballston Spa on Wednesday and Thursday and at the Public Safety Building in Ballston Spa on Friday.

Narcan Distribution Events this week:

•TODAY, Wednesday, April 26th from 2PM to 4PM at 40 McMaster Street, Ballston Spa (Saratoga County Office Complex)

•Thursday, April 27th from 11AM to 3PM at 40 McMaster Street, Ballston Spa (Saratoga County Office Complex)

•Friday, April 28th from 8:30AM to 3:30PM at 6012 County Farm Road, Ballston Spa (Saratoga County Public Safety Building)

Each drive-through distribution event will take place in the facility’s parking lot. The events are in partnership with the Saratoga County Sheriff’s Office, Saratoga County Department of Health, Saratoga County Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, the Village of Ballston Spa, and Healing Springs Recovery Community and Outreach Center.

Participants will learn how to recognize an opioid overdose and administer nasal Narcan, which takes approximately 10 minutes. Participants will receive a free Narcan rescue kit, which includes two doses of Narcan, a rescue breathing face shield, a certificate of training, a drug disposal system, and a mental health and substance use disorder resource guide.

Naloxone, sold under the brand name Narcan, is a safe medication that can save someone’s life by reversing the effects of an opioid overdose. It only works on opioids, such as heroin, prescription pain medications and fentanyl, but it is safe to use even if opioids are not present. 911 should always be called after administering Naloxone. New York State’s Good Samaritan Law allows people to call 911 without fear of arrest if they are having a drug overdose that requires emergency medical care or if they witness someone overdosing.

Residents who are unable to attend the distribution can register to obtain an overdose rescue kit and view upcoming distribution events at www.saratogacountyny.gov/narcan.

SCHUYLERVILLE, NY – America’s Turning Point today announced registration is open for the 2nd Annual Women in War Symposium. The two-day event features a historical trolley tour and a speakers’ symposium focusing on the roles women played during the American Revolution.

The trolley tour, titled “Through the Baroness’ Eyes,” traces the route traveled by the Baroness Frederika von Riedesel and her three young daughters as they followed the British Army during the Saratoga Campaign. It is being led by Saratoga Battlefield Licensed Guide Pat Niles. The tour is offered on Friday, May 5, 2023, leaving at 1PM from Fort Hardy Park (Reds Road, Schuylerville, NY), and returning at 5PM. Registration for the trolley tour is $60.

The Symposium takes place on Saturday, May 6, 2023, from 9AM to 3PM at the Town of Saratoga Town Hall (12 Spring Street, Schuylerville, NY). Registration for the Symposium is $50 and includes morning refreshments and lunch.

Space is limited for both the symposium and the tour. Those interested can register for either event at www.saratoga250.com.

The events are part of Saratoga County’s commemoration of the 250th Anniversary of the American Revolution and Battles of Saratoga and is coordinated in partnership with the Marshall House, Inc.

The Women in War Symposium features five dynamic speakers who will present on topics related to the roles women played during the American Revolution and will be emceed by Bruce Venter. Whether patriot or loyalist, wealthy or impoverished, females were deeply affected by the war in all aspects of their lives. These presenters offer new scholarship unearthing relatively unknown stories that broaden our understanding of the revolutionary era.

Lauren Roberts, Saratoga County Historian and Chair of the Saratoga County 250th Commission said, “Too often, the important roles women played during the American Revolution are not widely known. Their experiences, whether in following the army or managing their homes, help to inform the larger narrative of what life was like for those not on the battlefield. The Saratoga County 250th Commission is excited to sponsor this symposium by welcoming leading scholars to speak about these women and increase our understanding of the parts they played in gaining American Independence.”

Women in War Symposium Speakers:

Don Hagist: “Killed, Imprisoned, Struck by Lightning: British Soldiers’ Wives on Campaign”
Don Hagist is a historian and author of seven books and numerous articles dealing with the British army and common soldier during the Revolutionary War. His most recent books are Roger Lamb’s American Revolution: A British Soldier’s Story. and These Distinguished Corps: British Grenadier and Light Infantry Battalions in the American Revolution.

Dr. Philip Hamilton: “The Excitement and Perils of War: Henry and Lucy Knox’s Revolutionary War”
Dr. Philip Hamilton is a history professor at Christopher Newport University in Newport News, Virginia where he teaches courses on the American Revolutionary and Early Republic periods. The has published widely on this period, including his books The Making and Unmaking of a Revolutionary Family: The Tuckers of Virginia and The Revolutionary War Lives and Letters of Lucy and Henry Knox.

Katy Turner Getty: “In the Greatest Terror: Women and Children in Crisis After Lexington and Concord”
Katy Turner Getty is an independent scholar and attorney who specializes in topics related to the Boston area during the American Revolution. Her articles have appeared in the Journal of the American Revolution. She frequently speaks at conferences, including the Fort Plain Museum and Fort Ticonderoga. She recently started her own YouTube channel.

Alexander Cain: “I Have Scarcely a Mouthful of Bread for Myself or Children: Mary McAlpin and The Plight of Loyalist Women During the Saratoga Campaign”
Alexander Cain is an author, attorney and re-enactor who is a founding partner of Untapped History, a historical walking tour company based in Newburyport, Massachusetts. Alex writes articles relevant to New England militias and loyalists during the American Revolution. His two books are We Stood Our Ground and I See Nothing but the Horrors of a Civil War.

Jenna Schnitzer: “After Burgoyne Surrendered: Women of the Convention Army”
Jenna Schnitzer is a re-enactor who specializes in women during the Saratoga campaign of 1777. She authors a blog featuring stories about women in the American Revolution. Jenna served on the Marshall House board and presented at the first Women in War symposium in 2022.

Dr. Bruce M. Venter is president of America’s History LLC and author of the award-winning book, The Battle of Hubbardton: The Rear-Guard Action that Saved America. America’s History annually offers the premier conference on the American Revolution. Bruce serves on the boards of the Marshall House Inc., Saratoga County 250th Commission and the Lake George Battlefield Park Alliance.

Through the Baroness’ Eyes Tour: given by Saratoga Battlefield Licensed Guide Pat Niles
This four-hour tour, “Through the Baroness’ Eyes,” will follow the events surrounding the Burgoyne Campaign as experienced by Baroness Frederika von Riedesel, wife of General Friedrich von Riedesel, Commander of the German Division of Burgoyne’s Army. The Baroness, along with her three young daughters, accompanied her husband during the campaign and left a journal and letters that describe her experiences living with the army during the summer and fall of 1777. The Baroness provides a running commentary on the events, people, and surroundings of this historic campaign. The tour will follow her path from Fort Edward (The Red House) through Saratoga (now Schuylerville) to Saratoga Battlefield (Taylor House) and finally the back to the Sword Surrender Site where, for the first time in world history, a British Army was surrendered.

America’s Turning Point is a multi-year celebration of Saratoga County’s pivotal role in the American Revolution culminating in 2027 with the 250th anniversary of the Battles of Saratoga.

To register or for more information, please visit www.saratoga250.com.

BALLSTON SPA – Saratoga County Clerk Craig A. Hayner today announced the kickoff of a month-long initiative to encourage residents to register as organ donors when they visit any of the three Saratoga County DMV locations.

The Saratoga County DMV partners with Donate Life New York State each year to recognize April as National Donate Life Month, an annual observance highlighting the critical need for increased organ, eye, and tissue donation in the state. Donate Life NYS operates the New York State Donate Life Registry, an electronic database that documents a person’s consent to be an organ, eye, and tissue donor upon their death, under contract with the State of New York.

“We are proud to support Donate Life New York State in its mission to grow the organ donor database,” Hayner said. “While thousands of lives are saved through organ donation, far too many remain on the waitlist. It makes our efforts to educate people and increase enrollment that much more crucial.”

Nearly 3,400 lifesaving organ transplants were performed in the state last year. However, more than 8,100 New Yorkers are on the national organ transplant waitlist. In 2022, more than 400 patients awaiting an organ transplant in New York State died because the organ needed to save their lives was not donated in time.

The theme of 2023’s Donate Life Month, “Make a Splash,” was inspired by the natural world of a pond coming to life in the spring. Throughout the month of April, the Saratoga County DMV urges all residents to “make a splash” by enrolling in the registry when conducting a license, permit, or non-driver ID transaction. Promotional items and decorations will be on display at all three Saratoga County DMV locations throughout National Donate Life Month as a reminder of the importance of the gift of life.

As part of the local effort, the Saratoga County Board of Supervisors earlier this month unanimously passed a resolution recognizing April as Donate Life Month, encouraging staff members of Saratoga County departments and agencies to participate in the Donate Life’s “Blue and Green Day,” which is April 14.

Saratoga County’s enrollment has increased steadily in the years since the County DMV began promoting Donate Life Month in 2014. According to the most recent statistics from Donate Life NYS, at the end of 2022, 67% of the eligible population in Saratoga County was enrolled in the registry. Over the years, Saratoga County has seen a steady uptick in donor registry enrollment, rising from 39% in 2013 to about 54% in 2018 and over 61% in 2020.

“It’s remarkable to see the rise in organ donor enrollments in Saratoga County over the past several years,” Hayner said. “Our significant growth reflects the generosity of the people of Saratoga County. My hope is that we can continue to increase enrollment and help reduce the number of people waiting for life-saving organ transplants.”

By contrast, approximately 46% of New Yorkers statewide are enrolled in the New York State Donate Life Registry. While more than 7.2 million New Yorkers are registered donors, this represents the third lowest percentage of registered donors in the country (behind California and Texas).

Statewide, 83% of donors sign up while completing a transaction at a DMV.

“DMVs throughout the state have already helped nearly 6 million New Yorkers enroll in the New York State Donate Life Registry. By providing the opportunity for the public to enroll in the NYS Donate Life Registry, they are the key to saving and healing the lives of the thousands of New Yorkers in need of a transplant,” said Aisha Tator, executive director of Donate Life NYS.

All New Yorkers aged 16 and older can enroll in the New York State Donor Registry, regardless of their medical history. The enrollment option is available on forms used to apply for or renew a driver’s license or non-driver identification card. New Yorkers can also enroll in the registry while applying for health insurance through the New York State of Health and on voter registration forms. In addition, online enrollment is available at any time at donatelife.ny.gov/register.