With a new week underway, here are five events and news items our team of reporters is tracking.
LIGHTS ON THE FARM
There are two weekends left to make spirits bright while taking in the drive-thru holiday light display with a pastoral twist at the Tylutki Family Farms at 197 Caswell Road in Palatine Bridge. Lights on the Farm is open every Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 6 to 9 p.m. through New Year’s Day. There is no charge for admission. Donations are accepted to help feed the reindeer and offset operational expenses.
— Ashley Onyon
DUANESBURG SCHOOL BOARD TO MEET
The Duanesburg Central School District’s Board of Education is expected to vote on a policy that would allow teachers to transport students when it meets on Tuesday. The policy aligns with state law and comes as schools continue to grapple with a lack of bus drivers that has forced some districts in the region to cancel bus routes and extracurricular activities. While Duanesburg has avoided such issues so far, faculty have inquired about transporting students. The district has said it would use the policy on limited occasions.
The Duanesburg Board of Education will meet Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. in the high school auditorium.
— Chad Arnold
PARTICIPATORY BUDGET DISCUSSION
The Saratoga Springs City Council will finalize which projects will receive a portion of the $100,000 the city has set aside for participatory budgeting, a process in which city residents get to propose and then vote on projects to receive money. This is the first year the city has done participatory budgeting, with the vote on nine projects taking place from Dec. 3 to Dec. 11. The Participatory Budget Committee is recommending all nine projects totaling $96,000 be funded and that the city look at raising the pot to $142,500 for the 2023 process.
— Shenandoah Briere
SIENA PLAYS FOR FRANCISCAN CUP
Siena men’s basketball will host one of its biggest rivals, St. Bonaventure, in the Br. Ed Coughlin Franciscan Cup matchup on Monday at 7 p.m. at MVP Arena in Albany.
The Saints come into the non-conference matchup with a 5-5 overall record, having dropped its last two games on the road to Georgetown and Delaware. Head coach Carmen Maciariello’s team comes into the St. Bonaventure game off an eight-day break and is looking to get revenge for last year’s 75-47 road loss to the Bonnies. St. Bonaventure holds a 9-4 overall lead in the series, and has won four of the last five meetings, but Siena won 78-65 in 2019, the last time the Franciscan Cup was contested in Albany.
— Adam Shinder
‘A JOYFUL HOLIDAY’ IN SARATOGA
Singer Samara Joy will bring jazz to the Universal Preservation Hall in Saratoga Springs on Friday. The 23-year-old, Grammy-nominated jazz singer is known for her rich and velvety voice. She has amassed a following on TikTok and appeared on the TODAY Show and The Kelly Clarkson Show. In September, she released “Linger Awhile,” her Verve Records debut, which includes a mix of classic standards.
On Friday, she’ll be joined by The McLendon Family and will perform a program she’s calling “A Joyful Holiday.” It starts at 8 p.m. and tickets are $30.50-$50.50. For more information, visit universalpreservationhall.org.
— Indiana Nash
