Saratoga TODAY Newspaper

07/21/2025

CORINTH – Dr. William Byrt, 72, passed away unexpectedly on July 14th. Born on May 21, 1953, in Framingham, Massachusetts, he was the beloved son of the late Francis and Eileen (Cunningham) Byrt.

He is survived by his devoted wife of 41 years, Robin, and their three children: Dr. Erin Byrt and her husband, Tyler McPherson, along with their two daughters, Althea and Leona; Dr. Conor Byrt; and Devon Byrt, who is recently engaged to Kara Gilhooly. He also leaves behind his cherished siblings: brother Frank Byrt; sister Eileen Leavitt and her husband, Ken; and sister Maureen Porter and her husband, Steven. He is lovingly remembered by many nieces and nephews.

William grew up in Framingham, where he played guard on the South Framingham High School football team, graduating in 1971. He completed his undergraduate at Boston University (BU), graduating in May 1975. He competed for the BU Crew Team and continued to support the team throughout his life. He earned his medical degree from the University of Massachusetts in 1981, completed his orthopedic residency at the University of Vermont in 1987, and pursued a fellowship in hand surgery at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, completing it in 1988.

A proud veteran, Dr. Byrt served for six years in the United States Air Force. For the first two years, he was stationed at Wiesbaden Air Base in Germany, where he served as the sole orthopedic hand surgeon for the European theatre of operations. He later continued his service at Lackland Air Force Base in Texas. He was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal, National Defense Service Medal, and Humanitarian Service Medal. He served in support of Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm from August 1990 to September 1991 and was honorably discharged with the rank of Major.

Professionally, Dr. Byrt was one of the founding partners of Orthopedic Associates of Saratoga (which later merged with OrthoNY) and served the Saratoga community for over two decades as an orthopedic hand surgeon. He was also a former member of the Board of Trustees at Saratoga Hospital.

Outside of medicine, he loved golf, riding his tractor, working outdoors, and spending winters in Estero, Florida. He cherished time with his grandchildren, rooted passionately for the New England Patriots, and proudly celebrated his Irish heritage through his involvement with the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick.

He will be forever remembered for his quirky sense of humor, his signature rattlesnake hat, his legendary appetite for Cheetos, and spending cold days in his sugar shack making maple syrup.

Relatives and friends are invited to call from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Thursday, July 31, followed by a funeral home service at the William J. Burke & Sons/ Bussing & Cunniff Funeral Home, 628 N. Broadway, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866. Burial with military honors will be held 12:30 p.m. on Friday, August 1, at the Gerald B.H. Solomon Saratoga National Cemetery, 200 Duell Rd. Schuylerville, NY.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in his memory to the following organizations that were close to his heart:

- Framingham Heart Study: Framingham Heart Study, 72 Mt. Wayte Ave., Suite 2, Framingham, MA 01702

https://give.bu.edu/campaigns/59704/donations/new?designation_id=9300000570

- Boston University Crew: Friends of Men’s Crew, 595 Commonwealth Ave., Suite 700 West Entrance, Boston, MA 02215 https://trusted.bu.edu/s/1759/22/form.aspx?sid=1759&gid=2&pgid=410&cid=1042&appealcode=WEBATH

- Shriners Children’s Hospital: Shriners Hospitals for Children, 2900 N. Rocky Point Drive, Tampa, FL 33607 https://donate.lovetotherescue.org.

Online remembrances may be made at www.burkefunralhome.com.

07/18/2025

Mark your calendars! Nacre Dance presents Sip, Savor & Swirl; an evening of wine, dance and fun.

07/17/2025

Bernard “Bernie” Charles Mattus, 89, of Wilton, New York passed away at Glens Falls Hospital on July 4, 2025, following a brief illness, just two months shy of his 90th birthday. Bernie was born on September 7, 1935, in Gloversville, New York to Ann (née Prohaska) and Anthony Mattus.

He grew up in Johnstown, New York and then moved to Schenectady, where he attended high school at St. Joseph's Academy. He then entered the Society of the Divine Word Seminary in Conesus, NY. He earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Philosophy from the SVD Seminary in Techny, IL. He left the Seminary after nine years to pursue a Master’s Degree in Educational Psychology, Testing and Statistics at Fordham University in New York City. He was thrilled when his granddaughter, Campbell, followed in his footsteps and enrolled at Fordham as a member of the Class of 2026. He was very proud to have received a personal phone call from Fordham President (now Emeritus), Father Joseph McShane, to discuss Campbell’s acceptance. Bernie proudly displayed his Fordham pennant in his room at The Home of the Good Shepherd.

A resident of Saratoga County for the majority of his adult life, he spent much of his career working for the state at Wilton Developmental Center, serving as Supervisor of Vocational Rehabilitation. He established the first vocational rehab program for the developmentally disabled populace there.

Bernie’s hobbies included fishing, hunting, CB and amateur radio, photography, gardening, and metal detecting. After retiring, Bernie travelled both nationally and internationally and became an accomplished nature photographer. He was also very proud of his Slovak heritage. For the past two and a half years, Bernie was a resident of The Home of the Good Shepherd in Moreau, where he served as unofficial “mayor” and Bingo master. He was beloved by all who knew him and maintained his quick wit until the very end.

Bernie is survived by three children: Mark Mattus of Wilton, Steven Mattus (Tracy Holleran) of Fairfield, Connecticut, Nancy Mattus of Wilton, and many cousins. He was also the proud grandfather to Hayden and Campbell Mattus of Fairfield, Connecticut. He was predeceased by four siblings, Sister Elizabeth Mattus R.S.M of Albany, Benedict Mattus of Michigan, Brother Joseph Mattus C.F.C. of Schenectady, and Patricia Mattus of Johnstown.

A Funeral Home Service will be conducted at 11 a.m. on Monday July 28, 2025, at the William J. Burke & Sons/ Bussing & Cunniff Funeral Home, 628 N. Broadway, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866. Burial will follow in St. Anthony’s Cemetery, 2763 NY-29, Johnstown, NY 12095

Online remembrances may be made at burkefuneralhome.com.

07/13/2025

⚠️KESSELRING CONTAINER TO BE TRANSPORTED WEDNESDAY; VILLAGE ROADS WILL BE AFFECTED⚠️

On Wednesday, July 16th, a heavy haul of the shipping container that in 2024 went from our railroad spur to the Kesselring Site in West Milton will occur, with the container moving on the roadways from Kesselring to the spur. The empty container originally made its way to Kesselring in Spring 2024. It has been filled with spent nuclear fuel from a defueled reactor at the Kesselring site, leaving just one active reactor on the Kesselring campus.

I want to provide some notes here to explain what will be happening and what to expect Wednesday. Note that this was originally announced to be a Tuesday, July 15th event, but we were notified last week of the rescheduling to this Wednesday.

WEDNESDAY’S CONTAINER MOVEMENT
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A map of the movement will be in the comments below. However, the pathway that will be followed is from the Kesselring site, east on Galway Road, turning right onto Middleline Road (heading south), then left on West High Street (heading east), to East High Street, with a left at Eastern Avenue to connect to the railroad spur.

The trip will take about two hours and will be extremely slow in speed. The timing is expected to affect these roadways AFTER the morning rush, and it will require the closure of the roads affected as the container passes through those zones due to the general sensitivity of the operation being conducted. Please plan ahead for these closures on Wednesday and plan alternate routes, especially for the mid/late morning and early afternoon hours, depending on when the progression begins Wednesday. The container will be well-guarded, with law enforcement and other First Responder agencies assisting and ready to respond.

SAFETY OF THE CONTAINER & OPERATION
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I will provide direct quotes from the Kesselring documentation concerning this shipment:

“Each shipment is made in compliance with applicable Department of Transportation (DOT), Department of Energy (DOE), Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), and state regulations and poses no danger to the public. The containers are very robust and were rigorously analyzed and tested to demonstrate performance in a range of situations. From the first shipment of Naval spent nuclear fuel in 1957, the Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program has safely shipped 924 containers of Naval spent nuclear fuel without a single injury to a member of the public or any release of radioactivity.”

“The shipment contains radioactive material which is contained entirely in a specialized shipping container. Each shipment is made in compliance with applicable DOT, DOE, NRC, and state regulations and pose no danger to the public.”

“Shipping containers for spent nuclear fuel are very robust and have been rigorously analyzed and tested to demonstrate performance in a range of situations. The Naval spent nuclear fuel shipping containers are certified as Type B Nuclear Regulatory Commission/Department of Energy containers and are manufactured from solid stainless steel. Each shipment is made in compliance with applicable DOT, DOE, NRC, and state regulations and poses no danger to the public. Because of the robust design and the fact that the containers are at least 10” thick solid stainless steel, if you stood six feet away from a loaded shipping container for a full day you would receive approximately the same amount of radiation that is involved with a typical chest x-ray (10 millirem). Everyday life exposure to radiation is about 300 millirem/year from soil, rocks, cosmic rays and radon.”

“The Ballston Spa Industrial Track is owned by Canadian Pacific Kansas City Railway (CPKC). CPKC and a qualified subcontractor have inspected the rail track, ballast, and ties to meet the requirements of the shipments that will occur. In addition, CPKC and a subcontractor cleared brush in the area as needed to ensure adequate space existed for the work and shipments. Protective barriers have been installed to limit access and ensure safety in the vicinity of the work area.”

“When shipments occur from the Kesselring Site to the Ballston Spa Industrial Track, the Heavy Haul subcontractor at the Kesselring Site will transport and deliver the Heavy Haul vehicle carrying the shipment to the Ballston Spa Industrial Track. The Heavy Haul vehicle travels very slowly (approximately five miles per hour) between the Kesselring Site and the Ballston Spa Industrial Track. Over the course of the next several days, the subcontractor transfers the shipment from the Heavy Haul vehicle to the rail car. The rail car is then inspected by an independent subcontractor followed by Canadian Pacific to ensure it meets rail transport requirements, the locomotive arrives, and the rail car is connected and transported from the Ballston Spa Industrial Track to its destination.”

CONCLUSION
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This is likely the last of these types of operations for many years, until the final reactor is to be defueled many years from now. As such, this disruption may be the last of its kind for many Village residents that will be affected by Wednesday’s activity.

We appreciate everyone’s patience with these issues, as we have a very limited say as to the conduct of these operations. However, our contacts at Kesselring are serious about ensuring safety for everyone. Should you have any additional questions, please feel free to include the concerns in the comments section, and I will endeavor to get you answers before Wednesday. Thank you.

07/11/2025

The 2025 meet has begun, and Equicurean magazine is in the house! 

07/10/2025

Roy J. Stevens, 80, passed away peacefully on Monday, July 7, 2025, at Saratoga Hospital with his loving family by his side.
Born on September 30, 1944, in Manistee, Michigan, he was the son of Jack and Dorothy (Hunter) Stevens.

Roy worked as a salesman and had a lifelong passion for the outdoors. He especially loved bicycles, often riding 8 to 10 miles through the Wilton area. He enjoyed staying active, tackling home projects, and feeding his backyard birds.

Roy was known for his great sense of humor. He saw the positive side of life and was always ready with his “dad jokes”. He loved the art world. Throughout his life he spent many hours producing abstract paintings and landscapes.

He is survived by his beloved wife, Catherine Stevens; daughter, Lindsay Morgan Stevens; brothers, Gary Stevens (Marge) and Lawrence Stevens (Gail); sisters, Jean Droze (Fred), Ann Stevens, and Jackie Berry.

In addition to his parents, Roy was predeceased by his brother Alva Stevens.

In honoring Roy’s wishes, no public services will be held.
Arrangements are under the direction of Compassionate Funeral Care, Inc., 402 Maple Ave., Saratoga Springs, NY 12866.
Online condolences may be shared at www.compassionatefuneralcare.com.

07/09/2025

Local children from throughout the Capital Region rehearse for the New City Ballet production of “Coppelia” at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center.

07/08/2025

The aftermath of the fire that destroyed two hay barns and several smaller buildings at the McMahon of Saratoga Thoroughbreds’ Eastview Farm in Stillwater. Story to come.

07/07/2025

Backstage crew members prepare for the New York City Ballet’s annual residency at S**C, which runs from July 9 to 12.

Story coming soon.

07/07/2025

Update: Due to a flood at the Northshire Bookstore, the event featuring author Molly Beer will now take place at Pitney Meadows Community Farm at 223 West Avenue in Saratoga Springs. The date and time of the event (Tuesday, July 8 at 6pm) remain the same.

SCHUYLERVILLE — In her 58 years of existence, Angelica Schuyler had one of her childhood homes in present-day Schuylerville incinerated by retreating British troops; maintained correspondence with American luminaries like Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson; eloped with a British-born business...

07/04/2025

Independence Day at the Saratoga Race Course 🇺🇸🐎

07/03/2025

Racing is back in Saratoga and we're all over it!

Two great articles in the paper this week:

- Mo Plex Flexing for Local Connections Going Into the Spa Meet
(https://saratogatodaynewspaper.com/mo-plex-flexing-for-local-connections-going-into-the-spa-meet/)

- SARATOGA RACING: Timeless
(https://saratogatodaynewspaper.com/saratoga-racing-timeless-2/)