Newman-Plotnick, who volunteers at animal adoption clinics, feared Duke wouldn’t find a home because he has only 3 legs. For over a month, Newman-Plotnick had been watching Duke at Saratoga County Animal Shelter Annex in Clifton Park Center, where he also volunteers.

So on Fathers Day — a day after Newman-Plotnick and his family volunteered at Pet-A-Palooza — they adopted Duke. Little did they know that it would be a historical event for the shelter annex. Duke was its 500th cat to find a forever home.

Sam Newman-Plotnick holds camera-shy Duke, the 500th cat adopted from the Saratoga County Animal Shelter Annex at Clifton Park Center.

“We’ve had another 65 (adoptions) since then,” said Jeanette Sparks, the annex’s head volunteer.

That’s bring the total to 565, not bad considering the annex just opened last September.

“By the time with get to our 1-year anniversary it is possible we will have gotten to 700 cats,” said Joette Aisenstat, one of the many Homes for Orphaned Pets Exists members who volunteers at the annex.

And it’s the volunteers who make the annex work. Not only are they there when the facility is open — allowing shoppers to look at and adopt the cats — but they are also there for a couple of hours each and every morning to feed the cats, clean the cages and provide some playtime for the felines.

“Even when there have been snowstorms I’ve come to work and found them here,” Clifton Park Center marketing director Susan Keegan said.

The annex came about because of a chance conversation between Sparks and the shopping center’s former marketing manager.

“I said, ‘We need a storefront for overflow cats,’” Sparks recalled. “And he replied, ‘We’ve been thinking about that.’”

The shopping center donates the space, the county animal shelter provides the cats and kittens, and volunteers do the work.

And cats like Duke gain the benefits. Now he’s settling in as 1 of 6 cats at his new Halfmoon home.

“I think he’s a little timid and scared sometimes,” said Deborah Newman, Newman-Plotnick’s mother. “He lost his leg somehow, so I think that has left him a little nervous.”

But don’t feel sorry for him.

“He’s really active,” said Newman-Plotnick’s older brother, Sam. “He can jump better than a lot of our cats with 4 legs.”

For more information:

• Saratoga County Animal Shelter, 6010 County Farm Road, Ballston Spa, 885.4113
• Homes for Orphaned Pets Exist (H.O.P.E.)
• Clifton Park Center, 22 Clifton Country Road, Clifton Park, 371.7010

As I sat with a client recently for 3 hours purging emails and setting up folders, I realized that like her, many have a hard time managing their email. Like mail and paper that comes into the home, if you don’t manage it daily it quickly becomes overwhelming.

And like paper, if you don’t file emails properly, there is no hope in finding anything when you need it.

As with paper, the “touch it once” rule is one to try and adopt with emails. Once you open an email, you must ask:

• “Will I need this again?”
• “If so, why would I need it again and can I get it again easily (from someone else or on the web)?”
• And if you must keep it, “Where should I file this?”

All emails fall into the same categories as regular mail; trash, action, waiting on a response or file it.

1. Trash or junk emails go directly to the deleted folder by hitting delete. (Remember to purge this daily or have it automatically purge daily after closing out.)
2. Action emails (you need to do something on it) can go to 1 of 2 places; you can create an “@Action” folder or leave anything you need to do in your actual inbox.
3. If you replied to something but haven’t gotten an answer yet, you can also put that email into one of two places; create an “@Waiting For” folder or leave in your inbox as well.

By doing this, the only emails in your actual inbox will new, unopened emails or these and any action items and emails waiting for a response.

The @ symbol for the folder is just to make the folders list first, just under your inbox. This is helpful for working through your to-do’s each day.

For all the other emails that you choose you must keep as reference, they need to be moved out of your inbox. Create folders for each family member, each club you are in, your interests such as health, exercise, humor and so on.

Subfolders inside each of these are helpful as well. For example, if you have a home business your business can have a main folder with subfolders such as advertising, clients, expenses, resources and so on. Name the folder with the best trigger word; one that will easily trigger your mind to what is in there, so you can find what you are looking for quickly.

Junk emails, like junk mail, accumulate quickly. Every time you order something online, you start to get emails from that site. Make sure you check off the boxes if available that state you do not want to get further emails/solicitations on specials unless you truly do.

When you get a junk email; if you have some time, open it and hit the remove your name link and get off the list. If you want to do this but only want to do some each week, consider starting a junk email folder that you place them in and work on some each week. You will notice you get several a week from some sites, so you can hit those first and really lessen the incoming mail.

I hope this helps work through the list of electronic clutter. Set the system up and get in the habit of managing each email quickly and processing it once, rather than leaving it for later.

Like clearing out actual clutter, the stress lifted by managing it consistently will save time and energy daily.

Professional organizer Jordana Turcotte owns Simply You, which offers organizing consultations, services and classes.

For more information:

• Simply You, 877.8162
• Simply You’s Facebook group

When the city decided to hold an annual fireworks celebration during the 1970s, it realized there was a lot of competition on the 4th of July. So organizers decided to hold a Family Day instead.

“We hold our Family Day and fireworks on the closest Sunday to the 4th of July before or after as most of our vendors are at the larger celebrations” on Independence Day weekend,” Mayor Anthony Sylvester said. “By doing this we get to have a larger crowd with no competition.”

Alonzo Fireworks does fireworks shows throughout the Capital Region and beyond, but one that is special is the annual Family Day celebration in its hometown of Mechanicville.

“We take care of all of our clients, but Mechanicville is obviously special,” said Alonzo Fireworks president Jeff Alonzo, whose family has been in the business since 1939.

On Independence Day weekend — the company’s busiest time of the year — Alonzo Fireworks did 20 displays on the 4th and 23 on the 3rd. Among the celebrations were events in Clifton Park, the Plaza in Albany, Bolton Landing and Lake George.

Not only is Mechanicville smart for holding its festivities on a different weekend, but other communities are realizing the benefits of doing the same, Alonzo said.

“They wanted Family Day to be an important day, and they didn’t share it with anyone else,” he said. “Many communities have caught on to Mechanicville’s idea.”

He added that Malta and Ballston Spa hold fireworks on weekends other than Independence Day.

“Many more towns are doing fireworks on other days,” Alonzo said. “They might call it Charter Day or Heritage Day. … It gives them their own special day. And Lake George does fireworks every Thursday from (now) until Labor Day to get tourists to start their weekend a day earlier.”

In addition to the fireworks, Mechanicville will have family activities all day long at Talmage Park — starting with the 5-kilometer Firecracker Run at 10:30 a.m. and featuring a concert by local band Mike and the Monsters at 7:30 p.m. The fireworks are set to start around 9. Alonzo hopes folks will enjoy the show.

“It’s a fun business, and it’s a good business,” Alonzo said. “And we really do enjoy making people happy with our fireworks in the Capital Region.”

For more information:

• City of Mechanicville, 36 North Main Street, Mechanicville, 664.8331
• Finale of Alonzo Fireworks’ 2010 Fourth of July display in Clifton Park
• Mike and the Monsters

“Veterans issues are the most common issue we deal with,” said Murphy (D-Glens Falls), whose district includes Southern Saratoga County.

A lot of the calls the office gets are about VA benefits. The Veterans Administration paperwork can be intimidating, and the Congressman’s office helps them get though it. Another common concern is obtaining disability benefits.

Sgt. Leo McKeon (right) receives a Purple Heart from Rep. Scott Murphy during a ceremony at the American Legion post in Halfmoon.

So to help veterans, Murphy arranged for a veterans benefit fair at American Legion Mohawk Post 1450. The highlight of Wednesday’s event was Murphy’s presentation of a Purple Heart to Sgt. Leo McKeon for injuries he received in Iraq five years ago — a medal the Congressman’s office helped McKeon obtain.

“It’s always an exciting day,” Murphy said about the occasions when he gets to present a medal.

Murphy wasn’t the only one helping veterans at the event. Groups participating included the VA’s New York regional office, the Stratton VA, the state Department of Labor, Empire State College, the state Division of Veteran Affairs, Military OneSource Counseling, Operation Adopt A Soldier, the American Legion and the VFW.

Andrew Davis, director of the Saratoga County Veterans Service Agency, was there to tell veterans about the services the county offers them. Those services include transportation to medical appointments in Albany and help obtaining VA and education benefits and assistance dealing with government agencies such as the DMV and social services.

The agency deals with 2-5 clients in person and handles 70-100 phone calls each business day, yet Davis said many of the county’s 18,000 veterans probably don’t know it exists. He was once one of them.

“When I came home, I had no idea counties did this,” said Davis, a veteran of Afghanistan and Iraq.

Howard Wildove, a retired Air Force lieutenant colonel who is now a business advisor with the state Small Business Development Center, said a lot of veterans don’t realize the services the SBDC offers them. He specializes in helping veterans start or run a small business — including assistance in writing business plans, obtaining financing and receiving training. He said there is even a special loan program designed for veterans.

Veterans thinking about starting a business should “call up and make an appointment. It doesn’t cost you anything but an hour of your time,” he said. “The help is out there. You just need to ask.”

For more information:

• Congressman Scott Murphy, 7 Southside Drive Suite 206, Clifton Park, 280.1791
• American Legion Mohawk Post 1450, 275 Grooms Road, Halfmoon, 371.4463
• Saratoga County Veterans Service Agency, 152 West High Street, Ballston Spa, 884.4115
• New York State Small Business Development Center, 7A Harriman Campus Road Suite 240, Albany, 485.7647
• The National Purple Heart Hall of Honor, 374 Temple Hill Road, New Windsor, 845.561.1765

That wouldn’t seem so unusual if the Cirillis weren’t from Nanuet in Rockland County and driving to the event from their summer Adirondack home in Wells.

“We just come down for the parade and to see my parents,” Cirilli said.

The fireworks display was the big star of the annual Clifton Park Fourth of July celebration at Clifton Common.

As much as John Cirilli liked receiving the candy, 9-year-old Jake Amell liked giving it out. Amell — one of the many Clifton Park Baseball players of all ages taking part in the parade — said he distributed “about a thousand pieces,” though his teammates thought that number was a tad bit high.

The ballplayers all said they enjoyed the parade, and none of them admitted being tired after the 2-mile walk on the hot day.

Eagle Scout Sean Donahue of Troop 246 said he participated in the parade for the sixth time to honor veterans and to thank the troop’s sponsor, the Clifton Park Elks lodge.

“I get excited about marching because my grandfather is a veteran and my dad is a veteran,” Donahue said.

To also honor veterans, he participated in a Flag Day ceremony at the Elks lodge and a recent parade in Ballston Spa.

During the opening ceremonies, Congressman Scott Murphy reminded people about the sacrifices of members of the armed forces when he asked for 2 minutes of silence for 2 area servicemen who recently died during duty. Murphy also represented a flag that flew over the U.S. Capitol to Clifton Park Supervisor Phil Barrett.

Hours later, the festivities ended with music and fireworks. California Transit Authority — featuring Chicago founder Danny Seraphine on the drums — was the headliner. The band performed a mix of its new music and Chicago favorites, such as “25 or 6 to 4.”

Almost as if on cue, as the band ended “Saturday in the Park” — a 1970 Chicago hit with lyrics that go “Saturday in the park, I think it was the Fourth of July …” — the annual fireworks began. And that stole the show.

For more information:

• Town of Clifton Park, 1 Town Hall Plaza, Clifton Park, 371.6651
• California Transit Authority

BALLSTON LAKE (July 2) — The No. 1 excuse for not getting organized — or for not doing most things — is: “I don’t have enough time.”

Time is finite; you can’t save it up and use it later. Once it is gone, it’s gone. So using it wisely and efficiently is extremely important.

Ways to save time include:

1. The No. 1 waste of time is watching TV. So — you guessed it — turn it off. If you don’t have a DVR, I highly recommend one. You tape your favorite shows, watch them when you want and fast forward the commercials, usually saving 30% of the time it would’ve taken to watch it on prime time.

   (Tip: If you must watch TV with the commercials, use the commercial time to handle the mail, clean the room you are in, fold laundry and the like. Pick a mindless task that you can do in broken up increments.)

2. Delegate! Teach other family members tasks they can manage, such as kids doing the laundry. If you can afford it, higher a cleaner or someone to do the lawn. Free up the time on tasks you can hire out, so you can spend it doing things you want to be doing or have to get done and haven’t accomplished during the week.
3. Procrastinating? Most likely you are overwhelmed with the task at hand. Break it out into smaller tasks that are easier to do and move you along in accomplishing the overall end result. Or it could be loneliness, so solicit some help from friends and family. It could be that you are a perfectionist as well, so if it can’t be done perfectly, you just don’t do it. Accept that no one else expects as much from you as you do from yourself. Do the best you can for now and move on.

Charting it out:

Create at week at a glance sheet, 7 days across the top and the hours starting with your waking hour until your bedtime hour down the side. Now block of weekly commitments such as work, regular classes or meetings. Then start to add things like meals, meal prep time, weekly shopping and so on. This will give you an overview of the types of activities you can fit in and accomplish and when you will be able to do them.

What does yours look like? The time fills up real quick! When doing this you might find you need to adjust the times and types of activities you currently have. Truly assess what you are doing and are involved in. The remainder of time you should fill in carefully.

Scheduling:

To effectively accomplish your daily to-do’s and your yearly goals, you will need to schedule time daily to work on them. As you would schedule meetings or a doctor’s appointment, put in time each day to devote towards certain to-do’s, goals or specific organizing projects.

Schedule time in your day to handle the unexpected. It doesn’t have to be a clearcut hour or anything, but don’t have your schedule so rigid that there is no wiggle room for things that come up. That’s life. When something does come up, decide one of the following:

• Do it: If it will take less than 2 minutes and it should be done right away, have at it.
• Delegate it: If longer than 2 minutes, ask “Am I the right person to be doing this?” If no, pass it on to someone else.
• Defer it: If you are the right person but don’t have the time to attack it right then, put it on your to-do list and evaluate it at the end of the day for which day or list is should be added to.

Planning:

Take time to plan the next day(s). Take however long you need to plan out the next day. Ideally for work, at the end of the day for the next and for home, just before bed. Knowing what is to be done and prioritizing will make the day run smoother and you will actually get something accomplished.

So with your chart in hand and your daily commitments, you can now honestly determine if you have the time or not. Pick your activities carefully and prioritize what is really important so you truly use the time you do have to the fullest. Good luck filling your time.

Professional organizer Jordana Turcotte owns Simply You, which offers organizing consultations, services and classes.

For more information:

• Simply You, 877.8162
• Simply You’s Facebook group

Of course, she has also gotten them to eat vegetables they never realized they were eating.

Fitz, founder of the Price Chopper Kids Cooking Club, tries to make healthy food fun and tasty for children. That means popsicles made out of fruit and veggies snuck into all sorts of recipes. She takes her recipes and cooking demos to school and community groups throughout Price Chopper’s market area.

At 10 a.m. June 28, she will be presenting “Kids can cook: heart-healthy summer snacks” at the Sylvan Learning Center in Clifton Park. The interactive workshop — cosponsored by the American Heart Association — is free, but reservations are required and can be made by calling 373.7995.

Jodie Fitz of Price Chopper Kids Cooking Club enjoys teaching children how to eat healthy.

One of her secrets to getting kids to eat healthy is to get them into the kitchen and involved in the cooking.

“I love to get them involved in the process and to introduce them to new tastes and flavors,” Fitz said. “I like to treat the kitchen as a science experiment.”

Part of that came from her experiences as a mother of 3.

“They’re not perfect eaters,” Fitz said. “But they tend to eat healthier because of what they grew up with.”

Like flying saucers — turkey burgers with spinach inside them — or popsicles made of fruit and yogurt that after some thought she decided was OK for breakfast.

“My daughter loves telling the kids at school that her mom lets her have popsicles for breakfast,” Fitz said.

Each month she prepares 3 Kids Cooking Club recipes that are fun yet healthy. This month’s recipes are apple-topped muffins, grilled pizza and cinnamon-tortilla dippers.

Another healthy-eating tip she recommends is giving dishes a fun name. For example, she makes “bunny food” — a broccoli-and-carrot pizza that gets children to eat vegetables.

“The kids I was cooking with loved it,” she said. “They had a blast, and it got a thumbs up, the kids’ sign of approval.”

Bunny food

1 cup carrots, shredded
2 cups broccoli, cut into small pieces
1 clove garlic, minced
3 tablespoons Price Chopper olive oil
1 large carrot, peeled
8 oz Price Chopper mozzarella cheese, shredded
Price Chopper pizza dough, fresh

1. Place the carrots, broccoli, and garlic in a skillet with 2 Tbs. olive oil . Saute on medium heat until the vegetables are tender. Set aside.
2. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
3. Take a large baking sheet and using a paper towel, rub a very light layer of olive oil onto the pan. Set aside.
4. On a floured surface, roll out the dough into one large circle, approximately 16 to 18 inches. Using a pizza cutter cut off the top of the circle removing approximately 3 to 4 inches.
5. Roll the large circle to even off the cut area and transfer the large circle to baking sheet towards one side to leave room for bunny ear pizza dough. Take the remaining dough, cut in half, and roll each half on the floured surface to form two oblong pieces. Attach them to the circular dough to create two bunny ears and a head.
6. Using a paper towel, rub a small amount of olive oil onto the dough. Top with the vegetable mixture and then with the cheese. Cut the large carrot into pieces to create two eyes, eye brows, nose, mouth and whiskers to top off the bunny food. Bake until the bottom is brown; approximately 20 minutes.

For more information:

• Jodie Fitz’s blog
• Price Chopper Kids Cooking Club
• Sylvan Learning Center, 10 Maxwell Drive Suite 106, Clifton Park, 373.7995
• American Heart Association, 440 New Karner Road, Albany, 869.4042

The church chooses theme each year for VBS, and this year’s is “SeaQuest: Diving for God’s treasures.” Daily themes will be:

• Hidden treasure: Buried treasure and a priceless pearl
• Lost treasure: A sheep and a coin
• Real treasure: 2 sons and a father’s love
• Wise treasure: A life built on the rock
• Eternal treasure: A life that puts God first

“There’s lots of singing, games, crafts and snacks,” said Northway Bible’s vacation bible school administrator, Madeline Lacasse. The church expects 75-100 children to attend the school, which runs July 12-16. The half-day sessions last from 8:50 a.m. to noon. “This year we’re going to again have rock climbing.”

Meanwhile, Prince of Peace Lutheran and St. George’s Episcopal churches invite children to come to SonQuest Rainforest. The daily themes are: Get it!, Get Found!, Get God’s Love!, Get Praying! and Get Going!, and each is paired with a rainforest animal. Like SeaQuest, SonQuest offers singing, games, crafts and snacks. It runs 9 a.m. to noon June 28-July 2.

SonQuest costs $20 a child to cover the cost of supplies. But if a family’s financial hardships could prevent its children from attending, parents are urged to contact one of the churches.

Northway Bible’s Lacasse said the themes make bible school fun for children.

“The kids love it,” she said. “A lot of the kids tell their friends.”

For more information:

• Northway Bible Chapel, Moe Road, Clifton Park, 371.7556
• Prince of Peace Lutheran Church, 4 Northcrest Drive, Clifton Park, 371.2226
• St. George’s Episcopal Church, 912 Route 146, Clifton Park, 371.6351
• SeaQuest: Diving for God’s treasure
• SonQuest Rainforest

And they can get ice cream to boot.

Sunday marks the 15th annual Sundae on the Farm, and for the second time it will be at ArnoldHaven Farm at 1298 Sacandaga Road in the town of Charlton. The event runs from noon to 4 p.m.

© David Coleman | Dreamstime.com

“It’s a great way to learn about what farmers do to produce milk and the food we eat,” said Paula Schafer, a senior resource educator with the Cornell Cooperative Extension of Saratoga County.

There will be guided tours of the farm’s dairy facilities, horse-drawn wagon rides, children’s activities, a farmers market (including plants and flowers for sale), a sheep-shearing demo and live music by the Two Bits String Band, a folk/acoustic/roots music group out of Easton.

Area chefs will provide cooking demos with an emphasis on local foods. At 1 p.m., Paul Tersico of the Charlton Tavern will prepare New York strip steak with caramelized apples, bacon, onions and cheddar. At 2:15, Sandy Foster of the Village Pizzeria & Ristorante will make pasta with goat cheese. Finally at 3:30, Corey Masten of Millstone Food and Spirits will offer strawberry shortcake.

At 2 p.m. there is a spelling bee and at 3 an ice-cream eating contest.

All day long there will be ice cream and pie for sale. It’s $1.50 for a dish of Stewart’s ice cream, and an extra 50¢ will make it a sundae. A piece of pie from Smith Orchards and Bake Shop costs $1.50, and for $3 you can have pie à la mode. Hot dogs, hamburgers, water, milk and coffee are also available.

The extension organizes the annual event to show the importance of agriculture to the county, which has seen its number of farms decrease from 1,800 50 years ago to 641 today. ArnoldHaven — established by James and Bertha Arnold in 1914 — is 1 of the survivors.

But the past 4 years have been tough for the dairy industry. The costs have gone up, while the prices farmers receive for milk has remained flat. Often what the farmers get barely — if at all — pays the bills.

“We don’t set the price of milk. We have to take what the market provides,” Arnold said. “That’s part of being a dairy farmer.”

Arnold said consumers can help farms survive by watching where the products they buy come from. Too often, he said, shoppers don’t realize the food they buy — even milk products — come from outside the United States.

“We’ve had years where there are low dairy prices, but they’re importing milk from Russia,” said Arnold, who added shoppers should especially look at the labels on canned and powdered milk. “Right now it’s important to support the dairy farmers and realize the struggle they’re going through.”

For more information:

• SaratogaFarms.com
• Two Bits String Band

“She always made it a point to speak for the pets because they can’t speak for themselves,” said Caporizzo, WTEN’s chief meteorologist since 1989.

From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Caporizzo’s Pet Connection and Curtis Lumber will attempt to set the record for the state’s largest 1-day animal adoption event. Pet-A-Palooza will bring animal shelters and rescue groups to all 22 Curtis Lumber locations, and Pet Connection will pay all adoption fees up to $75.

The Ballston Spa location will be the largest of the Pet-A-Palooza events. More than 50 vendors will be participating, including 18 groups offering homeless animals for adoption. There will be pet groomers, veterinarians, pet supply stores, pet sitters and more.

“We’ll even have a dog photographer,” Curtis Lumber’s Jennifer Stickney said.

Over the years, Pet Connection has directly led to at least 4,000 animal adoptions by showcasing homeless pets on WTEN. That doesn’t count the animals who found homes when people went to shelters looking for one pet and took home another. The organization has also raised over $300,000 to help homeless animals.

Pet Connection traditionally held pet adoption events on Father’s Day weekend. But when WTEN put the on-air segments on hiatus over 5 years ago, the adoption days stopped.

Now that Pet Connection has returned to the air, Jay and Kendra Curtis organized their company to bring back the adoption events. Last November Curtis Lumber and Pet Connection held a smaller event at the Ballston Spa location. Around 100 pets found homes.

“We even adopted out a horse,” Stickney said.

Caporizzo said he likes to have adoption clinics on Father’s Day weekend for 2 reasons.

“I think it’s a great thing for families to do on the weekend,” he said. “Plus June is probably the worst single month for animal shelters.”

Saratoga County Animal Shelter supervisor Dan Butler said June beginning the tough time of year for his facility.

“From June right straight through to October we’re inundated with cats and kittens,” he said.

The shelter will bring 10-15 animals to the Ballston Spa location. If they are fortunate enough to find homes, Pet-A-Palooza is close enough to the shelter that workers can bring more animals to the event.

Still, Butler said, Pet-A-Palooza doesn’t solve the biggest problem facing the shelter — overpopulation.

“The answer is simple,” he said, “spay or neuter your pet.”

For more information:

• Pet-A-Palooza Pet Adoption Day
• Pet Connection with Steve Caporizzo
• Saratoga County Animal Shelter, 6010 County Farm Road, Ballston Spa, 885.4113
• Curtis Lumber, 885 State Route 67, Ballston Spa, 885.5311