21st Annual Cauliflower Festival Draws Crowds and Community Spirit to Margaretville

By Robert Brune

MARGARETVILLE — The 21st Annual Cauliflower Festival filled Margaretville’s Village Park on Saturday with food, music, history, and family fun, carrying forward a tradition that celebrates the region’s farming heritage while embracing new energy.

This year marked a transition in leadership as Garth Kravitz, along with his wife Julia Rugg of the Delaware County School of Performing Arts and Cindy Taylor, took over festival organizing duties from longtime coordinator Carol O’Beirne of the Central Catskills Chamber of Commerce.

“For our first year, I’d say it was a smashing success, judging by the smiles on people’s faces and the amount of cauliflower that was served and purchased,” Kravitz said at the end of the day. “We had over fifteen food vendors serving some form of cauliflower dish, an incredible kids’ area with games, crafts, and a bouncy house, and music all day long. I was beaming with pride for our team, our vendors, and our community.”

The festival grounds were bustling with food trucks and farm stands. Embers Wood Fire Pizza returned with their popular pies, while the new Root and Link food truck from Fleischmanns made its debut. Finch Farm impressed visitors with a giant cheddar cauliflower display, while other farm families offered vibrant fall vegetables and flowers.

Local history had its place as well. Town Historian and author Diane Galusha of Middletown recalled, “The second year of the Cauliflower Festival, it snowed. We were wearing mittens out here.” This year, however, was blessed with sunny skies and a tremendous turnout.

The musical lineup added to the festive spirit. Whisky Lilly kicked off the morning, followed by an extended set from Lali and the Pops that kept the crowd dancing through the afternoon. With Union Grove Distillery serving up delicious cauliflower cocktails, it was a perfect recipe for a great time. 

We are happy to report that the Dragon Wagon exceeded their goal by giving away thier 1,033rd book for this year in Delaware County at this celebration of community. 

For Kravitz, the day was about more than food and music. “We learned what worked, what we might do differently next year, and what we didn’t have time to add this year,” he said. “We are extremely pleased and incredibly proud of our farmers and our community for supporting this cause. We look forward to many, many more Cauliflower Festivals to come.”

From giant vegetables to kids’ laughter, farm-to-table flavors, and lively music, this year’s festival embodied the abundance and creativity of the Catskills in autumn.

 

                                                                    A perfect scepter

                        It was all hands on deck last weekend, including heading over from Main Street.

                           Margaretville Hospital was well represented during the Cauliflower Festival.

                                                    Some of the cauliflower from the festival.
 

 

                               The UMC churches of the area worked together during a bake sale.

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Obituaries - Maureen Ellen Townsend

Maureen Ellen Townsend of Roxbury passed away September 2, 2025. Maureen was born June 24, 1945 to John and Catherine Kierdorf in Rockville Center, NY. After moving with her parents and brother Greg to Roxbury, Maureen graduated from Roxbury Central School and then graduated from Mildred Elley Secretarial School in Albany.  Maureen worked at Alta Log Homes in Margaretville for 33 years. Her hobbies included crossword and jigsaw puzzles.  She was also an avid golfer, becoming a member at Shepard Hills Golf Club in 1982. Maureen was a big Knicks and Duke fan. She is survived by her son Jim and his wife Deb, and her brother Greg and his wife Sally.

 

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Obituaries - Sandra R. Morrison

August 20, 1935 – September 6, 2025

Sandra R. Morrison, a devoted wife, loving mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, and cherished friend, passed away peacefully on September 6, 2025 at the age of 90. Born on August 20, 1935 in Margaretville, NY to Howard and Esther Davis, Sandy was a graduate of Margaretville Central School and Hartwick College. She moved to Richmond in 1964 and was the beloved wife of David N. Morrison for 57 years. Sandy was a helpful and caring friend to many, and her passions included baking, music, gardening, animals, and knitting. She will be remembered for her bright smile, quick wit, and huge heart. Sandy is survived by her brother, Lauren R. Davis, her three sons, Timothy (Brenda), David, and Peter (Sue) Morrison, her four grandchildren, Patrick, Jeanne, Ryan, and Becca Morrison, and her three great-grandchildren, Caroline, Sadie, and Rory. A celebration of Sandy’s life will be held on September 28, at 2:00 p.m. at Grace Baptist Church in Richmond, where Sandy served as a deacon and sang in the choir. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Henrico Humane Society.

 

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A Conversation about … Beans

Castor bean

Lablab flower and bean pod

Scarlet runner beans

By Jean Thomas

As usual, I was looking at something and started wondering about its name. I have several Castor Bean plants (Ricinus communis) because they're freakishly tropical and used to be a very popular garden plant. They've fallen out of favor for a number of reasons, like their size and oddball flowers and the burs that hold the seeds, and because they're famously the source of a poison popular with Soviet Autocrats. But they're still pretty interesting in my flower garden, which tends to a Victorian Garden style. What I started thinking about was whether they're related to two more of my favorite ornamental plants, the Hyacinth Bean and the Scarlet Runner Bean. As usual, my curiosity led me down a very winding path.

It turns out that botanists consider the Scarlet Runner (Phaesolus coccineus) and the Hyacinth Bean (Lablab purpureus)to be true beans, as both are legumes. Otherwise, though, the three plants are wildly different in many ways, even though their beans/seeds all look a lot alike.

The outlier of this trio is the Castor Bean. The markings on its seed look very much like those on common dried beans you see in the packages for soup making. The difference is that the Castor bean seed is shaped more like an engorged tick because it has an appendage called a caruncle that looks like an insect head. Everything about the castor bean is poisonous, even though it is the source for Castor Oil... through a rigorous extraction process not to be tried at home. The seeds are protected inside a sharply burred hard casing like a chestnut, so not easily accessed by children or pets. It is a member of the Euphorbia family and not related to legumes at all.

So what about the others? Lablab , or Hyacinth Bean, is also from tropical origins, and used as fodder and as food in India, Africa and Asia. It requires very specific methods of cooking, and the ornamental varieties are not reliably safe to eat. If you want to try cooking them, please use beans purchased from grocers or specialty stores. But as ornaments, they are unsurpassed. The flowers and pods are gorgeous shades of purple among lobed leaves on sturdy vines. They are easiest treated as annuals, and may reseed themselves. The seeds are easy to collect and store to plant again next year. Be sure to label them and keep them separate from food.

I plant Scarlet Runner Beans alongside the Hyacinth Beans and let them tumble together, the hot orangey red of the one clashing happily with the purple shades of the other. The beans are edible, but must be cooked thoroughly. Raw beans contain a chemical that makes you violently ill if you consume as few as five raw beans. Cooking removes the chemical. (BTW... the same applies for kidney beans. Who'd 'a thunk?) One of the charms of the Scarlet runner (coccineus in the name is Latin for scarlet) is that is is native to the cool mountains of Central America, therefore germinates in cooler soil to get an earlier start than most beans. It's technically a perennial and I'm going to experiment to see if I can winter them over. Space doesn't permit more description of this trio of beauties, so go ahead and Google them when you have a few minutes. They're amazing.

If you have comments or suggestions for future columns, contact me at jeanthepipper@duck.com.

 

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THE CATSKILL GEOLOGISTS BY PROFESSORS ROBERT AND JOHANNA TITUS - The Glaciers at Twilight Park – Part One

Recently Robert was invited to speak at Twilight Park. Its residents were curious about their ice age history; could Robert explain it to them? Have you ever been to Twilight Park? It has a spectacular view of Kaaterskill Clove. See our photo. As luck would have it, Robert would be speaking with that exact landscape right behind him. With that backdrop, Robert decided that he would not try to explain the Ice Age here but to portray the vastness of the Clove’s ice age past. He would attempt to draw a verbal picture of what it was like back then. He wanted his audience to see what he saw when he looked at that view. What would all of them see if they were transported back in time to the late Ice Age? Since then, the two of us have been writing up a version of that talk and we would like to begin that here in this week’s column. We will finish our story next week. 

                         

Aug 29th, 11,975 BC – We are the mind’s eye; we can go anywhere; we can do anything; we can travel through time. We stand at the top of Kaaterskill Clove on this late “summer” ice age day. We have found our way to exactly where Robert will speak 14,000 years from now. Before us lies the clove as it was back then. It is the end of this day’s nighttime hours, and dawn is approaching quickly. As the sunlight brightens, we see that the clove is filled with fog. All around us there is a dense mist. We kneel and take a close look into a foliage of weeds and grass. Nearby are some rocks encrusted with moss and lichens. We look around and notice that there are no tree trunks. What a strange thing to see such a primitive foliage in what should be our heavily forested Catskills.

The sun continues to rise. It is becoming what, by ice age standards, is a hot day. In an hour or so it burns through the fog. We look out and now see all of Kaaterskill Clove. It is bare of trees.  All this is what ecologists call tundra. The Ice Age has been taking a break. There had, previously, been several advances of the ice but this has been an interglacial period. We look down to the bottom of the clove and spy a cluster of very young pines. The forest has been attempting to return. But we look again and get out a pair of binoculars. We see that these pines are dead. What is going on?

We are the mind’s eye, and we can rise up into the sky and hang high up in the air and watch as years pass by below us. We scan the Hudson Valley just below the Catskill Front. A great mass of something appears to the north. It is purple in the dim morning light, then it turns green and yellow as the sun rises. At noon it is a gleaming diamond white. In the afternoons the colors are reversed.  But what is this? We cannot tell; it is too far away. Then at some gleaming noon we look again and suddenly recognize what we have been looking at. It is a glacier, and the valley has been filling with ice. Once again.

We see that the Hudson Valley region is entering into a new cycle of glaciation. What a grim moment this is. Ice Age climates have already prevailed, off and on, for several million years. Will all this ever end?

Contact the authors at randjtitus@prodigy.net. Join their facebook page “The Catskill Geologists.” Read their blogs at “thecatskillgeologist.com.”

 

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Whittling Away with Dick Brooks - Fixers

A long time ago, there were people who fixed things.  They were known by many different names;  repairmen, handymen, blacksmiths, mechanics, do-it-yourselfers, tinkerers--fixers!  When something stopped working, was broken or worn out, there were people who could fix or repair it.  Sadly, they're becoming a dying breed.  When was the last time a T.V. repairman came to your house to fix your television?  We've got one remaining T.V. guy in our area, you have to bring the set to his shop but he can still fix it sometimes.  The trouble lies in the fact that new sets aren't made to be repaired, when the little thingamabob that controls the whoosie goes bad, it's part of a whole printed circuit board that has to be replaced.  You have to be an expert to fix the darn thing and experts are expensive, more expensive than a new set, so it's easier and cheaper just to chuck the old set and buy a new one.

You used to get knives sharpened, I remember a man who came around once a year or so and sharpened things like knives and  scissors.  Now when your Ginsu gets dull, you chuck it and wait for the next time the commercial comes on (usually about fifteen minutes) and order a new one.

People used to get shoes repaired, wear a hole in the bottom, you took it to the shoe repair shop where some wizened old ethnic man, usually chewing on a cigar, told you to come back in a week.  A week later, you went back to the shop, which by the way smelled incredible--leather, glue, cigar and old ethnic man made a blend of aromas that was unforgettable and were told that they weren't done yet and to come back next week.  Sooner or later you got your shoes back with a new sole and could wear them for another year or so.  Today we chuck them, shoe repair shops are few and far between.

When your auto got old and rickety, you took it to the guy at the corner gas station where they fixed cars and pumped gas.  You didn't have to pump your own gas, they'd wash your windshield and if you told them that you were having a problem with your car, they'd fix it, sometimes right then.  You rarely had to make an appointment.  You couldn't buy milk or bread at the gas station or use the ATM.  There were no Lottery tickets or bottled water to be purchased but your car usually ran right.  New cars have become so specialized that the greasy guy on the corner has all but disappeared.  I, for one, miss him and the cars he used to fix.  I loved my 1952 Chevy pickup, I lifted the hood and I recognized everything I saw.  I even knew the function and purpose of most everything under that hood.  I lift the hood on Casper, The Friendly Kia and I'm lost!  I don't recognize anything and if something looks vaguely familiar, I can't get to it anyway.  So Casper, old buddy, another fifty thousand or so miles and it's chuck it time for you too!

It may be Old Timers Disease sneaking up on me but I have a hard time figuring out some of the folks we have around today.  You've probably seen them, they have ecology bumper stickers, proudly put their recycling bin out near the road each week, usually full of plastic water bottles and never give a thought to the repairability of any object they purchase.  I wonder if they live by that sticker on the back of their car that says "Save Our Planet" or if they should get a new one that says, "Chuck It All, Big and Small!"  Naah, they'd probably get mad at me if I suggested it.  If you're lucky enough to know someone who still fixes things, thank them for me and call the local school, they may want to make a field trip to visit him or her before they're extinct.

Thought for the week--"You can get more with a kind word and a gun than you can with a kind word alone."    --Al Capone

Until next week, may you and yours be happy and well.

whittle12124@yahoo.com

 

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4th Annual AMR Artists Exhibition Impresses

By Jenny Neal

MARGARETVILLE — Last Saturday September 20 saw the opening reception of the AMR’s group exhibition at the Galli-Gurci Theatre on Main Street in Margaretville. Every September following the annual July AMR Open Studios tour, the organization hosts this group show featuring a number of the artists who participated in the open studios tour. All work is for sale and nine pieces were sold at the reception.

Firstly, thanks are due to the tireless organizers Deborah Ruggiero, President, and Rebecca Andre, Executive Director of the AMR, which is a non-profit. Rebecca organized the show. Deb directed the hanging team that included Victoria Scott, Wayne Morris, Samantha Nick and Rebecca. It took the best part of four days to meticulously hang participants’ work, first laying out all the work and deciding where it will go; marking an axis on the wall and measuring each piece of work to make sure it aligns evenly on the axis.

This rural community is indebted to all volunteers in all areas who go above and beyond what’s required to contribute their time and best efforts to all fields in our society, sometimes earning little or nothing.

The AMR began as a grass-roots collective in 2012, hosting the Open Studios Tour in the three Delaware County towns of Andes, Margaretville and Roxbury. Now hosting the tour in eight Delaware County towns, the event expands each year, providing access for mountain region artists as they promote both established and emerging creatives.

There were 45 artists in this year’s exhibition showing a mix of smaller works punctuated by two or three very large works, by Samantha Nick and Gary Mayer. This new work from Gary highlights a foray into monochrome, except for the delicate presence of a lemon yellow, a departure from the vivid multicolor of previous works. Samantha Nick’s “Her”, a glorious rendering of the female form in warm orange was the most striking for the intricate detail of its subject, as well as its size.

Other artists were: Alan Powell, Aldo Gonzalez, Ale Casta, Amy Metnick, Ann Hoffman, Corneel Verlaan, Deborah Ruggiero, Dominik T. Wyka, Don Freeman, Eddie Donaghue, Ellen Wong, Esther De Jong, Fred Woller, Gail Freund, Gerda van Leeuwen, GG Stankiewicz, Holly Cohen (dreamy landscapes), Irina Grinevitskaya, Ivory Biruk, Jenna Spevack, Jennifer Lord Rhodes, Joe Miller, Kathleen Sweeney, Lesley Powell, Lynn Preston, Maria del Carmen Garcia, Mary McFerran, Michael Reichman, Mina Teslaru, Rebecca Andre (luminous nature photography printed on metal), Rich Tazzara, Ricky Zia, Rob Brune, Robin Kappy, Ron Macklin, Scott Ackerman, Sheila McManus, Stormy Brandenberg, Suzanne Ausnit, Tabitha Gilmore-Barnes, Victoria Scott and Wayne Morris. 

Don Freeman has produced a series of beautiful ghostly vases portrayed in mixed media (layered photographs printed on fabric mounted on wood), two of this series being on show out of the twenty works he has planned to produce.  

Of his work, Don says: “I showed the work for a few years as a photograph [only], but there were so many elements of the work that I wanted to elaborate on, like the relationship to the spiritual world, and plant world, so I started mixing the image with images of plants and pressings and watercolor and doing it on the computer. I sort of layered all those images together and then I printed them on fabric and then layered those together. Photography is a great tool, but I always wanted to express a little more than what the camera does”.  

Sara Stone showed two watercolors, with one piece looking like an enlarged postcard entitled “Summer in the Catskills 2025” depicting a portmanteau of nature scenes. Asked to comment on what involvement in the show means to her, Sara replied: “It’s part of being an incredible community of artists and wonderful people, and its nice to be included in that. This is a great venue too. You can really see everything and there’s space to step back and look at things”.

The Galli-Curci Theatre was constructed by Clarke Sanford and opened in 1923 as a silent film cinema and offices for The Catskill Mountain News. It continued to be an integral part of the cultural fabric of the region until its closure as a cinema in 1985. The theater’s current owners have made it their mission to continue presenting art and culture in this space.

For the second year in a row, there is also a film screening to take place during the Exhibition, paying homage to the space’s original purpose. This year, Kate Taverna's short film "The Art of Metaphor - Donna Dennis" will be featured.

Finally, after five years with AMR, and three in a leadership role, Rebecca is stepping down as Executive Director. “I’ve been honored to be part of the AMR team”, she says. “I’ve made friends, learned a lot, and hopefully made a small difference in the community. We had a wonderful exhibition and I’m grateful to everyone who contributed to its success”.

The show runs from September 19 to October 5, 2025. The theater will be open on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays from 12-5 pm. Galli-Gurci Theatre, 801 Main Street, Margaretville, NY 12455. www.amropenstudios.org

 

 

                                                                Photos by Robert Brune

 

This exhibition had the best turnout with more sales than the past two years combined. The art economy is currently thriving in Delaware County

Villa Sposa provided another delightful spread of treats for the opening reception of the AMR Art Show

 

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6th Annual Community Reading of Washington Irving’s Rip Van Winkle Sunday, Oct. 12th

HAINES FALLS — Join us for the 6th Annual Community Reading of Washington Irving’s timeless classic, Rip Van Winkle, at the historic 1913 Ulster & Delaware Train Station on the MTHS campus at 5132 Route 23A, Haines Falls.

Calling all storytellers! Here’s your chance to step into the shoes (or perhaps the slumbering boots) of iconic characters. This is a fantastic opportunity to flex your theatrical muscles in a fun, low-pressure environment. Embrace the colorful language and dramatic moments of Irving’s masterpiece – no memorization required!

Spectators, prepare to be enchanted! Immerse yourselves in the charm and humor of Rip Van Winkle as it unfolds in the unique ambiance of the beautifully preserved train station. It’s a fan-favorite tradition for a reason – a delightful afternoon of community, literature, and a touch of old-world magic.

Joining us again this year will be Catskill Artist Matt Bua and the Traveling Rip Exhibit. View the magic and lore of Rip on display at the Train Station. 

Also, a magical visit from Rip himself! 

To become a reader or to let us know you will be attending please email mthsdirector@mths.org or call 518-589-6657.

Mark your calendars and join us for this cherished annual event!

 

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ASF Conclude Summer Programs After Final Skateboard Camp

ASF skateboard coach Johnny O'Connor with student Belle Holbrook

WINDHAM – The Adaptive Sports Foundation’s summer programming wrapped up Saturday, September 20, with the conclusion of its final adaptive skateboard camp.

This marked the fifth year the ASF has held adaptive skateboard camps, and the first time the organization utilized CD Lane Park in nearby Maplecrest. Local skateboard coaches Johnny O’Connor, Frank Cabrera and other pro-level instructors were hired by ASF to provide participants with top-tier training, regardless of experience level.

“These camps are a celebration of individual progression,” Cabrera said. “Whether the student is just figuring out how to propel themselves on the board or trying to learn much more advanced stuff, we celebrate each accomplishment.”

“My favorite part of these camps was making a lot of friends,” said participant Belle Holbrook, who had never stepped foot on a skateboard before attending all of the ASF’s camps this summer. “I also learned some new skills, like balancing. I’m going to try skateboarding on my own at the park near where I live.”

“The empowerment that comes with learning how to skateboard—the board becomes these students’ friend,” Cabrera said. “Skateboarding gives our students the freedom to glide and the freedom to be who they want to be without restrictions. Whether you’re an adaptive athlete or not, skateboarding is all-inclusive. Once you skateboard, you’re a skateboarder, and being a skateboarder is a way of life.”

This summer, the ASF hosted five adaptive skateboard camps, eight Warriors in Motion® programs and a four-day multi-sport summer camp. The foundation will now turn its attention to its busy winter season, offering adaptive ski and snowboard lessons to individuals with disabilities at Windham Mountain Club. ASF’s winter programming begins the third weekend in December and runs through the third weekend in March.

 

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Ashland Speaks

By Lula Anderson

Summer has officially ended with the beginning of Autumn.  This is the first time in many years that the leaves have started their change this early.  Sunday was the perfect day to meander through the countryside.  The bright blue sky, the colorful leaves.  On Jewett Mountain there is a white birch that is offset by the leaves around it.  A perfect setting to destress.  

A large group of Senior Citizens met at Catskill Point last week for the annual Senior Citizen Day.  It was a fun-filled day of meeting friends from other clubs, vendors handing out free samples (I have enough pens and stress balls for a while), and information from the Veterans,  insurance groups, Rehab/nursing homes, NY Connects, and so on.  It was put on by the Department of Aging.  Many don't know how many resources are available to them through County and State agencies.  Many are afraid, or maybe ashamed to reach out for help, so they suffer in silence.  Sometimes it helps just to talk to someone and find out your options.  There is always someone to talk to at 518-719-3555.

Although there is not an official burn ban, please DO NOT burn your leaves and brush while cleaning up.  The grass is so dry from lack of water that just one spark can cause serious problems.  The local fire departments have a lack of volunteers which makes it even harder for them if a fire starts.  Generally a call goes directly to Mutual Aid if there is a fire, as to get the man-power needed.  Be careful and use common sense.

Good news from the Beckmann household, Greg is home and finally starting to heal.  Albin and Vicky thank everyone for their prayers as they feel that did so much good, but don't stop praying,  Prayers for  Eric Towse, and other friends and family who are going through clinical trials to combat cancer.  So many families are affected in so many ways.

AS I REMEMBER IT

A friend, and member of the Sr club is having a garage built by the Amish this week which brings to mind  stories from the area where families got together to help their neighbors in need.  Bill Mead tells how his house burned down in the '40s.  What to do?  they were a family of 7 who had no place to go.  The family next door offered their summer home to them so they would have shelter.  It wasn't very well insulated, had no central heat, but it had running water.  The men from the Presbyterian church got together, along with many able bodies to tear the house down, hand dig a cellar, cut the logs and with a borrowed sawmill, cut the boards and rebuild the house.  The work was done after work, after chores and on weekends for those who had outside work.  It was a community project and the house was built bigger and better, and still stands today.

Very seldom did anyone call in a paid plumber or carpenter as there was a neighbor who could help you out.  The Jewett church had work bees to get enough wood together to heat both the church and the "Grange Hall" .  Many farmers saved one or two trees to donate to the church even though they could use them to heat their own houses.  Although it sounds like hard work, the men would have a great time challenging each other on who could cut and split the most wood, or the biggest logs.  Who could pick up the heaviest logs, and probably the best one, who could work faster, the crew with axes, maul and wedge or the gas-powered splitter.  Many hands make light work, and in a weekend, they had enough wood for the entire winter.  

We no longer have that camaraderie and community spirit.  Even trying to find paid professional help is nigh on impossible.  There are very few handymen to help with simple fixes, and to find a plumber or electrician is difficult.  My water heater went out a couple of years ago.  I tried calling various plumbers, and finally got one to look at it.  He said he'd price a replacement and get back to me shortly.  After waiting for a month, I finally got a handyman who replaced it within a day.  It wasn't just that the first plumber didn't fix it, he never called back, nor  returned or acknowledged my calls.  Guess I'm just too old to understand.

 

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BALLSTON SPA NATIONAL BANK AND THE NATIONAL BANK OF COXSACKIE ANNOUNCE STRATEGIC COMBINATION

BALLSTON SPA & COXSACKIE — Ballston Spa Bancorp, Inc. (OTCPK: BSPA), holding company for Ballston Spa National Bank (collectively “BSNB”), and NBC Bancorp, Inc. (OTCPK: NCXS), holding company for The National Bank of Coxsackie (collectively “NBC”), today jointly announced a strategic merger of equals whereby the banks will combine forces and create a $1.3 billion community bank serving the greater Capital District and surrounding markets.  The combined bank will conduct business under the BSNB charter, with the NBC locations known as “Coxsackie Bank, a division of Ballston Spa National Bank.”

The combined company's Board of Directors will consist of nine directors from BSNB and four directors from NBC. Richard P. Sleasman, the current Chairman of BSNB’s Board of Directors, will serve as Chairperson of the Board of the combined company and the combined bank.

Christopher R. Dowd, the current President and CEO of BSNB, will serve as Chief Executive Officer, and John A. Balli, the current President and CEO of NBC, will become President of the combined bank. James Dodd, current EVP and Chief Financial Officer of BSNB, and Jim Conroy, EVP and Chief Banking Officer of BSNB, will remain in their current positions. Caitlin McCrea, SVP and Chief Financial Officer of NBC, will become SVP of Finance and Treasurer for the combined bank.

“In addition to the elevated presence in our communities, the combined company will have a larger market capitalization, greater lending limit and increased visibility and liquidity, unlocking value for both sets of shareholders,” stated Christopher R. Dowd, President and CEO of BSNB. “Consumers and businesses in the Capital Region have a demonstrated need for personalized service, greater flexibility and diversity in products. Together, we can address those needs faster and more effectively.”  

Benefits of the Merger 

The combination of BSNB and NBC creates a stronger, more competitive bank with the scale to grow and agility to respond to community needs. Expanding into new counties gives the combined institution the ability to deepen its regional presence and impact, and positions the bank to better innovate, compete and deliver lasting value to customers and the communities it serves.

By merging BSNB’s and NBC’s experience and resources, the bank is increasing lending capacity while keeping decisions local. Customers will have access to a wider network of branches and surcharge-free ATMs while also benefiting from more digital tools and financial products and solutions tailored to every stage of their lives. All of which will be delivered by people with a shared commitment to unparalleled customer service

“Both our banks have similar cultures, values and philosophies,” noted John A. Balli, President and CEO of NBC. “Joining forces will expand our combined footprint, create a larger, more competitive institution in the Capital Region and open the door to new opportunities for lending, investment and community partnerships.” 

Transaction Details

In a stock-for-stock exchange, NBC shareholders will receive 0.8065 shares of BSNB stock for each share of NBC stock in a tax-free exchange. BSNB shareholders will own approximately 66% of the combined company and NBC shareholders will own 34%, equal to each company’s contribution of tangible book value to the combined entity. Based on the current stock price of BSNB of $68.21 per share, the total transaction value is approximately $26.0 million. BSNB intends to raise approximately $20 million of subordinated debt prior to closing of the transaction, in order to provide additional capital to fund growth opportunities for the bank in its markets.

The Boards of Directors of both companies have unanimously approved the transaction, and all board members from both sides have agreed to vote their shares in favor of the merger. Completion of the merger is subject to customary closing conditions, including approval of the banking agencies and shareholders of both companies, and closing is expected to occur in the second quarter of 2026. The combined holding company will be known as Ballston Spa Bancorp, Inc. and trade under its existing symbol of BSPA. Ballston Spa Bancorp, Inc. currently trades on OTCPK and intends to apply to be quoted on the OTCQX in anticipation of closing.

Griffin Financial Group, LLC, served as exclusive financial advisor to BSNB and rendered a fairness opinion to its Board of Directors, while Luse Gorman, PC served as legal counsel to BSNB. Janney Montgomery Scott, LLC served as exclusive financial advisor to NBC and rendered a fairness opinion to its Board of Directors, and Pillar + Aught served as legal counsel to NBC.

Investor Presentation

The companies have created an investor presentation with summary financial metrics and assumptions about the transaction which is available on both companies’ websites, at www.bsnb.com for BSNB and https://investors.nbcoxsackie.com for NBC.

 

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