Brookside's Executive Director, Joy Houle and President, Jeanne Obermayer with Ballston Spa National Bank's President and CEO, Christopher R. Dowd

A HUGE thanks to Ballston Spa National Bank for donating $10,000 to help the museum offer programs and services in 2012.

“From caring for and preserving the county’s historic artifacts and memories to providing educational programs for thousands of local school children each year, the Brookside Museum is a tremendous resource to the Village of Ballston Spa and greater Saratoga region,” stated Christopher R. Dowd, BSNB President and CEO. “In making this contribution, we at BSNB hope to enable Brookside to further their educational programs and mission.”

Like other museums in New York State, Brookside has suffered from funding cuts. The New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA) has annually reduced funding for cultural institutions for the past few years. Saratoga County reduced support by more than half for 2012, and have suggested that funding in 2013 and beyond will be cut altogether. Despite the funding cuts, Brookside continues to serve nearly 12,000 people each year through education programs, exhibits, and research services.

“This donation from BSNB will help us continue preserving and sharing Saratoga County’s unique history. Ballston Spa National Bank has been a wonderful community partner and we are very thankful for their on-going generous support, ” said Jeanne Obermayer, President of Brookside’s Board of Trustees.

The donated funds will help Brookside offer programs and services in 2012.

New York State’s budget crisis has affected many museums across the state and Brookside is no exception. Brookside’s Board expects that the temporary closing of the museum will help ensure that the reduced funding does not impact education programs in 2012.

The museum will reopen on Tuesday, January 31 at 10 a.m.

Staff will be unavailable while the museum is closed, however, emails will be checked periodically. Please feel free to send emails to jhoule@brooksidemuseum.org.

Cash
If you itemize, you can lower your income taxes simply by writing us a check by December 31. There is no easier way to garner a year-end charitable deduction. Gifts of cash are fully deductible — up to a maximum of fifty percent of your adjusted gross income. For instance, if your adjusted gross income is $50,000, up to $25,000 of charitable gifts may be deducted this year. Any excess can generally be carried forward and deducted over as many as five subsequent years.

Real Estate
Your residence, vacation home, farm or acreage may have appreciated in value through the years such that its sale would mean a sizable capital gains tax.  By making a year-end gift of this property instead, you would avoid capital gains taxes, and, at the same time, the amount of your charitable contribution is generally the fair market value of the property at the time of the contribution. However, if the property has increased in value, you may have to make some adjustments to the amount of your deduction.

Stock
If you own stock it is almost always more beneficial to contribute stock than cash. This is because a gift of appreciated stock generally offers a twofold tax savings.  First, you avoid paying capital gains taxes on the increase in value of the stock. Second, you receive an income tax charitable deduction that is generally the fair market value of the stock at the time of the gift.

Additional options for charitable giving may be possible.

The Historical Society would be happy to direct your contribution in accordance with your preferences for utilization.  Options include general operations, building maintenance and restoration, education programs for adults or children, and more.  Please feel free to contact us at 518 885-4000 to discuss a contribution today.

Donors should consult with their tax and financial advisors for advice in long-term financial planning and wealth transfer strategies. While charitable giving provides tax-efficient solutions, the primary motivation in making a gift is philanthropic intent. The advantages of philanthropic financial planning are significant for donors, and include tax efficiency, asset diversification, and retention of tax dollars. However, the most significant advantage is the building of philanthropic capital and improving the common good. For more information, please refer to the IRS publication on charitable giving –  http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p526.pdf.  The Saratoga County Historical Society does not advise individuals about charitable giving.

– Cynthia Redshaw, Board of Trustees

There is a mis-perception on the part of some supervisors that we have taken the county’s money and sat back, doing nothing to raise the other approximately $150,000 it takes to operate annually. For the record, I think it is important for everyone to know how hard the staff, volunteers and board members of the SCHS work throughout the year to raise the funding required to provide the incredible educational opportunities for thousands of county children and adults, preserve the National Historic Registry building and over 20,000 artifacts in our collection.

In addition to membership drives, applying for grants and seeking individual and corporate donations through our annual appeal and direct contact: SCHS holds annually a benefit concert, the sale of Saratoga Water at the NYRA open house, a 5k race (the Jailhouse Rock), an Oktoberfest/Silent Auction,  food sales at the “Way We Were” Car Show, our Holiday Shoppe comprised of items from local artisans and maintains our gift shop showcasing books on local history. This year, we also held the Abner Doubleday Classic (a baseball game between rivals Saratoga and Ballston Spa) to raise funds and promote local history.

I am incredibly proud to be affiliated with the board, volunteers and staff of Brookside. I have never seen such hardworking, dedicated individuals who all roll up their sleeves and actually not only organize each event, they help to set it up, work it, and clean up after.  Not every organization can say the same.

I find it reprehensible that Saratoga County is completely cutting the Saratoga County Historical Society, the organization whose very purpose it is to foster appreciation of our county’s rich heritage.

We need every supervisor to vote in favor to have any restoration. Please contact the County Board of Supervisors and ask that they support a full restoration of the 2011 level of funding to the Saratoga County Historical Society in the 2012 county budget.

Sincerely,

Jeanne Obermayer

Resident, Saratoga County

President, Saratoga County Historical Society/Brookside Museum Board of Trustees

Folks, so you understand the magnitude….this equals a loss of nearly $13,000… a loss of almost 10% of our total operating budget.

We have to fight this. And we need your help. There is a public hearing on Thursday (12/1) at 5:30 in the Saratoga County Board Room. Please come. Get your family, friends, colleagues and neighbors to the public hearing and speak on the museum’s behalf.

Or, contact Saratoga County’s Supervisors (list below) and tell them that the COUNTY historical society needs COUNTY support to exist. Please stress that without this funding, education programs serving thousands of local kids will be impacted as will the care and preservation of the county’s historic artifacts. Thank you for making calls before Thursday — we really need your help on this.

Photo: A Blood axe from the SCHS collection. One of tens of thousands of historic artifacts cared for by Brookside.

To email town supervisors go to this link for email addresses: http://www.saratogacountyny.gov/supervisors.asp

To make a call please see the list below.

Ballston    Patti Southworth 885-8502 x 13

Charlton    Alan Grattidge – 384-0152 x 207

Clifton Park    Anita Daly – 373-8802

Clifton Park    Philip Barrett -371-6651

Corinth    Richard B. Lucia – 654-9232

Day    Mary Ann Johnson – 696-3242

Edinburg    Jean Raymond – 863-2034

Galway    George J. Hargrave – 882-6070

Greenfield    Richard Rowland – 893-7432

Hadley    Arthur M. Wright – 696-4797

Halfmoon    Mindy A. Wormuth – 371-7410 x 210

Malta    Paul Sausville – 899-3434

Mechanicville

Milton    Frank Thompson – 884-2766

Moreau    Preston L Jenkins Jr. – 792-1802

Northumberland    Willard Peck 792-9179

Providence    John L. Collyer – 882-6541

Saratoga    Thomas N. Wood III – 695-3644

Saratoga Springs    Joanne Dittes Yepsen -584-5167

Saratoga Springs    Mathew Veitch – 587-2198

Stillwater    Edward D. Kinowski – 664-6148

Waterford    John E. Lawler – 235-8184

Wilton    Arthur J. Johnson – 587-1939

The Saratoga County Historical Society is happy to announce that Chuck Latham of Charlton was named the 2011 Volunteer of the Year.

On Wednesday, November 16th, Brookside Museum held a recognition luncheon for the volunteers of the museum. “The great work Brookside Museum does is possible only through the efforts and dedication of our volunteers,” said Jeanne Obermayer, President of Brookside. “Each of our 50 or so volunteers deserves a very special thank you.”

The museum selected Charles “Chuck” Latham as the Volunteer of the Year because of his extraordinary commitment to the museum. Joy Houle, Brookside’s Executive Director said,  “Chuck’s service has centered mostly on genealogy by working with people who are seeking information about their ancestors. He has also done some very important, in-depth research on certain topics, including Brookside’s property, the potato chip, and most recently, the Yuengling brewery that was in Saratoga Springs in the late 1800s.

A plaque commemorating Latham’s service to Brookside is currently on display at the museum. Past winners include: Annelise Kavanaugh (2010), Joy Finocchio (2009), Mike Munter (2008), Carole Highfield (2007), Dorothy Kelliher (2006), Joan Dunseath (2004), Jennie Rose (2003), Cynthia Young (2002), Chris Morley (2001), Barb Clark and Irene Jones (2000), Irena Wooton (1999), Norm Carr (1998), Margaret Roohan and Bernie Puckhaber (1990).

Please include Brookside Museum in your end of the year giving. Your financial contribution to our Annual Appeal, whether it is $1000 or $10, is tax-deductible and will continue to give the gift of Saratoga County history to thousands of children and adults in 2012. It’s safe and easy! Click here: DONATE!

Your gift will allow us to continue developing and delivering engaging educational programs and exhibits. In addition to our offerings at the Museum, Brookside staff has been working arduously to create traveling programs and exhibits that connect Saratoga County history to children and adults at their schools and individual towns.  

 Your gift will make a difference. I hope you will make a donation in support of this year’s Annual Appeal.  Click here for a link to donate on-line via PayPal or print a donation form. Thank You!

– Jeanne Obermayer, President

“The Threads of Time” exhibition featuring quilts in the museum’s collection will open on Friday, December 2 at 6pm.

“Quilts are amazing pieces of history,” said Joy Houle, Brookside’s Executive Director. “They are unique since they are both practical  household items and works of art that tell stories about the women who made them.” This exhibit will showcase both the quilts and the stories they tell.

“The Threads of Time,” exhibit will open on December 2 and be up through January 2013.  The opening coincides with Brookside’s annual Open House on December 2 from 6-9. Visitors can also browse the Holiday Shoppe for great gifts from among hundreds of locally made items.

This exhibition has been generously funded by the New York Council on humanities and the Coby Foundation.

This exhibit is generously supported by The Coby Foundation and The New York Council on Humanities.