Heather Lent is a mainstay on Jay Street in Schenectady, offering the sweetest offerings in the Electric City from her Bittersweet Candy storefront, but she hasn’t always been there. The Schalmont grad spent time in the Hudson Valley, opened Bittersweet Candy in several variations before returning to the Capital Region.

Business editor Shenandoah Briere and Digital Content Producer invited Lent into The Daily Gazette podcast studio to talk about her culinary travels and her passion for Jay Street and its neighbors.

Niskayuna resident Jordan Modiano has had a passion for speed since childhood. It was only surpassed by his love for his daughter, Rachel.

The business owner, race car driver, and parent of a daughter within the autism spectrum merged those passions to create the annual Upstate Chevy Dealers Autism Acceptance Race at Albany-Saratoga Speedway on Friday, Sept. 5.

I sat down with Modiano at one of his two Express Employment Professionals locations to talk about racing, his daughter, and autism awareness.

At just 14 years old, Sydney Worthley released her first album. Fast-forward through the pandemic, and two more albums later, she is the opening act for the Schenectady County Summer Night free concert series on State Street, in front of thousands of fans.

The 2025 Eddy Pop Artist of the Year award-winner talks about her musical influences as a Taylor Swift fan, her time spent at Freedom Park, and her own Taylor Swift sing-a-long series to her latest album 'It Was Fun While It Lasted.'

She isn't done writing music, producing her albums, and has plans that need to be taken seriously.

She was a joy to sit down with and I think you will enjoy Sydney Worthley as she Tells Me Her Story.

• (00:02:00) - Kicking off SummerNight
• (00:02:30) - 1st time seeing Sydney Worthley
• (00:03:30) - Eddy Award Pop Artist of the Year
• (00:05:45) - Freedom Park to SummerNight main stage
• (00:07:15) - Taylor Swift sing-a-long series
• (00:12:00) - You are how old???
• (00:12:45) - Rose Colored Glasses and COVID
• (00:19:15) - The Taylor Swift influence
• (00:20:30) - Other musical influences
• (00:21:00) - Tell me about the song 4:15
• (00:24:45) - Thank you Discover Albany
• (00:26:00) - The call for SummerNight
• (00:28:45) - Pitch Belmont on Broadway 2026
• (00:31:00) - Playing Cafe Lena
• (00:33:00) - Bucket list venue
• (00:35:30) - Available on cassette!!
• (00:37:30) - Pick your price
• (00:40:00) - What's next?
• (00:41:15) - Stewart's Flights..Top Albums..Top Taylor Swift songs

The All-American celebration in Saratoga Springs has stepped off with the annual Firecracker 4 4-mile race throughout the city for the past 18 years.

Its creation, growth, and continued success began with a meeting among a dedicated group of parents seeking to raise funds for Saratoga Springs High School’s cross-country, track, and field programs.

Charlie Woodruff, Bob Vanderminden, Jr., along with Peter Goutos, were a part of the original group that met and have shepherded the Firecracker 4 4-mile race from its inaugural race with 150 runners to an expected 2,500 runners this year.

The Daily Gazette interviewed Peter Goutos, just days before the event begins on Friday morning in front of the Saratoga Springs City Center, discussing the race’s inception, growth, and its future.

Ballston Spa rising senior Roman Mangino hit new heights during the spring musical season, performing as Frank Abagnale, Jr. in “Catch Me If You Can.”

His stage presence, voice, and dashing choreography drew all eyes to him amidst the ensemble members throughout the performance.

Last month, he was named a finalist in the Overall Lead Performer category, along with castmate and friend Peter Hinckley, who portrayed FBI agent Carl Hanratty. In one of the final award presentations, Mangino was announced as one of this year’s Outstanding Lead Performers.

Amsterdam senior Lanelys Oviedo Roman joins Mangino, this year’s other Outstanding Lead Performer, as they finish a 10-day stay at The Juilliard School in New York City. The pair, along with 54 other sets of winners nationwide, are being mentored, trained, and compete before Monday night’s National High School Musical Theatre Awards, known as ‘The Jimmies’.

The Daily Gazette caught up with Mengino and drama club director Matthew Lopez on the stage at Ballston Spa High School to talk about his young career and what is next for him.

Last month Amsterdam High School senior Lianelys Ovideo Roman was awarded the High School Musical Theatre Award for top performer after portraying Eurydice in Hadestown: Teen Edition

Amsterdam High School garnered two additional awards - Back Stage excellence and Best Musical Tier C, thrilling high school music teacher and director Christopher Stefani.

With the honor, Lianelys is currently in New York City at The Juilliard School for 10 days of mentorship, auditions, and competition culminating with the June 23 National High School Musical Theatre Awards show, called The Jimmies, with this year's host, Josh Groban, at Broadway's Minskoff Theatre.

Lianelys took my breath away when I had the opportunity to see her and the entire cast perform during dress rehearsal.

Here is Christopher Stefani talking about the decision to choose Hadestown: Teen Edition for this year's musical, talking about his talented cast, followed by the rising star, Lianelys Oviedo Roman, as she tells us her story.

When Sustainable Saratoga executive director Kelsey Trudell is not helping make our environment a better place throughout Saratoga County, she is a busy videographer and, along with her husband, Ben, are YouTube stars!

Her career took her to Arizona, where she worked early on with the Arizona Sustainability Alliance before the opportunity to move back to the area presented itself for her and her husband, Ben.

She talked about all the events that kicked off on April's Earth Day, to promoting the work of tiny pollinators during No Mow May to a Black Friday doorbuster type of atmosphere on May 31 for the annual Pollinator Palozza Plant Sale at Oginly's Country Gardens.

She talked about what the organization has done this spring, what's up next after a well-deserved break, including a bucket list destination and what you and I can do to help the environment that we all share.

For more information about the organization, visit www.sustainablesaratoga.org

• (00:01:30) - About Kelsey Trudell
• (00:04:20) - Work inside, then outside - in Arizona
• (00:07:30) - Returning to Saratoga County
• (00:08:00) - Finding Sustainable Saratoga
• (00:10:30) - A very busy spring
• (00:18:00) - Kelsley's almost 'Green Thumb'
• (00:22:30) - Looking forward this year
• (00:30:30) - What can we do to help?
• (00:36:00) - Kelsey and Ben's travels
• (00:40:00) - Bucket list destination
• (00:42:00) - Kelsey and Ben wedding videographers