Kelly de la Rocha
Daily Gazette
Farmington, CT, United States
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Past articles by Kelly:
Gazette freelancer and Burnt Hills native brings poetry to local schools with free web-based challenge
I was standing beside a noisy heating unit waiting to be introduced to Valerie Wadsworth’s sixth grade English class at O’Rourke Middle School when a student plopped down at a nearby desk. Eyeing me with frank curiosity, she asked, “Are you famous?” “Not yet,” I replied. She looked disappointe → Read More
Celebrate 2022: Niskayuna resident’s whimsical village — a 29-year labor of love — finds balance
NISKAYUNA - Jim Mancuso splits his time between a home in Niskayuna and one in Noeltown. The Noeltown residence is a bit trickier to find. To get there, head down to the basement rec room in Mancuso’s Niskayuna abode and turn left at the bottom of the stairs. From there, look left and you can’ → Read More
Dig In! – Family’s effort, innovation have made Latham’s El Charro a local Mexican favorite
LATHAM - Patricia Garcia has spent most of her life in Mexican restaurants. At 14 she was already bussing tables, hostessing and serving at Mexico Restaurant in Richmond, Virginia, an establishment owned by her parents. Four years later, she moved to Maryland and opened her own Mexican eatery, → Read More
Outlook 2021: Pair come together during pandemic to create dance school in Saratoga Springs
Published Feb. 25, 2021 in Outlook Ballet students don’t just learn dance moves. They also learn life skills such as teamwork and perseverance — attributes that have served former professional dancers… → Read More
Outlook 2021: Experimentation, hard work pay off as Saratoga Springs’ Darling Doughnuts become local favorite
Published Feb. 25, 2021 in Outlook Natascha Pearl has two 7-month-olds. One’s a little girl named Georgia. The other is a little doughnut shop named Darling Doughnuts. The Saratoga Springs bakery… → Read More
Outlook 2021: Entrepreneur sees Schenectady skin- and hair-care business blossom despite pandemic’s limitations
Published Feb. 25, 2021 in Outlook Schenectady mom Tiffany Harris couldn’t find a natural product to soothe her daughters’ eczema, so she whipped one up herself. The concoction worked wonders — and… → Read More
Successful Sotheby's agent is just latest role for Saratoga Springs woman
When Dona Frank-Federico joined the country western band The Spurs USA back in 2011, she took on that challenge the way she takes on them all: at full throttle. “If I’m gonna do something, I’m gonna do it,” she said. “And if I’m gonna do it, I’m gonna be the lead singer. I’m gonna put on a show.” Frank-Federico not only sang and danced in the band, but found and booked most of its gigs as well.… → Read More
Moving on — Three houses, two apartments, one year
Early December 2017 and hah! I’d done it. I’d crammed a recap of my family’s entire year onto a sheet of candy-cane-bordered printer paper. Plus, I’d managed to word it so it didn’t sound like a reality TV transcript. That was a quite a challenge. It had been a made-for-TV kind of year. In case your copy of my 2017 recap got lost in the mail, here’s the gist: January 2017: Husband Michael loses… → Read More
'The Money Pit' — the Johnstown edition
It's only mid-September, but horror film character Michael Myers is already hanging out behind a potted fern on the porch at Johnstown's Olde Knox Mansion. Beside the front door, two skeletons, seated at a wicker table, appear to be socializing, oblivious to his presence. It's a little too early for Halloween decorations, but those porch-haunters look like they belong there. Maybe that's because… → Read More
Woodstock trifecta -- Hike Overlook, visit a monastery and then hit the village
If you find yourself with a long, sunny summer day to spare, wander down to Woodstock, and bring your hiking boots. The drive will take you a little over an hour if you jump on the Thruway near Schenectady. This small, scenic town in Ulster County was established in the late 1700s and for years has been a mecca for artists, writers and musicians. It’s fun to browse through the boutiques,… → Read More
From castles to cool science centers
Hey Capital Region residents! If you hop in the car right now, you could be in Hartford, CT, in a little over two hours. It’s a great road trip destination. I know, because my family and I took a trip to that area a few months ago and haven’t left yet. In truth, we moved to Connecticut for my husband’s job, but still, we’ve found a lot of road-trip-worthy places to visit, and I’m happy to share.… → Read More
Seamstress says her vintage-style aprons come with personality
Mauri Lewis is a retired social studies teacher, but you’d swear she’s been in sales all her life. → Read More
Severe winter delays repairs to Schenectady greenhouses
The deteriorating state of the Central Park greenhouses is making it difficult to run programs at the facility. → Read More
Roof ice dams a growing concern
You can see it building at the edge of the roof — an ice slab that gets thicker as the brutally cold days pass. → Read More
Water lines fall to cold
Weeks of brutally cold weather have driven the frost line so deep into the ground that water lines are freezing, often leaving homeowners with costly plumbing bills. → Read More
Volunteers gather immigrants' stories in their own words
When Rafi Topalian immigrated to America from Turkey at age 12, he saw the United States through the eyes of a child. → Read More
Demolition of former Glendale Home nearing completion
Residents moved into a brand-new, 200-bed skilled nursing facility at the front of the property June 2. → Read More
Love letter sends Wilton man on quest to learn more about mom’s hidden past
On her 80th birthday, Helen O’Conor pulled an old letter from her dresser drawer and asked her son, Ray O’Conor, to read it to her. She had read it in private every year on her birthday for the past 60 years, but her eyes were failing and she could no longer make out the words. → Read More
Volunteers run bakery at Saratoga synagogue
Seven volunteers stood shoulder-to-shoulder earlier this month around the butcher block island in Slice of Heaven Breads. → Read More
Author of children’s books shares joy of reading
Children's author Ty Allan Jackson was at the Parsons Early Learning Center as part of a two-day One Neighborhood, One Book event hosted by The Bigelow Corners Partnership and the United Way of the Greater Capital Region. → Read More