5 things to know this Thursday, March 21

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- One more day until Friday, everyone. Happy Thursday! According to Meteorologist Matt Mackie, today will be another cold, breezy day with temperatures around the mid-30s.

Preparations are ramping up for Belmont Stakes Weekend at the Saratoga Race Course, which is less than three months away. Also, two graduates of Columbia High School never took the field together at home, but are now sharing the diamond at New York Yankees Spring Training. These stories, and more, are covered in your five things to know this Thursday morning.

1. Taylor Apartments prepare to demolish Towers 3 & 4

As a new Taylor Apartments building is coming together, site planners are looking ahead to what’s to come for Towers 3 and 4 where tenants currently live. The modern apartment complex will be home to those currently in Towers 3 and 4.

2. Educators push for changes to teacher evaluations

The President of New York State United Teachers and the Commissioner of the New York State Education Department hand-delivered an agreement on teacher evaluations to state Senator Shelley Mayer and Assemblyman Michael Benedetto on Wednesday.

3. NYRA discusses preparations for Belmont Stakes

Preparations are ramping up for Belmont Stakes Weekend at the Saratoga Race Course, which is less than three months away. Officials with the New York Racing Association are confident they can handle it but acknowledge there are some changes in how they get the track ready.

4. Columbia High School grads don pinstripes at Yankees Spring Training

They may not have shared the baseball diamond at Columbia High School, but two former Blue Devils find themselves playing together at a different facility, George M. Steinbrenner Field at spring training with the New York Yankees. Nassau native Danny Watson and East Greenbush native Kevin Smith reported to Yankees spring training this preseason looking to make their mark with the organization.

5. The Hudson Valley candy shop with celebrity owners

On today’s episode of “Things I didn’t know about this region,” I just found out there’s a candy shop in the Hudson Valley that’s owned by some pretty famous celebrities. If you know anything about the area, you’ll know that I’m talking about Samuel’s Sweet Shop in Rhinebeck.