"Tip of the Iceberg"

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Shuttering parks for winter is just the tip of iceberg



First published: Wednesday, October 22, 2008

As a sign of the long, cold winter ahead in more ways than one, the notice from the state Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation did not move the planets out of alignment.
But it was an ominous sign all the same.

Because of budget constraints, the relatively new state park on Schodack Island will be closed for the winter. So will another small park in the central part of the state, some boat launches and a few winter programs

As a practical matter, Schodack Island doesn't get a lot of use in the winter anyway. Unlike, say, Thacher up in the Helderbergs or Grafton in Rensselaer County, both of which offer very popular and varied winter sports and activities.

Closing Schodack Island for the winter will only save the state about $83,000, a spokesman said, The roads won't be plowed, the parking lot will be chained closed and there will no bathroom facilities.

But because 83 percent of the agency's budget goes toward operating parks and their programs, there's not much wiggle room when mandated cuts are imposed on the existing budget, as they have been. Twice this year already.

At the Department of Environmental Conservation, which runs other state parks and recreation programs — don't ask — planned cutbacks for the same reason are so far equally modest. One tow rope at the beginner slope and one lift will be closed at Belleayre, about 10 percent of the operation. Elsewhere, a couple of maintenance offices will be consolidated.

But don't fool yourself for a second. These are only the smallest of hints of things to come.

Not a one among the state's wisest fiscal prognosticaters can tell us yet how bad it's going to get, but that it most certainly will be bad remains a safe bet.

The bottom line of what we will witness between the Legislature's Nov. 18 special session and and the end of the next budget cycle, around April 1, is a profound downsizing of what we can reasonably expect our state government to do for us. Closing or tightly restricting the use of other state parks and recreational facilities is the least of it.

The really big ticket items for the state budget, Medicaid and education funding, will have to take major hits. The only question is how much.

New York's platinum Medicaid benefits have to be scaled back, and that's all there is to it. We can't afford it anymore.

On the education side, tell Washington to stick No Child Left Behind in its ear. Many other states have done so already, because it is a largely ineffective, mostly unfunded mandate driving up the cost of local school budgets.

Some of my conservative friends, I'm sure are saying, ah-men to much of that.

Those same folks, though, who tend to be Republican, have to be blanching at the promises Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos is making concerning no cuts ahead in education spending. Those assurances are mindboggling given the state's catastrophic revenue stream.

There is such a thing as going too far with political opportunism. Skelos has slipped into irresponsible by promising the New York State United Teachers union that his house won't entertain education budget cuts.

Given that we don't know where we're going in terms of state finances, those are promises that can't be made. Or worse, they guarantee gridlock in upcoming delicate negotiations for the downsizing of our government, which is bound to be ahead of us.

Education cuts have to on the table.

Now, I do not fault the teachers unions for backing whoever they think will give them what they want. The union represents a special interest. No doubt, we'll be hearing from the health care industy and related unions along the same lines.

How can the Republican Senate feverishly vote for tax caps, and at the same time hold the line against education cuts when we have drastically reduced revenues? Those are absolute opposites in terms of effect on the taxpayer.

It's the logic of desperation politics, I suppose.

Certainly the infusion of scads of NYSUT lobbying money and the union's phone banks promoting endorsed Republican candidates might help the GOP keep their Senate majority.

Although the promises necessary for NYSUT's support could fuel a backlash against them just as easily. Not to mention pose quite a dilemma when the time comes to actually make good on those promises.

Fred LeBrun can be reached at 454-5453 or by e-mail at flebrun@timesunion.com.

SPAC facade delayed until 2010----43 yrs. and counting

10/12/2008
SPAC façade won't be in place until 2010
By PAUL POST , The Saratogian


The present exterior view of SPAC. ERICA MILLER/The Saratogian
SARATOGA SPRINGS - Saratoga Performing Arts Center visitors will see noticeable improvements next year, but a new façade won't be in place until 2010, officials said Friday.

In May, SPAC unveiled a controversial new exterior design that critics quickly dubbed "The Stack," because of its likeness to a stack of pancakes.

That work - along with newly designed exterior ramps, lighting and sound - is part of a $2.5 million project, the third and final phase of a multi-year effort to upgrade the 42-year-old venue.

Work on the entire Phase III project was originally scheduled to begin this fall. Instead, only the ramps, lighting, sound and new restrooms will be done.

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"That type of work can go on in the winter, so there's no squeeze and there should be plenty of time in the spring," SPAC Chairman William Dake said.

The façade, however, is taking longer because of the time involved with creating and getting an alternate design approved.

"We're looking at new designs and new estimates of those designs," said Alane Ball-Chinian, regional director of the state Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation. SPAC's property is owned by the state.

By next year, familiar globe lights on exterior ramps will be removed and replaced with more of a subdued type of lighting. The old sound system will be improved, too.

"They've just gotten more effective at projecting sound," Dake said.

The first two phases of SPAC work brought various infrastructure upgrades such as roof repairs, rehearsal room renovations and improvements to heating and ventilation systems. New drainage was also installed and old seats were replaced with more than 5,000 new padded models.

Governor Picks Delaware North already running Gideon Putnam Hotel and Racino for Aqueduct Race Track slots

10/11/2008
Racino contract awarded
By PAUL POST , The Saratogian

SARATOGA SPRINGS - Gov. David Paterson has chosen Delaware North Companies and its partner - Saratoga Harness Racing Inc., which owns Saratoga Gaming & Raceway - to open and run a racino at Aqueduct Race Track.

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It's a long-awaited decision that will mean millions to Saratoga Race Course, because the summertime thoroughbred track is slated to receive a cut of the money generated by the downstate racino.

However, one of the people whose approval is required - Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos, R-Rockville Center - isn't happy with the choice, saying it doesn't address economic development and job creation surrounding Aqueduct. So the selection may not be a done deal.

"It is shocking that Sen. Skelos, who claims to understand the importance of this revenue stream and who has repeatedly and publicly called on the governor to award this contract, has now decided to stall a significant economic development project," Paterson spokeswoman Rita Heller said in a press statement. "Delaware North presents the strongest financial proposal with an upfront payment of $370 million."

Delaware North's New York roots apparently weighed heavily with Paterson. The Buffalo-based firm runs Saratoga Gaming & Raceway's video lottery terminals and manages the Gideon Putnam Hotel at the Saratoga Spa State Park in Saratoga Springs. In addition, it owns and runs Finger Lakes Race Track, a thoroughbred venue near Rochester, and operates Fairgounds Gaming at Buffalo Raceway.

"They have a proven successful track record in New York state," said Sisa Moyo, a spokeswoman for Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, D-Manhattan, the other person whose approval is required. "The governor selected them and we're comfortable with that decision."

Delaware North/Saratoga Harness is one of three entities that bid for the contract to run a 4,500-machine VLT facility at Aqueduct.

Construction is expected to take 15 to 18 months, meaning it would likely start up in early or mid-2010, generating a projected $450 million per year that would boost purses at each of the state's three main thoroughbred tracks - Saratoga Race Course, Aqueduct Race Track and Belmont Park.

Delaware North President William Bissett issued a one-paragraph statement Friday saying the company looks forward to bringing "a new and exciting Aqueduct to the Queens community and much needed economic stimulus to the state of New York."

Skelos and the competing bidders were quick to denounce the governor's choice.

"It appears that Gov. Paterson is supporting a bid that only includes plans for a racino and does not include any proposal to generate needed economic development," Skelos said. "It appears that in an effort to close the budget deficit, Gov. Paterson has made a choice that may not be in the best longterm interests of the state or for the communities that surround Aqueduct. It is our belief that unless we made Aqueduct a true destination venue, this project will not generate the largest possible benefit."

Skelos, however, isn't saying which firm he prefers.

Aqueduct is bordered by John F. Kennedy International Airport - one of the world's busiest airports - a New York subway line, residential neighborhoods and Rockaway Boulevard, a heavily-traveled commercial strip.

The best proposal would provide for job creation in that area, which Delaware North hasn't, said Skelos spokesman Mark Hansen. But he didn't specify the type of development Skelos envisions.

Delaware North/Saratoga Harness offered the state the largest upfront payment - $370 million. Competitor SL Green/Hard Rock Entertainment offered $250 million, and Capital Play/Mohegan Sun offered $100 million. Both of the latter proposals included plans for large-scale entertainment-retail complexes beyond the VLTs.

Mohegan Sun's proposal includes a hotel. President and CEO Mitchell Etess said his firm would generate $6 billion more than other entities over the life of the 30-year contract.

"This would be a very bad mistake," he said of the governor's selection. "Our longterm revenue far exceeds any of the competitors. If the state is willing to accept far less money in the long run, there's nothing we can do about it. It's very shortsighted."

The gaming selection process was decided by the governor, Senate and Assembly leaders earlier this year, a political insider said. There are no clear-cut rules as to whether the state's top three leaders just need to agree, or whether the decision requires a full legislative vote, he said.

Robert Bellafiore, a spokesman for SL Green, said, "The governor can't give this contract out. The governor's office makes a recommendation."

The New York Racing Association has been anxious for Aqueduct's gaming to get started because of the added revenue it will produce. President and CEO Charles Hayward said he felt confident that any of the three bidders would run a "first-class racino."

"We're going to be motivated to work with these guys, to make them a bigger success, because we get 7 percent of the net win - 4 percent for capital expenses, 3 percent for operating expenses," he said. "I've seen Delaware North in action at Finger Lakes and Saratoga so we're very comfortable with them."

NYRA has no official voice in the selection, but has made its wishes known to the state. Previously, Hayward said he didn't want Capital Play (Mohegan Sun), which challenged NYRA for the latest racing contract. This year NYRA was granted a |25-year contract to continue as operator of Saratoga Race Course, Belmont Park and Aqueduct Race Track.

Mohegan Sun runs what is generally considered the Northeast's most successful casino, in Connecticut, which left some doubting how actively it would market Aqueduct.

Etess, however, said, "We had planned to turn Aqueduct into a premier destination."

Mohegan Sun has an extensive customer database, and Etess said it planned to promote Aqueduct much more heavily than Connecticut to the New York City market.

Etess said he's unsure why Paterson made the choice he did. "I would not want to speculate," he said. "I'm sure he'll have to explain it to the people."

Seasonal employees only cuts at Saratoga Spa State Park so far.....

10/09/2008
Tree nursery, parks feeling state budget cuts
By: PAUL POST , The Saratogian


David Lee, supervisor at the state Department of Environmental Conservation's Saratoga Tree Nursery on Route 50, examines 3-year-old red oak trees grown from acorns at the site. (ED BURKE/The Saratogian)


SARATOGA SPRINGS - The head of state-owned Saratoga Tree Nursery is concerned that his facility could fall victim to the budget chopping block.

With 10 full-time and nearly two dozen seasonal workers, the nursery distributes 1.5 million seedlings per year to private land owners for use in valuable projects such as erosion control, reforestation, wildlife habitat restoration and buffering agricultural lands from nearby water sources.

Founded in 1911, the 200-acre site is the last remaining state-owned operation of its kind, down from the half-dozen or so that previously served various parts of New York. Recently, the cash-strapped state cut the nursery's non-personnel budget by 14 percent ($30,000) that will make it difficult to collect seeds needed for growing new trees and shrubs.

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"I have a concern that they might take a look at the program and decide that we are no longer needed, which would be a loss to New York residents as far as having a source to obtain low-cost seedlings," Supervising Forester David Lee said.

Autumn is normally a time for collecting and sewing some plant and tree seeds in the ground. Nursery employees collect seeds on their own, but also rely on a statewide network of people who, in the past, have been reimbursed for turning in seed-bearing cones and fruit.

"We've been forced to cut back due to budget cuts," Lee said. "Some species (red pine, red oak) we might have to eliminate if we're not able to obtain the needed amount of seed ourselves. The amount we're going to be able to plant is going to be a lot less."

In addition to providing seedlings to residents at cost, the nursery also has an extensive school program.

Classroom groups are allowed to get 50 free seedlings that may be planted on school grounds or used in some other type of educational program determined by their teacher.

State forest rangers, whose headquarters are at the tree nursery, are also feeling budget cut impacts. No staff reductions are anticipated, but equipment and supply purchases are being kept to a minimum. "We are cutting back on training, meetings, conferences, which will translate into less overtime being used and a savings in mileage," said Lori O'Connell, a state Department of Environmental Conservation spokesman.

Elsewhere, the state Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation has sent seasonal workers home early and is cutting back on some facilities and services.

"We had to cut the season short for several of our employees who would normally work till the end of November, office staff and grounds people," Saratoga Spa State Park Manager Mike Greenslade said.

Saratoga-Capital Region Director Alane Chinian said that seasonal layoffs have occurred across the board, throughout the area. Also, the state has imposed a hiring freeze meaning that retiring employees aren't being replaced.

Chinian said that her region has been directed to reduce spending $250,000 before the start of the state's next fiscal year on April 1. Some equipment purchases have been delayed to help meet that goal.

However, Chinian said she's extremely concerned about the cost of this winter's heating costs, even though the park took a number of energy conservation measures, installing new boilers.

The parks department has already decided not to keep Schodack Island State Park in Castleton open this winter. The gate will be closed and an access road won't be plowed, meaning that hunters and cross-country skiers will have to park elsewhere and hike in.

Two campgrounds in Rensselaer and Schoharie counties have closed early, too.

State Parks take hits from budget cuts, times union,10/7/08

Schodack Island access curtailed
State budget cuts close Rensselaer County park until April

By KENNETH C. CROWE II, Staff writer
Last updated: 7:26 a.m., Tuesday, October 7, 2008

SCHODACK — Schodack Island State Park will close next week for six months as part of a 10 percent cut in the state Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation budget.

"The gate will be locked. The buildings will be closed,'' Bob Kuehn, assistant regional director of the Saratoga-Capital District Park Region, said Monday. He said the action is in response to Gov. David Paterson's directive to make buget cuts

Schodack Island State Park will shut after the upcoming Columbus Day holiday weekend. It is not expected to reopen until after April 1, which is the start of the state's next fiscal year.

It's the only Capital Region park that is closing completely and one of three statewide. The other parks shutting down are Woodlawn and Silver Lake in the western park of the state.

Rensselaer County Legislators Martin Reid, R-Sand Lake, and Alex Shannon, R-Schodack, said closing Schodack Island is unfair to Capital Region residents.

"In our view, Schodack Island State Park offers residents important access points to the river and is operated at a relatively small cost when compared to other parks,'' said County Legislator Martin Reid, R-Sand Lake. The park is in both Reid's and Shannon's districts.

"We believe the state could have gone about this in a different manner and found solutions to keep the park open,'' Reid continued.

Decisions on where to make budget cuts were left up to the parks department's 11 regions. Of $9 million cut from the parks department budget, $4 million was directly related to park operations and the rest from delaying equipment purchases and projects plus not filling vacancies, said Eileen Larrabee, a department spokeswoman. The Saratoga-Capital District Region cut $225,000 in park services.

"We're trying to minimize the impact on the public. ... There are realities we have to deal with,'' Larrabee said.

Kuehn said the campgrounds at Cherry Plain State Park in Berlin and Max V. Shaul State Park in Schoharie County were closed early and the hours at the state boat ramp on Saratoga Lake, part of Saratoga Spa State Park, were reduced to weekends after Labor Day.

Saratoga's "bubble" could continue.....AMD is coming!

AMD announces new partnership, plans to build Luther Forest plant
From Staff and wire reports
Updated: Tuesday, October 7, 2008 6:37 AM EDT

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NEW YORK – Advanced Micro Devices announced this morning it is going forward with construction of a new computer chip manufacturing facility in Malta’s Luther Forest technology campus – with a little help from its friends.






The struggling semiconductor firm – the second largest in the world – is partnering with the Advanced Technology Investment Company of Abu Dhabi to create a new company, temporarily called “The Foundry Company,” that will infuse AMD with cash, take on some of the Sunnyvale, Calif.-based firm’s debt and upgrade its manufacturing facilities, according to a prepared statement.






Construction of the Malta plant, expected to employ 1,400 once it comes online, is dependent on whether AMD is successful in transferring state incentives – totaling about $1.2 billion in tax breaks and other perks – to the new company, which will take on operation of AMD’s manufacturing facilities.







Construction could begin on the plant in the middle of 2009, according to the press release.



In return, the Abu Dhabi firm will contribute $2.1 billion to purchase its stake in The Foundry Company, of which $1.4 billion will be invested into The Foundry Company, while the rest will be given to AMD in return for an ownership stake in the tech firm.







ATIC has committed additional equity funding to The Foundry Company of a minimum of $3.6 billion and up to $6.0 billion over the next five years to fund the expansion of The Foundry Company’s chip-making capacity beyond the manufacturing facilities initially contributed by AMD.






These funds will be used by The Foundry Company to begin construction of the Malta facility. The New York facility is expected to create more than 1,400 direct jobs, and, through its operation, to generate an additional 5,000 jobs in the region, AMD has said.







Once operational, the New York facility will be the only independently-managed, leading-edge semiconductor manufacturing foundry in the United States.






The Board of Directors of The Foundry Company will be equally divided between representatives of AMD and ATIC. AMD will own 44.4 percent and ATIC will own 55.6 percent of The Foundry Company’s fully-converted common stock upon its formation.







Doug Grose will relinquish his current role as AMD’s senior vice president of manufacturing operations to become chief executive officer of The Foundry Company. Hector Ruiz will relinquish his current role as AMD’s executive chairman and chairman of the board to become chairman of The Foundry Company. To augment its announced leadership, the new company plans an aggressive recruitment strategy to round out a world-class semiconductor manufacturing leadership team.







ATIC is an investment company formed by the government of Abu Dhabi to invest in advanced technology opportunities.






“Today is a landmark day for AMD, creating a financially stronger company with a tightened focus,” said Dirk Meyer, president and chief executive officer of AMD. “With The Foundry Company, AMD has developed an innovative way to focus our efforts on design while maintaining access to the leading-edge manufacturing technologies that our business needs without the required capital-intensive investments of semiconductor manufacturing.







“I particularly want to congratulate our Chairman Hector Ruiz, whose vision and leadership of our Asset Smart strategy is fulfilled today.”






Upon closing of the transaction, The Foundry Company will commence operations with approximately 3,000 employees who will transition into the new company from AMD facilities in Silicon Valley, New York, Dresden, and Austin. The new company’s principal headquarters will be in Silicon Valley and its research and development and manufacturing leadership teams and ecosystems will be based in New York, Dresden, and Austin.







After the upgrade and expansion in Dresden and the build-out of the New York facility, The Foundry Company envisions expanding its global manufacturing footprint over time, if commercially justified, to also include new fabrication facilities in Abu Dhabi.







The transaction is expected to close at the beginning of 2009, following satisfaction of conditions such as approvals from regulators, transfer of previously-confirmed New York incentives to The Foundry Company, and stockholder approval for the issuance of common stock and warrants to the Abu Dhabi company.






The Post-Star will update this story throughout the day today. Read more in Wednesday’s edition.






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bravo to the Friends of Saratoga State Park staff and Friends.

Congratulations to the terrific engineering staff and Friends of Saratoga Spa State Park for redoing Hawthorne #3 Pavillion. Hawthorne #3 is a great treasure and one of the historic springs that brought our beautiful Saratoga Springs into existence.

Alert!! Dog Park at Saratoga Spa State Park in danger.

Rumor has it Saratoga Spa State Park is planning to shut down the immensely popular Dog Park on the other side of the Route 9 Avenue of Pines entrance because of the Karner Blue butterflys. With 2500 acres why isn't there room for both? Our tax dollars NOT at work again?

SPAC Rocks, Times Union 9/26/08

SPAC sales: Rock rocks, but orchestra strains

By DANIELLE FURFARO, Staff writer
Last updated: 7:17 p.m., Friday, September 26, 2008

COLONIE - The Police, Journey and other big-ticket rock acts put on by promoter Live Nation helped the Saratoga Performing Arts Center break even this summer, despite a continuing slide in the number of tickets sold for the Philadelphia Orchestra and the New York City Ballet.


The orchestra, ballet and other SPAC-run shows accounted for $2.6 million in ticket sales, but the amount was still a 9 percent drop from 2007. The total attendance for those shows was about 88,000, also a 9 percent drop, SPAC Chief Financial Officer Richard Geary said.

The board blamed the downturn in classical sales on a crumbling economy and a soggy summer that saw rain mar several performances.

"We had the same kind of season as the track, where sales were (also) down," Board Chairman Bill Dake said during a SPAC board meeting today at the Desmond Hotel and Conference Center.

The board said ticket sales for Live Nation's show, which also featured the Dave Matthews Band and Bob Dylan, shot up by more than 27 percent. The board declined to say exactly how many people went to the rock shows, but said that the high attendance kicked in SPAC's bonus clause with Live Nation and it received another $65,000 on top of its guaranteed $1 million.

But SPAC lost more than $1 million alone on the New York City Ballet, which had $1.2 million in sales and $2.3 million in expenses. The performing arts center took an even more devastating hit with the Philadelphia Orchestra, which saw sales of only $742,000 but had expenses of more than $2 million.

"It's disappointing that, with the orchestra, we are now covering only 37 percent of the costs with ticket sales," Geary said.

SPAC had budgeted for $375,000 more in classical sales - including its Freihoefer Jazz Festival - this year. Regardless, some board members said they were happy with the turnout.

"The overall attendance, while not pleasing to all of us, is good compared to what's happening elsewhere in the art world and sales at organizations similar to us," said Dake.

Other elements that helped make up for the classical sales shortfalls were more advertising and more endowments, SPAC President and Executive Director Marsha White said.

Dake made dire predictions for the 2009 summer season.

"The economy will have an impact not only on us but also on our partners," he said. "There is a triple threat: sales go down, endowments go down and subscriptions go down."

SPAC facade stalled, Saratogian, 9/16/08

09/18/2008
Budget, design stall SPAC facade overhaul
By ANN MARIE FRENCH , The Saratogian

SARATOGA SPRINGS - While renovations of other parts of the Saratoga Performing Arts Center are moving forward, the overhaul to the facade continues to be stalled in discussion of conceptual designs and budget numbers.

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Alane Chinian, regional director of the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation, said Wednesday the conceptual redesign of the building came in over budget, but she did not offer detailed figures.

The original design, presented in May, was meant to reflect musical sound waves and the waves of streams passing through the park, said Bob Bristol, president and CEO of Saratoga Associates, the company behind the design. Bristol said the amphitheater's new look was under design for roughly a year, with input and review by Parks and the SPAC board. The wave-like patterns were to be made of beige-colored recycled material. Critics said it looked more like a stack of pancakes than waves.

"They are proposing something much more conservative, which is really an updating of what is there now," said Chinian. "We want to reflect SPAC as a modern, contemporary, world-class facility but still stay in budget."

The amphitheater has not seen major exterior improvements since it opened in 1966. Globe lights on outside ramps leading to the balcony will be replaced with more subdued ground illumination. The ramps themselves will see a facelift as will the sound system and renovations to the lower level restrooms.

why were the Victoria Pool fundraisers stopped by Parks after 2 yrs.?

09/18/2008
Parks asked to trim budgets
By ANN MARIE FRENCH , The Saratogian


A Saratoga Spa State Park groundskeeper mows the grass near the Lincoln Baths.
SARATOGA SPRINGS - The Saratoga-Capital District region of the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation has been asked to trim an additional 7 percent from its current budget in addition to the 3 percent the governor had asked of all departments.

Alane Chinian, the regional director, said all 11 regions have been asked to trim their costs in this year's budget even as they are submitting their proposed 2009-2010 budgets. The announcement came Wednesday morning at the quarterly meeting of the Saratoga-Capital District State Park, Recreation and Historic Preservation Commission. The commission voted to approve the proposed $9.9 million state operations budget request presented by Chinian.

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"There are no capital costs in this budget. This is purely just trying to keep the doors open," said Heather Mabee, chairperson of the commission. The operational budget does not provide money for building renovations or expansion of services. Ten parks and seven historic sites are located within the region, which includes all of Saratoga County and all or part of seven other counties.

To develop the proposed budget, Chinian said the group did what it has always done - use the current fiscal year base and add in fixed cost increases and contractual increases.

The current fiscal year base is $9,452,600 and Chinian said the figure includes the 3 percent in cuts already completed. It does not, however, reflect the additional 7 percent of cuts the region is currently making.

"It has really been hurting us," said Chinian. She said many of the cuts are coming from not replacing people who are retiring or leaving their positions. The decision not to fill vacant positions is not one Chinian made voluntarily but is a result of a statewide hiring freeze, which went into effect over the summer. To make the necessary cuts, Chinian said other changes will take place.

"There will be more people let go," she said. "Temporary and seasonal staff will be let go early."

While the discussion of closing some of the parks in the region was broached, Chinian said to do so may prove to be more expensive than keeping them open. Currently, a number of park managers are responsible for the operation of multiple parks and in some cases there is no other staff in place to do the work if those managers were to retire or move into other positions.

"I think the big fear is there is a perception we're fat," Chinian said. "We've been operating a lean budget for years. There is going to be an impact."

The chairpersons of each region met in July and one topic of discussion centered on private fundraising for the state park system in anticipation of limited funding from the state. Mabee said the state has never utilized private fundraising but acknowledged that many of the regions have volunteer, non-profit programs they are affiliated with that do seek out private funding.

"We just have so much in our capital budget needs," she said. "There is $700 million across the state that needs to be done today."

While talks of fundraising are in their infant stages, she said the statewide initiative would be executed on a regional level. More information is expected at the commission's December or March meetings.

Pool rehabilitation 2004-5

Lots of recent comments do not acknowledge the reason Save the Victoria Pool Society was formed in 2003 following ten years of trying to work with NYS Parks to no avail as the pool and park deteriorated at an increasingly alarming rate.

Not a moments too soon for NYS Parks to develop a Senior Lifeguard Corps for next Memorial Day

NYS Parks could actually develop a senior lifeguard program probably with the Y and easily solve the personnel shortage. Just check out the Y pool all year long. Certainly the Victoria Pool is primarily for adults and a senior life guard corps would be a great addition. Below are general qualifications for Senior Lifeguard._
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

SENIOR LIFEGUARD 4042





DISTINGUISHING FEATURES OF THE CLASS

Under general supervision, an employee in this class supervises and assigns the work of Lifeguards at a public beach or swimming pool. Work includes conducting regular swimming, lifesaving and artificial resuscitation exercises to maintain maximum efficiency and physical fitness of Lifeguards. The employee may assume complete responsibility for lifeguard operations in a small public swimming area, or assist in supervising a large swimming facility. Work is reviewed by a Chief Lifeguard or administrator through the observation of swimming area activities, daily consultations and reports. Does related work as required.



TYPICAL WORK ACTIVITIES

Plans and supervises the work of Lifeguards assigned to a small public beach or swimming pool, or assists in the supervision of a lifeguard program at a large public beach;

Maintains physical fitness and efficiency of Lifeguards by allotting time for daily swimming, rowing, running and lifesaving exercises; assists or conducts an in-service training program for Lifeguards;

Assigns Lifeguards to routine beach maintenance patrols to dispose of debris, when this does not interfere with bathers' safety;

Enforces the rules and regulations relating to beach or pool areas; resolves disputes between Lifeguards and patrons and refers more difficult problems to the appropriate authorities;

Keeps abreast of the latest lifesaving techniques and methods;

Keeps time records on employees; prepares routine and emergency activity reports.



FULL PERFORMANCE KNOWLEDGES, SKILLS, ABILITIES AND PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS

Thorough knowledge of lifesaving and resuscitation methods and first-aid techniques; thorough knowledge of facility rules and regulations; skill in pool and surf swimming, lifesaving and first-aid techniques, and cardiopulmonary resuscitation; ability to plan, supervise and direct the work of Lifeguards in a manner conducive to full performance and high morale; ability to establish and carry out preventive water safety precautions, to recognize emergencies and to take effective action; ability to establish and maintain effective public relations; physical condition commensurate with the demands of the position.



MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

Two (2) seasons' experience as a Lifeguard.



NECESSARY SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS

1) t the time of appointment, candidates must possess or have possessed a certificate as a Lifeguard appropriate for the facility to which the incumbent is assigned, issued by the Suffolk County Department of Health Services or a New York State Department of Health approved testing agency.

2) t the time of appointment, candidates must possess a certificate in cardiopulmonary resuscitation, issued by the American Red Cross or Heart Association within the last year.

September 5, 2008, 90 degrees and Victoria Pool closed

A perfect weather week since Labor Day, sunny and 80's and hitting 90 on Friday. All that money lost in these difficult economic times.

Hearty thanks to Park Staff and friends for a great Labor Day closing Party

Everyone brought great food and pool staff was great. Let us all hope that next years opening day party on Memorial Day will be the BEST ever. Let's make it happen.

saratogian article on peerless pool plus recent comment

08/28/2008
Sections of Peerless Pool closed
By NEIL KIRBY , The Saratogian

SARATOGA SPRINGS - While not quite a flop, this year's season at Victoria and Peerless Pools at Saratoga Spa State Park has hardly gone swimmingly.

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Not surprisingly, a three-week-late opening at the family-oriented Peerless Pool this year resulted in lower attendance figures than the 2007 season.

But that's not the only problem - the pools have become short-staffed as lifeguards leave to return to school, forcing officials to close sections of the Peerless Pool, including the popular slide pool.

"A lot of them started going back to school," said Mike Greenslade, park manager of Saratoga Spa State Park, as only one section of the Peerless Pool remained opened. Greenslade said more lifeguards will be home from school and available to work this weekend, so more sections will be open.

"We try to open as much as we can when possible," he said. "Each pool has a minimum number of guards needed to open it. It's quite an area to cover."

The opening of the Peerless Pool was delayed when wet weather in May and June prevented workers from finishing a $168,000 rehabilitation project. The pool finally opened July 18 with a new rubber liner, which required at least five days of dry weather to install.

Lower attendance for all the pools resulted in substantially lower revenue for 2008. According to Greenslade, 33,914 patrons attended the pools as of Aug. 27 this season, while 57,617 people visited the pools up until Aug. 27 of last season. Attendance data for each individual pool is not collected, Greenslade said.

"Of course we've had crummy weather late July and early August," he said. "Generally this time of year our numbers do dwindle anyway. People are going home from vacation, they're kind of done with the pool thing for the year, a lot of the big day camps don't come anymore, they're done, and generally the last week or two of the pool being open, it's much quieter."

The pools began the season with fewer lifeguards than previous seasons. While park officials aim to hire 20 to 25 lifeguards, they started the season on the lower end of that spectrum, Greenslade said.

"It's not flipping burgers," said Alane Chinian, regional director for New York State Parks and Recreation. "This is a job where you have to have some training, and we're looking for responsible people and they do an excellent job, but it's a commitment and it's tough to find young people willing to put in that kind of effort."

Lifeguards are sometimes borrowed from the nearby Grafton and Moreau State Parks to fill in the gaps.

"Generally we have the largest staff here at this park, so if we have the guards to spare we'll send them out from here," Greenslade said. "It does pose some problems for travel and such, but we try to work with the guards themselves to make sure we have the time. If we have a vehicle available, they use that."

Two lifeguards also had to bow out after injury, Greenslade said. One hurt her ankle during required service training, while another slipped during a rescue and smashed his face, breaking his nose and an arm.

Visitors will be told at the gate which sections of the pool are open.

While parking for Victoria Pool is free, the price to enter is $6 for adults and $3 for children.

Parking at Peerless Pool costs $6. Attendance costs $3 for adults and $1.50 for children. Ages 5 and under are free at both pools.

The pools' hours of operation are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekdays, and 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekends. The pools will officially close after Labor Day.



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Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Peerless Pool bathrooms are a disgrace and noone w...":

the bathrooms at peerless pool are ABSOLUTELY DISCGUSTING. I am a mother who brings her two children to both the Victoria and Peerless pools, and even my children prefer the Vic because it is cleaner. We went into the bathroom at the Peerless this summer to find fecal matter all over the floor in one stall. There is no excuse for that.

Victoria Pool: 500 people on a weekday Friday, 8/22/08

Join us for the Annual "bring a dish" Labor Day especially sad farewell to the Victoria Pool for 2008

WGY radio said it all about the summer of 2008 this morning.

"Saying this summer is a little rainy is like saying Michael Phelps is an ok swimmer".

Sunshine at last to admire Danny's brilliant flowers. Andrew greets some famous Saratogians, Garrett Smith, Rolfe Lawson, Chris Toole and her mom.

Rain, rain go away

Oh, Capital Region. Why so soggy this year? According to the folks at the National Weather Service, A-Town and surrounding areas have received twice the usual share of rain this summer. This is no surprise to those of us that have had to carry umbrellas to the track, the pool, the barbecue and -- oh hell, just about everywhere.

So why is it so wet this year?

We asked Brian Frugis, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Albany.

How do you account for all the storms we're having this year?

Many times when we have summers that are hot and dry there will be a ridge -- a large
amount of air with high pressure. This year we have the opposite of that. A lot of frontal
systems with areas of very low pressure. We call it a trough. The upper level pattern has been favorable for storms. And that pattern has been pretty stagnant.

How much rain have we gotten this summer?

The average rainfall for July in the Capital Region is 3.5 inches. This year we measured 6.94 inches at Albany International Airport. In June we got 5.45 inches this year. That's normally around 3.74.

It seems like quick thunderstorms are just cropping up all over the place this year. Are seasons like this harder for meteorologists to predict?

More active years like this one keep us on our toes. They require a little more attention. They can be difficult to predict.

Are seasons like this one more fun for meteorologists? Do they look at all the colors on the radar and go "ohhh coool?"

(Laughs) They can certainly be interesting for us, but we're in the business of trying to protect people from harm, so we do take them seriously.

So is this going to stop soon or should we start lining animals up in pairs?

Most of the storms this year have brought a lot of rain for short periods, so there's been some flash flooding but things time to dry up a bit in between. But it looks like this pattern will continue for at least the next week or so.

The Bottom Line
Why's it been so rainy? Because we've been stuck in a pattern of very low pressure (also know as a trough). And it's doesn't look the weather will be unstuck anytime soon.

3 commentstags: weather, weird

SPAC Ballet attendance figures for 2008, Albany Times Union

Attendance, revenue drop at SPAC ballet

Staff reports
Last updated: 3:53 p.m., Wednesday, July 30, 2008
The New York City Ballet's residency at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center ended its 2008 season with a 6 percent drop in attendance from last year, according to preliminary figures.
SPAC Executive Director Marcia J. White said in a written statement that audiences were still enthusiastic about the ballet this year, crediting promotions like "American Girl Night" and "Sports Night" for bringing in spectators. This year's season ran from July 8 to 26.

"Yet, impacting our bottom line was the fact that high gas and food prices have left many people struggling financially," White said. "That is a reality that is affecting virtually every segment of our economy and the arts are no exception."

Overall, attendance at the ballet was 42,354, and the total income was $1,176,442, a 2 percent drop from last year.

Despite the down figures from last year, White did find successes in the season.

Due to the ``Free Children on the Lawn'' program, SPAC saw a 64 percent jump in children attending performances, resulting in 1,162 kids in total taking in classical ballet. Also, ``West Side Story Suite's'' attendance neared 10,000, making it the highest-attended event of the season.





All Times Union materials copyright 1996-2008, Capital Newspapers Division of The Hearst Corporation, Albany, N.Y.

Hail to the King, Saratogian, 7/27/08

Victoria Pool king reigns
Stanton Williamson, known to all his friends as "King of the Victoria Pool," was feted July 13 on his 75th birthday at the pool by the Save the Victoria Pool Society and many other fans.

Everyone feasted at lunch, which was preceded by hors d'oeuvres, assorted cheeses and fruits, catered by society board members. Also served was everything from crabmeat and shrimp salad to assorted wraps, finished off by a large birthday cake with an edible picture of the "king."

Faces in the crowd included board members: Louise Goldstein, Andrew Jennings, Tom Marino, Rick Nacy, Doug Jasinske, Maureen O'Connell Godlewski and Barbara Proctor. Former Saratoga Springs mayor J. Mike O'Connell and his wife Betty were also in attendance, along with Williamson's oldest friend Billy Farrell, who now lives in Florida.

Jasinske and Sebastian Medina-Tayac came from Takoma Park, Md. Others were here from New York City and the |Capital District.

"Everything is beautiful at the ballet"

Big night at the balletJuly 25, 2008 at 3:32 pm by Susan Mehalick, Executive Features Editor


(Photo credit: Beth Arnold)

The Saratoga Performing Arts Center is reporting that last night (Thursday) attendance at the New York City Ballet performance was 4,200 — the best turnout of the year. The big draw for the night, no doubt, was “West Side Story Suite,” which has popular audience appeal. John Hendrickson, Saratoga socialite Marylou Whitney and New York City Ballet’s Peter Martins, above, were together at a preperformance party.

If you haven’t been to the ballet yet this season, you have three more chances. Tonight (Friday) and tomorrow (Saturday) at 8 p.m. and tomorrow (Saturday) afternoon at 2 p.m.

Tonight’s performance features mixed repertory: Brahms-Schoenberg Quartet (Brahms/Balanchine); Rococo Variations - A SPAC PREMIERE (Tschaikovsky/Wheeldon); Brahms/Handel (Brahms/Robbins & Tharp)

Tomorrow’s matinee is a Jerry Robbins fest: “Goldberg Variations,” which clocks in at 1 hour and 20 minutes. (TU dance critic Joseph Dalton told me it was the best dance on the SPAC schedule this season.) And “Western Symphony.”

Tomorrow night: “West Side Story” is on the program, along with Robbins’ “The Four Seasons” and his silent dance “Moves,” with made its SPAC debut this summer.



Posted in General |

The Peerless Pool is open at last, Friday, July 18,2008.

Peerless

SARATOGA SPRINGS
Peerless Pool given OK to open
Delayed capital work to be done in time for Friday
BY TATIANA ZARNOWSKI Gazette Reporter



After a three-week delay, Peerless Pool is finally expected to open Friday.
Saratoga Spa State Park’s largest pool got the OK Tuesday from the state Department of Health to reopen after a $168,000 renovation project set back the start of the season.
The pool originally was scheduled to open June 28 along with the Victoria Pool, but wet weather in June and this month made it difficult to complete the work.
“It was a very complicated project because it involved the restoration of the concrete structure and the application of a rubber membrane system,” said Alane Ball Chinian, regional parks director.
Although the main pool will be open, the adjacent slide pool and kiddie pool won’t be open for about another week because work is still being done on them, Chinian said.
“We’re really sorry about it and trying to minimize it as much as we can,” she said of the closures.
Victoria Pool has been better attended than usual, she said, and swimming lessons usually held at Peerless have been moved to the smaller Victoria Pool.
The 21 lifeguards that were hired for Spa State Park now rotate between the Victoria Pool and either Grafton Lakes State Park in Rensselaer County or Moreau Lake State Park, said Patricia Forward, who oversees the water safety program for the Saratoga region of the state Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation.
Most lifeguards work 40 hours a week, starting at $10.35 an hour and getting a boost to $12.47 if they come back for a third year.
Forward said there are usually two or three lifeguards stationed at the Victoria Pool and at least 15 at Peerless when the water slide is open.
On weekends, a group of lifeguards carpools to Grafton in a state vehicle, Forward said. But on weekdays, they’re on their own to drive and pay for the gas.
Grafton is a 40-mile trip one way, or nearly an hour drive from Saratoga Spa State Park, while Moreau Lake is 21 miles from the park.
The Grafton beach has been seeing greater attendance than usual this summer, so the lifeguards are needed there, Chinian said.
“We’re going to be stretched pretty thin when the Peerless does open,” she said.
Hiring lifeguards is always difficult, since other summer jobs can pay just as much but require fewer skills and training, Chinian said.
The delay also is likely to mean less revenue for the state park, Chinian acknowledged, since swimmers at Peerless not only pay a fee of $3 per adult or $1.50 per child, but also pay $6 to drive into the picnic area of the park where Peerless is located.
She’s not sure how much money the state lost from the delay. “We won’t know that until the end of the month.”
Still, the park won’t charge more to swim, Chinian said.
She said state park officials preferred to wait for the right conditions to complete the project rather than rush it. “This is a capital improvement that we don’t want to make every year.”
Three layers of the rubber material had to be applied and then a special paint to top it off, and the application required several consecutive days of good weather.
“You could only really work when you knew you were going to have a stretch of really good weather.”
The pool renovation is part of a $132 million capital program that the state Legislature and governor approved in the budget this year.

Peerless Pool, Post Star, 7/14/08

SPA: Pool opening expected Friday
July 14th, 2008
The folks over at Save the Victoria Pool Society are more than a little perturbed that Saratoga Spa State Park’s Peerless Pool remains shuttered halfway through the summer.

But park manager Michael Greenslade said today the group will be able to rest, er swim, a little easier come this weekend.

Parks staff are planning to open Peerless’ large pool — but not the slide or kiddie pools – on Friday, assuming water tests come back OK, he said.

So far, the Victoria Pool – the small, historic pool down the road – has reached capacity only a handful of times, Greenslade said.

“People have been bearing with it and taken it pretty well,” he said.

– Drew Kerr

Posted in Saratoga Snippets | No Comments (Add a Comment) »

Peerless Pool bathrooms are a disgrace and noone was working on the pool, Friday, July 11, 2008@2:30pm.

July 12, 2008, 12 Noon, capacity was reached and the line began of adults and children waiting long and hot to get into Victoria Pool. NO PEERLESS.

Sorry, please resend comments if not posted in 2 days.

Folks, we are very grateful for your comments and had a computer glitch yesterday, Wednesday, 7/9/08. If your comment has not been posted in 2 days please resend. We welcome all your thoughts including constructive criticism which always promotes growth.

Peerless lifeguards await opening?

Eleven, 11, LIFEGUARDS at Victoria Pool waiting for the Peerless to open, July 9, 2008.

Rumors run rampant in Saratoga in the Good Ole' Summertime

Rumor has it that the Contractors working on the Peerless Pool do not begin working till 3 PM so let us hope it will reopen by the end of the week as predicted.

Perfect weather on the Fabulous Fourth at Victoria Pool and legendary crowds. Unfortunately, many adults and very upset children were turned away.

Peerless Perils Continue, Schenectady Gazette, 7/3/08

SARATOGA SPRINGS
Pool won’t open by the Fourth Peerless closed Victoria usable
BY LEE COLEMAN Gazette Reporter



The Peerless Pool at Saratoga Spa State Park won’t be open July 4, but renovation work should be complete and the swimming pool opened late next week, a state official said Wednesday.
“It’s still a work in progress,” said Michael Greenslade, park manager. The pool had been scheduled to open June 28.
Contractors are finishing a $168,000 renovation of the pool’s surface using a rubber compound that requires a period of dry weather to cure. The onand-off rain in the past month has delayed the work that was started May 15, according to park officials.
Greenslade said the final coat of epoxy paint was applied Wednesday to the surface of the Olympicsized pool in the southwest corner of the park.
“It’s a four-step process,” Greenslade said.
The steps include the application of a primer, the application of a rubber-based filler, a topcoat of rubber membrane material over the filler and a final coat of epoxy paint.
“It has to cure five days,” Greenslade said. He said Wednesday’s sunny, dry weather was a good start for the new surface.
“We hope the surface lasts for years to come,” Greenslade said.
The old surface had started to deteriorate and develop leaks. The new surface is also expected to improve swimmers’ footing around the pool and improve the pool’s appearance.
Park employees will wait for fi ve days for the surface work to cure and then start filling the pool as soon as possible, Greenslade said.
The Peerless Pool, the largest of two pools in the state park, underwent a major renovation in 1996-97. A kiddie pool and a slide pool were added to the complex at that time.
Greenslade said the main pool will open first and the slide pool and kiddie pool somewhat later.
“We want to focus on the main pool first; it will open first,” Greenslade said. He estimated that the main Peerless Pool would be able to open July 10 or July 11.
He said the pool chemicals and all of the people who work at the Peerless Pool are lined up and ready to go when the signal is given.
The Victoria Pool, the park’s other pool, located near the 18-hole championship golf course, opened last Saturday and remains open for swimming from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekdays and from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekends.
“Today we reached capacity,” Greenslade said about the Victoria Pool on Wednesday. Capacity is 350 people using the pool at any one time. When people leave the pool after swimming, others are allowed in to replace them.
The cost to swim at Victoria Pool is $6 for adults and $3 for children.
The cost to swim at Peerless Pool is $3 for adults and $1.50 for children. However, the Peerless Pool is located in an area of the 2,200-acre park that requires a $6-per-car entry gate fee.
The state park will issue a public announcement as soon as an opening date has been determined for the Peerless Pool.
For additional information, contact the state park office at 584-2000 or visit the state parks Web site at www.nysparks.com.

Flapjack flap continued

Hold the ‘pancakes’ design at SPAC


Since the change in management a few years ago, the Saratoga Performing Arts Center not only is doing better financially, it has come a long way in terms of openness and public relations. After unveiling a new design for the amphitheater, and seeing it mocked by some bloggers, SPAC officials say they are considering going back to the drawing board. Good idea.
Unlike a bad show, which is here today and gone tomorrow, a bad-looking building will be there to get bad reviews for a long time. And with the new facade proposed as part of a $2.5 million renovation, this would be a bad-looking building.
The problem is those horizontal wavy layers that would cover the outside, which the bloggers likened to a “stack of pancakes.” The waves are supposed to evoke the contours of the SPAC lawn; and the material, beige-colored recycled paper and forest products, is supposed to remind people that this is a “green” building. “It’s a balance of trying to retain the feeling of the past but trying to move forward into the future,” said Executive Director Marcia White.
But what the new design would do is make a delightfully open, angular place look closed in and bowl-like. There is nothing wrong with the muted brown of the spaced vertical boards now covering the outside — other than that they are rotted. The building, which was constructed in 1966, is already modern in the best sense of the term: light, airy and tasteful. There is no need to make it look futuristic just for the sake of “moving forward.”
The interior of the amphitheater needed a good makeover, and has gotten it. As for the outside, leave well enough alone.

Congratulations to Saratoga Spa State Park on a perfect opening day, June 28, 2008 at Victoria Pool!

It was a perfect opening day at Victoria Pool. Kudos to the staff of Saratoga Spa State Park. There were over 1,000 people we were told in and out all day. The Pool was spotless, staff was very helpful and everything was absolutely wonderful . The weather was great until about 4PM or even more happy adults&children would have come we are sure.
For those of you that were hoping not one Marco Polo was heard and all the children including ours were adorable and well behaved as were their parents. Chairs and lounges ran out by noon. Many people talked to us all day long begging our help to get the pool open by Memorial Day next year and thanking us for trying so hard again.

The Saratoga Spa State Park Roulette Wheel keeps spinning at the Spa

Since Saratoga is a "one horse town" imagine a roulette wheel of excuses by Saratoga Spa State Park for not opening the Pools on time and pick the one you like since they give a different one every day. The public has been given many more excuses than those listed below but this will give you a flavor :

1. LACK OF MONEY-FALSE (pool lost lots of money by not opening in June-Victoria Pool alone lost about $50,000 by not being open in June by a very conservative estimate)

Parks answer: We don't feel like opening and we have all the power.-TRUE



2. Lack of Lifeguards-FALSE
Parks answer: We don't feel like opening and we have all the power.-TRUE




3. WEATHER: too cold, too rainy, not enough sunny days in a row-FALSE
Parks answer: We don't feel like opening and we have all the power.-TRUE



4. Cost of Chlorine-FALSE

Parks answer: We don't feel like opening and we have all the power.-TRUE



5. Pine Cones make the water unfit-FALSE
Parks answer: We don't feel like opening and we have all the power.-TRUE



6. Squirrels mess up the water-FALSE
Parks answer: We don't feel like opening and we have all the power.-TRUE



7. Lack of personnel-FALSE
Parks answer: We don't feel like opening and we have all the power.-TRUE



8. Not enough patrons-FALSE
Parks answer: We don't feel like opening and we have all the power.-TRUE



9. Too many patrons-FALSE
Parks answer: We don't feel like opening and we have all the power.-TRUE



10. Pollen messes up pool water-FALSE
Parks answer: We don't feel like opening and we have all the power.-TRUE



11. Victoria Pool never opened Memorial Day-FALSE

Parks answer: We don't feel like opening and we have all the power.-TRUE

12. Pool should not open until Dave Matthews is over.-FALSE
Parks answer: We don't feel like opening and we have all the power.-TRUE




Parks answer: We don't feel like it and we have all the power.-TRUE

The excuses go on and on but those listed above give you a taste.

Parks gives unbelievable excuses for delays of pool openings

One big pool of uncertainty
By DREW KERR
dkerr@poststar.com
Published: Thursday, June 26, 2008

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SARATOGA SPRINGS — Summer swim season arrives Saturday when the doors to the Victoria Pool at Saratoga Spa State Park are opened for the first time this year.

But the Peerless Pool, just up the road in the park, will remain shuttered as park staff continue to repair its floor and sides.

Park Manager Michael Greenslade said Wednesday the pool is getting a new rubber membrane and paint job to seal water leaks.

He said the new coating has to be done gradually and allowed several days to dry.

Work on the $163,000 overhaul began in May, but recent rain has prevented workers from getting the job done in time for the scheduled opening, Greenslade said.

When the pool will open is still weather-dependent, but Greenslade said he wants the work done "as soon as possible."

Visitors expecting a dip at Peerless may opt to visit the Victoria Pool, but it’s likely to be crowded.

The Victoria Pool can fit just 350 people, compared to the 2,864-person capacity at Peerless. In past summers, people have had to wait to enter the Victoria Pool because it was full.

"It will boost the demand, for sure," Greenslade said,

although he added that camps and other large groups

expecting to use the Peerless Pool have been redirected to other area swimming centers.

Crowded or not, Louise Goldstein, co-founder of the Save the Victoria Pool Society, said she’ll be among the first in line when her pool of choice opens at 10 a.m. Saturday.

"Unless there’s a hurricane, I’ll be there," she said.

Still, Goldstein said, she is disappointed that park staff are again opening the Victoria Pool in late June rather than on Memorial Day. She will continue to advocate for an earlier opening until the policy changes, she said.

"They’re acting like it’s their private property and not our tax dollars that pay for this pool," Goldstein said.

Greenslade said staff could open the 73-year-old pool earlier, but the early-season crowds are too small to justify it.

"We just don’t get the crowds and it’s not been worth it, in my experience," he said.

The June openings are now scheduled to coincide with the school calendar, Greenslade said.

The pools, which saw a combined 59,093 visitors last year, will be open — once they do open — seven days a week until Labor Day.

And work on the Peerless Pool was not done in the Fall because?????!!!!!!

Peerless Pool
opening delayed
by rehab work
SARATOGA SPRINGS — The Peerless Pool at Saratoga Spa State Park will not open Saturday, as earlier scheduled, because of ongoing rehabilitation work, state park officials said Wednesday.
Wet weather in June is being blamed on the delay. However, the Victoria Pool, which is also located in the state park, will open at 10 a.m. Saturday as scheduled, according to regional parks director Alane Ball Chinian.
A new liquid rubber membrane liner is being installed in the Peerless Pool to replace the deteriorating pool surface. The $168,000 project will improve the durability and appearance of the pool as well as eliminate water leakage and improve footing for swimmers.
The new liner must be applied to a dry surface and the liquid rubber membrane requires five days of dry weather to cure, according to a park statement.
Local weather conditions will determine when this process has been satisfactorily completed and the popular Peerless Pool can be filed with water and opened for swimming, the statement said.
The improvements to the Peerless Pool are among many construction projects being funded through a $132 million state parks revitalization program, Chinian said. The revitalization money will also provide improvements to the bike and pedestrian trail along the Avenue of the Pines and road and parking lot resurfacing throughout the park.
“We appreciate the patience of our park patrons while these important projects are under construction,” Chinian said in a prepared statement. “The unfortunate shortterm disruptions will be offset by long-term benefits of these projects to the park.”

June 25,2008 perfect weather

A little Victoria Pool History

Many commments on this blog indicate to us that there are a lot of recent users who do not know or remember when the Victoria(formerly SPA Pool) was the only pool in Saratoga Springs for adults and children. Until the Peerless Pool was built in the mid-1960's the Victoria Pool was the only swimming pool in town.
There were three wonderful diving boards which we hoped would be restored with a deepened pool when the renovations were done with the $1.5 million in 2004&2005. There was a wonderful wide lip around the pool that many children learned to crawl on until 2004.
The lip around the pool was removed with the renovations as well as a second staircase going into the pool which was a great benefit for children and people with disabilities.
Unfortunately, the public and people who really use the pool, including many children, were not consulted when the pool was repaired.
Many comments also seem unaware that the pool water was green and filty until mid-summer 2006 even after the repairs.

Golfers enjoy the Pool, but no swimmers. The Pool is clean, clear and ready.... and waiting....

Saturday, June 21st. Summer: 79 degrees. People lining up to use pool. Money to be spent. But NO Pool.

A reader speaks on a cloudless 82 degree perfect first full day of summer, 6/21/08

Hello again,
This is Tom Marino...
and now I know why you should
never say never.

I only intended to post once but
after my first post I found myself looking to see
people's responses. It became my guilty pleasure.
I was amazed at the negativity out there! I will ask
Louise to post this as an article since I can't seem
to figure out how to get this to go through as a blog
comment. Sorry, I'm a novice.

Why would people care if the pool opens earlier? Is it
hurting them in any way? Is someone forcing them to
come and sit at the pool? Are the people that would
enjoy the pool causing them any personal distress?
I just don't understand.

No one can argue that this has been an exceptionally
warm period since Memorial Day. That is just a fact.
And, no, it may not happen every year, but it did this
year. The pool has been sitting there ready to go.
The water has been tested and it's safe.

I will repeat:
,when people are standing in line
wanting to give you money for something you have to
offer, most good business people would find a way to
let them in. Again, that's just a fact. I know we are
dealing with the state so that most likely isn't a
factor. It's not their money so there is no incentive.
As for the number of people who come and enjoy the
pool...yes, it would vary as it does all summer.
The state and our tax dollars has given us a beautiful
place to swim, eat, relax and just enjoy.
It's only natural to want to be there as many days as
possible. Why would anyone object to that?
As with so many things, I can never understand why
people go out of their way to oppose things that make
no difference in their lives, but may make a
difference in someone elses.

That being said, I am going to force myself to go back
to my regular routine and stop with the bloging. And
when I think of all the things I will be going back
to, like all of us, it's daily responsibilities of
family, work, keeping up with expenses, worrying about
the news reports and the mundane daily chores we all
deal with. When I think of all that I realize why I am
so eager to have the pool opened. I am selfish. I just
want to be at that place where I can get away from it
all for just a while, be with friends, relax and enjoy
myself. I hope my selfishness will some day get the
pool opened longer and will let the other selfish
people who enjoy the same feeling the pool gives them
to enjoy it longer.

If that is personally offensive to anyone, I do
apologize but only wish that you have your own place
to go to and get away from the daily anxiety we
sometimes feel. If you don't have a place like that,
please, come join us by the pool. We'd love to see
you.

Thank for your time,
Tom

June 20, 2008

Happy First Day of Summer
Summer Solstice - longest day of the year to one and all!

Monies Lost since Summer began in the Pool Complex

Sent in by a concerned Tax Payer:

Hello, My name is Tom Marino and I don't usually blog,
but I must say this is fun.
I am the business owner
who "Anonymous" is talking about. I am so sorry you
didn't introduce yourself, as I would have liked to
meet you and chat about the pool. Just to keep things
accurate I don't own a business in Saratoga nor did I
say I did.
I was sent this link by Louise because she though I
might be interested in it since it was directed at me
in particular.
So out of my respect and admiration for Louise and all
she does for the pool I will post this one response,
never to be heard from again.
No, I am not an analyst or a pool manager. I have only
been in the service industry for 35 very successful
years. My comment was based on hard numbers and how
to generate income, which I am very familar with.

Here are my calulations:

9 weekend days from Memorial day to Fathers day. 200
people per day. (low estimate since capacity is 350)
9x200=1800 people.
1800 people paying $6.00 admission
= $10,800.

If only half that number (900) spend an average of
$25.00 for food and drinks, the amount for food and
drinks is $22,500, of which the state receives a substantial
portion of all receipts.
Add admissions to
food/beverage and you get $33,300.

Now, if we add in weekdays too, with only 1/3
capacity of 100 people a day that equals 1400 people
times $6 admission totaling $8400.

Add only HALF of that number of people (700) spending
$25 on food and drink equals $17,500 - Added to
admissions, the total is $25,000.
Grand total for pool
admission and food and drinks lost since Memoral Day
weekend, very conservatively could be $52, 000..

I never
once took into
consideration the unusally high
temperatures, which in the past has put the pool at
capacity numbers.
In all fairness I agree the numbers are an estimate
but if you want to be fair also, I think you will
agree it is a very conservative estimate.

Now, I may not be the smartest person in the world but
one thing I know for certain...this is just business
101.
If people are willing to wait in line, outside
your door with money in their hands, it's only good
business to let them in!

Please, if you seem me at the pool feel free to come
over and say hello. I am always eager to meet a
concerned and civic minded people like yourself.
Good luck and God bless,
Tom

Flash! Average temperature 84.3125 degrees Memorial Day thru Father's Day June 16, 2008

After keeping careful records, we have documented the average temperature in the Capital District from May 31,2008-June 16, 2008 was 84.3125 degrees F.. It appears the Founding Fathers of Saratoga Spa State Park, Spencer Trask, Bernard Baruch and President Franklin D. Roosevelt knew what they were doing by setting Spa Pool dates from Memorial Day to Labor Day.

Victoria Pool losing significant revenue not opening Memorial Day

Ideas flow on plan for Spa park
Public eager to offer suggestions
Tuesday, June 17, 2008

By Lee Coleman (Contact)
Gazette Reporter



Text Size: A | A | A
SARATOGA SPRINGS — Dozens of ideas to improve the Saratoga Spa State Park were suggested Monday night — from a fenced-in dog park to better grooming of the park’s cross country ski trails.

More than 200 people attended the first informational meeting on the Spa State Park’s master plan for the next 20 years. The 2,200-acre state park is the first in the state to start a new master plan.

Park Manager Michael Greenslade discussed the many features of the park.

Thomas Lyons, director of resource management for all state parks, then invited members of the audience in the Gideon Putnam Hotel’s ballroom to make comments.

“The park is, for sure, one of the jewels in the state park system,” Lyons said.

Part of the audience was there to encourage the park to continue and improve the “dog park” located on state park land on the east side of South Broadway (Route 9) at Crescent Street. This open, grass-covered field is where people can bring their dogs and allow them to run without a leash.

Ken Ivins, the city’s finance commissioner and a dog owner, said he feels the endangered Karner blue butterfly, which has habitat near the unofficial dog area, and the dogs can co-exist without causing problems.

“Fence in the area we use now,” Ivins said to applause from the audience. Ivins presented the park officials with a petition urging the creation of a safe, fenced-in dog park, with approximately 250 signatures on it from people who live in Saratoga Springs and surrounding towns.

Another segment of the audience was strongly in favor of opening the Victoria and Peerless pools, the two outdoor pools in the park, earlier in the season. They said the park was losing a significant amount of revenue by not opening the pools in late May rather than late June.

Several people asked that better-marked and more bicycle and walking trails be created that connect to trails outside the park.

Mary Beth Delarm of Saratoga Springs said she understands there are 209 acres off Route 50 that the state could purchase to improve the Route 50 entrance to the park.

Dean Higgins of Saratoga Springs said the current uses of the Lincoln Bathhouse on Route 9 near the park’s entrance are not appropriate for such a historic building.

He said when you drive past the former bathhouse there are state park police cruisers and vans parked along the front.

“Restore the Lincoln [bathhouse] to uses that would most serve the community,” Higgins said.

He questioned why the building is filled with state court administrative offices and a park police headquarters.

Another member of the audience suggested the former bathhouse would be an ideal location for a visitor center and/or a small park museum.

John Franck, the city’s accounts commissioner, said there are so many things going on in the park, so many cultural and recreational offerings, that a visitor center somewhere in the park is really needed.

More than one person mentioned restoring the empty Roosevelt No. 2 bathhouse near the park’s administration building. People suggested this be renovated and turned into a museum, interpretive center or visitor center. The building has been empty since the mid-1980s.

Laura Clark of the Saratoga Stryders, a group of running enthusiasts, said she finds too much litter and storm debris along some of the park’s trails. She suggested the courts could assign people to help pick up the litter as part of their sentence.

Others in the audience said litter is a problem because the park has removed trash barrels from many park locations.

Lyons said that all comments at the informational meeting were written down and will be circulated to those who signed up to get information mailed to them on the master plan process.

The next steps in the master plan process include the development of a draft master plan and environmental impact statement by January. A formal public hearing will be held on the draft master plan in February with a final master plan and final environmental impact statement by May 2009. The park officials hope to adopt the final master plan by next May as well.

Alane Ball Chinian, regional parks director, said written comments will be accepted by state parks up until July 18. The written comments should be sent to: Salim Adler, Planning Bureau, Agency Building One, Empire State Plaza, Albany NY 12238 or e-mailed to Adler at: Salim.Adler@oprhp.state.ny.us


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88 degrees, June 15, 2008, Father's Day

Bravo! Friends!

Spa park tennis players lucky to have Friends
Monday, June 16, 2008
By Lee Coleman (Contact)
Gazette Reporter



Text Size: A | A | A
In the mid-1990s the four clay tennis courts at the Saratoga Spa State Park were starting to show their age.

The four courts, which are located off Roosevelt Drive across from the Homemade Theater and park administration building and are free to park visitors, were installed in the 1930s, according to Stephen Miller of Wilton. Miller is a member of the Friends of Saratoga Spa State Park.

The Har-Tru type clay courts require a considerable amount of maintenance. Such things as sweeping, watering and rolling the green clay surface are needed on a daily basis.

Some tennis enthusiasts, who were also members of the Friends of Saratoga Spa State Park, received permission eight years ago to start maintaining the courts, which are open, free-of-charge, to the public.

Today the courts are in pristine condition, thanks to the efforts of the Friends, which is a nonprofit group of about 70 people who provide a variety of volunteer services and some private funding to the 2,200-acre state park in Saratoga Springs.

“It’s really a partnership with Saratoga Spa State Park,” Miller said.

“We provide volunteer labor and maintain the courts.”

The park provides a new load of Har-Tru clay surface for the courts each spring. Har-Tru tennis court clay is made from “billion year old, Precambrian metabasalt found in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia,” according to the Collins Company Web site (www.collinscompany.com).

Once the new clay surface is down, a subcommittee of the Friends starts its almost daily maintenance of the courts.

The Friends nail down the fabric lines, they sweep and roll the courts, they even installed an inground watering system so the Har-Tru can be properly watered down before rolling.

“Water and rolling are the two keys to a good clay court,” Miller said.

Dan Blanchfield of Saratoga Springs, a member of the Friends board of directors like Miller, and Jeff Thompson of Clifton Park, have been key players in bringing the four tennis courts back to their former glory, Miller said.

Tennis players like clay courts because the surface is easier on the players’ legs and the tennis games last longer because the ball comes off the clay surface at a much slower pace than off asphalt or composition-surface tennis courts.

About a year ago, the Friends put in a new entrance gate and slate entrance walkway to the courts, complete with a small garden.

“We share the responsibility,” said Michael Greenslade, manager of the Saratoga Spa State Park.

“Our responsibility ends in the spring when a company comes and levels the courts and puts down the Har-Tru,” Greenslade said.

“They do every bit of the daily maintenance over there,” he said about the Friends.

“They have a tennis subcommittee to watch over the courts,” Greenslade said. “It’s unique to Spa State Park.”

Greenslade said the volunteer work on the tennis courts frees up park employees to do other work around the state park.

Greenslade said the Friends of Saratoga Spa State Park incorporated in the late 1990s. James Kettlewell, a retired Skidmore College professor, is current Friends president.

“It’s a very active friends group,” Greenslade said. “They have been extremely helpful.”

Over the past few years the Friends have rebuilt the Hathorn No. 3 pavilion and have finished the Hayes pavilion near the Spouter spring.

“They also help support different environmental education programs,” he said. For example, the Friends are active during the popular spring tradition of stocking trout in the Geyser stream that runs through the park.

“They are a real good bunch of people to have around, very positive,” Greenslade said.

People interested in joining the Friends group can become members by paying a small fee each year. For example, individuals pay $25 per year or a family $40. Students and senior citizens become members by paying just $5 per year. Contributions and membership fees can be sent to: The Friends of the Spa State Park, 19 Roosevelt Drive, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866.


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In Today's Gazette...
June 16, 2008 500 earn Union College diplomas
$5M project to make Schoharie intersections safer
Spa park tennis players lucky to have Friends
Crowd says goodbye to St. Clare’s
Duanesburg Planning Board member retires after 33 years

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86 degrees, Saturday, June 14, 2008

84 degrees, Friday, 6/13/08 Party time at victoria Pool that taxpayers paid to renovate but public locked out.

give us a sign?

We asked the Park today to at least post a sign that Victoria Pool is not open since the public comes from all over the city,state and country at this time of year assuming it is open and it would be the kind thing to do. In the SARATOGIAN today and yesterday readers posted the following comments unfortunately anonymously:

OPEN THE POOLS
On Sunday I hosted a bridal shower in front of the Victoria Pool and I saw many families with children trying to walk up and enjoy the pool on these hot days. I am in favor of opening the pools now and I think many people woud agree.

OPEN POOLS
What a shame that the pools in Saratoga aren't open for Saratoga residents. As hot as it has been, you would think they would open the pools, but instead they just save them for the tourist.

80 degrees, 4:50 PM, Thursday, June 12,2008, Pool water is sky blue

83 degrees, Wednesday, june 11,2008, pool crystal clear and no people allowed

alloveralbany.com

check out :

www.alloveralbany.com

Hot and Bothered about the Victoria Pool

95 degrees again, tuesday, june 10,2008 and the pool sits with water and no people allowed.

95 degrees, Monday, June 9,2008 and still no pool.

Sunday, June 8, 2008 92 degrees again and no pool

Weather and Victoria Pool status for Saturday, June 7, 2008

92 degrees, sunny and still no pool.

Triple Crown

Good luck to Big Brown and Saratoga's own Macho Again in the Belmont Stakes today.

1st weekend in June 2008 will be in the 90's, people would be lined up by the 100's to go to Victoria Pool again

Springs Walkabout at Saratoga Spa State Park

For Immediate Release: Contact: Andy Fyfe
June 2, 2008 (518) 584-2000 x 119


Spa Park to Host Historic Springs Walkabout for National Trails Day


Saratoga Spa State Park announces a walking tour to showcase the park’s historic springs and celebrate National Trails Day on Saturday, June 7th, from 1 to 4 pm.

Park staff, in collaboration with The Friends of Saratoga Spa State Park will lead a walking tour of several active springs, and search for other springs that have disappeared through the years. Participants will have the opportunity to sample the springs, learn about their historical use and the legend and lore surrounding them.

As this event is also a celebration of National Trails Day, Park staff will hand out garbage bags to any volunteers willing to help clean our wonderful trails. Please come dressed appropriately.

This event is free and open to the public; however, registration is required. Please call the education office at (518) 584-2000, ext. 119, for registration and directions.

Saratoga Spa State Park, “The Public’s Resort,” is proud to have many miles of trails for walking, running or hiking. Maps are available at the Park Office. For our walk locations and other public hikes and classes, see our events calendar our web site at www.nysparks.com and also www.saratogaspastatepark.org.




###

Public meeting to discuss Master Plan for Saratoga Spa State Park

We received a notice that a public information meeting will be held on Monday, June 16,2008 at 6:30 pm in the ballroom of the Gideon Putnam Hotel to get public input and questions on the development of a Master Plan for the Saratoga Spa State Park.
Park staff will give a brief overview of the planning effort and resources of the Park. Park Staff will answer questions and receive comments.