The Victoria Pool is a money maker for NYS Parks and should open Memorial Day in these rough times.

SARATOGA SPRINGS - It's going to be another difficult year for state parks.

Gov. David Paterson's proposed state budget calls for $29 million in spending cuts at New York's 35 historic sites and 135 state parks, including Moreau Lake State Park and Saratoga Spa State Park in Saratoga Springs.

The cuts mark a 16 percent reduction from the amount provided to the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation in 2009, leaving the agency with about $155 million to spend this year.

Although nothing is final, parks officials say the budget-trimming will likely translate into smaller staffs, scattered park closings and less investment in infrastructure needs.

A list of which parks will be closed is still being drawn up, but parks officials say the cuts are deep enough to raise concerns that operations at Moreau Lake State Park and Saratoga Spa State Park would be diminished to the point that neither could operate safely and would have to be shut down.

"This is not something we want to do, but, purely and simply, if the money is not there to run the park properly, we won't do it," said Heather Mabee, a governor-appointed parks advocate who represents the Saratoga-Capital District region on the State Council of Parks.

Mabee and other parks advocates visited the Capitol Tuesday to make the case that parks are not just venues for recreation but also economic engines that draw visitors from outside the area.

Many lawmakers did not understand how deeply the state parks system has been cut in recent years, she said, noting the budget for the New York Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation has been slashed nearly 40 percent since 2007.

Although Mabee said there is sympathy for the parks system's plight, there is also a feeling that all state spending is being slashed, and the parks department is no exception.

"We got some very positive responses, but we were also told that nobody's safe from being on the chopping block," said Mabee, who lives in Saratoga Springs. "Nobody said no to us. They all understand, but they also have their own priorities."

One lawmaker with whom Mabee and others spoke was state Sen. Roy McDonald, R-Saratoga.

Reached Wednesday, McDonald made no promises but said cutting funding for state parks is a "dangerous" proposition that could cost the state on the revenue side.

"I don't look at parks as entertainment; I look at them as economic development," said McDonald, who described himself as a park user who regularly kayaks on Moreau Lake.

McDonald also said failure to invest could lead to irreparable deterioration.

"We've got a tremendous amount of resources in these places, and you don't want to let these investments go to waste because they may never come back," he said.

Unless funding is restored, the spending cuts will put into question capital projects planned for Moreau Lake State Park and Saratoga Spa State Park, officials said.

Parks staff have designs to add 80 campground sites at Moreau Lake and recently finished a master plan that included a host of changes to Saratoga Spa State Park, including a fenced-in dog park, a disc golf course and improved parking lots.

Those projects will be put on hold until more capital funds are available, officials said.

Paterson's budget includes $32 million for capital projects statewide this year, but parks officials estimate there is a backlog of needs totaling more than $650 million at parks across New York.

Those needs include storm water management and sewer projects, building repairs and environmental management.

Unless the budget proposal is altered, moves made to save $5 million in operating costs in 2009 will also be continued this season, officials said.

Last year, parks staff closed Peerless Pool at Spa State Park on Tuesdays and trimmed the hours it and other swimming locations were open from nine hours a day to eight.

Further reductions in hours could be on the horizon, but no specifics have been released.

Prices for camping at Moreau, as at all other state campgrounds, jumped from $13 to $15 a night last year, while admission at the Victoria Pool in Saratoga rose from $3 to $4 for children and from $6 to $8 for adults.

The rates are expected to remain in place this summer but will not increase.

Park entrance fees, now set at $6, were the only fees not raised last year. They are not expected to rise this year.

Another likely byproduct of the cuts is that this will be the third successive year in which no park police officers will be trained or hired.

That will leave the force with 266 officers - 25 percent fewer than were employed in July 2008, and just half the number employed in 2003.

Dan Keefe, a spokesman for the state parks office, said the cuts could lead to the cancellation of some larger events held at state parks. He could not say, however, if they would have any impact on events at Saratoga Spa State Park, home of the Saratoga Performing Arts Center.

The cuts come as a growing number of residents flock to state parks as a low-cost, close-to-home entertainment venue.

Estimated attendance at state parks across New York hit nearly 56 million last year, a jump of nearly 2 million people from 2008, according to the parks office.

The number of visitors to Moreau Lake State Park and Saratoga Spa State Park contributed to the spike in activity.

Parks statistics show an estimated 1.48 million people visited Saratoga Spa State Park in 2009, while another 396,000 visited Moreau Lake, increases of 2 and 8 percent, respectively.

Peter Iskenderian, the manager at Moreau Lake, said reservations already made for next summer at the park's campgrounds and cabins lead him to believe attendance could increase for 2010, too, assuming the season isn't trimmed.

"I think a lot of this has to do with the fact that the other parks were cut last year, and that people came here instead," he said. "Plus, we've also got a beautiful park that people just want to enjoy."

Several other swimming outlets in the region, including the beaches at Cherry Plain State Park, Thompson's Lake State Park and Grafton Lakes State Park, were closed for two days each week last year as a result of budget cuts.

The beach at Moreau Lake, however, remained open seven days a week.

Friends groups - volunteers who step in to help parks staff make up funding shortfalls - are likely to play an increased role as the budget becomes more lean, Iskenderian and others said.

At Moreau, for example, private donations recently helped parks staff buy a trail groomer that will be used to smooth loops through the park for cross-county skiers and snowshoers.

James Kettlewell, a Saratoga Springs resident who heads the friends group at Saratoga Spa State Park, said volunteers will look to do more to help out there this year, too.

But volunteers can only do so much, he said, noting the extensive maintenance efforts involved with preserving the architecture in the park.

Many of the buildings, including the mineral water bathhouses, date back to the 1930s, when President Franklin Roosevelt created the Works Progress Administration.

"Spa State Park has a much different character from many of the other state parks," Kettlewell said. "Really, it is home to some of the most important architecture in the state."

People who have come to enjoy the park's ambiance, as well as the recreation opportunities it affords, should realize that those assets also come at a cost, he said.

"Government-supported facilities require a certain amount of money that necessarily must come from the public," he said. "People love the park, but they don't want to hear the word taxes. We have to get the public to make the association and put the two together."

Posted in Local, Saratoga on Thursday, February 4, 2010 5:30 pm Updated: 5:45 pm. | Tags:

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Slots operator picked for Aqueduct at last!

State picks VLT operator for Aqueduct racino
Saturday, January 30, 2010

By PAUL POST, The Saratogian


SARATOGA SPRINGS — The state’s long-awaited selection of an Aqueduct Race Track gaming operator is finally over.

Gov. David Paterson announced Friday that Aqueduct Entertainment Group has been awarded the 30-year contract to operate the downstate track’s 4,500 video lottery terminals.

The facility is expected to provide millions in new tax revenue to the cash-strapped state and give New York’s thoroughbred industry a major boost. Most importantly, Friday’s decision should prevent any threat of a racing shutdown, because AEG is obligated to give New York Racing Association funds to keep operating until the racino comes on line.

“AEG has both the financial viability and ability to pay the required up-front licensing fee,” Paterson said. “AEG complied with every request made during the review process and addressed satisfactorily all matters related to licensing ability. All of the groups have valid proposals, but AEG presented a comprehensive bid that enjoys community support and also offers strong marketing appeal.”

NYRA is slated to get 7 percent of racino revenues — 4 percent for capital improvements, 3 percent for operations. NYRA has already announced plans for $100 million worth of improvements at aging Saratoga Race Course, which could produce significant local construction during the next few years. Priorities include new restaurants, new backstretch worker dorms and major infrastructure overhauls in the grandstand such as plumbing and electrical work.

NYRA President and CEO Charles Hayward couldn’t immediately be reached for comment.

Plans call for 3,000 VLTs within six months of AEG’s signing a memorandum of understanding with the state, AEG spokesman Davis Hodge said. The remaining 1,500 machines would come on line within a year’s time.

Larry Woolf, former head of MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas, is one of AEG’s lead partners. He is currently head of the Navegante Group that runs Casino Niagara in Niagara Falls, Ontario.

Other members of the AEG coalition are GreenStar Services Corp., Turner Construction Co., Levine Builders, The Darman Group Inc. and Empowerment Development Corp., PS&S Design, Siemens AG and Clairvest Group Inc. Navegante or its partners currently operate other casinos in Nevada, Wisconsin, Taiwan, Chile and other Canadian sites.

Paterson’s budget called for a minimum up-front payment to the state of at least $200 million from the winning bidder. However, Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, D-Manhattan, said Friday he would only support Paterson’s selection if the up-front payment is increased to $300 million.

AEG could not immediately be reached for comment to see if it could provide the extra

$100 million.

AEG was one of five firms competing for the gaming contract. Others were Delaware North Companies partnered with Saratoga Gaming & Raceway, The Peebles Corp. and MGM; SL Green Realty Trust/Hard Rock Entertainment and Penn National Gaming.

Trainer Linda Rice hailed Friday’s announcement as a step in the right direction for New York racing. Many breeders have left New York for Pennsylvania, attracted to that state’s higher purses fueled by lucrative new casinos.

“I’m delighted that we can at least move forward,” she said. “I’m relieved to hear they’ve finally named someone. We’ve been waiting too long already. Hopefully we can regroup and pull things back together.”

Barry Ostrager, president of Saratoga Springs-based New York Thoroughbred Breeders Inc., said, “We hope the implementation process is swift and uneventful. The announcement was certainly a long time coming and the state government has literally deprived the citizens of the state of a billion-plus dollars in revenue with the unnecessary delays that have attended this process.”

However, prominent Saratoga Springs horseman Jack Knowlton said, “Given the history of this, it may not be over yet.”

Penn National on Wednesday blasted Paterson and charged the state with a midstream change in the selection process rules. Penn National was the apparent high bidder with a $301 million up-front offer.

“We were extremely shocked and dismayed by the governor’s announcement, given we offered over $100 million more to the state than AEG in our bid,” said Eric Schippers, Penn National senior vice president. “In addition, our proposal complies with the conditions outlined by the speaker for the winning bidder. We remain committed to this project and will await further details about the selection process before commenting further.”

Some observers have speculated that one or more firms might sue the state.

Paterson, Silver and Senate Conference Leader John Sampson, D-Brooklyn, were charged with making the decision. Firms submitted bids last fall, but the selection was marked by one unexplained delay after another.

In addition to the extra

$100 million up-front payment, Silver said his support is contingent on several other items. They are:

ä Require use of existing approved footprint for a timely SEQRA approval. Any future development would be subject to the normal SEQRA process. No waiver requests or requests for expedited approval will be permitted.

ä All investors at any level, partners, directors, managers, contract holders and principal and other selected employees must obtain a license from the State Division of the Lottery. Anyone who has been denied a gaming license in any jurisdiction anywhere in the world, or convicted within the past 15 years of a felony or any other crime or offense involving fraud, larceny of any sort, theft, misappropriation or conversion of funds, or tax evasion is prohibited from obtaining a license.

ä Throughout the final approval process, all changes in the proposal including but not limited to partners, investors at any level, management, development or principal employees, and contracts must be reviewed by the Division of Lottery and approved by the three leaders prior to the conclusion of the approval process.

SL Green spokesman Rick Matthews said, “We question whether AEG can meet such conditions. We are awaiting word on that. We stand ready to re-engage state officials should AEG fail to meet conditions outlined by the speaker.”

Originally, Delaware North was chosen to run Aqueduct’s racino in October 2008. But when the economy collapsed, it couldn’t come up with the financing for a $370 million up-front pledge and the deal fell apart. Paterson announced last spring that he was starting the selection process over. Six firms submitted bids, three more than the first time. However, casino mogul Steve Wynn dropped out last fall because of ongoing delays, leaving five firms to choose from.

AEG partner Jeffrey Levine, founder and CEO of Levine Builders, said, “Aqueduct Entertainment Group is honored to have been selected to operate the video lottery terminals at Aqueduct racetrack. We look forward to completing the memorandum of understanding and beginning construction.”

URL: http://www.saratogian.com/articles/2010/01/30/news/doc4b63602ce0698946448127.prt

© 2010 saratogian.com, a Journal Register Property

Fasig-tipton pavillion work underway

Fasig-Tipton work on show pavilion gets under way
Wednesday, January 27, 2010



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SARATOGA SPRINGS — Work is beginning on the second phase of improvements at the Fasig-Tipton pavilion.

On Wednesday, contractors removed ground-level windows slated for replacement at the pavilion at 251 East Ave. The horse auction company decided in November to scale down, scrapping bigger expansion and facade plans because they aren’t needed, Fasig-Tipton attorney Michael Toohey said in a letter to the city Planning Department.

The first phase completed this summer — especially the walking ring that improved visibility for patrons looking at horses — proved so successful that more people view the horses outside rather than crowding into the pavilion.

“Many patrons, who previously preferred to participate inside the pavilion, now utilize the wonderful areas near the horse ring and exterior areas,” Toohey wrote.

“Our client believes the full expansion of the building is no longer necessary.”

The smaller — 450-square-foot, two-story — expansion will extend from the pavilion toward George Street, creating a new handicap-accessible entryway. Most of the work that was planned for the cedar-covered curved facade that faces East Avenue has been scrapped. Some of that work included a walkway to the back of the building, which the company found isn’t needed. The previously-proposed windows and awnings on the second floor are being eliminated as well, the plans state.

The Lexington, Ky.-based company still plans to build a landing inside the 1967 pavilion’s entrance for people with disabilities.

In November, Fasig-Tipton told the city it planned to scale down the project, which was approved in December 2008.

Other renovations completed last summer included sprucing up the bathrooms, creating an outdoor restaurant and relocating a snack bar.

Fasig-Tipton, the country’s oldest thoroughbred horse auction company, holds a yearling sale on the grounds in August. This year, the Select Yearling Sales are slated for Aug. 2 and 3.

Last year, the sales started an hour earlier than the traditional 7 p.m., with the on-site restaurant, Man O’ War, serving dinner to patrons.

Fasig-Tipton is owned by Synergy Investments Ltd. of Dubai, which is headed by Abdulla Al Habbai, a close associate of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the ruler of Dubai and an avid horseman.


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Yaddo recovery nearly complete

Yaddo’s recovery is nearly complete
Sunday, January 24, 2010
By Tatiana Zarnowski (Contact)
Gazette Reporter




Photographer: Marc Schultz

Quick Response Restoration employees, Evan Leggett, right, and Steven Nadeau,left, move books into the library space in the building at Yaddo that has been restored and refurbished after a smokey fire two years ago.Text Size: A | A | A
SARATOGA SPRINGS — Twenty months after a fire damaged Yaddo’s office building, the nonprofit artist retreat is still getting itself back together.

The $1.8 million restoration is nearly complete, with some refurnishing left and recovering items in storage. Work is expected to be totally finished by mid-March.

The changes improve handicap accessibility and modernize the building while still keeping its original atmosphere.

“I think people that were guests at Yaddo before will have that same feel when they walk into the building,” said Yaddo spokeswoman Lesley Leduc. “The building still looks the same from the outside.”

All artist services have been moved to the ground floor of the office building, a former garage for the Yaddo estate. An elevator — required by the building inspector and paid by insurance — makes the building handicapped-accessible for the first time ever.

The May 10, 2008, fire in Yaddo’s basement started with a riding lawn mower and spread to storage materials. An alarm alerted the fire department.

No one was in the building on that weekend night except the resident cat, Mr. Pink.

The cat was rescued unharmed and the fire extinguished before it could travel to the first floor.

But smoke permeated both upper floors, saturating the library’s 6,000-plus books, employees’ paper files and furniture.

Everything was taken away by fire recovery company Quick Response, passed through an ozone chamber to neutralize the smell or stored in trailers on the Yaddo property.

“They were the furthest from the fire,” Leduc said of the library books, which were all written and donated by Yaddo artists. “Nothing of historical value or significance was lost.”

That’s a small miracle, considering the treasure trove of information stored at Yaddo about resident artists and historical information about Spencer and Katrina Trask, who lived at the estate before their deaths.

Artist guests in the last year and a half missed not being able to use the library, Leduc said, but overall, artists weren’t affected by the fire.

At that time, Yaddo was weatherizing the mansion kitchen so it could be operated in the winter, so guests have been fed there since the fire. Before that, the office building’s second floor housed the “winter kitchen,” because the airy mansion was too difficult and expensive to heat in the winter.

Staffers were put out by the fire, and moved into the mansion’s music hall, working in close quarters right after the blaze.

Then they moved back into the office building, working off folding tables and with improvised lighting.

Even now, employees are just beginning to get their furniture back.

The trying time has inspired kindness from the Yaddo artist community, Leduc said. One former guest donated money for adjustable library shelves.

“Our librarian is ecstatic,” she said of volunteer librarian Susan Brynteson, who comes once a year from Delaware to catalog and shelve books.

Of the $1.8 million in work, $1.4 million was covered by insurance, and the rest are voluntary upgrades, such as bringing undamaged wiring up to today’s standards in the 1910 building and making the heating system more efficient, Leduc said.

Interesting how many of SPAC Board are Bruno's strongest supporters including Marcia White his former Press Secretary.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS


Mrs. Marylou Whitney
Honorary Chair


William P. Dake
Chair


Marcia J. White
President & Executive Director


E. Stewart Jones, Jr
Vice Chair


Edward J. Lewi
Secretary


Abraham M. Lackman
Treasurer


Matthew Bender IV
Meyer S. Frucher
John J. Gilbert III
George R. Hearst III
Daniel J. Hogarty, Jr
Larry King
Heather Mabee
I. Norman Massry
Donald J. McCormack
Ed Mitzen
Eleanor K. Mullaney
John J. Nigro
A. John Popp, M.D
Susan Phillips Read
Arthur J. Roth
Dolores Sarno
Nancy Touhey


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Bruno: 'I live life a day at a time'

Fundraiser draws loyalists of convicted former state senator; protest outside

By JAMES M. ODATO AND BRENDAN J. LYONS, Staff writers
Click byline for more stories by writer.
First published: Wednesday, January 20, 2010

COLONIE -- Roughly 200 supporters, including bankers, lobbyists and area business leaders, turned out for a fundraiser Tuesday evening for Joseph L. Bruno, the former state Senate majority leader convicted last month of felony corruption charges.
Bruno arrived at the Desmond Hotel near the Albany International Airport just before 6 p.m. flanked by attorneys E. Stewart Jones of Troy and Stephen Coffey of Albany.

"The system is what it is," said Bruno, who faces possibly multiple years in prison at his sentencing, scheduled for March 26. ""I lived within the system. I thought I was getting the proper advice. I live life a day at a time. I have faith in the Lord … I'm not projecting too far out."

John Nigro, a commercial real estate developer who is also a state Legislative Ethics Committee member, joined in organizing the event.

Among the notable attendees were banker Daniel J. Hogarty Jr.; Price Chopper President Neil Golub, who like some others, entered through a side door; lobbyists James Crane and James Featherstonhaugh, who was the first witness called by the government at Bruno's trial; lobbyist David Dudley, a former Rensselaer County Republican chairman and former Senate counsel to Bruno; Rensselaer County Clerk Frank Merola; and ex- state Sen. Mike Hoblock.

Also present were: Robert Mujica, a Senate budget specialist; former Senate counsel Michael Avella; Abe Lackman, an ex-state Senate finance secretary under Bruno; state Senate GOP spokesman John McArdle; ex-Senate secretary Steve Boggess and Jack Casey, a Senate lawyer.

"He's a lifelong friend," Merola said.

Frank MacKay, state chairman for the Independence Party of America, which has endorsed Bruno over the years, said he drove up from Suffolk County because Bruno "is a friend forever."

Jerry Bilinski, a Columbia County veterinarian and Bruno friend, also attended. Bilinski owned and bred horses with Bruno. Those dealings were the subject of a portion of the indictment against Bruno, whose conviction included one count related to his horse breeding interests.

There were also several employees of CMA Consulting Services, which cut ties to Bruno, who was CEO, after his conviction last month on two counts of theft of honest services mail fraud.

James Barba, the head of Albany Medical Center, attended.

A.J. Sperrazza Jr., chairman and CEO of a Troy-based company that makes bearings, said he attended because Bruno has been a great leader who has done a lot for the community and upstate.

"I recognize astuteness and getting to the point and accomplishing something," Sperrazza said. "The man has gotten a lot done for people in this state."

The fundraiser's invitation indicated the price to attend the short cocktail reception ranged from $250 to $1,000. The event took place in a courtyard conference room inside the hotel and many guests left quickly after Bruno made a few remarks to the crowd.

Security at the hotel was tight and private hotel security officers closed the doors to the spacious conference room when Bruno addressed the crowd. Organizers declined to allow reporters inside the conference room.

MacKay, who heard the remarks, said Bruno joked "people usually like to be introduced … this is where everyone asks me to not introduce them."

Outside, 16 protesters stood in the rain at the edge of the hotel parking lot holding signs and banners that said: "Felon Joe Fundraiser," "Bribes Accepted," and "Money Out Of Politics."

The protesters were comprised of an informal coalition, said organizer Joseph Seeman, from groups such as Citizen Action, MoveOn.org, Tea Party Patriots and the Green Party.

Town police officers monitored the protesters without incident.

Bruno, who has received financial help from the community since being indicted on eight federal felony charges a year ago, told reporters gathered outside that he did not want to discuss his personal life. He said the event was organized by others and that he was told legislators were not invited.

Bruno declined to discuss the role of Nigro, whose post-conviction support of Bruno has received criticism by some government watchdog groups due to his role as a member of the Legislative ethics panel. Nigro testified for the defense at Bruno's trial as a character witness for the former senator.

Jones, who is part of a group called "Lawyers for Bruno" that formed last year, characterized Bruno as a decent man.

"This is not as much about the senator … this was to tell him how much we care about the senator," Jones said. "In the history of our region no one has had more impact on this region as Sen. Bruno. … Not since Gov. Rockefeller … has anybody come into this region and impacted it as much as Sen. Bruno. We could be another Detroit if not for this man."

Coffey said Bruno is a decent man who has treated people with respect. He added Bruno has endured intense pressure, public ridicule and depression from the ordeal.

A guest who attended the event said not everyone in attendance was required to pay. Some had contributed earlier to Bruno and were invited to Tuesday's event.

Bruno did not testify at his trial. He was convicted of corruption charges that alleged he used his political muscle to secretly enrich himself during a 14-year reign as majority leader.

Bruno's campaign funds, which once topped $1.5 million, were drained to pay for his trial costs. His attorneys said they will appeal the conviction.




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corporate sponsor naming SPAC for 1st time ever.

HSBC to underwrite SPAC season
Classical shows get title sponsor
Saturday, January 16, 2010
By Tatiana Zarnowski (Contact)
Gazette Reporter




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SARATOGA SPRINGS — For the first time ever, the Saratoga Performing Arts Center’s entire classical season will be named for a corporate sponsor.

HSBC Bank USA is the title sponsor for the summer season, and SPAC is the recipient of the global banking company’s largest arts sponsorship this year in the U.S.

Never mind that HSBC has no branches in Saratoga Springs — the closest location is at Target on Route 50 in Wilton. HSBC calls itself “the world’s local bank” and has more than 470 bank branches in the U.S., including over 370 in New York state.

The bank has offered to pay SPAC an undisclosed amount to have its name appear on all materials associated with the season. “The HSBC Classical Season at Saratoga Performing Arts Center” will bring artists to SPAC including the return of the Philadelphia Orchestra and the New York City Ballet.

“This sponsorship represents an opportunity for HSBC to expand its commitment to the Capital Region and to celebrate the classical season and artistic excellence of SPAC with our customers, employees and the rest of the community,” said Andrew Ireland, executive vice president and regional president for upstate retail banking.

The banking company approached SPAC about being a title sponsor, said Marcia White, SPAC president and executive director.

“I think they identified with us because they have a world-class identity and global vision,” she said.

SPAC officials are clearly thrilled about the sponsorship, especially as donors cut back on their support of the arts nationwide.

“People may feel that they’re not in a position to personally support the arts to the extent they want to,” White said.

HSBC asked SPAC not to divulge how much the bank is paying for the sponsorship. Overall, SPAC earned $561,000 from corporate sponsorships last year and aims to hit $625,000 this year.

A company that wants to sponsor one night pays $8,500, White said. “We have an array of different kinds of sponsorships,” she added.

Board chairman William Dake noted that SPAC is faring better than many arts organizations during the economic slump.

“It is the old story of people seeking association with success,” Dake said.

He said HSBC wanted to sponsor more arts events after being affiliated more prominently with sports.

“I think we offer both a strong image in the greater Capital District but also in the city [New York] as well.”

Corporate sponsors help cover the cost of classical performances, since ticket sales cover only half of the cost of bringing the acts to SPAC.

Dake said SPAC creates a world-class atmosphere that draws people to move their businesses here, retire here or have a summer home.

“The psychological impact of having a cultural center instead of a cultural wasteland has a tremendous amount to do with the success of the area,” he said.

Programming for the HSBC Classical Season at Saratoga Performing Arts Center will be announced in the coming weeks. Updates will be available at www.spac.org.

Hoosick removes senator bruno from town park, Times Union,1/1/10. Will Saratoga follow suit at the spring in the State Park?

Down goes the name

Well before the results of our little poll were in, the Hoosick Town Board was already moving away from Bruno.

While other organizations have balked at stripping Bruno's name from public facilities, on Tuesday night the four Democrats and one Republican on the board voted 5-0 to drop the ex-senator's moniker from the town park and re-christen it the Coach Ken Baker Memorial Sports Center.

While Bruno may have held the key to the state's treasure, Baker held the hearts of the Hoosick Falls community.

Baker, who died Jan. 2, 2008 at the age of 69, was a successful football and wrestling coach at Hoosick Falls High School as well as Columbia and Cambridge high schools. He also was a lifeguard and taught swimming at the pool in the park.

"People had talked about it. It's named after a person who was part of the park,'' said Supervisor Marilyn Douglas, a Democrat whose last day in office was Dec. 31.

The name change came at the last meeting before the Republicans take a 4 to 1 majority on the board. Administration changes seem to have an impact on the park's name. Prior to Douglas taking over in 2000, the outgoing administration named the park for Bruno.

Is it us or is $70,000 for a study of Saratoga Spa State Park traffic a little excessive in these difficult times?

.Saratoga Snippets
Blog updates are now on Home » Blogs » Saratoga Snippets
Transit officials want input on Route 50
Tuesday, January 12th, 2010
State and local officials announced on Tuesday that they will be undertaking a $70,000 study to examine how the Route 50 corridor adjacent to the Saratoga Spa State Park can be improved.

The study, paid for by the Capital District Transportation Committee, will look at the roadway between East West Road, at the southern end of the state park, and the New Street intersection, where Espey Manufacturing is located, officials said (map).

One of the primary goals of the study is to find a way that pedestrians and bicyclists can enter the state park from Saratoga Springs without having to travel on Route 50.

Saratoga County’s Zim Smith Trail could eventually provide access to the park from the south end, but exactly how that path could be continued north into Saratoga Springs remains undetermined. Finding a way to link the park to the existing Railroad Run trail — which begins on Circular Street and ends on New Street near the entrance to the Saratoga YMCA — would be ideal, officials say.

Transportation officials will also look at how pedestrians and bicyclists can be ushered across Geyser Road into the state park as part of the study. A new trail along Geyser Road remains under development, and there is a hope that either an overpass or demarked walkway can be used to connect its eastern terminus with the state park.

Officials have long discussed such improvements because pedestrians and bicyclists entering and leaving the state park from the roadway often commingle with vehicles traveling at high speeds and trucks visiting the Grande Industrial Park on Geyser Road.

The study will also explore ways to beautify the corridor so that it more closely resembles the South Broadway entrance to the city, officials said. Similar efforts are being considered on the Route 50 entrance to Saratoga Springs from Wilton.

To help craft their plan, state and local officials have scheduled a “public workshop” for 6 p.m. Jan. 21 at the Gideon Putnam Hotel, located in the state park.

Officials involved with the study said they hope the study will allow them to eventually produce a formal proposal that they could then bring to the state Department of Transportation for funding in the future.

Photo: The South Broadway entrance to Saratoga Springs. Transportation officials say they hope the Route 50 entrance to the city from Milton can be redesigned using some of the same elements to become more inviting.

– Drew Kerr

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

Enjoy skating in front of Victoria Pool without ugly fencing as seen below.

Ugly orange fencing all over Saratoga Spa State Park and trees cut down to keep golfers happy mar beauty for the rest of us.

Spa State Park a draw despite deep freeze
Sunday, January 3, 2010
By Jessica Harding (Contact)
Gazette Reporter




Photographer: Barry Sloan

Tina Purdy of A Time to Remember Carriage and Sleigh Rides guides her horses toward the Gideon Putnam Resort to pick up passengers in Saratoga Spa State Park on Sunday.Text Size: A | A | A
SARATOGA SPRINGS — Jerry Todd of Saratoga Springs walked his 8-year-old Shetland sheepdog Kayla in Saratoga Spa State Park Sunday afternoon as a light snow fell. He periodically had to stop to remove ice from the pads of Kayla’s paws. “She doesn’t like it when that happens,” he said.

Despite the below-freezing temperatures Sunday afternoon, the state park was still bustling with activity, from cross-country skiers to snowshoers and ice skaters. People don’t stay away from the park, even in winter.

Temperatures on Sunday did not get above 14 degrees, according to Hugh Johnson, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Albany. Average lows for this time of year are 15, he said.

On top of the chill, winds gusted between 20 and 30 mph all day, making it feel like it was between minus 5 and minus 10 degrees outside.

Regardless, Todd said he tries to get out to the park every day, no matter what it’s doing outside. He said he’ll spend an hour at least walking Kayla around the park. Todd said he likes the way the park looks in the winter, covered in snow, and how peaceful it is.

“I love it out here. It’s so nice. It’s cold, but once you start going you warm up,” he said. Peace and quiet is also what draws Hilarie and Jene Beach of Saratoga Springs to the state park most days. They were bundled up for a walk to the tree farm Sunday afternoon. Jene Beach said he likes the fact that no one else is around and it is often quiet enough to spot a deer, fox, or rabbit among the trees.

The couple said they don’t mind the cold for an hour or so and like to get outside for fresh air even when the temperatures are in the teens.

Jim Stegman of Saratoga Springs was skating alone Sunday afternoon on the skating pond in front of the Victoria Pool.

Stegman said he skates on the pond as often as he remembers to. He said the skating pond isn’t a highly publicized activity in the park, so he sometimes forgets about it.

Stegman said he likes being outside skating because he likes feeling like he is doing a traditional Northeast activity.

“Skating is good exercise. It’s cheap to do. All you need is a pair of skates that, if you’re an adult, could last you a lifetime, and it’s a classic outdoor activity,” he said. “It almost takes you back in time.”

A new winter activity in the Spa State Park also attempts to take participants back in time.

Tina Purdy has begun to offer horse-drawn carriage rides in the park through her new business A Time to Remember Carriage and Sleigh Rides. Purdy began offering carriage and sleigh rides

on Christmas Eve and said they have become another popular attraction for the state park.

Her two black Percheron horses, Ivy and Leah, pull the carriages through the park each weekend to take riders on a half hour trip.

A Time to Remember Carriage and Sleigh Rides has been a dream of Purdy’s for years, she said Sunday.

Purdy, who lives in Hudson Falls, has three Percherons along with a bunch of riding horses.

The carriage rides are popular, especially in the evenings when the carriage is lit up with a string of Christmas lights wrapped around garland. The park is lit by rows of torches, which adds to the romance, Purdy said, and riders curl up under thick blankets.

However, carriage rides were not too popular Sunday afternoon in the cold weather. Only two people went for a ride in the 14-person carriage. Purdy said she had a lot of cancellations.

Purdy books appointments and bases her operations out of the Gideon Putnam Hotel and Conference Center.

Her daughter, Kara Moak, who helps run the business, said the rides are popular with couples, but also with families. A carriage ride costs $25 for adults, $10 for children 12 and under and children under 3 years old ride free.

Those who revel in outdoor winter activities will feel a bit more comfortable outside this week as temperatures begin to climb into the 20s and 30s. According to Johnson, temperatures will be in the mid-20s today and Tuesday with less wind. Temperatures should reach the 30s by Wednesday and Thursday before taking another dive into the teens for the weekend.


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Once again Saratoga Spa State park officials treat the taxpayers with contempt.

Just like cutting out the month of June for swimming at the Victoria and Peerless Pools and restricting the dog walkers, now it is the skiers being evicted from the park. What is next? Only golfers and butterflys will be welcome at OUR Spa State Park. The public pays the salaries at the NYS Parks but it is operated like a private club.


Ski rules prompt festival’s exodus
Thursday, December 31, 2009
By Lee Coleman (Contact)
Gazette Reporter




Photographer: Bruce Squiers

Cross-country ski trails along the golf course at Saratoga Spa State Park are restricted this year to preserve the fairways.Text Size: A | A | A
SARATOGA SPRINGS — The Saratoga Sport and Social Club will not hold its winter festival at Saratoga Spa State Park this winter because of new restrictions placed on the cross-country skiing trails in the park.

“I am deeply distressed over the decision to fence in the entire fairways [of the golf course] and make them unavailable to cross-country skiers and snowshoe users,” said Robert Lippman, a local lawyer and president of the five-year-old sport and social club.

“We are not going to hold it [the festival] at the park, and we may not hold it at all,” Lippman said.

He said he continues to receive angry letters and e-mails from some of the 500 members of the sport and social club complaining about the fenced-in cross-country ski trails at the park.

But an official with the state Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation contacted Wednesday said there may be room for compromise and holds out hope that the event could go on.

Alane Ball Chinian, regional director for the parks office’s Saratoga-Capital District Region, said she talked to Lippman about his concerns on Wednesday.

“We are willing to work with the sport and social club,” Chinian said.

Chinian said the state parks office is committed to encouraging winter sports such as cross-country skiing in its parks. She said an example of this is an alliance the state park has formed with the new Saratoga Springs High School Nordic ski team.

“I offered to meet with Bob [Lippman] next week,” Chinian said. Among the topics of discussion would be moving some of the fencing along the ski trails.

In past years, the ski trails went out over the fairways of the park’s 18-hole championship golf course. This winter, however, park officials have placed green fencing along the ski trails, keeping skiers off the fairways.

Park manager Michael Greenslade said this decision was made to protect the fairways from winter damage.

“You feel boxed in,” Lippman said about the new ski trail system. “The feeling of freedom is all gone; it’s quite a shame.”

The sport and social club, which also offers its members outings to the Adirondacks and other locations throughout the year, has held a winter festival at the state park for the past two years, generally in late February or early March.

“I have great affection for the park,” Lippman said. He added that he believes that the park officials also care about the park but have overreacted with the ski trail issue.

He said the restrictions placed on where ski trails can go have resulted in rutted trails “in terrible shape due to overuse that comes from crowding of all skiers and snowshoe/hikers into a narrow channel.”

Lippman maintains that the golf course damage, which is shown in photos posted on signs telling skiers about the new trail system, is generally in low-lying areas that could be individually fenced off.

“In the peak of winter season, when the snow is several inches thick and frozen as hard as concrete, there is simply no argument that skiers are damaging the fairways,” Lippman says in a letter to Thomas Lyons, the resource management director for the state parks office.

Park officials note that the whole southern end of the state park is open to cross-country skiing and snowshoeing with no restrictions.

“While I have been told that the southern end of the park is not fenced, I could not find these areas and they are, at best, several kilometers from the warming hut,” Lippman said.

“Fencing off the entire golf course is a vast overreaction to the problem and sends a message that the park’s priorities are to protect the interests of a few elite golfers at the expense of the public at large,” Lippman says in his letter to Lyons.

Lippman is urging park officials to compromise and reduce some of the fencing so that ski trails can again be located on the golf course fairways. The greens on the golf course have always been off limits to skiing and snowshoeing.

Lippman had usually worked with park maintenance personnel in the days before the club’s winter festival so that cross-country skiing courses for young people and adults could be created for the event. He said these race locations have been lost because of the new fencing erected around the golf course.


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Go Zenyatta, horses rule!

Thoroughbred filly Zenyatta, winner of this years Breeders’ Cup Classic, has come in second in the Associated Press’ Female Athlete of the Year award. She was edged out by tennis star Serena Williams. The results were announced yesterday.

AP member U.S. newspapers cast 158 votes, 66 of which went to Williams, and 18 of which went to Zenyatta. Thoroughbred filly Rachel Alexandra was also in the running, finishing 7th, with 10 votes.

Williams also received the title in 2002. The AP Athlete of the Year award began in 1931. Previous winners include Marion Jones, Bonnie Blair, and Monica Seles. A horse has never won the title.


To subscribe to San Jose Horses Examiner, click on the link above

Have a very Merry Christmas to all who celebrate from your friends at Save the Victoria Pool Society.

skiers being restricted at Spa to cater to golfers, baloney.

Spa State Park restricts cross-country skiers around fairways
Story Discussion By DREW KERR dkerr@poststar.com | Posted: Friday, December 18, 2009 4:40 pm | (0) Comments

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Drew Kerr DREW KERR - DKERR@POSTSTAR.COM Cross-country skiers assemble near the entrance to a new 3.7-mile winter trail system at the Saratoga Spa State Park on Wednesday. Officials at the park put up fences and re-routed parts of the trail in an effort to keep skiers off of the fairways at the Spa Golf Course. Heavy ski traffic compacted the snow and killed the grass underneath, they said. Skiing and snowshoeing in the rest of the park, where there are a total of 12 miles of trails, remains largely open.

SARATOGA SPRINGS -- Cross-county skiers at the Saratoga Spa State Park will have a little less room to roam this winter.

Parks officials said this week that cross-country skiing trails that traditionally ran over the Spa Golf Course were fenced in and re-routed around fairways so that the fragile turf underneath would no longer be damaged by snow compacted by heavy ski traffic.

Skiers and snowshoers have had relative freedom on the golf course in previous seasons, but officials said repairing the damage had become a perennial problem they now want to avoid.

"It kills the grass, just kills it, and there's no way to get it back," said Alane Ball Chinian, a regional director for the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation who works out of Saratoga Springs.

Signs detailing a new 3.7-mile winter trail route and showing pictures of damage done to the turf in past winters have been installed to announce the rules change to park patrons.

The decision to keep some parts of the state park off limits comes as officials continue to invest in upgrades at the 9- and 18-hole golf courses within the park.

Bill Richardson, the course's director, said staff are two years into a nearly $2 million overhaul designed specifically to improve turf conditions at the course.

Several trees on the course were cut down this summer and a new irrigation system is also being installed to improve the grass.

"This change goes hand-in-hand with the investment we're making," Richardson said. "The fairways have never been as strong or as healthy as they should be, and that leaves a negative impression on our customers."

Richardson said he hoped skiers who have flocked to the park over the years will understand why the decision was made and be cooperative.

"Change is hard, but we're hoping people will get used to it," he said. "We still think there's plenty of room for the winter activities."

Skiing and snowshoeing still remains largely open in other areas of the park, where there are a total of around 12 miles of trails.

The situation at the state park is unique because it is one of the few locations in the area where skiing occurs in a golf course setting.

Josh Milton, the director of recreation for Glens Falls, said cross-country trails that run through Cole's Woods at Crandall Park don't leave any trace after the snow melts and the ground thaws.

"We don't have any problems at all because all of our trails are in the woods where it's nothing but dirt anyway," he said.

Posted in Local on Friday, December 18, 2009 4:40 pm Updated: 5:11 pm. | Tags:

Shenanigans at Saratoga City Hall, Daily Gazette,12/18/09.

By Tatiana Zarnowski (Contact)
Gazette Reporter




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SARATOGA SPRINGS — Impending layoffs of more than 40 city employees have shortened tempers in City Hall, resulting in an incident Wednesday afternoon in which one city official alleges he was hit in the back of the head with the layoff notices for his department.
Commissioner of Public Works Anthony “Skip” Scirocco said Thursday that City Attorney Joseph Scala flung a large envelope full of letters to 28 soon-to-be terminated employees at him in City Hall, hitting him in the back, neck and head.
The incident happened around 4:30 p.m. Wednesday at the top of the stairs outside the mayor’s office as Scirocco walked away from Scala after disagreeing with the city attorney over who should deliver the layoff letters.
Scala said he didn’t mean to hit Scirocco with the papers but rather to throw the envelope at the commissioner’s feet so he would pick it up. Scala apologized immediately afterward.
The affected employees already knew they were going to be laid off, but the letters are the official notification.
Scirocco said Thursday he didn’t feel comfortable handing out the letters because employees had legal questions that he couldn’t answer.
“I felt that this was a human resources issue,” Scirocco said. “He’s the acting human resource person for the city.
“I didn’t know what their rights were as far as the layoffs were concerned,” he said.
Scala said he has been serving “in a limited and interim capacity only” to help with legal issues related to personnel matters since the departure several months ago of Marcy Brydges.
He said there is no legal issue with distributing the letters.
“No one elected me to any office,” he said in a statement. “Commissioner Scirocco was elected to perform the duties of his office and ... tried to pass those duties off on me.”
Scala characterized Scirocco as refusing to talk about the issue when he returned the envelope, “calling over his shoulder as he left the office” and then “running away.”
Scala pursued Scirocco into the hallway to give the envelope back to him.
The two men exchanged words after the incident.
The hallway incident occurred after a round of “hot potato” with the layoff notices:
Scirocco said he delivered them to Scala’s secretary, Nancy Woodworth, at 4:15 p.m., and Woodworth brought them back down shortly afterward with a message from Scala that it was Scirocco’s responsibility.
Then Scirocco brought the envelope back upstairs, thrust it at Scala and left.
On Thursday, Scirocco got the letters back and started giving them to employees, a process that took two hours for four employees so far.
Scala said he understands why the issue is fraught with emotion.
“Many years ago, I was actually involved in a corporate downsizing at this time of year, so I have some idea of what an awful experience this is, especially during the holidays.”

Final Master Plan for Saratoga Spa State Park can be downloaded below, no funds of course for the plan.

December 16, 2009



To: Persons interested in Saratoga Spa State Park



State Parks has completed a Final Master Plan and Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) for Saratoga Spa State Park which is located in the City of Saratoga Springs and the Town of Malta in Saratoga County.



Copies of the Final Master Plan/FEIS are available for review at the Park Office, at the offices of the agency contacts and at the Saratoga Springs Public Library, 49 Henry Street, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866. The online version of the Final Master Plan/FEIS is available at the following publically accessible web site: http://www.nysparks.com/inside-our-agency/public-documents.aspx.



The consideration period will end on Friday, January 8, 2010.



The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation continues to be enthusiastic about the future potential of this Park.



Thank you in advance for your time and thoughts. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to call me at 518-486-2484 or Alane Ball Chinian, Regional Director, Saratoga-Capital District State Park Region, Administration Building, Saratoga Spa State Park, 19 Roosevelt Drive, Saratoga Springs, NY 12886; 518-584-2535 or by email at SaratogaSpa.Plan@oprhp.state.ny.us



Sincerely,







Thomas B. Lyons

Director, Resource Management

NYS Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation

Agency Building One

Empire State Plaza

Albany, NY 12238



P Please consider the environment before printing this email.

The information contained in this email and any attachments to this email is the property of OPRHP and is privileged and confidential information intended only for the use of the individuals or entities named as addressees. If the reader of this message is not the intended recipient or the employee, agent or service provider responsible to deliver it to the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any dissemination, distribution or copying of this is strictly prohibited. If you have received this communication in error, please notify the recipient by telephone.

First snowstorm of 2009 at Victoria Pool.

skiers banned from spa state park's fairways

Skiers banned from Spa State Park’s fairways
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
By Lee Coleman (Contact)
Gazette Reporter




Photographer: Bruce Squiers

Signs, one a trail map and the other a notice, warn skiers, snowshoers and pedestrians to stay off Saratoga Spa State Park’s fairways this winter.Text Size: A | A | A
SARATOGA SPRINGS — For the first time ever, cross-country skiers this winter won’t be able to ski on the fairways of Saratoga Spa State Park’s championship golf course, state park officials said.

Cross-country skiing is still allowed in the park as long as the skiers stay on trails that have been marked with new signs and fencing.

Alane Ball Chinian, regional director for the state Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, said golf course turf experts say compacted cross-country ski trails have damaged the turf on the park’s championship course in the past.

Last spring and summer, state park officials investigated ways to improve the turf on the park’s 18-hole championship course and its 9-hole executive course.

Chinian said allowing cross-country ski trails on golf course fairways compacted the snow and eventually damaged the turf under the trails.

Park Manager Michael Greenslade said Monday that the putting greens on the golf courses have always been off-limits to cross-country skiers. He said the fairways have now been added to this list.

Maps of the park’s 3.7 miles of machine-groomed cross-country trails are available on the state parks’ Web site: www.nysparks.com. Green fencing and signs direct the skier to areas where they are permitted to ski, which is generally around the edge of the golf course. “It’s not ugly. It blends in with the park,” Greenslade said about the fencing.

“We’ve just put a big investment in the golf course,” Greenslade said. He said the fairways were overseeded this year. Earlier in the year some old trees were removed to bring more sunlight onto the fairways and greens. Chinian and Greenslade said they have received few complaints, so far, about the new trail restrictions.

When people read the signs and understand the reason why the cross-country ski trails are going around, rather than across, the fairways they seem to accept the change, Greenslade said. He said the southern end of the state park, except where the golf course is located, is fully open to cross-country skiing and snowshoeing.

“If people want to go to the southern end of the park, they can go [ski] anywhere,” Greenslade said.

He said the southern end of the park is also where many people snowshoe.

Park staff like to keep snowshoes off the groomed cross-country ski trails. There are about 6 miles of ungroomed trails in the southern end of the park and other parts of the park. There is no charge to use any of the groomed and ungroomed trails.

Chinian said the Spa State Park has also entered into a new partnership with the Saratoga Springs High School Nordic ski team.

Greenslade said between 40 and 50 high school cross-country skiers will use the groomed trails in the park as their training site.

Park maintenance crews will be grooming the cross-country trails on a regular basis. Greenslade said there must be at least 6 inches of snow on the ground before the trail-grooming equipment can be used.

Park staff also plan to compact a 6-foot to 8-foot corridor near the cross-country ski trails so the skiers can use the skating techniques.

Greenslade said rollers are used to create the ski-skating lanes, which are generally on either side of the cross-country trail itself.

Bruno found guilty on 2 counts of corruption. What do you think?

Home / News / Local
Spa City reaction is mixed as Bruno guilty of corruption
Story Discussion By DREW KERR - dkerr@poststar.com | Posted: Tuesday, December 8, 2009 1:00 am | (2) Comments

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Mike Groll - Associated Press Former New York Senate Republican leader Joseph Bruno, right, leaves federal court in Albany on Monday, with his son, Kenneth, at left. A federal jury found Bruno guilty on two counts of corruption and not guilty on five others after a landmark trial that exposed Albany's practice of influence peddling by lawmakers.


Related Stories
Related: The trial's eight charges
SARATOGA SPRINGS - The sign hovering above the mineral water spring at the Saratoga Spa State Park has long been a source of frustration for Saratoga Springs resident Louise Goldstein.

Now she thinks she might finally be able to do something about it.

That's because former state Senator Joe Bruno - the man memorialized on the park placard - was found guilty on Monday of two federal corruption charges in Albany, the result of a three-week trial in which prosecutors alleged he illegally intertwined state and private business to enrich himself.

With Bruno now out of office, and his reputation seemingly on the ropes, Goldstein said she sees an opening to press her case that the sign should be removed, perhaps replaced with one that honors another elite Saratogian, such as Spencer Trask.

"People were always afraid to speak out against Joe Bruno because they didn't want to lose out on the money that he was able to give out," said Goldstein, reached at home shortly after the verdict was announced. "But I don't think he's got a whole lot of money to be giving out anymore."

Not everyone in the region reacted so coolly to the news that Bruno had been found guilty on two of the eight counts brought against him by federal authorities.

Local officials reacting to the verdict said Bruno's contributions to the region - among them, helping to coax GlobalFoundries to build a $4.2 billion computer chip manufacturing facility in Malta and securing $12 million for an expansion at the Saratoga Springs City Center - would not be diminished by the trial's outcome.

Jasper Nolan, chairman of the Saratoga County Republican Committee, said his support for the man he first met 50 years ago, as each was entering the political fray, was unwavering.

"I know my enemies can call me a lackey, but I've never been on Joe Bruno's payroll," he said. "As an individual, I will do whatever I can, and I'm assuming many of the people who have known and worked with the senator will continue to support him as well."

Nolan said he was "very disappointed" in the trial, which he described as a display of prosecutorial hubris.

The judge's demeanor toward Bruno during the trial and the fact that the case was not postponed until after the U.S. Supreme Court has a chance to take up the legality of the "honest services" law - under which Bruno was prosecuted - were concerning, he said.

The federal statute is based on the belief that an official can "deprive another of the intangible right of honest services." The law's legality will be taken up by Supreme Court Justices on Tuesday, following complaints that it is too vague.

"I firmly believe that Joe is innocent, and I'm not doing so blindly," said Nolan, who has served as the party's chairman in Saratoga County since 1986. "I'm looking only at the facts."

That empathy seemed to cross party lines, too.

Larry Bulman, chairman of the Saratoga County Democratic Committee, said he "took no joy" in seeing the conviction, given all the work Bruno has done to promote economic development in the county.

Many of those developments have benefited South Glens Falls-based Local 773 of the Plumbers & Steamfitters union, of which Bulman is president.

"I certainly don't take any glory in seeing a guy who did so much for this area - even though he was not from my party - end his career under this kind of a cloud," Bulman said.

Bulman was also one of 70 witnesses called to testify in the case.

Prosecutors questioned him about the union's association with Wright Investors Services, a Connecticut firm for which Bruno worked. Bruno allegedly failed to disclose the association.

Bulman said he was vindicated by Bruno's acquittal on the charges related to that interaction and pointed out that Wright is now one of the union's best performing money managers.

"It was nice to go in there and tell the truth and tell your story," said Bulman. "I respected him more when I found he was involved but that he didn't use that to put pressure on us."

Bulman dismissed speculation that his role in the trial might lead him to step down as the county's party chairman later this week.

State Sen. Betty Little, R-Queensbury, testified in the case as well, and she also said she felt the verdict showed there was no wrongdoing on her part.

Prosecutors had asked Little why grants given to Local 773, used to fund training programs for union members, were sought through her office despite the fact that the union's headquarters are outside of her district.

The union does, however, have a training center in the northern end of her territory.

Despite some sense of relief, Little said she thought the trial should prompt her and her peers to work harder on state ethics reform in the future and to make legislators' outside business affiliations more clear.

"I think this trial showed that Albany, and really government on all levels, needs to be held more accountable to the public and to be as transparent as possible," said Little, who serves on the regional advisory board of directors for Glens Falls National Bank and so precludes herself from serving on the Senate Banking Committee.

Assemblyman Tony Jordan, R-Jackson, said the case also shows that ethics laws need to be made clearer so there is no confusion about what a lawmaker should be compelled to disclose.

"The rules and the guidelines about what is admissible ought to be very clear," said Jordan, an attorney. "I don't think it's an insurmountable task."

The legislative session, which typically runs through January and June, could also be shortened to lessen the likelihood that legislators could intermingle private and state business, Jordan said. Bruno's work as a consultant and his solicitation of union pension investments provided the basis for many of the charges against him.

Prosecutors said during the trial that he made more than $3 million during the course of his three-decade career, including 13 years as the Senate majority leader, by wielding his power and influence.

Bruno argued that New York lawmakers are entitled to engage in outside business activities because they are part-time legislators. The court, he and his legal defense team argued, was the wrong venue to provoke changes to the system.

Jurors ultimately convicted Bruno on two corruption charges while acquitting him of five other charges. They failed to reach a decision on one count of mail fraud - a charge prosecutors said they may pursue again.

The charges on which Bruno was convicted relate to accepting compensation for consulting services from firms owned by area entrepreneur Jared Abbruzzese.

Bruno later sponsored state grants for another company in which Abbruzzese was an investor.

The other conviction related to the $80,000 sale of a "virtually worthless" horse to Abbruzzese - a transaction prosecutors said served as a "disguised gift" to compensate Bruno for consulting fees.

Abbruzzese sad at the trial that he sought Bruno's support in order to lend his businesses credibility and stature.

The 80-year-old Bruno now faces up to 20 years in prison and fines of up to $500,000, according to federal prosecutors.

Sentencing was scheduled for March 31, but Bruno told reporters after the verdict was revealed in an Albany court room that he was "very, very disappointed," and that the "legal process is going to continue."

His defense team said they will move to dismiss the verdict and will file an appeal if necessary.

"In my mind and in my heart, it's not over till it's over," said Bruno, who was released on his own recognizance after the verdict was delivered.

In a statement, U.S. Attorney Andrew Baxter said the verdict reflected the jurors' "unanimous determination" that Bruno "deprived the citizens of New York of his honest and faithful services, contrary to federal law."

Bruno had a "fiduciary relationship with the State of New York and its citizens requiring disinterested decision making and candid disclosure of the potential motivation behind his official acts," Baxter said in the statement.

Prosecutors, Baxter said, "take no pleasure from what the trial revealed about the culture of New York State Senate, under the leadership of Joe Bruno," but will "continue to strive to ensure that public officials who breach their public trust will be held accountable."

A call to state Sen. Roy McDonald, elected to Bruno's seat after Bruno's retirement in 2008, was not immediately returned.

Attempts to reach several other local economic development officials, elected leaders and past Bruno associates were also unsuccessful Monday night.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Posted in Local on Tuesday, December 8, 2009 1:00 am Updated: 11:15 pm. | Tags:

Bring down the Bruno sign on the spring in Saratoga Spa State Park. What do you think?

Breaking News!! Bruno convicted of 2 felonies.

MICHAEL VIRTANEN -- Associated Press | Posted: Monday, December 7, 2009 4:45 pm | (0) Comments

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Mike Groll Former New York Senate Republican leader Joseph Bruno, right, leaves federal court in Albany, N.Y., Monday, Dec. 7, 2009 with his son, Kenneth, at left. A federal jury finds Bruno guilty on two counts of corruption and not guilty on five others after a landmark trial that exposed Albany's practice of influence peddling by lawmakers. (AP Photo/Mike Groll)

ALBANY, N.Y. - A jury convicted former New York Senate leader Joseph Bruno of two corruption counts Monday, determining that he illegally traded on his position as one of the state's most powerful politicians to enrich his personal fortune.

Bruno, 80, faced eight fraud charges in a corruption trial that exposed Albany's practice of influence-peddling by lawmakers. The jury convicted Bruno of two counts of mail fraud; acquitted him of two counts of wire fraud and three counts of mail fraud; and could not reach a decision on another mail fraud count.

Prosecutors accused Bruno of denying New Yorkers his honest services while making $3.2 million by using his state influence. He consulted for three businessmen and solicited union pension investments from labor unions on behalf of two companies.

"It goes without saying that I'm very, very disappointed in the verdict I just heard. The legal process is going to continue," said Bruno after the verdict. "In my mind and in my heart, it's not over till it's over."

Bruno was a state senator from Rensselaer County for 32 years, the last 13 as leader of the Senate's Republican majority, until retiring in 2008. As majority leader, he was one of Albany's oft-criticized "three men in a room," a potent trio that includes the governor and Assembly speaker. The three control patronage hiring, the allocation of hundreds of millions of dollars and all legislation.

Prosecutors argued that Bruno was required to publicly disclose his business interests and associates, who benefited from positions Bruno took on legislation and grants.

Many of New York's 212 lawmakers, who make at least $79,500 in their part-time jobs, have outside employment. Bruno and his attorneys argued that the federal court was the wrong place to put on trial that entire system, where conflicts of interest are inevitable. They said Bruno did not put his own interests before the public's and that any conflicts or perceived conflicts were insignificant.

The jury heard three weeks of testimony from more than 70 witnesses. Bruno declined to testify, instead standing in front of cameras on the courthouse steps confidently repeating that he had done nothing wrong.

Bruno was released on his own recognizance. U.S. District Court Judge Gary Sharpe declined requests by prosecutors that Bruno turn in his passport.

Assistant U.S. Attorney William Pericak declined immediate comment.

Sentencing is scheduled for March 31. Defense lawyer William Dreyer said he would file a motion to dismiss the conviction and, if that fails, would appeal.

Prosecutors have said they want restitution but haven't yet calculated the precise amount, or the potential prison term. Authorities initially said he could face up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine on each count.

Bruno was convicted of mail fraud for checks sent by Communication Technology Advisors and Capital & Technology Advisors to Capital Business Consultants, Bruno's later consulting company. The companies' majority owner was Jared Abbruzzese, a Bruno friend and business associate. Bruno sponsored state grants for Evident Technologies, a company in which Abbruzzese was an investor.

Bruno also was convicted of mail fraud for a $40,000 check sent from Bazaguma LLC, Abbruzzese's thoroughbred business, to Business Consultants, Bruno's consulting firm, for a foal that came from a joint breeding venture by Bruno, Abbruzzese and a third partner.

The jury failed to reach a decision on a count of mail fraud for checks mailed by VyTek Wireless Inc., a company partly owned by Leonard Fassler, addressed to Business Consultants.



Posted in National on Monday, December 7, 2009 4:45 pm Updated: 5:25 pm. | Tags:

City Center/Saratoga Hotel on Broadway construction progressing rapidly, 11/09.

Let us give thanks for dear friends and family and wonderful pastries at Mrs. Londons.

Broadway, Saratoga Springs,ny
November 25,2009

Victoria Pool getting dressed for winter, November 23,2009

news from SPAC, hires former ASO manager, Sharon Walsh.

SPAC hires former ASO general manager

By BRIAN RIVLIN, Special to the Times Union
Last updated: 4:05 p.m., Monday, November 23, 2009

The Saratoga Performing Arts Center has announced that former Albany Symphony Orchestra General Manager Sharon Walsh will become the next executive assistant with the organization. Walsh has more than 20 years of administrative experience in various artistic venues, including 15 years with the Albany Symphony Orchestra and five years with the National Museum of Dance. She will be providing support for SPAC's President and Executive Director Marcia J. White.
While with the Albany Symphony Orchestra, Walsh managed the operational aspects of the organization including: budget development and management, music, personnel and educational programing. She retired in February from the ASO and was replaced in late summer by Brian Ritter, who has assumed general managing and developmental responsibilities as ASO's first executive director.

Walsh will join SPAC on Nov. 30, replacing staffer Nancy Meyer who is retiring at the end of the year.

Saratogians will miss bobby frankel at the track and beyond.

Missing BobbyComment Email Print Share By Claire Novak
Special to ESPN.com
Archive
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. -- It was quiet this summer on the Oklahoma Oval, and no throngs of horsemen gathered outside Barn 72. This used to be a meeting place, one of the first stops a Turf writer would make in the Saratoga mornings. You could speak to top jockeys before morning works, touch base with ambitious agents hoping to get mounts, even run into other trainers coming by just to shoot the breeze.



No longer. Bobby Frankel was gone.



The assistants were characteristically mum. Ask about a racehorse, they were glad to share information. Ask about their boss and the answer was indefinite -- "We don't know nothing." Through the swirl of racetrack rumors, it became clear that Frankel, 68, had been kept away from the track due to a reoccurring battle with leukemia. His prognosis wasn't good.



He normally spent the season in Saratoga, and early in the summer the writers held out hope that the Hall of Fame trainer would reappear. But this year Frankel didn't leave his home in Pacific Palisades, Calif., and his presence was sorely missed. From 21 starters at the Spa, his barn sent out only two winners.



He had been fourth in the standings the year before, had taken four of the track's great Grade Is -- the Forego with First Defence, the Go for Wand and Personal Ensign with Ginger Punch, and the Hopeful with Vineyard Haven. But as the 2009 season went on, although his horses continued to train under his supervision via phone, he gradually dispersed them to other trainers.



Even as recently as the Nov. 6-7 Breeders' Cup World Thoroughbred Championships, Frankel's presence was missed and remarked upon as his defending champ Ventura, winner of the 2008 Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint, missed the 2009 edition by 1¼ lengths to Informed Decision. The Frankel barn, always marking up a strong success rate with the ladies, sent out Visit to finish fourth in the Filly & Mare Turf and Proviso, also fourth, in the Ladies' Classic.



Frankel was not there that weekend; he watched the races from his hospital room. And somehow his absence, six months away from the industry, reinforced what the Turf writers knew all along. That sooner or later, the end would come, and everything everyone had been waiting to say would have to be said in remembrance.


* * *


Bobby Frankel, born July 9, 1941, in Brooklyn, N.Y., died early on the morning of Nov. 16, 2009. "Peacefully at his home," the brief report from Blood-Horse read, and at news outlets across the nation, journalists began to pull statistics and clips about his greatness.



Hall of Fame member, inducted in 1995.

Five-time Eclipse Award winner as the nation's outstanding trainer.

Thirty training titles to his credit among tracks on both coasts -- in Southern California and New York.

The man who channeled the talents of 10 national champions, including 2004 Horse of the Year Ghostzapper.

Six Breeders' Cup victories to his credit.

A Classic score in the 2003 Belmont Stakes (Empire Maker).


And even in his final year, conditioner of four Grade I winners in six Grade I victories -- Ventura, Champs Elysees, Midships and Stardom Bound. It was a sad day for racing.



But the Turf writers who knew him dug deeper into the reservoirs of memory, paying tribute to a man with a "quick wit, a fiery temper, and a sense of humor … but well-known for his soft spot for his horses, particularly fillies, as well as his pet dogs." (Steve Andersen, The Daily Racing Form)


* * *


Dave Grening first covered New York racing for The Form during Belmont's fall meet of 1998. His first summer at Saratoga, and his first exposure to a daily beat with Frankel, came in 1999. He quickly learned that to deal with the edgy trainer was an art form in itself.



"You had to know what you were coming to ask, you had to be prepared when you went to see Frankel," Grening said. "If you were just asking willy-nilly questions from the top of your head, he'd give you a one- or two-word answer -- 'yes,' 'no,' 'he's OK,' that type -- and you wouldn't have anything to write. You had to come up with a legitimate question, know the horse you wanted to ask about, know about the race the horse was running in, and have an idea of how you thought his horse fit in so then he could school you on whether you were right or wrong."



Although Frankel was based in California, his New York string established itself as a force to be reckoned with, including a 2003 run of 25 Grade I wins that came mostly in the Empire State. Through the victories -- which, for Frankel, seemed to come along more often than defeats -- Grening was there.



"His barn was one of the first stops you had to make, when he had all those good horses," he remembered. "He was all about what he did -- racing, planning, strategizing -- and all about the horses."


"The thing about Bobby that made him such a great trainer was this incredible affection he had for animals," recalled The Blood-Horse's Steve Haskin. "He was so in tune to them, basically his dogs and his horses encompassed his entire life."



Haskin remembers seeing Frankel watch his horses as they left his barn at Saratoga, his faithful Australian shepherd Happy, and later Ginger, at his side. He remembers the affection Frankel had for his runners and the way he looked at them when they went out to the track -- with a sense of pride and respect.



"There was that warmth to him that most people never saw," Haskin said. "And when his horses won, it was like his own child had gone out and done something magnificent. These horses were his children. He was a great guy to be around, he really was."



Equine photographer Barbara Livingston also remembered Frankel with fondness. Initially frightened by his brusque behavior, she eventually came to recognize his softer side.



"After the 2001 Alabama Stakes, a friend of mine once forced me to ask Bobby if he'd pose with his winner, Flute," Livingston recalled. "He seemed eager. He held her close and rubbed her face and smiled toward her -- such love, adoration -- he was smitten by her and, I learned, by all of his horses."



Frankel posed again for Livingston with Sightseek in 2004 and, at Saratoga last year, with Ginger Punch.



"We asked him about her," she said. "He said that while Ginger Punch wasn't the most talented horse he'd ever trained, she tried as hard as any mare could. He spoke of how much he admired her and of her great race on a picture-perfect Saratoga afternoon. He then spoke of politics and of life, and we laughed, we clung on every word. That was a good day."


* * *


During the last few weeks of Belmont's spring/summer meet of 2009, Daily News reporter Jerry Bossert put a call in to Frankel regarding one of his runners. The horse came from off the pace and took it going away, an impressive victory. The talk was all business; they discussed the race and the horse's future. But Bossert couldn't help thinking how much the trainer sounded like he always does, how he didn't sound sick at all. He couldn't help imagining that Frankel could be back outside that Saratoga shedrow sometime soon.



Now, faced with the news they felt coming, those who knew him here will mourn and feel slightly lost. They'll pass Barn 72 next summer and a new trainer, new horses will be there. It just won't feel the same.



As everyone remembers, Frankel was a profoundly private man. As anyone who knew him will tell you, overwhelming sympathy from hundreds is the last thing he would have desired. And perhaps, in the grand scheme of things, the simplest words are the most eloquent, when spoken from the heart. That is how he would like to be remembered.



"I'll always be grateful to him for his kindness toward us and for his love of the game and his horses" Livingston said. "It is impossible to look at Ventura's face, or Flute's, or Sightseek's, and not see Frankel reflected therein."



Claire Novak is an award-winning journalist whose coverage of the thoroughbred industry appears in a variety of outlets, including The Blood-Horse Magazine, The Albany Times Union and NTRA.com. She lives in Lexington, Ky.

Saratoga Springs Icon turns 100,Saratogian, 11/14/09

The Saratogian (saratogian.com), Serving the Saratoga Springs, N.Y. region

Life

Local icon celebrates 100th birthday
Monday, November 16, 2009


SARATOGA SPRINGS — Sophie Goldstein celebrated her 100th birthday Nov. 6, at an open house celebration at her home on North Street. More than 80 people attended the party, hosted by Sophie’s daughter, Louise Goldstein.

City Historian Mary Ann Fitzgerald presented a proclamation honoring Sophie on behalf of the city of Saratoga Springs. Sophie is a well-known and beloved resident of Saratoga. Since arriving here in 1939, she has been a librarian, researcher and historian.

The Sophie Goldstein collection on the history of the Jewish Community of Saratoga Springs is housed in the Saratoga Room of the Saratoga Springs Public Library. More than $1,000 has been received in donations to expand the collection in honor of her 100th birthday.

Friends and relatives came from very far away to celebrate Sophie with new and old friends from Saratoga Springs. Sophie was born in Tula, Russia, and came to Saratoga Springs with her husband, George, a dentist, who died in 1966.

Is it time to remove the sign from the spring near the car museum at Saratoga Spa State Park?

blog gets a review in the times union

COMMUNITY RESIDENT BLOGS

I mentioned my own blog – Fun in Saratoga – in my comments about the Saratoga Seen blog. I try to keep my blog positive and focused from the viewpoint of a resident who loves the track and loves living here. Unfortunately my love for this great city can be adversely affected by…let’s just say often less than adequate performance of certain entities such as NYRA, City Hall, certain newspapers, certain restaurants etc. so I will occasionally express my displeasure about my experiences with them but more often than not I’m simply trying to express my joy about living in such a wonderful place that I hope to never leave.
I want to mention the All Over Albany blog here, simply because those bloggers make an honest effort to include Saratoga Springs in their coverage. They do a good job covering a wide area around the Capital District and I like their fun style. Their nickname for the blogger who writes the I-Saratoga Blog (mentioned below) is “His crankiness”. Funny. Recently, they have been posting information about a Tournament of Pizza challenge in various Capital region cities, including Saratoga Springs.
The Save the Victoria Pool Society blog is full of passion and love for that beautiful pool and the encompassing Saratoga Spa State Park. It can get a little testy on that blog – both from the blogger end as well as the comments. I respect this(these) blogger(s) because the blog is full of passion and there are no punches pulled when it comes to exposing instances of States Park & Rec and/or other entities not respecting the pool and the park.
There are two blogs listed here that have stunningly beautiful nature photography and Saratoga Woods and Waterways is one of them. The blogger travels the natural areas in the county from Congress Park to the Adirondack Park and is passionate about what she finds and takes incredible photography of beautiful works of nature from the tiniest flowers and insects to beautiful lakes and mountains. Her love for what she finds and her talent in photographing it will lift up your day every time. Give it a try and you’ll see what I mean.