"-heck, any day at Saratoga-is a good day." Palm Beach Post, 8/4/10

Miles from Miami, Saratoga racing puts everyone - even Bill Parcells - at ease
Photo by Hal Habib
Enlarge Photo Here at Saratoga, Bill Parcells blends in -- can you find him in the crowd? (Hint: He's wearing a tan sport jacket, sitting behind the middle pillar.)


Photo by Hal Habib
Enlarge Photo Bill Parcells checks the monitor during a race in the box seats at Saratoga.

The latest »
Florida Marlins sign free agent third baseman Chad Tracy 8:18 p.m.
Several Hurricanes miss first practice 8:12 p.m.
Miami Dolphins will hold a full scrimmage Saturday and a limited scrimmage Monday Updated 8:11 p.m.
Miami Dolphins' Patrick Cobbs knows how the injured Kory Sheets feels Updated 8:05 p.m.
Seantrel Henderson, the nation's top prospect who left USC for Miami, makes huge entrance Updated 8:03 p.m.
Suspended Marshall players from Palm Beach County will not be reinstated
More local sports headlines By Hal Habib
Palm Beach Post Staff Writer

Updated: 10:47 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 4, 2010

Posted: 5:11 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 4, 2010

Post a Comment E-mail Print ShareLarger Type Small Type
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. — The opening of Dolphins training camp was only a few days away. Word had just come that a starting defensive lineman was out for the year because of injury. Yet Bill Parcells had not a care in the world, it seemed.

Parcells had settled into the box seats at Saratoga Race Course. Even though he couldn't sit in his box - the rain had flooded it - it was opening day.

And opening day at Saratoga - heck, any day at Saratoga - is a good day.

"What really makes it special is every time I've ever been here, I've been happy," said Parcells, the Dolphins' executive vice president of football operations. "This is a happy place for Bill Parcells."

It must be. The last time Parcells spoke to the South Florida media was about the time this track was being constructed - following the Battle of Gettysburg.

But take Parcells out of aqua and orange and slip him into a summer-bright white shirt and yellow jacket, take away his football roster and hand him the Daily Racing Form, and, instead of the Colts, let him scout out colts. Then watch what happens.

"It's a great place to be in the summer," said Parcells, who has a home here. "The weather's good. The golf is good. The races are good. The town is excited. There are a lot of good places to eat. It's very relaxing and it's just a nice, upstate place to be."

Parcells first made the trip around the mid-'80s. He returned the following year, and before he knew it, "it gets to be a habit," meaning aside from having built Super Bowl champions, Parcells is just like the other 25,000 who show up daily in this cathedral of racing.

Maybe it's the mountains. Or walking amid the tall elms on the winding paths leading to a wooden grandstand - with an emphasis on "grand." The gentlemen in coats, ladies in exquisite hats and the pretzel-clutching children in heaven. It's fans showing up for the trackside buffet breakfast at 7 a.m. even though post times don't start until at least 1 p.m.

This is the nation's oldest racetrack, having begun operations across the street in 1863. You name them, they ran here. Secretariat. Affirmed vs. Alydar. Seabiscuit liked it so much, he ran both on track and onscreen (they filmed the movie here). Notorious gamblers ran here, too, using the joint to elude New York City authorities in the olden days.

"From New York City you drive north for about 175 miles, turn left on Union Avenue and go back 100 years," columnist Red Smith wrote. Today, it's closer to 150 years.

"Horse heaven," track announcer Tom Durkin said. "A bit of a social whirl in an authentic, Victorian place."

Trainer Nick Zito, inducted into racing's Hall of Fame across the street, added, "It's spiritual. Look at it. You don't get this anywhere else."

Blink and it's over. Such is the nature of this meet because it lasts roughly six weeks (July 23 through Sept. 6) and because only the swiftest survive.

"Even if you win a small (race) here, I think more people notice," trainer Ken McPeek said. "You could win 10 someplace else and nobody cares. But winning here, it's tough. It's the best horsemen, the best riders, the best of everything."

Jack Knowlton arrived in 1969, Bill Heller three years later and Dave Smith 10 years after Heller. At the time, Knowlton and Heller were college students and Smith was an elementary school teacher seeking a summer job.

They haven't left yet. Probably never will.

"It's my summer home," said Smith, an usher. "The box-holders here are my second family."

Buffalo Bills owner Ralph Wilson, Louisville basketball coach Rick Pitino, Chicago Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville, they're all here.

Smith also carries the trophy to the winner's circle for the daily feature race.

"Sometimes I've said I would do this for nothing," he said.

Parcells sits in Smith's section.

"Oh, he's a great guy," Smith said, bemoaning that Parcells is only able to come for the start of the meet since he joined the Dolphins.

Heller was an Albany State student when he arrived.

"On my first visit to a thoroughbred track, I got to see Secretariat win the Hopeful Stakes," said Heller, who covers Saratoga for Thoroughbred Style Magazine and has written several books, including Saratoga Tales and a recent biography of jockey Randy Romero.

"The Hopeful was amazing because he was last heading into the far turn, and he just swooped by the whole field like that (snapping his fingers). I said, 'Oh my God.' How could you not become a fan of thoroughbred racing after that?"

Knowlton was a grad student who incorporated trips to Saratoga into his curriculum. Somewhat.

"I got a lot of math in here," he said.

Addition or subtraction?

"Probably subtraction from my pocket, but I learned, and here we are, 40 years later."

Knowlton once found himself in the winner's circle at Churchill Downs when he was the managing partner of Sackatoga Stable, which owns Funny Cide, the 2003 Kentucky Derby winner.

"It all started here," said Knowlton, who credits Funny Cide for allowing him to obtain a box at the track. He said it also allows him to attend the No. 1 event of each summer in Saratoga Springs, the gala thrown by Marylou Whitney, the socialite who maintains a seasonal home in Palm Beach.

Whitney arrived in the late '50s with her previous husband, the late Cornelius Vanderbilt "Sonny" Whitney.

"We didn't intend to stay at all," she said. "It was so much fun. I said, 'This is wonderful. Let's move here!'" Whitney became known as the queen of Saratoga.

She and her husband, John Hendrickson, sponsor and attend an event for stable workers every evening from July 23 to Sept. 5, such as a bingo game awarding $250 gift certificates. That's in addition to parties.

"Sometimes, she has five events a night," Hendrickson said. "Last year, we were having dinner with (New York Gov. David) Paterson and Marylou said, in the middle of dinner, 'Would you excuse me for 25 minutes?'"

On a recent sunny afternoon a few days into the meet, fans wheeled in coolers and staked out picnic tables amid the trees and toteboards. Michael Geraghty was in the coveted spot he has had for 21 years, selling racing paintings.

"Having one of these spots is akin to an apartment on Fifth Avenue in New York City," he said. "You don't have this atmosphere at any other track in the country. It's almost more like a resort than a day at the track."

Saratoga is not immune to today's economy. The strapped New York Racing Association received a $25 million loan from the state in May to open the track.

"I never thought they would close," Zito said. "It's 25 minutes from Albany. That's where these guys (lawmakers) live. ... If they ever want to get elected, there's no way."

The population triples to 75,000 during the meet. Downtown, it's equines everywhere, from the "Remarkable Finish" beauty salon to colorful statutes.

"It's just a wonderful place," Parcells said. "It's hard for me to explain what it does for me. It's relaxing, but it's exciting."

Is it easier to pick a good horse or football player?

"For me, it's easier to pick a football player, because I know what I'm looking at," said Parcells, who has owned racehorses. "I don't know what I'm looking at here all the time."

But he was doing OK on opening day.

"I was lucky in the first race," he said.

In South Florida awaited the headaches of running a pro football team, including the injury to defensive end Phillip Merling, who is out for the year.

But on this day, Bill Parcells was 1,442 miles away.

That's 150 horse years.

Faux diamonds and Marylou, it must be Saratoga in August.

Saratoga Seen
Your insiders’ source for what’s happening around Saratoga County.
About the Saratoga bureau | Saratoga coverage | Follow us on Twitter!

Details released for Friday’s Whitney Gala
August 3, 2010 at 1:55 pm by Christen Gowan

Audrey Hepburn in "Breakfast at Tiffany's"

Saratoga Seen just got some latest details on the upcoming “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” themed-Whitney Gala, which is Friday night.

The annual rite of summer will feature Marylou, her husband John Hendrickson, and (possibly) invited guests Sarah and Todd Palin.

Here are some of the details of Saratoga’s social event of the season (if this city has one):

Be in place by 7 p.m. in front of Canfield Casino if you want to see Marylou’s entrance.
Marylou and John will arrive in a 1960’s-era New York City taxicab, just like the one featured in the classic Audrey Hepburn movie.
As always, there will be an outdoor stage for onlookers to enjoy entertainment before Marylou’s arrival. Singers and dancers will perform songs from movies from the Hepburn era, like “Moon River” and “Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend.”
Onlookers will be given Tiffany-blue bubble blowers and enormous faux diamonds as the giveaway.

Air Conditioners Running Full Blast – Waste at the Saratoga Spa State Park

Your State Tax Dollars pay to have the Victoria Pools entrance hall cooled. Two large "heat pumps" run all day to keep an open hallway cool. This building has multiple sets of double doors, open from 10am to 6pm.
Our Tax dollars are going out the door !!

go to www.livepositively.com and vote for Saratoga Spa State Park.

The comment on the above picture bears repeating: everybody vote early and often. $100,000 for Saratoga Spa State Park from Coca Cola would be very nice.

"VictoriousVictorian said...
Go to the coca cola website and vote for the favorite NYS park. I heard the most votes per states gets money. How wonderful it would to have outside funding to improve saratoga spa state park and the Victoria Pool. (*shh you can vote multiple times)"

They're Off! for the 142nd time at Saratoga Racetrack! 40 days of Christmas in Saratoga until Labor Day.

Barbara, Louise, Commander Tom Prusinowski and Sebi.

beautiful undripping faucet by our masterful saratoga spa state park employees. Surely they can make the lion's head flow again.

"Country club chic vs family friendly"

2 Spa Park pools: Country club chic vs. family friendly
Saturday, July 17, 2010

By Tatiana Zarnowski (Contact)
Gazette Reporter





Photographer: Bruce Squiers

Gracie Dube, eight, of Glenville, hits a pool of water after a trip down the water slide at Peerless Pool in Saratoga Spa Park.
Text Size: A | A | A
SARATOGA SPRINGS — Victoria and Peerless pools are less than a mile apart at Saratoga Spa State Park, but to hear fans of each pool describe them, they may as well be in separate worlds.

Cooling off, catching rays and relaxing are the goals at both pools, but the atmospheres are different.

Peerless has its big grass yard and a few shade trees, its zero-depth entry, kiddie pool and water slides that attract youngsters and their parents. It’s noisier, faster and the lifeguards blow their whistles more.

Victoria’s charm is in the architecture, the arched promenades that surround the pool, as well as the chaise lounges and attached bar and restaurant. The pace is slower, and although children are welcomed, they’re clearly in the minority.

One Peerless fan described the difference as “country club” versus “public” pools.

Terry Avery, of Corinth, prefers the down-to-earth Peerless Pool, where she takes her 9-year-old granddaughter, Bernice Avery, about once a week.

Bernice loves the water slides at Peerless. “It’s just fun because you can go on it fast, and you can race people,” she said. She especially enjoys racing her cousins to the bottom, and paddles with her hands to go faster.

Patty Burnham was just an energetic preteen herself when her parents started dropping her and her younger brother off at the Victoria Pool while they golfed at McGregor Links in Wilton.

Now 67, Burnham still goes frequently, and said not much has changed in more than 50 years, other than the removal of diving boards.

“It’s just as beautiful now as it was back then,” the Corinth woman said.

“I could swim the length of the pool underwater,” she recalled. “We were just two little fishes.”

The Victoria Pool is still something of a secret, said Burnham’s daughter, Laurie Macara of Saratoga Springs. “I’ve talked to people that live here, that have moved here [who] don’t even know it exists,” said Macara, 48. She urges them to visit the pool she considers one of the most beautiful places in the city.

“It’s like being in Europe, I think. It’s like being on vacation.”

Many Victoria regulars like the crowd that shows up there.

Becky Miller of Saratoga Springs said she meets all different types of people at the Victoria Pool. The outgoing 24-year-old Saratoga native met visitors from New Jersey and New Hampshire there on a recent visit, and saw friends and acquaintances.

“It’s restaurant people, it’s locals, it’s tourists,” she said. “It’s representative of Saratoga, because that’s what Saratoga is.”

Miller works at The Mexican Connection in the evenings, but she and two coworkers chill out at the pool when they can on weekdays.

The trio stood in the shallow end and perused a gossip magazine that Jessica Bellon, 20, held above the water.

Off-duty lifeguards also frequent the pools.

Three Grafton Lake lifeguards on their day off soaked up sun at the Victoria Pool while visiting friends who worked there.

“On our days off, we’d rather be at the pool than at the beach,” said Jen Villanova, 22, of Clifton Park, who was evening out her lifeguard tan lines.

“It’s a different crowd here,” she said, adding she prefers the Victoria Pool to Peerless, where she used to work. “It’s just a pretty place.”

Victoria devotees know they have to get to the pool early to get a good spot, and score the coveted chaise lounges.

Sisters Bonnie Prescott and Kathy Blair said a 9:30 a.m. arrival is best, half an hour before the pool opens.

Visiting the pool just about every weekend is their treat after working all week.

“I work all week long; I deserve one day,” said Prescott, 60, of Clifton Park. “We love it. It’s convenient.”

Blair, 55, of East Greenbush definitely likes the Victoria Pool better. “That’s too big over there,” she said of the Peerless Pool.

Prescott used to frequent Peerless.

“When my kids were younger, we used to go to the Peerless Pool.”

save the pool

The Victoria Pool even has its own grassroots group, Save the Victoria Pool, formed several years ago to urge the state park to fix problems at the pool. More recently it has lobbied to open the pool before the traditional late June start date, and voiced concern for the pool’s fate during this year’s state budget crisis.

But Peerless has its fans too, though they may not be as public or as vocal.

A Rotterdam couple was sold on the pool during a visit on a recent Wednesday, because it offered an inexpensive day out as they had a picnic lunch under a shade tree.

Jeff and Tammy Hodder hadn’t been to Peerless many times before. But they hope to come more often this summer because Jeff, 54, discovered he gets relief from a painful back injury in the water.

“I get in the water here, and I’m pain free,” Hodder said. “This is the best I’ve felt in a long time.”

They have visited the Central Park pool in Schenectady, but find it even more hectic than Peerless, which during the week is packed with children attending summer camps.

“We love the park,” Tammy Hodder said. “This is one of the nicest parks around.”

A few people lay in the very shallow end of the zero-depth entry at Peerless, soaking in some water and basking in the sun. Unlike at Victoria Pool, few people sat on the concrete pool deck at Peerless. Everyone had their chairs and blankets spread out on the grass, some under shade trees.

Tara Doria likes the wide-open space at Peerless, where she takes her 4-year-old son and an 18-month-old boy she watches. “There’s a lot more grass space,” the Ballston Spa woman said.

The Peerless Pool complex consists of an Olympic-sized main pool with zero-depth entry, a separate slide pool with a 19-foot double slide and a children’s wading pool with mushroom fountain. The “deep end” is 31⁄2 feet.

The capacity for the Victoria Pool is 344 swimmers, while Peerless Pool can hold more than twice that.

Dry Lions, but still wasting water.

faucet keeps running while lion's heads not being allowed to flow this year?

If it is too "expensive" to turn on the beautiful historic Lion's Heads at the Victoria Pool then why has this faucet been running for months needlessly?

The great New York City Ballet opens season 45 at SPAC gloriously.

New York City Ballet’s Opening Night @ SPAC 7/6/10
July 7, 2010 at 1:03 am by Joseph Dalton
By JOSEPH DALTONSpecial to the Times Union
SARATOGA SPRINGS – With a roll of the snare drum and a cartwheel by a dancer, the New York City Ballet’s summer season got off to a fast start. Tuesday night’s program at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center opened with “Fancy Free” the loveable 1944 tale of three sailors in a hurry to have some fun. Played with ample swagger by Tyler Angle, Joaquin De Luz and Amar Ramasar, they set the bravura tone for the entire night.
Ballet master in chief Peter Martins said in a curtain speech (which has become a hallmark of the Marcia White era) that because it was still, almost, the Fourth of July weekend he had decided to go all-American.
That theme allowed for plenty of diversity.
After the first intermission came “Red Angels,” the seldom seen 1994 creation by Ulysses Dove. The late choreographer’s roots in modern dance showed through in every angular pose and rippling undulation by the six dancers in red leotards. Tight overhead spotlights kept them from getting lost in the same red lighting that filled the stage. Richard Einhorn’s score resembled drums and rock guitar, but it all came from an electric violin, played by Cenovia Cummins.
Modern and ballet styles were put in more sharp relief in Peter Martin’s Barber Violin Concerto. Megan Fairchild and Charles Askegard represented proper tradition, while Sara Mearns and Jared Angle danced barefoot. Though neither pair began their partnering work very smoothly, the soaring music infused everything with some meaning and purpose.
Despite the title and light Gershwin score, Balanchine’s “Who Cares?” (the finale) allowed for plenty of serious dancing, especially from its three ballerinas. Sterling Hyltin had a deceptive grace and ease, especially in contrast to the more composed, if not pent up, Ana Sophia Scheller, though her fouette turns flowed with easy dispatch.
If there was a star of the night, it was Tiler Peck, who joined the company just five and a half years ago and was named a principal during the fall. In “Fancy Free,” she acted as the easy-going all-American girl. During “The Man I Love” in “Who Cares,” she moved with a larger than life confidence yet was still seductive and alluring. Later she seemed to create her own rhythmic field, projecting the idea of speed or the halting of time without ever falling out of synch with Balanchine’s larger universe.
Joseph Dalton is a local freelance writer who contributes regularly to the Times Union. He blogs at: http://www.HudsonSounds.org.
DANCE REVIEW
New York City BalletOpening Night
When: 8 p.m. TuesdayWhere: Saratoga Performing Arts CenterDuration: Two hours, 50 minutes with two intermissions.The crowd: 1,564 devoted fans, all ages.

Gideon Putnam Hotel sprucing up.

New owners putting millions into Roosevelt Bath and Gideon Putnam
Story
Discussion
Image (4)
By THOMAS DIMOPOULOS-tdimopoulos@poststar.com Posted: Wednesday, July 7, 2010 1:00 am (0) Comments
Font Size:
Default font size
Larger font size
tweetmeme_style = 'compact';tweetmeme_source = 'poststar';

Jason McKibben - jmckibben@poststar.com Gideon Putnam Resort concierge Diane Dodd speaks with a customer on the telephone from the lobby of the hotel Tuesday, July 6, 2010. Delaware North Companies, which was awarded a 20-year lease in 2008 to operate the hotel and the Roosevelt Bathhouse, will spend $20 million as part of a 20-year plan to improve the buildings on the state-owned 2,300-acre Saratoga Spa State Park.
Loading…




-->
SARATOGA SPRINGS Inside the house that Roosevelt built, a $20 million renovation is under way.
“When you first come into a property, there are enhancements you want to do from the get-go,” said Tom Wysocki, director of sales and marketing at the Gideon Putnam Resort.
“The beauty and the battle of a historic hotel is you open up one area and you discover another area that needs work,” he said.
In January 2008, Delaware North Companies was awarded a 20-year lease to operate the Gideon Putnam hotel and the Roosevelt Bath in the state-owned 2,300-acre Saratoga Spa State Park.
The company committed to a multiphase project to spend $20 million refurbishing the 120-room hotel, conference center and Roosevelt Bath.
The company has already invested “a few million” in upgrades, Wysocki said, which include renovations to the hotel lobby, the bath house and the Georgian Room restaurant, which has been remodeled and renamed Putnam’s Restaurant and Bar.
The restaurant seats 68 diners inside with an outdoor patio that features live music on weekends and seats an additional 60 people.
Décor and ambience have also been changed, from white-tablecloth traditional dining to a more regional contemporary style, said executive chef Brian Sterner. The restaurant employs a kitchen staff of about 25 plus another 40 who work as service staff.
Sterner said the upscale-casual restaurant services a diverse clientele, from the business traveler and leisure golfer to the concertgoer attending a show at the nearby Saratoga Performing Arts Center.
Sterner said he works with regional farms, from the Catskills to Vermont, who supply food to the restaurant, as well making use of a new in-house herb garden.
The hotel features a new fitness center and a remodeled lobby. Renovations to the kitchen will begin soon, and the refurbishing of guest rooms will start early next year, Wysocki said. The hotel will remain open during the renovations.
Work is also under way at Roosevelt Bath & Spa, where the 42 treatment rooms have been augmented by a “relaxation room” with a 10-foot-tall waterfall where visitors will be able to enjoy downtime in between spa
treatments.
“It’s a little area to relax,” Wysocki said. “The park setting is a big aspect of it. You’re minutes from downtown, but you feel as though you’re almost in a different world here.
“Occupancy is up this year over last year. We have a balance: we do a lot of corporate and state association groups as well as leisure travel,” he said.
“Our groups have increased considerably. Leisure travel has stayed stable,” he said.
The poor economy has hurt travel to the Saratoga region and its 2,200-plus rooms and so has the uncertainty surrounding the summer racing season, said Cynthia Hollowood, general manager of the Holiday Inn in Saratoga Springs and vice chairwoman of the state Hospitality and Tourism Association.
“The first six months this year have been better than the first six months of 2009,” she said. But, “with the uncertainty of whether there would be racing at Saratoga and the downward trend of the stock market, we’re somewhat behind where we would like to be.”
Normally, summer weekend room rentals are sold out by early May. That’s not the case this year, she said.
Posted in Local on Wednesday, July 7, 2010 1:00 am Tags:

1800+ very happy people at $8 a head cooling off at the very beautiful Victoria Pool over a 90degree July 4th 3 day weekend.

Circa 600 people a day at Victoria Pool over the fabulous 4th of july. Cars as far as the eye could see. Capacity is 344 people.

Andrew says Happy Birthday America from Save the Victoria Pool Society. Huge numbers again, way over capacity on July 4th, 2010

Happy fabulous 4th everyone. lines all day on 7/3/10 to get into Victoria Pool. Hundreds of people over capacity waiting to get in.

Saratoga Spa State Park attendance up 55% over last year!

Spring attendance soars at state parks
Agency says closure controversy appears to have boosted interest

By KENNETH C. CROWE II, Staff writer Click byline for more stories by writer. First published: Thursday, July 1, 2010
ALBANY -- Even bad news about closing parks can be great publicity -- attendance soared this spring at the Capital Region's 23 state parks and historic sites.
More people found their way to local state parks as attendance regionwide jumped an average 37 percent, led by Grafton Lakes State Park at 70 percent, according to the state Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation.
"We had great weather and parks were in the news," said Eileen Larrabee, a State Parks spokeswoman.
The news wasn't always good this spring.
Gov. David Paterson's proposal to close 55 parks and historic sites in May to save $6 million angered many residents. They rallied to call for the reopening of the closed facilities.
The closing of the parks for much of May is considered to have played a role in getting people out to visit them when they reopened in time for Memorial Day weekend.
The continuing poor economy also is believed to be a factor in rising attendance.
The 37 percent increase in the Saratoga-Capital District Region attendance this spring compared with spring 2009 was more than three times greater than the statewide increase of 11 percent.
From April to the third weekend in June of each year, attendance statewide increased to 13.2 million from 11.9 million.
The 23 parks and historic sites in the Saratoga-Capital Region had 958,516 visitors this spring, an increase of 257,199 over the 701,317 visitors in the same time period in 2009.
Not every park showed an increase. Schodack Island State Park, one of nine area parks and historic sites that were shuttered, had a 33 percent drop to 19,632 visitors this spring from 29,467 in 2009. Attendance at the park on the Hudson River likely was hurt because it was closed during this spring's striped bass season.
Larrabee said the state parks in the region reporting strong attendance.
The good weather predicted for the three-day Fourth of July holiday weekend is expected to further boost the number of visitors. Larrabee said 90 percent of the parks' campsites are reserved for the weekend.
State Parks also is promoting different parks at its website nysparks.com and has a Facebook page.
During the park-closing controversies, park advocates used Facebook to promote activities and keep people informed.
Kenneth C. Crowe II can be reached at 454-5084 or by e-mail at kcrowe@timesunion.com.
These state parks showed the largest percentage increase from 2009 to 2010. The numbers are for the period from April to the third weekend in June each year.
Attendance
State Park 2009 2010 % increase
Saratoga-Capital Region 701,317 958,516 37
Grafton Lakes 32,456 55,018 70
Saratoga Spa 383,502 594,931 55
Moreau Lake 69,837 90,986 30
John Boyd Thacher 53,870 64,538 20
Source: New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation
Privacy Rights Terms of Service
All Times Union materials copyright 1996-2010, Capital Newspapers Division of The Hearst Corporation, Albany, NY

Andrew cannot stop smiling now that the pool is open.

Victoria Pool time at last!

Time to get out suntan lotion with lots of spf, dust off pool bag,towel and hat and start jumping for joy in anticipation.

24 hours till Victoria Pool is open at last!

Friends of Saratoga Spa State Park to rehab this between the tennis courts near Little Theater.

why are the lions at Victoria Pool not roaring water? that is the reason Saratoga Spa State Park exists.

Chaises are out. Will the lions be roaring shortly?

Hail Flag Day, Saratoga's best parade 6/19/10. Victoria Pool looks glorious and eagerly awaiting opening day, 6/26/10.

the way 23 Greenfield looks today with the Riggi house behind it.

The Riggi controversy, pro and con.

Opinion

Reader's view: A building falls, and civility with it
Tuesday, June 8, 2010


I write this letter both as the attorney for Ron and Michele Riggi and as a lifelong resident of Saratoga Springs. Now that 23 Greenfield Ave. has been demolished, there are some things that need to be said.

First of all, it should be emphasized that when 23 Greenfield Ave. was purchased, its demolition was perfectly legal. My clients applied for a demolition permit in May of 2009, and while the application was pending, the city issued an “administrative hold” followed by a moratorium. The moratorium was issued at the request and urging of the Saratoga Springs Preservation Foundation as well as certain other citizens of the community.

The purpose of the moratorium was to prevent the demolition of 23 Greenfield Ave. and any other similarly situated buildings pending an update of the city’s historic zoning ordinance. In the intervening year, two important matters occurred: my clients commenced a lawsuit against the city to declare the moratorium unconstitutional and illegal, and the Saratoga Springs Preservation Foundation petitioned the City Council to enlarge the city’s historic district by adding 48 parcels of land, including 23 Greenfield Ave., located in the northwest portion of the city.

It soon became clear that there was a classic dispute over the rights of the individual property owner versus the rights of the municipality. The two hearings conducted by the Planning Board as a part of the advisory opinion process were particularly instructive.

The written comments and the oral presentations made by people both inside and outside the proposed expanded district showed that a significant majority were opposed to any further expansion of our local historic district primarily for the reason that they rejected the idea of additional control by the city over improvements to their properties. When the Planning Board failed to issue a positive advisory opinion, the Preservation Foundation chose not to pursue an extension of the moratorium. It should be noted that a similar effort to expand the historic district was made in 1993 and it similarly failed for lack of public support.

Historic preservation has played an important part in the rebirth of the city starting in the 1960s. It’s my observation that historic zoning works best in the business districts and more densely populated parts of town, where the buildings are viewed as more “public” than in a single family zone. As the owner of a building on Broadway, I am pleased that it is within the historic district.

Most owners of single-family homes, however, feel somewhat differently about ceding some of their property rights to the government. Despite the good intentions of many of the people who have populated our land use boards over the years since we adopted a historic zoning ordinance, many people feel that they have been subjected to unnecessary expense and bureaucratic delays.

The most important lesson which should be gleaned from the experience of 23 Greenfield Ave. is that, above all, we have an obligation to treat our fellow citizens with respect. During the controversy about the demolition of 23 Greenfield Ave., I was saddened to hear and read gratuitously nasty comments about Mr. and Mrs. Riggi which served no useful purpose other than to unnecessarily enflame the situation. The postings on the blogs were particularly outrageous, not only because of their content but because they were written anonymously by people who were apparently reluctant to attach their names to their venomous comments.

Although there were many people who disagreed with Mr. and Mrs. Riggi in a respectful fashion, their voices were muted by the obnoxious remarks. Even the posting of signs represented bad behavior. How many of us would like to leave our homes in the morning to be confronted by the signs of some of our neighbors who happen to disagree with our position? Mr. and Mrs. Riggi fought for the preservation of their rights and, by extension, the rights of the other citizens of Saratoga Springs. They are not entitled to any special consideration because of their station in life or because they have been extraordinarily generous to so many organizations in our community; however, they don’t deserve to be scorned because some disagree with their position.

Far worse than the destruction of a building is the destruction of civility, which I witnessed during this process.

John J. Carusone Jr. is an attorney with Carusone & Carusone in Saratoga Springs.

URL: http://www.saratogian.com/articles/2010/06/08/opinion/doc4c0d54e88768b891075679.prt

© 2010 saratogian.com, a Journal Register Property



Reader's View: So much wrong with demolition of 23 Greenfield Ave.
Sunday, June 13, 2010


Truth be told, Mr. Carusone, the Riggis’ story is not what you tell. First of all, the Riggis did not have a demolition permit when they started demolition, nor had they applied for one. The Saratogian also made that error. They may have applied for a demolition permit in May 2009, but it was after the fact.

This is what happened:

I heard about the demolition going on, walked down and spoke to the contractor. He said they were removing asbestos. As a neighbor, I knew in fact that asbestos had been removed several years earlier. The contractor was actually in the act of demolishing historic window sills and throwing them in a dumpster.

I sensed something fishy going on and called code enforcement in the Public Safety department. A code enforcing officer came, found no demolition permit had been applied for, stopped the demolition and boarded up the house. The Riggis tried to pull a fast one, also broke the law, and yet have not been fined?

As a member of Sustainable Saratoga, I have another issue with them. They did not salvage one piece of this historic building. Cabinets, fixtures, toilets and all the rest of the elegant furnishings of the house could have gone to Habitat for Humanity. The historic architectural details could have been saved and reused in restoring another building. This waste sets a bad example for the whole community as we are becoming more conscious of recycling and reusing.

As a neighbor, I have plenty of reasons to dislike what the Riggis did. I came to Saratoga in the early 1970s, attracted to a city that valued its historic heritage and architecture. My husband and I moved to the historic North Broadway neighborhood and restored a dilapidated old Italianate Victorian. The Riggis demolished an important part of my neighborhood and part of the history I value. They took something away from me and diminished our neighborhood.

I assume the Riggis moved to North Broadway because they loved the neighborhood and the community, but they have not been good neighbors. Their sense of individual rights far outweighs their social responsibilities. Their dogs yapping intrudes on the rights of the adjoining neighbors to peace and quiet. Their replacing a beautiful building with a dog kennel infringes on the property values of the whole neighborhood. Would you move next door to a place with 27 dogs?

Saratoga Springs is the historic city it is because people before us had a vision, a sense of social responsibility, and a value of something for the greater common good. Thinking only of ourselves and our individual rights disconnects us from our neighbors and diminishes our sense of community. When you live in a city, you are not an island.

Our city needs a thriving community of people inspired by, evolving and learning from others and from the beauty and history of what surrounds us.

Amejo Amyot is a resident of Saratoga Springs, a member of Sustainable Saratoga and founder of the Beekman Street Arts District.

URL: http://www.saratogian.com/articles/2010/06/13/opinion/doc4c1442c82a7b0477877264.prt

© 2010 saratogian.com, a Journal Register Property

What's wrong with Spa Parks famous "spouting geyser"? It's been dead as a doornail for weeks.

Private help for popular area in Spa park
Campaign aims to raise money for upgrades to popular area in Spa park

By DENNIS YUSKO, Staff writer
Click byline for more stories by writer.

First published: Tuesday, May 25, 2010

SARATOGA SPRINGS -- Saratoga Spa State Park is raising private donations to restore the public facility's most historic attraction.
With many state parks unable to open due to lack of state money, the Saratoga Capital District Park Commission Monday broke ground on a $250,000 private project to preserve a viewing and resting area near Saratoga Performing Arts Center that features the only spouting springs east of the Rocky Mountains.

Community leaders have already raised half the cost to revitalize Geyser Park, which features a bluestone patio, slate steps and railings along Geyser Creek. The plan also calls for building pavilions at the Orenda and Island Spouter natural springs.

Officials want to repair the area, which they say is crumbling and unsafe, to recognize the park's 100th birthday and the adoption of its first master plan. Raising private dollars for a public entity can be daunting because many believe the operations should be sustained by the state, said Heather Mabee, commission chairwoman.

"But these are difficult times, and, as we all know, the public dollars aren't there," Mabee told about 30 people at the springs. Raising another $125,000 would allow the project to be completed by October, she said.

A fault line that runs from Whitehall to Albany helped create the area's carbonated springs, which are rich in minerals and salt. The water sources drew American Indians to the area hundreds of years ago, and they continue to be sought after for their healthful qualities. State leaders saved the spouts from commercial depletion about a century ago, and their popularity turned them into a symbol of the city.

The area now is near a parking lot and scenic trail often used to get to Saratoga Performing Arts Center. From a path that leads to SPAC, pedestrians can view the Island spouter, which normally spews a narrow plume of spring water about 10 to 15 feet in the air. The spring was not working Monday.

The restoration project includes installing a new bluestone patio area and sidewalks, repairing staircases and railings, building two pavilions, handicapped parking and more, facility manager Kurt Kress said. The area in the 2,200-acre park will be roped off.

Carol Ash, commissioner of the state Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, attended Monday's announcement.

Many other improvements in the park's master plan will have to wait until the economy improves, she said. Ash had asked commission leaders to seek private support for the project in light of the state's budget problems, park commission member Thomas Maggs said.

"This is where people can come to escape the lunacy of life," Maggs said. "Yes, we're going through tough times, but we've gone through tough times before."

To make a donation, go to the Saratoga park page at www.nysparks.com.





The Vale of Springs, near the Geyser Park Picnic Area at Saratoga Spa State Park, marks the site marked for an upgrade.




Privacy Rights | Terms of Service

NYS Parks could close if govenment shuts down on Monday.

Parties Clash as Albany Edges Closer to Shutdown
By NICHOLAS CONFESSORE
Published: June 9, 2010
Facebook
Twitter
Recommend
comments (92)
Sign In to E-Mail

Print


Reprints

Share
CloseLinkedinDiggMixxMySpaceYahoo! BuzzPermalinkALBANY — State officials began preparing on Wednesday for what they said would be the first government shutdown in New York history as prospects for the passage of another emergency budget bill grew cloudy.

Related
City Room: Robbing Peter to Pay Paul (and Con Ed) (June 9, 2010) Readers' Comments
Readers shared their thoughts on this article.
Read All Comments (92) »
Democratic and Republican legislative leaders engaged in an acrimonious public meeting in the Capitol with Gov. David A. Paterson. Republicans charged that they had been shut out of negotiations, and Democrats insisted that the Republicans shoulder some responsibility for averting a shutdown.

With no agreement yet reached on a budget for the fiscal year that began April 1, the state has been relying on a series of emergency bills to stay in operation. But Republicans have voted uniformly against the last three bills. After the last vote, two Democratic senators said they would oppose the next emergency bill, suggesting that Senate leaders might not be able to muster enough votes to pass it.

As a result, administration officials have started huddling with their counterparts at the state comptroller’s office to work through the consequences of a shutdown, warning that if the Legislature fails to approve the next emergency budget bill, due on Monday, the state would face unprecedented chaos.

“We don’t have an answer to many of these questions because we’ve never shut down the government before,” said Robert L. Megna, the state budget director.

Without the ability to pay workers or even guarantee their salaries in the future, officials said, they could be forced to close down state agencies immediately after the last emergency bill expires on Monday. Administration officials said they were still searching for a legal mechanism to continue financing essential public safety services, like prisons and the State Police.

But courtrooms, parks, highway rest stops and even the state terrorism hot line could all close. A shutdown could also affect some county and local workers, like those who administer Medicaid benefits. Though such workers are employed by the counties, they must gain access to state computer systems to process claims.

Since the last budget expired on March 31, the State Senate and the Assembly, both controlled by Democrats, have not come close to reaching a budget deal with Mr. Paterson.

On Monday, with negotiations seemingly at an impasse, Mr. Paterson inserted sweeping cuts to health care spending in the latest emergency bill, essentially forcing lawmakers to accept a portion of his budget proposal.

Republicans in the Senate voted uniformly against the bill, even though they had publicly favored Medicaid cuts, saying that Mr. Paterson’s cuts did not go far enough. On the other side of the aisle, two Democratic state senators — Rubén Díaz Sr. and Pedro Espada Jr., both of the Bronx — said they would not vote for any more emergency bills that included major budget cuts.

That move raised the prospect of a shutdown, since without Republican votes, Senate Democrats, who have a 32-to-30 majority in the chamber, must act unanimously to pass legislation.

At the leaders’ meeting, Mr. Paterson said he would not give in to “thug activity,” which some took as a reference to the two Democratic senators. After the meeting, the governor criticized Dean G. Skelos, the Senate Republican leader, and blamed him for forcing the state to the brink of catastrophe.

“I’m shocked, and I’m appalled,” Mr. Paterson said. “Senator Skelos has told us that he and the Republican senators are going to shut down the government, and they would shut down the government over something about meetings they haven’t been invited to and process issues.”

Pressed on whether his conference would provide any votes to pass the emergency bill, Mr. Skelos insisted that Democratic lawmakers who control both chambers would be to blame for any shutdown. “This is a failure of Democrat leadership in the state,” Mr. Skelos said. Regarding a shutdown, he said: “It’s an unfortunate way to go, but we are not going to just automatically vote for something because they have failed, as leaders, to put something together.”

Mr. Skelos softened his tone later in the day after a private meeting with Mr. Paterson, suggesting that some Republicans might vote for the next emergency bill if the governor included some of the Republicans’ proposals to further cut Medicaid and other spending.

But Mr. Díaz did not appear inclined to relent.

“The governor called me a thug,” he said. “When I pick a fight, I don’t go back. Let’s see what a thug can do.”

A version of this article appeared in print on June 10, 2010, on page A25 of the New York edition.

News Flash!! All NYS Parks to open!!

Save The Victoria Pool Society wishes you all:

Happy Memorial Day weekend. Honor and thank all our service men, women and veterans.

Thanks to all for your letters, emails, phone calls, petition signing and lots of other efforts to our governor and Elected Officials. You did it!!! All New York State Parks are open. Let's make sure it never happens again. power to the People.



Senate passes bill, NY State Parks to open this weekend
Posted: May 28, 2010 2:40 PM EDT Updated: May 28, 2010 3:33 PM EDT

ALBANY, N.Y. -- It appears all of New York's state parks and historic sites will be fully open for the Memorial Day weekend and the rest of the year.

The State Senate passed their version of the bill to open the sites this afternoon, in a 32-27 vote. It provides $11 million for the parks and campgrounds while reducing the Environmental Protection Fund by $78 million to help close this year's $9.2 billion deficit.

The vote was mostly along party lines, with Democrats voting for the bill and Republicans voting against.

The issues for most Republican senators were taxes and fees they say came with the bill. For other Republicans, they argued the bigger problem in New York State was the lack of a balanced budget.

The Senate began voting on the bill shortly around 2 p.m. Friday. They were expected to convene at 9 a.m., but did not enter the chamber until nearly 3 hours later.

Prior to the parks vote, the Senators dealt with other business, including a resolution honoring Jay Gallagher, a newspaper reporter who covered Albany politics for decades. Gallagher passed away earlier this week after a long batter with cancer.

On Thursday, the Assembly worked late into the night on their version of the parks bill, finally approving the closed sites to reopen around 3 a.m. Friday, in a 86-47 vote.

The bill will now head to Gov. Paterson for his final approval.

While the parks and historic sites will be open for the Memorial Day weekend, the DEC says the campgrounds won't and it may take a couple of weeks to open some of them.

The Associated Press contributed to this report

Before the vote, Senators explained why they voted the way they did. These are quotes and paraphrases taken from our WTEN Twitter account:

Sen. Malcolm Smith: The parks will be open

Sen. Libous: Let's spend Memorial Day honoring those who serve our country instead. Votes "no"

Sen. Libous: Even if the bill is passed today, parks would not even be ready for the weekend. Bigger issue is that there's no budget.

Sen. Libous (R - Broome Co.): If you really wanted to open the parks, you would have passed the budget on April 1.

Sen. Parker stumbles, accidentally says "voting no" when he meant "yes" ... hoots, hollers echo throughout chamber

Sen. Parker (D - Kings County): Either you want parks open, or you don't. Tourism too important to NY to keep parks closed. Votes "yes".

Sen. Larkin (R - Orange, Ulster Co.): This is a lie. This is not about parks, it's about raising taxes. Votes "no"

Sen. Adams (D - Kings Co.): All this arguing over no budget - tell that to a family of 4 who needs to do something this wknd. Votes "yes".

Sen. Lanza (R - Staten Island): State Parks bill is a "Trojan Horse", bringing taxes and fees with it. Votes "no"


Sen. Thompson (D - Erie, Niagara): We still have work to do, it's not pretty. Hopefully when we pass budget, we will repay EPF. Votes "yes"

Sen. LaValle (R - Long Island) calls state park bill "hodge podge" and not positive for the environment

Sen. Hugh Farley (R - Schenectady, Niskayuna) votes "no" on bill to reopen state parks

Marcellino: Instead of working until 3 a.m. to find out how to open state parks, we could have worked until 3 a.m. to pass a balanced budget

Sen. Marcellino (R - Nassau, Suffolk) says bill to open state parks not transparent, made in secret without GOP input. Votes "no".

good "foodie" Saratoga News.

Table Hopping
Pull up a chair and talk about food
By Steve Barnes | E-mail | About Table Hopping

Major NYC restaurateur to expand food options at Saratoga track
May 26, 2010 at 10:26 am by Steve Barnes, senior writer

Meyer

Dining mogul Danny Meyer, responsible for some of the most successful restaurants in New York City over the past 20 years, and his company, Union Square Hospitality Group, will bring new variety to the Saratoga Race Course this summer with the introduction of two restaurants and an upscale bar.

Under a partnership announced Wednesday with the New York Racing Association, Meyer’s company will open racetrack versions of Blue Smoke, Meyer’s Manhattan barbecue restaurant, and Shake Shack. The latter is a casual burger-dog-milkshake chain with multiple locations in New York, including at the Mets’ ballpark, Citi Field, and elsewhere. The two will be located where the Paddock Tent previously was, just off the clubhouse entrance adjacent to the paddock. The hospitality group’s catering-and-events wing, called Union Square Events, will also design, build and operate a new watering hole called The Paddock Bar, serving specialty cocktails, beer and wine.

“I’ve made family pilgrimages to (Saratoga) since I was 15 years old, and it is going to be a thrill to bring our food and hospitality to my favorite track,” Meyer said in a statement released by NYRA.

“Meyer’s critically acclaimed restaurants have long offered New York City residents and visitors an unparalleled dining experience, and we can’t wait to introduce our loyal guests at Saratoga Race Course to their culinary and hospitality expertise,” said NYRA President and CEO Charles Hayward.

The Saratoga Race Course’s 40-day meet runs July 23 to Sept. 6.

Union Square Hospitality Group’s holdings include Union Square Café, Gramercy Tavern, Eleven Madison Park, Tabla, Blue Smoke/Jazz Standard, Shake Shack, The Modern, El Verano Taquería and Box Frites (both at Citi Field) and Maialino.


Posted in General, News, Recommendations, Restaurants/chefs


Construction close on downtown Price Chopper
May 26, 2010 at 1:25 pm by Christen Gowan

This old Price Chopper, ready for a Bonacio face lift.

Developers are waiting for their building permit from the city then construction will begin on the new Railroad Place Price Chopper.

Local developer Sonny Bonacio unveiled plans last summer for a six-story building that includes an 18,000-square-foot grocery store, small retail spaces and one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments, located just steps off Broadway at 19 Railroad Place. The rent for the apartments is planned for $1,200 to $1,800 per month.

(more…)


Posted in Real estate | 2 Comments

Spa Park geyer to be improved with private funds. Commissioner Carol Ash and Spa Commission chair, Heather Mabee break ground.

Saratoga Spa State Park improvements on tap
Private money will fund springs rehabilitation plan
Tuesday, May 25, 2010

By Tatiana Zarnowski (Contact)
Gazette Reporter






Heather Mabee, chairwoman of the Saratoga Capital Regional Parks Commission, speaks during Monday’s event as Thomas Maggs, a member of the commission, looks on.
Text Size: A | A | A
SARATOGA SPRINGS — It’s time to fix up the crumbling rock walls and soggy paths around Saratoga Spa State Park’s most famous waters, but it will have to be done with private money.

“This area is ugly,” said regional parks director Alane Ball Chinian, gesturing toward a steep asphalt path that leads from a small parking lot to a pavilion overlooking the Island Spouter.

The geyser and surrounding springs — including Orenda and Hayes — lie within the so-called Vale of Springs, the valley where cold mineral waters bubble to the surface.

The state park was created 100 years ago to protect the Vale of Springs.

A 1930s Works Progress Administration effort added pavilions near Orenda and the Island Spouter and rock walls on the sides of paths next to Geyser Brook.

Forty years later, those areas need to be freshened up, officials said Monday when they unveiled a private fundraising effort to fix up the areas around the three springs and add more interpretive signs so people know what they’re looking at.

A path from the Hayes spring along Geyser Brook to the waterfall behind the Saratoga Performing Arts Center will be improved with better drainage and a loop trail so people can walk back a slightly different way.

People who traverse it will be able to climb to a new overlook near the waterfall.

Brush will be cleared and small trees blocking one’s view to the geyser will be taken down, Chinian said.

Officials broke ground on Monday and plan to have a ribbon-cutting when the project is finished in October. Summer visitors may see the area around the springs roped off, Mabee said.

The spring rehabilitation project will be completed with private funds rather than state money, which presents some fundraising challenges, admitted Heather Mabee, chairwoman of the Saratoga Capital Regional Parks Commission.

“People always think that their state dollars should take care of what goes on in their state parks,” she said.

But state parks officials knew they couldn’t ask for funds for improvements in a year when dozens of state parks and historic sites were closed and expected to remain so until the state budget passed.

“With all the budget considerations, we don’t have the money to do anything that’s really important for public health and safety,” Chinian said.

More than a dozen private donors have given or pledged half the money toward the $250,000 project.

NYS Parks Commissioner, Carol Ash and Heather Mabee, Chairperson of Spa Commission announce rehabilitation of geysers with private funding.

People can give to the effort through the state parks’ website, nysparks.com.

Parks officials also formally adopted the state park’s first master plan after two years of work.

The plan provides more habitat for Karner blue butterflies, more recreation area and formalizes an informal dog park; it would also renovate the Lincoln Bathhouse into a visitor center for the park while also leasing out office space to generate revenue.

Some of the projects require significant funds, but they don’t have to be done right away, said parks Commissioner Carol Ash.

“The beauty of a master plan is it lays out a blueprint for when times are good, how you can spend the money in the most efficient way,” she said.

The improvements will benefit people who visit the 2,200-acre state park every year to have fun and seek peace.

“I call this a mental health respite,” said Thomas Maggs, a member of the parks commission.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Racing in Saratoga is on for 2010!

News > Saratoga Racing Saved!
Bill Passes To Loan NYRA $25M, Saving The 2010 Racing Season
SARATOGA SPRINGS NY -- Good news for Saratoga racing: Paterson's bill to lend NYRA $25 million passed, saving the 2010 summer racing season in Saratoga Springs.

The $25 million loan will preserve thoroughbred racing seasons at Saratoga, Belmont and Aqueduct, which are run by the New York Racing Association (NYRA).

This puts at ease much concern over the future of racing in New York State leading up to this event. Just a few days before this bill passed (and despite the Governor's reassurance that they would get the loan), NYRA notified its staff of over 1,400 workers that the association planned to close tracks in early June after the Belmont Stakes, meaning the Saratoga racing season would not occur this year.

Luckily for local businesses and thousands of tourists, the racing season has been saved!

Saratoga businesses are extremely reliant upon the Saratoga Racing meet, from hotels, to restaurants, to convenient stores. In the 6 weeks that the meet runs $230 million is generated for our local economy and 1,500 jobs are provided by NYRA during the Saratoga meet.

Gov. David Paterson introduced the bill to loan NYRA the money needed to continue operations in the absence of an approved budget for this year. The conditions of the loan require NYRA to repay the money by March 31, 2011 -- or within 30 days of the installment of video lottery terminals at the Aqueduct track.

Bottom line: It is a sure bet there will be racing this summer!

Share this on Facebook356
Planning on visiting Saratoga this summer? Don't wait another minute; hotels will now start booking up quickly! So make your hotel reservations now! See all Saratoga Lodging options »


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Support the flowers at Spa Park at Sunnyside Gardens, Sat. 5/22/10

Spa State Park in bloom, with your help
State budget cuts have claimed another victim: the floral display that greets visitors to the Saratoga Spa State Park.

Every year, Dan “the Flower Man” Urkevich installs a pretty amazing display of flowers at the park’s South Broadway entrance. This season, though, the money to repeat the effort just isn’t there.

The folks at Sunnyside Gardens are stepping up to help him out, though.

On Saturday, between 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. they’ll hold a benefit in which customers will be allowed to donate the cost of one flat of flowers, $22, which will be matched by the nursery. Anyone who contributes will be entered in a raffle and eligible to win a hanging basket.

Urkevich will also be out at the nursery on Saturday to talk about his handiwork.

Sunnyside Nursery is located on Route 9N, just west of the train tracks.

– Drew Kerr


This entry was posted on Thursday, May 20th, 2010 at 2:27 pm and is filed under Saratoga Snippets. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

Leave a Reply
Click here to cancel reply.
Name (required)

Mail (will not be published) (required)

A very hopeful sign. Winter cover removed from Victoria Pool. Bring on the chemicals.

contact your elected and appointed representatives to keep Victoria Pool open now.

STATE & FEDERAL ELECTED OFFICIALS



MUNICIPAL U.S Senator Charles Schumer
Hart Senate Office Bldg., Room 313
Washington, DC 20510
(202) 224-6542
www.schumer.senate.gov
US Senator Kirsten E. Gillibrand
Russell Senate Bldg., Room 478
Washington, DC 20510-3201
(202) 224-4451
www.gillibrand.senate.gov

US Congressman Murphy
120 Cannon HOB
Washington, DC 20515
(202) 225-5614
www.scottmurphy.house.gov



NY State Senator Roy McDonald
Legislative Office Building
Bldg. 306
Albany, NY 12247
455-2381
(202) 224-6542
mcdonald@senate.state.ny.us


368 Broadway
Saratoga Springs, 12866
587-2574To Write To The Governor:
David A. Paterson
State Capitol
Albany, NY 12224

518-474-8390

To Email The Governor:
Click here to email the Governor
NY State Senator Hugh T. Farley
Room 706 Legislative Office Building
Albany, NY 12247
455-2181
farley@senate.state.ny.us
Assemblyman James Tedisco Room 329 Legislative Office Building
Albany, NY 12248
455-5772 tediscj@assembly.state.ny.us

Assemblyman Tony Jordan
Washington Co. Municipal Center
383 Broadway, Bldg. A
Fort Edward, Ny 12828
455-5404 (Albany)
747-7098 (Fort Edward)
jordanj@assembly.state.ny.us

Assemblyman Robert Reilly
Room 452 Legislative Office Building
Albany, NY 12248
455-5931 reillyr@assembly.state.ny.us

Assemblywoman Teresa Sayward
140 Glen St.
Glens Falls, NY 1280940

Room 940, Legislative Office Bldg.
Albany, NY 12248
792-4546
saywart@assembly.state.ny.us
Posted by save the victoria pool society at 5:54 AM

Some state Parks being padlocked today! Victoria Pool still in danger.

Thanks to all who have acted already. Keep the pressure on. albany is watching:
if you have not signed or written yet: be sure and sign petition to keep victoria pool open and write to your state legislators, governor, congressman and senators.
www.gopetition.com put victoria pool under search petitions.
www.save-the-victoria-pool-society.blogspot.com


print story
back
Padlocked parks lock out sense



First published: Monday, May 17, 2010

Despite all the cheery assurances this could never happen, the padlocks go on John Boyd Thacher State Park on Monday.
If ever there was an exclamation point as to how dismal and rudderless the Paterson administration has become, this is it. There is simply no good or defensible reason for closing our state park system, not even one unit. There are so many half measures that could be taken to keep the parks and historic sites going under reduced circumstances -- if the administration really wanted to keep them open.

It surely can't be about the alleged $11 million or so the state would save, considering all the fees and revenues that will now be lost because state parks are closed, and that's not the half of it.

Long Island Assemblyman Steve Englebright, who chairs the committee in his house that oversees parks, expressed extreme frustration with the governor and his senior staff, and gives us the real bottom line.

"If we close our parks, we may as well put up neon signs at the four corners of the state that say, 'Closed for Business.' Because parks are integral to tourism, and tourism is big, big business in New York State."

Parks are just not a priority in this administration. As stupefying as that is for those of us who live north of the Tappan Zee bridge or east of Queens, that's just the way it is. So the majority of our state parks, 91 of 178, are closing now, like Thacher. For how long, who knows?

And in all likelihood, another 34 will close before summer if the governor doesn't get legislative approval to take $5 million from the Environmental Protection Fund. That second list includes Grafton and Cherry Plain State Parks, and Victoria Pool at Saratoga State Park.

All in all, just a lousy state of affairs that accomplishes nothing other than making a hurting public suffer a little more.

Last year, our state campgrounds were overflowing with New Yorkers who took local vacations. If the governor doesn't relent on this parks business, or the Legislature doesn't act to force the issue, thousands of people will be left stranded without campgrounds this summer. So far, the state has taken 3,000 reservations for Parks-run campgrounds for this coming season. If the parks close, those reservations will be meaningless, except that the concessionaire that runs the reservations system for the state will be paid $18 for every reservation canceled.

Those of us who know and love Thacher still hope whatever happens there will be temporary, that a new budget when finally passed will save it. Or that a legislative bill on the fast track will have the same effect. Englebright in the Assembly and Jose Serrano in the Senate are circulating a bill that will force the governor to keep the parks open, setting up a potential confrontation if the governor vetoes the bill. If both houses pass it in the first place. If, if, if.

Realistically, while there well may be light at the end of the tunnel for saving parks, we're not seeing it yet. There are just too many twists and turns in that tunnel to say with confidence this story will have a happy ending.

As many have pointed out, closing Thacher Park is easier said than done. Sure, we don't need the locked bathrooms. We can ignore the overgrown grass and hop over barriers if need be. But it's just not the same. You just don't put a lock on a sanctuary door, whether it's a park or church, and expect the public or parishioners to be anything less than outraged.

From the perspective of the Office of State Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, it is a grim lose-lose situation. The state agency is not calling the shots on this disaster. That's being done directly by the second floor of the Capitol, the governor's people. Yet the agency is being pummeled by an irate public, pressured by the Legislature and beaten up by the governor's henchfolk to do their bidding.

And for dessert, the agency that was created to make the public feel good about its parks gets to tell that same public to go away. In addition, a place like Thacher is an enormous liability to the state when there are crowds around and lots of staff. Imagine trying to police such a place, with its miles of palisades and hidden places, under the coming circumstances. The potential for something very nasty to happen looms large.

State government is in such a state of leaderless chaos at the moment, who knows what's next and how it affects the parks situation?

Steve Englebright says the weekly extender bills drafted by the governor and approved by the Legislature included funds to keep the parks open. But the governor used them for something else.

This has led to what Englebright insists is a bipartisan effort in both houses to mandate use of those funds for parks.

But, as Englebright points out, on Monday we're likely to see another extender bill and who knows what will be in it, now that state worker furloughs are in limbo?

Parks may take a backseat again.

Contact Fred LeBrun at 454-5453 or by e-mail at flebrun@timesunion.com.




Privacy Rights | Terms of Service
All Times Union materials copyright 1996-2010, Capital Newspapers Division of The Hearst Corporation, Albany, NY

Riggi house coming down fast at 23 Greenfield ave.

Riggi to demolish 23 Greenfield Ave. after all, sad.

Greenfield Ave. home comes down
Thursday, May 13th, 2010
Crews began ripping into a Greenfield Avenue home today after months of protest from area preservationists and a bid by city officials to keep it in tact.

The home, which dates to the 1850s, was purchased by the Riggi family in 2009 for $1.2 million. When crews began preparing to take it down last year, the Saratoga Springs Preservation Foundation called for city officials to halt its demolition.

A moratorium keeping it from the wrecking ball expired at the end of April, and the crews came back today. As of around 4 p.m., a large portion of the home’s back side had been taken down, but the main brick structure remained largely in tact.

Neighbors who passed by slowed down in their cars to take in the activity and express one-word sentiments: terrible, awful and horrible were among the words I heard.

John Derby, a 77-year-old Catherine Street resident who has lived in the city his entire life, stood on the sidewalk and watched the large machines claw their way into the structure. Derby said he saw the U.S. Hotel and the Grand Union Hotel come down so, in that context, he didn’t see the home’s destruction as a great loss.

“After all, it’s progress, and I’ve seen more beautiful properties than this come down over the years,” he said. “My only thought is that there’s so much that could be salvaged that’s just going to get thrown away.”

It’s unclear what precisely what the Riggi’s have planned for the property, which sits just west of their stately North Broadway home.

– Drew Kerr


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

SPAC annual membership meeting 5/12/10

News
SPAC expanding reach: Healthy in 2010, venue working to stay that way
Published: Thursday, May 13, 2010

No comments posted. | Email to a friend | Print version | ShareThis| RSS Feeds

More Photos
Click thumbnails to enlarge





Saratoga Performing Arts Center President Marcia White speaks Wednesday morning on the 2010 season during SPAC’s annual meeting at the Hall of Springs. (ERICA MILLER, The Saratogian)
By PAUL POST, The Saratogian



Click to enlarge


ERICA MILLER file photo

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Saratoga Performing Arts Center’s board might be expanding in numbers and geographic reach as the organization tries to remain financially strong in uncertain economic times.

In 2005, the entire board resigned following a tumultuous period of questionable business practices that prompted a state investigation.

Now, after five straight years of operating in the black, SPAC’s board has grown from seven to 23 and President Marcia White is currying interest among prospective members from New York City.

"I was down there last week talking to people," she said Wednesday, following SPAC’s annual meeting, with about 100 people in attendance. "They may be looking to throw their hat in the ring. You’re always looking for people who can provide new perspective, financial support, or have the ability to attract new sponsors and donors."

All 12 members present on Wednesday are from the Capital Region, but the board already includes John Gilbert of Rudin Management Co. in New York, and Meyer "Sandy" Frucher, chairman of New York City Off Track Betting Corp.

With ticket sales covering less than 45 percent of operating costs, SPAC has to increasingly rely on corporate sponsors and high-end donors for support. Board members, who generally make significant contributions, are another important revenue source.





Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce Executive Vice President Linda Toohey was elected to the board on Wednesday, replacing First Niagara Corp. executive Daniel Hogarty. Toohey and her husband, Michael, are among this year’s SPAC "Heritage" donors, a new category for people making gifts of at least $50,000.

SPAC’s bylaws allow for a maximum 31-member board. The goal isn’t to grow the board for numbers’ sake, because too large of a body can make it harder to reach consensus on important issues, White said.

"We function very well," she said. "Sometimes a large board creates more difficulties and we don’t have any right now."

That said, there’s no question White is trying to strengthen ties between SPAC and its downstate supporters. In July, the New York City Ballet board will visit Saratoga for the first time since SPAC opened in 1966. Last year, The Philadelphia Orchestra board visited and White said orchestra President and CEO Allison Vulgamore will be here this summer.

Both the ballet and orchestra have had major financial problems in the past year, but Vulgamore said things are starting to turn around for her organization. "We have improved our projected deficit $5 million — from $7.8 million to just under $2.7 million and no further cuts are anticipated at this time," she said. "All of our efforts … are squarely focused on bettering that figure."

Chairman Bill Dake said the core of SPAC’s financial support still comes from local, private backers. This is one reason for its continued success, while many arts organizations that rely on publicly-traded companies are suffering in the wake of the 2008-09 stock market crash.

SPAC is getting new support from two major corporations this year. General Electric Co., for the first time ever, is sponsoring a "GE Kids in Free" program that entitles children 12-and-under to free lawn admission for all classical performances except the Gala and American Girl Night. Also, HSBC Bank is the main classical program sponsor.

SPAC had a $209,000 operating surplus last year. Expenses from 2008 to ’09 went down $300,000, primarily because the ballet’s season was shortened from three to two weeks.

"Our endowment is very small ($4.2 million)," Dake said. "That’s the bad news. The good news is we’re not dependent on it. So we weren’t hurt when the market crashed."

At one time, the endowment was about $8 million, but whittled down as funds were used to offset operational losses. Ideally, SPAC would like to see the fund raised to somewhere between $10 million and $12 million, Audit Committee Chairman Arthur Roth said.

At this time last year, the endowment was at $3.4 million, but has grown considerably as the market improved.

"We’re basically back to where we were before the second Great Depression," Chief Financial Officer Richard Geary said.

Marketing and Development Director Shane Williams-Ness said membership is down about 200 people compared to last year. However, most of the decline is at the sustaining level ($285 individuals, $625 corporate) and lower. Eighty percent of SPAC’s membership revenue comes from higher levels, patron and above.

In voting, Frucher, E. Stewart Jones Jr., Ed Mitzen, Donald J. McCormack, Dee Sarno and Nancy Touhey were re-elected to new terms on the board.

Major SPAC donors

• Legacy ($100,000) — Marylou Whitney and John Hendrickson; Vincent, Ron and Michele Riggi; Susan and Bill Dake Foundation/Stewart’s Shops; Philly and Charlie Dake Foundation; Carl E. and Nancy Touhey; Charles Wood Foundation; The Adirondack Trust Company; The H. Schaffer Foundation; one anonymous donor.

• Heritage ($50,000) — Nancy and Gary DiCrese; Norman and Micki Massry; John Nigro; Linda and Mike Toohey; Stuyvesant Plaza/Ed Swyer.

SPAC board

• Matthew Bender — Bender Family Foundation

• William P. Dake – Stewart’s Shops

• Carol Farmer – Philanthropist

• Meyer S. Frucher – NASDAQ/OMX Group; NYC OTB chairman

• John J. Gilbert – Rudin Management Co. Inc.

• George R. Hearst III – Times Union

• E. Stewart Jones Jr. – E. Stewart Jones, PLLC

• Larry King – The King Group at Morgan Stanley Smith Barney

• Abraham M. Lackman – Praxis Insights

• Edward J. Lewi – Ed Lewi Associates (retired)

• Heather Mabee – Chair, Saratoga-Capital District Regional Parks Commission

• I. Norman Massry – Massry Realty Partners

• Donald J. McCormack – Skidmore College (retired)

• Ed Mitzen – FingerPaint Marketing

• Eleanor K. Mullaney – Attorney At Law

• John J. Nigro – Nigro Companies

• Dr. A. John Popp – Brigham and Women’s Hospital

• Susan Phillips Read – State of New York Court of Appeals

• Arthur J. Roth – consultant, former NYS Tax & Finance Commissioner

• Dolores Sarno – Saratoga Arts Council (retired)

• Nancy Touhey – Philanthropist

• Mrs. Marylou Whitney – Philanthropist

• Linda Toohey – Saratoga Chamber of Commerce

Comments
The following are comments from the readers. In no way do they represent the view of saratogian.com.

Login To Comment
You must be logged in to post a comment.

*Member ID:
*Password:
Remember login?
(requires cookies)

SARATOGIAN.COM website infected. DO NOT go there till all clear is sounded!!!!

horse sales pavillion on east ave. shaping up. oklahoma getting busier. pool looking good. let the season roll.

Dust off your bathing suits, folks!!!

Saratoga Spa State Park: The Victoria Pool and the Peerless Pool are scheduled to open Saturday, June 26th, 2010!