Save the Victoria Pool Society: The Blog started, March 27th, 2006 after a record year of attendance in 2005

Save The Victoria Pool Society’s Blog: the blog has had to date:

45882 Unique page views

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First published March 27^th, 2006.

It has many followers from all over the globe.

Opening for the Season, June 16th, 10 am. The Pool will be open for this first weekend, then close for the Week and Re-Open for the Season June 23rd

chaises out getting ready for victoria pool opening on sat.,6/16/12.

Five days folks till our beloved victoria pool opens on Saturday, June 16,2012.

new nature center opened at moreau state park.

Park officials celebrate new nature center space Story Discussion SCOTT DONNELLY - sdonnelly@poststar.com | Posted: Tuesday, April 24, 2012 12:21 am | (0) Comments Font Size: Default font size Larger font size . Jason McKibben Moreau Lake State Park naturalist Gary Hill talks with fourth-graders from Harrison Avenue Elementary School about the many wild animals found in the area at the park's newly expanded nature center Monday, April 23, 2012. The addition, which officially opened Monday, features dozens of mounted and stuffed birds, bears and other creatures. (Jason McKibben - jmckibben@poststar.com) . . . Related Galleries Moreau Lake State Park Nature Center (7) Photos . MOREAU -- Local elementary school students were the first to enjoy an 810-square-foot addition to Moreau Lake State Park’s nature center Monday. The new space, featuring displays of stuffed wildlife and educational posters, opened to the public for the first time, as Park Naturalist Gary Hill gave a talk to revolving groups of children from the South Glens Falls Central School District before each class went on a hike around the park. Hill explained the characteristics and habitats of the many animals on display in the new space. A highlight of each group’s session was Hill’s demonstration of turkey and owl calls. In the early afternoon, dignitaries from around the region and state were in the new space to announce its grand opening. The addition cost about $130,000 and effectively doubled the size of the nature center, according to Alane Ball Chinian, director of the Saratoga-Capital region for the state Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation. The money came from a fund created with payments made to the park by Saratoga County to offset the impacts of a new waterline that crosses a portion of the park. “It’s beautiful. It’s open. It’s wide. It’s the beginning and the end,” said New York State Parks Commissioner Rose Harvey during Monday’s celebration. “The real nature center is right out there, with 4,000 acres. But then everybody gets to come back and cluster and think about what they saw and learned, so it’s a really great platform for the living laboratory that we have in this magnificent park.” The nature center is the launching point for about 250 educational programs each year. It sees about 6,000 visitors and hosts 30 trips by school groups annually, as well. Harvey said the park as a whole has become one of the state’s more popular parks because of the various programs and offerings. She also said there’s a lot more at stake than supplementing educational programs for schools. “Environmental education is not just an add-on to our parks, but it’s essential, particularly for our children, to get out and touch and feel — to explore, to experience firsthand — nature,” Harvey said. “Our children are the next stewards. They will pass the next legislation to protect our environment. They will pass the next bond act to fund our parks, and there are many social scientists who talk about what is the extinction of the condor to a child who’s never seen a wren?” Also on hand for Monday’s opening were state Sen. Elizabeth Little, R-Queensbury, and representatives of state Sen. Roy McDonald, R-Saratoga, and U.S. Rep. Chris Gibson, R-Kinderhook. Dave Matteson, a member of the Friends of Moreau Lake State Park group, was also on hand, as each speaker mentioned the important role groups like his play in the success of the state’s parks and historic sites. After the event, he explained how the latest addition is the second for the park’s nature center, which began as a shed-sized structure. About nine years ago, the original structure was expanded for the first time. “It’s a fantastic resource for adults and children to get exposure to all the animals that live in this area but that they may never see,” Matteson said. Friends group volunteers help host nature programs at the park and also work to clear trails and staff park facilities each year. Read more: http://poststar.com/news/local/park-officials-celebrate-new-nature-center-space/article_201363ec-8dc5-11e1-b47a-001a4bcf887a.html#ixzz1t529aqIi

let the good times roll at saratoga spa state park and hope for an earlier victoria pool opening.

State parks get a boost
Story
Discussion
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SCOTT DONNELLY -- sdonnelly@poststar.com | Posted: Thursday, April 12, 2012 11:07 pm | (0) Comments
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Jason McKibben - jmckibben@poststar.com
A duck takes flight at Moreau Lake State Park Wednesday April 11, 2012. Wildlife seems to outnumber people at the park right now, but camping reservations are up over last year, and officials are pleased with an allocation of cash from the state budget following two years of austerity. The park opens for camping May 4. (Jason McKibben - jmckibben@poststar.com)
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If you go

What: The Friends of Saratoga Spa State Park will celebrate I Love My Park Day with a day of spring cleaning.

When: 9 a.m. to noon, May 5

Where: Saratoga Spa State Park, in the SPAC parking lot and at the dog park

Details: The spring cleaning that starts in the SPAC parking lot is open to residents of all ages. The dog park effort, which happens at the same time, is open for adults 18 and older. Participants are asked to bring gardening gloves, garden rakes, water, snacks, lunch, bug repellent and sunscreen.

To register: Visit ptny.org or call 434-1583 to register a group of more than 10 volunteers.

What about Moreau Lake State Park?: The I Love My Park Day program isn’t happening there this year, though Robin Dropkin, executive director of Parks and Trails New York, said it may next year. To contact the Friends of Moreau Lake State Park, visit its Facebook page, or email LJKeating2002@yahoo.com.

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State parks in the region are looking forward to a strong season, thanks to a fresh infusion of cash and a warm-weather boost.

Camping reservations at Moreau Lake State Park are up 3 to 5 percent, according to Bob Kuhn, assistant regional director of the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation & Historic Preservation’s Saratoga/Capital District region.

“We feel pretty good about the season,” Kuhn said. “We’ve had a mild winter and a mild spring, and I think that may be one of the reasons we’re ahead of last year. People are already thinking about the summer season because it’s already nice.”

It’s a similar story at the rest of the state’s parks, where camping reservations are up more than 3,000 stays, or 5 percent, from the same time last year, Kuhn said.

At the Moreau park last year, attendance fell by about 1 percent from the year before, though Kuhn attributed most of that decrease to Hurricane Irene, which raked the East Coast over Labor Day weekend.

Campers and visitors to the park will also see some improvements under way this year, thanks to a major funding boost from the state’s New York Works program. The $6.8 million package is being used to fund infrastructure improvements across all regions of the state parks system.

At Moreau Lake, more than $1.27 million will be used to repave the beach parking lot and all the camping loop roads, said Kurt Kress, capital facilities manager for the Saratoga/Capital District region. That work is expected to start in June, but it will be done in such a way as to minimize the impact on park visitors and campers, Kress said.

The money will also be used to demolish the last of the park’s 1960s-era bathrooms. In 2009, all but one of the park’s old comfort stations were replaced; the bathroom in Loop A was not done, due to financing, Kuhn said. That work will happen after the coming camping season, he said.

Also new for Moreau Lake State Park this year is a new lakefront cabin, which was rehabilitated from an old pumping station as part of a project that began in 2010.

“This is the first year that’s available for reservation, and that’s right on the lake,” Kress said, adding the cabin is already booked for much of the coming season.

It’s that kind of demand that has the state planning to add more cabins in the future.

“We don’t have any immediate plans to build cabins this year, but certainly, that’s on our radar screen,” Kuhn said. “It’s something that’s called for in the master plan for the park, and Moreau books up virtually every weekend, so we know that there’s demand.”

Saratoga Spa State Park in Saratoga Springs will also get some infrastructure work, as $1.5 million will be spent from the New York Works program to resurface the Geyser Loop Road and the Columbia parking area.

There are also improvements being made now to the park’s Route 50 trail.

Kress said the bike and pedestrian trail will eventually connect with the Spa City’s Railroad Run Trail and will provide a bike/pedestrian route to the YMCA on the city’s west side.

The Saratoga Spa State Park will also get a new playground, and some aged natural gas lines will be replaced, Kress said.

The New York Works funding is over and above the normal capital budget each region gets every year for improvements, Kuhn said. That funding figure wasn’t available this week, and Kuhn said how much they receive will guide plans for other improvements at the area’s state parks and historic sites.

The funding improvements follow more than two years of austerity for the parks system. In 2010, the parks department threatened to close more than 50 parks and historic sites, as well as cutting resources to 24 other parks, to meet an $11 million state funding cut.

Public outcry resulted in funding restoration to keep the parks open, but capital projects and staffing were still impacted during the downturn.

Kuhn said his region is in the process of hiring four new employees now.

“We went basically two years with no hiring here and a lot of attrition,” he said. “So I think we also feel very good that we’ve sort of turned that corner and are moving in the right direction.”

The new hires will fall far short of bringing the region back to its pre-recession staffing level, Kuhn said.

The developments are encouraging also to Robin Dropkin, executive director of the advocacy group Parks and Trails New York.

“Of course we’re thrilled,” said Dropkin, whose organization issued a report in 2009 that outlined infrastructure deterioration in the state’s parks. Her group has also been active in lobbying the state for improved support of the parks system.

“To have a governor come in in these still pretty bad economic times and say, ‘This is important enough to put some money toward it,’ is very gratifying,” she said. “This is something that people really love and cherish, and it’s part of their New York lifestyle, part of the New York legacy.”


Read more: http://poststar.com/news/local/state-parks-get-a-boost/article_f83b0fee-8515-11e1-a1f1-001a4bcf887a.html#ixzz1rvfrLjtO

will the victoria pool open memorial day with the $1.5 million parks is giving to saratoga spa state park?

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Local state parks will get nearly $7 million worth of improvements, including $1.5 million at Saratoga Spa State Park, under a capital plan announced this week.

Plans call for resurfacing Geyser Loop Road and the Columbia parking area, improve the Route 50 trailway and repairing park infrastructure.

Elsewhere in the Saratoga-Capital District region, upgrades will also be made to Moreau Lake, Peebles Island, Grafton Lakes and John Boyd Thacher state parks.

“That’s fabulous, I’m absolutely thrilled,” Saratoga-Capital Region Parks Commission chair Heather Mabee said. “That much infusion to the Capital Region is amazing considering the funds that are needed across the state.”




Statewide, almost $90 million has been allocated to parks and historic sites under Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s “New York Works” initiative.

In Saratoga County, Peebles Island State Park in Waterford will get the largest share — $3 million — that will be used to rehabilitate and improve facilities and infrastructure such as the historic Bleachery building.

“This funding will help to keep history alive and enhance educational opportunities of this historic state park,” Assemblyman Ron Canestrari, D-Cohoes, said.

Moreau Lake State Park will get $1,275,000 to resurface campground roads and the beach parking area, along with restroom rehabilitation.

At Grafton Lakes in Rensselaer County, $625,000 will be used to resurface the park entrance road and rehabilitate restrooms.

Thacher park in the Helderbergs is slated to get $350,000 for improvements to picnic shelters and parking areas. Continued...

spac facade redo continued, 3/23/12.

...more tree stumps outside pool building, disgraceful.

more of our historic trees being cut down in saratoga spa state park to make golfers happy.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Saratoga Spa State Park employees are clearing trees to make life better for area golfers this summer.

A number of evergreens have been cut to enhance air circulation and let more sunlight in, which are needed to promote healthy turf.

“This is the third year in a row we’ve done a tree project,” said Robert Kuhn, assistant regional parks director.

Current work involves thinning a tree line between the 13th and 14th fairways, to the left of Avenue of the Pines, when entering the park from Route 9.




“It will allow more sun on the 13th fairway,” Kuhn said. “There will still be a tree line. We’re taking out a lot of softwoods and leaving the hardwoods.”

No trees on Avenue of the Pines trees have been or will be cut, he said.

Two years ago, workers did a much larger tree-clearing job in the heart of the front nine near the eighth tee. “A lot of trees between the eighth tee and the fairway behind it were taken out,” Kuhn said.

Last year, crews took down trees near the clubhouse for safety reasons, concerned the trees might topple over in a storm.

“The response we’ve gotten from golfers is that there’s been a noticeable difference in turf quality,” he said. “Aesthetics of the park aren’t being compromised.”

No date has been set for opening the park’s golf courses, however the lack of snow could result in an early start, possibly by the second or third week of April, Kuhn said.

shaun o'brien, dancer extraordinaire and beloved saratogian dead at 86.

Shaun O’Brien dies; was NYC Ballet character dancer

Thursday, March 1, 2012


By Bill Buell (Contact)
Gazette Reporter




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New York City Ballet character dancer Shaun O’Brien is seen here during a curtain call. He died last week in Saratoga Springs at the age of 86. (photo: Paul Kolnik)


Shaun O’Brien, who for 42 years gained legions of New York City Ballet fans for his acting as much as his dancing, died last week in Saratoga Springs at the age of 86.

O’Brien was a character dancer, which meant he seldom got the opportunity to dance with the prima ballerina. He did, however, enjoy an amazingly long professional career for a dancer, getting his start with the New York City Ballet in 1949, the year after its creation by George Balanchine and Lincoln Kirstein.

O’Brien retired from the troupe in 1991 and moved full time to Saratoga Springs with his longtime partner, Cris Alexander. He danced in more than 100 ballets, but was synonymous with the roles of Herr Drosselmeyer in “The Nutcracker” and Dr. Coppélius in “Coppelia.”

“Shaun was the most amazing of character dancers I’ve seen,” said Leslie Roy-Heck, a former soloist with the company who now owns and operates Saratoga Dance in Saratoga Springs. “He captivated the audience in ‘Nutcracker’ as Herr Drosselmeyer and was most memorable as Dr. Coppélius in ‘Coppelia.’ I adored watching him on stage, and although many other dancers did these roles, in my opinion, no one’s performances equaled the brilliance of Shaun’s interpretations.”

Natural performer

“He was just a natural at the character roles,” said Bill Otto, a Glens Falls resident and retired New York City Ballet dancer who danced many of O’Brien’s roles after joining the company in 1983.

“He was past his prime when I saw him, but he was a wonderful dancer and a great actor. He was always very believable. Never a false moment. It was like he was doing pantomime for the ballet.”

Robert Maiorano worked with O’Brien for more than 20 years, and said it was his stage presence that made him such a vital part of the company.

“He played the unbendable father in ‘Prodigal Son,’ who finally gives in, and while he’s known for Drosselmeyer and Dr. Coppélius, it was actually that performance that brought me to tears. That was when I realized he was such a great actor,” said Maiorano.

“In that scene, he has very little to do yet he had such command of the stage,” continued Maiorano. “He just stood there while the prodigal son is going through gyrations and everyone else is dancing and slipping around. Shaun just stood there stoically with this great presence and authority.”

O’Brien was born in Brooklyn on Nov. 28, 1925. He first danced in public at the age of 4 with his older sister and never stopped for more than 60 years. As a youth he studied in Manhattan at the School of American Ballet, the official school of the New York City Ballet.

Broadway debut

He changed his first name from John to Shaun during those years, and in 1945, before he was 20, he made his Broadway debut as a member of the dance ensemble in “Hollywood Pinafore.”

He was on Broadway again in “Polonaise” in 1945 and “Sleepy Hollow” in 1948 before beginning his long career with the New York City Ballet in 1949.

O’Brien first moved to Saratoga around 1975 and split his time between there and New York City until his retirement in 1991. He and Alexander, a photographer, actor and dancer who performed on Broadway in the 1940s, had been living together for 61 years and, according to the New York Times, they were married in a private ceremony soon after New York passed its same-sex marriage act.

“They’d been together since 1949, which is longer than any married couple I know,” said Maiorano, who saw O’Brien since last fall. “I was so happy for him, and [Cris] was no slouch, either. He was an actor and a great photographer, and while they were very private, they were a lot of fun to be around. You could call them up at 1 in the morning, but you dare not call them before 3 in the afternoon.”

Although he was retired, O’Brien would occasionally provide pre-performance talks at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center for SPAC’s education director, Siobhan Dunham.

“He was an absolutely great storyteller,” Dunham said, “and they were never told at someone else’s expense. They were just very funny, personal stories, and it was a thrill for me to not only invite him but to have him say yes. You knew the pre-performance talk would be a success if Shaun did it.”

O’Brien’s failing health had kept him out of the public eye for the past few years, according to Dunham.

“I hadn’t seen him in about four or five years, but I’ll always remember that great warm smile he had,” she said. “He was really warm, and there was no sense of elitism about him. He had this elegance about him, but he was always approachable. He was very generous with his conversation.”

Honored by museum

In July 2009, O’Brien was honored by the National Museum of Dance in Saratoga Springs.

“We had a special program for him when the [New York City] Ballet was here doing ‘Coppelia,’ ” said Susan Edwards, program director at the museum. “I didn’t know him personally that well, but you could tell he was a very elegant man, very gracious. He had been very active in the Saratoga arts community for a long time right up until three or four years ago.”

“He always had a lot of great stories to tell,” said Otto. “I was just a few seats away from him in the dressing room for years. I had known him and his partner for years and had been out to their house, although it’d been a few years. Shaun was just a great guy.”

The William J. Burke & Sons Funeral Home in Saratoga Springs confirmed O’Brien’s death last Thursday, and at this time there are no services scheduled.

ice skating at victoria pool even on an unusually warm and beautiful late february day. what could be better?

SPAC facade changes have begun, 2/22/12.

victoria pool will open in less than 100 days.

SPAC to get its facelift at last.

Dakes donate $500K for new SPAC facade

Tuesday, February 21, 2012


By Lee Coleman (Contact)
Gazette Reporter




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Shown is a computer-generated image of the new amphitheatre façade to be built at Saratoga Performing Arts Center.


SARATOGA SPRINGS — William Dake, board chairman of Stewart’s Shops, and his wife, Susan, are donating a new facade for the Saratoga Performing Arts Center, SPAC officials said Monday.

Renovation of the nearly 50-year-old exterior of the center’s amphitheater in the Saratoga Spa State Park will start immediately and be ready for the upcoming season.

The Dakes said in a statement released Monday their gift was motivated by a recognition of “SPAC’s cultural and economic impact on the greater Capital Region.”

The donation is $500,000, according to SPAC officials.

“Bill [Dake] really sees the need for it,” said Marcia White, president and executive director of SPAC.

Dake is the outgoing chairman of the SPAC Board of Directors. He will be succeeded by Susan Phillips Read, an associate justice on the state Court of Appeals.

White said the current wooden facade of the amphitheater is deteriorating. The new facade will keep the amphitheater’s original “shield” design but enhance and replace the old exterior with weather-resistant materials, White said.

The state Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation has already invested more than $4.5 million on improvements to the amphitheater, including new seating and extensive interior work, since 2005.

A renovation of the amphitheater facade was planned in early 2008 but the unpopular proposed design for the facade — some compared the design to a stack of pancakes — and the start of the recession scrapped the project.

The facade being donated by the Dakes will retain the current exterior “shield” design, which has elements of a Medieval festival look, White said.

“We are thrilled to support this new facade project, a terrific example of leveraging state funding with private investments to sustain a magnificent facility,” state parks Commissioner Rose Harvey said in a prepared statement. “We thank the Dake family for their outstanding generosity.”

“We are really grateful they are willing to step up” and replace the facade, said Alane Ball Chinian, executive director of the Saratoga-Capital District Region of the state Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation.

Chinian said she is pleased the facade work will be completed in time for the upcoming performance season. “As a private partner, they can move forward more quickly [than the state],” Chinian said.

In recent years, the deterioration of the amphitheater’s exterior has become visibly pronounced. The current board-and-batten siding has endured five decades of upstate weather conditions and as a result, there is significant warping, fading, wood rot and disintegration, SPAC officials said in a statement.

Bonacio Construction of Saratoga Springs was selected to do the work after a competitive bidding process, said SPAC officials.

Wood veneer panels of Parklex, a high-density, weather-resistant material, will be fastened to the exterior of each shield frame.

Existing surfaces on the amphitheater side and roof dormers will be replaced with a brown, durable, weather-resistant fiber cement board.

The project also includes replacement and repositioning of the speakers currently mounted on the facade that project sound to the lawn. Upgraded speakers will be built into the shield facade and positioned at a higher level to provide better audio coverage and quality on the lawn.

The current speakers sit too low in the enclosure for the acreage that needs to be reached, resulting in audio gaps in some areas of the lawn, SPAC officials said.

“I am inspired by the extraordinary generosity of this latest gift from the Dake family to Saratoga Performing Arts Center. From the very beginning to the present day, the Dakes have been SPAC’s strongest allies, investing vision, leadership and resources to advance this treasured landmark,” White said in a statement.

The timeline for the construction work is:

-- February-March: Removal of the wooden shields on the amphitheater facade and board and batten on the sides; prefabrication of three-dimensional steel frame followed by attachment of Parklex siding.

-- Early spring: Installation of three-dimensional shields on facade and cement board on sides and dormers and the integration of upgraded speakers into the facade structure.

The work is expected to be complete by the end of May.

The state has invested more than $4.5 million in the SPAC facilities since 2005. The renovations included the installation of a new amphitheater roof, repair of the pedestrian bridge and sewage system upgrades. In 2007, the interior of SPAC’s amphitheater was revamped with all new, larger padded seating and other interior renovations. Recent projects include restroom renovations and improvements

Happy February 1st! We always feel like summer will really come on this date. The countdown to Memorial Day opening of Victoria Pool we hope.

a glorious day for ice skating at the victoria pool, wear your snuggies.

First snowy day at victoria pool in weeks. A pristine beauty all its own.

very deep water main break to golfhouse. victoria pool not affected.

saratoga getting ready to roll the dice again.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Area officials caught a glimpse of Las Vegas-style gambling Thursday, when the owners of Saratoga Casino and Raceway announced plans for a $40 million expansion that would bring dice rolling and poker back to this old gaming city.

Saratoga Harness Racing Inc. wants to add 15,000-square-feet to the casino/harness track for table games like blackjack, roulette and craps. The $40 million project also calls for a 130-room hotel, an event center, additional dining options and, possibly, a parking garage.

The "racino" is partly owned by lobbyist James Featherstonhaugh, who, as president of the New York Gaming Association, is fighting to widen gaming options in nine existing state-run racinos. He said the expansion of Saratoga Casino and Raceway depends on state leaders backing an effort to amend New York's constitution to allow for table games. Gov. Andrew Cuomo supports the constitutional amendment, which requires approval from two state legislatures and the voting public.

A full-blown casino with card dealers and pit bosses would attract visitors from outside the Capital Region, and cement the city's status as a destination resort, Featherstonhaugh said.

"I see Saratoga as sort of the Monte Carlo of New York casinos," the Albany attorney said. "It has a wonderfully colored history with gaming and although it's a small city, it's known all over the world."

Thursday's announcement came with an architectural rendering and a shovel-ready date of 2014. Cuomo is reviewing options for expanding gambling in the state. He recently backed a plan to build a $4 billion convention center with money from the Malaysian gaming giant Genting in New York City.

The relatively smaller Saratoga casino expansion would generate 400 permanent new jobs, along with hundreds of additional construction jobs, racino officials said Thursday. Construction would take six to nine months.

Reaction to the proposal was mixed. Everything depends on what changes the governor backs, Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce President Todd Shimkus said. While the New York Gaming Association has recommended table games at the state's existing racinos, Cuomo and legislative leaders have not come out with a plan. One concern among local officials is gaming could be permitted to expand to new locations.

"We're holding off until we hear more details," Shimkus said. "Local and county officials should be approached proactively by the governor to make sure whatever is proposed has no harm. There's way too many unknowns."

Jeff Clark, president of the city's Downtown Business Association, said that Saratoga Casino and Raceway officials have provided generous donations toward the DBA's Victorian Streetwalk, an annual celebration held on Broadway, and other not-for-profit organizations.

"But to a degree, it draws business from downtown," Clark said.

A full-fledged casino in Saratoga Springs would not necessarily harm thoroughbred horse racing at Saratoga Race Course, said trainer Rick Violette, the president of the New York Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association. It could very well help, he said. "The devil is in the details," Violette said.

Saratoga Casino and Raceway became the state's first non-Native American gaming facility on Jan. 28, 2004. It offers wagering on video lottery terminals and harness racing. The Crescent Avenue facility nearly doubled in size to 100,000-square-feet in 2007, when owners built a two-story nightclub and 325-seat food buffet. It now contains 1,790 video lottery terminals. In 2010, the facility expanded its daily hours of operations to 19 from 16.

The site is the second-highest earning racino in the state. At least two million visitors walked its floors and made bets in 2011.

More than $1.5 billion was bet there from April to December last year, according to the state Lottery Division. The racino's net take in fiscal year 2010-2011 was $140.5 million, $69.9 million of which was dedicated to education in the state, according to the Lottery. That's up from the prior fiscal year, which ended at $136.7 million and $67.7 million.

The expansion plans call for a new three-story hotel, to be designed after Broadway's old landmark hotels. Racino officials said Thursday that New York casinos needed to offer a full range of gaming options to compete with neighboring states that allow full-scale casinos. Rita Cox, a senior vice president at Saratoga Casino and Raceway, said she thinks that momentum is behind a change.

But one seasoned Saratoga County political observer who asked not to be identified said state gambling laws would probably never change, at least for years.

"I'd rather comment on the likelihood of American Samoa beating Brazil in the World Cup," the official said.

Reach Dennis Yusko at 454-5353 or dyusko@timesunion.com.





Read more: http://www.timesunion.com/local/article/Racino-betting-big-on-Saratoga-casino-2490225.php#ixzz1jLo6yXfA


pictured here Canfield Casino in Congress Park.