Saturday, April 12, 2008
Posted on Sat, Apr 12, 2008 Zoom + | Zoom -
Fasig-Tipton auction house purchased by Dubai sheik
By PAUL POST, The Saratogian
A sales announcer calls out auction-goers’ bids during the Fasig-Tipton yearling sales in Saratoga Springs in August 2007. (MATTHEW TURRI file photo/The Saratogian)SARATOGA SPRINGS — One of the Spa City’s most important industries could be in store for major improvements from one of the world’s richest investors.
Dubai-based Synergy Investments Ltd., closely allied with Dubai ruler Sheikh Mohammed, has purchased Kentucky-based Fasig-Tipton Co., whose Saratoga sales each August are among the world’s most prestigious thoroughbred horse auctions.
But the firm’s goal isn’t just to improve sales, but to enhance the entire North American racing experience, in which the sheikh has already has invested more than $1 billion, a spokesman said.
“There are lots of things we can do,” said Terence Collier, Fasig-Tipton’s director of marketing. “Saratoga is one of the most important horse markets in the world. We want to bring a higher level of service to the industry and yes, we intend to grow the business.
“That’s our objective.”
New York State Racing Commissioner Harry Snyder, of Saratoga Springs, said Synergy’s investment should mean good things for the Spa City.
“It means there’s going to be an unlimited supply of capital to put into the business,” he said. “Whatever they take on, they do a first-class job. It should be good for the town and for the entire thoroughbred industry. It’s (Fasig-Tipton) a well-run company. I’m sure it will be even more so with the Moktoums involved.”
The sheik, believed to be among the world’s five richest people, spent a reported
$17.5 million for an exclusive thoroughbred training center on Nelson Avenue last year. His net worth is estimated at nearly $30 billion and he owns Godolphin Racing, among the world’s most successful stables, and Darley breeding operation.
At the 2007 Fasig-Tipton November mixed sale, he paid $5.75 million for bought multiple Grade I winner Round Pond and $4 million for Eclipse Award finalist Octave.
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The Fasig-Tipton sale becomes official in May, Collier said. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. He said that no immediate personnel or operations changes are anticipated. The Fasig Tipton name will stay the same, too.
Fasig-Tipton’s principal owner John Hettinger, who’s had serious health problems in recent years, is a part-time Saratoga Springs resident with a house on Circular Street. Snyder credited him with rescuing and restoring integrity to Fasig-Tipton.
“Our agreement includes an understanding that Fasig-Tipton will be operated in a manner consistent with the principles of integrity, customer service, and industry service which have been so critical to our success since controlling interest was obtained by the Hettinger family in 1991,” board Chairman D.G. Van Clief Jr. said in a prepared statement. “Those assurances were critical to John and his son Bill Hettinger, and our entire board of directors, in agreeing to this transaction.”
Founded in 1898, Fasig Tipton is North America’s oldest thoroughbred auction company. In addition to Saratoga Springs, it conducts auctions in Lexington, Ky., Timonium, Md., Miami, Fla. and Grand Prairie, Texas.
Its main two-day Saratoga sale is surpassed only by the September Keeneland sale, Collier said.
“Most people around here, if you ask what the highlight of the Saratoga meet is, they’ll say Travers Week,” said Mike Kane, communications director at the National Museum of Racing & Hall of Fame. “For the industry its sales week. It’s a really important part of the fabric of the Saratoga season. We’re not just racing here in Saratoga.
“Many of the greatest horses that have gone through the auction ring have been sold here in Saratoga. It’s a fun, interesting thing just to see that part of the business.”
Sales are held at the Humphrey S. Finney Pavilion on East Avenue, where Hall of Fame inductions also take place. Kane said he’s been assured by Fasig Tipton officials that Hall of Fame ceremonies can stay there.
“I talked to Boyd Browning (executive vice president/COO) and he told me that everything would continue as it has in the past,” Kane said Friday. “It’s a great venue for us.”
This year’s inductions are slated for Monday, Aug. 4. Fasig-Tipton’s main two-day sale kicks off that night. Last year’s sales totaled more than $41 million, an average of $289,000 per horse. Gross sales have ranged from $40 million to $60 million each of the past 10 years, Collier said.
“That’s a lot of business for the small town of Saratoga to enjoy in two nights,” he said.
However, demand for hotel space is so great that buyers, sellers and bloodstock agents sometimes have difficulty finding a room.
Holiday Inn General Manager Cindy Hollowood said that demand for rooms is normally highest from Wednesday through Saturday during the racing meet. During Fasig-Tipton sales, Monday and Tuesday are equally busy, she said.
“That does place a great amount of demand,” she said.
Collier said that Synergy will take immediate steps, beginning this year, to help people with everything from lodging to restaurant reservations and getting a box at the track. The company’s goal is to bring new buyers, sellers and more horses into the business, he said.
“We’ll be working very closely with NYRA (New York Racing Association) and their hospitality people to help people get through the Saratoga experience in the best possible way,” Collier said.
NYRA President and CEO Charles Hayward said, “Fasig-Tipton is an integral part of the Saratoga Race Course meet. We’re sure that tradition will continue under new ownership.”
Saturday, April 12, 2008
Chairwoman Mabee, Saratoga-Capital District region of Parks sends letter to Saratogian
Saturday, April 12, 2008
Posted on Sat, Apr 12, 2008 Zoom + | Zoom -
Letter: Help keep New York state park system alive
By Heather Mabee, chairwoman, Saratoga-Capital District region, New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation Commission
New York state’s heralded state park system — widely regarded as one of the finest in the nation — is at a crossroads. Over the past 15 years the system expanded 27 percent, with 29 new parks, which is great news for millions of people who visit our state parks.
However, as owners of these irreplaceable assets, we New Yorkers have not kept up with our obligation to keep our parks in good condition. Adjusted for inflation, the system’s capital budget in the last 15 years has shrunk in half.
As a result, state parks and historic sites now face a backlog of over $600 million in capital projects and overdue repairs that threaten the high quality, safety and public access to these wonderful facilities.
The Executive Budget proposes a $100-million capital initiative to revitalize our state parks system. This proposal is the first step in a long-term, comprehensive effort necessary to keep the system contributing to the state’s economy and New Yorkers’ quality of life.
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The initiative will address the system’s most urgent needs — particularly the public health and safety risks such as out-of-compliance drinking water and sewage treatment systems and potentially hazardous dams and bridges. It also includes projects to make long-deferred repairs, open newly acquired parkland to the public, and protect sensitive environments.
New York state has a long history of protecting our abundance of scenic beauty, recreational opportunity and historic significance through our world-class parks system.
Now it is up to the members of the state Senate and Assembly to carry on that tradition. I urge them to support this proposal to help keep our state parks safe, beautiful and exciting.
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Posted on Sat, Apr 12, 2008 Zoom + | Zoom -
Letter: Help keep New York state park system alive
By Heather Mabee, chairwoman, Saratoga-Capital District region, New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation Commission
New York state’s heralded state park system — widely regarded as one of the finest in the nation — is at a crossroads. Over the past 15 years the system expanded 27 percent, with 29 new parks, which is great news for millions of people who visit our state parks.
However, as owners of these irreplaceable assets, we New Yorkers have not kept up with our obligation to keep our parks in good condition. Adjusted for inflation, the system’s capital budget in the last 15 years has shrunk in half.
As a result, state parks and historic sites now face a backlog of over $600 million in capital projects and overdue repairs that threaten the high quality, safety and public access to these wonderful facilities.
The Executive Budget proposes a $100-million capital initiative to revitalize our state parks system. This proposal is the first step in a long-term, comprehensive effort necessary to keep the system contributing to the state’s economy and New Yorkers’ quality of life.
Advertisement
The initiative will address the system’s most urgent needs — particularly the public health and safety risks such as out-of-compliance drinking water and sewage treatment systems and potentially hazardous dams and bridges. It also includes projects to make long-deferred repairs, open newly acquired parkland to the public, and protect sensitive environments.
New York state has a long history of protecting our abundance of scenic beauty, recreational opportunity and historic significance through our world-class parks system.
Now it is up to the members of the state Senate and Assembly to carry on that tradition. I urge them to support this proposal to help keep our state parks safe, beautiful and exciting.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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Wednesday, April 09, 2008
Post Star Blog on Park improvements, 4/9/08
SPA: Park improvements coming
The state budget contained some good news for state park advocates, who argue leaders have neglected to fund the bastions of outdoor recreation for years (even the state admits a $650 million backlog of projects statewide).
Locally, Saratoga Spa State Park is looking at getting about $3.6 million and Moreau Lake State Park around $1.83 million to fund capital projects this year. The money will be generally going towards infrastructure — like roads, trails, electric lines and bathrooms (officially called “comfort stations”) — instead of more services or longer seasons (much to the chagrin of at least one group).
At Spa Park, the most visible projects include new siding on the exterior of SPAC, which is original to the performance venue, and new playground equipment (see Post-Star photographer Erin Reid Coker’s photo below).
– Drew Kerr
This entry was posted on Tuesday, April 8th, 2008 at 3:22 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.
The state budget contained some good news for state park advocates, who argue leaders have neglected to fund the bastions of outdoor recreation for years (even the state admits a $650 million backlog of projects statewide).
Locally, Saratoga Spa State Park is looking at getting about $3.6 million and Moreau Lake State Park around $1.83 million to fund capital projects this year. The money will be generally going towards infrastructure — like roads, trails, electric lines and bathrooms (officially called “comfort stations”) — instead of more services or longer seasons (much to the chagrin of at least one group).
At Spa Park, the most visible projects include new siding on the exterior of SPAC, which is original to the performance venue, and new playground equipment (see Post-Star photographer Erin Reid Coker’s photo below).
– Drew Kerr
This entry was posted on Tuesday, April 8th, 2008 at 3:22 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.
Tuesday, April 08, 2008
Trying for an earlier opening for Victoria Pool once again!
Parks funding to get boost from state
By DREW KERR
dkerr@poststar.com
Published: Tuesday, April 08, 2008
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To order copies of staff-produced photos from The Post-Star, please visit http://reprints.poststar.com/. SARATOGA SPRINGS -- Louise Goldstein is hoping New York's state budget translates into a June dip at Saratoga Spa State Park's Victoria Pool.
Her enthusiasm is based on a $95 million commitment to state parks included in New York's tentative 2008-09 budget -- an investment the governor's office is calling the largest monetary dedication to capital projects in state history.
"They're always crying about money, so this certainly gives us a push when we call for an early opening," said Goldstein, the co-founder of the Save the Victoria Pool Society, a group formed in 2003 to fight for the park and lengthen the season at Saratoga Springs' only public pool.
But Alane Ball Chinian, the director for the Saratoga-Capital parks region, said the money is more likely to go toward maintenance and repair projects that have been put off during years of lesser financial support.
"The park system has been very underfunded for years, and it's been a real Band-Aid approach to keeping them open," Chinian said Monday. "The infrastructure was really suffering, and this is just playing catch-up."
The state estimates there is a $650 million backlog of necessary work statewide, and Chinian said this year's budget is only a starting point.
"This covers a tiny fraction of the needs the park has," she said. "There's still a lot of work to do."
Improvements at Saratoga Spa State Park, which are already under way and will continue this summer, total $3.6 million this fiscal year. Moreau Lake State Park is getting $1.83 million. The money will be used to update and replace restrooms, install new playground equipment, repair water and electric lines and improve roadways and trails.
Money to replace rotting siding on the exterior of the Saratoga Performing Arts Center is also expected to be delivered, allowing the project to begin this fall.
Though they may not seem like terribly exciting projects, Chinian said, combined, they will ultimately lead to a safer, more comfortable park experience.
"When bathrooms are in disrepair and lights don't work -- those are the kinds of things that discourage people from coming," she said.
The funding comes as officials at Saratoga Spa State Park begin to devise a new master plan, among the first in the state.
But Chinian said that process is directed toward the park's future -- whether or not it will invite camping, for example -- and shouldn't be affected by the work afforded in the budget.
In statements, both Carol Ash, commissioner of the state Office of Parks, Recreation and Historical Preservation, and Gov. David Paterson lauded the state's increasing commitment to park funding.
With fuel prices peaking, Ash said, she is expecting an increasing number of people to frequent close-to-home parks.
"In light of climbing gas prices, this coming summer season may be the perfect time to explore a new destination or visit a familiar spot," she said.
Paterson, who sought to rein in spending given a projected $4 billion budget gap, said the investment could also help rejuvenate the state and local economies in the long run.
"Making long-overdue investments in our state parks will not only preserve New York's natural resources and protect our environment, but it will also serve as a critical engine of economic growth," he said. "A first-class parks system will draw residents, tourists and private investment to communities around our state."
By DREW KERR
dkerr@poststar.com
Published: Tuesday, April 08, 2008
Larger Text
Smaller Text
RSS
To order copies of staff-produced photos from The Post-Star, please visit http://reprints.poststar.com/. SARATOGA SPRINGS -- Louise Goldstein is hoping New York's state budget translates into a June dip at Saratoga Spa State Park's Victoria Pool.
Her enthusiasm is based on a $95 million commitment to state parks included in New York's tentative 2008-09 budget -- an investment the governor's office is calling the largest monetary dedication to capital projects in state history.
"They're always crying about money, so this certainly gives us a push when we call for an early opening," said Goldstein, the co-founder of the Save the Victoria Pool Society, a group formed in 2003 to fight for the park and lengthen the season at Saratoga Springs' only public pool.
But Alane Ball Chinian, the director for the Saratoga-Capital parks region, said the money is more likely to go toward maintenance and repair projects that have been put off during years of lesser financial support.
"The park system has been very underfunded for years, and it's been a real Band-Aid approach to keeping them open," Chinian said Monday. "The infrastructure was really suffering, and this is just playing catch-up."
The state estimates there is a $650 million backlog of necessary work statewide, and Chinian said this year's budget is only a starting point.
"This covers a tiny fraction of the needs the park has," she said. "There's still a lot of work to do."
Improvements at Saratoga Spa State Park, which are already under way and will continue this summer, total $3.6 million this fiscal year. Moreau Lake State Park is getting $1.83 million. The money will be used to update and replace restrooms, install new playground equipment, repair water and electric lines and improve roadways and trails.
Money to replace rotting siding on the exterior of the Saratoga Performing Arts Center is also expected to be delivered, allowing the project to begin this fall.
Though they may not seem like terribly exciting projects, Chinian said, combined, they will ultimately lead to a safer, more comfortable park experience.
"When bathrooms are in disrepair and lights don't work -- those are the kinds of things that discourage people from coming," she said.
The funding comes as officials at Saratoga Spa State Park begin to devise a new master plan, among the first in the state.
But Chinian said that process is directed toward the park's future -- whether or not it will invite camping, for example -- and shouldn't be affected by the work afforded in the budget.
In statements, both Carol Ash, commissioner of the state Office of Parks, Recreation and Historical Preservation, and Gov. David Paterson lauded the state's increasing commitment to park funding.
With fuel prices peaking, Ash said, she is expecting an increasing number of people to frequent close-to-home parks.
"In light of climbing gas prices, this coming summer season may be the perfect time to explore a new destination or visit a familiar spot," she said.
Paterson, who sought to rein in spending given a projected $4 billion budget gap, said the investment could also help rejuvenate the state and local economies in the long run.
"Making long-overdue investments in our state parks will not only preserve New York's natural resources and protect our environment, but it will also serve as a critical engine of economic growth," he said. "A first-class parks system will draw residents, tourists and private investment to communities around our state."
Friday, April 04, 2008
"Depression-Era Saratoga", Library, 4/13/08, 1:30 PM, FREE Tickets required
Saratoga Reads event explores local lore of Depression era
"Tales from the Watering Hole: Remembering Depression-Era Saratoga" is
the title of a Saratoga Reads panel discussion to be held
from 1:30 to 4 p.m. Sunday, April 13 in the H. Dutcher Community Room at
the Saratoga Springs Public Library. The event is sponsored
by the Saratoga Springs Public Library, Friends of the Library, and the
Saratoga Springs History Museum.
The panel is part of a series of events exploring the themes of the
best-selling novel Water for Elephants, selected by a public vote as
this year's Saratoga Reads book of choice. The novel tells the tale of a
ragtag traveling circus during the Great Depression.
Through presentations and discussion, panelists will cover a range of
topics related to Depression-era Saratoga, from the colorful
entertainment and occasionally notorious figures of the times to the
impact of the Depression on the local community.
Panelists will include Mary Ann Fitzgerald, city historian and
co-founder of the West Side Oral Narrative Project; Ellen de Lalla,
former
historian for the public library; and writer Maria McBride Bucciferro.
The moderator will be David Patterson, past president of the
Historical Society (now the History Museum) and a teacher at Saratoga
Springs High School.
Admission is free, but tickets are required and are available at the
Information Desk at the library. Refreshments will be served.
"Tales from the Watering Hole: Remembering Depression-Era Saratoga" is
the title of a Saratoga Reads panel discussion to be held
from 1:30 to 4 p.m. Sunday, April 13 in the H. Dutcher Community Room at
the Saratoga Springs Public Library. The event is sponsored
by the Saratoga Springs Public Library, Friends of the Library, and the
Saratoga Springs History Museum.
The panel is part of a series of events exploring the themes of the
best-selling novel Water for Elephants, selected by a public vote as
this year's Saratoga Reads book of choice. The novel tells the tale of a
ragtag traveling circus during the Great Depression.
Through presentations and discussion, panelists will cover a range of
topics related to Depression-era Saratoga, from the colorful
entertainment and occasionally notorious figures of the times to the
impact of the Depression on the local community.
Panelists will include Mary Ann Fitzgerald, city historian and
co-founder of the West Side Oral Narrative Project; Ellen de Lalla,
former
historian for the public library; and writer Maria McBride Bucciferro.
The moderator will be David Patterson, past president of the
Historical Society (now the History Museum) and a teacher at Saratoga
Springs High School.
Admission is free, but tickets are required and are available at the
Information Desk at the library. Refreshments will be served.
Monday, March 31, 2008
Sunday, March 16, 2008
Thursday, March 13, 2008
New Management at Gideon Putnam Hotel
SARATOGA SPRINGS
Changes under way at park hotel
New management installing exhibits, information panels at Gideon Putnam
BY LEE COLEMAN Gazette Reporter
The new management of the Gideon Putnam Resort is already making changes at the historic hotel in the Saratoga Spa State Park.
“We want to tell the story of this place where we are,” said Michael Barnes, the new manager for the 125-room luxury hotel and health spa.
Work has already started on interpretive exhibits and information panels about the hotel, who Gideon Putnam was and the Spa State Park. The material will be erected in the hotel’s portico area near the main entrance.
Gideon Putnam was a founding father of Saratoga Springs who settled near the High Rock Spring in 1789 and later built the city’s fi rst tavern and hotel.
The interpretive materials will tell the story of the hotel, the park itself and the history of the Geyser spring, among other things, he said.
Barnes works for Delaware North Parks and Resorts.
Delaware North was awarded a 20-year contract last fall by the state to operate the hotel and nearby health spa, replacing Xanterra Parks and Resorts of Colorado.
Barnes said Gideon Putnam LLC, the new company formed by Delaware North, Saratoga Gaming and Raceway, and Delaware North Companies Parks and Resorts, plans to invest $20 million in capital improvements in the hotel and nearby Roosevelt bathhouse in the coming years.
Barnes’ last position for the Buffalo-based Delaware North was as general manager of Niagara Falls State Park.
He said engineers and architects are currently developing a floor plan of the hotel, which was built in 1934, to detail the way the systems and layout exist today.
“We need a good foundation to get good [renovation] estimates and a good plan,” Barnes said.
Once the improvement plan is completed over the next four months, it will be shared with the state Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation for approval.
In addition to the interpretive initiative, the new management is also buying brand new bedspreads, blankets, sheets and towels.
Nearly 90 percent of the hotel employees who worked at the Gideon Putnam last year were hired by Gideon Putnam LLC. Barnes said the hotel currently employs about 150 people, but this number jumps to 225 people during the summer tourism season.
Delaware North is also spending $500,000 in marketing the hotel as the “Gideon Putnam Resort,” which includes the Roosevelt bathhouse health spa as well as the other amenities in the 2,000-acre Spa State Park.
“We want to get the word out that this is a different place,” Barnes said.
The hotel’s Web site (www.gideonputnam.com) has been changed to include the broader approach the new management is taking.
Barnes said the Saratoga Spa State Park has so many special attractions that it’s a natural thing to mention these when describing the Gideon Putnam hotel and Roosevelt baths.
Barnes, a 1987 graduate of St. Bonaventure University in Olean, has moved with his wife and four children to a home in Queensbury.
He was general manager of the Niagara Falls State Park for 10 years, during which a new visitor center and retail shops were opened there.
Delaware North also operates the gaming portion of Saratoga Gaming and Raceway on Crescent Avenue in Saratoga Springs as well as luxury resorts at the Yellowstone and Yosemite national parks and the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
BRUCE SQUIERS/ GAZETTE PHOTOGRAPHER Mike Barnes, general manager of the Gideon Putnam Hotel, stands in the Arches room, pointing out some of the changes the hotel will be undergoing.
Changes under way at park hotel
New management installing exhibits, information panels at Gideon Putnam
BY LEE COLEMAN Gazette Reporter
The new management of the Gideon Putnam Resort is already making changes at the historic hotel in the Saratoga Spa State Park.
“We want to tell the story of this place where we are,” said Michael Barnes, the new manager for the 125-room luxury hotel and health spa.
Work has already started on interpretive exhibits and information panels about the hotel, who Gideon Putnam was and the Spa State Park. The material will be erected in the hotel’s portico area near the main entrance.
Gideon Putnam was a founding father of Saratoga Springs who settled near the High Rock Spring in 1789 and later built the city’s fi rst tavern and hotel.
The interpretive materials will tell the story of the hotel, the park itself and the history of the Geyser spring, among other things, he said.
Barnes works for Delaware North Parks and Resorts.
Delaware North was awarded a 20-year contract last fall by the state to operate the hotel and nearby health spa, replacing Xanterra Parks and Resorts of Colorado.
Barnes said Gideon Putnam LLC, the new company formed by Delaware North, Saratoga Gaming and Raceway, and Delaware North Companies Parks and Resorts, plans to invest $20 million in capital improvements in the hotel and nearby Roosevelt bathhouse in the coming years.
Barnes’ last position for the Buffalo-based Delaware North was as general manager of Niagara Falls State Park.
He said engineers and architects are currently developing a floor plan of the hotel, which was built in 1934, to detail the way the systems and layout exist today.
“We need a good foundation to get good [renovation] estimates and a good plan,” Barnes said.
Once the improvement plan is completed over the next four months, it will be shared with the state Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation for approval.
In addition to the interpretive initiative, the new management is also buying brand new bedspreads, blankets, sheets and towels.
Nearly 90 percent of the hotel employees who worked at the Gideon Putnam last year were hired by Gideon Putnam LLC. Barnes said the hotel currently employs about 150 people, but this number jumps to 225 people during the summer tourism season.
Delaware North is also spending $500,000 in marketing the hotel as the “Gideon Putnam Resort,” which includes the Roosevelt bathhouse health spa as well as the other amenities in the 2,000-acre Spa State Park.
“We want to get the word out that this is a different place,” Barnes said.
The hotel’s Web site (www.gideonputnam.com) has been changed to include the broader approach the new management is taking.
Barnes said the Saratoga Spa State Park has so many special attractions that it’s a natural thing to mention these when describing the Gideon Putnam hotel and Roosevelt baths.
Barnes, a 1987 graduate of St. Bonaventure University in Olean, has moved with his wife and four children to a home in Queensbury.
He was general manager of the Niagara Falls State Park for 10 years, during which a new visitor center and retail shops were opened there.
Delaware North also operates the gaming portion of Saratoga Gaming and Raceway on Crescent Avenue in Saratoga Springs as well as luxury resorts at the Yellowstone and Yosemite national parks and the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
BRUCE SQUIERS/ GAZETTE PHOTOGRAPHER Mike Barnes, general manager of the Gideon Putnam Hotel, stands in the Arches room, pointing out some of the changes the hotel will be undergoing.
Saturday, March 08, 2008
Friday, March 07, 2008
Metroland readers pick best swimming pool for 2008
Swimming Pool
1. Victoria Pool, Saratoga
2. YMCA
3. Colonie Town Pool
This is one of those categories in which the Best Of and Readers’ Picks issues agree: Victoria Pool is the best.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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1. Victoria Pool, Saratoga
2. YMCA
3. Colonie Town Pool
This is one of those categories in which the Best Of and Readers’ Picks issues agree: Victoria Pool is the best.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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Thursday, March 06, 2008
Good news for Saratoga Spa State Park
SARATOGA SPRINGS
State makes parks renovation plans
Nearly $18M will be spent on projects
BY LEE COLEMAN Gazette Reporter
From swimming pool renovations to new restrooms, the state plans to spend nearly $18 million this year in improvements to state parks in the Saratoga-Capital District.
At Saratoga Spa State Park, for example, $2.5 million has been earmarked for exterior and walkway improvements to the Saratoga Performing Arts Center.
At the John Boyd Thacher State Park in Albany County, $3 million has been set aside for the redesign and reconstruction of the former pool area, according to a project list released Wednesday by state parks officials.
“We are thrilled,” said Heather Mabee, chairwoman of the Saratoga-Capital District State Park, Recreation and Historic Preservation Commission.
The state Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation asked the 10 state parks and seven state historic sites in the Saratoga-Capital District to submit requests for much-needed maintenance and renovation projects at their facilities.
Robert Kuhn, acting regional director, said the Saratoga-Capital District parks and historic sites received a substantial share of the $100 million Gov. Eliot Spitzer put in his 2008-09 state budget for the state park system.
“The moment we get the money we can start hiring contractors,” Mabee said at a park commission meeting Wednesday in the Saratoga Spa State Park’s administration building.
Mabee said many of these contractors will be local businesses.
Kurt Kress, capital facilities regional manager for the state parks office, said seven of the proposed projects have already been put out to bid.
“We are assuming the money will come,” Kress said.
Spitzer included the $100 million in his executive state budget, but the money must also be part of the final state budget expected to be approved by the state Legislature by April 1.
“You are going to notice a lot of work going on everywhere,” Kuhn said about the state parks in the region.
Some of the larger projects in the Saratoga-Capital District are:
$1.75 million for new comfort stations at the Moreau Lake State Park.
$3 million to demolish a vacant “Bleachery” building at the Peebles Island State Park near Waterford. $500,000 to build a park police station at Grafton Lakes State Park in Rensselaer County.
$1.5 million to stabilize the historic Erie Canal aqueduct on Schoharie Creek at the Schoharie Crossing State Historic Site in Schoharie County.
The governor’s $100 million commitment is “the single largest capital investment in the history of the New York State Park System,” according to Eileen Larrabee, a spokeswoman for the state parks office.
She said the spending is part of the governor’s upstate revitalization plan.
The idea is to make long overdue capital improvements to state parks across the state.
“The Spa State Park is a great draw,” Larrabee said Wednesday about tourism in the Saratoga region.
“We need to make sure it’s in great shape,” she said.
The projects on the revitalization list were selected to address “the agency’s highest priority capital needs,” according to a state parks statement. “The list includes a strong emphasis on public health and safety, as well as rehabilitation of deteriorated park and historic site facilities.”
State makes parks renovation plans
Nearly $18M will be spent on projects
BY LEE COLEMAN Gazette Reporter
From swimming pool renovations to new restrooms, the state plans to spend nearly $18 million this year in improvements to state parks in the Saratoga-Capital District.
At Saratoga Spa State Park, for example, $2.5 million has been earmarked for exterior and walkway improvements to the Saratoga Performing Arts Center.
At the John Boyd Thacher State Park in Albany County, $3 million has been set aside for the redesign and reconstruction of the former pool area, according to a project list released Wednesday by state parks officials.
“We are thrilled,” said Heather Mabee, chairwoman of the Saratoga-Capital District State Park, Recreation and Historic Preservation Commission.
The state Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation asked the 10 state parks and seven state historic sites in the Saratoga-Capital District to submit requests for much-needed maintenance and renovation projects at their facilities.
Robert Kuhn, acting regional director, said the Saratoga-Capital District parks and historic sites received a substantial share of the $100 million Gov. Eliot Spitzer put in his 2008-09 state budget for the state park system.
“The moment we get the money we can start hiring contractors,” Mabee said at a park commission meeting Wednesday in the Saratoga Spa State Park’s administration building.
Mabee said many of these contractors will be local businesses.
Kurt Kress, capital facilities regional manager for the state parks office, said seven of the proposed projects have already been put out to bid.
“We are assuming the money will come,” Kress said.
Spitzer included the $100 million in his executive state budget, but the money must also be part of the final state budget expected to be approved by the state Legislature by April 1.
“You are going to notice a lot of work going on everywhere,” Kuhn said about the state parks in the region.
Some of the larger projects in the Saratoga-Capital District are:
$1.75 million for new comfort stations at the Moreau Lake State Park.
$3 million to demolish a vacant “Bleachery” building at the Peebles Island State Park near Waterford. $500,000 to build a park police station at Grafton Lakes State Park in Rensselaer County.
$1.5 million to stabilize the historic Erie Canal aqueduct on Schoharie Creek at the Schoharie Crossing State Historic Site in Schoharie County.
The governor’s $100 million commitment is “the single largest capital investment in the history of the New York State Park System,” according to Eileen Larrabee, a spokeswoman for the state parks office.
She said the spending is part of the governor’s upstate revitalization plan.
The idea is to make long overdue capital improvements to state parks across the state.
“The Spa State Park is a great draw,” Larrabee said Wednesday about tourism in the Saratoga region.
“We need to make sure it’s in great shape,” she said.
The projects on the revitalization list were selected to address “the agency’s highest priority capital needs,” according to a state parks statement. “The list includes a strong emphasis on public health and safety, as well as rehabilitation of deteriorated park and historic site facilities.”
Wednesday, March 05, 2008
Sunday, March 02, 2008
Saturday, March 01, 2008
New Regional Director named at Saratoga Spa State Park
SARATOGA SPRINGS
PLAN director gets parks post Alane Ball Chinian praised for work ‘on the front lines’
BY LEE COLEMAN Gazette Reporter
Alane Ball Chinian, currently director of Saratoga PLAN, was appointed Wednesday the new director of the Saratoga-Capital Region of the state park system.
Saratoga PLAN (Preserving Land and Nature) is a nonprofit land trust organization that has protected more than 2,400 acres of open space in Saratoga County since its creation five years ago.
Chinian, whose office will be in the Saratoga Spa State Park in Saratoga Springs, will fill the regional director position with the state Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation that has been vacant since the retirement of Warren Holliday in 2006.
Robert Kuhn, assistant regional director, had been acting regional director during this period.
“For decades, Alane Ball Chinian has been working on the front lines to build sustainable communities through her work improving public access to the outdoors, preserving irreplaceable natural assets and promoting livable neighborhoods,” said state parks Commissioner Carol Ash in a statement.
The Saratoga-Capital Region of the state park system includes the Saratoga Spa State Park and 11 other state parks such as Moreau Lake, Grafton Lake, John Boyd Thatcher, and Cherry Plain as well as numerous historic sites stretching from Crown Point in Essex County to the Schuyler Mansion in Albany. “Parks reached out to me in January,” Chinian said on Wednesday. “I worked with [commissioner] Carol Ash at The Nature Conservancy.” “I’m looking forward to it,” Chinian said about her new job. She will start with the state in the $88,443 position on March 20. “I feel good about where Saratoga PLAN is,” Chinian said. Chinian is the first director of Saratoga PLAN. She was also the director of its pre- decessor, the Saratoga Springs Open Space Project.
The Open Space Project merged with the Land Trust of the Saratoga Region in 2003 to form the Saratoga PLAN.
Laura Welles, Saratoga PLAN’s conservation program manager, will be acting director while a national search is conducted to fi nd a replacement for Chinian.
Julia Stokes, chairwoman of Saratoga PLAN’s board of directors, said an executive committee meeting was held Wednesday to start the director search.
Stokes said that advertisements for the position have already been posted on various national land trust and planning Web sites.
Stokes said her organization wants to receive resumes by the end of March and start interviewing candidates by mid-April.
“We are pleased for Alane,” Stokes said.
She said Chinian has taken Saratoga PLAN from a one-employee organization to one with a staff of four people, plus Chinian.
“She has brought the organization a long way,” Stokes said about Chinian. “We wish her all the best.”
Chinian, who lives in Cambridge, Washington County, with her family, said she is excited about working with the region’s state park system.
“I’m looking forward to getting to know these places,” she said.
Ash said, in announcing Chinian’s appointment, that she joins the agency at a time when Gov. Eliot Spitzer has proposed a major initiative to address decades of “under investment” in the state park system. This initiative includes $14.8 million to upgrade facilities in the Saratoga-Capital Region, Ash said.
Chinian has a master’s degree in environmental management and policy from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy and a bachelor’s in art history and anthropology from Hamilton College.
She has served in volunteer community roles with the Cambridge Village Planning Board, Friends of West Hoosick Hills, the Rensselaer-Taconic Land Conservancy and The Arts Center of the Capital Region.
PLAN director gets parks post Alane Ball Chinian praised for work ‘on the front lines’
BY LEE COLEMAN Gazette Reporter
Alane Ball Chinian, currently director of Saratoga PLAN, was appointed Wednesday the new director of the Saratoga-Capital Region of the state park system.
Saratoga PLAN (Preserving Land and Nature) is a nonprofit land trust organization that has protected more than 2,400 acres of open space in Saratoga County since its creation five years ago.
Chinian, whose office will be in the Saratoga Spa State Park in Saratoga Springs, will fill the regional director position with the state Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation that has been vacant since the retirement of Warren Holliday in 2006.
Robert Kuhn, assistant regional director, had been acting regional director during this period.
“For decades, Alane Ball Chinian has been working on the front lines to build sustainable communities through her work improving public access to the outdoors, preserving irreplaceable natural assets and promoting livable neighborhoods,” said state parks Commissioner Carol Ash in a statement.
The Saratoga-Capital Region of the state park system includes the Saratoga Spa State Park and 11 other state parks such as Moreau Lake, Grafton Lake, John Boyd Thatcher, and Cherry Plain as well as numerous historic sites stretching from Crown Point in Essex County to the Schuyler Mansion in Albany. “Parks reached out to me in January,” Chinian said on Wednesday. “I worked with [commissioner] Carol Ash at The Nature Conservancy.” “I’m looking forward to it,” Chinian said about her new job. She will start with the state in the $88,443 position on March 20. “I feel good about where Saratoga PLAN is,” Chinian said. Chinian is the first director of Saratoga PLAN. She was also the director of its pre- decessor, the Saratoga Springs Open Space Project.
The Open Space Project merged with the Land Trust of the Saratoga Region in 2003 to form the Saratoga PLAN.
Laura Welles, Saratoga PLAN’s conservation program manager, will be acting director while a national search is conducted to fi nd a replacement for Chinian.
Julia Stokes, chairwoman of Saratoga PLAN’s board of directors, said an executive committee meeting was held Wednesday to start the director search.
Stokes said that advertisements for the position have already been posted on various national land trust and planning Web sites.
Stokes said her organization wants to receive resumes by the end of March and start interviewing candidates by mid-April.
“We are pleased for Alane,” Stokes said.
She said Chinian has taken Saratoga PLAN from a one-employee organization to one with a staff of four people, plus Chinian.
“She has brought the organization a long way,” Stokes said about Chinian. “We wish her all the best.”
Chinian, who lives in Cambridge, Washington County, with her family, said she is excited about working with the region’s state park system.
“I’m looking forward to getting to know these places,” she said.
Ash said, in announcing Chinian’s appointment, that she joins the agency at a time when Gov. Eliot Spitzer has proposed a major initiative to address decades of “under investment” in the state park system. This initiative includes $14.8 million to upgrade facilities in the Saratoga-Capital Region, Ash said.
Chinian has a master’s degree in environmental management and policy from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy and a bachelor’s in art history and anthropology from Hamilton College.
She has served in volunteer community roles with the Cambridge Village Planning Board, Friends of West Hoosick Hills, the Rensselaer-Taconic Land Conservancy and The Arts Center of the Capital Region.
Sunday, February 17, 2008
Save the Victoria Pool Society on radio show, 2/17/08
How to think WARM & SUNNY thoughts on a very frigid February morning. Former Saratoga Mayor, J. Michael O'Connell, interviews Andrew Jennings and Louise Goldstein on his weekly radio show, "The Capital District Forum " on Star 101.3 FM at 8AM on Sunday, february 17, 2008.
Discussion is centered on the latest on the Victoria Pool and Saratoga Spa State Park.
Discussion is centered on the latest on the Victoria Pool and Saratoga Spa State Park.
Friday, February 15, 2008
crown jewel of racing to shine brighter than ever
Friday, February 15, 2008
Posted on Thu, Feb 14, 2008 Zoom + | Zoom -
Leaving the starting gate of a 'new era' of racing
By JIM KINNEY, The Saratogian
Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno talks about the passage of the new NYRA franchise, flanked by State Assembly Minority Leader James Tedisco, left, and Saratoga Springs Mayor Scott Johnson. (RICK GARGIULO/The Saratogian)SARATOGA SPRINGS — State Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno congratulated others and was congratulated himself Thursday when he held a news conference to discuss NYRA’s new deal with the state to run Saratoga Race Course and two downstate tracks.
“It truly is a new day,” Bruno, R-Brunswick, said at the National Racing Museum and Hall of Fame, across the street from the Race Course. “A new era.”
The deal gives NYRA a new board of directors, an oversight board and an advisory committee for each track. Saratoga’s advisory board will have jurisdiction over capital improvements at the track. It will have five members each appointed by the mayor of Saratoga Springs, the county Board of Supervisors and NYRA itself.
The state will also give NYRA $105 million to get the racing firm out of bankruptcy and tide it over until money-making video lottery terminals are up and running at Aqueduct.
Horse owner Daniel Stone said NYRA has been in turmoil over the past few years and the new deal will help. But NYRA still needs more income to stay out of bankruptcy. That money will have to come from VLTs and Off-track betting. The OTBs themselves have to be reorganized.
“The OTB issue is still out there,” Stone, whose wife Carole Stone is on NYRA’s oversight board, said. “But today we are happy.”
Bruno said if it were up to him he would have included VLTs at Belmont as well as Aqueduct in this deal, along with a provision to merge off-track betting operations with NYRA under one leadership.
“We didn’t get there,” Bruno said.
City Accounts Commissioner John Franck said he’s also concerned that the city and county continue to receive a share of VLT revenue from Saratoga Gaming and Raceway. Currently, the localities get $5.1 million a year in VLT money: $3.8 million to the city and $1.3 million to the county.
Gov. Eliot Spitzer’s proposed budget eliminates that money from the budget.
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“We’ll have to fight for it,” Franck said. “But it isn’t going up. I’ve accepted that our share of that money won’t go up.”
NYRA will continue to pay property taxes both at Saratoga Springs and downstate. NYRA currently pays $500,000 a year in property taxes to the county, city and school district.
Martin Kinsella, executive director of the New York State Thoroughbred Breeding Fund said the deal works for the breeding industry, a big employer and user of farmland in Saratoga County, because the breeding fund is guaranteed 1.5 percent of VLT revenues.
“It basically goes back to the agreement we had four years ago,” he said.
That agreement never went into effect because development of VLTs at Aqueduct stopped as NYRA dealt with financial and legal troubles.
Reach Jim Kinney at jkinney@saratogian.com or 518-583-8729 ext.216.
Video: Sen. Bruno's remarks during the press conference
Video: Bruno fields questions about the deal
Posted on Thu, Feb 14, 2008 Zoom + | Zoom -
Leaving the starting gate of a 'new era' of racing
By JIM KINNEY, The Saratogian
Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno talks about the passage of the new NYRA franchise, flanked by State Assembly Minority Leader James Tedisco, left, and Saratoga Springs Mayor Scott Johnson. (RICK GARGIULO/The Saratogian)SARATOGA SPRINGS — State Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno congratulated others and was congratulated himself Thursday when he held a news conference to discuss NYRA’s new deal with the state to run Saratoga Race Course and two downstate tracks.
“It truly is a new day,” Bruno, R-Brunswick, said at the National Racing Museum and Hall of Fame, across the street from the Race Course. “A new era.”
The deal gives NYRA a new board of directors, an oversight board and an advisory committee for each track. Saratoga’s advisory board will have jurisdiction over capital improvements at the track. It will have five members each appointed by the mayor of Saratoga Springs, the county Board of Supervisors and NYRA itself.
The state will also give NYRA $105 million to get the racing firm out of bankruptcy and tide it over until money-making video lottery terminals are up and running at Aqueduct.
Horse owner Daniel Stone said NYRA has been in turmoil over the past few years and the new deal will help. But NYRA still needs more income to stay out of bankruptcy. That money will have to come from VLTs and Off-track betting. The OTBs themselves have to be reorganized.
“The OTB issue is still out there,” Stone, whose wife Carole Stone is on NYRA’s oversight board, said. “But today we are happy.”
Bruno said if it were up to him he would have included VLTs at Belmont as well as Aqueduct in this deal, along with a provision to merge off-track betting operations with NYRA under one leadership.
“We didn’t get there,” Bruno said.
City Accounts Commissioner John Franck said he’s also concerned that the city and county continue to receive a share of VLT revenue from Saratoga Gaming and Raceway. Currently, the localities get $5.1 million a year in VLT money: $3.8 million to the city and $1.3 million to the county.
Gov. Eliot Spitzer’s proposed budget eliminates that money from the budget.
Advertisement
“We’ll have to fight for it,” Franck said. “But it isn’t going up. I’ve accepted that our share of that money won’t go up.”
NYRA will continue to pay property taxes both at Saratoga Springs and downstate. NYRA currently pays $500,000 a year in property taxes to the county, city and school district.
Martin Kinsella, executive director of the New York State Thoroughbred Breeding Fund said the deal works for the breeding industry, a big employer and user of farmland in Saratoga County, because the breeding fund is guaranteed 1.5 percent of VLT revenues.
“It basically goes back to the agreement we had four years ago,” he said.
That agreement never went into effect because development of VLTs at Aqueduct stopped as NYRA dealt with financial and legal troubles.
Reach Jim Kinney at jkinney@saratogian.com or 518-583-8729 ext.216.
Video: Sen. Bruno's remarks during the press conference
Video: Bruno fields questions about the deal
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
doomsday scenario for track
Posted on Tue, Feb 12, 2008 Zoom + | Zoom -
Scott: Doomsday scenario arrives in New York
By JEFF SCOTT, From off the pace
In recent weeks, as NYRA’s franchise and its first short-term extension were about to expire, it still didn’t seem possible that racing in New York would be shut down. There was simply too much at stake for everyone involved.
Based on statements issued Monday by NYRA, however, it now appears a shutdown is all but inevitable. If a new long-term agreement is not reached in the meantime, NYRA will suspend racing following Wednesday’s card at Aqueduct.
The delay in getting the franchise issue settled has primarily been because of Senate Majority Leader Joe Bruno’s opposition to recommendations put forward by Gov. Eliot Spitzer (and approved by NYRA) last September. Protracted negotiations resulted in a new proposed bill that was reviewed by NYRA officials over the weekend.
On Monday, NYRA Chairman C. Steven Duncker expressed dissatisfaction with the new legislation. According to Duncker, the proposed bill “does not provide the proper business model and economic terms that permits (sic) NYRA to emerge from bankruptcy, nor does it correct the broken business model of thoroughbred racing in New York, a broken model that can only worsen and further imperil the industry under the legislation currently proposed.”
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Since everyone agrees that the business model under which NYRA has operated no longer works — if in fact it ever did — one would hope any new franchise agreement would be sure to provide a more acceptable framework. NYRA officials obviously don’t think that has happened. And since they’re the ones who would have to live with the thing, their opinion has to be respected.
NYRA also has to be careful not to sign on to an agreement which, in effect, might set it up to fail. Because there are plenty of people who would like to see that happen, beginning with those who have been associated with rival bidders on the franchise.
Which brings us back to Senator Bruno, who has been an outspoken critic of Spitzer’s recommendations (and NYRA) from the beginning. But what exactly is behind his opposition?
To what degree has Bruno’s stance been based on his ongoing feud with the governor and a desire to put his own stamp on the franchise process? Why was Bruno so adamant about splitting the racing aspect of the franchise among different operators — an idea opposed by virtually everyone — even as NYRA emerged as the only entity with a serious interest in the job?
Finally, what connection, if any, does Bruno have with Capital Play Inc, one of the
four original bidders on the franchise?
Excelsior Racing and Empire Racing, the other two non-NYRA bidders, have effectively ceased to exist. The Australia-based Capital Play, however, is still very much on the scene and (according to Bruno) is one of two finalists being considered to run the proposed slots operation at Aqueduct. Bruno’s son Kenneth, by the way, is reportedly employed as a lobbyist for — you guessed it — Capital Play.
Capital Play’s website includes bold claims about all the wonderful things it would do for New York racing if given the chance. All of this racing talk, however, is strictly for show. If the Aqueduct slots were taken off the table, those Aussies would be on the next plane back to Sydney.
One of the scariest aspects of this whole sorry situation is that if no agreement is reached, and racing is indeed halted, no one is sure what would happen next. With NYRA no longer having the legal right to operate racing, authority would pass to an oversight board dominated by political appointees from the Pataki administration.
Any attempt to continue racing under another operator would be countered by NYRA’s contention that it, not the State of New York, actually owns the tracks. The matter then would disappear into the courts, perhaps for years, with racing forced into indefinite hiatus.
This doomsday scenario, of course, is something no one who really cares about horse racing wants to see happen. At this late hour, however, it may take a miracle to keep the process from being set in motion.
Jeff Scott writes about horse racing Tuesday in The Saratogian. He may be reached at utahpine1@aol.com.
Scott: Doomsday scenario arrives in New York
By JEFF SCOTT, From off the pace
In recent weeks, as NYRA’s franchise and its first short-term extension were about to expire, it still didn’t seem possible that racing in New York would be shut down. There was simply too much at stake for everyone involved.
Based on statements issued Monday by NYRA, however, it now appears a shutdown is all but inevitable. If a new long-term agreement is not reached in the meantime, NYRA will suspend racing following Wednesday’s card at Aqueduct.
The delay in getting the franchise issue settled has primarily been because of Senate Majority Leader Joe Bruno’s opposition to recommendations put forward by Gov. Eliot Spitzer (and approved by NYRA) last September. Protracted negotiations resulted in a new proposed bill that was reviewed by NYRA officials over the weekend.
On Monday, NYRA Chairman C. Steven Duncker expressed dissatisfaction with the new legislation. According to Duncker, the proposed bill “does not provide the proper business model and economic terms that permits (sic) NYRA to emerge from bankruptcy, nor does it correct the broken business model of thoroughbred racing in New York, a broken model that can only worsen and further imperil the industry under the legislation currently proposed.”
Advertisement
Since everyone agrees that the business model under which NYRA has operated no longer works — if in fact it ever did — one would hope any new franchise agreement would be sure to provide a more acceptable framework. NYRA officials obviously don’t think that has happened. And since they’re the ones who would have to live with the thing, their opinion has to be respected.
NYRA also has to be careful not to sign on to an agreement which, in effect, might set it up to fail. Because there are plenty of people who would like to see that happen, beginning with those who have been associated with rival bidders on the franchise.
Which brings us back to Senator Bruno, who has been an outspoken critic of Spitzer’s recommendations (and NYRA) from the beginning. But what exactly is behind his opposition?
To what degree has Bruno’s stance been based on his ongoing feud with the governor and a desire to put his own stamp on the franchise process? Why was Bruno so adamant about splitting the racing aspect of the franchise among different operators — an idea opposed by virtually everyone — even as NYRA emerged as the only entity with a serious interest in the job?
Finally, what connection, if any, does Bruno have with Capital Play Inc, one of the
four original bidders on the franchise?
Excelsior Racing and Empire Racing, the other two non-NYRA bidders, have effectively ceased to exist. The Australia-based Capital Play, however, is still very much on the scene and (according to Bruno) is one of two finalists being considered to run the proposed slots operation at Aqueduct. Bruno’s son Kenneth, by the way, is reportedly employed as a lobbyist for — you guessed it — Capital Play.
Capital Play’s website includes bold claims about all the wonderful things it would do for New York racing if given the chance. All of this racing talk, however, is strictly for show. If the Aqueduct slots were taken off the table, those Aussies would be on the next plane back to Sydney.
One of the scariest aspects of this whole sorry situation is that if no agreement is reached, and racing is indeed halted, no one is sure what would happen next. With NYRA no longer having the legal right to operate racing, authority would pass to an oversight board dominated by political appointees from the Pataki administration.
Any attempt to continue racing under another operator would be countered by NYRA’s contention that it, not the State of New York, actually owns the tracks. The matter then would disappear into the courts, perhaps for years, with racing forced into indefinite hiatus.
This doomsday scenario, of course, is something no one who really cares about horse racing wants to see happen. At this late hour, however, it may take a miracle to keep the process from being set in motion.
Jeff Scott writes about horse racing Tuesday in The Saratogian. He may be reached at utahpine1@aol.com.
Monday, February 04, 2008
It's getting scary out there Folks
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NYRA trustee quits, blasting Bruno
By JAMES M. ODATO, Staff writer
Click byline for more stories by writer.
Last updated: 11:12 a.m., Friday, February 1, 2008
ALBANY -- Saratoga Springs lost its representative on the New York Racing Association board today when Adirondack Trust President Charles Wait quit as a trustee, criticizing Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno for not serving the best interests of racing and the community.
Wait said he could not stay quiet about his frustration with Bruno's refusal to go along with an agreement between Gov. Eliot Spitzer and NYRA for an extension of the racing franchise. He suggested that racing could go dark in Saratoga, as well as at Aqueduct and Belmont, if Bruno continues his demands for new elements beyond those agreed to in a September deal with Spitzer.
Bruno has blasted that agreement because it was worked out privately and without legislators' input. He has sought assurances that NYRA would be held accountable. He also wants to shrink the size of the NYRA board and increase the number of trustees appointed by the governor, Senate and Assembly.
"I believe that it is important for Saratogians to understand that we are facing a crisis in racing," Wait said in news release. "I know that Senator Bruno is powerful and popular and I know that criticizing him in public may bring retribution."
In an interview, Wait said he had to resign to make his feelings known because trustees shouldn't be acting independently, particularly when they criticize the leading Republican in New York. A trustee for 23 years, Wait was a NYRA stockholder appointed to the board by the racing association itself.
"It is also my opinion that there is no plausible reason for the New York state Senate to continue to delay ratification of the memorandum of understanding first proposed by Gov. Spitzer," he said. "I urge my senator, Sen. Bruno, to use his power and popularity to end the discord and uncertainty clouding the future of the Saratoga race meet. I urge him to encourage the Senate to agree to the memorandum of understanding. I urge him to safeguard the most important engine of economic prosperity in his district."
Representatives of Bruno, Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver and Spitzer have been trying to negotiate a resolution for months.
A Feb. 13 deadline looms and NYRA can't wait much longer before it runs out of money and will have to take actions such as cessation of racing, Wait said. NYRA would continue to sue to prove it owns the track properties, which it must clarify to either sell real estate or borrow against it to pay off more than $300 million in debt, he said.
The racing association entered bankruptcy court almost 14 months ago to shield itself from creditors, including the state of New York.
Bruno's office had no immediate response.
Wait's resignation leaves the NYRA board with 23 members.
All Times Union materials copyright 1996-2008, Capital Newspapers Division of The Hearst Corporation, Albany, N.Y.
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NYRA trustee quits, blasting Bruno
By JAMES M. ODATO, Staff writer
Click byline for more stories by writer.
Last updated: 11:12 a.m., Friday, February 1, 2008
ALBANY -- Saratoga Springs lost its representative on the New York Racing Association board today when Adirondack Trust President Charles Wait quit as a trustee, criticizing Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno for not serving the best interests of racing and the community.
Wait said he could not stay quiet about his frustration with Bruno's refusal to go along with an agreement between Gov. Eliot Spitzer and NYRA for an extension of the racing franchise. He suggested that racing could go dark in Saratoga, as well as at Aqueduct and Belmont, if Bruno continues his demands for new elements beyond those agreed to in a September deal with Spitzer.
Bruno has blasted that agreement because it was worked out privately and without legislators' input. He has sought assurances that NYRA would be held accountable. He also wants to shrink the size of the NYRA board and increase the number of trustees appointed by the governor, Senate and Assembly.
"I believe that it is important for Saratogians to understand that we are facing a crisis in racing," Wait said in news release. "I know that Senator Bruno is powerful and popular and I know that criticizing him in public may bring retribution."
In an interview, Wait said he had to resign to make his feelings known because trustees shouldn't be acting independently, particularly when they criticize the leading Republican in New York. A trustee for 23 years, Wait was a NYRA stockholder appointed to the board by the racing association itself.
"It is also my opinion that there is no plausible reason for the New York state Senate to continue to delay ratification of the memorandum of understanding first proposed by Gov. Spitzer," he said. "I urge my senator, Sen. Bruno, to use his power and popularity to end the discord and uncertainty clouding the future of the Saratoga race meet. I urge him to encourage the Senate to agree to the memorandum of understanding. I urge him to safeguard the most important engine of economic prosperity in his district."
Representatives of Bruno, Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver and Spitzer have been trying to negotiate a resolution for months.
A Feb. 13 deadline looms and NYRA can't wait much longer before it runs out of money and will have to take actions such as cessation of racing, Wait said. NYRA would continue to sue to prove it owns the track properties, which it must clarify to either sell real estate or borrow against it to pay off more than $300 million in debt, he said.
The racing association entered bankruptcy court almost 14 months ago to shield itself from creditors, including the state of New York.
Bruno's office had no immediate response.
Wait's resignation leaves the NYRA board with 23 members.
All Times Union materials copyright 1996-2008, Capital Newspapers Division of The Hearst Corporation, Albany, N.Y.
HOME | CONTACT US | SUBSCRIBE TO NEWSPAPER | HOW TO ADVERTISE | PRIVACY RIGHTS | COPYRIGHT | CLASSROOM ENRICHMENT
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