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.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
It's Tax Time! Get tips, forms and advice on AOL Money & Finance
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.
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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
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.”
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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.
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
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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.
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Who's never won? Biggest Grammy Award surprises
Thursday, January 24, 2008
budget earmarks money for Saratoga Spa State Park
Budget earmarks money to fix parks
Spitzer's 2008-09 plan sets aside $110 million for Capital Region sites
By BRIAN NEARING, Staff writer
Click byline for more stories by writer.
First published: Thursday, January 24, 2008
ALBANY -- Chances are a Capital Region park near you will be repaired under a $110 million plan in Gov. Eliot Spitzer's 2008-09 budget.
Saratoga Spa, Moreau Lake, John Boyd Thacher, Grafton Lakes and Thompson's Lake state parks would be spruced up with everything from rebuilt swimming pools to new bathrooms.
At Saratoga Performing Arts Center about $2.5 million would be spent to renovate the amphitheater's exterior and access ramps, with another $1.1 million earmarked at the park for pool renovations, bike and pedestrian improvements along the Avenue of the Pines and Route 50, and repairs to roads and parking lots.
About $1.8 million is proposed at Moreau Lake park in northern Saratoga County to replace bathrooms, replace water and electrical lines, resurface roads, fix the bathhouse roof and improve the camper registration area.
In Albany County, Thacher Park would benefit from a $3 million pool rebuilding project, as well as another $500,000 set aside for water storage and supply improvements. At Thompson's Lake, $250,000 would be spent for a new septic system and water supply lines.
In Rensselaer County, about $700,000 would be set aside at Grafton Lakes for resurfacing the parking lot and building a new park police substation. At Cherry Plain, $250,000 would be set aside for new bathrooms.
At Peebles Island park, $2 million would be used to demolish an abandoned building, with another $350,000 proposed for bridge repairs.
In Schoharie County, about $800,000 would be spent toward strengthening the Erie Canal aqueduct at the Schoharie Crossing State Historic Site in Fort Hunter.
In Johnstown, Fulton County, pathways, benches and landscaping would be improved at a cost of $170,000.
All Times Union materials copyright 1996-2008, Capital Newspapers Division of The Hearst Corporation, Albany, N.Y.
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Spitzer's 2008-09 plan sets aside $110 million for Capital Region sites
By BRIAN NEARING, Staff writer
Click byline for more stories by writer.
First published: Thursday, January 24, 2008
ALBANY -- Chances are a Capital Region park near you will be repaired under a $110 million plan in Gov. Eliot Spitzer's 2008-09 budget.
Saratoga Spa, Moreau Lake, John Boyd Thacher, Grafton Lakes and Thompson's Lake state parks would be spruced up with everything from rebuilt swimming pools to new bathrooms.
At Saratoga Performing Arts Center about $2.5 million would be spent to renovate the amphitheater's exterior and access ramps, with another $1.1 million earmarked at the park for pool renovations, bike and pedestrian improvements along the Avenue of the Pines and Route 50, and repairs to roads and parking lots.
About $1.8 million is proposed at Moreau Lake park in northern Saratoga County to replace bathrooms, replace water and electrical lines, resurface roads, fix the bathhouse roof and improve the camper registration area.
In Albany County, Thacher Park would benefit from a $3 million pool rebuilding project, as well as another $500,000 set aside for water storage and supply improvements. At Thompson's Lake, $250,000 would be spent for a new septic system and water supply lines.
In Rensselaer County, about $700,000 would be set aside at Grafton Lakes for resurfacing the parking lot and building a new park police substation. At Cherry Plain, $250,000 would be set aside for new bathrooms.
At Peebles Island park, $2 million would be used to demolish an abandoned building, with another $350,000 proposed for bridge repairs.
In Schoharie County, about $800,000 would be spent toward strengthening the Erie Canal aqueduct at the Schoharie Crossing State Historic Site in Fort Hunter.
In Johnstown, Fulton County, pathways, benches and landscaping would be improved at a cost of $170,000.
All Times Union materials copyright 1996-2008, Capital Newspapers Division of The Hearst Corporation, Albany, N.Y.
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Thursday, January 17, 2008
Botanical Garden for Spa?
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Posted on Wed, Jan 16, 2008 Zoom + | Zoom -
Botanical garden proposed
Glass conservatory could grace Saratoga Spa State Park grounds
By ANDREW BERNSTEIN, The Saratogian
The Palm House, one of several greenhouses at the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens, is similar to the glass conservatory which would be part of a plan to bring a botanical garden to Saratoga Spa State Park. (Photo provided)
SARATOGA SPRINGS — From a world-class concert venue to the racetrack and natural springs, the Spa City has a lot to offer visitors. But what about a botanical garden?
That, too, could be added to the list of local attractions if a proposal made to Saratoga Spa State Park officials and other community leaders comes to fruition.
Brett Van Zandt, a Greenwich resident and administrator for not-for-profit organizations, is proposing a 40-acre garden that would include a glass-enclosed conservatory within walking distance of all the amenities of the state park. Van Zandt presented his idea to Saratoga Springs Rotary Club members earlier this month.
The project has been named “The Springs Botanical Garden.”
“The more people I talk to in the public, the more interested people become — on an organizational level, and even on a personal level,” Van Zandt said of the project’s momentum.
Van Zandt touts the value of a botanical garden as a family attraction and said the inspiration for the project came when he and his wife were talking about starting a family. “Being that we’re avid gardeners, we were talking about places we would take the kids, and we said we’d figure out where the botanical garden was, and take them there. Then we realized there wasn’t one in the area,” he said.
According to a Web site for the project, the gardens would incorporate perennial, annual, Japanese, water, European and American-style landscapes.
Van Zandt said he chose Saratoga Springs as the project’s location for a variety of reasons. Most importantly, he said, the city’s history of supporting other cultural institutions drew him here.
“We didn’t first think of the park, but conversations with business owners pointed to Spa State Park. We made phone calls and made it happen,” he said.
With the location chosen, Van Zandt now hopes to incorporate the local landscape, including a wetland in the southern section of the park.
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Michael Greenslade, manager of the Spa Sate Park, said Monday he had seen the proposal, and it would be considered as a part of the park’s master plan, which state park authorities will be creating during the next year.
“I looked at it and thought it might be a nice idea, but I don’t know where it would fit,” Greenslade said. “We do have a lot of acreage here in the park.”
Saratoga Spa State Park sits on 2,379 acres between Routes 9 and 50.
Greenslade said the master plan would include a complete overview of the park and its facilities, which will determine in what direction the state wants to take the park.
Seemingly undeterred by the possibility that his proposal might not be welcomed by the state parks department, Van Zandt has used the Web site dedicated to the project to discuss possible benefits to the region.
“It will provide the most beautiful and inspiring public gardens within a 60- to 80-mile radius,” the Web site reads.
For more information on the proposed garden, visit www.TheSpringsBotanicalGarden.org, or call 281-2152.
Reach Andrew Bernstein at abernstein@saratogian.com or 583-8729, ext. 219.
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Start the year off right. Easy ways to stay in
Posted on Wed, Jan 16, 2008 Zoom + | Zoom -
Botanical garden proposed
Glass conservatory could grace Saratoga Spa State Park grounds
By ANDREW BERNSTEIN, The Saratogian
The Palm House, one of several greenhouses at the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens, is similar to the glass conservatory which would be part of a plan to bring a botanical garden to Saratoga Spa State Park. (Photo provided)
SARATOGA SPRINGS — From a world-class concert venue to the racetrack and natural springs, the Spa City has a lot to offer visitors. But what about a botanical garden?
That, too, could be added to the list of local attractions if a proposal made to Saratoga Spa State Park officials and other community leaders comes to fruition.
Brett Van Zandt, a Greenwich resident and administrator for not-for-profit organizations, is proposing a 40-acre garden that would include a glass-enclosed conservatory within walking distance of all the amenities of the state park. Van Zandt presented his idea to Saratoga Springs Rotary Club members earlier this month.
The project has been named “The Springs Botanical Garden.”
“The more people I talk to in the public, the more interested people become — on an organizational level, and even on a personal level,” Van Zandt said of the project’s momentum.
Van Zandt touts the value of a botanical garden as a family attraction and said the inspiration for the project came when he and his wife were talking about starting a family. “Being that we’re avid gardeners, we were talking about places we would take the kids, and we said we’d figure out where the botanical garden was, and take them there. Then we realized there wasn’t one in the area,” he said.
According to a Web site for the project, the gardens would incorporate perennial, annual, Japanese, water, European and American-style landscapes.
Van Zandt said he chose Saratoga Springs as the project’s location for a variety of reasons. Most importantly, he said, the city’s history of supporting other cultural institutions drew him here.
“We didn’t first think of the park, but conversations with business owners pointed to Spa State Park. We made phone calls and made it happen,” he said.
With the location chosen, Van Zandt now hopes to incorporate the local landscape, including a wetland in the southern section of the park.
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Michael Greenslade, manager of the Spa Sate Park, said Monday he had seen the proposal, and it would be considered as a part of the park’s master plan, which state park authorities will be creating during the next year.
“I looked at it and thought it might be a nice idea, but I don’t know where it would fit,” Greenslade said. “We do have a lot of acreage here in the park.”
Saratoga Spa State Park sits on 2,379 acres between Routes 9 and 50.
Greenslade said the master plan would include a complete overview of the park and its facilities, which will determine in what direction the state wants to take the park.
Seemingly undeterred by the possibility that his proposal might not be welcomed by the state parks department, Van Zandt has used the Web site dedicated to the project to discuss possible benefits to the region.
“It will provide the most beautiful and inspiring public gardens within a 60- to 80-mile radius,” the Web site reads.
For more information on the proposed garden, visit www.TheSpringsBotanicalGarden.org, or call 281-2152.
Reach Andrew Bernstein at abernstein@saratogian.com or 583-8729, ext. 219.
CONTACT US • ADVERTISE WITH US • OUR PUBLICATIONS • PRIVACY POLICY
NEWSPAPERS IN EDUCATION • JOBS WITH US
© 2007 The Saratogian - a Journal Register Property. All Rights reserved.
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Start the year off right. Easy ways to stay in
Saturday, January 12, 2008
Dance Fever Continued
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Dance fever at museum
Plan to honor John Travolta at site known for tradition raises dispute
By DENNIS YUSKO, Staff writer
Click byline for more stories by writer.
First published: Saturday, January 12, 2008
SARATOGA SPRINGS -- Is the traditional -- and some say stodgy -- National Museum of Dance ready to transform into a modern-day Boogie Wonderland?
A recent decision by the museum's board of directors to offer actor John Travolta induction into a new wing, which honors dance and film, is causing a stir at the 22-year-old facility on South Broadway.
The controversial move is the brainchild of the board's chairwoman, Michele Riggi, who wants to modernize the museum's image and increase attendance. Critics say her decision-making ignores traditional protocol.
The clash of old ways and new ideas represents a changing focus and growing organizational problems at the museum, some say.
"The museum is primarily run by one person -- the chairwoman -- and she does things sometimes without board approval. They need to get an idea of where they are going," said Lauren Zoppa, who recently resigned her post as the museum's grant writer.
In the last six weeks, the museum has lost three of its five employees, including Zoppa and arts and programming manager Beth Hartle, who both resigned after parting ways with the board. Donna Galeoto, the museum's volunteer and gift shop manager, was laid off to save on costs.
Earlier this week, a debate broke out among museum officials over Riggi's decision to honor Travolta, whose title role of Tony Manero in the 1977 film "Saturday Night Fever" significantly helped to popularize disco dancing around the world, and made Travolta a household name.
But the decision is a symptom of a larger problem, according to Zoppa, who said she quit last month because "quite frankly, the board is out of touch."
Hartle echoed the differences.
"My vision for the museum and the board's vision didn't seem to be on the same pathway anymore," Hartle said Friday. "I think there's always, at least for me, a disconnect between business and the arts, and it's really hard to tie them together."
Riggi, a former child dancer who promised to "bring life back into the museum" when she became chairwoman in 2006, did not return phone calls requesting comment.
She instead e-mailed a statement, saying she's trying to increase the museum's public exposure by establishing a new wing called the Dancing and Film Hall of Fame, and including more mainstream modern-day celebrity dancers like Travolta.
"The Dancing and Film Hall of Fame is a new concept resulting from the growing need to increase attendance, develop new audiences and enhance membership," Riggi wrote. "The National Museum of Dance is in transition and the board of directors will be conducting a search for the new director of arts and programming."
The National Museum of Dance was established in 1986 at the spacious old 1918 Washington Bath House with a $750,000 cash infusion from Saratoga socialite Marylou Whitney and money from other donors. It contains photographs, videos, artifacts, costumes, biographies and more.
The wife of a wealthy entrepreneur, Riggi received support from John Hendrickson, Whitney's wife, who spoke in an interview from the couple's home in Florida.
"We think Michele is doing an excellent job," Hendrickson said. "She's breathing new life into it."
The museum, which receives about 6,000 visitors a year and started a school for young dancers, needs to evolve by honoring the living and not just the dead, Hendrickson said.
"Quite honestly, no one wants to see the tap shoes of Ginger Rodgers, and most people don't know who Ginger Rodgers is," he said.
Current museum inductees include Fred Astaire, Bill "Bojangles" Robinson, Martha Graham and Agnes de Mille. More modern-era stars include Bob Fosse and Alvin Ailey.
But Travolta is not the issue, said Judith Fiore, a member of the Hall of Fame's ad-hoc nominating committee.
"The issue is there was a process. And that process has not been adhered to," said Fiore, who said the decision to invite Travolta into its new wing was made without a recommendation from the committee.
She said she believes the board changed a system that worked well since the museum's inception.
In her statement, Riggi indicated that only the existing 38-member Hall of Fame is overseen by the nominating committee.
The museum is closed until Memorial Day. Travolta, who also starred in "Grease" in 1978, has yet to respond to its invitation.
Yusko can be reached at 581-8438 or by e-mail at dyusko@timesunion.com.
Dance fever at museum
Plan to honor John Travolta at site known for tradition raises dispute
By DENNIS YUSKO, Staff writer
Click byline for more stories by writer.
First published: Saturday, January 12, 2008
SARATOGA SPRINGS -- Is the traditional -- and some say stodgy -- National Museum of Dance ready to transform into a modern-day Boogie Wonderland?
A recent decision by the museum's board of directors to offer actor John Travolta induction into a new wing, which honors dance and film, is causing a stir at the 22-year-old facility on South Broadway.
The controversial move is the brainchild of the board's chairwoman, Michele Riggi, who wants to modernize the museum's image and increase attendance. Critics say her decision-making ignores traditional protocol.
The clash of old ways and new ideas represents a changing focus and growing organizational problems at the museum, some say.
"The museum is primarily run by one person -- the chairwoman -- and she does things sometimes without board approval. They need to get an idea of where they are going," said Lauren Zoppa, who recently resigned her post as the museum's grant writer.
In the last six weeks, the museum has lost three of its five employees, including Zoppa and arts and programming manager Beth Hartle, who both resigned after parting ways with the board. Donna Galeoto, the museum's volunteer and gift shop manager, was laid off to save on costs.
Earlier this week, a debate broke out among museum officials over Riggi's decision to honor Travolta, whose title role of Tony Manero in the 1977 film "Saturday Night Fever" significantly helped to popularize disco dancing around the world, and made Travolta a household name.
But the decision is a symptom of a larger problem, according to Zoppa, who said she quit last month because "quite frankly, the board is out of touch."
Hartle echoed the differences.
"My vision for the museum and the board's vision didn't seem to be on the same pathway anymore," Hartle said Friday. "I think there's always, at least for me, a disconnect between business and the arts, and it's really hard to tie them together."
Riggi, a former child dancer who promised to "bring life back into the museum" when she became chairwoman in 2006, did not return phone calls requesting comment.
She instead e-mailed a statement, saying she's trying to increase the museum's public exposure by establishing a new wing called the Dancing and Film Hall of Fame, and including more mainstream modern-day celebrity dancers like Travolta.
"The Dancing and Film Hall of Fame is a new concept resulting from the growing need to increase attendance, develop new audiences and enhance membership," Riggi wrote. "The National Museum of Dance is in transition and the board of directors will be conducting a search for the new director of arts and programming."
The National Museum of Dance was established in 1986 at the spacious old 1918 Washington Bath House with a $750,000 cash infusion from Saratoga socialite Marylou Whitney and money from other donors. It contains photographs, videos, artifacts, costumes, biographies and more.
The wife of a wealthy entrepreneur, Riggi received support from John Hendrickson, Whitney's wife, who spoke in an interview from the couple's home in Florida.
"We think Michele is doing an excellent job," Hendrickson said. "She's breathing new life into it."
The museum, which receives about 6,000 visitors a year and started a school for young dancers, needs to evolve by honoring the living and not just the dead, Hendrickson said.
"Quite honestly, no one wants to see the tap shoes of Ginger Rodgers, and most people don't know who Ginger Rodgers is," he said.
Current museum inductees include Fred Astaire, Bill "Bojangles" Robinson, Martha Graham and Agnes de Mille. More modern-era stars include Bob Fosse and Alvin Ailey.
But Travolta is not the issue, said Judith Fiore, a member of the Hall of Fame's ad-hoc nominating committee.
"The issue is there was a process. And that process has not been adhered to," said Fiore, who said the decision to invite Travolta into its new wing was made without a recommendation from the committee.
She said she believes the board changed a system that worked well since the museum's inception.
In her statement, Riggi indicated that only the existing 38-member Hall of Fame is overseen by the nominating committee.
The museum is closed until Memorial Day. Travolta, who also starred in "Grease" in 1978, has yet to respond to its invitation.
Yusko can be reached at 581-8438 or by e-mail at dyusko@timesunion.com.
Friday, January 11, 2008
Dance Museum descends into chaos over John Travolta!
SARATOGA SPRINGS
Controversies trip up Museum of Dance
Travolta induction rankles members of nomination committee
BY WENDY LIBERATORE Gazette Reporter
Staff resignations, a layoff and a debate about John Travolta’s induction into the Dance Hall of Fame have thrown the National Museum of Dance, once again, into chaos.
Michele Riggi, chairwoman of the board at the museum, said the museum is running on “a skeleton crew” after losing three of its five employees. This came at the same time that members of the Hall of Fame nominating committee expressed frustration with Riggi and the board for bypassing the process and inviting “Saturday Night Fever” star Travolta as the next Hall of Fame inductee.
Riggi invited Travolta to enter the Hall of Fame, joining dance luminaries like George Balanchine, Martha Graham, Isadora Duncan and Fred Astaire, last fall. Riggi said she would honor Travolta, as well as Ben Vereen and Tommy Tune, in what she calls the Dancers in Film, a new branch of the hall.
Judy Fiore, a member of the hall nominating committee, would not comment on Travolta’s worthiness to enter the hall. However, she was not happy that the committee was not consulted on Travolta.
“I can tell you that we were bypassed. I am definitely upset about that. I have been on the committee a long time,” said Fiore who is on the committee with other area dance advocates such as Pat Peterson and Mary Anne Fantauzzi. “As far as I understand the process, the committee makes the nominations. This goes back to the beginning of the museum. John Travolta is not the issue. The process is.”
Riggi said since the executive board agreed that Travolta should be in the Hall of Fame, she took it upon herself to invite him. Travolta has yet to respond to the invitation. However, Vereen, known for his work on Broadway and in the miniseries “Roots,” has accepted a place in the hall.
“You know they call the museum the ‘Dead Museum.’ I’m trying to make the museum alive. I want to induct people who are living. John Travolta would bring in excitement. He would bring revenue into Saratoga. He is a dancer. The board said ‘yes, let’s do it.’ So I did it,” Riggi said.
Besides, she added, the Dancers in Film Hall, which is to be located opposite the original hall of fame, does not yet have a nominating committee as it is new.
In addition to the Travolta controversy, staff reductions are affecting the museum.
Donna Galeoto, who managed the volunteers and gift shop, was laid off as a cost-cutting measure. The resignations of arts and programming manager Beth Hartle and grant writer Lauren Zoppa followed.
Hartle, who took over at the museum in fall 2005 when Garrett Smith quit, said she resigned in December because “It was time for me to do something new.”
“The fact is the museum is demanding. I learned a lot. I just knew it was time,” she said.
Riggi said that she felt Hartle “didn’t want to be questioned on things she was doing.” Still, she said, “When Beth left, I was blown away. I had no idea. I’m Italian. We can disagree. But then it’s over. I still love you. I just bought Beth a wedding gift. I love Beth. When she left, I was so shocked. She did a wonderful job. I hope the best for her.”
As for Zoppa, Riggi said, “She was there for a year and didn’t bring in one grant. We had to reevaluate what was going on there. That’s my job.”
Zoppa, who worked two days a week for the past year, said that is not true. She said she secured three grants, and two more were pending, when she left.
“The primary reason I left was I had difficulty with the board,” said Zoppa. “I didn’t think they were acting in the best interest of the museum. I would give them monthly reports, they didn’t read them. It was frustrating. And their priorities were changing on a weekly basis. But it was difficult for me to leave because the museum has tremendous potential.”
The museum, which is usually open on weekends in the winter and spring, is now closed until Memorial Day. Two employees remain, administrative assistant Lindsay Kiddle and rentals manager Jo Ambrosio. Raul Martinez took over teaching for Hartle at the museum’s School of Arts. The museum, a program of the Saratoga Performing Arts Center, is interviewing candidates to replace Hartle.
Riggi said they are not looking for people with museum experience.
“We don’t have the proper lighting and air to protect things in the museum. I think it would be diffi - cult to get people in here because the museum is not Smithsonian quality,” said Riggi.
The state of flux is nothing new for the museum. Since its opening in 1986, nearly all the directors
have either been fired or resigned because they were at odds with the board or SPAC administration. Just two years ago, most its staff was laid off. Its remaining director and board president resigned in unison just months later.
“This seems to be the pattern for the museum,” said Zoppa. “We were hoping it won’t happen again, but it did.”
Controversies trip up Museum of Dance
Travolta induction rankles members of nomination committee
BY WENDY LIBERATORE Gazette Reporter
Staff resignations, a layoff and a debate about John Travolta’s induction into the Dance Hall of Fame have thrown the National Museum of Dance, once again, into chaos.
Michele Riggi, chairwoman of the board at the museum, said the museum is running on “a skeleton crew” after losing three of its five employees. This came at the same time that members of the Hall of Fame nominating committee expressed frustration with Riggi and the board for bypassing the process and inviting “Saturday Night Fever” star Travolta as the next Hall of Fame inductee.
Riggi invited Travolta to enter the Hall of Fame, joining dance luminaries like George Balanchine, Martha Graham, Isadora Duncan and Fred Astaire, last fall. Riggi said she would honor Travolta, as well as Ben Vereen and Tommy Tune, in what she calls the Dancers in Film, a new branch of the hall.
Judy Fiore, a member of the hall nominating committee, would not comment on Travolta’s worthiness to enter the hall. However, she was not happy that the committee was not consulted on Travolta.
“I can tell you that we were bypassed. I am definitely upset about that. I have been on the committee a long time,” said Fiore who is on the committee with other area dance advocates such as Pat Peterson and Mary Anne Fantauzzi. “As far as I understand the process, the committee makes the nominations. This goes back to the beginning of the museum. John Travolta is not the issue. The process is.”
Riggi said since the executive board agreed that Travolta should be in the Hall of Fame, she took it upon herself to invite him. Travolta has yet to respond to the invitation. However, Vereen, known for his work on Broadway and in the miniseries “Roots,” has accepted a place in the hall.
“You know they call the museum the ‘Dead Museum.’ I’m trying to make the museum alive. I want to induct people who are living. John Travolta would bring in excitement. He would bring revenue into Saratoga. He is a dancer. The board said ‘yes, let’s do it.’ So I did it,” Riggi said.
Besides, she added, the Dancers in Film Hall, which is to be located opposite the original hall of fame, does not yet have a nominating committee as it is new.
In addition to the Travolta controversy, staff reductions are affecting the museum.
Donna Galeoto, who managed the volunteers and gift shop, was laid off as a cost-cutting measure. The resignations of arts and programming manager Beth Hartle and grant writer Lauren Zoppa followed.
Hartle, who took over at the museum in fall 2005 when Garrett Smith quit, said she resigned in December because “It was time for me to do something new.”
“The fact is the museum is demanding. I learned a lot. I just knew it was time,” she said.
Riggi said that she felt Hartle “didn’t want to be questioned on things she was doing.” Still, she said, “When Beth left, I was blown away. I had no idea. I’m Italian. We can disagree. But then it’s over. I still love you. I just bought Beth a wedding gift. I love Beth. When she left, I was so shocked. She did a wonderful job. I hope the best for her.”
As for Zoppa, Riggi said, “She was there for a year and didn’t bring in one grant. We had to reevaluate what was going on there. That’s my job.”
Zoppa, who worked two days a week for the past year, said that is not true. She said she secured three grants, and two more were pending, when she left.
“The primary reason I left was I had difficulty with the board,” said Zoppa. “I didn’t think they were acting in the best interest of the museum. I would give them monthly reports, they didn’t read them. It was frustrating. And their priorities were changing on a weekly basis. But it was difficult for me to leave because the museum has tremendous potential.”
The museum, which is usually open on weekends in the winter and spring, is now closed until Memorial Day. Two employees remain, administrative assistant Lindsay Kiddle and rentals manager Jo Ambrosio. Raul Martinez took over teaching for Hartle at the museum’s School of Arts. The museum, a program of the Saratoga Performing Arts Center, is interviewing candidates to replace Hartle.
Riggi said they are not looking for people with museum experience.
“We don’t have the proper lighting and air to protect things in the museum. I think it would be diffi - cult to get people in here because the museum is not Smithsonian quality,” said Riggi.
The state of flux is nothing new for the museum. Since its opening in 1986, nearly all the directors
have either been fired or resigned because they were at odds with the board or SPAC administration. Just two years ago, most its staff was laid off. Its remaining director and board president resigned in unison just months later.
“This seems to be the pattern for the museum,” said Zoppa. “We were hoping it won’t happen again, but it did.”
$4M in upgrades awaits Legislative approval for Saratoga Spa State Park
Friday, January 11, 2008
Posted on Thu, Jan 10, 2008
Zoom + Zoom -
Local state parks targeted for $4M in upgrades
By PAUL POST, The Saratogian
SARATOGA SPRINGS — More than $4 million worth of local upgrades are planned if the Legislature approves Gov. Eliot Spitzer’s proposal to revitalize state parks.
Spitzer, in Wednesday’s State of the State Address, proposed spending $100 million to improve aging infrastructure and facilities along with new development projects.
Officials have already prepared a long list of items for Saratoga Spa State Park such as paving, building repairs, restroom upgrades, dam rehabilitation and restoring Avenue of the Pines.
“None of these projects have been approved,” said Robert D. Kuhn, the Saratoga-Capital Region’s assistant director. “This will be a multi-year effort to bring parks up to where they should be. Until the (state) budget gets adopted we don’t know how that will ultimately come out.
“For many years now the parks have been underfunded.”
Parks Commissioner Carol Ash has directed staff statewide to identify needs within the system, which has been going on for several months.
“That $100 million is not a number that was plucked out of thin air,” Kuhn said. “It’s really to address all of the deferred maintenance that’s occurred over the years. A lot of parks are aging out at the same time.
“This whole initiative is about meeting basic infrastructure needs; to fix what’s broken.”
Spa State Park’s “wish list” includes a $1 million golf course irrigation system upgrade and $750,000 to bring dams at Geyser and Coesa ponds up to code. Three separate projects would cost $500,000 each. They are:
ä Restore rest rooms throughout the park.
ä Pave Avenue of the Pines bike path, plant new trees.
ä Pave Roosevelt Drive and various picnic area parking lots.
“There hasn’t been any paving done here in 10 years,” Kuhn said.
Saratoga Springs is in Senate Majority Leader Joseph L. Bruno’s district, the state’s highest-ranking Republican.
“While we will have to wait to see the governor's Executive Budget, Senator Bruno has been a strong supporter of investing in our state parks, especially at Saratoga Spa State Park,” spokesman Scott Reif said.
At Moreau Lake State Park, about $1.5 million would be spent for paving campground drives, creating a new entrance and building a right-hand turn lane for people entering the park off Old Saratoga Road. This would hopefully alleviate congestion when cars stack up, waiting to get in. Electric service would also be upgraded and rest rooms improved, making them handicapped-accessible.
If and when funding becomes available, priority will be given health and safety issues first, Kuhn said.
The parks system also maintains a state boat launch at Saratoga Lake where plans call for installing a $100,000 sewage pump-out station.
Peebles Island State Park is in Waterford at the southern tip of Saratoga County. That facility would get $900,000 worth of improvements.
There are 10 state parks and 10 historic sites in the Saratoga-Capital Region that stretches from southern Greene and Schoharie counties to Crown Point in Essex County. The region reaches west to Fulton and Montgomery counties and east to the Vermont border.
Technically, Grant Cottage in Wilton is a state historic site, but it’s primarily maintained by a non-profit group, Friends of Grant Cottage.
Grafton Lakes in Rensselaer County and Thacher Park in the Helderbergs are among the region’s other large parks. With 25 miles of trails, Grafton Lakes gets considerable winter use and has a WinterFest scheduled for Jan. 26. Plans there call for a $1 million upgrade to dams and spillways along with improvements to day-use picnic grounds and a popular beach area.
Thacher Park’s large pool was demolished last fall. Built in the 1950s, it had leaks that couldn’t be repaired. Separate from Spitzer’s new initiative, $3 million has already been approved for a new pool that should open in 2009 or 2010.
The state wants to incorporate some type of environmental stewardship project at each park, Kuhn said. At Spa State Park, land bordering Route 9 would be enhanced to promote habitat for the endangered Karner blue butterfly. At Moreau Lake, a management plan would be developed to deal with invasive species in the lake and Mud Pond, also within the park’s boundaries.
Environmental groups such as Adirondack Council have hailed Spitzer’s plan as a much-needed proposal.
“The Adirondack Park has about a dozen state-run campgrounds,” spokesman John Sheehan said. “Many state campgrounds and park buildings are causing water pollution in nearby lakes and rivers due to aging and inadequate facilities.”
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© 2007 The Saratogian - a Journal Register Property. All Rights reserved.
Posted on Thu, Jan 10, 2008
Zoom + Zoom -
Local state parks targeted for $4M in upgrades
By PAUL POST, The Saratogian
SARATOGA SPRINGS — More than $4 million worth of local upgrades are planned if the Legislature approves Gov. Eliot Spitzer’s proposal to revitalize state parks.
Spitzer, in Wednesday’s State of the State Address, proposed spending $100 million to improve aging infrastructure and facilities along with new development projects.
Officials have already prepared a long list of items for Saratoga Spa State Park such as paving, building repairs, restroom upgrades, dam rehabilitation and restoring Avenue of the Pines.
“None of these projects have been approved,” said Robert D. Kuhn, the Saratoga-Capital Region’s assistant director. “This will be a multi-year effort to bring parks up to where they should be. Until the (state) budget gets adopted we don’t know how that will ultimately come out.
“For many years now the parks have been underfunded.”
Parks Commissioner Carol Ash has directed staff statewide to identify needs within the system, which has been going on for several months.
“That $100 million is not a number that was plucked out of thin air,” Kuhn said. “It’s really to address all of the deferred maintenance that’s occurred over the years. A lot of parks are aging out at the same time.
“This whole initiative is about meeting basic infrastructure needs; to fix what’s broken.”
Spa State Park’s “wish list” includes a $1 million golf course irrigation system upgrade and $750,000 to bring dams at Geyser and Coesa ponds up to code. Three separate projects would cost $500,000 each. They are:
ä Restore rest rooms throughout the park.
ä Pave Avenue of the Pines bike path, plant new trees.
ä Pave Roosevelt Drive and various picnic area parking lots.
“There hasn’t been any paving done here in 10 years,” Kuhn said.
Saratoga Springs is in Senate Majority Leader Joseph L. Bruno’s district, the state’s highest-ranking Republican.
“While we will have to wait to see the governor's Executive Budget, Senator Bruno has been a strong supporter of investing in our state parks, especially at Saratoga Spa State Park,” spokesman Scott Reif said.
At Moreau Lake State Park, about $1.5 million would be spent for paving campground drives, creating a new entrance and building a right-hand turn lane for people entering the park off Old Saratoga Road. This would hopefully alleviate congestion when cars stack up, waiting to get in. Electric service would also be upgraded and rest rooms improved, making them handicapped-accessible.
If and when funding becomes available, priority will be given health and safety issues first, Kuhn said.
The parks system also maintains a state boat launch at Saratoga Lake where plans call for installing a $100,000 sewage pump-out station.
Peebles Island State Park is in Waterford at the southern tip of Saratoga County. That facility would get $900,000 worth of improvements.
There are 10 state parks and 10 historic sites in the Saratoga-Capital Region that stretches from southern Greene and Schoharie counties to Crown Point in Essex County. The region reaches west to Fulton and Montgomery counties and east to the Vermont border.
Technically, Grant Cottage in Wilton is a state historic site, but it’s primarily maintained by a non-profit group, Friends of Grant Cottage.
Grafton Lakes in Rensselaer County and Thacher Park in the Helderbergs are among the region’s other large parks. With 25 miles of trails, Grafton Lakes gets considerable winter use and has a WinterFest scheduled for Jan. 26. Plans there call for a $1 million upgrade to dams and spillways along with improvements to day-use picnic grounds and a popular beach area.
Thacher Park’s large pool was demolished last fall. Built in the 1950s, it had leaks that couldn’t be repaired. Separate from Spitzer’s new initiative, $3 million has already been approved for a new pool that should open in 2009 or 2010.
The state wants to incorporate some type of environmental stewardship project at each park, Kuhn said. At Spa State Park, land bordering Route 9 would be enhanced to promote habitat for the endangered Karner blue butterfly. At Moreau Lake, a management plan would be developed to deal with invasive species in the lake and Mud Pond, also within the park’s boundaries.
Environmental groups such as Adirondack Council have hailed Spitzer’s plan as a much-needed proposal.
“The Adirondack Park has about a dozen state-run campgrounds,” spokesman John Sheehan said. “Many state campgrounds and park buildings are causing water pollution in nearby lakes and rivers due to aging and inadequate facilities.”
//-->
CONTACT US • ADVERTISE WITH US • OUR PUBLICATIONS • PRIVACY POLICY NEWSPAPERS IN EDUCATION • JOBS WITH US
© 2007 The Saratogian - a Journal Register Property. All Rights reserved.
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