Saturday, September 27, 2008
Alert!! Dog Park at Saratoga Spa State Park in danger.
Rumor has it Saratoga Spa State Park is planning to shut down the immensely popular Dog Park on the other side of the Route 9 Avenue of Pines entrance because of the Karner Blue butterflys. With 2500 acres why isn't there room for both? Our tax dollars NOT at work again?
Friday, September 26, 2008
SPAC Rocks, Times Union 9/26/08
SPAC sales: Rock rocks, but orchestra strains
By DANIELLE FURFARO, Staff writer
Last updated: 7:17 p.m., Friday, September 26, 2008
COLONIE - The Police, Journey and other big-ticket rock acts put on by promoter Live Nation helped the Saratoga Performing Arts Center break even this summer, despite a continuing slide in the number of tickets sold for the Philadelphia Orchestra and the New York City Ballet.
The orchestra, ballet and other SPAC-run shows accounted for $2.6 million in ticket sales, but the amount was still a 9 percent drop from 2007. The total attendance for those shows was about 88,000, also a 9 percent drop, SPAC Chief Financial Officer Richard Geary said.
The board blamed the downturn in classical sales on a crumbling economy and a soggy summer that saw rain mar several performances.
"We had the same kind of season as the track, where sales were (also) down," Board Chairman Bill Dake said during a SPAC board meeting today at the Desmond Hotel and Conference Center.
The board said ticket sales for Live Nation's show, which also featured the Dave Matthews Band and Bob Dylan, shot up by more than 27 percent. The board declined to say exactly how many people went to the rock shows, but said that the high attendance kicked in SPAC's bonus clause with Live Nation and it received another $65,000 on top of its guaranteed $1 million.
But SPAC lost more than $1 million alone on the New York City Ballet, which had $1.2 million in sales and $2.3 million in expenses. The performing arts center took an even more devastating hit with the Philadelphia Orchestra, which saw sales of only $742,000 but had expenses of more than $2 million.
"It's disappointing that, with the orchestra, we are now covering only 37 percent of the costs with ticket sales," Geary said.
SPAC had budgeted for $375,000 more in classical sales - including its Freihoefer Jazz Festival - this year. Regardless, some board members said they were happy with the turnout.
"The overall attendance, while not pleasing to all of us, is good compared to what's happening elsewhere in the art world and sales at organizations similar to us," said Dake.
Other elements that helped make up for the classical sales shortfalls were more advertising and more endowments, SPAC President and Executive Director Marsha White said.
Dake made dire predictions for the 2009 summer season.
"The economy will have an impact not only on us but also on our partners," he said. "There is a triple threat: sales go down, endowments go down and subscriptions go down."
By DANIELLE FURFARO, Staff writer
Last updated: 7:17 p.m., Friday, September 26, 2008
COLONIE - The Police, Journey and other big-ticket rock acts put on by promoter Live Nation helped the Saratoga Performing Arts Center break even this summer, despite a continuing slide in the number of tickets sold for the Philadelphia Orchestra and the New York City Ballet.
The orchestra, ballet and other SPAC-run shows accounted for $2.6 million in ticket sales, but the amount was still a 9 percent drop from 2007. The total attendance for those shows was about 88,000, also a 9 percent drop, SPAC Chief Financial Officer Richard Geary said.
The board blamed the downturn in classical sales on a crumbling economy and a soggy summer that saw rain mar several performances.
"We had the same kind of season as the track, where sales were (also) down," Board Chairman Bill Dake said during a SPAC board meeting today at the Desmond Hotel and Conference Center.
The board said ticket sales for Live Nation's show, which also featured the Dave Matthews Band and Bob Dylan, shot up by more than 27 percent. The board declined to say exactly how many people went to the rock shows, but said that the high attendance kicked in SPAC's bonus clause with Live Nation and it received another $65,000 on top of its guaranteed $1 million.
But SPAC lost more than $1 million alone on the New York City Ballet, which had $1.2 million in sales and $2.3 million in expenses. The performing arts center took an even more devastating hit with the Philadelphia Orchestra, which saw sales of only $742,000 but had expenses of more than $2 million.
"It's disappointing that, with the orchestra, we are now covering only 37 percent of the costs with ticket sales," Geary said.
SPAC had budgeted for $375,000 more in classical sales - including its Freihoefer Jazz Festival - this year. Regardless, some board members said they were happy with the turnout.
"The overall attendance, while not pleasing to all of us, is good compared to what's happening elsewhere in the art world and sales at organizations similar to us," said Dake.
Other elements that helped make up for the classical sales shortfalls were more advertising and more endowments, SPAC President and Executive Director Marsha White said.
Dake made dire predictions for the 2009 summer season.
"The economy will have an impact not only on us but also on our partners," he said. "There is a triple threat: sales go down, endowments go down and subscriptions go down."
Friday, September 19, 2008
SPAC facade stalled, Saratogian, 9/16/08
09/18/2008
Budget, design stall SPAC facade overhaul
By ANN MARIE FRENCH , The Saratogian
SARATOGA SPRINGS - While renovations of other parts of the Saratoga Performing Arts Center are moving forward, the overhaul to the facade continues to be stalled in discussion of conceptual designs and budget numbers.
Advertisement
Alane Chinian, regional director of the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation, said Wednesday the conceptual redesign of the building came in over budget, but she did not offer detailed figures.
The original design, presented in May, was meant to reflect musical sound waves and the waves of streams passing through the park, said Bob Bristol, president and CEO of Saratoga Associates, the company behind the design. Bristol said the amphitheater's new look was under design for roughly a year, with input and review by Parks and the SPAC board. The wave-like patterns were to be made of beige-colored recycled material. Critics said it looked more like a stack of pancakes than waves.
"They are proposing something much more conservative, which is really an updating of what is there now," said Chinian. "We want to reflect SPAC as a modern, contemporary, world-class facility but still stay in budget."
The amphitheater has not seen major exterior improvements since it opened in 1966. Globe lights on outside ramps leading to the balcony will be replaced with more subdued ground illumination. The ramps themselves will see a facelift as will the sound system and renovations to the lower level restrooms.
Budget, design stall SPAC facade overhaul
By ANN MARIE FRENCH , The Saratogian
SARATOGA SPRINGS - While renovations of other parts of the Saratoga Performing Arts Center are moving forward, the overhaul to the facade continues to be stalled in discussion of conceptual designs and budget numbers.
Advertisement
Alane Chinian, regional director of the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation, said Wednesday the conceptual redesign of the building came in over budget, but she did not offer detailed figures.
The original design, presented in May, was meant to reflect musical sound waves and the waves of streams passing through the park, said Bob Bristol, president and CEO of Saratoga Associates, the company behind the design. Bristol said the amphitheater's new look was under design for roughly a year, with input and review by Parks and the SPAC board. The wave-like patterns were to be made of beige-colored recycled material. Critics said it looked more like a stack of pancakes than waves.
"They are proposing something much more conservative, which is really an updating of what is there now," said Chinian. "We want to reflect SPAC as a modern, contemporary, world-class facility but still stay in budget."
The amphitheater has not seen major exterior improvements since it opened in 1966. Globe lights on outside ramps leading to the balcony will be replaced with more subdued ground illumination. The ramps themselves will see a facelift as will the sound system and renovations to the lower level restrooms.
Thursday, September 18, 2008
why were the Victoria Pool fundraisers stopped by Parks after 2 yrs.?
09/18/2008
Parks asked to trim budgets
By ANN MARIE FRENCH , The Saratogian
A Saratoga Spa State Park groundskeeper mows the grass near the Lincoln Baths.
SARATOGA SPRINGS - The Saratoga-Capital District region of the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation has been asked to trim an additional 7 percent from its current budget in addition to the 3 percent the governor had asked of all departments.
Alane Chinian, the regional director, said all 11 regions have been asked to trim their costs in this year's budget even as they are submitting their proposed 2009-2010 budgets. The announcement came Wednesday morning at the quarterly meeting of the Saratoga-Capital District State Park, Recreation and Historic Preservation Commission. The commission voted to approve the proposed $9.9 million state operations budget request presented by Chinian.
Advertisement
"There are no capital costs in this budget. This is purely just trying to keep the doors open," said Heather Mabee, chairperson of the commission. The operational budget does not provide money for building renovations or expansion of services. Ten parks and seven historic sites are located within the region, which includes all of Saratoga County and all or part of seven other counties.
To develop the proposed budget, Chinian said the group did what it has always done - use the current fiscal year base and add in fixed cost increases and contractual increases.
The current fiscal year base is $9,452,600 and Chinian said the figure includes the 3 percent in cuts already completed. It does not, however, reflect the additional 7 percent of cuts the region is currently making.
"It has really been hurting us," said Chinian. She said many of the cuts are coming from not replacing people who are retiring or leaving their positions. The decision not to fill vacant positions is not one Chinian made voluntarily but is a result of a statewide hiring freeze, which went into effect over the summer. To make the necessary cuts, Chinian said other changes will take place.
"There will be more people let go," she said. "Temporary and seasonal staff will be let go early."
While the discussion of closing some of the parks in the region was broached, Chinian said to do so may prove to be more expensive than keeping them open. Currently, a number of park managers are responsible for the operation of multiple parks and in some cases there is no other staff in place to do the work if those managers were to retire or move into other positions.
"I think the big fear is there is a perception we're fat," Chinian said. "We've been operating a lean budget for years. There is going to be an impact."
The chairpersons of each region met in July and one topic of discussion centered on private fundraising for the state park system in anticipation of limited funding from the state. Mabee said the state has never utilized private fundraising but acknowledged that many of the regions have volunteer, non-profit programs they are affiliated with that do seek out private funding.
"We just have so much in our capital budget needs," she said. "There is $700 million across the state that needs to be done today."
While talks of fundraising are in their infant stages, she said the statewide initiative would be executed on a regional level. More information is expected at the commission's December or March meetings.
Parks asked to trim budgets
By ANN MARIE FRENCH , The Saratogian
A Saratoga Spa State Park groundskeeper mows the grass near the Lincoln Baths.
SARATOGA SPRINGS - The Saratoga-Capital District region of the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation has been asked to trim an additional 7 percent from its current budget in addition to the 3 percent the governor had asked of all departments.
Alane Chinian, the regional director, said all 11 regions have been asked to trim their costs in this year's budget even as they are submitting their proposed 2009-2010 budgets. The announcement came Wednesday morning at the quarterly meeting of the Saratoga-Capital District State Park, Recreation and Historic Preservation Commission. The commission voted to approve the proposed $9.9 million state operations budget request presented by Chinian.
Advertisement
"There are no capital costs in this budget. This is purely just trying to keep the doors open," said Heather Mabee, chairperson of the commission. The operational budget does not provide money for building renovations or expansion of services. Ten parks and seven historic sites are located within the region, which includes all of Saratoga County and all or part of seven other counties.
To develop the proposed budget, Chinian said the group did what it has always done - use the current fiscal year base and add in fixed cost increases and contractual increases.
The current fiscal year base is $9,452,600 and Chinian said the figure includes the 3 percent in cuts already completed. It does not, however, reflect the additional 7 percent of cuts the region is currently making.
"It has really been hurting us," said Chinian. She said many of the cuts are coming from not replacing people who are retiring or leaving their positions. The decision not to fill vacant positions is not one Chinian made voluntarily but is a result of a statewide hiring freeze, which went into effect over the summer. To make the necessary cuts, Chinian said other changes will take place.
"There will be more people let go," she said. "Temporary and seasonal staff will be let go early."
While the discussion of closing some of the parks in the region was broached, Chinian said to do so may prove to be more expensive than keeping them open. Currently, a number of park managers are responsible for the operation of multiple parks and in some cases there is no other staff in place to do the work if those managers were to retire or move into other positions.
"I think the big fear is there is a perception we're fat," Chinian said. "We've been operating a lean budget for years. There is going to be an impact."
The chairpersons of each region met in July and one topic of discussion centered on private fundraising for the state park system in anticipation of limited funding from the state. Mabee said the state has never utilized private fundraising but acknowledged that many of the regions have volunteer, non-profit programs they are affiliated with that do seek out private funding.
"We just have so much in our capital budget needs," she said. "There is $700 million across the state that needs to be done today."
While talks of fundraising are in their infant stages, she said the statewide initiative would be executed on a regional level. More information is expected at the commission's December or March meetings.
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Pool rehabilitation 2004-5
.jpg)
Lots of recent comments do not acknowledge the reason Save the Victoria Pool Society was formed in 2003 following ten years of trying to work with NYS Parks to no avail as the pool and park deteriorated at an increasingly alarming rate.
Friday, September 05, 2008
Not a moments too soon for NYS Parks to develop a Senior Lifeguard Corps for next Memorial Day
NYS Parks could actually develop a senior lifeguard program probably with the Y and easily solve the personnel shortage. Just check out the Y pool all year long. Certainly the Victoria Pool is primarily for adults and a senior life guard corps would be a great addition. Below are general qualifications for Senior Lifeguard._
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
SENIOR LIFEGUARD 4042
DISTINGUISHING FEATURES OF THE CLASS
Under general supervision, an employee in this class supervises and assigns the work of Lifeguards at a public beach or swimming pool. Work includes conducting regular swimming, lifesaving and artificial resuscitation exercises to maintain maximum efficiency and physical fitness of Lifeguards. The employee may assume complete responsibility for lifeguard operations in a small public swimming area, or assist in supervising a large swimming facility. Work is reviewed by a Chief Lifeguard or administrator through the observation of swimming area activities, daily consultations and reports. Does related work as required.
TYPICAL WORK ACTIVITIES
Plans and supervises the work of Lifeguards assigned to a small public beach or swimming pool, or assists in the supervision of a lifeguard program at a large public beach;
Maintains physical fitness and efficiency of Lifeguards by allotting time for daily swimming, rowing, running and lifesaving exercises; assists or conducts an in-service training program for Lifeguards;
Assigns Lifeguards to routine beach maintenance patrols to dispose of debris, when this does not interfere with bathers' safety;
Enforces the rules and regulations relating to beach or pool areas; resolves disputes between Lifeguards and patrons and refers more difficult problems to the appropriate authorities;
Keeps abreast of the latest lifesaving techniques and methods;
Keeps time records on employees; prepares routine and emergency activity reports.
FULL PERFORMANCE KNOWLEDGES, SKILLS, ABILITIES AND PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS
Thorough knowledge of lifesaving and resuscitation methods and first-aid techniques; thorough knowledge of facility rules and regulations; skill in pool and surf swimming, lifesaving and first-aid techniques, and cardiopulmonary resuscitation; ability to plan, supervise and direct the work of Lifeguards in a manner conducive to full performance and high morale; ability to establish and carry out preventive water safety precautions, to recognize emergencies and to take effective action; ability to establish and maintain effective public relations; physical condition commensurate with the demands of the position.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
Two (2) seasons' experience as a Lifeguard.
NECESSARY SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS
1) t the time of appointment, candidates must possess or have possessed a certificate as a Lifeguard appropriate for the facility to which the incumbent is assigned, issued by the Suffolk County Department of Health Services or a New York State Department of Health approved testing agency.
2) t the time of appointment, candidates must possess a certificate in cardiopulmonary resuscitation, issued by the American Red Cross or Heart Association within the last year.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
SENIOR LIFEGUARD 4042
DISTINGUISHING FEATURES OF THE CLASS
Under general supervision, an employee in this class supervises and assigns the work of Lifeguards at a public beach or swimming pool. Work includes conducting regular swimming, lifesaving and artificial resuscitation exercises to maintain maximum efficiency and physical fitness of Lifeguards. The employee may assume complete responsibility for lifeguard operations in a small public swimming area, or assist in supervising a large swimming facility. Work is reviewed by a Chief Lifeguard or administrator through the observation of swimming area activities, daily consultations and reports. Does related work as required.
TYPICAL WORK ACTIVITIES
Plans and supervises the work of Lifeguards assigned to a small public beach or swimming pool, or assists in the supervision of a lifeguard program at a large public beach;
Maintains physical fitness and efficiency of Lifeguards by allotting time for daily swimming, rowing, running and lifesaving exercises; assists or conducts an in-service training program for Lifeguards;
Assigns Lifeguards to routine beach maintenance patrols to dispose of debris, when this does not interfere with bathers' safety;
Enforces the rules and regulations relating to beach or pool areas; resolves disputes between Lifeguards and patrons and refers more difficult problems to the appropriate authorities;
Keeps abreast of the latest lifesaving techniques and methods;
Keeps time records on employees; prepares routine and emergency activity reports.
FULL PERFORMANCE KNOWLEDGES, SKILLS, ABILITIES AND PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS
Thorough knowledge of lifesaving and resuscitation methods and first-aid techniques; thorough knowledge of facility rules and regulations; skill in pool and surf swimming, lifesaving and first-aid techniques, and cardiopulmonary resuscitation; ability to plan, supervise and direct the work of Lifeguards in a manner conducive to full performance and high morale; ability to establish and carry out preventive water safety precautions, to recognize emergencies and to take effective action; ability to establish and maintain effective public relations; physical condition commensurate with the demands of the position.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
Two (2) seasons' experience as a Lifeguard.
NECESSARY SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS
1) t the time of appointment, candidates must possess or have possessed a certificate as a Lifeguard appropriate for the facility to which the incumbent is assigned, issued by the Suffolk County Department of Health Services or a New York State Department of Health approved testing agency.
2) t the time of appointment, candidates must possess a certificate in cardiopulmonary resuscitation, issued by the American Red Cross or Heart Association within the last year.
September 5, 2008, 90 degrees and Victoria Pool closed
A perfect weather week since Labor Day, sunny and 80's and hitting 90 on Friday. All that money lost in these difficult economic times.
Tuesday, September 02, 2008
Hearty thanks to Park Staff and friends for a great Labor Day closing Party
Everyone brought great food and pool staff was great. Let us all hope that next years opening day party on Memorial Day will be the BEST ever. Let's make it happen.
Thursday, August 28, 2008
saratogian article on peerless pool plus recent comment
08/28/2008
Sections of Peerless Pool closed
By NEIL KIRBY , The Saratogian
SARATOGA SPRINGS - While not quite a flop, this year's season at Victoria and Peerless Pools at Saratoga Spa State Park has hardly gone swimmingly.
Advertisement
Not surprisingly, a three-week-late opening at the family-oriented Peerless Pool this year resulted in lower attendance figures than the 2007 season.
But that's not the only problem - the pools have become short-staffed as lifeguards leave to return to school, forcing officials to close sections of the Peerless Pool, including the popular slide pool.
"A lot of them started going back to school," said Mike Greenslade, park manager of Saratoga Spa State Park, as only one section of the Peerless Pool remained opened. Greenslade said more lifeguards will be home from school and available to work this weekend, so more sections will be open.
"We try to open as much as we can when possible," he said. "Each pool has a minimum number of guards needed to open it. It's quite an area to cover."
The opening of the Peerless Pool was delayed when wet weather in May and June prevented workers from finishing a $168,000 rehabilitation project. The pool finally opened July 18 with a new rubber liner, which required at least five days of dry weather to install.
Lower attendance for all the pools resulted in substantially lower revenue for 2008. According to Greenslade, 33,914 patrons attended the pools as of Aug. 27 this season, while 57,617 people visited the pools up until Aug. 27 of last season. Attendance data for each individual pool is not collected, Greenslade said.
"Of course we've had crummy weather late July and early August," he said. "Generally this time of year our numbers do dwindle anyway. People are going home from vacation, they're kind of done with the pool thing for the year, a lot of the big day camps don't come anymore, they're done, and generally the last week or two of the pool being open, it's much quieter."
The pools began the season with fewer lifeguards than previous seasons. While park officials aim to hire 20 to 25 lifeguards, they started the season on the lower end of that spectrum, Greenslade said.
"It's not flipping burgers," said Alane Chinian, regional director for New York State Parks and Recreation. "This is a job where you have to have some training, and we're looking for responsible people and they do an excellent job, but it's a commitment and it's tough to find young people willing to put in that kind of effort."
Lifeguards are sometimes borrowed from the nearby Grafton and Moreau State Parks to fill in the gaps.
"Generally we have the largest staff here at this park, so if we have the guards to spare we'll send them out from here," Greenslade said. "It does pose some problems for travel and such, but we try to work with the guards themselves to make sure we have the time. If we have a vehicle available, they use that."
Two lifeguards also had to bow out after injury, Greenslade said. One hurt her ankle during required service training, while another slipped during a rescue and smashed his face, breaking his nose and an arm.
Visitors will be told at the gate which sections of the pool are open.
While parking for Victoria Pool is free, the price to enter is $6 for adults and $3 for children.
Parking at Peerless Pool costs $6. Attendance costs $3 for adults and $1.50 for children. Ages 5 and under are free at both pools.
The pools' hours of operation are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekdays, and 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekends. The pools will officially close after Labor Day.
________________________________________________________________________________________________
Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Peerless Pool bathrooms are a disgrace and noone w...":
the bathrooms at peerless pool are ABSOLUTELY DISCGUSTING. I am a mother who brings her two children to both the Victoria and Peerless pools, and even my children prefer the Vic because it is cleaner. We went into the bathroom at the Peerless this summer to find fecal matter all over the floor in one stall. There is no excuse for that.
Sections of Peerless Pool closed
By NEIL KIRBY , The Saratogian
SARATOGA SPRINGS - While not quite a flop, this year's season at Victoria and Peerless Pools at Saratoga Spa State Park has hardly gone swimmingly.
Advertisement
Not surprisingly, a three-week-late opening at the family-oriented Peerless Pool this year resulted in lower attendance figures than the 2007 season.
But that's not the only problem - the pools have become short-staffed as lifeguards leave to return to school, forcing officials to close sections of the Peerless Pool, including the popular slide pool.
"A lot of them started going back to school," said Mike Greenslade, park manager of Saratoga Spa State Park, as only one section of the Peerless Pool remained opened. Greenslade said more lifeguards will be home from school and available to work this weekend, so more sections will be open.
"We try to open as much as we can when possible," he said. "Each pool has a minimum number of guards needed to open it. It's quite an area to cover."
The opening of the Peerless Pool was delayed when wet weather in May and June prevented workers from finishing a $168,000 rehabilitation project. The pool finally opened July 18 with a new rubber liner, which required at least five days of dry weather to install.
Lower attendance for all the pools resulted in substantially lower revenue for 2008. According to Greenslade, 33,914 patrons attended the pools as of Aug. 27 this season, while 57,617 people visited the pools up until Aug. 27 of last season. Attendance data for each individual pool is not collected, Greenslade said.
"Of course we've had crummy weather late July and early August," he said. "Generally this time of year our numbers do dwindle anyway. People are going home from vacation, they're kind of done with the pool thing for the year, a lot of the big day camps don't come anymore, they're done, and generally the last week or two of the pool being open, it's much quieter."
The pools began the season with fewer lifeguards than previous seasons. While park officials aim to hire 20 to 25 lifeguards, they started the season on the lower end of that spectrum, Greenslade said.
"It's not flipping burgers," said Alane Chinian, regional director for New York State Parks and Recreation. "This is a job where you have to have some training, and we're looking for responsible people and they do an excellent job, but it's a commitment and it's tough to find young people willing to put in that kind of effort."
Lifeguards are sometimes borrowed from the nearby Grafton and Moreau State Parks to fill in the gaps.
"Generally we have the largest staff here at this park, so if we have the guards to spare we'll send them out from here," Greenslade said. "It does pose some problems for travel and such, but we try to work with the guards themselves to make sure we have the time. If we have a vehicle available, they use that."
Two lifeguards also had to bow out after injury, Greenslade said. One hurt her ankle during required service training, while another slipped during a rescue and smashed his face, breaking his nose and an arm.
Visitors will be told at the gate which sections of the pool are open.
While parking for Victoria Pool is free, the price to enter is $6 for adults and $3 for children.
Parking at Peerless Pool costs $6. Attendance costs $3 for adults and $1.50 for children. Ages 5 and under are free at both pools.
The pools' hours of operation are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekdays, and 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekends. The pools will officially close after Labor Day.
________________________________________________________________________________________________
Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Peerless Pool bathrooms are a disgrace and noone w...":
the bathrooms at peerless pool are ABSOLUTELY DISCGUSTING. I am a mother who brings her two children to both the Victoria and Peerless pools, and even my children prefer the Vic because it is cleaner. We went into the bathroom at the Peerless this summer to find fecal matter all over the floor in one stall. There is no excuse for that.
Friday, August 22, 2008
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Saturday, August 16, 2008
WGY radio said it all about the summer of 2008 this morning.
"Saying this summer is a little rainy is like saying Michael Phelps is an ok swimmer".
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Monday, August 11, 2008
Rain, rain go away
Oh, Capital Region. Why so soggy this year? According to the folks at the National Weather Service, A-Town and surrounding areas have received twice the usual share of rain this summer. This is no surprise to those of us that have had to carry umbrellas to the track, the pool, the barbecue and -- oh hell, just about everywhere.
So why is it so wet this year?
We asked Brian Frugis, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Albany.
How do you account for all the storms we're having this year?
Many times when we have summers that are hot and dry there will be a ridge -- a large
amount of air with high pressure. This year we have the opposite of that. A lot of frontal
systems with areas of very low pressure. We call it a trough. The upper level pattern has been favorable for storms. And that pattern has been pretty stagnant.
How much rain have we gotten this summer?
The average rainfall for July in the Capital Region is 3.5 inches. This year we measured 6.94 inches at Albany International Airport. In June we got 5.45 inches this year. That's normally around 3.74.
It seems like quick thunderstorms are just cropping up all over the place this year. Are seasons like this harder for meteorologists to predict?
More active years like this one keep us on our toes. They require a little more attention. They can be difficult to predict.
Are seasons like this one more fun for meteorologists? Do they look at all the colors on the radar and go "ohhh coool?"
(Laughs) They can certainly be interesting for us, but we're in the business of trying to protect people from harm, so we do take them seriously.
So is this going to stop soon or should we start lining animals up in pairs?
Most of the storms this year have brought a lot of rain for short periods, so there's been some flash flooding but things time to dry up a bit in between. But it looks like this pattern will continue for at least the next week or so.
The Bottom Line
Why's it been so rainy? Because we've been stuck in a pattern of very low pressure (also know as a trough). And it's doesn't look the weather will be unstuck anytime soon.
3 commentstags: weather, weird
So why is it so wet this year?
We asked Brian Frugis, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Albany.
How do you account for all the storms we're having this year?
Many times when we have summers that are hot and dry there will be a ridge -- a large
amount of air with high pressure. This year we have the opposite of that. A lot of frontal
systems with areas of very low pressure. We call it a trough. The upper level pattern has been favorable for storms. And that pattern has been pretty stagnant.
How much rain have we gotten this summer?
The average rainfall for July in the Capital Region is 3.5 inches. This year we measured 6.94 inches at Albany International Airport. In June we got 5.45 inches this year. That's normally around 3.74.
It seems like quick thunderstorms are just cropping up all over the place this year. Are seasons like this harder for meteorologists to predict?
More active years like this one keep us on our toes. They require a little more attention. They can be difficult to predict.
Are seasons like this one more fun for meteorologists? Do they look at all the colors on the radar and go "ohhh coool?"
(Laughs) They can certainly be interesting for us, but we're in the business of trying to protect people from harm, so we do take them seriously.
So is this going to stop soon or should we start lining animals up in pairs?
Most of the storms this year have brought a lot of rain for short periods, so there's been some flash flooding but things time to dry up a bit in between. But it looks like this pattern will continue for at least the next week or so.
The Bottom Line
Why's it been so rainy? Because we've been stuck in a pattern of very low pressure (also know as a trough). And it's doesn't look the weather will be unstuck anytime soon.
3 commentstags: weather, weird
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
SPAC Ballet attendance figures for 2008, Albany Times Union
Attendance, revenue drop at SPAC ballet
Staff reports
Last updated: 3:53 p.m., Wednesday, July 30, 2008
The New York City Ballet's residency at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center ended its 2008 season with a 6 percent drop in attendance from last year, according to preliminary figures.
SPAC Executive Director Marcia J. White said in a written statement that audiences were still enthusiastic about the ballet this year, crediting promotions like "American Girl Night" and "Sports Night" for bringing in spectators. This year's season ran from July 8 to 26.
"Yet, impacting our bottom line was the fact that high gas and food prices have left many people struggling financially," White said. "That is a reality that is affecting virtually every segment of our economy and the arts are no exception."
Overall, attendance at the ballet was 42,354, and the total income was $1,176,442, a 2 percent drop from last year.
Despite the down figures from last year, White did find successes in the season.
Due to the ``Free Children on the Lawn'' program, SPAC saw a 64 percent jump in children attending performances, resulting in 1,162 kids in total taking in classical ballet. Also, ``West Side Story Suite's'' attendance neared 10,000, making it the highest-attended event of the season.
All Times Union materials copyright 1996-2008, Capital Newspapers Division of The Hearst Corporation, Albany, N.Y.
Staff reports
Last updated: 3:53 p.m., Wednesday, July 30, 2008
The New York City Ballet's residency at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center ended its 2008 season with a 6 percent drop in attendance from last year, according to preliminary figures.
SPAC Executive Director Marcia J. White said in a written statement that audiences were still enthusiastic about the ballet this year, crediting promotions like "American Girl Night" and "Sports Night" for bringing in spectators. This year's season ran from July 8 to 26.
"Yet, impacting our bottom line was the fact that high gas and food prices have left many people struggling financially," White said. "That is a reality that is affecting virtually every segment of our economy and the arts are no exception."
Overall, attendance at the ballet was 42,354, and the total income was $1,176,442, a 2 percent drop from last year.
Despite the down figures from last year, White did find successes in the season.
Due to the ``Free Children on the Lawn'' program, SPAC saw a 64 percent jump in children attending performances, resulting in 1,162 kids in total taking in classical ballet. Also, ``West Side Story Suite's'' attendance neared 10,000, making it the highest-attended event of the season.
All Times Union materials copyright 1996-2008, Capital Newspapers Division of The Hearst Corporation, Albany, N.Y.
Sunday, July 27, 2008
Hail to the King, Saratogian, 7/27/08
Victoria Pool king reigns
Stanton Williamson, known to all his friends as "King of the Victoria Pool," was feted July 13 on his 75th birthday at the pool by the Save the Victoria Pool Society and many other fans.
Everyone feasted at lunch, which was preceded by hors d'oeuvres, assorted cheeses and fruits, catered by society board members. Also served was everything from crabmeat and shrimp salad to assorted wraps, finished off by a large birthday cake with an edible picture of the "king."
Faces in the crowd included board members: Louise Goldstein, Andrew Jennings, Tom Marino, Rick Nacy, Doug Jasinske, Maureen O'Connell Godlewski and Barbara Proctor. Former Saratoga Springs mayor J. Mike O'Connell and his wife Betty were also in attendance, along with Williamson's oldest friend Billy Farrell, who now lives in Florida.
Jasinske and Sebastian Medina-Tayac came from Takoma Park, Md. Others were here from New York City and the |Capital District.
Stanton Williamson, known to all his friends as "King of the Victoria Pool," was feted July 13 on his 75th birthday at the pool by the Save the Victoria Pool Society and many other fans.
Everyone feasted at lunch, which was preceded by hors d'oeuvres, assorted cheeses and fruits, catered by society board members. Also served was everything from crabmeat and shrimp salad to assorted wraps, finished off by a large birthday cake with an edible picture of the "king."
Faces in the crowd included board members: Louise Goldstein, Andrew Jennings, Tom Marino, Rick Nacy, Doug Jasinske, Maureen O'Connell Godlewski and Barbara Proctor. Former Saratoga Springs mayor J. Mike O'Connell and his wife Betty were also in attendance, along with Williamson's oldest friend Billy Farrell, who now lives in Florida.
Jasinske and Sebastian Medina-Tayac came from Takoma Park, Md. Others were here from New York City and the |Capital District.
Friday, July 25, 2008
"Everything is beautiful at the ballet"
Big night at the balletJuly 25, 2008 at 3:32 pm by Susan Mehalick, Executive Features Editor
(Photo credit: Beth Arnold)
The Saratoga Performing Arts Center is reporting that last night (Thursday) attendance at the New York City Ballet performance was 4,200 — the best turnout of the year. The big draw for the night, no doubt, was “West Side Story Suite,” which has popular audience appeal. John Hendrickson, Saratoga socialite Marylou Whitney and New York City Ballet’s Peter Martins, above, were together at a preperformance party.
If you haven’t been to the ballet yet this season, you have three more chances. Tonight (Friday) and tomorrow (Saturday) at 8 p.m. and tomorrow (Saturday) afternoon at 2 p.m.
Tonight’s performance features mixed repertory: Brahms-Schoenberg Quartet (Brahms/Balanchine); Rococo Variations - A SPAC PREMIERE (Tschaikovsky/Wheeldon); Brahms/Handel (Brahms/Robbins & Tharp)
Tomorrow’s matinee is a Jerry Robbins fest: “Goldberg Variations,” which clocks in at 1 hour and 20 minutes. (TU dance critic Joseph Dalton told me it was the best dance on the SPAC schedule this season.) And “Western Symphony.”
Tomorrow night: “West Side Story” is on the program, along with Robbins’ “The Four Seasons” and his silent dance “Moves,” with made its SPAC debut this summer.
Posted in General |
(Photo credit: Beth Arnold)
The Saratoga Performing Arts Center is reporting that last night (Thursday) attendance at the New York City Ballet performance was 4,200 — the best turnout of the year. The big draw for the night, no doubt, was “West Side Story Suite,” which has popular audience appeal. John Hendrickson, Saratoga socialite Marylou Whitney and New York City Ballet’s Peter Martins, above, were together at a preperformance party.
If you haven’t been to the ballet yet this season, you have three more chances. Tonight (Friday) and tomorrow (Saturday) at 8 p.m. and tomorrow (Saturday) afternoon at 2 p.m.
Tonight’s performance features mixed repertory: Brahms-Schoenberg Quartet (Brahms/Balanchine); Rococo Variations - A SPAC PREMIERE (Tschaikovsky/Wheeldon); Brahms/Handel (Brahms/Robbins & Tharp)
Tomorrow’s matinee is a Jerry Robbins fest: “Goldberg Variations,” which clocks in at 1 hour and 20 minutes. (TU dance critic Joseph Dalton told me it was the best dance on the SPAC schedule this season.) And “Western Symphony.”
Tomorrow night: “West Side Story” is on the program, along with Robbins’ “The Four Seasons” and his silent dance “Moves,” with made its SPAC debut this summer.
Posted in General |
Saturday, July 19, 2008
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Peerless
SARATOGA SPRINGS
Peerless Pool given OK to open
Delayed capital work to be done in time for Friday
BY TATIANA ZARNOWSKI Gazette Reporter
After a three-week delay, Peerless Pool is finally expected to open Friday.
Saratoga Spa State Park’s largest pool got the OK Tuesday from the state Department of Health to reopen after a $168,000 renovation project set back the start of the season.
The pool originally was scheduled to open June 28 along with the Victoria Pool, but wet weather in June and this month made it difficult to complete the work.
“It was a very complicated project because it involved the restoration of the concrete structure and the application of a rubber membrane system,” said Alane Ball Chinian, regional parks director.
Although the main pool will be open, the adjacent slide pool and kiddie pool won’t be open for about another week because work is still being done on them, Chinian said.
“We’re really sorry about it and trying to minimize it as much as we can,” she said of the closures.
Victoria Pool has been better attended than usual, she said, and swimming lessons usually held at Peerless have been moved to the smaller Victoria Pool.
The 21 lifeguards that were hired for Spa State Park now rotate between the Victoria Pool and either Grafton Lakes State Park in Rensselaer County or Moreau Lake State Park, said Patricia Forward, who oversees the water safety program for the Saratoga region of the state Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation.
Most lifeguards work 40 hours a week, starting at $10.35 an hour and getting a boost to $12.47 if they come back for a third year.
Forward said there are usually two or three lifeguards stationed at the Victoria Pool and at least 15 at Peerless when the water slide is open.
On weekends, a group of lifeguards carpools to Grafton in a state vehicle, Forward said. But on weekdays, they’re on their own to drive and pay for the gas.
Grafton is a 40-mile trip one way, or nearly an hour drive from Saratoga Spa State Park, while Moreau Lake is 21 miles from the park.
The Grafton beach has been seeing greater attendance than usual this summer, so the lifeguards are needed there, Chinian said.
“We’re going to be stretched pretty thin when the Peerless does open,” she said.
Hiring lifeguards is always difficult, since other summer jobs can pay just as much but require fewer skills and training, Chinian said.
The delay also is likely to mean less revenue for the state park, Chinian acknowledged, since swimmers at Peerless not only pay a fee of $3 per adult or $1.50 per child, but also pay $6 to drive into the picnic area of the park where Peerless is located.
She’s not sure how much money the state lost from the delay. “We won’t know that until the end of the month.”
Still, the park won’t charge more to swim, Chinian said.
She said state park officials preferred to wait for the right conditions to complete the project rather than rush it. “This is a capital improvement that we don’t want to make every year.”
Three layers of the rubber material had to be applied and then a special paint to top it off, and the application required several consecutive days of good weather.
“You could only really work when you knew you were going to have a stretch of really good weather.”
The pool renovation is part of a $132 million capital program that the state Legislature and governor approved in the budget this year.
Peerless Pool given OK to open
Delayed capital work to be done in time for Friday
BY TATIANA ZARNOWSKI Gazette Reporter
After a three-week delay, Peerless Pool is finally expected to open Friday.
Saratoga Spa State Park’s largest pool got the OK Tuesday from the state Department of Health to reopen after a $168,000 renovation project set back the start of the season.
The pool originally was scheduled to open June 28 along with the Victoria Pool, but wet weather in June and this month made it difficult to complete the work.
“It was a very complicated project because it involved the restoration of the concrete structure and the application of a rubber membrane system,” said Alane Ball Chinian, regional parks director.
Although the main pool will be open, the adjacent slide pool and kiddie pool won’t be open for about another week because work is still being done on them, Chinian said.
“We’re really sorry about it and trying to minimize it as much as we can,” she said of the closures.
Victoria Pool has been better attended than usual, she said, and swimming lessons usually held at Peerless have been moved to the smaller Victoria Pool.
The 21 lifeguards that were hired for Spa State Park now rotate between the Victoria Pool and either Grafton Lakes State Park in Rensselaer County or Moreau Lake State Park, said Patricia Forward, who oversees the water safety program for the Saratoga region of the state Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation.
Most lifeguards work 40 hours a week, starting at $10.35 an hour and getting a boost to $12.47 if they come back for a third year.
Forward said there are usually two or three lifeguards stationed at the Victoria Pool and at least 15 at Peerless when the water slide is open.
On weekends, a group of lifeguards carpools to Grafton in a state vehicle, Forward said. But on weekdays, they’re on their own to drive and pay for the gas.
Grafton is a 40-mile trip one way, or nearly an hour drive from Saratoga Spa State Park, while Moreau Lake is 21 miles from the park.
The Grafton beach has been seeing greater attendance than usual this summer, so the lifeguards are needed there, Chinian said.
“We’re going to be stretched pretty thin when the Peerless does open,” she said.
Hiring lifeguards is always difficult, since other summer jobs can pay just as much but require fewer skills and training, Chinian said.
The delay also is likely to mean less revenue for the state park, Chinian acknowledged, since swimmers at Peerless not only pay a fee of $3 per adult or $1.50 per child, but also pay $6 to drive into the picnic area of the park where Peerless is located.
She’s not sure how much money the state lost from the delay. “We won’t know that until the end of the month.”
Still, the park won’t charge more to swim, Chinian said.
She said state park officials preferred to wait for the right conditions to complete the project rather than rush it. “This is a capital improvement that we don’t want to make every year.”
Three layers of the rubber material had to be applied and then a special paint to top it off, and the application required several consecutive days of good weather.
“You could only really work when you knew you were going to have a stretch of really good weather.”
The pool renovation is part of a $132 million capital program that the state Legislature and governor approved in the budget this year.
Monday, July 14, 2008
Peerless Pool, Post Star, 7/14/08
SPA: Pool opening expected Friday
July 14th, 2008
The folks over at Save the Victoria Pool Society are more than a little perturbed that Saratoga Spa State Park’s Peerless Pool remains shuttered halfway through the summer.
But park manager Michael Greenslade said today the group will be able to rest, er swim, a little easier come this weekend.
Parks staff are planning to open Peerless’ large pool — but not the slide or kiddie pools – on Friday, assuming water tests come back OK, he said.
So far, the Victoria Pool – the small, historic pool down the road – has reached capacity only a handful of times, Greenslade said.
“People have been bearing with it and taken it pretty well,” he said.
– Drew Kerr
Posted in Saratoga Snippets | No Comments (Add a Comment) »
July 14th, 2008
The folks over at Save the Victoria Pool Society are more than a little perturbed that Saratoga Spa State Park’s Peerless Pool remains shuttered halfway through the summer.
But park manager Michael Greenslade said today the group will be able to rest, er swim, a little easier come this weekend.
Parks staff are planning to open Peerless’ large pool — but not the slide or kiddie pools – on Friday, assuming water tests come back OK, he said.
So far, the Victoria Pool – the small, historic pool down the road – has reached capacity only a handful of times, Greenslade said.
“People have been bearing with it and taken it pretty well,” he said.
– Drew Kerr
Posted in Saratoga Snippets | No Comments (Add a Comment) »
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)