Saturday, October 24, 2009
For those new here a little reprise of recent Victoria Pool history.
Life
Making waves
SARATOGA SPRINGS - The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines "maintenance" as "the upkeep of property or equipment."
Sunday, August 24, 2003
By MICHAEL KORB
Sadly, when it comes to New York State's handling of Spa State Park, and Victoria Pool in particular, the definition of "neglect" - "to give little attention or respect to; to leave undone or unattended to especially through carelessness" - seems more appropriate.
When Victoria Pool was constructed in 1934, no expense was spared. State-of-the-art equipment was installed and the pool was a benchmark for technology, efficiency and elegance. A battery of four large sand filters re-circulated the pool's 260,000 gallons of water every 5 1/4 hours.
Glistening fieldstone lay around the then-tiled pool, and lion-head fountains poured forth crystal clear water into awaiting basins below. Manicured shrubbery lined the grassy borders, and brilliant flowers edged the concrete runways.
Surrounded by its arched promenades adjoining majestic grand rooms, Victoria Pool rightly earned the title of "most beautiful pool in America." There was no questioning why it became a haven for celebrities like Al Jolson, Jean Harlow, Rosalind Russell, Ethel Barrymore, Gloria Swanson and Fay Wray, just to name a few. In short, it was befitting Saratoga Springs.
But that was then. Today, things look a little different. Luckily, there are still 260,000 gallons of water circulating through four filters. Actually, make that three. According to recently retired plant utilities engineer Jim Gilchrist, one filter stopped working in the late '90s and was never repaired. Sadder still, they are the filters that were installed in 1934.
The lion-head fountains haven't worked in so long that pool goers like Louise Goldstein, who has literally been a regular since she was born in 1940, can't even remember when the fountains stopped spouting.
The masonry surrounding the pool is crumbling to the point where the word "hazard" is bantered about regularly; the slate roof is in need of repair; the limestone steps are beginning to look like do-it-yourself kits; dirt and grime cover the grand columns; random shrubbery is ugly at best and half-alive at worst (but it does help hide the crumbing infrastructure) And, until a couple weeks ago, trees were growing out of the tops of the surrounding building's chimneys. (Note the word 'sapling' was not used in that sentence.)
Add to that a clock face without hands, seriously peeling paint on the light poles and a ceiling in the locker room that might come down and knock someone unconscious at any minute, and it makes you wonder, if that's the stuff we can see, what else is wrong with this place?
Just last week, a 1934 state-of-the-art chlorination pipe burst, forcing both Peerless Pool and Victoria Pool to close.
Earlier this year, Niagara Mohawk red-tagged (shut off due to extreme hazard) the "gas room" at the Victoria Pool complex when alerted by a park plumber. According to Gilchrist, who was in charge of the park's pools for 22 years, park management had known about the leak for months, but failed to act.
"We have a meter that was probably put in 1934, and the piping is four-inch welded pipe which was deteriorating right before your eyes," Gilchrist said. "You could go in and hit it and knock off chunks. It got to a point where you could actually smell the gas every time you walked into the room."
NiMo subsequently shut it down, according to Gilchrist. "Hypothetically, someone could have been killed," he said.
That convinced Goldstein, along with fellow pool lover Andrew Jennings, to form the "Save the Victoria Pool Society," a group dedicated to the pool's preservation.
The organization is trying to persuade state officials to put real money behind the restoration and to put pressure on park management to "do what they're supposed to do - keep our park beautiful," says Goldstein. So far, they've met with representatives from Senator Joe Bruno's office, State Assemblyman Jim Tedisco and local officials.
"We are afraid it is going to be lost forever," Goldstein said. "Victoria Pool is a national treasure. There seems to be a total lack of concern by park management toward the physical plant and cosmetic structure. Nothing has been done for years. I have gone over (to the administration offices) in good faith every year and was told 'We are going to fix it' or 'We are going to do a study.' Being a naive and trusting person, I kept waiting, and things just got worse," she said.
Last summer, park administrators told employees overtime was no longer allowed. That meant any extra time needed for repairs or even regular maintenance was forbidden.
"Due to overtime restrictions, maintenance at Victoria Pool has been virtually nil," Gilchrist said. "In years past, the pool was backwashed weekly. Last year, it went the entire year without a backwash. You should have seen it. It looked like a chocolate milkshake coming out of there. Management made the decision there would be no overtime - for anything."
Such decisions leave many wondering if management (on any level) is capable of operating what the Deputy Commissioner of Upstate Operations and Resource Management Group Dominic J. Jacangelo called "the flagship of the park system" during a recent meeting with the "Save the Victoria Pool Society."
The meeting also included Regional Director Donald Kasprzak, (title) Assistant Regional Director Cheryl Gold and Facilities Manager Connie Hyatt. It should be noted that during the same meeting, Jacangelo said that the pool's showers were "disgusting" and that he wouldn't use them himself.
"I have taken management over there myself and shown them (the damage)," Gilchrist said. "Their response was to 'Go to engineering.' It's like talking to a wall. If you look at the brickwork over the gymnasium where the balconies are, it started spaulding like that five or six years ago. (Spaulding is when water gets behind the brickwork and pushes out the masonry.) That's when it's really getting bad. And that's because no maintenance was done on a leaky roof. They (the management) all know it. We tell them it's a hazard because the public likes to lay on the lawn there and sunbathe - and if one of those stones hits them - (the stones are) pretty heavy."
The continued inaction by the park to repair can also be tied directly to the park system's desire to streamline through attrition. Whereas the park used to have eight full-time plumbers, they now have one. You don't need any fingers to count the qualified trades people for the park. What few people they do have are spread too thin and, according to Gilchrist, those in charge "just don't care."
"You have to point a finger at management," Gilchrist said. "All of the people in maintenance were aware of what was going on. But there is nothing (they) can do. So management is totally at fault. Take those dogwood bushes below the French door areas. I requested two years ago to pull those out of there so we could paint that area up and make it look nice again. They (park management) said we couldn't do that because they didn't have a plan as to what type of bushes they were putting in there. (The dogwood bushes) look like hell and attract the small beesand management told me not to touch them. I had the boys from McGregor down there who would have pulled them right out, but I was denied."
The dogwood bushes are still there. But, aAccording to Wendy Gibson, spokesperson for the State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, immediate renovation plans for the pool include "electrical upgrades and the first phase of the rehabilitation of the Victorian Pool masonry, including replacing limestone steps; slate and metal roof repairs; reconstruction and reappointing of brickwork; partial roof replacement and repairs to the ceiling.
"During the coming off-season, we will invest hundreds of thousands of dollars in capital repairs and in-house major maintenance items at the pool. Pool patrons should see a much improved facility next summer. These capital projects and a number of aesthetic-type projects being completed in-house will be under way immediately after the season (early fall) and will be completed prior to the opening of the pool's 2004 season," Gibson said.
So, who are we to believe - a park service that has avoided maintenance issues for years, or park employees and patrons who have not only witnessed the degradation of the pool and surrounding buildings, but asked repeatedly to have something done?
Officials are vague about how much money is earmarked out of the regional park system fund for Spa State Park. Recent reports suggest the "rehabilitation" plans came in at a bid of "slightly more than $173,000."
When you consider that the much newer Peerless Pool Complex was recently renovated at a cost of approximately $2 million, it makes you wonder what can really be accomplished for that amount.
Granted, Peerless is a much larger complex than Victoria but, by Gibson's own acknowledgment, it differs by "the historic nature of the Victoria complex and the issues related to the surrounding historic structures."
For a $173,000 budget, we should probably get used to the dogwood bushes.
To learn more about the "Save the Victoria Pool Society," e-mail VicPool@aol.com or write to: Save the Victoria Pool Society, P.O. Box 65, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866.
Victory for Victoria Pool society
SARATOGA SPRINGS -- Advocates for Victoria Pool are pleased with the nearly $647,000 federal grant coming to Saratoga Spa State Park as part of the state's $1.5 million renovation of historic pool over the next two years.
Thursday, April 22, 2004
By JEROME BURDI
Gov. George Pataki and U.S. Rep. John Sweeney announced the grant Tuesday. Sweeney, R-Clifton Park, represents Saratoga County.
Bernadette Castro, commissioner of the state Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, announced the renovation in December in response to complaints that the pool was not being kept up.
'We're very pleased because we didn't know it was coming, and we didn't know it was part of the $1.5 million,' Louise Goldstein, co-founder of the Save the Victoria Pool Society, said Wednesday.
The $646,801 grant is from the Land and Water Conservation Fund.
Goldstein said she's seen a lot of construction going on at the pool.
'We see wonderful things,' she said. 'A lot is happening. The workers are there. It's really a construction site now. It's a dream come true, and we feel that time will no longer stand still at the Victoria Pool as it has for a long, long time.'
The first phase of construction, which includes electrical upgrades, masonry, roof repairs and enhanced landscape design, should be complete by June.
Victoria Pool, which President Franklin D. Roosevelt opened in 1934 as the first heated pool in the country, is scheduled to open for the season in mid-June.
'The Victoria Pool is such an important part of the summer culture here in our city,' Mayor Michael Lenz said. 'We are very much looking forward to seeing this local treasure restored.'
By June 2005, phase two will be completed with the new pool deck area, the landscaping with new plants and more lawn area and the exterior rehabilitation of the buildings, Castro has said.
But just because things are looking bright for the 211-gallon pool and its environs does not mean the state has heard the last of the Save the Victoria Pool Society, Goldstein said.
'We see our mission as the whole park,' she said. 'Like Sleeping Beauty, it's been neglected. The pool will hopefully be the most beautiful in America, but we hope the park will be the most beautiful park.'
URL: http://www.saratogian.com/articles/2004/04/22/todays stories/11365673.prt
© 2009 saratogian.com, a Journal Register Property
Monday, October 19, 2009
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Saratoga's music scene to soar!
Work nears end on Skidmore's Zankel Music Center
Published: Saturday, October 17, 2009
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More Photos
Click thumbnails to enlarge
The music center’s new auditorium is equipped with 600 additional seats. (ERICA MILLER/The Saratogian)
West shows guests one of the center’s practice rooms, which employ heavy doors to seal in sound. (ERICA MILLER/The Saratogian)
By ANDREW J. BERNSTEIN, The Saratogian
Click to enlarge
Mike West, vice president for finance and administration at Skidmore College, shows off the auditorium inside the college’s new Zankel Music Building, scheduled to open for the spring semester. (ERICA MILLER/The Saratogian)
SARATOGA SPRINGS — Although the building will not open until January 2010, students, parents and other members of the tour had a chance to see the inside of Skidmore College’s $32.5 million Zankel Music Center on Friday, as part of the school’s Celebration Weekend.
The building, on which work began in 2007, will be about 90 percent completed when it is ready for students in January, Skidmore College Vice President of Finance and Administration Mike West said to a group of families and students on a tour of the 55,000-square-foot building.
The formal opening and dedication will wait until all the building’s kinks are worked out, and is scheduled for fall 2010, West said.
The new facility, located near the North Broadway entrance to the campus, will replace the aging Filene Hall, and will serve as a home to the campus’s music programs, as well as a venue for community events. The building was funded primarily through a gift from Arthur Zankel, the parent of two Skidmore alumni. Zankel, now deceased, was co-managing partner of High Rise Capital Management, which he founded in 2002.
Previously, he spent 35 years with the investment management firm First Manhattan Co., becoming co-managing partner and senior partner. He is credited with playing a key role in the 1998 merger of Citibank and Travelers Group Insurance Co.
The building was designed as a part of Skidmore’s comprehensive plan in 2001 by Charles Belson, of Philadelphia-based EwingCole Architects. Long before the funds had been secured to build it, the facility won a national award for “unbuilt work.”
Now that the building is preparing for an opening, West said he hoped it would bring Skidmore’s music programs additional prestige.
“To have this building, for this type of school, I think we’ll be in the top 10 percent in this regard,” he said during Friday’s tour.
The building has three wings, each with a separate foundation. To the south is a 600-seat concert hall with a flexible stage to accommodate any kind of musical performance, from a single musician or lecturer to a full orchestra. An additional 100 seats can be added to the stage for some events.
The hall’s most distinctive feature is a soaring glass wall that will give audiences a view of the campus’s South Park. On Friday, fall leaves were clearly visible through the towering wall.
Stretching to the north are faculty offices, practice rooms, classrooms, a recording studio and an acoustically “dead” drum room, as well as circulation spaces.
Beyond the building to the west is a quad formed by the college’s theater and studio arts buildings, as well as the existing music building, which will likely be used for classrooms once Zankel is completed.
The building was constructed with a focus on isolating sounds, leading architects to use 750 tons of structural steel to support thick concrete pillars and walls. Some doors, specifically designed to seal in sound, weigh as much as 600 pounds and rotate down against sound proofing as they close.
Although West, charged primarily with construction, said he was not well versed in plans to make the building available for community events, he said there would be opportunities to give performers coming to SPAC a chance to perform at Skidmore as well.
“If we can offer them another venue, and perhaps have them do some instruction, it could be very good for SPAC as well as us,” he said.
Comments
Published: Saturday, October 17, 2009
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More Photos
Click thumbnails to enlarge
The music center’s new auditorium is equipped with 600 additional seats. (ERICA MILLER/The Saratogian)
West shows guests one of the center’s practice rooms, which employ heavy doors to seal in sound. (ERICA MILLER/The Saratogian)
By ANDREW J. BERNSTEIN, The Saratogian
Click to enlarge
Mike West, vice president for finance and administration at Skidmore College, shows off the auditorium inside the college’s new Zankel Music Building, scheduled to open for the spring semester. (ERICA MILLER/The Saratogian)
SARATOGA SPRINGS — Although the building will not open until January 2010, students, parents and other members of the tour had a chance to see the inside of Skidmore College’s $32.5 million Zankel Music Center on Friday, as part of the school’s Celebration Weekend.
The building, on which work began in 2007, will be about 90 percent completed when it is ready for students in January, Skidmore College Vice President of Finance and Administration Mike West said to a group of families and students on a tour of the 55,000-square-foot building.
The formal opening and dedication will wait until all the building’s kinks are worked out, and is scheduled for fall 2010, West said.
The new facility, located near the North Broadway entrance to the campus, will replace the aging Filene Hall, and will serve as a home to the campus’s music programs, as well as a venue for community events. The building was funded primarily through a gift from Arthur Zankel, the parent of two Skidmore alumni. Zankel, now deceased, was co-managing partner of High Rise Capital Management, which he founded in 2002.
Previously, he spent 35 years with the investment management firm First Manhattan Co., becoming co-managing partner and senior partner. He is credited with playing a key role in the 1998 merger of Citibank and Travelers Group Insurance Co.
The building was designed as a part of Skidmore’s comprehensive plan in 2001 by Charles Belson, of Philadelphia-based EwingCole Architects. Long before the funds had been secured to build it, the facility won a national award for “unbuilt work.”
Now that the building is preparing for an opening, West said he hoped it would bring Skidmore’s music programs additional prestige.
“To have this building, for this type of school, I think we’ll be in the top 10 percent in this regard,” he said during Friday’s tour.
The building has three wings, each with a separate foundation. To the south is a 600-seat concert hall with a flexible stage to accommodate any kind of musical performance, from a single musician or lecturer to a full orchestra. An additional 100 seats can be added to the stage for some events.
The hall’s most distinctive feature is a soaring glass wall that will give audiences a view of the campus’s South Park. On Friday, fall leaves were clearly visible through the towering wall.
Stretching to the north are faculty offices, practice rooms, classrooms, a recording studio and an acoustically “dead” drum room, as well as circulation spaces.
Beyond the building to the west is a quad formed by the college’s theater and studio arts buildings, as well as the existing music building, which will likely be used for classrooms once Zankel is completed.
The building was constructed with a focus on isolating sounds, leading architects to use 750 tons of structural steel to support thick concrete pillars and walls. Some doors, specifically designed to seal in sound, weigh as much as 600 pounds and rotate down against sound proofing as they close.
Although West, charged primarily with construction, said he was not well versed in plans to make the building available for community events, he said there would be opportunities to give performers coming to SPAC a chance to perform at Skidmore as well.
“If we can offer them another venue, and perhaps have them do some instruction, it could be very good for SPAC as well as us,” he said.
Comments
Friday, October 09, 2009
If the Racetrack is to add days maybe the Victoria Pool will open earlier in 2010? Hope springs eternal.
Four more days! NYRA extends Saratoga Race Course meet
Thursday, October 8, 2009
By PAUL POST, The Saratogian
SARATOGA SPRINGS — Local hotel, restaurant and retail store owners are hailing an extension of the Saratoga Race Course meet as a welcome economic boost.
New York Racing Association announced Wednesday that the 2010 meet will open on Friday, July 23, adding four days to a season that will have seven weekends instead of six.
Equally important, the 40-day meet will see the Grade 1 Coaching Club America Oaks, normally run at Belmont Park, moved to the first weekend at Saratoga.
"It’s like manna from heaven," said Kathleen Smith, owner of the 31-room Saratoga Arms on Broadway. "It can only add to the fun."
The extra Grade 1 race will bring more high-profile owners and horsemen to town even earlier, she said.
Related: Saratoga Race Course will feature 40 cards in 2010
"Wow!" said Holiday Inn General Manager Cindy Hollowood, upon hearing the news. "That’s wonderful. I’m very happy about it. It gives people additional opportunities to come to Saratoga. Overall, it will be very good for our community and business."
The 168-room hotel typically sells out on weekends anyway, but having more people in town should boost the economy, she said.
"It’s four more days of great business and increased demand," Hollowood said. "There can’t be anything wrong with that. It’s good for everybody concerned."
John Baker, owner of Gaffney’s Restaurant, said, "I’m very pleased. I know there are concerns about extending the season, but Saratoga is a jewel and NYRA makes their money here so it makes sense to me. I don’t think it will dilute it. I think it’s a great thing, four more days. Saratoga could definitely use it."
The track’s economic impact is felt throughout the region, especially Broadway shops such as Impressions of Saratoga. "
Related: Extending Saratoga a no-brainer
Labor Day is going to be late again next year (Sept. 6), so it will definitely give us an extra shot in the arm," owner Marianne Barker said. "Any little thing helps."
Horsemen, too, see the longer season as a good move.
"The Belmont meet has been such a slow business situation the last couple weeks of July, I can understand their thinking," Hall of Fame trainer LeRoy Jolley said. "Business will certainly be better than business would have been over that same time period at Belmont."
Trainer Gary Contessa said, "Adding four days to the greatest meet in America is a great thing. I love the meet, I love being up there."
Nationwide, wagering on racing was down 12.5 percent this August. Saratoga fared much better, however, even in difficult economic times as all-sources handle was off just 1.7 percent.
"Going into this year’s Saratoga meet, we predicted that wagering would decline approximately 5 percent from last year. We greatly exceeded those expectations," NYRA President and CEO Charles Hayward said. "The expansion to four racing days was a measured decision that reflects the overwhelming demand for racing that we have from horsemen in Saratoga. At a time when many tracks in the country had to cut back on racing days, we not only continued to run six days a week at Saratoga, but did so with more horses entered per race as compared to last year."
URL: http://www.saratogian.com/articles/2009/10/08/news/doc4acd41516d59b859481957.prt
© 2009 saratogian.com, a Journal Register Property
Thursday, October 8, 2009
By PAUL POST, The Saratogian
SARATOGA SPRINGS — Local hotel, restaurant and retail store owners are hailing an extension of the Saratoga Race Course meet as a welcome economic boost.
New York Racing Association announced Wednesday that the 2010 meet will open on Friday, July 23, adding four days to a season that will have seven weekends instead of six.
Equally important, the 40-day meet will see the Grade 1 Coaching Club America Oaks, normally run at Belmont Park, moved to the first weekend at Saratoga.
"It’s like manna from heaven," said Kathleen Smith, owner of the 31-room Saratoga Arms on Broadway. "It can only add to the fun."
The extra Grade 1 race will bring more high-profile owners and horsemen to town even earlier, she said.
Related: Saratoga Race Course will feature 40 cards in 2010
"Wow!" said Holiday Inn General Manager Cindy Hollowood, upon hearing the news. "That’s wonderful. I’m very happy about it. It gives people additional opportunities to come to Saratoga. Overall, it will be very good for our community and business."
The 168-room hotel typically sells out on weekends anyway, but having more people in town should boost the economy, she said.
"It’s four more days of great business and increased demand," Hollowood said. "There can’t be anything wrong with that. It’s good for everybody concerned."
John Baker, owner of Gaffney’s Restaurant, said, "I’m very pleased. I know there are concerns about extending the season, but Saratoga is a jewel and NYRA makes their money here so it makes sense to me. I don’t think it will dilute it. I think it’s a great thing, four more days. Saratoga could definitely use it."
The track’s economic impact is felt throughout the region, especially Broadway shops such as Impressions of Saratoga. "
Related: Extending Saratoga a no-brainer
Labor Day is going to be late again next year (Sept. 6), so it will definitely give us an extra shot in the arm," owner Marianne Barker said. "Any little thing helps."
Horsemen, too, see the longer season as a good move.
"The Belmont meet has been such a slow business situation the last couple weeks of July, I can understand their thinking," Hall of Fame trainer LeRoy Jolley said. "Business will certainly be better than business would have been over that same time period at Belmont."
Trainer Gary Contessa said, "Adding four days to the greatest meet in America is a great thing. I love the meet, I love being up there."
Nationwide, wagering on racing was down 12.5 percent this August. Saratoga fared much better, however, even in difficult economic times as all-sources handle was off just 1.7 percent.
"Going into this year’s Saratoga meet, we predicted that wagering would decline approximately 5 percent from last year. We greatly exceeded those expectations," NYRA President and CEO Charles Hayward said. "The expansion to four racing days was a measured decision that reflects the overwhelming demand for racing that we have from horsemen in Saratoga. At a time when many tracks in the country had to cut back on racing days, we not only continued to run six days a week at Saratoga, but did so with more horses entered per race as compared to last year."
URL: http://www.saratogian.com/articles/2009/10/08/news/doc4acd41516d59b859481957.prt
© 2009 saratogian.com, a Journal Register Property
Thursday, October 01, 2009
Saratoga Spa State Park needs more respect and money from its elected representatives.
N.Y., reinvest in state parks
By ROBIN DROPKIN
First published: Thursday, October 1, 2009
Filmmaker Ken Burns' six-part series on the national parks airing this week on PBS is bringing lots of attention to America's "best idea" -- its national park system. However, here in New York, we also have a very special park system.
New York's state parks are its crown jewels -- from the seascape at Montauk to the thunder of Niagara, from the forests of Allegany to the explorer's paradise of the Thousand Islands, from the awe-inspiring canyon at Letchworth to the stately grounds of Saratoga Spa. Our system of state parks is also the nation's oldest, dating to the creation of the Niagara Reservation in 1885.
Consisting of 213 parks and historic sites covering 325,000 acres, our state parks preserve priceless landscapes and ecosystems which together add up to an invaluable collection of natural and recreational resources.
A recent Parks & Trails New York study of the economic impact of the state park system found that state parks annually return to the state more than $5 for every $1 invested -- totaling nearly $2 billion in economic benefits.
Another great thing about our state parks: They're close to home. Unlike Yosemite and Yellowstone, state parks are no more than an hour or two from most New Yorkers. In a typical year, more than 55 million people visit our state parks, seeking to reconnect with nature and enjoy the great outdoors.
Despite their myriad benefits, state parks are in jeopardy. They are suffering from decades of underinvestment. Today, the backlog of unmet maintenance and infrastructure needs -- repairs to crumbling buildings, bridges, roads, swimming pools, and water and electrical systems -- is conservatively estimated at $650 million. Unfortunately, state parks were left out of the federal stimulus equation.
The situation on the operating side is just as dire. Since the spring of 2008, state parks operations have suffered a 20 percent budget cut and a reduction in overall staffing levels of 850. For an agency that was lean to begin with, this has meant fewer programs, less maintenance and reduced hours at 100 parks. Any further cuts will lead to more service and program reductions and, inevitably, the closing of some parks. Because of the expense of bringing a closed park back online, the expectation is that any park that closes will remain closed for three to five years, and maybe permanently.
The annual parks budget is less than one-quarter of 1 percent of the total state budget. Surely, we can do better by our parks.
In these challenging economic times, it seems that maintaining, or even extending, the services provided by our state parks would be a sound investment in our quality of life and the state and local economies. Our state parks should be given the resources needed to provide the level of services New Yorkers need and have come to expect.
So we invite residents of the Capital Region to visit Thacher, Saratoga Spa, Grafton or Moreau Lake State Park this fall. Then use this experience to urge Gov. David Paterson and the Legislature to reinvest in our state parks -- to ensure that our children and grandchildren will have the same opportunity to experience the beauty and benefits of these crown jewels.
Robin Dropkin is executive director of Parks & Trails New York.
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All Times Union materials copyright 1996-2009, Capital Newspapers Division of The Hearst Corporation, Albany, NY
By ROBIN DROPKIN
First published: Thursday, October 1, 2009
Filmmaker Ken Burns' six-part series on the national parks airing this week on PBS is bringing lots of attention to America's "best idea" -- its national park system. However, here in New York, we also have a very special park system.
New York's state parks are its crown jewels -- from the seascape at Montauk to the thunder of Niagara, from the forests of Allegany to the explorer's paradise of the Thousand Islands, from the awe-inspiring canyon at Letchworth to the stately grounds of Saratoga Spa. Our system of state parks is also the nation's oldest, dating to the creation of the Niagara Reservation in 1885.
Consisting of 213 parks and historic sites covering 325,000 acres, our state parks preserve priceless landscapes and ecosystems which together add up to an invaluable collection of natural and recreational resources.
A recent Parks & Trails New York study of the economic impact of the state park system found that state parks annually return to the state more than $5 for every $1 invested -- totaling nearly $2 billion in economic benefits.
Another great thing about our state parks: They're close to home. Unlike Yosemite and Yellowstone, state parks are no more than an hour or two from most New Yorkers. In a typical year, more than 55 million people visit our state parks, seeking to reconnect with nature and enjoy the great outdoors.
Despite their myriad benefits, state parks are in jeopardy. They are suffering from decades of underinvestment. Today, the backlog of unmet maintenance and infrastructure needs -- repairs to crumbling buildings, bridges, roads, swimming pools, and water and electrical systems -- is conservatively estimated at $650 million. Unfortunately, state parks were left out of the federal stimulus equation.
The situation on the operating side is just as dire. Since the spring of 2008, state parks operations have suffered a 20 percent budget cut and a reduction in overall staffing levels of 850. For an agency that was lean to begin with, this has meant fewer programs, less maintenance and reduced hours at 100 parks. Any further cuts will lead to more service and program reductions and, inevitably, the closing of some parks. Because of the expense of bringing a closed park back online, the expectation is that any park that closes will remain closed for three to five years, and maybe permanently.
The annual parks budget is less than one-quarter of 1 percent of the total state budget. Surely, we can do better by our parks.
In these challenging economic times, it seems that maintaining, or even extending, the services provided by our state parks would be a sound investment in our quality of life and the state and local economies. Our state parks should be given the resources needed to provide the level of services New Yorkers need and have come to expect.
So we invite residents of the Capital Region to visit Thacher, Saratoga Spa, Grafton or Moreau Lake State Park this fall. Then use this experience to urge Gov. David Paterson and the Legislature to reinvest in our state parks -- to ensure that our children and grandchildren will have the same opportunity to experience the beauty and benefits of these crown jewels.
Robin Dropkin is executive director of Parks & Trails New York.
Privacy Rights | Terms of Service
All Times Union materials copyright 1996-2009, Capital Newspapers Division of The Hearst Corporation, Albany, NY
Saturday, September 26, 2009
SPAC report for 2009, another raise for the President?
Saratoga Performing Arts Center to close fifth consecutive year in the black
Published: Saturday, September 26, 2009
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By PAUL POST
The Saratogian
SARATOGA SPRINGS — Mirroring a strong local economy, Saratoga Performing Arts Center on Friday reported positive financial results from this summer’s classical and Live Nation events.
SPAC expects to realize a modest profit at year’s end, its fifth year in a row of operating in the black.
New York City Ballet average attendance went up 24 percent per performance, during its shortened two-week season, while Philadelphia Orchestra saw crowds increase 14 percent overall, thanks largely to this year’s better weather.
“We are very happy to be profitable and a little ahead of last year, especially since most of the arts industry is experiencing double-digit decreases,” Chairman William Dake said. “We are finding that Saratoga overall, SPAC, the track are
succeeding when many places are having a lot of problems. People are gravitating to our success. Obama didn’t come here for no reason.”
Dake was among the local business leaders on hand for President Barack Obama’s visit to Hudson Valley Community College on Monday, where he drew attention to the region’s high-tech economic development.
SPAC also reported an 8 percent drop in membership income, mainly from people who sign up for less expensive memberships to get better ticket prices, Dake said.
SPAC unveiled a new $50,000 membership option called Heritage Donor, designed for business leaders, philanthropists and arts patrons, which comes with a range of exclusive benefits. In 2005, several donors committed $500,000 each to SPAC — $100,000 per year for five years — to help the center get back on track financially following a period of declining revenues marked by inner management turmoil. The last installment of those donations expires this year, so SPAC needs to find new private sources, especially with government funding uncertain during difficult economic times.
Ticket income only covers
45 percent of classical programming costs. The rest must be made up by gifts and sponsorships.
“The need for private support is not only ongoing, but in many ways is even more urgent than it was five years ago,” SPAC President Marcia White said. “The pressures of the current economy and market fluctuations have decreased disposable income for people across the economic spectrum. This new environment necessitates that SPAC, like many organizations, transition away from reliance on a few major donors towards a broader base of support.”
SPAC has not reached formal agreements yet with the ballet or orchestra for 2010.
Dake said figures were up, too, for Live Nation rock and pop concerts. There were 23 such events this year compared to 17 last summer. Donna Eichmyer, of Live Nation, said the firm has a policy of not releasing attendance figures. However, two Dave Matthews Band concerts and a Phish concert were sell-outs.
SPAC and Live Nation, which books popular music events, have reached tentative agreement on a new contract, but the deal has yet to be finalized.
Dake attributed SPAC’s 2009 success to increased cooperation, partnership and promotion with other groups and organizations in the area. For example, musician Marvin Hamlisch made an appearance at Saratoga Race Course last month and SPAC’s Wine & Food Festival was held in conjunction with a Ferrari rally.
Likewise, SPAC offered patrons a variety of special promotions from free ice cream to fireworks and an American Girl Night, because valued-minded people look for any extra attraction they can get in today’s economy. “These secondary activities tend to catch their interest,” Dake said.
Comments
The following are comments from the readers. In no way do they represent the view of saratogian.com.
Sambam wrote on Sep 26, 2009 7:34 AM:
" So Dake wants people to buy $50,000 membership option that he is calling Heritage Donors.
Why not call them what they are Marcia White donors. With her her salary of $245,000 (the last reported figure) not including benefits it will take six Heritage Donors just to feather Marcia nest.
NO THANKS. "
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Published: Saturday, September 26, 2009
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By PAUL POST
The Saratogian
SARATOGA SPRINGS — Mirroring a strong local economy, Saratoga Performing Arts Center on Friday reported positive financial results from this summer’s classical and Live Nation events.
SPAC expects to realize a modest profit at year’s end, its fifth year in a row of operating in the black.
New York City Ballet average attendance went up 24 percent per performance, during its shortened two-week season, while Philadelphia Orchestra saw crowds increase 14 percent overall, thanks largely to this year’s better weather.
“We are very happy to be profitable and a little ahead of last year, especially since most of the arts industry is experiencing double-digit decreases,” Chairman William Dake said. “We are finding that Saratoga overall, SPAC, the track are
succeeding when many places are having a lot of problems. People are gravitating to our success. Obama didn’t come here for no reason.”
Dake was among the local business leaders on hand for President Barack Obama’s visit to Hudson Valley Community College on Monday, where he drew attention to the region’s high-tech economic development.
SPAC also reported an 8 percent drop in membership income, mainly from people who sign up for less expensive memberships to get better ticket prices, Dake said.
SPAC unveiled a new $50,000 membership option called Heritage Donor, designed for business leaders, philanthropists and arts patrons, which comes with a range of exclusive benefits. In 2005, several donors committed $500,000 each to SPAC — $100,000 per year for five years — to help the center get back on track financially following a period of declining revenues marked by inner management turmoil. The last installment of those donations expires this year, so SPAC needs to find new private sources, especially with government funding uncertain during difficult economic times.
Ticket income only covers
45 percent of classical programming costs. The rest must be made up by gifts and sponsorships.
“The need for private support is not only ongoing, but in many ways is even more urgent than it was five years ago,” SPAC President Marcia White said. “The pressures of the current economy and market fluctuations have decreased disposable income for people across the economic spectrum. This new environment necessitates that SPAC, like many organizations, transition away from reliance on a few major donors towards a broader base of support.”
SPAC has not reached formal agreements yet with the ballet or orchestra for 2010.
Dake said figures were up, too, for Live Nation rock and pop concerts. There were 23 such events this year compared to 17 last summer. Donna Eichmyer, of Live Nation, said the firm has a policy of not releasing attendance figures. However, two Dave Matthews Band concerts and a Phish concert were sell-outs.
SPAC and Live Nation, which books popular music events, have reached tentative agreement on a new contract, but the deal has yet to be finalized.
Dake attributed SPAC’s 2009 success to increased cooperation, partnership and promotion with other groups and organizations in the area. For example, musician Marvin Hamlisch made an appearance at Saratoga Race Course last month and SPAC’s Wine & Food Festival was held in conjunction with a Ferrari rally.
Likewise, SPAC offered patrons a variety of special promotions from free ice cream to fireworks and an American Girl Night, because valued-minded people look for any extra attraction they can get in today’s economy. “These secondary activities tend to catch their interest,” Dake said.
Comments
The following are comments from the readers. In no way do they represent the view of saratogian.com.
Sambam wrote on Sep 26, 2009 7:34 AM:
" So Dake wants people to buy $50,000 membership option that he is calling Heritage Donors.
Why not call them what they are Marcia White donors. With her her salary of $245,000 (the last reported figure) not including benefits it will take six Heritage Donors just to feather Marcia nest.
NO THANKS. "
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Friday, September 18, 2009
unfunded Spa Park Master plan meeting at Gideon, dogs, butterflys and frisbees?
Public sounds off on Saratoga Spa State Park plan
By DREW KERR
dkerr@poststar.com
Updated: Thursday, September 17, 2009 10:51 PM EDT
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SARATOGA SPRINGS -- Saratoga Spa State Park is many things to many people — home to a venue for the performing arts, a place to strap on some snowshoes or cross-country skis or a retreat where mineral waters calm the soul.
Such diversity is both a blessing and a challenge for administrators at the 2,800-acre park, who must strike a balance between preserving the park’s delicate ecosystem and opening the historic grounds to throngs of visitors each year.
To help, officials recently put together a 144-page master plan — in part built on suggestions culled from the public — that spells out exactly how those dual purposes can be achieved in the coming years.
On Thursday night at the Gideon Putnam Hotel, members of the public had their first chance to vocally sound off on what the document envisioned for the park, built up under President Franklin D. Roosevelt in the 1920s and ’30s as a health spa centered around the mineral springs that pepper the grounds.
Around two dozen people showed at the hotel, located within the park, and most had generally favorable opinions of the ambitions that have been laid out.
That is, except for the dog park.
The plan, introduced about three weeks ago by officials with the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation & Historic Preservation, calls for an area off Crescent Street to be fenced in for use by dog owners — a change for those who now normally let their pets roam free.
"If you get 10, 15, 20 dogs into the little area that they’re talking about it’s going to be a mess," said Michael James, who takes his 10-week-old black lab to the park to socialize. "I just don’t get how they think they’re going to fit everyone in there."
The suggestion came about because officials want to protect nearby populations of the endangered Karner Blue Butterfly that live in the area.
But many dog owners said they’d never seen the butterfly there despite years of taking their dogs to the site, and that their animals are under control regardless.
"This whole thing is predicated on some supposition that the butterflies are declining because of the dogs, but I just don’t think that’s true," said Dales Ordes, a Ballston Spa resident who has visited the park with three different dogs over the last 20 years.
Alane Ball Chinian, the regional director for the park’s office, said a compromise on the issue could likely be found before the plan is ultimately adopted.
"It’s not hard. We just have to have the habitat areas remain the habitat areas, that’s all," she said after the hour-long public hearing finished.
Besides the angst over the dog park proposal, Chinian said the plan has otherwise warmly received. Few comments have been received, but Chinian said that was likely an indication that people agreed with most of the ideas put forward.
"No news is good news," she said.
There are around 30 priorities officials would like to see implemented as money becomes available, though officials cautioned some may take time to implement given the state’s current financial constraints.
Among the ideas laid out in the master plan are creating a new visitor’s center and mineral water museum at the Lincoln Bathhouse on South Broadway, where State Parks Police are now headquartered, expanding the trail network, improving the tennis courts and creating a nine-hole Frisbee golf course near the Peerless Pool.
Beyond the capital improvements that have been outlined, officials say the plan is going to serve as a guide map for environmental conservation in the years to come.
Erosion control along Geyser Creek, an expansion of reduced mowing areas, the creation of a bird conservation area and the implementation of an invasive species plan are among the ideas for improving the park’s habitat.
Saratoga Spa State Park was among 11 of the state’s 213 parks chosen last year to create a master plan. This is the first time such a document has been produced for the Saratoga Springs park.
Comments can be submitted in writing through Oct. 9 to be considered before the plan’s final adoption.
By DREW KERR
dkerr@poststar.com
Updated: Thursday, September 17, 2009 10:51 PM EDT
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Share
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SARATOGA SPRINGS -- Saratoga Spa State Park is many things to many people — home to a venue for the performing arts, a place to strap on some snowshoes or cross-country skis or a retreat where mineral waters calm the soul.
Such diversity is both a blessing and a challenge for administrators at the 2,800-acre park, who must strike a balance between preserving the park’s delicate ecosystem and opening the historic grounds to throngs of visitors each year.
To help, officials recently put together a 144-page master plan — in part built on suggestions culled from the public — that spells out exactly how those dual purposes can be achieved in the coming years.
On Thursday night at the Gideon Putnam Hotel, members of the public had their first chance to vocally sound off on what the document envisioned for the park, built up under President Franklin D. Roosevelt in the 1920s and ’30s as a health spa centered around the mineral springs that pepper the grounds.
Around two dozen people showed at the hotel, located within the park, and most had generally favorable opinions of the ambitions that have been laid out.
That is, except for the dog park.
The plan, introduced about three weeks ago by officials with the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation & Historic Preservation, calls for an area off Crescent Street to be fenced in for use by dog owners — a change for those who now normally let their pets roam free.
"If you get 10, 15, 20 dogs into the little area that they’re talking about it’s going to be a mess," said Michael James, who takes his 10-week-old black lab to the park to socialize. "I just don’t get how they think they’re going to fit everyone in there."
The suggestion came about because officials want to protect nearby populations of the endangered Karner Blue Butterfly that live in the area.
But many dog owners said they’d never seen the butterfly there despite years of taking their dogs to the site, and that their animals are under control regardless.
"This whole thing is predicated on some supposition that the butterflies are declining because of the dogs, but I just don’t think that’s true," said Dales Ordes, a Ballston Spa resident who has visited the park with three different dogs over the last 20 years.
Alane Ball Chinian, the regional director for the park’s office, said a compromise on the issue could likely be found before the plan is ultimately adopted.
"It’s not hard. We just have to have the habitat areas remain the habitat areas, that’s all," she said after the hour-long public hearing finished.
Besides the angst over the dog park proposal, Chinian said the plan has otherwise warmly received. Few comments have been received, but Chinian said that was likely an indication that people agreed with most of the ideas put forward.
"No news is good news," she said.
There are around 30 priorities officials would like to see implemented as money becomes available, though officials cautioned some may take time to implement given the state’s current financial constraints.
Among the ideas laid out in the master plan are creating a new visitor’s center and mineral water museum at the Lincoln Bathhouse on South Broadway, where State Parks Police are now headquartered, expanding the trail network, improving the tennis courts and creating a nine-hole Frisbee golf course near the Peerless Pool.
Beyond the capital improvements that have been outlined, officials say the plan is going to serve as a guide map for environmental conservation in the years to come.
Erosion control along Geyser Creek, an expansion of reduced mowing areas, the creation of a bird conservation area and the implementation of an invasive species plan are among the ideas for improving the park’s habitat.
Saratoga Spa State Park was among 11 of the state’s 213 parks chosen last year to create a master plan. This is the first time such a document has been produced for the Saratoga Springs park.
Comments can be submitted in writing through Oct. 9 to be considered before the plan’s final adoption.
Wednesday, September 09, 2009
Editorial, gazette, 9/6/09-get a person with knowledge of the ARTS to run SPAC, what a good idea!!
Editorial: Another, better, season for Saratoga
Sunday, September 6, 2009
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When Rachel Alexandra and the other horses get into their trailers and leave Monday, Saratoga will have completed its usual summer trifecta: ballet, orchestra, racing. Though all could have done better, they did well enough considering the economy and the rain. That’s good news for the region, and particularly those who value the New York City Ballet and Philadelphia Orchestra and worry about their future at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center.
Average attendance at the ballet was up, a marked contrast to previous years when it dropped. But the increase was likely because SPAC management and the ballet, in a move designed to save $800,000, cut the season from three weeks to two. That created, in effect, a shortage of supply and an increase in demand. But at least the people came. If they continue to come with a three-week season, which should be tried again soon (if not next year, the one after that), then the audience for ballet will have stabilized and even grown.
Numbers for the orchestra were similarly encouraging. Attendance was up 14 percent over 2008, but 2008 was a terrible year. A better gauge is to compare 2009 with 2007, and then attendance was still down 2 percent. Not great, but with the 2009 increases, definitely headed in the right direction.
The next question after attendance, and not unrelated to it, is who is going to lead SPAC in the future? This is the last year of a five-year contract for Executive Director Marcia White, a former Joe Bruno aide who had no professional experience in the arts before being given the SPAC position after Herb Chesbrough was forced out in 2004.
We have nothing against White, and can’t say she has done a bad job. But we can say her salary of $245,000 (the last reported figure) is too high, especially for her qualifications. With that kind of money, and probably less (considering the attractiveness and prestige of SPAC), an arts leader with national stature, or the creativity of Proctors’ Philip Morris, might be brought in, which could improve programming, marketing and fund raising. SPAC’s board should at least see what’s out there before committing to White again.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sunday, September 6, 2009
Text Size: A | A | A
When Rachel Alexandra and the other horses get into their trailers and leave Monday, Saratoga will have completed its usual summer trifecta: ballet, orchestra, racing. Though all could have done better, they did well enough considering the economy and the rain. That’s good news for the region, and particularly those who value the New York City Ballet and Philadelphia Orchestra and worry about their future at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center.
Average attendance at the ballet was up, a marked contrast to previous years when it dropped. But the increase was likely because SPAC management and the ballet, in a move designed to save $800,000, cut the season from three weeks to two. That created, in effect, a shortage of supply and an increase in demand. But at least the people came. If they continue to come with a three-week season, which should be tried again soon (if not next year, the one after that), then the audience for ballet will have stabilized and even grown.
Numbers for the orchestra were similarly encouraging. Attendance was up 14 percent over 2008, but 2008 was a terrible year. A better gauge is to compare 2009 with 2007, and then attendance was still down 2 percent. Not great, but with the 2009 increases, definitely headed in the right direction.
The next question after attendance, and not unrelated to it, is who is going to lead SPAC in the future? This is the last year of a five-year contract for Executive Director Marcia White, a former Joe Bruno aide who had no professional experience in the arts before being given the SPAC position after Herb Chesbrough was forced out in 2004.
We have nothing against White, and can’t say she has done a bad job. But we can say her salary of $245,000 (the last reported figure) is too high, especially for her qualifications. With that kind of money, and probably less (considering the attractiveness and prestige of SPAC), an arts leader with national stature, or the creativity of Proctors’ Philip Morris, might be brought in, which could improve programming, marketing and fund raising. SPAC’s board should at least see what’s out there before committing to White again.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tuesday, September 08, 2009
Sunday, September 06, 2009
Watch the Superfilly Rachel Alexandra win for over 30,000 fans at Saratoga on 9/5/09.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vrTMpHvew0U
Monday, August 31, 2009
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Master Plan update for Saratoga Spa State Park, funding uncertain is the key question??
A new vision for Spa State Park
Dog park, trail upgrades among renovations in plan; funding uncertain
By DENNIS YUSKO, Staff writer
Click byline for more stories by writer.
First published: Thursday, August 27, 2009
SARATOGA SPRINGS -- Saratoga Spa State Park would get a visitors center near its entrance, a "Frisbee golf" course and new trail loops under a master plan released Wednesday by state leaders. A second traditional golf course and botanical garden didn't make the cut.
The 144-page vision for the 2,500-acre park also calls for improvements to the park's bath houses, mineral springs, pools, dog park and more that would cost tens of millions of dollars over the next 10 to 15 years.
The work is necessary because the park's infrastructure is "showing the effects of an extended period of deferred maintenance resulting from insufficient financial resources." But a lot of Wednesday's recommendations still face uncertainty due to costs.
"Some actions will be undertaken in the next one to three years; many others will be implemented further in the future if and when funding becomes available," the plan from the state Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation states. Some projects depend on private support.
Dubbed the "jewel of the state system," the Saratoga park is a year-round recreational and cultural tourist attraction that is filled with theaters, museums and several aging, historic buildings. But there presently is no way for visitors to orient themselves within the park, said Alane Ball Chinian, regional director of state parks in the Saratoga-Capital District Region.
With minor renovations, the lobby of the park's Lincoln Bathhouse on Route 9 would be turned into a mineral waters museum and visitor center under the master plan. Also, the park's administrative offices would be moved into the property's Roosevelt bath house, which requires rehabilitation.
The plan also calls for repairing other structures in the park. Last year, the state held public meetings to solicit ideas on improving the park. While the plan omits a new 18-hole golf course, it includes a 9-hole disc course around the Peerless Pool, which some residents had requested.
The game involves throwing a flying disc, such as a Frisbee, at a target. Improvements also would be made to the Peerless and Victoria pools, but a botanical garden would not be built because it is "not in keeping with the goals of the park."
A new comprehensive trail system with signs is suggested, along with a fenced-in area for dogs in the east part of the park.
Renovations to Saratoga Performing Arts Center would include replacing tent concessions with permanent structures, increasing parking in SPAC lots by removing vegetation and creating a substantial non-smoking area for patrons.
The park also would get new pavilions, softball fields, asphalt tennis courts and more.
Dennis Yusko can be reached at 454-5353 or by e-mail at dyusko@timesunion.com.
Hearing scheduled
The state Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation prepared a draft environmental review of the Saratoga Spa State Park master plan. A public hearing will be held at 7 p.m. Sept. 17 in the park's Gideon Putnam Hotel. Members of the public have until Oct. 9 to submit comments.
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All Times Union materials copyright 1996-2009, Capital Newspapers Division of The Hearst Corporation, Albany, NY
Dog park, trail upgrades among renovations in plan; funding uncertain
By DENNIS YUSKO, Staff writer
Click byline for more stories by writer.
First published: Thursday, August 27, 2009
SARATOGA SPRINGS -- Saratoga Spa State Park would get a visitors center near its entrance, a "Frisbee golf" course and new trail loops under a master plan released Wednesday by state leaders. A second traditional golf course and botanical garden didn't make the cut.
The 144-page vision for the 2,500-acre park also calls for improvements to the park's bath houses, mineral springs, pools, dog park and more that would cost tens of millions of dollars over the next 10 to 15 years.
The work is necessary because the park's infrastructure is "showing the effects of an extended period of deferred maintenance resulting from insufficient financial resources." But a lot of Wednesday's recommendations still face uncertainty due to costs.
"Some actions will be undertaken in the next one to three years; many others will be implemented further in the future if and when funding becomes available," the plan from the state Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation states. Some projects depend on private support.
Dubbed the "jewel of the state system," the Saratoga park is a year-round recreational and cultural tourist attraction that is filled with theaters, museums and several aging, historic buildings. But there presently is no way for visitors to orient themselves within the park, said Alane Ball Chinian, regional director of state parks in the Saratoga-Capital District Region.
With minor renovations, the lobby of the park's Lincoln Bathhouse on Route 9 would be turned into a mineral waters museum and visitor center under the master plan. Also, the park's administrative offices would be moved into the property's Roosevelt bath house, which requires rehabilitation.
The plan also calls for repairing other structures in the park. Last year, the state held public meetings to solicit ideas on improving the park. While the plan omits a new 18-hole golf course, it includes a 9-hole disc course around the Peerless Pool, which some residents had requested.
The game involves throwing a flying disc, such as a Frisbee, at a target. Improvements also would be made to the Peerless and Victoria pools, but a botanical garden would not be built because it is "not in keeping with the goals of the park."
A new comprehensive trail system with signs is suggested, along with a fenced-in area for dogs in the east part of the park.
Renovations to Saratoga Performing Arts Center would include replacing tent concessions with permanent structures, increasing parking in SPAC lots by removing vegetation and creating a substantial non-smoking area for patrons.
The park also would get new pavilions, softball fields, asphalt tennis courts and more.
Dennis Yusko can be reached at 454-5353 or by e-mail at dyusko@timesunion.com.
Hearing scheduled
The state Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation prepared a draft environmental review of the Saratoga Spa State Park master plan. A public hearing will be held at 7 p.m. Sept. 17 in the park's Gideon Putnam Hotel. Members of the public have until Oct. 9 to submit comments.
Privacy Rights | Terms of Service
All Times Union materials copyright 1996-2009, Capital Newspapers Division of The Hearst Corporation, Albany, NY
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
posted at times union.com, saratoga seen blog, 8/26/09-peerless pool should not be closed on 'DARK"tuesdays as we predicted.
The crowd at Victoria Pool, Saratoga Spa State Park, Tuesday afternoon.
I finally made it to Victoria Pool yesterday on a rare day off during the week. I should have planned better. My husband and I arrived around 1 p.m. On our way in, an angry woman was on her way out, disappointed the place was packed and even though she said there was no where to sit, the staff didn’t refund the $8 per person admission charge. There were dozens of children there because the Peerless Pool is closed on Tuesday, but nonetheless there was a sign at the entrance advertising Peerless as “a pool more oriented toward children.” The truth is, the state closed Peerless one day a week for budget reasons and chose Tuesday because it was the day of the week with the lightest crowd. I haven’t seen numbers on that, but it defies common sense in August when the track is closed on Tuesdays.
Inside, the pool deck looked like the SPAC lawn at a popular rock concert. We squeezed our towels onto a step of the concrete stairs and went swimming. Two lifeguards, both stationed on the same side of the pool, made half-hearted attempts to keep children off the mid-pool rope and off each other’s shoulders, but nothing to stop kids from doing cannonballs into the water.
After a brief swim, we ate at the restaurant/bar. The food was mediocre and the waitress was harried but sweet. Two sandwiches, two beers and an ice tea: $33. We did not have to wait for a table and it was nice to sit and watch the people. I cannot begin to imagine what the place is like during the week, even with Peerless open. I wouldn’t go near it.
Let this be a cautionary tale to you. Victoria Pool is beautiful, but if you’re going to go, plan to get in line when it opens at 10 a.m. , or not at all during Travers Week when our tourist load is at its height. The pool is open 7 days a week, 10-6.
Or, get in your car and leave the crowds behind. A friend of mine with two small children swears by the Wayside Beach on Lake Luzerne, where admission is free.
Posted in Around town |
1 Comment »
1. Closing Peerless on Tuesdays is very stupid indeed. Many people who would go to the track bring their kids to Peerless instead!
2. Children under (pick an age, 12? 13?) should not be allowed into Victoria at all. In the old days (for me, 70s, 80s) children at Victoria were a rarity. Everyone seemed to intuit that the place was mostly concrete, and had an adult atmosphere.
3. All Saratogians know that if you want to grab a coveted “chaise,” you had to get there by 10! (do they still have the rattan chaises there?)
Comment by Mr. Sunshine — August 26th, 2009 @ 4:52 pm
I finally made it to Victoria Pool yesterday on a rare day off during the week. I should have planned better. My husband and I arrived around 1 p.m. On our way in, an angry woman was on her way out, disappointed the place was packed and even though she said there was no where to sit, the staff didn’t refund the $8 per person admission charge. There were dozens of children there because the Peerless Pool is closed on Tuesday, but nonetheless there was a sign at the entrance advertising Peerless as “a pool more oriented toward children.” The truth is, the state closed Peerless one day a week for budget reasons and chose Tuesday because it was the day of the week with the lightest crowd. I haven’t seen numbers on that, but it defies common sense in August when the track is closed on Tuesdays.
Inside, the pool deck looked like the SPAC lawn at a popular rock concert. We squeezed our towels onto a step of the concrete stairs and went swimming. Two lifeguards, both stationed on the same side of the pool, made half-hearted attempts to keep children off the mid-pool rope and off each other’s shoulders, but nothing to stop kids from doing cannonballs into the water.
After a brief swim, we ate at the restaurant/bar. The food was mediocre and the waitress was harried but sweet. Two sandwiches, two beers and an ice tea: $33. We did not have to wait for a table and it was nice to sit and watch the people. I cannot begin to imagine what the place is like during the week, even with Peerless open. I wouldn’t go near it.
Let this be a cautionary tale to you. Victoria Pool is beautiful, but if you’re going to go, plan to get in line when it opens at 10 a.m. , or not at all during Travers Week when our tourist load is at its height. The pool is open 7 days a week, 10-6.
Or, get in your car and leave the crowds behind. A friend of mine with two small children swears by the Wayside Beach on Lake Luzerne, where admission is free.
Posted in Around town |
1 Comment »
1. Closing Peerless on Tuesdays is very stupid indeed. Many people who would go to the track bring their kids to Peerless instead!
2. Children under (pick an age, 12? 13?) should not be allowed into Victoria at all. In the old days (for me, 70s, 80s) children at Victoria were a rarity. Everyone seemed to intuit that the place was mostly concrete, and had an adult atmosphere.
3. All Saratogians know that if you want to grab a coveted “chaise,” you had to get there by 10! (do they still have the rattan chaises there?)
Comment by Mr. Sunshine — August 26th, 2009 @ 4:52 pm
Why isn't Live Nation providing more security for SPAC concerts instead of taxpayers footing so much of the bill with Park Police?
Park police patrols pinched
Union says budget cuts to academy classes will hurt state parks security
By DENNIS YUSKO, Staff writer
Click byline for more stories by writer.
First published: Wednesday, August 26, 2009
SARATOGA SPRINGS -- Security at state parks will suffer if state leaders again cut an academy class that trains state park police recruits, officials and union members say.
The number of officers patrolling the state's 178 parks and 35 historic sites declined to 268 from 305 last year after the state canceled the fall 2008 training course during budget talks. While the number of cops for the Capital Region's six state parks remained at 18, the state force is at its lowest since going to all full-time officers in 2003, meaning the region has a smaller pool of officers to draw from for its big park concerts and attractions.
The governor's office says no determination has been made on funding this year's academy class.
Tuesday was a particularly busy day for park police, which drew from its ranks across the state to staff the Bruce Springsteen concert at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center and the Blink-182 concert in Jones Beach State Park on Long Island. The only way to police big shows is by moving officers from the western part of the state, State Park Police Chief Richard O'Donnell said before Tuesday's shows. There are 65 officers assigned to Long Island, down from 77 last year.
Union officials have protested low staffing and more this summer. But even park police brass say providing security is becoming "challenging," and will get a lot harder without a 2009 academy.
"It's a critical item for us because we have a significant rate of attrition, and it's important to get the numbers back up to where they were," O'Donnell said. "We need the staff to provide the service requested."
Cutting the recruit course saved the state about $500,000, parks officials said. It was the first time the class was canceled since 2000.
Park police respond to emergencies, make arrests and investigate incidents at venues as varied as Grafton Lakes State Park and Niagara Falls. Officers earn about $46,000 after a year on the job.
Park police staffing has declined from about 500 officers in 2003, creating a "crisis" and threatening "the safety of our officers and the general public," Don Levarge, vice president of the park police officers union, said Monday.
He recently picketed work conditions in front of SPAC. He and other union members have protested what they say is dangerously low staffing for rowdy rock concerts in state park venues, and have called for Tasers, the closing of the SPAC beer garden and smaller audiences.
A five-day work schedule instituted by the state last year caused many officers to leave because their former four-day, 10-hour week allowed them time with their families, he said.
State Sen. Roy McDonald, R-Saratoga, said in an interview that he would fight to maintain this year's academy.
Dennis Yusko can be reached at 454-5353 or by e-mail at dyusko@timesunion.com.
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Union says budget cuts to academy classes will hurt state parks security
By DENNIS YUSKO, Staff writer
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First published: Wednesday, August 26, 2009
SARATOGA SPRINGS -- Security at state parks will suffer if state leaders again cut an academy class that trains state park police recruits, officials and union members say.
The number of officers patrolling the state's 178 parks and 35 historic sites declined to 268 from 305 last year after the state canceled the fall 2008 training course during budget talks. While the number of cops for the Capital Region's six state parks remained at 18, the state force is at its lowest since going to all full-time officers in 2003, meaning the region has a smaller pool of officers to draw from for its big park concerts and attractions.
The governor's office says no determination has been made on funding this year's academy class.
Tuesday was a particularly busy day for park police, which drew from its ranks across the state to staff the Bruce Springsteen concert at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center and the Blink-182 concert in Jones Beach State Park on Long Island. The only way to police big shows is by moving officers from the western part of the state, State Park Police Chief Richard O'Donnell said before Tuesday's shows. There are 65 officers assigned to Long Island, down from 77 last year.
Union officials have protested low staffing and more this summer. But even park police brass say providing security is becoming "challenging," and will get a lot harder without a 2009 academy.
"It's a critical item for us because we have a significant rate of attrition, and it's important to get the numbers back up to where they were," O'Donnell said. "We need the staff to provide the service requested."
Cutting the recruit course saved the state about $500,000, parks officials said. It was the first time the class was canceled since 2000.
Park police respond to emergencies, make arrests and investigate incidents at venues as varied as Grafton Lakes State Park and Niagara Falls. Officers earn about $46,000 after a year on the job.
Park police staffing has declined from about 500 officers in 2003, creating a "crisis" and threatening "the safety of our officers and the general public," Don Levarge, vice president of the park police officers union, said Monday.
He recently picketed work conditions in front of SPAC. He and other union members have protested what they say is dangerously low staffing for rowdy rock concerts in state park venues, and have called for Tasers, the closing of the SPAC beer garden and smaller audiences.
A five-day work schedule instituted by the state last year caused many officers to leave because their former four-day, 10-hour week allowed them time with their families, he said.
State Sen. Roy McDonald, R-Saratoga, said in an interview that he would fight to maintain this year's academy.
Dennis Yusko can be reached at 454-5353 or by e-mail at dyusko@timesunion.com.
Privacy Rights | Terms of Service
All Times Union materials copyright 1996-2009, Capital Newspapers Division of The Hearst Corporation, Albany, NY
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
"Ah, Saratoga", Times Union, 8/17/09
Ah, Saratoga…
August 17, 2009 at 5:32 pm by Robert Bullock
For us Saratoga residents, there is not just one phase to our summer season, there are many.
As the summer begins, there is the early season. Kids have just finished school. People are still in their respective homes. Ballet is about to begin and we are looking forward to evenings on the SPAC lawn. Folks have arrived from central and South America for polo. Overall, the energy is still manageable. We residents still own the town.
As the ballet concludes and the race meet gets ready to begin, the energy changes. The mood is now frenetic. Many neighbors head for vacation homes and give their houses up to renters. Traffic on Broadway gets more than a little crazy and the parking lots fill with downstate and out of state plates.
Unquestionably, the first day of racing signals the time when the town is no longer our own. Summer residents demand what they believe to be their rights. Yet, despite this tug of war that exists between the summer people and us year-rounders, we Saratoga residents take a certain pride in the fact that our city is a destination for the world’s elite.
For the first two weeks of the meet the energy builds, then pauses as we prepare for the Travers. Travers weekend is like opening day all over again. And despite the fact that we locals have been known to negatively reflect upon our inconvenience, secretly Saratogians take pride in complaining about the days when SPAC and the Race Course bring 80,000 plus to town. We give a knowing wink to restauranteurs as we walk by crowded entrances, knowing that just two weeks hence we will have them all to ourselves again.
Ironically, during the last week after the Travers, while we are delighted that the crush is almost over, we are also sad. Indeed, on Labor Day, as we watch the desperate race to load up the moving vans at the track and head for Belmont, we lament the fact that the circus is over again for another year.
As we point toward our last three weeks of summer, let’s enjoy the insane traffic, the crowded restaurants, the too hot days at the Race Course, the endless afternoons at the Victoria Pool, beautiful mornings on the golf course, the wondrous nights at polo, and the last evenings of the Philadelphia Orchestra.
Isn’t this all -the good and the bad- what make Saratoga, Saratoga?
Posted in General |
August 17, 2009 at 5:32 pm by Robert Bullock
For us Saratoga residents, there is not just one phase to our summer season, there are many.
As the summer begins, there is the early season. Kids have just finished school. People are still in their respective homes. Ballet is about to begin and we are looking forward to evenings on the SPAC lawn. Folks have arrived from central and South America for polo. Overall, the energy is still manageable. We residents still own the town.
As the ballet concludes and the race meet gets ready to begin, the energy changes. The mood is now frenetic. Many neighbors head for vacation homes and give their houses up to renters. Traffic on Broadway gets more than a little crazy and the parking lots fill with downstate and out of state plates.
Unquestionably, the first day of racing signals the time when the town is no longer our own. Summer residents demand what they believe to be their rights. Yet, despite this tug of war that exists between the summer people and us year-rounders, we Saratoga residents take a certain pride in the fact that our city is a destination for the world’s elite.
For the first two weeks of the meet the energy builds, then pauses as we prepare for the Travers. Travers weekend is like opening day all over again. And despite the fact that we locals have been known to negatively reflect upon our inconvenience, secretly Saratogians take pride in complaining about the days when SPAC and the Race Course bring 80,000 plus to town. We give a knowing wink to restauranteurs as we walk by crowded entrances, knowing that just two weeks hence we will have them all to ourselves again.
Ironically, during the last week after the Travers, while we are delighted that the crush is almost over, we are also sad. Indeed, on Labor Day, as we watch the desperate race to load up the moving vans at the track and head for Belmont, we lament the fact that the circus is over again for another year.
As we point toward our last three weeks of summer, let’s enjoy the insane traffic, the crowded restaurants, the too hot days at the Race Course, the endless afternoons at the Victoria Pool, beautiful mornings on the golf course, the wondrous nights at polo, and the last evenings of the Philadelphia Orchestra.
Isn’t this all -the good and the bad- what make Saratoga, Saratoga?
Posted in General |
Monday, August 17, 2009
Saratoga is Exciting from Bloodhorse.com
Pool Sitting, Spinning and Hunch Playing
16 Aug 2009 11:26 PM0 CommentsOn hot, sunny Saratoga Sundays, it's easier to get a seat in the Clubhouse than a lounge chair at the Victoria Pool. Saratoga Spa State Park is one of the treasures of the region and the pool, Olympic in size and grand in providing visitors the feelings of luxury and history, gets jam-packed before 9 am. They say Bing Crosby and Sophie Tucker used to sunbathe there and, in more recent years, Cyndi Lauper and Liza Minnelli. But today the person that causes the most curiosity is a man in a two-piece bikini.
In addition to the Victoria Pool, the park hosts the Peerless Pool, the Roosevelt Baths, the Gideon Putnam hotel, a small opera house, 27 holes of golf, the Hall of Springs restaurant, an automobile museum (which this weekend featured Airstreams) and the Saratoga Performing Arts Center, or SPAC as everyone seems to call it. Parking lots opened at 4:30 am to accommodate early arrivers for the Phish concert at SPAC. There's no truth to the rumor that Catherine's on the Park, the restaurant and bar that adjoins the pool and the golf course, will be serving mushroom specials.
Despite the competition from these diversions, the racetrack was packed again.
It was free tee-shirt day and the lines of spinners began forming well before the racetrack opened officially. Giveaways boost attendance about 30,000 people - at least that's the count which results from the turnstiles. This year's shirt, a dandy gray one that featured the trademark Saratoga logo in black type with red accents, is more than useful. It's fly.
Good weather continues to bless NYRA. But anyone who believes Mother Nature has provided the sole reason for attendance increases is short-changing the job track officials have done. In particular, the promotions department continues to crank out promotions that are imaginative and broadly-appealing. The communications staff is turning out news releases faster than they can be read, causing an army of visiting press to report on even the most inane developments. Above all, however, the racing has been exceptional.
16 Aug 2009 11:26 PM0 CommentsOn hot, sunny Saratoga Sundays, it's easier to get a seat in the Clubhouse than a lounge chair at the Victoria Pool. Saratoga Spa State Park is one of the treasures of the region and the pool, Olympic in size and grand in providing visitors the feelings of luxury and history, gets jam-packed before 9 am. They say Bing Crosby and Sophie Tucker used to sunbathe there and, in more recent years, Cyndi Lauper and Liza Minnelli. But today the person that causes the most curiosity is a man in a two-piece bikini.
In addition to the Victoria Pool, the park hosts the Peerless Pool, the Roosevelt Baths, the Gideon Putnam hotel, a small opera house, 27 holes of golf, the Hall of Springs restaurant, an automobile museum (which this weekend featured Airstreams) and the Saratoga Performing Arts Center, or SPAC as everyone seems to call it. Parking lots opened at 4:30 am to accommodate early arrivers for the Phish concert at SPAC. There's no truth to the rumor that Catherine's on the Park, the restaurant and bar that adjoins the pool and the golf course, will be serving mushroom specials.
Despite the competition from these diversions, the racetrack was packed again.
It was free tee-shirt day and the lines of spinners began forming well before the racetrack opened officially. Giveaways boost attendance about 30,000 people - at least that's the count which results from the turnstiles. This year's shirt, a dandy gray one that featured the trademark Saratoga logo in black type with red accents, is more than useful. It's fly.
Good weather continues to bless NYRA. But anyone who believes Mother Nature has provided the sole reason for attendance increases is short-changing the job track officials have done. In particular, the promotions department continues to crank out promotions that are imaginative and broadly-appealing. The communications staff is turning out news releases faster than they can be read, causing an army of visiting press to report on even the most inane developments. Above all, however, the racing has been exceptional.
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