Save The Victoria Pool Society wishes you all:
Happy Memorial Day weekend. Honor and thank all our service men, women and veterans.
Thanks to all for your letters, emails, phone calls, petition signing and lots of other efforts to our governor and Elected Officials. You did it!!! All New York State Parks are open. Let's make sure it never happens again. power to the People.
Senate passes bill, NY State Parks to open this weekend
Posted: May 28, 2010 2:40 PM EDT Updated: May 28, 2010 3:33 PM EDT
ALBANY, N.Y. -- It appears all of New York's state parks and historic sites will be fully open for the Memorial Day weekend and the rest of the year.
The State Senate passed their version of the bill to open the sites this afternoon, in a 32-27 vote. It provides $11 million for the parks and campgrounds while reducing the Environmental Protection Fund by $78 million to help close this year's $9.2 billion deficit.
The vote was mostly along party lines, with Democrats voting for the bill and Republicans voting against.
The issues for most Republican senators were taxes and fees they say came with the bill. For other Republicans, they argued the bigger problem in New York State was the lack of a balanced budget.
The Senate began voting on the bill shortly around 2 p.m. Friday. They were expected to convene at 9 a.m., but did not enter the chamber until nearly 3 hours later.
Prior to the parks vote, the Senators dealt with other business, including a resolution honoring Jay Gallagher, a newspaper reporter who covered Albany politics for decades. Gallagher passed away earlier this week after a long batter with cancer.
On Thursday, the Assembly worked late into the night on their version of the parks bill, finally approving the closed sites to reopen around 3 a.m. Friday, in a 86-47 vote.
The bill will now head to Gov. Paterson for his final approval.
While the parks and historic sites will be open for the Memorial Day weekend, the DEC says the campgrounds won't and it may take a couple of weeks to open some of them.
The Associated Press contributed to this report
Before the vote, Senators explained why they voted the way they did. These are quotes and paraphrases taken from our WTEN Twitter account:
Sen. Malcolm Smith: The parks will be open
Sen. Libous: Let's spend Memorial Day honoring those who serve our country instead. Votes "no"
Sen. Libous: Even if the bill is passed today, parks would not even be ready for the weekend. Bigger issue is that there's no budget.
Sen. Libous (R - Broome Co.): If you really wanted to open the parks, you would have passed the budget on April 1.
Sen. Parker stumbles, accidentally says "voting no" when he meant "yes" ... hoots, hollers echo throughout chamber
Sen. Parker (D - Kings County): Either you want parks open, or you don't. Tourism too important to NY to keep parks closed. Votes "yes".
Sen. Larkin (R - Orange, Ulster Co.): This is a lie. This is not about parks, it's about raising taxes. Votes "no"
Sen. Adams (D - Kings Co.): All this arguing over no budget - tell that to a family of 4 who needs to do something this wknd. Votes "yes".
Sen. Lanza (R - Staten Island): State Parks bill is a "Trojan Horse", bringing taxes and fees with it. Votes "no"
Sen. Thompson (D - Erie, Niagara): We still have work to do, it's not pretty. Hopefully when we pass budget, we will repay EPF. Votes "yes"
Sen. LaValle (R - Long Island) calls state park bill "hodge podge" and not positive for the environment
Sen. Hugh Farley (R - Schenectady, Niskayuna) votes "no" on bill to reopen state parks
Marcellino: Instead of working until 3 a.m. to find out how to open state parks, we could have worked until 3 a.m. to pass a balanced budget
Sen. Marcellino (R - Nassau, Suffolk) says bill to open state parks not transparent, made in secret without GOP input. Votes "no".
Friday, May 28, 2010
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
good "foodie" Saratoga News.
Table Hopping
Pull up a chair and talk about food
By Steve Barnes | E-mail | About Table Hopping
Major NYC restaurateur to expand food options at Saratoga track
May 26, 2010 at 10:26 am by Steve Barnes, senior writer
Meyer
Dining mogul Danny Meyer, responsible for some of the most successful restaurants in New York City over the past 20 years, and his company, Union Square Hospitality Group, will bring new variety to the Saratoga Race Course this summer with the introduction of two restaurants and an upscale bar.
Under a partnership announced Wednesday with the New York Racing Association, Meyer’s company will open racetrack versions of Blue Smoke, Meyer’s Manhattan barbecue restaurant, and Shake Shack. The latter is a casual burger-dog-milkshake chain with multiple locations in New York, including at the Mets’ ballpark, Citi Field, and elsewhere. The two will be located where the Paddock Tent previously was, just off the clubhouse entrance adjacent to the paddock. The hospitality group’s catering-and-events wing, called Union Square Events, will also design, build and operate a new watering hole called The Paddock Bar, serving specialty cocktails, beer and wine.
“I’ve made family pilgrimages to (Saratoga) since I was 15 years old, and it is going to be a thrill to bring our food and hospitality to my favorite track,” Meyer said in a statement released by NYRA.
“Meyer’s critically acclaimed restaurants have long offered New York City residents and visitors an unparalleled dining experience, and we can’t wait to introduce our loyal guests at Saratoga Race Course to their culinary and hospitality expertise,” said NYRA President and CEO Charles Hayward.
The Saratoga Race Course’s 40-day meet runs July 23 to Sept. 6.
Union Square Hospitality Group’s holdings include Union Square Café, Gramercy Tavern, Eleven Madison Park, Tabla, Blue Smoke/Jazz Standard, Shake Shack, The Modern, El Verano Taquería and Box Frites (both at Citi Field) and Maialino.
Posted in General, News, Recommendations, Restaurants/chefs
Construction close on downtown Price Chopper
May 26, 2010 at 1:25 pm by Christen Gowan
This old Price Chopper, ready for a Bonacio face lift.
Developers are waiting for their building permit from the city then construction will begin on the new Railroad Place Price Chopper.
Local developer Sonny Bonacio unveiled plans last summer for a six-story building that includes an 18,000-square-foot grocery store, small retail spaces and one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments, located just steps off Broadway at 19 Railroad Place. The rent for the apartments is planned for $1,200 to $1,800 per month.
(more…)
Posted in Real estate | 2 Comments
Pull up a chair and talk about food
By Steve Barnes | E-mail | About Table Hopping
Major NYC restaurateur to expand food options at Saratoga track
May 26, 2010 at 10:26 am by Steve Barnes, senior writer
Meyer
Dining mogul Danny Meyer, responsible for some of the most successful restaurants in New York City over the past 20 years, and his company, Union Square Hospitality Group, will bring new variety to the Saratoga Race Course this summer with the introduction of two restaurants and an upscale bar.
Under a partnership announced Wednesday with the New York Racing Association, Meyer’s company will open racetrack versions of Blue Smoke, Meyer’s Manhattan barbecue restaurant, and Shake Shack. The latter is a casual burger-dog-milkshake chain with multiple locations in New York, including at the Mets’ ballpark, Citi Field, and elsewhere. The two will be located where the Paddock Tent previously was, just off the clubhouse entrance adjacent to the paddock. The hospitality group’s catering-and-events wing, called Union Square Events, will also design, build and operate a new watering hole called The Paddock Bar, serving specialty cocktails, beer and wine.
“I’ve made family pilgrimages to (Saratoga) since I was 15 years old, and it is going to be a thrill to bring our food and hospitality to my favorite track,” Meyer said in a statement released by NYRA.
“Meyer’s critically acclaimed restaurants have long offered New York City residents and visitors an unparalleled dining experience, and we can’t wait to introduce our loyal guests at Saratoga Race Course to their culinary and hospitality expertise,” said NYRA President and CEO Charles Hayward.
The Saratoga Race Course’s 40-day meet runs July 23 to Sept. 6.
Union Square Hospitality Group’s holdings include Union Square Café, Gramercy Tavern, Eleven Madison Park, Tabla, Blue Smoke/Jazz Standard, Shake Shack, The Modern, El Verano Taquería and Box Frites (both at Citi Field) and Maialino.
Posted in General, News, Recommendations, Restaurants/chefs
Construction close on downtown Price Chopper
May 26, 2010 at 1:25 pm by Christen Gowan
This old Price Chopper, ready for a Bonacio face lift.
Developers are waiting for their building permit from the city then construction will begin on the new Railroad Place Price Chopper.
Local developer Sonny Bonacio unveiled plans last summer for a six-story building that includes an 18,000-square-foot grocery store, small retail spaces and one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments, located just steps off Broadway at 19 Railroad Place. The rent for the apartments is planned for $1,200 to $1,800 per month.
(more…)
Posted in Real estate | 2 Comments
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Spa Park geyer to be improved with private funds. Commissioner Carol Ash and Spa Commission chair, Heather Mabee break ground.
Saratoga Spa State Park improvements on tap
Private money will fund springs rehabilitation plan
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
By Tatiana Zarnowski (Contact)
Gazette Reporter
Heather Mabee, chairwoman of the Saratoga Capital Regional Parks Commission, speaks during Monday’s event as Thomas Maggs, a member of the commission, looks on.
Text Size: A | A | A
SARATOGA SPRINGS — It’s time to fix up the crumbling rock walls and soggy paths around Saratoga Spa State Park’s most famous waters, but it will have to be done with private money.
“This area is ugly,” said regional parks director Alane Ball Chinian, gesturing toward a steep asphalt path that leads from a small parking lot to a pavilion overlooking the Island Spouter.
The geyser and surrounding springs — including Orenda and Hayes — lie within the so-called Vale of Springs, the valley where cold mineral waters bubble to the surface.
The state park was created 100 years ago to protect the Vale of Springs.
A 1930s Works Progress Administration effort added pavilions near Orenda and the Island Spouter and rock walls on the sides of paths next to Geyser Brook.
Forty years later, those areas need to be freshened up, officials said Monday when they unveiled a private fundraising effort to fix up the areas around the three springs and add more interpretive signs so people know what they’re looking at.
A path from the Hayes spring along Geyser Brook to the waterfall behind the Saratoga Performing Arts Center will be improved with better drainage and a loop trail so people can walk back a slightly different way.
People who traverse it will be able to climb to a new overlook near the waterfall.
Brush will be cleared and small trees blocking one’s view to the geyser will be taken down, Chinian said.
Officials broke ground on Monday and plan to have a ribbon-cutting when the project is finished in October. Summer visitors may see the area around the springs roped off, Mabee said.
The spring rehabilitation project will be completed with private funds rather than state money, which presents some fundraising challenges, admitted Heather Mabee, chairwoman of the Saratoga Capital Regional Parks Commission.
“People always think that their state dollars should take care of what goes on in their state parks,” she said.
But state parks officials knew they couldn’t ask for funds for improvements in a year when dozens of state parks and historic sites were closed and expected to remain so until the state budget passed.
“With all the budget considerations, we don’t have the money to do anything that’s really important for public health and safety,” Chinian said.
More than a dozen private donors have given or pledged half the money toward the $250,000 project.
NYS Parks Commissioner, Carol Ash and Heather Mabee, Chairperson of Spa Commission announce rehabilitation of geysers with private funding.
People can give to the effort through the state parks’ website, nysparks.com.
Parks officials also formally adopted the state park’s first master plan after two years of work.
The plan provides more habitat for Karner blue butterflies, more recreation area and formalizes an informal dog park; it would also renovate the Lincoln Bathhouse into a visitor center for the park while also leasing out office space to generate revenue.
Some of the projects require significant funds, but they don’t have to be done right away, said parks Commissioner Carol Ash.
“The beauty of a master plan is it lays out a blueprint for when times are good, how you can spend the money in the most efficient way,” she said.
The improvements will benefit people who visit the 2,200-acre state park every year to have fun and seek peace.
“I call this a mental health respite,” said Thomas Maggs, a member of the parks commission.
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Racing in Saratoga is on for 2010!
News > Saratoga Racing Saved!
Bill Passes To Loan NYRA $25M, Saving The 2010 Racing Season
SARATOGA SPRINGS NY -- Good news for Saratoga racing: Paterson's bill to lend NYRA $25 million passed, saving the 2010 summer racing season in Saratoga Springs.
The $25 million loan will preserve thoroughbred racing seasons at Saratoga, Belmont and Aqueduct, which are run by the New York Racing Association (NYRA).
This puts at ease much concern over the future of racing in New York State leading up to this event. Just a few days before this bill passed (and despite the Governor's reassurance that they would get the loan), NYRA notified its staff of over 1,400 workers that the association planned to close tracks in early June after the Belmont Stakes, meaning the Saratoga racing season would not occur this year.
Luckily for local businesses and thousands of tourists, the racing season has been saved!
Saratoga businesses are extremely reliant upon the Saratoga Racing meet, from hotels, to restaurants, to convenient stores. In the 6 weeks that the meet runs $230 million is generated for our local economy and 1,500 jobs are provided by NYRA during the Saratoga meet.
Gov. David Paterson introduced the bill to loan NYRA the money needed to continue operations in the absence of an approved budget for this year. The conditions of the loan require NYRA to repay the money by March 31, 2011 -- or within 30 days of the installment of video lottery terminals at the Aqueduct track.
Bottom line: It is a sure bet there will be racing this summer!
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Planning on visiting Saratoga this summer? Don't wait another minute; hotels will now start booking up quickly! So make your hotel reservations now! See all Saratoga Lodging options »
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Bill Passes To Loan NYRA $25M, Saving The 2010 Racing Season
SARATOGA SPRINGS NY -- Good news for Saratoga racing: Paterson's bill to lend NYRA $25 million passed, saving the 2010 summer racing season in Saratoga Springs.
The $25 million loan will preserve thoroughbred racing seasons at Saratoga, Belmont and Aqueduct, which are run by the New York Racing Association (NYRA).
This puts at ease much concern over the future of racing in New York State leading up to this event. Just a few days before this bill passed (and despite the Governor's reassurance that they would get the loan), NYRA notified its staff of over 1,400 workers that the association planned to close tracks in early June after the Belmont Stakes, meaning the Saratoga racing season would not occur this year.
Luckily for local businesses and thousands of tourists, the racing season has been saved!
Saratoga businesses are extremely reliant upon the Saratoga Racing meet, from hotels, to restaurants, to convenient stores. In the 6 weeks that the meet runs $230 million is generated for our local economy and 1,500 jobs are provided by NYRA during the Saratoga meet.
Gov. David Paterson introduced the bill to loan NYRA the money needed to continue operations in the absence of an approved budget for this year. The conditions of the loan require NYRA to repay the money by March 31, 2011 -- or within 30 days of the installment of video lottery terminals at the Aqueduct track.
Bottom line: It is a sure bet there will be racing this summer!
Share this on Facebook356
Planning on visiting Saratoga this summer? Don't wait another minute; hotels will now start booking up quickly! So make your hotel reservations now! See all Saratoga Lodging options »
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Friday, May 21, 2010
Support the flowers at Spa Park at Sunnyside Gardens, Sat. 5/22/10
Spa State Park in bloom, with your help
State budget cuts have claimed another victim: the floral display that greets visitors to the Saratoga Spa State Park.
Every year, Dan “the Flower Man” Urkevich installs a pretty amazing display of flowers at the park’s South Broadway entrance. This season, though, the money to repeat the effort just isn’t there.
The folks at Sunnyside Gardens are stepping up to help him out, though.
On Saturday, between 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. they’ll hold a benefit in which customers will be allowed to donate the cost of one flat of flowers, $22, which will be matched by the nursery. Anyone who contributes will be entered in a raffle and eligible to win a hanging basket.
Urkevich will also be out at the nursery on Saturday to talk about his handiwork.
Sunnyside Nursery is located on Route 9N, just west of the train tracks.
– Drew Kerr
This entry was posted on Thursday, May 20th, 2010 at 2:27 pm and is filed under Saratoga Snippets. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
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Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Monday, May 17, 2010
contact your elected and appointed representatives to keep Victoria Pool open now.
STATE & FEDERAL ELECTED OFFICIALS
MUNICIPAL U.S Senator Charles Schumer
Hart Senate Office Bldg., Room 313
Washington, DC 20510
(202) 224-6542
www.schumer.senate.gov
US Senator Kirsten E. Gillibrand
Russell Senate Bldg., Room 478
Washington, DC 20510-3201
(202) 224-4451
www.gillibrand.senate.gov
US Congressman Murphy
120 Cannon HOB
Washington, DC 20515
(202) 225-5614
www.scottmurphy.house.gov
NY State Senator Roy McDonald
Legislative Office Building
Bldg. 306
Albany, NY 12247
455-2381
(202) 224-6542
mcdonald@senate.state.ny.us
368 Broadway
Saratoga Springs, 12866
587-2574To Write To The Governor:
David A. Paterson
State Capitol
Albany, NY 12224
518-474-8390
To Email The Governor:
Click here to email the Governor
NY State Senator Hugh T. Farley
Room 706 Legislative Office Building
Albany, NY 12247
455-2181
farley@senate.state.ny.us
Assemblyman James Tedisco Room 329 Legislative Office Building
Albany, NY 12248
455-5772 tediscj@assembly.state.ny.us
Assemblyman Tony Jordan
Washington Co. Municipal Center
383 Broadway, Bldg. A
Fort Edward, Ny 12828
455-5404 (Albany)
747-7098 (Fort Edward)
jordanj@assembly.state.ny.us
Assemblyman Robert Reilly
Room 452 Legislative Office Building
Albany, NY 12248
455-5931 reillyr@assembly.state.ny.us
Assemblywoman Teresa Sayward
140 Glen St.
Glens Falls, NY 1280940
Room 940, Legislative Office Bldg.
Albany, NY 12248
792-4546
saywart@assembly.state.ny.us
Posted by save the victoria pool society at 5:54 AM
MUNICIPAL U.S Senator Charles Schumer
Hart Senate Office Bldg., Room 313
Washington, DC 20510
(202) 224-6542
www.schumer.senate.gov
US Senator Kirsten E. Gillibrand
Russell Senate Bldg., Room 478
Washington, DC 20510-3201
(202) 224-4451
www.gillibrand.senate.gov
US Congressman Murphy
120 Cannon HOB
Washington, DC 20515
(202) 225-5614
www.scottmurphy.house.gov
NY State Senator Roy McDonald
Legislative Office Building
Bldg. 306
Albany, NY 12247
455-2381
(202) 224-6542
mcdonald@senate.state.ny.us
368 Broadway
Saratoga Springs, 12866
587-2574To Write To The Governor:
David A. Paterson
State Capitol
Albany, NY 12224
518-474-8390
To Email The Governor:
Click here to email the Governor
NY State Senator Hugh T. Farley
Room 706 Legislative Office Building
Albany, NY 12247
455-2181
farley@senate.state.ny.us
Assemblyman James Tedisco Room 329 Legislative Office Building
Albany, NY 12248
455-5772 tediscj@assembly.state.ny.us
Assemblyman Tony Jordan
Washington Co. Municipal Center
383 Broadway, Bldg. A
Fort Edward, Ny 12828
455-5404 (Albany)
747-7098 (Fort Edward)
jordanj@assembly.state.ny.us
Assemblyman Robert Reilly
Room 452 Legislative Office Building
Albany, NY 12248
455-5931 reillyr@assembly.state.ny.us
Assemblywoman Teresa Sayward
140 Glen St.
Glens Falls, NY 1280940
Room 940, Legislative Office Bldg.
Albany, NY 12248
792-4546
saywart@assembly.state.ny.us
Posted by save the victoria pool society at 5:54 AM
Some state Parks being padlocked today! Victoria Pool still in danger.
Thanks to all who have acted already. Keep the pressure on. albany is watching:
if you have not signed or written yet: be sure and sign petition to keep victoria pool open and write to your state legislators, governor, congressman and senators.
www.gopetition.com put victoria pool under search petitions.
www.save-the-victoria-pool-society.blogspot.com
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Padlocked parks lock out sense
First published: Monday, May 17, 2010
Despite all the cheery assurances this could never happen, the padlocks go on John Boyd Thacher State Park on Monday.
If ever there was an exclamation point as to how dismal and rudderless the Paterson administration has become, this is it. There is simply no good or defensible reason for closing our state park system, not even one unit. There are so many half measures that could be taken to keep the parks and historic sites going under reduced circumstances -- if the administration really wanted to keep them open.
It surely can't be about the alleged $11 million or so the state would save, considering all the fees and revenues that will now be lost because state parks are closed, and that's not the half of it.
Long Island Assemblyman Steve Englebright, who chairs the committee in his house that oversees parks, expressed extreme frustration with the governor and his senior staff, and gives us the real bottom line.
"If we close our parks, we may as well put up neon signs at the four corners of the state that say, 'Closed for Business.' Because parks are integral to tourism, and tourism is big, big business in New York State."
Parks are just not a priority in this administration. As stupefying as that is for those of us who live north of the Tappan Zee bridge or east of Queens, that's just the way it is. So the majority of our state parks, 91 of 178, are closing now, like Thacher. For how long, who knows?
And in all likelihood, another 34 will close before summer if the governor doesn't get legislative approval to take $5 million from the Environmental Protection Fund. That second list includes Grafton and Cherry Plain State Parks, and Victoria Pool at Saratoga State Park.
All in all, just a lousy state of affairs that accomplishes nothing other than making a hurting public suffer a little more.
Last year, our state campgrounds were overflowing with New Yorkers who took local vacations. If the governor doesn't relent on this parks business, or the Legislature doesn't act to force the issue, thousands of people will be left stranded without campgrounds this summer. So far, the state has taken 3,000 reservations for Parks-run campgrounds for this coming season. If the parks close, those reservations will be meaningless, except that the concessionaire that runs the reservations system for the state will be paid $18 for every reservation canceled.
Those of us who know and love Thacher still hope whatever happens there will be temporary, that a new budget when finally passed will save it. Or that a legislative bill on the fast track will have the same effect. Englebright in the Assembly and Jose Serrano in the Senate are circulating a bill that will force the governor to keep the parks open, setting up a potential confrontation if the governor vetoes the bill. If both houses pass it in the first place. If, if, if.
Realistically, while there well may be light at the end of the tunnel for saving parks, we're not seeing it yet. There are just too many twists and turns in that tunnel to say with confidence this story will have a happy ending.
As many have pointed out, closing Thacher Park is easier said than done. Sure, we don't need the locked bathrooms. We can ignore the overgrown grass and hop over barriers if need be. But it's just not the same. You just don't put a lock on a sanctuary door, whether it's a park or church, and expect the public or parishioners to be anything less than outraged.
From the perspective of the Office of State Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, it is a grim lose-lose situation. The state agency is not calling the shots on this disaster. That's being done directly by the second floor of the Capitol, the governor's people. Yet the agency is being pummeled by an irate public, pressured by the Legislature and beaten up by the governor's henchfolk to do their bidding.
And for dessert, the agency that was created to make the public feel good about its parks gets to tell that same public to go away. In addition, a place like Thacher is an enormous liability to the state when there are crowds around and lots of staff. Imagine trying to police such a place, with its miles of palisades and hidden places, under the coming circumstances. The potential for something very nasty to happen looms large.
State government is in such a state of leaderless chaos at the moment, who knows what's next and how it affects the parks situation?
Steve Englebright says the weekly extender bills drafted by the governor and approved by the Legislature included funds to keep the parks open. But the governor used them for something else.
This has led to what Englebright insists is a bipartisan effort in both houses to mandate use of those funds for parks.
But, as Englebright points out, on Monday we're likely to see another extender bill and who knows what will be in it, now that state worker furloughs are in limbo?
Parks may take a backseat again.
Contact Fred LeBrun at 454-5453 or by e-mail at flebrun@timesunion.com.
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Friday, May 14, 2010
Riggi to demolish 23 Greenfield Ave. after all, sad.
Greenfield Ave. home comes down
Thursday, May 13th, 2010
Crews began ripping into a Greenfield Avenue home today after months of protest from area preservationists and a bid by city officials to keep it in tact.
The home, which dates to the 1850s, was purchased by the Riggi family in 2009 for $1.2 million. When crews began preparing to take it down last year, the Saratoga Springs Preservation Foundation called for city officials to halt its demolition.
A moratorium keeping it from the wrecking ball expired at the end of April, and the crews came back today. As of around 4 p.m., a large portion of the home’s back side had been taken down, but the main brick structure remained largely in tact.
Neighbors who passed by slowed down in their cars to take in the activity and express one-word sentiments: terrible, awful and horrible were among the words I heard.
John Derby, a 77-year-old Catherine Street resident who has lived in the city his entire life, stood on the sidewalk and watched the large machines claw their way into the structure. Derby said he saw the U.S. Hotel and the Grand Union Hotel come down so, in that context, he didn’t see the home’s destruction as a great loss.
“After all, it’s progress, and I’ve seen more beautiful properties than this come down over the years,” he said. “My only thought is that there’s so much that could be salvaged that’s just going to get thrown away.”
It’s unclear what precisely what the Riggi’s have planned for the property, which sits just west of their stately North Broadway home.
– Drew Kerr
Posted in Saratoga Snippets | No Comments (Add a Comment) »
Thursday, May 13th, 2010
Crews began ripping into a Greenfield Avenue home today after months of protest from area preservationists and a bid by city officials to keep it in tact.
The home, which dates to the 1850s, was purchased by the Riggi family in 2009 for $1.2 million. When crews began preparing to take it down last year, the Saratoga Springs Preservation Foundation called for city officials to halt its demolition.
A moratorium keeping it from the wrecking ball expired at the end of April, and the crews came back today. As of around 4 p.m., a large portion of the home’s back side had been taken down, but the main brick structure remained largely in tact.
Neighbors who passed by slowed down in their cars to take in the activity and express one-word sentiments: terrible, awful and horrible were among the words I heard.
John Derby, a 77-year-old Catherine Street resident who has lived in the city his entire life, stood on the sidewalk and watched the large machines claw their way into the structure. Derby said he saw the U.S. Hotel and the Grand Union Hotel come down so, in that context, he didn’t see the home’s destruction as a great loss.
“After all, it’s progress, and I’ve seen more beautiful properties than this come down over the years,” he said. “My only thought is that there’s so much that could be salvaged that’s just going to get thrown away.”
It’s unclear what precisely what the Riggi’s have planned for the property, which sits just west of their stately North Broadway home.
– Drew Kerr
Posted in Saratoga Snippets | No Comments (Add a Comment) »
Thursday, May 13, 2010
SPAC annual membership meeting 5/12/10
News
SPAC expanding reach: Healthy in 2010, venue working to stay that way
Published: Thursday, May 13, 2010
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Click thumbnails to enlarge
Saratoga Performing Arts Center President Marcia White speaks Wednesday morning on the 2010 season during SPAC’s annual meeting at the Hall of Springs. (ERICA MILLER, The Saratogian)
By PAUL POST, The Saratogian
Click to enlarge
ERICA MILLER file photo
SARATOGA SPRINGS — Saratoga Performing Arts Center’s board might be expanding in numbers and geographic reach as the organization tries to remain financially strong in uncertain economic times.
In 2005, the entire board resigned following a tumultuous period of questionable business practices that prompted a state investigation.
Now, after five straight years of operating in the black, SPAC’s board has grown from seven to 23 and President Marcia White is currying interest among prospective members from New York City.
"I was down there last week talking to people," she said Wednesday, following SPAC’s annual meeting, with about 100 people in attendance. "They may be looking to throw their hat in the ring. You’re always looking for people who can provide new perspective, financial support, or have the ability to attract new sponsors and donors."
All 12 members present on Wednesday are from the Capital Region, but the board already includes John Gilbert of Rudin Management Co. in New York, and Meyer "Sandy" Frucher, chairman of New York City Off Track Betting Corp.
With ticket sales covering less than 45 percent of operating costs, SPAC has to increasingly rely on corporate sponsors and high-end donors for support. Board members, who generally make significant contributions, are another important revenue source.
Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce Executive Vice President Linda Toohey was elected to the board on Wednesday, replacing First Niagara Corp. executive Daniel Hogarty. Toohey and her husband, Michael, are among this year’s SPAC "Heritage" donors, a new category for people making gifts of at least $50,000.
SPAC’s bylaws allow for a maximum 31-member board. The goal isn’t to grow the board for numbers’ sake, because too large of a body can make it harder to reach consensus on important issues, White said.
"We function very well," she said. "Sometimes a large board creates more difficulties and we don’t have any right now."
That said, there’s no question White is trying to strengthen ties between SPAC and its downstate supporters. In July, the New York City Ballet board will visit Saratoga for the first time since SPAC opened in 1966. Last year, The Philadelphia Orchestra board visited and White said orchestra President and CEO Allison Vulgamore will be here this summer.
Both the ballet and orchestra have had major financial problems in the past year, but Vulgamore said things are starting to turn around for her organization. "We have improved our projected deficit $5 million — from $7.8 million to just under $2.7 million and no further cuts are anticipated at this time," she said. "All of our efforts … are squarely focused on bettering that figure."
Chairman Bill Dake said the core of SPAC’s financial support still comes from local, private backers. This is one reason for its continued success, while many arts organizations that rely on publicly-traded companies are suffering in the wake of the 2008-09 stock market crash.
SPAC is getting new support from two major corporations this year. General Electric Co., for the first time ever, is sponsoring a "GE Kids in Free" program that entitles children 12-and-under to free lawn admission for all classical performances except the Gala and American Girl Night. Also, HSBC Bank is the main classical program sponsor.
SPAC had a $209,000 operating surplus last year. Expenses from 2008 to ’09 went down $300,000, primarily because the ballet’s season was shortened from three to two weeks.
"Our endowment is very small ($4.2 million)," Dake said. "That’s the bad news. The good news is we’re not dependent on it. So we weren’t hurt when the market crashed."
At one time, the endowment was about $8 million, but whittled down as funds were used to offset operational losses. Ideally, SPAC would like to see the fund raised to somewhere between $10 million and $12 million, Audit Committee Chairman Arthur Roth said.
At this time last year, the endowment was at $3.4 million, but has grown considerably as the market improved.
"We’re basically back to where we were before the second Great Depression," Chief Financial Officer Richard Geary said.
Marketing and Development Director Shane Williams-Ness said membership is down about 200 people compared to last year. However, most of the decline is at the sustaining level ($285 individuals, $625 corporate) and lower. Eighty percent of SPAC’s membership revenue comes from higher levels, patron and above.
In voting, Frucher, E. Stewart Jones Jr., Ed Mitzen, Donald J. McCormack, Dee Sarno and Nancy Touhey were re-elected to new terms on the board.
Major SPAC donors
• Legacy ($100,000) — Marylou Whitney and John Hendrickson; Vincent, Ron and Michele Riggi; Susan and Bill Dake Foundation/Stewart’s Shops; Philly and Charlie Dake Foundation; Carl E. and Nancy Touhey; Charles Wood Foundation; The Adirondack Trust Company; The H. Schaffer Foundation; one anonymous donor.
• Heritage ($50,000) — Nancy and Gary DiCrese; Norman and Micki Massry; John Nigro; Linda and Mike Toohey; Stuyvesant Plaza/Ed Swyer.
SPAC board
• Matthew Bender — Bender Family Foundation
• William P. Dake – Stewart’s Shops
• Carol Farmer – Philanthropist
• Meyer S. Frucher – NASDAQ/OMX Group; NYC OTB chairman
• John J. Gilbert – Rudin Management Co. Inc.
• George R. Hearst III – Times Union
• E. Stewart Jones Jr. – E. Stewart Jones, PLLC
• Larry King – The King Group at Morgan Stanley Smith Barney
• Abraham M. Lackman – Praxis Insights
• Edward J. Lewi – Ed Lewi Associates (retired)
• Heather Mabee – Chair, Saratoga-Capital District Regional Parks Commission
• I. Norman Massry – Massry Realty Partners
• Donald J. McCormack – Skidmore College (retired)
• Ed Mitzen – FingerPaint Marketing
• Eleanor K. Mullaney – Attorney At Law
• John J. Nigro – Nigro Companies
• Dr. A. John Popp – Brigham and Women’s Hospital
• Susan Phillips Read – State of New York Court of Appeals
• Arthur J. Roth – consultant, former NYS Tax & Finance Commissioner
• Dolores Sarno – Saratoga Arts Council (retired)
• Nancy Touhey – Philanthropist
• Mrs. Marylou Whitney – Philanthropist
• Linda Toohey – Saratoga Chamber of Commerce
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SPAC expanding reach: Healthy in 2010, venue working to stay that way
Published: Thursday, May 13, 2010
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More Photos
Click thumbnails to enlarge
Saratoga Performing Arts Center President Marcia White speaks Wednesday morning on the 2010 season during SPAC’s annual meeting at the Hall of Springs. (ERICA MILLER, The Saratogian)
By PAUL POST, The Saratogian
Click to enlarge
ERICA MILLER file photo
SARATOGA SPRINGS — Saratoga Performing Arts Center’s board might be expanding in numbers and geographic reach as the organization tries to remain financially strong in uncertain economic times.
In 2005, the entire board resigned following a tumultuous period of questionable business practices that prompted a state investigation.
Now, after five straight years of operating in the black, SPAC’s board has grown from seven to 23 and President Marcia White is currying interest among prospective members from New York City.
"I was down there last week talking to people," she said Wednesday, following SPAC’s annual meeting, with about 100 people in attendance. "They may be looking to throw their hat in the ring. You’re always looking for people who can provide new perspective, financial support, or have the ability to attract new sponsors and donors."
All 12 members present on Wednesday are from the Capital Region, but the board already includes John Gilbert of Rudin Management Co. in New York, and Meyer "Sandy" Frucher, chairman of New York City Off Track Betting Corp.
With ticket sales covering less than 45 percent of operating costs, SPAC has to increasingly rely on corporate sponsors and high-end donors for support. Board members, who generally make significant contributions, are another important revenue source.
Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce Executive Vice President Linda Toohey was elected to the board on Wednesday, replacing First Niagara Corp. executive Daniel Hogarty. Toohey and her husband, Michael, are among this year’s SPAC "Heritage" donors, a new category for people making gifts of at least $50,000.
SPAC’s bylaws allow for a maximum 31-member board. The goal isn’t to grow the board for numbers’ sake, because too large of a body can make it harder to reach consensus on important issues, White said.
"We function very well," she said. "Sometimes a large board creates more difficulties and we don’t have any right now."
That said, there’s no question White is trying to strengthen ties between SPAC and its downstate supporters. In July, the New York City Ballet board will visit Saratoga for the first time since SPAC opened in 1966. Last year, The Philadelphia Orchestra board visited and White said orchestra President and CEO Allison Vulgamore will be here this summer.
Both the ballet and orchestra have had major financial problems in the past year, but Vulgamore said things are starting to turn around for her organization. "We have improved our projected deficit $5 million — from $7.8 million to just under $2.7 million and no further cuts are anticipated at this time," she said. "All of our efforts … are squarely focused on bettering that figure."
Chairman Bill Dake said the core of SPAC’s financial support still comes from local, private backers. This is one reason for its continued success, while many arts organizations that rely on publicly-traded companies are suffering in the wake of the 2008-09 stock market crash.
SPAC is getting new support from two major corporations this year. General Electric Co., for the first time ever, is sponsoring a "GE Kids in Free" program that entitles children 12-and-under to free lawn admission for all classical performances except the Gala and American Girl Night. Also, HSBC Bank is the main classical program sponsor.
SPAC had a $209,000 operating surplus last year. Expenses from 2008 to ’09 went down $300,000, primarily because the ballet’s season was shortened from three to two weeks.
"Our endowment is very small ($4.2 million)," Dake said. "That’s the bad news. The good news is we’re not dependent on it. So we weren’t hurt when the market crashed."
At one time, the endowment was about $8 million, but whittled down as funds were used to offset operational losses. Ideally, SPAC would like to see the fund raised to somewhere between $10 million and $12 million, Audit Committee Chairman Arthur Roth said.
At this time last year, the endowment was at $3.4 million, but has grown considerably as the market improved.
"We’re basically back to where we were before the second Great Depression," Chief Financial Officer Richard Geary said.
Marketing and Development Director Shane Williams-Ness said membership is down about 200 people compared to last year. However, most of the decline is at the sustaining level ($285 individuals, $625 corporate) and lower. Eighty percent of SPAC’s membership revenue comes from higher levels, patron and above.
In voting, Frucher, E. Stewart Jones Jr., Ed Mitzen, Donald J. McCormack, Dee Sarno and Nancy Touhey were re-elected to new terms on the board.
Major SPAC donors
• Legacy ($100,000) — Marylou Whitney and John Hendrickson; Vincent, Ron and Michele Riggi; Susan and Bill Dake Foundation/Stewart’s Shops; Philly and Charlie Dake Foundation; Carl E. and Nancy Touhey; Charles Wood Foundation; The Adirondack Trust Company; The H. Schaffer Foundation; one anonymous donor.
• Heritage ($50,000) — Nancy and Gary DiCrese; Norman and Micki Massry; John Nigro; Linda and Mike Toohey; Stuyvesant Plaza/Ed Swyer.
SPAC board
• Matthew Bender — Bender Family Foundation
• William P. Dake – Stewart’s Shops
• Carol Farmer – Philanthropist
• Meyer S. Frucher – NASDAQ/OMX Group; NYC OTB chairman
• John J. Gilbert – Rudin Management Co. Inc.
• George R. Hearst III – Times Union
• E. Stewart Jones Jr. – E. Stewart Jones, PLLC
• Larry King – The King Group at Morgan Stanley Smith Barney
• Abraham M. Lackman – Praxis Insights
• Edward J. Lewi – Ed Lewi Associates (retired)
• Heather Mabee – Chair, Saratoga-Capital District Regional Parks Commission
• I. Norman Massry – Massry Realty Partners
• Donald J. McCormack – Skidmore College (retired)
• Ed Mitzen – FingerPaint Marketing
• Eleanor K. Mullaney – Attorney At Law
• John J. Nigro – Nigro Companies
• Dr. A. John Popp – Brigham and Women’s Hospital
• Susan Phillips Read – State of New York Court of Appeals
• Arthur J. Roth – consultant, former NYS Tax & Finance Commissioner
• Dolores Sarno – Saratoga Arts Council (retired)
• Nancy Touhey – Philanthropist
• Mrs. Marylou Whitney – Philanthropist
• Linda Toohey – Saratoga Chamber of Commerce
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Monday, May 10, 2010
Sunday, May 09, 2010
Wednesday, May 05, 2010
Dust off your bathing suits, folks!!!
Saratoga Spa State Park: The Victoria Pool and the Peerless Pool are scheduled to open Saturday, June 26th, 2010!
Thursday, April 29, 2010
kentucky derby dead ahead saturday, may 1,2010. pick your favorites
Below are all of the Kentucky Derby 2010 post positions (jockeys in parentheses).
1. Lookin At Lucky (Garrett Gomez)
2. Ice Box (Jose Lezcano)
3. Noble's Promise (Willie Martinez)
4. Super Saver (Calvin Borel)
5. Line of David (Rafael Bejarano)
6. Stately Victor (Alan Garcia)
7. American Lion (David Flores)
8. Dean's Kitten (Robby Albarado)
9. Make Music for Me (Joel Rosario)
10. Paddy O'Prado (Kent Desormeaux)
11. Devil May Care (John Velazquez)
12. Conveyance (Martin Garcia)
13. Jackson Bend (Mike Smith)
14. Mission Impazible (Rajiv Maragh)
15. Discreetly Mine (Javier Castellano)
16. Awesome Act (Julien Leparoux)
17. Dublin (Terry Thompson)
18. Backtalk (Miguel Mena)
19. Homeboykris (Ramon Dominguez)
20. Sidney's Candy (Joe Talamo)
1. Lookin At Lucky (Garrett Gomez)
2. Ice Box (Jose Lezcano)
3. Noble's Promise (Willie Martinez)
4. Super Saver (Calvin Borel)
5. Line of David (Rafael Bejarano)
6. Stately Victor (Alan Garcia)
7. American Lion (David Flores)
8. Dean's Kitten (Robby Albarado)
9. Make Music for Me (Joel Rosario)
10. Paddy O'Prado (Kent Desormeaux)
11. Devil May Care (John Velazquez)
12. Conveyance (Martin Garcia)
13. Jackson Bend (Mike Smith)
14. Mission Impazible (Rajiv Maragh)
15. Discreetly Mine (Javier Castellano)
16. Awesome Act (Julien Leparoux)
17. Dublin (Terry Thompson)
18. Backtalk (Miguel Mena)
19. Homeboykris (Ramon Dominguez)
20. Sidney's Candy (Joe Talamo)
Friday, April 16, 2010
An anxious start for the 2010 Racing Season.
Horses settling into summer homes at Oklahoma track
Thursday, April 15, 2010
By Tatiana Zarnowski (Contact)
Gazette Reporter
Photographer: Marc Schultz
Outriders Dave Ravinski and Stephanie Markert unload horses Thursday at the Oklahoma Training Track.Text Size: A | A | A
SARATOGA SPRINGS — Wishingonadream couldn’t seem to stop chewing on the stall door next to him after he got settled at the Oklahoma Training Track.
After spending several hours riding in a big horse trailer from Belmont Park, the horse and his stablemates were antsy.
Today, they’ll get their first workout on the Oklahoma track as it opens for the training season, which runs through November.
Under clear skies on Thursday, eight horses arrived, workers prepared stalls and put up stable colors and the first backstretch dog rested in the shade.
Seven of the thoroughbreds were trainer Glenn Disanto’s horses at Barn 68. Disanto is typically among the first trainers to move here for spring training.
“This is where I live,” said Disanto, who has a farm in Greenwich. “It’s tough living down in New York, and it’s also very expensive. I’d rather be here.”
His horses, particularly the two 2-year-olds that are new to life at the track, also prefer laid-back Saratoga to the busier Belmont.
“It’s nice that it’s not crowded,” he said.
But even on the peaceful, sunny backstretch, there were signs that things aren’t what they used to be.
Disanto expects to have 10 horses here this year during the training season’s height — down from about 15 last year — and he said other trainers are in the same boat.
“Almost everybody has less,” he said. “The industry’s in a tough way right now, real tough.”
Tough times for racing
Some breeders have moved out of state, and others have cut back on their number of brood mares and, as a result, on their number of foals.
Those in the industry say the combination of the insolvency of New York City Off-Track Betting, the lack of video lottery terminals at Aqueduct Race Track despite two attempts to name a bidder and lucrative offers from neighboring states will mean a decline in the quality of New York racing.
“The horizon isn’t as bright for New York-breds,” said Bob Giordano, who is involved with ThoroFan, the Thoroughbred Racing Fan Association.
Giordano noted that things may seem fine once the Saratoga racing meet starts July 23.
“We have to be concerned about after August,” he said.
ThoroFan has 350 local members and is trying to triple its membership this year.
The group is co-hosting a rally to urge state lawmakers to choose a VLT provider for Aqueduct. The rally will take place at the track from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. April 25 in front of the ticket booth area on Union Avenue.
Because New York City OTB has not been paying the New York Racing Association money it is owed, purses have been smaller for horsemen.
There’s less money to go around, and individual trainers are working hard to get what is there.
“You want to try to get a piece of it every time you go out,” Disanto said.
Slower out of the gate
The training season is getting a slow start — last year, about 60 horses worked out on the first day, compared to fewer than 10 this year.
But that’s partially because work is still taking place at Horse Haven, where stables are closed for another couple of weeks.
New concrete wash pads and storm sewers have been installed all over the stable area to comply with federal stormwater regulations.
“This whole project is monumental,” said Peter Goulet, facility manager for Saratoga Race Course.
Workers are preparing to lay 1,000 yards of asphalt in the next week, Goulet said.
By May 1, about 150 horses will be stabled at the Oklahoma track, said NYRA spokesman Dan Silver. That figure will jump to 800 by mid-June, the same as in past years.
The track has 1,800 stalls and fills every last one of them during the 40-day racing meet.
NYRA officials said they did not want to speculate on how many stall requests they will get for the meet this year. Typically, trainers request stalls for many more than 1,800 horses.
Trainers pay $10 a day per stall for rent during the training season, Disanto said.
Kelley and Glenn Maydan of Wilton, who own one racehorse and care for him themselves without employees, also brought their horse back to Saratoga on Thursday.
Goodandacceptable will race at Belmont Park on May 5, but trainer Glenn Maydan was eager to get the 4-year-old back to Saratoga as early as possible after training him in Belmont since February.
“This is home,” Glenn said. “We live up here, and he loves it up here.”
Within the first half-hour, Goodandacceptable’s special purple rubber ball — in the stable’s colors — was by his door.
“He plays with it, bites it when he gets mad,” Kelley explained.
She said she’s confident that despite the difficulties in the state racing industry, racing will prevail.
“I think it’ll just all work itself out and things will get better,” she said. “This is just such a great institution, and it’s been around for so long.”
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Friday, April 09, 2010
Racetrack and Victoria Pool in jeopardy but "Jersey Shore" and Bo Derek a sure bet.
Feds: Risk millions if state parks close
State move to shut facilities draws warning from National Parks Service
By JIMMY VIELKIND, Capitol bureau
Click byline for more stories by writer.
First published: Friday, April 9, 2010
ALBANY -- Federal officials are threatening to withhold millions of dollars in funding to the state if the Paterson administration pushes forward with its plan to close parks around the state.
In a letter dated March 31, National Parks Service Northeast Regional Director Dennis Reidenbach wrote that the move would put New York in "non-compliance" with the requirements for taking funding from the Land and Water Conservation Fund and Federal Land for Parks Program.
"Also, NPS may initiate suspension and debarment procedures to have all Federal funds (e.g. Recreation, Housing, Transportation, Education etc.) withheld from the State of New York," Reidenbach wrote. "In addition, closure of any park acquired through FLP could result in reversion of the property to Federal ownership and subsequent sale of the property."
Gov. David Paterson proposed the closure of 41 parks and 14 historic sites -- the majority of which, Reidenbach wrote, have received federal funds. The cuts are slated to save $6.3 million.
Eileen Larrabee, a spokeswoman for the Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, said they don't believe the proposed closures put the state in violation.
"We are as committed to these parks and these public spaces as anybody else. We are dealing with the current fiscal crisis, and we simply do not have the funding to open all of these parks right now," she said. "Ultimately we believe that these closures are temporary and not permanent, and we're not converting the land. We would assert that the funding is not jeopardized."
New York received $1.4 million from the LWCF last year, and is slated to receive just under $1.9 million this year. Larrabee said that has been "diminished" from around $20 million a year, which has made it difficult to keep up with needed maintenance.
OPRHP Commissioner Carol Ash did not raise the federal threat during a Thursday meeting of the state Senate Committee on Cultural Affairs, Tourism, Parks and Recreation. She told the committee that if the new state budget is delayed beyond early May, it could threaten state plans to open 34 parks that now depend on added funding from the state Environmental Protection Fund under Paterson's proposed budget.
Parks officials are currently hiring seasonal workers for the parks.
Capital Region parks on the list include Grafton Lakes State Park, Cherry Plain State Park, and Fort Crailo State Historic Site, all in Rensselaer County; Minekill State Park in Schoharie County; and Peebles Island State Park in Saratoga County. Also, the Victoria Pool in Saratoga Spa State Park would be closed.
Parks Service spokesman Phil Sheridan said the law was clear that lands needed to stay open for public recreation "in perpetuity," and the principle was important.
"Our only recourse is that there is a significant penalty if you fail to live up to that pledge," Sheridan said. "It is very tough budgetarily. However, the fact remains that people accept these and accept certain responsibilities. As private citizens, if we accept money for certain things it would annul the contract if we did things with it that we didn't say we were going to do."
He said Reidenbach's letter was prompted by U.S. Rep. Maurice Hinchey, D-Ulster County, who questioned Parks Service officials about the LWCF provisions and requested they communicate their position to the Paterson administration.
The letter, which Hinchey posted on Facebook earlier this week, was the result.
"The public has no less need for recreation opportunities and access to open space in times of economic hardship," Reidenbach concluded. "If anything, the need for recreational opportunities is greater now, not only due to leaner economic times but also because of the increasing personal, community, and environmental health issues associated with more sedentary lifestyles and lack of contact with the nature."
Brian Nearing contributed to this report. Jimmy Vielkind can be reached at 454-5081 or jvielkind@timesunion.com.
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The Jersey Shore comes to Saratoga
April 8, 2010 at 10:10 am by Christen Gowan
Ronnie from the Jersey Shore.
Watch out, ladies! Ronnie from MTV’s Jersey Shore will be in town and on the prowl Saturday night to reopen Mare Discoteca.
The club, which will have some sort of cover, will be hosting Girls Gone Wild next Friday night (April 16). Originally opened as an Italian fish restaurant years ago by David Zecchini, Mare will strictly be a night club now.
The club, located next to 9 Maple at 19 Maple Ave., opens at 8 p.m. Saturday and will be open on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights. So, bust out the hair gel and wifebeaters and get ready to party Jersey-style.
The show, set in the boardwalk community of Seaside Heights, concerns the lives, loves and barroom antics of eight young Italian-Americans who self-identify as “guidos” and “guidettes.”
As you might remember, an Albany City Council member took aim at the “Jersey Shore” cast several months ago, saying the show showed Italian-Americans as “ignorant, violent, self-centered and lewd.”
There’s no official word from the Saratoga Springs City Council on how they stand on Ronnie and his fellow cast mates.
Posted in General, Nightlife | 38 Comments
Saratoga Seen
Your insiders’ source for what’s happening around Saratoga County.
About the Saratoga bureau | Saratoga coverage | Follow us on Twitter!
The Sheikh and Bo Derek in Saratoga this summer
April 8, 2010 at 3:41 pm by Christen Gowan
Sheikh Mohammed checks out the art on the second floor of the Fasig-Tipton sales pavilion. Not only did he spend millions on yearlings, he also spent thousands on art that night. (Skip Dickstein/Times Union)
What do the Sheikh and Bo Derek have in common? They’ll both be honored this summer at Canfield Casino for their work to end horse slaugter, according to the Saratogian.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum, the ruler of Dubai, and Bo Derek have been invited to Saratoga this summer for the annual Equine Advocates Dinner at Canfield Casino. As some of you may remember, the sheikh rolled into town and dropped tens of millions of dollars at the annual Fasig-Tipton sale. He’s a one-man force of economic development.
Bo Derek sits on the California Horse Racing Board and has worked tirelessly to end horse slaughter. Click here to learn more about Equine Advocates.
Traditionally, the annual gala is held at Stonebridge Farm in Schuylerville, but (as Dennis reported here), owner Jeffrey Tucker lost $7.5 billion in the Bernie Madoff ponzi scheme.
Posted in At the track, Celeb sightings, General | 1 Comment
State move to shut facilities draws warning from National Parks Service
By JIMMY VIELKIND, Capitol bureau
Click byline for more stories by writer.
First published: Friday, April 9, 2010
ALBANY -- Federal officials are threatening to withhold millions of dollars in funding to the state if the Paterson administration pushes forward with its plan to close parks around the state.
In a letter dated March 31, National Parks Service Northeast Regional Director Dennis Reidenbach wrote that the move would put New York in "non-compliance" with the requirements for taking funding from the Land and Water Conservation Fund and Federal Land for Parks Program.
"Also, NPS may initiate suspension and debarment procedures to have all Federal funds (e.g. Recreation, Housing, Transportation, Education etc.) withheld from the State of New York," Reidenbach wrote. "In addition, closure of any park acquired through FLP could result in reversion of the property to Federal ownership and subsequent sale of the property."
Gov. David Paterson proposed the closure of 41 parks and 14 historic sites -- the majority of which, Reidenbach wrote, have received federal funds. The cuts are slated to save $6.3 million.
Eileen Larrabee, a spokeswoman for the Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, said they don't believe the proposed closures put the state in violation.
"We are as committed to these parks and these public spaces as anybody else. We are dealing with the current fiscal crisis, and we simply do not have the funding to open all of these parks right now," she said. "Ultimately we believe that these closures are temporary and not permanent, and we're not converting the land. We would assert that the funding is not jeopardized."
New York received $1.4 million from the LWCF last year, and is slated to receive just under $1.9 million this year. Larrabee said that has been "diminished" from around $20 million a year, which has made it difficult to keep up with needed maintenance.
OPRHP Commissioner Carol Ash did not raise the federal threat during a Thursday meeting of the state Senate Committee on Cultural Affairs, Tourism, Parks and Recreation. She told the committee that if the new state budget is delayed beyond early May, it could threaten state plans to open 34 parks that now depend on added funding from the state Environmental Protection Fund under Paterson's proposed budget.
Parks officials are currently hiring seasonal workers for the parks.
Capital Region parks on the list include Grafton Lakes State Park, Cherry Plain State Park, and Fort Crailo State Historic Site, all in Rensselaer County; Minekill State Park in Schoharie County; and Peebles Island State Park in Saratoga County. Also, the Victoria Pool in Saratoga Spa State Park would be closed.
Parks Service spokesman Phil Sheridan said the law was clear that lands needed to stay open for public recreation "in perpetuity," and the principle was important.
"Our only recourse is that there is a significant penalty if you fail to live up to that pledge," Sheridan said. "It is very tough budgetarily. However, the fact remains that people accept these and accept certain responsibilities. As private citizens, if we accept money for certain things it would annul the contract if we did things with it that we didn't say we were going to do."
He said Reidenbach's letter was prompted by U.S. Rep. Maurice Hinchey, D-Ulster County, who questioned Parks Service officials about the LWCF provisions and requested they communicate their position to the Paterson administration.
The letter, which Hinchey posted on Facebook earlier this week, was the result.
"The public has no less need for recreation opportunities and access to open space in times of economic hardship," Reidenbach concluded. "If anything, the need for recreational opportunities is greater now, not only due to leaner economic times but also because of the increasing personal, community, and environmental health issues associated with more sedentary lifestyles and lack of contact with the nature."
Brian Nearing contributed to this report. Jimmy Vielkind can be reached at 454-5081 or jvielkind@timesunion.com.
Privacy Rights | Terms of Service
All Times Union materials copyright 1996-2010, Capital Newspapers Division of The Hearst Corporation, Albany, NY
Saratoga Seen
Your insiders’ source for what’s happening around Saratoga County.
About the Saratoga bureau | Saratoga coverage | Follow us on Twitter!
The Jersey Shore comes to Saratoga
April 8, 2010 at 10:10 am by Christen Gowan
Ronnie from the Jersey Shore.
Watch out, ladies! Ronnie from MTV’s Jersey Shore will be in town and on the prowl Saturday night to reopen Mare Discoteca.
The club, which will have some sort of cover, will be hosting Girls Gone Wild next Friday night (April 16). Originally opened as an Italian fish restaurant years ago by David Zecchini, Mare will strictly be a night club now.
The club, located next to 9 Maple at 19 Maple Ave., opens at 8 p.m. Saturday and will be open on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights. So, bust out the hair gel and wifebeaters and get ready to party Jersey-style.
The show, set in the boardwalk community of Seaside Heights, concerns the lives, loves and barroom antics of eight young Italian-Americans who self-identify as “guidos” and “guidettes.”
As you might remember, an Albany City Council member took aim at the “Jersey Shore” cast several months ago, saying the show showed Italian-Americans as “ignorant, violent, self-centered and lewd.”
There’s no official word from the Saratoga Springs City Council on how they stand on Ronnie and his fellow cast mates.
Posted in General, Nightlife | 38 Comments
Saratoga Seen
Your insiders’ source for what’s happening around Saratoga County.
About the Saratoga bureau | Saratoga coverage | Follow us on Twitter!
The Sheikh and Bo Derek in Saratoga this summer
April 8, 2010 at 3:41 pm by Christen Gowan
Sheikh Mohammed checks out the art on the second floor of the Fasig-Tipton sales pavilion. Not only did he spend millions on yearlings, he also spent thousands on art that night. (Skip Dickstein/Times Union)
What do the Sheikh and Bo Derek have in common? They’ll both be honored this summer at Canfield Casino for their work to end horse slaugter, according to the Saratogian.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum, the ruler of Dubai, and Bo Derek have been invited to Saratoga this summer for the annual Equine Advocates Dinner at Canfield Casino. As some of you may remember, the sheikh rolled into town and dropped tens of millions of dollars at the annual Fasig-Tipton sale. He’s a one-man force of economic development.
Bo Derek sits on the California Horse Racing Board and has worked tirelessly to end horse slaughter. Click here to learn more about Equine Advocates.
Traditionally, the annual gala is held at Stonebridge Farm in Schuylerville, but (as Dennis reported here), owner Jeffrey Tucker lost $7.5 billion in the Bernie Madoff ponzi scheme.
Posted in At the track, Celeb sightings, General | 1 Comment
Sunday, April 04, 2010
Saturday, April 03, 2010
fears about racing cont'd with Oklahoma due to open 4/15/10.
The N.Y. way: Do nothing
First published: Friday, April 2, 2010
There was Albany Mayor Jerry Jennings, up in Saratoga Springs to join the crowd making the case for some financial help for New York's endangered horse racing industry. As for what he said, let's qualify it -- and hope he similarly hedges his bets whenever he goes to the track.
"It is one of the most successful industries in the state and should be made a priority," Mr. Jennings said of racing.
He might have said that, but in the reverse order. He might have played that exacta the other way, in essence.
Racing is certainly critical to the economy in Saratoga Springs and throughout the region. Imagine trying to replace the lost jobs and fill all the restaurant tables and hotel rooms that would be empty if Saratoga Race Course went dark. Yet the racing industry can't sustain itself, and can't provide the benefits it does, without help from the state.
That's why Mr. Jennings was one of the people on Monday urging the appropriate action to bring video slot machines, finally, to Aqueduct Race Track. Further inaction threatens what is, indeed, a vibrant industry -- once those necessary subsidies are factored in.
The New York Racing Association, which operates Saratoga, Aqueduct and Belmont Park, has been waiting nine years for its share of the anticipated $300 million a year that a casino at Aqueduct would bring. That's not so unlike all the people who bet, and lost, on the infamous Zippy Chippy, the horse that retired after never winning in more than 100 tries. A similarly sluggish pace prevails in Albany, where what would should be a rather routine matter of awarding a casino contract seems beyond all collective capabilities.
Oh, there's wariness about how the Aqueduct Entertainment Group came so close to getting the casino contract earlier this year. New Yorkers deserve an answer to that vexing question, of course. But they're just as entitled to a state government that can find a qualified operator for an enterprise that's more critical than ever. By one estimate, reiterated by Joanne Yepsen of the Saratoga County Board of Supervisors, more than 35,000 racing-related jobs are at stake here.
NYRA's plight, meanwhile, is exacerbated by the bankruptcy filing by the New York City Off-Track Betting Corp., which owes NYRA $15 million. That money won't be there unless an OTB reorganization plan is approved by, yes, the state Legislature. The dismal straits at OTB add to the fearful speculation that the Saratoga meet could be in jeopardy.
To think that such summer splendor could be spoiled by legislative ineptitude.
Only in New York.
The issue:
Failure to produce any revenue from an Aqueduct casino puts racing at Saratoga in a bind.
The Stakes:
The threat extends to some key sectors of the region's economy.
To comment: tuletters@timesunion.com, or at http://blogs.timesunion.com/opinion
Privacy Rights | Terms of Service
All Times Union materials copyright 1996-2010, Capital Newspapers Division of The Hearst Corporation, Albany, NY
First published: Friday, April 2, 2010
There was Albany Mayor Jerry Jennings, up in Saratoga Springs to join the crowd making the case for some financial help for New York's endangered horse racing industry. As for what he said, let's qualify it -- and hope he similarly hedges his bets whenever he goes to the track.
"It is one of the most successful industries in the state and should be made a priority," Mr. Jennings said of racing.
He might have said that, but in the reverse order. He might have played that exacta the other way, in essence.
Racing is certainly critical to the economy in Saratoga Springs and throughout the region. Imagine trying to replace the lost jobs and fill all the restaurant tables and hotel rooms that would be empty if Saratoga Race Course went dark. Yet the racing industry can't sustain itself, and can't provide the benefits it does, without help from the state.
That's why Mr. Jennings was one of the people on Monday urging the appropriate action to bring video slot machines, finally, to Aqueduct Race Track. Further inaction threatens what is, indeed, a vibrant industry -- once those necessary subsidies are factored in.
The New York Racing Association, which operates Saratoga, Aqueduct and Belmont Park, has been waiting nine years for its share of the anticipated $300 million a year that a casino at Aqueduct would bring. That's not so unlike all the people who bet, and lost, on the infamous Zippy Chippy, the horse that retired after never winning in more than 100 tries. A similarly sluggish pace prevails in Albany, where what would should be a rather routine matter of awarding a casino contract seems beyond all collective capabilities.
Oh, there's wariness about how the Aqueduct Entertainment Group came so close to getting the casino contract earlier this year. New Yorkers deserve an answer to that vexing question, of course. But they're just as entitled to a state government that can find a qualified operator for an enterprise that's more critical than ever. By one estimate, reiterated by Joanne Yepsen of the Saratoga County Board of Supervisors, more than 35,000 racing-related jobs are at stake here.
NYRA's plight, meanwhile, is exacerbated by the bankruptcy filing by the New York City Off-Track Betting Corp., which owes NYRA $15 million. That money won't be there unless an OTB reorganization plan is approved by, yes, the state Legislature. The dismal straits at OTB add to the fearful speculation that the Saratoga meet could be in jeopardy.
To think that such summer splendor could be spoiled by legislative ineptitude.
Only in New York.
The issue:
Failure to produce any revenue from an Aqueduct casino puts racing at Saratoga in a bind.
The Stakes:
The threat extends to some key sectors of the region's economy.
To comment: tuletters@timesunion.com, or at http://blogs.timesunion.com/opinion
Privacy Rights | Terms of Service
All Times Union materials copyright 1996-2010, Capital Newspapers Division of The Hearst Corporation, Albany, NY
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