HISTORY LESSON: SARATOGA’S SLOW-AND-STEADY RISE TO FAME
BY FIELD HORNE
*{making a splash at victoria pool}
T H E CIT Y. T H E CU LT U R E. T HE LIFE.
FALL 2020
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JACK KNOWLTON JILL FISHON-KOVACHICK JOHN PARISELLA CATE MASTERSON CAROL DAGGS MAURA PULVER
f o t s e b thething issue! y r eve e t a m i t ul RD OUR 3AL U N AN
OGA SARATUIDE A2Z G
We Built This City
You’re in good hands, Saratoga! Charles V. Wait, Jr. and Gary Dake on rebuilding Saratoga... Again. By Will LEvith & natalie Moore photography by Dori Fitzpatrick
saratogaliving.com | @saratogaliving
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inside
FALL 2020
INTEGRITY. COMMUNITY. RESULTS.
FEATURES 30
HOW DID WE GET HERE ANYWAY? BY
FIELD HORNE
37
FAMILY BUSINESS p h o t o g r a p h y by
DORI FI TZPAT RI C K
Run This Town: Charles V. Wait, Jr. BY
WILL LEVITH
Last of His Kind: Gary Dake BY
NATALIE MOORE
48 T H E 2 0 2 0 U LT I M AT E S A R AT O G A A 2 Z G U I D E
the best of everything! BY
MORGAN FECHTER
58
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by
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DORI FI TZPAT RI C K
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GIDEON STRONG BY
NATALIE MOORE
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STUCK ON CLAY WITH JILL FISHON-KOVACHICK BY
KAREN BJORNLAND p h o t o g r a p h y by
FRAN C ES CO D’ A M I CO
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the front 17 It’s True We Think: Baseball’s Founding Myth Hits Home 22 17 The Numbers: Abner Doubleday and Cooperstown 18 Power Player: Cate Masterson 20 Buy This!: Saratoga Marketplace’s New Groove 21 Hot Date: National Ghost Hunting Day 22 Racing Royalty: 5 Questions With Jack Knowlton 24 Made In Saratoga: Father Time 25 Panel: Schools of Thought 26 Trainer: John Parisella 28 Survey Update: A Cleaner, Greener Saratoga Springs
5 Washington Street Cambridge $225,000
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935 MacArthur Drive Ballston Spa $469,900
132 Cedar Lane Indian Lake $275,000
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the Back 74 Saratoga After Dark 76 Décor 78 Hot Chef: Maura Pulver 80 Thirst: 550 Waterfront 83 Play: Crossword 83 Overheard
80
the END
84 Saratogian of the Month: Carol Daggs
84
(Masterson) DORI FITZPATRICK; (Knowlton) ARIANNA SPADONI; (Thirst) ALEX BAACKES; (Daggs) KATIE DOBIES
12 From the Editor 14 Letter from the CEO
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SMALL POOLS. BIG BENEFITS.
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Will Levith EDITORIAL DIRECTOR
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ON THE COVER Adirondack
Trust Company President and CEO Charles V. Wait, Jr. and Stewart’s Shops President Gary Dake, photographed by Dori Fitzpatrick exclusively for saratoga living. Shot on location outside of the Adirondack Trust Company’s Broadway headquarters in Saratoga Springs.
EDITOR AT LARGE
EDITORIAL INTERNS
Kathleen Gates Natalie Moore Linda Gates Morgan Fechter Brien Bouyea Susan Waldron Francesco D’Amico Katie Dobies Dori Fitzpatrick Susan Gates Jared LeBrecque Victoria Mangelli Gabrielle Vuillaume
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from the editor
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Will Levith EDITORIAL DIRECTOR
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⁄ JULY • AUGUST 2020
@willlevith
who was that masked man? (from left) Cover subjects Charles V. Wait, Jr. and Gary Dake chatting with Editorial Director Will Levith outside the Adirondack Trust Company’s Broadway headquarters in Saratoga.
DORI FITZPATRICK
hen the COVID-19 tornado touched down in Saratoga Springs this past March, my imagination began running wild. From my home office in Troy, where I had been sequestered, I pictured the Saratoga that the late Marylou Whitney had reportedly described when she first arrived there in 1958—the one through which you could roll a basketball and not hit a single person. And for a while this spring, Downtown Saratoga was pretty much a ghost town. But then, just a few short months later, when I was in town to pick up some copies of our latest combo issue of the magazine, I saw a city that, despite being hamstrung by a spectatorless Saratoga Race Course and no Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC) season, was brimming with socially distanced tourists and locals. (Though I wish more had been wearing masks.) It was the same old Saratoga. Which got me thinking: How did Saratoga get here? And maybe more importantly, how would Saratoga, which had long since shed its tumbleweed-y-ness, come back even stronger than before? We tried to answer those questions and more within these pages. Besides finding the results of our annual A2Z survey—in other words, the best of what Saratoga has to offer right now, voted on by you!—you’ll also discover a roadmap to the city, past and present, and more than a few hints as to what our future holds. You’ll find a comprehensive Saratoga timeline by local historian, author and former saratoga living co-owner Field Horne; a pair of features on two of the oldest family businesses in town—Stewart’s Shops and the Adirondack Trust Company— and their current leaders (our cover stars, Gary Dake and Charles V. Wait, Jr.); and the inside scoop on Saratoga’s most recent hero, Tiz the Law, who we’re rooting for, loudly, to take this year’s asterisk-free Triple Crown. With Labor Day looming in the headlights and winter just around the corner, it’s a better time than any to think about Saratoga’s next chapter. So, please keep on keeping your distance and wearing your mask, so that this time next year, everyone’ll be able to enjoy reading his or her copy of saratoga living between races at the track.
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fter our Design Issue came out amidst the lockdown, I wondered if we’d ever be able to do an in-person cover shoot again or throw another saratoga living party. I’m so relieved that with a few (mostly minor, some major) adjustments, we’ve resumed both. And just in time to appreciate the gorgeous late-summer weather and tail end of the track season, too. Huge thanks to the Saratoga Automobile Museum, which ushered saratoga living out into the world again, by partnering with us on our COVID-compliant, post-quarantine coming out party at Putnam Place, where we watched a day at the races on the club’s 17-foot screen. It was unanimous: Everyone was thrilled to get dressed up and get out there again! (Even if the party was smaller, there was no dancing, and you had to get your temperature checked on the way in.) It’s been so exciting watching the Saratoga meet, with all the hoopla surrounding Jack Knowlton and Sackatoga Stable. Tiz the season! Special thanks to Stewart's Shops President Gary Dake and Adirondack Trust Company President and CEO Charles V. Wait, Jr., for taking the time out of their busy schedules to talk about their families’ histories and their own role in Saratoga’s current reinvention. Not every town has a history so steeped in innovation and diversity of industry, and these leaders and others like them are why I have no doubt that Saratoga is again headed for success, somehow, some way, as we forge our comeback, despite the lingering pandemic. Speaking of Saratoga's vibrancy as we move into the fall and winter months, the newly renovated National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame is set to reopen imminently, and the Downtown Marketplace has a ton of new shops (and a wonderful, updated look!). And of course, The Kentucky Derby and The Preakness Stakes are finally here! You know I’m rooting for the home team.
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the front by the numbers
it’s true (we think)
Abner Doubleday and Cooperstown
Baseball’s Founding Myth Hits Home
1
Number of documented connections that have been made between Doubleday and baseball; in 1871, he wrote a letter asking his superiors to “purchase baseball implements for the amusement of the men” in his regiment
5
Age Colorado mining engineer Abner Graves would have been in 1839, when he allegedly witnessed Doubleday invent baseball
AB NER D O UB L EDAY MAY NOT H AVE INVENT ED AMERICA’ S PAST IME, B UT H E IS ST IL L T H E PRID E O F B AL L STO N S PA.
9,791
Number of seats at Cooperstown’s Doubleday Field, the site of the annual Hall of Fame game
BY NATAL IE MO O RE
17.1
Revenue, in millions of dollars, that the Hall, a nonprofit organization, earned in 2018
280,000
Average number of people who visit the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum each year
W
hile Abner Doubleday was no doubt a standup guy, one of the claims on a New York State historical marker outside his birthplace in Ballston Spa is most certainly untrue. Besides noting that he was a Civil War hero who fought in the Battle of Gettysburg in 1863, it also says that he founded the game of baseball 24 years prior in 1839. Yes, Doubleday was indeed born at 28 Washington Street in B-Spa on June 26, 1819; a major general in the Union Army;
civil ceremony Last year, Ballston Spa’s Brookside Museum celebrated the 200th birthday of Civil War hero Abner Doubleday.
and a hero at Gettysburg. Inventor of baseball, though? Not so much. The story goes that, a decade and a half after Doubleday’s death, a special commission created by A.G. Spalding sought to investigate baseball’s origins. Unwilling to accept the fact that “America’s Pastime” evolved from English-born games such as cricket and rounders, the commission took the word of a Colorado mining engineer that Doubleday came up with the game in Cooperstown in 1839. In reality, Doubleday was 140 miles away
1,762
Population of Cooperstown, which was chosen as the site of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and where Abner Doubleday purportedly invented baseball
at West Point and died not knowing he would be immortalized as the founder of baseball. Baseball’s founding myth was almost immediately debunked, but that hasn’t stopped Doubleday from posthumously attaining celebrity status in the baseball world and superstar status in Ballston Spa: The Brookside Museum even hosted a 200th birthday party for the late general in 2019. Because, founder of baseball or not, Doubleday was a bona fide war hero and a man any town would be proud to call its own.
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the front
Saratoga From the High 400’s
master(son’s) mind “We think it’s a masterpiece,” Masterson says of the museum’s exquisite, emotional new film, What It Takes: Journey to the Hall of Fame, now showing on a 360-degree screen in the museum.
power player
Racing to the Finish
CATE M ASTERSON I S COOL-H EADEDLY S E E IN G SA RATOGA’ S NATI ONAL RACIN G M U SEUM AND H ALL OF FAME THR OU G H ITS GRAND REOPENI NG. BY A BBY TE GNEL I A PHOTO GRA P H Y BY DORI FITZPATRI CK
W
hen New York was ordered to hunker down in March, the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame was knee-deep in a long-awaited renovation project, its first in 20 years. But even as it became
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clear that the museum wouldn’t reopen in time for the Saratoga Race Course summer meet as planned, the Museum’s incredibly even-keeled director, Cate Masterson, took it as well as anybody possibly could. “COVID put us back 12 weeks,” says Masterson of the project that at press time was rescheduled for a September
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5 unveiling. “But everyone on staff had the most positive attitude. Teams from out of state had to quarantine for two weeks, but everyone just said, ‘We’ll make up some time.’ No one ever said it couldn’t be done. Everyone was willing to do whatever it took in a short amount of time.” Masterson has a long history of staying cool under pressure. In college, she interned at Ed Lewi Associates (the New York Racing Association didn’t have an internship program, so the track’s PR firm was the next best thing). In a now-famous story, Lewi himself once returned to the office, and Masterson rattled off a list of messages he needed to return and meetings he was called to attend. “He laughed,” Masterson says. “He told me no one had ever told him what to do before.” The confident, detail-oriented whippersnapper went on to work at the agency for eight years after graduation, before moving on to eight years for famed horse trainer Kiaran McLaughlin. Then the museum came knocking. Even though it was her first foray into the world of nonprofits, it seemed like a perfect fit for the horse racing diehard who had begged her parents for a day at the track for her 16th birthday. “I remember going into the museum for the first time,” she says. “It was such an amazing, beautiful place. I knew a lot of the members and a lot of Hall of Fame inductees.” In August 2016, she was hired as director of development, which put to use a lot of the events and customer service skills she had learned while working in public relations. Two years later, she became interim director and was appointed director in April of last year. “Everything is fixable,” she says of her focused leadership style, which
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plaque to the future The renovations include new e-plaques, with videos and more for each Hall of Fame inductee, who are often still out winning major stakes races. “Now that the plaques are digital,” says Masterson, “we can update them.”
spans from owning up to mistakes to not leaving a job until you’ve thoroughly trained your replacement and spotlighting the importance of teamwork. “It’s never dull,” she says of her time at the museum. “I absolutely love it.”
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the front hot date: september 26
Scare-a-Toga County
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H OW TO C EL EB RAT E NAT IO NAL G H O ST H UNT ING DAY IN T H E AREA. n BY TO RI MANG EL L I
S
pooky season is right around the corner, Saratoga, and in a city as old as ours, there’s bound to be some spirits lurking around. Check out one of these haunted Spa City spots this September 26, National Ghost Hunting Day.
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1
buy this!
Saratoga Marketplace’s New Groove YOU R N E X T S H OPPING SPREE BEGI NS O N B ROA DWAY. n BY NATAL I E MOORE
B
ig things have been going on at the Saratoga Marketplace since the COVID-19 pandemic began this spring. Thanks to owners Mark Straus and Thomas Gardner, who wisely tackled the project of restoring the historic property while it was closed to customers, the indoor shopping center got a facelift. The mini-mall,
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located at 454 Broadway, now boasts a fresh coat of paint, a restored tin ceiling and new light fixtures, as well as a revamped space for outdoor dining at Comfort Kitchen and the Marketplace’s neighboring establishments, The Night Owl and Tatu Tacos & Tequila. But that’s not all: A handful of new retailers, including Saratoga Chocolate Company’s first
⁄ SEPTEMBER • OCTOBER 2020
brick-and-mortar store, have opened shop there since lockdown. We stopped by the Marketplace before the chocolatier was open, but the other shops proved to be treasure troves filled with exciting goodies like these ones: 1. VINTAGE SCHOOL CHART Pangea $52
Calling all self-proclaimed science geeks! Fill your home with some vintage school-house charm: Hang a world map or periodic table of elements on your wall. 2. BOCCE’S BAKERY AWESOME DOG TREATS Bella & Lindy Saratoga’s Pet Boutique $7
Spoil your pup with treats from Bocce’s Bakery. Choose from flavors such as Burgers & Fries, Bedtime Tea, Pumpkin Cheesecake and Buffalo Wings. All treats are made with ingredients you can count on one paw!
5 3. PRINTED TEA TOWELS Betsy Olmsted Designs $26
Renowned textile designer Betsy Olmsted, whose work has been featured in Country Living, House Beautiful and HGTV magazines, recently opened a brick-and-mortar store in the Marketplace, where she sells pillows, scarves and whimsical tea towels featuring her own unique prints.
RON COGSWELL
4
BATCHELLER MANSION INN Book a night at the Batcheller Mansion Inn—if you dare! A haunted hotel that dates back to 1873, the inn has been the sight
of reports of supernatural activity, including random puffs of air and objects moving on their own. THE CANFIELD CASINO Visitors at the Canfield Casino, which has been featured on Syfy’s Ghost Hunters and the Travel Channel's Most Terrifying Places, have reported multiple sightings of a Victorian woman, the smell of cigar smoke, objects moving and cold drafts.
grant frighter Visitors to Grant Cottage have spotted faces in the upstairs window, ghosts and a Victorian-era woman alongside the road.
It’s suspected that one of the previous owners, Reubena Walworth, as well as the casino’s founder, John Morrissey, are still roaming around the historic building’s halls. GRANT COTTAGE Spirits from what was once a hospital for tuberculosis patients are said to have traveled down from Mount McGregor to the
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home where former president Ulysses S. Grant lived his last days. SARATOGA NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK The Saratoga National Historical Park is where many soldiers on both sides lost their lives during the turning point of the American Revolution, and many of their spirits are reported to remain there today. Visitors have heard horses running and seen odd green lights, as well as uniformed soldiers in the park and nearby road.
the front and Travers. This amazing horse has accomplished more than we could ever imagine already, but we are certainly hopeful about what could still be ahead.
laying down the law After winning both the Belmont Stakes and Travers Stakes with Tiz the Law, Sackatoga Stable Managing Partner Jack Knowlton (right) has what he’s calling the “Quadruple Crown” in his sights.
In 2003, the Sackatoga partners rode in a school bus to Louisville for the Derby. Will that be the method of transport this time around? There’s no question about it. Everybody would be really disappointed if we didn’t go to Churchill on the school bus. It may be two buses this year because of social distancing. We’re certainly going to keep with that tradition, and if we are successful, we’ll be riding to Baltimore [for the Preakness] the same way.
Knowlton, who has been a Saratoga Springs resident since 1984, first arrived on the national stage in 2003, when he and his partners’ other gutsy New York–bred gelding Funny Cide won the Derby and Preakness Stakes during an Eclipse Award– winning season. Seventeen years later, Sackatoga has another shot at a Triple—no, Quadruple, as Knowlton puts it below—Crown. saratoga living talked with Knowlton about his prized Thoroughbred’s chances.
5 Questions for Jack Knowlton
TI Z THE LAW CO-OWNER JACK KNOWLTO N O N A LLOWI N G H I M SE LF TO DRE A M O F TRIPL E—NO, “QUADRUP LE ” —C R OWN GLO RY. BY BRIE N BOUYEA
S
till riding the wave of Tizmania? Jack Knowlton, managing partner of Sackatoga Stable, certainly is. In this most nontraditional of racing seasons, during which not a single spectator has set foot in Saratoga Race Course and the Triple Crown series has been mixed up like a shell game, Knowlton’s New York–
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bred Tiz the Law has been making the COVID-19 crisis a little more manageable for local racing fans. After taking the Belmont Stakes in June, Tiz the Law went on to a commanding victory in the Travers Stakes in early August. And now, the day after this latest edition of saratoga living hits newsstands, Tiz will feature prominently in the Kentucky Derby on September 5.
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You’ve had an amazing run so far with Tiz the Law. Can you put into words what this whole experience with him has meant to you? It’s absolutely beyond belief that we are in this position. I never could have imagined we’d have another horse on the level of Funny Cide to compete in and win the biggest 3-year-old races. Our biggest disappointments were not winning the Belmont and not being able to run in the Travers with Funny Cide, but we got redemption in both with Tiz the Law. It’s been a spectacular and surreal experience to be back competing at this level. We’re enjoying every second of it. The Kentucky Derby is up next on September 5. Have you let yourself dream about the Triple Crown, or are you just worrying about the next race? Well, it’s [trainer Barclay Tagg’s] job to focus on the next race, and the owners get to do the dreaming. We’re actually dreaming of a “Quadruple Crown,” thanks to the Travers win. Tiz has done so much already. No horse has ever won the combination of the Champagne, Florida Derby, Belmont
CHELSEA DURAND
racing royalty
Can you tell me what trainer Barclay Tagg and assistant Robin Smullen have meant to your partnership throughout the years? They mean everything. They’re more than just the people who train and take care of our horses. It’s been a special relationship. They’re also our bloodstock advisors and they handle all the little details so well. They have decades of experience and expertise. They are true horse people, and nothing comes before the care and development of the horses. They are absolutely the most essential part of our operation. Sackatoga has traditionally been a small partnership that has focused on purchasing just a few New York–breds each year. Have you thought about expanding your reach due to Tiz the Law’s success? There’s been an incredible amount of interest in Sackatoga Stable because of Tiz’s success. I love bringing new people into the game, and we try to make it affordable. We have seven horses right now and bought three 2-year-olds in training. I don’t see us getting really big. An eight-horse stable is about as big as we want to get, but we’ll see how opportunities develop. We’re enjoying the ride with Tiz right now and hopefully we get to enjoy it for a while longer.
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518-321-2736
Joel Pasqualino, PARENT, SARATOGA INDEPENDENT SCHOOL (SIS)
WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE PLAN?
Temperature checking all students, practicing social distancing and maskwearing when not seated, and holding classes outside whenever possible.
I’m against forcing children to wear masks at all. If SIS decides that kids will need to wear masks even while seated, there’s a good chance we will pull our daughter out of school.
In person.
I’m concerned about the longterm effects on children not allowed to behave as children.
Not being able to interact with her friends as normal and after-school activities like dance and Odyssey of the Mind.
Hybrid learning with the option to be fully virtual.
It’s a good plan because it gets students back into school but there’s still the option of being online for those not comfortable.
Hybrid, which will be a fourday rotation schedule with two days at school, two days at home.
Not having a full senior year experience.
Sports and not being able to go to Friday night football games.
I don’t remember that.
It’s gonna be weird, but better than last year because I don’t like being home all the time doing work.
Hybrid of both.
Not a lot.
I won’t be able to be on the bus.
Phased-in approach for in-person/ hybrid learning.
I would like to see our district spend time and energy focusing their efforts on creating a strong online learning program while supporting atrisk kids.
Virtually—our kids are older, and I work from home, so we are fortunate to have the option to keep them home.
The mental/ psychological effects on kids. Being so isolated from their friends and their routines has already taken a toll.
Being with friends, participating in sports/activities, having the structure and stimulation of in-class learning.
Claire Isaksen,
Brayden Kershaw, seventh-grader, Ballston Spa Middle School
Rachelle Booth,
parent, Saratoga Springs High School
WHAT WILL YOU OR YOUR CHILD MISS MOST ABOUT TRADITIONAL SCHOOLING?
BRIEFLY DESCRIBE YOUR SCHOOL’S PLAN FOR THE FALL.
senior, Burnt Hills– Ballston Lake High School
LIBRARY OF CONGRESS
CUSTOMER SERVICE IS OUR PRIORITY
ver start to call a friend in California, only to remember it was way too early in the morning for them to answer? The system that makes the West Coast officially three hours behind the East Coast was invented by a Saratogian. A Popular Astronomy article from 1942, aptly titled “The Inventor of Standard Time,” tells the story of Charles Ferdinand Dowd, a Saratogian and the man many experts have come to agree was the first to propose the time system used by the entirety of planet Earth’s inhabitants. It all started with the construction of in the zone America’s nationwide In 1870, railroad system, Charles which didn’t work Ferdinand so smoothly in the Dowd beginning since each proposed station operated on its what are now time zones. own local time. In 1870, Dowd, who was the coprincipal of the Temple Grove Seminary in Saratoga Springs, conceived of a plan in which the US was broken up into four “hour sections,” each of which would span 15 degrees of longitude. Eventually, his plan was adopted in 1883. Dowd wasted no time in going to work toward developing an international Standard Time system but, during his research, his life was cut short when he was hit by a train. Tragically, his time had come.
WILL YOU OR YOUR CHILD BE ATTENDING SCHOOL IN PERSON, VIRTUALLY OR A HYBRID OF BOTH?
WHAT ARE YOU MOST WORRIED ABOUT?
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the front angel guardian Retired horse trainer John Parisella is still in touch with Hall of Fame jockey Ángel Cordero, Jr.; (inset) the cover of Parisella’s memoir, Trainer to the Stars.
boy, you’re so and so,’” he says about the stars he met. “They found me entertaining.” Let’s see what Parisella remembers about the good ol’ days. ÁNGEL CORDERO, JR. “I love him. He did most of my riding for me in Saratoga. He still sends me videos of winning on my horses, which is so special to me.” Despite being only two years apart, Cordero calls Parisella “Papa.”
trainer
Star-Studded Memories
R E TIRED H ORSE TRAI NER J OHN PA R I SE LLA LO O KS BACK AT A L I FETIME OF SH ARING H I S LOV E O F R AC I N G WI T H HOL LYWOOD I CONS. n BY A B BY T E GN E LI A
L
ike so many other horse racing fans, retired trainer John Parisella didn't make the annual pilgrimage to Saratoga this season. In fact, until this year, he’d come every year for 40 years. “It’s a special place to me, in my heart,” says the native Brooklynite, now 79 and living on Long Island. “To see it with no fans is sad to me.” When his stepdaughter, Real Housewives alum Bethenny Frankel, and daughter, Gabby Vaughan, were little, he brought them with him, inspiring Frankel to write in one of her books that Saratoga was
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her “very favorite” memory of her childhood. And his daughter? “We were just texting about missing going to the Wishing Well this year,” he says. “She used to love coming and sitting in the box. Her picture once made the front page of The Saratogian.” His memories are also flooded with snapshots of a more high-roller lifestyle, which his uncle, Don Rickles’ manager, introduced him to and which he reminisces about in his memoir, Trainer to the Stars, by Denny Dressman. (It can be found at Northshire Bookstore and also on northshire.com.) “I’m not the kind of guy who’s like, ‘Oh,
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JOHNNY CARSON It was on The Tonight Show that actor Jack Klugman dubbed Parisella “Trainer to the Stars,” but his favorite memory happened backstage. “I was sitting with Jimmy Stewart getting my makeup on, and I said to him, ‘What am I doing sitting next to you—you’re an icon!’ He was such a quiet, conservative guy, so nice. He said, ‘No, no, no.’” DON RICKLES “He always pulled me to the side to rag on my uncle. He was always being funny, busting my chops. I named a horse after him.” Don Rickles, the horse, won his first maiden race and placed in his first stakes race, the Hopeful Stakes, at Saratoga. Rickles, the comedian, remained “too cheap” (Parisella wrote in the book) to invest in any horses of his own. JAMES CAAN “I lived with Jimmy in Beverly Hills. It was a fun time. He loved horses. I trained for him in New York. When we arrived at the track, everybody would go crazy when he walked in, especially the women.” MICKEY MANTLE “He wasn’t really into horses, but he liked listening to my horse stories. People love horse stories. I love football, and when I meet a football player, I want to ask them
real horsewife Retired trainer John Parisella used to take his stepdaughter, Real Housewives alum Bethenny Frankel to the races at Saratoga.
about football—but they just want more horse stories! It was that way with Mickey and baseball. We hung out a lot together.” FRANK SINATRA “He would always say, ‘Us Italians have to stick together.’ He wasn’t into horse racing, but he asked me to take his mother one time. So I did! I took her to Santa Anita. She loved it.” RICK PITINO “My daughter’s godfather. He was a huge horse owner and one of the best friends I’ve ever had. I’ve named a lot of horses after him and his teams! We were so close that he sat me in his seat at the Knicks games [when he coached the team].” HUGH HEFNER “The biggest egomaniac I ever met. I got thrown out of the Playboy Mansion—and barred—because he came in, and I had been talking to [Hef’s girlfriend] Barbi Benton too long. We were just talking!” HOWARD STERN “The only celebrity I found obnoxious and arrogant; one of the few people I’ve met in my life like that. I sold my house to him. Then I stopped talking to him; it was my doing.” BONO “Bono is all class. His favorite singer is Frank Sinatra. I took him to a charity event at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. Don Rickles was the opening act for Sinatra. I got Bono backstage. The next year they did a duet together on Frank Sinatra’s first duet album.”
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survey update
A Cleaner, Greener Saratoga Springs O UTDO O R RE C REATION AND VISIBLE C LE A N I N G: THE N A M E OF TH E GAME, POST-COVID. BY N ATA LIE M OORE
veryone who lives in or has visited Saratoga Springs knows it’s a tourist town. Sure, there’s a healthy cohort of locals who keep the economy chugging along in the offseason months, but summer— specifically, track season—is when local businesses make the big bucks. So, when the COVID-19 crisis took the Spa City’s moneymaker away, the future didn’t look all that bright. Not about to roll over and let Saratoga’s peak season go to waste, the Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce got to work. It commissioned Mind Genomics, a Saratogabased company that uses machine learning to identify
consumer preferences for big-time clients such as IBM and Amazon, to figure out how to get tourists to town, despite the absence of fans at the track and canceled classical and Live Nation seasons at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center. The results of the survey, which were released on July 8, concluded that 71 percent of respondents were “very likely” to visit Saratoga County over the six months, granted that safety protocols were in place at local establishments and there were ample opportunities for outdoor recreation. Based on those data, the chamber put together a multiplatform, countywide advertising campaign called Feel the Freedom. “The
chamber of secrets Two Saratoga Chamber signs that cleverly use the name of local equine celebrity Tiz the Law to promote social distancing and mask-wearing; (opposite) Chamber President Todd Shimkus announcing the results of the county’s survey at a July 8 press conference.
FRANCESCO D'AMICO
the front
content we created was all about outdoors,” Chamber President Todd Shimkus says. “Outdoor dining, outdoor breweries, boating, running, hiking, mountains, lakes. In the couple of cases where we showed businesses either in Ballston Spa or in Schuylerville, all of the employees were wearing masks, because
that was the other thing that the data said people wanted to see.” Over the next month and a half, the campaign, spread out over TV, digital and social media ad space, garnered more than five million impressions. Now, the big question is whether the survey and resulting campaign were effective. “We definitely
know that hotel occupancy in Saratoga Springs and Saratoga County, July versus June, was higher,” says Shimkus. Speaking of hotels, Shimkus also says that because of the survey, many hospitality providers have changed their M.O. “Previously, customer service would’ve been making sure you’re welcoming people,
asking them if they need anything, helping them, serving them. And that sort of switched. Now, they all knew when people walked into a hotel lobby, they wanted to see people cleaning. So that’s what they have people doing in many of the hotels. There are just people constantly out front, in the open—broad daylight— cleaning, because that’s what people want to see.” It remains to be seen whether that 71 percent of survey respondents— roughly 2,300 people— actually come to Saratoga County before the end of the year. But one thing’s for certain: A cleaner, greener Saratoga is something 100 percent of anybody can get behind.
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A L O N G L O O K AT T H E S L O W B U R N T H AT I S S A R AT O G A’ S R I S E T O F A M E .
1700 1771
High Rock Spring, long known to the Mohawk Indian tribe, is “discovered” by European Americans
1773
The first log structure to house visitors is built
1822
Newspaper publisher Gideon M. Davison produces the first local guidebook for people traveling to Saratoga’s springs
1832
The railroad from Schenectady reaches Saratoga, giving the village a chance to compete on an equal basis with neighbor Ballston Spa
1783
Gen. Philip Schuyler begins camping here; George Washington attempts to buy High Rock Spring six years before becoming president
HOW DID WE GET HERE ANYWAY?
1793
The Livingston family has streets and lots surveyed around the present Rock Street and Maple Avenue
1800 1802 Gideon Putnam builds Putnam’s Tavern, Saratoga’s first hotel 1811
BY FIELD HORNE
Gideon Putnam levies a commission on bottlers of Congress Spring
(Putnam's Tavern) LESEUR
ome wasn’t built in a day—and neither was Saratoga Springs. The Spa City, now world famous for its “health, history and horses,” is a true Upstate New York standout. It all started, as one might guess, with the “discovery” of a spring—High Rock Spring to be exact—and from Mother Nature’s kicking off point, human initiative took over. Investments by residents, entrepreneurship and sometimes stubborn determination have been the sources of Saratoga’s success from the 1790s until the present day. Knowing that our past is essential to our ability to meet modern challenges (stink eye on you, pandemic), think of the events of this timeline as the building blocks that created the Saratoga we’ve come to love–and love to fight for.
1841
Solomon Northup, who was living in Saratoga, is kidnapped and sold into slavery; his profound account of the experience, Twelve Years a Slave, later becomes a best-selling book and an Oscar-winning movie, 2013’s 12 Years a Slave
1819
Saratoga Springs becomes a town independent of the Town of Saratoga
IMAGES COURTESY OF THE GEORGE S. BOLSTER COLLECTION, SARATOGA SPRINGS HISTORY MUSEUM
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saratogaliving.com 31
1849
1915
Abolitionist Frederick Douglass gives a lecture in Saratoga, the first of several appearances over the years
1861
The Civil War begins; at a recruitment depot at Nelson Avenue and Gridley Street, hundreds of local men volunteer to fight the Confederacy
1912
The state creates a “trunk highway” through town, from New York to Montréal, which eventually becomes US Route 9 in 1926
1877
1863
1894
The Adelphi Hotel opens
Thoroughbred racing begins; Saratoga Race Course is built the following year
Saratoga’s springs are tapped to make carbonic acid gas for soda fountains; increasing extraction soon threatens their existence
1885
Civil War hero and former US President Ulysses S. Grant dies at Mount McGregor, focusing national attention on Saratoga
1911
Skidmore School of Arts begins operation, becoming Skidmore College in 1922
1870
John Morrissey opens the Club House, now the Canfield Casino, inaugurating high-class gambling in town
1895
Saratoga Hospital opens in response to the needs of visitors for emergency care
1874
1900
Union Hall expands to become the Grand Union Hotel, and the United States Hotel and Congress Hall are rebuilt in massive scale
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1894
The first motor car is seen in town
1921
Brothers Percy and Charles V. Dake begin making Dake’s Delicious Ice Cream; in 1945 they open what is considered the first Stewart’s Shops location
1923
The first black-owned business opens on Congress Street, which becomes a vibrant black business neighborhood until it is destroyed by urban renewal
The Adirondack Trust Company is founded by Edgar T. Brackett, a New York State senator. (racing) WINSLOW HOMER
1875
Thomas Edison considers Saratoga as the site for what would become General Electric, but settles instead on Schenectady
1915
A city government, with far greater powers than town and village, is chartered
1901
1887
Congress Park is redesigned by famed landscape architects Frederick Law Olmstead and Calvert Vaux
32 saratoga living
1909
When spring owners ignore the prohibition, a state reservation bill is signed to acquire mineral springs for state ownership, thus founding Saratoga’s State Park
Daniel Chester French’s Spirit of Life statue, Saratoga’s most important public artwork, is dedicated in Congress Park in memory of financier Spencer Trask, who cofounded Yaddo with his author wife, Katrina
1908
In response to Saratoga’s springs drying up, the state passes the Anti-Pumping Act to prevent the sale of gas from mineral springs
1926
Artists’ retreat Yaddo opens
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saratogaliving.com 33
1935
1961
The Saratoga Spa State Park—an expansion of the State Reservation with magnificent, newly built facilities— opens to the public
1963
Skidmore College breaks ground on its new campus
1960
Caffè Lena opens and soon welcomes Bob Dylan, among other early folk luminaries
1950
Gambling is shut down by the state; a grand jury investigation follows
1953
1966
Construction begins on the city’s first large suburban development, Geyser Crest
The historic preservation movement is formalized and begins to attract new residents to restore longneglected houses Saratoga’s Visitor Center opens its doors
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The Saratoga City Center opens with a modern hotel attached
1977
1978
1960
1984
The Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC) opens
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1946
Saratoga appoints its first planning board
The Grand Union Hotel, the last of the thousand-room Victorian hotels, is taken down
2016
Pitney Meadows Community Farm is purchased by a nonprofit organization
The Adirondack Northway is built and opens to traffic two years later
The Saratoga Convention and Tourism Bureau is formed to develop year-round tourism
1998
The first issue of saratoga living hits local newsstands
2000 2010
The world-class Arthur Zankel Music Center Hall opens at Skidmore
2016
The opening of the Saratoga Casino Hotel provides increased funding to save harness racing
2020
2016
A change in leadership at SPAC inaugurates a contemporary vision for the nonprofit, which embraces its natural environment and broadens its offerings
2017
Saratoga Hospital affiliates with Albany Medical Center
A new downtown performance venue, Universal Preservation Hall (UPH), opens less than a month before the COVID-19 lockdown is ordered on March 20; it reopens with a temporary pinball machine exhibit on July 26, following Saratoga’s downtown grand reopening on June 3
cover story
FAMILY TIES GETTING DOWN TO BUSINESS WITH THE LEADING MEN OF S T E WA R T ’ S S H O P S A N D T H E A D I R O N D A C K T R U S T C O M PA N Y.
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lot has changed about Saratoga Springs since I was a kid coasting down Second Street on my skateboard. Restaurants, shops, hotels, apartment buildings and parking garages have mushroomed up over the past 40 years, obscuring the version of the city that has lived deep in my memory. It didn’t help that I moved away to New York City for 14 years and only caught glimpses of the city’s rapid development while I was home for the holidays or the occasional track day. When my wife and I finally resettled in the Capital Region four years ago, the Saratoga where I’d grown up looked a lot different. Yes, the city has changed a lot in four decades, but there are a number of Saratoga landmarks that bring that old, childhood memory of it rushing back. Now that I’ve traded in that skateboard for a Subaru, when I’m driving through town, it’s not really “home” until I see the majestic white-marble façade of the Adirondack Trust Company on the corner of Broadway and Church Street and happen upon my first Stewart’s shop. I opened my first bank account at the Adirondack Trust, a rite of passage for many a young Saratogian. And ask my wife about the latter; early on in our upstate resettlement, I took her on a date to get a Stewart’s ice cream sundae. There’s something magical about that stuff. It so happens that Stewart’s Shops and the Adirondack Trust are two of the oldest family-run businesses in town—the key, there, being “family run.” A succession of Dake men has run Stewart’s, while a similar one of Wait men has helmed the bank. But the two families’ community ties run deeper than simply doling out cones and handling greenbacks: The two families have had a direct hand in developing the Saratoga that exists today, the one that, despite a global pandemic mucking up the works, will no doubt reemerge stronger than ever. And their two current leaders—Gary Dake, president of Stewart’s, and Charles V. Wait, Jr., president and CEO of the Adirondack Trust—whom we have profiled in the pages that follow, have proudly carried the torch for their respective families. Indeed, Saratoga is in good hands. –Will Levith
The holidays are only a few short months away! This year,
saratoga living & CAPITAL REGION LIVING are joining together to HONOR 10 LOCAL NONPROFITS/CHARITIES and the people who support them. Be sure to pick up a copy of our Giving issue in early December, and save the date for our
CAPITAL REGION GIVES BACK
bank on it President and CEO of the Adirondack Trust Company Charles V. Wait, Jr. (left) and President of Stewart’s Shops Gary Dake photographed inside Wait’s bank in Saratoga.
fundraising event on DECEMBER 10. PHOTOGRAPHY BY
D O R I F I T Z PAT R I C K
E X C L U S I V E LY F O R
saratoga living
cover story
RUN THIS TOWN
T H E A D I R O N D A C K T R U S T C O M PA N Y ’ S C H A R L E S V. WA I T, J R . H A S TA K E N T H E R E I N S O F T H E F A M I LY B U S I N E S S AT A C R I T I C A L T I M E I N M O D E R N S A R AT O G A H I S T O R Y. A N D H E ’ S C R U S H I N G I T.
By Will Levith
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(Adirondack Trust interior) COURTESY OF THE ADIRONDACK TRUST COMPANY
D
uring the height of lockdown, with 77 days still to go before Saratoga Race Course was set to open its annual summer meet on July 16, 2020, Charles V. Wait, Sr., chairman of the board of directors at the Adirondack Trust Company—who had previously served on the board of the New York Racing Association (NYRA) for three decades and had run the Adirondack Trust Company for even longer—published a letter directed at New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, asking him to consider allowing a limited number of spectators into the track. Just days earlier, the governor had singled out Saratoga’s racetrack as an “attractive nuisance,” or large venue that, assuming his predictions were correct, would quickly transform into a giant petri dish if fans were allowed in, sending the region’s (and state’s) COVID-19 infection rates through the roof. “There is such a pent-up demand to get out of the house and do something,” said Cuomo at the time. “If you open the Saratoga racetrack, I guarantee you [see] the highest attendance in [its] history.” Any other year—any other year—a record number of racing fans would’ve meant pay dirt for the area. But this year, the year a deadly virus swept across New York and felled more than 30,000 people—more than 175,000 and counting nationwide—record numbers of fans could’ve only led, in the governor’s mind, to more sickness and death. If anyone in Saratoga Springs was best suited to address the city’s greatest modern-day dilemma—and defend its honor to the head of the state—it was Wait. Having been an integral part of Saratoga’s community since the early ’70s, when he was working at his father’s bank and downtown was a jumble of vacant storefronts, Wait was keenly aware of what a spectator-less track season might mean for the city at large. Still a month before Cuomo’s Reopening Plan kicked off and on a day that reported 4,663 new cases statewide, Wait was the Saratogian with the experience and gravitas to appeal to the Governor about keeping future options open even if
wait for it A look at the inside of the bank’s Broadway headquarters in Saratoga; (opposite) Adirondack Trust Company President and CEO Charles V. Wait, Jr., standing in front of the bank’s vault.
things then looked bleak. Next, he offered the reassurance we didn’t know we needed. “We agree that public health protection must come first,” he wrote, “and in the event that it is demonstrably unsafe to allow the public at the track this summer, it is important for us to keep things in perspective. Saratoga has survived worse, and it will survive this. Saratoga and the track survived the Civil War and the Great Depression. During World War II, racing was suspended for three years, and in the 1950s, casino gambling was shut down. The great people of this community came together during each of these challenges, and Saratoga will continue to thrive once the pandemic has run its course.” Saratogians are now privy to what has happened since Wait’s letter made the rounds. At press time, COVID-19 cases and deaths have flattened out considerably in New York—but have continued to spike in a number of other states. Not a single fan has set foot in the track, both the classical and Live Nation seasons have been canceled at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC), bars and restaurants have reopened but to drastically reduced capacity, and downtown boutiques and all other manner of commerce have seen greatly reduced foot traffic. But paraphrasing Wait’s letter, it could’ve been a lot worse, and Saratoga is now in survival mode—and in many cases, thriving, despite the restrictions. “I’m very encouraged by the people that we’re seeing in Downtown Saratoga now, and I think with Skidmore coming back, that will help,” Wait told me on August 11. “Nobody’s flush, but they’re surviving, and I think they’ll continue to survive.” Of course, when Wait published that letter on May 1, he hadn’t been running the Adirondack Trust for years. But it was in highly capable hands.
W
ait’s eldest son, 38-year-old Charles V. Wait, Jr., took over as president and CEO of the Adirondack Trust this past February, succeeding Stephan von Schenk, who had assumed the role of president in 2014 after the elder Wait stepped down (von Schenk didn’t add CEO to his title until 2017). Of course, no one could’ve predicted the trial-by-conflagration that awaited the younger Wait. “It’s been a little bit crazy,” he says, of his first several months on the job. “Nobody wants to live in times like these, but you don’t get to decide that. The only thing you get to decide—and I’m paraphrasing Gandalf [from Lord of the Rings] here—is what you do with the time you’re
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wait staff Adirondack Trust Company President and CEO Charles V. Wait, Jr., with Assistant Treasurer Deann Devitt, at a teller station at the bank’s Broadway headquarters (the two worked together years prior at the bank’s Church Street branch).
given.” Wait is by no means a newbie to the family business. Prior to college, he worked as a teller at his father’s bank but remembers telling patrons that he wasn’t interested in pursuing a career in banking. When he entered Cornell University in 2000, he had his sights set on becoming a clinical psychologist and got the necessary bachelor’s degree. But after sitting in on just one graduate seminar, he realized that he wasn’t cut out for it after all. So, he got a law degree. That left turn proved short-lived as well. “Here,” Wait says, referring to the bank, “there’s a sense of purpose. I can go downtown and see people whose businesses this bank has helped build and homes we’ve helped get, and you can see the development of the community. That’s hard to see when you’re a litigator.” And in an about-face that would’ve probably shocked his much younger bank-teller self, Wait officially joined the Adirondack Trust in 2009 as vice president of legal and regulatory affairs and was eventually promoted to executive vice president in 2013, before ascending to his current position earlier this year. Despite the pandemic, Wait’s very much a cup-half-full kind of guy. “As a bank, you’re set up favorably for this type of situation, because you’ve got a drive-through, a walk-up window, ATMs and online transactions,” he says. “So you can continue to service your customers while at the same time, protect them from the pandemic.” Although the bank and its
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250 employees were deemed “essential” from the get-go, when the majority of the state and its businesses shut down, the Broadway bank made its lobby open by appointment only and put in place all of the health/safety protocols that any other Saratoga business has had to install. (It also has an additional 12 branches throughout the area.) Walk in the front door of its flagship 473 Broadway branch, for instance, and you’ll find employees decked out in PPE, plastic barriers between tellers and customers, and hand sanitizer dispensers everywhere. The bank even had Saratoga Hospital come in and determine whether it was meeting all of its COVID-19 safety protocols. “My number one focus throughout this has been the safety of the employees and customers,” Wait says. “Because you can’t help people if you don’t have healthy people.” Many of those customers that have relied most acutely on the bank during these particularly trying times have been Saratoga’s small businesses—including saratoga living. And the bank’s been right in the middle of the malaise, helping administer multiple millions of dollars of the Small Business Administration’s (SBA’s) Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans, one of which our company secured. “The nice thing about us is that we’re an SBA lender to begin with,” says Wait, “so we have some people who are very familiar with the SBA and the systems used to process these loans. We actually
translated some of the experience from the disaster lending to the city, bringing year-round jobs to a community that had that the SBA did back in 2008 and parlayed that into the been largely focused on its seasonal racetrack. Wait’s greatability to get these loans done quite quickly. So we had a lot grandfather, Newman E. Wait, Sr., helped finance Skidmore of happy customers.” (Needless to say, that includes us, too.) College in the late ’50s and early ’60s, when it was in trouble In all, the bank funded $102.5 million worth of PPP loans for of going out of business. The Adirondack Trust also financed local businesses. the Holiday Inn, which opened in 1964 and became the Certainly, the Adirondack Trust didn’t just dole out PPP city’s first modern-era hotel; helped put together the funding loans and rest on its laurels; it has a vested interest in making package for the Saratoga City Center in 1965; and then, of sure that Saratoga survives the course, financed SPAC, which crisis. And it’s personal for Wait; opened its doors a year later, he’s a native Saratogian and adding rocket fuel to an already the fourth generation of Wait burgeoning Saratoga arts scene to head up the bank, joining his (you can thank Wait’s grandfather, father, grandfather and greatNewman E. “Pete” Wait, Jr., for that grandfather, who have all held trio of institutions). Additionally, the position during the bank’s 119the bank played an integral role year history. So, in a way, Wait is in the Saratoga County Chamber keeping up his end of the bargain of Commerce’s so-called “Plan of for the “family business”—though Action” in the early ’70s, which he’s quick to define it more as both Wait’s father and Stewart’s a hybrid business, with all of Shops’ William “Bill” Dake were the policies, procedures and involved in, helping to revitalize structures that any big New York Downtown Saratoga. (The Plan City bank might have, but with the took decades to come to fruition, personal touch that would be all but it indubitably worked.) And but impossible for that same Big more recently, in 2009, the bank Apple bank to pull off. “We have established its ATC Community what I like to call unprecedented Fund to help support local access to management and nonprofit organizations, such as decision-makers,” says Wait. Saratoga’s outpost of the Salvation In other words, he doesn’t Army, Saratoga WarHorse and the have some corner office with SNACpack Program (there are a champagne cooler, Peloton countless others). bike and shower in it; he actually It’s a little too early for Wait sits at a desk on a balcony to start predicting what a postoverlooking the bank’s Broadway pandemic Saratoga might look headquarters, and he’s very much like—and just how bad the approachable. “I can make you a economic fallout might be—but the wait house Adirondack Trust President decision very quickly,” he says. he believes strongly that the and CEO Charles V. Wait, Jr., sits in an exposed “It’s much harder to do that at the foundation his predecessors office overlooking the bank's Broadway bigger banks.” That Saratogaleft him, as well as the bank’s headquarters and is very much approachable. first ethos runs even deeper for disaster recovery plan and its Wait. “I feel a responsibility to this ability to deftly react to adversity, community,” he says. Wait then paraphrases a letter from the has been the key to its survival. That, and the personnel. bank’s founder, Edgar T. Brackett, to management in 1916, “It’s about having the right people, and we have them,” he which basically said, yes, the purpose of the bank is to make says. Speaking of which, Wait and his wife have two young money for its stockholders, but it’s also to build out Saratoga’s children, a boy and a girl. And it begs the question: Will one of community. “We [still stick] to that philosophy today,” says them eventually succeed him? “Whether they want to do this Wait. “I very much believe in community development.” or not, I have no idea,” he says. “But my personal philosophy That’s a good thing, because the bank’s been communityis let kids do what they want.” So, if there happens to be no building for its entire history and has helped Saratoga become young Wait in the waiting, how would he feel about ending the economic powerhouse that it is today. Five years after the the legacy? “The best person to do [the job],” he insists, “will bank’s founding in 1901, Brackett was able to coax Clark Textile be the person who runs the bank.”
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t’s a tough, but uniquely Saratogian, conversation has grown to 337 stores and employs approximately 5,000 to have. I’m talking about telling your boyfriend people from Orange County to the Canadian border, and (or any other newbie or visitor not from Upstate Western Vermont to the shores of Lake Ontario. In his 17 New York) that you’re taking him to a gas station years in the position (prior to which, he worked for 17 years for ice cream. It’s awkward, because while he is in the Stewart’s plant and dairy), Gary has doubled annual staring quizzically at the four gas pumps and a sales to more than $1.6 billion, and Stewart’s now serves an wall of cigarettes for sale, you are daydreaming average of two million customers a week. He’s also overseen about sporting your soccer jersey back when you the renovations of dozens of shops across Upstate New York were 10 years old, taking the first victorious lick of and Vermont. As Stewart’s has transitioned into more of a your single-scoop Peanut Butter prepared-food retailer, serving Pandemonium cone. up everything from fried chicken The first clue that Stewart’s sandwiches and pizza to macaroni Shops isn’t your average and cheese and chili, the shops’ convenience store lies in its kitchen spaces have needed to history of producing said ice be expanded. Gary’s father, Bill, cream. In fact, long before who at 85 remains chairman of Stewart’s started selling cigs the board and CEO, and Gary and gas, it was actually solely actually share an office space at an ice cream shop. Back in 1921, the Stewart’s corporate offices brothers Charles V. and Percy W. in Malta. Gary’s stepmother, Dake, whose father owned a dairy Susan, serves as the president farm near Middle Grove, joined of the Stewart’s Foundation, the forces to create Dake’s Delicious company’s philanthropic arm. Ice Cream. Throughout the ’20s In remaining family owned for and ’30s, they built their business all these years, Stewart’s has hawking their frozen flavors out pulled off quite a rare feat. The of a Model-T delivery truck in company is one of just a handful Saratoga, Troy, Schenectady and of family businesses—30 percent, Albany for $5 per five-gallon can; according to the Harvard Business and building an ice cream plant Review—that has handed down in Ballston Spa. Then, in 1945, down ownership to a second the pair purchased a small dairy generation of owners, and one and ice cream business, also in of 10 percent to make it to the milk men In 2013, Stewart’s Shops was Ballston Spa, from a man named third generation and still be active named best milk in New York State by Cornell Don Stewart, and opened the and privately held. So how did University’s Department of Food Science; (top, first Stewart’s Ice Cream Shop Stewart’s do it? “I think there’s a lot from left) Charlie, Percy, Charles and Bill Dake; storefront at their ice cream plant. of luck—we were in the right place (opposite) before becoming president of his That was 75 years ago, and at the right time an awful lot of family’s company, Gary Dake worked for 17 years in the Stewart’s plant and dairy. throughout those seven-and-a-half times,” Gary says. While this may decades, Stewart’s has remained sound like good, old-fashioned family owned. In the same year that the brothers purchased modesty, there is some truth in it: When Percy and Charles V. Stewart’s Ice Cream, Charles V.’s son, Charles S. (“Charlie”), first opened Stewart’s Ice Cream Shop, WWII had just ended, returned home from serving in Europe during World War II to join and with it the rationing of ice cream. Ravenous for the sweets the family business; and 15 years after that, his brother, William they had been missing during the war, customers came in in P. (“Bill”), a recent Cornell University engineering graduate, was droves, giving their business a helpful boost in the early years. brought on as well. With Charlie and Bill in charge, operations Gary continues: “I think there’s a lot of willingness to look long grew to three divisions—Stewart’s Ice Cream Shops, Stewart’s term. The sharing with our employees has been a huge part of Soup ’N Sandwich Shops and Stewart’s Bread ’N Butter it, which builds a whole lot of trust.” Shops—which gave rise to the idea of Stewart’s as the all-inIn fact, it is profit sharing that Gary says he’s most proud one convenience store it is today. In 1985, Stewart’s welcomed of when it comes to the company, which says a lot, because its third generation of Dakes, when Bill’s son, Gary, began Stewart’s does a lot of things well (more on that shortly). working in the Stewart’s dairy plant. Stewart’s employees own 40 percent of the company through Today, Gary serves as the president of a Stewart’s that an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP). Every employee
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LAST OF HIS KIND
S T E WA R T ’ S S H O P S P R E S I D E N T G A R Y D A K E H A S H E L P E D T R A N S F O R M T H E F A M I LY B U S I N E S S I N T O A B I L L I O N - D O L L A R E M P I R E — B U T D O E S H I S T E N U R E M A R K T H E E N D O F A N E R A?
By Natalie Moore
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prez photo Stewart’s Shops President Gary Dake with employees at the Stewart’s on Woodlawn Ave and Church Street in Downtown Saratoga.
who is at least 19 years old and works 500 hours a quarter or 1,000 hours a year— whichever comes first—is enrolled in the plan, which, unlike a 401k, is 100 percent company paid. After six years with the company, an employee is fully vested, and his or her ESOP balance should equal a year’s worth of pay. Through ESOP, Stewart’s has created a total of 90 millionaires, some of whom had only a high school education before they joined the company and simply worked hard at their jobs. “That whole sharing, notbeing-too-greedy thing has helped a lot of us actually end up with more by sharing than if we tried to be greedy,” Gary says. “The family’s 60 percent ownership of the company is probably worth more than if we maintained 100 percent ownership and had not given the employees any of it.” Of course, creating a smart profit-sharing model doesn’t have anything to do with luck; it’s simply good business and about valuing your employees. And likewise, luck hasn’t had anything to do with the string of wise business decisions Gary has made over the years that have not only helped the company, but also the community, grow. For one, Stewart’s gets all of its milk and eggs from local farms, supporting familyowned operations like its own. In fact, this past May, when a milk surplus, caused by the closure of schools, forced many dairy producers to dump milk, Stewart’s decreased its hauling charge, increased its premiums In remaining family owned
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for all these years, Stewart’s has pulled off quite a rare feat. The company is one of just a handful of family businesses—30 percent, according to the Harvard Business Review— that has handed down and decreased retail milk pricing to provide relief to its producers and customers. It was able to do this, in large part, because of the company’s vertical integration—or combination of multiple stages of the production process within the organization— which is another one of the Dake family’s winning business innovations. “The fact that we’re vertically integrated, I think, is surprising to some people,” says Susan, who became the face of Stewart’s in the early ’80s when her “Hi, I’m Susan” advertising campaign took off. “About two-thirds— maybe even three-quarters—of everything you see in a Stewart’s shop comes from our plant. That control allows us to keep the prices down and also to keep the quality up.” In other words, Stewart’s doesn’t just sell the milk produced by local farmers: Its drivers pick the milk up (more than 25,000 gallons a day) directly from the farms and deliver it to the Stewart’s dairy, where Stewart’s employees put it through the testing and pasteurization processes and pour it in cartons made at the Stewart’s manufacturing plant. Drivers then distribute the milk in reusable Stewart’s milk crates all over the region, where it is sold by Stewart’s retail workers using promotional materials—signage and the like—produced in the Stewart’s
plant. In total, it takes less than 48 hours for the milk to get twenties. Without a doubt, masks have been the number one from the farm to the shelf. The company also has its own real headache.” Navigating the ever-changing Centers for Disease estate division and geologist, who cleans up gas pollution Control and Prevention (and state) guidelines regarding maskat new properties, a fleet of gas tankers that are serviced wearing in public—and then following those guidelines—has in-house, and its own IT department. And it’s even forwardbeen tough for some people to swallow. And after Stewart’s thinking environmentally, with an acre of its own solar panels put in place a policy requiring all customers to wear masks in that produce an estimated energy savings for the company of its shops in early July, Stewart’s employees were handed the more than 600,000 kilowatt hours per year. not-so-enviable task of having to enforce the company’s maskBesides simply being able to wearing rules. One customer at grow its own business, Stewart’s a shop in Glens Falls, Gary said, is also ahead of the curve when it actually spit on two employees comes to growing the surrounding when they told him they wouldn’t region’s communities. For check him out unless he had example, its Make Your Own a mask on. “The number of Scholarship program helps pay complaints has gone down since college tuition for children of its we have gone to 100 percent employees, and most notably, requiring masks,” Gary says. “But Stewart’s has had a longstanding now I get an equal amount of reputation as one of the region's comments that I’m not aggressive most philanthropic organizations. enough in enforcement as I do “The overall commitment is to comments that I am trampling give back to all the communities people’s civil rights by requiring in which our shops are located,” them to wear a mask.” says Susan. “We try to keep all As Gary contemplates retirement the dollars working locally, with in the next five years or so— the exception of Huntington’s he’s turning 60 in November— [disease] research, because Stewart’s is quickly approaching Philly”—Charlie’s wife and the a future in which a Dake won’t namesake of the popular ice be running the company. Though cream flavor Philly Vanilla— Gary has two sons, one of whom “passed away from that. Then we has worked for the family business give to Cornell University. That in the past, both have gone on to also affects the local community pursue other passions. “I talked because Cornell Cooperative with my senior staff about what Extensions are very active in all it will be like when I retire,” Gary the communities where we’re says. “They’re afraid of what located now.” Annually, Stewart's happens when the Dakes aren’t dake it or leave it When Stewart’s President gives $2.5 million to charity, here. But the only thing worse Gary Dake retires, it will be the first time the which includes product and than not having a Dake in the company is run by someone outside the Dake gift certificates, as well as the business is having the only Dake family since its inception. match of the funds raised during not be happy.” It’ll no doubt be a the company’s Holiday Match tough conversation to have, telling program (customers can make donations at Stewart’s Shops his employees and the community his family has served for from Thanksgiving to Christmas, and the company matches close to 100 years that he—the last remaining Dake in a thirdthe funds raised and donates the total to local children’s generation, family-owned business—is leaving the company charities). Then, another $5 million is donated annually by the for good. Of course, he’s set them up for success, talking at two Dake family foundations. length about the values that have made the company what it Like many regional businesses, the COVID-19 crisis has is, and telling them that, while they should be respectful of the thrown Stewart’s its fair share of curveballs. “One of the history of the brand, they should never feel constrained by it. advantages of doing something for 35 years is you don’t see Once he’s done all he can do, they’ll come around. And, as for a lot of new stuff,” Gary says. “You can say, ‘Oh, I’ve dealt with that boyfriend, who thought he was too good for gas station ice this before.’ But I’ve never had, in a four-month period, more cream? After he’s had his first taste of a Mint Cookie Crumble decisions that I never faced before, besides, probably, in my Make Your Own Sundae, he’ll come around, too.
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5
QUESTIONS WITH... ☛ C H A R L E S V. WA I T, J R . , PRESIDENT AND CEO, A D I R O N D A C K T R U S T C O M PA N Y
& G A RY DA K E , ☛ P R E S I D E N T, S T E WA R T ’ S S H O P S
What is the most “Saratoga” thing about Saratoga?
☛
Its adaptability. Saratoga’s always been a community that can pivot; that’s something we do very well. Broadway has got a character unlike other downtowns that I know. It makes Saratoga so special.
☛
What is the single most important thing that Saratoga needs to ensure its survival for years to come?
☛
That’s easy–the ability to work together. Saratoga today has got a college, a good manufacturing base, SPAC and the track. It needs to maintain its mix and diversity so that if one segment takes a hit, it doesn’t put [the city] underwater.
☛
Great personal success has always been achieved through listening, collaboration and leadership. We view your unique wealth management needs the same way where the relationship is entirely transparent.
What is your favorite flavor of Stewart’s ice cream?
☛
Philly Vanilla. Well, I’m not supposed to have favorites...but probably Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup or Cherry Vanilla.
☛
What’s your favorite Saratoga activity?
☛
Since 1990, we at Bouchey Financial Group have provided personalized wealth management services for individuals, families and businesses. As an independent, fee-only investment
Going to concerts or walking in the park at SPAC. My favorite event now would be the Tchaikovsky Spectacular that closes out the Philadelphia Orchestra season. Just going out and taking a walk and people-watching in Saratoga.
☛
Since 1990, Steven Bouchey has been advising clients and in 1995 formed Bouchey Financial Group. As an independent, SEC Registered Investment Advisor, Bouchey Financial Group acts as a fiduciary for our clients in order limit any conflicts of It is through successful stewardship of our situation that theytohave entrusted usinterest. to manage overour $350 million in assets onclients’ their behalf. financial situation that they have$550 entrusted million us to manage more than $550 million in assets on their behalf.
www.bouchey.com
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Historic Downtown Troy 518.720.3333 INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT
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t s e b g n i h t y r e v e of 2 THE 20
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We have manufacturing, arts, sports, boutique and nightlife businesses, as well as an amazing food/bar scene. And when some unforeseen obstacle (*cough* COVID-19) comes along and puts a strain on one industry, the city can rely on countless others to course-correct. And so, while saratoga living A once again presents its third annual Best of Everything A2Z Guide (voted AT E on by you!), the true weight of the term “A2Z” is only just becoming clear. Saratoga really does have it all, from builders and clothing stores to financial planners and gift shops. And it has some of the best damned Italian food you can get this side of the Atlantic. Join us in celebrating that all-encompassing A2Z spirit. Voted on by you, Saratoga! –NATALIE MOORE
GUIDE
★
ust two short pages ago, onehalf of saratoga living’s current cover duo, Stewart’s Shops President Gary Dake, singled out what he believed to be the most important thing Saratoga Springs needed to do to ensure its survival for the future. His answer: the U city needed to maintain its diversity of LT I business. He compared it to how Stewart’s M operates—the local convenience store giant has remained relevant over the course of three quarters of a century, because it’s been not only in the packaged foods business, but also the prepared foods and the gasoline businesses. When one aspect of the business suffers, the others are there to keep it healthily chugging along. Saratoga, Dake says, is just like that.
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BY MORGAN FECHTER
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HERE’S SARATOGA’S BEST OF THE BEST (VOTED ON BY OUR READERS!) OF EVERYTHING...FROM A2Z.
BUILDER
WIN:
AC T I V I T Y
WIN:
Saratoga Farmers’ Market The Saratoga Farmers’ Market puts the “art” in artisanal, showcasing the area’s finest local growers and artisans (with COVID-friendly rules that have kept the show on track, pandemic or not). Nothing beats a stroll through the market, with local vendors’ tables piled high with colorful fruits and veggies, fresh-picked wildflowers and specialty items like meats and cheeses. A testament to how much Saratogians love their market? It’s almost guaranteed that you’ll run into a friend or neighbor (or three) there on any given weekend. PLACE:
NATIONAL MUSEUM OF RACING AND HALL OF FAME SHOW:
BOW TIE CRITERION CINEMAS
Bonacio Construction, Inc.
Modern Saratoga looks as good as it does largely because of Bonacio Construction, which puts on a masterclass when it comes to high-quality residential and commercial construction, as well as remodeling and a bevy of other services. Bonacio’s team is known for its innovative work on private residences and commercial hubs, including the recent update to the historic Saratogian building, where Walt & Whitman Brewing Company now makes its home. After more than 30 years in business, Bonacio has proven it can handle any project thrown its way. PLACE: WITT CONSTRUCTION, INC. SHOW: TEAKWOOD BUILDERS, INC. CLOTHING STORE
WIN:
C
Union Hall
Owner Heidi Owen lands the trifecta for Clothing Store, with her three shops running the category. The big winner? Union Hall, whose carefully curated selection of men’s clothing, shoes and accessories makes it a fashionforward man’s dream. (And even if you’re not that type of guy, it’s worth poking your masked face in.) A combination of modern pieces and classic staples keep shoppers coming back for more—and the downtown store’s in-house craft beer bar doesn’t hurt either. PLACE:
LIFESTYLES OF SARATOGA SHOW:
CAROLINE & MAIN
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GIFT SHOP
WIN: E N T E R TA I N M E N T V E N U E
WIN:
Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC)
Druthers
PLACE (TIE):
550 WATERFRONT HAMLET & GHOST
F I N A N C I A L A DV I S O R
SHOW:
BAILEY’S
WIN:
AYCO
Need a financial advisor to get your house in order? AYCO’s got you covered. The company’s personalized approach to financial planning means that you’ll receive one-on-one assistance from an experienced professional who truly has your best interests in mind. Sound advice about your savings during troubled times--what more could you ask for? PLACE: NORTHWESTERN MUTUAL/THE ANDERSON FINANCIAL GROUP SHOW: BOUCHEY FINANCIAL GROUP
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HAIR SALON
Who’s ready for a shower of confetti? Stop at Saratoga newcomer Tailgate and Party for everything you need to pull off (and crush) your next successful fête. This shop (on the corner of Caroline and Henry streets) has it all—everything from decorations and drinking games to unique gifts and yes, hangover kits. And who says you need to be throwing the party to go there? There’s now no excuse to show up to your next get-together empty-handed. PLACE: CRAFTERS GALLERY SHOW: IMPRESSIONS OF SARATOGA
You’ll have every reason to be a little vain after an appointment at Vanity Salon & Spa. This salon, located on Maple Avenue on the way to Wilton, offers first-rate haircare services including cuts, color and styling for formal events that will leave you feeling pampered and photoshoot-ready (even if the red carpet leads from your kitchen to living room). PLACE: SVANA BEAUTY LOUNGE SHOW: FUSION SALON
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WIN:
Vanity Salon & Spa
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(Tailgate and Party ) DORI FITZPATRICK; (Lake George) ANDREA GORGON
WIN:
Druthers Brewing Company’s Saratoga location is its flagship—with newer outposts in Albany and Schenectady (and plans for another in Clifton Park)—and its outdoor patio does not disappoint. Druthers Brewing excels at exactly what its name implies: brewing signature craft beer for every palate. From malty brown ales to hoppy IPAs and more, Druthers’ beer selections are exceptional alone or paired with the brewer’s pub fare, which includes its signature Druthers Mac and all of its delicious variations.
(Druthers) MORGAN RELYEA; (SPAC) TOM STOCK; (AYCO) GABRIELLE VUILLAUME
DRINKS
SPAC has been a Saratoga institution for more than 50 years, and although this year’s classical and Live Nation seasons took a direct hit because of the COVID-19 crisis, it’s still as essential as ever. Whether your preference is to catch the Philadelphia Orchestra and New York City Ballet, or bro out with your crew at the Dave Matthews Band’s annual two-nighter, SPAC is what the Saratoga summer is all about. PLACE: CAFFÈ LENA SHOW: UNIVERSAL PRESERVATION HALL
Tailgate and Party
INTERIOR DESIGN
WIN:
Leah Margolis Design
Expect compliments aplenty after bringing in the expert eye that is Leah Margolis Design for all of your home’s interior design needs. Lead designer and company namesake Leah Margolis Nathan knows her Saratoga, too, having graduated from Skidmore College. (She’s also styled in capitals of swank such as Lake George, Manhattan and the Berkshires). It’s clear after flipping through her enviable portfolio that she has a natural talent for transforming any space into a stylistically sensational sanctuary. PLACE: SUSAN WALDRON DESIGNS SHOW: SENSORY SIX
JAUNT
WIN:
Lake George
Lucky for us Saratogians, another one of Upstate New York’s premier vacation destinations—the glorious “Queen of American Lakes,” i.e. Lake George—is just a half hour away. There’s never a shortage of things to do there, whether it’s boating, hiking or simply relaxing on a dock, beach or your own private island. And the best part? You can spend a fun-filled day by the lake and still be back in Saratoga in time for dinner. PLACE: LAKE PLACID SHOW: MANCHESTER, VT
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Ridha Plastic Surgery & Medspa WIN:
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MUSICIAN/BAND
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Garland Nelson
Sunnyside Gardens
While Mommy and Daddy take a trip to Margaritaville, kids find more than a few reasons to be distracted from their iPads as they chow down at Broadway’s hot spot Cantina. The jovial atmosphere is a perfect complement to the high energy of young diners, and Cantina’s kids’ menu options, which include popular dishes like Make-Your-Own Tacos and Kickin’ Chicken Tenders, are sure to keep them satisfied.
Did your quarantine productivity go into everything except your garden? Sunnyside Gardens can help you with that. This plant lover’s paradise carries all of the greenery you could ever want, and then some. Stop by to explore any and all of Sunnyside’s 20 greenhouses. You’ll have to clear your car to make room for all of the plants, flowers and pumpkins you’re going to bring home. Thanks to Sunnyside, you’ll be turning over a new leaf in no time.
WIN:
Whether fronting Soul Session or playing solo, Garland Nelson is a standout in Saratoga’s rich local music scene. And he has the chops to prove it: Nelson, with his super silky-smooth vocals, masterful musicianship and packed repertoire, has played just about every venue, wedding and fundraiser of note in Saratoga during his decades-long run. And he’s even regularly taken to Facebook in these live concert-less times. Bravo! PLACE:
PLACE:
PLACE:
RICH ORTIZ
BURGERFI
ALLERDICE BUILDING SUPPLY
SHOW:
SHOW:
SHOW (TIE):
FUNK EVOLUTION
2 WEST BAR & GRILLE
HEWITT’S GARDEN CENTER OLDE SARATOGA HOME AND GARDEN
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PLACE: (Cantina) SAMANTHA COLACINO; (Garland Nelson) FRANCESCO D'AMICO
Cantina
Looking for a renewed you? Ridha Plastic Surgery and Medspa is Saratoga’s top choice for transformative treatments and cosmetic surgery, offering a range of services from rejuvenating facial peels to natural-looking surgical enhancements. Dr. Jeffrey Ridha’s team of highly qualified surgeons and aestheticians uses a combination of high-end technology and aesthetic sensibilities to leave you looking (and feeling) like a million bucks. SARATOGA SURGERY CENTER SHOW: RAPPAPORT DERMATOLOGY
O G R E S TA U R A N T
WIN (TIE):
Hattie’s Restaurant
Hattie’s has been the place to go for authentic Southern cuisine in Saratoga since the late 1930s—and though its ownership has changed a few times over the years, the same great recipes still keep bringing people back year after year. But it’s not just Saratoga famous; the beloved restaurant’s can’t-miss fried chicken has been on the winning end of a Food Network challenge and has been ranked among the best in the United States by Food & Wine.
Olde Bryan Inn Dining at the Olde Bryan Inn is like taking a step back into Saratoga’s storied past—like, actual centuries! The restaurant’s building dates back to the 1770s, when Revolutionary War hero Alexander Bryan operated a tavern on its site. Today, the restaurant welcomes in diners looking for cozy, homey vibes; yummy, traditional American fare; and of course, a full bar—with a side of social studies. PLACE: PENNELL’S SHOW: THE PARTING GLASS PA S TA
WIN:
P
Osteria Danny
So what if there’s still a European travel ban? Take a trip to Italy without ever going past Saratoga’s city limits. At Osteria Danny, authenticity is the name of the game. The Henry Street trattoria serves Italian classics like spaghetti, bucatini and carbonara that will have you giving socially distanced, air cheek-kisses to its chef and staff as you leave. PLACE: AUGIE’S FAMILY STYLE ITALIAN TO-GO SHOW: MAMA MIA’S
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Q U I E T W O R K S PA C E
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Q
TA C O S
Uncommon Grounds
WIN:
It’s impossible to go wrong with Uncommon Grounds. The spacious cafe always smells like freshly roasted coffee and has a lively yet productive atmosphere that’s perfect for getting work done. With nearly unlimited types of coffee and bagels at your disposal, it’s not uncommon to spend an entire day here without even realizing it. PLACE: SARATOGA SPA STATE PARK SHOW: CONGRESS PARK
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U P -A N D - C O M I N G B U S I N E S S
Classical Concepts Salon & Spa
Classical Concepts Salon & Spa is so peaceful that you’ll forget you’re just steps away from Broadway’s hustle and bustle. This wellness oasis offers a variety of haircare and spa services, including blowouts, waxing, massages and nail care. Expect to leave your appointment feeling rejuvenated and completely blissed out. PLACE: ROOSEVELT BATHS & SPA SHOW: COMPLEXIONS SPA FOR BEAUTY & WELLNESS
WIN:
Tailgate and Party
Having only opened this past June (just in time for home track parties!), Tailgate and Party is already making its presence felt in town, having swiped the top-vote-getter honors for both Gift Shop and Up-andComing Business. It’s hard to remember what we did to stock our soirées before the shop arrived on the scene. With a selection of gifts and decorations for every occasion, Tailgate and Party is nothing short of a party-planner’s (or -guest’s) godsend. PLACE: 550 WATERFRONT SHOW: WALT & WHITMAN
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Roma Foods
Roma is the Michelangelo of sandwich-making. It’s hard to put into words just how exciting it is to peruse this Washington Street standout’s extensive menu, which includes more than 30 varieties of delicious meats, cheeses and mouthwatering extras that can all be heaped on your next perfect lunch or dinner order. And it takes a mighty Saratoga appetite to finish a single sandy—so meals might even be covered for days to come. PLACE: FAT PAULIE’S DELICATESSEN SHOW (TIE):
PUTNAM MARKET THE BARRELHOUSE
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VIBE (Taquero) JEREMY KRUPA; (Tailgate and Party) DORI FITZPATRICK
SANDWICHES
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Taquero Tacos & Donuts
It’s hard to believe that one place can make both tacos and doughnuts so well, but downtown’s Taquero has managed to pull it off without a hitch. The innovative eatery excels at combining classic Mexican-inspired ingredients like barbacoa and queso fresco in fresh and exciting ways that keep customers coming back for more (with a side of doughnuts, of course.) PLACE: CANTINA SHOW: EL MEXICANO
WIN:
V
15 Church
15 Church’s sophisticated menu coupled with its atmospheric lighting and interior have made it a hotspot for special-occasion meals since it first opened in 2014. (And don't get us started on its chic, open-air patio!) Walking into this cut-above establishment is the easiest way to feel like a celebrity or visiting royalty, especially once you’re seated at a private table, with its gracious waitstaff attending to your every need. PLACE: 550 WATERFRONT SHOW: HAMLET & GHOST
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WIN:
Saratoga Peak Performance If you’re serious about fitness, Saratoga Peak Performance is the place to go. A combination of heavy-duty equipment and acclaimed personal trainers makes this gym an athlete’s paradise. And it’s not just for your average Joe and Josephina off the street; its owner, Dr. Bryan Briddell, has trained professional athletes who have competed in a number of high stakes events. PLACE: SARATOGA SPRINGS YMCA SHOW: REFORM PILATES
WIN:
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The Adelphi Hotel
After undergoing a multimillion-dollar renovation and reopening in 2017, The Adelphi Hotel has returned to its 19th-century Saratoga splendor, with more than a few modern luxury flourishes to boot. And it’s not just a ritzy place to rest your weary head; it has its own grand ballroom, wine cellar and more than a few classy culinary choices like The Blue Hen (breakfast), Morrissey’s (cocktail hour) and Salt & Char (dinner). Oh, and if it weren’t already obvious, it’s smack dab in the middle of one of the Northeast’s greatest small cities! PLACE: HALL OF SPRINGS SHOW: LONGFELLOWS
Y
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Chowderfest
In this category, Chowderfest is the one to beat. The highly anticipated mid winter event is about so much more than just warming your frigid frame with some hot, delicious chowder (though, it’s hard not to walk away stuffed silly). It’s a chance for foodies of all stripes to unite and enjoy the best of what Downtown Saratoga has to offer. PLACE: NEW YORK CITY BALLET GALA SHOW: VICTORIAN STREETWALK
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ZZZ
WIN:
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The Adelphi Hotel
The Adelphi Hotel experience is truly dreamlike, beginning from the moment you walk in the front entrance to when your head hits one of your room’s luxurious pillows. With heated bathroom floors, towel-warming racks and beds that make you feel like you’re lounging on a cloud, you’re guaranteed to get a peaceful and unforgettable night’s sleep. PLACE (TIE): THE GIDEON PUTNAM SARATOGA CASINO HOTEL SHOW: THE PAVILION GRAND HOTEL
(Saratoga Peak Performance) ALICE COREY
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horses
DANCE of the
SUGAR PLUM 7
S A R AT O G A’ S P I C T U R E S Q U E
S U G A R P L U M FA R M HAS FOUND ITS NICHE AS A BOUTIQUE THOROUGHBRED B R E E D I N G O P E R AT I O N , T H A N K S TO C H A M P I O N S T U D WA R D A N C E R .
By Brien Bouyea photography by
D O R I F I T Z PAT R I C K
risk it for the biscuit Sugar Plum Farm owners Robin and Anthony Malatino bought their first horse after Robin read Seabiscuit in 2002.
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42 Circular Street, Saratoga Springs $810,000
Multi-Family Home Overlooking Congress Park! • 3,660 SF • 5 Bedrooms/3 Bathrooms • Recognized as a Structure of “Historical and Architectural Importance” by the City of Saratoga Springs
• Currently 3 Units • Could be Converted Back to a Single-Family to Create an Exquisite Mansion • 0.29 Acres
Julie A. Bonacio Broker/Owner c: 518.701.5080 Don’t waste time ironing your clothes. e: Julie@Bonacio.com and spend that time enjoying all that
perfect union The sprawling Sugar Plum Farm is located just off Union Avenue between Saratoga Race Course and Saratoga National.
S
ituated on Gilbert Road just two miles from Saratoga Race Course, Sugar Plum Farm is a little patch of equine heaven. The part-time home of multiple graded stakes–winning stallion War Dancer, Sugar Plum sits on 90 acres of land purchased by Robin and Anthony Malatino in 2005. “This place really is magical,” says Robin. “We put in the facilities, the infrastructure, the fencing… but the natural beauty of the place, the tree line, the land, that was God’s work.” Malatino and her husband were blank-slate newcomers to racing when they bought their first horses at the 2003 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Yearling Sale. “In 2002, I read the book
Seabiscuit, and it just unlocked something in me,” says Robin. “My husband and I went to the sale just for a night out, and there was a filly laying down in a stall that got my attention. I thought that was supposed to be special because I read in the book that Seabiscuit did that, and it was considered a rare thing. To say we were naïve is an understatement.” It turned out that the filly, Sugar Plum Girl, didn’t end up meeting her reserve price at the sale, so the Malatinos arranged a private purchase. And although she didn’t go on to achieve success on the track, Sugar Plum Girl did inspire and help name their Saratoga farm. “We wanted to have a place where the horses could retire safely and that we could enjoy,” Robin says.
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“We weren’t going to be those people who didn’t take care of their horses. No way. The rest of it—the stallion side—just developed naturally from there.” Prior to becoming horse farmers, the Malatinos had been based in Florida but were no strangers to Saratoga. They had led a group in the early ’90s that purchased the Saratoga Beverage Group—producers of the fancy, blue-bottled Saratoga Spring Water—and Robin had served as its CEO. In fact, you can thank the Malatinos for the bottle’s famous hue. “We put the majority of our focus into the packaging and presentation,” says Robin. “We introduced the iconic blue bottle that became so symbolic of the Saratoga Water brand.” Speaking of successful brandbuilding, the Malatinos were among the original partners and eventual majority stakeholders of War Dancer during his star-studded racing career—but once he began standing at stud, they were at a loss for how to market his, er, services. (He splits his residency between Sugar Plum and Irish Hill & Dutchess View Stallions in Stillwater, standing for a stud fee of $7,500.) “We needed to come up with a similar
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retirement plan “We wanted to have a place where horses could retire safely and that we could enjoy,” says Robin Malatino about Sugar Plum Farm.
blue-bottle concept for War Dancer,” jokes Robin. “[So] we came up with some fun concepts based on the reality show The Bachelor, where War Dancer would be looking for the right girls to ‘date.’ That led to the Breeding with the Stars concept we used to attract mares from other states.” Clearly, the Malatinos have a knack for marketing. War Dancer was bred to more than 100 mares during his first year at stud, and his future as a stallion is “now up to the horse gods,” says Robin. “Hopefully, his babies do well, and he really takes off.” As for the future of the farm, Robin says there are plans for more public access and events, and perhaps even a general store. “This place has taken us down an amazing road,” she says. “I’ve met so many people who have found enjoyment and happiness by coming here. That means a lot to me, and it’s something we want to share with everyone.” As seen on the cover of Harvey H. Kaiser’s new book, Great Camps of the Adirondacks
30 Riverside Drive, Saranac Lake, NY ◆ 518-891-5224 Rhinebeck, NY ◆ 518-637-2524 www.adkgreatcamps.com ◆ Info@adkgreatcamps.com
deconstructed
GIDEON STRONG A F T E R 8 5 Y E A R S , A C ATA S T R O P H I C F L O O D A N D A G L O B A L PA N D E M I C , T H E G I D E O N P U T N A M H O T E L I S S T I L L S TA N D I N G TA L L . BY NATALIE M OORE
T
he name “Putnam” is pretty much unavoidable in Saratoga, where tourists and locals alike can mosey down Putnam Street, grab a soup and sandwich at Putnam Market and dance the night away to a live concert at Putnam Place (which is owned by saratoga living’s owner). Of course, the eponym of the street, market and nightclub is Gideon Putnam, the unofficial founder of Saratoga Springs, who also happens to be the namesake of one of the Spa City’s most famous hotels. Opening in the Saratoga Spa—what’s now the Saratoga Spa State Park—in 1935, the Gideon Putnam Hotel originally hosted guests who came to the city to test its medicinal waters. To this day, the National Historic Landmark hotel is a short walk from the Roosevelt Baths & Spa, and hotel guests enjoy complimentary use of the spa’s relaxation and steam rooms. While it was Saratoga’s healing mineral waters that made the Gideon Putnam what it is today, it was regular old H2O that threatened to destroy 85 years of serving Spa City tourists. In January 2018, severe flooding—we're talking hundreds of thousands of gallons of water from a ruptured water main in the basement—forced the hotel to shut down for several months. When it finally reopened, the hotel had undergone major renovations to its guest rooms, bathrooms, corridors, lobby and restaurant; and equine artwork, by local artist Frankie Flores, was brought in to adorn the walls. “In combination with the other renovations that we have completed in recent years, our guests will now be staying in an almost fully renovated, elegant and historic hotel,” Paul Jeppson, east regional vice president of Delaware North, the Buffalo-based company that operates the hotel, said at the time. This past spring, the hotel had to close down yet again, this time due to the COVID-19 crisis, but reopened on August 1 with new health guidelines in place to keep guests safe and at ease (the Roosevelt Spa and all the hotel’s food offerings, including its restaurant, remained closed at press time). With an 85-year record of serving up the best in luxury and customer service, it seems a leaky pipe and global pandemic are no match for the iconic Gideon Putnam Hotel.
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12,000 Number of square feet of meeting and event space in the hotel
20
Amount, in millions of dollars, Delaware North will spend renovating and refreshing the hotel under its 20-year contract with New York State ($13 million has already been invested)
275,000
CREDIT
By The Numbers:
124
Number of guest rooms
CREDIT
The gideon putnam
flood of relief After being closed for several months due to a flood in 2018, The Gideon Putnam reopened with major renovations to show off.
Approximate number of gallons of water that spilled into the hotel’s basement in January 2018 because of a water main break
11
Height, in feet, of the water in the basement after the water main break
131
Number of days the hotel was closed this year due to COVID-19 (March 23–August 1)
50
Number of pieces of artwork, historic photographs of Saratoga and historical murals that adorn the hotel’s corridors and other areas
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artisan
Breaking the Mold A R T I S T J I L L F I S H O N - K O VA C H I C K ’ S S A R AT O G A I S
A
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R E G I O N A L
A R T S
C E N T E R
M A S T E R W O R K .
BY KAREN BJORNLAND p h o t o g r a p h y
b y
F R A N C E S C O D ’A M I C O
kiln time Jill Fishon-Kovachick creates large, clay vessels that are both symmetrical and abstract; (opposite) FishonKovachick, artist and director of the Saratoga Clay Arts Center in Schuylerville.
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game of throwns (from left) Three images of Jill Fishon-Kovachick’s work; one of seven indoor and outdoor kilns on Fishon-Kovachick’s property; nine years ago, Fishon-Kovachick bought a dilapidated nursing home in Schuylerville and tranformed the 13,000-square-foot space into the Saratoga Clay Arts Center.
O
n a quiet country road, the pottery wheels at Saratoga Clay Arts Center are spinning on a big, breezy, screened-in porch instead of in its indoor classroom. The artists are wearing face masks, and yes, to keep everyone safe from youknow-what, the wheels are six feet apart. “We’re having our classes outside,” says artist and director Jill Fishon-Kovachick. “And that’s going to continue until it’s cold.” Nine years ago, that same can-do attitude, plus her devotion to a community of artists at Skidmore College, got FishonKovachick fired up to create her own local arts center. She bought a dilapidated nursing home in Schuylerville, eight miles northeast of Saratoga Springs, and transformed the 13,000-square-foot space into a marvelous mecca of clay, where eco-friendly rooftop solar panels run the pottery wheels.
inspired by geological formations. When the COVID-19 crisis temporarily closed the arts center, and Fishon-Kovachick was stuck at home, she made a series of small porcelain warrior figures. “As I get older, I feel that the work that I’m doing is expressing either what we are dealing with in our world or personally what I’m doing,” she says. She always finds time for her own work. She exhibits it nationally, and in our area, her pieces can be viewed at The Laffer Gallery in Schuylerville. Growing up in Westchester County, Fishon-Kovachick first got stuck on clay at age 11 at Buck’s Rock Performing & Creative Arts Camp in New Milford, CT. When she majored in art education at Skidmore, her mentor was Regis Brodie, the celebrated clay artist and art professor emeritus who is still her close friend. For 17 years, while raising her children, Sarah and Harrison, Fishon-Kovachick returned to Skidmore as a continuing education instructor. When that program ended,
Today, there’s really no place like Saratoga Clay Arts in the region. The center hosts wheel-throwing and handbuilding classes for adults and children, workshops with world-class artists, artist residencies and crazy-popular events like Clay Night Out (think paint and sip). It even has its own art gallery and rental studios for artists. And did we mention the seven indoor and outdoor kilns? “We have people of all ages and different careers,” says FishonKovachick of the artists that flock to the center. “We’ve brought in people from all over the country.” Besides clay, Fishon-Kovachick has also dabbled in mediums such as metal, fiber, glass and jewelry. But clay is her first love. “It’s my yoga,” she says. “It’s very freeing. You can touch it; it’s forgiving; it allows me to be really spontaneous.” Her own large, clay vessel works are both symmetrical and abstract, while her figurative works evoke gestural movements, with textures
more than two dozen students and fellow artists followed her to Schuylerville. “I did this,” she says, “to bring people together and teach people what clay is all about.” This fall, with COVID precautions in place, the arts center is bringing people together again, both virtually and in person. Lip Service, a juried show of 100 cups and other drinking vessels, is in the center’s own Schacht Gallery through September 26. The Ceramic Art of Peter Callas opens October 3, and then there’s Clayfest, a holiday exhibit. Maybe most fun is the center’s Chili Bowl. Every January, hundreds of people raise funds for charities and dance to reggae music as local chefs compete and spoon their chili into handmade pottery bowls (Osteria Danny won last year). “I’m hoping that we can run this event,” Fishon-Kovachick says. “If we can’t, we’ll just make it super special next year. I love a challenge. For me, this has always been a joy.”
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SKIPPING DOWN M E M O RY L A N E AT S A R AT O G A’ S HOTTEST SUMMER H A N G O U T.
stroke of fortune In the late 1930s, the Victoria Pool played host to nighttime water ballets; (opposite, from top) a painted postcard of the pool; a scene from a water ballet.
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By Karen Bjornland ⁄ SEPTEMBER • OCTOBER 2020
andemics aside, it’s a well-known fact that many of the hottest musicians and brightest Broadway stars have flocked to Saratoga Springs during our steamiest summers. Tracking them down while they’re here, of course, is a little hit or miss. But if they happen to be playing at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC) or Spa Little Theater, there’s a good chance you’ll be able to find them taking a dip at the Victoria Pool (like Sheryl Crow did last summer with her kids before opening for Heart). Named for a British queen and revered as a National Historic Landmark, the Victoria (which saw a shortened season thanks to COVID but was open July 3– September 7) isn’t your average public pool. A shimmering oasis in Saratoga Spa State Park, decked out with flowers and surrounded by graceful architecture, it’s both open to the summer sky and strategically hidden from the paparazzi. Louise Goldstein, co-founder of the Save the Victoria Pool Society and unofficial “Queen of the Pool,” rattles off some of its most famous dippers: jam band leader (and recent saratoga living cover star) Dave Matthews, Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Steven Tyler of Aerosmith, Tony/ Emmy/Golden Globe–winning actor John Lithgow and Oscar-winning actress Liza Minnelli have all taken the Victoria plunge (Minelli even brought along famous friends William Hurt, Patti LuPone and Kevin Kline
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made a splash The dedication of the Victoria Pool on July 26, 1935; (top) the pool during construction.
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Visit our website for hours, pricing and new safety procedures. victoria’s secret Last summer, Sheryl Crow took a dip in the Victoria Pool before performing at SPAC; (top) Louise “Queen of the Vic Pool” Goldstein with members of the Bolshoi Ballet.
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for the fun of it). Over the years, Goldstein and her friends have spotted countless other A-listers. “In bathing suits,” she says, “everyone looks alike.” Even New York City Ballet (NYCB) dancers have been known to dip their talented toes in the pool. They’ve actually been patronizing it since SPAC opened in 1966 and legendary choreographer George Balanchine was their artistic director. Goldstein, who has been hanging at the pool for more than 60 years herself, remembers when The Vic had diving boards, and the dancers would do diving exhibitions. “Balanchine had a fit,” says Goldstein, “[because] they could’ve gotten hurt. But they were great swimmers and divers.” And when Russia’s famed Bolshoi Ballet performed at SPAC several years ago, the entire troupe trooped to the pool every day of its residency. Says Goldstein: “They would practically put on ballets on the chairs.” When the elegant pool first opened in 1935, Saratoga was known as the “Queen of the Spas,” and people traveled from around the world to soak in and drink its bubbly mineral waters. After a thrilling day at Saratoga Race Course, well-heeled visitors could be found at nightclubs on Saratoga Lake enjoying fine dining, highstakes gambling and stage shows by big-
time entertainers like Bing Crosby, Jimmy Durante and Desi Arnaz. Before he died, Leo Hoge, a prominent Saratogian and medical doctor, who worked as a lifeguard at the pool in the 1930s, described the scene to saratoga living some 15 years ago: “Saratoga was Vegas before Vegas,” he said. “We saw Al Jolson often.” As a lifeguard, the young Hoge rubbed elbows with Samuel “Subway Sam” Rosoff, who made millions digging New York City’s underground subway tunnels; and befriended Duke Kahanamoku, the three-time Olympic gold medal swimming champ from Hawaii who is known as the father of modern surfing. Seventy years later, when the retired doctor was in his 90s, he would visit the pool and reminisce about the famous people he met there. “Dr. Hoge came back every year, just to walk around,” says Goldstein. “One day, he showed me around: ‘Bing Crosby sat on this bench,’ he said.” Oh, to be a fly on the wall, poolside.
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A Day at the (Virtual) Races
W ITH SA RATO GA RACE COURSE CLOSED TO S PE CTATO RS , FANS GATH ERED TO WATC H THE R ACE S AT PUTNAM PL ACE. BY NATAL I E MOORE photo g r a phy by ALYSSA SAL ERNO
racing for impact saratoga living account Executives Teresa Frazer (left) and Tara Buffa; (opposite, from left) guests recieved swag bags with copies of saratoga living signed by Travers poster artist Greg Montgomery; the Saratoga Automobile Museum staff enjoying Putnam Place’s patio.
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f the COVID-19 crisis has taught Saratogians anything, it’s that not even being barred from the physical racetrack can stop true fans from having a proper day at the races! On Thursday, August 13, saratoga living joined forces with the Saratoga Automobile Museum to host Horses & Horsepower, an afternoon viewing party of Saratoga Race Course’s races of the day at Putnam Place in Downtown Saratoga. Socially distanced guests watched the day’s card live on a 17-foot LED screen while enjoying lunch from The Brook Tavern and Taquero. Prizes, such as a travel keg and gift card from Tailgate and Party, a handheld LED light therapy device from POLY and an official Travers poster signed by artist Greg Montgomery, were raffled off to lucky winners. All guests went home with gift bags that
included swag from Xpressbet and a copy of saratoga living’s The Races! issue signed by Montgomery. Stay tuned for more info on upcoming saratoga living events.
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O U R DE SI GN E DI TO R R E M I N I SC E S AB O UT S O ME O F H E R FAVO R I T E F LI P S I N H E R I NSTA F EED. story and photos by SUSAN WALDRON I just can’t let anything go to waste! I rediscovered some random pieces of wood and some salvaged spindles in our shed. With some wood glue, screws and a coat of paint, I created this sweet little table. A salvaged freezer basket holds some faux succulents at the base, and I used an old drop cloth to create the no-sew pillow cover you can see on the porch swing.
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This baker’s bench is a definite favorite of mine. It was used for
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decades in the kitchen at Skidmore College, and I rescued it from the trash during the kitchen’s
renovation. It took a month of hand scraping to get more than 70 years’ worth of dried flour out of all the
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There are quite a few things going on in this photo that was taken in my kitchen. In the back is a bar-cart I found on the side of the road and cleaned up with a fresh coat of paint. The dining room table on the right was made with a discarded base I found on a curb and salvaged flooring from an old barn. I love using everyday items in an unexpected way, so the centerpiece on the table is another vintage tool caddy, this time, painted white and filled with seasonal objects and flowers. You’ll also notice the foot rail I installed at the island and the satin paint I used on the ceiling.
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cracks and crevices, but it was worth it. On top, I used a tool caddy to house a collection of cutting boards.
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Another roadside rescue, this darling
D table got a coat of paint, which gave it just the right amount of cottage charm. The painting above it originally had a gold frame, but a coat of green paint and some sanding here and there gave it just the warm, farmhouse look I was going for.
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he decision to close Five Points Market & Deli didn’t come easy for Maura Pulver, who owned the 100-year-old corner store on Saratoga’s East Side for nearly a decade. While she’d been leaning toward moving on for a while, it took the events of 2020—which included the death of her brother and the COVID-19 crisis— to make the move, and at the end of August, with a heavy heart, she closed her store for the last time. But where one story ends, another begins. At press time, Pulver was set to open a new venture, Simply Food, in the kitchen of the Saratoga Senior Center on September 7, with plans to offer catering services, her popular Take 5 to-go dinners and “Mad Sammies”—12 types of breakfast sandwiches, which she’s best known for around town—out of her new location. And what of the historic Five Points Market? It remains unclear what Pulver’s landlord, Jim Morris, plans to do with the space. “Five Points means a lot to me, and I know it means a lot to Jim,” Pulver says. “It’s a really special place, and I’m glad to have been a part of it.”
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What part of Simply Food are you most excited about? I’m so proud of the food I put out. So, if I put that stuff out in the Five Points kitchen, what I could do in a real kitchen is pretty exciting.
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maura than a feeling Maura Pulver with a suprise flower delivery from “the community” during the COVID crisis; (top) Pulver with her staff at Five Points Market & Deli.
people. The experience has been humbling. Someday, I’ll write a book about it, because it has really been life changing, but it’s just time to go. What defines you as a chef? I bought Five Points—I bought a store that existed. And now some people have said to me, “Oh my gosh, is it gonna be like Five Points at the Senior Center?” I was gonna do that. Then I’m like, “I’m not Five Points. I’m Maura.” I’m that messy breakfast sandwich that you need to eat along with lots of napkins in the car. I’m Mom’s cooking that you’re gonna take home and eat as a nice home-cooked meal. I’m everyday food, simply done.
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Happy Hours
WHILE AWAY THE LAST WARM DAYS SIPPING SPECIALTY COCKTAILS AL FRESCO AT THE NEW 550 WATERFRONT. n BY ABBY TEGNELIA
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fter being on lockdown for much of the spring, many Saratogians are no doubt going to milk every last minute they can spend outside before wrapping up the season. And what better way to take in the crisp fall weather than lakeside, with a cocktail? Enter the long-awaited 550 Waterfront, which opened this summer on the shores of Saratoga Lake and promises to keep its (wait for lake belle 550 Waterfront’s inventive cocktail list includes a Birch Old Fashioned, Cool Hand Cuke and Sandy’s Bay, a cocktail made with fresh-brewed black tea.
it) waterfront patio and row of sandy Adirondack chairs open until late fall, if that’s what customers want. (There are currently three fire pits on the deck, with heaters being added.) Everything about the nautical décor, lakeside breeze and friendly, sneakered marina boys exudes “getaway,” but the hot spot (once Lake Local) is right here, on Union Avenue at the 550 Marina. “We wanted to offer locals the feeling of being on vacation, but without leaving Saratoga Springs,” says Corey Melancon, 550’s bar manager. “We’re hoping it’s warm enough to sit around the fireplaces through October. The outside will be open as long as we can stand it.”
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On the drinks menu for fall: a Birch Old Fashioned made with Wild Moon Birch Liqueur, and a refreshing Cool Hand Cuke that’s made with cucumber vodka, pineapple juice and mint. Even though it sounds summery, it’s so popular that Melancon predicts it will make the cut when the official fall food and drink menus debut sometime around October 1. He also can’t wait to unveil a cozy cider-based concoction made with cranberry vodka, bitters and apple whiskey, topped with Lillet Blanc. Melancon also loves freshbrewed tea as a cocktail base, calling it “a great way to add a lot of flavor without too much additional sugar.” Expect to sip on the Nantucket (blueberry vodka
and black tea) and Sandy’s Bay (peach vodka and hibiscus tea) until the menu changeover, when you’ll have to stay tuned for what he comes up with next. Melancon also gets inspiration from his long-time friend and coworker Brady Dillon, 550’s chef. “We work together to create cohesive menus,” he says. “The food dishes’ ingredients inspire the cocktails, and vice versa.” Sounds like a food and drink pairing made in lakeside heaven.
two’s company 550 Waterfront Bar Manager Corey Melancon says many of his cocktail creations are inspired by Chef Brady Dillon’s food.
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Prime At Saratoga National
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ocated on Union Avenue near Lake Lonely and Saratoga Lake’s north shore, and headed up by Angelo Mazzone, Prime at Saratoga National is one of Saratoga’s top upscale steakhouses. The restaurant, open for lunch and dinner, as well as brunch on Sundays, offers indoor and seasonal al fresco dining, overlooking the 18th hole of the beautiful Saratoga National golf course. Besides regular daily seatings, Prime is also the perfect setting for weddings, anniversary parties, golf outings, corporate events, fundraisers and galas. Visit NK GU I R Prime online at primeatsaratoganational.com or golfsaratoga.com and on Instagram at @prime_saratoganational. 458 UNION AVE, SARATOGA SPRINGS 518.583.4653
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BY N ATA L I E M O O R E ACROSS: 1. Unpleasant smelling 6. It does the wave 10. Feature of cats and dogs 14. Single 15. Horse’s gait 16. Smoothie bowl ingredient 17. Treble and bass 18. *0-23, as of the beginning of 2020 20. “Look what I did!” 21. TX airport 22. Soprano Fleming 23. Indian flatbread 25. “About me” section 27. They’re worth six points in football (abbr.) 28. *Popular Chicago soundtrack song 32. Crown alternative 33. ___ Vera 34. Sport performed in a ring, for short 37. Branch of the US Armed Forces 38. Like a 38-Down lion 40. Udder part 41. Dance move popularized in 2014 42. The Golden State, informally 43. Tropical fruit 44. *Stressor for a high school math student 47. Filmmaker DuVernay 50. Thompson of Back to the Future 51. Instead, with “in”
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52. Soccer star Lionel 54. Chow down 55. Heady Topper and Flower Power, for two (abbr.) 59. *Like some smoothing shampoos 62. Begin 63. Opposite of 62-Across 64. Hundred ___ Wood 65. Social group 66. Commits adultery, say 67. Tree for a partridge 68. Benefit
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48. 20-ounce Starbucks beverage size 49. ___ Martin 53. Drinks slowly 54. “Budapest” singer George 56. Go by 57. Bottom, in Britain 58. Let stand 60. Perform like Drake 61. Sugary Smirnoff drink 62. Place to be pampered
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apollo, oh yes Carol Daggs has played the famed Apollo Theater.
Just before the COVID-19 crisis hit, Daggs, who is now a full-time caregiver to her elderly mother, published Saratoga Soul Brandtville Blues, a visual narrative of the African American experience in Saratoga. saratoga living caught up with Daggs to talk about her book, activism and music career.
Saratoga Sage CA RO L DAGGS, A FOURTH GENER AT I O N SA R ATO GI A N , O N WHAT IT TAKES TO ‘ SUR-TH R I V E ’ I N T H E SPA C I T Y. BY W I LL L EVI TH n p h otograph y by KAT I E DO B I E S
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wo summers ago, Saratogian Carol Daggs was out for a drive with her 87-year-old mother, when a black pickup truck pulled up alongside them. The young white man behind the wheel stuck his head out the window and yelled an obscenity at Daggs, startling her. She was scared for her life; maybe he had a gun, she thought, and was planning on doing something else to her? He then drove off, but not before hurling a racist slur at another woman. Sadly, this sort of thing still happens in our own backyard. And it’s no less despicable than the infinitesimal other times it’s happened throughout American history, whether it takes the form of an ignorant kid spewing hatefilled words at innocent bystanders or a white police officer kneeling on and
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killing a black man. “What really burns me is my mom was part of that matter,” says Daggs. “My family’s been here forever, so who are you to say anything inappropriate to us? Even if we weren’t here forever, just be decent to people.” Daggs isn’t exaggerating; four generations of her family have lived in Saratoga. After graduating from Saratoga Springs High School, Daggs went on to earn her undergraduate degree in music education from Hartwick College and her Master of Music from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Going by the stage name Jazzage (pronounced jazz-ahge), Daggs has not only been a popular local performer, mixing her soulful tones with expert piano chops, but has also tasted national fame, performing at the historic Apollo Theater in 2016 (more on that shortly).
⁄ SEPTEMBER • OCTOBER 2020
Were there any aha moments in your research for your new book? Just to know that [African American] people had survived—I call it “surthrived”—in a city like Saratoga Springs. I’m learning that maybe I’m more than a fourth generation [Saratogian], if I take it back to my great-grandmother’s parents. They were here from the 1850s. You took part in a Black Lives Matter march in Saratoga back in June. What was your biggest takeaway from it? It’s sad that this many years later, after so many movements, [marches] still have to happen to effect change. You’ve played the Apollo Theater. Were you nervous? I’m really past nerves because of what is happening in the world. There’s no way that you’re going to have me be nervous doing something that is really beautiful and decent, when people are bombing and killing and wreaking havoc on everything. And they are not nervous when they’re doing it. Kneeling on George Floyd—nobody was nervous when they were doing that. Breonna Taylor—nobody was nervous when they were spraying her apartment [with bullets]. God bless the late, great John Lewis, and everyone else who has worked and given their lifetime to effect positive, quality change for everyone. And they’re not nervous. I don’t have to be nervous doing what I’m blessed with and have a chance to do.
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