Saratoga Living: 2021 Best of Everything Issue by saratogalivingmagazine

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T HE CIT Y. THE CU LT U R E. T H E LIFE.

FALL 2021

Free

FLIP Edition!

Celebrating Saratoga’s Arts Scene:

LOUISE KERR ZACK LOBDELL JOHN VAN ALSTINE KEVIN BRIGHT SCOTT HOOK BARNEY BELLINGER JEREMY FISH DUSTIN LANTERMAN

OUR CITY’S ONGOING ROCKY LOVE AFFAIR WITH TREES. BY NATALIE MOORE

Beyond the Gates Yaddo’s gardens remain closed to the public. What’s going on inside? President ELAINA RICHARDSON lifts the veil. BY WILL LEVITH

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SARATOGA SARATOGA THE PEOPLE • THE PLACES • THE LIFESTYLE

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FROM THIS YEAR’S

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EMBRACE YOUR FUTURE without ﬁnancial doubt. When you look ahead, what adventures do you hope to experience? Maybe it’s a career that gives you purpose. The travel of a lifetime. A home of your dreams. A family to provide for. Whatever your

contents | fall 2021

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28 YADDO: PAUSE, RENEW, RETREAT, REPEAT

INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT | RETIREMENT PL ANNING

BY W I LL LEVI T H p h o t o g r a p h y by H AN N AH KUZNIA

FINANCIAL PL ANNING SERVICES | TRUST AND ESTATE SERVICES

37 KEVIN BRIGHT: THE ONE WHERE KEVIN LOVES LOCAL ART BY W I LL LEVI T H

40 JEREMY FISH: FRESH FISH BY W I LL LEVI T H

42 JOHN VAN ALSTINE: MAN OF STEEL BY ABBY T EGN ELI A

44 ZACK LOBDELL: THE ABSTRACTIONIST BY W I LL LEVI T H

46 DUSTIN LANTERMAN: PARK OBSESSED BY N ATALI E M OORE

the best of everything!

T H E 2 0 2 1 U LT I M AT E S A R AT O G A A 2 Z G U I D E

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61 TREES, PLEASE BY N ATALI E M OORE

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68 SARATOGA RACING, PRE-1863 BY BRI EN BOU Y E A HANNAH KUZNIA

estate planner President Elaina Richardson is optimistic about the future of Saratoga’s historic artists’ retreat.

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starting gate contents | fall 2021

work of art Louise Kerr, executive director of Saratoga Arts, is working hard to make the Spa City’s fine art scene more cohesive.

Let’s create health and happiness in your home.

Show, Place, Win!

First turn 17 18 18 19 19 20 22

FYI: SPAC Attack! Made in Saratoga: Radio & TV The Other Saratoga: Sarasota, Florida Panel: Farmers’ Markets Anniversary: McGregor Links Power Player: Louise Kerr Government: Commissioner of Finance 24 Hot Date: International Coffee Day

72 saratoga living’s Fan Fest 73 CAPITAL REGION LIVING’s Cocktails & Clairvoyance 74 3 More Summer Soirées

Home stretch 77 79 83 86 88

Fashion: A Look That Kills Design: Yvonne McEachron Hunger: Pancakes Thirst: Rum What to Do: The Saratoga Showcase of Homes

91 Horseplay Crossword: Hidden Figures Overheard

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Photo Finish 92 #TBT: Yaddo Reborn

(20) FRANCESCO D’AMICO; (26) NATALIE MOORE;

10 From the Editor 12 From the CEO

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Will Levith EDITORIAL DIRECTOR

CREATIVE DIRECTOR

DIRECTOR OF CONTENT SENIOR DESIGNER

ON THE COVER

SPORTS EDITOR

SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHERS

FASHION EDITOR

EDITOR AT LARGE

EDITORIAL INTERNS

Yaddo President Elaina Richardson, photographed by Hannah Kuznia exclusively for saratoga living. Shot on location at Yaddo in Saratoga Springs.

Kathleen Gates Natalie Moore Linda Gates Brien Bouyea Francesco D’Amico Katie Dobies Dori Fitzpatrick Hannah Kuznia Corinne Sausville Susan Gates Carmelina Albanese, Rose Merjos

WRITERS

Karen Bjornland, Tony Case, Field Horne Daniel Nester, Tom Pedulla PHOTOGRAPHERS

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saratoga living is published six times a year by Empire Media Network, Inc. subscriptions: $35 per year (Nonrefundable).

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Sales Center/Model Home: 4 Brentwood Boulevard, Saratoga Springs, NY Open daily 12pm - 5pm, Tuesdays 10am - 2pm, Closed Mondays For more information, contact: Christopher Johnson 518-588-8095 | cjohnson@belmontebuilders.com

Volume 23, No. 5 Fall 2021 Copyright © 2021 Empire Media Network, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reprinted or otherwise reproduced without written permission from Empire Media Network, Inc. All editorial queries should be directed to editorial@saratogaliving.com; or sent to 422 Broadway, Suite 203, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866. saratoga living assumes no responsibility for unsolicited submissions.

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is selling out. There are so many reasons people love living in Sonoma Grove: Large wooded lots from 0.5 to 1.9 acres Walking trails connect to Floral Estates Maintenance Free Optional Just 3 minutes to Northway exit 15 Close to great shopping Downtown or Route 50 Highly ranked Saratoga Springs School System Pricing from the $500’s

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buddha-licious (clockwise from top left) Editorial Director Will Levith (at left) and Friends executive producer Kevin Bright unwrapping his giant Buddha sculpture carved by artist Scott Hook; Levith at Yaddo’s entrance in Saratoga; (right) the orange-and-white construction barrier blocking Yaddo’s entrance; (from left) CEO Abby Tegnelia, Senior Photographer Hannah Kuznia and Director of Content Natalie Moore at the cover shoot.

⁄ FALL 2021

Will Levith EDITORIAL DIRECTOR

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Ce tem ll

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10 saratoga living

painters, sculptors, carvers and photographers (p. 37) than in our annual Best of Everything issue? (You can also find the results of our annual best-of-Saratoga readers’ poll on p. 50, by the way.) Because we couldn’t fit all of these incredible artists into one issue, we’ll be picking up where we left off in our forthcoming Holiday issue. If you love the art you see in these pages as much as we do, seek out the artists and commission them. Likewise, you should patronize all of the amazing small businesses that made our Best of Everything list, too. And that book I’m writing? Don’t expect it at Northshire anytime soon.

Performed He re P

T her ap

hen I occasionally found myself idling at that first stoplight off Exit 14 on the Northway last winter, on my way into the office or to visit my parents, my eyes would invariably wander over to Yaddo’s front gate. As a writer, I’ve always felt an affinity for the famed artists’ retreat—and even applied for a residency there to finish a book I’ve been working on for the past few years. More often than not, I’d see an orange-and-white construction barrier blocking its entrance, and it got me wondering whether the famed artists’ retreat had become another casualty of the pandemic. Thankfully, that couldn’t have been further from the truth, as you’ll learn in our cover story on p. 28. But Yaddo’s artists are just the tip of the iceberg in Saratoga Springs and the greater Capital Region. The area is simply teeming with artistic talent, and we thought, what better a time to celebrate some of the area’s top

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FROM THE CEO

Fall Back

e wouldn’t be a celebratory Saratoga Springs magazine if we didn't come out in full force to honor the Saratoga Race Course this comeback summer.. Uniquely, as journalists, we got pumped for track season before it even began—deeming this the Year of the Fan in our “The Races!” issue, which debuted (yup) at the track on Opening Day. By then, we were all in, going on to host guests at the 1863 Club, throw a Fan Fest to honor those aforementioned fans, and of course take in a day at the races whenever work allowed. And now we have our eye on fall. More specifically, Yaddo, beautiful and dreamy Yaddo, which we discovered in our cover story has been doing incredible things behind the scenes, even as it remains closed to the public. We hope you enjoy reading about the mysterious artists retreat, as well as other brilliant artists with Saratoga ties. As for my personal fall bucket list, there are a few fabulous things I’m excited to do this season. In addition to our events—including a book signing cocktail party with former New York Housewife Dorinda Medley (and past saratoga living cover star!) at the stunning Adelphi— I’ll also be attending the first annual Saratoga Book Festival. Not only will our cover star, Yaddo’s longtime president Elaina Richardson, be there, in conversation with acclaimed author and keynote speaker Russell Banks, but there will be events with Skidmore professor Beau Breslin and Saratoga Reads’ Carol Daggs, whom we recently covered in this magazine.

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And then there’s the Showcase of Homes. After moving to a television format last year, dream home tours have recommenced. In fact, you might be reading a copy of the magazine that you picked up on the tour, as we’re a proud Gold Nail sponsor of this special 25th anniversary Showcase. Happy house hunting! As we continue to navigate these unusual times, we remain honored that you turn to saratoga living online for breaking community news, and in the pages of this magazine for a deeper read. Please support the advertisers you discover here, and consider buying a ticket to one of our events. And come say hi! We love meeting all of the wonderful people who make Saratoga and the Capital Region tick. Local journalism matters. Thank you for coming along for the ride.

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circle of friends (clockwise from top left) The women of saratoga living with jockey José Ortiz in the winner’s circle at Saratoga Race Course; Empire Media Network (the magazine’s parent company) Chairman Tony Ianniello with Abby Juracka and Dominick and Christine Marchesiello of the Marchesiello Team at Keller Williams, presenting Dave Matthews tickets won at a recent saratoga living event; CEO Abby Tegnelia celebrating the track season with young fans (and brothers!) Brody and Gavin Santiago.

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Fall in Love with Local

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Fall in Love with Local Everyone—well, almost everyone—loves a love story. But even if you failed to shed a tear while watching The Notebook, you’re going to love this love story. It’s about a mid-sized city that fell in love with its small businesses. The businesses fell for the city because of its idyllic downtown, vibrant social scene and unapologetically glam summer crowds. The city, awestruck with its good luck, spent every day thenceforth supporting, rooting for, shopping at and, yes, loving, its small businesses. The end. OK, this story may be a bit out there, but you must admit, Saratoga hit the local business jackpot with its abundance of locally owned salons, realty companies, shops, markets and boutiques. And Saratoga’s local businesses couldn’t ask for a better city to open their doors to each and every morning. But, like any relationship, this Saratoga/local business marriage isn’t always easy, and in order to keep the love growing, it requires constant care and attention. In other words, Saratogians, it’s time to fully dedicate yourself to supporting local. There’s so much love in our town. This fall, commit to falling in love with local all over again.

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Into Mischief

Unique and beautiful: That’s the shopping experience you’ll get at this wonderful little boutique store in the Saratoga Marketplace. Into Mischief has great gift options, including home décor items, handbags, accessories and a bunch more: Every time you visit there’s something new to see. Not sure what you’re looking for? It’s a pleasure to browse in this pretty boutique, which is rapidly becoming known as the place to find that special gift or perfect handbag you’ve been looking for. Into Mischief: It’s vibrant, it’s elegant and it’s unique! 454 BROADWAY (SARATOGA MARKETPLACE) 845.866.0658 intomischiefboutique.com

Posh Brows and Beauty

At Saratoga’s Posh Brows and Beauty, eyebrow and eyelash treatments come first—they’re not just an add-on service like at a regular salon. Posh Brows and Beauty is Saratoga’s premier brow and lash salon located in the heart of downtown and specializing in brow waxing, brow shaping and tinting, microblading, henna brow and brow lamination. The salon also specializes in lash extensions, lash lift and tint, full face and body waxing, and customized facials to meet your specific needs. Visit vagaro.com/poshbrowsandbeauty to book your appointment at Posh Brows and Beauty today. 443 BROADWAY, SUITE #6

518.992.9298

poshbrowsandbeauty.com

The Scott Varley Team at Keller Williams Thirty-year real estate veteran Scott Varley and his megateam of 12 agents and four full-time staffers, one of the top-grossing teams at No. 1 Keller Williams, have recently opened a brand-new, centrally located office across from The Adelphi Hotel. The group sold $66 million on 198 closed units in 2020, and this year is on pace to double that threshold during this current dynamic market. Varley and his team promise to return every client message almost immediately, and Varley will personally travel within a two-hour radius to help service clients. 382 BROADWAY 518.281.6808 scottvarley.com

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S P ECIAL P R OMOTIONAL S ECTION

Fall in Love with Local Osteria Danny

Moby Rick’s Seafood Just because Saratoga is 200 miles from the nearest ocean doesn’t mean you can’t still get fresh seafood in the Spa City. In 2012, Captain Rick Lofstad founded Moby Rick’s Seafood, which now serves Long Island- and Boston-caught fish, plus frozen seafood from all over the world and cooked seafood entrees, in its two new retail locations in Saratoga and Clifton Park. Fresh seafood is brought in daily, so you can expect only the freshest products from Moby Rick’s. 26 CONGRESS ST.

518.584.8584

mobyricks.com

Scheduled Shows

Run by Executive Chef Danny Petrosino and his wife, Patti, Osteria Danny specializes in Italian-American cuisine with an emphasis on simplicity and creative development. As such, the menu is updated frequently to encompass new culinary concepts and locally sourced ingredients whenever they are available. Although the menu is continuously evolving with the creative will of Chef Danny, original recipes remain a pivotal influence in the dishes that Osteria Danny produces. 26 HENRY ST.

518.423.7022

SEPTEMBER 5

Alanis Morissette with special guest Garbage SEPTEMBER 12

Outlaw Music Festival 2021

SPAC Attack!

Collective 131

74 BEEKMAN ST.

302.643.9369

collective131.com

SEPTEMBER 13

FYI

osteriadanny.com

Collective 131’s beautiful gallery boasts original artwork in a variety of mediums, all from top local and regional women artists. (Think affordable prints, paintings and works on paper.) Shop for your own home art collection, or to curate the perfect gift: Collective 131 also carries small-batch and unique items such as ceramics, candles, soaps, greeting cards and jewelry. For fall, owner Cassie Fiorenza is most excited about a new collection of seasonal table linens from a Rochester-based artist.

pop rocks Fans will have to provide proof of a negative COVID test or vaccination for the September 13 Maroon 5 concert; (below) the Jonas Brothers will perform at SPAC on September 28.

Lucia Boutique There’s nothing quite like pulling on a pair of jeans and a flannel on that first brisk fall day… so make sure you’re stocked and ready for it! Look no further than Lucia Boutique in the Saratoga Marketplace on Broadway, which carries every item of clothing you’ll need for apple-picking, brewery-going or leaf-peeping, plus back-to-college essentials and cocktail dresses for any fall wedding. Stop in today to browse Lucia’s selection of distressed denim, graphic tees, sweaters and accessories. Shop online and in store! 454 BROADWAY #8

518.587.7890

luciaboutique.com

AF T ER ITS B IG C O MEB AC K S UMMER S EAS O N, EVEN G REAT ER T H ING S ARE AF O OT AT T H E SARATO GA ARTS VENUE T H IS FAL L .

ast year was an all-around bummer for the Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC). The pandemic put the skids on all of its live programming, including SPAC’s entire Live Nation slate (sorry, Dave fans). Although this summer was far from “back to normal,” SPAC was able to welcome back longtime residents New York City Ballet and Philadelphia Orchestra for limited schedules during the summer months, as well as a handful of rock shows. The majority of Live Nation’s pop, rock and country concerts,

however, were pushed back to leaf-peeping season, only adding to the unusualness of this year. At p ress time, many of those shows still had tickets available. Here’s what to expect from SPAC this September and October.

Maroon 5* SEPTEMBER 14

The Black Crowes Present: Shake Your Money Maker SEPTEMBER 17 & 18

Dave Matthews Band* SEPTEMBER 19

Flogging Molly/ Violent Femmes SEPTEMBER 28

Jonas Brothers: The Remember This Tour OCTOBER 3

Zac Brown Band: The Comeback Tour

What’s New at SPAC? • SPAC concert-goers are finally able to experience the organization’s already year-old updates, including a brand-new main concessions and restroom building, rooftop terrace and open-air covered pavilion. • Live Nation has extremely strict protocols for its touring acts. If there is a cancellation, you’ll be able to find out about it at livenation.com, as well as via emails sent to ticket-holders. • When New York State legalized the use of recreational marijuana this past spring, the law stated that anyone, 21 years or older, could smoke weed anywhere they could also puff a cigarette or cigar. The SPAC lawn, Saratoga potheads will be happy to know, is one of those places. • If you’re looking for more arts immersion than even the Jo Bros can provide, check out SPAC’s brand new School of the Arts, located in the studios behind the National Museum of Dance building. Classes for students of all ages begin September 20. Sign up at spacschool.org. *For the Maroon 5 and DMB performances, Live Nation is requiring all fans to provide printed proof of a negative COVID test within 48 hours of the event, or full vaccination for entry. Visit livenation.com for updated safety information on all Live Nation concerts.

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{ first turn } M ADE IN SARATOGA

PANEL

Broadcast’s Beginnings

Market Research

T H REE LO CAL-VO RES S H ARE T H EIR FAVO RIT E FARMERS ’ MARK ET F IND S .

T H E Y D O N ’ T C A L L S C H E N E C TA DY THE ELECTRIC CITY FOR NOTHING. BY N ATA L I E M O O R E

Favorite Capital Region farmers’ market

ould you be surprised to learn that your car radio and flatscreen TV both have roots just down the road in Schenectady? radio heads It all started when Swedish-born engineer WGY’s in-house acting Ernst Frederick Werner Alexanderson troupe, the WGY Players, emigrated to the US to work at the General Electric Company test platform, Alexanderson broadcasting a radio play in the early 20th century. At GE, he was tasked successfully sent a static from the Schenectady station in 1923. with taking the already-existing 60-Hertz spark image across the transmitter—which transferred Morse code’s pond from the dots and dashes across great distances—and US to Europe in just two minutes. Two years transforming it into a 100,000-Hertz machine later, in 1927, he demonstrated the first home that could transmit the human voice. With reception of television in his Schenectady the help of Canadian-born inventor Reginald home. And just a year after that, WGY Fessenden, he succeeded, and the resulting broadcast the first TV drama, a one-act play ge whiz The Alexanderson Alexanderson Alternator was considered to be called The Queen’s Messenger, to a few Alternator was an early the world’s first radio broadcast. hundred television sets placed around town. radio transmitter invented But the Swede wasn’t done wiring the Today, the historic WGY goes by another by a GE employee. world just yet. Using the station WGY as a name: WRGB or CBS 6 Albany.

Schenectady Greenmarket

Favorite item to get there

Bill Gallagher TEACHER, WATERVLIET JUNIOR/ SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL

Puckers Gourmet’s Pak Dong (a.k.a. Thai pickled cabbage)

What do you use it for? Salads, sandwiches and stir fries

Favorite Capital Region farmers’ market Spa City Farmers’ Market

Favorite item to get there Whole chicken from Longlesson Farm

What do you use it for?

5 Things to Know About Sarasota, Florida

As amusing as it may be when people mistake “Saratoga” for “Sarasota,” the two cities do share a number of similarities— and some major differences.

’sota water Sarasota is home to several popular beaches, including Siesta Key (at right).

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Like Saratoga, Sarasota has a robust arts community and is particularly well known for its vibrant downtown area, which comes stocked with art galleries and entertainment venues, as well as popular restaurants and shopping options.

Sarasota, however, is more than 1,350 miles from its like-named northern “cousin.” Located on Florida’s Gulf Coast, it’s an hour’s drive south of Tampa—which you can fly to with minimal transfers from Albany International Airport.

Once the winter home of Ringling Bros. Circus (and the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Clown

College, which shuttered in 1997), Sarasota is now home to the Ringling Museum of Art, which was founded by one of the Ringling brothers.

Sarasota is also known for its beaches, such as Siesta Key and Venice. Unlike Saratoga, Sarasota averages zero inches of snow per year.

About 17,000 millionaires, including Stephen King and Jerry Springer, have homes in the Sarasota area.

Sarasota (JIM MULLHAUPT); Siesta Key (JONATHAN SINGEL)

THE OTHER SARATOGA

My family loves when I roast the whole chicken— I even make broth with all the other parts.

Caroline Haladjian STAY-AT-HOME MOM/ARTIST

Favorite Capital Region farmers’ market Saratoga Farmers’ Market

Favorite item to get there Microgreens from Capital Greens and some Italian delicacies from my coworker, Giovanni Casanica of Giovanni Fresco.

What do you use it for?

Dan Klein ACCOUNT MANAGER, AMSURE

The microgreens go into my daily salad, and Giovanni’s food is for my cheat meals!

big mac Saratoga’s McGregor Links golf course, seen here in 1922, is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year.

ANNIVERSARY

Wilton Wonder ONE HUNDRED WORDS ABOUT THE HISTORIC MCGREGOR LINKS COUNTRY CLUB’S CENTENNIAL.

century ago, Senator Edgar T. Brackett, founder of the Adirondack Trust Company, was approached about building a golf course to accommodate the tourists that were flocking to Saratoga’s grand hotels. He went out on a scouting mission and came upon a stretch of sandy, rolling terrain north of the city. On July 23, 1921, Brackett proudly watched as the first ball was driven from the newly minted McGregor Links golf course. Today, McGregor remains one of the region’s premier golf clubs, proving what longtime golf pro George Pulver said in 1961: “Golf links are not built—they are found.”

M cGr eg o r Li n ks by t h e n u m b er s

400

Members of McGregor Links the day it opened

Men and women who played a full 18 holes on McGregor’s opening day in 1921

Years George Pulver served as the head golf pro at McGregor

LPGA titles won by Dottie Pepper, who grew up playing golf at McGregor and training under Pulver

Par for McGregor’s 18-hole, links-style course

422

Current memberships, individual and family, at McGregor

“McGregor at last has come to fill a want so universally felt, that it is not too much to feel elated and certain that countless travelers—golfers, lovers of beauty, artists, men and women occupying different rungs on the ladder of success—will be attracted here to be entertained in McGregor halls.” —The Saratogian, 1921

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Love Your New Home

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Comfort / Convenience / Luxury Amenities One & Two-Bedroom Luxury Apartments in Queensbury

trying to put out into the community is that we facilitate all genres of art. So that’s 2-D, 3-D and then music, theater, dance. We want to be able to facilitate creativity in whatever form it takes.” In addition to its own exhibitions, Saratoga Arts also collaborates with other local arts organizations to present exhibitions at Saratoga Arts and beyond; hosts summer camps and other yearround educational programs; presents First Night, Saratoga’s arts-centric, citywide New Year’s Eve celebration; and distributes approximately $130,000 per year into the community by way of grants for individual artists and community (there’s that word again) organizations.

eople take new jobs for all sorts of reasons: Sometimes it’s for better pay, sometimes it’s for better benefits. For Louise Kerr, executive director of Saratoga Arts, it was for the opportunity to have a stronger connection to her community. That idea of community immersion not only drives her personally, but it’s

what she strives to improve on on behalf of the entire organization. Formerly the director of visitor operations & engagement at Hudson’s Olana State Historic Site, Kerr came on board at Saratoga Arts in August of 2020 and hit the ground running. “As soon as I toured this facility, I knew Saratoga Arts had everything you could possibly need to serve an entire community,” Kerr says of the organization’s headquarters on

“I realize that one of the things I’m good at is being able to connect all different types of organizations together,” Kerr says. “I see Saratoga Arts as an umbrella organization that touches all of the cultural organizations. People can come into Saratoga Arts, and we’re able to say, ‘Here are all the music venues with shows this weekend. Here are all of the sculpture exhibitions you can go to. Here are the poetry readings. Here’s the book signing that’s happening.’ It all exists—it just hasn’t been organized together.” And, as we know from the pandemic, Saratoga is #StrongerTogether.

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For more information, please contact Janet DiManno 518.903.2103

Better Together

the corner of Broadway and Spring Street. “On a personal note, I was really interested in putting down roots somewhere where I could be immersed in a community, and Saratoga has everything you could possibly want.” Despite the wonderful things Kerr immediately recognized at Saratoga Arts, she quickly realized that the nonprofit, though it had been serving the Spa City for nearly 35 years, was something of a mystery to locals. “During the first four months of my being here and reaching out and starting to make connections, I was astounded because so many people I met who had lived here all their lives yet had no idea what Saratoga Arts did,” Kerr says. “People thought of it as just an art gallery. What we’ve been

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2020 vision When Louise Kerr joined Saratoga Arts in August 2020, she envisioned an arts community where organizations collaborate rather than compete.

“People can come into Saratoga Arts, and we’re able to say, ‘Here are all the music venues with shows this weekend. Here are all of the sculpture exhibitions you can go to. Here are the poetry readings. Here’s the book signing that’s happening.’ It all exists—it just hasn’t been organized together.”

NOW PRELEASING FOR MARCH 2022

E A2Z GU

Your support inspires us to continually go above and beyond to earn your trust — as it has for generations. We very humbly thank you.

Learn about our award-winning ﬁnancial services. Call us at (518) 584-5844, visit any of our convenient neighborhood branches and do online banking 24/7 at AdirondackTrust.com. INSURANCE PRODUCTS ARE:

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NOT A DEPOSIT

NOT FDIC INSURED

NOT GUARANTEED BY THE BANK

NOT INSURED BY ANY GOVERNMENT AGENCY

MAY GO DOWN IN VALUE

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Commissioner of Finance G ETTIN G TO KNOW TH E CFO OF THE CITY OF SARATOGA SPRINGS. BY N ATA L I E M O O R E

ver since Saratoga Springs voted to keep its commission form of government intact in November 2020, saratoga living has been focusing in on the duties of each of the city’s five commissioners, to give Saratogians a better idea of how their local politicos operate. In this issue, we’re getting to know the commissioner of finance.

The Commissioner of Finance serves as the… 1. Substitute for the mayor 2. City tax collector 3. Bursar (a fancy name for financial administrator) of city funds 4. Internal auditor 5. Custodian of city monies 6. Keeper of city financial records 7. Budget chairperson 8. Certifier of city payrolls

But that’s not all: “In this form of government, we’re also councilmembers,” says current Commissioner of Finance Michele Madigan, who has already announced that she will not seek reelection this November. “As such, I can really take on any project I want. In my 10 years as a councilmember, I’ve taken on plenty of things

that fall outside of the traditional duties of the commissioner of finance, like the 2.5-megawatt solar park. I led that forward in a partnership with Sustainable Saratoga.”

midterm exam Michele Madigan is currently in her fifth term as Commissioner of Finance, but will not seek reelection this November.

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working together “Medicine is complex now. We all need to see multiple providers, and we want to know they’re working together. That’s what the Saratoga Hospital Medical Group is all about.” D AV I D M A S T R I A N N I , M D Senior Vice President, Saratoga Hospital Medical Group

HOT DATE : OCTOBER 1

Flight Club

SA RATO GA CO FFEE TRADERS HOPS O N THE FL I GH T TREND I N TIM E FO R INTERNATIONAL C O FFE E DAY.

ou’ve heard of beer flights. You’ve heard of wine flights. You may have even heard of macaroni and cheese flights (it’s true—they exist!). And now, Saratoga coffee fanatics, your favorite foamy beverage is taking flight, too. Saratoga Coffee Traders has been satisfying coffeeholics’ cravings for variety since April, when it premiered flights of four hot or iced specialty lattes (the shop has 20 flavors of them on any given day). “Overall, we can make over 60-80 different flavored specialty lattes,” says Saratoga Coffee Traders Owner Scott Swedish. “If you can dream it, we can make it.” Favorite flavors include French Toast (caramel, vanilla, white chocolate, maple and cinnamon), Funky Munky (chocolate and banana) and Sky Bar (vanilla, caramel, hazelnut and chocolate); and each latte can come decaffeinated as well, with skim, whole, almond, soy or oat milk. The latte flights, which have been the talk amongst Saratoga coffee lovers, are available at the Broadway shop daily after 1pm. They’re $11, and only $5.50 on “Thirsty Thursdays.” Unfortunately, October 1, a.k.a. International Coffee Day, is a Friday, but let’s face it—20 ounces of espresso and steamed milk can make any day a thirsty one.

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flight of fancy Since April, Saratoga Coffee Traders has been offering specialty latte flights, which consist of four five-ounce servings of the flavored lattes of your choice.

BROOKHAVEN GOLF COURSE

333 Alpine Meadows Rd, Porter Corners

Located in the beautiful foothills of the Adirondacks, Brookhaven Golf Course is “not your ordinary walk in the woods.” The course itself has its own distinct personality and challenges, making it fun for golfers of all abilities, and the onsite restaurant, The View at Brookhaven, serves up affordable favorites such as chicken parmesan and shepherd’s pie with, you guessed it, a view.

The Capital Region’s Hole-in-One Golf Guide

518.893.7458 | brookhavengolfcourse.com

COPAKE COUNTRY CLUB

44 Golf Course Rd, Craryville

“Public Golf, Private Quality” is the motto of Copake Country Club, a 160-acre, 18-hole golf course nestled in the foothills of the Berkshire and Catskill mountains. Having celebrated its 100th anniversary this summer, Copake features pure greens and meticulously maintained terrain, more than 15 different membership rates, weekday specials for local service workers, discounted twilight packages and a rustic-chic restaurant overlooking the fairways.

518.325.0019 | copakecountryclub.com

CRONIN’S GOLF RESORT

Golf Course Rd, Warrensburg

Cronin’s Golf Resort has proudly been serving New York’s North Country for more than 75 years. Five generations of Cronins have operated the resort, which, located on the Hudson River, is known for its breathtaking views of the Adirondacks. Spend an afternoon playing Cronin’s 18 hole, par 70 course, or stay for the whole weekend in one of the resort’s motel units or cottages.

518.623.9336 | croninsgolfresort.com

PIONEER HILLS GOLF COURSE

3230 Galway Rd, Ballston Spa

Nestled between the majestic pines and abundant wetlands in Western Saratoga County, Ballston Spa’s Pioneer Hills Golf Course is perfect for players of all levels with its 18 hole, par 70 course. Play for free this fall by becoming a 2022 member and paying your dues now. A single adult membership, which includes a cart, is only $1,550. Call the pro shop at the number below to join the fun.

AS THE DOG DAYS OF SUMMER GIVE WAY TO CHILLY MORNINGS and crisp, cool air, there’s one outdoor activity that doesn’t need to come to an end just yet. Golf is just as enjoyable (if not more so!) in the fall as it is in the summer. Just think: You don’t have the midsummer sun beating down on you, and you get to admire the gorgeous colors of yet another Upstate New York autumn. From Craryville down south to Warrensburg up north, here are six fall foliage–filled golf courses you won’t want to miss this season.

518.885.7000 | pioneerhillsgolf.com

SARATOGA LAKE GOLF CLUB

35 Grace Moore Rd, Saratoga Springs

Saratoga Lake Golf Club is a par 72 public golf course located in the heart of a lush forest just outside of Downtown Saratoga Springs. It’s one of the most relaxing courses in Upstate New York; every round takes players past sparkling ponds, beautiful wetlands and views of Saratoga Lake. Post-round, golfers can enjoy drinks, snacks or dinner on the spacious patio or deck of The Hideaway, the club’s onsite restaurant.

518.581.6616 | saratogalakegolf.com

CREDIT

WOLFERTS ROOST COUNTRY CLUB

120 Van Rensselaer Blvd, Albany

Conveniently located just minutes from Downtown Albany, Wolferts Roost offers unparalleled views of the Berkshire Mountains and the exciting vistas that are traditionally found in Upstate New York. Above all, Wolferts Roost is a family club that provides members with a wide variety of sporting, social and culinary experiences for all ages in a safe and luxurious environment.

518.449.3223 | wolfertsroost.com

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revival of the fittest Yaddo’s Queen Anne revival mansion recently underwent a $10 million renovation; (opposite) former magazine editor Elaina Richardson has served as Yaddo’s president for two decades.

M AY AP P E AR TO BE CLOSE D

F ROM THE OUTSIDE , BUT IN SIDE TH E WALLS O F THE 95-YE AR-OLD SARATOGA ARTISTS’ RETREAT, ALL KINDS OF MAGIC IS BEING MADE.

BY W I L L L E V I T H ∆ P H OTO G R A P H Y BY H A N N A H K UZ N I A ∆

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f you’re one of the lucky souls who has gotten THE past the barriers at Yaddo’s front gate—and haven’t been deterred by the “no trespassing” signs along the road leading up to the 95-year-old Saratoga Springs artists’ retreat—you know that inside, it’s business as usual. Yaddo’s VIPs, the residential artists it’s been welcoming in since 1926, have returned. YA D D O But to the average outsider, what has always been one of Saratoga’s most mysterious addresses anyway—a heavily wooded, 400-acre tract of land on the edge of town, whose only penetrable portion is a quaint garden accounting for a mere teardrop of the estate—has become that much more of an enigma since the pandemic hit. Now even the gardens remain closed to the public. As it turns out, Yaddo wasn’t immune to the pandemic’s darkest days. Just like the rest of Saratoga, the retreat was thrown headlong into lockdown mode in mid-March of 2020 and was in an even bigger logistical pickle than most. At the time of the governor’s stay-at-home order, Yaddo had a flock of artists from all over the world in residence, and it needed to figure out how to quickly, efficiently and most importantly, safely, relocate them. “It was more complicated than turning the lights out, in the sense that artists had sublet their apartments and rented out their studios [to be here],” says Elaina Richardson, Yaddo’s longtime president. Two of those artists had come all the way from London, and another, the thenCOVID epicenter, China. Brooklyn-based filmmaker Arisleyda Dilone, who was working on a performance piece to complement her upcoming feature-length documentary, was among that group of artists. Taking up residence in one of the newer one-person studios, Dilone says she immediately took to the isolation. But when it came time for the nightly, communal dinners—each night,

A R T Š

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De s pit e Yad d o’s not hosting a s ingle re s ide nt for ne arly a y e ar— re ally, its

rais on d’être — the re t re at was neve r in any dange r of s hu t t ing down pe rm ane nt ly.

the artists are asked to gather for a closeddoor dinner, where they can converse or present work to one another—art was the last thing on anyone’s mind. “Every night, people were discussing what they were hearing, what was going on [with COVID],” says Dilone. Though her days at Yaddo were ultimately numbered—she was able to spend only nine days at the retreat versus the month she’d been promised— she says she still got to experience a lot of what makes Yaddo such a magical place. She took hikes on the property; communed with a curious fox she spotted near her studio; and got to crack open a rare copy of Susanna Kaysen’s memoir, Girl, Interrupted, in its library. For the four residents that Richardson says weren’t able to get home so easily, Yaddo set up free temporary housing for one of them and made use of crisis grants to help two others (the fourth stayed with a friend). Richardson and the Yaddo board also agreed to put a temporary freeze on applications and decided to treat whenever Yaddo reopened as “a doover year,” bringing back all of the artists who had been accepted but sidelined, instead of welcoming in all-new applicants. Because of COVID, Yaddo skipped three application cycles—residencies normally take place between May and September or October and April—and only just started accepting new applications in August. Being that Yaddo’s mission has always been to support artists, that’s what it set out to do during the months that it was temporarily closed. To keep the group of artists who had been displaced in mid-March feeling engaged and welcome, the organization hosted private Zoom dinners with them. Yaddo also offered artists resources and practical advice, like getting them up to speed on hosting their own Zoom classes, and educating them on what grants were available and how they could register for unemployment benefits. On the publicfacing side, for example, Richardson and her staff unveiled its Shadow Yaddo podcast, to help promote artists whose performances, book tours and premieres had been canceled.

(Yaddo studios) ELIZABETH HAYNES; (Cale) ABIE MITCHELL; (Dilone) COURTESY ARISLEYDA DILONE

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colony center (clockwise from top left) New York City–based playwright, songwriter and actor David Cale, who was part of the first postlockdown class at Yaddo; one of the five modern livework studios on the Yaddo estate; filmmaker Arisleyda Dilone, who was part of the Yaddo class that had to leave when COVID hit; one of the standalone artist spaces, fit for a musician; one of the more traditional spaces for an artist to make his or her magic.

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Ironically, lockdown turned out to be a boon for Yaddo’s buildings and grounds team, which was able to make all the noise they wanted to with no artists around to disturb. They were tasked with getting Yaddo equipped for the “new normal.” Porches were screened in so work could be done in a socially distanced environment, terraces were furnished so residents could eat al fresco, and an outdoor movie screen was installed, so filmmakers could show their work in the elements. Yaddo’s historic mansion, which officially reopened in 2019 following a $10 million renovation

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residential palace Yaddo President Elaina Richardson, pictured here in the main mansion’s music room, says that when artists finally returned to the retreat last February, they were “giddy to be back”; (opposite) Yaddo’s historic mansion, which burned to the ground in 1891 and then was subsequently rebuilt, is chock-full of antique furniture, statues, paintings, stained-glass windows and other classic works of art.

project—and subsequently won an Excellence in Historic Preservation award from the New York State Preservation League this past winter—also got some additional upgrades. Despite Yaddo’s not hosting a single resident for nearly a year—really, its raison d’être—the retreat was never in any danger of shutting down permanently. “We never hit the panic button because we didn’t have to,” says Richardson. That’s because, unlike many local nonprofits, Yaddo has a $34 million endowment. “Basically, what it gives us is a cushion,” she says. “When things don’t go well, we can rely on it.” That said, about 50 percent of the staffers—those that would’ve been there solely in service of the artists—were furloughed, and costs were slashed dramatically, to the tune of about $1 million. Post-lockdown, it might strike you as odd that anyone, let alone an artist who had just spent more than a year working in desert-island isolation, would want to revisit solitude again so quickly. But Yaddo isn’t any old place. Once the country estate of New York City financier Spencer Trask and his wife, Katrina, a writer, Yaddo was transformed into a corporation following the tragic deaths of the Trasks’ four children. After becoming an artists’ retreat in 1926, it’s played host to a who’s-who of famous artists, including Pulitzer Prize–winning composer Aaron Copland; Nobel Prize– winning author Saul Bellow; Chloé Zhao, who recently became the first woman of color to win a Best Director Oscar for her film Nomadland; and novelist Jennifer Egan, who won a Pulitzer for her novel A Visit from the Goon Squad. To that end, 13 new artists, a much smaller group than normal, ventured to Yaddo this past February and became the first post-lockdown class there. Yaddo set up a bubble around its artists—hence the barriers you may have noticed blocking off the Union Avenue entrance. That meant artists would have to get COVID tests before they left home, get tested upon arrival, and be quarantined there until their negative results came through. The only communal hours were

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Introducing the First Annual Saratoga Book Festival

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those dinners, and artists were required to wear masks right up THE until they were seated together at the table. Artists also couldn’t leave the Yaddo grounds under any circumstances. (The only wild card was the Yaddo staff, which was coming and going daily. But it, too, was tested frequently.) To date, there hasn’t been a single COVID positive at Yaddo. Despite these strict COVID protocols—or perhaps because of the feeling of safety the rules YA D D O seemed to foster—while many of us were still working remotely and deep into the doldrums of the unforgiving COVID winter, that new crop of artists was having a gay old time. “They were really giddy to be back,” says Richardson. “That group was phenomenally bonded.” David Cale, a New York City–based playwright, songwriter and actor, who had last been to Yaddo two decades prior,

squirrel, interrupted During lockdown, New York City– based playwright, songwriter and actor David Cale took to feeding and photographing squirrels, a pastime that he brought with him to Yaddo.

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was part of that first group back. Cale brought with him the beginnings of a film adaptation for his brand-new OffBroadway solo show, Sandra, which is set to premiere next spring. That, and a penchant for photographing wildlife. With live theater shuttered and loads of free time on his hands, Cale had been taking pictures of squirrels in NYC and posting them on social media, and he brought his pandemic pastime with him to Saratoga. “I started feeding the squirrels, which I thought was going to get me banished from Yaddo, and photographed them and wrote some stories about them,” he says. “Then other artists started getting involved.” Cale says he and his fellow artists got along well, despite the times. “There was a real playful quality between us and a lot of laughter,” he says, adding that the group is still in touch via WhatsApp.

touch of class (clockwise from top left) A class photo from Yaddo, featuring future Pulitzer Prize–winning composer Aaron Copland, third from the right in the top row; Pulitzer Prize–winning author Jennifer Egan, who has done multiple residencies at Yaddo; the inaugural Yaddo class in 1926, with its first director, Elizabeth Ames, standing in front of the tree; composers Copland (left) and Leonard Bernstein, both Yaddo veterans.

(vintage group shots) NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY; (Jennifer Egan) PIETER VAN HATTEM; (Copland and Bernstein) LIBRARY OF CONGRESS; (squirrels) DAVID CALE

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hen Yaddo unveiled its newly restored mansion at its annual Summer Benefit in 2019, it felt like the beginning of a new chapter in the retreat’s history. Armed with the mansion, plus the five modern live-work studios that had opened in 2016, Yaddo now had the ability to expand its residency programs. During a normal, nonpandemic year, the number of artists it could bring in was around 200, and the hope was to increase that to 300. Now, thanks to COVID, that will have to wait, with the current invitee totals standing at a max of 150 for the year. Something that won’t have to wait? Richardson’s campaign to lift the veil of secrecy from Yaddo, something she started long before the pandemic. To that end, as part of the Frances Young Tang Teaching Museum and Art Gallery’s All Together Now series, Yaddo installed an exhibit of Carl Van Vechten’s dance-related photographs this past August, offering pre-registered viewing times to the public through October; and the retreat is hoping to bring back its wildly popular open house tours next spring. Certainly, neither Richardson nor her staff would be doing their job if they let a daily stream of locals through the gates to observe artists making their magic happen. “The time and space that is yours and protected is why we exist,” says Richardson. “But I do think there are ways in which the modern world allows you to reinterpret that.” Obviously, there’s a limit to that reinterpretation. “I often felt in the past that Yaddo didn’t explain well enough the value of retreat, and what it’s all about,” Richardson says. “People understood it in yoga terms. But as a connection to the book you read, the movie you see, I do think, coming out of this year, people will have a better understanding of what staying in one place, silence and being inward can give you. We have to clarify why it’s important to respect the public-private boundary, and we also have to make it clear that we’re not inhospitable to natural curiosity.”

with featured authors

Russell Banks & Joyce Carol Oates

cr: Nancie Battaglia cr: Nicholas Calcott

and Elizabeth Zunon, Steve Sheinkin, Joseph Bruchac, Peg Boyers, Chase Twitchell, Jesse Bruchac, Beau Breslin, Armando Lucas Correa, Carol Daggs, Kim van Alkemade, Jennifer Dugan, Jonathan Santlofer, Megan andAbbott, James Bruchac, Peter Cameron, BradSheinkin, Kessler, David Gates, Elizabeth Zunon, Steve Joseph Bruchac, Peg Boyers, Chase Twitchell, Jesse Bruchac, Matt Hranek, Robert Repino, Krystyna Poray-Goddu, Beau Breslin, Armando Lucas Correa, Carol Daggs, Betsy Bonner, Rory Power, Chana Porter, Kim van Alkemade, Jennifer Dugan, Jeannie Vanasco, Jim Abbott, Tracy, James and others… Jonathan Santlofer, Megan Bruchac, cr: Nancie Battaglia

cr: Nicholas Calcott

Peter Cameron, Brad Kessler, David Gates, Matt Hranek, Robert Repino, Krystyna Poray-Goddu, Betsy Bonner, Rory Power, Chana Porter, Jeannie Vanasco, Jim Tracy, and others…

October 15-17, 2021 October 15-17, 2021 saratogabookfestival.org/ saratogabookfestival.org/ #sbf2021 #sbf2021

Saratoga Arts made this program possible possible with a Saratoga Arts made this program with a Community Arts Grant funded by the New York State Community Arts Grant funded by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Council on and thethe Arts with support of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo New Yorkthe State Legislature. Andrew M. Cuomo and the New York State Legislature.

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M A R V E L AT F R I E N D S EXECUTIVE PRODUCER/ D I R EC TO R K EV I N B R I G H T ’ S L O C A L LY S O U R C E D ART COLLECTION. BY W I L L L E V I T H p h oto g r a p h y by

FRANCESCO D’AMICO

f you count yourself among Kevin Bright’s friends—the ones that don’t get starstruck by the fact that he was once the executive producer and occasional director of hit sitcom Friends—you’ll know that his rustic Saratoga County home is filled to the brim with knickknacks, doo-dads and all manner of memorabilia. “I’m a collector,” says Bright, who is constantly acquiring new objets d’art, many through his interior design guru Edmond DeRocker.

cool sculpting The 9-foottall, 1,500-pound Buddha sculpture Kevin Bright commissioned woodcarver Scott Hook to make him.

in te r iorde sign s ate lie r.co m

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Though Bright has amassed an enviable collection of oddities, everything from vintage concert posters and photographs to miniature medical supplies, he’s most proud of the whimsical pieces he’s sourced from local artists like Scott Hook (“American Horse WOOD Designs” on Facebook) and Barney Bellinger (facebook.com/ BarneyBellinger), both of whom have studios in the same 20,000-square-foot building near Gloversville. Bellinger, a self-taught painter, sculptor, photographer and furniture designer who’s been at his craft for more than five decades, has pieces peeking out of every corner of the Bright home. (Fun fact: Bellinger owned a sign company in the ’80s that produced the unmistakable signage for former Saratoga business like Lillian’s and Mabou.) He and his artist wife, Susan, co-created the coffee table that Bright has on his screened-in porch, fashioning it from an old cast-iron fireplace part (Susan painted the flowers on it, and the two added variegated gold leaf to the center of each flower). A handmade ’50s ashtray, which features shotgun casings in place of smokes, was given to Bright by the artist, after he took a shine to it. “He’s a genius,” says Bright, “at making

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other people’s trash into treasures you never could’ve imagined.” Hook, on the other hand, has for 20 years been a full-time carver whose sculpting weapon of choice is a chainsaw. Two of Hook’s pieces have made their way into Bright’s orbit so far: a bear carved from a single slab of wood (save for the bear’s sharp little grill), which menaces passersby on a path near Bright’s pond; and his latest masterpiece, a 9-foot-tall, 1,500-pound Buddha, which Bright and his wife, Claudia Wilsey Bright, commissioned and which took Hook six months to complete. “It was one of those things that you can only do so much of it at a time,” says Hook. “Everything had to be pretty exact, because [the Brights] picked a statuette and a design that they wanted it to follow.” If you’re thinking about taking a trip out to Hook and Bellinger’s studio space, they’re both highly approachable and would be happy to show you around. In other words, you don’t have to be a TV star like Bright to gain entry into their world. “People have conceptions about country artists—that they work with bottlecaps and rotten, old copper piping,” says Bright. “It couldn’t be further from the truth.”

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(opposite) PROVIDED BY ARTISTS

barney and friends (clockwise from top left) A handmade ’50s ashtray that Barney Bellinger gave to Bright; one of Bellinger’s sculptures that stands in Bright’s Saratoga County living room; a Bellinger sculpture that hangs above Bright’s patio door; a coffee table Bellinger and his artist wife, Susan, created for Bright; Bright posing with his Buddha; a bear sculpture on Bright’s property, cut from a single piece of wood save for its teeth, by chainsaw carver Scott Hook.

holy wood (clockwise from top left) Chainsaw artist Scott Hook with the Buddha sculpture he created for Kevin Bright and his wife; artist Barney Bellinger has been at his craft for more than five decades; Bellinger at work on one of his metal sculptures; artist Hook chainsawing a sculpture to life at his Gloversville-area studio.

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Thank You!

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For voting us BEST JEWELER in Saratoga Springs!

One of a kind ring featuring a 6.6ct diamond set in platinum and 18k yellow gold. Inquire for details.

bunny-side up Artist Jeremy Fish with his 11-foot-tall Bronze Bunny sculpture, which was installed permanently outside the Haight Street Art Center in San Francisco; (opposite, clockwise from left) Fish’s drawing, Booze Buddy; a Fish painting, entitled Cat Coupe; an illustration called Peace, Love and Haight.

—Joni P. Collura, Owner (Miss Greater Saratoga County of 1978)

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“If not for YOU, I would not be. Thank you to ALL of my amazing customers. You are truly the best!!”

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Fresh Fish

JEREMY FISH

rtist Jeremy Fish moved around a lot as a kid, but he ended up spending one of his most formative decades, ages 8 to 18, living on Nelson Avenue in Saratoga Springs. Now based in San Francisco, where he graduated from its prestigious art institute, Fish is nothing short of a living legend in the illustrator and skateboarding community. And it should come as no surprise that his artwork—which exists inside a surrealist universe inhabited by cartoon skulls and animals like owls, bunnies, cats, and yes, fish—was directly inspired by the Spa City. “I worked at the East Side Rec [skate park] from when it was built until I moved to California,” says Fish. “And I also worked at Jah Skate and Reggae Shop on Caroline Street. Those were my first artistic influences.” To demonstrate how far Fish has swum between then and now, in 2007, Nike honored him with his own signature sneaker—a rarity that sells for hundreds of dollars on eBay. “For a guy who grew up skateboarding at the East

Side Rec, positioned between the football field to my right and the baseball field to my left,” says the humble artist, “I was probably the last guy in that athletic park that should’ve gotten a signature shoe from a major sneaker company.” A coterie within that East Side Rec skater community, including Fish, has taken on a rather prominent place in the world, too. Since its founding more than three decades ago, the group, monikered the Silly Pink Bunnies (SPB), has transformed into an international brotherhood or “gang,” a descriptor Fish is quick to point out was coined by a local journalist, not him or any of his friends. “In the early ’90s, The Saratogian decided to write a very exaggerated article about ‘gang activity’ in Saratoga,” says Fish, who says the article incorrectly portrayed skaters and other youth of the day, who hung out along Broadway, as a menace to society. “It was sad and not even kind of true.” The SPB, though, who celebrated their 30th anniversary last year, are getting the last laugh: A documentary film about the group is due out next year, and well, Fish’s entire art empire—which includes illustrations, merchandise and coffee table books—lives at sillypinkbunnies.com. Take that, Establishment.

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BORN OF

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the stunning book John Van Alstine: Sculpture, 1971-2018. When COVID hit, Van Alstine had been gearing up for a huge exhibition at the Hyde, an anticipated retrospective that’s S C U L P T O R J O H N VA N A L S T I N E F O U N D now been postponed until next year. Instead, in sync with the times, 17 of I N S P I R AT I O N I N T WO L I F E -A LT E R I N G C R I S E S — the small-scale sculptures he created A N D H I S P OW E R F U L WO R K S H AV E H E L P E D during lockdown are on display there now through October, with a possible U S A L L H E A L . BY A B BY T E G N E L I A extension in the works. The spotlight will also be on Van Alstine’s work this fall on a most historic day of remembrance: hen the US descended into lockdown last the 20th anniversary of 9/11. With partner Noah Savett, Van year, so many New Yorkers stared down the Alstine co-created Tempered by Memory, Saratoga’s moving endless hours at home without knowing how September 11th memorial in High Rock Park. The sculpture, to fill the time. World-renowned sculptor John made from mutilated steel from the Twin Towers, required Van Alstine, who grew up in Johnstown, was the assistance of a committee of people, including sculptor not one of those people. He went to work, sourcing materials Charlie Van Hall, who helped attain the enormous steel from his own property, including bronze repurposed from a pieces from a little-known hangar at JFK, and five ironworkers flood-ravaged statue, and poured his emotions into his art. who volunteered for tasks such as crane operation. The end result was so powerful that the collection is “I was awed by the size of these huge pieces of steel, all currently on display at The Hyde Collection in Glens Falls, marked with engineering forensics, including where in the one of the area’s most prestigious art museums. buildings the materials came from,” Van Alstine says. “One beam “It’s a diary from the pandemic, my reflection on 2020,” he was all melted—it had been the closest to where the plane went says, referring to the intimate collection of bronze and stone in. We could take anything as long as we could get it out.” pieces that represent the relationship between man-made Van Alstine attends the services at High Rock Park every and natural forces during these uncertain times. “It’s unlike year on the morning of September 11th and is pleased that his most of the rest of my work, with the sculptures reflecting my feelings about where we were as a country.” work ended up there after the first planned site on Broadway Of course, Van Alstine and his wife, Caroline Ramersdorfer, didn’t pan out. It was dedicated in 2012. also a sculptor, weren’t exactly cooped up in a studio apartment. “There is one of Saratoga’s healing springs on either They’ve built a life, an artists’ retreat of sorts, on nine acres side,” he says. “It’s symbolic—remembering this tragedy, but along the Sacandaga River in the Adirondacks. He currently healing and moving forward, too. [Golfer] Dottie Pepper has sources mostly slate (“it has an incredible surface texture and really helped keep the landscaping looking beautiful, but I’ve color”) from Granville for his work, which is documented in never gotten to meet her and thank her.”

W man of steel (this page) Sculptor and Gloversville native John Van Alstine co-created Saratoga’s 9/11 memorial in High Rock Park; (above, from left to right) a sketch of the 9/11 memorial Van Alstine, with 9/11 memorial cocreator, sculptor Noah Savett; one of 17 pieces of Van Alstine’s currently on display at The Hyde Collection.

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The Abstractionist Z AC K L O B D E L L I S N O T YO U R FAT H E R ’ S S A R AT O G A A R T I S T. BY W I L L L E V I T H

eat spray love Artist Zack Lobdell’s The Wild Things, three 96x51-inch panels, which were produced using acrylic, enamel and spray paint on canvas; (top) Begin at the End, painted this year, which is 29x63 inches and was produced using acrylic, enamel and spray paint on Lexan; (opposite) Lobdell has been on a creative tear in 2021, following the devastating loss of his older sister last spring.

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ZACK LOBDELL

f you’re looking for paintings of thundering Thoroughbreds or statues spitting and spatting, Saratoga artist Zack Lobdell is not your guy—even though a younger Lobdell had other ideas. “Originally, I was a photo-realistic illustrator,” he says. “That was what I studied, and I hated everything abstract up until I was in my 20s. I thought it was just people who didn’t know how to draw right.” How the tables have turned. Over the past quarter century or so, Lobdell has shifted gears from the readily recognizable to the dumbfoundingly abstract. “I’m a big believer in just starting and going and reacting to what you’re putting down when you’re putting it down,” says Lobdell of his completely stream-of-consciousness process. This year, he’s pushed the envelope ever further, wading into territory that echoes the neo-expressionism of Jean-Michel Basquiat. “Almost every single piece I’ve done has been in a single session, all the way up to a series of three eight-

foot-by-five-foot paintings all at once. I’ve just really been letting it all out.” But getting to a place of seemingly unmitigated creativity didn’t come easy. First, there was the pandemic; then late last spring, Lobdell lost his older sister, Zoë. “It was devastating for my whole family, and it really took me off my feet for awhile,” he says. “I didn’t paint for about a year. I got into this new studio [in Gansevoort], didn’t really know what I was going to do and had a couple cans of spray paint in an old box, and I just started going off on a canvas.” The result was nothing short of extraterrestrial, a volcanic eruption of color interrupted by squiggly lines, arrows, symbols and shapes. “I’ve taken down all of my self-imposed boundaries,” he says. Despite making atypical horse town art, Lobdell’s work has proven popular among both local and national art collectors. While he’s shown and sold his work in places such as New York City, California and Colorado—and even has representation in Singapore—he’s also sold pieces to prominent members of the Saratoga community, including Stewart’s Shops President Gary Dake. Many have discovered him through his social media, too. “[A number of] opportunities that I’ve had with my work have come through Instagram,” says Lobdell, who posts regularly to @lobdellstudio. The topic was front of mind when he had a chance to talk about art with some impressionable high schoolers in Vermont. “I was saying to the kids, ‘Instagram is like the new freight train,’” he says. “You tag up your work, and suddenly it’s all over the world in five minutes, and people can see it.”

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C Park de Triomphe

LO CA L P H OTO G R A P H E R D U ST I N L A N T E R M A N N O T O N LY G E T S T O E N J OY T H E B E A U T Y O F T H E S PA S TAT E PA R K F R O M B E H I N D H I S C A M E R A L E N S — H E G E T S T O WO R K T H E R E , T O O . By N ata l i e M o o r e

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hances are, if you’re not still working from home, your morning commute has returned to culminating at some nondescript Capital Region office building. If you’re lucky, maybe there’s a tree or two outside of your window—maybe even a flower arrangement. Prepare yourself for a little commuter envy: Dustin Lanterman’s drive into work every morning takes him down the iconic Avenue of the Pines, through the magnificent Saratoga Spa State Park, and ends at the historic Saratoga Bottling Plant, which is home to the Saratoga Automobile Museum and its collection of rare and vintage cars. It’s also where Lanterman serves as communications director, facilities manager and volunteer coordinator (he’s also on the board of the nonprofit Friends of the Spa State Park). Getting paid to track down, write about and promote collections of spa day (clockwise from top left) The Hall of Springs; the mineral deposit along Geyser Creek created by Orenda Spring; the Avenue of the Pines; the Spa Park’s administration building; (opposite) the arcade of the administration building.

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bath to enlightenment (clockwise from top) The Lincoln Baths was one of two bathhouses that operated during the Saratoga Spa’s heyday; Orenda Spring’s water is rich in iron; the Hall of Springs’ arcade.

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gorgeous rides is just one of the perks of Lanterman’s job. Another one is his surroundings. “The first time I drove down the Avenue of the Pines,” he says, “I was speechless.” He’s now taken that tree-lined, road-ofa-thousand-selfies drive nearly every day since January 2020—and in his opinion, its splendor hasn’t diminished one bit. “I grew up around Newtown

Battlefield and Watkins Glen state parks, which are two incredible parks, but the Spa Park has that certain something,” he says. “There’s just something magical about it.” You can thank New York State’s foresight, more than a century ago, for preserving that magic for millions of future visitors, Lanterman included. The nearly-2,500 acre parcel of land that now comprises the Spa State Park was officially set aside by the State in 1909 to protect it from overzealous businessmen, who were exploiting the park’s mineral springs for their carbonic acid gas and ruining the land around them in the process. A little less than 30 years later in 1935, the park saw the

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official opening of the Saratoga Spa, a wellness retreat built on its grounds as part of President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal. The spa peaked in popularity in the 1930s and ’40s, but as medical advances were made and mineral water treatments fell by the wayside, the land around it was eventually transformed into a state park in 1962. The construction of the Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC) on the Spa Park’s grounds four years later gave it a sensational second act, driving hordes of concert-goers to it, right up until present day. Besides the SPAC amphitheater and its sprawling lawn, the park also boasts two golf courses, two museums (including the auto museum), two public pools, a theater, hotel, spa, coffee shop, the area’s only public clay tennis courts…the list goes on and on. Some entire cities don’t even have as much cultural and recreational opportunities within their limits, let alone inside a single park. But as Spa Park–goers know, all of its entertaining attractions and historic buildings are only half of what makes it so majestic. The other half is the park’s natural beauty—its springs, forest, creek, walkable trails, picnicable green spaces—that enhances the striking architecture that is enveloped by it. It’s that one-two punch—what SPAC President and CEO Elizabeth Sobol describes as the “confluence of manmade and natural beauty”—that makes the Spa Park so special and photogenic, especially for Lanterman. “It’s endlessly interesting,” he says, crediting the park’s “architecture, pines, springs and the way the light and shadows play around the buildings and trails.” Don’t you wish you worked there, too?

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HERE’S THE BEST O F T H E S PA C I T Y I N 2 6 C AT E G O R I E S F R O M A TO Z .

CREDIT

fter a difficult 2020-21 for most Saratoga Springs small businesses, let’s start off by giving them all—the shops, restaurants, firms, salons, practices, nonprofits, et al.—the big, honking round of applause they deserve. You made it! While we would’ve loved to have honored each and every one of them in this issue (after all, Saratoga is by no means a one-horse town), in the pages that follow, we’ll be highlighting only three businesses each (win, place and show) in 26 categories, which were deemed, via online voting, the Best of Saratoga by the people of this great city.

ARCHITECTURE FIRM

W IN Phinn ey De s i gn G r ou p Phinney Design Group, a serial winner of awards for architectural design and construction, has nabbed yet another win here for its innovative work that focuses on sustainable and environmentally responsible construction methods. See Phinney’s designs at notable local establishments such as Yaddo, 550 Waterfront and The Sagamore Resort. pl ace Saratoga Ass ociates show The L A Gr oup

B A N K /C R E D I T U N I O N

W IN Ad ir ondac k

Trust Company

Every Saratogian, whether or not he or she banks at the Adirondack Trust Company, has marveled at its white-marble headquarters on the corner of Broadway and Church Street in Downtown Saratoga. But that’s just one arrow in its quiver; the iconic, locally owned business, which has been serving the area for more than a century, has over 20 locations across Saratoga County and beyond. Now that’s the dictionary definition of bankable. pl ace SEFCU show Saratoga National Bank And Trust Company

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F U R N I T U R E / H O M E D ÉCO R STO R E DRINKS

W IN The F urniture House

W IN Ha ml et & G host C LOT H I N G STO R E

W I N Clot h e s H o rs e

(tie)

In the more than four decades since it first opened in 1977, Clothes Horse has established itself as a downtown destination in Saratoga’s crowded shopping scene. The boutique carries a large selection of dresses, tops, jackets, jewelry, shoes and more, and serves customers hailing from all over the world.

Raise your glass to Hamlet & Ghost, Caroline Street’s home to best-in-class handcrafted cocktails such as the popular Gin-Gin Fizz and Blackberry Basil Paloma. The restaurantbar’s extensive wine and beer lists are nothing to shake a stick at either. Go for happy hour, a romantic meetup or just a good, old-fashioned night on the town. Added bonus: You can stay for an inventive dinner dish or app by renowned Capital Region chef Michele Hunter. pl ace Whitman Brewing show 9 M aple AVE .

Do you know what winning smells like? The freshest of fresh produce, meats, seafood, cheeses and just-out-of-the-oven baked goods, that’s what. Add in the delectable aromas of The Fresh Market’s pre-prepared soups, salads, sandwiches, entrées and sushi to that list, and you can understand why the Saratoga market topped this year’s Grocery Store category.

pl ace Silverwood Home & Gallery show Taft Furniture

pl ace Price Chopper/M arket 32 show He althy Living M arket & CafÉ

G R O C E RY STO R E

This year’s category winner, The Furniture House, which has locations on both Saratoga Lake and in Queensbury, offers an enviable selection of dressers, end tables, ottomans, chairs and much, much more for every home. (Hence, the big W.) And it has a winning customer service experience, too: Can’t find that perfect piece to fit your taste in either of its stores? The Furniture House’s expert in-house design team can create a personalized piece just for you.

W I N T h e Fre s h M ark e t

E N T E R TA I N M E N T V E N U E

W IN Sa r ato ga P er forming

(tie)

Lifestyles of Saratoga, a longtime Broadway staple, boasts a “consciously curated” collection of women’s clothing and accessories that has made many a gift-seeking and shoptherapy-endorsing fan throughout the years. Lifestyles lives up to its name by outfitting Saratoga’s most fashionable women, from both its corner brick-and-mortar store and (seasonal) mobile boutique at Saratoga Race Course. show Chic Underne ath

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pl ace Universal Preservation Hall show Caffè Lena

I N S U R A N C E AG E N C Y HAIR SALON

W I N Am s u re

Blended Hair Studio, a popular unisex boutique salon located in Saratoga's historic Franklin Square, is a cut above the rest this year. Blended offers a variety of services for both men and women, including cuts, color and keratin treatments, blowouts and waxes. Yep, Blended truly has it all.

Amsure, the Albany- and Saratoga-based insurance affiliate of Adirondack Trust Company (this year’s Bank/Credit Union category winner), has been offering clients peace of mind since 1945. The company partners with leading casualty, surety, life and employee benefit insurance companies to customize creative risk management insurance solutions. Talk about a sure-fire path to victory.

pl ace S olo Salon Suite show Cl assical Concepts

pl ace State Farm show Allstate

W IN Blend ed Hair Stud io

(Amsure) ROSE MERJOS

WIN Lifestyles of Saratoga

It’s no surprise that the Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC), Saratoga’s premier open-air amphitheater located in the Saratoga Spa State Park, took home the win in this year’s entertainment venue category. Since 1966, it’s been the summer home to the New York City Ballet and Philadelphia Orchestra—plus a gaggle of perennial Live Nation acts such as the Dave Matthews Band, Dead & Company and the Zac Brown Band. In short, it’s everything Saratogians need to get their double dose of artistic goodness.

(SPAC) DAVE BIGLER; (Clothes Horse) ROSE MERJOS

A r ts Cen ter

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JEWELER

K I D - F R I E N D LY R E S TA U R A N T

L AW F I R M

NEIGHBORHOOD

O R T H O D O N T I S T/ D E N T I S T

PAT I O

W I N deJ o n g h e

WIN

WIN D’ Ora zio

W IN

WIN

Fl at br e a d S o cia l

P eter s on, LLP

Want to give that special someone an unforgettable gift, the type that glints in the sun and gets a steady stream of compliments? Look no further than Saratoga’s deJonghe Original Jewelry. Owner and award-winning designer Dennis deJonghe has been selling his custom rings, earrings, necklaces and bracelets—many of which pay homage to Saratoga’s local history—to happy customers since 1982. That’s nearly 40 years of winning.

Brick-oven pizza with a side of shuffleboard? That’s what you’ll find at Henry Street’s Flatbread Social, a Saratoga restaurant that’s perfect for a night (or day) out with the kiddos. Flatbread’s menu is stuffed with kidfriendly starters, salads, sandwiches and of course, its famous flatbread pizzas, and it even includes a littleones-only 8-inch personal pizza. Sorry, adults (though the cocktail list is for you and you alone).

A few years after Scott Peterson and Giovanna D’Orazio met at Albany Law School in the early 2000s, they got married and began building individual careers with larger law firms. Eventually, they decided to, as Simon & Garfunkel might put it, marry their fortunes together. Nowadays, their law firm, D’Orazio Peterson, LLP, strives to represent people against the powerful—and at least in these pages, they win every time.

pl ace N. Fox Jewelers

pl ace PJ’s Bar-B -QSA

show Silverado Jewelry Gallery

show 550 Waterfr ont

pl ace The Towne L aw Firm, P C show Ianniello Anders on, P C MUSEUM

W IN T he Chil dr en’ s Museum

at Sa r ato ga

Since 1990, the Children’s Museum at Saratoga has been serving the Spa City’s knee-high residents with interactive exhibits, art programs, nature explorations and more. After 20 years on Caroline Street, the museum will expand to double its current size when it moves into the historic Lincoln Baths building. Bathing in excellence, we say. pl ace Saratoga Automobile Museum show National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame

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E ast Sid e At least for this year, East is the beast. Saratoga’s East Side neighborhood’s quaint, traditional homes; multiple museums and elementary schools; easy food options (we see you, Little Market at Five Points, Spring Street Deli and Augie’s To Go!); and, of course, historic racetrack make living there easy. It truly is a winning combination. pl ace West Side show Br oadway/Downtown

(East Side) ROSE MERJOS; (Uncommon Grounds) NATALIE MOORE

O r i g i n a l J ewe lry

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Benjamin Smile

5 5 0 Wat e rfr ont

Nothing says “winning” like a big, beaming smile—and who better to provide you with one that you’ll be proud of forever and ever than Dr. Gerald C. Benjamin of Benjamin Smile? Dr. Benjamin boasts 39 years of experience in restorative and esthetic dentistry and offers individualized attention to each of his patients. No wonder Saratogians voted in droves for Benjamin Smile.

The breezy, nautical-themed patio at 550 Waterfront’s seafood-centric restaurant is usually packed to the gills (see what we did there?) with customers sitting alongside Saratoga Lake in Adirondack chairs. Sure, the food and drinks are delish, but it’s that view—550 is the only place you can see the entire lake end to end—that won this hot spot the top slot.

pl ace Byrne Orthodontics show Saratoga Smile Care

pl ace Whitman Brewing show Druthers Brewing Company

Q U I C K E AT S

WIN

U ncom m on G r ou nds When you’re downtown and need a bite to eat, stat, there’s no denying that Uncommon Grounds, the Capital Region’s coffee-and-bagel mecca, is your winning bet. In addition to its doughy fare, Uncommon, as locals know it, also serves up salads, soups, pastries and house-made oatmeal in a jiffy. pl ace Cardona’s M arket formerly R oma Foods show Taquer o

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R E S I D E N T I A L R E A L E S TAT E C O M PA N Y

SCHOOL

W I N R o o h a n Re a lt y

W IN L a ke Avenue

Roohan Realty’s more than 50 years on the job is a big reason why it has taken home the win in the Residential Real Estate Company category. The family-owned and -operated real estate firm, which has been serving Saratoga and the Southern Adirondack region since 1969, is all about its customers. Located right on Broadway, Roohan focuses primarily on single-family homes—in other words, making Saratoga one of the hottest havens for happy homeowners in the state, hands down. pl ace Berkshire Hathaway show Julie & Co. RE ALT Y

El emen ta ry S chool Serving more than 400 students in grades K-5, Lake Avenue Elementary School challenges children to get creative and develop as learners. Unique opportunities for its students include Project Lead the Way (the only elementary-level pre-engineering program in New York State) and a studenttended garden. Can you spell “win”? VETERINARIAN

pl ace Car oline Street Elementary S chool show Saratoga Independent S chool

W IN

Upstate Animal Med ical Center Your pet deserves winning care. Upstate Animal Medical Center has been serving Saratoga’s four-legged (and winged!) community members with progressive and preventative care for more than 20 years. Services include everything from allergy testing and dental procedures to emergency medicine and laser surgery. Your best friend is in good hands.

pl ace Saratoga Springs Veterinary Hospital show Just Cats Veterinary clinic

UPSCALE DINING

W I N H aus o f St ie l Fit n ess

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WIN 1 5 Chur ch

If you’re still looking to lose that “COVID 19”—or have always wanted a body to go with your brains—certified elite personal trainer Shane Stiel can help. Through in-person workouts at Haus of Stiel’s Henry Street location, as well as virtual training sessions, Stiel carefully tailors workout routines to each client’s fitness goals. Sounds like a steal of a deal, if you ask us.

Since 2014, 15 Church has brought Saratoga’s dining scene unparalleled elegance and taste (pun intended a million times over). World-class chefs use the finest ingredients imaginable to create modern-classic dishes that are at once familiar, exotic and yes, delicious. Add in the restaurant’s open-air, waterfalllined patio, open during the warmer months, and you have a culinary experience that’s worth every last penny.

pl ace Metabolic Fitness show Pure Barre

pl ace Osteria Danny show S olevo Kitchen + S ocial

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(Lake Avenue) ROSE MERJOS

T O TA L B O DY WO R KO U T

W E A LT H M A N AG E M E N T C O M PA N Y

“X” BUSINESS

W IN

Rav e nou s

Sterling M ano r F inancial , LLC When it comes to money matters, why not go with Saratoga’s best? According to this year’s voters, Sterling Manor Financial fits the bill. Its veteran financial advisors provide diligent, professional wealth management chops to help clients meet even their toughest goals. It all comes down to Sterling’s 3-D Process: New clients partner with an advisor to discover every facet of their financial life, design a plan that meets their goals and deploy that plan. Triple play, anyone?

WIN

Saratoga’s collective hearts broke last year when Phila Street crêperie Ravenous closed its doors after more than two decades in business. The restaurant was known for its can’tmiss crêpes, both savory and sweet; pommes frites (thin crispy French fries); and laid-back atmosphere. If only Saratoga could wave its magic wand and bring this iconic eatery back. pl ace Saratoga Shoe Dep ot show R&R/43 Phil a

pl ace Mosaic We alth Strategies Gr oup, Ltd show Adir ondack We alth M anagement

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Z E N S PA

WI N

What would Saratoga be without its spas? The Saratoga Day Spa checks all the boxes this year. The spa’s founding philosophy was to nurture the “whole person” by offering a blend of services that addresses clients’ physical, emotional and spiritual needs. To that end, the Broadway spa offers everything from skincare solutions, waxing and massages to medical treatments, holistic health services, reiki and energy healing. In other words, The Saratoga Day Spa has, and is, everything. pl ace Bre athe Salon & Spa show Complexions Spa for Be aut y & Wellness

CREDIT

T he Sa ratoga Day Spa

From simple to intricate designs, California Closets systems are custom designed specifically for you and the way you live...and learn.

YO G A S T U D I O

WI N

T h e H ot Yo ga Sp ot From your first downward-facing dog to your final savasana, The Saratoga Hot Yoga Spot, one of five Capital Region studios, offers this year’s best yoga studio experience. And it isn’t hard to see why: With more than 40 weekly yoga and barre sessions from the area’s top instructors, The Hot Yoga Spot accommodates beginner benders and master yogis alike, and also offers special outdoor sessions in the summer. Ohmmm my. pl ace Yoga M andali show Yana Yoga

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518.785.5723 californiaclosets.com co m p i l e d by

ROSE MERJOS and CARMELINA ALBANESE

L AT H A M Peter Harris Plaza, Rt 7

health

Creating a Home Sanctuary Allerdice Glass & Mirror’s coveted custom work shines during this year’s Showcase of Homes. By Kellye Shaw

home project with Allerdice Glass & Mirror will instantly level up your space, whether you’ve purchased a new home during this dynamic real estate market, or are remodeling after spending so much time at home during these uncertain pandemic times. I spoke with Allerdice Glass & Mirror’s residential project manager, Tiffany Dahl, about how she helps homeowners achieve a showcase space in their home. “I work with homeowners, builders and designers to ascertain exactly what is needed for success in all aspects of a project,” says Tiffany. Timelines, coordination with other installation teams, as well as structural details are very important variables to be considered. Tiffany adds: “We cover all the top trends found in glass and mirror and perform very detailed repair work. Our custom projects are extraordinary.” She credits the highly skilled Allerdice Glass & Mirror craftsmen and team.

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Tiffany says that when it comes to bathrooms, the spa look, including frameless doors and matte black hardware contrasting with bright white tiles, remains the biggest trend in the glass space. Allerdice’s most enviable custom work has included steam showers, grid-style glass panels, curbless showers (wetrooms), and the protective coatings available to make your beautiful new glass easier to maintain. Hot ticket design trends for baths range from rolling “barn door”–style sliding doors to low iron glass and black grid-style shower enclosure systems that make a bold architectural statement. “These design aesthetics combined are stunning, especially when juxtaposed against the clean white palettes seen in many new bathroom designs,” says Tiffany. “The low iron glass makes a visible difference and boasts a higher degree of clarity compared to standard clear glass.” The esteemed glass shop is multi-dimensional in its services list, priding itself on its ability to work with a variety of screen, glass, Plexiglas, polycarbonate and mirror products, making them a go-to home services retailer. “Our custom projects cover

TREES, PLEASE

S A R AT O G A ’ S S P R AW L I N G U R B A N F O R E S T P L AY S A C R I T I C A L R O L E I N T H E OV E R A L L H E A LT H O F T H E C I T Y, B U T I T ’ S U N D E R AT TAC K . H E R E ’ S H OW T O S AV E I T. more than just shower enclosures and glass solutions for baths,” says Tiffany. Allerdice’s custom services also include glass tabletops, strong pet screening and porch enclosures. To see some of Allerdice’s toplevel work yourself, keep your eye out during the Showcase of Homes this October 9, 10, 11, 16 and 17. Allerdice’s work will be shown off in homes by McPadden Builders, Kodiak Builders, Bella Home Builders and Witt Construction. Thinking of renovating? Tiffany recommends visiting the Allerdice Glass & Mirror showroom for ideas. Allerdice Glass & Mirror, 120 Excelsior Ave., Saratoga Springs, NY ■

BY NATALIE MOORE PHOTOGRAPH BY SAMANTHA DECKER

urban roots Urban trees often face many more stressors than their rural counterparts, such as restricted growing areas and road salt exposure.

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ver lunch at the Cantina bar, I offhandedly asked my companion, 35-year Saratoga resident Max Oswald, if he had any tree stories. “Tree stories?” he asked, perplexed, as if that was the first time he’d been lobbed that question. (I’m sure it was.) I nodded, and he took a sip of his Crimson Berry Hard Tea. “Well, there was this spooky old tree...” It’s not so much a story as a memory— when Max’s son, Jake, was little, the two would walk from their house on East Ave to East Side Rec, usually to play baseball. On the way home, they’d take Lake Ave and have to pass the “spooky old tree,” which they named after a favorite when hope for tree lovers was planted Berenstain Bears book. Whenever they via passed legislation that reduced got close to it, they’d sprint past, so as the highway tax by 62.5 cents for any not to be spooked by its knotty trunk and “person planting the trees.” As a result, scraggly limbs, slowing to a walk only Saratoga became famous for the trees after they were sure they were safe. that lined its main street. “So perfect is the Max and Jake’s Spooky Old Tree shade of Saratoga’s tree-lined avenues,” is just one of the many trees that has a visitor to Saratoga poetically noted in made up Saratoga’s the New York Times in ever-changing urban and 1890, “that midsummer  community forest—the weather is robbed of its city’s collection of publicterrors when it crosses and privately-owned her threshold.” trees and vegetation— Throughout the since Gideon Putnam early 20th century, first arrived in 1789. many of Saratoga’s “This is a healthy place,” trees succumbed to Putnam famously said infestations, blights to his wife upon his and diseases (the most arrival, before adding famous being the mid– a bit of foreshadowing: 20th century Dutch “The mineral waters elm disease epidemic), are valuable and the timber is good and by the 1970s the city was almost and in great abundance.” Putnam said as barren as it had been in 1800. But “timber” instead of “trees” for a reason— yet again, the urban forest bounced in the years that followed, Saratoga’s back, as a group of concerned citizens founding father operated a highly teamed up with the Department of successful sawmill that shipped wood Public Works (DPW) to plant 250 trees down the Hudson River to New York in 4-foot by 4-foot holes in the central City, effectively decimating the local business district as part of Saratoga’s tree population. By 1800, there “was Plan of Action. By 2013, many of the not shade enough to shelter a dog,” per city’s older, mature trees continued to one traveler to Congress Spring. The succumb to disease and the stresses area that’s now Downtown Saratoga of an urban environment, while the remained largely treeless until 1828, tree pits built in the ’70s proved to not

nightmare on elm street The towering American elm located outside the Witt Construction office succumbed to disease in recent years; (opposite, from top) the site of the elm after it was taken down by the City earlier this year; Saratoga has been following its Urban and Community Forest Master Plan since 2013.

 





    

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oak lore An example of a tree in the City’s right-of-way, the area between the road and private property; (below) the 37-inch DBH Cherry Street oak saved by Sustainable Saratoga’s advocacy.

Square townhomes. “That tree would’ve been gone without our effort,” Denny says. “That’s probably the most important save that we’ve accomplished.” But there are some trees that neither Sustainable Saratoga nor the City of Saratoga have been able to save, including a 200-plus-year-old, 57inch DBH oak that was removed by a homeowner in 2014. There’s currently no ordinance in place that regulates the removal of trees on private or institutional land, and often, private property owners choose convenience (i.e. not having to rake leaves or clear fallen limbs) over preservation, while developers choose to clear a property and plant from scratch rather than build around existing, established trees. Other trees, such as the Norway maple, are invasive and negatively impact the environment and city, so are taken down even if they’re healthy.

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www.adkgreatcamps.com

518-637-2524

Info@adkgreatcamps.com

CUSTOMER SERVICE IS OUR PRIORITY trunk show The elm outside Roohan Realty on Broadway would likely qualify for “heritage tree” status, if Saratoga Springs had such a program.

NATALIE MOORE

as well. To date, the environmental nonprofit has planted 270 trees through its annual Tree Toga plantings, as well as advocated for existing trees in the city, such as the 37-inch DBH (diameter at breast height) oak on Cherry Street, which was at risk of being taken down during the development of the City

ith trees coming down across the city for all different reasons, the main methods of preservation Sustainable Saratoga has been using is planting more (noninvasive) trees and educating Saratogians about the importance of trees in an urban environment and the stresses urban trees face. Obviously, urban trees offer the same benefits as all trees—they provide a home for hundreds of species of insects, fungi, moss, mammals and plants; help cool the planet by storing carbon dioxide; and literally give us the air we need to breathe. But urban trees also reduce air conditioning costs by shading homes, improve stormwater management by retaining rainwater, improve public health by filtering pollutants out of the air, and even boost the economy by raising property values and beautifying downtowns. As for the stresses they face, urban trees are at much greater risk than

Rhinebeck, NY

518-891-5224

(right-of-way) SAMANTHA DECKER

offer adequate soil, moisture or oxygen for the growing younger trees. That’s when Saratoga adopted its Urban and Community Forest Master Plan (UCFMP), a 115-page document with the goal to preserve and expand the urban forest. “‘Preserve’ means that you try to keep as many trees as possible, even in development projects, and try to nurture trees so that they have as long a life as possible,” says Tom Denny, chair of Sustainable Saratoga’s Urban Forestry Project. “And then ‘expand’ requires planting, obviously.” Since its founding in 2011, the Urban Forestry Project has been working in tandem with the DPW on these two goals. While the City is obligated to care only for those trees on City property and in the right-of-way (the area between the road and private property), Sustainable Saratoga plants trees on private land

30 Riverside Drive, Saranac Lake, NY

their rural counterparts. Urban trees have to withstand restricted root-growth areas, road-salt exposure, compaction of the soil around roots by foot and vehicle traffic, pollution, and detrimental “mulch volcanoes,” the piles of bark chips homeowners often place around the base of trees. “People like to bury trees in mulch,” says Steven Lashomb, Saratoga’s City arborist. “Keep it three inches away from the trunk. Roots need air.” Lashomb leads a tree crew of five people (including himself) whose job it is to maintain City trees—prune them when they interfere with utility wires or pose a threat to public safety, and remove them when they’re dead or diseased, such as

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executive branch DPW Commissioner Skip Scirocco and City Arborist Steve Lashomb (far left and second from left, respectively) with members of the DPW Urban Forestry Division and Jeff Speich, DEC Regional Forester for Region 5 (at right).

the towering American elm that stood outside Witt Construction’s office until earlier this year. The City invests more than $360,000 into trees each year, a seemingly large sum that is, in reality, all too necessary. In a July New York Times article, Dr. Brian Stone Jr., a professor of environmental planning at the Georgia Institute of Technology, put it this way: “It’s hard for us to think of trees as actual infrastructure rather than an amenity, and because of that, we don’t allocate sufficient funds. If we think about trees as actual infrastructure on par with investing in roads and sewers and everything else, those costs will become more acceptable to us.” Saratogians do get this, says Commissioner of Public Works Anthony “Skip” Scirocco. “I’ve got to give a lot of credit to the residents of the city,” he says. “They realize the benefits of the trees and what they actually do for the environment and the climate. We get calls all the time from residents that want trees planted.”

o if Saratogians realize the importance of the urban forest, and the City itself has been following this Bible-thick master plan of how best to preserve it, how does that compare to the urban forest health of other cities? “I would say we’re definitely not in the worst shape, and we’re definitely not

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in the vanguard of protecting our trees, compared to some cities,” Denny says. “There’s a group down in Schenectady called ReTree Schenectady. They’ve been active for about 25 years and have planted 3,000 trees. We’ve planted 270.” But the 270 planted by Sustainable Saratoga is in addition to the more than 100 planted by the City annually, a figure that’s only increasing year after year. Furthermore, in 2016 Saratoga achieved Tree City USA status, a designation awarded by the Arbor Day Foundation that requires a community to maintain a tree board or department, have a community tree ordinance, spend at least $2 per capita on urban forestry, and celebrate Arbor Day. Up until last year, Saratoga was the only Tree City USA in the New York Department of Environmental Conservation’s (DEC’s) Region 5, an area that stretches from Saratoga up to the Canadian border, per Lashomb, who serves as the cochair of the Region 5 Relief Committee. “I don’t think any other municipality has a master plan in Region 5,” Lashomb adds. “I think that says a lot.” But just because Saratoga is ahead of the rest of the region doesn’t mean its tree crew can sit back and relax. “We’ve got a lot of work to do,” Lashomb says. “The biggest issue is past practices, where people didn’t consider the size that trees were going to grow to and

what kind of conflicts were going to happen surrounding infrastructure.” To move the management of Saratoga’s urban forest forward, Lashomb helped the City win a $50,000 grant from the DEC for an inventory and management plan for all the trees in the right-ofway. Over the next year and a half, a team of certified arborists will collect information on the City’s trees, which will then be input into asset management software that can be continuously updated as the urban forest changes. “It’s going to be a big game-changer once it’s completed,” Lashomb says. “Once we know what we need to do, we can start revising the UCFMP and achieving a lot of the things that we want to achieve that are in there.” One of those stated goals in the UCFMP, for example, is the establishment of a “heritage tree” program to recognize Saratoga’s greatest trees—ones that would be candidates for some form of preservation, protection or special care—such as the American elm that stands outside the Roohan Realty building on Broadway.

ometime between the late ’90s and today, the Spooky Old Tree I learned about at Cantina was removed, though Max doesn’t know why and can’t remember exactly when. If Saratoga had a heritage tree program, would it still be standing today? Maybe. “Heritage Trees are part of the historical fabric of a great city,” the UCFMP notes. “They are treasured for their beauty and for the way in which they evoke the past. They are a great educational resource, a tangible legacy that inspires the imagination.” Given that definition, the Spooky Old Tree most certainly would have qualified for heritage tree status and saved. But even though the tree’s long gone, its legacy hasn't been forgotten.

origins

THE GREAT

BEFORE

F R O M F L O U T I N G T H E L AW T O WO M E N I N D R E S S E S ( G A S P ! ) C L I M B I N G U P F E N C E S T O S E E B E T T E R , S A R AT O G A ’ S H O R S E R AC I N G R O O T S AC T U A L LY G O B AC K A L O T F U R T H E R T H A N 1 8 6 3 .

in the beginning... While 1863 was the first year of the Saratoga Race Course meet, Saratoga’s horse racing roots date back all the way to the early 19th century. CURRIER & IVES

By Brien Bouyea

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Your Hometown Team!

island girl Lady Suffolk, the most famous horse of her era, walked from Long Island to Saratoga to compete in the inaugural contest at the Saratoga Trotting Course in 1847.

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vote at the state level, it became buried in political gridlock and never advanced. In fact, the anti-racing statute in New York proved unpopular from the start. Only two years after being passed, the law against racing was viewed as “so repugnant to the public sentiment that it is incapable of execution, and

“Breakneck racing through the streets had gotten so scary that even this horsey town officially banned it, not that it could really stop it.” the unpunished violation of law has a tendency to bring into contempt the authority of government,” according to a contemporary account. Eventually, the law was simply ignored. There are reports of horse races taking place in Saratoga as early as the mid-1820s, but the proceedings proved to be haphazard and dangerous. According to author Edward Hotaling, “Breakneck racing through the streets had gotten so scary that even this horsey town officially banned it, not that it could really stop it.” Saratoga racing finally got its big break in 1847. With the New York State

j. money Future Congressman James Marvin, then the proprietor of the United States Hotel and Saratoga’s village supervisor, backed the Saratoga Trotting Course financially.

LIBRARY OF CONGRESS

y now, most Saratogians know the story well: In the summer of 1863, a bareknuckle boxing champion named John Morrissey put into motion the first formal horse racing meet in town, and one year later, helped open Saratoga Race Course, which would soon become one of the nation’s leading racetracks. Horse racing in Saratoga, however, was not a new concept when Morrissey arrived on the scene. In fact, racing had a sporadic history in the area for decades prior to that famous fourday meeting in August 1863—and a checkered history at that. The earliest attempt at introducing the sport in the then Village of Saratoga Springs was an abject failure. On March 25, 1825, Saratoga County assemblymen Nicholas B. Doe, Alpheus Goodrich and Phillip Schuyler petitioned the state to exempt the village from an 1802 law that banned racing in the state of New York. Schuyler, the grandson of the famous Revolutionary War hero of the same name, made a motion “to amend an act to prevent horse racing.” Although the proposed exemption won a committee

Fair coming to town, local entrepreneurs George Cole and Alfonso Patten built the Saratoga Trotting Course. The venue was an ideal shroud for illegal racing. Cole and Patten circumvented the antiracing law by insisting that the trotters only be given exhibitions and speed trials as part of the fair’s program. Village officials turned a blind eye, saying the track was out of their jurisdiction because of its location just outside the fairgrounds and past the village line. Cole and Patten were backed financially by future Congressman James Marvin, the wealthy proprietor of the United States Hotel and Saratoga’s village supervisor at the time. Cole and Patten fibbed that the track was set up solely for the State Fair when they opened for racing on August 14, 1847, a month before the fair was scheduled to begin. The races brought in a massive crowd, estimated at 5,000 people, and captured the attention of the New York Herald, which said the roads near the trotting grounds were jammed with “pedestrians, equestrians, and carriages of all kinds.” The patrons included “a number of lovely women from the South, whose interest in the event seemed greater than that of the gentlemen,” the newspaper reported. “Some forgot the name of decency and even common honesty as to climb the fences.” The inaugural contest at the Saratoga Trotting Course featured the most famous horse of the era, Lady Suffolk. The inspiration for Stephen Foster’s popular folk song “The Old Gray Mare,” Lady Suffolk was 14 years old at the time but still in top form. Her owner, David Bryan, sent her on a long walk from Long Island to Saratoga in early August to compete at the new upstate track. Upon her arrival at Saratoga, Lady Suffolk took on a bay gelding named Moscow in a best-of-five series of one-

mile heats. The Old Gray Mare won the first two heats with ease before receiving a strong challenge from Moscow in the third. The Herald reported that the horses “moved at a rate which I have never seen equaled.” Moscow owned a slight lead coming toward the finish, but “within 15 rods of the stand, he made a terrible bad break, and consequently the mare beat him by a neck.” There were four more days of trotting competition before the State Fair officially opened in September. Former US presidents Martin Van Buren and John Tyler, as well as a future president, Millard Fillmore, attended the festivities, which included five additional days of racing. Generally overlooked by historians is the fact that the State Fair included Saratoga’s first official Thoroughbred race. On September 16, 1847, Lady Digby defeated Disowned and Hopeful in three straight heats in a contest for “running horses.” Although the 1847 races had great historical significance, they did little to advance Saratoga as a racing community. Over the next 16 years, the sport’s presence in the village was intermittent and underwhelming. That, of course, all changed in 1863, thanks to Morrissey. Saratoga would never be the same again.

Mike Fernandez

Licensed Real Estate Salesperson mike@fortunerealtygroup.com www.fortunerealtygroup.com 641 Grooms Road, Suite 233 Clifton Park, NY 12065 c: 518.409.1336

Frank Gallo & Son Florist since 1920

Serving the Albany, Saratoga, Lake George Region www.frankgallo.com

Mike Fernandez Licensed R.E. Salesperson c: 518.409.1336

show, place, win

CAPITAL REGION LIVING’s

Cocktails & Clairvoyance

SA R ATO GA’S H OT T E ST T I C KE TS

Lisa Grace and the party’s DJ, The Legend’s Jason Irwin

Party-goers attended a cocktail hour before the main event.

The weather was beautiful, so the party spilled onto the Putnam Place patio.

Fan Fest

aratoga living’s first-ever Fan Fest, presented by NYRA Bets, went off with all the fanfare deserving of The Year of the Fan, an unofficial distinction we gave the 2021 Saratoga Race Course season in our previous issue. Racing fans, dressed in track attire, converged on Putnam Place on Marylou Whitney Day (a day dedicated to the greatest Saratoga fan of them all) for food from Moby Rick’s Seafood, Trattoria Fortunata, Uncommon Grounds and Stewart’s Shops; drinks from Northway Brewing Co. and Cooperstown Distilling; music spun by 93 WSC The Legend DJ Jason Irwin; and the highlight of the evening, the Saratoga Hall of Fans, our way of paying tribute to the best horse racing fans in the world.

Guests bid on horse racing-themed silent auction items.

ALYSSA SALERNO

AUGUST 3 AT PUTNA M PL AC E

Abby Tegnelia and Jen Rodgers

SAR ATO GA’S H OT T EST T I CK ETS

AUGUST 17 AT THE GIDEON PUTNAM

saratoga living ’s

show, place, win!

his past August, Saratogians had a chance to connect with loved ones who had crossed over at CAPITAL REGION LIVING’s sold-out Cocktails & Clairvoyance event, starring Latham-based psychic medium Tracy Fluty of Elemental Mediums. The evening, hosted by The Gideon Putnam and presented by Pinnacle Nutrition, featured passed hors d’oeuvres, cocktails and a group reading that saw randomly chosen guests hit the stage to receive powerful messages. At the end of the evening, one lucky guest went home with a private reading for two with Fluty, and others were gifted gorgeous floral centerpieces donated by Frank Gallo & Son Florist. A portion of the night’s proceeds went to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

Seana Mosher, Suzanne Morris, Abby Tegnelia and Tara Doherty Annette Quarrier and Sue Kirsch

more pics party online

Psychic medium Tracy Fluty

Tara and Dan Doherty

★

L E 2 0 21 U

W IN

★

Cover stars Dan Furman, Brittany Furman, Claire Reinfurt and Stephanie Cassella

Moby Rick’s Seafood served a raw bar of assorted oysters. Party-goers picked up a copy of saratoga living’s “The Races!” issue.

Natalie Moore and Rose Merjos PHOTOGRAPHY BY KONRAD ODHIAMBO

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Northway Brewing Co. served beer and hard tea samples.

Every guest was gifted a hat from event sponsor NYRA Bets.

E A2Z GU

show, place, win!

Simply Moderne

SA RATOGA’S HOT T EST T ICKETS

The Center for Disability Services’ Newton Plaza Siro’s Cup

J U LY 1 4 • AT S I R O’ S R E STAU R A N T

Julie & Co. Realty’s new Henry Street condos are luxury living at its finest.

f you want to live in the heart of Saratoga’s historic downtown, but are looking for all the modern luxuries of a brandnew build, you’re in luck. Coming this fall are The

The Baller Dream Foundation’s Midsummer Night Garden Party

J ULY 1 0 • AT A PRIVATE SA RATO GA RESIDENCE

Moderne Condominiums, the newest in luxury condo living from Julie & Co. Realty, located just past Four Seasons Natural Foods on Henry Street. As its name suggests, The Moderne Condominiums

feature only the most modern amenities, including innovative smart technology, waterfall edge quartz countertops and covered loggias. “We’re very excited about this type of modern architecture,” says Julie & Co. owner Julie Bonacio. “It’s a first for us in a condo building, and the smart technology and feel of the condos has been very welcoming to buyers.” Units are two- or threebedroom, and range in size from 1,632 to 2,273 The Moderne Condominiums feature square feet. Plus, waterfall edge quartz countertops; (at right) a parking spot is Julie & Co. broker/owner Julie Bonacio. included, so you’ll

THE SECRET’S OUT

never have to worry about finding on-street parking again. Units are for sale now and are going fast. For more information or to schedule a showing, contact: Julie A. Bonacio Broker/Owner C: 518.701.5080 ■

10 Yates Street, Schenectady, NY 12305 // (518) 901 - 0174

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• BEST APPETIZER • BEST GLUTEN-FREE • BEST AMERICAN

J U LY 2 1 • AT T H E A D E L PHI HOTEL

THE SECRET’S OUT THE SECRET’S OUT 10 Yates Street, Schenectady, NY 12305 // (518) 901 - 0174 Open Thursday – Saturday, 5 – 9 pm // daleysonyates.com

10 Yates Street, Schenectady, NY 12305 // (518) 901 - 0174 Open Thursday – Saturday, 5 – 9 pm // daleysonyates.com

THE SECRET’S OUT 10 Yates Street, Schenectady, NY 12305 // (518) 901 - 0174 Open Thursday – Saturday, 5 – 9 pm // daleysonyates.com

BEST KEPT SECRET • BEST BARTENDER: SUE ROSS

Staci Snider Fashion Show to benefit the Saratoga WarHorse Foundation

(fashion show) TODD BAILEY; (Siro's Cup) BRANDON SEGAL; (garden party) ERIC KESSLER

• BEST ROMANTIC DINING • BEST OUTDOOR DINING BEST MARTINI • BEST DINING EXPERIENCE • Open Thursday – Saturday, 5 –• 9 pm // daleysonyates.com

BEST RESTAURANT IN SCHENECTADY COUNTY • BEST RESTAURANT IN THE CITY OF SCHENECTADY •

home stretch: fashion

design || hunger || thirst || what to do

A Look That Kills T H E G RIM REAPER WO N’ T B E T H E O NLY O NE S L AY ING T H IS S P O O KY S EAS O N. p h otog ra p h y by D O RI F IT Z PAT RIC K

T Photos from Capital Region Gives Back & Saratoga Race Season 2020

his slinky number is the epitome of spook-meets-glamour, making it the supreme dress to style heading into Halloween this fall. The plunging neckline and fierce shoulder pads make for a look as elegant and poised as Morticia Addams herself, and the built-in bodysuit, made with a flexible fabric, will conform to your every curve. Add a chic masquerade mask, ghostly makeup or a timeless set of pearls to create a stunning, not-too-costumey costume for any Halloween celebration. Rockabella Boutique has a garment to satisfy every fantasy, so step outside your comfort zone this season and transform into whatever glam character your un-beating heart desires.

JOVANI DRESS | $500

From Rockabella Boutique

—Corinne Sausville

@rinniesaus

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delicious and memorable delicious and memorable delicious FAVORS and memorable WEDDING & GIFTS

WEDDING FAVORS & GIFTS WEDDING FAVORS & GIFTS

home stretch: fashion ||

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hunger || thirst || what to do

Fully Customizable Many Flavor Options 484 Broadway, Saratoga Springs, New York Fully Customizable Many Flavor Options 484 Broadway, Saratoga Springs, New York Perfect for Your Wedding, Rehearsal, (518) 450-1308 Weddings@SaratogaOliveOil.com Weddings@SaratogaOliveOil.com for Your Wedding, Rehearsal, FullyPerfect Customizable Many Flavor Options (518) 450-1308 484 Broadway, Saratoga Springs, New York Bridal Shower or Any Special Occasion! www.SaratogaOliveOil.com Weddings@SaratogaOliveOil.com Bridal Shower or Any SpecialRehearsal, Occasion! www.SaratogaOliveOil.com Perfect for Your Wedding, (518) 450-1308 Bridal Shower or Any Special Occasion! www.SaratogaOliveOil.com

Welcoming the upcoming season with Riesling and Gewürztraminer from their most expressive and textural locations.

PURDY’S Discount Wine & Liquor

PLAYTIME PERFECTION Y VO NNE MC EAC H RO N O F L AY ERED DE SI G N SHAR E S T IPS F O R H OW TO MAK E YO UR K ID S ’ PLAY R OOM A SPAC E YO U’ L L LOVE AS MUC H AS T HE Y DO.

70–72 Congress Plaza Saratoga Springs 518.584.5400

p h otog ra p h y by EL IZ AB ET H HAY N E S

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design

268 Broadway, Unit 312 Saratoga Springs

6 Carlyle Terrace Saratoga Springs

65 Brown Road Stillwater

140 Grand Avenue Saratoga Springs

$1,740,000 Julie A. Bonacio Broker/Owner c: 518.701.5080

$569,000 Jennifer Johnson Lic. Assoc. R. E. Broker c: 518.588.1392

8,900,000 Monika Patrycja Cronin,

$550,000 Lars Huus-Skladzinski Lic. R. E. Salesperson c: 518.321.1282

|| hunger || thirst || what to do

3. T re at You r W ind ows Make a statement with a bold pattern on your windows. In order to not compete with the colors in this room, we opted for a geometric pattern in a neutral palette. For a modern, clean vibe, we went with roman shades instead of curtains. Get the look: Design 3500121 from Kravet

5. De s ign ate S pec ia l Spac e s When working with a multifunctional playroom, it’s important to separate the space thoughtfully. We set up the art corner, the toy table and the lounge area separately. The placement of the furnishings offers a relaxed flow to the room.

4. Wow w it h a Wall Mu ral

1 . P l ay w i th Pat t e r ns When mixing patterns, work within a similar color palette for cohesiveness. Here, we chose to pattern play with the window treatments, the wall mural and the area rug. When mixing patterns, have fun and get creative. Nothing is off limits. Get the look: Code Rug 9’x12’ from CB2

2. H i d e A l l t h e C lu t t er I’m a proponent of closed storage. It offers clients a home for toys and books and helps to keep a space from looking cluttered and disorganized. To help keep things organized, label the inside of each door.

Statement walls can come in the form of wallpaper, a bold paint color or a mural. Wall murals are a playful way to add interest to a space. I like to incorporate a wall mural particularly when working on a child’s bedroom or playroom. Get the look: Tierney 6-Door Accent Cabinet from Wayfair

Get the look: Kids Little Scandi House Wallpaper Mural from Wallmur

SRS, RENE, C-RETS, Lic. Assoc. R. E. Broker

The Monika Cronin Team c: 518.577.1712

o: 518.350.7653 | JulieCoRealty.com

Take a Look at Our Available Inventory

L77 King Road Middle Grove

5 Rose Terrace Saratoga Springs

8 Greenway Road South Glens Falls

30 Republic Street Mineville

$350,000 Jennifer Johnson Lic. Assoc. R. E. Broker c: 518.588.1392

$839,000 Tina Nigro Lic. R. E. Salesperson c: 518.495.7164

$239,900 Kathie A. Spangler, SRES, GRI Lic. Assoc. R. E. Broker c: 518.542.0294

$259,900 Casey King, RSPS, SFR Lic. Assoc. R. E. Broker c: 518.321.6110

Saratoga Living Fall 2021.indd 1

Layered Design is an interior design firm specializing in both residential and commercial spaces, and services clients throughout New York State. Interior designer Yvonne McEachron focuses on creative spaces that are a clear representation of her clients’ lifestyles, including their travels, interests and energy. Follow the firm on Instagram at @layered.design and online at layeredny.com.

8/18/2021 10:08:27 AM

LAST CHANCE TO SEE LES LALANNE! CLAUDE & FRANÇOIS-XAVIER LALANNE: NATURE TRANSFORMED THROUGH OCTOBER 31

See the first North American museum exhibition in 40 years devoted to Claude and François-Xavier Lalanne’s madly inventive and irresistible world of objects

WILLIAMSTOWN, MASSACHUSETTS

CLARKART.EDU

Support for Claude & François-Xavier Lalanne: Nature Transformed is provided by Denise Littlefield Sobel, Sylvia and Leonard Marx, and the Kenneth C. Griffin Charitable Fund.

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thirst || what to do

Batter Up! S W EET MI MI ’ S CAF É & B AKE RY AN D T H E T INY DI N E Y G O HE AD TO HE AD I N A PANCAKE -MAKI N G SHOW DOW N .

our Sunday morning just got a little bit sweeter. In our next edition of Capital Region Cook-off, we’re pitting Jeannette Liebers of Saratoga’s Sweet Mimi’s Café & Bakery (whom you may have seen on Beat Bobby Flay earlier this year) against Robilee McIntyre of Cohoes’ new-this-year The Tiny Diney in a breakfast battle for the ages. But these two powerhouse chefs aren’t making any old whole grain pancakes. No—they’ve upped the ante by decking out their cakes with all manner of to-die-for add-ins and toppings. Which stack tops your tastebud ratings? Get flippin’ to find out.

Sweet Mimi’s Café & Bakery Whole Grain Oatmeal Pancakes

Create a timeless wedding in historic Saratoga Spa State Park at The Gideon Putnam Resort & Spa. With two unique reception locations for small and large weddings, you can have your entire event here. Your union is destined to last a lifetime – and guests will be talking about your wedding for nearly that long.

INGREDIENTS

4 oz unsalted butter (DRY)

2 ½ 5 1

cups flour cup whole wheat tbsp sugar tbsp + 1 tsp baking powder 1½ tsp baking soda 1½ tsp salt 1 tsp cinnamon 1½ cups whole rolled oats

Photo courtesy JB Photography

Plan your classic wedding. Contact our Group Sales Department at (877) 600-4339.

Vow to b e re me mb er e d

Something bold | S o m e t h i n g y o u

(WET)

(pan)cake bosses Robilee McIntyre’s Happy Hippy Pancakes are topped with freshly whipped cream; (top) the secret to Jeannette Liebers’ whole grain oatmeal pancakes is homemade batter.

3 1 1 4 ¼

cups whole milk cup yogurt tbsp vanilla eggs, separated cup brown sugar

(OPTIONAL)

raspberries, raspberry sauce, maple syrup

INSTRUCTIONS

• Melt the butter. • Whisk all the dry ingredients (besides the oats) together. When well blended, whisk in the oats. • Whip egg whites separately until soft peaks form. • Add the wet ingredients (besides the egg whites) to the dry ingredients and whisk, adding the melted butter to emulsify. • Gently fold in egg whites. • Use batter to cook pancakes as desired, and top with fresh raspberries and raspberry sauce or real maple syrup.

GideonPutnam.com 24 Gideon Putnam Road, Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

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hunger

Queen of the Hill

|| thirst || what to do

Windy Hill CBD Oil’s Holly Harris applies her personal experience to helping her customers hunt for the perfect healing products.

The Tiny Diney Happy Hippie Pancakes INGREDIENTS

hannahluxphotography.com

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INSTRUCTIONS

• Prep your ingredients: Whip the whipping cream; wash the blueberries; chop or grind the walnuts, pecans and hemp seeds together, setting some hemp seeds aside for garnish; and make the pancake mix. • Warm your favorite skillet and add butter until it lightly browns. Pour in your pancake mix and liberally sprinkle blueberries into wet, un-flipped pancake. Fill the remaining wet cake area with the ground nut mixture. • Lower the heat and cook, un-flipped, until cake no longer seems wet. Add more butter to the pan around the edges of the pancake and flip, leaving in the buttered pan for a few more minutes. • Remove the pancake when it’s a toasty, golden brown at the edges. Drizzle honey over the pancake, add whipped cream, and garnish with blueberries, hemp seeds and granola.

FRANCESCO D'AMICO

authentic wedding day storytelling for the lovers and the dreamers

Whole-grain pancake mix Walnuts Pecans Hemp seeds Blueberries Granola Cold whipping cream Honey 3 tbsp butter

olly Harris isn’t just the owner of Windy Hill CBD Oil (windyhillcbdoil. com). She’s also a client. “I was working out on a regular basis in 2018 and had thrown my back out,” she says. “A few months later, I started using CBD oil and within a week, my back pain was gone.” Cue the life-altering epiphany. The CBD even had a bonus positive side effect: She found that taking it helped level out her mood at her highly stressful day job. The more she researched CBD and discovered its healing properties, the more she wanted to help spread the gospel. So, in 2019, Harris founded Windy Hill in a “little shack” in her front yard and soon after, graduated to a retail storefront in Greenwich. (You can also order online, or for curbside pick-up or delivery.) Of course, like many small businesses in the Capital Region, the

pandemic presented personal approach a challenge, but only to my business,” Windy Hill CBD Oil’s Greenwich for a short while. “I says Harris. “Every storefront carries CBD oil and was able to come customer that comes flower as well as other CBD-infused back last year, and products like bath bombs and lotion. in is greeted by me, the business has the owner, and I don’t grown from there,” she says. Customers forget you. I’m considered the ‘Sample can now not only purchase CBD oil Queen,’ because I want customers to and flower from Windy Hill, but also see how these products work before CBD-infused products such as bath they spend their money.” bombs, lip balm, and hand/body Count yourself among the CBD lotion. And that’s just for her human skeptics? Harris feels your pain. “I customers. Harris’ products are also explain to people all the time that great for pets—and she’s seen some CBD isn’t THC—it’s not going to get pretty miraculous results. “One of our you stoned,” she says. “They are two dogs was diagnosed with cancer, totally different cannabis products; and the veterinarian told us she had they’re like tangerines and oranges.” two weeks to live,” Harris says of What sets CBD apart from THC is her Mastiff, whom she treated with a its anti-inflammatory and medicinal mixture of CBD flower and oil. “We qualities; it has no psychoactive were able to extend her life by 12 ingredients in it. Knowing what months. And she wasn’t in pain.” you’re putting in your body is really Whether she’s working with human what it’s all about for Harris. She loves or canine customers, Harris says helping people get healthy, just like she loves sharing her passion—and she did. “I love my store,” she says. the wealth—with them. “I take a “And I love helping people.” ■

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BORN TO

RUM

A L EX STRAUS, OWNER OF SA R ATO GA’S T H E N IGHT OWL , SERVES UP TH REE R U M -LAC E D C O C KTA I L RECI PES FOR YOUR END-OF -SU M M E R SLA M .

INGREDIENTS

1 oz coconut cream (blend 1 part unsweetened Thai coconut milk, 1 part Coco Lopez cream of coconut and 2 parts simple syrup in an immersion blender) ¾ oz passion fruit puree 1½ oz Coruba Black Rum ½ oz fresh lime juice 3 dashes Angostura bitters (to top off) Add all ingredients to a shaker with ice. Shake and strain into an ice-filled tiki mug. Garnish with a tropical decoration of your choosing.

Pukito Punch

D J J a so n I r w i n

Making your occasion one to remember!

Weddings Graduations Birthday Parties Reunions School Dances Private Parties and MORE DJJasonIrwin.com PO Box 2336 Glens Falls, NY 12801 (518) 307-4967

This is a play on a classic Puka Punch, using a beautiful reposado tequila and some prickly pear. It’s perfect for a wild, late-summer night and dancing on the furniture. (Luckily, no Adirondack chairs were harmed in the making of this drink.) INGREDIENTS

¼ oz Hamilton 151 Rum 11/2 oz El Tequileño Reposado Tequila 1 oz prickly pear puree ¾ oz fresh lemon juice 1/2 oz orange juice 1/2 oz pineapple juice 1/2 oz Agave Nectar 3 dashes Angostura bitters

BY WILL L EVI T H p h otograp h y by DORI F I T ZPAT R I C K

Tiki Sunset

ven though we’d really love it to stay hot, hot, hot year round here in Saratoga, there’ll be that inevitable day when you begrudgingly dust off that light jacket and stow away your jorts. But hey, if one good thing came out of the pandemic, it was that we all realized that a good al fresco cocktail is worth imbibing deep into the fall months, as long as a few friendly heat lamps are nearby. Alex Straus, owner of one of Saratoga’s bumpingest bars and nightclubs, The Night Owl, knows all about that, having hosted some of the best chilly-night hangs on his Maple Avenue patio last year. So we asked him to help you wring out the final drops of summer—and look forward to a booze-i-ful fall with three rum-infused cocktails.

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Add all ingredients to a shaker with ice. Shake and strain into an ice-filled tiki mug. Garnish with an umbrella, and serve with love!

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I like to think of this drink as an any-season return to the tropics. It’s definitely rich enough to be drunk on the darkest of winter nights. The smell, the taste and the experience of those flavors always brings you right back, even if it’s freezing outside.

Summer Old Fashioned

Another late-summer staple. It’s the perfect drink to sip on a hot summer day. It’s rum, which is always a party, but with a respectable twist. Bonus: You can throw it in a thermos with ice, and serve it all day long, as the dilution just lengthens this powerful cocktail’s life. INGREDIENTS

Historic Photographs of Saratoga Springs The George S. Bolster Collection

10 oz Cadenhead’s Rum 10 oz Appleton Reserve Rum 11/2 oz Licor 43 1 whole orange peel 1/2 cinnamon stick 1 fresh pineapple topped and cut into chunks with rind (washed) Put all ingredients into an airtight container and refrigerate for 24 hours. Remove cinnamon. Stir, reseal and refrigerate for another 24 hours. Mix and strain before serving. Makes 10 servings. Pour into glass over ice, and stir thoroughly. Add expressed orange peel over the glass, and drop into the drink.

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The Showcase Must Go On!

AFTER A YEAR AWAY FROM IN-PERSON HOUSE HUNTING, THE SARATOGA SHOWCASE OF HOMES RETURNS FOR ITS SILVER ANNIVERSARY. BY NATAL I E MO O R E

very fall, Saratogians turn off HGTV, put on a pair of shoes that are easy to take on and off, and hit the road, driving all across Saratoga County in search of their next enviable dream home. Not catching our drift? We’re talking about the Saratoga Showcase of Homes, the annual event where area builders open up their brand-new builds for the public to see, salivate over and, yes, walk sock-footed through. After last year’s in-person showcase was canceled due to the built to list pandemic (a one-hour TV program (clockwise from top left) exploring the year’s homes kept the Witt Construction’s upscale West Side cottage; Caruso Builders’ popular event’s momentum going), Saratoga home was built for the Showcase of Homes is back to entertaining; R&M Homes’ oneits traditional, in-person glory, just in level house in Ballston Lake; time for its 25th anniversary. Here’s The BDC Group’s Cornerstone everything you need to know about Condominiums in Ballston Spa. this year’s exhibition.

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Who? Twelve builders—Kohler Homes, R&M Homes, The BDC Group, Kodiak Construction, Witt Construction, Bonacio Construction, Trojanski Builders, Caruso Builders, Beechwood Homes, Belmonte Builders, McPadden Builders and Bella Home Builders—have teamed up with local landscapers, interior designers and kitchen designers to showcase the best in new home trends.

what?

Twelve homes and a condominium. (About half of this year’s homes are priced at over $1 million!)

where? Rexford, Ballston Lake, Ballston Spa, Greenfield Center and, of course, Saratoga Springs. When? Why?

October 9, 10, 11, 16 and 17.

Proceeds from the showcase benefit Rebuilding Together Saratoga County, which repairs homes for homeowners incapable of making essential repairs to them, and Habitat for Humanity, which creates affordable housing for lowto moderate-income families.

Hidden Figures

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{ horseplay }

E A2Z GU

BY N ATA L I E M O O R E

SHANE STIEL is a NPTI/NASM Certified Elite Personal Trainer specializing in strength conditioning, weight loss, injury rehabilitation, and much more. Come see him today to change your life for the better!

AUS OF H

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SAVE THE DATE! saratoga living

HAVE A COCKTAIL WITH DORINDA! THE ADELPHI HOTEL TENT THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 30 CELEBRATING DORINDA MEDLEY’S NEW BOOK, MAKE IT NICE ONE-ON-ONE MEET-AND-GREET BOOK SIGNINGS AND PHOTOS Plus: HORS D’OEUVRES AND COCKTAILS

Don’t miss this intimate cocktail party with your favorite Real Housewives star! TICKETS AVAILABLE SOON at linktr.ee/saratogaliving & on all social media channels

“I moved my practice to Saratoga three years ago and I am so appreciative of how welcoming the community has been. I would like to thank the community and my clients for their support and for voting me BEST IN TOTAL BODY WORKOUT! —Shane Stiel

ha u s o fsti e l f itness .c o m

ACROSS 1. Length x width 5. Eve’s predecessor 9. Ausable, for one 14. Boxing match 15. Clif brand 16. Food served in roll form 17. Human, to a Martian 19. What one might say before a 14-Across 20. With 37-Across, a famous portrait that hints at this puzzle’s theme 21. Height, slangily, in ski jumping 23. Possible wind dir. 24. Tibetan beast 27. Legal city document (Saratoga is governed by one) 30. Iris support 34. It protects one’s arms 36. Words commonly used before whim 37. See 20-Across 38. GPS helps with it, for short 39. A German city 43. An aesthete’s motto, or a fitting name for this puzzle 47. Key’s comic partner 48. An accessory 49. Anagram of item 50. They’re shorter than LPs 52. Time-keeping conjunction 53. Sets a dog on, perhaps 54. Like Gerard Butler’s character in 300

58. Crafty 60. Word between tic and toe 61. Leave behind money 63. Relieve 67. ___ Martin 70. Spicy food may cause it 74. Couples 75. It can be of the head or stomach variety 76. Former currency of Italy 77. Gymnast Comăneci 78. “Sounds good” 79. Artisanal Amazon alternative

DOWN 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

Celebrated prez Wander It replaced 76-Across Address abbr. ___ in the Family What MADD might help prevent 7. Actress Faris 8. David Copperfield’s skill 9. Show with NY and Miami spinoffs 10. Shanty 11. A rental property, to its owner 12. Beamed, like the sun 13. Many a 20th-century West Virginian 18. It’s for horses 22. Greek letter that sounds like a coxswain’s command 25. ___ of Green Gables 26. It comes before Maga

22 27

50 55

45 48

57 55

61 69

63 71

28. Once more 29. Side effects of touching poison ivy 30. Open-handed hit 31. Get out of breath, say 32. This, in Barcelona 33. Sender of cards 35. Folk rock band The ___ Brothers 40. 18-wheeler, familiarly 41. Ariel’s prince 42. NYC team

23 28

19 21

9 16

22 30

17 19

44. It comes before Oct. 45. How the Other Half Lives author Jacob 46. Holler 51. ACT alternative 54. Tide to Go target 55. Farfalle, for one 56. Behaved 57. Hong Kong greeting 59. Bublé’s “Haven’t Met You ___”

62. Quick kiss 64. Having the power to do something 65. One of four in a deck 66. Says “oops,” say 68. Columbia County sculpture park Art ___ 69. US intelligence org. 71. Finder’s exclamation 72. King, in Cancún 73. Downvote

ANSWERS ON saratogaliving.com SEARCH: CROSSWORD

“I can do modeling if there are chips involved.” —PUTNAM PLACE

overheard “When I read in my head, all I hear is rock music.” —SUMMER SCHOOL

“I don’t know much about iguanas but I do think about them a lot.” —HAGAMAN

FATHER: “That looks just like a chipmunk’s body.” DAUGHTER: “Dad, that’s the uterus!” —THE REAL Mc COY AT BALLSTON SPA

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Mirror Lake Inn

met life American artist Eastman Johnson, seen here painting a portrait of Katrina Trask, has multiple works in the permanent collection at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Resort and Spa

#TBT

Yaddo, Reborn BY N ATAL I E M O O R E

oing good has been around in Saratoga for a long, long time. Case in point: Yaddo, the celebrated artists’ retreat featured on the cover of this magazine, exists today because of the generosity of financier Spencer Trask and his wife, Katrina, herself a writer. After all four of the couple’s children tragically died, the Trasks first transformed their fortune into a corporation in 1900, then established the artists’ retreat in their Queen Anne revival mansion in 1926. While the estate, so named by their late daughter, Christina (it was her antonym for “shadow”), was the Trasks’ home before they, too, passed on, it wasn’t their first on the property. Pictured here is Katrina, sharing a quiet moment with Spencer’s business partner, George Foster Peabody (whom she’d later marry after her husband’s death in 1909), while being painted by well-known portrait artist Eastman Johnson at her and her husband’s original mansion. That home would burn to the ground in 1891, exactly a decade after the Trasks’ arrival in Saratoga. Only then would the reconstruction project by architect William Halsey Wood begin on the “new” Yaddo mansion—the one that still stands today and recently underwent its own multimillion-dollar face-lift. Peabody would go on to serve as the Corporation of Yaddo’s first executive director, and the mansion welcomed its first artists-in-residence, four years after Katrina’s death in 1922. If only the Trasks, whose undying appreciation for the arts is evident in this photo, could see Yaddo—and Saratoga, for that matter—now.

Safety is the New Luxury Come see why we are known as Lake Placid’s Finest. MirrorLakeInn.com | 518-523-2544

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