Simply Saratoga Fall Edition

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Contributors:

HELEN S. EDELMAN MARK BOLLES Recipes are more than a list of ingredients and instructions. Recipes speak of one’s family traditions, creative flair and lifestyles, as is reflected by this magazine’s culinary contributors. It was a pleasure to have worked with you and thank you for sharing.

I've known Jennifer Armstrong for more than two decades, and writing this author profile provided an incredible opportunity to plumb her considerable depths. My restaurant review on the Prime has particular poignancy, because my companion for the evening was Dominic Zappone, my beloved life partner, who died suddenly just weeks after the dinner, too soon. I dedicate this writing to him.

CHRISTINA JAMES As an avid traveler and self-proclaimed road-trip connoisseur, I know from experience that the place you stay can make or break a trip. These tucked-away cozy Adirondack inns provide the perfect escape to recharge your batteries and get away from the stresses of everyday life.

ANDREW MARSHALL

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I’ve always enjoyed visiting the Adirondack Mountains, a popular destination that has inspired countless craftsmen and artists to create unique pieces of Adirondack furniture. I had the chance to speak with some of these master craftsmen, to learn more about the process and about what makes them tick.

MEGHAN LEMERY I have come to realize that perhaps the single most important key to ensure abundance in every area of life is to cultivate a spirit of gratitude on the daily basis.

DANIEL SCHECHTMAN I used to think Saratoga was always a thriving city - until I began researching for the Saratoga Rainmakers series. This time I met with Charles V. Wait, who chronicled the fall and rise of the Spa City, and how the concentrated efforts of many helped to reshape the community into the success it is today.

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Owner/Publisher Chad Beatty General Manager Robin Mitchell Art Director Tiffany Garland Editor Daniel Schechtman Advertising Chris Bushee, Jim Daley, Cindy Durfey Graphic Designers Eric Havens, Katy Holland Copy Proofreader Christina James Writers Barbara Cook, Helen Susan Edelman, Christina James, Meghan Lemery, Andrew Marshall, Daniel Schechtman Photographers MarkBolles.com Carl Heilman II Photography Randall Perry Photography Published by Saratoga TODAY Newspaper Five Case Street,

Contents: 2012 Showcase OF Homes THE

18-75

SARATOGA BUILDERS ASSOCIATION, INC. THE

Adirondack Style

79

84 Family Favorite Recipes 92 Bookmarks 94 Rainmakers III; Charles V. Wait 100 Fashion 106 Simple Truths 110 Restaurant Review; Prime

Fabulous Fall…

Everything from the Adirondack Balloon Festival to Local Wineries

117-136

Photo by Carl Heilman II

Adirondack Getaways\

September Spiders

Saratoga Springs, NY 12866 tel: (518) 581-2480 fax: (518) 581-2487 SaratogaTODAYNewspaper.com

Simply Saratoga is brought to you by Saratoga TODAY Newspaper, Saratoga Publishing, LLC. Saratoga Publishing shall make every effort to avoid errors and omissions but disclaims any responsibility should they occur. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means without prior written consent of the publisher. Copyright (c) 2012, Saratoga TODAY Newspaper

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160

On the Cover:

Photo by Randall Perry Photography of Witt Construction’s 61 Granite Street Showcase Entry

VIEW ONLINE

"flip through" the pages of this magazine at saratogaTODAYnewspaper.com

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THE2012 Showcase OF Homes

THE SARATOGA BUILDERS ASSOCIATION, INC.

2012

Showcase of Homes Contents Welcome & Showcase Committee Members 20 Schedule of Events & Ticket Information

21

Chefs “Saratoga Style”

36-37

Driving Directions & Map

54-55

Subs & Suppliers

72-75

Showcase Entries 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19

Capital District Properties Cerrone Builders Witt Construction - Rivercrest Rd. Waldron Builders SAS Builders Saratoga Builders Bonacio Construction - The Springs Witt Construction - Granite St. Bonacio Construction - Market Center Bette & Cring Terrace Home Builders Bella Home Builders, Inc. Blitman Development Corp.

Belmonte Builders John Paige Contracting, Inc. Camelot Associates Heritage Custom Builders RJ Taylor Builders, Inc. Witt Construction - Sandhill Rd.

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COMMITTEE

Welcome

Barry Potoker Executive Director, Saratoga Builders Association

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Barry Potoker Co-Chair & Executive Director, Saratoga Builders Association Jesse Boucher Kodiak Construction & President, Saratoga Builders Association Michelle Larkin Rebuilding Together Saratoga County Pam Stott Curtis Lumber Samantha Bosshart Saratoga Springs Preservation Foundation

2012 Showcase of Homes

Welcome to the 2012 Saratoga Showcase of Homes, the “Greatest Show in Town” this fall. It’s an event that is truly part of the regional fabric in our autumn season.

On behalf of the Saratoga Builders Association and the Showcase Committee, I’d like to thank all the generous sponsors and countless volunteers for their continued support. Special thanks to all our builders who are committed to this show and make this annual event a reality.

Lastly, we are grateful for the tremendous public support through ticket sales each and every year.

The 17th edition of this area’s premier home tour will be spectacular. We are excited and proud to present 19 new homes in Saratoga County from 16 award-winning builders for your enjoyment beginning September 15.

You’ll see the most innovative products, beautiful décor, professional craftsmanship and impeccable construction grace each of these magnificent homes, inviting you through their doors.

Consider adding a dash of delectable treats to your experience and join us for Chefs - Saratoga Style taking place on two evenings this year kicking off on Friday, September 14 (Southern Chef Tour) and also the following Friday, September 21 (Northern Chef Tour). Ten homes are participating in what should be fun and memorable nights. You’ll have a chance to sample dishes from some of the area’s top chefs and restaurants while touring these exceptional homes.

The Saratoga Builders Association has contributed over $725,000 to our local charities from this annual event, and this year will be no different. Proceeds from this year’s Showcase of Homes will benefit two worthwhile organizations: Rebuilding Together, Saratoga County and Habitat for Humanity of Northern Saratoga, Warren and Washington Counties. Both of these groups help give back to the community through improving the homes and lives of those in need. Many families in our area would never realize their dreams of home ownership or improvement of their living conditions without the efforts of these two terrific organizations.

Please take a moment to explore the pages of this official guide and see what’s in store for the Showcase of Homes this year. Also visit our dedicated website at www.saratogashowcaseofhomes.com.

Where else can you visit 19 incredible new homes over three beautiful fall weekends for just $20?

Enjoy the show….it is a not to be missed event this year!

Tammy DiCara Habitat for Humanity of Northern Saratoga, Warren & Washington Counties Janet Besheer Keller Williams Saratoga JR George Trustco Bank Rilla Schulte Bonacio Construction Lisa Licata-Stoll Co-Chair & Realty USA Michele Ahl Room Service John Witt Witt Construction Sam Palazzole Saratoga Builders, LLC SaratogaTODAYNewspaper.com

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THE2012 Showcase OF Homes

THE

Event & Ticket Info

SARATOGA

New This Year

Dates For Upcoming Events

Every ticket holder receives a free tote bag at the first home visited.

Tuesday, September 11 2012 Showcase of Homes Realtor & Judges Tour

Thursday, September 13 2012 Showcase of Homes Awards Banquet – Vapor at Saratoga Casino & Raceway

Ticket Information

Friday, September 14 Chefs “Saratoga Style” Southern Tour at participating showcase homes

Saturday and Sunday, September 15-16 17th Annual Showcase of Homes – The Greatest Show in Town!

Friday, September 21 Chefs “Saratoga Style” Northern Tour at participating showcase homes

Saturday and Sunday, September 22-23 17th Annual Showcase of Homes – The Greatest Show in Town!

Saturday and Sunday, September 29-30 17th Annual Showcase of Homes – The Greatest Show in Town!

Showcase proceeds benefit:

2012 Saratoga Showcase of Homes

20.00 each

$

Chefs “Saratoga Style”

35.00 each

$

These include a Showcase of Homes ticket and are on sale now!

Limited quantities - buy early!

Tickets are available at any Adirondack Trust branch locations, Trustco Bank locations, Curtis Lumber stores in Ballston Spa & Queensbury, Realty USA and Roohan Realty on Broadway in Saratoga Springs.

Tickets are also available online at www.SaratogaShowcaseofHomes.com and always conveniently available at the door at any showcase home during the tour hours of 11:00 am – 5:00 pm.

We look forward to seeing you at the “Greatest Show in Town” this fall!

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1 Capital District

THE2012 Showcase OF Homes

THE SARATOGA BUILDERS ASSOCIATION, INC.

Properties

About the Builder

4 Paddocks Circle, Apt. 8, Saratoga Springs

Apartm ent Comple x!

Capital District Properties (CDP) is an experienced, fully integrated real estate development company that specializes in the land acquisition, development, finance, construction and management of residential communities throughout the Capital Region of New York State.

Home features: 2 Bedrooms, 2 Bathrooms, 1,454 sq. ft.

The Travers is a 1,454 sq.-ft. luxury apartment home located at The Paddocks of Saratoga. The apartment has 2 bedrooms, 2 full bathrooms and a den. Inside the apartment home, the kitchen features granite countertops, stainless steel appliances, stylish cabinetry, a tile backsplash and pendant lighting. The master bedroom suite includes his and hers closets, vanity with granite countertops and double sinks, and a large linen closet. There is plush carpeting throughout with hardwood floors in the kitchen and entryway and ceramic tile in the bathrooms. The Travers also features oversized windows, a large balcony and an attached garage.

Interesting features: • Granite countertops and stainless steel appliances • Attached garage • Brand-new fitness center with yoga studio • Resort-style swimming pool

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FLOOR PLAN

Realtor Information Andrea Johnston Capital District Properties 1 Ascot Circle, Saratoga Springs (518) 581-7400 Andrea.Johnston@ ThePaddocksofSaratoga.com

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2 Cerrone Builders

THE2012 Showcase OF Homes

THE SARATOGA BUILDERS ASSOCIATION, INC.

About the Builder

5 Abbey Lane, Moreau Home features: 3 Bedrooms, 2 Bathrooms, 1,861 sq. ft.

Welcome to Cerrone Builders latest model home. This executive ranch has an emphasis on the common area with 10.5-ft.-high tray ceilings in the great room and kitchen and double layers of crown moldings. Open to the great room is the formal dining room with accent moldings throughout. You will feel right at home relaxing in the bright cheerful breakfast nook or enjoying the mountain view from the spacious deck. This home is full of Cerrone Builders signature woodworking and intricate detailing that the discriminating homeowners insist upon.

FLOOR PLAN

Interesting features: • 10.5-ft.-high ceilings in the great room and kitchen • Exceptional woodworking throughout • Crown moldings throughout • Awesome mountain views

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Cerrone Builders is comprised of Al Cerrone, his son, Steven Cerrone, and son-in-law, Gianni Simone. They are family owned and operated with an acute attention to detail with a number 1 commitment to customer satisfaction.

(518) 361-6331 www.cerronebuilders.com

Realtor Information Michael Pugh Better Way Realty 90 Glenwood Ave., Queensbury (518) 743-1414 mpugh@betterwayrealty.com

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3 Witt Construction

THE2012 Showcase OF Homes

THE SARATOGA BUILDERS ASSOCIATION, INC.

About the Builder

13 Rivercrest Road, Gansevoort Home features: 2 Bedrooms, 2 Bathrooms, 1,700 sq. ft.

Rivercrest Estates is an established subdivision conveniently located off exit 17. This home is situated on a quiet 1.74-acre lot with a backyard that opens up to the foothills of the Adirondacks and the Hudson River. The Mountain View Ranch offers an open floor plan with efficient use of space. This home has two bedrooms, a white kitchen with soap stone, countertops and pantry. The lower level with garden windows is set up for future finishing.

Interesting Features • Gas fireplace with custom mantel • Generous storage space • Low-maintenance vinyl siding with custom detail • Gable window

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FLOOR PLAN

Witt Construction designs, builds and renovates homes that are fine in detail, striking in appearance, efficient in use, and enduring in value. This national award-winning custom home design/build firm has been featured in many national publications.

Building homes which are truly unique in their presence and home design; this one-of-a-kind custom company builds homes from $200,000 to $1,000,000 +.

For more information on new homes and renovations, call (518) 587-4113 or email WittConstructionSales@gmail.com www.WittConstruction.com

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4 Waldron Builders

THE2012 Showcase OF Homes

THE SARATOGA BUILDERS ASSOCIATION, INC.

About the Builder

21 Ridge View Road, Wilton Home features: 3 Bedrooms, 2 1/2 Bathrooms, 2,750 sq. ft.

The Waldron Builders team always creates a ranch home with some extra pizazz, especially when it’s a showcase home. This 2,750-sq.-ft. three-bedroom ranch is no different, but it is special. You walk through the front door into the foyer with custom tile. Then you’ll venture into the great room with a fireplace that’s definitely got that pizazz! The kitchen has a cook-friendly layout and custom cabinetry with cambria tops, and breakfast nook. The master bedroom suite is sure to please with a spa like private bath with entrance onto the rear deck. We are sure you will enjoy spending time in this upbeat classic ranch home.

Interesting features: • Custom natural gas fireplace • Spa-like master bath with amazing tile work

FLOOR PLAN

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• Waldron Builders custom trim • High-performance energy systems

Waldron Builders, Inc. is a custom homebuilder in and around Saratoga Springs in upstate New York. We can do it all, custom homes, on your property, on our properties, remodeling, additions, the possibilities are endless. The Waldron team has proven time and again their dedication to their craft and to each and every customer is their number one priority. Waldron Builders truly is, “Bringing You Home” www.WaldronBuilders.com (518) 587-2433

Realtor Information Karan Hankinson Roohan Realty 519 Broadway, Saratoga Springs (518) 587-4500 khankinson@roohanrealty.com

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5 SAS Builders

182 Louden Road, Wilton

THE2012 Showcase OF Homes

THE SARATOGA BUILDERS ASSOCIATION, INC.

Renova ted Home!

Home features: 3 Bedrooms, 3 Bathrooms, 5,196 sq. ft.

The original residence was a 12-year-old, one-story house whose construction was based on a stock Internet floor plan. However, the property owners have an appreciation for the fact that the Saratoga Springs region is steeped in history and is in the heart of Thoroughbred racing, horse jumping and recreational riding. Therefore, they wanted to fully utilize the site as a working horse farm during their summers in the Northeast. At the same time, they wanted to renovate the home so it would reflect the traditional design of area homes and allow summer season entertaining.

By working with a custom home builder, architect and interior decorator, the homeowners were able to transform the property into a residence that truly reflected their vision. The new design involved a 95 percent demolition of the original home, leaving only the foundation, garage and one room. The renovation resulted in a refined, two-story home that combines elements of a traditional farmhouse with a historic Victorian and overlooks the adjacent horse barns and fields. The exterior of the home has refined details such as copper roofing, three turrets, and a wraparound porch, with mahogany decking and ceiling.

The mahogany double doors at the entrance of the house offer an indication of the home's elegant interior features. Upon entering the home, one is greeted by a vaulted ceiling over the living room and a grand main staircase with a custom handcrafted wrought iron railing. Other details include a stone surround over the range which is the focal point of the gourmet kitchen. The residence is perfectly suited for accommodating guests between the expansive wraparound porch for outdoor entertaining; open interior layout; a custom bar area with a standalone ice maker, side by side wine and beverage refrigerators, and a kegerator; and the three private bedroom suites.

Interesting features: • The home was based on a Victorian architectural design inline with Saratoga • The wraparound porch with a full masonry tradition. fireplace was designed for outdoor • The master suite is a luxurious getaway entertaining. and includes a sitting area, a large dressing • The home has copper roofing and three room with custom made closets, and an turrets. elegant master bath.

FIRST FLOOR

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About the Builder SAS Builders partners with the area's best architects to design and build award-winning custom homes in the Saratoga Springs, New York, region. Neighborhood development and new home construction are our specialty. Each home is a unique oneof-a-kind design to reflect your specific tastes, style and the way you live...many exhibiting subtle hints of refined Adirondack detail.

An emphasis is placed on energy efficiency and green building practices. SAS Builders has developed an exhilarating process that will take you from site selection, through home design, to completed construction.

Our goal is to create a home for you with unrivaled superior quality and craftsmanship. www.SASBuildersllc.com (518) 573-0446

SECOND FLOOR

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Story By Barbara Cook What started out as a vacation in 2007 turned out to be the beginning of a successful local business, Saratoga Consignment Studio. While on the Cape, Bonnie Grolley and her husband, Michael, visited a shop that a friend had recommended, that sold home décor and small furniture. They thought it was a great little place and wondered why there were no similar stores in the Saratoga Springs area.

“The rest of the vacation was spent brainstorming how to bring something like that here,” Bonnie recalled. The couple decided they would sell larger pieces of furniture, which presented a challenge when they came home and started looking for a space. They finally found 4,000 square feet, and in 2008 the store opened in Ballston Spa’s Chocolate Factory.

Grolley said they quickly realized they would need a larger space, and in March 2011 they opened at their current location on South Broadway. Not only is the building larger, at 10,000 square feet, but their list of consignors has quadrupled to about 800. The number of daily visitors and sales has also quadrupled.

The store sells all sorts of furniture, home décor, lighting and artwork on consignment, as well as original pieces by local artisans.

Items must be in great condition and ready to

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go into someone’s home without having to be refinished or repaired, Grolley said. Most items are from smoke-free homes and must be free from pet damage.

Although most styles are accepted, the one period they avoid is the 1980s. Grolley described ‘80s style as light oak furniture, country-themed, with lots of ducks and geese and florals. She said that period is simply not marketable at this time, so they stay away from it.

Another thing they try to avoid is antiques, although they may occasionally accept them for their decorative value. Grolley said they are not antique appraisers.

Pricing is derived from an industry formula, based on the item’s original price, condition, age and marketability. Price reductions of 10 percent take place after around three, six and nine weeks. Grolley explained that they implement the graduated price reductions because they will not negotiate with buyers on pricing.

After 90 days, the consignor can renew for another 30, but another 10 percent reduction is taken, and then another 30 days with an additional reduction. “So it’s five months of marketing on our end,” Grolley said, “and at that point the price is half what it originally was agreed upon.”

The store’s clientele vary in age from 20 to 90, and encompass all income brackets.

Prices range from $1 to $5,000. “There’s

pretty much something for everyone here,” Grolley observed. “It just depends on what you’re looking for.”

Grolley noted that interior designers and decorators do a lot of projects with items from Saratoga Consignment Studio because they know the owners are choosy about their merchandise. “They really consider us a furniture store rather than a consignment store.”

The store is also popular with rental property owners for the track season.

Grolley said although customers don’t generally identify themselves as being from the track, last year they had visitors from Connecticut and the New York City area who made their purchases during track season and then returned for them later in the year.

Saratoga Consignment Studio is located at 3306 South Broadway and can be reached at (518) 450-1363 or online at www.scsdecor.com.

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2012 Showcase of Homes announces a sensational line-up for

Chefs “Saratoga

Style”

Now in its 17th year, the Showcase of Homes celebrates Saratoga County’s most exceptional homes built by some of the Capital Region’s finest builders. This year, the event will feature and display the latest in building techniques and products, as well as beautiful, high-quality furnishings and fixtures from some of the area’s top suppliers and designers. The event runs three consecutive weekends: September 15-16, 22-23 & 29-30. The showcase home tour hours are 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. This year, mark your calendar for the exciting Chefs “Saratoga Style” event being held on two delectable evenings from 6 -10 p.m. on September 14 (Southern Chef Tour) and September 21 (Northern Chef Tour) at participating showcase homes. Proceeds from the event will benefit Rebuilding Together Saratoga and Habitat for Humanity of Northern Saratoga, Warren and Washington Counties The Southern Chef Tour on Friday, September 14 will feature: Chef Scott Ringwood of Lake Ridge Restaurant at Bella Home Builders; Chef Carla Kuchar from Zest Cooks at Belmonte Builders; Chef Mark D. Graham from Max Londons at Blitman Development; Chef Jose K. Arteche III from Panza’s Restaurant at Camelot Associates; Chef Kim Klopstock from Lily and the Rose at Heritage Custom Builders; And Chef Jay Wynn from Golden Krust Bakery at John A. Paige Jr. Contracting.

The Northern Chef Tour on Friday, September 21 will feature: Chef P. Yono Purnomo from Yono’s at Saratoga Builders; Chef Franco Rua from Café Capriccio Saratoag at Terrace Home Builders; Chef Joseph Russo from Russo’s Restaurant & Bar at Waldron Builders; And Chef Dale Miller from Sperry’s Restaurant at Witt Construction.

Chef Scott Ringwood

of Lake Ridge Restaurant at Bella Home Builders 36 | Simply Saratoga

Chef Carla Kuchar from Zest Cooks at Belmonte Builders

Chef Mark D. Graham

from Max London’s at Blitman Development

Chef Jose K. Arteche III

Chef Kim Klopstock

from The Lily and the Rose at Heritage Custom from Panza’s Restaurant Builders at Camelot Associates

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Now celebrating its 17th year, this annual community event has contributed over $725,000 to our local charities. Proceeds from the Showcase of Homes will benefit Rebuilding Together Saratoga County (www.RebuildingTogetherSaratoga.org) and Habitat for Humanity of Northern Saratoga, Warren and Washington Counties (www.GlensFallsHabitat.org). For more details on the 2012 Showcase of Homes event, please visit www.SaratogaShowcaseofHomes.com.

About Saratoga Builders Association The Saratoga Builders Association, Inc. (SBA) is a specialized professional trade association representing an industry basic to the well-being and economy of the people of Saratoga County. Its membership includes residential and commercial builders, developers, remodelers, building material suppliers, sub-contractors, financial institutions, architects, engineers, realtors, attorneys and other industry professionals. SBA is committed to the continued growth, prosperity and quality of life in Saratoga County. For more information, please visit their website at www.SaratogaBuilders.org or contact Barry Potoker, executive director, at BPotoker@SaratogaBuilders.org

Chef Jay Wynn

from Golden Krust Bakery at John A. Paige Jr. Contracting

Chef P. Yono Purnomo from Yono’s at Saratoga Builders

www.SaratogaShowcaseofHomes.com

Chef Franco Rua from Café Capriccio Saratoga at Terrace Homebuilders

Chef Joseph Russo Chef Dale Miller from Russo’s Restaurant & Bar at Waldron Builders

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6 Saratoga Builders

THE2012 Showcase OF Homes

THE SARATOGA BUILDERS ASSOCIATION, INC.

About the Builder

24 Ashleigh Lane, Saratoga Springs Home features: 3 Bedrooms, 2 1/2 Bathrooms, 2,073 sq. ft.

The Adams III floor plan makes efficient use of every square foot of space. It includes a study off the spacious foyer, granite countertops, Kohler plumbing fixtures, stained hardwood floors, gas fireplace, Pella windows, crown molding, and a vaulted ceiling in the master bedroom suite.

Interesting features: • Master bedroom suite • Open stairways to the upper and lower levels • Each bedroom has a walk-in closet • Private study with closet

FIRST FLOOR

Energy Efficiencies, Green Technology: • 40 percent reduction in energy costs achieved through building to the latest energy star specifications for a 5 Star Energy Star Rating.

• Energy Star Appliances

SECOND FLOOR

Saratoga Builders is a custom builder that is committed to providing the homeowner with award-winning quality in every aspect of each building project.

Saratoga Builders is committed to making the entire building project an enjoyable experience for the homeowner from beginning to end.

Saratoga Builders’ goal is to establish open lines of communication with the homeowner on every project. The principles of Saratoga Builders encourage direct communications with the homeowner and are hands-on with every building project. www.SaratogaBuilders.com (518) 587-2666

Realtor Information Janet Besheer Keller Williams (518) 871-9975 jbesheer@kw.com

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7

Bonacio Construction

THE2012 Showcase OF Homes

THE SARATOGA BUILDERS ASSOCIATION, INC.

About the Builder

3 Bliven Way, Apt. 101, Saratoga Springs FLOOR PLANS

Apartm ent Comple x!

Home features: 2 Bedrooms, 2 Bathrooms, 1,150 sq. ft.

This contemporary-style home of The Springs balances spacious with cozy. Abundant workspace in the kitchen is accented with stunning granite countertops and backsplash, stainless steel appliances, maple cabinetry with roll-outs, and TV hook-up. The open floor plan lends perfect space for either family dining or entertaining! Bedrooms at The Springs have easy-care carpeting and custom closets. Tub-showers and granite vanity countertops complete the bathrooms.

Additional features such as custom organizer closets, a fullsize washer and dryer, window treatments, a large attached garage with shelf and a private balcony make The Springs an extraordinary living experience.

Interesting features: • Stainless steel appliances, granite countertops and private balcony • Full size washer and dryer in every unit • Standard cable and WiFi included • Attached garage • On-site fitness room, daycare, barbershop, dry cleaners

As an award-winning builder of residential and commercial structures since 1988, Bonacio Construction meticulously masters all projects with precision and passion. Within every structure you’ll find the hallmarks of the Bonacio Approach: value, integrity and exquisite attention to detail. Embracing projects both modest and grand with a clear vision and expertise, Bonacio’s diverse talent includes their audio visual, plumbing, metal shop, and design teams.

The Springs, Bonacio Construction’s exciting new apartment community in Saratoga Springs, offers urban living in a park-like setting with a vibrant mix of commercial amenities on-site. Bonacio Construction brings a wealth of mixeduse experience to The Springs with an ideal location convenient to the Northway/I-87 and downtown Saratoga Springs. Each spacious one-, two-, and three- bedroom layout offers the character and the high-quality finishes synonymous with Bonacio Construction. www.springssaratoga.com www.Bonacio.com (518) 584-9007

Contact: Commerical Realtor - Julie Bonacio (518) 701-5080 Residential Management Company: Burns Management Site Manager - Nicole Blanchette (518) 587-4300 SaratogaTODAYNewspaper.com

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8 Witt Construction

THE2012 Showcase OF Homes

THE SARATOGA BUILDERS ASSOCIATION, INC.

About the Builder

61 Granite Street, Saratoga Springs

FIRST FLOOR

Home features: 2 Bedrooms, 2 1/2 Bathrooms, 3,380 sq. ft.

Located on a quiet side street is one of Witt Construction, Inc’s most desireable and sought-after neighborhoods: Park Alley. The home is designed for privacy on a city lot. This 3,380-sq.-ft. John-Witt-detailed home boasts two unique bedroom suites on the second floor including a master suite and a child’s suite. On the first floor, a European kitchen, semi-formal, dining room, den and living area create a perfect space for entertaining and relaxation.

Interesting features: • Beautiful screened porch overlooking a private in-town backyard • John Witt signature built-ins and window seat • European country kitchen • Salvaged pocket doors from Mexico separating the foyer form the great room • Generous storage from walk-in closets in bedroom suites • Mudroom and pantry with reclaimed pine countertops

SaratogaTODAYNewspaper.com

Witt Construction designs, builds and renovates homes that are fine in detail, striking in appearance, efficient in use, and enduring in value.

This national award-winning custom home design/build firm has been featured in many national publications. Building homes which are truly unique in their presence and home design; this one-of-a-kind custom company builds homes from $200,000 to $1,000,000 +.

For more information on new homes and renovations, please call 518.587.4113 or email WittConstructionSales@gmail.com www.WittConstruction.com

Sales Information SECOND FLOOR

Marci Robinson (518) 587-4113

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9 Bonacio Construction

THE2012 Showcase OF Homes

THE SARATOGA BUILDERS ASSOCIATION, INC.

About the Builder

55 Railroad Place, Suite 607, Saratoga Springs Home features: 2 Bedrooms, 2 Bathrooms, 1,595 sq. ft.

Apartm en Comple t x!

FLOOR PLAN

Enjoy high-end luxury apartment living right in the heart of downtown Saratoga Springs. Located just one block from Broadway, Market Center Apartments offers a variety of one-, two- and three- bedroom layouts with an open floor plan perfect for entertaining.

This is downtown living at its finest!

Interesting features: • Stainless steel appliances, granite countertops and private balcony • Full size washer and dryer in every unit • Attached parking • On-site fitness room, grocery store, coffee shop and dry cleaners

As an award-winning builder of residential and commercial structures since 1988, Bonacio Construction meticulously masters all projects with precision and passion. Within every structure you’ll find the hallmarks of the Bonacio Approach: value, integrity and exquisite attention to detail. Embracing projects both modest and grand with a clear vision and expertise, Bonacio’s diverse talent includes their audio visual, plumbing, metal shop, and design teams.

Market Center Apartments are located in the heart of downtown Saratoga Springs at Railroad Place. This state-ofthe-art living, offers a variety of one-, two- and three- bedroom layouts with an open floor plan perfect for entertaining with the conveniences, character and high-quality finishes that are synonymous with Bonacio construction. Thrive in the mecca of downtown Saratoga Springs.

With on-site commercial amenities and a plethora of shops and restaurants just one block from Broadway, make Market Center Apartments your new home. www.marketcentersaratoga.com

Contact: Commerical Realtor - Julie Bonacio (518) 701-5080 Residential Property Manager - Shanlee Reed (518) 290-7006

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10 Bette & Cring

THE2012 Showcase OF Homes

THE SARATOGA BUILDERS ASSOCIATION, INC.

About the Builder

38 High Rock Avenue, Residence 4F, Saratoga Springs Home features: 2 Bedrooms, 2 1/2 Bathrooms, 2,419 sq. ft.

High Rock Condominium is located in the heart of Saratoga Springs, a vibrant community known for its world-class horse racing, charming shops, award-winning restaurants and numerous cultural and arts venues such as the Saratoga Performing Arts Center. High Rock Condominium offers an opportunity like no other - resort style luxury condominium living in Saratoga Springs. Amenities include a private residents club and landscaped rooftop sky deck with an open-air fire pit, gas grills and pergolas. Residents also have access to the adjacent Hampton Inn Fitness Center FLOOR PLANS and Aquatic Facility.

Interesting features: • Elegant spa like bathrooms in the dual master suites • Landscaped 800-sq.-ft. terrace • Custom millwork in gathering room, foyer and gallery • Purchase price includes 10 x 10 private storage unit

SaratogaTODAYNewspaper.com

High Rock Condominium is the result of an innovative partnership between Bette & Cring, LLC, one of the nation’s largest multi-family home builders and Turf Hotels, the developer and operator of several premier hotels throughout the SaratogaCapital Region.

Bette & Cring, part of the Bette Family of Companies, is the 22nd largest multi-family builder in the nation, completing well over 1,000 units annually. As one of the largest general contractors in New York State and 213th in the nation, the Bettes have earned an enviable reputation for their commitment to quality, integrity and value. www.BetteCring.com 1-888-384-4762

Realtor Information Kim Harbour The Scott Varley Group/ Realty USA 28 Division Street, Saratoga Springs 1-888-384-4762 info@38Highrock.com

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11 Terrace Homebuilders

48 Nelson Avenue Ext., Saratoga Springs Home features: 4 Bedrooms, 3 1/2 Bathrooms, 3,700 sq. ft.

Scot Trifilo has created a modern version of the iconic white farmhouse and barn set on a beautiful country homesite yet only a stone’s throw from all of the very best that Saratoga Springs has to offer.

This home is loaded with modern amenities. An open floor plan consists of a living room with a Rumford fireplace and pizza oven imported from Italy, a gourmet kitchen with hand-built cabinetry featuring island and built-in banquette seating, and the dining room with its magnificent view of the great outdoors. The breezeway that leads to the garage and private second floor theater/game room is home to a mudroom, laundry room and half bath.

There are two bedroom suites, one on the first and one on the second floor. Each has an opulent bath with custom shower and tub, and ample closet space. Two additional bedrooms with a shared bath round out the second floor. Come see what country living in the city is all about.

FIRST FLOOR

SECOND FLOOR

THE2012 Showcase OF Homes

THE SARATOGA BUILDERS ASSOCIATION, INC.

About the Builder A Capital Region native and Siena College graduate, Scot Trifilo founded Terrace Homebuilders in 1987.

Since then he has been dedicated to building superior homes with simple timeless principles and a meticulous attention to detail.

Custom homebuilding is about partnership and attentive communication. We provide unparalleled personal service and sustained satisfaction. We want our clients to have a pleasurable and satisfying experience while we offer superb quality with excellent value. We offer individualized attention to every client.

Homesites are available from the Capital District to the Lake George region, or let us build your dream home on your own private homesite. Please call Scot Trifilo direct at (518) 857-9000

Interesting features: • Home Safe Home features: • Built-in security alarm system • Built-in video monitoring with smartphone app • The Home Fireman, a built-in residential fire extinguishing system • Living room library with original Putnam rolling ladder • Reading nook nestled in the breezeway leading to the first floor master suite • Operable interior door transoms • Concrete countertops • Built-in sound system • Rustic white oak and natural stone • Separate barn SaratogaTODAYNewspaper.com

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12 Bella Home

Builders Inc.

THE2012 Showcase OF Homes

THE SARATOGA BUILDERS ASSOCIATION, INC.

About the Builder

6 Sophia-Marie Lane, Malta Home features: 4 Bedrooms, 4 1/2 Bathrooms, 3,680 sq. ft.

This French country inspired custom home is truly one-of-a-kind! The exterior is finished with authentic stone, and reclaimed 200-year-old brick. Finished with cedar shakes and cedar trim. Custom timbers, tongue-and-groove ceiling porch, along with a custom designed solid mahogany front door. While inside, the custom gourmet kitchen, custom built-ins and a spectacular 24-foot-solid stone fireplace are the focal points of this home, that has entertaining and relaxation in mind! The master retreat has an incredible cathedral ceiling with reclaimed beams. A romantic, custom designed wrought iron Juliet balcony overlooks the lush landscaped backyard and pool. This house uses all the latest state-of-the-art technologies from spray foam to a “Savant System.” The entire house is controlled by Apple-based control system. It has seven subsystems that control audio, video, lighting, CCTV, pool controls, security and HVAC. This is all done by one iPad! This year’s special children’s room has a custom made children’s bed and desk from a genuine 1947 mahogany boat (constructed by Bella)! This home truly has it all!

Interesting features: • Children’s bed made from a genuine 1947 Trojan mahogany boat • Savant control system, Apple IPad • Touch sensitive cabinets (open and close by themselves)

FIRST FLOOR

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• • • •

200-year-old reclaimed brick Client designed wrought iron Juliet balcony Exposed steel cable collar ties Custom made 3 ¾ inch solid cedar garage overhead doors

SECOND FLOOR

Bella Home Builders Inc, is a premier, award-winning company. We create architecturally grand and luxurious homes that blend imagination, excitement, privacy and warm comfortable environments. These homes are unique to each client. Our homes are known for their rich interior woodwork, iron treatments, reclaimed material and dramatic ceilings.They are also renowned for their grand staircases, elegant fireplaces, pools and lush landscaping. We pride ourselves on our vision and ability to design homes that are spectacular in and out.

Bella Home Builders’ basic approach is to offer superior craftsmanship at an exceptional value. We choose not to be a high-volume company. We build a house as perfect as we can at a competitive price. Our values have been instilled "to do what's right, be honest and fair."

Our clients happiness is our focus. We keep our promises! www.BellaHomeBuildersInc.com (518) 312-8874

Realtor Information Gerry Magoolahan Falvey Real Estate Group 427 New Karner Rd. Albany, NY 12205 (518) 788-8220 gammasm@aol.com

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13 Blitman Development Corp.

THE2012 Showcase OF Homes

THE SARATOGA BUILDERS ASSOCIATION, INC.

About the Builder

1 Callaghan Boulevard, Malta Home features: 3 Bedrooms, 2 1/2 Bathrooms,1,984 sq. ft.

We are happy to introduce one of our newest models to our portfolio of homes, the Evergreen at St. Ledger’s Woods. The home offers an eat-in kitchen, great room, and a flex room that can be used for a spare bedroom or office. The second floor owner’s suite features a large corner soaking tub and separate shower area. The two vanities are split on either side of the bathroom offering some privacy to his and hers sink area. There are two other bedrooms upstairs with the master suite totaling in 3 bedrooms and 2.5 baths plus an office/spare bedroom. The total square footage of the first and second floor is just over 1,950 square feet.

Interesting features: • Open floor plan • Large kitchen with breakfast bar seating

FIRST FLOOR

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• Front and rear covered porches • Spacious master suite • Egress window and 9-ft. basement for future finish

SECOND FLOOR

Blitman Development Corp. has been building high quality homes for over a quarter of a century throughout New York State, and takes pride in making these outstanding homes. Over the years we’ve designed and built over 1,000 homes, all with the attention to detail that has helped establish Blitman Development Corp. as one of New York State’s leading home builders.

The founder and still active leader of Blitman Development Corp. is Howard N. Blitman, an award-winning professional engineer who recently held the esteemed position of President of the National Society of Professional Engineers. Mr. Blitman is a graduate of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and currently serves as a trustee of RPI. The other members of the Group are Ronald York, Cosmo Marfione and Gary Peresiper.They bring complementary skills, a wealth of experience and powerful organizational strength across all aspects of home building. www.StLedgersWoods.com (518) 226-0021 Michele Massaroni Realty USA 1547 Route 9, Clifton Park (518) 937-8047 mmassaroni@hv-cs.com

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2012 Showcase Directions 1. Capital District Properties, LLC The Paddocks of Saratoga, 4 Paddocks Place, Unit #8, Saratoga Springs, 12866 (Rental Apartment Complex) From I-87 to exit 15, east on Route 50, left on Old Gick Road, left on Kempton Place into the Paddocks of Saratoga.

2. Cerrone Builders, Inc. Mountain View Estates, 5 Abbey Lane, Moreau 12831 From I-87 to exit 17S to Old Saratoga Road, go 1 mile and take a right on Abbey Lane.

3. Witt Construction, Inc. Rivercrest Estates, 13 Rivercrest Road, Moreau 12831 From I-87 to exit 17N, merge onto Saratoga Road (US-9N) toward South Glens Falls, travel .9 miles and take left on Fawn Road, take first Left on Spier Falls Road (CR-24), follow straight onto Potter Road, continue straight 1.4 miles to Rivercrest Road, 13 Rivercrest Road is on the right.

4. Waldron Builders, Inc. Ridge View Estates, 21 Ridge View Road, Wilton 12831 From I-87 to exit 16, east on Ballard Rd., right on North Rd. for 1.4 miles, left on Wilton-Gansevoort Rd., go approx ½ mile to a right on Stone Ridge Rd.(one way - entrance only), left on Ridge View Rd., 21 Ridge View is on the corner.

5. SAS Builders, LLC 182 Louden Road, Wilton 12866 (Renovated Home) From I-87, take exit 15 to Rt. 50 toward Wilton/Gansevoort, right onto Weibel Ave., left onto Louden Rd., go 3.5 miles and 182 Louden is on the right.

6. Saratoga Builders, LLC Schuyler Pointe, 24 Ashleigh Lane, Saratoga 12866 From I-87 north or south to Exit 14, left on Rt. 9P South. Take first left onto Gilbert, drive to the end and turn right onto Rt. 29 East. Go 5 miles and take a left onto Louden. Drive 1/2 mile, take 2nd left onto Ashleigh.

7. Bonacio Construction, Inc. The Springs, 3 Bliven Way, Suite 101, Saratoga Springs 12866 (Rental Apartment Complex) From I-87, take exit 15 to Rt. 50 North, take right onto Weibel Avenue. The Springs will be ½ mile on the left. From downtown Saratoga Springs, Lake Avenue/Route 29 East, approximately 2 miles from Broadway, to left onto Weibel Avenue.

The Springs will be ¾ mile on the right.

8. Witt Construction, Inc. Park Alley, 61 Granite Street, Saratoga Springs 12866.

From I-87, take exit 15, South on Route 50 (towards City Center). Continue on Route 50 and turn right at 4th traffic light on to Greenfield Avenue, Go four blocks on Greenfield, Granite Street is on the left.

9. Bonacio Construction, Inc. Market Center, 55 Railroad Place, Unit 607, Saratoga Springs 12866 (Rental Apartment Complex) From I-87, take exit 13N to Rt. 9N (Broadway). Take left onto Division Street, go one block to corner of Division Street and Railroad Place. Market Center is on the right.

10. Bette & Cring 38 High Rock Condos, 38 High Rock Ave., Unit 4F, Saratoga Springs 12866 From I-87, take exit 15 to Rt. 50 South, left onto Veterans Way, right onto Excelsior Ave and a slight left onto High Rock Ave., approx. ½ mile to High Rock.

11. Terrace Homebuilders 48 Nelson Avenue Ext., Saratoga Springs 12866 From I-87, take exit 13N to Route 9, go 1 mile north, take a right onto Kaydeross Avenue at PJ’s BBQ, go 1.3 miles to home on right. From exit 14 toward Saratoga Springs on Union Avenue, left on Nelson Avenue, go 1.8 miles to home on left.

12. Bella Home Builders, Inc. Angelina Estates, 6 Sophia Marie Lane, Malta 12020 From I-87, take exit 13S onto Route 9. At first traffic light, take a left onto Malta Ave. Ext. Go 2 miles, bear left at Saratoga Lake. Stay left up hill, left onto Sophia Maria Lane.

13. Blitman Development Corp. St. Ledger’s Woods, 1 Callaghan Blvd., Malta 12020 From I-87, take exit 13S to Route 9 South, go straight through the light, go 1.4 miles and take a left onto Callaghan Blvd.

14. Belmonte Builders, LLC Harvest Bend, 21 Hidden Farm Lane, Halfmoon 12065 From I-87, take exit 9E, north on Route 9, right on Farm to Market Road, right on Smith Road to right on Hidden Farm Lane.

15. John A. Paige Jr. Contracting, Inc. Adams Pointe, 1 Julia Circle, Halfmoon 12118 From I-87, take exit 10, east on Ushers Rd., bear right on Tabor Rd., Tabor turns into Johnson Rd., right on Julia Circle.

16. Camelot Associates Corporation Revolutionary Heights, 44 Gurba Drive, Stillwater 12170 From I-87, take exit 9E, go East on Rt. 146, left on Rt. 4/32N, left on Burns Bridge Rd., continue on Gurba Drive South to Gurba Drive.

17. Heritage Custom Builders, LLC Timber Creek Preserve, 34 Sycamore Street, Ballston Spa 12019 From I-87, take exit 11, West on Round Lake Road for 1.2 miles, left into Timber Creek Preserve, right at first stop sign onto Sycamore Street, house is ¼ mile on the right.

18. RJ Taylor Builders, Inc. Springwood Meadows, 3 Springwood Meadows Drive, Suite #1, Ballston Spa 12020 *Springwood Meadows is just north of GPS address 1448 Saratoga Rd., Ballston Spa 12020 (Rental Apartment Complex) From I-87, take exit 12, West on Rt. 67 to Ballston Spa. Go 2 ½ miles, left on Brookline Rd. Take Right on Rt. 50N, go ½ mile and take a right on Springwood Meadows Drive.

19. Witt Construction, Inc. 129 Sand Hill Road, Greenfield 12833 (Renovated Home) From I-87, take exit 15, go south on Rt. 9/50 South toward Saratoga Springs, bear right onto Van Dam which becomes Church Street/Rt. 9N. Continue past Saratoga Hospital and Stewart’s plant on right. Take a left onto Middlegrove Road, right on Sand Hill Road to #129.

Saratoga Builders Association, Inc. • P.O. Box 1063, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866 Tel. (518) 366-0946 • www.saratogabuilders.org

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14 Belmonte Builders

THE2012 Showcase OF Homes

THE SARATOGA BUILDERS ASSOCIATION, INC.

About the Builder

21 Hidden Farm Lane, Halfmoon Home features: 4 Bedrooms, 3 1/2 Bathrooms, 2,917 sq. ft.

This architectural treasure features a covered wraparound front porch, carriage-style overhead garage door and a partial cultured stone facade. With spacious and well proportioned rooms, the sense of comfort and charm are reflected in every detail. A fireplace warms the great room which features a vaulted ceiling and abundant natural light from the surrounding windows and transoms. The inviting and open kitchen offers generous seating for entertaining with an adjacent sunroom perfect for enjoying a relaxing cup of coffee. The second floor master suite features a tray ceiling in the bedroom and, in the bath, a large custom shower with separate his and hers vanities. Two additional full baths add to the functionality of this four-bedroom home. The second floor features a tech niche, perfect for doing schoolwork, listening to music or playing online games. The laundry room also boasts a convenient second-floor location as well.

Descend to the partially finished basement via the open staircase located off the Foyer hallway and enjoy the garden-level windows that complete this design.

FIRST FLOOR

Founded in 1977, Belmonte is one of the largest custom home builders in the area. Our mission is to identify the individual needs and lifestyle of our customer and build a “Home As Individual As You Are”.

Come visit a Belmonte home to see the flow of the floor plan, the quality of the fixtures, the integrity of construction, and the loving attention to detail. These qualities are the building blocks which our success stands on today. www.BelmonteBuilders.com (518) 371-1000

Realtor Information Sharon Byrne Realty USA 1547 Rt. 9, Clifton Park (518) 527-4914 sharon@belmontebuilders.com

SECOND FLOOR

Interesting features: • Inviting open staircase leading to partial finished garden Level basement with large egress windows.

• Functional tech niche at second floor landing • Private master entry vestibule with art niche • Craftsman themed exterior with cultured stone accents SaratogaTODAYNewspaper.com

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15 John A. Paige Contracting Inc.

THE2012 Showcase OF Homes

THE SARATOGA BUILDERS ASSOCIATION, INC.

About the Builder

1 Julia Circle, Halfmoon

John A. Paige Jr. Contracting Inc. was established in 1978. John A. Paige Jr. is the original founder. The company has been building primarily in Rensselaer County. They have built out several small neighborhoods ranging in size from a six-lot cul de sac up to a 30-lot neighborhood and several in between in size. The company is excited to be offering their first site in Saratoga County!

Home features: 3 Bedrooms, 2 1/2 Bathrooms, 2,110 sq. ft.

“The Jessica” is a brand-new floor plan with over 2,100-sq.-ft features a bright open foyer, a must-have first-floor master suite and first floor office with oak book shelves. You can enjoy the elegant dining room with tray ceiling, entertain in the great room and cook in the wonderful kitchen with cherry cabinets and granite tops and your guests will love the two other bedrooms and spacious loft to relax in on the second floor. This was built with a sideload garage, full basement and two car garage and is beautifully landscaped.

Interesting features: • Beautiful first floor master suite • Large loft with mountain views

• Two story great room with gas fireplace • Front porch and covered rear patio

FIRST FLOOR

SECOND FLOOR

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Realtor Information Pam Nunziato Nunziato & Paige Realty Inc. P.O. Box 232, East Schodack (518) 477-5288 pamela232@aol.com

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16 Camelot Associates

THE2012 Showcase OF Homes

THE SARATOGA BUILDERS ASSOCIATION, INC.

About the Builder

44 Gurba Drive, Stillwater Home features: 3 Bedrooms, 2 Bathrooms, 2,000 sq. ft.

Enjoy the convenience of first-floor living in this fabulous ranch. The Yorktown model has it all and is Energy Star Certified! This house offers a large open floor plan which is great for entertaining, a spacious master suite with a walk in closet & an attached office. Other features include a welcoming breakfast nook, hardwood floors and Time Warner security system. We can’t forget the massive basement with 9’ ceilings; this allows for lots of additional space for a game room, theater room or just plenty of storage. You will love this neighborhood too, beautiful scenery and close to everything!

Interesting Features • Cathedral ceilings in family room & master bedroom • 9-ft. Ceilings in basement and first floor • Custom kitchen with granite countertops and island bar • Timber-Tech covered deck

FLOOR PLAN

SaratogaTODAYNewspaper.com

Camelot Associates Corporation has been an award winning builder in the upstate New York area for over 45 years. As our company has evolved we never lost sight in what was important to us, building a quality home and valuing the relationships we make with our customers.

We attribute our long history of success with putting customer satisfaction first and to staying on top of the industries trends. It's often been said, "There's no place like home," and at Camelot, it's our mission to bring you there.

Realtor Information Scott Varley Teri Kraszewski Realty USA 28 Division Street, Saratoga Springs (518) 583-7268

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17 Heritage Custom Builders

THE2012 Showcase OF Homes

THE SARATOGA BUILDERS ASSOCIATION, INC.

About the Builder

34 Sycamore Street, Ballston Lake Home features: 4 Bedrooms, 2 1/2 Bathrooms, 2,071 sq. ft.

Absolutely gorgeous are the words that describe this two-story colonial house. The brilliant two-story foyer opens to the stylish formal dining room and a magnificent living room. The family room is enormous with a beautiful fireplace and is open to the generous kitchen and breakfast nook for plenty of eating space.

Upstairs you’ll enjoy three bedrooms and the laundry room.The master bedroom has private bath, oversized walk-in closet and sitting area. A two-car garage gives you plenty of room for your vehicles.

Interesting features: • 2,071-sq.-ft. (first-floor 1,006 and second floor 1,065) • Custom Colonial • Ledgestone exterior, white siding with black shutters • 10,000-sq.-ft. lot

FIRST FLOOR

• • • • • • •

Second-floor-laundry Garden-view basement Security system 12’x12’ deck off slider in breakfast area High-efficiency central air High-efficiency gas hot air furnace High-efficiency gas fired 75 gallon hot water tank

SECOND FLOOR

In the early 1950s, Arthur J. Brooks began a business relationship by remolding and restoring homes. Along with his wife, Laurie, and daughter, Deborah, a truly family-based, quality-oriented building company was started. Through the 50s, 60s and 70s, the Brooks family created a number of subdivisions featuring exceptional custom-built residences in Schenectady, New York.

Geoffrey C. Brooks continues his grandfather's tradition of building custom homes in the Capital District. Heritage Custom Builders, LLC has been built upon a tradition of quality, a dedication to excellence an commitment to fine detail.

Our mission is to design and build you a truly custom home, with the best quality possible within your price range, built either on your lot or ours. Our experience is that the process itself can be enjoyable.

The unique nature of each of our homes comes from the high level of interaction we maintain with you during all phases of design and construction. www.BrooksHeritage.com (518) 348-0931

Realtor Information Deborah Brooks Realty USA 1547 Route 9, Clifton Park (518) 857-3137

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18 RJ Taylor Builders

THE2012 Showcase OF Homes

THE SARATOGA BUILDERS ASSOCIATION, INC.

About the Builder

Building #3, Suite #1, Springwood Meadows Drive, Ballston Spa FLOOR PLANS Home features: 3 Bedrooms, 2 1/2 Bathrooms, 1,825 sq. ft.

Make these two- and three- bedroom rentals your home with 2 ½ baths, private entrances, attached garages, washer and dryer in each unit, fully equipped gourmet kitchen, stainless appliances, cable and Internet, abundant closet space, spacious rooms, tile and wood style floors, gas fireplaces, gas heat and central air, five inspired floorplans, some include master bedroom on first floor, pet-friendly with restrictions, smoking restrictions, all amenities, features, size, layout, prices, are subject to change.

Apartm e nt Comple x!

Our company philosophy is based on very traditional family values including honesty, integrity and character . We provide quality workmanship with highly skilled craftsman, using topquality materials from many local companies we’ve built relationships with we can trust. We value our longstanding client relationships built upon respect, sincerity, trust and satisfaction.

We are here to help you design and build the home of your dreams.

Our building process integrates inhouse design, detailed budgets and accurate timetables all while bringing your dreams to reality. We have continuous open communication with our clients throughout the entire building process. We are committed to providing a comprehensive, seamless package with extensive experience, combined with award-winning talent. www.SpringWoodMeadows.com (518) 885-6729

Interesting features: • All units are town home style with a first and second floor • Rates are competitively priced compared to the county average for price per square foot • On a dedicated bus route with its own stop

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19 Witt Construction

THE2012 Showcase OF Homes

THE SARATOGA BUILDERS ASSOCIATION, INC.

About the Builder Renova ted Home!

129 Sandhill Road, Greenfield Home features: 4 Bedrooms, 2 1/2 Bathrooms This 1970s contemporary house has been converted by John Witt and team into a country farmhouse.

The renovation included a first floor master suite addition and a third car garage addition. The overall floor plan has been widened and opened up. Some custom signature details include a unique staircase, reclaimed beams and the addition of a window seat off the kitchen.

Interesting features • Home office niche off the kitchen • White oak wide plank floors • Stone fireplace in the family room • Vaulted ceilings with reclaimed wood beams in the master suite • Re-faced dining room fireplace

SaratogaTODAYNewspaper.com

FLOOR PLAN

Witt Construction designs, builds and renovates homes that are fine in detail, striking in appearance, efficient in use, and enduring in value.

This national award-winning custom home design/build firm has been featured in many national publications. Building homes which are truly unique in their presence and home design; this one-of-a-kind custom company builds homes from $200,000 to $1,000,000 +.

For more information on new homes and renovations please call 518.587.4113 or email WittConstructionSales@gmail.com www.WittConstruction.com

Sales Information Marci Robinson (518) 587-4113

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SUBCONTRACTORS & SUPPLIERS

BELLA HOME BUILDERS, INC. A.W. Hamel Stairs Advanced Power Systems All Phase Drywall Andersen Windows Concord Pools & Spas Core Control Systems Curtis Lumber Drumm’s Turf Service Falvey Real Estate Group Floormaster Carpet One J.B. Asphalt Paving Marcella Appliances Neubauer Carriage Doors Precision Glass Randall Perry Photography Saratoga Masonry Saratoga National Bank Security Plumbing & Heating Supply Zarrillo’s Custom Design Kitchens BELMONTE BUILDERS 84 Lumber ABC Supply Albany Mechanical Services A.W. Hamel Stairs Baker Electric Best Fire BLD Contracting Bonded Concrete Brower Electric Capital Plumbing Crawford Door & Window Curtis Lumber Earl B. Feiden Floor Source Granite & Marble Works Lil Overhead Door Norm Carlson “The Tile Man” Precision Glass Town & Country Painting VP Supply BETTE & CRING Albany Tile Carpet & Rug California Closets CR Gas Logs Earl B. Feiden

72 | Simply Saratoga

Granite & Marble Works Hippos Hudson Valley Tile James Trackey Painting KBC Design LS Petraccione & Sons Metropolitan Glass Company RJ Graves Construction Solid Surface Craftsman State Electrical Construction The Plant Doctor

Stackewicz Inc. Stanley Convergent Security Solutions Stone Bridge Iron & Steel Sunshower Services The LA Group Tommell & Associates Tri Point Stone Waste Management Weatherguard Wolberg Electrical Supply Co.

BONACIO CONSTRUCTION MARKET CENTER APARTMENTS

BONACIO CONSTRUCTION – THE SPRINGS

Adirondack Sign Company Admar Supply Company Inc. Afsco Fence Supply Co. Inc. AJS Masonry Allerdice Building Supply, Inc. Alltek Energy Systems, Inc. Anderson Equipment Company B & B Plumbing, Inc. BBL Construction Services, LLC BR Johnson, Inc. Britton Drilling & Blasting Brookside Nursery Cellu – Spray II Central New York Electrical Contractors Commercial Paving Construction Creative Material, Inc. Debrino Caulking Associates, Inc. Earl B. Feiden, Inc. European Stucco Hayes Paving Heavenly Closets Hudson Valley Design Jeremy R. Mathaias Little Falls Concrete Forming MCD Mechanical, Inc. Northeastern Commercial Interiors Northwoods Concrete, Inc. Oldcastle Precast, Inc. Parker & Hammond Construction Q.C. Concrete Quality Painters & Decorators, Inc. Robin Fusco – Interior Designer ARHAUS Blinds, Shades & More Schindler Elevator Corporation Sherman Tile Associates SRI Fire Sprinkler

Albany Mechanical Services Allerdice Building Supply Allerdice Glass and Mirror B & B Plumbing Balzer Tuck Architecture Budget Blinds of Saratoga C & S Siding Cellu Spray Central NY Electrical Co. Creative Material Corp.

CT Male Associates Drywall Center Inc. Earl B. Feiden Inc. Erie Materials Fastenal Company Galusha & Sons LLC Gypsy Hill Stone, Inc. Heavenly Closets Kivort Steel McKenzie Drywall North East Spray Foam North Woods Concrete Northeast Underlayments LLC NOSO Development LLC Overhead Door Co. of Albany Palette Stone Peak Environmental Concepts Pinnacle Roofing Precision Glass & Aluminum Q.C. Concrete Quality Painters & Decorators Raymore & Flanigan Furniture Saratoga Signature Schuyler Pond Security Supply Corp.

Sherman Tile Associates Sherwin Williams Snyder’s Drywall Inc.

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SRI Fire Sprinkler Suburban Propane The LA Group Tommell Associates Torell’s Carpetland TPL Flooring Inc. Tri-Point Stone Valente Builders BLITMAN DEVELOPMENT CORP. Bellevue Builders Supply Curtis Lumber Erie Materials Security Supply TPL Flooring Precision Glass & Aluminum Adirondack Overhead Door GE Appliances LIS Custom Designs Granite Tops Blooming Grove Stair Co. CAMELOT ASSOCIATES Adirondack Overhead Doors Alside Supply Center Appolo Heating Inc. Best Tile Distributor’s Inc. Bollman Landscaping Management Capital District Stairs Clifton Park Glass & Mirror CR Gas Logs & Fireplace David-Louis Floor Covering Corp.

Erie Materials, Inc. Innovations by V.P. Marcella’s Appliances NBS Electrical Contracting, Inc. Park Building Supply, Inc. Paul Perry Kitchens, LLC PJ Baker Electrical Contracting Solid Surface Craftsman Inc. Summer Rain Lawn Irrigation Trustco Bank CAPITAL DISTRICT PROPERTIES – Paddocks Phase III Bellevue Builders Supply CR Drywall, Inc. Demco New York Corp.

SaratogaTODAYNewspaper.com

Galusha & Sons, LLC Louis Petraccione & Sons, Inc. Rankin Construction National Builders RBM Guardian Fire Protection, Inc. RJ Graves Construction, Inc. TPL Flooring, Inc. CERRONE BUILDERS Adirondack Overhead Door Adirondack Precision Cut Stone Alsides Askco Best Kitchens Curtis Lumber Drywall Center Floormaster Jointa Galusha HERITAGE CUSTOM BUILDERS, LLC Alside Supply Armstrong Cabinet Products Bellevue Bilders Supply Builder Insulation Closet Crafters Curtis Lumber John D. Marcella Schenectady Floor Covering Security Supply

SARATOGA BUILDERS ABC Supply Co. Inc. Adirondack Trust Bank Appolo Heating, Inc. Best Fire, Hearth & Patio Best Tile Builders Kitchen Capital District Supplies Crawford Doors & Windows Curtis Lumber Dream House Furniture Dwyer Electric Earl B. Feiden Granite and Marble Works Greenough Paving GSL Landscaping & Nursery, LLC Hart Alarm System Louis J. Bronson Overhead Doors of Glens Falls PJ Baker Electrical Contractor, Inc. Precision Glass Rainbow Sprinklers & Lawn Care Sherwin Williams Paint

JOHN A. PAIGE JR. CONTRACTING, INC. ABC Supply Co. Inc. Bellevue Builders Supply Bonded Concrete Inc. Builders Kitchen Inc. Capital District Stairs Inc. Carpet Master of Latham LTD CR Drywall Inc. Curtis Lumber Dreamscapes Architect Gilbert VanGuilder, Landsurveyor Kulaks Nursery & Landscaping Overhead Door Co. of Albany Precision Glass & Aluminum Inc. Rainbow Sprinklers & Lawncare Security Supply Corp.

Wolberg Electrical Supply Co. Inc.

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Tommell & Associates Winslow Brothers RJ TAYLOR 84 Lumber Alside Appolo Heating Best Tile / Capital Stone Capital Plumbing Supply Carpet Master Carpet One Curtis Lumber Earl B. Feiden Precision Glass & Mirror Security Supply Wolberg Electric Woodhaven Kitchens SAS BUILDERS Adirondack Natural Stone AFSCO Fence Supply Company Albany Tile, Carpet & Rug Allerdice Building Supply Best Tile Saratoga Springs Curtis Lumber Earl B. Feiden, Inc. Granite & Marble Works Precision Glass & Aluminum, Inc. Saratoga Fireplace & Stove Signature Cabinet Group VP Supply / Aird Dorrance Wolberg Electric TERRACE HOME BUILDERS A. W. Hamel Stairs Adams Heating & Cooling ADT Security Services Aerus Electrolux Centra Vac AJS Masonry Armstrong Plumbing Bellevue Builders Best Tile Capital Stone Crawford Pella Door & Window Curtis Lumber Custom Sheds & Gazebos DA Collins – Pallette Stone & Concrete Duke Concrete Products

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Glens Falls Overhead Doors John D. Marcella Appliances Middleton Electric New Dimensions Outdoor Services Northern Hardwoods Specialized Sheet Metal Works Superior Clay Corporation Town TV VP Supply W J Morris Excavating Zarillo’s Custom Design Kitchens WALDRON BUILDERS Adirondack Industries Adirondack Paving Bapp Trucking Big Johns Brennan Builders, Inc. Capital Improvements Capitol District Supply Co., Inc. Carl Concrete Concrete Technologies Countryside Overhead Doors Curtis Lumber Dyerworks Construction, LLC Earl B. Feiden Hill Electric Homecrest Kitchens Insulate & Accessorize Kamco Karan Hankinson Interiors Northern Hardwoods Pallette Stone Roohan Realty Rucinski Hall Architect Saratoga Drywall Saratoga Signature Interiors Titan Mechanical Contracting, Inc. Tommell & Associates Top tile of Latham Wilton Floor Covering Winchell’s Floor Covering Winslow Brothers Painting WITT CONSTRUCTION, INC. – 129 SANDHILL RD., GREENFIELD ABC Supply Co. Best Fire Hearth & Patio Beverly Tracy Home Design

Builder’s Installed Products, Inc. Crawford Door & Window Creative Stone Design, LLC Creekside Graphics Group Curtis Lumber DB Carpentry Dyerworks Construction, LLC JM Trackey custom Finishes MKC Kitchens & Bath Center Overhead Door Co., Inc. Pallette Stone Corp.

Frank Pratt Ross Concrete Security Supply Spire Restoration Steve Herman VP Supply Wells Quality Excavating Winklers Plumbing & Heating Witt Construction, Inc. WITT CONSTRUCTION – 31 RIVERCREST, MOREAU ABC Supply Co. Armstrong Cabinets Best Fire Hearth & Patio Best Tile Beverly Tracy Home Design Builder’s Installed Products, Inc. Capital Stone Crawford Door & Window Creative Stone Design, LLC Curtis Lumber Co., Inc. Dyerworks Construction, LLC. Floormaster Hayes Paving Jeff Arnold Concrete John D. Marcella Appliances Overhead Door Patricelli Electric PCE Plumbing & Heating Sherwin Williams Spire Restoration VP Supply Witt Constriction, Inc. Wolberg Electric WITT CONSTRUCTION -

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61 GRANITE ST. SARATOGA SPRINGS ABC Supply Company Ace Window Fashions AHR Industries, Inc. Beverly Tracy Home Design Capital Stone Chippewa Stone Closet Works Columbia Cabinet Works Creekside Graphics Group Curtis Lumber Co., Inc. Dyerworks Construction, LLC. Erie Materials Floormaster Hayes Paving James Trackey Painting Jeff Arnold Inc.

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John D. Marcella Appliances Matt’s Landscape Overhead Door Pallette Stone Corp.

Ross Concrete Saratoga Fireplace Sherwin Williams Steve Herman Survey Associates Tile Pro Tom Patricelli Town Tv Audio VP Supply Winchell’s Floor Coverings WJ Morris Excavating, Inc. Whitbeck Contracting Witt Construction, Inc.

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Find Your

Adirondack Style

Story by Andrew Marshall

Photo by Carl Heilman II SaratogaTODAYNewspaper.com

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Photo provided by www.ralphkylloe.com

T

he Adirondack Mountains are a source of great local inspiration. Most people take for granted the stunning horizon lines and vistas until they relocate to a much more level terrain. The mountains themselves offer the kind of secluded inspiration forever sought by concentrating artists; whether they’re painters, writers, sculptors or even craftsmans.

Perhaps you’re familiar with the idea of an “Adirondack room.” The idea being that it is a room in a particular person’s home decorated with the type of furniture you’d expect to see in a lakeside cabin or inside someone’s camp. Instead of clean lines and fine sanding, these pieces of furniture use the natural beauty of the wood, stylized to appear decades old when still brand-new. Some pieces go as far as to include the bark from the tree itself. What makes rustic-style furniture so unique to this area is our proximity to the Adirondack Mountains, from where artists draw both materials and inspiration. The combination of style and inspiration lead to what’s referred to as “Adirondack style.”

The definition of Adirondack style isn’t simply derived from any particular material or process.

Michelle Kylloe and her husband, Ralph, have been collecting, commissioning and displaying rustic-style furniture for over 25 years, and even they seem to leave the phrase open for interpretation.

“I would say Adirondack furniture is furniture that was originally designed and crafted out of necessity,” 80 | Simply Saratoga

said Michelle Kylloe of Ralph Kylloe Rustic Designs.

“There may be a few other styles and pieces of furniture made from indigenous woods like yellow birch that might only be found around here. I think it’s really a branch of the overall ‘rustic’ style. You could call it rustic, Adirondack or country-style. It kind of all blends together, and they’re all correct.”

The kind of time and effort that a designer has to put into authentic rustic style furnishings is the type of craftsmanship that people will take notice of.

“Well, it’s not something where you can say to yourself: ‘I want to build a table with a big, giant root,’ because you might not be able to find the right materials for a while,” said Kylloe. “You kind of have to have a stash of materials that you work from that you’ve collected for years. Then you can start building and creating some of these more unusual pieces. You can’t buy the materials, or just go out in the woods one day and get it all. It just doesn’t work that way. Crafters spend years collecting and using their imaginations after that.”

Kylloe says she believes the influence of the Adirondack Great Camp compounds along Spitfire or Rainbow Lake offers the best explanation of what craftsman of rustic antiques were trying to do and why it seems as popular as ever.

“Whether it was hickory furniture that was sent by train from Indiana or whether it was something the caretakers at the Great Camps made on-site to accommodate what people needed in their homes,” explains Kylloe. “It gives a warm, back-to-nature feeling and people enjoy the craftsmanship and the look of the wood. It’s really pleasing and relaxing.”

The Kylloes have been dealing with rustic style furniture for decades, with Ralph’s interest being piqued

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after he moved east to pursue his degree in education.

He began collecting hickory furniture as a hobby, at a time when most people weren’t interested in the style very much. Clothing outlets such as Timberland and Ralph Lauren Polo would frequently purchase antiques from the Kylloes to use in their displays. As the amount of authentic pieces became harder to find, the demand for their product led them to have pieces built as they were ordered.

“Gradually, as the antique pieces started to get harder to find, we began commissioning people to build birch bark cabinets and tables as people were in need of those. It became a mix of old and new, which we still do.”

One of the craftsmen responsible for pieces collected and sold by the Kyllos is based right here in upstate New York, and he

offered a bit of insight as to what it takes to make this style of furniture.

“A simple coffee table with no drawers might take me a week,” said Dr. Morris Kopels of Glens Falls Rustic Studio. “I once designed one that had a diorama underneath a glass top that took me four months. There is no average time, really. It all depends on what the customer wants and how intricate the piece’s design is.”

As Dr. Kopels explained it, the inspiration for making rustic-style furniture often comes from an appreciation of nature.

“I love the outdoors, and one day I actually went to a rustic furniture show and I decided I’d like to try my hand at making these things. I spend a lot of time hiking in the woods and this was sort of a crossover hobby. While I’m out there I find many of the materials I use and gather

Photo Provided by www.mkrustics.com

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whatever I need. It’s a love of the outdoors and that style of construction.”

Chris Carte, owner and operator of The Wood Carte in Queensbury, NY, and Rutland, Vt., has been dealing in furniture for 30 years. According to him, rustic-style furniture is as popular as it’s ever been, no matter what they’re calling it.

“To us, if someone mentions they’re looking for ‘Adirondack-style’ furniture, we automatically switch gears to looking at rustic-style furniture,” said Carte. “Now the products you’d see with the bark still on it – that’s hickory wood. Some people call it ‘twig’ furniture, but we don’t really call it that because that description is kind of light. It’s more like log furniture.”

Adirondack-style furniture is more than just antiques made from roots, twigs or other kindling. One of the more popular materials for building rustic-style furniture is reclaimed barn wood. Many of the barn wood products have the saw markings from the original cut made during the barn’s raising.

“Genuine, reclaimed barn wood is a product we’ve been carrying for a few years now, but it’s interesting to customers because there’s a history behind it,” said Carte.

“They basically take barns down and take the lumber they can use to build beautiful products with it: tables, corner cabinets, china cabinets, bookcases, desks. It’s amazing

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what they do with it, and it really fits into that ‘Adirondack’ kind of theme because it’s rustic and it looks like it belongs in a woodsy, cabin kind of environment. Plus, it’s already distressed, so if something happens to the piece while it’s in the home, it’s not a big deal because the marks look like they belong there.”

Adirondack furniture doesn’t necessarily have to be part of an old barn, or still have the bark from the tree to be considered part of the style. Sometimes it’s just in how the finished product is treated following completion.

“Some of these craftsmen have really developed some specialized procedures for putting on the stains and the colors, like rubbing through the edges if someone wants a more worn, older look to the piece,” explains Carte. “They’ll apply a color, and then sand the color off the edges, and apply a different color stain to the exposed edges to give the wood a more worn effect.”

Whether you’re looking to outfit a specific room in your otherwise contemporary home with furniture and decorum that reminds you of a more serene environment, or deciding what your summer camp or cottage should look like, Adirondack-style gives you the look and feel of the great outdoors, wherever you might be.

For more information about Adirondack-style furniture or other rustic decorating ideas for your home, visit www.ralphkylloe.com, www.mkrustics.com or www.woodcarte.com.

§

Would you like your family recipe featured in Simply Saratoga? If so, please contact Chris Bushee at (518) 581-2480, Ext. 201 or email CBushee@saratogapublishing.com.

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Triple-Layer Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

by Michelle Saltzman

Serves 10 Ingredients: 2 cups sugar 1 1/2 cups vegetable oil 4 large eggs 2 cups all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons baking powder 2 teaspoons baking soda 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 3/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

3 cups finely grated peeled carrots (about 1 pound) 1/2 cup chopped pecans (about 1/2 ounce) 1/2 cup raisins Frosting: 4 cups powdered sugar 2 8-ounce packages cream cheese, room temperature 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature 4 teaspoons vanilla extract

Preparation: For cake: • Preheat oven to 325 F. Lightly grease three 9-inch-diameter cake pans with 1½ -inch-high sides. Line bottom of pans with wax paper. Lightly grease waxed paper.

• Using electric mixer, beat sugar and vegetable oil in bowl until combined. Add eggs 1 at a time. Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg into sugar and oil mixture. Stir in carrots, chopped pecans and raisins.

• Pour batter into prepared pans, dividing equally.

• Bake about 45 minutes until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. Turn out cakes onto racks and cool completely. (Can be made one day ahead of when you plan to serve. Wrap tightly in plastic and store at room temperature.)

For frosting: • Use electric mixer, beat all ingredients in medium bowl until smooth and creamy.

• Place one cake layer on platter.

• Spread with 3/4 cup frosting. Top with another cake layer. Spread with 3/4 cup frosting. Top with remaining cake layer. Using icing spatula, spread remaining frosting in decorative swirls over sides and top of cake. (Can be prepared 2 days ahead of when you plan to serve. Cover with cake dome and refrigerate.)

Enjoy! Serve cake cold or at room temperature.

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What better way to impress your friends and family than with an award-winning, triple layer carrot cake? As winner of the Best of Fair Cake award, Michelle Saltzman’s carrot cake is as scrumptious and impressive as it is easy for even the novice baker to tackle.

“You don’t need to be a master-baker for this recipe,” said Saltzman. “That’s one of the things I really like about it!”

Great for any get-together, the triple layer carrot cake is a must on Saltzman’s Thanksgiving Day table.

“I also make it in the spring time, and what I end up doing is baking it into two mini cakes. I freeze it without the frosting, and then I make up the frosting and I freeze that too. That way, I have two cakes – one I can enjoy right away with the family, and another I can take out later, defrost, and go from there.”

Photos by MarkBolles.com

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Pecan Encrusted Salmon

by Kathy DeVivo

Serves four Ingredients: 1 1/2 Lb. salmon fillet 1/8 cup melted butter 2 tbs. Dijon mustard 1 tbs. honey 1/4 cup fresh bread crumbs 3 tbs. chopped fresh parsley 6 oz. coarsely chopped pecans fresh orange sections

Preparation: • Preheat oven to 400 F. • Place salmon skin side down in oiled baking dish. Combine melted butter with mustard and honey. Brush over salmon. Mix bread crumbs, parsley, and pecans together. Pat onto salmon.

• Bake at 400 F for 15 - 18 minutes, or until flaky.

• Drizzle with freshly squeezed orange juice.

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Kathy DeVivo has always had a passion for cooking, something she decided to share with friends and family when she joined her gourmet cooking club. She’s experimented with many dishes at the club, but one favorite is her pecan encrusted salmon.

“I found the original recipe online, but I’ve tweaked it and added my own touches here and there,” said DeVivo.

Great for any occasion, the pecan encrusted salmon is light and full of flavor – and best of all, not too difficult to make.

“It’s become one of my favorites,” said DeVivo. “Simply delicious!”

Photos by MarkBolles.com

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Mama Marie’s Italian Sauce

by Marie Mack

Ingredients: 2 - 28 oz. cans of Roma Italian plum tomatoes 2 - 6 oz. cans of tomato paste 12 oz. water 6 cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped ¼ of a white onion, chopped 1 tsp. salt and 1 tsp. pepper (amounts can vary on your preference)

1 tsp. dry oregano ¾ cup Romano cheese, grated 5 fresh basil leaves (may be dry) 8 Italian sausages – 4 hot Italian, 4 sweet Italian 4 pork chops, with bone ¼ - ½ cup extra virgin olive oil

Preparation: • In a large 8-quart saucepan, empty two cans of tomato paste and 12 oz. of water. Stir until paste is smooth.

• Pour two 28 oz. cans of tomatoes to saucepan; mix with paste while crushing tomatoes with a potato masher, or hands.

• Place saucepan on stove and turn on low heat. Season with salt, pepper, and ½ cup of Romano cheese, and four basil leaves.

• In a large frying pan coated with olive oil, sauté onion, and garlic. Add salt, pepper, oregano, and cheese.

• Add one basil leaf. Sauté until mixture is golden brown. Add this seasoning mixture to pan of tomatoes.

• Place frying pan back on stove and coat bottom with olive oil. Cook sausage until almost done (sausage will continue to cook in the saucepan). Add sausage to saucepan.

• Next, brown pork chops in frying pan with olive oil. Cook pork chop on medium low for 8 – 10 minutes or until almost completely cooked (pork will continue to cook a little bit in saucepan). Season pork chops to liking (salt, pepper, red pepper, etc). Add pork to sauce.

• Cook everything in large saucepan on low/medium and simmer for 2 ½ hours uncovered.

Stir occasionally.

• After an hour, add remaining Romano cheese • When done cooking, season to your preferred taste.

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Marie Mack’s Italian red sauce recipe has been in the family for years.

“It was my grandmother’s, and then my mother’s and then my sister’s,” said Mack, whose sauce can be found on dishes at the Horseshoe Inn and Seven Horse Pub. “We always had it on Sunday afternoon dinners, and I continue to make it with my husband’s help, chopping the ingredients and the meat and squeezing the tomatoes.”

The sauce goes great with all kinds of pasta, said Mack, and can be tweaked here and there depending on your tastes.

“You can lighten the sauce by using a little extra water to make it over spaghetti and meatballs, or you can thicken it with a little extra tomato paste if you prefer,” she said.

Photos by MarkBolles.com

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Paprika Chicken

by Tess Meslar

Ingredients: 3 pounds cut-up chicken, washed and dried 2 large Spanish onions 1 large carrot (optional) 1 summer ripe tomato, cut-up ½ cup to 1 cup sour cream 3 tbs. olive oil 1 ½ to 2 tbs. of Hungarian paprika salt and pepper to taste

Preparation: Brown onions lightly in fat. Add paprika and chicken and fry lightly while stirring.

Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add tomato and carrot.

Partially cover and cook slowly for about 1 hour and 15 minutes.

Temper sour cream with hot gravy and stir. It will be for adding to the pot. Make sure pot is off the heat. Do not cover after adding sour cream or it will curdle.

Serve with noodles and red cabbage. Be generous with the gravy over the noodles.

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Tess Meslar learned how to make Paprika Chicken by watching her mother, who, in turn, learned how to make the traditional Hungarian dish from her mother.

“It goes back generations, all the way to my great-grandmother,” said Meslar.

The recipe has remained largely unchanged since the days of Meslar’s greatgrandmother, a warm and hearty dish that’s become a longstanding favorite for when the extended family comes to visit.

“They request that I make it when we all come together,” said Meslar, adding, “It’s something special when the whole family can get together around the dinner table.”

Great with a touch of red cabbage over the top and freshly made bread to soak up the gravy, impress your guests with this traditional favorite.

Photos by MarkBolles.com

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B O O K M A R K

Jennifer Armstrong: “If you slow down, anything can happen.”

Story By Helen Susan Edelman Photo Provided

“Courage is the first of human qualities because it is the quality which guarantees the others.” - Aristotle When Jennifer Armstrong decided to challenge her own courage, she didn’t jump off a cliff. Instead, she and her daughter, Dani, 13, raised a guide dog puppy that they knew they would love deeply, and then have to give up so the dog could fulfill her mission.

“There are all kinds of courage,” Armstrong says. “There’s the courage to walk to school alone, courage to do public speaking, courage to say ‘no’ because it’s the right thing to do, courage to swim in the deep end, courage to reconsider things from another perspective, and the emotional courage to love and to let go, as Dani and I did with the puppy – though not without tears.”

The author of more than 100 books - including many prizewinning volumes for children and teens - Armstrong lives in a century-old house in a quiet neighborhood walking distance from downtown Saratoga Springs. One source of distraction when she is sitting on the porch with a good book, an inkling and ice tea is to watch cars try to negotiate passing each other on the narrow street. Inside, her walls are festooned with eclectic art, much of it by personal friends. Garlands and lights are suspended from the living room ceiling, first hung for a holiday, but now signaling that every day is special.

Nothing - however small

g

mstron

er Ar Jennif 92 | Simply Saratoga

or large, whether a thought, a found object, a magnificent dining room table or the human condition - escapes her considerable attention and incisive comment. And Armstrong is a great laugher – the sound of her pleasure is as beautiful and authentic as a bell, and the reward for bringing her delight is a generous, full-face smile. She is eloquent and kind, mindful and talented, encouraging and forgiving. It is only fair for me to say that I have known Jennifer Armstrong for more than 20 years, and enjoyed every moment of it.

Most recently, Armstrong, together with local psychologist Lisa Dungate - another mom whom Armstrong met through their daughters - has turned her focus to Lion’s Whiskers (www.lionswhiskers.com), a blog devoted to helping parents raise children with six types of courage: moral, intellectual, spiritual, emotional, physical and social. The blog features wise words, stories of courage from life and literature, and “courage workouts,” such as learning how to manage fire, get dirty or say “I’m sorry.” Armstrong says the goals of the blog are “to inspire parents and children, and to create opportunities to exercise courage, without which people can’t move forward to explore the possibilities of their lives.”

It is no surprise that writer Armstrong’s approach to this vast and impressive effort is through stories, including the eponymous Ethiopian folktale, “The Lion’s Whiskers,” which recounts the courage of a woman to be patient until her adopted child comes to love and trust her. The process requires the woman to gather a lion’s whisker, which she does by slowly persuading a fierce lion to come close enough for her to touch, just as she must with her new son.

The choice of this story as a centerpiece for the blog is no accident. Dani is also Ethiopian; Armstrong, as a single mother, adopted her when she was 8 years old, bringing the young girl from a life of scarcity to Saratoga Springs, where even the grocery store was overwhelming. Among other intimidating tasks she had to face, Dani had to learn English, live in a small-city neighborhood, find a peer group and adapt to cultural norms totally outside her experience. Not without leaping hurdles, she has.

Armstrong says that a major inroad into her relationship with Dani, and Dani’s integration into the fabric of her new life, was sharing stories.

“Stories show us cause and effect, that actions have consequences, that there are ripple effects, that decisions are related

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to behavior, that you have to be prepared to struggle to achieve,” notes Armstrong. “Listening to, thinking about and talking about stories helps a child develop critical thinking skills that you can’t go back and learn later. Sharing stories with a little girl plucked out of everything she knew helped her understand the ‘why’ of things.’

Before Armstrong, now 51, became a mother, she spent 25 years as an author reaching children through their own vocabulary and perceptions in stories where children took control of outcomes. She explains. “In my stories, it was possible for children to find resolutions to problems, as opposed to scenarios in which adults swoop in and make everything work out. I was empowering my young characters to mature. I wasn’t filling in every silence; I was allowing a moment of discomfort to become a moment of discovery.”

Now, she applies that philosophy to her own child rearing.

“It’s humbling,” she says. “I realize that Dani has questions, and it’s okay for me not to be a wizard; it’s okay for me to say, ‘I don’t know, but this is a way to find out.’ I had to let go of confirmed habits to learn to say that. As a fiction writer you can make things up and say them authoritatively and they become fact. But, that is not how I want to interact with my child.”

And so she turns to storytelling. Armstrong - who knew she wanted to be a writer from the time she was a little girl - points out that no matter how contemporary a setting is in a book, there are basic, traditional archetypes (such as heroes) and themes (such as conquering fear) that people gravitate to as readers. “People seek out certain lessons,” she says. “You notice that when you read literature from different cultures and different times, there is a similarity in the kinds of barriers people face, their character, and the outcomes of their action.

It doesn’t matter if you’re interpreting the story as a feminist or a Marxist or a fatalist – the story has inner power that persists. Norse myths were not written for children, for example, but the concepts of birth and war and beauty that they contain are part of universal literature, no matter what form they take.

These ideas are self-selected by children; they choose to hear these stories, to read these stories, to write stories with these themes and characters. The old tales are transcendent.”

But Armstrong is not afraid of here-and-now, reality-based conversation, sometimes difficult, even when it’s clarifying, and has nixed some of the higher-tech toys and tools that most young teens have access to. Dani, a student at the Waldorf School, has an iPhone, which she earned by achieving a black belt in Tai Kwon Do, but she doesn’t have a computer.

Armstrong wants her to learn to use the library instead of Google, and to write longhand, instead of relying on spellcheck. For now.

“The people who invented computers didn’t have them as

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teenagers,” she points out. “There’s plenty of time for Dani to learn how to use technology, but I’d rather sit down with her for an hour and play cribbage than compete with Facebook for her attention.”

Over cribbage there is time to talk, whether it’s about homework or, now, about how Dani feels about the puppy moving on. “To share our personal, daily stories,” Armstrong says.

While Dani is at school, Armstrong writes, does errands, compulsively composes lists, works out at Reform Pilates and has lately started to create one-of-a-kind stationery, exquisite designs juxtaposing collages of stamps and stickers, paint and papers, and ribbons and photographs on envelopes and note paper.

“I think of the mailbox as a kind of museum of ephemera,” she says. “This is functional mail art; it’s not for a gallery, you mail it away and you never see it again – unless you take a photograph of it, which I do.”

A side benefit is that she has started corresponding – in longhand – with other mail artists. “Now I look forward to something besides bills and circulars when I go to the mailbox,” she says.

There’s another way in which Armstrong has reinvented herself – her own embrace of courage. Recently, she became an independent fashion consultant, a 180-degree departure from a life of intellect and solitude.

“I had to do something that wasn’t about the mind,” she says. “Something about the body. I have had to admit that although I’ve written 100 books and have been concerned all my life about intellectual achievement, it’s okay for me to want to look good and it’s okay for that to be fun. There’s more to me than being a writer. I’m a mother. I’m an artist. I’m a person who cares about clothes and looking good. I want to model for my daughter that life is full of possibilities. Now I’ve integrated my body and my head. The story I tell myself about this is not fear-based. It’s magical.”

Jennifer Armstrong is the winner of the Orbis Pictus Award for Outstanding Nonfiction for “Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World” and the Knickerbocker Award for Juvenile Literature, celebrating her body of work. Many of her books have been designated as Notable Books by the American Library Association and the International Reading Association. Armstrong’s books are available at Saratoga Springs Public Library, through Barnes & Noble in Wilton or at www.amazon.com. Read more about the author at www.jennifer-armstrong.com.

After this story was submitted, the guide dog puppy that Jennifer and Dani Armstrong helped raise was discovered to have a minor medical problem, which made her ineligible to go on in the guide dog program. She is back permanently in the Armstrong household.

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Saratoga

Rainmakers III Story by Daniel Schechtman

The Saratoga Rainmakers series explores Saratoga’s past, present and future, and looks at the people and families who helped shape the Spa City into what it is today.

This issue, Simply Saratoga presents:

Charles V. Wait Photo Provided

President of The Adirondack Trust Company

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hen Charles V. Wait Sr. graduated from Saratoga Springs High School in 1969, few expected him to stay in the city for long.

“When I graduated, nobody really thought of staying around in Saratoga,” said Wait, now the president of the Adirondack Trust Company Bank. “On a Friday or Saturday night, you could bowl down Broadway. There were no sidewalk cafés in those days, no coffee shops. In the 60s, Saratoga was experiencing real decline.”

It hadn’t always been like that. When Wait’s grandfather, Newman E. Wait Sr., returned to Saratoga in 1919 after World War I, the Spa City was a shining star, rich with gamblers and flush with grand casinos, high-society socialites and some of the world’s largest luxury hotels.

“My grandfather came during the last part of the great gambling era here in Saratoga,” said Wait. “Of course, it was all illegal gambling. I actually remember my grandfather going to one of the clubs and seeing the governor of the state of New York there at the casino – an illegal casino. But everybody kind of looked the other way back then.”

Saratoga was a major destination, drawing thousands to the race course every summer, not to mention hundreds of conventions through the 20s, 30s and 40s. Even Teddy Roosevelt chose Saratoga as the place to announce his candidacy for governor in 1898, in part thanks to Saratoga’s sterling reputation

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and mammoth hotels, among them the Grand Union Hotel.

Newman E. Wait Sr. found work at the Adirondack Trust Company, a small operation in 1919, with roughly 12 employees total. Soon he worked his way up and became president of the company. But Saratoga’s fortunes were about to change, something that Charles Wait’s father, Newman E. Wait Jr., would soon discover.

Much like Wait’s grandfather, Wait’s father returned to Saratoga after serving with the United States Armed Forces – this time during World War II, and found work at the Adirondack Trust Company. But unlike Newman Sr., Newman Jr. found Saratoga to be a much different place than when he’d left it.

“When he came back home, my father told me it was the most depressing thing he’d ever seen,” said Wait. “They’d shut down racing for two years and they’d shut down the trains because they were needed for troop transportation. Nobody had any money in town. He said he came back and it was a dump.”

Without horse racing during World War II to pump up the local economy, Saratoga began to fall. And while many officials had traditionally turned a blind eye to the illegal casinos, the Kefauver Committee in 1954 put an end to that. Led by the U.S. Senator from Tennessee, Kefauver targeted illegal gambling all over New York State, but especially in Saratoga Springs. Soon the casinos were shut down, and Saratoga’s

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Image Courtesy of The Adirondack Trust Company Archives Top: Land at the Spa State Park is cleared to make way for SPAC. Bottom: SPAC is completed and opened to the public in 1966.

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great hotels – once unmatched palaces of luxury, were beginning to fall into disrepair.

“The [Kefauver Committee] was kind of the beginning of the end,” said Wait. “And it was accentuated to some extent by the rise of the automobile. So people were able to travel wherever they wanted to, gambling shut down and the conventions stopped coming. The old hotels in Saratoga were all designed really for train traffic – and most of them didn’t have private bathrooms in those days. Saratoga had none of those facilities.

Saratoga continued to decline, even though there was a lot of effort to stop the slide through the 60s.”

To add insult to injury, it was during the 60s when Skidmore College began looking to relocate its campus away from downtown. Glens Falls, then listed as one of the top 10 places to live in the country, seemed like the logical choice. A large chunk of free land in Glens Falls was offered to the college, a relocation that would have taken thousands of students out of the Saratoga market, along with hundreds of thousands of dollars in grant money Saratoga received thanks to the population boost.

“It came to within a hair’s breadth of Skidmore moving to Glens Falls, and that would have been devastating,” said Wait.

“But my grandfather was very instrumental in keeping Skidmore in Saratoga. He talked to all the major donors and convinced [one of them] to purchase the 800 acres that Skidmore now sits on for $100,000. [The donor] went to the board the next month and said I will buy this land and give it to you if you stay in Saratoga.”

Skidmore took the land – at the time part of the town of Greenfield. But Saratoga annexed the Skidmore Campus into the city limits, averting a major disaster thanks, in part, to the efforts of Newman Wait Sr. Other efforts were made during the 60s to make Saratoga relevant once more on the national scene, to bring the Spa City back into its former glory. With Newman Wait Jr. as one of the leading members on a board looking to increase Saratoga’s cultural attractions, he helped to garner support for the new Saratoga Performing Arts Center in the Spa State Park. The center was a huge win for the community, another major attraction separate from the race course that promised to draw thousands every year.

Still, the major hotels in Saratoga had all but collapsed under their own antiquity. Realizing the need for a modern facility, a group of community leaders formed the Saratoga Community Hotel organization, tasked with trying to attract a major hotel to the Saratoga market.

“The group got together and approached the Holiday Inn and asked if [the community] built the hotel, would the Holiday Inn come and lease it? And they said, ‘No. Saratoga’s a dying community. We have no interest in it,’” retold Wait.

But Wait’s father and the organization didn’t give up. They approached the Holiday Inn again, this time pitching a oneyear lease agreement as a test run. The hotel agreed, leaving the

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community members to raise the funds to build the hotel and to buy stock in the venture. The Adirondack Trust Company pitched in $50,000 for the project.

At the end of their first year in Saratoga, the Holiday Inn decided to renew their lease. Finally, the pieces were starting to fall into place – a thriving college campus, world class performing arts center and modern hotel accommodations had returned to the city. And yet, the health of downtown Saratoga remained anemic, and growth was slow to come by.

“When I came back to work for the bank in 1974 after graduating from Cornell University, a high school buddy of mine called me up and asked if we wanted to get together,” said Wait. “He came up to see me in the bank and he looked around and he said, ‘you know Charles, I’m disappointed in you. I thought you’d do something with your life.’ That was the environment back then – people have a hard time believing that now.”

Perhaps Wait took his friend’s words as a call to arms.

Perhaps he was simply following in his grandfather’s and father’s footsteps; or maybe Wait could see potential in his hometown that others had written off long ago. Whatever the case may be, when the Pyramid Mall opened in 1972 and once again threatened the health of downtown, Wait decided to act.

“I was one of the founders of the Special Assessment District in Saratoga; I was the first chairman of that group,” said Wait.

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“Every month we had a meeting at the Holiday Inn and we had a model of downtown Saratoga. And we’d look at this model and say, well, what do we want in Saratoga, and how can we do it?”

The group came up with a $1.5 million improvement plan, but quickly realized they would need to fund a large portion of the project themselves.

“So we set up a taxing district downtown. We decided to raise our taxes by 5 percent to come up with a budget, and then we asked the city to put in so much money and the federal government to put in so much money,” said Wait. “We figured by raising the taxes 5 percent, we’d generate $25,000 a year in new taxes.”

After many meetings and working to convince downtown business leaders of the benefits, the district was made official. Soon, the city began to reap the rewards.

“The first thing we bought were the park benches. You still see them on Broadway – in fact, some of the originals still say ‘Saratoga Springs 1978,’” said Wait.

Next the organization purchased a series of trees to line Broadway. The city agreed to break up the cement, leaving volunteers from Rotary Club, Lions Club and the community to complete the actual planting. Soon a sidewalk café ordinance was also passed, allowing coffee shops and small restaurants to liven up downtown.

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“It was all of these little baby steps that helped us gain momentum,” said Wait. “And people saw the streets being cleaned up, the new trees being planted and the new park benches, and suddenly people wanted to come to downtown and set up shop.”

But one major piece of the puzzle was still missing – namely, conventions. In Wait’s grandfather’s day, conventions played a huge roll in Saratoga’s success. And now with the Holiday Inn able to provide modern amenities to visitors, Saratoga was primed to attract these conventions once again.

The only problem? A fire in 1965 had burned the old Convention Hall overlooking Congress Park to the ground, leaving Saratoga without a dedicated facility to host larger gatherings. If Saratoga wanted to attract conventions once more, it would have to build something new.

Wait became chairman of a committee tasked with creating a new center. He was joined by John Roohan, then the Commissioner of Public Works for the city, who put aside $600,000 in insurance money from Convention Hall into a reserve fund.

“The $600,000 wasn’t enough to rebuild a convention center, but [Roohan] protected the nest egg, which became the centerpiece of the financing for the new City Center,” said Wait.

With $600,000 as a starting point, Wait, Roohan and the other committee members looked for other ways to finance the project. They convinced the city to raise sales taxes from 6 percent to 7 percent, which brought in approximately $1 million a year in new revenue. For three years the money was put aside, totaling up to $3 million from sales tax increases, which was added to the $600,000 nest egg. In total, the $3.6 million was invested for the city in anticipation of a new convention center.

“Private investors then built the City Center and leased it to the city,” said Wait. “The interest on the investments paid the lease. And at the end of the term, the [city] still had the $3.6 million, and that’s what we paid to buy the City Center.

That was the beauty of this plan. In the end, the city got a free City Center.”

Over three generations and just shy of the century mark, the Wait family witnessed not only Saratoga’s decline, but played an active role in picking the city back up. Once ridiculed for returning to the Spa City in the mid-70s, Wait’s commitment to the community has paid off in spades for thousands.

With GlobalFoundries set to remake the area once again, more change is inevitable.

“I think there’s going to be a lot more growth than people are prepared for, and that’s going to be both positive and negative,” said Wait. “The biggest thing I worry about is complacency. It’s easy for some to look at Saratoga and say it’s always been this way. Well, no – and you can lose it,” he

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added, noting how other local communities, such as Schenectady, suffered after General Electric began laying off workers. “You can be at the top and lose it very quickly. So we should always remind ourselves to support the local performing arts center and the college, racing and local ownership in businesses. We have to support the things that make this city what it is today.”

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©stockstudiosphotography.com The Adirondack Trust Company bank building on Broadway, present day.

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Fashion:

aratoga tyle

Photos Provided

Photo by Niki Rossi Photography

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Fluid lines, soft fabrics, to die for colors and textures...oh, how we all love the feel of fall! Tasha Polizzi details a chamois and embrodery tunic, belted with monochromatic leggings. Faux fur boot toppers and a smashing hat all make us "fall" in love with this season!

Available at: Spoken Boutique 27 Church Street, Saratoga Springs

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Turn heads this fall with designer KUT from the Kloth’s collection of metallic skinny jeans, sequin sweatshirts, leather jackets and boots. Available at: Yellow Boutique 491 Broadway, Saratoga Springs

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THEIA COUTURE FALL COLLECTION, Designer, Don O'Neill.

Available at: Saratoga Trunk 493 Broadway, Saratoga Springs

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Get cozy this Fall in chunky knits from Brandy Melville, MinkPink and RDstyle.

Available at: Lucia 454 Broadway, Saratoga Springs

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Look fabulous this Fall in a twotone, long-sleeved knitted sweater dress, layered with a reversible faux fur vest by Free People. A versatile and showstopping outfit that will keep you going all season long, accessorized by the Miranda zip boot that is tailored in soft vintage leather and a stacked heel with a hammered brass stud and vintage leather crossbody, both by Frye.

Available at: Violet’s & Stella’s 494 Broadway, Saratoga Springs

Photo by Niki Rossi Photography SaratogaTODAYNewspaper.com

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Powerof Gratitude The

Combat Stress by Giving Thanks

Meghan D. Lemery, LCSW-R

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Another Monday morning and I found myself, yet again, racing down the Northway to make my 9 a.m. appointment. I started to think about the week ahead and everything that needed to get done. Paperwork, call backs, returning emails, meeting deadlines for articles and making time to exercise and spend time with the people I love. My mind became overwhelmed with negativity and I felt my pulse speed up. How on earth was I going to get through the week and get everything done? I was going into full-blown stress mode and starting the day off with a black cloud over my head.

I took a few deep breaths and tried to calm myself down. I put my hand over my heart and focused on being fully present and engaged in the moment rather than the future.

I focused on the beautiful blue sky and the bright cloudless day greeting me with a smile. I felt that quiet whisper in my heart that seemed to say, “Slow down, relax, one step at a time, it’s all going to get done.”

That nudge of intuition sparked me to begin thinking of the things I am thankful for.

I begin to think about all of the blessings in my life and I started to list them out loud, “My new red lipstick, all the new referrals, amazing support network, this cup of coffee next to me.” Nothing was too big or small to make the list. I immediately felt the negativity begin to lift and my heart rate slow down to a more relaxed state. I made it a point to continue the list all the way to my office and throughout the day. This little exercise put a grin on my face and a skip in my step. Guess what? I got everything done on my list!

Instead of going through the day like a stressed out maniac, I had a greater sense of appreciation for the very little ways in which

the Universe helps us get through the details of everyday life.

Don’t wait until your mind is held hostage by the overwhelming tasks of the day. Take the necessary time BEFORE you begin your day to set the stage for success, positive energy and a lighthearted mental space.

MAKE YOUR LIST Oftentimes when I am meeting with clients, one of the first things they will do is tell me all of the negative things about their job, spouse, finances, friends, etc. They have no problem telling me in great detail all of the things that they are unhappy about. They are quick to pinpoint areas of stress and even quicker to point out the flaws in others.

While I understand it is important to know what pushes our buttons and can be a trigger for stress, it is EQUALLY, if not MORE important to know what lifts our spirits and helps us smile. Get yourself a journal or index card and start making a list of the things you love. They can be as trivial as rainbow sprinkles or as deep as the relationship you have with your children. Don’t think about what you are writing; simply pick up the pen and focus on everything you love.

Once you get this list, put in a place that you have access to often; whether it is your glove compartment or your purse, this is an ongoing list that you will be adding to often.

Whenever you have a moment of gratitude, or think of something you love, write it down so you can use it to pull yourself out of the well of negativity.

WATCH YOUR MOUTH What kind of words are you speaking over your day? Gratitude speaks the language of purpose, blessing and a sense of gratefulness.

It ushers in the gifts of abundance allowing

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o c e w in s fi a w la y s

le lo y o “ a a in m tu y a fi h n w e w th a ta th m

G h m

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our hearts to feel full of thanks and praise.

Are you speaking gratitude into your life or constant cloud cover? Our words carry positive or negative energy. The words we speak determine how we feel, which determines how we act. Are your words carrying a positive or negative force into your life? Do you speak blessings or curses over your family, job and finances? Pay attention to the words you speak about a particular subject and ask yourself if you need to wash your mouth out with soap and begin a new language.

Don’t wait until things fall apart to change the way you speak; take a deep inventory now and learn to speak love and prosperity over every area of your life.

PAY ATTENTION: Everyday, life is communicating with you on some level. Whether it’s Mother Nature asking you to gaze longer at the full moon or a loud car horn that causes you to slow down and re-focus, we have countless opportunities to anchor deep and pay attention to the “now” moment.

It is in these precious moments that the spirit and acknowledgment of gratitude can help calm your heart and ease your mind. Let every moment, from waiting in the grocery store line to watching a concert, be a moment of opportunity. Take time daily to offer gratitude for the little and the big. Any spiritual text will tell you that one of the most important ways to experience abundance and prosperity in your life emotionally, financially, physically and spiritually is to cultivate a heart of gratitude. Likewise, an attitude of constant negativity and expecting the worst turns into a person who is in a scarcity mindset. Nothing is ever good enough and worry is the preferred coping technique when stress hits.

Stop the insanity of negativity and make your list of things that make you happy today!

Wishing you a day filled with gratitude today and always!

A special thank you to all of the readers who have taken the time to email me bits of inspiration and thanks for my articles. Your acknowledgement warms my heart and always inspires me!

I am thankful for all of you!

Ms. Lemery is a psychotherapist practicing in Glens Falls and Saratoga Springs, N.Y. To purchase her novel or for more information, visit meghanlemery.com or email: meghanlemery@yahoo.com

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&

Reflect

Revel

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Story By Helen Susan Edelman Photos Provided

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e’re at the Prime at Saratoga National Golf Club for dinner, but the view of the grounds beyond the dining room is spectacular – no exaggeration – and it’s impossible to look away from the expanse of trees and slopes, water and sky to concentrate right away on eating. So, when you go, fill your soul with the scenery before you turn to the menu. You can always look again after you order – and you will.

Once again, Companion and I are out to dinner with Saratoga TODAY’s eloquent publisher Chad Beatty and his beautiful wife, Kim. The evening couldn’t be more gorgeous – even the sky is lush - and the Prime is a special treat we’ve been saving to share with each other. We are aware that we are in privileged surroundings – there is no place so lovely for miles around. We are seated promptly. We order drinks. We settle in. The biggest problem we have tonight is whether to have tomato and gorgonzola salad (a “yes” for me) or a surf and turf tempura roll for an appetizer (“yes” for Chad). Companion and Kim go for New England clam chowder. A cold lobster tail is also on the table, because I couldn’t resist. It’s tender and succulent, slides out of the shell easily, and takes on a zing with cocktail sauce. What we didn’t have room for – but, what I’ll be back to try – are a tower of shrimp, lobster, crab, tuna tartare and oysters; foie gras; and American Kobe steak on a hot river rock. (I might be in danger of a serious case of “eyes bigger than stomach.”)

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Between those appe-teasers and dinner, there’s time to talk. The conversation starts out serious, because we are all reeling from the horrific Aurora, Colorado, shootings, and we touch on the sensitive topic of gun control. Everyone takes a turn talking. We are all challenged to make sense of it.

Nobody can. Do guns kill people or do people kill people? This is not the time and place to share who said what, but nobody disagreed that people use guns to kill people. Tricky questions arose about how to limit access, for whom and to which weapons. How could they not? I report this not to cast a pall, but to emphasize how important it is for civilized people to consider these questions, and how a beautiful setting with good friends is not a party in a vacuum. We are not unconscious that although we are perfectly comfortable in splendor, the world spinning around us is flawed, and we have a solemn responsibility to acknowledge and understand it, to work toward a solution.

When a refill for our basket of warm rolls appears, the conversation shifts. We move on to less emotional topics: the traffic in Dallas, the Beatty’s impending trip to Hawaii, kids and swimming lessons, kids and college, kids and babysitters, kids and milestones. I reminisced about my own daughter’s rehearsal dinner at the Prime in 2008. Dome of Truth: It’s hard for me to be objective – that event was a high point of her wedding weekend. (If you’re planning a celebration, I urge you to consider the Prime and the golf club as a venue. It’s an excellent place to make merry.)

The wait staff is well choreographed, gliding to and fro with food and drinks, willing to answer a question or disappear you decide. It’s clear they’ve learned somewhere how to read customer body language.

The arrival of the food is well paced.

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There’s time to savor what you’re tasting, to look forward to the next bite and the next course, and more opportunity to bask in the ambiance. We happen to be seated on the enormous, gracious, stone verandah (complete with full bar and large-screen TV, in a space so well designed it does not intrude on diners). There is also a gleaming full bar inside, which is buzzing with excitement and conviviality; and an elegant dining room, which is revving up for a dinner crowd. Outdoor seating operates in slower motion – and none of us is in a rush, so it’s perfect. Dress is wide-ranging – people in khakis and blue blazers mingle with a casual group in Bermudas and polo shirts. Dress jeans are welcome, but so are cocktail frocks. Everyone looks comfortable and pleased to be at the Prime, arguably the most palatial setting in

Saratoga Springs. Some people have wandered out to the Adirondack chairs by the fire pit and infinity pool overlooking the golf course. Others are attentive to the live music.

Still others are interested in the golf shop wares.

Next up are the main courses and some à la carte veggies – brussel sprouts, asparagus and corn with a kick.

Chad, Kim and I didn’t plan it, but we have each ordered different cuts of steaks (there is plenty - I bring half of mine home). Companion is very happy with his grilled salmon, celeriac and potato purée,

watercress, grilled radicchio salad,strawberry balsamic gastrique, and eats every bit of it. (He was also tempted by the tuna, which is encrusted with herbed breadcrumbs, tomato, olive and pecorino, and offered with potato and bread panzanella salad - lightly wilted arugula, basil pesto,

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aged balsamic and triple garlic aioli.)

The menu, which is not overly long, has variety and pizzazz (and, as we soon experience, superb quality). Choices include exotic-sounding beef, veal, chicken and seafood, all prepared with imagination and plated with a keen aesthetic. As an example, Ultimate Chicken from Parma is served with cured and fresh mozzarella, pecorino and Parmesan cheeses, fresh pan tomato basil sauce, silky marinara, pappardelle pasta aglio e olio. Or think about a Prime Porterhouse with gorgonzola and raisin stuffed onion, roasted garlic bulb, Parmesan and white truffle oil with steak fries. (I want to go back for the sea bass served with creamed leeks and lobster, fava beans, asparagus and fingerling potatoes).

There are salads, a very tempting raw bar and a list of tantalizing appetizers, but Chad has given me a word limit. I suggest you go online and look at the menu at www.golfsaratoga.com/menus/prime_dinner_menu.p df . (Confession: I am getting hungry as I write this, remembering.)

Special note: the portions. In some upscale restaurants, the quantity of food seems to be in inverse proportion to the length of the name of the dish. Not so here.

You eat hearty. Share an appetizer. Plan to take some home – I’m just saying…

(Not surprisingly, the Prime is the brainchild of brilliant local restaurateur Angelo Mazzone, of Glens Sanders Mansion and Hall of Springs fame. He’s one of those people who is bound and determined to make things perfect if he’s going to make them at all. I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again: Thank you, Angelo.)

For dessert we shared the Titanic – a concoction of ice cream, brownies…oh, glory!

Don’t miss dessert! There were four of us sharing this – and we couldn’t get through

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it. Don’t like ice cream? Order coconut pie, highly recommended by the wait staff.

(Another few words on the wait staff: charismatic, knowledgeable and professional.)

The Prime is a class act – remarkable wine list, specialty drinks, cognac and cigars available for the experienced diner who likes the last meal of the day to be dramatic. Good enough for foodies. Grand enough for groups. Perfect for romantic tête-ê-têtes. And, not downtown. I love downtown, hang out there all the time – but sometimes it’s freeing to cruise down Union Avenue, past the track, over the Northway and into paradise – and that’s where it feels like you’ve landed when you drive up the winding road to the clubhouse.

(About 10 minutes from Broadway. More than worth the quick drive.)

Here’s an FYI: the Prime, the restaurant, is located within Saratoga National Golf Club (Tom Newkirk is CEO of the establishment). Though they are inextricable, they are not the same thing. I am moving back and forth between them – the food and the restaurant, the grounds and the striking, mansion-like building – because you will when you’re there. It’s seamless, symbiotic, inseparable.

People are telling me these days that the Prime is the place “to see and be seen,” but I’m not sure I agree. It has more depth than that. It’s a place to reflect, to savor an exceptional meal and to melt into an enchanted landscape.

I’m going back soon – I want to try the Sunday jazz brunch. Next time, you come too.

The Prime at Saratoga National 458 Union Ave, Saratoga Springs (518) 583-4653 www.GolfSaratoga.com

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Fall Glory

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for Autumn’s

Photo by Carl Heilman II

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• Leaf Peeping • Seasonal Favorites • Family Activities • Local Wineries

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40th Anniversary Celebration

All balloon flights are scheduled, weather permitting, from September 20 - 23. The festival is open to the public free of charge.

Donations will be accepted for parking, and premier VIP parking is available for a fee. The organizers ask that dogs remain at home.

Schedule of Events

• 6 a.m. - 7 p.m.: Food vendors open for business, craft fair with 30-plus vendors, kids’ activities, including bounce houses, rock climbing wall and aircraft static display • 6:30 a.m.: Flight of 100 balloons, including more than 10 special shapes • 2 - 5 p.m.: Performance by Jonathan Newell Band • 5 p.m.: Flight of 100 balloons, including more than 10 special shapes • 8 p.m.: "40 for 40" Moonglow. Up to 40 balloons illuminate the night. Bring your flashlight!

Sunday, September 23 Floyd Bennett Memorial Airport - Town of Queensbury • 5 - 11 a.m.: Big Balloon Breakfast at the airport hanger • 6 a.m. - noon: Food vendors open for business, craft fair with 30-plus vendors, kids’ activities, including bounce houses, rock climbing wall and aircraft display • 6:30 a.m.: "Walter's Mass Ascension," simultaneous flight of 100 balloons, including over 10 special shapes • 8 a.m.: Catholic Mass in the Entertainment Tent • 10 a.m.: Protestant Sunday Service in the Entertainment Tent Crandall Park - City of Glens Falls • 2 - 5 p.m.: DJ with music • 5 p.m.: Launch of over 20 balloons

Thursday, September 20 Crandall Park - City of Glens Falls • 4:30-6:30 p.m.: Music and band performance • 5 p.m.: Opening ceremonies – acknowledgement of 40th anniversary • 5:15 p.m.: Launch of special shape “Birthday Cake” balloon, followed by the launch of 20 balloons • 6 - 9:30 p.m.: City of Glens Falls Block Party, featuring walk-about balloon, balloon baskets on display, car show, kids’ activities and fireworks.

Friday, September 21 Floyd Bennett Memorial Airport - Queensbury • 3 p.m.: Gates open, craft fair and food vendors open for business • 5 p.m.: Balloon launch – over 80 balloons, including special shapes Battlefield Park - Lake George Village • 8 p.m.: Moonglow at the lake, followed by fireworks.

Bring your flashlight!

If you like Saturday, September 22 Betty Jean, wait Floyd Bennett Memorial Airport - Town of Queensbury until you see what’s • 5 - 11 a.m.: Big Balloon Breakfast at the in store for this year’s airport hanger show… more than 10

new shaped balloons!

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Adirondack Balloon Festival

Photo Provided

HISTORY I

n the early 1970s, Warren County’s tourism and publicity office was looking for an idea that would bring visitors to the region after Labor Day. At that time, there were relatively few hot air balloons in the nation.

One balloonist, John Marsden from Manchester, Vt., shared photos of his balloon with some visionary Glens Falls residents, including Walter Grishkot. The Adirondack Balloon Festival was born shortly thereafter.

The early days of the festival were held at Adirondack Community College, now known as SUNY Adirondack. As the event grew, a larger site was needed to accommodate the growing number of balloons and spectators. That new site was the Warren County airport, where the festival continues to be held to this day.

The festival is a not-for-profit event, which is very rare for an event of its size and stature. Funding for the event is raised by volunteers and the event would not be possible without the tremendous community support we receive. For what will now be its 40th year, the event remains open to the public free of charge.

Through the years, the event has drawn international exposure for the Glens Falls region, with relationships being formed with cities like Saga, Japan, and Gatineau, Quebec. The event draws balloonists from all across the United States, and internationally-based pilots as well.

Today the event draws upward of 150,000 people over four days. It has been named one of the top 100 events in North America and has received accolades from the Weather Channel, Food Network and media coverage including articles from the AP as well as the New York Times.

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F

4th Annual

Southern Adirondack Apple iber Picking Bowman Orchards

157 Sugar Hill Rd., Rexford (518) 371-0242 www.BowmanOrchards.com

Hicks Orchard

18 Hicks Rd., Granville (518) 642-1788, (888) EAT-MACS www.HicksOrchard.com

estival

September 22 - September 23 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Washington County Fairgrounds 392 Old Schuylerville Rd., Greenwich, NY 12834

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120 Vendors

• Demos and workshops • Festival foods • Fleece, yarn and roving • Sheep-shearing demo • Fleece show and sale • Finished products • Patterns and kits • Handmade soaps • Equipment and supplies for knitting, spinning, weaving and hooking • Dog-herding demo • Livestock private sale • Face painting and balloons with Puddles the Clown • Local grown foods, including cheeses, honey and maple syrup • All natural animal fleece • Sheep • Alpacas • Llamas • Rabbits • Angora and cashmere goats • Livestock supplies

Lindsey’s Idyllwood Orchard 267 Sugar Hill Rd., Rexford (518) 371-5785

Malta Ridge Orchard & Gardens

107 VanAernem Rd., Ballston Spa (518) 365-6015

Riverview Orchards 660 Riverview Rd., Rexford (518) 371-2174 www.RiverviewOrchards.com

Saratoga Apple, Inc. 1174 Rt. 29, Schuylerville (518) 695-3131 www.SaratogaApple.com

Admission price is just $5 for adults; kids under 14 are free. For the safety of our animals: no pets allowed. Visit www.adkfiber.com for more information.

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The World’s

LARGEST Garage Sale

Warrensburg, New York September 29 - September 30

A

t the World’s Largest Garage Sale, in Warrensburg, New York, you will find treasures from all over the country including antiques, hard-to-find items, old toys, new toys, hats, hardware, vintage clothing, handmade crafts, dollar items and just about anything else you can imagine!

Truly - a garage sale lover’s dream!

Don't be surprised to see that garage sales stretch for miles and miles and miles - starting south of Lake George and continuing north of Warrensburg into the Adirondacks.

The main street has the most vendors, usually selling antiques and clearing out their inventory of products with very good buys. Side streets are individual garage sales, the kind antique dealers love to find, as treasures are more likely to be found by a resident than a savvy street vendor.

Some advice from the pros who know!

• For directions, where to stay, where to eat and how early to make reservations, visit www.warrensburggaragesale.com.

• The garage sale officially starts Saturday but many start early Friday across the region.

Other "official" garage sale booths in Warrensburg open Friday at 5 p.m. So get there early.

• Have plenty of cash on hand.

• Dress in layers - bring a backpack to put small wares in - wear a waist-belt for easy hands-free shopping.

• Wear comfortable walking shoes - you will walk a lot.

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P

umpkin atches

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Sunnyside Gardens

345 Church St. Saratoga Springs (518) 584-1034 www.SunnysideGardensllc.com

Ellms Family Farm 468 Charlton Rd. Ballston Spa (518) 884-8168 www.EllmsFarms.com

Schuyler Farms

1124 Rte. 29 Schuylerville (518) 696-5308 www.SchuylerFarms.com

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Saturday, September 29 - Sunday, September 30 Held on the SPAC grounds, this is a family event you shouldn’t miss. Native American dancing, music, storytelling, children’s activities, vendors and more. Admission is $12 for adults and $10 for seniors, $5 children 6-12. Children under 5 are free. Visit www.saratoganativefestival.com for more information.

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Leaf Peeping

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from the Water

The Lake George Steamboat Company hosts many great scenic tours complete with entertainment on the famed Minne-Ha-Ha paddlewheeler, the Mohican and the Lac du Saint Sacrement during the early months of fall. Special cruises, including live music, entertainment, food and more are also available for interested parties.

To learn more or to reserve a ticket, call (518) 668-5777 or visit www.lakegeorgesteamboat.com.

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Photo by Carl Heilman II

Photo Provided Come enjoy a memorable cruise surrounded by the spectacular Adirondacks and the sparkling blue waters. Whether aboard the beautiful Horicon for a Historic Sightseeing Cruise or on the Adirondac for a Fireworks Dinner Cruise, you will see why Lake George is truly the "Queen of American Lakes!� Visit www.LakeGeorgeShoreline.com for more information.

Photo Provided

For those who like to mix a little history with their fall foliage outings, look no further than the Champlain Canal Paddle Boat Tours. Cruise down the peaceful Hudson River and the scenic Champlain Canal waterway through lands that once hosted the great Battle of Saratoga – the turning point of the American Revolutionary War. Beginning at Lock C5, Routes 4 and 32N in Schuylerville, interested parties can partake in a variety of cruises, including the Fort Miller Cruise, Sunday Morning Breakfast Cruise, River Islands Cruise or the Historic/Scenic Cruise, to name a few. Visit www.ChamplainCanalTours.com for more details or call (518) 695-5496 for tickets and information.

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Ballston Spa: A Village Known for its

ANTIQUES Ballston Spa Antique Center (518) 885-6746 217 Milton Avenue www.BallstonSpaAntiqueCenter.com

Broadway Antiques (518) 885-1411 62 Milton Avenue

Daisy Dry Goods (518) 885-2782 28 Front Street www.DaisyDryGoodsBallstonSpa.com

Milton Avenue Antiques (518) 885-1220 215 Milton Avenue

RosieBloom Again (518) 885-8344 91 Milton Avenue

The Adirondack Museum offers 22 indoor and outdoor exhibit spaces to connect you with the natural beauty and remarkable history of the great Adirondack Region. Located in the heart of the Adirondack Park at 9097 State Route 30, Blue Mountain Lake, the museum is set on 32 beautifully landscaped acres within spectacular mountain and lake views. Regular collections and displays at the Adirondack Museum “reflect life, work, play and creativity in the Adirondack Park and North Country of upstate New York.”

Large scale objects and interactive exhibits like a Pullman railroad car, boats, a one-room schoolhouse, Sunset Cottage, the second-largest collection of inland wooden boats in the country and a complete blacksmith shop are just a few of the museum’s more than 30,000 three-dimensional objects that point to life, travel, transportation, industry, environment and culture throughout the history of the Adirondacks. An extensive fine art collection with more than 2,500 works, a historic photograph collection of more than 70,000 images, the largest North American collection of rust furniture and a comprehensive library are among other highlights. For more information about the Adirondack Museum, call (518) 352-7311, email info@adirondackmuseum.org or visit www.adkmuseum.org.

www.SpaShopsOnline.com/RosieBloom.htm

Stone Soup Antiques Gallery

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(518) 885-5232 19 Low Street

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The History of the

Adirondack Museum The museum's story begins in 1867, when Connecticut farmer Miles Talcott Merwin acquired 11,230 acres in the Adirondacks, including most of Blue Mountain. In the spring of 1874, Tyler Merwin employed a crew of men to build a set of shanties, clear up some land, and plant some potatoes to help feed a crew of lumbermen the next winter. Merwin and his men logged two tracts of land, one on Blue Mountain and another around nearby Tirrell Pond, three miles to the north.

In the last quarter of the 1800s, the Adirondacks became a popular vacation destination. Wealthy summer tourists came to spend several weeks or more each summer, escaping the heat and smog of urban life. Tyler Merwin put up overnight guests, first in crude rooms in the lumber camp, then in a log annex. In 1880, he built a large frame hotel with a broad veranda overlooking the lake. By 1907, Merwin's Blue Mountain House hotel could accommodate as many as 100 guests.

Open daily from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. through October 14.

Special Events This Fall

The Adirondack World of A. F. Tait – through October 14 Common Threads: 150 Years of Adirondack Quilts & Comforters – through October 14 Night Vision: The Wildlife Photography of Hobart Vosburg Roberts – through October 14 Let's Eat! Adirondack Food Traditions – through October 14 Adirondack Fabric & Fiber Arts Festival - September 15 Hearth Basket Workshop September 29 Fall Festival - September 29

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Wine

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Wineries Tasting Rooms Their

Local

All Photos and Information Provided

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Adirondack Winery 285 Canada Street Lake George, New York (518) 668-9463

Note-Worthy:

Adirondack Winery, the region’s premier winery, features over 35 handcrafted, award-winning, quality wines, all locally handcrafted by their own winemakers.

Adirondack Winery’s Tasting Room has fast become a “hot spot” for tourism in the region, ranked consistently as one of the top-rated attractions and shopping spots on Trip Advisor and LakeGeorge.com. At the Tasting Room, for a small $5 fee, visitors enjoy a tasting session (which includes seven wines of their choice and a free souvenir glass) conducted by a knowledgeable attendant. Accompanying small plates of Adirondack-made cheese are also available for an additional $2-$3. The Tasting Room also features an impressive selection of unique wine-related gifts and gourmet food. Adirondack Winery Tasting Room is open year-round. Reservations are not required, unless the group size is eight or larger. Group party packages are also available. The winery is handicap accessible.

For more information, visit www.AdirondackWinery.com.

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Amorici Vineyards 637 Colonel Burch Road Valley Falls, New York (518) 469-0680

Note-Worthy:

Amorici Vineyard Winery is committed to sustainable agricultural practices and operates in an environmentally conscious manner, minimizing its carbon footprint and leaving Mother Earth better for generations to follow. Their philosophy of handcrafted natural winemaking honors the holy blood of the perfect grape. When the grape is respected and traditional winemaking procedures are employed, the results are both a gracious collaboration with Mother Nature and a beautiful wine.

Our wines are produced without flavor or color enhancers. The addition of some sulfites is required to stabilize a wine and allow it to age properly. Decanting one hour prior to consumption will allow the wine to breathe and lessen its total amount of sulfites. The Tasting Sales Room is open Saturdays and Sundays from 10:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m., April - December. For more information, visit www.AmiciVineyard.com.

Colebrook Country Wines 562 Colebrook Road Gansevoort, New York (518) 261-1877

Note-Worthy:

Colebrook Country Wines is known for its handcrafted, award-winning fruit and grape wines, including a wide variety of Riesling, pinot noir and merlot. Colebrook Country Wines features free tasting in the winery, and the wines are available at several farmers’ markets. Call before stopping by so the winery can open up and be made available to you. For more information, visit www.colebrookwines.com.

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H

ummingbird il s Winery

1442 Burtonville Road Fultonville, New York (518) 875-6919

Note-Worthy:

The first active winery in Montgomery County, Hummingbird Hills Winery is an “Escape from the Normal!” Teeming with live humming birds, the 200-acre vineyard features 22 acres of hand-planted grapes, apples, elderberries and dandelions, used to create their wines’ unique blends and flavors.

Complete with a refurbished cow barn that serves as the winery’s beautiful tasting room, Hummingbird Hills Winery is open every other weekend through the growing season.

Visit www.HummingbirdHillsWinery.com for more details.

Johnston’s Winery

5140 Bliss Road Ballston Spa, New York (518) 882-6310

Note-Worthy:

Located three miles east of Galway Village, Johnston’s Winery is a small, family run winery that has prided itself for 20 years for its high-quality wines and winemaking. There are different wines featured throughout the year, but there are always high-quality red and white fruit and grape wines. Meads are available seasonally. All of the wines are made from the freshest fruit, honey and grapes available. Johnston’s Winery also make their own jams and jellies. Custom gift packs are available year-round for every holiday, along with a full line of home winemaking supplies, wine expert concentrate kits, Brewer’s Best Beer kits, carboys, corks, bottles and yeast.

Take a short country drive and come see Johnston’s Winery. For more information, visit www.JohnstonsWinery.com.

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Ledge Rock Hil Winery 41 Stewart Dam Road Corinth, New York (518) 654-5467

Note-Worthy:

Ledge Rock Hill is a family run winery with a heritage in producing award-winning, artisan crafted wines.

Ledge Rock Hill offers a variety of specialized wines from dry to sweet, white to red, all made on the premises. The premium red wines are produced in an Old-World style and barrel aged in French Oak. Ledge Hill Rock Winery has won numerous awards in international competitions and holds the distinction of being one of a limited number of New York State wineries to earn a double gold medal in an International competition for a New York State Dry Red wine.

Tastings are offered for all of the wines on weekends through December 31. Ledge Rock Hill Winery can also accommodate private wine tastings, tours and events. For more information, visit www.LRHWinery.com.

Mountain View Winery

401 County Route 61 Cambridge, New York (518) 677-5865

Note-Worthy:

Located in Cambridge, New York, just 30 minutes east of Saratoga Springs, Mountain View Winery opened for business in 2005 as the first licensed farm winery in Washington County. The winery is owned by Paul Dallemagne, whose family has a long and proud history of producing some of the world’s finest wines since the mid-1400s. While they do not currently offer tastings on-site, their wines can be found locally at Black Dog Wines and Spirits in Cambridge, Gheraghty’s Discount Wines in Greenwich and Old Saratoga Wine and Spirits in Schuylerville.

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Natural Selection Farm

Ken Denberg

Winery

85 Darwin Road Cambridge, New York (518) 677-5208

Note-Worthy:

Natural Selection Farm Winery, LLC, a micro-winery, opened May 1, 2010, and is owned and operated by winemaker Ken Denberg. Located near Center Cambridge between Co. Rts. 60 and 74, the three-acre vineyard has over 700 vines. Featured wines include cold, hardy, burgundy-style dry reds: St Croix, Geneva Red 7, Marquette and the signature blend, Handsome Farmer Red, named after Denberg’s 1948 8N ford tractor. Dry white wines include Prairie Star, Swenson White, Louise Swenson; Vidal Blanc and Diamond are made from New York State wine juice. Rhapsody in Blueberry, a 100 percent blueberry wine, is a farm specialty and made from all-natural blueberries grown on the farm. All of the artfully, handcrafted wines can be sampled and purchased at the winery and at local wine shops in Cambridge, Greenwich and Saratoga Springs. Vineyard tours are available by appointment. Open daily from June – October, and 1-5 p.m. on weekends during the winter.

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Oliva Vineyards 2074 State Highway Route 4 Fort Edward, New York (518) 747-2156

Note-Worthy:

Oliva Vineyards combines the owners’ passion for wine with their love of horse racing, especially at Saratoga Race Course.

The Oliva family - like many Italian families - loves good food, good company, and, of course, good wine. These three things are what inspired the Olivas to start making their own wine.

Washington County’s most innovative winery is situated on a 150-acre Thoroughbred horse farm, the only establishment in the area which combines these two pleasures. Passion for wine and horses are at the heart of everything they do. Sitting across from the Hudson River in Fort Edward, it is also one of the few Upper Hudson Valley wineries that grows its own grapes. For $6, Oliva Vineyards offers tastings and a souvenir glass, or schedule a private tasting on the porch overlooking the Hudson River. The location is also the perfect spot for your special event. Merchandise features artwork, food and specialty items from local artisans. For wine and horse lovers like the Oliva family, Oliva Vineyards is the perfect getaway. So, from the Oliva family to yours, here’s to the finer things in life. Salute!

For more information, visit www.OlivaVineyards.com.

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Saratoga Winery

462 Route 29 Saratoga Springs, New York (518) 584-WINE (9463)

Note-Worthy:

The Saratoga Winery features a warm and inviting Adirondack-style atmosphere. Pull up a chair at the tasting bar, where you will experience a fun and informative wine tasting with the friendly staff. Enjoy a great selection of handcrafted whites, reds and blends, as well as signature all-natural Melomel wines. The Saratoga Winery uses only the finest selection of grapes from The Finger Lakes region of New York State. Live music from some of the area’s best local musicians and gourmet woodfired pizzas are featured every Friday evening from 6 - 9 p.m. Don’t forget to stop by the gift shop, where you will find everything from local products and Saratoga Winery merchandise to the perfect gifts and accessories for any wine lover. Come enjoy The Saratoga Winery, where the best thing to do is sit back, relax and experience great wine. For more information, visit www.TheSaratogaWinery.com.

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Saratoga

Fall Festival This community festival takes place Saturday, October 27 in downtown Saratoga beginning at 10 a.m and ending at 5 p.m. Bring the family for some good old-fashioned fun! Pumpkin rolling, costume parade, apple cider, cupcakes and more!

For more information, visit www.SaratogaDowntown.com.

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In search of a truly terrifying fall activity to get you in the Halloween spirit? Look no further than the Double M Ranch’s Haunted Hayride, serving up ghoulish thrills and ghastly fun for over 20 years at 678 Route 67 in Ballston Spa. This hayride is NOT for the faint of heart – children under the age of 14 years old must be accompanied by an adult. Along with the Haunted Hayride, attractions like the Zombie Outbreak, Psycho Path and the Scare House are sure to get your heart pumping and your spine tingling.

Rides begin after sundown the last weekend in September and continue Thursdays-Sundays until the final ride on Halloween night. Reservations are required and can be made by calling (518) 884-9122.

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a Saratog Fall Springs Festival October

27

Savethe Date

Saturday, September 8 - Sunday, September 9 Rustic Furniture Fair Renowned craftsmen from throughout the United States will showcase and sell their one-of-a-kind pieces of furniture, furnishings and Adirondack art. Enjoy music by Intermountain Trio throughout the weekend. Beat the crowds at the early buying opportunity from 8 - 10 a.m. $30. For more information, call (518) 352-7311.

Sunday, September 9 Saratoga Stroll for Epilepsy Come out and join others to walk for epilepsy! This is a three-mile walk through the beautiful Saratoga Spa State Park from 10:30 a.m. - 2 p.m.

For more information, call (518) 456-7501.

Thursday, September 13 Feast of the Fields Celebrate the conservation heroes of the Saratoga community and enjoy the bounty of local farms, prepared by area chefs. To reserve your spot at Feast of the Fields, call (518) 587-5554.

Casino Night & Silent Auction 2nd Annual Casino Event Fundraiser for the I AM I CAN nonprofit mentoring organization. The event will be held at the Canfield Casino in Saratoga Springs from 6 – 10 p.m. The cost of tickets will be $75. For more information, call (518) 688-3010.

Friday, September 14 Journey of a Lifetime: A Celebration of 100 Years Girl Scouts of Northeastern New York invites you: 6:30 – 10:30 p.m. National Museum of Dance & Hall of Fame, Saratoga Springs. Tickets are $100. For more information, call (518) 348-1413, ext. 402.

benefit the Saratoga / Wilton Soccer Club and Ballston Spa Pop Warner Football and Cheerleading Programs. Pre-game activities begin at 12:45 p.m.

Kickoff is at 1 p.m. For more information, visit www.allegiancebowl.com.

Fiber Festival For more information, see pg. 120.

Saturday, September 29 World’s Largest Garage Sale For more information, see pg. 121.

Native American Festival For more information, see pg. 122.

Tuesday, October 2nd Second Annual Saratoga County EOC Golf Tournament To benefit the Eoc’s various programs, such as; soup kitchens, food pantries, summer lunch programs, rural food deliveries and more come to the McGregor Links Country Club, 359 Northern Pines Road. Registration is at 8 a.m. and shot gun start is at 9 a.m. For more information, call (518) 587-3158, ext. 111.

Saturday, October 6 Second Annual Pooch Parade Come join Domestic Violence and Rape Crisis Services of Saratoga County for the Second Annual Purple Pooch Parade. Bring along your four-legged friends and don some purple to walk around Congress Park to raise awareness and support for victims of domestic violence. There will be purple bandanas, goodie bags, leashes and photography for everyone to enjoy. Each pooch requires a $5 registration fee, but humans walk for free. For more information, call (518) 584-0280.

Saturday, October 6 - Sunday, October 7 Gore Mountain Harvest Fest Don’t miss this fantastic event featuring local artisans and vendors, kids’ enterThursday, September 20 tainment, hearty fall food and drink menu, and live entertainment all weekend!

Balloon Fest For more information, see pg. 118. Free admission. For more information, call (518) 251-2411.

Saturday, September 22 The Adirondack Trust Allegiance Bowl Army vs. Post at Saratoga Springs High School Football Field to

Sunday, October 7 Family Fall Day The annual final weekend of the season at Grant Cottage, Mount McGregor.

Enjoy Civil War music by Joan Taub and Nancy Armstrong, activities for kids, and breathtaking autumnal views of the Hudson Valley from the Eastern Overlook ("Grant's Last View"). For more information, call (518) 584-4353.

10th Annual “The Way We Were” Car Show The 10th Annual "The Way We Were" Car Show takes place 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. in historic downtown Ballston Spa. Front Street in

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Ballston Spa will be closed to traffic from Milton Avenue past the Brookside Museum to display hundreds of classic and detailed cars and trucks, along with exhibitors, vendors, food and live music. This event is free to spectators. For more information, call (518) 885-2772.

Friday, October 12 Katrina Trask Consignment Sale Katrina Trask Nursery School is holding its semiannual consignment sale Friday, October 12 from 3 - 8 p.m. and a half-price sale Saturday, October 13 from 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. at the American Legion, located at 34 West Ave., Saratoga Springs. For more information, visit www.ktnurseryschool.org.

Sunday, October 14 JDRF Walk to Cure Diabetes Enjoy a family-friendly day at the beautiful Skidmore College Campus and raise money for diabetes research. Walk is three miles, rain or shine. Lots of entertainment, food and fun. For more information, call (518) 477CURE. Thursday, October 18 Hospice of Saratoga Benefit Elegant and plentiful food for a great cause attracts over 400 guests annually to the Community Hospice of Saratoga's "Touched by an Angel" benefit.

At The National Museum of Dance in Saratoga Springs, from 6 - 8:30 p.m.

15 food stations, assorted passed appetizers, two champagne and Saratoga Water stations, and a cash bar. Commemorate your special evening with a custom photo. For more information, call (518) 581-0800.

Saturday, October 20 Great Pumpkin Challenge This event features 5K (walk or run) and 10K (run) races through the beautiful and historic Saratoga Spa State Park. The day also includes a Fun Run for kids 12 and under. Pre-registered participants (by 10/1) receive long-sleeved moisture wicking T-shirts, a free raffle ticket for great prizes and all participants enjoy bountiful refreshments after the race. For more information or to register, call (518) 587-0723.

Greater Saratoga Springs area. In recognition of this most momentous event, they will be hosting a 100th year Anniversary Gala at the Saratoga National Golf Club. The evening will include a cocktail hour, elaborate dinner and desserts, music and dancing as well as a silent auction. For more information, call (518) 584-2370.

Saturday, October 27 Rolis Spook Fest At Rolis Muscle Cars, 70 Kardas Rd., Valley Falls, this will be the spookiest event of the year, so put on the costumes and dress up the vehicles and have a frighteningly good time. Custom made plaques for top 20 vehicles, top 20 best dressed vehicles, best themes, best club participant, candy bags, goody bags, costume contest for adults and kids. The registration fee for this event is a $10 minimum donation to the Ronald McDonald House of Albany. For more information, call (518) 753-7446.

Saratoga Springs Fall Festival The fun continues with countless activities around downtown: arts and crafts; cupcake decorating; spooky trolley rides; petting zoo; pumpkin decorating; pumpkin rolling races down Caroline Street; live music; trick or treating; bumper car rides; bounce around castle; Haunted Fun Palace. The event also features live music performed by local favorites. For more information, call (518) 587-8635.

Tuesday, October 30 DVRC’s 30th Anniversary Celebration Celebration of the Domestic Violence and Rape Crisis Services of Saratoga County's 30th anniversary at the Saratoga Springs City Center. There will be auctions to bid on and delicious food to enjoy, so bookmark the date.

For more information, call (518) 583-0280.

Saturday, October 20 Sunday, October 21 Northeast Fine Craft Festival Now in it's fourth year, the Northeast Fine Craft Festival returns with more than 50 juried artists, exhibiting and selling their unique creations in wood, metal, yarn, stone, paint and more! This two-day event features craft demonstrations, music, upscale food and a chance to see pieces worthy of a museum that you can make your own. For more information, call (518) 382-3884, ext. 187.

Sunday, October 21 Congregation Shaara Tfille's 100 year Gala Congregation Shaara Tfille and The Jewish Community Center of Saratoga, are pleased to announce that they will be celebrating their 100th year Anniversary operating in the

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Adirondack Getaways Sometimes you just need to get away from it all.

With the beautiful Adirondack Mountains only a short drive north from Saratoga Springs, escaping into the great outdoors could hardly be easier. As the forests come alive with brilliant fall colors, take in nature’s awesome display from some of the area’s many great lodges, cottages or bed and breakfasts.

Plan on staying for a few overnights yourself? Check out a few of these stuning inns for your getaway from the everyday.

Photo by Carl Heilman II www.carlheilman.com SaratogaTODAYNewspaper.com

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Photos by Randall Perry

Fern Lodge Reconnect in the Majestic Mountains Story by Christina James A hidden oasis tucked inside the towering Adirondack Mountains, the Fern Lodge is the epitome of luxury.

With nearly 30 years of hospitality experience, owners Sharon and Greg Taylor purchased the lodge’s 70acre property in 2005 and transformed it into the resort getaway of the Adirondacks.

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“It’s a real high-end luxury lodge,” said Sharon. “We have only five guest rooms, but they are all very large and have incredible amenities - fireplaces, king-size beds, Jacuzzi tubs and steam showers, private porches that overlook the lake - it’s a very private, quiet, luxurious setting.”

Bordering pristine Friends Lake, Fern Lodge’s majestic location ensures that each of the lodge’s five luxury guest rooms has SaratogaTODAYNewspaper.com

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an incredible view. Whether overlooking a glorious sunset reflecting in the tranquil waters of Friends Lake, or reveling over the magnitude of fall colors accentuating the mountainside trees, visitors will experience the sights and sounds of the Adirondacks from right within their rooms.

Should guests feel the need to venture from their private oasis, the lodge itself has amenities rivaling even the most exclusive resort destinations. The lodge’s Adirondack Great Room boasts vaulted log ceilings and a stone fireplace. In the evening, visitors can gather round the lakeside fire pit, grab a drink from the wine and beer bar or enjoy a film in the lodge’s nine-person theater.

The more ambitious guest can break a

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sweat in the lodge’s exercise room or go for a kayak ride along Friends Lake.

“A lot of guests don’t want to do anything,” said Sharon.

“They want to come here and lounge by the lake and have a fire in the evening. A lot of people even have massages right in their rooms. So you don’t NEED to go anywhere, but still, all the amenities of Lake George are very close by and we are only 45 minutes north of Saratoga.”

The lodge’s central location means that even the pickiest of vacationers will find multiple entertainment options.

Fort Ticonderoga, the Adirondack Museum, North Creek Railway and Gore Mountain are all nearby, while golf enthusiasts will find themselves in a virtual paradise, with more than seven courses in a 30-mile radius of the lodge.

“It’s a lovely day trip to Lake Placid,” said Sharon. “It’s only an hour. A little bit of everything is within reach.”

With its isolated, intimate, one-of-a-kind feel, Fern Lodge has become the go-to resort destination for vacationing couples everywhere. Hosting everything from anniversary getaways, to romantic honeymoons, the lodge is the perfect spot to reconnect.

“It’s a lakeside mountain lodge with an Adirondack feel,” said Sharon. “And that special place to get away with your special someone.”

For more information on how to book your relaxing retreat, visit the lodge’s website at www.thefernlodge.com, 144 | Simply Saratoga

email sharon@thefernlodge.com or call (518) 494-4238.

The Fern Lodge is located on beautiful Friends Lake in the Adirondacks, 46 Fiddlehead Bay Road, Chestertown, NY. SaratogaTODAYNewspaper.com

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“Nothing so liberalizes a man and expands the kindly instincts that nature put in him as travel and contact with many kind of people.”

Photo by Carl Heilman II www.carlheilman.com SaratogaTODAYNewspaper.com

– Mark Twain

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Ruah Bed & Breakfast

Photos Provided

Getting Away From it All Story by Christina James Located at the northern end of Lake George, Ruah Bed & Breakfast transports its guests to a time of greater peace and simplicity.

Owned and operated by Judith and Peter Foster, Ruah Bed & Breakfast was built in 1900 by the well-known artist Harry Watrous, a former president of the American Academy of Design in New York. When the Fosters purchased the home over 30 years

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ago, much of the Watrous estate, including many pieces of original artwork, remained intact.

“I would say around 50 percent of the furnishings in the home are still original,” said Judith. “There’s even an old, wonderful grand piano that was in the house when Harry Watrous owned it.”

With spacious and open common areas boasting breathtaking views of Lake George, Ruah also features four intimate, uniquelySaratogaTODAYNewspaper.com

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themed guest rooms, all equipped with working fireplaces, private bathrooms and spectacular lake and mountain views of their own.

With only minimal modern-day distractions, guests are offered the opportunity to truly get away from it all.

“We don’t have the things you would find in a major hotel,” said Judith. “We don’t have flat-screen TVs and we don’t have phones in the rooms, and a lot of our guests welcome that. They feel it’s the chance for complete relaxation and a welcome retreat from all the gizmos they have in their everyday lives.”

After a night of uninterrupted, blissful slumber, guests are awakened each morning to the delicious smell of a home-cooked breakfast.

“There’s a continental breakfast of cereals, fresh fruits, compote, baked goods, granolas, juice, coffee and tea, and I do a hot breakfast dish and breakfast meats to accompany it,” said Judith. “If guests just want a light breakfast, they can have that because it’s all served buffetstyle, so they can help themselves.”

After breakfast, guests have an endless selection of entertainment options available. Located at the last group of islands on Lake George,

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Ruah visitors often hop over to the Waltonian Islands for a day of picnicking and sunbathing.

“Guests will stop in town, maybe to our Hague General Store and pick up sandwiches and drinks, and then go over to the islands to swim and picnic,” said Judith. “There’s also fabulous Fort Ticonderoga, which is only 10 minutes away. And that is an absolute mustdo if you’re up in this area.”

With ample hiking, biking, boating and swimming opportunities, as well as countless museums, entertainment venues and antique shops, every guest that visits Ruah will find something they love to do.

“Ruah is from the Old Testament and means spirit of life, breath of life,” said Judith. “And that is what we offer here in Hague, a peaceful, quiet, romantic, elegant getaway to renew the spirit.”

For more information about Ruah Bed & Breakfast, to book a reservation or to check availability, visit www.RuahBB.com, email RuahBB@aol.com or call 1800-224-7549 or (518) 543-8816. Ruah Bed & Breakfast is located at 9221 Lake Shore Drive in Hague, NY.

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Whiteface Lodge The Rockefellers, The Vanderbilts, The Whitneys and You Story by Stefany McBrady Built in the style of the Historic Great Camps, owned by the most prominent families, Whiteface Lodge in Lake Placid pays homage to this style of rustic elegance, but with modern day amenities.

Young families, empty nesters and singles alike can enjoy the Whiteface Lodge Private Residence Club as their basecamp for all the activities the Lake Placid/High Peaks region has to offer. Whether hiking the 46 peaks or the countless trails, biking through the miles of scenic roadways, or exploring the myriad of restaurants, museums and shops in the region the days are filled with a flurry of activity. It’s a treat to return to your “home” in the Adirondacks.

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with a kitchen, living room with fireplace, dining room, separate bed room and private balcony or patio. It’s the perfect place to unwind after a busy day. The pool at the Lodge is a heated indoor and outdoor pool with a unique swim out feature that allows you to enjoy swimming outside year-round. Sip a drink in one of the three hot tubs delivered to you poolside as your take in the view of the mountains above and the catch and release fishing pond below.

The Lodge’s AAA rated Four Diamond restaurant, Kanu, serving breakfast, lunch and dinner, has a classic menu with an Adirondack twist. Enjoy lighter fare and specialty cocktails in the lounge while enjoying acoustic music each weekend. After dinner, enjoy nightly S’mores around the campfire in the Clubhouse or outside, weather permitting. Retire to the Cigar and Cognac Lean-to overlooking the ice skating rink, tennis courts and basketball court.

Kamp Kanu offers activities for children ages 3-6, 7-10 and 11-14 daily in the summer and weekends all year long, included with ownership at Whiteface Lodge. Adults can indulge in The Spa, rated in the Top 100 Spas in North America by Conde Nast, with signature spa treatments like a Maple Butter Massage or The Whiteface Peak Facial.

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Families and children of all ages will enjoy the old fashion game room, movie theater and ice cream parlor. Families can be found on the lush courtyard lawn playing soccer, lacrosse, catch or Frisbee. The fitness center is the rainy day option for physical activity. For those that need to catch up on email there is a business center. The Canoe Beach Club offers canoes, kayaks, and motor boats including a classic wooden Hackercraft to explore beautiful Lake Placid.

The Whiteface Lodge was created as an Adirondack Camp for children and adults. One, two three and four bedroom suites are sold as fractional ownership four weeks per year, one week in each season. This concept allows owners to return every twelve weeks, with the same group of owners.

Friendships form with people from all over the country.

Fractional ownership allows people to own the amount of time they use without the worry of maintenance. Create your own Adirondack Great Camp legacy. For more information, www.visit MyWhitefaceLodge.com.

Stefany McBrady is the Marketing Manager for Select Sotheby's International Realty. She developed her love of the Adirondack Region while earning her Master's Degree from SUNY Plattsburgh.

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Photos by Paul Oestreicher

Prospect Point Family History in the Adirondacks Story by Christina James Nestled on the shores of one of the most beautiful lakes in the Adirondacks, Prospect Point Cottages is the shining jewel of the Adirondack Park.

A cottage colony resort located on Blue Mountain Lake, Prospect Point offers breathtaking views of the picturesque mountainside while placing visitors in the thick of one of the region’s must-see destinations.

Owned and operated by brothers Paul and David Oestreicher, Prospect Point is a part of their family history.

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“Our parents first came to Blue Mountain Lake in 1955, stayed here, and fell in love with it,” said Paul. “Every summer for many years, they took us to Prospect Point to introduce us to nature and experience the place that meant so much to them.”

As time went by, the cottages began to deteriorate and most of them were eventually closed down. The then owner decided the best option was to sell the property and the Oestreichers took the news hard.

“We were heartbroken,” said Paul. “Terrified that this magical

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spot would be developed and a piece of heaven lost forever, and although they knew nothing about the hospitality business at the time, my parents eventually purchased the property.”

The Oestreichers have since transformed the 17 original cottages, turning them into what is now individual a world-class vacation destination. Each cottage is equipped with a fully-stocked kitchen, featuring full-sized refrigerators, stoves, ovens, microwaves, pots, pans and utensils. Most of the cottages feature cathedral ceilings and skylights, and all have picture windows, jaw-dropping views and inviting porches.

“We wanted the cottages to ooze with charm and rustic elegance,” said Paul.

“So we kept the knotty-pine walls and added wide-beamed floorboards and red brick accents on the floors and backsplash in the bathrooms and kitchens.”

Outside, cabin inhabitants can make good use of outdoor eating areas and take

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advantage of bonfires in their own personal fire-rings.

And for those unfortunate rainy days, cabins have the modern amenities of cable TV and high speed Internet, all in a delightful atmosphere.

“Enhancing the ambiance are authentic Persian and Amish rugs, sconces made just for us from antique snowshoes, and many rustic treasures strewn about, including a birch bark canoe in our library,” said Paul. “Hanging from the cottage walls are numerous Native American drums, rattles, buckskin clothing and other Native regalia. The cottages also literally glow with oil paintings, painstakingly rendered by hand after 19th-century masterpieces of American Woodland Art, framed in Twig and Birch bark in the true Adirondack style.”

Cottage guests have the added luxury of staying where they play. With opportunities for swimming from the beautiful, sandy beach; fishing for lake trout and land-locked salmon; exploring the great outdoors by hiking, canoeing or kayaking; or playing a friendly game of horseshoes, there’s something for everyone!

“Many of our guests enjoy the rustic, warm atmosphere so much that they put their car keys away and simply don’t leave the grounds at all while they’re here,” said Paul. “We have a fleet of complementary rowboats, canoes and kayaks to explore our crystal-clear island-studded lake, and just across the lake is the famed Adirondack Museum where you’ll find an incredible collection of indoor and outdoor exhibits which highlight the colorful history and supreme beauty of our region.”

Family-owned and operated with families in mind, Prospect Point Cottages is the perfect place for that special fun-for-everyone getaway.

“Nothing makes us happier than seeing a new generation of kids building sand castles on the same beach we played on as boys,” said Paul. “We were lucky enough to experience all this when we were growing up, and now it feels like it’s fallen on our shoulders to give other people the same kinds of memories we built.”

For more information on how to take your family trip to the incredible Prospect Point Cottages, visit www.prospectpt.com or call (518) 352-7378. Prospect Point Cottages is located on Route 28 in Blue Mountain Lake, NY. SaratogaTODAYNewspaper.com

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“Adopt the pace of nature; her secret is patience.”

– Ralph Waldo Emerson SaratogaTODAYNewspaper.com

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Garnet Hill Lodge Unplug and Recharge Story by Christina James Sprawling across 600 acres of pristine wilderness, Garnet Hill Lodge is the very definition of Adirondack rustic.

Offering the perfect lodging accommodations for both couples and families alike, Garnet Hill provides people the chance to escape from the stresses of everyday life and reconnect with their environment and each other in a tranquil, yet exciting setting.

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Boasting past guests that include even the Kennedy family, Garnet Hill provides an unparalleled caliber of service. With the lodge encompassing eight separate buildings and 25 guest rooms, new owners Don Preuninger and Mindy Piper took on the lodge only eight months ago - in part because the 1936 original structure fit their lifestlyes and personalities so well. “There’s a lot to offer for people who want to get away from Simply Saratoga |157

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standard motel and vacation spots to something more natural and rustic,” said Don. “We have a lot of homemade, handcrafted wood furniture. We also have pieces made from real logs with the bark still there for added character.”

The sheer number of rooms means a lot of guest options. Some rooms located in the lodge’s log house have beautiful balcony views of the mountains and lake.

Other rooms have Jacuzzi tubs and fireplaces. The room’s features are completely up to the guest.

“The different rooms have different capabilities,” said Don. “Generally, we do not have TVs in the main lodge, and while we do have phone service available free of charge, we don’t have phones in any of the rooms. We really want people to be able to come here and unplug and recharge.”

In addition to the more traditional property amenities of an on-site restaurant and lounge, Garnet Hill also has 30 miles of maintained trails, private tennis courts and mountain bikes, canoes and kayaks available for guest

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Owners Mindy Piper and Don Preuninger use.

“There’s whitewater rafting and a zip-line course nearby,” said Don. “There are lots of museums, and the Adirondack Museum, the Wild Center; they’re all within easy driving distance.”

With so many things to do within a short drive of the lodge, many guests are drawn to Garnet Hill because of its isolated location.

“We have a view off of our lawn that has no houses, no roads,” said Don. “Just a lot of mountains, trees and a beautiful lake. I’d say that’s the most unique aspect of the lodge, really. We build the rest of our atmosphere around that. There’s a lot of state land around us, and lake itself is almost all state owned, except for about 600 feet of beach, which the lodge has access to.”

For more information on how to plan your wilderness retreat, visit the lodge’s website at www.garnet-hill.com or call (518) 251-2444 or 1-800-497-4207. Garnet Hill Lodge is a four-season resort located at 39 Garnet Hill Road in North River, New York.

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eptember piders

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t’s been an unseasonably warm September so far.

The ninth month has always been one of my favorites, with warm sunny days for hiking and cool starry nights for easy sleeping. But the days have been near 90 degrees, and that’s just too hot for September.

But not, it seems, for spiders. Arachnids have always fascinated me – industrious and patient, these eight-legged monsters toil, wait and eat, oblivious to anything outside their complicated and beautiful webworld. And it seems these warm waning evenings of summer have inspired them to construct quite an array of tender traps all around the eaves of my cabin.

They’re more visible at night, since the construction process takes advantage of my overhanging lanterns and flower boxes. Through research, I surmise I am visited by two of the more than 2,000 known species: the garden spider and the common house spider.

The house spider, whom I’ve named Millie, has spun a typically dense web/tube design, anchored at the base of one of my lanterns. Millie has been at it for more than two weeks, and each night I discover yet another extension of the main house. Judging by the remnants of moths and flies scattered outside her doorstep, I can see her design has been successful; I can also see her belly is swollen with next spring’s spider-crop. Millie is shy, and rarely ventures more than an inch from her entrance, except when an unfortunate moth blunders into her parlor.

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by Bob English

The speed at which she strikes could probably be calculated at 80 mph in human terms. Within seconds, the struggling moth is stung, immobilized and prewrapped. Mille then retires to her abode, and awaits the moth’s slow demise. By morning, a few wings and a desiccated carcass are all that’s left of our poor night flyer. I can almost hear Millie burp.

Sophie, my garden spider, is much more bold. She has spun a gorgeous wheel-like orb, strung between an eave and a lamp. Almost two feet wide, it’s thoroughly sheltered from the elements, and is a beautiful addition to my porch.

Sophie is quite large, about an inch and half from nose to tail. Her eight pedal appendages are at least two inches long, and she has a fierce face with gleaming eyes. I am glad I’m not a bug.

But Sophie shows no interest in me. Each night, she’s either industriously spinning and repairing her web, or waiting patiently just on the edge of the eave. I watch almost as patiently, and we are soon rewarded with nature’s drama of life and death.

Another moth, this one quite large, is partially trapped. His fluttering is violent, tearing great holes in Sophie’s masterpiece. But each struggling flap only serves to entangle him more. I marvel at Sophie’s ingenuity.

She approaches with caution – after all, she has all night. She bounces as the web does, but is firmly anchored to its mysterious strength. How can she walk so daintily on this machine of death, while her victims are so powerless to escape it?

The moth begins to tire. I wonder if he can see Sophie, just inches from him, carefully watching, bobbing, calculating distance and venom dose. Sophie never loses patience, and gradually moves closer as the hapless moth SaratogaTODAYNewspaper.com

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Two months ago, Simply Saratoga put out the call to our local readership and asked them to pen and submit their own original short stories. The response was tremendous.

After considering some of the great, reader-submitted pieces, we decided to begin this new regular feature with a story by Bob English.

Interested in having your short story featured in Simply Saratoga? Check out our website, www.SaratogaTODAYNewspaper.com and our Facebook page for submission details for our next issue.

begins to realize his fate. Her final steps are quick and deadly. With a silent cry she leaps upon her victim, stabbing him repeatedly while rapidly wrapping him in sticky threads of doom. It is not pretty.

It’s over in about a minute. The moth is completely wrapped, and I wonder if he’s dead or still conscious and terrified inside his final cocoon. Sophie pauses, steps back to admire her handiwork, then advances upon the shroud, enveloping it with her legs, and begins to feast.

Her silent chomping sends delightful shivers down my spine.

It’s September, and almost time to close the cabin for the winter. Another month, and real frost will kill the remains of my impatiens and petunias. What will happen to Sophie and Millie? I know their progeny will be safely buried, to await the first warm tendrils of May, but are my spiders as doomed as their victims, once the hard frost sets in?

As I brush and sweep the exterior of the cabin on this warm late-summer day, I approach the deadly and beautiful homes of Millie and Sophie. I consider destroying all their work in the interest of cleanliness. But I stop.

I know these ladies. I have witnessed their beauty, their brilliance, their skill with life and death. Do I have the right, with one sweep of a broom, to ruin all their work, to destroy their homes, to wreak havoc on their livelihood?

Of course I do. They’re spiders. They’ll rebuild, and go on spinning and killing until the frost slows them down. Then they’ll either die or go wherever spiders go in the winter.

So with a silent thanks for the show, I sweep away their masterpieces and head off to split some firewood.

After all, it’s September.

Bob English is the owner of Luzerne Productions, a full-service video facility based in Saratoga Springs. He specializes in long- form videos, fundraisers and documentaries. He has produced videos for the Double H Ranch, St. Peter’s Hospital and Price Chopper, and has produced and directed full-length documetaries seen on WNYT. He directs the annual Melodies of Christmas program on WRGB. He is a producer, director and writer, and has been in television for more than 40 years. He is an avid reader, and writes short stories when his muse suggests them. He has a deep love for the Adirondacks and Lake Luzerne, and spends as much time as he can at his little cabin in the woods.

Contact info: www.luzerneproductions.com bob@luzerneproductions.com

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