Simply Saratoga Summer 2013

Simply The People. The Places. The Lifestyle.

Compliments of

CONTENT Summer Entertainment Issue

SUMMER IN SARATOGA 16

Saratoga Race Course

24

Race Course History

32

Saratoga Polo

66

Saratoga Souvenirs

112

Saratoga’s TOP 10

146

Dog Gone Friendly

16 24

FASHION

66

42 Galas 46 Hats 52 Fashion

A GOOD READ 72

Crafters Gallery

98

House of Intriguing Questions

118

Adirondack Extreme

124

Rainmaker Mark Straus

32

RESTAURANT REVIEW 80

The Brook Tavern

HOME & GARDEN 86

Carriage House Chronicles

96

Lily Love by Peter Bowden

46

52 80

Simply The People. The Places. The Lifestyle.

ADVICE 110

Simple Truths from Meghan Lemery

DINING & ENTERTAINMENT 134

Restaurant Guide

140

Save the Date

120

Compliments of

Cover Photo by Sharon Castro Photography

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From The Editor…

Simply

WOW – it’s here; didn’t I just sit down to write about the spring issue?!

I love Saratoga during this time of year… it reminds me of getting ready for company before a big holiday. Businesses and home owners are sprucing up their places… cleaning, gardening, sweeping the walks out front and “getting ready.”

Speaking of the people who are lucky enough to call Saratoga home, check out the BEST OF on page 143 and learn what the locals 201a T3oday’s g o t a Sar Fion know. These are the tried and true businesses that never O T S g e R E a g Bthe Sarato fail to impress us—try them, you will not be disappointed! ← LOOK FOR T HIS DECAL ALL OVER SARATOGA!

ARATOGA

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The People. The Places. The Lifestyle.

Owner/Publisher Chad Beatty General Manager Robin Mitchell Managing Editor Chris Vallone Bushee Production Director Richard Hale

BROUGHT TO YOU BY

Having just gotten back from a vacation destination myself, Here I am, in the Outerbanks of NC!!

I got to see what it’s like to look at a town through the eyes of an tourist… and hopefully you’ll like what we added to this summer issue, with the visitor in mind. ←

Advertising Jim Daley, Cindy Durfey Graphic Designers Eric Havens, Jessica Kane

Anybody who lives here has been asked, “Where do you get breakfast around here?” Well, we have T WO PAGES of breakfast options and another FOUR PAGES of all of the restaurants in town, broken out by such useful topics as, can I bring the kids? Can we sit outside? Will the game be on?

In addition to our regular year ‘round features, such as Chelsea Hoopes Silver’s Carriage House Chronicles, Hollis Palmer’s intriguing stories and our Rainmakers series which tells of the people responsible for building this awesome little “City in the Country,” we’re covering all the summer essentials. The Saratoga Race Course and its 150th Birthday Bash, Saratoga Polo and SPAC, just to name a few. And, did I mention, shopping, shopping and more shopping :- ) I have to close with a T HANK YOU to all of our advertisers who make it possible to provide this beautiful magazine free of charge—please mention where you saw them when frequenting their businesses. ~Happy Summer, Chris

☑

Writers Peter Bowden Brian Cremo Helen Susan Edelman Meghan Lemery Trina Lucas Patricia Older Hollis Palmer Chelsea Hoopes Silver Photographers MarkBolles.com Stock Studios Photography Published by Saratoga TODAY Newspaper Five Case Street, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866 tel: (518) 581-2480 fax: (518) 581-2487 saratogaTODAYnewspaper.com Printed By

YES I WANT HOME DELIVERY!

Hess Print Solutions 3765 Sunnybrook Road Brimfield, Ohio 44240

Enclosed is my $30 check for

postage. Please mail the next six issues of Simply Saratoga to:

Saratoga TODAY Five Case St., Saratoga Springs, NY 12866

Creative Director Jessica Kane

*Dont forget your check!

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 a ny means without prior written consent of the publisher. Copyright (c) 2013, Saratoga TODAY Newspaper

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CONTRIBUTORS Some suggestions from our contributors...

Peter Bowden

Peter has been the region's go-to garden guy for over 35 years. During his decades of garden center management he has had thousands of hours of conversations with customers. His knack for practical and concise explanations has served him well during his 20 year tenure as WRGB’s garden guy. He is an artist and avid photographer whose images have appeared in textbooks, magazines and travel guides. Peter lives with his wife, Sharon and their pets in an old house in the country.

Meghan Lemery

Meghan began her career in Boston where she spent five years counseling cancer patients at Dana Farber Cancer Institute. She returned to the Saratoga area and started in private psychotherapy practice. She currently has an office in Saratoga Springs and Glens Falls. She is also the author of her first published book titled “Please Pass the Barbie Shoes” which was published in Spring of 2011.

Grab a cup of coffee at one of the many hip, cool delicious coffee shops along Broadway and find a park bench to enjoy the people watching.

You will see everything from bikers to fashionista’s and everything in between. Sit back, relax and take it all in! ~Meghan Lemery

Brian Cremo

Brian is a writer from Scotia, who graduated from SUNY Plattsburgh with a degree in newspaper journalism. He is currently the sports editor for Saratoga TODAY. Brian has enjoyed travels across the United States but has always been at home with the places and people of upstate New York, who all have a story to tell.

Trina Lucas

Trina is Saratoga TODAY's event columnist and principal of sofiEvents, a boutique firm specializing in event marketing, public relations and sponsorship management. She first moved to Saratoga Springs in 1995, and after relocating to the Washington, DC, area in 2004, returned 'home' in 2010. Trina and her husband, Dave, are happy to be raising their Southern Belle in a community rich with history, culture and philanthropy.

Pack a picnic and attend Family Night at SPAC. Presented every Friday of the New York City Ballet and The Philadelphia Orchestra, kids are treated to fun pre-performance activities, including an instrument petting zoo and interactive workshops with principal dancers and musicians.

It’s a great way to inspire a lifelong love of the performing arts! ~Trina Lucas

Helen Edelman

Helen writes about other writers which can be a daunting task. She also writes about education, health care, the arts, and profiles of important and intriguing people she has met along the way. Edelman has been living in Saratoga Springs since 1970, when she arrived as a Skidmore freshman. Since then, she has had incarnations as a writer, journalist, marketer and anthropologist.

She is the mother of four children and grandmother to one goat named Ruby!

Patricia Older

Patricia made the move from Florida to Saratoga Springs in 1973. She currently lives in Middle Grove with her husband, two horses, two donkeys, four dogs, nine chickens, and one cat.

In 1998, Patricia was awarded first place for a feature article from the NYPA for a series on a local woman who had survived the Killing Fields of Cambodia along with her seven children.

Set your alarm clock, grab some breakfast (or buy a bagel and coffee on the way) and go to the track early on a beautiful morning to watch the horses exercise. There is nothing more powerfully elegant than a horse in motion. Free and rated G. ~Helen Edelman

Jessica Kane

Jessica is a Graphic Designer and Photographer with a love for animals, classic rock and a good laugh. After she obtained a Fine Arts degree from SUNY Oswego, she returned to Saratoga Springs to follow her dream of photography, design and creating. With her attention to detail and heightened creative background, Simply Saratoga was yet another perfect project for her to undertake! Here's to many more!

Chelsea Hoopes Silver

Chelsea Silver owns Silverwood Home & Gallery in downtown Saratoga Springs with her mother, Charlene. She is also a real estate agent for Town & Country Properties and does interior design consulting. She began writing her blog, The Carriage House Chronicles, in 2012, loving the new opportunity to virtually connect with other design-oriented folks- amateur and professional, local and afar. With degrees in English and American Fine and Decorative Arts, she is very happy to be combining these two passions in her new endeavor writing for Simply Saratoga.

Visit one of the area’s great museums or art galleries. The Tang at Skidmore always has great contemporary exhibitions and I’m sure I’ll be visiting the Hyde Collection in Glens Falls for their Georgia O’ Keefe show more than once this summer! ~Chelsea Hoopes Silver 14 | Simply Saratoga | Summer 2013 saratogaTODAYnewspaper.com

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Photos courtesy of NYRA

267 Union Avenue, Saratoga Springs, New York

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oted as one of the “Top 10 Sporting Venues In The World” by Sports Illustrated, Saratoga Race Course is one of horse racing’s most beloved tracks. With historical ambiance and modern day amenities and style, Saratoga Race Course is the place to find top Thoroughbred horse racing July through Labor Day each year. The 40-day meet draws the top horses, trainers and owners in the world to try their luck at “the Spa.” Known as the Graveyard of Champions, Saratoga Race Course has earned a reputation for being a challenging track for favorites. In fact, the dominant Man O’ War lost his only race against the aptly named Upset here at Saratoga.

General Information 2013 Saratoga Race Course Meet 40 days, July 19 to September 2, Dark Tuesdays Post times: 1 p.m. daily except: 11:35 a.m. on Travers Day, Saturday, August 24; 2:30 p.m. on Friday, August, 30; and 12:30 p.m. on Labor Day, Monday, September 2.

For information prior to the meet please phone (718) 641-4700 or (516) 488-6000. For information during the 2013 Saratoga meet (July 19 to September 2), please call (518) 584-6200.

Saratoga Race Course is a 350-acre racetrack in Saratoga Springs. The 2013 meeting will be 40 days long from Friday, July 19 to Labor Day, Monday, September 2. Saratoga is the home of the 144th Running of the Travers Stakes on August 24.

• • • • • •

Main Course: 1 1/8 Miles Turf Course: 1 Mile Steeplechase/Inner Turf Course: 7/8 Mile Attendance Capacity: 50,000 Trackside Dining: 2,200 Total Seating Capacity: 18,000, including picnic tables and benches.

Parking Trackside parking: $10. Gates open at 6:45 a.m. (Refunds available until 10 a.m. No refunds on Travers Day, Saturday, August 24) General Parking: Free Oklahoma Preferred Parking: $5. Gates open at 9 a.m.

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For dining options at the Track, check out our Restaurant Guide on pages 134-139

Handicapped parking available at Clubhouse and Grandstand. Applicable fees apply.

Admission Grandstand Admission: $3.

Clubhouse Admission: $5.

Travers Day: Grandstand $5, Clubhouse $10.

Reserved seating sold separately.

Breakfast: No admission charge for breakfast except on Travers Day, August 24, when Clubhouse admission fee applies. No refunds on Travers Day. Children under age 12 are admitted free with parent or guardian.

Admission gates open weekdays at 11 a.m. (except 8/30 and 9/2), weekends at 10:30 a.m. (except 8/24), Travers Day, August 24 at 7 a.m. Party at the Spa (8/30) at noon.

Current Day Seat Tickets Unsold seat tickets and “Sun Seat” tickets for the current saratogaTODAYnewspaper.com

day go on sale each raceday at 9 a.m. until 6 p.m. at the Reserved Seat Booth located at Gate A (Union Avenue).

(Tickets are available at 7 a.m. on Travers Day, August 24) Limit four per person. Cash, American Express, Visa and MasterCard are accepted. Ticket price does not include admission. For more information on reserved seats, call (800) 814-7846.

Traditions/Courtesies/Rules • Coolers are permitted in the backyard, apron and Top of the Stretch areas only. Coolers are not permitted anywhere inside the building. No glass is permitted to be brought onto the premises. Coolers may contain plastic bottles or cans and are subject to search by NYRA Security personnel.

• Pop-Up tents and umbrellas are restricted to the backyard area only. They are prohibited on the apron and by the

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•

•

•

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Paddock. However, if a pop-up tent or umbrella in the backyard is blocking another patron’s view of a TV monitor, tote board, etc., then the obstruction must be removed.

It is a long-time race track tradition that you can “reserve” a bench seat with a newspaper or program. We ask that you respect this tradition, but please be aware that our security personnel will not intercede in any debate regarding this matter.

Backyard Picnic Tables: Another tradition is that anyone coming to the track early (after 7 a.m.) can reserve a picnic table by putting their articles on that table (onetable per person). You must then exit the track when the morning breakfast patrons leave and pay to re-enter at the time the gates open for racing.

After the official opening of the first floor Carousel (11 a.m. weekdays, 10:30 a.m. weekends; 7 a.m. Travers Day), patrons may “reserve” seating by placing their property on the table. “Reserved” tables not claimed by post time of the first race are subject to release.

There is NO SMOKING permitted anywhere inside the building, including the reserved seats, box area and all dining areas.

Wheelchair Access Areas: There are specially marked areas for wheelchairs only behind reserved seat sections J (Clubhouse) and M (Grandstand).

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•

Resale of tickets: Tickets may not be resold or offered for resale at a premium in excess of the amount allowed by any federal, state or local law or regulation; the NYS legislature prohibits any resale of tickets within 1,000 feet of the Race Track’s property line.

Track Services Binocular Rentals Located on the first floor, Clubhouse and Grandstand.

ATM Machines For your convenience, ATM machines are at the following locations: •

First floor Grandstand at the end mutual window, closest to the finish line • First floor Grandstand near First Aid • First floor Grandstand adjacent to Saratoga Silks • Picnic area, outside the Guest Services Office • Picnic area, Mutual Bay adjacent to the Reserved Seat Box Office • Second floor Clubhouse behind Reserved Seat Section C

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First Aid Located on the first floor, Grandstand, behind the Carousel Mini Theatre.

Dress Code Attention Fans: Please take note of Saratoga’s new and more fan-friendly dress code:

Lost and Found Located in the Security Office, first floor, Mezzanine, west end.

•

Race Replay Centers Located in the First Floor Clubhouse and the Carousel Mini Theatre.

• •

Paddock Saddling Area & Winner’s Circle: No shorts or abbreviated wear permitted. Gentlemen—collared shirts required.

Box Seat Area: No shorts or jeans permitted. Gentlemen—suits or sports jackets required.

Turf Terrace: Neat Casual Attire. No jeans, shorts or abbreviated wear permitted. Gentlemen—collared

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•

• •

shirts required. Management reserves the right to use its discretion to determine neat casual attire.

At the Rail Pavilion, The Porch, Club Terrace & Carousel Restaurant: Gentlemen—No tank tops. No short-shorts, cut-offs or abbreviated wear permitted. Proper attire at management’s discretion.

Luxury Suites: No abbreviated wear permitted. Gentlemen—no tank tops. Proper attire at management’s discretion.

Clubhouse: No short shorts, cut-offs or abbreviated wear permitted. No tank tops. Proper attire at

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•

management’s discretion.

Grandstand: Shirts and shoes required.

People 12 years old and over must abide by the dress code.

Coolers Coolers are permitted on the trackside apron, the Top of the Stretch and backyard picnic area. Coolers are not permitted anywhere inside the building. ALL GLASS CONTAINERS ARE PROHIBITED. Coolers may contain plastic bottles or cans and subject to search by NYRA security.

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Giveaways

SHORT SLEEVE T-SHIRT Sunday, July 28

FOURSTARDAVE BOBBLEHEAD Sunday, August 11

SARATOGA RACE COURSE MODEL Sunday, August 18

SARATOGA BEER STEIN

Sunday, September 1

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History of Saratoga Race Course

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horoughbred racing has no finer setting than Saratoga Race Course, which this year will celebrate the 150th anniversary of its opening. Named one of the world’s greatest sporting venues by Sports Illustrated, the past comes alive in the historic grandstand every summer as fans experience not only the best in racing, but the unmatched ambience and charm of historic Saratoga Springs.

Already famous for its mineral baths, Saratoga held its first thoroughbred meet just a month after the Battle of Gettysburg. Staged by gambler, casino owner, ex-boxing champion and future congressman, John “Old Smoke” Morrissey, and beginning on August 3, 1863, the four-day meet drew thousands of locals and tourists who saw Lizzie W. defeat Captain Moore in the best-of-three series of races.

Emboldened by the success of that first meet, Morrissey promptly enlisted his friends John R. Hunter, William Travers and Leonard Jerome to form the Saratoga Association. Its first responsibility was the construction of a new, permanent grandstand on the current site of Saratoga Race Course. Across the street, the “old course” became the barn area known as Horse Haven, with the vestiges of the original track still encircling the stables.

While the summer meet routinely drew weekday crowds of more than 10,000 during the 1950s, there was concern that the Greater New York Association, formed in 1955, would run a concurrent meet downstate. In April, 1957, Governor Averill Harriman signed into law a bill that prohibited a simultaneous downstate meet and also guaranteed a minimum of 24 days of racing at the Spa. In 1963, the construction of the Northway provided a direct highway route from the Thruway exit in Albany to the racetrack.

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Nowadays, the population of Saratoga Springs triples to 75,000 when the thoroughbreds return each summer, with those who come for the races discovering the area’s amazing breadth of history and culture.

With more than 1,000 buildings on the National Register of Historic Places, Saratoga Springs was honored with the first American Heritage Magazine “Great American Place” award and the National Trust for Historic Places’ “Great American Main Street” award. Walking Magazine cited it as one of America’s “Most Walkable Cities.”

Saratoga Springs is home to the National Museum of Racing, the Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC),

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the National Museum of the Dance, Skidmore College, and many art galleries. Resplendent in Victorian architecture, it also boasts Yaddo Rose Gardens, the Little Theatre at SPAC, the Saratoga Music Hall and the Foundation for Baroque Music. Nearby, Saratoga Battlefield in Stillwater is dedicated to “The Turning Point of the American Revolution,” while Ulysses S. Grant’s Cottage at Mt. McGregor is where the bankrupt former president and Civil War hero, wrote his memoirs and restored his family’s fortune.

Although some may quibble with the order, it’s no wonder that Saratoga’s motto is “Health, history, and horses.”

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BASIC PHYSICAL DATA OF SARATOGA RACE COURSE GROUNDS Area of Site 350 acres NYRA Parking Capacity 6,000 cars Main Course 1 1/8 miles Turf Course 1 mile Steeplechase Course— Inner Turf Course 7/8 mile Oklahoma Course 1 mile Turf & Steeplechase Course 7/8 mile Clare Court Course 1/2 mile 5 CCTV Race Patrol Camera Towers—40’ high Chartered and Tour Bus Parking GRANDSTAND Length 1,305 feet Depth (Varies) 150 feet Height (Clubhouse) 4 Stories Height (Grandstand) 2 Stories Floor Area 385,000 sq. ft.

STABLE AREA Stabling Capacity 1,830 Stalls Dormitory Capacity (489 Rooms) 1,025 Personnel Barns 91 FACILITIES PROVIDED Attendance Capacity 70,000 Park Area (Added) 25,000 Estimated Trackside Dining 2,170 Other Dining 1,600 Total Seating Capacity (including picnic tables and benches) 18,000 Closed-Circuit TV Monitors (Public) 1,000+ Kitchens 4 Dining Areas 7 Toilets 23 Elevators 5 Escalators 6 Pari-Mutuel Windows 700+ Ambulances 1 Hospital 5 beds First Aid Room 4 SARATOGA ON-TRACK RECORDS One-Day Attendance 72,745 on August 11, 2007 One-Day Handle $10,614,786 August 23, 2003 (Travers Day) Track Attendance 1,049,309 in 2003 Average daily attendance 29,147 in 2003 Meeting handle (includes downstate) $140,277,616 in 2011 Average daily handle $3,742,773 in 1993 Opening Day in July 32,913 on July 24, 2002 Opening Day in August 30,658 on August 2, 1989 One-week attendance 195,987 (Fourth week in 2003) One-week handle $25,989,156 (Third week in 1990) Largest weekday crowd 34,287 on August 17, 1983 Largest weekday handle $4,392,683 on August 18, 1989

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Saratoga’s Top 20 Famous Races Enjoy this list of the top 20 races at Saratoga Race Course over the past 150 years as selected by Allan Carter, Historian at the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame.

Vote for your favorite when you’re finished reading about each race.

Races are listed in chronological order. Hall of Fame Horses are in bold.

• •

Race 1: August 2, 1864: Kentucky wins the first Travers Stakes, the first race held on the new Saratoga Race Course. He would later win the first two Saratoga Cups.

Race 2: July 16, 1872: Harry Bassett defeats Longfellow in the 2¼ mile Saratoga Cup. The loser’s shoe flipped at the beginning of the race, and despite running the entire event as a virtual cripple, he lost by only

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•

• •

one length while pressing his opponent to set a new world record for the distance.

Race 3: July 31, 1916: Stromboli wins the Saratoga Handicap. Others in the field were champions Friar Rock (second), Short Grass (fourth), The Finn (seventh), and the prohibitive favorite, Regret (eighth and last), the first filly to win the Kentucky Derby, who suffered the first loss of her career in this race.

Race 4: August 1, 1918: 7-year-old Roamer wins the Saratoga Handicap, setting a new track record by two seconds for 1 ¼ miles.

Race 5: August 17, 1918: Sun Briar, the previous year’s champion 2-year-old male, wins the Travers. Finishing second was Johren, the winner of that year’s Belmont Stakes, and eventual Horse of the Year; third was War Simply Saratoga | Summer 2013 | 27

•

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Cloud, winner of that year’s first division of the Preakness; and fourth and last was Exterminator, Sun Briar’s stablemate and surprise winner of that year’s Kentucky Derby.

Race 6: August 13, 1919: Upset defeats Man o’ War in the Sanford Memorial, the only loss of Man o’ War’s career.

Race 7: August 16, 1930:100-1 long shot Jim Dandy defeats that year’s Triple Crown winner Gallant Fox in the Travers. It was the winner’s only victory in 20starts that year, and Gallant Fox’s only loss in 10 starts, all stakes.

Race 8: August 10, 1935: Discovery, the winner of three Whitneys and three Brooklyn Handicaps, wins the Merchants’ and Citizens’ Handicap while carrying 139 pounds.

Race 9: August 16, 1941: Whirlaway wins the Travers, becoming the only Triple Crown winner to do so.

Race 10: August 5, 1946: Pavot, champion 2-year-old male of 1944, wins the Wilson. Others in the field were Gallorette (second), that year’s champion older mare and Horse of the Year; Polynesian, (fourth), 1947 champion sprinter and later sire of Native Dancer; Stymie (fifth), champion handicap horse of 1945 and multi-stakes winner in 1946; and Lucky Draw (seventh), another multi-stakes winner that year.

Race 11: August 18, 1962: Jaipur, that year’s champion 3-year-old male, defeats Ridan in the Travers. The two raced the entire 1 ¼ miles as a team in one of the most exciting races in Saratoga history.

Race 12: August 17, 1963: Crewman wins the Travers at 20-1. Also in the race were Chateaugay, winner of that year’s Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes, Preakness winner Candy Spots and 1962 2-year-old male champion Never Bend.

Race 13: August 19, 1967: Damascus, winner of that year’s Preakness and Belmont, wins the Travers by 22 lengths in the slop.

Race 14: August 3, 1968: Dr. Fager, that year’s champion handicap horse, grass horse and sprinter and Horse of the Year, wins the Whitney by eight lengths while carrying 132 pounds.

Race 15: August 4, 1973: Onion, who had earlier set a track record for 6 ½ furlongs, defeats Triple Crown winner Secretariat in the Whitney.

Race 16: August 1, 1985: Lady’s Secret, 1986 Horse of the Year, defeats 1985 champion 3-year-old filly Mom’s Command in the Test. Lady’s Secret went off at 10-1, and Mom’s Command went off as the 1-2 favorite.

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Race 17: August 22, 1987: Java Gold wins the Travers, after earlier winning the Whitney. Included in the field were Cryptoclearance, Polish Navy, Belmont Stakes winner Bet Twice, Gulch and Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner Alysheba.

• Race 18: August 20, 1994: Holy Bull outruns his pedigree when he stubbornly held off the onrushing Concern to win the Travers.

• Race 19: September 5, 2009: Preakness winner Rachel Alexandra becomes the first filly to win the Woodward when she withstands separate challenges by D’Tara, Bullsbay and Macho Again to prevail by a head.

• Race 20: August 21, 2010: Blind Luck, that year’s champion 3-yearold filly, wins the Alabama by a neck over Havre de Grace, winner of the 2011 Woodward and Horse of the Year.

•

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Five Chances to Wager $15,000 of Someone Else’s Money On August 3, 2013, the date of the first race at Saratoga 150 years ago, Sesquicentennial Honorary Chairs Marylou Whitney and John Hendrickson will present the first prize winner with his or her choice of which horse to direct the $15,000 win wager on.

The $15,000 wager-choice promotion will be offered each Saturday, thereafter, throughout the remainder of the 2013 race season.

The other designated races are: • • • •

August 10, the $500,000 Fourstardave Handicap August 17, the $600,000 Alabama Stakes August 24, the $1 million Travers Stakes August 31, the $750,000 Woodward Stakes

Each individual will be chosen randomly from a contest entry form that must be completed on the Saratoga150. com website.

Contestants must provide their full name, email address and telephone number on the entry form and indicate that they have read and understand the official contest rules. Email addresses, names and telephone numbers submitted for this contest will not be shared or sold.

This brief overview is provided by Saratoga 150, but the Official Contest Rules should be reviewed by entrants. For more information visit www.saratoga150.com/experience/ saratoga150-contest.

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Building

M

Saratoga Polo

emories

Tips from a Saratoga Polo Veteran

Story By Bob Bullock Photos courtesy of Saratoga Polo Association

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F

or those of us who have been around Saratoga Polo for the past several decades, the weeks and months leading up to July and the beginning of the polo season carry a special sense of expectation. For while the race course is built on a constant sense of change, polo offers a familiarity in a city that has prided itself on preserving that which is beautiful and elegant for nearly a century-and-a-half.

Having served on the staff of Saratoga Polo since 1987, there are certain memories that, to me, loom large. And, while these memories are important, they don’t define my

experience, they are part of it. For me, and indeed for all of our fans, what is important is the notion that each season offers the opportunity to perfect what are priceless and long-lasting memories.

For the Saratoga Polo newcomer, the memories begin with the venue itself. Nestled between the Spa City’s downtown and the rolling hills to the city’s west, Saratoga Polo has been described as one of the most beautiful sporting venues in this part of the world. Part of it is the broad expanse that constitutes each and every polo field, but there

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is something more here. For we veterans, there is an unspoiled quality that accompanies the vista. At the end of every match, on the part of virtually all of our spectators, there is an unwillingness to leave the tranquility of the field as the sun sets and the horses are cooled down after a hard afternoon of sport, only to be loaded into trailers and sent back to the barns. This is the time when the family of polo comes together: players, officials, sponsors, and spectators from both our clubhouse and general admission side. It is at the end of the match that our fans have an opportunity to reflect on the majesty of what they have seen and establish bonds that, in some cases, have lasted for decades.

There is also an elegance to Saratoga Polo that has grown over the years. In the beginning, decades ago, our Player’s Club members found shelter from the elements under temporary circus tents, erected for the duration of the season. Through the vision of former owner, the late Bill Ylvisaker, a titan in American polo, a state-of-the-art clubhouse was erected that, today, serves as the center of the Saratoga Polo fan experience.

For those seeking to entertain clients or enjoy the match with some of the finest dining anywhere, a clubhouse membership is a very effective investment. Our food

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and beverage partners, Old Daley Catering and Events, takes our cuisine to levels previously unrivalled with a fine bistro menu at the Clubhouse. Saratoga Polo is now offering exclusive premium seating in the hard sided tent and special menu that includes premium tickets in the VIP Suites of the tent. It’s perfect for business-to-business gatherings, or that special get-together with that extra bit of attention. If there is anything that can be done to enhance the Saratoga Polo hospitality experience, count on longtime owners Jim Rossi and Mike Bucci.

But the fun is not limited to the clubhouse. Some of our most important fans come from the general admission side. For them, polo is about family and friends. Talk to your neighbors on the general admission side and you may just find that the number of evenings that they have spent watching polo over a picnic may number in the hundreds.

On the field, the horse, faces and team names may have changed but not

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the spectacle. Since its modern inception, Saratoga Polo has been committed to bringing together players from around the globe, each committed to playing to the very best of their potential. We have even added new features like the now familiar Veuve Clicquot Women’s Tournament, an event that, since its inception, has positioned us as a leader within the sport, nationally. With all this variety, it is clear that the spectacle of a Saratoga Polo match is still one of the Spa City experiences that defines a visit to this equine capital.

Years ago, in 1987, we at Saratoga Polo attempted to set the world record champagne cork popping. While the conditions proved not to be ideal for the record attempt, what that event demonstrated to many was our commitment to make a Saratoga Polo visit ultimately entertaining. Through the creativity of owner Jim Rossi and Director of Events Alan Edstrom and many of our partners, count on diversity and fun. We’re not just about sport. Watch for our many competitions, like the hat competition or our tailgate picnic competition, where our spectators are able to join our players in competition for a night.

For me, each and every one of the past 25 years has been a blessing and a chance to add to a lifetime of memories.

What will your Saratoga Polo memory be? v

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Sabrage

A

fter a match, everyone looks forward to celebrating a victory with bottle after bottle of Champagne, and joy is in the air. But leave it to polo aficionados to focus on a ceremony that combines a little bit of the bubbly with the flair of a sword, and leave it to a strong willed woman, Barbe Nicole Ponsardin—aka Veuve Clicquot, to use this “Sabrage” technique to promote her family’s Champagne in such theatrical style.

When she took over her husband’s company and it became the largest exporter of Champagne for the Royal Courts in the Russian Empire and France, she began to organize parties for officers to enjoy before battle. As the soldiers were riding on horseback, it was difficult to open the foil and cage and take the cork out. So, one day, a young officer took out his sword and beheaded the bottle with a stroke of his blade—and the celebratory tradition stuck.

Saratoga Polo invites all its guests to join us as we present this art of the victory on the legendary Whitney Field, and salute what Barbe Nicole Ponsardin made popular the tradition that Veuve Clicquot continues today, with the opportunity to sabre a bottle at a match for just $100. v

2013 Special Events All Season Long • Oh Say Can You Sing National Anthem Sponsored by Mamatoga and Adirondack Appliance • Trophies Sponsored by Saratoga Paint and Sip Studio • Printing and Scorecards Sponsored by Quill Media Group • Crowd Photos Sponsored by Image Photo • Polo Photos by Cliff Oliver July 12: Celebrate Saratoga Tournament • Alex and Ani Bangle Bar • Party of 3 performs at Saratoga Polo after the match saratogaTODAYnewspaper.com

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July 14: Celebrate Saratoga Tournament Saratoga Living Magazine Cup • Alex and Ani Bangle Bar • Hat Contest • Hats from Hatsational!

• SPURS USA Classic Country Band Sponsored by Hatsational! and Prospect Mortgage • Saratoga Living Celebrates the Saratoga 150 Anniversary: Toast to Saratoga Race Course’s 150th Birthday with signature cocktails created by ten Saratoga Springs bars and restaurants featuring Moet Hennessey.

July 19: Alex and Ani Presents Women’s Week Featuring the Veuve Clicquot Women’s Challenge • Alex and Ani Bangle Bar • Alex and Ani Cup July 21: Alex and Ani Presents Women’s Week Featuring the Veuve Clicquot Women’s Challenge • Alex and Ani Bangle Bar • Whitney Cooper Fashions • Veuve Clicquot Cup July 26: Mid Summer Celebration Tournament • Party of 3 performs at Saratoga Polo after the match

August 9: RAM Polo Hall of Fame Challenge Cup Tournament Sponsored by Zappone Chrysler August 11: RAM Polo Hall of Fame Challenge Cup Tournament Sponsored by Zappone Chrysler August 16: The Hector and Susan Barrantes Cup Tournament Sponsored by RBC Wealth Management • The DP Miller Associates Cup August 18: The Hector and Susan Barrantes Cup Tournament Sponsored by RBC Wealth Management • The RBC Wealth Management Barrantes Cup August 23: The Yvlisaker Cup Tournament August 25: The Yvlisaker Cup Tournament • Hat Contest • SPURS USA Classic Country Band Sponsored by Hatsational! and Prospect Mortgage August 30: The SPA Anniversary Cup Tournament September 1: The SPA Anniversary Cup Tournament

July 28: Mid Summer Celebration Tournament August 2: Whitney Cup Tournament • Alex and Ani Bangle Bar • Party of 3 performs at Saratoga Polo after the match sponsored by Zoom Fitness August 4: Whitney Cup Tournament • Alex and Ani Bangle Bar

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Parties, Benefits and Soirees—oh my!

It’s summer and the spotlight is shining brightly on Saratoga Springs. As the city celebrates 150 years of the Saratoga Race Course, countless benefits and galas are kicking things up a notch, or three, in honor of the significant milestone. There is never a shortage of occasions during a Saratoga summer, but this year could be the busiest season yet. Every fundraiser on the calendar promises fun for a worthwhile cause, and will surely deliver. For the post-event skinny, be sure to read “RSVP” every Friday in Saratoga TODAY, and follow the newspaper on Facebook to see photos of all the festivities, fashions and fabulous supporters. Here’s to an exceptional summer ahead! These are just a sampling of the many exciting parties awaiting your RSVP…

Light Up the Night • Friday, July 12

Title sponsor MVP Health Care will join Albany Medical Center at Saratoga National Golf Club to raise vital funds for the AMC Emergency Department. Honorary chairs Marybeth and C.J. DeCrescente, with Dr. Vincent Verdile and his wife, Lou-Ann, will welcome guests for cocktails, specialty foods and desserts, music by the New York Players, souvenir photos from Image Photo & Events and fireworks. Honorary committee reservations start at $250 per person; limited individual reservations are also available for $200. www.amc.edu/lightupthenight

The Ruby Ball —Ballet Gala • Saturday, July 13

Presented by the Saratoga Performing Arts Center’s Action Council, The Ruby Ball is a gala celebration of the New York City Ballet’s summer residency in Saratoga. The theme is inspired by the night’s feature of Balanchine’s brilliant RUBIES, the second section of full-length Jewels, showcasing Karinska’s famous, red-jeweled costumes. Guests of The Ruby Ball will enjoy a red-carpet sparkling reception by Mionetto, a delicious gourmet dinner in the Hall of Springs and an Afterglow Reception of coffee and ruby sangria, with music by The Bad Chaperones.

The Ballet Gala Lawn Party — A Royal Garden Affair • Saturday, July 13

SPAC’s Junior Committee will host their annual Lawn Party to complement The Ruby Ball. Presented by Smirnoff Sorbet, this English-style affair will reflect the style of Buckingham Palace garden parties with the adornment of the Royal Family’s Crown Jewels. Attendees will be able to participate in picnic and costume contests, and experience world-class dance performances, including Peter Martins’ new ballet “Bal de Couture,” the Saratoga Premiere of Christopher Wheeldon’s “This Bitter Earth,” and Jerome Robbins’ beloved “West Side Story Suite.” (Those at both The Ruby Ball and the Lawn Party will have front row seats for a spectacular fireworks display following the ballet, and can then dance the night away with Soul Session. www.spac.org)

20th Annual Marini Builders Siro’s Cup • Thursday, July 18

On the eve of opening day at the Saratoga Race Course, the Center for Disability Services’ annual party will honor Ramon Dominguez, three-time winner of the Eclipse Award for Outstanding Jockey. Admission includes a seasonal buffet, open bar and live music on the tented patio at Siro’s Restaurant. www. cfdsny.org

65 Roses Gala • Friday, July 19

After a winning Opening Day, the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation invites supporters to stroll down the street for an extraordinary evening under the stars at Fasig Tipton. The gala will offer specialty cocktails, a divine dinner from Mazzone Hospitality, dancing to the New York Players and an auction of jewelry, vacation packages, race car experiences and more.

Reservations are $190 per person. www.cff.org/chapters/neny

The White Party Gala • Saturday, July 20

Event co-chairs Beth Alexander and Heather Straughter, and honorary chairs Sonny and Julie Bonacio, will welcome the community to Saratoga Bridges’ annual benefit at Fasig Tipton.

Guests can sip complimentary cocktails from DIAGEO while dining from unique food stations. The party also features live and silent auctions, music by Gravity, hand-rolled cigars from James and Sons Tobacconists and Heather Bohm-Tallman’s Crazy Photo Booth. Attire is white cocktail or summer casual. The cost is $150 per person. www.saratogabridges.org

An Unbridled Affair • Monday, July 22

After opening weekend, have An Unbridled Affair with CAPTAIN Youth and Family Services at Saratoga Polo in Greenfield. The fifth annual fundraiser will celebrate 150 years of the Saratoga Race Course with honorary chairs, Gary and Jennifer Contessa and event chair Marylou Wheeler. www.captainyfs.com

Cocktails & Couture for the Cure Monday, July 22

Saratoga National Golf Club will set the runway for Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation’s fashion show presented by Fancy Schmancy Couture. Cocktails and hors d’oeuvres will be served, and gentlemen can enjoy a scotch tasting and cigar station. Tickets are $100. www.neny.jdrf.org

A Night in Tuscany • Thursday, July 25

The American Cancer Society HopeClub brings a taste of Tuscany to Fasig Tipton. This year’s event will honor Paula and Lisa Bloch, celebrating The Harold L. Bloch Cancer Resource Center located inside HopeClub. Attendees will feast on a delectable Tuscan dinner with regional wines, bid on live and silent auctions, and dance to the New York Players. Cocktail attire. Reservations are $100 for those 35 and under; $150 for individual tickets; and $200 for members of the Honorary Committee. www.cancer.org/hopeclub

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A Summer Evening in Saratoga Thursday, July 25

This year marks the 20th celebration for Seton Health Foundation. Their annual gala and garden party at the National Museum of Dance is a tradition for those looking to step out after an afternoon at the track. As in years past, the Century House will present an incredible array of hors d’oeuvres and unique cocktails. www.setonhealth.org

Saratoga’s Finest Fillies • Thursday, July 25

Vapor’s Party for a Cause is back! Spend a night with Saratoga’s Finest Fillies, betting to benefit Jake’s Help From Heaven. The racing card includes founder Heather Straughter, board member Julie Johnson, and a bevy of Jake’s finest friends. www.jakeshelpfromheaven.com

Fashionable Fillies Luncheon Tuesday, July 30

Tuesdays may be dark on the track, but they’re bright and lively around town. Gather friends for the third annual Fashionable Fillies Luncheon at the National Museum of Dance. The fun, flirty event showcases a silent auction of new and previously carried designer handbags and accessories.

Reservations are $150 per person with proceeds supporting the museum and The Jockey Club Safety Net Foundation, a charitable trust that provides financial relief and assistance to needy members of the Thoroughbred industry and their families. www.tjcfoundation.org

Polo by Twilight • Tuesday, July 30

The 34th annual Palamountain Scholarship Benefit for Skidmore College will spotlight live and silent auctions, and a delicious dinner catered by Skidmore’s renowned Dining Services Department, not to mention a lively polo match. The evening is $75 for guests 30 and under, $100 if ages 31-40, and $125 per person for general admission. www.skidmore.edu/palamountainbenefit

31st Annual Benefit Auction Wednesday, July 31

One of the must-attend parties of the summer, the annual auction for Saratoga Hospital takes place on the Polo Meadow at Saratoga Casino and Raceway. Always a fun party, the invitation prohibits suit coats and ties! The event kicks off at 6 p.m. with the infamous live auction at 7p.m. Tickets are $150 per person, or $100 for those 21-36. www.saratogacarefoundation.org

12th Annual Awards Dinner & Charity Auction • Thursday, August 1

This year, Equine Advocates will present Jack Knowlton with their Safe Home Equine Protection Award and Assemblyman Jim Tedisco with the Ellen & Herbert Moelis Equine Savior Award. The gala at Saratoga Springs City Center, co-chaired

by Emmy and Tony Award-winning actress Bebe Neuwirth and Julie Bonacio, will include cocktails, hors d’oeuvres, a live auction and sit-down dinner. www.equineadvocates.org

The Big Eighties Dance Party Saturday, August 3

Studio PRIME presents The Big Eighties Party on the grounds of Saratoga National Golf Club. Chairs Margie and Michael Rotchford will welcome guests to the totally awesome event benefitting Medical Missions for Children. Once again, the spotlight will shine on New York City’s The Dennis Collins Band, but it will be Dance Fever’s Deney Terrio who heats up the crowd. Tickets are $250 per person. mmfcstudioprime@yahoo.com saratogaTODAYnewspaper.com

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Visión—A Look at Life Behind the Scenes • Tuesday, August 6

The Saratoga County Economic Opportunity Council invites the community to a breathtaking photography exhibit and cocktail reception on the Clubhouse Porch at the Saratoga Race Course. The evening is part of a larger project supporting the Latino Community Advocacy Program of the Saratoga EOC. Light fare and drinks will be served to the music of the Garland Nelson Ensemble. www.saratogaeoc. org/vision

A Tribute to the Copacabana • Saturday, August 10

Always a spectacular event, this year’s National Museum of Dance gala will kick off with the induction of Judith Jamison into the Mr. & Mrs. Cornelius Vanderbilt Whitney Hall of Fame. Join museum president and gala chair Michele Riggi, with honorary chairs Marylou Whitney and John Hendrickson, for this showcase celebration.

A special performance by Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater will highlight the night. Actor Chris Riggi will serve as Master of Ceremonies. www.dancemuseum.org

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Fabulous Fillies Day • Friday, August 16

Put on some pink as NYRA celebrates women and their contributions to the Thoroughbred industry with Fabulous Fillies Day at the Saratoga Race Course. All fans wearing pink on Friday, August 16, will receive free admission. The highlight of the day-long affair will be the Sizzling Hot Pink Saratoga Hat Luncheon to benefit The Breast Cancer Research Foundation (BCRF) in the At the Rail Pavilion. Guests will have the opportunity to shop at the Fabulous Fillies boutique and bid on fun auction items. General tickets are $150 per person. www.nyra.com/saratoga

One Fine Day • Tuesday, August 20

On a fine day in August, Shelters of Saratoga will greet guests on the historic porch of Union Gables for their annual garden tea party. The celebration supports the only adult homeless shelter in Saratoga, Washington and Warren Counties.

Displays of tea sandwiches and desserts, a silent auction and entertainment by The Garland Nelson Ensemble will provide the perfect recipe for a delightful afternoon. The cost is $60 per person. Tea party attire. www.sheltersofsaratoga.org

15th Annual RMHC Saratoga Fashion Show Thursday, August 22

Saratoga Trunk’s Natalie Sillery presents a stunning fashion show each year at this benefit for the Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Capital Region. Held in the At the Rail Pavilion on the Saratoga Race Course, this is the ultimate celebration of Saratoga style, with attendees in full Clubhouse attire and models in the hottest fashions for a cool fall ahead.

Beth Smith will serve as Honorary Chair, welcoming attendees to one of the spotlight events of Travers Week. www.rmhcofalbany.org

Health, History, Horses Gala • Thursday, August 22

The Saratoga Ladies of Charity will hold their annual gala at Longfellows Restaurant. The Ladies care for the poor and needy of Saratoga, Warren and Washington Counties through donations and charitable works. Reservations are $60 per person; contact Yolanda Paolicelli at 886-8064.

Travers Wine Tasting • Friday, August 23

Moving to the National Museum of Dance, Senior Services of Albany celebrates their 15th annual event during Travers Week. This year’s Honorary Chairs are Chef Yono and Donna Purnomo and Sommelier Dominick and Carolyn Purnomo.

Join them and an all-star committee led by Walt and Michelle Borisenok for wine and craft beer tastings from around the world. Tickets are $125 per person; $80 for junior professionals. www. seniorservicesofalbany.com

St. Jude Gala for Hope • Thursday, August 29

Presented by AngioDynamics, this inaugural benefit at Saratoga National Golf Club will close the summer social season on a sweet note. The evening will include cocktails, a seated gourmet dinner and an after-party with the New York Players. A live auction will enhance fundraising efforts for St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital and their mission to cure childhood cancer. Call 453-6800 for sponsorship information and event details.

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Health, History, Horses

& Hats!

In keeping with the Victorian roots of Saratoga Springs, track goers have been modeling hats of all shapes and sizes at the races throughout Saratoga Race Course’s 150 year history.

Everything from plumes and lace, to sculptures of the horses perched atop an updo grace the scene each season. If you are wondering where to buy such an extravagant hat or even a simple one, take a walk down Broadway and visit many of the boutiques that sell this Saratoga Springs staple; or turn to pages 49 and 50 to find a design that matches your personality.

No matter what your style is, be sure to take part in the fun that is as much a part of Saratoga tradition as racing itself!

-Stefany McBrady

* Photos provided

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Available at: Saratoga Trunk 493 Broadway Saratoga Springs

Avaiable at: ENCOUNTER BOUTIQUE 482 Broadway Saratoga Springs

Avaiable at: FRENCHY’S 556 Maple Avenue Saratoga Springs

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Available at: HATSATIONAL 510 Broadway Saratoga Springs

Avaiable at: FRENCHY’S (Mommy & Me) 556 Maple Avenue Saratoga Springs

Avaiable at: FRENCHY’S 556 Maple Avenue Saratoga Springs 50 | Simply Saratoga | Summer 2013 saratogaTODAYnewspaper.com

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SS

Fashion: aratoga tyle

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Perfect for weddings or any other summer outing and available in two colors.

The Parisian Collection by Lucy & Co. $80 PIPER 441 Broadway Saratoga Springs

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Citizens of Humanity available Encounter ENCOUNTER BOUTIQUE 482 Broadway Saratoga Springs

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Dance your way through summer in Spoken’s pretty dresses! We have lots of great choices, and oh......so many Saratoga parties to choose from. Come pick your favorite!

SPOKEN BOUTIQUE 27 Church Street Saratoga Springs

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For a feminine look with an edge, shop the For Love & Lemons Summer collection.

LU CI A ’ S 454 Broadway Saratoga Springs

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Look effortlessly chic in a Susana Monaco dress this summer!

Ashley’s (left) coral “Clare” wedge by Jack Rogers and “Haven” Tote by Cole Haan compliment her dress with an unexpected pop of color. Maura (right) ties her ensemble together with the Cole Haan Nassau wedge in Ivory.

VIOLETS & STELLAS OF SARATOGA 494 Broadway Saratoga Springs Niki Rossi Photography saratogaTODAYnewspaper.com

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Win the Bessed Dressed Award at any Gala this season wearing the Winnie Maxi Dress by Lilly Pulitzer! This silk chiffon halter dress has a chain neckline and all over metallic polka dot jacquard.

Perfect for any Saratoga Event or a day at the track!!

PINK PADDOCK 358 Broadway Saratoga Springs

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Turn heads with this retro style Theia Black and Gold Jacquard Party Dress.

Saratoga Trunk 493 Broadway Saratoga Springs

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Frivolous Boutique 385 Broadway Saratoga Springs

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Style is a way to say who you are without having to speak.

YELLOW BOUTIQUE 491 Broadway Saratoga Springs

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Bird Of Paradise 75 Woodlawn Saratoga Springs

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Celebrate The Passion Of Horse Racing® with EMBRACE THE RACE®, The Apparel for the Horse Racing Lifestyle®. Great gifts come to life for ladies, men and children. Available in a variety of colors, featuring their stylish and memorable logo.

EMBRACE THE RACE® 12 Circular Street Saratoga Springs embracetherace.com

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National Museum of Racing Union Avenue Saratoga Springs

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ur tch to e r t s k c The ba ! utiful is Bea

They even wear Hats to breakfast!

A Day in

My h orse came

Saratoga

in!!

urses are The golf co up to PAR! WOW! T concerts he nightlife & are unrea l

So many museums time! to explore, so little

alore hops g S & s rant !

Restau TOWN THIS E V O I L

The p arks

are br eath

taking

!

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SARATOGA Souvenirs

Top Picks for your Spa City Memorabilia

1

2

Blue Saratoga Water Bottle Cheeseboard and Glasses Available at: Crafters Gallery 427 Broadway, Saratoga Springs www.craftersgallerysaratoga.com

3 Saratoga Souvenir Book Lyrical Ballad Bookstore 7 Phila Street Saratoga Springs www.lyricalballadbooks.com

Lazy Susan Available at: Home Essence 439 Broadway, Saratoga Springs www.homessencestore.com

4

Saratoga Irish T-Shirt Available at: Celtic Treasures 456 Broadway, Saratoga Springs www.celtictreasures.com

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5

SARATOGA Souvenirs Wooden Equine Cheese Board Available at: Compliments to The Chef 488 Broadway, Saratoga Springs www.saratogachef.com

7

Specialized Olive Oils, Vinegars, and Salts Available at: Saratoga Olive Oil Co. 484 Broadway Ave Saratoga Springs www.saratogaoliveoil.com

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6 Equine Pillow and Saratoga Champagne Bucket Available at: Silverwood 24 Caroline St., Saratoga Springs www.silverwoodgalleries.com

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SARATOGA Souvenirs

8

Designer Equine Top Available at: Spoken Boutique 27 Church St., Saratoga Springs www.spokensaratoga.co

9 Saratoga Sign Available at: Silverwood 24 Caroline St. Saratoga Springs www.silverwoodgalleries.com

10

Saratoga Coasters, Desk-set & Starting Gate Ornament Available at: The Christmas Gift Shop 4029 Route 50, Saratoga Springs www.saratogachristmas.com

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SARATOGA Souvenirs

11 Dog treats, Collar & Handmade Horse Toy Available at: Dawgdom 441A Broadway, Saratoga Springs www.dawgdom.com

12 Equine Tote Available at: Pipits 487 Broadway, Saratoga Springs Pipitsofsaratoga.com

13

Salsa, Spice & Everything Nice Available at: Saratoga Salsa & Spice 398 Broadway, Saratoga Springs www.saratogasalsaandspice.com

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SARATOGA Souvenirs

14

Saratoga 150 Collection Available at: Impressions of Saratoga 368 Broadway Saratoga Springs www.impressionssaratoga.com

15 Saratoga Notecards www.blueandtheory.com

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SARATOGA Souvenirs

16 Jewelry as Art Available at: Tang Museum Store 815 North Broadway, Saratoga Springs www.tangmuseumstore.wazala.com

17 Racing Pendant Available at: de Jonghe Original Jewelry 470 Broadway, Saratoga Springs www.djoriginals.com saratogaTODAYnewspaper.com

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The Fine Art

of

Crafters Gallery

By Patricia Older; Photos by MarkBolles.com

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J

ust as the Spa City’s art movement was taking root 20 years ago, Roger Goldsmith saw an opportunity to switch careers— an opportunity that would not only make himself his own boss, but would help local artisans and crafters have an outlet to showcase and market their talents—and Crafters Gallery on Broadway was born.

“I noticed a void that needed to be filled,” said Roger, who opened Crafters Gallery on Broadway 20 years ago this month. “The premise was to have strictly a store for local crafters and artists—a place to get their work shown and sold without them having to get their own store or spend hours working like they have to in a co-op.”

seized the opportunity.

Using marketing concepts from both a standard retail outlet and a co-op, Roger designed Crafters Gallery so that vendors could rent “space” from him—the price of their rent depended on various factors including the size of the space, the type of space, whether wall, showcase or floor and the length of their commitment—a minimum four month “lease” was required.

“The four months would give [the artist] enough time to see if it was going to work for them,” explained Roger.

“We have a lot of local clientele... they are really the basis of this store”

His idea to open Crafters Gallery came at an opportune time in the Spa City. While the performing arts had always been big in the Spa City with the Saratoga Performing Arts Center and the New York City Ballet, local artists and crafters had limited venues to showcase and sell their work outside the occasional art show or flea markets. As Roger puts it, “the seeds to the art movement were being planted,” and he

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But it has been a lesson in perseverance and dedication for Roger, who admits he loves to work with his hands and has “a little bit of crafting ability,” to keep Crafters Gallery going since he first opened the doors in 1993.

He explained that when he first opened his shop, he had to find a storefront that was not only big enough, but also would fit into his budget, so he took a leap of faith in the business and his own abilities and rented on the west side of Broadway—a location that was known at the time as the

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kiss of death for a business.

“I wanted to find the right location and one that was within my budget,” explained Roger of his decision to lease the storefront at 427 Broadway, adding that when a realtor acquaintance stopped by his open house back then, she apologized to him. “She told me how wonderful my store was and what wonderful things we had and then she apologized, saying she was so sorry it wasn’t going to make it.”

That didn’t deter Roger, who noted; some of the early years were tough.

“This section really had nothing,” said Roger, adding that other than a few long-standing places such as G. Willikers, Mr. Ed’s Hotdogs and Image, the west side of Broadway did not have much to attract pedestrians to cross. “We used to sit on this side and watch the foot traffic on the opposite side,” said Roger.

But all that began to change at the end of the 1990s when Roohan Realty built the Roohan Building in the open courtyard next to his building and brought in Putnam Wine & Market.

“That brought more foot traffic to this side of the street,” said Roger.

But his shop would be challenged soon after when the building he is located in was sold and the new owner

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wanted to renovate it.

Nervous about relocating, even for a short period of time, Roger had no choice but to move Crafters Gallery, and he was fortunate enough to find a building just around the corner, in the old Chrysler dealership building on Lake Avenue. Knowing a lot of his business comes from the Broadway foot traffic, Roger noted the move that was supposed to only last four months actually dragged on for 22 months.

“That was a big loss for two years,” said Roger, adding that only with the commitment and support of his vendors and the support of his wife—she is a teacher at BOCES and her paycheck helped pay the bills and keep the shop going—was Crafters Gallery able to survive the move. “It was a struggle, but we wanted to just get back on Broadway. I give my vendors credit, the majority of them hung in there.”

When he did move back to his Broadway location, he

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had a slightly different floor plan than his original shop and just a little less space—2,700 square feet versus 2,200 now.

Even so, Roger found business was getting better.

While the summer is always busy, Roger says the holidays around Christmas almost rival it.

“We have a lot of local clientele,” said Roger, adding that his regular customers are also another component to Crafters Gallery’s success.

“They are really the basis of this store.”

While at first Crafters Gallery featured all local artists’ work—each vendor rents wall, shelf and case space from Roger—he listened to what his customers wanted and began to introduce gifts and items from other sources as well, such as the wooden toy guns from Texas, horse statue candle holders and glass decorative bowls and dishes with infused leaves and plant material.

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“We are now a gift shop, art gallery and framing shop,” said Roger, adding that with the renovations, Crafters Gallery was given space in the basement where they now do all their mat cutting and framing in-house.

Noting that they have the largest collection of wall art from paintings to photographs to prints, Roger said the store also carries some unique and one of a kind items, such as the hand-knitted children’s sweaters and clothing, personalized wood prints and gaming chips from the Old Lake House Casino framed with local art work.

There are also, among hundreds of other items, award winning photographs, including one from Bob Coglianese that won an Eclipse Award, and photographs from his son, Adam, photographer for the Saratoga Race Course.

As for the future, Roger says it is a good time to be in business in Saratoga Springs.

“I would like to see our success continue,” said Roger.

“Changes will happen—we have to pay attention to what our customers want and what the market is, but I am looking forward to [the future.]”

In celebration of their 20th anniversary, Roger said that on June 20, all items in the store will be 20 percent off and that a reception will be from noon to 4 p.m. v Crafters Gallery is located at 427 Broadway, Saratoga Springs.

Call (518) 583-2435 for more information.

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The

Brook Tavern:

Story by Helen Susan Edelman, Photos by StockStudiosPhotography.com

Please Won’t You Be My Neighbor?

It’s hard for me to turn down a Nicoise salad, and I didn’t even try the other night when I had dinner with perspicacious Saratoga TODAY and Simply Saratoga publisher, Chad Beatty, and his wife, the beguiling Kim, at the new Brook Tavern on the corner of Nelson and Union avenues. The restaurant, bar and lounge, which straightforwardly urges patrons to “eat and drink,” is Bob Lee’s latest project.

Lee has been monumentally successful with the family© 2013 stockstudiosphotography.com owned Wishing Well in Wilton, and chances are that The Brook Tavern It’s been tricky to get together. To will follow suit. He knows how to be specific, I am writing this from be contemporary and innovative to Halifax, N.S., where my son, Jacob attract a crowd without compromising Glover, graduated from the University classic elements that fuel individual of King’s College. Airports and hotel customer loyalty. rooms are incredibly good places Schedules have been tough the last few months, the Beattys’ with intense work and family-centered commitments, and mine with lots of time on the road to visit my four children, now living in four time zones, each with the need and desire for a mom (there are some things that cannot be done remotely, even with a good Internet connection).

to think and write–you’re in limbo, you’ve got time on your hands, you’re anonymous and there are plenty of plugs to charge your laptop. I have the tools of the trade at hand: notes from dinner with Chad and Kim, a tiny little Toshiba, Internet access, copies of the menus and a good memory.

Forgive the digression. My

Nicoise ($14) featured seared Ahi tuna, grilled baby potatoes, green beans and delicious, light, lemony vinaigrette.

Though it would have been large enough and satisfying enough for a full meal, I also ordered a small plate–simmered fresh PEI mussels with chorizo sausage in a Creole broth ($10). I did this for you, so I could report back on more than one taste experience.

It was a win-win; both were terrific. The salad was fresh, colorful and substantial, the tuna was truly rare without being raw, the potatoes had just enough crunch. Not to be outdone, the mussels could become the object of serious craving.

Kim and Chad shared an appetizer of grilled, spicy buffalo shrimp ($10), gobbling it down before the plate had a chance to cast a shadow. Just watching them enjoy themselves so much was fun for me. Chad opted for tuna as a main course, prepared as tuna tacos ($12) with a Southwest spice/black bean and sweet corn salsa. He was very happy with his choice, and, I notice,

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my next meal…right now that Brook Salad ($17), with steak and asparagus, looks good. Hear that, Bob Lee?)

did not offer to share much. Kim took a walk on the wild side, with a plate of rich, bacon-wrapped meatloaf and potatoes ($12). She did share, partly because Chad sort of inched his way onto her plate, but also because the portion was large enough to divide without sacrificing satiety. I am there to snoop, so I don’t feel bad telling you that the famous Wishing Well crab cake ($12) on the next table looked luscious and that I paid more than a little attention to the Carolina BBQ ribs ($10) delighting at least two people nearby.

It won’t surprise you to learn there are also steaks, pasta, salmon, fresh oysters and four kinds of flat bread on the menu–but, no matter how hungry we are when we get there, Chad and Kim and I can’t seem to order and eat any more food than we already do, no matter how eager we are to offer you a bigger and bigger picture. (Of course, before he died last summer, my partner Dominic Zappone was part of our eating club, and we could weigh in on his choices as well.

Ahhh, we miss your good humor and insights at dinner, Dom!) None of us ordered wine, beer or a mixed drink–no reason, just not in the mood—though the available list is compatible with the food and the atmosphere, and the bar area of the restaurant was buzzing, both with people waiting to be seated and those who just stopped with friends for a drink. If you’re so inclined, there are ryes, whiskeys, scotch, bourbon, gin; white, red and sparkling wines by the glass (ranging from $8+ for basics to $15 for champagne.) Nice imaginative bottled wine selection and cold draft beers with intriguing names like Goose Island Honker’s Ale and Flower Power IPA.

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Maybe you’ve got the night munchies, but you don’t need a full meal, you just need a snack. What’s up from the kitchen? Cheese, olives, veggies and cured meat on a platter ($8). Baked, stuffed Fingerling potatoes ($7). Crispy duck wings ($8).

And more.

(As I write this, reviewing the menu, I realize I am mentally ordering © 2013 stockstudiosphotography.com

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I do want to talk about the environment. Though you can’t eat or drink the ambience, it certainly helps to promote a mood where you want to. The Brook Tavern feels like a neighborhood restaurant, grown up. (There IS an impressive children’s menu. It’s not meaningless kiddie food, but $8 portions of serious meals. “Let youngsters in on the secret of sophisticated flavors at a formative stage,” that’s what I always say.) The Brook Tavern is friendly, lighthearted, with lots of eye contact going on and subtle hand waves; not so you feel like the next table is too close; more like you’re at a dinner party over at The Brook Tavern with people you know around you; and others at the next table you don’t know, but think look interesting.

There are tables, booths and a bar area, casual and cozy, nicely broken up, both private and airy.

The Lees have introduced an interesting menu du jour feature called “Union Ave. Neighbors.”

Each night, a different item is on special–Tuesday, bacon-wrapped Angus meatloaf, mashed potatoes and green beans, $12; Wednesday, steak frites, garlic butter and field greens, $17; Thursday–countryfried chicken, creole potato salad and coleslaw, $16; Friday–seafood cioppino, tomato saffron broth and rustic garlic toast, $23; Saturday– roast rack of Australian lamb, creamy polenta, rosemary demi, fresh vegetables, $28; and Sunday– spaghetti and meatballs, old-world red sauce/rustic garlic toast, green salad, $15. Two things about this: it’s a jumping-off point for both variety and familiarity, providing a great excuse to develop rituals around regular dinners out; and a portion of each item on this list sold assists a local nonprofit organization. Eat well and do good—a great combination.

What could be more neighborly?

While I’m on the subject of specials, I don’t want to forget The Brook Tavern’s Tuesday dinner-to-go Simply Saratoga | Summer 2013 | 81

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program–a complete dinner for two for $25 (Lee has the same thing going on at the Wishing Well– believe me, he does not skimp).

If Thursday is your night out, consider: $1 night at The Brook Tavern for oysters and sliders. Bring your best friend and your appetite.

That’s a lot of information, a lot of details. The truth is Chad and Kim and I always spend the first 15 minutes with the menus asking, “What are you going to have?”

“What are you thinking?” “Want to share this?” “Think this would be big enough for a dinner?” “I had fish yesterday, today I want meat.” So we batted that around for a while, each wanting to order the best combination and worried someone else might have a better idea.

Nobody wants to be looking over at someone else’s plate, thinking, “I should have ordered that.” Flash forward: That didn’t happen. We all felt we had ordered the best one. Quite a triumph for three very different people to order three very

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different meals and all feel the most intuitive.

People who like to read these articles about my dinners out with Chad and Kim, always ask me about my reports of our conversations. We talk kids and politics, weather and business, © 2013 stockstudiosphotography.com

Patrick Longton, Executive Chef

Brook Tavern was opened by Bob and Mary Alice Lee this spring, co-owners of the Wishing Well in Wilton. It was at the Wishing Well that the Lees got their training in the restaurant business and bring with them the same attention to detail and outstanding service the Wishing Well is known for.

Established in 1936, the Wishing Well was purchased by the Lee family in 1968 when Lee’s parents, Bob and Brenda, came to Saratoga Springs from Morristown, New Jersey to look at purchasing Siro’s. The couple was familiar with the area—they had vacationed in the Spa City and the elder Lee had worked in the area. But when they toured Siro’s, Mr. and Mrs. Lee realized the upstairs living quarters were too small for the family of six, along with a cat and a dog, so they started to go home disappointed.

Serendipitously, someone mentioned to the couple that the Wishing Well was for sale, so they took a ride by to see it. They fell in love with the restaurant and felt the family could live comfortably in the upstairs portion while the restaurant operated on the first floor.

They purchased the Wishing Well and the family lived there from 1968 to 1972.

With a primary focus on fresh lobsters, premium steaks and chops and creating a sense of hospitality that contributes to the success of any family-owned business, the Wishing Well has developed a loyal following of clientele.

It is those same qualities Lee is bringing to Brook Tavern.

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people and celebrations, the role Saratoga has on the national scene, which local person or news is making the headlines (and whether it’s merited) and how to spend money. “Do you guys really talk about those things? Do you fight?” The answer is yes, we do. Not fight, really, but disagree heartily and genuinely on many issues. One thing we don’t disagree on, however, is the integrity of our friendship. We’ve gone at it over gun control, reproductive health freedom, philanthropy vs. business interests and some other hot topics. But, there are certain values we hold in common that keep our friendship fresh and buoyant, and those have to do with unconditional loyalty to our families, a deep commitment to the community, the good judgment of District Attorney Jim Murphy, the desperate need in this country for more and better mental health services and the importance of children having access to healthy role models. You might not think this is relevant to dinner reviews, but let me tell you that sharing a meal with people you respect is a much happier prospect than having dinner with people you agree with passively on many topics, but not necessarily because you appreciate their gestalt.

So, on this night, we discussed home schooling vs. public school/private school opportunities; how to be supportive of someone you care about, but who is doing things you don’t approve; whether charitable giving is better when it’s anonymous; how to work with a kid who does better one-to-one than in groups in a society that is so group-oriented; rural vs. downtown living; the benefits and risks of being outspoken; why we love stores that are locally owned and operated; and how it’s possible that people get to their third DWI before they get their license pulled–why isn’t it pulled sooner?

You can go to the restaurant Sunday through Thursday, 4—10 p.m., Friday and Saturday, 4—11 p.m.

I’m going to suggest reservations if you’re going after 5, especially in seasons with the most visitors. As soon as word gets out about how great this place is, it will be challenging to get a seat at the table, so to speak.

The location is spectacular, there will be an instant and deserved reputation for fabulous food and there are lots of people who would love to be able to dine casually on historic Union Avenue, so close to the track. Bob Lee is offering manna to a receptive crowd, hungry at the right place at the right time.

“Sure, that’s a good idea; let’s go the The Brook Tavern,” that’s what I say. v

The Brook Tavern 139 Union Ave, Saratoga Springs 518-871-1473 www.thebrooktavern.com 84 | Simply Saratoga | Summer 2013 saratogaTODAYnewspaper.com

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Carriage House Chronicles The

Story by Chelsea Hoopes Silver, Photos by StockStudiosPhotography.com

Hi, I’m Chelsea Hoopes Silver...

And as some of you may know, I have a blog called The Carriage House Chronicles, where I feature various design, architecture, lifestyle, and art inspirations I find while living in the beautiful and historically rich city of Saratoga Springs. I come by my love of collecting and house obsession honestly— my parents have been flipping and building houses since I was five years old and my grandfather traveled the world collecting art and antiques. I also love a nice, “raw canvas” and I would probably never buy a “turn-key” home. My first and current homes were both big renovations and even my store (Silverwood, Home & Gallery; which I own with my mother), was a total renovation.

Although I can certainly see the appeal of buying something that is done, I just love a good project!

Now I’ve got a new “project”— adapting my blog into a series for the award-winning Simply Saratoga!

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For those of you familiar with the blog, “The Carriage House Chronicles” is inspired by Saratoga’s beautiful homes and historic charm. Because our first home was a renovated carriage house and because Saratoga is a “horse” town, naming the blog after the classic in-town horse barn, or carriage house,

seemed fitting (especially, when said structures tend to make such quaint abodes when renovated for modern life). In other words, I don’t just write about actual carriage houses. I write about homes and designs that inspire lifestyle in our small but wonderful city. Amy and David Strauss’ stunning home is quintessentially Saratoga with its beautiful porches and stately presence on coveted Fifth Avenue, just one block from our racetrack, now in its 150th season. The perfect house for a fabulous summer in Saratoga—these porches must have been designed for warm, August evenings and sipping cold Mint Juleps.

26 5th Avenue Saratoga Springs

Before & After

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The before pics of the butler’s pantry are scary at best. Luckily, Amy and David had the vision to restore it instead of just tearing it out or starting from scratch. They also opened up the wall to the left, so the beautiful built-ins and the couple’s pretty glassware can be seen from the kitchen and dining area.

The Saratoga Porch is a somewhat ubiquitous and desirable feature in this town known for its Victorian and turn-of-the-century homes. The Strauss’ got that in spades when they purchased 26 Fifth Avenue in 2008, with its tree generous porches. However, the home, built in 1902, had suffered years of neglect and the old beauty was in need of a serious face-lift. It was a long labor of love; they had to take the place down to the studs, since the horse hair and newspaper insulation was not exactly efficient or safe. The couple tried to maintain and restore as much of the original woodwork and architectural features they could, but gutted the old kitchen and bathrooms, which had been redone several years prior. With virtually nothing left of the original kitchen to restore, they opened it up to the butler’s pantry and informal dining area and pretty much started from scratch.

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With its charming new paint job, the other pantry ain’t too shabby either...

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9m 0Si|-

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Amy and David bought these old church pews from a church sale in Glens Falls and the painting of Ball Jars is by a favorite artist. They are always on the hunt for cool salvaged pieces and unusual antiques, which they blend with more traditional pieces. The home now has a beautiful, layered feel, lending it quiet sophistication and personality.

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The antique wall clock was made by David’s greatgrandfather and the cool iron day bed is an eclectic feature in the cozy living area.

dismantled, painstakingly re-finished, and re-

Amy and David are not design pros, but when

lifestyle, the house is beautiful and grand but

their general contractor suddenly quit mid-job,

they decided to manage the rest of the restoration themselves. Since David works full-time, the dayto-day chaos of restoration fell largely on Amy,

who seemed to take it all in stride. The end result is impressive. From the butler’s pantry, that was

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assembled, to the beautiful kitchen that maintains a classic aesthetic but now accommodates a modern

comfortable. Like some of the other “grand Dames” in town (as I call those big, old homes with rooms and

rooms of formal, and now somewhat useless space), this house was built for a different time, with different

social customs, but is now restored and renovated for a new age of Saratoga living.

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The old laundry room is now a lovely bathroom. The metal doctor’s cabinet was a score from David’s old Navy days. Several of these pieces were on the way to the dump and he snagged it before it was taken away. What a save! saratogaTODAYnewspaper.com

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The new bath is so refreshing after the bland,

1980’s renovation a previous owner had done... 

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The porch on the second story is the perfect

place for a quiet, summer read. v

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Lily Love Photos and Article By Peter Bowden

Peter Bowden

I love lilies! They take little effort to plant and grow, and the rewards are huge. They’re winter hardy, so once you plant them they stay in forever, multiply quickly, and provide large, often fragrant flowers. Lilies are available as bulbs in economical packages from the garden center in early spring and later as potted plants among the perennials selection. The variety of sizes and colors is amazing. No wonder I love them so much!

All lilium varieties grow from bulbs. You’ll start seeing them in garden centers in March offered bare-root in plastic bags. Shop for them early so you can pick out the fattest ones from the group offered. The fatter the bulb, the bigger the plant. Plant your lilies as soon as the ground has thawed. Choose a location in full sun with well drained soil. Dig the holes about three times as deep as the bulb is tall. As usual, add bone meal to the planting hole.

Wild ancestors All the wonderful varieties we have to choose from were bred from about 150 wild lily types found worldwide.

In fact, we have five native lilies that grow wild here in the Northeast - the Michigan Lily, Turk's Cap Lily, Woodlily, Trout Lily and the Canada Lily. If you are lucky enough to see one of these beauties, look but leave it alone. All are protected in New York State.

Tiger Lily

Trout Lily

Asiatic Lilies Asiatic hybrids are the first of the lilies to flower in early summer. They are also the most cold tolerant of all lilium forms. Asiatics mature and reproduce rapidly, making them a rewarding choice for those just starting to dabble in lily growing. Asiatics are available in reds, whites, pinks, oranges and yellows of every shade. Some feature solid-colored petals while others are ornately speckled. Asiatics are not strongly scented but come in a range of sizes from 2 feet to 5 feet tall! Here are some of Asiatic Lilies that grow in our beds.

Canada Lilies

Asiatic Lilies

Lilies for the garden The lilium segment of the larger Liliaceae family contains some of the showiest flowers to be found anywhere, and many of the thousands of cultivars thrive in our northern climate, including two of my favorites, Asiatic and Oriental Hybrids.

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Wake up and smell the lilies!

To find fragrance, we must sniff out the Oriental lily hybrids. Although not quite as winter-hardy as their Asiatic cousins, many Oriental varieties are hardy to zones four and five, hardy enough to thrive in our area. Oriental lilies will produce some of the largest, showiest flowers that you could expect this side of the tropics. A sub-group of the Oriental lilies are the Imperial hybrids.

Imperial lilies produce large, sometimes huge flowers on sturdy stems. The Imperial Gold strain, for instance, produces 5” to 7” fragrant flowers on plants up to 7 feet tall.

Oriental Lilies

without any aid from humans. Hemerocallis is a Greek word meaning ‘beautiful for a day.’ The name reflects the lifespan of each flower which opens in the morning and withers away at the end of a single day.

Daylily flowerbuds are also edible. You may have heard of lily pod soup, but there are lots of recipes that use daylilies.

Daylilies are about the easiest plants to grow. They love full sun but will thrive in partial shade and aren’t particular about the soil they’re planted in. Once established, daylilies last for a lifetime and longer as evidenced by all the orange “ditch lilies” around the area that our fore parents planted.

Only a few years ago, a clump of yel-

Common Daylilies

Divide to multiply After enjoying your lilies for 3 or 4 years, you’ll notice that you’re getting more plants and flowers but they aren’t as tall as they used to be. This is a signal that they’re crowded and need to be dug and divided.

This can be done in fall after frost or early spring when they’ve just started to sprout from the soil.

The lily that isn’t a lily Another lily enjoyed by many is not a lily at all. Everyone knows them as daylilies, but they are not true lilies, but Hemerocallis.

You have seen them growing almost wild in roadside ditches and just about anywhere.

We can thank our ancestors who planted them generations ago. This gives you some idea of how self-sufficient Hemerocallis are, spreading out across the countryside saratogaTODAYnewspaper.com

low daylilies was considered exotic. Now red, gold, peach and burgundy daylilies are turning up in perennial borders. Daylilies with bi colored flowers are commonly available.

Miniatures and strongly scented daylilies have also appeared.

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Tetraploid Daylilies

Tetraploid Daylilies Another recent development is the Tetraploid Daylily.

Tetraploids have double the number of chromosomes. This has opened up a whole new world of breeding possibilities.

The large flowers of tetraploid daylilies make them irresistible to flower gardeners.

Another attribute of the tetraploid daylilies is their ability to blossom repeatedly through the summer.

Most daylilies are done for the season once the first round of flowers is done in 98 | Simply Saratoga | Summer 2013 saratogaTODAYnewspaper.com

Tetraploid Daylily early July. Tetraploids will continue to send up flowering stems through July, August and even September...ya gotta love that!

The daylily has come a long way from the common roadside flower that our ancestors planted. They have taken up a new role at the heart of the garden.

Considering how easy they are to grow and how rapidly they multiply, you should give them a try.

Thanks for the read! v

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House Intriguing The

Of

Questions

By Hollis Palmer; Photos, StockStudiosPhotography.com

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IF

one digs hard enough, most of the large Victorian houses in Saratoga will provide a list of unanswered questions. No house better exemplifies this phenomenon more than Saratoga Sleigh, at 203 Union Avenue. Walking through the main floor, one wonders, “Is the story that Lillian Russell once slept here true? Why does the grand staircase end between floors? Is the window in the stairway a Tiffany? Was the daughter the notorious Beatrice Bareback from the era of prohibition?”

Although he died while the house was under construction, it stands as a testament to a man who lived both the American dream and, for a few unpleasant months, the American nightmare.

Designed by R. Newton Brezee From Just for Fun, courtesy of Saratoga History Museum

The house was built in 1887-88 for 67 year-old John McBain Davidson, his 33 year-old wife, Anna, and their seven year-old-daughter, Beatrice. The house was completed just 15 years after Davidson’s name had appeared almost daily in the New York City newspapers.

Orphaned at an early age, J. McBain Davidson had been left a small inheritance. Fortunately, he was mentored by Erastus Corning, the wealthy patron of Albany.

In the late 1850s, Davidson and his partner Captain D. Hitcock began the operation of the Hudson River Day Line Steam Company. The Day Line operated two boats, the Daniel Drew and the Armenia. Each morning one ran from Albany to New York, while the other ran in the opposite direction; the trip took nine hours. Riverboat passengers enjoyed a restful excursion as compared with those who elected a loud, smoky, jolting ride on the railroad. As the day line business expanded, Davidson maintained a half interest, selling shares to Alfred Van Santvoord. The steamboat investment proved extremely lucrative for Davidson until after his death when his estate sold his share. The sale of the Day Line stock proved to be a wise move because automobiles were soon to change the way people traveled. It was not that early autos were faster, more comfortable, or safer; their true benefit was in providing greater independence once people reached their destinations.

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Davidson, encouraged by Corning, invested in an iron manufacturing business. Under Davidson, the iron company would expand into the manufacturing of safes.

That business would place Davidson as the center point of one of the biggest political scandals of the 1870s.

Davidson had business interests in New York City, where he befriended Boss Tweed of Tammany Hall.

Without competitive bidding, Tweed and his associates purchased, for the City of New York, numerous safes manufactured by Davidson. There was a safe for virtually all the buildings owned by the City. When it came time to pay for the safes, Davidson testified that he was told to endorse the back of the checks without turning them over. Since he was doubling his money on each safe, he had little reason to complain. When auditors were called in, the invoices showed that the city had been billed more than once for several of the safes.

At first it was believed that Davidson had falsified the invoices, but over time it was shown that he was an unfortunate victim of the scam.

By the time of Tweed’s trial in the 1870s, Davidson had learned his lesson and divested himself of the safe business.

Davidson, an avid horse lover, along with Vanderbilt, Travers, © 2013 stockstudiosphotography.com Osgood, Corning, and Morrissey, started the track in Saratoga.

Through his connections with Corning and Vanderbilt, Davidson continued to amass a fortune.

Following J. McBain Davidson’s death, Beatrice and her mother maintained their homes in Saratoga and in New York City and traveled extensively in Europe. In the 1890s they spent several years in Berlin where Beatrice was trained to sing opera at some of the leading music schools in Europe. Coincidently, the excursion to Europe would have been when Lillian Russell rented a house in Saratoga during the season.

Early in the last century, Beatrice performed during Saratoga’s season at the Grand Union Hotel before leaving to perform in an opera production in Germany.

Partly because of her business insight, Mrs. Davidson and her daughter would never be called upon to work. Among other properties, the Davidson women owned the two theaters at the corner of 42nd Street and Seventh Avenue (Times Square.) Mrs. Davidson bought the site for $55,000 in 1897. In 1913 it was appraised for over $1,500,000.

In January 1915, in the living room of the house, 34 year-old Beatrice married Lt. Percy Alexander Cook. Lt. Cook was British and served in the British Navy during the Boar War. A true playboy, Cook was once on an ocean-going man racing a yacht that capsized. When the rescue ship approached, Percy told them to wait a minute because he had a big one on the line – he was using the opportunity to do some sport fishing.

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explain two of the house’s unique features. The grand staircase ends halfway between the second and the third floor. One explanation could be that the area was to be a stage for young Beatrice. More likely it was not finished because the remaining © 2013 stockstudiosphotography.com stairs would lead to Mr. Davidson’s billiard room (the custom at the time was to have the pool table on the third floor.) The second unusual feature is the full bathroom on the first floor. It is probable that the bathroom was installed so that Davidson, who was an invalid, would not have to climb the stairs.

One of the first things heard when arrangements were made for the author to visit for the first time was that, during her heyday, Lillian Russell rented the house. Since the claim had been

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heard several times before from owners of other grand houses, it was filed in the “Oh, yeah” folder. The owner was sure that a look at one of the rooms would assure even a skeptic that the story was true. Entering the room in question definitely leads one to believe it could be true.

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It was after seeing the main bathroom on the second floor that, in the case of the Davidson’s home, the author imagined the story of Lillian Russell may be true; it is huge with a stained glass window, a bathtub big enough for two (or Diamond Jim Brady), a wraparound shower, a special basin to wash one’s feet, and a commode in a separate closet.

Company operated by Madame Phyllis Latin.

When the current owners purchased the house they wondered if the window in the stairway was manufactured

by Tiffany. Provided with the name of an expert on Tiffany windows, they took pictures and sent them for evaluation. The expert assured them the window was not Tiffany because of the shape of some of the cut glass; however, he offered to purchase the window. A few months later a guest asked about the window. The owners told the story and assured him that the window was not a Tiffany. The guest asked the name of the expert.

When they told him the name, the guest responded that the man was in prison for telling people that their objects were not Tiffany, but then he would purchase the items at a lower price and sell them as Tiffany’s. So we still do not know if the window is © 2013 stockstudiosphotography.com a Tiffany.

During the era of prohibition, a number of the socially significant families in Saratoga did not feel the law pertained to them. They continued to hold ostentatious parties in their homes. One of those involved owned one of the Glens Falls newspapers.

He published an underground newspaper recounting the tales of the parties. In 1921

The house was reportedly vacant from 1932 through 1946 and then went through a series of owners. SPAC owned the house in 1964 when there were plans to use it to as a place for performers to stay; instead it was sold for $12,500. By 1970 it would become the home of the American Ballet 106 | Simply Saratoga | Summer 2013 saratogaTODAYnewspaper.com

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Lillian Gish shocked the world when she appeared in a backless dress in a silent movie.

At one of the Saratoga parties a woman named Beatrice came in a backless dress. There were at least two wealthy women named Beatrice in Saratoga at the time; Beatrice Davidson and Beatrice Nolan. Since Miss Nolan bequeathed her house to become a convent and Beatrice Davidson appeared in numerous stage productions, we leave it to the reader to guess which one was the infamous Beatrice Backless.

Today the house is operating as a Bed & Breakfast. v

Interesting side notes on the Davidson family: • In 1908, when there were less than 200,000 cars in the United States, only a few thousand miles of paved highway, and women rarely drove, Mrs. Davidson and Beatrice, along with two other ladies, motored together from New York City to Saratoga for the season.

• The week before John Davidson died in 1887, the Saratoga police closed five disorderly houses in the vicinity of Spring and Henry Streets – no direct connection between their closure and Mr. Davidson’s death could be found.

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• At her wedding party, Beatrice cut her wedding cake using her husband’s military sword from the Boar War. At her divorce in 1942, she probably had another use in mind for the sword.

• At the corruption trial for Boss Tweed, Davidson admitted that he made a 100 percent profit on each safe.

• For the census, Percy Cook would list his profession as a poultry breeder – a fancy way of admitting he raised fighting cocks.

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Liar! Liar!

How to Deal with the Liar in Your Life and Live in the Truth

Ms. Lemery is a psychotherapist practicing in Glens Falls and Saratoga Springs, N.Y. Visit meghanlemery.com or email meghanlemery@yahoo.com for more information.

It

’s happened to me many times. I have asked a question to a client in an initial assessment or been in a social situation where I get the distinct feeling I am in the presence of a liar. It’s not a feeling I can articulate or a formula I can give you to always weed out the truth tellers from the liars; rather, it is a vague, somewhat confused feeling in your gut that just knows the person you are talking to is full of fluff.

I have often wondered after the fact, why do people lie? What is it that is so difficult for them to be honest and open? What is the driving force to this manipulative and at times pathological behavior?

The fact is people lie for many reasons, but the core foundation of why a liar lies is always the same: complete lack of self-worth.

Our self-esteem is shaped from the minute we are born into this world. Our parents and early years shape whether we feel good enough to be here or a worthless being just taking up space on the planet.

A person who lies repeatedly as an adult is someone who feels they are not good enough. They lie to appear better, smarter, richer and cooler than they are.

These liars always have the appearance of a shiny penny— bright smile, positive energy, slick and fun to be around. Every time they tell a story they exaggerate the details to make themselves appear like the savior in the situation and the one who saved the day. They are still in high school wishing desperately to be noticed and get voted for prom court. When you are in the presence of these empty souls, simply acknowledge that a shiny penny is pretty to look at but has very little value in your life.

Don’t get sucked into the allure of the shine. Pay attention and realize this poor soul is lying and exaggerating because they have no inner strength and self worth.

Simply send a silent prayer of peace and be on your way. Spending time with a person like this will leave you feeling exhausted, annoyed and drained. They will suck the energy out of you, looking for validation and constant attention. Their bumper sticker screams, “LIKE ME LIKE ME LIKE ME!” Your validation in their life will never be enough. Once they get this from you, they are onto the next victim to fill them up with the acceptance and love they long for.

Smarten up and let the liar lie on their own.

Another reason people lie is to avoid confrontation and keep the peace. This sounds like a really nice idea in theory and suggests the liar has a great heart, but the consequences of avoiding confrontation lead to betrayal, guilt, drama and pain.

I have counseled countless couples who seek help after going through the painful journey of adultery. The person who leaves the relationship and seeks outside attention almost always says, “I wanted to tell my partner but I was afraid I would hurt them.”

Again, the intention is to protect their loved one from pain; however, that statement is more of a projection of their own feelings.

The real truth of this statement is the following: “I lied because I am not strong enough to own my actions and be accountable to my partner.”

A person who consistently says they “hate” confrontation really means they are extremely uncomfortable being honest with themselves. They are incapable of owning their actions and being accountable for their choices. The lie is much easier than getting to the core truth issues that is likely to cause inner turmoil and pain.

If you are in a relationship with someone who is unable to confront difficult issues and fails to own their

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truth, you need to ask yourself if this is something you can participate in. A person who lives in truth and light who is in a relationship with a person who hides in the dark will be in a relationship that falls apart. The person in the dark will eventually be repulsed and weakened by the light of the truth and they will either self destruct or exit the relationship in a dramatic messy way that leaves the other partner feeling like they were just caught up and spit out of a whirling tornado. Never abandon your truth and light to accommodate someone else’s inability to confront issues in a healthy, open, honest way.

A person who hates confrontation is a person who will always resort to lying to avoid an uncomfortable situation or conversation. Don’t waste your time trying to figure out their behavior. Move on and stay on the path of light and truth.

relationships. Oftentimes a person who has a traumatic childhood continues to lie because it keeps them from facing the pain of the past. The only way to heal from that experience and to let go of the lying behavior is to face the truth, open the door to healing and move forward.

The bottom line is someone who lies, lacks core strength and strong character. The longer you keep this behavior in your life, the more likely you will see relationships fall apart and you will have an undercurrent of constant anxiety in your life. A person who lies is more likely to suffer from high blood pressure, insomnia, addiction, financial stress and heart attacks. Don’t go another day fumbling around in the darkness grasping for pieces of truth. The only way to healing is truth. The truth sets us free. Get the help you need to get on the path to light and truth.

This “cover up” becomes a way of survival to fit in and be “normal” in a house that is far from normal.

If you are a person in a relationship with someone who lies to you consistently, recognize that their behavior is about their own brokenness and lack of courage. Their lies have nothing to do with you. Don’t spend any ounce of energy blaming yourself; rather, own your truth, find your voice and move on with your chin up and your shoulders back. v

The problem is this survival technique that is used in childhood is the very technique that will destroy adult

YOU ARE WORTH IT!

I know it’s cliché but it’s true, all roads lead to childhood. Many people lie because of a childhood that involved sexual and or physical abuse. Lying to friends, teachers and peers becomes the survival technique to help the child get through life in a somewhat normal way.

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10 Top

SARATOGA u Breakfast at the track!

v pack a picnic!

Photo by MarkBolles.com

Come to the Saratoga Race Course for breakfast! Yes, you pay to park (between $5-$10), but if you leave by 10 a.m. you get a refund. So, sip your coffee in a private box, watch the horses work out and enjoy the misty morning like royalty because it won’t cost you a penny.

Of course, those who stay the day will experience worldclass racing at the historic track—a memorable experience well-worth your time.

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Saratoga County has many great locations to enjoy a packed lunch while surrounded by beautiful scenery.

Visit Lock Five in Schuylerville and watch the boats, find a spot at Spa State Park or head north to the Wilton Wildlife Preserve and Park.

w picnic, BOAT or FISH AT SARATOGA LAKE

While there are no hotels or resorts on Saratoga Lake, there are cottages and vacation rentals available from private owners. There is one campground at the northern end of the lake which has a ramp, boat slips, and camping.

Numerous local places have daily boat, kayak and canoe rentals. Fishing is permitted in public areas, with a current fishing license only. The lake contains a wide variety of game fish including smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, perch, carp, bluegill, crappie, sunfish, walleye and northern pike.

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In addition to the State Boat Launch, just over the bridge ($8 per car) for boating or picnicking, we now offer a new picnic option on Saratoga Lake…“Waterfront Park” at 622 Crescent Rd. No swimming yet, but there are picnic tables, portable restrooms, great views and it’s free!

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x take a trip to one of many beautiful parks

The parks supply great ambiance, an abundance of activities and an even better price. Here are a few of our favorites: • Congress Park—Beautiful statues, ponds with ducks and reflecting pools where you don’t need a dollar to dream—just toss in a few pennies. Who could ask for anything more? The Carousel only charges $1 per ride and there are public restrooms up the hill at the Arts Center.

• The State Park does charge for you to park your car, but at $8 per vehicle it’s still a bargain. The free activities include the walking trails along Geyser Creek, tennis courts, picnic areas and public restrooms. There are two public pools; Peerless Pool being the more family oriented at $2 per adult, $1 per child, and the Victoria Pool for a more elegant dip at $8 per adult, $4 per child. Visit www.

SaratogaStatePark.org.

Photo by MarkBolles.com

• All the neighborhoods have great local parks and playgrounds, but our favorite pick would be East Side Rec with the sprinklers, located at 226 Lake Ave. in Saratoga Springs.

• The Battlefield—take Route 29 East until you hit Schuylerville, turn right at the light and head south until you see the Saratoga Battlefield National Historic Park on your left. At just $5 per carload, enjoy tours, hiking and picnicking with convenient public restrooms. Visit www.nps.gov/sara.

• Yaddo—just stroll around the gardens and stop to smell the roses. Visit wwww.Yaddo.org.

y

Experience the great county fairs

Photo by MarkBolles.com

To really appreciate the label of “The City in the Country,” you need to wander out a little. What better way to check out the countryside than by going to any of the wonderful country fairs in the area?

z

Shop Farmers’ Market

Saratoga County Fair, July 16-21 www SaratogaCountyFair.org (518) 885-9701 Altamount Fair, August 13-18 www.AltamontFair.com (518) 861-6671 Washington County Fair, August 19-25 www.WashingtonCountyFair.com (518) 692- 2464 Schaghiticoke Fair, August 28-September 2 www.SchaghticokeFair.com(518) 753-4411 saratogaTODAYnewspaper.com

Photo by MarkBolles.com

Many towns boast fantastic farmers’ markets, complete with food sampling, live music and a great atmosphere! Be sure to check them out for fresh, local produce and goods.

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{

Take a day trip north, south, east or west!

Walk Around Schuylerville. Visit the quaint little shops and great eateries right on the Hudson— perfect for Dark Tuesdays or any day of the week!

Visit www. SchuylervilleChamber.org.

Go Antiquing in Ballston Spa. If you visit Ballston Spa on a Thursday, make sure you stay in town for one of their free concerts in Wiswall Park. (June through August, 6-8 p.m.) Check out the website for band names, as well as information about First Friday and the many great programs this village puts on. Visit www.Ballston.org Drive North to Lake George, Need we say more?

Visit www.LakeGeorge.com Photo by MarkBolles.com

|

hike the trails in saratoga county

Drive west over Fox Hill Rd to Sacandaga Lake and enjoy the lovely scenery around the lake.

}

check out fasig tipton auctions

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Photo by Jessica Kane

The options are abundant—your best source of information is www.JohnnyMillerAdventures.com, click on “Guidebook” and scroll down to find a trail you’re comfortable with.

The newly re-designed grounds are open to the public, so grab a table in the courtyard, have a (very reasonably priced) bite at the concession stand and then walk around and pick out which horse you’ll be plunking down millions of dollars for. (Auctions held Monday 8/5 and Tuesday 8/6)

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~free entertainment Photo provided

There is so much FREE stuff out there to see and do! This list is just a teaser, but the Chamber’s website is worth spending a few minutes on to find the many freebies around town—www.Saratoga.org.

Events: All American July 4th Celebration (7/4) www.saratogasjuly4th.com Hats Off Festival (7/19 & 7/20) Travers Week Festival (8/17 - 8/25) Final Stretch Festival (9/1 & 9/2) Live Music: Sundays in July, 7 p.m.

Spa City Band Concerts in Congress Park featuring light classical, jazz music, military marches and Broadway show tunes.

Tuesdays in August, 7 p.m.

Multicultural Music Series in Congress Park and picnicking is encouraged!

Tuesdays in August, 12 noon Saratoga National Historical Park (Battlefield) Revolutionary War period music Tuesdays at noon. Bagged lunches are welcome.

Fridays, through 8/30, 7 p.m.

Upbeat on the Roof. Tang Museum rooftop, Skidmore College, North Broadway, including jazz, folk, swing and others. (Rain location, Payne Room.) Call (518) 580-8080.

Theater: Shakespeare in the Park, Congress Park, July 16-28 and July 28, Tues.-Sat. 6 p.m. & Sun. 3 p.m.

Donations appreciated. www.SaratogaShakespeare.com

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Got kids?

here’s a list of fun and exciting things to do in the area to keep your kids occupied Frenchy’s Bead Shop 556 Maple Ave., Saratoga Springs (518) 461-4893 Tiny Tots Tea Room 1536 Crescent Rd., Clifton Park (Off Exit 8) (518) 348-1050 Bounce Around Clifton Park Center “Pre School Chefs” Healthy Living Markets 3065 Rt 50 Saratoga Springs, NY 12866 (518)306-4900 Riding Stables: North Country Horses 438 Clark Rd., Gansevoort (518) 441-5959 Schauber Stables 428 Schauber Rd., Ballston Lake (518) 399-2484 Movie Theatres: Wilton Mall Clifton Park Center (Exit 9) Mill Creek Mini Golf Food & Fun 1 Trieble Avenue, Ballston Spa (518) 885-7888 Saratoga Mini Golf 3071 NY Route 50, Saratoga Springs (right past the mall) (518) 581-0852 Dan’s Miniature Golf 14 Round Lake Road, Ballston Lake (right off Exit 11) (518) 899-0131

Saratoga Strike Zone 32 Ballston Avenue, Saratoga Springs (518) 584-6460 www.SaratogaStrikeZone.com Tree Paad Fun Center 2381 Route 9, Malta (518) 289-5475 www.TreePaad.com The Children’s Museum 69 Caroline Street, Saratoga Springs (518) 584-5540 Ice Skating 30 Weibel Avenue, Saratoga Springs (518) 583-3462 Creative Sparks 42 Phila Street # 2, Saratoga Springs (518) 583-2030 Saratoga Paint & Sip Studio 80 Henry Street, Saratoga Springs (518) 584-8244 Abigail’s Tea and Tiaras 90 Front Street, Ballston Spa (518) 885-6080 Saratoga Clay Arts Center 167 Hayes Road, Schuylerville (518) 581-2529 Super Bounce Food Court at Wilton Mall (518) 265-3911

*For more family events, check out saratogamama.com

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The Sounds of Summer at

Saratoga Performing Arts Center ¹

The perfect summer evening. A gentle breeze sweeps across its great lawn. Gleaming instruments become one glorious sound. For nearly five decades, art and ambience have come together to stimulate the senses and galvanize the spirit at the region’s cultural landmark, Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC). Regarded as one of America’s most prestigious summer festivals, SPAC has been the summer home of the New York City Ballet and The Philadelphia Orchestra since its opening season in 1966; acclaimed programs in chamber music, opera, jazz and cabaret as well as concerts by Live Nation share the season. SPAC’s rich tradition grows in 2013 with an expansive new dance series featuring debut engagements by The National Ballet of Canada, Aspen Santa Fe Ballet and modern dance illusionists MOMIX. The popular Saratoga Wine and Food Festival in September offers a closing toast to a spectacular season.

Photo courtesy of Paul Kolnik

SPAC’s dance season features stunning programs by four world-class companies: the incomparable New York City Ballet (July 9 – 13); The National Ballet of Canada (July 16 – 18) which will showcase classic story ballet “Giselle”; the pioneering Aspen Santa Fe Ballet (July 24 – 25) and modern dance illusionists MOMIX which present the fantastical “Botanica.” (Aug 1).

iel Cooper Photo Courtesy of Dan

Photo Courtesy of Max Pucciariello

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One of the “Big Five” American orchestras, The Philadelphia Orchestra (Aug 7 – 24) presents a remarkable season of brilliant programs and classical superstars including Yo-Yo Ma, Sarah Chang and Gil Shaham. Special events include an evening with banjo phenom Béla Fleck, first-time solo appearance by percussionist Colin Currie, a celebration of Disney classic “Fantasia,” and a tribute to the 150th Anniversary of Saratoga Race Course led by Keith Lockhart.

Photo courtesy of Frank W. Ockenfels

t Photo courtesy of Cliff Wat

w Farrell Photo courtesy of Dre

One of SPAC’s most inviting features is its expansive, sloping lawn which offers an ideal location for enjoying a sunset picnic supper along with the evening’s performance.

The lawn is a favorite spot for families as well; children 12 and under enjoy free lawn admission to SPAC’s classical performances courtesy of GE Kids in Free.

© Chris Lee

Information and tickets on SPAC’s programming and events are available at www.spac.org, by phone at (518)-584-9330 or at SPAC’s Box Office on Route 50 Box Office. saratogaTODAYnewspaper.com

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New Course Added to Adirondack Extreme

IN

Story By Brian Cremo, Photos provided by Adirondack Extreme

2006, when Jamie Johnson brought the idea of starting a first-of-its-kind business in the trees with his father, Dave, his dad was a bit skeptical. But after deciding on a location in the Adirondacks, the two started what would become a staple attraction in the Lake George area.

Seven years later, the Adirondack Extreme Adventure Course continues to add to its obstacle courses in Bolton Landing, just 15 minutes north of Lake George.

“Lake George is filled with outdoor adventures like white water rafting, hiking and kayaking,” Johnson said.

“We thought Lake George was missing this activity. It was a perfect fit and we decided to go to it.”

As customers have continued to rise over the years, so has the growth of possibilities offered at the adventure course.

2013’s newest addition is a 16-element “Motivation” course, which has been implemented into the six adult courses. “(The new course) is an easier course,” said Johnson, who now owns 100 percent of Adirondack Extreme. “It could be challenging for some people, but for the most part it’s just a fun course with a lot of different elements.”

Always looking to add extensions to the attraction, Johnson, 37, started mapping out “Motivation” at the

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beginning of last season. Being limited in terms of acreage, he is always walking around the course to see where he can add activities in order to keep things new for returning customers and keep things fresh.

“We’re very happy with where we are right now in terms of the amount of people we get to the park,” Johnson said. “We’ve been very happy with the summer season. But there’s always room to grow. We always try to keep the park current and we’re always re-inventing into the park something new for our returning customers.

We don’t want it to be a one-and-done type of activity.

We’re always re-investing in the business. We still have a product that is well worth the money and people are realizing that.”

The new course’s elements include zip lines, a Tarzan swing, an all-rope bridge and “Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out” – a cable bridge with boxing bags spread about 5 feet from one another to bob and weave through.

The course was named “Motivation” to motivate people to get through the new course, as well as the other adult courses, before stepping foot on the park’s most challenging “No Limits” extreme adult course. “Motivation” is now the third most challenging series of obstacles offered at Adirondack Extreme.

The skill level and height of each course is color coded, indicating the elevation and difficulty. Starting

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from minimum elevation and skill to advanced elevation and skill: “Discovery” (green), “Sensation” (blue), “Adrenaline” (silver), “Motivation” (pink), “Emotion” (red), “No Limit (black).

“When we built the course we didn’t want to build a cookiesand-cream adventure park,” Johnson said. “We wanted something with a challenge. We didn’t want that seventh, eighth or ninth grader to come to the course and say, ‘That was easy.’ We wanted to challenge people.”

Participants have the choice to either compete in the five original courses, including the new one, or by further challenging themselves separately in the “No Limit,” section.

“Instead of having people pay the flat fee and not make it all the way through, we have them come and upgrade for that course now,” Johnson said. “It’s almost like we don’t want to overcharge somebody. It gives them an option to decide.”

The cost of admission in the adult courses covers a rotation through all of them, starting with the “Discovery” stage. All six courses can be completed on average between three to four-and a-half hours and, at any exit point, participants can descend and take walking paths back to the welcome center.

Adirondack Extreme also offers younger kids a junior adult course (9-11 year-olds), a kids course (7 years-old and up) and the Squirrel’s Den, which is for children as young as 3 years old and equipped with climbing stations to help develop motor skills and hand eye coordination.

Having a wide range of cliental, from kids through grandparents, is something Johnson and Adirondack Extreme provide – a family experience.

“We wanted to build something that would be fun for your little kids, teens and adults, as well as some fun for the parents who can do stuff with their kids,” Johnson said.

If you want to experience that family fun, the season is now open seven days a week through Labor Day weekend, when Adirondack Extreme will go back to only being open on weekends through Thanksgiving. Groups depart every 30 minutes starting at 8:30 a.m. until Labor Day when weekend hours start at 9 a.m.

On average, a trip to Adirondack Extreme will take about a half day to get the full experience, said Johnson. It’s an experience that people have caught onto over the years and has only continued to gain attention.

“In our first season, not many people knew what we were about,” Johnson said. “They thought maybe we were just zipline and that was it. But we were this huge, almost amusement parkstyle adventure park in the trees. At first it was a struggle to get people to our facility, but once word of mouth spread and people talked about Adirondack Extreme, our second season ended up being a fabulous season. From there we have just grown and grown every single season.”

Reservations to check out Adirondack Extreme and the new “Motivation” course can be set up by calling the business at (518) 494-7200 and by visiting the company website at www.adirondackextreme.com.

“Call in and then come to play in the trees,” Johnson said. v

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35 Westwood Forest Lane Bolton Landing, NY 12814 (518) 494-7200

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Steward of Saratoga Rainmaker Mark Straus

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“It’s critical to hold our historical integrity," -Mark Straus

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F

or many Capital Region residents, heading to Saratoga Springs for a leisurely Saturday isn’t out of the ordinary. But in 1971, it was uncommon to drive from Albany just for lunch.

Having never been here, Mark and Betty Straus decided to come up on a whim one cold March day. The recent graduates of SUNY Albany were bored in their jobs, he as an accountant and she a librarian.

Story by Trina Lucas, photos provided Over the next three years, Mabou grew in inventory, sales and popularity. Then, in 1974, the Pyramid Mall opened in Wilton, pulling several of the largest stores away from downtown. Suddenly, Saratoga Springs was in crisis, with vacancies up and down Broadway. For Mark, however, ‘crisis’ presented opportunity. He and Betty were ready to expand, and with Doug Ward and then Mayor Ray Watkin, the couple purchased a section of the historic 1871 building vacated by Erlanger’s Department Store (currently housing Max London’s and Mrs. London’s).

They moved Mabou into the space now occupied by

“We were looking for something to engage us,” recalls Mark. “Something we could love and share together.”

A good friend lived in Saratoga and had spoken highly of the city, so they thought they’d check it out. Little did they realize that Saturday road trip would change their lives and begin a ripple that would help change a town.

Seated in a luncheonette on Broadway, Mark and Betty were immediately charmed by the architecture, culture and people. Noting a half-dozen storefronts for lease, they called on a few and rented one on the spot.

Within weeks, their small boutique opened in space that is now half of Bruegger’s Bagels. They sold candles, incense, clothing from India and jewelry and gifts, ringing $93 in sales that first day. Mabou was born.

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Saratoga Saddlery, using only the ground floor that first year, and then quickly filling the second floor.

“We were committed to staying downtown and being part of its revitalization,” Mark states. “I remember going door-to-door, encouraging downtown property owners to vote to raise their taxes so we could restore façades and make sidewalk improvements.”

“So many people in those years between 1974 and 1985 poured their personal efforts and resources into the rebuilding of downtown. Joe Dalton brought new life to the Chamber of Commerce. Ray Watkin, owner of Raymond’s Boutiques, had been elected mayor in 1973 and was focusing the city’s priorities on downtown renewal.

The Preservation Foundation, led by Julie Stokes, set guidelines for the façade renovations and Tom McTygue, with Public Works’ crews, made improvements to the park and streets. Tom Gardner, Al Coleman and John Vander Horn restored the Collamer Building, while Bob Israel dedicated himself to enlivening Franklin Square. The Plan of Action created a forum for the many individuals who wanted to help.”

After Skidmore College had moved to North Broadway, more than 80 historic and significant buildings on the East side were put up for sale. Some were turned, or returned, to private residences. Others sat vacant in need of massive renovation. Mark worked with Gardner to restore three such buildings on the old campus. He also purchased several other multi-family structures in the neighborhood, taking his preservation efforts beyond downtown.

Through the ‘70s, sales continued to flourish at Mabou, in great part due to Mark and Betty adding their own flair to trends. When houseplants became popular, they created a terrarium in the front window. Their love of food inspired a cooking school, and they invited noted chefs to present special classes, drawing people to the store and downtown Saratoga.

“As times changed, so did the store,” Mark remembers. “Indian clothing was replaced by designer clothes, gourmet cookware and imported antiques.”

Yet everything was unique. Mark and Betty would

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search for goods not available other places. Mabou’s furniture and home accessories were conversation pieces, valued by those who owned them. In the early ‘80s, between the births of their two children, Alexander and Lucy, the Straus’ imported at least a dozen containers of furniture and antiques from all over the world, places like Peru, China, India and Thailand.

At the same time, Mark continued his efforts to restore Saratoga Springs, preserving the integrity of downtown gems. He purchased and renovated additional buildings on Broadway, between Caroline Street and Lake Avenue, the block home to Mabou. He also bought 360 Broadway, at the corner of Phila Street, to house antiques imported from England. Originally a hardware store, and at one point a bank, threadbare carpets unveiled a marble and maple floor behind the exquisite four-inch thick, arched walnut front door.

“These are the irreplaceable details that make our buildings such gems,” says Mark.

And though the city considered the former offices of Van Voast and Leonard Insurance significant enough to be included in a covenant requiring owners to maintain historic façades, even at the city’s expense, the previous owner had exhausted those funds. Committed to preservation, Mark bore the cost of renovations himself.

Despite all of the activity on Broadway, Mark is most proud of a very different historic preservation project.

In 1986, as treasurer of the Waldorf School, he joined a group of 14 families searching for a new home for the school’s first through eighth grades. Together, they found and financed the current building on York Avenue. Built as a school in the 1860s, the place had been turned into a warehouse for a painting contractor. The determined parents reclaimed it for their children’s school.

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“I was just part of the group,” stresses Mark. “It wasn’t my project, it was ours. But it’s one of my proudest acts of preservation.”

By then, Mabou had become one of the largest independent stores around, and at its peak of success in 1989, Mark and Betty announced the store would be closing. They needed to shift gears, focusing on their children, then ages five and nine.

Mark refers to the next seven years as their ‘sabbatical.’ He studied community development and entrepreneurship at Sunbridge College in Spring Valley, served on numerous non-profit boards and provided consulting for new businesses. Betty earned a degree in Early Childhood Education. The young family also traveled; yet no matter where they went, they missed home. There was no place quite like Saratoga Springs.

They also found they missed the daily interaction with customers and friends more than they had anticipated.

Mark comments, “I can list a host of wonderful things about this town, but its single greatest strength is the sense of community. It’s hard to find elsewhere.”

The couple had loved the store, the specialty items and the treasures they could offer. So, after finding out that friends Michael and Wendy London wanted to reopen

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Mrs. London’s, the Straus’ decided to jump back in, too.

It was 1996, and once again, Mabou was in business on Broadway.

For nine years, the store thrived, expanding up and throughout the historic building.

They even opened a second location in a warehouse near the rail station on West Avenue. Customers from throughout the Capital Region welcomed both, excited to furnish their homes with the unique pieces the Straus’ brought to Saratoga.

Mabou closed for the last time in 2005, leaving an indelible mark on Broadway. Mark and Betty had taken a leap of faith that fateful day in 1971, and 34 years later, downtown was a better place because of them. Not to rest, however, the Straus Family kept inspiring growth and preserving the city’s rich heritage.

Simply Saratoga | Summer 2013 | 131

“It’s critical to hold our historical integrity,” believes Mark. “The fabric of downtown Saratoga was carefully woven and it’s our responsibility to respect that.”

Since returning to Saratoga in 1996, Mark had repurchased two buildings from the individuals to whom he’d sold them, and bought The Marketplace in the heart of downtown. So despite Mabou’s second closing, he was still immersed in the city.

Apples don’t fall far from the trees and Lucy has inherited her parents’ skill at buying and merchandising and selling. In 2006, she opened Lucia, a specialty boutique filled with ladies’ clothing, jewelry and accessories, in The Marketplace. Seven years later, the young Straus is always looking for fresh pieces and worldly trends.

Her parents picked her up after a recent trip to Paris and asked what is new. Mark recounts that Lucy quickly replied, “French women don’t wear heels. They do wear lots of scarves.”

It won’t be a surprise to find a stunning array of scarves at Lucia one day soon.

Of course, with her experience, keen eye and retail acumen, Betty had a hard time staying away, too. Just one year after her daughter’s shop opened, she launched Pangea, also in The Marketplace.

“I never thought we’d open another store,” Mark recalls. “But it meant so much to her. Betty loves bringing items from around the world to Saratoga.”

In fact, ‘Pangea’ references the scientific theory

that the world was once one continent. Fitting, since the boutique features a collection of global gifts and décor.

It’s clear that if something is important to Betty, Mark will do all he can to make it happen. From the start of their adventure, the primary goal had been to do something together. Nearing their 45th wedding anniversary, nothing has changed. Mark and Betty Straus are partners in every sense of the word: in work, in parenting and in love.

“More often than not, she lays out the plan and pushes me through it,” Mark readily admits. “She was the creative force behind Mabou, and even with the historic preservation, it’s Betty who can instantly identify something that needs to be done and how to do it.”

Sitting in a corner of Mrs. London’s on a rainy Friday morning, Mark Straus suddenly pauses and looks around with a modest smile.

“They don’t make buildings like this anymore,” he remarks. “This is a treasure.”

Motioning to the bakery case, he continues, “Pastries like those can’t be found anywhere else between New York (City) and Montreal. And have you eaten at Max London’s? It’s outstanding. And Dennis’ (DeJonghe) jewelry is exquisite.”

“We have a lot to offer here and it’s all distinct.

Cosmopolitan and polished. Saratoga is a very worldly small town.”

Clearly, Straus is proud of the city and delighted with the way his block between Caroline and Lake has developed. He should be, for the role he has played.

132 | Simply Saratoga | Summer 2013 saratogaTODAYnewspaper.com

Through the years, Mark has applied key principles to his business decisions. First, he rents only to locally owned businesses— no matter how many times the national sub shops call.

“Without owner presence, a business has to run by rigid rules and can’t respond as well to economic or local challenges,” he states.

He also believes firmly in supporting new businesses, perhaps because he was there many years ago. Several prospects were interested in the former Metro space, but Mark chose to work with 35-year-old Javier Rodriguez because he has confidence in Rodriguez’s vision for the Nuevo Latino inspired eatery.

“New ideas and enthusiasm come from youth. I try to bend the rules for new stores and restaurants knowing the struggles they go through.”

But first and foremost is a principle he wishes all Saratogians would espouse.

“Stewardship means taking care of something that doesn’t belong to you,” declares Mark.

“Many of the buildings in this city were built more than a hundred years before we were born. We are only a link in the chain. If we do the right things, these buildings, along with the rich history and cultural landscape of Saratoga, will be here for future generations.”

“If you own something with a sense of stewardship, you don’t act by what you can get out of it, but what you can add.”

Mark Straus has added to this city in countless ways providing the ultimate stewardship for Saratoga Springs. v

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Simply Saratoga | Summer 2013 | 133

Dining Guide Simply

ARATOGA

TM

The People. The Places. The Lifestyle.

Great

ðIndicates outdoor seating

R Breakfast Options

Downtown Saratoga…

Bookmakers at Holiday Inn (open to the public, serving breakfast daily from the menu, Breakfast Buffet on Sundays) 232 Broadway (518) 584-4550 Compton’s Restaurant 459 Broadway (518) 584-9632 Country Corner Café 25 Church Street (518) 583-7889 www.CountryCornerCafe.net

Brunch

The Great American Grill (inside Hilton Garden Inn, open to the public, serving breakfast daily) 125 South Broadway (518) 587-1500

Bookmakers at Holiday Inn Breakfast Buffet on Sundays) 232 Broadway (518) 584-4550 DiDonna’s South Shore Restaurant 113 Route 9P Malta (518) 584-0227 www.SouthShoreMarinaofSaratoga.com The Factory Eatery (Sunday Breakfast Buffet) 20 Prospect Street, Ballston Spa (518) 885-0500 www.TheFactoryEatery.com Fifty South Restaurant (Sundays) 2128 Doubleday Avenue, Ballston Spa (518) 884-2926 www.FiftySouth.com

Breakfast Served Daily Putnam’s Tavern (Breakfast Buffet served daily) 24 Gideon Putnam Road (518) 226-4719 putnamstavern.com Shirley’s Diner 74 West Ave (518) 584-4532 SPoT Coffee 55 Railroad Place (518) 306-5323 www.SPoTcoffee.com The Springs, at the Saratoga Hilton 534 Broadway 518.682.2797 thesprings-saratoga.com Triangle Diner 400 Maple Avenue (518) 583-6368

Fortunes (Sundays) 25 Nelson Avenue (518) 581-5790 www.SaratogaCasino.com/Dining/ Fortunes Hattie’s Chicken Shack (Breakfast Buffet) 45 Phila Street (518) 584-4790 www.HattiesRestaurant.com Javier’s Nuevo Latino (Sundays) 17 Maple Ave. (518) 871-1827 JaviersNY.com The Local Pub and Teahouse 142 Grand Avenue Saratoga Springs (518) 587-7256 www.TheLocalPubandTeahouse.com Mouzon House (Sundays) 1 York Street (518) 226-0014 mouzonhouse.com

Putnam’s Tavern (Breakfast Buffet served daily) 24 Gideon Putnam Road (518) 226-4719 putnamstavern.com Prime @ Saratoga National (Sundays) 458 Union Avenue (518) 583-4653 golfsaratoga.com/dining Ravenous 21 Phila Street (518) 581-0560 www.RavenousCrepes.com Scallion’s Restaurant 44 Lake Avenue Saratoga Springs (518) 584-0192 www.ScallionsSaratoga.com

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Grab n Go Breakfasts Bread Basket Bakery 65 Spring Street, (518) 587-4233 www.SaratogaBreadBasket.com

33 Phila Street, (518) 584-4670 www.FourSeasonsNaturalFoods.com Hungry Spot Café 480 Broadway, (518) 584-9060 ww.HungrySpotCafe.com

Bruegger’s Bagels 453 Broadway (518) 584-4372 www.Brueggers.com

Mama Mia’s Bakery 185 Ballston Ave. (518) 583-2233 www.MamaMiasSaratoga.com

The Chocolate Mill 382 Broadway (518) 871-1210 www.ChocolateMillCafe.com The Fortunate Cup 120 West Ave # 302, (518) 226-0800 www. FortunateCup.com Four Seasons Natural Foods (only drinks and smoothies available in the mornings)

Mrs. London’s Bake Shop 464 Broadway, (518) 581-1652 www.MrsLondons.com

Saratoga Coffee Traders 447 Broadway, (518) 584-5600 wwwSaratogaCoffeeTraders.com Spring Street Deli and Pizzeria 132 Spring Street, (518) 584-0994 www.SpringStreetDeli.net Uncommon Grounds 402 Broadway, (518) 581-0656 www.UncommonGrounds.com

Putnam Street Market 435 Broadway, (518) 587-3663 www.PutnamMarket.com

Breakfast... Minutes from Saratoga!

The Bears Café 256 Milton Ave., Ballston Spa (518) 885-2848 Eli’s Broad Street Breakfast 70 Broad Street, Schuylerville (518) 695-5169 The Good Morning Breakfast Café 2100 Doubleday Ave., Ballston Spa (518) 309-3359

GoodMorningBreakfast.com

The Iron Roost 36 Front St, Ballston Spa (518) 309-3535 www.IronRoost.com Lakeside Farms and Cider Mill 336 Schauber Road, Ballston Lake (518) 399-8359

LakeSideFarmsCidermill.com

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Malta Diner 2476 Route 9, Malta (518) 899-5099 MaltaDiner.com

Over the Moon Café and Bakery 214 Broad Street, Schuylerville (518)-695-3931

OvertheMoonCafeandBakery.com

Quintessence (Breakfast daily from 10am, earlier on the weekends) 2853 Route 9, Malta (518) 580-1212 www.QuintessenceNY.com

Russell’s Deli 303 Milton Ave (Route 50), Ballston Spa (518) 885-DELI (1700) www.RussellsDeli.com

The Kettle 445 (Outer) Church St. (518) 584-9734 TheKettleRestaurant.com Simply Saratoga | Summer 2013 | 135

ðIndicates outdoor seating

Pizza, Deli & Take-out D’Andrea’s Pizza

33 Caroline Street (518) 584-3632 dandreaspizza.com

RHearth & Harvest

251 County Route 67 (518) 587-1900 harvestandhearth. com

Mama Mia’s Pizza

185 Ballston Ave (518) 583-8377 mamamiassaratoga. com

Casual & Family Friendly

Marino’s Pizza 46 West Circular Street (518) 584-3030

Pizza Works 88 Henry Street (518) 584-6650 pizzaworks.org

Pope’s Pizza 232 Washington Street (518) 587-1643

Village Pizzeria 2727 Route 29 East Galway (518) 882-9431 villagepizzeria.com

West Avenue Pizza 99 West Avenue (518) 581-9999 westavepizzeria. com

Park Side Eatery

42-44 Phila Street (the Old Palmetto Building)

Roma Foods & Market

Ben & Bill’s Deli

(inside Price Chopper)

115 Ballston Avenue (Rt. 50) (518) 580-8680

Legends Cafe

102 Congress Street (518) 583-3411 legendscafesaratoga.com

222 Washington Street Saratoga Springs (518) 587-6004 romafoods.com

Spring Street Deli & Pizzeria

132 Spring St (518) 584-0994 springstreetdeli.net

ðBailey’s Café

Great Bay Seafood

ðBayshore Tropic Hut

Ripe Tomato

37 Phila Street (518) 583-6060 baileyscafe.com

550 Union Avenue (518) 584-9494

Bentley’s Restaurant

2149 Doubleday Avenue Ballston Spa (518) 885-0583 greatbayseafood.com 2721 Route 9, Malta (518) 581-1530 ripetomato.com

2872 State Route 9 Malta (518) 580-1269 theoriginalbentleys.com

Winslow’s

The Brickyard Tavern

Three Olives

12 Milton Avenue, Ballston Spa (518) 884-2570

ðCatherine’s

in the Park

(Seasonal, poolside dining) 11 a.m. to dusk 60 Roosevelt Drive (518) 583-4657

ðCircus Café 392 Broadway (518) 583-1106 circuscafe.com

ðCliff’s Country Inn 57 Route 9P, Malta (518) 584-9791 cliffscountryinn.com

Cock ‘n’ Bull

801 Saratoga Road, Wilton (518) 584-2489 winslowsofsaratoga.com 2100 Doubleday Ave. Ballston Spa (518) 490-2093

Sports Bars Fortunes

25 Nelson Avenue (518) 581-5790 saratogacasino.com/Dining/ Fortunes

Peabody’s Sports Bar & Grille 39 Phila Street (518) 583-4214

Stadium Café

389 Broadway 5342 Parkis Mills Road (518) 226-4437 Galway thestadiumcafe.com (518) 882-6962 thecocknbull.com 136 | Simply Saratoga | Summer 2013 saratogaTODAYnewspaper.com

Starting Gate Bar & Grill

Maestro’s at the Van Dam

12 Ballston Avenue (518) 584-8834

353 Broadway (518) 580-0312 maestrosatthevandam.com

West Side Stadium

ðMax London’s

Fine Dining

Olde Bryan Inn

112 Congress Street (518) 691-0193 thestadiumcafe.com

51 Front

51 Front Street Ballston Spa (518) 727-2089 51front.com

Brook Tavern

139 Union Avenue (518) 871-1473

ðBoca Bistro 384 Broadway (518) 682-2800 bocabistro.com

Crown Grill

390 Broadway (518) 583-1105 CrownGrillSaratoga.com

The Inn at Saratoga 231 Broadway (518) 583-1890 theinnatsaratoga.com

Javier’s Nuevo Latino 17 Maple Ave. (518) 871-1827 JaviersNY.com

Jacob & Anthony’s American Grill 38 High Rock (518) 871-1600

466 Broadway (518) 587-3535 maxlondons.com

123 Maple Avenue (518) 587-2990 oldebryaninn.com

One Caroline Bistro 1 Caroline Street (518) 587-2026 onecaroline.com

ðPrime @

Saratoga National

458 Union Avenue (518) 583-4653 golfsaratoga.com/dining

ðPutnam’s Tavern

24 Gideon Putnam Road (518) 226-4719 putnamstavern.com

ðSeven Horse Pub 43 Phila Street (518) 581-0777 sevenhorsepub.com

ðSiro’s

(Seasonal) 168 Lincoln Avenue (518) 584-4030 sirosny.com

ðSperry’s

30 1/2 Caroline Street (518) 584-9618 sperrysrestaurant.com

The Lodge

35 Burlington Ave.,Round Lake (518) 889-6000 lake-ridge.com

(Seasonal) One Nelson Avenue saratogacasino.com/Dining/ The-Lodge

ðLillian’s Restaurant

Wine Bar

Longfellow’s

The Wishing Well

Lake Ridge

408 Broadway (518) 587-7766 lilliansrestaurant.com 500 Union Avenue (518) 587-0108 longfellows.com

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417 Broadway (518) 584-8777 thewinebarofsaratoga.com 745 Saratoga Road Gansevoort (518) 584-7640 wishingwellrestaurant.com Simply Saratoga | Summer 2013 | 137

Asian, Fusion, Chinese ðDuo Modern Japanese 175 South Broadway (518) 580-8881 DuoModernJapanese.com

Osaka Sushi House (takeout) 3084 Route 50, Wilton (518) 290-7271 OsakaSushiHouse.com

Phila Fusion

54 Phila Street (518) 226-0400 PhilaFfusion.com

Sushi Thai Garden 44 Phila Street (518) 580-0900 SushiThaiGarden.com

Hibachi Japanese Restaurant 3310 S Broadway (518) 580-9343 HibachiSaratoga.com

Lucky Peking Chinese Buffet & Take out 66 Congress Street (518) 584-8371

Taste of China

(takeout & delivery) 103 West Avenue (518) 583-0909

French Mouzon House 1 York Street (518) 226-0014 mouzonhouse.com

Chez Pierre Restaurant 979 Rt, 9 Gansevoort (518) 793-3350 (800) 672-0666 chezpierrerestaurant.com

German Spa Brahaus

200 East High Street Ballston Spa (518) 885-4311

Indian Karavalli Regional Cuisine of India 47 Caroline Street (518) 580-1144 karavallilatham.com

Little India

60 Court Street (518) 583-4151 saratogalittleindiarestaurant. com

Italian Augie’s Restaurant 183 Church Avenue Ballston Spa (518) 884-8600 augiesrestaurant.com

Capriccio Restaurant 26 Henry Street (518) 587-9463 capricciosaratoga.com

ðChianti Il Ristorante 18 Division Street (518) 580-0025 chiantiristorante.com

ðForno Tuscano Bistro 541 Broadway Saratoga Springs (518) 581-2401 fornobistro.com

ðLimoncello Ristorante 1 Ballston Avenue (518) 580-8700 limoncelloristorante.com

ðMangino’s 149 Route 9P Saratoga Lake (518) 584-5599 manginos.com

Nove

707 Saratoga Road Wilton (518) 583-8877 novesaratoga.com

Panza’s Restaurant 510 Route 9P Saratoga Lake (518) 584-6882 panzasrestaurant.com

Pennell’s Restaurant 284 Jefferson Street (518) 583-2423 pennellsrestaurant.com

ðWheatfields 440 Broadway (518) 581-0534

Mexican Amigo’s Cantina 42 Ferry Street Schuylerville (518) 695-9595 amigoscantina.net

ðCantina

430 Broadway (518) 587-5577 cantinasaratoga.com

ðEl Mexicano

208 South Broadway Saratoga Springs (518) 226-0105 elmexicanorestaurant.com

Esperanto

4 Caroline Street (518) 587-4236 go2esperanto.com

ðLeon’s Restaurant

135 Crescent Street Saratoga Springs (518) 587-2346 leonsmexicanrestaurant.com

Mexican Connection 41 Nelson Ave (518) 584-4466 mexconx.com

Sunset Café 42 Front Street Ballston Spa (518) 885-8550 sunsetcafe.org

Southern & BBQ ðHattie’s Chicken Shack 45 Phila Street, Saratoga (518) 584-4790

and

3057 Route 50 Wilton Plaza, Wilton (518) 226-0000 hattiesrestaurant.com

ðMr. Ed’s

Memphis Smokehouse

588 Lake Avenue (518) 581-8633 mredsmemphissmokehouse. com

ðPJ’s BAR-B-QSA

1 Kaydeross Avenue West (518) 583-2445 pjsbarbq.com

Pubs & Taverns Almost Saratoga 2839 Route 9 Ballston Spa (518) 587-0048

ðBentley’s Tavern 3 Hemphill Place Ballston Spa (518) 899-4300 myfavoritetaverns.com

ðDango’s

38 Caroline Street (518) 587-2022

ðDruther’s

381 Broadway Saratoga Springs (518) 306-5275 druthersbrewing.com

ðGaffney’s

16 Caroline Street (518) 587-7359 gaffneysrestaurant.com

ðHorseshoe Inn

1 Gridley Avenue (518) 587-4909 thehorseshoeinn.com

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ðIrish Times

Publik House Pub

Merry Monk

The Factory Eatery

14 Phila Street (518) 583-0003 irishtimessaratoga.com 84 Henry Street (518) 584-6665

Parting Glass

40-42 Lake Avenue (518) 583-1916 partingglasspub.com

Routes 9 & 9P Malta (518) 587-7479 publikhouse.net

20 Prospect Street Ballston Spa (518) 885-0500 thefactoryeatery.com

The Local Pub & Teahouse

142 Grand Avenue (518) 587-7256 thelocalpubandteahouse.com

Dining

At the Track

The Turf Terrace Dining Room is located on the third and fourth floors of the Clubhouse. The multi-level trackside dining area offers a great view of all the racing action overlooking the finish line. An a la carte menu is served in a formal open-air setting.

The Club Terrace is located behind the box seat area on the second floor of the Clubhouse, overlooking the backyard & paddock. It offers a popular selection of appetizers, refreshing salads and specialty sandwiches in a casual open-air setting. Television monitors are available for viewing of the races.

The Porch is located on the track level of the Clubhouse just a few feet from the outside rail. It offers an a la carte menu in a casual open-air setting.

Please go to http://www.nyra.com/saratoga/ or call (518) 584-6200 x 2260 for specific guidelines regarding: Dress Code, Reservations, Seating Charges and the Cancellation Policy regarding any of the dining options mentioned above.

Breakfast at Saratoga is a long-standing tradition.

Every racing day from 7 to 9:30 a.m., breakfast is served on The Porch of the Clubhouse while the Thoroughbreds prepare for future races. Mary Ryan, a lifelong horsewoman, provides expert commentary for the workouts. Admission to breakfast is free with the exception of Travers Day when a $10 Clubhouse admission fee is required. Dress code is casual attire, trackside parking is $10, but refundable if you leave by 10 am. The Breakfast Buffet is $14.95 per person, $8.95 for children ages 3-12, plus tax & gratuity. One of the highlights of the breakfast program is the free walking tour of our famous and historic stable area (weather permitting). The first tram that takes you to the stable area leaves the main Clubhouse entrance at 7:30 a.m. with additional trams leaving approximately every 15 minutes. The last tour departs at around 9:00 a.m. (The Tour is available every race day except Travers Day and Labor Day)

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Simply Saratoga | Summer 2013 | 139

Save the Date 2013 Summer Event Calendar

Friday, June 28 Jazz Student Concert

Arthur Zankel Music Center Helen Filene Ladd Concert Hall, 1 p.m.

Free concerts feature the Jazz Institute Participants. For more information visit www.skidmore.edu/ events.

Upbeat on the Roof: The McKrells with Brian Melick

Summer Arts & Crafts Show

Lakeside Farms, 336 Schauber Rd., Ballston Lake, 10 a.m.–4 p.m.

Enjoy this family event browsing through gift items and handcrafted items made by talented local artists.

Free admission. For more information call (518) 744-9310.

Freihofer’s Jazz Festival

Tang Museum, on the roof at Skidmore College, 7–8:30 p.m.

Celtic folk/blues. Free admission Rain location inside the museum. For more information visit www.skidmore.edu/ events.

Saturday, June 29 Opera Saratoga Presents “Lucia di Lammermoor” by Donizetti Spa Little Theater, 19 Roosevelt Dr. Saratoga Springs, 7:30–10:30 p.m.

Forbidden love proves fatal in this cherished bel canto masterpiece.

Hair-raising drama and sumptuous singing culminate in opera’s most famous mad scene. Tickets $25-$85.

For more information or additional shows visit www.operasaratoga.org.

SPAC, 108 Avenue of the Pines, Saratoga Springs, 12 p.m.

If you love good jazz music and having fun, you don’t want to miss this festival. It’s the most popular jazz festival in the area and one of the most anticipated events in Saratoga each summer! For more information visit www.spac.org.

Freihofer’s Jazz Festival

SPAC, 108 Avenue of the Pines, Saratoga Springs, 12 p.m.

If you love good jazz music and having fun, you don’t want to miss this festival. It’s the most popular jazz festival in the area and one of the most anticipated events in Saratoga each summer! For more information visit www.spac.org.

Sunday, june 30 Opera Saratoga presents “H.M.S. Pinafor” by Gilbert and Sullivan

Spa Little Theater, 19 Roosevelt Dr. Saratoga Springs, 2–4 p.m.

Love levels all ranks in this nautical British comedy. Come set sail for an outrageous operetta aboard the rollicking H.M.S. Pinafore! Tickets $25-$85. For more information visit www.operasaratoga.org.

Tuesday, July 2 Public Tour: Café Lena: Inside America’s Legendary Folk Music Coffeehouse

Tang Museum, Skidmore College, 1–2 p.m. Free.

For more information visit wwwlskidmore.edu/events.

Thursday, July 4 Saratoga’s All American Celebration 2013

Downtown Saratoga Springs, 9 a.m.–9:30 p.m.

Fireworks, a parade, BBQ and Dessert Festivals, live music, a car show and more! For more information visit www.saratogajuly4th.com .

140 | Simply Saratoga | Summer 2013 saratogaTODAYnewspaper.com

Firecracker4

Saratoga Springs City Center, 9 a.m.–12 p.m.

Start the 4th with an invigorating run through the beautiful streets of Saratoga Springs. Race features live entertainment along the course, awards, prizes, refreshments, large vendor courtyard, goody bags and awesome race shirts.

For more information visit www.firecracker4.com.

Friday, July 5 Circus Smirkus

Upbeat on the Roof: “Railbird” Tang Museum at Skidmore, 7–8:30 p.m.

Indie Pop/Experiental. Free.

Rain location inside museum.

For more information visit www.tang.skidmore.edu.

Saturday, July 6 Circus Smirkus

Saratoga Race Track, Union Ave., Saratoga Springs, 1 and 7 p.m.

Circus Smirkus is a non-profit, awardwinning international youth circus founded with a mission: to promote the skills, culture and traditions of the traveling circus and to inspire youth to engage in life-changing adventures in the circus arts. $18 - $21. For more information visit www.skirkus.org.

Summer in Saratoga: A Rock Art Exhibition

Saratoga Hilton, 534 Broadway, Saratoga Springs 10 a.m.–3 p.m.

During Phish’s three-night run at Saratoga Performing Arts Center this poster show will feature the best Phish inspired art, including limited edition art made specifically for the show. For more information call (518) 569-2432.

Period Music and Cake Walk Grant’s Cottage, 1000 Mt. McGregor Rd., Wilton, 12 p.m.

Saratoga Race Track, Union Ave., Saratoga Springs, Fri., 1 p.m.

Circus Smirkus is a non-profit, awardwinning international youth circus founded with a mission: to promote the skills, culture and traditions of the traveling circus and to inspire youth to engage in life-changing adventures in the circus arts. $18 - $21. For more information visit www.skirkus.org.

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A talk by local author Hollis Palmer will be preceded by a porch performance by the 77th Regimental Balladeers. Following his talk, participants may take part in a traditional 19th century cakewalk featuring several different varieties of cake. Free. For more information visit www.grantcottage.org.

Sunday, July 7 Circus Smirkus

Saratoga Race Track, Union Ave., Saratoga Springs, 1 and 7 p.m.

Circus Smirkus is a non-profit, awardwinning international youth circus founded with a mission: to promote the skills, culture and traditions of the traveling circus and to inspire youth to engage in life-changing adventures in the circus arts. $18 - $21. For more information visit www.skirkus.org.

Ulysses S. Grant: A Renowned Horseman

Canfield Casino, Congress Park, 5:30 p.m.

Ulysses Grant Dietz, Great-GreatGrandson of our 18th President and Union General will be the Guest Speaker. Includes a buffet, cocktails, and a silent auction to help fund the Grant Cottage State Historic Site. $40.00. For more information visit www.grantcottage.org. or call (518) 584-4353.

Tuesday, July 9 Opening Day: New York City Ballet

SPAC, 108 Avenue of the Pines, Saratoga Springs, 8 p.m.

The New York City Ballet returns to the Saratoga Performing Arts Center from July 9-13, 2013. For more information visit www.spac.org.

Someday is Now: The Art of Corita Kent

Tang Teacher Museum, Skidmore College, 1 p.m.

This is an ongoing event.

For more information visit www.tang.skidmore.edu.

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Wednesday, July 10 Porch Chat: Music in Grant’s Time

Grant’s Cottage, 1000 Mt. McGregor Rd., Wilton, 1 p.m.

Saturday, July 13 Free Concert with Disney Channel Star Zendaya

Upbeat on the Roof: Brian Patneaude Quartet

Tang Teaching Museum, 7 p.m.

Modern Jazz, celebrating 13 years of free music on the roof of Tang Teaching Musuem. Rain location inside museum. For more information visit www.tang.skidmore.edu.

Saturday, July 13 Wilton’s Community Day: Parkfest 2013

Gavin Park, Saratoga Springs, 11 a.m.–9 p.m.

An exciting, fun-filled day, which includes a very eclectic craft fair, amusement park rides, food vendors, contests, live music, shows and is topped off with an awards ceremony and a fantastic fireworks display at dusk! For more information call (518) 584-9455.

Art in the Park

Congress Park, Saratoga Springs, 10 a.m.–5 p.m.

Presented by Saratoga Arts, featuring up to 70 artists from the greater Saratoga and Capital Region. This year’s event will include local music, great food and a Kidz Art Zone.

Free. For more information call (518) 584-4132 or visit www.saratoga-arts.org.

20th Annual Marini Builders Siro’s Cup Honoring Jockey Ramon Dominquez Siro’s Restaurant, 168 Lincoln Ave.,Saratoga Springs, 6:30–11 p.m.

A 50-minute presentation covering the life of Grant beginning in 1822 focusing on his later years. Free.

For more information visit www. grantcottage.org.

Friday, July 12

Thursday, July 18

Saratoga Race Track, 267 Union Ave., Saratoga Springs, 3 p.m.

The Saratoga Race Course kicks off its Olympic-sized 150th year of racing with a free performance by Disney Channel star Zendaya. Open House will take place from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information call (518) 584-6200.

The unofficial kick off of the Saratoga racing season, Siro’s Cup features a summer buffet, open bar, dancing and mingling with jockeys, trainers and 2013 honoree, Ramon Dominguez, three time winner of the Eclipse Award for Outstanding Jockey.

Proceeds benefit the Center for Disability Services. Typically, more than one thousand guests attend.

Tickets $125, $150 at the door, $1110 for group of ten. For more information visit www.cfdsny.org.

Friday, July 19 Wednesday, July 17 Porch Chat: The Diminutive Engine Wheezed Along

Grant Cottage, Mt. McGregor Rd., Gansevoort 12–1 p.m.

Once upon a time, a railroad ran from Saratoga to Mount McGregor. It was his railroad that brought General Grant to Grant Cottage, and carried the General’s body on the first part of its somber journey to its final resting place. Join local historian and Grant Cottage tour guide Steve Trimm as he talks about the railroad and W.J. Arkell, the eccentric and brilliant Gilded Age businessman who made the railroad a reality. For more information call (518) 584-4353.

Saratoga Racing Season Opening Day

Saratoga Race Track, Union Ave., Saratoga Springs, 11 a.m.

Get ready for another thrilling season of racing. For more information visit www.saratogaracetrack.com or Íwww.nyra.com.

Upbeat on the Roof: Stellar Young

Tang Musuem, Skidmore College, 7–8:30 p.m.

Indie Rock. Rain location inside museum. For more information visit www.tang.skidmore.edu.

Hats Off to Saratoga Festival Downtown Saratoga Springs, Friday and Saturday 7 p.m.

Each year, the city comes together to celebrate the beginning of track season with live music, good company, and of course, hats!

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Saturday, July 20

Thursday, July 25

Thursday, July 25

Saratoga Bridges Annual Gala: The White Party

A Summer Evening in Saratoga

A Night in Tuscany

‘The White Party’ will feature complimentary cocktails, buffet dinner and desserts, music by Gravity, cigar roller, photo booth and valet parking.

There will also be both live and silent auction with a number of unique items to bid on to help raise money for Saratoga Bridges. Tickets will be $150 and $100 for those under 35 years old. (518) 587-0723.

The 20th Annual A Summer Evening in Saratoga gala and garden party will be one of the first events of the Racing Season. It is a chance to dress up, step out and have a wonderful time after an afternoon at the track.A beautiful summer evening, an incredible array of hors d’oeuvres and unique cocktails from the Century House, and 500 old and new friends combine for a truly special evening. Cost $125. For more please contact Stacy LaCombe-Kraft at (518) 268-5604 or slacombe@setonhealth.org or call (518) 268-5604.

A Night In Tuscany 2013 to benefit the American Cancer Society HopeClub.

Tuscan Themed Dinner & Wine Pairing, Live & Silent Auction. Live Music and Dancing. Cocktail Attire/ Valet Parking. For more information call (518) 220-6933.

Fasig Tipton, East and Madison Ave. Saratoga Springs, 7–11 p.m.

Summer Exhibitions: Opening Reception

Tang Museum, Skidmore College, 6–7:30 p.m.

Opening Reception for Summer Exhibitions: “Caffe Lena: Inside America’s Legendary Folk Music Coffeehouse”. “The First 15: Photography from the Meredith S. Moody Residency at Yaddo”, “TRANSFORMer”, and “Opener 25: Hildur Asgeirsdottir Jonsson”Free.

For more information visit www.tang. skidmore.edu.

National Museum of Dance, S. Broadway, Saratoga Springs, 5:30–8:30 p.m.

Fasig Tipton, Fasig Tipton, East and Madison Ave. Saratoga Springs, 6:30–10:30 p.m.

Friday, July 26 Upbeat on the Roof: Annie and the Hedonists

Tang Museum, Skidmore College, 7–8:30 p.m.

Acoustic blues/Vintage jazz. Rain location inside museum. Free. For more information visit www.tang. skidmore.edu.

Sunday, July 21 Hat Contest at Saratoga Race Course

267 Union Ave., Saratoga Springs, 12 p.m.

Don your favorite hat piece in one of the following categories— Kreative Kids is for youngsters 18 and under.Fashionably Saratoga invites contestants to don their most beautiful hats and Uniquely Saratoga are, well, unique. Past efforts in this category have even included a battery operated horse race atop a hat.

Registration is at noon. Prizes are awarded to the top three contestants in each category.

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Saturday, July 27 Live Painting by Artist Kim Santini

Spa Fine Art, 376 Broadway, Saratoga Springs 2–7 p.m.

Kim returns again this summer to create a masterpiece for the public to view! Join us at the gallery and watch the fascinating process and end result of one of her vibrant paintings. The finished piece as well as many more of her original paintings will be on display and waiting for you to bring home! For more information visit www.spa-fine-art.com.

Friday, August 2 Floral Fete Promendade and Ice Cream Social Downtown Saratoga Springs, 7:30 p.m.

the Floral Fete Promenade will begin on the corner of North Broadway and Route 50 and continue down Broadway to Congress Park. Marylou Whitney and John Hendrickson will lead the promenade in the first carriage decorated in pink roses followed by 14 additional decorated carriages pulled by horses, carrying dignitaries. There will be 14 vintage automobiles, floats, and 100 men, women, and children with floral decorated bicycles, wagons, baby carriages, and non-motorized contraptions on wheels. Once everyone arrives in Congress Park, the ice cream social festivities begin.

For more information visit www.

Saratoga150.com.

Upbeat on the Roof: Markellis, Haskell, Maul

Tang Museum, Skidmore College, 7–8:30 p.m.

American roots/blues/swamp rock/ country swing. Rain location inside museum. For more information visit tang.skidmore.edu.

Wednesday, July 31 31st Annual Benefit Auction

Polo Meadow, Saratoga Casino and Raceway, 6–9 p.m.

Benefiting the Community Health Resource Center. Tickets $150. ($100 Junior Ticket age 21-36).

For more information visit www.saratogahospital.org.

Friday, August 2 Ballston Spa Film Festival

Iron Spring Park, Front St. and Ballston Spa High School Auditorium, Friday and Saturday A family-friendly festival that draws film entries from around the globe and from around the neighborhood. It is free to attend, so that families with children can have a fun night (or two!) with little expense. An outdoor, open air festival. So bring your own chair, get comfortable and enjoy quality films from around the world. For more information visit www.bspfilm.org.

Saturday, August 3 Opening Reception: Saratoga 150: Then, Now, and Beyond Saratoga Arts, 320 Broadway, Saratoga Springs, 6–8 p.m.

”In celebration of this citywide sesquicentennial event, Saratoga Arts will exhibit artworks that reflect on our region’s rich past, represents or comments on our own time in Saratoga Springs, or envisions Saratoga’s future. The exhibition will merge history with the present day and anticipate fresh, innovative ideas of what’s to come. For more information call (518) 584-4132.

Tuesday, August 6 Vision: A look behind the scenes Clubhouse Porch at Saratoga Race Course, Union Ave., Saratoga Springs, 5:30–8 p.m.

The event benefits EOC’s Latino Community Advocacy Program, which provides English as a Second Language and Advocacy Services to Spanish-speaking individuals and families year round in the Saratoga Springs area and seasonally at the Race Course Backstretch.

For more information call (518) 587-3158 ext. 111.

Thursday, August 8 World Premier of Serenade

Saratoga Performing Arts Center, 8 p.m.

A commissioned composition performed by The Philadelphia Orchestra. For more information visit www.spac.org.

Friday, August 9 Upbeat on the Roof: Jeanne O’Connor and the Standard

Tang Museum, Skidmore College, 7–8:30 p.m.

60s and 70s soulful classics. Rain location inside museum. Free. For more information visit www.tang. skidmore.edu.

Friday, August 16 Upbeat on the Roof: Johnny Raab and The Tichy Boys

Tang Museum, Skidmore College, 7–8:30 p.m.

Music of Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and the Big Bopper.

Rain location inside museum.

Free. For more information visit www.tang.skidmore.edu.

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Saturday, August 17 Saratoga 150 $2 Better’s Ball Saratoga Springs City Center, 7:30–11 p.m.

Most festival balls require tuxedoes and pricey tickets, but not during Saratoga’s 150th birthday bash.

Three ballrooms will feature dance bands playing the music of seven generations: Doc Scanlon’s Band with songs of the ’40s, ’50s and ’60s, Party of Three with songs of the ’70s and ’80s, and Gravity with songs of the ’90s and 2000s. Proceeds benefit Backstretch Charities. Free with a Saratoga 150 Lapel Medallion For One Person, $10 per guest without a medallion. For more information visit www.Saratoga150.com.

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August 17, 18 Saratoga Arts Celebration National Museum of Dance, 99 S. Broadway, Saratoga Springs, 10 a.m.–5 p.m.

The Saratoga Arts Celebration at the National Museum of Dance in Saratoga Spa State Park, is a premier Arts Festival. The Festival is a juried event featuring more than 100 artists selected locally and from across the country and Canada. Their paintings, photography, drawings, prints, sculptures, mixed media, jewelry, ceramics, fiber, metal and glass pieces are all originals available for collecting.

The Festival includes live musical performances on both days, as well as, fun family activities, and a variety of food temptations. This event is free to the public. It happens rain or shine, inside the museum and outdoors under tents.Festival admission is free.

There is plenty of free parking.

September 6, 7 Saratoga Wine and Food Festival and Concourse D’Elegance

Saratoga Performing Arts Center, Saratoga Springs A three-day destination event located in world-class Saratoga Springs, quickly becoming known as the most original and exciting Wine and Food Festival north of New York City. Saratoga Wine & Food and Fall Ferrari Festival provides over 200 premiere wine and food exhibitors, invitation-only, collector Italian luxury vehicles as well as one-of-a kind seminars. For more information visit www.spac.org or www.Saratoga150.com.

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ê DOG GONE FRIENDLY! ê Saratoga Springs

Look for this decal to see which downtown businesses welcome dogs. DogFriendlyDowntown.blogspot.com

Spa day for your pooch?

Brown Dog Pet Spa 518-306-6460 42 Park Place Milton Manor Pet Spa and Resort 612 New York 29, Middle Grove (518) 587-6673 Greenfield Animal Hospital Salon & Spa 518-893‑6228 3100 Rte. 9N Greenfield Center

Shopping for your best friend?

Benson’s Pet Center 518-584-7777 3083 Route 50 Wilton Dawgdom 518-306-6600 441A Broadway Impressions 518-587-0666 368 Broadway Sloppy Kisses Boutique 518-587-2207 425 Broadway

Looking to meet other dogs while in town? sPAW CITY Social Club Indoor Dog Park & Doggy Daycare 518-309-3732 101 Ford Street, 2nd Floor​ Ballston Spa www.sPawCity.com Bellyrubs Doggie Daycare 518-747-6815 1089 Rte 9 Gansevoort, NY 12831 www.bellyrubsdoggydaycare.com Pampered Pooch & Pals 518-363-0396 2134 Doubleday Ave. Ballston Spa www.pamperedpoochandpals.com Doggy Playcare 518-886-8876 474 Maple Ave. Saratoga Springs www.facebook.com/doggyplaycare

Check out this site for activities & services for your dog. SaratogaDogLovers.com

Saratoga State Park Dog Park Though not officially a NYS State Park dog facility, the Dog Park is maintained and owned by them and the dogs and their humans LOVE it and APPRECIATE it so much, they even have a Facebook page where they share the love! www.facebook.com/pages/ saratoga-state-park-dog-park/260617306443 They are in the process of fund-raising to include a fenced-in area for safe dog play. If you love it too— please like their Facebook page and get involved.

24 Hr. Emergency care

Northway Animal Emergency Clinic 35 Fawn Rd Gansevoort, NY 12831 (518) 480-7520 For Dog Lovers everywhere…

This hardcover, coffee table book is filled with photos of all of Michele Riggi’s pups and their mansion!

Proceeds from this book will benefit Canine Cancer Oncology Research &The construction of a 24 hr. pet hospital in Saratoga Springs, NY www.poshpalazzopups.com

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