Simply Saratoga Winter 2013

Winter Edition Jan/Feb 2013

Covering Saratoga County

Compliments of

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Owner/Publisher Chad Beatty General Manager Robin Mitchell Production Director Richard Hale Managing Editor Andrew Marshall Advertising Chris Bushee, Jim Daley, Cindy Durfey Graphic Designers Eric Havens, Jessica Kane Writers Chelsea DiSchiano Helen Susan Edelman Arthur Gonick Meghan Lemery Andrew Marshall Patricia Older Terry Welsh 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 Simply Saratoga is brought to you by Saratoga TODAY Newspaper, Saratoga Publishing, LLC. Saratoga Publishing shall make every effort to avoid errors and omissions but disclaims any responsibility should they occur. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means without prior written consent of the publisher. Copyright (c) 2012, Saratoga TODAY Newspaper

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JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2013

West Mountain

Winter Fashion Showcase

Winter Save the Date

Short Story

“Seasoned Reflection”

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Contents r

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West Mountain: “Pure Fun, Day or Night!”

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“Willkommen in der Spa Brauhaus!”

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Retail Rainmaker: Marianne Barker’s Magic Touch

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Winter Fashion Showcase

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Simple Truths

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Jill Kross: “Hudson Run” Is a Wild Ride

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Military Museum

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Winter Save the Date

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Saratoga Winter Club: What’s in a Name?

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“Seasoned Reflection on a Wet and Sleepless Night”

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Cover photo provided SaratogaTODAYNewspaper.com

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“Most of the shadows of this life are caused by our standing in our own sunshine.”

Ralph Waldo Emerson

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“Pure Fun, Day or Night!”

Over Half a Century Later, West Mountain Still Stands Tall Story by Chelsea DiSchiano Photos courtesy of MarkBolles.com and West Mountain

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t was 1961 when three brothers from Wisconsin decided to build and operate a ski site in Queensbury, New York.

Back then, West Mountain was just one of the many smaller, bare mountains that helped make up the collective Adirondacks spread through scenic upstate New York.

By the time the mountain was ready for opening day in the same year they bought it, Michel, Paul and Claude Brandt had constructed three simple trails, a rope tow and one 4,000foot double chairlift to take skiers to the top of West Mountain.

Moving ahead 52 years later, and West Mountain still stands strong, though it looks a bit different than it did in 1961. It now hosts a whopping 40 ski trails and a six lane tubing park on over 126 acres, with two double chairlifts, a triple chairlift, a rope tow and two tube tows to take you throughout

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the terrain of the 1,470-foot tall mountain.

Located only miles away from one of New York’s largest highways, the mountain is unique in more ways than one. Not only has the mountain grown in how much it offers skiers, but it has been widely expanded in the different activities that are now available.

In the winters, the ski resort offers tubing, snowboarding, ski competitions, friendly races, skiing lessons and snowmobiling. But the mountain doesn’t shut down when it stops snowing — in the summer, West Mountain hosts music and outdoor festivals, volleyball and hiking — with plans for more summer activities in the works. The mountain’s tagline, “Pure Fun, Day or Night!” is aimed at anyone and everyone, though the mountain is especially family-friendly.

“It’s always been a family resort,” says Sue Parker, director of sales and marketing at West Mountain. “We’ve really taken pride

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in that — this is the mountain you grew up on.”

West Mountain isn’t just unique in the variety of activities it offers — in 1964, it became one of the earliest ski resorts to add lights to its trails, enabling skiers to ride the trails day or night.

Even today, it is one of only 11 resorts in New York that allows night skiing.

“Night skiing is still not the norm in a lot of areas — we’re one of the few in the area that do have it, which affords us a number of opportunities,” Parker says. “And we feel with the lights on at night that it’s just a beautiful visual.”

Though skiing in the dark could appear unsafe, Parker says the safety of night skiing is not an issue skiers need to worry about.

“Night skiing is just as safe as day skiing,” Parker assures.

“Obviously you have a visual issue you need to be aware of, but a lot of people adjust to that — for example, a lot of people buy goggles with clear lenses versus tinted lenses, because in the night you’re still protecting your eyes from wind and exposure.

Obviously, not 100 percent of the mountain is lit up — that’s why you have lit up trails and people stay on those trails accordingly — you don’t want them getting out of bounds in the night, but that’s why we have our ski patrol, which is very well-staffed and experienced.”

Night skiing isn’t West Mountain’s only claim to fame — in a time where many ski resorts are hurting for snow every winter, West Mountain relies heavily on its 55 snowmaking machines to make up for what Mother Nature has been lacking in recent winters.

“Our snowmaking is superb — [current owner] Mike Barbone has been in

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the industry for a number of years and puts on a quality product, and he won’t start the guns until they’re ready and the snow is going to stay.”

Snowmaking is a tedious process that is reliant on several different weather factors combining to make a perfect snowmaking formula.

Weather factors that must be taken into consideration in order to make snow are the ambient temperature, evaporation surface area and water cooling — Paige Sidler, events and marketing assistant at West Mountain, says the science of snowmaking is complex yet simple.

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“A lot of people get upset when we’re not making snow even though it’s been cold out, but the temperature has to be below 32 degrees. Even if it were below 32 degrees, you’d still have to worry about the ambient temperature and the humidity and a couple of other different things — we’re not going to make snow for three days when it’s going to be 50 degrees for the next five, so we really wait until there’s a good stretch of cold weather,” Sidler says.

Parker adds that spreading the newly-made snow on the mountain is similar to frosting a cake.

“The concept is that they make it in piles and leave it there and let it set up, and then your snow cats come in and liken it to frosting a cake,” Parker says. “You don’t want to over frost and keep moving things around — once you get piles of [snow] you blot that frosting on and then you move it where you want it.”

Sidler says people often get confused about the authenticity of manmade snow.

“A lot of people have this misconception that manmade snow is fake, but it’s actually not — it’s completely authentic,” Sidler says. “We can start making snow on a Friday night and by Monday morning there’s a lot of snow—we’ve been open within five days of snowmaking before.”

As winter snowfalls have been arriving later and the

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colder seasons have brought fewer showers, snowmaking has been the key tool helping many ski resorts survive — but many have to wait to open their ski resorts until much later than normal, especially since a 24-inch base of snow must be created before it is safe to ski. This season, West Mountain didn’t fire up their snow guns until December 12.

“It shows how imperative it is for ski areas to have proper snowmaking systems,” Parker says. “Our mountain is covered 85 percent by snowmaking, so even if Mother Nature isn’t cooperating with us, we have the ability to trump her, given the right cold temperatures.

“We’re normally starting a little earlier in the season and it’s odd — last year was just horrific, but it was horrific nationwide,” Parker explains. “I would have to agree with scientists that global warming is affecting us — who would’ve thought that two Decembers in a row could be this way?”

No matter what the weather, West Mountain prides itself on keeping its popular restaurant, WestEnd Sports Bar & Grille (formerly known as just West Side Grille), open to the public year-round.

“It’s a really nice pub-fare menu with casual dining — almost 50 percent of our clientele aren’t even skiers, so anyone can come and enjoy a meal,” Parker says.

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“Grandma and Grandpa can enjoy a meal with their kids or grandchildren and they don’t have to ski but they can still all come and eat at the same place.”

Parker says the restaurant also caters to sports fans, as it holds a 110-inch screen TV along with multiple smaller TVs, a pool table and a double fireplace to make for a cozy atmosphere. The restaurant also offers entertainment throughout the week, and plans to add more performances on Sundays for diners to enjoy.

The main lodge can also be used to host weddings, holiday parties, banquets, birthday parties and any other special occasions.

Parker says mountaintop weddings are becoming more and more common as people look for unique ways to say “I do.”

“We have one coming up next October,” Parker says, adding that there are several ways to celebrate a marriage at West Mountain. “We’ve done a wedding on the deck — a very casual, small wedding on the deck under the archway.

You can rent out the entire lodge for a more formal wedding setting and have room for over 300 guests when you use the whole facility.”

Parker adds that West Mountain is a beautiful, distinctive place to host a wedding, no matter what the season.

“It’s a really cool, different venue — it’s not your standard wedding venue,” she says. “We do a fair amount of weddings in the spring, and the fall is gorgeous with the foliage. Every once in a while you get skiers on the mountain literally getting married in their skis, and then coming down to have your reception. It’s becoming more and more common to have alternative destinations and wedding venues, so we’re thrilled to be a part of it.”

As for this ski season, Parker says West Mountain is prepared for a flurry of activities. In February, the mountain will host the regional competition for the Winter Special Olympics games. In January, which is also National Learn to Ski month, the mountain will offer a discount on their learn-to-ski package, giving one of the three skiing lessons offered in the package for only $25. The staff is also moving forward in the process of getting a zip line in place for summer visitors — “We’re looking forward to enhancing our summer exposure and events,” Parker says.

West Mountain is also buzzing with possible plans of turning the 2800-acre backside of the mountain into a new

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ski development.

“A long term goal would be development of that side and expanding the ski areas and hotels,” Parker says. “It would be called Mount Luzerne, since that town is right on the back of this mountain.”

Parker says there are people both in favor and against the idea of expanding the mountain, but thinks that the expansion would be good for everyone in the end.

“I think it’d be good for all of us,” Parker says.

“There are pros and cons — there are people opposed to it — just as they would be with any new development — but it’s over a 20-year plan and will add a tremendous tax base to the Luzerne school system.

Of course, we see it as a glass half-full, so we’re very excited and optimistic for this development.”

For now, Parker says West Mountain is excited to begin another successful ski season, and hopes more people will come out and learn how to ski.

“Honestly, you’re hooked for life,” Parker says.

“The beauty of skiing being an independent sport adds a lot of fun to it, and we hope everyone comes out in January and learns to ski!” •

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"Willkommen in der S pa Brauhaus!"

Story by Helen Susan Edelman Photos courtesy of Stock Studios Photography

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ne word of advice: Don’t snack before dinner if you’re going to Spa Brauhaus in Ballston Spa. The authentic Bavarian fare is substantial and plentiful, and you want to have the capacity to enjoy every facet of it. In fact, you’ll have to pace yourself if you plan on ordering dessert. I know this for a fact because I had dinner there recently with Simply Saratoga’s mellow publisher, Chad Beatty, and his insightful wife, Kim. As always, the conversation veered toward politics, where we sometimes tend to cross swords, and then to childrearing, where we agreed passionately about the values that foster healthy, loving, respectful relationships with our kids. In other words, we had full plates, animated banter and good friends on a Saturday evening.

We met at 6 p.m., though it seemed later because of the pitch dark of the winter sky. The restaurant is easy to find in the crook of a turn on East High Street, about eight minutes from the middle of downtown Ballston Spa, with plenty of parking. As a close neighbor to Saratoga Springs and Wilton, Clifton Park, Malta, Galway, Halfmoon and other nearby residential areas, this is an excellent meeting place for friends coming from several directions.

Due to an afternoon gone awry, I was fashionably late; a forgiving Chad and Kim had taken one of the best seats in the house to wait for me — quiet, in the well-lit main dining room. They waved me over to where they had already buttered slices of the warm loaf of bread on the table and were deep into conversation about school events for their son, Keegan. That, and a little liquid refreshment, and we were set to begin the next task: studying the menu.

As its name makes obvious, Spa Brauhaus specializes in classic German foods, so, although the menu certainly offers many items for those who prefer an iteration of fish or chicken, the gastronomic heart of the place is in serious meat, particularly cuts of beef, veal and pork, with traditional accompaniments such as sauerkraut, onions and red cabbage (other veggies are available). We started

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with appetizers: sausages, stuffed mushrooms and potato pancakes. I have loved potato pancakes since childhood, when my grandmother made them for special occasions, so believe me when I tell you that Spa Brauhaus makes one mean potato pancake, crispy and light, complete with applesauce. (There’s also a potato pancake dinner on the menu, which I can imagine coming back for another time.) We shared the selections around the table. One of the great pleasures of eating with friends is passing the dishes so everyone can sample the booty. This marvelous folk practice both gratifies immediate curiosity and helps lay plans for the next visit.

It takes a few minutes to absorb the impact of the selection of entrées — that is to say, to read through the list, consider how you would pronounce items on it, and think through the nuances of preparation for foods such as sauerbraten (tender slices of beef in sweet and sour gravy), bratwurst (tasty pork sausage), Bavarian Roulade of Beef (filled with meat stuffing, onion, bacon and pickle), Kassler Rippchen (smoked pork loin chops with sweet and sour gravy), Bavarian Schlacht Platter (smoked pork chop and two German sausages), Wiener Schnitzel (veal cutlet with brown gravy), Jaeger Schnitzel (natural veal cutlet with mushroom cream sauce), Rahmschnitzel (veal cutlet with sherry cream sauce) and Schnitzel Cordon Blue (breaded veal cutlet stuffed with ham and cheese). Each is distinctively flavorful in its marinade or specialty gravy, breading or sauce, and you can see in the presentation that the chefowner takes a personal interest in the variations. The main event also comes with a starch — potatoes or fresh spaetzle (German noodles), and vegetables.

In addition, the restaurant offers a children’s menu.

Spa Brauhaus is definitely low-key and family friendly. The crowd is intergenerational, the murmur is pleasant and the space is roomy enough for a couple of kids to stretch their legs between courses (with supervision, of course).

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A tureen of house soup arrives while you’re waiting touch with the restaurant for details in ’13. for the meal (it’s a treat included in every meal), and on If you’re game, now that the appetizers, soup, bread, this night, it was an absolutely delicious hearty vegetable. dinner, sides and beverages are either consumed or packed Because we did not realize to bring home, it’s time to decide what was in store for us, we what to have for dessert. Will it all had two cups full. (The be carrot cake? Chocolate lava truth is, the soup was so cake? Black Forest cake? (With good that we might have or without a generous dollop of had those second helpings ice cream?) Again, I suggest you 200 East High Street anyway.) order to share. There will be more Ballston Spa, New York 12020 For those so inclined, than enough, and dessert doesn’t (518) 885-4311 there is a wine list and, as do so well in a to-go bag. For the you’d expect, a broad roster record, I had the Black Forest Open Wednesday of light and dark German Cake — must have left my selfthrough Sunday beers to drink at the table control in the car. Scrumptious! or with friends at the retro It is worth noting that the Preview the menu at: bar area. The rumor is that original owner, who established http://spabrauhaus.wordpress.com/our-menu/ Spa Brauhaus is the place the restaurant in the ’60s, still to see and be seen for works on the premises, keeping Oktoberfest, a German fesan eye on the faithfulness of the tival dedicated to the celebration of beer, which has become food and excellent service to the founding premise of the popular internationally as an occasion to party. Keep in restaurant.

Spa Brauhaus

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If you go, look for an informal, mid-priced night out.

It’s fine to go with a large group; there are plenty of ways to configure tables to accommodate you. And, the venue offers special occasion packages in a separate room.

If you haven’t eaten a lot of German food, the menu might seem intimidating, but the food itself is straightforward, basic and satisfying. There are few such specialty restaurants in the region, so the cultural novelty is worth the trip — there’s a lot to learn about people through their cuisine.

The décor of Spa Brauhaus is old-fashioned, to be sure, but there is something comforting and sure-footed in its charming homage to the middlish part of the 20th century — the tables are set, the ambiance is welcoming, the standards for excellence in food, friendliness and efficiency are set high. It’s the kind of modest building people might drive by on their way from Point A to Point B and think, “I should stop there sometime.” Make that time today. •

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Retail Rainmaker:

Marianne Barker’s

Magic Touch

Story by Arthur Gonick Photos courtesy of Stock Studios Photography and provided

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uccess in any retail business is not an easy thing to attain. There can be a variety of factors, external market forces and the like, which can derail even the most well thought-out business plan. When you meet someone who can not only survive, but also thrive and then repeat successes over and over again in a wide variety of applications, you would be well served to take note.

“We’ve always been able to develop an interesting situation.”

Marianne Barker; known to all who meet her as “Mare.”

Unassuming. Friendly. Quietly confident, yet never boastful. So you need to pay attention, because this woman has a lot for everyone to learn — even if you think you know her already.

That quote was actually written in 1999, when I sat down with Mare and her husband Dave.

(Note: Dave himself is intrinsic to the whole success story in his own right, but maybe because they are always written about as a couple, neither really gets the singular praise they deserve. So today is Mare’s day — and Dave was the first to agree. I will say, however, that while I remember the quote verbatim, I cannot for the life of me remember which of the two said it! I think this speaks well to how strongly their partnership dovetails. “I like to say Dave is the idea man. I’m the ‘Type A’ workaholic that gets it done,” Mare said.)

At that time, I was doing a series of merchant profiles for the Saratoga Downtown Business Association (DBA) newsletter; and the Barkers were poised to open another business — Bailey’s — on the corner of Phila and Putnam Street. Newcomers to Saratoga probably think that Bailey’s

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has always been there; and long-timers might have forgotten that it wasn’t always a part of the scene. That ‘interesting situation’ was nothing less than an overnight sensation — a monster, actually, which continues to this day. Such a monster, in fact, that the Barkers decided to sell Bailey’s five years later.

“Bailey’s became so popular immediately — it grew like crazy,” Mare recalls, “We were made an offer to sell and decided that life is just too short to work as hard as we did running the two businesses.”

So you have Bailey’s, a leading restaurant/bar and entertainment venue (which actually was conceived as a coffee shop with s’mores, which is another story for another time) and the fabulously successful and wildly eclectic Impressions of Saratoga, which now resides at 368 Broadway, on the corner of Phila Street. Impressions has been a downtown Saratoga anchor since 1980; first occupying both the site of Char Koon restaurant at street level, and in the basement (now Mine) of what was called the “Newberry Building” at 388 Broadway. The basement was a T-shirt manufacturing business. The business moved to 368 Broadway in 1987, with the manufacturing going to Gansevoort. As Impressions grew to its current retail prominence, the Barkers sold off the manufacturing end of things. This coincided with them landing a lucrative contract with the New York Racing Association (NYRA) in 1991 that had them vending souvenirs at all three NYRA-owned tracks (Belmont, Aqueduct and of course, Saratoga) for nearly a decade. (continued on page 22)

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If you are starting to get dizzy from the different twists and turns, better fasten your seat belt — we’re just getting started!

Let’s try out another name on you long-timers: Remember “The Bijou?” Yes, yes — we can see it emerging from the ether of your memory banks . . . (It was the 80s, folks). A popular watering hole and live music spot that occupied what is now Russo’s and the expanded Circus Café at 390 Broadway.

Yep, another Mare and Dave project. Another

“interesting situation.”

There’s even more, but I think we proved the point.

There are other aspects to explore and salute.

Most notably, acknowledging their civic involvement.

There are some successful business people in Saratoga who make their money and go home. Not Mare. In addition to a number of sales efforts at Impressions that benefit, among other entities, the Disabled Jockeys Fund, Mare Barker gives her time to the many organizations that help promote Saratoga Springs and the County:

The new crew at Impressions of Saratoga: (left to right) Marianne, Jamie, Tracey, Brandie, Maddy, Kayleah and their dog, ‘Cookie’.

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• • • • • •

Downtown Business Association (DBA) — Current member. Past treasurer and board member Saratoga Convention and Tourism Bureau — Current member; past chairperson of board of directors Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce — rejoined board of directors in January 2013.

Past board member City Center Authority — board member for 10 years Special Assessment District — Current board member Dressage — Past sponsorship chairperson

“She’s my ‘go-to’ person, for everything, really,” remarked Susan Farnsworth, Director of Promotions and Marketing for the DBA. “When I get an inquiry from the media that needs an answer from a merchant, or to get a sense of the ‘mood of downtown’ on a given issue, Mare’s opinion is always in the mix. But more than that, she’s a trusted friend.

I was so happy that my son David got his first job from her — I can’t think of anyone better to learn business from!” * * *

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Okay, it’s now time for the reveal: all of this almost didn’t happen. Call it lightning in a bottle, or the decision boxes in the flowchart of life, but without precise timing Mare’s life could have gone in a completely different direction, perhaps without ever even gracing Saratoga Springs.

Marianne Barker grew up in a middle class home in the vast suburban blob called Nassau County on Long Island (or “Lawn-Guyland,” as they might say) the fifth child (and only one born in this country) of German immigrants who came to the USA in 1957. Dad was a stone mason; mom stayed at home.

Mare’s love of horses and all things animal led her to major in animal science at SUNY Cobleskill, doing well enough to earn acceptance into the extremely competitive Cornell Veterinary School. However, before that, she decided to go into a local bar called the Stone Pony, where she met the bartender.

“I blame this all on Dave,” Mare says, laughing. “Retail was the farthest thing from my mind.”

“I came to Cobleskill for a job that my buddy gave me,” Dave recalls, “I had just graduated college in New Jersey and needed work. Isn’t that how all guys meet their girlfriends?” He said this over the phone, but you could ‘hear his smile’, if you will.

It was Dave who had the entrepreneurial spirit that eventually led to a great partnership and marriage. Dave had the deal making and negotiating skills that put the first T-shirt into the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, and together, this led to the founding of Impress T-shirts, which had both sales and production components. Saratoga Springs came into the picture based purely on geography at first — an important consideration in the pre-internet age.

“We had consistent business in Cooperstown, but also in Vermont and some in the Capital Region.” Mare said.

“We rented a business that suited our needs in the beginning, and grew from there.”

It was as simple as that. Quiet confidence. But as you can see — not so simple, really.

The ‘rainmakers’ that we have written about previously have all had roots in Saratoga that seemingly go back to Gideon Putnam and/or the Petrified Sea Forest, but its important to recognize that a significant portion of the ‘rain’ that has made, and continues to make Saratoga what it is comes from people outside the region who buy into the concept and enhance it with their own flavor. Too often, the ‘born and raised’ get grouchy about the newcomers, but without an infusion of some well-timed Mares Barker along the way, Saratoga would have lost a lot.

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Marianne with her “Aunt Anna”, and parents

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Marianne, Dave and Maddy

So, what’s next? Well, on the one hand if there was a plan to begin with in Mare’s life, it went out the window a long time ago. But she’s now at the point that she’s thinking about a step back, just a little one. Who might fill the void, you ask?

“Maddy Zanetti — a young woman who has worked for us since 2005 and was a customer for many years before that.” Mare said “We like to call her “mini-Mare” since she has the same red hair, loves horses and dogs and is even more of a perfectionist than me.”

“She is now a managing partner. She and I will eventually reverse roles in the business. I would like a bit more time to enjoy my life outside work, but still play a part here.

It’s in my blood and I can’t imagine cutting all ties. It will be nice to eventually be able to see Impressions flourish for another 35 years, yet have the core heart of the business stay the same. Maddy has the same vision as we do and the added benefit of fresh ideas and young energy! It’s a perfect partnership and we value her talents.”

Apparently, Maddy’s made quite an impression.

Sorry — couldn’t resist any longer. • Arthur Gonick does his best writing about Saratoga from a distance of approximately 1,100 miles. He makes his residence in Nashville, Tennessee and tries never to see snow fall in quantities greater than one inch.

Mares Fab Five: Her favorite things to do on her (rare) days off: 1. Having family gatherings — “This could include any combination of both moms, my dad, three sisters, three brothers, 10 nieces and nephews plus assorted cats and dogs! And, of course, the people we work with. Our employees are the extended family.”

2. Care for her animals — “Our dogs Yankee, Champ, Raleigh and Bailey (all Springer spaniels) and currently puppy Cookie. My horses Beau and (the recently passed) Cilantra, Petey the parakeet and I lost track of how many kitties . . .”

3. House and Garden — “I love getting my hands dirty — it’s my therapy time! I visit the Saratoga Farmers Market for gardening inspiration.”

4. Wandering around Saratoga Springs — “I love everything about it and the people I have the opportunity to meet on a daily basis!”

5. Traveling — “Especially our getaways to Maine and Nunan’s Lobster Hut! I’ve been lucky enough to travel with my brother to Australia for a Grand Prix auto race; with my sister Trudy to Italy and with my sister Doris, Mom and Dad to Germany to visit the family roots. I will go anywhere anytime!”

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“What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.”

Ralph Waldo Emerson

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The perfect pant to keep you warm through the cold winter months Blank Denim Skinny Corduroys at Lucia, available in multiple colors.

Available at: Lucia Boutique 454 Broadway, Saratoga Springs (518) 587-7890 30 | Simply Saratoga SaratogaTODAYNewspaper.com

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New for spring at Spoken Boutique....Jax Dresses!! Known for their figure flattering fit, this company has an amazing stretch fabric that you will fall in love with.

Just a little something to look forward too....

Happy Spring!!

Available at: Spoken Boutique 27 Church Street, Saratoga Springs (518) 587-2772

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Yellow has a large selection of denim this spring From Jackets and Vests to Jeans and Shorts All colors and all styles to fit juniors and women Come visit us and we will help you find the perfect fit!

Happy Shopping Available at: Yellow Boutique 491 Broadway, Saratoga Springs (518) 581-1700

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Ashley is thinking spring in this neon pink wrap cocktail dress by BCBG Max Azria. She pairs it with a bold emerald green suede pump by Seychelles Available at: Violet’s & Stella’s 494 Broadway, Saratoga Springs (518) 584-4838 SaratogaTODAYNewspaper.com

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The Art of Listening “Learning to Honor Your Intuition”

By Meghan D. Lemery, LCSW-R

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ne of the things I love most about my job is that I have to develop and sharpen my listening skills all day, every day. While I am listening to the details of the story my client is telling me, the real listening takes place by tuning deeply into my intuition to get a sense of how to help guide my client through the healing process.

When we honor our intuition in everyday life things fall easily into place. We experience peace of mind and enjoy the synchronicity that takes place of meeting the right people at the right time to help provide us with the resources we need in any given moment. A life guided by intuition is a life that flows smoothly.

When we fail to honor our intuition and ignore what our inner voice is telling us, the result is a life that’s filled with high amounts of stress, a body that is exhausted and a heart that is full of anger, frustration and irritation.

In working with individuals who are going through a divorce or a devastating break up they will often say “I am so devastated I was blindsided by this.” When I dig deeper into the details of the split, it becomes clear that intuition was ignored. Having “cold feet” was brushed off and considered a normal thing to feel before making a big commitment.

Cold feet are not normal. It’s a call from your inner voice urging you to stop and acknowledge the source of your discomfort. When we repeatedly ignore that call, our relationships will eventually fall apart.

We can all look back on disappointing experiences in our lives and reflect on how present we were with our intuition.

Did we have an inner anxiety present? Did we feel a sense of enthusiasm or peace that felt good? Did we feel angry or resentful but were unable to pinpoint why? All of these are clues from our intuition guiding us to the right people and places for our lives.

When we take the time to reflect on this, we will see we had clues to how things would work out all along. Even if we weren’t sure exactly how we felt, we had a gut feeling that something was off, or that something seemed very comfortable and felt right.

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I can clearly remember being introduced to someone at a party a few years ago and my intuition kept nudging me that this person had a short fuse in some way. I had not observed any of this behavior but the feeling kept coming to me that there was some sort of issue with anger and a negative attitude.

A few weeks later, I watched this person blow up and lose their cool over something very minor. This was immediate confirmation that my intuition had been spot on. I felt great comfort knowing that I had acknowledged my intuition and allowed it to swiftly remove any negativity from my life.

Twenty years ago, I read an article that I never forgot.

The article was on the power of intuition. The interviewer met with a woman who had been attacked by a man who initially offered to help her with her groceries into her apartment building. When she was interviewed for the article the interviewer asked her to go back and pin point the exact moments her intuition was trying to protect her from receiving help from this man.

Although she would override her intuition, she was able to recall feeling very uncomfortable when the man told her a story about why he was outside of her building. Something felt suspicious to her but she didn’t want to seem rude and offend the kind stranger.

Never, ever, override your inner voice to accommodate someone else’s level of comfort. Our intuition is always communicating with us to protect us and keep us safe. Do not ignore it to make sure you are not offending someone else or appearing rude.

Our intuition is there to keep us safe and on the right path for our lives emotionally, physically and spiritually. Just like our muscles, when we exercise and acknowledge our intuition on the repeated basis, we get stronger and stronger, and our discernment becomes razor sharp.

Have you ever been going somewhere and a person pops into your head that you haven’t thought of in a long time and you get to your destination and you see the person? Have you ever thought of someone only to get a phone call or email from them a few days or weeks later?

This is your intuition communicating with you to

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prepare you for things. The more you tune in and listen, the more these events will take place, validating that your intuition is clear and spot on.

No matter what situation you are in, if you feel anxious, exhausted, slightly irritated, confused or a vague sense of things not lining up and making sense, this is your intuition leading you away from the person or situation. The discomfort is a call to warn you that this is not the right path for you.

Likewise, if you feel a sense of peace, comfort, enthusiasm, light hearted, excited and a feeling of being “home,” this is intuition winking at you that you are on the right track and exactly where you are supposed to be.

Practice listening to your intuition and watch how clear things will become to you. You begin to develop a deep trust and confidence within yourself that is validated consistently.

Make time daily to listen to your intuition and honor it.

A wonderful exercise I teach my clients (and do for myself on the daily basis) is what I call a heart meditation.

Place your hand on your heart (skin to skin), close your eyes and take a few deep breaths. Simply focus on tuning into your breath and the way your hand feels on your heart.

Once you feel slightly relaxed think of a person or situation that you have a question about. Ask the question out loud and then tune in deeply to your intuitive feelings. You will receive the answer you need simply through taking the time to tune in. The answer will not be an actual voice with instructions but a gentle feeling of peace and inner knowing of what you need to do.

Practice this mediation daily and you will experience a greater sense of peace in your life. Even if you don’t have a confusing situation going on, you can still do the mediation and ask the question “What do you need from me today?”

The inner nudge back may be a sense that you need to slow down or make time to eat lunch.

This mediation is wonderful to do when you are going through a health problem. Ask your body what it needs from you and what is going on and you will get a clear sense of what the root of the problem is. If you think something is not right with your health, intuition is calling you to pay attention and make the doctor’s appointment. Don’t wait or override your instincts out of fear. Make the call and take care of your body.

A life that is guided by intuition is the best life for you.

Practice growing your intuition daily and pay attention to how things fall into place with little or no effort!

Wishing you peace and clarity today and every day!

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

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Jill Kross: “Hudson Run” is a Wild Ride

By Helen Susan Edelman “All aboard for a new novel that has more power than a locomotive!”

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udson Run,” the first piece of long fiction published

by J. E. (Jill) Kross, of Albany under the Amazon. com imprimatur, is at its heart a great mystery thriller. Set largely on the Hudson Run, an imagined stretch of railway in upstate New York, the plot centers on two female train conductors — Jackie and Sheri — who accidentally come into possession of a bag full of money hidden by the Mafia.

Pretty soon, members of the mob pull out every stop to retrieve their cash, chasing the women, full throttle. Soon, the F.B.I. gets involved, at first crossing verbal swords with the heroines, but ultimately allying themselves to reverse the tide of the chase.

Between the conductors’ savvy and bravery and the special agents’ sense and experience, the bad guys find themselves the pursued, as well as the pursuers. (Don’t expect the ending revealed here.)

Kross is the ideal author for the tale. A real-life Amtrak conductor for the past 14 years, she was scrupulous about accuracy in the gritty details of the on-train scenes, which she emphasizes are wholly fictional.

“I was able to stop and think, ‘how can I pull this off ?’” she says. “I wanted things to be fantastic, but plausible.” The tale is enriched by her deep knowledge of the unique train community culture — the professionals and the passengers, their jargon, their habits and their milieu.

Best friends and colleagues Jackie and Sheri make a flashy debut in this book, which places them in a blue-collar town where they live, work and play — Jackie the voice of reason, Sheri the voice of recklessness. Their breathless

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adventure unfolds within a few intense days described so vividly by the author that the reader can hear the engine aboard and feel the breath of the villains on the ground.

While the story line twists and turns are riveting, Kross says, “The basis of the story is really a friendship between two very different people, Jackie and Sheri, and how they take care of each other when things fall apart around them.”

The women are polar opposites, explains Kross. “I guess I was the model for Jackie, and Sheri is who I am not.”

About the other characters, Kross says with a wide grin, “I plead the fifth.”

The idea for Hudson Run evolved during Kross’ long hours traveling the Albany-New York City corridor, and especially her visceral response to Bannerman Castle, an abandoned military surplus warehouse on a tiny island in the Hudson River, about 50 miles north of Manhattan. Built in the earliest years of the 1900s, the landmark today is the property of the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation.

For Kross, the sinister ruins were an inspiration.

Kross said she knew there would be a gruesome pivotal scene at the castle about three-quarters of the way through the book before she wrote it, before she knew how it would begin or end.

“I stared at that site for years” percolating the novel, she says, “but I knew my book couldn’t start there. I had to work on the front end, go slowly to set up the major conflicts and get at the bottom of what propels the story. I had to put the reader in the driver’s seat as I developed the qualities of the mob guys, sociopaths without a conscience.”

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(It was natural for Kross to turn her writing talents to a story in a familiar setting. “It gets into your blood,” she says, “the problems, the circumstances, the people, the schedules.”

It’s in her blood for good reason; Kross is a third-generation railroader, a tradition which began with her late grandfather, an engineer on the D&H for many years.)

And then there are the memories.

“The most interesting or unusual thing I ever found on a train was a line of pennies spaced two feet apart and running directly down the center of the walkway through two full coaches. It is not unusual to see a dime or quarter pop up on the floor of a coach or on the seats, but to see 50 pennies in a straight line, perfectly centered, was definitely different.”

Did that kick-start the notion of finding money on the train, central to the two conductors’ treacherous predicament?

“I could have had them get into trouble by finding something else, but it would have changed the kind of suspense story ‘Hudson Run’ is meant to be,” notes Kross. ”before their lives get ‘derailed,’ so to speak.”

At 5’10” and blessed with a two-foot stream of blonde hair (which she somehow fits inside a conductor’s cap on the job) and a fabulous, throaty laugh, Kross is a commanding presence, an authoritative voice, just the person to instill confidence in a group hurtling at 130 m.p.h..

After high school, she joined the Navy, before she studied criminal justice at Hudson Valley Community College. But that was not her calling. Kross signed up for the military again, this time for the Army. In 1999, her uncle, who was a conductor for Conrail — the primary Class I railroad in the Northeast U.S. between 1976 and 1999 — convinced Kross to apply for a position with the company. She was successful. Two years later she switched to Amtrak and has been working there ever since, including on runs through Saratoga Springs, both on trips from Montreal south and

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north to Rutland, and during the summer when a special shuttle takes passengers from the train station to Saratoga Race Course. One summer, she bet a perfect trifecta and went home a little bit richer than when she arrived.

She and her husband — a train engineer — also enjoy the Racino, Vapor Night Club and dining out in downtown Saratoga Springs with friends who are city residents.

And, in the sequel to “Hudson Run,” she confides, “there will be a significant scene set in Saratoga Springs.” She’s not saying what.

As fascinating as the book is on its own, understanding a little bit about Kross enhances the experience of reading it — that she wrote it out first in longhand; that her first realization that she is a writer came in adolescence, when her parents let her write poetry on her walls (her inkling was confirmed when she was in boot camp and snuck off to a rooftop to write); that she writes faster than she thinks, literally, she says, “gets ahead” of herself; that her movie has already been optioned as a movie by screenwriter/director George Gallo of “Midnight Run,” whom she met in a sleeper car; that she relaxes by cooking gourmet meals; and that at her peak writing frenzy, she was writing up to 60 pages in a day; that she prides herself on being “an out-of-the-box thinker.”

The book is a sensation. Marketed mostly through social media, it already has sold hundreds of copies, and she has more than 1,100 Facebook friends. It was worth the exacting editing process, which took longer than the writing and required rounds of refinement to the manuscript.

Kross says she loved being edited, as she saw it shape and sharpen her writing. The next book will progress differently, now that she’s got her footing. She’s developing more of an outline and a plan for this one.

“I don’t want people to read my book to fall asleep,” she concludes. “I want them to read it and not be able to fall asleep.” •

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Keeping the Legacy and Honor

By Patricia Older Photos courtesy of MarkBolles.com and provided

ALIVE

“O’ cherish them in memory bright Who sleep beneath the sacred sod!

They died for freedom and for right, For home, for country, and for God.”

—Nathaniel Bartlett Sylvester on the 18th century New York militia

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the Beginning In the heavily-forested New York landscape of the 18th century, the men and women who volunteered to serve to defend our country’s rights struggled against time, Mother Nature and the opposing forces. In the summertime, they endured biting insects, wet feet and clothes and muggy, searing temperatures; in the winter, freezing, unbearable conditions with little warmth and fewer rations. Disease and illness took almost as many lives as the battles they fought.

The volunteer militia made their way through swamps and bogs, across stone-laced fields and through the woodlands of old-growth forests to engage in bloody battles and life-altering skirmishes. Some never came home, their bodies left where they lay while others were buried in stone-marked graves, the markers eventually absorbed by the growth of the forests.

Many more returned home to their loved ones, with tales of their travels and their battles, of lost friends, neighbors, brothers and fathers. But with death, came time, and unfortunately, time has a way of erasing memories.

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To this nation, the sacrifices made were too great to allow them to vanish from memory and so the families and the survivors; the communities and the churches, began recording their names in a way of honoring the men who sacrificed their lives preserving a way of life; defending our heritage.

Letters were kept, uniforms stored and artifacts preserved. Even so, while many of their names and ranks were recorded in the military rolls, the individual histories, lives and their faces were becoming lost in time.

In a unified and organized effort to preserve the histories and memories of these men, and a few women, a collection of military artifacts began in 1863 with the founding of the Bureau of Military Statistics. The bureau was assigned the task of collecting and preserving a record of every person from New York who had volunteered in the service since April 15, 1861, as well as their personal histories. “They wanted a way to document the Civil War,� explained Michael Aikey, director of New York State Military Museum in Saratoga Springs.

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New York State Military Museum Director Michael Aikey poses in front of some of the weapons stored in the Weapon’s Room of the armory.

The room was once the firing range for the units stationed in the Saratoga Armory, but has been renovated to house guns that are part of the museum’s extensive military collection.

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For over a century, the collection grew to include thousands of personal and military artifacts of the New York militia, including items such as an armor breast plate worn by a Confederate soldier complete with an indentation where a ball of metal struck mid chest, killing the soldier; a restored Willys military Jeep, known for its ability to navigate rough terrain and still be light enough for four men to lift and carry; dozens of canons from early battles; daguerreotype photographs and letters home, such as the image of a young woman found on the body of a soldier who died in the Field Hospital of the 2nd Corp or the letter home from Edward Smith, full of misspellings, but still getting the message across about how sick he had been and how he won’t get paid that week because he had been too sick to go sign the pay rolls.

As the collection grew, the majority of it was stored at the New York State Capital before it was moved and stored in various armories and arsenals throughout the state, hidden in the dark, cool corners of basements and unseen by the public.

New York, proud of its historic past of volunteering to serve, wanted to bring to life the histories linked with the military artifacts and wanted the public to see them and

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learn from them. Just keeping them stored was not the answer, so a search for a site for a museum was launched.

At first, Albany was considered as the most logical site.

It was the state’s capital and it was centrally located, but construction of a new museum was not fiscally reasonable and existing buildings proved unconducive to a museum setting.

Aikey, who had been given the task of taking inventory of all the artifacts stored in armories throughout the state, recognized the potential of the Saratoga Armory. Home to a still active National Guard unit, the 31,000 square-foot building had potential with its sweeping staircase, terra cotta walls, and 80 by 125 foot drill room.

“I pitched the idea to [former Governor George] Pataki,” said Aikey. “And it went from there.”

The armory became home to the New York State Military Museum and history began to unfold in a visible and real way for the public.

“It is about keeping alive the memories of those who served and of giving the public a way to see the sacrifices made for our country,” Aikey explained. “The sacrifices are not just the lives lost, but of everyone who was affected – the families, the friends, the communities.”

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the arMory

The beginning of the armory is rooted in the need for militia to accompany visiting dignitaries for important celebrations. Before it was built, local militia met in member’s homes and barns, drilled in open spaces, and practiced mock battles in farmers’ fields. They supplied their own munitions and rations and often wore everyday clothing.

When the 100th anniversary of the Battle of Saratoga was being celebrated, local officials realized there were no unified military units to escort important officers and notable public officials coming for the event, so a formal group was organized.

Originally meeting in Saratoga Springs’s town hall, the Citizens Corp took a year to formalize. It had three officers and 100 men and they drilled in Franklin Square and Congress Park and held mock battles with the Citizen Corps of Glens Falls and Saratoga.

In August of 1885, the Corp was assigned guard duty for the funeral train of General Ulysses S. Grant.

But they still did not have a “home” of their own.

Captain Robert C. McEwen appeared before the state legislature in 1886 petitioning for an armory to be built in Saratoga Springs. While the resolution for the armory

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passed, the governor, David B. Hill, vetoed it. The unit did not give up, petitioning again in 1887 and again having the petition shot down.

Then in 1889, the petition was reintroduced and Governor Hill finally signed the Saratoga Armory Bill for a total of $42,000 and the first cornerstone was laid. Inside the cornerstone officials placed a time capsule with a number of artifacts stored in it including photographs of the Adirondacks and Saratoga, pennies from 1723 and 1889, and tourist guides for the famed Spa City. It included bullets found in fields from previous battles and lists of important dignitaries.

The armory was given all the pomp and circumstance reserved for military and important political figures. In the local newspaper, prior to its construction, it was referred to as “… an ornament to the street and the pride of every member of the company.” The groundbreaking for the armory was held with speeches and parades, notable public figures and celebrations. Businesses closed and people partied for the event.

A sweeping medieval-inspired structure, the Saratoga Armory has brick and terra cotta walls rising 72 feet from the floor line, castle turrets, and a lion’s head guarding the northwest corner. When it was finished it had an indoor

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The most recent exhibit open to the public is the G.I. Joe action figure exhibit with dozens of the toys displayed in diorama’s featuring real battles and war scenes. The dolls are on loan and are from an extensive 1000 plus collection owned by Tearle Ashby. Above left: Marc Loury, left, and Fain Loury, look at one of the G.I. Joe displays

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rifle range 40 yards long and was the only armory in New York to have an ornamental moat. Large metal doors protected its entrance and ornamental woods used on its floors and casements.

As described in this December 25, 1889 Saratoga Union article: “Entering through the broad arch, on the level of the main floor, a company can march in by fours with file closers in their places, through the vestibule 8 feet deep and 16 feet wide, and the hall 24 by 16, to the big drill room, lit by narrow windows and 50 feet high to the ridge of the roof. There is a space for a gallery overlooking the drill room where the not impossible she may witness Johnnie’s evolutions.”

The article went on to brag that Saratoga’s armory will be the “biggest armory given any separate company in the state… In every respect it will be an ornament to the street and the pride of every member of the company.”

In 1891, the armory was officially occupied and in 1898, Company L, 2nd New York Volunteer Infantry, was inducted for service in the Spanish American War. It was reactivated again in April 1917 as Co. L, 105th Infantry, 27th Division for World War I; again in October 1940 for World War II; reorganized in April 1947 as Co. L 105th Infantry, New York National Guard and later in 1955

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as Co. B, 27th Battalion, Army National Guard and in June 1964 as Co. A 27th Supply & Transportation Unit, Army National Guard. Then in February 1968, it was reorganized as 247th Medical Co. (Ambulance), New York National Guard.

In 1908, the armory had the first of several renovations.

At a cost of $40,000, it had changes which included fire escapes, restoration of the basement and expansion of the drill shed. The conical roofs were eventually replaced and the flagpole atop one of the castle turrets, removed when it became a lightning hazard.

In 1916, President Woodrow Wilson announced the threat of the war with Mexico and Co. L was dispatched on June 25. They returned three months later, but was once again dispatched in less than six months for WWI. During WWII, the armory was used as a defense airplane spotting post where local volunteers manned a small post atop the turret to watch for enemy aircraft. The staircase to the former post still exists.

As the years passed and the Cold War ended, the armory, while still used to house active volunteer military units; also served as a gathering place for organizations, schools and events. Dances were held on the hard wood floors of the drill room, basketball lines drawn for games, and shows of all types organized.

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the MUSeUM In 2001, Governor George Pataki announced the armory would house the New York State Military Museum and Veterans Research Center. In 2002, the museum opened to the public with an active detachment still operating out of a portion of the building.

“The basketball lines were still on the floor and curtains separated the detachment and lockers from the museum,” said Aikey. “What a wonderful reuse for a building.”

The National Guard units eventually moved to new headquarters and in 2004 the museum closed for a short period when major renovations were done including adding a new heating and cooling system, lighting and galleries.

“It went from a large space with a few artifacts to a professionally laid out gallery space,” said Aikey.

One of those new gallery spaces houses a Civil War section that tripled in size and features artifacts such as handwritten letters with small, ambiguous notations; ethereal-feeling photographs with faces and eyes besieged with a war weary sadness; and weapons both used and confiscated, some so ornate, they resemble a woodworker’s fine craftsmanship and others simple and utilitarian in nature.

“It is an artifact rich exhibit,” said Aikey, pointing out the uniforms of Elmer Ellsworth and Gustoph Sherman.

Ellsworth is historically known as the first casualty of the Civil War and Sherman, a New York youth who enlisted at

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12 years of age and mustered out at 15. “He had an amazing life for a 12-year-old,” said Aikey.

The museum is also home to the largest collection of state military flags with over 850 from the Civil War period alone. Aikey explained that the flag collection is extensive because of the number of individual units involved.

“New York was the largest contributor to the Civil War with over 200 infantry units,” said Aikey. “Each had regiment colors and company markings – there were a lot of opportunities to have flags.”

Aikey noted that while the exhibits rotate on a regular basis, with only five to 10 percent of the collection available for public viewing, many of the documents, photographs, and sheet music can be seen online.

He also pointed out that the museum is a wonderful resource for genealogy.

“We worked with ancestry.com to build our resources,” said Aikey, adding that their Veteran’s Oral History program also provides a rich legacy for future generations.

“It is from World War I to today,” said Aikey. “We try to tell the story of New York citizens soldiers. We want their stories and their lives to be remembered and the sacrifices made to be honored.”

The New York State Military Museum is open Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and is free to the public.

It is closed all state and federal holidays. For more information, call (518) 581-5100.

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ave the Date  S 

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2013

Moonlight Ski

Frost Faire 2013

January 24 & February 21 Vischer Ferry Nature Preserve Riverview Road, Clifton Park

January 26 Saratoga National Historical Park 648 Route 32, Stillwater

Come out on Thursday evenings, January 24 and February 21, at 7 p.m. for free Family Moonlight Cross Country Ski evenings. There will be a warm-up fire and the Shenendehowa Nordic Club will provide hot drinks and marshmallows. Participants will meet at the preserve’s main parking lot on Riverview Road (at the Whipple Bridge) at 7 p.m. Everyone is invited to participate and must bring their own ski equipment. For more information, visit www.cliftonpark.org/townhall/parksrec/preservestrails.asp.

Get out of the house on January 26 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. for some family fun. Come to the Saratoga National Historical Park in Stillwater, for snow tubing on the “Big Hill,” a bonfire, hot refreshments, nature hikes and more. Visit www.nps.gov/ sara for details or call (518) 664-9821 ext. 224.

Saratoga Springs Pre-School Fair January 26 Saratoga Springs Public Library 49 Henry Street, Saratoga Springs On Saturday, January 26 from 10 a.m. to Noon, this is a wonderful opportunity to explore our area preschools with over 15 preschools represented. This event is co-sponsored by the SSPL and the Waldorf School of Saratoga Springs. For more information please contact Jennifer Ogrodowski at the SSPL or Anne Maguire at the Waldorf School at (518) 584-7643 ext 16.

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Winter Antique Show January 26 National Museum of Dance 99 South Broadway, Saratoga Springs What antiques will you find on Saturday, January 26 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday, January 27 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.? With over forty vendors, you are bound to find some real treasures in a museum full of antiques! Postcards, jewelry, furniture, silver, buttons, artwork, and glassware are all available at the show. For more information, visit www.dancemuseum.org.

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Soroptimist Cabin Fever Luncheon

Moonlight Ski and Shoe

January 26 Saratoga National Golf Club 458 Union Avenue, Saratoga Springs

January 26 Wilton Wildlife Preserve and Park 80 Scout Road, Gansevoort

On Saturday, January 26 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., escape the winter blues and join Soroptimist International of Saratoga County at the annual Cabin Fever Luncheon.The 2013 speaker, Katherine Rosman, is a feature reporter for the Wall Street Journal who writes about the many ways technology intersects with everyday life. Katie is also the author of “If You Knew Suzy,” a memoir that chronicles the year she took off from the Wall Street Journal in order to report on the surprisingly epic life of a woman Katie knew only as “mom.” She got her start in journalism when she was hired as the assistant to Elaina Richardson — now the president of Yaddo, then the editor of Elle magazine.

On January 26 from 6 to 9:30 p.m., weather conditions permitting, come and go as you like for an evening of skiing or snowshoeing on luminary lit trails with bonfires and hot chocolate. For more information, visit wiltonpreserve.org or contact them at (518) 450-0321 or info@wiltonpreserve.org.

To purchase tickets or for more information, visit www. soroptimistsaratoga.org or phone (518) 581-1201 ext. 4184.

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Winterfest Wine Tasting February 1 Holiday Inn Ballroom 232 broadway, Saratoga Springs

On Friday, February 1 from 6 to 8 p.m., sample a selection of delicious wines. For more information, visit discoversaratoga.org.

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Chowderfest February 2 Participating Locations Saratoga Springs

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On Saturday, February 2 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at participating establishments in Saratoga Springs. Bring the family out and sample the chowders for $1 each. For more information, visit discoversaratoga.org.

Saratoga Winterfest 5K Snowshoe Race February 3 Saratoga Spa State Park Saratoga Springs Snowshoe the trails at Saratoga Spa State Park on Sunday, February 3 at 11 a.m. in the Saratoga Spa State Park. Dayof-registration and packet pickup at Administration Bldg.

Limited supply of Dion Snowshoe Loaners for $5.

Camp Saratoga 8K Snowshoe Race February 9 Wilton Wildlife Preserve and Park 80 Scout Road, Gansevoort

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Saturday February 9 at 10:30 a.m. at Wilton Wildlife Preserve & Park. This race is part of the 2013 Dion Snowshoe Series. For more information on either of these two events, go to www.saratogastryders.org, or link to online registration at www.active.com. A limited supply of Dion Snowshoes will be available for a small rental charge.

Email Laura Clark at laura@saratogastryders.org to reserve a pair or phone (518) 581-7550. For information about the entire Dion Snowshoe Series and for snow updates visit www.runwmac.com.

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Home Made Theater

Bartenders’ Ball

February 8–24 19 Roosevelt Drive Saratoga Spa State Park, Saratoga Springs

February 9 Saratoga City Center 522 Broadway, Saratoga Springs

39 Steps — Mix a Hitchcock masterpiece with a juicy spy novel, add a dash of Monty Python and you have a fast-paced whodunit for anyone who loves the magic of theater! This two-time Tony and Drama Desk Awardwinning treat is packed with nonstop laughs, over 150 zany characters, an on-stage plane crash, handcuffs, missing fingers and some good old-fashioned romance!

Playing February 8–24. For more information, please call (518) 587-4427 or visit info@homemadetheater.org.

The annual Bartender’s Ball will take place on February 9.

All are invited to one of the area’s grandest social events of the year! The Ball will be held at the Saratoga City Center and will feature hors d’oeuvres followed by a buffet dinner and a late evening dessert. Tickets to the event are $50 per person and are available by calling Domestic Violence and Rape Crisis Services of Saratoga County at (518) 583-0280.

Clifton Park Winterfest February 9 Participating locations Clifton Park

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Join your friends and neighbors on Saturday, February 9 for this day of fun and excitement in and out of the cold. Activities include: “Taste of Clifton Park” best soup contest and Clifton Park Idol singing competition.

For more information, visit www.cliftonpark.org/ townhallsparks-rec/pdf/Fall_Winter.pdf.

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Dance Flurry Festival February 15, 16 & 17 Saratoga Hilton and Saratoga City Center 534 Broadway, Saratoga Springs Held on February 15, 16 and 17 with dances, performances, singing, workshops concerts, jamming and more! For more information, please visit flurryfestival.org.

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SPAC’s Annual Winter Ball February 23 Saratoga Performing Arts Center 108 Avenue of The Pines, Saratoga Springs

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The 3rd Annual Saratoga Performing Arts Center’s Winter Ball will be held on Saturday, February 23 at 8 p.m. at the Hall of Springs. Hosted by SPAC’s Junior Committee, the event is the party of the winter with live music, dancing, cocktail fare and costume contests. For more information, visit www.spac.org.

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Black History Month February 24 National Museum of Dance 99 South Broadway, Saratoga Springs

This free event on Sunday, February 24 will celebrate the influence and impact of African Americans on American contemporary dance and recognize the different dance styles they helped to develop throughout American History. For more information, www.dancemuseum.org.

Saratoga Home and Lifestyle Show March 1 Saratoga Springs City Center 522 Broadway, Saratoga Springs On Friday, March 1 through Sunday, March 3, attendees will discover over 100 exhibitors offering diverse products for inside and outside the home.

There will be informative seminars, balloons for the children and a chance to win numerous door prizes and a grand prize 40-inch flat panel digital television. Proceeds will benefit the Saratoga Springs Rotary Club’s local donations, major gift and scholarship programs.

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March 2 St. Mary’s School 40 Thompson Street, Ballston Spa

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5th Annual Big Heart Gala

St. Mary’s School in Ballston Spa will hold its 5th Annual Big Heart Gala on Saturday, March 2. The Gala will be at The Vista at Van Patten Golf Course in Clifton Park from 6 to 11 p.m. and is a fabulous evening featuring fine dining and dancing, along with live and silent auctions.

All proceeds provide critical support to St. Mary’s School operating budget. For more information, email bigheartgala@smsbspa.org.

Foodways of the 18th Century-Women & Camp Followers March 10 Saratoga National Histroical Park 648 Route 32, Stillwater What did people eat before supermarkets and prepared food? How did they preserve food before refrigeration?

Come to the Saratoga National Historical Park, 648 Rte. 32, Stillwater on Sunday, March 10 from 1:30 to 3 p.m. to hear about this part of our history. For more information, email sara_info@nps.gov or phone (518) 664-9821.

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What’s in a Name?

Saratoga Winter Club Spans Three Centuries Story by Andrew Marshall Photographs courtesy of MarkBolles.com and provided

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f you’ve ever spent the winter in the northeastern United States, chances are you’ve developed cabin fever once or twice. The holidays are behind you, and the reality of 60-plus days of grey clouds and frigid temperatures begins to set in. If you think this sounds bleak, imagine how it must have been before the age of wireless internet and state-of-the-art video game consoles. Yes, there was once a time when, despite the nip in the air, people bundled up and took to the great outdoors for some good, clean wintertime fun.

While it would not officially adopt their current name until early in the 20th century, this is exactly how the Saratoga Winter Club would get its start. Now spanning three centuries, the club has produced seven United States Olympians, including 2010 silver medalist Trevor Marsicano.

Nowadays, the club is strictly focused on speed skating.

There was a time, however, when it included other wintertime sports and activities. While the club’s beginnings date back over 120 years, the club’s current historians, Tom Porter along with Mickey and Gary Talbot, do their best to offer perspective on how things used to be back then.

“In 1884, it was the Saratoga Sports Club. It was a club that included tobogganing, snowshoeing and skating.

Around 1912, it dropped the other sports and became primarily involved in just skating. The ‘Saratoga Winter Club’, which replaced the name for the Saratoga Sports Club, became officially chartered in about 1936,” Mickey recalls.

Though a tad misleading since the club’s name doesn’t immediately acknowledge it’s singular focus on speed skating, the name “Saratoga Winter Club” is used to this day as an homage to the club’s long standing place in the community.

“One thing unique to Saratoga is our club is called ‘Saratoga Winter Club,’ which has no indication of speed skating,” says Porter. “I think it’s unique in the fact that it doesn’t do that. Sometimes people want to change that. I can

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remember a man from Minnesota came here, who happened to be the president of US Speed Skating, and said he used to skate here when he was young. He told me he thought the name was great and we should never change it.”

“You can’t change the name now, you just can’t,” adds Mickey.

While they’ve always been based out of Saratoga Springs, the Saratoga Winter Club has called several venues home prior to landing at their likely permanent base at the Weibel Avenue Ice Rink. In fact, there was even a time when the only rinks you’d find in town were completely outdoors.

“So before Excelsior Avenue Rink, we only had outdoor ice here. The Eastern States, which was the annual event Saratoga Winter Club hosted, was usually held in January. It was held at various sites in its history. There was once a rink in the 1920s that they used along Woodlawn Avenue. They also used Saratoga Lake, the ponds at Yaddo Gardens and finally East Side Recreation Fields after that,” adds Mickey.

In order to skate at East Side Recreation Park, the fields would first need to be flooded for a couple days to ensure there would be enough thick ice for skating. The fields would prove popular, as hundreds of city residents would flock to skate with their friends and family.

“I think one of the things that brought a lot of skaters in Saratoga to the sport was when it was on the East Side Recreation Field, where people could see skating going on all the way from Route 29. It really got people involved because it was right in the center of the city and people could see what was happening. Young kids would say ‘Gee, I want to do that,” says Porter.

Mickey’s father, the late Vernon Green, was responsible for maintaining the ice at the East Side Fields. Vernon was (continued on page 61) Simply Saratoga | 59

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The 1959-1960 Saratoga Winter Club’s team portrait. Do you recognize anyone?

The East Side Recreation Fields transformed into a skater’s paradise circa 1929.

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an integral part of the early Saratoga Winter Club, which only stood to grow as a testament to his dedication. “[Vernon] was the one who made the ice for a number of years, along with coaching the Winter Club, and he took a great interest in making the ice and making it well,” says Gary. “It’s not just a matter of just throwing water down.

You have to know what you’re doing and how much to use.”

Of course, all it took to spoil a good time on the ice at the East Side Recreation Fields was the occasional mild winter. The amount of work required was not worth a short window of skating time, and the necessity for an indoor facility was determined.

“Once the winters started becoming milder, you’d be lucky to get two weeks’ worth of ice before it melted. It wasn’t worth all the work that went into it. Once these rinks were built, no one really wanted to put that much work into it,” says Mickey.

The first venue wasn’t so much “indoors” as it was simply “enclosed.” Located off of Excelsior Springs, it left much to be desired when compared to the modern day Weibel Rink when built in 1970.

“It was a wooden structure that had plastic around it, kind of like a pole barn. That was where the first indoor skating took place in Saratoga. Up until that point it was nothing but outdoor skating,” Porter adds. “That’s one of the things they attributed to all the Saratoga Springs skaters’ success was they difficulty of the rink they trained on.

It was a very short track.”

While it was one of the foundations of the Saratoga Winter Club’s history, there doesn’t seem to be much in the way of nostalgia when looking back on the Excelsior Springs venue.

“It was an extremely tight track. The ice was extremely cold and hard, so when other skaters came here to compete, they couldn’t even stand on their feet because the ice was so cold and hard,” recalls Gary.

“It was pretty brutal,” adds Mickey.

“Residents petitioned the city to build a rink. If you had ever been down to the old rink, you’d understand why,” Porter jokes.

While the difficulty of their training surface may have helped them get a leg up on their competition, the club members’ dedication to the sport knew no limits. They would travel to rinks like the one at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute’s field house, or sometimes even as far away as Western Massachusetts.

“In the earlier years before we had the Weibel Avenue Rink, we had to travel a long way when there was no outdoor ice. We’d travel maybe once or twice a week to Pittsfield,

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The iceman cometh: Vernon Green

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Here in 2013, a new generation of skaters leads the way for the Saratoga Winter Club.

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Massachusetts and use the Boys & Girls Club rink there.

Once in a while we’d get to use the rink at RPI in Troy but because we were a smaller group, we might be scheduled between four or five in the morning,” recalls Mickey.

Finally, after spending a few years moving back and forth between the East Side Recreation Fields and an oval track at the Saratoga Spa State Park, the Weibel Avenue Rink was built in 1993.

“Fact is, in our sport, everyone’s pretty much gone indoors,” says Gary. “Of all the user groups here at the rink, we’re the oldest.”

Flash forward to 2013, and the Saratoga Winter Club is going as strong as ever. Current club president Paul “PJ” Ripchik is responsible for the continued growth and promotion of speed skating in Saratoga Springs. He remembers the East Side Recreation days for the club, which initially piqued his interest.

“I lived by the East Side Rec field where there would be hundreds and hundreds of people skating. We used to drive by and watch the kids’ speed skating. I had some friends who did it, but I didn’t know much about it.”

PJ “married into” the sport, so to speak, as his wife happens to be Tom Porter’s daughter. Tom also serves as an official for US Speed Skating, and is a member of their Hall of Fame.

“In the wintertime you can either ski, or do something else. So speed skating became an option. There’s a bit of a commitment to speed skating, like everything else, but there was a natural tie to it with my family involved. My father-in-law is an official, my brother-in-law is an official; my other brother-in-law runs the Olympic Oval in Utah.

That’s how I got into it,” remembers PJ. PJ regularly attends practices on weeknights at the Weibel Avenue Rink. That’s where the new generation of Saratoga Winter Club — the children — learn the sport.

“Just based on the mission statement of the organization, the thing Saratoga Winter Club hopes to do is provide a healthy place where kids and adults can go to recreate.

Originally, it was billed as an opportunity to bring kids in off the streets and give them a chance to be competitive,” says PJ. Though a niche sport, speed skating has the added benefit of being presented to the entire country every four years as a marquee event in the Winter Olympics. Of course, the Saratoga Winter Club is more than just an every-four-years organization.

“Usually after the games are over you can count on a bump from the Winter Olympics. There’s a spike in interest, but if you were to ask someone from the city their thoughts on speed skating and whether they knew there was a club here, they wouldn’t have any idea.”

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Of course, producing Olympic-level athletes can certainly help the club in terms of more exposure.

“We’ll have five skaters from this club who will attempt to make the Olympic trials, and there are two skaters with a serious shot at making the team,” says PJ. The Saratoga Winter Club spans three different centuries and continues to be one of the premier organizations for the sport of speed skating in the entire country. When asked what could possibly account for the club’s success, after you consider the facilities, the history and the people, it all comes down to coaching. Paul Marchese, Amy Peterson Peck and Pat Maxwell currently lead the Saratoga Winter Club’s practices.

“The secret to our overall success is in our coaching,” adds Mickey. “We have had some really good coaches, especially Pat Maxwell. I think the majority of the Olympians we’ve had were coached by Pat. Not only did our club benefit from that, but he was such a well-known coach that other skaters from all over the country — even some Canadian skaters — would come down here just to train with him.”

For more information regarding the Saratoga Winter Club, visit their website at www.saratogawinterclub.com. •

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“Seasoned Reflection on a Wet and Sleepless Night”

By Terry Welsh

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he drip from the ceiling seems to get louder and louder.

Should I get up and put a bucket under it or wait until morning and deal with the wet carpet? Poor old house, it sure has seen better days. It was practically new when the kids were still at home and sleeping just down the hall. Then Christmas morning would come and those little babes would sneak down the stairs to see if Santa had come. Now the stairs make so much noise it seems to rival the sound my back just getting out of bed. Where have all the years gone? Alas, nostalgia doesn’t do much for the immediate — a leaky roof.

Drip, drip, drip ... how come Mom can’t hear that leak? I check to find she’s sleeping like a baby. Leaky roof, squeaky floor and who-knows-what with the pipes — makes me wonder if my visceral plumbing fares any better. It gets me thinking I should get up and, while I journey to the nearest bathroom, maybe I can seek out a handy bucket and take care of the increasingly annoying drip at least until morning. Temporary solution — but it might alleviate the problem.

So — much as I hate getting up — quick fix and back into bed where it’s so warm and comfortable, the one place I can find welcome solace. Except for the fact that my brain is now on alert and I suddenly realize that, since the kids left home and have their own family home, that kind of relief doesn’t come around here very often these days. I listen — now the house is empty and quiet, except for that constant drip, of course.

I guess I’m just in a complaining mood this night and the drip sure doesn’t help. I’ve always loved life and am eternally grateful for a wonderful family, a good job and even a roof over our heads. But...now the roof is falling apart, the job’s a bit of a pain and family relationships seem to have lost their former spark. We had so much fun when the kids were young. Every new challenge was an adventure. The house was full of life and the kids were our joy. With constant school events, ball games and sleepovers it meant that our “busyness” had a larger purpose and life was good. I recall how the house looked nicer then as well.

Years may etch their marks of inevitable deterioration but a simple paint job can turn this sad story happy once again. Flowers in the spring would certainly brighten the yard and maybe, everyone’s attitude. It doesn’t really take much to cheer a God-centered family. Friends stopping by add even more enjoyment. But the joy never seems to last very long.

I’m wide awake now and considering all potential problems. Like the time the fence broke down in that horrible wind storm. My usually dependable son always helped with such projects but was off to college. I thought I’d never get that fence repaired. It finally did go back up — a little crooked but at least it’s stable — project accomplished. This serves to remind me that my back has become a little crooked too. Our Nana (that’s what

the grandkids call her) says with the crooked back I’m starting to look pretty old but these complaints don’t really bother me because with old age, the hearing has mercifully gone also. I hardly hear even well-meaning complaints. At least not loudly.

One would think that the mirror would at least remind me, but no, the eyesight is going too. Agghhh . . . the only real reminder of my advanced age is this old house and leaky roof.

That does it; I need to find a bucket. There’s probably one downstairs but if I use those creaky old stairs I’m sure to wake Nana. I’ll probably be treated to that oh-so-familiar refrain, “Are you going to the bathroom again — you need to see the doctor.”

I can’t win for losing.

Hey wait, I’m spying out a large coffee cup right here on the dresser. Maybe that will serve its function and purpose so I can finally get back to sleep. Hmmm — might just do the trick since the noise seems to have abated somewhat. Unfortunately, common sense tells me that it doesn’t mean that the pesky leak has gone away, or that the house is any younger, or that the kids will visit any less often. No, it just means the room is a bit quieter.

So — now I’m irreparably awake. Another homeownerinsomnia evening staring at the cracks in the ceiling. Someone once said that “old age isn’t for sissies,” a wise observance in a culture that seems to worship its youth. So why am I pining away for the unattainable? Is it just because their plumbing still works fine and they still have all their hair? Youth seems to be wasted on the young — but they’re so inexperienced in life. And why is it we crave youth so much? Advanced years bring some kind of seasoned balance to all life’s experiences. Somebody should tell the self-crazy culture we live in about wisdom coming from maturity.

Something to ponder — can the wisdom of years really be passed on to the next? Maybe it’s not all as hard as it seems.

Maybe it’s as simple as stopping the noise of this leaky roof.

And duh — try just sticking a handy cup under it — wonder of wonders, whattaya know — it works! It’s embarrassingly simple.

Makes me think we often make too big a deal of impressing everyone with all our bluster when perhaps just a practical word would speak volumes. It may not be a permanent solution but it’s a start.

And now — look at the clock! Seems it’s high time for this very alert old man to quit complaining about the aches and pains and middle-of-the-night loneliness. Even if I feel somewhat marginalized as a senior, I might as well just get on getting on.

Mete out lots of smiles, lots of words of encouragement and lots of pragmatic advice via personal examples rather than rambling monologues. Not to procrastinate but tomorrow I think I’ll do just that, greet everyone with a warm smile and a non-judgmental attitude and just enjoy life. But not until I call a professional roofer — I may be old but I’m not stupid.

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