saratoga living March/April 2018 Issue by saratogalivingmagazine

WOW! THE CUBAN NATIONAL BALLET ARRIVES

BY OCTAVIO ROCA

MARCH APRIL 2018

THE CIT Y. THE C U LT U R E. TH E LIFE.

GLEN COBEN THE ADELPHI WHISPERER BY TONY CASE

STORIEDBOARDS FOR THE LOVE OF WOOD BY NATALIE MOORE

FASHION ALERT DESIGNERS ON THE VERGE BY TODD KINGSTON PLUMMER

SMART HOME ROBOTS ARE JUST THE BEGINNING

and they’re off!

GOOD MAGIC’S SARATOGA ROOTS MARY HIRSCH LEGENDARY TRAINER OKLAHOMA THE OTHER SIDE OF THE TRACK

BY MARCO MEDRANO

BETSY OLMSTED FINE PRINT ON STEROIDS BY ROSIE CASE

saratoga living exclusives!

THE

DESIGN ISSUE HOMETOWN STAR RACHAEL RAY ADDS FURNITURE DESIGN TO HER IMPRESSIVE LIST OF ACCOMPLISHMENTS—WHAT CAN’T SHE DO?

BY KYAN DOUGLAS ■ PHOTOGRAPHY BY MYRNA SUÁREZ

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inside

BY DAVID ORTIZ

march-april 2018

features The

Design Issue

The Unstoppable Rachael Ray BY KYA N D O U G LAS P H OTOG RA PH Y BY M YRN A SUÁR E Z

StoriedBoards: Good Wood BY N ATA L IE M O O R E

Fashion: Designers On The Verge BY TO DD K IN G STO N PLUMME R

Hall’s Boat: Hope Floats STO RY A N D PH OTOG R AP H Y BY L AW RE N C E W H I T E

Adirondack Studios: Putting It Together BY K A RE N B JORN LAN D

Luxury Missile Silos: The Nuclear Option BY W IL L LE VI T H

44 52 58 64 68 74 78 80 84 88 93 98

Glen Coben: The Makeover Artist BY TO N Y CAS E

Betsy Olmsted: Pretty In Print BY R O S I E CAS E

Maude White: Flying High BY B I LL H E N N I N G

The Future Is Calling: Your Smart Home

Beside Every Great Man... is a Greater Woman

BY MAR C O ME D R AN O

Milton Glaser: Poster Boy BY B I LL H E N N I N G

p a s s i o n . P

What’s Next: 5 Must-Haves For Your Home

t a s t e n

i t . l

P R O U D LY SUPPORTS

BY B E VE R LY T R ACY

S E E

T H E

S TO R Y

A R I ASW I N E . CO M

inside march-april 2018

features Bravo! Ballet Nacional de Cuba BY O C TAV IO R O CA

Mary Hirsch, Trailblazer

BY B RIE N B O U Y E A

104 110 114 118

The Edwards: Believing In ‘Magic’ STO RY AN D P H OTO G R AP H Y BY M IK E K AN E

The State Of Oklahoma

STO RY AN D P H OTO G R AP H Y BY M IK E K AN E

16 The Team 20 From The Editor

the front

Leading the practice of law.

the back 121 Saratoga After Dark | 126 Dressing Up | 128 Dressing Down 130 Road Trip: Hudson Valley | 133 Drink | 134 Water

the end 140 Crossword: Built To Last WOW! THE CUBAN NATIONAL BALLET ARRIVES

BY OCTAVIO ROCA

on the cover

MARCH APRIL 2018

T H E CI T Y. T H E CU LT U RE . THE LIFE.

GLEN COBEN THE ADELPHI WHISPERER BY TONY CASE

STORIEDBOARDS FOR THE LOVE OF WOOD BY NATALIE MOORE

FASHION ALERT DESIGNERS ON THE VERGE BY TODD KINGSTON PLUMMER

SMART HOME ROBOTS ARE JUST THE BEGINNING

and they’re off!

GOOD MAGIC’S SARATOGA ROOTS MARY HIRSCH LEGENDARY TRAINER OKLAHOMA THE OTHER SIDE OF THE TRACK

BY MARCO MEDRANO

BETSY OLMSTED FINE PRINT ON STEROIDS BY ROSIE CASE

saratoga living exclusives!

THE

DESIGN ISSUE

Rachael Ray photographed exclusively for saratoga living by MYRNA SUÁREZ. Director of Photography: Carlos Charlie Perez • Producer: Jamie Levit • Photography Assistant: Michelle Fimbres Hair: Patty Mocarski, NYC • Makeup: Joe J. Simon for Artists by Timothy Priano, NYC • Wardrobe: Cara Apotheker Jammet Line Producer: Sandy Pan • Props: Jaclyn Colabraro, Delancey Birzin, Rebekah Grover • Lighting Designer: Mitchell Bogard Gaffer: Tom Daddio • Board Op: Chad LeFebvre • Head Utility: Robert Fritche • Head Prop: Armando Allen Head Carp: John Abbruzzese • Michael Murry, General Manager, Rachael Ray Home. Ronde Coletta, Vice President, The Door, NYC Shot on location in New York City.

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Criminal Law/DWI • Residential & Commercial Real Estate • Land Use & Planning • National Loss Mitigation & Title • Family & Matrimonial • Labor & Employment Civil Litigation & Personal Injury • Trusts & Estates • Business & Corporate • Cybersecurity & Data Privacy • Banking & Settlement Services

HOMETOWN STAR RACHAEL RAY ADDS FURNITURE DESIGN TO HER IMPRESSIVE LIST OF ACCOMPLISHMENTS—WHAT CAN’T SHE DO?

BY KYAN DOUGLAS ■ PHOTOGRAPHY BY MYRNA SUÁREZ

saratogaliving.com SL_MarApr2018_Cover_FINAL.indd 1

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SARATOGA SPRINGS 358 Broadway, Suite 206 Saratoga Springs, NY 12866

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FLORIDA MASSACHUSETTS 9990 Coconut Road, Suite 345 One Boston Place, Suite 2600 Bonita Springs, FL 34135 Boston, MA 02108

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BOB DYLAN’S AMAZING GUITAR AUCTION HOW YOUR DREAM SMART HOME GOES GREEN REVEALING SIT-DOWN WITH POET BRENDA SHAUGHNESSY WHAT WOULD WOODY DO?: TALES FROM BEHIND THE CHAIR YASSS! CONGRESS PARK (FINALLY) GETS WI-FI!

Editor’s Note

Damon Baehrel Update In saratoga living’s January/ February issue, we ran a feature on Chef Damon Baehrel’s eponymous Earlton, NY, restaurant, which we believed had a near-impossible-to-land reservation. What we didn’t include in our story? The mountain of evidence—in the shape of multiple Times Union articles and a tome by The New Yorker—that called Baehrel’s deep reservation list and other aspects of his operation into serious question. When emailed for comment, Baehrel said that he regarded the stories as “textbook slander and defamation,” referring to The New Yorker’s story as “the most factually incorrect, unverified article ever written about me.” When we asked to see a copy of his reservation list, he refused, saying it wouldn’t be legal, but that if anyone had any specific issues with or doubts about his restaurant, he’d be happy to field their concerns at chefsoffice@damonbaehrel.com.

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Richard Pérez-Feria EDITOR IN CHIEF CREATIVE DIRECTOR Kathleen

Gates Will Levith MANAGING EDITOR Natalie Moore SENIOR EDITOR Anne Newgarden DESIGNER Linda Gates LUXURY EDITOR Marco Medrano DESIGN EDITOR Colin Cowie ARTS EDITOR Bill Henning FASHION EDITOR Todd Kingston Plummer SENIOR WRITER Jeffery Dingler PHOTOGRAPHY DIRECTOR Erika Phenner DIGITAL LEAD Monika LaPlante SOCIAL MEDIA DIRECTOR Abby Tegnelia WEBSITE MANAGER Hakan Akyuz CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER Lawrence White SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER Dori Fitzpatrick EDITORS AT LARGE Greg Calejo, Susan Gates EXECUTIVE EDITOR

CONTRIBUTING EDITORS

Karen Bjornland, Brien Bouyea, Tony Case, Kyan Douglas, Cornelia Guest, Rebecca Hardiman, Mike Kane, Jacqueline Kuron, Simon Murray, Octavio Roca, Kevin Sessums, Michael Slezak, Beverly Tracy, George Wayne WRITERS

Rosie Case, Molly Congdon, Kirsten Ferguson, Geraldine Freedman, Mario Quirce, Mitch Rustad, Joe “Woody” Wood ARTISTS / PHOTOGRAPHERS

Dave Bigler, Tracey Buyce, David Cowles, Francesco D’Amico, Cathleen Duffy, Shawn LaChapelle, Robert Risko, Nikki Rossi, Myrna Suárez, Scott Teitler, Cornelia Traynor

Becky Kendall PUBLISHER

Chelsea Moore Lianne Klopfer OPERATIONS MANAGER Sara Francese SUBSCRIPTIONS MANAGER Rachael Rieck BOOKKEEPING MANAGER Dianne Winter SPECIAL PROJECTS James Long MARKETING CONSULTANTS AMPLIFY Partners, New York City ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE FINANCE DIRECTOR

INTRODUCING CADILLAC SUPER CRUISE AVAILABLE ON THE 2018 CT61, THE FIRST TRUE HANDS-FREE DRIVING SYSTEM FOR THE FREEWAY. • Provides comfort and convenience on long-distance travel and daily commutes

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Chair

RICHARD PÉREZ-FERIA President / CEO

BECKY KENDALL

Executive Vice President saratoga living is published eight times a year by Saratoga Living LLC. Subscriptions: Domestic, $19.95 per year; Canadian, $24.95 per year. Application to mail at periodicals postage rate is pending at Saratoga Springs, NY 12866 and at additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to saratoga living 422 Broadway, Suite 203, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866. Volume 20, No.2, March/April 2018. Copyright © 2018 Saratoga Living LLC. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reprinted or otherwise reproduced without written permission from Saratoga Living LLC. All editorial queries should be directed to editorial@saratogaliving.com; or sent to 422 Broadway, Suite 203, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866. saratoga living assumes no responsibility for unsolicited submissions. Printed in Saratoga Springs, NY, USA.

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the team

SIMON MURRAY An award-winning lifestyle writer, Simon Murray currently covers the newest yachts around the world as Managing Editor of Power & Motoryacht magazine. “The first time I realized how fun speeding can be, I was on a skateboard bombing down a hill,” he says. “Over time, the skateboard became skis, then a motorcycle and now cars and boats— anything that will get the heart pumping. My family still thinks I’m a teacher. I won’t tell them if you don’t.”

The Emmy Award-winning grooming expert on the original Queer Eye, Kyan Douglas has had a regular makeover segment on Rachael Ray for more than a decade. “Looking over Rachael’s furniture collections got me excited about design, because her pieces are both elegant and familiar,” he says. “It’s similar to being on set while she’s cooking: Your mouth waters as the aroma of her food fills the air. Her designs stimulate my passion for the possibility of my own space.” PHOTOGRAPHY BY MYRNA SUÁREZ HAIR: CARRIE FERNOW MINCHIN, NYC GROOMING: ROBIN HAMILTON, NYC

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⁄ MARCH-APRIL 2018

MYRNA SUÁREZ Cuban-American portraitist Myrna Suárez has photographed some of this era’s biggest names, including Billy Joel, Beyoncé, Brad Pitt and hundreds more. “Shooting celebs can be tricky,” Suárez says. “Here, you forget that Rachael Ray is more than a celeb, she’s a bona fide mogul. She’s a rock-and-roll girl at heart that makes a mean Sloppy Joe. She’s also one of those rare people who looks luminous in the lens.”

(SUÁREZ) CHUCK CLOSE

KYAN DOUGLAS

the team

PRIME CONSTRUCTION SARATOGA THRIVES ON CLIENTELE SEEKING A HANDS-ON, PERSONAL EXPERIENCE WHICH TRULY CREATES A CUSTOMIZED, ONE OF A KIND RESULT! THE PCS TEAM’S CORE VALUES n Honesty n Communication

“We’re in the business of making people happy... one party at a time.”

n Client-focused ROSIE CASE

MAUREEN.BARINGER@COLINCOWIE.COM WWW.COLINCOWIE.COM

As a freelance writer and interior design enthusiast based in Fort Worth, TX, Rosie Case eagerly took to her task at hand. “I love talking to artists about their process and what makes them tick,” she says. “It’s incredible that all of Betsy Olmsted’s pieces are original works of art, painted by hand on paper first—that really ups the ‘wow’ factor for me.”

construction n Building long-lasting relationships

OUR TEAM

Paul Young (center) Shayne Hanafin Kelly Wardell Johnny Baumgardner Jr. OCTAVIO ROCA The Cuban-born author of several books including Cuban Ballet, with forewords by Alicia Alonso and Mikhail Baryshnikov, Octavio Roca is widely regarded as the foremost authority on Cuban ballet. The former music and dance critic for The Washington Post and the San Francisco Chronicle was also a professor of philosophy at MiamiDade College. “I hope people understand that Alonso’s staging of Giselle, which Ballet Nacional de Cuba is bringing to SPAC, is notecomplete, idiomatic and frankly, gorgeous,” he says. “This Giselle is a revelation, a sacrament of beauty each time the curtain rises.”

Are you thinking about BUILDING or RENOVATING? With 34 years of construction experience in Saratogasaratogaliving.com County —

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from the editor

Home s I write this, I realize it’s the anniversary of the day when I bought my first home, and I’m taken back to the surreal feeling I had then, not only because I was becoming a homeowner for the first time, but also because the home itself was so different than anything I could ever have imagined living in, let alone purchasing. Built in 1929, this Colonial beauty, sitting up on a corner demanding attention, stole my heart the moment I saw it. I’m someone who literally dreams of living in an all-glass, tri-level penthouse with nothing in it but a green apple and a massive TV, so the fact that this structure, straight out of the Norman Rockwell Dream Home Collection, caught my eye so instantly was stunning; I knew it was game over and I had to get it. So I did. Growing up in Miami during the period when an impossibly modern/hip aesthetic was on display each week on the hot, new TV series Miami Vice, I got hooked on the sleekness and coldness of glass and steel edifices. Design mattered to me then, and it does now. I’ve been fortunate to live in some of this country’s most beautiful and exciting cities—Los Angeles, New Orleans, San Francisco, Las Vegas, Miami Beach, Southampton and, of course, Saratoga Springs—and have lived in all kinds of homes, from a minimalist luxury condo to an overstuffed (charming) ramshackle cabin. And one thing remains the same: Where I live impacts how I live. Just this week, I moved in to my newest crib, a large apartment in the heart of Downtown Saratoga, and all of those feelings I associate with the best living situations came roaring back— excitement, connectedness, fulfillment. As I fill the empty rooms with pieces that reflect who I am this time around, I have the added bonus that I now get to walk to work. Win-win. When I initially showed my parents a photo of that first house I fell hard for, they started laughing simultaneously. The pretty house with so much curbside appeal that I fell head-overheels in love with in a flash was apparently an exact replica of my childhood home in Boston. I mean, exact replica. And it now makes sense why this particular house had me at “Hello.” Saratoga has the luck (and luxury) of offering the best of both worlds—massive, majestic mansions more than a century old and built-yesterday modern boxes in which to experience city life at its finest. I, too, have the best of both worlds. I told you I was fortunate. Love where you live, indeed.

Home Design

Beverly Tracy

480 Broadway S a r ato g a Sp r i ng s , N Y

518.306.6690 Richard Pérez-Feria EDITOR IN CHIEF

@RPerezFeria

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20 saratoga living

⁄ MARCH-APRIL 2018

Be verlyTrac y.Com

the front

National Ballet of Cuba

writer's block The booth in the Tin & Lint in Saratoga where McLean supposedly wrote the classic song, “American Pie;” (inset) American Pie, released in 1971.

As one of just four U.S. locations, and the company’s only visit to the Empire State on this historic tour, be sure to join us for this truly unique and exclusive SPAC engagement. Adam/Alonso based on Coralli and Perrot

June 6-8

spac.org

American Lie?

Presented in partnership with Skidmore College

Saratoga By The Numbers

SPAC Box Office

(518) 584-9330

Buy now for the best seats and save! All patrons who purchase tickets before May 31 receive a 10% discount using promo code SAVE10SL which can be combined with other promo codes for maximum value. Never been to a ballet at SPAC? Newcomers can use promo code NEW18SL for a buy one / get one free ticket offer. For other discounts go to SPAC.org/calendar/ticketing/ways-to-save

(Booth) LAWRENCE WHITE

Giselle

nyone who’s downed a beer (or several) at the Tin & Lint, Saratoga’s oldest-running bar, has seen the booth with the plaque commemorating the story: After performing at Caffè Lena, singer Don McLean wandered into the T&L for a drink and scribbled down some notes on a napkin—or was it a notebook? When the folkie got up to leave, he apparently forgot his notes, and a bar employee—a Skidmore student nicknamed Sloth—ran out into the street to return them, noting It’s True (We Think) that they said something along the lines of “drove my Chevy to the levee.” Therefore, as Saratogians argue, without the quick reflexes of good ol’ Sloth, the world would’ve never tasted a slice of “American Pie.” D I D D O N M C L E A N R E A L LY W R I T E It seems like a legit tale—except for the fact that McLean himself denied it ever happened. In a 2011 Glens Falls PostT H E C L A S S I C S O N G I N S A R A T O G A? Star article—and again three days later in The New York BY N ATA L I E M O O R E Times—McLean set the record straight: “American Pie” was actually written in Philadelphia. “Maybe that story isn’t the truth, but I would’ve been a lot worse off without that place to go to,” McLean told the Times of Caffè Lena. “It was a stopping place for me at that time in my life.” (That “maybe” sure adds some doubt to McLean’s statement, don’t you think?) Regardless of the myth’s apparent debunking, the Tin & Lint’s plaque has yet to be removed, and Saratogians still claim that the folk-pop icon was here in their fair city the day the music died.

The number of minutes at which a bell ring is rung before post time at the track

The percentage of adults in Saratoga County who are currently smokers

The number of countries represented by students at Skidmore College

55 The percentage of people in Saratoga who are currently single

The number of years the New York City Ballet has been performing at Saratoga Performing Arts Center

The number of Triple Crownwinning horses that have raced at Saratoga

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saratogaliving.com 23

the front answers WHAT’S A QUICK WAY TO HANDLE STRESS? “Stop what you’re doing and take a few slow, deep breaths. While this may not address the source of your stress, it’ll give you a chance to refresh and reset so that you can do a better job of coping with the problems you’re facing.” —KATRINA SMITH Psy.D., Clinical Psychologist, Bick Wanck, MD & Associates WHAT’S THE EASIEST WAY TO MAKE A BEAUTIFUL FLOWER ARRANGEMENT IF YOU’VE NEVER MADE ONE BEFORE? “Simplicity can go a long way. Stick with a grouping of similar flowers such as roses, hydrangeas or tulips, presented in an appropriate container that will showcase the flowers and not compete with their beauty.” —SIDNEY MARTIN Owner, Simply Sidney Floral Design and Home Accents IF YOU SUFFER FROM INSOMNIA, IS THERE ANYTHING YOU CAN IMMEDIATELY DO TO COMBAT IT? “Avoid spending any nonsleep time in bed, especially watching TV or using any electronic devices. This will help to create an association between your bed and sleep.” —HUNG DINH NGUYEN, MD FCCP, Director of Pulmonary and Sleep Medicine, Saratoga Hospital Medical Group

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=SA

Y W H AT ? =

illustration by

DAVID COWLES e x c l u s i v e ly f o r saratoga living

“The first thing that struck Bond about Saratoga was the green majesty of the elms, which gave the discreet avenues of Colonialtype clapboard houses some of the peace and serenity of a European watering place.”

Words

Spa City Stories A F I C T I O N A L S A R ATO G A

F E AT U R E S I N TO C O L D M O U N TA I N AU T H O R C H A R L E S F R A Z I E R ’ S L AT E S T N O V E L BY KAREN BJORNLAND

hen I’ve got troubles, I take the Saratoga Springs cure. Dragging my weary body to the Roosevelt Baths, I sink deep into a tub of warm, bubbly mineral water, close my eyes and escape the cruel world. More than a century ago, one famous Southern lady, warfrazzled and grief-stricken, traveled to Saratoga for similar relief—or at least that’s what National Book Award-winning author Charles Frazier has dreamed up in his latest historical novel, Varina. It’s loosely based on the life of Varina Davis,

–Author Ian Fleming in Diamonds Are Forever

(Frazier) MARK HUMPHREY; (Varina) BEAUVOIR

the

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charles in charge Varina Davis at Beauvoir, the plantation where her husband, Jefferson Davis, wrote his memoirs; (top) Charles Frazier.

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saratoga stories Six chapters

of Charles Frazier’s new book, Varina, are set in Saratoga Springs.

the widow of Jefferson Davis, President of the Confederacy during the Civil War. For six chapters of the book, “V,” as she’s referred to, spends time in Saratoga at a fictional spa called “The Retreat” and enjoys the Saratoga Race Course, where she hobnobs with horse owners and places bets. But the Saratoga we know acts merely as a stand-in, says Frazier. “She went to different resorts in Upstate New York,” he says of the real-life Varina Davis. “On a couple of occasions, she went with Julia Grant.” (Julia, of course, was the widow of Ulysses S. Grant, the Civil War general and US president who died in a cottage a few miles from Downtown Saratoga.) Davis likely patronized the spas because she was suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder and mourning the loss of five of her six children. “She clearly suffered from depression after the war,” says Frazier. But the novel’s Saratoga setting was no accident; it turns out that Frazier knows the Spa City well. “We used to go to the horse shows when my daughter was younger and doing a lot of horse showing with hunters and jumpers,” he says. “I’d usually bring a mountain bike, go for walks and just enjoy being there.” Maybe a trip to the Roosevelt Baths may be in order for Charles Frazier as well.

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the front “As Chief Photographer for saratoga living, I’m out capturing images of the amazing Capital Region year, round. This was true on the pleasantly warm and sunny Easter/Passover Sunday last year when I ended up in Congress Park. I immediately spotted a young family on the lawn flying a colorful kite and enjoying one another’s company. I positioned myself at an angle with the Canfield Casino in the background, so it would be impossible to mistake the photo as being captured anywhere but in our lovely city of Saratoga Springs.” Love Where You Live

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RACECAR STYLE ZOOMS INTO THE LIVING ROOM.

isiting the Saratoga Automobile Museum, I’m floored by the racecar exhibit, each car designed to a T, from custom engine to aerodynamic body to—my favorite—bold graphics. Now you can bring home that Formula One style with the Kartell + Lapo “It’s a Wrap” Collection.

Kartell, of course, is the Milanese furniture maker. Lapo is Lapo Elkann: Italian entrepreneur, grandson of legendary Fiat chairman Gianni Agnelli and proprietor of Garage Italia, a studio that wraps cars in custom-designed graphic films. Elkann’s own ride? A Ferrari 458 Italia—in matte camouflage. For this Kartell collaboration, though, Lapo’s kept it

BY BILL HENNING

classic, taking icons such as the Philippe Starckdesigned Ghost Chair and souping them up with racing stripes and driver numbers. Being a dandy, Lapo also gives you fashion: herringbones, tartans and pinstripes. The limited-edition collection is available only at Barneys New York.

pit crew Kartell President Claudio Luti and Lapo Elkann with pieces from the “It's A Wrap” collection; (below) the “It's A Wrap” collection includes Ghost Chairs souped up with racing stripes.

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Issue

In Plain Sight

Trash To Treasure

SUE WALDRON’S INTERIOR DESIGN IS ALL ABOUT FINDING BEAUTY IN THE DISCARDED. BY NATALIE MOORE n PHOTOGRAPHY BY LAWRENCE WHITE

’m constantly torn between my desire to have a house that looks like it’s been designed by Fixer Upper’s Joanna Gaines and my unwillingness to spend money on anything that isn’t essential to my survival. Certainly, my condition isn’t unique to me—who hasn’t watched the show, dismayed because they can’t afford a shiplap accent wall or crown molding? But when I walked into interior designer Sue Waldron’s home in Wilton, my dilemma seemed to fly right out her blue-paneled, sliding barn door and into oblivion. I realized that you don’t need a fortune to get that whitewashedfarmhouse look that’s slowly

consuming HGTV viewers’ properties across the land. Waldron’s home is proof. Waldron runs her own interior design and furniture upcycling business—Sue Waldron Designs—out of her home, and is its lone employee. Her motto is “Thrifted, gifted and found” because, well, that’s how she gets most of her decor. The beautiful white-andgold buffet in her threeseason room? Picked up from the side of the road. The chandelier hanging in her bedroom? Bought at a Facebook garage sale. The patterned textile hanging in an oversized frame in her living room? A $3 scarf from Old Navy. The centerpiece of her kitchen table? A toolbox she found at a yard

sale and hand-painted. Her mantel? Rescued from a burn pile. And the two wicker lamps in the living room? From her neighbor’s garbage can. “Nobody’s trash is safe,” Waldron says, as she walks by her father’s discarded vintage card catalogue cabinet, where two leafy plants grow out of open drawers. Though Waldron has been designing her whole life—as a toddler, her mother would wake up to find that she’d moved her crib to a different spot in her room— she didn’t decide to pursue it, professionally, until three years ago. A friend-of-arags to riches Furniture upcycler Sue Waldron in her home in Wilton.

so sue her One day, while

her husband was at work, Sue Waldron tore the wall down between her formal living room and kitchen, expanding the kitchen to its current form.

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friend visited her home and was so impressed by what she saw that she asked Waldron to renovate a room in her own house. That single project ballooned into a yearlong gig, with Waldron redesigning most of the client’s house. Waldron is also entirely self-taught: “I didn’t go to school for design,” she says. “I’d say it was a hobby, but now it’s kind of my life. It’s what I do. If I’m not helping other people do it, then I’m always doing it here. It’s 24/7.” Though she does design rooms—or entire floors—for clients, more often,

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Waldron’s focus is on upcycling furniture. The day I stopped by, she was in her kitchen, putting a newly painted, sage-green floor lamp out to dry. “My absolute favorite thing is to use what the owner already has and give it new life,” Waldron says, happily. “I love the end result and I love when people are so excited when I finish a piece.” I’ve been looking for an ottoman for my apartment for a while now, but haven’t been able to pull the trigger. After seeing Waldron’s home, I have officially moved my search from Amazon to the side of the road. An elegant road, but a road nonetheless.

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ngry lobster dumplings. Foie gras with chocolate sauce. Strips of candied bacon hung by clothespins, served on a tiny clothesline. Chef David Burke’s concoctions aren’t just a feast—they’re a feast for the eyes. Call him The Architect of Plating, a mad genius of food whose whimsical presentations a critic once compared to something out of Willy Wonka’s factory. And now you can also call him “neighbor,” as Burke takes over culinary operations for Saratoga Springs’ Adelphi Hospitality Group, encompassing The Blue Hen and Morrissey’s at The Adelphi Hotel as well as Salt & Char next door. It’s quite a coup for the sexy, newly re-imagined Adelphi.

food delivery Celebrity chef David Burke's famed architectural plating for his angry lobster scramble; (LEFT) Burke has officially taken over culinary operations at The Blue Hen, Morrissey's and Salt & Char, all under the umbrella of the Adelphi Hospitality Group.

Design Issue Burke has made a name for himself with numerous TV appearances (see: Iron Chef America: The Series), cookbooks, partnerships and award-winning cuisine for restaurants in New York City, Washington, DC and many other destinations. But the Adelphi is his first outpost upstate. The chef—who officially takes over this month—has already started tweaking the menus, with many more changes to come. He plans to use locally sourced food wherever possible, and says the group will be interested in participating in the annual Saratoga Wine & Food Festival. THE PRESENTATION “My career started at a restaurant called The River Café, under the Brooklyn Bridge, so basically my food was competing with one of the best views in the world. I also worked for some very well-known chefs—Daniel Boulud, Charlie Palmer— and always said to myself: ‘How can I compete with these guys when we all have the same ingredients, the same basic knowledge, the same stage?’ The idea was that you compete with presentation and uniqueness, so I’ve always built that into my repertoire. It’s called the Instagram factor now, but it was called the ‘wow factor’ way before that.”

Power Player

David Burke, The Adelphi’s New Top Chef THE WORLD’S FOREMOST DESIGN-CENTRIC CULINARY MASTER A R R I V E S I N S A R ATO G A . n BY TO N Y C A S E

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when pigs fly David Burke's

dishes are known for their unique presentations, such as his famed candied bacon hung on a clothesline.

THE MENU “We’re going to bring back updated American classics: oysters Rockefeller, beef Wellington. We’ll probably do teatime—maybe a ‘naughty tea time,’ because there’ll be liquor in it. We’re eventually going to do a whole roasted fish, and things that get carved in the dining room. We may be putting snails and chicken cordon bleu together. We’ll be doing the bacon and some kind of angry lobster. There’ll be Baked Alaska burning at the table this summer, flambéed this and that, beef on salt blocks, probably crudos, raw fish. Our food will have a unique twist—it’s never going to be boring. It’ll be simple, but there will also be high-wire acts. We’re here to impress, and we’re also here to create a restaurant that’s affordable for the locals, as well as the people who come up in the summer season. We don’t want this to be only a special occasion kind of place.” THE SCENE “To take a hotel in the middle of town and refurbish it like that is an admirable feat. I was there back when it was a dust bowl, with the ceilings torn down. The history, the richness—you can really feel the bones of the place when you walk in there. It’s luxurious, but also hip. I love visiting Saratoga—the people are wonderful. I’ve had the opportunity to sit on that secondfloor balcony when it’s snowing, and I’ve got to tell you, I’ll never forget that view, with the street lamps along Broadway. It feels like you’re in a different time.”

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Issue

the da vinci code The

Da Vinci surgical device is making routine surgeries even easier; (opposite) an Albany Medical Center surgical team using the Da Vinci.

Tech

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THE FUTURE OF ALBANY MED’S O.R. IS IN THE HANDS O F A R E M A R K A B L E R O B O T. BY WILL LEVITH

everal years ago, I had some minor surgery done, and I vividly remember the lead-up: I was positive that the cyst they were going to remove was cancerous and that I was going to die. The actual surgery itself went by like a dream—literally. I remember the anesthesiologist talking me through the drugs he was injecting into my arm, making me count backward and then, Boom!, I was wide awake and lying in bed like it hadn’t even happened. Oh, and it was all routine, so I’d live to see another day. It turns out that cystectomies just like the one I had—and a number of more complicated surgeries—have been getting dramatically easier for surgeons to do well. Albany Medical Center’s Dr. T. Paul Singh, MD, who’s built a 24-year career in the Capital Region, has been performing minimally invasive surgeries—those requiring smaller incisions—using

(Dr. Kimble) ALBANY MEDICAL CENTER; (Da Vinci) BRADFORD TEACHING HOSPITAL

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advanced technology. Since 2004, to repair hernias and remove gallbladders, Dr. Singh and his team have been using the Da Vinci, a robotic surgical device that gives surgeons’ hands an otherworldly range of motion and delicacy. To use one, the surgeon sits at a console, peers into his patient’s body with 4K clarity and uses a joystick, which directs the system’s robotic arms. So the surgeon is still in control, but it’s the robotic hands that are actually working inside the patient. “Open surgeries have existed for 2,000plus years, so there’s been a long history for it,” says Dr. Singh. “I think about it like speaking a language. Our language as an open surgeon is English; we learned to speak French to do minimally invasive surgeries, but now, using the robot, we can go back to speaking English and do things more precisely.” If you’re stressed that your next hospital visit might look like a scene from The Terminator, fear not: Dr. Singh emphasizes that Da Vinciled surgeries aren’t only extremely safe (the technology has been around since the late ’90s), but also speedier and less costly to patients. “We aren’t at the age of the selfdriving car—it’s coming down the road somewhere, but there’s still a surgeon behind the wheel,” says Dr. Singh. Phew. I think Leonardo (the OG Da Vinci) would love his namesake, too.

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Your Inspiration Destination

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Landscapes For Living Nursery & Garden Center

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f I’m being honest, sometimes I feel like I’m a horrible Saratogian. Even though I moved to this city more than two years ago, somehow I’ve managed to avoid the allure of the races during the sultry summer months. For a couple of seasons now, I’ve had to endure the barrage of out-of-towners asking me, “What do you mean, you’ve never been to the track?” However, this summer that will change: There are more than a few new reasons to become a first-time track patron. In March, the New York Racing Association (NYRA) announced a significant renovation project at Saratoga Race Course, which includes more amenities for attendees,

such as enhanced Wi-Fi and sound systems, more than 1000 new, high-definition televisions, 950 new picnic tables and a re-designed Saratoga Family Zone. And to top it all off: a fully revitalized section of the Grandstand dubbed The Stretch. Named for its location near the top of the stretch—i.e., the final turn just near the rail, where there’s also reserved seating—the new luxury section will make its debut July 20. Guests will get to choose from 32 new modern boxes, each uniquely designed and decorated. The Stretch will feature a casual environment with access to touchscreen tablets, an upscale, raised circular bar, private restrooms and

a full-service kitchen and concession stands, all with dramatic views of the final turn before the homestretch. With more than $30 million invested in the project since 2013, the additions mark the biggest renovation in the track’s history, as well as the first major improvement made to it since the mid1960s. According to NYRA President and CEO Chris Kay, the association has placed “tremendous emphasis on enhancing the guest

sit and stretch The

Stretch, a new luxury seating area positioned near the top of the actual stretch, will make its debut at the track on Opening Day, July 20.

experience.” Reservations for seats in The Stretch are available now, but they’re expected to sell out quickly. So I guess that means I’d better make a reservation soon, because this summer, it looks like I’ll be going to the races. At last.

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The

Design Issue

ray pride “I think that having a home environment that you’re proud of and is welcoming is an essential part of life,” says talk show superstar and burgeoning furniture designer, Rachael Ray, the pride of Lake George.

THE UNSTOPPABLE

RACHAEL RAY

How did the girl from Lake George become America’s most formidable—and beloved—media and entrepreneurial superstar? By working harder than anyone else. Her latest blockbuster venture? A best-selling furniture line. Fearless doesn’t begin to cover it.

BY KYAN DOUGLAS PHOTOGRAPHY BY

MYRNA SUÁREZ

e x c l u s i v e ly f o r

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The

like Rachael Ray. A lot. On this, America and I agree. The lady’s a star. For a decade now, I’ve had the pleasure of making regular appearances on Rachael Ray, where I help transform her TV viewers with makeovers and beauty tips. It’s always a blast to watch Rachael work her culinary magic and entertain America as she strives to keep us well fed and well informed. I’ve observed Rachael on and off camera, with celebrities and interns, dressed up and down. I’ve seen her endless generosity with her guests, often giving away romantic dinners and gifts when the cameras aren’t rolling, and I’ve been the recipient of it, too. Rachael and her producers kept me busy during a very difficult time in my life—as I cared for my dying mother—and coming to New York City to tape episodes of Rachael Ray gave me a sense of normalcy, which I so needed during that very difficult period. Still, after all these years, there was a lot I didn’t know about her, but I’ve always known this: Rachael Ray is the hardest-working person I’ve ever met, she’s sharp as a tack and has impeccable taste. For Christmas last year, she gave me a gorgeous book about the artist John Derian, which has a permanent spot on my coffee table. I love the book, and I love that she thought of me when she saw it. Most of the time I spend with Rachael is on set, where our conversation is limited to hair and skincare products and Italian wine. So I was thrilled when my dear friend and saratoga living Editor in Chief, Richard Pérez-Feria, asked me to interview the Capital Region’s hometown sweetheart for the cover story—to actually sit down with her, one-on-one, as part of her crazy busy day, which entailed filming two shows and posing for the magazine cover with more than 50 pairs of eyes dead-set on her, and just talk. I never knew just how close she is with her mother, or about how delicious meals are just one of the many ways she expresses her inspiring creativity. I never knew that she loved to read, or that, even after being a celebrity chef all day, she goes home to cook the meals she knows her family likes. And I never knew the background behind her courageous entrance into the world of interior design. I do now.

achael Ray was born in Glens Falls and moved with her family to Lake George when she was eight, where she stayed through high school. Her mother, Elsa, managed restaurants in the Capital Region, including the last surviving Howard Johnson’s in Lake George. After a stint working at Macy’s Marketplace candy counter in New York City in the ’90s, Rachael returned home to Upstate New York, where she managed Mr. Brown’s Pub at The Sagamore on Lake George and then worked

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Design Issue

talking heads

Rachael Ray celebrated her 2000th show on October 26, 2017, with the help of talk show legend, Oprah Winfrey; (opposite) a pair of metal canopy beds from Rachael’s Chelsea Collection.

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as a buyer at Cowan & Lobel, a gourmet market in Albany. She began teaching “30 Minute Meals” classes, which garnered the attention of the local CBS news affiliate and eventually the Today show. Now, besides hosting the multiple Daytime Emmy Award-winning talk show Rachael Ray, she hosts a trio of Food Network series, heads two nonprofits, toplines the eponymous (and best-selling) Rachael Ray Every Day magazine, has her own cookware and pet food lines and is a world-class furniture designer. It’s a lot. And she does it all so damn well. Throughout Rachael’s ascending career, she hasn’t forgotten where she came from. She still keeps a house in Lake Luzerne, where she goes to get away from her intense Manhattan life. And Saratoga Springs? She considers it her backyard. “You go to Saratoga for the arts: The jazz scene, Skidmore College, Saratoga Performing Arts Center. The place I’d always go first when I’d go down to Saratoga was the Lyrical Ballad Bookstore. I love music and read actual books, and Saratoga is where you go to get that stuff.” And her thoughts on Lake George? “I just think ‘home.’” A year-and-a-half ago, the tireless entrepreneur launched Rachael Ray Home, a furniture collection that included three distinct lines named after three areas of New York: Soho, Highline and Upstate. The products in each line were clearly created with their namesakes in mind—the Upstate line is more traditional and relaxed than the city-named lines, and features an intricately made, polished but comfortable-looking sofa called, appropriately enough, the Lake George sofa. Since then, her collection has expanded to several other lines, including Hudson and Chelsea, her youth-centered lines, and the Cinema line, which reflects her love of Old Hollywood style. I ask Rachael to sum up her design aesthetic in one word. “Eclectic,” she says. “I don’t like matchy-matchy. I don’t like anything to look forced. I want people to take our furniture and make it their own. All of the colors and all of the lines, in my opinion, mix and match. I want people to have fun with this stuff.”

designing woman

(clockwise from top left) The Upstate Collection’s kitchen island, which has a butcher block top with a waste receptacle; the upholstered shelter bed from the Upstate Collection; Rachael’s Everyday Dining Collection, featuring her oval back side chair in sea salt; an Upstate Collection living room complete with tufted sofa, classic club chair and cocktail table, which has a liftable lid for storage.

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CREDIT

Rachael how to build the perfect cheeseburger.

CREDIT

all about eva Guest Eva Longoria shows

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smart design “I didn’t

The Rachael Ray Home website has a quote that I love: “I want everyone to feel as welcomed home by their spaces as I do by mine.” “Welcoming” to Rachael means tidy but lived-in, she tells me, pointedly. When she was young and struggling financially, if she had to be at work by 5am, she’d wake up at 3am to make sure her living space was clean and ready to receive her when she came home late at night. “Since I was a kid, I’d spend my last ten bucks in life on flowers or a pillow at the odds-and-ends store. To me, the aesthetic of life is about good food and your environment.” She says she likes to imagine that her home has a life of its own while she’s away. If she can tell that a worker or a delivery person has been in her space, she apologizes to the space for the disruption. She respects her home as its own entity, similar to the respect one gives a family member or pet. It seemed so obvious to me that this inherent love of her home is what made her such an instinctual designer. “I think that having a home environment that you’re proud of and is welcoming is an essential part of life,” she says, excitedly. “Whether you’re rich or poor, it makes no difference. It changes the quality of your life. It changes how you treat other people. It changes how you face your day and how you end your day.” Pride in one’s home is part of the reason Rachael loves traveling to Italy and the South of France: No matter how poor people appear to be, they sweep their stoop every day, and everyone has fresh-cut flowers on their table. “There’s a respect for themselves and for their environment.”

think that people would take me seriously, because I don’t have a degree in design,” Rachael says; (opposite) the writing desk table and wood back side chair from Rachael’s Soho collection.

oming of age in the early 1990s, I remember hearing about Madonna’s legendary work ethic. Rachael has it too. (Have you seen her résumé?) Her work ethic comes from the way she was raised: Her mother allowed her to stay up past her bedtime if she was creating something—a drawing or painting—or if she was reading. She said she learned that there was freedom in creativity, and she liked that freedom. Thus, Rachael Ray Home. “Why did I start designing furniture? To face a fear. I didn’t think that people would take me seriously, because I don’t have a degree in design,” she says, candidly. In fact, Rachael claims she’s been underqualified at every step in her career. When her furniture line won a design award shortly after its release, she was embarrassed looking at the long list of college-degree

qualifications that followed the names of all the other winning designers. “My listing said ‘Rachael Ray’—period.”

ll academic credentials aside, design is about creativity and problem solving, which are things Rachael Ray has proven she possesses again and again. Whether she’s explaining how to cook a complex dish in a simple, accessible way, figuring out how to design a cabinet so that you never have to see the electrical cord attached to the gaming console inside, or making furniture that looks beautiful from all angles, so that it can just as easily go in the middle of a room as against a wall, Rachael is always thinking about the best way to do things. Just look at the massively successful oval pasta pot she released more than a decade ago, an obvious culinary upgrade that only she was bright enough to bring to market. “Spaghetti is freaking long!” she says. Yes it is. The second reason Rachael gives for her entrance into the furniture design world is frustration. “I think that not enough of the furniture that’s affordable is made in America, and I don’t think it’s smart. It’s made in a crap way, because people can get away with it. And furniture that’s really well made and extremely expensive? The case goods are still made in China.” Rachael Ray Home’s products are made as entirely in America as possible. The factory is run by two women, and has an apprenticeship program where young people can learn the old-school way of building furniture. “I don’t mind global trade,” Rachael says. “I just think you should do as much as you can in our country and bring back as many jobs as you can.” As I sit listening to Rachael Ray, I realize it’s quite an experience. She’s a woman with strength, vision, clarity and exuberance. She’s also spectacularly indefatigable— the Energizer Bunny has nothing on Ms. Ray. During our conversation, I casually called her a powerhouse, and she quickly shut me down. Rachael doesn’t like the word “power” and all that it implies. She’s a person of fairness, generosity and her own brand of kindness. She’s got moxie—a much better way of thinking about her, I find. Rachael Ray is a person of raw talent, unbridled energy and brazen courage. And I get to call her my friend. No wonder everyone loves Rachael Ray. You should, too. After all, she’s one of us.

CREDIT

“SINCE I WAS A KID, I’D SPEND MY LAST TEN BUCKS IN LIFE ON FLOWERS OR A PILLOW AT THE ODDS-AND-ENDS STORE.” ⁄

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Design Issue

(COBEN) TOMMY CAMPBELL, BROTHERS & COMPANY; (ADELPHI LOBBY) GREG CEO

THE

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MAKEOVER ARTIST

G L E N C OB E N, t he m a n b ehin d t he s p ec ta c u l a rl y re - i m a g i n e d Adelp hi Ho t el, g o t e ver y t hin g r i g h t—e ve r y th i n g .

BY TONY CASE ⁄

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s a hoary old reporter who’s found himself on the road a fair amount, I’ve come to despise hotels. Like traveling by rail or attending a mediocre Broadway show, checking in for a few days’ stay someplace has become a largely lugubrious experience, rather than the luxurious treat it used to be. But, on occasion, I find myself utterly delighted by those lodgings that take you back to a time when style, service, attention to detail and design, and respect for history still mattered. The Art Deco marvel that is Sunset Tower Hotel in West Hollywood, CA, is one such spot: Where else is one greeted in one’s room, upon a return stay, by a dessert in the shape of the hotel’s façade, served on a plate with a personalized message scrawled in chocolate, in a glamorously revamped high-rise where Howard Hughes, Marilyn Monroe and Bugsy Siegel once had pieds-à-terre? The stately Alvear Palace Hotel in Buenos Aires, which opened in 1932, is another. It still hosts a formal tea every afternoon in the hotel’s garden, where guests favor chic suits and hats over jeans and sneakers, a setting deserving of Evita herself. Sigh, I just wasn’t born for these times. Saratoga Springs is also a place of great beauty and renown—and, as a venerable Upstate New York destination, home to lots and lots of hotels. I’ve long been fascinated by stories of the city’s magnificent landmarks from back in the day, such as the Grand Union Hotel, luxe 2.0 largely relegated to memory now. (clockwise from Like most locals, including myself, top) The Adelphi you were no doubt overjoyed last Hotel check-in October when the Adelphi, the counter; Morrissey’s Lounge in the imposing, long-shuttered Victorian Adelphi lobby; one colossus that first threw open its of the 32 newly doors back in 1877, finally started designed luxury welcoming guests again. After more guest rooms. than five years of loving restoration,

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(GUEST ROOM, LOBBY, MORRISSEY’S) GREG CEO

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Design Issue one of the last surviving hotels of Saratoga’s Golden Age has quickly emerged as the crown jewel of Broadway, a stylish, sparkling haven for locals and visitors alike. You’ve no doubt sneaked a peek at the lobby— or perhaps have enjoyed Sunday brunch amid the fashionable swarms at The Blue Hen restaurant or indulged in a Sazerac at Morrissey’s, the inviting, dark-paneled watering hole off the lobby, named for John Morrissey, the rascally Irish boxer and, later, New York politician instrumental in bringing horse racing to Saratoga. I caught up with Manhattan-based architect Glen Coben, of Glen & Co., who designed the interiors of the Adelphi— following the property’s exacting renovation by Schenectadybased architect Dominick Ranieri—to learn what inspired his re-imagining of this magnificent hotel. The Brooklyn-born Coben, who has designed numerous hotels, restaurants and retail establishments from Midtown to Montauk, relates that the Adelphi was a labor of love for all involved. The place “needed a whole lot more than just a little TLC,” he says. “The front porch columns were completely rotted out. The building was falling down.” Rigorous research of the Victorian aesthetic, the history of the Adelphi and the city informed the makeover. Says Coben: “We brought back its glamour, the hospitality—an Adelphi state of mind.” The hotel was, in fact, designed to be not only a place to lay one’s head, but also a space for people to gather, laugh, live and love. Coben points out that while there are only 32 guest rooms, the facility as a whole provides seating for some 200. Fluorography—or images of plants and flowers— played a major part in the design as well. Coben worked with the Portland, ME, firm Might & Main to create the distinctive floral patterns seen throughout, which reflect the theme of hospitality as well as the hotel’s bucolic setting and its culinary bona fides. (And look for the little bumblebees imbedded into the light fixtures: “The bumblebee nods to the humble nature of a bee making honey from flowers, so it ties back to fluorography, but it also points to the fact that New York bees make great honey,” says Coben.) Other unique design elements include the hand-painted ceilings, an imposing glass wall behind the registration desk that incorporates found antique plates made of crystal, and— as this is Saratoga—the whimsical horse heads curiously poking out from behind the bourbon and gin bottles at Morrissey’s. “These are all the little touches that we as designers love—weaving little bits of stories into the bigger story,” Coben says. “That, in a nutshell, is the inspiration of Victorian design—so rich with detail. We’ve taken that detail and made it specific to this special place.” Milton Glaser, the graphic artist best known for creating the iconic “I ♥ New York” logo in the ’70s (see page 88), once suggested that any piece of design elicits one of three responses: “Yes, no and WOW!” Just six months into its unveiling, the Adelphi continues to wow our town. And I’m all in.

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(ARCHER HOTEL) DAVID BURKE GROUP; (GABRIEL KREUTHER) ERIC LAIGNEL

inner beauty (from top) Coben designed NYC restaurant Gabriel Kreuther; Coben’s attention to detail is evident in the Spyglass rooftop bar at the Archer Hotel in Manhattan; (opposite) elegant and modern is the name of Coben’s game at Gabriel Kreuther.

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GOOD WOOD ⁄

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BY NATALIE MOORE

CREDIT

the present with the past.

CREDIT

How Lake George’s StoriedBoards builds

high beams The Lake George-based, family-owned StoriedBoards specializes in wood accents—beams, railings and mantels—made with reclaimed wood from old barns.

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In 1876, John H. Symes returned home to Ryegate, VT, to care for his aging parents and tend to the family farm. The grandson of a Scottish immigrant, Symes had served as a private in the Union Army during the Civil War, seeing action in North Carolina in the 1860s. After his parents’ death, Symes inherited the property, which included a farmhouse that his father built in 1824, and he immediately began to lay the groundwork for a barn adjacent to the house. Using mill-sawn hemlock lumber, Symes constructed a three-story barn with a low-pitched, 5000-square-foot roof supported by a cantilever frame—a true architectural feat, considering the heavy Northern Vermont snowfalls it had to bear each winter. When it was finished, the barn stood 40 feet tall, complete with cattle stalls, an internal silo and a chicken coop. Throughout the first half of the 20th century, the barn housed Clydesdale horses used in the area’s logging industry. Fast forward to 1970, and the property was sold to a family who would use the farmhouse as a summer home. However, they were unable to maintain the barn, and by 2010, a portion of its roof had collapsed.

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n an unseasonably warm night in Midtown Manhattan, right across from Bryant Park on West 42nd Street, diners nibble on foie gras at Gabriel Kreuther, Trip Advisor’s sixth-rated restaurant in New York City—that is, out of 9,632 other eateries that dot the Big Apple. Around them, amid a copper- and stork-themed interior (courtesy of The Adelphi Hotel’s codesigner, Glen Coben; see page 52), antique wooden beams rise toward the ceiling, forking into Ys near the top. They stand out in the dining room, which exudes an ultrachic, modern aesthetic. It’s clear that they served a purpose long before Gabriel Kreuther planted them in his newest culinary venture. And it turns out, they did: They’re none other than the millsawn beams that held John Symes’ barn together. The company that transformed Symes’ barn into posh restaurant decor is StoriedBoards, a familyowned, reclaimed lumber retailer headquartered in Lake George. Founded in 2012, the company has made a brisk business of tracking down dilapidated barns, stripping them and reselling their wood for use in homes and businesses such as Gabriel Kreuther. Old barn siding is transformed into “barn board” accent walls, beams are turned into fireplace mantels and rafters are repurposed as custom

russell brand (from top) StoriedBoards recycles old barn siding as accent walls or new siding, as in this Rutland, VT garage; sometimes old siding deserves new flair; StoriedBoards co-owners Whitney Russell (far right) and his two sons, Garrett (far left) and Tyler, at their Lake George warehouse; (opposite from top) the house John H. Symes’ father built in Ryegate, VT, in 1824; Gabriel Kreuther is New York City’s sixth-rated restaurant on Trip Advisor, and home to mill-sawn beams from Symes’ barn.

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furniture. StoriedBoards’ creations have been featured in David Burke’s restaurant, Fabrick (see page 36); Nusr-Et, a restaurant by Internet sensation Nusret Gökçe, a.k.a. Salt Bae; and locally, at the L.L.Bean store in The Factory Outlets of Lake George. When I walk into the StoriedBoards “office”—a sort of tiny-one-room-schoolhouse-meets-primitive-ski-lodge—I’m greeted by an exuberant, three-month-old golden retriever named Kentucky, followed by his owner, Garrett Russell, onethird of the StoriedBoards team. Russell’s dad, Whitney, a lifelong entrepreneur, got the idea to launch the company after

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driving around Upstate New York and seeing all the beautiful, abandoned properties. When Garrett’s brother, Tyler, moved back home to run the business, Garrett signed on as well. “We started to hone in on ‘How do we reclaim barns? What do we do? What’s our differentiator?’ It dawned on us that nobody sells it with the history attached,” says Russell. “That was our plug. Once you start to dig in and see where these people came from, what they did and why they built these great barns on these awesome properties, that’s the coolest part of it.” Every product StoriedBoards sells comes with a booklet recounting the history of the place where the materials came from—like the Symes’ family barn, built in the 1880s. Out back, Russell shows me the 6000-square-foot warehouse where StoriedBoards’ actual storied boards are stored. The entire perimeter of the building is filled to the rafters with lumber, a large portion of which came from an old rack system in Building 177 at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Portsmouth, NH. That’s the farthest the StoriedBoards team has ever traveled to reclaim wood, but Russell tells me they’d travel as far as they’d need to for a top-notch yield. (The Portsmouth project required nine tractor trailers to haul off all the material.) The warehouse also houses StoriedBoards’ “barnifacts”—antique items that the Russells find on reclamation sites and can’t throw away, like old tools, cans and license plates. These items are for sale online, or are picked out by customers when they come to the warehouse to choose wood for a project. “We have an open-door policy,” Russell says. “You can come up any time. We love to learn about what the project is and see how we can get exactly the look and feel the customer is looking for.” The sheer fact that the company is based in Lake George is a boon for business and working with StoriedBoards’ customers, says Russell. “It helps a lot that we live in a desirable town to come and visit that has a very recognizable name. It’s easy to make a weekend trip out of it, if you’re looking to come up and look at materials. Also, it helps that we’re close to Saratoga: If you’ve never heard of Lake George, you’ve probably heard of Saratoga.” Speaking of which, StoriedBoards also has a production facility just north of Saratoga in Wilton. I followed Russell south on I-87 into an industrial park just off Exit 16. The warehouse in Wilton was also stacked high with lumber— but this haul had already been sanded, cleaned and cut into fireplace mantels, the main product produced at the Wilton facility, along with other furniture, such as coffee tables. “There’s something about old wood that you don’t get these days,” Russell said. “Most of our customers are looking for that piece. They want something really cool from a barn that has a really cool story.” Sitting down to write this article at the multicolored, spalted maple kitchen table my dad built himself using wood from his friend’s property in Grafton, NY, I know exactly what Russell means by that piece. And I’m sure Chef Gabriel Kreuther, walking among the hemlock beams in his Manhattan restaurant, does too.

(DINING ROOM) RANDALL PERRY PHOTOGRAPHY

wood stock (from top) StoriedBoards’ “barn board” covers the walls and ceiling in this Hotel Indigo hallway in Manhattan; wooden beams give this modern Lake George home a rustic feel.

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PRETTY IN PRINT How Saratoga’s Betsy Olmsted channels the whimsy of nature into her original, vibrant textiles, and makes any home come alive.

BY ROSIE CASE PHOTOGRAPHS BY

ELIZABETH HAYNES PHOTOGRAPHY to dye for Textile designer Betsy Olmsted first hand paints her original designs on paper, then reproduces them with a vibrant, inky dye.

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The Hodorowski Group was founded over 40 years ago, the goal—to build the best homes, at the best prices, in the best locations. The team continues along that path while expanding the divisions of our business. Hodorowski Homes, J.Luke Construction and Hodorowski Property

t’s hard not to be charmed by Betsy Olmsted’s contagious brand of laughter. When I catch up with the Saratoga Springs-based textile designer to chat about her eponymous line of exuberant watercolor offerings, I ask her if her surroundings have influenced her work. “I’m living in a town with a lot of nature,” she says. “I’ll take my work into the city and people will be, like, ‘Oh, a squirrel! I saw a squirrel in the park the other day!’” She giggles over her words. “Depending on where you’re coming from, nature is more of a big deal.” What definitely is a big deal is that every piece Olmsted makes is an original work of art. From pillows to towels to wallpaper, she first hand paints all of her designs on paper, and then reproduces them with a special, inky dye that mimics the original with vibrant, sophisticated results. I scroll through her Instagram feed as we chat, and even a colorphobe like myself can’t help but be drawn in, in particular, by her luxe Pink Shibori pillow. And her take on wildlife is just as compelling: She cites Congress Park’s architecture and formality as the inspiration for her ethereal Swans Pillow. I’m also kind of obsessed that the Skidmore College graduate gets to work out of her home studio, which is a converted horse stable, naturally. So when the workday’s through, where does

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Management have introduced exciting new concepts in design, construction and customer service for both residential and commercial properties. We remain focused on quality and dependability, making the home building and leasing process easier and more enjoyable for everyone. As a company, we strive to exceed expectations, offering the best products and services available. THE HODOROWSKI GROUP • 796 BURDECK STREET • SCHENECTADY, NY 12306 518-356-1435 hodorowskigroup.com

betsy boss Betsy Olmsted has been featured in HGTV,

Country Living and House Beautiful magazines; (top) many of Olmsted’s designs are inspired by nature, including trips to Saratoga’s Congress Park.

this mom head out with the family for a bite—or with the girls, for a cocktail? “The Mouzon House is so charming, with great Creole food—and I love a good night at Desperate Annie’s!” Hey, you know what they say: You can take the girl out of Skidmore, but you can’t take Skidmore out of the girl.

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FASHION FORWARD These fashion designers are ready to take the world by storm. Are you paying attention, trendsetters?

call of the wild Fashion designer Aurora James’ products are produced in Africa using sustainable materials and traditional techniques; (opposite) the creation of a shoe or accessory from James’ Brother Vellies line often involves dozens of different people and languages.

CREDIT

BY TODD KINGSTON PLUMMER

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here’s a changing of the guard happening in the fashion world. One by one, iconic designers such as Carolina Herrera, Marc Jacobs and Donna Karan are moving on—consolidating their business operations, deferring more and more to their design teams or simply retiring. And while the designers themselves might be entering a new phase in their lives, their creative contributions to fashion can never be forgotten: Marc Jacobs’ impossibly cool downtown aesthetic; Carolina Herrera’s crisp white shirts and colorful skirts; Donna Karan’s signature black ensembles. But don’t think for a minute that there’s a creative vacuum left by their absence. As with so many things in life, when one fashion moment ends, another begins. Over the last few years, I’ve seen many young designers come onto the scene and many disappear. But it’s the ones that have managed to punch above their weight that have caught my eye, the ones who have a unique approach to design that will get them noticed and turn them into commercial hits. Playing it safe, in my experience, is not what builds a successful and long-lasting fashion brand. There’s a new generation of buzzworthy designers with serious talent coming up in New York City. I suggest you get

to know these three now—so that one day, when they’re the new establishment, you can say you knew them well before everyone else did. That’s what I’ll surely do.

traditional techniques for an aesthetic that is absolutely unique. “Our process— from my original idea to creating a shoe—involves dozens of different people and different languages,” says James. “Sketching is important, because it serves as our visual communication tool. When we start off with original sketches, it’s about leaving as much open to interpretation as possible, and then building different artisanal elements on top of that sketch.” The result of James’ unique supply chain and design approach is a collection of shoes tinged with traditional design elements such as springbok fur accents and intricate beading. But knowing that her products are made in an ethical way that creates jobs for women in Africa is what gives Aurora James such extraordinary confidence in her brand. “I just really want women and men—but especially women—to know that you can do anything you set your mind to. People have to push for what they want and make sure their idea stands out and has purpose. I think I made that true. Everyone can make that true.”

AURORA JAMES

Everybody has that one friend. The one who thinks ahead of the curve, who always has their hands in a hundred different projects, who shows up fashionably late to the party and leaves fashionably early on her way to the next one. Aurora James is that friend. She has that perfectly messy hair that frames her face and round, bright eyes that pierce their way into any conversation. She’s always dressed in some perfectly tailored frock that she picked up in Kenya, or carrying an adorable bag that she found at a street market in the Caribbean. Aurora James is a woman of the world, but the brilliant thing about her is that she understands how, in 2018, it isn’t enough simply to design things that look beautiful—they have to have a beautiful story behind them too. So, in 2013, when the Toronto native moved to New York City and launched her brand, Brother Vellies, it was important to her that it have a backstory as interesting as its shoes and accessories. James begins her creative process with sketches in Manhattan, and then the shoes and accessories are produced in Africa, using sustainable leathers and furs and incorporating

BRANDON MAXWELL

“It’s really about quality and craftsmanship for me, and construction. I’m not trying to break ⁄

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It’s hard not to be enamored with Brandon Maxwell. In some ways, he looks like so many other Manhattanbased creatives (silver hair, thick-framed glasses, dressed in head-to-toe black), but his bubbly personality and gentle Texas accent would make any hardened New Yorker gush over his charm. From a young age, Maxwell had a passion for dressing women. Long before he had any aspirations of becoming a professional designer, he learned about style from his grandmother. She was a buyer for a small boutique in Longview, TX, where he’d spend afternoons after school. “You’d go into the dressing room, and my grandmother would have the bags and the jewelry and the shoes and the outfit picked out and laid out for the women,” says Maxwell. “I really got to see what made them feel great and what they were insecure about. It was just like a high for me.” In his early years in NYC, Maxwell started to make his mark working alongside power-stylists Nicola Formichetti and

gaga for gigi Brandon Maxwell (opposite) has designed for and styled celebrities including supermodel Gigi Hadid and his longtime friend Lady Gaga, though his style trends away from Gaga’s typically outlandish ensembles. Above, Hadid wears one of Maxwell’s sultry creations.

the system; I’m just trying to give women a quality piece of clothing.” – BRANDON MAXWELL ⁄

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LIVE LUXURY SARATOGA SPRINGS Starting at $800,000* - Build your custom dream home with Bonacio Construction. Minutes from downtown! Beautiful wooded 2 Acre lots available located on a quite Cul-de-sac. Saratoga Springs School District. Mary Lourdes Pinckney | Associate RE Broker | m. 518.685.4118

Edward Enninful, and styling his longtime Hearst is always dressed in a paredbest friend Stefani Germanotta, better back but luxurious way, her hair often known as Lady Gaga. So it might come as tucked into a turtleneck and her skin always a surprise that for Maxwell’s own brand, his glowing in that sun-kissed South American design aesthetic is markedly not Gaga-y. way (even in the dead of a Manhattan He often designs in pure black, ivory and winter). And the only thing warmer than her sometimes blush tones, with silhouettes that complexion is her personality. As a mother, are statuesque, clean and timeless. wife, designer and business owner, Hearst is The genius of Maxwell’s approach—and one of those women who makes everyone why he’s been able to explode onto the else wonder: “How does she do it all— fashion scene the way he has—is that he and look so good doing it?” isn’t trying to do something too revolutionary. The secret, Hearst tells me conspiratorially, Speaking with Maxwell, I can sense his is learning to multitask. A life on the go passion. His eyes light up when I ask what means that inspiration can strike at any time. hearst story makes him tick as a designer. “It’s really “I usually start sketching in notebooks that I Gabriela Hearst says inspiration for her designs about quality and craftsmanship for me, and carry everywhere,” she says. “They’re rough is always sparked by her construction,” he says. “I’m not trying to break sketches, then the main inspiration is always ever-present curiosity. the system; I’m just trying to give women a sparked by my curiosity. It can be a person or quality piece of clothing. I want to be the several people or even a movement. Then place that they go to every season and get those essential the research starts, which is one of my favorite parts of the things that they need, that have a little bit of an edge.” process as we choose and develop materials.” Indeed, it’s Hearst’s selection of materials that sets her brand apart and creates a true sense of luxury. Knits and wools generally come from Manos del Uruguay, a luxurious, It’s hard not to be inspired by the life Gabriela Hearst leads (I ethical supplier from her native country. A driving ideology might say I’m even a little jealous). Born in Uruguay, she grew behind Hearst’s brand is the concept of “honest luxury.” Says up dividing her time between her family’s horse ranch in the Hearst: “It has to do with transparency and accountability. Our north and the beaches on Uruguay’s coast. Today, she’s a product is priced the way it is because of the materials and working mother based in Manhattan, regularly jetting off to quality of each piece. There’s no price scheme or strategy. Paris to develop the European market for her eponymous We aren’t selling a product based on trends with a quality that designer brand. She’s a woman on the go—and in charge. isn’t there. My customer can’t be fooled.”

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GABRIELA HEARST

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Sotheby’s International Realty and the Sotheby’s International Realty logo are registered (or unregistered) service marks used with permission. Sotheby’s International Realty Affiliates LLC fully supports the principles of the Fair Housing Act and the Equal Opportunity Act. Each Office Is Independently Owned And Operated. *Photos for denoted listings are used as examples of builders craftsmanship.

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FLYING HIGH

Artist Maude White finds inspiration—and courage— in making delicate, cut-paper birds. CREDIT

and then there’s maude Maude White’s incredibly distinctive cut-paper creations can take up to two weeks to make; (opposite) White’s new features 65 74book saratoga living MARCH-APRIL 2018 cut-paper birds.

(White) MAUDE WHITE; (Bird) PHOTOGRAPH BY LAURA GLAZER/HAND-CUT PAPER BY MAUDE WHITE/REPRODUCED FROM BRAVE BIRDS, ABRAMS IMAGE, 2018

kicker Caption tk (inset)

BY BILL HENNING ⁄

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’ve loved many birds in my life.” That’s how artist Maude White begins her new book, Brave Birds: Inspiration On The Wing (Abrams Image), and I can certainly feel the depth of White’s affection as I take in the incredible detail of the 65 cut-paper birds featured in it. The project began, inadvertently, as therapy. While recovering from an anxiety attack, White began cutting out the shape of a heron. She found that the intense focus of the work gave her strength and eased her mind. As she cut out other birds—a single one can take up to two weeks’ effort—White asked herself, “What can this bird teach me?” The resulting book is half ornithological guide, half self-help book. “You can open to any page and get a different message,” White tells me. “I wanted to create something to make people feel safe” and help them recognize the bravery in “small, everyday acts.” Born in Buffalo, White grew up in New York’s Hudson Valley (where she now resides), and has fond memories of her older brother dragging her to concerts at Saratoga Performing Arts Center in the late ’90s and early aughts. “We saw Ben Folds, I think, and Goo Goo Dolls and…maybe Dave Matthews?” she says. While she’s been honing her writing skills since childhood, she’s relatively new to the cut-paper craft: She only started back in 2012. (Things have obviously snowballed from there.) And while White numbers legendary book illustrators Arthur Rackham and Maxfield Parrish among her top influences, she tells me that she’s drawn the greatest inspiration from the paper itself. She must often “let the paper lead” her, a challenge that requires both patience and forgiveness. Endurance is also key. “If I’m on a roll, I might put in seven or eight hours at a stretch,” she says. The post-millennial resurgence of DIY paper thin artisanship—hand-making everything from “There are very furniture to glassware to jam—is one few things in the world as reliable that White finds incredibly human. “Craft and constant is a way to connect with the physical as paper,” says world,” she says. “Making things with White, who your hands brings the highest form of began working contentment one can feel. You have to in the medium as therapy. be fully present, which is increasingly rare in a world where we rely on screens to communicate.” The digital era has also made art even more of a spectator sport, something to be observed on a smartphone, but never touched. And that’s why White wants people to actually get their hands on her work. “I like people taking the work with them,” she says. To that end, Abrams is also releasing a line of Brave Birds notecards, notebooks and journals. At the end of the day, White’s love for birds is outstripped by the love she has for her medium, whether she’s wielding a knife or a pen. “There are very few things in the world as reliable and constant as paper,” she says. “Paper’s everywhere, and it’s been telling stories for centuries.”

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(Braided Hair) MELISSA HOPE; (Birds) PHOTOGRAPH BY LAURA GLAZER/HAND-CUT PAPER BY MAUDE WHITE/REPRODUCED FROM BRAVE BIRDS, ABRAMS IMAGE, 2018; (Violinist, Woman) MAUDE WHITE

The

Patrick Fitch Licensed Real Estate Broker 518-788-8040 75 Hearthstone Dr Gansevoort NY 12831

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floating devices In a lake brimming with fiberglass vessels, Hall’s is keeping wooden boats afloat. Literally; (inset) Nick Lamando treats the boats he works on at Hall’s as pieces of art.

HOPE FLOATS Lake George-based Hall’s Boat has elevated wooden boat-making to a true art form.

STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY LAWRENCE WHITE

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rowing up on the California coast, I was around boats for most of my life. I volunteered for four years in the Coast Guard, where I dealt with merchant, pleasure and fishing vessels in US waters and the Far East. Eventually, I wound up living on wooden boats near Sausalito in San Francisco Bay while attending art school. In other words, I knew the territory well before driving to Hall’s Boat in Lake George. But turning into the business’ driveway, I couldn’t help but feel as though I’d entered a different world. The large

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warehouse and workshop spaces, docks and classic Lake George cottages made it feel like a miniature lakeside village. Hall’s is its own little universe. The company is the go-to spot for classic wooden boat designs and is a Shangri-la for vacationing boaters. Hibbard Hall launched the business in 1928, and it has weathered everything from the Great Depression to fires. When wooden boat aficionado Steve Lamando purchased the property in ’06, it had fallen into disrepair. But after renovating it and bringing in his brother, Nick, to oversee operations, he successfully revived Hall’s Boat.

Today, Hall’s does a brisk business, and when I meet Nick and his Chief Shipwright, Thor Gautreau—the son of a boat builder and self-described “marine rat”—in the large boatrepair building on the water, they’re hard at work on their craft. We stand around a worktable where large pieces of South American hardwood and African Sapele wood are being prepped for decking on one of the antique boats. “Wooden boats are a small percentage of the ones that are on the water,” says Nick. “But when you see a wooden boat, it really stands out. The beauty of the classic lines and the

sense of authentic craftsmanship raise these boats to the level of artwork. That is how we treat them here.” So, what does the immediate and long-term future look like for wooden boat-making and repair in and around Lake George? Are there many young people even taking up the trade? “I’m always open to speaking to anyone who might like to learn the art—and it is an art—of wooden boats as an apprentice,” Nick says. “It’s an incredibly important craft that should not be lost in an era of fiberglass.” Amen to that.

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hen I was asked to write a feature on the ultimate smart home, I felt an overwhelming… nothingness overtake me. But why? I suspect, not unlike most of you, I’ve experienced enough new technology to know this: While I can’t wait to see what the next attentiongrabbing thing I can’t live without is, my well-worn eyes are better trained to filter through what will actually make my life more efficient and fun and productive, without requiring any more work on my part. That is, enough already with all of the time-sucking, lackluster 21st-century gizmos. Seriously, enough. From value-oriented must-haves to borrow-against-your-trust-fund-now toys and decor, the following smart home guidebook should get your inner conversation started. Call it a virtual shopping basket without that pesky hold on your charge card. Let’s start building this smart home now, shall we?

THE FUTURE IS CALLING

YOUR SMART HOME

Cardok When I say “gone in 60 seconds,” I’m not referring to the car heist flick, but your dream home’s garage. At the very moment it looks like you’re going to plow over the rose garden with your Lamborghini, the flower beds pop up to reveal a parking space—a vehicle elevator that retracts to a tidy subterranean level of your property. Yep. That’ll work. HiCan Smart Bed/Sharp INTELLOS A-UGV Ever dream the impossible dream? A bed that engulfs you so entirely, there’s no outer world to disturb your chi? Well, now you can live the dream with the HiCan, a smart bed that actually tracks,

From disappearing car elevators to a well-trained robot, it’s time to embrace tomorrow’s technology today.

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CREDIT

BY MARCO MEDRANO

that sinking feeling The Alpha1 Pro robot by UBTECH makes The Jetsons’ favorite concierge a reality; (OPPOSITE) Cardok’s vehicle elevator provides a subterranean parking space.

monitors and analyzes the quality of your sleep. Looking to add another layer of comfort to your next REM cycle? Hire Sharp’s roving security detail, the Sharp INTELLOS A-UGV (Automated Unmanned Ground Vehicle). It’s your intimidating sheriff, video jockey and sniffing dog on wheels. The Sharp INTELLOS A-UGV can also run about as fast as your next home invader—and catch the entire pursuit on camera. Sleep soundly. UBTECH’s Alpha1 Pro or Cruzr The Jetsons’ overused lifestyle cliché has finally arrived: The robot! That is, at least in large-scale commercial venues. The motherboard of the residential model hasn’t learned how to park, entirely unsupervised, yet. But it’s darn close. Samsung’s The Wall For the jaded big-screeners and gamers, Samsung delivers the world’s first 146-inch modular MicroLED wireless TV. The Wall not only accelerates all the best functions in every statistical category, but can also serve as a home’s or family’s central information hub, with modular components that can be resized on demand. Beyond compare. It’s your crib’s personal Times Square jumbotron. What you want to see up close is your business. Electric Mirror’s Sage If flipping the TV on to get the morning headlines is more than you can tolerate, you should consider adding Electric Mirror’s Sage to your smart home. No, it’s not your spiritual guru. But almost. Designed for luxury hospitality suites, this smart mirror system will turn your personal space into a five-star, touchscreen suite. So now, besides being able to catch the latest breaking news flash, you can also order up a ham-and-egg delivery, check the weather and turn on your sound system, room by room, all while brushing your teeth.

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Design Issue one of each, please (from top) FoldiMate will put your dry cleaner out of business; the Vertebrae puts the “room” in bathroom; The Emperor makes you feel like the king or queen of your home office.

of industrial art doubles as a sink, toilet and vanity storage—and then some. Hailing from the UK, Design Odyssey’s all-in-one Vertebrae vertical bathroom takes up less than 3.5 feet by 1.5 feet, width-wise. Once you’ve put the bathtub back into the wall and folded the rest of the bathroom into its steel column-self—and gotten yourself pulled together, too—swing by and check in with your newly hired computerized laundress, FoldiMate. You’ll never have wrinkled clothes again, as it uses the perfect amount of fabric softener and light starch—and produces the best French folded crisp shirt ever. Ever. This machine will change your life.

Ekotektura’s Tulip If you want the luxury of soaking in a tub, but live in a cramped space, you just might need Ekotektura’s Tulip, a convertible shower that doubles as a pull-down bathtub. (It’s out for patent and looking for manufacturer partners for production.) The Murphy-bedstyle appliance for your bathroom also morphs into a working desk and storage center for those supertight micro-studios. Design Odyssey LTD’s Vertebrae/ FoldiMate Still feeling cramped in that micro-studio? This space-saving piece

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LG Signature Door-in-Door SuperCapacity Refrigerator You’re already onto your first conference call and your stomach is grumbling. (You’re also texting your secretary, “Remind me why I’m leading this call?”) Well, behold the LG Signature Door-inDoor Super-Capacity Refrigerator. At 31 cubic feet, and with an illuminating smoked glass interior, it allows you to continue that call as if you’re sitting at your desk. LG’s catchy motto says it all: “You can raid your fridge without losing your cool”—or letting that energy-saving air out. Hover your foot over the illuminated LED glow aimed at the floor and the door pops right open. Hands free. At first glance, this super-sleek icebox may seem underwhelming. This is the fridge you need. I promise. Sharp’s Superheated Steam Countertop Oven If your Alpha1 Pro put your groceries away in your LG Door-in-Door properly, you should now be able to grab and reheat the gourmet meal you just bought. Everyone I know is getting rid of her microwave. From privacy invasion quips to brain cancer fears to “my

gluten-free bread is like a brick”… how about a perfectly browned, steaming breakfast plate? Restaurants have had the capability for decades. Bring it home as a built-in wall unit or pick up the soon-to-be-released and -priced version from Sharp—the Superheated Steam Countertop Oven—which offers built-in convection for simultaneously crisp and moist cooking. Finally. Miranda Let’s head to work. You can now design, draft or sketch what’s on your mind with an ever-changing piece of framed artwork. It’s like your own MoMA Etch A Sketch without the knobs. And the beauty is, no matter how much of a pretend David Hockney you think you are—yeah, right!—it’ll always look good, thanks to Miranda by GilesMiller.com. MWE Labs’ The Emperor You’ve slayed the conference call and scheduled all your appointments and tasks. Skip the commute. MWE Labs’ The Emperor is your own stay-athome corner office. MWE designs scream super productivity—in other words, The Emperor “creates a shelter from visual distractions, provides privacy and an enhanced sense of psychological security,” as per the company’s website. Captain Kirk might even be baffled, because it’s so advanced, compact and beautiful. With a bevy of mood and working lights, integrated audio, plenty of inputs, multiple screens and an overall sense of immersion, The Emperor will make you work harder, better, faster and most of all, stronger. The Ovei Wellbeing Capsule If you’re in need of an escape hatch from your family or office life, the Ovei Wellbeing Capsule is all you need. This personal pod and hi-tech cocoon brings new meaning to “chill out” (or “power nap” before a board meeting). Sometimes just a few moments of separation or calm from an environment can help you reset, refresh and provide can-do energy. Unplug. If not for yourself, then for your colleagues.

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saratogaliving.com 83 To learn more about Belmonte Builders’ Communities and Floor Plans, visit belmontebuilders.com

The

Design Issue

dragon slayer Adirondack Studios built the set for the How To Train Your Dragon ride at Motiongate Theme Park in Dubai; (inset) a whirligig concept drawing for Price Chopper’s Market Bistro in Latham.

PUTTING IT

TOGETHER How does Argyle’s Adirondack Studios make Broadway plays and Disney attractions electrifying? Beautifully.

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CREDIT

BY KAREN BJORNLAND

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¡Ay, caramba!

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umbrella ella ella You could say that the sets built by Adirondack Studios for the Mary Poppins Broadway musical are supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.

ADIRONDACK STUDIOS

I was on my way to meet Homer the way to achieve it.” Lloyd tells me that the amusement park Simpson—or so I thought, as I zipped business goes through cycles—but it’s trending upward these east across the Hudson River into days, because there’s “more leisure time, on a global scale.” Washington County. Why would the lovable, pot-bellied And it’s showing no signs of letting up. cartoon dad be hanging out 20 miles from Saratoga Springs? On my tour of Adirondack Studios, we begin in a hallway, with It’s because Homer’s one of the stars of The Simpsons Lloyd pointing out a photograph of Diagon Alley, the colorful Ride—a wildly popular simulated roller coaster at Universal cobblestone shopping village in The Wizarding World of Harry Studios Florida and Hollywood—and Adirondack Studios, Potter Orlando. “It took 60 artists 9 months to do it,” he says. in nearby Argyle, is one its designers and fabricators. The “We built all the signage.” My heart starts beating faster. Could award-winning firm also creates scenery for Broadway shows, I be closer to the big Homer reveal? We enter a gigantic room, including the national touring its ceiling more than 17 feet high. productions of Mary Poppins, Forklift machines chug and beep Annie and The Lion King. And as they move on the concrete floor, they also work with museums, and we’re greeted by the sounds casinos and zoos. By way of the of saws and hammers and the Capital Region, the Studios has scent of sawdust. In a small, glassworked with clients as diverse walled room, a KUKA robot that as the Northeast Ballet Company looks like a 15-foot-tall mechanical in Schenectady and PJ’s BAR-Bpraying mantis is slicing into wood. QSA, the popular eatery on Route “Contrary to popular belief, robots 9 in Saratoga. aren’t taking over the world,” says For a tiny town such as Argyle, Lloyd. “People are operating Adirondack Studios has a major those machines.” Making all of presence: 150 employees work those theme park attractions in a sprawling, 125,000-squareand Broadway scenery requires foot facility, a remnant of the the crafting of metal, fabric and days when the area was known wood, and the skills of numerous as Catheter Valley, churning out carpenters and electricians. At this medical devices for hospitals point, I’ve only seen tiny cutouts across the country. The Studios’ of Shrek and Krusty, but nothing headquarters bounced around that I could imagine in an actual from Moreau to Glens Falls amusement park. I soon learn before finally landing in its current that projects for Disney, Universal location in 2001. “The business and Twentieth Century Fox are is growing,” says Tom Lloyd, who hidden from visitors, and security cofounded Adirondack Studios is ultra-tight. The characters—like with his partner, Chris Detmer, Homer Simpson—and amusement in 1975. (Back then it was called parks are protected intellectual Adirondack Scenic.) They now property. “It’s incredibly complex,” king of the jungle The Simpsons Ride at have satellite offices in Manhattan, Lloyd says. “D’oh!” I say silently to Universal Studios Florida and Hollywood is a simulated roller coaster that brings riders through Orlando, Pasadena, Beijing, Dubai myself. I guess I won’t be seeing a theme-park-within-a-theme-park; Adirondack and Singapore, and soon, another Homer—but I do get to meet a few Studios created the graveyard set for the longwill open in Shanghai. “We have a of the brainy characters who work running Broadway hit musical, The Lion King. group of designers and managers on guys like him. and technical personnel on a mountaintop in Malaysia doing a “Everyone here is working in AutoCAD,” Lloyd says, big Twentieth Century Fox amusement park,” Lloyd says. referring to the design software his employees use in the But back to Homer. As a big fan of Fox’s animated series, Technical Design Studio. Here, orders for 30 jobs around I was hoping to find out about the Studios’ role in making the globe are filed in a rack on the wall. Dan Auer, the Lead that Simpsons Ride. A visually stunning, high-tech attraction, Technical Designer, lives in Saratoga; Matt Jackson, Director it first ushers park-goers into the 30-foot-tall mouth of iconic of Technical Design, came here a decade ago after stints in character Krusty the Clown. For the next four-and-a-half New York City and Las Vegas, with a career in theater and TV; minutes, in a heart-stopping IMAX simulator, you speed and Production Art Director Lara Sorensen, another Saratoga through a theme-park-within-a-theme-park, Krustyland, resident, has more than a dozen projects going at once, and encountering Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, Maggie and the rest of is focused on paint, from industrial coatings to fine artistic creator Matt Groening’s famous cast of characters. “We’ve now mural finishes. “Everything that leaves the building, we put become known as one of seven companies in the world who paint on,” she says. Lloyd explains that about 60 percent of can figure out how to put these complex things together,” says his workforce comes from the surrounding region, while the Lloyd. “Creative and technical design working hand in hand is other 40 percent “heard what we do and wanted to be here.”

Saratoga “is an attractive hub for people from other parts of the world who want to come here and work,” he says. Music, not design, is actually what originally brought Lloyd here from Long Island. His dad, David, was an opera singer and Director of Lake George Opera, now known as Opera Saratoga (read more on saratogaliving.com). Every summer, when he was a teen, the younger Lloyd built scenery for his father’s productions in the basement of Queensbury High School. Then, when he was a student at Northwestern University, he met Chicago native Detmer, another scenery builder. A few years later, when Detmer was running a scenery shop in New York City, the two friends reconnected. “We started Adirondack Scenic in 1975, up in Warrensburg. And he has been my partner to this day,” says Lloyd. Today, Adirondack Studios’ principal founders are fervent supporters of the arts in The Capital Region. Detmer is a longtime board member at the Hyde Collection art museum and historic house in Glens Falls, and Lloyd is a major player in the Upstate Alliance for the Creative Economy, a coalition of numerous arts-related businesses. Our last stop on the tour is the Creative Design Studio, where clients’ dreams are turned into 3-D renderings, illustrations and schematics. Creative Director Seth Harkins

picks up a ten-inch-tall maquette, or clay model, that he says was used to produce a Viking warrior that now stands ten feet tall. “That guy’s in Dubai right now,” he says. In the studio, eight designers are busy on a host of other projects: a Fox TV show, a cultural exhibit in Northern China, a job for Universal Malaysia, an outdoor education exhibit in the Hudson Valley and displays at the National Comedy Center in Jamestown, NY. In creative design, “we’re not the product, we’re the process,” says Louis Allen, Vice President and Creative Director for the company’s international projects. And today, designing amusement park attractions can be a crazy ride, as virtual reality technology zooms forward. So what if I didn’t get to meet Homer Simpson? It turns out he wasn’t even the main attraction.

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Legendary graphic designer Milton Glaser—the creator of “I ❤ NY”—answers some questions we had. Well, kind of.

BY BILL HENNING ⁄

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POSTER BOY

feelin’ dylan Glaser drew inspiration for his Bob Dylan poster from a self-portrait of Marcel Duchamp; (opposite) a New York native, Glaser has worked on many New York State-commissioned projects, including some promoting Saratoga Springs.

The

Design Issue candid commentary: his inspiration and process—what worked, what didn’t and what he might’ve done differently. (To his credit, Glaser doesn’t take himself too seriously; his website offers three renditions of his bio: “In Brief,” “Medium Version” and “Interminable Length.”) Knowing that Glaser’s been teaching at the School of Visual Arts in NYC since 1961, I raised my hand and asked the professor a few design questions. Class was very much in session.

master at work (clockwise from left) Satyrs appear in both posters Glaser created for SPAC in the ’80s; the “I ❤ NY” logo is easily Glaser’s most recognized design; Glaser was the first graphic designer to be awarded the National Medal of Arts.

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You created the “I ❤ NY” logo in 1977. Does that make you the inventor of the emoji? I suppose you sometimes do things in life that you don’t understand, particularly when those things engage the rule of unintended consequences. I don’t know what I’m responsible for in my life so far. I hope I’m not the inventor of emojis; they look so absurd. On the other hand, you could call me the inventor of emojis, and I wouldn’t worry too much about it. Do you see the mode of image distribution today—digital technology such as smartphones and apps such as Instagram—affecting graphic design? If so, how? And for better or worse? We have no idea how graphic design is being affected by the new use of electronic transmission. We know it is being affected, but precisely how is beyond our grasp. As we’ve discussed, all events lead to unimaginable consequences. I’ll just avoid the question. Incidentally, when you say better or worse, what are you talking about? I think I, too, will avoid the question.

CREDIT

Does the New York State Economic Development Council usually bring you to the locations they hire you to illustrate? The Department never takes me anywhere, certainly not to any of the sites they assign me to represent. This is generally true of other clients as well. I do almost all my work at arm’s length.

(PORTRAIT) CATALINA KULCZAR; (POSTERS) © MILTON GLASER

ilton Glaser is the Dean of American graphic designers, one of the most influential— and prolific—of the past half century. With Clay Felker, in 1968, he founded New York magazine, the template for city magazines everywhere. Glaser redesigned Rio de Janeiro’s O Globo and The Washington Post, prototyped ESPN The Magazine and created the graphic program for the restaurants at the original World Trade Center. He’s had oneman shows at New York City’s MoMA and the Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris, and in 2009, became the first graphic designer to be awarded the National Medal of Arts. Glaser’s calling card, of course, is his posters. Perhaps you’ve seen his 1977 design, “I ❤ NY”? Many think the “NY” stands for “New York City,” but the logo was actually commissioned by New York State. And the state has returned to Glaser, a longtime resident of both NYC and Woodstock, again and again, to create posters promoting destinations from Lake Placid to, yes, Saratoga Springs. His trademark visual style—unapologetically cerebral, layering both visual themes and cultural allusions—is on full display in Milton Glaser Posters (Abrams Books), which is out now. A visually stunning, 700-page colossal achievement, the tome boasts 427(!) of Glaser’s designs, alongside his very

The two posters you created for The Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC), in 1980 and 1982, both feature a satyr. How’d you end up choosing a satyr as the motif? That question of “How did you end up…?” is really treacherous—and any answer generally meaningless. Although logical progressions can be traced, most poetic ones cannot. The image came to me because I’d frequently drawn satyrs engaged in musical activity, and I like employing mythological images because of their resonance. Outside of that, I don’t have an explanation.

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in the next issue of

THE NUCLEAR OPTION

[special collector’s edition]

Issue

CREDIT

may-june 2018

saratogaliving.com

@saratogaliving

#SLNY

(Top, bottom) SURVIVAL CONDO PROJECT; (middle) BRIAN DOMINIC

20th Anniversary

Inside Upstate New York’s hottest new luxury real estate trend? Nuclear missile silos. Not kidding.

BY WILL LEVITH sign o’ the times (from top) A decommissioned missile silo being turned into luxury condos; the type of nuclear warhead-tipped missile that used to be held in a silo; the “garage” entrance to a luxe-style silo.

sl ALL ACCESS

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f late, I’ve been plowing through the James-Bond-movie-script levels, and 72 presently dot biography of Morris “Moe” Berg—a the continental US, including a dozen in Upstate historically significant figure I can New York. If you’re trying to picture what a almost guarantee you’ve never nuclear missile silo looks like, think about heard of. Berg was a thirdthat thingamajig that holds grain on a string, bullpen catcher in farm, turn it upside down, ram it just the 1920s and ’30s for under 200 feet into the ground a number of different and ring it in 9.5 feet of nuclearMajor League Baseball resistant, epoxy-resin concrete. teams, including the The above-ground “door,” if Washington Senators you can even call it that, is what and Boston Red Sox, Dominic describes as a cement and became famous “wedge.” That leads down two not so much for his massive flights of stairs and savvy behind the plate around a few bends into the launch but for his brain. He was control center, a two-story room, 25 a walking encyclopedia, feet underground. That room sits off to having studied foreign the side of the main silo—which held the languages at Princeton (he was nuke-tipped missile—and is where some reportedly fluent in a number poor men had to sit for 12-hour shifts, day of them, including French, and proficient in in and day out, waiting for the President’s Sanskrit), and sported a law degree from “call” that never came (the upper floor was Columbia (he moonlighted as a lawyer in where the second team slept and ate, the off-season). Soon after his baseball waiting to relieve the first one). career fizzled and the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor, Berg became a member of ominic is quick to point out that his buyers the Office of Strategic Services (OSS)— haven’t been the type who believe the the progenitor to the Central Intelligence world is going to end anytime soon. Agency—and spied for the US abroad during “I’ve never had a legitimate buyer who World War II. Unlike his place in baseball was a doomsday prepper,” he says. “I’ve history, his OSS assignment was anything found that none of them are really serious.” but trivial: He was tasked with figuring out For that reason, Dominic now charges a whether the Nazis were capable of building “showing fee” of $350 for potential buyers, an atomic bomb—and assassinating the which is reimbursable if that person ends scientist behind it if they were. up shelling out the cash for the silo. In all, Obviously, we know how history played Dominic says he’s officially listed three out: Hitler didn’t get the A-bomb—or make Atlas “F”s, along with two “pocket listings,” it out of the bunker, for that matter. But just meaning the seller is high on finding a up is down (from top) What imagine what would’ve happened had Berg buyer but isn’t interested in publicizing the the interior design of a luxury missed a key telegram or been assassinated fact that he or she owns a Bond villain’s lair. silo condo might look like; himself. Would I even be here writing this Back in 2011, Dominic listed his first Atlas “F,” the layout of one of Larry Hall’s story right now? Would you be reading a property in Saranac that would eventually inverted, luxe skyscrapers. it? With current headlines reporting on sport a luxury cabin and runway above unhinged, trigger-happy world leaders; virulent, vaccinationthe silo. Although Dominic didn’t close the deal, the silo resistant strains of the flu; and catastrophic natural disasters eventually sold for $750,000. He did find a buyer, however, mushrooming up every which way, it’s easy to be worried about for an Atlas “F” in nearby Lewis—an hour and a half north what the future holds—and start thinking about exit strategies. of Saratoga—who paid slightly less than $600,000 for it. Its And by that, I mean finding the nearest underground bunker in original owner had been an Australian architect and designer which to squirrel away your family and hide. who wanted to turn the site into a (literal) underground dance It might not surprise you, then, that there’s a growing club, but after his money dried up and investors bolted, he number of ultra-wealthy individuals buying up prime plots of had to sell. Its current owner? A government contractor from subterranean real estate all over the country—a number of the Department of Defense. which are within driving distance of Saratoga Springs. Select Most recently, Dominic listed an Atlas “F” for the steal-ofSotheby’s International Realty’s Brian Dominic, a licensed real a-deal price of just $135,000, sitting on a 20.8-acre lot in Au estate salesperson based in Lake Placid, recently told me Sable Forks, about two hours from Saratoga. Why so cheap that he’s been seeing a flurry of interest in decommissioned compared to the Lewis property? Because it would likely Atlas “F” nuclear missile silos. This specific type was built in require an estimated $750,000 to $1 million in renovations and the late 1950s and early ’60s, when Cold War tensions got to repairs to get it into trick out–able form, according to Bruce

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Kansas. The silos have been subdivided into 12 luxury apartment units each—including a 3,700-squarefoot, two-level “penthouse” at the top of the silo’s dome cap, which starts at $4.5 million. (According to Hall, each silo “was designed to support a maximum of 75 people.” Not to mention withstand a nuclear blast.) Hall’s inverted skyscraper includes all of the amenities one might find in an upright Manhattan luxury condominium—as well as what you would need to survive, day in and day out, if the surface of the Earth were scorched and radioactive. There’s a wind turbine, diesel generators, hydroponic food sources and military grade security—you know, to battle off us plebes who might want “in.” Those families with furry friends need not worry about the coming apocalypse either, as the silo property also includes a dog park. Other “normal life” add-ons include a gym, rock climbing wall, indoor pool and arcade. And although silo-bound children might be cheering on the arrival of the four horsemen because that might mean no more school, they’ll be thoroughly disappointed to learn that Hall’s facility comes equipped with a classroom and library.

s noted above, if you’re not rolling in it, don’t bother trying to survive a doomsday scenario in the lap of luxury. “I would say our average buyer has more than a four-year college degree—the bulk of them are self-made millionaires—and almost all of them have children,” says Hall. One client referred to her unit as a “peace of mind policy,” as opposed to a life insurance policy, says Hall. The idea was that she would actually have to die for the latter to kick in, whereas the former was basically a new lease on life. Hall emphasizes that just because you’re living underground doesn’t mean that you’re giving up on your above-ground routine: Each multi-unit silo would be set up like an actual condo, so it would have a board that could decide on how to run things. “In the first silo, we lucked out: We had two doctors and a dentist that were owners,” says Hall. There were also nurses, EMTs, a former Chief of Police— hell, it sounded like a veritable Saratoga down there. (The first silo is completely sold out, by the way.) If someone ever decides to nuke the US—or even just Upstate New York, for that matter—I’ll likely be atomized along with everybody else who can’t afford entry into a nuclear-blast-resistant bunker. But if you have the disposable income—and are willing to live out the rest of your days like a mole— I’d strongly suggest preordering a copy of The Catcher Was A Spy: The Mysterious Life Of Moe Berg by Nicholas Dawidoff. You’ll have a heck of a lot more time than the rest of us to finish it.

SURVIVAL CONDO PROJECT

Francisco, a builder and architectural designer who previously owned a missile silo with luxury upgrades in Upstate New York and is now working on a second in New Mexico. “Generally, the Upstate New York projects are filled with water,” says Francisco. “It’s kind of like having a wet basement.” Dominic concurs, not on the renovation price tag but on the basement comparison. “In the early ’60s, when the Air Force shut all these missile silos down, they also shut power off to the sump pumps,” he says. To that end, the only silo in Upstate New York without major leakage problems is the Lewis site. (The Au Sable Forks listing comes as is—with the main silo three-quarters filled with grimy water.) Francisco also notes that if your New York silo were located within the boundaries of the Adirondack Park—a 9,375-square-mile tract of land—you would then have to deal with the policies and regulations of the state agency that oversees it (Francisco likens it to a “zoning commission”). Then there’s the Internal Revenue Service. Francisco says he paid $20,000 a year in taxes on his watery silo. Of course, if you’re like me and enjoy the company of others, living in a giant subterranean tube sounds like a recipe for The Shining. For those who might want to host the occasional underground gala or cocktail hour, that’s where engineer and software developer housing boom Larry Hall comes into play. (clockwise from top left) A New Yorker by birth—he’s One of Survival Condo’s originally from Corning and luxury silos has an indoor grew up in Elmira—Hall is the swimming pool; an eat-in kitchen; a rock climbing founder of Survival Condo, wall; and a hydroponic a pair of decommissioned food source. Atlas “F” missile silos located in undisclosed locations in

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The

Design Issue

WHAT’S NEXT:

MUST-HAVES FOR YOUR HOME

BY BEVERLY TRACY ⁄

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The Benjamin Moore booth at the Architectural Digest Design Show, designed by Bonnie Steves and highlighting the Benjamin Moore color of the year, Caliente AF-290; (opposite) Borough Furnace’s 10.5-inch frying skillet, hand-casted in Owego, NY.

(Benjamin Moore booth) ALAN BARRY PHOTOGRAPHY

What happened when saratoga living sent its interior design expert to the Architectural Digest Design Show in NYC? A lot. Here’s what’s cooking.

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ven before my alarm sounded, I was awoken by the chirping of early-spring birds outside my window. I had the lunch boxes to fill and the pup to feed before I could head out to New York City—a glamorous life, I know. It wasn’t until I was out of the shower and had put on my black Guccis that I started feeling less like a mom and more like a designer, one lucky enough to be invited to the Architectural Digest Design Show at Piers 92 and 94 in Manhattan. I love living in Saratoga Springs so much, and I’m always looking forward to returning home. ’Toga’s been a great place to raise my two sons, and it’s so full of things to do and much less filled with the worries parents have about their children in a big city. And now that my boys are both in high school and can drive (yay!), leaving for the city has become exponentially easier for me, especially with their constant encouragement (hmm, maybe I should look into a new Nest security camera for the house?). A quick stop at the corner of Washington and Broadway for my grande decaf almond milk latte, and the city lay just three hours away. I knew it was going to be a great day when I walked into the AD show, skipping the line out front. There’s something about wearing black, a fast NYC stride and a nod to the guard that’s always allowed me to get into design shows without waiting around; I’ve been a pro at this since high school. Once inside, I mingled with famous designers such as Laura Kirar and chatted with old friends and wealthy women looking for the latest

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The

Design Issue

SYMBOL MODERN RECORD CONSOLE

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Bravo, Cuba!

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Arts Center (SPAC) June 6-8 in the most complete staging to be seen anywhere—go back a bit. To me, it’s personal. I was born in Havana, where my mother was a dancer with Ballet de Pro-Arte Musical, the precursor of today’s Ballet Nacional de Cuba. Giselle, with Alicia Alonso and Igor Youskevitch, was the first ballet I ever saw, when I was six years old. Far from home and a bit of a lifetime later, I first interviewed Alonso for The Washington Post while I was still a philosophy graduate student at Georgetown University in 1980, and I’ve followed the Cuban ballet adventure critically, passionately ever since. A few years ago, I aimed to bring

CARLOS QUEZADA

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B Y O C TAV I O R O C A

on pointe Ballet

n dance, as in life, we fall in love all of a sudden and then, if we’re lucky, we can spend a lifetime working out the details. Ballet, much like deep, enduring love, is nourished by memory at least as much as by its living and breathing everyday celebration. The first time we see Giselle, The Nutcracker or Esplanade is the occasion of the creation of timeless memories that, for each of us, inform the depth and meaning of subsequent experiences of these ballets. I should confess here that my own memories of Giselle—which the Ballet Nacional de Cuba is performing at the Saratoga Performing

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Alicia Alonso’s masterpiece, Giselle, for Ballet Nacional de Cuba, is set to thrill at SPAC. Are you ready, Saratoga?

together memories, history and criticism in my book Cuban Ballet. In the meantime, as always, memory brought its own surprises. I’m fortunate that my own dance memories are many, and I also know that, at its most sublime, ballet can say things that cannot be said any other way. Ballet certainly is a universal language. With Giselle in particular, that language for me has a strong Cuban accent. I’m not alone, mind you. There’s something about Alonso’s Cuban dancers. “When you see a Cuban dancer,” says Mikhail Baryshnikov, “he moves like nobody else, but in such a simple, noble manner.” The version Alonso first danced in New York

Nacional de Cuba will perform Alicia Alonso’s magical Giselle at SPAC for the first time in June as part of its historic four-stop US tour.

City in 1943 and in Havana two years later—and the version I saw as a child in the 1950s—became something else: Alonso expanded and choreographed it anew for her Ballet Nacional de Cuba and for the Paris Opera Ballet in 1972, then for the Vienna State Opera and other major theaters. Giselle became the calling card for the historic US debut of the Ballet Nacional de Cuba at The Kennedy Center in Washington, DC, in 1978— a run that I will simply never forget. That Alonso staging

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and dancer’s self-image, and in which the visual presentation of the dancer’s own body is at the heart of artistic creation, here was a woman who was told at the outset of her career that she would soon be blind and would never dance again. Alicia Alonso first suffered a detached retina in 1943, before her glorious prime. As she lay blindfolded recovering in Havana from the third of a lifelong series of eye surgeries—with her head couched between sandbags to prevent her retinas from detaching again—she ran through the whole of Giselle in her imagination, moving her fingers in her lap to rehearse steps as well as feelings in the dark. “I kept dancing in my mind,” Alonso recalls. She resolved to make real what her imagination dictated, to refuse to accept the limiting conditions of her existence. In doing so, she imagined what would become today’s Giselle staging—not only for the title role, but with the whole ballet living up to its choreographic potential. As the great French dancer, choreographer and opera director Maurice Béjart put it, “Alicia was born so Giselle would live.” Philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre is right in his assertion that freedom is what you do with what has been done to you—that consciousness and choice are one and the same thing. Alonso was and is free, material conditions be damned, and blind or not, she became one of the greatest forces in the history of ballet. In 2018, her age is nearing the century mark, and when she says, “I plan to live to be 200,” one is tempted to believe her. The story of Giselle is simple: A peasant girl falls for a boy who’s really a nobleman in disguise; when his elegant fiancée turns up, Albrecht abandons Giselle with the ease of a cad who’s already had his way with her. Giselle descends into madness and dies. We know she was sickly anyway, but she may’ve killed herself or perhaps just died of a broken heart. Whatever the reason—and each ballerina has the freedom to choose one within the choreography—Giselle’s love for Albrecht transcends the grave. In Act II, when vengeful female spirits roam the night to punish men who betrayed their lovers, there are miracles afoot, and Giselle’s ghost dances with Albrecht until he is safely back in the sunshine

alicia in wonderland

Alicia Alonso in the iconic lead role of Ballet Nacional de Cuba’s staging of Giselle.

(Ballerinas on stage) CARLOS QUEZADA; (Alonso) TITO ÁLVAREZ

note-complete, idiomatic and frankly, gorgeous—is what’s coming to Saratoga. It’s a revelation, a sacrament of beauty each time the curtain rises. Giselle has stood the test of time and mirrors the best in all of us in ways that transcend the centuries. It’s about love and loss, about forgiveness, about hope. It’s a masterpiece that speaks to us today at least as frankly and surely and sweetly as it did to its first audiences in 1841. Alicia Alonso’s Ballet Nacional de Cuba boasts an extensive repertoire, but it’s this romantic ballet in particular that the Cuban dancers claim as their own. Alonso’s Giselle is one of the most thrilling living, cultural spectacles of our time. Giselle had its world premiere at the Paris Opera on June 28, 1841, with Carlotta Grisi in the title role, Lucien Petipa as Albrecht and Jean Coralli as Hilarion. It didn’t take long for the ballet to reach Havana, where it premiered at the Teatro Tacón on February 14, 1849, with Henrietta Javelly-Wells as Cuba’s first Giselle. The ballet entered the repertoire of the Teatro Nacional, now the Sala García Lorca of the Gran Teatro de La Habana, on February 8, 1917, with Anna Pavlova and Alexandre Volinine as Giselle and Albrecht. In 1920, three years after Pavlova’s first Havana Giselle, Alicia Alonso was born. That a French masterpiece based on a German poem, once best known through Russian interpretations, would be spectacularly recreated and defined by a Cuban ballerina is one of history’s loveliest surprises. The first decades of the 20th century saw interpretations of Giselle, including Pavlova’s and even Olga Spessivtseva’s, which began filtering the ballet’s romantic vision through a Janus vantage point of both classical and modern eyes. It was the tragic Spessivtseva’s interpretation with the Ballets Russes that the young Antony Tudor learned and later taught to Alonso in the early days of Ballet Theatre. From the start, Alonso was miraculously at home with the romantic impulse, and she would in time transform many of the work’s details for contemporary audiences. She did this against terrifying odds. Many artists, of course, have been driven by cruel limitations, but Alonso’s case is unique. In a field that depends so much on the mirror

of a new day. By then, of course, Albrecht has lost her forever. The choreography, too, is in many ways simple. Giselle was created in 1841, when seeing women up on their toes was still a novelty and the illusion of dancers “floating” was a recent bit of stage magic. There were later additions to Jules Perrot and Jean Coralli’s original choreography by Marius Petipa, but except for the Russian bravura of Giselle and Albrecht’s solos, these were kept to a minimum. The ballet we have now is very much a product of Paris in the Romantic Era, not least in terms of choreography. Nothing in Giselle is merely decorative: Every step and gesture has a theatrical purpose. “She can be a simple peasant, but she must be possessed of an elevated spirituality,” says Alonso. “My goal always has been to bring together the surreal and evanescent nature of the spirits that come alive onstage with the very real, earthly reality of human love.” Details matter as well. Dramatic atmosphere is everything. If the arabesque in all its forms makes up most of the choreography, it’s a revelation to witness how much feeling that one step can communicate. Many details in the Cuban version are modern and designed for today’s audience. In the pantomime, for instance, Giselle tells Bathilde she sews for a

living. In the original 1841 libretto, she mimed the action of weaving, which would be meaningless to a modern audience. This is a moment among many, a change in dramatic detail that Alonso devised while working with Tudor for what was to be her unexpected debut in the role in New York in 1943. Audiences know what sewing looks like, but few can envision weaving. It’s at once endearing and revelatory to find in the 21st century some smaller European companies such as Moscow’s Stanislavsky Ballet or St. Petersburg’s Maly Theatre Ballet maintaining in their repertory the “weaving” mime in Act I that virtually every other company by now has changed after Alonso’s example, from Havana to Paris, from San Francisco to New York and London. Nearly all other ballet companies have followed the Alonso staging in this and other details. “Real tradition; living, valid tradition must be open,” says Alonso. “It must be received from all around. One has to search out tradition, study it, acquire it and then feel free to live it.” Some changes in Giselle are accidental. The round dance for the villagers in Act I originally consisted of one long line, half facing one way, half the other. Alonso, with her severely damaged eyesight, could not negotiate the uninterrupted run from Giselle’s end of the line to Albrecht’s—and this with the help of subtle finger-snapping or whispering from the helpful corps. So, in the Alonso version, the line is broken into four spokes of a wheel, all facing forward, with an easier route for

united nations

That a French masterpiece based on a German poem, once best known through Russian interpretations, would be spectacularly recreated and defined by a Cuban ballerina is one of history’s loveliest, most synergistic surprises.

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this blind Giselle to follow in the dark. The change has worked so well on purely aesthetic and practical terms (a four-spoke wheel of dancers takes up a smaller stage area than one large line spanning a wider circle) that several productions from New York to London now also dance it this way— even without a blind ballerina. The resulting impact on the performance practice of Giselle is remarkable. It cannot be overstated how difficult it is to dance without sight—just trying to walk and turn with one’s eyes closed should suffice to demonstrate this. Paradoxically, to accept one’s lot is also to refuse. When Alicia Alonso had her dancer’s praxis stolen by blindness, she both accepted that brutal physical condition and refused to be determined by it. And the rest is history. Most of Alonso’s changes to the original 1843 version of Giselle are, of course, not accidental, but rather conscious aesthetic choices. Turning the interpolated Act I peasant pas de deux into a dance for ten villagers manages to preserve a beloved scene in the Giselle tradition going back to the original Paris production, while at the same time avoiding the dramatic awkwardness of introducing an extra principal couple without a story of their own. In short, it’s a lovely way to introduce young stars.

LUIS PALOMARES

celebrated dance critic, Octavio Roca, and Ballet Nacional de Cuba’s legend, Alicia Alonso.

This scene, as traditionally danced, never fails to stop the dramatic action; Alonso’s solution solves that problem. Earlier in Act I, when the entire corps of villagers turns and stares over their shoulders at Hilarion, who’s unmistakably identified as being outside of the community identity embodied in the ensemble, the clarity of dramatic detail also subtly appropriates and elevates what’s elsewhere a dispensable connective musical passage. These and other musical matters, incidentally, could by no means be taken for granted before Alonso restored the Giselle score to its full splendor in 1972, when her productions both for the Paris Opera and the Ballet Nacional de Cuba boasted the first note-complete versions of Adolphe Adam’s score since the original 1843 version. Alonso’s Giselle, over all those years and above all her other achievements, has been a profession of faith. Capturing an era and transcending it in triumph have made Giselle rank among the top theatrical works in history, including Shakespeare’s Hamlet and Corneille’s Le Cid, Wagner’s Parsifal and Ibsen’s Peer Gynt. Ballet has no richer masterpiece than this miraculously simple, endlessly fascinating dance about a love that overpowers death. Hegel famously observed that the owl of Minerva takes wing at dusk: Wisdom and deepest understanding arrive at the close of an epoch, at the birth of a new day. That’s true of Giselle, at once the apotheosis of romantic ballet and the glittering model for all classical ballets to come. It’s true also of Alonso’s staging. Alicia Alonso truly was born so that Giselle would live. Her unique Giselle for the Ballet Nacional de Cuba remains a dialectical synthesis of boundless romantic passion and elegant classical rigor, of impeccably schooled respect for our cultural past and indomitable faith in our future. In the truest existential sense, she is what she does, and what she does above all else is this. Alicia Alonso is Giselle, in history, living onstage, forever in my memory.

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BELIEVING IN

MAGIC

‘

’

Get to know all about horse racing’s upstart Edwards family, their Saratoga roots and meteoric rise.

STO RY A N D P H OTO G R A P H Y BY M I K E K A N E

few summers ago, just when e Five Racing Thoroughbreds’ horses first started appearing at Saratoga Race Course, few people in the horse racing industry knew anything about the stable and its fluorescent green-and-purple silks—including me. I remember grabbing trainer Rudy Rodriguez and asking, “Who is…what is e Five?” Rodriguez, an affable, chatty guy, conceded that he didn’t know much about his new client’s background either. It didn’t take long, though, for the e Five gang—that is, Bob and Kris Edwards and their children Cassidy, Riley and Delaney—to exit the land of the unknowns. Not quite three years later, the Edwards’ stable has made a big splash in the Sport of Kings, sending their first three Breeders’ Cup starters to the Winner’s Circle—a recordbreaking feat. And their Breeders’ Cup Juvenile winner, Good Magic—purchased for $1 million and co-owned by Stonestreet Stables—was crowned the two-year-old male champion in 2017. Good Magic’s now under the watchful eye of superstar trainer (and Mechanicville native) Chad Brown, and should be a top contender at the Kentucky Derby (read more about his chances on saratogaliving.com). The Edwards’ good fortune began quite innocently, when Kris, a native Saratogian, traveled here, family in tow, for a cousin’s wedding in August 2015. She remembers giving Bob specific instructions when he took their daughter, Cassidy, to visit his business partner’s stables at Saratoga Race Course: “Don’t you dare buy a horse.”

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family business Bob and Kris Edwards own e Five Racing Thoroughbreds, an international stable of 70 horses; (opposite) one of e Five’s most prized Thoroughbreds, Good Magic, who’s trained by Chad Brown of Mechanicville.

WE DELIVER

Of course, Bob didn’t listen to magical run e Five’s her, and that weekend, with the Good Magic won last help of veteran bloodstock agent year’s Breeders’ Cup Mike Ryan, he purchased his Juvenile, setting up a run at the first yearling filly for $255,000. Kentucky Derby. “I know exactly how Bob’s mind works,” says Kris. “I knew that once he bought one horse, he was going to do it…” she says, trailing off, not adding “again” to complete the sentence. She then remembers driving around town with her father, looking for a property along Fifth Avenue—a stretch of Saratoga real estate that abuts the Oklahoma training track and is just a stone’s throw away from Saratoga Race Course (see page 118). She already knew that Bob wasn’t going to be content playing around on the fringes of horse racing, so he’d need a Saratoga home, too. “When he’s in, he’s all in,” she says. Since the Edwards know and understand what starting from the bottom and hitting the pinch-yourself strata looks and feels like—Bob cofounded Boca Pharmacal in his mid 20s and sold it for $225 million in 2014—they appreciate their breathtaking ascent to prominence in racing. To be sure, they’re fully aware that some of what they’ve done is unprecedented. Yes, the Boca Raton, FL, residents, who grew up in Upstate New York and met as undergrads at SUNY Plattsburgh on their shared birthday nearly 30 years ago, are loving the ride. From the quick and mighty deep dive into racing, e Five has grown, as Kris predicted, into an international stable of 70 horses. Just like that. To put that into perspective, I’ve been in racing partnerships with no more than a couple of horses at a time. But 70, all acquired by one family new to the game, in less than two-and-a-half years? That’s nothing short of mind-blowing. A stable of horses and a summer home on Fifth Avenue were not high on Kris Hoenig’s list of priorities when she graduated from Saratoga Springs High School in 1985. The

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Hoenig family—her parents Larry and Kathy still live in town—did spend some afternoons at the track, but purely for fun get-togethers. Kris’ connection to the track came during the summer before college, working for the Pinkerton security company. Kris ended up going to Plattsburgh to study business, and says that when she met the fun-loving Bob, who’d grown up in Highland Mills, NY (about two hours south of Saratoga), it was love at first sight: “I say that when I first saw him, I was like, ‘That’s it,’” she says. “He was a tall, scrawny young man, but very cute. He was into The Grateful Dead and followed them around everywhere. From my perspective, coming from Saratoga, I saw him as being a little bit of a bad boy, a little bit different. I didn’t know any Deadheads in Saratoga.” Once they started dating, it became clear to Kris that Bob wasn’t all that interested in college. “He didn’t go to class all the time. He went up and down,” says Kris. But she tells me that Bob was on a different plane of thought than the average Plattsburgh student: “It seemed like he knew more than the professors did.” Kris would wind up graduating a year before Bob, heading back to the Capital Region and getting a job. “She was definitely more focused than I was,” says Bob. “Her work ethic was a lot stronger than mine at that age.” Kris also ended up giving Bob an ultimatum: “She told me, ‘Look, you’re on the clock,’” says Bob. He’d end up leaving school without completing his degree—he’d finish it later in Florida—and going on to fulfill his obligation to the Army Reserves, which had been helping him with his college expenses. He left for a few months of training and when he returned, a dramatic change had come over him, says Kris: “He was motivated; they took someone who was somewhat of a wiseass punk and turned him into a man.” Bob concurs. “Granted, coming out of Plattsburgh, I probably wasn’t the most mature of individuals, but I went straight into the Army, and they rebooted me,” he says. Then things sped up exponentially: The couple got engaged, married and a year-and-a-half afterward, had their first child, Cassidy. Having a child “made him even more focused,” says Kris. “He went full speed ahead.” While the allure of college might’ve eluded Bob early on, he made up for it in kind in the world of entrepreneurship. Bob started in the pharmaceutical business as a phone rep in Newburgh, NY. He rose quickly in the company and was promoted to a management position in Florida. A couple of years later, confident that he understood the industry, he launched his first small pharma company. He’d eventually strike gold with Boca Pharmacal, which sold for hundreds of millions of dollars and made luxuries like owning 70 horses a reality. “That’s the key,” says Bob. “I’m a good coach, a good general manager,” joking that he wouldn’t compare himself to New England Patriots Head Coach Bill Belichick because he’s a Miami Dolphins fan. “You have to get the right pieces in play for the team. My wife and I are a team. I attribute a lot of my success

to her putting a boot in my ass and redirecting me.” It didn’t hurt that she supported him every step of the way, too, when he struck out on his own. “She believed in me, and it ended up working out,” he says. “Whenever I had some self-doubt on some level, she’d tell me to get my act together—you’re doing the right things, just keep moving forward. We make a great team.” Kris sees a direct parallel between her husband’s success in the pharma world and e Five’s in horse racing. “I believe a little bit of magic is involved, for sure, but it’s a lot of hard work and being surrounded by a lot of great people that is the recipe for success,” she says. “I know that e Five has achieved it very early on in the racing industry, but I don’t know if there are as many people who’ve put in the time that Bob has, even if they’ve been in the industry for years and years and years.” Kris describes him as the consummate student of the sport. “Bob puts in his own homework,” she says. “He’s actually bringing ideas to the best people in the business, because he’s doing his research. He’s spending days and nights—family time—researching and trying to learn the entire industry in just a couple of years. He’s done remarkably well, obviously.” And if there were a clear winner between pharma and horse racing for Bob, it’d be the latter, says Kris. “He tells me, ‘Pharma is where I make my money, but it’s not a passion of mine. It’s not what I really want to do.’” By the time Bob dove into horse racing, he’d come out of a short retirement following the sale of Boca Pharmacal to start a new company, e5 Pharma, which makes generic drugs for humans and animals. Racing has been a good find, Kris tells me. And it’s brought the tight-knit Edwards clan even closer together. “It’s taken our family on a whirlwind trip, and I don’t see it ending anytime soon,” she says. “I don’t see Bob ever getting out of the business, actually.” And now, after I’ve gotten to know who this impressive family is—and better yet, what they’re capable of accomplishing in horse racing and bringing to Saratoga’s signature sport— I’m genuinely glad to hear that.

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he sport of horse racing traces its lineage back to the 17th century, and buried deep within its history are countless untold stories. I’ve researched and written many of them since my early days at The Record in Troy and up through my tenure at The Saratogian, where I was Sports Editor and edited the “Pink Sheet.” Eventually, my path led me to the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame, where I’ve been since 2010. It’s unfortunate that the story of trainer Mary Hirsch isn’t better known. Talk to any devoted racing fan, especially here in Saratoga Springs, and he or she will regale you on the achievements of legendary trainers such as “Sunny Jim” Fitzsimmons, Allen Jerkens, Woody Stephens and D. Wayne Lukas—all men. Few could tell you much of anything about Hirsch. As the first female trainer to be awarded a license by the Jockey Club and the only woman to train a winner of Saratoga’s most prestigious race, the Travers Stakes, in its 148 runnings, Hirsch deserves more than just a brief footnote in the sport’s storied history. Although her time in the limelight was brief, she was as impactful as many of her male contemporaries.

The little told story of the only woman to train a Travers winner. You should know the tale, too. BY BRIEN BOUYEA

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Trailblazer THE NATIONAL MUSEUM OF RACING AND HALL OF FAME

Mary Hirsch,

a track record that stood for 42 years. In one of the most improbable upsets of the century, Jim Dandy dashed through the mud to defeat Triple Crown-winner Gallant Fox at odds of 100-to-1 in 1930. And more recently, the Travers featured a rare dead heat in 2012; a stunning victory by Keen Ice over American Pharoah in 2015; and a record-setting romp from Arrogate the following year. However, the 1938 Travers was in a league of its own. Eighty years ago, the race was the stage for a trailblazing young trainer named Mary Hirsch, who entered a miracle horse named Thanksgiving. Hirsch was the daughter of legendary trainer Max Hirsch, who by ’38, had already won each race in the Triple Crown series. He went on to sweep the Triple Crown in 1946 with Assault, and finished his extraordinary career with four wins in the Belmont, three in the Kentucky Derby and two in the Preakness en route to the Hall of Fame. As a child, Mary rode jumpers, and her family lived in a cottage on the grounds of Belmont Park for a time. As Time magazine reported in 1935, the young Hirsch “made a habit of keeping trainers’ hours. She got up at dawn to watch the workouts, helped her father’s stablemen feed the horses [and] grew to know as much about such matters as Max Hirsch himself.” And as per The New York Times, her father even trusted his daughter’s judgment enough to “consult with her” on equine matters. Mary had winning ways in her DNA. In 1933, after several years in apprenticeship to her father, Hirsch formally applied for a license to train racehorses. To say that the application caused a stir in racing circles would be an understatement. “A 20-year-old girl has thrown a bombshell into that exclusive company of 50 gentlemen, most of whom are well past the half-century mark and who guide the destinies of the Jockey Club,” reported the Times. The Club tabled the application, but the following year, Hirsch was granted a license to train in Illinois and Michigan—and by ’35, it was extended to cover essentially all jurisdictions in America and Europe. Upon being granted

The running of the Travers dates back to August 2, 1864, the day Saratoga Race Course officially opened for the first time. That day, a mighty colt named Kentucky made the first of his historic appearances at Saratoga, winning the inaugural race for an ownership group that included the race’s namesake, William R. Travers, President of the queen mary Saratoga Racing Association. The (opposite) George Travers, which will be contested for Bull presents Mary the 149th time on August 25, has Hirsch with the 1936 featured numerous memorable Diana Stakes trophy at Saratoga. races. The immortal Man o’ War won in dazzling fashion in 1920, setting

the groundbreaking license, Hirsch, somewhat prophetically, told Time: “I have a few horses which can run fast. If they escape illness and injury, I think they can win in New York this spring.” In her first year as a trainer, Hirsch won ten races with earnings of $10,365 (nearly $200,000 in 2018 dollars). By 1936, she’d raised those totals to 17 wins and $18,575, and that summer at Saratoga, Hirsch became the first woman to train a winner there, saddling a gelding named No Sir to victory in the Diana Stakes. Then, in May 1937, Hirsch became the first woman to train a horse in the Kentucky Derby when she entered No Sir in the “Run for the Roses” (he finished 13th in the 20-horse field).

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Women In Racing BY BRIEN BOUYEA

Max Hirsch, meanwhile, was training a two-year-old colt owned by Anne Corning, wife of New York Congressman Parker Corning. The bay colt was named Thanksgiving, and in July 1937, he was among Max Hirsch’s horses that were stabled at Saratoga and weathered a powerful lightning storm. Several of Hirsch’s horses were struck or impacted by lightning during the freakish storm including Thanksgiving, who was found on the ground, unconscious. Miraculously, Thanksgiving lived to see another day and recovered, and Anne Corning began to develop a friendship with Mary Hirsch, asking her if she would train Thanksgiving during his three-year-old season the following year. For the ’38 Travers, Thanksgiving had the services of jockey Eddie Arcaro. The 22-year-old Arcaro had just won the first of his four leading rider titles at Saratoga in 1937, and earned the first of his record 17 wins in the Triple Crown series in 1938, when he won the Kentucky Derby aboard Lawrin. Arcaro didn’t waste any time with Thanksgiving at the Travers; the horse “made all the others look common, leading all the way and winning fairly in a canter by four lengths,” according to John Hervey in American Race Horses, 1938. The winning time of 2:03 ³/5 was the fastest since Man o’ War. For the win, Thanksgiving earned $14,400 of the $20,000 purse, and Hirsch took home $1,000 as the conditioner. She was 25 years old and the first woman trainer to win the Travers, accomplishing the feat with a horse that was lucky to be alive. But the ’38 Travers received only the typical coverage. There was no mention of Thanksgiving’s remarkable path to the race, and many newspaper accounts erroneously listed Max, not Mary Hirsch, as the trainer. Eight decades after Thanksgiving’s victory at the Travers, I hope this story helps to set the record straight. thanksgiving beast Jockey Eddie Arcaro sits atop Thanksgiving during the 1938 Travers Stakes.

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(THANKSGIVING) THE KEENELAND LIBRARY; (MARY HIRSCH, DIANE CRUMP) NATIONAL MUSEUM OF RACING AND HALL OF FAME; (JULIE KRONE) MARYLAND JOCKEY CLUB/NATIONAL MUSEUM OF RACING AND HALL OF FAME; (JANET ELLIOT) NATIONAL STEEPLECHASE ASSOCIATION/NATIONAL MUSEUM OF RACING AND HALL OF FAME; (LINDA RICE, JACQUELINE DAVIS, ROSIE NAPRAVNIK, ELIZABETH VOSS) BRIEN BOUYEA

famous firsts

1934

Mary Hirsch

Hirsch was the first woman to receive a trainer’s license from the Jockey Club in 1934, as well as the only woman ever to train a winner of the Travers Stakes at Saratoga. Hirsch was also the first woman to saddle a starter in the Kentucky Derby (No Sir, in 1937).

racing’s notable names

1996

Jenine Sahadi

Sahadi was the first woman to train a Breeders’ Cup winner when she sent out Lit de Justice to win the Sprint in 1996 at Woodbine in Canada.

Linda Rice*

Since 1987, Rice has trained the winners of 1,676 races with purse earnings of $64.6 million, the highest total in North American history for a woman. She has won training titles at all three New York Racing Association (NYRA) tracks, including the 2009 title at Saratoga. She’s the only woman ever to win a meet training title on the NYRA circuit.

2013

Kathy Ritvo

1969

Diane Crump

Crump became the first woman licensed to ride in a pari-mutuel race in the US when she was aboard Bridle ’n Bit at Hialeah Park in Florida on February 9, 1969. She was also the first woman to ride in the Kentucky Derby, and won 228 races in her career.

Ritvo was the first woman to train a Breeders’ Cup Classic winner in 2013, when Mucho Macho Man won at Santa Anita. Incredibly, Ritvo had brought the same horse to the BC Classic the previous year, but he’d finished second. The win in 2013 made her just the fifth female trainer to have ever won any Breeders’ Cup race.

Chantal Sutherland Since beginning her career as a jockey in 2000, Sutherland has won more than 1,000 races and compiled purse earnings of $50.8 million. In 2011 and 2012, she became the first woman rider to win the Santa Anita Handicap and Hollywood Gold Cup, respectively.

Rosie Napravnik

Jacqueline and Katie Davis

Daughters of former standout jockey Robbie Davis, Jacqueline (top) and Katie both compete on the East Coast, including the New York circuit. Jacqueline began her career in 2008 and has won 549 races, with purse earnings of $11.6 million. She won a career-high 94 races in 2011 and earned a career-best $1.87 million in 2014. Katie began her career in 2014. She enjoyed a breakout year in 2017, winning 73 races and earning $2.1 million.

*saratoga’s finest 2017

TRAINER LINDA RICE FINISHED THIRD IN WINS WITH 16, TRAILING ONLY TODD PLETCHER (39) AND CHAD BROWN (38). TRAINER ELIZABETH VOSS WON TWO STEEPLECHASE EVENTS DURING THE 2017 SARATOGA MEET. AT SARATOGA LAST SUMMER, TRAINER MICHELLE NEVIN FINISHED 12TH IN WINS, WITH 8.

Napravnik currently serves as an assistant trainer to her husband, Joe Sharp, but she is best known as one of the most accomplished female jockeys in history. Before announcing her retirement in 2014, Napravnik won 1,877 races and had purse earnings of $71.3 million over a 10-year career. She won two editions of the Kentucky Oaks (the only woman ever to win the race) and two Breeders’ Cup races: the Juvenile, in 2012, with Shanghai Bobby; and the Distaff, in 2014, with Untapable. Napravnik won 13 Grade 1 races in her career. She finished fifth in the 2013 Kentucky Derby and third in the Preakness that year, representing the highest finishes for a female jockey in those Triple Crown legs to date.

hall of famers

Elizabeth Voss*

An emerging trainer in the steeplechase division, Voss is the daughter of Hall of Fame trainer Tom Voss. Since 2014, she’s registered five Grade 1 victories, including Saratoga wins in the A. P. Smithwick Memorial (2014; 2016) and New York Turf Writers Cup (2015; 2016).

Michelle Nevin*

Born in Ireland, Nevin is the daughter of a jockey and the granddaughter of a trainer. Since beginning her training career in 2013, Nevin has won 247 races and $12.1 million in purses. She’s trained multiple graded stakes winners including Paulassilverlining and By the Moon.

Julie Krone

The all-time leader among female jockeys in wins (3,704) and earnings ($90.1 million), Krone became the first woman rider to win a Triple Crown race, when she won the ’93 Belmont Stakes. Krone became the first woman elected to the Hall of Fame in 2000.

Janet Elliot

Elliot ranks fourth all time among steeplechase trainers, with more than $9.3 million in earnings. She won the inaugural Breeders’ Cup Steeplechase in 1986, and took the event again in 2002. In 2009, she became the second woman inducted into the Hall of Fame.

the state of oklahoma Saratoga’s fabled training track is open for business. It’s about time.

Now, for a little sports: Technically, this year’s Saratoga

horse racing season begins on April 16, not July 20 (i.e., opening day at Saratoga Race Course). That’s when the first racehorses start appearing around the Oklahoma training track, located between Union and Fifth avenues just north of the main racetrack. The facility, which has both a dirt and turf track, first opened in 1904, and legend has it that it got its name from being as far away as Oklahoma. During my years covering racing, I’ve watched the Oklahoma season, which runs well past the official close of the Saratoga meet, grow in importance for the sport and the local economy. All true horse racing lovers in Saratoga know our favorite sporting season kicks off at the Oklahoma. As it has for 114 thrilling years. STO RY A N D P H OTO G R A P H Y BY M I K E K A N E

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saratoga

after dark

Calling All Mermaids

SPAC’S WINTER FUNDRAISER SENDS GUESTS ON A “JOURNEY UNDER THE SEA.” BY N ATA L I E M O O R E n P H OTO G R A P H Y BY C AT H L E E N D U F F Y

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n the evening of March 3, eight mermaids spilled out of an overflowing uberXL and floated into the Saratoga Hall Of Springs. OK, maybe we weren’t actual mermaids, but a girl can dream, can’t she? The night was certainly magical enough: The Saratoga Performing Arts Center’s Junior Committee really outdid themselves with this year’s “Journey Under The Sea” Winter Ball, the proceeds of which went to support SPAC’s classical and educational 2018 programming. We—the eight magnificent, well-dressed ladies— entered the party through a curtain of seaweed and emerged into the intimate sea-foam-green-andaquamarine-lit ballroom, where finely dressed guests were already grooving to get-up-and-dance songs such as “Footloose,” performed by local band Funk Evolution. We made our way to our blue-clothed and seashell-adorned table, and quickly moved on to the bar. There, I treated myself to the signature drink of the night: The Blue Lagoon, a neon-blue cocktail consisting of Pick Six Vodka, blue Curaçao and lemonade. Next: Food. Buffet tables

2 3

beckoned, laden with delicious dishes including “Sea-car Salad,” “Chicken of the Sea Sandwiches” and “Stuffed Shells” by Mazzone Hospitality. We filled our plates quickly “cleared them even faster and headed for the always popular photo booth, manned by Heather Bohm-Tallman Photography. This booth came complete with a seaweed backdrop and props that were highlighted by a blow-up dolphin, squid hats and sea queen crowns. But the night was made by the delicious cupcakes, brownie

1. Michael D’Agnese and Co-Chair Amanda Troutman; 2. Michele Riggi, tap legend Savion Glover, Chaney Glover, Laura DiRado, Teresa DiRado; 3. Cilicia and Dave Bigler; 4. Mike Koscielniak and Mesha Brewer; 5. Erin Drennan Brandenberger, Lauren Loschiavo, Greg Gosier

bites and cookie towers supplied by Decadence Baking Co. I ate my plate of cupcakes so quickly that I don’t even remember taking a single bite. Or was it because I had one too many Blue Lagoons? That wasn’t all the night had to offer. I missed out on the “Trail To Treasure” map, which sent guests on a quest to check in at various stations such as the “Coral Cove” virtual reality wall presented by GlobalFoundries, “Siren’s Sound” tarot card readings by Mary Shimp and the

social-media-centric “Shelfie Station.” If you checked in at all of them, you’d be automatically entered to win free SPAC tickets. There was also a raffle for more than 30 prizes, including gift certificates to local restaurants, a New York City harbor cruise and a SPAC Patron membership. Clearly, there was a lot going on. Standing in the middle of the dance floor, swaying to “Life Is A Highway,” surrounded by the event’s 500 attendees, I really felt like a small fish in a big pond—or in this case, a big sea.

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saratoga

Murder In Saratoga!

after dark

(Relax, It’s Just Theater) BY JEFFERY DINGLER PHOTOGRAPHY BY CATHLEEN DUFFY

here was more than just mystery at the Saratoga Arms last month—there was murder! The historic downtown hotel teamed up with Gateway House Of Peace for their annual fundraiser—and a little bit of Sherlockian fun. About 100 patrons crowded into the elegant Broadway building to partake in its first-ever “murder mystery.” Wine, beer and hors d’oeuvres were served, along with coffee and dessert—and best of all, the Arms opened

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its first two floors to some serious sleuthing. (Imagine being in a real-life version of the board game Clue.) To cap off the night, Mark Hersh and his troupe acted out scenes from the mystery in different rooms throughout the hotel. The person who eventually solved the mystery received the grand prize: An overnight stay at the hotel, breakfast at Sweet Mimi’s Cafe and Bakery and a gift card to Lifestyles of Saratoga. Who said crime doesn’t pay?

3 4

1. Bartender Mickie Scarlotta, played by Rob Sgarlata; 2. David and Kaitlin Nichols with Alexa and Alex Quinn; 3. The murder weapon? 4. Lilyana Goodman and Rebeca the Waitress played by Rebeca Rodriguez

WOW! THE CUBAN NATIONAL BALLET ARRIVES

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T H E C I T Y. T H E C ULT URE . THE LIFE.

GLEN COBEN THE ADELPHI WHISPERER BY TONY CASE

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FASHION ALERT DESIGNERS ON THE VERGE BY TODD KINGSTON PLUMMER

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SCENES FROM THE MEMORABLE R E - L A U N C H PA R T Y A T P U T N A M P L A C E . BY N ATA L I E M O O R E enjoy the night we’d worked so hard to arrive at—and it went off without a hitch, thanks to our presenting sponsor Otto Cadillac and co-sponsors Lily Saratoga, the Pavilion Grand Hotel, Mazzone Hospitality and Toga Heritage. Music from Hot Club of Saratoga and DJ

⁄ MARCH-APRIL 2018

Trumastr set the party mood and the signature cocktails, made with Tequila Avión, got the crowd moving. From the Putnam Place stage, saratoga living’s Executive Vice President and Publisher Becky Kendall welcomed the packed house, President,

CEO and Editor in Chief Richard Pérez-Feria walked the audience through the new-look magazine and flipped the switch on the brand-new website and Chair Tony Ianniello shared his excitement in re-igniting the hot media venture. The night was truly unforgettable—and thanks to Bigler Studio, the Smile Lounge Photo Booth, Cathleen Duffy and Red Cape Dream Productions, we have photos and video to remember it by. Check the rest out on saratogaliving.com.

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one voice The Auriel Camerata a cappella group performs in Glenville May 5.

Choir Power

BY GERALDINE FREEDMAN ing in spring with the soaring vocals of four of the Capital Region’s top choral groups. The 100-strong Octavo Singers, led by Artistic Director Curtis Funk, will perform works by

Rutter, Fauré and Poulenc with help from the Capital District Youth Chorale on April 21 at Proctors. For more, go to octavosingers. com. Auriel Camerata, an a cappella group of professional singers, will

present Brahms’ A German Requiem on May 5 at Glenville’s Church of the Immaculate Conception. For more, go to aurielcamerata. org. Albany Pro Musica presents Morten Lauridsen’s Lux Aeterna and Michael Haydn’s Requiem on May 6 at the Troy Savings Bank Music Hall. For more, go to albanypromusica.org. And the Mendelssohn Club of Albany, an all-male chorus under the direction of Jeffrey L. Vredenburg— who spent 33 years as the Music Department Head at Saratoga Springs City Schools—celebrates “The Joy of the Journey” in the chorus’ annual spring concert on May 18 at Albany’s

Chancellor’s Hall. For more, go to mendelssohn.org. Besides these vibrant vocalists, a number of sensational string groups will find their way to the area. Two world-class quartets are making their triumphant return to the area: The Ying Quartet will perform a program featuring works by Mendelssohn, Bartók and Dvořák on April 14 at Skidmore College’s Arthur Zankel Music Center (for more, go to skidmore.edu/zankel/); and the Brentano String Quartet, Yale University’s quartet-in-residence, will be performing pieces by Haydn, Beethoven and Shostakovich, along with a world premiere by Matthew Aucoin on April 22 at Union College’s Memorial Chapel (for more, go to unioncollegeconcerts.org).

(Auriel Camerata) KATIE DOBIES PHOTOGRAPHY; (Brad Mehldau Trio) MICHAEL WILSON

Up the back Dressing ⁄ Another hollow-bodied can’t miss? On April 20, the compelling, awardwinning Canadian/German virtuoso cellist Johannes Moser returns after a ten-year absence to play works by Prokofiev and Rachmaninoff, with pianist Andrei Korobeinikov, as part of the Troy Chromatics Concerts series. For more, go to troymusichall.org. In addition, two worldrenowned classical soloists will be performing on the same day at the same time—3 p.m. sharp!—in venues barely a stone’s throw apart: Legendary pianist Emanuel Ax will be at Union College’s Memorial Chapel (for more, go to unioncollegeconcerts.org); and Vincent Dubois, a titular organist at Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris, will be at Schenectady’s First United

fresh local delicious new

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boys in the band The Brad Mehldau Trio, an acclaimed jazz band, performs in Albany April 22.

Methodist Church (for more, go to fumcschenectady.org). The Grammy Award– winning Albany Symphony orchestra is staging a big spring series with concerts on April 28 at Proctors, May 19 at Albany’s Palace

Theatre and from May 29 to June 2, as part of the American Music Festival, at Troy’s Experimental Media and Performing Arts Center. The festival includes the orchestra’s new music ensemble Dogs of Desire (“John Williams meets Madonna at Graceland with the Kronos Quartet expanded,” per conductor David Alan Miller), a composer-reading orchestra session of new works by young composers and many other events in and around Troy. For more, go to albanysymphony.com. On the non-classical side of the curtain, The Egg in Albany hosts the amazing Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo, an all-male comic ensemble who dance en pointe in traditional ballet style, on April 20, and two days later, the multiple

Grammy-nominated pianist Brad Mehldau performs with his jazz trio. For more, go to theegg.org. For Broadway nuts, a new production of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s The King and I will be running from May 1-6 at Proctors (for more, go to proctors.org); while the Capital Repertory Theatre continues its rave production of Noël Coward’s Blithe Spirit, running until May 6 (for more, go to capitalrep. org). Also, the Schenectady Civic Players present David Ives’ The School for Lies, a freewheeling rewrite of Molière’s The Misanthrope on May 1-6 and May 9-13. For more, go to civicplayers.org. And catch the Ballet Nacional De Cuba, June 6-8, at SPAC. For more, go to page 104 or spac.org.

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Music Men BY KIRSTEN FERGUSON

fiddle me this Wil Battiste and Kev Marcus of Black Violin play April 13 in Troy, after their successful turn at SPAC on Stage last year. They return to SPAC later this summer.

aratoga Performing Arts Center’s President and CEO Elizabeth Sobol introduced the SPAC on Stage series last summer, bringing on-theverge artists to perform for a small audience seated directly on the stage. Classically trained hip-hop duo Black Violin was one of Sobol’s first picks, and the acclaimed group comes back to the Capital Region, playing at Troy Savings Bank Music Hall on April 13. Expect infectious energy, songs veering from classical to pop and deft interplay between Kev Marcus on electric violin and Wil Battiste on acoustic viola—all in a beautiful room renowned for its acoustics. For more, go to troymusichall.org. The biggest indie rock show of the season may just

be The Mountain Goats at Upstate Concert Hall in Clifton Park on April 21. The North Carolina band is a vehicle for prolific singersongwriter John Darnielle, who started out recording lo-fi style on a boom box but now leads a polished band on songs about everything from professional wrestlers to Texas deathmetal bands. For more, go to upstateconcerthall.com. It’s tribute band season at Saratoga’s Putnam Place, and on April 14, a lot of Grateful Dead fans will be channeling the spirit of the late Jerry Garcia when the club hosts The Wheel, a local Dead tribute band. For more, go to putnamplace.com. Steven Van Zandt (a.k.a. Little Steven) is an incredibly talented guy: He’s been a longtime sideman for Bruce

Springsteen in the E Street Band, an actor in The Sopranos and has hosted his own syndicated garagerock radio show. He’s also underrated as a record producer and songwriter: Last year, he released his first solo album in two decades. Catch his Little Steven and the Disciples of Soul at the Palace Theatre in a must-see show on May 4. For more, go to palacealbany.org. Sawyer Fredericks, who cut his teeth playing open mic sessions at Saratoga’s famed Caffè Lena, returns to the storied coffeehouse on May 25, 26 and 27 for three intimate gigs. Still only 19 years old, the quiet but powerful singer-songwriter from a Montgomery County farm became the youngest winner of NBC’s reality TV singing-contest show, The

wild salman Author Salman Rushdie comes to Albany April 19; (left) funny man Kevin Hart comes to SPAC May 25.

Voice, at age 16. For more, go to caffelena.org. In a rare early-season comedy show, Kevin Hart brings his Irresponsible Tour to SPAC on May 25. The self-deprecating funny man is on top of his game right now thanks to a bristling stand-up act and multiple

roles in film and television. For more, go to spac.org. At SPAC on June 9 is 12-time Grammy-winning rap artist Kendrick Lamar, who’s supporting DAMN., his 2017 Best Rap Album. And don’t miss the literary event of the season on April 19, when author

Salman Rushdie visits the University at Albany for a talk and Q&A. Rushdie’s last planned appearance at the university in 1988 was canceled after controversy over his novel The Satanic Verses led to threats of violence. For more, go to albany.edu/writers-inst/.

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F R O M F D R T O PA U L B O C U S E , T H E H U D S O N V A L L E Y, P O U G H K E E P S I E A N D H Y D E PA R K A R E H - O - T. n B Y M A R C O M E D R A N O

f course, I’m always in a hurry to get back to Saratoga Springs. I have some friends who used to make fun of me for not being able to get directly to a destination. In Los Angeles, I’d jump in the car and make a frantic, traffic-y beeline toward the hottest seenand-be-seen restaurant. But if I was on foot, I’d be in the

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habit of popping into almost every shop that interested me along the way—with my friends eye-rolling up a storm. Afterward, we’d communally agree that our purchases of a French bar of soap here, a quick quesadilla and lime-shaved margarita there—and a killing at a jeans boutique clearance sale and couture shoe shop in between—added up to a day to be savored. How

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much fun wandering free can actually be! Many of us know all about taking the Amtrak train from Manhattan up to Saratoga, but did you know that there’s an overthe-top luxe rail travel option? It has a selection of chartered, private Pullman railcars for luxury happy-hour patrons and true Great Gatsby-inspired romantics. These special

The Franklin D. Roosevelt Home and The Vanderbilt Mansion in Hyde Park. (No need to change your ticket— but we’d suggest hanging on to it.) So, let’s get off the train! You’ll quickly see why the Roosevelts were so fond of this area made popular by many wealthy industrialist families looking to summer someplace other than Newport or Martha’s Vineyard. Lush and overlooking the Hudson River, the National Historic Site offers in-depth tours of Franklin and Eleanor’s private residences and a look inside the FDR Presidential Library and Museum. Or you can simply stroll around the constantly manicured and equally famous gardens and grounds that double as a state park. You may prefer, however, to gaze at the panoramic view of the Roosevelts’ landscaped estate and reserve your OMG visuals hudson valley highs (clockwise from top) The Sky Top Tower at Mohonk Mountain House; making liquid nitrogen at the Culinary Institute of America; The Roosevelt Ride; (opposite) kayaking in front of Mohonk Mountain House.

(Roosevelt Ride) BILL URBAN

Calling All Weekend Warriors: Hudson Valley

trains are unforgettable and offered on a limited basis, and range from scenic and historic rides to outright opulent ones with decadent, five-star private services. Now, before we make our way back home to Saratoga, let’s take a road trip, shall we? If you’re heading up from New York City, veer off I-87 and cross the Mid-Hudson Bridge— which provides a stellar Hudson River view—to picturesque Poughkeepsie, where you’ll eventually pick up Highway 9N on your way up to Hyde Park, just several minutes away. (We’ll get to that in a minute.) Almost instantly, you’ll drive past the parking

entrance to Walkway Over the Hudson, the central nervous system of an outdoor entertainment octopus. One of New York’s crowning achievements— and a can’t-miss in Poughkeepsie—it’s among the longest converted walkway bridges ever built. The impressive structure has synergies with all the connected communities, each of which offers tours, food venues, bike trails and much more. For the more active among us, The Dutchess Rail Trail is a 13mile, smoothly paved biking trail from Hopewell Junction to Poughkeepsie that’s a destination in itself and one of the most beautiful and accessible stretches of land in the Hudson Valley. Training it? While Amtrak doesn’t stop directly in Hyde Park, Poughkeepsie is your closest and most convenient alternative. It’s just two minutes away, and also the last MTA Metro-North Hudson Line stop before changing train lines to Amtrak, should Saratoga Springs be your final destination. But the best part? The Roosevelt Ride, a free (!), seven-daya-week shuttle from the Poughkeepsie train station that graciously drops you at numerous spots including

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Road Trip

for the tour of the Gilded Age-era Vanderbilt Mansion, mere minutes away. If your tour is moving along faster than you’d prefer it to, the RooseveltVanderbilt Historical Association’s website has a version of their actual gift shop on it—a great place to purchase beautifully bound books and videos on America’s royalty, the Gilded Age and everything Hudson River Valley, old and new. I’d suggest

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checking out Fortune’s Children: The Fall of the House of Vanderbilt by Arthur T. Vanderbilt II. Should all of this culture and hedonism of decades past have you feeling too classy, rest assured that your palate can continue its bourgeois decadence without making your wallet vibrate. The Culinary Institute of America (CIA)’s premier learning center should be your next stop, for sure. I had the great

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24 hours on weekends. But we’re not done yet. (Ready for it?) We’re going to the drive-in movies! Yes, The Hyde Park Drive-in Theatre is where you can catch everything from an Oscar-nominated film to a classic thriller. And don’t forget to swing by Hyde Park Brewing Company, which could challenge even the foodiest of foodies who love pubs from NYC. If you need or want an additional stop on this jaunt, New Paltz’s Mohonk Mountain House is an absolute must-see. Built in 1869, this family-operated, self-contained destination spa and luxury lake resort could easily be mistaken for a Bavarian ruler’s palace, or, at the very least, an extraordinarily ornate hunting lodge. Luxe accommodations, fine dining and renowned spa aside, Mohonk’s brunch is considered one of the most wellpresented in the state, and you’re also granted a hall pass to jump into the lake or rent a watercraft by the hour (so bring your swim trunks). From there, you can plan your next, more lengthy stay. As always, I can hardly wait to arrive in Saratoga, but isn’t this a terrific way of getting there? Needless to say, it’s what I moved to Upstate New York for! And my naysayer friends have now developed a new approach to getting across town: By taking their time and keeping their options wide open. Now, that’s how you travel on a road trip.

Smashing!

M O R R I S S E Y ’ S AT T H E A D E L P H I H OT E L T H R O W S I T S H AT I N T H E R I N G W I T H W H AT I T B E L I E V E S TO B E T H E N E X T G R E AT S A R ATO G A C O C K TA I L . P H O T O G R A P H Y B Y D O R I F I T Z PA T R I C K (FDR home, Vanderbilt Mansion) BILL URBAN; (walkway) DAVID ROCCO

a bridge (not) too far (from top) Walkway Over the Hudson is one of the longest converted walkway bridges ever built; the Franklin D. Roosevelt home; the Gilded Age-era Vanderbilt Mansion; (inset) the Eveready Diner is a true slice of Americana.

fortune of dining with a friendly neighborhood billionaire heiress celebrity onsite at The Bocuse Restaurant. The entire tasting menu was so good we closed the place down. Or you can enjoy an equally sophisticated menu, while dining over an elegant herb and rose garden view, at the CIA’s Ristorante Caterina de’ Medici, or the adjacent Al Forno Trattoria, where you can feast on wood-oven pizza or more rustic cuisine in the confines of a seemingly authentic Tuscan villa. This institute is a true luxury (learning) experience for all. The CIA’s staff encourages questions and revels in going in-depth about the preparation of your food. Besides being highly skilled, the CIA’s staffers are also graded on everything from that week’s farm-to-table ingredients to how choice selections from their menu are organically or humanely raised. With a handful of chic studentrun and -managed restaurants, a separate dessert bistro, brew house, libraries and so much more, you’ll soon see how true Wall Street wolves and Gotham celebs do lunch (or dinner). Next, I’d recommend the cherry on the sundae—and a perfect end to a getaway—at the Eveready Diner, a true slice of Americana. Food? Delicious. Environment? Spotless. Ranging from traditional family-style dinners to burgers, malts and pies, the iconic diner is open until 1am nightly and

Paul “Bouch” Boucher BAR: Morrissey’s at The Adelphi Hotel COCKTAIL: Saratoga Smash

Saratoga Smash

I’m calling our Saratoga cocktail entry the “Saratoga Smash,” basing it on the classic Whiskey Smash. The “Smash” has been around for more than a century, and fits well in a drinking town with a horse problem. I decided to use an Irish whiskey aged in American rye barrels to honor our bar’s namesake, John Morrissey, who was Irish-American. I chose the blueberries, because in my mind, it shouts, “Summer!” from the rooftops. Apples are obvious; we live in New York State, one of the leading producers of nature’s OG fruit. Mix that all together, and you’ll instantly become a magician, making cocktails disappear in the blink of an eye.

2 oz. Prizefight Irish Whiskey 0.75 oz. green apple simple syrup 4-6 mint leaves 3 lemon wedges 6 blueberries

MIXOLOGIST:

INGREDIENTS:

INSTRUCTIONS:

Muddle lemon, blueberry and mint. Add whiskey and syrup and shake with two ice cubes. Strain over crushed ice and garnish with a caramelized apple slice.

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Cigarette Smokin’

YOU WON’T FIND CIGARETTE RACING’S 515 PROJECT ONE O N L A K E G E O R G E T H I S S U M M E R — B U T Y O U C A N S T I L L D R E A M A B O U T I T. BY S I M O N M U R R AY

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pursued my undergraduate degree at a private university in Upstate New York, in an idyllic stretch of mountains, valleys and woods. Like some of the student body, I came from the tri-state area, but quickly fell in love with Upstate New York’s propensity to envelop you in nature. With a dial, it seemed, you could turn up or down the volume of

the world around you: offroading Jeeps in dirt-stained hills, or paddling canoes across glass-like lakes in breathtaking silence. For every season, the land seemed to have an answer to the question: “What are we going to do today?” (And, just as importantly, offered temporary relief to a Jersey boy’s homesickness.) Adventure was scattered throughout the landscape—

like the gold rush, you just had to have enough ambition to search for it in yonder hills. But it wasn’t just us thrillseekers from out of town. There was a rich history of locals pursuing adventure here too. In 1914, the nowdefunct NYC Information Bureau placed ads in the leading magazines of the day—including Life, Travel and The Literary Digest—

dream boat At $2 million, Cigarette Racing’s 515 Project One boat was inspired by the Mercedes-AMG Project One hypercar; (inset) the Project One is powered by twin Mercury Racing engines, which give it a total of 3,100 horsepower.

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Water advertising the Delaware and Hudson trains (the high-speed trains of that era) that would transport city-goers to a bucolic Eden, a place shrouded in rolling hills and blanketed by expansive lakes. Or, as the advertisement put it, “the beautiful out-of-door theater” of Lake George. And in that theater— motorboat racing! A distant relative to the Offshore Poker Runs of today— where entrants, many in high-speed Cigarette boats, go from checkpoint to checkpoint collecting cards that will give them the best poker hand—the Gold Cup race on Lake George was a time trial to find out who had the fastest boat. Period. Today, you won’t find 20foot mahogany hydroplanes like the Whip-Po’-Will, Jr. and Hawkeye (the latter of

The Project One has been called the best Cigarette boat ever created, and with its large size—it can comfortably accommodate six—it seems to defy physics with its exemplary performance. which set an unofficial world record on Lake George in 1914) gunning the throttle across the “Queen of American Lakes.” For that, you’ll have to head to Miami to find a close 21st-century equivalent: the 515 Project One powerboat. When I stumbled upon Cigarette Racing’s 515 Project One on the docks at the 2018 Miami International Boat Show earlier this year, I immediately thought of those throttle-men more than a century ago, and how they would’ve smiled at what their boundary-

pushing speeds have wrought. As a Cigarette Racing boat, the 515 Project One is mind-numbingly fast—its top speed is 140 mph—and exclusive. On this day, no amount of begging or pleading would get you a sea trial, no matter how nicely you asked. On the docks, adjacent to the slip where the boat was resting stern-in, in a how-thehell-did-they-get-that-there type of head-scratching moment, I spied the Mercedes-AMG Project One, the Formula One-inspired hypercar (stay with me) that

inspired the powerboat. While the car is a concept that stretches MercedesAMG’s traditional design, the boat has been injected with the same Cigarette Racing DNA that the Cigarette faithful love, and other boaters love to hate. The thunderboats that take part in today’s H1 Unlimited hydroplane races may more closely resemble the Golden Age of motorboat racing on Lake George, but today’s Cigarette boats are more accessible, and don’t require a pit crew to maintain. The Project One has been called the best Cigarette boat ever created, and with its large size—it can comfortably accommodate six—it seems to defy physics with its exemplary performance. It’s more akin to the Prohibitionera rum runners, and the

offshore racing (and drug smuggling) go-fast boats popularized by Rico and Sonny chasing bad guys across the bay in Miami Vice. To do any of the above well—or add some adrenaline to your life—you need to be fast. And light. This superboat is powered by twin Mercury Racing 1550/1350 QC4v engines, which give it a total of 3,100 horsepower. Proportionally lighter than the preceding AMGCigarette-inspired boat, the Marauder, which has a weight of 13,200 pounds, the Project One is a footand-a-half longer, and more cigarette pack Cigarette boats aren’t known for being spacious, but the Project One doesn’t compromise comfort for speed.

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Water

What’s Your Flavor?

floats like a butterfly The Project One is 1,300 pounds lighter than its predecessor due to generous amounts of carbon fiber and Kevlar, a material used in bulletproof vests.

ROLLING OUT THIS SPRING AVAILABLE ALL SUMMER: Sea Salt Maple Ice Cream with a Blueberry Swirl

Cheesecake Flavored Ice Cream with Raspberry and Amaretto Swirls T Toasted Marshmallow Flavored Ice Cream with a Graham Cracker Swirl and Oreo Pieces

than a foot taller, and yet is 1,300 pounds lighter than its predecessor. That’s all thanks to generous amounts of carbon fiber and Kevlar used in the hull—lightweight, but strong, composite materials used in everything from bulletproof

jackets to tennis racquets and golf clubs. Today, the Lake George Park Commission has set the top speed limit for all watercraft operating on Lake George at 45 mph, so chances are you won’t find someone gunning the

throttle on this performance boat this summer. (That, and the fact that it’s a $2 million pleasure craft.) You’ll spot Sea Rays and Chris-Crafts, Formulas and Cobalts—but occasionally, you do find a Cigarette owner blasting across the water, many

times at the consternation of their fellow boaters. The beautiful, out-ofdoor theater attracts all walks of life, and should be protected. But I’m happy to admit: The first chance I get, you’ll find me on the open water, probably in an ocean somewhere, taking the Project One for a spin. I promise I’ll be back in time for boating season on Lake George. I love nature in both its forms: fast and noisy, and slow and silent. Who’s with me, people?

Coconut Flavored Ice Cream with a Coconut Swirl and Old Fashioned Fudge Pieces

Chocolate and Sea Salt Caramel Ice Cream with a Chocolate Caramel Swirl and Chocolate Covered Honeycomb Pieces Milk and Cereal Flavored Ice Cream with a Graham Cracker Swirl and Honey Flakes

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Excellence Aims Not Only to Satisfy, But Also to Delight

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the end

Built To Last BY N ATA L I E M O O R E Across: 1. Looped and tethered, like laces 5. PhDs 8. Prefix meaning “opposed to” 9. Drenched 10. Tallest building in the world 14. Attention-gaining noise 15. ____ pickle 16. Cloth 19. Japanese noodle variety 20. Michael of Juno and Arrested Development 22. A-list 23. Bravo’s LA Persians 25. Luxury Dodge vehicles 27. Point 29. ___ mode 30. Half of famous Brando movie line 33. Gives a trim 37. Bewitch 38. Boy Scout’s creation 41. The Musketeers, for one 42. Quarterback Manning 43. “___ Got The Power” 44. Possible Clue crime locale 45. Iconic Seattle tower 49. Sn on the periodic table 50. Lost clownfish 51. Theater backdrop 52. Astound

12 10

8 11

30 30

27 31

33 36

43 46

34 41 44

Down: 1. Indian mausoleum 2. Tattoo 3. Set of moral principles 4. Actress Keaton 5. BAC-related violation 6. Football official, abbr. 7. Don’t eat 10. Largest stringed instrument

11. Response to an accident 12. Country’s McEntire 13. Baby 47-Down 17. Breathable gas 18. Satellite-based nav. 21. Troubles 24. ___ Road 26. Ancient Roman temple 28. Frantic 30. Feminine pronoun 31. ___ Aviv

32. Is 34. Ortiz, Jr., of horse racing 35. Motrin or Advil 36. Foot bottom 39. Cooking appliances 40. A principle or belief 46. Dessert option 47. Picnic party crasher 48. Ostrich relative

THE CITY. THE CULTURE. THE LIFE.

everywhere anywhere ⁄

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THE HEART OF SARATOGA SPRINGS

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