Winter 2020 Issue

THE PLANET’S ON FIRE—ARE WE NEXT?

BY NATALIE MOORE

*{comic relief: check out our saratoga funnies!}

WINTER 2020

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

e v e i l e B l l i t S e W s e l c a r i M In

40th,

“The 1980 Games were an amazing experience, athletically, and was the proudest moment of my life.”

-Jim Craig

exclusives

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American spo EZ-FERIA

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BY WILL L

Happy Games!

Lake Placid “My expectations were to be standing on the podium after every race.”

-Eric Heiden

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BY RICHA

+“I Do!” 2020

OUR STUNNING 21-PAGE PICTORIAL P. 64 PHOTOGRAPHY BY DORI FITZPATRICK

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Welcome Home.

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SARATO G A’ S S P O RT S H Q

389 Broadway Saratoga Springs, NY

518-226-4437

inside

WINTER 2020

OLYMP I C SP OTLI GH T

39 WE STILL BELIEVE IN MIRACLES by

B RI E N B OUY E A

44 THE GAME THAT

CHANGED EVERYTHING: Chatting with Mike Eruzione and Jim Craig by

RI CH ARD P É RE Z-FE RI A

48 ERIC HEIDEN: AMERICA’S

GREATEST WINTER ATHLETE by

54

THE WAIT IS OVER: UPH OPENS ITS DOORS by

58

K A RE N B J ORNL A ND

SEAN COGAN: HOMEGROWN DAREDEVIL by

64

B RI E N B OUY E A

WI LL LE VI TH

“I Do!”

D ORI FI TZPATRI CK AUSTI N B AY LI SS

photography by styling by

SARATOGA & FIRE by

NATA LI E MOORE

92 HEAVEN IN STOWE by

64

MARCO ME D R ANO

DORI FITZPATRICK

85

inside WINTER 2020

From The Editor Publisher’s Letter First Up Digital

the front

106

98 CARTOONIST JOHN

McPHERSON ACTUALLY IS ‘CLOSE TO HOME’ by

K A R EN BJ O R N L A N D

100 FUNNY LOVE by

NATA LI E M OOR E F R A N C E S C O D ’A M I C O

photography by

106 SKIDMORE FUNNIES by

O L I VI A M E N D L IN G E R F R A N C E S C O D ’A M I C O

photography by

108 SPEEDING TOWARD SUCCESS by

112

JE F F D I NGL E R

THE KENTUCKY DERBY WINNER WILL BE... by

BR I EN B O U Y E A

23 23 23 24

It’s True We Think: Gore Mountain’s Ski Patrol Ranked: Forest Bathing The Numbers: Gore Mountain Power Player: Darryl Leggieri

26 27 28 28 29 30 31 32 32 33 34

Insta Replay: ’Gram Cam Saratoga, Inc.: The Buzz On Biz In The Clutch: Alessandra Bange-Hall Made In Saratoga: The Mother Of Climate Change Planet Saratoga: Awkwafina Jockey Club: Joel Rosario Buy This!: Broadway Bounty Chart Toppers Overheard Hot Date Ride Along: Saratoga Springs Police Department

30

the Back

116

114 Calendar 116 Drive, Fly, Float 120 Gorgeous 126 Decor 128 Hunger: Druthers 130 Hot Chef: Tatu Taco 132 Thirst: Mocktails 134 Drink: And The Winner Is...

136 saratoga living Social 141 Bae Watch: Ask Deb 143 Play: Crossword 143 The List

the END

144 Saratogian Of The Month: Susanne Simpson

144

(Comics) Francesco D’Amico; (Rosario) Brien Bouyea; (Simpson) KATIE DOBIES

16 18 20 21

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ON THE COVER

Moments after the US men’s hockey team defeated the USSR at the 1980 Lake Place Winter Olympic Games. ©Lake Placid Olympic Museum

EXECUTIVE EDITOR

EDITORS AT LARGE

Kathleen Gates Will Levith Natalie Moore Jeff Dingler Linda Gates Marco Medrano Brien Bouyea Beverly Tracy Bill Henning Simon Murray Hannah Kotler, Hannah Sacks Dori Fitzpatrick Morgan Fechter, Connor McCann Olivia Mendlinger, Simone Teague Katja Valz Greg Calejo, Susan Gates

WRITERS

Rosie Case, Jennifer “Deb” Cook, Mitchell Famulare, Kelsey Fredricks Zachary Gold, Rebecca Hardiman, Nicole Ianniello, Jacqueline Kuron Sandy MacDonald, Maria McBride Bucciferro, Sarah Midani, Lisa Mitzen Katie Navarra, Daniel Nester, Tom Pedulla, Mitch Rustad, Joe “Woody” Wood Kyle Adams, Noah Clark, David Cowles, Francesco D’Amico, Katie Dobies Eric Huss, Keiko Kimura, Billy Francis LeRoux, Anna Murray Konrad Odhiambo, Terri-Lynn Pellegri, Susie Raisher, Morgan Relyea Robert Risko, Alexis Rodríguez-Duarte, Myrna Suárez, TJ Tracy

⁄

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Volume 22, No.1 Winter 2020 Copyright © 2020 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.

14 saratoga living

⁄ WINTER 2020

with no wrinkles

CONTRIBUTING EDITORS

Jonah Bayliss, Karen Bjornland, Tony Case, Arthur Gerunda Kate Doyle Hooper, Octavio Roca, Kevin Sessums

ARTISTS / PHOTOGRAPHERS

saratoga living is published six times a year by Saratoga Living LLC.

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miracles from the editor

and teenage years. And talk about miracles! Sports were filled with countless miraculous plays, comebacks and outcomes. The Miami Dolphins’ “Perfect Season” in 1972 was a miracle, for it’s one of the very few professional sports records that has stood the test of time: Never before or since has a National Football League team ever gone the entire regular and postseason without losing a single game. When the Dolphins defeated the Washington Redskins in the Super Bowl to complete the historic feat, I realized then that I not only do believe in miracles, but I also need miracles to sustain me in my life. Sports, as it turned out, was and is a great place to go looking for the impossible becoming the possible.

picture perfect I’m flanked at the Pavilion Grand Hotel in Saratoga by the goodlooking crew we assembled for saratoga living’s epic wedding pictorial on page 64.

⁄

16 saratoga living

⁄ WINTER 2020

DORI FITZPATRICK

’ve always had a curious relationship with the concept of miracles. Even as a very young person, I distinctly remember being intrigued by the phrase “miracle of birth” I overheard my mother say to my aunt about a neighbor’s newborn. Miracle of birth? What could that mean? When I was a little older, I’d sit with my parents and siblings in church Sunday mornings listening to the priest regale the large congregation with story after fantastical story involving miracles of some kind. It was then that I realized, much to the initial horror of my mother, that my credulity meter hit its breaking point. From then on, my Sundays were forever free.

My undeniable love for sports—and its heroes—truly defined my formative

Let’s talk about that miracle comeback in the 2004 American League Championship Series when the Boston Red Sox, down to their last out and all but out of contention after losing the first three games in the best of seven series to their dreaded rivals, the New York Yankees, somehow, mind-blowingly waged the greatest comeback in baseball postseason history, and yes, went on to win the subsequent World Series for the first time in 86 years and bring unfettered joy to Red Sox Nation. Or watching the two greatest sporting competitors I’ve ever witnessed— and easily my two favorite athletes ever—tennis superstars Rafael Nadal and Serena Williams, simply refuse to lose, even against impossible odds and against world-class opponents. And, of course, what’s there to really say about basketball legend (and five-time National Basketball Association champion) Kobe Bryant’s sublime performance in 2006 when he scored an are-you-kidding-me? 81 points (as I write this, the unspeakable tragedy of Bryant’s and daughter Gianna’s death, along with the other souls lost that day, is way too fresh).

But, here’s the thing: Has the word “miracle,” its definition coupled with the mellifluous baritone used by legendary sportscaster Al Michaels when he uttered it exactly four decades ago, moments after Team USA’s hockey team completed the biggest upset in sports history by defeating the mighty USSR team, ever been any purer? In short, no. Even now, I close my eyes and I’m transported back to that moment, when our American boys—Team Captain Mike Eruzione, Goaltender Jim Craig and the rest of the youngsters—actually beat the unbeatable Soviets and the question heard around the world entered the ether never to leave: “DO YOU BELIEVE IN MIRACLES?!”

You know what? I do—I actually do.

Richard Pérez-Feria

EDITOR IN CHIEF

@RPFEIC

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Our first crop of “10 Under 40” philanthropy powerhouses was nothing if not inspiring—and I loved getting to know the local charities they cared so passionately about. A huge thanks to brothers Matt and Carmine DeCrescente, who really came in strong and raised the most money, for Alzheimer’s Association of Northeastern New York; plus, SPAC’s Junior Committee; and Amanda Vance of New Vocations, who came in second and third, respectively.

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M E E T SA RATO GA H OSPITAL’ S FI RST BA BY O F THE DE CA DE, AMARA ROSE DECOOK.

G O TO

A

AL L T H E I MPORTAN T DE TAI LS.

n On Christmas Eve afternoon last year, a massive brawl broke out at Crossgates Mall, spilling into a nearby Beef Jerky Outlet store.

(A sister store recently opened in Downtown Saratoga). As far as we can tell, no beef jerky was harmed during the melee.

t 12:50pm on Friday, January 3, Amara Rose DeCook became the first baby of the new decade born at Saratoga Hospital to proud parents Cassy Guilder and Randy DeCook.

“When it was time for Amara to arrive, we were both just so happy that she was healthy and everything went so well,” Guilder said. “Our beautiful little Amara Rose DeCook girl will always be first to us, Born at 12:50pm on but it was exciting to find out January 3, 2020 she was the first baby of the 5 pounds, 5.8 ounces new year (and the 2020s) at 18 inches long Saratoga Hospital. She’ll be able to tell her grandchildren that someday.” Amara was delivered by Dr. Amy Knoeller, who also delivered her uncles, Guilder’s twin brothers, 11 years ago.

—NATALIE MOORE

n The Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce has launched a Saratoga Springs Fireworks Fund to help bankroll future fireworks displays in the Spa City. n Actor/director Marcus Dean Fuller has stepped in as artistic director at the Saratoga Shakespeare Company, taking over from Barbara and Lary Opitz, who ran the theater troupe from its inception two decades ago. n English professor and former provost of Washington and Lee University Marc C. Conner has been named the eighth president of Skidmore College. n Through the end of February, lifestyle brand Beekman 1802 will be hosting a pop-up shop at its location in Downtown Sharon Springs, NY based on the fictional TV landmark, Rose Apothecary, from hit Pop TV/ Netflix comedy series Schitt’s Creek.

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GORE MOUNTAIN MAY NOT HAVE HAD THE FIRST SKI PATROL IN THE WORLD, BUT IT DOES HAVE...

439

Was Gore Mountain’s Ski Patrol Really First?

A

WELL...MAYBE NOT TECHNICALLY, BUT, ALMOST.

BY NATALIE MOORE

nyone who’s been to a ski resort in the last, oh, nine decades or so, has skied with the knowledge that if they took a tumble, ski patrol would be there to pick up the pieces. But what was the first mountain to implement a ski patrol? Allegedly, North Creek’s Gore Mountain..

“The ski patrol at Gore Mountain, formed in 1934, was the first of its kind and served as a model for patrols all over the world,” writes Vincent Schaefer, the Schenectady Wintersports Club’s first president, in the December 1929 edition of Ski News. Schaefer goes on to describe a “clean-up crew” headed

by Lois Perret, a registered nurse and his future wife, that would sweep the trails at the end of the day to make sure there were no injuries.

According to Jeff Leich of the New England Ski Museum, though, “The 1934 Schenectady Wintersports Club trip in March 1934 did have a very wellequipped patrol, but it only operated for one weekend. It wasn’t a patrol that operated throughout a ski season like those that peak performance followed.” Furthermore, a 2007 article written by Leich Gore Mountain’s 1934 describes how American ski resort developer Roland ski patrol wasn’t the Palmedo traveled to Davos, Switzerland, to observe world’s first, but it its patrol (which had been in operation since 1930) and served as a model for brought the idea to Stowe, VT during the 1934-35 season. many patrols to come.

While Gore may not have had the world’s first ski patrol—or even the country’s first season-long one—Lois Perret and her clean-up crew were certainly pioneers. So, what are you waiting for? Drop that cliff.

Gore Mountain ski patrol will be there if you fall.

GORE MOUNTAIN by the numbers

skiable acres, the most in New York State

n

14

lifts, the most in New York State

110

trails, the most in New York State

2537

vertical feet, the second most in New York State (after Whiteface Mountain)

1

gondola, and was the first in New York State to install one

14,589

solar panels, the largest solar array dedicated to a ski resort in the US

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saratogaliving.com 23

the front will be offering Saratogians unique retreat experiences and classes on promoting personal wellness, handling work-life balance and practicing meditation/mindfulness.

Another big reason why the city has such off-the-charts cultural tourism options is the presence of Saratoga Race Course. And Leggieri and company

selling saratoga Darryl Leggieri, president of Discover Saratoga, and his team work behind the scenes to make Saratoga the cultural tourism hotspot that it is.

power player

Darryl Leggieri’s Saratoga Culture Club

W HY THE HEAD OF DI SCOVER SARATO GA SE E S T H E PE R FORM ING ARTS AS KEY FOR OU R C I T Y’S F U T U R E .

BY JE FF DI NGL ER photo g r a p h y by FRANCESCO D’AM I C O exc l us iv ely for saratoga living

I

f you’re like me and keep the programs and ticket stubs from every show you’ve ever attended, you’re no doubt doing a double take at the ones you collected last year in Saratoga Springs.

You’re probably thinking, “Did I really see all of those acts here?” An unbelievable array of entertainers visited the Spa City, from hip-hop artist Cardi B and pop-jazz songstress Norah Jones at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC) to folk music legend Judy Collins and jazz master Fred Hersch at Caffè Lena. Sadly, I didn’t get to catch all of those shows—but it did make me wonder: How has Saratoga fostered (and sustained) such a thriving cultural tourism scene?

A key player in that equation is Discover Saratoga’s (a.k.a. the Saratoga

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⁄ WINTER 2020

community leaders to match funds for Convention and Tourism Bureau’s) marketing grants secured by SPAC. president for the last two years, Darryl Speaking of SPAC, as frenetic as Leggieri. “Cultural tourism shouldn’t 2019 might’ve seemed, Leggieri says be at the corners of the conversation that 2020 is going to make an even in Saratoga,” Leggieri says. “This topic needs to be front and center.” Just bigger splash. To start with, later this how does the magic month, Universal happen? Think of “Cultural tourism shouldn’t Preservation Hall Saratoga’s culture (UPH), Saratoga’s be at the corners of the and arts scene as new year-round arts conversation in Saratoga. venue, opens on a massive rock This topic needs to be concert, and Leggieri Washington Street, and his staff as the after two decades front and center. managers, roadies of dormancy; and and stagehands working tirelessly this spring, nonprofit wellness center on the well-oiled machine behind COESA (pronounced coh-EE-suh) will the scenes. They do everything from be opening at the historic Roosevelt II Bathhouse in the Saratoga Spa State coordinating and hosting popular Park. COESA—which is collaborating city-wide events such as the recent with SPAC to transform the bathhouse Chowderfest and this November’s into a year-round cultural arts center— Restaurant Week to working with

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“You can get a restaurant reservation, find parking and reserve a hotel in Saratoga Springs during the summer months.” have more than a few new tricks up their sleeve for the upcoming summer meet.

“We want to kick off the racing season by bringing back the Hats Off To Saratoga Music Festival on opening weekend,” he says. For nearly three decades, the racing season sprang to life with a citywide festival, anchored by live music in Downtown Saratoga—but the fun ended after the 2017 season. “We need to garner excitement about this, and I hope to play a part in making that happen,” says Leggieri.

Additionally, Leggieri says that Discover Saratoga has fully embraced the new eight-week track schedule, with dark days now on Mondays and Tuesdays, and will be incorporating tailored marketing initiatives—group incentive offers, digital marketing videos and online advertising—to keep foot traffic in Downtown Saratoga strong all summer long. “Discover Saratoga will be messaging to Capital Region residents that you can get a restaurant reservation, find parking and reserve a hotel in Saratoga Springs during the summer months,” says Leggieri. “The goal is to create and communicate a compelling story that will promote the unique aspects of Saratoga Springs that make it a worldclass cultural tourism destination.”

Leggieri and Discover Saratoga must be doing something right: This is my fourth year in the Spa City, and my only complaint is that I don’t have nearly enough time for all of this fun!

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(Darling Doughnuts) NATASCHA PEARL-MANSMAN; (Craft On Wheels) TAYLOR CAROTA PHOTOGRAPHY

saratoga, inc.

‘Time To Make The Doughnuts,’ Saratoga!

TAQUERO TACOS & DONUTS AND DARLING DOUGHNUTS LEAD THE SPA CITY’S TASTIEST TREND. n BY JEFF DINGLER

I

n your best Homer at 68 Putnam Street on Simpson voice, repeat December 27, the hip lateafter me: “Mmm... night spot specializing in doughnuts!” Apparently, the signature bite-sized that lone Dunkin’ on sweets and tasty South Broadway tacos. And at press wasn’t enough time, a second to satiate spot, Darling Doughnuts, is Saratogians’ set to open at 441 collective sweet Broadway (the local teeth, because in Darling bakery is already a matter of months, Doughnuts offering catering Saratoga Springs’ for weddings and private doughnut game has been events). Saratoga's donut tripled. First, Taquero trend? Count me in!

Tacos and Donuts opened

NOVEMBER 2019 Where’s

Craft On Wheels, a new mobile bar and craft beverage service hit the road in January, serving Saratoga, Glens Falls, Lake George and the Capital Region out of a beautiful, custom 1957 Ford truck.

DECEMBER 2019 So much for furrowed brows in the Spa City; in December, Downtown Saratoga welcomed Posh Brows and Beauty to 443 Broadway (behind Union Hall), a brandnew beauty and cosmetics salon offering services such as microblading, permanent makeup and brow waxing.

FEBRUARY 2020 The highly anticipated grand opening of the Universal Preservation Hall takes place on February 29, featuring four-time Grammy-winning singersongwriter Rosanne Cash.

Opening night is already sold out, but tickets are available for a number of other great shows booked through May.

the beef? At 514 Broadway, Craft On a.k.a. the Wheels Beef Jerky Outlet, that’s where.

This grab-and-go franchise offers an array of jerky meats, dips and sauces, plus free in-store samples.

JANUARY 2020 Why not let the party come to you?

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HOW UPSTATE NEW YORK SCIENTIST EUNICE NEWTON FOOTE’S GROUNDBREAKING RESEARCH CHANGED THE CO 2 GAME.

T H E UNIVERS IT Y AT AL B ANY G RAD IS MAK ING H ISTO RY IN L A L A L AND. n BY W IL L L EVIT H

Awkwafina, Hollywood Star

The Mother Of Climate Change

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hot damn! Eunice Newton Foote lived in Saratoga Springs shortly after discovering the effects of carbon dioxide on a warming planet.

CASI MOSS/FLICKR

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T ➒ In The Clutch

Piper Boutique’s Alessandra Bange-Hall Spills It All SO WHAT’S IN YOUR BAG?

➊ Louis Vuitton Haumea Bag ➋ MacBook Charger ➌ Jimmy Choo Gotha Glitter Sunglasses from Family Vision ➍ Coco Mademoiselle Body Lotion ➎ BECCA Light Chaser Highlighter Compact in “Opal” ➏ Bath & Body Works PocketBac Hand Sanitizer in “You’re Cherry Sweet” ➐ Arrow Lip Balm in “Blush Hour” ➑ The Providence Story Leopard Keychain ➒ Louis Vuitton Sarah Wallet

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while I was abroad: I didn’t want to be a teacher for the rest of my life, but I did want to be a journalist. One return ticket and internship at Rolling Stone later, and I was off to the races.

I wonder what was going through Nora Lum’s (a.k.a. Awkwafina’s) mind when she graduated from the University at Albany in 2011 with a degree in journalism. Did she expect to be in the media biz for

albany and beyond Before becoming a Golden Globe-winning actress and a force in Hollywood, Awkwafina was a UAlbany student, graduating with a degree in journalism.

life—or dream of someday becoming a Hollywood legend in the making? The way her stars aligned, she ended up first becoming a YouTube sensation, then landing her breakout role in Crazy Rich Asians and,

at the 2020 Golden Globe Awards, making history as the first female actress of Asian descent to take home a lead actress award for her turn in The Farewell.

See? Journalism does pay off after all. But you won’t be seeing me in the next James Bond movie; I’m just fine right here at saratoga living…for now.

SPECIALIZING IN THE

©Hitlin Photography

EXTRAORDINARY

(In The Clutch) RICHARD PÉREZ-FERIA; (Bange-Hall) FRANCESCO D'AMICO

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wo words: climate change.

That’s right, the first person to theorize that changes in carbon dioxide in our planet’s atmosphere could impact its temperature lived in Saratoga County shortly after her groundbreaking discovery.

Eunice Newton Foote, an American scientist who attended Troy Female Seminary (now the Emma Willard School), discovered that, when placing two glass cylinders, one with “carbonic acid gas” (the term for carbon dioxide at the time), the other with “common air,” in sunlight, the one with carbon dioxide stayed warmer longer. Foote presented her findings in a paper entitled, Circumstances Affecting The Heat Of Sun’s Rays, at a meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in Albany in 1956 and subsequently published it. Three years later, Irish physicist John Tyndall published similar, more detailed research that is typically credited as the foundation of climate science.

—NATALIE MOORE

hen I graduated from Connecticut College and promptly returned home to Saratoga Springs, I distinctly remember lounging around on the couch for most of May and June 2002, watching Total Request Live, snacking on whatever was in my parents’ cupboard and doing little else. I quickly decided that I was going to jet off to Madrid to teach English. I had two major epiphanies

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Meet Joel Rosario

STEADY AS HE GOES FOR THIS PROUD SON OF THE D.R. STORY A N D PHOTOGRAPH Y BY BRI EN B O U YE A

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or the past decade, Joel Rosario has ranked among the top six jockeys in North America in yearly earnings. Through 2019, he’s won 2830 races with purse earnings of more than $213 million. He won the Kentucky Derby aboard Orb in 2013 and the Belmont Stakes with Tonalist (2014) and Sir Winston (2019).

Rosario’s won 11 Breeders’ Cup races. And he finished fourth in the Saratoga Race Course standings with 37 wins in 2019.

D OW NTOW N SARATO GA S PRING S IS A S H O P P ER’ S PARAD IS E. STO RY AND PH OTO G RAPH Y BY NATAL IE MO O RE

JOEL ROSARIO BORN

January 14, 1985 BIRTHPLACE

Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic HEIGHT

5' 2"

WEIGHT

115 pounds FUN FACT: On June 20, 2013, Joel Rosario won the Norfolk Stakes aboard No Nay Never at Royal Ascot in England, breaking the track record for two-year-olds at five furlongs.

JOEL ROSARIO’S MOST RECENT RIDING STATISTICS YEAR

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2015 1083 162 15% $17,305,572 2016 979 157 16% $16,594,554 2017 1010 170 17% $17,975,708 2018 916 160 17% $21,538,452 2019 1104 222 20% $24,913,212 JOEL ROSARIO’S CAREER RIDING STATISTICS (2003-2019)

MOUNTS

WINS

WIN %

EARNINGS

15,480 2880 18.57% $213,157,752

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here’s no denying the inescapable allure of Downtown Saratoga Springs.

For a bundled up, hot chocolate-fueled wintry walk, Broadway can’t be beat.

That’s due, in large part, to the many locally owned, smalltown shops and boutiques that line the Spa City’s main drag, all luring you to escape the cold. On a recent Friday, the saratoga living team gave in to the seductive window displays and went on a bit of a shopping spree. Here are some of our favorite items from our retail therapy.

1 SASSAFRAS CHARLIE HORSE STOOL G. Willikers Toys & Games $110 Seriously, what’s cuter (and more Saratoga) than this toddler-sized stuffed stool?

2 BIOLITE CAMPSTOVE 2 Mountainman Outdoor Supply Company $199.95 Camping trips will never be the same with this portable campfire—which also charges your phone!

4 BEGONIA ANKLE BOOTIE Yellow Boutique $45 These chic snakeskin booties are the perfect (affordable) statement piece for a casual Friday look.

6 ORIGINAL SMOKED BEEF JERKY Beef Jerky Outlet $19.99 Three words: Beef. Jerky. Outlet.

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5 DELIZIA ALMONDSTUFFED OLIVES MANZANILLA Saratoga Olive Oil $18.95 Whether you like olives or not, you can’t deny the beauty of these jarred delicacies. Hostess gift?

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3 HERITAGE CLASSICS THREE-SOAP SET Menges & Curtis Apothecary $29 These colorful, plant-based soaps are infused with several Caswell-Massey’s top men’s fragrances.

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Jenn Moak Photography

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• 102.7 WEQX: “Mariner’s Apartment Complex” by Lana Del Rey • 107.7 WGNA: “Beer Never Broke My Heart” by Luke Combs • KISS 102.3: “Sucker” by the Jonas Brothers TOP-SELLING BOOK

• Northshire Bookstore: Rachael Ray 50: Memories And Meals From A Sweet And Savory Life by Rachael Ray • Barnes & Noble Saratoga Springs: Becoming by Michelle Obama TOP-GROSSING FILM

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overheard SOMETHIN’ TO TALK ABOUT...

“He was talking to his whatever about stuff.”

–ON BROADWAY IN SARATOGA

“Nothing matters as long as we’re in South Dakota.”

–CANTINA IN SARATOGA

“Every boy needs therapy.”

–OLD FORGE, NY

“There’s an uprising of mullets.”

–BEN & JERRY’S IN SARATOGA

“I don’t want a ring; I’d rather have burritos.”

–THE ADELPHI HOTEL IN SARATOGA

crunchy chip that lacks slightly in the salt department.

Those eaters who enjoy a strong dipper for their salsa should look no further.

Hip Chip To celebrate National Tortilla Chip Day, we sent two of our favorite editorial assistants—who happen to both be named Hannah— on assignment: to take the temperature of Saratoga Springs’ chip purveyors.

Here’s what the Hannahs came up with:

S

aratoga might be 2000-plus miles from the actual Mexican border— but you wouldn’t

EL MEXICANO CRUNCHINESS: 5 SALTINESS: 1 THICKNESS: 3

Cantina

know it from our glut of Mexican food options. And as tortilla chip connoisseurs, we decided to provide Saratogians with a roadmap to the best Mexican chipperies in town.

CANTINA CRUNCHINESS: 4 SALTINESS: 2 THICKNESS: 4

Located right on Broadway, a few doors down from the saratoga living HQ, Cantina offers a thick,

Travel a little further south on Broadway, and you’ll find El Mexicano and its übercrunchy, light and airy chip.

Be careful, though; these chips are addictive, and you don’t want to fill up on them before your delicious dinner there. Bonus: El Mexicano offers free quesadillas before your entree.

What could be better?

MEXICAN CONNECTION CRUNCHINESS: 4 SALTINESS: 2 THICKNESS: 2

After a long day at the track, walk a few blocks over to 41 Nelson Avenue— Mexican Connection— to sample its thin, crispy chip. While we would’ve liked a bit more saltiness, the restaurant did offer two kinds of dipping options: mild and hot salsa.

Yum! TATU TACOS & TEQUILA CRUNCHINESS: 4 SALTINESS: 4 THICKNESS: 1

If you’re willing to spend a little more coin, Tatu Tacos on Maple Ave provides a salty, crispy delight of a chip. PSA: If you can’t stomach spiciness, Tatu’s tortilla chip might not be for you: Chef Kareem NeJame adds a little oomph to his chip.

the front him being head-butted while trying to arrest someone who was drunk— the source of that black eye. In his three-and-a-half years at SSPD, Khutoryanskiy says that he’s had two or three reported injuries. Great, I think, what have I gotten myself into?

3:55pm

5:30pm

Meeting Officer Khutoryanskiy • 3:55pm

I meet Officer Yevgeniy Khutoryanskiy at Saratoga Springs Police Department (SSPD) for a Friday afternoon shift.

I notice that he’s carrying an AR-15 assault rifle. He’s also sporting a pretty fresh black eye. “I’ll tell you about that a little later,” he says, referring to the shiner.

4:15pm

Officer Khutoryanskiy runs the man’s registration and discovers that his plates are also expired. He writes the man a ticket for the taillight, but gives him a warning for the rest, provided he register his plates online right then.

“My decision’s usually based on that initial conversation I have,” says Officer Khutoryanskiy. “If I can cut someone a break, I usually will.”

police story SSPD officer Yevgeniy Khutoryanskiy’s patrol car on the night of the ride along.

ride along

Are You Ready For This Ride? saratoga living SPENDS QUAL I TY TI M E WI T H THE SA RATO GA SPRINGS POLICE DEPART M E N T. STORY A N D PHOTOGRAPH Y BY J EFF DIN GLE R

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hen I was told I’d be the guinea pig for a new saratoga living feature called “Ride Along,” where I’d literally be riding along with a Saratoga Springs Police Department officer and writing about it, my first reaction was, “Wait, what?! Why me?”

Not that I’ve had any notorious run-ins with the law—two traffic tickets over 16 years is pretty tame—but I can be a fairly nervous person, and engaging with the police or even just being near them definitely induces some jitters. In the end, I’m glad I was able to make it happen; I learned that Saratoga’s men and women in blue are a lot like us, really.

Jail Cells • 4:15pm

4pm

Roll Call Room • 4pm

Officer Khutoryanskiy begins his day in the roll call room where officers write reports and receive assignments and updates. I’m going out on patrol tonight with Khutoryanskiy, who tells me that Friday and Saturday evenings are usually the busiest. Apparently, if I’d shadowed Officer Khutoryanskiy last weekend, I would’ve witnessed

Before heading out, I get a quick tour of the station, which has served as SSPD’s headquarters since 1887.

Officer Khutoryanskiy says that the jail cells are likely from that time period— and they certainly look it. “We’re not putting as many people in here now, though,” says Officer Khutoryanskiy.

“New York State bail reform took effect on January 1.”

Traffic Stop • 5:30pm

About an hour into our patrol, Officer Khutoryanskiy makes his first traffic stop, an old truck missing a taillight and tagged doing 46mph in a 30mph zone on Union Avenue.

6:38pm

Mental Health Call • 6:38pm

Officer Khutoryanskiy responds to a mental health call: Someone saying that they don’t want to live anymore. Two other police cars are with us on Van Dam Street as Officer Khutoryanskiy picks the man up and gives him a ride over to Saratoga Hospital. “We’re not mental health professionals, but we’re able to bridge that gap a little and

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the front On Foot • 8pm

take him to the hospital,” says Officer Khutoryanskiy. He tells me that calls like these are becoming more common.

After our break, we patrol Broadway on foot, which Officer Khutoryanskiy tells me is pretty common during the busy summer months. “It’s important, sometimes, to go out and say, ‘Hey, how are you doing?’” he says. “You often see a look in people’s faces, a kind of shock that you’re not investigating or anything like that.” During our short time walking downtown, quite a few people greet Officer Khutoryanskiy, even a bouncer on Caroline Street who tells him, “It’s still early, boss.”

8pm

7:30pm

“Lunch” Break • 7:30pm

We grab lunch—or really, dinner—at Subway. Officer Khutoryanskiy asks if I’d prefer to eat in or take it to go. I ask him what he normally does. “To go,”

he says. “It’s safer back at the station.”

Whether it’s a routine traffic stop or just picking up some food on break, I’ve noticed that Officer Khutoryanskiy is constantly concerned with safety. “It’s a different world,” he says back in the cruiser, the AR-15 locked in between us. “Officers didn’t use to have to prepare for active shooter situations.”

Second Mental Health Call • 9:29pm

Officer Khutoryanskiy responds to another mental health call for a juvenile, possibly intoxicated— possibly on something else. This time, an ambulance arrives to take the young man to the hospital, and Officer Khutoryanskiy, along with two other cruisers, follows closely behind.

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midnight, but he volunteered earlier to stay until 5am. He takes me back to the station, and I wish him good luck with the rest of his shift. It may have been an uneventful evening— at least to him—but I’m just glad to make it home safe without any black eyes or worse.

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9pm

As with every call tonight, Officer Khutoryanskiy’s careful not to divulge too much information to me.

Back At The Station • 11pm

It’s been an unusually slow night for a Friday, so I decide to cut loose an hour early. Officer Khutoryanskiy would normally be leaving around

BEST THING I SAW: I was surprised in our short time walking around Downtown Saratoga how many people engaged with Officer Khutoryanskiy. There seemed to be genuine trust there. An elderly woman even stopped to tell him that her stepson was a police sergeant for Saratoga County. “It’s a small world,” Khutoryanskiy said afterward.

WORST THING I SAW: Guns usually make me uncomfortable, and Officer Khutoryanskiy’s AR-15 in the police cruiser was a constant reminder of the gravity of what we were doing out there.

11pm

THE BOTTOM LINE: I had a lot of trepidation going into this assignment.

By the end of it, though, I felt like, for the most part, I’d just been cruising around town with a friend. In many ways, Officer Khutoryanskiy and I had far more in common than I would’ve suspected. We were about the same age, both history buffs, both big fans of the quiet upstate life. If I see Officer Khutoryanskiy on the street downtown this summer, I’ll be sure to stop and ask him how his day’s going.

OLYMPIC SPOT L IGHT

We Still

BELIEVE

© LAKE PLACID OLYMPIC MUSEUM

In Miracles

Forty years after the 1980 Lake Placid Olympics, we’re still marveling at how the Games made heroes of kids as an unbelieving nation rejoiced.

By Brien Bouyea ⁄

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hockey coach—the venue where the “Miracle On Ice” took place. I’m convinced more people who visit Lake Placid get chills from its history than its frigid winter temps.

Main Street in this village of a little more than 2400 inhabitants is dotted with quaint shops and cafes and a breathtaking view of Mirror Lake. (If you’re wondering, the actual Lake Placid is located in the nearby towns of North Elba and St. Armand.)

During the winter months, Mirror Lake is always bustling with activities such as dog sled rides across its frozen waters, pond hockey games, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing and skating on the two-mile plowed track that frames the lake. There’s even an ice-covered toboggan chute, which is a 30-foot high converted ski jump trestle that can shoot toboggans more than 1000 feet onto the ice. This place is the embodiment of winter fun, a living Norman Rockwell painting. Not much has changed here in the past 40 years, which is fine by me. As far as I’m concerned, Lake Placid is timeless.

As the village commemorates the 40th anniversary of hosting the XIII Olympic Winter Games (it also hosted the 1932 Winter Olympics), the hailed achievements of 1980 have only grown in magnitude through the procession of time. No Olympic team in any sport has since approached in scale and cultural impact what Brooks and his charges accomplished on the ice by defeating the four-time defending gold medalists from the Soviet Union, then going on to secure the gold by defeating Finland.

Featuring a deep and talented roster comprised of accomplished professional standouts, with extensive experience in international competition, the Soviet team was an overwhelming favorite for a fifth consecutive gold. The Soviets had outscored their opponents 175-44 in the previous four Olympics, including u-s-a! u-s-a! The audience at a 28-7 margin in games against the the 1980 Winter Olympics in US. The Americans, meanwhile, had Lake Placid; (previous) the moment the US men’s hockey the youngest roster (average age: team beat the mighty Soviet 21) in US national team history and of the season’s wondrous splendor. Winding Union in the semifinals of the were the youngest of all the teams through the snow-blanketed landscape, this 1980 Olympic Games. competing in Lake Placid. gourmet slice of the Adirondacks is a charming Brooks, however, seemed oasis for outdoor enthusiasts and an inspiring impervious to what he was up against and maintained a razorcanvas for artists of various disciplines. sharp focus on the task at hand. He was the definition of elite As I reach my destination and make the left turn onto Main coaching and sports psychology. Brooks was deeply familiar Street, one of the first landmarks I pass is Lake Placid High with his team and knew every right button to push and, just School and the speed skating rink on the front of the property. as important, when to push it. Nine of the 20 members of This was the site of Eric Heiden’s five scintillating gold-medal the US team had played for Brooks at the University of performances during the 1980 Olympics. Up the road a bit Minnesota, while 4 others, including Goaltender Jim Craig is Herb Brooks Arena—named in honor of the beloved US

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HENRY ZBYSZYNSKI/FLICKR

ust about every winter, the unmistakable voice of Al Michaels manages to find its way into my consciousness and nudges me to set out on a daytrip to Lake Placid. “Do you believe in miracles? Yes!” The fabled call by Michaels, uttered 40 years ago in the waning seconds of the United States hockey team’s astonishing 4-3 victory over the mighty Soviet Union in the Olympic semifinals, was the defining moment of the 1980 Lake Placid Games, instantly securing the status of top-shelf reverence in the American lexicon. Four decades later, that frozen-in-time event still resonates and retains its significance as arguably the most important achievement in our country’s decorated sports history.

Setting out northbound from Saratoga Springs, I travel Interstate 87 to Exit 30, hang a left onto US Route 9 and make my way through the deep woods of the delightful Keene Valley, along picturesque NY-73 all the way to Lake Placid. The trip takes about two hours, and the drive, unless Old Man Winter is in a foul mood, is a blissful sensory treat

and Team Captain Mike Eruzione, were from rival Boston University. Despite the reputation of the Soviet team and the inexperience of his squad, Brooks never strayed from his unwavering confidence in the young men on his team.

The Americans were not expected to be a medal contender at Lake Placid, but they opened group play with a 2-2 tie against favored Sweden. They followed with an eye-opening 7-3 victory over expected medal contender Czechoslovakia, then had three more wins—against Norway, Romania and West Germany—to advance to the medal round. In the other grouping, the Soviet Union bulldozed its way through overmatched foes with a series of lopsided victories against Japan, the Netherlands, Poland, Finland and Canada by a combined 51-11. An over-capacity crowd estimated at 8500 jammed into every nook and cranny of the Field House (as it was known before being renamed to honor Brooks) for the David versus Goliath showdown between the two teams on February 22, 1980. The Americans trailed 3-2 entering the third period, but Mark Johnson scored for the US on a power play with 11:21 remaining to tie the game, setting the stage for Eruzione’s game-winner with exactly 10 minutes to play.

Goalie Craig was a brick wall for the remainder of the contest (stopping 36 of 39 shots overall), and history was made as Michaels went into his unforgettable call as the clock ticked

boys to men With an average age of 21, the US men’s hockey team was the youngest to compete in the 1980 Games, and wasn't expected to be a medal contender. Not even close.

toward the fairytale American victory.

The other major story for the US that year was the speed skating dominance of Wisconsin native Heiden, who earned the other five gold medals his country won at Lake Placid. The biggest individual star of the 1980 Winter Games, Heiden won at 500, 1000, 1500, 5000 and 10,000 meters, setting a world record in the 10,000. He became the first athlete to win five individual gold medals at a single Olympic Games (either Summer or Winter) and he remains the lone athlete to win five golds at a Winter Games. Heiden won more gold medals than every country other than the Soviet Union (10) and East Germany (9). His performance in Lake Placid led many experts to rate Heiden as the greatest speedskater in the sport’s history, and ESPN ranked him No.46 on its 50 Greatest Athletes Of The 20th Century list.

While celebrating past glories will always be integral to the allure of Lake Placid, the village appears to have a bright and dynamic future as a marquee winter sports haven. In July 2019, the New York Olympic Regional Development Authority’s board of directors voted to approve $100 million worth of capital improvements to the Olympic Center and other area

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O LYM P IC SP OT LIGH T

LAKE PLACID’S TOP 5 MOMENTS TO SAY THE 1980 WINTER G AMES WERE MEMORABLE IS A COLOSSAL UNDERSTATEMENT.

BY WILL LEVITH In February 1980, I was just three months old. And having just recently dug into my parents’ photo albums in the basement of my Saratoga Springs childhood home in Saratoga Springs, I can report that my life back then revolved almost entirely around eating.

(Little has changed.) But had I been about a decade older, I can only imagine the excitement that I would’ve experienced, glued to my family’s rabbit-eared television set, rooting for the USA at that month’s Winter Olympic Games in Lake Placid. All dreams aside, had my parents, between feedings, strapped me and my older brother into the family car and driven us two hours north, man, would I have had some monumental memories. Alas, here are the top five moments I missed out on at the 1980 Winter Olympics.

1. “The Miracle On Ice” When the US men’s hockey team upset the USSR’s seemingly unbeatable squad in dramatic fashion in the semifinals, it skated right into the history books. Fun fact: The night before, US Goalie Jim Craig squared off against Soviet right winger Sergei Makarov in a friendly (arcade) game of Centipede.

2. Finally, US Hockey Gold Fans often forget that “The Miracle On Ice” wasn’t actually the gold medal game.

That would be the US’ next match, during which the team offed Finland to become kings of the medal stand.

3. Eric Heiden’s Golden Run Over a nine-day period, US speedskater Eric Heiden won five individual gold medals—more than the combined totals for Finland, Norway, the Netherlands, Switzerland, West Germany, Italy, Canada, Hungary, Japan, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia and France.

4. It’s All Downhill From Here Ingemar “The Silent Swede” Stenmark became one of only a quartet of men to take home golds in both slalom events at a single Winter Olympic Games.

5. “The King,” Crowned Soviet cross-country skier Nikolay Zimyatov landed the Games’ first gold in the now-discontinued 30km race. He then followed that feat up with two more golds, making him a hero in the Motherland and earning him the title “The King Of Skiing.”

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competition facilities. The various projects are expected to be completed in time for the Winter World University Games, which are coming to Lake Placid in 2023. Some of the village’s athletic facilities have been in use since the 1932 Winter Olympics and need major upgrades to attract future events.

The modernization efforts are expected to include expansion of the USA Rink from National Hockey League dimensions to the larger Olympic-size skating surface, retractable seating and luxury suites around the rink, better access to food service and concessions, expanded hospitality offerings at Herb Brooks Arena, locker room improvements, additional retail services and a renovated Lake Placid Olympic Museum.

Several projects are already underway, including the installation of new LED lighting, spectator seating and scoreboard in Herb Brooks Arena.

Could these upgrades lead to Lake Placid making a third Winter Olympics bid? The odds seem to be against it. The Lake Placid region has only about 2000 rooms for traditional lodging, approximately the same number as it had in 1980. The International Olympic Committee now requires prospective Winter Games host sites to have a minimum of 40,000 available rooms. In the past, a proposal was floated for a joint Olympic bid for Lake Placid and Montréal, with the Olympic Village being located at SUNY Plattsburgh, about 50 miles from Lake Placid. There’s precedence for such a joint bid, although it was an unsuccessful effort.

Slovakia and Poland submitted a co-proposal for the 2022 Winter Games that was eventually awarded to Beijing, China. The 2026 Winter Games will take place in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy.

So how about 2030? It would seem a fitting tribute for what would be the 50th anniversary of the 1980 Winter Games, but in 2018 the US Olympic Committee acknowledged that if it bids for the 2030 Winter Games, it would be on behalf of Salt Lake City, UT, which hosted the event in 2002. I, of course, am biased when it comes to the subject, but I couldn’t think of a better place than Lake Placid for a future Winter Games. Creative thinking can overcome any logistical obstacles. Yes, it’s certainly a longshot for Lake Placid to be awarded a third Winter Olympics, but we’ve seen miracles in this village before.

Were You There?: Capital Region Fans Remember When A M A Z I N G S T O R I E S F R O M T H AT E P I C N I G H T.

B Y J O N A H B AY L I S S

“Do you believe in miracles? Yes!” On February 22, 1980 in Lake Placid, NY, sportscaster Al Michaels—along with the rest of the world—was witnessing, perhaps, the closest thing to divine providence when he uttered those nowfamous words. But I can only imagine that the unlikely band of baby-faced college boys that took down the Soviet hockey machine that fateful night might scoff at the notion that it had to do with anything other than their own Herculean will and determination. This month marks the 40th anniversary of “The Miracle On Ice,” and saratoga living tracked down 6 locals— including the head coaches of Union College, RPI and Skidmore College’s men’s hockey teams—to share their memories about that miraculous night.

“I was a junior at Union College.

We had decided that morning to blow off school to go watch Phil Mahre ski for the US [in Lake Placid].

I remember being such a typical college kid, totally unprepared for cold weather, but having the greatest time. So, we decided to stick around, not necessarily for the [US hockey] game, but for the festivities. Frankly, I wasn’t even really a hockey fan. So, we bellied up to a bar, and you could hear the radio broadcast playing in the background, but no one was really paying attention. But as the game went on, I think everyone started keeping a closer ear pinned to it, and sure enough, as the clock started winding down, the streets started filling up and buzzing. The next thing you know, the streets were just mobbed and people were hugging and dancing. There was just this phenomenal sense of pride.

It was the first time I ever heard the ‘U-S-A! U-S-A!’ chant. Even foreigners were joining in. I’d say that I wasn’t really aware of hockey at the time, but that certainly put it on the map for me!”

–DAN THOMPSON

“For me, a complete non-hockey fan, I realize now how huge it was.

[It’s amazing] to think that hockey was never something I followed or even paid attention to, yet I can

bring myself back to the feelings and emotions that everyone seemed to share. ‘Holy shit, we did it.’ And what’s remarkable, I think, is that you didn’t even really need to know all that much backstory. You just knew that a group of our college boys stood up, with their own narrative, and took down a seemingly unstoppable powerhouse. I mean… it doesn’t get any more American than that, does it?”

–JOE MOORE “I was offered tickets to any game I wanted because I had family working for the phone company during the Olympics. I actually passed on going to the game against the Russians because I just figured [the US was] gonna get clobbered like they did that time before the Games. So, I was actually home, in Troy, for the Miracle On Ice, but you can imagine my excitement when they won, and I realized that I was going to see the US in the gold medal game. The game was packed and filled with a lot of anticipation and a lot of energy.

The next thing you knew, [Goalie Jim] Craig was wrapping himself in the flag and the whole arena just exploded. Then it poured out into the streets, and there were just people everywhere saying, ‘Do you believe it?...Do you believe it?’”

–BILL USAS

“I remember playing street hockey at the time of the actual game because I couldn’t see it live due to tape delay—but coming in later to watch. For me, at the age of 13 and someone who already loved hockey, I’d say it definitely enhanced my love for it. I got to meet Head Coach Herb Brooks and a few of the players years down the road and will never forget how impressed I was by how humble they were. To me, it’s the No.1 sports moment in all of recorded history. It’s your consummate David vs. Goliath match, but I don’t think the magnitude around it can, or will, be matched again.”

–ERIC JOHN “RICK” BENNETT, Head Coach, Union College Men’s Hockey

“I think its impression on me may be slightly different, being Canadian.

As a coach, though, I think it’s one of those monumental moments, looking back, that make you want to coach. It captured the attention of everyone.

We watch it every year on the bus.”

–DAVE SMITH, Head Coach, RPI Men’s Hockey

“Though it took place a few years before I was born, the ‘Miracle’ game has transcended the sport and become much more than a singular game in the 1980 Olympics in Lake Placid. It helped add elements of patriotism, pride and most importantly, everlasting optimism to the spirit of the game. The meaning and feeling from that game has been passed along generations and has certainly impacted the growth of the game at all levels.”

–ROBERT HUTCHISON, Head Coach, Skidmore College Men’s Hockey

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OLYMP I C SP OTLI GHT

exclusives

THE GAME THAT CHANGED EVERYTHING: Chatting With The Guys Who Became America’s Heroes saratoga living asked Team USA’s men’s hockey legends Team Captain Mike Eruzione and Goalie Jim Craig to relive the single greatest sporting moment in American history on its 40th anniversary and answer our must-know-rightnow questions. How cool is that, Saratoga?

BY R I C H A R D P É R E Z- F E R I A ice men cometh Team USA Goalie Jim Craig and Captain Mike Eruzione (opposite) were part of the 1980 Olympic team that not only defied the odds and triumphed over the Soviets, but also did nothing less than inspire an entire nation.

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sport moment of their lives.

Given our country’s current climate, I wonder if, as Americans, there’ll ever be another time when we all come together to celebrate the actions of a band of fearless young men on skates, who not only defied the impossible odds and triumphed, but also did nothing less than inspire an entire nation.

I still tremble thinking about that glorious moment in American history. So, yeah, I must still believe in miracles.

when I go back now, I still find it to be special and always welcoming with open arms.

Is there a moment you would change from the 1980 Winter Olympic Games?

I don’t think I would change anything; it was an amazing experience, athletically, and was the proudest moment of my life to win a gold medal. And to do it in our own country in such a great little place like Lake Placid is pretty amazing.

Jim Craig

Mike Eruzione

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What’s the No.1 question people ask you?

People don’t normally ask me a question; they tell me where they were and who they were with when they saw us win. They’ll say, “That was the greatest moment; it meant way more than just a hockey game— I was with my father.” They tell me how they can remember where they were and why it was meaningful to them and sometimes, I hear how it changed their lives. It’s amazing to hear how we were able to uplift people in a time when our country needed hope.

FELINE GROOVY/FLICKR

here are certain What’s the No.1 question people ask you? moments in everyone’s life that are, literally, exactly like Usually, it’s “What was it like to win a gold medal?” snapshots, frozen in time in our memories: When I received the call that I got the job that changed the trajectory of my What’s the most surprising thing about the “Miracle career; when I saw the airplane fly into the second tower in On Ice” game that most people don’t know? lower Manhattan that devastating, fateful September morning; A lot of people didn’t know that if we lost on Sunday to when my sister gave birth to her first born, my nephew and Finland, we could’ve come in fourth place and not even won godson; when the person I loved told me I was loved, too. But, a medal. So the Soviet game was a big game, but Finland right up there with those unforgettable events in my life, was was even bigger. the US men’s hockey team’s seemingly impossible David-and-Goliath victory over Is it strange to perpetually be asked the mighty USSR’s hockey team at the about an event that literally occurred 1980 Winter Olympic Games in Lake Placid. four decades ago?

I remember, mere seconds after the victory, No, not really, because even 40 years how my entire family simultaneously burst later, we realize how special that moment into joyful, delirious tears, shouting and was for so many people and with the jumping up and down and how my own movie, Miracle, there’s a new generation skin trembled to the touch. It was, truly, that realizes and understands what that unbelievable, and I knew this was a moment moment was and what it still means. for the ages and filed it away forever.

So, here we are, four decades later— Who, if any, of your teammates almost to the very day of that singular do you still keep in touch with? athletic, patriotic achievement—when Mostly Jack O’Callahan, but the entire I’ve been given the chance to revisit this team does try to get together a couple gargantuan, epic memory with two of its of times a year. leading participants, US Team Captain cover band The iconic Mike Eruzione, who improbably scored March 3, 1980 cover of If Hollywood were to remake the the winning goal, and Goaltender Jim Sports Illustrated. movie Miracle, which Hollywood A-list Craig, who shut down the powerful Soviet actor would play you? onslaught to end the game and send the Maybe Matt Damon; he’s from Boston, too.

American hockey team directly to the history books.

Not at all surprisingly, these days, both Eruzione and What are your memories of Lake Placid? Did the Craig are red-hot commodities as public and motivational citizens treat you guys well? speakers throughout the country. But as their answers It’s an amazing place; people treated us like kings, and that follow illustrate, they’ll never tire of reliving the greatest

Is it strange to perpetually be asked about an event that literally occurred four decades ago?

If it was just a hockey game to people, then, yes, but it was more than a hockey game. To the people who watched it—they watched it because they were Olympic fans, not necessarily hockey fans. They watched it because of what the team accomplished and what they felt about being American.

There was a lot of turmoil going on, and the country was in the midst of a crisis of confidence. This Olympic gold medal win helped instill confidence in America and what we stood for.

Who, if any, of your teammates do you still keep in touch with?

All of us keep in touch with one another, and lately, we’ve been able to get together more often.

If Hollywood were to remake the movie Miracle, which Hollywood A-list actor would play you?

Eddie Cahill did a great job in Miracle, so I’d have him be the actor for the remake again.

jersey? sure! The popular “Miracle On Ice” display at the Hockey Hall Of Fame in Toronto.

What are your memories of Lake Placid? Did the citizens treat you guys well?

Lake Placid is hallowed ground—a place where people of all sports go to make their dreams come true.

The people of Lake Placid are very special and always will be to me. It’s amazing now, going back, thinking of how such a small town in the Adirondacks could provide a world stage for the best athletes in the world. The town has continued to keep its charm, and the people are always happy and welcoming.

What’s the most surprising thing about the “Miracle On “LAKE PLACID Ice” game that most people IS HALLOWED don’t know?

GROUND—A PLACE That we played seven games, not WHERE PEOPLE OF one. In other words, most people ALL SPORTS GO TO think it was one game against the MAKE THEIR DREAMS Russians. It was a whole series of COME TRUE.” games that led to the semifinal game Is there a moment you would –JIM CRAIG in which we beat the Russians. For change from the 1980 Winter the finals, we won against Finland, Olympic Games? and the game was tape delayed; it The only thing I’d like to have done was to have more time to enjoy wasn’t live. People vividly remember watching the other Olympians compete and enjoy the the game against the Soviets, but that was just one festivities. We played every other day from when the Games accomplishment on the way to winning the gold medal. started until when they were over. We even had a game If we didn’t show up prepared for the gold-medal game, before the opening ceremonies. We were competing so there was a good chance we wouldn’t have medaled at all much, and it would’ve been nice to savor the victory and no one would’ve remembered the significance of the longer and in the moment. game against the Russians.

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OLYMP I C SP OTLI GH T

exclusive

ERIC HEIDEN: America’s Greatest Winter Athlete Four decades after his unbelievable five gold medals at the Lake Placid Olympics, the superstar puts it all into perspective.

BY BRIEN BOUYEA

heiden go seek (gold) American Olympic speedskater Eric Heiden won five gold medals at the 1980 Olympics in Lake Placid, a feat that hasn’t been bested at the Winter Games to this day.

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Heiden reinvented himself again in the 1990s, this time as an orthopedic surgeon, completing a medical degree at Stanford University in ’91 and doing his orthopedic residency at the University of California at Davis in ’96. “It was always a path I planned on taking,” says Heiden. “My father was a doctor, and I knew it would be my calling after sports.” Dr. Heiden then spent a year at a sports medicine clinic in Alabama before returning to California to begin practicing as a surgeon while also serving as team physician for the Sacramento Kings of the National Basketball Association. In 2006, he moved to Utah with his wife, Dr. Karen Heiden (the couple met at Stanford), and two years later they established Heiden Orthopedics in Park City and Salt Lake City.

Four decades after his dominant performance at Lake Placid, only Phelps (at Beijing) has equaled Heiden’s record of five gold medals in individual events at a single Olympics (Mark Spitz won seven golds in 1972 at the Munich Games, but three of those were in relay events). To that end, in 1999, the Associated Press named Heiden “Winter Olympian of the Century,” and ESPN has ranked him No.46 among the greatest athletes of the 20th century. I recently spoke, exclusively, with the Olympic champion, now 61, from his home in Park City, UT.

What were your expectations going into the Lake Placid Winter Olympics? Did you have a goal of winning five gold medals or did that seem too far-fetched?

My expectations were to be standing on the podium after every race. I believed I could finish top three in each event. That was absolutely realistic in my mind. I did dream a bit about winning all five, but it wasn’t something that I expected to happen. I thought it was possible if I performed at champion on ice Eric Heiden my absolute best, but a lot of things can happen, after winning one of his record and you never know when something unforeseen five speedskating golds. can pop up. Sometimes luck isn’t on your side. It setting Olympic records in the just all came together at the precise right time. I got first four events and an Olympic and world record in the in a zone pretty quickly. Winning the 500 really set the tone 10,000. In all, Heiden won more gold medals that year than and got my confidence and momentum building. The races every country represented at the Games other than the all took place in a small window. I think from my first race to Soviet Union and East Germany—and his five golds my last, it was only nine days, so there wasn’t a lot of time to were more than those garnered by Finland, Switzerland, fall out of rhythm, which really is a great thing when you’re West Germany, Netherlands, Italy, Canada, Great Britain, performing well.

Japan and France combined.

After his showstopping performance in 1980, though, Heiden At the time, were you able to wrap your head around the wasn’t done breaking sports records: In ’85, he swapped his fact that you’d won more gold medals than any other skates for a bicycle and won the US Professional Cycling country besides the Soviet Union and East Germany?

Championship. He was also part of the first American team That’s pretty hard to comprehend because of all the worldto compete at the Tour de France in ’86 but fell during the class athletes that were there representing their countries. I’ve 18th stage and suffered a concussion, essentially ending his never really thought about it or analyzed it from a perspective cycling career. And then, seemingly beyond comprehension, like that. I’m just really appreciative that I was as successful as

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dr. heiden, i presume Nowadays, former Olympic champion Eric Heiden is an orthopedic surgeon in Utah.

HEIDEN ORTHOPEDICS

recently jumped into a time machine—you know, the wondrously entertaining world of YouTube—and traveled back to February 1980, landing at the Winter Olympic Games at Lake Placid. There, I grabbed a front-row seat at the city’s speedskating oval for the extraordinary gold-medal performances of US speedskater Eric Heiden. Winner of five gold medals at the 1980 Games—more than any individual before or since at a single Winter Games—Heiden went on to become an American hero and international superstar.

It might be difficult for modern audiences to grasp the sheer magnitude of Heiden’s feat: Think Michael Phelps on ice. Heiden, unbelievably, won gold medals at five different distances—500, 1000, 1500, 5000 and 10,000 meters—

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endure because of how they won, the odds they overcame and what it meant to the country.

It was so emotional. That was a gritty bunch of guys with great determination, and Herb Brooks was a terrific coach and motivator. He brought such an important dynamic and was as big a part of why they won as any of the players. Nobody on the outside gave that team any chance to do anything. They got crushed by the Russians in their final exhibition game, and it was a tall mountain to climb, but they believed and pulled it off. Most people called it a miracle, but that was a great team that just needed to find a way to bring it all together. cover boy (and girl) Heiden appeared on multiple covers of Sports Illustrated and with his sister, Beth, on the cover of Time.

You appeared on the covers of Time and Sports Illustrated— and had countless endorsement opportunities pitched your way, but you made a conscious decision to turn most of them down. Why was that?

I was very particular about what I wanted to be associated with, but the bigger reason was because I didn’t want to live my life under a microscope and constantly be in the public eye. I didn’t want to be on billboards or splashed across TVs. I did a few endorsements for things I was comfortable with, but I was never going to be a pitchman. I’m not knocking it or anybody who does it, but that just wasn’t for me, and it wouldn’t have been natural or genuine. I wanted to move on and do different things in my life, and getting caught up in all of that just didn’t interest me.

“Lake Placid is one of those places that hasn’t needed to change to be successful.”

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I was and that everything fell into place the way it did. Even thinking about it now in those terms, it’s not something I think I could properly articulate.

competing in Europe before the Olympics, so I got used to being able to handle the press and any commotion that came with all of that.

During the Games, were you aware of your growing fan base, heightened interest from the media and that you were becoming a sex symbol?

No, I was actually pretty oblivious to everything that was going on around me at the time. I kept a pretty sharp focus on what I had to do there. It’s a tremendous opportunity and responsibility to represent your country on a stage like the Olympics, and I had my head on pretty good. I enjoyed it all and soaked up the experience as much as I could, but I was locked in as far as keeping my focus on the ice and not letting any outside distractions get in my head. I had some success

What’s one of your most vivid memories from those Games, which, maybe, the average television viewer wouldn’t have known about?

Well, I think some people may know this story, but I haven’t talked about it all that much. Myself and some of the other American athletes had a pretty late night after the hockey team beat Russia. We didn’t get that crazy or anything, but we had somewhat of a suite area in the hockey arena for the Russia game and we enjoyed ourselves, and it got pretty late. I had my final race the next morning [the 10,000 meters] and I slept through my alarm. It was almost a disaster. I was

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scrambling pretty good, and it was a bit of chaos, but I made it in time, and everything worked out.

Were you able to experience the city of Lake Placid at all during the Olympics?

To an extent. I went to some shows, saw some entertainers, went to a couple movies. I spent a lot of my time watching the other sports. I got to see all the US hockey games. My schedule worked out perfect for all of that, which was such a surreal experience.

I was sitting right near the press area next to Al Michaels and Ken Dryden for the gold medal game. I’ll never forget that. There were a couple guys on the hockey team I grew up around, and I’m still friends with some of those guys today.

What was it like being around that US hockey team during its “Miracle On Ice” performance?

Those guys supported me, and I was a huge fan of everything they were accomplishing. It’s remarkable what they achieved, and it rightfully got the attention it deserved. It continues to

In February 2018, you returned to Lake Placid for the first time since 1980. You took a lap around the speedskating oval with your son, and people asked you for autographs and selfies. What was it like going back?

It really was like stepping back in time. Everything looked pretty much the way it did in 1980. Walking down Main Street, all the shops and restaurants were basically as they were back then. I’m sure some of the names on the doors have changed, but it was all as I remembered. It was great to see that. Lake Placid is one of those places that hasn’t needed to change to be successful. I brought my family, and we had a great time. We saw all the training facilities, went to the hockey rink, the skating rink, went to the field where they held the opening ceremony, visited the ski jumps, the bobsled complex. Mirror Lake was just as I remembered it, with all sorts of people skating out on the ice. It was special to be back. Lake Placid is just a wonderful place. The best part was being there with my family. They were amazed that a place so small hosted the Olympics. With all the requirements and standards of the International Olympic Committee that are in place today, you’ll probably never see a little town like Lake Placid get the Olympics again.

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The Wait Is Over!

UNIVERSAL PRESERVATION HALL OPENS ITS DOORS. HERE’S HOW WE GOT THERE.

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cash is money UPH is finally opening after a two-decade journey this February 29, with Grammy winner Rosanne Cash having the honor of a sold-out opening night.

(windows, painting, ladder) KATE PENN—PROCTORS COLLABORATIVE

By KAREN BJORNLAND

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TONY ONY

IT’S...

IT’S...

UPH: By The Numbers B R E A K I N G D OWN TH E FAS C I N ATI N G F U N FACTS .

60 The furthest possible distance, in feet, UPH patrons will be sitting from the stage

5x The ChapterofofExcellence” Excellence”Dealer Dealer USA! 4x 5x #1 The4x #1“Diamond “Diamond Chapter in in thethe USA!

30 The number of shows that have been booked for UPH’s inaugural spring season at press time

Mitsubishi’sHighest Highest Achievement Achievement for Sales & Customer Service.

Mitsubishi’s forOutstanding Outstanding Sales & Customer Service.

10 The total cost, in millions of dollars, of the UPH renovation project 534 The number of individual, corporate, state and foundation donors that helped raise $7.2 million in the UPH Road to Opening Night Campaign 98 The number of original benches and pews repurposed for the opening of UPH

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1658 ROUTE ROUTE 9, 1658 9, CLIFTON CLIFTONPARK PARK• •518-373-4100 518-373-4100

WE’VE GOT WE’VE GOT GOT A A RIDE FOR YOU YOU! !

WE’VE A RIDE RIDEFOR FORYOU! YOU!

678 The number of seats in UPH’s theater-in-the-round in its Great Hall 24 The size of the movie screen, in feet, that hangs in UPH’s Great Hall

✁

2018: RENOVATION

bell of the hall UPH’s Tiffanyinspired stained-glass windows; (top) UPH’s original bell.

2000: PRESERVATION

When the High Victorian Gothic building was condemned by the city, a group of concerned Saratoga residents jumped in and saved it from the wrecking ball.

2009: LEADERSHIP

Teddy Foster, a volunteer with a can-do attitude, took charge of UPH as its new board president.

2015: ALLIANCE

UPH reached out to Schenectady’s Proctors and subsequently joined the Proctors Collaborative. A campaign to raise funds for a major UPH renovation then kicked off, with Teddy Foster stepping up as its campaign director.

Inside and out, from sidewalk to steeple, the building received an expert makeover. A 678-seat theater-in-theround, with state-of-the-art sound and lighting, emerged in the Great Hall on the second floor. Original balconies and Tiffany-inspired windows were restored. A new entrance was created, an elevator added and the rosy red brick exterior repointed and cleaned.

Don’t Miss An Issue of FILL OUT THIS FORM AND SEND IT TO: 422 Broadway, Suite 203, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866

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2020: THE UNVEILING

Soon, the dazzling new UPH will be revealed to the public. After opening night, 30 shows roll out through May, with summer, fall and winter entertainment to follow.

Yeah, there’s a lot of buzz in town, and when I eventually enter the Great Hall, I'll expect to feel some good vibes. Why? Because UPH is yet another Saratoga architectural gem with a glorious past and a brilliant future. Here we go!

(window) KATE PENN—PROCTORS COLLABORATIVE

o you feel it? I do. Saratogians are abuzz about the impending opening of Universal Preservation Hall (UPH), the city’s first year-round performing arts space in more than five decades.

The UPH box office is buzzing, too, with tickets to upcoming events selling steadily, and the grand opening show on February 29, featuring the Grammy-winning Rosanne Cash (daughter of the late Johnny “The Man In Black” Cash) has already sold out. Also on the docket? Chris Botti, jazz/pop trumpeter extraordinaire (and multiple Saratoga Jazz Festival vet); and actress/singer Megan Hilty, the golden Glinda from Broadway’s Wicked and co-star of NBC’s Smash. I’m psyched about Journeyman, the Eric Clapton tribute tour and the Rochmon Record Club’s take on Paul Simon’s Graceland.

Before the doors swing open, let’s take a look at the biggest milestones in the unbelievable transformation of this historic church and community hall in Downtown Saratoga, where Teddy Roosevelt and Frederick Douglass once delivered fiery speeches, to the Spa City’s latest, greatest arts venue.

78 The number of stained-glass windows cleaned, repaired and reinstalled in preparation for the opening of UPH

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518.584.7500

in the heights Sean Cogan, who works, concurrently, for Harken Industrial and Elevated Safety, uses his advanced climbing and ropes skills to get to near-impossible heights.

SEAN COGAN,

HOMEGROWN DAREDEVIL

BY WILL

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LEVITH

From the Hoover Dam to capsized cargo ships in life-and-death situations, danger is no stranger to this Saratoga native.

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a man in full Sean Cogan got the climbing bug after a chance meeting with a rope access technician.

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I

wouldn’t say I have a heights problem, but when my wife and I hiked Half Dome at Yosemite National Park several years ago, all bets were off.

The last 400 feet of the hike is up these rickety metal cables and well, I went up a few of them and then quickly turned around. It was just too much for me. I figured I was already 4000 some-odd feet in the air; that was good enough.

For Saratoga Springs native Sean Cogan, Half Dome’s final push is child’s play. After Sean and I graduated from Saratoga Springs High School in 1998, he jetted off to college, then back to Saratoga, feeling the entire time like he had more to offer the world.

Then, he and his wife, Marney, jumped at the chance to work in Brevard, NC, and ended up moving there permanently.

Brevard, situated in the southern highlands of Western North Carolina, afforded the Cogans countless opportunities to hike, and Sean took up climbing in his free time. After a chance meeting with a rope access technician—someone who, through the use of mountaineering-type skills, gets to difficult-to-reach locations, such as bridges for inspections— Sean knew he’d found his calling.

Cogan’s newfound vocation landed him, concurrently, at Harken Industrial, a wing of the international sailing hardware company (clients include America’s Cup), and Elevated Safety, which offers rope access and confined space training.

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(Harken later acquired Elevated Safety.) When I ask him what a normal “day at the office” is like, he says it’s anything but.

“I’ve done everything from scale antique trestle bridges in the Yukon territory, where you’re only 30 feet off the ground, to doing the Hoover Dam bypass bridge, which is roughly 900 feet above the Colorado River.” He’s been on a team that helped clean the glass-bottomed skywalk at the Grand Canyon, 4000 feet in the air, as well as one that swapped out advertisements high above MetLife Stadium prior to Super Bowl XLVIII. Each job is a new puzzle to work out.

Last September, though, Cogan, who grew up in a family of first-responders, was offered a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be on an international rescue mission. When a behemoth South Korean cargo ship capsized off the coast of Georgia, he and a skilled crew of techs rappelled down the side of the upturned ship bored into its side and helped free four sailors trapped inside its hull. “It was obviously a hard day,” says Cogan, who celebrated with his compatriots over a few beers before returning to his hotel. They had no idea that the four men they’d just rescued would be hanging out in the lobby. “To have the four of them standing there, alive and well and rested and hydrated...that’s when it all hit us,” says Cogan. “It was heavy.” As I write these words, I’m in awe of what my classmate did. Makes my momentary vertigo atop Half Dome seem pretty silly.

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CREDIT

CREDIT

saratoga stud Whether it’s scaling capsized ships to rescue trapped crew members (bottom left) or cleaning the skywalk at the Grand Canyon (top right), Saratogian Sean Cogan literally lives his life on the edge.

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Scene 1: The Arrival

Shot on location on Pavillion Row outside the Pavilion Grand Hotel Women’s clothing from

Joey

Lifestyles Of Saratoga and Caroline and Main

Tatiana Arizona

Jonah

Josh Perry

Taylor

Lauren

Driver Rick Sassone and SUVs from Superior Sedan Service

“I Do!”

Men’s clothing from Union Hall Supply Company

Here comes the bride and the groom and the wedding party and the guests—all for that once-in-a-lifetime weekend!

D O R I F I T Z PAT R I C K A U S T I N B AY L I S S E X C L U S I V E LY

PHOTOGRAPHY BY STYLING BY

FOR

saratoga living

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Scene 2: Bachelorette Party

Lilly Pulitzer Franci High Collar Dress in “Bermuda Blue Lagoon Jacquard”

Shot on location at Morrissey’s At The Adelphi

Lilly Pulitzer Dalsey Skirt Set in “Gold Metallic Blooming Floral Brocade”

Clothing from The Pink Paddock

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Lilly Pulitzer Abree Peplum Dress in “Prosecco Pink Lagoon Jacquard”

Lilly Pulitzer Kasee Lace Dress in “Onyx Floral Loopy Lace”

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Au Noir shirt

St. Croix shirt

Robert Graham shirt and 7 Downie St. jacket

7 Downie St. shirt

Clothing from Saratoga Saddlery & International

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CREDIT

CREDIT

Boutiques

Scene 3: Bachelor Party

Shot on location at James & Sons Tobacconists

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Scene 4: Rehearsal Dinner Shot on location at Fish At 30 Lake

Women’s clothing and accessories from

Men’s clothing from

Violet’s Of Saratoga

The National By Saratoga Centerpiece by

National Golf Club

Boston & Burke Floral Design

Jos. A Bank

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CREDIT

the Groom), wearing

CREDIT

Joe (Father of

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Bridesmaid dresses from Lily Saratoga

Makeup styling by Make Me Fabulous

Wedding dress custommade for Lily Saratoga by Enaura Bridal

Robes and slippers provided by Pavilion Grand Hotel

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CREDIT

Heels

by Badgley Mischka from Lily Saratoga

CREDIT

Charcuterie board by The Bistro At The Pavilion Grand

Scene 5: Getting Ready: Ladies Shot on location at The Pavilion Grand

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Tristan

Vincenzo

Saunders

Federico

Matthew Shufelt

Groom wearing shirt from Union Hall

Shot on location at Vinny’s Barbershop Of Saratoga

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CREDIT

Scene 6: Getting Ready: Men

CREDIT

Supply Company

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Mayor Meg Kelly wearing Lifestyles Of Saratoga

Flowers by Boston & Burke Floral Design Men’s clothing Women’s clothing from

from Jonathan Reid

Lily Saratoga

custom-made for Lily Saratoga

by Enaura Bridal

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CREDIT

Wedding dress

CREDIT

Menswear

Scene 7: “I Do!”

Shot on location at Walt & Whitman Brewing

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Flowers by Boston & Burke Floral Design

Vocalist/ Entertainer Garland Nelson

Women’s clothing from Lily Saratoga Men’s clothing from Jonathan Reid Menswear

Mayor Meg Kelly wearing Lifestyles

Shot on location at Walt & Whitman Brewing

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CREDIT

Scene 8: First Dance

CREDIT

Of Saratoga

Wedding dress custom-made for Lily Saratoga

by Enaura Bridal

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Women’s clothing from Piper Boutique

Men’s clothing from Jonathan Reid

Shot on location at Putnam Place

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CREDIT

Scene 9: Party Time

CREDIT

Menswear

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Driver Dan Myslewic and BMW from Superior Sedan Service

Men’s clothing from Jonathan Reid Menswear

Women’s clothing

“Just Married”

from Piper Boutique

sign by

Shot on location at Putnam Place

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CREDIT

Scene 10: And, We’re Out!

CREDIT

Starry Eyed Letter Co.

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saratoga living “ I D O ! ” D I R E C T O R Y

THE STORY YOU HAVE TO READ

Morrissey’s At The Adelphi 365 Broadway, Saratoga Springs 518.678.6000 morrisseyslounge.com

Union Hall Supply Company 437 Broadway, Saratoga Springs 518.581.9955 unionhallsupplyco.com

Pink Paddock 358 Broadway #101, Saratoga Springs 518.587.4344

Lifestyles Of Saratoga 436 Broadway, Saratoga Springs 518.584.4665 lifestylesofsaratoga.com

Fish At 30 Lake 30 Lake Ave, Saratoga Springs 518.539.3474 30lake.com

Caroline and Main 438 Broadway, Saratoga Springs 518.450.7350 carolineandmain.com

The National By Saratoga National Golf Club 548 Union Ave, Saratoga Springs 518.583.4653 nationalofsaratoga.com

Superior Sedan Services 10 Cooks Ct, Waterford 518.378.8573 superior-sedan.com James & Sons Tobacconists 360 Broadway, Saratoga Springs 518.581.7274 jamesandsonstobacco.com Saratoga Saddlery & International Boutiques 506 Broadway, Saratoga Springs 518.580.4522 saratogasaddlery.com

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Violet’s Of Saratoga 494 Broadway, Saratoga Springs 518.584.4838 violetsofsaratoga.com Jos A. Bank 358 Broadway #102, Saratoga Springs 518.226.0268 josbank.com Boston & Burke Floral Design 128 Schroon River Rd, Warrensburg 518.232.4711 bostonandburke.com

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MODELS: Taylor Moore Lauren Petrask Arizona Santiago Tatiana Roupas Joey Moore Jonah Bayliss Perry Rayner Josh Goodbred Joe Moore Vinny’s Barbershop Of Saratoga 57 Railroad Pl, Saratoga Springs 518.306.5299 vinnysbarbershopny.com Make Me Fabulous 30 Lake Ave, Saratoga Springs 518.583.2626 makemefabulous.com The Bistro At Pavilion Grand 30 Lake Ave, Saratoga Springs 518.583.2727 paviliongrandhotel.com Austin Bayliss Catering & Cakes Instagram: @austinbaylisscakes Lily Saratoga 6 Franklin Sq, Saratoga Springs 518.587.5017 lilysaratoga.com

& FIRE

Walt & Whitman Brewing 20 Lake Ave, Saratoga Springs 518.682.3602 waltandwhitmanbrewing.com Jonathan Reid Menswear 578 Aviation Mall Rd, Suite 32, Queensbury 518.793.9171 jonathanreidmenswear.com Garland Nelson 518.583.8102 garlandnelson.com

WITH CALIFORNIA AND AUSTRALIA LITERALLY ABLAZE, IS THERE A MORE BURNING ISSUE THIS VERY MOMENT?

Putnam Place 63 Putnam St, Saratoga Springs 518.886.9585 putnamplace.com Piper Boutique 441 Broadway, Saratoga Springs 518.450.1152 piperboutique.com Starry Eyed Letter Co. 518.749.1525 starryeyedletterco.com Dori Fitzpatrick Photography 518.813.5455 doriftizpatrick.com NYSDEC

Pavilion Grand Hotel 30 Lake Ave, Saratoga Springs 518.583.2727 paviliongrandhotel.com

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improvements in the construction of fire-resistant buildings and in fire-suppression techniques. In the decades beforehand, too, the incidence of structure fires had been in decline, not only because of improvements to buildings, but also improved methods of home heating. “You did have more fires then because of how people lived back then,” Saratoga Springs Fire Chief Joseph Dolan tells me when I ask about the seemingly unusually high incidence of structure fires in Saratoga Springs in the 19th century. “They didn’t have forced hot air furnaces.

They didn’t have gas fireplaces. You talk about the history of Saratoga—there used to be underground connections to all the buildings, because they used to have a person who ran coal from building to building to feed all the coal boilers. When they heated some of those buildings, there were fireplaces. When a hot ember came out on the carpet, the carpet caught on fire.

There are a lot of different things that we don’t even think about now that people did back then that were totally normal.”

It’s hard to say if the number of devastating blazes that tore through Saratoga was normal for a city of Saratoga’s size. There certainly were a lot of them, though. Take the years 1865 and 1866: In those two years, three of Saratoga’s biggest hotels suffered major damage due to fire. In 1865, The United States Hotel was destroyed, eliminating one quarter of Saratoga’s

COURTESY OF THE GEORGE S. BOLSTER COLLECTION, SARATOGA SPRINGS HISTORY MUSEUM

hen I was in kindergarten, I won a fire safety poster contest, beating out all the other kindergarteners, first graders and second graders at Charlton Heights Elementary.

Impressive, I know. My hand-drawn-withcolored-pencils poster (crayons were sooo preschool) featured a picture of a girl hiding in a pile of clothes in her closet on one side and a picture of the same girl standing in her backyard with her family on the other. The message written at the top was “Don’t Hide, Go Outside,” which, I confess, was my mom’s idea.

After my big win, which came with a snazzy $50 bond (not that I knew what a bond was), I expected fire safety to play an important if not prominent role in the rest of my life. After all, I’d spent the first few years of my life visiting the local fire station, checking the fire danger sign held by Smokey Bear at Glen Island on camping trips to Lake George and mastering the art of the “stop, drop and roll.” But, as I got older, I realized fires were less common than the kindergarten curriculum had led me believe. Nonetheless, at least I was prepared.

Since 1980, the number of reported home fires and home fire deaths in the US has been cut in half, as a result of

buildings on the corner of Putnam and Caroline Streets; in hotel capacity, and in 1866, both the Congress Hall Hotel and the Columbian Hotel met the same fiery fate. (The Columbian April 2018, a structure fire leveled Lake Local on Saratoga Hotel caught fire again a century later in 1965, and the flames Lake; and in August 2018, City Hall caught fire, though much of spread across Broadway, engulfing the Convention Hall as the damage to the building was, ironically, caused was by the well.) Then there was a series of fires at the Arcade building on water that poured into it after the drainage pipe in the roof that Broadway (now home to Spa Fine Art Gallery, Lola Boutique and was struck by lightning melted. These modern-day fires were the Saratoga Day Spa, among other businesses) in 1853, 1869, better contained than they would’ve been had they happened 1902 and 1966. Damage caused by the 1902 fire, often called in, say, 1871, when not only were the tools firefighters had at “Saratoga’s Great Fire,” was estimated at $200,000 ($4.1 million their disposal primitive, but also the fire department was entirely in today’s dollars) and five people died. staffed by volunteers. In 1871, three Additionally, the Congress Bottling fires broke out in one day causing House caught fire in 1826, the Pavilion $100,000 in damage, while all the firemen were out of town at a picnic.

Hotel in 1843, Saratoga Lake House As a result, Saratoga organized its in 1846, the Saint George Hotel in first paid permanent fire department 1859, the Grand Central Hotel in 1874, in 1883. And for good reason. “The Yaddo’s Trask Mansion in 1891, Palace difference between then and now is Recreation Hall in 1957, Saratoga pretty simple,” then-Fire Chief Robert Hospital in 1965, Colonial Tavern Cogan told the Saratogian in 2002. in 1966 and a Skidmore College “There were many abandoned shutdormitory in 1976. In 1955, a fire at down hotels. They were targets.

35-37 Caroline Street killed a family You don’t get that nowadays. Most of seven and a guest, and when the Saratoga Springs Fire Station property of the real estate has become very desirable. Being occupied makes on Lake Avenue was home to a high school, that burned down, too. “There a big difference.” New firefighting caroline and pain The aftermath of was a time, and this is long before technology, such as thermal imagery the 1955 fire on Caroline Street that killed either of us, but in the 1860s and 1870s, cameras and a records management eight people; (opposite) firefighters fight that people who came here thought system that identifies where fire a 1957 Broadway blaze that caused more that Saratoga was burning down,” says hydrants are on an iPad before crews than $2 million in damage.

Ellen deLalla, a former Saratoga Room arrive at the scene of a fire, also makes librarian who helped build the library’s a big difference, as does updating fires database. A 1988 Saratogian article, paraphrasing former older buildings in the city to meet fire code. “I think the fact Fire Chief Vincent Camarra, might’ve put it best: “Though other that these old buildings are still standing is a testament to the cities of comparable size had as many fires, none played host to fire service here,” says Chief Dolan, who’s held the position American and even European society figures the way Saratoga since January 2019.

Springs did. A big fire in this town made headlines everywhere.”

Despite all the progress that’s been made, more still needs And close to home, massive fires were an even bigger deal. to be done. According to Chief Dolan, the greatest fire-related “Saratogians have a great love for Saratoga,” deLalla says. “So, threat to Saratogians is home heating. “People don’t check anything bad that happens is immediately chaos. It hurts.” their furnaces, and start them,” he says. “We have problems In recent years, fires are still a major cause of property with people who don’t check their chimneys. We do a lot of damage in Saratoga, though not at the level they were in the education to prevent that.” The city is also working to secure 19th and 20th centuries. On Thanksgiving morning of 2016, a an agreement for a third FIRE/EMS station near the Oklahoma fire originating at the restaurant Mio Posto damaged several Training Track. (Station 1 is currently located on Lake Ave and

SARATOGA

& FIRE by the numbers

9

average number of lives claimed by fire per day in the US in 2016

27

percentage of reported fires that occurred in home environments during 2013-17 in the US

3

number of hotels destroyed by fire in Saratoga between 1865-66

4.1

estimated damage (adjusted for inflation) in millions of dollars, caused by “Saratoga’s Great Fire” in 1902

3

number of fires that broke out in one day in 1871 while the entire volunteer fire department was out of town at a picnic

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why the state institutes a burn ban every spring, when backyard fires are more likely to get out of control. In the Adirondack region last year, the main cause of wildfires was out-of-control campfires, and in Long Island, it was actually arson, which accounted for 77 percent of the 191 wildfires that happened on the island during that time period. Since 2008, the largest wildfire on record in the state of New York was the Roosa Gap Fire, which burned 2759 acres in Ulster County in 2015. And the largest in the Adirondacks was 2018’s Flat Rock Fire, which burned 547 acres in Northern Clinton County.

But the wildfires that you’ve been hearing about in California are a completely different beast. The Kincade Fire that tore through Sonoma County, CA last fall burned a staggering 77,758 acres. The Camp Fire, which killed 85 people in Paradise, CA in 2018, burned 150,000 acres. And the Mendocino Complex Fire, also in 2018, burned 459,123 acres across four counties in the Golden State. “What you get very infrequently here in New York State are crown fires [forest fires that spread from treetop to treetop] that run quickly and are almost impossible to suppress and contain,” says John Streiff, forest ranger captain for DEC’s Region 5, which spans from Saratoga north to the Canadian border. “Those are the fires that burn down whole communities. And the winds, the vegetation, the dryer arid conditions of the West help create those favorable conditions for large, uncontrollable wildfires that can threaten homes.”

But the fires that have been ravaging the American West are just the tip of the iceberg; it’s a global issue of epic proportions.

I mentioned California, which lost more than 200,000 acres to fire in 2019 and nearly 2 million acres in 2018. Brazil’s Amazon Rainforest fires, on the other hand, which were set largely intentionally by cattle farmers trying to clear land for farming, burned close to 5 million acres in the first half of 2019. And then there’s Australia. Fires in the 2019-20 Australian bushfire season have burned an inconceivable 16 million acres in New South Wales and Victoria, an area about the size of West Virginia.

This unprecedented onslaught of uncontainable wildfires is credited largely to climate change—warmer temperatures, dryer conditions and high-speed winds mean that when fires do spark, they’re likely to spread far and fast—as well as dense underbrush (or “fuel” for fires), which accumulates, ironically, when forest fires are prevented. When fires are contained, and small shrubs and trees aren’t burned off, those same shrubs make fires, when they do spark, unmanageable. It’s known as

adirondack scare The 2018 Flat Rock Fire burned 547 acres in Northern Clinton County in the Adirondacks.

8

number of people killed in 1955’s Caroline Street fire

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85

number of people killed in 2018’s Camp Fire in Paradise, CA

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2103

average number of acres burned by wildfires in New York each year between 1993-2017

local fire department is called to come put it out. When fires happen in the woods—Chief Dolan calls them “brush fires”— it’s still the local fire department that responds, but when those fires get out of hand, forest rangers from the New York Department Of Environmental Conservation (DEC) are brought in. In that case, they’d be classified as wildfires or forest fires.

Throughout New York State, and in the Upper Hudson Champlain region, where Saratoga is, the main cause of wildfires between 2003 and 2017 was debris burning. That’s

4000

number of acres burned by prescribed fires over the last ten years in New York State

50

percentage of US Forest Servicemanaged lands (which total 193 million acres) that the agency estimates are in need of fire or thinning

95

percentage of wildfires in New York caused by humans between 1993-2017

5

percentage of wildfires in New York caused by lightning between 1993-2017 NYSDEC

2 is on West Ave.) “The discussion about the need for a third fire station has been going on since I was hired—so, go back 20 years,” Chief Dolan says. “Over time, as people move out to the Eastern Plateau [the area near Saratoga Lake], the need for calls has increased out there. The response time—having a third station—will definitely improve, and that’s our mission.”

Most of the fires you hear about in this neck of the woods (i.e.

Upstate New York and the Northeast as a whole) are, indeed structure fires. A fire starts in the oven, for example, and the

47

percentage of fire departmentresponse wildfires that occur in the two months between March 15-May 15

2759

number of acres burned by New York State’s largest fire since 2008, the Roosa Gap Fire in Ulster County in 2015

the Smokey Bear effect—paradoxically, the US Forest Service’s symbol of fire prevention, which celebrated its 75th birthday last year, did its job of preventing wildfires so well, it actually made America’s forests more susceptible to raging, uncontrollable wildfires. “When you get that accumulation of fuels, and now we have dryer and hotter conditions…the past techniques we’ve used just aren’t working,” says Jaime Laczko, the DEC’s Region 5 Zones D and F supervisor, who has traveled out West to fight wildfires nearly 20 times since 1994. (Each year, forest rangers from around the country, including New York, are shipped in to help fight the massive blazes.) “The fires are just so volatile.

Basically, there are times when you just get all your resources, get off the line and wait until conditions change, so you can go back at it. It’s not worth anybody getting hurt or killed.”

The growing issue, presently, is that, whereas wildfires used to be just that—fires in the wild—that line between “civilization” and “wild” is quickly being blurred, and humans are in greater danger of being hurt or killed by them. “There’s a phrase that’s not all that new anymore, but it’s been new since my career started: ‘Wildland fire in the urban interface,’” says Captain Streiff. “That means, basically, fire burning in populated areas.

What we see that was not present, say, in the ’50s and ’60s and historically, is the second home market and those who want to build near forest service lands out West or build near the forest preserve lands here in the Adirondacks. And so, there are more structures that are being constructed at risk than there used to be.” This “wildland-urban interface” is now home to one-third of US homes and about half of Western residents.

So what’s the solution? One could be prescribed fires.

Also called controlled burning, prescribed fires are fires set intentionally to thin out underbrush. Research has shown that fire is actually imperative to the health of ecosystems and helps create biodiversity that can’t be achieved without it, so controlled burns are also conducted for this reason. The DEC conducts prescribed fires in the Albany Pine Bush, for example, and the National Park Service conducts them at Saratoga National Historical Park to maintain the open grasslands. “Over the last 10 years, 181 prescribed fires were conducted and over 4000 acres burned for the purpose of both ecological and fuel reduction objectives,” Captain Streiff tells me.

Of course, there are obvious concerns about prescribed fires, among them being smoke and the threat of those fires getting out of control. They’re also expensive: According to a

77,758

number of acres burned by 2019’s Kincade Fire in Sonoma County, CA

5

number of acres, in millions, burned in the Amazon in the first half of 2019

16

number of acres, in millions, burned in Australia in the 2019-20 bushfire season

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dire fire A 2016 fire burned more than 500 acres in Sam's Point Preserve in Ulster County; (bottom) the aftermath of the 2018 Flat Rock Fire.

2018 article in Outside magazine, “In California’s Sierra Nevada alone, the backlog of land that needs either fire or thinning is about the size of Kentucky. Restoring that would cost between $6 billion and $8 billion.” But prescribed fires might be our best option. My cousin, Alicia Wolff, who grew up in Saratoga County and moved to Petaluma, CA via New York City in 2014, says she thinks controlled burns would help manage the problem in California. “Personally, I think that prescribed fires would benefit everyone in terms of reducing the risk,” she says. “Because, obviously, the firefighters can employ their knowledge on where they’re going to set them, the resources would be integrated, and they’d be working together and collaborating as opposed to responding in emergency situations.”

But fire emergencies are inevitable, and responding to them efficiently and effectively is a crucial part of saving lives during wildfires, especially in that wildland-urban interface.

During the 2019 fire season in California, Wolff’s hometown of Petaluma became a haven for evacuees during the Kincade Fire, which was responsible for the largest evacuation in Sonoma County history. “With this year’s fire, everyone was sort of relieved that they were able to contain it, because there was a concern that once the fire jumped the highway, it was just going to blaze all the way to the ocean,” Wolff says.

“So, they evacuated that whole area between the highway and the ocean.” The evacuation was critical, because rather than worrying about saving the public from immediate danger, fire crews were able to focus exclusively on fighting the fire.

Wolff says that emergency preparedness has also improved since 2017’s Tubbs Fire that claimed 22 lives in Northern California. “A big effort has gone into the public safety alert system, so a lot of people are getting texts about the levels of alerts and evacuation orders, which wasn’t happening at all before,” she says. “Before 2017, you would maybe see on the news on the weather report that ‘it’s a red flag warning,’ but nobody even knew what that meant. So, now there’s much more public awareness about safety protocols and also emergency preparedness.”

Despite the increased fire danger, people continue to move to areas prone to fire in the wildland-urban interface. And that likely won’t change. So, in addition to more prescribed fires and better emergency response systems, fireproof communities are going to be increasingly necessary. And though it sounds far-fetched, such communities are totally achievable. Simple

NYSDEC

1

number of animals, in billions, that have died in Australia’s 2019-20 bushfires

71

percentage of peat forests that were lost to fire across Sumatra, Borneo and peninsular Malaysia between 1990 and 2015

180

total megatons of carbon dioxide emitted by Arctic wildfires in June, July and the first part of August 2019

regulations such as banning cedar shingles and trees up against homes, not to mention getting homeowners to install tile or metal roofs, fireproof siding, screens over attic vents and a fire break surrounding towns, are all fairly easy ways to keep a fire from spreading house to house and beyond. Take Montecito, CA, for example: In 2017, when the Thomas Fire threatened the town, and worst-case estimates predicted up to 400 or 500 homes would be lost—only 7 were, thanks to widespread compliance to these simple fire codes.

Of course, all these fixes are treating the problem (fire), not the cause (climate change). In November 2019, President Donald Trump tweeted “The Governor of California, @GavinNewsom, has done a terrible job of forest management. I told him from the first day we met that he must ‘clean’ his forest floors regardless of what his bosses, the environmentalists, DEMAND of him.”

He was met with backlash, with Governor Gavin Newsom responding that since Trump didn’t believe in climate change, he was “excused from this conversation.” California Democrat (and then-presidential candidate) Kamala Harris also joined in, tweeting: “Raking leaves is as effective at combatting the climate crisis as your phone’s spellcheck is at fixing your tweets. @GavinNewsom is doing his job. Maybe you should try it.” It’s worth noting that not all fires are climate change-caused: In the case of Brazil’s Amazon Rainforest, which is often set ablaze by cattle farmers clearing land; and Indonesia, where large swaths of peat forests have been lost to make farmland for palm oil, the most widely consumed vegetable oil on the planet, it’s people who are the cause of the fires. Of course, dryer conditions and underbrush don’t make it any easier to contain the blazes.

To worsen the problem, wildfires themselves are a major contributor to CO2 emissions: As of December 2019, Australia’s bushfires had already let off more than half of the entire country’s annual carbon dioxide emissions. And not only is the carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, being released into the environment and contributing to climate change, but the trees and plants that remove CO2 from the air are also being depleted in the process. It’s a positive feedback loop: Fires contribute to a warming climate, which in turn, contributes to more fires. And the only way to stop it (or at least slow it down) is to systematically reduce and eliminate the human practices we know contribute to climate change. Until then, it appears wildfires are here to stay. If only it were as easy as “Don’t Hide, Go Outside.” Then we’d all win the prize.

3.5

number of times more carbon dioxide emitted by Arctic wildfires in June, July and the first part of August 2019 than is emitted by Sweden annually

33

percentage of US homes that are located in the wildland-urban interface

500

percent larger California’s wildfires are than they would be without human-induced climate change

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stowe away Stowe, a must-visit ski mecca, happens to be a stone’s throw from a charming town and the Four-Diamond destination spa resort, Topnotch Resort; (inset) curling up by a warm fire with a cold beer at Topnotch Resort.

Heaven In Stowe How did Vermont’s Topnotch Resort get everything just right?

I

BY MARCO MEDRANO

t was one of those weekends when I had to just get out of Dodge. It also happened to be the always highly anticipated opening weekend at the “Ski Capital Of The East,” Stowe, VT. Even though I hadn’t snowboarded in more than a decade, I dusted off my winter play gear, and Stowe-bound I went.

As a how-lucky-am-I? tourist or luxury travel journalist on assignment, I’ve been more than fortunate to experience some of the planet’s most amazing skiing destinations, including St. Moritz, Gstaad, Zurich, Innsbruck, Jackson Hole, Aspen and Lake Tahoe. So, to say I was surprised by the same sort of super-deluxe feeling I get from those A-List winter playgrounds in Stowe, would be a severe understatement.

I mean, Stowe? This quaint, must-visit ski mecca also happens to be a stone’s throw from a charming town where you can “crawl” to beautiful boutiques and topflight restaurants with delicious eats and chic cocktails.

Here’s the sorry-not-sorry upshot from all of these eat, drink and play options: I never made it to the slopes. Not once. Who’s to blame? My perfectly delightful home for the long weekend, Topnotch Resort. A Four-Diamond destination spa resort, Topnotch was, in a word, sublime.

Enthusiastically, I even brought my tennis racquets, but never made it out of Topnotch’s amazing spa and (massive) gym facility. It’s that good.

In the mood for a little humble-brag? I’ve experienced most every ultra-luxury/ exotic spa treatment known to man, globally. I mean, all of them. And the simple truth is, I was genuinely floored by the professionalism and devotion from Topnotch’s expert spa staff. Neither cocky nor cloying, the friendly team members were knowledgeable and led with a tremendous, infectious healing energy (I’m telling you, it was palpable). The myriad cosmetology practitioner certifications and one-ina-million specialties each employee had in his or her arsenal was what, to me, truly defines a “destination” spa. In short, my experience at this particular one was, yes, top notch. Here’s a primer to maximizing your experience at this must-see resort.

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thai’d up Topnotch’s Thai Massage is an unforgettable, possibly lifealtering experience.

By all means, do get a pass for the sprawling Club Topnotch, an epic, two-floor workout facility, and take advantage of its carefully curated wellness classes in its chic rooms overlooking the frozen landscape. Just wow. Again, Club Topnotch’s offerings are mind-blowingly extensive.

After being methodical about pumping iron since 1984, I decided that after I hit that magic age of 40, I would shift my fitness routine to center more on stretching and staying limber. So, although I, like most humans on the planet, enjoy a regular massage, my longstanding preference will always fall in the how-hard-can-you-go? deep muscle bodywork camp. I did some cardio and stretching prior to my Thai

Massage, and it helped tremendously.

Although my masseuse was tiny and affable, this woman had the strength of Goliath and unbelievably, dismantled my formidable stress. I’m telling you, folks, she was nothing short of a real healer with a healthy dash of metaphysical know-how.

On that note, one of my more inspired selections at the spa was Cranio Sacral Therapy, a medically focused lymphatic stress releaser in the osteopathic oeuvre. Sometimes dismissed out of hand by Western medicine (I disagree), the right therapist with intuitive abilities can make this a successful release treatment. One of the treatment’s intentions falls into moving the film coating that lubricates our (lymphatic) spine and nervous system to our skull—or cranium. The focus, then, shifts to releasing coiled-up joints and spine, all with light touch and release. Marilyn was my therapist (with countless relevant accreditations) and,

again, her confidence and après ski Topnotch passion were intoxicating.

Resort is just this side Marilyn put me back on of perfectly appointed, my path (and how!) so I with everything you could continue to be of could ask for, including service to the universe— fireside cocktails. or, at least that’s how I felt immediately afterwards.

The salon at Topnotch oozed casual professionalism with a stellar list of services and products. I wished I needed a haircut or (shhh!) some highlights! Following my cranial service, I was all too ready to get back in the saddle of rediscovering my youth, face first. Being wayyyy overdue for Botox, I decided to peel back some forehead wrinkles with a frown-focused facial. I was determined that I wasn’t going to leave this property the same way I walked in. And I didn’t, thanks to forehead microdermabrasion, a Vitamin C mask and topical oxygen infusion. My Russian-born facialist, Angela, was a blackbelt cosmetologist

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and knew exactly where to precisely focus lifting movements and results-oriented products. I also felt heard, which isn’t a given at every spa. And in the end, my skin was, in a word, flawless. The Tata Harper Skincare line for age-rewind skin was, of course, also a huge contributor to my newfound baby face.

Keeping my promise to myself, it was time for me to listen to my own body, crying out for exercise, Pilates and further realignment. I wanted to jump into Thai Chi, but missed the class, twice. However, the Chakra Balancing and Energy Healing was a winning group class led by Rosemary. Remember: The right people can transcend healing to an amazing place. And Rosemary did. Next on my list was Pilates with Donna. So awesome!

I instantly started feeling like someone I used to know: Myself—decades ago.

Donna’s charm and expertise lured me back to her other class, Barre, a first for me. I tossed around free weights for so many years that I became bored with my workouts. Barre and Pilates are a great way to build muscle, but, more importantly, strengthen your frame and core.

I also made sure to hit the steam room and sauna between treatments and drenched my body in hot water at every turn. Other can’t-miss strengthening classes included Hydro Power (an amazing pool), Awareness Yoga, Fitness Walks with Aqua Intervals, “Ta-Butt-A,” H.I.I.T. Mash Up and Hard Core training. You could literally transform your body and mind in mere days here, whether you prefer Zen, “buff” or meditational; I chose all of the above.

You should, too.

Remember, at this point, I was still on holiday, so I kept to my mantra of everything in moderation—and had the mixologist at Roost make me a divine muddled Manhattan on the rocks. I still daydream about it. A beautiful, multiuse bar and restaurant, Roost serves all three meals effortlessly, with a light-asair ambience that changes with the time of day and crowd. Where else can you enjoy a full chef’s menu, locally sourced berry smoothie, Bloody Mary, breakfast bruschetta and play shuffleboard all in

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the same place? I’m smiling just thinking about it. Flannel is the more epicurean lofty bistro with tasting menus, sampler plates and exquisitely prepared culinary selections for every palette. As Vermont is famous for cheese (and, of course, maple syrup), Flannel’s Cheese & Charcuterie with champagne was OMG delicious.

We gave Executive Chef Dylan Taylor full reign for his please-never-end tasting menu and the plates kept rolling in after he asked for a few likes and dislikes. Each Instagram-worthy entrée was light, tasty and slap-your-mama mouth-watering.

The whole experience was joyous and deeply, soul-enrichingly delicious. The Tuna Poke and giant Seared Scallop were next level, to say nothing of the equally fantastical Saffron Seafood Risotto and Togarashi Crusted Seared Rare Tuna.

The ambience at Flannel was at once clubby, industrial and chic, with a long, sexy bar and a curved glass walled veranda. It just worked.

Topnotch Resort was an unexpected, one-stop escape in Stowe. I left this lowkey property once to meander the quaint town, but found I just really missed being “home.” I couldn’t recall feeling this way for a resort in maybe, well, ever. I now know why this unpretentious slice of resort heaven is called Topnotch. I can’t wait to visit my home in Stowe again and again and again. And again.

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Cartoonist John McPherson Actually Is ‘Close To Home’ THE POPULAR COMIC STRIP AND GREETING CARDS A R E C R E AT E D R I G H T H E R E I N S A R AT O G A .

artoonist John McPherson used to crack me up when I had cancer. I got a ton of Close To Home cartoons and greeting cards when I was bald and stuck at home in my jammies. And even as friends were mailing them to me from across the country, I was in on the not-so-secret secret: He was drawing his famous funnies right here in Saratoga Springs.

First published in 1992, McPherson’s Close To Home now appears in some 700 newspapers around the globe, including The Washington Post and The Miami Herald, as well as online at closetohome.com. (The strip’s an easy “like” for fans of Gary Larson’s bygone The Far Side.) People also get giggles and guffaws from McPherson’s Close To Home page-a-day calendars and 20 cartoon books.

For McPherson, who’s lived around here for nearly 35 years, “humor comes from stress,” as his characters wrestle with the stuff of daily life, such as marital squabbles, terrible teens, screaming babies and trips to the dentist. And yes, it's Saratogians that trigger his comedy. “I like small cities that have a real sense of community,” he says.

I think I can speak for the rest of Saratoga in saying “thank you,” John. We need somebody to laugh with us—and at us!

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COURTESY OF JOHN MCPHERSON

BY K AREN BJORNL AND

commercial strip Saratogabased cartoonist John McPherson’s Close To Home appears in some 700 newspapers worldwide.

y boyfriend and I first started dating in the winter, and we’d walk around our Vermont college campus while holding hands inside the pocket of his winter coat. It was all very adorable. Four years later, I came across a web comic on Facebook in which a girl takes off one of her mittens to put her hand into her boyfriend’s mitten. Equally adorable. A month after that, I was sitting in the cozy (or “snug,” but more on that later) Clinton Street apartment in Saratoga Springs of Catana Chetwynd, the creative force behind Catana Comics, the publisher behind the strip I’d seen, “Glove Love, Smitten Mitten.”

I’d seen Catana Comics’ feel-good strips about relationships before but hadn’t realized the digital sensation was local. A Ballston Spa native, Chetwynd was studying psychology at the State University of New York Potsdam’s Queensbury campus in 2016, when her career as a cartoonist took off.

Nowadays, the 25-year-old comic artist is doing Catana Comics full time; is the author of a bestselling book, Little Moments Of Love; and has 2.8 million Instagram followers. Her and her fiancé, John Freed, whose comic likeness costars in Chetwynd’s strips, are also no longer living in Saratoga, but have moved to North Carolina, where they’re readying for a book tour for Chetwynd’s second book, Snug: A Collection Of Comics About Dating Your Best Friend, that was released on February 4.

I sat down with Chetwynd way back in February 2019, before her move, before the release of her second book and before her engagement (which came with an adorable animation of comic John proposing to comic Catana), to talk about her rise to fame, what’s next for Catana Comics and if her relationship really is as perfect as she makes it out to be.

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CREDIT

Catana Chetwynd, creator of the massively popular Catana Comics, has some serious Saratoga ties.

CREDIT

sketch comedy Catana Chetwynd sketching a comic on her iPad in her former Saratoga Springs apartment.

Funny Love B Y N ATA L I E M O O R E p h o t o g r a p h y b y F R A N C E S C O D ’A M I C O e x c l u s i v e ly f o r s a r a t o g a l i v i n g

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Sometimes I go through lulls where I’m just sitting around, and I don’t have anything, but it always passes.

Have you always liked drawing and making comics?

I did comics when I was a kid. It was, like, a really weird hobby.

How did Catana Comics take off?

What was the series’ first comic strip?

The first one was “The Mere Exposure Effect”—the one where I start appearing places. I was making them just for John, so I didn’t have any plans of posting them online. And then John was like, “When are you going to post these?”

And I was like, “Hmm, never.” So John said, “Can I post them?” and I said, “I guess.” So John posted them, and then they immediately—there were probably five I had made at that time, maybe six— went viral. We were really unprepared; we didn’t have a website or anything.

I just thought I was making them for myself and for John. So then we did a second batch a week later and released them again, and they went viral again, but this time we had a website and an Instagram that we could send people to.

It just kind of snowballed from there.

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drawn together Chetwynd and her fiancé John Freed co-star as illustrations in Catana comic strips; including “The Mere Exposure Effect” (opposite, top), and “Glove Love, Smitten Mitten” (opposite, bottom right).

Can you walk me the process of creating a comic strip?

So the idea usually comes from something that John and I do, or something that’s a constant in our lives, like the fact that he’s organized and I’m not. I’ll just think of it and write it in an Apple Note, so I have a super-long list of super-big ideas. Then I sketch it out on my iPad really roughly and then I go over it.

Do you ever feel like you’re going to run out of ideas? Or do they just always keep coming?

I worry about that, but my list still keeps growing. I’ve never looked at my Notes and only had one on there before.

How do you make money on your comics, besides through book sales?

I have merchandise and prints that people can buy. Because the comics remind people of their significant other, we get a lot of people buying them as gifts for Valentine’s Day, Christmas, anniversaries—stuff like that.

So it’s mostly from sales, not from sponsorships.

Yeah, Instagram doesn’t pay me anything.

Would you consider doing sponsored posts on Instagram?

Yeah, we’ve talked about this, and only with brands that actually resonate with us. We did one sponsorship with thredUP, which is all about sustainable clothing, and that we were really into, so we definitely were down for promoting them. But if Walmart asked, I would be like, “I don’t think so, no.”

How was your first book received?

We made the bestseller list at No.3 for nonfiction and No.10 total, but we were

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very happy with that, for our first book.

We got to go on a tour, and then Target picked it up. We constantly see it when we’re out and about, and it doesn’t get any more normal—I still get excited every time.

Based on your comics, your relationship with your fiancé looks perfect. Is there anything less than perfect about John?

We talk about this all the time. It almost feels stupid, because I feel like people think we’re putting on a show or faking it. But no, he’s actually like that. And I get that it’s unrealistic to think that someone should be happy all the time, but we really are happy all the time. It’s hard to tell people, “Oh, we actually are,” because obviously they think that you’re lying. And I don’t want them to think that’s how you have to be, because you certainly don’t have to be happy all the time, but we really don’t argue or anything. And we spend a lot of time together. I think we’re just both very mellow people.

I saw on your website that you love getting fan mail. What types of things have people sent you? What was your favorite piece of fan mail?

We get a lot of things in our P.O. Box but we also go to events and people will bring us gifts. People bring us their wedding invitations that are Catana Comics-themed. They’ll bring us cake toppers that they used for their wedding. A lot of people draw their own versions of the comics, and they’ll give them to us. We also get a lot of handwritten letters from people. It always blows my mind that the comics mean so much to people. And they’ll bring us letters telling us their story and saying that the comics mean so much to them, and we read all of them. It doesn’t get old by any means.

So what’s next for Catana Comics?

We pretty much like to take what the fans say they want and then try to do it. We get a lot of requests for animation, and

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comic relief “I feel like there was a void of wholesome content,” says Chetwynd about her feel-good comic strips; (opposite) Chetwynd’s personal favorite comic she’s created.

I certainly can’t do that myself. Sometimes I do animated .gifs, and it takes me a day and a half, an absurd amount of time, so I can’t imagine a fully animated thing. But I think it’d be really cool if a studio, with an animation kind of situation, offered to help us do a couple shorts. And then I also think it’d be cool to have merch in stores.

Things like greeting cards would be really cool to have in stores, or t-shirts with funny quotes on them.

Why do you think people love your comics so much?

First of all, I feel like the big thing right now is self-deprecating humor, and I think something nice about the comics is they’re not sad. So much humor right now is based off of sadness and defeat, which I get, because it’s important to acknowledge those things and make them lighthearted, but at the same time, it’s also good to…I don’t know how to explain it. I feel like there was a void of wholesome content.

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S

tressed-out college students and cobwebby reference books aren’t the only things you’ll find in Skidmore College’s Lucy Scribner Library: The four-floor building in the heart of campus is also home to not one but two comic book treasure troves. On the first floor, just past the circulation desk, is a take-one-leave-one comic collection, which was donated to the college by French Professor John Anzalone in 2014. The display rotates every few weeks, highlighting all the top superheroes and villains in the comic world, from Superman and Lex Luther to Professor X and Magneto.

But up two flights of stairs on the third floor is the real motherlode—a hidden gem even the most frequent of library visitors may not even know about. (Heck, I’ve worked there for three years and just discovered it!) A second collection of graphic novels and comic books spans about 20 shelves. Why does a respected college research library hold all these strips?

“Comic books and graphic novels are being taught at the college,” says Humanities Librarian John Cosgrove. “Some classes are specifically about comic books, but it’s mostly integrated into courses, just as film has been popping up in courses over the last 20 years. There’s an interest in it, so it’s being fulfilled.”

Cosgrove has personally made use of the third-floor collection himself, co-authoring several papers with Professor Jeffrey Segrave of the Human Health and Physiological Sciences department about sports in comic books (think competitive snowman making in Peanuts and competitive tanning in Doonesbury). The secret’s out, Saratoga. KABOOM!

COMIC BOOKS, ANYONE? T H E S E C A P I TA L R E G I O N C O M I C B O O K S T O R E S S T I L L H AV E T H E G O O D S .

BY WILL LEVITH

T

he first comic book I ever read cover-tocover was this beat-up old Marvel compendium that retraced the origin stories of Spider-Man, Doctor Octopus and the Green Goblin. It sat in our living room in Saratoga Springs for years—it must’ve been from the 1970s or early ’80s.

Long after it bit the dust, my brother and I shared a childhood collection that included Archie Comics, G.I. Joe and the X-Men titles— and each of us put together our own separate collections when we got older.

Back then, you bought all of your wares at Spa City Comics, the only local comic book shop of note in Saratoga. It’s no longer around, and sadly, the city’s most recent comic store, the Comic Depot, shuttered last October. But fear not, locals!

You can still pick up all the new and back issues of your favorite titles at these five Capital Region shops.

SKIDMORE FUNNIES ⁄

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ELECTRIC CITY COMICS LOCATION: Schenectady OWNER: Bill Townsend FOUNDED: 1982 KNOWN FOR: Back issues TOP SELLERS: “The comic

market’s a lot like what’s happened with the television market, in that you have all these streaming services offering all these specialty shows and some of them get a lot of traction, but there’s no one, watercooler show anymore,” says Jevon Kasitch, who’s been the store’s manager since 1990. One that recently caused a mild stir? A run of Superman comics in which the superhero reveals his secret identity, Clark Kent, to the public.

AQUILONIA COMICS LOCATION: Troy OWNER: Robert Lupe FOUNDED: 1985 KNOWN FOR: Weekly, new

comic books; Magic: The Gathering cards TOP SELLERS: Batman, X-Men INSIDER INFO: This is my neighborhood comic book shop. I go in every few months to restock my favorite titles such as Paper Girls and anything written by my former editor, Ethan Sacks.

ZOMBIE PLANET LOCATION: Albany OWNER: George Vasilakos FOUNDED: 2003 KNOWN FOR: Boardgames, role-playing games, card games, comic books TOP SELLERS: “That’s tough to gauge,” says Vasilakos of what sells best. “Our percentages are split pretty evenly between a number of categories.” He says that’s a big reason Zombie Planet’s stayed in business so long.

EXCELLENT ADVENTURES EARTHWORLD COMICS

LOCATION: Ballston Spa OWNER: John Belskis FOUNDED: 1986 KNOWN FOR: Back issues

CREDIT

CREDIT

A T R E AS U R E T ROV E O F C O M I C S G O L D C A N B E F O U N D AT T H E S A R AT O G A - B A S E D C O L L E G E ’ S L U C Y S C R I B N E R L I B R A R Y.

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recently parted ways with the first appearance of Wolverine (The Incredible Hulk No.181) and Thor (Journey Into Mystery No.83), both of which can sell for thousands in the right condition.

from the 1940s-70s; Belskis also founded the Albany Comic Con TOP SELLERS: “The two constant back issue sellers are Amazing Spider-Man and Batman,” says Belskis. “Key issues” also sell well; Belskis

LOCATION: Albany OWNER: J.C. Glindmyer FOUNDED: 1983 KNOWN FOR: New comic titles,

back issues, collections TOP SELLERS: Batman, X-Men superhero hq The entrance to Ballston Spa’s Excellent Adventures Comic Books store.

GLINDMYER’S FAVORITE COMIC BOOK STORE, PAST OR PRESENT:

The long-shuttered Fantaco, the first comic store in the Capital District

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(Earlywine) DOW SMITH; (automobile) SARATOGA AUTOMOBILE MUSEUM

going once... Each year, the Saratoga Automobile Museum presents its auction on the mainstage at SPAC, with car enthusiasts from all over the country participating in the fun. Here, Auctioneer Brent Earlywine gets excited about a lot.

SPEEDING TOWARD SUCCESS T HE SAR ATO G A AU TO M O B I L E M U S E U M P UTS I TS P E DA L TO TH E M E TA L I N 2 02 0.

BY JEFF DINGLER

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S

ure, attending the New York International Auto Show (NYIAS) in Manhattan is about gawking at all of the automotive industry’s newest, truly jaw-dropping models on the floor of the Jacob Javits Convention Center. But for Saratogian car spa in the city A 1939 Packard buffs, the show has also become Town Car that will be exhibited an annual pilgrimage, as the city’s this year as part of the Saratoga own Saratoga Automobile Museum Automobile Museum’s classic (SAM) has a regular, front-andcar display as NYIAS; (top) the Saratoga Automobile Museum’s center presence there. classic car display from last At this year’s NYIAS, which takes year’s NYIAS. place from April 10-19, Gotham will once again train the white-hot spotlight on SAM. “This is our fourth year at the show,” says Carly Connors, the museum’s executive director. “They invited us to be the official classic car display.” In other words, as ticket-holders stream into the Javits Center, they’ll catch SAM’s exhibit, featuring four gorgeous, vintage Packards, right by the show’s entrance. Now, that’s product placement!

NYIAS is one of the largest auto shows in the country, each year attracting more than one million visitors and displaying a Who’s-who of the top brands in the industry such as Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini and Porsche. And that’s just for starters.

I don’t know about you, but I can’t wait to take advantage of SAM’s bus service down to the New York City show and back, which leaves from the museum parking lot on April 13 and/or April 18. Save me a seat!

—JEFF DINGLER

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(table) SARATOGA AUTOMOBILE MUSEUM; (auction) DOW SMITH

THE SARATOGA AUTOMOBI LE M U SE U M M A KE S I TS PRESENCE FELT IN N YC.

SARATOGA AUTOMOBILE MUSEUM

New York International Auto Show, Or Bust!

T

here must be something in the water. I wasn’t much of a car guy before I moved to Saratoga Springs, but now I’m obsessed. The irony isn’t lost on me that the city’s official hub for classic and collector car-gazing, the Saratoga Automobile Museum (SAM), was once a waterbottling plant. First opening its butterfly doors in 2002, SAM is now at the center of the automotive universe in the Capital Region, organizing everything from mustsee exhibitions and shows to galas and its prestigious annual auto auction. And after nearly two decades in service of car enthusiasts all over the country, SAM’s 2020 schedule is set for overdrive.

“We want the Saratoga Automobile Museum to become a destination for people to see great exhibits,” says SAM’s Executive Director Carly Connors. To that end, this year, SAM will start working with famed automotive curator Ken Gross to up the ante on its exhibition schedule. “Ken has the connections to get us the cars we need,” says Connors. “We’re going to be bringing in some spectacular cars.”

It’s a broad vision that could include wooing more top-flight classic car rallies to town such as the International Bugatti Tour, which zoomed through the Saratoga Spa State Park in 2018. “We’re working with Discover Saratoga to bring more rallies and events like the Bugatti tour to the area,” says Connors. That also includes coaxing world-famous car collectors to display their wares at SAM. “We’re talking to Jerry Seinfeld and other big car collectors about getting their stunning cars in the museum,” she says. (Although no guarantees have been made just yet, Connors confirms that the museum and the superstar comedian, who has a penchant for getting coffee in expensive cars [see: Netflix], are currently in talks.)

SAM’s ratcheted up its events game this year, too. The museum kicked off the new year with its first-ever Kids

Gala in January, which supported the museum’s Distracted Driving Program.

And later this summer, SAM will hold a special memorial for Capital Region car dealer (and major museum donor) Anthony DePaula, who passed away this past October. DePaula served on the museum’s board and will be remembered with a ceremony on August 4 at the Hall of Springs. “Mr. DePaula was an ardent supporter of the museum and its mission since the beginning, from his numerous contributions to being a longtime member of the board of trustees,” says Connors.

But SAM’s 2020 schedule isn’t only about innovations; it’s also about supercharging already popular annual events. Connors says Saratogians should expect a glut of summer events— one nearly every weekend—including a lot more lawn auto shows. Even the Saratoga Auto Auction, which this year will be taking place September 18 and 19, at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC), will be getting an expert

tune-up. During the auction’s preview day on September 17, car enthusiasts will be able to participate in a new road rally through the Adirondacks, with a luncheon stop at the Lake George Club in Diamond Point; and later that same day, a brand new VIP cocktail party previewing the soon-to-be-auctioned cars at the Hall of Springs in Spa State Park. “We want everyone to appreciate the museum,” says Connors. “Right now, we have cars here that car people like, but we also want to bring in people who maybe aren’t into cars but can

auction plan On this year’s Saratoga Auto Auction preview day, car enthusiasts will be able to enjoy an exclusive VIP cocktail party previewing the next two day’s wares; (top) the set up for an auction on SPAC’s main stage.

appreciate them as beautiful art.”

Art that goes vroom-vroom? Hey, it worked for me. Now, if only I could convince saratoga living to fund some new “research” (i.e. wheels) at the next rally that rolls through town.

A boy can dream.

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sl predicts...

The Kentucky Derby Winner Will Be… TIZ THE LAW is our pick to take the 2020 ‘Run for the Roses’ at Churchill Downs.

ike just about every other Jockey Club Stakes at Churchill last Saratoga racing fan out November, but the effort did nothing there, I became consumed to dampen my enthusiasm for this with Funny Cide mania in the exciting runner. I fully expect Tiz The spring of 2003. The chestnut Law to give Tagg and the Sackatoga son of Distorted Humor was crew plenty of reasons to dream big on foaled in our backyard three the Derby trail this spring. years earlier at McMahon of Saratoga Thoroughbreds and was owned by Here are four other Derby prospects the Saratoga Springs-based Sackatoga worth following: Stable. The story of Funny Cide became Dennis’ Moment This son of Hall of all the buzz, locally and nationally, when Famer Tiznow has a pair of impressive the “gutsy gelding,” as wins—but finished a he came to be known, disappointing eighth in the The Sackatoga Stableunexpectedly won both Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. owned Tiz The Law is the Kentucky Derby and He’s as talented as any an intriguing Derby Preakness Stakes.

Derby hopeful and will be prospect. The WinStar Could lightning strike a leading contender in the again for the connections spring prep races.

Farm-bred colt of the popular Funny Storm The Court This debuted with a Cide? I think there’s red-hot California-based 4¼-length victory last a legitimate chance prospect took horse summer at Saratoga. that the Sackatoga racing by storm with a partners and the stable’s victory in the Breeders’ longtime trainer, Barclay Tagg, could be Cup Juvenile at odds of 45-1. The bay celebrating amid the roses at Churchill son of Court Vision will look to prove he Downs on the first Saturday in May. The isn’t a one-hit wonder.

Sackatoga-owned Tiz The Law is a most Eight Rings Bob Baffert’s top Derby intriguing Derby prospect. Purchased hopeful to have emerged so far is this for $110,000 at Fasig-Tipton’s preferred gifted son of Empire Maker. He won New York-bred Saratoga sale in 2018, last year’s American Pharoah Stakes at the WinStar Farm-bred colt debuted Santa Anita Park, and he’ll get plenty of with a 4¼-length victory last summer at hype this spring.

Saratoga. Next out, he proved to be the Maxfield An injury kept this precocious real deal with a four-length romp in the son of Derby winner Street Sense from Grade 1 Champagne Stakes at Belmont. participating in the Breeders’ Cup, but Tiz The Law had a bit of a troubled he’s won both of his races and already has a victory at Churchill on his record. trip when finishing third in the Kentucky

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law & order Tiz The Law, a Saratogaowned Thoroughbred, has a real shot to win this year’s Kentucky Derby.

NYRA

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BY BRIEN BOUYEA

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Start Making Plans, Saratoga!

SAVE T H E DAT E F O R T HE SE CAN ’ T-MI SS E VE N TS ARO UND T H E CAP ITAL R E G I ON . BY W I LL LE VI T H

FEBRUARY 8-23

For the first time in 31 years, Home Made Theater stages the classic thriller, Dial M For Murder, which Alfred Hitchcock made famous on the silver screen. homemadetheater.org

EDITOR’S PICK FEBRUARY 29

Grammy-winning folk artist ROSEANNE CASH breaks the champagne bottle on the bow of Downtown Saratoga’s new year-round arts venue, Universal Preservation Hall.

(Although the show’s sold out, Cash will be playing Ithaca the following night.) For more info, visit roseannecash.com.

FEBRUARY 14-16

Shake that snow off your parka and enjoy dancing, singing and jamming at the 2020 Flurry Festival at the Saratoga City Center. saratogacitycenter.org FEBRUARY 14

Catch the explosive riffage and songsmithery of Austin, TX rocker Emily Wolfe at The Linda, WAMC’s Performing Arts Studio in Albany. thelinda.org FEBRUARY 15

Comedian and host of The Daily Show Trevor Noah will probably get political— but the type you can laugh about—at Albany’s Times Union Center timesunioncenter-albany. com

of Saratoga Beer Week. americaontap.com FEBRUARY 20

Waynard Scheller & Rainbow Full of Sound will be recreating The Grateful Dead’s legendary (and muchbootlegged) ’72 European tour at Saratoga’s Putnam Place. putnamplace.com FEBRUARY 27

Underwater photographers David Doubilet and his wife Jennifer Hayes bring their picture stories, in their National Geographic Coral Kings And Empires Of Ice live show, to Proctors. proctors.org FEBRUARY 28

Things will never be the same after you see piano god (and hipster favorite) Bruce Hornsby, with yMusic, at the Troy Savings Bank Music Hall. troymusichall.org Guitarist Eric Johnson, who might as well be playing

FEBRUARY 16-21

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FEBRUARY 21-22

MARCH 6

What’s your price for flight?

You’ll be motoring all night long to the sounds of hair metal band Night Ranger at Schenectady’s Rivers Casino & Resort. riverscasinoandresort.com MARCH 13

Alabamian John Paul White, formerly of Grammy-winning folk duo The Civil Wars, supports his latest folk-rock solo set, The Hurting Kind, at Caffè Lena. caffelena.org MARCH 15

Witness the mini-pressure cooker that is MasterChef Junior live onstage at Albany’s Palace Theatre. palacealbany.org MARCH 22

MARCH 5

Enjoy discounts on a number of Electric City accommodations during Schenectady’s first-ever Discover Schenectady Hotel Week. discoverschenectady.com Soak yourself in suds at the Saratoga Springs City Center for the latest edition

a flamethrower, brings his Classics Past & Present tour to Albany’s The Egg. theegg.org

Come dressed as your favorite musician to the Albany Symphony’s “Beethoven Back To The Future – Sunday Symphony” event at the Zankel Music Center at Skidmore College. albanysymphony.com MARCH 28-JUNE 14

noah’s bark Daily Show host Trevor Noah brings his comedy tour to the Times Union Center.

Through June 14, catch the “Images of the People: Russian Lacquer Painting” exhibit at Glens Falls’ The Hyde Collection. hydecollection.org

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Wanna Ride?

W H E THE R BY L AND, SNOW OR AI R, TH ESE LU XE TOYS A R E , IN A WO RD, AMAZI NG. n BY SI MO N M U R R AY

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HondaJet Elite

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PRIVATE JET:

It might not hit you at first—but go ahead, take another look. See it yet? Yes, those jet engines are perched on pylons above the HondaJet Elite’s wings. The original, idiosyncratic HondaJet entered production in 2015, signaling the Japanese engineering conglomerate’s foray into the world of aviation. The Elite debuted a few years later, before taking over as the only version of the plane in production.

According to the manufacturer, no detail was overlooked in creating the “world’s most advanced light jet.” The cabin features a private lavatory, full-service galley, two-toned executive leather seats and Wi-Fi. With a range of 1650 miles, the journey on board might actually be the destination.

hey, pj! The HondaJet Elite is touted by its manufacturer as “the world’s most advanced light jet.”

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stroke of genius A pair of 850-class two-stroke engines take the Polaris Indy XC to new heights.

OFF-ROAD TRUCK:

Jeep Gladiator In ancient Rome, the gladiators who fought in the dirt and the mud did so for glory. Like those battle-hardened warriors, the 2020 Jeep Gladiator is rugged in all the right ways. Built for adventure—or wherever the pavement ends—the gas-fed Gladiator picks up where the brand’s last pick-up model, the Comanche, left off in the early 1990s. The truck pairs a four-door cab with a five-foot cargo bed and undeniable Jeep character (it is, after all, inspired by the legendary Wrangler).

Trail-rated capabilities include large off-road tires, a sturdy suspension and advanced all-wheel-drive systems.

Remember: Colosseum crowds used their thumbs to signal whether a losing gladiator should live or die. The Jeep wave will never be the same.

SNOWMOBILE:

Polaris Indy XC More than four decades after Polaris unveiled the Indy lineup, it’s back with a new generation of snowmobiles carrying the Indy moniker. Entering the heated trail-crossover market, Polaris has unleashed two versatile machines in the form of the Indy XC 129 and 137 models. (The number refers to the track: 129 inch and 137 inch, respectfully.) Both sleds can be powered by an owner’s choice of 600-, 800- or 850-class two-stroke twin engines. It’s the last one—the 850 Patriot—that can take these sleds to new heights, delivering a fast, easy-toride experience for both the twistingtrail pro and novice rider.

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roman holiday Like battle-hardened warriors, the 2020 Jeep Gladiator is rugged in all the right ways.

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the back Gorgeous ⁄

Anti-Aging Is Impossible

BE COM IN G PRO-GORGEOUS I S DEFI N I T E LY T H E B E ST WAY TO A PPROACH YOUR BEAUTY J OURNEY. BY M A R C O M E DR A N O

Y

our best you is being “pro-gorgeous”—a concept I picked up on a decade ago, after seeing just how badly anti-aging terminology and its synonyms were being overused. I was also writing for a 55-plus luxe audience at the time, and my readers expected results. With the bulk of the emphasis being on skin perfection, we went to town.

About me: Let’s just say I might have an AARP card. That said, I grew up on the San Francisco Bay, waterskied everywhere during an era when Bain de Soleil sunscreen and red-hot skin color were chic. Fortunately, my mother bathed us in Lancôme moisturizer as youngsters, and I’ve never looked back or downgraded since. I knew from early on that rich moisturization was key, because I started seeing fine lines when I was young—and aggressively found ways to counteract my aging skin. I segued from two years of small business management and spent the bulk of my adult life in the beauty industry as a licensed cosmetologist (hair and skin). And as an ’80s Beverly Hills stylist—with stints in Rome, Paris and Milan—I became super fascinated with skincare, because, well, I woke up and realized I was approaching 40. Work required true jet-setting with royals, dignitaries and captains of industry and their offspring. And the branded skincare industry was an explosion of fascination and promising results—youth and perfection weren’t an option. I started using Retin-A 1.0 strength at 28 years. I don’t even get red from it now. But it still works!

Fair-skinned people should consult an expert and go slow.

Skin and age don’t really have a genre. And my definition of beauty is clear, supple skin that’s mark-free, rubbery and taught. Man or woman.

And pore-less, if we get that far. I love skincare and shoes. I have a closet for both. The idea that we can slow the

skin tight Today we’re in a beauty era that truly allows topical skincare to provide noticeable results that actually stave off surgical procedures.

signs of aging makes me excited—and that requires consistently applying layers throughout the day. And yes, dealing with the occasional OMG blemish that prevents you from answering FaceTime calls. All of it.

We also live in an age of organics and natural skincare products, all battling for market-share in a trillion-dollar industry.

It’s an era that truly allows topical skincare to provide noticeable results that stave off surgical procedures—almost replacing surgical treatments if you’re diligent and consistent enough. Few are.

Also, although DIY, at-home organics can provide maximum penetration, not many of us can show up at work with an orange peel soaked in watermelon juice enzymes and honey on our face. Why has that sector of retail exploded? Because it works better, faster and deeper. (Or in industry-speak, it absorbs organically fast, due to its bioavailability.) Working our way backwards from plastic surgery lets us itemize our youth options: SUNSCREEN: Sunscreen’s a savior and deserves its own paragraph!

Sun protection (and protection from light that comes from computers and

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only at T he Mansion of Saratoga ENJOY FULL AND PRIVATE ACCESS TO OUR UNIQUE VENUE AND SERVICES Victorian Mansion, circa 1866  Rustic Barn  White Tented Deck  English Gardens & Boucolic Pond Le Cordon Bleu Executive Chef  Personal Event Coordinator

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TheMansionSaratoga.com

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518.885.1607

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Lori@TheMansionSaratoga.com

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chemical peel did its job, but your job is to protect the skin, post-service, 110 percent of the time. Driving with a glass sunroof and walking outside (even a three-minute walk to the corner turns procedure-treated skin to brown “hyperpigmentation” spots) can reverse weeks or even months of pounding with serums several times a day. Most luxury SPFs have become treatment based. Don’t skimp on them.

smartphones) is often the most overlooked pro-gorgeous skincare practice. You spend hundreds (if not thousands) of dollars on skincare and services, only to have a pinky-brown spot surface weeks later. Why? The

INJECTABLES: In most states, in order to receive injectables, you need to go to a med spa, licensed nurse at a doctor-monitored establishment or doctor. Restylane and Juvaderm are forms of Hyaluronic Acid fillers used to plump wrinkled skin, lips, crevices and sunken indentations—and it’s also manufactured in our bodies, so injecting it poses a less creepy risk.

I wish the industry would drop tthe word "acid" on labels, because, as a face serum, it's so gentle that you can

h o ok t o g I swim in it. Literally. Botox, Dysport and Xeomin are all branded forms of a botulism toxin meant to flatten by blocking muscle movements that cause wrinkles, each with its list of comparables regarding tolerance, price and length of effectiveness.

Kybella is used to break down doublechin fat (often completely). Fat transfer, on the other hand, extracts fat from your own body where you can afford to lose it (buttocks, thighs or jiggly areas). The process is obviously more detailed, but, essentially, it’s a deposit coming from your own bank—a nutrient fund transfer.

ASSERTIVE AND NON-INVASIVE PROCEDURES: Let’s talk microdermabrasion. It’s a large category with many options. It can be subtle or aggressive, depending on how much counteracting is professionally determined, but usually, it involves advanced exfoliation and

deep dermal rejuvenation or deduction.

Same with acid peels. My first was a citric organic peel 25 years ago that had an amazing result after a scary five days.

Thirty years ago, they were even more harsh, and some people couldn’t leave the house for the first ten days after the procedure. Although professional Alpha or Beta Hydroxy Acids (AHAs or BHAs) also come as OTC creams, serums, washes and toners, they can still render you homebound if you’re not careful, and they can bring unwanted melanin to the surface if you’re not using a suggested post-procedure cream (important!). I recently had a professional PCA Skin Peel with Skincare By Eve and went straight to work the next day! And it was flawless. Post-care is everything.

Dermabrasion, on the other hand, can be a topical acid, enzyme lotion or tiered combinations of both, with liquids and involves scraping devices, including diamond-tipped buffers that also vacuum the skin particles away. Try multidate packages or a one-time deal for accelerated service with variable down time. Sun protection is a must here.

Lastly, dermaplaning is the careful use of a surgical microblade to reshape uneven hairlines and remove facial fuzz, along with dead skin cells and fine lines—making the skin evenly and deeply exfoliated and porous enough to heighten the effects of topical treatments to follow. The finishing serums depend on your skin’s needs.

THE NEW REGIME: Early forms of microneedling were made famous by Kim Kardashian’s “Dracula Facials.” She’s a beautiful example of what this practice has the power to accomplish. SkinPen

by Bellus Medical has perfected the service and results, allowing the tiny cluster of nano-needles to go deeper, looking less invasive and less irritated— safely. It prompts skin cells to rejuvenate themselves rapidly—our body’s natural defense stimulated by the topical attack. All the while, this infuses applied nutrients, and over time, clears dark spots, uneven skin tones and plumps

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ICING ON THE CAKE: The following

two trends, in my mind, are real gamechangers.

While Allumera itself is a gelled new-age nonpeel designed to deal with pores, complexion, suppleness and textured skin, it’s also a photodynamic cream reliant on a medicalgrade light source for processing. With or without Allumera, one of my new best friends is Red/Infrared LED Light Therapy (blue is for acne). LightStim has a full-body LED bed, while MyPolyLED (my fav, pictured) wraps around your body or face. (MyPolyLED has a terrific wireless handheld of the same strength.) Think of Red LED as turning a blender full of collagen into a “frappe” under your skin, while the outside looks better and better every single day, in every way. This is especially great for aged skin and collagen-depleted folks 40

and older. As a beauty biz lifer, I’m still amazed when I see esthetics people who don’t have a pro LED machine. If I had any of the treatments I mentioned without the offer of Red LED, I’d be out!

Combined, these two gentle giants give you a silent, ongoing one-two punch of smooth, clear perfection. And no one’s the wiser.

Next? Laser Genesis. This perfectly biblical light fixes most everything esthetically—it can’t remove excess skin folds, but it will tighten them—with no pain or downtime. It’s known as the Red Carpet Laser facial, and it’s my Oscar nominee!

Wellness, skin-a-mins, diet, exercise and hydration all contribute greatly to how seriously your skin regimen gets amplified. Ah, but we’re out of time. Stay tuned for more beauty brands we love in next month’s “Gorgeous” column. Remember, you don’t have to spend a fortune on skincare to look fabulous!

THE PERFECT SHAVE, 2020 PROTECT YOUR MUG, GUYS.

As all Saratoga men are well aware, winter wreaks havoc on our exposed faces. As my Dad always said: “Shape it or shave it.” So, here’s the roadmap to getting that elusive perfect shave. Buck up, men: This matters.

• Splash warm-hot water on face and thoroughly lift entire beard areas with a

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quality dense scrub (Clinique Men’s Scrub is great).

• Rinse again. Leave face wet and (optionally) cover with a hot terrycloth washrag for a minute.

Splash again and use preshave lube, then cream over that (don’t use cheap foam). Keep it moist!

• Shave. Your blade needs to be hot from running

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water and should be “married” to your face—perfectly flush and with no drag. Make firm, short, repeated down strokes, slowly under nostrils first, from top to bottom. Use your tongue to push skin out.

Elongate neck and stretch saggy areas. Re-moisten if you must. Never shave

a dry skin patch. Splash again. Leftover stubble can gently be shaved up or sideways for more closeness.

• Tone and Seal. Rinse and pat dry. Toner! Toner closes pores, firms and protects— it’s an absolute must!

• Repair. I use layers of skincare, while most men use little to none. Start reversing age lines now!

Try an all-in-one serum.

Caldera Lab is your genie in a bottle. It really works, guys.

• Recap. Lubricate. Shave.

Tone. Moisturize. Got it?!

EXPERT TIP: Shampoo is turning your beard into a scratching post.

Heavily scrub-rinse in water only 75 percent of the time; and always condition— every single time.

A peek inside one of the brand-new, high-end condos in The West; (inset) Scott Varley, associate broker with Keller Williams Capital District and president of the Scott Varley team.

The West, A New Four-Story Condominium Complex, Is Here LOCATED AT 116 WEST AVENUE, THE LUXURY BUILDING WILL OFFER AFFORDABLE CONDO LIVING WITHIN WALKING DISTANCE OF BROADWAY. BY ZACHARY GOLD

(Varley) SUSAN BLACKBURN PHOTOGRAPHY; (room) PAUL NEWMAN

skin to soften or remove wrinkles with cumulative (visually appealing) effects. #Amazing.

HydraFacial, at the forefront of all-in-one beauty, and OxyGeneo are professional multicompartment tanks with equipment wands that provide innovative facial treatments that simultaneously engage impressive exfoliation, deep nutrient infusion and oxygenation. DermaSweep is a newer wunderkind of the same genre that removes micro-particle-ed skin. I’ve had this service and loved it! All of these options allow you to beautifully interface with the world immediately.

And men in particular should be a fan.

Oxygenated services can wipe 20 years off your face! No joke.

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ho said luxurious Spa City living needed to be smack dab in the middle of traffic-packed Downtown? That’s the idea behind The West, a new four-story condominium complex designed by Olsen Associates, Architects at 116 West Avenue in Saratoga Springs. At less than a mile from Downtown Saratoga, this state-ofthe-art condominium facility will boast all the same high-end amenities as condos along Broadway, but at almost half the price and with none of the noise or hassle of living downtown during the bustling summer months.

“In many ways, this building is groundbreaking for Saratoga—it’s refreshingly innovative,” says Scott Varley, associate broker with Keller Williams Capital District and president

of the Scott Varley Team. “Our building has all the same amenities as any of the ones in the Broadway quarter, but the innovation lies in that we’re offering a more affordable living space.”

Located just two blocks from Saratoga Springs High School and the Regional YMCA, The West offers 34 customizable units, including 2-bedroom condos, ranging from $485,000 to $600,000 per unit. That price tag includes hardwood floors and quartz kitchen and bathroom countertops, plus private, oversized balconies and even some smart condos where the lighting and air conditioning can be controlled via smartphone app. As if that weren’t a sweet enough deal,

residency at The West also includes access to a fitness room, private lounge and rooftop pool. “The rooftop pool is a feature that doesn’t exist presently anywhere else between New York City and Montréal,” says Varley. “It’s only here!”

The West’s ground floor features more than 4000 square feet of contemporary commercial/retail space that’s currently for sale. Future tenants will hardly have to leave their homes to find upscale food, beverage and shopping options. And residents won’t have to worry about an overcrowded parking lot either, as each condo includes a private parking spot (plus 70 additional spots for public parking).

The new condominium complex’s units will be move-in ready by early summer. Varley says that new condo owners will also be able to make all the interior selections, including but not limited to decisions on flooring, lighting, room colors and kitchen appliances. “The West is the solution for all those people out there,” Varley says, “who want that downtown, condo lifestyle, but can’t afford it.”

Units are currently available to see by appointment only.

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the back Décor ⁄ spring into action Refresh your Saratoga home with lighter colors and floral wallpaper this spring.

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ith the hope of a Saratoga spring in our sights—and warmer days, when we can finally reclaim our porches and gardens—it’s time to find inspiring new home decor options that nod to the freshness of the upcoming season. I love the opportunity spring brings to clean and refresh my home with a new coat of paint, cluster of potted plants or set of seasonal furnishings. I also look forward to dusting, clearing clutter and addressing previously ignored (small) projects. A new decade is the

brightens a room more impactfully than anything else you can do. Select a room, clean and cover dirty spots, fill in dings and choose a lovely white neutral or classic navy. Pick a quiet weekend, grab a gallon of paint and paint your walls!

D O N’ T F EAR L IG H T AND B RI G HT Spring also means a lighter color palette. Right now, it feels right to have lighter colors and airier fabrics—and with new technology available to us, it’s possible to achieve this look with stain protection. Gone are the days when we avoided white linen like the plague. Now, pale colors are light

A new decade is the perfect time to focus on shedding ten years of the same stuff we’ve looked at, sat in and thought about up until the present. perfect time to focus on shedding ten years of the same stuff we’ve looked at, sat in and thought about up until the present. Now’s the time to make your Saratoga home feel new again, and here are six sensational ways to make that happen today.

J O IN T H E NAVY B LUE REVO LUT IO N I love “Naval,”

The Absolute Greatest Tips To ‘Spring-ify’ Your Saratoga Home I N TE R IO R DE C ORATING MADE EASY BY O U R DE SI GN E XP E RT. STORY A N D PHOTOGRAPH Y BY BEVERLY T R ACY

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Sherwin Williams’ Color of the Year for 2020. It’s a lovely deep navy blue, which is at the same time classic, sophisticated and versatile. Use it to paint your kitchen cabinets for a modern classic look, family room walls for a cozy feel and man cave for a tranquil, masculine ambiance. Navy (the color) can be incorporated in your home in other ways, too: Hang a navy-striped rug in a hall, position a navy sofa in a favorite room, swap in a navy duvet on your bed or add navy cooking utensils to your kitchen.

S PEAK ING O F B LUE, G ET PAINT ING A fresh coat of paint

for spring, and we don’t have to fear using them. Add pale neutrals and pastel pillows, throws and decorative accessories. Natural light textures, including rattan and wicker, reflect freshness and spring.

J UMP O N T H E G REEN B ANDWAG O N When spring’s finally

sprung, you’ll be spending a lot more time outdoors—but in the meantime, you should also be looking for ways to bring nature indoors. Incorporate greenery—potted plants and fresh-cut flowers—into your home, and you’ll be embracing its calming, rejuvenating qualities. With succulents come natural color, texture and that desired connection to nature (plus, they’re so easy to keep alive).

L ET YO UR WAL L PAP ER WOR K ITS WO ND ERS Wallpaper freshens a

home for spring in a big way, especially in foyers, powder bathrooms and as a feature in your bedroom. My top picks for spring are textured linen and

Where To Get It SHERWIN-WILLIAMS

226 Washington Ave, Saratoga Springs I love popping into Sherwin-Williams to get swatches of the newest colors.

Designer Tip: Get paintable frames at Target and paint them in the color of the season, classic navy!

SUNNYSIDE GARDENS

345 Church St., Saratoga Springs Pop into Sunnyside Gardens to pick up succulent plants and cute planters for a modern green addition to any room. And as a shopping treat, be sure to pick up a homemade doughnut on the way out!

PAPERDOLLS OF SARATOGA 454 Broadway, Saratoga Springs Best known for sophisticated printed invites and note cards, PaperDolls is a great place to rummage through wrapping papers and floral prints.

KETTLEWELL & EDWARDS

13 Phila St., Saratoga Springs Take those prints from PaperDolls and run over to Kettlewell & Edwards for framing. This is a great way to add a hint of spring to your home!

floral wallpapers. Flowers are back with a modern twist; this isn’t your grandma’s wallpaper; today’s version is larger-scale and bold.

MAKE YOU R HOU SE A MODE R N ART GALLE RY Oversized art on

your walls will bring a fresh look to your house this spring. Large, bold, impactful patterns; strong colors; and contemporary techniques will make your walls feel modern and alive.

And family portraits and candid shots, printed in black and white, with white mats and uniform frames arranged on a wall, gallery-style, will provide them with a classic and clean look.

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the back Hunger ⁄

The Secret To Making Druthers’ Mac & Cheese

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D O TRY THIS AT H OME! p h oto g r aphy by TERRI -LYNN PEL LEGR I ere at Druthers Brewing Company, we produce large quantities of our famous Mac & Cheese daily in each of our three locations: Saratoga Springs, Albany and Schenectady. We’re talking close to 600 gallons of cheese sauce and 1000 pounds of fresh pasta per week! Don’t be intimidated, though: We’ve slightly modified the recipe to better suit the everyday home cook.

Always remember, a recipe is merely a guideline; it’s up to you, the cook, to prepare it how you like it. Sauce too thick? Add a little more milk. Don’t care for gouda cheese? Simply leave it out. The more you cook for yourself and others, the more confident you’ll become in your own kitchen. We sincerely hope you enjoy trying this recipe as much as we enjoy preparing it for you at our restaurants.

—PETER HAHM Chef, Druthers Brewing Company

INGREDIENTS

1/2 gallon Whole milk 2 oz. Blue cheese 3/4 lb. Cheddar 2 oz. American cheese 3 oz. Smoked gouda 1 oz. Fontina 3 oz. Parmesan 1/4 lb. Swiss 1/4 lb. Havarti 3/4 c. Melted butter, unsalted 3/4 c. All-purpose flour 1 Tbsp. Soy sauce 1/2 tsp. Tabasco hot sauce 1/2 Tbsp. Kosher salt (preferably not table salt) Your favorite pasta shells, either home-made or store bought Panko breadcrumbs, for topping INSTRUCTIONS

Start by heating milk over mediumlow heat until it starts to simmer. In a separate pot, combine melted butter with flour to create a roux (thickener).

Cook the roux over low heat until smooth and no longer lumpy—like a looser peanut butter.

Once the milk starts to boil, turn the heat to low and slowly whisk in the roux. Continue to stir until the entire mixture has dissolved into the milk.

Keep cooking slowly until the milk has thickened (this is called a béchamel).

While that’s cooking, shred or finely chop all of the cheeses. It’s OK if you don’t want to use all of them; add more of what you do like, so the ratio stays the same. In batches, fold in the cheeses until fully melted and incorporated. Season with Kosher salt, Tabasco and just a little bit of soy sauce (optional).

At Druthers restaurants, we make our own pasta shapes, but feel free to cook your favorite pasta according to package directions. You’re looking for al dente or a slight bite, as the pasta will cook further in the oven.

Mix cooked pasta with sauce and

place into a greased casserole dish or other oven-proof pan. Top with breadcrumbs and bake uncovered in a 325-degree oven until bubbly and golden brown on top, about 5 minutes or so. Let cool slightly and enjoy!

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C H E F KA R E E M N E JAME I S SLAYI N ’ T H E GA M E IN DOWN TOWN SA R ATO GA

BY A B BY T E GN E LI A

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PHOTOGRAPH BY KLEA ARMSTRONG

’d only been living in Saratoga Springs for a few months when Tatu Tacos & Tequila opened, but I finally felt at home after walking through the doors of the immaculately decorated downtown hotspot. Co-owners Jennyfur Spaulding (designer) and Kareem NeJame (chef) have whipped up quite a restaurant—from art-soaked decor to authentic Yucatecan cuisine (think Mexican steeped in Mayan culture, with more than a century of Middle Eastern influence thrown in). The fresh food is, simply, divine. I sat down with NeJame, whose passion for these alluring (and sometimes exotic) dishes will have you visiting Tatu in no time. Let’s dig in.

What’s your most popular dish?

Carnitas al pastor tacos—achiote and sour orange marinated, slow roasted pork. We love that people love it, though our favorite dish is the salbute con pavo.

I could spend hours telling the story of this dish, but in short, we marinate fresh turkey thighs and breasts in a puree of blackened chilis, onions and garlic for 24-48 hours, before slowly stewing it with aromatics for 7 hours. That’s just the start.

You’ve just never tasted anything like it.

Rumor has it there’s a souped-up new happy hour at Tatu...

We’ve added food to our happy hour that’s offered every night from 5-7pm at the bar, with an all-night happy hour on Wednesdays and 2-for-1 ladies’ night on Thursdays from 7pm to close. We also just recently opened The Parlor, which is our tasting and private dining room.

We have a lot of really exciting things planned for that space.

When did you know that Tatu had become a success?

There was a young couple from the Yucatán who dined with us a few months back and, of course, we were really hoping to impress them with how their native cuisine was being prepared at Tatu. Not only were they impressed, but they also went back to their company and insisted everyone come check us out. Needless to say, we were very happy and very thankful for that.

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the back Thirst ⁄

STOP S N ICKE RI NG, FOL KS. THE FU TU RE OF D RIN KIN G IS HERE.

BY W ILL LE V IT H

I

f you took part in last month’s Dry January—I basically did (my colleagues lovingly refer to me as “One Wine Will”)—you likely had to meet in-the-process-of-gettingsloshed friends out at local bars and sheepishly ask the bartender if he or she could make you a “mocktail” (i.e. an expertly crafted drink sans the alcoholic zing). Maybe the mixologist behind the bar even corrected you: “No, man, mocktails are soo 2019. You’re looking for our zero-proof cocktail menu.” (Whatever you say, bro.) After publishing a fat stack of saratoga living issues searching for “The Next Great Saratoga Cocktail” and crowning a champion, we decided to reach out to some of our favorite local mixologists and ask them about their favorite mock…I mean, zero-proof cocktails.

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MADDIE PASCALE

TIMOTHY EVERHARDT

R YA N W O O D

NICK AQUINO

M I XOLOGI ST AT TH E NI GH T OWL

B A R MANAGE R AT MORRI SSE Y ’S AT T HE ADEL PHI

BAR MANAGER AT WALT & WHITMAN BREWING COMPANY

M I X O L O G I S T AT C A N T I N A

What’s the best mocktail you serve at The Night Owl? We love our tonics here at The Night Owl, so when I’m asked for a nonalcoholic pick-me-up on the fly, I always turn to the classic Night Owl tonic with our Death Wish Coffee cold brew. A little expressed grapefruit peel over the top for brightness, and there you go!

What’s the best mocktail you’ve ever ordered?

The best nonalcoholic cocktails I’ve had use Seedlip Non-Alcoholic Spirits. They’re amazing spirits made in England, and every bar that I’ve been to that uses them does so in a totally unique way. They’re a really fun product. We’re bringing them in at The Night Owl and plan to have a very cool cocktail using Seedlip Spirits on our next menu.

What’s the best mocktail you serve at Morrissey’s At The Adelphi?

That would be the French 37.

Here’s how to make it:

What’s the best mocktail you serve at Walt & Whitman Brewing?

That would be the “Jenny From The Block”—named after the famous pear-shaped diva, Jennifer Lopez.

It’s made with our homemade spiced pear shrub, fresh lemon juice and club soda, served with a caramelized pear slice. It’s super refreshing!

1 oz. Seedlip Grove 42 0.5 oz. Lemon juice 0.5 oz. Simple syrup 0.25 oz. Orange juice Bar spoon “champagne acid solution” (3 grams tartaric acid, 3 grams lactic acid and 96 grams water) Top with Club Soda and serve in a flute with a lemon twist.

What’s the best mocktail you’ve ever ordered?

The best non-alcoholic serve I’ve ever had was a mock Mai Tai riff at Speakeasy 518 in Albany. Prior to the addition of our nonalcoholic/lowABV menu section at Morrissey’s, the “(Trader Vic) Mai Tai” was the cocktail that served as the backbone of most of my bartenders’ mocktails.

What’s the best mocktail you’ve ever ordered?

A place I worked at in New Zealand made this amazing mocktail with fresh raspberries, mint, raspberry “cordial” and sparkling water.

What’s the best mocktail you serve at Cantina?

At the moment, our no-proof options at Cantina consist of nonalcoholic margaritas or mojitos, which are made simply by omitting the booze. (This may be changing with our new cocktail menu.) I did try making a “Tea and Tonic,” recently, which consisted of apple/chamomile and chai teas, brown sugar simple syrup and tonic water. It was pretty tasty.

What’s the best mocktail you’ve ever ordered?

I believe it was a celery soda, made with house-made celery syrup, at Hamlet & Ghost—though I’m not sure what else was in it. But it was damned delicious!

M AT T H E W B R I A N B AG L E Y O W N E R / O P E R AT O R A N D M I X O L O G I S T AT H A R V E Y ’ S R E S TA U R A N T & B A R

What’s the best mocktail you serve at Harvey’s?

Virgin Mojitos (or Faux-jitos). We always have an assortment of berries and herbs during patio season, so we have a lot of diversity in playing around with them.

What’s the best mocktail you’ve ever ordered?

The best mocktail I’ve ever had was at Onieal’s Grand Street when I worked in Manhattan. I was doing a cleanse (imperative to survival in this industry), and my boss whipped something up for me, a peach Arnold Palmer with spanked mint, topped with sparkling water.

(Aquino, Bagley) DORI FITZPATRICK

Our Ultimate Saratoga Mocktail: The Panel

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And The Winner Is…

M O R RISSEY’S AT THE A DELP H I ’S SAR ATOGA SMASH WINS “ THE NEXT G R EAT SAR ATOGA COCK TA IL” CONTEST.

p h otograp h by DORI FITZPATRI CK

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rue story: The impetus behind launching saratoga living’s “The Next Great Saratoga Cocktail” contest? We all agreed that the Spa City’s classic Saratoga Sunrise cocktail— consisting of orange juice, vodka and a splash of grenadine, with an orange peel and cherry garnish— sounded outdated and, well, not so tasty.

So we asked some of the top mixologists in Saratoga Springs to provide us with a new signature Spa City cocktail. Over 2 years (and 14 issues of saratoga living), we received entries from 15 Church, Harvey’s Restaurant & Bar, Morrissey’s At The

Adelphi, The Brook Tavern and many others—and published the final entry in our 2019 Holiday issue.

Then, we let Saratoga vote on their favorite one.

At saratoga living’s inaugural Saratoga Gives Back event at Putnam Place last December, we had a number of the bars mix up samples of their “Next Great Saratoga Cocktail” for our guests. And the winner is…Morrissey’s At The Adelphi’s Saratoga Smash!

Join us in raising a glass to Morrissey’s—and, yes, go over there and have a bartender make you a Saratoga Smash. Finally, we just may have a cocktail worthy of our great city.

—WILL LEVITH

Saratoga Smash INGREDIENTS

2 oz. Prizefight Irish Whiskey 0.75 oz. Green apple simple syrup 4-6 Mint leaves 3 Lemon wedges 6 Blueberries 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.

KATIE DOBIES

the back Drink ⁄

smash hit (from left) Morrissey’s At The Adelphi’s Bar Manager, Timothy Everhardt, accepting a bouquet of flowers for winning “The Next Great Saratoga Cocktail” contest at saratoga living’s Saratoga Gives Back event last December; the free samples of The Saratoga Smash guests were able to taste before voting on their favorite cocktail.

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Samples of Harvey’s Restaurant & Bar’s Saratoga Spring cocktail

Brothers Carmine (left) and Matt DeCrescente

The “Beauty” raffly package saratoga living’s Person Of The Century cover greeted guests at Putnam Place

saratoga living’s Super-Sized Soirée

“10 U N DE R 4 0,” “ NEXT GREAT COCKTA I L” WI N N E R S LO O M LA R GE AT “SA R ATOGA GI VES BACK” EVEN T AT P U T N A M P LAC E .

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P H OTO G R A P H Y BY

BY JEFF DINGLER K AT I E D O B I E S E XC LU S I V E LY

n the charity world, everybody’s a winner. At saratoga living’s first annual Saratoga Gives Back party last December at Putnam Place, emcee and NewsChannel 13’s morning anchor, Subrina Dhammi, paid tribute to the magazine’s first annual “10 Under 40” list honorees, who spent the better part of a month inviting guests to the party in order to raise funds for their respective charities. The concept: Fifty percent of the event’s ticket sales went to the charities and nonprofits represented by the members of the prestigious list.

The honorees that raised the most for their charity? Brothers Carmine and Matt DeCrescente, who were there representing the Alzheimer’s Association of Northeastern New York.

The evening also included the culmination of the magazine’s “The Next Great Saratoga Cocktail” contest, with mixologists from Cantina, Morrissey’s At The Adelphi, The Brook Tavern, The Night Owl and Harvey’s

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FOR

saratoga living Chair Anthony Ianniello

Holiday Issue Saratogian Of The Month Kathie Gonzalez

NewsChannel 13 Anchor Subrina Dhammi

Joe Moore and Teddy Foster

Renaissance Floral Design transformed Putnam Place into a winter wonderland

"10 Under 40" nominee Jahkeen Hoke, co-founder of 4th Family, with friends

Cookies by Austin Bayliss Cakes

Old Daley Custom Catering provided charcuterie and crudités

saratoga living

Restaurant & Bar facing off against one another. In the end, guests chose the “Saratoga Smash” from Morrissey’s as the big winner. Food was provided by Testo’s, Old Daley Custom Catering, Osteria Danny, Harvey’s, Hattie’s Restaurant and Austin Bayliss Cakes; Nonstop Music DJ kept the tunes coming; honoree gifts were provided

by Dehn’s Flowers & Gifts and Saratoga Custom Engraving; and Fred Clark, The Saratoga Santa, delighted the tony crowd with a surprise appearance.

Putnam Place served as the presenting sponsor, while Stewart’s Shops; Baker Public Relations; Austin Bayliss Cakes; and Renaissance Floral Design, which transformed Putnam Place into a stunning winter wonderland, cosponsored the event.

A few weeks later, when the donations for the ten featured charities were being tallied, saratoga living Chair Anthony Ianniello announced that he’d personally match all donation totals.

Stay tuned for announcements about 2020’s Saratoga Gives Back event!

The Outside The Box Photobooth capturing a special moment

“10 Under 40” honoree Amanda Vance from New Vocations (left) with a friend

Fred “The Saratoga Santa” Clark

Kathie and Alex Gonzalez

saratoga living Editor in Chief Richard PérezFeria congratulating the DeCrescente brothers

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BAE WATCH:

saratoga living’s kicking off our new “Bae Watch” column with Saratoga Springs-based relationship expert, Jennifer “Deb” Cook, and who will be answering all of your questions about love, romance and relationships. No query is too difficult for Deb! Email questions to editorial@saratogaliving.com or DM them to us on social media.

10 Years Of Love Gala JANUARY 18, 2020 CANFIELD CASINO PHOTOGRAPHY BY MAYA YEFIMENKO

Dear Deb,

I’ve been dating a man since September. He recently informed me that, during the Saratoga Race Course meet from July to Labor Day, he’ll be taking somewhat of a leave from our relationship. He explained that he loves me, and it absolutely won’t involve other women. In September, it’ll all go back to what we have now, he reassures me, but I can’t help but feel abandoned.

I just don’t get it! Help!

Sarah P. Saratoga Springs

Dear Sarah,

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SPAC WINTER BALL Saturday, March 7, 7pm Hall Of Springs, Saratoga Springs MOTHER TERESA CANCER AWARENESS FUND’S “NIGHT OF HOPE UNDER THE STARS” GALA Friday, March 27, 7pm Longfellows Hotel and Restaurant, Saratoga Springs ST. MARY’S SCHOOL’S BIG HEART GALA Saturday, March 21, 6pm Saratoga National, Saratoga Springs

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If what you want in a relationship is full-time togetherness, this may not be the man for you. However, what I think your boyfriend may be attempting to do is prepare you for what he intends to do during the track season: decline events, such as your cousin’s cookout on Whitney Saturday, or your coworker’s wedding on Travers’ Day. He might not want to defend his plans every time he goes to the track. He clearly loves Saratoga’s racing season, and it sure sounds like he loves you, too. I’d ask him if there’ll be any occasion for you two to go to the races together. Regardless of his answer, don’t look at this as an abandonment;

Ask Deb

How To Handle Being A ‘Track Widow’ In Season

ARE YO U READY F O R D EB’ S PITC H - PERF EC T ADVI C E ?

YO U NEED TO READ T H IS , SARATO GA!

BY J ENNIF ER “D EB” C OOK

look at it as several weeks for you to do you. One should never rely on the company of one person for happiness. Spend a Saturday with friends at Victoria Pool, book that tennis lesson you’ve always intended to take or throw on your sundress and hat and head to the track with your own friends. You’ll quickly see what all the buzz is about and maybe even experience the thrill of a winning ticket. Races don’t go all night; at the end of the day, rendezvous with your boyfriend on the Patio at 15 Church or at Morrissey’s at The Adelphi Hotel to exchange stories of the exciting day you each enjoyed. Also, remember that Mondays and Tuesdays are dark days—and great times for date night. This first summer season will be a good opportunity to test your

relationship waters, because my guess is his passion for Saratoga summers at the track won’t be going away anytime soon.

Dear Deb,

I’m a single mother who’s dating again. When is it a good time to introduce my nine-yearold son to the man I’m dating?

Jamie R. Schenectady

Dear Jamie,

Dating again is exciting, and the desire to let your new love interest meet the little love of your life is almost irresistible, but…resist! The chemicals released when first falling in love are wonderful, but they can sometimes cloud your otherwise good judgment. Take your time: There’s no rush if he’s the one.

Now, here’s the important part: When he finally meets your son, it shouldn’t take place at your home. That’s your son’s safe place and bringing in an “outsider” could create a sense of unease. The first five or more dates should be at a kid-friendly location. Try activities such as exploring Congress Park, going bowling or racing one another down a snowy hill on sleds. I’d imagine your son might bond with the man who drags the sleds back up the hill. Let them have fun and play. The opportunity to observe the interaction with your date and your son will be enlightening. However, absolutely refrain from any and all PDA! That’s just gross in your son’s eyes, and you don’t want him to feel like he’s losing his mom to this man. So slow down, have fun, play, laugh and if it’s right, it’ll all work out at no emotional cost to your son.

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SPECIAL PROMOTIONAL SECTION

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he Inn At Erlowest, a Queen Anne-style stone castle on the western shore of southern Lake George, isn’t just a private residence turned award-winning luxury, ten-suite hotel—it’s also a fine dining, farm-to-table restaurant destination for guests and the public alike. The inn serves an à la carte dinner menu in its dining room and outdoor patio nightly from 5-8:30pm, as well as a lighter fare menu of cocktails and appetizers at its Library Bar. Weekly specials made with seasonal foods ensure that each visit is a unique dining experience. Guests at the inn are also treated to a farm-fresh breakfast the morning after their stay.

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ocated just steps from the historic Saratoga Race Course in a former horse carriage factory, The Brook Tavern offers a nightly selection of fresh cold water oysters, creative salads and Certified Angus cuts of beef. Popular specials include Monday night’s Burger & a Beer, Thursday night’s $1 oysters and Tuesday’s take-out dinner-for-two. From the owners of The Wishing Well Restaurant, The Brook Tavern has a rotating list of craft beers, a lively bar, creative cocktails and acoustic entertainment, making this Union Avenue restaurant a neighborhood favorite.

3178 LAKE SHORE DR, LAKE GEORGE 518.668.5928

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Brook Tavern

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play

A Favorable Forecast

BY N ATA L I E M O O R E ACROSS: 1. Your husband’s mother, for one 6. Common computer port (abbr.)

9. Not fatty, as meat 13. “Someone Like You” singer 14. Gonorrhea, for one (abbr.)

15. Sit in on, as a class 17. Gymnast Comaneci 18. Sensory organ that rhymes with what it does 19. Pre-dinner prayer 20. *Star Wars soldier 23. Points far below the surface 26. Twenty-first letter of the Greek alphabet 27. Prefix with cycle or mester 28. Williams College mascot’s name, for short 29. Twelfth letter of the English alphabet 31. Trendy NYC neighborhood 34. Prefix meaning environment 35. House segment 37. Fiery crime 41. ___ pole 43. US clothing retailer 45. Tokyo-based engine manufacturer 46. 43-Across, for one 47. October birthstone 49. Negating prefix 50. *With 74-Across, wintry imprint 53. Star Trek character Jean-___ Picard 54. San Diego to Los Angeles, dir.

55. US org. formed in 1970 58. Vietnamese New Year 60. Women 62. *Thor or Zeus 66. Not with anyone 67. Alex And ___

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68. Midday TV programming, familiarly 72. Alternatives to truths 73. Dog doc 74. See 50-Across 75. Pause playing, in music 76. Before, in poetry 77. Swamp characteristic

DOWN:

1. McKellen of Lord Of The Rings 2. Legal doc ensuring silence 3. Guided 4. The best-known celebs are on this 5. Meteorologists, or a hint to this puzzle’s starred clues 6. Person operating a computer 7. One costs 55 cents 8. Having twins requires two 9. Mar-a-___ 10. The world’s secondlargest reserve currency 11. Modify 12. More kindhearted 16. Actress Hatcher of Desperate Housewives 21. Norwegian capital 22. Home of the Christ The Redeemer statue, for short 23. Information, slangily 24. Worldly Disney park 25. Thing to post to Instagram 30. Item in a firepit 32. *2016 George Clooney comedy 33. Hospital locations (abbr.)

36. ___ Zedong 38. Branch of Islam 39. O3 40. California Congressman Devin

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Laura Bradigan Ken Rotondo Antoinette Jackson Alex González Joe Moore Jim Mastrianni Sarah Craig

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44. Human beings, in a text message 48. ___ Lang Syne 51. Baseball Hall of Famer Mel 52. “___ the meats” (Arby’s tagline)

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63. Smallest bills 64. Ending for Oktober or Fyre 65. “Nick At ___” 69. Number of years in existence 70. Prefix meaning foot 71. Cunning

ANSWERS ON saratogaliving.com SEARCH: CROSSWORD

THE LIST

Colleen Burke Stephen Thirolle Susan Dake Murray Levith Jason Gough Chuck Fetter Bart Altamari

Ryan Jendrasiak Chris Bowler Walt Adams Fred Clark Meg Kelly Ron Riggi Todd Pletcher

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mi casa, su casa “I get to meet so many people from literally around the world and give them an experience that they can’t get any place else in Saratoga,” says Pavilion Grand Hotel General Manager Susanne Simpson.

Tell me, what makes yours the very best job in Saratoga?

Well, I love Saratoga Springs and I love the fact that Pavilion Grand is an independent boutique hotel located in downtown. I get to meet so many people from literally around the world and give them an experience that they can’t get any place else. I love being the person that gets to help all of this come together through this hotel for our guests.

Susanne Simpson’s Magic Moment TH E TI REL ESS GENERAL M A N AGE R O F THE PAVILION GRAND H OTE L I S O N A R O LL.

I

BY RI CH ARD PÉREZ-F E R I A PHOTOGRAPHY BY

KATIE DOBIES

t’s clear for all to see: Susanne Simpson, right now, is, unequivocally, at the top of her game.

Simpson, a Louisiana native and the General Manager of the posh/ homey Pavilion Grand Hotel in Downtown Saratoga Springs, is enjoying something of a moment. If you’re in the presence of this hospitality star, you’ll feel her authentic, genteel demeanor—and it’s everything. Her career is at an apex as evidenced by the hotel’s seemingly never-ending upgrades and innovations. Simpson, who also serves as board president of Saratoga Arts, the group behind Saratoga First Night, also says she’s a happy wife and mom to her husband of more than three decades, Mark, a

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EXCLUSIVELY FOR

saratoga living

celebrated commercial pilot, and her two adult sons, respectively. Her life is clearly an embarrassment of riches.

And she's thriving.

When I first met Susanne, I liked her immediately, but I couldn’t quite place where her Upstate New YorkSouthern charm hailed from; it’s as if the longtime Saratoga resident fused the Spa City’s famed kindness with a healthy dash of Cajun spice. Make no mistake, Susanne Simpson is a hotelier for the ages.

I asked the predictably busy Susanne if she had a few minutes to sit with me and answer some questions. She agreed, and little did she know, I also needed a little fix of her singular Saratoga-meets-Louisiana charm.

Just between us, who are some of the celebrities who've stayed at the Pavilion Grand?

It’s an exciting hotel to be at for sure, as our guests enjoy the ability to be anonymous if they so choose and the space to enjoy a little time to themselves under the radar. That being said, most guests we really can’t talk about, but some of the most memorable that we can are Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler and his daughter Liv, Raven Symoné, Governor Andrew Cuomo and the James Taylor Band.

Do you see your work with The Pavilion and Saratoga Arts as being complementary?

I actually do! Saratoga Arts really represents the local artist culture and creates a wonderful baseline for the art culture in Saratoga itself. The hotel accommodates travelers from around the world so that they can experience Saratoga organizations such as Saratoga Arts, SPAC, Yaddo, Caffe Lena and Universal Preservation Hall.

Saratoga is special because...

There’s no other place like it! Yes, I’m partial, but really, it’s essentially a suburb of New York City and has all of the excitement that a major metropolitan area holds. I love it here.

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